My day started with the knowledge that we ran out of eggs for breakfast. I wouldn’t have minded cereals and milk but we ran out of fresh milk as well. I guess you will say what my mom always says: "The trademark of an efficient housewife is a well-stocked pantry!" I promise to achieve that in my own pantry soon!

Lunch was a disaster, a repeat performance of the other day’s dinner. Not that I am difficult to please but the vegetables were quite soggy. So I looked forward to having a nice dinner out; something better than my breakfast and lunch and something pocket-friendly as well.

Since The Power Plant Mall is one of the tamest malls in the metro, I ventured forth to the fulfillment of a quest. Zaifu Restaurant, as indicated on its logo, is part of the Isshin Group, so I guessed it made it sound more credible to me. And, the most important part was the affordable prices. For starters, I had the Sushi Platter. This was a good buy! It had the works: kani, tuna, squid, prawns, fish eggs.

These were freshly-made because I didn’t have any allergies. The Gyoza I ordered was too much to handle. I could not imagine finishing all four pieces in one sitting. I guess you will get value for your money but I don’t think they were freshly-made.

I thought that I should better have some soup before I start the real thing! Their Beef Ramen came in a humongous bowl! Oh my! For a hundred plus pesos, it was definitely worth it. The soup was good. It quelled the strong taste of the Gyoza. The beef was tender so it was definitely consumable. The noodles were not really to my liking. I like my egg noodles fresh and not dried. Well, now I’m ready to fight!

For my main courses, I had the Prawns Tempura, Mixed Vegetables, Katsudon and Gyudon. I know I had too much going on. I had to. I like the way the Mixed Vegetables were done. Not overcooked and not undercooked; it was just right.

They went well with the Prawns Tempura. From the outside, I thought they were giant prawns. But upon closer inspection, they were small-sized ones cut the right way to exude a look of bigness. The batter was a good mix of eggs, salt and pepper, flour and bread crumbs. They went so good together.

Since I was supposed to eat only the pork and the beef from my Donburi, I was in awe at the rice servings in the bowls. It was a lot! Not to mention that the pork and beef were also sufficient in the big bowl. Maybe they should consider adding a sub-name, Zaifu, Big Bowls!

The beef from the Gyudon was tough. It was not edible for me. If I ate it, I am 100% sure I will have a tummy ache. The taste though was consistently Gyudon Jap. It was sweet with a hint of mirin. Mirin is a Japanese wine made from sweet rice widely used to flavor Japanese recipes. I actually use it too as a dip for deep-fried dishes like Katsu. It is a bit pricey for a dip though. Mirin can be found in most Japanese marts.

Now, for the Katsudon. Katsudon is quite famous with Filipinos. It is reminiscent of the Filipino Pork Chops. I don’t think anyone can go wrong with Katsu. It is deep-fried and batter-coated like our pork chop. The Japanese Katsu is crunchier though. And this version is almost the same as the other ones. My girls will love it if I bring them there! Kids love crunchy food.

Zaifu is a better version of the fastfood Japanese restos. The waits were attentive and accommodating. The prices are fastfood but with greater value for your money. All their dishes are for sharing.

With that kind of BIG meal, I don’t think anyone normal will have room for anything else save for coffee or tea. I chose tea this time. As always, tea washed away all my excesses. I felt better after that. I guess I learned how to be content.

Recipe

GYUDON… QUICK!

INGREDIENTS:

(Makes 4 bowls of Gyudon)

1 lb beef, thinly sliced

1 onion, thinly sliced

1 1/3 cup dashi soup

5 Tbsps soy sauce

3 Tbsps mirin

2 Tbsps sugar, dissolved

in 2 Tbsp water

1 pc egg, optional

1 tsp sake, optional

PREPARATION:

*Combine dashi, soy sauce, dissolved sugar, mirin and sake in pan. Let simmer.

*Add onions and simmer for a minute.

*Put beef slices in the mixture and simmer until beef is cooked. Do not boil! Beef might get tough.

*Prepare a bowl of rice.

*Top the rice bowl with the beef preparation.

*As an option, you can top it off with raw egg.