Korean Village Restaurant in Malate, Manila

I hadn't had Korean food in a while and was glad to have the opportunity the other week. I met up with a friend at Robinson's Place Manila and she would not agree to my suggestions on where to eat. I then remembered Korean Village which she had told me about before and asked her if she wanted to go there. Wide-eyed, she exclaimed a "yes" and out of elation and gratitude even vowed to 
treat me for coffee afterwards. 
This friend of mine, already in her 60s, is a huge K-culture fan. She watches lots of those cute Koreanovelas, loves to eat Korean food, and had even gone on a tour to South Korea. And was she glad we were going to Korean Village in Ermita, which she recalled having visited some years ago.

The place, I discovered, was quite spacious but devoid of fancy interiors and obviously quite old. Any misgiving about the physical aspect of the place was erased, 
though, when it was time to eat.

Complimentary pot of tea

Samgyeopsal, P250.
Thin, tender and delicious slices of pork belly plus lots of onion and garlic that 
were given us as requested by my friend.

Banchan (Side dishes)

There were seven side dishes served with the pork for grilling, apart from the iceberg lettuce: spring rolls, spinach, hot and spicy dilis (anchovies), bean sprouts or toge and kimchi. Sadly, banchan isn't refillable at Korean Village, unlike in other Korean restaurants I've been to. 

Server grills our samgyeopsal as we wait, excitedly. Haha!

Galbitang, P300.
This soup dish impressed me a lot as the broth packed a lot of flavor. The beef, we believed, was simmered for hours and hours, until the meat was very tender and all flavors extracted from the bones. It was my first time to have galbitang and I discovered it was so much like our very own nilagang baka or bulalo. The only difference is that galbitang has sotanghon or vermicelli and egg. An order of it at Korean Village comes with a serving of rice. 

Jjampong, P300.
This was really good! Lots of mussels and some shrimps. Hot and spicy soup to make my day. The only thing I didn't like was that the noodles were too soft. I had this on my second visit, by the way. I was by myself and was surprised at how humongous this bowl of jjampong was. I finished just one third of it! But I was pleasantly surprised that it also came with 
side dishes -- three of them. Plus a slice of pineapple!

Spicy dilis, bean sprouts and kimchi with my Jjampong

I loved all of this, especially the crispy anchovies!

Slice of pineapple 

I guess all diners are given this to cap off the meal. My friend and I were also served pineapple on my first visit. Fresh fruit is a welcome change from the usual sugary desserts in most restaurants and best of all, there's no extra charge for it!

Inside Korean Village Restaurant

Korean Village Restaurant at #566 J. Nakpil; St., Malate, Manila

Long before K-Pop came to fore, Korean Village was already a crowd-drawer in Ermita, I learned. Now it's already a bit old but is still a favorite restaurant of many. There were always big groups celebrating occasions during my two visits. Someday soon, I could be bringing my family here, too. My daughters are crazy about samgyeopsal and I'm sure they would love it here. 
Visit Korean Village Restaurant when in Manila, folks and have your fill of mouthwatering and healthy food at pocket-friendly prices. 
Happy eating!

Dessert and coffee at Dolcelatte

Being diabetic, I avoid desserts especially when eating out. But I do give in once in a while, when I have company to share something sweet with. This way, I can have just a small portion and leave the rest to whoever is with me. 
Recently, after my friends and I had a really good lunch at a Korean restaurant and were on our way to the office, we saw Dolcelatte on Quezon Ave. and had a spur of the moment decision to swing by for dessert and coffee. It was my first visit, though I see this nice-looking place daily on my way to work. 
Oh my, it's a diabetic person's nightmare of a place with all those mouthwatering cakes on display! On the other hand, the place is heaven to those who have sweet tooth and don't have to worry about their blood glucose shooting up. I was just glad my good friend was with me, we split a slice of heaven..
in the form of carrot cake :)
Our orders:

Valrhona Crunch, P225.

 Carrot cake, P150.

Blueberry Danish, P68.

Cafe Latte Blended, P150.

Dark Mocha Latte (blended), P175.

Frozen Hot Choco, P195.

Cafe Latte, regular, P125.

Cakes on display

Croughnuts! Dolcelatte was famous for these when they 
were the craze five years ago.

Deli meats for sale.

Inside Dolcelatte

Dolcelatte along Quezon Ave., near EDSA, in Quezon City

We all enjoyed the pastry, cakes and drinks. The carrot cake, which is my favorite, was moist and delicious. I wished I could eat the whole slice! 

But Dolcelatte isn't just about desserts. They have a full menu - from appetizers, soup, salad, to main entrees. They even sell frozen imported deli meats. 
My friends and I had quite a lovely time, though we didn't get to stay long. The place was quiet and cozy, and the crew were friendly and patient with our whims. You know when good friends are together, everyone's "makulit"! We hope to be back soon at Dolcelatte for a full meal and lots of banter and laughter. :)

Sultan Mediterranean Grill in Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Last week, I found myself going to church in Pasig instead of in Manila after running an errand. Of course, I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to go on a food trip in the famous eat village of Kapitolyo. Just like the Maginhawa-Malingap area in Quezon City, Kapitolyo is teeming with interesting restaurants offering various cuisines. As I had been craving for falafel, I researched for a foodie place offering Middle Eastern cuisine and was happy to find one just behind the building housing our church branch. It's Sultan Mediterranean Grill -- a small but elegant restaurant with a clean and cozy feel. I was thrilled that I could finally relish what I had been thinking of for days -- falafel!

Falafel, although deep-fried, is still a health food for me because it's non-meat, especially non-red meat. I still regularly eat white meat or chicken but cut down on pork and beef for better health. Falafel is a traditional Middle Eastern food made of ground chickpeas, fava beans or both and rolled into a ball or patty. At Sultan, they serve falafel in a pita pocket but I requested to have mine served not sandwich-style but just sitting on a spread of hummus with a separate order of pita bread. Well, I got my falafel looking exactly the way I had "dreamt" of it -- five golden brown pieces of them lying on a bed of hummus with chopped cucumber, onion and tomato. I drizzled everything with garlic sauce and some of the 
fiery red sauce and went down to business.

Falafel, P250.

Pita bread, P25.

Hot tea, P50.

   Inside Sultan Mediterranean Grill

Sultan Mediterranean Grill at Victoria Plaza, 1 Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Goodness! My meal took me to falafel heaven and I was more than pleased and satisfied. The green tea provided good washing to my palate and I went to church 
still a little dazed from food coma. 
Swing by Sultan Mediterranean Grill, folks, when you're in Pasig and have a good stuffing with some mouthwatering Middle Eastern food. Aside from falafel, there's shawarma, but of course, and many other really good stuff like 
moussaka, kebab, souvlaki, and keema. 
Happy eating!

.

Today's Word: Matthew 21:21-22

For us people, even Christians, problems could sometimes look really big and unsolvable, they look like mountains so big, immovable and unsurmountable. But you know something? Prayers do move mountains because God's 
specialty is doing the impossible! 

So when we're confronted with whatever troubles -- financial difficulties, relationship problems, physical ailments -- and lose hope of an end to it, let's be reminded that we have a God so big He can move mountains. Let us persevere in prayer, believing that the Lord hears us and that He will answer at His perfect time.

God bless.

(Thanks, Digital Bible for this photo)

Sushi Moshi at Wilcon City

There's a new place for Japanese food near our office and I couldn't be happier! Another venue for my tempura and sushi fix! I'm talking about Sushi Moshi at the newly renovated Wilcon City on Visayas Ave. in Quezon City. I am so loving this newbie because it offers decent and delicious Japanese food favorites at such affordable prices! I've had lunch there several times already and on some occasions, I would just take out an order of California maki and eat it at the office. Once, my officemates 
and I also ordered for delivery. Yup, they even have delivery service! 
So far, these are what I/we have tried at Sushi Moshi:

 Ebi Tempura, 3 pcs, P149.

Prawn and veggie tempura. For its price, it was really good! The batter has crunch to it and not greasy too. The cup of rice isn't included, though, and it's priced at P35.

 Salmon Sashimi, P199.
I admit to be such a huge fan of sashimi whether it's tuna or salmon. It's my main purpose of going to buffets -- to have my fill of unlimited sashimi! I'm glad that at Sushi Moshi, they have really good, fresh salmon sashimi that comes in eight beautiful slices per order. Just look at the ravishing pink-orange color! They're firm and tender at the same time, with a sweetish taste and milky texture that gives it 
that melt-in-the-mouth goodness. 

California Maki, P109.

This is pretty good as well and is in fact what I always order for take out when I opt to eat in the office. Eight pieces of yummies for just a little over a hundred bucks. 
What better deal can you get?

 Chicken Teriyaki, P149.

I raved about this one, too 'coz the chicken was really tender and delicious with a tinge of sweetness and  smokey flavor. The perfect "ulam" (viand) to a steaming cup of rice!

Katsu Curry, P179.
My daughter, who I tagged along to the office just yesterday, ordered this one. I'm not fond of curry dishes but I tried this one and liked it. The pork is actually tonkatsu so it's battered and deep-fried. Even with the curry sauce, the pork still has a crunch to it and each bite assures carnivores pure porcine pleasure.

Iced tea, P40.

Drinks available at Sushi Moshi are iced tea, cucumber juice and soft drinks. How I wish they would soon serve coffee and hot tea as well.

Menu

Inside Sushi Moshi 

I recommend this place to everyone who loves Japanese food. It's worth the trip both taste-wise and price-wise. The place is clean, too and service is fast and friendly. Try Sushi Moshi, folks, if you happen to be near Visayas Ave. 
Happy eating!