• Home
• About This Blog
• Contact Page

Food Trip Tayo!

• Kimono Ken: Enticingly Japanese, For Less

  30Jun
  Categories: Japanese Food Comments: 5

  My parents and I just love Japanese food!  And we see to it that, every now and then, we discover new Japanese restos wherein we could indulge our cravings.  And last Saturday, I didn’t expect that Kimono Ken would soon be in our list of Japanese restos to go back to.

  I didn’t quite expect that the food would be that good.  Well, not exceptional.  But good enough for a nice, satisfying Japanese food experience.

  

  Salmon sashimi

  I like this sashimi best when I’ve squeezed calamansi onto it, as it brings out its sweet flavor.  And I love that Kimono Ken’s salmon sashimi tasted so fresh!  I could eat one whole boat of this sashimi!

  My rating:

  

  Kimono Ken’s Special

  And what is the best drink with a salmon sashimi?  A mango-orange juice!  And Kimono Ken has one, called Kimono Ken’s Special.  Actually, nothing really outstanding about it.  I just love the juice with my salmon sashimi!

  My rating:

  

  Moist California Maki = Love!

  One thing I look for whenever I eat California Maki is that if it has enough moisture in it.  That goes for the mango/avocado, the crab, and the mayonnaise.  Some restos scrimp on the ingredients and end up with a “dry” maki.  But this one from Kimono Ken ain’t dry!

  My rating:

  

  Chicken Teridon

  This is chicken strips “tickled” with teriyaki sauce.  It could have used some more so that it’ll taste better.  Nothing much more to be said.

  My rating:

  

  Soboro chicken

  This is minced chicken and shredded scrambled eggs in a special sauce.  I loved the sauce, but I feel that this would have been a better dish if the chicken wasn’t minced.  I like biting onto a well-textured chicken meat.  Hehe.  But not bad.

  My rating:

  

  Mango Tempura ala mode

  Er, actually, I kinda forgot what the name is.  But it sounded something like that.  Maybe because I was too much in bliss eating this one.  This is actually made up of mango slices wrapped in tempura batter, fried, and topped with lots of vanilla ice cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  What can I say?  Pig out!

  My rating:

  Japanese food can really be quite expensive, but at Kimono Ken, we spent P1,400 for 3 people.  That’s about P500/head.  A bit pricey for some (but definitely reasonable compared to prices in other authentic Japanese restaurants), but for excellent value for money, you won’t be regretting it.

  Tags: chicken teridon, kimono ken, kimono ken's special, mango tempura ala mode, salmon sashimi, soboro chicken

• Fruit Magic’s Tomato Basil Pasta

  17Jun
  Categories: Pasta dishes, Western cuisine Comments: 0

  Fruit Magic is the temptation that is forever present at the gym.  And I’ve to admit, I almost always give in.  But then, at least, the fruit juices are fresh, right?

  Well, not only that.  I also almost always have to give in to this:

  

  Tomato Basil Pasta

  I’ve to admit it’s one of those pasta dish that I keep on craving.  It must be because of it’s sweet-sour taste that’s distinctly tomato and the generoush dash of basil and parmesan cheese.  I love it because it’s not overly sweet like the spaghetti you get from fastfood stores.  And yeah, I love that I could always have it with my favorite green mango shake.  The pasta is priced at P100 (and I do still remember when it was just P85).

  My Rating:

  You can find Fruit magic in most shopping malls and at Fitness First gyms.

  Tags: fitness first gyms, fruit magic, tomato basil pasta

• Tokyo Cafe: When Japanese Ain’t All Sushi and Tempura

  03Jun
  Categories: Japanese Food, Western cuisine Comments: 7

  

  If you’re looking to satisfy your craving for tempura or sushi, don’t come to Tokyo Cafe.

  I didn’t say that to degrade the restaurant. It’s only because Tokyo Cafe ain’t your traditional Japanese restaurant. It serves Western Cuisine with a touch of Japanese. Dining in at Tokyo Cafe feels like eating at a restaurant in a subway: modern, bright, and streamlined.

  I have good first impressions of this restaurant’s branch at SM The Block on account of the littlest things that for me, personally, are of great value. Staff greet you and are all smiles when you first step inside the establishment. Even though the place is a bit small, it’s clean; no food drippings on the floor or disarrayed tables or chairs. Menus are kept on the single corner. Airconditioning of the place is good. I also loved it that as soon as we are already seated, they served us water with ice in glasses. I think it’s quite thoughtful of them, thinking how it must have been very hot outside and that customers would appreciate a little refreshment while perusing their menu. I also liked that the staff are knowledgeable about the food their serving and could give customers advice as to which food are, for example, spicy or which are those that are good as a starter course.

  The first time I dined here, my parents and I were really famished already that we must have ordered too much with only the three of us eating. We had some leftovers but i still didn’t feel that much guilty as that enabled me to sample as much food as I can during the first visit.

  

  Teriyaki Chicken salad ( lettuce, tomatoes, corn with tangy dressing and teriyaki style chicken strips), around P129

  The thing I see here that could be a Japanese twist to tthe typical chicken salad is the teriyaki sauce on the chicken. Hmmm. I liked it in the sense that there isn’t that much teriyaki sauce (because if it were like the usual teriyaki-don, it wouldn’t taste like salad anymore).

  My rating:

  

  Corn soup, around P80
  

  I think, for its delicious yummy yellow color, I could already give it the highest rating. But, alas, one has to take into consideration the overall taste, too. Hmmm. It’s yummy enough for a corn soup, but not so unique or spectacular. But enough for me to get some more when I come back.

  My rating:

  

  Wafu Steak (beef cubes sauteed with garlic sauce), around P223
  

  I’m not much of a fan of beef, but I kinda like this Wafu Steak. It’s juicy and I like the very tasty garlicky sauce.

  My rating:

  (Note: I would have given this a rating of 5 spoons, if it were only more tender)

  

  Fish and chips (Crisp beer batter fried fish cutlets and potato chips with tartar sauce), around P219
  

  I was kinda expecting that I won’t like this because it has too much breading. But surprisingly, I liked munching on this one. The breading was actually enough and gave a delicious crunch to this dish. The tartar sauce was an almost perfect match (‘coz I preferreed dipping the fish in my salad’s dressing, hehe).

  My rating:

  

  Chicken ala pobre (Pan seared chicken fillet with garlic infused olive oil and butter), around P199

  I think the common (and tired) joke about this particular chicken dish is that it isn’t exactly food for those who don’t have the bucks. I think there’s nothing really spectacular about this one. I’ve tasted a better version in a cafeteria along UST. Hehe.

  my rating:

  

  Symphony (coffee jelly, coffee-flavored ice cream, and vanilla ice cream in layers), around P130

  This one really made my day. I love the coffee jelly because it strongly tasted of real coffee! It’s not like Jell-O pretending to be coffee jelly. I think Tokyo Cafe specializes in coffee-based desserts, as there are a number of them in the menu. I’m definitely going back for this one.

  my rating:

  Overall, I find the restaurant very inviting and though it’s not really serving authentic traditional Japanese food, I’d like to try some more of their dishes. I’m definitely coming back here.

  Tags: corn soup, fish and chips, symphony, teriyaki chicken salad, tokyo cafe, wafu steak