Banana Split at the whimsical THE CREAMERY RESTO AND ICE CREAM BAR!

It just rained and call me crazy, but yeah I craved for something cold and delicious in the middle of that rainy day.

The Creamery Resto and Ice Cream Bar saved the day! :)

 

The Creamery Resto and Ice Cream Bar seated us to a very fanciful place. Brightly-colored three dimensional building structures welcomed us as we entered the Ice Cream Bar. No straight edges, color was everywhere, and the whole thing was just so whimsical. I felt like a child once more! Though kiddie friendly, both adults and children will equally enjoy dining here.

 

This one’s the restaurant’s major attraction – the Ice Cream Truck (their ice cream counter in the middle of the restaurant)! I am 23 already but still found this one fascinating, and really really cute :)

John Neil’s: MELBA Banana Split (Php 185.00)– included scoops of vanilla, mango and strawberry ice cream placed in single file on a banana that’s been split in half. Peach halves, unsalted roasted nuts, fresh whipped cream and cherry topped this classic dessert.

The ice cream scoops were smooth and flavorful. I loved the vanilla ice cream’s creamy texture and vanilla-bean taste. The mango ice cream was equally creamy and luscious. The strawberry ice cream had these berry bits, loaded with that creamy strawberry taste.

The banana tasted so ordinary. The peach halves were however fresh and wonderfully sliced. Plus, the roasted nuts balanced out the sweetness and kept all the flavors’ tang.

My CHOO CHOO TRAIN Banana Split (Php 185.00) – three marvellous scoops of ice cream: vanilla, chocolate and mango, accented with chocolate-dipped wafer cone, banana slices, whipped cream, and cherry. This sure looks like an ice cream train :) Thanks to that wafer cone, but that cone tasted so usual – buy sorbetes on streets, you’d taste The Creamery’s cone.

Same vanilla and mango ice cream were used. Both flavorful cold thing! The chocolate ice cream’s smooth texture made it worthy to be called “chocolate-flavored.”

The roasted nuts made the banana split extra decadent. And again, the bananas were the same – mediocre. And hey, was that chocolate supposed to be chocolate fudge? That chocolate topping had a watery texture! I didn’t find the fudge density in the spread of chocolate sauce.

Honestly, their banana split was supposed to be much-admired because of the bananas’ strong flavors. But did I review more of their ice cream??? Because I cannot say much about the plain-tasting bananas. 

--------------------------

Though serene, the place had a real kiddie feel. The whole family and kids will enjoy The Creamery’s place and its cold concoctions.

Price is just average. Good enough for banana splits.

And there’s something innocently joyful about their stuff. They were delish but not something to rave about.

And before I forget: serving more than just cold treats, The Creamery also caters hot entrees. But we went there for Banana Split alone.

--------------------------  

 

**The Creamery Resto and Ice Cream Bar**

Products: Cakes, Pastries, Coffee

Location:  Ground Floor, Selecta Kids Universe, South Veranda, Bay Boulevard, SM Mall of Asia

Store Hours: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Daily)

Contact Number: (632) 901-1424, (632) 556-9195 , (63)917-8224373
Website: http://thecreamery.com.ph/

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MANILA BAY CRUISE BUFFET DINNER by Prestige Cruises Inc.

I’ve heard the concept of “Manila Bay Cruise Buffet Dinner” a long time ago, but it was only last October 8, 2011 that I gave it a shot (I have actually tried Buffet Lunch while cruising at Loboc River in Bohol, Philippines but I was with friends that time).

For our 5th Monthsary, John Neil and I decided to catch the world famous Manila Bay sunset and have a romantic dinner while cruising along the shoreline of Manila Bay. Well, it was intended to be a sunset dinner cruise but the skies were overcast after a light rainfall. Bad timing Mr. Rain!

*DOCKING TERMINAL* 

We were aboard the dining yacht of Prestige Cruises Inc. With former boarding terminal at the SM Mall of Asia Jetty Terminal, boarding location was recently transferred to CCP Bay Terminal A at CCP Complex, near Coconut Palace and Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas (Folk Arts Theater).

*DINNER BUFFET CRUISE SCHEDULE*

With our cruise schedule, registration started at around 4:30 PM. We were stamped “BUFFET: Your Cruise Schedule” as passes to the buffet dining.

We took the ship that embarks at 5:30 PM, sets sail at 6:15 PM, and docks at 7:30 PM. The management goes by their timetable. And since a hundred passengers are boarding per cruise schedule, you need to register at least 30 minutes earlier to board the ship, not only to find a good seat but more importantly because you have to sign a passenger manifest which is submitted to the Coast Guard before the ship sails (a passenger manifest is a very essential document not only to account for the authorized number of passengers but also to ensure that all the passengers on board would have adequate provisions for accommodation and lifesaving equipments). Once the crew submits the authorized number of passengers, you can no longer board and you have to wait for the next scheduled cruise (if there are less than a hundred guests reserved). 

Keep in mind that you need to make reservations 2 months ahead of time if you want to cruise during the "-ber" months.

*CRUISE ROUTE*

The ship sets sail towards the direction parallel the SM Mall of Asia (I bet this one’s for the fireworks display on weekends), track towards Roxas Boulevard then turn around and head back to the terminal.

*THE VESSEL*

I wasn’t really amazed by the appearance of the vessel, or maybe I’m just an exaggerated hopeful for a luxury yacht. It’s a 200-passenger ship named MV Spirit of Manila II, with two open-air decks and a top deck. The lower deck contains the buffet table and 6 dining tables only. The upper deck contains the rest of the tables (looks like a jam-packed food court), a live entertainment, and a mini bar. The top deck contains 4 tables and the captain’s chair. FYI, they offer the top deck for dining, only for an additional Php 100.00 charge since this is “the most romantic spot.” But because of the just finished rainfall, they didn’t allow guests to use the top deck during our cruise schedule.

*SAFETY ON BOARD*

I am a self-confessed hydrophobic with no swimming skills so I was anticipating some safety demonstration before the ship leaves the dock – but none. I was even bothered because I didn’t see any life saving equipments within the boat. Boyfriend however assured that there were life jackets and floating devices within the vessel, or else the ship won’t be allowed to sail.

One advantage of Prestige Cruises Inc. is they don’t exceed the ship’s capacity. It can handle up to 200 passengers but they only allow 100 guests per cruise schedule so as to avoid overcrowding (according to the crew, this is strictly implemented to ease their passengers’ minds during the cruise).

*CRUISING ON BOARD*

On board, you will be embraced by the cool breeze – wooohooo BER months!

While cruising, a splendid view of Manila Bay and the Manila skyline will be witnessed. This is actually what you are paying for.

A buffet dinner along with live entertainment in the upper deck is provided.

*THE BUFFET TABLE*

We were seated at the lower deck, just beside the buffet table and the railings of the ship. I was initially seated on the upper deck but John Neil preferred to sit on the lower deck because it’s more romantic down there. It’s a very peaceful deck, apart from the crowded and loud music from the upper deck. It’s very noticeable that couples of all ages were seated on the lower deck. Those with friends and family chose the upper deck.

 

 The first thing you see in the lower deck is this ugly buffet table. No offense to Prestige Cruises Inc. but can you please tell us where’s the “prestige” in this unattractive buffet table? A table draped in pistachio green skirts and navy blue accent. I thought to myself “I bet the food isn't any good either" but I was starving so I had no choice.

To Prestige Cruises Inc.: did you know that the design of the table and the food goes hand in hand? A buffet table in the very first place should capture your guests’ attention and make their mouths water. But hey, the table didn’t look good, the food didn’t look good as well. I just wished the food taste good.

The interior is a major displeasure especially if you’ll dine here with your loving partner, as they use monoblock chairs and tables for your supposedly “romantic dinner.” A minor effort to clad the tables with linens, and no seat covers at all ---- booooooo!

Prestige Cruises Inc. should improve their buffet dining service by dressing the table in vibrant colored linens and coordinated skirting. Aluminum food containers should also become more sophisticated. And most importantly, seat covers must be provided as chairs looked so ordinary.

*THE BUFFET DINNER*

Before I boarded the ship, I was looking forward to indulging our taste buds on a bountiful buffet filled with a variety of sumptuous foods delectably prepared and brimming in wonderful aromas and flavors, and beautifully garnished that I can’t wait to have a plateful. But to my disappointment, even the buffet table didn’t look wonderful. So shall I expect the food to taste great? Hmmmmm I didn’t think so.

There was a limited selection of dishes. So this is what they call buffet? Feels more like “ration” as the servers give you a small portion of each dish. Tsssss

The dinner buffet offered a limited selection of dishes such as Cream of Mushroom Soup, Vegetable Salad, Buttered Vegetables, Chicken Breasts in White Sauce, Rotini Pasta with Pork and Mushroom, and Brownies.

PS. They didn’t put labels per dish, so I named those myself. Hahaha!

I am a huge fan of KFC’s mushroom soup so when this CREAM OF MUSHROOM SOUP was served, I wanted to try the soup only for comparison. To my surprise, it’s a great copycat of KFC’s mushroom soup! The taste was 99% the same, even the bread crumbs looked and tasted the same. The only obvious difference was Prestige Cruises Inc. soup’s added texture.

VEGETABLE SALAD or vegetable trash? Though veggies were wonderfully sliced, how do you call a plate of veggies without a dressing? Is this salad?!! No dressing of olive oil, vinegar, salt, or pepper?!! Seriously, what is this? Left-over veggies with bread crumbs? Errrrr

 

The BUTTERED VEGETABLES served on the side consisted of corn kernels, green peas, diced carrots, and chayote squash. In all honesty, I loved the buttery flavor but peas were somewhat overcooked. Carrots and chayote squash on the other hand were perfectly cooked but poorly diced. Veggie samurai please?!

 

This is what I call ROTINI PASTA WITH PORK AND MUSHROOM. Pasta was al dente but tasted more than ordinary. Pork and mushrooms were wonderfully cooked as well.  But I didn’t know why this wasn’t seasoned very well. The pork must have been noteworthy but it tasted like steamed pork. So, please tell me if this was supposed to be a pasta dish or a viand?

 

CHICKEN BREASTS IN WHITE SAUCE didn’t look appealing but mind you, this one’s a good chicken dish! Chicken were tender and complimented by the creamy and flavorful white sauce, plus an Italian flair was added to the chicken because of the pinch of pesto. Yum!

 

I am a big critic of sweets as I get to taste a lot of them. BROWNIES aren’t exceptions. I like brownies moist, dense, and nutty. I won't eat them if they don't have nuts but these served were but plain brownies. I had to taste it for my readers’ sake, and again to my surprise they were really yummy! They weren’t too cakey and not too dry. The caramel and chocolate frostings were of perfect amount to top the brownies.  These may not be the perfect brownies, but sure I can say this home made brownies tasted fabulous. I had to ask for more, but another set of brownies will cost you Php 25.00. Buffet, really?

The ship also had a mini bar that sold expensive beverages. We ordered Sprite-in-Can which cost Php 75.00. Seriously?? Each softdrink in can costs Php 25.00 only. Is this a luxury ship to overprice beverages? Oh come on!

*FIREWORKS AND THE MANILA SKYLINE AT NIGHT*

The dazzling lights of the boulevard seemed more attractive when seen from a distance. The Manila skyline was divine!

 

At around 7:00 PM, the ship passed by the SM Mall of Asia. It’s a wonderful timing because we got the best view of the scheduled fireworks display – for free! This was very romantic, made our night :)

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Very luckily, we didn’t get distracted from the unpleasant “Manila Bay aroma” wafting from the water during our cruise, the winds traveled the perfect direction!

The ship also traversed the bay very smoothly that I was able to explore the ship and take a lot of pictures.

It’s a mediocre romantic date. But we sure did enjoy the cruise, the bay breeze, and the fireworks display. If you plan to have a romantic date through dinner cruise, I recommend you take the lower deck where you can have a peaceful talk while cruising.

We wanted adventure, we wanted experience, we wanted to be wowed, WE HAD THOSE. Except the food. The food is just so-so.

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You need to take a lot of pictures because you pay for the experience! This one’s a photo of me taken by my boyfriend before the ship sailed.

Happy 5^th Monthsary to my dear boyfriend, John Neil :) Much love!

**Prestige Cruises, Inc.**

Dinner Cruise Fee:

Php 545.00 per person for a Manila Bay Cruise with Buffet Dinner

Daily Cruise Schedules:

6:00 PM (5:30 PM boarding)

8:00 PM (7:30 PM boarding)

Boarding Area:

Unit 1, CCP Bay Terminal A, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Brgy. 719, Zone 078 Malate, Metro Manila, Philippines, near Coconut Palace and Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas (Folk Arts Theater)

Contact Numbers:

+632 832 8967

+63 917 525 5455

+63 927 555 5502

 

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Traditional/Modern Japanese Cuisine @ Red Kimono

 

 

Introduced at the Fort Strip in Bonifacio Global City in 2005, Red Kimono aimed to bring together the modern and traditional aspects of Japanese cuisine. Today, Red Kimono operates in seven branches within the Philippine Islands.

Outside, diners can preview the Japanese dishes they offer through this standing menu.

(The photo above is borrowed from their Facebook page as I wasn’t able to take pictures of the detailed interior of the restaurant. This one’s the inside of their Davao branch but the furnishings are very much the same as in Fort Strip branch.)

Let me describe to you the restaurant interior in Fort Strip exactly:

The ambience is great – predominantly filled with red and black hues. Tall Japanese stools alternating in red and black are the most noticeable fixtures. You will be seated very comfortably on those chairs. Most of the tables are spaced very near each other because of the space constraint in Fort Strip branch. The walls are modern but well designed to Japanese precision. The dining and service areas are extraordinarily clean. The lighting is perfect, considering a cloudy day when we dined there.

Each diner is provided a modern Japanese rectangular plate, a pair of chopsticks, and tissue on top of their paper mat. So Japanese!

We started off with their delicious warm Rice Tea (free of charge) and CRUNCHY TUNA MAKI SHOTS (forgot the exact price but I think around Php 200.00). My dad’s a really big fan of sushi’s so I ordered this sushi for him. Although waiters said this sushi shot can be enjoyed in one big bite, dad found it quite big so my brother Bradley and I had a taste of this also.

It’s a signature maki rolled in crispy tempura flakes then stuffed and topped with tuna with ebiko and Japanese mayo underneath the roll. It of course had wasabe on the side. 

Fresh sushi! Rather than tuna bits placed just inside the maki roll, I loved it because the tuna bits were topped on the maki’s. The tempura crumbs also added a pleasing crisp to the creaminess of tuna and mayo. One intoxicating sushi shot!

 
The most delicious among the feast of Japanese dishes on our table: GINGER GARLIC STEAK (Php 425.00). It’s a grilled fillet of beef tenderloin with a vegetable siding.

The ginger and garlic flavor seeped into the meet deeply. Their exceptional marinade tenderized the steak and made them absolutely scrumptious. You wouldn’t bother to ask for steak sauce for this one! I never imagined I’d be tasting this heavenly steak in a Japanese restaurant.

BEEF TEPPANYAKI (Php 385.00): stir fried beef tenderloin with a vegetable siding.

Luscious aroma came with this sizzling beef teppanyaki. Tasted like a Japanese-reared beef, you would be delighted with the tender beef. All sides were brown, and an unforgettable tang of carefully selected seasonings was left in my tongue. The vegetable sidings were half cooked, just the way I love my veggies cooked.

 

PRAWN TEPPANYAKI (Php 325.00 - 2 orders): stir fried prawns and vegetables.

Prawns were served sans-shell and the meat is cooked to perfection. The shrimp meat was juicy and meaty. Oh how I love shrimps!

Only downside: it’s a really small portion, so good thing we ordered two servings of this one.

 

PRAWN TEMPURA (Php 295.00): deep fried battered prawns.

Succulent prawns were coated in batter and fried to a perfect crispy golden brown complemented with good tempura shrimp dipping sauce. Prawns were really big ones and obviously, fresh oil was used to deep crisp fry the tempura. Loved this one!

CHICKEN TEPPANYAKI (Php 220.0o): stir fried chicken and vegetables.

(Forgot to take a photo of this one. This photo is borrowed from Red Kimono’s website.)

The chicken breasts were tender, very tasty and filling.

 

MIXED KAMAMESHI (Php 195.00)

I love rice, so kamameshi won’t be forgotten in our table! :) This mixed kamameshi is their authentic Japanese kettle cooked rice. The delicious rice was topped with shrimps, ground beef, mushrooms, carrots and green beans. Thumbs up! It's less greasy and salty like other Japanese rice.

 

CHICKEN KAMAMESHI (Php 180.00)

This Chicken Kamameshi is another authentic Japanese kettle cooked rice topped with off seasoned chicken breast. This Chicken Kamameshi's really awesome, simply the best Kamameshi I’ve ever tasted! Like that of Mixed Kamameshi, it’s less oily and salty too.

Red Kimono is one of the Japanese restaurants I’d recommend.

The place is very cozy, with sophisticated interiors. The dining area is notably clean.

The waiters were all friendly, very attentive, courteous, and knowledgeable about the dishes they offer.

The freshness of the food is guaranteed that is why they cook your dish upon the order. The food service is fast also (around 20 minutes).

Note: This is a late post. We dined here last June 19, 2011 for Father’s Day.

**Red Kimono**

Products: Maki, Sushi, Teppanyaki, Kamameshi, Tempura

Location:  Unit 1-A Ground Level Block 11 Lot 6, Fort Strip, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines

Store Hours: 11:00 am - 3:00 pm / 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm (Mondays to Sundays)

Contact Number: +632 816 6642

Website: http://www.redkimono.com.ph/

Other Red Kimono Branches:

 

*Alabang Town Center, Alabang-Zapote Rd. Muntinlupa City, Philippines

+63 922 835 2841

*Westgate Center, Filinvest Corporate Center, Alabang Muntinlupa City, Philippines

+632 771 2379

*UP Technohub, Ayala Quezon City, Philippines

+632 441 1652

*International School Manila (ISM), Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Philippines

*G/f Marquee Mall Pampanga, Philippines

(045) 304-0893

*The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu City, Philippines

(032) 238-1786

*Ground floor Abreeza Mall, Davao City, Philippines

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Cake Overload @ SECRET RECIPE

Life is undeniably sweet at SECRET RECIPE – a cake shop, café, and restaurant operating in over 250 outlets in 9 countries worldwide to date, 4 of which are in the Philippines.

With more than 20 cakes, 10 pastries, 50 hot meal entrees, and 30 hot & cold beverages, Secret Recipe unquestionably offers a lot to choose from! All day meals are served here: lunch, dinner, and dessert. This time, we dined here for dessert. We don’t want cheesecakes this time, so moist cakes attack! :)

At Secret Recipe Shangri-La Mall branch, a minimalist design is employed – white stools and tables, red couches on corners, white chandelier indoor lighting, and gourmet food portraits.

My good friend Jason sat on the chairs, while I owned the fluffy couch :p

A tranquil atmosphere surrounds the café. The dining area is remarkably clean. The service area (the bar like corner) is notably neat as well. 

You will be welcomed by a variety of their fresh cream cakes and cheesecakes in their dessert display bar as you key in to the place. All the cakes looked plain though, not as appealing as those from Sweet Bella, Miss Dessert, Conti’s, and Xocolat.

First cake slice: CHOCOLATE CHIP WALNUT (Php 95.00 / slice)

It’s comprised of three layers of moist chocolate cake with two layers of fresh chocolate cream, Californian walnuts, and drizzled with pound chocolate chips.

The walnuts perfectly complement the fairly sweet chocolate cream. The chocolate moist cake is denser and moister. I just found the perfect moist in cakes I am looking for. Thumbs up! I wanna have more of the moist cake! :)

Next cake slice: TIRAMISU (Php 95.00 / slice)

It had 3 layers of moist cake flavored with espresso, and two layers of cream filled with mascarpone cheese and cappuccino cream.

This tasted like those standard cakes in the market. I can say that Red Ribbon and Goldilocks can claim that their cakes are better than this one. But not the moist cake layer. Just like the chocolate moist cake of chocolate chip walnut cake, the moist espresso flavored cake is something that Secret Recipe can always brag about.

 

Finally, the most delicious of them all: CHOCOLATE BANANA CAKE (Php 95.00 / slice)

Moist, sweet, and healthy chocolate banana cake! It’s heavenly! Three layers of moist chocolate cake, rows of banana slices lined on a bed of chocolate cream, and topped with melted home-made chocolate. Chocolate divinity!

This slice left me happily full without having diabetic coma – an obvious drawback of other chocolate banana cakes in the market today.

The most valued feature of cakes is the moist. In fact, it can make or break a cake. Even cakes with first-rate flavor but without the perfect moisture cannot be considered topnotch cakes. 10/10 for the freshness and softness of Secret Recipe’s good cakes! Plus, just the right sweetness of cakes. Flavor is what you'd taste, and not sugar.

The servers were all polite and accommodating. In fact, we came in around 9:30 PM already while store supposedly closes at 10:00 PM. They’re so courteous they didn’t make us feel like we have to leave because it’s closing time then. We stayed there until 10:45 PM and everyone greeted us home still with joyful faces :)

Delicious cakes, moderate prices, hygienic dining area, and excellent service – I truly recommend Secret Recipe for your cake time :) 

**Secret Recipe**

Products: Cakes, Pastries, Coffee

Location:  Level 5 Shangri-La Plaza Mall, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd. Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Store Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM (Weekdays) / 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM (Weekends)

Contact Number: +632 637 0367

Website: http://www.secretrecipe.com.ph/manila.html

Other Secret Recipe Branches:

*Level 1, 32nd Street cor. 5th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City, Philippines

+632 856 2953

*Level 4, Robinson’s Midtown, Padre Faura cor. M. Adriatico Streets Ermita, Manila, Philippines

+632 567 2042

*Level 2, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

+632 706 5246

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PEPPER Lunch, Sizzle it Your Way!

At Pepper Lunch, you get to cook your own choice of meat (beef, chicken, pork and salmon) over a patented electromagnetic cooker (plate patented in Japan) that is heated up to 260 degrees Centigrade, and heat on the plate is held up to a minute. Hmmmm… Sounds interesting for a sizzling pepper lunch :)

With over a hundred branches in Japan and across Asia, including South Korea, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines, I feel sorry for having to try Pepper Lunch this late.

 

Inside Pepper Lunch is a very typical fast food chain – packed with diners wanting to taste their sumptuous steaks.

You begin your dining experience at Pepper Lunch with initially having to order and pay at their counter before you take a seat (unlike any usual restaurant where you are seated first, allowed to check their menu, and call on a waiter to order). This looks like a fast food chain setup but oh well, this matches the restaurant’s DIY dining concept :)

At the counter, you will be presented a screen summarizing your order plus the amount you have to pay. You are asked to check if the order is correct and proceed with the payment if so. The cashier will assign you your table number but remember that if you prefer a specific seat that’s available, the cashier can always allocate that to you.

My friend Jason’s CUT STEAK AND HAMBURGER COMBO (Ala Carte, Php 345.00) came with this literally burning skillet.

The cut steak was raw when served, and waiter gladly offered to cook his steak. The raw steak looked really fresh in its pinkish color, but noticeably fatty. If you love your heart, I suggest you don’t try this one.

 

After turning the meat over, the cut steak and hamburger went brown and were cooked after a minute.

 

Mine was the HAMBURGER AND CHICKEN COMBO (Ala Carte, Php 315.00).

The steak was served with several veggies: corn kernels, bean sprouts, and baguio beans. It also came with a bowl of Japanese rice.

The serving seemed a big portion as veggies were spread all over the sizzling plate but as soon as I got everything cooked, I found it wasn't a good deal for my Php 315.00. The same goes for Jason’s Php 345.00 meal.

The sizzling plate was covered with the instructions but I believe you won’t be able to read everything before you cook. You’d have your meats burned if you decide to read everything first. I will be posting the cooking instructions at the later part of this review to guide you in your Pepper Lunch dining.

My uncooked chicken and hamburger looked really fresh in that plate and were topped with a luscious butter (very yummy!!) that added a very wonderful flavor to my meal. The meats seemed long soaked in a very fantastic marinade. They still lacked seasoning though, and this is understandable for this is the very reason why you’d enjoy Pepper Lunch – you will be a chef for at least a minute :) And that’s the very thing I take pleasure from every time I cook: seasoning and tasting my dish.

The hamburger was tender and delectable. The chicken was tender, tasty, and not dry.

I tasted all the seasonings they offered at the table: freshly ground pepper, honey brown sauce (Amakuchi), and garlic soy sauce (Karakuchi). Their honey brown sauce is exceptional! I bet you’d consume much of that when you dine at Pepper Lunch. 

Drinks cost Php 44.00 each plus Php 22.00 for every drink refill you’d ask :)

 

 

Tips to those wanting to dine at Pepper Lunch for the first time:

1. Do not touch their electromagnetic cooker as it is very hot. Your hands might get burned.

2. You have to cook your raw meat at once to maximize the heat of the electromagnetic plate. This is very crucial especially to those like me who want their steaks well done. You need to turn over your meat constantly to get a wonderful cook.

3. Don’t just continuously flip your steak. The steaks have a bit of teriyaki sauce and onion sauce but you still have to season it while cooking because it requires flavour. Choose to season your steak with a variety of seasonings they offer: freshly ground pepper, honey brown sauce (Amakuchi), and garlic soy sauce (Karakuchi).

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Official cooking instructions as printed in the plate cover is below:

Steak and Hamburger Steak

1. You can cook both sides of your steak on the place as the beef is raw.
2. When the steak is ready, please put steak sauce (Amakuchi - Honey Brown Sauce or Karakuchi - Garlic Soy Sauce) on it.

3. You can place the cooked steak on vegetables so that it will not be overcooked.
4. You can also cook the vegetables on the place. Then you can taste it with a steak sauce.

Pepper Rice

 1. Please mix them up equally as there is a butter and sauce in the middle of the plate.
2. The more you mix them up, the more delicious "Pepper Rice" you get!!! Why? You will see it!

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Total bill is Php 748.00. No service charge.

Pepper Lunch in Shangri-la Plaza Mall is comprised of friendly staff – always ready to help you with your cooking, and come with smiling faces.

Jason and I loved the food but we literally smelled delish right after – like our steaks ;( They should have air vents hanging above each table to clear the smoke fast.

Pepper Lunch offers magnificent tasting steaks but they come with a quite expensive price. But if you want to sample their DIY dining experience, you might want to check it.

**Pepper Lunch**

Products: Pepper Rice (Beef, Curry Beef, Teriyaki Beef, Seafood, Salmon, Chicken), Premium Beef Steak, Steaks, Burgers, Angus Beef

Location: Garden Court Level, Shangri-la Plaza Mall Ortigas, Metro Manila, Philippines

Store Hours: 10:00 AM – 11:00 PM

Contact Number: +632 634 3231

Website: http://pepperlunch.com.ph

Other Pepper Lunch Branches:

*Concours Level, Power Plant Mall  at Rockwell Center Makati City, Philippines

+632 895 3164

*2/F Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila, Philippines

+632 556 8498

*2/F - Phase 1 Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines

+632 501 3759

*UG/F, SM Megamall, Julia Vargas Ave Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines

+632 637-3889      

*233-235 2nd Floor, 2149 Entertainment Mall, South Veranda SM Mall of Asia.

*G/F Padre Faura Wing, Robinsons Place Manila, Adriatico St. Manila, Metro Manila Philippines

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