THE SAMGYUPSAL SEARCH EPISODE 1: JIN JOO KOREAN GRILL

With the boom of Korean restaurants, particularly Samgyupsal joints, I'm looking for the best one in the metro! My first stop has taken me to Jin Joo Korean Grill in Podium, with their new Promo, which offers you unlimited access to a selection of 10 different types of meats for only P499 for lunch and P549 for Dinner.

Do you love Samgyupsal too? Let me know what's you're favorite Samgyupsal restaurant so I can add it to my series!

THE BEST NON-HOTEL BUFFET IN MANILA: NIU BY VIKINGS PODIUM MALL

         I think it's quite clear that I have a love for buffets, having featured quite a number of them on my blog throughout the years. A question I get asked quite often is which is my favorite buffet, particularly from the Non-Hotel category. Admittedly there are quite a few good ones out there now, with Niu By Vikings always in the conversation. 

      However, with its newest branch at The Podium Mall opening recently, in my humble opinion, it has vaulted itself to the top of my personal standings!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM - STOCKWELL CAFE + LOUNGE

The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

       Stockwell began as a charming little coffee shop in the Quezon City Scout Area. People flocked to their endearing place not just for the homey atmosphere, but for their fresh brews and delicious food as well. They recently expanded their operations by opening up a stall at The Corner Market Food Hall in Podium!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: CA PHE SAIGON

    The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

          Vietnamese Food has been spreading like wildfire across the metro, with Pho and Bahn Mi shops sprouting around the area. One full service restaurant in Marikina has been making a name for themselves as a go-to place for an amazing Vietnamese meal, by the name of Ca Phe Saigon.

          Building on its success in Marikina, Ca Phe Saigon opened a stall at The Corner Market Food Hall, bringing to the masses their take on classic Vietnamese dishes.

THE CORNER MARKET: EASY, TIGER

       The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

       The Corner Market Food Hall made sure that some of the finest food cultures in Asia are made readily available for it's customers. Thailand, known for its diverse cuisine, is represented by "Easy, Tiger". Easy, Tiger serves Classic Thai Noodle dishes and popular set meals consisting of entrees that we all know and love, at very affordable prices!

THE CORNER MARKET: LA TAQUERIA DEL CHUPACABRA

              El Chupacabra is often identified as the pioneer of the popular Poblacion restaurant Scene, turning a once quiet neighborhood into a burgeoning food Mecca.  El Chupacabra's die hard fans have been clamoring for the little cantina to expand and open new locations, but it was only in 2018 when El Chupacabra finally opened a "Little Sister" branch at The Corner Market, bringing their phenomenal Street Tacos to an even wider range of customers! 

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: CHAR EXPRESS

The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

          Being a lover Chinese food, I was incredibly excited to try Char Express at The Corner Market at Podium Mall. Char boasts of a slew of Roasted Meats, done the oriental way, at very affordable prices! 

THE CORNER MARKET: BARCELON DE CALDERON

The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

        Coming from a family of Spanish heritage, Spanish cuisine became a staple for me, growing up. To this very day, every family celebration is highlighted by the presence of my Aunt's famous Paella. Given that, my standard for Spanish food is very high, because the women in my family are known for whipping up restaurant quality Spanish dishes in their own kitchen (Which is partially to blame for my.. umm.. "Rotundness"). 

        Calderon is one of the few restaurants that I give my thumbs up to when it comes to Spanish Food. Once known as Little Baguio's "Best Kept Secret", Calderon has expanded to three branches across Metro Manila, namely Makati and now at Pasig, through their stall, "Barcelon De Calderon" at The Corner Food Market!

CHIBO OKONOMIYAKI AT PODIUM MALL: PREMIUM EXECUTIVE SET MEALS

         Whenever I'm at the S Maison area, it's quite likely that I'll dine at Chibo Okonomiyaki. Knowing that it's a little bit out of the way for me, I always try to make the most of the opportunity to feast on their delicious Okonomiyakis. You have no idea how excited I was when I found out that Chibo would be opening a branch just two blocks away from my office, at the new Podium Mall! 

      As soon as it opened, I found myself there three times in the span of two weeks, bringing some officemates with me, so they could experience the awesome food for themselves. 

      Now, Chibo  raised their game by beefing up their menu to feature more than just Okonomiyaki.. But Set Meals featuring some Japanese cuisine favorites as well!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: LITTLE KAYA

The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!

         Korea's growing influence in the world has been highly evident in the way their culture has made an global impact. From their music, to their films, and most especially (for me) in their food. Kaya Restaurant has been in the country for many years, and has perhaps become one of the top of mind places to visit when looking for a Korean meal. It comes to no surprise that they decided to open up a stall in The Corner Market Food Hall, albeit a down-scaled version of their menu, to help more customers experience authentic Korean cuisine.. 

         Check out a few of the dishes available at Little Kaya!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: CATCH OF THE DAY BY COLD STORAGE

  The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!   

          Being a Picky Eater, it never fails to shock people when I tell them that I really love to eat fish. Other seafood, such as shrimps and crabs and the like, I'm not too fond of, but I truly do love a good fish dish. Being serial grocery shopper, I was fully aware of the Cold Storage name, even before seeing their kiosk called "Catch of the Day" at The Corner Market, so I was intrigued with what this seafood purveyor would bring to the table.. And I was not disappointed!

THE CORNER MARKET PODIUM: BIRDHOUSE

  The sparkling new renovation of Podium Mall opened up opportunities for more shops and restaurants to settle into the bustling Ortigas center. Recently, a sprawling Food Hall opened, named, "The Corner Market". Spanning roughly around 1,200 square meters, The Corner Market is set to house 17 food establishments in its massive halls.  

      Though not all 17 are operational yet, your friendly neighborhood Pickiest Eater made the ultimate sacrifice for his beloved readers, to try the food stalls that have opened their doors at the Corner Market.. Where good food is just around the corner!    

            I've heard good things about Birdhouse since they opened at Uptown Mall in BGC a few years back, but unfortunately I had never gotten a chance to try it. However, since they opened a branch at the new Corner Market at Podium, which is just a few steps away from my office, I would soon rectify that situation.. and find myself kicking myself for not going sooner.. Because the food I discovered was spectacular. 

A BIG YES TO NONO'S BY CLASSIC CONFECTIONS

    I was invited to Nono's by Classic Confections a few months back, when they opened their first branch at U.P. Town Center. Unfortunately, since I rarely frequent Quezon City, I as unable to visit them. Thankfully though, the opening of the newly renovated Podium Mall has helped create room for more restaurant establishments, paving the way for Nono's to find another home in Ortigas!

PARADISE DYNASTY: THE LEGEND NOW IN PODIUM

   I'm never ashamed to admit that I can never get enough of Chinese Food, especially dimsum dishes like Xiao Long Bao. Paradise Dynasty has become known for being one of the country's best places to get your Xiao Long Bao fix, especially since they offer a medley of flavors to choose from. 

  My biggest qualm with Paradise Dynasty, however, was the distance. Being a resident of Pasig, it's not easy for me to get to S Maison Mall in Pasay for my XLB cravings. Just a couple of months ago, the Food Gods once again answered my prayers, as Paradise Dynasty opened a branch a few blocks away from my office... At the newly renovated Podium Mall! 

THE PICKIEST EATER VLOG: BANH NAM OPENS AT PODIUM MALL

         My friend Steph and I have been trying to find time to meet up, but schedules seem to always get in our way. One day, I was invited by What Mary Loves to the opening of the latest branch of Banh Nam at Podium Mall, so I asked Steph to come with me since I wasn't so sure if I'd be able to finish those veggie loaded Banh Mi's all by myself! 

TURNING A NEW LEAF AT JUJU EATS

So my friends, the day that I had been dreading has finally come. My daughter Rain went up to me as I was on my computer, and asked me, "Daddy, am I having a baby brother?".

I was a bit startled, but I realized that this might be because it was summer and she was bored and lonely. Her cousins all have siblings, and quite a few of our neighbors children all have brothers or sisters as well. I calmly replied to her, "No sweetheart, not yet. Why do you ask?".

And with all sincerity, she answered, "Because I thought there's a baby in your tummy!".

Nice one Richie. You just got owned by a 4 year old.

It wasn't much help that I was shirtless, either, but in my defense, I had a series of events that week so that really didn't help my weight loss program.

As fate would have it, a couple of days later, my friend Spanky offered me a challenge. He asked me to accompany him to Juju Eats in Podium, and if I didn't find anything that I found edible, then he would never bother me with trying healthy food again. 

Honestly, I had heard about Juju Eats from my former boss, who loved their salads, and practically had it every day for lunch. So being the Pickiest Eater in The World, I was naturally hesitant. 

But after my daughter mistook me for a pregnant woman, I decided what the hell.

And let me tell you the truth, for a meal filled with salad and healthy food.. All my fears were dispelled the moment I actually gave the dishes a try.

THE GREAT STEAKHOUSE: HOUSE OF WAGYU

           Like the majority of people around the world, I enjoy a good steak. But I must admit, I am not a Steak snob. I only have two simple rules when eating steak. The first being, that the said piece of meat must contain fat. The more the merrier. It just makes the meat juicer for me. I don't know the science of it, but the bottom line is, I like my steak with a lot of fat. 

        The second rule, is that my steak shouldn't be tough. A steak that lacks of fat would be forgivable, for as long as its meat is tender enough, so i'm not picking off meat bits from in between my teeth afterwards.

       So my entire life, I've gone around with those two simple rules for eating steak.. I need fat, and it needs to be tender. 

       As it turns out, everything I knew about steak was wrong.  

      So I was about to get an education in the subject of steak at where else? 

      The House of Wagyu.

SEBASTIAN'S ALA MODE BARS AND FRUITCICLES!

     Over the course of the past few years, I've noticed that purveyors in the country have become more and more daring when it comes to their ice cream flavors. 

       One in particular, gets a gold star from me when it comes to- not just coming up with unorthodox flavors, but out of the box concepts with ice cream as well. Sebastian's has taught me that there's so much more you could do with ice cream, apart from just scooping it into your mouth (Which I do quite masterfully, might I add). 

     And for the summer, they're going to unleash some new treats that you will most definitely go crazy for.. Sebastian's Fruitcicles and Ala Mode Bars!

    So this is the day that I ate 16 bars of Ice Cream.

YAKU JAPANESE GRILL AT THE PODIUM! - Rinaz

          Though the location of Yaku is quite hidden (some were saying the huge post blocking their entrance was bad feng shui). This was the first thing I noticed upon arriving. Yaku, which means grill, were one of the oldest restaurants in The Podium Mall since the year 2000 and until now they are still very much standing. So much for feng shui! That just proves as well that they have a lot of regulars that love them, and they are attracting new customers as well!

       Yaku is an amazing Japanese restaurant that started off as serving only Yakitori items. It’s their specialty so if you go here, you must try these charcoal-grilled goodness on a stick! I say this to you with sincerity because as i was not feeling very well that night, I was not able to try this plate right here. That is why I am now kicking myself in the butt. But Richie was able to try some so we’ll get to that in a bit. So eventually they also started serving a lot of other Japanese dishes like sushi, tempura, teppanyakis, and noodles such as udon and soba.

NO CLOWNING AROUND AT PAGLIACCI, AUTHENTIC ITALIAN FOOD - RINAZ

It has been years since I last stepped my foot inside the Podium. I don’t even remember the restaurants that I have tried there. I think there was just one and I don’t even remember the name. It was only until a few days ago when I came back to have dinner with blogger friends that I realized how many establishments were there already, and how much I have been missing, particularly a little Italian cuisine heaven called Pagliacci.