Umami Hambaagu House

The Grove by Rockwell has developed nicely over the years.  And in the past year, it has also become one of the hangouts by those in the know.  I admit that it's extremely rare that we go to The Grove, but on one random day, we paid The Grove a visit.  Why?  Because I've been hearing about Umami Hambaagu House and it got me very curious.  

Umami Hambaagu House specializes in burger steaks.  But don't confuse it with the normal burger steaks you'd find in the malls or at the fast food joints.  What's special with their burger steaks?  The secret is in the sauce.  There's just one kind of patty for the burger steak, but when applied with different sauces, you get different flavors and each one tastes unique.  Curious?  I'll let the pictures do the talking:

Cute Interiors

Cream of Corn Soup

Love their cream of corn soup.  It's very thick and flavorful.  One thing though:  it can also be very filling.

Maison du Japon (Melted Gruyere and Caramelized Onions)

Gruyere + Caramelized Onions = love.  But we didn't like the taste of the burger steak that much.  It tasted a bit... off.  Could it be that it's about to get spoiled?

Roppongi Hills (Truffle Cream)

I love anything and everything truffle, so ordering this was a no-brainer.  And I'm happy to say that the truffle scent is really evident (unlike other restaurants which serve truffle dishes with barely a hint of truffle scent). 

My whole set

The burger steaks in Umami comes in sets.  You'll get rice with a side of edamame (beans).

Crepe Cake

I actually got excited when I found out they had crepe cake.  But sadly, this was the major fail of the night.  The crepe was too thick and dry.  We had to send this back.  

Overall, I'd give Umami Hambaagu House a 3 out of 5.  I'm happy with the different choices they have, but they'd have to improve on the quality of their burger steak.  After all, the most important ingredient is the burger steak, right?

Umami Hambaagu House is at The Grove by Rockwell, C5 Ugong, Pasig.

Outfit of the Week: Gentleman

My outfit for this week is inspired by PSY's "Gentleman".  Have you guys seen the music video yet?  That song has been on constant playback on my phone last weekend and I still have LSS (last song syndrome) right now!  Ah, the power of PSY.  Actually, I've been obsessed with the harem pants for a while back now.  This pair I'm wearing has actually been sitting in my closet for quite some time; I just haven't found a creative way of wearing them without looking too sloppy.  The failure of finding something interesting and blog-worthy made me search farther into my closet and voila!  I found my harem pants!  And just in time too, since I've watched the "Gentleman" video one too many times.  Besides, I've been wearing too much girly stuff lately so I think it's about time I go a little bit out of my comfort zone.  So how do you like my outfit?  Did I pull it off?  Would like your opinion!  Sound off at the comments please :)

Top:  H&M
Pants:  Zara
Bag:  Alexander Wang
Shoes:  Ever New
Necklace:  Forever 21

Zalora

Guys (and some girls), I know how you stress over shopping for yourself and loved ones.  Believe me, I've had my fair share of groans from friends and family members whenever I want to drag them out shopping (sniff, guess not everyone's a shopaholic like me!).  A number of people do not find joy in braving the shopping crowds.  Or queuing at the fitting room, then at the cashier.  They also hate the long lines at the parking.  Can't blame them. Sometimes you just want to sit back and relax.  So what do you do?  Simple.  Log on to zalora.com.ph and be amazed by what they offer.  They have literally EVERYTHING.  Clothing?  Check.  Accessories?  Check. Sports Equipment?  Check.  Makeup?  Check.  And yes, Home and Living stuff too. They even have the brands you'd normally find at the malls, plus others that aren't, so you'll get the best of both worlds.  How's that for convenience?  All you have to do is shop, pay, and wait for delivery!  Or you can also choose to pay upon delivery.  Simple as that.  

Here's some things that are currently on my shopping wishlist:

For the girls (Ok who am I kidding?  For me. Haha!) :

Collective.com Mykonos Overlay Cocktail Dress

Spring Fling Set Blouse and Skirt

Wanderlust Arabian Summer V-Neck Coverup

q-JAYS Black Earphones

For the guys:

Mick + Marty Skulls Print Shirt

VOI Jeans 5 Pocket Nep Denim with Printed Pocket Detail

BNY Coated Jacket

Bellfield Poole Chino Short

Nike Zoom Kobe VII System

For friends:

Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Anti-Bacterial Gentle Foaming Hand Soap

OPI The Living Daylights Nail Polish

Quirks Novelties & Curiosities Undercover Tablet Sleeve

The Ramp Dainty Pearl Necklace

For the parents:

Cross Fountain Pen ATX Pearlescent White

Scribe Writing Essentials Personal Seal Set

The Leather Collection Et Tu Journal

Logic3 i-Station Soundbar

Halo WOYA Laptop Bag

For the kids:

Hop Bop Building Block Spoon & Fork Set

Kidscape Collapsible Hamper

The Ramp Kids Cheska Dress

For the house:

BC Fragrances Room Fragrance Orange Blossom

Quirks Novelties & Curiosities Thirsty Bird Water Dispenser Red

Tetropack Rubik Coaster

They have really great stuff, don't you agree?  And that's just a few of the thousands of items they offer!  So I would strongly encourage you to go check out their site.

Problem with your item?  Got the wrong size?  Or the fit just isn't right?  No problem.  Give them a call or email them within 30 days and they would gladly pick up the item and exchange them for free!  Oh, and did I mention free shipping for orders above Php1000?  Online shopping in the Philippines just got upgraded!

Sign up now at Zalora and get Php250 off your order when you shop at zalora.com.ph.  If that doesn't convince you, then how about flash sales?  By signing up, Zalora will email you all the current promos so that you won't get left out!

So what are you still waiting for?  Click on this link now and start shopping!  Click, click, click! 

Photo Credit:  All photos from www.zalora.com.ph

I'm Angus Steakhouse

Steaks are a hungry man's best friend.  And on one fateful day, I found out that steaks are a hungry woman's best friend too.  That was the day that I discovered I'm Angus Steakhouse.

From the outside, it looks like just another steakhouse.  I might even say it looks... too simple.  And honestly, I wasn't expecting much.  But we've passed by one too many times and curiosity got the better of us.  So... instead of passing by again, this time, we went in.

Complimentary Appetizer

Some kinda sausage.  I wasn't paying much attention when the server placed it in front of us (my bad!), but all I can say is, it's pretty good.  Would've asked for seconds but I'm not sure if it's allowed.  Plus, we were preparing for a full meal ahead.

Complimentary Bread

The complimentary bread was ok.  I wanted soft rolls but they didn't have any so I had this instead.    

French Onion Soup

Didn't like the french onion soup too much.  It was lacking in taste and I don't like my onions to be all chopped up.  A bit too watery too.

...and for our mains, we had this:

Sirloin Steak

Ribeye Steak

Okay.  NOW we're talking.  Hubby had the sirloin steak cooked medium and I had the ribeye steak cooked medium well.  Hats off to the chef because they cooked our steaks perfectly.  And what's more, the doneness was all throughout (see picture above).  Meaning, my medium well was medium well on the sides and still medium well at the middle, unlike other restaurants which give you varying doneness on the same piece of steak.  We were both very much impressed.  The steaks were pretty juicy; tender and flavorful too.  Another thing:  I cannot stop raving about their shredded corn!  Simply the best shredded corn I've tasted.  I don't know what technique they use in cooking their corn, but whatever it is, they're doing it right.  It's the juiciest and sweetest corn you'll ever taste.  

The verdict?  I was blown away.  Who would've thought that I'd find a gem somewhere along the simple streets of Yakal?  If money grew on trees, then you'd find me there every single day.  The BEST steakhouse in the Philippines (at least for me!).  5 out of 5 stars!

P.S.  Every Wednesday and Saturday night, I'm Angus Steakhouse offers Prime Rib Night.  For Php 980 net, you get US certified angus prime rib served with salad, sides, and a glass of Argentinean wine.  NOT to be missed.  Wait for my review!

I'm Angus Steakhouse is in 7431 Yakal St. San Antonio, Makati City.

Outfit of the Week: Shirtdress Dressing

Shirtdresses are the most versatile pieces that you can own in your closet!  Yes, that is a statement and I hereby declare it to be true.  LOL.  Huge plus:  it's easy to dress it up or down, and it's definitely one of the no brainer outfits.  Put it on and you're good to go!  Going to my first statement, how versatile, you ask?  For a more casual look, you can opt to wear the shirtdress on its own.  But for a more polished look, dress it up with a belt (like what I did below).  You can also wear them opened with shorts and a tank top, or use them as a beach coverup.  Seriously, there's a million things you can do with them, and I cannot put into words how much I looooove them.  I'm sure my closet will agree too because I have them in all sorts of material, prints and cuts!  So next time you're at a loss for something to wear, why not go for a shirtdress?  Here's to hoping you love them as much as I do!

Dress:  Monki
Shoes:  Topshop
Bag:  Bottega Veneta
Belt:  Hermes

Brown's Gourmet Chicken

"Why did the chicken cross the road?"  Answer:  "Because you didn't effin' cook it!!!"  LOL.  I read this in one of my Facebook feeds.  Apparently, this was one of Gordon Ramsey's rants on his hit show "Hell's Kitchen".  I don't really follow the show, too much swearing and bad vibes.  Anywayyyyy before we get off path, the chicken reference was because of a new discovery:  Brown's Gourmet Chicken!  To those of you who frequent the new Greenhills Town Center, you surely know what I'm talking about.  And if you're a huge roast chicken and can't get enough of the old favorites like S&R Chicken and Chooks To Go, then I would definitely recommend this place to you. 

Here's what we had:

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Roast Chicken

Carbonara

Hungry yet?  I'm sure you're curious if Brown's Chicken tastes as good as it looks.  The verdict?  A huge YES!  The skin is sweet and peppery, and the meat is oh so tender (yes, even the breast part!).  Other dishes like the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Carbonara are pretty good too.  I just wish they use better rice for the Hainanese Chicken Rice.  More quality control for the Carbonara too.  The first time we tried it, it was perfect.  The second time, it was a tad too salty, but good nonetheless.Overall I give Brown's Chicken a 4.5 out of 5 stars!  Been there multiple times and their chicken never ever disappoints.  There's a new chicken player in town.  And don't worry.  At Brown's, you won't see any chickens crossing the road anytime soon :)Brown's Chicken is at the Greenhills Town Center, 2 Granada St cor. Valencia, Quezon City

Crystal Jade

During the stay in F1 Hotel last Holy Week, Hubby and I were on a hunt for a restaurant during dinner.  We passed by one of the newest restaurants among the Bonifacio High Street Central block, Crystal Jade.  For those of you who are not familiar with Crystal Jade, it is a Singapore-based restaurant which specializes in Chinese dishes, also famous for their xiao long bao.  When the thought of xiao long bao entered my mind, the growling in my tummy began, so I said to Hubby, why not?  Although we weren't very much impressed by their Greenhills branch, we were willing to give this one a try.  Hey, maybe the chefs are better here!

Already seated at the table, Hubby and I were given the menus.  With the xiao long bao in my mind, naturally, I looked for a page with the xiao long baos.  It took me a whole menu scan twice before I realized that they didn't have it.  I still refused to admit it, so I asked one of the servers if they have the dish to which she replied "No, we don't serve xiao long bao here.  It's a more formal dining set-up here so the xiao long baos are only available in the Greenhills branch".  WHAT.  Impossible.  How can a Crystal Jade not have their signature dish?!  It's like Burger King without burgers.  Jollibee without Chickenjoy.  Mcdonald's without fries.  You get my drift.  It took all my self control for me not to get up and leave.  I just wanted the xiao long bao and there's none.  But we were already seated.  And it was getting late.  So we just decided on a few dishes and thought of eating somewhere else after that.  Here's what we had:

Deep Fried Beancurd with Salt & Pepper

BBQ Combination (3 varieties)

Sauteed Egg White with Fish Meat & Conpoy

And the verdict?  Everything we ordered were pretty delicious.  Except the duck in the BBQ combination.  It was tough and dry.  But the biggest shocker was when the bill was delivered to us.  Php 1500++ for 3 dishes?!  Don't let the pictures fool you, these dishes were on the small side.  And there was just 6 small pieces for each of the 3 BBQ combination.  We counted.  So I don't think it warrants the price tag.

Overall, I'd give Crystal Jade a 4 out of 5 stars.  The price?  A negative 1.  Don't get me wrong, I'm not being cheap here.  Eaten much things that costs way more but I just think that the food we ate plainly isn't value for money.  I could think of a hundred more restaurants where my Php 1500 will be worth it.   

Crystal Jade is at Bonifacio High Street Central, 30th corner 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.