Kai

Kai

Manila’s Home of Contemporary Japanese Cuisine

Unit I-112 Greenbelt 5

Ayala Center, Makati City

(632) 757-5209

How to get there:

Kai Map

From EDSA going south:

1. Turn right to Ayala Avenue;

2. Turn left to Makati Avenue;

3. Turn right to Dela Rosa Street (right after Ramon Cojuangco Bldg.);

4. Turn left to Greenbelt 5 Basement Parking or turn left to Legazpi Street for Greenbelt 5 drop-off point.

First impression:

Kai's Table Setting

The place has the feel of a fine dining establishment (a little classy) but had too many of its wait staff congregating near the bar.   It looked more contemporary with hints of Japanese culture fused into the design.

Cuisine:

Kai offers contemporary Japanese Cuisine with some American dishes and Steaks mixed into the menu.

What we had:

Kai's Maguro "Tuna" Sashimi

We were having a late dinner and while waiting for the rest of the crew, we ordered Maguro “Tuna” Sashimi - 5 slices (Php220).  The Tuna was fresh and served in an appetizing manner, in fact it was so appetizing someone ate a slice before we were able to take a picture!  But yes, they do serve 5 slices; someone was just faster than the one taking the picture!

Kai's Lychee Shake with Lime

The wait staff recommended Lychee Shake with Lime (Php80) surprisingly the shake went well with the dishes we had for the evening.  Primarily, sashimi and rolls.

Kai's Hamachi - Aji - Shake Sashimi

When the rest of the group arrived, we ordered Hamachi “Yellowtail” (Php360), Horse Mackarel “Aji” (Php180), and Salmon “Shake” (Php220) Sashimi – 5 Slices of each order.   The sashimi were really good, you can taste the freshness in every slice.  But the slices were a little thick for us.  The entire bunch would have been better served in 6 slices rather than the 5-slice order.  Then again we were only paying for 5 slices, so we really didn’t think of complaining much.

Kai's Dragon Roll

We tried Kai’s Dragon Roll (Php 240) since it sounded cool!  We were not disappointed.  The roll slices were just the right size and the combination of the ingredients mixed well with one another. And again, the group was faster than the one taking the picture!

Kai's Jumbo Prawn Tempura Roll

We saw a Jumbo Prawn Tempura Roll (Php390)  and we just had to order it as well!  We are sure glad we did.  The Tempura roll slices were a little big and almost missed the point of being bite-sized(!), but we have to say the roll tasted great.

Kai's Soft Shell Crab Roll "Spider Roll"

Our last roll for the night is a Soft Shell Crab Roll “Spider Roll” (Php330).  We loved the old presentation better than the current one, we have to say, however, that the current order offers more pieces.  Not to take anything away from the great taste, but the slices of the roll are a little too big for comfort.  We had to take two bites to finish one slice/piece.

Kai's Cha Soba

Kai's Ebi Tempura

And our only non-sashimi/roll order for the night was Kai’s Cha Soba (Php270) with Ebi Tempura - 2 pieces (Php140).  This was truly a delightful experience.   Cha Soba is cold “soba” noodles that you dip in a sauce.  The combination with the Ebi (Shrimp) Tempura added the flavor that the soba lacked.  Where else can you eat soba deliberately served cold right?

Kai's Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar

We started dessert with Kai's Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar (Php110) which was very disappointing.  This dessert was too sweet for us.  You could hardly taste the peanut butter and the chocolate has vanished due to the sweetness of the chocolate bar that made it almost tasteless.

Kai's Banana Nutella Harumaki

The Banana Nutella Harumaki (Php180) is Kai’s version of the banana split with the bananas cut into 4 small slices and rolled in a sesame filo and topped with small “tablespoon” scoops of vanilla, chocolate, caramel and strawberry ice cream.  It is slightly better than then the Chocolate bar, if you like the taste of sesame and ice cream, this one is for you.

Kai's Tofu Cheesecake

We were a little disappointed with the two desserts so we had to order our all-time favorite Tofu Cheesecake (Php180).  We know what you are thinking, how could you mix tofu and cheesecake to make it work?  Trust us, you have to taste it to believe it.  The texture is unlike any of the cheesecake you’ve tasted before.  Truly one of the best cheesecakes we’ve tasted so far.

One of us had to abstain from this one due to personal issues (ahem!) and had to suffer a disappointing dessert the rest of the night, but the rest of us had a blast.

Estimated cost:

A budget of Php400-Php1000 should be adequate to try some of Kai’s offerings.


For more of Kai's menu, you can check it out here.

Conclusion:

5.5: We have to say the desserts, apart form the Tofu Cheesecake, were disappointing.  The wait staff congregating at the bar was an eyesore and one of the wait staff was overly eager in cleaning up our table that she took the tempura sauce away just as one of us was about to dip in it!  But overall, the wait staff were courteous, though a little lost and distracted at times.  The overall experience was good.  The food is a little pricey, but they have some great dishes.  The roll slices should be reduced and the desserts improved, but the Tofu Cheesecake is a must try.

The Spa Indulgencia

The Spa Indulgencia
Lower 2nd Floor
St. Francis Square Mall
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong

Note:  Despite the Similarities in the logo of The Spa and The Spa Indulgencia, do not be deceived, they are not related.

How to get there:

From EDSA north bound, a few meters right after SM Megamall, turn right between Asian Development Bank and St. Pedro Poveda College.  Turn right to ADB Avenue.  Turn Right to Doña Julia Vargas St. St. Francis Square Mall will be on your right.

First Impression:


The place looked homey and appeared like a real spa despite being at the second floor of a "greenhills" like mall.

Photo Reference

The lounge chairs are for the Indulgencia Classic Nail Treatment.

Photo Reference

These are the massage beds, it turns out these are 2 of the 3 (or maybe 4?) massage beds in The Spa Indulgencia, from what we've seen.  And these two beds are in one room and separated only by a curtain.

Note:  We were informed that The Spa Indugencia does not have its own restroom and no shower room.  We were already wondering whether buying the Php500 coupon from Ensogo for the Php1,000 service worth it at this point...

Services offered and estimated costs:

Photo Reference

The Spa Indulgencia offers basic spa and massage services. 

What we had:

As noted above we are redeeming our Ensogo Coupon for 1 and 1/2 half Hour Massage and Body Scrub.  But since they offered basic nail services, we also tried their Manicure & Pedicure Combo.

The Spa Indulgencia Ensogo Coupon

Manicure & Pedicure Combo (Php230) - We knew we had a problem when the "manicuristas" were borrowing each others nippers.  Apparently they were missing some equipment.  We had to say that our initial impression was immediately crushed by this incident.  They could have informed us about the situation and we could have simply cancelled our requested service.

We were quite surprised when we were charged Php245 for this service, it turns out we charge 1 Manicure (Php100) and 1 Pedicure (Php145) each and not the combo price of the service we requested, which was weird specially when we specifically requested for the Combo service.

1 and 1/2 Hour Massage and Body Scrub (Php1,000) - The massage was good.  We do not really know why we were caught between disappointment and pleasure at this point until we remembered that were not having basic massages but we had body scrubs coming up.  It was also quite disturbing that the attendants who had no clients to attend to were very noisy.  And despite the god massage, we were not relaxed at all.

The Body Scrub was weird.  We were scrubbed in the same bed we had our massage.  Remember we said earlier that they had no shower room and restroom?  This is where it all matters now.  After the srcub, we were the therapist washed away the "scrubs" by pouring water from a pail beside the massage beds...  We knew then that this was an experience we will never forget and wouldn't want to have again.

If you still want to try their services after what we said, you can get discounts by availing of group purchases from sites such as Ensogo and Groupon if they are still available.

Conclusion:

2: We recommend you try other spas and salons for the same services offered.  The massage was good and that is the only reason why we did not make this into a 1 experience.  We had a terrible body scrub experience and didn't feel that all the dirt from the scrubbing was washed away.   The "manicuristas" sharing the nipper while working on their clients was a big downer.  On top of that, we felt like it could have been done better.  But if you're getting a basic massage, the masseuse in The Spa Indulgencia could be worth your while and it could be a 4 leaning to a 5 if you are able to avail of their promo prices, otherwise it would be a 4 leaning to a 3  for the regular prices.  We still think that Php275 for a 30-minute massage given the facilities is a little steep.

If you have comments or recommendations, please don't hesitate to drop us a line on the comments page.

If you are looking for a Healing Spa Basket for yourself or for purposes of a gift you might want to check this product from Amazon.com

Cajun Red Rock by Chef Tony

Cajun Red Rock
The Atrium, Level 3
SM Megamall
Mandaluyong City

Cajun Red Rock - The Atrium Level 3 - SM Megamall

How to get there:

Its the widest building along EDSA between Shaw Boulevard and Ortigas Avenue. You won't miss it.

Photo Reference

First Impression:

The place looks cozy,  like a TGI Friday's with the lights on!  They have tables with sofas but these are almost always the first ones taken.  The design of the logo and the restaurant itself reminds you of Chef Tony's Popcorn!  Of course we found out while taking a look at the menu that it was indeed Chef Tony's Restaurant.

Cuisine:

More American than Cajun.  Country and BBQ to be more precise.

What we had:

After our orders were taken, we were surprised with a plate of regular popcorn as appetizer.  It is a Chef Tony's restaurant after all.

Cajun Red Rock - Tony's Special Iced Tea

The picture of the Tony's Special Iced Tea (Php110) on the table menu was interesting because of the two colored liquid "mixture" so we just had to try it.  It was a pleasure to find out it was not all about presentation, the iced tea was actually good, especially if you like a hint of vanilla in your tea.

Tony's Favorite Chops with Saffron Rice and Crispy Mojos

We tried Tony's Favorite Chops (Php275) with Crispy Mojos and Saffron Rice as side dishes.  The chops were tender and cooked just right.  The BBQ sauce tasted sweet and just right.  The Crispy Mojos were actually made of sweet potatoes, and is quite different from your regular mojos.  It is a little think for some of us but the it presented a new way of enjoying sweet potatoes.  The Saffron Rice, was simply delicious, it goes well with the chops.

Bourbon Chops with Baked Mashed Potato and Country Potato

We also sampled their Bourbon Chops (Php320) with Baked Mashed Potato and Country Potato as side dishes.  The sauce just gives a hint of Bourbon, not too much and goes well with the chops.  The Baked Mashed Potato were good, it is made from real potato from what we figure as it still has some of the skin left.  Not your usual powdered mashed potato from fast food joints.  The country potato were cooked just right and goes well with its cream sauce.

Estimated cost:

A budget of Php400 - Php500 should be enough to get a sample of some of the restaurant's specialty.  Of course, if you order a full slab of Baby Back Ribs that would be a different matter altogether.

Note: Menu prices are exclusive of VAT add 12%.  No Service Charge.

Conclusion:

5: Most of the food looked and tasted good, but the service when we were there was very slow.  We were informed later that 2 of the wait staff were absent and so the 3 wait staff we saw running around were doing all the work.  With a full wait staff this could be 6, could be, but for now we leave it as a 5.  It is still worth trying out.

If you like our reviews or have some recommendation, please feel free to drop us a note on the comments section.

If you want to cook some Cajun Recipe's you might want to look into this recipe book from Amazon.com

The Spa: Volcanic Rock Massage

The SPA

Building 8, 908 Bonifacio High Streets

Bonifacio Global City (BGC), Taguig City

Tel. No. : 856-5858 and 856-6868

Sun to Thurs 1:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Fri and Sat 1:00PM – 10:00PM

The Spa: The Fort - Bonifacio Global City Map

How to get there:

From C5 going south:  Turn right to 32nd St., then make a left turn to 11th Ave., turn right after 30th St.

From EDSA going north: Turn right to Kalayaan Ave. (keep right), enter Global City through 32nd St., turn right to 11th Ave., and turn right after 30th St.

First Impression:

The Spa: The Fort - Premiere Villa Jacuzzi

As expected, of The Spa was not a disappointment.  The staff were accommodating and courteous.  The Premiere Villa was smaller than expected but then again, maybe we just expected too much.  It was just right for a 75-minute massage and 30-minute preparation.

The Spa: The Fort - Premier Villa Vanity Desk

We have to say that the Premiere Villa's vanity desk looked useful to prepare yourself after the massage therapy, so you wouldn't look like you just came out of bed in the middle of Bonifacio Global City (BGC)!

The Spa: The Fort - Massage Bed

A comfy looking massage bed along with very soft robes to boot also greeted us. 

We were also provided a pair of slippers for comfort, and clean towels as well. 

The Spa: The Fort - Steam Bath

The Spa: The Fort's Premiere Villa also comes with its own steam bath and shower room to prepare your self for the therapy session.  

The Spa: The Fort - Jacuzzi (Premiere Villa)

But before taking that well deserved steam bath, be sure to take a dip in the warm and bubbling jacuzzi.  

Services offered:

Healthy and holistic spa services.

What we had:

The Spa: The Fort - Volcanic Rocks

We've always wanted to try Volcanic Rock Massage and we finally got the chance when we wanted to check out the Premiere Villa.  Whats the point of getting the Premiere Villa for a regular massage right?

It turns out the volcanic rocks (looked more like regular stones actually!) are heated then used by the masseuse for the massage.  There are still portions where the masseuse uses her hands to massage you as well.  The volcanic rocks are also placed over areas of your back and stomach (we assume for the heat to seep into your pressure points) while the masseuse turns to massage your other pressure points.

Cost:

75-Minute Volcanic Rock Massage (Premiere Villa)

Php2,100 (Non-member)

Php1,900 (Member)


For more details on the cost and services offered, you may want to check The Spa's website here.

Conclusion:

5: Could be worth your while.  While the Volcanic Rock Massage and the place was great, it is just too pricey!   But if you have the budget for it you have to try it at least once!   This turns into a 6 if you have it at the Executive rooms (Php1,500 for Non-member and Php1,300 for members). It is quite an experience actually and we must say The Spa: The Fort have very good massage therapists.

Tip:  If you're getting a Premiere Villa, don't share it.  You will be paying the same price whether you are alone in the villa or share it with a companion.  You would be able to enjoy the amenities better this way.  But if you want quality time with your special someone, it could be worth sharing the villa.

Black Lava Rock Necklace from Amazon

LEMONGRASS asian bistro

LEMONGRASS 
asian bistro
Ground Floor, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City

Note: There is also a LEMONGRASS "asian bistro" in the US but according to the wait staff they are not connected.  We were informed that there are other branches in Cebu, Davao and SM Megamall.  Since they have very similar logos, see here, and food offered made us wonder if the staff was just misinformed.  But then again, we were just there for the food!

How to get there:


Shangri-la Plaza Mall is at the corner of EDSA and Shaw Blvd.

If you are going North along EDSA, turn right to Gourmet Drive right after the Shaw Blvd.

If you are going South along EDSA, turn right after Star MAll (Shaw Blvd.), take a U-turn under the flyover, turn left to EDSA, turn right to Gourmet Drive first street after Shaw Blvd.

First impression:


It gives an impression of class, as if the restaurant is out of place somehow but the place looks cozy and some tables have lounge chairs and sofas.

Cuisine:


LEMONGRASS serves a mixture of the various Asian Cuisines.   More on the Korean, Thai and Japanese side from the dishes we've sampled.

What we had:

Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll

Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll

For starters, we ordered Japanese, Togarashi Spicy Tuna Roll (Php195) since we love sushi, sashimi and maki, we thought this would be a great appetizer.  It was a pleasant surprise to find this king of maki in a fusion restaurant. However, we all wondered where the spicy tuna went... we tasted neither tuna nor spice... still it was a great dish to start us off.

Tom Yum Goong Prawn Soup

Tom Yum Goon Prawn Soup

For soup we had Thai, Tom Yum Goong Prawn Soup (Php245).  The soup is mildly hot, just enough for our taste so we enjoyed it.  The prawns looked like shrimps both in the size and appearance but we have to say, this is one of the better Tom Yum's we've tried in the Philippines.

Lemongrass Tea

We tried their Lemongrass Tea (Php105).  What we got was far from what we expected, we were divided on this one.  We all expected some sort of Iced concoction, we were surprised to find out the beverage was a cocktail of different fruits (lemon, aloe and dragon-fruit) with a hint of lemongrass, or as some of us would argue lemongrass boiled in water with fruit bits.

Milk Tea with Black Pearl

It was good thing, we also tried their Milk Tea with Black Pearl (Php125), which washed away the lemongrass taste from our mouths after sipping the Lemongrass tea.  The Milk Tea is what you'd expect it to be, it's good to get something ordinary once in a while.

LEMONGRASS Baby Back Ribs BBQ

The LEMONGRASS Baby Back Ribs BBQ with Rice (Php295) we had was a bit perplexing.  The Baby Back Ribs were soft and the texture was good, but it appears to have been boiled and looked more liked Adobong Baby Back Ribs than a BBQ!  The taste was not bad, but nevertheless, it was one of the more disappointing dished we had this night.

Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs With Steamed Rice - Serving

Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs - Dish

The Homestyle Korean Beef Ribs with Steamed Rice (Php280) was good.   The way it was served with the pot and candle was a great touch but the dish itself falls short of the presentation.  This dish is a little sweet but chili (siling labuyo) is included for those who want a spicier version.

Thai Shrimp Paste Rice Pork

Thai Shrimp Paste Rice Pork

We also tried the Thai Shrimp Paste Pork (Php230). What sets apart from the usual Bagoong Fried Rice we usually have in Thai restaurants is the added peanut bits.  It adds a unique taste to this classic Thai dish.

Mango Crepe Topped Ice Cream

For dessert, we tried their  Mango Crepe Topped Ice Cream (Php145).  The presentation was good, though neither the ice cream nor the mango crepe was topped by the other...  The ice cream is vanilla flavored with chocolate syrup.  The crepe appeared to have pandan mixed into it which gives off it a faint green color and the exotic smell.   The crepe in itself was not that good as it tasted and a had texture more closely resembling pancakes instead of crepes.

Estimated cost:


For a good sample of the dishes served in LEMONGRASS, a budget of Php300-500 should be adequate.

Note: Plus Service Charge. Prices are inclusive of 12% VAT.  

Conclusion:


4 - 5: We see the potential of LEMONGRASS. Unfortunately, we had some disappointing dishes.    We would say it is between 4 - 5.  We remain undecided, but are leaning towards it could be worth your while at the very least.

Lemongrass