Tonchaya Japanese Kitchen & Bar: Okonomiyummy

It's been a while! Let's see if I still remember how to do this. :)

Okonomiyaki, in case you aren't familiar, is kind of like a Japanese pancake. It's made of whatever Takoyaki is made of, and therefore, it's usually good stuff.

Tonchaya's Special Okonomiyaki, P300.00

Savoury Japanese pancake topped with Pork, Prawns, Cabbage, Beni Shoga (Pickled Ginger), Aonori (Seaweed Flakes), Katsuoboshi (Bonito Shavings), Japanese Mayonnaise, and Okonomiyaki Sauce.
Tonchaya's monstrous Okonomiyaki is more of a pizza than a pancake, and I mean that in a good way. You'd want more than a slice of this delicious meal that serves 3 to 4. Who doesn't love those fishy flakes that dance in the heat, anyway? Haha.

Tonchaya's Special Gyoza, P150.00

Fried Dumplings stuffed with Pork, Prawns, and Vegetables
Tonchaya's Special something again?? I'm noticing a pattern here... Haha. I'm not really into gyoza and this is no exception. From what I do remember, it was so-so. I've never really had a gyoza I really liked though.

Spicy Seafood Ramen, P380.00

Is there any Japanese restaurant not capitalizing on the hype of Ramen nowadays? We got to try this ramen and I'm glad we chose this because I find all non-spicy ramen to be so boring. Haha. It was okay and the soup was good, but the noodles were nothing special.

Our group also ordered a platter of sushi to share, but I don't remember how much it cost. I don't think it was too expensive though. It was real Japanese rice, so it was not bad at all. :)

Look at that delicious platter! If I have this, I won't need to order anything else. Haha.

A good lunch and definitely a place to come back to! Nice interiors too. You can find Tonchaya at the Fort Strip, the place with horrendous parking fees. Haha.

Menu:
Sashimi, Nigiri Sushi, Maki
Tempura, Ramen
Teishoku Sets
Okonomiyaki, Gyoza

Verdict:
Tonchaya's Special Okonomiyaki: Very Good
Tonchaya's Special Gyoza: Okay
Spicy Seafood Ramen: Good
Sushi something platter: Good

Love Tonchaya? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Brasas: Latino Heat
Chuck's Deli: Buffy the Sandwich Slayer
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
Kebabers: Cheese Kebabs
Órale!: The Best Quesadillas
Pancake House: Cookie Butter Pancakes Surprise
The Best Pasta of Pasto
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saboten: Enjoyin' Some Loin
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
Seattle's Best: Sea Salt and Salad
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
URBN: Dining with Style
Uncle Cheffy: A Piece 'a Panizza
Wildflour's Cronut: The Doughnut and Croissant's Love Child
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better
Yabu: Bed of Rosus
Let Me See That Zong

TONCHAYA JAPANESE KITCHEN & BAR
G/F The Fort Strip, 26th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
(02) 808-9750
Operating Hours: 11:00 am - 11:00 am
Facebook: Tonchaya Japanese Kitchen & Bar


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Hatch 22: Birth of a New Café

Facade outside Powerplant.

Is it a bar? a bakery? a café? Yes, yes and yes. Alvie and I were fortunate to have been able to attend a media event of this fine new establishment at Rockwell. The term Catch 22 is often used to describe problems to which there are no solutions. Hatch 22, on the other hand, might very well be the solution to any kind of problem, serving all-day breakfast and great food for any meal needs, coffee to give you a jolt, and a wide array of drinks for when you just want to forget your problems altogether. Haha.

The Bakery

We were welcomed by sweet smells of delicious bread and pastries and the sight of a kitchen hard at work. Further in, we settled in at our table and waited for the event to start. Not too long after, we started enjoying the coffee, drinks and food they had prepared, and owner Erwan Heussaff and chef Pete Ayson gave us a brief introduction to the restaurant's concept and philosophy.

Chef Pete Ayson and Erwan Heussaff by the bar.

What ensued after was pretty much just eating, enjoying the company of our table companions from When in Manila, drinking, and more eating.

Cute, tiny pieces of food, huh? When I saw all of them, this was running through my head...

Man, I miss that movie. Haha. Kidding aside, Hatch 22 thoughtfully created bite-size pieces of all their best offerings so that we could try more of their dishes! Clever. These new tiny versions of the food were so well-made that many were asking if they can regularly serve it in this size, but alas, they do not. I hope they consider it though. It makes food so much easier to share, and also makes you feel like a giant. :)

More miniature food! We can definitely say the Hatch 22 has good food. Not just because they have Eggs Benedict and the ever-elusive Italian dessert, Cannoli, but because all the food is noticeably of good quality.

Tomato and Chickpea Soup, P185.00

Roasted tomatoes, mixed bread croutons, chickpeas, lucban sausage and fried basil.
I don't think it's just because I love tomatoes and garbanzos. I really liked this soup! Perfectly flavorful and very addictive. Not sure if this is the actual size of an order. Haha. We also got to take pictures of some actual-size dishes.

Monkey Business, P430.00 (to add a shot of Myerss Rum, P75.00)

Caramelized bananas, chunky peanut butter, candied walnuts, buttermilk pancakes, cinnamon and caramel.
I liked the tiny stack of pancakes. It was so sweet and creamy. Not sure what my guilt would be like after eating the actual-size stack of these decadent pancakes, but I'm sure it'll taste quite good. Perfect for a cheat day. Haha.

Croque Maserati, P580.00

Open faced brioche french toast, seared salmon fillet, sous vide egg, mornay sauce, lemon thyme oil and black caviar.
I'm not really a car enthusiast, but when I hear the word Maserati, a plate of salmon is the last thing that comes to mind. Guess I"m really just clueless. Haha. I'm not sure I was really able to taste what this dish is all about from the spoon I had, but I can say the salmon was good and gently flavored.

NYOB (Not Your Ordinary Benedicts), P445.00

Fresh baked rustic muffins, wild mushrooms, sous vide eggs, Italian ham, sauteed spinach and torched citrus hollandaise.
The tiny eggs benedicts fascinated me because they looked so much like Trolli burgers. Haha. I liked it, but it doesn't seem nearly as good as the normal-sized NYOBs. I guess making the quail eggs perfectly, sloppily poached is an impossible task. I want to go back and try it! On second thought, I'm not even sure these tiny burgers are the same dish at all. Maybe I got it wrong. :)

More pretty food! I got to try a bit of the salad in the middle and the fish was gooood. Of course that afternoon wasn't all about food.. there were lots of drinks too!

Port Wine Sangaree, P270.00 (top)
China Man, P260.00 (lower right)

Ruby port, Lemon, Cherries, Nutmeg, Cassis, Syrup.
The Port Wine Sangaree, we really quite liked. It's a type of sangria which isn't too bitter at all, and offered very good sips to go along with our meal.

Green Team infused Rum, Lime Juice, mint leaves, shiso leaves, ginger lemongrass syrup.
This was quite literally a champoy-flavored drink. It was tolerably interesting at first and wow, what a kick of flavor. Nearing the bottom half of the glass, though, the champoy flavor was too strong for me to take. Haha. I imagine this is perfect for people who love champoy and alcohol.

Inner Child, P290.00

Horchata, Almond Milk, Egg White, Dark Rum, Spiced Syrup

I really like Horchata (a Mexican rice drink), so it was difficult not to try this one, especially being the alcoholic-sweet-tooth that I am. :) It was a bit too strong for my taste, but then again, for me, a lot of drinks are, so don't take my word for it. I enjoyed the sweet taste.

Hatch & Balls, P250.00

Calamansicello, Rosemary Syrup, Noliprat
We really just tried this because of the awesome container. Haha. The local (calamansi) version of the lemon-based limoncello, this was quite good. Also a bit strong, but once its ice fortress started melting, it turned out to be just right.

Menu:
Hatch Brunch Specials
Pancakes, Manila Breakfast
Kettle Pot, Greens
Cafe Menu, Pastas
Hand Crafted Cocktails

Hatch 22 really offers all kinds of fun and it was a very pleasant afternoon. We actually came back recently, but this is getting long, so let's save that for another post. :)

Hatch 22 Family

Love Hatch 22? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!

HATCH 22
Ground Floor, Power Plant Mall,
Amorsolo Dr., Poblacion, Makati City
+63917-7942005
Operating Hours:
Mon - Wed: 7:00 am - 11:00 pm
Thu - Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 am
Sun: 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
Facebook: Hatch 22
Twitter: @hatch22ph


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Mrs. M: Pork and Bean Casserole

GUEST POST: My mom has always enjoyed writing (must be where I got it from) and she has happily expressed interest to write a guest post for Savvy about Nothing. Very cool! Here's her very first post, one about a simple everyday household recipe. SaN finally has recipes! Haha. - Joaquin

During all my years as a stay-at-home mom to 3 little boys and wifey to a guy who appreciates good food, I was always challenged to come up with tasty but simple day-to-day dishes. I would indulge them on weekends with special dishes but it was on the weekdays that I ran out of ideas. I figured they deserve better than just fried foods and canned goods. With all my domestic duties and family/personal errands at the time, I did not always have time to linger in the kitchen.

That’s when I came up with this dish, especially dedicated to busy bees who do not have more than 30 minutes to spare. I decided to pump up a Filipino favorite, Pork and Beans.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield:  7 servings depending on appetite!
Total Cost: about P225 to P265

Ingredients:

Oil for sautéing 

Onion, 1 chopped coarsely (P5)

Garlic, 1 head crushed or chopped (P5)

Lean ground pork, 500 g. (P135)

Pork and Beans, 2-3 (390 g.)cans (P40 each)

Tomato catsup, 3 tablespoons, optional

1. Sauté onion in little oil until slightly caramelized or brown in color.

2. Add garlic and cook until fragrant.

3. Add in the ground pork and cook until it loses its pink color.

4. Add in the pork and beans and catsup. (I usually use those catsup sachets from fast food restaurants. 2-3 are enough or according to taste)

5. Cook until slightly thick. Serve hot with rice.

The pork and beans is well-seasoned so salt and pepper are optional.

There are many ways to make this dish special. Jazz it up with grated cheese, spice it up with hot sauce or chili flakes or sliced hotdogs for a kiddie version.

Enjoy the dish in no time at all!

- Ellie

Dippin' Dots: The Ice Cream of Future Past

I've really liked Dippin' Dots since I was a little kid and we occasionally had it in Glorietta 3. Self-proclaimed as the ice cream of the future, I thought this was what all ice cream would be like in the year 2015. I couldn't have been more wrong. Haha. Just the same, when we saw a voucher from Ayala Deals, I figured I'd take advantage before Dippin' Dots becomes an ice cream of the past.

Strawberry and Cookies (Large), P165.00 (P99.00 through voucher)

Out of so many flavors, why did I pick this pale, boring one? Well, cause we had no choice! Voucher users only get this flavor, and this was conveniently left out of the voucher. Chalk it up to voucher woes. PRO-TIP: If you own a restaurant and decide to have a voucher deal, try not to screw your customers over for using it. You may save a few bucks, but you ruin your own reputation. This happens a lot, and what sucks is it isn't worth the trouble of dispute.

So, yes, about the ice cream. It's the good ol' dippin' dots alright. I really like the unique and futuristic texture, but I'm not quite sure if that's my 12-year old self speaking. It could all be nostalgia. Haha. What my 12-year old self and I do know though, is this tiny tub of ice cream is overpriced. It's barely worth 99 pesos, and is definitely not worth P165. Well, I guess the futuristic process costs much, and that's a pity. Even expensive gelato is cheaper.

Just the same, I was happy to have tried Dippin' Dots one more time before they (probably) go.

Where'd all the dippin' dots go? :(

They have a new spot in the strange new Glorietta area, but they are also still in their old place in front of Kenny Rogers. Drop by if you're ever curious to try the ice cream of the future and if you don't mind to spend a bit more than you should for it. :)

The new Dippin' Dots spot.

Love Dippin' Dots? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



DIPPIN' DOTS
2/F, Glorietta 3
Ayala Avenue cor. Pasay Road, Makati City
Facebook: Dippin' Dots


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Brasas: Latino Heat

Latin American Street Food.

In the semi-new SM Aura, there is a food court called Food on Four, and in that food court, one of the first restaurants that opened is a Latin American restaurant called Brasas, which means embers, as in the embers from charcoal. Lookin' forward to some warm Latin food!

Carne Asada (Beef) Rice Platter, P250.00

The meat is as reddish as it should be. It was buttery, flavorful, and had good texture. It was, however, a bit reminiscent of beef misono, which I do not like because I find the meat to shredded up to be appreciated. I would have preferred thick cuts. I know a lot of people like beef misono though, so this Latin version could be the right order for you. It came with a small salad and chimichurri sauce, which is made out of herbs and olive oil.

Grilled Chicken Wrap, P250.00

I love wraps (believe me, even 7-eleven ones), so this was more my style. I expected it to be a bit bigger, but I liked it. It was quite moist inside too. So moist, that, when I picked it up for a bite, I spilled oil all over my white pants. I'm a genius. Haha. I think it would be better if they had a spicy option, too.

Menu: Fast food menu

Verdict:
Carne Asada (Beef) Rice Platter: Good
Grilled Chicken Wrap: Good

There aren't many Latin food places around, so it's very convenient to have this around in SM Aura. They also have a new branch in SM Jazz at Makati, one with more choices I believe, so I've got to try that too! I love Chivitos and I want to try their version.

Love Brasas? Hate it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



BRASAS
4th floor, Food on Four
SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway
McKinley Hill, Taguig City
Facebook: Brasas


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Other Restaurants in SM Aura:
SM Aura Premier: Pepper Lunch Express under the Sky Park
Yabu: Bed of Rosus

Other Restaurants in The Fort:
Chuck's Deli: Buffy the Sandwich Slayer
Good Earth Roasts (GER)
Gyu-Kaku: The Time is Ripe to Grill Some Tripe
IHOP: The Latest Pancake Craze
Jollibee: Ultimate Burger Steak and Flip Float
Kasbah: A Moroccan Lunch
Kebabers: Cheese Kebabs
Órale!: The Best Quesadillas
Pancake House: Cookie Butter Pancakes Surprise
The Best Pasta of Pasto
Racks: My Favourite Ribs
Red Garlic Bistro: Trotting the Globe, Clove by Clove
S&R: My Favourite Pizza
Saboten: Enjoyin' Some Loin
Saint's Alp: Taiwanese Chicken Goodness
Sarsa Kitchen + Bar: Fancy Kansi
Sbarro: Rolling in the Deep Dish
Seattle's Best: Sea Salt and Salad
Stacy's: The Sweet Kind of Retro
Stella Wood Fired Bistro: Nothing Less Than Stellar
Sunshine Kitchen: Second Dawn
Tapeo: Spanish Surprise at the Fort Strip
The Cheese Steak Shop: Philly Cheese Steaks in the Phillyppines
Toast Box: Going Goreng
Tokyo Tokyo: Burgers and Chopsticks
The Kebab Factory: The TKF Trilogy
URBN: Dining with Style
Uncle Cheffy: A Piece 'a Panizza
Wildflour's Cronut: The Doughnut and Croissant's Love Child
Wrong Ramen: The Weirder, The Better
Let Me See That Zong

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe: Mango Christmas Tree

A welcoming facade.

A Hong Kong Cafe! We were early in MOA for a concert (as you should be if you don't want to wait an hour to park) and looked around for a place for a good, quick dinner. We ended up in the inviting Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe.

Surprisingly, the menu had so many choices that it was not easy to settle on anything. Here's what we ended up with.

HK Braised Beef Brisket Bamboo Rice, P215.00

Braised beef has always been a favourite of mine so we chose to try this one out. It was interestingly served in a wooden bowl and of course, it was great with rice. It was quite good, but there was not nearly enough meat for the very deep serving of rice that came with this meal.

Cheese Baked Rice with Chicken Chop, P245.00

Yum!!! This Macau Cheese Baked Rice was good! Don't expect your taste buds to be overwhelmed because it is not super tasty, but I really enjoyed the texture of the chewy cheese with rice. Doesn't cheese just go perfectly with everything? Also tomato-based, this reminds me of the old Greenwich cheesy rice meals. This one does it better but of course, is more expensive.

XW Special Mango Snow Ice, P145.00

I love snow ice and snow cones and all kinds of cold dessert. This towering meal-ender was very much worth the price tag. There was so much of it! It tends to get a bit tasteless as you dig in to the center, but I didn't mind at all. Even though I ended up shivering after we finished it off, it was totally worth it.

Menu:
Bamboo Rice
Macau Cheese Baked Rice
Desserts

Verdict:
HK Braised Beef Brisket Bamboo Rice: Okay
Cheese Baked Rice with Chicken Chop: Good
XW Special Mango Snow Ice: Very Good

I wish this place was somewhere more accessible to me than Mall of Asia. Their food is reasonably priced and lots of fun. There's just so much to choose from too. I could eat here every day for a month and not get tired of it.

Love Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!



XIN WANG HONG KONG CAFE
G/F North Wing (next to IMAX Theater),
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City
(02) 822-7518
Operating Hours:
Mon - Thu: 10:00 am - 12:00 am
Fri - Sat: 10:00 am - 1:00 am
Website: http://www.xinwang.com.ph/
Facebook: Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe - SM Mall of Asia


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Game Review: Bayonetta

Image from here.

Bayonetta. This is basically Devil May Cry without Dante and well, it's Devil May Cry with better action but horrible plot and characters.

Lookin' very.. um.. strange. Image from here.

Plot
Yep, horrible. You play a witch (literally) called Bayonetta (also literally) who has to beat all the bad guys in a world that has lost its balance. It's quite obvious that the game is banking on how attractive they design her to be, but this was not nearly so. It would have been more interesting if she actually looked normal. Her extremely long slender-man type limbs and weirdly proportioned body ruin any chance of her looking remotely attractive.

Gameplay
The only saving grace of this game. It surprisingly plays really well and it is quite fun. There is no shortage of epic boss battles and the great action temporarily blinds me to how bad the plot actually is. It gets quite challenging at times, but it always stays within that right balance of difficulty while keeping frustration at bay. Towards the second half of the game, though, even the action started to become old.

Graphics
Not surprising because I started this game really late, but the graphics were very so-so. Generic PS3 graphics.

Sound
Sound was techno-ish and strangely girly and feels forcedly girly. Not my thing, but the techno version of Fly Me To The Moon was at least entertaining.

Verdict: 2.5/5 
I had to trudge on just to finish the game, though the gameplay started quite promisingly. I should really value my time more. Haha.

Loved Bayonetta? Hated it? Let me know by commenting below, or just tweet me!

Here's the trailer!