What's up with Kulinarya Rockwell?

Restaurants come and go. But the ingenious ones never stop reinventing themselves.
Kulinarya has been one of the long time tenants at the ground floor of Rockwell,
this casual dining place has withstood changes by constantly updating its menu and the look of its store. The Kulinarya Kitchen doesn't look like the Kulinarya I remembered, the new store is brighter and seems to be designed to attract a younger crowd. But the East meets West dining concept remains.

The appetizers were a welcoming sight.
Order the Chorizo and Cheese dip, this dish is one of their best.
The dip came with tortillas and chips, which we can't stop dipping into the gooey cheese.

Chorizo and Cheese dip Php 400

We also tried their Fresh Mushroom soup. It's creamy yet earthy, but filling. But I'm not a big fan of mushroom soup.

Fresh Mushroom Soup Php 175

We also ordered gambas since we brought along a child who kept asking for shrimp, we gave in.

Bad choice. Of all the dishes to fail in, Gambas was fairly easy to do, but ours not only arrived in bad shape, the shrimp we’re not fresh, it was overcooked and the sauce so bad.

Fresh Shrimp Gambas unappatizing and overcooked Php 285

For Mains, we had the Surf and Turf Platter, which has tender roast beef and baked shrimps thermidor. The beef was tender, and the shrimps were ok. It's just the stupid gambas that ruined our appetite.

Surf and Turn Php 895

We also tried their Seafood and Chicken Paella Risotto . Despite the wait, this one was also so-so. And the shrimps were also overcooked. The rice was soft but the flavors were not locked in.

I'm quite torn if I were to rate this place. It was a hit and miss and I 

used to love their Salpicao back then. I just hope they're not leaning too much 
in making this place into another KXP (their down--scaled sister restaurant) 
So next time, I sticking to the classics.

Average per person about P 350 -400 per head

Check out their menu here
http://www.munchpunch.com/kulinarya-kitchen-power-plant-mall/menu

Restaurant Hours:
11AM to 9PM (Mon to Thu), 11AM to 10PM (Fri)
10AM to 10PM (Sat), 10AM to 9PM (Sun)
Happy Hour - 3PM to 6PM Daily

P1 Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center
Makati City, Philippines 1200
Telephone Nos. 898-1738 | 898-1864
Email: info@kulinaryakitchen.com

Kimukatsu - Taste the different Tonkatsu flavors

A lot of Tonkatsu places have been opening up in the metro.
It seems that a lot of Pinoys are catching up on the Tonkatsu craze.

If you're not aware what Tonkatsu is, it's a breaded pork cutlet much like the breaded porkchop.
The breading used is Panko, special bread crumbs that give it that distinctive crunch.
Generally served with shredded cabbage, it also comes with a special Tonkatsu sauce for dipping.

Kimukatsu, an international chain with 24 branches worldwide has opened two branches in the Philippines. One in Shangri-la Mall and a new one at Century City Mall in Makati.

The one I visited in Century City Mall is one of the better designed Japanese casual dining places. I can't help but notice the elegant black-hued interiors, very classy.

Even the menu has simple touches of Yin and Yang. With a black menu for the men and white for the women. The first thing you notice are bottles of dressings for the cabbage - goma, vinaigrette and spicy. And what look liked teapots are the Tonkatsu and Yuzu sauces.

Tonkatsu sauce is black, Yuzu is white

Kimukatsu claims that they are the only restaurant in the world that offers Tonkatsu mille-feuille style,or 25 layers of thinly-sliced pork in 7 flavors: Plain, Garlic, Cheese, Negi Shio (spring onion), Black Pepper, Yuzu Kosho (Citrus and chili pepper)  and Ume Shiso (sour plum and shiso leaf).

All 7 in one go!

P 390 for 130 g

Also comes in red

More rice anyone?

  
Among these flavors, I ordered the runaway bestseller which is cheese.
Each set of comes with unlimited shredded cabbage, miso soup (two kinds), premium Japanese rice (this is really good, sticky rice like the ones used in sushi) and pickles.

The Cheese Tonkatsu (Php 390 for 130 g) is melt-in-your-mouth good. I was expecting a thicker chunk of meat, but it was delicious. The cheese is kinda steady but not gooey. The breading was light and crunchy. As I was eating it, I was trying to count the layers hahaha.

We also ordered the Ebi Fry Set ( P 495) 
This one I liked. Jumbo prawns, check! Awesome breading? Check! More rice? Check!
The set also comes with unlimited cabbage, soup, rice and pickles.

The verdict: Great, great food. but service needs to be improved.

Our order of soda did not arrive and was charged. And the table at our back had a complaint
about also getting billed for something they did not order. But this is quite understandable
since they just opened.

Tonkatsu Flavors reviewed:

Plain  - melt-in-your mouth tender, no oily aftertaste, this is their signature recipe

Cheese - tender and the cheese is not overflowing it's not overwhelming, too,
the cheese complements the meat, so if you want it flavored, this is the safest choice

Garlic - anything with garlic tastes good, including this. If you're on a date, insist on a strong mouthwash after your meal :)

Negi Shio - spring onion is good also although there's a slight lingering aftertaste, best enjoyed with soda

Yuzu Kosho - Hot Dish Alert!  This is very, very spicy with a hint of tanginess because of the citrus.  It's like eating crushed peppers. See that green stuff in between the meat? That's pure hot stuff.  I can take spicy stuff but I got burned by this.

The 130g Tonkatsu is good enough to be enjoyed by one.
If you want to try different flavors, they have a set that has 3 different tonkatsu flavors, and 2 rice sets for Php 1200. If you want your tonkatsu traditional is also the Hire and Rosu version (not the layered ones.)

o

Kimukatsu
4th Floor Century City Mall
beside Ikkoryu Ramen
Budget about Php 450 per head.
(02) 812-0333

A quick reunion at the Plantation

Located at C. Palanca Street, you can find the Plantation tucked in among the concrete jungle of Legaspi Village, Makati. On that street that screams Gweilos and The Balcony (formerly Bistro 101), Plantation holds in own with its menu of great food served at popular prices.

That January night we had a mini reunion of ad agency mates. My boy Siegfried who came home for a vacation after another 2 year stint at DDB Bahrain and Qatar is missing pork, really bad.

I ordered the Mediterranean Porkchops (195), their must try dish, Two big chops with sauce on the side and rice pilaf. Served at my table it was wafting with an inviting smell, calling me to"eat me at once." It was delicious, the pork was grilled perfectly and the sauce is just enough, I wanted more of the rice, though. My friends had chicken parmesan or parmigiana although I'm not a big fan of tomato-based dishes, They too were raving about it.

We also had nachos. and double orders of wedges, now the wedges were the bomb! ansarap
Beer was Buy one Take one before 10. So we helped ourselves with extra orders to last us til midnight.