Finally! Tonkatsu Taka, A Rare Gem at Farmer's Market Cubao

Hey guys! It's been awhile since I blogged something. Been busy doing this and that so to make up for my absence, I'll be reviewing a restaurant that has been on my top list since last month.

Presenting Tonkatsu Taka! They take pride in their authentic Japanese menu. Looking at their Facebook page, I saw a Japanese guy manning the kitchen. This puts a huge plus on the authenticity of the food they are serving since people want to get what they are promised for. Moving on, I was really supposed to review this resto last week but my phablet ran out of juice hence I wasn't able to take pictures of the food we ate. So, me and my boyfriend decided to give it another try to once and for all finish this blog post.

Photo grabbed from their FB account.

Our first visit was a really memorable one all because we thought we are the only ones eating there. When I scanned the place, I saw one guy eating alone. The place still smells new and the couches are still in good shape. We settled ourselves in a corner table. I immediately scanned their menu. They were also kind enough to give my boyfriend another menu booklet since they only provide one per table. by the way, each table includes a button to be pressed when you're ready to order or have anything to request. That's another plus for them. It's like having my own personal butler. I've never seen anything like this in any Japanese restaurant I've been to. Aside from this neat upgrade, their table also has SnB's chili powder and toothpicks. As to why there is no table napkins, i'll explain later :)

I immediately chose Ebi Fry set and my boyfriend got the Kushi Katsu set. Are we in for the biggest surprise! The food was served about 10-15mins later. A bit long for those who are already want to taste judge this newbie resto but trust me it's all worth the wait. They will serve your food on a huge tray and you will definitely feel the authenticity of the meal cooked because of the presentation. Food for the eyes and the palate. They also have huge servings! For only 210 php, I got 5 Ebi shrimps, shredded cabbage with Goma sauce drizzled on top, pickled radish, pork miso and a cup of Chawanmushi (egg custard dish common in Japan). This is the first time I came across such a unique dish. The Chawanmushi has seafood bits incorporated in the egg custard itself. I asked my boyfriend to try it and he said it somewhat tasted like our balut but a bit more tastier of course.I remember having a really hard time finishing what was served before me. It was really filling! Good thing I have my boyfriend with me so he ate what I couldn't lol.

The Kushi Katsu set on the other hand is something new to us but we were surprised to know that it's just katsu wrapped on a stick. Now how on earth they did that, we do not know but the new experience did not disappoint. My boyfriend, being a picky eater, gave his thumbs up for approval. He cleaned his plate in no time.

By the way, the mystery behind not having any table napkins is because they serve the customers hot towels to wipe their mouths during or after they eat. Neat huh? I like that they are doing their part in conserving Mother Nature by using less paper products.

The second time we ate there was a week after our first :p It made such a huge impact on us because of quality and quantity of the food they serve. Also worth mentioning is the prompt service that the staff gives every time we eat there. This time though, we are expecting a friend to come and join us in our food escapade. I was really tempted to order another Ebi Fry set but as I was doing a review of the different meals served in this resto for you loyal readers, I decided to order a different one, their Mixed Fry set. 

I was like O.o when I saw this! It's good for 2 hungry people!

That is by far the most biggest and priciest meal they could offer there. If you eat this at Yabu I know you would be shelling around 700php or more for the same meal! This on the other hand only costs 290php! Unbelievable right? This set contains prawn, pork katsu stick, pork fillet with pork miso soup and steamed egg soup (Chawanmushi). They also offer a side of pickled radish (my favorite) and two kinds of sauce for dipping which I believe is Tonkatsu sauce and Egg Tartar for the prawn. If this post did not make you crave for any of those then I don't know how to reiterate enough how good this set is. 

My boyfriend stuck to his first choice which was the Kushi Katsu set or pork katsu on a stick. As explained earlier, it is the experience of eating Katsu on a stick that makes this set unique other than of course, the perfectly seasoned meat. although my boyfriend is quick to notice that the breadcrumbs used was a bit thicker than before but it did not overpower the meat. Like my set, this is also served with pickled radish on the side, Tonkastsu sauce for dipping and a bowl of pork miso soup. By the way, this set only costs 180php.

The photos do not do justice to this tasty set. Not one bit.

 Also worth mentioning is the number of people coming in to taste what this resto has to offer. On our first visit, we were a bit hesitant since there seems to be no one entering the place. Now, more seats are being occupied and I thnk by word of mouth, the place is becoming one of the sought after restos in Cubao. If you are craving for something Japanese and you happen to be near Farmer's Market, the  you're in luck.

After eating a quarter of my set, our friend finally showed up. He ordered Teriyaki Don which is Pork Teriyaki served with pork miso soup. All their set comes with a bowl of rice which is sadly not refillable. But for the price we are paying and the quality we are getting, I shouldn't really be complaining. The slice of pork tasted more like Adobo to me but this is really not a bad thing. The sauce is really good. According to our friend, he could more of the rice offered in that set lol. He did point out that he wanted his pork sliced a bit more thin. He hardly said anything afterward since he was busy stuffing himself hahaha.

Teriyaki don served with pork miso soup <3

 This time though, I gave him the Chawanmushi to taste. I didn't tell him what he was going to eat and told him to give me his review after he ate the whole cup. After eating, I told him that what he ate was steamed egg soup which is popular in Japan. He told me he was surprised by the taste. Like my boyfriend he pointed out that it tasted like Balut but a notch higher. He liked the bits of seafood incorporated in the dish and also liked the fact that it does not smell and taste fishy. He consumed the dish in under 1 minute!    

We stayed up until before closing time. We really had a good time eating and catching up with old stories. Will we ever go back, definitely Yes!

The verdict: 

Place- 4/5 i'll give it a 5 if they play any Music that will reflect their resto

Food- 5/5 Need i say more?

Service- 5/5 The staff were friendly and prompt. They assisted me with everything I need. No complaints here!

*All photos posted are from the blogger's digital camera unless indicated that it is copied from other sources. 

A Date to Remember ( Little Tokyo Review)

(Views and opinions are my solely mine. I am not endorsing Hana nor Little Tokyo)

I've been reading a lot of reviews lately when i suddenly saw a particular place which really made a lasting impression to me. The place is popularly called Little Tokyo. It is located at Pasong Tamo, Makati and is near Makati Cinema Square. I was really excited that I scheduled a date with my boyfriend that weekend but due to some personal problems, our scheduled date came two weeks later. Commuting there was a synch. Since we came from QC, we rode the MRT going to Magallanes station then rode a jeepney to PRC. It's that simple. We got off at Makati Cinema Square and I immediately spotted the place. We got there a bit earlier than expected so most of the shops are still closed. They re-open at around 6pm to serve dinner. Good thing, a restaurant called Hana is open. Before we sat down and browsed their menu, we first toured around the area. Once you step inside Little Tokyo, you get the feeling that you're transported to Japan. It's got that Hokkaido-ish feeling since the interiors remind me of old Japanese era. I got all giddy inside and it made me want to travel to Japan more! The restaurants are lined up side by side with chairs and tables occupying the space outside as well.

Around 4PM. We're actually the first ones (I assume) there! lol

We then went to Yamazaki grocery store to buy Japanese goodies since I'm a sucker for those huehuehue. Anyway, it does have a ramen shop inside like what the blogs say. I guess it's for the shoppers who will get hungry as they shop. The store offers enough, not that much but it covers the basics. We got milk pudding, instant ramen, a shrimp flavored rice cracker snack and a Natchan Suntory.

The milk pudding was actually really tasty. One of the best puddings I've tasted so far.

Suntory's all gone! Look at how cute the bottle is though :>

We also went to Chotto Stop. Another Japanese inspired grocery store . We found out that they sold more Japanese goodies than Yamazaki. And I swore that we would go back to buy that super cute Hello Kitty shaped pasta and some instant curry. After that we went back to Little Tokyo since it already started raining. We decided to eat at Hana. My boyfriend browsed the menu given to us and we settled for a bowl of Soba with Tempura on the side and a serving of their Takoyaki. 

These Takoyaki are the real deal. 

I actually like how huge their takoyaki servings are. It's like the size of a baby fist. What I didn't like though was the waiting part because it's too hot to eat it at once and my boyfriend also pointed out that the octopus used has that gummy texture hence it's not fresh anymore. So, if i were to rate it out of 10, i'd give it an 8.

This dish is actually good for two. The broth is so good and the Ebi Tempura is equally good.

This dish on the other hand is something I didn't expect would haunt me up to now. Admittedly, I ordered this only because of the Tempura side dish. But boy was I in for a big surprise. The first sip of the broth hit me like a wrecking ball hahaha. Imagine the reaction of people eating Cooking Master Boy's dishes. It was that good. The noodles, made from buckwheat was also firm and gave a nice balance to the flavor of the broth. I even ate the nori even if I'm not a big fan of miso soup. I added a bit a chili powder from S&B to give it a little kick and it made the soup more flavorful. Even my boyfriend agreed that this is a knockout dish! As for the Tempura, we were given two huge Tiger prawn tempuras along with a vegetable one (eggplant according to my boyfriend). I really had a hard time using chopsticks on my Tempura because it was so big it kept falling off. it has a light crunchy texture and you can really taste the prawn with each bite. My boyfriend even smothered his share with the Tempura sauce and he said it was delicious. If I were to rate this dish, it's a big 10. So if you want a noodle dish that's filling and yummy, deviate from the usual ramen and try this instead. 

This meal only costs 470 bucks. That really is value for money. If you're planning to go on a date this Valentines day, this place is a good option. We're definitely coming back to try the other restos in the area. Hopefully that time, I'll get to try Okonomiyaki and Kakigori. Cheers!

P.S. We also got to sample Ben and Jerry's Strawberry Shortcake ice cream at Rustan's Fresh Glorietta. This is the only place I know that sell them. I hope they also sell it Rustan's Gateway since I'm nearer that place.

This is a piece of heaven right at my finger tips <3