Brotzeit (Shangri-La Plaza)

Beloved and I had dinner at Brotzeit some weeks ago. This German bar that serves mostly beer but also food opened its doors at EDSA Shangri-La. This place proved to be a popular watering hole for some of the classier crowd. However, we mostly wanted to go here for their authentic German sausages. We were aware of how expensive the place was going to be which was why we held out for quite a while. Since it was Christmas-slash-bonus season, we finally had funds to feel safe trying out the place, and we did.

As we confirmed, most of the people here went for the beer, which they serve a lot of kinds of. Neither Beloved nor I were avid drinkers, and only drank on occasion. And if we did, we usually steered clear of the ale or lagers. Feeling adventurous, we tried the two opposite ends of perhaps their specialty beer, the Paulaner Lager and Paulaner Dark Lager (200 Php for a 0.3 liter glass each). The former is the brand and the latter is the color-slash-type of beer. I'm no expert, but I can decipher as much. Since, perhaps unlike the rest of the crowd, we went here for the food, we ordered two kinds of their sausages. Beloved had their Currywurst (430 Php) and I had their Bockwurst (430 Php). We also ordered an appetizer platter that was called Brotzeit Brot (390 Php), which translates to "Best of Brotzeit".

Golden Spoon (Shangri-La Plaza)

After our adventure at Akira, Beloved and I had dessert at Golden Spoon. This frozen yogurt place is located at the ground floor of Shangri-La Plaza. We were very reluctant going here, but after learning that they have an "all-you-can-put" mechanic, we decided to try it out.

There were three weightless "artist cup" sizes to choose from. The first one, costing 199 php, was smaller than what most yogurt places consider "small", and was so puny that it looked like we couldn't fit even half a cup's worth of yogurt—and that's without toppings, which Beloved would consider a crime not having with yogurt. The next one costs 299 Php was a more realistic sized cup wherein I thought we could fit in enough good for Beloved and me to share. So we got that cup—their Wonderful Cup for beloved and me to share.

I was the one who handled all the putting, so I packed as much yogurt as I could. There were plenty of flavors to choose from, and I put in Tarty Tart, Classic Vanilla, Double Vanilla, and Coffee Kahlua flavors. Before I knew it, it was already twice the height of the cup and we didn't even have any toppings yet, which Beloved nagged at me for. There were also a lot of toppings to choose from, but we only managed to put in granola, because putting any more felt like it wouldn't hold. Looking back, it could have, but we didn't dare risk it.

Akira (Shangri-La Plaza)

A few weeks ago, Beloved and I had dinner at Akira. On a no-deadline mission to try out most, if not all, of the restaurants in Shangri-La Plaza's East Wing, this was our next restaurant on the list. We actually have no idea what to expect here. Feeling adventurous, we carried on.

According to their signage and menu, they specialize in teppanyaki and sushi. Unlike Ikkoryu, this place was devoid of any waiting queues. However, I noticed a couple of tables were large, and perhaps communal, for the teppanyaki patrons, which is done by the chef beside the table. It was a bit late, so there weren't anyone cooking on said tables.

When I looked at the prices, I was turned off and surrendered to the fact that I will not be able to afford their teppanyaki offerings on my meager income. Instead, I decided to settle for some of the more interesting and relatively affordable pieces on their menu. I ordered their Chicken and Bacon Mozzarella Ramen (348 Php). Yes. Mozzarella Ramen. I also decided for me and beloved to share their Blow-Torched Maki (289 Php). Beloved ordered their Bento Salmon (458 Php). Finally, we ordered their Miso Clams (78 Php) just because it looked unique and was pretty unpricey.

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen (Shangri-La Plaza)

Beloved and I had dinner at Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen a couple of times the past month. This relatively new ramen place is located at the relatively new East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza. This took a while in the making due to busy work schedule, but I won't bore you with the details. This is perhaps the most popular among all the restaurants that opened up here. Since the first day we passed this place, there was always a waiting queue. I assume this must mean something great, so I was quite eager to try it out.

Luckily, the first time we went, we didn't have to wait at all. We were immediately accommodated with the last table for two and were presented by a pretty straightforward menu. Half of it was dedicated to their ramen. All of their ramen were tonkotsu or pork bone broth ramen. The only place I know of that serves this was Ramen Bar, so I immediately thought of comparing it against that, especially with somewhat premium prices. Their most affordable was priced at 330 Php, which was a bare-bones tonkotsu ramen. I didn't want that, of course, and chose to order their Chasyu Tonkotsu (380 Php). Beloved ordered their Black Garlic Tonkotsu (380 Php). When we placed our orders, we were asked how hard we wanted our noodles. I was surprised as I always assumed everyone wanted their noodles firm. The choices were hard, very hard, and normal. I assumed "hard" was firm enough so we both chose that. We also ordered their Gyoza (150 Php) for sides and Sea Salt Caramel (100 Php). The former was a substitute to their daigaku imo, which I would've preffered over gyoza. They were out, unfortunately. The latter intrigued me because it didn't have "ice cream" like the rest of their dessert choices, so I assumed this was just caramel. Our waitress clarified that this was indeed ice cream, and it disappointed me a bit.

Ganso-Shabuway (Shangri-La Plaza)

Beloved and I had dinner a few nights ago at Ganso-Shabuway. This place is located at Shangri-La Plaza's new East Wing, which is just starting to get populated with commercial outlets. We used to have little reason to go here, but since Beloved started working nearby, expect more blogs on food places around the area. Anyway, I have honestly never heard of the place before, but their menu is simple: Japanese hot pot or shabu-shabu, hence the name. Although the prices were a bit steep, I somehow convinced my stingy Beloved to splurge a bit.

As I've mentioned, they have a pretty simple menu consisting of stuff you put in shabu-shabu. They're all also conveniently placed into sets good for even-numbered people, instead of served up individually (although there are still individual selections). We ordered their Set B Menu set for Two (1095 Php), which has 250 grams of USDA Meyer Natural Angus Beef. Since it sounded a bit light, I urged that we get their Wagyu Beef Plate (200 grams for 825 Php). We were asked what broth to choose from traditional seaweed or spicy miso. Good thing you can order both, and we did so.