My 5 Favorite Comfort Restaurants

Nanbantei.  I could eat here everyday.  No frills Japanese grill house at the 3rd level of Greenbelt 3 Makati.  

     Favorite items:

•  shake onigiri (rice with salmon)
•  best seller platter- a combination of chicken and pork grilled meats.  Chicken wings  and any  of the grilled pork are great.
•  tori platter- everything chicken.  Chicken ass is the best.  And the skin too!
•  vegetable appetizer with the tangy-smoky Japanese sauce.  Jikama, carrots and cucumber         
•  grilled shitake mushrooms

Luk Foo Shabu-Shabu Restaurant.  Eat here when you don't have anything scheduled after.  Why?  Because you'll smell of food when you get out of the place.  This is located anywhere where there is Pure Gold supermarkets.

     Favorite Items:

• all kinds of balls in the shabu-shabu + fresh leafy greens
• crispy beancurd skin (dunk it in the broth and it's unforgettable)
• prawns sauteed in salted eggs

Gustavus Steakhouse.  Simple, clean, fresh tasting food.  F and M Lopez Building, Carlos Palanca St.  The best steak in Manila!  

     Favorite Items:

• ceasar salad (their lettuce is grilled.  Nice smoky veggie)
• fresh oysters mixed with casino oysters
• steak, of course

Abe.  I'm not the pinoy-food kinda guy but Abe, I'll go to anytime.  You just need to be with a big group each time you eat here because the servings are a lot and also, so you can order more than two dishes for sharing.

     Favorite items:

• kilawin tanguigue (make sure that it's prepared fresh).  I returned my other orders on this because the fish has been prepared in advance and the vinegar already cooked the fish.
• bicol express.  All veggies with only shrimp.  No pork.  Shit, I can eat two orders of this!
• bamboo rice.  I hate fancy rice but this one works with the viands.
• chicharon bulaklak.  How could you go wrong!

Shang Palace Makati.  Eat-all-you-can dimsum lunch time.  Weekdays.  I simply love dimsum!  The Chinese version of a Spanish Tapas bar.  From 11:30 to 2:30.

     Favorite items:

• taro puff
• all kinds siomai
• congee