tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355Wed, 27 Aug 2025 12:43:17 +0000Quezon CityFilipinoItalianAmericanChinesedessertsMaginhawaMakatiManilaJapanesegelatoBanaweKatipunanKoreanBaguioBinondoGreenbeltMandaluyongMexicanOrtigasPasaySM Mall of AsiaTomas MoratoTrinomapastapastriessteakBonifacio Global CityCubaoGreekHalalIndianLittle TokyoNicaraguanPacoQuiapoRockwellSerendraSpanishTaguigTaiwaneseThaiWesternbreakfastbuffetburgerscakechocolatecomfort foodgreen teaice creammilk teapizzasaladsashimisushiA collaboration between two friends to bring the best food reviews and restaurant features to you! We're based in Metro Manila, so expect restaurants from this area, but we'll also post about gastronomic finds elsewhere when we can.http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/noreply@blogger.com (Charmie)Blogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-2332228476566078019Mon, 28 Oct 2013 12:38:00 +00002013-10-28T21:04:16.758+08:00JapaneseMakatisashimisushi A darling of the foodie community, Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi Tei has been reviewed to death by so many food blogs all over the internet, but of course, I don't want to get left behind! There are already several branches of Nihonbashi Tei around Metro Manila and they're always packed to the brim, not only with Japanese-food-loving Filipinos but even Japanese nationals as well! I suppose http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2013/10/izakaya-nihonbashi-tei.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)3San Lorenzo, Makati City, Philippines14.550604047831008 121.0160350799560514.546761547831009 121.01099257995605 14.554446547831008 121.02107757995606tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-5880323971397732791Sun, 10 Feb 2013 10:54:00 +00002013-10-28T21:04:30.449+08:00Americancakechocolatecomfort fooddessertsFilipinoKatipunanpastriesQuezon City If you are ever in the Katipunan area, and you find yourself looking for a place to: treat yourself to some nice comfort food spend a lazy afternoon catching up with an old friend just chill out and curl up with your laptop or book while enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate ... then Xocolat is the place for you! I can't believe I've never blogged about this place. This is definitely http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2013/02/cozy-afternoons-at-cafe-xocolat.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-4202615655816298920Sun, 20 May 2012 12:00:00 +00002013-10-28T21:02:34.803+08:00Maginhawamilk teaQuezon City This post is the fifth of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip. Part 1: Tomato Kick Part 2: Friuli Trattoria Part 3: Cocina Juan Part 4: Sancho ChurreriaPart 5: Cha Dao Tea Place We've finally come to the end of the series! It's been a fun ride, and it'll be some time before our next post, making this the perfect time to check out some of our http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/05/great-maginhawa-food-trip-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-4346632063709304309Sun, 13 May 2012 07:00:00 +00002013-10-28T21:02:42.357+08:00dessertsFilipinoMaginhawapastriesQuezon CitySpanish This post is the fourth of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip. Part 1: Tomato Kick Part 2: Friuli Trattoria Part 3: Cocina Juan Part 4: Sancho ChurreriaPart 5: Cha Dao Tea Place We're now nearing the end of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip, and our fourth installment features a little, old-fashioned cafe called Sancho Churreria Manila. What is a http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/05/sancho-churreria-part-4-of-great.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-490470753030485325Thu, 10 May 2012 15:15:00 +00002013-10-28T21:02:58.132+08:00MaginhawaMexicanNicaraguanQuezon City This post is the third of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip. Part 1: Tomato Kick Part 2: Friuli Trattoria Part 3: Cocina Juan Part 4: Sancho ChurreriaPart 5: Cha Dao Tea Place UPDATE: As of September 2013, which is when I last visited Maginhawa, Cocina Juan is no longer open for business. You can check their FB page for updates! Part 3 ofhttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/05/cocina-juan-part-3-of-great-maginhawa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-7176545887496083620Sun, 06 May 2012 14:45:00 +00002013-10-28T21:03:35.401+08:00dessertsgelatoItalianMaginhawapizzaQuezon CityThis post is the second of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip. Part 1: Tomato Kick Part 2: Friuli Trattoria Part 3: Cocina Juan Part 4: Sancho ChurreriaPart 5: Cha Dao Tea Place Our second installment in The Great Maginhawa Food Trip is all about Friuli Trattoria, a cute little Italian cafe that serves pizza, pasta and desserts, and prides http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/05/friuli-trattoria-part-2-of-great.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-2578643008379456231Fri, 04 May 2012 15:29:00 +00002012-06-23T12:20:34.755+08:00AmericanItalianMaginhawaMexicanQuezon City If you live in the Quezon City area, you've probably heard of Maginhawa Street, that artist-culture-foodie haven located in UP Village, Quezon City. A nice quiet street by day, a crowded youth hub by night, this place boasts some of the most unique food finds this side of town! Because Maginhawa's not-so-hidden treasures cannot be contained into one post, I'll be covering five of Maginhawa'shttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/05/tomato-kick-part-1-of-great-maginhawa.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-4410679692354738347Sun, 08 Apr 2012 06:14:00 +00002012-06-23T12:21:05.107+08:00FilipinoHalalManilaQuiapo Strangely, I have never been to Quiapo, despite having lived in Manila for my whole life, so some time ago, my friends decided to take me on a Quiapo adventure. We visited a few churches, took a look at some fascinating ancestral houses, shopped for handmade souvenirs under a bridge, and also dropped by the Muslim mosque as well as the neighboring shops. I was eventually led to this quaint http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/04/another-side-of-manila-mofaras-halal.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0Norzagaray, Manila, Philippines14.596665857481984 120.9842991828918514.595705357481984 120.98306518289185 14.597626357481984 120.98553318289184tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-4246002950975186635Wed, 04 Apr 2012 14:10:00 +00002012-06-23T12:21:28.849+08:00KoreanMandaluyongOrtigas So... it's been a while (ahem, understatement of the year) but for my first post in a little over 6 months, I'd like to review another Korean restaurant, Yedang Korean BBQ! I suppose the Korean BBQ craze has died down already, which doesn't mean that it's no longer popular, but rather that it's become so common that it's now a mainstream cuisine in the Philippines. Which is of course, a http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2012/04/hallyu-experience-at-yedang-korean-bbq.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-728041951640796410Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:27:00 +00002013-02-11T17:03:43.491+08:00JapaneseLittle TokyoMakatiMy class took a trip to Little Tokyo at Pasong Tamo a few months ago to experience some authentic Japanese food. I’ve actually heard a lot about the place, but I’ve never been there before. Little Tokyo was really pretty at night, with bright lights illuminating the surroundings, making you feel like you’re in a samurai movie. Inside Little Tokyo was several stores serving their http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/09/okonomiyaki-at-little-tokyos-kagura.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-1339353023111913825Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:51:00 +00002012-06-23T12:22:01.171+08:00AmericanItalianManilapastasaladsteakWestern One day, my father suddenly had a craving for steak. We don't have steak very often, because of the cost and also because my family loves seafood more than meat. However, we do like a good steak once in a while, and it was up to me to find a nice nearby restaurant for us to enjoy some fine dining. A few Internet searches led me to a restaurant in Robinson's Place Manila called "Chefs' Quarterhttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/09/affordable-fine-dining-at-chefs-quarter.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-3986936781572633717Sat, 11 Jun 2011 12:05:00 +00002012-06-23T12:22:33.370+08:00KoreanMandaluyongOrtigas Grilled beef with bean paste and sesame oil with salt and pepper My friend and I were bored one day and decided on a whim to grab some Korean food in the Ortigas area. We wandered around for a bit and found ourselves in a tiny building where various Korean enterprises were crammed together. We ended up at Chambyuru, a small restaurant that was more like a living room than an actual Korean http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/06/taste-of-homemade-korean-food-at.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)2Escriva Drive, San Antonio, Pasig City, Philippines14.577972617781482 121.0600465197128414.570107617781481 121.05672301971285 14.585837617781483 121.06337001971283tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-7655131483725684672Fri, 10 Jun 2011 06:41:00 +00002012-06-23T12:22:47.188+08:00buffetPasaySM Mall of Asia I'm actually pretty late with this post, seeing as Vikings has already been making waves throughout the Manila all-you-can-eat scene. All real foodies appreciate a good buffet, and Vikings is here to provide us with just that: the chance to dine in luxury without having to pay extravagant amounts of cash. The moment you enter the restaurant, you already feel the different ambience Vikings hashttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/06/vikings-luxury-buffet-restaurant.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)2Vikings Luxury Buffet Restaurant, Pasay, Philippines14.540455907211053 120.9803822046004614.510154407211052 120.95210520460046 14.570757407211053 121.00865920460046tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-3082094101207602269Thu, 07 Apr 2011 11:21:00 +00002012-06-23T12:22:58.481+08:00BanaweChineseQuezon City Chicken Feet with Tausi It's been a long time since I wrote my last post, sorry for that. But!!! I'm back with some food adventures. For my comeback, I want to share with you my love for dimsum! =D I know a lot of you also love it just as much as I do. The dimsum to be mentioned in this post are from Causeway Seafood Restaurant along Banawe. I've attended their opening before, and they got http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/04/introduction-to-dimsum.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-6676314305179297800Fri, 01 Apr 2011 08:03:00 +00002012-06-23T12:24:22.459+08:00desserts (Note: As of May 2012, this Cocktales branch is now closed. :( There are still other branches of Cocktales though (as listed at the end of this post), so be sure to check them out!) Because it's been a long long time since the last post here on The Lunch Buddies, I've decided to drop a quick mini-review on a little desserts shop called Cocktales. They've already opened several branches aroundhttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/04/sweet-desserts-at-cocktales.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-1604059100447439723Fri, 04 Mar 2011 04:58:00 +00002012-06-23T12:24:59.381+08:00gelatoGreenbeltItalianKoreanMakati I was recently in Greenbelt 1 with my family to watch "Joy Luck Club," an excellent play by Repertory Philippines. We decided to grab some dinner afterwards and my aunt recommended Chicken Bonchon, a new chicken franchise from Korea that also has branches in New York. After dinner, we had some gelato at Caffe Ti-amo, also another Korean chain. It was franchised by Jollibee and is now http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/03/modern-korea-chicken-bonchon-and-caffe.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-1332453462746026002Tue, 08 Feb 2011 11:00:00 +00002012-06-23T12:25:03.523+08:00FilipinoI've first heard of Bibingkinitan when I was supposed to introduce Mr. Richard Sanz (owner of Bibingkinitan) in an event and heard how successful he made the business. From research, I found out that the main selling point of Bibingkinitan is that it's a smaller version of the Filipino favorite snack Bibingka, which usually bought or served in large quantities. There are a lot of people who couldhttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/02/bibingkinitan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-9152495222964631955Fri, 04 Feb 2011 06:03:00 +00002012-06-23T12:25:21.202+08:00BinondoChineseManilaTaiwanese It's time for... more Chinese food! It's been a while since I visited Ongpin, but this time, I was less adventurous and decided to have lunch at an old favorite--Tasty Dumplings. Serving some great yet affordable Taiwanese style food, this place is a refreshing break from the salty, oily, MSG-laden, and not to mention expensive, Cantonese-style cuisine that's common for Chinese restaurants in http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/02/tasty-dumplings.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-7980897458831752952Sat, 29 Jan 2011 12:28:00 +00002012-06-23T12:25:31.886+08:00AmericanburgersPasaySM Mall of Asia With so many new burger joints popping up all over Metro Manila, it gets a bit confusing. There's so much you can do to a burger to make it different, but the sheer complexity of some of these variants cause the burger to lose its classic appeal. And so, today I bring you Wham! Burgers. Wham! Burger Grilled beef patty, lettuce, and tomatoes in a bun The most generic http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/wham-burgers.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-533868417022044185Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:00:00 +00002012-06-23T12:25:38.493+08:00AmericanBaguioFilipinosteakSo here's Part 2 of Baguio Foods! It's actually kinda hard to look for really good authentic Baguio dishes. We were asking the local people for recommendations, but the only food place that was always directed to us was the ones in Session Road. But there are mostly just fast food here, so we got the most different one. And that's the reason why we ate at the Sizzling Plate Baguio.  http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/baguio-part-2.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-6826527051906740422Fri, 21 Jan 2011 13:21:00 +00002012-06-23T12:25:48.888+08:00MakatiRockwellThai Despite Thailand being one of our closest Southeast Asian neighbors, Thai food hasn't really made much of a mark in the Philippines. Which is a shame, because it's one of the most culturally unique cuisines in the world, where Thailand's Indian and Chinese roots melt into a pot of delicious Thai stew. (Please forgive the obscure metaphors.) So anyway, the point is, although there have been a http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/real-taste-of-thailand-at-soms-noodle.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-5687923711258155200Sat, 15 Jan 2011 12:50:00 +00002012-06-23T12:26:08.336+08:00AmericanBaguiobreakfastdessertsFilipinoHi everyone! I have something wonderful to share today and of course, it's once again related to food! haha. So today, I'll be sharing you something about the food in Baguio. As most people know, Baguio is known for its strawberries. And guess what! It's strawberry season! hahaha. So here are my strawberry highlights in Baguio: We ate breakfast one time at the G and C Cafe. The place is just http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/baguio-part-1.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-7901019815340767016Sun, 09 Jan 2011 04:32:00 +00002012-06-23T12:26:20.812+08:00CubaoItalianQuezon CityHello there! It's been a while since I posted, but as promised, I'll be telling you about a special restaurant this time. So it was my first time to go to the Cubao Expo for a project in school (I didn't even know such a place existed before, and of course, food will always be part of any adventure haha), and boy, it was really a hidden place with full of really interesting stuff! There isn't http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/one-more-chance-at-bellinis.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-6524855765195182769Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:09:00 +00002012-06-23T12:26:30.628+08:00JapaneseQuezon CityTomas Morato First of all, I'd like to greet everyone a happy new year! I know it's been ages since we last posted, but don't worry because we're back for good! :) Today I'd like to talk about a place that practically everyone is familiar with and is easily my favorite among the Japanese food offerings in Manila. I'm talking about Omakase, a trendy Japanese restaurant with good food that gives a modern http://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2011/01/modern-japanese-cuisine-at-omakase.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Charmie)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7562841810569578355.post-6865080109133208264Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:46:00 +00002012-06-23T12:26:44.581+08:00AmericanFilipinoKatipunanQuezon CityI didn't really plan to write a blog about Mushroomburger BUT I just had to share my confusion... THIS. Car seats at Mushroomburger Yes, that's Mushroomburger at Katipunan. My reaction went like this "What??? Am I seeing things?.... Why???" So you could really feel my confusion upon entering the place. At first I thought it was just the new addition of pancit in bilao that was a weird additionhttp://thelunchbuddies.blogspot.com/2010/12/mushroomburger-totally-confused.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Bea)5