Maki Overload at Ooma Japanese Rice Bar, Rockwell Makati City, Philippines

When we've found a place yummy enough to come back for, we usual bring friends along to share the experience. Since we wanted to cut down on travel time, we decided to bring Cheryl to Ooma's Rockwell branch instead of their flagship one in Megamall.

Right off the bat, you'll notice that their Rockwell branch is way smaller.  Tables were nearer to one another & ventilation was an issue. Suffice to say, we were soon sweating our asses off just minutes into dinner.

It's rare for me to get a shot of our table with untouched dishes but Ooma's service was fast hence this shot. That's the Hanging Tender on the left, Unagi Maki in the middle & Scallop and Tuna Aburi Maki on the right.

But before we get into those, let's start with the first one that came to the table.

Soft Shell Crab Taco-Maki (Php 199)

Each order comes with 2 servings of this open-faced temaki wrap. 

 A closer look gives you a view of the Ebiko, Aligue Mayo, hints of soft shell crab, rice & seaweed. If you're looking for the distinct taste of soft shell crab, this is not for you. I'm not sure if it's the heaviness of the aligue mayo or it's the quantity of the crab used but it was non-existent. There was some crunch but none of the crab taste.

Scallop & Tuna Aburi Maki (Php 295)

This fared better. This is torched maki and it definitely brought out the tuna & scallops beautifully. Even with a lot of things going on (the menu reads cucumber, sesame seeds, nori crumbs, scallion, teriyaki sauce, spicy mayo & kimchi aioli) this was good. All of the above worked together to bring bursts of flavors in your mouth. 

Unagi Maki (Php 299)

Okay I'll be honest, you got us at Unagi. They were trying to pass this off as a high end maki when in reality it's a mediocre maki with eel, cream cheese, fried shallots & toasted rice. But with this price tag & serving it in maki form, what else could be expected. 

Shrimp Chahan (Php 145)

Cheryl ordered their Shrimp Chahan which looked devoid of shrimps. Based on the fact that she left half of this on the table, she wasn't a fan.

And now for their Hot Plates section.

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

Facebook: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

Website: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

Twitter: @ikkoryuph

Instagram: #ikkoryu

#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!

Follow us on Twitter!

Like us on Facebook!

Follow us on Instagram!

♥ Food-Stars

"make us your daily habit!"

SERVICE:

TASTE:

VALUE FOR YOUR MONEY:

Pepper Lunch, Power Plant Mall

Concourse Level, Power Plant Mall

Rockwell Center, Makati City

895-3164

Website: www.pepperlunch.com.ph

Facebook: Pepper Lunch Phil

Twitter: @Pepperphil

Instagram: @PepperLunchph

International Macaron Day 2014 at TWG Tea, Rockwell Makati

For 2 days, TWG Tea celebrated International Macaron Day with a sweet treat.... You get to enjoy their macarons for half off!

For the unfamiliar, macarons is a sweet meringue-based confection made with eggs, icing sugar, granulated sugar, almond powder or ground almond, and food colouring. The macaron is commonly filled with ganache, buttercream or jam filling sandwiched between two biscuits. (Thank you Google!)

This wasn't my first time to try macarons. I've had lemon, mint, salted caramel & strawberry flavors. Today was my first taste of TWG Tea's version.

Was planning to go to their Greenbelt branch but alas, several of the flavors were already sold out. Off to Power Plant Mall we went.

Here's our loot!

Sweet Tooth Pit Stop at Milkyway, Power Plant Mall, Makati Philippines

Walking around Power Plant Mall, looking for something cool and sweet, this bluish silver glow from one of the restaurants caught our eye.

Welcome to Milkyway.

Milkyway, Power Plant Mall, Makati

With this long spoon, can you guess what dessert we ordered??? 

Filipino Favorites at Wooden Spoon, Power Plant Mall Rockwell Makati

Power Plant Mall in Makati has been our favorite haunt these past few days. It's mainly because MIL & FIL has been bitten by the Wooden Spoon bug.

Wooden Spoon, Power Plant Mall Makati

Yes, it's the restaurant that doesn't accept reservations & has a cash-only payment. FS Advice? Come early. Waiting time to be seated takes 20-30 minutes.

Pastry Time at Eric Kayser, Marketplace Power Plant Mall Makati

Sunday was Family Day. 

After our Wooden Spoon dinner, we went walking around Rockwell. We were nearing Marketplace when something orange caught our eye.

Eric Kayser, Marketplace Power Plant Mall

Relatively new (still in its soft opening stage), some of their display trays were already empty yet no refill was in sight. Also, pastry variety was a bit limited but they promised to bring in more in the days to come.

Here are some of the pastries they had to offer...

Date Night 2 at Lulu Restaurant, Makati

Planned a dinner date for Thursday night. Was in the mood for something quiet and relaxing for a change. With no traffic on the way over, we made good time. 

Lulu, Joya Drive Rockwell

The place gave off a classy vibe so I was expecting stellar service. Was disappointed even before we sat down. The sever wanted to seat us at the corner of the restaurant which kinda turned us off. Even after telling her that we prefer to be seated at the other side of the restaurant, she left us standing while waiting for acknowledgement from someone else in the restaurant. 

Correct me if I'm wrong; but I don't think it's that hard to change seats especially since there were only 2 other guests eating at that time.