Category: Lifestyle

Last weekend, I was invited by fellow blogger Michelle to try out Delish Restaurant located in Quezon City, and if you’re a regular visitor here, you already know that I make it a point to always try out new restaurants whenever I have the chance.  It was really fortunate that I was free during the scheduled event.  I had to check the map though before I was able to find the place as I don’t go to that area often.  I find this restaurant somewhat a hidden treasure.  The dishes were great but it’s located outside common restaurant areas.  It was a great discovery.

The ambiance is great!  I felt the interior design of the place tries to cater to different groups.  Families can have their lunch/dinner there, young professionals can stay there for drinks or teenagers/students can hang out there for nice music.  My favorite though was the music videos being shown on the screen, perfect choices!

Anyhow, they also offer the ff. for us:

• Acoustic Nights – every MWF, 8PM to 1AM
• 3 for Php100 on all local beers
• Lunch Specials that are under Php100 (served w/ soup & rice)
• catering service

They’re like a one-stop shop for restaurants!  Anyhow, they do sell the beautiful paintings that are hanging on their walls.  The paintings were done by UP students & it was a great idea to use the restaurant as venue to show off their beautiful works.  Price ranges from Php5,000 to Php10,000.

It’s funny that I was starving before I went to Delish.  I decided to have a bite to eat at another place before going to Delish first.  So when we arrived at Delish, we were already full.  Anyhow, looking at how good the dishes were, I totally forgot how full I was and ate away!  Here are the dishes that we tried out:

• Baked Oysters

This is a dish I’ve been dying to try out.  We had to wait for like almost 20minutes just waiting for everyone to finish taking pictures of the dish hahaha!  The wait was worth it, one of Delish’s bestsellers, they let us sample both variants of their baked oysters.  There’s the garlic & cream cheese and also the spinach, bacon & herb which I liked better.  Baked oysters really is something that most restaurants should feature since the Philippines really has excellent oysters.  What I like about these oysters is how meaty they were, very succulent, and obviously very fresh.

There’s nothing more important for an oyster dish than having fresh oysters.  It can have the best ingredients, but if it isn’t fresh, then the taste will never be as good.  I’m glad that Delish has excellent set of oysters, and two very solid recipes, which I believe will cater to most tastes.  In my opinion, spinach and bacon are really a great compliment to this oyster dish.  And the garlic and cream cheese is definitely the one with a more rich taste.

• Eggplant & Pumpkin Soup Duo (Php 90)

Truly unique, 2-in-1 soup!  First of its kind definitely!  You can taste the difference of the eggplant soup & the pumpkin soup.  I was afraid to mix them though so I just stuck with tasting both separately.  Pumpkin soup was the winner for me.

Presentation is important, and a unique presentation such as a duo of soup is something that will really catch your eye, and more importantly will really give your taste buds a treat.  I think both soups actually work well together, since I ate both, not combined, but still when eaten side by side, the flavors seemed to always be perfect.  I’m sure  you can combine these soups, but like many other dishes with complex flavors, the key here is probably a compliment of flavors, not by mixing them, but by tasting them one after the other.

The eggplant soup really had a creamy and almost herb-like taste, while the pumpkin left my palette with a sweet taste.  Again, the compliments of flavors were just fantastic!

• Spicy Chicken Wings w/ Honey Mustard Sauce (Php 175)

Chicken wings is definitely a staple for many restaurants, and considering the fact that Delish does both dining and catering, it’s basically a no-brainer that they have chicken wings on their menu.  True to their word, those chicken wings were indeed spicy.  But, for many people who read here often, they know just how much I love hot and crispy chicken, it’s one of my comfort foods!

I have always thought that spicy foods tasted better than their regular dish counterparts because of the added spice and flavors that goes into making these spicy dishes.  The fact is, is that there really is an added flavor, and it’s usually important though to balance out the spiciness of dishes like spicy chicken wings.

Delish did a great job with this simple yet very delicious part of our meal.  With simple dishes like these, seasoning is always the base criteria in judging whether or not it is successful, and I must say, these spicy chicken wings were a success!

• Crispy Marinated Chicken w/ Honey & Fried Garlic Chips (Php 185)

This chicken was also a wonderful surprise to eat.  With that wonderful garlic and honey aroma, the contrast in texture of being a bit crispy yet still having the marinade and sauce was really something that I had to give compliments to the chef for.

However, I know the star of the dish should be the chicken but I tell you, the mashed potato was just superb!  It was uberly delicious!  I’ve never tasted anything like it, they did mention that there were carrots in it and something else.  If there’s a way to just order lots & lots of mashed potato, I would definitely do so over at Delish Restaurant.  YUMMY!

• Golden Fillet of Fish w/ Sweet Banana & Fresh Tomato Relish (Php 185)

Never could I have imagined that a combination of tomatoes, fish, and sweet banana could ever taste so good, but this concept just blew me away!  The balance of the tartness that came from the tomatoes really mixed well with the sweet banana.  The fruitiness of the banana even went great with the moist and perfectly done fish.  It’s almost a very unique twist to a sweet and sour sauce.  Again, the dishes in this restaurant is just amazing!

I’m recently leaning towards ordering fish over meats, mainly because I wanted to be more healthy.  Glad that I was able to try fish fillet being cooked differently, a nice twist!

• Boneless Crispy Pork Knuckles w/ Oriental Sauce (Php 390)

Oh crispy pata, almost everyone’s favorite!  We just cannot get enough of it.  Delish decided to serve it to us boneless, we don’t have to exert much effort in getting the meat out of the bones.  Just appreciate the yummy taste of this unhealthy dish hahaha!  Well, I loved the presentation & of course the taste of the dish itself.  If there’s one dish that you really want to throw the diet out the window for, then this is the dish is the one I recommend.  There’s just nothing more delicious than tender cuts of pork that is fried to perfection, and with that all important crisp skin!  Heaven and yet so sinful! hahaha :p

• Pork Sisig Special (Php 180)

This was my favorite among all the dishes that we sampled that day.  The pork was very crispy, as in I love it!!  It was not presented in a sizzling plate which other restaurants usually do.  I don’t really mind as the taste is far more important and with Delish, I believe they got the right formula.  Not too oily, very crispy pork, very delicious indeed!  A must order! 🙂

For me, a great sisig must be perfectly seasoned, has great pork ingredients, and a crisp to it too.  This dish, coupled with the egg is something that will make this restaurant a favorite for many people, including myself!

• Korean Beef Stew (Php 265)

I was planning to just photograph the food but we must give props as to how they presented the dish.  This is our favorite Korean dish, I would have wished they put more soup/sauce into it.  Most stews, it’s the sauce and the tenderness of the meat that makes the dish.  The sauce was very delicious, which is why I really wish they had given thought to the fact that it’s a stew and provided more of that wonderful sauce for this dish.  The sauce was very strongly flavored and I could taste so many wonderful flavors all in that once sauce.  A definite all star dish if they modify it just a little.

• Ox Tongue w/ Creamy Garlic & Mushroom Sauce (Php 185)

This is definitely more Pinoy than the other dishes that were served to us.  If you can get your head out of the fact that it’s tongue, then you are in for a treat.  Ox tongue, by far, is one of those types of meat that has that wonderful texture and goes well with a great many variety of sauces, soups, and different styles of cooking.  The creamy garlic and mushroom sauce was a simple yet brilliant idea for this dish.  This is definitely a homestyle cooking kind of dish.  The richness of the mushroom sauce also went well with the mashed potatoes.

And yet again, I was distracted with the mashed potato hahaha!  Don’t get me wrong, the lengua did taste good too!

• Butterscotch Pavlova (Php 145)

This caught my attention.  I waited while my fellow bloggers took a picture of the dish.  Pavlova is basically, in the traditional manner, a meringue type of dessert that uses beaten egg whites to make the whipped dessert.  In this case, mangoes were added and butterscotch to balance well with the mangoes.  A light yet decadent dessert with a Filipino twist (the mango).  Again, Delish really has a way to bring such wonderful and unique dishes to the table.  And the desert seems to be no exception.  This dish was simply delicious and unique.

• House Iced Tea (Php 45)

I’m hoping that once they have settled in with business, they can expand & open in other locations.  Places like malls or restaurant strips, I’m sure they’ll be successful 🙂  They have very unique dishes plus the food tasted delicious!

I can just count the number of times I have said unique in this post, but it’s truly a word that best defines Delish Restaurant.  From appetizer to dessert, this is one restaurant that will have you coming back again, only because you will never see their dishes in other places.  With the duo of soups, the baked oyster, and even the Pavlova desert, I honestly believe this restaurant should be a place you must go to.  In other words, simply Delish!!

See below details for the restaurant’s location & contact details.

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Delish Restaurant & Catering
103 Maginhawa Street, East Teacher’s Village, Quezon City
(02) 355-5241

We tried out the newly opened restaurant in Eastwood mall this weekend.  It has just been open for less than a week & it was really a great find for us!  They claim to have brought the authentic Japanese Ramen to the Philippines.  With that in mind, we really wanted to try their bestseller ramen dishes.

When dining, I always try to consider the whole dining experience.  This means that the ambiance is just as important as the service and the food.  The different aspects of what makes a restaurant should always be considered, and I think this is what Ramen Bar has focused on.  The restaurant has a minimalist look which I truly like.  The combination of colors are really spot on.  You will feel comfortable eating there.  Wood panels, wood tables & chairs, red, white & black logo colors, very neat indeed.  I think the combination of red and black really lends itself to a very Japanese feel of the place, and with authentic Ramen dishes, it’s really a perfect and well thought out design.

The owners were there so I was able to interview them & also was able to tour their kitchen.  Charles is the entrepreneur who opened Ramen Bar, he brought in his Japanese chef friends and conceptualized the restaurant.  Below is a photo of them, the manager of the restaurant was there too.

The kitchen according to the owner is exactly how a Japanese kitchen looks like.  Basically, we don’t need to go to Japan anymore if we’re craving for Japanese ramen & other dishes.  Considering how expensive travelling to Japan is, we have to thank them for opening Ramen Bar.

And did I mention that we ate a LOT?  With just the 3 of us, we sampled 7 dishes!  Talk about really hungry people who are trying to diet but never actually do hahaha!  Anyhow, it was an excellent meal!  Really good!

• Edamame (Php 120)

my favorite Japanese snack of all time.  This is soy beans boiled in salt.  You can buy raw edamame in Japanese grocery and cook for yourself if you’re craving for more.  I do this all the time, I just love munching on them.  You won’t feel guilty too as it’s healthy 😀

• Kakuni Buns (Php 180)

Remember M&Ms chocolate tagline?  “Melts in your mouth, not in your hand?”.  Ramen Bar can actually use that line with their dishes.  This Kakuni buns which are pork belly wrapped in bread does just that.  Their pork belly, truly unique, really melts in your mouth!  Yum!  With pork belly, it’s either okay, good, or great.  This specific pork belly dish was way above great!  I really mean it when I say it melts in your mouth, each bite is truly a great and wonderful tasting experience.

• Yakiniku Beef (Php 195)

“Ang sarap!… SHIT!” hahaha those were the exact words that I said while I was sampling this dish.  It was sooooooooooooooo fudging delicious!  Words just cannot describe it!  Best beef I have eaten, my friends also had the same reaction.  We just loved it!  Sorry, forgot to share what the dish was hahaha!  Anyway, it’s thinly sliced beef cooked in butter & served with the chef’s special sauce, has onions & sesame seeds too!  A definite must-order!  They serve this as a rice topping too for Php 165.

• Karaage (Php 155)

Another great pica-pica dish from the restaurant.  This is boneless chicken fried & seasoned w/ salt.  We were already too full, so we were like pushing ourselves to finish the dish hehehe 😛  This is one of those dishes that shouts simplicity but with great taste.  Sometimes dishes such as fried chicken is already perfect when cooked in a simple manner.  A lot of the times chefs go to the extreme and forget to season the food perfectly.  You really can’t go wrong with a chicken that is perfectly seasoned, I would take that any day over a complicated dish that just didn’t have the right ingredients, too much going on, and in the end does not even taste good.  Again, Ramen Bar obviously can do a wide range of dishes to suit many palettes and tastes for different customers.

• Super Chasyu Ramen (Php 380)

This is pork ramen that has so much flavor infused in it that each bite is truly a great experience for the taste buds.  The reason that it is so delicious is the fact that the pork soup is boiled for 20 hours!  Some of the best tasting and most delicious dish comes from the fact that they are cooked with such detail, preparation, and with much attention.  Not only are their ramen dishes as authentic as you will find in Japan itself, but they are also homemade which makes each dish a real labor of love and gives it an even greater fresh taste that seems to be characteristic of each dish.  This is definitely best ramen I have eaten so far.

• R.B.S. #1 (Php 380)

If you wanna try something a bit different, with a unique taste, and a mix of ingredients, then this dish is for you.  It’s ramen with fish sticks, dried seeweed, onions, pork, pork belly with soft boiled egg.  They surely must have tried to conceptualize this dish longer than their usual dishes, because it’s something really unique, but in the end just works so perfectly.  A great many dishes really stand out when you add egg, but this dish has such a wonderful twist to that idea.  This specific egg that was added has actually been marinated for 48 hours!  :O Again, with such attention to detail, taste, and preparation, it’s no wonder this dish also stood out to me as another one of their delicious creations!  Just so yummy!  My friend Hai was raving about it the whole time, she said that the egg jiggles in her mouth.

• Tempura Ice Cream (Php 120)

We were too full already but you really can’t end a meal without a dessert.  So we tried their tempura ice cream, we were in a Japanese restaurant right?  How about ice cream that looks like a tempura?  Don’t forget to dip the ice cream in the chocolate sauce.  It’s a mix of fried pastry with an ice cream filling.  The combination of textures, temperatures really stands out.  This is a creation that is sweet and delectable.  What a great way to end one of the best meals I have had in the longest while!

Before I forget, Ramen Bar’s servers were very accomodating too!  We love their uniform!  It says slurp in front then there’s the Ramen Bar logo at the back.  Consistent with the restaurant’s theme as well.  I asked the servers to pose for us hahaha!  They were too shy but agreed with our request.  See how cool those shirts are!

We definitely enjoyed our meal at Ramen Bar.  Both Sean & Hai actually vowed to return and bring their families to try it out too!  See my big smile in the picture!  Need I say more?  I will definitely try this again soon!  I truly hope everyone has a chance to experience great service, the most delicious and authentic ramen dishes, as well as experience the wonderful ambiance of the whole place.  Kudos to Ramen Bar!

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Ramen Bar
G/F Eastwood Mall , Libis, Quezon City, Philippines