Izakaya Nihonbashi Tei

A darling of the foodie community, Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi Tei has been reviewed to death by so many food blogs all over the internet, but of course, I don't want to get left behind! There are already several branches of Nihonbashi Tei around Metro Manila and they're always packed to the brim, not only with Japanese-food-loving Filipinos but even Japanese nationals as well! I suppose that's how you know that a place is really authentic, right?

A brief backgrounder: There are so many different kinds of Japanese restaurants. You have the sushi-ya (sushi shop), ramen-ya (ramen shop), tonkatsu-ya (tonkatsu shop), etc. which are specialty restaurants that serve a specific dish. However, there is also the izakaya (of which Nihonbashi Tei is an example) which is technically a pub, where people gather to drink sake and make merry. Food served are also complementary to alcohol, (basically pulutan) such as grilled meats, rice, noodles, and sashimi.

Stepping into any one of their branches will transport you to traditional Japan, with wooden and stone decor and flooring, Japanese characters lining the walls, and most importantly, quaint little rooms where you get to sit on the floor and dine on low wooden tables (although these are smoking rooms). If that doesn't get you in the mood for some delectable Japanese cuisine, then I don't know what will.

What I love about Nihonbashi Tei is that they don't skimp on ingredients. Their salmon sashimi has the largest slices I've seen, their miso soup has fresh briny clams in it, and their spicy tuna maki is HUGE.

That being said, let's get on with the show!

Okonomiyaki at Little Tokyo’s Kagura

My class took a trip to Little Tokyo at Pasong Tamo a few months ago to experience some authentic Japanese food. I’ve actually heard a lot about the place, but I’ve never been there before. Little Tokyo was really pretty at night, with bright lights illuminating the surroundings, making you feel like you’re in a samurai movie.

Modern Korea: Chicken Bonchon and Caffe Ti-amo

I was recently in Greenbelt 1 with my family to watch "Joy Luck Club," an excellent play by Repertory Philippines. We decided to grab some dinner afterwards and my aunt recommended Chicken Bonchon, a new chicken franchise from Korea that also has branches in New York.

After dinner, we had some gelato at Caffe Ti-amo, also another Korean chain. It was franchised by Jollibee and is now opening several branches around Metro Manila. They serve coffee, pastries, and of course, yummy gelato!

More under the cut!

The Real Taste of Thailand at Som's Noodle House

Despite Thailand being one of our closest Southeast Asian neighbors, Thai food hasn't really made much of a mark in the Philippines. Which is a shame, because it's one of the most culturally unique cuisines in the world, where Thailand's Indian and Chinese roots melt into a pot of delicious Thai stew. (Please forgive the obscure metaphors.)

So anyway, the point is, although there have been a few Thai establishments popping up occasionally, it's still not as mainstream as Japanese and Chinese food. However, today I'm going to talk about a place that's not exactly popular, but is quite well known for their authentic yet affordable Thai dishes.

Located near Rockwell Center, Makati, Som's Noodle House used to be just a small stall selling home-cooked Thai food, but now it has expanded to an actual restaurant complete with air-conditioning.

Outside Som's

The store interior

Trip to Greenbelt (Flapjack + Gelatissimo)

I went out with some friends to eat brunch at Flapjacks. Of course, when we hear Flapjacks, the first thing that comes to mind are their pancakes-- soft pancakes with your choice of topping and drizzled with syrup. What better way to start your day? But being the person who doesn't always go for the norm, I ate pasta for brunch hahaha.

Chicken Stuffed Parmigiana

I'm glad that what they offer is not just purely pasta since that would have been an overload of carbohydrate, instead they balance it with protein as well.Yeah, I do consider that haha, pretty weird huh? The breaded chicken breasts are tender with a good dose of cheese inside. And the linguine pasta is cooked just right.