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. 

Christmas in May: The Plaza Pop Up Store at Rustan's Makati

Christmas came in early this year as The Plaza opens a pop up store in Rustan's Makati. Aside from its scrumptious ham, it also offers other favorites such as Krispy Kangkong, Lasagne al Forno and Chicken ala Kiev among others. And I got to try a bunch over the short midweek break. 

Hello, The Plaza.

Established in 1965, The Plaza has been a strong brand not just for its delectable ham but also in the catering industry. Its mouthwatering spread and strong clientele made it a trustworthy name and reliable supplier for event needs. And now you don't have to wait for the next gathering to sink your teeth into The Plaza's superb dishes.

First Bite: Harlan + Holden

Harlan + Holden instantly charmed me when I saw photos of its picturesque cafe in Rockwell. Call me sucker for Instagram-worthy places but I did my research and read great reviews of this place prompting me to ask R and his parents to a trip here one afternoon.

Hello, Harlan + Holden. 

First Bite: AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe

I hardly frequent San Juan as traffic there gets too insane at times. I still remember the times when I get stuck in standstill, no thanks to a certain school. But thanks to Waze, I discover new routes in order to get around its small streets filled with good food finds. And a few weeks back, I discovered this new restaurant that offers everything from breakfast to bar chow that is worth braving the traffic for.

Hello, AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe.

Restaurant Love: Single Origin

Breakfast is love. If breakfast is a guy, I’d definitely date him and who knows, marry him as well. There’s something so appealing with breakfast that I simply could not stop having it all day long. And a lot of foodies share the same addiction hence the number of all-day breakfast restaurants around the city. One of my favorites is Single Origin and it surely delighted my tastebuds when I dropped by its second branch a few months ago. 

Hello, Single Origin. 

This was my first time to visit its Rockwell branch which opened last September and I noticed that it is bigger than its BGC branch. 

I was greeted by warm hues of brown, suspended lights and charming flowers on each table. I also spotted a few communal tables which are perfect for large groups or those who do not like feeling alone. 

Chasing Summer: iCove Beach Hotel

Days sure pass by fast and with a blink of an eye and summer was already over when we finally decided to go to the beach. It was already the end of July when R and I finally  pushed through with our plans to head North and chase summer.  We chose our accommodation a week before heading out and after browsing through Agoda for half an hour, we settled with iCove Beach Hotel. 

Hello, iCove Beach Hotel. 

This hotel is one of the newest beach front hotels in Zambales. Quite small compared to the ones you’d find in bigger and busier cities but this is considered as one of the nicest accommodations within the area. It was drizzling when we visited and we were so glad that we got to the hotel early and were able to score parking in front of the hotel. 

We arrived half an hour earlier than our check-in time and unfortunately, our room wasn’t ready then so we had to wait till the original check-in time which is 2 p.m.. We were also bummed to see the published room rates of the hotel. It was cheaper compared to the one we got through Agoda! The place though was fully booked when we went so it was also a gamble if we tried book on the same day. At exactly 2 p.m., we were assisted to our room. 

We got a deluxe 19 square meter room with a queen sized bed, cable television, small fridge and private bathroom.  We do not have a view as our balcony was facing the pathway to the pool. Wi-fi connection was decent and fast enough for us to browse the internet or play games.

Café Love: Wildflour Café + Bakery

It has been a long while since I last visited Wildflour but I still remember its delectable desserts and scrumptious pasta. And since I had an appointment right across the lovely restaurant, I decided to have a nice afternoon snack here before heading to my meeting.

Hello again, Wildflour Café + Bakery.

I was assisted as soon as I stepped in but the table where I was being directed to had a LOT of mosquitoes flying around. I quickly told the server that I’d rather sit elsewhere and she ushered me to the seat at the far end of the café.

After reading through the menu and not feeling very hungry, I opted to get Wildflour Reuben (PHP420).

While waiting, I was given a loaf of bread and Wildflour’s delicious salted butter. I managed to eat half of the loaf before my order arrived.

I was greeted by huge multi grain bread sandwiching homemade corned beef coleslaw and crisp potato chips.

First Bite: UCC Clockwork

Estancia is becoming a foodie destination with more and more restaurants opening. One of the restaurants that caught my attention was UCC Clockwork which apparently isn’t that new anymore. (I really have to explore the south!) But since I’ve never tried its famous corned beef, I had to visit.

Hello, UCC Clockwork!

The charming café/restaurant had a warm and cozy vibe; but what really attracted us was the buy one, take one cocktails (a deal they offer on Fridays).

Aside from our Lychee Mojito (PHP220), we ordered Mushroom Truffle (PHP150) and Pumpkin Soup (PHP120). We also got Fresh Corned Beef with Kimchi Rice (PHP350), Threesome Breakfast (PHP380) and Clockwork Cookie Cup Screams (PHP190).

The Lychee Mojito was refreshing but the lychee’s taste overpowered the rhum making it taste like juice.

Next served were our warm bowls of soup.

I wasn’t able to take a photo of F’s bowl but he finished his without any complaint so I’m assuming that it tasted okay. My soup on the other hand wasn’t the creamy kind that I like. It was just okay but I enjoyed it with the complimentary buttered bread.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

I usually skip Filipino restaurants when I eat out as it’s the only cuisine I could prepare at home. If I were to choose, I would always pick Japanese as salmon sashimi is L-O-V-E. However, when I’m out with family, I have to take into consideration their preferences. They love Filipino and American food the most. So, a few Sundays ago, after having a lechon feast, we decided to visit Sentro 1771.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

A good friend of mine told me that Sentro 1771 serves really good food and that made me curious about the restaurant. I was supposed to visit the place last Halloween with my UA&P food buddies but since we were still full from our Spätzle dinner, we decided to go to Starbucks instead. (Silent boo.)

The place looked full when we visited but we were lucky as we got a table on the second floor.

Since we were famished, we ordered the following: Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls (PHP280), Rated GG (PHP295), Camote Cups (PHP240), and Sinigang na Corned Beef (PHP595).

First served were the Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls.