Japanese Food

My Ratatouille Moment at Kessaku Japanese Restaurant

February 18, 2014 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan 10 Comments

If you’ve lived in Alabang as long as we have, you will probably remember a restaurant that used to be in Casa Susana, called Okasan. I’ve been trying to look for a photo or anything else online that might be able to prove that it once existed, but sadly, there’s nothing. It vanished before Friendster, Multiply or Facebook became popular, and before everyone had digital cameras and camera phones.

My family and I used to go there all the time. It’s was once our go-to place for birthdays, random celebrations and weekend meals out with the family. I remember that the first time MrC and I went out to dinner, that’s where we went. I think that was during our first anniversary in 2000. We were there so often that the waiters already knew what our favorite dishes were. And when they started offering a delivery service, our favorite waiter from the restaurant would come to the house to bring the food himself. It’s too bad that after they closed, we had no idea if they were ever going to open again, or if they had a sister restaurant or another branch, at least. Okasan just went away, and with it went our favorites – the Tonkatsu with cabbage and thousand island dressing, Ebi Tempura, the crunchy dilis that they serve as appetizers, and the unforgettable Tori Kuwayaki.

Afternoon Delight at Sensei Sushi

March 6, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Mr C and I have been house hunting all over BF Homes over the past few months. During one of our afternoon visits, we found ourselves tired and hungry, and we ended up taking a break at Sensei Sushi. We had the place all to ourselves that afternoon, which was great because it gave Mr C and I the opportunity to talk about our prospects. Sensei Sushi is owned by Chef Bruce Ricketts, who happens to be an alumnus of my high school alma mater, and apparently is the cousin of a friend of mine.

The menu items are listed on a big blackboard on one wall of the restaurant. Mr C pointed out that there were also more choices written on a mirror on the wall opposite the blackboard. At first I didn’t notice what was written the mirror because I was distracted by the pretty art on the walls.

We ate here last November, and apparently the prices have gone up since then.

Celebrating Chinese New Year in a Japanese Restaurant: Ramen Yushoken

February 13, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Our family had lunch at Ramen Yushoken in Molito last weekend, and I forgot to bring a camera. Winner. Good think I had the spare, super low-end Android phone in my bag, the phone I use for Instagram. It has a much better camera than my high-tech BlackBerry. So yes,we had lunch at a Japanese restaurant on Chinese New Year. Ramen Yushoken is said to be the best ramen place in the south, and Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz agrees!

We had to wait a while for a table, but we didn’t actually mind. While waiting, we took a glance at their menu, which was short and sweet – just ramen, a few side dishes and drinks. At the bottom of the paper menu, it states that they don’t pack food to go and that they don’t have any forks at the restaurant. Mommies and daddies, take note of this! You might want to pack a set of utensils for your kiddos. It was quite an experience for us trying to feed the little guy with chopsticks and a soup spoon.