Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Hokkaido Ramen Santouka at Serin Tagaytay

We briefly revisited Ayala's al fresco Serin Mall in Tagaytay and discovered a Japanese ramen and tonkatsu restaurant. There are two counters (sister companies) that serve different kinds of Japanese food. During this visit, we were only able to sample a few dishes at the ramen counter known as Hokkaido Ramen Santouka.


It was our first time to find this ramen place but we were told that they already had a number of branches located in Glorietta 4, Mall of Asia, Greenhills Promenade, Trinoma Mall, Eastwood, and soon to open in Nuvali.




This is the Sake Ikura Gohan or Grilled Salmon and Roe rice bowl. The bowl is not meant as a lunch dish but more of a side dish because the serving is small.  



The Shio (salt flavor) Ramen is a signature dish and the broth is quite tasty. The quality of ingredients used seemed very good. However, the single portion of this ramen is just enough for a snack or a light meal.

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Banapple arrives in Nuvali

At least as of this writing, the recently opened Banapple Restaurant seems to be a favorite weekend stop of families and bikers.  They open at 10am.


They offer breakfast meals all day such as Garlic Beef Tapa with Creamed Parsley Eggs.


Main entrees and pasta meals are available. This is their Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs.


And this is the Beef Salpicao.


Of course, they are best known for their desserts. Here is the Chocolate Chip Walnut Pie. One diner exclaimed, "This is sinfully delicious!"

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For more details about Nuvali, visit this page:

http://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2015/06/ayala-lands-nuvali-solenad-3-looms.html

Comfort food at Cafe Breton

Cafe Breton has been in the Philippines for many years already and has become a familiar haunt. Here are a few good dishes that we have enjoyed there...



Galette Rustique is served with wheat crepe and includes Canadian bacon, tomatoes and egg. 



Cheesy Chix with Asparagus is a creamy crepe with chicken meat, asparagus, and cheese.


Their burgers are rich and high calorie but very flavorful.





Monday, September 7, 2015

The Morning After at Nuvali

This is one of the first restaurants to open in Solenad 3.  They serve breakfast starting at 8am.



Coming from the older Solenad 2 area, the restaurant is visible and easy to find.



As of this writing, the restaurant is one of the few establishments in Solenad 3 that open for breakfast.




They offer a wide choice of breakfast fare. The sweet longganisa comes with garlic (or plain) rice and pickled vegetables.

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For more details about Nuvali, visit this page:

http://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2015/06/ayala-lands-nuvali-solenad-3-looms.html

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Early Bird Breakfast Club at Solenad 3

Early Bird Breakfast Club just opened its fourth branch in Nuvali.  They are still on soft opening as of the time of this writing.



The restaurant is located in Solenad 3.



Diners trying out the new breakfast place on a Sunday morning.



Fried Chicken and Breakfast Waffle is crispy chicken served with their version of potato and pancake waffles.



Sweet Glazed Katcino is a fusion of tocino and katsu.  



Viva Longganisa is a sweet kind of longganisa.

Our experience -- dining involves not just satisfying the palate but also includes enjoying good ambiance. At the time that we visited the breakfast place, only one air conditioner was operating (we were told the other one was due for cleaning but we heard other unconfirmed reports that the air conditioning problem may be related to mall issues) and the restaurant bathroom was out of order. 

Unfortunately, because we were affected by the heat, it was difficult to fully enjoy the food. The staff was apologetic about the inconvenience but was not in a position to act on the problem.

We are hopeful that this problem will be resolved soonest as some people have commented that the restaurant is a bit warm for comfort.

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For more details about Nuvali, visit this page:

http://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2015/06/ayala-lands-nuvali-solenad-3-looms.html






Sisig Society opens second branch

Sisig Society opened in Nuvali's Solenad 3. We had a chance to sample the crispy sisig dish during their soft opening.

The restaurant started in the Eastwood Ortigas area and this latest branch is the second one.



The restaurant is located across Seattle's Best and offers a casual dining experience.



The ceiling is a point of interest.  The lights spell the word "create" in an unique manner.



As the name implies, the restaurant offers different kinds of sisig, namely, Crispy (chicharon, onion, sarsa), Garlic Shroom (mushroom, onion, sarsa), Bacon and Cheese (bacon, cheese, creamy sauce), and Diablo (bacon, chorizo, diablo sauce). The choice of meat is pork, chicken or seafood. And the choice of sides is rice or nachos.




We only tried one dish -- the crispy pork sisig with rice.  Their version includes stir fried pork bits and onions doused with a creamy kind of sauce.  

Since taste is personal, it is open to various opinions. Some food enthusiasts prefer a crispy kind of sisig that is drier and crunchier (without sauce). Onions are also expected to be caramelized well. Also, not everyone eats sisig with egg.

The manager was gracious enough to ask for some feedback after we ate.  Since they were still on soft opening then, I assume that they will find more ways to get better.

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On another visit a year after opening day, the above sisig fries seemed to have perfected its crispiness amidst a sea of creamy sauce that added another dimension to the flavors.

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For more details about Nuvali, visit this page:

http://joyposadaswrites.blogspot.com/2015/06/ayala-lands-nuvali-solenad-3-looms.html