Dean & Deluca, A Second Time Around

After trying out Dean & Deluca in Rockwell, we immediately went back the week after.  There is just no possible way we were going to miss out on trying out the other dishes!  Besides, the parents were away when we first dined in Dean & Deluca, and we wanted them to try out the pizzas too.  So... here's our Dean & Deluca experience part 2.  Enjoy!  

Creme Brulee Croissant

Flaky goodness with the right amount of creme brulee filling.  

Banana Wheat Muffin

I didn't like the Apple Cider Blueberry Muffin last time, so I was a bit hesitant in ordering this.  But it turns out, it was quite moist and is bursting with banana flavors!

Kougin Amann

Ahhhh... Kougin Ammans have always been my weak spot.  And Dean & Deluca's version hits right on the spot.

Butterscotch Sticky Bun

Too sweet, but expectedly so.  Reminds me of the cinnamon rolls I've loved as a child.  It was a gooey, sticky, happy mess.

Grilled US Duroc Pork Chop with Chorizo-Corn & Apple Salsa

The pork chop was tender, but not as tender as I've imagined it would be.  The chorizo-corn and apple salsa was too much for me.  Would've preferred a less festive accompaniment.

Pesto Pasta with Shrimp, Calamari, Dried Tomatoes and Piquillo

When it comes to pastas, our family prefers it to be cooked well done and not al dente.  We like our pastas really soft.  And this pesto pasta was perfect for us.  It was soft without being mushy, and the sauce was prefect!

Truffle Parmesan Steak Fries

Ugh.  I hate it when I order something with truffle and it comes out either completely void of truffle smell, or with an extremely faint truffle smell.  Dean & Deluca's truffle parmesan steak fries was the latter.  I could barely detect the hint of truffle in the fries. 

Braised Beef Stew with Mushroom, Vegetable and Mashes Potato

The beef was tender, but the serving size was too small.  Not so impressed with this one.  The mashed potatoes, on the other hand?  De-li-cious!

BBQ Braised US Beef Short Ribs, Roasted Garlic, Bechamel Sauce, Caramelized Onions, and Chimichurri Sourdough Pizza

As with last time, the BBQ Braised US Beef Short Rib Pizza was thin, crisp and chewy.  A bit lacking on the the meat though.

Not in photo:  Parma Ham, Rocket Leaves and Parmigiano Sourdough Pizza, which we inhaled and completely forgot to take a photo of.  The parma ham was sooooo good!  And unlike the BBQ braised US beef short rib pizza above, the amount of parma ham was just right.

Dutch Apple Pie

Huge, huge chunks of apples in this Dutch Apple Pie.  I found the crust to be a wee bit thicker than my liking, and it was a tad too sweet too.  But then again, I'm not much of a fan of apple pies.

So... on the second try, there were also hits and misses at Dean & Deluca.  But overall, it was more hits than misses.  There's still a few more things on the menu that I'd like to try, so that means I'm definitely going to be be back sometime soon.  4 out of 5 stars!

Dean & Deluca is at the G/F, Rockwell Edades Tower, Poblacion, Makati City

Tokyo Eats: Katsuya

After a day's worth of shopping in Akihabara, Hubby and I were tired and hungry.  It was our last night in Tokyo too, and I didn't want to leave Tokyo without getting a taste of their authentic tempura.  My first choice for tempura in Tokyo would be Ten-Ichi, but it was all the way in Ginza.  So we stepped into the next restaurant that had tempura photos on their window display:  Katsuya.  

Mixed Set

This is more of fish and prawns.  Crunchy... but nothing major.

Ebi Tempura

The batter was crisp, and the prawns were succulent.

Katsudon

Sadly, this one failed my katsudon test.  It was not tender enough, and the sauce was practically non-existent, leaving the rice beneath as dry as the desert.

So the verdict?  Katsuya was not disappointing... yet it was not amazing either.  I guess when I said I wanted tempura, I was pertaining to the other kind.  Katsuya's was panko-crusted, but the panko, although crunchy, was too firm to bite into that it left me and Hubby's gums a bit raw.  Their katsudon was also less impressive than the local ones I've had here in Manila.  2 out of 5 stars.

Katsuya is at 1 Chome-4-11 Sotokanda,Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan

Sydney Eats: Garden Buffet at The Star Casino

To close my 2014 Australia posts... Christmas dinner!  As I've previously mentioned, the family had dinner plans at The Star Casino's Garden Buffet.  I've been to Las Vegas and I've been to Macau in my years of travelling, so I know that when you say buffet at the casino, this means great overflowing delicious food.  And it being Christmas day dinner, surely they would've prepared something special for all the diners that day.  There was only excitement as I counted down the hours till we're seated and ready to eat!  Glutton much?  LOL!

Here it goes:  

Breads

Soups

Cheeses

Salads

Shells and Mussels

Squid and Clams

Shrimps and more shells

Chinese Congee

Pizza

Pasta

Mains

Fish and Chips/Chicken Wings

Turkey!

Roast Beef

Ham

More mains

Roasting

Chinese

Chinese Mains

Grilled Vegetables

Fruits

Snow Cones

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Chocolate Fountain

Candy Bar

Desserts

Some more desserts

And more!

Unlimited sodas

Coffee

I'm not even going to bother doing a small commentary on each photo.  Because to say that the buffet was underwhelming would be an huge understatement.  It was downright BAD!  And to think that this was during Christmas day dinner and we paid something around AUD 80++, which would already be equivalent to a nice hotel dinner here in Manila.  The selection of food was not that plenty either.  I'm not one to give up on buffets, but I gave up on this one after only two plates.  They couldn't even get a simple dish like fish and chips right.  What a downer.  0 out of 5 stars.  

Garden Buffet is at The Star Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia

Sydney Eats: Din Tai Fung

When Dad announced that we were spending Christmas in Australia, everyone was ecstatic.  Well... big mistake.  While spending Christmas SEASON there was nice, spending Christmas DAY itself was not.  Why?  Because nothing was open, that's why!  So we had no choice but to find something that was open for sure.  It was a toss up between finding a hotel or spending it in a casino.  Guess which one won?  Well, the casino did.  We figured there was nothing much to do after eating in a hotel, so might as well spend it in the casino, where there's a bit more to do.

On Christmas day, the whole family trooped over to The Star Casino.  Since we had dinner plans at a buffet restaurant there, we chose something light for lunch.  And if the task of choosing were in my parents' hands, then you betcha they're going for Chinese.  Yes.  Chinese.  Again.  Din Tai Fung, here we come!

I've written about Din Tai Fung before, having tried it in Hong Kong.  Also got to try it in Taiwan and in Singapore, so yes, I'm no Din Tai Fung newbie.  So before we even started ordering, I already knew what I'm having!

Din Tai Fung at The Star

But unlike other Din Tai Fung outlets we've tried in other countries, Din Tai Fung at The Star Casino is just part of their foodcourt.  No biggie.  I'm not one to discriminate against foodcourt eats.  In fact, some of the best meals I've had came from the foodcourt!

Steamed Pork Dumpling

Not as tasty as the one I'm accustomed to.

Crab Meat and Roe with Pork Dumpling

Err... not as good either.

Dan Dan Noodle (Peanut Sauce)

Nope, not impressed.

Fried Pork Chop

Edible, but nothing special.

Egg Fried Rice with Green Bean and Minced Pork 

And finally, they got one thing right.  The egg fried rice!  Geez, how I wished we just ordered one cup each and be done with it.  Green beans were not bad either.

The verdict?  1 out of 5 stars.  Why, Din Tai Fung, why???  Next time, I'll be sure to just eat this restaurant on an Asian country.  I don't mean to discriminate, but really, Din Tai Fung just tastes way better in other countries.  Oh and from what I've heard, they're coming to Manila this year!  Fingers crossed that they'll be able to replicate the original and surpass the other leading xiao long bao restaurants that are already established and well known here.  

Din Tai Fung is at The Star Casino, 80 Pyrmont Street, Pyrmont NSW 2009, Australia