WATAMI JAPANESE CASUAL RESTAURANT: NEW DISHES AT SHANGRI-LA MALL

       Though it was my go-to restaurant for Japanese food for quite some time, I sadly hadn't been to Watami in quite some time. When my friends from the Bistro Group revealed that Watami was revealing no less than 12 dishes, I knew I needed to go back and check out their new offerings!

RAMEN GET YOUR LOVE: IPPUDO RAMEN, NOW IN MANILA!

            Yet another global titan of the Ramen world has opened their doors in the Philippines.. And this is a big one! Since opening its first restaurant in Japan in 1985, Ippudo Ramen has been known for changing the direction of Ramen as we know it. 

         Ippudo has exploded with 80 restaurants in Japan alone, and international branches reaching across Asia, and as far as Sydney to New York.

      After becoming a must visit landmark for Pinoy travelers that visit Singapore and Hong Kong, Ippudo finally opens their very first branch in the country.. Right in the center of the metro.. SM Mega Fashion Hall!

GET CURRIED AWAY AT ERI CURRY!

            I really enjoy Japanese Curry. Truthfully, I enjoy Curry in general, whether it be Thai or Indian, but I find the heat of Japanese Curry the most manageable for my taste buds, not to mention, without it upsetting my stomach at the same time hehe. 

     I was elated to discover that a Japanese Curry House recently opened at the SM Mega Atrium. But more than anything, it was the concept of that Curry house that appealed to me most. A Curry place that lets you customize practically everything about your dish order, to the point that the only thing that seems to be lacking is the option to choose the color of your own plate. 

    Friends, prepared to get Curried Away at Eri Curry!

FINDING COMFORT IN KETTLE, SHANGRI-LA MALL

            I have never denied my preference to American food compared to any other cuisine.. save for Chinese. Maybe because it's because I'm a simple meat and potatoes guy, and a lot of american dishes are straight up, no frills comfort food cooking. 

         Which I think is pretty much what Kettle has nailed. And since that's my favorite type of food, it will come to no surprise to you that, despite my own hectic schedule, I've made it a point to visit there at least once a month for the past three months. 

         Yes, Kettle is THAT good. 

SUPER SAVER DISCOVERY: KANTO FREESTYLE BREAKFAST

       It was almost lunch time when I got a text from my wife asking where she and her sister (my sister-in-law) can eat that’s one-of-a-kind but good. Something they haven’t tried yet. (I am actually getting used to being the restaurant guru to my relatives) 

       But then she remembered that she only had a little amount of money left in her wallet. On a normal day I would probably have gotten worried but not this time. Thankfully I knew I had some cash left in my ATM from the rebates that I got from Security Bank. Yes, that’s correct! Security Bank gives rebates in the form of cash which is so much more practical than getting freebies in establishments I’m usually not so into. This way we get to choose how and where to enjoy our rebates.    

Kanto was featured in Manila Standard Newspaper