My dad has a habit of travelling all the way from Abu Dhabi to treat us and grandkids to meals and movies. The last one he asked me where I want to have lunch and it didn't take me long... I said Japengo.
"Why?" You might ask and there's no complicated answer. It's simple. Japengo is one of the few great restaurants around that one can rely on to deliver a promise of variety, value for money and surprisingly... yummy-liciousness. Very rare would you find those three combo in one place. Very rare would I have a sentence that has all those three together if I say so myself.
Japengo is a place where if you venture out to a new resto and it miserably failed, you'll say, "I wish we went to Japengo instead". Lucky for us, we live just next to a mall that has Japengo in it. We can dine in or order in, either way, we know what we love from Japengo and it's almost everything in their menu.
I ordered Insalata Caprese, just because I love caprese in general. I always say that this salad is hard to screw up. Japengo, however, elevated it to the next level. It's not just a salad for me, it's a main course. There is no star of the dish because each component competes for the limelight. The thick yet creamy bufallo mozarella, firm slices of tomato, rocca leaves, pesto and balsamic vinegar reduction. It's freshness to perfection.
The photo doesn't capture how bright my plate looked like. Sadly we didn't have a camera and we had to make do with the mobile camera. Just imagine Italia... it's the brightest green and the brightest red in contrast to the white mozarella stained by the pesto and balsamic vinegar.... what a delicious painting... I tell you.
"Why?" You might ask and there's no complicated answer. It's simple. Japengo is one of the few great restaurants around that one can rely on to deliver a promise of variety, value for money and surprisingly... yummy-liciousness. Very rare would you find those three combo in one place. Very rare would I have a sentence that has all those three together if I say so myself.
Japengo is a place where if you venture out to a new resto and it miserably failed, you'll say, "I wish we went to Japengo instead". Lucky for us, we live just next to a mall that has Japengo in it. We can dine in or order in, either way, we know what we love from Japengo and it's almost everything in their menu.
I ordered Insalata Caprese, just because I love caprese in general. I always say that this salad is hard to screw up. Japengo, however, elevated it to the next level. It's not just a salad for me, it's a main course. There is no star of the dish because each component competes for the limelight. The thick yet creamy bufallo mozarella, firm slices of tomato, rocca leaves, pesto and balsamic vinegar reduction. It's freshness to perfection.
The photo doesn't capture how bright my plate looked like. Sadly we didn't have a camera and we had to make do with the mobile camera. Just imagine Italia... it's the brightest green and the brightest red in contrast to the white mozarella stained by the pesto and balsamic vinegar.... what a delicious painting... I tell you.
Insalata Caprese
My sister ordered a salad of rocket leaves and fresh tomatoes drizzled with generous amount of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and finished off with a topping of shaved parmegiano reggiano. Italians, they really are something. Unadulterated food presented in all its simplicity is an art, to make the flavours gel together... just genius! Rocket and caprese salad is also delicious at pizza toppings... I'm telling ya... genius!
Salad, it's not easy to fail... but the way Japengo interpreted this dish is just a wowzer. Amazing marriage of flavours.
Salad, it's not easy to fail... but the way Japengo interpreted this dish is just a wowzer. Amazing marriage of flavours.
Rocca Salad
I think my parents were the first ones to open my palette to scallops. If memory serves me correctly, it was in Abu Dhabi Mall in one of the restaurants in the food court... they have closed now I think. Ever since, I have always considered scallops as a treat. It's a pricey silly small thing but it's all worth every penny.
It's a delicate little bugger. You can't serve it raw, it'll be eeeew and you can't serve it overdone... it'll be chewy. Japengo does it just perfectly cooked!
My sister and dad ordered grilled scallops and I know I shouldn't fret,,, I have not just one but two plates I can dig into when I finish my caprese. And so I did! It's a balance between the tender scallops and crunchy vegetables married by the drizzled butter sauce. It's that kind of dish you want to just greedily put all in your mouth but you know that you only have very few pieces of star component and so you have to just savor each bite. It's divine!
It's a delicate little bugger. You can't serve it raw, it'll be eeeew and you can't serve it overdone... it'll be chewy. Japengo does it just perfectly cooked!
My sister and dad ordered grilled scallops and I know I shouldn't fret,,, I have not just one but two plates I can dig into when I finish my caprese. And so I did! It's a balance between the tender scallops and crunchy vegetables married by the drizzled butter sauce. It's that kind of dish you want to just greedily put all in your mouth but you know that you only have very few pieces of star component and so you have to just savor each bite. It's divine!
Grilled Scallops
Alex loves pasta and he's go-to dish whenever we go to Japengo is no other than Penne in Alfredo Sauce. It has chicken and mushroom in cream sauce. I will normally have a hard time telling him to finish his food but this one... I can just enjoy my food and I know when I look up, it'll all be gone. It did disappear quickly... equals happy mommy!
Penne in Alfredo Sauce
Tori Katsu Karee is one of my faves as well... but sadly I can only eat so much. My nanny, Ate Jasmin ordered it. This chicken is juicy, tender and just tasty. It's golden fried chicken topped with Japanese curry sauce served with Japanese steamed rice.
I replicated this dish from time to time at home and yes I cheat... I use the packet Japanse curry mixture... I does taste good but still not as yum as Japengo's ... I'm getting there though... practice makes perfect :)
I replicated this dish from time to time at home and yes I cheat... I use the packet Japanse curry mixture... I does taste good but still not as yum as Japengo's ... I'm getting there though... practice makes perfect :)
Tori Katsu Karee
My dad ordered Grilled Tuna Steak. I got my passion for food from him, though he's not as adventurous as I am. As he grows older, he's more mellow with his choices... maybe trying to eat healthy... possibly. I tasted his dish though.. it's nyummy... if it's lean eating... I didn't taste it. :P
It's served with baby potatoes, grilled vegetables and tomato salsa.
It's served with baby potatoes, grilled vegetables and tomato salsa.
Grilled Tuna Steak
My youngest, Jason loves food as much as I do. He loves this dish so much that sometimes he doesn't order the usual pasta. This tempura has a super light butter, crispy and super tasty!
This branch is located at China Court Ibn Battuta Mall, 043669910. For menu and other information http://www.atninfo.com/menu.php?groupno=170733
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