First Bite: Eatogether Food Hall's Jeepney Avenue

Filipino cuisine will always have a special place in my heart (and tummy). Its comforting flavors never fail to make me feel at home or remember the good ol' days with the family. And I was giddy to spot Jeepney Avenue at Eatogether.

Hello, Jeepney Avenue.

Jeepney Avenue is one of the first stalls you'll see when you enter Eatogether. Situated right beside the counter to get your Vikings Card, its mouthwatering display of crispy pata will get your attention.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

Filipino food always have a special place in my heart and tummy. I'd often find myself craving for bulalo, sinigang or adobo. And one of the best places I know that offers good sinigang is Sentro 1771. But this Filipino restaurant offers more than just Sinigang na Corned Beef.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

It has been a while since I last visited Sentro 1771 and I was glad that the dishes I love are still available and there are a few new items worth checking out. 

New Favorites at Bench Café

Bench is one amazing brand. From a humble retail store, it has expanded to more than just selling clothes. Now seen as a lifestyle brand, it now has spin off brands like Bench Fix and one of its more recent ventures, Bench Café. Its festive and flavorful dishes were instant hit to the BGC market that even those not within the area brave the traffic just to have a taste of the famous Tinapa Cones, Sisig and to die for Halo-Halo. And its newest dishes charmed us as easy as counting 1-2-3. 

Hello again, Bench Café. 

Bench Café recently revamped its menu and added some stellar new favorites in its menu. Now offering more a la carte dishes perfect for sharing, Bench Café becomes a family destination. 

Two is Better than One: Max's Kabisera

With the local food scene getting crazier and crazier each day with the number of new brands and concepts opening in every corner, there are still classics that I go back to with Max's as one of my go to restaurants when it comes to Tofu Sisig, Pancit Canton and of course, fried chicken. And when it merged with my other favorite Filipino restaurant Kabisera, it felt like it was an early Christmas gift. 

Hello, Max's Kabisera.

Max's Kabisera came from the idea of merging two of Max's Group brands under one store to offer the best of both concepts resulting in a wide array of familiar dishes yet in a redefined dining experience and setting. 

First Bite: The Belle and Dragon

We often associate bars and pubs with just drinks and maybe a handful of bar chows. But I've noticed lately that several drinking spots have been paying close attention to their food offerings and making it not just good pairings with their drinks but superb too for dinner! And one of the places worth visiting for dinner (or even lunch) is The Belle and Dragon. 

Hello, The Belle and Dragon.

Located along the busy street of Carlos Palanca, its green facade would be the first thing to catch your attention, a nice contrast against the urban concrete city like Makati. 

First Bite: Kusina Juan Republika

I always get overwhelmed with restaurant options whenever I'm in Quezon City. With several options along Tomas Morato and Teachers Village, I often rely on my foodie friends' suggestions on the best places to eat. And last weekend, I got to visit this new food complex along the busy street of Mother Ignacia that houses a Filipino and Japanese restaurants, tapas bar, cafe and a pastry shop. First stop, Kusina Juan Republik. 

Hello, Kusina Juan Republik.

This Filipino restaurant serves local favorites such as sisig, sinigang, kare-kare and even the street classic balot. 

When in Tagaytay: Sky Ranch

I usually visit Tagaytay for a quick getaway whenever there's a short holiday. And two weeks ago, I decided to spend a day there to take a break from the insane city life. But instead of unwinding at our favorite resort, R and I decided to do something different and visit Sky Ranch. 

Hello, Sky Ranch. 

This amusement park developed by SM group has been around for a couple of years now and has been a destination of choice of local travelers. It is easy to spot the place with its ginormous Sky Eye ferris wheel. 

My eyes twinkled with delight upon seeing several restaurants surrounding the park. And I saw a few more inside. I figured that it might be best to go on a food trip first before going crazy with the different rides available. 

Stress-free Holidays: Sobremesa Christmas Packs

Christmas is just around the corner. Okay, maybe it is still a few blocks away. But it is better to be prepared than joining the whole city go crazy during the holiday rush. More than looking for presents, I find prepping potluck meals more time consuming and tiring. Thankfully, there are now several places where I could buy mouthwatering dishes. And one of my favorites is Sobremesa.

Hello again, Sobremesa.

This Peruvian restaurant is definitely more than its talked-about cellphone cages. It offers a variety of dishes catering to meat and veggie lovers or simply anyone who appreciates good food. 

First Bite: After All

I love knowing every restaurant's back story as it gives it more character and allows me to have a better grasp on what it aims to be. Some started out as passion projects while others wanted to fill the market's unmet needs or wants. One establishment I've recently visited sprung from the idea of the owners wanting a place to hang out and enjoy their favorite dishes. It turns out though that the food they always crave would be a hit with people outside their circle. After all, their favorites are classics.

Hello, After All Bar & Grill. 

This restaurant and bar in SM Jazz opened its doors to the public last month and it has been getting a steady following since then. It isn't surprising as After All offers a wide variety of dishes and drinks. 

I was greeted by dim lights and dark hued furniture when I stepped inside After All. It was still very quiet around 6 pm with only some of the owners at the other side of the restaurant. Diners came in around 7:30 pm and the place became very busy around 8 pm. 

Happy Tummies at Happy Tables

It is really fascinating how the Manila food scene has grown from a place with limited restaurants to a bustling city filled with food choices here and there. And with the growing number of food parks or hubs, you could tell that the restaurant industry is on fire! And just a couple of weeks back, we visited a new food park along the long stretch of Congressional Avenue and we were impressed. 

Hello, Happy Tables!

This food park, rather, a restaurant hub, is the brainchild of Happy Tables’ owner Oye Peralta. With his passion of offering quality dishes, he took the time and effort to do extensive food tasting to ensure that each and every dish offered in Happy Tables would delight the growingly discerning foodie market. The end result was a well curated list of restaurants that spoiled us when we visited. 

Restaurant Love: Fish & Co.

R is such a big fan of Fish & Co. and that is the very reason why he avails of a Bistro Group card each year. He gets perks such as 30% discount on Mondays and 20% on the other days of the week. Not bad if you frequent the Bistro Group establishments. And during a long break, I managed to visit R at work and we had lunch together at… yes, Fish & Co.

Hello, Fish & Co. 

The place was not packed when we arrived. We easily managed to get a table and ordered R’s favorite Pork Knuckles Platter (PHP995) and a liter of Jungle Freeze (PHP335) split into 3 mugs. I also ordered a cup of Mushroom Soup as I was really hungry.

First served was the messily poured Jungle Freeze. 

The nice blend of pineapples and rambutan made this drink very sweet. No wonder R loved it. I hardly managed to finish my mug and R gladly finished it for me. 

The mushroom soup didn't leave much of an impression and I could not recall anything about it. 

The platter arrived next and it looked delectable!

Restaurant Favorite: Locavore

After an afternoon date with my mom and sister, I headed to Kapitolyo for dinner with R’s family at Locavore. Auntie C made reservations but since the place was so busy during Mother’s Day, we were given seats at the al fresco area. At least we didn’t have to wait.

Hello, Locavore! It has been a while!

I think my last visit here was December 2014. It was memorable because it was the first time I met some of R’s friends. He made such a smooth move by asking me to recommend places to eat around my area. As an always-giddy-when-food-is-involved person, I recommended a handful and told him which dishes to order per restaurant. Then he asked me to join them so that they do not order the wrong ones. How can I turn down free food?! Anyways, fast forward to May 2016, I was back!

We ordered quite a lot as everyone was famished. Of course, part of the list were the bestsellers Lechon and Oyster Sisig (PHP360) and Sizzling Sinigang (PHP475). We also ordered Boneless Lechon Belly (PHP495), Baked Scallops with Aligue (PHP500), Garlic Baby Squid (PHP440) and Mac’s Boneless Fried Chicken (PHP220). For dessert, we got Sorbetes Gatas and Tsoknut (PHP150). 

The Baked Scallops with Aligue was served first and it was pretty good. It was buttery and the aligue added flavor to the typical baked scallops. There was also a generous serving of rock salt. However, the scallops were too small and too few for its price. 

The entrees were served next. 

The Sizzling Sinigang and Lechon Oyster Sisig were delightful as always. 

I loved the tanginess of the sinigang’s gravy. The crunchy veggies also added bite to the tender meat. This is best enjoyed with rice given its rich taste. So forget your no rice diet when you order this dish.

Restaurant Love: Wooden Spoon

I've heard of Wooden Spoon from my great friend N and from my colleague M. I still remember how M described one of the dishes...  
“Tilapia that tastes like Crispy Pata” to which we all reacted... “Really now?” Yes, we were pessimistic foodies then. 

My favorite Dragon Lady and I celebrated Children’s Day last May and planned on having a kiddie lunch as well. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants in Rockwell do not really offer much variety for kids except for the usual Jollibee and McDonald’s. While on the lookout, we 
spotted Wooden Spoon and I remembered M’s happiness when he shared his find, “Crispy Pata Fish”. I admit, I was really curious with 
that so I asked T if we could have lunch there instead and she agreed.

The place wasn’t packed given it was 3 p.m. when we got there. We noticed though that the crowd seemed to be a bit... more mature.

Ordering was a breeze as we were famished. We decided to go with Crispy Pata Fish (PHP245, small), Shrimp Pampango (PHP239), 
Garlic Rice (PHP125), Reyna Blanca (PHP75) and Iced Tea (PHP55).

The Crispy Pata Fish did not disappoint. It looked like your usual fish but the texture was totally different. It had the crispy yet slightly 
chewy skin. The flesh was tender and flavorful. It tasted just like your usual crispy pata but healthier.

Foodie Alert: Unlimited Crispy Pata!!!

Unlimited. Eat-all-you-can. Overflowing. Those words never fail to make me smile!

Gluttons rejoice as C2 Classic Cuisine has a promo that is simply hard to resist. Just combine a sinful yet oh-so-good dish plus the word UNLIMITED… *happiness*

UNLIMITED. CRISPY. PATA. *twirls, jumps, and (if I could) somersaults*

The promo is actually simple. Just go to the C2 Classic Cuisine Greenhills branch, order the unlimited crispy pata and pay PHP299. But waaaait!!! For those with tight budgets but big tummy space, fret not as you could slash PHP100 off your bill by following these easy steps:

Home of Kare-Kareng Bagnet: Pino Resto Bar

Our second food stop during our first Maginhawa food trip this 2012 was Pino Resto Bar as I have been eying its Choco Turon for some time now.

Hello, Pino!

 

I can’t help notice the cute doodles on the wall of Pino upon entering. It definitely gave the restaurant an artistic vibe.

When in Cebu eat Thai food

We were pretty clueless as where to go during our first night in Cebu for Entrepreneur Networking Night the following day. To play safe, we decided to go to Siam, a Thai restaurant in Ayala Cebu. (Btw, Ayala Cebu was such a beautiful sight.)



Tom Yum

Some of my colleagues were brave enough to slurp down the Tom Yum Prawn Soup (PHP240) which never fails to make me choke till I cry. I tried it still since we all get a cup each and I still can’t finish a cup—not even one spoonful.

Finally the other dishes arrived. We also ordered Bagoong Rice (PHP180), Chicken Thai Yellow Curry (PHP220), Thai Crispy Pata (PHP330)—yes, apparently there is a THAI version, Sautéed Prawn in garlic (PHP220), and Chili Prawn (PHP230).

Bagoong Rice



Chicken Thai Yellow Curry

The Bagoong Rice was nothing spectacular. It doesn’t have a very strong taste and it worked for us since we also ordered curry. The Chicken Thai Yellow Curry on the other hand was delicious. I’m not very fond of curry and this one doesn’t have the strong taste (and smell) of curry. It was just right. It reminded me of Simply Thai’s version. It was really good. Moving on.

Sautéed Prawn in garlic

 

Chili Prawn

The Chili Prawn and Sautéed Prawn in garlic were goooood. The prawns were big and fresh. I prefer the Chili Prawn over the one sautéed in garlic as it was richer in flavor. What made me in love with it was that it wasn’t very spicy. In fact, it was quite mild. The one in garlic was like your typical dampa type. Fresh and garlicy.

Thai Crispy Pata

Lastly, the Thai Crispy Pata. Well, it tasted like… crispy pata. Crispy skin, tender meat, really good with soy sauce with some onions.

Too bad there’s no Siam in Manila. But now I have more reasons to frequent Ayala Cebu on my next visit.