Everything is Awesome at Todd English Food Hall

My friend Mitch and I have been meaning to pay Todd English Food Hall a visit after hearing so much rave about it after opening a branch in Manila.

Yes, there are only 2 branches of Todd English Food Hall on Earth and one is in Manila (the other is in New York).

We came on a Sunday, in the middle of the stinkin' hot afternoon but the place was packed.

While waiting to be seated, the maitre d' asked us if we were willing to be seated in the bar station to which we politely declined. The bar was okay but we didn't feel like sitting there on our first visit.

I read from the internet that Todd English Food Hall boasts of offering only the finest, freshest, and gourmet foods.

The interior of the food hall was styled to look like an upscale version of European food courts, an exact replica of the one in New York. It was really spacious! Inside are nine food stations to choose from: Pasta, Asian, Pizza, Grill, Salad, Charcutterie, Raw, Carving and Dessert.

Pasta Bar. Where the freshest pasta are made everyday.

This ferris wheel loaded with macarons momentarily steals your attention. The continuous motion is hypnotizing!

By the way, that Stormtrooper alarm clock Mitch is holding is her gift to me. I'm so happy because she unselfishly parted ways with it and have given it to me. I super LOVE it!

On to ordering. We ordered the following:

Asada Steak with Pear Salsa (on soft tacos). Gone in 5 seconds.

Asada Steak with Pear Salsa. Tender strip loin steak, with fresh pear pico de gallo finished with cilantro creme (PhP320)

T.E. Slider. Very tender, tendon-free, bite-size burger. This was absolutely good! I lingered so gone in 5 minutes. 

T.E. Slider. Freshly homemade ground 4 cut meat burger pattie, tomato, iceberg lettuce, mustard relish, T.E. sauce on a toasted home made brioche buns (PhP390)

T.E. Half Chicken. Again, this one's really, really tender it almost melts in your mouth. Chicken on a bed of mango sauce works!

T.E. Half Chicken. 24 hours brined boneless half chicken, with sauteed corn, tomato and edamame served with mango vinaigrette (PhP320)

And for finale, the star of the whole Todd English Food Hall experience - the OMG Chocolate Cake. They weren't kidding when they named this dessert (that wasn't on the menu) OMG Chocolate Cake 'cos that's exactly what you're gonna utter after a bite into it.

OMG Chocolate Cake. Silky pudding, cereal crumble, chocolate gelato (PhP420)

Napa-OMG din kami sa presyo haha. But yes, it's worth it! I suggest though to bring someone you can share it with kasi overkill naman if you finish it all on your own. The Cheese, Mitch and I shared one OMG chocolate cake among us and it was a satisfying experience for us three.

Group photo!

On our way out, I had to take a snap of this ham leg. It's the first thing you will see when you come in. No make that second, I purposely searched for the ferris wheel first pala!

All in all, our first Todd English Food Hall experience did not disappoint. It was one of the best gastronomic experiences I've ever had. Everything was just so good and it's not an exaggeration. Prices are also reasonable especially if you come in group because you get to try various dishes at once.

I/We will certainly be back to try their flatbreads, pastas, and dumplings.

Kimukatsu: Not Your Ordinary Tonkatsu

Before Charlie left Brady for good, he treated the whole team (previous, even new teammates) one last Japanese lunch at Kimukatsu located in the east wing of Shangri-la Mall.

All 6 of us that came in that afternoon were treated and attended by the staff like royalty. Most probably because we were the only people at the time.

One of the interesting things I found out while choosing what food to get was the differently-colored menus for men and women. White for the women, black for the men.

According to Kimukatsu's menu, Kimukatsu's not your ordinary tonkatsu. It is made from 25 layers of mille-feuille katsu in seven flavors.

So the 6 of us chose different flavors of kimukatsus mainly Cheese, Garlic and Black Pepper. While waiting for our mains to arrive, we dug into our unlimited cabbages and miso soups.

I had the cheese kimukatsu and it was great! The chicken was perfectly tender with a generous serving of cheese on its layers.

The rice came in this wooden container. I wish we have good rice like this everyday!

We also tried the garlic and black pepper kimukatsu that the others ordered. Garlic is actually good as well! 

I would definitely recommend these flavours to anyone who wants to try out Kimukatsu. Plus, kudos to all the staff who made us feel so special that afternoon. We felt overwhelmed with all the attention given to us, hot they were too attentive with our every needs, but it was the good kind naman. :)

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Kimukatsu
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
5/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Shaw Blvd cor EDSA
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(02) 727-0333

Osaka Ohsho: Not the Best Gyoza I Ever Had

Finally got to try Osaka Ohsho in the spanking new Fashion Hall of SM Megamall with my friend Kimi, her (my god)daughter, Kai and her Aunt Sue.

I ordered the Gyoza Koshihikari set while she had the Black Vinegar Chicken set, chicken for the little one.

These ropes as decor.

Babygirl Kai Mykonos intent on practicing her chopstick skill.

The place was packed (it was Friday) after we have placed our order so I guess that

The Gyoza Koshihikari Set. Too bad the fruits were not unlimited like the rice.

I had such high expectation with Osaka Ohsho's gyoza especially after being hailed as the best gyoza in the world (by whom anyway?) but I don't think it was met. For me, there was nothing special with the gyoza. It even has this after taste that I honestly didn't like, whatever it was (I told you, I am a crappy food blogger). I am easy to please and not picky with my foods but these gyoza I just had do not count as the best I ever had.

I probably should try the cheese and the nori gyozas next time, maybe those will live up the hype.

30 Days Before I Hit 30

I will be transparent. I will allow my almost 30 self to be emo one last time so I can bury being emo along with 29.

You know how writing down whatever pent up emotions you have make everything a wee bit better? No? Blimey.

I am the most terrible writer in the world but I still do it anyway. A journal (or this platform) does the trick of keeping the demons at bay.

Lately I've been letting the demon comparison take away my joy. I keep on obsessing how this someone or that someone has so much, I could never catch up. Ugly thoughts, I know. And ashamed as I am whenever I snap out of it, the dirty thoughts won't go away. The sad part is - and I acknowledge that this is WRONG - I keep reverting, and in the process, blame it on the circumstance of how I came into this world.

I keep on counting all the things I am not accomplishing, the things I've been missing out on, the plans/dreams that never reached fruition. How most of the time I feel so alone in whatever mathematical equation the universe is putting me through.

That I forget I have a lot of things to be thankful for. Waking up each day, eating twice a day, having a job, water and electricity, not getting mugged whenever I get home from work. 8 years ago, all I wanted was to eat a decent meal at least once a day in order to live and face another day but mainly, strength to deal with another trigonometry and calculus problem sets. My needs were basic. How did I let myself become so worldly?

It might seem silly to want and desire a lot of things but that's the beauty (and heartbreak) of being human. We were cut out for this. It's just a matter of determining how to execute these wants and desires.

Your move.

You can work and tire yourself like a horse but still it wouldn't be enough. 

You can help steer someone else's life to make it better but you can only do so much, they gotta help themselves too. 

Some bastards get really lucky and it's not even their fault. You can't blame them for getting all the great stuff while a third of this world's population wring in various kinds of suffering.

As my favorite phrase puts it it is what it is.

I have to will myself to get out of this slump, otherwise I'm gonna be a miserable, old witch. I don't want to be a miserable, old witch. I'm too bouncy to be a witch!

It seems my well of positivism towards others run dry when it comes to myself. I think I'm being too hard on myself and have always had. I've been denied too much in this lifetime and here I go, continuously denying myself of the little things that could make me happy. The curse of my forefathers are not mine to bear.

Only I can help myself snap out of this. The universe wouldn't want a green and wretched girl under its wing. 

Frustrations and unrealized dreams will be the death of me but I suppose, in the end, these'll all be still up to me. There's no other equation. It sucks but it is what it is. 

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A la livejournal:

Mood: wistful

Background song: Time To Pretend - MGMT

Kettle and Their Seriously Big Portions

Another late post.

So the Cheese and I decided to try this "American" restaurant in the east wing of Shangri-la Mall best known for their buttermilk fried chicken.

Boy were we in for a surprise. I sincerely did not expect to be handed down a towering serving of Potato and Pork Strips. Had we known we would've summoned friends from their hibernation to help us out.

The Cheese vs Potato & Pork Strips

I ended up taking it home munching it til my gums bled. There were still some left to be shared to my colleagues the next day! Grabe, it was that much.

Pork and Potato Strips. Crunchy pork belly and fresh potato strips, fried herbs, red pepper aioli. PhP339.00

When our main dish, the Buttermilk Fried Chicken (boneless!), was served our jaws dropped again (okay a bit lang). These are 2 huge chickens served with 3 corn breads on the side.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with honey glazed cornbread, country gravy, Cajun honey. PhP519.00

How we managed to finish those humongous chicken is beyond me. But we did it. And we loved it.

My only advice when planning to eat in Kettle: don't forget to bring family or friends to share those delicious foods! You won't regret it.

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Kettle
5/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, East Wing, Shaw Blvd
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(02) 654-7077