main dining area

modern Filipiniana

Nostalgia makes me miss the old Barrio Fiesta but I still welcome the new look.

Design Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

I will not rate the service because we were guests and the Ongpaucos were very hospitable to us.

A lot of the family was there to greet us bloggers. Tita Corazon Ongpauco Tamayo and her sons told us how Barrio Fiesta started back in 1958 in their Caloocan home. Her mother, Sixta Evangelista Ongpauco (fondly called Tita Chit), loved cooking and her relatives and friends urged her to open Barrio Fiesta. Barrio Fiesta became popular for their Kare Kare but it was in the late 80′s when they invented Krispy Pata which is now offered in all Filipino restaurants.

a portrait of Tita Chit

Tita Corazon and me

Here’s a trivia. Did you know that Barrio Fiesta doesn’t pressure cook the pork knuckles used in their Krispy Pata and it takes 5 hours to cook them? Now you know.

Barrio Fiesta food then and now hits the spot. My favorite is the deadly but oh-so-yummy Krispy Pata. The lean meat is tender and moist. The skin is thin and crisp. Then dunk them in the special vinegar sauce. Ang saraaaap! Barrio Fiesta serves it in 4 variants: original which is the biggest (P477), taas (P205), gitna (P180), and  kuko (P140).

Krispy Pata

Barrio Fiesta is famous for their Kare Kare. They offer 2 versions: the original (P330 family, P220 half) and seafood (P398 famiy, P241 half). The Original Kare Kare uses chunks of beef, ox tail, tripes, vegetables and their own peanut butter. The Seafood Kare Kare uses crabs, fish, shelfish, squids, vegetables and peanut butter. Personally, I prefer Kare Kare to be sweet which Barrio Fiesta’s isn’t so this isn’t one of my favorites although it is still very good.

Kare Kare

Seafood Kare Kare

Another dish I loved that night is the Hipon Sa Aligue (P380), another deadly dish composed of shrimp sizzling in a sea of crab fat.

Hipon Sa Aligue

The Sizzling Sisig w/ Aligue (P275) was to die for as well (pun intended).

Sizzling Sisig with Aligue

Other dishes we feasted on that night.

Kuhol Sa Gata (P208 family, P140 half)

Bouillabaisse (P385)

Sinalab (P604 family, P347 half)

Laing Na Gata (P252 family, P163 half)

Bicol Express (P289)

Pinakbet (P318 family, P168 half)

various desserts

Halo-Halo Special (P76)

I think it’s obvious by now that I ate a lot and I enjoyed every minute of it.

Food Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

For the budget conscious, Barrio Fiesta has come up with affordable combo meals. The combo meals wouldn’t cost more than P200.

Combo Meal

Like the old Barrio Fiesta, the modern Barrio Fiesta is perfect for family get-togethers. The food is a far cry from its neighbors who offer cheap buffet reheated food. Barrio Fiesta meals are freshly prepared and cooked, even the Krispy Pata (the final stage of it’s preparation is done when the customer orders it). The meals may not be for the dieters and those with heart ailments but if you can afford to indulge on high cholesterol food once in a while, Barrio Fiesta is a great option.

Overall Rating: 4.25 out of 5 stars

Barrio Fiesta
EDSA corner Rochester Street
Mandaluyong City
5719842 and 7267836
www.fiestainternationalcatering.com

Ambiance, Design, and Space

embossed letterings on the wall and a dress made from chocolate wrappers

You will be greeted by this

lights and lines

The cafe was dimly lit. Perhaps it was because of the time. The mood lighting makes the place a nice place to go on a date. Sweet words exchanged over sweets. The chocolatier is spacious and is minimally designed with boxy furniture and a curved ceiling. The bar is highlighted with its fanciful chocolate bar tiles and the nice curlicue signage.

chocolate tiles of the bar

curlicued signage above the bar

I don’t know how the chocolatier looks like during the day but I am guessing it will look really simple without the drama brought about by the mood lighting.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Service

Service is fast but there were only a few of us there that night. The waiter was attentive to us and was able to answer our questions. Our orders were brought in a matter of a few minutes.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Food

It was hard to choose what to order because all of their offerings seem really good. There are numerous selections of cakes, gelatos, and chocolate liqueur drinks. Eloisa and I decided to share the Golden Euphoria (P250) which is a Ferrero Hazelnut Crunch Cake. The menu describes it as “Tempting Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse on a velvety Chocolate Sponge Cake topped with the enchanting Ferrero Hazelnut.” Sharing was a bad idea because I could finish 1 to 2 slices in one sitting. Faith ordered 3 variants of gelato and they were all good.

The month's special

Golden Euphoria P250

assorted flavors of gelato

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe is owned by the distributor of well-known chocolate brands such as Ferrero Rocher, Kinder Bueno, Lindt, Toblerone, Rittersport, and Frey. The Boutique has a big shelf full of those goodies you can buy to take home with you.

Frey Swiss chocolates

Choose among bars and gift baskets

The price is steep for a dessert, except for the gelatos which is only around P60 a scoop, but if you want to indulge or want to forget about life’s problems for a while (the heavenly desserts do that) then a night at Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe is worth it.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

I want to go back to try the other cakes. I hope when I come back I’ll be with a date. Maybe that’s asking too much but maybe Fate will be kind to me once more.

Overall Rating: 4.67 out of 5 stars

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe
Unit 2A No. 28 Jupiter St. corner Astra St. Bel-Air
Makati
(+632) 8978559 (+632) 8962529

City Delivery service

Watering Hole was teeming with people that Tuesday night. There were the regular customers and some of us who were invited.

The host interviews someone from City Delivery

Representatives of City Delivery were there. One of them explained how their delivery service works. She said that there are 2 ways to access them:

Phone

1. Dial their hotline number 87878.
2. Choose from a wide variety of cuisines from their restaurant partners.
3. Place your order.
4. Enjoy the great tasting dishes.

Internet

1. Go to http://www.citydelivery.ph/.
2. Register.
3. Choose from a wide variety of cuisines from their restaurant partners.
4. Place your order.
5. Enjoy the great tasting dishes.

They deliver to the following areas: Makati, The Fort, Greenhills, Ortigas, Eastwood CBD, Pasay, Cainta, Magallanes, Mandaluyong, and some parts of Manila and Quezon City. They also deliver to people who work or reside in areas not included in the list for a higher minimum fee. The minimum fee is P500 pesos  plus 10% for the delivery fee. I think it’s a reasonable price for a hassle-free dining in your own home.

A professional photographer took our photos

Watering Hole had several activities for us that night. They got DQ band who entertained us while we ate, a photo session of us posing with our favorite Watering Hole dish, and there were games where they gave away Watering Hole and City Delivery gift certificates as prizes.

Do check out City Delivery to know more about their services and add Watering Hole on Facebook so you’ll be updated with their latest offerings and activities.

Watering Hole Restobar
EDSA, Shangri-la Mall

I do not go to Greenbelt often. The parking fee is a killer. The Ayalas should do something about that. We spend a lot of money in the stores there yet we have to pay exorbitant parking fees. It’s very unwelcoming. But I digressed.

Ambiance, Design, and Space

Where were we? Ah yes, my family loves diners and so we went to Mr. Jones. We arrived early at 5:30 PM and there were a lot of people eating. That’s a good sign. Lots of people eating means food must be good. We wanted a booth inside for the A/C. There was no table available. Since the lady there told us that they don’t take reservations, she said she’ll get my number so she can text as soon as a table inside is available. After giving her my cellphone number, my family and I went window-shopping. It took Mr. Jones a long time to text me. It must have been an hour. Maybe more.

Mr. Jones is crowded

Look at how close we were to the kitchen. I didn't use a zoom lens

When we got back, the restaurant was packed. The space they are renting is small, even the outdoor dining doesn’t help the congestion. Inside, I think there are only 5 or 6 tables and this is because of bulky furniture. It looks like a real diner though.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

Service

The lady was very distracted when I talked to her. She was taking down the names and numbers of customers who wanted to eat there so we had to wait before she showed us our table. Actually all the staff are inattentive. When inside, their backs are turned to the customers while they punch in orders, wait for food to be served, etc. Now that I think about it, none was friendly at all. No wait staff was even smiling.

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

Food

This is where this review should get better. I ordered Grilled Bone-In Maple Glazed Pork Chops & Apple Sauce (P450). It is topped with cinnamon apple and apricot compote and is served with spiced pumpkin puree, haricots verts, and organic carrots.

Grilled Bone-In Maple Glazed Pork Chops & Apple Sauce - P450

The chops is tender but a tad dry. Since it is sweet, I felt like I should be eating the chops during Christmas and the pumpkin puree just exacerbated that feeling. Don’t get me wrong. The pork chops is good but I just didn’t feel like it’s something for normal dinner. My sister, on the other hand, liked what I ordered.

My sister ordered Big Mama’s Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf (P395) which is filled with chorizo (at least according to the menu). It is served with haricots verts, roasted herb tomato gravy and potato puree. The meatloaf is topped with fried egg cooked according to your preference.

Big Mama's Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf - P395

I tried my sister’s order and found it okay. The meatloaf is huge. It has a slight tangy taste but I didn’t detect any chorizo. The potato puree is too soft for my liking but it still tasted fine.

Mom’s order was the 1/2 Inch Thick Double-Smoked Bacon & Eggs (P350). It comes with 2 eggs cooked according to your preference, roasted rosemary breakfast potatoes, biscuits, and gravy.

1/2 Inch Thick Double-Smoked Bacon & Eggs - P350

This is the one I liked best among the three. The bacon is perfectly smoked, tender, fatty, and chewy. It has the perfect blend of sweet and salty. The biscuits and potatoes are really good too. The smoked bacon reminds me of the ham mom cooks for us for Christmas. I should have ordered this instead of the chops but mom wasn’t able to finish hers so I gobbled up all her leftovers.

Mr. Jones has a very limited choice in desserts. There are milkshakes and floats but are they even considered desserts? More like drinks to me. They have a couple of pies but none looked appealing to us. I wanted to get a milkshake but it’s just too fattening. Oh well. Probably next time.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

For a diner, yes Mr. Jones is still a diner even if they upscaled the food a bit, Mr. Jones is too expensive. The serving size per dish is big and some dishes can be shared by 2 people. Still, diners should be affordable. I’ll most possibly come back again to get the 1/2 Inch Bacon but not in the near future.

Overall Rating: 1.83 out of 5 stars

Mr. Jones
Ground Floor, Greenbelt 5
Makati City

Location and Ambiance

Call me an eager beaver for arriving an hour early. I thought I would get lost or get stuck in traffic but the drive to Katipunan Avenue was hassle-free that day. I was able to find Casa Xocolat fairly easily since I’m familiar with Katipunan, having spent several years haunting the eats there during my U.P. days. Parking was a breeze and after depositing my bag on an empty table, I spent the time soaking up the cozy atmosphere and taking photos.

lots of space

some decors are for sale

Casa Xocolat is known for desserts

lovely hand-painted lamps

inviting outdoor dining

The owners rented an old house and transformed it into a restaurant, hence the name Casa Xocolat. The casa is large and sparsely furnished but cozy. A lot of students from nearby campuses frequent the place. I noticed that customers prefer the outdoor dining area maybe because of the dim lights.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Service

Everyone in the staff was friendly to us. While waiting for Patricia and Phoebe, I was even served beverage without me asking. I don’t know if service is as fast for diners in the outdoor area but most of the staff are inside while I was there.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Food

Croquettas P115

I was served Croquettas (P115) while waiting for the girls. I ordered this potato dish before and it’s one of my favorites. The potato balls come with 2 dipping sauces: ragu and chorisquso (cheese with chorizo bits). Guess which one is my favorite!

Although Xocolat is known as a dessert place, people shouldn’t ignore the meals they offer. I got to try the Pork Belly (P185) which is among the new dishes they are offering.

their new dishes

Pork Belly P185

The crispy pork belly comes with an interesting sauce, cacao with bagoong! It is also served with rice, potato gratin, and crispy kangkong. The belly is tender and the bagoong sauce plays with the palate. If I remember correctly, there were only 3 matchbox-sized slices of the belly so the serving size might be too small for someone with a bit appetite. That means that there’s more space for dessert though.

This Red Cake P105

This Red Cake (P105) is the traditional red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. It was good but I wish there were more cream cheese frosting.

Xocolat Fries P95

I was expecting Xocolat Fries (P95) to be sweet but it wasn’t! The fries have cacao and tsokolate drippings so the taste is a tad bitter. It comes with aioli dip which is honey mustard if I’m not mistaken. The taste is quite interesting but for me, desserts should be sweet. This would be a good appetizer though.

Banana Xoconut Fritters P115

The Banana Xoconut Fritters (P115) is Xocolat’s rendition of the humble turon. It’s pretty good but perhaps I should have tasted it without the ice cream. Not bad at all though.

Molten Flourless Xocolat P225

The Molten Flourless Xocolat (P225) is just my type of dessert. You have to perform a mini ritual while eating this. First get a bit of chocolate, then whipped cream, add ice cream, drizzle some fudge, then insert all of them in your mouth. Fantastic! This is my favorite dessert that night.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Casa Xocolat is a great place to unwind and enjoy good food. According to Patricia, it closes at 11 PM but when there are still a good number of people inside, they can close at 12 midnight. For students who want to study in a quiet setting, Xocolat might not be the perfect place for that especially later at the night when more people come in. I want to frequent the place and take my friends with me. I already have plans of playing a game of Monopoly with friends there. I’ll probably do that next month. It’s that kind of place where you can just kick of your shoes and talk the night away…which is what happened when Patricia, Phoebe and I realized it was already 11 PM.

Overall Rating: 4.33 out of 5 stars

Casa Xocolat
172 B. Gonzales Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City
929-4186

Design and Function

We arrived at around 6:30 PM so seating wasn’t hard although a lot of the tables were already taken. We were seated near the entrance and we could feel the humidity every time the door opened. I suggest that they install one of those air curtains so the heat from outside wouldn’t whoosh in and so that their A/C wouldn’t have to work doubly hard.

Bright but feels cramped

Chelsea Podium is 2-storied. I believe it can accommodate more people than their Serendra branch. The design and the use of mirrors give the impression of open space but it feels cramped when you are there (the ground floor in particular). Chairs are back to back and you have to excuse yourself in order to get to the counter or the rest room. The lighting design is chic and makes the restaurant inviting. Decorations were okay but I prefer the ones in Serendra.

Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

Service

Service is slow but I think the staff are still undergoing training. The waiter forgot my request for water and napkins. The service needs a lot of improvement in my opinion.

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Food

I got my usual iced tea and decided to try the pork belly. I think the pork belly is their new offering because I didn’t notice that dish before.

Pork Belly

I liked the Pork Belly at the first bite but the thick layer of fat became too overwhelming for me. Oil dripped when I bite the pork and plopped on the plate. The crispness of the pork skin wasn’t consistent either. Some parts were tough and hard to chew. I was very hungry though and ended up finishing the dish even if I felt like gagging afterwards.

Rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars

This particular Chelsea experience was a let down. I was expecting great food and service like the one they provide in Serendra. However, I will give Chelsea Podium another try but not in the near future. I want to give them time to adjust to the new place.

Overall Rating: 2.17 out of 5 stars

Chelsea Market Cafe
Ground Floor, Podium Mall
Ortigas Center

HK Tan

Use Kafir leaves

hands-on demo

Blachan from India

Sambal Blachan with papadums

Sambal Blachan is very easy to make and Mr. Tan made us taste the mixture as it progressed so we know how each ingredient contributed to the overall taste. I must say that it opened up my senses mostly because of how very spicy it was.

HK Tan is a true-blooded Singaporean who fell in love with our country that he decided to stay for good. His quest for an authentic Singaporean restaurant failed so he decided to open one himself. Being a foodie, he knew that in order to bring the real Singaporean flavor to Manila he had to import most of his ingredients. And in order to match the food preference of the Pinoys, he adjusted the spiciness of his dishes although customers may request to have more chili added to their orders.

He made us taste many of what Nasi Lemak had to offer. Too many in fact so I’ll just include the ones I really enjoyed.

Malaysian Chicken Curry P300

The Malaysian Chicken Curry of Nasi Lemak is the best I’ve tasted. It’s not too spicy. I think the serving size is good for 3 persons.

Penang Char Kway Teow P200

The Char Kway Teow is the most-ordered noodle dish. It’s good for 1 to 2 persons and chili is optional.

Fried Squid w/ Salt & Pepper P200

Mr. Tan uses a special batter which makes the squid crisp, chewy, and juicy on the inside. 2 to 3 persons may share an order.

Kueh Pai Ti P180 (5 pieces)

These bite-sized appetizers are excellent.

Ayam Panggang

I do not know the price of this Javanese BBQ Chicken dish but it’s delish.

Singapore BBQ Sting Ray

Another new Nasi Lemak dish. This is my favorite!

Thanks to HK Tan and Spanky Enriquez for inviting me to this event.

Nasi Lemak
Level 2, East Lane
Robinsons Galleria
571-8988

When my friends (and my family) and I couldn’t think of any new restaurant to try, we often end up eating at Cibo. Although it’s not a budget restaurant, it isn’t very expensive either. I always end up feeling really full afterwards because of the carbo-loading. Here are the dishes I ALWAYS get.

Te Freddo Limone (Lemon Iced Tea) P70

Spinaci Zola (crostini with spinach and gorgonzola dip) P235

The Spinaci Zola is yum yum yummy! I don’t finish the dip so I can take it home with me. How I wish Cibo will sell it in bottles but according to one of their waiters, its shelf life is only a few days so that’s the reason why it’s only for dine in.

Penne Al Telefono (but I always get mine Spaghetini) P315

The Al Telefono is a creamy mix of stewed tomato, mozzarella, white cheese, basil, and of course, cream. I don’t have any good reason why I always have the penne changed to spaghetini. Hahaha.

No more room for dessert after these but I’ve tried their Tiramisu Croccante and found it just so-so.

There you have it. My not-really-a-review Cibo post

While I was smoking outside, I was surprised that Chef Paul Huang approached me and thanked me for the review I wrote. He was wondering how to contact me (I have a contact page here LOL) so he could thank me. I was delighted to know that people read my food review blog and more delighted that Chef Paul read my review. He asked me how I found today’s steak and I told him my thoughts honestly. He wasn’t offended and he graciously accepted it, saying that he’ll keep what I said in mind.

Chef Paul Huang and me

Ambiance

Located in the heart of bustling Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Mario’s offers a peaceful dining experience quite apart from the other restaurants in the area. With it’s simple yet cozy design and large main dining area and function rooms, it’s a good place for a date, corporate pow-wow, and even weekend family get-togethers.

Perfect for meetings

I’m not sure how long the Tomas Morato branch has been around the restaurant is very well-maintained and clean. In fact, it kind of looks new inside. There is a Baguio flavor to its decor, most probably due to the restaurant’s origins.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Service

Since it’s a bloggers’ event, I don’t know how the service is during ordinary dining so I will base this on my experience last night. Us bloggers got to meet the very amiable Mr. Fil Benitez and his mother and Mario’s matriarch Tita Nenuca. They are truly delightful and made us feel welcome. We talked about the restaurant, of course, but also about technology, cameras, family, etc.

Tita Nenuca and me

Fil Benitez

The wait staff were always alert and ready to meet our needs and answer our questions.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Food and Price

During last night’s event, we were served their famous bread rolls, baked mussels, a main entre of our choice, and their famous dessert which I will rave about later.

The bread rolls are nice and soft just as I expected. They are served warm in a basket and comes with butter. Best of all, it is free. You can also ask for rolls as much as you want. I forgot to take a photo. Oops!

Our appetizer was Baked New Zealand Mussels with garlic herb butter and cheese (P360 VAT inclusive + 10% service charge). I’ve had so many bad experience with oysters so I was hesitant to try it at first. Ajay seemed to loved it and she’s pregnant so I figured the mussels will be alright so I dug in. No regrets there. The mussels are fresh and scrumptious. I know they’re fresh because nothing happened to my weak stomach. I highly recommend this dish.

Baked New Zealand Mussels P360

Oysters are fresh

For the main entre, I chose Wild Mushroom-Smothered Steak with peppered sauce, potato au gratin, and buttered veggies (P525 VAT inclusive + 10% service charge). I asked that it be cooked medium rare and it came out perfect. It was succulent and goes well with red wine. The potato au gratin lacked saltiness for me so I had to ask for salt for it. Other than that, the steak is great.

Wild Mushroom-Smothered Steak P525

Even though I didn’t order it, Fil gave me a portion of his Santol Chutney Glazed Pork Chops (P340 VAT inclusive + 10% service charge). Oh my goodness! I should have ordered the chops instead of the steak because it was soooooo good. The santol was very light and gave the pork chops a slightly fruity flavor. The pork chops was cooked perfectly. Crisp, juicy, and the flavors exploded in my mouth. The next time I go to Mario’s I’m going to order this!

And now for my other favorite – the Mango Jubilee (P365 VAT inclusive + 10% service charge) which is good for 2 people but it’s so yummy that I would eat it all for myself. This dessert is flambéed with cognac, sugar and butter. Then they serve it with a generous amount of ice cream. Writing about it is making me crave for it right now. It’s THAT good.

Flambe!

Mango Jubilee P365 (for 2 pax)

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

What I like most about Mario’s is that they always try to come up with new twists to their classic dishes. The owners don’t just rely on the old tried and tested dishes they are famous for. A sign of a true restaurateur is the quest for constant innovations and Fil Benitez is a restaurateur indeed.

I already told my mother that eating at Mario’s isn’t really expensive. The portions are generous and the food is worth the prize. I will definitely come back soon for the Santol Chutney Glazed Pork Chops and Mango Flambé.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Mario’s Restaurant
191 Tomas Morato Ave corner Sct. Gandia, Quezon City
reservations@marios.com.ph
(02)372-0360 and (02)442-7445