Dining Snippets: Sarsá Kitchen x Octoboy x Nono’s
SARSA KITCHEN
Sarsá Kitchen has always been a reliable Filipino restaurant. To be able to pay homage to its name, expect each dish to come with its own special ‘sarsa’ or sauce that aims to enhance the flavors of the dish. Their Sizzling Kansi and Sinigang Fried Chicken have always been personal favorites of mine.
SARSA KARE KARE (P395), SIZZLING MONGGO (P250) and GARLIC RICE (P50)
The Sarsa Kare Kare’s plating is definitely one of the prettiest I’ve seen for this dish. Greens were delicately laid as a bed rest in an artfully manner for the gorgeously browned tender beef. I’m far from a fan of Kare Kare; but eating their incredibly delicious version definitely made me change my outlook on this classic Filipino dish. I used to only eat Kare Kare for the sole purpose of having a reason to scoop some bagoong on to my plate. However, their incredibly tasty beef chunks and their thicker-than-usual peanut sauce were so flavorful; that I barely touched the ginamos served with it. Definitely, this dish has completely won me over.
We also ordered the Sizzling Monggo, which was such a treat because crunchy lechon kawali cubes and crisp fried malunggay leaves serve as toppings to this lunch staple. The generous portion of the lechon kawali definitely boosts the value-for-money factor of this dish. Pair both with a cup of Garlic Rice to guarantee a sumptuous meal.
Sarsá Kitchen
2F, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: June 5, 2019 with Lily Chua
OCTOBOY
Octoboy traces its beginnings as a Takoyaki food concessionaire in malls; but has since expanded to a full-blown restaurant along Tomas Morato. I honestly never tried it out back when it was just a food cart, but I have always heard good things about it.
OCTOPUS TAKOYAKI (P149)
Naturally, I had to try out its signature Takoyaki balls. I opted for the classic Octopus filling. Their Takoyaki balls glistened with okonomiyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise, and had a nice octopus to veggie ratio in its filling. Its Takoyaki balls were large and lovingly packed; but somehow, it can’t seem to budge Kraken Takoyaki as my top choice for Takoyaki.
BEEF YAKIUDON (P299)
Its menu was impressively extensive, especially considering its roots, but since we were just two, we had limited options. We settled on the Beef Yakiudon, which actually resembled an okonomiyaki plate more than stir-fried noodles when it was served. The skillet was filled with chewy noodles which were generously bathed in sweet and tangy yakiudon sauce and layered with Japanese mayonnaise on top. It was saucier than what I’m accustomed to; but it delivers on taste and affordability. We paired this with some Wagyu Cubes which came priced at P149 for two sticks.
Octoboy
114 Tomas Morato cor Scout Lozano St., Quezon City
Date of Visit: June 8, 2019 with Lily Chua
NONO’S
Nono’s has always been top-of-mind when I think about perfect brunch spots. Apart from its Truffle Cheese Wontons, I’m a big fan of their Tomato and Herb Pasta and its Slow Cooked Beef Belly.
CHICKEN AND WAFFLES (P345)
However, if there’s one breakfast combination that’s hard to resist, it would definitely be Chicken and Waffles. Admittedly, Nono's Fried Chicken isn’t the best one out there (I actually prefer Kettle’s and Bad Bird), primarily because Nono’s tend to fluff up their chicken with excess batter. However, it’s good enough to nurse a craving. There was an option to switch up its traditional Homestyle Chicken to Honey-Sriracha-glazed which I readily availed of. It’s not something I’m willing to trade my gravy for; but it definitely helped perk up the chicken. The waffles were wonderfully crunchy and dusted with some confectioner’s sugar. Overall, I was quite happy with my order.
Nono’s
UP Town Center, Katipunan Ave, Diliman, Quezon City
Date of Visit: June 12, 2019 with Veron Requejo and Jayvee Fulgencio
