First Bite: Charlie's Pritchon

One of the things I love about the Philippines is the long celebration of Christmas. As our Facebook and Instagram pages become filled with Jose Mari Chan's face and recycled memes, I only think of one thing... lechon. Though lechon is a staple in all kinds of celebration, it is more associated with the festive Christmas where the crispy roasted pig is shared by the whole family (and more). And Christmas sure came in early when I was invited to sample Charlie's Pritchon. 

Hello, Charlie's Pritchon. 

Love at First Bite: Single Origin

It's rare when I get to roam around BGC in the afternoon on a weekday and when I do get a chance, I make sure I get to eat something yummy. And a few weeks back, I got to visit... Single Origin. 

Hello, Single Origin.

Dark hues of brown greeted me as soon as I stepped in. With predominantly wood interiors, this place exudes a warm and welcoming ambiance.

I wasn't exactly hungry when I visited and after seeing that the dishes offered do not exactly fall under the "wallet-friendly" category, I opted to just order a a pot of Black Onyx using Hario V60 Pourover (PHP165) and Cappuccino Lava Cake (PHP295).

The server warned me that it takes roughly 20 minutes for the cappuccino lava cake to be ready. Since I was not in a hurry, I still ordered the bestselling dessert. 

In less than 10 minutes, my pot of coffee was served.

The Hario Pourover version is the cheapest among the coffee methods but it was also the one the smallest serving at 12 oz compared to others at 15 and 20 oz. 

Familiar with the taste of Black Onyx as I ordered it before when I visited Refinery, I took a sip without any sweetener. But my unsophisticated taste buds found the coffee slightly bitter despite it being one of the sweeter coffees available (as it highlights deeper caramelized sugars and notes of dark chocolate). In short, I ended up adding sugar. And it tasted a lot better.

After a couple more minutes and half pot of coffee gone, the lava cake finally arrived and... it was so mouthwatering. 

Love at First Bite: Diner on 16th

Our impromptu Kapitolyo food trip stop #2 is just a few steps away from Taco Vengo! and it was just perfect as it was drizzling that night. This stop captured my interest after seeing a few photos of its mouthwatering milkshakes and diner inspired interiors online. Yes, I’m talking about Diner on 16^th.

Hello, Diner on 16^th.

The place reminds me of Grease or Hairspray as the interiors have an American diner feel.

Since my sister and I were not so hungry anymore, we opted to order two dishes and one milkshake to share. We got Waffle Florentine (PHP265), Chicken Buffalo Kabob (PHP197) and S’mores Milkshake (PHP134). 

We were informed that the dishes we ordered will take around 15 minutes and since we were still digesting the tacos, we said that we’re willing to wait. (Don’t you just love it when the server tells you how long you’ll wait to set your expectations?)

First served was our milkshake and oohlala… it was overflowing!

Each sip is packed with a lovely milky and chocolatey taste. It wasn’t too sweet or feel like we were having dessert with our meal. I also loved the s’mores on the brim. It was a chewy piece of sweet heaven. 

It’s just a bit messy to enjoy this one as the mason jar was covered with chocolate syrup. Not that I’m complaining.

Waffle Florentine was served next and yowza! For its price, it was bang for the buck! What was served before us was a plate good for sharing.