HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL (Ladies who lunch Series)

Just in case you want to know (and like I said, only a few usually do), I work at the LONGEST RUNNING and BEST noontime show in the history of Philippine television. 

I am confident in saying THE BEST because hey, we would not be in the airwaves for almost 33 years for nothing! The competition? They all "died" and "bit the dust"! 

Har de har har!!

My job is truly a dream come true and indeed a blessing. I love going to work not just because everybody there is "family" BUT, we also share a love for something that I hold glorious...

EATING.

Well I guess the show is not named EAT... BULAGA for nothing. Ha ha ha ha!

And that is why, we have formed the wondrous group "Ladies Who Lunch" wherein we eat out to celebrate the birthday of a special gal.

This is the first of the many series of EB'S "Ladies Who Lunch" and I was so thankful to be able to tag along. At least I was able to discover new restaurants that weren't in my book before!

BTW, Eric who? 

Tee hee! Kidding! 

Meet my new best friend, HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL!

The meynuh!

Prices may be a bit steep at HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL but coming from a very "practical" (read: stingy/"kuripot") gal like me, the whole experience was worth it! I do not mind coming back and treating my Yub or family to this!

After ordering, we were served with HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL's soup of the day which came with their steaks.

For today, we had a very rich cream of brocolli soup with sour cream. I finished this in no time and even mopped the remaining soup with the complimentary crusty bread. I did not mind that I was with my bosses, IT... WAS... THAT... GOOD!

I was already in heaven with HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL's soup. But imagine my ecstasy with the meat coming later on...

Oh yes, I used that word... ECSTASY!

And I don't mind using it over and over again as long as it is within the confines of HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL!!!

Presenting... the LADIES WHO LUNCH! In time, you will notice we will have additional gals to the group, but for now we have (l-r) MEH, Ms. Florie Antonio (Finance), Ms. Grace Acojido (Finance), Ms. Josie Tolentino (Admin), and Mrs. Madeleine Tuviera (wife of our President and CEO) :).

It was Ms. Josie's birthday and Mrs. Tuviera invited us to celebrate with this great lunch out!

Service in HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL was impeccable and they attended to our every whim. Besides providing bag holders for our carry ons, they also let us wear these brown bibs to protect our clothes from the meat's splatter upon sizzling...

I did not need this anyway, I just stuck out my tongue and savored the oils! YUM!

Mrs. Tuviera ordered the HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL Rib Eye for each of us (P1,595.00) and this was my share.

Never mind that it came with buttered vegetables and potatoes...

Never mind that it came with the heavenly soup which I finished in 5 minutes...

Never mind that the bread was hot and crusty with their lip smacking butter...

This is what you come for here.

Take note how thick my HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL steak is... believe me... that was so tender that I my knife did not really do anything in slicing it. 

I was so enamored of its sizzling beauty that I deserted all photography rules 101 and took a picture AGAINST THE LIGHT.

(Wilhelm scream!)

In HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL, the slab of Wagyu meat was placed atop a hot stone grill and you leave it to cook to your liking. No gravy or catsup (DUH really?) needed here. Just plain sea salt. The perfectly marbled meat was jampacked already with natural savory flavors, it would be eternal damnation to anyone who adds anything else to it. 

And I assure you, life will never be the same.

I would change my name for this...

Again, Eric who? Ha ha ha ha!

I always like my steaks medium rare (or pink in the middle) for that extra juicy tenderness...

By the way, you do know that you have to let the meat rest for about 5 to 10 minutes after cooking so as to evenly distribute the juices through out the meat. 

Not in my case... I was impatient as a bratty 3 year old in Toys R' us. So I immediately sliced the HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL meat and proceeded to fork it into my hungry mouth...

... and it was as DELICIOUS as I dreamed it would be. The meaty flavor had the delightful mild grill taste with the tender buttery fats. I really closed my eyes in ecstasy...

Sorry Yub, this was the first time I felt it...

Again Eric who? Ha ha ha ha!

Happy Birthday Ms. Josie!!!  

Thank you also to Mrs. Tuviera for pioneering the group, Ladies Who Lunch!!! :)

For dessert we had HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL's very delectable cheesecake which was not too sweet and perfect with coffee!

The HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL creme brulee was also perfect to end such a rich carnivorous meal!

Ms. Josie also got a complimentary cheesecake from HOUSE OF STONE GRILL WAGYU! Yey!

After about a month or so, a lone wolf joined the Ladies Who Lunch for another awesome meal at HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL! (In our future meals, it would be his lovely wife who would join our mini eating club :) )

We had new members as well (l-f) Ms. Grace Acojido (Finance), Mr. Maru Sotto (Sales), MEH!, Ms. Josie Tolentino (Admin), Ms. Florie Antonio (Finance), and Ms. Leslie Dionisio (Admin). 

I sat beside Ms. Zeny Buenavista (Finance) on the pic below :)

Upon taking our seats, we treated ourselves again to our usual favorites...

The hot crusty bread that was crunchy on the outside and chewy in the inside!

The HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL soup of the day... Still rich, creamy, and overall delicious!

The ladies ordered a plate of HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL's Caesar Salad (P245.00). Vegetables were crunchy while dressing was just right and did not overpower the greens. This was a perfect side dish to the succulent steaks!

I sincerely hope Mr. Sotto is thinking when our next meal here would be...

My plate!!! My wonderful plate!!!

... and my beautiful HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL steak....

This is the stuff where dreams are made of...

If I die and go to heaven (take note of the "if"), I will be eating this EVERYDAY will all the bone marrow and crab fat I could find! Oh yeahhhh....

I cannot wait so I took a small slice to take a peek...

I'm a pervert I know... that is why my husband fell in love with me. Tee hee!

Oh that is one heavenly piece of meat...

Beside Thor and Henry Cavill's...

Oh and my husband as well... ha ha ha!

My lovely plate filled with meat juices...

The best thing by the way with eating with the LADIES WHO LUNCH is that they sorta have small appetites that they gave me the Wagyu steaks which they cannot finish.

I think I almost died and went to heaven...

Oh and of course, I love their company. It was a never ending exchange of tales and lessons in life... May I just share that they have been with Tape Inc (producers of EAT BULAGA) for 30 years? That's loyalty for you...

And that is also how long I will stay true to HOUSE OF WAGYU STONE GRILL....

 I do...

LET'S EAT! 

This meal was just so heavenly that I treated my family and husband afterwards (see that HERE !!!).

See? I did not entirely forget him. I featured this in ERICJAZ FOODIES because it inspired another date night for us! (Snicker snicker).

Post will come up soon!

Wagyu Stone Grill

Eastwood Mall

G/F Eastwood Mall Veranda, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave

Bagumbayan, Quezon City

(02) 706-5385

RED MANGO

I just rode on the YOGHURT train after hating the dessert for so long. Yup! Ask Yub or my friends and they would tell you that I REALLY abhor/detest yoghurt. I actually considered it a waste of money... Why? Because A COLD DESSERT that is similar to an Ice Cream cannot be sour or tart!!! 

One beautiful day in Eastwood, Mati suddenly yanked me from Andrei's grasp and led me to the cool corner of RED MANGO. He ordered his favorite... the yoghurt with rainbow crispies.... I repeatedly asked him what was it that he loved about yoghurt when it tasted so sour and sacriligious to what a dessert should be. He let me try a spoonful.... Then I got another... and another...

Suddenly I'm a convert!!!

For some reason... I SUDDENLY LOVED RED MANGO!!! Their yoghurt was not too sour and not too sweet.... It was... as a sleazy Goldilocks would say it... JUUUST RIGHT!!! After that RED MANGO experience, I wanted to have yoghurt EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! I never change the topping though (since there will be an additional P20 pa he he he he).

I now am a yoghurt addict... he he he he! All thanks to Mati AND Red Mango :)

RED MANGO !!!!

Mati went ahead and ordered his RED MANGO cup and requested for Rainbow Sprinkle toppings.

Prices are: Small 85.00, Medium 120.00, Large 155.00, Family 225.00.

I'm not sure but I think you get a free topping per order. Then if you want extra toppings, you just pay P20.00!

By the way, this is Mati's "You can't get some" face!

But I pulled the ol' "I carried you for 9 months!!!" dialogue and he gave me 2 teaspoonsfuls... Ha ha ha ha!

It always works....

Auughhh... I should remember to always have bangs! My forehead has a lighting of I

its own.... (that's not a compliment for me by the way...)

TEAM YAP in RED MANGO!

And since Mati kindly let me have 2 teaspoons of his RED MANGO yoghurt, I became a convert and bought my own....

Even though I told him I was going to order another one Mati still refused to give some more of his RED MANGO yoghurt... Ha ha ha! I guess he takes after his very generous mommy!

Kidding!

The different toppings at RED MANGO which you could put onto your yoghurt cup!

Treat Yourself!

Thanks Mati for the advice at RED MANGO!!!

Tadaah! My very first cup of yoghurt... at RED MANGO!!!!

As they say, the rest is RED MANGO history....

I am in love!

And right now since I love RED MANGO I'll order my own cup and should Mati ask for a taste I'll answer:

"I carried you for 9 months... Get your own!"

Revenge is so sweet... pun intended.

OH. I. AM. KIDDING.

Red Mango

Eastwood Mall

Eastwood Mall Veranda, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.

Bagumbayan, Quezon City

CRYSTAL JADE

Crystal Jade recently opened in Greenhills and has been receiving grrreaaat reviews from foodies-foodies everywhere. Me thinks the reason why it gets so jampacked EVERY SINGLE DAY is because it is the ONLY branch of the famed restaurant in Hong kong which serves the famous soupy dumplings or Xiao Long Bao...

(Jaz - Come 2013, it has already opened another branch in Fort Bonifacio :) )

So on one no-work day (for me he he he) I was with with my ORIGINAL foodie group (My family!) and tried what all the fuss was about.

Of course the place was flooded but we were able to get good seats thru the help of their lovely and efficient staff (Yup they were very accommodating).

Oh well... GREAT taste is the eyes of the tongue holder ha ha ha ha! Some of us liked it... some did not... But over all it was a great unique experience!

Would I go back there again?? Yup!!! With my new generation foodies of course!!! (Yubhub... and Mati.... soon to come Andrei... when he does not cry so much... tee hee!)

Now let's get on to the important matter of CRYSTAL JADE...

CRYSTAL JADE finally opens in Manila!

I was not able to get a picture of the long lines in CRYSTAL JADE but we were able to get seats in 10 minutes or so.

Here's my Dad and Ate Jit... They should always sit together because they eat in lightning speed. It's more like "now you see it now you don't" or "eat or be eaten" for them. My other brother, Kuya Jon joins their ranks!

Me and my ever lovely Mommy!! Me and my mom (plus the eldest Kuya Jay) savor our food and chew each morsel carefully that we would always be left at the table during family meals. 

Well AT LEAST, we do not get our tongues burned from slurping a hot bowl of soup just because we cannot wait for it to cool it off unlike that OTHER group :)

And just in case you are wondering, YES! My secret is foiled... I am wearing again my favorite yellow blouse which you may remember from Modern Shanghai (See HERE!!) and Cafe Antigua (See HERE!!!). Yellow is my favorite color you see...

Now back to ahem... CRYSTAL JADE...

CRYSTAL JADE in Virra Mall, Greenhills is not as big as you would expect it to be but they maximized the space and strategically placed the tables so more diners could eat in the restaurant.

First up is CRYSTAL JADE's Noodle with Dried Shrimp and Peanut in Spicy Sauce (P288.00). This noodle dish was strongly raved about by Anton Diaz of My Awesome Planet that I just had to try it.

This is my first time to set eyes on a soup that is just brimming with oil and spice! I can't wait to slurp my way into this CRYSTAL JADE noodles!

Faster woman!!!

My noodle cup! I remember later that I got impatient in CRYSTAL JADE and put the whole bowl in front of me!  

And just because we cannot have enough carbs, we ordered CRYSTAL JADE's Fried Rice with Diced Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp and Egg in Yang Chow Style (P248.00). We loved this as each spoonful was so flavorful that you could finish a whole order with the utmost of ease. Deeelicious! My sister said  she was instantly brought to the busy streets of Hong Kong with the taste. She can't get enough of it!

Of course, if you're going to eat at CRYSTAL JADE, you CANNOT not order their famous Xiao Long Bao (P158.00 for 5 pieces). It would just be sacrilegious and scandalous to even forget this when you're at this restaurant. 

As they say, the original is always the best! How do you find CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao?

We also had a plate of CRYSTAL JADE's Crispy Chicken Fillet in Lemon Sauce (P288.00). I tell you, I am really not a fan of the "sweet and sour" dishes or meats with lemon sauce. But this one I liked. The chicken was extra crispy with meat tender while the sauce was not at all cloying. The tartness of the lemon was mild and did not overpower the already flavorful chicken. I could see myself ordering this with the salty Yang Chow rice. The two dishes go well together!

Time to eat at CRYSTAL JADE! I immediately "dived" into my noodles with gusto...

But when I had already gulped what I was chewing, I remembered I may need to have ANOTHER profile pic.

Selfie!!!!

I'm not sure if this is the proper way to do it though... Next time I'll try a duck face maybe at Peking Garden (pun in-tended!).

Let's eat at CRYSTAL JADE!

He he he! My dad did not want to turn around and my mom does not really like posing!

BURP! Done with the noodles! I ate this myself because my family was not really a fan of peanuts in their Chinese noodles. 

Yehey! More for the bunso (baby) in the family!

==========

Sometime last December 16, 2011 I was out early from work and I thought of asking my Hub to eat at CRYSTAL JADE because he has not tried this restaurant yet.

As much as I wanted to get the spicy peanut noodles again, I tried something new which I saw in other food blogs as well.... 

I ordered CRYSTAL JADE's Noodle with Spicy Chicken (P288.00)!  It was steamed chicken with noodles and a full ladle of their tangy garlic chili oil.

I was more than excited to eat this at CRYSTAL JADE since I love everything spicy! 

And my Chinese stalker is ready to... eat!!

I don't know about you but black chopsticks somehow make my meals in Chinese restaurants more special. Adds a certain tint of class don't you think?

Before I go on... You might not be able to recognize....

THIN Jazmin!

Check me out mixing my noodles in CRYSTAL JADE! I still had cheekbones and one chin!

To think this was a year after our first meal in CRYSTAL JADE!!! Hey Jazmin of December 2011! What diet did you do back then?? I am sure I did not shy away from carbs. 

See that smile? Because I knew back then that I ordered something my husband would not even taste. (He does not like anything spicy... Yey!). So this whole plate? ALL MINE!

Now I could rule the world!!! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

You would feel the same way after you put a big juicy chicken chunk in your mouth....

... and chew it all down with a good slurp of that spicy, oily, and chewy noodles!!!

Oops! But if you're with a hot Chinese boy (like my Yub)... mind your manners! Just slurp quietly... like your whispering something then end with a pa-cute giggle... ("sluuuuurp... hi hi hi!")

We ordered once more CRYSTAL JADE's fried rice.... Yub loved it even if there were veggies...He just picked them out and put it on my plate.

And of course CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao!

It was my husband's first time to try it and I was tempted not to warn him about the hot soup! I want his tongue to BUUUURNNNN (since he always eat so fast)!!!

But the "nice Jazmin" spoke up and told him to be careful of the hot soup inside the CRYSTAL JADE dumplings....

I warned him just in time...

Curses....!!!!

I was only able to get 1 piece of CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao because I wanted my hub to enjoy almost all of it.

... and because I want to have a lot of room for this!

CRYSTAL JADE's Crispy Pork Chop!!! Sorry I was not able to get the price but we were surprised with the big serving of this dish! This could be good for 4 people already!!

The CRYSTAL JADE pork chop was a delightful addition to our meal since it was crunchy, oily, juicy, and over all deee-licious!

Our table with great CRYSTAL JADE food!

My husband loved our meal at CRYSTAL JADE! He liked it more that I treated him for this one!

Grrr!

LET'S EAT! :)

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Unit 117-121

V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center

Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila