Ramen Bar

Two of my friends own a condo in Eastwood. Whenever I drop by to visit them, I always get so curious with this row of newly opened restaurants in the new Eastwood Mall. What really caught my eye first was Ramen Bar and I was so excited to try it. For the past four times that I've dined here, I always ordered the same thing.

Sapporo Miso Ramen (P320)

It has tamago -- soft boiled egg marinated for 48 hours

Sapporo Ramen is a miso infused tonkotsu (pork bone soup boiled for 20 hours) ramen. It has nori, tamago, corn, butter, negi (spring onions), naruto (sliced fish cake), and chasyu (sliced pork). I love this ramen and have been constantly craving for it. It's very tasty and rich but not too overpowering. I know some people who don't like butter on their ramen but for me, it's part of perfection. It was served warm, not piping hot. I kind of like it that way because that means I can immediately dig in and not wait for the soup to get cooler so it won't burn my tongue. A bowl of this is good for two so I suggest sharing it with someone -- that is if you still want to sample Ramen Bar's other dishes.

Yakiniku Beef Rice Topping (P165)

The thinly-sliced grilled meat is tender and sweet. It's perfectly marinated in Chef Masa's special sauce. I like its simple and clean taste although I've seen an order of Yakiniku Beef a la carte (P195) with so much meat on it that I think it's better to order this instead next time then just order extra rice to go with it.

Kakuni Buns (P180)

The kakuni buns look like your typical cuapao but they taste so much better. It's small but very filling. The tender braised pork belly just melts in your mouth and it's combination with the lettuce, japanese mayo, secret sauce, and the mantou is heavenly.

I've also tried the Spicy Kakuni Buns (not pictured) during another visit. I have to say that I didn't enjoy it that much because instead of the secret sauce, it was topped of with some chili sauce. The beef was still perfectly tender but it came out a bit bland. Would've been better if they kept a little of the secret sauce and then doused it with chili sauce.

Tempura Ice Cream (P120)

During the time visited Ramen Bar, which was just a few weeks old, they only had one dessert -- the Tempura Ice Cream with a chocolate dip. According to the waitress, even the ice cream they use comes straight from Japan so there are times wherein they would run out if this dessert, just like what almost happened to us. Luckily, we got the last batch of the tempura ice cream. The downside was, it was not worth buying. It's worth trying out once just to end your curiosity, but it did not taste good to me. The batter was too salty and too thick that we couldn't taste the ice cream anymore. I hope they would be more generous with the serving of the ice cream next time.

Ramen Bar

G/F New Eastwood Mall, Libis

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 570-9457

BRGR: The Burger Project

Some of my friends from UP Diliman have been recommending this new burger joint inside the Teacher's village for a while now. So one Saturday, my friends and I finally decided to try it.

I find the "personalize-your-own-burger" experience refreshing and exciting. I went up the counter, filled out a form, and started choosing my own burger. I named mine "The Karen Pineda," 'cause I couldn't think of a creative name. It consists of poppyseed bun, Angus beef burger patty, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, caramelized onions, sun dried tomatoes, and sauteed mixed mushrooms with the Special BRGR Sauce. The lettuce, tomato, and pickles come free with the burger just like the poppyseed bun. The total price is P275.00.

I was pleased with my own creation. I really like the generous amount of sun dried tomatoes inside. The sauteed mixed mushrooms are really good. I highly recommend this topping. The only thing that I didn't like is the Special BRGR sauce. It was too sweet for my taste and did not really go well with the patty. I was also supposed to get the Gruyere cheese and the guacamole but unfortunately, they ran out.

Chunky sun dried tomatoes

Caramelized onions

Here's the price list of your customizable burger:

1. Burger Patty
100% Angus beef (P125)
100% local beef (P95)
Tofu (P75)
Chicken (P95)

2. Bun
Poppyseed Bun (FREE)
Potato Bun (P15)
Oatmeal Bun (P15)

3. Cheese (P35)
Bleu
Mozzarella
Gruyere
Cheddar

4. Premium Toppings (P25)
Bacon
Chili con Carne
Caramelized Onions
Canadian Bacon
Pepperoni
Onion Rings
Guacamole

5. Basic Toppings (P20)
Mango Salsa
Pineapple Rings
Jalapeno Peppers
Sun Dried Tomatoes
Egg
Sliced Onions
Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms

6. Sauce (P15)
Wasabi Mayo
BBQ
Teriyaki
Marinara
Pesto
Buffalo Wings
Special BRGR
Garlic

Sweet Potato Fries with Cayenne Pepper (P60)

I also ordered a side of Sweet Potato Fries with Cayenne Pepper. The fries are big and chunky and the serving size is good for sharing. I loved how the sweetness balances off the saltiness and spiciness of the fries. The cayenne pepper gives off a subtle amount of kick.

Onion Rings (P65)

The onion rings are also good for sharing. The breading is perfectly crunchy and the onion inside is soft and thick, so you would really get a taste of it unlike other onion rings wherein you could only taste the breading. 

BRGR: The Burger Project

122 Maginhawa St., Teacher's Village, 

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 351-7474

Open Daily 11:00am - 12:00mn

Crisostomo

My friend Inna had an intimate birthday dinner two months ago in Crisostomo, a new Jose Rizal-inspired restaurant that serves Filipino cuisine. Like the name of the restaurant, which pertains to the lead character in two of Rizal's greatest work in literature, the dishes are also named after the other characters of the same novels.

Calamares ni Tales (Fried Golden Calamares, coated with Desiccated Coconut,  served with Garlic Mayonnaise dip) (P225)

Their calamares was perfectly cooked. It was not rubbery at all. I was a bit skeptical at first when I read about the desiccated coconut but you can hardly even taste it. It tastes like normal breading to me, which was good because I'm not really a big fan of desiccated coconut.

Crazy Sisa Squid (Green Mango with Crispy Squid Salad) (P200)

This salad was just so-so for me. It is lightly dressed in like a sweet asian sauce that coats every piece of vegetable. The squid on top was crispy and gave a nice bite to the dish.

Don Rafael (Crispy Pata with Garlic Sauce and Soy Vinegar) (P550)

The crispy pata was especially good. The skin was crunchy but not tough. The meat was fork tender and tasty. This dish was gone in a span of minutes. I also liked how it was served with two different sauces so you get to choose which one you like or you can mix both of them if you wish.

The different sauces for different dishes

Sinigang Gomez (Sinigang na Baboy sa Sampalok) (P365)

I really enjoyed the way the sinigang was presented to us. It was served in a cute (and rather small) ceramic bowl that was heated by a candle placed right under it. The dish itself was also not disappointing. The vegetables are perfectly cooked, still vibrant in color and not yet wilted. I wish it were more sour though. I love my sinigang extremely sour but I guess the taste was just right so it could be enjoyed by everyone, even those who don't like their soup too sour. The pork was tender and a bit fatty.

Salo Salo Sari Saring Sinugba (Pork BBQ Liempo, Chicken, Pusit, Bangus, Oyster, Inihaw na Talong at acharang Ibarra) (P1, 200)

This platter is perfect for a group of diners. It has a lot of assortments that everyone can try.

Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a photo of the whole restaurant. It has a nice and classy ambiance. The interior does not look typically Filipino at all. It actually kind of reminds me of the baroque French era. Nevertheless, it has a quiet and enjoyable vibe. This restaurant is worth trying even though the dishes are smaller and more expensive than the usual Filipino restaurants.

Crisostomo

2/F New Eastwood Mall, Libis,

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 710-1693