Log Cabin

Dianne's Review

I’m not really much of an outdoor person, and this is the reason why going to Sagada has never been on my priority list. But then I heard about Log Cabin. Somehow, the thought of eating authentic French cuisine prepared by a real French chef in a distant mountain was hard to resist. I thus allowed myself to be dragged into a 12-hour road trip fraught with zigzags and bumpy roads.

I wasn’t exactly pleased with how we were initially received at the restaurant. Knowing Log Cabin’s reputation, I had booked a table for ten persons three weeks beforehand through text. I received a reply, and we were advised to confirm our reservation in person on the day of our arrival in Sagada. However, when we got there (it was around 2 pm, which was 5 hours before dinner), we were greeted by a snooty front of the house. He checked his reservation logbook and insisted that we weren’t on the list. He was not even in an appeasing mood; it was as if he was really anxious to turn us away. If I hadn’t known about Log Cabin’s reputation, I would’ve walked out then and there. But I couldn’t accept the fact that we had travelled 12 hours just to be turned away by this caricature of a maitre’d. Fortunately, I had saved the message on my phone, and we were eventually accommodated for dinner.

Dishes of butter placed on the table

The good thing was, the dinner was worth the hassle. The ambiance of the restaurant really lives up to its name. It really is a log cabin, and the interiors are warm and cozy. The rooms are dimly lit by table lamps and sconces, and are adorned by paintings hanging on the walls. Near where we were sitting was a huge wooden china cabinet filled with cutlery and other utensils. Despite our “rush” reservation, we were able to get a long table for ten people, which was decorated with flowers and little bowls of butter. It was near the buffet area, too. At this point, I would like to apologize for the really blurry pictures. I wasn’t able to properly adjust my camera to Log Cabin’s low lighting environment, and I couldn’t wait to consume the wonderful feast before me.

Mulligatawny soup

To start the meal, we had mulligatawny soup, which consisted of chicken, bacon, apples, brown rice and leeks in a rich brown broth. I liked the interplay of sweet and savory in this dish, although it tends to be a little bit greasy when it’s been sitting away from the warmer too long. We were given two choices of bread – one was a wholewheat ham and garlic focaccia, while the other was a three-grain and black sesame seed focaccia. Both were were nice and chewy and went well with the soup. One of them (I can’t remember which one) had a tang to it that reminded me of sourdough, which I enjoyed very much.

An assortment of freshly baked breads

The most memorable dish of the night:
 Cantaloupe sorbet with beef ham

Perhaps the most memorable part of the dinner was the savory sorbet shooter. The sorbet itself is sweet – it’s made of fresh cantaloupe. It’s wonderfully refreshing and tastes as if you froze an entire cantaloupe and turned it into a sorbet. Strips of beef ham are placed on top of the sorbet. Eaten together, the salty, chewy ham complements the cold, sweet, fruity sorbet perfectly. It’s like a revamped version of prosciutto and melon.

There’s plenty in the main courses and side dishes to please both meat lovers and vegetarians alike. There was a salad of fresh Sagada greens tossed in a light vinaigrette, a side dish of sautéed Lombok and mustard greens, and a warm potato salad with eggs and cucumber. You can really taste the freshness of the greens, although the sautéed dish was a little bland. However, it’s great paired with the meats and acts as a buffer to the richness.

One of the main courses was roast pork loin with goat cheese (from Davao) and fresh parsley. The bones from the pork loin were also baked with chili powder as were served as a separate dish. I liked the pork loin and cheese combination, although because of its leanness, it tends to dry out quickly. The bones were well-seasoned, and I enjoyed them more than the actual pork loin. There was also a smoked chicken with eggplant, lemon juice and sweet potato dish. The smokiness of the chicken is quite subtle but adds a nice flavor the meat. 

Pork bones baked with chili powder - really tasty

Roast pork loin stuffed with goat cheese and parsley

Smoked chicken with an assortment of vegetables

Sauteed fresh greens

There was also this bowl of pork skin (almost like very thin strips of chicharon), which is great eaten like a snack. It’s wonderfully crispy and not at all greasy. You can really finish an entire bowl if you don’t stop yourself.

Really sinful crispy pork strips

Finally, dessert was served. First, there was a baked cheesecake with an interesting texture – it was a bit grainy and nutty (I’m not sure what ingredients were responsible for this). This was served with a berry compote (blueberries and strawberries), which was tart and not at all sweet. It’s great eaten together with the cheesecake. As a chocolate lover, the highlight of dessert was the intense chocolate cake. According to the label, the chocolate was Indonesian origin (and it’s probably 72% cacao or something), and the cake was rich, decadent and bittersweet. It would taste great with a strong cup of coffee.

A trio of desserts (from the left clockwise): Cheesecake, Dark Chocolate Cake, Berry Compote

I can’t believe that we only paid P390/person for this feast. The Log Cabin experience is truly a memorable one, and I can’t wait to do it all over again. Next time, I hope they have a more organized reservation system. And Coke Light on the drinks list.

8065 Bagnet

Sig's Review

This branch is a small and cramped space in Leon Guinto. The temperature inside is warm-ish. It’s cool when the fan or the air conditioner is hitting you, but when it’s not, it’s hot. You see, ambient temperature is very important to me because I sweat like crazy. However, I am willing to sacrifice a pack of tissue paper if the food is good… and the food was good.

Ginataang Bagnet

I haven’t really tried authentic bagnet. But whatever 8065 Bagnet is serving is really good. I tried the spicy ginataan, which is fried pork with a bicol express-ish sauce. The pork was great. It was seasoned very well and fried to perfection. The outside, including the skin, was crispy. As I bit into it, the crispiness gave way to the perfectly tender meat inside. I could totally eat the pork with no sauce and I think that’s how I would’ve wanted it. No sauce or with Mang Tomas…Pork, rice and Mang Tomas. The spicy ginataan was just okay. It was a bit sweet and a bit spicy. I don’t have anything much to say about it. Generic gata sauce. It was served on the same plate as the pork and rice and it overwhelmed the entire dish. I should’ve asked for it to be served separately.  

The ensaladang talong was also just okay. There is really nothing much to expect from an ensaladang talong. I ordered it just to cut the porkiness that I anticipated and I’m glad I ordered it. The little bit of tartness was needed to cut the greasy goodness of the bagnet.

I tried the other varieties of the dish. The bagnet was always prepared beautifully but I was not really fond of their sauces.

The price is very budget friendly. The portions were good, enough for one hungry person. If you are going to eat like a kargador and order an extra rice or even two, then I guess the sauce would be worth it. It can really extend the dish to satisfy an enormous appetite.

I would definitely go back to this place. I would just order the original bagnet though. I don’t know if they have their own lechon sauce so I’m thinking of bringing my own Mang Tomas next time.

Kare-kareng Bagnet

Bagnet Curry

Dianne's Review

Bagnet 8065 is a small, unassuming place along Leon Guinto St. (near Estrada) that serves really great bagnet (insert Nicholas Cage “You don’t say?” meme here). The place is dark and decorated by assorted vintage and music-related paraphernalia. A few books sit on the shelves on the walls. The recording studio above the restaurant provides the background music.

Bagnet Sisig

At around P115 per rice meal, the food is quite affordable. You can also get bigger servings (good for 2 or 3) without rice at around P180. Besides the original bagnet preparation (just perfectly crispy twice-fried pork belly served with lechon sauce), you can also enjoy bagnet sisig, bagnet kare-kare, bagnet curry, binagoongang bagnet and ginataang bagnet. I ordered the bagnet sisig. Despite loving the crispiness of the pork skin, I found the dish a tad too salty and greasy for my taste. Unfortunately, I found myself consuming greater quantities of rice to offset this. I also ordered ensaladang talong (grilled eggplant, green mango, bagoong, tomato and onion). The eggplant is nice and mushy, although I would have preferred it smokier. Eaten together with the bagnet, the ensalada offers a nice, clean contrast. 

Ensaladang Talong

Overall, it was a satisfying (albeit unhealthy) experience. Although next time, I’d probably stick to the original bagnet.

Urameshi-Ya Yakiniku

Little Tokyo is composed of a small block of Japanese restaurants along Chino Roces Ave., beside Makati Cinema Square. Entering the eponymous archway, you’d eventually find yourself in a square surrounded by restaurants, each with its own specialty, be it ramen, yakiniku or okonomiyaki. 

Entrance to Little Tokyo

Lantern-lit path

At the corner of the square, with its unassuming dark wooden façade, sits Urameshi-ya Yakinuku. We decided to try it out, after hearing good reviews from our friends. The restaurant interior is dim and cozy, and the tables/grilling stations are divided by thin wooden panels. It has the well-worn look of a place that is frequently visited by regular patrons. Interestingly, there’s also a tall bookshelf containing numerous manga volumes.

Entrance to Urameshi-Ya

Display case for the yakiniku meat

Let the grilling begin

Flaming meat

Dianne's Review

It was my first time at Little Tokyo, and this visit surely did not disappoint. We had decided to come on a Tuesday, and to our surprise, there was an eat-all-you-can promo that day. For P500, you get to eat as much meat and scallops as you want, and this also includes refillable Japanese rice and iced tea. Here’s the catch, however: you have to finish everything (including cooking the meat) within 45 minutes. We were a bit skeptical at first, but after perusing the rest of the items on the menu, we decided to take the challenge. Our server was very courteous, and since it was our first time, she assisted us throughout the entire dinner. “Assisted” is an understatement, as she practically did everything – from selecting to grilling the meat. The promo included a selection of protein  – beef, pork, scallops, ham, spam, sausages and spareribs – to be grilled over a pot of hot charcoal. I enjoyed the beef and the scallops the most. Eyeing the amount of marbling on the beef will give you an idea of its quality. Surely enough, those slices of beef were some of the most tender pieces of meat I’ve ever had in my life. The dipping sauce (made out of soy sauce, grated garlic and chili paste) complements the meat perfectly. The scallops were also wonderful – they were fresh and sweet, and spending a few minutes on the grill crisps up the edges nicely and gives it an interesting texture. The pork and the spareribs were alright for me. Both were tender, although a bit underseasoned. I’m not really into eating visible pork fat (the slices had an attached layer of fat measuring around 1 cm). Among the processed meats, I’d say that I enjoyed the Japanese Spam the most. I am definitely not a fan of American Spam, but Urameshi-ya’s version is anything but the salty, overprocessed mystery meat that we are more familiar with. This Spam actually has the texture of real meat, and it’s not quite as salty as its American counterpart. The ones that they serve at the restaurant come in two flavors – one is soy sauce glazed, while the other is coated in a spicy marinade, and both are sprinkled with sesame seeds. The sausages were also quite good – meaty, savory and mildly spicy. I probably liked the ham the least, as it had a texture resembling American Spam. The meal also came with a salad (a simple side dish consisting of fresh loose leaf lettuce tossed in a Japanese vinaigrette, which was basically there to cut the richness of all the meat) and miso soup. The iced tea was refreshing and not sweet at all (thankfully). Forty-five minutes may not seem like a lot of time for an eat-all-you-can dinner, but I was seriously stuffed after forty minutes. Interestingly, I didn’t feel the time pressure at all. We were all so busy enjoying the food that we barely talked to each other the entire meal. In the end, the forty-five minutes was just right to enjoy all that great grilled food. I will definitely come back for more.

Side Salad

Dipping sauce

Ridiculously tender beef

 
 

Alex's Review

I was really looking forward to our food trip at Little Tokyo. As recommended by a friend, we ate at Urameshi-ya, a small, crude restaurant. 

AMBIENCE: UNFIXED, but in a good way. The mini library full of Japanese reading materials, the mini bar, the steel cabinet on the side, the wooden panels and chairs, plus the dim lights, all contribute to the rawness of the interiors. It is very oriental and you can shoot a Japanese film in it.

STAFF: One of the servers, her name is Aileen, recommended that we try the “eat all you can”. I was not too receptive at first but was eventually persuaded. She was insistent but still pleasant (and pretty, too). She is honest and answers our questions directly. She listens to our comments regarding the food and knew what to get next.

FOOD: I was not ecstatic about the menu because of the variety of processed meats included. But I was surprised because it was actually REALLY GOOD.  The marbling on the beef, the freshness of the scallops, meat pretending to be ‘processed’ (spicy sausage, meatloaf, and ham), it was the greatest surprise of the night actually. Even though the ribs are on the bland side, the unlimited rice, the side salad, the bottomless tea, plus all the protein is perfect for somebody with a serious appetite. My friend described Urameshi-ya as “the ultimate Japanese experience” and I concur.

PRICE: at 500 pesos per head, it was definitely worth it. 

Spareribs, sausages and SPAM

Sig's Review

It was a good thing we decided to go to Little Tokyo on a Tuesday because Urameshiya is offering a grill-all-you-can-for-forty five-minutes deal. Obviously, it is a great thing for people who can’t really decide on what to order. But, what’s even better is that it is so much cheaper compared to ordering a la carte. The only downside is the time limit. However, we found that the time allotment was enough.

I liked the feel of the restaurant. The lighting was good. The interiors are similar to the yakiniku places I see in anime. Also, the presence of the Japanese nationals eating at the nearby table added to the Japanese experience.

The service we experienced was fantastic. Out attendant was really good. She was the one who convinced us to get the eat-all-you-can deal. She was very snappy in getting our orders and she grilled the meat perfectly.

Who knew SPAM could taste so good? I actually like American SPAM. It’s salty and fatty, in other words, great.  However, I was pleasantly surprised to experience this Japanese SPAM. They came as unassuming slabs of processed meat. One variety was blushing with a red-orange hue, a sign that it was going to be a bit spicy. The other kind had a slight dusting of black pepper. Biting into the slice of SPAM was a delight. It was processed meat but not overly processed. I could still taste the fibers of the meat as the meat was coarsely ground. There was enough fat to keep it moist and succulent, even as it cooled. Also, the spiciness was just about right.

The beef slices were also very good. Perfectly grilled, they need very little chewing as they just melt in your mouth. Just let them cool a little bit and they are perfect. At first, the cooked meat never really piled on our plates. However, as we were getting full and eating more slowly, the grilled meat started to pile up. Sadly, some of the beef slices became overcooked and they became tougher to chew.

There were slices of pork also and I noticed that the pork slices were almost 50% fat. At that point, I didn’t care; I just gobbled them up like the rest. Having a high fat content, the pork slices were really juicy and tender.  The taste reminded me of the pork isaw I used to eat in UPLB. I had a bit of nostalgia after the initial bite.

The scallops were very good too. They were sweet and juicy.

The slices of ham were just ok. They were a bit dry for my taste.

The complimentary miso soup was just ok, although I am not really a fan of soups in general. The complimentary salad just consisted of sliced lettuce leaves served with a bit of dressing. It was nothing special but it was a welcome break from all the animal parts we were consuming. I would have wanted something like pickled vegetables or something. I don’t know if the Japanese pickled vegetables would go well with grilled meat like our atchara.

For the price, I think the order-all-you-can is worth it. I think the orders per plate are a bit pricey, though.

I would definitely come back to this restaurant. Actually, as we were eating, I was already thinking about when I will be coming back.