Upper Farm - Rustic Atmosphere in Upper-End Steakhouse (Digos City, Davao del Sur)

It was a pleasant surprise finding Upper Farm in Digos City, Davao del Sur. The joint is a hamburger and steakhouse set in a rustic ranch-inspired, rough-around-the-edges diner at the back of a department store. Some readings point out that the concept of the place is partially a tribute to the owner's parents who were farmers. I just dropped by and ordered a heavy set of chicken wings paired with white rice and the delectable salty vinegar sauce which I was told, was a best seller. We wanted to try their sisig but it wasn't available. Their shoestring potato is a good serving on a bowl and a must-try at P75. 

The place isn't inexpensive. Rice meals are rather limited if you can't do away with rice, but if you're into burgers and steaks, this is a great place to indulge. It does make an uncomfortable meal when the weather is sweltering; there's obviously no airconditioning. But I am just nitpicking. 

The address is Asian Highway 26, a narrow backroad. You have to head towards Cor Jesu College and turn left somewhere. It opens at 9 AM. 

#upperfarm   #dining   #foodporn

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.

Of Ghost Towns and Butadon Pork - a Tokachi Specialty in Hirosaki (Aomori Prefecture)

A rice ball of shredded dry kelp and Hidaka Kelp for 228 yen.

I was lost for two hours, navigating the deserted streets of remote Hirosaki, this city at the northern end of Honshu, the Japanese mainland. From its castle grounds, I took the wrong exit and couldn't find my way back. What's worse, there were absolutely no one walking the streets. I was in a set of a post-apocalyptic movie. 

When it was dark and chilly, I finally stood in front of my hotel, Toyoko Inn Hirosaki. My stomach was doing somersaults. I knew I should nourish myself first because once inside the comforts of my room, I'd fall into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Fukufukuya Hirosaki Ekimae restaurant was conveniently beside my hotel's entrance. They had photos of food, including that of the Butadon Pork, a Tokachi specialty (from across the sea in alluring Hokkaido). Its Donburi Rice Bowl costs a measly 598 yen. I added a rice ball that looked interesting - Shredded Dry Kelp and Hidaka Kelp for 228 yen. 

Once inside, I took my shoes off, deposited them in a locker, then walked with my socks on to pick a table. It was either a tatami matted-cubicle or a tall table cubicle with sliding doors. I chose the latter so I could enjoy my Japanese dinner in private. Besides, the table across mine was having a rowdy good ole time. My order took a little longer than expected but I wasn't in a rush. 

As for the Butadon, the relation between Tokachi (a coastal subprefecture in Hokkaido) and pigs, according to its pioneer Benzo Yoda, has been longstanding and is considered indispensable to the lives of the locals. 

Little Piece of History from Botejyu: 

Butadon or pork bowl is a local specialty of Obihiro in Tokachi consisting of a bowl of rice topped with pork simmered in a mildly sweet sauce. Shuji Abe, a local restaurateur, was credited for creating the Butadon in 1933. 

Butadon is pork bowl which uses locally bred pork. It was conceived to provide accessible food for everyone to keep them warm during Tokachi’s brutal winters. When researching “what kind of flavor would be palatable to the mass”, they decided it should be soy sauce-based as this was close to the popular “Unadon (eel bowl)” taste that Japanese people love so much. There you go.

Kombu (Kelps)

Kelp harvest in Hokkaido. This photo only courtesy of www.japantimes.co.jp

Meanwhile, most of Japan's kombu is harvested in Hokkaido, accounting for around 90% of all production. 

The sea ice that drifts over to Hokkaido from Siberia is rich in minerals and provides an environment that produces delicious kombu. 

Hidaka-Kombu is good for both making broth and eating (simmered in soy sauce). It is soft, easy to boil and tasty. It is also known as mitsuishi-kombu. Fukufukuya provided me the opportunity to taste Hidaka Kelp. 

How authentic can you get.

Fukufukuya Hirosaki Ekimae restaurant

Natural Hidaka konbu from Hokkaido. They are stewed and eaten. This photo only from global.rakutten.com.

Yuba Dining in Ukyo Ward, Kyoto (Japan)

In the last 10 years or so, Japan has incorporated the English language in their grade school curriculum. As a consequence of this, the concept of being "lost in translation" is gradually diminishing, particularly in big cities. Still navigating around Japan isn't as easy as you'd think. Vending machines found everywhere (fro train tickets, fast food, etc.) don't exactly have English translation on them. But it's all part of the fun.

I visited Tenryu-ji Temple (UNESCO World heritage site) in Susukinobaba-cho in the Ukyo Ward of West Kyoto. But my main destination was the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest. Before proceeding further, I looked for a restaurant for a fast lunch. I found this along the main road. It specializes in Yuba cuisine. Yuba is tofu skin (soy milk skin). It has rice in the soup; that heady, rich taste of the luxuriantly heavy broth. Yum

What's better: It costs a measly 980 yen, almost a quarter cheaper than many Yuba restaurants I know. Stayed at the second floor with a view of the surrounding hills around the area.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Magic Lagoon Restaurant - Nature and Dining in Subic Bay (Olongapo City)

It's safe to say that the main attraction of Magic Lagoon (Bar and Restaurant) is the novelty location beside a lagoon where hobbyists can actually fish for their own seafood then have them cooked. It's the perfect place to relax those tense muscles outside a therapeutic massage, breathe a dose of fresh air and just kick back and consume delicious food. 

Reviews for the food are mixed so I had to make sure I try quite a few to get a more balanced judgement. It is more than just good, actually. Look at their lechon kawali. Pictures don't lie, and this tastes as good as it looked. I ordered sinigang na baboy but hipon arrived instead. I didn't mind really particularly because it tasted good. I ordered lumpia shanghai, 12 rolls for P155. Pansit guisado had thick noodles but the "mix" wasn't as tasty as I'd like it to be. 

The center piece for this would have to be the "deep fried hito" (catfish) which looked nasty. They serve these in the sidewalks of Bangkok and I never really liked them: too bony. Magic Lagoon's "hito" however was delicious; no after-taste, and the meat was tender. For someone who isn't a major fish-eater, I was fairly impressed. Any first-time visitor should try their "deep fried hito" (P350 for a large piece).  

Magic Lagoon is open 24 hours so it's perfect for those night caps just before going back to your hotel room. It's located at Bicentennial Park, Rizal Highway, just across the Subic Yacht Club, at the back of a gasoline station. Their local number is 516-3214. They have a Facebook page for further inquiries.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Lechon Kawali

Deep fried Hito (Catfish)

Adobong baboy at manok

Sinigang na Hipon

Pansit Guisado

Lumpia Shanghai

A piece of lechon kawali

Green Mango Shake at P85

Fishing and cooking rates.

#magiclagoon   # subicbay   #dining   #foodporn   #olongapo   #eat  #deepfriedhito  #catfish