Nagi is a town in Okayma, Japan. Although on their flags, it says Ramen Nagi | Universal Noodle. Could this be the translation I’m looking for?

Maybe the queue was just long. :) Anyway, Ramen Nagi’s interior is bright and loud with the flurry of people and red flags hung all over. I haven’t been to Japan but it feels like eating along its busy streets. And just like how they do it in the land of the ramen, guests are greeted happily in Japanese.

Four kings rule Ramen Nagi’s kingdom:

• Butao (tonkotsu)
• Red (spicy)
• Green (pesto and cheese)
• Black (squid ink)

I decided for the basic: Butao Ramen starting at Php 390. But they’ll hand omotenashi sheet first and red crayon. It can be customized.

Check first!

I didn't choose the easy way out by checking Chef’s Recommendation.

For the soup base, I want it really rich. Special sauce normal so with garlic. For the toppings starting with pork, I chose belly while for the vegetable, cabbage (though I wish I checked onions, instead). I don’t like spicy so checked none. For the noodles, as per the suggestion in Ikkoryu Fukuoka, went for hard.

Ramen Nagi's Butao

Though I enjoyed the ajitama in Ikkoryu Fukuoka, I didn’t add any extras, even tamago.

The broth in Ramen Nagi is the richest and creamiest I’ve had (well I asked for it). The chashu’s thicker and has a mild sweetness. The noodle was really hard, some were even sticking together. It’s a bit expensive than Ikkoryu Fukuoka but it has a relatively bigger bowl. Though lesser toppings.

In terms of taste, there’s just a very slight difference between Ikkoryu Fukuoka and Ramen Nagi. So choosing between, it has to be, again, Kichitora’s Paitan Ramen Zenbu no Se. ;)

Menu: 

   

Rating: 3.5

Ramen Nagi has a branch in:

South Wing, 
Mall of Asia Complex

Pasay City 

Butao favorite ramen food blog food reviews Pasay City ramen craze ramen joints Ramen Nagi restaurant menu SM Mall of Asia tonkotsu zomato rating

Saturday, March 28, 2015

I love kwek-kwek, proben and isaw! But Latin American street foods? Never heard.

One lucky night, I found myself in Brasas.  All I can say was, “Ay! Caramba”! I wanna salsa after eating!

Brasas serves Latin American, i.e, Cuban, Argentinian, Colombian, Peruvian, etc. It translates to “live, hot coal” and true enough, I’d tasted a fanfare of bursting flavors straight from the charcoal.

Flaming hot!

Street food theme, the interior has that comfortable vibe. Wooden tables and chairs; blackboards with doodles; brick walls and bottles of drinks on the counter; they all added up to that relaxing ambiance.

Salsa, anyone?

Already impressed with the cool place, it doubled-over after. Here’s why starting with their Picada:

Patacones at Php 180 (Single). Crispy plantain chips with smoked pulled pork, tomato salsa and melted Monterey Jack Cheese.

Hey ,Jack! 

I’m not a fan of hard chips but it was good! Pork was so flavorful and cheese, generous. Yes, it’s crispy (but hard), too.

Ay! Caramba la Papa at Php 190. Season potatoes with smoked bacon bits, salsa de queso and pico de gallo.

Just munch

I liked this better. Chips with the above goodness= deadly combination.

Ensalada de la Casa at Php 220 (Sharing, Vegetarian). Seasonal greens, South American slaw, tortilla chips, choice of dressing: lime-cilantro, orange-walnut and honey Dijon.

Did not add meat anymore

A nice break from all the meat. Just an ordinary salad.

Puerco Asado at Php 310 (Cuba).  Slow-roasted pork belly with crunchy skin, Tajadas, rice & beans and South American slaw.

What a great dish! My favorite from among. The pork was really good and the skin uber crunchy. I love the rice and beans, too! Plus with the Chimichurri sauce, oh yummy!

Puerco Asado x Carne Asada Wrap

Serving is only good for one, though.

Carne Asada Platter at Php 290 (Colombia). Charcoal grilled beef sirloin, South American slaw, Spanish rice and Chimichurri sauce.

Love the colors!

It doesn’t look appetizing, but it’s good. Nice play of colors, too. And the Chimichurri added zest!

Carne Asada Wrap at Php 310. Charcoal grilled beef sirloin, sautéed onions, roasted bell peppers, pico de gallo wrapped in soft flour tortilla.

Hefty carne

So filling! It was a pocketful wrap oozing with a nice kick of spice.

Pollo Asado Wrap at Php 260. Charcoal grilled chicken thigh fillet, sautéed onions, roasted bell peppers wrapped in soft flour tortilla.

Chicken version of the carne asada wrap. Which one did I like more? Still the beef version.

  

For drinks, they have single in glass and for sharing in carafe. Aside from the mojito, they also recommend Brasacolada at Php 140 (good for three) with mango, pineapple, strawberry and coconut milk. How refreshing!

Brasas's version of pinacolada

Brasas’s a not so cheap street food but it’s a must-try! Delicioso!

Menu here:

 

 

Rating: 4

Brasas has a branch in:

G/F SM Jazz,

Nicanor Garcia St.,

Bel-Air, Makati

Brasas casual dining charcoal grilled food blog food reviews Latin American street food Makati food trip SM Jazz zomato rating

Sunday, March 01, 2015

Around the table is the place to eat with family and friends. More than the physical presence of the table as the bearer of food, it's also that area where endless chitchat happens.

I'm so glad to start my 2015 in the company of my friends around La Mesa Grille. Dim lit under the native chandelier, it's just about that conducive to laugh and talk about anything under the sun (unless outside where at night, music blares from the band.) 

Feels like home

What is good talk without good food? While here, tried the ff:

Inihaw na Liempo at Php 175. Quite expensive for a strip of pig, right? Yes, but for me though, I enjoyed every munch of it. It's everyone's favorite, I know. But there's something special about their Liempo. Bet it's the marinade, it came out aromatic. To my taste, it's so flavorful, bit sweet even and tenderly grilled right. I enjoyed my every munch of their Liempo.

Lamesa Way :)

Kare-Kare with Beef/Tripe at Php 290.  I'm fond of eating this Filipino dish that I happen to almost every time order it wherever. I had my best at Little Quiapo in BF (been saying this all the time). And I'm super glad that theirs came second for me. It's peanuty. No need for bagoong. The meat and ox tripe both were tender. I just hope they serve it with more sauce and vegetables. But nonetheless, it was still awesome!

This is yum!

Service is good. Price is great! Food comes not instantaneously but the staff were attentive to refilling water.

They also serve alcoholic drinks so chitchat can go as long as the wee hours.

 
Rating: 4.5

La Mesa Grille has a branch in:

SM Mall of Asia, North Bayview Park, 
Seaside Blvd., Manila Bay Reclamation Area, 
Pasay City

Best Kare-kare Filipino foods food blog La Mesa Grill restaurant review SM Mall of Asia zomato rating

Sunday, January 04, 2015

The Vikings, in history as we know, were Germanic pirates who raided many parts of Northwestern Europe. 

In one way or another, I really felt like a Viking as I rummaged the entirety of the eat-all-you-can buffet in the Seaside Blvd of SM Mall of Asia. How can I not if this luxury buffet, is a bit expensive compared to others at Php 888 (vat-exclusive) that I must find a way to give my money's worth? Right?

I started this journey feasting my eyes with what's in store for me. The place is big it looks appealing, exciting! 

 

The colors at play inside the restaurant are really enticing. Same goes with how the foods are presented: in humongous Vikings ship. 

It's posh, but not so much that it inhibited me from eating ravenously. The joyous, riotous even, birthday cheers of the staff for celebrants also add to that comfy feeling.

Their food variety made me happy to the point of giddy. They have Steaks, Pizza, Seafood (of course!), Appetizer, Street foods (is what I call their foods on sticks), Shabu-Shabu, Salad bar, Breads, Dimsum, Pastas, Mexican pica-picas (quesadillas and the like) Rice, Main courses, Sushi etc. There's every cuisine I can think of: Asian, Japanese, Chinese, American, French, Italian, Filipino and what else? 

I enjoyed their dimsum corner especially the hakaw. The california maki is great as well and I heard positive approval for their sushi from my friends as well. The steaks are just fine but nothing really extraordinary. I took two turns trying the steaks, at the second chance, I almost gave up eating and regret lining up for it. Haha. But I love the pizza part! 

 

There's so many maki and sushi, I just played safe with California maki.

Another thing I love too is their desserts corner! They have three dips for their fondue: strawberry, chocolate and vanilla. Then there's create-your-own-crepe, putobumbong and bibingka station, native kakanins, taho and ice creeeeeeam corner! And when I say ice cream, it's not your usual as it's supposed to be luxurious. They have pistachio, strawberry fields, avocado, chocolate cashew flavors, among others. I tried thrice the strawberry fields! I just regret not having tried the pistachio flavor. Friends on diet will also enjoy for they have sugar-free selection. These, you can top with sprinkles and candies of all kinds! :)

 

Be delighted in three ways.

 

Sprinkles and candies of all kinds.

 

DIY corner

Aside from those, they also have this yummy cake corner that I visited twice or thrice :) How can I resist their gleaming of gold opera cake? Or their blueberry cheesecake? Or the Raspberry  panna cotta? There's so much that I have to revisit to have a taste of them all.

In other buffets too, you add additional for drinks but at this rate, it is already inclusive of overflowing juices, coffee or water. 

The replenishment of food is average. 

All-in-all, I got satisfied with my Vikings trip. It was expensive, yes, but it was worth the hassle-speaking of which, reservation is a must :)

Before I put this writing off, here's my round-about feast from the sea:

  

Rating: 4.5

Vikings is located at:

Bldg. B, By the Bay, Seaside Blvd.,

SM Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City. 

For reservations, call: 846-3888, 846-4888, 846-5888

buffet eat-all-you-can food blog food review price reviews SM Mall of Asia verdict Vikings Luxury Buffet zomato rating

Wednesday, December 25, 2013