Restaurant Favorite: Via Mare

My constant food craving is driving me insane. It never stops. And when I saw a post about palitaw, I craved for it for weeks. I even tried to have some made at home. But we had a hard time finding some ingredients. Thankfully, Via Mare opened several of its branches to satisfy my appetite for Filipino kakanin.

Hello, Via Mare.

Via Mare is one of my go-to restaurants whenever I feel like having palitaw or bibingka. I also didn't have to wait for the holidays for me to indulge in a plate or two of puto bumbong.

Love at First Bite: Goto Tendon

The Coronavirus pandemic left almost everyone paranoid. We'd freak out at the sound of a soft cough or tiny sneeze and take several steps back with fear plastered on our faces. We got used to sanitizing almost everything and practice social distancing. Yet, we don't know if that's enough. And when R got a fever a few weeks back, we were a bit panicky and had no idea what to do. All I could think of was to feed him good food. Thankfully, Goto Tendon was open for take-out. 

Hello, Goto Tendon.

Goto Tendon has been one of the highly-rated goto/pares places in Manila. It may be a bit new in the goto or pares scene but its mouthwatering offerings and affordable prices made it an instant hit and favorite to many. 

ECQ Favorite: Lydia's Lechon

Two months passed since the start of Manila's lockdown. But I don't miss dining out at all as most of my favorites are just a call or a few clicks away. One thing I didn't expect to munch on during ECQ is the roast pig from the Pinoy favorite, Lydia's Lechon.

Hello, Lydia's Lechon.

Lydia's Lechon launched Lechon in a Box a few months ago which was an instant hit. And to make things more interesting (and yummier), Lydia's came up with something to delight us during the ECQ-- Family Boxes. 

ECQ Favorite: Merashian

With many foodies stuck at home, several were able to unleash their hidden culinary skills and were not shy with sharing it with the very active Let's Eat Pare  Facebook group. And that's where I spotted several mouthwatering bilo-bilo posts which made me crave for it. I asked our cook to make some but we were short on ingredients and couldn't find sago or glutinous rice balls despite the two grocery runs. It was timely though that I stumbled upon Merashian. 

Hello, Merashian. 

Merashian is one of the popular home-based businesses during Manila's Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). I heard of this brand when someone from the village spearheaded mass ordering for Merashian. Its crowd favorites are its Ginataang Halo-Halo with Ube Halaya and Cheese Bilo-Bilo (PHP250, 1L | PHP350, 1.7L) and Chicken Pie (PHP600, 10 pieces).  

A Taste of Home: Limbaga 77

Being away from home for a month made me miss our local cuisine tenfold. Just thinking about how a single whiff of sinigang would make me drool drives me crazy. And it was an easy decision for us to pick Limbaga 77 for dinner after a long trip abroad. 

Hello, Limbaga 77.

Limbaga 77 is a homey Filipino restaurant tucked inside the semi-residential area of Tomas Morato. It has been one of the highly rated restaurants in the area by Zomato users and it definitely made me excited to try some of its bestsellers. 

First Bite: Manam Café

My first Manam experience was love at first bite. From its superb sisig down to creamy leche flan, everything was spectacular and memorable. And when Manam opened a spin off brand Manam Café, I was excited and curious at the same time especially after hearing that it offers different dishes.

Hello, Manam Café.

Manam has been one of my favorite Filipino restaurants in town and just when I thought I couldn't love this brand more, The Moment Group has something in store for its patrons, Manam Café.

First Bite: Vera's Place

Visiting Pearl Drive brings back memories as I have spent 5 years of my life there. No, I was not a homeless Ortigas girl; my alma mater is along that street. I would remember visiting Food Channel, Starbucks and Hotshots across my university. I have witnessed several restaurants come and go and shed a few tears when my favorites were among those that had to go. And fast forward to present, there are now more buildings and food choices around and one of which is located in Pearl Place called “Vera’s Place”.

Hello, Vera’s Place. 

To be honest, I was originally planning to eat at this Japanese restaurant along San Miguel Avenue but we had to change plans after seeing the prices of sashimi, sushi and wagyu. We headed back to Pearl Plaza with gloomy faces to match the grumpy weather. But the inviting homey Filipino restaurant adjacent to Where’s Marcel captured our interest. 

There were no customers when we arrived and we could not help feel iffy dining here. Then again, the weather was not exactly pleasant for people to go out so we assumed that it was because it was such a lazy Saturday night. 

Vera’s Place offers pocket friendly Filipino fare and we decided to go with solo servings of Gising-Gising (PHP135), Lechon Kawali (PHP250) and Kare-Kare (PHP300). Solo servings are inclusive of one cup of plain rice per viand. You could also order a sharing size portion of kare-kare for PHP550. 

Service was quick and our orders were served all at the same time. Presentation-wise, it was like the ones you’d expect from home. It was simple and zero frills. 

Gising-Gising had a nice combination of coconut milk and pork flavors. It was also a bit spicy making it slightly addicting. It also made me finish my cup of rice. I liked the winged beans too as it was not too hard nor too soft. 

Love at First Bite: Providore

The huge Providore signage intrigued me for months. It really made me excited because it has been quite a while since a new restaurant graced SM Aura. And the foodie in me jumped for joy when Chef Kalel and Mela of Raintree Restaurant posted that Providore will open this week. And true to their post, it did open today at 6 pm! 

Hello, Providore! 

This casual dining restaurant is the newest concept of Raintree Restaurant, the same group behind spectacular restaurants such as Chelsea, Simple Lang, Kabila, Stella, Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte. And just like its sister restaurants, this one was designed to impress. 

The first thing that caught my eye was the lovely wall of products from local retailers such as Nipa Brew, Manila Eat Up, Traydor and Casa Carmela. I really like that Providore decided to partner with these shops and carry its products. It made it a lot easier for foodies who are not fond of shopping online or driving around for a bottle of hot sauce. With this, we get to save more time for eating! (I spotted a few customers considering some of the goods displayed as Christmas gifts. I might do that too.)

It was their first day when I dropped by and a handful of items were not available then. Thankfully, the kitchen had ingredients to whip a Decadent Bone Marrow Burger (PHP450). I decided to get that sinful bun of meat and pair it with a refreshing glass of Kombucha Lime Iced Tea (PHP120). I struggled choosing my dessert as I was alone when I visited. All of the desserts seem to be good for sharing so I settled with what sounded to be the smallest sweet treat they have and decided to end my meal with a plate of Housemade Leche Flan (PHP95). 

Service was quite fast as I was not even done taking photos of the merchandise when my ginormous burger arrived. 

I was greeted by a good 1.5" U.S. beef burger with bacon marmalade jam and wild arugula sandwiched by a soft buttered brioche with spiced fries and oven-roasted bone marrow on the side. 

First Bite: Siglo Modern Filipino

R and I decided to avoid the Valentine's Day mayhem in Manila and went to Tagaytay for a nice short break. We arrived in two hours on a Friday night and enjoyed the cool breeze of the city. Thinking that most people will celebrate Valentine's on Saturday, we decided to head back to Manila early afternoon of the 14th but we were stuck in traffic and Waze said that it will take us a long time before reaching Nuvali. Without hesitation, we made a U-turn and opted to head back to R's apartment. But since we were hungry, we made a quick stop at this Filipino restaurant called Siglo. 

Hello, Siglo Modern Filipino.

I was a bit iffy to stop by this place as I couldn't find reviews about it. But hungry people stuck in crazy traffic cannot be choosy. 

The restaurant serves typical Tagaytay specialties such as Bulalo (PHP350) and Tawilis (PHP150). We opted to get those as well as Chocolate Milk Shake and Strawberry Smoothie (PHP125 each) from its neighbor Adam's Cafe. 

Our drinks arrived in 15 minutes or so and both were very sweet. In fact, too sweet. It was like slurping dessert on a hot day. Not exactly something ideal to be paired with our meal but it was okay to battle the early summer heat.

After almost an hour, our dishes were finally served. The waiter apologized and said that it took them a while to make the bulalo as they had to make sure that the meat's tender. (True enough, it does take at least 3 hours to make really good bulalo. But the long wait was not acceptable.)

Weekend Getaway: Balay Dako by Antonio’s Chef Tony boy Escalante

I am a fan of Chef Antonio “Tony Boy” Escalante. Ever since he took pity on us and fed us steak during our event, I loved him. And when I heard that he has a new restaurant, I just have to visit.

Hello, Balay Dako!

The quaint ancestral looking green house is the new restaurant of Chef Tony Boy. The place is so charming and the view is beautiful. 

The mosquito net ruins it a bit but you could always go to the second floor’s al fresco area for the unobstructed view.

R’s family took the lead in ordering and they ordered a lot! They ordered Laing na Gabi at Tokwa (PHP280), Adobo (PHP435), Calamares Fritos (PHP350), Sizzling Bulalo na Baka (PHP920), Grilled Chicken (PHP320, half), Prawn Salad, Sinuteng Pusit (PHP535), and Turon con Tikoy at Ube (PHP160).  I also ordered Sago’t Gulaman (PHP140). I’m sure I missed a few more orders.

Restaurant Love: Wooden Spoon

As much as I love visiting new restaurants, I also have some favorites that I do not mind visiting again and again (and again). One of my loves is Wooden Spoon by Sandy Daza. This well-loved restaurant in Katipunan has expanded and is now also in Rockwell and Kapitolyo, two places I frequent! This must be fate.

Hello again, Wooden Spoon!

This time around, we ordered the following: Dinuguan na Bagnet (PHP232), Sitaw sa Gata (PHP142), Wansoy Shrimp Nuggets (PHP175) and Fiesta Rice (PHP172). I also got Cucumber Shake (PHP95).

The cucumber shake was refreshing and it sure quenched my thirst (after attending two classes of yoga and walking around Rockwell just to find Angel’s Kitchen).

The Sitaw sa Gata was your usual veggies in coconut milk. But I liked that there were crispy young anchovies on top.

Restaurant Love: Locavore

Locavore is love. I always recommend it to everyone I know when they ask me where to eat in Kapitolyo. One night, R messaged asking where to bring his friends and I recommended Detalle and Locavore. (I love it when people ask me where to eat. It feeds my foodie persona’s ego. So feed it, people!!! Kidding!) Unfortunately, Detalle was closed that night. Fortunately, Locavore was busy as always that evening.

Hello, Locavore!

The place was packed (again)! We had to wait for over 20 minutes just to get seats. So while waiting, we decided to order. R ordered for his friends and they got Sizzling Sinigang (PHP530), Ginataang Kaldereta (PHP570), Street Food Platter (PHP200), Leche Flan (PHP200) and Turon con Leche (PHP220). I also got a cocktail drink with pomelo but I forgot the name and price.

First served was the street food platter (no photo because I didn’t get some). I think that this dish was made for those who do not really eat street food on the street. I do so I couldn’t avoid computing how much it really costs if I buy from Mang Larry in UP.

The main dishes were served next. C and E enjoyed the Sizzling Sinigang (click here for my review on the dish) and the GInataang Kaldereta.

It was my first time to try the Ginataang Kaldereta and for the serving and taste, PHP570 wasn’t a bad price to pay. The tender short ribs with stewed tomatoes, marbled potatoes, crunchy French beans, garlic and shallot confit swimming in coconut milk was L-O-V-E. Okay, I’m a bit biased given I love dishes with coconut milk.

Now for the desserts…

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.

Restaurant Love: Wooden Spoon

I've heard of Wooden Spoon from my great friend N and from my colleague M. I still remember how M described one of the dishes...  
“Tilapia that tastes like Crispy Pata” to which we all reacted... “Really now?” Yes, we were pessimistic foodies then. 

My favorite Dragon Lady and I celebrated Children’s Day last May and planned on having a kiddie lunch as well. Unfortunately, most of the restaurants in Rockwell do not really offer much variety for kids except for the usual Jollibee and McDonald’s. While on the lookout, we 
spotted Wooden Spoon and I remembered M’s happiness when he shared his find, “Crispy Pata Fish”. I admit, I was really curious with 
that so I asked T if we could have lunch there instead and she agreed.

The place wasn’t packed given it was 3 p.m. when we got there. We noticed though that the crowd seemed to be a bit... more mature.

Ordering was a breeze as we were famished. We decided to go with Crispy Pata Fish (PHP245, small), Shrimp Pampango (PHP239), 
Garlic Rice (PHP125), Reyna Blanca (PHP75) and Iced Tea (PHP55).

The Crispy Pata Fish did not disappoint. It looked like your usual fish but the texture was totally different. It had the crispy yet slightly 
chewy skin. The flesh was tender and flavorful. It tasted just like your usual crispy pata but healthier.

Grandma Approved: Mangan Restaurant

Filipino cuisine will forever have a special place in my heart. I am not being biased or what but there’s really something so comforting with eating Filipino food. Could it be the umami?

One Saturday, I had a girls’ lunch out with my mom and grandmother at Robinsons Galleria. Since my grandmother isn’t that adventurous with food, we decided to head to Mangan, a Filipino restaurant.

There wasn’t much people eating and it was lunch time when we arrived. I guess those new restaurants at BGC and Shangri-La’s east wing are eating other malls’ share of hungry tummies.

It didn’t took us long to decide what to order. We ordered my grandma’s favorite Sinigang sa Bayabas Bangus (milkfish) Belly (PHP280) and Gatang Sigarillas (PHP120). After some thought, I also ordered Lechong Babi (PHP240) as it goes well with the veggies I ordered.

While waiting and munching on the complimentary crispy shoestring sweet potatoes (where some were oddly wet), one of the servers approached us. He shared that they are selling PHP300 gift certificates and if we buy now, we get free puto bumbong. (It made me wonder if he saw my excitement when I saw that they sell puto bumbong.) I then asked if the GCs have an expiry date and true enough the GCs are valid until November this year. I told him that this is against DTI rules as gift certificates should be treated like cash as it was bought with cash, at full amount. The server just… smiled then asked if I still want to avail of it. Uhm…

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).

Restaurant Discovery: Zarzuela

The intense summer heat is getting crazier and crazier to the point that we just hibernated the whole Holy Week. No wonder my sister's getting whiter... uh, paler. Well, you get my point. But come Easter, we decided to go out and our eyes had a hard time adjusting to the brightness of the sun.

We were planning to go to Megamall but since the line to the parking lot was crazy, we opted to go to Shangri-La instead as M wanted to see the new wing too.

When we arrived, I already know where to eat as Frannywanny, P, and I were able to roam around the area a few nights ago.

Hello, Zarzuela. By its name alone, you could easily say that it's a Filipino restaurant.

While checking the menu, I got attracted to the less healthier choices. I ordered Krispy Binagoongan (PHP359), Gising Gising (PHP239), Chicken Fried Adobo (PHP299, all chicken; PHP329, pork and chicken). I got intrigued by the appetizer Fountain of Youth (PHP199) so I ordered that as well.

Restaurant Favorite: Via Mare

It was my first time to host a Malaysian CSer. I had no idea what to do as I have posted in my profile that I am only willing to meet up for coffee or whatnot. But since it was Christmas Eve, I wanted to be a host for a day.

December 24, 2011, 2PM. 

 

We have this Filipino tradition of bringing foreigners/tourists to Filipino restaurants and share with them how magnificent Filipino dishes are. But since my friend and I met at Shangri-La, we were left with C2, Via Mare, Recipes and the food court as options.  Well, since I wanted to be the greatest host-for-a-day ever, I brushed off the food court and decided to have lunch at Via Mare instead (since they also serve palitaw which I have been craving for months!).

The Recipe To A Happy Tummy

Three months in the making and still, we were clueless on where to eat.

My friend and I have been planning to have dinner for the longest time. It took us 3 months before we finally got our schedules right and decided to push through with our dinner date. The problem though was that we had no idea where to eat. We met up a bit late so most restaurants were already packed with diners. Then I remembered one restaurant that I haven’t been to and told my friend about it. We both agreed to have dinner there and soon we were at Recipes by Café Metro browsing through the menu.

Fresh from the salon as I had my hair trimmed (not cut as I really want to have a perm this year) I ordered the Lechong Kawali with Kangkong (PHP215) and Gising Gising (PHP170) simply because both were tagged with M meaning these are among the restaurant’s specialties or bestsellers. My friend, fresh too, from Binondo, on the other hand opted for the Crispy Tilapia (PHP215), yet another restaurant specialty. I was planning to have calamansi shake as it burns calories faster but they were out of calamansi so I had Green Mango Shake (PHP85) instead.

Exotic Food Trip Stop: Abe Restaurant

If you checked my previous entries, you’d know that I like, uh, love exotic dishes! Blame Balaw Balaw for turning me into a normal-people-do-not-consider-this-as-food freak. I fell in love with exotic dishes ever since I tried Uok. I just can’t describe how happy I was every time I discover a yummy exotic dish. I just can’t.*Big smile here*

Part of our Fear Factor Exotic Food Trip itinerary was Abe just so we’d feel a bit more… posh after jumping from one place to another in Binondo.