Manos Greek Taverna

It was a rainy Sunday when we decided to try Manos Greek Taverna in Tagaytay. For sure, you've spotted  this blue and white restaurant  if you're coming from Sta. Rosa , located at the right side of the road but wasn't prepared to make a sudden pit stop because it might be a hassle and a hazard unless you're on the early look out..

We ordered most of the Greek favorites. Instead of the usual tzatziki dip alone, we got the vegetarian shawarma which already has a tzatziki dip , salad, feta cheese, fries  and pita bread. This is a very healthy and yummy dish. They said they use only Greek olive oil from Crete, I hope the fries were fried in them too coz they were good and crispy. 

Vegetarian Shawarma

For the main course, we had the souvlaki platter and the grilled beef patties. The platters were served with rice and fries. Double carbs! I guess I would have welcomed the fries if we ordered gyros sandwiches similar in Europe where they serve it with the frites  but rice and fries..hmmm....Maybe diners can have the option of changing the rice or the fries to a Greek salad instead. 

Pork Souvlaki platter

The pork souvlaki ( there seems to be no chicken version..) , three sticks of  pork chunks , sad to say weren't tender. It took a bit of effort to bite into it and though flavorful, you can't really taste the meat because it was too chewy. It had rice, fries and three roasted tomatoes. But one thing missing is the yogurt garlic sauce that you can mix with the tomatoes. I overheard other diners looking for it also..hmm...do they serve it with the gyros only? 

The grilled beef patties, though it looks boring, were good. They were homemade,  savory and most of all tender.  Again served with  rice and fries! C'mon, we had fries already with your shawarma platter (hehe..snicker snicker)  a Greek salad would be the perfect side dish and  that yogurt garlic sauce for that added zing. It had  a small serving of mixed vegetables which sad to say tasted old and one of those pre- mixed vegetables you buy in the grocery.

 We had baklava for dessert and it was good , though I personally prefer having more of that crust or pastry in between, their baklava is good as it is.  

Baklava 

It was a good and breezy lunch , with a few misses that a good baklava won't be able to solve. And it's worth a stop over if you happen to be in the area already , I'm sure they have other Greek goodies up their sleeves. Opa! : )

Hermanos Taco Shop

This unassuming taco shop along Granada Street shares the same space with Petron and sits beside Arny Dadings Peachy Peachy ( yumyum!) . The signage says authentic Mexican food.  With all the Mexican grills and kitchens we have in the metro, this is an interesting claim.

The first thing I noticed when we stepped inside is that the owner is Mexican. Señor Rene personally greets all  the customers and take your orders. He's very friendly too and asked where do I usually go for my Mexican fix because  I told him I love the cuisine of his home country. The menu board boasts of tacos, burritos, tamales , quesadillas and chimichangas. Gosh, I wanted to order everything but had to settle for the fish tacos ( I've heard so much about their fish tacos ) and the beef burrito.  We had chips and salsa also while waiting for our order. 

Chips and Salsa 

We love the chips, the texture and taste is different from the ones served in Ristra's and B & T Kitchen. I think its because their homemade masa is better. 

Fish Tacos 

The fish tacos.. hmmm.. they're good with the roasted tomato salsa and a squeeze of lemon but there's a missing element for me. Maybe I was missing the fresh tomatoes? But it was still a pleasant dish and the tortilla used is very good, it's not the typical pale version commonly used here. This is probably Señor Rene's personal rendition of the fish tacos. 

Beef Burrito 

The beef burrito was really good! The beef was flavorful , moist and tender wrapped with Mexican rice and other veggies. The rice alone is good. 

It was a great lunch and  I can't wait to be back to try their tamales and other goodies. Took a picture with Señor Rene for posterity. Ole! ; )

Yen Yen Taiwanese Street Food

The adventurous foodie in us brought us to Granada St opposite Gilmore townhomes one scorching afternoon..We were there for Yen Yen, this hole-in-the-wall joint beside a car repair shop serving so-called authentic Taiwanese street food.

We ordered the best sellers, the taipei braised beef noodle soup and the wonton noodle soups. Since we ordered a complete meal, we  even had extras of fried wonton, Taiwan mini pao and green iced tea. 

Braised Beef Noodle Soup with Green Iced Tea P188

and Taiwan mini pao

The braised beef noodle soup is the bestseller and we agree! The rich beef broth was very good , evident of long and slow fire boiling making the beef melt-in-your-mouth tender and very flavorful. The noodles were tender and a lot! It came with the Taiwan mini pao that's not your usual bola bola or asado pao , instead the filling is similar to that of a dumpling which made it very good. The sauce is really yummy too. 

Wonton Noodle Soup P168

Another best seller is the wonton noodle soup. The wontons are really good and they even provide you with a  sweet spicy dipping sauce. The broth is milder than the braised beef , it tasted a bit like ramen for me actually which is good  because of the shallots and the nori they generously garnished on top and the strips of egg omelet. We love their noodle soups! The fried wontons which came with this dish is ok , it came with a sweet chili dipping sauce which didn't taste like the ones from the grocery but the steamed or boiled version is better.

We were full already but we wanted to close the meal with another extra plate of dumplings and we sure did finish it. 

dumplings!! P88

Looking at their interesting menu, they serve rice toppings also ( I'm sure the braised beef with rice is equally good!) , dimsum, stir fried noodles and other goodies.  The place is really small though, it can sit a total of 20 diners only and there's no parking except for one but it's worth a visit . 

Lemon Grass

Before watching Thor two weekends ago at the Shang,we decided to try this cozy looking resto at the ground floor beside Dome Cafe . Lemon Grass is an Asian bistro,  a melting pot of a variety of cuisine with  Korean, Vietnamese, Malaysian , Chinese dishes on the menu and I even saw some Japanese items I think..

It was a rainy sunday so we decided to have a bowl of laksa and korean beef stew in claypot.

The laksa had servings mostly of tofu, fish cake and shrimps. The fish cake was a bit springy and a bit salty for me. Hmm..I've tasted better laksa, there's something missing with the broth..

The korean beef stew with a serving of rice on the side is ok except that it didn't look and really tasted like korean beef stew because underneath is a bed of sliced onions. Hello, it's more of beef steak Tagalog ! Good thing the beef was tender but they should rename this dish or improve it, it lacks the flavor of a classic Korean beef stew..

Maybe I have to try their rendition of the other Asian classics in the menu but I wasn't really sold yet with this first visit given their serving size, pricing and the taste of the confused beef stew.

Kamirori

Kamirori needs no introduction. It's the go to place in Katipunan or Katips as we fondly call it ,  for your Japanese fix  for the past 20 years. Students from the surrounding schools and universities have been flocking to this place for a good meal at a very affordable price, a break from the cafeteria food and the fastfood joints dotting the strip. It's also a favorite among residents of the villages and condo dwellers with the place packed to full seating capacity each time we eat there.

Kamirori is simple, straightforward but good Japanese food . It's not trying to be some fancy, high end  Japanese place given the price points that are within budget if you're on a student allowance. I guess that's what makes this place charming all these years, just mention the name and for sure you will elicit happy memories , that it reminds them of their school years here in Katips.   And can I just say ,  I love the new location , just outside our village gate at Petron Square , that means no more u-turns for me!

Top favorites are the tempura ( ebi, kakiage, kisu ) , tofu steak, tempura udon, kamirori special maki and the donburi ( gyudon, katsudon, beef brisket, tendon among others).

When we ate there last week, we wanted to have a light meal after having a heavy lunch of steak and pasta.

Fresh Mango Shake P65

The weather was so hot and humid that day the ripe mango shake was perfect to cool off. And for just P65. Our light dinner consisted of miso soup, assorted maki and fish teriyaki.

Miso Soup P35

Kamirori special P168  and Spicy Tuna Maki P128

Fish Teriyaki P130

The soup was ok, your typical , no fail miso soup. The rolls were good too , not bad given the price. The fish teriyaki  is one of my favorites, crunchy with the panko breadcrumbs and they always put the sauce on the side. 

It was a light and perfect dinner, typical of Kamirori. So next time you're in the area ,  it's time to re-visit an old reliable favorite for a heartwarming meal without having to break the bank. 

Ninyo Fusion Cuisine

Ninyo is considered Katipunan's best kept secret. But after eating there twice and looking at the numerous awards and features the place has been getting , I won't be surprised if it's within the radar of all foodies out there already. For one thing, the place has that rustic charm , being an ancestral house built in the 1950s converted into a fine dining restaurant and wine lounge right smack along Esteban Abada.
  If you're a Katipunan denizen like us, you'll feel right at home in the place, not to mention the owner is a fellow Knoller.

You can choose to stay indoors or dine alfresco..The wine lounge is at the second floor.

It was our third visit last week, a dinner treat from my bff and we wanted to order items we haven't tried in the menu.   

They give you their complimentary home made bread and herbed butter. But don't eat too much so you can enjoy everything from soup to dessert.

We had the french onion miso soup to start. Well, this isn't really new  since we usually order it but it's really good and a must!

French Onion Miso Soup P295

Love their version of the french onion soup and the thick coating of parmesan cheese.

We had uni balls for appetizer. Fresh uni wrapped in crispy fried puff pastry in balsamic wasabi mayo dressing.  The uni balls were great! It's a different take from the usual sushi or maki rendition.

Uni Balls P395

For our salad, we got the shitake confit salad with honey ponzu dressing sprinkled with crispy tofu strips on a bed of mixed greens. This is really , really good. I highly recommend this salad and they can split it since an order is good for two.

Shitake Confit Salad P395

For the main course, we tried the Chargrilled Tiger Prawns with Japanese Paella. This is good. It has a unique twist to the paella with generous servings of not just prawns actually but fish, squid and even clams. The rice was perfectly cooked.

Grilled Tiger Prawns with Japanese Paella P680

Carla Laus (sister of Chef Nino and owner) gave us complimentary chocolate vodka but no alcohol for me! Thanks much Carla! It went well with our dessert, the Mango Pavlova, a meringue topped with vanilla ice cream and fresh mangoes.

Mango Pavlova P245

It was definitely a wonderful meal. I highly recommend Ninyo because unlike other fancy restaurants which are really overrated , it  executes fusion cuisine really well without going over the top. 

Sunrise Buckets

I've tried a couple of wings out there:  Buffalo Wings and Things, Flaming Wings and Manang's Double Fried version at Mercato Central. So far, I can say Manang's is the best though I haven't tried Bonchon ( but some are saying  Manang's trumps Bonchon hehe).

Sunrise Buckets is another chicken wings place located at Madison Square along Ortigas. We tried it just for the heck of it.

cool interior

Sunrise Original and Honey Jalapeno wings

We ordered half pound of Sunrise Original and half pound of Honey Jalapeno. We also got the fries and their special rice.  Actually, we wanted the buffalo version but it wasn't available and the buffalo chicken burger too.  The wings were ok.   I think I can go back to this place for the wings or maybe the buffalo chicken burger so I can finally try it but Manang's double fried chicken wings still does it for me. You can skip the rice which is really plain and sadly the fries too. The fries were soggy! But then again you're here for the wings so you can just forget they have fries on the menu unless they improve it.