Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory NAMAmazing Launch

Known for its luxurious treats made mostly from Hokkaido Milk and the best cheeses in the world, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory has launched their latest offering just right this Holiday season - Nama Doughnuts in their latest branch at Mitsukoshi mall in BGC last December 15. 

Bringing amazing desserts since 2019, you will surely love their Nama Doughnuts. A very unique kind of doughnut that is fluffy and chewy at the same time! It comes in three flavors: Classic, Rare Cheese, and Mascarpone and Custard. 

You have to try each flavor to see the difference but I will tell you now that if you ask me which one is my favorite it would probably be rare cheese. The sweet and salty taste just hits the right spot. I might need to head back to BGC just to buy a box again of it. 

The whole secret is that they make this doughnuts in store and its ingredients are exclusively imported from Japan. From the flour, Butter and even the frying oil is from Japan. I was able to see, and you can see it too when you visit their branch at Mitsukoshi Mall in BGC. 

Other than doughnuts, Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory also has cookies, Cheesecakes and ice creams to offer. 

I will be posting an in-depth comparison between the three flavors of the Nama Doughnuts soon so make sure to check back! 

If you are interested to try these with your family you can head on over to Mitsukoshi Mall in BGC as its exclusively available there. Be warned - they are seriously #NAMAmazing good you might get addicted. 

Much Love! 

xx Alice 

 

Be in Bloom with Sakura Hanami

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One of the things I love is Milk Tea because why not right? And if you know me too well you know that I love a new place where I can enjoy milk tea and take cute pictures of it.

And I just found probably the cutest Milk tea place ever! The coolest info about this is it is located in Maginhawa st. Q.C. - insert me fainting out of sheer excitement.

I am talking about Sakura Hanami!

I actually saw several posts about other blogger friends of mine that have visited Sakura Hanami before and because I was too busy it slipped off my mind of visit them. I am super thankful though to my new found friends from Hungry Byaheros in inviting me to chat one afternoon for this!

So what is Sakura Hanami all about?

If you guessed that they are inspired by the Japanese Cherry Blossom well you get an online hug because that is their whole aesthetic! The whole place screams Sakura or Japanese Cherry Blossom which is just too cute not to pass out on.

One of the coolest things about Sakura Hanami is their menu is not just all about milk tea but rather have a variety of other ways to enjoy Japanese-inspired tea. We were able to try their best sellers and I am not surprised why these were the favorites in Sakura Hanami because everything was just amazing but I do have my favorites.

1. Red Velvet Milk Tea 

Ever imagined having a red velvet cupcake transformed into a drink? THIS.IS.IT. It is creamy, sweet, and flavorful without the overwhelming sensation that you might have consumed too many to pray for forgiveness. I do love this drink as more as a dessert treat after dinner and I would say its best to enjoy this with your friend.

2. Hanami Dream

The second drink is what I would call the instagram drink fit for your dreams. The colors were so mesmerizing it was just like its name - A Dream. The Hanami Dream is quite sweet but if you want to enjoy something on a hot day this will be my recommendation to you. 

3. Hot Tea

I have been a tea drinker even before milk tea came into existence. Sakura Hanami actually offer a different kind of tea drinking experience because they are just too cute and soothing too. The ones that we tried were the Traditional Cherry Blossom Tea, Blue Pea Fruit Tea and the Blossom Ethereal Tea. All of these were great to enjoy with friends if you want to feel a little fancy and soothe your stress away with tea. 

4. Sakura Signature Bubble Tea (Extra Strength)

This is actually the one I am quite excited  about because this is my utmost favorite from all the milk tea that I have tried. If you noticed this has Extra Strength added to it not to scare you but because its to those that prefer a stronger tea flavor on their milk tea. This is by far my favorite and although its sweet and creamy the tea flavor is not lacking in any way. The pearls also had some flavor into it that its such a delight to my taste buds.

Another thing I might add is their drink are quite affordable. The bigger sizes are just around 100 - 200 pesos range which amazing because it can be fit for 2-3 person per serving so you get a bang for your buck.

Also aside from the teas they serve, you can also buy Sakura themed drinks like latte or flavored water which is just too cute to just put in display!

Sakura Hanami is located at 168 Maginhawa St. Diliman, Q.C.

Check out their Facebook and Instagram pages for more information!

Much Love!
xx Alice

The Perfect Omiyage: Hattendo Japanese Chilled Cream Bun

Growing up knowing the Japanese culture, I know how small family businesses tend to stick to the traditional way of preparing their items in which it also instills to the consumer that there is definitely a personal touch to the items they bought. 

That is what Hattendo is known for. Although they are new to the Asian market they are backed up with around 80 years of experience in bringing high quality chilled cream buns to the consumer. 

Hattendo is named after a small shrine in Hiroshima, Japan. And the English translation of their name is unlimited prosperity.  

Hattendo is mainly known as the perfect "omiyage" or gifts according to my relatives in Japan because its perfect for your loved ones to enjoy on any season. 

And I am so happy that Hattendo is now in the Philippines! 

Hattendo Philippines currently has two main stores: one on the 2nd Floor of Mega mall's Fashion hall and the next at the South entrance of Mall of Asia. They also have a pop up store every Friday to Sunday at Rockwell Power plant mall. 

Instilling tradition, great taste and safe food for their customers, all chilled cream buns are done by hand inside the Hattendo factory in Hiroshima, Japan. They are sent here  exclusively to C3 Premium Partnerships, Inc. which me and some selected bloggers were honored to meet and ask some questions to them. 

They mainly talked about how the buns are made in Japan and also shared their experience in seeing first hand how its made and how meticulous each bun is made. We were also very lucky to try these chilled cream buns for ourselves and bring some home for our families. 

I'll be doing a second part about each flavor of the Hattendo Chilled Cream Buns on this blog and which ones are my top favorites.

Have you tried Hattendo? Let me know which is your favorite flavor on the comments section! 

Much Love! 

xx Alice 

Japanese Food At Tenya

Growing up eating a lot of Japanese Food, I've already become accustomed with the ever evolving style of food being offered at Japanese restaurants. From the Traditional sashimi to udons, Japanese food is a part of my life ever since I was young. 

So when Tenya opened its stores in Mega Mall then now at BGC Stop over, I can't help but feel giddy because a lot of my friends and relatives in Japan have been telling me about Tenya in a long time.

 

Tenya is known for their Tendon! What is a tendon? 

A tendon is basically a portmanteau of Tempura and Donburi. This is a common dish at Asakusa, Japan thus making it a big thing there. 

They also have tempura baskets if you are into that. And they also have a wide array of other Japanese side dishes to make you dining pleasure much better. 

 One of the coolest things here at Tenya is they serve you an unlimited amount of tea in between meals because tea is a good way to make your stomach calm for the next bite. 

Now let's talk about the food!

Appetizer.

1. Chicken Karaage. 

Chicken Kaarage is actually a whole food by itself and you are done! I absolutely love how the chicken pieces are bite sized and they have a proper proportion of meat and the batter. We were also given some of what I can say is the best cooked Crab stick because they were still fresh and the batter to meat ratio is just enough which still keeps the meat fresh and nice to chew. 

 And for the main entree I got the All Star Tendon which is one of their best sellers. It has Black Tiger Prawn, Salmon, squid, Kani stick, Green beans and mushroom with a side of miso soup. 

You basically have the best of everything from Tenya as you can get to enjoy seafood and veggies at the same time. 

Japanese have a7 distinti way of how they cook Tempura which is to have the best ingredients to have the best meal to serve. Tenya didn't let me down on this. 

And for dessert we had a Japanese Ice cream that is only offered at Tenya. 

Its tangy and makes my taste buds dance when I tried this. I absolutely love it!

Overall, My experience at Tenya is definitely worth trying out again. Make sure to check out Tenya at Megamall and at BGC Stop Over. 

Much Love!

xx Alice 

Enjoy Legit Japanese Food at Akira

If you are feeling some Japanese food and you are in Makati I would suggest visiting Akira, The Art of Sushi and Teppanyaki. 

Yoshinoya Brings Japan's Famous Beef Bowl Back at SM Mall of Asia!

 Prepare yourself for a new flavor in town - Yoshinoya is re-opening its Mall of Asia branch!

Located at Unit 107 Ground Floor, North Wing of SM Mall of Asia, Yoshinoya opens its doors again to the public famously known for their steamy bowl of Gyudon or Beef Bowls. 

Currently there are six (6) stores in Manila: Fairview Terraces, SM Megamall, SM North EDSA, SM Manila, Robinson's Galleria, Glorietta and SM Mall of Asia.

The event was opened by a blessing of the store and messages from Mr. Timothy James Yang, President / General Manager of Ihanat Foods Inc. and also guests from the Japanese Embassy.

As it is home to delicious modern Japanese comfort food, we were served their famous beef bowls and also other delicacies like their Shiitake shumai and Tiramisu!

There were also cosplayers at the event and also Yoshinoya's 'face' if you might say. The cosplayers at the event were really fun and also they were entertaining.

Since 2001, Yoshinoya has offered high quality food at affordable prices with exceptional friendly service to its patrons. 

you love Japanese food make sure to visit Yoshinoya at Mall of Asia soon and taste their famous beef bowl.

Yoshinoya Mall of Asia is located at Unit 107 Ground Floor, North Wing of SM Mall of Asia. They are near SM Hypermart. 

Much Love! 

Alice 

Yoshinoya Brings Japan's Famous Beef Bowl to Ayala Fairview Terraces!

Last Friday I attended an event for the opening of Yoshinoya in Ayala Fairview Terraces. If you guys would like to know more about Ayala Fairview Terraces you can check my other blog for that since today I will share to you the awesome food from Yoshinoya.

I remember when I was younger (ouch!) My cousin likes to eat at Yoshinoya and would always bring home one for me as well since I am her look out when she sneaks out just for fun.

We were young and sheltered kids so little adventures like going to Robinson's Galleria is like Dora on an adventure. Okay that sounds lame..but I really like eating Japanese food since I grew up learning a whole lot of the Japanese culture.

Okay time for history class! 

Yoshinoya's Famous beef bowl was actually invented way back in the 1800's by Eikichi Matsuda. The name of their store is Yoshinoya which means - 

Yoshino - A district in Osaka, Japan; Eikichi Matsuda's hometown

Ya - Japanese for 'house'

It has garnered a lot of attention to the Japanese people because it was their version of 'fastfood' back then within the busy fishermen and also travelers during the Edo Period.  

It went on a full expansion when Mizuho Matsuda converted their restaurant into a 24-hour restaurant which boosted its image not just in Japan but also for the rest of the world. Having about 1,200 outlets around the world namely in Japan, USA, Hongkong, China, Singapore, Malaysia, Taiwan, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. 

And now one of its newest branch is in Ayala Fairview Terraces~!

Last Friday, We were offered to see their newest branch and also some of Yoshinoya's famous and newest treats. The program was started by the store blessing by Rev. Fr. Regalia which was actually not the typical store blessing if you asked me.

It was followed by the ribbon cutting and throwing of coins as a sign of good luck and bountiful blessings for the newest branch.

were also speeches by Managing Director Mr. Leo Co and Mr. Timothy Yang, the President of Yoshinoya Century Pacific Inc.

Afterwards we were served a full course Yoshinoya meal which consists of their famous Gyudon, Kani Salad, Hani Shu mai and green iced tea.

Beef Bowl or Gyudon in Japanese. It consists of thin beef strips, slices of onion, Chewy rice and a broth. The taste is quite good although I wish they would have a version with more veggies than onions only. You can try this for only 119PHP per bowl.

Kani Salad. This consists of thin strips of carrots and cucumber with romaine lettuce topped with strips of Kani or seaweeds, caviar and Kani salad dressing. I like this salad since it doesn't have that much pizzazz but still have that great taste into it. Try this out for about 69PHP per serving.

Kani Shu Mai - This is bascially its a special kind since it has pork meat and at the center is a crab meat. It is not the typical shu mai if you ask me because it is packed with flavor with the unexpected taste of the crab meat in the middle. You can try this out for 59PHP for three pieces.

Yoshinoya is definitely home to delicious modern Japanese comfort food. Since 2001, The company is the most preferred Japanese restaurant in the country that has offered high quality food at affordable prizes.

I felt really stuffed after eating this feast. I really love the Gyudon at Yoshinoya. The taste of the Gyudon is just superb and the serving is just right!

Make sure to join as well their Gyudon famous bowl eating contest for a chance to win 100K! Check it out from their branches or on their Facebook page.

Yoshinoya's latest branch in Ayala Fairview Terraces is located at the 3rd Floor.

Much Love!

Alice

Kit Kat Heaven!!!

Kit Kat is one of those treats that I rarely get exited for since the ones that I've tried when I was your was the regular variant. Nothing really special really - not until I was able to try out two new flavors of Kit Kat!

I tried out Passion fruit and the coveted Green Tea flavor.

These were actually sold to me by my co-worker since her sibling travels a lot. She retails these at about 370PHP per bag of 12 mini pieces. 

Each piece are individually wrapped and contains 2 wafers layered with the selected flavor then covered in the same icing. 

The passion fruit was more of a main stay in the Japanese market according to my cousin, since it has a 'normal' taste - her words not mine. 

So since it was my first time to try it, I was a bit curious with the taste of Kit Kat's passion fruit flavor. When I tasted it, all I could say was ...hmmm? yes.It wasn't a real word but more of an expression. 

The aroma was fruity with a hint of creaminess. The taste was somewhat confuses me since it has a creamy, kind-of citrus zing into it that makes you want to reach out for more. I was taken back with the taste of the passion fruit that I actually liked it the more I tasted it.

Now to the coveted Green tea kit kat. 

I didn't expect much with this because I basically grew up drinking green tea because my mom would get tons of green tea from her Japanese friends, which ends up being in my cup since she says its good for your health.

The moment I opened this piece I braised myself for an outpouring of childhood memories - of my mom running after me to drink my afternoon green tea. The thought of it makes me cringe.

I don't have anything against drinking Japanese green tea, its just that whenever I smell it, it just reminds me of like the smell of grass. I have drank gallons of Japanese green tea which quite honestly made me sick of drinking it, but I think eating it will be fine...right?

The aroma of this is very much like the once I've drank before, but somehow I don't feel tensed eating it. The aroma is not that overwhelming to the mouth which is great.

If you ask me between the two which one I like more?

I would go with Passion fruit. The taste is quite new and its something that you want to have over and over again while the green tea one is just something I was accustomed to thus making it more of like an afternoon delight.

Which one would you prefer?

Make sure to leave your comments below!

Much Love!

Alice