Bulgogi Brothers Korean BBQ Restaurant: 7 New Korean Classics

This year, Bulgogi Brothers Korean BBQ Restaurant added new items on their menu, the seven classic Korean dishes. Although known for dishing out well-executed Korean fares with use of quality ingredients, Bulgogi Brothers step up its game by expanding their menu with main focus on well-loved classic Korean dishes that food enthusiast here in Manila will love. 

A visit to Bulgogi Brothers' Greenbelt branch introduced me to this seven classic Korean dishes. I already have some favorites at Bulgogi Brothers menu which are default orders when visiting any of their branches. These new additions to the menu however expanded my list of favorites and gave me more reasons to visit Bulgogi Brothers again and again.

Kimukatsu at East Wing of Shangri-La Mall

My visit at KIMUKATSU Japanese Restaurant located at the East Wing of Shangri-La Mall was a long time coming. Their famous take on tonkatsu which is a 25-layered Mille-feuille-style pork cutlets was something new to me. Having read good write ups about Kimukatsu from fellow food bloggers in Manila, I figured I should really make a time to visit.

There are a lot of katsu restaurants here in Manila ever since the katsu craze hit us, but Kimukatsu, a Japanese franchise takes pride being unique from the rest because of their unusual rendition of a katsu dish. Add to that, a list of other Japanese dishes on the menu that's equally impressive.

When I finally had the time to visit Kimukatsu, my mother and I visited their branch at the East Wing of Shangri-La Mall. It was lunchtime during our visit and the store is still near empty. But a minute or so, people started coming in until there's already a waiting list.

Benassi Ristorante Italiano: An Authentic Italian Restaurant in Ortigas Center, Pasig City

Benassi Ristorante Italiano is a family-owned restaurant tucked in Ortigas Center that serves no non-sense Italian dishes. Home-cooked Italian cuisine which inspiration rooted from the little town of Massa in Tuscany of Central Italy, Benassi Ristorante's arsenal of heirloom recipes claimed to be nothing but authentic.

Owner Katia Benassi-De Guzman, together with her husband DJ De Guzman partnered with Katia's mother Rolyn who has an impressive culinary training and a 20 years of residency in Italy. Together, they created a line up of authentic Italian cuisine that Benassi Ristorante Italiano is now proud of.

A visit to Benassi one afternoon opened my eyes to the wonderful gastronomical world of the Benassi. The place is modern and minimalistic with little reminders that you are in an Italian restaurant. Majority of the diners are expats and office workers coming from the Ortigas business district.

Dulcelin Gourmet at U.P. Town Center, Katipunan Ave.

When talking about Dulcelin Gourmet the very first thing that comes to my mind is their famous and downright impressive Mango Torte. Now that they have opened their very first restaurant which is located at U.P. Town Center in Katipunan, Dulcelin Gourmet proved that they are more than just that famous dessert. Their take on different dishes could also be mind blowingly good, and I agree.

 

While I have tried some of their savory dishes offerings during food fairs and events such as The Ultimate Taste Test, Dessert Comes First Anniversary Party, and some occasions, it was still their Mango Torte which was almost always present in our family gatherings that left a strong impression on me. With the opening of their new restaurant, I am glad that other dishes at Dulcelin Gourmet are now more accessible than ever.

5 Good Reasons Why You Should Attend POWER OF PEN 4, a Food, Travel, and Lifestyle Writing Workshop

So recently I heard a good news that Power of Pen 4 will be staged this year, on May 8-9 at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked, The Fort BGC. For those who don’t have any idea what Power of Pen is, it is a workshop which started way back 2009 that aims to provide learning opportunities for new writers. Initially, it focuses on basic tools needed for food writing but as time passed, it now taps related topics which are closely related to the aforementioned subject such as travel and lifestyle writing.

Power of Pen is known to have seasoned writers and esteemed speakers under its helm. These people are all generous in sharing their knowledge and expertise which can greatly help new writers to be equipped with necessary knowledge in the world of writing.

Last 2011, I was lucky enough to be one of the workshop attendees during the 3rd staging of Power of Pen. Fresh out of the corporate world, I deemed that taking Power of Pen workshop can help me decide whether to take food writing seriously or just leave it as a hobby and go back to my day job.

Gratitude

I still have loads of restaurant blog posts to write about but I figured the best way to start the month is to show gratitude. The weekend staycation we had at B Hotel Alabang and Bellevue Manila was by far one of the best weekends I had with some of my blogger friends. All thanks to the generous and kindly people of Bellevue Hotels and Resorts and of course, to Jane Go and Family.

Now if you've read my staycation series (first day, second day, third day), you would know that it was also made all the more sweet with the generous people behind different brands that shared with us their products. And with that, I am truly grateful.

These sponsors kindly showed us their generosities and provided some of their products while we were having our Alabang staycation. Some of them I am already familiar with, while the others I was just introduced to during that time. Please mind however that this is not a blog post for product reviews, rather, this is a gratitude blog post.