Here’s another super overdue post.

Last August, Yoshinoya had this promo Buy 1, Take 1 on their Yakiniku and Katsudon. We haven’t tried anything from Yoshinoya yet so we decided to head to their branch in SM Mall of Asia to take advantage of the promo with our printouts of the coupon.

When we got there, the Yoshinoya girl at the counter told us there’s no pork available for the Katsudon. We can only choose between chicken or fish. Since it was Kien who wanted that, we gave him the choice. He opted for the Chicken Katsudon.

Before I even let you know what we think about the Katsudon and Yakiniku, I just wanted to say that I was extremely disappointed with Yoshinoya’s crew in SM MOA. When we got there, most of the tables inside their store were already occupied except for this one almost at the corner, with sofas on both sides. The table still needed to be cleaned and we looked around to ask for assistance. There were 3 crew members just chattering away at the other side of the store, near the comfort room (I guess). We called them out. They looked at our direction, then went on with their chattering, ignoring us. We had to call out the attention of the crew at the counter to ask someone to clean up our table. While Kien was doing this, I already started clearing our table.

Sorry, but it really irritates me when people don’t perform their jobs well. I mean, I’m okay with the chattering, but if a customer calls your attention to request assistance, you should accommodate them! Those 3 crew members (1 woman, 2 men) didn’t even bother to call someone else if they were too freaking busy to assist us. Sheesh. As much as I wanted to talk to their manager because of their behavior, I decided not to ’cause we just started our day. And we thought we were going to enjoy a good meal at Yoshinoya.

Going back to the food, we had 2 separate coupons for the Yakiniku and Katsudon. So, we ended up with 4 bowls to share among us 3.

First, let me tell you about their Chicken Katsudon. It was just plain Katsudon. Nothing really memorable. Kien makes a better Katsudon actually. Plus, one of the chicken pieces we got had this burnt taste. We didn’t finish them because the chicken was also not tender at all.

Next, the Beef Yakiniku. We enjoyed it more than the Katsudon. Though it was too sweet for Mai, I still enjoyed it a lot. I just wish there’s not much fat there.

I’ve heard of raves about Yoshinoya’s Katsudon and Yakiniku, so I was quite surprised that we were disappointed by what we tasted. Our first dining experience at Yoshinoya left a bad taste in my mouth to the point that I would’ve needed Olay Regenerist or some kind of anti-aging cream to hide the frustration on my face as we left their SM MOA store. My guess is those people who are raving about Yoshinoya dined in their other branches. Or, it could be because they had a buy one, take one promo, they weren’t concerned about the quality of their food.

We really thought we’d have a great meal at Yoshinoya that’s why it was the first thing on our itinerary that day. When we finished our meals, we weren’t full and satisfied. It did affect our day. Now, I don’t know if I’d want to try Yoshinoya’s food again. But, maybe…just maybe… I’ll try their Beef Yakiniku again, their Gyudon and other items on their menu at another branch.

For the Love of Food…

One of the things I envy about people who live in the USA is the amount of deals and discounts they get from different stores during holidays, most especially during Christmas. I remember, one of the programs I was handling back when I was a Quality Specialist in a call center was one of the biggest electronics company in the world. We were handling customer service for their company based in the USA. SO, I was witness to how much discounts Americans are getting during holiday season.

There’s Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving (falls on the fourth Thursday of November). A lot of stores open really early, from 12 midnight of Friday ’til Saturday, to take advantage of the rush of shoppers wanting the best deals for the holiday gift-giving.

Then, there’s Cyber Monday, the Monday after Black Friday. Now, even though there are online promos / deals offered on Black Friday, they’d get more offers when Cyber Monday comes. How amazing is that? 2 days of great deals, just in time for Christmas gift shopping!

That’s one of the things I wish we’d have here in the Philippines. Not necessarily in the same month as that in the US, but probably after people start receiving their 13th month pay or Christmas bonuses. I was browsing the web for deals on Cyber Monday and I saw some items that were on 50% discount! Some of them, I can really afford! *sigh* I could really use big online discounts this coming Christmas! I would’ve loved to get my friends some of those food gift baskets they’ll be selling for half the price! *LOL*

Most of the restaurants I dine in have condiments, especially salt and pepper, available on the table. I like it that I’m given an option in case I feel that their cooking is a little bland for my taste.

There are still other restaurants though that don’t have any condiments on their table. I’ve read a couple of arguments about this, but, if I’m paying, I should be given the option of salt and pepper.

Every restaurant should have salt and pepper (and other condiments) on their tables.

Some say, most especially chefs, that their food is really flavorful so we won’t need salt and pepper anymore. But, see, that’s the problem. Not everyone has the same palate or sense of taste. We taste food differently because we have our own "interpretations" or feelings. So, I say having salt and pepper on the table is a sign of respect towards customers.

I know, some may argue that customers come to YOUR restaurant to have a taste of YOUR food or YOUR cooking. And I completely understand that. But, if I paid good money for MY order or MY food that you prepared, I should at least be given that courtesy or option to add salt and/or pepper when I need to, right?

Burgers are still my favorite comfort food. And in the past years, I’ve tried variations of this popular American food from different fast food joints and restaurants in my search for the BEST burgers here in the Philippines.

One of the burger joints that’s on the top of my list is Tropical Hut. I enjoy their burgers and their prices are also affordable. So, if you want to satisfy your burger cravings one day, I recommend Tropical Hut.

A few weeks ago, Mai and I were at Monumento to buy a new printer for our internet cafe. Right after, we headed to Tropical Hut because we wanted burgers for brunch. We dined in at their Monumento branch, beside Mercury Drug, right around the Bonifacio monument.

Tropical Hut serves most of their burgers in aluminum foil to preserve its freshness and the juiciness of the patty.