#danielaeats: part of japan

Before I share with you some photos of Japanese food I had in Osaka, I have to let you know that this post might come out as a disappointment to some of you who have been to the place. 

1. I didn't get to try their Kobe or Matsusaka
2. Because of the limited time we had, we rushed all our meals so we could get on our feet again and explore places
3. Conveyor belt, Family Mart, conveyor belt, Family Mart
4. Non-Jap meals (shame!)

Nevertheless I am sharing this still for those who would like to get some ideas when visiting Osaka. 

Family Mart. 

Here's what we had on our first night. We got to our place in Namba past 12 midnight and were not familiar with the area, so we went straight to Family Mart just a street away from our building. Though it's a shame we had this several times during our trip, I have to say that Family Mart there is the bomb. If the quality of food in the ones we have here were the same as Japan, I'd have it for all my meals. We got there pretty late but the maki was still so good, the rice soft and still moist inside. Probably even better than what you would get in some restaurants here that serve it to you as you order. The soba was just okay, not so sure if that's how legit Japanese noodles really are or if it had an off taste because it was sitting in the store almost the whole day, but it had this flavour I didn't enjoy so much.

Dotonburi restaurant with the hand holding the sushi. It's hard to miss because you'll see this in the line of restaurants along Dotonburi along with big octopus and crab figures outside other restaurants. This was one of the conveyor belt restos we ate in during the trip. It's about 100 yen (around Php 40) per plate for fresh, delicious sushi (their uni still tasted like the sea!). It's crazy how affordable Japanese food is here! A lot of people think that going to Japan is hella expensive because the quality of their food is so much better than in Manila, but really you get good quality at such low prices. It makes you wonder why it's so expensive in Manila (for some restaurants) when the fish isn't even that superb. 

For every conveyor belt we ate in, I managed to consume eight plates (some salmon, tuna, uni, shrimp and others I tried). That's eight plates with two pieces each of fresh, hearty, delicious sushi. 

Photo inside the restaurant with the big sushi hand. Sorry no name, there was no English translation outside.

Another conveyor belt we ate in in Kyoto is Kaiten Sushi. It had pretty much the same servings as the one above but had some extra noodles with soup (not ramen). According to @bookymanila, Genki Sushi (pioneer of Kaiten Sushi) will be opening at Bonifacio Stopover!

I couldn't help myself. I was starving that day (we had lunch almost 3pm) so I took a bite before taking the photo and forgot to take more photos of my meal because I was too busy stuffing my mouth.

This conveyor belt was cool because each table had a machine to order in case what you're looking for doesn't come out. On top of the revolving belt was another belt also connected to the kitchen. Once you input your extra order in the machine, it will appear on the top belt in five minutes or less. 

Noodles with Soup. It's not ramen, it's noodles with soup. We stumbled upon this "ramen" place (so we thought) that had a long line during the day. When the late night munchies called, we walked to Dotonburi and looked for a place that was open, and this so happened to be the first one we came across. My first taste of it brought me to Pho Hoa. It tasted and had the texture of Vietnamese noodles, different from the ramen that we were expecting. On the side you have the option to add extra garlic and kimchi to add more flavour. After putting in a generous amount in my bowl, I was more satisfied with the flavour and enjoyed my first "noodles with soup" experience in Japan.  

Noodles with soup

Sisen Ramen. My friend recommended that we try out the ramen place across Swisshotel (Namba station) so we made a stop there before heading home one night. It's probably one of the less known ramen places to visit in Osaka, but I highly suggest you try it out. I'm not so fund of Tantanmen (mostly because I get tired of the flavour halfway through my bowl), but when I ate here I devoured the whole thing. Their gyoza was also really good and had the right cook on it - slight crunch at the bottom and a soft top. I really regret not making a second trip. 

Sisen Ramen

Ichiran. One of the more known ramen places to visit (long lines in the two branches we came across) but also worth trying. They only have one flavour of ramen here, but the strength of the flavour, the cook on the noodles and the level of spice is determined by you before giving in your order. Also so delicious!

Ichiran

Food on the street. We spent our nights in eating areas around our place. The restaurants were very small and could seat less than ten people at a time. Even these small restaurants had good food, and we would munch on some sashimi or takoyaki balls along with our Asahi. 

Don't forget to enjoy the Kirin, Asahi, and Sapporo while you're there.

We were expecting to have Family Mart almost the whole trip because we thought we'd be spending a whole lot if we ate in restaurants. It turns out food there isn't as expensive as some restaurants in Manila. You can get good quality food in the smallest and simplest restaurants, and not have to pay a premium for it. If i'm not mistaken I think I spent about Php 1,600 on my first day just for food, drinks and some transpo (we used the train to get around, forget the taxi). It's really so much more affordable than I expected, and if you don't splurge on these things like I did, you might even end up spending less in a day. Crazy! Time to book that trip to Osaka! I'm definitely planning another visit next year.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: meat depot

For our Father's Day dinner last week, my sisters and I bought frozen steak from Meat Depot in BF Homes along Aguirre Avenue. We got rib eye, about nine half inch slices of it for less than Php 700. It was more affordable than expected and the quality of the meat we got for dinner was pretty good, so I was curious to know the experience I would get if I dined in.

I tried out the place last Saturday and ordered Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed for about Php 311 + Php 100 cooking fee, sauce and a side. 

When you enter, the first thing they make you do is pick your meat from the freezer. Once you've chosen your cut, you decide the cook you want, the sauce (for this I chose mushroom), and the side (either potatoes, fries or rice).

We got there around 7:00pm so the place was full, and we had to wait around 30 minutes to be seated. While waiting, we already picked out our meat + cook, sauce and side. We got our dishes at around 8:15pm. It was a pretty long wait (so was getting the bill), but we were all quite contented with the turnout.

The mushroom sauce I had was good, but the spicy pepper one my friend got was much better. I chose medium rare for the cook on my rib eye and they got it pretty good. I just wish I chose a piece with more fat for more flavour instead of prioritizing the size of the cut (gah, what hunger can do). We all got free barbecue for their anniversary treat and extra mash and rice because our waiter was extra nice. All their waiters are! Anton got his pork chop which was much bigger (if i'm not mistaken his piece was Php 210 + Php 100 for the cook, side and sauce), and he really liked it. It already had a barbecue marinade so I didn't mind having it with the mushroom sauce though he still wanted the spicy pepper.

On my way out I was thinking of what I would decide to choose for my next visit since I felt I could've gotten a better piece. Little did I know that I'd be having my next one just the day after.

I went back to the Depot with my family the very next day for Sunday lunch. I arrived a bit late so when I got there, my mom had already ordered the Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed again for me, but this time, a piece with better marbling, mash, and the spicy pepper sauce.



I enjoyed this meal so much more the second time around because the piece had a good amount of fat in it and I enjoyed it with the spicy pepper sauce. My parents, on the other hand, got Angus, which was a bit more expensive and bigger in size, but was so much better. Soft and flavourful without needing much sauce to enjoy it.

The service this time around was faster since we went pretty early and were one of their first lunch customers for the day. I enjoyed my food more during the second visit, and I would recommend you try it out if you're in the area. It's a good place to buy your meat and dine in, just try to get there at a good time so you don't wait so long. They no longer take reservations so you have to go early.

283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Paranaque
(02) 501 0845
Restaurant in front of Tides
You may start shopping for meat as early as 8AM

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: japanese in shanghai

I know, not another Jap experience. But this I have to share because it's one of my most favourite Jap experiences to date! Surprisingly, it was in Shangai, China. On the night of our last shoot day, our Chinese friend Ted wanted to treat us out to a good dinner. My friends and I were craving Jap so he took us to the best Jap place he knew in Shanghai. It turned out to be closed by the time we got there, so instead he took us to another one, outside of the mall in a more hidden, unexpected place. 

Truth is, I don't know the name of the place, and of several other places I went to in Shanghai because everything was in Chinese and barely anyone spoke English (really, I don't know how we would've survived without Ted). It was a bit hard going around without having prepared translated words in Chinese characters on our phones so that we could simply show it to people and they would lead us the right away.

This second place, according to Ted, was "not as good" as the first one we were suppose to eat in, but still was good Jap. It looked like a sports bar turned Japanese resto because of all the Japanese signs and lantern designs. People there were mostly having drinks and watching The Beatles being projected on a white screen.

Grilled Brie cheese. SINFUL. We had two orders of this because it was freakin amazing! The star of our meal.

Ted did the honour of ordering. He requested for some of his favourite dishes in that restaurant, and soon enough it became our favourites too. We had extra orders of fresh Salmon Sashimi, Gyoza, some soup, different meats on sticks, vegetables, and a few other Japanese dishes that we've never tried before. We were even served some cocktails which we all shared just to get a taste. Interesting flavours, some fruity with a bit of alcohol. But I still got my Yamazaki.

And we were happily stuffed. Extra stuffed because the meal was a heavy one with all that cheese and mashed potato. It was all too good that we made sure to have a bite of everything we were served. The fish was fresh and came in big slices, the meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned just right so as not to overpower any of the other dishes, and the serving sizes were good for sharing. The winner of that meal though was the grilled Brie cheese on a stick. It was so sinful yet so delicious, with the natural goodness of Brie cheese, slightly warmed on the grill leaving hints of flavour from it. YUMMY. To think this wasn't the best Jap restaurant made me extra curious about the restaurant we were really suppose to eat in!

I have yet to try real authentic Japanese food from Japan, but I have to say this is one of the best Jap experiences I've had (except of course for that Matsusaka beef from Mecha Uma, that one's incomparable). This August I'll be heading there actually, and i'm finally going to get a taste of legit Jap food from Japanese heaven!

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: mecha uma

Scallops on kropek -- which Chef Bruce made using the rest of the scallop parts

Tanigue fish on Monggo. The ultimate favorite!

Eel liver on rice

Three out of the ten absolutely amazing dishes we had at Mecha Uma.

I took a shot of almost all the dishes we had but the lighting (and maybe my phone camera) just didn't do justice to the beauty of it all. So here are the "best" ones I'm willing to share.

Anton and I were able to enjoy the ten course meal thanks to Nicky, who had ten seats at the bar care of Chef Bruce Ricketts since Nicky directed his video for Madrid Fusion Manila.

Everyone that joined us that night went to Mecha Uma expecting to be mind blown after all the hype it's been getting. Indeed, it did not disappoint. Every single dish we tried there was out of this world amazing that we wished we had a second round each. It's really crazy how such small dishes could be so technical and hold all that flavour and texture. Unfortunately, they were all really small that I was still hungry after the ten dishes. The dishes were all too good that my plates were wiped clean by the time the waiter got it. It's a shame though that I wasn't able to take note of everything the dishes were made of and take better photos, but luckily Sarie, who also joined us that night, was able to properly capture the plates and note down the magic that went on behind the bar. Check out her post on Mecha Uma here.

If you're expecting it to be like Sensei Sushi because it's also Japanese cuisine, it's not. It far beyond what Sensei is (which I also enjoyed, by the way), and it's not the type of meal Chef Bruce could just have someone else prepare. All ten course meals at the bar are done by him, and can only be served when he's around.

In case you plan on trying this out, Mecha Uma does their ten course meal only from Friday to Monday, twice in one night (6PM and 8PM). The menu is unpredictable, and if you decide to return a week or two after your first try, you might be served something else depending on the availability of ingredients (the more reason we should return!). You may also opt to walk in and order a la carte, but i'm not so sure about the menu they have for that.

Try it out! It's located on the ground floor of the RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Tower, 25th corner 26th, BGC.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: sushi to go in taiwan

One thing I was shocked about during my visit to Taiwan was the number of Japanese restaurants around. You could find one at every corner, sometimes serving good quality, pricey Japanese food, or low end decent ones. Being the Jap lover that I am, this thrilled me, and I couldn't resist the more affordable sushi and sashimi that I had maybe three or four meals while I was there. One of the Jap stores we visited was at the train station. It was a sushi to go kind of place with no chairs, just a big cooler with packed sushi and a counter to pay.

I had a difficult time trying to decide which one to get because I just wanted the basic salmon and tuna sushi. But after going through the whole cooler, I saw that we actually had the option to choose exactly what we wanted.

Packed little sushi! So cute. It was just 10 Taiwanese dollars for each, that's about Php 15.



Since this is on the more affordable side of Jap food, you can't expect excellent quality. It was decent though, and is still much better than the cheap Japanese we have here in the Philippines, so I was satisfied. Most of their cheap Japanese food are actually okay (well, those that I ate in), so I'd say it's safe to munch on them while taking a break from your shopping spree. How I wish we had a sushi to go place here!

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: cafe voila, the second time around

My first time here was last December 12 for the anniversary dinner. The restaurant was just a few weeks (maybe a month) old, so it was pretty empty and the menu, limited in its dishes. If i'm not mistaken it might've still been on its soft opening. Anton and I ordered a Salmon salad for our starter (which we enjoyed a lot), and steak for our main.

This time around we, along with other friends, were invited to dine at Cafe Voila to celebrate the birthday of one of our most wonderful friends (and also the daughter of the owner of the restaurant), Carla.

We wanted to try a bunch of dishes so we agreed on having Carla do the orders for sharing. I'm not so familiar with the menu names of the dishes we were served, but of course every dish that landed on the table was just delicious. Scroll through to get a glimpse!

For starters: basic tomato, cheese and olives in olive oil. 

I got a Margarita for my drink. It was good but had way more alcohol in it than I expected. I thought I'd be needing another one but this drink lasted me the whole meal, and also got me a bit woozy.  

This was the same salad I got last December. It had salmon, mushroom, cheese and that good Japanese sesame dressing we're all crazy about.  

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to try this dish. I was only able to get a few shots of it before it was attacked by everyone in the table. 

This prime rib was delicious! Although I wish it was a tad bit softer, it was still good nonetheless. 

This shrimp came in the same mini griller that chicken up there arrived in. I only got a piece but I enjoyed it very much because it had all sort of flavours in it. If only I got to try the rice it came with. My friends loved it.

Salmon Eggs Benedict. To be honest, I think this is just the second eggs Benedict I've had. Ever. So I'm not quite sure about how awesome eggs Benedict should taste. I had a bite of this in the middle of all the strong flavours from the different dishes, so this didn't stand out for me that much. We also had one with ham in it but I wasn't able to get a piece.

Their Pad Thai, though. Definitely one of the dishes you should order when visiting this place! 

I just realised while looking at this shot that I didn't get to snap and taste the chicken pandan. There was just too much going on that I missed out on some dishes!

The meal ended with some coffee and the most delicious Apple Crumble Cheesecake I've ever tasted! Sorry for not having a photo, but it was just too delicious that I forgot to take a photo of it. Another dessert we were able to try was the Caramel Cheesecake, which was also super good!  

I absolutely love visiting this place not only because of the good food but also because it is so. freakin. beautiful. Carla's mom designed the place herself, and the style is a mix of their house and a bit of Flotsam and Jetsam in La Union (which is owned by Carla's sister). From the interiors and furniture to the small details, like placemats, pillow cases, signs, glasses, mugs. Everything is so well thought of that every inch of that place gets you marvelling and snapping away the whole time you're there. A lot of their pieces in the restaurant are hand picked from Bali, so you can just imagine the colourful prints and intricate patterns. It's also so homey (especially during December when the Christmas decors are up), so it's the perfect place to visit and enjoy the cold Tagaytay weather.

It has now become a must-visit for a lot of people in Tagaytay (the place was packed when we went and could no longer accommodate some customers), so I suggest you reserve ahead of time especially if you're going on the weekend. I promise it won't disappoint!

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: ble

I just realized I haven't had an entry in this blog for the month of May and it's already the 31st! May by far has been the busiest month of the year (travel, bazaar, work), extremely exhausting (the heat made everything ten times tiring), but definitely one of my favorites. I welcomed May in Taipei, joined my first 10k run, worked on Common Ware's second bazaar, surfed and chilled in Baler with the Seabiscuit Films Team, vacationed in a beautiful house in Matabungkay, and worked in between. I was a bit unsure as to how I would finish all my work and vacation at the same time, but I'm so glad I was able to pull it off. Now that the month's over, I'm feeling absolutely hashtagblessed! I had to.

I'll probably write about it in more detail in the following days, but to start, here's Ble.

It's a quaint Greek little restaurant in BF Homes, and you might have a difficult time finding it because (1) it's tiny, and (2) it's sort of hidden. The restaurant has two branches, one along Aguirre and one along El Grande. The Aguirre branch is quite small and can accommodate less than ten people at a time, so my friends and I decided to visit the newer one along El Grande which could sit more people.

Ble outside looks like a house. To spot it, just look for a Blue and White bungalow. There's a small sign outside with the restaurant name but since it's just a stand on the ground that's less than a meter tall, you might not spot it. 

Upon entering the place, you'll first see the outdoor area where customers could choose to dine (but in this heat, it might not be an option). When you reach the house you'll see this (photo above), cute small little place covered in Blue and White cabinets, walls, and furniture. A hint of Greece in an unexpected place, filled with the cutest nautical details, from ships, to ropes, to lamps, and patterned plates. 

To start, my friends and I shared the dip platter which had Hummus, Babaganush, Tzatziki and Olives, and pitta bread. We were five girls, so the pitta it came with wasn't enough. If i'm not mistaken we had five extra orders just so that we could finish the dips. My personal favorite was the Tzatziki with Olives. The garlic was a little overpowering (which I liked) and it was a good add on to the Beef Souvlaki I had. The flavours of the dips were strong but delicious, so having it come in a platter is perfect so that you could alternate it as you go. 

For my main I got a Beef Souvlaki. Upon ordering it I was thinking that maybe I'll be needing an extra dish because a wrap wouldn't really get me full. But as I was eating it, I realised how heavy it was. The Souvlaki was good and flavourful, but the wrap was way too heavy for me. It was actually the same pitta bread we had with our dips used as a wrap. It was thick and dominated the whole thing, so I got pretty full after just a few bites. I think I would've enjoyed it more if it was thinner so that I could get more of its contents with the wrap. Sayang, the flavour was already there!

Despite the heavy wrap, I'd definitely go back to try out more of their dishes. I enjoy Greek food once in a while and I think this place got it good!

If you'd like to try it out:
410 El Grande Avenue, BF Homes
0917 721 7488

 Until next time #danielaeats!

sushi ninja

Just a few weeks back I was finally able to try Sushi Ninja. It's been such a hype amongst friends and southern people in general, so I've been wanting to try the place.

Tsukiji Maki

I was surprised (in a good way) when this arrived because I didn't expect it to be a lot. I almost got this just for myself but it's a good thing Anton and I decided to share because it was more than I expected.

It consisted of 8 consistent rolls, all with the right amount of rice, tuna and cucumber. I love it when I receive food and see that hindi ako tinitipid. It's just sad when the rolls are small and are dominated by rice. Sushi pet peeve!

As a whole it was delicious, albeit a bit more spicy than I expected. I enjoy my wasabi a lot and can take the spice of it, but the spice from the mayo mix was a bit too much for me so I had to take breaks in between each maki just to make the spice in my mouth settle.

Spicy Salmon (Right)

Of course, it's never a Jap meal for me without my Spicy Tuna or Spicy Salmon. I must say that I'd consider this and Kessaku's spicy tuna to be my two favourites in Alabang. The fish comes in big chunks, the dish isn't too dry, the serving size is bigger than others and the flavour is just right.

Gyuuniko Sute-Ki Don

Once the steak dish arrived I was satisfied to see that it came with a good amount of rice and meat. I bit into the meat and found it too tough, probably overcooked a bit so it wasn't pleasant trying to eat the rest of it. The taste was okay but I was too bothered about it being tough so I didn't really feel like eating the rest of it. Anton though enjoyed his choice of dish (I forgot what, but it was meat too) and didn't experience the same thing, so it probably was just the one served to me.

Despite the disappointing main dish, I'd still go back to this place to experience the others they have on their menu. Their maki was delicious anyway, and their spicy salmon, one of my favourites!