The Best Steaks in Town: Subic Meat Plus

Whenever I go to Subic, I always make it a point to dine at the Meat Plus Cafe. They serve the best steaks at the most affordable prices!

Directions:


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1. Head west past Puregold.
2. Turn left at Burgos St. right after the Subic Bay Yacht Club.
3. Turn right at the 2nd corner (Sampson Rd.) and then left again continuing to follow Sampson Rd. You will see the Meat Plus Cafe to your left.

The Meat Plus Cafe as seen from the street

Most probably you'll get to know of Meat Plus by referrals from friends or may be by searching thru the web . This place is not something that tourists are likely to stumble upon since as you can see when you get there it is a little out of the way. Away from the usual tourists spots and the hub of restaurants. I don't know about you but when I read "cafe", I don't usually think of lunch or dinner.

In any case, once you've been here and try out their food, you'll be sure to come back.

Very heavenly

You'll also be surprised at how many folks visit this place for their food. It may look secluded and the parking lot a bit deserted but wait until lunch time and it's full to the brim.

Be sure to arrive early, that waiting list gets quite long

Testimonials from diners

If you're new to the place and you're a meat lover, I would highly recommend their choice of steaks. Most especially the mouth-watering rib eye steak. Although a bit pricey, you're sure to get your money's worth. The layers of fat are just right on the steak so much so that it'll melt like butter in your mouth. I always have this medium-rare so that I get that juicy texture and get to enjoy the flavors of the beef. The slightly charred exterior also help add to the depth of the dish. The sides are also perfect and the gravy very savoury. Just thinking about it makes me want to go there again.

A view of the steak

Another view of the steak with the sinfully juicy layer of fat

How mouth-watering is that?

Seriously?

If you're a bit on the healthier side or may be it's holy week and you want fish. I would urge you to go for their salmon. Those who have tried it say it's really quite good and I've tasted it as well. It is very juicy inside despite how it might look on the outside. The salmon is perfectly cooked. Yum!

The grilled salmon

They also have other dishes like soups and sides. Also very American cakes and pies for desert. Be sure also to try those :-)

Clam Chowder

And here is their menu...

So there ya go, in case you're in Subic, be sure to try out Meat Plus Cafe!

I really love this place!

Authentic Japanese Ramen: Kichitora

If you are an avid anime fan or have had at some point in your life been exposed to anything Japanse, you would have no doubt have heard of the famous Japanese Ramen. I have always had a fascination for the stuff especially when I see the gleaming, abundunt bowls devoured by my favourite anime characters. However, I have always found local versions from Japanese restaurants to be somewhat lacking both in taste and presentation. While I drool at the tv depictions, I don't end up doing so on the actual ones. Well, not until I had some at Kichitora that is ;-)

Directions:
Kichitora is located at the  2nd Floor, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong, Philippines


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The good thing about this place is that they focus only on Ramen. Yes, you can order desserts, rice, and may be some dumplings but unlike other Japanese restaurants in the Metro, their focus is Ramen. Which, for me, assures me that this is really their specialty. Now, onto the review.

Outside the SM Megamall store

The walls are decorated with ornate Japanese silks

First, let's start with the environment itself. The first thing you'll notice is that the store pretty much looks like Yabu (right across the store in SM Megamall) but what is different is that Kichitora exudes a much more subdued atmosphere. The interior is colored black which gives you the feeling that you are in some sort of secret society. The walls are covered with ornate Japanese silks which is very pleasing to the eye and the irregularity of the designs break stand in stark contrast to the black interior. The couches although soft provide enough support for you to stay comfy even while eating. It was a bit cramped inside for me though.

The inside of Kichitora

The staff are very courteous, diligently explaining everything that you ask from the sauces to the menu. Service was also quick and snappy, I don't recall having to wait that long to receive my order of Ramen so much so that I felt that nothing good could come of something done so quickly but I wasn't disappointed.

We ordered 3 different types of Ramen, the Special Miso Chashu Ramen with Ma Oil (Ma-Yu), the Shio (Salt) Chicken Ramen, and the Paitan (White Soup) Chicken Ramen. Let's start with the Shio (Salt) Chicken Ramen, it was the most "regular" of the bunch for me. The flavors were ok albeit a bit salty for my companion's taste. It was a bit better than the Ramen I have tasted in other restaurants, nothing remarkable for me.

Shio (Salt) Chicken Ramen [Php 320]

Next comes the Special Miso Chashu Ramen with Ma Oil (Ma-Yu), this is the one that I ordered and has the biggest serving of the 3. The star of the dish was this beautifully cooked slab of pork which had a distinctive smoky taste that has intrigued me. How can a flavor like that stand on it's own amid a sea of soup? Impressively, it was able to wow my taste buds. The pork was very tender and will leave you wanting more. The outside was a bit charred which complemented the softness of the inside. The next distinctive thing for me were the bamboo shoots, in fact all 3 bowls had them and these were quickly devoured due to their "snappy" texture. I simply loved these bamboo shoots. The noodles were also very good mind you. They are not the regular noodles that suck up the soup and become soggy. We managed to take some ramen home and after 4 hours in the soup the noodles stayed "al dente", as if they were freshly cooked. The broth was wonderful, very savoury and filling. The flavors melded very well and I can't describe the taste except that it was yummy! The only downside of the dish is that it was very heavy, you will surely feel full after eating it.

Special Miso Chashu Ramen with Ma Oil (Ma-Yu) [Php 395]

Last but not the least is the Paitan (White Soup) Chicken Ramen which for me is the best of the three. It was relatively the same with the other 2 in terms of the noodles and the chicken was ok. Where this dish shines is in the soup. The taste was very complex, making me feel that a lot of chickens or at least chicken bones were used to make the soup and this was made for a very long time. The white soup was simply phenomenal. It gives you that depth of flavor you'll never think you'll taste out of chicken. I'm the guy who prefers pork so you'll know this is quite unusual for me. Despite being incredibly delicious this dish will surely not leave you feeling that full when you finish eating it and will leave you wanting more.

Paitan (White Soup) Chicken Ramen [Php 360]

You can also order Gyoza with your Ramen. What sets these gyoza apart from others is that they are made to complement the Ramen. They do not seek to overwhelm your taste buds with the taste of beef or pork but rather they provide a welcome interlude when you wish to refresh your palate and go at that Ramen bowl again. They were so light that the main taste you'll have on your tongue is the taste of spring onions. The charred outside is also fantastic. 

Gyoza [Php 150]

Lastly for dessert we had Coconut Tofu with Matcha and Azuki. Again, as with the Gyoza, this dish shines because it does not seek to overwhelm. Like a beautifully orchestrated symphony, this dish blends in effortlessly, it is like whoever made the menu considered what you had before in making the dessert. The Ramen lacked the sweetness and this dish provides it. The subtle sweetness and the flavor of the coconut is very welcome together with the red beans. The green seaweed powder also provides a weird but welcome taste and balances out the rest of the dish. The portion is just right and surely this dish will leave you feeling refreshed.

Coconut Tofu with Matcha and Azuki [Php 150]

The last thing that I liked about this restaurant is they have a beautiful and clean rest room. This, I feel is something that every restaurant should have but sadly most don't care to provide. The interior was well designed and it was very clean with a pleasant odor. They provide the basic tissue and soap which most restaurants don't care to place.

Oh, and btw, here is a copy of their menu, enjoy!

So the next time you want to experience authentic Japanese Ramen, head on over to Kichitora! :)

A different kind of Katsu

One of the iconic Japanese food for me aside from Sushi has got to be Tonkatsu. You won't fail to find it in the local Japanese menus whether it be from the usual Japanese Fastfood chain like Tokyo Tokyo or in the upscale places like Inagiku.

So when I saw Yabu at the SM Mall of Asia and found that they are the "House of Katsu", I headed on to try their specialty.

Location : 2/F South Arcade, Main Mall Atrium, SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City


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Well, the first thing that popped up into my mind when I saw Yabu's logo are the clan symbols of the Nara, Akimichi, and Yamanaka clans (Naruto fans will get me on this, right?)...

Kidding aside, I found the theme/design of the stall quite relaxing and zen, a prelude to the meal that is about to happen.

Side view of the store sign

Front view of the store with the iconic Yabu logo

I found the benches were quite comfortable
without being too comfortable that they suck you in and
make you feel like a kid ;-)

During the time we got there the store was packed and we were on the waiting list so I'd advise you to come early if you plan to dine here especially if it's the weekends. They were kind enough to serve you Japanese tea while you wait... (is this a growing trend for long restaurant queues?)

Their signature Menchi Katsu and Soft Shell Crab Katsu

The so-so complementary tea served in a tasteful cup

While waiting, you could look for what you will order later (they don't allow pre-orders, order only once you are seated). You can also find some interesting stuff about the store.

Some trivia regarding the chef who helped in
establishing Yabu

The Menchi Katsu that I ordered later on

Their seafood katsus

The very first thing that they'll serve you once you are seated are a bunch of seeds (I recall seeing and smelling sesame there but for the others I don't know). What you're supposed to do with them is to grind them thoroughly to release the flavors. Then put the signature sauce using the spoon that will make you feel like a Zen master :)

The seeds, pre-grinding

All ground up

Pour the signature sauce

Mix, Mix, Mix!

Everything mixed up!

Now, let's go through the wonderful set of condiments that they have set-up on your table. The pot on the left contains the salt for your fruit dessert later on (forgot what the waitress called the salt). The pot on the right contains the special sauce. The two tall ones in the middle contain the mayo and vinaigrette for the cabbage (I highly, highly recommend using both of them). The three small ones are different chillies/wasabi/etc. You can ask the wait staff to explain deeper as I was salivating already by the time we were seated. hahaha.

The beautifully arranged condiments

That day we decided to go for the pork dishes, Seafood will just have to wait another day. Here is their regular Katsu and their Menchi Katsu (with cheese).

The Menchi Katsu

A look at the inside of the Menchi Katsu

The Hire Katsu

A serving of Fruit for dessert

What you get with the order of Katsu are unlimited rice, unlimited cabbage, some mustard/wasabi (this stuff's hot hot hot!!!), fruits (we got 2 slices of pineapple and 2 watermelon).

The rice was good and it was the typical Japanese rice. I had a lot of the cabbage owing to their super delicious tangy and sweet dressing (no kidding here, I ate more of the cabbage than the rice). The wire mesh that they put the Katsu on really helped me since it guaranteed that the Katsu stayed crisp and unmolested by the generous amount of dressing that I put on the cabbage so kudos there.

The Katsu had a nice texture, unlike the ones that they serve you on low end Japanese restaurants which are tough, greasy, and bland. It was soft on the inside and crisp on the outside. I especially liked the cheese which although didn't pop in terms of taste, did tonnes in terms of presentation. I couldn't say much for the taste of the Katsu though, I found it quite bland by itself. The saving grace was the Katsu sauce, which was tangy and bombarded your taste buds with the different flavors of the seeds earlier. Sadly for me, I found that something was still lacking in the Katsu. It wasn't the superhero of the dish and it didn't stand out.

The dessert was good especially with the salt and it helped to freshen up your taste buds. I warn you though to keep away from the yellow sauce on the plate if you're not all that into spicy/hot food.

Well I guess that's it for Yabu for now. I'll come back a second time for their seafood katsu especially the soft shell crab one :)