UNCLE CHEFFY (Brick Oven Global Cuisine)

Pumpkin Flower Soup with Shrimp


Each  order of the soup is good for 5 to 6 people which is kinda disappointig  for me since I would have preferred for smaller single servings (that  way, I can have the option of ordering other kinds of soup)

Soup  is served piping hot and the flavor of the pumpkin is there. Minor issue  would be that its a tad too sweet. (oh !!! and where's the shrimp?)


Larrys Craving Panizza
Smoked Salmon, Escargot, Shitaki Mushrooms, Chili Flakes, Onions and Three Cheese



The dough was too soggy, toppings were too few that all I tasted  were the cheese. Slices were cut too wide that after I rolled the  panizza, I almost felt like I was eating a buritto.

I was also  wondering why there isn't any arugula (which i believe plays a major  part in giving the dish its aromatic flavor). All they have is the  alfalfa sprouts, lettuce leaves and tomato salsa. (Cost cutting???  hmmmm)


Spat Chocked Half Chicken Grilled



Not enough flavor, slightly overcooked white meat, dark meat is slightly on the ok side.


Spaghetti Alejandro
Spanish Inspired Pasta with Tomato Sauce, Smoked Chorizo, Pimientos and Edam Cheese



Served hot, al dente noodles, too sweet, no smokey flavor from the chorizo.


New England Pot Roast Beef
With root vegetables, carrots and string beans



The beef is slightly overcooked so its on the dry side. (gravy sauce  did help in moistening up the meat) Though the side dishes like the  potatoes and other veggies were nicely cooked in that they are still  crispy.

Grilled Oysters


If ever they did grill the oysters, I didn't get any of that smokiness.  In fact, the oysters were a bit too raw. (which isn't much of a problem  for me, but should be for some of my relatives who are not fond of raw  seafoods)

The one saving grace (as far as my relatives are  concerned) would be the mango relish on top which gives the oysters some  zing. (and to slightly mask the rawness of the seafood)


On a Personal Sidenote:

The acoustics here are overly bad that you can hear the noisy chatter from across the dining area.

Speaking  of noisy chatter, we were quite unfortunate to be beside this big group  of a family who in the course of their normal conversation felt the  need to talk in a shouting manner considering they are practically just a  few feet away from each other.


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Uncle Cheffy is located at 2nd Floor of Eastwood Mall.

UKKOKEI RAMEN RON (Malate Branch)

Been hearing a few good things about this ramen house from friends and relatives ....... I actually tried dining here a few months ago in their Makati Branch but unfortunately at that time, they were closed. It was just last week that I was in the malate area with a friend so we decided for a look-see (as well as a taste)


GYOZA



I like the size of the dumplings here in that its small enough for a single bite. The pieces are not overly oily though flavors are not really those that will "wow" me. Another good thing is that the dumplings are served very hot.


CHICKEN KARAAGE



Slightly crunchy on the outside, tender and moist meat on the inside ...... their downfall is the over saltiness of the chicken as well as the unimaginative mayonnaise as dipping sauce. (me thinks some kind of gravy would have given the dish more ooomph)


BEEF SAIKORO STEAK


Flavors are there combined with that smokey and charred crust. Meat is very tender and nicely cooked to medium rare. Downside is the cook was (again) a little heavy handed on the salt. The sidings of french fries are not much help as they were dry.


AJI TAMAGO



I just sooooo love the creaminess of the yolk ......... the whites were what ruined it as it was way too salty.


TANTANMIEN RAMEN


As per the suggestion of the very friendly server (as well as from a friend) ...... I ordered this for sampling. (my companion was already full with the appetizers and the San Mig Lights so its just one order of ramen)

Flavors are nice with the miso and curry combination. The spicy kick at the end is an added bonus. I'm just not a big fan of minced pork in the broth. (I'd settle for thin pork slices).

The noodles were a little on the disappointing side as I was probably expecting it to be some special handmade or homemade type instead of those common dry noodles brought from groceries.


On a personal sidenote:
I will still try and comeback to try some of the other ramen flavors (preferably the ones with the thin pork or beef slices). Also might consider trying out their makati branch.


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UKKOKEI RAMEN RON is located at 888 Gateway Plaza Bldg., 2126 A. Mabini Street, Malate, Manila.

Directions: Comingfrom Taft Avenue, take Quirino Avenue going into the direction of Roxas Boulevard. After the intersection of Adriatico (Victoria Court Motel serves as your landmark) keep going stright until you come to a Gas Station (not exactly sure it its Caltex) ...... thats A. Mabini. Turn right and keep going straight. Probably a little less than 200 meters UKKOKEI shouldbe to your right side. (its just beside an Angels Pizza outlet and almost across some japanese ktv)

RESTORANTE LA CAPRE

Complimentary Nachos



Ground beef is a little overdone and the tomato salsa had a weird  aftertaste. (but hey, I shouldn't really be complaining since its free)


Pizza La Capre



Crust is tortilla thin and comes out very crispy (but not burnt). And  because of the thinness, we taste more of the toppings like the cheese  and the shrimps. I purposely left a slice of the pizza on my plate for a  good 30 minutes, and while the dish had already gotten cold, the  crispiness of the crust is still there and there is no flakey texture  from the cheese. (but eventually, the crust will soften up)

Considering  Restorante La Capre also doubles as an inuman venue (watering hole),  this pizza dish would make a great pulutan. (this was my favorite dish  of the evening)


Sizzling Gambas



Shrimps are too small. The garlic was overdone so the dish had a very bitter aftertaste.


Asian Crocodile



Sizzling Crocodile



Both  sauces from the two crocodile dish were good with the sizzling version  having a bit more heat. Texture of the meat is chewy, much like a  properly cooked squid. Taste resembles that of chicken.


Tapang Baboy Damo



I'm assuming that the pig is of the wild kind so I expected the meat to  be a bit tougher than those brought in the regular market. In reality it  isn't much tough to chew on but I must admit it's not as tender as I  would have wanted to be.

The meat is a bit gamey, but the accompanied vinegar dipping sauce does help to lessen the aftertaste.


T-Bone Steak



We asked for medium doneness, it came out well done. The result is a  piece of semi dry steak is that is quite tough to chew on. Side veggies  are still crispy and seasoned well.


Canton con Lechon



The pansit canton is nothing to crow about, especially with the  soggy noodles. I'm pretty sure there are pansiterias in the metropolis  that are much much better. The several pieces of lechon kawali are good  on its own but as whole doesn't really elevate the noodle dish.


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Restorante La Capre is located at Scout Santiago corner Scout Limbaga.




On a personal sidenote:

Ever  since my first visit here, I went back several times to try some of the  other pizza flavors, and they turn out to be quite good too. I also  enjoyed their oysters and their lamb steak.

LKY RESTAURANT

Saw the sign as we were passing thru San Vicente Street corner T. Pin Pin in Binondo Manila. Dad says we should try it sometime (he is a fan of singaporean Hainanese Chicken). So it was a couple of weeks later when we were in the area again.



LAKSA



Noodles are firm, soup is served piping hot. Problem here is its not spicy at all. The only flavor we got was from the curry.


SINGAPOREAN FRIED RICE



Singaporean  food (at least in my personal standards) is a melting pot of the  different flavors of many asian countries. So to call a rice dish singaporean, I would at the very least expect strong flavors ......  sadly there is none whatsoever in this plate of oily colored rice.


HOKKIEN PRAWN NOODLE



For  a noodle dish that names prawns as its main flavor profile ...... I'm  seeing a lot of squid and very little of the so-called prawns.


SAMBAL SQUID



Flavor is there, squid is quite tender to the bite. Whats lacking is a the "Heat" from spices.


SINGAPOREAN CHICKEN RICE



In  other singaporean inspired eateries, their chicken rice is moist and  slightly greasy and really flavorful. This one is dry and tasteless.


SINGAPOREAN HAINANESE CHICKEN



Now who would be crazy enough to eat a chicken dish thats still predominantly raw ???? Eeeew !!!!

On a personal sidenote:

For  a restaurant that advertises Hainanese Chicken as its main specialty  ........ its a total bummer if they can't even get that part right.

Tale of Two Steaks

Cow King

Was supposed to order the rib-eye, but the server told me they were out of stock. I instead ordered the Porterhouse. It was priced somewhere in the 300+ peso range and (considering that price) I was sooooo surprised when my order came because I am now staring at this huge, and I mean huge slab of meat right in front of me Why it can barely fit into the sizzling plate. Downside would be that my steak was so rubbery, that I believe I spent more time trying to slice the meat than actually enjoying it. Why I think I'm starting to develop arthritis on my arthritis.



I ordered for a rare steak and I got one thats more cooked than the one my friend ordered (he ordered a medium well)

In fairness, my other companions said theirs were ok (we all ordered porterhouse). I guess, I'm just the unlucky one.



Included with each order of steak, is a small serving of mashed potatoes ........ flavor was nice but texture was just a bit too gooey. (I like my potatoes lumpy)

Cow King is located along Scout Ybardolaza Street near the corner of Scout Fuentabella Street in Quezon City. From the Timog-Tomas Morato rotunda, take timog going into the direction of Edsa. At the second corner (a shell gas station should serve as landmark) take a right. At the fourth corner, that should be Scout Fuentabella, just look to your right and the eatery should be seen after the intersection.


Aomori









More of a bakeshop that sells breads and macarons plus some japanese goodies, this place also offers breakfast fare like waffles as well as ala carte menu like pastas and steaks (just to name a few). I opted for the Australian Meltique, Mushroom Confit with Red Wine Sauce. (well thats whats written in the menu)



Its priced in the 400+ peso range and I was delightfully surprised that the serving is still big. (though not as big as the one in Cow King) I ordered a medium rare and the cook did a good job on this one. Its still a little over but not to the extreme. Meat is very tender and quite flavorful. The addition of the sauce doesn't really elevate the dish to a much higher level. (frankly, I think its quite forgettable). I would be quite content with the steak alone. of course, the potato wedges, grilled tomatoes and big onion rings are a welcome addition.

Aomori is located at the lower ground floor of North East Square Building, Connecticut Avenue in San Juan. (if you are coming from Edsa, its just a few houses pass Lugang and Angels Kitchen)

ANGEL'S KITCHEN

A few friends of mine have been recommending this place since last year and we actually tried dining here before....... There was this one time when we couldn't get a seat at Lugang (just beside Angel's Kitchen) that we thought about trying the place out. But alas, without a reservation (and it was near 12noon) they could only manage a table for two (while we were a party of four).



Just last week, I made sure that we would get a table so I called in early for a reservation .......


While waiting for our orders, we were served some Complimentary Bread and Chicken Liver Pate.



Pate is creamy and seasoned just right...... bread is a bit too crispy for my personal taste. (but mom really enjoyed it)


Tuscan Tomato Soup



No cream in the soup, it's all tomatoes, herbs and spices (plus soup stock) Really delicious .... Enough said.


Longganisa Bolognese



The ground meat doesn't really taste like longganisa (at least not  the taste that I'm accustomed to) but overall, still an enoyable dish of  al dente pasta and flavorful harmony of olive oil plus the herbs and  spices.


Lamb Curry with Apple Raisin Chutney



The brisket was a little over so it's kinda dry and stringy. Indian  inspired curry sauce was a bit instense but should be alright if taken  with the sweetness of the apple chutney.


Atlantic Salmon in Aioli Potato Crust



Perfectly cooked salmon, mashed potatoes are a bit bland but good when you mix with the wasabi mayo.


Pinakbet Rice with Lechon Kawali & Chocolate Bagoong (Shrimp Paste)



(According to the menu, this is an award winning dish) Rice has the subtle flavor of bagoong so adding more of it  will only make it too salty. Veggies are crispy though the ampalaya are a bit too bitter. The pork is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside though was a little lacking in flavor. (guess thats where the bagoong comes into play, which by da way has very little distinct taste of chocolate)

Overall, I still think its a good dish though I'd personally skip the big slices of fried pork.


Rustic Apple Pie with Butterscotch Sauce



Not the prettiest to look at (I guess thats the rustic part of it), but overall it's still a good dessert. Apples were still semi crispy and they went really well with the sprinkling of cinnamon. Minor issue would be the top crust as its really tough to the bite.


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My Ipod touch indicates that they have wifi connection, but I didn't ask for the password.


Angel's Kitchen is located at 57 Connecticut Street, San Juan, Metro Manila  (just in between Lugang and this japanese grocery called Kombin)

AJISEN RAMEN

Was recently in the mood for some ramen ..... but I wasn't in that much of a mood to try out newer ones so its offto my present favorite. Its been months since I last ate here so here's hoping the ramen dish is still good.

And since we are here already, might as well try some of the appetizers.

Ebi Wrap
Shrimp Roll wrapped in Lettuce



I took a few bites but I could not taste any shrimp. Underneath the layers of thinly sliced cucumbers, crab roe, tempura flakes and tuna shavings,



I got to the fritter and opened it up. Only to be disappointed because the filling is mostly ground pork and very little of shrimp.


Enoki Maki
Golden Mushrooms wrapped with Sliced Beef



The sliced beef were a bit overcooked so it tasted kinda dry. On its own, the enoki mushrooms and beef were pretty much underseasoned. Making use of the accompanied dipping sauce made it slightly better.


Beef Teppanyaki Ramen
Ramen topped with Imported Beef Steak



The broth ..... They use the tonkotsu variety which is pork bones that has been simmered for approximately 18 to 20 hrs. It's piping hot, buttery aroma, very flavorful (though I think I detect a hint of msg). the beef teppanyaki were tender and the drippings give the broth a subtle beefy flavor. The noodles are firm and bouncy to the bite. I purposely let some of my noodles soak in the broth for around 15 minutes while I finish off the enoki mushrooms. And when I got back to them, they were still firm to the bite.

Minor disappointment would be the eggs as the yolks were a little dry.


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Ajisen Ramen is located at: Level 2 North East Square Bldg. Conneticut Ave. San Juan. (they also have a branch at Robinsons Place Manila)