Ramen Bar Seasonal Menu
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 23, 2012
I still remember the first time I visited Ramen Bar two years ago. I was clearly raving about how delicious the food was. Since then, Ramen Bar became a place I go to for ramen. In fact, now that I work near a branch of Ramen Bar, I find myself eating their food at least once a week. There was one thing I noticed, Ramen Bar has a seasonal menu!
For the past 3 visits, I opted for my favorite yakiniku beef. Last Wednesday, I was at Ramen Bar located at Venice Piazza and I decided to try out their seasonal menu. I thought, if I loved their normal offerings, for sure the new menu would be just as good. I think the seasonal menu will run for a few months more, but after having tasted the food, I wish they can just put the dishes as part of their permanent menu.
As usual, the beautiful ambiance and design of the restaurant made it enjoyable to dine in. The wooden interiors, the bright lighting, the color scheme and the impeccable service — so relaxing 🙂
The service was still top-notch! After more than two years of service, the servers were still friendly, accommodating and helpful. Orders come at a decent time as well.. When you’re hungry, you sure will get your food within minutes!
Ramen Bar started offering the Seasonal Menu last November 10, 2012. I’m not sure until when the items will be available but I hope they consider making them permanent.
- Cheese Gyoza (Php 180)
Gyoza is Japan’s version of dumplings. It’s filled with minced pork and leeks, fried to perfection. The unique thing here is that Ramen Bar infused cheese into the mixture.
With every bite, you can taste the wonderful mixture of flavors from the mixture. The cheese just gave the dish an oomph! Each order comes with a dip.
- Kakuni King Ramen (Php 380)
Those pork belly (kakuni) that you see in the photo? They are amazingly delicious, amazingly tender and amazingly tasty – net, they are AMAZING… zing .. zing! I’m not a cook but I could tell that the meat was prepared with much attention (probably pressured cooked). It’s funny to realise that we actually finished the dish faster than the time that Ramen Bar cooked the dish.
- Bikkuri Ramen (Php 380)
The bikkuri ramen is my favorite among the three new ramen creations from Ramen Bar. It’s miso soup mixed with chili and minced pork. The taste actually reminded me of a Chinese tofu congee. You know the small tofu chili bottle sold in chinese groceries? It tasted like that but of course, Ramen Bar prepared this fresh off the kitchen!
The noodles were smooth, chewy & firm perfectly complementing the broth and main ingredient.
You know what I sometimes dislike whenever I blog? The sudden urge to eat the food that I’m describing here! ughh… this is exactly what I’m feeling right now especially remembering the yumminess of this ramen … wahhh!
- Shoyu 2.0 Ramen (Php 280)
For Shoyu ramen fans, Ramen Bar has made an improved version of it! The Shoyu 2.0 features a lighter broth with a mixture of pork and chicken stock boiled for 20 hours. Even the egg was marinated for 48 hours! The restaurant makes sure that we get to have the yummiest ramen by focusing on the way they cook their dish. Like I’ve always said, this is something we, customers, truly appreciate.
The serving is quite big and I believe this can be shared between two people. However, if you’re truly hungry and you have a big appetite then a single order is good enough for one! When you get to taste authentic ramen like the Shoyu ramen, who would even want to eat any more noodles of the instant kind?
- Curry Chahan (Php 180)
When I saw the curry chahan and tasted it, I was thinking that I already had the same dish somewhere. Apparently, it was from Yakitori Kitchen! Too bad Yakitori Kitchen is now closed but at least, they brought one of the best seller dishes to Ramen Bar. This fried rice was cooked with meat, curry powder, garlic chips and leeks as garnish.
So there… two ladies eating all those in one sitting! Talk about stuffing our stomach for a strong work day ahead, hahaha! It was my friend Gly’s first time in Ramen Bar so I’m glad that she liked the food! I expect her to go back since her office is nearby. I have a feeling I’ll be there again first wednesday of next year. I just cannot get enough of good ramen!
And oh, Ramen Bar has three promos running exclusively at their Venice Piazza branch! You might wanna check them out!
- Twitter Tuesday – Tweet “I’m having the best ramen in Manila here at Ramen Bar Piazza!” and get a 10% off your food purchase.
- #AwesomeNewRamen – Try out any of the 3 ramen dishes in the seasonal menu, take a photo, describe your dish and post it on your Instagram account with hashtags #AwesomeNewRamen, #RamenBar and #RBcontest. Get a chance to win prizes from the weekly draw.
- facebook Saturday – Update your status to “Ramen Bar is my choice when it comes to ramen and I’m here right now eating!” and get a free Tempura ice cream for dessert.
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Ramen Bar
G/F The Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines
(02) 552-1636
Other branches: Eastwood, Robinson’s Magnolia
Simplism Crystal Cover Set Case for iPhone 5
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 20, 2012
You love the new iPhone 5 design. You love how thin it is and how nice the new body of the phone is. You want to protect it but do not want to cover up the beautiful looks of the iPhone 5.
You are a fashion-forward person. You want to match your iPhone with your outfit for the day. You want to have the flexibility of changing the way your iPhone look. You want to have a lot of color options for your iPhone case.
You want an affordable iPhone 5 case that would cover almost every lil concern that you have.
Do any of the above statements describe you? If yes, take a look at a case made by Simplism, the Crystal Cover Set for iPhone 5.
There are 8 Simplism Crystal Case Cover Set available namely clear, red, smoky black, sky blue, milky white, navy, floral pink and mint green. I have chosen smoky black for myself as I already have a red case.
At one glance, I didn’t think that Simplism Crystal Cover Set is a good iPhone 5 case. I actually didn’t choose it while I was looking at the different cases available for sale at the shop. The saleslady recommended it to me saying that it was a cool case considering that it’s thin and super effective in showing the wonderful design of the iPhone 5.
When they showed me how it would look like with my iPhone 5, I was immediately sold! The phone looked great in it! The Crystal Cover Set doesn’t have those nifty features but it’s functional!
Staying true to its brand name, the crystal cover set is simple but boy, it works! Here are five simple reasons why:
- Invisible Protection
Simplism Crystal Cover Set is basically a thin hard cover that protects your iPhone from dust & scratches. It’s clear & transparent design makes the case unnoticeable thus showing off the beauty of your iPhone 5.
It has direct access to all controls (sleep/wake, ring/silent, volume control, camera, audio jack, speakers & power port) covering only what is needed.
The material is made of polycarbonate which makes the crystal cover set heat and impact resistant. Most of all, installation is easy! You just have to apply crystal case from the back of the iPhone.
- Anti-Scratch Coating
One of my biggest problem with hard cases especially clear ones is that it can easily get scratched. Apart from that, you can see those ugly scratches all over the case. Yuck, right?
Good thing, Simplism applied an anti-scratch coating on the Crystal Case Cover for iPhone 5. According to the manufacturer, the coating doesn’t guarantee scratch-proof but it helps to reduce appearance of scratches under normal use.
- Useful Accessories Included
the ff. items are included with every purchase of a Simplism Crystal Cover Set for the iPhone 5:
– Shiny and invisible Japan made Crystal Clear film
– Microfiber cleaning cloth
– Leveler to squeeze out air bubbles under the film
– Dust-removing tape for cleaning before applying film
– Cable Clip to organize excess cable
Considering that the case is relatively cheaper than other brands in the market, you will be surprised that Simplism included all those items!
I was actually planning to buy a screen protector but I didn’t need to anymore! The screen protector is very nice! The clear protective film is totally invisible and complements the iPhone 5’s awesome retina display. In order to apply the transparency film easier, Simplism included microfiber cleaning cloth, dust-removing tape & leveler to the iPhone 5 Case set. Here’s how: use microfiber cloth & dust-removing tape before applying the film. This will ensure that you remove any dust or fingerprints on the iPhone surface. Then, apply the film and use the leveler to remove air bubbles.
For your cables, the Crystal Cover Set has the cable clip to help organize them. You can clip to your pocket or bag. Your choice 🙂
- Antibacterial Protection
The package says that the Simplism Crystal Cover set protects the iPhone from germs & bacteria. I cannot attest to that but it’s a welcome feature! Haha!!
- Value for money
Lastly, for just Php 899.00, I believe that the case is a great value for money.
If you just got yourself an iPhone 5 and you don’t have time to analyze/research which case to get, I would suggest you get the Simplism Crystal Cover Set Case for iPhone 5. It has everything you need for your iPhone 5. A nice accessory to have!
Speck PixelSkin HD for iPhone 5
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 19, 2012
I initially planned to use my new iPhone 5 without a case. For all the years that I used an iPhone, I wasn’t able to really appreciate the full design of the gadget. The cases that I used covered the beautifully engineered iPhone. However, worry and stress consumed me during the first two days of going iPhone-naked.
I kept contemplating then I finally decided that I cannot just let my iPhone go case-less. It’s just too precious, too fragile and too expensive for me not to give it protection. Well, I decided on it at around 1 AM. If you know me, I’m very impulsive. Whenever I decide on things, I wanted to do it ASAP. Good thing, a local shop named Beyond the Box is open 24 hours during fridays & saturdays! I immediately prepared and drove to its One Rockwell branch in Makati to get myself some cases for my beloved iPhone 5.
No-brainer for a girl named Roch to pick color red for an iPhone case.
Speck PixelSkin HD immediately caught my attention. I love the rich red color! I knew it would fit perfectly with my white-colored iPhone 5.
Surprisingly, the Speck PixelSkin HD for iPhone 5 is not so bulky like the other cases in the market. It also felt different! I guess the material that Speck used made such a big difference and that’s what made me love this case even more.
Q: What is the PixelSkin HD case made of?
A: PixelSkin HD cases are made of TPU – Thermoplastic Polyurethane. TPU is one of the world’s most awesome polymers (plastics) because it can be mixed to very specific consistencies, which allows us to get the perfect blend of elements to create the perfect texture and material. PixelSkin HD is not as soft and squishy as silicone ( our “regular” PixelSkin) – it’s still a soft, flexible plastic, but it’s much slicker and more dense- allowing it to slide in and out of your pocket easily. The density allows us to make a skinny, form-fitting case that still packs a very protective punch.
The cutouts (port & button covers) are very, very cool! I loved how every part of the case are well thought of. In spite of the buttons being covered up by rubber, they are still very responsive! It’s awesome!
- the cutout for the mute button is perfect for me. However, I think people with big fingers might have an issue with this. If you have long nails, this wouldn’t be a problem. For guys, this wouldn’t be as smooth.
- the volume keys and sleep/wake button are all covered up yet still as responsive! A cool feature indeed!
- I think that the cutout for the rear-facing camera by PixelSkin HD was perfect! the black border around it looked so good especially when on a white iPhone 5.
- I have a bit of an issue with the power port. I feel Speck could have covered more of it to only allow for the lightning cable to fit. Whenever I try to charge the iPhone, I have to look into the port just to be sure I insert it at the right area.
- the more protection, the better is my motto for an iPhone case. Speck PixelSkin HD covered up the speaker ports and this was genius, totally met my expectation!
Most of the high-end iPhone cases have their logo plastered at the back of the case. I’m glad that Speck moved it to the side which complements the design very well.
Speck PixelSkin HD looks really nice especially the red one coupled with a white iPhone 5. There won’t be any fingerprints visible due to the matte finish of the case. Apart from that, PixelSkin HD provides you with a better grip, no more worries when you put your iPhone in your pocket because it’ll less likely slip out.
If you like changing cases, you will love Speck PixelSkin HD. The case is so easy to apply and remove. It fits the iPhone 5 very well too due to the raised bezel that keeps the screen safe.
Best of all, it is light. Most people appreciate the lightness of the iPhone 5 and the case should be complementing that feature.
I know I said this earlier but the case really looks beaaaauuutiful! The square grid at the entire back of the PixelSkin HD was pretty to look at apart from it being protective.
The PixelSkin HD for iPhone 5 comes in a five different colors — Graphite (grey), Pomodoro (red), grape (purple), harbor (blue) and black. It’s pretty cheap at a price of Php 950! If you’re looking for a good case for your brand new iPhone 5, I highly recommend PixelSkin HD from Speck.
iPhone 5 at the Smart Christmas Midnight Rush
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 15, 2012
Remember my post last year when I said that I would be waiting for #SmartiPhone5? Well, the time has come!
Last Thursday, the Smart Christmas Midnight Rush was held at Resorts World Manila, 9:00PM. Smart offered exclusive smartphone deals, awesome entertainment and most of all, the reveal of the most awaited smartphone in the Philippines!
I was working late and couldn’t join most of the fun, but my excitement was so strong that I went straight to the venue after my meetings. I arrived around 1AM. Everyone was already partying at Republiq with one of my favorite artists: LFMAO!!
Here are some of the deals Smart offered during the event:
- offers for HTC Desire C at All-in Plan 1200 and iPhone 4S at Data Plan 1500
- early reservations for Google Nexus 4 at Data Plan 1500 and Sony Xperia V at LTE Data Plan 1500. Both smartphones will be available on December 18, 2012.
- MOST EXCITING one is the iPhone 5 plans where every single buying customer gets a chance to win either a Hongkong trip, iPad Mini, iPod Touch, iTunes Card or GCs from PowerMac/Sofitel Manila/Store Specialists.
As expected, iPhone 5 was revealed at 12:01AM! I wish I was able to witness the reveal. However, it was okay as my only goal that night was to get my order of iPhone 5! I got myself a Smart UNLI Data Plan 2000 with it. My SIM wasn’t activated yet so I had to wait for 24 hours.
Last night, I said hello to my Smart Nano SIM and iPhone 5…
Oh boy, it was surreal! The iPhone 5 is a BEAUTIFUL smartphone! This is already my third iPhone and I must say, the iPhone 5 is the best one! The retina display made it more awesome and the additional size was a welcome feature. I spent most of the day playing with the #SmartiPhone5, downloading applications and looking at it! I’m in love with the iPhone 5 and I’m just glad I waited for it!
My Sun line will now be a secondary phone. I’m excited to experience what it is to bite into the better network, Smart Communications! I rarely hear complaints about their cellular service so I have high expectations.
Right now, in spite of having a DSL service at home, I opted to use Smart’s 3G. Yes, my mobile data plan is much faster than my home DSL plan. How ironic!
If you wanna get an iPhone 5 from Smart, here are the available plans:
You have three options on how to get a #SmartiPhone5! You can either apply at the nearest Smart Center near you, get it delivered to your home or get it via Prepaid. More information at Smart’s iPhone5 page 🙂
Cooking a Full Meal with Splenda
Posted by Rochelle Sy Chua On December 2, 2012
Last October, I went to the grocery and got myself some Splenda products. I was planning to eat healthy. I thought that substituting sugar with a healthier alternative was good for me. After reading hundreds of recipes that features Splenda, I still ended up clueless with what to cook. Not to mention that I had to prepare to move to my new place last month. I was too busy to even cook!
Well, now that I have settled in the condo, I’m ready to cook up a few simple meals! This is an activity which I find difficult and exciting at the same time.
I asked a close friend to help me out. It’s vital for me to seek help because I can’t even cook a decent egg (I’m that inexperienced with cooking!). She was very supportive and suggested that we prepare a whole meal using Splenda as a supplementary ingredient. WOW! I was only thinking of one or two recipes but we ended up preparing four dishes!!!
There were two things that I was looking out for the activity:
- the cooking experience itself.
- learning how to prepare food.
- if there is a difference in taste considering that we won’t be using real sugar.
Yesterday, we finally did it! After almost two hours, all 4 dishes were completed! I didn’t do the cooking but I was mostly chopping things and observing my friend cook. She’s truly the best! I truly appreciate the help she extended. I think I can cook those dishes by myself in the future. With regards to the taste, it was actually good! I didn’t feel guilty eating a lot because I know it has less calories since we used Splenda.
Here are the recipes of our delicious lunch yesterday (thanks Maus!):
1st item: Sopas
Ingredients:
1/3 cup Elbow Macaroni
1 cup Sliced Hotdog
1 cup Diced Carrots
1 cup Diced Potatoes
1/2 cup Sliced Onions
1 box All-Purpose Cream
3 cups Water
Cooking Oil
Salt, Pepper & Granulated Splenda to taste
Procedure:
- Heat 3 cups of Water in a pot, with 1 tablespoon Oil and 1/3 tablespoon Salt.
- Once Water boils, place 1 cup of Elbow Macaroni and place lid over the pot.
- Put Carrots & Potatoes into the mixture and let it boil.
- Until Carrots & Potatoes are cooked, put in Chopped Onion, Pepper, Salt & Granulated Splenda to taste.
- Let it simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Turn off the stove and pour in the All-Purpose Cream and stir.
- Serve hot.
2nd item: Chili Ground Beef
Ingredients:
1/3 kilo of Ground Beef
Cooking Oil
10 cloves of Garlic diced.
3 pieces of Chili
1/2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
Salt & Granulated Splenda to taste
Procedure:
- Saute Garlic in Oil until you can smell the aroma.
- Put in the sliced chilies and sauté for a few seconds.
- Put in the ground beef and let it cook.
- Place in Soy Sauce, Salt & Splenda to taste.
3rd item: Vanilla Gulaman with Lychee
Ingredients:
12 grams White Gulaman Powder (unflavored)
3 cups Water
1 cup Granulated Splenda
1 cup Condensed Milk
2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract
1 can Lychee
Procedure:
- Measure 3 cups of water (700 mL) in a saucepan.
- Sprinkle 12 grams Gulaman powder into the water while stirring.
- Add 1 cup of Granulated Splenda into the mixture.
- Heat the saucepan and continue stirring until jelly comes into a near boil.
- Turn off the stove.
- Mix in the Condensed Milk & Vanilla Extract.
- Let the mixture cool for one hour and chill.
- Cut the Gelatin into cubes.
- Mix Gelatin cubes with Lychee.
- Serve & enjoy.
4th item: Kiamoy Lemonade
Serving: 1 glass
Ingredients:
2 pieces kiamoy
2 Splenda packets
1 piece lemon
Water
Procedure:
- Place 2 pieces of kiamoy into a glass .
- Squeeze 1 piece of lemon into the glass and fill with cold water.
- Stir in 2 packets of Splenda.
- Drink is now ready to serve.