First Bite: The Red Crab

I've been away most of the time these past weeks that I hardly get to see my family. But I make sure that I block at least a day in a month to see them over lunch or dinner. And a few weeks back, we decided to head to Eastwood and have lunch at The Red Crab. 

Hello, The Red Crab.

The stylized signage of The Red Crab never fails to catch my attention. But its fancy facade doesn't match its worn out interiors. 

First Bite: Salamangka

I rarely drink these days as I am fully embracing the fact that I'm now a certified tita who enjoys tea sessions at home with biscuits. But I was feeling a bit down a few weeks back and needed the companion of friends. And since we haven't been to Eastwood as a group, we opted to have our long overdue bonding session there. To our surprise, there are a lot of new establishments around and one that caught my interest was Salamangka. 

Hello, Salamangka.

Salamangka is the newest brainchild of 121 Group. Positioned as a restaurant, cafe and bar in one, expect a good variety of comfort food, specialty coffee and cocktails under one roof. Named after the Filipino word for magic, Salamangka aims to enchant its guests with its offerings that are not usually offered by other establishments in the market. 

Pound is now in Eastwood

It feels like it was just yesterday when Pound opened its first store in Bonifacio High Street. The place was packed with eager foodies who wanted to participate in the very tempting Pay What You Want promo. And fast forward to 2018, Todd English's burger joint now has seven branches across Metro Manila. I'm lucky though as there is a Pound store in all the areas I frequent. And one of my favorites to date is its Eastwood store. 

Hello, Pound!

Pound has been one of the burger places I'm confident to recommend, may it be to friends or total strangers. Aside from its quality ground beef patty and good selection of dishes, its pocket friendly price range makes Pound great for foodies from different walks of life.

Its Eastwood branch may not be as spacious as its Bonifacio High Street branch but it has a brighter dining area perfect for those who want to score that Instagram worthy photos. 

Eastwood Mall Launches its First Ever Rainbow and Unicorns Fair this August

There's something about unicorns that make it so appealing to kids and kids at heart alike. I have to admit, I don't find unicorns that cute. But for some reason, I always find myself with goo-goo eyes whenever faced with some of these adorable fictional characters. And I drool whenever I see it in edible form. And if you happen to be fond of these colorful creatures or in denial to loving it, then you'd love what Megaworld has in store for you!

Eastwood Mall celebrates everything colorful this August with the first ever Rainbow and Unicorns Fair. It'll take place every weekend of the month at the mall's atrium. 

First Bite: Sisig Society

Sisig has been part of our local cuisine for decades and it has been named as one of the uniquely Filipino dishes. Its crunchy and slight chewy texture topped with egg has always been one of my top choices when in a Filipino restaurant. And when I heard that there's a restaurant that offers DIY sisig, I just have to go.

Hello, Sisig Society. 

This restaurant is one of our stops for Unang Hirit's DIY restaurants segment.

First Sip: Costa Coffee

I love coffee and anything with caffeine. I always smile whenever I get a sniff of the mouthwatering aroma of coffee. Combining good coffee with well thought of interiors make me go crazy. Subspace, Single Origin, CO/OP and Caravan Black are just a few cafés with notable interiors. Popular UK coffee chain Costa Coffee came in recently but I’ve always thought that it is just another Starbucks or Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf. I was wrong.

Hello, Costa Coffee!

The place is adorable! The first thing I spotted was the red phone booth which screams London. Apparently, English-theme seems to be the overall theme of this branch.  (Or is it the same for all branches?)

I waited outside for the people I was scheduled to meet that day. And surprisingly, despite the scorching late summer heat, it was pretty cool at the al fresco area. I guess Eastwood was able to design the place well and ensured proper air flow. 

After a couple of minutes, J and G arrived and we headed upstairs to discuss a campaign. J and I headed down again to order and I got Caramel Latte Cream Frostino (PHP150 | Primo). We got a wait number and headed back up for the meeting. 

Latest Pho Restaurant in Manila: Annam Noodle Bar

I have been dying to visit Annam since it opened last July 6. I was already planning to go but a terribly bruised leg and very uncooperative tummy made me stay at home. I tried to visit again countless times but each attempt was a failure. It would be either we were too full to enjoy another meal or Mother Nature suddenly wanted to create a scene. And after SEVEN failed attempts to visit, I finally got to visit Annam Noodle Bar on a Sunday for lunch.

Hello, Annam Noodle Bar! 

This is newest pho restaurants in Manila and it is a franchise under the Namnam group. 

 

We were charmed by the beautiful interiors of the restaurant with its beautiful bright red lights and eye catching pho and banh mi signs. The restaurant is huge and gave an illusion of an even bigger space with its wide mirrors at the side of the restaurant. Annam also has bar stools for those who like to be isolated from the crowd. 

There were not a lot of diners when we went so we were easily assisted to a nearby vacant table. 

Thrilled to finally be here, I giddily ordered Pho Australian Beef Combination (PHP350) and Sautéed Lemongrass, Pork and Cream Cheese (PHP250). R's parents went with Pho Australian Beef Steak Slices (PHP320), Caramelized 5-Spice Pork Belly (PHP230) and Vegetarian Southern Rolls (PHP170). For drinks, R went with Lychee Pandan Iced Tea (PHP150) while I ordered Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk (PHP120). 

Service was impressive. Our pho bowls were served in less than 5 minutes while the banh mi buns, rolls and drinks were served a few minutes after. 

I attacked the roll first as R was still busy slurping down our shared bowl. The spring roll had a faint herb taste and it could easily fall on the bland side if you are the type who loves bold and rich flavors. 

First Bite: Ramen Kuroda

It is so interesting how Manila became so crazy with ramen. You could tell with the spurt of ramen shops here and there. But one shop worth noticing is this quiet player which recently opened in Eastwood Cyber and Fashion Mall.

Hello, Ramen Kuroda!

This ramen shop first opened in the foodie hotspot Aguirre Street in BF Homes. But with the demand for this shop’s pocket friendly yet mouthwatering ramen bowls, they branched out and now has seven branches serving foodies in the north and south!

We got to the small shop around 5 pm and the place was rather packed with diners. We instantly got a table for our party of three though thanks to the friendly staff who were quick on their toes and put together the two small tables outside to accommodate us. 

First Bite: Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House

I first spotted Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House in the South but never had the chance to visit as I had dinner plans elsewhere. But food gods want me to drop by this place and soon, I found myself in front of this colourful establishment’s North branch one Saturday afternoon. 

Hello, Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House! 

It was like being transported to Hawaii as soon as you step foot inside the restaurant designed as a shrimp shack. The colorful wall decor, warm lights and wooden furniture are so inviting and cozy making it a nice place for family lunches or dinners or a nice catch up meal with friends. 

Johnny Kahuku is known for its seafood fare so we went with Tuna Ahi Poke (PHP365), Island Pride (PHP595, 6 pcs of shrimp | PHP645, 9 pcs of shrimp), Fiesta Paella (PHP899) and Tropical Chill (PHP285). 

First served was the tuna ahi poke bowl which was chilled ahi tuna drizzled with ginger shoyu sauce on top of rice. You may opt for brown rice for no additional cost. 

The tuna cubes were undeniably fresh. I loved the subtle sweet taste from the dressing which went so well with the Japanese rice. 

Love at First Bite: Soban K-Town Grill

I have been hearing a lot of good words about this Korean grill place in Eastwood. Aside from its delectable wide range of options, I read that this place offers value for money meals (PHP135 for bibimbap!!!) making it an ideal place for lunch break or treat after work. And after weeks of drooling over its photos on Instagram and food review apps, I finally managed to visit... Soban K-Town Grill! 

Hello, Soban K-Town Grill! 

We were greeted by hues of grey, a bunch of exhaust tubes and friendly staff who assisted us to our table. 

We browsed through the menu and decided to order Green Iced Tea (PHP65, single | PHP110, bottomless) and Lychee Shake (PHP105). For the food, we tried Kimchi Fries (PHP199), K-Taco (PHP75, 1 pc| PHP145, 2 pcs | PHP220, 3 pcs) and Premium BBQ Combo Set (PHP2,120). 

First served were our drinks and both were sweet but still refreshing. 

We figured that it would be the perfect drinks too for the savory (and slightly salty) dishes we were about to enjoy. 

The kimchi fries was served a few minutes after our drinks and it was L-O-V-E! To be honest, I wasn't excited to try this as I'm not a fan of kimchi but it was love at first bite! The kimchi taste was evident but not overwhelming. 

You would still get that characteristic tangy and spicy taste but for some reason, it was magical with those crispy fries. Serving size was generous too and definitely great for sharing. 

The K-Taco was served right after and it was awesome too! The taco filling was very generous that we had to lessen it first before we get to roll the soft tortilla over it. 

Beat Summer Heat 101: Hot Star Soft Serve Ice Cream

Global warming. Climate change. El Niño. Crazy summer heat.

There are times when I just want to be indoors and not to leave my air conditioned room for days. And then I'll realize how expensive that will be. (I hate being an adult.) So a cheaper alternative is to head out and buy ice cream. Make that a gallon or two.

I remember one instance when I felt like my skin was melting and it was just January then! I was in Eastwood that time looking for a place to have dessert. I spotted Hot Star and remembered that they sell really affordable sundae cones. I dragged my sister with me and we immediately ordered a cone each. I got Black Gulaman while my sister got Almond (PHP15 per cone).

I loved mine! It definitely tasted like black gulaman. It had that sweet syrup and jello taste. *yum*

My sister on the other hand hated hers. I try to avoid almond flavored desserts or drinks because of its medicine-y and aiiiieeee-what-the-heck-is-this aftertaste. And my sister forgot that she also dislikes almond desserts and drinks. She ended up throwing hers. Some of my cousins who followed threw their almond sundaes too. (Such a waste but I wouldn't want to eat something I do not like.

I'm really happy with my sundae though and I would love to go back for more. 

Remember, get black gulaman! 

Hot Star is located at 2nd floor, Eastwood City Walk 2,E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Eastwood City, Quezon City.

Summer Must Have: Razon's of Guagua

Summer is here and I am (except my fats) melting! How I wish I could have something cold to drink or eat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week without getting fat or sick. But noooo, I get fat and sick. Oh cruel reality. But there's this place I simply could not resist even when I'm about to have lunch.

Hello, Razon's of Guagua!

I saw Razon's Eastwood branch while waiting for Big D's Smokehouse to open. Since my EQ is pretty low when it comes to food, I lured my mom and aunt to the halo-halo place for some sweet appetizer. 

Oh sweet air conditioned restaurant. I was instantly refreshed! (Please do not let me go back outside!)

I ordered a halo-halo (PHP105) for myself while my mom and aunt  decided to share. My aunt also got one plain silvanas (PHP35).

The silvanas looked sad being plated solo. It tasted sad too. It wasn't cold. It was hard and not the chewy type hard. It was also bland. The House of Silvanas is way better (and cheaper).

The halo-halo, as always, was a winner. Finely shaved ice and the basic yet best ingredients for halo-halo. I sparingly ate the leche flan. Save the best for last.  


I didn't want to leave the air conditioned place but after finishing my glass, we had to leave and check if the ribs place is already open.

Goodbye cold paradise. See you again!

Razon's of Guagua is located at 2nd Floor, Eastwood City Walk 2, Eastwood, Quezon City.

Love at First Bite: Café Enye

I have heard of Café Enye since last year. It sure captured my interest after reading positive reviews about it in looloo. I was so intrigued that I even begged my family to eat there instead of the ribs place a few blocks away a few months ago. But since it was my uncle’s birthday and he chose Big D’s Smokehouse, I had to give up my intense desire to visit this place. (Yes, I’m that passionate with food.) Then again, food gods love me and I finally got a chance to visit this place last week.

Hello, Café Enye!

I visited the place around 12 noon on a Monday and I was the only diner that time.

The place has a warm ambiance with its predominantly brown interiors. The server who assisted me was very friendly and pleasant too. 

Since I have been stalking this restaurant for quite some time, I already knew what to order. The only problem is, since I was alone that time, I had to trim down my long must-try list. I ended up ordering Chicken Mojo Skewers (PHP330), Chouxros with Dulce de Leche Cream (PHP170) and Calamansi-Cucumber (PHP90).

Service was quite prompt as I was just about to start blogging when my drink arrived. 

It was the perfect thirst-quenching drink. It was refreshing with a bit of zest. I loved it! <3 

My main dish was served next and it was a very pretty dish. I instantly fell in love with the citrus marinated chicken skewers. I may be a bit biased as I love anything tangy. But this dish is a  definite winner. It had a delightful balance of saltiness and tanginess. Also, the chicken cubes were cooked to perfection. Each bite was juicy and packed with flavor.