Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Ai shite iru Wani-sama: A Shiro Shiro Crocodile Meat Love Story

Crocodile meat. I was sold with those two words alone. T's friend J truly has a way with words… and coupons. She managed to score some really great coupons from Cash Cash Pinoy. Instead of paying PHP1,240, we get to dine for only PHP250 each (the coupon was worth PHP499 and it was good for two).
It was one gloomy Saturday but it did not stop us from going to Manila to eat… crocodile meat!
With a big signage plastered (or was it painted?) outside Boulevard Mansion, we were able to find Shiro Shiro right away. 
The place was pretty much screaming Japanese. They have those tables where the guests could sit on the floor (sort of) and dividers that exudes Asian ambiance. 
The server that attended to us was quite alert (and it helped that we were the only ones she has to attend to that time). She handed to us the Cash Cash Pinoy coupon inclusions menu. The promo covered two glasses of Shiro Shiro Iced Tea, two bowls of miso soup, two vanilla ice cream, and two dishes of their choice from a list of 10. Not a bad deal right?
My food buddy and I opted to choose Wanimaki and Wani Steak. J and T also had Wani Steak and Tiger Prawns. I don’t recall the other dish ordered by the other pair but one of the two dishes was Sweet and Sour Wani. I’m guessing the other one was Wanidon. Noticed we ordered Wani a lot? Well, wani means crocodile. 
Since I am the ultimate sucker for salmon sashimi, I ordered one plate of it. At first, I was thinking of sharing it with someone as it was priced at PHP300 and thinking that I will be dining at Bistecca the following day, I needed to save money. But, there were only 5 slices. Selfish as it may seem, I decided to go solo. 
Oh salmon heaven! The salmon was served fresh and it was the very soft swimming in your mouth type. I was really happy for having the whole plate for myself. I was thinking of ordering another plate but since another trip to Yakimix will be happening soon, I stopped myself from waving at the server.
My food buddy ordered Maguro with Natto (PHP180) and she had a hard time convincing someone to share the plate with her as we were all not fond of natto (fermented soy beans). I tried a bit of it and it sure was weird. There were different textures and the sticky soy beans made it even more interesting. It wasn’t bad after all but I’d still not order it.

Finally… WANI!
First served was the Wanimaki. It was basically fried wani meat on sushi rolls. We were not sold that what we were about to eat was wani as it looked like chicken. It also tasted like chicken. But, the texture was different. It was also a bit tougher. The server told us that the crocodile meat will also make one’s body warmer. Well, I felt cold that day. Opposite effect on me perhaps? (Then again, coffee makes me sleepy.)

The Wanimaki was quite good. It was like a typical sushi with a crunch. I didn’t dip it in soy sauce anymore as the sauce (I’m assuming teriyaki sauce) on the plate was enough to bring out the flavors of the maki. 
The Wani Steak on the other hand further emphasized that what we were eating was definitely not chicken. The meat was really tough yet still very much enjoyable. The ginger and mushroom sauce complemented the meat and made it different from the typical chicken teriyaki. I also loved the thin strips of potatoes that were well seasoned. The sweetness of the sauce and the saltiness of the potatoes worked harmoniously. 
As for the Tiger Prawns, it was like eating tempura sushi. It was a bit dry for me so I didn’t enjoy it that much. Or perhaps wani spoiled my tongue that day?
The Wanidon for me was nothing spectacular. I had a spoonful of it and did not ask for more. Then again, I was pretty much bloated already with too much Wanimaki and Wani Steak. I’d still give it a try though on my next visit.
I wasn’t able to try the Sweet and Sour Wani as I was having a hard time moving already and I was not in the mood for sweet and sour. 
We also got two complimentary sets of squid dumpling. It reminded us of tikoy and buchi. The dumplings were very soft and definitely a huge contrast from wani. 

For a meal worth PHP499, it was definitely worth it! I left the place with a happy tummy and wallet thanks to Cash Cash Pinoy and foodie friends. 

Shiro Shiro is located at 1440 Boulevard Mansion, Roxas Boulevard Cor. Salas St. Ermita, Manila.
 
 Photos of Shiro Shiro Iced Tea, Maguro with Natto and Wanidon were taken by Nalani Rachel

2 comments:

  1. I wanna go back! I wanna go back! :D

    I really, really enjoyed the Natto tho! Yummy. :D

    ReplyDelete

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