It's L.A. Time!!! #4: Umami Burger

Hmmm... I think I have a burgerful post for this week. :)

Our busy busy chef is back for his scoop of what's buzzing all the way from L.A. Let's see what he's got for us. 

First of all, I have to apologize to those that wanted to come with,and those that I had made plans to come here with! I wasn't thinkin and went on a last minute celebration dinner with the roommates.

BUT, lets put it this way;

I'm not coming back here for a while, not unless a friend REALLY REALLY wants to try it and begs me to come with... I got my fill....

It would be selfish to say that it is one of the best burgers in America since I have not had every burger served in America.

 

I had the UMAMI BURGER (medium rare), thin fries,an ALLAGASH BLACK and the Singha Beer. It was the KOMBU MEAL #1 (Umami Burger, thin fries and lager).

 

 

The Umami Burger as promised is served with oven-roasted tomatoes, caramelized onion (barely tasted mine), shiitake mushrooms ( I got 1 little one, so I wouldnt say mushrooms) and parmesan frico (crisps), and served on a very greasy and delicious buttery tasting bun. It looks like a krabby patty which I have been craving since the day I started watching spongebob squarepants. It's not what I imagined but it wasnt bad at all ;)

 

Unfortunately, I would have to eat two of these or go when I am not hungry in order to feel full after my meal; they were very small.

*****OK, i just realized why PERHAPS my burger wasnt UMAMI...

Foods naturally high in umami content include Parmesan, shiitake mushrooms, soya sauce (the naturally fermented variety) and all the fermented oriental fish sauce products. Also, asparagus, tomatoes, meat and cheese.

 

My roommate said his burger was delicious but he had one big CD sized shiitake mushroom in his burger; mine was a quarter sized mushroom.... my taste buds did not catch that. Also, my single tiny oven-roasted tomato was a little lost in the burger. Perhaps you need to be able to taste all of these umami-filled ingredients to get the full effect?? I dont know... It still wouldnt drag us out to the Los Feliz Area during traffic hour. And we all agreed on this, not just me. My roommate also said he'd take Father's Office burgers any day over the Umami Burger.

 

I THINK WE HAVE FOUND A CONTENDER....FATHER'S OFFICE

It was very juicy and good but it was nothing special, nothing that made it eye-rollingly good but it was still a very very good burger...

I still dont know how I feel about the parmesan frico on the burger though,

that was on my mind for a while after I finished my burger.

I like seeing the melted cheese on the meat and love the taste even more, so it threw me off seeing a thin crisp over my patty. This wasnt bad at all; it was a very nice taste.

 

The thin fries were nothing special, they were between McDonalds fries and InNout. They were crispy but not enough salt for my taste.

The UMAMI KETCHUP...not my favorite, tasted like marinara sauce more than anything.

Their mustard was very good, but then again,mustard can never be bad.

THE beer selection is awesome...good happy hour deals as well...

Maybe you can come with me to the next place I check out...

Cebu Secret Chows: Cebu's Burger King -- Dong Juan

      I resided at Guadalupe since I was in grade school until 2009 and the only decent restaurant nearby that most of the community knew then was Mooon Café. But right along the street where Mooon is situated, a small house that seemed to be a restaurant caught my eye every time I passed by. The signage read “Dong Juan”. The anything local junkie that I am, the name interested me and made me wonder what kind of food they served. I was in high school then and only got the opportunity to dine there when I got to college because a friend of mine recommended the place to me for their juicy burgers. 

     I like Flame It but I was never a huge fan of burgers.... until the day I tasted Dong Juan's. The day Dong Juan's burger touched down on my tongue was the day I officially fell in love with burgers. I'd only settle for Flame It since Dong Juan isn't in Ayala. No other burger could compare to the sensation Dong Juan left me.
 

     Dong Juan first opened in December 8, 2007 at Guadalupe with a concept that catered to the Cebuano palate and  not to mention, pocket. It is a family-owned business and was intended to be a burger and pizza place where middle class to upper class can enjoy good meals at value for money. I have only dined there 4x but am always satisfied. I've tried their Dong Juan burger, sisig, pizza and gambas al ajillo pasta. I loved the pasta. It was topped with bonito flakes which gave a distinct flavor to the dish. I'd always recommend their burgers and pasta to friends who ask me about Dong Juan or a place to go for a food trip. This hidden treasure has flourished solely by word-of-mouth.

     Aside from the good food, one other item that contributed greatly to their popularity is the glass they use to serve their iced tea. They use a sake glass which is actually exclusively made for them. Their food is exceptionally tasty because most of their dishes and the corresponding components are made from scratch such as the sauces, coatings and even potato chips. They  also use quality ingredients.

     Last May, the second branch finally opened at Persimmon, M.J. Cuenco, Mabolo; near Ayala. The setting here is different from the pioneer branch in Guadalupe; a simple yet sleek interior retaining little signature details like their wooden bench chairs. Seating capacity can accommodate up to 60 pax and reservations for special occasions are also accepted. Before the second branch opened, Dong Juan was already packed even on weekdays since this year. Thus, reservation is strongly recommended.  

 
     I checked out this new branch with 3 of my college friends. Carl and Natasha got the Dong Juan burgers, I had the Chili burger and Jillian had the burger steak. We also ordered the onion rings for our appetizer. The onion rings really surprised me because they weren't just onion rings. They were ONION RINGS. HUGE! Battered and breaded and accompanied by a citrus chili sauce. That had to be one of the best appetizers I've ever had and definitely the best onion rings I've ever had so far. Dong Juan sure knows how to play with senses, entertaining both eyes and taste buds.   

ONION RINGS @ 109 php

Sizzling Burger Steak - 99 php

Their burgers are succulent and flavorful, half an inch thick. Burgers range from 99-149 php.

my chili burger - 149 php

Their pizza and pasta are also among their hot-selling items. Pizza range from 199-259 php. Pasta are at 99-149.

from left clockwise: Natasha, this writer, Carl and Jillian

Dong Juan is the place to be for great food, great company, and great value. 85% of the menu is worth trying.

P.S. I would like to apologize for not posting any entries for so long. I've been so swamped with school but I hope I can post something at least once a week.

I'd also like to thank Mrs. Aubrey Borja for sparing me her time to answer some of my questions about Dong Juan. 
      
You can visit or call for reservation at either of the branches of Dong Juan located at:

999 Emilio St., Guadalupe, Cebu City - 256 1796


Persimmon, MJ Cuenco Ave., Mabolo, Cebu City - 266 5826

Babe for Food

your new BFF in Cebu dining 

:)

Fresh Friendship

     I'd love to introduce to you my new circle of friends from college. These guys know and witness first hand what a pig I am during lunch and snack breaks. :D

Say hello to:

Carl Te, Natasha Yap, Jillian Reyes

It's been a month since we've been hanging out but we never got to hang out besides school. So we finally planned to do some bonding yesterday after our morning class. Jillian is actually my partner-in-crime when it comes to eating. We were craving for Chosun Chicken, this Korean chicken restaurant (part of my Cebu Secret Chows list) and planned for us to have lunch there. We all rode in her car with her driver and headed to Mango Square where one of the branches is located. We were not satisfied with the ambience and setting so I suggested we dine at the Lahug branch instead. Natasha seemed to know where it was so I just left the giving of directions to her but we arrived at the wrong place! LOL. So I gave the directions and we were already starving. There was a bit of traffic as well. When we arrived, the place was CLOSED. Talk about EPIC FAIL. Lol. 

We decided to eat at Sunburst Ayala instead. We ordered two quadro's of drumsticks and a platter of rice. If you think this was enough, I actually still wanted more. :D

     The highlight of this day, aside from finally getting to hang out outside of school, was that Jillian had a coupon for 3 free scoops of Gelatissimo!!! 

I COULD DIE! We got veronese chocolate, choc mint and lemon cheesecake. All sooooo good! Veronese is my favorite and choc mint is the new favorite!!! Thanks to Jillian!!! :D

    
3 scoops costs just 180 php and the four of us could already share this so we all agreed on having a gelatissimo day once a month. We set gelatissimo day every last saturday of the month so we're having another one for this month! :D

 

After a few mins. of chatting with each other, we found this cup empty. It was like waking up from a dream. It vanished as quickly as we got it. 


This was a great day despite the epic food trip fail. Looking forward to our gelatissimo day every month! :D

Babe for Food

your new BFF in Cebu dining

:)

Cebu Secret Chows: The Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow

     I've heard of this little secret restaurant since last year and have been itching to check it out since. The only details I knew about it were that it was located at Maya St. Sto. Nino Village, Banilad and it served an affordable  gourmet set menu. I've heard nothing but good reviews about this place so I finally took on the mission last Saturday (May 25) with two of my college classmates (Carl and Neil) and two of my culinary schoolmates, Kazoot and Dexter.

      Maya St. is the first corner on the right from the entrance of Sto. Nino Village. There is no sign at all that there lies a restaurant along this street. I actually dropped by this street like a week ahead just to check where it really is. Yes, I spoiled the fun of looking for it. Haha. When I went there with my friends though, we just walked from the entrance of the village all the way to the restaurant. Cul de Sac actually translates to "dead end". True enough, it is located at the dead end of Maya St. A very simple facade yet inviting enough to make you want to step inside and see what there is.

      As I stepped inside, I was quite surprised by how small yet chic it was. It had a seating capacity of only 17 heads and offers both indoor and outdoor dining. With the interiors, you could easily make out that the owner is a woman. The color theme was blue and white and the setting is reminiscent of English tea time.

      This little gem is owned by a Mrs. Uytengsu who had studied culinary in Australia. The specialties here are Osso Bucco, Fish with Lemon, and Porkchops. I heard their pasta is good, too.

     

        Okay, so let's get on to how this works. Ordering a meat or seafood dish entitles you to the set menu which includes a bowl of soup, the main course served with rice, and a scoop of ice cream for dessert. Price range is 180-280 php. Not a bad deal at all! They also offer pasta and Filipino dishes. 

      We were offered two choices for our soup - mushroom or pumpkin. I'm more of the pumpkin type. So I had the pumpkin soup, Osso Bucco and their special tropical drink. 

The hungry pack:

from left: Carl, Neil, Kazoot, Dexter, me

Carl is a budding master chef, Neil is my foodie in training, Kazoot is my best friend from culinary school (she's a great pastry chef) and Dexter is also my close friend from culinary school. Dexter is an excellent Chinese chef and just arrived a few days ago from Aussie. Kazoot will be boarding a cruise ship in a few days. 

My order
 
soup:

pumpkin soup

The soup was delightfully light and creamy. Unfortunately, I still have poorly developed taste buds and I think it's also degraded from all the school junk I've been eating so I couldn't quite make out what spiced this soup. SORRY. :(

It was really good though. Very satisfactory. 

Main Course:

Osso Bucco - 280 php

This was quite a hefty serving for me. I was impressed. It looked good AND tasted good as well. Their version of the osso bucco was braised beef shanks. The standard recipe actually uses veal shank but this was a set meal at 280 php so... do the math. :)

I have a monster appetite but I was even struggling to finish this which means it is worth every cent. It was not as greasy as I've had in other resto's and it was fall-off-the-bone tender. The marrow melts in the mouth. I'm sure this is the crowning glory of this resto.  

Shrimp Linguine Marinara @ 110 php

My Tita Issa said she tried the pasta here and she liked it so I was quite interested how good it was. I wanted something with seafood so I chose the marinara and shared it with Carl. The sauce was quite thick for me so I wasn't that satisfied but considering the price and the serving, it was reasonable. Nothing extraordinary though.

Beverage:

Tropical smoothie: apple and cucumber <3

80 php

I love fruit and vegetable combination drinks! Sweet and refreshing. This was their special drink.

This is Carl, my younger brother/bodyguard/classmate. He also cooks really well. I should feature him sometime. :)

the dude with his food :))

Fish Fillet w/ Lemon - 190 php

This is one of the specialties of Cul de Sac. The fish was pan fried to perfection. Lightly crisp on the outside and firm yet juicy on the inside. The sauce was light and lemony and complemented the texture well. This was delightful.


Neil's

Fruit and Shrimp Salad - 80 php

Neil actually had the Chicken Afritada for his main course but it did not look that appealing so I didn't bother shooting it. Hehe.

Dexter's

Rhapsody in Blue - 200 php

This is actually fish and shrimps in a white wine cream sauce. I'm not really sure why it is named so but I'm guessing blue depicts SEAfood. This wasn't really anything special. Sorry. Hehe. I still prefer the fish fillet w/ lemon.

Kazoot's

Fish and Shrimp Curry 190 php

We were all given a scoop of chocolate ice cream each for our dessert as part of the set meal. I think 3 out of 5 of us were very satisfied with our meals. I personally loved my drink and was just so stuffed from that gigantic serving of osso bucco. This is definitely a place worth going back to. Most of the menu items are value for money. I'd recommend the tropical smoothie, the pumpkin soup, the osso bucco and the fish with lemon. :)

More details about the restaurant:

 

I suggest you give them a call to set a reservation if you plan to dine there because the place is quite small and is usually buzzing on weekend dinners. 
Since I can't show you a map for the location, just click this link. :)


Til the next Cebu Secret revelation! 

Babe for Food

your new BFF in Cebu dining