KAMS ROAST: NOW ROASTING IN SM MEGA FASHION HALL

My KTG FRIENDS AND I ABOUT TO PIG OUT!!

      It's not often that one gets to dine at a restaurant with Michelin Star lineage, so when Kam's Roast opened in our shores, I was absolutely ecstatic for the opportunity to see for myself why they got the acclaimed award in Hong Kong!

POUND BY TODD ENGLISH: MEGA FASHION HALL

         Since opening his Food Hall at SM AURA in 2014, the Todd English brand has continued to spread around Metro Manila. Given that the Burgers of Todd English Food Hall was the breakout items on their menu, it made sense that they would spin off "Pound By Todd English", which specializes in Burgers done by the celebrity chef himself.  

        Pound first opened at Bonifacio High Street, and was a major hit. Since then, they've opened two more branches, One in SM Mega Fashion Hall, and another in Robinson's Place Manila. Since Mega Mall is just a 10 minute walk from my office (Some do it in five.. I have short legs), I was able to drop by with the KTG to get a taste of these world class, and truly amazing burgers. 

MIGHTY QUINN'S NEW BBQ BURGERS AND RICE BOWLS!

       When I first tried Mighty Quinn's at SM Mega Fashion Hall, I was instantly blown away but their mouthwatering BBQ dishes. Being the ever imaginative Burger Lover that I am, I couldn't help but wonder how these lip-smacking meats would taste when tucked between two buns.

          Rina, on the other hand, would never fail to add rice to her meals, making me think what a Mighty Quinn's Rice Bowl would look like.

       Well, Chef Lee Jose of Mighty Quinn's must have been listening, because he made my wishes come true when he launched Mighty Quinn's new BBQ Burgers and Rice Bowls!

PICKIEST VLOG: BAD BIRD AT SM MEGA FASHION HALL

        A great percentage of us Pinoys would never turn down a platter of delicious fried chicken. That's why when Bad Bird opened in Hole in The Wall a couple of years ago, it immediately became a smashing success. 

      Bad Bird became the breakout success of Hole in The Way, becoming the first purveyor from the famed food collective to branch out into its own brick and mortar store, with it's first stand alone outlet at SM Mega Fashion Hall!

       

MIGHTY QUINN'S SLOW SMOKED BARBEQUE LANDS IN MANILA!

             From New York to Dubai, and now in Manila, Mighty Quinn's Slow Cooked Barbeque is set to take Manila By Storm! I was lucky enough to get a chance to be among the select few to get a taste of their slow roasted, mouth watering Barbeque before their opened their doors in Manila! 

IPPUDO RAMEN'S NEW GYOKAI TONKOTSU AND MORE!

            I dropped by Ippudo in SM Fashion Hall last week with some of my buddies from The KTG to check out the newest addition to their Menu. I was rather taken aback because it has only been a few months since I was last there, and there are already so many additions to the menu that I missed out on! So what better time to do a little catching up than now, especially since they released a brand new signature Ramen dish, the Gyokai Tonkotsu!

HANGING OUT WITH THE HALAL GUYS AT SM FOOD HALL!

        I have a confession to make. I wasn't excited about The Halal Guys coming to Manila.

         I mean, sure, I liked the thought of finally being able to try the dishes that thousands of New Yorkers line up for every day, but since pork is such a prominent part of my diet, I wasn't quite convinced on how much I would actually enjoy it. 

        As luck would have it, I was invited to the special taste test of the very first branch of The Halal Guys here in Manila. This was an incredible opportunity because only a select few foodies were invited to be the first to try The Halal Guys in the Philippines and for some reason, I was one of them hehe... 

     Anyway,  Rina and I went to the very first "The Halal Guys" outlet in the Philippines, located at SM Mega Food Hall. Like I said, I honestly had no expectations whatsoever, right?

    So I dug into my plate of Gyro Over Rice, scooped up some of the beef bits smothered in The Halal Guys trademark white sauce, with a spoonful of rice and nonchalantly chucked my pork-free dish into my mouth. 

   And just like that, I stopped mid-sentence and looked straight at Rina, and said to her, "Holy $***."

ALQUERIA TAPAS, PAELLAS Y BISTECAS IN SM MEGA FASHION HALL

       In case I never mentioned it before, both sides of my family are part Spanish, with my grandmother from my mother's side being an excellent chef, specializing in Spanish cuisine. Given that, I practically grew up on food with heavy Spanish influences.

      Given that, whenever any one from my family asks me for a recommendation for places to eat, I deliberately stay away from endorsing a Spanish restaurant, for fear it might not meet the high standards that my grandmother had ingrained in us. However, I recently dined in a restaurant that I would not hesitate to recommend to my family - Alqueria, in SM Mega Fashion Hall. 

ANOTHER ROUND OF DIMSUM AT TIM HO WAN

      I still remember the first time I had my mind blown to smithereens by Tim Ho Wan's Baked Buns with Pork BBQ, during my trip to Hong Kong last year. I was wary to commute in a foreign land, but at the same time I could not pass up the chance to experience the legendary pork buns for myself. The rest, as they say is history, and a steamy love affair between man and pork buns began. 

     Although it is undoubtedly their claim to fame, Tim Ho Wan is more than just Pork Buns. I recently went back to the SM Megamall branch to experience more of their Dimsum dishes, and see what else they have in store for us!

IPPUDO PHILIPPINES': NEW AKAMARU MISO RAMEN

      Before we go any further, I would first like to apologize for the quality of the photos in the post. My trusty old DSLR camera threw a hissy fit and was not very responsive, so I decided to use my Phone's camera instead. Although I have to admit the quality isn't bad, it still is not on par with the photos of my previous posts, especially when it's Rina taking the photos hehe..

       But can you blame me? If your choices were "Use your Phone camera to take pictures of Ippudo's new dishes" or "Don't go to Ippudo at all", I guarantee you that the former will win every single time.

     With that being said, Check out the newest Ramen and appetizers to hit Ippudo Philippines' menu! 

          

TEPPANYAKI FESTIVAL AT OSAKA OHSHO!

        Although I maintain that I'm normally not a fan of Japanese food, that notion gets thrown out the window every time I visit Osaka Ohsho. Though the dishes are undoubtedly imbued with the amazing flair that makes Japanese food so popular, it also has a bit of a Western touch that makes its dishes friendly to even the Pickiest of Eaters. 

       Another nice thing about Osaka Ohsho is how they constantly keep their menu fresh with new dishes bring out the best of Japanese food, such as Teppanyaki. 

    Of course, Osaka Ohsho gives their own little spin to the classic Japanese way of cooking, and reveals the new items to their Teppanyaki Festival! 

TALK A WALK ON THE FIRESIDE BY KETTLE

       Like I've said time and time again, my palate is more particular to American style of cooking, so it should surprise no one that Kettle has become one of my favorite restaurants. It's exciting to see that they've opened a second branch at SM Aura, and I look forward to seeing that brand continue to grow. 

    Much to my elation, the brilliant minds behind kettle has come up with a new concept that further expands their takes on favorite comfort food..

   The newly opened Fireside by Kettle. 

OH NO THEY DIDN'T! OSAKA OHSHO'S BACON GYOZA AND OTHER NEW DISHES!

       When I first visited Osaka Ohsho, I was expected to be blown away by what they claimed to be "The World's #1 Gyoza". No doubt about it, it was very excellent Gyoza - definitely among the best I've ever had-, but to me, it wasn't really mind blowing. I realized the problem wasn't in their version of Gyoza.. It was Gyoza itself. I mean, as much as I enjoy Gyoza, how exactly do you elevate ground meat and cabbage in a pan fried wrapper, to the next level?

      Rina joked, "I'm sure you'd say it was "Mind-Blowing" if it had bacon in it, right?". I smiled back at her and winked, "Right". 

     I don't know if someone from Osaka Ohsho was listening, but months later, Osaka Ohsho has gone and done it. They made a Bacon Gyoza. Call me biased, but now, I'm on board. 

     To me, THIS truly is the World's Number 1 Gyoza. 

MAGNIFICO! LINGUINI FINI AT SM MEGAMALL

                When I was young, whenever people would ask me what my favorite food was, I was quick to answer, "Italian". Funnily enough, my claim was largely influenced by my favorite cartoon character, "Garfield", and his love for Lasagna. Truth be told, the only three Italian dishes I knew were Spaghetti, Pizza and Lasagna. I had yet to understand the gastronomic wonders of a creamy Risotto. Never had I experienced that immeasurable joy you get in every bite of crispy Porchetta.    

           As I got older and my aversion to tomato based dishes became stronger, I slowly strayed away from my "first love". Lasagna would be something I would have during family dinners, and I pretty much considered Pizza and Spaghetti as American fare than Italian. 

          It took a stroll down to Linguini Fini, the newly opened restaurant at SM Mega Fashion Hall to reawaken my senses to the awesomeness that is Italian cuisine. 

          And you know what they say.. First love never dies.

          

          Especially when it's covered in cheese.

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!

I FINALLY TRIED VIKINGS LUXURY BUFFET AT SM MEGAMALL

Trying to look like a Viking.. looking more like Asterisk The Gaul

         I have a confession to make. You would think that a big eater such as myself would jump at the chance to visit a food paradise such as Vikings, but life got in the way. It wasn't until a few months ago that I was able to dine there. 

     Vikings is one of the favorite restaurants of (of all people) my mother (I take after my momma), and she wanted to celebrate her birthday at the SM Marikina Branch (Birthday Celebrants eat for free). 

       Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy my experience. Not because of the food, but because I had an event that evening, and I was pretty much rushing the entire time. Not to mention, there were so much people it was hard to move around. So, it was safe to say that my first Vikings experience didn't have me rushing to go back to Marikina or Mall Of Asia. 

     I was elated to hear that Vikings opened their latest branch at the recently-opened SM Megamall Fashion Hall. I felt it was a good time to give Vikings another chance.. and see what all the fuss was about. 

    This time I didn't have a pesky event to get in my way. I had all the time in the world to eat as much as I pleased. I could- dare I say it? 

     EAT LIKE A VIKING!

A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO TIM HO WAN MANILA

      It was May 20, 2014. 2 A.M. I was tossing and turning in bed because my cough and cold made it impossible for me to sleep. But apart from that, there was something clawing at me in the back of my mind. 

      This was the day that Tim Ho Wan would finally be opening their doors in Manila. 

       Memories of that moment my teeth sunk into that pillow soft BBQ Pork Bun began dancing once again in my mind. It seemed like it was forever, but it was only just three weeks ago when I finally made a visit to the most affordable Michelin Star Restaurant in the world, during our family visit to Hong Kong. 

     It was probably one of the most amazing pieces of food I've ever tried in my entire life. And now, it's available in Manila. 

     So I woke Rina up at 8 in the morning, telling her to get ready, because I wanted to be among the first in Manila to try the food of Tim Ho Wan in the Philippines. 

   Considering that the mall opens at 10am, and Rina, Rain and I arrived at Tim Ho Wan by 10:10, I thought we would be the first in line. I was wrong. 

     

   There were around 20-30 people ahead of me. This was a Tuesday and I was "coding", which meant I needed to get back on the road by around 3pm. I was a little concerned that I might miss out on my chance to try Tim Ho Wan on its first day..

    Then something funny happened. Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet and RJ Ledesma appeared out of nowhere, and asked if I wanted to join their "Mega Food Tour", where we would be allowed access to Tim Ho Wan One Hour before it was to open to the public. 

    I would have been insane to say no to that! 

OSAKA OHSHO: THE GYOZA ELITE

        In one of my earlier posts, I wrote that I wasn't too fond of Japanese food. I'm not exactly sure what happened, but owners of Japanese restaurants seemed to take that as a challenge, and I've gotten quite a few invitations to dine at Japanese restaurants since then. 

     I'm honestly not into the hardcore Japanese food. My other food blogger friends roll their eyes at me when I tell them I don't eat Sushi, Sashimi, and practically anything with Nori. Quite unbecoming of a Food Blogger, I know, but what can I do? I don't call myself "The Pickiest Eater In The World" For nothing. 

     One of the reasons why I was looking forward to trying Osaka Ohsho was because I had seen the menu on a stroll around the then newly opened Megamall Fashion Hall, and it was one of the first restaurants that was already operational. What I liked about the menu was how it seemed to stay away from the more exotic dishes, and it stuck to the more commercial friendly Japanese food, such as Teppanyaki, Stir fry, Pork Cutlet, and Sukiyaki, to name a few. 

    But of course, the one thing that stood out was the bold claim that Osaka Ohsho makes to its customers..

      That they are the home of the "World's Number One Gyoza".