Breaking the hype at Yabu

Since the moment Yabu announced its opening, eaters and reviews have been raving about their authentic pork katsu.

Authentic pork katsu?! I'm there!

That flaky, crusty, crispy coating around melt-in-your-mouth pork has been a family obsession heightened during our trips to Tokyo Needless to say, I'm a tough critic when it comes to real authentic pork katsu.

So does Yabu live up to all the hype?... Unfortunately, it's all just overhyped. The positive is that the panko crusting is really flaky and crispy.

Overall, though, I felt sort of cheated. The price isn't at all extravagant, but if you claim to be authentic, you have to do it right all the way without masking or faking anything.

The kurobuta pork and the other pork loins are hammered to forge tenderness. What a sacrilege to kurobuta pork! If it's real kurobuta and cooked properly, the meat will be so tender and flavorful on its own.

The meat was so hammered and ground up that it was as if our meal was Japanese Chicken Fried Steak (or I guess chicken fried pork). That's such a false impression for first time katsu eaters and, especially, for first time kurobuta pork eaters.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Yabu

Starting a Ramen Search in Manila

There's nothing more comforting than noodle soups. Every cuisine has their own creation - American chicken noodle soup, Chinese wonton noodle soup, Vietnamese pho, Japanese ramen, and so on.

Miso ramen and tonkotsu ramen are my two favorite kinds of ramen. The broths are deeply pork flavored and rich with goodness. The noodles have a nice chew - with bonus points if its handmade.

When I was living in the Bay Area I searched for some of the best ramen joints. Ryowa for miso ramen and Santa Ramen for tonkotsu. And in Vegas, Monta serves some quality bowls of tonkotsu as well.

Here in Manila, I have just started my search. First up, Kenji-Tei Ramen House.

A perfect ramen house has amazing ramen AND gyoza. The gyoza here was just all right - nothing horrible, but nothing spectacular. It actually reminded me of those frozen potsticker packs from Trader Joe's, meaning a bit on the bland side.

The Spicy Negi Ramen is a miso ramen with chilis. The broth retains the ground pork chunks. It's mildly rich with a pretty good flavor. The noodles have that nice bite. Overall, this is a decent bowl of miso ramen. If I was really really craving for a bowl of ramen, I'd come here for the convenience.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Kenji Tei

Yakitori Eats in Bonifacio High Street Central

Growing up in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, a number of my favorite restaurants were up in the city, about 30 miles away. My family would drive up once or twice a week for brunches, lunches, afternoon teas, and dinners. If we really like a restaurant, we'd drive up more often.

Nanbantei of Tokyo was one of those restaurants that we more than frequented throughout the month. As soon as you enter the doors, you'd be greeted by a robust, "IRASSHAIMASE!" With the welcome, atmosphere, and servers, you'd be immediately transported to Tokyo.

The restaurant has long since been closed (and it's now called Hana Zen with new owners). And, I've missed it.

February 2012, Bonifacio High Street Central. A brand new Nanbantei of Tokyo in Manila!

The older branch in Greenbelt never appealed to me because it was tiny, old, and dingy. This new branch is much bigger and clean - the perfect place to celebrate my birthday with family. It was like a throwback celebration!

My favorite orders of the night were the shishito peppers, chicken meatballs, chicken wings and chicken skins. When the chicken skin is properly and thoroughly grilled, it's the best snack to pop in your mouth and crunch away.

While the servers and atmosphere does not compare to my memories of San Francisco, I love the space and open set up of this new branch. The grill is smartly placed behind a glass windown - to enjoy the cooking scene while not smelling like the kitchen when you leave.

The food...it's pretty darn close to what I remember. And that makes this restaurant good and repeatable.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Nanbantei

Sweet & Savory Treats from Dial K for Kitchen

There are some childhood treats that you can't stop loving when you're already an adult. I'm talking about good ol' fashioned campfire (or fireplace or stovetop) s'mores. Graham crackers crunching over melting chocolate and flamed burnt chewy marshmallows. That's goodness.

Enter Dial K for Kitchen's Icebox S'mores. Frozen cubes of graham crackers, fudgy chocolate , and chewy marshmallow. A childhood treat twist!

And, for peanut butter fans (like myself) the Peanut Butter S'mores hit that peanut butter-chocolate spot on your palate. S'more just got even more fun!

The chicken liver is another absolute must-try. So smooth, so creamy, and so clean tasting.

This is so good slathered on bread or crackers. Or, even better, as the liver spread for banh mi sandwiches! These have been contributing to some of the highest quality Vietnamese sandwiches I've been indulging in all week. I'm happy to have a source for excellent pate now.

From the first bites, you can taste the talent behind the concept and the execution of their products. Equally, you taste the quality of the ingredients. I become an almost instant fan of anything with high quality ingredients.

The bites are indulgent, but as everything should be eaten in moderation, these delicious bites are so worth savoring. I can't wait to try more of their products.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Dial K for Kitchen

Floating Resto-Fun Park!

There are some birthdays when you celebrate with family in a fine dining restaurant, complete with amuse bouches, wine pairings, and an indulgent feast.

Then, there are those birthdays when you dress down and get out of town.

Something new, something fun, and something random. Where does that take you? Isdaan in Laguna, about an hour and a half away from the city.

Isdaan is a "Floating Resto-Fun Park" brought to you by the owners of Barrio Fiesta. All that classic Filipino food in a truly unique setting. The setting completely takes you for a random ride.

Diners enjoy private floating huts while surrounded by statues and mega statues ranging from Buddhas to Planet of the Apes to Angry Birds.. and the Obamas.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Isdaan Laguna

The menu is extensive with all the classics. If you want something new and something really different while feasting on your favorite Filipino dishes, this is the place to go.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Isdaan - The Feast

Filipino Cuisine with the Tayag Touch

When I first moved to Manila it took me a few months to fully appreciate and endorse the food scene in the Philippines.

That full appreciation came with an epiphany moment...well, more like an epiphany meal at Bale Dutung. So, thank you, Claude Tayag.

A 1-2 hour drive away from Metro Manila into the province of Pampanga, Tayag and his wife, Mary Ann, open their home to locals and tourists to experience Filipino and Kapampangan cuisine.

Tayag offers a Lechon Five Ways menu (which we had twice already), a Kapampangan menu (which we enjoyed this time around - check out the pictures below), and an Anthony Bourdain menu (which will be our next visit). The food represents the Philippines, with Tayag's touch.

His food reflects tradition, talent, technique, and his travels.

Two years later, I can now properly host visitors to show them the great eats around Manila and beyond. I have a growing list of restaurants, markets, and food adventures (Bale Dutung is definitely on that list).

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Bale Dutung

Mixing it up

Time for something different. Completely different.

Strawberry coffee cake fits the requirement.

Light, fluffy, intense coffee cake filled and topped with light strawberry frosting.

The freshness of the whipped strawberry flavor plays with the intensity of the roasted coffee. Not an obvious match, but it tastes to delicious together.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Strawberry Coffee Cake

Chocolate Coffee Cake Throwback!

An old favorite enhanced. One of my earliest memories of my mom's desserts is her chocolate coffee cake. Each eating required 2 slices at a time (during my chubby and skinny stages of childhood and adolescence).

Light, fluffy, moist chocolate cake filled with coffee icing and topped with chocolate icing. A chocolate lover's heaven.

This time around she used Dutch process chocolate to really bring out that chocolate intensity which the coffee icing complements so perfectly.

Even today, one slice is never enough.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Chocolate Cake

A Classic Dessert at Home, made to perfection

My mom is the complete package for an awesome mother. How is she "complete"? Because she can bake as amazing as a James Beard awarded pastry chef. I'm totally serious.

This past week alone she baked up a couple old favorites and a new treat.

First, an absolute classic - leche flan! She has spent years constantly perfecting this dessert. It is definitely one of her specialties.

I have yet to taste anything better than this in restaurants. Light...creamy...burnt caramel..absolute perfection!

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Leche Flan

Pastas at Home

I love eating pastas and I love cooking pastas. It's a fun challenge trying to recreate, and even better, pasta dishes I've enjoyed in restaurants all over the world.

A couple of my favorites are vodka sauce and carbonara.

I love that sweet, salty, and slight creaminess from vodka sauce. I really wanted to make it at home on a couple occasions even though we ran out of vodka. I decided to use white rum as opposed to gin because it has less of a distinct flavor, which is why vodka is traditionally used.

With carbonara, I love the garlicky flavor mixed with pancetta and fresh raw eggs in the end. Our batch was whipped together with pappardelle straight from Italy (thanks to my world traveling best friend.)

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Pastas at Home

Filipino Surf & Turf at Home

After a series of long trips, it's so nice to come home to your family's home cooking. To celebrate home life and home food, how about some Filipino surf & turf!

The Surf - Bangus Bistek Tagalog
Steak slices of bangus (milkfish) pan-fried with onions and topped with a soy sauce and calamansi mixture.

The Turf - Kare Kare
Oxtail peanut stew with long green beans and eggplants. This is my favorite home cooked meal. My mom makes it with love with all the tedious steps that really make the difference for extra deliciousness.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: At Home

Thakali Eating in Pokhara

Our last meal in Pokhara - this had to be special. What better way to celebrate than with a Thakali set meal!

Tucked away in a side street, Pokhara Thakali Kitchen is like a homey oasis. Everything was so fresh with a variety of flavors..and unlimited! They should have left the containers of food with us because we kept asking for more and more. What a great way to end our last night in Pokhara.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Thakali Pokhara

Can't get enough Momos

Four days in a small city filled with many options for dining. You know a place is good when you dine there twice. And, when you see the same diners eating there, too.

Tibetan Kitchen. Why was this place so good? Because they freshly made momos in so many forms. Momos, our favorite of the trip!

This is a family run operation. When you're eating, it feels like you're visiting a local family and dining on their comfort food. A foreign home away from home.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Tibetan - Pokhara

Dessert before Dinner

We were situated in the middle of Lakeside, the heart of the tourist area. So for an afternoon pre-dinner snack at Moondance Cafe, we treated ourselves to coffee and chocolate cake (and free WiFi).

When next to the Himalayas, enjoy Himalayan coffee!.. which pairs so nicely with a slice of rich, moist chococlate cake.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Moondance - Pokhara

Craving for Indian Food in Nepal

Indian culture is vibrant in Nepal. The people and the cuisine were surrounding us. So naturally we craved for some Indian fair, twice.

The meals were light and healthy. One was even pure vegetarian. I love eating healthy after long days of being active under the sun.

The healthy meals and long days were perfectly paired with large bottles of local beer. Those beers were our daily reward. What great vacation meals!

Laxman Restaurant

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Indian - Pokhara

Indian Vegetarian Restaurant

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Indian Veg - Pokhara