Monday, June 30, 2014

Todd English Food Hall, SM Aura, Taguig Philippines

Todd English Food Hall has been in our sights for quite awhile but stories of their long lines were kinda off-putting. We were hoping that dinner on a Monday would be the perfect time to avoid the long queue. 



Alas we spoke too soon. We were 4th in the list and it took an hour and a half to be seated. Food-Stars Advice? Make reservations.


Colorful Pasta Station
Todd English Food Hall is spacious and brightly lit. At 8:30pm, the place was still bustling with activity. I was expecting to see dishes lined up in a row, buffet-style but TEFH stepped it up a notch. Menus are provided as you sit and you place your order with the servers. Different areas of the food hall have food stations where they prepare the food, kinda like an up close & personal view of food preparation. 

They have several seating options available.




The bar seats where you'll be dining while the bartender mixes his drinks.


The cafeteria type seating which is near the entrance.


We prefer their low-ceiling area, it seemed more intimate & private.

Since getting seated took longer than expected, we were famished. It didn't take long for us to choose 3 dishes from their menu.




Asada Steak with Pear Salsa (Php 320)
This was 3 pieces of delicate pita bread with tender minced strip loin steak and fresh pear pico de gallo mixed with cilantro creme. A bit pricey for a finger food but well worth it. The strip loin was juicy and the pear bits added a nice crunch to the dish. Food-Stars Suggestion? Squeeze in some of the lime for a nice citrus kick. 


Brooklyn Style Spaghetti Polpetini (Php 330)
Noodles were cooked al dente which was immediately noticeable at first bite. Serving is good enough for 2 people with plenty to spare. The meatballs were made up of pork, beef & veal. The sauce was a mixture of flavors that wasn't quite pleasant on the tongue. We asked for mozzarella cheese to help improve the flavor. 


Fig & Prosciutto Flatbread Pizza (Php 530)
We had to try one of their famous Flatbread Pizza. This was prosciutto with fig jam, gorgonzola, rose mary & scallions. The flatbread was toasted and flaky. I actually didn't like this at first but after a few more bites it kinda grows on to you. Food-Stars Verdict? Their flatbread pizza actually reminded us of those served in hotel buffets. 


Fresh Watermelon Shake (Php 120)
 A glass of Fresh Watermelon Shake to wash it all down.

I saved room for dessert. We couldn't leave without tasting their bestseller, the OMG Chocolate Cake.




OMG Chocolate Cake (Php 420)
This Todd English Food Hall dessert is made up of homemade lava cake topped with ice cream and chocolate crumbs while those on the sides are homemade milk cereal balls, 2 types of homemade ganache all drizzled with chocolate syrup and sprinkled with sea salt. This is what chocolate dreams are made of. ;)

Food-Stars Verdict? More than the food, its the experience that we'll be coming back for.

On a side note, our server informed us that they will be having a new menu by July. We'll definitely be back for that. ;)


'Til our next Good Eat!

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SERVICE:


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Todd English Food Hall
5/F SM Aura Premier, Sky Park, McKinley ParkwayMcKinley Hill, Taguig(02) 621-4002

Twitter: @TEfoodhallMNL

Tuesday, June 10, 2014

Nightime Ramen at Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Makati, Philippines

Date Night on a Week Night! ;) And for a change, I was able to coax Hubby to go out for ramen... and it was a success! Here's how our night went.



 
It was red-black-red all around. Loved how the paper mats had the obligatory red dot that signifies anything Japanese.

 
And the picture of this smiley big guy was too cute to ignore.

Now for our hot bowls of ramen!
But first, a bit of a backgrounder.

For every bowl of ramen from Ikkoryu Fukuoka, there are 4 things they highlight: 

1. Tonkotsu Soup (pork based)
2. Noodle
3. Chashu (roast pork)
4. Special Soy Sauce (soup enhancer)

Ajitama Tonkotsu (Php 380)
I played it safe and chose this for Hubby's hot bowl of the night. The broth had just the right amount of flavor; also it wasn't too creamy or thick. Got the very hard noodles for more texture. The tamago was such a beautiful bright yellow.  But the best part was the Chashu. This was just perfect! Tender, juicy and just melts in your mouth roast pork; I'm actually craving for one now! This was a definite thumbs up that Hubby was already planning our next visit just halfway through the bowl. Yup, it was that good! FoodStars Advice? For that spicy kick, add drops of the chili oil.

Black Garlic Tonkotsu (Php 380)
Adventurous me was intrigued with this black one. The taste was interesting enough but I couldn't place the garlic oil at all. Again, it was the Chashu that cinched it for me. FoodStars Verdict? Not bad but the Ajitama Tonkotsu was better.

Gyoza (Php 150)
The menu has 2 choices but they'll tell you that they only cook it one way. The top-part looked steamed while the bottom part looked pan-fried. Yeah, it was a bit confusing. Taste-wise? This was just okay. 

Karaage (Php 180)
Ordered this so we can snack on something crunchy with our ramen. This was lightly battered chicken bites fried until crunchy. I preferred squeezing a bit of lemon on top; found that it enhances the flavor quite a bit. FoodStars Verdict? Another just okay dish.

Overall, it was really their ramen that stole the show. Add their fast & friendly service (Thanks Jay), we'll surely come back for more. ;9

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, Rockwell Makati
P1 Concourse Level, Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati
(02) 897-8088

Twitter: @ikkoryuph
Instagram: #ikkoryu

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

#FoodStarsAlerts: Pepper Lunch's Beef Pepper Rice for 100 Pesos at Powerplant Mall, Makati City

For our Twitter & Instagram followers (@foodstars), you might have been able to avail of this promo on the first day. In our case, we came in just the nick of time. 


We came to Power Plant Mall at around 1:30pm and luckily, there was no line. 




Power Plant Mall's Pepper Lunch was spacious, airy and bright. Our orders came out fast & hot. 


I'm liking the quirky-shaped personal tray that comes with every Pepper Lunch sizzling plate order.


Sizzling plate comes with its own shield guard to avoid nasty burns.


While everything is sizzling hot, pour in your chosen sauce either Honey or Garlic Soy Sauce. I prefer the Garlic Soy Sauce with its light tones which enhances the flavor of the beef.


Then it's time to flip everything over before it gets cold.


Ta-Dah! ;) Time to feast. 

Thanks for the birthday treat Pepper Lunch. ;9

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Pepper Lunch, Power Plant Mall
Concourse Level, Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati City
895-3164

Twitter: @Pepperphil
Instagram: @PepperLunchph

Tuesday, June 3, 2014

New Product Announcement: Cheesy Fun Shots from KFC

Learning our lesson from our Floating Island breakfast, we took our own advice and ate at a fast food restaurant instead.

After another visit at Makati Medical Center, we crossed the street to KFC for our late dinner.

Remember our Instagram post regarding KFC's Co-Creations with Clover chips? Well, this was as good time as any to try it out. 


Dinner
Cheesy Fun Shots

The Clover Chips powder was coated on top of the chicken pieces. The powder didn't stick that well to the chicken. Our Fun Shots box had a huge amount of Clover Chip dust leftover even after all the chicken pieces were gone. FS Verdict? There wasn't exactly a medley of flavors. Not your best KFC. Something different but not a fan. 

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Kentucky Fried Chicken, MCS
Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village,
San Lorenzo, Makati City
751-0367