CAFE SHIBUYA (GLORIETTA)

Whenever we end the night with BGP Marian and Manong Fred, we always ask each other "O when are we going to meet again??" In fact, I think the only time we didn't have that question for each other was when Manong Fred was planning a baby shower for BGP Marian the next night and we didn't want to be obvious.

Come to think of it, I think Manong Fred also asked that question and I gave him my big "HELLO!!!" eyes.

Anywho, this addiction to ask each other when's the next meet up led to our impromptu date at CAFE SHIBUYA. We already met up somewhere that Friday but then we felt like the night was not enough so one of us asked that magic question: "When are we meeting again?"

And  I immediately answered, "Sunday dinner!"

Yup!! Meet-ups are NEVER enough between BGPs and MANONGS! :)

CAFE SHIBUYA!!!

I've always wanted to eat in CAFE SHIBUYA especially after I've read about many drooling reviews about it. 

Also, when we were in Shibuya, Japan, I was not able to try their famous waffles (dangnabbit). I guess, this might be the next best thing for me in the Philippines. He he he he he he!

THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST 2015

IT'S THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST 2015!!! My favorite foodie event of the year!!

Once again we joined other gluttons like us in celebrating our love for eating by being food critics for the day. The venue for the ULTIMATE gluttony party was going to be in Glorietta, and even if we had prior commitments promised on the same day, we will move mountains just to be able to make it.

After all, where could we have a date night where we could be food critics like Padma Lakshmi or Anton Ego while helping ourselves to the hottest food finds that will hit the Metro?

Nada!

I mean, yes we could do role playing for date night but dessert is already included in THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST! (Naughty... Naughty wink!)

Now let me share with your our ULTIMATE foodie night!!!!

THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST!

Even way before ERICJAZ FOODIES, my husband and I are already fans of ANTON DIAZ of OUR AWESOME PLANET. That's why when he came up with THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST, it really became our couple "mission" to attend. 

Imagine our thrill when we met Anton in the flesh! The first food blogger that I stalked ever! The excitement I felt back then was like meeting the King of Westeros but Mr. Diaz is the ruler of our food online!

LUGANG CAFE (AGAIN)

One Friday, I was lonely.

The Chinese Adonis had a getogether with his officemates in Alabang so it's just going to be me that night.

I asked the little lords if they wanted to have a date night with Mommy but the monsters (he he he he) deserted me to go with their Lolo and Lola. Yes they do that to me a LOT especially when my parents are involved. Ha ha ha ha ha ha!

So I asked my BGP (Best Gal Pal) Marian and her husband Manong Fred if they wanted to take me out and treat me for dinner that night because....

I was lonely....

Yes I do that in the most pathetic "wawa me" voice. He he he he!

That night I told BGP Marian that anywhere is fine with me as long as we go out. She suggested that we go back to LUGANG CAFE since she just read my blog on our couples night and the pictures looked amazing (naks!).

Anyway, you would know how deep my friendship is with BGP Marian especially that I'm comfortable enough to ask her to take me out and treat me at that. Of course, she knows we would do the same to her and Manong Fred since we looooove them so much! BGP Marian and I are already like sisters from another hot mother and beyond! NAKS!

And just like that, I'm not lonely anymore!

The Chinese Adonis and the little lords could make their own plans, I would be fine with that. Because BGP Marian and Manong Fred are always always there for me, I will be NEVER lonely for all eternity!

Now that deserves an extra big NAKS! :)

LUGANG CAFE!

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE

By Eric John Yap

I work in a company called Michelin and I am required to go around almost all corners of the country to educate/train bus and truck drivers/owners on the proper usage of our tires. While on the road I get hungry so I would stop at nearby restaurants to fuel up my appetite. On some days, I would be satisfied by fast food or msg-filled dishes from eateries. But there are times when I just have to get big ton of meat into my system that would ensure me energy packs to last through the day... or even the week.

I'm glad that the famous steak franchise of OUTBACK has some serious lunch specials in their menu. And of course, since I am a father of 3 (if you count my "special" wife, he he he) I really appreciated that they made these dishes affordable for the working, albeit, growing man.

OUTBACK lunch offerings are perfect for those who want their mid-day food to be on the "full" side without emptying their pockets. So once in a while when I just need that "boost" via a hot plate brimming with food, I could go to OUTBACK and savor the juices of my hard work. And since prices are friendly, at least I would still have money to take out my lovely wife at night.

She asked me to add that by the way.

OUTBACK STEAKHOUSE!

Great meal... Good deal lunch specials!

WATAMI JAPANESE CASUAL RESTAURANT

I love my little boys so much (Mati - 9 years old / Andrei - 6 years old) and I believe they are the sweetest sons ever! I made a journal of my "special memories" with them and here are some of the entries :

• October 6, 2011 - I got home late one time from work and Mati sat beside me while I was having dinner. When he felt like playing already in the tv room, he made sure that I was still within eye's view so that I won't be lonely while eating. 
  
  
• December 6, 2012 - Andrei said that he will marry me someday. He asked permission from my Dad if he could marry me and even wanted to buy me a ring. 
  
  
• February 25, 2013 - Mati whispered to me on my birthday "Mommy do you know what my secret birthday gift is for you? My heart"

• April 14, 2013 - Andrei (6 years old) knows how absolutely terrified I am of escalators and while at Podium I told him to wait for awhile as I muster my courage to go down. My little bunso said "Just hold my hand Mommy I'll take care of you. I won't let go". 

 -- But my favorite would always be this :

• March 20, 2012 - Mati and Andrei promised that even when they grow up and get married, they will still spend Sundays with us, their Mommy and Daddy. We made a pinky promise of that special day which I pray they would never forget.  

However, boys will always be boys and there are some special memories which almost did not make it to my "sentimental" journal. I don't want to dwell a lot into THAT too much but here is an example:

There was a time when Mati and Andrei were kiddie crews in Mcdonald's Greenhills and while they were manning the counter, they got into this fight as to who will be the first to give drinks to a customer so they wrestled right there and then! Nobody could make them stop and to my relief, the Mcdonald's manager just laughed it off.

So when we go to restaurants, we always consider not just the quality of the food and the price, but we also look into how kid-friendly the place is:

The restaurant should be spacious... The servers should be extra friendly and considerate... Food should be freshly cooked and with quality ingredients...  The over all theme for the restaurant should have family on its main priority...

I know that I may have set the bar a bit high but my boys are the most special blessings I have ever received and their enjoyment plus comfort are always important. If at any point we feel that they have been treated otherwise, then it is our definite deal breaker for a restaurant and we won't ever go back again -- even if the food was good.

I am glad that with our latest discovery, WATAMI JAPANESE CASUAL RESATAURANT answered "all of the above" for my "OC mommy" criterias. Plus it was such a treat to see my sons ooh and aah at the food being served (which was a rarity for my rugrats who would rather play than eat).

Who knows? Since even finicky Andrei loved WATAMI so much that we might even have OUR "reception" there. 

Kidding! Ha ha ha!

WATAMI JAPANESE CASUAL RESTAURANT!!!!

WATAMI is the Japanese baby of THE BISTRO GROUP which gave us such prized restaurants like T.G.I. Fridays (see our meal there HERE!!), Italiannis, Bulgogi Brothers, Krazy Garlik, and our new favorite Modern Shanghai (see our meal there HERE !!!).  I don't know about you but I always feel that when you eat at any restaurants from The Bistro Group, you are assured of great food and exceptional service! 

Now let's see how this little WATAMI ninja would fare up!

My 3 guys were very eager to try out WATAMI since I showed them pictures of the food there from other blogs. Mati, the little foodie, even thought that we were going to eat at a restaurant called BISTRO (ha ha ha!). 

They were so excited to eat at WATAMI that they did not go with their lolo on a Saturday morning. Their lolo you see, spoils them so much that we need to bribe them to come with us, and it has already been their Saturday morning ritual to go with him. 

Probably one of the reasons why I have a hard time getting my sons to join us is I am very strict with video games. I don't let them play with it at all! See Mati's Mcdonald's body bag? I told them to fill it up with toys so he would not get bored while waiting for the food. No gadgets while we are all in front of the table!

Good thing little Mati was anticipating the lunch to come. Otherwise he would have grumbled like an intensity 6 earthquake!

WATAMI's interiors were very spacious and well lit! Upon entering the restaurant, you would be able to heave a sigh of relief that there won't be any sort of hustle or bustle in here.

Check out the booth to your right... We were supposed to sit there but then the boys were becoming too excited that my husband and I decided to switch at another table. 

We were again supposed to sit at the table beside this divider but then Andrei felt he was more at ease with the next table and immediately settled himself there even if we were already seated. 

Great thing that WATAMI's very pretty maitre d' named SOLENN was very gracious and let us do all the table hopping we want! 

Ha! What if we switch 3 more times after this? Tee hee!

WATAMI meynuh!

WATAMI menu part deux...

WATAMI meynuh part trois!

Oh I am getting hungrier!!

Pretty WATAMI waitress Solenn took our orders and made recommendations on their specialties. It's very helpful that WATAMI waiters know a lot about the food in their menu because with the kids, I have to be a bit specific on the ingredients and amount in serving.

The wait begins for our food in WATAMI and little Andrei got himself occupied with the condiments tray available per table!

I was grateful that in WATAMI, water was served WITHOUT the need to request. It was automatically laid down at our table!

The boys asked for bottomless iced tea so I just ordered one of the bottomless drink for them to share. 

Initially, Andrei protested violently that he did not want to get some of his Kuya's "saliva" when sharing the iced tea but WATAMI servers were very considerate and gave us an extra glass with ice and straw! 

Since we were in a Japanese restaurant, I ordered WATAMI's Salmon Sushi Roll (P285.00) to share with Mati. 

Yes, my little guy is a foodie who loves sushi even at age 9! 

At first I wanted to request the WATAMI waitress to remove the spring onions from the sushi but then I got curious how it would taste like.  

The combination was really good but I would have preferred to not have the spring onions next time. I was not yet ready for that kind of "change" in my sushi! Ha ha ha!

Mati had about 2 pieces of these WATAMI rolls and just asked me to remove the greens.

Our next order was our "MOSTEST" favorite, the WATAMI Self Grilled Short Ribs (P295.00) where you have a choice to cook it on your table or have them prepare it for you. 

I asked for both. And the WATAMI waitress was more than happy to do it for us.

That was great because I was feeling ultra lazy that day being Saturday and all.  

The wonderful aroma of the WATAMI savory beef with butter was enough to make our finicky Andrei stay put and watch. He even exclaimed "Wow! Tastes so good!!!" (Even if he has not taken a bite yet). 

I guess WATAMI waitress Ayan knew how special the Self Grilled Ribs were and how we will be having a treat later on.

EVERYONE and I mean, yes including Mati and Andrei, fell in love with the very tender and flavorful bites of beef. Each slice was very juicy and buttery soft that I swear if the 2 kids were not my flesh and blood, I would not have shared!!!

Yub only got 1 piece because I was not related to him in any way. Ha ha ha ha!

You could tell how juicy the WATAMI beef is with how Andrei decided to suck his slice as if it were a milk bottle! Ha ha ha ha!

(Check out the meat drippings trickling down his chin!)

This WATAMI Self Grilled Beef Ribs were so good we ordered another one for take out!!

If you think the WATAMI self grilled short rib juices in the pan will be put to waste, think again! Ayan fried up some potatoes to draw it all in!

Upon entering WATAMI, Mati saw a big picture of the Beef Pepper Rice, and eagerly pointed it to me. So we requested for an order of it to share between the boys and again, the WATAMI waitress offered to prepare it for us.

I think "happily" offered is an understatement, don't you think? :) He he he! WATAMI waitress Arles was just so cheerful to do it so!

I have read in some reviews that the WATAMI Beef Pepper Rice (P190.00) did not fare up with the fast food version of a popular Japanese restaurant chain out there. But I would have to disagree. WATAMI's version is more kid-friendly and less spicy for the kids. The beef was even more tender that Andrei, the lazy chewer, was able to eat it. 

Mati owned this WATAMI Beef Pepper Rice even if it was really good for 2. He was a kid with a bid to eat the whole thing and we did not stop him. Ha ha ha ha!

Next up is WATAMI's Chicken Cutlet with Scrambled Egg Sauce (P325.00). Think of Katsudon without the rice and used chicken instead of pork and you got yourself this instant TEAM YAP favorite!

The fried chicken strips were tender and very flavorful while the scrambled egg sauce was already an "ulam" by itself. We added this chicken dish to plain rice and Andrei lip smacked his way into finishing his plate of this.

This WATAMI chicken dish is already perfect and saucy but next time I might ask for more of the sauce to add to my rice! YUM!

He he he! As per his request, we even saved some WATAMI chicken to take home for Andrei to eat tonight!

Hmmm... We already got some Beef and Chicken for take out... I guess we will be having another WATAMI dinner tonight? That is, if MY family won't eat it from us. Ha ha ha!

This looked so wonderful in the menu that I decided to order the WATAMI salad (single serving P220.00). 

I asked dear Ayah to mix it for us because I did not want to risk destroying such a beautiful dish!

And wow, the WATAMI salad did not only look good, it was SO awesome!!! Even if the beef ribs and chicken were all delicious, I was so glad the boys did not eat vegetables so I was able to eat this baby by myself!!!

What is not to love by the way? Salad was cold and crisp with a healthy dollop of tuna mayonnaise dressing. Then crunchy wanton and nori strips! 

The winner of a WATAMI salad was a meal in itself and I did eat it with rice!!!

My plate! My wonderful plate!!!

Check out my 2 guys! It is such a rare sight for me to see Andrei all behaved and happy eating quietly in his seat. No need to bribe him... the little guy was HAPPY to be with us!

(I don't know if he was adopted or what. He does not like eating! For him it is a burden and even declared that he did not want to eat FOREVER!

Kidding on the adopted part. Ha ha ha! But the rest... TRUE.)

As for Mati, he did not need to bring out the toys inside his bag. He happily shoveled spoonfuls of the WATAMI Beef Pepper Rice into his mouth and even scraped the stone pot clean. THAT was how much he loved it!

WATAMI gets Andrei's thumb of approval!!! Now THIS is wonderful news for a Mommy with a picky eater son like me!

Andrei was done with his WATAMI plate...

As for me... I was getting my 3rd hefty serving of the WATAMI salad and yes, eating it with rice!!!

While waiting for me to finish, Andrei decided he wanted to lose his arm and hands...

"Look Mama! I can't eat anymore! I lost my hands!!!"

Force of habit I guess. Making his old excuses to NOT finish his food :)

Good thing I don't have the same problem with my Mati.

Although the little guy is such a foodie he loves swiping food from my plate!!! He once finished my tocino without me knowing it! 

You know that popular scene in movies wherein the lead actor would be surprised at his empty plate? THAT's how I looked like then!

Almost done with my WATAMI salad!

... and then we're DONE!!! YUM!!

The WATAMI bill!

I know that it may be about 5 years (I hope more!) before my 2 sons will be embarrassed to be seen with us going out for family meals or that they would rather have night outs with their friends than trade stories with us fuddy duddies.

But that is the reason why me and my husband would rather make family bonding moments with Mati and Andrei instead of partying or meeting up with friends because we want MORE special memories with them. And I look forward to filling up the pages of my journal with more entries of their quips, antics, quarrels, and promises. 

And that is why we appreciate special restaurants like WATAMI because, although I'm sure they cater to everyone, my family's enjoyable experience make it a perfect hub for Fridates, Saturdates, and Sundates with my little boys! Mati and Andrei are already asking when will be the next time we'll eat at WATAMI!

Very soon again I'm sure!

We hope that this simple sentiment will be the foundation for my boys to value the importance of family and I pray that in time, they will discover that our "I love you's", our tight hugs, our TEAM YAP dates, and our simple meals, were all mere understatements of how we truly, strongly feel about them, especially when they have their own children.  

By the way, I hope we are wrong about them trading us for their rowdy friends or giggly girls... But still, we are not taking chances and will do what we can to for them to fulfill that pinky promise and gross as it may seem, remind Andrei about that marriage proposal :) 

LET'S EAT!

Watami
Glorietta 2
G/F Glorietta 2, Hotel Dr
Ayala Center, Makati
(02) 808-0475

MODERN SHANGHAI

You may be surprised (or don't care really) to know that even if we L-O-V-E food (mind the capitalizations there) we could get VERY sentimental (read - old fashioned) when it comes to our meals.

For example....  We may be anywhere from Monday to Saturday, but come Sunday, we SHOULD only eat with my parents for family lunch. If we do not eat with our family on this special day, something feels lacking as if we were not able to accomplish something at the end of the week.

Another would be our spousal habits in eating our grub that the other one has already kept in mind.

For Yub Eric : "ALL vegetables on the side, no catsup, no mustard, no pickled relish, no vinegar, no sour tomato sauce, no weird spices (e.g. cayenne, curry), no fresh or dry herbs (e.g. lemongrass, basil, mint)..... To sum it up just want meat and the chosen carbs.   Period."

For Jazmin (me) : "No ginger. "

Yup that is it. You may judge me that ginger is just one small item in a big bowl of, let us say, congee, but I am not exaggerating on how much I hate it. When a small bite accidentally gets into my mouth, I would really fume and be very angry. Trust me, you won't like me when I'm angry. A meal would be done in an instant. That is how I hate it.

There are MILLIONS more of how we particularly take our food but one that I most remember now is how we would always prefer eating in the dingiest places like what they have in Binondo to get our greasy Chinese food since we feel we are having the authentic grub at a cheap price.  We love everything dingy, greasy, oily, saucy but it should still be light on the pocket!

But somehow, a bit of that changed after we dined at MODERN SHANGHAI.

It was during that late lunch that we somehow became a convert. And W-O-W! 

MODERN SHANGHAI for the MODERN Chinese stalker guy?

Before we even entered MODERN SHANGHAI, our mouths already watered with the colorful pictures of their grub. So we will be taking... that... that.. and that.

But these guys also caught my attention as they were busily (and lovingly.. really!) wrapping, tossing, and cutting up all the Xiao Long Bao, noodles, and dimsums what have you, to be served at MODERN SHANGHAI.

They were so focused on their work that they did not mind us taking pictures and ogling at them through the glass window.

"How YOU doin noodle guy?"

Like I said, these chefs were very dedicated and concentrated on whipping up the best ingredients for MODERN SHANGHAI'S dishes. So this dude did not even take a millisecond to look at the hot, sexy, gorgeous girl waving at him with that enticing smile.

Noodle Guy (thinking) : "I'll look at the hot, sexy, gorgeous, girl when I DO see one." 

Why you!

But kidding aside, tried as I might, this noodle guy was intent on finishing this order in a jiffy but making sure he kneaded and pulled on everything properly. Now this, just  piqued my curiosity even more.

MODERN SHANGHAI! Hi!!

MODERN SHANGHAI is the newest Chinese baby of THE BISTRO GROUP and just in case you have been stuck in a faraway island for most of your life, they are the ones who bought you all time resto favorites such as T.G.I.FRIDAYS (See our pig out session there, HERE!!!!), Italliani's, Fish and Co, Flapjacks, Bulgogi Brothers... and so much more. 

These restaurants are famous for their great food and warm service so I became this curious little kitty who wanted to see what is in store me/us.

As we were being led to our table I admired the interiors and the wide open space. Everything just seemed so comfortable that for a minute, I became skeptical.

If a place was this nice, how could it possible serve the authentic Chinese grub we were so used to in Binondo or Chinatown?

Function Room for all of your privvy... functions? He he he he!

Our little cozy booth....

My husband putting up his best "I am reading the meynuh candid look".

Sorry it is a fail my dear husband. Your nostrils are flaring.

The MODERN SHANGHAI meynuh...

The MODERN SHANGHAI meynuh and the disgrace I have to live with every single day.

He he he he! Kidding!

Before dining at MODERN SHANGHAI, I checked the reviews online and what I got most were rants that service was horrible. 

It was so bad that even though they liked the food, the awful service left a horrible taste in their mouth (pun sorta intended).

According to Ms. Lisa Lim-It, Operations Director, they did receive many complaints regarding the service of MODERN SHANGHAI during their soft opening. But she was proud to say that since then, they have studied the possible causes of the problem and worked on it. 

But looking and stalking at our neighbours, I saw how very attentive the waiters were.

Just a second of holding up your finger to get their attention, a server would almost run to you with a smile.

They were also very enthusiastic in mentioning their specials for the day....

... and explaining the menu to their hungry diners.

That is a big plus since I hate clueless waiters in other restaurants. I remember that I recently ate at this restaurant and had this very soulful conversation with one of the servers.

Me : Hi, what is the Beef in Special Sauce?

Waiter : Ma'am that is a beef with a special sauce.

Me: What does it taste? Salty? Sweet? Sour?

Waiter : Yes mam!

Me: So which is it?

Waiter : Uh... wait mam i'll ask the Manager.

Uuuuh - kay.

We were very much looking forward to tasting MODERN SHANGHAI's Xiao Long Bao because I have heard raves about it in other blogs. 

I loved how they provided a step by step tutorial on how to fully enjoy these soupy babies.... Like the dutiful gal that I am, I plan to do everything to a T!

As for my husband, he was planning to just lick, shoot, and suck! Ha ha ha ha!

Hello there hot and steaming MODERN SHANGHAI Xiao Long Baos (P198.00)!!!

You could tell that we will be in for such a treat since I immediately eyed the middle Xiao Long Bao which was about to pop with all that soup!

Luckily the wrapper was very strong and held up all the goodness inside without a single drop wasted. The  server kindly reminded us that to further ensure that the wrapping won't tear out, we should wait at least 30 seconds upon serving. 

But... We... Can't... Wait... That... Long....! We are not gifted with humanity's patience!!

And so we proceed to attack MODERN SHANGHAI's soupy dumplings.

As I predicted, my husband did not go through the tutorial and just shoved everything in his mouth (I eyed that he had some tears in his eyes probably due to the hot soup inside the Xiao Long Bao... har de har har)

Besides the tears, his eyes did lit up as he savored everything in his mouth. I knew that he loved MODERN SHANGHAI'S Xiao Long Bao when he placed 2 more pieces on his plate without even offering me one.

Why you @#$%!!

As for me, I followed everything that was on the card and was wondrously delighted with the savory taste of the soup and meaty dumpling inside. 

And lo and behold, even though I LOATHE ginger, I was surprised that I LOVED how the tender crunch and mild spice of the root crop complemented MODERN SHANGHAI's Xiao Long Bao. 

I found it weird that I spooned over some more shredded ginger on my mini-saucer.

(Yep, everything is conveniently within your reach from the vinegar, sauce, to my new found friend ginger!)

Besides the Xiao Long Bao, I was in the mood to slurp on something that would warm my whole hungry self up. We were recommended to try MODERN SHANGHAI's Spicy and Sour Soup Shanghai Style (P98.00).

When they served the soup, at first I was worried that my husband might not like this since it had vegetables and a far cry from the instant nido soup which he (weirdly) loved.

But here is another first for him. Never mind that it was filled with vegetables and meat... Never mind that it tasted sour and spicy... Never mind that it had an abundance of colors rather than the usual white of nido soup...

After one slurp, my husband exclaimed (or shouted rather in falsetto) "Ang sarap!!!" ("It's delicious!!!").

He he he! Kidding about the "falsetto" part but I really remembered how he loved his soup which meant I cannot have his share.

I underestimated your weakness Chinese man....

Since we were already breaking most of our foodie rules, we ordered some juice instead of the usual soda or bottomless iced tea to go with our meal.... 

I would usually go for mango shakes but since we were being rebels without a cause, the clear winner was MODERN SHANGHAI's Pomogranate Punch (P248.00) since I was feeling fiercely red that day!

As for my chinese guy, he got MODERN SHANGHAI's Shanghai Lily (P119.00).

I did not notice it but my husband signaled the server to place down both drinks in front of him. 

And before I could even take a sip, he did this...

Such an evil guy! Nilawayan agad ang aking straw!!! ("He put his ew saliva on my straw")

Oh well... saliva or not, I still insisted on having a gulpful of MODERN SHANGHAI's Pomegranate Punch and lucky for him, it was a bit on the tart side. I am not a real fan of sour drinks so I gave it to my eager Chinese stalker.

He loved both drinks and did not even bother asking if he could finish it all without offering me one last sip.

I know I already gave both MODERN SHANGHAI drinks to him, but it does not hurt to ask right? 

But hey, how could you afford to be angry at that cute face???

I am demented I know. Sorry. He he he he! Love your own as they say.

After our appetizers, the main bonanza came rushing in like a dutiful herd stampeding towards its masters!!!

It was strongly recommended for us to order MODERN SHANGHAI's "Tung-Bor" Style Braised Pork Belly (P418.00). At first I was not sure since I was sorta on a diet (oh stop guffawing) but all my apprehensions diminished when the smiling server offered to cut the pork for us...

It was as if she was cutting through a fragrant slab of butter.... I could see it all plump, juicy, and just oh so tender.

Did I forget to point out how fatty it is and how much it made my mouth water?

Hell yeah!! 

Oh wow... If I had this for take out I imagine spooning all the sauce and fat of this MODERN SHANGHAI braised pork onto a hot plate of garlic rice then wash it down with ice cold coke....

Oh wow.... 

Isn't it weird that I am already drooling at the thought of food even if I was faced with food? Hmmm....

We then had MODERN SHANGHAI's Sauteed Beef with Scallions (P288.00) which I imagined would be a sure crowd favorite. You cannot go wrong with tender slices of beef with crunchy veggies in a flavorful oyster sauce.

And yep, after 1 bite, I am hooked. We kept on picking the tender saucy beef with our chopsticks that before we knew it, we were left with 1 piece and some scallions. He he he he!

Even if my husband does not eat vegetables ("Oh the humanity!!!"), I still ordered MODERN SHANGHAI's Sauteed String Beans with Minced Pork and Chili!  I truly enjoyed the spicy crunch that each string bean gave. I happily ate this with my rice!

Mine! All mine!

MODERN SHANGHAI'S Yang Chow Fried Rice (P288.00)! This is a Chinese restaurant staple that if a joint cannot get it right, then do not bother coming back. 

MODERN SHANGHAI's Yang Chow was truly satisfying that it deserved to be hashtagged with the usual cliche of "Kanin pa lang, ulam na!" (The rice is already a main meal in itself!)

By the way, did I translate that expression correctly? 

Let's EAT!!!!!

A table filled with food... the sight that always brings tears to my eyes...

My plate! My beautiful plate!!!

Notice that my husband is already busy chewing, gulping, gasping at how good the food is while poor me is still taking pictures. I should be demanding a change in our daily EricJaz Foodies' "duties"!

____

If I may just interrupt, people would often ask what is the division of "labor" in EricJaz Foodies. I explain it to them in the following enumerated way.

Jazmin (me) : I do the writing, take pictures, PR/chatting up with the people, AND (mostly importantly) contribute to the cuteness of the blog.

As for my husband, the first in billing for EricJaz Foodies...

Eric (Yub) : He does the paying, driving, modelling (for the pics), transferring of pictures to the computer (because I'm technologically challenged), AND, the most important of all, he is the writer's lov-er.

So yes we are really a team!!!

Tee hee!! So does that answer your question?

_______

Going back.... 

Oh that MODERN SHANGHAI braised pork was sooo fatty and just utterly sinful. If you are not really watching your cholesterol I recommend you take a forkful of this flavorful fat. 

I did and I truly enjoyed it. Especially with the sauce on my rice! YUM!

Remember I mentioned how my husband and I are distrustful of Chinese restaurants that have a sleek and "clean" look, well all through-out the meal we were non-stop in exclaiming how a particular dish was extra good.  This truly signified that one cannot just judge a Chinese restaurant by it's "dinginess" he he he he!

Look at my little cutie Chinese boy!

By the way, the servings of MODERN SHANGHAI are surely in EricJaz Foodies favor. Sometimes when we eat in other Chinese restaurants, we would find ourselves refraining from ordering what we usually like because, in typical chinese resto fashion, servings will be huge for a steep price! No small orders for couples on a diet.

But with MODERN SHANGHAI, servings are just appropriate for 2 people who would like to try more dishes without breaking bank and taking home a ton of leftovers. 

More food for us to taste then! YUM!

And finally I got to eat to my heart's content! 

My plate may be messy and oily, but I loved it! I could even lick my saucy plate if I was not TRYING to maintain an image or something.  (Note the all caps of the word... he he he he!)

During our meal one of MODERN SHANGHAI's floor managers dropped by to say hi and asked how the food was. We told her we were enjoying our meal and asked if she could request other waiters for water. We loved that even their floor managers were open to get glasses of water or take additional soda orders (for somebody who is on her cheat day) for their customers.

I have had experiences before when restaurant floor managers felt it was not on their "level" to get water for their diners. 

Even if little ol' me was already choking?? He he he!

Somebody was already finished with his food...

And I am done as well!

Cold refreshing water with a hint of lemon! Sweet!

For dessert we had these hot buns with a little surprise.....

My husband loved the creamy custard inside his MODERN SHANGHAI siopao bun. As for me, I am so used to meat inside my buns  (I hope that did not come off as something "dirty" he he he he!) that I passed and gave all of my share to my hub. He was more than happy to be at the receiving end of this creamy siopao bun!

Instead, I just had the sweet strawberry garnish atop my drink!! 

Thank you so much to the very lovely Ms. Lisa Ronquillo (AVP - Marketing for The Bistro Group) and uber nice Ms. Liza Lim-It, our gracious hosts for the day, for letting us savor all the scrumptious grub at MODERN SHANGHAI! It was great to meet you :)

After lunch and while we were driving to my dentist's appointment (yes my tooth hurt a bit, but did that stop me from pigging out on my cheat day? NO!), I did not feel too bad from going beyond EricJaz Foodies usual food beliefs....

Well for one, we promise to bring my family maybe on a Sunday. That is, just in case we are craving for some more of MODERN SHANGHAI's beef with scallions, fried rice, string beans, and EEP the braised pork, and we have to have on a weekend, pronto!

Another will be, I will always remember MODERN SHANGHAI to be the restaurant which made me LIKE ginger (still ew) and converted my husband to have some SOUR soup with veggies (hallelujah there!).

And lastly, MODERN SHANGHAI is a definite must-go for us if we want to try something that is different from the usual Binondo Chinese restaurants we are so used to. We are somehow converted to believe that yes, you could also have the same greasy, oily, saucy chinese grub we love at a different and relaxing setting. 

We will come back here with a vengeance. 

Just wait for me noodle boy! (Beautiful eyes winks) He he he he!

LET'S EAT!

Modern Shanghai

Glorietta 2

3/F Glorietta 2, Palm Dr

Ayala Center, Makati