Sakai

2011 was the year I fell in love with Japanese food.  I mean, I've always been obsessed with Inagiku, but now I love pretty much everything Japanese (note how I said pretty much -- there are still exceptions. I'm looking at you, Japanese fast food chains!). 

Anyway, today I'm going to let you in on the most brilliant (and bang-for-your-buck) Japanese place in Manila. It's called Sakai, and it's located somewhere in Makati. Like, near Jupiter Street, I think. My mom (or was it my dad? I don't know for sure) was the one who discovered it and I love it to deeeaaaaaath. Their prices are really AWESOME (300-600) and during lunch time they have special lunch sets that go for around 300-400. 

Yabu: House of Katsu, Mega Atrium

My sister horribly failing to strike a pose.

I've been long over the fried Japanese dishes such as tempura, tonkatsu, katsudon, and the like.

They're usually overcooked and heaps oily. Sometimes even fatty.

And that was until we ate at Yabu.

Essentially, there's hardly anything on the menu that's not katsu, duh. 

This is the special sauce that every table has.

It's the sweet sweet soy thing.

Beside it, there are 2 sauce bottles that contain different dressings for your cabbage.

Yes, cabbage. 

They serve you unlimited cabbage.

100g Hire Set.
Hire= pork tenderloin.

This is what the meal looks like.

Epic portions of everything- except the pork.

Hero Teppanyaki, Chatswood, Australia

Instead of properly drawing
I start doodling
How appropriate
BTW, World's Greatest Shave in the background.
 I've been thinking.
It pays to be WILD cause you'll only live once!

I should be drawing up some perspective sketches and making some painstaking models right now, but instead I'm writing a post. Not because I'm compelled to, but I think it's a rather pleasant outlet for me to unwind and destress. And if I do have time after all of this, I will catch up on all my culinary readings.

We celebrated my auntie's birthday last week, she treated us out for Japanese Food. My cousin got excited at the prospect of teppanyaki.* Apparently, this one in Chatswood is quite popular so we tried it out!

Teppan Fried Udon with Prawns and Hokkaido Squid
YAY for Bonito Flakes!

This dish I found quite bland, there was no layering of flavors or anything of that sort. The seafood that came with it was pristine and fresh. Finally, the main star of the show, the udon was perfectly, perfectly cooked. It had a nice bite to it.

Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza

The Grand Stairway

A couple of years ago, there was a buffet craze, everybody was raving about Heat, Circles, and Spiral. Well, I've been to all three, and I seriously think that Spiral has the best selection. That's why we kept returning, or at least for a certain period of time.


More or less after a year since I've last visited Spiral, I'm finally back to chow down some more. And it's good to see that Spiral has progressed and improved with their food.