Omakase

I have this friend whom I consider the most frugal of foodies. He introduced me to most restaurants which serve delicious food at a very low price. So far, his recommendations do not disappoint. Although he’s one of my friends who earns well, he’s very particular in getting his money’s worth when dining out. So whenever I succeeded in introducing him to some restaurants which serve good food at a reasonable price, it’s like getting a seal of approval from the most discriminating of palates.

My favorite restaurant Omakase is one of those restaurants I recommend which my friend appreciates. I have a lot of favorites on their menu, but it’s going to be a long post so let me just share with you first what my friend and I devoured during that first time he met my beloved Omakase.

Sushi Sampler

This sampler consists of salmon sashimi, tuna sashimi, salmon, tuna, and ebi sushi. Although I my palate favor salmon, everything on this sampler was good. The freshness of taste reminds of the peaceful sea in an afternoon of a beautiful vacation.

(salmon and tuna sashimi, salmon, tuna, ebi sushi)

Mt Fuji Roll

This roll, what you see is what you get, but the play of flavors in the palate is impeccable. The rich flavor of unagi and the creaminess of cream cheese blend perfectly, while the tuna add a kick of freshness to the roll.

( tuna inside, unagi and cream cheese on top)

Seafood Dumpling

I cannot count how many favorite dish I have at Omakase, but Sea Food Dumpling stood out from the rest because upon contemplation, I know in my heart that it’ll be one of the many food that I would be thinking on my death bed. It’s a combination of different sea food wrapped in nori, deep fried then smothered with Omakase’s special mayonnaise and soy sauce.

(variety 0f seafood wrapped in nori)

American Dream Roll

This is the first roll I have fallen in love with the first time I ate in Omakase way back. Combination of salmon, kani, and cream cheese in a roll, then deep fried in tempura batter. Every bite with its crunchy sound is a beautiful music to my ears, and a glorifying treat to my palate.

(salmon, kani, cream cheese wrapped in tempura batter)

Baked Oyster

Baked oyster maybe a common fare but what makes Omakase’s Baked Oyster stand out is that the oyster were really big and the cheese smothered on it were generous. I also love how fresh tasting the oyster were it screams for beer as accompaniment, well, in my opinion.

(big baked fresh oysters topped with melted cheese)

These are just five of the many dishes I really adore at Omakase. There are several more and I will be dishing that out with you in the coming days.



When I asked my friend if he’s happy with what we have feasted on, he flashed a big grin on his face, and I knew then that clearly he was pleased. There are other good Japanese Restaurants out there, some I have already tried, while the others I have yet to explore. But Omakase will always remain close to my heart. It is one of the restaurants which made me feel that indeed, I always get my money’s worth.



Omakase
Greenhills Shopping Center
Connecticut Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Center
San Juan City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 470-9807



Photo credits to my good friend and foodie buddy, Ern Raymundo

The Fruit Garden Homemade Luxury Jams

The warm rays of sun were already apparent but the cool breeze of the morning greeted my cheeks and embraced my body with its comforting serenity, an aftermath of the calm night that was. The smell of freshly baked bread and brewed coffee wafted through the air cradling my nasal faculty.

A small chunk of butter slowly melted into gorgeous shade of translucent yellow liquid spreading through the warm bread. When every morsel was penetrated by the melted butter, I slowly spread a dollop of Pineapple Coco Rhum from The Fruit Garden’s Homemade Luxury Jams on top of it. Its luxurious taste teased my palate, making the morning even more exciting and beautiful.


I’ve had my first taste of The Fruit Gardens Homemade Luxury Jams when I attended Yummy Eats at the NBC Tent. As a bread lover myself, I know that their fruit jam collections would add zest to my coffee and bread rituals. I grabbed myself a box which contains 6 different flavors of miniature (120g jar) fruit jams. Each flavor has its own characteristics which makes it uniquely delicious.

Pineapple Coco Rhum

What I love about The Fruit Garden is that they use local fruits and use French recipes to create these delectable jams. According to Pierre, owner of The Fruit Garden, they try to enhance the fruity flavor of their jam by minimizing the sugar content and infused variety of all natural flavors and spices instead. No preservatives and artificial flavor added.

Mango Chocolate

Their Jam collections composed of Strawberry, Mango, Pineapple, Orange, Seasonal Fruits, and Chutney. Aside from that, they also offer Pure Philippine Honey from Abra. Although I love all the flavors I have tasted, my personal favorite is their Pineapple Coco Rum Jam. It reminds me of our local Coco Jam, only it is less sweet and has a finer taste. Also, the tiny shreds of pineapple add texture to it, making it more pleasing to the tongue.

Orange Marmalade

Another favorite was Mango Chocolate. Trace of chocolate was not that apparent as it looked just like any other mango jam in its appearance, but once you tasted it, you would know that it is there to surprise your palate. Their Orange Marmalade was also delicious. The blending of sweetness and citrusy flavor compliments each other unlike some orange jams I have tasted before which is either too sweet or too sour.

Strawberry

The Strawberry Jam reminds me of the delicious strawberry jams we usually purchased in Baguio. The Strawberry Banana Jam had an interesting taste to it. It reminds me of milky fruit shake, so I tried adding it to plain yogurt, and it was really yummy. Mango Lavander also had an interesting flavor. Since it is infused with lavender, you’ll fall in love with its smell first before you’ll be smitten by its flavor.

Strawberry Banana

These jams are not just good accompaniment to our bread, but just like what I did with the Strawberry Banana Jam, you can also add it to your yogurt, cakes, vanilla ice cream, and anything you can think of which call for added flavor.

Mango Lavander

Next time I will definitely buy their Chutney Collections. They have Mango, Orange, and Tomato Chutney Flavors. I have tasted the Tomato Chutney and I know it’ll be lovely to add it to some pasta and savory dish I love to cook.


The Fruit Garden Homemade Luxury Jams are available at Legazpi Sunday Market and Alexandre. For more details, you can contact Pierre Marmonier at 0920 9453565 or email him at pierre@thefruitgarden.net. You can also visit their website here.

Sunday Brunch at Restaurant 101

Who doesn’t love Sunday brunch? Most of people I know love Sunday brunch. I for one am a Sunday-brunch-kinda-girl. It is always comforting to know that despite the stressful week that was; there is always something to look forward to in the most relaxing day of the week, Sunday. Whether I am nursing a hangover from partying the night before or not, it is the time where I could spend bonding moments with my loved ones while feasting on good food.

That is why when I learned that Enderun's Restaurant 101 offers a Sunday Brunch Buffet now, I know it must be on my list of Restaurant to visit again soon with my loved ones. I’ve been to Restaurant 101 before and I know how good their foods are, so I am confident that you my readers would love it as well.



Every Sunday at 11:00am, Enderun’s Restaurant 101 will be open to serve us leisurely Sunday Buffet which features appetizers, dessert buffets, and main course served a la carte. For 1,280php per person and 680php for children 6 to 12 years old, you and your loved ones will get to experience a gastronomical fare that only Restaurant 101 can offer.

Restaurant 101 is located at Enderun Colleges, 1100 Campus Avenue McKinley Hill, For Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634 Philippines. For inquiries and reservation, you can contact them at (632) 8565000 local 101. You can also visit their website at http://101.enderuncolleges.com

Watermelon and Lamb Salad by Cyma

I don’t know if it’s just the occasional weirdness in me or if my palate is just playing anti-mainstream but when everybody around me is crazy over Cyma’s Roka Salata, my heart is set on their Watermelon and Lamb Salad. At first I thought it was a weird combination. Little did I know, it’s a happy marriage. Until now, it is still my favorite salad at Cyma to devour.

Watermelon and Lamb Salad

Sweet watermelon and grilled lamb comes with olives, capers, feta cheese, sunflower seeds, fresh mint leaves, and drizzled with Cyma’s summer herb vinaigrette. I love how the smoky flavor of the grilled lamb and the saltiness of the feta cheese compliment the sweetness of the watermelon. While the distinct flavors of olives and capers give a subtle spunk to the entire dish only to be tempered by the vinaigrette and the juice that comes from the watermelon.

This salad is quite filling, so, I normally have a light meal that goes with it. Greek restaurants like Cyma are known for its festive size in servings, but I particularly like Cyma Estiatorio in Greenbelt because they provide hefty servings of grilled lamb on my salad compare to other branches I’ve been to. This salad is one of the many reasons why I keep on coming back to Cyma.



Visit Cyma Restaurants' website here.

Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market

Ever since my mother accompanied me to Mercato Centrale, she got addicted over weekend markets and food fairs. Since she handles our family food business, she makes it a point to personally get the groceries and shopping done. Supermarkets were her constant venue and sometimes she would complain to us that it gets pretty boring. When she got hooked with weekend markets, it’s a different story.

Mercato Centrale is closed for this weekend due to typhoon Falcon, and so my mother decided to go to Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market instead. I was down with flu for the past few days but since I am feeling much better and it’s just a short drive away from where we live, I decided to go as well.



We were there around 7:30am and the place was packed with merchants and buyers. It’s a small 2-aisle market which runs from Connecticut st. into the Northeast Greenhills. One aisle is reserved for cooked foods and non-food merchandise while the other side is for wet market which carries different kind of seafood, meat, and poultry. The center is occupied by merchants who sell fresh fruits and vegetables. There’s no designated place where you can sit and eat in the area, basically, people would just come to buy food and produce they need for the whole week and then go. It is put up to serve the community but visitors from other places are welcome to shop.

Although it is not as big as Mercato Centrale, good food finds are also available. These are just some those.


I have tried Holly’s Milk at Mercato and Yummy Eats before and honestly I am getting hooked especially today when I got myself their chocolate drink. It was fresh tasting chocolate drink I ever had to date and I am falling in love with it one sip at a time. Aside from Chocolate and Milk Drink, they also sell Yogurt and Cheese!


There’s this stall which sells different viands and fried foods. My mother had their Fried Lumpiang Ubod and she went crazy over it. She initially bought 4 pcs. And by the time we were already having our breakfast at nearby Banapple, she and my uncle went back to purchased 10 more. It was that delish!

Fried Lumpiang Ubod

Now, who could have resisted a sight as alluring as Lechon that beckons with its glimmering golden skin and tempting aroma? Not I. The Lechon tasted good but it lacks the crispiness of the skin that I am looking for. But it was a good buy.

Lechon

Bagnet looks tempting but since we already bought some Lechon, it's not healthy to indulge with these two beauties in one go, so, we will just probably go back next time to have a taste of this.

Bagnet

When I had my first taste of Ilocos Bibingka I instantly fell in love with it. When I saw that they carry Rikka’s Ilocos Bibingka, my heart leap for joy and got myself a box for 150php only. Delicious is an understatement. We also tried their Cassava, Banana Muffins, and Chocolate Banana Muffins. Everything was lovely.

I am a big fan of bread. Different kinds of bread. When we saw Gourmet Breadhouse stall which sells different affordable breads, my mother and I literally purchased quite a number of it. I am particularly happy with my Pita Bread because I am planning to make an exciting dish using it, this week.



My sister loves calamansi juice and although I am more of a sweet type of drink kinda girl, I am slowly getting hooked with it as well, so we purchased couple of bottles.


Another stall which piques my interest was Sugarleaf’s. I was told that their store is located along Wilson St. in San Juan so I am planning to visit them one of these days. I noticed that they do sell variety of food products which are all healthy and nourishing. I am excited and I promise to share it here.



I didn’t spend much time on the veggies and wet market section because it’s pretty crowded, but this big squid really caught my attention and so I have to snap a photo of it. I was planning to buy before leaving but when I went back to the stall, it was all sold out.


Although I would much rather enjoy a big weekend market like that of Mercato Centrale, Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market was not that bad either. Nothing beats the convenience in terms of proximity to one’s home when it comes to shopping for food and fresh produce, so, I will definitely go back at Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market. But if I want a mean food tripping, there’s Mercato Centrale I can always visit and other weekend markets to explore.

Northeast Greenhills Sunday Market
Connecticut St., Greenhills
Sunday, 6am – 12nn

Power of Pen 3: Food and Travel Writing Disciplines From The Experts

On July 28 & 29 2011, seasoned writers will gather to share with us their own experiences in food and travel writing and facilitate workshop on food styling and photography at POWER OF PEN 3 to be held at Philippine Stock Exchange Auditorium.



This Food and Travel Writing Workshop will help us develop writing skills, learn important writing tips, and know the blogging standards & responsibilities from the professionals.

The fee for this 2-day workshop presented by Stram Incorporated includes workshop kits, refreshments and lunch. Certificate will be given if you attend both days of the workshop.



For registration forms, costs, and other details, please call Jonna or Joyce at 352 3187 or 927 6206. You can also email them at stram_events@yahoo.com

For more information and updates on this event, visit Stram Incorporated facebook page.

See you there!