Recess and Nano's

Like I always emphatically stress on this site. This is not a food blog!

Nano's interiors

But since food is part of culture I manage to squeeze in an article or two of nice food I've tried in Manila's ever evolving restaurant scene. Two restaurants I've tried recently are so diametrically opposed in price range, I'm amazed both serve almost the same type of cuisine.

Pizza with bacon at Nano's

I was in the vicinity of SM Manila one fine Wednesday to pay for my real estate taxes. I was famished and decided to go to the mall next door to sate my hunger pangs. Lunchtime is always busy at SM Manila. I did find a restaurant that wasn't too crowded. NANO's!

Tuna pasta at Nano's

They serve Italian food. They have a variety of pizzas which one can order per slice. A wedge of pizza costs as low as P65.00. I was curious as well as hungry so I went inside the restaurant and decided to have a full lunch which consisted of Tuna pasta al' Olio, a slice of pizza. It was filling. Not necessarily extra ordinary. But if you're hungry, that'll do. and for a price point of PhP200.00++ for a full meal and soda to boot. I'd say... not too shabby!

Crackers with cheese dip at Recess

Then I visited this new restaurant along Jupiter street in Makati. Recess by Chef Chris is on its soft opening. But I found the staff to be quite attentive and they have a good grasp of product knowledge. A diner can ask them questions on the menu and they'd be happy to reply as best they can. Chef Chris was also doing the rounds of tables asking diners if everything was in order.

Recess interiors

It's a well appointed brownstone. An open counter is located at the far end and a semi-secluded bar is situated at the right side as one enters the establishment. The food is a lot pricier compared to Nano's and more flavorful. The pizza has freshly rolled out dough and the portions of arugula and alfalfa sprouts were hearty enough to be rolled into the slices. the dip was also well seasoned and tasty.

Steak at Recess

The bowl of chilli I had was perfectly spiced and the freshly baked bread i dipped in it was quite heavy and had a nice crust and crunch. The steak my partner ordered was large and the gravy that went with it was thick and salty. I tried it as well... it was good! My only issue with Recess by Chef Chris was that for meals for two people they charged more than a thousand pesos, which if you really think about it, isn't affordably priced for the common "tao". It's a lot more expensive! But hey, you get what you pay for...

Bowl of Chilli at Recess

Intramuros Rising

Things are abuzz in Intramuros.

It all started with the restoration of Manila Cathedral last year (still ongoing until now). Then San Agustin also underwent restoration. However, San Agustin's make-over is taking on the project without closing its doors to the public.

I had a tour this week and was surprised that the lower portion of the San Agustin's sala recibidor was also being remodeled. A large piece was being dismantled and moved to another location by the Intramuros Administration. 

The 17th century retablo from Cebu which found a temporary home at the sala recibidor was taken piece by piece from it's designated spot and was being taken to another area within Intramuros. This was/is in conjunction with the rebuilding of the San Ignacio church that will house the extensive ecclesiastical collection of the Intramuros Administration.

The altar piece which occupied the far wall of the room is a massive objet d'art that depicts the significant stages in the life of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Extreme care had to be undertaken to move the individual pieces carved out of Philippine hardwood. 

Even the small decorative scroll pieces which seemed almost unobtrusive had to be moved by two men one at a time. The image of the Holy Infant Jesus was also taken out of its hardwood niche. For now, some of the pieces will be in Casa Manila until the building of the San Ignacio is fully completed.

The Manila Cathedral is nearing its completion. From time to time workers open doors partially to let the dust from restoration works fly out and during those times, one can take a peek on its progress. The church was supposed to be fully restored by 8 December of last year. The waiting makes it more exciting...

EARLY GOOD EATS for 2014

HAPPY 2014, EVERYONE!

Mitsuyado Sei-Men foyer

January hasn't even reached midway and already, my resolution of staying fit and healthy is on edge... I mean... it's officially back to normal from the Christmas season and people are slowing down on the bingeing.  So technically, I should keep my promise to eat healthy and lose the last remaining 3 kg. my doctor said i should try to lose.

Friends from Lowe Advertising

So what is one to do when friends are call for an over-extended Christmas get together? Eat! So when my my friends from Lowe Advertising called I managed to eat a healthy garden salad downed with lots of plain water. That was for lunch. For dinner I met with friends from Ateneo and we met at Shangri-la Mall's Tender Bob's restaurant. While they were downing steaks and mashed potatoes, I was having a seafood salad with shrimp and an orange vinaigrette dressing.

Ateneo friends

So far, so good!?! I also met with my friend's cousin and niece to jog around the CCP complex so what do we do after? We have a simple dinner at Max's Restaurant at Harbor Square. It would have been a healthy plate except for the serving size. We just had a Seafood Lomi - a noodle soup that had shrimp, crabmeat, mussels in a thick soup with chives, garlic and egg... 

Seafood Lomi

Tinapa rice which is actually friend rice seasoned with garlic, slice red onion, soy sauce, tomatoes and smoked fish...

Tinapa Rice

We also had Sisig Tofu. This was a new dish I had to try. It's a healthy take on a traditionally sinful Pampango dish of pork "mask" on a sizzling hot plate and served with lots of onion and garlic. This used tofu instead. Cooked on a hot plate still, but smothered in  bird's eye, green chilli and coconut cream. 

Sisig Tofu

Today, I had lunch at Mitsuyado Sei-Men. It's a nice little restaurant near along Jupiter street in Bel-Air, Makati. It's a franchise owned by the UCC  group and brought to Manila (see top photo). Their style is like the gazebo's that served street food in Tokyo. An adjoining doorway leads one to Yamato which is their bakeshop.

Mitsuyado Sei-Men interior

The ramen is hearty even if you order the solo portion (the regular might be too big for some). I ordered the Curry Ramen. You have a choice of thick or thin noodles. My ramen had bits of roast pork on it, much like lechon kawali. But the bowl was smothered in a rich, gooey curry sauce that was perfectly seasoned. It had the unmistakable flavor of curry from the turmeric but it was neither too spicy nor overpowering. The balance of flavor was unbelievably  subtle. I consumed it to the last drop.

Curry Ramen

My dear Jerome ordered the Cheese Tsukemen; a plateful of noodles generously sprinkled with parmesan. Tsukemen means dipping noodles so it had a small cup of melted cheese and a larger bowl of dipping broth that had a mix of herbs from chives to parsley and lemon grass and coriander. The cheese flavor was markedly present and seemed to enhance the dipping sauce. It was a delicate play of flavors that plays on your palate. Very tasty...

Cheese Tsukemen

Then it was Chocolatier for dessert. A few steps from Mitsuyado Sei-men, it's a boutique of chocolate products and a nice little coffee shop/restaurant. 

Chocolatier interiors

I had a Cappucino and Jerome had an Americano. The crema on my cup was frothy and light so it was a perfect accompaniment to the cake we ordered.

Capuccino

Golden Euphoria is a soft sponge cake that's velvety to the point of having a  "tiramisu" consistency. The surprise is the crushed Ferrero Rocher in the middle   layer of the cake. The chocolate tuille, white chocolate wand and the ganache drizzle serve as accents of rich chocolate flavor. We shared the cake.

Golden Euphoria

I'm still figuring out if I over-ate today... NOT! I shared the sweets, the ramen was my main meal for the day. I had broccoli and carrot soup for dinner, skipped the soda, did a lot of walking too. I'm watching my food intake. Sticking to my diet... I don't know how long it will last... =)