Food Trippings

Valentine’s Special at Le Bistro D’Agathe

Karla Redor — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:49:50 +0000

Inside Le Bistro D’Agathe

The Christmas season is the best time to reunite with friends with great, quality food so me and Sharlyne went to a French restaurant called Le Bistro D’ Agathe with two of her high school friends (Meg and Margo). Meg actually suggested this restaurant which I believe is one of Sharlyne’s reliable foodie friends. The restaurant just opened a few months ago (around mid-2011) and this is owned by a French Chef Patrice. The location of the place is quite odd, not in your typical strip of restaurants or even malls. It is located at a residential district which is in Bangkal, Makati.

And because of their Valentine’s Special set menu, we’re definitely going back because the photos I took there weren’t good. It won’t do justice to the quality of their food.

Le Bistro D’Agathe’s Valentine Set Menu at PhP 990

Each set menu is inclusive of one glass of French red wine and will start from February 13 and will end on February 18, 2012.

For starters you may choose from:
Tomato Cream Soup
Tuna Mousse

For the main course, you may choose from:
Creamy garlic prawn (served with rice)
Pepper steak (with pan-friend potatoes)

For dessert, you may choose from:
Chocolate Mousse
Mango Mousse

Amongst the items from the Valentine’s set menu, we’re only able to try the Pepper steak and the Chocolate Mousse. For first-timers, the pepper steak and the chocolate mousse are must-tries. It was definitely love at first bite when I tried their pepper steak. Their smooth and creamy chocolate mousse left an unforgettable taste in my mouth. Every teaspoonful of chocolate mousse is bliss especially when paired with French red wine. Chef Patrice actually suggested that. Aside from the texture of their chocolate mousse, what I like about it is that it’s not so sweet. Chef Patrice mentioned to us that they do not use sugar for their desserts and just let the natural sweetness of the ingredients do the trick.

If you’re planning to go there for a Valentine’s date, I suggest that you should make a reservation.

Le Bistro D’Agathe
1154 Gen j . Lacuna st., cor Rodriguez Avenue. Bangkal, 1233
Makati, Philippines
09475192148

Operating hours:
Monday to Saturday, 11:30am – 3:00pm and 5:00pm – 10:00pm

Unboxing J.Co Donuts

Sharlyne Ang — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:32:39 +0000

I just got home and was surprised by two dozens of J.Co Donuts! They arrived here in the afternoon while I was at work and only got to taste them a few minutes ago. They all looked so yummy and couldn’t really choose which one to taste first. As you can see, someone (not me) was too eager to taste the donut before the photo sessions are going on hence, explains the space on the box of Al Capone donuts.

J.Co Donuts originated from Indonesia and they have already expanded to Bali, Kuala Lumpur, Shanghai and Singapore. They will be opening their flagship branch here in Manila (specifically in SM Megamall) on February 16, 2012. I believe another branch will be opened in Greenbelt 3 afterwards. I was curious to know who brought the franchise of J.Co Donuts and the PR told me that they were brought here by Contemporain Foods Inc (sister company of Liwayway Marketing). They already have a kitchen here and they are busy training for the crew who will be working for the flagship store.

Al Capone

So I decided to first taste Al Capone, it’s made of white chocolate sprinkled with almonds. Not sure if the abundance of almonds will be like this when they sell it at their stores soon.

Assorted Donuts

The other box is composed of assorted J.Co donuts. The green one is Green Tea flavored with cream filling. Other flavors were coffee, strawberry and many others. What I liked about their donuts is that they’re not very sweet compared to Krispy Kreme. I am just not sure on the price yet .

Aside from donuts, they will also be serving their signature coffee and yogurt ice cream.

Good news for the first 200 customers on February 16, 2012 because J.Co Donuts will be giving away a surprise! Take note that they will open at 9:00 am so if I were you, better arrive early!

My pledge of love for Original Glazed Krispy Kreme donuts

Uno Grille / Kusina Felicitas in Vigan

Sharlyne Ang — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:45:41 +0000

Poqui – Poqui Balls @ Php 115

After a tiring tour of Vigan during the day, we deserved to have delicious Ilocano dinner on our last night in Vigan at Uno Grille. Like what we usually do, we search for must-try restaurants for a certain place before we actually go there. Many bloggers recommended that we dine at Uno Grille / Kusina Felicitas because they have great food and large servings. Well, it was only the two of us so it was quite hard to order a lot of food. So we only chose 2 viands and flavored rice to pair them with.

Felicitas Fried Rice @ Php 100 (fried rice with Longganisa and egg)

And so, we were shocked. While we were waiting for our order, we kept on looking at the food from the other family dining opposite our table. We were astonished on how big their servings were and we were already trying to determine how we can finish them. First dish that arrived in our table was the Poqui-Poqui Balls.

If you are Filipino and know how to speak the contemporary Filipino language, I can imagine you laughing while reading this blog post. Yes, it sounds “taboo” for certain conservatives but this dish is really called as such. Poqui-Poqui is a traditional Ilocano food which is made sauteed eggplant, tomatoes, eggs and onions. Uno Grille made it interesting by making them into croquetta-like balls with red and yellow curry sauce. Every bite of Poqui-Poqui balls must be partnered with its sauce to make it more scrumptious. We couldn’t help but rave about this food. By the way, this is an award-winning recipe that won at the 2006 Chefs on Parade.

Pinakbet with Bagnet @ Php 165

We wanted Bagnet so in order for us not to feel very guilty, we ordered Pinakbet with Bagnet. Pinakbet is also another traditional Ilocano food which is composed of mixed vegetables sauteed in shrimp paste (Bagoong). To be honest, I don’t really like Pinakbet but whenever I am in Ilocos, I liked eating it. Perhaps, I just don’t like the way it is prepared here in Manila .

Inside Uno Grille / Kusina Felicitas

Uno Grille, Kusina Felicitas and Cafe Uno have the same owners. So when you dine at Uno Grille, they will give you 3 sets of menus. We had a hard time trying to think what to order, I guess if you’re just a couple like us just order the ones that we had above.

Uno Grille / Kusina Felicitas are for big groups and they have traditional Ilocano dishes. They’re not in an enclosed area (meaning no aircon!). On the other hand, Cafe Uno‘s menu is a mixture of Western and Filipino cuisine and is for people who like to eat light meals and enjoy a cozy coffee shop ambiance.

Uno Grille / Kusina Felicitas

Opposite of Grandpa’s Inn
Bonifacio Street Corner Quirino
Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Tel No. 077-722-2118/722-1446

Some Bacolod Pasalubong Treats

Karla Redor — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 16:06:41 +0000

Virgie’s Napoleones

My father has been to Bacolod several times. And every time he comes back to Manila, I’d expect him to be back with several packs of Piaya from BongBong’s which most people buy as a “pasalubong”. If you would like something different, we suggest boxes of Napoleones from Virgie’s.

Napoleones is quite similar to the Greek dessert called Baklava because it’s like a phyllo pastry however, Napoleones doesn’t have pistachios, cinnamon, honey and walnuts. It’s like the simplified Baklava – topped with sugar icing and filled with their luscious custard cream. One box of Napoleones consists of 12 pieces. I suggest that you order at least one day before you intend to pick it up at their store in San Sebastian Street. Just call +63(34) 434-1788 or +63(34) 434-1588. Their store opens at 8 am and closes at 5 pm. You can also order from the Negros Showroom, a famous pasalubong place in Bacolod City, however they will charge extra. Other places you can get Napoleones in Bacolod are Pendy’s and Roli’s.

Cakes from Calea

Another “pasalubong” suggestion are cakes from Calea. Calea is a well-known dessert place in Bacolod City. Their biggest branch is located right across L’fisher Hotel, at Balay Quince. Their cheesecakes are a must-try and as their molten chocolate cake.

Guapple Pie from El Ideal

El Ideal is not in Bacolod City. However, you might as well drop by in Silay City so you can bring home with you El Ideal’s Guapple Pie or Angel Cookies as a “pasalubong”. Guapple pie is made from a bigger variety of guava. Trivia: Angel Cookies are called such because it’s made from communion hosts. Aside from Angel Cookies and Guapple Pie, El Ideal has a lot of pasalubong treats. You may even buy there some “Puto Manapla” which we did since we do not have the time to go to Manapla last November.

These are just some of the sweet treats from Bacolod that you can bring home to your loved ones. Do you have other favorites that are not part of this list?

No related posts.

Congratulations to all our Jollibee contest winners

Karla Redor — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:09:49 +0000

Finally, the week-long contest is over. Here’s the winners to our daily contest that started last December 5, 2011. Thanks to everyone for participating. You will be contacted shortly on how you can claim your prizes.

Manicure Monday winner: lucykim
Carsday Winner: Nino
Shopping Wednesday winner: Amity Ong
Hairsday Thursday winner: Laila Lantaca
Friday Blockbuster winner: John Carlo Gertes
Relaxation Saturday winner: mj
Facial Sunday winner: Zyra Anne

Screenshots of the Raffle done via Random.org

Here’s the screenshots of the raffle done via Random.org (http://www.random.org/lists/). Kindly go to the link on each of the thumbnails below.

Take It Easy, Have a Sundae on Sunday. Why Do I Deserve A Reward From Jollibee?

Sharlyne Ang — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 17:21:14 +0000

Friends, today is the last day of raffling off rewards from Jollibee. Before we reveal the final prize, please let us have this opportunity to thank you all for joining. I know you are already eager to know who won the daily prizes for this week!

So for our final prize, one of you will have the chance to win a Facial Service (with peel off mask or jell type mask) at Let’s Face It Salon and Php 400 worth of Jollibee gift certificates.

All you have to do is answer this question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?” Answers should be posted as comments. Entries will only be accepted until December 11, 2011, 11:59pm.

Again, those who intend to join, kindly read the mechanics below.

1) Contest shall be open to individuals who reside in Metro Manila.

2) Winners will be contacted where they can claim their prizes, so make sure that you type in your email addresses. All winners will be announced on December 13, Monday.

3) For all the posts, entries should be posted as a comment and should answer the question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?”

4) Contestants may enter multiple entries by posting a comment. Winners of the contests shall be picked randomly via http://www.random.org/lists/. Only comments posted within the day the blog post was posted shall be accepted as entries.

Saturdays Are Meant for Relaxation. Why Do You Deserve a Reward from Jollibee?

Sharlyne Ang — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 18:16:50 +0000

Have you been waiting for us to reveal Jollibee’s treat for today? Sorry guys, had a hard time in getting a cab!

For me, Saturdays are usually spent for relaxation so I go and have my massage at my favorite spa place.
Today, Food Trippings and Jollibee will be giving away a PhP 1000 worth of The Spa (Greenbelt 1) and PhP 400 worth of Jollibee gift certificates.

All you have to do is answer this question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?” Answers should be posted as comments. Entries will only be accepted until December 10, 2011, 11:59pm.

Again, those who intend to join, kindly read the mechanics below.

1) Contest shall be open to individuals who reside in Metro Manila.

2) Winners will be contacted where they can claim their prizes, so make sure that you type in your email addresses. All winners will be announced on December 13, Monday.

3) For all the posts, entries should be posted as a comment and should answer the question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?”

Please note that tomorrow is our last day of this week long reward giving! We will announce the winners on Monday, December 12th.

Friday Blockbuster! Movie treat plus GCs from Jollibee!

Karla Redor — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:01:57 +0000

It’s a Friday and one would usually plan of seeing a movie to de-stress after a long and tiring week from work. Today, Food Trippings and Jollibee will be giving away a PhP 300 worth of Greenbelt 3 cinema gift cards (good for two) and PhP 800 worth of Jollibee gift certificates.

All you have to do is answer this question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?” Answers should be posted as comments. Entries will only be accepted until December 9, 2011, 11:59pm.

Again, those who intend to join, kindly read the mechanics below.

1) Contest shall be open to individuals who reside in Metro Manila.

2) Winners will be contacted where they can claim their prizes, so make sure that you type in your email addresses. All winners will be announced on December 13, Monday.

3) For all the posts, entries should be posted as a comment and should answer the question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?”

It’s Hairsday Thursday! Why Do you Deserve A Salon Reward from Jollibee?

Sharlyne Ang — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:01:48 +0000

Ok it’s day 4 of our week long reward giving from Jollibee! As my title says, it’s Hairsday Thursday! I know some people like to change their “do” before the new year. As they way, to have a fresh new year, it’s nice to have a fresh new look .

By answering this question “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?”, one of you will have the chance to win 1000 Pesos worth of Gift Certificates from Creatives Salon (Glorietta 5, Ayala Center) and 400 Pesos worth of Jollibee Gift Certificates. Only comments posted until 11:59 pm today (December 8, 2011) shall be accepted as entries.

Just a recap, here are the guidelines for this contest that will run until Sunday:

1) Contest shall be open to individuals who reside in Metro Manila.

2) Winners will be contacted where they can claim their prizes, so make sure that you type in your email addresses. All winners will be announced on December 13, Monday.

3) For all the posts, entries should be posted as a comment and should answer the question: “Why do I deserve a reward from Jollibee?”

Cozy and Charming Place in Vigan Called Cafe Uno

Sharlyne Ang — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:01:43 +0000

Miki with Bagnet and Pandesal

If you’re in Calle Crisologo in Vigan City, Ilocos Sur, I suggest that you try Cafe Uno which is just nearby since it’s literally a few meters away. Cafe Uno is quite popular with the locals and as well as the tourists. We went to Cafe Uno twice, the first time was after the sumptuous dinner at the opposite restaurant, Uno Grillery (which has the same owners as Cafe Uno) and the second time was the next day before we leave Vigan.

For their savory meals, we tried the Vigan Longganisa burger and Miki with Bagnet and Pandesal. The Miki with Bagnet is saltier than the ones in Batac and this is probably because of the Bagnet. This is the reason why this meal is ideally paired with a bread such as pandesal so that you won’t get tired of its taste since it neutralizes your palates. As for the Vigan Longganisa burger, we both like the bun used with it and as well as the Vigan Longganisa pattie. It’s also salty and garlicky at the same time. Love it!

Cafe Uno’s menu is composed of variety of Ilocano dishes fused with different cuisines. Their menu is the contemporary kind so it would be best to be open minded. If you prefer the conventional Ilocano dishes, you can cross order from their sister restaurant just across the street which is Uno Grillery.

For dessert, we were able to try their Lattechino Mocha (PHP 90), Frozen Rocha Mocha (PHP 90) and their chocolate cake. I find their coffee a bit sweet for my taste. Their chocolate cake is a must try.

Cafe Uno is one of the few coffee places in Vigan near Calle Crisologo, where you can hang out. It’s like the “Starbucks” of Vigan. What I like about this place is that it’s very cozy, charming and the interiors are very pretty! The bricked walls are just like the ones that you see along Calle Crisologo – Spanish – Filipino ambiance. There are also local art works displayed around the cafe. By the way, they have free wifi!

Cafe Uno
Ground Floor of Grandpa’s Inn
1 Bonifacio Street Corner Quirino
Vigan, Ilocos Sur