Ramen Bar at The Hub

The recent ramen craze has spawned a number of ramen restaurants in Manila. But it was only last November 3 that I was able to get a taste of this Japanese noodle soup (better late than never!) at Ramen Bar’s latest branch in Greenfield District, Mandaluyong City.

My companion and I ordered R.B.S. # 1, which I suppose means Ramen Bar Specialty. The menu said that is tonkotsu, shoyu, chasyu, kakuni, negi and naruto. From my research, I found out that tonkotsu is pork bone soup, shoyu is soy sauce, chasyu is thin pork slices, kakuni is braised pork belly, negi is spring onion and naruto is fish cake. The serving size is quite big so we requested the waiter to split it. It also has ajitsuke tamago (soft-boiled eggs marinated in soy sauce) and plenty of nori (seaweed). The broth has a rich, meaty taste and liberal amount of pork. The pork has a melt-in-your-mouth quality.

R.B.S. # 1, PhP 380
(this is already half the serving size)

Since I love everything with cheese, we ordered Cheese Gyoza as our appetizer. I just love the combination of ground meat, vegetables and various seasoning. It is crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside. It is served with a mayo dip.

Cheese Gyoza, PhP 180
(already ate 1-piece before photo was taken!)

We also had Ebi Tempura. I did not taste this since I’m not a fan of ebi. But I noticed that their prawns are quite big and has a light and crispy batter. It comes with a tempura sauce.

Ebi Tempura, PhP 380

For dessert, we really don't have much of a choice as only Tempura Ice Cream is available. It is vanilla ice cream thinly wrapped in fried tempura batter, topped with chocolate covered cereal and chocolate wafer stick then drizzled with chocolate syrup. I liked the presentation and it is not that sweet.

Tempura Ice Cream, PhP 150

I was a bit surprised that their ramen and ebi tempura are relatively expensive since the restaurant doesn’t look pricey-- interiors are fairly plain and low-key. Also, Ramen Bar’s air-conditioning system has a problem that day because the place is quite hot--they added electric fans at the dining area to lessen our discomfort. But anyway, Ramen Bar’s staffs are friendly and accommodating. They explain the menu well and allowed us to plug our laptops (plus points!).

Ramen Bar’s menu may only have a few selections, but I guess I'll just go to Ramen Bar to satisfy my ramen craving, which they have successfully done.

For more information, like Ramen Bar The Hub’s official FB page: https://www.facebook.com/RamenBarTheHubGreenfieldDistrict

Chairman Wang’s Prime Beef Noodle House

Chairman Wang’s Prime Beef Noodle House might look intimidating--with its high ceiling, stone walls, Chinese art mural, intricate wood decor and dark wooden furniture--but it captured the look of ancient China with a contemporary feel.

Opened in Molito, Alabang February of this year, Chairman Wang’s offers predominantly Schezuan-style cuisine. I’m a Chinese food fan but I’m used to Cantonese-style so Chairman Wang’s is like a “breath of fresh air” for me. It is actually my second time here (at three weeks interval), and this time, for my friend’s birthday celebration.

Here's what we had:

Beancurd Roll- Steamed beancurd rolls filled with ground pork and mushroom and topped with sauce. I think Chairman Wang's version has shrimp. This dimsum classic is also one of my favorite items on their menu.

Beancurd Roll, PhP 150

Fragrant Chicken with Spicy Eggplant – Salty (soy sauce), sour (vinegar) and spicy (chilli, pepper) come together in this dish. 

Fragrant Chicken with Spicy Eggplant PhP 280

Chairman’s Braised Beef with Garlic Coriander – I also had this last time and it has became a favorite because I like the tenderness of the beef. It has a bold garlic flavor.

Chairman’s Braised Beef with Garlic Coriander, PhP 350

Five Spice Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs- Boldly-flavored pork ribs marinated in salt, pepper and five spice, a popular Chinese seasoning.It also comes with a dip.

Five Spice Salt and Pepper Pork Ribs, PhP 320

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice - I’m fond of anything with Chinese sausage (chorizo) and this one has plenty of it!

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice, PhP 280

Iced Lemon Tea – A refreshing blend of black tea, lemon slices, honey and mint leaves.

Iced Lemon Tea, PhP 180 per carafe

Chairman Wang's staffs were so nice that when they heard that my friend is celebrating her birthday, they gave Chilled Coconut Milk Soup with Sago and Fruits. It is coconut milk mixed with tapioca and various fruits like mango, etc.

Chilled Coconut Milk Soup with Sago and Fruits, PhP 95 per bowl

And I just have to add this—Braised Beancurd Skin with Soy Tofu. I had this appetizer the first time I dined at Chairman Wang’s. It is quite interesting to eat—wrinkled sticks that is crispy, a little bit spicy and has a meaty taste.

Braised Beancurd Skin with Soy Tofu, PhP 150

Prices are reasonable but I find Chairman Wang's serving size “small.” An order of a dish could only serve one to two persons. Chairman Wang's lay-out is “narrow” and tables are “too close” to each other. Good thing they have a second floor for small private functions.

I’ll definitely come back here as Chairman Wang's has interesting dishes that tastes good, plus I haven’t tried their signature dish yet--the Chairman’s Prime Beef Noodle Soup.

For more information, like their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/chairmanwangs

A coffee shop or a Thai restaurant? It’s Black Canyon Coffee!

When Black Canyon Coffee, a popular chain in Thailand, opened in the Philippines two years ago, my friend kept on prodding me to try it out since it is one of her favorite restaurants. Finally, last October 25, I was able to dine at Black Canyon Coffee’s first branch in the country—at the Food Strip area of SM Southmall, Las Pinas.

Inside, there’s a relaxing and comfortable ambiance of a coffee shop. But looking at the menu, Black Canyon Coffee has the "extensiveness" of a restaurant. Aside from various coffee concoctions and beverages, they also have ample Thai international cuisine to choose from.

My friends and I ordered the following:

Chef Salad – Nice combination of greens, carrots, shrimps, slices of boiled eggs, green apples and cheese. It came with a Japanese sesame dressing. Other dressing options are chili lime or salad cream.

Chef Salad, PhP 206

Spicy Glass Noodles with Grilled Salmon Salad – We asked the water to have it served “less spicy.” The combination of glass noodles, grilled salmon, peppers, peanuts, onions in a vinegar-based dressing creates a play in your taste buds.

Spicy Glass Noodles with Grilled Salmon Salad, PhP 242

Stir fried Pasta with Ham and Tomato Sauce – I was supposed to order Fish Steak but when I saw the photo of Stir fried Pasta with Ham and Tomato Sauce, it looked so enticing so I changed my mind! It is fusilli pasta loaded with mushroom, ham, green peas, onion, bell pepper and what seemed like scrambled eggs in tomato sauce.

Stir-fried Pasta w/ Ham & Tomato Sauce, PhP 212

Grilled Salmon with Spicy Apple Salad and Coconut Rice – As my friend said, “you can never go wrong with salmon” and their tender salmon tasted just right. I liked the combination of peanuts and apples on the salad. It was also my first time to try coconut rice and I loved it!

Grilled Salmon w/ Spicy Apple Salad & Coconut Rice, PhP 242

For the drinks, we had Lemongrass Juice, Blueberry Delight and Thai Iced Tea with Milk. Even though the Lemongrass Juice tastes weird, it is refreshing. Blueberry delight is blueberries mixed with yoghurt. Thai Iced Tea with Milk is one of Black Canyon Coffee’s popular drinks.

Lemongrass Juice PhP 80, Blueberry Delight PhP 130, Thai Iced Tea with Milk Php 90

Our total bill was PhP 1,405.04 (inclusive of 5% service charge) so I can say prices are reasonable. The downside is, their serving size is really small. But definitely, Black Canyon Coffee will be on my list whenever I just want to have coffee or maybe, even have a full meal.

Black Canyon Coffee Philippines official website: http://www.blackcanyoncoffee.com.ph/

Robinson’s Place opens in Las Pinas City

I was among those who braved the heavy traffic along Alabang-Zapote Road last October 25, 2014 for the opening of Robinson’s Place in Las Pinas City. As expected, the place was jampacked.

When I arrived at the mall’s Grand Atrium (at Level 1) by 11.30am, actor Paulo Avelino was singing onstage followed by Robinson’s ambassadress, Maja Salvador. I also spotted current Bb. Pilipinas-Universe MJ Lastimosa at David’s Salon’s ribbon cutting.

Other opening gimmicks include stilt walkers and mascots, dancers, candy giveaways and of course discounts and freebies for shoppers!

While waiting for my friends to arrive, I explored the area. On the ground floor, they have Mercury Drug, Toys R Us, Aji Sen, Van Heusen, Izod and Robinson’s Supermarket. Set to open are Jollibee, Chowking, Payless and Bench Group. Robinson’s Department Store occupies two floors.

At the second level, I saw Robinson’s Movieworld (with 3 digital cinemas & one 3D), Robinson’s Appliances, Food Court, The Pink Salon, Skin Perfect, Daiso Japan and Fone Bytes. Still to open are Cerealicious Cafe and Lenovo, among others.

The Robinson’s Department Store occupies two floors. 

Aside from these tenants, they also have kiosks like Lighters Galore and Unisilver, among others. Also food stalls like Kettle Korn and this cane ice cream that made quite a beeline:

Php 35 per “cane”

Robinson’s Place Las Pinas also has a nature-themed al fresco area. The ground floor houses mainly restaurants such as The Urban Farm, Kat’s, and Jet Ham. I’m not well-acquainted with these restaurants, but they seem interesting. The only restaurant I was familiar with was Classic Savory. There is also a South Star Drug branch and a soon to open Robinson’s Bank.

Upstairs, there’s Quantum, Dermcare and David’s Salon.

The mall has a Lingkod Pinoy Center for Philhealth, Pag-Ibig, NBI, LTO and passport applications, among others. Robinson’s Place Las PInas also has basement and open parking slots.

The welcoming facade and interiors are unlike the usual box-type malls and it utilizes huge stretches of glass. Since it is just their opening day, a lot of establishments are still closed. Here’s a complete list of the tenants at Robinson’s Place Las Pinas:

Here’s the location via Google maps:

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/Robinsons+Las+Pi%C3%B1as/@14.442381,120.998174,15z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xeef5c7aedd274f9d

Italianni’s at Robinson’s Place Manila

About three weeks ago, I had a lunch meeting at Italianni’s Robinson’s Place branch. Although Italianni’s has been in operation for how many years already, this is only the second time I was able to dine here (and the first time for this branch). 

Italianni’s is located just outside the mall area (Midtown wing, Ground level). Its interior is nicely decorated with photos and paintings; wooden tables and furnishings were simple but elegant. But even if it was peak time, only about four tables were occupied.

A complimentary basket of freshly baked Tuscan and Foccacia bread paired with olive oil and balsamic vinegar was served first.

For starters, we ordered Sicilian chicken salad. It is chicken breast, romaine lettuce, ripe mangoes, red grapes and walnuts in anchovy dressing. It is creamy and filling (generous amounts of chicken!).

Sicilian Chicken Salad, PhP 650 regular size

And of course, we had the highly recommended Spinach and artichoke formaggio (Php 695 abbondanza). This one is spinach, artichoke and mushroom in a creamy blend of cheeses served with toasted garlic bread. It tastes so good that when I remembered to take a photo of it, it was all gone!

For the main dish, we tried the Farmer’s Bundle consisting of choice of Aglio spaghetti or Spaghetti pomodoro (we chose Pomodoro), Herb roasted spring chicken and Baby back ribs. The Pomodoro has a light, spicy olive oil-garlic taste. The tender Ribs has a really tasty barbeque sauce while the Roasted chicken just tasted okay. Though, I must say that I find the serving size for this Bundle too small.

Farmer’s Bundle, PhP 1,345

(forgot to take a photo of the roasted chicken, so placed text instead!)

For the drinks, we tried their Berry dalandan and Lymonada. Lymonada is just like the usual lemonades in other fine dining restaurants but the sweetness of strawberry and sourness of dalandan makes Berry Dalandan unique and refreshing.

Berry dalandan, PhP 120

Lymonada, PhP 140

Food is of good quality and has that authentic Italian taste. Plus, they have a variety of dishes and drinks to choose from. Service is good also, but prices are quite expensive. For more information, visit their website: http://www.italiannis.com.ph/

Metro Blogger First Night Out!

October 22, 2014 proved to be a night of fun and friendship as select bloggers—lifestyle, food, fashion, travel--gather at the classy Gramercy Skypark for the first ever Metro Blogger Night Out.

Metro Blogger is a newly-formed social circle of online writers around the Metro who shares the same views on personal and professional know-how. The group aims to be a venue to share valuable information, event invites, new products/services and campaigns that would be of great interest to everyone.

the lady bloggers with Ms. Fion Lee of Emerge Systems (2nd from right)

Over cocktails, the bloggers mingled with Mr. Jess C and Ms. Ana Regala, organizers of Metro Blogger and the sponsors who made the First Bloggers Night Out possible--Rapid Cloud Singapore (with Mr. Ong Pang Seng, CEO), Emerge Systems Sdn. Bhd. (with Ms. Fion Lee, Head of Sales and Ms. Agnes Degamo, Branch Manager for Emerge Philippines) and iTWORKS Global Solution (with Mr. Simon Miller, Managing Partner). Other partners are Slimmer’s World International, Hawk Bags and Kingdom Magazine.

top photo: (from left) Ms. Ana Regala of Metro Blogger, Mr. Ong Pang Seng of Rapid Cloud Singapore & Ms. Fion Lee
bottom photo: representatives fom iTWORKS Global Solution & Mr. Simon Miller (extreme right)

left photo: Ms. Agnes Degamo of Emerge Philippines & Mr. Jess C of Metro Blogger
right photo: representatives from Kingdom Magazine

Rapid Cloud Singapore is a top Singapore web hosting and e-business consulting company while Emerge Systems Sdn. Bhd. is Southeast Asia’s premier enterprise website and e-commerce solutions provider. Both are subsidiaries of RapidCloud International Plc, which is listed on London Stock Exchange AIM.

Slimmer’s World International is the Philippines’ foremost name in slimming, fitness and beauty with over 35 years of providing great bodies & great skin. On the other hand, Hawk Bags is a recognized brand for its craftsmanship with a wide range of quality bags suited to match every lifestyle.

Bloggers were also treated with Slimmer’s World International gift certificate, Metro Blogger notebook, pen and pin.

With these developments, expect the online community to be more exciting. Looking forward to Metro Blogger's coming projects and events!

Niu by Vikings: A “niu” upscale buffet

As one of the Blogapalooza bloggers, I had a chance to be treated to a food tour by Niu by Vikings last October 11, 2014. Niu, located at the 6^th level Skypark, SM Aura Premiere is the latest offering by popular buffet chain, Vikings.

Just like Vikings, it has a vast assortment of dishes. The only difference is, it is much more luxurious as evidenced by its posh interiors, sophisticated lighting and lush chairs. To add to its hotel-like ambiance, Niu also has a pianist who performs at the center of the dining area.

For a more private dining experience, they also have three function rooms to accommodate varied number of guests.

Their one long stretch buffet area is situated at the left side of the restaurant.

And it starts with the Dessert section. There’s fondue and mini cakes (blueberry cheesecake, chilled mango cheesecake with fruit pastille). They also have native Filipino kakanin like biko and cassava.

Since it was around 5:00pm when the food tour was held, most of the dishes were not available. I guess they are still preparing for the dinner buffet schedule. Anyways, here’s what’s available:

Japanese cuisine- sushi, sashimi, different maki rolls, tempura and various sauces

Drink station- Exciting fruit juices (tamarind juice, mint lemon lime, lemongrass honey, blueberry lemonade, etc), imported wines, draft beer, sake, cocktails (mojitos, etc), sodas, teas, coffee—all included in the buffet price!

Pan-Asian section- Asian and Filipino dishes like mechado, sayote and carrot soup, chicken pot pie chowder, etc

Chinese cuisine-dumplings, siopao, siomai and lechon macau, among others

Grill station-various meat and seafood like gindara and lapu-lapu. Also, a wide variety of sauces to choose from.

Continental Cuisine- various flavors of Europe—from pizza, stromboli, bruschetta, pasta and unlimited foie gras!

It was just a quick food tour so I was only able to taste the following:

The bite-size lechon macau with cucumber and mustard merits a second round. The bruschetta with ground pork topping and sliced stromboli with creamy dip were okay. But what I liked most is foie gras, of course! The blueberry cheesecake with strawberry topping was good also (but then again, I can appreciate cheesecakes from any restaurant!). The fresh mint lemon lime juice was a little bit weird for my taste.

The short food tour was not really enough so I’m planning to go here again so I could taste the dishes that were not available during the food tour.

Niu By Vikings is open every day 11:00am-2:30pm (lunch) and 5:30pm-10:00pm (dinner). Here are the rates:

For more information, follow their accounts:

FB: https://www.facebook.com/niubyvikings

IG: http://instagram.com/niubyvikings