I spent one evening in the company of fellow bloggers where we dined on Sakae Sushi’s offerings. I came in late so they’ve already started eating by the time I got there.

The first things I got to try were sushi off the kaiten- a conveyor belt that goes around the restaurant where diners can just pick up what ever they fancy.Used to seeing it only in pictures and on tv, I finally got try it myself. It was a lot of fun! I was like a kid playing with a train set.

Each serving came in two or threes. I also got to try some new maki creations like the Superior Rolls. There are 2 options for the Superior Roll: the Ebi Salad Roll which is a combination of asparagus, ebi salad, spring onion and lolorosa, and salad on a roll; while sweet-tangy-savory Tropical Roll is a mixture of ham, mango, spring onion, red bell pepper and kani salad.

Aside from sushi rolls, Sakae Sushi also serves fresh sashimi. Some tried the Salmon Sashimi, Maguro Sahimi, and Kajiki Sashimi. I had some of the salmon and the maguro.

We also tried Ebi Tempura, Samurai Steak and Gindara Teriyaki. These you have to order off the menu because they are not available off the kaiten. I’ve loved gindara teriyaki ever since I was a kid, so it’s no surprise that I would love Sakae Sushi’s version.

The Samurai Steak is also really good. Cubes of beef sizzling and served on a hot plate that is so soft it melts in your mouth. The meat is juicy and very tender. I didn’t really get to eat much of the Ebi Tempura because my attention ( more like my mouth) was focused on the Gindara and Samura Steak.

After gorging on gindara and steak, next was the deep fried chicken skin in an asian vinaigrette that everyone said I should try. Crispy strips of golden brown chicken skin served in a sweet and tangy sauce. Man that was delicious!

And to end the meal we had Sakae Sushi’s version of fried ice cream, the Tempura Ice Cream served with a dollop of strawberry jam on top.

I enjoyed dining at Sakae Sushi, regardless of what I’ve read or heard. While I initially wanted to try it because of the kaiten, eating there sure proved to be a pleasant experience. I’m definitely going back for more of that Gindara Teriyaki, Samurai Steak and most definitely, the Crispy Chicken Skin.

Sakae Sushi was brought to the Philippines by Hubert Young, and is a sister company of UCC Concept Stores, Cafe City 1888 and Crepes & Creams. Aside from the Mall of Asia branch, there’s also a Sakae Sushi restaurant on the UG of the Annex, SM City North Edsa.

Sakae Sushi
Unit 2145-2146 2nd Floor
Main Mall, SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
Tel. 556-0150

The minds behind the innovative food court favorite have opened Bistro Ravioli in SM Mall of Asia, a restaurant that offers the same fresh pasta that has made Ravioli a hit. Prices differ slightly from Ravioli; it is a full service restaurant after all and not the food court. The menu comprises of appetizers; the raviolis and other pasta; pizza; drinks, and desserts.

To start off, we ordered the Grilled Focaccia with Spinach dip and Grilled Focaccia with salsa. Both plates of appetizers have slices of buttered and herbed focaccia lightly grilled. The salsa dip is your typical salsa, but the Spinach dip is truly something else. Creamy spinach topped with a creamy layer of melted cheese. Absolutely delicious!

For our next courses we decided to try 1 noodle dish and 2 ravioli dishes. I’ve been jonesing for a creamy tomato sauce dish so we ordered Italian Sausage Ravioli; we also ordered the Salmon Ravioli in Saffron Cream Sauce and Garlic Seafood spaghetti. I love the salmon ravioli’s sauce, and I found that the salmon filling has a nice smokey flavor to it.

The Garlic Seafood spaghetti is a mildly spicy pasta dish that definitely tastes garlicky and seafood-y. But the star among the 3 has to be the Italian Sausage Ravioli. This I highly recommend that you try. The Italian sausage goes so well with the rich and creamy tomato sauce.

Aside from fresh pasta, they also offer thin crust pizzas baked in a bricked oven, giving it a very subtle earthy flavor that only a brick oven can give. We ordered the Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza. I recommend wiping the ravioli sauce off of your plate with the pizza. It’s an excellent flavor combination!

What meal would be complete without dessert? Bistro Ravioli only has 2 sweet confections in their menu, and we decided to try both. The Panna Cotta has a very smooth and velvety texture; is not too sweet and is the perfect backdrop for the sweet and tangy flavors of the fruit toppings. The Tiramisu is a lightly sweet and creamy dessert that has a faint taste of liquor which would go so well with a nice cup of coffee.

And dining here won’t break the bank as the food is quite affordable. An order of ravioli is Php 190.00 while a pizza is around Php 325.00. The Garlic Seafood Spaghetti comes in 2 sizes: Solo which is Php 165.00; and Family which is Php 320.00. Appetizers are Php 125.00 an order and is good for 2-3 people.

As fresh pastas go, Bistro Ravioli is truly one of a kind. Good food, good ambiance, and good service. That’s the Bistro Ravioli experience.

Bistro Ravioli
2nd Floor, South Wing Main Mall,
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay city

Contact no: (02)8040577

The refreshing Kamias and Mango shakes match Unit 8 Cafe’s cheery interiors

We were warmly welcomed by Oman, one of Unit 8′s owners. While waiting for Juned, Karla, Sha, Rotch and Ryan to arrive, Melo and I sampled their fresh fruits shakes. While Melo had the Kamias-Lychee shake, a Unit 8 specialty, I opted for the more familiar ripe mango shake, something I terribly missed while traveling (Philippine mango is still the best in the world!).

Fruity Wonton Salad with the Chili Crusted Tofu in the background

As our friends arrive one by one, so did Unit 8′s signature dishes. We started off with the Chili Crusted Tofu: tofu cubes breaded and deep fried, served with a side of sweet chili sauce. It was a great start, I thought, and a sign of the yummy things to come. Soon enough, we were overwhelmed with the number of dishes in our table, but that didn’t stop us from trying and savoring each one!

Unit 8′s Eggplant Rollini

What I love about Unit 8, aside from their location fronting the gorgeous Manila Bay, is that offers a diverse menu that can make meat lovers enjoy vegetarian fare. Their Fruity Wonton Salad is easily one of the best salads I’ve had in Manila: crisp lettuce leaves topped with walnuts, dried cranberries and cream-cheese filled fried wontons with raspberry vinaigrette. I’m not a big berry fan, but the raspberry makes for great salad dressing. Another veggie-only house specialty is the Eggplant Rollini: thinnly sliced eggplant, breaded and used to roll over cheese and baked. Think of it as cannelloni, except with eggplant and there’s no meat in the yummy tomato sauce.

Crisp Fried Whitebait

Another thing I liked about Unit 8 is that they made me eat and like fish! I’m not too fond of fish, and will avoid ordering them when there’s meat on the menu. Unit 8 Cafe’s fish dishes are something else, though! First was the Crisp Fried Whitebait. Small, slim fish lightly breaded and deep fried to a crisp. It’s served with three kinds of dipping sauces, soy-vinegar, tartar sauce and spicy mango aioli. It’s hard to say which sauce is the best, as all three match the fish perfectly. I ended up alternating between all three.

Fish Fillet in Light Soy Sauce

Another fishy favorite is their Fish Fillet in Light Soy Sauce. Pan seared dory, that is just bursting with flavor, yet leaves you wanting for more. These are my favorites, but everything we tried at Unit 8 was fantastic. Other dishes we tried were the Fried Lasagna Rolls, Asian Style Barbequed Chicken, Carolina Barbequed Country Style Pork, Beer Battered Fish and Chips, and for dessert, White Chocolate Bread Pudding, Frozen Mango Tango and Tiramisu.

Are you headed to MOA anytime soon? Why not try something different and head over to Unit 8 Cafe? You won’t be disappointed.

Unit 8 Cafe, SM Mall of Asia
G/F South Wing Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia, Bay Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
+632 804-0853

The savory crepe menu includes the Pork floss Chessy Omellette, Smoked Salmon, the classic Mushroom ham with Mozarella, and the Japanese cuisine inspired Kani Mango. There’s also a BLT– bacon, lettuce and tomato- crepe, which is what I ordered since I’m a BLT sandwhich lover. This take on the classic sandwich is a rerfreshing and novel approach which I liked so much.

Kani Mango

Vegetarians and weight-watchers need not fret: there’s also something in the menu for you. Like the Veggie Crepe which is made up of sauteed mushroom, fresh lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

Crepes are widely known as desserts, and Crepes & Cream does not disappoint! Their selection of flavors is sure to sate your sweet tooth. Chocolate, fresh fruits and creamy ice cream are wrapped in crepe fro yummy delights like Carribean Cruise, Capuchocco, and Hazelnut Banana Chocolate.

If you are a cheesecake lover, then you’d be happy to know that there are cheesecake flavors on the menu. They have Strawberry, Mango, Blueberry and Oreo Cheesecake crepes. Real cake cubes are folded in with vanilla ice cream and topped with almond flakes.

Crazy For Strawberry

I love the Crazy for Strawberries crepe. Well, I love anything strawberry so I’m a little biased! This combination of fresh strawberry cubes, strawberry chocolate chips, almond flakes, whipped cream and strawberry sauce really made my sweet tooth happy.

One of the best things they have on offer, I think, is the Create-Your-Own-Crepe option on their menu. It’s perfect if you are undecided on which flavor to have, or would like to make your own creation. You can choose from any of the filling and topping ingredients they have.

So if you are hankering for a crepe fix, be it savory or sweet, give Crepes & Cream a try.

Crepes & Cream
4th Floor Bridgeway
SM Megamall
Ortigas

Crepes & Cream also have branches at the Podium; Ortigas Center; Crescent West Park; Fort Bonifacio; SM Mall of Asia; Power Plant Mall at Rockwell; SM Pampanga; and Robinson’s Place Ermita.