One of the Best: Ba Noi's

Ba Noi's has been known as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Manila. It never fails to delight the taste buds which always yearn for Vietnam's clean flavors. This led to the humble hole in the wall restaurant in Makati to expand to other areas, particularly Pasig. And when my sister suggested that we have lunch there a few weekends ago, it was an easy yes. 

Hello, Ba Noi's.

It has been quite a while since I've last dined in Ba Noi's. I remember that I would usually grab a bowl of phở and its tender stir-fried beef. 

First Bite: Sasa Asian Cuisine

Estancia used to be one of my favorite malls when I was still living a lot closer to this place. It being a less popular choice for mall goers and having free unlimited wi-fi (to compensate for the poor reception), this mall has been some sort of paradise to me. And after two years, this mall has become one of the promising foodie havens in Pasig City with its numerous restaurants. One of which is Sasa, an Asian restaurant which opened just a couple months back. 

Hello, Sasa Asian Cuisine!

Second Bite: Buffalo Wild Wings

R and I have been trying to cut our food expenses by staying in on weekends. When we feel the urge to eat out (simply because I’m lazy to cook), we try to stick to places where we have gift certificates. One of the restaurants where we could eat for free is Buffalo Wild Wings and we decided to head to the wings place one weekend.

Hello, Buffalo Wild Wings.

This place has a bit of sentimental value for us as it is the first restaurant we visited on a weeknight. I still remember how smooth R invited me. I was just at home then waiting for The Walking Dead to air when he messaged me if I want to eat out. “Eat out.” He said the magic words. 

Anyway, to reminisce that night, we sat on the same bar but ordered different dishes. We went with Parmesan Garlic Chicken Flatbread (PHP375) and Juicy Steak Burger (PHP625). We also got Unlimited Iced Tea (PHP105). 

The perk of sitting by the bar is that you’ll never be out of drinks. Our glasses were refilled countless times! 

First served was the burger and it was delightful! The thick burger patty stayed true to its name… juicy. It was also seasoned well and each bite was packed with flavor. 

The thin prime rib cuts added flavor and texture to the dish. I also enjoyed the crisp and gigantic onion rings. The fat fries were also great and went well with the filling burger. The Buffalo Wild Wings sauce added a bit of sweet spicy kick that made it very irresistible.

Love at First Bite: Artisan Emporium

I am now a frustrated foodie. Ever since I left Kapitolyo, I hardly explore. And I found out last week that there are around 5-7 new restaurants in Kapitolyo. SEVEN! I really have to explore this weekend! Anywaaaay, a few weeks back, I went to Spice & Cleaver and while waiting for R, I spotted a new bakery named Artisan Emporium and I decided to check it out.

Hello, Artisan Emporium.

The new bakery was just 2 days old when I visited and the first thing that caught my eye was the display chiller on the counter. They have salted caramel, chocolate and red velvet panna cotta (PHP180/jar). I wanted to get chocolate but the staff recommended red velvet. Thinking that R prefers red velvet, I bought that one instead.

And I totally forgot about it till three days later.

First Bite: Spice & Cleaver

I was overwhelmed by the new restaurants in Estancia. There are more options now and some of which are fairly new and I have never visited before. One of which is Spice & Cleaver. I spotted this new joint the night I had dinner at UCC Clockwork. And since I can’t wait to try it, I set my sister’s birthday lunch there.

Hello, Spice & Cleaver!

The place had a few seats left when we got there. But we managed to get a couch at the far end as the ones on the sides seem to be set for large groups.

While waiting for my sister, R and I ordered Fish and Chips (PHP499), Wild Mushroom Tartuffo Pasta (PHP350, PHP430 with prawns), Lamb Sausage (PHP280 for one piece) and house blended iced tea (PHP120).

First served was my iced tea which was served in a small glass. It had a nice sweet lemon taste but for PHP120, this is an expensive drink.

Next served was the lamb sausage with mashed potato base. It was juicy and meaty and I loved it with sauerkraut for that extra flavor and different texture.

R was slightly disappointed with the fish and chips. He ordered it primarily because of the fact that Spice & Cleaver uses halibut fillet. But the beer battered fish fillet served wasn’t something at par with what R expected. It was the frozen kind, he said. It was okay though I prefer Chelsea’s or Fish & Co.’s.

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 Discovery: I am Kim

I miss Korea and its colorful meals. I wasn’t able to feast in Seoul when I stayed there for a few months because I was living within a student’s budget. With PHP10,000 as monthly allowance, I survived with Lotteria, egg crackers (at times free at Myeongdong) and study hard noodles (free too at my university during exam week). I only buy from McDonald’s and Burger King when I get As or when I have extra money for an unhealthy meal. I do know how to treat myself too as I also tried authentic bulgogi, bibimbap and so on. Anyway, last Sunday, my sister and I decided to try…

I am Kim.

When we visited, I am Kim was packed with hungry diners. (Fangirl note: We also spotted Patty Laurel and her husband that day.) We were lucky though as one group left after a few minutes.

I know that you could make your own bibimbap here but the server did not offer that option to us so I thought that it was just a promo. We then ended up with Classic Bap (PHP260, medium bowl | PHP370, large bowl), Chap Chae Salad (PHP175) and BBQ Squid (PHP99). I also ordered a glass of their honey with mint drink which was new.  

First to arrive were my chap chae salad and drink. The beef bulgogi was a bit dry but had the loveable sweet taste. I enjoyed munching it with the glass noodles and the crisp lettuce.

Now in Manila: Coco Ichibanya Curry House

I am not fond of curry. There, I said it. For some reason, I just do not like the taste of curry. I try to veer away from restaurants that serve that. But when I visited Coco Ichibanya in California, things changed. I am now a curry lover! And I was thrilled when I found out that Coco Ichibanya finally has a branch here in Manila!

Hello, Coco Ichibanya!

R and I decided to have dinner together one Friday night after receiving her message that her flight to Thailand was moved to that weekend. (I just have to meet my good friend as I do not know when I’ll meet her again. *cries*)

There were still a handful of tables when we arrived. After a few minutes of staring at the menu (especially at the cheese curry which has nothing but rice, cheese strings and curry sauce), we decided to go for Pork Cutlet Omelet Curry (PHP360), Creamed Chicken Omelet Curry (PHP330) and a bowl of Tuna salad (PHP100). R2 arrived after half an hour and ordered Pork Cutlet with Vegetable Curry (PHP440) and Milk Tea (PHP100).

Service was pretty quick.

The tuna salad was crisp and I loved the generous serving of roasted sesame dressing. Nothing spectacular with the tuna though. It reminded me of the usual canned tuna.

Sweet Find: Larcy’s Cupcakery Café

 I am used to having complete meals every time I eat out. Even when I’m alone, I make sure that I order an appetizer, main course and dessert. I love it when I hang out with people who feel the same way and this is probably why I adore my college friends.

After a happy lunch at Burgers & Brewskies, my friends and I decided to “hunt” for dessert. We were craving for something new or cold; and at first, I was sold with the idea of having dessert at Caramia.

But since funds were running low, I had to look for an ATM and that’s when I saw… Larcy’s.

Hello, Larcy’s Cupcakery Café!

The cute and very pink cupcake place is located at the lower ground of Capitol Common’s new mall, Estancia. Since it falls under “new”, my friends and I decided to settle here.

They have several cupcakes and drinks to choose from. But we went with just cupcakes such as Quezo de Bola (PHP90), Bananutella (PHP75), Chocolate Salted Caramel (PHP85), and Old Fashioned (PHP70). I also ordered a mug of Frozen Hot Choco Velvet (PHP185).