Yakimix - A Place for a Great Mix of Yummy Goodies

My friend and I came from a 'project' which made us really tired and hungry so we decided to have buffet dinner at Yakimix (Tomas Morato, Quezon City). Yakimix is a buffet (eat all you can) restaurant where there is ready-to-eat food and also food-to-grill  on your table.

Since we were really hungry, we started with the  ready-to-eat  food. They had lots of Japanese food which happens to be one of my favorites. There are various  kinds of sushi and sashimi. I like those that are spicy. I also had sukiyaki to go with these little bite-size goodies. I love sukiyaki. While their sukiyaki is okay, I can't say it's the best one in town. It's a little bit too sweet for me but again, I still say it's okay.

my 'starter' set

The name Yakimix gives the impression that it only serves Japanese food but in reality they do have other dishes for those who cannot take things uncooked. They have lechon kawali (crispy fired pork), string beans, a spicy chicken dish, etc.

While eating tempura and sushi we also started grilling the meat and seafoods we got. We had various kinds of seafoods and meat but we took a lot of salmon, shrimps and bacon. the salmon and the shrimps are what I  would call bestsellers. I've seen the shrimp tray go empty within seconds after it's brought out by the waiter. The grilling part is nice because you get the chance to 'cook' your own food. It gives you things to do while eating and chatting. 

First batch of fresh shrimps and other seafoods

Grilling 'em shrimps

For less than P700 this eat all you can offer is really good. You get to eat a lot of yummy Japanese food plus some more. And it also comes with a drink all you can offer. You can have iced tea or soda. I wonder if this is their response to Viking's drink and all you can offer. Anyway, I liked the red iced tea.

Yakimix is along Tomas Morato cor. Sct. Limbaga. It is easy to find -- a block or two away from Tomas Morato cor. Timog. They have parking space on the side of he building.

Fearless Forecast - Predictions for the Food Business in 2013

Giving predictions is "in" these days as it always is every new year. I would like to join the bandwagon by giving my own predictions for 2013. Fearless Forecast 2013.

1. First on the list of this 2013 predictions is about McDonald's. McDonald's will once again put out their "Twister Fries" sign. It will be for a limited time only. Then people will line up for it so they will have an extension of a week or two. It's going to be like in a concert where people shout "more!" then the singer will come out looking surprised and teary-eyed. Then he/she will belt out one of his/her most popular songs. Of course no one would suspect that he/she has expected that this moment would come. No one would think that he/she really practiced this song for this purpose. No one would think that the reason why this popular song was not part of the repertoire was because he/she expected that people would ask for more. You see this rarely happens. Well, people will not actually line up outside McDonald's and shout "more!". But you get idea. If not, just wait. You'll get it along with your large twister fries sometime in the 3rd quarter.  
2. Jollibee will also put out their own version of it , the "Crisscut Fries". Lines will not be as long as that of "Twister Fries" but nevertheless they will still extend for a week or two. This will give an impression that their crisscut fries is a must-have so people will be enticed to buy.
3. Jollibee, the mascot, will still be the most sought after guest in kiddie parties. He will continue to be the most photographed mascot. But sooner or later two Jollibee mascots will bump into each other unexpectedly. They will be seen by kids in one place which will cause confusion. "Mama, there are two Jollibee". "Dear, they are twins". Parents will complain because of the confusion and soon a re-electionist senator will file a bill prohibiting Jollibee from coming out ever again. But there will  be massive protests on the streets and on twitter so it will be amended. The new law will prohibit two Jollibee mascots from being in the same place at the same time. I'm not going to say that the re-electionist senator will try to convince Jollibee to support the RH Bill. If she/he does, management will refuse anyway. She/He should approach McDonald's. He is definitely more mature than Jollibee. (NOTE: whatever similarities you will find here and in another blog is purely coincidence. I don't want to be accused of plagiarisem -- I intentionally spelled that word that way so I wont be accused that I copied the word in wikipedia.)      
4. J. Co will continue to be popular. Lines will be really long like a box office hit. They will say they broke the box office record set by Go Nuts Donuts and Krispy Kreme but MMDA will release 'real' figures which will show that the sales they announced were padded. Nothing will come out of the investigation that will be called for by the senate. But anyway, what happened to Go Nuts Donuts and Krispy Kreme will also happen to it. Lines will become shorter. But  it doesn't mean they will close shop. They will continue to exists on a 'regular' status.
5. More actors and actresses will open restaurants taking inspiration from the likes of Regine Velasquez and Ogie Alcasid. But many of them will fail (not like Ogie and Regine). They will realize there is more to having a business than just shelling out capital.  They will also realize belatedly that holding press conferences in their restaurants is not profitable. Showbiz reporters write showbiz news and not food reviews.
6. Coffee shops will continue to be popular. Many small shops will open. Some of them will succeed but others will not (brilliant prediction of mine -- I'm the only so far who has predicted this). A popular coffee shop will close middle of the year. It is not Starbucks because they already issued their planners with freebies that they have to honor till the year ends. Should they want to close shop they would have to do it next year.
7. Mang Inasal and Chicboy will continue to compete. It will be a healthy competition -- like the food that they serve. One will try to 'buy' the other but negotiations will fail.The reason is that it will be named Chicboy si Mang Inasal which does not sound good. It will spark a  war between red ribbon (not the restaurant which is also owned by the group that owns Mang Inasal) conservatives and purple ribbon liberals.
8. Big pizzas are very popular now so all pizza parlors will try to have their own version of  it. Even Pizza Hut and Shakey's will come up with one. Just guess which one will come up with an 80-inch thin crust pizza with loads of cheese and hotdogs on the edge. But wait, there's more, they will have a "buy one, take one" offer. And delivery is free courtesy of their 'motorcycle' boys.
9. Max's restaurant will become famous because of its new endorser Coco Martin. The former model did not renew the contract because "hindi ako ang manok na kailangan nila". Fans of the former model will definitely get mad at me for saying this. They will post bad comments on twitter. But I'm not worried. Somebody more famous will take my side and make patol.
10. Buffet restaurants like Vikings, Dads, Buffet 101 and Yakimix will become more popular. They will put down their prizes so many people will go their restaurants. They will have a buy one, take one offer (the take one cannot be given to another person -- both has to be consumed by the same person on the same day). the really sad thing about the popularity of these buffet restaurants is that many people will become really fat. But I'll let you in on a rumor:  these buffet restaurants are said to be now owned by a famous beauty doctor and managed by a former doctor. This is not confirmed because the source they say is a former employee whose contract was not renewed because of reasons I cannot write here. But I'll carefully whisper them to you if you want.    

These are all jokes. Please do not take them seriously. I'm not referring to specific people except the ones directly mentioned here. Lahat, bukod sa mga tahasang tinukoy ay pawang kathang isip lamang. batu-bato sa langit, ang tamaan TATABA.

Ryu Ramen and Curry -- Tantanmen is a must try

A dear friend and I was at Ryu Ramen and Curry last Sunday afternoon. It's our early Christmas get together. I specifically requested that we go that place because I've heard some good things about it from friends.

We were there late afternoon but it was still hot outside so I had a difficult time deciding whether to order curry or ramen. I ended up ordering ramen because in the first place that's what I really went there for.

There were a lot to choose from. I had Tantanmen in mind but I still asked my friend what she thinks I should order. She said she heard from her friends that Tantanmen is a must try. Then still undecided, I asked the waitress what she would suggest I order. She also said Tantanmen. So naturally I  ordered Tantanmen. The menu says that Tantanmen is a spicy miso base broth with ground pork, soft boiled egg, negi and garlic oil with two slices of chasyu (it looks like a slice of morcon). You can choose the level of 'hotness' -- mild, hot very hot. I asked the waitress how mild is mild. She said it  is already hot. Given that I have colds that day I opted for just mild. I think I made a right choice. It was the most I could handle that day.

Tantanmen deserves to be their house specialty. It's really good -- with just enough flavor (no overpowering taste).

My friend by the way ordered Tonkatsu which I also got to sample. It is served on a bed of greens which I totally love.

Tantanmen

Tonkatsu

The appetizer - meat balls (?) and vegetables.

Ryu Ramen and Curry is owned by celebrity couple Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez - Alcasid.

I wonder if they regularly visit the restaurant. It would be lovely to see them there entertaining their customers haha. Hmmm.....Regine, why don't you try to rehearse there for the repeat of Silver. Pak!! haha

Anyway, I saw Jed Madela at Ryu that afternoon.

Ryu Ramen and Curry is along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.  It is near Scout Lazcano (on the same building that.  houses Kumon).

Mercato, Fort Bonifacio -- A Wonderful Food Haven

I was able to finally go to Mercato at Fort Bonifacio last month. I've been wanting to go there for a long time already but it's only last month when I got the chance to because we visited a friend at St. Luke's Hospital.

Based on stories from friends, I already have an idea of the things I would find there. I know that since it is a food bazaar there's going to be a lot of good food choices. But I was really pleasantly surprised when I discovered that when they said a lot, they really meant A LOT.

There were lots of choices so whatever your tummy tells you will definitely be satisfied. There's an area where you can find barbecue and isaw. There's also a corner where you can order various flavors of paella. Pasta lovers will also be happy at Mercato. In you want flavors from different places in the world, this is also the place to be -- there's Japanese, Korean, Italian, Thai, Indian, etc. Desserts also abound. There are a lot of cakes and pastry stalls. I felt like just the sight of them is already enough to give me diabetes.

I'm not really fond of waffles but this one surely looked good.

They all look yummy.

Shawarma P90

My greatest regret -- not trying this Ilocos empanada.

Good gift idea.

Definitely filling

Should try this out next time.

In the past there weren't really lots of chairs and tables for customers. It used to  be such that people eat standing. But now there are plenty of tables and chairs -- in and out of the tents. When we were there we ate outside -- near the football field. We didn't see the Azkals training that night but a good friend told me that she saw them there once.

Though it is a food bazaar, do not expect that your wallet will not be heavily 'damaged'. Prices of food aren't really high but they are not cheap either. There are stuff that are pricier than if you would eat them elsewhere. Shawarma for example is priced at P90. You can get one for just P50 at the malls. And since there are plenty of choices, you will really be tempted to have not just one kind of food but several. Believe me you will be tempted to order one meal after another.    

Overall it was really a great experience. I had fun going around the stalls several times.It's not an eat all  you can place but if have the budget and you practice proper pacing, then you can eat at Mercato, Fort Bonifacio eat all you can style.

Magnum Choco-Cappuccino

I was craving for ice cream last night. After eating at Chic-boy I felt like I needed to eat some sweets. Unfortunately I wasn't able to buy one. And to make it worse, while looking at some pictures on my phone, I saw some pictures of Magnum I took a few weeks back. Waaa......

This is Magnum's Choco-Cappuccino. Super like.I like the chocolate coating. The ice cream itself is also smooth. And I love cappuccino 'streaks' inside. The crunchy bits also add excitement.

Ilocos Empanada - Farinas Ilocos Empanada

I like empanada. I've loved empanada since I was a child. I remember my mother bringing home empanada every time the person in-charge of the retail store where she works would bake some. That empanada was the first empanada I have had so that's my peg of how empanada should be. Through the years I have tasted different kinds of empanada but nothing could match what I call the 'original'. The only other version perhaps that I equally like is the Ilocos empanada. I always buy one every time I would see a store selling them.

One restaurant I know here in Manila is the Farinas Ilocos Empanada. You can find the store along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. It is near cor. Roces St.

Their Ilocos empanada is very tasty. It tastes real. I mean it tastes like the ones you can get in Vigan. They have various versions of it. There's one filled with bagnet. There's also one filled with Vigan longganisa. If you want both, do not worry. You do not need to buy two. They actually have a version with both bagnet and Vigan longganisa.

Farinas Ilocos Empanada has affordable empanadas. You can already have one for less than a hundred pesos.  

The store is small. They only have a few tables. You actually eat 'al fresco'.

Gift Ideas for Christmas - Food. Food. More Food.

We are already in the Christmas season so I'm sure many of you are already of thinking of what gifts to give to  your loved ones, friends, employees, teachers, neighbors, etc. I'm not going to suggest here material gifts but what you can find them in my other blog (click here). What I'm going to list down for you are food and food related items that you can give as gifts this Christmas. From time to time I'll include places and stores where you can find the best deals.

Let's start!

1. FRUITS.

Fruits are safe gifts. No need to worry  about sizes or colors. No need to worry if 'they have it already'. Fruits are almost always welcome. You do not have to worry about recipients who are price-conscious. They cannot check the price of your gift.

So what fruits are you going to include in your gift. You must have the 'basics' like apples -- red and green, oranges and pears. If it's available now, you can also add avocado to add color. Then add a few not-so-common fruits like dragon fruit, mangoosteen, marang or kiwi. Pineapple can be added because it's big which is good if you can only buy a limited number of fruits.

The challenge in giving fruits is how you are going to wrap/present it. The most basic way is to put the fruits in a nicely woven basket then cover it with cellophane with ribbon as accent. If you are giving it to a 'very special' person like a boss, you can include a small bouquet of flowers tucked on one side of the basket. The downside to giving fruits in a basket is that sometimes baskets are expensive.

A cheaper version would be to give it in one of those eco bags. Eco bags are 'in' now so you can find a lot of cheap yet nice ones.

You can buy fruits in Divisoria, Libertad (Pasay), San Andres (Malate), NEPA QMart (Quezon City) and in other public markets.

2. VEGETABLES

A vegetable basket is a very unique gift idea. You can include vegetables like talong, squash, ampalaya, puso ng saging, sweet potato, carrots, string beans, etc. Choose vegetables of different colors so your basket would look nice.

This is also a safe gift.The only thing that you really have to make sure of before you decide to give this as a gift is if the recipient does not eat vegetables at all. 

You can buy vegetables in the same places mentioned above.

3. FRUITCAKE

As early as October I already saw bakeshops selling fruitcakes. The nice thing about fruitcakes is that they don't easily spoil. You can buy them as soon as you get your Christmas Bonus this November and give them during your party in December. As an addition, you do not have to worry about wrapping your gift. They come in presentable boxes already. Many of them even have ribbons.

The only issue here is that not everyone likes fruitcakes. You can find out by casually asking them if they received one last year and what they did with it. I  know a lot of people who 'recycled' their fruitcakes. That means they give what they got away.

4. CAKES, PASTRIES and other BAKED GOODIES

Cakes, pastries and other baked goodies are nice gifts for a lot of good reasons. First, they are easy to find. There are so many cake shops now offering fancy cakes. They come in good packaging already. You can buy them in bulk -- order them ahead of time if you want. The only problem is if you do not have a car, it may be difficult to bring your gifts to  the school or to the office or wherever.

There are a lot of places where you can buy good cakes. Some of them are Cheesecake Melissa (Kamagong St., Makati), Classic Confections (Greenbelt 5), Becky's Kitchen (P. Ocampo St., Manila), Chocolate Kiss (UP Diliman), Conti's, etc. You can also try those sold in bazaars and weekend markets. I saw great choices at the Mercato Centrale, The Fort.

5. BOTTLED GOURMET FOOD
(Gourmet Sardines, Gourmet Atchara, Gourmet Spreads)

You can also give bottles of gourmet sardines, atchara and spreads. They are nice to give because they look 'classy'. You can usually find them in bazaars. They are reasonably priced and they also come in ready  to  give bottles. Some are placed in native bags or baskets.

You can also give specialty vinegars. Last year I received a bottle of vinegar with red chili and garlic. I loved it. You can also buy them in bazaars.

6. HAM

Pinoys love ham -- whatever flavor or form. This is practical because everybody wants to have ham for their Noche Buena. If you give them ham as a gift then they would not have to spend time (and effort) buying their own so they'll appreciate you for it. Just make sure that you give it at least a week before Christmas so they can change their Christmas shopping list.

You can find hams in malls. There are local and imported hams. You can also try your neighborhood meat shops. They may have their own homemade hams.

7. JARS

I know! Jars shouldn't be here. But then if  you are on a tight budget, you can try looking for nice, inexpensive jars to give as gifts. You can just fill  these jars with colorful chewing gums or candies.

I've seen nice jars at Landmark and SM -- home section.

I'll be adding other gift ideas for Christmas -- food -- in the coming days.