I can still remember when me and Sharlyne went to Singapore and ate food there like a local. Yes, we can eat Singaporean food all-day long. When FoodTrippings got invited to try this out, of course I was excited because I love Singaporean food. If you remember the Orchard Road restaurant in SM Megamall, that’s where the My Singapore Food Street stands now. It’s not connected to the Orchard Road restaurant that used to be there. Singapore Food Street is owned by the Lhulliers. 

Laksa, PhP 185

The dishes that were beautifully plated in the media launch are popular Singaporean food that one should try. Amongst these dishes, I got to try the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Laksa.

I like both the Hainanese Chicken Rice and the Laksa. Next time, I’ll probably try the roasted chicken meal which is my favorite in Wee Nam Kee. What I like about their Laksa is that it’s really spicy.

Satay Chicken, 2 pcs at PhP 70, 4 pcs. at PhP 135, or 8 pcs. at PhP 250

Nasi Goreng, PhP 175

Char Kway Teow, PhP 195

Five Spice Tofu, PhP 80

I still like Nasi Lemak (in Robinsons Galleria and the Fort) more but if you’re in SM Megamall and you’re craving for Singaporean food, then, go to My Singapore Food Street.

My Singapore Food Street
2/F SM Megamall, Bridgeway, Julia Vargas Ave cor EDSA
Wack Wack, Mandaluyong
(02) 470-4546

I only knew Manang’s Chicken when it was still starting at the Mercato weekend food market (I think they still do sell in Mercato) then I didn’t get surprised when I saw Manang’s Chicken restaurants sprouted outside Mercato especially in leading food courts inside malls. They were a hit in Mercato and they were a hit too when they explored outside the weekend market.

Although their brand name mentions chicken, they also serve non-chicken items. We decided to choose the Garlic Pork Rice Meal for a change. There was a set meal for 2 which has chips and dip and side dishes to choose from. Perfect for person who wants to eat fast food and who has a big appetite.

* Special thanks to Manang’s Chicken for letting us experience this!

For this love month, Brothers Burger has introduced their latest designer burger which is only available until March 8. It’s the Red Bun Angus Burger. It’s a half-pound black angus beef patty (flame-grilled, and medium-rare) with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, catsup and mayonnaise. Instead of using the regular bun, they opted to have a red bun that is not made of food coloring, but from cranberries. Each order of the Red Bun Angus Burger comes with some criss-cut fries.

Their beef patty is full of flavor and juicy. Each bite makes me want to have more. But since I get easily full, I stopped when I was already half-way through since we were told that they will still serve fish and chips. If you can’t finish the whole burger by yourself, share it with your special one.

It’s too bad though that they have not made it available for the Davao branch.

Fish and Chips, PhP 195 per order

Aside from the Red Bun Angus Burger, they’re also now offering Fish and Chips. An order of Fish and Chips consists of one whole dory with criss-cut fries. It’s also served with either a cilantro or dill cream. I like both dressings but I approve more of the cilantro dressing.

It was my first time to visit JCo Donuts and Coffee in Eastwood to attend a media launch and I was glad to know that this particular branch is big! I actually like how spacious it is. Another good thing about this branch is that it’s open 24 hours!

J.Co’s bestsellers: Alcapone, Oreology and Green Tease

In the media launch, we got to experience preparing their bestsellers. Their bestsellers are Alcapone (a ring donut dipped in white chocolate and topped with almonds), Oreology (a ring donut dipped in white chocolate and sprinkled with crushed Oreo), and Green Tease (a whole donut with cream filling dipped in green tea).

We also got to experience how is it like to prepare their iced blended drinks! I chose JCoccino (a capuccino iced blended drink). JCoccino is amongst their popular drinks.

J.Co Donuts & Coffee – Eastwood
1800 Bldg., Eastwood Ave
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
(02) 570-3612

Thanks to Anthony Bourdain’s new show “The Layover” when he featured Singapore a few months back, my nerve wracking craving for Singapore food became alive and most especially when Karla said that she’ll be going to Singapore on November for a conference. I, of course, begged to come with her. Well, it was our 5th anniversary anyway. Well, going back to Bourdain’s Layover, he featured Tiong Bahru Market – one of the popular hawker centers in Singapore because of great foodie finds.

On our last day in Singapore, we decided to have brunch here. This is only 1 bus ride from Bencoolen (where our hotel is). It was a Sunday morning and we arrived at around 10 am. We went upstairs where the food court is and already saw a lot of people. I read in some blogs that it is preferred that you go there earlier rather than the usual lunch time (12:00 noon to 2:00 pm) because it’s difficult to get a table and of course the long queues.

Ok, a lot of stalls but which one to choose?

Usually, we identify the stalls which has more then 5 people queuing to be the favored ones and of course, we also relied on tips in Foursquare. Recommended ones are below:

Carrot Cake / Chai Tow Kway (Stall No. 02-83)

1) Carrot Cake at Stall No. 02-83

One of my favorite Singaporean delicacies is the carrot cake. This stall is located near the escalators.

To those who haven’t eaten the Singaporean (or Southeast Asian) carrot cake, please do not expect to see Western carrots (the orange ones). Carrot Cake or Chai Tow Kway is made of diced raddish cake stir fried with eggs, spring onions, etc. You can have 2 choices of carrot cake – white or dark. The white one doesn’t have the dark soy sauce while the dark one uses molasses which makes it dark. There are different variations of it aside from the color – it may have dried shrimps, bean sprouts. If you’re going to ask me which one is better, well, it’s really up to you. We ordered the dark version as this was the specialty of Stall 02-83.

The Foursquare reviews didn’t fail me. The carrot cake in this stall is really good. It’s not too sweet. Generous portions were served and with just approximately SGD 6.00 – 8.00, this is a  great deal. Add some chopped chili if you want to be adventurous .

Jian Bo Shui Kueh (Stall #02-05)

2) Chwee Kueh at Jian Bo Shui Kueh

Aside from Foursquare user reviews, I also saw some blog posts pointing to Jian Bo as one of the best Shui Kueh in Singapore. Shui Kueh / Chwee Kueh (water rice cake) is made of rice flour and water then topped with preserved turnip or raddish (Chye Poh). Singaporeans love to have this for Breakfast.

Chwee Kueh ( 6 pieces for SGD 1.60 approx. PHP 53.00)

Jian Bo’s Chwee Kueh is legendary as many locals would say and they have been selling this for the last 50 years. I also read about this in the blog of a popular Singaporean blogger – Lady Iron Chef. I patiently queued at Jian Bo and ordered 8 pieces of Chwee Kueh (8 pieces for SGD 2.40). While waiting for my order to come (which was very fast), I had a glimpse of how they were making the Chwee Kueh. The Rice Flour and water mixture were combined and placed in small containers to mold its shape  (like the ones used in making kutsinta) then they steam them. Once they’re ready, they’re placed in wax paper then topped with preserved turnip.

For the taste, we absolutely loved it! I love the texture of the chwee kueh – a little bit of crunch on the first bite then soft on the inside. This means that the Chwee Kueh is firm. The preserved turnip gives the savory kick which we really love! For health conscious people, the oil might turn you off . Add some chili for that spicy kick.

Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice (Stall No. 02-82) @ SGD 12.50 (approx PHP 415.00)

3) Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice at Stall No. 02-82

Another recommendation from The Lady Iron Chef and Foursquare reviews is Tiong Bahru Hainanese Boneless Chicken Rice. This is just beside the Carrot Cake stall above. We patiently waited for them to open (they open at 11 am). We chose the roasted chicken because I am a fan of this rather than just the steamed one.

The roasted chicken was fantastic! The skin is a bit crunchy as this was freshly cooked and the white meat was tender. The rice was fragrant and all I could do is close my eyes in every spoonful of rice, chicken combined with the ginger and chili sauce. Yummy!

Soy Milk @ SGD 1.00 (approx. PHP 34.00)

4) For our drinks, I had soy milk with grass jelly (a.k.a. Michael Jackson) at Teck Seng Soya Bean while Karla had her Iced Kopi at Kopi Museum.

I love drinking Soy Milk and for me it was just a normal thing however many people are raving Teck Seng’s so I got curious about this. Again, I patiently queued together with other locals who some have even brought their own stainless containers for their hot soy milk or bean curd “to go”. I wish I could do this and bring to Manila but I might not be allowed to bring this on the plane.

Anyway, when it was already my turn, the auntie asked if I want grass jelly on it and I said yes. I thought that there’s additional payment but it came free.

I loved Teck Seng’s soy milk because it’s not too sweet and the milk was very smooth. No yucky after taste unlike other soy milk which you can purchase in groceries. Teck Seng’s are freshly made.

Iced Kopi from Kopi Museum

Our latest trip in Singapore became memorable because of Tiong Bahru Market. I was really glad that we were able to have our brunch here on our last day in Singapore. I am hoping that we could come back here for lunch or perhaps dinner.

Tiong Bahru Hawker Center

30 Seng Poh Road,
Tiong Bahru Market, Singapore 168898

Ikea in Tampines is the largest Ikea in Singapore (the other one is in Alexandria). We went there to meet up with Aileen while we were there last December. Since there’s no Ikea in Manila, I guess it’s another food discovery in Singapore if you opt to eat some Swedish food instead of the typical local food there.

Inside Ikea’s Restaurant

It’s best to have lunch at Ikea earlier (around 11am) if you will go there on a weekend to avoid long queues and to easily get a table as well. We arrived later than Aileen since we got lost on our way there.

Swedish Meatballs @ SGD 9.50 per plate (approx. PHP 315.00)

Aileen has been raving the Swedish Meatballs even before we arrived in Singapore so it’s our opportunity to taste this. She ordered Swedish Meatballs ahead for us to share. Aileen’s right, the Swedish meatballs are addicting. The smothered gravy really makes the meatballs interesting paired with jam. I can eat this all day long. If you like the meatballs, you can buy one from their supermarket so that you can take it home with you (that is if you are allowed to bring in food items to your respective countries ).

Chicken Wings

Anyway, I think we shouldn’t have ordered the Chicken Wings since it is already enough for the three of us including our individual entrees.

Christmas Hot Plate @ SGD 8.90 (approx. PHP 300)

For our individual entrees, I got the Christmas Hot Plate which includes ham and vegetables while Sharlyne got the salmon. The serving is really big. We had a hard time trying to finish our own food!

Salmon Plate

Please take note that Ikea’s Restaurant is a self-service restaurant. It’s like a cafeteria wherein you have to line-up and choose the food that you will order, and pay for it in the cashier and bring it to your table. You also need to clear up your table if you’re done.

Condiments section in Ikea

Beverages (softdrinks, Lingonberry drinks, coffee and tea) are also refillable.

Ikea Tampines

Address:
60 Tampines North Drive 2,
Singapore 528764
Telephone: 6786 6868
Fax: 6786 6888

Restaurant hours:
Open daily
9.30am – 10.30pm
(Last order at 10pm)

How to go to Ikea Tampines?

In order to not get lost if you’re just going to commute, go to Ikea’s website (click here).

Chocolate Macadamia Sansrival @ PHP 150 per slice

Ok, ok, I have a sweet tooth. Whenever I go to places which I don’t usually frequent at, I always make it a point to try something which isn’t in my area. I’m from Sta. Mesa and I usually go to Quezon City or Makati area for my foodie adventures however when I was recently at the Bicutan area, I remembered that there is a cake place there that I’ve been dying to try. Glad that Karla lives near this cake place called Cake Planet and decided to try their sweet offerings.

Cake Planet is at the Dona Soledad Avenue in Better Living, Paranaque. It’s a small cafe with few tables and chairs inside for dine in guests. I’ve read the buzz among foodies on this quaint cake place in the south and they weren’t wrong.

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Red Velvet Cake @ PHP 140 per slice

Good thing, we’re three in the group (Me, Karla and my officemate-friend Michelle) which means we can try 3 slices of cake at once! We asked for suggestions from the staff and they recommended the Chocolate Macadamia Sansrival, Red Velvet and Turtle Pie.

Chocolate Macadamia Sansrival is one of their best sellers. On the first bite it tastes good and eventually when you get to the center, it gets a bit too sweet. It’s best to share it with someone as Cake Planet offers big slices of cakes.

I am a fan of Red Velvet cakes and I liked Cake Planet’s version. It’s moist and melts in your mouth. I wish they used cream cheese but their cream worked fine.

Turtle Pie @ PHP 120 per slice

Their Turtle Pie is also good. I liked the richness of chocolate on this delightful dessert.

Mango Empress Sansrival @ PHP 710 (junior whole cake)

2 days ago, I went to the Cake Planet to buy a whole cake for Christmas Eve. I decided to try another best seller which is the Mango Empress Sansrival. The meringue layers have custard layering as well. Oh heavenly!

Aside from cakes, they also serve Lavazza coffee. Perfect pair for their oh so delicious and sinful cakes!

Southern Manila, as they say, has a lot of nice quaint neighborhood places to have foodie adventures. Just do it. and you’ll see.

Cake Planet and Cafe
Unit C, FDP Bldg.,
#91 Dona Soledad Ave. corner Ethiopia,
Barangay Don Bosco, Better Living Subd., Paranaque
Tel. No. 621-2857

Our Churros fanatic friend Juned Sonido, brought us to Cioccolata Churros Cafe at the Bayleaf Hotel in Intramuros. Tired from the almost whole day participation at the 2012 Canon Photomarathon, we deserve to eat something decent.

Cioccolata’s churros can be classified as second best compared to Dulcinea’s (well, they still hold the best Churros in Manila). They have 2 types of dips: traditional hot Spanish chocolate or Coffee Caramel. The choice of dips is what makes them different from Dulcinea. We ordered the traditional Spanish chocolate just for comparison. Cioccolata’s chocolate dip sauce was thin compared to Dulcinea’s which has a thicker texture.

What I liked in Cioccolata is their coffee. I like discovering places where I could get decent coffee other than Starbucks and I sometimes which that these kinds of places can be found in Makati.

If you’re on a hunt for Churros and happened to be at the Intramuros area, try Cioccolata.

Cioccolata Churros Cafe

G/F The Bayleaf,
Muralla cor Victoria St
Intramuros, Manila
(02) 318-5000

Charbroiled Slab of Bacon @ PHP 320

We dined at Chops Chicago Steakhouse when they were still in their soft opening early this year. Quite hesitant to dine here because of its price but for the sake of curiosity, we decided to try it out.

Chops has that “Godfather” feel. It actually reminded me of another restaurant called Goodfellas in Quezon City. They actually have the same interiors and almost the menu, except that Chops is located in the posh area called Greenbelt 5 while Goodfellas is in a residential-commercial area in Quezon City. I was impressed with Chops’ interiors. It was quite dark inside so it’s perfect for romantic evenings.

USDA Certified Angus Beef Porterhouse 14 oz @ PHP 1,250

For starters, we ordered their Caesar Salad. I liked the fresh romaine lettuce tossed in Caesar salad topped with bacon, croutons and Parmesan cheese.

For our steak, we ordered USDA Angus Beef Porterhouse 14 oz because this is the steak that could fit our budget. It was dry rubbed with salt and pepper. This isn’t very common here in Manila, I guess we are used to the marinated type of steak. I liked the rough texture but I felt that the steak was too dry for me. I know the meat is too thin and I guess that it was overcooked. I usually order medium rare but it seems that they cooked it medium well. Overall the steak was ok. Karla and I shared the steak.

While reading the menu, I couldn’t get over the word BACON. I am a sucker for bacon and I nagged Karla to order this just to get over my curiosity. Actually, I liked this more than the steak we ordered! The bacon was about an inch thick with a little bit of fat. The bacon was paired with pomegranate honey mustard which made a difference in the smoke-flavored bacon.

Classic Caesar Salad @ PHP 285

Overall experience with Chops was ok, I guess I would prefer Goodfellas over this place.

Chops Chicago Steakhouse

4/F Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St
Legazpi Village, Makati
(02) 945-8088

The first time I’ve heard of TWG was during a food tour in The Veranda at Robinson’s Galleria. One of the restaurants there, “La Creperie”, serves some TWG teas. During our visit there, we were able to try the Silver Moon tea. It was indeed one of the best teas I’ve ever had. Thus, when I saw the TWG sign in Greenbelt 5, I became excited and I asked Sharlyne to go there with me so we can try it together.

Various tea selections

We were welcomed by the scent of their splendid teas. While we’re waiting to be seated, we looked around and checked out their wide tea selections. TWG Tea, is indeed a haven for tea connoisseurs. Aside from tea collections, they have also tea pots on display. The tea pots on display are quite expensive. Sharlyne showed me a tea pot on display that’s worth almost half a million pesos. Thus, be careful when looking around to avoid breaking stuff.

Various tea-infused macarons

Then, we started to look at their macarons. Their macarons are tea-infused. For instance, the one in the picture above is a Chocolate macaron infused with Earl Grey Tea. While the other one is the Blackcurrant macaron infused with the classic 1837 Black Tea. Their macarons are priced at PhP 50 per piece. The other macarons are: Lemon Bush Tea, Bain de Rose Tea, Grand Wedding Tea, Passion Fruit and Coconut, Moroccan Mint Tea, Napoleon Tea and Caramel, and Camelot Tea and Praline. We were not able to try these macarons, but will definitely give it a try on our next visit.

A pot of hot Silver moon tea, PhP 195

It took some time before we got seated since there are limited seats. However, when we got to drink our order of Silver Moon tea, the wait was all worth it. For our main course, I ordered Eggs Benedict while Sharlyne ordered Beef Tenderloin as suggested by the manager of TWG Tea in Greenbelt 5.

Eggs Benedict, PhP 420

For Eggs Benedict, you may choose between smoked salmon or smoked turkey ham. I chose the smoked turkey ham. It went with their homemade toasted corn flake muffins topped with farmhouse poached eggs, smothered with hollandaise sauce and served with a side salad. Maybe I’ll try their Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon next time

Beef Tenderloin

TWG Tea’s Beef Tenderloin is served with matchstick potatoes and oven-baked tomato crumble. It is also served with a sauce that’s infused with Polo Club Tea. The beef tenderloin that was served to Sharlyne was medium-well.

Beef tenderloin up close, PhP 685

Aside from the beef tenderloin itself, Sharlyne enjoyed the matchsticks. The matchstick potatoes are drizzled with pure white truffle oil and Matcha salt.

Normandy Apple Tart, PhP 220

For our dessert, we asked again a suggestion from the manager. He said that the Normandy Apple Tart is a must try. The Normandy Apple Tart is a thin pastry that’s filled with stewed apples. It is topped with caramel coulis that’s infused with Pomme Prestige Tea, a some fruits and crushed pistachio nuts, and a luscious scoop homemade Singapore Breakfast Tea ice cream. It was indeed a heavenly dessert. The table next to us asked us the name of our dessert. I guess they will be ordering that the next time they visit TWG Tea.

TWG Tea Salon & Boutique
G/F Greenbelt 5, Legazpi St
Legazpi Village, Makati
Landmark: (near Myron’s Place)