Category: Restaurants

It’s great that we have a colleague who truly knows how to dine.  He was able to schedule lunch at Terry’s for his & another colleagues’ anniversary celebration.  About 20 of us attended the lunch event.  Since it was my first time there, I had to go with colleagues in going there.  I didn’t realize that it would be far, and we ended up walking hahaha!  It was good exercise so I’m not complaining, and had great conversation along the way too 🙂

As soon as we got in, I immediately knew that the food was not going to be cheap!  The design of the restaurant is sooo cool and very chic.  The great environment was definitely because of just how simple it was.  With the great black and white pictures and with the black frames really complimented the simplicity of it all.  I actually found out that the spaciousness of it all was because it has 3 floors!  The first 2 floors is for dining, and the third floor they actually have their own gourmet shop!!  Wow!

If I recall it right, they have a shop located at Podium in Ortigas too.  I’m just glad that I was able to dine at Terry’s at long last and I can finally feature it here at HeaRty’s Haven.  We definitely ordered a lot, and I was so busy eating the yummy dishes that I totally forgot that just how blog worthy this place is.  So when we were about to be served the main dishes, I started taking pictures.

Here are the dishes that were pre-ordered so there was lil waiting time:

• Manchego Dumplings (Php 360)

Manchego cheese combined with salami wrapped in wonton wrappers then deep fried.  Nice too how they presented the dish with barbeque sticks inserted in each piece.  We don’t need to use our hands or utensils to get them.  Salami with the Manchego cheese tasted perfectly well together too!  Again, I love just how simple yet refined the feel of the place is, and it translates well into this appetizer too!  I often wonder how some restaurants come up with such unique dishes and appetizers.  This one was just perfect with the saltiness of the salami, combined with the smooth texture of the melted and warm cheese, then add on to that the perfectly fried and crisp wrappers.  Simplicity with great flavors!

• Morcilla Piggy Back (Php 144.77)

As much as I enjoyed the manchego dumplings, Morcilla piggy back is definitely the winner from all the appetizers that we were able to sample at Terry’s.  If you noticed in the photo, there was only 1 piece left in the plate 😛

Morcilla is a type of sausage that uses congealed blood as a filler.  In this case, we have pigs blood and seasoning added of course.  But when I heard the word ‘blood’, I was hesitant at first.  However, it smelled so good, so I just had to try it anyway, and was I glad that I did!  Yummy!  Sometimes the best dishes are really those that need to be tried without fear hahaha!  There’s actually different variants of Morcilla, and even since it was the first time that I had ever heard pig’s blood being used as a filler for sausage, apparently it’s common all over the world.  In our case, I believe they have it in a more Spanish style of preparation and perfect for the Filipino palette since it incorporated that sweet salty taste, a little spice too.

• Chistorado (Php 690)

Chistorra de Pamplona and rice are cooked in a sauce of red capsicum, Piquillo peppers and melted cheese.   If there’s always a rule of thumb in cooking, is that often, you really can’t go wrong when you have creamy and delicious cheese in a dish.  With Chistorra, you have the great taste of sausage bits, the taste of red capsicum which gives it a little of that sharpness and cuts through the richness of the dish.  The balance is there, and often times with each bite you almost get the feeling that you’re eating pizza only that it’s in a rice dish!  Oh so yummy!!  You will need to wait 30 minutes if you want to order this dish, but it is definitely worth it!

• Super Paella Parelada (Php 690)

This dish also takes 30 minutes to prepare.  A combination of squid, shrimp, chicken, pork loin, paella sausage, green peas, mushrooms, chorizo, and roasted red pepper that truly make this so delicious.  They are truly proud that this dish is originally of Barcelona.  Well, I couldn’t distinguish, I just know that I cannot get enough of it hehehe!  And just like many other paella’s, what makes them so good is the variety of seafoods that can be found all in one dish.  For any seafood lover, paella is always going to be a great choice.  This, of course, differs from most paella’s that we see in that it doesn’t have that strong tomato base that most other paella’s have.  But, again, with cooking that has been given a twist and made unique, it’s important that the balance of flavors is still there, and the seasoning of each ingredient is perfect.  Terry’s did a great job, conceptualizing this dish because it really is just so delicious!

• Gnocchi al Gorgonzola conPorcini (Php 380)

The traditional potato pasta shells in a creamy Gorgonzola and wild mushroom sauce, garnished with prosciutto crisps.  Gnocchi is basically dumplings, and the best gnocchi is always light enough that it absorbs the sauce.  So, the sauce in this dish was critical for it’s success.  The earthiness of the mushrooms blended well with the gorgonzola.  The buttery flavor of the gorgonzolla which taste almost like your normal blue cheese also went well with the white sauce.  The added saltiness and strong taste of the prosciutto crisps really made this dish rich.  I couldn’t get enough of the gnocchi with its soft texture, contrasted with the smoothness of the sauce, and the bite of that crips prosciutto.  This is definitely a traditionally simple dish that Terry’s restaurant has perfected!  Bravo to the chef!

• Lengua a la Sevillana (Php 490

Ox tongue in itself is one of those dishes that you really have to try for those who truly love to dine.  It’s not your normal steak, or other cuts of meat.  But when it’s cooked to tenderness, the taste and the texture is unbeatable.  Terry’s did a great job with this brown sauce, a superior gravy that incorporated the sweetness of the sherry wine too.   this is usually the way gourmet brown gravy or sauce is cooked, and this is why the deep flavors of the mushroom and the onions as it’s cooked with the sherry really blends in a truly delicious gravy, and is perfect for a great meat like lengua.  The surprise in this dish, which puts it over the top is the olives that were added to give it that slight tartness to the overall rich dish of this lengua.  Again, conceptually, it’s a great and simple dish that is executed to perfection, and that one last touch with the olives, even though it may not be noticeable really makes this dish stand out.

• Tarta Imperial Russa (Php 160)

This dessert was just my favorite!  It was moist, full of flavor, words just cannot describe how good this was, maybe ‘perfect’ is the word!  Truly yummy!  It says in the menu that this was adapted from Sansrival.  It can’t compare, this dessert by Terry’s was just too good.  This is gourmet desert at its best.  With attention to detail, and quality ingredients that you can taste in every bite.  The presentation was simple, yet appetizing, but the taste is what makes or breaks a desert, and trust me when I say that you won’t be disappointed!  It had that moistness to it, which means that it was prepared in advance, the nuttiness that you would expect from sans rival, and the layering which gave it some crunch and a contrast in texture too.  The sauce, which was a bit caramel in nature, combines all the layers perfectly.  You have to try this dish when you dine at Terry’s!

• Tocino del Cielo (Php 110)

When I tasted this, all I can say that it’s just the same as leche flan.  This dish though was named beautifully 😛  Just a bit sweeter than our Filipino version.  This dish wasn’t as much a standout as the previous dessert, but if you love leche flan, and you have a sweet tooth, this may be the desert for you :p

This post is somewhat special to me too.  As the last picture that I took was the entrance of Terry’s.  Right that minute, my camera lens’ broke :'(  To have it repaired, I need to shell out such big amount that it’s better for me to buy a new camera.  So there, the pictures that you see above were the last shots from my beloved Canon G10.

Lucky enough that I was able to take all the pictures so I can share with you my experience with Terry’s.  Wonderful dishes, with a great European and Mediterranean combination of dishes.  The strong Spanish influence in the concepts of the dishes is also evident, but what’s most important is that they gave many of the dishes their own unique touch, and I think also incorporated the Filipino taste into much of their dishes too!  With a wonderful atmosphere, great presentation in dishes, and the unique but traditional, European style of dishes, I really think Terry’s is a must try for those looking for great and delicious gourmet dishes right in our own backyard! 🙂

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Terry’s (from Terry Selection)
G/F Lafayette Square, Salcedo Village, Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 889-3198

Emerald Garden is one of those restaurants in Manila that is regularly frequented by those in the filipino-chinese community.  Not only do they serve some of the best shrimp and crabs, they are also excellent when it comes to fish and traditional Chinese dishes.  But I have to say, the main reason I love going to Emerald Garden is because of their shrimps and crab!  Oh so yummy! :p

Whenever my fiance visits me here in the Philippines, I always drag him to Emerald Garden and we always order the same thing (or should I say I do? hahaha It’s always me who does anyway :P).  Crabs and shrimps should always be in our order list.  I drag my mom to Emerald Garden too whenever she visits me here.  Talk about being addicted to a food place.

Here is what we ordered during our last two visits:

• Szechuan Soup (Php 140)

Aside from Sibut, Hot & Sour Soup (otherwise called Szechuan soup) is another famous chinese soup that I like.  It has a distinct taste that you would absolutely love.  This soup will really take a great cook in order to master the dish, it’s one of those soups with a fair amount, probably around 10-15 ingredients in all.  We’re just 2 diners, but we were able to finish it hahaha!  Sometimes we really just forget how much our body can take if the food is too good.

• 300g Steamed Shrimps (Php 264)

We usually call this suahe.  It’s really your basic shrimp.  What I love about Emerald Garden is just how fresh the shrimps are.  You can literally see the staff take the live shrimps out of the aquarium just before they cook them, talk about FRESH!  I can finish this on my own!  It’s really just that good.  It’s one of those menu items that once you start eating, you won’t be able to stop until the very last one is on the plate :p  It was so easy to peel the shrimps as they’re fresh.  If you’re a a person who’s poised, you don’t have to worry.  I actually peeled them all without using my hands (just the spoon & fork) 😛  Steamed is still the best way to cook shrimps, yumyum!!

• 1kg Fried Crab (Php 1,200)

Awwww… Emerald Garden’s fried crabs!  Just the best there is!  Pretty affordable too!  It’s Php100 per 100g I believe.  Oh my!  I’m literally craving for it again as I write this.  I’m finishing this article today, but yesterday while preparing for this post, I just had to decide at the last minute that my mom & I would have our meal at Emerald Garden.  Again, we ordered this too.  The crab is meaty, perfectly cooked, just the way we all like it.  I just can’t stop raving about this dish!  This is definitely the highlight of the entire meal!  Fried crabs that is actually seasoned well, with moist crab meat too.  It’s really a totally different eating experience as to steamed crabs.  It just has more taste, a bit of that crispy and saltiness to it that you really must try!  I promise, it’s worth it hehehe :p

• Fresh Scallop w/ Broccoli (Php 300)

Not my favorite.  This is one dish I surprisingly didn’t like considering I love scallops maybe I expected too much since I love the other dishes so much! hehehe.  I honestly wouldn’t recommend this dish, but we tried this only because we had just tried some of the best scallops at another restaurant, and it seemed like we were really craving for more scallops.  I didn’t really think they presented or make the dish as focused as it should be.  They could do with less veggies, more scallops, and really try to season the scallops a bit more.  This is almost basically a veggie dish chopsuey style and they added scallops in the end.

The way I envision a dish like this is maybe if they marinated the scallops a bit and maybe seared it, added some steamed veggies, season a little, and it would be a much more excellent dish.  But that’s just me :p

• Mapo’s Bean Curd (Php 190)

A unique way to cook Mapo Tofu.  I was actually expecting something different then got surprised when this was served.  I’ve always pictured the dish as having soft tofu in a bowl of meat & lots of sauce.  This was totally a different twist but I welcome it.  It’s good in a certain way & we also finished this dish.  I must admit that the dish isn’t presented as nicely as it should, but it doesn’t take away from the taste.  I think they could do with less of the meat and sauce and balance it better with a little bit more tofu.  And yes, this dish presented in a bowl would probably be a better choice.

But, again, the seasoning and the combination of flavors is just right.  It’s a simple dish, but the way the cook it is really why it’s also a great dish to try out.

• Mango Sago Soup (Php 70)

This can also serve as juice but I’ve always loved having mango sago as a dessert.  Plus, they put less water in this item thus the mango really stands out.  Chilled and with sago, this is a must-oder especially if you love eating after such a sumptuous meal.  And the mangoes they use here is fresh and oh so sweet.  It’s the next best thing to actually eating fresh mango.

We had lunch at Emerald Garden when Nick visited me here in the Philippines (on both instances).  See our happy faces.  Very satisfied customers, shall I say stomach?  I think it will always be a memorable place because of so many reasons, not just the food, but because of the company.  A restaurant that caters to all types of diners, with food that warms the stomach and where you can spend a lazy Sunday, or go on a date, spend type with family, or just enjoy a wonderful conversation with friends and family.  Now, why wouldn’t you want to go right? :p

Emerald Garden is one of those places, where it’s affordable, the food is good, and sometimes you just have to take your time and enjoy the wonderful and delicious fresh foods that they have to offer.  Even if you’re not Chinese, this is a highly recommended place that I suggest.  It’s truly been a great dining experience for me ever since I can remember, and this is definitely why Emerald Garden is the place that is frequented a lot by the Filipino-Chinese community.

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Emerald Garden
1170 Roxas Blvd., Ermita, Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 523-8510

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

After walking around Robinsons Galleria for almost the whole day, we decided to rest our feet and eat at The Old Spaghetti House.  The original plan was just to have merienda but we ended up eating so much that it became our dinner 😛

The restaurant has great ala carte selections but I would very much prefer discounted bundled dishes.  At the back of The Old Spaghetti House’s menu, there were 5 selections of trios namely: Asian, Healthy Option, Best Seller, Italian & Dessert.  This can be shared by 1-3 people depending on their appetite.

We chose the Best Seller (Php585) which includes an Appetizer Sampler, Spaghetti Pesto w/ Grilled Chicken & 4-cheese pizza.  However, my friend cannot eat chicken so we requested if we could have Spaghetti Carbonara in exchange of the original spaghetti in the package.  The server was nice enough to accommodate our request.

So here they are:

• Appetizer Sampler

Individually, this dish is priced at Php210.  The platter is a combination of onion rings, calamares & chicken fingers.  The dish is your basic fried appetizer, utilizing a light batter and coating.  It wasn’t as crispy, and the individual items weren’t presented as nice either.  The dipping sauce actually matched all three items nicely.  The whole appetizer dish did taste good, and with this combination, I think it came out as a perfect starter to the pizza and pasta.   It’s definitely a good start to a very carb-loaded meal!

• Spaghetti Carbonara

Carbonara is a traditional style of cooking pasta.  Most people think it’s just white sauce, but actually the original recipe actually calls for a mixture of beaten eggs, grated cheese, pancetta (or bacon), and a little cream if desired.  If you order this ala carte, the price is Php145.  With this Best Seller trio though, the serving is 1/2 more.  So instead of getting just a single serving, it becomes 1.5 servings.  The way they cooked this carbonara actually seems to me that they honored the traditional way of cooking carbonara, because I often see pasta carbonara cooked in heavy white sauce, which is almost like an alfredo rather than a carbonara.

With this dish, even though I’m not that fond of Italian dishes, I still think that they did a terrific job in the preparation and presentation.  The dish wasn’t overly seasoned which was good, since there’s tendency for this dish to be a salty because of the bacon and the cheese.  Overall I think, if you like Italian food, this simple dish will be a favorite of  yours.

• 4-Cheese Pizza

Pizza with 4 different types of cheese.  If you love cheese, then this is for you.  Their pizza is basically thin-crust, it was tasty too!  This is something that seems like old world Italy, I love it!  It’s simple, basic, and so delicious.  You really can’t go wrong with a pizza that has 4 types of cheese.  I really think, when it comes to pizza, the cheese makes or breaks the dish.  With this dish, it had an excellent crust, a very traditional presentation, and delicious bites all the way.

It’s not usually your typical pizza wherein they cut it triangular.  This version is served in strips, like thin-rectangular ones.  Good for 2 but if you’re really hungry, you can finish this all by yourself 🙂

Aside from the best seller trio, we also ordered drinks & dessert.  We had mango shake (Php70) & sugar free chocolate mousse (Php70) .  I especially love their mango shake as it was not too watery.  You could really taste the mangoes in this shake, they didn’t try to cut cost or shortchange us, the shake was really rich, delicious, and full of mango flavor.

Below is a picture of us while we waited for the bill.  The Old Spaghetti House is actually a pretty decent restaurant, nothing really spectacular but a good choice when you crave for something Italian.

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The Old Spaghetti House
3rd Level Expansion Mall, Robinsons Galleria, EDSA, Pasig City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 631-8674