A Taste of Buwan: Celebrate Valentine's Day with a Southeast Asian Tasting Menu

Celebrating Valentine's Day differently can be challenging if you've been with your special someone for years. R and I usually take the practical route and celebrate it another day. But there's this new dining concept that would make braving the Manila traffic worth it. And that is Buwan's tasting menu.

Hello, Buwan.

Buwan is the newest dining concept of Chef Julius Neccor and the group behind BOA Kitchen + Socials.

Love at First Bite: Sugarbee

"If you're sosyal, you'd know Sugarbee." It was a brief introduction given to us by S when we stepped inside Sugarbee's SM Megamall store. True enough, if you frequent Manila Polo Club, you'd be familiar with this cake haven. 

Hello, Sugarbee. 

Hailed by Spot.ph as one of the best cake brands in the city, Sugarbee has a strong fan base even before its first store opened. Born from Ms. Jenny Silayan's passion for baking, Sugarbee is now available in BGC, Makati and now, Ortigas. 

Best of Boracay in Manila: Coco Mama

I always feast on cold treats whenever I'm basking under the sun. With ice cream and fruit shakes as my staples when at the beach, I've received a handful of recommendations to try Coco Mama in Boracay. However, I never saw its store after being there for 4 days. And I wouldn't have thought that I'd be trying it for the first time in... Manila. 

Hello, Coco Mama!

This popular ice cream joint from Boracay is known for its coconut ice cream. It being vegan, non-dairy, lactose-free, gluten-free and having low glycemic index makes this an in demand dessert to most foreign visitors who are more particular with food. 

Second Bite: Coconut House

It has been a while since I last visited Quezon Memorial Circle. But I still remember the two times I dropped by this place known to be a date spot by some locals. The park was crowded with Pokemon Go players running around trying to catch Charizard, Squirtle, Pikachu and pretty much every single one spawning here and there. And one of the hottest spots to get the rare Pokemons was Coconut House. The place was like a gold mine. Since it was really humid during my last visit, I decided to buy one ice drop to cool me down. And it was refreshing! I then promised myself that I'll swing by again to try its food.

Hello, Coconut House!

It was one rainy Monday when I visited but the servers bright smiles sure changed my gloomy mood.

The place was simple and very straightforward. There's a counter in front with a menu board on top, a few shelves with coconut-based products, and several tables and chairs.

Restaurant Love: Matutina’s Seafood House and Restaurant

I’m so glad that I live in a country rich in seafood. With a bunch of seafood restaurants around, I never have to worry on where to get my under-the-sea fix. And whenever I travel north, one of the stops I look forward to is Matutina’s Seafood House and Restaurant. 

Hello, Matutina’s Seafood House and Restaurant!

First Bite: Bliss Bowls

My Instagram feed was filled with beautiful bowls of mouthwatering bowled treats for weeks and I could not help get curious by it. Upon quick research, I found out that these Instagram worthy treats are from Bliss Bowls, a new player in SM Megamall that offers healthy smoothies in a bowl. 

Hello, Bliss Bowls!

First Bite: Warung Kapitolyo

I hardly frequent Kapitolyo these past months but when I do, I always notice the numerous cars parked in front of Warung, an Indonesian restaurant that opened a several months back. It sure made me curious as the place seemed to be packed every lunch and dinner. But I’m always hungry whenever I visit Kapitolyo and I lack the patience to wait for a table. Luckily, I passed by this place again around 2 pm on a weekday and my mom and I had the place all to ourselves! 

Hello, Warung Kapitolyo!

This restaurant seems to be an old house converted into a spacious and well-designed restaurant. Upon entering the dining hall, I noticed the beautiful dangling lighting fixtures and wooden window panes that made the frustrated interior designer in me jump with glee.

I’m not exactly familiar with Indonesian cuisine but the overlap of Asian dishes made me feel comfortable with ordering Sate Ayam (PHP195), Ikan Pepes (PHP210), Nasi Goreng (PHP185) and Soto Ayam (PHP190). For drinks, I got Cucumer Shake (PHP95) while my mom ordered Coconut Shake (PHP95).

First served were our drinks which were perfect thirst quenchers! 

I loved that our drinks were not that sweet and were very refreshing to combat the intense afternoon heat.

First Bite: Makansutra

Hurrah for new (and posh) food halls and the blooming food business for giving us foodies more and better options. Thank you too for satisfying not just our tummies but also our insatiable desire for Instagram-worthy walls and overall interiors. But I am going a couple of steps (or sentences) ahead of my review for the latest food hall in Manila, Makansutra. 

Hello, Makansutra! 

This beautifully decorated food hall in SM Megamall is the brainchild of Chef Him Uy de Baron and Pinoy Eats World's JJ Yulo. The spacious food hall has a bunch of food stalls offering several Asian favorites with laksa as one of the most recommended dishes to date. Unfortunately, R and I were still full from lunch when we dropped by and only had room for drinks and sweets. 

We were like lost kids in Instagram paradise as we read through one menu board after another. After several minutes, we finally decided to go with Pulut Hitam with Coconut Ice Cream (PHP160), Bandung (PHP90) and Lime Barley (PHP80). It was actually easy to decide on which dessert to order as most were not available that time. 

The whole food hall has a pay as you order policy and for now all stalls only accept cash payments. (So make sure you have cash with you when you drop by.) We got our drinks as soon as we settled our bill. 

First Bite: Hey Handsome

Hey Handsome has been receiving praises from notable influencers from the foodie community for a month now. Actually, just knowing that the minds behind this concept are the ones who brought Your Local already convinced me that I have to visit this place ASAP. I really respect these young talents as they are not afraid of the insanely crazy restaurant industry we have now. And to use unconventional raw ingredients such as keluak,a big poisonous fruit found in Indonesia, among others, proves how passionate they are in their craft and in bringing new flavors to Manila. The restaurant was scheduled to open last Friday but since the owners want to make sure that everything is perfect, they had to delay the opening and moved it to August 17 instead. (Thank you, Charlie Paw for the heads up!) And finally, Hey Handsome is open!!!

Hello, Hey Handsome!

I was greeted by lovely interiors that reminded me of Your Local, only brighter and more Instagram friendly (given the abundance of light). The modern mixed with industrial feel, high stools and white and green tiles turn every corner of this restaurant perfect for shoots. 

I guess Nicco Santos, one of the owners, head chef and a photographer himself, considered how foodies love to take snapshots of food and restaurant interiors. 

The restaurant aims to infuse more “real” Asian flavors such as Peranakan, Thai and Malaysian. Though some of the ingredients are sourced in other Asian countries for more authentic flavors, some are sourced locally. I honestly could not really tell which ones are authentic tasting or not. As long as the dish tastes good, I’m a-okay with it! 

I have read several positive reviews about the Beetroot Paneer (PHP480), Nam Tok (PHP580), Bebek Penyet (PHP680) and Nasi Lemak (PHP645). I decided to go with last one knowing that is considered as a complete meal in Malaysia and Singapore.

Quite unfamiliar with the dishes, I did a quick research and found out that Nasi Lemak is usually composed of meat, salted peanuts, coconut rice, hardboiled egg and dilis. But it is wrong to expect “usual” when dining at Chef Nicco’s restaurant. Instead of serving nasi lemak (coconut rice) with meat, Hey Handsome paired it with sea bass otah infused with spices that is wrapped and grilled in banana leaves served with sambal, pickled soft boiled egg and peanut brittle with dilis.

Cebu Food Stop: Sunburst Fried Chicken

Every time I tell my friends that I’ll be visiting Cebu, they always tell me to eat lechon for them. But when I’m in Cebu, I eat chicken. Crispy chicken skin.

Hello, Sunburst Fried Chicken!

Conveniently located at SM Cebu, this casual dining place is one of my favorite places in Cebu. They serve simple yet crispy fried chicken but it has this appeal that I find irresistible.

R and I shared a Classic (3pcs) Sunburst Fried Chicken (PHP198) and Chick’n Crackers (PHP198, large). We also ordered a glass of buko juice and buko shake.

First to arrive were our drinks. My buko shake wasn’t that sweet making it a good thirst quencher. It was also perfect as it was really hot that day!

The chicken skin and chips were served next and it was L-O-V-E. 

R loved it and kept eating while telling himself that it’s a sinful dish. The crispy skin dipped in vinegar was delightful! My sister would have loved this dish too.

Love at First Bite: Custaroonery by Gigi Gaerlan

My close friends know that I find it hard to just order one dish. Normally, I have to order an appetizer, main course, and dessert. But they also know out of the three, the most important is the last one. I just can't give up sweets. I'll just become a very hostile foodie if deprived of my sweet endings. 

While looking for a place to have dinner, I came across this cute looking kiosk. Dainty and sweet-looking, I was attracted like a fly to light. I had no power. (Okay, fine, I did but I let my glutton spirit overpower me.)  

Soon, I was in front of Custaroonery and staring at the simple menu card and ended up ordering a box of 6custaroons in a span of 1 minute. I was super excited to enjoy it with my sister!

Let’s Paint the Town… PINK.

One chilly night, we decided to brave the cold winds and bend down to look for stars… at the WALK OF FAME area in Hollywood. But this is another story. The Tommy’s trip after the long walk is also another story. What I wanted to share in this entry is how we painted the town… pink. Or how the wind made our noses pink.

Another must visit place according to my friends was Pinkberry. I’ve heard a lot of good reviews about this place… that it serves really good yogurt, that the place is über cute, and Kim Kardashian loves hanging out here (uh, where did this come from?).

We were supposed to go home already as it was already past 12 midnight when we finished posing with the stars… on the floor of the Walk of Fame. But our eager tour guide R wanted to tour us around Burbank. As he was the one who does the driving, we just sat back quietly as he drove to the place he called his “favorite hangout”.

With our toes curled and noses turning pink, we strolled around Burbank and saw… PINKBERRY. Well, they were about to close already when we arrived yet they still welcomed us with smiling faces. I love you already!

Ferrero Quadruplet!

I was so surprised when I found out that there is actually a dark chocolate Ferrero. I hurriedly emailed my mom (who was in the States then) to buy me a box (or two). I decided to check the net to read reviews about the dark chocolate version as to make realistic expectations (huh?). To my surprise (again!), there are actually more flavors!!! Aside from the hazelnut and dark chocolate, there are also coconut and pistachio flavors! And since I was too excited to try all those flavors and could not wait for my mom, I decided to check supermarkets and all other possible places that sell Ferrero. Alas, I was unsuccessful. Even the two Duty Free in Cebu do not carry it. (Sad T.T)

Finally, OCTOBER 26, 2010, my mom arrived with Ferrero boxes (less the pistachio variant). I munched on the dark chocolates and I was… disappointed. I was expecting something a bit bitter… what dark chocolates were supposed to be. It was on the sweet side and my initial reaction was “THIS IS TOO SWEET TO BE CONSIDERED DARK CHOCOLATE” but I loved it nonetheless. There was no nut though so the crunch factor was lesser L Its inner chocolate is very velvety though. YUM!

As for the coconut, a lot of people DO NOT like it at all. And I… am not one of them. It was rather interesting. It reminded me of macaroons with the tidbits of coconut. The coconut gave this Ferrero a different texture. It also complements the white chocolate. I am not so sure though if the market for this is huge.

The pistachio on the other hand is something I would not crave that much. It also does not have a nut inside (like the dark chocolate and the coconut) but the outer “shell” is covered by bits of pistachio thus the flavor. I guess, I am just not fond of pistachio. It has this strong vanilla taste which I find a bit odd.

I do not think that I have to describe hazelnut since this is the most popular flavor.

<3

 Pictures of the WHOLE DARK CHOCOLATE, COCONUT and PISTACHIO FERRERO :)