Sambokojin at SM Southmall

Since buffets are the rave these days, we decided to try one to celebrate my mom’s birthday. Luckily, Sambokojin has a promo—birthday celebrants get to eat-all-you can for free!

Sambokojin’s branch in SM Southmall Las Pinas is big, but since it is a Saturday, we have to queue for a few minutes before we got a table.

Sambokojin has a wide variety of Japanese and Korean specialties, such as tempura, katsu, furai, bulgogi, kamameshi, sushi and sashimi to name a few! 

Each table has a smokeless grill and a variety of sauces that you can mix and match (teriyaki, ponzu, sesame, takumi, etc).

Here are just some photos of what we had:

chapchae, kani tempura,
ojingo bokum (spicy squid), fish cake

foil wrapped & grilled salmon in miso,
foil wrapped & grilled prawns in garlic,
asparagus wrapped in beef,
various meat & pork slices

kani bacon rolls,
us marble beef, fish fillet

shrimp tempura, agedashi tofu,
various ready-to-eat meat

From all that I’ve eaten, what I liked were the US marble beef, the beef and bacon rolls, the katsus and furais.  My companions said that the chapchae, sukiyaki and gyoza were also good.

Since I’m not so much into oriental cuisine, I filled my tummy with green tea ice cream. I don’t know if I’m just too full but the chocolate mousse cake, ube torte and crème brulee fell short of my expectations.

Overall, it was worth it since it is only PhP 699 per head (They have different rates for weekdays, please check their website).  Plus, they sang a birthday song for my mom and gave a cake, so thank you! I think I’ll go back here on my birthday :)

Sambokojin SM Southmall

Ground floor, Eastwing Food Street

Website: http://sambokojin.com/

Old Manila Elegance that is Legarda Mansion

I’ve always been fascinated with old casas, museos, antiques and paintings so I’m quite thrilled that a guided tour of the Legarda Mansion is in the offing as part of our dining experience at La Cocina de Tita Moning (see related post).

Located at San Rafael Street in San Miguel District, where the alta sociedad of the Old Manila reside, the house was built in 1937 by Dr. Alejandro and Doña Ramona Legarda.

First off, is the foyer where my amigas and I saw an original Oscar Zalameda painting. Our guide said that it may be worth a million pesos now.

From the receiving area, I can admire the escalera and the araña. (I’m crazy about stairs and chandeliers!)

On one of the walls hung the Legardas and the Hernandezes family name history.

Towards the hallway are some antique cooking gadgets such as bread toaster and waffle maker (so it seems that waffles are already popular during those days).

There is also a souvenir shop where we can buy La Cocina’s signature goodies such as queso de bola spread and bread pudding, among others.

Still on the ground floor, at the left side of the house, is the camera room. Dr. Legarda was a founding member of the Camera Club of the Philippines and in this room I found various camera and equipment he used.

Among the photos is a shot of Roxas Boulevard in the 1930s taken and developed by Don Alejandro himself.

Facing the camera room is Dr. Legarda’s clinica. It gave me the creeps because there was a real human skeleton dangling in there. Amazingly, the x-ray machine, doctor bags, and other medical instruments are still intact.

At the right side of the house just below the stairs is the biblioteca. I saw really old copies of some magazines, medical books and encylopedias.

The guide led us to the second floor of the house where the sala is located. Its attraction is the 1901 “La Inocencia” painting by National Artist Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo.

Also here is a painting by Juan Luna, wow!

The sala is spacious with two sets of sofa. There are a lot of paintings, family portraits and various antiques.

Near the sala is the radio room. Dr. Legarda is also fond of radios and his various radio equipment are well-kept. In this room also are more china, glass and silverware and family photographs.

There’s also a paper mache collection done by Doña Ramona herself. 

Adjacent to the radio room is the cuarto de vestir where their daughters’ ballet dresses and shoes are kept. I find the vintage perfume collection tasteful and the vintage mirrors and accessories really ‘girly’.

And finally the comedor! I noticed a gong and the guide told us that Don Alejandro used this to call his children for almuerzo or cena.

The guide pointed at the collection of Meissen plates displayed on the walls, each one hand-painted and lined with gold. She told us that there are no two plates in the entire set with exactly the same design.

The tour of the Legarda ancestral house gave me a glimpse of what was life like during the late 19^th century. Even for just awhile, I experienced the old world charm of an era almost forgotten.

(Note: To be able to explore the Legarda Mansion, place a dining reservation at La Cocina de Tita Moning)

19th century dining at La Cocina de Tita Moning

Old Manila opulence combined with great-tasting food makes La Cocina de Tita Moning not just a restaurant but a dining experience.

Upon arriving at the Legarda Mansion where La Cocina is located, mi amigas y yo were ushered at the sala and given complimentary drinks and pica-pica, in the same fashion one would receive guests in his home. 

The lemongrass iced tea was refreshing while the warm ladyfinger toasts loaded with their decadent queso de bola spread was truly appetizing that I even brought home a jar!

After taking our orders, a guide gave us a tour of the mansion (which I’ll write about in a separate post). We found out that Tita Moning is actually Doña  Ramona, the wife of Don Alejandro of the illustrious Legarda clan.

After exploring the casa, we were seated on our designated table in the comedor. The set-up itself is already remarkable as rose petals and lit candles were attractively placed on the elegant table cloth. I was excited to use the Legardas’ antique collection of china, glassware and silverware.

Adding to the experience is a personalized print-out of the menu we will be having. A small campana is also placed at the head of the table to call the staff, just like how they did back in the good old days.

For our lavish multi-course meal, they first served bread and butter. Of interest is the salsa monja on the table. It is a condiment made of pickled shallots and olives made by nuns for the Spanish friars to accompany meals. It is suggested that you eat it together with the other dishes to make it more delicioso.

For starters, we had two kinds of ensaladas—(1) fresh organic greens with herbs, poached egg, roasted pumpkin & davao goat cheese, and (2) salad with caramelized walnuts and cheese.

Their sopa de oro (cream of pumpkin soup) is very rich, delicious and filling.

Next, is whole baked lapu-lapu and grilled eggplant with homemade vinaigrette. I must say that this is the best-tasting baked lapu-lapu i had! It is oven-baked in olive oil & garlic.

I noticed that the waitresses were scooping the food on our plates instead of placing the serving dish on the table. I guess this is how the “old rich” dined in the 1930s.

We then had Tita Moning’s signature dish of slowly roasted pork with its own cracklings served with candied sweet camote. The candied sweet camote alone is too die for!

As if it is not yet enough, we also had tender lengua cooked in white wine, sautéed fresh vegetables and their famous paella valenciana served in a dainty paellera.

To cap it off, we were served with a Legarda original, the bread pudding topped with candied pili nuts. This is unlike the usual pudding that i was accustomed to because it is soft and like leche flan. And the hot choco is good for that afternoon siesta too!

Though the cost of dining here is about PhP 1,000 to PhP 2,000 per person (at regular prices), it is definitely worth every centavo. Muy deliciosio food served in style is definitely priceless.

La Cocina de Tita Moning

315 San Rafael St. San Miguel District, Manila.

By reservation only: Telefax: 734-2141

Texas Roadhouse Grill—Howdy!

Recently, my friend and I decided to meet up at Shangri-la mall’s new east wing. The area is populated by new and upscale restaurants. We decided that our late lunch will be at Texas Roadhouse Grill since my friend has already tried this resto (although at their branch in Bonifacio Global City)

It has a nice “cowboy” vibe as the interiors and furnishings are mostly wooden with wagon wheels. The waiters/waitresses are also in cowboy outfits.

They served complimentary peanuts while waiting for our orders.

complimentary peanuts

Since a single order is quite big for a petite girls like us, we requested it to be split into halves.

We had Roadhouse Lite Salad, a crisp salad mix tossed in red wine Dijon dressing topped with ripe mangoes, grapes, candied walnuts and blue cheese.

Roadhouse Lite Salad, PhP 250 (lone ranger)

We also ordered Beef with Pesto. This is US beef hanger steak marinated and grilled then topped with pesto olive oil and pico de gallo. It is served with fresh steamed veggies and roasted potatoes.

Beef with pesto, PhP 480

If you have kids with you, they have a kid’s meal which is “for children 12 years and under only.” A must try is their spaghetti.

spaghetti, PhP 135

In terms of taste and price, Texas Roadhouse Grill is comparable to other same-themed casual dining restaurants. But since I’m a fan of American cuisine—grills and steaks, I give this restaurant two thumbs up.

Branches:
Texas Roadhouse Grill, Bonifacio High Street
Bldg. 1 Bonifacio High Street, Bonifacio Global City,Taguig
Contact: (02) 856-1547 / 856-2499
Texas Roadhouse Shangri-La Plaza
6/L East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Edsa corner Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

Wakeboarding 101 at Republ1c Wakepark

Okay, I admit it. I don’t know how to swim so I’m not really that excited to participate in any water activities, much less to wakeboard! But through a prodding by a good friend, I gave it a try.

So off we go to Republ1c Wakepark in Nuvali. My friends and I left after lunch on a Friday so as to avoid the influx of weekend wakeboarders. There are various ways on how to get to the wakepark (better check their website at the end of this article).

We arrived at Repub1c Wakepark at mid-afternoon and scouted the area first before we registered. A tip--once you registered, that is when the time for the pass will start.

We watched as experienced wakeboarders do their thing at the Pro Area, which has obstacles, ramps, etc.on the artificial lake.

The Pro Area at night

There is also a Swimming Pool, Snack Bar and a Pro Shop where they sell wakeboards, wakeskates, bindings, helmets and vests.

We went back at the Registration Area and signed up a form and a waiver. We availed the 2 hour pass which is P470/pax (this was three months ago as of posting). Plus there’s a deposit fee of P800/pax which will be refunded after returning the wristband, life vest, and helmet.

We changed into our wakeboarding outfits in a spacious and comfortable restroom where you can also shower after the activity. It is advisable to wear rash guard and board shorts or leggings.

Bring as little stuff with you as possible as there are no lockers to leave your things while wakeboarding. You just leave them at the sort of gazebos/huts along the wakeboard area.

We proceeded to the Beginners’ Area where a few are waiting for their turn. There was a family with kids who regularly wakeboards and few groups of friends/officemates. For newbies, be not afraid--there’s also an instructor who will teach you the basics, like how to hold the cable, the proper stance, etc.

getting instructions

The Beginners’ Area is much smaller than the Pro Area. There’s a long, straight cable which just basically pulls you from one point to another. The instructor and my wakeboarder-friend told me to just hold on the cable’s handle and let it carry me through.

Dreadedly, it’s my turn! At the first pull of the cable, i was dragged into the water(as expected!). This happened a number of times until I finally got the hang of it and was able to wakeboard from the starting point to the end point.

I was my friends’ “butt” of jokes as what I was doing isn’t really wakeboarding but more of “butt-boarding.” I wasn’t able to stand on the wakeboard and I had this sort of sitting posture that my butt keeps on rubbing the surface of the artificial lake! (and it was awful,really)

Butt-boarding! children, do not try this at home!

Even with my body aching and many failed attempts, it was really a triumphant feeling to be able to “wakeboard.”  I somehow overcame my fear of water. I’ll definitely come back and next time, I’d really be able to stand on the wakeboard and maybe try the Pro Area!

For rates, schedules and directions, check out Repibl1c Wakepark’s official website:

http://www.republ1cwakepark.com/

CAPAS NATIONAL SHRINE: A Sidetrip to History

As part of Travel Factor’s Pinatubo Trek itinerary, we dropped by Capas National Shrine in Tarlac on our way back to Manila. There is a minimal entrance fee of PhP 10, which was already included in the package.

With still weak and trembling knees from the trek, I alighted the van and surveyed the place. The line of trees and the pavement leading to the monument reminds me of Rizal Park back in Manila.

The monument at the center is very tall and narrow. It is called an obelisk, which according to Wikipedia is “a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape at the top.”

The obelisk is surrounded by a circular wall (“The Wall of Heroes”) made of dark marble which has about 70 thousand names of Filipino and American soldiers who suffered during the Bataan March. I tried to find someone on the list who has the same surname as mine. Who knows, I might have a distant relative who stood up heroically during the Japanese Occupation.

There were also rows of trees which gave me Koreanovela feels, but turns out that these trees were planted to represent each of the deceased.

Aside from the list of names, there were quotes and poetry engraved along the walls. And one that really tugged at my heart was this:

"This memorial is dedicated to the brave men and women who defied the might of the invaders at Bataan, Corregidor and other parts of the Philippines during World War II. Thousands died in battle, during the Death March, and while in captivity. Thousands more endured inhuman conditions at the prison camp in Capas, Tarlac. They suffered in the night so that their countrymen would wake to the dawn of freedom."