Dining Snippets: Nikuya Charcoal Grill and Shabu Shabu x Ramen Nagi x Poke Poke
NIKUYA CHARCOAL GRILL AND SHABU SHABU
WAGYU ASPARA YAKI (P138) AND YAKITORI (P88)
Relatively a newcomer in Estancia Mall, Nikuya boasts of an extensive menu which serves Japanese-style shabu shabu alongside Korean barbecued meats. Cooking devices are installed in each table to encourage diners to adopt a DIY experience; however, like its similar concepts, you can opt for food to be fully prepared in the kitchen.
DOLSOT BIBIMBAP (P358)
Opting for the latter is a double-edged sword, as the convenience of having the kitchen cook it for you usually spells out a long waiting time. I’m well aware of this fact; however, expectations on waiting time should still be managed by the restaurant. They should provide the diner with an estimated waiting time right after the request has been made; and not only after endless tiring follow-up’s made by the diner. What made matters worse was that we were served with dry and mediocre sticks, such as the Wagyu Aspara Yaki and the Yakitori. The Samgyeusal (100g/P218) was also bland and overcooked. These were definitely not worth the wait.
CRISPY UDON (P388)
Fortunately, our meal was salvaged by the restaurant’s other dishes. The Crispy Udon is an interesting alternative to the classic Yaki Udon. Noodles are pan-fried; thus, possess a pleasant crunch when you bite through them. Don’t worry about the noodles being too dry or hard; a nice mix into the sweet sauce it comes with quickly solves this problem. The Dolsot Bibimbap is another safe choice that you can consider. An extra bonus is that they serve you with a big bowl of chili sauce to mix in the rice.
NIKUYA EGG ROLL (P358)
The Nikuya Egg Roll would have been a perfect delicious starter, as it featured an interesting row of nori-stuffed egg rolls topped with mozzarella and bonito flakes. I love the concept; however, the rolls were on the dry side. A drizzle of Japanese mayonnaise on top of the rolls would have made it tons better!
Nikuya Charcoal Grill and Shabu Shabu
GF Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Kapitolyo, Pasig
Date of Visit: March 19, 2017 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
RAMEN NAGI
CRAB KING (P460)
I’ve always been a loyal diner of Ramen Nagi, especially as its Red King is my go-to meal every time I need some cheering up. Apart from its ability to maintain the quality of its ramen bowls despite its continued expansion, one factor that keeps diners hooked would definitely be its Limited King. Admittedly, the Limited King has hits and misses. You have the overindulgent Truffle King, the Ebi King which gives off a fishy aftertaste, and the Black Garlic which deserves to be a regular item on the menu, to name a few. In spite of this, diners eagerly await the launch of its new Limited King.
Its latest offering would be the Crab King. The classic tonkotsu broth is made richer as crab broth is brought into the mix. Replacing the standard chashu slices would be an entire soft shell crab, deep-fried to perfection lying on a bed of nori. I loved that the broth was tasty, but not overpowering; allowing the diner to fully appreciate the sumptuous flavor of the crab. I also love that a layer of nori serves as a resting place for the crab, helping it to stay afloat and remain crispy. This was definitely a winning Limited King that's worthy of a second (and third) try!
Ramen Nagi
UGF Robinsons Magnolia, Doña M. Hemady Ave., Quezon City
Date of Visit: June 3, 2017 with Lily Chua, Jared Chua, and Jem Chua
POKE POKE
QUINOA SAMURAI (P430)
As a fan of maguro and shake sashimi, it was relatively easy for me to join in on the Poke bowl bandwagon. This dish may be Hawaiian in origin; however, it’s served in all types of restaurants such as the beloved Japanese restaurant Ooma, organic haunt Wholesome Table, and L.A.-inspired Sunnies Café. Of course, we also don’t have any shortage on concepts solely dedicated to Poke bowls here in the Metro.
One of the most popular ones would be Poke Poke. Poke Poke offers a highly customizable menu which allows you to choose your base (greens, brown rice, white rice, or quinoa), your protein (tuna, salmon, unagi, beef, etc), and your toppings. For those who get overwhelmed by such a task (or is simply too lazy to use extra brain cells like me), it also has pre-made bowls.
I opted for the Samurai, and added P80 to upgrade the base to quinoa. As a bonus service, Poke Poke also offers to cook anything and everything on your bowl. As I’m not a fan of raw white onions, and bell peppers; I gladly asked them to grill these for me.
Don’t be deceived by the tiny size of its bowl, as it’s packed with so much meat and toppings that will quickly fill you up! Although I started eating with a hungry stomach, I really couldn’t bring myself to finish the bowl. I started becoming full halfway through it! This definitely gives you your money’s worth, and is also a relatively healthier alternative than most dishes!
Poke Poke
LGF Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Kapitolyo, Pasig
Date of Visit: March 21, 2017 with Ina Chua, Elaine Co, and Hazel Yap
