http://allanko.net to new and better things Mon, 01 Feb 2010 14:17:17 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en It will be quite a shame for me to not write down the customary blog content I do on restaurant reviews for The Stock Market, but I figured it's worse not to publish these food pics and what I thought of our dining experience just because I'm busy (read: lazy). ... http://allanko.net/2010/02/01/the-stock-market-bonifacio-high-street/ Happy new year everyone! I know I have been remiss with my blogging -- got pretty tied up at work -- but thanks for checking out the site again. Here are my thoughts and some really yummy snaps from Chef J Gamboa's (also of Azuthai) El Cirkulo in Pasay Road ... http://allanko.net/2010/01/11/el-cirkulo-pasay-road-makati/ It is uncommon for me to share my overall verdict for a restaurant at the top part of my review text, but Sushi Kappo Kobikicho is by all means not a common establishment. It's simply the best sushi restaurant in town, using only the top-quality ingredients flown in fresh from ... http://allanko.net/2009/12/11/sushi-kappo-kobikicho-legaspi-village-makati/ Among my small group of foodie friends, I think I can safely say that I'm regarded as the one with the most credible tastebuds when it comes to authentic Chinese food (do you even wonder why?). One weekend, we put these tastebuds to test at New World Renaissance newly-reopened Chinese ... http://allanko.net/2009/12/07/jasmine-new-world-renaissance-makati/ Isdaan is a sprawling restaurant complex in Gerona, Tarlac by the Ongpaucos' Barrio Fiesta group. This floating restaurant has a large fish pond, Asian-themed interiors (complete with giant Buddha statues and Balinese designed huts), and several physical activities befitting of a theme park. The highlight of the place for us is ... http://allanko.net/2009/12/02/isdaan-tacsiyapo-wall-gerona-tarlac/ Priding itself as one of the finest seafood dining experiences in the country and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo's personal favorite, Matutina's Seafoods in Urdaneta City attracts a lot of travelers who stop over for a sumptuous meal en route to and from the North. We recently purposedly set for it on our ... http://allanko.net/2009/11/28/matutinas-seafoods-urdaneta-city-pangasinan/ I have very fond memories of dining out in Japan back when I had frequent business trips there. One of the foods we ate often and that I really liked is yakitori, grilled chicken skewered on a bamboo stick and barbecued over charcoal. Fortunately, we have the Japanese franchise Nanbantei ... http://allanko.net/2009/11/24/nanbantei-of-tokyo-2f-greenbelt-3/ One massively rainy night, we trooped to Greenbelt 5 to get ourselves some stress-busting delectation against all odds. We were fortunate and happy that The Madison Grill was open to serve us that night, despite most other establishments closing shop early. Setting. Madison looks and feels like a fine New York ... http://allanko.net/2009/11/20/madison-grill-gf-greenbelt-5/ The fifth and last featured establishment in the Baguio series is Café Sabel, a themed coffee shop right inside national artist BenCab's famous museum. The menu features somee of the same items offered in the earlier-featured Cafe by the Ruins (which shares their staff and management), but the manages to exude ... http://allanko.net/2009/11/16/desserts-and-more-at-cafe-sabel-bencab-museum-baguio/ A while back, a colleague brought a box of Gigi's Custaroons to dinner so we got to try them out. Custaroon is a portmanteau word from custard and macaroon, which is an apt name to these creamy custard filled macaroons. Here are some pictures I took, as well as what I ... http://allanko.net/2009/11/12/tasted-gigis-custaroons/