October 24, 2013
Allow me to beg for your indulgence for not being very specific in my review of this restaurant and for the lack of photos. Two reasons: First of all there's just so many dishes offered that even those that we partook of were simply too much for a detailed discussion. Secondly, today is my birthday.
Originally, Cynthia wanted to celebrate my birthday at Vikings Buffet restaurant at SM Marikina for the simple reason that birthday celebrants eat for free! However, we were at the Ortigas Center for some errands. While my wife was visiting her friends at the Asian Development Bank (ADB) I was checking out the restaurants at SM Megamall. After she finished her chores, I met up with my wife and told her that Dad Kamayan Saisaki (which serves a triple cuisine type buffet) also had the same offer.
We were escorted to our seat by the friendly hostess clad in Japanese kimono. After explaining the "house rules" she told us we can start getting our food. The vast array of delicious entrees, from sushi to Kare-kare made choosing what to get a daunting task. Please realize that for the past three weeks we changed our diet regimen to a minimalist style. However, since it was my birthday, we both agreed that we can temporarily set that aside for today.
Our first selection was a mixture of Japanese/Chinese cuisine - yang chow fried rice, shrimp tempura (for me), fish tempura (for Cynthia), hot chicken salad (for me), fresh mandarin salad (for Cynthia), fried egg rolls, fried calamari and a beef dish (I forgot the name - too much food does that to my brain). For round two, my wife and I concentrated on Filipino dishes - morcon, embutido, lechon macao, and seashells: kuhol (snails) for Cynthia, tahong (mussels) for me.
Then for desert, let me just say one thing: creme brulee. There were dozens of other choices, and we got some of those, too, but for both my wife and I, creme brulee it was! And oh, there was even a cream puff made in the shape of a swan!
Now let me tell you about the service. It was excellent! The waiters were very attentive! They would even carry your plates to your table for you. The bottomless tea glass always got filled almost religously. Used plates were removed promptly.
The highlight was when a quartet of musicians (two guitarists, one bassist, one vocalist) came to our table and sang "Happy birthday" to me. When asked if we have any requests, Cynthia suggested a song sung by the Trio Los Panchos. As they sang Besame Mucho, tears fell from eyes. I can't explain why. I'm sure these were happy tears. Perhaps I was reminded of the times when we visit my children in California. We always go to Mijares, a Mexican restaurant, where a trio (2 guitarists, 1 bassist) sang Spanish ditties. Maybe those memories of times with my family made me a bit nostalgic and sentimental.
I was still sniffling after we left as I told my wife that I was glad that it was here that I had my birthday lunch. And that was not just because my meal was free.
Please check out their website:
Dads Kamayan Saisaki
October 21, 2013
For me The French Baker is close to being synonymous to Chicken Cordon Bleu. Almost always that is what I order at this restaurant because arguably it is their best entree. Although we usually go to their branch at SM Marikina due to its proximity to home, this time we opted to try the one at SM Megamall.
As soon as we were seated, I promptly gave my order to the waitress to which she apologetically explained that they were all out of Chicken Cordon Bleus. It was like cold water was splashed to my face. I was so looking forward to enjoying my favorite dish! Scanning their menu for the next best thing, I then ordered the Grilled Chicken and Mango Salsa. Cynthia, surprisingly, also deviated from her usual Soup on a Bread Bowl and ordered Chicken Salad Croissant instead.
In a few minutes, my wife's sandwich was served. She said it was flavorful, meaty with no aftertaste that usually comes with chicken salad. The barbecue flavored potato chips were good although the ones that I tried were, to me, not crispy enough. 5 stars for the sandwich, 3.5 for the potato chips.
It wasn't until after 30 minutes of waiting and several reminders to the waitress that my order finally came. I was already starving that I immediately dug into it forgetting to take a picture. The grilled chicken was tender with enough barbecue-y flavor to make it interesting. The Mango Salsa was just a tad too sour for my taste. 4 stars for the grilled chicken, 2.5 for the mango salsa.
Overall I was quite disappointed by the length of time I had to wait for my entree to be served, not to mention the fact that the dish I wanted was not available. This situation never happened in SM Marikina.
The prices, at least, were quite reasonable. We spent about P450.
Check out their website:
http://www.thefrenchbaker.com/ourmenu.php
Kampai is a Korean-Japanese restaurant located at the ground floor of the Shopwise building along C-5 in Libis, Quezon City. Inasmuch as we are a frequent shopper at this supermarket, every once in a while we eat here.
October 14, 2013
We ordered the following: For me Chicken Katsu and for my wife, Chicken Bulgogi. Please note that we are now watching our diet and meat dishes are now ordered rarely (and I meant frequency and not quality). Along with our order came four types of side dishes.
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| Side Dishes |
Let's start with that since it was served before the main fare.
First was fried breaded tofu. Some spice was added to it although it was not really spicy hot. It just added a nice "zing" to normally tasteless tofu. I would give this 4 stars out of 5.
Sweet peanuts was next. The slight sweetness somehow took away the crunchiness. 3 stars.
Not being a pumpkin eater, it was Cynthia who partook the slices. She said it was seasoned with salt and pepper and was quite good. 3 stars out of 5
Finally, Kimchi, of course. It was just mildly spicy and sometimes my wife would eat it along with the pumpkin slices. 4 stars.
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| Chicken Katsu |
For the main entree, my Chicken Katsu was served with rice and mashed squash. The Katsu was done perfectly - the breading was crispy and seasoned perfectly. The chicken itself almost melts in the mouth for its tenderness. As I said earlier, I am not a pumpkin eater, but the mashed squash was mixed with potato, beaten egg and had a certain flavoring that removed the pumpkin taste that I don't like. It was so good that I finished the whole thing! Definitely 5 stars!
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| Chicken Bulgogi |
The Chicken Bulgogi was served on a sizzling hot pan. Mixed with the chicken were some mushrooms, red and green pepper and covered with green onions. The meat was tender with a mild hint of sweetness and a touch of saltiness. 4 stars.
The service was very good. Waiting time was about 10 minutes for the main entrees while the side dishes were served promptly. The waiters/waitresses were very attentive and responsive to our requests. Prices were reasonable.
Overall rating 4 stars.
Check out their page in Facebook
Kampai Korean-Japanese Restaurant
