Discovering Blackport

I have this strange (for some people but not for me!) passion for black food and have been on quite a long-running quest for it. Last month, I was happy to discover Blackport -- a travel-themed restaurant and bar that serves black pizza, burgers and pasta. Yay, was I thrilled! I wasted no time and went there, in the scout area in Quezon City with one of my kids, to find this quaint place. Alas, the black pizza was not available, much to my dismay. So I went a second time yesterday with another of my kids, to finally meet my black pizza and eat it, but of course. 

Our orders on two occasions:

Margherita Pizza, P349.

Thin-crusted and very cheesy. Love, love, love!

Blackport Carbonara, P249.

I loved the deep black color of the noodles in contrast with the whiteness of the creamy sauce. This pasta, aside from being a beauty in my eyes, was also a joy to my taste buds. It was delicious and lusciously creamy once I mixed up the noodles and the sauce, of which there was enough such that it wasn't dry nor soupy.

American Burger, P279.

This was my son's and he said he liked it.

Pita Rack, P159.

Lots of tasty beef chunks and veggies on top of pita bread. This is something 

that's quite unique and filling!

Mexican Nachos, P209.

My daughter and I shared this. I loved the colorful chips but cringed at the thought of ingesting the food additives. Good thing there were lots of chopped tomatoes and onions to provide us some needed nutrients. Haha!

Nutella Milkshake, P160.

Kids are crazy for Nutella and my boy is no exemption so it didn't come as a surprise that he ordered this. He enjoyed it, though it was too sweet for me.

Four seasons juice, P60.

My daughter's drink.

Passport-sized menu

In and around Blackport

Blackport at 51 Scout Rallos St., Diliman, Quezon City

Blackport is one nice place for your HOHOL (hang out, hang-out lang!) with the gang for hours of banter and laughter. I say this because there was a small group of three people seated outside and they looked to me like they were having a really nice time (except that they were drinking beer and smoking which are both a no-no to me). 

Well, even if I was with my kids and just enjoying the food as there was no coffee nor tea on the menu (the only drinks I order when eating out), I also did savor my time at Blackport as it's a casual, laidback place with no loud music, making conversation easy and comfortable. The free wifi also allowed me to do some thinking and writing. It's a plus that the lady server was very friendly and of course, 

the Eatigo discount was awesome!

Swing by Blackport when you happen to be in the Tomas Morato area, folks. 

Happy eating!

A satisfying lunch at Omakase

Last month, I was searching on line for a good place for Japanese food for me and my friends and was amazed to learn that there was indeed a whole lot of Japanese restaurants out there. I hadn't realized till then how much Filipinos have grown to love sushi and tempura, and okonomiyaki, and yakisoba, and so on and so forth. It was hard to choose a restaurant! Good thing there are customers' reviews for 

guidance, I finally was able to arrive at a choice. 

Omakase, it would be for us!

I read that this restaurant at the Il Terrazzo mall in Tomas Morato is a crowd favorite and could get really packed at lunchtime. It was good that we arrived early, 

we were able to choose a nice spot. Soon afterwards, the place was already full! 

These were our orders:

Miso Soup, P60.
Healthy soup that warms up the tummy and whets the appetite.

Omakase Tropical Salad, P180.
Sweet ripe mango, crunchy veggies, kani (crabmeat) and shredded nori (seaweed) drizzled with Japanese mayo. This was the last served among our orders so it became our dessert. 
Well, it's much healthier than cake or ice cream!

Mixed Nigiri, P320.
Nigiri is sashimi with a ball of rice. The sashimi consists of tuna, salmon, shrimp and squid. Delicious and filling!


Ebi Tempura, P345.
The perfect ulam (viand) in any Japanese restaurant: battered and deep-fried shrimp. 
I'm glad the batter is not too thick in here, only it's not as crunchy 
as I would want my tempura to be.

Seafood Teppan, P395.
We loved this! -- pan-fried squid, salmon, tuna, and shrimp, 
served with vegetables and garlic rice. Delicious!

Inside Omakase

Omakase at the second floor of Il Terrazzo along Tomas Morato in Quezon City


It was a very satisfying lunch that my friends and I had. We agreed that Omakase was the best Japanese restaurant we'd been to so far. The food was really good, with subtle flavors that are more pleasant to the taste buds than strong ones. Everything was fresh and natural. 
Also, service is fast and the prices are reasonable. We would definitely 
be back at Omakase. Try it, folks!
Happy eating!

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!