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November 4, 2015

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Maisen Philippines

Congratulations Maisen Philippines!

One of our favorite restaurants in Tokyo is now in Manila!!! Now with 3 branches in a span of 2 months.
There are 10 restaurants and 60 kiosks all around Japan. 8 in Bangkok and 3 in Manila- Greenbelt 5 August 7, SM Megamall Bldg A (Sept 14 ) and SM North Edsa (Oct 8 ) Upcoming branches – Uptown BGC, MOA and Shangrila Fort

Mr. Ben Chan, Mr. Virgilio Lim from Suyen Corp. And Mr. Takeshi Okamoto President and Mr. Tadakazu Fujishiro Corplan Div Corp Officer of Izutsu Maisen Co. Ltd.

Bryan And Kai Lim @kailim_ , Mr. And Mrs.( Suyen Chan ) Lim.

Erika, Beng and Rikki Dee. Other owners not in photo – Richard and Lucy Gomez, Kris Aquino and Chef Florabel

The SM Megamall Branch

Tonkatsu Maisen was established in December of 1965, in the underground floor of the Hibiya Mitsui Building on Yurakucho, Chiyoda Ward. Starting with the establishment of a restaurant in the Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Department Store in 1968, it has spread out to various department stores throughout Japan.

The Maisen founder – a housewife with no established career – burst into the unknown territory of the food and drink business, and has since successfully continued to provide high quality foods and high quality service, under the slogan of “the customer comes first”. It is this very tradition that is the origins of the “ Maisen” brand, and it is held dear to this very day.

Maisen’s main restaurant in Aoyama, Seiyokan, is famous for taking the dressing room of a bath-house built in the late 1920’s, and turning it into a restaurant. At the time of the conversion, people had no real concept of “reuse” like they do now. It was thus considered a fresh and surprising idea to people, creating a topic of conversation and becoming highly acclaimed.

Maisen (3)Half a century later Maisen now has nine company restaurants where to chefs use their skills and experience in order to respond to the needs of a wide range of customers. On its 50th anniversary, Maisen is finally hitting Philippine shores as well, with partners including retail magnate Ben Chan and the Suyen Corp. Group, renowed chef Florabel Co-Yatco, restaurant tycoon Enrico “Rikki” Dee, celebrity couple Richard Gomez and Ho. Lucy Torres-Gomez, and prominent Philippine TV figure Kris Aquino.

Centered on the famous tonkatsu, Maisen provides many different dishes for all seasons and scenes, and offers banquet services as well in Japan.

Everyday we strive to maintain our unique style in order to ensure that everyone, from children to the elderly, can spend a wonderful time of simple happiness with their loved ones.

Sauce – An important factor of the Maisen flavour is the sauce. We produce four kinds of sauce: “ sweet sauce” (Amakuchi), “Worcestershire sauce” (Karakuchi), “ tenderloin katsu sandwich sauce,” and the special sauce” used exclusively for black-skinned pork. The Maisen founders tested out new recipes again and again, striving everyday behind the counter at their small shop to create our delicious flavors.

Breadcrumbs – Taking pork made to proper size and shape, we apply breadcrumbs made from our own original bread recipe using special techniques. We then fry the tonkatsu in our special oil while carefully adjusting the heat.We make our breadcrumbs with the aim of achieving the level of “kendachi” in our tonkatsu, which translates to the state of blossomed flowers in Japanese.

Pork – Each slice of pork used in our restaurants is carefully cut, then pounded to loosen the tendons, thus ensuring the softness in our meat. For variety, we provide the special Kurobuta in addition to normal pork

Sandwiches – On top of our signature katsu set dishes, Maisen also offers katsu sandwiches with a choice of tenderloin or shrimp meat. Popular with the on-the-go Japanese community, these selections are the perfect takeout treats which you can enjoy during your break.

November 3, 2015

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Rosita’s Kitchen by Ning Ning Tordesillas

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

Rosita’s Kitchen by my friend Ning Ning Tordesillas. She’s with her 16 year old son Jose helping her in the business. She used to have a restaurant – Bistro 110 for 12 years but it closed 5 years ago. Now she’s back with party platters since friends have been looking for her food. So yummy!! She was at the Best Food Forward event

November 2, 2015

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Best Food Forward 2015

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

I love going to Best For Forward and discovering yummy inventions!! So I go every year!

Previous entry: Best Food Forward 2015 and Best Food Forward Store October 5, 2015

The cutest visitor who I saw in the front 😉

This booth is by the chef of Your Local. I love the presentation of the booth

Best sellers are Pok Pok bites and Kim and Reuben

A very popular booth even if it is outdoors and in the end

Tablea bars

The best booth!! Gourmet Garage 🙂

Cute husband and wife booth – Mr. and Mrs. Graham

I love the mini empanadas!

Janine Taylor!

The Bald Baker that is really bald! haha!! 🙂

Very popular booth in all bazaars

Malabonan kitchen by Chef Melissa Sison Oreta! Wife of the Mayor of Malabon

Beautiful Ela Vargas

Cute!! Full support by the family of Sabine! This is her first bazaar

A must!! Super Chewy Milo Cookies! Love also the cookie dough version

Yum chocolate root beer ice cream!!

Beignets!!

3 friends! Each with their specialty

Sandy Daza

October 30, 2015

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Ogawa

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

Entering the realm of authentic cuisine this month is a traditional restaurant that will give out a distinctly ancient dining experience at the 2nd Floor of The Fort Entertainment Complex in BGC. Fervently built upon a strong foundation of legacy, food lovers can savor and experience true Japanese flavor in our local shores.

The immense passion of food connoisseur and businessman George N. Pua of No Limits Food, Inc., alongside renowned Japanese Chef, Kiyoshi Ogawa, led them to the reality of the newest traditional Japanese Restaurant—Ogawa. Sharing the same dream of wanting to embark Filipinos on how high quality Japanese cuisine really tastes like, Ogawa aims to reach and please palettes amidst the ever growing culinary scene in Manila.

Mr. George Pua, owner of Ogawa.

George Pua Ogawa He owns No Limits Food Inc group – see the photo here in the Fort Strip – this whole strip from Tony Roma’s to KPub is all part of the group!! Tony Roma’s, Modern Sichuan ( which I love) Yummy Soy, KPub and Modern China ( not in complex)

I made sure I looked for the Chef behind the restaurant! Chef Kiyoshi Ogawa! He told me that he left Japan in 1984 to work in the USA and after that he worked in many countries until he reached the Philippines in 2003 to work in Dusit Hotel then moved in 2005 -2008 in Senju in Edsa Shangrila Hotel then left to open a Japanese resto in Jakarta in St. Regis Hotel and then after came back to Senju in 2010 then now he’s with Ogawa named after him. I had to ask him how old he was because he said he left in 1984 which means he was 20 years old when he left Japan to work. Compute his age 🙂

Ogawa stops at no expense in providing the best ingredients: the finest meat, pristine vegetables and freshest seafood in the world. After all, the restaurant is built upon heritage and in Japan, freshness and excellence in preparation is one of their key traditions.

As you step inside the cultured restaurant, there are five elegantly designed private dining rooms to create comfort and ambiance perfect for business meetings, intimate get-togethers or birthday celebrations. Interestingly, the rooms were named after distinct cities in Japan namely: Ginza, Roppongi, Akasaka, Aoyama and Shinbashi. The Japanese wallpaper by Ushio Sekiguchi created a natural atmosphere and as if made one feel of having a breath of fresh air as the layout of pine trees, leaves, branches and sparrows seemingly created a natural landscape in the walls. Even the Ogawa’s antique main door in the reception area embodies the naturalness and heritage that the restaurant upholds.

Customers will marvel at the offerings on their menu including Teppanyaki whose meat , seafood and vegetables are cooked and seared on an iron girdle, the traditional multi-course Japanese dinner Kaiseki, and the original Japanese barbecue, Robatayaki, paired exquisitely with the Japanese staple, Sushi.

The main counter, where the skillfully made cuisines are set to be served to guests, is patterned after “MIKOSHI” traditional festival since it’s like the main stage of Chef Ogawa. The sushi station, on the other hand, is created with a sense of space and a delectable aura to beautifully present the art of sushi.

From design to ambiance to service, the entirety of Ogawa will ring authentic and traditional. The chief director, Hiroshi Yoshida, and main designer, Ryo Konno, were inspired by the unfaltering determination of the founders that they made sure to be consistently aligned on what they believe in from the way the restaurant is urbanely engineered up to its impressive interiors.

One thing is certain about Ogawa, every patron’s dining experience will be of the most authentic Japanese cuisine there is in the metro—it is not just about eating Japanese but the experience of becoming one.

Ogawa Traditional Japanese restaurant is located at the 2nd floor (of Tony Roma’s) of The Fort Entertainment Complex, Fort Strip, 5th Ave. corner 28th St. BGC, Taguig City. For inquiries and reservations, pls contact +632.886.4994 / 886.4996 / 0917-85-OGAWA. To know more about Ogawa Traditional Japanese restaurant, visit its website www.ogawamanila.com or Facebook page OGAWA Traditional Japanese Restaurant.

October 29, 2015

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Chef Gaggan Anand in Manila

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

Congratulations Cheryl Tiu on your latest venture, Cross Cultures – an events platform that aims to bring together chefs and cooks, countries and continents through food.

This is her second event after Eat Ethio. Chef Gaggan Anand was in the Philippines for two nights only. He cooked for 50 people at Gallery Vask. It will be chef Gaggan Anand and his team’s first visit to the Philippines, and while they brought their signature dishes, they created experimental dishes with our local produce with the Gallery Vask team.

From The World’s 50 Best
Gaggan is an Indian restaurant, but not as you know it. Here chef Gaggan Anand takes classic Indian dishes and reinterprets them with modernity and flair in a bid to bridge the gap between eastern and western cuisine.

Gaggenau_Gaggan (1)

Anand was the first Indian chef to undertake an internship with Ferran Adrià’s research team at el Bulli, delving into the famed Spanish restaurant’s wizardry, and it shows in the style of cooking at his eponymous restaurant. Anand revels in playing with contemporary techniques and is no stranger to liquid nitrogen or the smoking gun, evidenced in dishes such as lamb chops with smoked whisky and spherified yoghurt with mango chutney.

The food is as playful as it sounds, with dishes such as Beauty and the Beast – young potatoes stuffed with sun-dried figs – and Green with Envy – green peppercorn chicken kebabs combined with coriander foam – which are big on impact, but never at the expense of flavour. The colonial-style dining room, complete with cane furniture, ceiling fans and simple whitewashed walls, allows the kitchen to do the talking. Rounded off with super-friendly but highly polished service, Gaggan’s charms propelled its rapid rise to global prominence.

Last October 5, Chef Gaggan Anand showcased three of his signature dishes at a by-invitation only event to an intimate group of 30 at the Gaggenau Kitchen on 46 McKinley, Forbes Park. Chef Gaggan Anand is the Chef partner in Thailand of Gagganeau, the leading German brand for professional grade domestic appliances.

He cooked today in the Gagganeau showroom kitchen and he will be using Gagganeau in the new curry restaurant he will open next year.

Gaggenau_Gaggan (2) Gaggenau is one of the brands of Living Concepts ( Bang & Olufsen, bulthaup, Dedon and Minotti ) by Ferdie Ong

Chef Gaggan Anand demonstrating his Mango Snowball which he serves as a birthday cake in Gaggan, Bangkok. Asia’s # 1 and # 10 in the World.

Who would think a guy with these credentials could be so down to earth, so funny, so friendly and so warm. So honored to have witnessed such a personality. And I remember him say today “Cooking comes from the HEART” More than good food, is the Chef behind it and listening and watching Chef Gaggan today confirms even more why he is #1!

World’s 50 Best Restaurants Official Appliance Partner

Last June, Gaggenau, the leading German brand for professional-grade domestic appliances, was once again the official appliance partner and sponsor of the prestigious Chefs’ Choice Award at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants Awards which was held at London’s Guildhall. Among the 50 top international chefs attending the Awards was Anand, Gaggenau Partner Chef for Thailand. His eponymous Bangkok restaurant has been ranked No. 1 of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant 2015 list and climbed his way to No. 10 of the world’s best dining experience.

The Bangkok restaurant of Gaggenau Partner for Thailand Gaggan Anand is now ranked a number 10 of the best restaurants in the world. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015, sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and on Edition Photography, the official photographers for 2015.

Born in Kolkata and influenced by Ferran Adria during his internship with the El Bulli research team, Gaggan opened his Bangkok restaurant just five years ago. His aim is to reinvigorate traditional Indian cuisine by adding a molecular twist and using contemporary techniques. Since then the restaurant has gained a reputation for excellence and innovation both in Thailand and beyond.

He insists, however, that he is no scientist. ” With roots in the food culture of India, my cuisine is modem and experimental,” He says. ” I think it is the balanced twist between tradition and innovation that connects me to Gaggenau. That is why I am looking forward to the opening of my creative food lab in the autumn, which will be fully equipped with Gaggenau appliances.”

Gaggan Anand’s quail egg with spiced lamb kofta in a Black Forest rye crumb pays homage to Gaggenau’s German roots. The World’s 50 Best Restaurants 2015, sponsored by S. Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, and on Edition Photography, the official photographers for 2015

His signature dish at the 2015 World’s 50 Best Awards bore testimony to his outstanding skill as a chef, and now his new partnership with Gaggenau. Inspired by the Scotch eggs popularized in India during the British Raj, Anand’s quail egg with spiced lamb kofta was covered in a Black Forest rye crumb, and paid homage to Gaggenau’s German roots with the inclusion of kirsch and rye bread. It revealed an isnpiring combinatiion of culinary traditions that bridged the East-West divide.

There is no doubt that the high functionality of Gaggenau appliances lend themselves to Anand’s style of culinary creativity, but the chef’s natural alliance with the brand is also reflected in their shared pursuit of excellence in design and innovation.

October 26, 2015

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Invitation to Yummy Eats 2015

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

Yummy Eats, Yummy Magazine’s much-awaited annual food event, is back on its 5^th year! The event will happen on November 07, Saturday, at the Metrotent, Metrowalk Plaza, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City. Gates will open at 10:00AM and close at 6:00PM.

The ultimate food event this holiday season, Yummy Eats will feature new food concessionaires, old favorites, Noche Buena classics, fun games, gift ideas, and more! Featuring over 70 concessionaires specially handpicked by the magazine’s editorial team, Yummy Eats 2015 is the go-to food festival for anyone who needs help with Noche Buena and potluck ideas.

Participants may purchase their tickets online at http://www.yummy.ph/yummyeats/ or at the event venue. Price is at 300 pesos per head or 1,000 for a group of four.

The November issue of Yummy Magazine is available on newsstands and in bookstores nationwide for P125. The digital edition is also available for download on your tablet or smartphone through the Yummy app on Apple Newsstand, Buqo, and Zinio.

For your daily dose of delicious and scrumptious recipes and cooking hacks, visit www.yummy.ph. Follow YummyPH on Facebook, and @yummyph on Twitter and Instagram. Landline: 451-8888 local 1073 Mobile: 0917 875 0584 Jensine.Bolinao@summitmedia.com.ph

October 26, 2015

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The Halal Guys Now in The Philippines

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | One Comment

Congratulations Jaime and Chris Daez on the launch of Halal Guys.

The wait is over. Filipino fans have every reason to celebrate because the iconic American-Halal street food franchise has arrived in Manila.

Anyone who has been to the Big Apple would agree that the experience of traveling to New York is never complete without a visit to the world famous food cart. There’s nothing like marveling at the magnanimity of New York’s local scene while enjoying a hot platter of the delicious halal meat generously covered in their inimitable sauces. No matter the weather, the food cart gathers foodies from all over, who are more than willing to wait in line for the exotic yet mysteriously comforting fare. But there’s no need to take a trip to New York’s 53rd and 6th any time soon, because The Halal Guys are set to open their first international location here in the Philippines, with their first store at 5L, Mega Food Hall, SM Megamall.

Heart2Heart is so excited to see the Halal guys !! The guys behind the famous food truck in New York City.

The Halal Guys started in 1990, when founding partners, Muhammed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed, opened a hotdog cart on West 53rd and 6th avenue. Due to the demand for quick and affordable Halal street food, specifically from the Muslim cab drivers, they decided to convert their cart into the city’s first Halal Street Food cart. Since then, the Halal Guys has steadily become the largest and most beloved American halal street food concept in the world.

Going Global

Currently, there are 5 food carts and 2 brick-and-mortar restaurants in New York. With the support of franchising giant, Fransmart, the brand is expanding across the US and around the world. The first stores that opened outside of New York, are Chicago and Costa Mesa, California. Plans are underway to open stores in Houston Texas, Philadelphia and Washington DC, among others. The Halal Guys, which has been dubbed as the next big thing in fast, casual dining, is also expanding globally, with the Philippines as its first international location. Other international franchise locations that are in the pipeline, include Malaysia, South Korea and Toronto.

I was so touched listening to the Halal Guys and Jaime when they spoke, truly a dream come true! “Whenever I’m in New York, I make it a point to eat at The Halal Guys. I’m a huge fan,” Jaime Daez, the man responsible for bringing in the world-famous food cart shares enthusiastically. Their food tastes great! I don’t know of any other restaurant in New York that offers that kind of value for money.” “According to Yelp, The Halal Guys is the highest rated restaurant in New York. I am very excited to bring that same experience to Manila.” Manila can anticipate a complete experience of the wildly popular menu. The very same menu offered in the famous New York food carts and brick-and-mortar shops, and the same menu that made The Halal Guys famous worldwide. This includes everything from the rice platters (chicken, gyro, combos) to sandwiches (chicken, gyro, combos); from falafels down to their iconic white sauce and hot sauce. Manila can anticipate a complete experience of the wildly popular menu. The very same menu offered in the famous New York food carts and brick-and-mortar shops, and the same menu that made The Halal Guys famous worldwide. This includes everything from the rice platters (chicken, gyro, combos) to sandwiches (chicken, gyro, combos); from falafels down to their iconic white sauce and hot sauce.

Chicken Over Rice

Chicken Sandwich

Gyro Over Rice

Gyro Sandwich

Combo Over Rice

Falafel Over Rice

Falafel Sandwich

Combo over rice at Halal Guys – Yummy! Halal_Guys (27)

And as Jaime Daez recommends, make sure you put lots of the white sauce

The Deputy Chief of Mission of the US Embassy, Michael Klecheski and his wife Eloisa were at the opening of Halal Guys. I was so happy when Eloisa told me she reads my blog . She heard about it from Sasa and Richard since they lived in Moscow too for 3 years. After which they lived in Kazahkstan for 2 years and now in Manila

Cat and Jenni were the first in line!! and they made me third haha! We were too excited!

Aside from the Halal guys, there are three guys training til next week! 2 Egyptians- Mohamed Omar and Mohamed Ahmdein and Juan Bustamante ( Beirut ).

They have a total of 30 staff for the first branch!

About The Halal Guys

The Halal Guys started in 1990, when founding partners, Muhammed Abouelenein, Ahmed Elsaka and Abdelbaset Elsayed, opened a hotdog cart on West 53rd and 6th avenue. Due to the demand for quick and affordable Halal street food, specifically from the Muslim cab drivers, they decided to convert their cart into the city’s first Halal Street Food cart. Since then, the Halal Guys has steadily become the largest and most beloved American halal street food concept in the world.

For more information, LIKE The Halal Guys Philippines on Facebook and FOLLOW @thehalalguysph on Instagram and Twitter.

October 23, 2015

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Osaka Ohsho in a Sukiyaki State of Mind This Rainy Season!

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | No Comments

Japan’s reknowned “King of Gyoza”, has a lot more to offer than their famous steamed & pan seared Japanese dumplings. This rainy season, Osaka Ohsho is in a Sukiyaki State of Mind with their NEW Sukiyaki Festival bannering two all NEW Sukiyaki variants each featuring different gyoza flavors together with their classic favorite Beef Sukiyaki! Because nothing goes down better than a piping hot bowl of noodle soup amidst torrential downpours!

Seafood lovers will simply adore their NEW Asari Gyoza Sukiyaki Soup with 3 pcs. of their Nori Gyoza, ocean fresh clams, vermicelli rice noodles, & leeks simmered in a clear clam broth enriched with fresh Japanese miso. As a less adventurous but still altogether appealing alternative, customers can still enjoy the soothing sensation of having piping hot noodle soup with Osaka Ohsho’s NEW Gyoza Chicken Sukiyaki Soup with 3 pcs. of their Original Gyoza, tender boneless chicken chunks, vermicelli rice noodles, shitake mushrooms, & mixed vegetables simmered in a flavorful Japanese miso soup base. Should you want a tried and tested favorite this rainy season, your choice will definitely be Osaka Ohsho’s Beef Sukiyaki with tender sliced beef, vermicelli rice noodles, soft Japanese tofu, mixed mushrooms, & assorted vegetables in a sweet, rich, & nourishing beef broth.

So don’t fret as the rains start to pour down! Make the most out these gloomy, overcast, rainy days by getting in a Sukiyaki State of Mind yourself at Osaka Ohsho located at the 3^rd level of the SM Megamall Fashion Hall. Their NEW Sukiyaki Festival is available for a limited time only so wait out the rains comfortably with them with a soothing bowl of any of our Sukiyaki variants!

Founded in Osaka Japan in 1969, Osaka Ohsho is reknowned as Japan’s # 1 gyoza specialist w/ over 380 stores in Japan currently. Now present in Thailand, Singapore, Shanghai China, Korea, Hong Kong, and the Philippines, Osaka Ohsho is widely recognized to serve the world’s #1 gyoza!

Asari Gyoza Sukiyaki Soup – Osaka Ohsho’s Nori Gyoza blends amazingly well with their Japanese miso-clam broth, clams, and vermicelli noodles!

Gyoza Chicken Sukiyaki Soup – As a more conventional pairing, Osaka Ohsho’s Original Gyoza is combined with tender chicken, mushrooms, mixed vegetables, & vermicelli noodles in a Japanese miso soup base.

Beef Sukiyaki – If you’re not in the mood to try something new, go with a tried and tested Osaka Ohsho favorite: Beef Sukiyaki of beef, vermicelli noodles, Japanese tofu, mushrooms, & vegetables in a sweet & rich beef broth.

October 21, 2015

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The Party Kitchen

By Heart2Heart | Foodie | One Comment

The Party Kitchen brought to you by the Romulo Food Group – the same owners as Romulo Cafe – Sandy Romulo Squillantini together with my Gumamela friend, Maritina Romulo @maritinarom . Check them out