CRAZY KATSU

Hello dearest Marikenyos! I personally decided to take a break in posting while the storms were harassing our lovely city. :-( How are you all doing? I pray that you and your family are all safe and catching up with all the work to do "post-flood".

Speaking of bad weather, a week before the habagat brought about high water levels upon the Marikina River, Mom, Sis and I checked out a Japanese restaurant along Lilac Street (yes, Lilac = another foodie haven) called Crazy Katsu. Their interiors felt cozy, with a very simple but elegant design. Their menu is simple as well: a one-page card filled with special items. I'd definitely go back because everything that we tried was really good!

They also had pudding on the menu for dessert, but I guess we will try that one when we go back ;-)

Here is what we ordered:

 Pork Ginger (140 PhP - really yummy!)

 Chicken Katsu (145 PhP - again, yummy!)

 Katsu Curry (190 PhP - Mom loved this!)

So if you suddenly crave for Japanese (no sushi nor sashimi though), check out Crazy Katsu for terrific meals at affordable prices.

CRAZY KATSU

#48 Lilac St. Hacienda Heights, Concepcion II, Marikina City

Operating hours: Mon-Thurs 11am to10pm,  Fri & Sat 11am to 11pm, and  Sundays 11am to 10pm
Visit their website here and their Facebook page here.

Munching Budget per person: starts at 120 PhP

Marikina, aking hirang.

Roni

SPARTEA SPA AND BUBBLE TEA

***AS OF 28 JANUARY 2013, WE HAVE RECEIVED NEWS THAT SPARTEA IS NO LONGER OPEN. HOPE THEY FIND ANOTHER NOOK IN MARIKINA SOON!***

With all the milk tea craze going around the metro, I am proud to say that in Marikina, we have one, too.

And it's not just your regular milk tea place. They also offer spa services.

But wait, it doesn't end there. They have Japadogs too. (Japa-what?)

Yes, you heard it right. Japanese hotdogs. These are juicy hotdog sandwiches topped with ingredients that are so Japanice, like kani (crabsticks) or wasabi. More of those later! Be patient, my loves.

So there you go, a place that serves bubble tea, that offers spa services, and serves Japadogs. Unveiling our latest discovery: SPARTEA SPA AND BUBBLE TEA!

We come up to the counter and order our drinks. The lovely lady (I think she's the owner) recommended we try their Winter Melon variant, but we reserved that flavor for our next visit. (Side story: After our Spartea visit, I checked their Facebook page and saw that a promo was going on for the Winter Melon drink, but you have to know the magic words to get the free upsize - posted on their page! We totally missed it, awww.)

Here are the drinks we tried, all at 100% sugar level. Every order of drink at Spartea comes with a free serving of add-on - you can choose between pearls, nata, tea jelly, or egg pudding.

 Left: Kiu Milk Tea and Right: Strawberry Milk Tea - Love them!!

 Mom ordered a cup of Hot Roasted Hazelnut Tea Blend (I love this photo, don't you?)

 And the star of the night: Lemon Yakult! So sour, so milky, so yummy!! We'll try the Mango Yakult and Strawberry Yakult next time.

It's an evening tea parteeeey!

Now, I know you can't get the Japadogs off your mind, so here they are. Mind you, they are indeed as interesting as their names sound!

 CALI MAKI DOG - served with crab sticks, mayonnaise, nori strips and mango syrup. Our favorite!

 WASABI POTATO DOG - served with wasabi, ketchup, cheese and potato strings. This hotdog made me cry, but in a good way.

 TERIYAKI DOG - the most interesting hotdog of all. Served with teriyaki sauce, mayonnaise, nori strips, and bonito flakes...that move. Yes, we couldn't bear eating this one because the bonito flakes were moving and they were just too cute to eat. Of course, who am I kidding, we ended up finishing the whole thing anyway!

It's a hotdog and milk tea parteeeeey!

 Happy tea drinkers and hotdog killers

That's the lovely lady behind the counter whom I think is the owner... I'll ask her name next time. Do you see the violet and green curtains? Behind that partition is the spa. Next time we'll try the facial, manicure and pedicure while sipping on our Strawberry Yakult.

Places like Spartea prove that there is definitely more to Marikina than sturdy and beautiful shoes. A great place to hang out with your friends. Sip and snack away while pampering yourself at Spartea!


SPARTEA SPA AND BUBBLE TEA
2F Bennt Bldg., 67 Lilac St., SSS Village, Marikina City, Metro Manila
Tel. No.: (02) 861-7016
For commuters, take the SSS Village FX or Jeep and ask the driver to let you off the end of Lilac. The building's right at the intersection so you won't miss it. :)
Visit their Facebook page here.
Munching Budget per person: starts at 50 PhP

Marikina, aking hirang.

Roni

Even More Reasons to Love SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL CAFE (SKOW)

As young as this cafe may seem, it sure has taken a remarkable spot in the Marikina dining scene. Barely five months old, Some Kind of Wonderful Cafe (now more popularly known as SKOW) continues to update their menu with the most palate-delighting dishes and maintain the one of the coolest playlists for their diners (80s hits, oh yeah!).

I was there again last weekend with my sister and Sweetie, to check out their new menu. SKOW closed for a couple of weeks for maintenance repair and menu updating, and we were very glad to discover that they now also have a menu for Japanese cuisine!

I like this picture a lot, hehe!

As usual, we wanted to try everything, but since we had limited stomach space, we got to try only two items on their Japanese menu:

 Prawn Tempura and the Kani Tempura (130 PhP each) (I am IN LOVE with the Kani Tempura - shreds of crab meat, oh my!)

 Stir-fried mixed veggies (80 PhP)! So fresh and crisp!

This is me devouring the tempura plate. And what is that brown, inviting, beautiful slice of something?

A moist, delicious slice of chocolate caramel cake (75 PhP). This is the first type of cake I've tried in SKOW, and I'll definitely come back for more (specifically, for the Strawberry Shortcake!)

The cake slice's mother, hehe. Anyway, I can't even aptly describe how moist the chocolate cake is!

I am now about to feature the other dishes that we had that night. At the end of this post, you will see SKOW's flag carrier. They say that every restaurant offers a signature dish, and for SKOW, I believe that's the one dish that I can order every single time I go there, and not get tired of it.

On with their other great dishes first:

Our SKOW staple: Tender, sweet and spicy BARBECUED SPARE RIBS (140 PhP)

FISH AND CHIPS (170 PhP). Fish fillet deep fried with its flavorful batter, served hot with their special tartar sauce and French Fries.

 Buttered Prawns with Aioli (180 PhP)

Tell me, WHO CAN RESIST A MILKSHAKE LIKE THIS? No one!! (95 PhP)

Me and Sis enjoying all the great things SKOW has to offer (Thanks for this shot, Sweetie!)

And now, for their dish that stole my heart and relinquished it with so much joy:

SALMON STEAK IN LEMON CAPER SAUCE (195 PhP). The Salmon was moist, tender, flavorful. The Caper Sauce tangy, creamy and silky. The potato salad perfectly complementing the whole dish. This is one of SKOW's best dishes. This is their flag carrier, like I mentioned. 

So, what are you waiting for? Experience these dishes and visit Some Kind of Wonderful Cafe in Marikina today! (Except on Tuesdays, they're closed.)

To view my first ever (and most popular, at that) post on SKOW, click here.
For my second visit, click here.

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL CAFE (SKOW)
Rainbow Street, SSS Village
(Right across St. Paul Parish, if you're commuting, take the SSS jeep or FX and ask Manong Driver to let you off near Saint Paul Parish)
Marikina City, Metro Manila
(02) 409-1242 / 09282714998
OPEN everyday EXCEPT Tuesdays FROM 12nn to 10pm
Munching Budget per person: starts at 100 PhP


Marikina, aking hirang.

Roni

More Reasons to Love SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL CAFE (SKOW)

Okay, so this is crazy: Only a couple of weeks after posting my Some Kind of Wonderful Cafe (SKOW) feature, it has received most views and has surpassed all the other stats in this blog. WOW. If you look at the side bar of this blog, it is now the most viewed entry! Congratulations SKOW!

And thanks of course to all you visitors who keep on checking in, thanks for all the views and comments. Please visit Marikina for all your food trippin' needs, I promise to feature more foodie places for you to check out. :D

Anyway, last weekend, I was back in SKOW, this time with my family for an extended birthday celebration of my sister. I raved so much about the place that in the end they were the ones insisting we go there!

I tried their pasta, which I wasn't able to order last time I was there because we already had too much to eat. I ordered the puttanesca (120 PhP) which I ALWAYS order in all restaurants I go to that has Italian cuisine on their menu.

Three words: IT. WAS. FLAVORFUL. Order this!!! I actually believe all the pasta dishes are good, so I'll try another one on my next visit.

My bayaw (brother in law) ordered the cheeseburger (140 PhP) according to my high recommendation.

Of course, he LOVED it. I know, right? :)

Now, introducing the star dish of the night: BARBECUED SPARE RIBS (140 PhP). Served with potato salad and rice, it was a hit with everyone. I'll order this next time too, all those ribs to myself! Hehehehe!

FLAVORFUL FOOD, HAPPY PEOPLE. :) (Do you see those big oatmeal cookies on our table? They're really good too!! Must-try!)

The service, as always, was impeccable. I love these guys! (That's co-owner Dennis at the counter, if I am not mistaken.)

Told you I would order buffalo wings (135 PhP) again.

SKOW is operated by brother-sister tandem Dennis Malonzo and Chef Graciela Malonzo, with Chef Suzie Reyes actively helping out with the improvement and formulation of their recipes. No wonder their food is sooooo good!!

And oh, when I was there, they were playing SEONA DANCING!

Visit SKOW today! (Except if you're reading this on a Tuesday.)

SOME KIND OF WONDERFUL CAFE (SKOW)
Rainbow Street, SSS Village
(Right across St. Paul Parish, if you're commuting, take the SSS jeep or FX and ask Manong Driver to let you off near Saint Paul Parish)
Marikina City, Metro Manila
(02) 409-1242 / 09282714998
OPEN everyday EXCEPT Tuesdays FROM 12nn to 10pm
Munching Budget per person: starts at 100 PhP

Visit this post to see my map: Click me!

Marikina, aking hirang.

Roni