A Carnivore's Hub

The original plan was Handuraw, but, we are jealous gluttons, so we went hunting for the new restaurant in The Gallery --- Carnivore. I have seen pictures on the internet and it looked like it was certainly "the place" to go.

Hopping onto the taxi we rode until we reached the curb and turned left to the Gallery. Stepping down into this familiar location always remind me how I felt robbed when KopiRoti decided to close shop. I have never tasted anything near their French Toast. Oh well, first love just probably never dies. A long, deep breath expelled nostalgia and I determined to move on and started looking where the carnivores meet up.

When you were a child and you get asked to draw and color a house, you come up with crazy hues. Maybe brown walls and white windows or a blue-and-orange combination. You wouldn't mind. And Carnivore didn't too when they painted the wall grey, the glass door and window frames -- yellow. It was an odd combination but nonetheless, it looked cool.

Entering its premise, however, is quite a contrast from the simple external. It was a little crowded and you'll notice that there were only about 4 to 5 tables inside. A staircase leading to the second floor, I assumed, promised more dining space but it was under renovation at that time due to electrical wiring issues. Despite that, I beamed at the view of their long metal bar at the side where the crew prepares the meal orders.

It is recommended that you dine with a friend or two just to talk away the 20 -25 minutes wait time. I guarantee that if it was your first time to visit, it won't matter as soon as the order is served. You will be amazed to see the large-sized servings.

Due to a footnote at the bottom of their Menu which said "Split Orders, Politely Declined", we ordered Pork Porterhouse each for ourselves and decided to try out also Cannelloni ( which we secretly agreed to split, anyway ). I suppose they will not etch the rule on our foreheads if we disobeyed their warning. Besides, that was an extra order.

Let's talk about Cannelloni. It is an Italian pasta that is cylindrical in shape filled with meat, mushroom, and some herbs/green leafy vegetables. An Italian red sauce poured over the pasta usually completes the dish. Carnivore's version looked like a white vegetable lasagna and it didn't bother me because I was clueless what it was at that time. What was important was that it tasted great. I could be mistaken but there seemed to be kicks of some cumin or perhaps strong basil in the ingredients. The bechamel sauce and melted mozzarella certainly flavored the pasta well.

Finally, the porterhouse arrived - a steak cut from the pig's loins. It was probably almost half a kilo, sliced into smaller pieces and adorned with spring onions and scalded broccoli. The meat didn't only look so good but it tasted great too. It was neither burnt on the outside nor undercooked inside. The juiciness was perfect as the discharged fat met the absorbed salt and pepper. The hot meal certainly stamped freshness and the balanced taste evidenced for great culinary passion. This awesome experience sustained my appetite up to the last bite even though my jaws already felt rigid due to excessive chomping halfway through.

The experience was happy and it took me a while to realize that the smell of smoke from the grilled food in the kitchen stuck with me the whole afternoon that day. I'd certainly go back. Hopefully to find the place with a bigger space, a better exhaust system, and THE SAME OLD GOOD FOOD!

Wallet Watch: Php 430.00 (Great Value for Money)

Carnivore

The Gallery, Juan Luna Ave.,
Brgy. Kasambagan, Mabolo, Cebu City
Contact: (032) 513-0558 / Facebook

Store Schedule
Monday - Thursday (11:30 AM to 9:30 PM)
Fridays (11:30 AM-10:00 PM)
Saturdays ( 6:00 PM-10:00 PM)

Quickie Meals 2 & 3: Ice Giants and Big Tom's

Sometimes people just rise to get a quickie. Nah! You are taking the wrong route my friend. It ain't what you are thinking. What I mean is when you live independently (meaning away from family), maybe to work, or even study, it takes heaps of self motivation to rise up and fix your own meal. I go lazy at times and the thought of cooking just sinks me back to bed. It isn't always, but, I am just saying it does get to me sometimes. The remedy? Fastfood hunting.

Now this is tricky. You think because you are ordering spaghetti or a hamburger, they will cook the fastest in food shops. But it isn't always the case. At least not in these shops.

Meal 1. Parfait, and Burgers with Fries. (~Php400 total)

I went to Ice Giants a couple of times this month. At one time, I ordered the Black Forest parfait and a hamburger meal. Like anyone would, I pushed aside my anticipation for the parfait as I thought desserts are served last. I was surprised it got served first after waiting for a good 10 mins. Now, I love ice creams so I went from a spoonful to another and the refreshing feel of cold desserts in your mouth never fail to lighten the mood. I've tasted other vanilla ice creams though and I must say, this kinda fell a little in comparison to the ice cream shop we have in Negros or the one in Ice Castle. I gave it a thought and decided, maybe it was their own creation. So I dismissed my judgement as I always have high regard for original recipes. Despite that, however, I asked. Then it sunk my heart again to learn it was in fact a commercial ice cream of Selecta's competitor. After years of tasting this type of sorbet, I've loved Selecta's texture and its creamy, rich flavor. Since then I am biased but not absolutely exclusive.

Finally, I am ready for my Hamburger meal. I read the newspaper...then flipped on their menu... then played with my cellular phone. From time to time, I glanced and made sure I made eye contact with a crew as if to remind them I still have a pending order. I swear the imaginary tick-tocking of the clock is becoming louder as I hang on in patience. Over half an hour, then, at last, my hamburger and potato fries. The presentation was neat and looked beautiful but bland and tasteless. I'm sure it must've been delicious but I realized my taste sense was already numbed after finishing a tall glass of ice cream I got served with ahead. If there was a take-away for me in this experience, it should be that desserts must always come at the end of a meal.

The second time I visited the place, waiting time was worse. If I must cite what the franchise is strongly convincing at, it would be their variety of menu items and their inviting ambiance. You see, when you think of ice cream, you think of "happy". Their bright blue wall colors, huge wallpapers and pictures of desserts, their crew's sailor uniform, cool brand name and bright lights make an effectively brilliant appeal to the customers -- a happy pill.

 Ice Giants Desserts and Snacks Cebu
Address: The Strip Osmena Boulevard Cebu City 6000
Operating Hours: Sundays-Thursdays 10AM-11PM
                              Friday -Saturdays  10AM – 12PM



 
Meal 2. Spaghetti with Meatballs (Php 160.00)

As if I deserved a bonus for good work, I arose for another quick fix. This time at Big Tom's which is famous for its hamburgers. I marched to the store to claim my incentive after a long day of office work with mind initially made up for that burger patty. As soon as I entered the shop, the chalk-drawn sign on a black wall caught my attention "Spaghetti Meatball". Now, the only real deal I tasted was in Italiannis a very long time ago. I figured, it is time I dig into it again. Twenty minutes and then it came. Served on a white plate, the pasta looked great, wetted at the center with spaghetti sauce and tiny chunks of real tomato. Sitting on top was the glorious meatball drizzled with just the right amount of parmesan cheese scrapings.The feeling was like being Flint in Sony Pictures animation of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs without the audio track. Geezz.. i cut through the meat with my knife and a fork and enjoyed the pasta to the last string. I think Big Tom's was certainly trying to serve it as Italian as possible, hence, the absence of the sweet Filipino taste. It is always good to know the difference so you can quickly toggle perspectives in both taste preferences. The basil (or so I think) in the meatball certainly made a difference, although, I imagined if it was flattened, it would have made a good burger patty too.

Photo from here.

Big Tom’s Charbroiled Burger
Address: 111 Juana Osmena St. Cebu City 6000, Philippines
Operating Hours: Mondays – Sundays 11:00AM -9:00PM
Contact/ Delivery Number: 032- 514 -7007



Now that I have reached the end of this article, I realize that fastfoods are not solely defined by the food they serve. You could be ordering siomai for take-out because you are in a hurry, but if the kitchen crew prepares it from scratch and steams it in front of you until it's cooked, you stepped into the wrong shop. They make you wait because they want to serve it fresh. Here is a caveat: You are always who you are in control of. Get familiar with the shops you visit and know how they do service. Then, you can decide which to sacrifice: Time or Quality. If you chance on a shop that does well on both, tell me about it.

Sometimes all you need is a quickie. And wow, aren't quickies delicious!

Korean Bakery

We were walking according to instructions from the owner of Gani hotel to find the street where we could get a ride to IKABUD, a popular Filipino restaurant in Angeles, Pampanga. Just a few stores along the Main Gate Friendship Terminal and in front of Mr. JJ supermarket, we noticed a well-lit store bearing "Korean Bakery" for a signage. It was quite interesting since it stood lined along small conventional Filipino stores which were just walls apart. Since, we were hungry for a sumptuous dinner at that time, I put my curiosity behind. As soon as we finished dinner, we really had not much choice but to go back to where we came from to avoid getting lost in the city. When the jeepney halted at the crossing near Mr. JJ, my thoughts wandered and my curiosity began to rise again. When I learned that my companions wanted to go back to the bakery which to me brought both emotions of relief and surprise, I strut silently behind them grinning.

Main Gate Friendship Terminal in Angeles, Pampanga. Photo from here.

 

I have been to Korean restaurants before but I had yet to see what their bakery looks like. When we entered, it was just a glass-walled store lit under fluorescent lighting, a long cake stand in front, and some bread and cookies display on the sides. It was simple but not the cakes. You could set apart a Filipino, American, or European cakes from the Korean creations. Theirs were particularly adorned with fresh slices of colorful fruits. While our bakers put solidified fondant strawberries theirs had the actual version. While our cakes are flavored mainly with delectable chocolates (be it white, black, or brown) theirs had green tea, berries, and other healthier options. My companions got so drawn to it that they decided to buy one out for an evening dessert. They picked the Green Tea cake with fresh Kiwi, orange, and cherry toppings.

Although uncertain if all Korean cakes are prepared with the same level of sweetness, the green tea cake did taste appropriately sweet. That appropriate sweetness is by the way quite a contrast to our usual cakes that bear heavy sugar ingredient suited for the sweet-toothed customers. We seldom fail luring customers with excessive sugars because chocolates and candies were after all supposedly sweet but the deviant and healthier Korean cakes won me over the former. It may take time for Filipino taste buds to acquire this sugar-less taste on Korean cakes but baking cakes this way definitely makes it the healthier option. Now, we can eat more slices than the usual, guiltlessly.

More pictures of Korean Cakes here:
My Korean Kitchen
Minjeongie

Other food places in Angeles:
Mr. KimBob
Ikabud

Location:

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A Noteworthy Wakamatsu Experience

It was payback time for me, Patrick, and Hermie. We decided to pig-out big time at the expense of our 4 other Team Gusla members' (Donna, Sittie, Kteil, and Charles) savings. Initially, we thought of hitting YUGO for lunch. Luckily, however, since most of us have already lunched at the place, we agreed to pay its closest competition, Wakamatsu Yakiniku, a visit.

Wakamatsu is one of the few Japanese restaurants in Cebu that offers an all-you-can-eat option. It has been around town for several years already, feared not to last long, but stayed anyhow. I remember visiting the place a couple of times in the past but only to check their menu out and for simple reasons of curiosity.

Four years back, F. Cabahug Street was only interesting because of a few landmarks: Jazz n Blues, Pacific Square, and Castle Peak Hotel. Pacific Square looks like a cozy hotel that fronts a unique architecture. It catches attention also because it sits on an elevation at the roadside, accessible only by patiently climbing its significantly long stairway. I would cuss (if it wasn't a bad thing to do) if I was to run an errand that will require me to climb those steps at midday. The street stretch provides no solace of shelter nor shade unless you actually enter in one of the shops at the street side which weren't too many then. To top that, jeepneys are quite scarce in that part of Cebu. Only Route #03A and 03B jeepneys pass through F. Cabahug Street and mind you, they do not travel around Lahug, Capitol, and Cebu Business Park. In other words, it is unlikely for townsmen to frequent the place unless there are reasons for one to really be there. And when you do get there, you can't help but wonder whether the Japanese restaurant adjacent the hotel can save you from thirst and hunger or not. But I did take a look once only to cower from the price of the menu, strangeness of its meals, and its dimly lit interior. I didn't go back since then.

Things changed, however, when an office mate argued with tremendous conviction that Wakamatsu remains the better Japanese restaurant against YUGO. That and some hard to find internet reviews, seem to awaken the curiosity I have so long tamed to silence. When Team Gusla sought my suggestion for a new resto trip, I cunningly brought them into it.

All 7 of us readied for a feast. Armed with nothing but our hungry stomachs, we raided the place. Greeted then ushered into what looked like a quarter with a center table and missing chairs, we took our footwear off to dine the Japanese way. Just a few seconds after sitting, we were handed the menu. Unlike most all-you-can-eat restaurants, the food in Wakamatsu are not served in a ready-to-eat buffet. One has to order what he wants to eat from the menu but keeping in mind that any leftovers can likely be charged on him. Our orders consisted of:

- Beef strips
- Pork strips
- Steamed Shrimp
- Squid Sashimi
- Kimchi
- Ramen Noodles
- Japanese Chop Suey
- California Maki
- Tuna
- Rice, and Fried Rice
- Oolong, iced tea, green tea
- Ice cream for desert

If there were lessons to learn in this experience, it will be the following:
 1. The all-you-can-eat price entitles the diner one glass of any drinks from Oolong, regular iced tea, and green tea options. If uncertain of the taste of the other strange-sounding drinks, choose what is familiar.
 2. When grilling, avoid waving your food in forceps near the smoke suction pipe above the grilling pan. The pressure is a little strong that it can suction any object near its opening. I reached over to grill a shrimp and was surprised that nothing dropped on the pan. I thought that gravity shifted position all of a sudden.The pipe took my food away.
 3. Order lots of raw food early. Cooking time is fleeting and expensive when your doing lunch in between work hours.
 4. Learn to be in the rhythm of cooking and eating at the same time. You cannot wait for what you put on the pan to get cooked before you start eating. What you put on it can be gone in seconds especially if your friends dig in the same pan you dig on.
 5. If you are into maki or sushi, skip rice. They are mainly of the same ingredient with the former being more flavorful than the latter.
 6. Wear comfortable clothes. The place can get really warm when everybody's grilling.
 7. Make conversation fun while eating with friends. Just like you are on a picnic.
 8. Eat and care less whether you fumble using chop sticks or you smudge your face with sauce. Enjoy the unlimited supply or at least while it is available.

I personally had fun. It may have run short of variety in comparison with YUGO's but there is something good also about sitting and just identifying the food you want rather than taking the time away from the comfort of your table to keep coming back to the buffet minding what others might have to say about the frequency of your return. Besides, it was a treat and 3 of us only had to worry about taxi fare.

I left Wakamatsu with a changed notion. The stairs weren't actually too much to climb. The midday sun was not even that bad. These retrospect weren't quite as noteworthy as the Wakamatsu experience.

Budget Range: P400 - P500
Overall Experience: Recommended

Wakamatsu, Yakiniku

Pacific Square Bldg, 

F. Cabahug St Cebu City, Cebu  

Tel. No. (032) 232-5897

 

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Fixating Fascination: The Jazz'n Bluz Experience

Jazz’n Bluz has always fascinated me everytime I pass by Ayala Access Road going to my former workplace. I worked in the evening then, so all I saw lighting the thoroughfare were street lamps and those coming from the buildings and establishments lined up next to each other. Jazz’n Bluz’s wall sign was always bright and colorful. I knew then that I’ll get in that music bar one day. Despite the intense longing, however, either I didn’t have the time or I didn’t have enough audacity to get in there by myself.

I let that go until opportunity opened itself. Just yesterday, my present company concluded Fiscal Year 2010 inside Jazz’n Bluz. We had to wear our 60’s outfit and everyone was up for it. The ambiance inside the bar was just as I thought it would be – dimly lit with colorful lights, a drinking bar, a stage, and a set of musical instruments. It was the kind of place where you can chill out either by yourself or with a group of friends. The show spotlights the band and its music and nothing more. But of course, since it was a company celebration we had to steal a little of the limelight by holding our short progam and presentations. The rest of the night was spent partying and grooving in the music performed by two of their excellent live bands.

I have to say that the experience was great. One of my confreres confessed that what stood out best is the atmosphere in the venue which dispelled her discomfort and encouraged letting loose of one’s’ reservations. To me, it was more than just about the party. It was the satisfaction brought by the quiet fulfillment of an old fascination.

Jazz’n Bluz is open to holding special occasions and parties. They serve good food and prides Itself to be the town’s maker of the best ceviches (an English term for “kinilaw”), baked scallops, and tiramisu. Not much has been said about the owner but it could be Yuko Ishikawa, whose visibility commands the place. For more information, you may visit their website: www.jazznbluzcebu.com .

JAZZ’N BLUZ
27F Cabahug Street,Ayala
Access Road,Mabolo Cebu City
TEL : (6332)232-2698
FAX : (6332)231-4373
URL : www.jazznbluzcebu.com
E-MAIL :info@jazznbluzcebu.com