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,

Tourne Restaurant: Slow Food Healthy Meals

Tourne restaurant had an inviting and cozy ambiance. It’s clean white interior perfectly compliments the colorful cursive quotation writing on the wall. Its resident Chef and owner Sandralyn Hataway makes sure that her guests will enjoy not just good but healthy foods as well.

For starters, Chef Sandralyn Hataway serves Soyami Soya chips and sticks as free appetizers for her guests. Then, the foods are slowly cooked only upon your order so you can be assured of the freshest ingredients. This is indeed a pretty good alternative to our usual fast food fares where you could easily expect fried oily and fattening foods. At Tourne, Chef Sandralyn makes sure that you’ll be getting more than what you paid for. She’ll make sure that you’ll be eating healthier foods without having to suffer its taste. I bet most of us would say that if you’re on a healthy kind of diet, foods had to be quite bland but when you eat at Tourne you’ll be surprised that healthy foods could actually really taste good.

Chef Sandralyn explains the benefit of healthy eating.

Visit Tourne at The Fort Strip. And experience the magic of slow eating, enjoying the comforts of a very nice restaurant without the guilt of fast food. Your body will even thank you for dining here.

Lip-Smacking Jollibee Tuna Pie is Back this Lenten Season!

For most Catholics, the Lenten Season had just started which meant a time for fasting and repentance…Jollibee joins the Christianity in this light as they bring back the well-loved Jollibee Tuna Pie! 

The crusty tuna pie is filled with delicious tuna flakes, sliced button mushrooms, carrots, cheesy sauce and spices.  It is lip smacking and really good, perfect for those who practice fasting and avoiding all kinds of meat this Lenten.  For only P33, these tuna pie isn’t heavy on one’s pocket. Grab the Jollibee Tuna Pie now at all branches nationwide while you can, hurry because this offer's for a limited time only.

Filled with yummy filling.

Treat everyone with Festa Italiana Meal at Sbarro

Thin crusted Sbarro Super Supreme

What makes a pizza perfect? Whether you cut your pizza with a fork and knife, or you do the portable “hold and fold”, you will surely agree with me that there are certainly more ways than one to eat a pizza especially if you’re in a place like Sbarro. 

At Sbarro, there are loads of awesome choices.

Che una bella pizza! Sbarro has consistently satisfied my family and me ever since we had experienced them at their SM Megamall branch in the early 90’s. It has become our default pizza place. Their pizza is definitely the closest to New York-style pizzas, served by the slice in big triangles of cheesy goodness. There is a distinct aroma of fresh oregano to Sbarro pizzas, which I always enjoy and I give credit to the pizza guy who literally toss and knead the pizza right before your eyes, assuring you that their pizza are freshly baked.

Huge chunk of New York style pizza

Sbarro pizza had always been well prepared and perfectly seasoned with an inviting mix of herbs and spices that worked well together. As a result, Sbarro pizza is always bursting with flavors.  The sauce was appreciably deep and married effortlessly with the briney olives. The crust had a consistent crunch factor and remained crispy even after absorbing all that magic sauce. There’s an addictive flavor profile here that keeps you hooked to the last crumb.

And now, with their latest promo called Festa Italiana, for only P779.00, you can now afford to treat your friends and family members at Sbarro. For their Festa Italiana meal, you can have your own choice of two kinds of thin crust pizza (yes, you’re reading it right), two kinds of salad (you can choose your own dressing: vinaigrette, ranch or thousand island) and two kinds of pasta dish with a 1.5 liter bottle of Coke that’s good for four people! Isn’t that a good value for your money?

Penne Pasta in Ranch dressing

 

We were treated recently to a Festa Italiana meal at Sbarro’s branch in Glorietta 5 with friends. The scent of pizza alone instantly made me hungrier that I thought I was. The crust had a fantastic crunch and tasty texture. I especially liked how it bubbled up giving it a notable lightness. Sbarro has consistently crafted oversized delicious pizza with high quality ingredients, and they do not scrimp on their pizza toppings so there’s no need to order for add ons or overloaded ones unlike in other pizza place.

Vegetables salad in your choice of dressing: Vinaigrette, Ranch or Thousand Island.

 

Going back to their Festa Italiana meal, it’s refreshing to see Sbarro serving thin crust pizza. The crust may be called thin, but it is thick enough to give you plenty of support for all the meat toppings but not too thick where you leave anything on your plate. For me, it is just right. Each slice happily boasts a hefty serving of pepperoni, olives and ham. The sauce enhances the flavor of the meat while the cheese brings it all home. With the Festa Italiana meal, you can choose whatever pizza flavor you like: supreme, mushroom, white, cheese etc. 

Kyle's favorite: White Pizza

I took my first bite of Sbarro thin-crusted pizza and deeply enjoyed a mouthful of bubbly melted cheese. I had secretly wished that moment would not end as I chat along with friends in between slices of pizza and mouthful of pasta. 

 

Sbarro’s Festa Italiana meal would make a perfect snack, lunch or dinner. And given its size and quantity, sharing is recommended for hearty eaters such as myself. Treat your friends and share the goodness of Sbarro pizza and pasta through Festa Italiana meal, now available at all Sbarro branches nationwide.

Just a tip: When you order spaghetti, mix both red and white sauce for that Italian twist.

 

Be a fan of Sbarro Philippines on Facebook for more of their promos and updates. 

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