Bittersweet Symphony: Quezon City

Showing posts with label Quezon City. Show all posts

Strengthening our Friendship Bond at Yabu: House of Katsu

Our friendship does not happen while we’re on med school even though we have been classmates for 4 years. Our friendship occurred last year; very unexpected occurrence actually for we’re from different set of barkadas and we somehow have different personalities but nonetheless we clicked.

Yabu Robinson's Magnolia is the place where we celebrated our friendship last year and what made this place even more memorable is the reason that this is also the same restaurant where we received the news/call from our professor that we will graduate medicine. Happy memories indeed.

OVERVIEW:

During the first time that we dine in Yabu Robinson’s Magnolia there were only 3 Yabu branches- Megamall, SM MOA and this one. But wherever Yabu branch you dine in expect that it is always jampacked.

Yabu Robinson’s Magnolia is located at the Ground floor, Robinson’s Magnolia in Dona Hemady Street, New Manila, Quezon City. It is near the mall’s food court beside Kenny Roger’s and Mercury Drug Store. You will never miss it for it is easily seen once you go down thru the escalator near the mall’s entrance gate at Dona Hemady street (plus, usually there is a line of people waiting to be seated in this area).

SERVICE:

This is what I want with this restaurant. No matter how populated it is their staffs are very accommodating, friendly and entertaining to every customer’s request. Even during the time when they open the restaurant for dine for a cause to help the typhoon Haiyan victims they never rattle over the numerous orders and requests of their customers.

FOODIES:

What I love with this restaurant is that they offer food products with reasonable prices. Their foods has almost the same price with other Japanese restaurants but the flavor, the way they prepare their food as well as the different spices and dressings that you can choose from makes it different. Also, they serve unlimited cabbage, fruits, rice and miso soup. Your diet will definitely be ruined when you dine with this restaurant but their food product is definitely worth the break.

Yabu's classic spices and dressings

Yabu's sesame seeds. They give this to all customers
where you crush the seeds and mix it with their dressings.
This is intended for their cabbage

I usually order either rosu (pork loin) set or chicken katsu set but now I decided to try rosu katsu curry for a change (and due to Rolan’s persistent recommendation of the food as well).

Photograph of the Rosu set
(photo taken last November 13, 2013)

Rosu Tonkatsu for Php 355 (120 g)
3/4 inch thick, juice pork cutlet with a trimming of fat.
Served with unlimited Japanese white rice or organic brown rice,
miso soup, Japanese pickles, organic cabbage and a bowl of fruit
(photo taken last November 13, 2013)

My order... Rosu Katsu Curry

Rosu Katsu Curry - Very Hot (Php 375)
Yabu's homemade Japanese curry which is cooked either
not so spicy, hot or very hot depending on your preference.
Also served with unlimited Japanese white rice or organic
brown rice, miso soup, Japanese pickles, organic cabbage
and a bowl of fruit

I must admit that Rolan is right. Perfect Japanese curry! The taste was so delicious and the serving was so generous (well, they serve a lot no matter what dish you order anyway). But this was better than my previous orders. I am not really a curry fan but this one is a must endorsed one- very well done.

Oh and btw, Yabu offer a trivia regarding katsudon… Here it is…

So we decided to dine here again sometime in August 15 for good luck to our board examination on August 16. (:

Hayst! Food and friendship is love.

Here's our photo one year ago
(absent si Jermie d:)

Here's our photo collage today
Upper left: Rolan, Upper right: Jermie
Lower left: Me, Lower right: Aila

Jermie and Rolan before eating

My photo with Aila before eating

I really had a happy tummy today. This is my 4th time dining with this restaurant and I will definitely go back again someday!!! For those who haven’t tried eating here yet… You’re missing a lot!

Visit my other Yabu posts:
Dine for a cause
Unexpected

Yabu: House of Katsu
G/F Robinsons Magnolia, Aurora Blvd cor Doña M Hemady Ave, Valencia, Quezon City
(02) 9614975
https://www.facebook.com/yabuhouseofkatsu

posted under 2014, Foodtography, Friends, Fun, Instagram, InstaMag, Photoblog, Quezon City, Restaurant and Food Blog, Robinsons Magnolia, Yabu, Yabu: The House of Katsu | 0 Comments

Love for Cakes: Conti's Bakeshop and Restaurant

I was introduced to this restaurant way back last year and I really enjoyed their food specially their cakes. I am always looking forward to having their cakes ever since but their branches were far from our place so I rarely dine in there.

Earlier this year, my friends and I used to hang out at Robisons’ Magnolia and fortunately Conti's also had a branch there. We promised each other to dine on the restaurant on our next visit on the mall and walah, that day is now ~~(after 7 months)~~ and of course we delight in their cakes for dinner.

OVERVIEW:

Conti's is located at the ground floor of Robinsons’ Magnolia. Its entrance, however, was not located on the mall per se but rather facing Dona Hemady Street.

SERVICE:

They have very visible service crew. They are also attentive to our wants which made me smile. Well, we only ordered for cake slices and a pasta so they have not done much work on us.

FOODIES:

I did not order for their famous Mango Bravo since I have tried it before. I, as well as my friends, opt to try other cakes so we take their Viennese Mocha Torte, Bananalicious Pie and Mango Tart.

Mango Tart for Php 80
Sweet pie crust filled with vanilla cream and chunks of fresh ripe mangoes
topped with mango slices (from contis.ph)

Their mango tart was delicious. It is a cream filled cake that matches the generous amount of mango slices on top of it. Plus, the crust was so delicious.

Bananlicious Pie for Php 90
Buttery crust filled with vanilla cream and chunks of ripe bananas topped
with cashew nuts, chocolate and caramel syrups on whipped
cream icing (from contis.ph)

My friend wanted to have frozen bananas on her cake so she take the Bananalicious Pie. The cake was so yummy. It also has a yummy crust which taste like mango tart's crust. Frozen bananas are so delicious.

Viennese Mocha Torte for Php 115
Layers of mocha-flavored mousse, wafer and moist choco
cake coated with rich mocha butter cream icing topped
with almond sticks finished with chocolate ganache
(from contis.ph)

Last, but not the least, is the Viennese Mocha Torte. I think it has the same slice size as that of the Mango Bravo. It was made mostly of chocolate but not the very sweet one. What I like most about this cake is its icing. I rarely ate icings but this was different because it is mocha flavored and I believe it has a high caffeine content which rubbed my sleepiness away. Its icing was also garnished with almonds and I love almonds a lot which made the icing more appealing for me.

I really recommend this restaurant for foodies like me. Nothing beats a great dessert at the end of a tiring day! So satisfy your cravings for desserts the Conti's way.

Photo credits: FotoRus, PicsArt, Instagram

CONTI'S BAKESHOP AND RESTAURANT

Upper Ground Floor, Al Fresco Area, Robinsons Magnolia

New Manila, Quezon City

(02) 385-4375, (02) 624-5933,

(02) 961-0866, (02) 961-0553

0932-882-6691, 0917-542-6667;

http://www.contis.ph

posted under bananalicious pie, Bonding, cakes, Contis, desserts, Foodtography, FotoRus, Friends, Fun, Happy Tummy, InstaMag, Photo Blog, PhotoMarkr, PIcsArt, Quezon City, Restaurant and Food Blog, Robinsons Magnolia, Yum | 0 Comments

Perfect Match: Mami and Siopao from Ma Mon Luk

Remember these lines:

“Nang abutan ng gutom

si Juan de la Cruz

tumapat sa Ma Mon Luk

inamoy ang mami siopao lumpia pansit

hanggang sa mabusog.”

_from Jose Lacaba’s “ Ang mga Kagilagilalas na Pakikipagsapalaran ni Juan de la Cruz”

Ever since I have always read about this restaurant but I have never tried dining in it. My parents used to buy their huge siopao as pasalubong when they come to pass by the area. Fortunate for me I went with my dad at Banaue, Quezon City and the place where he went was about 4-5 street away from Quezon Ave so we pass by the restaurant for early lunch.

OVERVIEW:
One of Ma Mon Luk’s branch is located at 408 Quezon Avenue, Doña Josefa, Quezon City. They are open daily from 9 AM to 10:00 PM

FOODIES:

I ordered for a beef mami and a bola bola siopao.

Beef Mami for Php 115

The beef mami was so authentic. I had tasted a real Chinese noodles and this one is made almost the same. It was indeed delicious. For those who’s craving for soup and egg noodles this one is definitely the one that you must try.

Chicken Siopao for Php 60

As for the siopao. It is so huge. One siopao can satisfy two people seriously. The siopao coupled with their Ma Mon Luk’s siopao sauce. Superb! :)

Those stores at Binondo serve delicious Chinese foods as well but I must say that nothing beats the Ma Mon Luk’s dishes that never ages in spite time.

Photo credits: FotoRus, PicsArt

MA MON LUK RESTAURANT
408 Quezon Ave, Doña Josefa, Quezon City
(02) 712-3560

posted under Chinese food, Foodtography, FotoRus, Happy Tummy, Ma Mon Luk, Mami, Photo Blog, PhotoMarkr, PIcsArt, Quezon Avenue, Quezon City, Restaurant and Food Blog, Siopao, Yum | 0 Comments