Exposition:

Maisen

Being just opened August this year, Maisen in Greenbelt is one of the new restaurants to enter the recent katsu boom in the metro. We personally think it's a bit late since most of the more popular franchises have already developed their solid following but that only fueled our curiosity to check how this restaurant can differentiate themselves from their competitions.

Sinubukan namin ito one lunch time with friends from work.

info page

Turning Point:
What we ordered...

• Mixed Katsu Set
• Katsumabushi Set
• Tenderloin Katsu Set

The mixed katsu set is mini tenderloin (about 2 bite-sized slices), prawn (1 piece), and potato croquette (2 medium sized roll) served with rice, cabbage, set of pickled veggies (just a few bits), some slices of fruits, and miso soup. Refillable yung rice, soup, at cabbage which is similar to most katsu places.

mixed katsu set

Malambot yung pork and slides off with a gentle slice. Juicy yung loob pero in such a way na hindi sobra ang mantika. Crispy ang breading pero nakakapalan kami ng bahagya. The meat piece is lean, wala kami halos makitang taba. The croquette is tasty but can get messy to eat dahil madaming mumu na naglalaglagan pag kinagat. The prawn piece is big pero bitin pa din ang isang serving. Sana ginawa nilang dalawa man lang. Sakto lang ang luto nito. Malambot sa kagat pero may laban pa din ng kaunti (hindi outright soft na parang overcooked).

katsumabushi set

The katsumabushi set is tenderloin katsu sliced into bite-sized pieces served with slow-cooked egg and miso stock. May paandar sila sa set na ito. One of the suggested way of consuming it (that we did) is to douse the miso broth into the rice bowl then mix the soft-boiled egg into the concoction. Parang katsudon ang itsura, less the stringy fried egg. Matabang yung miso soup. Parang wala itong effect sa mix kundi gawin itong soggy. Mas nagka flavor pa ito dahil sa egg pero generally it's just like eating katsu with soggy rice.

Yung complimentary iced rice tea ay literal na pinalamig na tsaa. Yung tsaa na hindi commercial kundi yung lasang roasted na kahoy at damo. 

tenderloin katsu

Conflict:

Prices range from P400 to P500. This is almost the same with the more popular competitors. We can't say that's expensive for what they offer with barely noticeable differences in terms of food quality. So us being casual diners (in contrast to legit katsu connoisseurs), we think the price is just right.

Expensive, yes, but just right for the overall dining experience.

busy choosing her food

Climax:

Maliit yung lugar sa loob. It probably can only seat 8 to 10 groups of diners at a time. It can get noisy when the place is full. At sobrang lapit ng mga customers sa isa't isa na pwede na mag tinginan ng order ang mga magkakatabing lamesa.

The interiors is quaint. Modern ang design na may Japanese touches at may malalaking glass panels overlooking their al fresco dining area and their own kitchen.

Service is good and it should be. Sa liit ng lugar, looking after all the patrons should not be that difficult. May kasamang wet towel for each paying customers as additional eklat.

menu

The tonkatsu sauce tastes good. Manamis-namis pero hindi overpowering yung katamisan. I personally liked the sesame dressing. Kaya nakarami kami ng cabbage refill.

They used Black Berkshire pork variant for their meat and that should guarantee quality according to some.

Denouement: 

For us, they are behind Yabu but ahead of Ginza Bairin and Tonkatsu by Terazawa with everything considered. Pero sa Crazy Katsu pa din kami kung sa pa-sulitan sa binabayad. 

katsumabushi and friends

 
Rating: 
4.5 out of 7




[obi.Sept.16]

Some Intro

We're back in the dating game. Lumalaki na si Pipay at pwede nang iwanan ng mas matagal sa bahay, kaya balik kami ng ex-GF ko (si Misis K) sa pag date-date kapag nakakaluwag. It was a Friday payday night and we decided to finally try out this place in Glorietta 2. Madalas na namin itong nadadaanan pauwi at interesting how their buffalo wings will compare against some of the places we like when it comes to this spicy treat.

At the time of this writing, we already did two visits with them.

sports channel everywhere

Some Food

• Hand-Spun Wings (Snack and Small Servings)
• The Big Ribs (Half Rack)
• Dirty Rice
• Cheeseburger Slammers

Their wings is in denominations of 5 (Snack), 10 (Small), 15 (Medium), and 20 (Large) pieces per servings. It comes with celery, carrots, and a choice of bleu cheese or ranch dressing. There are about 18 flavors to choose from and the menu illustrated it in order of spiciness. Here are the signature seasonings that we've tried so far.

lemon pepper wings

• Lemon Pepper (Very Mild Spice)
• Honey BBQ (Above Average Spice)
• Parmesan Garlic (Very Mild Spice)

Generally, the chicken wing parts are chunky and the meat inside is tender. The breading is crunchy at hindi dinaan sa kapal para magmukang malaki yung piyesa. We always picked bleu cheese and it went well with the flavors we've tried.

We can't feel the lemon tang on the Lemon Pepper seasoning so it just tasted like a plain fried chicken with a hint of pepper spice. The Honey BBQ seasoning is supposed to have an above average spiciness according to the illustration on their menu but it is just a bit more hot than the Lemon Pepper. Nasa dulo yung anghang niya nararamdaman kapag madami na ang nakakain. The sweet honey taste is evident though. The Parmesan Garlic seasoning has a solid garlic taste with a cheesy aftertaste. This is our favorite among those we tried.

big ribs

The Big Ribs is new on their menu. As fans of barbecued ribs, we didn't like how this one doesn't have that distinctive smokey taste. It is served with crispy and flavorful potato wedges that is, frankly, we enjoyed more than the ribs. Its redeeming factor is on its honey barbecue which is not too sweet that it overpowers the meat. Ganun kasi madalas sa grilled ribs ng ibang restaurants.

The dirty rice is expensive for what it is. There's nothing special on its taste despite how it looks. We stick with plain rice on our next visit.

burger slider

The cheeseburger slammer is three-piece cheeseburger sliders served with fries. The patties are big for a slider at busog kaagad kami kahit sa isang piraso pa lang. Nothing fancy has gone with it. May lettuce, tomato, and onion slices lang and that's it.

misis K

Some Cost

The "small" serving of wings (10 pieces) is about P600 and this is comparable to the other fried chicken wing places we've been to. With how big the portions are and the additional sauces, side dishes, and ambiance, mas lamang pa nga dito ng kaunti sa pasulitan.

The snack size is just right for a single meal at around P300 per 5 pieces.

spice chart for the wings

The ribs is about P700 and although it is a competitive price compared to others, the taste just doesn't work for us. And for the price, dapat hindi pwedeng "pwede na". We are expecting more for what we paid.

The bite-sized burgers are about P400 in all. This can buy us a huge and good-tasting gourmet burger on other burger joints so meh. In short, just stick with the basics when in this place. Buy wings and enjoy.

Some Words

The place is a watering hole by night.With its sporty theme and ambiance, it sure is a guy's haven. The place is surrounded by flat TV's with channels tuned in different sports shows. There's a corner with gaming consoles with sports games available. Everywhere we look, there are frames with sporty photos and memorabilia. 

happy camper

Sobrang dami ng servers nila kaya hindi mahirap kumuha ng attention to ask for something. The menu is straightforward and visually appealing. 

The place can get noisy at night and understandably so.

Comfort room is impressive. It has two kinds of tissue: the soft one for personal care and the rigid kind used as seat cover. There's also a provision for diaper changing for babies. They also provide wet towels for the customers.

gaming consoles

One of their marketing catch is the "Screamin' Wings" challenge. If customers can finish a dozen screamin' wings (the hottest variant), they will get an exclusive shirt. The first night we dropped by to dine, may isang kano na sumubok. Mukang di nya natapos. Ganun talaga siguro ka-anghang.

a guy doing his 'Screamin Wings' challenge

Rating:
4 out of 7





[obi.Sept.4]

Intro sa Kwento

For some reason, nawala ang hilig ni K sa ramen nung nagbuntis sya kay Pipay. Kaya tiis ako kapag napa-crave ng ramen until recently na naisipan nya magyaya sa Ramen Nagi sa Greenbelt. Mukang hinanap na din ulit ito ng panlasa niya.

Take note that I've tried this place without K from an earlier visit (first quarter of this year yata).

Ramen Nagi - Greenbelt 3

Pagkain sa Lamesa

• Butao King
• Gyoza
• Black King (from a previous visit)

The butao king is their version of the traditional pork bone soup and is the basic ramen order in this place. After being seated, customers are given an order sheet where they can customize how they want their ramen served. For our visits, iisa lang lagi halos ang customization namin.

order sheet

Soup Base
Richness of Taste: Rich
Special Sauce: Heavy
Garlic: Normal

Toppings
Pork: Belly
Veggies: Cabbage

Extras
Fire Sauce: Level 1 Spicy
Noodles: Hard
Tamago: Yes, please!

Butao King

We prefer our soup base milky and thick, and a bit spicy. Chewy noodle works for us too. Mas may laban yung kagat at hindi pa madulas sa chopstick. Yung richness ng soup ay nakaka-umay pag kakainin mag isa pero sakto lang pag sa katulad namin na naghahati sa isang bowl. Remember, bawal mag take out. The big pork belly portion is soft at bagay sa sabaw. The extra egg works to complement the soup too. Pwede ihalo yung soft boiled yolk sa sabaw for that even thicker concoction. I find the garlic-y smell of this dish stronger (and more mouth-watering) than the Black King.

I ordered the Black King on an earlier visit alone. As I mentioned, sobrang dami para sa akin ng isang order at eventually naumay ako at hindi ko naubos. Same customization more or less as the butao king above (except the extra egg). The squid ink soup is so thick that making it thicker will just turn it more filling. Kaya ata ako naumay at nabusog agad. 

Black King

Their gyoza is a good match sa ramen. Chunky yung laman nito at malalaki yung limang pirasong dimsum per serving. Hindi masyadong makapal ang pabalat at tama lang ang pagkaluto. Malambot sa kagat. It's served on a hot plate on top of mongo sprouts. 

gyoza

Kaltas sa Bulsa

Ramen dishes costs about P400 and this is just above the average cost of similar ramen places in the metro. But with its big bowl of a serving, sulit na ito. Like what we mentioned earlier, we usually split one order and that's enough to make us full na.

Gyoza is around P200. For five good-sized pieces, mura na ito.

When dining for two, maganda nang reference ito. One ramen bowl and a plate of gyoza is just about P600 and that's a good cost for a decent high-end meal for two.

K in Nagi

Dagdag sa Istorya

Food is served consistently quick. Hindi lumalampas ng 10 minutes, nasa amin na ang pagkain. They are also served hot but not scalding. So pwede nang dumiretso agad ng kain.

The attention of their dining crew is sometimes difficult to get ahold of but that can be understandable. Madami kasing kumakain kapag peak hours. As typical with Japanese customs, gaingay nilang mag-greet kapag may lumalabas o pumapasok nung lugar.

Sobrang Hapon nung vibe ng ambiance. There's a lot of wooden furniture and wall drapes with Japanese writing. Each table has an assortment of condiments na either nakalagay sa Japanese-looking containers or labeled in Japanese.

menu

A plastic bib is given upon request. Lalo na sa mga may order ng Black King. Para maiwasan tumalsik talsik yung sabaw sa damit. Nice idea, really.

Their menu is simple and unassuming. They offer four ramen variants to date and that's the main food offering na. Ang pinaka side dish nila of note ay gyoza at chicken karaage (fried chicken) lang.

condiments

Rating:
4 out of 7




[obi.Aug.14]

Konting Pasakalye

Napadaan kami ng buong tribo dito (along Aguirre Ave, BF Homes) nang minsang maghanap ng mapag-memeryendahan after a Sunday mass. Dati na kaming bumibili ng banana cue sa kanila pero drive-by takeout lang. Nito lang namin nasubukan na actually bumaba at kumain na dine-in.

meryenda

Ang Chicha

• Turon
• Overload Goto
• Buko Juice
• Mais con Yelo
• Nata Lychee

Tama lang ang tamis ng turon. Hindi OA sa asukal at hindi din naman matabang sa kakulangan. Bagong luto nung isinilbi sa amin kaya ang init. Crunchy pa ang balat. Merong palamuting caramelized sugar drippings sa labas. We've tasted better turon though, at nabibili lang ang mga iyon sa bangketa. Our point, we expected a bit more than a mediocre taste kasi mas mahal than usual yung presyo.

turon

Malasa ang luto ng goto. Ramdam yung effect ng luya. Ang olats ay yung kanin na ginamit. May katigasan ang saing. Bagong luto ito ng isinilbi. Hindi nagtipid sa lahok. Maraming lamang isaw at chicharon. Meron ding ilang itlog ng pugo.

Forget the buko juice. Lasang tubig. Parang 70% nito ay tubig at 30% lang ang buko.

shake

Shakes yung mais con yelo at nata lychee. As the names suggest, mais shake yung isa habang nata lychee ang flavor nung isa. Masarap ang timpla nito. Ma-gatas ang lasa at hindi nag tipid sa laman. Eto ang patok sa mga in-order namin. Pero mahal.

goto

Ang Damage

P70 yung mga shakes. Medyo mahal dahil nakalagay lang ito sa maliit na plastik cup.

P70 din yung goto. Medyo pwede na sana kaso olats lang talaga yung matigas na kanin.

beverages

They have rice meals at P90 to P130 pero hindi namin natikman. Meryenda lang ang ipinunta namin. It looks interesting sa pictures sa menu though.

Kinse yung turon. Pricey kumpara sa mga nabibili sa bangketa pero may extra overhead cost kasi sila sa pwesto at staff kaya expected na yun.

Mura sana dito overall kung mas pulido pa ng konti ang lasa ng pagkain.

information

Kamusta Naman
Disappointing yung buko juice para sa lugar na dapat coconut ang main attraction. Okay na dito pang quick meryenda na mura. Pero wag mag expect masyado.

Rating:
3 out of 7



[obi.Aug.2]

No occasion and nothing to celebrate. We just decided to take the baby on a weekend staycation on this new hotel right in the middle of Makati's chain of shopping malls. This is the first time we, as a family, did an overnighter away from home. Bonggang bata!

welcome to Fairmont Makati

Quick Facts:
* Location: 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati
* Type: Five-star Luxury Hotel
* Rates: P10,000 to P13,000 per night for two, with free breakfast buffet at the Spectrum
* Website: http://www.fairmont.com/makati/

Place

The hotel is in the corner of Pasay Road and Makati Avenue and literally a stone-throw away from Greenbelt, Glorietta, and Landmark. The building is adjacent to the Raffles Makati, a sister brand of the hotel. Both are connected through their respective lobbies. Speaking of which, the lobby is nothing short of elegant. It's accentuated by this sophisticated chandelier that fronts the main stairway that is an access to the second floor events hall.  

Lining the ground floor are specialty restaurants and snack lounges. One of them, at the end of the hall, is the Spectrum, the hotel's main restaurant. They serve several international cuisine prepared on the spot. More on that later.

elegant corridor

Our accommodation is a deluxe corner room that has a view of both the Greenbelt and San Lorenzo Village skyline. Furnishing and design are state-of-the-art and truly of five-star quality. The bathroom is huge and luxurious with almost everything in posh marble and glass panels. One corner of the spacious room has an office counter where all the media connectivity is found. Lighting and air-conditioning can be controlled on a central panel beside the bed. Suffice to say, the room has all the important amenities and they look premium. We even requested for a baby crib free of charge.

office counter for K's calligraphy

The pool is on the same floor as the spa and the gym. We weren't able to try it out as it is raining when we dropped by but, although it looks not that big for an upscale hotel, it's just right for the purpose of taking a relaxing dip. We weren't able to explore Level 7 which is reserved for Fairmont Gold members.

can't swim yet

Food

There are complimentary fruits in our room. There's also a mini-bar with an assortment of branded beverages but these are for sale, of course.

Spectrum dining area

Breakfast buffet for two at the Spectrum is included with the rates but the actual price is about P1,500 per person. They got a lot of food to choose from and frankly the choices can pass for our lunch already. Once seated, we are asked for our morning drinks by their very accommodating staff. I opted for a latte while K got herself a jasmine tea. There's not much customers when we had our breakfast so all those morning sounds of softly clanking plates and utensils and the buzz of cooking in the kitchen can get really appetizing.

carving station

There's literally a mound of bacon on one of the food counters. Heaven on Earth! They have pastries, breads, spreads, fresh fruits, fruit juices, cold cuts, hot pot, dried fishes, potato wedges, sausages, pancakes, cereals, and various soup, just to name a few. And of course, we sampled almost all of them! Sarap!

All food are served fresh and hot. We can still see some of them being prepared from the open kitchen. The staff attentively refill all the dish as frequently as it dwindles. The area where the food are displayed is quite limited but it's crammed with all the food the patrons will need for variety.

we see Mount Bacon!

For our stay, we also opted for a lunch buffet which is about P2000 per person. The food selection, although not as many compared to the leading buffet restaurants today, is varied enough to cater to an assortment of dining preferences. They have a grilling station for barbecued meat. They have a carving station that served roasted beef and chicken. They have a noodle station for a selection of noddle dishes. There are cold seafood, fresh ham, cheese, and other local and international cuisine. Again, we sampled most of the items from these options.

fresh fruits

They also have a salad bar, a sushi bar, and a pizza and pasta bar for those who want to go light but we are just too full to try any of these. Well, not really that full... but we are trying to reserve some space for the sweets! Their dessert is equally packed with an assortment of premium sweets and we enjoyed our chocolates and glassed treats.

more meat dishes

The place's design is modern. There are huge glass panels that takes in ample sunlight to give the room a bright and lively vibe. This goes well with their friendly staff, who are all smiles to us. There's like a wedding event the day we went there for lunch so there are a lot of people walking to and fro, and we need to fall in line on almost all the food stations. We don't mind it really but it will help if the place can be more spacious for such cases. They have an al fresco area but not everybody will want to eat there on a hot noon.

happy diner

Rating (Spectrum): 6/7

Others

Pipay had a good time crawling and rolling on her soft pillows and huge king-size bed. She made friends with one of the Spectrum supervisors, who did a good job on helping us pacify her on one of her random baby crying bouts.

4/F amenities

The distance to the malls is very convenient. I was able to do a quick walk to Landmark for some groceries. It's a bonus for those who don't want to try Spectrum and would rather go for any of the restaurants nearby.

K took the chance of having this downtime to do some of her calligraphy exercises while I lounged with our baby. We also did the shoot for Pipay's 4th month "birthday" photo ops, a tradition we want to do until her first actual birthday next year. Generally, it's a great time of relaxation. We are looking forward to have more staycations like this one and try out the other hotels around the metro. Ang saya maging patabaing baboy for a day!

loves her king size

* * * * *
Acknowledgment:

• Citibank, para sa discounts! May silbi ka din sa wakas.
• Sponklong, para sa pag hatid sa amin.
• Mami and Kakang Anging, para sama sa amin hanggang kwarto para umuzi.
• Fairmont Makati and Spectrum for the awesome service! Good job, guys.
•  Our Man Upstairs, for blessing us with a wonderful time together as a family!     

Photo Bomb:

morning at Spectrum

Spectrum's Pizza of the Day

elegant furnishing

sophisticated bathroom

Pasay Road by night

Pasakalye:

Isang Linggo sa BF, pagkatapos ng pang-hapon na misa, naghanap kami ng makakainan along Aguirre Avenue. Ang naisip ko, diretsuhin namin yung kalsada hanggang makarating sa kanto ng President's Avenue. Kapag wala kaming nakitang interesting na makakainan along the way, doon kami kakain sa Tropical Hut sa dulo ng President's.

Ang una naming nadaanan na promising ay yung Balai Ilocos. Kaso nadala na kami sa restaurant na medyo madilim ang ambiance dahil last time na kumain kami sa Little Quiapo, nag topak si Pipay at iyak ng iyak. So dumiretso pa kami ulit hanggang sa makita na namin itong Big Daddy Jay's.

Let's go!

picnic

Foods:

• Original Smoked Ribs (Full Rack)
• Honey Mustard Chicken Wings (12 piece)
• Chicken Pineapple Macaroni Salad
• Buttered Rice
• Rootbeer Float

No holds barred. Full rack please! At hindi kami nagkamali. They got the smokiest, most tender, and juiciest ribs na natikman namin so far (upscale restaurants included). Sa unang tingin, mukang sunog at tutong yung balat nung karne. Pero kung babasahin yung isa sa mga naka paskil na instructionals sa dingding nung lugar, hindi ito "sunog" per se. Ito ay nangitim dahil sa secret ingredient na pinahid sa karne at binabad ng isang araw bago inihaw. Ito yung nagkukulong ng flavor para manuot hanggang sa loob ng laman. Texan or American Southern style ng pag barbecue daw ang tawag dito.

full rack

Regardless of the technicalities, it took our attention pretty good at siguradong mauulit pa kami dito. Under the charred skin is a thin layer of fat. Marapatin na lang na tanggalin ito kung kelangan. Pero sobrang lasa nito isabay sa laman. The meat falls off easily at sobrang lambot nito nguyain. . The barbecue sauce is served separately. Tama lang ang pitik ng tamis nito, hindi katulad sa iba na natatabunan na yung lasa ng karne.

The chicken wings means business as well. It's crunchy fried outside and chewy soft inside. The sweet tang of honey mustard is just right. The wing pieces are average in size at kapag sinabi nilang 12 pieces, totoong labingdalawang pakpak ng manok. Hindi katulad sa iba na 6 na pirasong pakpak lang na hinati sa gitna para maging labingdalawa. LOL.

twelve piece

The macaroni salad is so so. Not the best we've had but serves its purpose as a side dish. We can pass on this next time. 

Sticky yung butter rice at may pagka oily. Medyo tenbits yung servings nito para sa isa. Sana yung isang order ng ribs or wings may kasama nang rice.

Panalo yung rootbeer float. Vanilla ice cream topped rootbeer. Matagal na din kaming hindi nakapag ganito kaya nakaka good vibes makatikim ulit!

rootbeer float

Damage:

Price is actually fair. The full slab is about P800 at kaya na ito pag saluhan ng limang gutom na customer o anim hanggang pito na casual diners. A solo plate of ribs is about P200 only. Sa kaledad ng ribs nila, sobrang mura neto.

Mura din yung chicken wings kumpara sa mga nag sulputang chicken wing restaurants ngayon. Ang anim na piraso ay P180. Pwede na!

smoked ribs

Hirit:

The place is small. I can imagine yung ingay at siksikan doon sa mga araw na puno sila. Buti na lang at halos walang customer nung pumunta kami (5PM in the afternoon). The place is well-lit which is number one requirement namin kapag kasama si baby.

Malinis at sapat lang ang disenyo ng lugar. Parang fastfood diner type. May mga words sa walls about barbecue. Gusto namin yung picnic tables na parang kumakain lang sa bakuran ang datingan. Retro ang mga kitchen utensils tulad nung plato at Mason jars. Yung slab ng ribs ay sa kahoy na chopping board nakalagay.

counter

Sobrang accommodating ng mga staff (siguro dahil konti pa ang customers?). Mabilis naisilbi ang mga pagkain at mainit pa ang mga ito. Sobrang konti ng items sa menu dahil prinarily ang mabibili lang sa kanila ay pork ribs o chicken wings. The rest looks negligible and not their specialty. 

Bonus na 70's yung pinapatugtog nilang music. Naaliw si Mami.

Bonus na may gelato place sa tabi nila so pwedeng dun mag dessert after ng isang masarap na meal.

wall prints

 
Hirit Pa More:

Easily the best ribs we've had kaya makakasama ito sa mga future cravings namin.

MUST TRY!

solb ako

Rating:
7 out of 7




[obi.Jul.26]