Where is Jam?

Kettle is known for their Buttermilk Fried Chicken, and I've visited them in Shangri-La Mall countless times for it already. So when Fireside by Kettle opened in SM Megamall, it was only a matter of time before I got to try almost every single item on their menu. For starters, they also have the Buttermilk Fried Chicken!

In Fireside, there were just so many dishes I loved. Some highlights include the meat loaf, roast beef and salad with bacon slab. These are all meaty dishes with the perfect sauce always accompanying it. Even the salad was extremely satisfying because of the bacon slab that came along with it.

When this Japanese restaurant opened at the Mega Fashion Hall, there was a lot of buzz because as many and I have heard, they have the best gyoza. True enough, man do they not disappoint! They have an extensive selection of gyoza in the menu, from the usual ones we've all probably tasted up to peanut butter and banana gyoza.

A visit to Osaka Ohsho wouldn't be complete without trying the gyoza, of course. Go for the classic and try another more unique one like the Bacon and Cheese gyoza (that's my personal fave)! But beyond that, I have a few more recommendations that are noteworthy. 

The Asparagus Bacon is one that I wouldn't miss here. It's asparagus wrapped in bacon, and although other restaurants may serve this dish, the sauce and the perfect cooking of the bacon wrap makes this one a must try! Other than that, you should also try the Salmon Bacon. Now, this one is the first I've tried from any Japanese place. It's salmon, not sahsmi, wrapped in bacon as well. The salmon was cooked to perfection even if it was wrapped in bacon, which shouldn't have been easy. This one must be on your list, too.

During the soft opening, I was lucky to be able to visit this "Bold New Japanese" restaurant in the Mega Fashion Hall of SM Megamall. Initially, it may look as if it's just another Japanese place along the lines of establishments in the same area. I thought the same until I found the differentiating factor of Ooma! It's a Japanese Rice Bar, which tells you mostly that their dishes of specialty would involve rice.

Naturally, my recommendation would be to have something with rice when you visit. The Buta Kakuni is a good choice for that. It's breaded pork belly over rice with a sauce that's a little sweet and salty. This is also one of their house specialties.


Main dishes to try would be the ebi tempura, which is served in a bigger quantity or size than usual. The Hanger Steak is a personal favorite, and something you should try for its tenderness and flavor. They also have a wide range of sushi and I'm sure you'll find a unique one to fit your taste.

As of now, they only have one branch, and it's at the 3rd Floor of the Mega Fashion Hall. Go on and visit Ooma at SM Megamall now, and stop thinking of those carbs..grab some rice!

This year, we celebrated Father's Day with my grandparents through dinner in a restaurant specializing in Negrense food. As some may know, I'm from Bacolod, so there's much familiarity for me when it comes to those types of dishes. But beyond the famous inasal, the food that we got a taste of was a classic twist on traditional Negrense cuisine. 

The person behind this new discovery of ours is Chef JP Anglo from Bacolod. I also found out that he was also a chef in MuShu and Mai Pao in Bacolod. The former, MuShu, is more famous as a bar in my hometown. I can even recall celebrating our batch's Senior Graduation Party at that place. The latter, Mai Pao, was also a restaurant that my family and I frequented back when I stayed home. It was more because my dad loved the food there since it was a healthy choice. If I remember correctly, my favorites were the Beef with Broccoli and Fish Fillet with Tofu. I haven't visited the place since I heard it was renovated, but now I'll make sure to ask my dad to bring me there once I fly over home.

Going back to Sarsa at BGC, my favorite dishes were the Twice-cooked Pork Belly and Sizzling Kansi. The pork belly came with a really good sauce, something similar to kare-kare, but already infused with the bagoong. On the other hand, the kansi was just enough for me to miss the unique way they cook bulalo in Bacolod. A couple of restaurants back home served sizzling kansi as well, and the one from Sarsa just felt like home. Here are some of our orders:

Other dishes we ordered were Pancit Molo, Tortang Talong with Crispy Sardines and Kesong Puti, Sizzling Kansi, Sizzling Bangus ala Pobre, and Green Mango Shake.