Be Shiok-ed!

According to Urban Dictionary, the word "Shiok" is commonly used in Malaysia and Singapore to convey a feeling of sheer pleasure and happiness. It's usually used in the context of food. And when you visit Shiok restaurant in The Fort, it's the exact feeling that you can expect -- to be pleasured and happy.

I've always been interested in hawker-style dining that's deeply ingrained in Singaporean culture, and Shiok had a good attempt to bring this experience to Manila and remain well within your budget.

When it comes to Singaporean cuisine, Hainanese Chicken is always top of mind. I think Shiok's Hainanese Chicken comes pretty close to being authentic. From the tender chicken strips to my favorite chili, ginger and hoisin sauces, to the soup and even the rice, this was a very satisfying meal.

The complete Hainanese Chicken meal (P 245)

A closer look at the chicken

The yummy sauces

Their Char Kway Teow likewise did not disappoint. It had firm flat rice noodles, beansprouts, chorizo, and other various ingredients that blended nicely together in the Char Kway Teow's savory sauce. The serving is good enough to be shared by two.

Char Kway Teow (P 160)

C was excited to give the Baked Luncheon Meat Curry a try. After all, you can never go wrong with luncheon meat. I'm not a big fan of curry so I just took a bite. While C was raving about it, I thought it was fairly decent. Again, I'm a bit biased, but I probably wouldn't be ordering this for myself.

Baked Luncheon Meat Curry (P 160)

And of course, what really made our meal perfect and complete was Shiok's Milo Dinosaur. I don't think this drink needs much explanation. All I can say is that whoever invented this drink deserves to be recognized. It's pure genius.

Milo Dinosaur (P 60)

So, were we filled with sheer pleasure and happiness after dining in Shiok? I believe so! For what we paid for, I think we got more than our money's worth.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 4 out of 5 - A budget friendly Singaporean dining experience

Shiok is located in The Fort, Taguig city, inside the parking lot beside the Shell Station along 32nd street.

A different kind of Japanese at Nomama

The restaurant name itself already speaks of Nomama's unique and highly different concept that's sure to catch anyone's attention. Barely a week old, Chef Him's new creation boasts of industrially-inspired interiors with wooden counters and table tops, as well as hanging bulbs. Plus, from securing your parking space up to the time you ask for your bill, their friendly service crew are always on their toes.

This is the view that greets you as you walk in

I like the shape of these stools. Hope they're comfortable!

To help me and my best friend Kat decide on what to order, Chef Him took time out to explain their menu. I found it quite interesting that Nomama does not have your usual sashimis and makis on their menu. Rather, they have what Chef calls "raw compositions" with choices of tuna, kilawin, or seared wagyu beef. They also offer salads, steaks, tempura, and sides to go with the entrees. And of course, the Nomama Ramen is a must-try. More on that in a bit.

We started our meal with the tuna and avocado dish, made up of  sushi grade tuna loin, small cubes of avocado, edameme beans, and topped with arugula leaves. This one instantly caught my eye because I wanted to see how the combination of raw tuna and avocado would turn out. The tuna was soft and fresh, and the texture of the avocado complemented it well. The taste of the avocado was very, very subtle and did not overpower at all. The arugula leaves added more kick, plus I loved the added texture from the edameme beans. And I give this an A for presentation.

Tuna and Avocado (P 330)

One of the items that I think people would come here for is the Nomama Ramen. Chef Him shared that this is a uniquely organic ramen that combines their house pork stock, a blend of  miso and sesame, seaweed, vegetables and slices of pork, and hard boiled egg. We had expected for the serving to be big, and so Kat and I decided to split one order. Even the half order was filling enough. Aside from the firm noodles, what I appreciated most about this ramen was that it wasn't oily at all. In fact, it even felt healthy :)

Half of the Nomama Ramen (P 290 for one full order)

Another item that tickled my fancy was the Twice Cooked Pork Belly Teriyaki. The pork belly was served in a plate covered with cling wrap, which was removed right in front of us. Once the wrap was lifted, waves of smoke escaped from the plate. That made me more excited to take a bite.

 The sweet teriyaki sauce blended well with the small apple cubes. All three pieces of pork belly were tender and cooked well. Chef Him humbly said they still want to make the meat even more tender. As is, I think it's something you'd savor right down to the crispy pork skin.

Twice Cooked Pork Belly Teriyaki (P 410)

Kat and I were so full after our feast, but when we were offered dessert, we simply couldn't resist. The featured dessert of the day was the Whoopie Cookie (at least I think this was what the waiter called it) - two pieces of white chocolate chip cookie with wasabi sauce, topped with shavings of white chocolate. The taste reminded me of the wasabi-flavored Kitkat. The top of the cookie was soft while the crust was crunchy. The second piece, which was upside-down with the crust on top, was a bit hard to slice though. All in all, it's the kind of dessert that grows on you. Perhaps adding a scoop of ice cream would make it grow on you sooner? I don't know, just a thought :)

Overall, I think Nomama has a really huge potential to be the next talk of the town. I think that because they offer very unique items, having beautiful photos on the menu to visually describe their dishes would greatly help. I hope that as time passes, the waiters would remain as friendly and alert as how they were when we visited. I am very excited to hear about the big success of Nomama, and I'd definitely go back to try the rest of the deliciously different items on their menu.


THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 4 out of 5 - A different and fresh twist on Japanese cuisine


Nomama is located at the Ground Floor of FSS Building II, 18 Sct. Tuazon cor. Sct. Castor Streets, Quezon City. It's right in front of Max's Restaurant. Telephone numbers: 542-2558 and 0916-5504373.

Say Opa! in Cyma

Cyma is one of those restaurants that I appreciate the most because of the fact that I only eat there occasionally. And quite literally, the times I've dined in Cyma are momentous occasions in my life such as my college graduation, my birthday, or small celebrations with friends. I don't think these were deliberate, but I suppose underneath my subconscious lies the thought that this restaurant is reserved for occasions that are a little more special, a little less everyday.

By pure coincidence, my friends decided to eat in Cyma to celebrate the despedida of our dear friend Ben, who will be leaving for Japan for work. Greek food is probably something he wouldn't get to eat often in Japan, and so I believe it was only apt that we make his last weekend in Manila special, over a special Greek meal, with very special people.

It was a full house at Cyma that night, and the waiter kindly asked us to wait outside for a short while, while one table bills out and we could take over their table. After about 10 minutes, we were given our table and each one ordered their Cyma favorites, as well as tried some new dishes.

C and I went for my personal favorite, the Spinach and Artichoke Fondue. I think they tweaked this item a bit, because we noticed a slight sour taste that was added to the creamy fondue, which came from the sundried tomatoes. The usual pieces of toasted garlic bread and soft pita bread were present. I still very much enjoyed the combination of spinach and artichoke with the soft cubes of feta cheese. The slightly burnt top layer reminded me of why I like this dish so much. While I think I like the old version more, this one wasn't bad at all.

Spinach and Artichoke Fondue (P 350)

What came as a delicious surprise for me was the Kalamarakia, which Yosu and Nica ordered. The squid was cooked just right, and the breading itself already had a slightly sweet flavor, which complemented the citrus flavor of the lemon. The Kalamarakia came with a dip the taste of which I couldn't quite make out. It was sour and a little bitter, and so I thought the squid was perfect on its own.

Kalamarakia (P 300)

Any meal in Cyma wouldn't be complete without ordering their Roka Salata, and is perfect for health buffs like Nica. The yummy combination of fresh romaine and arugula, sundried tomatoes, walnuts, shredded parmesan cheese, and that traditional Greek vinaigrette dressing makes this one a classic at Cyma, and is something regular customers really go back for.

Roka Salata (P 330)

I felt in the mood for good meat, and so I ordered the Lamb Gyro - a first for me. Ito ordered the same dish as well. The cubes of tender lamb went all the way from the top until the bottom of the wrap. Fresh slices of onions and tomatoes topped the gyro. It came with chili sauce, which I didn't use much. I felt like relishing the flavor of the lamb and everything else without tainting the taste with something spicy. The pita bread was a little toasted but still soft, and the thickness of it made me quite full half way through my gyro. I felt, though, that the dish could have been better with some sides - like sliced potatoes maybe.

Lamb Gyro (P 220)

C was feeling carnivorous himself and opted for the Greek Burger, which consisted of a thick patty of Wagyu burger (done medium), 2 rectangular pieces of feta cheese that were a centimeter thick each, and fresh vegetables. It was served open, with slices of potato on the side (as if they read my mind!). The burger was decent thanks to the salty goodness of the feta cheese, although we had high expectations for the taste and texture of the patty, being the Wagyu type. But I guess it was too much to expect this specific one to melt in your mouth. C seemed to enjoy it despite the shortcoming of the beef, so it was all good.

Greek Burger (P 390)

Yosu had the biggest meal of all, and it was all in one plate! The Kotopoulo Lemonato was huge! I think it was almost half a chicken. It was topped with pieces of feta cheese, and the sauce had hints of lemon. I think this was supposed to taste like Adobo, although the Adobo that I know is more on the salty-soury side. This one was a little more sour, and I suppose a little more Greek. The chicken was tender and the sauce seemed to have seeped into the meat. I appreciate the fact that they tried to merge Filipino taste into their menu.

Kotopoulo Lemonato (P 410)

And then there was Ben. This was only Ben's second time in Cyma. His first was in the original Cyma branch in Boracay. He decided to go with pasta, and the Pastisado was definitely a viable choice. I told him that servings in Cyma were more than enough for one person even if the menu says it's "solo", but being a gourmande himself, he thought it was going to be just right for him. Well, well, half way through the meal he started to feel full -- proof that Cyma's portions are indeed very generous. The sauce of the Pastisado resembled the taste of Bolognese. I found it interesting that the pasta used was Bucatini. It was my first time to try hollow noodles, and I think the "architecture" of the pasta helped highlight the sauce. Consistent with Cyma's generous servings, the Osso Bucco portion was more than enough, and we all got to give it a try. Osso Buco tends to taste like kaldereta, and this one wasn't so different, but I think the Greek tomato sauce gave it a little more identity.

Pastisado (P 380)

Yet again, Cyma became witness to another special occasion in my life. While this one wasn't such a happy one because a good friend of ours is leaving (even if it's just for 2 months, we will miss him!), we enjoyed this special night because the delicious food we shared, the stories we told, and the people we enjoyed these with, were equally as special.

It was definitely a night worthy of a resounding "Opa!"


THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5

Sam Won, Anyone?

With the influx of Korean nationals to the Philippines not so long ago also came the popularity of Korean cuisine. I, however, was a late bloomer when it came to appreciating Korean food. I remember tasting bulgogi for the first time in 2007 while I was in Singapore with some friends. It was quite a traumatic experience, as I vividly remember not enjoying that meal very much. It probably wasn't the best place to experiment.

And so even when Korean restaurants sprung up one by one in Manila, I never felt the urge to try any of them. Until I met Sam Won. C has been talking about Sam Won for quite some time now and when he finally took me there, I somehow regretted not having met her sooner.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by two friendly Korean ladies who immediately took us to our table. After giving our order, our assigned server quickly arranged the cooking area to mark the start of our sumptuous meal.

Charcoal is always good :)

All set!

Before our actual orders arrived, our server brought in the entourage of Korean appetizers ranging from sweetened peanuts, beansprouts, kimchi, fish cake, raddish, shrimp cake, and boiled potatoes. Each one offered a unique taste in my mouth - sour, sweet, spicy, tangy.

Delicious appetizers to start off the meal (free!)

We ordered beef belly (Usamgyup) and pork belly (Samgyupsal) for the grill, which our very helpful server cooked right in front of us. There really is something about having your food cooked in front of you - it kind of makes it more delicious, because you're being served something literally fresh off the grill.

Our pork belly (P270) and beef belly (P330)

We were given a variety of leaves for our pork and beef wrap, as well as chilli sauce and sesame oil (my favorite!), and chilli paste and garlic (describing these items is making me drool at this very moment).

Fresh leafy veggies

Chilli paste and garlic

Chilli sauce and sesame oil

Biting into the wrap released a dozen different flavors in my mouth. There was salty from the meat, spicy from the sauces, the taste of garlic from the fresh garlic pieces, and the sour-sweet-spicy taste of kimchi, too. For each wrap, I would try to add in something different so I could get a variety of flavors each time.

C's wrap. At this point we almost finished the appetizers, hence the scarcity of toppings.

Making the wraps would get your hands a little dirty, so if you're going on a date for the first time and you're out to make a really good and neat first impression, well, I'm not sure if you should take your date here. But, if on your first date you wanna have lots of fun getting your fingers messy while enjoying the delicious meal, then by all means, go on and get to know each other in Sam Won. :)

Anyway, what went really well with the meat was their Jap Chae. I absolutely loved their Jap Chae. The glass noodles were so firm that even I chewed on it for two minutes, I didn't feel the noodles break at all. I obviously didn't have a problem chowing down the well-cooked noodles. The meat and vegetable toppings were served generously, too. It was the right blend of sweet and salty, plus it wasn't dry at all. 

Yummy Jap Chae (P330)

For refreshments, they served us cold tea, which I think is their version of water. Even though it was virtually tasteless, it somehow added a kick to the entire meal.

 

Cold tea

That day that we went to Sam Won, I was suffering from a bad case of cough and colds. And while Korean food wouldn't be my go-to comfort food whenever I'm sick (that would probably be fast food most of the time), I was quite happy with how Sam Won temporarily relieved my bad health day. 

And having a delicious meal is always a great way to start an even better weekend :)

 THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5

Sam Won Garden is located in Aguirre Avenue corner Ramirez, B.F. Homes, Paranaque. For reservations, call 825-1144.

Tasting India in Assad

Whenever I think of the next best food adventure, the top of mind cuisines would always be fail-safe Japanese, homemade Italian, comforting Chinese, or sometimes when I feel slightly adventurous--French food. But perhaps due to lack of exposure, Indian cuisine would rarely make it to my list.

Come to think of it, where in Manila can you find a place that serves authentic Indian food that would allow you to keep within your budget?

Well, lucky for me, I finally gave my palate a fresh taste of Indian food in Assad!

Note: Apologies for the resolution of the photos. I forgot to bring my camera so I had to make do with my iPhone.

Actually, the menu above is from Assad Cafe, which is the restaurant where you can dine. Apparently, the owners of Assad bought the Chinese restaurant that used to own the location, and they decided to keep the Chinese menu. And Assad Cafe today serves both Indian and Chinese food. Odd combination? Well, with what I experienced, I would say they make a good match.

Inside Assad Cafe

Now, what really caught my interest was Assad Mini Mart, located a few doors down from the restaurant. The moment I stepped in, I smelled a mix of Indian flavors, spices and fragrances all at the same time. The grocery was maybe twice the size of your regular convenience store. By looking at the long line at the counter plus the constant opening of the door, it was pretty clear to me that a lot of Indian nationals really frequent this place to get reminded of what it feels like to be back home.

I was in awe just looking at shelf after shelf of spices, colorful ingredients, and refreshments from India. I wish we had spent a little bit more time inside so I could explore more, I'm sure there were tons more I could discover. But we were in a bit of a hurry, and so C just made sure I got to taste some of their specialties.

The first one being the Samosa.

Samosa (P15 each)

At first glance, you'd think it looks like your usual empanada. But I did a little bit of research and found that Samosa is actually one of the most popular vegetarian Indian appetizers. You can also find it being sold in the streets of not just India, but the whole Indian subcontinent (info courtesy of food-india.com). 

This Samosa was stuffed with soft boiled pototoes, with a slightly spicy filling that tasted like curry. The outside complemented the inside with its crunchy texture. I first tried it without the sauce to really get a taste of the filling. It was good without the sauce, but even better with it. It was such a fresh and exciting taste in my mouth that after a few bites, I found myself wanting more. This one's got addictive potential, I must say.

Soft boiled potato and curry filling inside

Another Indian delicacy I really enjoyed was Paratha--leavened Indian flat bread that has a sweet taste that reminded me of pancakes. It's sliced thinner than the pita bread used in shawarmas. It comes with sauce as well, but it's already great to munch on on its own. According to about.com, Paratha goes well with any Indian dish. It's that good, you can eat it with anything. As for me, I am very much happy having it on its own.

Paratha (P 25)

There were other pastries available in Assad Mini Mart which I vow to try next time. But I'm quite happy with these new discoveries.

After buying our appetizers, we went back to Assad Cafe to get our soup and main course. At first glance, I wasn't so excited to try the Seafood Green Soup, because, well, it looked more like vegetable soup. But the delicious taste washed away all that false judgement. I loved the consistency of the soup, which resembled that of Bird's Nest soup, and how it was just the right kind of salty. It had pieces of shrimp and squid inside, too. The serving was very generous, too. C and I shared one order and it filled us up quite unexpectedly.

Seafood Green Soup (P 118)

Lastly, we also shared a main course, this time taking from Assad's Chinese menu. The Spicy Squid Rice definitely did not scrimp on the spicy part, with fresh chopped chili generously sprinkled over the squid. The deep fried squid was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. The order came with sweet sauce to perhaps add more flavor. And of course, one cup of rice, which you would really need to temper the spiciness exploding in your mouth. I seldom eat rice nowadays, but I just had to break that rule this time around.

Spicy Squid Rice (P129)

To sum it all, this meal was fresh on the tongue and friendly on the wallet. Best of all, it opened my eyes to Indian cuisine, which I think really deserves more attention and praise than what it's currently getting. Oh, and did I mention that we got all of these for take out? It's perfect to bring home to your family, too!

And so if you ever find yourself in the busy streets of Manila, searching for good food that will give your taste buds a fresh perspective, then you might want to make a quick detour along U.N. Avenue and explore the flavors of India right at the heart of Manila.

Assad Mini Mart and Assad Cafe are located in 1268 - D. Midtown Executive Homes U.N. Avenue, Paco Manila. For delivery, call 521-4996 or 404-0319.

You can also find Assad Mini Mart in the following addresses:

Eurocrest Building, Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati

Door # 5 Thaddeus Arcade Along Gil Fernando Ave., San Roque, Marikina City

Experience the real Japan in Nihonbashitei

When you enter a Japanese restaurant and see groups of Japanese nationals happily enjoying their meals, then you know you've come to the right place. This is the common scene you'll find in Little Tokyo in Makati, where you'll be greeted by a long line up of Japanese restaurants offering authentic Japanese cuisine.

But you see, Little Tokyo is not the only place where you can find the best Japanese restaurants in the city. A few kilometers further down the street of Amorsolo (at the corner of Amorsolo and the stoplight before the entrance to the Skyway) lies a humble Japanese restaurant, which has become a comfort dining place for me and C.

Nihonbashitei has become our go-to place for yummy Japanese comfort food

Upon entering the restaurant, you'll instantly get a feel of real Japan - from the simple interiors in neutral colors, to the Japanese chefs by the sushi bar, to the Japanese customers in intense conversations (in pure Japanese, of course). If you get lucky, you'll even chance upon a friendly Japanese server.

The simple interiors make you feel like you're in a restaurant in Tokyo

You can reserve one of these rooms for more privacy. Usually, Japanese businessmen have meetings here.

C and I already have a list of our favorites in Nihonbashitei. I, for one, go gaga over their salmon sashimi. Their sashimi is always served fresh, and you can tell from the nice salmon pink color of the thick slices. Once you dip the salmon sashimi in Kikkoman mixed with wasabi, you'll be in salmon sashimi heaven.

Fresh Salmon Sashimi (P280)

Another item worth ordering again and again in Nihonbashitei is their Toro Spicy Sashimi. You can opt for salmon, but I highly suggest ordering the tuna. Imagine cubes of fresh tuna tossed in spicy and slightly sweet sauce topped with crunchy tempura bits - you don't even need soy sauce and wasabi anymore. You can eat this as is!

Toro Spicy Sashimi (P220)

And because C is such a fan of Unagi, his top picks would always include the Unagi rice meal that comes with two huge pieces of deliciously-cooked unagi on top of a box of rice. It comes with miso soup, too. And as if this much unagi wasn't enough, C would partner this with Unagi rolls. The unagi slice in each roll is big enough in proportion to the rice.

Unagi Rice (P550) - comes with miso soup

My favorite item on the menu is also one of the cheapest. Three pieces of grilled Enoki Bacon, each one with a generous serving of thin and firm enoki mushrooms, wrapped in soft and smoky bacon -- definitely drool worthy. We suggest to get the salted version of this.

You can never go wrong with bacon - Enoki Bacon (P65 per stick)

And aside from the great-tasting food, the service is something really noteworthy about this restaurant. Servers are almost always running from one table to the other to ensure that you get your orders in no time. At first glance you'd think parking is a problem, but they offer valet services for those who don't want to stress themselves out in finding a decent parking slot.

And so whether it's after a long, tiring day at work, a steady weekend with friends, or simple celebrations like a successful presentation to our bosses, we always find reasons to go back to Nihonbashitei. Give it a try, and maybe you'll find comfort in their authentic Japanese menu, just like we did. :)

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 5 out of 5


Nihonbashitei is located at the corner of Pasay Road (Arnaiz) and Amorsolo. It's right by the stoplight before the entrance to the Skyway. You can call for reservations at 818-8893 / 818-8894. Open from 11am to 2am, Mondays to Sundays.

Not so crazy about Krazy Garlik

The concept of having garlic as the hero ingredient in almost everything in the menu (including the dessert) sounded very promising, and I believe this was the charm that made people want to flock to Krazy Garlik. Including C and I, of course. We've been talking about trying this place out for a while, and it took us about a year to walk the talk.

And maybe for good reason.

Last Friday, we headed to Newport Mall to catch Zombadings (don't laugh, we knew Eugene Domingo was gonna be there and we've heard good reviews so we really wanted to watch it), and we figured we should give Krazy Garlik a shot once and for all).

C thought the interiors of the restaurant were a bit disjoint, with the furniture and lights looking cosmopolitan and the menu, the logo, and the wall accents looking cartoonish. I thought the mismatched elements added to the craziness, which was good. Or maybe I was rationalizing.

I really liked the Alice in Wonderland wall frames

More of Alice on the other side

Like I said, very promising

I am personally a big fan of garlic, and so as much as possible, I wanted to order dishes that had lots of garlic in it. We'll deal with the breath problem after :)

For appetizer, we ordered the Garlic and Anchovy Affection. Six pieces of crostini topped with generous servings of garlic, anchovies, and bits of red and green bell pepper. The pieces of garlic were very soft and almost melted in my mouth, and I was pleasantly surprised that there was no bite coming from the garlic at all. The crunchy crostini balanced the softness coming from the garlic. I thought though that the saltiness of the anchovies overpowered the taste of the garlic, perhaps a little too much. It sure compensated for the bite we were looking for, that it was almost painful on the tongue. Half a clove of garlic served as the centerpiece. The small pieces of garlic inside were also as soft and as bite-less. Yum! Overall, I'd say I was happiest with this one.

Garlic and Anchovy Affection (P195)

You can't get any more garlic-y than that

The rest of our meal arrived after a long 40-minute wait. C and I were becoming restless already and we were worried we wouldn't be able to make it to our movie. We waited long enough to actually notice the little details happening around us.

Like the cute garlic stuffed toys beside us, this one in particular was missing one eye

The irregularly-shaped glasses

The interesting trivia about garlic in the menu

And the birthday celebrant outside, for whom the servers sang a happy birthday jingle to the tune of the latest billboard songs

What made us even more annoyed was the fact that the table to our left got their orders ahead of us, even though they arrived about 20 minutes after we ordered. We had to follow up with the waiter before our orders eventually came.

The Spaghetti Aglio Olio was decent, with pieces fresh garlic and some crushed, sauteed garlic, and two pieces of garlic bread. The taste was as expected, garlic-y and oily. The serving was a bit small though, really just good for one person. Nothing too crazy.

Spaghetti Aglio Olio (P295)

The Garlic Snowflakes Pizza was our biggest disappointment. I don't know if we just had high expectations, but at the minimum, we were expecting for the actual pizza to look as close as possible to the photo on the menu. Look at the menu below, and the actual pizza below it, and you be the judge.

The photo on the menu

The actual Garlic Snowflakes Pizza (P495)

It tasted alright, but not that great for what we paid for. At least the crust was crunchy and had almost burnt edges, which I really liked. But the combination of the garlic flakes and pineapples didn't do it for me (but I also don't like Hawaiian pizza, so that might not be a fair comment). For a dish that's called Garlic Snowflakes, the pieces of garlic flakes were far too few. And the shrimp. They were MIA.

In the middle of our meal, the head waiter approached us to apologize for our late orders. I appreciated the effort, but when he explained that it was late because the pasta and the pizza were freshly cooked and really took a long time, his effort suddenly didn't seem enough. Well, Mr. Waiter, the table beside us ordered pizza and pasta, too, and their orders came before ours did, despite the fact that we ordered way ahead. Plus, freshly-cooked meals are minimum requirements for any restaurant that charges as much as yours does. So I'm sorry, but we can't accept that explanation.

Anyway, needless to say, we didn't have such a grand time at Krazy Garlik. If anything, we went crazy waiting a long while for our order, which, honestly, wasn't really worth all the wait, and the price.

THE GOURMANDE'S SCORE: 2 out of 5 (the Garlic & Anchovy Affection saved their rating)