Saturday, June 28, 2014

Ramen Like No Other - Ramen Nagi Philippines

Hong Kong's Butao and Tokyo's Ramen Nagi is now set to invade Manila. wahahah With its newly opened store at 5th Level. Sky Park, SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.  Surely, this is another must-visit restaurants for the Ramen fans.

From the name,  this is definitely a Japanese concept store which mainly offers ramen. Though situated in a premier mall, the bunting, and the over-all interior will definitely give you the feel of Japan/Hong Kong streets.
Reg flags, Japanese font, and Crew that keeps on shouting Japanes phrases every now and then.
You can't own the whole table. If table is good for four person and they have a new customer, they will maximize the seats beside you. Winning a new friend indeed.
This is how you make your Ramen like no other at Ramen Nagi.
  • Pick your order of Ramen. They say Butao King is their best seller, but I'm quite curious about the black colored soup (Black King), that's why I ordered the black one :)
  • Customize the taste of the soup base. Add or lessen the richness of taste, special sauce and garlic.
  • Select your toppings. Pick your cut of pork and garnish.
  • Adjust the level of spice with Butao home made fire sauce.
  • Choose the firmness of the noodles.

 Keep yourself clean while sipping the soup with this disposable bib. :)

Taaadaaa... Ramen Nagi Black King... Very tasty and delicious. The back color of the soup is from the ink of  squid which gave the ramen soup a very distinct texture.
**Black King price SRP - P410.00 only

Customizing Butao King.
Here's the Butao King --very creamy pork broth soup for those who want light soup. You can add spices and condiments if you want to make the taste more rich or heavier.
** Butao King SRP- P390.00

Other ramen add-ons like seaweed, green onions, cabbage, kikurage, noodles, and pork are also available.
And look at how the eggs are perfectly done...
Note that they implement no take out policy. Ramen will not taste good if not consumed immediately, according to them. Well I guess, partly it has psychological effect also as you really need to eat it in there to complete your "Ramen Nagi" experience.

Initially you will feel it's expensive but once you tried, you'll know its worth it. I was not even able to finish my bowl of Black King.

One thing I just don't like about this restaurant when I visited it,  I find it too noisy, maybe I just had a headache that time and I was really annoyed by the staffs who keep of greeting and shouting. On the other hand, good thing I understand that from the point of view of the marketing it's really important to give the customers a total brand experience. Kudos! on that part. :) lol

Ramen Nagi
SM Aura Premier
828-67-93
https://www.facebook.com/RamenNagiManila

Share this if you find it interesting :)
xx,
markmyname1107@blogspot.com




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

What's Your Fashion Fantasy? #I'dRatherBe | What I Wear | MarkMyName

I was challenged by the question "What's Your fashion Fantasy?" wherein the answer should start with the phrase "I'd Rather Be". It's actually tricky on that part, because answering the question using that phrase, is somewhat comparing your fashion fantasy to reality or actual look.

We'll, I'm always a basic fashioned person, not for some people but I think I keep my simple every time. But when you speak of fantasies, definitely it needs to be totally different from what you are, If I may say so.

Then I had several choices for my entry, several fantasies I kept on justifying whom I want to be.
#IdRatherBe
  • The Life of the Party - the one I wear from a certain awards night I attended with the theme "The Life of the Party". This is justifiable in a way because I'm always one of the "Life of Party" hahahaha.
  • The Traveler - I've always dreamed of wearing short and a boots, that's why when I got the chance to wear it during my travel at Ilocos, I didn't mind people looking at my shoes. lol
  • The Laid-back Guy- It's not something "I'd Rather Be, because it's just me...

Until I came up with a concept,  I didn't need to dress up much more for this, but this is really whom I'd Rather Be. My Fashion Fantasy.

I'd rather be a Kiddo, Innocent of anything, carefree and brave to take risks...
This match makes me feel like child again. The comfort of basic tees and jeggings plus over-sized shoes, is something I always want to try every now and then when I got bored of the usual corporate attires I use at the office. 
Hype it if you like it:



This is my favorite pose among the photos, I call it the #BoomPaness pose. hahahah so kiddo. lol


Thanks to Arnel Montero for supporting me on this kalokohan heheheh... He's the photographer.


Friday, June 20, 2014

Ready to Eat Like a Viking

So Vikings at SM Megamall is now open! I always heard about this buffet restaurant but I never, like really never imagined myself dining in this restaurant. Maybe because I find it expensive, well in fact there are buffet restaurants out there that is more affordable and I think has already enough selection to be tagged as value-for-money. Until we bought a discounted voucher on one of the social media buying site, and eat all my never, never imagined thing. wahahahah.

Differentiating my experience with Vikings versus other buffet restaurants is easy.
It's like a tour in a museum of food...

Its probably one of the largest buffet restaurant in the Philippines. Very festive. Very wide selection. From appetizers, main course, sides, fresh foods, down to desserts. With different cuisine-- Asian, Western, European and others.

Here's my 5 Must-Do List so you can eat like a Viking and enjoy your buffet experience.
  1. Take your time. Don't rush! Don't get too excited! Treat it like your eating on a fine dine restaurant. You have three and a half hours though.
  2. Small bite on your favorites. Don't eat much of your usual order on other restaurants.
  3. Have a taste of everything! Try every cuisine, it's your chance. Explore!
  4. Don't put too much food on plate, It will make you feel full.
  5. Less Carbs. Rice? You can eat it at home.


Vikings regular rates...


**Rates are based on their June 2014 price list and subject for change without prior notice
They also offer birthday promo and big group promo.


The salad bar...
Fresh and grilling station... you can pick from different types of fish or marinated meat and ask them to grill and serve it to your table..
My favorite section... Sushi bar... ohhh those Salmon...
Another favorite section... We'll we don't normally celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the Philippines, so I think I need to say Thank You for the opportunity of tasting roasted turkey. wahahaha It's not a feast everyday...
Some luxury in the house... Steaks Beaf Sterloin and Angus... yum yum yum...
Make your own Shabu Shabu... You can ask them to set up a shabu- shabu pot and stove on you table... Don't worry you can never with the taste of mixed vegetables and some streetfoods-- fishball, squidball, chicken balls hehehe...
Chinese foods are also served...
Every kid and kid at heart favorite section... Desserts! wahahaaha work on that sweet tooth
The very first section you'll see when you enter the restautrant.
A very wide selection of sweets... Ice cream, candies, chocolates, crepe and a lot more...
This is the other side of the dessert section..
Fresh fruits section.

Here are some of my top picks during my visit...

In every buffet restaurant I visit, I always check if they serve Salmon.... It's really something that I look forward to. wahaha. Dito pa lang sulit na ako... hehehe
Roasted... You will really love their Roasted Chicken... Well you might say, you can buy roasted chicken anywhere, but surely the taste is not like the one in here... Promise!

I had Roasted chicken, turkey and pork (lechon baboy)... the lechon baboy is also good. It's very and soft and tasty even if you're just eating the meat. 
I also had sweet and spicy crab, patatim and the vegetable. 

I also tried their baked oyster. Its good though, I like it better when its raw. hehehhe

They also offer Make- Your- Own Pasta, where you can pick from different type of pasta- fettuccine, white of black spaghetti, penne and macaroni... Then mix it with your preferred sauce -- white, cream, pesto, Oil and garlic... Then pick your toppings like bacon, ham, sausages, olive and others.

In my case here's our MYP.... tadaaa...
Spaghetti in pesto with ham, bacon, Parmesan... lesson learned don't put too much toppings as it affects the taste of the pasta... hahaha this one is salty... well you can also put the blame on the chef. hehehe
Another MYP, too salty also. blame it on the sausages, bacon, and other topings. wahahaha
And for dessert, I had crepe filled with mangoes and blueberries topped with frozen yogurt.
Since the have wide selection of drinks, I tried all of it, hahhaa just a sip on each, except for the draft of beer... Yes! you may take it this way they also offer "Unlimited Beer" hahaha.
They also have Imported beer like Tiger -- for limited stocks only.

The whole dine- in experience would have not been that great without their accommodating and very friendly crew...

Taddaaaa.... the Vikings... wahahaha

Vikings SM Megamall
4th Floor, Mega Fashion Hall 
Bldg. D, SM Megamall,
Julia Vargas cor. EDSA Mandaluyong, Philippines.
Tel. no. 656 - 3888, 656- 4888, 656-5888
Email. vikingssmmegall@yahoo.com
website: http://vikings.ph


Thanks,
Mark My Name 1107








Friday, June 13, 2014

The Burger that Makes Me Excited

 A beef patty garnished and sandwiched between two buns, that’s how boring burger to me. Probably, it’s the idea that this is very common among fast-food chains and restaurants. But putting a standard on it could be a little difficult.

What makes a burger a little bit exciting…
  • The patty. Made from pure beef and doesn’t smell bad yet still has the taste of a beef and not much of extenders like flour.  Fancy meats are good to try like Wagyu and Black Angus.
  • The buns. Fresh buns are distinct. Doesn’t have much wrinkles. Smooth texture. Sprinkled with sesame seeds add up flavour.
  • The garnish. Lettuce, Tomato and cheese are basic. Pickles and white onions add a kick on the taste. Garnish needs to be properly placed on top of the patty so it doesn’t mess when you take a bite.
  •  The dressing.  Whether you choose the basic mayo and ketchup. It needs to perfectly match the garnish. Giving bunch of options for the dressing is a plus.
  • The size. Well in every food, size matters! It doesn’t necessarily need to be too big but it has to be satisfying enough.
  •  The after taste. Beefy taste could last on your buds making you feel eeeewww even after you drink so it’s very important that it doesn’t have “beefy” after taste.


 How about you what are you looking for in a burger? Share your thoughts on the comment box...

Well, there’s already been a craze about restaurants in Kapitolyo, Pasig and probably you’ve already read and heard a lot about this burger store named Charlie’s Grind and Grill. I'm not saying this is the BEST Burger in town but this burger store really make me feel excited about burger. Well, there are yet other stores to try but for now let me share to you my experience about Charlie's Grind and Grill.



It’s a very casual dining place along the streets. If you happen to pass by East Capitol place, you really need to be very observant apart from the idea that the front area of the restaurant is carwash place, they have a very very small signage... lol


Beside the carwash area, is the store counter. It also add on to total ambiance the on-the-go feel of the check out counter.


Menu written on black board and in chalk also gave the cozy and laid back feel just like the one we use to see in cafes.



It has a dine-in section. The interior is very typical with good ventilation and lighting.


We also ordered some of their recommendations. Since during this visit it was only me and a friend so we only ordered what we can take... no, its beyond what we can actually take... heheheh

Here's the cashier's recommendation for fries. Funny how come that all of our orders are priced at P195.00 each hahaahha (except for the drinks)

Dirty Fries
Fresh Igorota Idaho potatoes with rock salt and ground black pepper, with bleu cheese, bacon bits, diced tomatoes, green onions, topped with grilled chicken liver.. P195.00

Charlie's Deputy
Snap dawg on a bun, pulled pork, white cheddar cheese with barbecue sauce. I didn't know that "dog" in hotdog is spelled as "dawg"... really??? heheheh this is at P195.00 too...

And of course the famous, the standard, the exciting... taaadaaaa...



Black Angus Burger
Cheddar cheese, butter leaf lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard and mayonnaise on a butter bun P 195.00 too...


**prices may change without prior notice...

and we have dressing choices.
Mustard, Aioli (garlic-based mayo), Russian and Ketchup... My friend is even looking for Venezuelan, Pakistan and other nationals for the dressing... too bad they only offer Russian, not event American is on the choices... lol



We also ordered their famous Charlie's Ice Tea... it really taste good. Try a sip first before you order so you would know the difference... It's really refreshing! The ice tea is not P195.00 each heheeheh its just P65.00/ large order.


It's a little bit expensive than your usual burger fast-food chain, but its really worth it.  Also, I found out through my research that their Black Angus patties are from Choice and Select USDA Black Angus Beef, grain-fed and wet aged for 15 days and are ground fresh on premise*...  So why not???

Plus, here's my principle on this. You don't eat burger everyday, so when you have it... It better be the good, baby!

Charlie's Grind and Grill
16 East Capitol Drive and Ronac Art Center
501 01 37 / 477 50 21
www.charliesgrindandgrill.com


Thanks to Adam for this great miryenda / dinner / kwentuhan / more fun!!! heheheh I just miss this kid!
 Catching up with you is so much fun! Oh next time on you na and make sure kasama na si Janine hehehhe...

**sorry for the personal message :)