Late Bites: Coffee Project

There are times when I get bitten by the lazy bug and couldn't drag myself to cook something to eat. Thankfully, there are a bunch of places to grab food within my area. And last weekend, I visited our neighborhood's Coffee Project. 

Hello, Coffee Project.

Coffee Project has been a popular Instagram spot since it opened a few years back. I was actually lured to visit its first store in Quezon City because of its picturesque interiors. However, its food and drinks did not exactly match its wonderful look. 

First Bite: Wing Zone

Wings has been one of the staple comfort food for many. With most wings shops offering several flavors, it would be hard to get tired of munching on these goodies. And one of the most recent additions to the list is Wing Zone. 

Hello, Wing Zone. 

Wing Zone is an Atlanta-based American food chain founded Matt Friedman and Adam Scott, back in 1991 when they were still studying at the University of Florida. With their buffalo wings' immense popularity within their fraternity, they decided to open two stores in Gainsville, Florida two years later. Eventually, it expanded to Latin America and Central America. And in 2018, it found home in Manila which is now up to five branches in the city. 

Sundays Made Better: Mercato at Heat

Don't you feel that the day is not enough to do all the things you want? Sunday seems to be the only day with an acceptable traffic that would make us more productive. But we also want to spend this day with the good ol family which again makes time a bit more scarce for everything else. Edsa Shangri-La got our backs though and thought of something brilliant.

Hello again, Heat!

It was my first time to visit Heat for lunch so I didn't know what to expect. Though I already know that Heat offers a bountiful and impressive spread from breakfast to dinner, I was not prepared to be awed further. 

First Bite: Palm Grill

Tomas Morato has turned from a drinking hotspot to an area filled with restaurants offering affordable and delectable food. New concepts seem to open every month and I often find myself overwhelmed by the growing number of options. But hearing that this new chicken place offers superb "green" poultry made it a bit easier for me to decide.

Restaurant Love: Fish & Co.

R is such a big fan of Fish & Co. and that is the very reason why he avails of a Bistro Group card each year. He gets perks such as 30% discount on Mondays and 20% on the other days of the week. Not bad if you frequent the Bistro Group establishments. And during a long break, I managed to visit R at work and we had lunch together at… yes, Fish & Co.

Hello, Fish & Co. 

The place was not packed when we arrived. We easily managed to get a table and ordered R’s favorite Pork Knuckles Platter (PHP995) and a liter of Jungle Freeze (PHP335) split into 3 mugs. I also ordered a cup of Mushroom Soup as I was really hungry.

First served was the messily poured Jungle Freeze. 

The nice blend of pineapples and rambutan made this drink very sweet. No wonder R loved it. I hardly managed to finish my mug and R gladly finished it for me. 

The mushroom soup didn't leave much of an impression and I could not recall anything about it. 

The platter arrived next and it looked delectable!

Love at First Bite: Cafe Shibuya

R and I had a few errands to do before the long weekend last week and to cap the tiring day, we opted to have dinner at this quaint restaurant right across SM Hypermart in SM North Edsa.

Hello, Cafe Shibuya!

I spotted Cafe Shibuya while waiting in line for the cashier at the supermarket.The brightly lit place had a very charming ambiance which appealed to me. So when R asked where I want to have dinner, I pointed the bakery looking shop. It was perfect as we were too tired to head elsewhere. After paying for our groceries, we went straight across and sat on the chairs outside the restaurant while signalling the server for menu. 

Peter, the friendly server told us that it is better to eat inside. We pointed out that we have a shopping cart which will obstruct the space between the dining tables.But he assured us that it was fine and began to pushed the cart inside and positioned it near the counter. He then served water right after taking care of our cart. Talk about great first impression!

We checked the menu and decided to go with Honey Lemongrass Chops (PHP295), Fish and Chips (PHP175) and Pink Passion (PHP85).

Service was fast too. Our drink was served in less than 5 minutes and our food soon followed. I was amazed!

Pink Passion was bubbly and slightly tangy. I loved that it wasn't too sweet and that it actually quenched my thirst. 

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.

Restaurant Love: Brown’s Gourmet Chicken

When service has been impressive, I usually come back. And I did with Brown’s. This time, I went with my mom and sister.

Hello again, Brown’s Gourmet Chicken.

It was a late lunch for us so we hurriedly ordered the following: Roasted Carrots and Garlic Soup (PHP90), Shrimp + Pork Egg Roll + Nuoc Cham (PHP110), Roasted Tomato pasta (PHP185), Brown’s Quarter Pounder Burger (PHP260), Fish and Chips (PHP245) and Fried Cookie Dough (PHP120).

First served was my drink, Mixed Berries. (I forgot to take note of the price but I’m sure it’s less than PHP150.)

The drink was a tad too sweet. It was like drinking Nerds but it sure was tasty. Not a thirst quencher but a delightful drink that went well with the savory dishes.

The roasted carrot and garlic soup was great! It was creamy and a great appetizer. Well, slightly biased here because I love garlic.