Okiniiri, BF Homes

If this blog was Twitter, the trending will be #japanesefood. Ha ha ha. Can't you tell? 

Hubby just loves them sushi. 

Last weekend's foray was at Okiniiri, along Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes. We came quite early and the place wasn't packed yet. Parking is usually full that's why we only got to try it last weekend. I adore the cherry blossom and butterfly mural. It's so cute even though probably be more appropriate in a nursery or something.

Anyway, I had my usual order of Salmon Sashimi. Which was very fresh and milky. For those who don't eat sashimi of any kind, have an open mind and try one :-) If the fish is fresh, it won't be "malansa" (or "fishy" for a lack of English equivalent). Fresh sashimi will have a buttery, milky and refreshing taste.

There's a a new sashimi on the Okiniiri menu, Hamachi Sashimi. Hamachi is a young yellowtail, or amberjack fish similar to tuna. The texture is smooth, the flesh lighter in color and it has a reddish streak on its meat, the taste much more refreshing and buttery compared to Maguro or Albacore tuna. Hamachi sashimi is almost twice as pricey but worth it.

Hubby as usual tried the Sukiyaki. I'm not sure why he even bothers to order this in a restaurant because he always compares it to the one that I make at home. Mine always comes out better. Ha ha ha.
Okiniiri's version is not very good though and quite salty. I give them high marks for the presentation though, piping hot!

I'm so predictable. I always order the Tempura Bento. Can you guess by now? Ha ha ha. Okiniiri's version was quite bland and tasteless. Not extremely bad, but I've had better. The California Roll wasn't very good either.

I'm not completely lambasting Okiniiri though.  The Hamachi Sushi was exceptionally good, as with the Salmon Sushi and the mural was just too cute :-)

Dinner to Share

After a long day, hubby and I wanted to have a (semi)"fine-dining" dinner but didn't want to spend a small fortune. There's a quaint little restaurant found on Aguirre Avenue in BF Homes called Amalia's. Amalia's is the brainchild of Amalia Jocson, widow of the late Chef Minggoy Jocson of the Minggoy's chain of Spanish restaurants.

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, Amalia's serve the best Callos that I have ever tasted (well, so far). For tonight though, the husband and I were craving for their famous Oysters in White Wine. The oysters are baked in a bed of salt with lots of garlic and white wine. I believe the extra sauce has the marinade and liquid seasoning. Their oysters are always plump and succulent. Much bigger than what I usually find in the palengke. The best Oysters in the Philippines come from Aklan. Oysters from this province are usually flown to Manila to supply most high-end restaurants and hotels. I know Soleil in Greenbelt get their oysters from Aklan. Well, because it it says so on the menu :-)



After feasting on oysters (we resisted to get two orders), we ordered Ceasar's Salad, to share. There's nothing really unique about their version but it was OK and a welcome change on our palates.



For main course, we ordered Paella Espanola. A rice dish cooked with saffron, green peas, chicken, chorizos, shrimp, mussels and hard boiled eggs. Among their paella dishes, this is the best and would please everyone because it has a little bit of everything... meat, seafood, vegetables and chicken. The best part though is the tutong, toasted rice stuck on the bottom of the paellera pan. Sarap! Hubby and I just ordered the single platter, again, to share. They do give generous servings, one single order is good enough for two people with leftover to boot.



We were stuffed and didn't have the space for dessert, which is unusual. I recommend the Canonigo, a nice meal ender, light and not too sweet. Served with a mango rum sauce. Their version in quite good, but not as good as mine :-) I will post the recipe in a future blog.

Amalia's doesn't have the best food presentation nor the best service but, they do have good food at reasonable prices and the servings are good for two people. Hubby and I only paid P600 (US$12.50) for our shared dinner including tax and service charge. Not a bad deal.