UCC Clockwork at Bluebay Walk ***

 

UCC Clockwork is now open at Bluebay Walk

UCC recently opened their cafe/ coffee bar at Bluebay Walk, Pasay this October called Clockwork. The place is also bundled with other UCC concepts nearby, Mitsuyado Sei-men (we review this next) and Yamato Bakery.

UCC Clockwork is a new and unique concept place serving third wave coffee, probably in response to new generation coffee places and concept places Starbucks Reserve. Here new brewing methods like cold drip and siphon. Bolder and more adventurous coffee creations are also introduced. And the place has a wider menu than your regular UCC. This is place for people who are serious about their coffee. Of course, the place is priced a bit higher than your regular UCC. Some of the favorites are here like the UCC House Blend, Sumiyaki Coffee Jelly.

The place is amazingly wide and spacious, with only a few seats at the ground floor. The bar at the ground floor is huge. Flavored beer is also available here, and some pastries. The second floor has a large seating capacity, and from above you can view the barista doing the coffee concoctions.

UCC Coffee Menu also has pressed juices

Check out the bar

Chocolate Croissants

The Maple Croissants are very good

more pastries

Specialty Coffee

Judy on the Rocks - P150 Salted Honey with Charcoal Brewed Coffee + Cream

Cafe Con Miel - P160 3 layers of Coffee, Honey and Milk

Some food entrees

Tocino Nothing extraordinary but the egg is well done

4 Cheese Quesadilla P220 Garlicky and good

I love these Longganiza

Overall, we enjoyed our experience here. We've been here twice in a span of a week,
great ambiance and coffee, but they need to offer more entrees. The all day Pinoy breakfast is a welcome treat.


UCC Clockwork
Bluebay Walk
Pasay

The Yummy List: Ramen and more

We've come up with a list featuring the best and most delicious dishes in Manila.
Because there's nothing like good food worth visiting and revisiting.
For this article, the theme is Japanese food classics.

RAMEN - the food of the moment. There's nothing like a hot bowl of noodles in flavorful soup to stir up the soul.

Our picks:

#1 Ramen Yushoken's Shio Ramen

What we love: Simply delicious and worth the long drive. This ramen place in Molito, Alabang has the secret ramen recipe of Japan's ramen god -Yamagishi Kazuo. Hear the hearty slurps of the patrons, this bowl is an umami bomb of deliciousness, the soup has a milky white texture, the noodles are al dente with the flavors that scream...eat me loud!

Budget: P320 per bowl
Location: Molito Mall, Alabang

#2 Ramen Nagi's Black King

What we love: The image is a contrast to Shio Ramen, instead of milky white, the soup is pitch black and garlicky because of all the squid ink. Unlike other places, you can customize your bowl at Ramen Nagi, choosing from the hardness of the noodles, richness of the taste, level of spiciness, etc. This place is known in other parts of the world as Butao. Expect long lines, sharing tables, and noisy patrons but the gooey, black bowl is worth slurping for.

Budget: P 410 per bowl.
Location: SM Aura, 5th Level

TSUKEMEN - deconstructed ramen
The way you eat this ramen is to dip the al dente noodles into the thick soup, then eat. Enjoy!




#1 Mitsuyado Seimen's Cheese Tsukemen

What we love: If you're fond of cheese, this bowl is extremely addictive. Comes in two sizes, we suggest you go for the large one. They give you a plate of al dente noodles, then a small bowl of cheese you can pour over the noodles, then you dip into the thick gooey soup. The soup is thick glob, that reminds us of adobo with hints of citrus. When you dig in, there are pieces of meat that say "Open up". This is a more modern way to enjoy ramen.

Budget: P310 small bowl, P 350 big bowl
Location: Jupiter, Makati














#2 Ramen Yushoken's Gyokai Tsukemen

What we love: Yushoken's version of the Tsukemen is a seafood lover's dream. The soup has hints of flavors of shrimp and seaweed, although it is not as thick as Mitsuyado's. But dip the noodles into it and you can taste heavenly bonito flakes dancing in your mouth.

Budget: Php 390
Location: Molito Mall, Alabang

GYOZA - Pan-fried dumplings that are sidekicks to every ramen lover's meal.

#1 Shinjuku Ramen House's Gyoza

What we love: Yep, the grandaddy of ramen houses does the gyoza best, pan-fried to perfection, these will tickle your taste buds as you dip in its sauce.  

Budget: Php 185 Big plate: P 270
Location: Makati Avenue

Gyoza   image is from tripadvisor.uk

#2 Kenji Tei's Cheese Gyoza

What we love: Proudly born in BF, Paranaque's Kenji Tei's Cheese Gyoza may not be as thin as the gyozas in Shinjuku or Yushoken, but this dish gets our thumbs up for innovation. The cheese just makes the taste of the gyoza richer, and the SB Hot sauce on mayo dip and could also pass for a good spring roll dip.

Budget: Php 198
Location: Greenbelt 5, Makati

SUKIYAKI - Slow-cooked soup of thinly-sliced beef and vegetables with soy sauce and mirin



Mangetsu's Beef Sukiyaki in HotPot

What we love: We can't get over this dish. This sukiyaki is light and flavorful, shunning the sugary sweetness of other versions. Comes in a weird-shaped iron pot, and with strips and strips of beef that say "hello" with every scoop of the ladle. Good for 4.

Budget: Php 470
Location: Jupiter, Makati






















TONKATSU - a breaded pork cutlet using panko or bread crumbs, the pork may come in lean parts or with fat



Yabu's Oroshi Katsu

What we love: Yabu has perfected the Tonkatsu to an artform, but how do you outdo yourself when you're on top of the game? Add citrus!  Yabu's Oroshi Katsu adds radish and piece of grapefruit you can squeeze on top of the fried katsu giving it a zing. More rice, please!

Budget:  Php 395
Location: SM MOA, Megamall, Robinson's Magnolia, SM Aura



















DONBURI

You can never go wrong with rice toppings. It's the ultimate cop-out way of enjoying a good meal without destroying your budget. Yoshinoya is an example of famous Japanese donburi chain.


















#1 Ryu Ramen and Curry's Toridon

What we love: There's a perfectly good reason to smile when you come in Ryu because there's a bit of something for everyone. The Toridon is strips of chicken teriyaki and mixed vegetables on rice. The chicken was grilled perfectly, the rice was generous. This also comes as a set meal with drink.

Budget:Php 230
Location: SM Jazz, Makati and UP Town Center




#2 Mitsuyado Seimen's Black Pepper Chicken Don

What we love: It's chunks and chunks and chunks of seasoned chicken over rice.
Our tip: eat them while they're hot.

Budget: Php 260
Location: Jupiter, Makati

 
















#3  Komoro Soba
What we love: It's delicious donburi insanely priced at P 99 each. This hidden treasure in Megamall serves Japanese food that is both tummy and wallet-friendly. We just can't get enough of their Oyako don, Gyudon and all those dons that we will make our mouths water. Add a side dish of Kara-age (Php 22 per piece) or Kaki-age (Php32 per piece) and you've got a winner! 

Budget: Php 99
Location: UGL, Building A, SM Megamall


LUNCH SETS/ BENTO BOXES

Kaizen Gozen Photo courtesy of Seryna's FB page

Seryna
What we love: Probably one of the best Japanese restaurants in Makati, Seryna's luncboxes are a treasure trove of Japanese delights. The best time to visit this place is during lunchtime, where you get a menu of only 7 - 8 items, each a specialty worth trying.  The Kaizen Gozen is seafood lovers delight with different kinds of sashimi, tuna, salmon, shrimp, uni, It also comes with 2 pcs. Chicken Kara-age, Rice, Salad, Fruit, Miso soup and side dish.

Budget: P 380
Location: Little Tokyo, Makati

Return to Ryu Ramen and Curry

Went back to Ryu Ramen and Curry to check out if they are still consistent months after we did the review.  It was quite a laidback Saturday night but it was slightly raining. We re-ordered some of our favorites like the Shoyu Ramen, Tamanegi, Toridon and then some.

Shoyu Ramen

The food arrived and was consistent. 
The Shoyu ramen arrived as expected. Quality didn't change, still good for sharing, the noodles were al dente, the fillings were generous. And the price was still P 380. Comparing this to other ramen places, I suddenly appreciated theirs. How the soup turned up as hot and warm as I wanted, how the Chasyu was tender and big and how other stuff like Menma (bamboo shoots), the egg was there and didn't have to top up. Good job for the consistency, Ryu team,

The highlight of my evening was the Toridon, which was done perfectly. The chicken was delicious and tender in fact it was done well. Too bad I was not able to take a photo of it.

Tamanegi - delicious appetizer with onions, shrimps and squid

We also ordered Yasai Itame, but this wasn't one of their strong points. Also had Karaage and Chanan (fried rice) for the kids, and it was good. My only complaint is their mango juice - it was canned, it would be better if they offered fresh juices.

Karaage / Fried Chicken

This place still gets my thumbs up rating.
When you want a generous bowl of steaming hot ramen, come get yours at Ryu.
Taste wise and value for money wise, this place deserves to be experienced by your taste buds.

Salted Egg Ice Cream and other culinary treats at Mabuhay Palace, Manila Hotel

If you're looking for fine-dining Chinese food, the city of Manila is the place to go.
And inside the century old Manila Hotel is their reinvented Chinese restaurant, Mabuhay Palace.

The boring and expected Cantonese cuisine has found a home where culinary twists offer to tickle your taste buds and senses. Pity I was not able to take a picture of their appetizer - crunchy wonton chips drizzled with a bit of honey. The sweet and salty taste reminded me of those popcorn you can buy in the mall. 

Interiors-wise, the place is tasteful and elegant. The food is also a revelation.
Kudos to the Manila Hotel team for reinventing themselves.
Look at their take on some classic and new dishes.

Spinach Beancurd with Bailing and Golden Mushroom

 I was surprised that they make their own tofu or bean curd. The result was silky soft, "eggy" tofu that melts in your mouth. Delicious!
  

Pan Fried Chilean Sea Bass in Light Soy Sauce

Fried Frog Legs

 

Best with rice: Spicy Minced Pork with  Eggplant

I like how they presented the long life prawns. The prawn is huge and tender and the gentle breading looked like an edible birds's nest. This came with a trip of dips - wasabi mayo, plus two more.

The Long Life Prawns are huge

Then came the crowning glory of our meal - the dessert
The Salted Egg Yolk with Black Sesame Ice cream may look like a standard scoop
of Cookies 'n Cream but if you look closer there are small specks of salted egg.
As you dig deeper, the whole salted egg yolk is inside like a buried treasure.
Now this is a dessert that will give you a high.. a cholesterol high but hey, you have to enjoy yourselves sometime. I did.

The restaurant currently has a tieup with BDO Credit cards giving you a whopping  40% off.
Now's the best time to savor this treat.

Salty Egg Yolk Ice Cream with Black Sesame 

Ramen Nagi SM MOA, the good, the bad and the ugly *****

Gone are the days that you pay P 100 - P 200 for a good bowl of ramen.
With the advent "ramenification" and new places opening up,
good ramen bowls have shot up to almost P 500.
And people are lapping it up.

Among the ramen places that opened, Ramen Nagi stands out.
I remember the crazy long lines at Central in HK. (known as Butao Ramen there) It was such a tiny place, sometimes the line would stretch to the streets.

Here in the Manila, I'm glad that the one in Aura isn't so cramped.
The new one in MOA that opened a few months ago was smaller, so expect to share tables.
Ramen Nagi is at the South Area along the line of restaurants near SM Department Store.
Lines are long, but they have a tedious procedure giving you the order slip only when your name is called. (Why don't they just give you the slip while you're in line? ) So the procedure is they call your name and you're allowed to order. Gyoza is ordered orally thru the server. And they call you again if your table or shared table is ready.

We came here for the Black King.
The soup base has squid ink. A ball of squid ink is also added. And it has lots of garlic.
Not really a good-looking bowl at but this is one of best-tasting ramen I've tried.
The pork shoulder is tender and large. The bowl is big and can be shared.
An order costs 410 (+ tax) A bit steep, but the novelty of drinking good-tasting soup
that looked like it came from the swamp is horrifying and satisfying at the same time.
One sip and it's umami overload! Delicious! Worth the sweaty wait.

We also ordered the Green King.
The soup base is pork bones and they add olive oil to the base.
Parmesan is added last, so it feels like eating a soupy pasta.
The taste is a bit overwhelming, and I feel this bowl should be either shared or you should add a bit of spice to it to balance the burst of strong flavors.

Gyoza, The gyoza is made of a thin wrapper and it was done right.
There was an ample amount of chives and pork. This is also a winner especially when
dipped into the sauce. And it came in a sizlling plate!

Overall,
What I love:
Very very good ramen, especially the Black King. ( a must-try)
Orders are done upon your liking, noodle hardness, spice level, etc.
(Quick tip: Just check Chef reco)

What I hate:
Lack of privacy, since you're sharing a table with others, but the tables are small
and its just hard to move around.

Worse, they don't allow leftovers to be taken home or takeouts.
What a waste of good food if you can't finish the whole bowl.
I understand if the soup recipe is a secret and I'm fine if they don't allow takeouts.
But as a customer I have paid 450 pesos for the ramen,
and  have the right to take the leftovers home as I want to.

I suggest for them to make smaller bowls if they want to keep this policy.
Just imagine how much food is just being thrown away.


Ramen Nagi
SM Mall of Asia
Ground Floor, South Wing 
550-2394

SM Aura Premiere
5th Level Sky Park
8286793

Magnum Cafe Manila **

Two years ago, the byword in ice cream was Magnum.
People were crazy about it. People were lining up to buy it.
People were taking pictures of themselves eating it.

What is it in an ice cream bar that drives the hoi polloi to mass hysteria?
I don't get it. Haven't they heard of Pinipig Crunch?
Kidding aside, Magnum is a great Belgian Chocolate treat, although there are varieties with sweetness levels I can't stand. (Too old, maybe :) )

A few year after, they launch the Magnum Cafe in SM Aura. To drum up interest in the Magnum
by giving the customers the power to customize their Magnum. Yep, you heard me right,
for as low as P 100 pesos. You can make your Magnum your own piece of magnum opus.

Dip in caramel? add sprinkles? Add chili flakes? Whatever your pleasure.

 

The lines at Magnum Cafe at SM Aura are a testament that the magnum craze is here to stay.

Although I heard that this will just be pop-up thing, you have a year to satisfy your curiosity and tastebuds and try out the Magnum Cafe at the Sky Park of SM Aura.

Besides the dessert, of course we came for the food.
They have a very limited food menu serving up burgers and pasta with hints of chocolate.

Angus Burger Php 400

The Angus Burger is was soo good, I felt like not sharing.  It's a good burger and the patty is juicy and tender. Could use some more fries, though.

Carbonara with Cocoa Rubbed Bacon

 We ordered two of this, the bacon is semisweet and crunchy, and the taste is enhanced the runny egg.
 Even picky eaters and kids will enjoy this.

Bolognese

They served this with shavings of chocolate, I didn't like the taste of this, I think the chocolate is messing up my tastebuds. I felt it was too rich and making the Bolognese semi-sweet isn't helping out.

Cajun Spiced Chicken Poppers

Crunchy chicken morsels, the glaze turns me off because its too sweet.

The Cookie Skillet comes with 2 Magnums under a freshly-baked giant cookie.

Magnum Cookie Skillet Php 250

You definitely have to experience this within the year
because time is ticking.
I had a great experience although I admit their food is
not something you would like to have every day.
It's is pricey and they need to beef up on their hot food menu
but the pumped up Magnums are worth the experience.

Budget: About 600++ per head
 

Magnum Cafe Manila

Fifth Floor, SM Aura Premier, C5 Road Corner 26th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City(02) 8697916