Birthday Surprise at Icho Japanese Restaurant, Greenhills San Juan, Philippines

This is a throwback post (pre-pandemic days) wherein Hubby surprised me with a birthday lunch at Icho Japanese Restaurant.

Back then, eating out was fairly easy; all we had to take note of was whether the restaurant had available high chairs and if there was space for our stroller. Al fresco dining was way low on our list of seating preferences and “the more people in the restaurant the better” mentality was still very much alive.

Hubby was in charge of the ordering that day.

To start off my birthday feast, he got 3 kinds of sushi (makis & aburi ones);

Hotpot Session at Gloria Maris Shark’s Fin Restaurant, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines

    For our family, hot pot is always a good idea; bring us good broth with tons of balls and we’re good to go. Another thing that excites us would be the quality of their dipping sauces; peanut sauce for the kids (who are real sticklers on the taste) & sate sauce for the husband. Anyone would agree that these are the trifecta of any good hotpot experience.

Gloria Maris Hotpot has been in our to-go list ever since, even before the pandemic. Experiencing the traffic along EDSA made us all famished by the time we arrived. Hubby was all business and without any qualms, ordered one of the pre-sorted sets for 4 people (Php 2,800). 

Yes, you read it right. We got a set for 4 and all of the servers were going, 

“Sir, madami yan. Kaya for kahit 6 people. Baka hindi ninyo maubos kasi 2 bata po kasama ninyo, technically 2 lang po kaya in Ma’am”. 

Pork bone on the left; Sate on the right

Veggies, tofu, corn, Gabri, noodles

Shrimps, balls, meat, kani, and maybe a few of Ariel’s friends

And they were right!! Hahaha

Brown Sugar Milk Tea Fix at Tiger Sugar, Bonifacio High Street

It's been awhile since I've had Milk Tea on my mind and in my belly. In my former life (aka Fatty Days), I can chug cups of Milk Tea in a week with no remorse whatsoever. Fast forward to the last 2 years wherein I've managed to cut down my milk tea intake to once a month to almost none at all (*pats back*). But I'm afraid because of new circumstances, I am now back to my milk tea habit and it certainly did not help that new tea places have cropped up. 

After having lunch at Bonifacio High Street, it seemed as good time as any to visit this newly opened Milk Tea place. First thought that came into mind? "Ang haba ng pila!" ("The line's too long!") See picture below.

Panoramic View

The line was snaking around the stall up until almost to the doors of Fully Booked; and it was already 2 in the afternoon. It seemed like drinking Tiger Sugar's Brown Sugar With Cream Mousse was in everybody's agenda for the day. 

#FoodStarsAtConradHotel: Bijin Nabe, S Maison, Conrad Hotel, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City, Philippines

With shabu shabu on our minds, we decided to drive out to Conrad hotel and try the widely known "collagen soup". More than the health and skin benefits of the said soup, we were more intrigued to find out how it tastes like. 

The drive there was fortunately pleasant, roads were somewhat clear and traffic was minimal.

Each table is obligated to order at least 1 serving of their hot pot. Take note that the photo on the menu is 2 portions already. This particular hotpot is loaded up with vegetables of all kinds and the only proteins you get are the 2 pieces of chicken, handmade chicken balls and shrimps. Definitely a far cry from our usual hotpot which we fill up with lots of meat and balls.

After taking our orders, the server comes back and the unique Bijin Nabe experience begins.

They serve up the pot with this jelly-like substance which is actually the Golden Collagen Chicken Soup. This is what it looks like after several minutes of boiling.

The soup changes into liquid form and has a creamy yellowish tinge. We were quite surprised to see that hidden underneath the jelly earlier were the chopped chicken pieces.

Before serving you the soup, they let you taste it in its purest form. They ladle you a teacup-sized shot for tasting. Taking care not to scorch your tongue, tiny sips are highly advised. It is as creamy as it looks, with a large dose of chicken flavor that I like.

Business Set Lunch Offerings at Vask Tapas Room, Bonifacio Global City, Philippines

Lunch menus are all the rage nowadays. Restaurants offer "tasting menus" or set lunches which are smaller servings of their ala carte dishes, so you don't actually get to save money since you get what you pay for (they cut back on the serving sizes) and sometimes even less. We fell into that same trap when we saw Vask Tapas Room offering a 3-course business lunch set. Thinking that perhaps this place would be a bit different and it would be nice to try out a new place; we decided to schedule our lunch here.

At the lobby, we found some interesting sculptures.

Vask is located at the 5th floor of the Clipp Center which is easily accessible by elevator.

We made reservations for 12:30pm but seeing the place almost empty even during lunch time when we arrived, it was apparent that there was no need to. One advantage of that is I get to take better looking pictures of the place.

The walls were covered with interesting fixtures and the ceiling too was eye catching.

Here's a shot of their lunch menu*.

Hubby's Birthday Lunch 2016 at I'm Angus Steak House, San Antonio Village, Makati City, Philippines

It's August & time to celebrate Hubby's birthday! For his special day, he decided that we were going to try a new place out. He was hankering for some fine quality steaks or something fancy at least. 

I'm Angus Steak House, Yakal Street, Makati City

From the outside it doesn't look like much. Also seeing that this was located in a neighborhood that wasn't teaming with other restaurants, it didn't give much of a good impression to me. 

Imagine my surprise when we walked in...

A semi-open kitchen, a mini bar and all the works of a formal dining setting. Learned my lesson of not judging a book by its cover or in this case, a restaurant by its location ;)

They have a large menu with inserts inside. We found out that I'm Angus offers special lunch menus every month (Php 885 + 10% service charge) which consists of 1 entree and 1 main dish. Seemed like a good idea to try it out. 

While waiting, they offer you complimentary bread with 2 kinds of spreads. If you prefer hot rolls, you can request them to heat it up for you. 

Aside from the bread, they also give you a single serving of what the chefs whipped up for the day. For today they served up these Air Fried Beef Roulade with Alfalfa Sprouts & Rose Petals. 

Going Loco Over Taco at El Chupacabra, Polaris Street, Makati City, Philippines

While waiting for our coffee date with our friends, we decided to try out the taco haven hidden in one of the side streets of Makati.

Welcome to El Chupacabra. 

First impression? All your senses will definitely hit overdrive once you step in. They weren't lying about the "street tacos" part. Their al fresco area is literally on the street; passing cars were just inches away from your reach. But what was more surprising was the fact that even with all that, it was a full house. People were happily chugging down beers & tacos with not a care in the world. Now that was truly something else.

Ohh and have I mentioned that they do the grilling out on the street??? 

We were one of the lucky ones to get a place inside; just be ready to kiss elbows with strangers since the inside was definitely as crowded as the outside. And non-stop bumping from the servers while maneuvering in between tables were a frequent sight & felt. Sigh. 

After looking at their menu, we decided to try 3 of their tacos & 1 stick each of the barbecue.

Going loco over taco #FoodStars #foodie #foodstagram #elchupacabra #mexican #taco

A photo posted by Food Stars (@foodstars) on Jan 1, 2016 at 7:23pm PST

Here's a table shot of our food. Excuse the bad picture, it was really hard to find good lighting inside.

Revisited Review: Zong, The Fort Strip, Makati Philippines

For some casual Chinese eating, our place of choice is Zong. They're located at The Fort Strip alongside our favorite pizza place & the worst Racks branch. Since this wasn't our first visit, we already had our staple must-haves.

Hot & Sour Soup (Php 178)

I'm happy to say that Zong consistently gives out yummy hot & sour soup. Have them split this since serving is enough for 2 people. 

Fried Fish Golden Egg (Php 448)

Salted egg dishes seems to be our go-to comfort food. This Zong dish is egg-y & salty in a good way. Lightly coated & fried for the crunch factor while the fish fillet inside stays soft & flaky. 

Lemon Chicken (Php 328)

The chicken fillet is packed with lemony goodness with just the right amount of crunch. Food-Stars verdict? This is one of Zong's solid good-tasting dish.

Deep Fried Salt Pepper Pork Ribs (Php 368)

The perfect "pulutan", this pork rib dish is best eaten with a beer in hand. Food-Stars Recommendation? Dip it in vinegar and you're all set.

Braised Beef Tapa (Php 388)

It may not look like much & Zong sometimes overcooks it, but when they do cook it right, you get to bite into tender juicy yummy beef. 

And for the new dishes we had....

Hotpot Fish Fillet & Tofu (Php 448)

Tofu is soft as well as the mushrooms & fish fillet. Food-Stars Verdict? Not bad.

Steamed Vegetable Roll (Php 388)

Something healthy for a change. ;)
 The brown sticky sauce is a perfect complement to the fresh greens, carrots & chorizo. Surprisingly, I found myself enjoying this dish. 

And to end on a sweet note, we got 2 of their dessert offerings.

Banana Fritters with Honey Glaze (Php 128)

What makes this different from your typical turon is they fry the banana before wrapping it & frying it again. The chocolate drizzle was a nice touch. ;)

Mango Sago Cream (Php 128)

Traditional Chinese eating calls for Mango Sago for dessert. This bowl of cold mango cream, mango chunks & tapioca balls is always a lovely treat. ;)

SERVICE:

TASTE:

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY:

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Zong, The Fort Strip

Fort Pointe Building
Fort Square Plaza
Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

(632) 8890472

(632) 8890479

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