Ever craved for Chinese food that do not scream with oil and monosodium glutamate? Well, you’re in for a treat. You’ve click the right blog article. Hehe. We have just eaten at Sup Chow and we’ve reviewed the food offerings of this fusion restaurant.
The Restaurant
Sup? Chow is a fusion take on bold Asian flavors with western influences using the freshest ingredients. The chef behind this restaurant is Chef Francis Lim (NAV, Tipple and Slaw).
This restaurant is located in Salcedo Village, Makati. The location is a little hidden since it is located in the 2F of Antel Corporate Center (Entrance is facing the Valero access road).
Although hard to find, this restaurant is actually an exciting discovery for us thanks to our officemates and of course, our #YesPAPA radar, the Zomato Gold 1+1 Food promo.
Upon entering the restaurant, one can already observe the modern but simple interiors accented with the big “Sup? Chow neon lights” and exposed light bulbs.
What We Ordered at Sup Chow
The menu of Sup Chow is very simple but still with variety of choices.
One of the dishes we have sampled is the Mapo Tofu Wontons.
Mapu Tofu Wontons (Php250.00) #YesPAPA
This dish was a very good appetizer and a very good starting point to our meal. The taste of the dish is balance of salty, sweet, and spicy. The texture is also a balance of the soft meat / tofu and the crispy wonton wrappers.
For the mains, we have tried beef and pork dishes with rice and noodles.
Roasted Pork Belly with Fruit Pickles, Mustard Sauce, Light Hoisin (Php390.00) #SobrangSulitPAPA
The taste of the pork itself is actually very similar to pork belly of other Chinese restaurants but the mustard sauce and the pickles are the game changers to dish dish. This dish also comes with 1 soft-boiled egg (plus points for this dish).
Truffle Braised Beef with Sauteed Shrooms (Php450.00) #YummyYesPAPA
Braised beef as itself is already a very tasty and delicious dish. With the addiiton of the mushrooms and the truffle, an additional layer of tastiness and sophistication were added. Not sure whether the truffle used was authentic or not but we’re ok as long as it’s not “lasang gas”.
Beef Rendang with Homemade Curry Paste, Curry Leaves (Php380.00)
As we said in our previous blog posts (See Bebe Rouge Patisserie), we dont really like curry but since this dish gives a muted curry taste, we actually liked this dish. The sauce actually partners well with the very tender meat.
Sup Chow Fried Rice (Php350.00)
This dish has a well-balanced taste though did not really standout as compared to the other dishes.
Spicy Sesame Peanut Noodles with Pork Chili (Php280.00)
We’re not really fond of peanut-y dishes but the pork chili made this dish still memorable. We also recommend that you add additional chili sauce to counter the peanut taste.
Masachi with White Chocolate (Php ) #YesPAPAHeaven
This is heaven disguised as a dessert. The sticky and chewy mochi ball is complemented well by molten white chocolate, which oozes once you bite into it.
Note that all cilantro and cilantro-looking stuff were removed from the dishes. (#CilantroHerbNoPAPAForever haha)
Ever find yourself craving for more unlimited samgyupsal? So are we. Again and again, we find ourselves sitting in front of a grill and ordering trays of Korean meat and side dishes. For this review, we focus our eyes to Jin Joo Korean Grill. The unlimited offer is a new promotion since they only have ala carte dishes previously (they still offer ala carte dishes and unlimited promo for this particular branch is only up to 9 PM).
“Sobrang sawang-sawa na ko sa samgyupsal!”
– said no one ever
For us of course, there is no other option but the unlimited option (Php499.00 / +Php50.00 for dinner) with 10 flavors of premium meat, unlimited kimbap, side dish, and cheese fondue.
Jin Joo Korean Grill is located at the Ground Floor of Glorietta 4 (Note: Entrance is beside Ascott. You need to exit the mall).
As we entered the restaurant, we already felt that the ambience is very bright. The place looks very edgy and model with neon accent lights. Similar to other KBBQ place, Kpop is also played loudly throughout the restaurant (+++ for them because we were able to finally hear 2NE1 on our fourth visit. Ehehe).
For the meats, you can choose from the following 10 types of meat.
Our favorite will be the Cajun Woosamgyup (beef belly with spicy cajun dry rub – #TheBombPAPA) and the unmarinated Woosamgyup (We call this beef bacon. Hehe).
We have also tried the pork skin but did not enjoy the experience since there will be lots of splatter (You will be hurt #MasheketPAPA) and unfortunately, we were not able to make the skin crispy. They also have chicken but we don’t usually order this because its cheap and not worth our stomach space.
They also offer various side dishes (not same for each visit). Our favorites will most probably the Odeng (Korean fish cakes) and their super fresh lettuce.
I can also say that their service is commendable. We didn’t feel that they are panicking (di magkanda-ugaga) when we order different items at the same time. For improvement, I wish they also keep track of the requested items so they will not miss (or there won’t be a need to repeat the orders) next time.
Also, as compared also to other Korean grill restaurants, they use gas (Butane Gas?) for grilling vs charcoal. Were not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. We’re definitely sure, though, that eating 26 trays of meat for a group of 5 is not healthy at all. Hahaha!
They also sell Korean ice cream if you need to cleanse your already greasy palate.
All in all, Jin Joo is definitely our favorite after-work Korean Grill restaurant. Its very strategic location (Makati CBD) made it easy for us to go straight there after work. We also also feel the place exudes a very friendly and happy atmosphere.
Bebe Rouge is located along Metropolitan Ave. but the restaurant is kind of hard to find because its main signage is facing Sacred Heart Street. Upon entering, one can already observe the very vibrant neon pink accent walls and decors throughout the restaurant. There is also the fragrant smell of freshly baked cakes and pastries. They also showcase their cake offerings in their store front display case and baked goods in their very huge center table along with their tea offering in side shelves.
What we ordered at Bebe Rouge
Given that desserts are the main specialty at Bebe Rouge, there are only limited options when it comes to their savory food offerings. In fact, you can only choose between their pasta, Japanese curry, and their breakfast plate. For me, I chose their Katsu Curry.
Katsu Curry – Php340.00 (#SobrangSulitPAPA)
The taste is somewhat what I expected from a Japanese curry although I not sure if it really taste authentic or its because I lowered my expectations since this is clearly not a Japanese restaurant. The dish is balanced between savory and peppery and the spices do not overpower the overall experience. What I love most about this dish is the generosity of meat since there are 2 meatball size Tonkatsu and mixed in the curry sauce are bits of ‘menudo’ sized pork (I thought they are tofu at first).
Japanese Curry Rice – Php295.00
For their other curry dishes, I believe the taste is just similar since they look like the same curry sauce based is used. The difference is just the meat mixed with the sauce.
Creamy Smoked Salmon – Php280.00
Some of my officemates also ordered their Creamy Salmon Carbonara, which has a very ironic name since their only comment on the dish is that its they like it but they wish for it to be creamier.
They said this cake is their best seller. Personally, I do not have special liking for cakes or sweets. Thus, my conclusion that the cake seems to be ordinary. The cake could have been better if it tastes more strawberry than creamy. Also available in sugar free variant (which is sweeter according to my officemates)
Mille Crepe – Php130.00
Even though this crepe cake is overpowered by other cakes, I still appreciate the utility it brings. It acts as palate cleanser in between bites of the other sweeter cakes. This cake is a perfect companion with your coffee or tea.
Salted Caramel – Php140.00 (#YesPAPA)
This is probably the sweetest of all the cakes but the texture its provides is what this cake offers. Soft on the top and crunchy bottom with decadent salted caramel filling is perfect end for a meal.
Mousse Au Chocolat – Php155.00
This cake it good not quite memorable because its just similar to other chocolate mousse.
Other cakes are the following, which I haven’t able to taste.
Savarin (Php130.00)
Overall, Im ok with the Bebe Rouge experience. I think the it could have been better if the visit is for a coffee break or during a laidback afternoon or a typical after-office “chikahan”. We also encountered some problems when we are about to pay our bill. This is because the staff still needed to contact the manager regarding the Zomato Gold promotion.
As someone working in Makati, it is very seldom for us to visit restaurants in Manila or other northern cities since we usually opt to stay at home during weekends (#TitoProblems). For this particular visit, we actually started at Robinsons Place Manila to find somewhere to eat lunch. Since we are craving for Unlimited Samgyupsal and as suggested by our friend, we went to Premier The Samgyupsal.
Premier The Samgyupsal is a restaurant offering unlimited Korean meats and side dishes located along Mabini Street in Malate, Manila. Since we visited lunchtime on a Saturday, we chose their LUNCH Unli Mix (Unlimited Pork and Chicken – 9 Kinds) Promo for Php500.00 Only (Php580.00 All day).
They also offer other promos as follows:
1. Unli Pork and Chicken -6 Kinds (Php500.00 All day / Php450.00 Lunch)
2. Unli Shabu Shabu (Php580.00 All day / Php500.00 Lunch)
NO LINES at Premier the Samgyupsal!
As compared to other more popular Unli Samgyupsal places, we were seated right away for this visit even though the visit was on a weekend. We’re not sure why there is no queue (or if this is a good or bad thing?). We are not sure though if this place is cramped during dinner or other late night service hours.
Another good news is… They are open 24 hours. So if you are craving for samgyupsal during the wee hours, then you’ll know where to go.
Look and Feel
We were not able to appreciate the interior or the look of the restaurant although I know that they have large LCD TVs blasting Kpop music. We believe the place is is perfect for people who wants to chill and binge on Korean meats and side dishes while singing with their favorite Kpop groups.
Unli Mix – 9 Kinds of Meat
Premier Samgyupsal offers an array of Korean side dishes, which are refillable so you can eat your hearts out with Kimchi and fresh lettuce. Too bad they don’t have fish cake as a side dish.
Similar to other Korean Unli restaurants, they also have melted cheese to accompany the meat (or the side dishes).
Moving on to the star of the show, they offer 9 types of meat served in a pig-shaped wooden platter. The meats are just so-so as other similar restos. Since we’re not really fans of pork (but we still wants to maximize our consumption of meat. HAHA), we just finished the initial serving of other kinds and ordered several refills of the samgyupsal.
The Experience
I can say that the experience it quite satisfying especially that we did not experience the horror of queuing for hours vs other Unli Samgyup restaurants. The servers are attentive and they give the requested refills right away.
One negative experience though is that we were felt cheated since they told us that their 1.5L Coca-cola (Php100.00) was already out of stock when we ordered so we opted for their Canned Coke (Php50.00) x 2. After a while, we saw them serve 1.5 Coke for a group which just arrived.
Every now and then, we like to explore the Metro to find and dine on new places. Luckily, our feet led us all the way to Taft Avenue to try Angrydobo. Angrydobo is an adobo-themed (obviously) restaurant by Judy Ann Santos and Ryan Agoncillo. It is located along Taft in front of De La Salle University (Henry Sy Sr. Building).
The interior of the place is simple modern. The ceiling has LED lights with filipino messages is nice but you’ll look weird and stupid if you look up to read them.
The place is a little small so it feels cramped when the place is full. Since place is small, there will be moderate waiting time during peak hours. We visited lunchtime on a holiday and we still needed to wait some time.
It is also best to remember that this is a self-service restaurant. The servers will not take your order you need to pay at the counter. The prices on the menu do not include a service fee, which will be added upon ordering.
The menu is simple and true to the name Angrydobo. Most of main dishes are adobo but there are still options since they also offer items such as appetizers, side dishes, and drinks.
What We Ordered
Since it’s lunchtime, we each individually ordered a rice bowl. For each bowl, you can choose from the following three vegetable side dishes. We each ordered a different side dish so we can taste all.
1. Gising-Gising – veggie is still crunchy and cooked right. It is a bit salty though by itself (which we think is because it is meant to be eaten with rice).
2. Laing – the taste of the coconut milk is apparent but not overpowering. It also is a little salty similar to the Gising-Gising).
3. Steamed Kangkong with Garlic – plain and simple. Kangkong seems fresh and garlic topping is crunchy and cooked well (not burnt). This side dish is good with more salty viands like the classic adobo and tofu adobo. Too bad it was paired with the sardines since the taste is muted when mixed with rice.
Angrydobo Classic (Pork Belly) – Php245.00
Sauce is added at the start, which makes the bowl sizzle (beware if you still have meetings afterwards). Pork seems cooked twice (braised then fried or the other way around). Slices were not too thick and meat is fork tender. By itself, the dish is a little salty (similar to some side dishes) but just enough when mixed with the steaming hot rice.
Angrydobo Tofu (Vegetarian) – Php215.00
Similar to taste of the classic adobo minus the grease from the pork. It is a little dry however. For me, the tofu pieces were a little overcooked. This is a good alternative for diners who want to skip on the meat especially during the lenten season.
Angry Sardines w/ Egg – 235.00
The meat is soft and some of the bones can be eaten without worrying of being stuck in your throat. Although a sauce will also be added, its taste is a little muted compared to the adobo dishes. This dish is good for someone who wants to lesses their salt intake and who want to skip pork/beef.
Bonus: If you want to add “flare”, Angrydobo provides a spicy sauce which is sure to not just elevate the taste of the dishes but also to increase your appetite to finish your bowl of rice.
Nikkei is a simple yet elegant restaurant offering Japanese Peruvian cuisine along Rada Street. The restaurant is similar to John and Yoko, which we previously reviewed.
The Restaurant
Before we turn our attention to the dishes, I would like to give appreciation to the consistency of Nikkei in terms of their decors and the plates and utensils they used for serving the dishes. Special mention to their black table napkins, which gives an overall sophistication to the restaurant.
However, I think it will be better if the place could be less dark so the plating can be better appreciated. Although I also agree that the dim atmosphere actually contributed to the overall rustic feel of the place.
What We Ordered at Nikkei
For the dishes, we ordered the following. Although one main dish is only good for one, we shared some rolls and mains. Hence, was able to taste a lot of their dishes.
This will forever be my favorite at Nikkei. Probably the best risotto I have tasted so far in my life. The seared tuna and fresh uni on top complement the risotto very well to create a seafood explosion in every bite.
For their rolls, I really love how packed each sushi piece is. They are really good value for money although I must say that the prices are still steep.
Panko roll – 5 pcs Php250.00 / 10 pcs Php495.00
The combination of salmon and truffle cream suits well with other components. The crunchy exterior provides a complement to the creamy texture of the interior.
Similar to the Panko roll, the contrast between the soft exterior and the crunchy exterior has made this dish standout. It was also a good thing that we requested for the white fish to be separated, since one of our companion is pregnant, because its taste will probably be drowned by all the other taste.
Since this was the last roll that I’ve tasted, I felt that the taste is a little underwhelming. It might also because the flavor profile of this dish is somewhat similar to the previous rolls I’ve tasted.
Tempura Moriawase – Php395.00
Typical plate of various types of seafood and vegetable tempura, I love that they included to huge pieces of prawn but I think the batter would be better if it has more flavor.
Other dishes that we have ordered but I wasn’t able to taste are the following
Carrileras – Php395.00
Lomo Saltado – Php480.00
Arroz con Leche (Php160.00)
Finally, they offer a FREE single serving of Arroz con Leche if you provide a google review of their place.
The taste is their take on a sweet risotto but for us, it’s just an upscale and creamier version of “champorado” but good enough to end the meal and cleanse the palate.
For me, the overall experience is quite ok since I really love their Uni Risotto. The visit could have been better if not for the following
1. Steep prices – I understand that they are using high quality ingredients for their dishes and this particular visit could have been more budget-friendly if they still have their 1+1 on food promo for Zomato Gold members.
2. One of my companions actually saw one of the cooks picking his nose in front of the cooking equipment and tools, which is very unsanitary and disgusting. Hopefully, this review can be properly communicated to the owners so they could perform the necessary actions and training to their staff to ensure that this instance will not be repeated again.
From the name itself, John and Yoko gives you an idea of unison and love, applied on food of course. The restaurant reminds us of one of the famous members of The Beatles, John Lennon, and his Japanese wife, Yoko Ono. (#NoPapa, we are not from the generation you’re thinking right now. #YesPapa, we love music, and we research, hehe)
Prepare for the rumble, make it double!
John and Yoko Fusion Restaurant
John and Yoko is a cosmopolitan restaurant known for its innovative fusion cuisines. We did just ten cart wheels to get there in Greenbelt 5, excited to taste their intriguing dishes.
The restaurant adopts Japanese theme in their interior and uses pastel colors which are pleasing to the eyes.
Upon seating, we didn’t know there’s a touch of Manila here since we found some Manila paper place mats! Hehe, just kidding.
John and Yoko: What We Ordered
So here are some selected dishes from their menu.
Cheesy Chicken Teriyaki – Php 278
Sounds weird at first for a sushi roll but this one surely did not disappoint our sushi cravings. The cheddar surprisingly went well and made each bite creamy.
Dynamite Roll (#NoPapa) – Php 328
I honestly did not know where to find the “dynamite” in the Dynamite Roll aside from the booming effect of the taste of crispy anchovies on top of the salmon sashimi. Well for us, it made the rolls not just pricey but salty as well.
Salmon Carpaccio (#YesPapa) – Php 358
These are slices of fresh salmon soaked in Ponzu sauce, topped with shredded parmesan and arugula leaves! The cut of the salmon is around 2 millimeters thick each which makes it more absorbent of the taste. This is definitely a must-try!
Crispy Gyudon – Php 348
Classic gyudon savory taste, but with a whole new texture.
Gyu Yakinikudon – Php 348
This is very similar to Filipino’s beef tapa. Although the sweetness is more powerful than saltiness. While we are not fond of sweet viands, this might be enjoyable to you.
Torikatsu Curry – Php 378
The torikatsu curry is good. However, it still does not compare with our favorite katsu restaurant. (Watch out for our revelation on this.)
John and Yoko’s serving of their gyudon and curry bowls is only good for one. We tried to share them but we were all hungry so some of us were not able to try all. Awww. In general, we find these bowls quite pricey.
Chicken and Shrimp Japaella (#YesPapa) – Php 598.00
This tastes like a celebration of love in every subo! You should not miss this one when you visit the restaurant.
Chicken Karaage Paella – Php 558.00
This paella has a calmer taste than the first one, since this one’s focused on the chicken. But both are really tasty and satisfying to our tummies.
Samurai All Meat Pizza – Php 348.00
The pizza is good on its own. We just realized that it doesn’t go well with the other food we ordered. If you’re planning to have merienda, you should try this.
Shiritake Sukiyaki — Php 578.00
Their sukiyaki has a fine soup and full of ingredients. Don’t forget to put the egg immediately while it’s hot.
That’s all for our John and Yoko experience. We hope you get to try it too and comment what you think below. Please scroll a little more for Johnny’s recommendations. Thank you!
Note: Prices are subject to 10% service charge before VAT
When we’re craving for Japanese food, specifically sashimi, no other restaurant would come to our minds but Nihonbashitei (or Nihon, as we prefer to call it). Whether it’s lunch or dinner, we will not think twice into barraging all the way from Ayala Avenue to their branch in either near Dusit Thani Hotel or near Don Bosco. Both of these branches are along Arnaiz Avenue.
Izakaya Nihon Style Dining
When dining, one can choose to sit over the bar for a more immersed Japanese experience. You may also opt to dine within a private room but the servers might only allow it for a group of 4 or more. Another part of the restaurant (not in the photos) also caters to smoking populace wherein one can sit Japanese style (“seiza”).
So without further ado, may we present to you our review of this favorite Japanese restaurant of ours.
What We Ordered
Beef Teppanyaki (#YesPapa) – PhP 320.00
Thinly sliced beef- soft and tender but also tend to be fatty. The sukiyaki sauce is salty from the soy, sweet from the mirin (or rice wine?). It is also tangy from the ginger, which counters the oily taste of the fatty beef. Additionally, the vegetables are cooked just right to maintain its crunch and fresh taste.
Salmon Sashimi – PhP 380.00
Nothing can really go wrong with thinly sliced fresh salmon. The ones from Nihon may not be the best quality as compared to other more expensive Japanese restaurants. But considering its bang for the buck, this dish is one of the best. Just a little bit of wasabi and a splash of soy sauce and you’re good to go.
Spicy Salmon Sashimi (#YePapa) – PhP 300.00
The sauce has just right level of spiciness which is suits well the softness of the sashimi. It must be noted, however, that the salmon pieces are smaller as compared to fresh salmon sashimi but it doesn’t in any way the happiness brought about by this dish. Johnny Tip! Order this every time you visit Nihon! Go!
Spicy Salmon Maki – PhP 280.00
This dish is the same with Spicy Salmon Sashimi but in Maki form. We however noted that the ones used for this dish are even smaller, as compared to the tiny chunks in spicy sashimi, and a tad less fresh. This is recommended for people who cannot handle the full raw taste of sashimi but can handle smaller portions of it with the addition of rice.
Pork Ginger – PhP 300.00
This is actually suggested by one of our colleagues since this is one of her favorites. We are actually expecting it to taste like “tinola” because of the ginger but when we tasted it, it was actually not as bad as we expected it to be. The ginger actually cuts the the sharp taste of the pork. It may not be one of our favorites, but we can’t also say that we didn’t like the dish.
Omurice – PhP 250.00
As Filipinos, we usually can’t eat without rice. Hence, we usually order this dish as companion to beef teppanyaki when we want something different instead of the usual japanese white rice. We just wish that more eggs were used so that the inside of the omelet (the ones touching the rice) is still runny.
Johnny tip! We forgot to ask the servers to serve the ketchup on the side so as to lessen the sour taste of the dish from the tomato (sauce) or ketchup mixed to the rice.
Salmon head (#YesPapa) – PhP 320.00
If one dish exemplifies simplicity is beauty, this dish would probably be it. Grilled just right to make the skin crispy and add a smoky taste to the fish. The flesh was kept moist and soft. Nothing will go to waste since after eating the skin and the flesh, you can also opt to munch on the cartilage-nous part, the bones, and of course, the eye. This dish definitely deserves our #YesPapa recommendation
Johnny tip! You may opt to ask for the fish to be not salted before grilling. This way, you will be able to appreciate the natural taste and freshness of the fish.
California Maki (#NoPapa) – P250.00
Normal california maki. Tasty with complementing flavors from the crabstick and the mango along with the nori but this dish then to be forgettable when combined with other more spectacular dishes.
Ramen
Nihon is not really a popular place when it comes to ramen but they still offer several options for those who want to slurp some soup and noodles.
Ankake Ramen – PhP 280.00
Thick soup (read: lomi levels) overflowing with fresh seafood (shrimp, squid, fish) and vegetables along with thick noodles. This dish is perfect for those wanting a break from all the rawness of sushi and sashimi. A complete dish but not really comparable with other restaurants specializing in ramen.
Chuka Tsukemen – PhP 280.00
This ramen is one of the only two dipping ramen in Nihon’s menu. Although the strong seaweed taste creates a symphony of taste when noodles are dipped, it also suffers the same fate as that of the california maki since it is overpowered by more “like-able” dishes.
Katsu Curry – PhP 320.00
This dish is also one of our staple orders in Nihon when we want a full meal (read: viand and rice) and we do not have enough budget to order viand and rice separately. What we like about this dish is it’s not too strong but still with the savory and deep taste of spices. However, the dish can be gritty at times.
Chicken Teriyaki – PhP 250.00
This dish is delicious as it is perfectly seasoned and not extra sweet unlike other teriyaki chicken dishes offered in other restaurants or fast food. This dish is perfect with steamy white japanese rice. However, this dish seem too ordinary when coupled with our favorites.
During this specific visit to Nihon, Tuna (Toro) and Uni are unavailable. Hence, we are unable to review the dishes which feature the said ingredients. This also means that you should stay tuned for our updates in our blog.
Phew! That’s it! All in all, we cannot deny the fact that Nihonbashi Tei will always be our favorite restaurant offering authentic Japanese cuisine that is affordable and enjoyable.
Note: Prices are inclusive of VAT but subject to 10% service charge.
It was a typical new day of the new year in the office so we decided to find a new place to eat for lunch and write about it in our new blog. (Wow everything’s new, right?). We got out of office a little late so we knew that most of the nearby restaurants, especially the ones inside Greenbelt and Glorietta are already full and lined up. We roamed a little bit farther than what we usually stroll in Legaspi Village and so we happened to hit upon Charlie’s Grind & Grill!
Charlie’s Grind & Grill is a famous burger place which can be found (its Makati branch) in Unit 1A Greenbelt Radissons #107 Aguirre St., Legaspi Village, Makati City.
From the outside, you’ll know it’s going to be calories, calories, and more calories at Charlie’s! The interior is not so big, but could accommodate a big group like us (there were 10 of us). Their design is very casual and perfect for after-work hangouts and comfort food sanctuary.
Now let’s see what Charlie’s Grind and Grill has in store for Johnny!
Let’s start with some appetizers. Everyone’s favorite: FRIES!!!
Fries
Charlie’s is known for making their fries come with extraordinary sauce. They use the same fries as base for their bestsellers, which are made from Igorota Idaho Potatoes. The potatoes are fried to perfection, crispy and light, but not too greasy. Since the potatoes are fried with skin on (read: healthier), we’ve tasted additional texture to the dish as compared to the usual fast food French fries.
Here are some of their sauce selections!
Garlic Parmesan (#YesPapa) – Php 135.00
The garlic mayo and the Parmesan cheese complements each other very well. Additionally, the smoothness of the sauce is a perfect match with the crispiness of the fries. This is perfect for cheese lovers but it maybe best to share with your fellow foodies as the cheese overload may have “umay” factor.
Animal Fries (#YesPapa) – PhP 155.00
Who wouldn’t love the look of melting cheese on top of a bed of fries? Similar to Garlic Parmesan, this dish is also perfect for cheese lovers because of the rich and creamy cheese sauce. The sauce is also combined with the thousand island dressing, which adds a tangy taste. It also has caramelized onions, which gives a deeper, roasted, and mildly sweet dimension to the sauce. These flavors blends well and creates the overall theme of this dish.
Black Truffle Fries (#NoPapa) – Php 210.00
We can’t really say anything bad about the smell and the taste of the truffle oil used in the fries. The earthy aroma adds a dramatic impact to the simplicity of the fried potatoes. However, with chicken liver added, the dish becomes a hit and miss at the same time for us. The grainy/sandy texture and bitter taste of the chicken liver, in addition to its not-so-appetizing appearance, gives negative points to this dish.
Dirty Fries – Php 195.00
Although the bleu cheese sauce is extra creamy and super savory, it gives the right amount of saltiness to the fries. The sauce is also not too strong (which is a plus for us) but still provides the sharpness we expect from bleu cheese. Other toppings such as the bacon bits, diced tomatoes, and green onions bring additional textures. These are welcome additions to accompany the creamy sauce. There is also chicken liver but we noted that the pieces were smaller than those in the Black Truffle Fries, which makes it more tolerable.
Burgers
The burger patties are handmade from Angus or Wagyu beef
Wagyu Beef
The patties made from Wagyu beef are soft and moist but we think that it’s more fatty (oily) as compared to their Angus counterparts. The smoky taste and aroma is very evident, which deepens the beefy flavor of the meat.
Angus Beef
As compared with the Wagyu, the Angus beef patties are firmer but still tender and provides a better bite to the eater but are not too chewy. We can still taste the same smoky flavor the same with the Wagyu.
Burger Variations
Double Black Angus Cheeseburger – Php 360.00
The gooey texture and mild saltiness of the melted American cheese adds a new level of dimension to the burger patties.
Bacon Black Angus Cheeseburger – Php 260.00
The strip of bacon added is crispy, salty, sweet, tangy, and umami. It can be emphasized that nothing goes wrong with bacon in it and anything with bacon is awesome. Did we already say that bacon is awesome? BACON IS AWESOME!
SMB Black Angus Cheeseburger (#YesPapa) – Php 340.00
This burger is similar to the Bacon Angus Cheeseburger but with the special SMB (San Miguel Beer) sauce. This special SMB sauce is the star of this dish, which really contributes on why we consider giving a #YesPapa recommendation. The sauce is awesome sauce — some with the right amount of sweetness, less bitterness, while retaining the citrusy and refreshing taste from the beer.
Sliders – Php 300.00 for 3 pieces
These are just smaller versions of the burger but they opted to use potato buns, which gives a sweet touch to the smoky flavor of the beef patty. This dish is perfect for those who only wants small portion but the whole flavor of the burger. These sliders are available in 1, 3, 6, and 12 pieces.
“Dawg” (Hotdogs)
Kitchen Sink – Php 250.00
The photo above really understates the amount of toppings this “dawg” has -onions, pickles, cheddar cheese, chili con carne, jalapeno peppers, tomatoes, EVERY TOPPING ON THEIR D-A-W-G MENU. ALL. Except of course, the kitchen sink.
Each topping adds layers and layers of flavors to the dish, which complements the oh so meaty dawg, which hits you with hints of smokiness and sweetness. We can feel from the texture of the dawg that only minimal extenders/binding agents were used.
Wings
Reversed Buffalo Wings (#YesPapa) – Php 590.00 for a dozen
This is perfect for people who wants the creamy flavor of blue cheese and are not fond of the spicy variants of chicken wings (i.e., buffalo wings). However, for us spicy wings lovers, a generous drizzle of the spicy sauce on to our wings was needed before we devoured it like Vikings (or just like Johnny ate that spoonful of sugar. HAHA).
Don’t forget to try Charlie’s special sauces to anything you want! They have four sauces: American, Russian, Horsey and Aioli. We were able to try two of them and we loved how they complemented our burgers. Feel free to tell us if you tried the other sauces!
That’s all for now at Charlie’s! We’ll surely love to come back to grab our favorites and try more of their creations. Check out the summary below to see Johnny’s recommendations.
One of the hardest questions we have to ask ourselves every day is “Saan tayo kakain?” (Where are we gonna eat?) We struggle more to decide when one of our friends wants to have Japanese food and another wants pizza. …So sinong mag-aadjust? (So who’s going to adjust?) But as the saying goes, “there’s a solution to every problem”, and fortunately, there’s a solution nearby! Torch Restaurant is somewhere in between casual and fine dining restaurant which is known for their broad range of menu. They offer dishes from different international cuisines and somehow create a new presentation of each. You will see what we’re talking about here when we get to the main part of this blog post. Meanwhile, join us as we step into the beauty of this resto!
Once you enter the restaurant, you will find a fine detailed interior. The high ceilings make the place look bigger and calming to the mind.
While scanning the menu, they provided us with their complementary fried thin noodles sprinkled with salt served in a halo-halo cup (hehe just kidding). It seems to be angel hair pasta, but we’re not quite sure about it.(We forgot to ask, we’ll update you on our next Torch blog hehe.)
Now on to the main stars of our lunch!
We already mentioned that Torch has a wide variety of dishes, right? And since we’re already here, we’ll take all the opportunity we can get (and pay hehe). Let’s start rolling! (Because the first dish is sushi, get it? get it?)
Torch Restaurant – Sushi
Cream Cheese Salmon Roll (#YesYumYum) – Php339.95
This is more than just sushi. This is Cream Cheese Salmon Roll! See how Johnny recreated sushi? They combined salmon and cream cheese, rolled it into a sushi and fried it to perfection. This is definitely a must-try.
Bacon Roll – Php229.95
For those who are still kids at heart (like Johnny), the Bacon roll fits rightfully for your taste buds. Don’t dip it too much in soy sauce! Or your can actually skip the soy sauce for this to avoid making it too salty.
Torch Restaurant – Appetizers
Truffle Fries (#NoYumYum) – Php249.95
As much as we would like to, we were not able to prevent ourselves from comparing the Torch Restaurant’s truffle fries with the ones from Charlie’s Grind and Grill (Read: Johnny Eats at Charlies — A First). As compared with the latter, the former doesn’t have the same earthy aroma and taste of truffle oil, which our taste buds are expecting. The signature dressing, however, is the savior of this dish, as the tartness of the dip complements well with saltiness of the fries. Nevertheless, it is unfortunate that we will give a #NoYumYum recommendation to this dish for now.
Yes Yum Tip! Try dipping your favorite pizza or panizza to the Torch signature dip and discover a whole new wonderful combination. Just forget the disappointment brought about by the truffle fries.
Buffalo Asian Wings (#YesYumYum – Php329.95
This dish just shouts perfection from the time it was served to us up to the point we didn’t realize it was all gone. The wings are fried extra crispy and each bite comes with a sweet coating, which excites our sweet tooth but also prepares our palate with the upcoming spicy kick. The balanced flavor of this dish is the reason why we gave it a #YesPapa recommendation.
Torch Restaurant – Pasta
Torch Restaurant also makes extraordinary pasta dishes. We were able to order two kinds and we’re truly satisfied about the taste, but their serving’s quite too small. Their serving size is good for one meal, but it can be shared by two people if you’re going to order more.
Bacon & Egg Carbonara – Php339.95
Another fine creation of Torch Restaurant. The carbonara sauce is surely creamy. However, the served egg will be runny and the twist is you’ve got to mix it with the pasta. So if you’re not fond of “medium-rare” egg (hehe), you are free to set it aside and enjoy your Bacon & Egg Carbonara with the Egg on the side. We liked this dish but the serving is very, very tiny which makes it pricy.
Meatball Pasta (#YesYumYum) – Php289.95
You won’t get sick of this dish! It’s sour tomato sauce makes it interesting in every taste. This is similar to a puttanesca pasta, minus the olives and added with tasty fried meatballs.
Torch Restaurant – Beef, Pork, and Poultry
Chicken Fingers (#NoYumYum) – Php294.95
These are crispy battered chicken tenders together with their homemade honey mustard sauce. The chicken is quite crispy, yes, but for us, there is nothing much special about this dish which makes it costly. You could find similar dishes to this with tastier chicken in a lower price, or you could skip this and allot more budget on Torch’s other specialty dishes. This is the reason why we opted to tag this with #NoPapa.
Torch Restaurant – Pizza
Unlike any traditional pizza, Torch made their pizza uncommon and shaped it to an oval. Each pizza has a thin crust which is actually good since it is lighter to the tummy and tastier to the mouth.
Philly Cheesesteak Pizza – Php374.95
One of Torch Restaurant’s best-seller, this pizza didn’t disappoint us. But it didn’t impress us much too. It may seem lacking of toppings but each piece of steak is already flavorful. Maybe they need to evenly distribute the toppings to make it much better. Hehe.
White Truffle Sausage Pizza – Php449.95
This pizza is also one of Torch’s best sellers and is topped with Mozarella and Fontina cheese with a touch of truffle oil. Unlike the truffle fries, we have tasted the earthy flavor of the truffle oil, which is further enhanced by the intense flavor of the mushrooms and the saltiness of the sausages.
Uncle’s 5-Cheese Pizza – Php329.95
The 5 types of cheese used for this delightful pizza are cheddar, mozarella, parmesan, ricotta, and Fontina. If you are one of us cheese-lovers, this will not disappoint you. Although, it still has a tomato and basil twist which maintains the Italian feels of this pizza.
Margherita Pizza – Php324.95
This pizza is so lovely, you’d want to take pictures of it in different angles. But it’s not just about the presentation since it’s actually delicious. Those big slices of tomatoes are sweet and a little tomato-ey sour. Combine it with basil for a twist of flavor.
Torch Restaurant – Steak
And the star of the meal goes to…
US Angus Tenderloin Salpicao Medallion
At first sight, we immediately fell in love with its beauty! And the most convenient thing about it is that you get to control the rareness of your steak since it’s served with a burner. We liked it medium-rare, to keep the flavor and the meat tender. Nobody should miss this signature steak!
Our dining experience in Torch has been one of a kind. Feel free to share yours in the comments section! Scroll a little bit more to find Johnny’s recommendations about Torch. 🙂
Notes: Prices are inclusive of VAT and subject to 10% service charge
Torch Restaurant
Location : Level 1, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
