Bibimbap craving satisfied at Korean J Grill

I suddenly craved for bibimbap last week and asked my friends in the office if we could go eat Korean food. After doing a little research on nice Korean restaurants, off we went for lunch to Korean J Grill along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. This place is a nice one, we found out, with a more modern and casual ambiance compared to other Korean restaurants we've been to. From the many pictures hanged on the wall, we learned, too,  that many celebrities visit this place like Vice Ganda and Billy Crawford. 
In a little while, it was the food's turn to delight us. 

Our orders:

Dolsot Bibimbab, P250.

This was love at first taste! Each spoonful gives a burst of delightful flavors. I loved too that there's a whole lot of bite-sized chicken and vegetables, they won't leave you wanting but oh-so-satisfied. And the serving is humungous, it could feed two persons. Craving more than satisfied!

Japchae, P300.

This Korean "pancit" was really good although it's a little too sweet for me. Lots of veggies here, too, and like the bibimbab, the serving is big enough to satisfy two to three people.

Sam Gyeop Sal, P350.

Samgyeopsal means "three-layered-flesh" and is one of Korea's most popular dishes consisting of grilled pork belly, lettuce, and a whole gamut of side dishes, which could vary in different restaurants. Kimchi, which is fermented cabbage is, always included in the set, though, as it is a staple in every Korean meal. To eat Sam gyeop sal, put a piece of meat on a bed of lettuce and top it off with sauces - ssamjang (made out of soybean paste, hot pepper paste, sesame oil, and other ingredients) and gireumjang (sesame oil, salt, and black pepper). 
This, I promise, is sooo good, I'm craving for it as I write this! 

Dweji Galbi, P350.
Dweji galbi means means grilled spareribs but I'm not sure if it's the one that's pictured here 
'coz they look pretty much the same and even the taste don't differ to me. 
The meat is really tender and savory, I couldn't help but eat a lot!

Side dishes served along with the sam gyeop sal and dwelji galbi

My favorite among the side dishes we were served were the lettuce with chili and vinegar and sliced radish. By the way, refill of side dishes is free here 

at Korean J Grill (as it is in most Korean restaurants). 

Love it! 

 Celebrity customers

Korean J Grill is at #186 Tomas Morato Avenue, Sacred Heart, Quezon City

It was one great meal that my friends and I shared at Korean J Grill. We immensely enjoyed our lunch! Everything was really good it was hard to tell which dish was the best. To top it all, we didn't pay much and only shelled out P300 each. Such a great deal for an unforgettable lunch! We are surely coming back to Korean J Grill, 
and I have the feeling it's gonna be soon!

Coffee and photography at Shutter Cafe

Themed cafes and restaurants are interesting and fun. And being a photography enthusiast, I was excited to learn about a coffee shop with focus on this field. It's Shutter Cafe along Scout Lazcano near the corner with Tomas Morato in Quezon City. I was there with one of my kids on my weekday day-off recently. 

Well, I was pleasantly surprised to learn one thing about this coffee place -- that it's owned by a Christian man. How did I know? Well, Christian music was played during the entire time we were there. No secular song at all, much to our delight, that I couldn't help but ask the server if the owner was a Christian. The crew answered in the affirmative and even pointed to the man seated with another man near our table. 

It was then that I became interested in their conversation. Sorry, I didn't mean to eavesdrop! It was just that their voices were loud enough to reach us and also, I wanted to know what church they were attending. From their exchanges, it was obvious that the two men were both Christians as they were talking about church ministry. What a blessing to hear two men talking not about women, nor jobs, 

or business, but serving God!

Anyway, Shutter Cafe is full of things concerning photography and there 

is an adjacent area where various equipment are being sold. Also, photography seminars are held here very once in a while.

As for the food, here's what I had with my daughter: 

Quarter Pounder Burger with Cheese, P180.
This was delicious. The beef patty tasted great and the bun was fresh. The veggies were love, adding some healthy goodness to this sinful treat that I now decide to have just once in a while. 

Belgian waffles with ice cream, P150.
My daughter's choice that afternoon, as she craved something sweet.

Iced Caramel Macchiato, P110.

I would usually have hot coffee when eating out but as it was a cloudy but humid 
afternoon, I had my joe iced and a little sweet. 

Cafe Mocha, P100.

My daughter's hot drink that provided thermal contrast with 

the ice cream on her waffles.

Menu

In, around and outside Shutter Cafe

Shutter Cafe at 118 Scout Dr. Lazcano near the corner of Tomas Morato, 
Diliman, Quezon City

If you're looking for a nice, quiet place to have coffee, Shutter Cafe may just be your perfect choice in the Tomas Morato Morato area. You're gonna love it there even more if you're into photography, and yes, if you're a Christian who listens
to mostly or solely worship songs.

Always, Mi Amor

As a food blogger constantly looking for new places to eat in and write about, I rarely go back to restaurants that I've already reviewed. However, there's this one place that I keep coming back to even if there's nothing new to write about it. It's Amor Bakery along the busy street of Espana in Manila, near UST.

I first blogged about this place that was really just a "bakery" when it opened in April 2015. Today, I'm happy to report that it has grown really big, with several branches already! Amor also is now already a full service 

restaurant serving hot meals.

The new stores are in SM City Manila, Ongpin St. also in Manila, Tandang Sora in Quezon City, Katipunan also in Quezon City, and SM Center in Sangandaan, Caloocan City. There are also two stores now outside Metro Manila -- at SM Baliwag in Bulacan, and in Cagayan de Oro City. Soon, there will be branches as well 
in Pulilan, Bulacan and in Pampanga.

I visit Amor-Espana every now and then, usually on Sundays after going to church. I love whiling away time there, writing my blog. Sometimes, I tag the kids along; one time, a friend, who came all the way from Mindanao, and knew Amor is my favorite spot that really has a soft spot in my heart. Aww..

What do I love about Amor? The beauty of the place itself. If you haven't been to any of its stores, I strongly urge you to go and see for yourself the lovely interior and experience the relaxing ambiance especially at night when the lovely chandeliers are on, casting faint light as well as shadows. The capiz lamps on tables also 
set a fine, subdued mood that soothes. 

Now on to the food. It's last August that Amor-Espana started to offer hot meals. Before, I would just have bread and coffee or fruit tea as those were all that's available. Nowadays, I could go to have lunch as there's pasta, rice meals, soup and salad. Sliced cake is also available now, in case I'm in need of dessert. Haha!

These are what I've tried out of the new menu so far:

Corn-infused Cream of Cauliflower soup, P139.
This soup is healthy as well as tasty. I thought having cauliflower, it wouldn't taste as good as say, mushroom soup, but I was wrong. For once, I could have something both healthy and delicious. It's flavorful and creamy, only, too thick. I would have liked it more if it were a little more watery. But the piece of garlic toast was love. It was crunchy! 
I wished there were two pieces instead of one.

Kani Spring Roll Salad, P139.
This salad is heavy on the tummy because of the crabmeat and noodle-filled Vietnamese-style spring rolls. The greens are topped with very thin strips of kani or seaweed and everything is drizzled with a sweet peanut sauce. Delicious!

Kung Pao Pasta, P179.
You've gotta give this Asian-style pasta some love because it's really good! It's basically spaghetti noodles with maybe, soy and sesame oil and seeds, with lots of bite-sized chicken, carrots, peanuts and what seemed to me to be either cubed chayote or turnip. Thumbs up to this dish that could give one a filling and satisfying meal.

Braised pork belly with Buttered Vegetable Spears and Mashed Potato, P145.
I loved that there's a lot of veggies here. And the pork is really good! 
The sauce, with it's glorious red color, is sweetish and delightful. 

The only downside to this dish? The pork slices were horribly fatty and there 
was just so little lean meat for me to eat! Oh, Amor, please choose leaner pork 
as this one's gonna give me a heart attack! If you do, this Braised pork belly 
is going to be a perfect dish for lunch or dinner.

Matcha Red Bean cake, P89./slice
This was very new on the menu, offered starting only last Saturday, September 30, 
the server told me after asking if it was good. For me, this was heavenly 
although I'm pretty sure not everyone would agree. This cake's level of 
sweetness is really low, that's why it's the perfect cheat day dessert for
 diabetics like me. Haha! I love matcha and I shun anything too sweet, 
so me and this cake are a match made in heaven, methinks!
Meanwhile, Amor has made available several new bread varieties that 
aren't only visually appealing but yummy too! My top faves are the 
Sausage Danish and Ham BBQ Danish, while the others 
were my kids' orders which they loved.

Sausage Danish, P79. and Ham BBQ Danish, P59. I ordered these 
together with Cappuccino, P145.

Hawaiian Pizza, P79.

                                                Chocolate Bun, P45. 

Pork Floss Bun, 59.; Ham, corn and egg, P49. 

Drink is Chocolate Milk Tea, P95. 

                 As for the drinks, these are what my kids and  I love at Amor:

Caramel Macchiato, 500 ml, P170.

Mocha Frapmor, 500 ml, P160.

Lychee Smorthie, P120.

Lychee Fruit Tea, 500 ml, P85.

In and around Amor in Espana, Manila

Upstairs:

Downstairs:

Counter

Yummy-looking all!

Menu 

                Amor at the corner of Espana Blvd. and Tolentino St., 

Sampaloc, Manila

Amor Bakery won't be "mi amor" for nothing and you can take my word for it -- you're gonna love it there. Enjoy the food, drinks and the place itself 
together with your family and friends. 
Happy eating!