A bustling restaurant market brings new offerings, upgrades

BY MARK RABAGO
Saipan Correspondent

There are plenty of fresh business offerings in Saipan for residents and visitors alike to experience.

New offerings

The Cookie Shop

The Cookie Shop opened in Chalan Kanoa on Oct. 31, offering an assortment of nine cookie flavors, three cake and cupcake flavors, cheesecakes, and the popular pumpkin crunch.

Owner Deveanna Lizama Kileleman Parker-Jia said, so far, the bestsellers are the New York Chocolate Chip cookies, Strawberry Oreo & Twix Crumble cookies, and the pumpkin crunch.

The Cookie Shop is located across the former Bank of Saipan branch and beside the Last Shot Bar and Aquarius Beach Tower along Beach Road in Chalan Kanoa.

It is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 11a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, email thecookieshop670@gmail.com or contact (670) 483-3331. The Cookie Shop is also on social media—Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @thecookieshop670.

DJ’s Corner

Hyatt Regency Saipan’s newly renovated DJ’s Corner is now selling a more exclusive wine selection and Tony's Chocolonely, from a Dutch confection company that is one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the Netherlands.

Compared to other hotels, Hyatt’s wine selection at DJ Corner’s is relatively inexpensive as nothing costs more than the top-shelf price of $70. It also has a Wine of the Month deal, which guarantees even bigger discounts for wine aficionados.

Tony's Chocolonely’s sweet treat comes in different colors and flavors that include milk and extra dark chocolate favorites, as well as dark milk pretzel toffee, dark pecan coconut, milk hazelnut, milk honey almond nougat, and white raspberry popping candy.

For more information visit saipan.regency.hyatt.com and click “news & events” tab or call (670) 234-1234 loc. 5811.

Bistro On The Go

Bistro On The Go opened at the Northern Marianas College in Fina Sisu on Sept. 15.

Owner Reynaldo Faustino said his newest business venture is a café and snack bar that serves breakfast, lunch, merienda, and plenty of snacks.

Bistro On The Go sells drinks including coffee, smoothies, halo-halo, sandwiches, sushi, turon, lumpia, soups, and a one-choice or two-choice breakfast and lunch meals to students, faculty, and other staff of the college.

Bistro On The GO is open from Monday to Friday, 7 a.m. to 3.p.m., and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 12pm. For now, the snack bar only accepts cash and PayPal, but will soon accept credit cards. It is located at Building O, Mango Terrace inside the NMC campus. For more information, call (670) 989-1944.
 

Fork & Spoon: House of Sizzling

Fork & Spoon: House of Sizzling’s has branched out by introducing unique desserts inspired by Filipino goodies like brazo de mercedes cuppies and yema cake and the French crème brulee.

The former is a rolled cake made from a sheet of soft meringue with custard filling, but Fork & Spoon added a little twist by making it into cupcakes. Yema cake is basically yema, which is a sweet custard confectionery from the Philippines made into cake. Crème brulee is a French dessert popular in the Philippines consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar. Owner Joan Boongaling said like her sizzling dishes, Fork & Spoon’s desserts had their origins from desserts her family served to their guests during gatherings at home.

Fork & Spoon’s brazo de mercedez cuppies are $2.99 apiece, while yema cake and creme brulee are $3.99 each. Located at Springs Plaza in Gualo Rai, Fork & Spoon is open Monday to Saturday from 11a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information call (670) 235-5626 or visit the restaurant on Facebook and Instagram, @forkandspoon.

Relocations

Bolis R Us II

Traditional Chamorro snack bar Bolis R Us II relocated from Oleai to Garapan in December.

Owner Tracy Pangelinan said the driving force behind the move was the bigger dine-in and parking space the new location beside TSL Plaza provides.

As the offspring of Terry's Snack Bar, Bolis R Us II continues the long tradition of delicious local comfort food like empanadas.

For the opening, Bolis R Us II is offering a promotion where daily lunch can be had for $5 for one viand choice, $6 for two choices, and $9 for three choice, plus two scoops of rice, finadeni, and koko. Bolis R Us II is open Monday to Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (670) 284-7170 and (670) 284-6474, or reach the restaurant on Facebook.

RJ Pizza

RJ Pizza Restaurant opened at the old LBC Express Inc. location in Garapan on Dec. 15.

Owner Romeo Bautista said adding a new branch in Garapan to supplement the Sugar King Park one was made to accommodate more customers as the new location is more accessible and has more foot traffic.

Known for its home-made pizza with traditional toppings like ham and cheese, pepperoni, Hawaiian, chicken, special, and meat lovers, RJ Pizza also sells sweet Filipino-style spaghetti and crispy fried chicken.

RJ Pizza Restaurant in Garapan is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Monday to Sunday, while RJ Pizza at Sugar King Park is open daily from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. For orders and information, call (670) 285-9600.

Cup BAB

Cup BAB has expanded its diverse menu by adding sushi and Filipino-style sweet spaghetti and hamburger steak.

Cup BAB offering the unlikely union of banana catsup and Italian pasta and a hamburger patty slathered in rich gravy are also an acknowledgment of the Korean restaurant’s No. 1 customer markets — Filipinos and locals.

Sushi is made fresh in all varieties and sizes when customers order them. Hamburger steak is an affordable $10, the spaghetti is $8, and the sushi is $13 for the medium size and $7 for the small size.

Cup BAB’s drive-thru in Garapan is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and the San Jose takeaway branch is open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. BAB Korean Restaurant is located at the old Caesar’s Sauna building along Beach Road in Garapan and is open Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9.30 p.m.

For reservations and more information, call 233-4222 (Garapan) and 235-4222 (San Jose) or contact the restaurant on the Facebook page: Cup BAB.
 
Battle of the buffets

Bourbon Street Bar & Café

Bourbon Street Bar & Café has introduced its own Sunday lunch buffet that marries Western and Asian cuisines.

Owner Eden Ordas said Bourbon Street’s Sunday lunch buffet offers two sets of menus which will be served alternately on Sundays. One is similar to the regular menu offering, while the other introduces an Italian-inspired or -themed menu. Dishes include Kowloon chicken, siomai, padthai, sp aghetti (pomodoro), cheese and pepperoni pizza, and fried chicken.

Bourbon Street Bar and Café is located at the corner of Beach Road and Cpl. Derence Jack St. Its Sunday lunch buffet is available from 11a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call (670) 233-0415 or (670) 588-8846.

West Coast Restaurant

Retro- and vintage-themed restaurant West Coast Restaurant launched its eat-all-you-can offering Nov. 13.

West Coast Restaurant’s buffet typically includes salads, hot entrees, and desserts, and has a unique blend of flavors and carefully curated dishes. The typical smorgasbord fare changes daily, but staples include chicken afritada, basa fish with butter lemon sauce, loco moco (burger steak), and fried chicken in sweet chili sauce. Buffet offerings include a variety of hearty salads,varieties of sushi, soup, red and steamed rice, and seasonal fruits.

The lunch buffet from 11a.m. to 2 p.m costs $15 for adults and $8 for children ages 5-10. Children 5 years old and younger dine free.

West Coast Restaurant is located beside Saipan World Resort on Beach Road in Susupe. For further inquiries or reservations, call (67) 234-0037.
 
Night Scent Restaurant

Night Scent Restaurant introduced its lunch buffet in October and uniquely runs from 11a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Garapan Chinese restaurant’s signature fried chicken headlines the restaurant’s 15-dish buffet which include soups, iced tea and juice drinks, and dessert.

Aside from fried chicken, Night Scent Restaurant’s buffet spread also usually includes tried-and-tested Chinese cuisine staples like char siu (Chinese barbecue pork), braised pork with egg, sweet and sour pork, flavored shrimp, beef broccoli, spring rolls (lumpia), Peking duck, salt and pepper shrimp, chow mien (fried noodles), spicy sauteed vegetables, fried dumplings, and fried rice. Desserts include seasonal fruits, Chinese pumpkin pie, and sesame balls (buchi).

Night Scent Restaurant is located along Coral Tree Avenue across the Crowne Plaza Resort Saipan and is open from 11a.m. to 10 p.m. Ample parking is available behind the restaurant. For more information or for reservations, call (670) 989-1288. mbj