Inset: Your "openly stolen" shot of the Yakimix buffet table just before... *read story below*
Sweet mornings are always spent good with one waking up in the body’s own tick-tock. However, I was hurriedly roused up from bed because Tito Philip, the Dad of my dearest cousin in the United States, invited us to have lunch at SM North EDSA. I hate being roused up from deep sleep but when I heard Yakimix mentioned, I immediately went out of bed, took a bath and fit my clothes for the day. I have not seen Tito Philip in quite a long while, a few years in fact, so this is a chance to catch up on good family matters especially about my other family members in the United States. While waiting for my Tita who lives in some distance away, we went in Gumbo to have some drinks and a few appetizers. Gumbo is a good Orleans-themed restaurant but this restaurant is reserved for another review next time. While we were in the throngs of deciding to eat in another buffet restaurant in West Avenue instead, My Tita came and suggested that we eat in Yakimix. Less walk, less gas and within the refreshing confines of the same mall. We got our table and I got my own plate to get my food for the yakiniku. I took a shot of the buffet table but a grumpy waiter hurriedly went by me and said “Bawal po Sir kumuha ng picture diyan!”. Your Negrénse blogger just gave a snobbish smirk and my calling card.
Inset: Sake (Salmon) Sashimi, well strangely, the only available sashimi on the table.
This Negrénse blogger is not someone that can be outdone so I got a snapshot of some food items using my phonecam. I scratched my head when I found out that only salmon was the available sashimi. It can mean two things, a lot of people got the other sashimi or they have not received their supply of sashimi-grade tuna from General Santos City. Nevertheless, I found white squid among the yakiniku items that is actually good for sashimi as well and besides, I love salmon very much for its sweetness. Salmon is expensive nowadays and it is good that they had a lot on the buffet table. My rule of the thumb in eating at Yakiniku Restaurants is always try the seafood first. Salmon sashimi is a filling treat, with a tingling sensation of wasabi, not bad at all. I still wish though that they had other sashimi selections so that I can compare the tastes. Oh well, as the old people say, learn to be contented with what you have. Filled up to experience Yakimix’s yakiniku experience, I got more of those seafood for the grill, some beef and mushrooms too.
Inset: Sorry for the poor photo quality but still looks inviting, right?
One thing I noticed about yakiniku restaurants is that a lot more people are going for the Japanese and Korean fusion restaurant experience. For those who are tempted to compare Yakimix and Sambokojin that I previously posted, there is a wealth of differnce in setting. Sambokojin is more of your exclusive dining experience with a need to reserve beforehand while your Yakimix is open to walk in customers thus a hundred bucks cheaper and lesser selections. Yakimix offered a unique experience though, even with the grumpy waiter who taunted me taking shots, the service is great and fast. Apparently, the hotplate does need a bit of time to heat up but a bit of rest will help in consuming a lot of those seafood grills. While waiting, I noticed that a lot of customers are taking snapshots of the food too. Talk about “no snapshot of food” policy, or maybe it does not exist after all? I got my plate of seafood ready on the hotplate and took my snapshot, just fast enough so that no one can notice.
Inset: Our hotplate snapshot taken only when I was able to fill my hunger.
We Filipinos both love to eat and love to cook and certainly, combining both will be a good family bonding experience. I usually eat yakiniku medium rare but I opted to completely cook my food. One food selection I would always go back to is the beef with mushroom which goes oh so well together. I opted not to grill shrimps in the hotplate because my younger brother is allergic to eat and I also noticed they already cut it in half. Shrimps are good for me when the body is intact and chewing it whole, just cutting the head off for my safety. I got squid too which I like very well, extra spicy as well which is how I like it. Food is always enjoyed with friends and family, something to be shared except for the bill, ain’t it right? There were a few birthdays some tables away with the Happy Birthday song playing in the piped music twice with waiters singing for the celebrants. Nice to be in a birthday but we were not part of the birthday anyway. As much as I wanted to eat everything in the buffet table, my stomach has dire limitations too.
Inset: Selecta Ice Cream for dessert but no artsy acts this time, a bit.
Wanting a repeat of my artsy ice cream treat, I headed to the ice cream corner and I found good ice cream but less sweet stuff to customize it with. I guess I was not allowed to play with food this time, well not really for I was able to do a bit of custom made mocha ice cream dessert with chocolate sprinkles and marshmallow on top. Funny thing about the ice cream is that the the metal thing holding the ice cream kept of slipping from the side. A random stranger behind me quipped “Mocha lover, eh?” with a patient smile to which I agreed. I love mocha but nothing beats ube and mango which I had several servings but nothing to put art on it.
Inset: My younger brother's dessert, or should I say dessert with an "s".
Dessert is an enjoyable treat for there were lots of things to choose from like fruits, cakes and leche flan. Unfortunately, I was not able to get dragonfruit from the fruit tray. I guess they were only putting few of those for dragonfruit is expensive but second to kiwi, that’s the fruit I would love to much the whole day. Coffee jelly was not bad since it was basically coffee without much sugar, not nakakaumay as some of the desserts would. If you want to have something sweet to match it up, eat it with mini-kisses chocolate. Leche flan was a hit I guess since when I went back to get another round of dessert, it was gone. I got blueberry cheesecake instead which is just fine with me, nothing special, just a good cheesecake for my sweet tooth.
Inset: I love kiddie sweets but never mind the pineapple, it was either too tasteless or too sour.
Capping off the lunch meal, I got some kiddie sweets from the dessert bowls like mini-kisses chocolate, some Nips-looking chocolate, a few marshmallows over there and some gummy sweets. What I didn’t like was the pineapple which was either too sour or with some pieces, too tasteless. There are cheap pineapples in the market that are naturally sweet so I wonder why they did not use those instead. Nevertheless, it was a good meal to end with and our stomachs so full. After a few pleasantries and interesting conversations about Bukidnon’s sweet pineapples brought by your tasteless pineapples, we have to pay the bill and leave. I guess after this, I would need to stretch my muscles and exercise all the more. Even with the setbacks, I would still recommend this for your occasional family lunches and dinners. For the lunch though, make sure to get there early in the lunchtime since the best of their selections get finished up the most. They also accept reservations too for special occasions but you can always walk in. They have a branch in Podium too for those who live further south. As for the picture -taking, just be a little witty with that matter.
