BBQ Addiction: Maru

Okay okay, first of all, this a completely different barbecue. It's one of the now slowly being popular bbqs amongst Filipinos.

Yes, it's the Korean Grill!

For my first Korean grill adventure, my friends suggested I try Maru in Macapagal Ave. And so I did.

(Sorry in advance for the shitty phone cam photos hihi)

We decided to sit on the side where we had to remove our shoes and sit while crossing our legs. I thought: "If we're gonna eat Korean food, might as well eat like them!"

On to the menu!

I'll give you a free view of some of the items on their menu (don't worry. I asked permission)

We then proceeded with our order.

I know most people really prefer Samgyupsal (Pork belly, think of bacon) I really like beef over pork so I ordered Galbisal (boneless beef ribs) and just to satisfy my curiosity, I ordered Samgyupsal too.

Left: Galbisal (P350)

Right: Samgyupsal (P280)

Oh, and each order comes with free UNLIMITED refills of side dishes! My favorite part of Maru!

Side dishes ( I know, plenty huh?)

I love the kind of lettuce they use! Crunchy and sweet. Unlimited too!

Dips: Sesame Oil with salt & Pepper, Ssamjang

Oh! And before you wrap those delicious meat in some lettuce, you dip it into these awesome paste and oil! They really enhance the natural flavor of the meat and gives it the addictive Korean taste!

Grilling time!

Tip: don't play with your meat! Let them cook before turning them. Turning them over and over causes the meat to lose it's flavor. So be patient :)

And since we want to get the whole Korean experience, we ordered some extra dishes.

Dolsot Bibimbap (P350)

It's like a Korean rice topping dish served in a hot clay pot. You get to mix all the ingredients into the rice! It wont be pretty but it's definitely super good!

Bulgogi (P300)

I'd love to marry the marinade! Awesome flavor, but really small serving :(

Sundubu Jjige (P350)

Hot tofu soup with some meat and seafoods. A must try for me! I love that it's spicy and the tofu is really silky and soft! 

Overall, Maru gave me the Korean Experience I was looking for!

I have no other experience so I really can't compare it yet, but as long as my tummy is satisfied, I think I could recommend this to Korean food virgins out there! 

I have always loved Japanese food & I never thought I would be craving for Korean as well!

We all really have to get out and try new things once in a while. :)

Check out Maru Korean Grill soon and tell us your experience! 

Food Junkie,

Marnelli Gaerlan

Yasuo: Affordable Japanese Food

Craving for authentic Japanese food but feeling pretty low on budget?

Well we found just the perfect place for you!

Located at Robinson's Ermita is a Japanese restaurant named Yasuo.

From the name to the ambiance, to the people working there, everything seemed so authentic! You'd immediately feel the Japanese ambiance... In a mall.

Menus were given, and I had my eyes set for the beef bowl. So the friendly waiter took our orders.

The wait wasn't that long, and we had our meals set on the table.

I could still see smoke rising from the beef bowl. I just couldn't resist; so I took a whiff, and boy, did it smell good!!

Ready with the chopsticks! Placed them between my fingers aaaaand, dug into the food!

The saltiness of the beef was balanced with the seasoning and the steamed, signature, Japanese rice! I just can't stop myself, so I just continued eating.

My friends ordered tempura, ramen and chicken teriyaki. 

And as a routine, we get to taste each other's food.

I first tasted the tempura. I'm not really a fan of Japanese mayo, or any kind of mayo. But the mayo just balances the flavor of the tempura. It was served hot, so the tempura was still fresh and it tasted real good!

Next was the chicken teriyaki. For that sweet, Japanese flavor! The chicken was cooked to perfection, so it was perfectly tender. And the sauce? Wow! Just the right amount of sweetness! All the flavors ju

st dancing around my mouth!

And finally, the ramen. Nothing says Japanese than a bowl of hot Ramen. Slightly spicy, slightly sweet, slightly salty, slightly tangy and a WHOLE LOT of flavor! Real flavor, in fact! Go ahead and try it!

Everything was amazing!

So like i said, if you need an affordable, authentic Japanese restaurant, this is the place to be!

Come visit Yasuo because everything is Japa-NICE!

Food Junky,

Eunick Nobe

Great Taste, Big Serving: Tasty Dumplings

Along the streets of Ongpin in Binondo, Manila you'll see Tasty Dumplings. The first time you will hear about it you will immediately think that it's just another dumpling store. But , they offer more than that. 

Tasty Dumplings is your typical restaurant chain, that offers different dishes that will satisfy your hungry stomach. 

One of TD's best seller is their Pork Chop Rice. The size of the pork chop is to die for, where in probably one cup of rice is not enough. The seasoning, crispiness and tenderness of THE pork chop says it all on why it's their best seller. 

Tossed Kuchay Dumpling Noodles. This is the reason why they are called "Tasty Dumplings" it really is tasty. 

Can you just imagine taking a bite of these dumpling when you are craving for one. YES ! Heaven. 

For about 200Php you can go home with a satisfied and full stomach. Especially those days where you crave anything but Chinese. It had always been a nice thing trying out different style of cooking food. 

Ongpin, Binondo Manila

Near Binondo Church

Food Junkie, 

Agel Sy

Cute lil' Café along Taft: Noriter

Since we're always around Taft Ave., we want to share with you guys where we usually hang out (for hours and hours)!

Noriter is a super cute café in front of La Salle University Manila (above Tapa King). It's probably the chillest café where in you can even lie down and sleep or express your creativity in paper cups to be displayed in the café itself!

Not only that, they have some delicious coffee blends and fraps perfect for long talks or even sweet dates.

If you're hungry, you can check out their menu composed of sandwiches, pastas and waffles!

So if ever you're in Taft, with a group, a date or a book, and you need a place to just "chill", check out Noriter and tell us about your experience! :)

Food Junkie,
Marnelli Gaerlan

Barbecue of the South: Mang Raul's

It's cheap, it's good and it's totally addictive!

Not all are aware (even other fellows from the south) about this awesome foodgasmic spot in Las Piñas.

Mang Raul's is a small bbq spot in BF Almanza started by no other than Mang Raul's himself. It's even amazing to see him still "cook his craft" while taking orders till this day.

I don't know the secret as to what makes the "ihaw ihaw" so special.

All I know is that people from different status (yes, I mean from yayas to international school students) line up for hours just to literally hoard bbqs (isaw, adidas, balat, etc.).

And hoard, we did!

We had to wait for about 40 minutes (not cause they move slow, but cause of the crowd, we were number 29) so we ordered something from the "pansitan" (btw, the Pancit Canton is a must try) beside Mang Raul's which even has a sign that says: "BBQ allowed". Well, as long as you order rice from them.

Then our 50++ sticks of grilled insides and meat arrived! 

Complete with a generous serving of their sauces: Sweet, Sweet Spicy and Spicy! The best companion forever!! 

It's really the sauce that makes Mang Raul's stand out from the other bbq shacks!

In 30 minutes, all that's left were sticks. Talk about pigging out!

So if ever you're in Las Piñas, please put Mang Raul's in your Must Try list. 

PS: If you're eating alone, a hundred pesos is already enough. Yes, it doesn't get better than this.

Oh, and they are closed on Mondays! 

Also, like their Facebook page for updates! (Yes, you read that right) Mang Raul's BBQ

Now Craving for isaw

Food Junkie,

Marnelli Gaerlan 

Foodtruck Escapade 5: Amazing Cones

Still hungry for more, I decided to continue with my food truck escapade. My hunger led me to yet another truck with a bunch of people lining up. Now, this is not my first encounter with a pizza rolled into a cone, I have seen it a thousand times on Tumblr and Facebook, but this is the closest I got to tasting it. And sweet heavens, the idea of a pizza cone is a genius! I tried hard not to find ways cut in line so that I can finally taste it.

They had the prettiest and tastiest menu. I really couldn’t decide, I wanted to taste everything but..well.. let’s just say that I was broke. So I ordered Everything but the Sink. Okay, don't take that literally. It's actually the name of one of their best selling pizza cones!

Everything but the Sink (60php)

Moment of truth. The genius creation for mankind.

Can I just say that I finally understand why the truck is named “Amazing Cone”? There is no word to describe it but A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

(I think my friend who took this photo can't focus cause she's already ready to bite! haha!)

I mean, c’mon, think of dough for a cone, then the perfect pizza sauce, a generous amount of Mozzarella and toppings of your choice as the Ice cream. Now isn’t that just heavenly? (I found it so hard to share with my co-foodies L) It’s a bit small but is really fair for its price.

Also, I found it unfair to not try one of their rice meals since I saw the guy in front of me have this big ass paper box which my guts tell me is gonna be awesome.

So if you wan't something heavier and just as good, try my pick, THE Chicken Rice. 

Chicken Rice (135php)

I can’t decide which is better anymore. Amazing Cones is far too generous with everything. Look at the size of that thing! Chicken, yellow rice, garlic sauce, and they know a few extra carbs won't hurt, so they added some pita bread in there too. And oh, some shredded cabbages to balance it off. This is a meal for champions. A definite must-try! 

Amazing Cones Menu

Just please do understand that I rewrote this post a lot of times so that I won’t sound too exaggerated, but I can’t omit words that deserve to be here. 

To know more about Amazing Cones, like their page on Facebook! Click Here

You may also find them in some malls! Visit their website here!

*Burp*

Food Junkie, 

Marnelli Gaerlan

Foodtruck Escapade 1: Shawarma Bros

We always look for some adventure. We always want to explore. We always want to try something new. And by saying new I mean the food truck industry.What are the possibilities that these food trucks will be a hit today? Simple formula; good food x relaxing ambiance x good company. That's what Food Truck Park PH offers; currently located at Capitol Commons somewhere in the busy streets of Ortigas. We visited and tried it ourselves because we're curious like that. And duh, because it's food, I mean who would wanna miss out on food, right? Definitely not us!

So when we got to Capitol Commons, there was a surplus of food trucks. We had to choose which food truck we shall invade. So I got my eye on SHAWARMA BROS

I ordered the Beef Shawarma Rice (tried not to drool while posting the pictures)

Ok. Now I'm hungry.

 This meal is only worth PHP150, you get your rice topped with beef shawarma topped with two (2) sauces of your choice. (I got the garlic sauce). Also you get fresh leak strips and tomato salsa as side dishes to match the shawarma rice.

The beef shawarma was very tender and the flavor just bursted in my mouth. A mix of flavors from the beef, the garlic sauce, the rice and the vegetable sidings. I got a hint of spiciness from the beef, the garlic sauce, the salsa and amazingly, from the yellow rice itself! I got the savory flavor of the beef lingering in the parts of my mouth, partner that with the fresh flavor of the leak, and I tell you, it's a match made in heaven!

This wonderful food experience was topped off with friendly guys in the food truck. I mean, look at that smile, doesn't he just make you wanna order and order non-stop? (He calls your name for your order. That is perfect.)

And also, we experienced the picnic style of eating at Capitol Commons; eating on picnic cloths laid down on fresh green grass, listening to indie singers and just enjoying our food.

If that doesn't complete a perfect food truck meal, then I dunno what will.

No, wait, maybe more food will make it more complete. Yes. Yes, that's right. More food.

Food Junky,

Eunick Nobe

Make sure to visit Shawarma Bros and other food trucks at Capitol Commons just around Ortigas!