The Outgoing Introvert

Seeks for under rated, unpretentious and not so mainstream to blog about. A supporter of local goodies around town (depends on where I land). Foodie | Frustrated Artist | Social Activist Current destination: Davao, Philippines For collabs/reviews, email at: [email protected]

[stephjacinto]

06.09.2015

[stephjacinto]

Watercolored sweetness It has been the talk of the town lately and a lot of cafés in Davao are serving these cute overloaded shakes. I wanna try it but I don't think I can handle the sweetness, might as well paint it. Mehe. IG: s_jacinto

[stephjacinto]

Had the most satisfying lunch ever at Caffe Antoccino

A small cafe that serves a variety of delightful and scrumptious meals. It was so overwhelming, it left me speechless until now to write my own verdict :))

(but I have to, so here you go...)

Place: 4 out of 5

One of the most legit place to gather with family and/or friends, very cozy and modern. The ambiance was so bright and it doesn’t have the typical coffee shop/cafe-dim light feel at all.

Service and Staff: 3 out 5

Fast service and very accommodating staff however just like what I always comment on my previous posts, they lack the SMILE factor. 

Food & Affordability: 4 out of 5

UUUUGH. The food were AWESOME. Need I say more? Okay. haha

From their clubhouse sandwich to their pasta and main dish, it was a legit gourmet experience. No pretensions, no false hopes, just plain goodness.

One dish costs around Php200 and above. Pricey? Yes, but it was all worth it. These are the food that all “kuripot” people like me will be willing to spend their money into.

Wonder why there’s no dessert or frappe photo above? That’s because, we were so full that we don’t have any room for dessert. But hey, that only means there’s still another reason to come back, right? And will definitely come back for that tempting Mud Pie. 

Overall:

Three words, “legit gourmet experience”

Visit Caffe Antoccino located at  59 Leon M. Guerrero St. Davao City

or like their Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/caffeantoccino168/

**DISCLAIMER: Every statement on this post is based on the experience of the blogger.

[stephjacinto]

Artsy weekend. A roadtrip from Digos City to Koronadal, Philippines

[stephjacinto]

SUNAHAMA Noodle Bar

Finally found a Japanese restaurant that serves TanTanMen

The verdict:

Place & Ambiance - 4 out of 5

The restaurant itself is not like what I have expected, it has a modern interior from its furniture to its lighting which somehow reminds me of the contemporary restaurants in Japan.

Staff & Services - 3 out of 5

Serving staff were accommodating, they’ve answered our queries politely and courteously with regards to the food from their menu and the service was fast and great but they need to improve more on the bubbly attitude to blend in to the ambiance of the place (But I guess it is because we were their first customer of the day. Nevertheless, they should really smile more).

Food & Affordability- 3.8 out of 5

We ordered TanTanMen but was not really expecting on the meat and veggies on top of the ramen since it is a foreign food and authentic ingredients are too expensive so I was looking forward to the taste (for you to know what I am talking about, click here).

So we only ordered the Mild version of the Ramen but I was having regrets once I got to taste it because I was looking for the spicy kick, it tasted sweet and salty just like any other mild version of the TanTanMen (I should’ve ordered the spicy version instead). 

I was about to give up, but then after a sip or two, the spice finally kicked in. It was overwhelming because not all TanTanMen I found in any local restaurants here in Davao really got that kick that I was looking for. It’s like I fell in love with the Ramen all over again, ha ha.

We also ordered Pork Gyouza as our side dish but was not overly satisfied with the taste and texture but it was still edible so we still ate it anyway. 

And for the dessert, we have to ask for the staff what they’re serving for the day, we have choices from Tiramisu, Crepe, Panna cotta, and  Creme brulee.

One big bowl of the TanTanMen costs around PHP270, for a local Ramen house here in Davao with that taste is already good enough than going to commercialized Jap restaurants (which I won’t name). 

Overall:

Despite of some critical points mentioned above, the place is great to gather with your friends and just enjoy unleashing the Japanese within you (they also serve variety of cold noodles).

Visit Sunahama Noodle Bar at Door 6A Mabini Commercial Complex, Mabini Street, Davao City

Like them on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sunahamanoodle/

**DISCLAIMER: Every statement on this post is based on the experience of the blogger.

[stephjacinto]

Osaka Graffiti

[stephjacinto]

The Verdict of Mang Danny's Ice Cream... Taste: Not what I have expected. It is too sweet LIKE any other dirty ice creams (make sure to bring a bottled water with you because Roxas sells it for php20) Texture: very ice cream-y UNLIKE any other dirty ice creams, it has the same ice cream feels when eating Nestlé and Selecta cupped ice creams so I give credit to that, not all dirty ice cream vendors can pull that off. Affordability: a cone will costs you php20 or php25, a bit pricey but not that painful to the pocket... we have to consider the long line they serve every night. Overall: the taste is ordinary but the texture is something to look forward to, not really "worth the line/wait". Don't get me wrong, I support local goods but I have never seen any posts about the exact taste of Mang Danny's ice cream and that leads me to finally try it. I don't discourage newbies to try it, I just gave you a headstart on what to expect and besides, we have different taste palettes. *DISCLAIMER: Every statement is based on the personal experience of the blogger. No pun intended. Just saying.

[stephjacinto]

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter Universal Studios Japan, Osaka

[stephjacinto]

Exploring Studio Ghibli

[stephjacinto]

I’ve been to my dream destinations in just one day…

With its amazing keen on details, an Architectural museum called, Tobu World Square will make you go to famous landmarks around the world. From Tokyo to Europe, name it.

Visit their website at http://www.tobuws.jp/en/

[stephjacinto]

We're going down, down... to the restaurant to eat BREAKFAST! 😂🐽🐽🐽

[stephjacinto]

海鮮三崎港 (KAISEN MISAKIKOU) A sushi place near Kamata station. The place is not too big to cater lots of people so make sure to get there early. Food: 3.5 out of 5 I was glad they served non-raw sushi because I am allergic to it. So for those who also have the same condition as me, I recommend the Unagi (eel), Calbi (beef), and Tamago (egg). Chawan mushi is also a must try to every sushi place but their Chawan mushi was not that good compared to Genki Sushi (another sushi place in Japan). Place: 3.7 out of 5 Cozy but again, the place was small to cater a lot of hungry customers. I can say that it is a gaijin friendly for they have menus translated into 3 different foreign languages (English, Chinese, and Indonesian). Staff and Service: 4.8 out of 5 Staff were really corteous and the service was too fast, best for people who are always on the rush and craving for a good sushi at the same time. Overall rating: 4 out of 5 **DISCLAIMER: All of the statements are personal opinion based on the experience of the blogger.

[stephjacinto]

Tamago pizza. Crust is made out of egg topped with tomato and mozarella cheese. #Breakfast #foodie #FoodOnInsta #Tamago #Egg #Pizza #Mozarella #Tomato #Yum #FoodPorn #VSCO #vscocam

[stephjacinto]

だいふく (Daifuku) - n. Rice cake Traditionally eaten every New Year’s Eve or Day. It symbolizes unity and closeness of the family.

#WhenInTokyo #WhenInJapan

[stephjacinto]

Han No Daidokoro

A korean yakiniku restaurant in Kawasaki, Japan.

Review: 4 stars

Staff: very accommodating

Food and Price: affordable

Place: a very good place to get together and enjoy with friends or family.

[stephjacinto]

The Millennials

Millennials grew up in an electronics-filled and increasingly online and socially-networked world. They are the generation that has received the most marketing attention. As the most ethnically diverse generation, Millennials tend to be tolerant of difference. Having been raised under the mantra "follow your dreams" and being told they were special, they tend to be confident.

Source: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/millennials-millennial-generation

[stephjacinto]

Family restaurants are not new to me and my family, we have been to different mainstream American/Italian restaurants around Tokyo such as Jonathan’s, Denny’s, Gusto, Saizerya, and others. But this is my first time to try Bamiyan - a Chinese family restaurant in Tokyo and was delighted to see Xio Long Bao or Shoronpo on their menu.

They also served the best ramen ever!!! I have been craving for TanTan Men for how many months now and they got the best ramen ever. (Pardon for my sister just dig in the whole bowl of goodness right when they served it on our table).

For authentic Chinese cuisine cravings in Tokyo, give Bamiyan a try. You can visit their website at: http://www.skylark.co.jp/bamiyan/menu/course.html so you can have a glimpse of what’s in store for you on their menu.