Japanese Restaurant

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.

Husband Date at Kenji Tei Ramen House

July 20, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

Like I said in my previous post, MrC and I have been making an effort to spend more quality time together. A few months ago (yes, I know, my post is soooo delayed!), my parents took Little MrC with them to Fishville for the weekend. The husbandry and I took advantage of our alone time with a movie marathon at home, a lunch date and a dinner date at Con Gusto in Molito. I remember that around that time, we were always craving for Italian and Japanese food, and we ate mostly pizza, ramen, pasta and sushi for maybe two weeks. Given the cravings, we decided it was a great time for us to try Kenji Tei in Alabang Town Center.

Condiments on the table. I am so addicted to that Japanese chili powder!

The restaurant is really pretty. I love the design of the ceiling, and how the place is really bright. I think the wood furniture fits the space perfectly too. MrC was still in a ramen mood during our visit because our family lunch at Ramen Yushoken really made an impression on him. At Kenji Tei, he chose to order the Curry Ramen. I went for my usual Sashimi, tuna this time, and decided to add an order of Ebi Fry too.

KenjiTei-5 — Curry Ramen. Rich and a little spicy.
Regular Php258, Large Php348

KenjiTei-6 — Ebi Fry. Two pieces left. One was already in my belly haha!
3pcs with tartar sauce Php248

The food was good, and I’m definitely coming back soon to try their other dishes. I love that they are located close to the cinemas. We now have another nice place to go for a meal before or after a movie. I think my date agrees with me.

For more yummy food photos and a great review about Kenji Tei, hop on over to my friend Joei’s blog.

Kenji Tei Ramen House
G/F Alabang Town Center (near the cinemas)
+632 511-8980
#/kenjitei

Valentine Lunch Date at John and Yoko

February 19, 2013 by MrsC | Patricia Cuyugan Leave a Comment

I went on my first ever Valentine’s Day date last Thursday.

Sounds funny, specially since I’ve not been single on hearts day since 1999. But I never liked going out when I know that traffic is going to be horrendous and that it will be crowded everywhere. And so, we usually just celebrate with a good meal at home.

This year though, as fate would have it, MrC, the little boy and I were all home for lunch on Valentine’s day. So we decided to go out to eat, hoping that there wouldn’t be that many people since it was a school/work day.

Our initial restaurant of choice was Yakimix, which just opened in Alabang Town Center. This was an ironic choice, I know, given that we were trying to avoid being stuck in a crowded place. True enough, when we got there at a little before 1pm, there was a line of about twenty groups waiting to be seated. Obviously we chose not to wait it out.

Since I already had my mind set on Japanese food, we ended up at John and Yoko. This was maybe my fifth time at John and Yoko, and my second at their Alabang branch. It’s not that I like their food that much, I honestly prefer Omakase over this place. It just so happens that I crave for fancy schmancy Japanese fusion food, and John and Yoko seems to fit the bill for me. This was the case last February 14.

Luckily, there was an available table when we arrived at the restaurant.
Meet My Dates
As if you don’t already know who these guys are. Lol, aren’t I so assuming to think that everyone reading this has been here before? I know, if you’re a first time visitor of my blog, please leave a comment below. I’d totally love to meet you. So anyway, here are the sweet gentlemen who took me out to lunch on Valentine’s Day, Mr C and Little Mr C.

Craving for Japanese food? Try Ramen Yushoken!

The Food
John and Yoko calls itself a Cosmopolitan Japanese restaurant. It has modern decor and a fusion menu, a sort of upscale version of its brother Sumo Sam. The menu is really heavy (as in it literally is hard to carry because it weighs as much as a hard-bound dictionary), and filled with photos. You won’t really see descriptions of the dishes on each page, so it’s a bit of a guessing game if you’re a first-timer. Here’s what we had:

John and Yoko (1 of 9) — Tuna Sashimi Php208.00

John and Yoko (6 of 9) — Philadelphia Roll Php248.00

John and Yoko (3 of 9) — California Maki Salad Php228.00

I’m not eating walking meat for Lent, and so you’ll notice that our order was basically made up of vegetables, fruits and seafood. Everything was good and fresh. My one complaint is that the mangoes used in the salad were sour, and I really don’t like sour mangoes. I also forgot to take a photo of the little boy’s Ebi Tempura order, so I’m borrowing one from John and Yoko’s Facebook Page.

Love Japanese food with a twist? Then you’ll love Tokyo Bubble Tea!

While I’m not a big fan of the restaurant decor, particularly the animal-print chairs, I love the earthenware that they use in John and Yoko. The place is spacious enough and the seats are comfortable. These are things I look for when dining out, and I believe that ambiance and comfort are things worth paying for.

I was pleasantly surprised when representatives from Alabang Town Center came to the restaurant to give roses to women who were eating there. I remember my experience working for a mall on Valentine’s Day. I was with a neighboring mall, and that year we gave away candied apples as tokens.

Thank you, Alabang Town Center for the sweet gesture.

John and Yoko also gave us a Valentine’s Day token. It was a butter cookie with sugar icing, and I had it with my coffee this morning. Yum!

Our little family. And I'm holding up the John and Yoko cookie with my left hand. — Our little family. And I’m holding up the John and Yoko cookie with my left hand.

I discovered this year that it’s actually fun to go out on Valentine’s Day, provided you choose your destination wisely. It also helps to go during non-peak hours to avoid the crowds, unless, of course, the Valentine crowd is part of what makes the experience fun and memorable for you. I hope we get to do something like this again next year.

For some of the best sashimi in Alabang, visit Cafe d’Asie at the Bellevue Hotel!

Oh, and Yakimix, I will get to try you eventually!

+Points
+ The restaurant was not crowded
+ Quick service
+ The sashimi was fresh
+ Sweet Valentine tokens

-Points
– Sour mangoes in the salad

John and Yoko Cosmopolitan Japanese
Lower Ground Floor, New Wing
Alabang Town Center
Commerce Ave, Alabang Muntinlupa
+632 478-7917