First Bite: The Dessert Kitchen

It is undeniable that The Dessert Kitchen has really photogenic desserts. I have been eying to visit this Hong Kong dessert shop for the longest time but I never manage to do so because 1) I don’t have any other business in Rockwell and 2) Manila traffic is crazy. But I managed to pay this place a visit on Father’s Day weekend and it sure was packed!

Hello, The Dessert Kitchen!

The small and quaint dessert place was very busy on a Saturday afternoon. There were only four bar stools and a table vacant when we arrived. Luckily, the table that was vacated could accommodate four. 

It took us a while to order as the menu was quite extensive. Shaved ice, pudding, soft serve ice cream, eggette… name it, The Dessert Kitchen would most likely have it.

We went with the award winning and bestseller Purple in Love (PHP258), Tofu with Hokkaido Red Beans (PHP168), Matcha Red Bean Eggette with Strawberry Ice Cream(PHP288) and Sakura Warabi (PHP168). 

Service was quite fast considering that the place was busy. Purple in Love was served in less than 10 minutes. 

It looked pretty good and the serving size seemed generous as it was overflowing. Then again, it might be because the bowl used wasn’t that big. 

First Bite: Draft Gastropub Manila

I always frequent Rockwell for food and I discovered another favorite few weeks back. It was quite unexpected. I was thinking of just relaxing at home that night as we just came from Coron. But R’s friends all wanted to have dinner at Draft and since we were hungry too, we decided to join them.

Hello, Draft Gastropub Manila!

I recall that I visited the Draft BGC branch a few years back with some colleagues but since we came from an event, we were stuffed and just had light snacks and a few drinks. This time, R and I ordered the Beef Pot Roast (PHP480) for sharing, Paulaner Dunkel (PHP200, 330ml) and Stella Artois (PHP150, 330ml).

I’m not really a beer person but the Paulaner Dunkel was pretty good! It didn’t have that bitter beer taste unlike the one I ordered at Brotzeit. It had a mildly sweet after taste and I like it.

First Bite: Wild Ginger

I feel terrible when I pay for a dish I find “meh” or worse… “blargh”. I had that sentiment last Friday when I had lunch at a ramen place in Rockwell. The broth had a very odd taste and the appetizer we ordered was too salty. It’ll take me a long while before I decide to visit that place again. The only perk I got from the lunch was when my colleague mentioned a list of restaurants I have to try. One of the restaurants she mentioned was Wild Ginger.

Hello, Wild Ginger!

I always pass by this restaurant and it never really made me curious as I only see a few people eat here. But since my colleague mentioned that this quaint restaurant serves good food, I had to give it a try.

R was indecisive that night so I ordered for the both of us: Pad Thai (PHP245), Thai Green Chicken Curry (PHP285), and Asian Tomato Soup (PHP135). I also got a glass of cold Calamansi juice (PHP75).

I was a bit iffy to order the tomato soup as it mentioned “spices from the East Indies” but I assumed that it wouldn’t be spicy. WRONG. It was so spicy that it made me cough and tear up. People who love spicy dishes would like this though.

Restaurant Love: Wooden Spoon

As much as I love visiting new restaurants, I also have some favorites that I do not mind visiting again and again (and again). One of my loves is Wooden Spoon by Sandy Daza. This well-loved restaurant in Katipunan has expanded and is now also in Rockwell and Kapitolyo, two places I frequent! This must be fate.

Hello again, Wooden Spoon!

This time around, we ordered the following: Dinuguan na Bagnet (PHP232), Sitaw sa Gata (PHP142), Wansoy Shrimp Nuggets (PHP175) and Fiesta Rice (PHP172). I also got Cucumber Shake (PHP95).

The cucumber shake was refreshing and it sure quenched my thirst (after attending two classes of yoga and walking around Rockwell just to find Angel’s Kitchen).

The Sitaw sa Gata was your usual veggies in coconut milk. But I liked that there were crispy young anchovies on top.

First Bite: Hatch 22

As I grow older (and hopefully wiser), I learn to appreciate my alone time. Being alone does not automatically mean lonely. It’s just that you are capable of doing things on your own. The only downside I could think of when eating alone is that I couldn’t order a lot as (1) I could not finish everything and (2) I’ll be too poor if I always do that. A few Sundays ago, I decided to have lunch at Hatch 22, a restaurant many warned me about. But since I was alone, I could eat wherever I want (and order whatever I want).

Hello, Hatch 22!

The place had a few empty tables when I arrived. I noticed that it’s more of a family place; that or simply because it was a Sunday. (And so, I was the only solo diner that time.)

I spotted a few salmon dishes while browsing the menu and so I ordered: Salmon and Lemon Caper Salad (PHP375 for half), Salmon and Rosti (PHP455), Pumpkin Spice soup (PHP185) and a glass of Grilled Lemonade (PHP110).

First served was my Grilled Lemonade.

I was warned that the drink has a bit of spice and true enough, it reminded me of Juju Cleanse. It was refreshing though and the lemon was really grilled!

The soup arrived next and it was a creamy bowl of heaven. The pureed roasted squash was delightful. The slightly sweet taste of squash went well with the salty chorizo bits.

Love at First Sip: Refinery

I just love it when I get to try more than one restaurant in one day. It gives me a lot of happy vibes. So, when my favorite Dragon Lady agreed to try Refinery after Rambla, my grin reached both ears.

Hello, Refinery.

For some reason, I thought that this place is a bar or something. I never thought that this place serves good coffee and dessert.

Since we were quite full, we were more focused on just ordering dessert and coffee. We went with Black Onyx (PHP195, syphon extraction) and a pan of Baked S’mores (seasonal and for limited time only). 

What I loved about Refinery is that we still get the remaining coffee from the syphon. Some coffee shops (e.g. Dolce Latte) only fill the cup and return the remaining coffee back to the kitchen.

Soon, our coffee and s’mores were served.

T likes her coffee black and an auntie once told me that it’s best to enjoy coffee as is—with no sugar or cream. That way, you get to taste and appreciate the beans.

Love at First Bite: Rambla

Instagram sure makes me fat. Yes, it does. Every time a foodie friend or a food app account posts a dish, I end up drooling and craving. And there was a time when someone posted a photo of the liquid omelette of Rambla. Yes, LIQUID OMELETTE. Awesome right? I instantly messaged J (one of the T3 members I bug… most of the time) and he agreed. But for some reason, we never visited the place! *cries* But I am blessed as my favorite Dragon Lady was game. And so after antigravity yoga, we dropped by Rambla for lunch.

Hello, Rambla!

The place is pretty dark considering it was just 1 p.m. when we visited. I guess that gives it the cozy date ambiance. (But the place is great for some afternoon chat or mini gatherings as well.)

It took us a bit of time to decide on what to order but finally settled with the following: The “Liquid” Spanish Omelette (PHP125), Black Paella with Salmon Loin Tataki and Baby Carrots (PHP595) and Salmon and Arugula Mini Pizza (PHP245).

The liquid Spanish omelette arrived first and it was heavenly. The slowly and lowly cooked till creamy egg yolks topped with caramelized onions was a foodie treat. 

I also loved the delightful potato foam that somehow reminded me of cheese for some reason (must be the color). I’ll definitely order three glasses of this next time!

The mini pizza was served next and it was also a lovely dish. The thick salmon cut topped with arugula on a thin crust served as a great appetizer (or snack). One order is slightly too small for sharing though.

Long Time No Taste: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

I was so proud of my self control last week as after yoga, I just had salad for lunch and a light dinner after. I couldn’t really say the same is true last weekend for I ate… a lot. Oh well.

Hello again, Ikkoryu Fukuoka.

It has been a long while. The last time I visited Ikkoryu Fukuoka was during Black Day (April 14) with my 14^th of the month date J (of T3). This time around, I visited the Rockwell branch with another J, the architect.

I was quite hesitant to order as I know that the salt content of ramen is pretty much… wild! So to compromise, I started to look at the salad options. I was about to order the cold noodles when the server recommended their limited edition Ebi Hanadango Tonkotsu (PHP400), I gave in. (Darn you, “limited edition”!) I also ordered Kurogoma Ice Cream (PHP100) to somehow cleanse the palate.

First Bite: Marketplace by Rustan’s Supermarket

I love grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places for it gives me extreme happiness whenever I see a new products or my favorite snack that I haven’t seen in ages (such as Tronky). My all-time favorite supermarkets are Pioneer Supermarket (with its highly impressive selection of imported goods) and S&R. A few months ago, I noticed Marketplace, the deli area of Rustan’s Supermarket in Rockwell. I used to ignore it but I see more and more diners in the area so I thought that it might be a good place to have a meal. And a few Sundays ago, I finally got to visit the place.

Hello, Marketplace!

The first thing I saw when I got in was the man who was enjoying a tray of salmon. I circled the place thrice but I couldn’t find it. Oh well.

After a few more minutes, I finally decided to get the following: Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad (PHP220), Bacon Cheddar and Tomato Sandwich (PHP199), Mozzarella and Chunky Tomato Sandwich (PHP165) and Quiche Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese (PHP99).

The Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad was more on the bland side. My mom and sister didn’t really like it as it was cold. But it was meant to be cold and it was actually refreshing.

Restaurant Love: Franco's

I love my alone time. It’s quite sad to know that some people assume that being alone means being lonely. For me, spending some time with one’s self is proof that you are not dependent on people to do things. I know some people who can’t eat alone. Some can’t even go shopping alone. Well, I have been through that phase too. And yes, saying, “Table for one, please” still makes me giggle.

While walking around Rockwell to canvass some items for work, I passed by the strip of restaurants and realized that I was famished. Given, I haven’t had breakfast yet and it was already 1 p.m. that time. I was thinking of having a light snack at some coffee shop but realized that it’s such a waste if I don’t try something new. So after some thought, I decided to visit…

Franco’s.

Apparently, Franco's is also owned by the management handling Myron’s Steaks, Ribs and Seafood. I noticed though, unlike the steakhouse counterpart, the dishes offered by Franco’s are much more affordable.

The place is pretty charming. (Fine, I like wooden tables and cute chairs.)

After a quick look at the menu, I decided to go for the Pumpkin Soup (PHP120), Grilled Salmon (PHP350), Crème Brulee (PHP160) and Butterfly Iced Tea (PHP90). Yes, I wanted a light lunch.

The pumpkin soup was served first and it was deeelightful! It was creamy and it had a great balance of sweetness and saltiness. I finished the whole bowl in less than five minutes.

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.

Greetings from California... Pizza Kitchen.

My sister have never tried to dine at California Pizza Kitchen before so one random Sunday afternoon, we decided to go to Rockwell and have one late lunch there.

I’ve never dined in CPK’s branch in Rockwell so it felt so weird that the place was quite small (as I was used to the [former] spacious Shangri-La branch located at the ground floor). There were only a few diners when we arrived so we got a table right away. We got the one with a couch! Yey!

Happy Hour at 3PM

Happy Lemon Rockwell Branch is finally open to spread happiness!!!

I was thrilled when I saw a lady carrying a plastic bag of Happy Lemon while walking around Power Plant. That made me smile so big and I immediately convinced my friends to go to Happy Lemon with me while (ironically) burning some Ultimate Taste Test calories.

When we arrived, the first thing I noticed that there was ample sitting area. Customers can also sit on the couches in front of the clothes stores. However, the seats near the counter were not that desirable since it could be crowded when there are a lot of customers ordering.

We were lucky because the line was still pretty short when we ordered. After 10 minutes, the line became crazy. Service was quite quick though compared to its Greenhills branch.

New branch, new drink (well, at least for me).

This time, I ordered Lemon Black Tea with pearls since I was craving for something tangy (as I find milk tea too filling and our goal was to “burn” some calories for more of UTT concessionaires’ food).

It was quite different from the others I’ve tried before. Simply put, it was a sour tea.

At first, I didn’t like it. It tasted weird. Then after a few more sips, I eventually liked it. It now has my "less than three" a.k.a. heart stamp on it! Its distinct taste set it apart from the other milk tea stores.  

So give other drinks a chance. Take a risk and you might discover your newest love.

Happy Lemon is located at the Archeology Wing, 2F Power Plant Mall, Makati.

Rock. Pepper. Chili's.

It has been a long while since I last had dinner at Chili’s. I still remember that they get kiddie crews every summer. Cute little kids will take our orders and assist the servers bring the food to us with innocent smiles on their faces.

With weary feet (and wallets) from the Rockwell Bazaar, my mom, sister and I decided to call it a night and head back to the mall to have (a late) dinner. I wanted to eat at a new restaurant but my mom wanted to eat at Chili’s and I just could not resist their oh-so-good-made-from-real-potatoes fries. Okay, technically, Chili’s is not a new restaurant to me so the best I could do is order something I haven’t tried from Chili’s before.

Since I was still full from my cup of taho (I have this weird addiction to silken tofu with syrup and small tapioca), I decided to order something I could share with my mom.  My sister on the other hand was pretty easy to please. As long as the restaurant offers chicken fingers, she’s happy.

We then ordered Triple Play (PHP485) and Chicken Crispers (PHP300). I also ordered Chili’s Soup of the Day (PHP150, cup) and Molten Chocolate Cake (PHP390) for dessert.

Despite having a lot of customers, the service was very fast. We got our soup in less than 5 minutes. It was Seafood Chowder.

It was served with a small pack of crackers. It was creamy and not that heavy unlike other chowders. The serving though was quite small. I managed to finish it in less than 2 minutes.

Next served was Chicken Crispers… (FRIES!!!)

It was nothing special. It was your typical chicken fingers. It wasn’t very crispy. It even reminded me of camaron rebusado. K The fries though were really good. Real potatoes!!! (Okay, fine, it wasn’t that special as a lot of restaurants serve that too.)

The Triple Play was good for two people. My mom asked the server to separate the sauce for the buffalo wings as we were informed that it was spicy. Well, it was bland without the sauce. It was your typical deep-fried chicken. The Southwestern Eggrolls on the other hand had a very strong onion taste that I don't like. It somehow reminded me of the soft taco I had from another restaurant. I only ate half of a roll. There were also Chicken Crispers in the plate. (Wrong move there.)

Finally, dessert… Molten Chocolate Cake.

First thing we noticed was the generous serving of ice cream. The chocolate syrup froze already and we had a hard time cracking it. After several taps and pokes, the hardened syrup finally gave up. YEY! 

The ice cream, syrup, and chocolate cake were… okay. It was not as rich and velvety as Cyma’s though which disappointed me. The price made me expect more from it.

There was this one dish that I really wanted to try but didn’t order. I will definitely try that when I visit Chili's again.

Chili's is located at Level P1, Powerplant Mall, Makati City