Kai Cafe ReView

Pepper Lunch Addictions

2012-11-21T20:29:00.001-08:00

Hey guys! I know I've neglected this blog for sometime already. So to bump this up again I've decided to revamp this as my food diary. Hehe. For this entry, I just want to rave about Pepper Lunch! One of my fave Pepper Lunch Express dishes -Beef Curry Pepper Lunch with cheese. It is full of flavor. Actually the "curry"~like flavor isnt that overoowring which makes me.love this dish a lot. I love the stickiness of the rice due to the cheese. Of course to make it more perfect, I always order extra egg so that its really super filling talaga! Of course nothing still beats Beef Pepper Lunch in its original form! Oh and have I mentioned how much I love egg with my Pepper Lunch? hehe. So if you havent tried out Pepper Lunch yet, you should definitely try it out in one of their express branches. Have a wonderful day! Mwah mwah!

Addicted to BON CHON CHICKEN!

2011-07-07T10:50:00.000-07:00

Last week, I was privileged to be a part of the Minion Dollar Club Treat by Miss Joyce Ramirez from Publicity Asia. She treated us minions (around 30 plus in all) to eat at BON CHON! When I heard about the treat, I was super excited! I already had a taste of Bon Chon Chicken once at SM Megamall. And it was sooo good that I wanted more!

Cool interior look!

"The hottest hot wings in New York is finally here. Dubbed by GQ and Esquire as "The Best Fried Chicken in America," Bon Chon's crispy but non-greasy chicken has been featured in the New York Times... Only the freshest chicken wings and legs are deep fried twice in 0 grams trans fat soy bean oil - this burns off all the chicken fat and makes the chicken crunchy outside and tender inside. Option of glazed Soy Garlic or Soy Garlic Hot Sauce completes the Bon Chon Chicken Experience."

So let's have a look now shall we? This is what was served to us during the meal.

Literally a feast before my eyes! I had 2 Six-piece trays in front of me. I was a bit overwhelmed by the volume of food being offered. I wasn't quite sure what to taste first! But then again, the star of the event stole my concentration..

BON CHON CHICKEN!

Soy Garlic Flavor

Soy Garlic Spicy

Just looking at the photo makes my mouth water. I love the crispiness of the chicken. The sweet tangy flavor excites my taste buds. When I bite in it, the tender meat tastes just right. If I weren't with such a distinguished crowd at that time, I'd probably would have stuffed myself silly with it! Hehehe..

Normally I'm not into spicy food. As much as possible, I avoid it like a plague. But I was challenged to try it and I DID and oh boy, I was pleasantly surprised by the taste and the degree of spiciness! It wasn't too hot that I was overwhelmed by the spiciness but it was just the right amount for me to savour the taste and texture of the Bon Chon Chicken with an added "oomph" to it!

This is their Kimchi Coleslaw. I'm not a fan of Kimchi but this tastes super good!

It complimented the chicken perfectly!

I ate around 8-9 pieces (hahaha I wasn't quite sure..) of BON CHON Chicken! I feel so proud of myself! AND take note, I ate it with NO RICE! Wooohooo! So no guilty feelings. harharhar!

We were also offered Fish Tacos. I was pleasantly surprised by it.

Not a big fan of fish but this tasted really good!

The BULGOGI RICE was DELICIOUS!

The meat was cooked just right and tender and I just love the sauce!

Takaw kanin nga lang so I didn't eat a lot of that.

I wanted to have enough room in my tummy for BON CHON CHICKEN Goodness!

So in total I had 8 pieces of chicken, 1 Fish Taco, 3 spoonfuls of Bolgogi rice, 1/2 cup of Kimchi Coleslaw, and 2 tall glasses of Iced Tea!

Will I recommend Bon Chon Chicken? YES I will!

Its a great place to eat instead of your typical fastfood chain.

My only suggestion for Bon Chon Chicken is for BIGGER pieces (hehehe.. matakaw!)

and to make sure that the entire chicken piece is all glazed up!

Checkout Bonchon Chicken Philippines FB page for more info.

So what are you guys waiting for? Run to your nearest Bon Chon Chicken restaurant. Bon Chon Chicken at Katipunan is about to be done! I'm also looking forward to see a BON CHON CHICKEN restaurant at the Trinoma Mall or SM City North Edsa area.

Tres Filipino and Spanish Cuisine - A Kare-kare Pinoy Food Experience

2011-06-08T04:42:00.000-07:00

This is a long overdue post on my birthday eat out last March at TRES Filipino & Spanish Cuisine, The Block, SM North City Edsa, ground floor facing Trinoma. Ok, so me and Rache wanted to try a different eating experience for my birthday. I had wanted to try out a place that I myself haven't eaten before. While resto window shopping, someone gave us a flier advertising Tres' promo of EAT ALL YOU CAN KARE KARE. We were on the escalator going up to The Block's 2nd floor and we were supposed to go looking for a place to eat there but the thought of stuffing ourselves with Kare-kare won us over! We immediately went down the escalator again to go to the restaurant's location which was on the ground floor outside.

Photo Credit: Tres

I loved the interior. It was warm and cozy looking. It had an old Filipino-Spanish feel to it which of course is the theme of the whole restaurant. We sat down on a corner table and ordered the Eat All You Can Karekare promo.

Unfortunately I don't remember exactly how much it was but it was definitely not more than Php 300. Rachel and I were both pleasantly surprised by the superb service that was given to us. We talked with the head waiter and had a lovely chat with him while waiting for our food to be served. We found out that the owner has Filipino-Spanish roots and the recipes used were family recipes. Then the food arrived! The eat all you can Karekare promo served all three of their karekare special dishes - namely Krispy Kare-kare (their bestseller!), Beef Kare-kare, and Seafood Kare-kare. They gave us small portions of each on three small rectangular dishes and we could have it refilled once we were done. We both had our own Kare-kare "gravy" boat to slather our meat (and RICE!) according to our taste.

The dish on the farthest left are veggies! :)

Left - Beef Kare-kare, Right - Krispy Kare Kare

What I loved about the Kare-kare? THE SAUCE! I absolutely loved it! It had this rich creamy texture and peanut "sauce" (hehehe for lack of the better term) that I like in Kare-kare. It wasn't that strong but had the just right taste! Being allergic to seafood, I let Rache have all of mine I had her Krispy one. WE WERE FULL! And for that we even haven't had our second serving at that time! We then just had one more refill (me on krispy and Rache on seafood) until we surrendered.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! hehe

And just before we left, they gave us a free taste of their dessert which were old fashioned fudge cake and orange cake. Surprisingly, I loved the orange cake! It was light and sweet and tangy! I loved the flavor. Rache is a chocolate lover so naturally she preferred the fudge. The cakes were really affordable around Php 93 per slice only!

Will I recommend Tres? YES! The food, service, and ambiance is GREAT! Its also a great place to bring your balikbayan friends or family and let them renew their taste buds of Filipino-Spanish cuisine in a classy way.

P.S. By the way, Tres has a promo right now! CRISPY SISIG for only 3 PESOS! Drop by at TRES now to try it out! :)

Photo Credit: Tres FB Page

A New Look at Greenwich

2011-04-27T01:57:00.000-07:00

I've always been a fan of the Greenwich Pizza Commercials. I can't help but laugh over the creative ideas that they had and mind you.. it works! Who cannot forget their famous line.. "ANG CHEESY!!!" and elegant looking Anne Curtis pushing that car. Eventually, those commercials got to me and I just HAD to drop by a Greenwich Pizza and Pasta store to check out how "cheeeeesy" it was. Rache and I went to the brand new Greenwich Fast and Casual Store in Trinoma, 2nd Floor. I LOVE THEIR NEW LOOK!

The Cashier looks like a barista in a posh cafe! :)

Love the interior look and lighting! Plus the posters are inspiring! :)

Now this nook definitely looks cozy enough to bring friends over to chat and eat!

The ambiance really drew me in! I loved the cozy feel to it. BUT I would say its the restaurant's furniture that was the real winner! It made me want to stay there for quite some time!!!

ME totally luvin the red chair. Made me feel like a queen! :)

Rachie admires the interior design as well! She's an architect -- so yeah, she'd know!

Of course, besides the ambiance I ended up really enjoying the FOOD! Yes! The food! Ok honestly now, I haven't been a big fan of Greenwich coz I thought it was... well... let's just call it "another-random-fastfood-pasta&pizza-place-not-worth-my-money". BUT eating there just blew me away! Now, remember Anne Curtis' famous commercial or advertisement?

I ordered the Lasagna Supreme and as a side dish -- Onion Rings (lol. I just HAD to taste it to compare other onion rings that I've tasted from other restos!).

New Crunchy Onion Rings, Medium Size, PHP 49.00

Lasagna Supreme - PHP 89.00 Snack Size Ala Carte

Ok and let me tell you -- YES IT IS CHEEEEEEEEEEEESY!!! I love LOVE LOVED IT!!! Personally, I like pasta more than pizza. And definitely this one is a winner in my book! Every bite was delicious! I love the whole combination.. especially the right amount of cheesiness in it. It was cheesy, creamy, meaty, and definitely deserved the title as Greenwich's "Best Tasting Premium Pasta Ever!" So check out the new and improved Greenwich Fast and Casual Store at Trinoma Mall--one of the few of this type of Greenwich store around Metro Manila.

i LOVE Frutti Froyo!

2011-04-19T22:47:00.000-07:00

Taken from http://www.facebook.com/fruttifroyo

Summer is soooo here in the Philippines and because of this, I've searched found my new snack/dessert addiction... FRUTTI FROYO! One of our friends recommended this to us, and once I tasted it.. I GOT HOOKED!

One of the amazing things that I love about Frutti Froyo is the fact that its a SELF-SERVE FROZEN YOGURT -- meaning I can make my own mix! Each time I visit Frutti Froyo becomes a unique experience because I can choose from a variety of flavored yogurt and awesome toppings AND I can choose how much or little amount of each yogurt or topping! I have the control! And I absolutely LOVE it!

Yes those nuts are hidden somewhere under those other yummy toppings!

I've tasted the chocolate yogurt flavor (which my dad and brother is totally addicted to) and the typical tart yogurt flavor and those are my favorites! The toppings are sooooo awesome! Whenever I eat yogurt, it must have a lot of CRUNCH to it... and Frutti Froyo satisfied my craving for nuts! They have pecans, walnuts, cashew, almonds, and even hazel nut toppings to choose from. And yes, my frutti froyo MUST always have all of those nuts in it! hehehe.. of course, the usual yogurt toppings are available there.

But I must say what makes Frutti Froyo unique is that they have GHIRARDELLI chocolate sauce (and also caramel I think..) available to make your Frutti Froyo experience so much more memorable for the chocolate lovers out there. :) love love love it!

One of the best part of eating at Frutti Froyo is that you have control on how much you will pay for your Frutti Froyo experience because the price is based on how much it weighs! Each ounce is Php 18.00. Not bad eh? And check this out, they also recently gave out a loyalty rewards card. For every 10 ounces single receipt purchase, you get a sticker.

Collect all 10 stickers and you get ONE FREE CUP up to 10 ounces with any flavor or toppings of your choice!

I got my rewards card PLUS a 10% discount card on next single receipt purchase earlier this year as a promo for filling up their survey form. :) Thanks FF! Anyway, all this talk of yogurt has made my mouth water.. so why not drop by at the nearest Frutti Froyo branch near you!

I want some more... :(

with Friends and Family at Trinoma Frutti Froyo Branch!

Loving Caffe Ti-Amo

2010-07-17T04:15:00.000-07:00

RESTAURANT:
Caffe Ti-Amo
LOCATION: SM CITY NORTH EDSA ANNEX UGFloor

PRICE RANGE: Php 80.00 up
Kai Cafe Rate:

Taste 10/10
Environment 9.5/10
Service 9.5/10
Price 8/10

Caffe Ti-Amo SM North Annex Facebook

Ok so I admit it. I'm a sucker for cafes that combine COFFEE and ICE CREAM in one place. Recently though, with the advent of Gelato craze in our country, I've stumbled upon one of the cutest and most delicious gelato place that I've ever been-- Caffe Ti-Amo at SM North Annex. Caffe Ti-amo is quite new since it officially opened its store at SM City Annex just this May 2010. After doing a bit of online searching and reading, I was surprised to find out that its a franchise from Korea and now partly owned by Jollibee Foods corp. I'm happy to find out about this coz then it would mean more Caffe Ti-amo's to visit here in the Philippines. So far, the only branch I've been to is the one at SM City Annex.

Lets talk GELATO. So lets cut to the chase and let me just say that the Gelato here is DIVINE!! I swear, they have the BEST dark chocolate gelato EVER! I've been to several places and ate all sorts of gelato already and this is definitely one of the BEST gelato place ever!!! I know I sound redundant but I'm THAT in love with their gelato. So far I've tasted Dark Chocolate (my rate - 10/10!!!!!), Chocolate (comes a close 2nd), Tiramisu, Cookies and Cream, and Yogurt. I guess the reason why I love their yogurt so much is because its NOT too sweet. Its got the right amount of sweetness and flavor that makes you want to eat more! Not only that, just for 15 pesos, you can add some toppings to your gelato to make it your own unique experience. I was very surprised with the yogurt. I'm not a big fan of yogurt (coz its sour.. lol) but their yogurt grew on me! It wasn't too sour but in fact quite creamy and I really enjoyed it that much that I'm now torn if I should order Yogurt or Dark Chocolate whenever I'm there.

This is dark chocolate and chocolate gelato. The very first thing I ordered at Ti-Amo. PERFECT combination! For one scoop of their gelato, a Singolo order, you only pay Php 80. For two scoops, called Doppio, you only pay Php 130. Its a perfect deal for me especially if you want to taste two different flavors and share it with a friend.

Of course I couldn't leave Ti-Amo without tasting their coffee. I love the coffee and it went perfectly with the yogurt! I ordered Mocha and I enjoyed the drink very much. I thought it was really cute because I really enjoyed the tiny details that they put effort into make your Ti-Amo experience worthwhile. The adorable smiley face spoons, the small unique Ti-Amo labels on the cups and table tops, and even their smiling and accommodating staff made us feel that indeed Caffe Ti-Amo is a place that you'll fall in love. There are still a lot of Caffe Ti-amo which I haven't fully experienced yet. I have yet to taste their blendemos (blended drinks), Honey Bread with gelato, and their affogatos. I can't wait to go back there to try out more. You'll definitely hear me and more about my Caffe Ti-amo experiences when I drop by there again. Hopefully soon. Some people think its a bit expensive. Actually, it is compared to other gelaterias that I've been to. But its worth every single penny. Yes, its that good! I'm totally recommending it to all my friends!

Me and My bestfriend Rache at Caffe Ti-Amo

Pasta Fun at The Old Spaghetti House

2010-07-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

RESTAURANT: The Old Spaghetti House

LOCATION: SM Marikina, SM North Edsa Annex (and so many more)

PRICE RANGE: Php 100.00 up
CUISINE: Italian

Kai Cafe Rate:

Food 8.5/10

Environment 8.5/10

Ambiance 8.5/10

Service 8/10

"Welcome to The Old Spaghetti House! A great dining experience doesn't have to cost a lot. Indulge on mouth-watering spaghettis, delightful dishes and heavenly desserts in a unique and fun environment. Indeed, there are Treasures Waiting to be Discovered."

They definitely got their description right! As a pasta lover, this is one of the places I love to go to even on a tight budget. This year, I actually celebrated my birthday at The Old Spaghetti House at SM City North Annex. It was really a happy moment for me coz I got to celebrate it with my family and church friends. I've also eaten at TOSH for several times already with my bestfriend or coworkers.

EXTERIOR/INTERIOR. What I like about TOSH is the "old red brick house" look that they have that makes it look.. well old and established! It gives the subliminal message that they have been there for a long time already and they know what they are doing.. cooking rather! TOSH restaurants in the mall still exude the same feeling. The interior of the restaurant gives a warm feeling as well with the dark brown, black, and brick red colors used in the furniture and walls.

AMBIANCE. I love the lighting at TOSH. It does exude a warm, inviting, and also romantic atmosphere which I'm pretty much sure is appreciated by couples who eat there. Also the atmosphere does give off a semi-posh feel to it which is pretty amazing since the food offered is definitely within one's budget!

FOOD/SERVICE. Of course one cannot mention TOSH without lavishing praise on the food! I love the variety of pasta that they offer! And not only because they all taste delicious but because of their amazing low prices. The price for appetizers or starters begin even below 100 pesos. Then they offer different spaghettis, red sauce pasta, white sauce pasta, pizza, rice meals, pasta meals, and so much more! My personal favorite pasta at TOSH is the Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! What I usually order is the Pasta Meal which is Pepper crusted fish with sun-dried tomato pesto. Its price is actually Php 190.00 and I swear, worth every cent! Other pasta that are quite famous at TOSH is Pasta Negra (pasta cooked in squid ink) and Gourmet Tuyo with Lemon Rind. Its uniquely TOSH so if you are willing to have a pasta adventure, I would suggest that! And surprisingly, the desserts are actually divine! As I mentioned, I celebrated my birthday at TOSH and they actually gave me a slice of cake (forgot what its called). Service was good and the waiters were accommodating. It does take a while though for the food to be served so I wouldn't advise this place if you were in a hurry.

OVERALL IMPACT. TOSH gets high rates from me for the great food, affordable prices, and "date-able" location!

A Taste at Tokyo Cafe

2010-06-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

RESTAURANT: TOKYOCAFE
LOCATION: SM CITY NORTH EDSA, THE BLOCK
PRICE RANGE: Php 170.00 up
CUISINE: Italian-Japanese
Kai Cafe Rate:
Food 8.5/10
Environment 8/10
Ambiance 8/10
Service 8/10
"Tokyo Cafe is the only Japanese style family restaurant that offers Western dishes with that distinct Japanese touch and prides itself with genuine Japanese hospitality and service."

This is the description that you can read off Tokyo Cafe's website. I do agree, its definitely a family restaurant coz the first time I ate there was with my family just this Father's day! Honestly, I've been most curious about TokyoCafe for sometime now. I love Japanese food! And I love Cafes (or more specifically anything that has something to do with coffee).. so seeing the two of them together in one place thrilled me. But I never got a chance to drop by and eat there with my friends til just recently. And boy was I surprised!

EXTERIOR. The first thing that attracted me here was really their cute signboard and the interesting fake food display they have on the side. That really helped a lot coz it gave you an idea of the menu and how big the serving is. It had a description of the food with its price attached it making it very convenient for those passing by to consider eating there.

INTERIOR. It was a bit of a tight fit. But it wasn't really that bad it coz it encouraged closeness with the family members. The modern black and brown furniture was classy and showed off nicely with the tastefully beige walls. I especially loved the wallpaper poster of a street scene in Italy. I was facing the it when we were eating and it was quite a conversation piece and gave the illusion as if you are looking out the streets of Italy!

AMBIANCE. Lighting was dim probably to encourage the cozy feel. Loved the Music! They played soft J-Pop music in the background which helped remind you of that its a "Tokyo Cafe" feel despite the interior that you see.

FOOD. It was fantastic! We ordered 1 All Meat Pizza (P 265), 1 Mango Chicken Ceasar Salad (P178), 1 Kaibi-ju -beef w/rice (P218), 1 Tokyo Boneless Chicken (P175), 1 Chicken Ala Pobre (P175), 1 Bacon Tomato Pasta (P 218), and 3 servings of Plain Rice (@ P35). There were 7 of us who ate there and yes believe it or not, the serving was good enough for all of us! Especially the Chicken dishes that we ordered. One serving was good enough for 2 people to share. You just have to order additional rice. Most importantly, the food was great! We really enjoyed our meal! My mom even said that it was worth every centavo! (which means a lot by the way.. hehe) My personal favorite was the Bacon Tomato Pasta. I chose that particular food because it looked so good on the picture.. and to our surprise.. IT ACTUALLY DELIVERED! lol. I loved the way that the bacon did not overwhelm the tomato sauce but the two of them blended together to make the pasta taste incredible! And it also felt light to the taste! Definitely one of my favorite pasta dishes from now on. I would so recommend it to pasta lovers out there!
(>__< we enjoyed the food so much that we totally forgot to take a picture of it first before eating.)

SERVICE. I think they did a good job. We were properly greeted, graciously served, and they were quite accomodating when we asked one of the waiters to take our family picture. Most of their greetings were in Japanese which added to the novelty of the cafe.

OVERALL IMPACT. LOVE IT! ^___^ I can't wait to drop by their again to sample their coffee and desserts. We hadn't had much time during Father's day to order dessert so thats one treat I'm looking forward to taste.

RECOMMENDATION: GO VISIT TOKYOCAFE! I personally think its a great place to have a group date there with your close set of friends or family. Good food. Light on the pocket! :)

Welcome to Kai Cafe ReViews!

2010-06-26T10:37:00.000-07:00

As a coffee addict, one of my favorite things to do is to discover new cafes and coffee shops where I can eat yummy food, drink heavenly coffee, and hang out with my friends! I've been to some awesome places and ate some delicious food (and the not so good ones as well) and I thought that I'd like to share my discoveries with you all!

So this blog won't be just specifically for food trips, restaurants, and cafes.. but I'll also be reviewing and sharing my opinion on specific food and drinks as well.

My ReViews and rate on the food/restaurant will include taste, ambiance, price, and overall impact. Again this is my personal opinion. You are welcome to rant, rave, or argue (hehe.. within reason ok?) with me about my opinion on my posts. I will be posting some of my food escapades as well. It might take some time but I'm looking forward to share these things with you! Hope you will stick around and also recommend me some good places to go to as well.