Matsuri Japanese BBQ Yakiniku by Tito Chef

Those in the BF area would probably be familar with Tito Chef, a restaurant in Presidents Ave. Sucat, Parañaque. Last year, we noticed some construction going on right beside it and I immediately guessed that it would probably be some expansion to the restaurant. And my prediction was right since it was Matsuri by Tito Chef that emerged. 

Hubby and I were so excited to try it out a few months ago but then we were told that they weren't officially opened yet (despite the restaurant being fully built with the lights on and everything when we would pass by, just like you see in the pic below) because there were still some problems with the exhaust system or something. So we had to wait a few more months (we honestly thought they weren't going to open anymore)...

And then last month they finally, really opened! So hubby and I trooped there with the kids for dinner a few days ago.

interiors

They have an area with low tables and of course the kids wanted to sit there. They were excited when they saw there was a TV, but they were only showing Japanese channels. They also didn't have wi-fi yet as of the time we visited.

Here's their menu:

We decided to get the YAKINIKU CHOICE SET good for 2, served with rice, soup, and side salad dessert (P980).

soup

side dishes

We also got Yakitori Pork (P180) from the appetizers.

Here's the meat from the Yakiniku Choice Set: Original + Karubi + Harami + Tori + Ton Toro

You had to grill the meat yourself, not like in other places where the servers do it for you.

The kids had fun "cooking" but I was paranoid they might burn themselves!

Anyway, I don't know if we were cooking wrong, but the flames was really big. A waiter came by and asked us not to put the meat in the middle so it won't get burned daw hehe. And there was a LOT of smoke (maybe they still have to fix their exhaust?). But after a while it was all good. :)

The meat was really yummy and tender. You can put sauce, but it was tasty for me even without. I think hubby and I should have gotten the one good for 3. Medyo bitin pa for us haha! ;p

After, they gave these wet towels which were small at first but then grew in size after absorbing the water in the bowl. The kids were really amused by it. :)

Only complaint I have was that their cup of rice was really small. But that's just maybe because I'm a rice lover. We ended up ordering 1 more cup and still felt it was bitin haha. And ang mahal ng plain rice ha - P70! But we enjoyed our dining experience and will definitely be back. :)

Matsuri Japanese BBQ Yakiniku by Tito Chef
Presidents Avenue, Sucat, Parañaque (right beside Tito Chef)

Sunday to Thursday - 11:00am-2:00pm; 5:30pm-10:00pm  

Friday to Saturday -  11:00am-2:00pm; 5:30pm-11:00pm

Our new fishies from Cartimar

Hubby had to get his bike fixed in Cartimar one day, so he decided to bring the kids since he wanted to show them the animals there too. Little did I know he had a secret agenda to buy an aquarium, which he has been bugging me about forever. He's always been fond of fish and in fact when he was a kid, he told me that his room with his younger brother was filled with about 10 aquariums!

He's been wanting to get one of those expensive aquariums from Hobbes and Landes, but I told him maybe when the kids were older or something. So he just convinced us to tag along here in Cartimar to see what other options they had.

There were lots of other animals there too like dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters and guinea pigs...

Hubby was right to bring the kids along. They were so amazed with all the colorful fish and they were so excited to buy new pets and take them home. It was like taking them to the zoo hehe! ;p

Warning though, the smell in Cartimar can be quite overpowering. Plus there are big containers filled with worms which they feed the fish! It was a bit gross haha!

scared to enter the store coz there were worms in front!

Poor Miley completely HATED the smell haha! After a while, she was begging to go home! Not for the weak stomach. ;p

Anyway, we ended up buying a small aquarium with a water filter... If I remember correctly, everything was less than P500.

And 3 goldfish (which cost P10 each!)

We even got a small house for our new pets! :)

And here's our new aquarium all set up! And for the names of the fish? Meet Goldie, Pat-Pat and Pot-Pot! The kids love feeding them and watching them swim around. :)

I'm definitely up for getting a nicer aquarium in the future, But for now, this will do! :)

Skyler's monthly photos

My baby Skyler is now officially 1! I can't believe a whole year has already gone by! I love this idea I saw in Pinterest about taking monthly pictures in the same spot to really see the baby's growth over the year. I wasn't able to do this with Miley and Sabe so I'm happy I was able to do it with Sky. :)

It was a bit of a challenge making sure the angle of the photos was similar all throughout. What I did was mark the spot where the chair should be with masking tape so I'd have an easy time positioning it whenever we did the shoot. And it was also quite hard making Sky sit still in the chair as he got older! I definitely needed someone close by to help me make sure he didn't fall. ;p

Anyway, I love how the pics turned out. A great way to look back at the year that was. So again, happy 1st birthday Skyler! We love you so, so much!!!

Locavore Kitchen x Drinks

When one of my best friends is in town from Singapore, she always makes it a point to eat somewhere new and of course, in a Filipino restaurant. She was actually the one who discovered Locavore in Instagram and insisted that we eat there despite it being all the way in Kapitolyo, Pasig.

Locavore opened last October 2014 and the name actually means "one who eats foods grown locally whenever possible". They use organic ingredients and serve locally produced Filipino dishes with a French twist by Chef Mikel Zaguirre.

Not being familiar with the area, we almost passed by and missed the restaurant since the facade (as well as the street itself) was very unassuming.

They were still on soft opening when we visited and they had actually just started serving lunch (from 11:30am to 2:30pm) a few days before. But the place was surprisingly full on a weekday and we even spotted a few celebrities eating there as well. Looks like we were in the place to be! ;p

The whole place is very industrial and modern looking. I love the use of chalk on the bare concrete walls and the mix of metal with bamboo.

open kitchen

This was their Soft Opening Menu when we visited last month, so not sure if they changed some items or increased the price already at the start of this year.

Here's the stuff we ordered:

They have lots of choices of kinilaw like Fresh River Shrimp, Kalibo Oyster, Tanigue. and Lapu-Lapu. We ordered the Tuna and I really like the presentation in a jar. It was a little too oily for us though.

Tuna Kinilaw (P220)

Gensan Tuna/Wansoy/Green Bell Pepper/Red Bell Pepper/Ripe Mango/Togarashi

Pusit Ala Pobre (P220)

Squid/Squid Ink/Garlic Confit/Spring Onions

I'm not a fan of sinigang but I really enjoyed their version which is way different from how sinigang is usually served. This was probably my favorite dish from our entire meal!

Sizzling Sinigang (P530)

Beef Short Ribs/Sauteed French Beans/Sampaloc Gravy/Garlic Confit

Gising Gising (P290)

Sigarilyas/French Beans/Shallot and Garlic Confit/Gata/Spring Onion

This pata dish was kinda "makunat" though. It was a bit of a disappointment since we've definitely had better from other Filipino restaurants like Mesa and Crisostomo.

Thrice Cooked Pata (P770)

Picked Cucumber and Onion/Sarsa/Pinakurat/Bagoong Dipping Sauce/Soy Vinegar Sauce/Cucumber

On the other hand, this beef dish was really soft and tender. Another one of my favorites.

Beef Pares Stew (P390)

Short Ribs/Brisket/Star Anise/Garlic Confit/Shallot Confit

Love how they served the rice. They have organic white and brown rice to choose from as well.

Roasted Garlic White Rice (P70)

They had a lot of dessert items on the menu but only the Pandesal Pudding was available when we were there. We wanted to try the Leche Flan pa naman, but this was a good alternative.

Pandesal Pudding (180)

Custard/Pandesal/Cheese/Salted Egg/Dulce de Leche

Oh, and I really like how they have all kinds of sauces and condiments on the table. Really completes the dining experience.

There were some hits and misses but definitely a must try!

LOCAVORE
10 Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City
Telephone: 632-9600
Mobile: 0923-5889419
Website: www.locavore.ph
Facebook: Locavore Kitchen & Drinks
Instagram: @locavore.ph