My parents loved telling us their dating tales.  One of their favorite steakhouses back then is Cowrie Grill.  So imagine how delighted my little sister and I when we saw it at Greenhills Promenade.

Cowrie Grill has a simplistic facade.

But, it has a glass that allows one to view what's its enchanting interiors.  It has a classy bar.

And, a wonderful dining area with well-cushioned lofts and chairs, crystal lighting and private booths.


Table is set up for a fancy fine dining experience.

Food

Soups and Salads
Who needs a serenade when you can have expert chefs doing their flambe by your tableside.

Watch how our lobster medallion is flambed...

Lobster Bisque (300 php)

before they were tossed in our soup bowls.

Lobster Bisque (300 php)

Although we found it a wee bit salty, we enjoyed this warm and soothing Lobster Bisque.

Next, is our Maitre D' Caesar Salad Prepared Tableside.



The chef was nice enough to explain each ingredient as he placed and mixed them into the big wooden salad bowl. 

Maitre D' Caesar Salad Prepared Tableside (300 php)

This is one glorious Maitre D' Caesar Salad.  It has generous servings of olive oil, greens, garlic bacon and cheese which I like.  Little sister is not as fond of caesar salad as I am so I'm glad she gladly left more for me.

Signature Dishes

Angus Beef Rib US English Cut 280 grams (1,500 php)

The Angus Beef Rib US English Cut 280 grams is served with baked potato, vegetables and sauces.  We really loved how tender this is.  My little sister is such a picky eater and she usually eats just a handful portion.  But, she loved this so much that she swept her plate clean.  I managed to finish this too though I can't deny how heavy it was on my tummy.  

As expected, you can request the doneness of your steak.

Cheese and Sweet Indulgence

Baked Alaska (420 php)

We both had high expectations for the gorgeous Baked Alaska.  


We also had this flambed by our tableside (haha I guess we find fire displays quite entertaining).

Baked Alaska (420 php)

The Baked Alaska (420 php) is strawberry and vanilla ice cream, sponge cake, browned meringue and flambe with brandy.  Although it appealed to our eyes, it failed to appeal to our taste buds.  The sponge cake was too rough and dry that it failed to harmonized with the strawberry and vanilla ice cream and soft meringue.

Drinks
There are also drink selections which you can enjoy with your meal.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We definitely enjoyed our steak at Cowrie Grill.  Now, we understand why our parents love it so much. 

We've been to ramen houses and tonkosu joints but why not go to one that specializes in both?   Thus, we decided to dine at Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines one random Saturday night in Greenhills Promenade. 

It is located at the first floor, highly visible by passerby.

It has an enticing display too.

The interiors is one of a kind.  It has a nice Japanese feel because of the bamboo and wood material.

Food

Kyushu Ramen

♥  Deluxe Tampopo Black Pig Shabu Ramen (460 php)

Everyone in the family ordered the Deluxe Tampopo Black Pig Shabu Ramen because they were enticed by the 2-day boiling process of the black pork bone soup.  Kyushu is the province which Hakata district of Fukuoka City is part of.   Thus, the preparation of this is Tonkotsu or Hakata-style.  This is spicy which is evident from the chili powder so you can request for a milder version.  It comes with thin, hard and straight noodles.  The Charsiew is thinly sliced, tender and lean black Berkshire pig.  

The ♥ Tasty Egg is cooked perfectly.  Thus, I'd convince you to go for the deluxe for more toppings.

Hokkaido Ramen

♥ Deluxe Hakodate Ramen (440 php)

Unlike the white and rich Kyushu Ramen broth, the Hakodate Ramen comes with a lighter clearer yellow chicken and pork bone broth resembling that of the Chinese noodle soup because its birth is influenced by the Cantonese settlers during the Edo Era who came to Hakodate to trade seaweeds.  The Hakodate-style ramen is usually salt-based and mixed in with seafood and vegetables.  The simple light ramen is comforting enough to warm the tummy as the climate in Hakodate is not as cold as its other Hokkaido counterparts.  Tampopo's version Deluxe Hakodate Ramen is dominantly a salted chicken and pork bone broth enhanced by small dried shrimps (In Fookien, we called these hebi) and vegetables.  The noodles are thick and chewy. 
 

Pork Katsu

♥ Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu Set (750 php)

Of course, we ordered their highly marketed and best-seller Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu Set.  According to the menu, they make use of black berkshire pork from the US.  The black berkshire pork is equivalent to the kurobuta pork in Japan.

♥ Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu

It had a slight greyish shade and some fattiness.  It was tender and soft.  The coating has a nice crisp and not oily at all but nothing that would stand out to leave a lasting impression.

Black Loin Tonkatsu Set (690 php)

With 60 php less is the Black Loin Tonkatsu Set.  When you order set, you get a bowl of Miso Soup, bowl of rice and slices of fruits.  The Miso Soup is fulfilling because it has pork slices on it.

Black Loin Tonkatsu

The Black Loin Tonkatsu is dry and tougher than the Top Grade Black Pig Tonkatsu.  I'd choose the latter even if it comes with an additional price.

Don't forget to prepare and dip it into their sauce.  They also have the roasted sesame dressing for the cabbage.

 And, leave your feedback.  Their feedback form is also their chopstick wrapper.

Tsinoy Foodies Other Ramen House/Shop Reviews
Akira Restaurant 
Curry Bee Japanese Curry Shop
Hanamaruken Ramen 花丸轩  
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen
Kenji Tei Ramen House
Kitchitora 1 | Kitchitora 2
Kokoro Ramenya
Menya Genki Tonkotsu Ramen
Miso-Ten
Mitsuyado Sei-Men
Moshi Koshi 1 | Moshi Koshi 2
Rai-Rai Ken Ramen House
Ramen Bar
Ramen Cool
Ramen Ichiban-Kan
Ramen Nagi
Ramen Sora
Ramen X (Closed)
Ramen Yushoken
Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines
Takashi Japanese Cuisine
Ukkokei Ramen Ron
Wrong Ramen

Tsinoy Foodies Other Katsu Reviews
Ginza Bairin
Katsu Cafe
Kimukatsu 
Saboten
Tonkatsu by Terazawa
Yabu 1 | Yabu 2
 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'd visit Tampopo たんぽぽ Philippines for the ramen.  There's no other ramen house than can offer the same experience.  But, in terms of tonkatsu, I find it to be behind its competitors especially when considering price and quality side-by-side.  I'm also noting that their service is great.

You can probably verify from our "paellas" label that our family is a major paella enthusiast.  So our craving for it has recently brought us to Las Paellas Cafe in Greenhills Promenade.



It has an alfresco area for smokers...

and an air-conditioned area.  The casual ambiance is very low key and not as classy as other Spanish restaurants in the Metro.  It also looks more modern.  As I scanned through the menu, I could inferred that it was not authentic Spanish but Spanish fusion cuisine.


There's a chiller with various cakes displays.

Food

Paella Valenciana (1,020 php for 4 persons)

We were surprised when our Paella Valenciana when it was served.  First, it was huge for 4 persons!  And, second, it was saucy.  We thought the pricing is quite affordable.  It had lots of toppings too.  The let down was the rice variant and the sauce.  It was very "nakakumay" to eat.  We took half of this for take home.  In fairness, it tasted better when we reheated it because the sauce dried up and was absorbed by the rice.

Paella Negra (1,020 php for 4 persons)

We enjoyed the Paella Negra more than the Paella Valencia.  But, we all agreed that this paella is not worth the carb intake.  Compare to other paellas we tried, this falls among the bottom portion of the list.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Las Paellas Cafe is a so-so paella place where you can settle your paella craving when on a tight budget. On the bright side, the service is very good as the staffs are very friendly and quick to respond.

Happy Lemon has a cozy and modern interior, which makes it a good place to hang out and chit chat with friends.  However, since its usually crowded during the night time, its not the ideal place to hang out to read a book, work or study.   

Lemon Honey with Seaweed Jelly (large P80)  ♥Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese (large P90) The Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese is one of their best sellers.  Its best drank by drinking directly from the glass without using the straw.  Initially, you will taste the salty creamy foam of the rock salt and cream cheese on top of your green tea.  It will then be followed by the bitter taste of green tea.  As you drink, the cheese will no longer be as strong as your initial sip and you will get to appreciate the green tea more.   The Lemon Honey with Seaweed Jelly is your typical honeyed lemonade with their seaweed jelly.  The seaweed jelly is fun and enjoyable to eat.

Lemon Yogurt w/ Aloe (large 90php), ♥Lemon Peppermint / Nata de Coco (large 80php), Roasted Milk Tea w/ Black Pearl Sago (large 90php)

Happy Lemon