Dining Snippets: Sukiya x Amare La Cucina x Jones All Day

SUKIYA

BEEF AND YAKINIKU COMBO (Medium – P319)

Going down the delicious rabbit hole that is Let’s Eat Pare’s Facebook Page, a lot of people have been raving about Sukiya and its affordable dishes – so I ended up giving it a try when I made my way to Glorietta. Its menu highlights different variants of its Gyudon Beef and its Beef Yakiniku since I wasn't sure which was better, I ended up ordering a combo that features both in one dish.

SOFT BOILED EGG AND SPRING ONION YAKINIKU (P249) + GREEN VEGGIES (P40)

Sukiya employs a self-service ordering and payment system which increases the efficiency of the restaurant to serve more diners. I loved how the bowl was piping hot – the beef strips weren’t as tender as I’d like them to be, but given the price point, you’d be more than satisfied with the quality of the beef you’re served with. It didn’t take long for me to favor the tastier Yakiniku variant over the Gyudon variant though; so on my second visit, I decided to try out the Yakiniku in one of its snazzier versions (there's a lot of interesting ones like one which maarries the beef with cheese, and another one with kimchi)! I opted for the one topped with Soft Boiled Egg and Spring Onions – and boy, was this a killer combination!

Pair it with a bowl of Green Veggies (it’s a steal at P40 and comes with a huge serving of fresh crunchy greens that you can easily share with a companion)!

I’m beyond happy to find out that it has since expanded to SM Megamall (closer to my office) so I’m crossing my fingers that it’ll be on Grabfood soon so I can enjoy it for my office lunches.

If you’re looking for hot, filling, delicious quick serve food; skip the usual fastfood fare, and grab a bowl from Sukiya!

Sukiya

2F Glorietta 2, Palm Drive, Makati City

Dates of Visit: May 6 and 21, 2023 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua and Jared Chua

AMARE LA CUCINA

I was on the receiving end of so many targeted ads from Amare La Cucina that I finally caved in to curiosity and made my way to its branch in SM Megamall. It has a huge branch in The Atrium section of SM Megamall; and its menu is stacked which made me pretty excited!

I was pretty happy that apart from the usual chili flakes, they also serve chili honey and chili olive oil at your tableside.

PULLED PORK BBQ PIZZA (P475/P700)

It had a lot of interesting pizza flavors but I do have a special weakness for BBQ Pizza, so when our friendly server recommended that to us; we ordered it without hesitation. It looked and sounded promising: a generous serving of pulled pork, mozzarella cheese, green bell peppers, caramelized onions and oregano on a bed of bbq sauce and lovely layers of garlic yogurt drizzled over it. It sounded brilliant on paper but failed to deliver on flavor in reality – the crust of the pizza was not tasty; the pulled pork was bland and the barbecue sauce which was supposed to tie everything together tasted quite off. We simply weren’t into it.

PREMIUM STEAK (300g/P1850)

We decided to get their cheapest steak available, which they dubbed as the ‘Premium’ steak, which boasts of decent steak, cooked perfectly medium - with a quality that I was pretty happy with, given its price point. Yes, the fries could have been crispier; but overall, I was pretty happy with this (my sister wasn’t though)! I guess, I’m just easy to please when it comes to steak – juicy, tender and well-seasoned – and yep, it managed to check all those boxes!

For its pizza, it could be an off day or that we just ordered the wrong thing; but since good pizza is pretty easy to come by, I’d rather not risk another unfortunate visit!

Amare La Cucina

The Atrium, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City

Date of Visit: May 27, 2023 with Lily Chua and Jem Chua

JONES ALL DAY

My family used to frequent Mr. Jones (and Mrs Jones) back when it was still operational in Greenbelt and Eastwood– its all-day breakfast offerings became comfort food staples that we craved for in rotation for our Sunday family lunches.

CAESAR LUXE (P450)

In its latest iteration, the concept still builds on the strength of its all-day breakfast offerings but also expanded its menu to include cocktails, pizzas, and other non-breakfast fare. Its Caesar Luxe is a more refined and colorful version of the classic Caesar salad – fresh romaine lettuce, smoked bacon, croutons and Caesar dressing are garnished with beautifully pink edible flowers, and a spoonful of caviar. Basil and arugula are also tossed in as a generous serving of pecorino serves as a beautifully white topping of the salad.

BLACK CALAMARI (P375)

Its Black Calamari is a beauty – as calamari rings are battered in a gorgeous charcoal-black hue and paired with a delightfully tasty pesto aioli (which came in a beautifully bright green color). Zest it with some lemon for the added freshness. Such a perfect dish for the summer!

GAMBAS

We also enjoyed their Gambas – but unfortunately, I can’t seem to find it anymore in its current menu offerings – this tasted heavenly when paired with Mr Jones’ signature tapa (which was still delicious as ever). You might miss out on its tapa as it's not explicitly stated on the menu. Look for ‘Mr Jones’ Filipino Breakfast’ – opt for tapa and pair it with your choice of eggs. Other options would be longganisa and bangus, but seriously, why bother skipping on the dish that placed the ‘Jones’ name on the map?

DBL SMOKED BACON, PECORINO AND MUSHROOM (P450)

Jones All Day’s pizza crusts are made of sourdough; and boy do they bake them well – evident in the lovely char marks on the dough. We opted for the Smoked Bacon, Pecorino and Mushroom variant; which was topped with some basil and fresh black pepper. Visually, the toppings look sparse but don’t worry, a little goes a long way in terms of flavor – you’d definitely still wipe out the plate (crusts included)!

Jones All Day

GF Serendra, Taguig City, Metro Manila

Date of Visit: June 11, 2023 with Wilson Chua, Lily Chua, Jared Chua and Jem Chua