I love having a juicy steak for dinner as much as any omnivore, but if there’s another kind of red meat I enjoy eating on a less regular basis – lamb. When I was a kid, I refused to eat lamb because I didn’t like the idea of slaughtering a cute, fuzzy creature for food. Then I tried a lamb curry at a friend’s house and never looked back. Well, I still resist ordering lamb at restaurants from time to time, but it’s definitely not something I’d refuse if it were offered to me in a tempting platter.

Last Sunday, my boyfriend and I had dinner with Meryll of Meat and Livestock Australia at Mr. Rockefeller, Greenbelt 3. I honestly don’t know why I’ve never been to this restaurant before – it’s got an extensive oyster menu, a delicious lamb kebab, and the best steak I have ever had in my life. While I will still always have a soft spot for the steak at Katre (the Navarin of Lamb is heavenly too!), the Australian tenderloin steak at Mr. Rockefeller is the king of all steaks.

But I’m getting way ahead of myself! Mr. Rockefeller is called such because they specialize in oysters. In fact, their oyster dishes took up two pages of the menu, which gave us a hard time choosing which ones to try. Fortunately, they allow you to get an oyster sampler plate (P360) – a dozen oysters where you get four pieces of three oyster dishes. We eventually decided on the Buddha’s Heaven, Oysters Rockefeller, and Oysters Pesto.

These are without a doubt the most deliciously interesting oysters I have ever eaten. The Rockefeller oysters contain 16 different ingredients and is topped off with mozzarella cheese. It didn’t taste like ingredient-and-spice overload though, because underneath all that flavor I could still savor the saltiness and tenderness of a fresh oyster. The Oysters Pesto were the largest and juiciest oysters of the bunch. Although it wasn’t as flavorful as the Oysters Rockefeller, I highly recommend it if you want that fresh oyster flavor with a little kick. Buddha’s Heaven is a truly unique oyster dish that any shellfish aficionado must try. The oyster meat is coated in batter, fried, and topped with Thai chili sauce. I’ve never had a fried oyster in my life and I was surprised to see that the meat in the batter was just as tender as a regular oyster. The Thai chili sauce wasn’t spicy at all, but it complemented the oyster quite well.

Meryll got the Lamb Barbecue, a specially-marinated lamb grilled in skewers and served with parsley rice, grilled tomato, and a cilantro pesto sauce. The meat tasted just like lamb kebab and was tasty enough to be eaten without the sauce. In fact, I quite preferred eating it on its own.

Most establishments serve US beef, but I was told that Australian beef is the best in the world. I decided to find this out for myself by trying out the Australian Tenderloin steak (P1100), a beef tenderloin steak served with two side dishes of your choice (I got pesto potatoes and baked beans). My mouth is watering at the memory of how heavenly this steak was – it was the softest, juiciest, and least fatty steak I have ever eat. It didn’t melt in my mouth like wagyu beef supposedly does, but chewing the meat was absolutely effortless. I don’t know what the steak was marinated in but it was so delicious that I didn’t even smother it in gravy the way I always do. In fact, I felt that putting gravy on the steak took away the joy of the experience – which is quite a statement coming from a sauce queen like myself.

Normally, when I order a large dish like this, I only eat half and give the rest to my boyfriend. But my food was so heavenly that I cleaned the whole plate in an hour! And as you can see, the gravy is mostly untouched.

My boyfriend got a full slab of Bourbon Baby Back Ribs (P1225), which was easily the largest plate at the table. Look how happy he is at the size of it!

I’m not a ribs person, but I enjoyed the two pieces of rib that he gave me. The meat was so tender it was practically falling off the bone, and it was covered in the most tangy barbecue sauce. Like my steak, the Bourbon baby back ribs also came with two side dishes – the garlic pasta was to die for.

Mr. Rockefeller is just one of many Metro Manila restaurants participating in Meat and Livestock Australia’s All You Need is Lamb promo! When you purchase at least a kilo of lamb at many Monterey Meat Shop, you’ll receive a limited edition All You Need is Lamb 2010 planner. You can also visit partner restaurants or hotels and order at least one lamb dish to receive the planner. Aside from helping you organize your schedule, this handy planner also contains delicious lamb recipes you can try out at home!

Participating restaurants and hotels include Annabel Lee, AzuThai, Ascott Makati (Cafe on the 6th), Cafe Mediterranean, Cav Wine Shop & Cafe, Chateau 1771, Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino, Dinelli Gourmet, Gilak by Hossein, Hossein’s Persian Kebab, Shomal by Hossein, Hossein’s Hotel Rembrandt, Ilustrado, La Regalade, La Tienda, Marriott Hotel, Old Swiss Inn, People’s Palace Thai, Persiana, Purple Feet, Sala Bistro, Sentro 1771, Highlands Steakhouse, and Thai at Silk.————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Even though we’d already devoured our herbal soups and main course, the Chinese feast we had at Cantonese Soup Kitchen was far from over. We got curious about the restaurant’s interesting array of gelatin desserts and had a hard time choosing just one. The solution: we ordered every single dessert on the menu to share! That edible-looking koi fish above is the Almond Fish Gelatin (P80) resting on a shallow pool of cream and sago. Of all the desserts we had, this was the least sweet-tasting, which I didn’t mind. I found its subtle almond flavor rather welcoming after such a tasty meal.

Arranged like the yin-yang symbol is the black and white gulaman (P60) above a mound of shaved ice and milk. It’s pretty ordinary as far as taste goes, but I love the presentation. Definitely the most interesting-looking black and white gulaman I’ve ever had.

My favorite dessert was the heart-shaped mango sago (P55). It tasted just like a juicy ripe mango would if it were in gelatin form – succulent and sweet. If I weren’t so full, I would have probably ordered one all for myself.

What I got instead was a glass of almond jelly with lychee (P60). Almond jelly is one of my favorite foods in the world, mostly because I associate it with good memories of my childhood. My aunt, who I used to live next door to when I was growing up, used to serve almond jelly during parties and special occasions. Almond jelly will always remind me of her.

This concludes the three-part recap of my dinner at Cantonese Soup Kitchen! In case you missed it, I started out by showing everyone my floral bloom tea before moving on to the restaurant’s appetizers and main course. The foods featured here is just the tip of the iceberg; there are so many Chinese delicacies waiting to be discovered at Cantonese Soup Kitchen. I highly recommend that you make the trip to Banawe St. and check it out.

The Cantonese Soup Kitchen (across the red Hotel Sogo)
Unit C-847 Banawe cor. Linaw St., Quezon City
743-5249————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

The restaurant where I had the beautiful glass of floral tea was Cantonese Soup Kitchen in Banawe St. It’s quite out of the way from where I live, and I think people who don’t live in the Quezon City area will have a hard time getting there. But if Banawe St. is within reasonable driving distance, I highly recommend that you stop and check it out, especially if you’re tired of these hacks that call themselves “Chinese restaurants.” Cantonese Soup Kitchen is one of those few Chinese restaurants that made me feel like I was eating authentic Chinese food.

I think it helped that I had a rather difficult time maneuvering through the tiny restaurant’s crowded first floor. Later that evening, I learned that the Chinese community at Banawe St. don’t just patronize any restaurant. They’re difficult to please, and any restaurant whose food does not meet their high standards will wither and die. On the other hand, a restaurant with their stamp of approval will always be packed, even on a week day. Additionally, Cantonese Soup Kitchen serves a host of foods that you don’t normally find in the average Chinese restaurant. Their specialties are herbal soups, carefully crafted to make sure that every bowl has potent healing properties. The restaurant also has an extensive herbal tea menu with specific healing capabilities. Unlike most restaurants, the tea isn’t served in tea bag form, but as loose leaves brewing in a pot of boiling water.

I was worried that the food at Cantonese Soup Kitchen might be too exotic for my tastes, but I felt more at ease as our appetizers arrived. Despite being favored by old timers from China, the restaurant’s offerings are very easy to eat, even if you’re not particularly adventurous. The first dish we had was the Sliced Beef Kenchi, a perfectly marbled slab of beef cut into fine strips and dipped into soy sauce. Chewy and soft, this was one light appetizer that the meat lovers at the table enjoyed.

Next was the polon chay with two kinds of egg – chicken egg and century egg. I didn’t have any of this because I dislike the texture of century egg, but my boyfriend and trusty dining companion said that the taste of the century egg was neutralized by the polon chay.

My favorite appetizer was the fried spring rolls. I thought it would be filled with vegetables, but these are actually filled with the same meat you’d find in dumplings. It was deliciously salty and crunchy, even without the sauce. I enjoyed it so much that I went out of my way to get the very last spring roll. I hope that didn’t make me look like a total pig.

I highly recommend the garlic burst spare ribs if you’re truly afraid of stepping out of your comfort zone. They remind me of the evil fried delicacies you’d normally find in pulutan platters at Filipino restaurants. The dish stayed true to its garlicky name and was a little on the oily, fatty side. Then again, you can’t expect anything less than deadly from fried meat.

When the hot shrimp salad first arrived at the table, I wondered who was crazy enough to order a fruit salad for dessert before the main course arrived. It really did look like fruit salad from afar, but when the dish finally reached my section of the table, I saw the fried shrimp underneath the cream sauce. Imagine a fruit salad, but less sweet, and with salty shrimp fried in a tasty batter. That’s what the hot shrimp salad tasted like. I decided that this was my second favorite appetizer, and was sad when the plate got polished off too quickly.

At long last, our main course arrived. The owner of the restaurant urged us to get our own bowl of their popular herbal soups and share a little bit of everything with the others. My boyfriend got the best-selling sibot with duck soup, a dish served in Chinese households when a person is feeling sick or exhausted. Sibot is a “warm” soup that revitalizes your spirits and re-energizes your body. In fact, the owner of the restaurant told me that they often get male customers who order sibot and gulp it down quickly before heading to the Hotel Sogo across the street. I expected sibot to taste like a bitter concoction of herbs, but the soup was surprisingly light, mild, and comforting. I can see why anyone would want to drink this for a pick-me-up; I’d love to sip on sibot during a rainy day or when I’m feeling down.

My soup order was the Cantonese Soup Kitchen special – an egg drop soup with peas, meat, and some vegetables. I always order egg-drop soup whenever I eat at Chinese restaurants, and this one was very satisfying.

Across the table from me, Jeff of Boy Kuripot let everyone have a tiny bowl of his a wintermelon soup. I christened it “Chinese tinola” after discovering that it tastes like a milder version of one of my favorite Filipino dishes. The wintermelon soup is a “cooling” soup that provides the opposite effect of the sibot; instead of re-energizing you, it will make you feel sedated and calm. Maybe it was because I had soup with contrasting effects, or maybe it was the amount of food I ate, but I felt full and sleepy after my meal.

My recap of the dinner isn’t over yet! As soon as we were done with our main course, we sampled most of the dishes in their dessert menu. Stay tuned for the last part of my Cantonese Soup Kitchen experience.

The Cantonese Soup Kitchen (across the red Hotel Sogo)
Unit C-847 Banawe cor. Linaw St., Quezon City
743-5249————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

I had a large, hearty Chinese dinner at the Cantonese Soup Kitchen last night but I think my beverage deserves its own entry (also, there was so much food – haven’t had time to process the photos yet ). Aside from herbal soups and other authentic Chinese fare, Cantonese Soup Kitchen has an extensive menu of home-brewed herbal teas. I’ve been cultivating an appreciation for teas, and I was pretty bummed to find out that none of the teas I wanted to try were available. Sensing my disappointment, the waiter suggested that I get their floral bloom tea instead. I’ve heard about floral bloom teas on the internet – it’s basically a small, unassuming teabag that blossoms into a flower as soon as you add hot water. I immediately said yes – I’ve been dying to try it out, and I never thought it’d be available in the Philippines.

After adding hot water, the tea bag floated up to the surface. I thought it would start blooming right then and there, but it would take about three more minutes for the flower to appear.

It sank to the bottom of the glass and started to unravel.

Out of nowhere, the little ball burst open to reveal a red flower rising from a bed of yellow chrysanthemum petals. I wish I had taken a photo at the moment it blossomed because it was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen; there were all these bubbles and petals rising to the surface, and then they all cleared to reveal this lovely red flower.

Another closeup of my floral bloom tea. I didn’t think that such an unattractive ball could hide something so pretty in it! And yes, even though it looks more like an exotic aquatic pet than a beverage, you can drink the tea. It has a very mild, tea-like flavor with a subtle floral aroma.

According to the owner of Cantonese Soup Kitchen, he got the idea of serving floral bloom tea from Tea and Therapy at Serendra, where a pot costs P250. At Canton Soup Kitchen, a pot (or a glass) of floral bloom tea only costs P59! Well, taking a cab all the way to Banawe Street will cost you about P200 but you can also enjoy a wide range of Chinese food at the restaurant along with your tea. I told the owner that if the restaurant had floral tea bags for sale, I would have bought a bunch to enjoy at home. He told me that the Cantonese Soup Kitchen will be selling their best-selling teas in convenient take-home packages soon. Yay!

Expect my recap of the dinner in a few days.

Far, but I’m telling you, it’s worth a visit!
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You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

My boyfriend and I usually stick to the city for our dates, but we did something different last night and went to Antipolo for a juicy steak dinner at Hollywood Steakhouse. There’s an old joke that goes, “If he takes you to Tagaytay, it means he loves you. But if he takes you to Antipolo, kabit ka lang niya (you’re only his mistress).” I don’t know about being the mistress because I was the one who decided to go there. More importantly, a classy place like Hollywood Steakhouse will easily dispel any myths about Antipolo being a seedy place for trysts.

Hollywood Steakhouse is a cozy little open-air restaurant that overlooks the hills of Antipolo. It’s owned by the same group of companies that runs Center of Culinary Arts (CCA) in Katipunan, which means that the recipes were developed by CCA graduates. The gorgeous view makes it a lovely place for dates, whether you’re taking your girlfriend, wife, or mistress. The Hollywood theme of the restaurant is not particularly strong, and I found out later that the restaurant’s name is based on its location, which is the Hollywood Hills Subdivision.

We both ordered steaks, and I was delighted to find out that all steaks come with a soup and carbs of your choice. I got the corn chowder, which I enjoyed enough, except I think it needed to be less thick and clumpy.

My boyfriend chose the mushroom soup, which had shiitake mushrooms instead of the canned variety. If I had known, I would have gotten this instead – I love shiitake mushrooms.

I chose the Pepper Rib Eye Steak (P650) for my main course – a grilled US-grade rib eye steak rubbed with cracked pepper corns, drizzled with red eye sauce, and served with sauteed vegetables. It was soft, juicy, and generously topped with pepper. It was tasty enough on its own, but it’s not just because of the pepper – the meat itself was very flavorful. The only thing I didn’t like was that I found it too fatty, but maybe ribeye steaks really are supposed to have lots of fat clinging on to the sides. Note: you may not want to order this if you’re on a first date, because the pepper tends to get stuck in between your teeth. For my carbs, I picked the macaroni and cheese, which was deliciously cheesy in a comfort food sort of way.

The boyfriend never had a porterhouse steak before, so he picked the Western Porterhouse (P680) – a grilled US-grade porterhouse steak with a red wine glaze. Like the Rib Eye Steak, this one was juicy, tender, and passed the no-gravy test with flying colors.

For dessert, we went to Sugar, a lovely coffeehouse located at the Seven Suites Hotel right across the restaurant. Seven Suites Hotel is home to the fourth largest telescope in the Philippines, but we weren’t able to use it because the in-house astronomer took a leave to propose to his girlfriend. This looks like a great place to watch meteor showers though! I missed Leonid last year but I’m definitely heading up to Seven Suites during the next shower.

The interior of Sugar is very well designed; it looks like an upscale bar at Greenbelt, but I don’t get a “trying hard” vibe from it. Definitely not a seedy place for mistresses! The coffee shop is open-air and overlooks the glittering city lights; it was such a lovely way to enjoy our dessert.

Sugar has the most creatively-named desserts I have ever seen. It was so tough deciding which one to get! I think it’d help if each dessert had a short description or photo.

After what seemed like forever, I finally decided on the Guilt-Free Fried Chocolate Truffles. Instead of being coated in batter, the truffles were covered in shredded coconut. The chocolate was dark, gooey, and rich – if you could order this in a box, I’d have bought one on the spot to take home with me.

Tempting as the name might have been, I decided against the Controversial Smores. As a general rule, I never order anything I can easily make myself, and Marco and I make smores all the time. He got them anyway because he wanted to see if Sugar added anything unusual to it. The only thing controversial about these smores is that they didn’t have chocolate, just marshmallows. Halfway through my dessert, I discovered that the Chocolate Truffles went great with the cream dip.

If you’re tired of going to the same old restaurants in the metro, I highly suggest that you take the drive up to Antipolo and visit Hollywood Steakhouse. The steaks provide real value for money because they come with soup and a side dish, and the desserts at Sugar are definitely worth checking out. Let me know if you’ve tried any of the other desserts – I’m curious about the Kinky Pavlova.

Hollywood Steakhouse is located along Sumulong Highway. To get there, go on Marcos Highway then turn right from Masinag Market to get to Sumulong Highway. Then turn left at the narrow street by the Old Spaghetti House and Grilla across Valley Golf. ————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Thank you all for joining our Minute Maid Blog Contest! We received an overwhelming number of entries but only one gets to walk away with an iPod Touch. Find out who won the contest after the jump!

The winning blog post of our ‘Minute Maid Get Closer To Nature’ contest is Ellen Joy. Congratulations on your creative entry! Please contact us through our contact form for details on how to claim your prize. ————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

I notice some stalls are still around: the crepes, the french cuisine, the sauces, the lechon.

First thing I buy is organic chunky peanut butter for 170 pesos ( or was it 180 pesos). Peanut butter is a favorite with my two girls. My nutritionist often tells me to snack my bread with peanut butter so this is a first in my list.

Pasta sauces or dips is always a favorite. I got the labahita and quesong puti sauces after getting a taste.

The Thai woman attracted me. Now that’s a traffic magnet. I thought of my two girls again so I bought 3 packs of Phat Thai (after thinking that I should get for my husband). Each pack costs 120 pesos and since I bought 3 packs I got it a little discount.

Kakanin is one of my weekness and seeing the Moron was something I could not resist. I added the biko pinipig as well.

Fish is a favorite especially smoked fish for breakfast. I realized that buying smoked fish will ruin the new car smell of my SUV. So moving on.

I wanted food for myself this time and Laing is what I chose. This cost 60 pesos or was it 50 pesos?

Right beside it was Northern Luzon cuisine. I was thinking of my husband when I saw the Bagnet . My husband’s family is Ilocano so he is quite fond of their cuisine but the thought of the fat invading his body stopped me in my tracks. No unhealthy dishes for my family.

The barbecue corner is still very much around. I just looked around .

I would have wanted the roasted white corn instead of yellow corn. There is a bibingka corner here.

No to pork barbecue.

Seeing the bomb-sniffing dog makes one feel safe in this place.

The “dirty ice cream” vendor is still very much around

I bought a cinnamon-raisin bread here for 120 pesos. I always think Baguio Country Club’s Raisin bread was the best but after buying here, I must say this is my all-time favorite.

The Chinese Paella attracted me so I got one including 300 pesos worth of Peking Duck

Seeing the owners of these food stalls give a personal touch and even encourages me to buy.

By this time , I can’t carry all the stuff I bought so I just take a look at the other stalls.

Much as I wanted to buy orchids, there was no way of bringing them all the way to the car.

I couldn’t resist the hats. I bought 4. The large buntal hat on the table costs only 100 pesos. I also got the Fedora, the straw hat and the cowboy hat.

Shopping here at the Salcedo market never fails to lift my spirits. Now I am still full from all the food I bought today.

Best finds – cinnamon bread, buntal hats
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You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Finally we have a comment winner for the Minute Maid contest. The winner of the blog post will follow soon.

Congratulations
Paula Rhove Ortega for winning an iPod Nano. Please contact me on how to claim your prize.

Here is her winning comment

WHEN To Best Enjoy Minute Maid

EACH and EVERY MOMENT is the best
To enjoy MINUTE MAID and have a drinkfest
A special occassion needed not
Since Minute Maid makes ANY moment rock!

Minute Maid is made from juicy pulpy bits
With this drink, any event simply fits
It is healthy and of course, nutritious
And let’s not forget that it is surprisingly delicious!

A hearty BREAKFAST, a STROLL in the park
In these simple deeds, Minute Maid puts up a spark
SURFING THE WEB or WATCHING THE TV
Minute Maid is sure to make you giddy

Doing GROUP STUDY or REVIEWING SOLO
Minute Maid will not make you go “uh oh!”
Being alone or not does not matter
When you have a drink tasting better than water

A yummy LUNCH, a tasteful DINNER
Minute Maid completes any meal wherever
SOUND TRIPPING or WINDOW SHOPPING
Minute Maid gives you an ecstatic feeling!

WORKING LATE for papers for a teacher
Minute Maid is a mighty pick-upper
Others indulge in coffee but I drink this juice
Enjoying Minute Maid to STAY AWAKE is a clever ruse!

With Minute Maid, I am driven by energy
Good thing also that it makes my body healthy
Minute Maid also helps me gain focus
To keep my mind in the proper locus

Minute Maid smoothies or lollies are cute ways
To serve and enjoy this drink in good taste
But just drinking cold Minute Maid from its bottle
Is already enough to make my senses rattle

When asked how and when to best enjoy Minute Maid
For me, the list just goes on in an endless raid
Any event simply equals BEST
When paired with Minute Maid and not with the rest!

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You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

After our family photoshoot with Mimi and Karl, my sister and I got so hungry that we insisted on having dinner out. We ended up at My Thai Kitchen at Eastwood because of its proximity to the parking lot, and because I’m really excited about my upcoming trip to Bangkok this summer. I know I’ll probably be sick of Thai food by then, but I just wanted to have a little taste of it while the trip is still far away.

My mom ordered the Shrimp and Pomelo Salad (P155), but all of us ended up splitting it because of our hunger. I love the vinagrette dressing that came with it.

My sister likes anything with lemon, so we ordered the Chicken Lemongrass Soup (P140), a coconut-based soup seasoned with ginger and lemon.

I dislike pork, so I didn’t get to try the Pork Belly Lemongrass (P240), but my dad seemed to enjoy it.

I normally don’t like pineapple on normal food either, but the Pineapple Fried Rice (P210) was surprisingly delicious! It was covered in dry curry sauce

I never eat at a Thai restaurant without ordering pad thai, and the chicken variety at My Thai Kitchen (P235) was pretty good. It was probably the most garlicky pad thai I’ve ever had, but I think it could’ve used a bit more chicken.

It’s too bad My Thai Kitchen ran out of Thai halo-halo and water chestnuts, so we had the Coco Pandan Pudding (P110) for dessert instead.

We were all so hungry that we devoured everything, from salad to dessert, in about 20 minutes. My Thai Kitchen rocks for having such speedy service!

My Thai Kitchen can be found at the ground floor of the new Eastwood Mall.————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado

Last Saturday, I holed up with girlfriends at Bizu, Greenbelt for an evening of good food, fancy cakes, and drinks. I haven’t been to Bizu in ages, and I was surprised to see how pretty it was inside. I love the high ceiling and the lilac and white interior – this color scheme would look so lovely in a bedroom.

Bizu is well known for their French cakes and pastries, but they also have an extensive menu of “real” food. I was absolutely starving, so I ordered a rice dish. I forgot was this was called – whatever “mushroom and rice” is in French, I suppose – but it’s one of their newer dishes and features mushroom, cheese, and cream on top of a bed of semi-sticky rice. It was very good – creamy but not overwhelmingly so, and fairly filling.

We had such a hard time deciding which cakes to get for dessert. Looking at the display didn’t really help! It would have been great if Bizu had a cake sampler on a menu, but I suppose ordering individual cakes would be all right if your group is big enough.

Two of my friends shared the Samba (P185) – a combination of milk and dark chocolate mousse between layers of chocolate cake and coated with Bizu’s homemade chocolate brilliant sauce. It was a very rich chocolate mousse cake with a name that suits its sexy flavor.

Since there was already a chocolate cake on the table, I got the Babylon (P150) – light raspberry mousse between layers of infused almond sponge with a crème brulee surprise. It was sweet like jam and much lighter than the Samba. I had no trouble finishing this one. The cookies were an excellent touch.

Finally, there was the Blueberry Chiboust (165) – the creamiest cheesecake delight topped with blueberry filling on Bizu’s special shortbread crust. You’d expect a small cheesecake like this one to be too creamy after two bites, but this one wasn’t as heavy as I thought. I’d say it’s in between Babylon and Samba.

It’s been a while since I was anywhere with just girls and no boyfriends. I should really do this more often! ————————————

You might also want to read my personal blog at Touched by an Angel and my other blogs like Free Filipino Food Recipes, Shopping Finds, and Techie Gadgets. Hope you can drop by! Thanks for visiting…Noemi Lardizabal-Dado