So Japanese on a Sunday Evening - Little Tokyo Escapade

If you want to try some Japanese food and really feel like you are in Japan, you can easily find one here in the metro.

My cosplay friends (Rhose Anne and Ghecel) decided to have our dinner in Pasong Tamo (Chino Roces Ave.), Makati City just how many step away from Makati Cinema Square, a Japanese cuisine dinner in Little Tokyo, a garden restaurant.

How to get to Little Tokyo?

From Edsa Makati

v   Take a bus ride going to LRT Taft or a jeepney going to Washington and go down near Export Bank (Landmarks: McDo, Caltex Gasoline Station, Export Bank Tower, Burgandy Bldg.) (Transpo Fee BUS: Php 12.00  || Jeepney: Php 7.50)

v   Along Chino Roces Ave., take a jeepney going to Mantrade. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called torii.

From LRT Taft

v   Take a bus ride going to LRT AYALA or a jeepney going to GUADALUPE/AYALA signage and go down near Export Bank (Landmarks: McDo, Caltex Gasoline Station, Export Bank Tower, Burgandy Bldg.) (Transpo Fee BUS: Php 12.00  || Jeepney: Php 7.50)

v   Along Chino Roces Ave., take a jeepney going to Mantrade. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called torii.

From Mantrade MRT Station

v   Take a jeepney going PRC/Pasong Tamo signage. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called tori.

What to Expect?

Food: Because this is a group of Japanese restaurants, you will get nothing more than mostly authentic tasting Japanese cuisine.

Food Quality: 9

Food Worth: 8

Food Serving: 10

I scored those 9, 8, and 10 because the food is really great and the prices are right for the taste, quality, and quantity. Serving is really perfect because we left the place satisfied and full.

Note: 10 is the highest rating on this. J

People: Most of the customers in the area are Japanese but most of the servers, restaurant people, and some other customers are locals or Pinoys. You will see some foreigners as well like, Koreans, Americans, French, and the likes. Just like anybody who likes or loves Japanese cuisine.

Place: If you are watching Rurouni Kenshin or you watched Rurouni Kenshin 2^nd movie, you will get that feeling as you go inside the Garden Restaurant. Got the feel of entering an alley to a dojo. Isn’t it cool!

Language: Just like the people who commonly visits the place, Japanese will be heard and so as Filipino and English and other languages.

What did we have?

Hana

Takoyaki – as one of the most common snack in Japan (kinda like meatballs but not beef or pork). Takoyaki in Hana are cheap and heavy-yummy. For the record it has real octupos.

Serving: 1-2 person (6 pcs.)

Price: Php 140.00 – 160.00 (or more, I forgot where the receipt is and I have not taken a picture of it)

Kagura

Kagura is a restaurant that serves okonomi-yaki with Japanese tables setting and a baseball fan owner.

They are open from Tuesday - Sunday from 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM. Take note of the last order time to prevent from being hassled.

Okonomi-yaki – we had their okonomi special with beek, pork, and squid in it. It was so delicious.

Serving: good for 2-4 persons if you’re not voracious (peace! J)

Price: Php 370.00

Omusoba – had a plate of fried noodles. It’s a soba with oyster sauce it think if my taste bud is not mistaken.

Serving: good for 2-3 persons if you’re going to have some okonomiyaki too and takoyaki but if you are only having soba then this is good for 1.

Price: Php 260.00

Ebi Tempura – which is a must try as well. It is deep-friend battered shrimp

Serving: good for 1-2 persons (4-5 pcs.)

Price: Php 410.00

Reishu – Japanese saki (rice wine) which was served chilled. I think it’s better than soju and it taste more of lambanog but lighter.

Serving: 9 shots glasses

Price: Php 450.00/bottle

There are only 3 of us so we enjoyed our meals and drink. We still have about 2 orders of takoyaki’s left and we have Rhose take it home for her family.

Charap, Charap, Charaptor Weekend!

I got swamped with work and I was unable to update my blog but here’s good one to fill your tummy up on weekends! Weekends are your cheat day! <drolling!>

I would like to start off sharing a Saturday after-shift food trip with my colleagues while I wait for my download to finish for a virtual machine I’m building for a client. Anyway, it was really a worthy P290 meat-all-you-can Saturday Lunch! Yes, you read it right! We ate Php 290.00 Yakiniku-all-you-can at Charaptor. Ang Charap talaga! I was with Lori, Golds, Norman, Neil, Boriz, and Maiah and enjoyed 2 tables of griller and plenty of meat on our plate. Their weekdays were priced below Php 400, 390 to be exact! <sabi nga nila swak na swak sa bulsa, mabubusog ka talaga, at masarap pa!>

Charaptor have various marinated meat you can select from. So Vegan and Vegetarians, you might want to skip this MEATscapade. They have Pork, Beef, Squid, Shrimp, Squid balls or Chicken balls, Fish, Gizzards (not Lizzards), and chicken. They also serve rice both white and fried. Plus are the side dish and refillable drinks <di na sila nagsi-server ang side dish>. They have coleslaw as side dish that day and it was really good. Drinks were served in pitchers which we got pineapple, orange, and iced tea.

               

Charaptor is located at 9752 Kamagong Corner Aranga Street, San Antonio, Makati City. It’s right in front of a gasoline station near a bank. Or if you see the Kamagong cor Sampaloc street, it’s the crossroad near the gasoline station.

You can reach them at 02 5423425 or +63 9275335243

You can check them at https://www.facebook.com/CharaptorBBQ

Kainan na!

Cheesy-Stuffed Burger

Let’s Make a Sandwich – Episode 5

Everyone loves burger, it may be a simply pan friend patty, grilled, or gourmet. I prefer something that will give twist on how you prepare your burger.

Let’s cook some oozing cheese out of your patty burger. Not the way it was ordinarily prepared but it tasted like your ordinary cheese burger.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ lb. ground beef (you can also use pork)

Salt

Pepper

1 small bulb onion (finely chopped or minced)

1 small carrot (finely chopped or minced)

2 parts garlic (crushed and finely chopped)

1 – 2 eggs

Quick melt Cheese 

2 – 4 pcs. Of bun

4 lettuce leaves

2 Tomato (sliced)

Direction:

1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl except the cheese.
2. Form patties out of the mixture.
3. Take about table spoon full of cheese and stuff it in your patty. (you can also sandwich the cheese between 2 patties)
4. Fry until meat is cooked (watch out as the cheese might ooze out and might get burnt)
5. Pan toast your bun at your liking.
6. Place some lettuce, then your patty (apply mayonnaise if you wanted), and some sliced tomatoes.

You can now dig into your burger and enjoy the burst of stuffed cheese in every bite.

Enjoy and have a great - fun - cooking time!

Hotdog-Cheese-Mayo (with or without Catsup) Sandwich

Let’s Make a Sandwich – Episode 4

Most of us loves hotdog sandwich either from a hotdog stand or from a well-known delicatessen. But making your own hotdog sandwich can be a little more fun. Let’s see how we can make one:

Ingredients:

1-2 regular size hotdog of your choice (boiled or fried)

2-3 tbsp. of grated cheese

1-2 tbsp. of mayonnaise

1-2 tsp. of catsup (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients evenly: grated cheese, mayonnaise, catsup, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
2. Slice hotdogs in half.
3. Lay a slice of bread on your table and spread you cheese-mayo-catsup mixture.
4. Place hotdogs on top.
5. Put another cheese-mayo-catsup mixture on top of the hotdogs.
6. Atop it with another bread.
7. Press lightly and cut it in diagonal.

Another way to prepare it is:

Directions:

1. Slice your hotdogs into smaller cubes.
2. Mix all ingredients evenly.
3. Dash salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread evenly on a slice of bread and atop it with another bread
5. Slightly press your sandwich and cut it diagonally

Easy yet deliciously yummy!

Enjoy every bite!

Food Trip @ Ilocandia...

Whenever you visit a new place you should try the local cuisine. So let's see what we have tried during our Ilocandia trip:

The Infamous Bagnet and Vigan Longanisa (try Rafael's at Nuestra Dela Paz, Batac):

Empanada Especial (we tasted the one at Pagudpud Plaza):

I'll try to get the recipe for you guys and hopefully we can do it in our own kitchens!

Easy Tuna Sandwich...

Let’s Make Some Sandwiches - Episode 2

Sandwiches are easy to make. Get 2 loaves of bread then a spread in between; you now have a good yummy sandwich ready to eat.

Here’s a recipe on how to make an Easy Tuna Sandwich:

Ingredients:

2-6 slices Rye or wheat bread

2 – 4 Tbsps.  Mayonnaise

1 Tuna Flakes in Oil (get the regular can and if you want some kick you can get the SPICY Tuna)

1 small bulb onion minced or finely diced (Optional)

Salt and Pepper

Lettuce and Tomato (Optional)

1-2 hard boiled and mashed eggs (Optional)

Directions:

1. Mix evenly the following ingredients: Mayonnaise, Tuna, and Minched Onion.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. To make it like the commercial sandwich – add the mashed hard boiled eggs into the mixture evenly.
4. Spread Egg-Mayo mixture evenly in your slice bread.
5. Put another slice of bread on top.
6. Add some lettuce and sliced tomatoes to add color and for fibers
7. Slightly press and cut sandwich in diagonal.

The simpler, the better, and the easier you can prepare your meal in a dash.

Enjoy your Easy Tuna Sandwich any time of the day.

Happy mixing and munching!

Enjoying Mong Kok's Noodles

Lissa and I just got back to our hotel. We enjoyed strolling along Mong Kok's busy street. We watched some performances and those amazing photographers. 

Lissa watching 2 singers (a male and a female duet a Chinese song) under G2000 sign in Mong Kok, Hong Kong

A photographer directing his subjects or customers for a photo shoot!

After a long walk and buying (it's more of haggling) stuff for our colleagues. Lissa and I decided to have our dinner at New Forrest where we ate the following dishes:

Dinner's READY! DIG IN!

Lissa:

Lissa's first Mong Kok meal... Yum!

She had a baked creamy and cheesy pork rice with a cold authentic lemon ice tea on the side.

Mine:

I said spicy and it was really spicy! Yey! Yummy as well, the soup is really good!

I had a spicy Hong Kong noodles with breaded pork chop and an Iced Coffee.

Our meals totaled 100HKD. We are trying to save as much we are under budget... :)

I'll keep you posted guys!