Dining Snippets: Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant x Apartment 1B x Hill Station

OGAWA TRADITIONAL JAPANESE RESTAURANT

One of the restaurants that I really craved for during the pandemic was Ogawa – as I usually opt for its chirashi bento boxes, having these raw fish delivered from BGC to QC isn’t really ideal. Thus, Ogawa was really part of my priority list of restaurants to visit when I started dining out again.

NASU DENGAKU (P200)

As we didn’t make any reservation plans, the place was immensely packed with early dinner diners when we arrived; but fortunately, we were still able to find seats in front of the chefs’ live stations. It was a visual and olfactory experience as chefs busily prepared plates upon plates of seafood teppanyaki, steak and fried rice – all generously cooked in butter. Your stomach can’t help but simply growl in delight – so fortunately, we ordered the Nasu Dengaku as appetizer to munch on while waiting for our bento boxes. My family fondly recalls this dish as our staple order in the now-defunct Japanese restaurant along Tomas Morato, Nippon – and Ogawa’s version really packed in nostalgia and delight in every bite we took of its smoky eggplant lovingly layered with its fragrant miso glaze.

KAISEN CHIRASHI SUSHI ZEN BENTO (P850)

Then, the main event of our meal came – the glorious Kaisen Chirashi Sushi Zen Bento – I’ve always admired and respected the labor of love that comes in meticulously preparing each aspect of a bento box. Fresh seaweed, a simple salad with sesame dressing, amazing chawan mushi, flavorful miso soup and fruits are expected to accompany your choice of main dish here in Ogawa. Its Kaisen Chirashi boasts of uni, tamago, ebi, salmon, tuna and mackerel – however, even if the slices were undoubtedly fresh, I can’t help but compare it to the impeccable quality of Salmon HQ’s fare (one of the pandemic gems discovered by my sister). The latter’s incredibly fresh offerings have spoiled my taste buds on how fresh sashimi should be – that I can’t seem to appreciate Ogawa’s fresh fare as I did before. I think moving forward, I’d be favoring its cooked offerings instead.

Ogawa Traditional Japanese Restaurant

The Fort Strip, 5th Avenue, Taguig City

Date of Visit: October 1, 2022 with Lily Chua and Elizabeth Chua

APARTMENT 1B

I used to frequent Apartment 1B in its Makati branches – back when I still used to work in the BPI head office. However, it’s been years since I last made a visit so as I had some errands to run in the Pasay City Hall for work – I decided to drop by its branch at the Henry Hotel (just a few minutes away) to grab a quick brunch before heading back to the office.

I couldn’t help but be in awe of how beautiful it looked – from its alfresco area to its sophisticated interiors – and the atmosphere was so serene – that I couldn’t help but think I was dining in Tagaytay. I’ve always loved the hominess of its Makati branches but the laidback atmosphere layered with the lush greenery elevates the dining experience further here in its Pasay branch.

2-EGG BREAKFAST (P550)

I opted for the 2-Egg breakfast which gives you a choice among Smoked Bacon, Canadian Ham, Homemade Chorizo or Gourmet Sardines as your main viand. Naturally, I opted for its smoked bacon. A plate comes with delicious home fries (very mojos-like!), you choice of egg, salad and your option between bread or rice. Truly, comfort food at its finest! I definitely highly recommend taking that extra detour to dine in this branch to get the perfect all-day breakfast dining experience!

Apartment 1B

The Henry Hotel, 2680 FB Harrison St., Pasay City

Date of Visit: October 27, 2022 with Ivy Gayo

HILL STATION

Hill Station’s high ceilings, wide windows and crisp white interiors make for a dramatic entrance. It doesn’t hurt also that one is greeted by a delightful selection of its pantry goodies – that make for perfect pasalubong treats for those visiting Baguio.

We were still quite full from our breakfast but the warm house bread was a delightful treat as lunch service took a while due to the restaurant hitting its maximum capacity (it was a holiday after all).

POMPANO WITH GREEN MASALA

We opted for the Pompano with Green Masala – which didn’t really look that visually appetizing at first but the Pompano’s perfectly cooked meat had a deliciously firm bite to it. The tomato chutney glaze it came with boasted of a perfect harmony between sweet, tangy and savory flavors; while the saffron rice serves as the perfect vessel to pair the fish with.

PAELLA VALENCIANA (P480/P980)

The Paella Valenciana was immensely stuffed with toppings – that the paella rice seemed to be an afterthought in this dish. Definitely, you’d get value-for-money in this packed paella given how hefty it was - chicken, peas, chorizo, shrimp, mussels - this one has it all! One minor issue though is that its paella was on the wetter side of the spectrum (my family prefers the drier kind of paella which promises delightful spoonfuls of socarrat or tutong).

SMOKED PAPRIKA ROASTED SALMON (P780)

Unconsciously, our meal turned out to be more pescatarian than intended as we rounded out our meal with an order of the Smoked Paprika Roasted Salmon. I got a bit worried that the fish was overcooked; but once you slice into it, it opens up to really juicy meat. I loved the harmony of flavors and multitude of colors on the plate – the paprika rub on the salmon gives a nice spicy kick, the chutney lends some sweetness, the pickled cucumbers give a nice tangy and zesty kick, the lemon wedge adds a refreshing freshness to the dish, the wilted spinach gives a nutty bitterness, and it’s all held together by a creamy mashed potato base. I didn’t expect to enjoy this dish as I had - definitely a must-have!

Hill Station

Casa Vallejo, Upper Session Road, Baguio City

Date of Visit: November 1, 2022 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua