Now in Manila: Rico's Lechon

Cebu has been known as the city where one can get great lechon. And with the influx of several lechon brands and restaurants, only the best stood the test of time. One of which is Rico's Lechon. 

Hello, Rico's Lechon. 

I would always visit Rico's Lechon whenever I'm in Cebu. Despite having low tolerance for spicy food, I could not resist myself from ordering its spicy lechon, a dish Rico's Lechon started. Each bite of the spiced roast pig never fail to tickle my taste buds. And I was thrilled when I found out that Rico's Lechon is finally opening in Manila. 

Restaurant Favorite: Tendon Akimitsu

If I were to choose only one type of food to eat for the rest of my life, it would be (hands down) salmon sashimi. I love it so much that I have developed an insatiable appetite for it. And a few weeks back, I had this insane craving for it. I described it as insane as I would go crazy if I don't get to indulge in some that night. Thankfully, there's Tendon Akimitsu. 

Hello, Tendon Akimitsu. 

Tendon Akimitsu may be known for its good selection of tempura but this Japanese store has pretty good sashimi and maki too! 

First Bite: Gringo

Ola amigos and amigas! Those are the words that come in mind when I think of Gringo, a restaurant known for its delectable baked chicken. And when I found out that Gringo opened a branch in BGC, I was beyond ecstatic! I could finally sink my teeth into some of Gringo’s well-loved chicken.

Hello, Gringo.

First Bite: Papa Loa

I get so giddy whenever I see new restaurants opening soon and I go crazy when these restaurants invite me to sample their dishes. However, there are times when I had to painfully decline these generous offers because of the grumpy weather, my unpredictable tummy or other plans that were set earlier. Having to turn down Papa Loa’s private dinner invite was so hard especially after reading its mouthwatering list of dishes. I kept on dreaming about salmon aburi and the talked about eggplant skewer. And seeing all the posts of the other attendees made me regret not going. But it was just not meant to be as I already had dinner plan that same night. But food gods love me as Papa Loa got in touch with me again and invited me to its grand opening last night! I was feeling feverish that night but I didn't want to miss another opportunity to try their salmon aburi and eggplant!

Hello, Papa Loa!

It’s hard to miss this new tiki bar with its bright orange signage. Located at the old Distillery (or half of the old Distillery to be exact), this new drinking place also has two floors for dining.

The bright and warm interiors further emphasize the tiki bar feel. 

I was mesmerized by the adorable wall paintings on the second floor. 

We were immediately given menu and we were told that it is best to order the dishes one at a time just like in most izakaya restaurants. We were also warned that the serving sizes are small but are guaranteed to be delectable in each bite. 

However, we were famished and ended up ordering four dishes in one go— Aburi (PHP260), Tempura (PHP185), Eggplant (PHP75) and Beef (PHP115). For drinks, we ordered Little Grass Skirt (PHP250) and Kooky Coconut Margarita (PHP290).

First Bite: Ebeneezers

Checking looloo has been part of my daily routine for months now. I get to discover new restaurants through the app. It is making me fat and poor but happy. And just last night, I went to this new restaurant by the brilliant minds behind Lulu (now Catch) and Hooch.

Hello, Ebeneezers!

I have read a few reviews about this place and all are positive. Food's not that expensive so it definitely caught my attention. And when R and I walked home from Melo's one night, I made a mental note to visit this place soon. And I did last night.

I never noticed this place to be beside Shangri-La at Fort. It must be because of the chaotic view of construction. But if you're walking towards Burgos Circle, it's hard to miss this place with its neon signage.

Since I was still stuffed with my heavy lunch, I just opted to get Ebeneezer's Mezze (PHP188) and a glass of Rose Cooler (PHP150). 

Service was quick and my meal was served in less than 5 minutes. 

The Mezze was served on a take out box with foil lining. One order comes with grilled pita (which I asked to be soft), marinated olives, roasted eggplant baba ghanoush and hummus. 

Restaurant Love: Mesa Filipino Moderne

We hate Tuesdays. It’s the day our car is coding meaning we have to leave the house past 7 if we want to eat out. But my mom just got a surprise birthday gift, our car went *kapoot* while it was parked in a mall. In the end, my grandma, sister and I have to take a cab to meet the birthday girl. We arrived around 7:30 p.m. and very famished.

As the foodie in the family, I was tasked to look for a place to eat in SM Megamall. (I wanted to go to Shangri-La hoping to see another new restaurant but my mom insisted we dine at Megamall. The birthday girl wins!) I suggested Kichitora since they have never tried dining there before but my grandmother wasn’t in the mood for ramen (actually, is never in the mood for ramen as she only eats tempura and chicken teriyaki, two dishes not available there). So we moved a little bit and ended up at Mesa.

 

The place was a bit crowded given it was a Tuesday night. We were lucky though to get one of those tables with couches. Yeah! <3

I was slightly grumpy around this time as I was really really hungry and one thing I do not like is feeling hungry. So I immediately ordered the following: Talong Salad (PHP80), Sisig in a Pouch (PHP190), Inihaw Sampler (PHP725), and Crispy Leche Flan (PHP70).

My First Bite: Delicious Kitchen by Eat Well!

Watching a cooking demo on an empty stomach is pure torture.

We had a cooking demo last Saturday which was well attended and the dishes featured were definitely mouthwatering. Thus I wasn’t able to stop myself from buying food from nearby stalls (as we held the cooking demo at Robinsons Supermarket, Galleria). I started my snacking trip with a large order from Chatime (the Pearl Black Tea was yummy!), followed by a hotdog on stick and some candies from Candy Corner.

I was still very much hungry when the event ended thus I couldn’t wait to visit a restaurant I’ve never been to before. The first restaurant that came to mind was DELICIOUS KITCHEN. I’ve been eying that restaurant since I first tried Johnny Rockets. The line “by Eat Well!” sure made me curious.

I was so hungry that I initially ordered a lot. Good thing I was with my mom and she told me that I should stop being a glutton and just order 3 dishes. Fine.

I ordered a combination meal—rice with Lechon Macau and Steamed Chicken (PHP240), Pan-Fried Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Shrimp (PHP275), and Fried Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Dressing (PHP330).

Yes, no appetizer or desserts this time as I was restricted to order so. L

First dish that arrived was the combination meal. It wasn’t very photogenic. The taste was at the same level with how the photo looked like. It was rather bland. The dish was not served with any sauce and we had to ask the server for it. He gave us hoisin sauce… which was sweet (but we were craving for something salty… think Mang Tomas. Okay, we are the typical Filipino eaters when it comes to lechon macau).

Next dish served was the Fried Shrimp Puff with Wasabi Dressing. I thought that the wasabi dressing was nothing; but I was wrong. One bite made me remember the sensation of inhaling Vicks Inhaler. The wasabi sure made me breathe better. I find it quite spicy so I scraped off most of the dressing. The shrimp puff was good but it was not far from the ones from Paotsin. To be honest, I was a bit disappointed given that this was the most expensive dish we ordered.

Finally, the Pan-Fried Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Shrimp…

It was… quite oily. It was definitely different though. There was the chewiness of the minced shrimps and a bit of crunch. I find the dish a bit too salty though since it was sprinkled with salt and pepper so I made sure to put a lot of vinegar to kill the saltiness. Nonetheless, it was a very interesting dish.

Overall, I was disappointed with the restaurant. The name didn’t seem to have matched the dishes we ordered. Perhaps we should have asked which ones were their best sellers and our dining experience could have been different.

I might visit this place again, but most likely not in the near future.

Delicious Kitchen is located at Robinsons Galleria Veranda, Quezon City.