Can you feel the heat? We know we can, and it is sizzling HOT!

Can you feel the heat? We know we can, and it is sizzling HOT!

Naked Salmon Sashimi Cake

Naked Salmon Sashimi Cake

Summer is here and in the middle of all the sweltering heat, Salmon HQ has the perfect summer food for you: their famous Salmon Sashimi Cake and Tuna Sashimi Cake. Not only is salmon good for the heart but salmon is also good for the body since it is considered a healthy food.

Salmon contains a specific type of unsaturated fat called omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids lower your risk of dying from heart disease, according to Mayo Clinic. The omega-3 fatty acids in salmon help keep your heart healthy by protecting the health of your blood vessels.

Tuna, on the other hand, is a lean source of protein. Tuna also contains iron, potassium, and B vitamins. It is also an excellent source of selenium, a trace mineral that acts as an antioxidant and may reduce your risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions

Sashimi contains lots of omega-3 fatty acids which is good for both the brain and health. The fatty acids help in lowering the cholesterol in the bloodstream which is always a good thing. These fatty acids also help in promoting good eyesight while the omega-3 fatty acids help stimulate the brain so it can work properly.

Salmon HQ Sushi Overload

Salmon HQ Sushi Overload

These three combined make Salmon HQ the perfect go-to place for your summer eats. You get to eat something delicious and healthy for both your brain and your body. If that isn’t a win-win, we don’t know what is.

Healthy Sushi Bake with Cauliflower Rice

Healthy Sushi Bake with Cauliflower Rice

Salmon HQ also offers the best sushi bake this side of the Metro. What sets them apart from the rest is that you can still indulge in their sushi bake because they can easily replace the rice, they use with cauliflower rice for those who are mindful of their weight or are trying to lose weight for a small price increase.

Recognized by Our Awesome Planet, we know that their different sushi bake is definitely food for the Gods. If you are feeling adventurous, try out their Aburi Baked Scallop Baked Sushi or their Takoyaki Baked Sushi. Trust us, you won’t regret it because it will be the experience of a lifetime.

To order, message them on their Facebook Page.

Salmon is also the perfect food to have during lent so make sure to order yours soon.

Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet, A Review

Yakikai Grill and Fusion Buffet, A Review

Yakikai Buffet Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato 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:

  1. I live nearby
  2. this used to be Bagoong Club which I once frequented
  3. it is a stone’s throw away from my favorite Starbucks branch, the Starbucks Reserve Legacy Store on Tomas Morato. 🙂

Yakikai facade

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

Yakikai all you can eat menuAs 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.

buffet right (refilled)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

sushiOn 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.

Authentic Hokkaido Ramen Santouka now at UP Town Center

Authentic Hokkaido Ramen Santouka now at UP Town Center

Ramen lovers in North Metro can now enjoy Japanese culture in a bowl as Hokkaido Ramen Santouka brings its authentic, passionately-cooked ramen recipe to UP Town Center on Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka opens its 11th branch at the UP Town Center to give residents of the area and neighboring communities a taste of the unique family ramen recipe developed in 1988.

Santouka’s ramen offerings are masterfully made with imported ingredients — from the noodles down to the soup, which is cooked for 20 hours daily to keep it fresh and healthier but delicious to the last drop.

The opening of the new branch features special discounts available until October. Students can truly say TGIF (thank God it’s Friday) every Friday from September 22 to October 13 as they enjoy 20% discount on Santouka’s new offerings: fried chicken tsukemen and tonkatsu tsukemen upon presentation of a valid student ID.

They may also treat themselves with the buy one, get 30% off on second order of a regular takoyaki or cheese takoyaki promo.

Soft-Shell Crab Salad and Sushi

Soft-Shell Crab Salad and Sushi

From September 23 to 30, diners at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka UP Town Center can avail of the soft-shell crab salad and sushi promo with free matcha ice cream with every order. Currently, the soft-shell crab salad and sushi, regular takoyaki, cheese takoyaki, fried chicken tsukemen and tonkatsu tsukemen are only available at the UP Town Center branch.

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka photo credit to thebaginvestigator.com

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka photo credit to thebaginvestigator.com

Visit Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at UP Town Center and experience the best, carefully prepared ramen.

Get to know more about Santouka. Visit its Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/RamenSantoukaPH and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/SantoukaPh, or go to any Hokkaido Ramen Santouka branch near you.

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