Yufuin Yakiniku and Japanese Restaurant

 So a few weeks back I decided to go to the Hot Air Balloon Festival at Clark Air Base. The experience was amazing. However, being that we aren't from that area... looking for a place to eat was relatively difficult. For the first few meals we stuck to the favorites; Sbarro and Jolibee. However for our last meal in Clark I wanted a place that couldn't be found in Metro Manila. So after a few minutes on my phone I found this "must try" Japanese restaurant in town. Yufuin Yakiniku and Japanese Restaurant.

Now I have VERY high standards when it comes to Japanese restaurants. But I saw a number of Japanese businessmen inside, which is normally a good sign.

Another good sign is that they had a sushi bar. In Metro Manila, the most authentic Japanese restaurants have sushi bars. Which was a good sign for my standards, but a bad sign for my wallet.

 

So we ordered the Uni Temaki for starters. Uni is Japanese for sea urchin. And on my first bite I knew that this was going to be an authentic Japanese dining experience. The uni was fresh and it had an amazing sauce that went with it. The nori wrapper was crisp to the bite. Definitely not one of the cheaper brands of seaweed that you see in some other Japanese restaurants.

 So this is their Chahan, which is Japanese Fried Rice. It was my first time ever to try Chahan. I usually go for Gohan, which is sushi rice. And I think this will also be my last time to try it. Not that it wasn't good.. it was really delicious actually. I just prefer sushi rice.

 

This was the Ebi Kakkiage. Which is shrimp and vegetables that were battered and fried. This is actually one of my favorite Japanese dishes if done correctly. Sometimes it's all flour and minimal vegetables. Sometimes it's just bits of shrimp instead of whole ones. And this time...? Well.. let's just say that I have found my favorite version of my favorite Japanese dish. The Kakkiage was just amazing. We were supposed to be sharing this plate... but I ended up getting more than half.

 

 The Gyoza was alright. It tasted just like every other Gyoza in every other Jap restaurant I've been to. Nothing to write home about.

 And lastly, the Agadashi Tofu. Quite honestly I would've liked my tofu breaded a bit more. But I think the reason why they didn't bread it heavily was so that customers could see the freshness of the tofu. It melted in your mouth and still had the right amount of crunch to it. Dipping it in the soup was quite an experience. As everyone knows.. tofu is quite boring. But the soup was so flavorful that I gulped down a couple spoonfuls with each bite of the tofu. And it went well with the tofu, too.

So this place is a definite must try if you ever find yourself in Clark.

Oh, and remember when I said that it wasn't a good sign for my wallet? Turns out I was wrong. So all those stuff we ordered.. that wasn't it. There was more that I didn't take a picture of because I didn't eat them. There was Miso Soup, Gohan Rice, and Tempura. So those three plus all the pictures of the ones I ate... the tab rounded up to something like 1,200 bucks. Very not bad.

Authentic Japanese at an affordable rate. If you want authentic in Metro Manila you have to be prepared to pay 2000-3000 pesos for a meal this big. Be sure to try this place out if you ever find yourself at Clark.

Good job, Yufuin. I'll see you again next year during the next Hot Air Balloon Festival.

Burgerbar

For the life of me, I cannot remember what the restaurant was before Burgerbar and it's brother "Namnam". And after eating here, to be honest, I didn't care. I stopped caring. I don't want to care. Because Burgerbar, of Greenbelt 2's ground floor, was freaking amazing.

I don't have a picture of the interior but it was awesome. The place was rustic and vintage and. reminded me of a classic burger diner. The wall decor and the upholstery suited the place so well. Everything contributed to the charm and the aura of the place. I'd love to come back here and lounge around for a few hours. With a burger in one hand and a beer in the other, of course.

And to nip it in the bud... 90's music was playing in the background.

So I ordered the "Hangover Burger". Two beef patties, cheddar cheese, arugula, barbecue sauce, and a freaking sunny side egg on top! It doesn't get any more hangover friendly than that. I'm usually one to offer bites of my food to my friends. I usually do it so they can taste my food and more importantly, so I can taste theirs.

With the HB, though... I knew no one at the table. All of a sudden I was alone in the room where it was just me and that delectable burger. I was faintly aware of a table of people talking about certain things.. but I didn't care. All I wanted was to have that sandwich inside of me.

I deliberately saved the egg yolk for last. There is no better taste in the world than the last few bites of a burger that have wiped up the spilled velvety yolk juice. None.

So here is the Four Cheese Burger. Yeah, a burger. It's usually on pizzas or pastas. But some genius at Burgerbar decided to put it on a burger. Be sure to thank him if you ever meet him.

Cheddar, Mozzarella, Gruyere, and some other cheese I can't quite place. The three alone would have me foodgasming. But there was one more. And it was amazing.

The onion rings weren't a favorite, though. It was a butter explosion. So unless you're sure you'll die tomorrow then I wouldn't suggest ordering the fried butter. I mean calamares.

Aside from the burgers that have already been assembled with unique names and toppings.. you also get to create your own. Something to think about.

Charlie's Grind and Grill had my 2011. Boulavard Diner won 2012. This early in the year I'm dubbing Burgerbar of Greenbelt 2 THE burger place of 2013. I'm definitely coming back here again.

Early Bird Breakfast Club

Sorry for not updating in a while. Aside from being busy at work, I also don't have a camera anymore. I couldn't resist and had to update so please forgive the less-than-quality shots from my phone.

So there's a new drunk food place in The Fort Strip. Early Bird Breakfast Club.

So imagine eating breakfast at any given time of the day. Imagine eating breakfast during your lunch break. Or grabbing a grilled cheese before heading home. Enjoying bacon and eggs when the rest of the world is having some fancy dinner with different wines and cheeses. I dunno about you.. but that is my idea of Heaven. A place where it's breakfast food 24/7.

So this is the Adobo Sunrise. Adobo flakes, egg, and rice. That was a huge serving, ladies and gentlemen. You know how you and your friends would get pretty hammered? I do. And with my friends, as per drunken tradition, we usually head over to Rufo's to get some tapsilog before sleeping until 3pm the next day. The only problem is that to drunken me... one order of tapsi just isn't enough. Well.. the serving size over at EBBC is pretty "me" sized. I was starting to get full about 3/4 of the way through this dish. And it was so good I ignored what my brain was telling me and chowed down anyway.

Now. The blog started out with just burgers before I realized, I'm limiting myself too much. But the mere fact that it started out with just burgers should probably give you an idea as to what kind of dude I am. So I ask you... if you see something that says "Ultimate Grilled Cheese" on the menu, could you resist? I couldn't. I didn't. I wasn't disappointed. It's a little pricey, if you ask me. But when Gruyere is one of the cheeses that makes it's melty way into your mouth, I think I forgot the price. This wasn't one of those grilled cheese sandwiches that was all bread, either. Every bite had at least 3 cheese strings from my mouth to the remainder of the sandwich. And come on.. let's be honest. Those cheese strings are what make it all worthwhile.


Don't be fooled by how small the place looks from the outside. It has a second floor as well. The food was awesome. The ambiance was relaxing. And the music was soothing. My only major problem with the place was the number of times I had to swat the flies away. But other than that, it was pretty amazing. I'm sure I'll see these guys again pretty soon. Maybe if I get drunk in Fort Bonifacio sometime this week, I'll get me some drunken Eggs Benedict.

Oh, and EBBC...? Please find a way to make a breakfast pizza. I will buy a whole pie just for myself.

Johnny Steams

First of all, I'm going to apologize for the quality of pictures for this review. This was a spur of the moment decision and I didn't think I was gonna make a review... but I saw burgers and my mind just shifted to auto-pilot. So I used a camera phone to take pictures.

That being said; Johnny Steams; Manila's first steamed burgers. Whenever you hear the word "first" in a restaurant it's always risky to try it out. I had my qualms about a steamed burger but I decided to give it a shot anyway. So I opted for the Chili Cheese burger and got it with the White Truffled French Fries.

So like I said earlier, I had issues with eating a steamed burger. The burger was pretty good. The whole shebang that came with the burger was ok. The other choices looked pretty awesome as well so I don't doubt that they taste equally as great. The homemade chili, by the way, was fantastic. Absolutely loved that.

My only problem was the burger patty itself. And it was a big. Freaking. Problem.

Steamed burgers? Seriously? The very thought was sacrilegious. Don't get me wrong.. you guys over at Johnny Steams are doing a great job. All the toppings and burger choices make up for the steamed burger. But I just couldn't enjoy it. When I get a burger, I want it with the char marks. I want a little to moderate amount of oil or grease. I want the flavor of the grill. I want my manly, macho, masculine, beards-are-tough, biker, trucker burgers!!! If I wanted healthy I would've ordered a salad.

So yes.. this healthy, guilt-free burger is not high on my list. I'd sooner order a salad than get this burger again. But again, everything else was pretty good. It was just the patty itself I didn't like. So maybe that's just my opinion. Maybe all the people who enjoy waking up at 4 in the morning to go jogging can enjoy this grease-free snack. Maybe people who are trying to fit into their wedding dresses can gorge on this before the big day. Who knows.. maybe it'll be the next big thing in Manila. But as for myself? Give me my greasy bacon cheeseburgers with grill marks any day of the week.

Oh, side note. Fries were great. I saw real truffle oil being infused into the fries.

Johnny Steams is located at the Mercato Centrale tent which is at Fort Bonifacio.

Bring me to Boston

So now I'd like to head on over to Boston.

Boulevard Diner

My whole life I had only 2 reasons to be jealous of Ateneans. One is when I see a hot girl from Ateneo. Second is when I see a hot girl whose boyfriend is from Ateneo. Boulevard Diner gave me the third reason to be jealous. If I were an Atenean and studied a trike ride away from this burger place I'd probably be here three or four times a week. I'd eat breakfast, lunch, AND dinner here. Hell, I'd study here even when I don't have anything to study. In case my point isn't being made... I think Boulevard Diner is amazingly awesome!

The menu itself was mesmerizing. There were so many choices. I wanted to try everything. I think we spent a good 20-30 minutes just deciding what we wanted. So it's pretty obvious that they have more than just burgers. I'd come back here to try another burger (or two!) and some Buffalo Wings.

So the burger I (Finally) settled for was the Volcanic Viktor for P175. It's a 1/3 pound patty with cheese, bacon, onion rings, and your choice of hickory sauce or some kind of spicy sauce.. I forgot the name. I opted for the hickory one despite my preference to spicy food. I wanted to keep my taste buds sane during the taste test. The verdict..? I was speechless. For the first time in a long time, I was speechless. I think at one point or another my friends asked me what I thought of the burger. I didn't even answer! I was too busy wolfing it down! One of them even noted my melancholy after and was teasing me saying that I probably wanted one more. And she wasn't far off. I DID want one more. I was full, but I wanted one more!

Why did I like it? The patty itself was great! The server forgot to ask me how I wanted it done. I usually have mine done mid rare. But this time it didn't matter. It was just so good. Onion rings on a burger isn't original. But Boulevard Diner doesn't skimp on the onion rings. I remember having one whole onion ring at the last bite! And the sauce. THE SAUCE! Oh yeah, and there's bacon. Can never go wrong with bacon.

This is the Superhero burger that my friend ordered at P140. I think the thickness of the burger is more evident here than in the burger posted above. Just in case there are some non-believers reading this.

And these were the Freedom Fries. Fries with parmesan cheese on top. They were pretty liberal with the cheese. It made a good appetizer, and it ALSO made a good side dish for the burgers. The serving was a lot. There were three of us muching on these fries while waiting but we still had almost enough to eat WITH the burgers.

So to sum it up.. Boulevard Diner gets a perfect score from me. I had no qualms whatsoever. I especially loved their service. We were greeted with warm smiles and those smiles never left throughout our stay. They even took our picture as well as pictures of the other diners as well. This told me that they value their guests. I'm glad you showed us that courtesy, as I look forward to showing you patronage for a long time. Provided, of course, that you continue to get better. Who knows? Maybe next time I'll give a 12 out of 10 score.

So to you, Boulevard Diner.. Thank you. And please open a branch in Makati. I'll make sure I'm there for the opening.

Boulevard Diner is located at 91 Xavierville Ave. Hole in the wall so keep your eyes peeled.

Rockefeller, Greenbelt 3; 6/10

So this place had a lot of high expectations from me. What with the way the place looked. It looked fabulous, inside and out.  The ambiance was amazing. I was totally relaxed in here. I felt like this was a place I could kick back and relax.

It was a bit pricey so we expected next to the best. The burgers were pretty affordable. I mean, I've had more expensive ones. But everything else. Ribs, oysters, the whole high-end shebang. You see burgers on a menu with something like Bourbon Baby Back Ribs on a previous page, you're expecting pretty awesome burgers, right?

So I had the Barbecue Burger which was priced at 275. My friend had the Rockefeller burger at 295 (Second photo)

I have to say we were extremely disappointed. The burgers were nothing to write home about. Absolutely nothing. There was nothing special about it whatsoever. It's only saving grace would probably be the sauce and the cheese. The patty however was almost terrible. But for 300 bucks? You might very well say that it was.

For the sake of comparison, I would have told you that it tasted like those frozen burgers you can find in the grocery. My friend just said that there was something off about it. I don't know if it was the meat or the seasoning, but trust me when I say that you don't want to see for yourself.

I have yet to try anything else on their menu. I probably will if I feel like splurging. I hope I don't get disappointed, though. But if you find yourself in this restaurant.. Please. No matter how tempting the pictures or the description looks. No matter how low your standards are. No matter how much you say you love burgers. Under any circumstances do not order this burger. You're robbing yourself of 300 pesos. I can name several other restaurants that can serve you a better burger for half that price.

Side comment: The fries were amazing, though. I'm drooling at the thought of having those fries again.

Rockefeller is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 3.