Alive & Brewing in JB: a review of Art 52 Coffee Johor Bahru, Malasyia-CLOSED! :(

We Brew Seriously! 

Art 52 Coffee JB

Just like the sign says these guys are serious about their coffee! 

Barista Owner Ang Yee Siang and Stella Teo are brewing up top shelf stuff in Johor Bahru.  Outshining many a shop across the border in Singapore and in capital KL.

Since I rarely read or follow instructions I kept pushing, pulling or sliding the entrance door only to notice that I needed to "RING" to get in. Thats what you get when you keep looking at your phone.

my shadow

Definitely a place for coffee lovers!!!  

The shop serves as an art gallery on the first and second floors. On the second floor hidden behind a door is a real "hole in the wall" cafe.

Did I say HOLE IN THE WALL? 

Today they had single origin Ehtiopian, Sidamo.  He took about three tries to get the perfect pull for my first shot. He tasted each one and did not seem satisfied until the third one. I really appreciate the attention to detail. The result was a very good strong citrus notes with a floral finish. As every espresso drinker knows there is nothing better than your first cup. 

Upon ordering my second one the barista offered to tweak the coffee slightly for me. My second cup was even more enjoyable than the first. This very rarely happens for me. The second cup had longer finish and initial floral notes before a strong lemon finish. 

My second cup!

The Art Gallery!

Have not tried other places in JB but all I can say is the coffee scene in JB is alive & brewing!

Location: Art 52 Coffee,  #52 Jalan Tan Hiok Nee, Johor Bahru 

facebook: https://www.facebook.com/art52coffee

instagram: @art52coffee

OMG! Wagyu Japanese Beef Restaurant

Another hole in the wall restaurant that specializes in Wagyu beef. 

We were here to try the famed Omi beef which is a rarity outside of Japan. 

Beef Tataki

While this was a nice dish it paled in comparison to the next two courses. The dish was light & fresh, a good way to start a meal.

Steamed Wagyu 

Thin slices of Omi beef were steamed on top of  vegetables in a dim sum basket. The result was  a very  buttery beef which was surprisingly light, the vegetables were delicately cooked and deliciously coated with the juice from the meat.  The dish came with a sesame sauce with the right amount of acidity to balance off the fattiness of the beef. This was their signature dish and was well worth it. 

Ishiyaki-Stone Grill

Omi Chateaubriand

The Omi Chateaubriand had the perfect balance between fat and meat. We did not get the "foie gras" feeling.  I suspect that this is what makes Omi unique, you get the best of Wagyu fattiness but still get to taste a great piece of beef. The dish was served with three types of salts to dip the cooked pieces of meat in.(plum, lime and salt & pepper) I chose to stick to salt & pepper because it best kept the integrity of the dish so you could still taste the beef.

The Skinny: budget a total of about 100 grams of beef per person. You can always order more. Save up because it's not cheap. 

Wagyu Japanese Beef

Sunvar Plaza, Amorsolo Street legaspi Village, Makati City Philippines

Phone: +632 808 9508

Open 10AM to 10PM

Here is a more detailed explanation of Omi:

Omi is produced in Lake Biwa in Shiga, & is being hailed for health in being lean despite its tender texture. Farmers of Omi strictly adhere to natural methods of raising their livestock & do not interfere with the development of the cows. The calves are fed by their mothers & the cows are only given home-grown rice & wheat to eat. No antibiotics or supplements are given to the cows, either. The downside of their delicate meat is that Omi actually melts in warmer temperatures & thus presents a preparation method foreign to most chefs. The beef has to be cut quickly into slender slices for serving of sashimi, shabu-shabu or sukiyaki, which is an art form in Japan & can take years to master. .

source: http://foodists.ca/2009/08/29/omi-beef.html

Sweet Ecstasy Burger : Jupiter Street, Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

The BAD- there is no Air-Conditioning, which may seem acceptable on a cool evening, but on the day that I visited, the forecast was for over 40˚C so it was sweltering HOT! 

The Good - the burgers are made to order here so be prepared to wait! Read the posters, take a selfie or have a milkshake because it will take time. 

 
The Anatomy of the SWEET ECSTASY Burger!

X-marks the spot!

I ordered a Cheeseburger with caramelised onions and about 20 minutes later this is what I got. She ain't pretty but what I got was pure ecstasy. The brioche bun was toasted perfectly, soft on the outside and crusty on the inside, with a thin layer of butter or beef lard? Then a layer of classic American cheddar slightly melted, a crisp lettuce leaf, the patty was all beef and only seasoned with salt & pepper. It has a great crust and they must keep a higher than usual fat to beef ratio because it was oh so juicy. Followed by their special ecstasy sauce. 

The Skinny: Get your ecstasy fix now! It's cheap and it's hot! Currently the best value for money burger in the metropolis. 




Missed out on the Adult Shakes will have to try this on my next trip here.

Sweet Ecstasy Restaurant- 
10 Jupiter Street, Barangay Bel Air, Makati, Philippines

Operating Hours: Monday -Sunday 11AM to 12 Midnight

Twitter-https://twitter.com/sweetXmanila

Facebook-https://www.facebook.com/SweetXManila/info?tab=overview

Instagram-https://instagram.com/sweetxmanila/

Sea Urchin is like cannabis? : Seryna, Legaspi Village, Makati Philippines

All abuzz in little tokyo..

Little Tokyo in Manila is alive and well.  

Got a chance to try Seryna and it was worth the effort. Seryna serves up good solid japanese food sans all the fanfare. What they lack in presentation they make up for in quality and quantity. 

Uni(sea urchin) is like cannabis?

According to a study, Uni has a euphoria causing chemical similar to cannabis. 
No wonder I can't get enough.  

Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9150253

The flavor was crisp, with hints of nuts,a creamy-buttery taste reminiscent of the flavours of the sea.

Oo-toro

The prime cut of Japanese blue-fin tuna belly. This was melt in your mouth with crisp & cream texture and oo-so-good!   

Maguro Tuna

I have not forgot about this dish its just that after the Ootoro I have nothing much to say about this dish. It was fresh and it was good.. how was that?

Tenpura

Prawns were good but the the batter was a bit too thick for my taste.

Tofu Salad

Its tofu and salad dressing can't say much more than that. 

Fresh Oysters

I forgot to ask where they were from. They were definitely not Kumamoto oysters. But my guess would be Pacific Northwest oysters because they reminded me of a time in Hama-hama Washington when my friends and I sneaked onto an oyster farm to help ourselves to a "free sampling" of the Pacific's best oysters. (but that is another story) 

The oysters were large, very firm and not light flavoured very little brine.

Squid

These were little gems! Served raw, it had a sweet and salty taste combined with the crisp texture. 

Insider tip:

Seafood is flown in fresh from Japan every Monday. 

Winner, Winner Inasal for Dinner! : Aida's Chicken

Winner, winner Inasal for dinner!

Chicken Inasal hails from the western Visayas region (mid west) of the Philippines. While the region is most popular for for its beaches like Boracay, its food treasures are yet to be discovered by the rest of the world. 

Locals know that the best grilled chicken in the Philippines comes from Bacolod.  As a child, this dish was not available in Metro Manila and I used to get my fix each summer when I would fly to Bacolod to visit my grandparents. 

For a strange reason, specific dishes get imbedded into our memories. These memories are often attached with emotional connections to our childhood.  This dish takes me back to my carefree summers spent at my grandparents farm where the biggest decision for the day would be to go fishing or ride a carabao. Inasal would often be my final meal before I was loaded back onto the plane to Manila.

The dish Inasal refers to young chicken marinated in vinegar, calamansi (Philippine lime), lemongrass, and basted with annato oil and many variations thereof.

The combination of  annato oil, chef's grill skills and the mallaird reaction make a holy trinity to give you the perfect grilled chicken.

The skill of the chef is crucial to give you the right char to doneness ratio. The annato oil gives you that peppery-musk and mallaird reaction gives you the perfect crust.

The dish has gained popularity over that past decade and there have been many places popping up across Metro Manila serving their version of Inasal. To find the best one in the metropolis, my advise is to avoid the fast food franchises like bird flu is in season and head straight to Aida's. 

"Inasal"

For many years the Visayans have kept this dish secret . The dish has taken off in the past few years but sadly they have been "ersatz" versions. A bit like drinking decaf coffee -- it's "coffee" but it's not really coffee. 

Many entrepreneurs have tried to introduce this dish to the rest of the Philippines and have failed to come up with credible alternatives. Franchises have also jumped into the fray and fabricated their "fast-food" version of the dish. 

From a Filipino culinary perspective, the franchises have done much damage to the reputation of chicken inasal akin to what illegal loggers have done. Franchises are robbing our children of their culinary heritage. 

How to order Chicken like a local:

• Don't say chicken inasal just say "inasal". 
• Ask for pa-a (leg) or pe-cho (breast)

Sinamak

Sinamak is a dipping sauce for the chicken.

Every household in the Visayas region will inevitably have their own version of the Sinamak. A concoction of vinegar, garlic, chile, peppercorns and the kitchen sink! At our house, we had three versions of Sinamak- Dad's, mine and everyone else's.

How to rock a sinamak!

Crush a bird's eye chilli in the soy sauce dish, pour some Sinamak into the dish and add a touch of soy sauce et voila!

 

Wall Art at Aida's

 `

To get a true inasal meal you only have two options:

1. Fly to Bacolod or Iloilo for the real deal
2. In metro manila go to: Aida's at Makati Square, Don Chino Roces Avenue

one note samba : Locavore Kitchen x Drinks Kapitolyo, Pasig, Philippines

 ONE NOTE SAMBA…& its fat, fat, fat

The Great.. an ambitious MO-FI (modern filipino) restaurant, farm to table, organic food and mid priced.  

The Good.. Modern industrial design and good  MO-FI food presentation.

The not so good.. read on…

The dishes we ordered were all recommended by our server… who also very oddly asked us to sign the order slip to confirm our order.

Sisig Sausage

While one expects to get a relatively fatty sausage when one orders a "Sisig" sausage, this was fat wurst (no pun intended) laden with fat, stuffed with fat and garnished with fat. Great if you love fat. Otherwise, the highlight of the dish was the Sweet Potato chips.  

Gising Gising

This dish was the best of the lot, good use of local organic vegetables sigarilyas (winged bean), french beans, shallots, garlic and coconut milk. One would think that a restaurant that would expose organic ingredients would make the effort to use fresh coconut milk for this dish but this was not to be so on this day.  The use of fresh coconut milk coupled with a bit of spice and  citrus would make this dish perfect.

Sisig Fried Oysters

The fried oysters seemed fresh and were sufficiently moist and plump underneath the batter, the sisig lacked the crunch and missed the acid to off-set the heavy handed fatty gravy. Again pet peeve but the gravy tasted like industrial demi-glace (not a good sign). I can even tell you the brand ;)… 

Sizzling Sinigang

This was the one dish that I had very high expectations for but was seriously disappointed, same note on heavy handed fatty gravy as above with the addition of instant sinigang mix from the same company that shall not be named. 

Boneless Lechon Belly

Any dish that places Cebu before lechon sets the bar high. After  all, the great Anthony Bourdain in 2009 claimed Cebu Lechon as the greatest pork ever.  The dish presentation is also stunning and pictures very well. So this dish again over promised and under delivered. The pinakurat (coconut vinegar) & bagoong (fermented fish) sauce did not hold up to the overbearing stoutness of the pork. The skin also missed the signature crunch of a lechon. The meat also had an overbearing medicinal taste.. star anise? 

Turon Con Leche

The puff pastry was crisp and delightful, the leche flan was more of a pastry cream. Not bad... 

The Skinny: 

Props for spearheading MODERN FILIPINO dining, I so wanted this experience to work out and tell the world that MO-FI = LOCAVORE & this is the best place to experience it. 
But I am NOT quite ready to do that yet. 

Ho hum till the next one.

website: http://www.locavore.ph
Facebook :https://www.facebook.com/pages/Locavore-Kitchen-Drinks/400958036723741

My Man-Cave:The John Barbers, Legaspi Village, Makati Philippines

Welcome to my man cave..

When I was about 4 years old, my father and I would have this every second Saturday ritual. He would take me to the Majestic Barbershop on UN Avenue just around the corner from the old Shelbourne Hotel. If I was lucky (or well behaved) he would even take me to watch a movie. So that did not happen that often. Oddly, I got more excitement about our  bi-weekly treks to the barbers than I would the movies. During my childhood, it was my own time with him where I had him all to myself.

There is something very nostalgic about visiting a barber that spells old world wonder. I remember my father telling me that our Majestic Barber (I forget his name) was the same barber that cut my grandfather's, my father's and my hair. Many years later after Majestic closed down, I would visit the same barber at another place in Makati.

Well, it's a brave new world and and we are seeing the resurgence of old school barbershops. The design is done in an art deco look with a heavy use of dark stained wood and stainless steel elements. The place could double as a Pan-Am airline lounge. 

For me, it hits all the marks with a few bonuses added in like Free Wifi !! 

The Chairs

Each chair has USB ports and power outlets for charging your electronic devices. The mirror has a built-in LCD TV with cable.

Old school tools (aside from the remote)

Massage/Nap room

Shower room

Vitrines

How barbaric???

I suppose in a few years someone will read this and think "how barbaric"? But for the moment this is as good as it gets, my perfect man-cave, I will be there every chance I get. 

Did I mention free wifi?

Located in the Sommerset Hotel, 112 Aguirre Street, Legaspi Village Makati City

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thejohnbarbers?fref=ts

Pizza Morena, Makati Philippines

Pizza Morena has been around since 2012, serving their humble pie at Salcedo Saturday Market and Legaspi Sunday Market.

Very foolishly, I have been ignoring this stall for over 2 years because I have often been disappointed by many a pizzeria around the metropolis.  

After a friend swore to me that their pizza was worth a try, I decided to give it a go. 

All their pizzas were 10 inches in diameter and they had half a dozen or so types of pizza available on that day.

Chorizo Pizza

I chose one of their most popular, their Chorizo Pizza,  this was a "bianca" or white pizza(no tomato sauce) but was so deliciously good I did not even realise it until I had finished the entire box. :) 

It comes topped with home-made chorizo, organic arugula, roasted bell peppers and lotsa mozza!

I am kicking myself for not having tried their pizza earlier.  

I will be back for more!


facebook : https://www.facebook.com/PizzaMorena?fref=ts