Sambo Kojin SM Megamall where authentic and delicious Japanese Yakiniku meets Korean Barbecue favourites

Borne from the desire to provide Filipino families with a more engaging dining experience, Sambo Kojin continues to develop and find ways to keep improving to offer only the best. It had recently opened its latest branch at the third level of Atrium of SM Megamall. Sambo Kojin fires up anew with even more mouthwatering treats for everyone as it takes foodies and their families to unforgettable journeys in Korea and Japan with its premium and featured items. 

King Katsu: Delicious and Affordable Tonkatsu

Tucked within the SM North Edsa Skygarden’s row of establishments, King Katsu may be something you’d easily miss. But if you’ve been jonesing for some flavorful tonkatsu in town, then King Katsu will certainly satiate you. Tonkatsu has a passionate fan base next to Ramen. I bet one day it will even become more popular. At King Katsu, Tonkatsu—breaded and deep fried premium pork on top of steaming white rice, served with shredded cabbage, which they fondly call as “angel hair cabbage”, a cup of miso soup with my favorite Wakami (seaweed) leaves and soft Japanese tofu cubes are enough to make my day.  Fried pork + hot rice: two Filipino staple foods indeed! It’s not surprising that Tonkatsu had become so dear to us and so appealing to our appetites.

Miso Soup with wakami leaves

Chicken Tonkatsu with Angel Hair Cabbage and Sesame Dressing

From the same company behind Big Better Burger comes King Katsu, which had just opened in June 2013. Apparently, business has been booming since it has opened its doors—a need has been fulfilled, a more affordable tonkatsu for the masses without sacrificing its quality and taste.

King Katsu's Katsudon with Shiitake Mushroom

For non-foodies, Tonkatsu is simply just a breaded pork chop. But at King Katsu, the pork is amazingly fork tender, with sealed flavor, juicy yet non-greasy. It has an irresistible crunch and the golden brown color after deep-frying perfectly creates the meal. The King Katsu meals are complemented with unlimited rice and refillable sauces. Carb-loving Filipinos will surely enjoy this refillable rice, and to refresh the palate, the coleslaw-like angel hair cabbage salad goes well with the creamy sesame dressing.

At King Katsu, just like in most katsu joints, they have mortar and pestle sets where you pound the sesame seeds first and add the katsu sauce from a pot.

Mortar and Pestle Grinder for sesame seeds

King Katsu’s Pork Tonkatsu is available in two sizes: regular is sold at P149 while the large one is at P169 (both are reasonably priced and served with angel hair cabbage, miso soup and unlimited rice) Chicken Tonkatsu (better known as Torikatsu in Japan) is at P152 and for a healthy option, Fish tonkatsu is at P159.



Pork Tonkatsu with rice, sesame dressinng and angel hair cabbage



King Katsu’s take on Japanese curry is also delicious but it’s a little mild for me. I was expecting an added kick on my meal since it’s curry based, but there’s none. I guess they had tweaked in their Katsu Curry meals to suit the Filipino palate. It’s quite easy to understand since not everyone likes to have their meals spicy. I strongly suggest that they either make two variants of the dish: one mild and one spicy or they could put in the menu that guests can request how they’d like to have their dish.

King Katsu's Curry chicken

I had enjoyed the Pork tonkatsu, chicken tonkatsu, katsu curry pork and katsu curry chicken, but I am partial to the chicken katsudon (P152) and pork katsudon (P149). With thin slices of shiitake mushrooms and egg simmered to perfection in some soy and sake wine sauce, I’d certainly come back to King Katsu again and again. I will definitely recommend katsudon (regardless if its chicken or pork) at King Katsu for everyone to try.

One could also try King Katsu’s shrimp pork fry (P179), Shrimp fish fry (P249), King curry (P139), Niku Dango (Pork balls glaced with sweet teriyaki sauce, 3 sticks per order) at P119, Yakitori (Skewered and glazed with King Katsu’s special marinade) such as pork tenderloin, chicken thigh and eggplant.

Surprisingly, I had asked for a second helping of their angel hair cabbage. I loved these thin shredded greens and drench them in sesame dressing for a perfect way to cap off my meal at King Katsu. In my case, since I am currently on a diet program, I even used this angel hair cabbage as an alternative to rice.

My King Katsu experience can be summarized in eight words: Come for the delicious pork at affordable price.

King Katsu is located at the SM North Edsa Skygarden (if you’re going to SM Annex, you’ll surely pass by King Katsu).

Security Blanket thanks King Katsu’s Mr. Miguel Teotico and Alexis Mendoza.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

 

BLOGGED: ARIGATO GOZAIMASU SUMO SAM’S GATEWAY GRAND OPENING

The facade of the Sumo Sam Gateway Mall branch

There is something about Japanese cuisine that makes me tongue-tied. It could be because of the intricate fruit carvings, delicately hand-rolled sushi and thinly sliced sashimi showing little art masterpieces on each plate that always seem to heighten my excitement and tease my palate to give each dish a try. The said temptation intensifies as soon as I get a whiff of the wasabi and miso broth wafting into the air. Such smell somehow prepares my tastebuds for the complex flavors that awaits diners at the newly opened Sumo Sam branch in Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao.

Mr. Marvin Agustin and the Sumo Sam executives.

Sumo Sam's President/Owner actor/entrepreneur Mr. Marvin Agustin with the Sumo Sam executives. 

As soon as you open the door and step inside Sumo Sam, the first thing you’ll notice are the bright red interiors with touches of modern Japanese architectural design. The ambiance is one of the things to consider in choosing a date spot, and you’ll never go wrong with Sumo Sam’s Gateway branch. Sumo Sam has an elegant, classy yet relaxing atmosphere, with its modern and neat interiors.

Cozy nice interiors.

Chopsticks can be found even on their walls.

The Sumo Sam experience begins the minute you approaches your seat where you’ll be welcomed by the staff with smiling faces, ready to offer you assistance. The instant you set foot in its walls, you feel instantly welcomed. And to me, that’s real customer service.

Sumo Sam's Hot Prawn Salad

My eyes were drawn to the Sumo Sam Hot Prawn Salad, which bursts in colors and flavors. Served on a bed of lettuce, the orange prawn on top, the pink tuna cubes, chopped brown nuts, red cherry tomatoes, and yellow citrus slices was such a delightful way to start your meal!

Sumo Sam Spicy Tuna Salad

As if that Sumo Sam Hot Prawn Salad was not enough, we were then served another salad called Spicy Tuna Salad. This dish had given me the surprise of my life. Served with lettuce, tuna flakes and some spicy dressing topped with bits of crunchy tempura batter. Spicy food enthusiasts will surely enlist this as their favorite Sumo Sam dish. 

Tuna and Pink Salmon Sashimi with slices of Lemon and Wasabi.

Tuna Sushi with dip.

The shrimp tempura is simply delish! Do I need to say more? Here’s a proof: the tempura was so good that I was not able to take a photo of the dish. Most items on Sumo Sam’s menu are already good for two to three persons. You can expect straightforward food, served in a casual and contemporary setting. Other big hits on their menu includes the tummy-filling Yakisoba with onion-thin fish strips as toppings, sweet and tasty Chicken Teriyaki, succulent and yummy Beef Gyudon bowl with Nori Strips toppings, a boat of mixed tuna sushi and sashimi with fresh lemon slices and wasabi on the side, and Japanese fried rice with loads of bits and pieces of ingredients such as shrimps, chicken, mushrooms, etc.

Sumo Sam's Chicken Teri

Sumo Sam's Beef Gyudon

Sumo Sam's Gyoza with dip.

Sumo Sam's Yakisoba

Indeed, with the presence of Sumo Sam (Gateway is their 11^th branch with more plans of expanding soon, even abroad—according to Sumo Sam’s President actor/entrepreneur Mr. Marvin Agustin who graced the said event), diners and Japanese food enthusiasts don’t have to fly all the way to Japan to get a taste of some authentic Japanese food. Discover heaps of Japanese food fusion/inspired dishes at Sumo Sam. And as a way to end our pleasant Sumo Sam Japanese food tripping, we had carved fruits as desserts.

Intricately carved fruits with bits of ice.

As I bid my foodies and blogger friends goodbye, Ms. Tina Papera of Sumo Sam asks if I had a great meal and tells me to come visit them again. Well, what do I say? I most certainly will! 

The author, Purple Plum Fairy with Sumo Sam's Ms. Kristina Andrea Papera.

Purple Plum Fairy says Arigato Gozaimasu to Ms. Tina Papera of Sumo Sam, Mr. Marvin Agustin and the staff of Sumo Sam Gateway mall branch.

Disclaimer: I am not compensated for this blog post. Opinions expressed are 100% my own.

Yoshinoya Introduces Eight New Signature Dishes

Yoshinoya's sample meal of Pork Tonkatsu.

Japanese cuisine is always a sensual treat for me. The success of a dish depends on the freshness of the ingredients and the subtle but technical approach to cooking.  One gets to taste the natural flavors of whatever ingredient you’re eating, and it’s presented in the most appetizing yet artistic way. It’s an art form that flirts with all our senses, balancing the taste, smell, texture, appearances and natural colors of food—skillfully presented on plates and in bowls.

Yoshinoya takes its dining delights to greater heights by revamping its menu and offerings, giving diners an even more satisfying meal. Presenting an exciting mix of innovative Japanese dishes and comfort foods, Yoshinoya brings delectable gustatory possibilities to anticipate the craving of any foodie.

Japanese foodies unite! Satisfy your cravings for delicious yet affordable Yoshinoya signature new dishes. Yoshinoya introduces eight mouth-watering array: Tokyo Beef, Veggie Beef, Shrimp Tempura, Chicken Tempura, Pork Tempura, Pork Tonkatsu, Tokyo Chicken and Yoshi Chicken.

Yoshinoya’s beef bowls or Gyudon bowls practically melts into your mouth, with the mind-blowing flavor exploding with each scoop or viand and rice. My fellow bloggers and I murmurs of happiness as we fell silent joyously shoveled bite after bite and spoon over spoon in our hungry mouths. Before long, we set our utensils and chopsticks aside; there was nothing that we didn’t finish off, so you can just imagine how stuffed we were after our meal!

Yoshinoya Owner & CEO Mr. Timothy Yang welcomes blogger guests.

We were lucky to have been given the chance to sample these awesome treats last week. And here are my thoughts on Yoshinoya’s eight yummy new treats:

Tokyo Beef—“Tender slices of beef with fresh sliced onions sautéed into perfection, garnished with sesame seeds and capsicum slices over steaming white rice.”

Security Blanket’s Verdict: If you have a hefty appetite and an insatiable zest for tender slices of pure beef, this treat is for perfect for you.

Sample serving of Tokyo Beef.

 Veggie Beef—“Tender slices of beef simmered with fresh sliced onions in a special broth of herbs and spices, served with mix vegetables on the side on a bed of steaming white rice.”
SB’s verdict: Imagine a flavorful of bowl with beefy goodness of tender beef strips coming together for a healthy meal! It’s a carbo-loading beef bowl meal for all ages.

A sample serving of Veggie Beef.

Shrimp Tempura—“Crispy golden brown white prawn and deep fried garnished with a special tendon sauce.”

SB’s verdict: This particular dish piqued my curiosity and started my love for Japanese food. Hands down, tempura is and will always be one of my favorites.

·      Also available are Chicken Tempura and Pork Tempura.

Sample serving of Shrimp Tempura with eggplant and potato.

A sample serving of Chicken Tempura

A sample serving of Pork Tempura

Pork Tonkatsu—“Deep fried breaded pork fillet topped with a special tonkatsu sauce, served with cabbage siding over steaming white rice.”

SB’s verdict: I wish they had more of the special tonkatsu sauce, because it felt of like “bitin” (read: we hope Yoshinoya people could serve this with a separate sauce), meaning the sauce wasn’t enough. I’ve always liked my tonkatsu and rice swimming in its sauce. 

A bowl of Pork Tonkatsu--an entire serving.

Tokyo Chicken—“Golden brown pieces of grilled chicken fillet marinated in ginger-based sauce, topped with a special sauce and served with mixed vegetables over steaming white rice.”

SB’s verdict: I adore the artful arrangement of broccoli florets, julienned carrots and other veggies on this bowl of rice and chicken. Each order is like poetry in every sense. I could eat Japanese every day and not get tired of it! Presentation is truly impeccable. This is both a healthy and tasty dish—you get full without feeling bloated. With a perfect blend of fresh ingredients, it makes itself known in every spoonful.

Sample serving of Tokyo Chicken is a bit different from Yoshi Chicken. Do not confuse yourselves foodie.

Last but definitely not the least, there’s Yoshi Chicken.

Sample serving of Yoshinoya's Yoshi Chicken--delightfully crispy with a savory taste you'll love.

Yoshi Chicken—“Deep fried, double coated marinated chicken dipped in a special sauce served with steaming rice.”

SB’s verdict: It actually tastes like one of the leading chicken international brand (I’d rather not mention the name, but just to give you an idea, it does start with the letters BC), only Yoshinoya’s Yoshi chicken is more affordable. And unlike its counterpart, it’s kid-friendly because it’s not spicy. (Although I wish Yoshinoya would make another variant for those people who prefer to have their chicken hot and spicy. Just a suggestion though.) This one’s a perennial favorite and I’m pretty sure people and Yoshinoya fans will love this. I bet in a few months time, it will become Yoshinoya’s best-selling menu item, next to their beef bowls, of course. 

There are still a lot of dishes to sample on Yoshinoya’s menu. But I am going to ramble on again. Go check it out yourself for more tasty surprises. You’ll be glad you did, I promise!

Beverages from Yoshinoya: Red Tea, Lime Green Tea and Apple Tea. Refreshingly cool!

These signature dishes will be initially available at the Robinson’s Galleria branch in Ortigas. 

xoxo,

My Latest Food Discovery: How I Fell In Love with Tokyo Cafe!

I am always on the look out for culinary creations to feed not just my hunger, but more so my curiosity. And I know I’m the only one hooked on this hunt in my family, thus, I end up this big (read: on the plump side err obese, if you cannot utter the word). But I know there are lots of food lovers out there who find themselves in the same delicious dilemma so to help, I’d like to share my two cents on my latest food discovery which had probably the best-tasting Japanese and European fusion foods available in the country today. Sure, there are thousands of restaurants and food shops to choose from and on top of that thousands of dishes to try. Hopefully, you can try my latest food discoveries. Read on and find out how I fell in love with Tokyo Café.

See that small jigger sized glass? That's how you adjust its taste.

To begin with, Tokyo Café is currently rising as one of the most sought after Japanese coffee shops in the country. The restaurant provides a cozy ambiance, delicious food, and unique Japanese beverages. Oh, and I haven’t mentioned anything yet about the stuff posted on their walls—they’re so cool! I really liked the few words and wisdom on their walls. An example would be something like this: “In Japan, before eating you say, I-ta-da-ki-ma-su, which means, “I receive this gift thankfully.” After finishing your meal, you say, Go-chi-so-sa-ma, which means, “Thank you for the meal.” I’ve always thought it was as simple as Taberu…(read: Let’s eat!)

The crispy and tasty TenJu (Shrimp Tempura) with fresh salad on the side.

A delicious concoction of coffee and chocolate syrup with ice cream.

Another interesting wall post is the Japanese saying Ichigo Ichie, it says, “The true spirit of hospitality is based on the saying Ichigo Ichie which means, ‘treasure every encounter with another person”.  The place provides a laid back environment, very nice interiors and well lighted with touches of colors light green and ecru white.

Coming from a reputable Japanese coffee shop, a native of Tokyo, Mr. Atsushi Yoshizawa found potential in the Philippine market. With his background in restaurant operations, he adopted the same method and ventured into the food business here in our country. Mr. Yoshizawa had trained his staff well for excellent service and uses the Japanese standards of food quality.  He’s also very hands-on, making sure that every food or beverage is served the way they do in Japan. 

Mr Yoshizawa and Ms. Kate Paredes explains how Tokyo Cafe started.

Differentiating itself from a regular coffee shop and a Japanese restaurant, it offers first-class fusion of Japanese and Western cuisine. Where else could you find especially blended coffee and beverages, Japanese tempura, burgers + fries, pasta, and pizza in one restaurant? Others may find it a bit odd, but if you really go to Japan, they really serve pasta and pizza in coffee shops. Maybe we’ve just been used to Western-style when it comes to coffee shops that’s why we would always see cakes, bagels, sandwiches and pastries on their menu. I guess this is also one of the reasons why Tokyo Café is a standout. I’d like to think this setup is perfect for the whole family. When Dad wants to drink coffee, Mom wants to eat Japanese cuisine, older sister is on a diet and wants something healthy like pasta, the kids love fries and the whole family can share in one pizza—you’ll never go wrong dining at Tokyo Café because they’ve got everything! Dining at Tokyo Café is all about being exciting and full of choices in a relaxing atmosphere.

The author preparing her chopsticks before indulging on her Kalbi-Ju.

I’ve tasted their bestselling Ten-Ju or deep fried shrimp tempura (real tiger shrimps) with their signature tempura sauce on a bed of steamed white rice. Here’s what I liked most about their Japanese rice toppings or Ju-Box (set meals)—for every order, there’s a small portion of green fresh vegetable salad as side dish. Making sure that every meal is a balance and healthy one. Unlike other shrimp tempura served in other Japanese cuisine-based restaurants where shrimp tempura had been over coated with batter and flour, Tokyo Café’s shrimp tempura is really a standout because it is tasty up to the last bite. It’s not greasy even if it’s deep-fried. The tempura was very crispy even if it only had very thin flour coating or batter. Surprisingly, from the crispy coating outside, it is very soft and tasty inside. The sauce lent a slight gingery taste. It’s like having my comfort food. I will definitely recommend it to all my relatives and friends.

The tender Kalbi-Ju with a special coffee based ice cream drink.

Tokyo Café’s Kalbi-Ju or thinly sliced beef smothered in original yakiniku sauce is also a must try. The beef wasn’t a challenge to begin with; in fact it was easy to chew. And it came in a generous pile on top of the steamed rice that inevitably made this dish drool-worthy. I just wish they even had more of its yakiniku sauce on the side because I was craving for more. Its got the sweetness and saltiness together in a dish. Had it been gristly, the dish would have been a dentures’ nightmare. Thankfully, it is incredibly soft and chewy.

Perfect meals for those on the budget.

Some of the delicious Japanese set meals Tokyo Cafe meals.

 Unaju is also a favorite among Tokyo Café’s customers. Unaju are pan-fried eel fillets topped with caramelized soy sauce over rice. Other must-try dishes are the Katsu-Ju and Oyako-Ju. Katsu-Ju is deep fried breaded pork cutlet flavored with signature tempura sauce, onions, leeks and scrambled egg on steamed rice. Oyako-Ju are sliced chicken braised in signature tempura sauce with onions, and leeks mixed in tamago (egg) on steamed white rice.

Tokyo Café also had lots of unique Japanese beverages such especially blended coffee drinks like Tokyo Ice, Tokyo Blend, Ice Caramel, and Espresso among many others. If you’re lucky, sometimes they even offer especially prepared beverages like Cherry Blossoms and Peach inspired drinks that are truly refreshing. Drinks and beverages are served with a small jigger glass for additional milk and syrup, giving customers the option to adjust their drinks based on their own taste.

The author at Tokyo Cafe in SM Megamall Bridgeway branch.

There are actually more sumptuous food and beverages to discover at Tokyo Café. I vow to come back to taste some more interesting foods like their pizza and pasta. By the way, it would be great to let you know that the company behind Tokyo Café also owns Parmigiano Pizzeria Ristorante, so you can be assured that their pizza and pasta are awesome in their own right! I immediately fell in love with Tokyo Café. It had more to offer than ordinary coffee shops I usually frequent which only had bagels, sandwiches, cakes and pastries. Tokyo Café will definitely satisfy even those with discriminating palate. More than their great tasting food and drinks, you’ll surely come back for more because of their efficient and friendly service.

    

The cozy interior of the cafe.

The author at Tokyo Cafe.

Find out for yourselves why I fell in love with Tokyo Café. Drop by in any of their branches: SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, McKinley Piazza, Go Hotel in Pioneer and NAIA Terminal 3. Like them on their Facebook page to get updates on their promo and latest offers.

Purple Plum Fairy says Arigato Gozaimasu to Mr. Atsushi Yoshizawa and Ms. Kate Paredes of Tokyo Café. Special thanks to Mr. Richard Mamuyac.

xoxo,