Thursday, January 17, 2013

Dads Kamayan Saisaki - a nippy post


Glorietta 3
2/F Glorietta 3, North Drive
Ayala Center, Makati
(02) 892-8897 to 98

Since my family is based in Leyte while I work here in Manila, I seldom see them. So when my father suddenly texted that he’d be here the next day and would love to take us for a quick dinner, I instantly said yes! I picked up my sister from UP the next day and we headed to Prince Plaza Hotel where my dad was staying.

My father wanted to treat us to an eat-all-you-can for the reason that we seldom eat together so might as well eat a lot while we’re together. My dad is such a funny man. J

He chose the Ultimate Buffet at Dads Kamayan Saisaki.



I’m posting their menu here as I was too engrossed at eating that I missed taking down what the dishes were called. :p

But trust me, everything we tried was delicious! I only hope we could have stayed a lot longer to have tried so much more than what we were able to. For now, I hope these photos serve as a feast for your eyes.






  





Beyond the joy of delicious food though, what I cherish more is the time we spent with our dad. Nothing beats having crazy conversations with people you love. And I’m thankful that Dad’s offered such a great ambiance for great conversations.




Verdict:
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Price: 4
Taste: 5
Overall:  5

Spending: ~P700/head

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Kinabuchs Grill and Bar


369 Rizal Avenue, Puerto Princesa City,
Palawan, Philippines

After our day 2 tour in Palawan, we dropped off at Kinabuchs to try out Tamilok which our tour guide insisted we try.

Ambiance-wise, the place looked more crowd-friendly than romantic. I liked the giant screen they had which at that time was showing a sports game. I used to imagine these giant screens as only seen in restaurants catering foreigners.

I also loved the colorful and exciting look of the bar which displayed an array of liquors. At the top was a surprising life-size motorcycle! Whoever thought of putting that there is both crazy (in a good way) and hilarious!

Service-wise, the crew was friendly and accommodating. One of the waitresses even cared to explain the difference between the classic Tamilok and fried one. She laughed with at us and with us when she saw our expressions once we tried the dish. She also shared that it is best eaten after meal so we ordered another dish first.

If you’ve read my latest blog you’d know that my beau is fond of Teriyaki. So like in Haim Chicken Inato, the other restaurant we’ve visited here in Palawan, he also ordered Teriyaki, this time, Chicken Teriyaki [P155] (Marinated chicken skillet w/ Kinabuch’s very own teriyaki sauce).

It was served on sizzling plate so you can see the gorgeous smoke. The chicken meat was so tender and the sauce was just the perfect consistency and flavor.

After a while we asked for the Tamilok (Special wood-worm mollusk ceviche.) to be served. We chose the classic recipe [P135] instead of the breaded one [P130].

Earlier that day, our tour guide didn’t stop telling us how famous the dish is and how good it tastes.
But as you can see by the look on our faces, we weren’t that delighted. I found it hard to chew and swallow because they were gummy and too long. I also disliked the smell of sea on it.

But, it wasn’t such a bad experience, thanks to their house blend tea which was our saving grace. Thank God it was delicious or I wouldn’t have survived without puking.

Still, as a tourist, I still am proud and glad to have at least tried it. And I’d still recommend others to try it for themselves too.


Verdict:

Ambiance: 4
Service: 5
Price: 4
Taste: 3
Overall:  4
  
Spending: ~P200/head

Haim Chicken Inato


294 Manalo Extension Puerto Princesa City,
5300 Palawan, Philippines
(048) 433 2261/ 09298174055

My beau and I went to Palawan last September. This was our first trip together and my first time in Palawan. On our first day, we wanted have lunch at the famous Kalui restaurant but it was closed so we let our tricycle driver bring us to a restaurant he recommended, Hains Chicken Inato.

Before even settling down, we already had fun taking pictures with the face-in-the-hole boards.


The place was really spacious, with lots of mini kubo with about 10 seating capacity. There were others much larger which could serve up to 50 or more people and has KTV set up.

While waiting for our food we had fun viewing the paintings hung all over the kubo, some of which even had little fun facts about the featured places.

I also appreciate how they value cleanliness – the utensils all looked clean and the entire place was tidy.

They also had this cute wash area where the water came out of what looked like a ‘banga’ (pot).

THE FOOD

I ordered Inafish Tuna [P90] (w/ atsara, pipino, tomato and rice) because of the interesting name. Given that I was in Palawan, I expected the food to really be fresh, and mine tasted exactly as I expected! The meat was tender and juicy and you could still smell the freshness. The atsara, pipino and tomato were also perfect addition to the dish, making me imagine I was by the beach eating with my bare hands.


The beau of mine, being a fan of anything teriyaki ordered Fish Fillet Teriyaki [P175] which turned out to be a very large serving! We never thought we could eat it all up but we actually did. J The fish was just so tender on the inside and crispy on the outside that we couldn’t help but enjoy every bit of it. The teriyaki sauce was nothing less than what we wanted it to be. It was such a delight consuming everything!


To cap off the meal we had for ourselves some Mango Shake [P70] and Avocado Shake [P70] which were obviously prepared with love. J It wasn’t the usual commercial shake that was 9 parts ice plus sugar and 1 part fruit.


Verdict:
Ambiance: 5
Service: 5
Price: 4
Taste: 5
Overall:  5

Spending: P200/head

Seafood Island - SM City Masinag


Since SM Masinag is just a 5-min jeepney ride from home, it has been customary to be there on weekends, whether to buy stuff, eat out or simply window shop.

On this particular visit, we (my boyfriend, his mother, aunt and sister) decided to dine at Seafood Island.


 We ordered the Dapitan’s pride [P745] (good for 3-4). It’s one of the many variations of what Seafood Island termed as Boodle Feast, where the food is served on a banana leaf and most people would want to eat without the utensils.

 Dapitan’s pride consists of crispy shrimps, san mig clams, grilled tilapia, grilled squid, laing, steamed crabs, grilled liempo and kalkag rice. You may also order the one good for 5 to 6 priced at P1050.


I was amused to see the word kalkag because it meant ‘buhaghag’ in our native tongue in Leyte. It was an interestingly appropriate description for the rice.

My favorites were the crispy shrimps, grilled squid and grilled liempo which tasted the most fresh and flavorful.
I was a little worried that the food wouldn’t be enough for all of us but we all had our fill.

Service-wise, it wasn’t as fulfilling. One of the glasses given to us was still dirty. Also, there was too much noise from the clattering of utensils being washed and segregated.


Ambiance-wise, it was a mix of good and bad. We were seated near the glass wall which didn’t have blinds so the sun was directly hitting us, and more importantly, it caused some of our photos to be too bright (blame it on the against-the-light principle). On a positive note, the place looked vibrant with its colorful and playful decorations.


I could come back to have a taste of the other Boodle Feasts but I might go try other branches first hoping the service there is better.

Verdict:
Ambiance: 3
Service: 2
Price: 3.5
Taste: 4
Overall:  3

Spending: 150/head

Branch: SM City Masinag

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