Dining Snippets: Bad Bird x The Wholesome Table x Shinsen Bar and Restaurant
BAD BIRD
DIRTY RICE PLATE (P390)
Bad Bird unquestionably has one of the tastiest fried chicken in town; however, it’s something that I won’t waste time queuing up for. Its crispy chicken comes in varying spice levels and possesses an intense umami flavor. Due to its popularity, Bad Bird was spun off as a concept restaurant of its own. Its Megamall branch still attracts queues of hungry diners; however, I was fortunately able to easily grab a table early for one lunch.
DASHI WATERCRESS, EGGPLANT AGEDASHI, SCALLION PANCAKE, (P180)
Bad Bird seems to feature its own quirky banchan through its interesting starter plates. A plate costs P70; while a set of three costs P180. The Dashi Watercress is a refreshing and subtle tasting appetizer. It gives one the perfect break from the heat of the chicken. The Scallion Pancake can easily compete with the Pajeons of known Korean restaurants as each crisp slice doesn’t skimp on taste, and comes with a killer vinegar based sauce. On the other hand, the pieces of the Eggplant Agedashi were a bit too large for me. The thick batter made the dish bland.
PORK BELLY (P390)
Apart from serving its famous fried chicken, Bad Bird expanded its menu by adding other main dishes such as the Pork Belly. Thick slices of grilled pork belly and equally beautiful charred slices of Korean pears are served on a grilling pan. The best part of this dish for me would be pairing the meat with a combination of its chimichurri and hot steak sauce. I’d definitely order this again; but hopefully the meat would be more tender next time around.
Bad Bird
3F SM Megamall, Mega Fashion Hall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Date of Visit: September 9, 2017 with Lily Chua
SHINSEN SUSHI BAR AND RESTAURANT
Recently, I decided to quit my Makati job to take up an offer in Ortigas. Although I’ll terribly miss being so close to Legaspi Village and Salcedo Village, this shift allows me to explore an entirely different dining scene. So expect more posts on restaurants located in this area!
SHINSEN GYOZA (P178)
One of the first foodie destinations I’ve tried would be The Sapphire Bloc, a row of restaurants which are within a ten minute walk from the office. As Shinsen seems to be the most established restaurant that I haven’t tried in that area, my friends and I decided to grab our dinner there. As one of the highly talked about items on its menu, the Shinsen Gyoza served as our meal starter. As the dish bears the name of the restaurant, I had high expectations for it. Unfortunately, the Shinsen Gyoza failed to meet these expectations as the potstickers were well-executed but were mediocre. Best still to get your gyoza fix from Mendokoro Ramenba/Yushoken.
KARI KARI KARI YAKI (P358)
Fortunately, the Kari Kari Kari Yaki went far and beyond all our expectations. Coated in a light batter, these fried oysters were dipped in an addictive sweet teriyaki glaze which was balanced by the mushroom and vegetable medley served on its side. This is a definite must-try!
CHIRASHI SUSHI (P548)
For my main dish, I opted for their Chirashi Sushi. Reasonably priced, good selection, and fresh quality come to mind every time I reminisce about this dish. It makes me happy that I need not venture too far to get a quality bowl of chirashi from the office.
Shinsen Bar and Restaurant
North Tower, The Sapphire Bloc Building, Sapphire Road cor Onyx and Garnet St., Pasig City
Date of Visit: September 13, 2017 with Dolf Constantino and Kerwin Chua
THE WHOLESOME TABLE
One of the things I love about The Wholesome Table is that it always comes up with new offerings. The Grilled Porkchops and the Burrata are staple favorites of mine but I opted to try out something new.
PUERTO RICAN PRAWNS (P510)
The Puerto Rican Prawns comes as a full meal, complete with spiced rice, fried plantains, and a side salad. The prawns were unfortunately unevenly battered and overcooked; leaving you with dry prawns with shells that aren’t easy to remove. It did come with two delicious dips though; its spiced vinegar works well with the rice, while its yogurt garlic sauce is a delicious dressing to its side salad.
The Wholesome Table
Basement Level, Estancia Mall, Capitol Commons, Kapitolyo, Pasig City (This particular branch has closed down; but its BGC and Salcedo branches are still operational).
Date of Visit: September 6, 2017 with Angelli Dykimching
