Marching on at Umu

Pork Curry 

As if summer wasn't hot enough, Umu at Dusit Thani Manila has a special on Japanese curries for the month of March!

I fell in love with Japanese curry when I was living in Los Angeles. The rich and bold flavor of its spiciness is unique - my favorite is with ebi fry or chicken katsu. Now ebi fry is different from ebi tempura because the batter is more crunchy and a golden brown color while tempura is paler in color and a bit more soggy. 

It was nice to catch up with Danelle - it feels as if we hadn't seen each other in ages. Today, our view outside was a beautiful, lush green landscape - no rain in sight! Let my favorite season begin :)

Since this was a Friday and I am fasting, we ordered only seafood. I think Japanese food is great for Lent haha! Especially since I have given up pasta and any form of noodle for Lent. Now for me, this is an ultimate sacrifice!

Ebi Fry Curry 

The Ebi curry was delicious (forgive me for the photo as I dipped into it before taking the picture) and the sauce was as it should be. If I wasn't fasting, I would have eaten the whole thing!

Pickles tickle me pink!

 I also love condiments of any kind and the red pickles that typically accompany the curry have a bit of saltiness and the crunch is fabulous. So happy that Umu's Japanese Master Chef Hiroyuki Fukata remembered them - Japanese curry just ain't the same without it.

Ikura and salmon sashimi over sushi rice

 Aside from the curry I asked for my new favorite: salmon sashimi and ikura over sushi rice. It is a complete meal in itself!

What a difference a year can make - the things that have gone on in my life and Danelle's life were on the same path but now diverging...I'm ever thankful to God for all the blessings such as Danelle that he has given me in my life :)

Dusit Thani Manila
Ayala Center, Makati City
+632.238.8823

Meat Eater Madness: Elbert's Steak Room

I've heard steak lovers discuss over and over again which steak they think reigns supreme when it comes to the variety of steak joints in Manila (I'm remembering a convo I had with this guy at Blind Pig last night who says he dry ages his beef himself. He just scrapes off the mold and he swears its amazing. I wasn't sold).

A couple of months ago, we headed to Elbert's Steak Room for a friend's birthday dinner. I've never eaten at Elbert's for dinner, only once for lunch, where I ate a yummy prime rib. The interiors are cosy and well-appointed with dark wood and leather armchairs, well-worn books and interesting art. Very elegant. 

To be different, I ordered the T-bone as suggested by A's officemate. It came with the house salad

   the house soup

assorted sauces for the meat

 and the piece de resistance, the steak itself.

 Elbert's menu says the only grade of steak he serves is prime. Now, I truly enjoyed the prime meat I had at Gustavus (unfortunately, this place closed down a couple months ago, too bad) so I was expecting quite a bit from Elbert's and from all the raves I've heard about the steak. Isn't expectation a bitch!

The tenderloin bit of the T-bone was soft and delicious but the strip not so much. Maybe I should've ordered it medium rare instead of medium? I had it with a side of truffled risotto and another side of creamed spinach.

Chef Adrian Cuenca

As I said, I'm not a big steak eater but I do like my meat. Maybe I need to come back and try the rib-eye like everyone was suggesting.

Elbert's Steak Room
3/F Sagittarius Bldg, 111 HV de la Costa Avenue, Salcedo Village Makati
Tel +632.339.3363
www.steakroom.com

Intimate L'Incontro

I recently dined at L'Incontro in celebration of L's birthday (one of many celebrations!). The last time I was here was for an unlimited wine with assorted small plates of food promotion it was having. The time before that was for a well-attended Zonin wine dinner.

I realized that I hadn't ordered off the menu at L'Incontro in some time!

Tina Pamintuan, along with her partner Brady Wheeler, now manage L'Incontro and they have infused a brighter, more youthful vibe intro the restaurant. First of all the interiors are more homey yet bright; the former L'Incontro was quite dark. Next, they like to have events such as wine tasting or wine dinners. With its location on N Garcia and outside of a mall, it is more of a destination restaurant in the city. It's the perfect place to go for an intimate party or a special date.

I came quite early because I was starved and dinner was supposed to start at 9pm. Thank goodness J was there already so we got to catch up on each other while I scarfed down the homemade focaccia with the pesto and tomato sauces. T came in and so we ordered some appetizers while waiting for everyone else. I was torn between ordering the ham and cheese crepe or the beef carpaccio. T told me to go for the crepe.

OMG. I was so good it was if I died and went to pasta heaven. Each bite, each creamy truffle cream morsel, was divine. Mushroom, Parma ham and miles and miles of melty cheese - where had this crepe been all my life?

T ordered the Wagyu carpaccio and kindly let me try. I wanted one for myself! "Restraint, restraint," I thought inwardly. Just look at that marbling!

J started with an octopus risotto without rice. Sound strange? This is what it looks like.

J said it was delicious. It was my first time to see risotto without rice! T said they can customize your order. 

Remember my restraint? It ended up as a main course of this

Three lovely lamb chops on tomato rissoni. I ate all the chops and a little bit of the rissoni.
As the conversation around the table was about the Cohen diet and eating in moderation, this is how the rest of the table ate:

R got grilled prawns with grilled veg. T got the carpaccio followed by the same main as R. S ordered the crepe to start and split a sea bass with L. M got the lobster bisque (this is what I'm ordering next time I come here!) halfed a risotto with L. L ate half the risotto and half the sea bass. This prompted R to say, "Is that CARBS??" and L said, "But it's my birthday!" Classic!

We all ordered Malongotinis and L shared her dessert with the others.

Net net, I ate the most at the table with my full crepe and my 3 lamb chops.
I love carbs and will never give them up. I will give up dessert for lamb chops though!

What would you give up?

L'Incontro
207 Nicanor Garcia Street
Makati City
Tel +632.899.0638

By Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet: Rose

Have you ever been to one of the sushi restaurants that arrive to you via conveyor belt or in little sushi boats that meander slowly by, hoping to catch your eye?

I've been to a couple in San Francisco, and the concept is quite quaint. 

Now if you have never been to one, you can come to Rose to check out what I'm talking about. This very cute idea only works if the sushi found on the boats look appealing to eat. In fact, in the other restaurants I've been to that have this concept, the dishes are priced per color. For example, the gold plate is the uni sushi, the red plate is the ikura, so on and so forth. So at the end of the evening the server simply counts how many of each color you ate and adds it all up.

Rose's interiors are very simple: everyone sits around a big table where the boats pass by. This makes it difficult to talk to your friends across the way.

The problem with Rose is none of the sushi on the boats looked appetizing. The owner said they replace the sushi every 20 minutes but since no one ate the sushi off the boats, they kept circling around. Instead, I ordered off the menu: uni sashimi. It was very tasty.

I love edamame (soybeans to you folks!) and they had one on their menu with dynamite sauce. I decided to try it and got this:

The sauce was quite spicy and left a residue on my fingers after eating it - definitely not first date food! To wash down these interesting appetizers, we ordered some watermelon sake, which was pretty yummy.

The truth is, the menu wasn't very interesting to me. My friends who had gotten there before me had already ordered some dishes and I did enjoy the salmon dish with ikura on it but since I had salmon for lunch that day I didn't feel like having a whole salmon to myself. So I ordered the tuna tataki with their Rose sauce.

I did not enjoy the Rose sauce very much - it was spicy when it should have not been. I expected something more exciting, such as a ponzu something or other. Alas, I was left disappointed.

So finally, I ended this ordinary meal with dessert- salted caramel ice cream, which turned out to be extremely delicious. 

If you want to see little boat meander along which happen to have so-so sushi on it, then you can try Rose. Otherwise, come for some sushi off the menu and the watermelon sake.

Rose
The Grand Hamptons Tower
31st Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues
Bonifacio Global City
Tel +0917.597.2573

The Whole Enchilada: Achiote

Seems that the dining scene at Power Plant Mall and in Rockwell in general seems to be heating up.

Literally, that is.

The newest kid on the block is Achiote, a Mexican restaurant opened by Robby Goco. It has that easy-going vibe much like the other restos he's opened such as Ristras and Charlie's Grill and Grind.

A full house- but then again, not that hard to do

Seems like Filipinos can't get enough of Mexican! Though there are other restos that I love for their nachos, potent margaritas as well as the people behind it (cough, cough, Chihuahua), I do love me an enchilada and unfortunately Chihuahua doesn't have that on its menu yet. So of course when I saw enchilada on the menu, that's what I ordered. Humans are creatures of habit.

But before that, the was guacamole that beckoned in a margarita glass. Of course, that had to be ordered as well, along with a healthy dose of chips.

The avocado was fresh and the guacamole nice and chunky. I don't like pureed avocado for my guacamole. The flavor was pretty darn good too.

Now for mains: I got one enchilada with a spicy marinated chicken and the other with carne asada. All smothered in salsa verde. With black bean on the side and the cilantro rice. Just look at that bad boy!

It has everything good. Like what Joey Tribiani of Friends said: It's got sour cream: Good. It's melted cheese: Good. It's got salsa: Good. It's got yummy fillings, tasty beans and rice: good, good, good! Well, the rice was ok. I do prefer the original Mexican rice. You know the phrase, "The whole enchilada"? Well, it is quite filling and so, in this day and age of choosing the right carbs to put in your tummy, I opted not to finish the rice.

They have a number of other dishes to try too: tortas, or sandwiches; ceviches of all kinds of seafood; burritos; quesadillas and different kind of tacos. Here are their usual hard shell tacos, topped with a healthy dose of more avocado. This was filled with carnitas.

I find it difficult to eat hard tacos so what does one do with hard tacos?

Make taco salad!

Te-kill-ya station

All in all, Achiote has a good variety of Mexican dishes that make you come back for more. The serving sizes are pretty big enough to share and the price range is affordable.

Now if someone would make frozen strawberry margaritas as good as Chevy's in San Francisco, than that would be perfect...


Achiote
G/F Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati City

Lunching light at Sugi

We were planning our first girlfriend's lunch for the year and couldn't decide on the option of restaurant.

One friend was preggy.

One friend was on the Cohen diet.

Another friend was on a break from the HCG diet.

Another friend wanted more options than just shabu-shabu.

Me? I was still on the seafood diet: when I see food, I eat it! (Don't hate me.)

So we all decided on Sugi in Greenbelt, where everyone knows your name if you're a regular. They'll even know how to prepare the dish the way you want it!

We saw Ines there and she greeted us Happy New Year and treated us to the yummy special for the month, the Kaisen Salada. It was fresh with its sashimi of salmon, tuna and white fish, along with yummy crunch greens and orange roe. (Thanks Ines!) Sugi has always been very good at offering new items on their menu.

January special: Kaisen Salada

After all that binge eating in December, I wanted healthy, yet filling seafood dishes. I ordered two of my favorite sushi:

Uni and Ikura sushi

I learned to eat ikura or salmon roe sushi while I was living in LA. There was a place called Sushi Sasabune on Sawtelle Boulevard that served only the freshest sushi of the day, and you weren't told beforehand what you were going to eat. All of the dishes were pleasant surprises and I this was the first time I learned the art of kaiseki. From then on, I was in love with the orange, glistening eggs that pop with flavor in your mouth when you bite into them. 

Now, I need carbs to be happy - I don't care what Mr Atkins or Ms South Beach or whoever says they are bad for you. I ordered ten cha soba just because I love the flavor of the green tea soba noodles paired with the crunchy ebi tempura. And I love dipping sauces! This came with TWO! 

I honestly can't eat more than 3 tempura in one sitting otherwise I start to feel sick. Remember that Saisaki promo, eat all you can tempura? My uncle could down 30 of them...that was then...

Best to make reservations when you eat here. I believe that Sugi is the most successful restaurant in all of Greenbelt 2. It must have good feng shui! :)

Sugi

Greenbelt 2

tel +632.757.3678

Dear Ol' Dad: Lolo Dad's

Happy New Year!

I hope that 2012 brings new hope, joy and happiness in your lives!

I'll begin the year with a post on a good, old favorite, Lolo Dad's Cafe in Malate.

The original open kitchen concept

Anyone who's in the know will say "No contest" when you compare the original Lolo Dad's in Manila with the Lolo Dad's Brasserie in 6750. Though I've eaten at the latter only once, I've eaten at the original several times on truly special occasions and can safely say their attention to detail and the consistency in cuisine of Chef Ariel Manuel reigns supreme.

Furthermore, the place is tucked into a discreet garden and it is never too full so that you get the privacy and service you deserve.

Check out this homemade butter, served with your choice of fresh, homemade bread. I swear, I could devour this whole thing.

Their oysters are beyond delicious. They usually serve the fresh ones by the piece with a special lemon granita - which I love - but this time they served it with a salsa. I had oysters at a 5-star hotel and they weren't as fat nor as tasty as these. How can that be?

Here's their salad of lobster and prawn, big enough to share. The seafood was cooked to perfection, as always. Tasty portobello and feta add to the flavor.

The sorbet in a smoking brown teapot  is another signature style of Lolo Dad's. Always makes for a good picture, good enough to blog haha.

Lolo Dad's was also one of the pioneers in giving you many choices of the same ingredient on one plate (think: foir gras terrine, pan-seared and the like). This main course of Black Angus beef tenderloin is served with beef cheeks topped with a slab of foie gras and offered with a side salad and a very pretty garnish.

The wine list here is limited but well-suited to the dishes. When it comes to going to a resto for a special occasion, Lolo Dad's comes to front of mind always.

Happy 2012! May all your champagne wishes and caviar dreams come true!

Lolo Dad's Cafe
899 President Quirino Avenue corner Leon Guinto Street
Malate, Manila
tel +632.522.2941
www.lolodadscafe.com

Sexy and Chic: Atelier 317

I've been an awful girl this Christmas.

I was supposed to go to my girlfriend's place for an after-work glass of wine - but I ended up crashing her foodie friends' dinner! (Well, actually, she did invite me at the end :))

Stephanie Zubiri - the hostess with the mostess

Hidden in a little village in Makati is Atelier 317: a room of shabby chic interiors, good food and drinks and of course, fantastic company. Stephanie, who enjoys doing a bit of interior design as a hobby, put the room perfectly together. Aside from some prints of food, her mother Vicky gave her some still life paintings that add even more personality to the cozy ambiance of the room. 

This evening Stephanie invited her food writer friends such as Margaux Salcedo, Mickey Fenix, Claude Tayag and his sweetie Mary Ann, Myrna Segismundo, Felice Santa Maria and Nana Ozaeta to try her delicious wares.

Stephanie started us off with her version of falafel, a light yet tasty flafel in a pita pocket served with lettuce and onion. 

On the table was a mezze platter of roasted charred eggplant dip, spicy roasted bell pepper and feta dip, and green pea hummus- all served with pita triangles. All light and healthy tasting but packed with lots of flavor. 

Next Steph served this tasting platter of Caprese salad with kesong puti; Camembert and raspberry on rye bread and gourmet cheese pimiento tartine, which, unfortunately, I didn't get to try! I did go back to the Atelier the next night for Uno Night and ordered the Caprese salad for myself - the smoky flavor just added that extra zing to it!

The next item on the menu was the shooter of roasted squash with lemongrass soup. The consistency was thick and velvety and the flavor packs a punch. You don't need to eat a lot of this to feel satisfied.

Now, this is why I appreciate Stephanie's cooking so much - she takes a classic and makes it better. Here is a balsamic adobo short ribs. Utterly delicious! If I wasn't in a room with so many new acquaintances, I would have wolfed this down like it was nobody's business. A girl has got to have her manners, you know.

Another winner was this chicken ala Bicol Express. Spicy verging on the side of dynamite - just the way I like it.

Steph served these dishes with red rice, which I am not so fond of when I want to drown my rice in sauce, just like that Bicol Express sauce. All I can say was less load on the rice meant more load on the dessert, which was a smorgasbord.

Claude told us very interesting stories about how the term "Bicol Express" came to mean spicy dishes made with coconut cream.

If you are a fan of aligue then you will adore this aligue pasta. Steph is the queen when it comes to making Filipino food modern!

For dessert, Steph served this oh-so-yummy cake. This cake has haunted me in my sleep. I have called this Modern Epicurean goddess on occasion to ask if she had any in her house that I could come and scarf. It's a ginger pumpkin cake with cream cheese frosting and walnuts (in case you were wondering, I just scrape off the walnuts). It's so moist you can eat the whole thing in one sitting. It's so moist, it makes Hong Kong's humidity problem look like the Gobi Desert.

To add to the calorie count, Steph served these Nutella chocolate cupcakes along with truffle ice cream from Alexandra Rocha's Pinkerton. OMG.

Malongo coffee's main man and our token Frenchman Geoff came to dinner as well. Aside from his witty repartee he offered to make his signature Malongotinis, which are to die for. If you never have had a Malongotini, you are missing half your life. It makes Patron XO look like an uncontrollable teenager!

We had such an amazing time, sharing food stories and more, that I ended up staying the whole night and even going to Time afterward. We all need a little cardio to work off the calories, right?

In whatever Stephanie does, she pours all her heart and soul into it, and you can feel it in the room and taste the love in all her food. As the prettiest waitress in town, she can't be beat! I can't wait to bring my other girlfriends here :)

Congratulations Steffie babes, on the success of your new endeavor!  

Atelier 317 

http://www.epicurusinc.ph/atelier-317.aspx

For reservations call +632.384.7064 or text 0917.830. 8393