Nothing Quite Like First Love: Paseo Uno at Mandarin Oriental, Makati

Earlier this year, R came to see me, and he greeted me with a guilty, sheepish, delightfully happy grin on his face. I gave him my what've-you-done face, and he revealed that he'd found discount vouchers for the Paseo Uno buffet and bought two, for us. Aw, what a cutiepie.

A little history: A few years ago, on the morning of my birthday, he took me to breakfast, and we spent the rest of the morning together. At lunchtime, he dropped me off at Mandarin Oriental, where I met my family for lunch at Paseo Uno. I invited him to join us, but we had just started dating then, and I guess he was kind of scared to meet my dad. So away he went, without even giving me a chance to take him inside and introduce him to my family.

Fast-forward a few years. He's been my boyfriend for a while now, my family knows and loves him, and he wants to know what he missed on my birthday all those years ago, dammit! Thank you, voucher gods!

So a couple of weeks ago, he picked me up and took me to Paseo Uno. We had a reservation (highly recommended, as the restaurant is almost always full), and we were promptly led to our table. We didn't bother sitting down. We handed the waiter our vouchers and immediately did a walk-through of the buffet: This is something I like to do before getting any food, so I can see what's available and strategize. The buffet had four sections: starters, Eastern/Asian, Western, and dessert. There is also a beverage section: The buffet comes with free-flowing iced tea, bottled soda, and local beer in cans. The spread isn't as extensive as many buffets, but I was actually rather pleased at how focused, manageable, and well-thought-out this one seemed. My eyes pop out as much as anybody's at the sight of an obscenely enormous buffet spread, but I liked not being overwhelmed while still feeling that I had plenty of options, and good-quality ones at that.

Overview completed, we hit the starters, which included breads, colds cuts, salads, sushi, and raw shellfish.

Bread

Cheese, gazpacho, condiments

Cold meats and fish

Salad

Sushi and sashimi. Beyond this, there was a mound of ice atop which sat raw
oysters, mussels, shrimp, crab, and bowls of soba, but in my eagerness to start
 eating, I must've forgotten to take a photo.

I skipped the filling breads (which R raved about) and most of the usual cold cuts in favor of smoked salmon, seared tuna, roasted pumpkin salad, sushi/sashimi, and tuna ceviche. The smoked salmon and seared tuna were average, but I always enjoy them, so I didn't mind average. The roasted pumpkin salad was wonderfully fresh, perfectly in between firm and mushy and with a very healthy, natural flavor. The sushi and sashimi were not of the highest quality I've ever had, but they were good and sufficiently fresh. They had some interesting sushi options: The spicy tuna maki got its kick not from spicy japanese mayo but rather, from being rolled in chili flakes. The roll with salmon roe had a nice burst of flavor. The red clam sushi was an unusual offering, which had me pleased. But the absolute star of this station was the tuna ceviche. It had the perfect texture, the perfect balance between the acid-cooked surface and the raw center, and the taste--citrus/acid and herb and fresh fish--was just spectacular. I've always loved ceviche/kilawin, but this! I never thought my love for ceviche could be taken so many notches higher!

My plate (#1)

Palate properly prepped, we moved on to the Eastern/Asian section, which consisted of miso soup, tempura, dim sum, a roast station, and a few main dishes.

Main dishes: buttered chicken, fish sarciado, beef bulgogi

Up close: buttered chicken

Up close: fish sarciado

Miso soup and tempura station

Another main dish (left) and dim sum (right)

More dim sum

Roast station

I skipped the miso soup to avoid getting full, and none of the dim sum options (radish cakes, spring rolls, beef and pork dumplings) appealed to me. The tempura station included shrimp, fish, and veggies (peppers, onions, zucchini), which they cook fresh for you on the spot. I asked for fish and zucchini. I love zucchini, and it's not often that is it available at tempura stations, so I took advantage and asked for 3 or 4 pieces. The tempura was pretty good, although I would have liked it to be cooked maybe 30 seconds longer, because the batter was still a little soggy and lacking that little bit of crunch. Also, the tempura sauce was just a tad bland. The roast station had chicken and duck. The chicken didn't look all that appealing to me, so I skipped that. The duck didn't call out to me either, but I almost never say no to duck, so I had some, and it was decent. The main dishes (buttered chicken, fish sarciado, beef bulgogi, and another saucy fish dish whose name I forget) were all incredibly tasty and would have gone perfectly with rice, although I held off on the rice to save precious tummy space. The best among these--in fact, the best among this station's offerings--was the beef bulgogi, which was incredibly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender! The beef used was undoubtedly of high quality, and it was sliced a little thicker than the usual beef used for bulgogi, maybe 3-4 mm. So. good.

My plate (#2a)

My plate (#2b)

Already starting to feel a bit full but in total denial, we headed over to the Western station, which had soup, pizza, shawarma, a grilling station, a carving station, and several mains.

Grilled pork loin

Grilled chicken and peppered tuna

Lyonnaise potatoes and mixed veggies

Char-grilled rib eye and lamb shoulder

Braised beef shortribs in chocolate sauce

Carving station side dishes

Carving station and sauces

Shawarma (left), pizza (right), and raw items for grilling (back)

The pumpkin tomato soup was a delight: creamy but light, incredibly clean and fresh yet sophisticated, with a blend of flavors rich enough for it to be a sauce. I skipped the pizza, shawarma, and grill items. The carving station had chicken, possibly pork, and a ribeye. Of course I went for the ribeye. The slice I had was unevenly cut, and after doing its time on the grill (cooked to medium), the thicker part was still a bit chewy (not hard, just not tender either). However, the more thinly sliced part was just as it should be. The steak was a bit underseasoned, but the red wine sauce was delicious and added more than enough flavor. I ignored the Yorkshire pudding and baked potato, but I did have a couple bites of the Lyonnaise potatoes, which were nicely crisp and had a lovely tinge of sweetness due to the onions. Among the mains, I skipped the mahi-mahi and grilled pork and chicken. The pepper-crusted tuna, lamb shoulder, and char-grilled rib eye were okay, not outstanding but up to par for a hotel restaurant. Now the braised beef spareribs with chocolate sauce... I don't usually do acronyms, but O.M.G. Revelation of the night. I love braised beef, and I love chocolate, but I never would have dreamt of having them together. And now I know why: It is beyond my wildest dreams. Yes, it's that good. I don't even know how to begin describing or explaining. Just take my word for it and try it!!!

My plate (#3a)

Pumpkin tomato soup (plate #3b)

As is my usual practice at buffets, before moving on to dessert, I have another plate of savory items. Sometimes I fill a plate with little bites of all the best things in the spread. Other times, when I'm too full for that, I do a best-of plate of starters only--which is what I did this time. In addition to my favorite starters, I also got a couple of raw oysters and a bowl of cold soba. The oysters were fresh, and the soba was nicely al dente and had a good sauce. A nice end to the savory portion of my meal.

Best-of plate (#4)

The dessert spread, I somewhat regret to report, was not among the best I've tried. The selection was small, there were a few duds, and there was a fruit cheesecake (I think) that was consumed before I could try it and it wasn't replaced! There was halo-halo, Filipino sweets, ice cream, fresh-made crepe, bread pudding, little cakes/mousses/puddings, fruit, and a chocolate fountain.

Halo-halo station, with a nifty little ice machine (left)

Ice cream

Chocolate creme brulee

Crepe station (left/center) and bread pudding (right)

"Cold minis"--slim pickings compared to most luxury buffets

Fruit

Chocolate fountain

I skipped the halo-halo and Filipino sweets. I would've done well to skip the chocolate fountain too. Among the chocolate fountain items, I had a cookie (without the chocolate) and a donut (with the chocolate). The cookie was okay. I know it's probably a silly idea to have a cookie at a buffet, but I'm a certified cookie monster, always on the hunt for an exceptional cookie--didn't find one here. The donut was run-of-the-mill. Lesson learned: Chocolate fountain items are for kids. It was kind of cool, though, that their chocolate fountain flowed milk chocolate on one side and white chocolate on the other. The bread pudding was nice but not really memorable. At the crepe station, we asked for a peach crepe with ice cream on the side. The crepe, as always, was lovely, but the ice cream (we had ube and coconut) tasted cheap, ordinary, unrefined, like someone just heavy-handedly dumped milk, sugar, flavor, and color into an ice cream maker, and voila. The "cold minis," as I call them (small servings of assorted cakes, custards, etc.), were a mixed bag. There was some sort of dome-shaped pistachio or walnut mousse that just failed in terms of taste and texture, and it was my least favorite thing all night (besides the donut, but at least with the donut, I already knew that the ceiling was low). The brownie bites topped with strawberry were okay. The chocolate creme brulee was nice. The melon panna cotta was easily my favorite dessert. I like panna cotta, and theirs was nice, delicate, and creamy. The melon added a novel and fresh twist, and I was entirely happy to end my meal with this.

My plate (#5a)

Crepe to share, ice cream on the side, and R's halo-halo (plate #5b)

Complimentary coffee (for R)

Complimentary chamomile tea (for me).
NOTE: Coffee and tea are complimentary. Don't be afraid to ask. :)

Overall, it was an excellent dining experience, well worth the splurge, especially at the voucher price of  PhP 1265 (~USD 31; full price PhP 1796 [~USD 43]). Although there were a few food items that were duds or mere fillers to extend the spread, there weren't too many of them. There was at least one standout item at each station that I would absolutely come back for. The service was wonderful. The staff were polite and pleasant. They paid attention to the customers, and they were incredibly aware of what was going on: where customers were seated, when water glasses needed refilling and empty plates to be taken away. I am extremely pleased to report that despite our being lowly voucher customers, we weren't treated like second-class customers, as sometimes happens in other places (ehem, Spiral). The decor/ambiance certainly added to the experience. The glass panels, wooden floors, and granite walls gave the restaurant a touch of elegance, creating a vibe that was inviting but also quiet and intimate. There was enough space in between tables for privacy and to pass by comfortably. Although the restaurant was full, it wasn't crowded, it didn't get loud, and there were no frenzied lines at the buffet tables. Bonus: The restrooms were nice and complete with amenities. (You'd think this would be a requirement, but I've been to so many restrooms that didn't have the basics: clean toilets, toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels/hand dryer.) If I had to complain about anything, our table was uneven, so it rocked any time pressure was put on it. Also, some of the floorboards behind my seat would creak any time someone walked by, which was a little distracting. But I'm picking at little things here.

I am entirely enamored with Paseo Uno. It was one of the first restaurants in the country to offer a luxury buffet. Over the years, a plethora of other hotels and restaurants have followed suit, and some are quite good. But Paseo Uno was my first, and so far, it has stood the test of time. While other establishments are scrambling to offer larger and longer buffets and to set themselves apart in one way or the other, Paseo Uno has stuck to its guns, continuing to offer a focused selection of high-quality food.

As far as luxury buffets go, Paseo Uno is my first love, and I'll keep coming back to it. Even better: R seems to have fallen in love with it too.

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Paseo Uno, Mandarin Oriental

Makati Avenue, Makati

+63 2 750-8888

Open for breakfast, 5 - 10:30 am

Open for lunch and dinner, 12 nn - 12 mn

Lunch buffet, 12 nn - 2:30 pm

Dinner buffet, 6:30pm - 10:30 pm

Sunday to Thursday, PhP 1,796 (~USD 43) nett, Sunday-Thursday
Friday to Saturday, I'm actually not sure, but somewhere around PhP 2,000-2,500 (~USD 48-60)

Disappointment: Lauriat at Gloria Maris, Alabang

Yeah, I couldn't come up with a more creative title because that lauriat dinner at Gloria Maris Alabang was so uninspiring.

I had dinner there a couple weeks ago with family. For days leading up to it, I was really excited because I hadn't had Gloria Maris in years. Family lunches or dinners at Gloria Maris (the Greenhills branch) were a staple of my childhood and growing-up years, when my Chinese grandfather was still with us. With Gloria Maris, I associate a kind of Chinese luxury--the food, the service, the decor and ambiance--and that was more or less what I expected as I walked into the restaurant.

Oh, the gap between expectation and reality.

The decor was ordinary. The tables were covered in these ugly, loud orange tablecloths that turned infinitely uglier once stained with water from the bottom of a moist glass or teacup. The music being played was an album of (fake) bossa nova covers of teenybopper hits, on loop. Torture. Look, I'm not going to get into a discussion of what's real music and what isn't, but this is Gloria Maris! Play something more appropriate and elegant!

Bird's nest soup with quail egg

But all could still be forgiven if the food delivered. We ordered a set menu for 10 (Php 5,650 [~USD 136]), which included soup, cold meats, broccoli with shrimp and scallops, bok choy and mushrooms, fried chicken, spicy ribs, rice, and taho. We also had an additional order of Peking duck, two-way: wrapped and salt-and-pepper. Here's the rundown:

First up, bird's nest soup with quail egg: average. They served the soup and forgot to give us soup spoons. When we asked, they collected soup spoons from other tables and gave them to us, which was a little curious.


The cold appetizer plate (I believe they call it BBQ cold cuts combination) was even more underwhelming: the jellyfish (usually my favorite) and pork asado were average, the pork belly was crisp but had more fat than meat, and the chicken was practically tasteless. (Plus the picture of the platter had century egg, but ours didn't have any.)

BBQ cold cuts combination platter

The sauteed broccoli with shrimp and scallops was flavorful and pretty good, one of the tastier dishes of the night, but it wasn't all that memorable. The bok choy and assorted mushrooms in oyster sauce was pretty good too, but again, unmemorable.

Bok choy and mushrooms with oyster sauce

Sauteed broccoli with shrimp and scallops

The fried chicken was just okay, and I was rather disappointed that it didn't come with kropek, which to me is the only reason to have fried chicken at a Chinese restaurant. (In the ad/picture, the fried chicken came with kropek. Two strikes for false advertising!) The sauce that came with it was your generic sweet-and-sour sauce.

Fried chicken

The fried spicy spareribs were probably the highlight of the meal: well seasoned, nicely crisp on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside. Each vinegar-dipped bite was a pleasure. It's not a dish that I'd go out of my way for, but I wouldn't mind having it again.

Fried spicy spareribs

The fried rice was average. I'm not a big rice eater anyway, and I usually don't expect much other than for it to be properly cooked, which it was.

Fried rice

Peking duck

I'm not sure whether it was a good thing that we went for the additional order of Peking duck. It was good because the lauriat, which was supposed to be good for 10, barely filled us up--and there were only 9 of us, with about half of us not really being big eaters. It wasn't good because, well, it wasn't good. The duck wrapped in Mandarin pancakes might've been the biggest disappointment of the night (tied with the taho, below). I particularly like this dish, and I think it's pretty hard to go wrong with it, but they did. The duck wasn't well seasoned, the piece I had didn't have spring onions inside, and the wrapper was soggy, mushy, and torn! The salt and pepper duck was a little better. It was generously seasoned, but again, not memorable.

Peking duck in Mandarin pancakes

Salt-and-pepper Peking duck

The taho for dessert, I could've done without. The server scooped it into individual bowls without removing the water, so we all ended up with watery taho. The sago was mushy and overcooked, and the syrup was meh. I happen to like taho, and I was excited about it, especially since it came in a cute wooden bucket. Alas, it was an aptly disappointing way to end an overall disappointing meal. I'd take taho from the street vendors or from the supermarket over this any day.

Taho

Why transfer dry chicken and saucy seafood/veggies
onto the same plate?

On the plus side, the service was quick, the staff attentive. Water glasses were refilled without us having to ask. The food came quickly. Individual plates that had too much going on (bones, sauces) were quickly replaced. Serving dishes that were half empty were taken away, the food transferred to smaller plates, to make room on the table. Still, they couldn't get it all right. During one instance, chicken from the appetizer platter was transferred onto the same plate as the broccoli with shrimps and scallops--so now the chicken was coated with the sauce of the broccoli.




Another service-related complaint: they charge for house tea. I am of the opinion that Chinese and Japanese restaurants should serve complimentary house tea, and many do.

I've always seen Gloria Maris as a premiere Chinese lauriat restaurant, and I was so incredibly excited for R, as it was his first lauriat experience. In the past, every single meal at Gloria Maris was excellent. Now the food is just average, and there is no longer that feeling of it being high end and top notch. I don't know whether the quality really has declined, or they were just having an off day, or if the Alabang branch really is just nowhere near as good as the Greenhills branch. I suppose I could give it another chance to find out, but after that disappointing dinner, I'm not particularly inclined to.

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Gloria Maris Alabang
Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa
+63 2 850 8802

Open Monday to Sunday, 11 am - 10:30 pm

BOBAttle: The Quest for the Best Milk Tea in Town

With the number of milk tea places that have popped up and still are popping up, there's no way I could ever hope to try (or even know about) every single one of them. This review is by no means comprehensive, and I'll update it each time I try a new place.

Initially, I had planned on ranking all the places I've tried. However, I realized (1) that some places might be different but equally good and (2) that I'd have to keep adjusting the rankings after trying out new places. So I've decided that it makes more sense to classify them into 3 groups: YES, SO-SO, and NO.

I. The YESes

Chatime (http://www.facebook.com/chatimephilippines)
Location: Multiple branches in Metro Manila
Originally from: Taiwan
What I like: The consistency of their pearls: smooth on the surface, chewy but not too hard. The milk tea is well balanced: I taste the milk, I taste the tea, and the flavor balance is just right. Their cups are always well sealed. The price is slightly less expensive than most other milk tea places, without a drop in quality. Bonus points for the delicious chicken chop! Also, upon ordering/paying, customers are given a pager that vibrates and lights up once orders are ready--totally unnecessary for smaller stores, but it's a nice touch nonetheless.
What I don't like: The plastic they use to seal the cups is a bit hard/thick, so it's hard to poke the straw through it without some of the milk tea coming out.
My favorites: Chatime Roasted Milk Tea, Jasmine Green Milk Tea

Gong Cha (http://gongcha.ph)
Location: Multiple branches in Metro Manila
Originally from: Taiwan
What I like: Consistency of pearls, well balanced milk tea flavor, well sealed cups.
What I don't like: Although the milk tea flavor is well balanced, I'd prefer a little less milk and a little more tea.
My favorites: Matcha Milk Tea, House Special Milk Teas

Tokyo Bubble Tea (http://www.facebook.com/tokyobubbletea)
Location: Multiple branches in Metro Manila
Originally from: Japan
What I like: Huge selection of drinks, and the most wonderful option of having small bubbles (pearls), big bubbles, or combination. The bubbles are tasty, with a sweetish tinge, and the milk tea is good. More than a milk tea place, Tokyo Bubble Tea is a full-service restaurant with a well-trained staff and a HUGE menu of Japanese appetizers/snacks, sushi, mains, and cakes. And it's open till 1 am on weekdays and 2 am on weekends!
What I don't like: The prices are a bit higher than most, and the sizes are a tad smaller than most, though  still big enough for an enjoyable portion.
My favorites: Japanese Green Milk Tea, Jasmine Milk Tea (with combination big and small bubbles!)

Quickly (http://www.quickly.com.ph)
Location: Multiple branches in Metro Manila, Batangas, Cavite, Laguna, and Cebu
Originally from: Taiwan
What I like: Less expensive than most milk tea places. Quickly has been in the Philippines much longer than all of these other milk tea places, even before milk tea became popular, and the fact that it's still around says something about its taste and quality.
What I don't like: Nothing I can think of.
My favorites: Taro Ice

II. The SO-SOs

Dakasi (http://www.dakasiphil.com/)
Location: Multiple locations in Metro Manila
Originally from: Taiwan
What I like: You can ask for more tea, less milk, which is exactly the way I like it. The staff seem well versed on everything on their menu. Also, it seems that each branch offers a buy-one-get-one-free introductory promotion for the first month or two of operation. They also offer drinks containing bits of cereal--not my cup of tea (pun not intended), but I guess it's good to have that option.
What I don't like: The milk tea is nothing great, though not bad either. I wouldn't go out of my way to get it, but if I were craving milk tea and there were no other stores around, I wouldn't mind having some Dakasi.
My favorites: Nothing in particular. Maybe the Almond Milk Tea.

Serenitea (http://www.facebook.com/iloveserenitea)
Location: Multiple locations in Metro Manila, and one or two in Laguna
Originally from: Manila! Proudly Pinoy!
What I like: It seems each newly opened branch offers, just for a day, free upsize to a super-enormo size (not regularly available) when ordering one of their top 10 offerings in large size. I was lucky enough to walk by a new branch offering this. Fun!
What I don't like: To me, their milk tea tastes a bit watered down. Also, their staff seem to be among the most frazzled and disorganized I've encountered. At Serenitea, more than at any other place, I've experienced them running out of pearls, giving me the wrong order, and handing me a sticky cup.
My favorites: Uji Matcha

III. The NOs

Tea Talk
Location: Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque
What I don't like: The guy at the counter was completely disinterested and got our orders wrong. Their cup covers aren't leak-proof. The milk tea was just so-so, totally unmemorable. The pearls were mushy on the outside, hard on the inside, and all clumped together. Not going back.

Zagu (http://www.zagushakes.com)
Location: Multiple locations in Metro Manila
What I don't like: Their drinks taste completely artificial. Of course, they cost less than half of what other milk tea places charge, so I guess it's nice that there's a version more people can afford.

NEXT ON THE TO-TRY LIST: SenCha, BF Homes, Paranaque (http://www.facebook.com/senchamilkteaplace)

BOBAttle: The Quest for the Best Milk Tea in Town (A Prelude)

I've always loved milk tea or, as I used to call it back in the day, boba or bubble tea. (I suppose the term "milk tea" is more appropriate, since after all, you can have it with "sinkers" other than boba/pearls/bubbles, like grass jelly and pudding, or with none at all.) But back then, it was an occasional treat, something I had every few months at most but usually no more than a couple times a year. It wasn't that I deprived myself of it. It just wasn't such a widespread thing that it crossed my mind--or my sight line--often. Thus, I had it only when I really wanted it, when I actually had a craving for it come out of nowhere, and I had to purposely head in the direction of a boba place.

Today, however, whichever way you go, you're bound to encounter multiple milk tea places (and thus decide you want milk tea, or decide to have some even if you don't particularly want it!). In the late 90s, it was the Starbucks frappe; in the mid 2000s, it was fro-yo (Frozen yogurt). Today, it's milk tea. And it seems that milk tea has reached a level that neither of its two predecessors did. Sure, the Starbucks frappe was mega-popular, and yes, this did lead to other coffee chains opening to offer some competition (e.g., Figaro, Seattle's Best). But there was never a time when, at every turn, I saw a coffee shop/frappe place. Plus coffee shops have other offerings aside from frappes: hot coffee, hot tea, iced tea, juices/smoothies, and light meals--so not everyone who goes gets a frappe. At a milk tea place, you get milk tea (or some variation thereof).

The fro-yo craze likewise never reached the wild popularity of milk tea today. True, there were times when the line at White Hat was long enough to make me decide to go another time. But there were also times when it was completely empty, and for significant stretches of time; I've never seen a milk tea place empty. Maybe once or twice, but they didn't stay empty for long. And even during the height of fro-yo, I never saw all that many people walking around carrying a cup of yogurt. Today, whichever way you look, there's a person holding a glass of milk tea.

Perhaps that's a big part of the popularity of milk tea: you can have it on the go. Sure, you can have a frappe on the go, but then how would you fuss with the whipped cream and the straw? No, a frappe is best had sitting down, in the company of friends. Fro-yo, much the same: it's so much easier to walk around and suck milk tea through a straw than it is to walk around having to occasionally scoop up some yogurt and spoon it into your mouth. The drink + food aspect probably helps too. A frappe is a drink, although a heavy one. Fro-yo is food, although light. Milk tea is both! You drink the milk tea and chew the sinkers. Plus milk tea is generally less expensive than a frappe or a fro-yo. (Some people might include the argument that milk tea is good for you, but we all know that's just justification of our greed! Milk and tea are absolutely good for you, but whole milk is full of fat, and sugar is not so good for you.)

Sooo this introduction to milk tea ran much longer than I anticipated. I was planning on one to two paragraphs and then quickly moving on to reviews. I got carried away: I guess I've been ruminating on on the phenomenon of milk tea more than I realized. In the interest of avoiding a ridiculously and tediously lengthy blog post, I'll end this one here. Consider it a prelude. On to the reviews! :)

Resist Decline: Sensei Sushi, BF Paranaque

R and I might never have discovered this little hole in the wall, sandwiched between and dwarfed by a massage parlor and a Korean grocery, located in a quieter part of Aguirre. Good thing they decided to offer a half-off promo via Groupon. The moment I saw half off, sushi, and down South--three of the very best things in the world, and not a combination I come across often--I was sold.

The first time we visited Sensei was July this year. Armed with vouchers, empty stomachs, and anticipation/excitement, we prowled Aguirre Ave in BF, eyes peeled for this place. We almost missed it, as the storefront is tiny and inconspicuous, but we spotted it just in time to abruptly stop, reverse a little, and pull into a parking slot.

We were greeted and seated upon entering. The place is small, just enough for three tables for 2, a table for 6, and the bar, which seats maybe 4 or 5 (if I remember correctly). Their menu is written on a giant chalkboard on the wall. On another wall, there is a smaller panel listing the sashimi and starters available for the day.

R and I decided on the salmon sashimi (a Japanese staple for us), spicy tuna roll (one of my top 10 favorite foods, PhP 195 [~USD 5]), tuna tartare on kangkong (water spinach) crisps (PhP 155 [~USD 4]), and battered fried oysters topped with kimchi (PhP 132 [~USD 3]). The chef/owner, Bruce Ricketts, was in, and he prepared our food himself and also stopped by our table for a quick chat. Love that personal touch.

The food was absolutely divine. The spicy tuna roll did not disappoint (although I would've liked more spice, but that's just me). The salmon sashimi was fresh, flavorful (lightly drizzled with soy sauce, maybe?), and beautifully plated (as was everything else, but extra points for the sashimi because it was plated in a truly imaginative and novel way). The fried oysters with kimchi and tuna tartare on kangkong crisps were such creative combinations, and every bite delivered a subtle but complex balance of flavors. Absolutely delightful. It was love at first bite, and every subsequent bite thereafter, and right then and there, Sensei became one of our absolute favorites.

I wish the story would end there, but alas, it doesn't. I remember reading a quote, I forget by whom, saying something like, "if you want a happy ending, it depends on where you stop the story." So I'm telling you, dear reader: if you want a happy ending, stop reading the story right here.

Sometime in August, we decided to check up on our favorite little sushi spot down South. We ordered pretty much the same things as the first time (coz we loved all of it), plus a salad with baby octopus. Chef Bruce wasn't in this time, so I was a bit apprehensive of a decline in the food's quality/presentation/taste. Everything, including the octopus, was good, but there was a bit of a decline in the food. The flavors were still there, but not as delicately balanced as last time. The presentation was a tad sloppier, although I didn't mind this too much. And the servings were a little smaller too. But it was still a good meal, and the decline wasn't so steep that I had to declare it over for me and Sensei.

And so, in September, back to Sensei we went. I was hoping Chef Bruce would be in, but he wasn't. We were pretty hungry this time around, so we ordered all our usual stuff, plus a hamachi roll (PhP 340 [~USD 8]), pan-roasted salmon with noodles (PhP 265 [~USD 6.50]), and the half-baked chocolate cake for dessert (PhP 200 [~USD 5]). Again, all our usual orders were still pretty good, but there was again a decline from the last time we visited. The food didn't  taste as fresh, and it seemed a bit carelessly prepared--we even found a few scales in our salmon sashimi. Also, the servings were noticeably smaller. There was one less piece of salmon sashimi and one less kangkong crisp than last time, and the pieces were smaller too.

The hamachi roll was nice, with a sweetish tinge to it, but the piece of fish used in the roll was so tiny, we could barely taste it. The salmon with noodles was a pleasant discovery. The salmon, glazed with soy and orange flavors, was delicious, with a crisp skin, moist and tender meat, and mild but beautiful flavor. The noodles with truffle oil were tasty and a great complement to the salmon. The biggest mistake of the night was the chocolate cake. Their version of molten chocolate cake is the worst I've ever had: tiny (considering the price), eggy, and completely amateur tasting, lacking any of the balance and refinement of all their other offerings. There was also something in/on it that wasn't food, like bits of wax or something. Dessert is supposed to be a wonderful ending to a meal, but in this case, it ruined it. Again, a case of a happy ending (relatively happy, anyway) depending on where the story ends. We should've ended our meal with the salmon and noodles and had dessert elsewhere.

Sensei Sushi is still one of the better places down South. Chef Bruce's creative take on Japanese food and his ability to create a sophisticated and fresh balance of flavors are a gift to Southerners. However, I can't help but be concerned that, as time passes, they're getting complacent, getting careless, slipping. The food--flavors, serving sizes, presentation--has declined each time I visited, and it hasn't even been a year since they opened. I really, really, really want this little gem of a restaurant to stick around and to maintain the high quality of their food. So please, Chef Bruce and staff, resist the call of mediocrity and stay on top of it! I--and all the rest of us down South--would be ever so grateful!

*Photos to follow; they are with R. I'll update this post with the photos once I have them.

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Sensei Sushi
268 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque
+63 2 754 9526; +63 919 377 2966
https://www.facebook.com/senseibf

Open Monday to Sunday, 11 am - 10 pm

Chinese Royalty: LiLi Yum Cha Buffet, Hyatt Manila

A panel decorating the wall at Li Li

A few months ago, maybe in August, R and I went to the Hyatt Hotel Manila for the Yum Cha Sunday brunch buffet at Li Li, the hotel's Chinese restaurant. We were supposed to have gone in July, for my birthday, but we couldn't find the time to go until weeks later.

I like dim sum, though I wouldn't say I'm crazy about it. I eat it when it's there, and I do like it. I'd experienced an enjoyable and filling all-you-can eat dim sum lunch a couple of times, and if someone were to take me to another, I'd very much look forward to it. But if I were hungry, or if someone were to ask me what I wanted to eat, dim sum would not be the first (or second, or third) thing to cross my mind.

R is even less into dim sum than I am. He doesn't dislike it, but like me, he wouldn't even think of it when trying to decide on what to eat. He's also had far less exposure to dim sum than me: probably just the usual siomai (meat and/or shrimp dumpling, steamed or fried), siopao (steamed BBQ pork or meatball bun), and hakaw (steamed prawn dumpling).

I figured it was time to change that. He is dating a (1/4) Chinese girl after all, and I thought it was about time he was introduced to the world of dim sum. As luck would have it, a few weeks before my birthday, DealGrocer offered a voucher for 26% off on the Sunday Yum Cha buffet (PhP 1,150 [~USD 27] instead of the usual PhP 1,550 [~USD 37]). I know the discount isn't tremendous (DealGrocer seems to more carefully pick their merchants but offer smaller discounts than other group buying sites), and more than PhP 1,000 per head is still a rather expensive meal. But based on the quantity and quality of food that we anticipated, the numerous positive reviews, and the restaurant's award-winning status, we decided it was worth a shot. It was, after all, for a special occasion, so we could afford to splurge a little.

And boy, was it worth it. R and I were among the first to arrive, since we wanted to get a good table and eat at a relaxed, comfortable pace. The place was gorgeous: what I imagine Chinese opulence looks like. It looked oriental, expensive, but still cultured/sophisticated. The staff were welcoming, warm, and polite. They were pleasant throughout the entire brunch: from the moment they welcomed us and led us to our table, while they took our orders and served our food and refilled our drinks, and all the way until we left the restaurant. They were quick, careful, and attentive.

The food, of course, was the star of the show. While waiting for our dim sum to arrive (they cook it to order, so it's fresh), we got some food from the starter/live cooking station. I got a bowl of hot and sour soup (my favorite), some jellyfish (also my favorite), barbecued pork belly with mustard sauce on the side (flavorful and perfectly balanced!), and the most divine tea egg! I don't even like boiled egg all that much, but this was sublime, the best egg I've had, ever. R had congee and some of the other starters. We agreed: not a single dud in that spread.

Hot and sour soup

Before we even finished with our starters, our dim sum started to arrive. I won't go through this in detail because with all the food we ordered, it would take too long, and honestly, it was all kind of a blur as one dim sum dish after another arrived--a completely happy, hedonistic blur. Glutinous (gluttonous!) roll, steamed squid, puff pastry with barbecued pork, chicken feet, ham shui kok (deep-fried sticky dumpling with minced meat filling), egg custard balls, and more... there wasn't a single bite that didn't delight the palate. The house guava iced tea (bottomless, included in buffet price) was as good as advertised. I'm not big on beverages--I usually just stick to water or tea and have trouble finishing one glass of juice or iced tea--but I had a few glasses of their iced tea.

Chicken feet

Ham shui kok

Egg custard balls

Some of our starters and dim sum

The one thing we did wrong was that we ordered main courses (included in the buffet). We had shrimp and chicken salad, Fookien fried rice, fried pork ribs, braised chicken with basil, and beef tenderloin in Mandarin sauce. Although they were pretty good, they weren't amazing. We could've done without them and instead focused more on the starters and the dim sum, which were absolutely magical.

The Yum Cha buffet also includes a dessert spread. We were already seriously stuffed from all the food we'd had, so we went easy on the dessert. I had a fluffy marshmallow-like thing, creme brulee, some sort of coconut milk and bean custard, and two servings of mango pudding topped with tiny cubes of fresh mango and a bit of cream/milk, which to me was the best of the lot. (I know I said we went easy... this is going easy, for me and my massive sweet tooth.) I like that their desserts come in small portions, allowing one to get a taste of everything without burdening the stomach. We had some hot tea to go along with dessert (also included in the buffet price) to help us digest everything we ate.

Some of the dessert offerings

Tea cup and utensil cradles

And thus ended what has to be one of my very best culinary experiences, ever. The service was impeccable, the food was spectacular, the place was beautiful and set the right ambiance. They got everything right, down to the details: the table setting, the plates and glasses, and especially those little cradles where you can lay down your utensils and chopsticks when they're not in use or on a plate--every restaurant should have those!  Even the the restrooms were nice, which always gets bonus points from me.

For giving me a few hours of feeling like Chinese royalty, Li Li's Yum Cha brunch gets an unequivocal 5 stars from me. I couldn't have asked for a better birthday lunch date, and there couldn't have been a better introduction to dim sum for R.

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Li Li at the Hyatt Hotel Manila
1588 Pedro Gil corner MH Del Pilar
Malate, Manila
+63 02 245 1234
http://manila.casino.hyatt.com

Daily all-you-can-eat dim sum (PhP 788 nett [~USD 19]): 12 nn - 3 pm
Sunday Yum Cha buffet (PhP 1,550 nett [~USD 37]: 11:30 am - 3 pm
   --dim sum plus starters, main courses, dessert, and free-flowing drinks (iced tea, soda, beer)