First Bite: Bake House Manila

I love hanging out at Shangri-La at the Fort. Aside from its amazing restaurants, I find its lounge the perfect place to have some work done. And I was beyond thrilled when I got word that it opened a new shop to showcase its pastries and desserts. 

Hello, Bake House Manila. 

Bake House is Shangri-La at the Fort's newest food concept. It is hard to miss as it's located at the main lobby of the hotel, just at the opposite side of High Street Cafe. 

A Festive Meal at Shangri-La at the Fort's High Street Cafe

Shangri-La at the Fort is one of my favorite places in BGC. I'd often stay at its lounge cafe to have some work done while sipping my favorite tea. The hotel's other restaurants--Samba, Raging Bull and Canton Road--all serve excellent food as well! And a couple of months back, I was invited to try High Street Cafe.

Hello, High Street Cafe.

High Street Cafe is Shangri-La at the Fort's buffet restaurant and it has been known for its fresh seafood spread! If you're lucky, you might be able to see a huge whole tuna on display.

Samba's Bartender Series: Tiki Maestro Daniele Dalla Pola

Samba is one of my favorite places to hang out and unwind whenever I’m in Manila. Its chill ambiance and superb food makes it a great place for a night cap. And just when I thought it was already perfect, I was proven otherwise.

Hello again, Samba.

I usually visit Samba during night time as I visit the place with R who has to beat EDSA traffic. So it was refreshing for me to drop by in the afternoon where I could fully enjoy the beauty of Shangri-La at the Fort’s pool. And I was in for a treat when I was spoiled by Tiki Maestro, Daniele Dalla Pola. 

Second Bite: Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar

It’s always fun having R’s sisters around as it means endless feasts! For last November’s visit, D was particularly excited with Raging Bull, Shangri-La at the Fort’s well-loved steak place, especially after finding out that this restaurant offers superb cocktails aside from its famous grilled meats. Soon, I found myself on my way to the posh hotel for one heavy lunch.

Hello again, Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar. 

The frustrated interior designer in me was tickled once more by Raging Bull’s sophisticated interiors. The combination of dark browns, blacks and whites never gets old. 

R’s family did the ordering and they chose Raging Bull Salad (PHP375), Maryland Crab Cakes (PHP475), Tomahawk Wagyu (PHP7,950) and Ribeye (PHP3,100). The kids asked for something to snack on while they wait for the meats and H ordered Josper Bone Marrow (PHP685) for them.

First served was the complementary Raging Bull bread and butter which we finished in just a few minutes as we were famished. 

I noticed that Raging Bull added mandarin oranges to its usual Mesclun mix, Gorgonzola, hazelnuts and Granny Smith apple slices topped with cider vinaigrette. I’m not complaining though as I love those small citrus goodness which went well with the delectable Gorgonzola cubes, nuts and greens. 

The Maryland Crab Cakes were good as always. I loved the contrast between the crunchy coating and the soft shredded crab meat filling. 

Josper Bone Marrow was served next which the kids fought over! It was just so funny how they argued on which bone marrow was bigger and who deserved it. They only kept quiet when they each got their portions. I wasn’t able to try this one as they literally licked the bone marrow! It must be that good.

A beautiful platter of ribeye was soon served and we feasted on it. 

Just like before, I paired my meat with various salts in order to fully appreciate the taste of the steak. Cooked medium in order not to dry up its juice, each bite was packed with flavors that made me sigh and my tastebuds sing hallelujah. 

The perfectly grilled meat was wonderfully complemented by grilled pumpkin slices, cream of spinach, buttered corn and mashed potatoes. I didn’t attempt to get rice as I’ve had too much carbs from the start of the meal. 

The Tomahawk Wagyu was served after and it was gigantic! The MS 5+ grain-fed meat had that divine beefy taste which you could get by simply getting a whiff of it. 

As my eyes sparkle at the sight of the huge piece of meat with a bone sticking out, R sliced me a portion and I began to indulge in the premium steak. 

It was succulent and barely required effort to chew. It was an instant crowd favorite though for some reason, I prefer ribeye more. 

As we continue to bring out a more sophisticated version of cavemen, I took a sip of my cocktail, Monkey Business (PHP400). 

The blend of Monkey Shoulder pure malt, homemade rosemary syrup, Griottes cherry juice and Whiskey barrel bitters was a bit too strong for a noontime drink. I got a bit woozy after reaching half of my glass. I guess I’m just not used to drinking anymore. 

But if you happen to fancy this drink, do watch the barista prepare it as it is very entertaining.

To cap our meal, we ordered Granny Smith Apple Cobbler (PHP340) which was absolutely perfect! I loved the crunchiness of the apple slices and how well it went with the puff. It was sweet yet not so sweet, making it great too for elders. 

And since it was R’s birthday weekend, we were given a complimentary cheesecake which was pretty good as well. It had great consistency and the berries were love. 

Overall, it was a pleasant lunch. I can’t wait to go back for more steaks! 

Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar is located at 3rd Floor, West Wing, Shangri-La at the Fort, 30th Street corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

Love at First Sip: Toby's Estate Chai Chocolate

Toby’s Estate is one of my favorite coffee shops in the metro. I love that its coffee is not overly bitter and that its hot mocha is a taste of heaven. With a bunch of drinks to choose from, I usually stick with my usuals—flat white and mocha. That was till I had chai addiction. I always end up ordering anything with chai. And when I spotted it on Toby’s Estate’s menu board, I had to order it. 

Hello, Toby’s Estate!

It was my first time to visit its branch at Shangri-La, Fort and just like its other cafés, it has really nice interiors. It was also quiet there making it a nice place to catch up with friends.

I spotted Chai Chocolate (PHP160) and was convinced to get that despite possibly ruining my appetite for dinner. 

Love at First Bite: FOO'D by Davide Oldani

Foodee Global Concepts is at it again in bringing new brands that elevate local dining experience. This time around, they introduced to the market FOO'D by Michelin-starred chef Davide Oldani. 

Hello, FOO'D. 

I was greeted by a very simple looking dark door with a minimalistic restaurant signage. The exterior alone exuded understated elegance. Stepping inside further reinforced the restaurant's sophisticated ambiance with its dark hued interiors and yellow lighting. 

I was greeted by Foodee Global Concepts' Eric Dee who gave me a quick tour of the restaurant and shared with me the overall concept of FOO'D. 

Eric mentioned that FOO'D remains consistent with Chef Davide Oldani's passion to provide affordable luxury food with Italian inspiration. True enough, its full course meals are indeed affordable at PHP800 for a 3-course and PHP1,200 for a 4-course meal. They also offer some upgrades for antipasto, primo, secondo and dolce at reasonable prices ranging from PHP150 to PHP550. And with his immense popularity in Madrid and a wait list of over 18 months, I was really giddy to try Chef Oldani's signature dishes.

First Bite: Maisen BGC

I was so excited when I found out that my good friend F accepted a job offer near my office. I finally have someone to drag with me for random cravings or sudden desire to burn some cash. (And by cash, I mean less than PHP500.) After two weeks of planning, we finally decided to have lunch one Friday at the newly opened Maisen branch at Shangri-La, Fort.

Hello, Maisen!

I headed straight to the new Japanese restaurant in town as I was expecting a long queue. (Maisen had an opening promo where they offered their 80g katsu for less than PHP100 for its first two days.) Luckily, there were a few seats by the bar so I managed to skip the queue and got a seat for me and my friend. 

As I waited for F, I read the menu highlighting Maisen’s new offerings and was curious with Cold Udon (PHP175). After a few more minutes, I decided to order it and paired it with a glass of Calamansi with Grenadine Iced Tea (PHP100, refillable).

Soon, F arrived and ordered a katsu set which I wasn’t able to take note of as I was too hungry as I skipped breakfast. 

While waiting for our orders, I took a peek of the main dining area of Maisen and was surprised that it was pretty small. I think a max of 40 diners will fit the air conditioned area. 

First Bite: Raging Bull

I was so curious about Raging Bull ever since A mentioned it during our lunch at Canton Road. As a steak lover, I just have to pay the restaurant a visit. And two weeks later, I finally did. Thanks to Zomato!

Hello, Raging Bull. 

Just like its Chinese restaurant neighbour, the facade of this restaurant is fancy with its touches of dark browns and gold. 

The interiors of the dining area is equally elegant with its dark finishes. I could imagine the cast of The Godfather dining here. 

Love at First Bite: Canton Road

I have been wanting to visit Canton Road ever since I saw its panda bun stuffed with salted egg yolk. It was a powerful combination of two things I love and I couldn’t help nag R about it. However, our weekend schedules were uncooperative and we couldn’t find the time to drop by this new Chinese restaurant in Shangri-La at the Fort. And while I was weeping with sadness, I got an invite from the lovely gals of Zomato to feast on some of Canton Road’s spectacular dishes. Woohoo!

Hello, Canton Road. 

I have never been to the hotel and residential side of Shangri-La at the Fort so everything looked so new to me. But as expected from a notable establishment, the hotel lobby was majestic and every single staff member was courteous and assisted me to Canton Road.

As I walk closer to Canton Road, I was greeted by beautiful interiors in dark hues and touches of gold. The place screams Asian elegance. 

First Bite: Pink's Hot Dog Manila

I have been counting the days, weeks and months since I heard the news that the legendary Pink's Hot Dog is coming to Manila. I was ecstatic as I know that Pink's has never branched out outside (sounds redundant) Los Angeles. The well-loved hot dog joint has been patronized by foodies and celebrities alike. Heck, even Brad Pitt and Betty White love Pink's! Just knowing I ate the same dish as these A-listers make me feel like a celebrity. Forget the dirty tables and the long wait outside despite 3 degrees temperature. All for the love of hot dogs. 

And so when I found out that Pink's was opening on June 8, I planned out my schedule. I even bugged R's friend K to confirm the date and she said that it was indeed opening on Wednesday. There were also online news outlets claiming the same thing. It was just bizarre though that Pink's Hot Dog Manila's social media pages were not announcing any. I had to confirm as I do not want to waste my energy walking for 20 minutes to be greeted by a closed sign. I decided to message Pink's via its Facebook page. Seenzoned. 

Assertive and with burning desire to know the truth about Pink's opening date, I messaged one of the owners via Instagram. No reply. 

What annoys me is that despite the terrible online customer service, I would still go because it's new and I'm curious. There are times I hate the food blogger in me! 

Finally, it was confirmed that they will open on June 10, Friday. At 5 p.m..

I scheduled to go on Saturday (as I had to be in Quezon City during its opening day) but R got sick so I opted not to go. (It was also because I found out that the line was long and people had to wait for an HOUR to get their hot dogs. I refuse to wait that long.) 

And so I went a few hours ago after work. HELLO PINK'S HOT DOG!!! 

Guess what? There was no line. We managed to order right away and got a table. We ordered The Hollywood Legend (PHP280) and East LA Street Dog (PHP280). Drinks are steep so we just shared one Berry Yuzu (PHP160).