Foodiestation

Roboto San: Japanese Grill Buffet for the Win!

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 06:27:00 +0000

The night of April 24 (Tuesday), I dined at this newly-opened restaurant in The Fort serving delightful Asian dishes in an eat-all-you-can buffet setting. The name is Roboto San: Japanese Grill Buffet. I would find out later that it belongs to the same group that brought us SumoSam: Steaks Seafood Sushi, John and Yoko: Cosmopolitan Japanese, Marciano's: Pizza Pasta Steaks and Mr. Kurosawa Euro-Japanese.

As with all buffets I’ve been to, I was overwhelmed with the bulk of food waiting to feast on. But unlike those other buffets I’ve tried in the past, this one has a good mix of raw and cooked food items.

The cooked ones you just transfer from the big platters to your plate. The raw ones, which include fresh seafood, vegetables, cold cuts and marinated raw meats, on the other hand, are cooked using smokeless grills attached to the individual dining tables.

Does the food selection sound familiar to you? Yes, their concept is like that of Yakimix and Sambokojin except that they have a hipper and more modern vibe, a more intimate and relaxing ambience and they change their menu regularly to give their customers something to look forward to in every visit. Plus, I heard the food selection is a culinary masterpiece perfected by three celebrated chefs namely: Corporate Chef Christine Nicole Nicolas, Executive Chef Benjamin Gonzales and Chef Consultant Florabel Co-Yatco. How’s that for unique?

As for the food, I liked everything I ate. Actually, I just chose a few favorites and skipped on the rest. Aside from the fresh seafood, marinated raw meats and savory Asian dishes, I spotted fresh salads, hearty soups, some Korean appetizers, Chinese dimsum and of course, desserts!

And here are the food that went straight to my tummy:

miso soup

some Caesar and potato salads

my fave dimsum!

assorted cooked dishes

grilled items

frozen brazo de mercedes and ice cream

orange slices

Buffet prices and store hours here:

For unlimited drinks, you just add P75 on top of the buffet price. There are two choices during my visit: iced tea and lemonade. I wonder if they have soft drinks on offer, so much better if they do.

I see Roboto San as a good dining place for families, barkadas and yuppies working around the area. It offers a fun dining experience especially if you love robots and have appreciation for anything technology and future-related. Plus, the interiors of the restaurant (bird's nest design highlighted in purple walls and interlacing white wooden panels) are already a feast for the eyes. And when you get to the buffet spread, another feast gladly awaits you.

Robotosan: Japanese Grill Buffet
2nd Floor, Crossroads, 32nd St.,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

(+632) 823-6988

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Charlie's Grind and Grill at Ronac Art Center, San Juan

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 02:38:00 +0000

A dinner out with my hubby's friends one Thursday night took me to a new and emerging foodie haven called Charlie's Grind and Grill. No, it's not the one at Kapitolyo, Pasig but rather, in the cool Ronac Art Center in San Juan. A new branch, I guess. If my calculation is right, it's more or less than 500 meters from Greenhills Shopping Center.

What I love most about Charlie's is that it serves my fave buffalo wings! They also have pasta, burgers, fries and imported beers. All these food make for a fun dining experience, methinks. Anyhow, we made sure to order a couple of items and shared everything. We were six adults and one child but still, we ended up with some leftovers which we gladly took home.

We had two dozens of Buffalo Chicken Wings (P335 per dozen). To have some variety, one dozen was sweet and the other was hot. They came with veggie sticks and a small container of blue cheese dip. Between the two flavors, I liked the sweet one better. I dunno, but Charlie's hot buffalo wings didn't appeal to me that much, which is contrary to what a lot of people say about their wings. It had the heat, the saltiness and the sourness, but maybe I was looking for more oomph factor.

say hot!

The Black Angus Burger (P195) which I personally chosen was okay and I thought it was worth the price. It had cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, mustard and mayo. The beef was tasty and tender but was a bit on the dry side.

We also had two orders of Meatballs Marinara on Pasta (P280 per order). I loved the sweet-salty flavors of the tomato-based sauce! Each order had four big meatballs, definitely good for sharing. I could tell the meatballs were made of 100% pure beef but sadly, they were too bland for my liking. I hope they add more salt next time.

For sidings, we got Chili and Cheese Fries (P120) and Nacho Fries (P150). I'm not so sure if I got the names and the prices right but they were both 100% hand cut fries. While one had cheese sauce, the other had a some kinda salsa of ground beef, onions and tomatoes. You can never go wrong with fries, especially if they look so real with skin on, so you could say I liked them.

To give a sweet ending to our meal, we had one of their desserts. I didn't get the name and price but it was basically a chocolate cake drizzled with caramel sauce. I liked it a lot because the cake was moist and not too sweet.

Our drinks, on the other hand, consisted of soda and San Mig light. We also tried one of the imported beers displayed in one of the refs which had a nice, light taste.

The ambience at Charlie's is quite relaxed. There were a lot of people when we dined, mostly basketball players (some famous, some not) and their friends. I heard there's a basketball court at the second floor so that explains it. If you're not used to having a lot of people around (good thing they have ample parking spaces there!), you can always opt to go for take-out. By the way, the resto's open from 9am until midnight. :)

Charlie's Grind and Grill
Handcrafted Burgers
G/F Ronac Art Center
Ortigas Avenue, San Juan

http://charliesgrindandgrill.com/

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Loving Calda Pizza

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 09:51:00 +0000

Originally based in Cebu, Calda Pizza now has several branches in Manila. I spotted their Madison Square-Pioneer branch in Mandaluyong City one random day and immediately asked my husband E to have a quick snack there. We just came from an appointment and we were already headed home when I grabbed the chance to taste their pizza. I was not even really hungry yet then but you know, pizza for me is comfort food. Plus, I was quite curious to try this promising pizza joint.

One thing you'd like about Calda pizza is the cheap price. The 11" inch Milanese pizza we ordered, for instance, is sold at just P210 (vat included)! It's just thin-crust pizza, but I can attest how the pizza we ordered didn't lack in flavor and quality. I knew because the pizza was made right in front of me. They were generous with the toppings especially with the mozzarella cheese!

As for the taste, I can't complain either. Our pizza had chicken fillet, ham, onions and green bell peppers. I love the thin crust with a cracker-like texture underneath and a layer of soft dough on top. It went well with the sweet and savory flavors of the toppings. Add some in-house catsup and chili sauce and you'll be in for a delicious treat.

We enjoyed our pizza with some soda and mineral water (my drink, because I lost my voice after the wedding). :(

Calda Pizza offers a wide variety of pizza flavors. Their pizza sizes are out of this world, too. It starts at 11" up to the biggest size Extra Super at 36", perfect for a group of hungry beasts! Beat that.

I will definitely come back to try their other pizza flavors! :)

Check out their other branches and delivery hotlines:

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Dinner at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Tue, 13 Mar 2012 08:29:00 +0000

It was my first time to eat at the blog and UP alumni-famous Chocolate Kiss Cafe, Wednesday of last week. I was with the fiancé and our good friend Ate Eia then to shoot a video for inclusion in one of our audio video presentations for our upcoming wedding. It was a long dinner, but we spent more time with the video shoot and the conversation than with the food itself. But that's not to say we didn't like our food because we did. I especially liked the carrot cake we shared for dessert!

You'll love the Chocolate Kiss Cafe because of its comfort food and its very cozy ambience. It's not upscale considering the interiors but you could tell they really made do with the resources they had to make the restaurant look and feel comfy.

Ate Eia arrived in the restaurant first and she ordered this appetizer that I only tasted a little of. What I clearly remembered is that I ate her remaining slice of french bread with fresh tomato, anchovy paste and melted cheese. It was simply good and comforting that somehow I knew I'd be in for something good for dinner.

I ordered an Asian dish for the fiancé. The menu says it's called Sate Ayam and Nasi Goreng. It's an "Indonesian chicken barbecue with peanut sauce and spicy fried rice topped with fried egg and crackling krupuk." At P245, it came in a big serving. It had five small but delicious skewers of chicken barbecue and the fried rice was tasty and flavorful.I knew because I ate some of everything. Haha.

My plate, on the other hand, had Spaghetti Bolognese. It's "beef-tomato sauce on spaghetti, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese." I asked the waiter to served my pasta with meatballs. From the original price of P190, it became P225.

With three meatballs on top of my pasta, I thought the P35 price difference was value for money! The beef-tomato sauce may be bland for my taste, but I added more parmesan cheese (which they give you for free) and it solved my little food problem instantly. It helped that the spaghetti was cooked al dente and the meatballs were tasty and filling which made my eating more enjoyable.

Ate Eia also had pasta. She chose the Pasta Puttanesca (P195) and said she loved it. I know her to be a frank person so I believed her.

I liked this restaurant's take on their refreshing and very cheap Bottomless Iced Tea (P70). They serve it in a big glass with a separate cup of syrup and fresh calamansi. That's for you to add to your drink based on your taste preference. Cool.

Since I was having dry cough that time, I didn't order any cold beverage and instead, drank complimentary water with my meal. But, I did indulge during dessert time when I had a cup of Tsokolate Eh (P75) to go with our Carrot Cake (P80 per slice).

Their hot chocolate was good but I'd say I've drunk better versions before. As with the carrot cake, I remember I was very satisfied. The cake was moist, not too sweet and filled with carrot shreds and nuts. The cream cheese frosting was sweet which complemented the not too sweet cake well. Simply divine.

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe is a product of a mother's passion for baking. So yeah, expect a wide selection of cakes and pastries in their cafe and expect them to be really good. I heard the family business now has three branches in the metro and the first branch opened at the Bahay ng Alumni in UP Diliman. If you want good food, good cakes and good conversations, then this is the place to be.

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe (UP Diliman)
Ang Bahay ng Alumni
R. Magsaysay Street
University of the Philippines
Diliman, 1101 Quezon City

Ground Floor: (+632) 984-2279
2nd Floor: (+632) 984-6158
and (+632) 332-3502

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe (Roces)
91 A. Roces Avenue
corner Scout Tobias
Quezon City

Phone: (+632) 412-7876

P.S. Thank you again to our good friend Ate Eia for the dinner treat. :)

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Foodie Find: Simple Line Milk Tea

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Sun, 26 Feb 2012 05:24:00 +0000

Passing thru the CEU and V.Mapa High School area on my way home from a meetup with a friend, I spotted this milk tea place called Simple Line. It's a small store offering a wide variety of milk and fruit-flavored tea drinks from Taiwan. I'm not a big fan of milk tea and I didn't intend to buy any from the store but when I looked around and saw several students with Simple Line cups on their hands, I felt a bit envious and so I decided to get my own. Haha.

Simple Line tea drinks start at P40 a cup. There are only two sizes available: medium and large. There is only a P15 difference between the two so if you're a big milk tea drinker, it's more practical to get the large size already. Toppings include tapioca pearls and jelly bits and you pay an additional P5 for a serving of any of the two.

Based on my impromptu inspection, the store looked neat and clean. Even the cashier behind the counter who doubles as milk tea maker looks decent and smart.

I got myself a medium-sized Oolong Milk Tea with tapioca pearls. After paying for my milk tea and getting my order, I left the place in a snap. I drank it while walking my way to our house.

Taste wise, it was good. I could really taste the Oolong tea flavor in my milk tea. I liked that the sweetness was also just right and not the sickening kind. The tapioca pearls were soft and chewy. I enjoyed munching on them and even wanted more when they ran out. :)

I am definitely trying the other Simple Line tea flavors on my next visit to the store.

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Japanese Burgers at Tokyo Tokyo

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 11:34:00 +0000

I've known Tokyo Tokyo only as a Japanese fast food restaurant serving delicious rice meals in a box called Tokyo Tokyo bento. They've recently come up with something rice-less for Japanese food lovers to enjoy -- Tokyo Tokyo Burgers! These delicious snack treats come in three variants: Shogun Burger, Shiitake Mushroom Burger and Godzilla Burger. I was lucky to have sampled some of them last Thursday night during an intimate bloggers event hosted by Tokyo Tokyo in their Shangri-La Plaza branch.

In the Japanese lingo, shogun means commander-in-chief. Just like a real shogun, Tokyo Tokyo's Shogun burger (P95 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) commands attention and satiates big appetite with its crunchy onion rings, cheddar cheese and premium beef patty with savory Tonkatsu sauce.

my very own Shogun burger

I liked that Shogun burger's beef patty was 1/2 inch thick. It was juicy and flavorful up to the last bite. The unusual addition of onion rings made it more filling. But you might wanna ask for lesser tonkatsu sauce as it tends to overpower the other yummy flavors in the burger.

Tokyo Tokyo's Shiitake Mushroom Burger (P95 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) is a delicious burger made with shiitake mushrooms, crispy lettuce and premium beef patty with teriyaki sauce on warm, oatie bun.

Shiitake Mushroom Burger up-close

This was my favorite between the two. The shiitake mushrooms and the teriyake sauce made the premium beef patty more moist and flavorful. The crispy lettuce definitely added crunch and a healthy touch to the burger. Each bite was big in texture and flavor. It was pure burger goodness only from Tokyo Tokyo. I loved it!

We weren't served with the Godzilla Burger (P140 ala carte, add P50 for onion rings or potato balls and red iced tea) but basically, it's composed of two premium beef burger patties, two slices of cheddar cheese, crispy lettuce and zesty Japanese mayo. Wow, this sounds like a complete meal, isn't it?

The bloggers event at the second floor of Tokyo Tokyo Shangri-Plaza was attended by at least two dozen bloggers. It started with a maki-making activity, a brief introduction of the three new burgers, the food tasting session and the appearance of and photo-op with Tokyo Tokyo's brand ambassador Daniel Matsunaga.

with Tokyo Tokyo brand ambassador Daniel Matsunaga

P.S. Thank you to Tokyo Tokyo Shangri-La Plaza and Maan Bernardino of Ogilvy Philippines for the invite. I sure had a delicious evening tasting Tokyo Tokyo's new offerings! :)

Note: This is not a paid post and the opinions stated herein are 100% mine.

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Binondo Food Trip: Masuki

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 02:47:00 +0000

Another wedding-related trip to Manila's downtown area led me and the fiancé to Binondo for lunch. It was again, my idea, because I really wanted to explore more of the place, with eye on its foodie destinations. This time we dined at Masuki which is known for their mami and siopao. From Ma Kong Mami, they changed their name to Masuki. My gut feel says it's short for "madaming suki" (with many regular customers). I stand corrected. :)

Masuki looks like one of those authentic Chinese eateries that I only get to see in Chinese movies. It's always busy and noisy. Diners come and go and the cycle repeats itself every day, which I think is very good for the business.

We sat at one of the few unoccupied tables and called the attention of one of the waiters. We were handed an unusually big menu with limited food items (mami, siopao, wonton, siomai and nothing more). We settled for the Original Mami (P100 Regular and P110, Special). We chose the special one whose only difference to the regular one was the size. We also got two Bola-Bola Siopao (P52) and an order of siomai (P60 for two pieces).

Masuki menu posted on the side wall

I noticed that some of the waiters were old men (who looked like senior citizens to me). Somehow, they add charm to Masuki and serve as proof that the place has been around for decades already. The open kitchen, the aroma of the food and the appearance and busyness of the place, on the other hand, gives one a glimpse of how the eatery did business back in the olden days. Needless to say, our dining experience felt so authentic to me.

Our order arrived fast one by one and we ate to our hearts' content immediately after.

Masuki's Original Mami is made of flat noodles with pork asado and chicken strips as toppings. It's a unique kind of mami because you will be provided with a special siopao sauce and chopped green onions to add to it.

siopao sauces and chopped green onions

The result is a sweet and savory noodle soup that's surprisingly good. The fiancé and I shared our order and we were satisfied both with the taste and the generous serving.

mami without siopao sauce...

...and with siopao sauce

Their Bola-Bola Siopao was filled with ground pork and salted egg. I liked how soft the steamed bun was and the meaty filling went well with their special siopao sauce. But still, I think Kowloon House's version is superior to it.

Masuki's Siomai was big and meaty. We dipped our two pieces of siomai into the special siopao sauce drizzled with calamansi juice and we were solved. Yum.

Our bill amounted to P300+ including two drinks (Sarsi and bottled water). Cheap, isn't it? It's really fun to eat in Binondo. I can't wait to visit the other restos there!

Masuki is located on Benavidez St. beside Polland Hopia Bakery and right across Wan Chai Tea House.

Masuki
931 Benavidez St.
Binondo, Manila

(02) 244-0745
(02) 243-2674

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Vietnamese Lunch at Ba Noi's

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 12:51:00 +0000

It's that time again when the expiry of the vouchers I acquired from various groupon sites are nearing. Last Sunday morning, I decided to use one of them: a P1,084 worth of Ba Noi's voucher that entitled me to a set meal for two. Reservation with the resto was a breeze and my chosen companion was none other than the fiancé. It was perfect timing because we also had to do a quick trip to Makati to pick up the three Mamma Mia The Musical tickets given to me by a friend.

We arrived at Ba Noi's a little past 11:00 a.m. (their opening time). We were the first group of customers and it took a while before the servers noticed our presence. Haha. The restaurant didn't have much to offer when it came to space. It also had dim lighting which made the mood somewhat calm but sad (methinks). There were framed photos on the wall that depicted the Vietnamese way of life and they were quite a sight to behold. I thought it made the place look and feel like an authentic Vietnamese resto in a foreign place (Manila).

After surrendering the voucher to the girl wearing what looked like an Áo Dài (Vietnamese traditional costume) to me, we were immediately served with some complimentary prawn crackers.

A few minutes later, our food started to arrive on our table.

First was the Vietnamese spring rolls which were basically ground pork, mushrooms and spices sealed in lumpia wrappers. It came with nuoc nam, a traditional Vietnamese dip made from fish sauce. The spring rolls were a delight in the mouth. They tasted fresh and were bursting with flavors. I liked that they were not too oily.

Our next dish was chicken noodle soup with mushrooms. We were given one bowl each and we attacked it immediately. The chicken strips and mushrooms were noticeably scarce but the sotanghon noodles were abundant. The soup was not as hot as I wanted but I appreciated that it had a nice, clean taste. It was a simple soup with simple flavors, and we enjoyed it.

For our main course, we were served with chicken in caramel sauce and were given a cup of steamed rice each. The size of the chicken was disappointing. I remember the deal said something like "generously-sized chicken" but what we got was a small and pitiful piece of chicken leg cut into four pieces. Yes, four pieces! The most I could do was smirk sarcastically. As for the taste, it was a combination of sweet and salty. Nothing special and forgettable.

a picture doesn't lie!

Our side dish of stir-fried water spinach (kangkong), on the other hand, was just okay. I love kangkong and whatever way it's cooked, I eat it.

We were also served with two Vietnamese iced coffees which we liked. The coffee flavor was just right and the milk gave a nice balance to the drink.

Overall, we can still say we had a good lunch at Ba Noi's. The food was okay and I'm sure they have some better options on their menu. The service was warm but a little relaxed (the no-need-to-hurry kind of service). My second visit is a possibility but definitely not happening in the near future. :)

Ba Noi's
G/F Greenbelt Mansions
Perea St.
Legaspi Village, Makati

(+632) 893-7359

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Binondo Food Trip: Wai Ying Fast Food

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:06:00 +0000

I will never get tired of Chinese food. This was my statement after having sampled the very satisfying and delicious Chinese dishes at Wai Ying Fast Food in Binondo Thursday of last week. The fiancé and I just had picked our wedding invites from a bridal shop in Divisoria and we were already on our way home passing thru Soler St. when I remembered this popular restaurant that serves very good and affordable Chinese food. We just had to make a U-turn and head to Benavidez St. to have dinner there.

store signage

asado and roast duck behind the glass wall

I already had our food orders in mind. As soon as we got seated (after waiting for a free table for more or less fifteen minutes), I immediately asked for spare ribs rice, beef mami, fried rice, siomai and shrimp chong fan from the waitress who attended to us.

As in most Chinese restaurants, we were served first with some tea. I just took a sip and didn't care about the taste anymore because I was focused on the food we're having for dinner.

complimentary tea

After a few minutes of waiting which we spent by spying on other diners' food discreetly and amusing ourselves with the narrow dining space, the tall pile of bamboo steamers, the kitchen tools and equipment in the open kitchen, the cooks at work and the sight of the other restaurant staff running around, our orders arrived on our table one by one.

dining area

menu

After taking enough photos for this post, I started eating the beef mami. I loved the sweet and meaty taste of the steaming hot soup and the beef brisket (saw several chunky pieces!) which was tender to the bite. The thin, yellow noodles used came in generous serving and were firm enough to hold their shape. You can never go wrong with Wai Ying's beef mami. It was also more than enough for the two of us that we had to take the leftover home.

Beef Mami, P100

The fiancé's Spare Ribs Rice was big, too. The spare ribs were very tasty, flavorful and fork-tender to boot. I knew because I tried a few spoonfuls with the accompanying white rice!

Spare Ribs Rice, P125

I paired the two kinds of dimsum I ordered with the fried rice. It always works for me. Wai Ying's fried rice was simple yet very good. It had a generous portions of small shrimps (even just for this, the P80 price tag was already so worth it!), pork asado and scrambled egg. I liked that it didn't come oily nor dry, just the right texture to sustain my appetite.

Fried Rice,P80

I just loved their siomai! It's one of the best I've tried. Each piece was packed with fillings of ground pork, plump shrimps and spices. My siomai expectations had never been the same after this experience.

Sio Mai, P60

Their hakaw was good, too. The shrimps were plump and bursting with flavors and the translucent wrappers were firm and thick enough to hold the shrimps together. Dipping them into the chili-garlic sauce with some calamansi juice was a delight to the senses. Yum, yum.

Hakaw, P70

For drinks, the fiancé got a cold lemon iced tea while I had a cold milk tea. Both of our drinks were refreshing. But I'm biased with mine because it was sweet and creamy with a good tea flavor. I liked that the milk didn't overpower the tea and it came in a big glass which was more than enough to satisfy my thirst after all those eating.

Cold Lemon Iced Tea, P50

Cold Milk Tea, P50

yours truly having a great time with the food at Wai Ying!

Wai Ying Fast Food is already an institution in Binondo. I heard it's been around for decades now. I guess the secret to their longevity and success is their consistency with the price, taste and quality of their food. To be honest, I'm having a hard time finishing this post because I'm salivating over the food photos. Whoa, I can't wait to go back there!!! :)

Wai Ying Fast Food
Salazar cor. Benavidez St.
Binondo, Manila

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Quick Dinner at Ersao-Malacañang

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:46:00 +0000

There's this new branch of Ersao that has opened in front of St. Jude Shrine here in our place. I've never eaten at any Ersao outlets yet so I asked the fiancé to join me for dinner here last night. This Taiwanese dining place serves mostly milk teas but they also have some rice meals and snacks, a perfect treat for students, church devotees and passers-by roaming around the surrounding Malacañang complex everyday.

My companion wasn't in the mood to eat, he said he wanted to lose weight for our upcoming wedding. Okay, fine. I just got him a combo meal consisting of dumpling noodle soup and his fave buko pandan shake (P145). For myself, I got a Yofan (P85) and an almond milk tea (P50).

The fiancé's dumpling noodle soup was surprisingly big. It had four medium pieces of steamed dumplings, some ground beef and a generous serving of noodles. I liked the clean taste of the soup and the dumplings were delicious (they somehow reminded me of Dong Bei Dumplings).

It was my first time to eat a Yofan. I even asked the girl behind the counter before ordering what it was like and she said it was simply flavored sticky rice. I'd find out later that it was indeed flavored sticky rice with mushrooms, pork bits and some pork floss as toppings. It looked just like a machang. The heavy texture and the rich flavor were new to me. It was good but my tastebuds didn't like it that much. I didn't finish it (to think the actual serving was very small!) and my companion didn't want to have any, either.

yofan

Acording to the fiancé, his buko pandan shake tasted awesome!

My almond milk tea, on the other, was so-so. The flavor of the almond powder overpowered the milk tea, methinks. The result was a concoction that had a distinct taste from the other milk teas I've drunk.

Our quick dinner at Ersao was not so memorable, food-wise. My only consolation is that the food prices are pocket-friendly and the fiancé got satisfied with what he had. I guess on my next visit here, I'll just play safe and go for the other food items that I'm more familiar with so I don't end up disappointing myself. :)

with my date

Ersao-Malacañang Branch
(in front of St. Jude Shrine)
J.P. Laurel St.
San Miguel, Manila

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Our Chicken Charlie Experience (Panay Avenue Branch)

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 16:30:00 +0000

Having my IPL treatments at Power Peel Clinic on Panay Avenue in Quezon City has its perks. Aside from the free parking, we get to try some of the interesting restaurants at the nearby Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato. After our fantastic wing experience at Buffalo Wild Wings (also on Panay Avenue) two Saturdays ago, we just walked a few steps away and ate at the neighboring resto Chicken Charlie last Saturday.

Chicken Charlie serves double fried chicken at affordable prices. One thing I liked about them is that they have chicken combos where you could have a combination of drumsticks and wings and not just a bunch of either of the two. Their combo of two drumsticks and four wings at P209, for instance, suits our group of three (2 adults and one child) perfectly.

love the crunch of these double fried chicken!

Chicken Charlie's double fried chicken comes in two flavors: soy garlic sauce and hot sweet sauce. Our order came hot off the pan. We chose soy garlic sauce for the two drumsticks and hot sweet sauce for the four wings. One bite of the drumstick and I got amazed by the distinct crunchiness of its skin. As I bit through the meat, there was a burst of flavor from the soy garlic sauce. I loved it.

The wings in hot sweet sauce were good, too. The spiciness was tolerable for me but it should be noted that the mild burning sensation stayed in my mouth for the entire duration of my meal. It was actually hotter than sweeter, if you know what I mean.

I've never tasted Bonchon yet, but I've eaten Manang's Chicken twice already. Both belong to the same category of double fried chicken. If you'll ask me how does Chicken Charlie fare with Manang's Chicken, I'd say the former wins in the crunchiness department hands-down! Taste-wise, though, I'd say they have their own endearing qualities. While Manang's Chicken has tasty and flavorful sauce that enhances the flavor of the chicken meat, the chicken meat of Chicken Charlie itself tastes fresh and delicious. It's not bathing in sauce but the crunchy skin (and the spiciness if you chose the hot sweet sauce variety!) will leave you wanting for more.

For starters, we had potato wedges (P49) and cheese stick dynamites (P69 for five pieces, P99 for eight). The potato wedges were smaller than usual. I liked that it was not oily and paired well with the tomato catsup dip.

The cheese stick dynamites were yummy with just the right heat level from the green chilies! I think I can eat an order all by myself. This came with a mayo dip which we also dipped some of our potato wedges into.

We also ordered plain rice (P17 each) to go with our chicken.

We were all "busog" after our Chicken Charlie meal. My P500 still had some change. And yes, even our child companion said she liked the food!

with our cute child friend Inday

If I'm not mistaken, the first Chicken Charlie branch is on N.S. Amoranto St. in Quezon City. This one on Panay Avenue must be the second or third branch, I'm not so sure. But one thing I'm sure of is that this restaurant is promising.

The cool and brightly-lit interiors, the affordable food prices and the delicious taste of its chicken offerings are sure to be a hit to chicken lovers like us. :)

Chicken Charlie
2/F ITC Building
Timog cor. Panay Avenues
Quezon City

http://www.chickencharlie.net

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Binondo Food Trip: LGA Fastfood, Estero

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 13:45:00 +0000

My Chinese food craving this morning led me to Estero, a popular foodie haven in Binondo (Manila's Chinatown). We had a quick dinner there before going to SM Manila to do some grocery shopping. Estero has several stores inside and we just did a little wandering before settling for LGA Fastfood, one of the restos there. Just like the rest, it serves authentic (exotic is optional since they have, what do you know, frog dishes on the menu!) and affordable Chinese food.

Our quick dinner that night consisted of just three items: Crab and Corn Soup, Yang Chow Fried Rice, and Buttered Chicken. We paid a little over P300 for it. Not bad for another satisfying Binondo food trip.

Estero means "canal" in English. Here in Manila, most esteros can be described just the same: garbage-laden, stinky, and filthy. If cleanliness is a big issue to you, then I suggest dining somewhere else (like Cafe Mezzanine or Sincerity Cafe). But if you're a brave soul who's into exploring new foodie destinations, take the road to Estero and you'll be in for a delicious surprise.

the dining area

the open kitchen of LGA Fastfood

Once we got seated to our table, a waitress immediately handed us their menu filled with a variety of dishes priced according to the size of your appetite (small, medium, and large). There were pork, beef, chicken, seafood, and frog (read: exotic) dishes. There were also various kinds of pancit, soup, and vegetable dishes. Prices start at P70 up.

While we were ordering, I was looking for some familiar Chinese fares like Shanghai rolls, dimsum and kiampong but didn't find any on the menu. It made me a little sad but I recovered in a snap upon seeing our food that was served to us quite fast.

Crab and Corn Soup, P100 for Small

This soup came in a big bowl and could easily feed three to four people. It was rich, tasty and flavorful. I could really taste the rich crab flavor and even saw bits and pieces of crab shell, claw and feet underneath my bowl. Aside from corn, there were also green peas and carrot bits in the coup which made it healthier. The soup was just too much for the two of us. I felt a bit guilty we had to leave what we didn't finish on the table.

Yang Chow Fried Rice, P90 for Small

Our fried rice came in a small plate. At first, I thought it wouldn't be enough for us but since the soup was quite heavy on the tummy, we already got satisfied sharing it. It was as simple as it looked but definitely delicious. I saw some small shrimps, ground pork, and veggies which made the rice more satisfying to the palate.

Buttered Chicken, P120 for Small

Our Buttered Chicken came in several small chicken pieces. They were lightly-seasoned and the richness of the butter was evident in each bite. There was also a good ratio between the breading, the chicken and the butter which was a good thing for me. Not too thin, not too thick. The chicken definitely went well with our fried rice.

I was happy to see our drinks because they reminded me of my childhood back in the province where these sodas in vintage bottles were sold:

I love, love the vintage bottles!

At Estero, just like in most restaurants, you pay your bill after you have finished eating. I haven't checked if they had restrooms there but I could see there were more restos inside. I hope to dine there soon.

A decent parking lot is non-existent around the area (except at Salazar's Bakeshop) so I suggest not to bring a car, unless you want to risk its safety by parking it on the sidewalk of the narrow road that is Ongpin St.

Our Estero dining experience can be summed up in two words: quick and satisfying. Just like how eating at a fast food place should be, only this time around, it's not just any fast food, it's Estero's own brand of authentic Chinese food. :)

Estero
Ongpin St.
Binondo, Manila

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Delicious Singapore Food at Ang Mo Kio!

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 07:33:00 +0000

Last Sunday, we hit the road to visit two prospective principal sponsors for our upcoming wedding. Coming from the house of one of them, we decided to have lunch in one of the restos at the Podium before driving to the other one's residence in Pasig. Upon seeing the inviting aura of Ang Mo Kio with its artsy, Singapore-themed interiors, I just had to drag my two companions inside the restaurant. Soon enough, we were enjoying a light and healthy lunch composed of authentic-tasting Hainanese Chicken, sauteed bokchoy and teh tarik.

cool store concept art

clean, neat dining space

white-washed table (I love vintage-inspired furniture!)

According to the waiter who served our food, Ang Mo Kio means "tomato farm." Primarily, it serves Singaporean dishes at reasonable prices. Our 1/2 Hainanese Chicken that came with two bowls of sauteed bokchoy and two cups of chicken rice, for instance, was priced at just P500. Ideally good for two persons, we made it feed the three of us by getting an additional order of chicken rice. Smart, eh?

1/2 Hainanese Chicken

Hainanese Chicken up close

The Hainanese Chicken was good. It was authentic-tasting as I imagined it to be (which made me miss Singapore and its delicious cuisine in an instant). The deboned chicken meat was tender with just the right amount of fat. It's bland when eaten on its own but once you dip the meat in the three sauces (chili sauce, ginger sauce and sweet soy sauce), you automatically enhance the taste of the chicken a million times. That's what we did!

condiments for the Hainanese Chicken

It helped that the sauteed bokchoy and the chicken rice that went with it had rich taste and texture, too. We had a satisfying meal right then and there.

sauteed bokchoy

chicken rice

Our complimentary soup arrived only when we asked for it. We saw the other tables being served with the same so we thought it was given for free and we're right, haha. Hot as it was, I poured some into my chicken rice to enrich its flavors. It was effective! I finished everything on my plate within minutes. Yum!

complimentary soup

While my two companions had lemon iced tea (P50), I got a glass of teh tarik or milk tea (P70) to complete my Singaporean dining experience in Manila. The milk tea was creamy and had just the right tea flavor. I liked it as it was.

Teh Tarik, P70

We dined at Ang Mo Kio on their third soft opening day. The service was terrible (super slow and the waiters seemed confused and cramming), but we didn't mind. We went there for the food, anyway.

with the fiance

The menu was still very limited, but according to one of the owners Ritchie, more items will be added soon. I guess we have to go back to Podium to see what they are and try them.

open kitchen; chef at work

with Ritchie, one of Ang Mo Kio's owners

Ang Mo Kio restaurant from the outside

If you're craving for delicious Singaporean food at Manila prices, Ang Mo Kio is a good place to visit.

Ang Mo Kio
3/L The Podium
ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center
Mandaluyong City

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Eat-All-You-Can Buffalo Wings at Buffalo Wild Wings

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Armed with two Cash Cash Pinoy vouchers, I took my sister N to Buffalo Wild Wings one Sunday morning. Prior to going there, I made a reservation for a table for two with the restaurant. Originally, it was for the fiancé and me but he backed out last minute due to an errand that no one could finish but him. Commuting from our place all the way to Panay Avenue in Quezon City was no easy task so I made sure to make the most of our time. I had my second IPL session with Power Peel Clinic at 11:30 a.m. (also on Panay Avenue) before having a satisfying brunch at Buffalo Wild Wings with N at past 12:00 p.m.

The buffalo wings at Buffalo Wild Wings are categorized according to heat levels. It's Piccolo for the mildest, followed by Five Star, Super Lolo and the hottest Goodbye Philippines (scary!). We only get to try the first two, though, and they're both good.

choose your wings based on heat levels

At Buffalo Wild Wings, the eat-all-you-can wings are cooked-to-order. Once you're finished with your first basket of wings, you could order again until your tummy is satisfied. I think we had a total of six baskets. Or probably more. Haha.

For our first basket, we settled on the mildest Piccolo. The photos I took using my Nokia E63 are of low quality but I assure you the wings look very appetizing in the flesh. Anyway, the Piccolo was a combination of sweet, sour, salty, butter-y and saucy. It wasn't as crunchy as the other chicken wings I've tried before but the richness in taste and flavor made up for it. We liked it a lot and didn't mind sucking up all the fatty goodness of the wings. It was yummy both as is and with rice. We'd found out later that the unlimited rice was included in their Cash Cash Pinoy promo offer. Cool. We each got a cup of rice to pair with our delicious Piccolo wings!

Afraid that the buffalo wings would be too hot for my sister's liking (she's not a big fan of hot and spicy food), I decided to just order Five Star and skip on the remaining two variants. The Five Star wings were hot but not too hot. It also didn't have so much to offer when it came to flavors. It was just hot and a bit salty and sour, that's all. Between the Piccolo and the Five Star wings, the former is the runaway winner for me.

love 'em wings!

blurry Five Star drumette

N and I didn't bother getting dips for our chicken wings. They were good on their own, anyway. If you prefer to have dips (blue cheese, creamy cheese and spicy mayo), they cost P50 each.

We also ordered their Ultimate Nachos, P169. The serving was generous and we thought we got what we paid for. My only complaint is that it was disgustingly oily, like we found at least five tablespoons of oil from the ground beef lying under the mountain of nachos. Gross.

We wanted to try their other appetizers but most of them were not available because according to the girl that served us, their supplies hadn't arrived yet. Poor restaurant. They're driving away sales just like that.

Buffalo Wild Wings has neat, modern interiors. I like its red and white theme with touches of black here and there. Aside from their specialty buffalo wings, the restaurant has some good starters and rice meals on its menu. The prices are VAT-inclusive and definitely pocket-friendly.

The service at Buffalo Wild Wings during our visit was a bit slow but it's no big deal to us, I heard they've just opened recently so they could still improve.

my sister N and yours truly

more food

When I told the fiancé that Buffalo Wild Wings serves good wings, he immediately asked me to go back. Yes, why not? But maybe on my next IPL treatment na para sulit ang lakad. Plus, I'll bring a better camera already. :)

Buffalo Wild Wings
2/F ITC Building
Timog cor. Panay Avenues
Quezon City

(+632) 565-2812

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Our Joint Birthday Celebration at Lola Maria's Restaurant, Legend Villas

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 10:42:00 +0000

The lunch buffet at Lola Maria's, the in-house fine dining restaurant of Legend Villas in Mandaluyong City, was my top choice for the joint birthday celebration of my father, my sister N and myself last October 2011. No, I didn't rent the place for a party (but that would've been more fun!), we just reserved a table for nine and availed their lunch buffet on October 30. It was the first time we had a buffet in a restaurant as a family and it has been an enjoyable and memorable experience for all of us.

the sumptuous buffet spread at Lola Maria's

I wanted to make the event a little more special so I asked my family and that of the fiancee's to dress well. No fancy get-ups, though, just casual attire that would make us feel more pleasant-looking and comfy on a hot Sunday noon.

The lunch buffet at Lola Maria's start at 11:00 a.m. and ends at 2:00 p.m. We arrived tad early and killed time by taking photos at the hotel lobby. A few minutes later, we got seated in our table and started filling up our plates with delicious Filipino food. Yes, Lola Maria's lunch buffet offers Pinoy specialties.

The main buffet station, for instance, featured yummy Pinoy fares such as chicken inasal, kare-kare, and lechon kawali. There are also a few foreign dishes given a Pinoy twist such as fish with aioli, chopsuey and pancit canton. There were also the soup station (that day they had La Paz Batchoy!), the appetizer station with lumpiang prito (vegetable spring rolls) and Pinoy salad (mango strips, tomatoes and bagoong) and the desserts station offering DIY halo-halo, leche flan, fresh fruits, and a chocolate fondue. I hope they add dirty ice cream to their dessert items in the future. This will definitely complete the authentic Pinoy dining experience they currently offers to their guests

yummy kare-kare

I only filled my plate with the dishes I wanted. As far as I can remember, everything tasted good. I especially liked the fish with aoili and the lechon kawali because of their distinctive textures and rich flavors. Try it when you visit Lola Maria's and you'll know what I mean.

my plate

I also liked their La Paz Batchoy and how the restaurant was generous with the toppings. My only complain was that the soup was just lukewarm and not hot as I expected it to be. I was the first to approach the soup station so I knew right then and there that it wasn't really hot.

I ended my delicious Pinoy meal with an equally Pinoy dessert: halo-halo. At Lola Maria's, the halo-halo station is beaming with fresh ingredients. I liked how they are very generous with the milk and the leche flan!

more desserts!

For P450 per head, I think Lola Maria's lunch buffet is a good deal. For our group, we used five Megadeal vouchers (which we bought at Megadeal.com at P250 each a few months ago) and paid for the remaining four at the regular price of P450. It can't be better than that. :)

Lola Maria's Restaurant has a homey yet elegant ambiance. During our visit, it was like we were just eating at a rich aunt's home. I'm guessing the rooms at Legend Villas channel the same look, sophisticated yet very cozy.

The service, on the other hand, was quite slow but generally okay. With under 15 tables to attend to, I think the wait staff can do better next time.

our group

If you like dining out with your family and loved ones and enjoy Filipino food in a cozy setting, you might wanna give Lola Maria's Restaurant a try.

Lola Maria's Restaurant
60 Pioneer corner Madison Sts.
Mandaluyong City 1550

(+632) 633-1501 to 10

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Our Off Beat Cafe Experience

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 16:11:00 +0000

Armed with some Metrodeal vouchers, the fiancee, his mom, my two sisters and I braved the terrible Makati traffic last Tuesday night and dined at Off Beat Cafe. This restaurant is quite popular because it is home to the Donut Burger. Yes, you read that right. Instead of bread, they use Krispy Kreme glazed donuts for their specialty burger. It's an experience in itself, a unique culinary delight in its own right.

Off Beat Cafe is relatively easy to find as it is housed inside The Collective on Malugay St. in Makati. It's actually just a small cafe with only four tables inside. During our visit, we were the only customers so we had the place all to ourselves. The first few things I noticed when we got inside were the blackboard menu on top of the bar, the poor lighting, the red tables and chairs and the electric fans that provided ventilation to the place. Somehow, it reminded me of school cafeterias.

When we settled in one of the tables, one of the crew approached us to ask what we wanted to eat. I dunno but I found her unfriendly. I didn't see her smile; I looked at her facial expression and thought she was having a bad day then. Anyway, there were only three of them and they worked together as soon as they got our orders.

The ambience at Off Beat Cafe was quite gloomy. The place was a little dark, messy and shabby. I dunno but the lack of lighting, the small space and the non-existence of air-conditioning somehow dampened my mood. My excitement was renewed only upon the arrival of our food and after seeing the famed Donut Burger in the flesh.

The fiancee and his mom ordered their famous Off Beat Burger (a.k.a. Donut Burger, P200) while I tried their Chicken Curry Burger (P185). My two sisters weren't in the mood for burgers at that time and instead, they got rice meals. It was Spammy Delight (P130) for my sister O and Beefy Delight (P130) for my sister N.

Beefy Delight

Spammy Delight

We also got an order of Chili Cheese Logs (P130) as starters which were very tasty.

The fiancee liked his Donut Burger a lot. He said it was bursting with flavors! The glazed donut went well with the juicy and well-seasoned beef patty. For him these were the stars of the ensemble, the cheese, bacon and lettuce were just supporting cast. So I guess the good reviews online weren't lying, after all.

Donut Burger meal

My Chicken Curry Burger was okay. It was a bit spicy and had a very mild curry taste. The chicken patty was juicy and tasty. If I could have it my way, though, I'd ask for a strong curry flavor so that the chicken patty would stand out. Another thing I didn't like about my burger was the cold wheat dough used. I always want my bread to be warm, as in w-a-r-m. I am betting they just reheated it in the oven toaster for a minute. Or maybe less.

Chicken Curry Burger meal

I can't say a lot about the regular fast-food-type fries that went with our burgers except that they put some paprika on it for more flavor. We liked it.

While trying to get a taste of the fiancee's burger, my nose accidentally touched his shirt and it smelled of burgers. Haha. I smelled my top and got the exact same odor. So yeah, it's confirmed you'd really get the smell of whatever you'd be eating here. Not cool.

The rice meals that my two sisters ate were surprisingly decent. At P130, they're not bad.

Aside from their Donut Burger, Off Beat Cafe is famous for their flavored beers. We didn't try any of that and instead, went for the regular soda (P50) and some Sola iced tea (P60).

different beer brands adorn the store's fridge

Our dinner that night was good but nothing special. The food prices at Off Beat Cafe were reasonable considering they're already VAT included. If you'll ask me if I'd go back to Off Beat Cafe, perhaps yes, but not in the near future. :)

our group

Off Beat Cafe entrance

Off Beat Cafe
(inside The Collective)
7274 Malugay St., Makati

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Dinner at Hawaii's North Shore

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 05:46:00 +0000

Last November 17 which was a Thursday, I was at UP-Ayala Techno Hub for a dinner with the Open Rice Philippines Team. It’s my second time to attend their “Eat’s a Date” activity where they treat Open Ricers and food bloggers to a sumptuous dinner to introduce a particular restaurant and to just have a bonding time with us. This time, we tried the food at Hawaii's North Shore. Our dinner consisted of their signature burgers and steaks which are the stars of the restaurant’s very simple and straightforward menu.

Click Photo to View
iWebPhoto.com

I got caught in the traffic and so I arrived in the restaurant during the latter part of the dinner. I didn’t get to taste the burgers but I did have a great time finishing the various steaks served to us. If I’m not mistaken, I ate three different steaks in one night. How lucky could I get?

My fave among the three would be the Strip Steak because it was succulent and well-seasoned. It also had the right balance of meat and fat I wanted. Simply delicious.

Click Photo to View
iWebPhoto.com

The other two were good as well. They had the right marbling and the meat was fork-tender.

The best thing about the steaks is that their prices were quite affordable considering they were imported beef. Nice.

By the way, I also got a taste of the Caesar salad and it was light and refreshing.

Hawaii's North Shore is one themed restaurant that serves good food at mid-range prices. The ambience is cozy and relaxing. When you're here, it's like you're on a beach, what with all the surfboards and other beach essentials adorning the place. The beach wear-donning wait staff completes the beach vibe and adds a festive mood to the restaurant, too. It helped that they were friendly and attentive, too, during our visit.

Click Photo to View
iWebPhoto.com

If you’re looking for something new and craving for good burgers and steaks, you might wanna check out Hawaiaan North Shore at UP-Ayala Techno Hub!

Hawaii's North Shore
UP-Ayala Technohub
Commonwealth Ave.
Diliman, Quezon City

**Photos courtesy of OpenRice.com

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Food Trip at Midnight Mercato

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 11:08:00 +0000

If there’s Mercato Centrale weekend market, there’s also Midnight Mercato that opens from 10:00 am to 3:00 am every Friday and Saturday at The Fort. No confusion, though, because they’re from the same organizer and operate at the same venue. While Mercato Centrale boasts mainly of its organic and healthy offerings, Midnight Mercato serves the city dwellers with its plethora of food items that you can eat right there and then. Or to go.

Last Saturday was Midnight Mercato night for us. We found the venue at the corner of 9th Street and 30th Avenue at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.

With no unoccupied tables on sight, we had no choice but to take our freshly-bought food home. It turned out to be a blessing because we were able to share our food with more people.

Below are the Midnight Mercato food items we partook of that night (errr, early morning pala):

Manang’s Chicken

The blogs I read about Midnight Mercato prior to our food trip weren’t lying. Manang’s Chicken was really delicious! Basically, it’s double deep-fried chicken coated with Manang’s secret soy sauce (with original, mild spicy or spicy variants) and sprinkled with fresh sesame seed.

The fiancée even commented it tasted better than Bonchon’s. No wonder they had one of the longest customer queues at Midnight Mercato. If you’re visiting Midnight Mercato anytime soon, never leave without trying this chicken!

Sumoyaki Takoyaki

I’m not so sure of the name, but it’s everyone’s favorite takoyaki they’re selling. These takoyaki balls were sold at P70 per four pieces. Unlike the authentic takoyaki in Japan, it had no real octopus inside but crabstick. Still, it was yummy and we liked it.

Bibimbap Rice

We bought this from the stall that sold various Spanish paella rice dishes. The Bibimbap rice looked like it didn’t belong to the group but we tried it anyway because we missed the awesome Bibimbap at Kaya Restaurant. We were disappointed! The Bibimbap rice we got tasted awful. The rice grains were also undercooked and the entire rice mixture was watery (must be due to the cucumber and other veggie bits!). Its only saving grace was the sunny side-up egg on top. But anybody can never go wrong with eggs, right? At P75 per serving, I think it’s a waste of money.

this paella rice tasted way batter than the Bibimbap!

Token Cakes

We got four different cakes: carrot, mango, chocolate and cookies and cream. They were sold for P100 per two cakes. Cheap, isn’t it? I had low expectations with the cakes. Suprisingly, they were good! I particularly liked the carrot cake because it had complete ingredients (walnuts, dried fruits, etc.), the right sweetness and the cream frosting was light but yummy.

Merry Moo Special Ice Cream (Food for the Gods flavor)

I really enjoyed my Food for the Gods ice cream. This butterscotch-flavored ice cream was light, sweet and creamy, just like how ice cream should be. I asked the seller if I could taste their bestsellers (Early Grey Tea and Salt Caramel flavors) but I liked my first choice better so that’s what I bought.

Our food trip at Midnight Mercato was a success. It made me forget I was on a diet, but I’m not complaining. Everything we took home was delicious, save for the terrible Bibimbap rice.

Here are more Midnight Mercato photos:

If you’re bringing a car, parking is P30. While entering the premises, we saw several people eating inside or on the back of their cars. Some were even munching on their snacks while sitting on the sidewalk. Midnight Mercato seems to be a hit. I hope it remains so for a long time.

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Lunch at Café Platito (The Cliffhouse, Tagaytay)

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 05:17:00 +0000

During our recent Tagaytay weekend, I made sure we checked out The Cliffhouse, Tagaytay. It’s one of the best places to visit in the city if you wanna get a good view of the famous Taal Lake. These days, the Cliffhouse serves as a tourist attraction in itself with its beautiful garden landscape and row of restaurants. We went here on a Saturday noon, took a lot of photos and settled for lunch at Café Platito, the first restaurant that caught our attention.

Café Platito sat beside The Inn (the only hotel in the complex) and was right across Café Breton. It was a quaint little dining place with very limited items on its menu. There were a few tables provided for al fresco dining and a few more at the indoor dining area that seemed to double as a souvenir shop.

The fiancee had their Boneless Bonoan Bangus meal (P218) while I settled for their American Beef Burger meal, P198. For drinks, I had a pink lemonade while the fiancée got a regular Coke aside from his complimentary orange juice (for his Bangus meal).

To be honest, I found their food servings quite small. Even the drinks looked kid-size. And to think their prices are on the steep side. Sadly, the taste didn’t make up for these shortcomings.

pink lemonade, P75

orange juice (complimentary)

My burger was nothing special: two small beef patty with cheese, mustard and ketchup on a ciabatta bread. I liked the use of ciabatta bread (for added texture) but didn’t like the fact that the burger was only made tasty by the mustard and the ketchup. The fries that went with it weren’t even crispy to begin with. At P198, I thought it was overpriced and definitely not a good deal.

The fiancee’s Bangus meal had three sunny-side up eggs (for cholesterol overload?), garlic rice and two pieces of daing na bangus. I tried the fish and it was okay, tasty and went well with the rice if I may add. I also ate one of the sunny side-up eggs just so the fiancée won’t have a cholesterol overload. Haha. Again, at P218, I thought it didn’t offer good value to our money.

Sorry, but Café Platito didn’t live up to our expectations. It was a good thing they had polite servers that were easy to deal with. Had it not for them and the nice ambience, our dining experience would’ve been terrible.

I might dine again at Café Platito to find out if they would improve for the better, but not anytime soon.

Cafe Platito
The Cliffhouse Complex
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City

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Foodie Find: FelyMar's Bibingka

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 02:31:00 +0000

I've heard about FelyMar's Bibingka from the blogs I frequent. It seems people are raving about it because of four things: authenticity, good taste, affordability and all-year round availability (bibingkas or rice flour cakes are normally sold only during the Christmas season). One random Saturday, I finally came across the famous FelyMar's Bibingka when I saw my dentist whose clinic was within walking distance from LRT-Tayuman Station.

a bag-full of yumminess!

It was around 5:00 p.m. and yet it looked like the store had just opened. The place was packed with people, some are already eating bibingka on makeshift tables and chairs while others are patiently waiting for their bibingka to cook. I joined the crowd and bought two FelyMar's special bibingka at P40 each. I left the store with my late afternoon snack in two minutes. I bet the ones waiting were buying the super special bibingka (bigger and pricier at P80 each!) that FelyMar's staff cook only upon order.

When I got to the fiancee's house, I immediately shared the bibingka with him and his sister A. One bite and I knew why FelyMar's Bibingka is considered to be one of the best bibingkas in the metro!

It was really bursting with flavors: sweet, buttery, nutty, cheesy and salty all at the same time! I also liked it that FelyMar's Bibingka was generous with the cheese and salted egg as I could really taste and see big chunks of these two ingredients in their bibingkas. At just P40 each, I thought this was really a good deal!

The bibingkas had soft, fluffy and slightly sticky texture, too. It helped that we ate them while they were still hot. A few minutes had passed and the bibingkas were gone. Straight to our tummies, off they went. Haha.

Now I know where to go whenever I'm craving for the authentic and delicious bibingka of my childhood, even when it's not Christmas season here in Manila. Yay, what a great foodie discovery!

I lilly,lilly, like it...haha

FelyMar's Bibingka
(beside LRT-Tayuman Station)
J.P. Rizal Avenue
Tayuman, Manila

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Tagaytay Food Trip: Mushroomburger

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 04:42:00 +0000

Our recent Tagaytay weekend spent in a beautiful and serene place called Las Ventanas wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Mushroomburger Tagaytay. We found this fast food place that serves the blog-famous mushroom burgers filled with diners on a late Sunday morning. Of course, I had to order a mushroom burger! A mushroom sandwich, actually, which I’d found out later, contained no beef patty but 100% mushroom filling.

the signage outside the restaurant

inside scene

personalized tissue holder

You dine at Mushroomburger just like how you dine in most fast food restos. You queue up and wait for your turn at the counter. You tell the girl at the counter what you want and you are given a number right after. You then wait for the food to be served on your table.

Mushroomburger's space in Tagaytay was pretty big. It had a separate room that serves as a dining area, too. The place was a little dusty and humid during our visit but it couldn't be helped since it was fronting a busy national road and relied only on ceiling fans for ventilation.

more dining spaces

While waiting for our order, I saw some framed photos of various species of mushrooms (all edible I supposed!) and the famed mushroom burger in its full glory.

mushrooms everywhere

the star of the restaurant

I just loved my burger as it tasted so fresh and healthy! Basically, it had oyster mushrooms, mayo and some tomato and cucumber slices on a warm bun. Each bite was filled with the earthy and juicy flavors of the mushrooms. At one point, the meaty texture of the mushrooms even made me believe that I was eating real meat patty! The cucumber slices, pickle and mayo provided the needed crunch and sweet-tangy flavor to the sandwich to complete the burger experience. It was so good I'm sure my vegetarian friends would love it.

my mushroom sandwich was yummy!

what's inside

these mushrooms sure look like chicken chunks!

anatomy of a mushroom sandwich

I partnered my burger with a plate of Pinoy-style spaghetti. The pasta was a bit soggy and the sauce quite watery but the overall taste was okay. It reminded me of Tropical Hut’s version.

The fiancée, on the other hand, ordered a rice meal and he got this:

I tasted his beef patty (mixed with mushrooms, I guessed) and it was delish, too.

We were surprised to learn the food items at Mushroomburger Tagaytay were very affordable. Their burgers were priced at less than P100 each. The drinks were under P50 per glass.

glimpse of the menu board

I had a Sago Gulaman drink while the fiancée had regular Coke.

gulaman, anyone?

All in all, our bill amounted only to just P268. A good deal, if you ask me.

what a cheap but delicious lunch it was!

Mushroomburger is a bit far from Tagaytay Junction but if you’d like to taste delicious mushroom burgers from where it originated, then a trip has to be scheduled pronto. Just drive straight the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road and soon you’ll see the big Mushroomburger signage on your left. The place has free parking and lots of parking spaces so feel free to bring your car.

'till my next visit, Mushroomburger!

If you don't feel like driving all the way to Tagaytay for this, Mushroomburger has branches at West Avenue and Katipunan, Quezon City.

Mushroomburger Tagaytay
Brgy. Kaybagal, Tagaytay City

(+6346) 413-1330

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The New KFC Zinger Double Down

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 00:14:00 +0000

Those who missed the appetizingly overwhelming KFC Double Down during its limited release this year don't have any reasons to fret. KFC has recently launched the new KFC Zinger Double Down. It's KFC Double Down with a twist! From the original chicken fillets, it now has the hot and crispy zinger chicken fillets!

KFC was thoughtful enough to send me my very own KFC Zinger Double Down Thursday last week (October 28) complete with the drama of a KFC delivery boy donning a fireman's outfit!

I wanted to show some pictures but unfortunately, my sister accidentally deleted them while sorting out photos from our DSLR. Anyway, the delivery coincided the debut of the sandwich at all KFC stores in the Philippines. What a delightful morning it was! The sandwich served as my breakfast before going to work. Yum!

KFC Zinger Double Down up-close

KFC Zinger Double Down is huge. Imagine two hot and crispy chicken fillets with bacon strips, cheese and mayo in between. I closed my eyes and forgot about the calories while enjoying each bite. As expected, the chicken was oh-so-KFC-licious and I could really taste its spicy flavor. With two chicken pieces in one sandwich, it was double the heat, but I managed it well. I was so proud of myself. Haha.

A visit to KFC-Mall of Asia the next day informed me that KFC Zinger Double Down is priced at P120 (ala carte) and P150 (with drinks and fries). Still very affordable, if you ask me.

KFC-MOA menu board

If I could have it my way, I'll ask KFC to toast the bacon strips to bring out its rich, full flavor. And next time I'll consume one, I'll experiment a bit by eating it with rice! I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a complete and satisfying meal for me. :)

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Foodie Find: Empanada Avenue

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 09:52:00 +0000

My officemate N brought some empanadas for snack this afternoon and we all liked it. Thought I'd share about the pastry on this blog so more people will know about it. The brand is Empanada Avenue and it has several branches all over the metro. Dubbed as "the original empanada of Bulacan," it's one yummy snack that can easily be one's favorite.

Each box has 12 pieces of medium-sized chicken empanadas. Each empanada retails for P10.

The empanada I happened to munch on was still warm to the touch, soft and generously-stuffed. It was slightly greasy (but that's a given with any kind of deep-fried food!) but very tasty. Aside from the chicken chunks and carrot bits, I think I saw some bits of hard-boiled egg inside which gave the empanada added flavor and character, I must say.

Since I'm trying to lose weight, I think I'd love to have this chicken empanada from Empanada Avenue once in a while because it can be quite addicting. :)

Empanada Avenue
Dapitan St. cor. Lacson Avenue (beside Mercury Drug)
Sampaloc, manila

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Empanada-Avenue

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Get a Taste of Asia at Crustasia Asian Bistro

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 10:56:00 +0000

Friday night last week was spent dining with fellow foodie blogger friends at Crustasia Asian Bistro**. The restaurant is nestled at the ground floor of Power Plant Mall in Rockwell, Makati. I've heard of the dining place before but it was my first time to actually dine there to sample their various offerings: Thai, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vietnamese and Chinese specialties plus mouth-watering seafood. If you're a Pinoy like me, forget about your local cuisine for a few hours (because they don't serve any Filipino dishes here) and indulge in the distinctive cuisines of our neighbor countries. Now, lemme tell you about my awesome dining experience.

For starters, we had the Thai Catfish Salad and the Grand Javanese Sampler consisting of Martabak Telor (Indonesian bread stuffed with eggs and meat curry), Sambal Teri Kacang (spicy dried anchovies and peanuts), Kerupuk dan Emping (Indonesian assorted crackers) and Bakwan Jagung Manis (corn fritters).

Thai Catfish Salad, P245

Grand Javanese Sampler, P295

Taste wise, I found the catfish salad okay (tasted better when eaten with the chili-vinegar dip!) though the catfish was a bit oily. As for the sampler, I happened to try some of the spicy dried anchovies and peanuts and I loved them. It makes for a good pulutan, methinks.

To get things more exciting, we had a soup called Sichuan Boiled Catfish. It's one recipe taken from the Sichuan cuisine of China. It had boiled catfish, fresh mung bean sprouts, dry roasted chilies and other spices. The boiled catfish was divine, so soft, fresh and tasty. The soup itself, on the other hand, was tolerably hot and spicy.

Sichuan Boiled Catfish, P395

For the main courses, we had a few dishes to share:

All Meat Sate Sampler,P685 for 16 sticks

This All Meat Sate Sampler came with two sauces: soy-chili dip and peanut sauce. The tender and succulent pork sate tasted a lot like Pinoy pork barbecue (take that as a compliment!) to me while the chicken sate was too spicy for my liking (people who love spicy food will surely enjoy it!). According to Chef Nur (the resident chef who graced our dinner with his presence), it is best paired with rice to neutralize the spicy flavor.

the smiling-faced Chef Nur

Hunan Cumin Ribs, P465

I'm not a big fan of spices with very rich flavors (except curry) but I enjoyed this rib item that had lotsa cumin. The recipe, by the way, is from the Hunan cuisine of China.

I don't have a photo of the Thai Style Grilled Squid (P285) but I love squid and so I liked this dish a lot. The squid was grilled to perfection and the meat came out soft and succulent. It's perfect as is or paired with a chili-vinegar dip.

At Crustasia, the star of the night will always be the giant crabs cooked to the Asian dish of your choice. For our group, we had two orders of Kepiting Masak Sauce Mentega (Indonesian sweet soy and butter crab):

Indonesian Sweet Soy and Butter Crab, P145 per 100g.

Each order had one giant crab (more or less than a kilo heavy!) sitting on a slightly thick sauce with sauteed onions and fresh red chili slices. Oh boy was it good! I've tasted pepper crabs and crabs cooked in coconut milk before. But it was my first time to try this particular crab dish and it left a lasting impression to me. The flavors were so familiar yet so unique. Did I mention the crabs tasted really fresh, too?

True to its origins, our feast was paired with perfectly-cooked steamed rice and beverages like dayap mint cooler, pineapple shake and Thai iced tea.

Crustasia Asian Bistro is one posh dining place where you can bring your family and friends without worry. Some of the things I easily noticed upon entering the restaurant were the lovely 3D wall art, the leather-covered cushioned seats, the artsy light fixtures, and the high ceiling. I heard the place has had a makeover recently and I think they did well. The restaurant turned out to be modern-looking yet very cozy. And quite spacious, too.

That Friday night, the restaurant was half-filled (mostly yuppies and foreigners) and we even had some celebrity sightings (hello celebrity couple Bea Alonzo and Zanjoe Marudo!). All in all, it was a great dining experience for me at Crustasia Asian Bistro. I hope to be back soon! :)

our group

Crustasia entrance door

**Crustasia Asian Bistro is one of the concept restaurants under the Red Crab Group.

Crustasia Asian Bistro
G/F Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati

(+632 728-5463)

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Enjoy the Flavors of Japan at Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant

noreply@blogger.com (edelweiza) — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 02:26:00 +0000

Finally, the fiancee and I were able to use the Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant voucher we got from Metrodeal.com. It was a set lunch for two persons and we thought of no better day to use it than on a Sunday noon right after hearing mass. I made the reservation a few days before so we got seated in no time. The friendly staff at the reception counter informed us that we could choose to seat in one of the traditional tables and eat the Japanese way. We liked the idea and so we followed his advice.

Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant is located inside Boulevard Mansion, one of the hotels facing the beautiful Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard. It is a well-lit dining place with a very relaxing ambience.

The dominating element of dark wood and the big bamboo ornaments on the wall added a zen-like feel to the spacious room. We were the only group that time and we had the entire place to ourselves. Cool.

The fiancée wanted to try their maki and since it was not included in the set lunch, we had to order it additionally along with our drinks. A plate of Shiro Shiro’s California Maki Manila Style (P140) had a total of six fresh and yummy maki rolls. I found out that for it to be called plain California maki, avocado is used instead of mango.

By the way, he had fresh mango shake while I opted for iced coffee.

her drink

his drink

One by one, the four-courses that made up our Tokyo set lunch were served on our table.

We started off our meal with the BLT Salada. This was bacon, lettuce and tomato salad with a Japanese twist. The fiancée wasn’t really into salad but he liked it. It was as light and fresh as a salad should be.

Menchi Katsu. This dish had two breaded and deep-fried ground pork croquettes on a bed of sliced cabbage leaves. The croquettes were perfectly cooked but I found nothing special about them. The sweet dip that came with it was okay, though.

Their Tamago Soup (soft egg soup) was tasty and filling. I liked that they served it really hot in two small individual bowls.

Shiro Shiro’s Kamameshi was a kettle rice dish made with squid ink and seafood. I liked it a lot because I was a squid lover. It was yum in every bite. Poor fiancée, he’s allergic to seafood so he didn’t dare to touch this dish.

For desserts, we were served with Tempura Ice Cream. It was plain Vanilla ice cream deep-fried in tempura batter on a bed of baked apples with chocolate and grenadine sauce. I wonder how they maintained the texture of the ice cream while cooking the tempura batter! Anyhow, the taste was brilliant. The apple slices despite having been baked were still crispy, too. This dessert gave a sweet ending to our meal.

All in all, our lunch at Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant was memorable and satisfying. Its location being just a 10-minute car ride from our place is a plus point to me. Next time, I’d love to try their bento meals.

Shiro Shiro Japanese Restaurant
G/F Boulevard Hotel & Residential Suites
1440 Roxas Blvd. cor. Salas St.
Ermita, Manila

(+632) 353-1179

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