~>SUMOSAM (Rockwell)

      I've always been a Japanese food enthusiast. With that said, I am a huge lover of Japanese foods. These two statements sound pretty redundant, right? Well then, think no more and feast your eyes on the following pictures as we venture my newest favorite restaurant: SumoSam!

                             

    SumoSam sells the concept of Western cuisines fused with Japanese authenticity, or is it the other way around? Anyway, this cool establishment has become a favorite of mine ever since we located it in the Power Plant Mall at Rockwell!

    My family and I were greeted by lovely hosts. I loved it the instant I saw its ambiance as there weren't too many people inside. I usually do not like eating at crowded restaurants as I get migraines, so this particular place is good for me!

    I would have to say, their bottomless green tea is what made me love this restaurant. If you've been reading this blog a lot, you would know that green tea is my thing - and having it refilled anytime? Temptation!

    First was their Mt. Fuji Steak (Tenderloin with Tri-Mushroom demiglace). 

    It was definitely one of my favorites! The steak goes really well with the fries, and the sauce was just so inviting. I had a hard time sharing because I wanted to eat this all by myself. Haha. Oh well, maybe I'll go there again sometime by myself...

    Yes, we still weren't full so we ordered Unagidon, too!

     Oh man, we loved this too? Seriously? Is there anything we didn't love? The servings were also big and satisfying!

     And the last meal we ordered? The Las Vegas Roll!

    It was worth a try. The cheese overpowered all the other ingredients, though, we didn't mind because we love cheese. 

RATING:

~>CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN (Greenbelt)

     California Pizza Kitchen. Who hasn't heard of this famous establishment yet? If you haven't, then maybe you're out of the loop. 

      I have tried eating here with my family. It was a nice experience, though I didn't get to eat much as I was still full from eating merienda. Nevertheless, we still ordered lots of food which made me feel bloated. Haha.

    Enough chatting about gastrointestinal problems - let's proceed to the food list!

    First one was Singapore Shrimp Rolls for the appetizer. It cost Php 305. I ordered this without really reading the menu. I saw the picture and thought it looked appetizing as an appetizer. Imagine my shock when it was served chilled! It was "Shrimp, broccoli, soy-glazed Shiitake mushrooms, spinach, carrots, rice noodles, bean sprouts, green onions and cilantro wrapped in rice paper. Served chilled with a sesame-ginger dipping sauce and Szechuan slaw."

                       

    It tasted nice, though I'm not really a fan of chilled foods. Maybe next time I should consider actually reading the menu instead of being encouraged by pretty pictures? Haha. I loved the rolls. The sauce - not so much. 

    Next was the Portobello Mushroom Ravioli for Php 355. "Rosemary ravioli filled with Portobello mushrooms, herbs and cheese. Topped with imported Italian tomatoes, fresh basil and garlic or garlic-Parmesan cream sauce" is the description according to the menu. 

                     

    This was my favorite among the dishes that we ordered. The instant I read mushroom and cheese, I was instantly hooked. It was definitely creamy and soft. Oh heaven~!

    Next was the much-awaited pizza! Cheeseburger Pizza for Php 445.

                          \

    It was delicious! "Ground Angus beef, caramelized sweet onions, Mozzarella and American cheeses, hearth-baked, then topped with fresh Roma tomatoes and chilled shredded lettuce tossed in our secret sauce." I wonder what their secret sauce is? 

    The beef was tender and the cheeses were just swoon-worthy!

    Last one was their Grilled Chicken Caesar sandwich which was Php 365. 

                            

    Maybe I'm getting tired of eating Caesar salad but this meal was just so-so for me. Next time I'll try ordering a different one. 

    Overall, it was a good dining experience and I'll surely visit  there again with my loved ones!

Rating: 

~>TATAMI (Serendra)

  Recently, my mother, my little brother and me went to eat at Tatami. For those who do not know, Tatami is a Japanese restaurant. It was our second time eating there. How I missed that place!

  We were still a little full from eating popcorn so we opted for the least amount of food possible. :) LOL.

  We first started it out with their Kani Salad which was worth 190 pesos. It was delightfully yummy. I love cucumbers so this was a definite favorite for me. The crunch was just right. 

                       

  Next up is my little brother's Niku Udon!  It was 240 pesos. I felt the price was adequate since one bowl can already be shared by 2-3 persons. 

                     

  The noodles are springy and yummy. The beef is tasty, too. My mother felt that the soup was too salty for her own taste, though. My little brother had no difficulty emptying his bowl. Haha.

  This is the Seafood Teppanyaki dish. It was my favorite. It was very tasty. The scallops were chewy. The ingredients were just the right amount without being too salty nor too bland. It was worth 280 pesos. In fact, we even had some leftovers of it so we took some of it home. XD

                     

  

  Another one of my favorites was the Gyudon for 265 pesos. 

                    

  I seem to have a penchant for beef. XD Anyway, this was satisfyingly melt-in-your-mouth goodness! It was heavy on the tummy, too, so make sure that you're wearing your comfortable pants. Otherwise, you can still share? 

  We all washed down the food we ate with their green tea for 85 pesos. It was both bottomless and iced!

                           

    This green tea was the ultimate deal-getter! I, personally, would just like to go again to Tatami just for the green tea. That's how good it was!

  Overall, we had a good meal at Tatami. We would surely come back here again.

  Have you been to Tatami?

Rating:

~>TGIFRIDAY'S (Bonifacio High Street)

    This funky and upbeat  restaurant was very inviting to me. As we entered TGIFriday's, we were greeted warmly. I felt like going to this place was a good choice. 

    We were supposed to order their Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad but our server suggested their Citrus Summer Salad. Feeling a bit interested, we tried the latter. This was my favorite dish among all the others that we have ordered. "Fresh crisp romaine tossed with mango citrus dressing and accompanied with zesty golden pomelo, ripe mangoes, pecans, goat cheese and topped with jumbo shrimps" was the description on their menu. For Php 385 (regular), it wasn't that bad.

                        

    There were definitely lots of romaine there and the dressing was absolutely divine, but there could have been more ripe mangoes and shrimps. There were only 7 mango cubes and I'm sure that there were only 2 pieces of shrimp. 

    Next one was the appetizer. I am a big Nacho fan so we ordered their Friday's Ball Park Nachos which cost Php 495. I was really excited to eat it since I already ordered it last time we went there. However, I was deeply disappointed when the nachos came. 

                         

    The description was "Mounded tortilla chips covered with cheese sauce, picadillo meat, pico de gallo and salsa". Basing on that, I ask you, does this look like the tortilla chips were covered in cheese? To me it looked like only a quarter was covered. It was okay but the presentation was definitely not that appetizing to me. I wonder what happened... Last time we went, it wasn't like this at all. 

    Next up was the Seafood Platter which was Php 955. I was told that this was enough for 4 persons.

                       

    

    I guess this was nice but I expected more. "Crispy medley of fresh calamari and cajun white fish with grilled jumbo shrimp. Served with Friday's signature sauces of southwestern sour cream, cocktail sauce and tartar sauce." 

    The crispiness was just right. The taste was quite decent, too. However, the serving could have been more. Maybe it was just my disappointment but I think that I will not order this again in the future.

    The last dish that we ordered was the Sizzlin' Combo Fajita for Php 585. It was described as "Steak and chicken breasts marinated and chargrilled."

                                

                         

      The steak was marvelous. Sad, but I can't say the same for the chicken. I felt like I was chewing rubber. 

    All in all, I didn't feel that I had my money's worth. It might be because of the busy atmosphere or the crowded areas, but I think that the service could have been a lot better.

    Have you been to TGIFriday's Bonifacio High Street?

Rating: 

~>NORTH PARK (Market! Market!)

     

     Chinese food and Filipino cuisine blended to suit the tastes of a variety of races. That is what North Park is all about. Supreme taste for your money's worth, no doubt.

                        

    

     We ordered a Light Nanking Beef Noodle. It cost P126.00. The noodles were springy and the taste of the soup was just right. Also, the beef was soft and tender. Yum!

                      

    

     Another one was the Crystal Prawn blanched in Congee with Shitake mushroom. The mushroom ingredient of the dish was what made me order it as I am such a mushroom fan. It was just 138 pesos!

                         

     Next one was the famous North Park Chow Mien, a favorite of mine. With just 238 pesos, it can already serve 3-4 persons. I simply love this dish and I never tire of ordering and eating it.

                      

     We all washed these down with a glass of Honey Lemonade each for 68 pesos.

                    

     Needless to say, I enjoyed my North Park experience and I will surely come back there for more! 

     Have you been to North Park lately?

Rating: 

~>SECRET RECIPE: Chocolate Indulgence Cake

    Imagine the sweet taste of heaven melting in your mouth. Do you taste that? That pure, sickly sweet chocolate flavor with a hint of almond. A sweet tooth's perfect idea of paradise. What I'm describing is The Secret Recipe's Chocolate Indulgence Cake.

                    

    To be honest, I ordered this cake not because I love chocolate. Actually, I'm not someone you would call a chocolate enthusiast. My best friend ordered this cake and I just happened to take a morsel of it from her.

     I thought to myself, "Oh, no, this is just going to taste like any other cake." I was used to chocolate cakes. They all tasted too sweet, too bittersweet, or too bland. This cake, however, was an only exception. Needless to say, I almost forgot to give my best friend her fork back. This cake really had me addicted.

                     

    Upon tasting my first bite, I felt it immediately melting in my tongue. It made me think of those lazy Sunday mornings when my mother would just ask me and my brother to help her bake a cake. It tasted like dark chocolate, milk chocolate and regular chocolate without being overly sweet. 

    Overall, it was the right amount of sweetness enough to leave me wanting for more. It was also a bonus that the staff there were accommodating to the both of us. 

     It was totally worth 95 pesos!

     How about you? What is your favorite cake? :)

Rating:

~>The White Hat (Bonifacio High Street)

  
     Again, my taste for healthy yet delicious desserts have tingled me. Gone are the days that you had to munch on a celery or drink a liter of bitter gourd juice just to be healthy. It is fortunate that in these times, you only had to buy yummy desserts which are also guilt-free. 

    With that said, my best friend and I dropped over to The White Hat to avail of their latest offers. We are both fans of ice cream, and what better alternative to ice cream than frozen yogurt, right? I especially love The White Hat in Bonifacio High Street as the crew there are accommodating. I don't really like the idea of paying by the ounce like some frozen yogurt places, so The White Hat's fixed prices are inviting to me.

                     

    We went inside The White Hat and we were greeted with their staff's smiles and twinkling eyes. Maybe they were very much enthusiastic - there were a couple of people there and the excitement of it all got to their nerves? Anyway, it was nice to be greeted like that. 

    The one we ordered was their Baker's Hat combo. 

                         

   I think we also added peppermint brownies and fruity pebbles. I LOVE peppermint and she loves fruity loops so we really had to customize it. Haha. The Baker's Hat combo had blueberry cheesecake, red cherry, yogurt and almond clusters. Just by looking at the presentation, I knew this was something we'd really enjoy!

                      

    We were able to purchase this for 155 Php and let me tell you - it was definitely worth it! Their signature yogurt still hasn't lost its taste. It's still very yummy! It's a bit sweet and sour and I really love the way it tastes! It doesn't melt that easily too, so it makes you full. 

    I liked the texture of their pastries. Their cheesecake and peppermint brownie weren't so sweet to the point of being suffocating. It was just the right amount of sweetness. Their fruit loops were crunchy. And the red cherry? Just right. 

                      

    What? Still there? I thought you were already in line? 

    Do YOU love The White Hat?

Rating: 

~>THE OLD SPAGHETTI HOUSE (Market! Market!)

     The Old Spaghetti House seemed to be a quaint and homey restaurant for me. Upon entering the place, one will not get intimidated. Instead, one might be surprised to find out that each and every decor in the restaurant adds a little something from history. Indeed, the design was easy on the eyes. 

      We opted to try the Trio package since there were only three of us. We tried the Trio 3 which was worth P 585. It consisted of an Appetizer Sampler, Spaghetti Pesto with Grilled Chicken and 4-Cheese Pizza.

\

      The Appetizer was made up of chicken, onion rings, calamares, and fish fingers. It was delicious except for the fact that I had a hard time distinguishing which was which. Anyway, I still really enjoyed it.

                             

    Next up was the Spaghetti Pesto with Grilled chicken. I was really excited about this dish since the package was entitled Best Seller after all. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed as I didn't like the taste at all. Presentation was nice but I've seen better. 

                        

     This 4-Cheese pizza was the one that me and my mother enjoyed the most. The pizza was creamy and soft on the center and crunchy around the edges. We definitely loved it! 

                    

Rating: