Pinoy food blogger Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

Marco Polo’s Cucina Presents Chef Guiseppe’s Specialties

September 26, 2016 by Janey

Marco Polo Ortigas has been that welcome transformation to the Ortigas skyline. Nestled in the vibrant commercial business district of Ortigas is the first purpose-built 5-star Marco Polo hotel in the country offering distinguished guests 316 large and well-designed rooms and suites, including two Continental Club floors that accord unrivaled privileges and benefits.

The main reason why Marco Polo Ortigas brings so much excitement to me is its contribution to the stellar dining destinations that’s available in the Metro. It has four signature outlets that have attracted rave reviews and legions of regulars. There is Cafe Pronto capturing casual chic in its form and function and stands as a beacon for coffee lovers with its designer blends and aromatic coffees accompanied by an array of savories, sandwiches, and a host of freshly baked confections.

Vu’s, the first of its kind sky bar and lounge located on the 45^th floor of the hotel tower is poised to be a signature Ortigas attraction. Indulge in signature cocktails, wines, spirits, and champagnes with Mediterranean tapas amidst an awe-inspiring vista of the Marikina Valley, the Mountain Range of Antipolo and the Laguna Lake along the east and the vibrant Ortigas Skyline with the world-renowned Manila sunset as a backdrop at the west side.

My favorite so far is Lung Hin. The contemporary Chinese restaurant serves traditional and authentic Cantonese food and fresh seafood from the expert hands of its Hong Kong chefs. The sleek interiors and expansive lay-out blends in perfect symmetry with exclusive private rooms that are ideal for a range of intimate affairs. I’ve eaten here a number of times and is an easy suggestion for anyone asking for restaurant recommendations.

Related Post:

Lung Hin at Marco Polo

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Naxional South American Diner

September 19, 2016 by Janey

“Saturday night and the feeling is right, oh what a night.” The evening started off with a dinner at Naxional. It’s been some time since I last hung out with Eric and good thing the bestie invited me out that Saturday since I had zero plans. He and Ruzelle picked me up and off we drove to BGC to check out Naxional. Heard so much good things about the restaurant but somehow, I’ve always ended up at Salvatore Cuomo. Glad that I had a chance to finally check Naxional.

We arrived and the place was quite packed. We had to wait for a table and our holding area was an outside table near the very colorful wall mural.

Thank you Ruzelle for this candid shot. <3

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Couldn’t help myself. Cute bathroom tiles!

Their menu, which also serves as your plate mat, is very easy to grasp and has quite a number of choice items. There is a symbol of an antique watch on the side of the dish which means that it may take a bit longer to serve but Naxional is committing to make the wait worth it. There is also a symbol of a 1939 Norton 500cc motorcycle which means a dish is especially bad ass.

On the Table

Elote (Mexico) Php 195

Chargrilled sweet corn, chili butter, mayo lime, crumbled cheese

I ordered this starter as it sounded all things good. This reminded Ruzelle of the spiced butter corn she had in Jimbaran when they traveled to Bali recently. I knew what she was talking about because I loved that corn. But this Mexican version was so much better. There’s smokiness sparring with the natural sweetness of the corn, the chili butter spikes up your interest while the mayo lime cools it down a bit. The crumbled cheese pulls it all together. Mmm-mm!

Patacones (Puerto Rico) Php 220

Choice of Carne, Cerdo or Camarones. Fried Plantains. Sofrito. Guacamole.

I was a little dressed up that evening so my debate was whether to pick up the patacones or be dainty and use a knife and fork. I say it’s okay to get your hands dirty as you’re wasting time with kubiertos when the dish is this packing. It had ripples of flavors and textures.

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Morganfield’s Home of Sticky Bones

March 14, 2016 by Janey

You know ribs… it is where the heart is. If we follow our heart, it will lead us to the second floor of the new Uptown Place Mall in BGC as Morganfield’s opens their doors in Manila. Morganfield’s presents good old fashioned barbecued pork ribs with an extra dose of charming Southern hospitality. Morganfield’s combines life’s two greatest passions: music and great soul food.

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At the heart of Morganfield’s is its signature dish – Sticky Bones – a truly authentic, old fashioned prime pork rib slow-cooked and smoked in coal and hickory wood to a tender mouthwatering perfection, then basted with the gluey sweet and tangy hickory flavored barbecue sauce with a hint of cider.

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About Two beautiful Saturdays ago, my foodie friends and I hit it up for lunch at Morganfield’s.

On the Table

Begonia Php 175

I started with a refreshing drink of Begonia while catching up with friends and waiting for our apps. Fruitylicious chunks of kiwi, strawberries and lime served in lemon lime soda topped with passion fruit syrup

CP started with Berry Easy (P195) which is a drink made with black grapes, blackberries and strawberries, blended with pureed berries and ice. Interesting to order on the next visit is their Agua Fresca (P195) which is a tall drink of watermelon chunks and juice with fresh squeezed lime juice, served with rose syrup and a scoop of calamansi sorbet.

Bacon Wrapped Meat Balls

6 deep-fried pork meatballs wrapped with bacon. Served with lettuce leaves & mustard upon request

It had that crunchy outside texture encasing a moist seasoned pork meat that you can only get when meatballs go skinny dipping in hot oil at a perfect sweltering temperature and lifted just in time before the inside gets overly cooked. Bacon adds that rich sharp taste while the lettuce leaves you can wrap it with and tangy mustard round up the overall balance.

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There are other appetizers that caught my eye on the menu like the Russet Potato Skins (P195), deep-fried then loaded with mixed cheese and crispy bacon bits, Morganfield’s Chili Cheese Fries (P195) that are baked with cheese, topped with chili con carne, and crispy bacon, Spicy Chicken Wings (P325) tossed in homemade honey habanero hot sauce served with sour cream, carrots and celery sticks, Crab and Spinach Dip (P350), juicy crab meat and bay spinach cooked with Parmesan cheese and served with corn tortilla chips.

Pork Sausage Platter

This was one of the more obvious favorites on the table. I absolutely love their juicy grilled homemade pork sausages that come in different ranges… spicy devil, smoky bandit, herby hog and cheesy cheese. I thought I’d have an easy favorite in the spicy devil or smoky bandit but herby hog and cheesy cheese also hold their own. Morganfield’s platter is served with coleslaw and homemade garlic aioli. It will match perfectly with a mug of icy cold beer.

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Go Mad for Wagyu at EDSA Shangri-La’s HEAT

January 5, 2016 by Janey

Christmas season is always a wonderful time, whether it was spent abundantly or very simply, it’s always a joyous celebration. Outside Christmas, one merry memorable time I had in December was at HEAT of EDSA Shangri-La, Manila’s signature buffet restaurant. I can go start with how much I enjoy going to HEAT as it has one of the best, most varied and well-executed selections when it comes to buffet, without overly compounding your choices, but the title is a dead giveaway since you all very well know that nothing can make my blood boil in excitement other than Wagyu. Don’t get me whipping my hip and singing now, “I want nobody nobody, Wagyu! I want nobody nobody, Wagyu!”

Every Saturday dinner this mind-blowing and successful 2016 (I’m already claiming it!), REVEL in an all-new bounty of unlimited high grade wagyu beef at HEAT.

Apart from your usual suspects, which is to me my favorite stations and dishes I keep pestering with my frequent returns, they have studded the collection with unique creations from five specialty chefs in a Wagyu medley.

I went ballistic with how HEAT has upped the ante this time around.

At the Carvery

Wagyu Tomahawk &

Wagyu Ribeye

Classic Yorkshire, Ratatouille Casserole, Port and Thyme Jus

Creamed Corn and Garlic Mashed Potato

Philly Steak Sandwich

Mini Wagyu Sliders, Fried Egg, Bacon and Cornichons

Wagyu Beef Pie (Shepherd’s Pie)

Wagyu Beef Chili Con Carne

Wagyu Beef Goulash

I went back thrice at the carving station to get at least three medium thick slices of Wagyu Tomahawk and Wagyu Ribeye each visit, which were seared very quickly and slid onto my plate.

This whole concept was also well-thought out with a wall of sauces available to you for your ‘Mad as a Hatter’ liking. I wanted to try quite a number but got smitten with the honey truffle mustard. Mmm-mm!

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Highly recommended are Executive Chef Tobias Unger’s meltingly soft and tender Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek composed of a rich and deep flavor of red wine braised wagyu beef, confit shallots and glazed carrots, and Japanese Executive Chef Yusuke Hino’s Wagyu Yakiniku Beef.

That Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek rendered chewing almost unnecessary, with chunks seeped in distinct punch of spices and ever slight sweetness and the toasty berry mocha taste of the red wine sauce emboldens its beefiness. It was utterly delicious. I couldn’t help but go back for a second helping.

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Ukkokei Ramen Ron

September 28, 2010 by Janey

Other than Filipinos, Makati is one of the cities in the Metro that are inhabited with Japanese and Korean immigrants. That’s the reason, the area is also populated with authentic Japanese and Korean restaurants. One of the many things that Japanese are really good at –it’s how they make and cook their noodles.

On this note, the Foodie Club specifically visited Ukkokei Ramen Ron last August 30, 2010 –which is a perfect day to drive to Makati since it was a special non-working holiday in the Philippines.

Ukkokei Ramen Ron is located along Pasay Road in Makati but it stands out from the rest of the scene since it garnered reputation as the best ramen in town, maybe able to topple a long-standing Ramen house named Shinjuku in terms of quality status.

The Ramen Ron is as big as some of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants I’ve seen when I was in Japan in 2006. On the left side is an area where you can take off your shoes and park yourself on the wooden “floor/panel.”

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The right side is the area where there are regular tables and chairs. Fronting the open-window kitchen is a small bar where you can eat your Ramen or toast your Sakae drinks.

Ukkokei serves Ramen with three (3) different soup bases. This is the best place to start –choose from Shoyu (soy-based), Shio (salt-based) or Miso (miso-based). Then pick out the option you want under each soup-based category depending on the ingredients you want on your soup.

On the Table

Miso Butter Corn Ramen PHP 360

Get served with a bowl of piping hot ramen that will bring you much comfort –both in taste and texture. Ramen is freshly made with just enough bite but still retains its softness and excellent elasticity. The miso-based broth tastes delicious but others might get turned off by the oiliness of the soup.

There’s generous amount of corn kernels and bean sprouts that adds a different crunchy bite while the butter adds creaminess to the whole deal. If you find the pork slices or chayu too few, order an extra plate for PHP 120.

Extra Order of Chayu PHP 120

Roasted pork slices

Lunch Set PHP 350

If you are the type that won’t get filled with just Ramen or soup, try their lunch set which has a bit of everything. The lunch set includes a small salad, gyoza as sidings, curry pork rice and a personal-size bowl of shoyu ramen.

Lunch Set

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Side Salad

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Gyoza

Cold Japanese Green Tea (Free)

As per Richard, Ukkokei serves this cold green tea drink for free during lunch but note that in the evening, they charge for it.

Rave for the best ramen in town at Ukkokei Ramen Ron.

Ukkokei Ramen Ron

Unit 1-2, Upper G/F, Tesoro Building,

822 A. Arnaiz Avenue (formerly Pasay Road),

Makati City, Philippines

(632) 856 4588

Ukkokei Ramen Ron Album

Other Related Post:

Ukkokei Authentic Ramen by FoodieManila

Ukkokei Ramen Ron by TalesfromtheTummy

Photo Credit:

Richard of www.talesfromthetummy.com

Carlos Palma of www.foodiemanila.com

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After the lunch at Ukkokei Ramen Ron, we headed to two different Japanese grocery stores / supermarkets (one was within the Little Tokyo compound and the other is newly opened New Hatchin) to shop for Japanese goodies! 😉 We definitely got our desserts here!

Photos