Zark's Burgers - Fat and Tasty Burgers (SM Davao City)

Zark's Burgers is home grown, make no mistake about it. From a small 18-seater, 3-man crew somewhere in Manila in 2009, the restaurant has grown with multiple branches nationwide. 

The restaurant was envisioned as a burger place that's more affordable, value-driven and one that can fill up your tummy with their huge serving of food. It is among the fastest growing restaurant chains in the country. 

From the way they market and present their product, you'd think that they're foreign, but this is as local as the owner who used to work in a cruise ship. 

If you're up for a challenge, Zark's has a humongous 8-patty meal called "The Tombstone" that includes 400 grams of french fries. If you finish the whole monstrosity in 10 minutes, they will do away with your bill worth P599. The current record is 2 minutes and 10 seconds. You don't have to break that record. Just clean your plate within 10 minutes, and your meal is free.

I ordered a set that comes with 3 burgers, a side dish (I chose their sinfully attractive nacho cheese) and 3 glasses of cola drinks - all for just under P600. If you want a no-frills burger, their regular cheeseburger called Zark's Classic is affordable at P119. 

They also have rice meals: Buffalo wings with rice at P169, Chicken fingers with rice at P159, and Bacon and Egg with rice at P149. There are 2 Zark's Burgers in Davao City. In Manila, I saw a branch at the Power Plant Mall.

Zark, by the way, is the owner's name.

A Taste of the Authentic Tonkotsu Ramen of Fukuoka (Kyushu, Japan)

"Do you have Ramen?" I kept asking that question in every diner at a corner of Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka. Rows of food joints litter the space and I wanted a taste of the world famous Tonkotsu Ramen that Fukuoka is known for. But everyone I asked shrugged their heads. I was baffled. Ramen is supposedly everywhere, particularly by the roadside as makeshift stalls called "yatai" (street cart). There are about 150 yatais all over Fukuoka but most of them don't have menus owing to its mobile character. I decided to check out the restaurants at the station. So there I was.

After half a dozen shops, I just looked at the photo displays and thought, hmmmm, these are the ramens that I know about. Is it possible that the people of Fukuoka don't call them ramen?  Was my accent wrong? How else do you say ramen?

I went inside a noodles bar. The order took 10 minutes. The minute the waiter placed my bowl in front, I could smell the pungent odor. It was overpowering, like something rotten was steaming. This is the character of Tonkotsu Ramen aka Hakata Ramen, the rich pork broth that gives the dish its savory taste. Hakata Ramen's noodles are made from wheat dough; they are long thin noodles, topped with pork slices (chashu), green onions and dried sea weeds. A soft boiled egg is thrown into the cloudy white concoction. 

These days, Japanese Ramen is world renowned. Not too bad for a dish that originated from China and found its way to the Japanese shores in 1859. In fact, until the 1950s, ramen was called "shina soba" in the country, translating to "Chinese soba". The secret of Tonkotsu (pork bone) - not tonkatsu (fried breaded pork) - is in its preparation. Most broths are prepared overnight and served the next day. 

Tips on Eating Ramen

With my ramen sitting in front of me, I stared at it. I thought of how the pungent smell gets to my brain. I remember reading an Australian ramen aficionado giving a tip on how to find a good ramen meal. He said, "Usually the worse the smell, the better it is. There’s no real way to tell. If the shop smells really, really bad like old tennis shoes, the ramen is usually good." Goodness. 

He further suggested, "Ignore the smell, first up. Don't let the smell deter you from going into a shop. Ah, that's the hardest obstacle to overcome." If he asked other foreigners why they don't eat ramen, their answer was usually “because it smells so bad”. And I was reminded of Durian. Also, you have to eat it with a slurping noise, a practice scoffed at in many "civilized" societies.

As for my experience in Fukuoka, my ramen smelled like a rotten meal, but tasted like heaven. I needed to get used to eating good ramen.

Eating Eels in Himeji (Hyogo Prefecture, Japan)

Eels. This photo from matome.naver.jp.

Japan consumes 70% of the Global Haul of Eels, yet I haven't tasted one. Their snake-like appearance repels me. But they're not snakes. Sea snakes don't have fins. They do. 

Eels are also nutritious because their meat is rich in omega-3 fatty acids, proteins, vitamin A and calcium. The Japanese terms: "unagi" for fresh-water eel, "anago" for salt water eel, which is the healthier option of the two, and less fattening.

EEL MEAL

From Hiroshima, on my way to Kobe, I decided to take a fast detour to Himeji, Hyogo Prefecture's 2nd biggest city, located at the western fringes of Kansai Region. I was there to see Japan's finest castle - Himeji Castle, which would become my favorite castle in all of Japan. 

After the castle visit, and a peek into gorgeous Kokoen Garden, I leisurely strolled back to the main street of Otemaedori towards the JR Himeji Station. I saw a quaint cafe with no English sign. I snuck my head in and loved the vibe inside. I was alone. An adorable old lady appeared so I decided to get my late lunch there - and have my very first eel meal. 

I ordered their Conger Eel Rice Meal set costing me 1,500 yen. The set has the usual miso soup, a salad, and the fried eel on a bowl. I initially placed my backpack beside the low table on the tatami mat but it was uncomfortable, so I transferred to the taller tables. 

I dug into my eel, done kabayaki style. The meat is firmer than I thought so there's a bit of chewing to be had. My anago-don was savory with a hint of sweetness. There was just a bit of aftertaste, but it could have been my imagination. Otherwise, I wouldn't consume every bit of my anago. Eels are a Japanese family's favorite when there are special occasions. When relatives huddle for a serious discussion, they have eel. I know this much from my Japanese movies. Haha

I was about to go when the photo of a dessert piece seduced my curiosity - Cool Zenzai for 650 yen. 

Zenzai is a traditional Japanese dessert.  It has a thick sweet soup with boiled azuki beans and mochi (rice cake); some have shiratama dango (glutinous rice flour dumplings) instead. Mine had a sea of white jelly. In East Japan, Zenzai, called Oshiruko, has a slight twist. It's a more watery preparation. This Kansai version though was delicious.

Cafe Jidai is located at the main commercial drag of Himeji, along Otemaedori street.

My Zenzai has red beans. mochi balls and white jelly cubes.

The main street, Otemaedori, is a straight line from the train station to Himeji Castle. I took this from the train platform. Cafe Jidai is at the left side of this photo.

#anago   #eel   # dining   #himeji   #hyogo

That Sinfully Sumptuous Humba of Siquijor (Visayas)

Dining options in the mystical island of Siquijor are quite limited for the backpacker. There are no fast foods and any mid-range restaurants to speak of. Even carinderias are very few and far from each other. You'd have your breakfast in your hotel or guesthouse then pick from the relatively expensive options of dining in resort restaurants. My meals here were unexpectedly upscale, ranging from not less than P300 to P600 per order. 

Maybe the witches have cast their spells against "eateries"? Err... not really. The "mambabarangs" (local witches), accordingly to my driver-guide have gone to the mountains and have grown old. Their siblings supposedly have refused to accept the "gifts" they're supposed to pass on because of the stigma that society puts on them. As a result, this tradition for which the island is infamously known for is gradually disappearing from modern day Siquijor. But I am digressing.

On the day of my departure from the island, I headed to the port early so I could buy my one-way ticket to Dumaguete (business class available). I saw a carinderia-cum-sari-sari store just in front of the Ocean Jet ticket booth. This is your typical Pinoy carinderia. I picked the Humba, sinfully languishing in mouth-watering oil. I am no cook. That is an understatement. But to my mind, "humba" is the Visayan variety of the Filipino adobo. It is a stewed pork dish that's "sweet, sour, salty" cooked with brown sugar, tausi (salted black beans) and banana blossoms.

My humba is very tasty, its meat tender, and you feel cholesterol impinging on your blood vessels, but I didn't care. One pice of humba costs PhP25 so I ordered 2, plus a cup of rice and a piece of banana. My cheapest meal (many times over) in Siquijor at PhP90 (< $2). 

This is the Eye in the Sky!  

Tender and tasty humba.

Ocean Jet tickets bound for Dumaguete are bought in the small shop at the right in this town also called Siquijor, the capital of the island. The other port is located at the town of Larena. This corner carinderia is located in front of these ticket shops.

Siquijor is the country's 3rd smallest province. It boasts of white sand beaches and a very international population of tourists (backpackers) zipping around this slumbering island.

Purple Oven - Of Secrets and Sinful Desserts

"I was told that these are sought after cakes," my brother told me, as though he was revealing a much guarded trade secret. And that they're not easily available, he continued. That intrigued me so I had to read up to learn about Purple Oven. Where have I been all these years? I wasn't even aware of this bakeshop which serves some of the best desserts in the metropolis. They have a shop in Oranbo, Pasig; others in San Antonio and Legaspi Village and Quezon City. 

Their cakes run out fast and they allegedly don't accept credit cards. But here's the not-so-secret info that most internet articles whisper regarding this bakeshop: they supply the cakes and pastries of all Starbucks (those banoffees, etc.) and Pancake House outlets. They probably have legal obligation to deny this, but google them up and everyone talks about this secret. A box of these pastry bars has either 16 or 32 pieces of sweets - the former costs around P260 per box. My favorite is easily the lemon tortes I couldn't stop myself from consuming one piece after the next. Just sinful.

Their cakes are pricier, with a whole piece setting you back by P780 or thereabouts.

If you haven't tried, here's my two-thumb recommendation!

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Meat-Plus Cafe's Most Mouth-Watering Steaks (Subic Bay, Zambales)

People keep saying that a Subic visit isn't complete without visiting Meat Plus Cafe. That didn't seem very appropriate, to be honest. But I wanted to try Meat-Plus anyway.

While walking around, I was eyeing the cafe all day. The place was eternally packed. It looked like a fastfood chain. You place your orders and pay at the counter. Then they bring your food to your table. Simple. Each order, mostly costs between PhP250 and 300. A party of 6 cost me PhP2100 so you have to realize that it isn't the cheapest. But great food doesn't exactly come cheap. Most orders come as set meals, with rice and a vegetable salad (coleslaw). We didn't even have to wait very long - just 15-minutes.

In this post, we're featuring Baby Back Ribs with its very special gravy (because there's nothing else like it), tenderloin steak and pork chop that's so delicious, it tastes even better than nearby Mansion Garden Hotel's Garden Cafe's pork chop (which is the hotel's house special - at it really tastes good). The meat was so tender, you don't require brute force to slice through it. 

If you haven't tried Subic's Meat Plus, drop in and give it a try. It will definitely enrich your Subic experience. Now that's the more appropriate statement.

Meat-Plus Cafe is located at 65 Sampson Road in Subic Bay Freeport Zone, Zambales (047-252-7091). It's in the vicinity of a couple of duty-free shops, the beach promenade and Mansion Garden Hotel.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Baby back ribs (above and below)

Pork chop

Tenderloin steak (above and below)

Order counter

#meatplus   #steaks   #foodporn   #subic

Charcoal Grill and Restobar: Boodle Fights and Filipino Dishes (Digos City)

Their most popular meal is the set of "boodle fight" entries, a Philippine Military Academy traditional meal where a variety of food and rice are spread on a table covered with Banana leaves and shared by everyone. This feast is enjoyed bare hands (well, there's disposable plastic gloves you can wear). 

But we aren't fond of this style so we ordered the traditional Filipino dishes. Their sinigang (a stew characterized by its sour and savoury taste most associated with a tamarind) is to die for. Their calamares is tasteful and crunchy. I wasn't in the mood for a crispy pata but I wanted to check out their version. Let's just say it didn't make me a fan. Skin on the rubbery side and meat is not very tender. But there's several choices to be had on the menu.

Charcoal Grill and Restobar is tucked away in a quiet neighborhood along Del Pilar Bataan Street in the fringes of Digos City, in progressive Davao del Sur. Guests may prefer to sit in the airconditioned restaurant or in their open-air dining hall. For more information, try calling their number at 63-923-142-0564. We're not connected with them so please refer your inquiries to the aforementioned number. They also have a Facebook page you can google.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Mesmerizing Culinary Show at Cebu City's Anzani Restaurant

One lazy night in Cebu, I suddenly had the urge to try something different. I debated if I go to a Spanish restaurant called Arana (recommended by a friend) or an Italian restaurant called Anzani (mostly because I had a problem with Arana's location). After checking out directions, I decided with Anzani. Like the previous restaurant, Anzani is urban chic and ultra modern, with a tablet used as a menu. What's with Cebu and all these modern trappings? I haven't even encountered a tablet-wielding restaurant in Manila yet here I am experiencing tablet-ordering twice in Cebu. I badgered the waitress to help me out with my full course. I mean, If I was gonna pay an arm and a leg, I might as well make it right and not leave it to chance. The choice was either a halibut or a sea bass, each one an obscure concept for me - so I went with the price.

STEPS IN SEA BASS DINING

1. A sous chef brings a table filled with culinary gadgets and a huge bandehado of fish sitting on the platter - all COVERED WITH ROCK SALT! So it's a fish that looked like it's wrapped in icing!

2. Sous chef takes the mallet handed over to him. I was wide-eyed with amazement. This was a show right in front of me. Then he hammers the salt-covered fish until it breaks into crumbs.

3. Out pops the sea bass. He skins it, then pours lemonade and olive oil over the fish meat.

4. He carefully slices through its length, then debones in exquisite fashion.

5. Then he cuts the meat into pieces and puts them on my plate cluttered with salad.

6. If it were malansa, then there'd be injustice in the world to pay a thousand bucks for this fish alone, right?

7. Masticate, swallow, then sip a glass of chianti, imagining this was Villa Raiano Fiano di Avellino. But heck, I'd also settle for a coca cola.

SOUP CHOREOGRAPHY

The soup was choreographed too. An empty plate had a mound of cappuccino at its center, with bits of tendrils of whathaveyous, then the waitress carefully pours the mushroom soup around and around the cappuccino island until its full. I was hypnotized. The end.

I liked how everything turned out... like going out for a night at the theatre, Only it was performing "food preparation". I had to consciously shut down my jaw. Sorry po, taga Maynila lang. ;)

Anzani is a bit pricey. Let's say Seychelles-dining caliber. Mario Anzani is the Italian chef and owner. One can choose to dine inside (like me) or outside overlooking Nivel Hills, still in Cebu City. Next door is the more laidback Champagne Room.

Anzani Restaurant is located at Panorama Heights, Nivel Hills, Lahug, Cebu City. It's just north of the Gorordo Road driving towards Tops. A bystander initially pointed us to Sanson (the Rockwell compound). A JY Square is accessible about less than a kilometer away. Call them at (032) 232 7375. They're usually open until 12 midnight, with last order at 10:30PM though I did notice arrivals at almost 11. 

This is the Eye in the Sky.

Mushroom soup

Pick a bread, and i chose this perched on a pot.

Fish covered with rock salt, now crumbling into pieces after getting struck with a mallet.

Sous chef garnishes my sea bass with olive oil and lemonade, after skinning it. Then he cuts through it and exquisitely debones it.

At the wine room, a photo of The Sophia Loren hangs down.

Terrace tables of Panorama Heights in Nivel Hills. Yes, it's still part of Cebu City.

Tablet ordering (again) in Cebu City.

#food # dining #gastronomy #foodtrip #cebucity #foodporn