Korea Garden, Jupiter Makati

On to more of our Korean love....another all time fave Korean resto....KOREA GARDEN RESTAURANT in Jupiter St. Makati...
I noticed that most patrons here are Filipinos...no Koreans spotted on this visit....hmmm..I wonder why? Food here are quite authentic and really good!

The traditional complimentary appetizers... Kimchi, Tofu, Bean Spouts, "dilis" and other picked veggies...
Compared to other Korean restos we frequent...Korea Garden served us the least number of appetizer plates...though you can ask for more =)

I forgot the name of this rice dish! I think it was Kimchi rice with Egg =)

I just love tasty fried rice dishes! The egg was cooked over-easy...so the yolk deliciously sauced over the yummy rice when we broke into it.

A Sizzling Squid Dish
This was not spicy at all...and the squid were tender and delicious!


Complimentary Pineapples

Quite a light meal for us this time =) Anyonghaseo!

Flop Jack's =(

I have always said that I love breakfast...I love brunches, perhaps more than any meal of the day. I have also mentioned that since Flapjacks open...despite some hits and misses in my visits...I still patronize the place...why o why? I don't know....probably because the menu is still inviting? The thought of breakfast and all....but a WARNING: PART OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE OFFENSIVE TO THOSE EATING WHILE READING THIS...OF FANS OF FLAP JACKS. MY APOLOGIES IN ADVANCE BUT I JUST HAVE TO SHOW THIS ....

and the story goes....

There is a new branch of Flap Jacks, at The UP-AYala HUB. It's somewhat like a mini-serendra...amidst various office buildings newly built (i.e HSBC, Manulife etc). Many restos are still under construction like Kanin Club, Mister Kebab, Red Kimono, Razon's, Le Ching, Jerry's Grill and already running and operational are KFC, Old Spaghetti House, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Starbucks, Yellow Cab Pizza, and Flap Jacks.

Flap Jack's at the Hub has, in my opinion, the nicest rennovation ...check it out...
the back part of the resto (well....shared by all restos here) have this nice and refreshing view of this somewhat man-made mini-river/creek....makes for a breezy and cool feel!

This visit was around Christmas time....

We had the Pancakes with Egg and Sausages

The pancakes were nice and sausages good.

Pancakes with Bacon and Eggs

A generous serving of bacon here

Breaded Chicken Steak with Milk Gravy and Rice

Nicely breaded and fried chicken breast with a creamy gravy.

The food was good and the service is is more pleasant than our prior experience at their branch at Greenhills....but wait...at the counter my eyes were caught by this......

IS THAT MOLDY BREAD I SEE????

Good grief! and they were placed on stacked up CLEAN PLATES....that will be used to PLATE THE FOOD YOU WILL ORDER!!!!

I couldn't help myself to ask the staff IF THEY ARE AWARE OF THE CONDITION OF THESE BREAD SLICES A TOP THEIR CLEAN PLATES.... so I querry..."miss san gagamitin yun mga bread na ito? " The peron over the counter..."mam pinapatuyo at gagawin po iting breabcrumbs" I pointed out the molds and told them that these breads are not even good to be used as breadcrumbs and should not be placed on top of clean plates....and I left the counter.

Oh my...you be the judge.

Woori Jib Korean Restaurant

We love Korean food! Our favorite San Song Korean Resto being one of the restos we love to visit in Makati. How fortunate for us to stumble upon a good Korean resto, closer to home...well closer to me at least =) Woori Jib Korean Restaurant, located along Kalayaan avenue, Q.C. has become our not so far Korean resto fave!
The place is nothing different from SanSong...a casualy Korean-house-y type place...patrons of which are mostly Koreans too...so that's a pretty good sign you're getting the real deal.

The waiters are very friendly and the Korean owners (who always happen to be dining there too) are very warm and hospitable....they sort of make you feel you are guests in their home....and yes we were mistaken for Koreans here =P hehehe

We love the freebies that go along dining in Korean restos. They serve us small bowls of thick golden pumpkin soup...more like pumpkin puree!

This can serve as baby food too! Yummy....and we eat it for it's nutritional value...and because it's FREE =)

A party of small appetizer plates...that they replenish each time we wipe out the dishes....




...they only stop serving them up when you tell them to =) How generous!

We love the potato salad with apples and cucumbers! Yummmmmy and FREE!!!

Now for the food we paid for....
Jampong

A generous steamy bowl of ramen noodles with a mish-mash of seafoods....mussles, squid, fish and prawns...plus veggies..veggies!!! Oh a bit spicy..ok...really spicy for me...but good that I still eat inspite the heat ;P

Sundubu-Chiggae

Our fave! A spicy soup with tofu and veggies! We eat it with hot and sticky Korean rice (I love those little metal bowls with lid that cradles the rice!) So good and soothing to empty stomachs!

Mandu

Korean dumplings! They taste like Japanese Gyoza...but I like this better =) Delicious with that soy-vinegary dip! We love to pick on them as we eat our soupy rice and ramen =)


More FREE STUFF... yes, the freebies go on...

after a hearty and healthy meal, they offer you coffee or tea for FREE!

Coffee with cream and sugar

It's instant...but it was nicely prepared by the owner...sweet and creamy...I just treat it like a dessert as I normally take my coffee black and brewed!


Rice Green Tea

For non coffee drinkers...the rice green tea is soothing to a very full belly! =)

Delicious and comfy Korean at Woorijib!

Tapas & Vinos at Barcino

KUNG HEI FAT CHOI! Welcome YEAR OF THE OX =)

Wow...Chinese new year came in quite early 2009...and it feel just great!!!! I can just feel the good vibe of the year flowing all over me. Another reason for celebration...another excuse to indulge perhaps? hahahaha Oh definitely.

Let me just share with you another lovely and delicious way we have come to love spending our evenings with...good tapas and vinos in a quaint cozy place...Barcino it is!

I have been here before they expanded the place, before they branched out to Fort Bonicafio...and ever since I have been charmed by Barcino. I just love the wine, cheeses and tapas bit, makes me feel I am being luxurious ;P hehehe

We are loving this TERRA wine. A nice medium bodied red wine. I am no expert, but I just like what seems nice to my palate.

This one seems to me like a medium bodied red.


This Mvsa wine is a semi-sweet red, which I enjoyed better than the former...probably because it's a bit sweet and served chilled =)


Now for the Tapas....Stuffed Pimientos

I forgot the spanish name of this tapas. A big red bell pepper stuffed with ground beef, cheese and tomatoes...and baked to a yummy wilt. It tasted like a tasty meat sauce concentrated in a ball! Very flavorful and goes well with a medium bodied wine.

Tapas Gourmet

There are two tapas platter, which are popular here. This is the Tapas Gourmet, which comprises of Manchego cheese slice (I LIKEY!!! =)), Chorizo extra, Salsichon extra, Jamon Serrano, Chorizo picantes frito and Fuet (a fatty smoked sausage)...served with a delicious creamy ensaladilla rusa (potato salad) in the middle. I just love popping one of these yummies and taking a sip of the wine. The flavors in the mouth is totally a wonderful palate experience.

Tapas Barcino

This is other tapas platter they offer here, which is made up of Tortilla Espanola (spanish tortas), chorizo bilbao, lumpiang sobresada and Manchego cheese sliced served with creamed new potatoes and Aceitunas (olives). This is our favorite =) We love having the yummy morsel with a piece of olive then sipping wine. The creamed potatoes was a delicious as well. Some people like to have their tapas with bruschetta too.

How nice is that?...Simply lovely =)

Yummy YAKI'S At Little Tokyo =)

Japanese food is really one of our faves. Apart from sushis, sashimis, makis....furais...udons....there are some treats we like that are not so commonly found on the commercial Jap restos....

We go to Little Tokyo to enjoy twi of our favorite Yakis....

For our first Yaki fave....here is the man who makes them at HANA....

..he spends the night just manning his be-holed stove top cookware, which magically turns this milk like batter into....

these...delicate and delicious TAKOYAKI!!!!! =D

Always soft, fluffy and steaming hot when served. They have octopus pieces inside and topped with a tonkatsu sauce-like sauce, japanese mayo and those nice green herbs! Perfect with toragashi (jap chili powder).

Jap Potato Salad

They sometimes come as freebies in some Jap and Korean restos...but even if it's paid for here...Jap potato salad is one of our must haves =)

Pizza

Can you believe they have Pizza on their menu? Nothing Japanese about it...but he just adores it so much for some reason =) I enjoyed it too...the crust was thin...more like a pita crust...very cheesy and loaded with bacon, bell peppers ham and other yummy stuff that was covered by the thick melty layer of mozzarella! A happy pizza indeed!

For the other Yaki that we go here for....the REAL Japanese Pizza---OKONOMIYAKI at KAGURA!


They have quite a variety to choose from...this one is Tuna I think =D sooo yummmy!

Loaded with cabbage and tuna...drizzled with that delicious sauce and Jap Mayo!!! Oh lalala! Very filling mind you!

We just love the casual set up of the entire place....great with the cool crisp evening weather. We opt to sit al fresco so we may order from both places =)

It's JapaNICE =)

Surprise Coffee-capade to Subic! =)

My new year started with a wonderful surprise! Let's have coffee he asked...and I naturally yes yes...and asked where at?...at Subic! =) My yes popped! I was telling him about this coffee shop I love at subic....Xtremely Xpresso. I have visited the place twice (please check out my archives ;P ) both with pleasant memories...but I soooooo wanted to try the 22" pizza there. Unfortunately, we were both not hungry from all the new year's eve eating....but we forge through in the hopes that the long trip work up an appetite for that mammoth of a pizza =)

It was a perfect day for a mini road trip. The holiday paved a clearing of all roads going there. A lovely smooth drive....but reaching subic.....my attention was caught by this lovely Korean coffee shop that greeted us as we entered in the complex going to our destination. It instantly reminded me of one of my favorite Korean Telenovelas...My Name Is Kim Sam Soon =) Since, we were still not hungry, I asked if we could just try the place for some Korean snacks.

How spoiled am I? =) I was indulged! Look at my window view from inside this cute pastry shop!
Delicious looking pastries filled shelves, counters and tables inside...with free sampling of several of the goodies there! =)
The cakes on display were all oh sooo pretty!!! When you buya whole cake (only Php 800.00! ) they place it in a very nice cake box with a pretty key chain thingy dangling on the hadle! =) soooo cute!

The cakes were made fresh that day...as we saw the Korean pastry chef by the window icing and decorating cakes to be placed on display =)

We just picked out savory breads and pastries to bring home to our famlies as we were really still not hungry (can you believe that...me? not hungry??? ;P)

Yes it is possible that I was not yet hungry...but it IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO EAT EVEN WHEN NOT HUNGRY!!! =D hahahaha

We picked out this pizza bread. Like a lightly breaded and DEEP FRIED savory dough, filled with cheese, ham, bell peppers, onions and CHEESE!!!

let's take a closer look.....
sooooo bad but soooo good =) we did share this anyway.....so we it wasn't as devilish for the figure ;P


I had a cappuccino and he had the iced latte to go with out snack.

This is an sponge cake filled with almonds and cream. Not so sweet but quite nice.

The savory breads were better than their sweet pastries and tarts. Nevertheless, the best part was the trip going there, the amusement rendered by the place...the wonderful and sweet new year's day surprise =)

Thank you oh sooooo much!

New Year's Eve at Chelsea

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Wow...it's good to finally be able to squeeze in a post here after sooo many post unposted.

The yuletide was just filled with so many get togethers, shopping and EATING!!! A delicious excuse to take in twice or thrice our respective caloric allowance ;P hehehe but what the heck...good times and celebrations go fantastic with glorious food.

I start my blog year with a post from New Year's Eve at Chelsea!



We were directed by a craving for good French Onion Soup! hahaha Yes, end the year satiating a want....so walking along Serendra, with a lovely showery whether...we picked Chelsea =)

Our meal started with the complimentary Foccacia with Roasted Garlic Spread

We had 2 or was it 3 helpings of this....we just loved the sweet0savory goodness of the roasted garlic with olive oil!

French Onion Soup

A steamy bowl sweet caramelized onions in a golden broth, topped with a crisp baguette embraced by molten cheese!!!!!!!!!!!!

We didn't get shy in dunking this in the soup! He was definitely pleased! =)

I rave to him about the yummy crabcakes I got to try on a prior visit here....and so this was next up....

How will you not be happy at this sight.....

...pure crabby goodness as you break in the golden crusted crustacean cakes! You can choose to have it with mayo or just good ol' tomato ketchup. As good as when I first tried it....these babies did NOT disappoint =)


Duck Confit Pizza

On the virtue of indulgence...the duck confit pizza! Shreds of duck meat, roasted eggplants, tomato sauce and mozzarella on a thin crackery crust!

Not your usual Itallian variety...but definetly a wonderful pizza twist to enjoy.

A wonderful year 2008 was and ending with a wonderful meal. Thank you 2008 and welcome 2009!!!! Hoooray for a great year ahead =)