On every occasion and even on random days, the family loves to gather to eat, play and hang out.  As you can probably infer from my blog posts, sometimes we eat out.  On other times, we cook out.  I don't know how we actually come up with the theme.  But, it's probably based on our moods and ingredient availability like our barbecue grill night out in the garden, seafood night's when we are able to buy fresh seafood on bargain price from the nearby dampa.  And, recently, when my relatives came home with 10 kilos worth of Australian steak and abalone, we had Australian food night. 

We really prefer just a house party.  Because after, we could all watch a movie.  Recenlty we're into playing video games or board games more.  

There are a number of times when we want to have a house party but are lazy to cook.  Our resolution for that it to implement a potluck system.  One of those times, I suggested bringing over Stevie's Hainanese Chicken.

I just googled it on the net and found their fan page along with their contact number.  I called and ordered for 3 Traditional Rice Sets.  We picked it up hot on our preferred time at 21 Libra Street in Bel Air Village in Makati.  The guard pretty much knows where it is and pointed it out to us upon entry.

One Traditional Rice Set includes: 1 whole chicken, 5 cups of rice and 4 sauces: topping, chili, ginger and sweet soy.
Upon opening the chicken package, it's fragrant steamy essence captivated and enticed everyone to try it.  And, upon trying,  everyone was impressed!  Even my cousin who stayed and studied in Singapore gave her approval. 

It was very succulent and flavorful.  Prior to this, Tao Yuan tops our list for Hainanese Chicken.  Now, I think this is a close tie with that.


I really like their packaging.  It has a label so it's basically fool-proof.

And, it makes it easy to open and ready to serve as well.


The Hainanese Chicken Rice is the best one I've had yet!

We didn't reheat because we consumed them right after pick up.  But, it has instruction on how to reheat it even after a day.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you want to impress your guests, then bring them some Stevie's Hainanese Chicken!  This is a definite must try!

Stevie's Hainanese Chicken
Pick-Up Address	21 Libra Street in Bel Air Village Makati, Metro Manila
Contact	(02) 896-8940 | (0906) 508-4155
Other	Facebook Fan Page
Business Hours	By Appointment
Payment Options	Cash
Product Price Range	980-1,130

Every since the family has tried Kumori Japanese Bakery, we've been a fan!  Their Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake has been our first choice for pasalubong whenever in SM Makati or Landmark.  Recently, I discovered that Kumori has an equally awesome product which is their Toyohashi Pudding.

Toyohashi Pudding Chocolate (98 php), Toyohashi Pudding Matcha (98 php) and Toyohashi Pudding Original (98 php)

As much as we Filipinos love Leche Flan, the Japanese love their Purin, their version of egg custard.  In Japan, you can buy them at convenient stores, supermarkets and train stations.  When we were kids, we used to buy them at Japanese grocery stores in Little Tokyo and Cartimar too.  But, after trying many brands, we can't seem to find one that satisfies us to buy again.  

Toyohashi Pudding Matcha (98 php), Toyohashi Pudding Chocolate (98 php) and Toyohashi Pudding Original (98 php)

As the name implies, I guess this pudding receipe is from Toyohashi in Japan.  Kumori's secret in making these delicious Toyohashi Pudding is baking them precisely making use of farm fresh eggs and premium buttermilk cream.

Toyohashi Pudding Matcha (98 php), Toyohashi Pudding Chocolate (98 php) and Toyohashi Pudding Original (98 php)

Each of the different flavors has a distinct feature.  The Toyohashi Pudding Matcha has a bold matcha flavor.  It was not sweet at all.  It's not flawlessly smooth as you can feel the fine matcha powder subtly which was added a sensational pleasure to the tongue.  The Toyohashi Pudding Chocolate is so good!  It was so dark and rich and melts in your mouth.  I really can't decide which is of the two is the best for me.  I'm completely torn. LOL!

Toyohashi Pudding Matcha (98 php), Toyohashi Pudding Chocolate (98 php) and Toyohashi Pudding Original (98 php)

My little sister loves the Toyohashi Pudding Original.  This is the best for her.  If you like the classic sweet caramel sauce, then the Toyohashi Pudding Original.  Plus, it has a perfect smooth, silky, creamy and melts in your mouth texture that beats the others.

Kumori Japanese Bakery
Business Address	SM Makati Basement Makati Metro Manila Landmark Makati Basement Makati Metro Manila
Business Hours	10am-9pm (mall hours)
Payment Options	Cash
Product Price Range	30-800

A few weeks ago, I received a gift box from Kumori Japanese Bakery.  It came with a nice brochure and an assortment of pastries for sampling.

According to my siblings who know a bit of the Japanese language, Kumori means "cloudy".  You can also imply that from their scribbled cloud logo.

Soft Matcha Bun (48 php), Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun (58 php), Salmon Bonito (65 php), Croissant (55 php), Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake (240 php/box)

Kumori is BIG in Japan.  I'm so glad it's now here in the Philippines for us to try.  Kumori offers natural, fresh and quality cakes and pastries.


The family loved it so much that we actually visited it as much as we could.  They currently have a stall in SM Makati and Landmark.

Aside from cakes and pastries, there also have puddings.

While we found some selection to be affordable, there are also expensive ones.

Soft Matcha Bun (48 php), Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun (58 php), Salmon Bonito (65 php), Croissant (55 php), Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake (240 php/box)

Evey thing we tried was good.  My brother liked the Fuwa-Fuwa Cream Bun.  He said "fuwa-fuwa" is kind of a bouncy sound effect in Japanese and that's really what you can expect from this fluffy bun.  All of us loved the Salmon Bonito because of the rich coating and the delicious salmon filling.
 

Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake (240 php/box)

But, what really blew us away was the Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake which comes in original and chocolate.  As you can see the packaging for take out is superb.  It even has a cool pack beneath.  

Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake Original (48 php)

The Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake Original is a half-baked Japanese style cheesecake that is perfectly in harmony with different textures and consistency: light, fluffy and cream.  Seriously this is a MUST TRY!  You haven't lived your life if you haven't tried this.  I can't have enough of this and want more of it! =p

Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake Chocolate (48 php)

The Signature Hanjuku Cheesecake Chocolate is just as good.  The chocolate is not sweet but bitter sweet - just the way I like it.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm so glad Kumori Japanese Bakery is here.  I now know where I can go when I have a Japanese Cheesecake craving.  I hope they offers discounts, frequency cards or bread sales though as some items can be a bit pricey and I still want to try them.  We'll surely try their cakes for our future occasions.