More than Ramen at Nomama

Heard a lot of good things about the cooking of Chef Him Uy de Baron so I was eager to try his recently opened casual modern Japanese restaurant, Nomama.

I thought it was all about ramen at Nomama, so it was a pleasant surprise to discover that Nomama has an extensive menu.

Edamame (90php)

Healthy appetizer!

Soft Shell Crab Salad (260php)

I remember the dressing being sour. I didn't care for the soft shell crab though.

Nomama Seafood Tempura (360php)

These were not greasy!

Thai Green Curry Ramen (310php)

The flavors were there albeit in diluted form. I wish the chef used a heavier hand in spicing this dish.

Ox Tongue and Chili Tofu (290php)

A more successful bowl of ramen with a flavorful stock. Just make sure to like ox tongue and tofu.

Roasted Chicken with Ponzu Cream (330php)

My favorite dish of tender chicken and creamy carbs.

Apple Gyoza (275php)

An interesting dessert worth trying. A bit heavy though after a full meal.

Kitkat Bar (175php)

The most popular dessert at Nomama. If you have room for only one dessert, order this. 

Do note that we dined at Nomama during its soft opening. I'm sure food served is even better now!

Nomama Artisinal Ramen is located at G/F, FSS Building, Sct. Tuazon cor. Sct. Castor Quezon City. For more information, call 9214913 or click here. 

Snackaroo!

With the lure of cheap steaks, I visited Snackaroo a no-frills, leave any expectations at the door type of eatery located in the middle of a busy residential area in Quezon City. 

Grilling Station

Spot included Snackaroo on its list of 10 Best Steaks in Manila so I was eager to give it a shot...

Papaitan (75php)

Papaitan is a bitter soup made out of cow and goat innards. Too exotic for my taste.

T-Bone (130php)

Cooked medium rare which explains the not so appetizing color of the meat

Porterhouse  (130php)

The porterhouse was a better cut option compared to the T-Bone. Taste-wise, meat was similar to what one expects from any restaurant that serves affordable steak. What gives the meat flavor is the gravy so don't be shy to let your steak swim in gravy.

Overall, Snackaroo neither impressed nor disappointed. It was just right with the price points in mind.

For those interested, here's Snackaroo's limited menu:

Snackaroo Specialty Foods is located at Judge Jimenez St., Kamuning, Quezon City. Coming from E. Rodriguez, it's on the right side of the street.

In Memoriam: Celsius Gastrolounge

I learned from Lian that Celsius Gastrolounge has already closed shop!

It reminded me of the dinner I had with friends during Wamie’s bridal shower weekend.

In memory of Celsius Gastrolounge, I'll share pictures of some of their food creations.

Complimentary Bread

Roti Canai

Oyster Motoyaki

Celsius Baboy

Seafood Grill Platter

Chorizo and Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Frozen Star Anise Souffle with Banana Fritters and Vanilla Sauce

A LITTLE TRIVIA: Soon taking over Celsius Gastrolounge's site is Berting's Grill! 

Celsius Gastrolounge was located at 67 Sct. Rallos St. Cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Good Food at GoodFellas

I’ve been searching for good burgers to try and came across GoodFellas. It’s a relatively new restaurant in Kamuning which serves burgers, steaks, and other comfort food.

Similarly, college friend Ban was raving about GoodFellas so we decided to go there with other friends Dheena and Curls.

Let’s get on with the food:

Flamingo Wings (375php)

I like my wings done the Don Henrico’s way so I didn’t enjoy how sour and spicy this tasted. Better when dipped in ranch to neutralize the taste.



Pat & Geno Sandwich (270php with fries and drink)

 Recommended by our waiter and what a good choice it was. The combination of flavorful beef plus delicious cheese oozing out of the bread makes for one dynamic sandwich. Loved this!

Margherita Burger (265php with fries and drink)

I just remember this having lots of cheese but I no longer remember how it tasted. Forgettable to say the least. Will have to try other burgers next time!

Carlito's Gang* (375php for share)

Ban ‘s favorite. Very tender and flavorful indeed! Seasoning is also just right.

GoodFellas House Steak (325php)

Best steak to be enjoyed on the cheap. Not only is the portion size huge for the price but this was also big on flavors. Are they sure that this is just local beef? Ten times better than the steak I had at 145 Fahrenheit.

It's important to note however that on my second visit, the Pat & Geno Sandwich was just so-so while the GoodFellas House Steak we requested to be cooked medium rare turned out raw. Curls investigated why the food suffered and learned that the kitchen was short on staff that night. How sad.

We also ordered a different sandwich during our second time.

Johnny Roastbeef Sandwich (270php with onion rings and drink)

Good with real beef flavors but I still prefer Pat and Geno.

I wish that GoodFellas would be more consistent in producing good food as I hate to see a restaurant full of potential go to waste.

And oh, special thanks to Ban and Dheena for the cake surprise during our first time from Cara Mia. It was yummy!

GoodFellas Steaks and Burgers is located at 56 T. Gener corner K-1st Street Kamuning, Quezon City. Contact them at 4133187. You can also visit their facebook page.

*Photo taken from GoodFellas facebook page.

Negative 145 for Fahrenheit

I’ve heard not so good reviews about 145 Fahrenheit but randomly gave it a shot. Knowing what I know, I already had low expectations going in.

Too bad my low expectations were still not met.

Complimentary Bread

Every entree at 145 Fahrenheit comes with either soup or salad and coffee, tea, or dessert.

I chose to have soup.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Dinner was off to a decent start with this flavorful soup. I wish the consistency of the soup was denser though.

USDA Black Angus Beef Porterhouse (1490php)

Unbelievably bad! Requested for the steak to be cooked medium well but this came out way overcooked. Very hard to chew on with natural steak juices non-existent. It had zero flavors save for the mushroom sauce it was paired with. This was also the thinnest cut of porterhouse steak I’ve eaten unless I count orders I’ve had from the Steak MD or Slice N’ Dice variety. Black Angus, I have my doubts.

Mashed Potatos

The siding of mashed potatoes was of the commercial kind. Blah.

Good thing we ordered seafood!


Tri Peppercorn Crusted Prawn with Garlic Confi (495php)  

Not really king in size but it at least had good flavors and was cooked right. The garnish was a wonderful accompaniment to the prawns with its crispy garlic bits. Redemption for 145 Fahrenheit or so I thought.

Unfortunately, I was halfway done with my prawn when I saw a strand of hair mixed with the garnish. Yes it was another HAIRY experience. Too bad I wasn’t able to take a picture as everything happened so fast. When I complained about the hairy situation, I received no apologies from the waiter but he did offer to have the contaminated prawn replaced.

It took some time before the replacement arrived and when it did, I noticed that the prawn was even smaller than the original prawn served. It also wasn’t crusted and tasted plain. Is this the proper way to treat an already displeased customer? The incident made the uninspiring meal all the more disappointing.

We also had dessert as this was part of ordering an entree.


Choco Mouse Cake

So bad nobody finished it.

I also had a complimentary mango torte cake since it happened to be my birthday.

This was better than the Chocolate Mouse Cake but not much.

Coincidentally, 145 Fahrenheit is celebrating their second year anniversary this November. I'm amazed that they have managed stay in business as restaurants this lousy usually don’t last long. Miracles do happen.

145 Farenheit is located at Upper Ground Floor Il Terazzo Mall Tomas Morato Quezon City. For more information visit their facebook page:

Cerchio: When Ambiance Isn't Enough

I got a message from Romulo Café that they are launching a new restaurant called Cerchio in the same Tomas Morato neighborhood. My friends and I tried it one random night.

Similar to Romulo Café, Cerchio looks stylish and hip. Nice place for cocktails and drinks. There were a lot of families and oldies when we dined there though.

On with the food...

Pumpkin Malunggay Soup (90php)

Tasted more of the malunggay than pumpkin. A very healthy soup!

Crispy Squid Head (180php) 

Not close to being delicious but I found myself munching on this the entire dinner. Must be because it was so crispy!

Bourbon Ribs (590php)

My friends’ favorite dish at Cerchio but I was apathetic to this since I also ate ribs for lunch that day. Ribs overload much?

Crispy Beef Tadyang (490php)

Dry and bland when eaten on its own. Once dipped in sauce, this tadyang becomes awesome.

Margarita Pizza (220php)

Regret of the night: Not noticing that sisig pizza was on the menu since our pizza was oh-so-bland. The sisig pizza for sure at least would have been interesting.

Since we visited Cerchio during its soft opening, I'm willing to give this restaurant the benefit of the doubt. Their food should get better as their chefs gain more experience. Otherwise, what a waste of time!

Cerchio is located at 76 Sct. Limbaga, Tomas Morato, Quezon City. For more details, call 3550998 or 3515279.

No Place Like Omakase

Omakase for me is comfort food! Whenever I’m having a lousy experience trying out a new restaurant, I long for nothing but to be transported to Omakase where I can indulge in simple but good food. I recently got my wish and ordered some old favorites.

American Dream (195php)

The dish that made me love Omakase. It’s so good that I never fail to order it on every visit. Words really can’t describe how much I love this crunchy delight which has two of my favourite food ingredients: cream cheese and salmon. Best to try it yourself and don’t forget to dip the roll in Omakase’s addictive secret sauce.

Everything Tastes Better with This

Spicy Tuna Salad (220php)

The tuna is usually fresh with just the right amount of spiciness to keep this dish interesting. Unfortunately, I found the salad served this time lacking the usual kick it had. An off-night maybe?

Chicken Bento (335php)

This was Nina’s order and she had trouble finishing it as the bento was carbo heavy with servings of fried rice, California maki, & breaded shrimps. She was also disappointed with the tiny portion of Teriyaki chicken. A scoop of ice cream comes with the bento by the way.

Gyudon(240php)

Murtle was generous enough to let me have a taste and this was better than other gyudons I’ve tried. It was flavorful, tender, and not dry at all. A good dish to recommend to rice lovers.

As always, Omakase didn’t fail in delivering a comforting dining experience. Other dishes in Omakase that I recommend are Jurassic Maki, Oyster Butteryaki, and Aspara Beef Roll.

If you have been living under a rock and have yet to visit Omakase, do yourself a favor and head to the nearest branch right now.

Omakase is located at Upper Ground Floor Il Terazzo Sct. Madrinan Corner Tomas Morato Quezon City 3324115. It has other branches in Libis, Alabang, and Greenhills.

CENTERSTAGE > PLATINUM

I remember disagreeing with Curls when she claimed that Platinum KTV along Polaris is a better karaoke option than CenterStage.

While I haven’t been to Platinum, I just feel strongly about CenterStage’s superiority since I have always been satisfied with my karaoke experience there. A recent celebration at Centerstage Timog has given me the opportunity to defend my case.

A surprise party was thrown for good friend Frank at The Sala Room of CenterStage Timog. The Sala Room can accommodate up to 50 guests.

The mini bar greets guests upon entry. This is a good place to hang out and somehow escape the noise generated by the frustrated singers in the room.

Take note of the green laser lights that add to the party atmosphere.

Here’s where all the singing happens... the karaoke area! It was very comfortable lounging around in this space making me forget that we were there to sing. Truth be told, I didn’t manage to finish a single song that night. 

It was also a nice touch to have members of The Beatles and Elton John as the backdrop of this space. Those who are not musically inclined will find themselves in a singing mood when they see these music legends.

At first I thought that the Sala Room had two areas reserved for karaoke fun but soon learned that another TV screen was meant for playing Wii. Unfortunately, the Wii console was not available during our celebration and we were instead given different sets of board games as an alternative. I don’t know what they were thinking but at least they tried.

The Sala Room at Centerstage Timog is a good venue for big groups to celebrate any occasion. Aside from the superior facilities, CenterStage also offers decent food and drinks, all at reasonable rates. I also heard from birthday boy Frank that CenterStage was responsible for dressing up the place with balloons and other birthday paraphernalia which helped set the tone for the night. CenterStage certainly goes the extra mile for the ultimate party experience.

CURLS, may ganito ba sa Platinum KTV???

CenterStage party packages start at 6,000php good for 10 people. Inclusive of food, drinks, three hours of karaoke, bottle of wine or cake, room decor, and free corkage for 3 bottles of liquor.

CenterStage Timog is located at 2nd Flr, CTTM, Timog Cor. Tomas Morato QC. For more information and their Jupiter location, pls. visit http://centerstage.com.ph/.