Nanbantei of Tokyo

Thank you to my sister in law for suggesting this hidden gem in Greenbelt 3.  Nanbantei of Tokyo is a Japanese restaurant that specializes in Yakitori - grilled skewered bite size pieces of chicken, pork, beef, seafood and vegetables.

The Best Sellers Platter at P875 was the obvious choice for us.  We shared 21 sticks of assorted Yakitori which included Aspara Maki, Tebasaki, Pork Garlic Yaki, Shiso Maki, Negima, Corn and Poteto Maki.

The food was served as they were cooked.  The first plate that landed on our table had the Poteto Maki and the Aspara Maki.  The Poteto Maki were thick potato slices wrapped in bacon.  Some parts of the bacon were crisp.  I love fries and bacon but I loved the Aspara Maki even more.  Melt in your mouth pork covered the asparagus.  I actually forgot that I was eating vegetables.

Poteto Maki - potato wrapped with bacon
Aspara Maki - asparagus wrapped with pork

S&R Members'Treat 2012

Photo from their facebook page

Hero Sausages' Mix Rice with Cheesy Hungarian

Here's a great meal for people who are always on the go.  The Mix Rice is served in a bowl and topped with crunchy garlic bits, white onions, green onions and your choice of sausage.  I got the cheesy hungarian thinking that the cheese would somehow mask the spiciness of the sausage.  Boy was I wrong, my lips were burning up and I could barely taste the cheese.  I should stop testing my threshold for spicy food.  Not bad for P90 but it would have been better if it weren't too oily.  

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Hero Sausages
Food Court Level, Shangri-La Plaza Mall 
Edsa corner Shaw Boulevard
Mandaluyong City

Aria Cucina Italiana

The first and only time I was able to visit Boracay was over a decade ago and Aria Cucina Italiana wasn't around yet.  My sister the budget traveller allots one splurge meal on each of her trips and it's Aria for Boracay.  She was pretty excited when she found out that they were opening a branch in Manila.  She suggested that we try Aria for my parents' anniversary last month.

one of the interesting art pieces that adorned the walls

I was overwhelmed by their extensive menu and I could hardly pronounce the names of the dishes.  i ordered using the English descriptions.  Although the waiter was very helpful, I still can't remember how to say most of the things we ordered.

Veggie Noodle Soup

It was a rainy and cold day today, the type of weather that makes you want to snuggle and hide under the covers.  I was craving for warm soup to soothe the chills.

I found a pack of instant rice noodles in our pantry and rummaged through the kitchen for other ingredients that I could throw into a boiling pot of soup stock.

Magnum Ice Cream

Social networking sites have been buzzing about Magnum ice cream for the past couple of weeks.  I'm a late bloomer.  I was able to try all 3 flavors just this week.

I liked them all but my favorite is the Chocolate Truffle.  Who can resist that rich Belgian chocolate coating and the creamy ice cream?  I saw the U.S. versions' website and I wonder if they would eventually bring the Dark, Mint, Mochaccino and other flavors here.

I understand the hype from the past weeks but I'm not totally hooked.  It would be great to indulge in this treat during hot and humid summer days but I won't be going from one grocery to another just to stock up on them.  

Cambodian Spices

My sister the seasoned traveller went to Cambodia a few weeks ago and brought home these spices and recipes for me.

The creative packaging caught her eye and I totally understood why as soon as I opened the box.  They were so pretty that I just had to have a mini photo shoot.