The Best Steak in San Pablo City

Me and Ilyn were fortunate enough to be invited to try out the menu of a restaurant being developed by friends here in San Pablo City. It's actually already semi-open, but not yet for the general public. It started out as a simple cafe for customers of a spa, but they're now trying to expand it into a full blown restaurant/art gallery.

The owner clearly not only loves cooking but is dedicated to providing the best they could possibly offer.

Our meal started out with an appetizer consisting of wheat pandesal with olive oil/balsamic vinegar dip. I didn't finish it because I didn't want to be full before I finished our meal. I did finish the salad which came next, which consisted of lettuce, alfalfa sprouts, baby arugula, candied walnuts, grapes, and orange. I liked it because it was different from the kinds of salad usually served in San Pablo restaurants (to be honest, I'm kind of tired of Ceasar and Greek salads) and it was very light and refreshing.

Next came Potato soup with croutons. Like the salad, it was very light and of an appropriate amount that didn't threaten to overwhelm the main dish, which was the steak.

The steak was an 8oz Rib Eye cooked medium rare which comes with gravy and mashed potatoes or rice. This, as far as I know, the only restaurant in San Pablo which serves steak specifying weight and one of the few that allows you to choose doneness. For example, you cannot specify doneness with Si Christina's steak. It comes in only one: well done. When I tried it, I was disappointed because it came out as super well done (meaning burnt). For a price tag of more than P1000, I think they could do a better job and get a better quality steak. You can choose doneness with Simple Treat's steak, but it's so thin sometimes it doesn't matter if you choose medium rare because it comes out as well done no matter what.

This 8oz Rib Eye was perfectly medium rare, and it's the softest steak I ever had, not only in San Pablo, but in the Philippines. The only thing that came close to the softness of this is the Filet Mignon I had at Donovan's in San Diego. I wish I could say it's the best steak I ever had, but this comes as a close second. The best steak I had was also served in this place a few weeks ago when they were trying out a much bigger Rib Eye, US Prime Angus Steak, 1 and a half inches thick and done medium rare. That was just incredible, and we're grateful that we were asked to try it. They will try to add it to their menu soon. I don't know how expensive that steak will be (I think it will be very expensive), but the 8oz Rib Eye they served us was P795. For that price, I guarantee it will be worth it. It's the best steak you can have at that price.

The meal was closed out with a desert of mini blueberry muffins, cinnamon roll, and a pot of hot Secret Garden red tea.

The entire meal cost P1,100, which is very much worth it, in my opinion.

YOu Japanese Canteen & Sushi Hauz, San Pablo City

I really have to talk about this discovery we made just this past week. It's an unassuming... VERY unassuming Japanese food place near the Mabini side of Central School. They don't even call themselves a restaurant. The call themselves a "canteen" and that's exactly what it looks like. It's alfresco, there's nothing fancy about it, the tables don't have tablecloths and you don't know where the kitchen ends and the dining area begins. The more snobbish eaters probably won't be caught dead in a place like this, but I'm so glad we stopped to try it, because OMG the food was just terrific.

First up was the Kani Salad (P110). Because our table was just next to part of the kitchen (without a wall separating us) and we were just a couple of feet away, we had a full and clear view as the dude chopped and prepared it. Tasting it, I was just agog. It was amazing. I would put this up alongside the best Kani Salads from high end Japanese restaurants in Manila. It was just soooo good.

I had the "Gyu Saikoro" (P189) which was beef chunks in onion with mixed vegetables. This, along with several other dishes, is the most expensive item on the menu. Miso Soup (P70) and Java Rice not included. I had their Tenderloin Steak (P99) the other night and it was as every bit as good as the beef in this dish. Very soft, very tasty. The sweet soy based sauce complimented it very well.

I loved the Miso Soup. It's not too salty and it had just the right balance of flavors that I like in a Miso Soup.

Ilyn had the Tori Negi Yakitori (Chicken BBQ) (P49). Yes, FORTY NINE PESOS! Ilyn says it was really REALLY good. She says she would have paid more for an extra stick, but for that price,we thought it was more than worth it!

There are a lot of really inexpensive items on the menu, but the dishes themselves reflect that. Their P99 Tenderloin steak comes with two small, really small medallions of beef. You will definitely find yourself saying "Ang liit naman!!", but at that price, I think it's to be expected. Wait until you taste it though, you'll probably find yourself ordering another one!

In spite of the fact that they have "Sushi Hauz" in their name, they actually don't have any sushi items on the menu. But upon asking, they said they have Tamago and Kani sushi made to order if we wanted. We got the impression that they will start rolling it out soon enough.

It was a very satisfying dinner for Ilyn and me, and it completely erased the horrid experience we had at another place the previous night.

The crew was really friendly and accommodating, but seemed somewhat awkward. We attribute that to the canteen being new and this being probably their first outing running a restaurant. In spite of that, and more importantly, they cook like absolute pros. Yes, they do misspell stuff on their menu ("hauz" is a little cheesy, to be honest) and their decors do leave a lot to be desired, but Ilyn and I both think there's a certain charm to that. But we expect a lot of great things from them and we will be back here often!

This was our second time in this place, having gone again after only two days of trying it for the first time. We went tonight because I thought, man, I just HAVE to write about this place. I love the food here so much that it triggered my restarting this blog again. Last I checked they didn't have any Facebook presence. I really just want to help them find a few more customers. Try it if you're in town and you're not that fussy about where you eat.

YOu Japanese Canteen and Sushi Hauz can be found at the Farmers Bldg, corner of Malvar and A. Fule (Lopez Jaena) Sts., San Pablo City. It's a corner a way from the Mabini side of Central School.

Food Network, San Pablo City

Food Network is a very new restaurant that opened practically within the last few weeks here in San Pablo City. I first noticed the place walking down Barleta St. coming from either Simple Treats or Middle Eats. It's located just a few meters down Barleta Street from the Q9 Tapsilogan.

I immediately noticed the very nice interiors, furniture and lighting. The place didn't look cheap. And when a place doesn't look cheap, to me that means the owners care about the quality of not only the ambiance of the place, but of the food as well.

Tonight Ilyn and I decided to go and try the place out. Inside it was even better. The place looks very nice, and very very clean. It's furnished very simply but elegantly. As I said before, the place didn't look cheap, but the food was surprisingly not that expensive.

Their menu is pretty extensive. They offer a lot of things, and I sense no particular theme. They have pizza, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, rice dishes, grilled dishes, salads, steaks, etc. It was so hard to pick because there was so much stuff that seemed interesting.

So how was the food?

Ilyn and I both had their House Blend Ice Tea, recommended by the waiter. We also both had Asparagus Soup. Ilyn had the Creamed Shrimp, while I had Roasted Chicken with Garlic and Mushroom.

The Asparagus Soup was pretty straightforward. There was nothing extraordinary about it, but it tasted nice and was served very hot. Which is just perfect because it was cold and raining outside. I really can't ask for more of any kind of soup.

The Iced Tea was kind of unusual. It was very frothy and seemed more like a shake rather than a straightforward drink. It tasted different but very nice.

We also both had the Paco Salad, which is a salad I recently cooked myself. So yeah, I guess my standards are pretty high right now when it comes to Paco Salad because I think I made a pretty good one. I'm not sure if they blanched the pako, which isn't really that big of an issue. It can be eaten blanched or not. It was actually very nice. The dressing was very light and didn't overpower the taste of the Pako. The only thing I wish it had was some sort of white cheese, either Kesong Puti or Feta Cheese. That would have made their salad extremely good.

The food didn't take too long to arrive, which is great. Ilyn really liked the Creamed Shrimp, and I really liked their Roast Chicken. I appreciate the effort they take in plating the food, which actually does affect your enjoyment of it although it doesn't really affect the taste in any way. The chicken was soft and very tasty and because I finished it all I must have really liked it.

After our meal they were very nice to offer us a complimentary plate of their special Nachos Salad. We must have liked it a lot too because even though we were already full, we still finished the entire plate. Ilyn thought that this could be better with a third dip that was spicy. I agree because I like spicy myself.

I wanted to have coffee afterwards but was told they only had 3-in-1. I think they would do well to invest even in a simple coffee maker or coffee press. Good brewed coffee in places like this is kind of expected nowadays.

All in all it was a very satisfactory first try. We had a nice time. The staff was very courteous and attentive. I definitely see myself coming back. The place seems a little too small now. At my count it could probably fit 12-15 people inside, plus a few more in the table outside. But it's good to start small, and just expand later on. If they continue to maintain their standards and improve a few more things here and there, I have no doubt they'll develop a loyal customer base from local San Pablo citizens who are looking for a better dining experience that what is locally common.

Their standards are up to there with places like Simple Treats and Middle Eats, and I think it's very nice that more and more of these type of home grown restaurants are popping up in San Pablo.

Food Network is open from 10am to 10pm.

Pako Salad

I've attempted to do salads before, but they always end up big screaming fails. I guess I just didn't take the time to really study how greens are prepared, and more importantly, how dressing is made, which is (as I've learned) more than just an afterthought.

After watching so many videos online, I've finally come up with a salad that I think I do pretty good. A salad of Pako (or Fiddlehead Ferns) is a particular favorite locally. Although you don't get to see this salad often in common restaurants, they do turn up at high end Filipino themed restaurants and are very expensive. But pako isn't really expensive. In fact, it's ridiculously cheap. I decided to create one of my own.

Ingredients for the dressing:

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice from 10 small calamansi (less if you're using big ones)
1 tsp mustard dissolved in 2 tablespoons of water
1 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar

How to put the dressing together:

Place all ingredients in a ketchup squirt bottle, close the tip and then shake vigorously for a couple of minutes. That would be enough to combine all the elements in there that normally wouldn't want to combine. Put the bottle in the ref for the meantime.

Ingredients for the salad:

4 bunches pako*
2 medium sized tomatoes, chopped
2 red (salted) eggs (itlog na pula), sliced
kesong puti or feta cheese

*When buying pako at the palengke, they usually sell it by bunch. 4 bunches would be enough to feed at least 4 people. It might seem like a whole lot when you buy it, but take note: you only use the tips of the pako. That means probably around 2" to 2-1/2" measured from the very tip.

Here in San Pablo, one bunch of pako is 5 pesos. Four bunches therefore is only 20 pesos. Crazy, right?

Putting the salad together:

Place the pako in a pot of boiling water and cover. Now, quickly get some ice cubes from the ref and place them in a bowl of water. By the time you get back to your boiling pot, the pako would be ready. This should all take less than a minute. Drain the water and place the pako in the iced water to stop it from cooking. Place the pako in a colander for a minute to allow it to drain.

Take out your dressing in the ketchup squirt bottle and shake it again vigorously for a minute.

In a large serving plate, squirt some of the dressing on top of the plate. Place the pako on the plate. You can now add your other ingredients. add the tomatoes, the red eggs, and the cheese. Generously squirt the dressing over the salad. You can either serve this immediately or you can keep it in the ref for a while covered with cling wrap.

In the photo above you can see some grilled green bell pepper. That's just a little side dish which is very simple to do. Just slice the bell pepper in large slices and grill them on a stove top grill or a fire grill. Grilled green bell peppers are very nice. Try it!

Serendipity Tea Bar, San Pablo City

I finally got around to checking out Serendipity Tea Bar here in San Pablo City. I've been passing this place regularly and always wanted to try them out. If you're looking for it, it's right next to that big Indian temple that's being constructed near the corner of the San Pablo Diversion road and Maharlika Highway, walking distance from SPC Medical, 7-11, and Liempo Republic.

The first thing I immediately noticed was how young the clientele was. Practically every customer in there was clearly 20-25 years younger than me. I guess it's safe to say it's a hit with the young adults because the place is almost always full with them. Irrationally, I felt kind of out of place for a brief moment. But I guess that's just silly.

True to it's name, it's a TEA bar, not a cafe. So there's no coffee in here. Their specialty is their milk tea, which I hear is very good. I say "hear" because there's probably not a chance that I'll ever check it out for myself, being lactose intolerant.

Ilyn ordered Yakult Peach with Nata De Coco. She said it was very good although she came away with the feeling that it was spiked with something because half an hour later her adrenalin shot up and was pretty much bouncing off the walls for the next hour. I don't mean "spiked" in a bad way of course. Perhaps it had caffeine? Whatever it was, Ilyn was kind of a little too excited and talkative for a while.

As for the food, I ordered Seafood Pasta:

It had shrimp and squid and as a whole it tasted quite nice. It's not something I would lose my head over, but it was good enough for me to want to come back and try what else was there.

Ilyn had Seafood Pesto Pasta:

She said that it was OK, not overwhelmingly awesome, but was simply all right. I tasted a bit of it, and it tasted like pesto. Like I expected anything more.

Now I almost didn't want to write this review because I already had a feeling I wasn't going to rave about it, but I thought well, I can't just rave about things on this blog. I really have to be honest.

And so yes, here are some of the not so nice things I experienced here.

The staff was friendly and helpful enough, so I had no problem with that. The first problem is probably the fault of my own expectations. You see, Ilyn had written down the menu on her notebook the first time she ate here some weeks ago so she can show it to me.

What I immediately noticed was they had a "Garden Fresh" burger. I assumed it was a vegetarian burger because other dishes from other restaurants with the "Garden Fresh" tag was vegetarian. Like Greenwich's Garden Fresh Pizza for instance.

So I looked forward to ordering that, along with their onion rings, which Ilyn said was very nice.

Imagine my disappointment when it turned out the Garden Fresh Burger had a beef patty, but just had a lot of greens and other vegetable stuff in it. No fault to them, of course.

However, they also told me that their onion rings was unavailable. Ouch. You see when reviewing restaurants, I have a scale that goes from 1-10, 10 being excellent. As soon as I enter any restaurant, they have an automatic 10. Points would be subtracted every time I was disappointed.  When they don't have an item available that's listed on the menu, that's a major disappointment for me. So I subtract one point.

I thought OK, I'll just have a pasta. I chose Pasta Bolognese. Also not available. OUCH. Subtract another point. This wasn't looking promising.

So I settled on the Seafood Pasta. I also ordered Chef's Salad, but I didn't like the dressing too much. In fact, I wasn't able to finish it.  Subtract half a point. At least I was able to finish the pasta, which I actually liked. It's not something I want to try again though, but it was pleasant enough for me to try other things on their menu.

One last thing. They didn't have a change for my money. I don't know, maybe it was just me, but I swear I could hear the dude in the kitchen in kind of a pissed off voice saying that they couldn't possibly have change for my money. I didn't want to make an issue of it, so I let it pass. Subtract 2 points.

In fairness the dude who served us was very nice, and very friendly. In fact, he remembered Ilyn from the last time she visited.

All in all, I wouldn't say it was a completely awesome experience. But it was an OK experience, and like I said, I wouldn't mind trying it again. I just hope that I no longer hear "not available" anymore. That's actually one of the big no-nos a restaurant can commit. And yes, always have change. I hope they can fix that.