Yoshimeatsu is perfect for sharing

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. 🙂

Samgyupsal King Unli Korean BBQ: A Review

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Nov 12, 2018 | Yummy Reviews

Korean BBQ places have become popular for several years now here in the Philippines. Quite close to where I live I can already count at least 5 places, all just on one street!

Korean BBQ

Why do Filipinos love Korean BBQ?

There are many reasons to fall in love with Korean BBQ:

the quantity – most Korean BBQ places offer unlimited servings of the main and side dishes
the variety – choose from several types of raw meat to cook and many side dishes to eat!
the speed of service – dishes are brought out quickly so hungry diners do not need to wait long for their food
the experience – you cook your meat yourself at your table! While this is not a new concept, per se, it gives people who normally do not cook the opportunity to do so in a safe, judgment-free environment.
the taste – if it tastes good, we’re interested!
the price – if it won’t break the bank then we’re interested! 😀

Before I go further I feel the need to make a statement: I’m a home cook, I don’t pretend to be an expert in the kitchen. I am not a chef, I have not taken any course in culinary or baking. But I do know how I like food to look and taste and for my faves I look for a particular taste and, usually, I know how to prepare it as well. What this boils down to is I tend to really be critical when it comes to food – how they look, how they taste, and how they are served.

Just saying. 🙂

And now, without further ado …

What is samgyupsal?

According to Wikipedia, samgyupsal (or samgyeopsal as it is actually supposed to be spelled) is a Korean word referring to grilled pork belly. Despite that description, though, most Korean BBQ establishments serve more than just pork. Case in point is Samgyupsal King.

What is Samgyupsal King?

Samgyupsal King Unli Korean BBQ menu

Samgyupsal King is one of many restaurants that have jumped into the Samgyupsal trend.

Just like their contemporaries in the business, they, too serve unlimited Korean BBQ. But what makes them different?

They serve pork, beef, and chicken

Not all Korean BBQ places do this. Some serve just pork and beef.

Unli meals are less expensive than some

Unli meals at Samgyupsal King range from P350 (for pork and chicken) to P399 (for pork, chicken, and beef). This makes sense as beef is quite expensive.

Other Korean BBQ places charge the same or even more. One place I went to charged P500, and that was just for pork and chicken. They made up for it, though, with the sides.

They have set meals at affordable prices

In general, Unli Korean BBQ places keep it simple … just unli meals. Samgyupsal King has four ala carte offerings to choose from: beef bulgogi, pork, bulgogi, chicken bulgogi, and grilled salmon – all accompanied by side dishes.

How’s the meat?

Raymond Que, Chef and co-owner of Samgyupsal King

The meat is well prepared. Chef Raymond Que told us that they used prime meat and they are meticulous in their preparation.

The pork and beef are sliced thinly (sukiyaki cut) which makes them cook faster. Flavor-wise I thought they were flavored well. Of the pork cuts the one I enjoyed was the one that looked like bacon (I mean, who doesn’t love bacon, right? hehe)

If I had to complain it would probably be that there was a limited selection of meats as we were only presented with 6 options (that is for all pork, beef, and chicken combined) where other establishments offer as many as twelve or thirteen varieties combined.

Also, I like my spice so I was hoping that at least one of the beef cuts would be spicy. Maybe it was, but just wasn’t up to my spice level. 😀

As for the chicken, I am not a fan of white meat as it tends to become dry, especially when overcooked. My personal preference would have been chicken thigh fillet, and also cut thinly.

Are there many side dishes?

Samgyupsal King side dishes – missing from the photo are the egg roll and

There were six side dishes … that’s it. Six. There were some staples I find in other Korean BBQ places I go to that they did not serve such as the steamed egg, fish cake, and candied peanuts. The radish I felt was not cooked enough in the vinegar before it was served but was adequately crispy.

The marble potatoes and (I heard) the kimchi were good. The kimchi, in particular, is their own recipe. The egg roll is essentially the Japanese tamago without the sugar.

And that is all of it.

Do they serve beverages?

No, they don’t. But I think, perhaps, this was a decision of the concessionaires at the food park so that patrons would get their beverages only from the bevarage concessionaires such as Fruitas.

Is there adequate seating?

Le Village Food Park is located at the corner of Cordillera and E. Rodriguez Sts. in Quezon City

This is, perhaps, where Samgyupsal King has a distinct advantage over other Korean BBQ places. Since they are located in Le Village Food Park they have more than enough seating which is shared with the other food establishments in the food park. The only real question, I suppose, would be if they have enough gas burners to service everyone.

I therefore conclude …

Overall I would say that Samgyupsal King is probably not yet the king of Samgyupsal in Metro Manila but what they serve is well thought of and well-seasoned. I especially admire their openness to suggestions of improvement which means that their meals can only get better and better!

Bloggers with Mr. Willy Que as he tells us all about Samgyupsal King

One day soon I will surely bring my friends over to sample Samgyupsal King at Le Village Food Park. Someday, who knows, they may become the King they aspire to be.

Authentic Tonkatsu experience at Katsu Sora

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Sep 6, 2017 | Food & Beverage

Katsu Sora’s Katsudon

Filipinos have a big appetite for Japanese food— including tonkatsu, a breaded and deep-fried pork cutlet. Taking this delectable dish to new heights is Katsu Sora, home of premium Tonkatsu and Japanese dishes, with its panache that promises authentic Japanese dining.

Derived from Japanese terms “Katsu,” which is short for tonkatsu and “Sora,” which means sky, Katsu Sora is dedicated to offering only the highest quality tonkatsu and a host of other Japanese dishes. This goes with a salad bar where diners can enjoy a wide range of healthy greens and fruits, among others, delivering a satisfactory experience in a class of its own.

Katsu Sora’s four kinds of world-class pork

The Otameshi set comes with Katsu Sora’s four kinds of premium pork: Iberico, Shimofuri, Kurobuta, and Sakura.

Katsu Sora takes pride in four kinds of world-class pork. One of which is the Iberico Pork, a highly coveted pork imported from Spain and comes from the family of black Iberico pigs. With meat that has butter-like texture and is rich in Oleic acid that raises good cholesterol and helps lower bad cholesterol, customers are in for an exceptional and healthy Japanese treat.

Katsu Sora also offers Shimofuri Pork, yet again originating from Spain and comes from a pure line of Duroc. Called the “Black Angus” of pork, it has a high percentage of marbling that results in a tender and flavorful meat.

Dubbed as the Wagyu of pork, Kurobuta pork is known for its melt-in-your-mouth goodness. Savor the taste of meat that comes from a line of heritage pigs called Berkshire, which is bred in Kagoshima, Japan.

Last but not least, Katsu Sora serves Sakura Pork, grain-fed pork from Canada specially bred for the distinct Japanese taste buds. Fed with barley, it has a lighter color and a firmer texture. Its meat is moist with a mild flavor and a clean finish that will surely excite the taste buds of Katsu Sora diners.

Salads, dressings, and a wide selection of good food

Enjoy unlimited refills at Katsu Sora’s salad buffet bar available for all sets.

What makes Katsu Sora more unique is that it gives its customers free rein in choosing their rice, soup, and ingredients to create their own salad. Imagine the infinite number of combinations that you can make with each visit, making your dining experience more amazing.

With an unlimited refill at the salad buffet bar for all sets, you can choose from different kinds of greens and ingredients. This includes Romaine Lettuce, cucumbers, shredded cabbage, broccoli, fresh fruits in season, white onions, fresh tomatoes, corn and cherry tomatoes, to name a few. Katsu Sora’s delicious potato salad and tasty pumpkin salad are popular among patrons. As for the dressing, you can choose from up to 12 options such as Soy Sesame dressing, Grated Onion dressing, and Wasabi Creamy Dressing.

Pair your favorite Katsu Sora set with a hearty serving of either Awase Miso or Shin-su Shiro Miso soup. Forget guilty pleasures as Katsu Sora serves brown rice for those who are health conscious.

If you’re not up for pork, though, try one of the chicken katsu or seafood sets. Light meals such as Katsu Sandwich, Menchi Katsu Burger, and Ebi Tempura are also served. Katsu Sora also offers a la carte dishes like karaage, edamame, tempura, chahan, and yakisoba.

Dine at Katsu Sora to satisfy your cravings for authentic and unique Japanese cuisine. Visit any of the Katsu Sora branches at:

SM City BF in Paranaque City
TriNoma Mall in Quezon City
Glorietta 4 in Makati
Promenade Greenhills in San Juan City
Eastwood Mall in Libis, Quezon City
Ayala Malls Serin, The District in Tagaytay City
Solenad in Nuvali, Sta. Rosa, Laguna
SM Clark in Pampanga or SM Pampanga.

For more information, visit http://katsusora.com/.

A Yuletide feast fit for a king at Guevarra’s

by Penny Angeles-Tan | Oct 15, 2016 | Food & Beverage, Yummy Reviews

‘Tis the season to be eating and Guevarra’s serves up a Yuletide feast fit for a king starting today! You read it right, TODAY, October 15!

A feast fit for a king! #guevarrasyuletidemenu thank you @chefjaclaudico and @cheflau

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 1:25am PDT

Christmas comes early at Guevarra’s. For those who have sampled Chef Lau’s popular buffet you already know that a regular 3-hour reservation for lunch, merienda, or dinner is not enough to taste all 80 dishes they regularly serve. For the Yuletide season, they’ve added 11 new dishes.

This means we can enjoy 99. OMG, NINETY-NINE DISHES! How can we taste/eat them all?

When bloggers were asked what their favorite dish was most mentioned the Angus beef. Having tried it myself, I would have to agree but, personally, I found it difficult to single out one dish specifically. 😀

Appetizer, salad, rice, fish, fowl, red meat, vegetable, dessert, beverages — so much to choose from, how can I pick just one, right? My answer, don’t limit yourself. With so much to choose from (and all of them delicious) each one deserves a trip on your tongue and down to your belly. 😀

The Yuletide offerings at Guevarra’s

Chef Lau and Chef Jac sat down one day and thought about what dishes are traditionally served at Filipino get togethers like Christmas gatherings and reunions. In a previous post I featured the eleven Yuletide dishes they added to the menu.

For Starters

Guevarra’s Christmas Chicken Liver Parfait

I’m not a big fan of liver but I did try this pate and it was good. Smooth and creamy. The name, though, was a tad confusing. It’s a pate but it’s called a parfait? Like the ice cream?

Guevarra’s Christmas Macaroni Salad

Macaroni salad is so simple to make that we usually ask the kids to make it. 🙂 All we need are cooked macaroni, cream or mayonnaise, cheese, raisins, and gelatin. The kids like to cut the gelatin into different shapes but cubes will suffice. The red and green gelatin cubes makes this favorite holiday salad colorfully beautiful.

The Main Course

Guevarra’s Christmas Embotido Lasagna Roll

Two dishes in one! Lasagna noodles are just perfect for this dish as it acts as both the wrapper and the pasta dish. 😀 During the blogger event Chef Lau shows us how they made this dish. Lucky us! Watch the video as he demonstrates how to make it step by step.

And for those of us who like to cook this means I could try to make this myself for noche buena. Actually, I definitely will make this for noche buena. 🙂 I hope I can do it justice.

Guevarra’s Christmas Beef Morcon

Beef morcon is also a staple fiesta dish at home. Our Yuletide festivities is just not complete if there is no beef morcon on the table.

I’m glad they made it because this dish takes too long to cook and oftentimes I’m too tired after to even appreciate the dish. Since they serve it at Guevarra’s I now have another reason to bring my family here for a meal. 🙂

Guevarra’s Christmas Fish Mayonesa

I remember my mom making this when we were kids … but she called it fish en blanco. Not to diss my mom but I prefer this version because Guevarra’s uses fish fillet. No fishbones to deal with. Yey! It gave me an idea, though, on how to serve fish en blanco next time. 🙂

Guevarra’s Christmas Paella

It almost isn’t a good idea to eat paella at a buffet. Why? because paella is a mix of rice and viand all cooked at the same time — meaning, it is already a buffet in itself!

Having said that, you should still try it anyway. It is really, really good! I placed a spoonful or two on my plate just to taste it and ended up finishing it before the white rice. 😀

The stuffed turkey is so good! Moist and flavorful. Great with the cranberry sauce. #guevarrasyuletidemenu @chefjaclaudico @cheflau

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 1:57am PDT

Guevarra’s Christmas Roasted Stuffed Turkey

Some people say that turkey is just a big chicken but one taste will prove otherwise. Paired with gravy or cranberry sauce, my favorite part is the thigh. Cooked improperly turkey could become dry and tasteless. But never at Guevarra’s. This stuffed turkey is just delicious!

My personal favorite when it comes to sauces is the cranberry sauce. Somehow gravy just seems so ordinary but the cranberry sauce screams Christmas. 😀

Happy Endings and Great Coffee Pairings

Guevarra’s Christmas Pudding

Pudding is HEAVY. I mean physically heavy, not just heavy in the stomach. It is a very English treat. If I am not mistaken this baked goodie is infused with rum and smothered in honey. Perfect to pair with black coffee. Also great to have as a late night snack.

Christmas Suman Fruitcake

Suman is a traditional Filipino rice cake usually wrapped in a leaf and then steamed until cooked. We then eat it by dunking it in sugar. I personally like it paired with mango and topped with tablea chocolate.

Guevarra’s combined the traditional suman with the a fruitcake by topping the suman with candied fruits. The end product is a sweet confection. Diabetics beware! As with the pudding this goes well with coffee.

Guevarra’s Bibingka

Bibingka is served in so many ways now — topped with cheese, egg, cheese and egg, filled with chocolate or any syrup. Seriously, the skies the limit! I personally like eating bibingka while drinking hot chocolate or coffee.

Guevarra’s Puto Bumbong

Simbang Gabi is not complete without buying puto bumbong after hearing mass. But at Guevarra’s we don’t have to wait until December. We can have it now! Puto bumbong is served in single serve (big bite size) soup spoons.

Not only is it delicious, it is also very beautifully presented it is almost a sin to eat!

Should you go to Guevarra’s and sample their buffet?

If I haven’t convinced you yet, I don’t know what will. Lol! But maybe you have a few more questions. Let me see if I can come up with some of the answers a they were given to us during the Q&A.

Are there desserts made that are safe for diabetics?

Chef Jac says they don’t have any at the moment but they’ve been discussing it and they intend to bring out dishes safe for diabetics soon. Those dishes will, of course, be specially labelled so that customers who suffer from it know that they could safely consume it.

Is it necessary to call ahead for reservations?

Yes, absolutely! Reservations are necessary. Guevarra’s does not like turning people away and the only way to ensure that is if reservations are made ahead of time.

Do they accept walk-ins?

Like I mentioned, they don’t like turning people away. However, in the event that a party with no reservation arrives, they will be informed that they will have to wait in case someone who made a reservation (for the same number of people) fails to arrive within 30 minutes of their booking, then the walk-in party will be accommodated.

What meals do they serve?

No ala carte. It’s all buffet, buffet, buffet — lunch, “maagang salu-salo”, and dinner.

Meals are prepared by world famous Chef Lau, it must be expensive.

Au contraire, mon ami! It is anything but! Check out this price list:

	LUNCH	MAAGANG SALU-SALO	DINNER
MON	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
TUE	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
WED	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
THU	P399+12%VAT	P499+12% VAT	P499+12% VAT
FRI	P399+12%VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
SAT	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
SUN	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT
HOL	P599+12% VAT	P549+12% VAT	P599+12% VAT

What time should we be there?

Meals are served at the timeframes below. Make sure to come early.

Lunch is from 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
Maagang Salu-Salo 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM
Dinner is from 7:30 PM – 10:00 PM.

Can we make reservations for private functions like company parties?

Since they encourage reservations it is safe to say that customers will not be surprised to arrive to find the venue closed for private functions. Guevarra’s will just inform us whether or not the day and time we stated is available or not.

A photo posted by Penny Tan (@slvrdlphn) on Sep 29, 2016 at 3:19am PDT

For Inquiries and reservations you may contact: 705 1811; 705 1874; 0917 311 2222. Follow them on Facebook: Guevarra’s ; Instagram: @Guevarras_ ; Twitter: @Guevarras_ .

See you at Guevarra’s!

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