by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 23, 2019 | Yummy Reviews
Yakikai, what a funny name to say. 🙂 ‘Tis the season to forget about that diet and indulge, as they say, and Yakikai is definitely a place to indulge our appetite. 🙂 A couple of days ago I had the opportunity to eat at Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet located at Scout Dr. Lazcano Street near Tomas Morato in Quezon City. For those who can’t quite imagine where this is, your nearest landmark would be Starbucks Reserve across from BPI on Tomas Morato Avenue. Yakikai is on the block where Starbucks is. 🙂
This restaurant was easy for me to find for these reasons:
- I live nearby
- this used to be Bagoong Club which I once frequented
- it is a stone’s throw away from my favorite Starbucks branch, the Starbucks Reserve Legacy Store on Tomas Morato. 🙂
For people with cars, if you arrive early enough you can park right in front of Yakikai, otherwise, your next available parking will be on Tomas Morato. Not to worry, though, as Tomas Morato is a very short distance from the restaurant … very walkable.
The first time I heard about Yakikai I couldn’t help but wonder if this was going to be any different from other samgyupsal restaurants I have visited in the past. While there are definitely similarities, the owner, Ms. Sam, introduced us to some features that make this restaurant stand out. FYI, Ms. Sam used to be the owner of Sodam, a samgyupsal restaurant in Greenhills, which she has since sold before she opened this place.
Dining Area
Since I have been to this building before when it was a different restaurant I was interested to note if they changed anything about its appearance or layout. So far, they have made the dining area brighter and, of course, there is the addition of the ventilation pipes for the hoods over each table.
There are three dining areas on the ground floor: the main area near the buffet which can seat approximately 24 or more people, another one just to the right of the main dining area which can comfortably seat 30 people, and an outdoor seating area at the lanai which can comfortably seat another 24 people.
On the second floor, there are two rooms. The room on the right could possibly seat around 20 people while the room on the left could possibly seat 50 people. This set up makes Yakikai ideal for big groups. While their Zomato page says they do not take table bookings, I think they do take reservations for special events.
Restrooms
It is important to note that there are two gender-neutral restrooms, one on each floor. This is a carryover from Bagoong Club. However, I wish they could maintain it better. One tip I would possibly give them is to have one of their staff check the restrooms every 30 minutes or every hour to make sure it is still clean (and not stinky) and clean it when necessary.
The Menu
As with other restaurants they have an ala carte menu and an “eat all you can” menu. In this review, I will focus on the latter because this is the menu that they really want to push. That is my gorgeous sister holding up the menu for me. 😀
They only have 2 sets to choose from. The premium set and the emperor set.
Premium Set
The first is the PREMIUM SET. This was originally priced at P499 but, at the moment is available for P339. Unlike other restaurants, this package is composed of chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp, cheese, plus the buffet! Talk about value for money.
The meat selection is basically the same as what you would find in every other samgyupsal place but the addition of the shrimp and cheese (which is a mix of cheddar and mozzarella cheese) at no extra cost brings them up a notch. I even noticed that there was one table that ordered just the fresh shrimp! That was so smart! I should do that next time.
Emperor Set
The second set is called the EMPEROR SET and is, of course, the one they highly recommend. Originally priced at P699, it is currently available for P599. The emperor set is composed of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, fish, Jjampong nabe soup, and cheese! Specifically, what makes the emperor set are the following:
- salmon sashimi
- chuck eye steak
- shrimp tempura
- and Jjampong Nabe
When cooking any kind of meat (and steak especially) it is important to know when to stop cooking it so that the meat is still edible. When it comes to the steak which compared to the other meats served is thick, cooking it too long will make the steak hard and dry. Your goal should always be medium. Some like it medium-rare, others medium-well.
We asked Ms. Sam if they served tuna sashimi aside from salmon sashimi and she said that they don’t serve tuna as it spoils faster so if it is not consumed quickly they end up throwing it away. Salmon, on the other hand, handles better and lasts longer. I love salmon anyway so this was no hardship for me. 😀
The Jjampong Nabe might be removed from the menu as they have received feedback that many patrons find it too spicy. They are still thinking about what to replace it with if they decide to remove it. Any suggestions?
Buffet
Both the premium and emperor set comes with the buffet which is self-service and you can go back as often as you want and get as much as you want.
At first, it would appear as though the buffet offerings are limited, but as each dish is emptied, it is replaced with a different dish (if similar) dish, which makes for an almost limitless buffet.
In this photo here you can see that the options have already changed. The dishes that I kept going back for are the shredded sweet Japanese corn and the japchae. For those who do not know, japchae is a Korean noodle dish made with vermicelli noodles with vegetables and beef tossed in.
Sushi options at the buffet
On the far left of the buffet is a selection of different kinds of sushi from the all-time favorite California Maki to salmon, shrimp, and tamago (egg) variations. At the window above the buffet are the chefs who were busy preparing refills of all the dishes in the buffet.
I am very keen on anything spicy I sampled the spicy tuna. The sushi tasted as expected, which is a good thing. 🙂 I had a few pieces of spicy tuna and tamago sushi. 😀
Is “buffet only” an option?
We asked Ms. Sam if it were possible for guests to order just the buffet and no grilling and she said no. When I think about it, though, that really isn’t too bad since the price of their premium set is not really that expensive.
Dessert and drinks
For dessert, you can ask for any of the Korean ice cream available from the freezer at an additional cost (they are not part of the package). Same with the drinks, the packages only come with water but you can order soda or juices from the menu at an additional cost.
Eat-All-You-Can
I ate all I could and there were still so many dishes that I was not able to taste. A tip to beginners, make sure you are hungry when you go here because I promise you, there is almost no waiting time between sitting at your table and eating. While they set up your table you could already start on the buffet.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 18, 2019 | Yummy Reviews
Nitro 7 Coffee and Tea is not new to me. I have been to Nitro 7 Coffee and Tea at Robinsons Magnolia at the Foodcourt before and I have tasted their cold brew coffee and I liked it but this was the first time I was able to go to the branch at Robinsons Manila and let me tell you, it is not easy to find.
Finding Nitro
- The layout of Robinsons is already confusing, everything just kind of moves around in a circle (or series of circles) so you could be in one wing and then suddenly find yourself in another wing without realizing how you got to that wing.
- Nitro 7 Coffee is not even in the mall directory.
- Google maps do not say what floor it is on so relying on Google Maps will just make you go around and around unless you do a Google search (and not use the map) and you will then see that it is not on the ground floor.
Eventually, I just had to rely on my navigation skills and just crossed my fingers that I would not get lost. On the upside, my fitness app was happy! I got a lot of steps in, lol! Here’s a tip if you want to know where it is, look for Toys R Us on the mall map, Nitro 7 is in front of it. Right now I cannot even tell you what floor it is but it is most certainly not on the ground floor.
Nitro 7 Coffees
We got to try the bestsellers, Irish Creme Breve, Black Nitro, Hazelnut Caramel Mocha, and Chocolate Macadamia. Because we didn’t want any of the coffee to go to waste we asked the barista to just give us dixie cups (which they called sample cups) so that we could just pour out a little of each flavor and taste it all.
The Chocolate Macadamia and Hazelnut Caramel Mocha are very similar in flavor, with the Hazelnut Caramel Mocha being slightly sweeter. The Chocolate Macadamia had that distinct macadamia flavor that instantly made it my favorite of the four. Have you ever tried Hawaiian Toast chocolates? That is what it tasted like. 🙂
The Irish Creme Breve was quite creamy and had that slight alcohol taste we tend to associate with anything Irish.
The Black Nitro, which is their base drink, was just way too strong for me, so no. I like my creams and sweeteners. 😀
Sandwiches
The highlight for me would probably be the grilled sandwiches. Here’s a spoiler … they all have cheese in them. 😀
None of these sandwiches are difficult to make as I’ve made my versions of them at home. But not everyone likes to cook so for those who like to eat out or eat and run, these sandwiches are good options. While we were there we were able to taste the following in the order they were served to us:
Ham and Cheese
This ham and cheese sandwich is easily a favorite. There were no surprises when it came to the taste but the ham slices were thicker than can usually be found in ham sandwiches sold in cafes and the cheese is ooey-gooey. This made us feel that the customer would be getting good value for their money.
Three Cheese
The three-cheese sandwich combines three different kinds of cheese … they didn’t tell us what they were but my tastebuds and eyes say they are cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack. It was delicious! It has the right balance of saltiness that we look for in cheese without being overpowering. The combination of cheeses was just perfect.
Just like the next normal person, I like cheese, but if you are lactose intolerant or on a diet then this might not be the sandwich for you.
Corned Beef
Yes, the corned beef sandwich still had cheese there was more corned beef than cheese. The cheese acted as more of a binder. Tastewise, it was good. Probably nothing to write home about but ok.
Tuna and Cheese
The tuna and cheese sandwich was the most disappointing of them all for me, probably because I know I can make it better. It was bland. I think they could have improved it by using spicy tuna instead.
With the addition of the cheese, the spice would have been negligible but enough to give this sandwich a little kick which I felt that it needed especially as tuna is the obvious choice for those who are trying to avoid red meat.
The Holiday Offerings
We had the opportunity to try their holiday offerings, namely:
- Black Cherry Mocha
- Chocolate Berry Snow
- Orange Joy Milk Tea
The Black Cherry Mocha tasted like a black forest cake in a cup.
The Chocolate Berry Snow had a similar flavor but in frap form. To me, it tasted like a high-end version of Scramble, that shaved-ice concoction we used to eat after class that was sold from a cart from the vendor outside school. 🙂
The Orange Joy Milk Tea is probably not their best seller because it is hard to explain how it tastes. It tastes good, don’t get me wrong, but describing how it tastes is quite challenging.
I don’t know that I would get any of these drinks in the future as I am not a fan of berries, but I can see that there would be an audience for it.
We don’t know what happened, there was probably a miscommunication but for some reason, we were not served as much food and drink as we were promised. In a nutshell, we were cut off! Lol! But we decided not to take offense and just give our honest review.
We were able to taste everything we were served after all, even if we had to share everything. Meaning, everything was split 5 ways. 1 sandwich divided by 5, 1 drink divided by 5. We all got a bite or a sip of everything we were served and that was enough for us to have an opinion.
But because we were cut-off just like that I find it difficult to rave. Nonetheless, do consider Nitro 7 Coffee and Tea when looking for a new place to enjoy cold brew coffee.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 22, 2019 | Food & Beverage, Yummy Reviews
There are many types of bread in the market but none so special as Hearty Bread which is healthy, yummy, and easy on the budget. This post contains materials provided by Hearty Bread plus my (and my family’s) review of their products.
A special type of diet usually arises from a health condition or a call for a healthier lifestyle. Having to adapt to a new diet is hard enough especially if this is accompanied by medicines in the case of those who have diabetes, cancer, renal failure, and other diseases that call for a Low-Carbohydrate/ Sugar-Free diet.
Why go gluten-free?
Diabetic Cases
diabetes calling image credit to https://www.ormc.org/
The Philippines is considered one of diabetes “hot spots” in the Western Pacific region. It is estimated that 1 out of 5 Filipinos are diabetic. This statistic is very alarming and calls for the attention of the general public. Several cause-oriented groups have already started campaigns to spread awareness in the hope to help hinder the growth.
It was noted that the unhealthy lifestyle habits of Filipinos are the main cause of diabetes. This was also tackled by World Health Organization and they also included sedentary lifestyles as major lifestyle risk factors, stating that 1 in 3 is overweight and 1 in 10 is obese.
Obesity
Obesity cases are another red flag in the country. Those who consume an excess of sugar and carbohydrates lead to accumulating that excess weight over time.
Per record, the Philippines has an estimated a staggering 18 million citizens who are either obese or overweight.
Cancer Cells feed on Sugar
To clarify, consuming sugar does not cause cancer. Studies have been conducted which prove that sugar essentially feeds tumors and encourages cancer growth. Hence, starving these cells from sugar may help cancer patients.
Given these health conditions, a group of young entrepreneurs has decided to develop bread alternatives for those whose dietary requirements need special attention. Evan Dykimching and Vicson Ngo are the people behind Hearty Bread, Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free.
How did Hearty Bread begin?
The company started out as a supplier for some of the major hospitals in the Metro. They cater to doctors and in-house patients with cancer or diabetes.
Evan Dykimching
Evan recounts “When one of our family members got confined in the hospital, we were surprised that the price of our bread was quite high due to several administrative fees”.
With the company’s desire to promote affordable and quality health, they created the brand “Hearty Bread” to make healthy bread readily available and affordable to the general public.
To give you an idea, if you are not familiar with the price of the Gluten-Free/Sugar-Free market, other producers are selling at P500 to P600 per loaf. For most people, this price tag is very expensive.
Hearty Bread Almond Loaf Line
Hearty Bread invested in research & development for two years in order to come up with bread that is double the size and sells at half the price. Hearty Bread’s Almond Loaf line retails at only P180 for the plain Almond Loaf while their Cheesy variants – Cheesy Charcoal and Cheesy Coffee are pegged at P250 per loaf.
Hearty Bread Sourdough/Probiotic Line
They also have other products such as their Sourdough/Probiotic line which includes Malunggay Sourdough Pandesal which sells at P40 for 6 pieces, while their other Sourdough loaf sells at P115. Hearty Bread’s Fruit loaves are also in demand, Banana Sourdough Loaf retails at P200, Banoffee Walnut Sourdough Loaf and Pumpkin Carrot Sourdough Loaf sells at P280 per loaf. These are all Gluten-Free/Sugar-free!
A lot of other products are in the pipeline and are being developed which gives those who are into these types of diets something to look forward to.
Pricelist
Here is the price list to guide you. A quick glance will already show you how much more affordable Hearty Bread is than other gluten-free/sugar-free brands. Also, so many choices! This just makes the journey to good health more fun!
The Review
I cook and I bake so I can appreciate the research that went into making these breads. FYI, sourdough is a much healthier alternative to white bread and is better for digestion, too!
Banana Sourdough Loaf
If you like banana bread then this banana sourdough loaf will be something you would enjoy. Instead of lacatan they used saba which has a smoother consistency and comes out sweeter when ripened (aged) correctly. I would have preferred this loaf with walnuts and probably not as sweet. I am assuming that they used artificial sweeteners like Splenda. I prefer the taste of honey.
Banoffee Walnut Sourdough Loaf
The banoffee walnut sourdough loaf is very similar in taste to the banana sourdough loaf except with the addition of two very important ingredients … coffee and walnuts.
I personally preferred this one but having said that I still found it too sweet. My mom, sisters, and the kids really enjoyed it, though.
Cheesy Charcoal Almond Loaf
I confess, for us, this bread was a turn-off but we gave it a shot … several times in fact! We figured, if Hearty Bread would go to the effort of making this bread there has to be something good about it, right?
Well, like my sister, Ginny said … it is like eating Diatabs if Diatabs were baked into bread. My nephews, niece, and daughter said they couldn’t get passed that grainy charcoal taste. My mom saw it and didn’t even try.
I tried it myself and I really, really gave it a chance but, sadly, even with the addition of cheese and almonds, this loaf of bread did not wow me, not even a little bit. But I understand why they did this. Activated charcoal is known as a good ingredient for improving elimination (aka bowel movement) and addressing flatulence. What I would recommend, perhaps, is not to make it so pure. Probably, half charcoal then half premium sourdough then mix it so it bakes into a marbled loaf. It would still have the activated charcoal but not overwhelmingly so.
Ezekiel Almond Loaf
This was easy to eat but we couldn’t find the almond taste … or the almonds. It tastes just like regular bread so the kids could not even taste the difference. Eating it as a sandwich certainly makes it look “normal”.
The taste was also quite mild so this was not difficult for my mom to try. To her, it was just bread, which is a good thing.
Moringa Premium Sourdough Pandesal
For a few years now there has been a campaign to promote malunggay pandesal as an alternative to regular pandesal and, at the beginning people have looked at it with suspicion. Some have tried, and some have continued with what they are used to.
We ourselves have shifted to malunggay pandesal so we had a basis of comparison.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal is BIG, it is just a little bit smaller than my hand.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal has just the right level of sweetness.
- Hearty Bread’s moringa premium sourdough pandesal does not have that grainy texture we have come to expect from healthy bread
Multigrain Sourdough Loaf
This was my personal favorite, but then again, I have been known to buy multigrain bread on occasion. At home, I am the only one who really eats multigrain. My parents found it too nutty but I love it!
I would like to request more pumpkin and sunflower seeds, please. 😀
Premium Sourdough Loaf
Of all the bread my family and I got to try this was probably the easiest to try as they couldn’t tell the difference between this and the bread they like to buy in the grocery.
So for someone who is transitioning into a gluten-free/sugar-free diet then this bread is a good way to start.
Hearty Bread outlets
Hearty Bread can be purchased at the following outlets. Find the one closest to you and enjoy!
For more information, you can check out their Facebook and Instagram accounts or visit their website.
Evan also shares the secret to making their bread available at a very low price – “We can really lower the cost of our products since we produce them commercially in volume quantities. We also own the lot where our facilities operate so we don’t pay rent.” He further explains “We make our bread affordable not to kill the market price but to make these healthy bread affordable and help those who are burdened, to begin with.”
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Aug 25, 2019 | Yummy Reviews
Last August 14, 2019, I had the opportunity to try out Premier The Samgyupsal in Greenhills. I have tried Korean barbecue places in the past and I was looking forward to finding out how this one is different from others.
The Unli Menu
Unli Samgyupsal
Premier the Samgyupsal unlimited menu
PRICE = P500 to P580
Just as with other samgyupsal places, Premier The Samgyupsal offers unlimited samgyupsal. This is what I got to try at my last visit. The options are:
- P500 for unli pork (4 kinds) and chicken
- P580 for unli mix (supposedly 8 kinds) which, based on the menu includes 3 kinds of beef, 2 kinds of pork, and chicken
Both come with 15 different side dishes plus unlimited rice.
As with most samgyupsal restaurants they require a minimum of 2 people to order from the unli menu.
They also offer a promo rate if you dine between 10am to 4pm.
- P450 for unli pork and chicken
- P500 for unli mix
If you want to add ramen to your meal just add P100 to your bill per order.
Unli Shabu Shabu
While we didn’t get to try this shabu shabu is not a new concept for me either. Their version lets you choose from pork or beef. Each shabu shabu comes with unli meat, vegetables, and rice.
Side dishes
This is probably the feature Premier The Samgyupsal that made me very, very happy. So many side dishes!!! We were told that they serve a total of 15 side dishes and that they change every day depending on what is available.
In addition, they also serve steamed egg and seafood soup. They aren’t officially categorized as side dishes but are also served with every unli order. Fyi, I like the chili powder they sprinkle on the egg. 😀
The Ala Carte Menu
PRICE = P350 to P1,200
The ala carte menu available for those prefer to eat just one or two things, or probably went there for a specific dish.
- Pro: there are more options offered on the ala carte menu in pork, beef, and special menu.
- Con: it comes out more expensive especially if you want more than 1 kind of meat
It also offers set meals that range in price from P200 to P480
Drinks
PRICE = P70 to P250
This is probably one aspect where they have bested other samgyupsal restaurants. Premier The Samgyupsal offers its patrons a bigger selection of drinks to choose from.
Non-alcoholic beverages
Other places offer the standard sodas.
- If Coca-Cola products they would have Coke, Coke Zero, Royal, and Sprite.
- If they carry Pepsi products they would have Pepsi, 7-Up, Mountain Dew, and Mug Root Beer.
Here they offer Cherry Coke, Coke Light, Coke Zero, Coke Classic, Royal, Sprite, Canada Dry Ginger Ale, Dr. Pepper, A&W Rootbeer, and Classic Pepsi Cola. Whichever soda you choose to order, the price remains the same at P50.
Other places may offer canned juices, too. At Premier the Samgyupsal they offer more options, all of which are Del Monte juices … mango, pineapple, four seasons, and pineapple orange.
All canned juices cost P70.
Alcoholic beverages
Unlike other samgyupsal places, Premier has the most extensive alcoholic beverage offerings. They have local San Miguel beers, foreign beers, AND several flavors of Soju. For patrons who want to imbibe in alcohol while they eat and want more options, then Premier is definitely the samgyupsal restaurant you. Whether local or foreign, beer is priced at P80 while Soju is priced at P250.00.
Dessert
A Korean meal just isn’t complete if you do not cap it off with Melona or Samanco. Unlike other places, they serve many variants! This tipped the scale in their favor in my book.
The Venue
Dining
While the place is not large it does have two floors which means the seating capacity is good. For our event, we held it on the second floor.
Airconditioning
Arctic! This was different from the getgo. I am usually resigned to the heat when eating at samgyupsal places so finding out that they keep their aircon set at freezing was different.
The Toilet
The toilet is gender-neutral and is clean. My complaint, if any, is that they didn’t keep it dry (as a matter of fact there was a puddle near the toilet bowl itself). A lot of accidents happen in the bathroom/toilet. Safety first, right?
Overall, I enjoyed the experience and will surely return again soon. Premier The Samgyupsal Greenhills is located at Wilson Street. See the map below to help you find it.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | May 26, 2019 | Yummy Reviews
We love to eat. On my in-law’s side we find every occasion to meet up and just eat. When it comes to places to eat we like to try new places that are not too expensive and are reputed to serve delicious food.
For my mother-in-law’s birthday (May 25), Erika (my daughter) and I searched online and decided to try out Locavore. As half the family is from the south and half from the north we opted to try out the branch at BGC.
Appetizers
While waiting for the others to arrive we ordered the Street Food Platter, the Singkamas, Mangga, at Bagoong, and the Pulutang Lamang Dagat. Unfortunately, no pictures of these as we were so hungry we just dived into them. 😀 Taste-wise there was no surprises here but the presentation was beautiful.
The street food platter had squid balls, fish balls, kikiam, and kwek kwek and there were 3 dipping sauces to choose from – manong’s sauce (which is the standard sauce made by tusok tusok vendors), sweet chili sauce, and honey vinaigrette sauce.
The singkamas, mangga’t bagoong had three slices of green mango, 5 slices of singkamas and three dipping sauces to choose from – bagoong alamang, and two others I can’t recall.
Main dishes
There were so many things we wanted to try and with 12 people in the group it was easy to order anything we wanted and just pass the dish down the table. But we did exercise some restraint and ordered the following with a couple of platters of rice:
Gising gising
I knew that everyone was going to order a meat dish so the first order I placed was gising gising (sigadillas, french beans, shallots, and garlic) cooked in gata. The flavor just exploded in my mouth! The vegetables were crunchy and the sauce was just delicious! I am sure to order this again.
Oyster sisig and sizzling sinigang
While technically an appetizer we ordered the oyster sisig as a viand along with one of their best sellers, sizzling sinigang. The sizzling sinigang is Locavore’s reinvention of the Filipino staple sinigang. Instead of a tamarind based soup, they made a tamarind gravy instead.
The oyster sisig may take some getting used to for some as oysters (as you know) are slimy, but it was really good!
The sizzling sinigang, however, deserves all the praise it has been getting online. Muy delicioso to the last drop of sauce and to the last bite!
Beef Pares Stew (sorry for the blurry pic)
We know what beef pares tastes like but we wanted to taste what their take on this Filipino breakfast dish was going to be like.
We also ordered the Mac’s Boneless Fried Chicken but again, like before, we were too hungry to take a photo of it. 😀 Personally, I didn’t like it. I found it too salty but they seemed ok with it so maybe it was just me.
Dessert
Turon con Leche
At first, Erika was iffy about trying this because she isn’t a fan of banana but when I read the ingredients out to her and she discovered there was no banana she decided to go ahead and order this. Have you ever tasted a Portuguese Egg Tart? That’s basically what it tastes like. It is flaky and filled with custard and flan. Yum!
Torta Mangga
So many restaurants have their own version of this delicious dessert. Think of it as a sans rival with sliced mangoes on top. It is difficult to go wrong with ripe mangoes 😀
Other food orders
Champorado ni Speedy
We ordered Champorado ni Speedy because we were curious about how champorado would taste with cream cheese in it. Champorado is comfort food so we were curious how they could make it different and their own.
I personally loved this one. Chocolate rice pudding topped with powdered milk with a dollop of cream cheese and both evaporated and condensed milk served on the side. After mixing it up we all got a serving of this and I opted to take it without the additional milk. Perfect! I prefer the slightly bitter taste of dark chocolate so this suited me to a tee. I admit I went back for seconds. 😀
We also ordered Duck Lugaw (also no picture) which was lugaw with foie gras. As this arrived late I didn’t even get to taste it anymore but I am assuming that it tasted good.
All in all, we loved Locavore! While the price of the food items is a bit on the high side, it makes up for it in taste. Twelve people ate, all that food less senior and PWD discount and our total bill were a little over 6k. That isn’t too bad for a birthday dinner.
Locavore has more than just the BGC branch. If I am correct there is also one in Makati and another in Kapitolyo, Pasig. Find the one nearest you and try it out for yourself.
by Penny Angeles-Tan | Dec 5, 2018 | Yummy Reviews
In the past several months most groups enjoy eating out at places that serve food that are perfect for sharing. The mst popular trend is to go to places that serve Korean barbeque at a reasonable price. Just a month ago I reviewed one such place. Today I am posting my review of Yoshimeatsu, a Korean-Japanese fusion restaurant located on Tomas Morato at the corner of Scout Fernandez, Barangay Sacred Heart, in Quezon City.
A couple of days ago, a few bloggers got together to try this restaurant at the invitation of Ross del Rosario of Wazzup Pilipinas.
Most of us were familiar with korean barbeque restaurants so there was no need to show us how to use the equipment or prepare the food. So the question was … what makes Yoshimeatsu different from other unlimited Korean barbeque restaurants in town?
Grilling selection
Yoshimeatsu offers more grilling options than others I have been to. One place I’ve been to offers a different just pork as it’s least expensive option, then chicken and pork as it’s second, and chicken, pork, and beef at its most expensive.
Yoshimeatsu offers all that (pork, beef, chicken, PLUS tofu, wiener sausages, and seafood cheeseballs) for the same price.
Pork
H1, H2, and H4 are the same as what you would find at other Korean barbeque restaurants. H1 (herbed pork) is basically a pork steak that is seasoned with salt and pepper. I honestly do not know what herb they used to season it but it is delicious. 😀
H2 (spicy sliced pork bouquet) is pork cut bacon style but seasoned in salt and pepper. My palate might be desensitized, though, because I really didn’t taste any spice.
H4 (Yangnyeom pork) is pork cut sukiyaki style (which means superthin) and is marinated in a special sauce.
Other restaurants offer the same number of choices but most do not offer my all time favorite isaw! Tagged as H3 in their menu this one dish that my family is wont to order from our corner barbeque vendor very often. Only the cholesterol conscious is wary of it but even they would try it out once in a while. They even serve this with a vinegar sauce on the side.
Beef
The beef selection at Yoshimeatsu is not as extensive as some places I have been to but what they lack in selection they make up in flavor.
G1 (sliced beef) is just that … sliced. No salt, no pepper, just the meat, which is perfect for those who want to season their meat themselves. That is what condiments are for. 😀
G2 (sliced beef with curry sauce) is for those who want a little more spice to their beef. Because it is curry it has that tang of cumin and turmeric that is reminiscent of Indian cuisine.
G3 (spicy beef yakinuku) is flavorful and the spice is just a hint so people who would usually not like spicy food will be able to enjoy this.
G4 (sliced fatty beef yakiniku) is sliced sukiyaki style and premarinated in yakiniku sauce. It makes this meat dish similar to bulgogi but is not as sweet.
For those with a bigger budget and are eager to try something different you can also choose from the ala carte premium grilling options. If you are eager for ox tongue, sirloin steak, prime meat, or the ultimate wagyu beef then this is the menu for you.
One of these days (if the budget permits) I am eager to try the Royale Hida Wagyu Set. All I will need is a windfall. 🙂
Chicken
I will be honest, I didn’t really try this but it is good to at least have the option.
I don’t eat liver so C1 didn’t appeal to me. At a guess C2 is made from chicken breast and I don’t usually eat chicken breast because I find it too dry. I am more of a chicken thigh person myself. But don’t take my word for it! If you love chicken (any part!) then try this yourself.
Others
I called this section OTHERS because they don’t really fall under pork, chicken, or beef.
F1 (sakana tofu) is tofu (soy) so vegans have an option. However, you may not want to cook your F1 with your carnivore friends or it would defeat the purpose. 😀
F2 (wiener sausage) is pork? chicken? beef? The meat is a mystery, it might be a composite of all three. 😀
F3 (seafood cheese ball) is squidballs with cheese inside. Yummy! I often order this when we eat at Shabu-shabu restaurants.
Side dishes
Again I could not help but compare. Some I’ve been to offer just 3 or 4, another offers 8, but perhaps because of the fusion with Japanese cuisine, this restaurant offers THIRTEEN (13)!
R4 (lettuce) not included in the pic below but is always immediately served. R3 (cheese) and S2 (seasoned egg) are also served immediately and is already on the table when customers are brought to the table.
My personal favorites are M3 (spicy tuna), M2 (california maki), and R1 (gohan, plain rice).
Ordering system
Their ordering system is probably the most unique feature of Yoshimeatsu. Rather than trying desperately to catch the attention of the server just to give them your next order, Yoshimeatsu has this.
On every table is installed a tablet on a stand. On this tablet you just tap your choices then click SEND. This will send the order to the kitchen and just moments later (depending on how many customers are being served) your order will be brought to you.
So far this ordering system is good. They only failed us once when they failed to deliver our order of S1, S3, and M3. 🙁
Price
Definitely there are others that are less expensive. From now until the end of the year (December 31, 2018) their unlimited yakiniku costs P549 (tax included). Thereafter the price will be P899 (tax included) unless they announce otherwise.
As per one of the owners, since the current price is already discounted, Senior Citizen and PWD discounts do not apply except on drinks and ala carte dishes. I found this strange because in most places, they would honor senior citizen and PWD discounts even for set meals and promo meals.
That aside, though, P549 is a reasonable price for this much food. Keep in mind that the minimum number to eat here is two because, like I said in the beginning, their food is for sharing. 🙂
Meal ender
Don’t forget to end your meal with their special soft serve ice cream. The flavor changes from day to day as they make it in-house. Don’t forget to ask your server what flavor is available for the day. So far I have tried vanilla, chocolate, stawberry, and taro.
The next time you and your family and friends are looking for a good place to eat in Quezon City, keep Yoshimeatsu in mind. You won’t regret it and you will surely enjoy it. 🙂
As with other restaurants they have an ala carte menu and an “eat all you can” menu. In this review, I will focus on the latter because this is the menu that they really want to push. That is my gorgeous sister holding up the menu for me. 😀
In this photo here you can see that the options have already changed. The dishes that I kept going back for are the shredded sweet Japanese corn and the japchae. For those who do not know, japchae is a Korean noodle dish made with vermicelli noodles with vegetables and beef tossed in.
On the far left of the buffet is a selection of different kinds of sushi from the all-time favorite California Maki to salmon, shrimp, and tamago (egg) variations. At the window above the buffet are the chefs who were busy preparing refills of all the dishes in the buffet.
This ham and cheese sandwich is easily a favorite. There were no surprises when it came to the taste but the ham slices were thicker than can usually be found in ham sandwiches sold in cafes and the cheese is ooey-gooey. This made us feel that the customer would be getting good value for their money.
The three-cheese sandwich combines three different kinds of cheese … they didn’t tell us what they were but my tastebuds and eyes say they are cheddar, mozzarella, and Monterey Jack. It was delicious! It has the right balance of saltiness that we look for in cheese without being overpowering. The combination of cheeses was just perfect.
Yes, the corned beef sandwich still had cheese there was more corned beef than cheese. The cheese acted as more of a binder. Tastewise, it was good. Probably nothing to write home about but ok.
The tuna and cheese sandwich was the most disappointing of them all for me, probably because I know I can make it better. It was bland. I think they could have improved it by using spicy tuna instead.
We had the opportunity to try their holiday offerings, namely:
Obesity cases are another red flag in the country. Those who consume an excess of sugar and carbohydrates lead to accumulating that excess weight over time.
If you like banana bread then this banana sourdough loaf will be something you would enjoy. Instead of lacatan they used saba which has a smoother consistency and comes out sweeter when ripened (aged) correctly. I would have preferred this loaf with walnuts and probably not as sweet. I am assuming that they used artificial sweeteners like Splenda. I prefer the taste of honey.
The banoffee walnut sourdough loaf is very similar in taste to the banana sourdough loaf except with the addition of two very important ingredients … coffee and walnuts.
I confess, for us, this bread was a turn-off but we gave it a shot … several times in fact! We figured, if Hearty Bread would go to the effort of making this bread there has to be something good about it, right?
This was easy to eat but we couldn’t find the almond taste … or the almonds. It tastes just like regular bread so the kids could not even taste the difference. Eating it as a sandwich certainly makes it look “normal”.
For a few years now there has been a campaign to promote malunggay pandesal as an alternative to regular pandesal and, at the beginning people have looked at it with suspicion. Some have tried, and some have continued with what they are used to.
This was my personal favorite, but then again, I have been known to buy multigrain bread on occasion. At home, I am the only one who really eats multigrain. My parents found it too nutty but I love it!
Of all the bread my family and I got to try this was probably the easiest to try as they couldn’t tell the difference between this and the bread they like to buy in the grocery.
For those with a bigger budget and are eager to try something different you can also choose from the ala carte premium grilling options. If you are eager for ox tongue, sirloin steak, prime meat, or the ultimate wagyu beef then this is the menu for you.
I will be honest, I didn’t really try this but it is good to at least have the option.
My personal favorites are M3 (spicy tuna), M2 (california maki), and R1 (gohan, plain rice).
The next time you and your family and friends are looking for a good place to eat in Quezon City, keep Yoshimeatsu in mind. You won’t regret it and you will surely enjoy it. 🙂
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