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

Afternoon Thirst Quenchers

On afternoons such as this one I really feel the urge to drink something cold even if I'm having a cold. Don't get me wrong, I know its bad to drink cold stuff when your sick but based on my experience its more of an indulgence since you can't have these everyday. 

First on my afternoon thirst quencher is Buko Shake (see picture above) 

Buko or coconut water has become a popular drink because its sweet even without sugar. I have been a coconut water drinker ever since I was a kid since my dad loves them. Buko is also known to keep the body cool and raises your metabolism to promote weight loss. 

But ever since the hype about this drink, there had been variations like buko shake. I like my buko shake with milk only - no added sugar since milk also has its sweeteners added to the coconut water and coconut bits. 

You can actually buy buko shake anywhere at affordable prices. I suggest you buy one from Buko Express or Buko Republic. But if there is none in your area you can also go for Fruitas. 

If you are not a coconut water person, you can go for tea! Iced tea for the least. Ever since my call center days I have been loving Lipton's Green Tea Japanese Tea and Lemon drink which is really nice and mild.

Trust me on this - This drink is a lifesaver if you are on the verge of screaming your guts out, drink this instead and you will feel much better. This is also really cheap since its around 20 - 25php on Ministop and other stores.

If you are out and about and you need to cool down, try this two drinks so your day will be okay.

That rhymed didn't it? haha! but I hope you got what I was talking about.

What is your hot afternoon thirst quenching drink? I would love to know your favorites.

Much Love!

xx Alice

Fat Burning Foods -- take your pick

Ola! 

There are a lot of fat burning foods out there, but one thing you can do is to at least choose those that are available in your area. Here are some of the fat burning foods you can have for your diet. 

Fruits rich in Vit C

fruits rich in vitamin C (ascorbic acid) like lime, tomatoes, lemons, oranges, guava, grapefruit, papaya, sweet lime, and tangerines. Vitamin C is said to help the body to process fat faster and also stimulate the carnatine amino acids which speeds up the fat burning process. It also dilutes the fat and it makes it less effective and also helps it in releasing the fat from our body. 

Apples. 

Apples have Pectin that restricts cells to absorc the fat in our body. Apples also encourages absorption of water in order to release the fat deposits in our body. Apples also have tons of antioxidants. 

Dairy products rich in calcium. 

Milk, cheese and yogurt can actually help you in burningfat since it increases fat breakdown. 

Nuts. 

We've all seen tips that say that nuts like almond and cashews can help us slim down but they don't really explain why. Nuts will actually help up keep full while also increasing our body's ability to burn fat. 

Green Tea. 

Green tea not only soothes us but also revs up our metabolism so don't deprive yourself from a cup or two a day. 

Whole Grain Cereals. 

This one is a no-brainer since Whole Grain is a staple for everyone who is on a diet. Whole grain cereals are packed with complex carbs and fiber that is good for our digestion and also to keep up with our metabolism. 

Chicken. 

Chicken is actually good for boosting our metabolism. Try this for a change- substitute protein for one fifth of the carbs you eat and you'll notice that more calories were burned. 

Those are the food you can try to lessen those fat in our bodies. 

Much Love! 

-- Alice