Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop: Authentic Mediterranean Dinner (Jupiter Makati)
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
The family is constantly in search of new gastronomic adventures so for my mom's birthday I book us a reservation at Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop. I found this restaurant through Tripadvisor. This is one of the rare halal restaurants in the Metro. It's conveniently found at the heart of Makati too.
It has a huge green and white sign.
But, it took as awhile upon parking to notice that the entrance is at the side as it is located on the second floor above 7-11.
It was surprisingly very spacious and segregated into two parts: the cafe area with small table able well-cushion loft seats with a window view of Jupiter Street.
and the dining area with big round black tables near the kitchen and the frozen fish display area. There were foreign customers at the cafe area but we were the only group at the dining area. Did I mention they are open 24 hours?
The supervisor welcomed us and was quite hospitable but for the first time ever we've encountered this peculiar problem: they ran out of utensils so half of our group had to use plastic utensils (which was bought from 7-11). The supervisor was kept apologizing about it stating that Middle Easterners only use their hands when eating. Is this true? So with plastic spoon and forks at hand, let's proceed to the food. We occupied 4 big round tables. And, there were many seating yet to be availed of so the shortage really surprised us.
Food
Cold Appetizers
Since our table wanted to try as much as we could of the menu selection starting with the appetizer, we ordered the Mixed Al Batra Appetizer. It had Hummos (chickpeas and oil), Mutable (mashed eggplant oven baked with yogurt in olive oil), Tabula (mix chops vegetable salad with burgol seasoning in olive oil), Green Salad (carrots, tomatoes, cucumber,special spices olive oil) served with 2 Al Batra Bread. Although I usually love flat bread, the Al Batra Bread did not appeal to my liking because it was neither soft nor crunchy. We also wanted to try the Sambusa best seller but out of stock.
Main Dishes
We had no idea that the Meat Biryani would be goat meat with biryani spices in biryani rice. I was the only one who appreciate this.
Being a curry enthusiast, I ordered the Chicken Curry. It was good but it failed to stand out against the rest of our orders.
I'd never imagine myself ordering Broasted Chicken in a Middle Eastern before but our excited parents were so sold by our table's server that they ordered one for each table. I'm glad they did because it was really good! It was served with fries but we opted for rice.
Grilled
My cousins husband Matt who was the only man on our
table was yearning for some meat so we ordered the Meat Kebab.
The Meat Kebab is served covered under two thick and warm Al Batra Bread.
It was tender and succulent. It is one of the best kebab I've ever
tried!
The Lamb Chops was served skewer-style with grilled onions
and bell peppers in between but without the stick.
The Lamb Chops was another hit
among us! But, the experience would have been less tiring if we were
not using plastic utensils to dissect the big chunks.
Fresh Seafood
As soon as we arrived at Al Batra, my uncle was enthusiastic about their very affordable fresh seafood so he ordered one steamed Hammour (commonly known to us as Lapu-Lapu) for each table. I usually encounter steamed Lapu-Lapu during our lauriat Chinese dinners but I have to admit, this tops all of those. They use different herbs and spices which works like magic. It was cooked with outstanding precision too. All tables were amazed with the soft, moist yet solid consistency of our beautiful steamed Hammour.
Rice
Kabsa Rice is a tomato based rice. It's my first time to try this but it felt as familiar as eating any tomato-based stew with rice.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for impressive authentic Mediterranean cuisine, definitely try Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop. We were all very satisfied with all our orders. It is one of the best we've tried. We'd love to come back... Hopefully they have utensils enough for us by then and the air-conditioning is better.
It has a huge green and white sign.
But, it took as awhile upon parking to notice that the entrance is at the side as it is located on the second floor above 7-11.
It was surprisingly very spacious and segregated into two parts: the cafe area with small table able well-cushion loft seats with a window view of Jupiter Street.
and the dining area with big round black tables near the kitchen and the frozen fish display area. There were foreign customers at the cafe area but we were the only group at the dining area. Did I mention they are open 24 hours?
The supervisor welcomed us and was quite hospitable but for the first time ever we've encountered this peculiar problem: they ran out of utensils so half of our group had to use plastic utensils (which was bought from 7-11). The supervisor was kept apologizing about it stating that Middle Easterners only use their hands when eating. Is this true? So with plastic spoon and forks at hand, let's proceed to the food. We occupied 4 big round tables. And, there were many seating yet to be availed of so the shortage really surprised us.
Food
Cold Appetizers
Mixed Al Batra Appetizer Small (180 php) |
Main Dishes
Meat Biryani (450 php) |
Chicken Curry (390 php) |
♥ Broasted Chicken (360 php) |
Grilled
♥ Meat Kebab Small (300 php) |
♥ Meat Kebab Small (300 php) |
♥ Lamb Chops Small (390 php) |
♥ Lamb Chops Small (390 php) |
Fresh Seafood
♥ Hammour (Lapu Lapu) (100 php/100 grams) |
Rice
Kabsa Rice (120 php) |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're looking for impressive authentic Mediterranean cuisine, definitely try Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop. We were all very satisfied with all our orders. It is one of the best we've tried. We'd love to come back... Hopefully they have utensils enough for us by then and the air-conditioning is better.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | Hot Appetizers | Cold Appetizers | Soup | Bakeries | Breakfast | Side Dishes | Main Dishes | Grilled | Sandwiches | Pizza | Rice | Pasta | Drinks | Drinks 2 | |
Taste | ★★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop | |
Business Address | 2F, A.M Flores Building, Makati Avenue corner Constellation Street, Makati City, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 24 hours |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 250-500 |
Free WiFi | No |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (02) 403-5552 |
Other | Facebook Fan Page |
Al Batra Restaurant & Coffee Shop Map Like This Post? Subscribe here Follow @tsinoyfoodies
A few weeks ago, I was invited to sample Solaire Resorts and Casino's Anniversary Offers from its six dining establishments.
Finestra
Waterside Resto Bar
Check out my other dining experience at Waterside Resto Bar here.
Oasis Garden Cafe
The Butter Scotch Macaron Cake is layers of almond caramel filled with caramel and butterscotch parfait and roasted almonds. The Blondies with Roasted mango and Avocado is glazed Blondies, avocado panacotta, roasted fresh mango. The Strawberry Chiffon Cake is vanilla mascaporne filling, fresh strawberries.
Check out my other relaxing experience at Oasis Garden Cafe here.
Red Lantern
Yakumi
Strip Steakhouse
Try these anniversary specials while you can. They will be available for the whole month of March, 2015.
Finestra
Saltimbocca Alla Sorrentina |
Paella Valenciana |
Surf & Turf (Hanger Steak, Salmon, Pork Ribs, and Prawns) |
Humita |
Potato Carbonara |
Check out my other dining experience at Waterside Resto Bar here.
Oasis Garden Cafe
Butter Scotch Macaron Cake, Blondies with Roasted mango and Avocado and Strawberry Chiffon Cake |
Check out my other relaxing experience at Oasis Garden Cafe here.
Red Lantern
Wuxi Braised Ribs |
Ehou Maki |
Pastrami-Spiced Black Angus Beef Short Ribs |
Solaire Resort and Casino | |
Business Address | 1 Asean Avenue, Entertainment City, Tambo, Paranaque City, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 24 hours |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 800-3,000 |
Free WiFi | Yes |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (02) 888-8888 |
Other | Website | Facebook Fan Page |
Solaire Resort and Casino Map Like This Post? Subscribe here Follow @tsinoyfoodies
Osaka Ohsho's Launches All New Teppanyaki Festival (SM Mega Fashion Hall)
Mandaluyong, 1550 Metro Manila, Philippines
This is my nth visit at Osaka Ohsho because there's always something new to try in addition to their famous gyoza. (see my previous visits here and here) Osaka Ohsho has recently launched there teppanyaki festival offerings.
Teppanyaki Festival
The Mixed Shellfish Teppanyaki offers the treasures of the sea: ocean fresh scallops, mussels and clams seasoned with garlic and Japanese sake then sauteed in a Japanese onion sauce served with sauteed mixed vegetables. This is so good that I couldn't stop tossing more of it unto my mouth.
Fish lovers will surely be delighted with the Sakana Matsuri (Fish Festival) Teppanyaki composed of Norweigan pink salmon, Pacific Blue Marlin and Yellow Fin Tuna steaks in butter, garlic and Japanese Sake. For staple and veggies, it has thin slices of asparagus, potatoes and carrots on the center.
Get the best of the land and sea with the Salmon Bacon Teppanyaki (310 php). A serving has 5 pieces of fresh Norweigan pink salmon wrapped in premium honey cured belly bacon strips glazed with Japanese teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with diced spring onions.
The Bacon Cut Pork Belly Aparagus Teppanyaki is another winning option with its crunchy asparagus spears wrapped in savory sweet sukiyaki and teriyaki sliced pork belly strips covered in sesame seeds and spring onions.
Carnivores have the Sake Beef Teppanyaki to satisfy their meaty cravings. It is sauteed sukiyaki sliced beef in Japanese sake, garlic and butter with a side of Japanese Coleslaw.
The bold tasting Mixed Mushroom & Bacon Teppanyaki is a must try. Don't forget to dip this tantlizing roll of shitake, shimeji brown and eringi Japanese mushrooms, asparagus spears in honey-cured belly bacon strips in their original tangy Japanese Urinchi Sauce.
The Prawn Teppanyaki (495 php) in butter and garlic is amazingly good when dipped in their Japanese Wasabi Mayo dip. I so love the Wasabi Mayo dip that I'd recommend having the other dishes with it.
The Ika Sugataki is soft sliced mildly spiced squid rings served with stir fried vegetables. I found this quite addictive so yes, I finished this to the very last bit.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm glad that Osaka Ohsho added these to their menu. I'd gladly have them again especially the Mixed Shellfish Teppanyaki together with the Original Gyoza and the dessert Peanut Butter and Banana Gyoza.
Teppanyaki Festival
Mixed Shellfish Teppanyaki (325 php) |
Sakana Matsuri (Fish Festival) Teppanyaki (420 php) |
Get the best of the land and sea with the Salmon Bacon Teppanyaki (310 php). A serving has 5 pieces of fresh Norweigan pink salmon wrapped in premium honey cured belly bacon strips glazed with Japanese teriyaki sauce and sprinkled with diced spring onions.
The Bacon Cut Pork Belly Aparagus Teppanyaki is another winning option with its crunchy asparagus spears wrapped in savory sweet sukiyaki and teriyaki sliced pork belly strips covered in sesame seeds and spring onions.
Sake Beef Teppanyaki (330 php) |
Mixed Mushroom & Bacon Teppanyaki (310 php) |
The Prawn Teppanyaki (495 php) in butter and garlic is amazingly good when dipped in their Japanese Wasabi Mayo dip. I so love the Wasabi Mayo dip that I'd recommend having the other dishes with it.
Ika Sugataki (250 php) |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm glad that Osaka Ohsho added these to their menu. I'd gladly have them again especially the Mixed Shellfish Teppanyaki together with the Original Gyoza and the dessert Peanut Butter and Banana Gyoza.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Osaka Ohsho Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | Gyoza | Appetizers | Salads | Stir Fry | Vegetables | Yakimono | Teppanyaki | New Teppanyaki 1 | New Teppanyaki 2 | Agemono | Rice | Noodles | Afternoon and Kiddie Sets | Set 1 | Set 2 | Chahan Set 1 | Fuwatora Set | Curry Set | New Fuwatora Desserts | Drinks | Donburi Festival | Sukiyaki Festival |
Taste | ★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Osaka Ohsho | |
Business Address | 3/F SM Megamall Fashion Hall (Megamall D) Julia Vargas Ave cor. EDSA Wack Wack, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 10am-9pm (mall hours) |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 300-1,500 |
Free WiFi | Yes (SM WiFi) |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (0917) 828-5011 |
Other | Facebook Fan Page |
Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante: Authentic Spanish Cuisine (Greenbelt 2 Makati)
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
When it comes to Spanish cuisine, Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante has already established its name industry. Thus, the family aware of its consistent quality has come back for another revisit.
It is located in Greenbelt 2 beside Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar. Upon entry, we were welcomed and ushered to seats. It has a very serene feel despite being packed for that Saturday night.
I wonder how many bottles of wines are stored on their wall display.
Food
Upon
being seated, we made our usual orders and soon a Complimentary Bread Basket was laid before us served with olive oil. The warm bread is
pleasing and filling to the tummy.
Tapas (Appetizers)
The Gambas Al Ajillo is my favorite. It is drenched in smooth and buttery olive oil with loads of garlic bits.
The Tapa is slighty oily but pleasantly flavorful and tender. It has lots of white onion rings that adds a complementing crunch and spice to the cured meat. You can lessen the oiliness by dipping it on the vinegar. My mom loves this dish.
Sopas (Soup)
We're genuinely garlic lovers so the Sopa de Ajo is another favorite!
Ensaladas
The Ensalada Del Cesar is our.default order for greens.
Arros y Pasta (Rice and Pasta
The Paella Valenciana is saffron-and-tomato-spiced Spanish bomba rice topped with pork, chicken, mussels, shrimps, chorizo, egg, bell peppers, peas and beans. I'm very impressed with this one! This definitely deserves to be on my best list when it comes to paella valenciana.
The Paella Negra is a good rendition too. But, I prefer the PaellaValenciana over it.
Postres
In terms of the texture of the churros, their Curros Con Chocolate is the best one I've had so far. It was crispy, light as a feather and not oily at all. The chocolate dip is good too. The consistency was neither too thick or diluted and the flavor was rich and bitter-sweet.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm very pleased with the food quality and service of Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Resturante as always. If you're looking for a good place for Spanish dining, Casa Armas should be on the top of your list as proven by its years of recognition.
It is located in Greenbelt 2 beside Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar. Upon entry, we were welcomed and ushered to seats. It has a very serene feel despite being packed for that Saturday night.
I wonder how many bottles of wines are stored on their wall display.
Food
Complimentary Bread Basket |
Tapas (Appetizers)
♥ Gambas Al Ajillo (365 php) |
Tapa (250 php) |
Sopas (Soup)
♥ Sopa de Ajo (195 php) |
We're genuinely garlic lovers so the Sopa de Ajo is another favorite!
Ensaladas
Ensalada Del Cesar (310 php) |
Arros y Pasta (Rice and Pasta
♥ Paella Valenciana Half (695 php) |
Paella Negra Half (635 php) |
Postres
♥ Curros Con Chocolate (150 php) |
In terms of the texture of the churros, their Curros Con Chocolate is the best one I've had so far. It was crispy, light as a feather and not oily at all. The chocolate dip is good too. The consistency was neither too thick or diluted and the flavor was rich and bitter-sweet.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm very pleased with the food quality and service of Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Resturante as always. If you're looking for a good place for Spanish dining, Casa Armas should be on the top of your list as proven by its years of recognition.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★★ | Tapas | Pinxtos | Tablas | Verbena | Mariscos | Arros | Pasta | Pollo | Pescado | Sopas | Ensaladas | Huevos y Tortillas | Bocadillos | Platos Especiales | Postres | |
Taste | ★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante | |
Business Address | G/F Greenbelt 2, Esperanza st., Ayala Center, Makati City, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 10am-9pm (mall hours) |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 500-1,500 |
Free WiFi | No |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (02) 757-4996 |
Other | Website | Facebook Fan Page |
Curry House Coco Ichibanya: Now in the Philippines (Estancia Mall Capitol Commons Pasig)
Philippines
Curry House Coco Ichibanya originated in Nagoya in 1978. It has now grown to a global brand with over 1,300 branches worldwide. It is brought to the Philippines by Hubert Young, the same guy behind UCC, Mitsuyado Sei-Men, Sakae Sushi and many more.
Curry House Coco Ichibanya is located at the basement level of the new Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons in Pasig. The seating capacity is limited but their fast preparation time and turn over will allow them to cater to many diners.
It has the food display that's typical for casual dining Japanese restauants.
On the table is a tray for utensils and napkins, pickled radish, hot spicy powder and their feedback forms.
Food
Original Curry
For every curry dish, you can decide the spicy level and amount of rice serving. You can also add some toppings. The toppings in this case is the Shrimp Cutlet which is not usually offered even in a Tonkatsu restaurant here in the Metro so I was eager to try it out. I'm glad I did because I enjoyed it. You can also add for soup, drinks and salad which we chose to pass on.
Omelet Curry
The Omelet Curry dishes are limited only to two spicy levels: Mild and Standard. The Pork Cutlet was good but I can't say it's better than the leading katsu brands already here. The omelet was
soft and fluffy and filled with Japanese rice. It's fluffiness actually gives you the impression that you're eating something light until you feel the fullness of your belly. I was quite surprised that I found the 200g rice already quite heavy... The 200g is 100g less than their standard and default 300g. I
can't imagine how big of a serving their 600g is.
The Beef cubes as you can see are thick and chunky but tender and easy to bite through.
I chose to add Spinach and Mushroom to the Beef Curry Omelet. This allowed me to chose from the full range of spicy levels that I can mix together with the boring Standard Curry Sauce. I chose Medium Hot so I could appreciate the topping components still. After trying it, I regretted not going for the upper limits. Good thing, one
of my companions ordered the Super Hot. Unlike the usual curry which was
dominated by peppery flavor, that one has a nice spicy kick that zizzles
and lingers on your mouth. On my next visit, I'll try the hottest of the hottest: the Crazy Hot.
Meat Curry
The Cheese Hamburger Curry is their best seller so you can't miss it out.
Oozing with cheese, how can it not be good right? For a wholesome meaty meal, we thought adding Sausage was a good idea. This is one of the best combos you can make. Both are winners in my book.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Curry House Coco Ichibanya is a must try! No wonder it grew so fast, it serves really good curry dishes. I found myself swiping the curry sauce clean in every each meal. Even on a dry run, the food was served speedily. No doubt this will surely gain followers soon.
Curry House Coco Ichibanya is located at the basement level of the new Estancia Mall in Capitol Commons in Pasig. The seating capacity is limited but their fast preparation time and turn over will allow them to cater to many diners.
It has the food display that's typical for casual dining Japanese restauants.
On the table is a tray for utensils and napkins, pickled radish, hot spicy powder and their feedback forms.
Food
Original Curry
Cheese Curry (260 php) with Shrimp Cutlet (180 php) with 200g rice (-20 php) with Medium Hot Curry Sauce |
Omelet Curry
Pork Cutlet Omelet Curry (360 php) with 200g rice (-20 php) with Standard Curry Sauce |
Beef Curry Omelet (330 php) with Standard Curry Sauce |
Spinach (80 php) and Mushroom (80 php) with Medium Hot Curry Sauce |
Meat Curry
Cheese Hamburger Curry (360 php) with Sausage (130 php) with Medium Hot Curry Sauce |
Cheese Hamburger Curry (360 php) with Sausage (130 php) with Medium Hot Curry Sauce |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Curry House Coco Ichibanya is a must try! No wonder it grew so fast, it serves really good curry dishes. I found myself swiping the curry sauce clean in every each meal. Even on a dry run, the food was served speedily. No doubt this will surely gain followers soon.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Curry House Coco Ichibanya Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | Salad | Omelet Curry | Original Curry | Seafood Curry | Meat Curry | Meat Curry 2 | Meat Curry 3 | Vegetable Curry | Combinations | Hashed Beef | Recommended | |
Taste | ★★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Curry House Coco Ichibanya | |
Business Address | Basement Level, Estancia Mall Capitol Commons, Oranbo Pasig City, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 11am-9pm (mall hours) |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 350-800 |
Free WiFi | Yes (Estancia Mall Free WiFi) |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | |
Other | Facebook Fan Page | Instagram |
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