My Happy Tummy

Teriyaki romance at John and Yoko

noreply@blogger.com ("Kain tayo!") — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:53:00 +0000

It was a lazy sunday afternoon, perfect time to watch a movie and Life of Pi is showing in theaters. I BBMed a good friend from her rabbit hole and just like that, all was set. I tagged along with her and her little sister's Alabang trip and a company of three who loves to eat and watch good films made a Sunday afternoon awesome.

I can go on and tell you about how brilliant a film Life of Pi is, but this is a blog about my love for food so we are talking about my Chiken Teriyaki Roll at John and Yoko. It's Japanese food today, ladies and gentlemen.

Let's start with the restaurant name. I think it's pretty creative coming up with pop culture couple for a restaurant name. It gives it a good recall. When I first heard about it from a cousin, I wondered if it's a fusion of English and Japanese food but the emphasis was actually on Yoko. The actual feel inside the place was a bit eccentric with its dim red lighting and Safari-inspired chairs. Before you forget that you are in a Japanese restaurant amidst leopard, snake, tiger, and zebra prints on the chairs, you will have a hushed Japanese film flashed on the red velvet-covered wall. I realized that the red interior would stimulate appetite and conversation, according to the psychology of colors.

Japanese Safari?

Now on to my Chicken Teriyaki Roll. I was full that time after having my lunch to my new favorite fast food chain (I'm not going to reveal it yet because I want to blog about it in the coming days; it toppled Mang Inasal) so I settled to just take it easy with a light typical item you'll see in a Japanese restaurant. It was good, the roll. I am a new convert to Japanese cuisine and I'm still trying to enjoy one food creation at a time (not to mention that I still need to hone my skills in using the chop sticks).

Chicken teriyaki roll

The rolls came in cubic layers (so they are not rolls, form-wise) of Japonica rice, dried seaweed called nori, with teriyaki chiken and a slice of ripe mango in the middle. They were accented by black and white sesame seeds and minced green onion leaves. The small dice of this sushi creation didn't disappoint, especially after I dipped it in soy sauce with chili powder. I was reminded by my friend from the rabbit hole, as she is an expert in characte-rice-ing, about the "springiness" of the rice used. According to her, it's that quality of being firm on the outside and soft on the inside, such that when you take a bite, like the gummy bears, it somewhat returns to its original shape. I think it's the stickiness of the rice that let's you enjoy the blend of flavors of the mango, nori, and teriyaki chicken. You got to give it to the Japanese for their being meticulous in paying attention with details -- from the preparation to the flavor of their food. I have to start learning how to dip it in a sauce with wasabi, though. I still can't enjoy that weird green paste in my food. A single serving with six more-than-bite-sizes of the teriyaki roll was PhP 208. Pretty reasonable for the nice place and good customer service.

How do you say "yum" in Japanese?

Four burps in Japanese accent (if there's a sound like that) for John and Yoko Cosmopolitan Japanese Resto's Chicken Teriyaki Roll.

Oh My Silindro!

noreply@blogger.com ("Kain tayo!") — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 11:15:00 +0000

Grilled foods ignite my appetite. I grew up with my father always preparing grilled fish such as "matambaka" ,"tulingan", grilled squid, and even grilled bat at some point. His legacy to me was I became fascinated playing around with barbecue marinade (since I am a meat-lover) that I already have my signature mix. I can talk about it in my future posts. In the mean time, I'll tell you about my guilty pleasure whenever I crave for grilled pork. With this kind of craving, one place is the default of my hungry tummy -- Faustina's, a quaint little food stop and my second favorite restaurant in Los Banos, featuring their Silindro Ribs. It IS my favorite grilled ribs in town.

Isn't it mouth-watering?

Silindro Ribs, needless to say (says my tummy), is to-die-for. It's a simple recipe of mouth-watering goodness of tender and well-marinated char-grilled pork rib served with barbecue sauce and "pinakurat" (a spicy vinegar that originated in Mindanao).

All the elements I look for in a grilled indulgence have a tick mark in Faustina's Silindro Ribs. The meat is marinated to perfection and amazingly tender. I want my pork well-done and they do it just the way I like it. The fatty part could be sinful but heck, I want my grilled ribs to be juicy. But if your doc (or gym instructor or dietician) tells you to avoid saturated fat, this plate with a rib from heaven is to avoid for because it can be dripping with fats.

For guaranteed enjoyment, what you would do is to first dip the adequately sliced portion in "pinakurat" for the spicy sour taste then another dip in the thick barbecue sauce to trap all the awesome flavor from the meat to the sauce. Once it reaches your mouth, your taste buds will be the happiest! You know that feeling when your childhood crush smiles back at you? This barbecue creation relives that! Your plate will also have buttered vegetables (carrots, green peas, and corn kernels) and rice. I usually request to not include rice since I will have my carb from the corn already and that's 10-peso less than its PhP 175.00 price. I recommend hot Japanese green tea for your beverage. You can ask the waiters to for a hot water refill once you finish your first cup.

Five loud burps for Faustina's Silindro ribs!

They come in small packages

noreply@blogger.com ("Kain tayo!") — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 12:42:00 +0000

One of the things I am fascinated about Korean food is how they would serve it in small saucers in small quantities and let you do the mixing and matching. I am not a fan of Korean food (nor KPop) but I am starting to educate myself with bibimbap and kimchi and yes, eating in extra-small plates.

I was tagged along by an Ate to her dinner date with another Ate and last night, the plan was Korean. We went to this place called 88 Spa, which is situated in the boundary of Calamba City and Los Banos, just before you pass by the "Welcome to Los Banos" arch.

We had two rounds of Sam Gyup Sal. The set came with several small plates containing one ingredient or recipe per plate. I give Koreans the credit for paying attention to details and for tricking my tummy into thinking that there are a lot food served on the table. Just by looking at them makes me feel full already.

So they served us with three different greens for which lettuce is the only one I recognized. They also have this fried thinly-sliced pork belly chopped to bite sizes. The other "ingredients" for the course were served in these little saucers. We had this one that's like the Pinoy's "piniritong talong" (fried eggplant), boiled string beans, fried tofu in egg, dried anchovies (my favorite in the bunch!), potato salad, and of course, kimchi. What is Korean dining without the kimchi, right? I am yet to learn how to like it though. The fermented odor and the funny taste doesn't excite my taste buds.

Sam Gyup Sal and my fresh buko shake

They did not give us plates but two saucers with shrimp paste (similar to our "bagoong na alamang") and sesame oil. I've been to a few Korean restaurants but I still need to have someone teach me how to eat the Korean way. What do they do with the vegies and the ingredients in small saucers? Do you have to mix them all together and roll them inside the fresh greens like a burrito? Because that's what I instinctively did.

With Korean restaurants mushrooming everywhere and I've been to a couple of them, this is on top of the list in terms of ambiance but the food is just OK. Whenever I rate the food with price as the criterion, I always consider value for my money and you might find the food here a little pricey for the whole experience (our bill was PhP 700+). I am pleased though with the servers who are very prompt at the push of the button and I am saying this in a literal sense. For those who are a fan, you'll get the whole Korean feel of the place with live band (or karaoke) playing your favorite Korean songs. And yes, they pulled off a live Gangnam!

Three burps for 88 Spa.

Tres Indios en Crisostomo

noreply@blogger.com ("Kain tayo!") — Wed, 14 Nov 2012 13:22:00 +0000

Last week was fast-paced as we had our first young scientists conference but there was a sense of accomplishment from all the finished tasks that a reward is inevitable. From here on, when I say "reward", I usually refer to treating myself with good food. It was Tuesday afternoon and off we went, my two friends and I, amidst the 5:00 PM rush and the threat of rain, to Nuvali, Sta. Rosa. Worn-out scientists definitely need a break.

You must be lucky if you have friends who are also food lovers. Food and friends always make good combinations. Add good conversation and the whole dining experience will be perfect! And so the three hungry tummies decided to eat at Crisostomo.

Crisostomo is by far, the Filipino restaurant I've been to that has the most diverse food options with recipes named after characters of Noli Me Tangere (e.g. Crazy Sisa Squid, Achara ni Ibarra, Sisig Isagani, the list goes on). Crisostomo in itself is the name of the main character in the novel. It has a Filipino-Hispanic feel and the wooden tables and chairs made me feel like my mother is going to serve my dinner. I am a fan of "lutong-bahay" and I can't wait to place our order.

Three hungry tummies agreed to get two salads -- Crispy Beef y Albino and Crazy Sisa Squid. The former is a concoction of lettuce, tomato, onion, "kesong puti" (cheese from goat's milk), and crispy beef strips in vinegar dressing. Crazy Sisa Squid is also lettuce, onion, and tomatoes but with "manggang hilaw" (green mango stips) and dried squid. I especially requested that we order it because of the dried squid and I was a good choice! We also got Victorina's Secret, a recipe of fresh oysters with native vinegar and chili. Our main dish was Kinamatisang Pork Chop. As the menu said, the pork chop slices were cooked in sweet native tomatoes and served with salted eggs. We also ordered fried rice with "tinapa" and salted egg,

While waiting for our order, we were served with "kornik" (the crispy corn from Ilocos Region) and our drinks -- Malunggay-Calamansi Juice and Tamarind Iced Tea. How's that for Pinoy ingenuity in concocting beverages?

What I like best in Crisostomo was the creativity of the recipes -- with how they named them and the spin they made to the ordinary food served in typical Pinoy dining tables. I also like the Hispanic-Filipino ambiance and we were lucky that there were few customers when we came. We got the best seat in the second floor. The waiters were respectful and always on stand-by to refill our glasses.

Kinamatisang Pork Chop, Victorina's Secret, and Tinapa Rice (clockwise from right)

The food tasted good! I was a newbie on the fresh oyster and I am not a fan of raw meat/fish but after finishing three shells and the perfect sourness of the vinegar, I did like it. The pork chops could have been more tender but the sweet-sour blend of sauteed tomatoes made me drain the sauce for the meat and the rice on my plate. The salted eggs didn't have the strong salty flavor, which is how I wanted it to be. I was going easy on the rice but heck, I think I did more than a cup.

The best part were the salads. The Crazy Sisa Squid was my highlight of the night. The dried squid in the salad was definitely a treat. The veggies were fresh and the subtle sweetness of vinegar dressing did the trick. The green mango strips gave that different sour-y kick that made me finish half of the serving.

Crispy Beef y Albino (top) and Crazy Sisa Squid (bottom)

The Malunggay-Calamansi Juice and the Tamarind Iced Tea were both a pleasant healthy surprise. I ordered solo serving but the waiter was too kind to refill my glass a couple of times.

Though the whole course was a bit pricey (plus 12% service charge) if you're used to the cheap-but-good-food in my beloved Los Baños, it was worth the experience and the three tummies were happy. All in all, we paid around PhP 1,800.00. I have to defend that we deserve the extravagant dinner as a reward for the productive week we had.

Five big burps for Crisostomo. Bon appetit!