First Bite: Lobby Café by B Hotel

I find it fascinating how small boutique hotels are starting to grow in Tomas Morato. I could see it slowly turning into Kalayaan of Makati, an area budget travelers frequent. And the best part of staying in this area is that you'll never run out of places to go to for food. But when your hotel already offers reasonably priced food, why head out?

Hello, B Hotel. 

B Hotel is one of the many reputable establishments under The Bellevue Group of Hotels. It opened two years ago and since then got a steady number of patrons and is even commissioned as the accommodation of some beauty pageants. I'd know since there were several gorgeous ladies when we visited for dinner at Lobby Café sashaying their way around the lobby with their sashes on. 

When in Bataan: Stregato Gelateria

It’s quite frustrating to be in a lovely city yet not know where to eat. I checked a bunch of sites but most of the establishments in the area have zero reviews. I remember though that a close friend of mine recently went to Bataan and took a photo of herself with a charming swing. I quickly checked if it has reviews in looloo; and it has an overall rating of four stars. Since it is just beside our hotel, we decided to drop by. 

Hello, Stregato Gelateria! 

The quaint dessert shop is located at the ground floor of Galeria Victoria Mall and it was a good thing that I asked The Plaza Hotel’s doorman for directions as we would have missed it and walked 15 minutes away as directed by Google Maps based on the pin in looloo. 

Entering the restaurant could be a bit unpleasant as kids selling garlands would tap and force you to buy. One kid even asked me to treat her a scoop of gelato. Though it is sad to see kids trying to earn money to survive, it could also be annoying to some customers who just want a nice meal, poke-free.

The showcase freezer of gelato is the first thing you’ll see once you set foot inside the charming restaurant. But since R and I were famished, we didn’t bother to check it and looked for the menu instead. After spotting some savory dishes, we headed to the second floor and took the table with a swing couch. After a while, we moved as the table is too small for dinner. 

We decided to go with Mushroom Soup (PHP97), Loaded Potato Skins (PHP145, add PHP10 for additional sour cream dip), Grilled Salmon (PHP185) and Eight-Hour Roast Beef (PHP220). For drinks, we went with Gelato Shake (PHP130) and Frozen Iced Tea (PHP85). I went down again as they have this pay as you order policy.

After placing our orders, I was informed that they were out of roast beef. I then changed it to pork belly but they were out of pork as well. I could sense that R was frustrated as he wanted to eat either beef or pork. Eventually, he settled with Pan Fried Herbed Chicken with Gravy (PHP178). 

Service was fast and our drinks were served after 5 minutes. 

Table for Two: Ninyo Fusion Cuisine & Wine Lounge

As much as I love eating good food, I hesitate dining in super fancy places especially when I have to splurge… a lot. But I get to score great deals from sites like Deal Grocer and Cash Cash Pinoy at times. A few months back, I did with a 47% off deal for a romantic dinner for two in Ninyo. I bought it in an instant as I wanted to go somewhere romantic with R.

Hello, Ninyo Fusion Cuisine and Wine Lounge!

It was a rainy day when we decided to visit Ninyo. I had a private gazebo reserved (for an extra romantic vibe) and I got worried that the rain will ruin our dinner but I was surprised with the fantastic service of the staff. The servers approached us with umbrellas and made sure that we are dry and comfortable.

The set-up was perfect. There were rose petals everywhere.

First served were a few slices of warm bread and butter and it sure hit the spot. The bread was soft and delicious! Too bad I was too hungry to take a photo of it.

Next served were the Wasabi Fried Oyster Tempura and it was good. Wait, scratch that. It was awesome! R loved it too. The starter sure did set the bar high. I loved the contrast of the soft oysters and the crunchy tempura batter. The balsamic citrus mayo dressing with red lumpfish caviar made it even more interesting.

The Nori Pumpkin Soup was pretty good too. I loved the creamy texture and the sweet yet salty taste.

It was difficult to eat the Yuzu Sorbet. R and I decided to eat it straight from the ceramic spoon/plate. It was very refreshing though. 

Restaurant Discovery: Feta Mediterranean

Whenever I see new restaurants, I salivate. Okay, that didn’t sound so girly or proper but sadly, it’s true. I tend to be less picky when I’m hungry. Anywhere will do (as long as it’s a place I’ve never been to). And on our way back to the parking, we spotted Feta Mediterranean.

Hello, Feta Mediterranean!

The place is located a bit away from the strip of other restaurants so you could easily miss this one. But since we were walking, we spotted it.

There were only a few tables occupied when we arrived. We managed to get some couch seats and ordered Tomato Soup (PHP140), Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce (PHP490), a beef wrap I totally forgot its name and price, and a glass of their House Blend Iced Tea (PHP90).

First served was the tomato soup and it had bits of mozzarella to make it thicker. Somehow though, the mozzarella all clumped together making it seem like soggy and chewy bits of bread. It was served warm though and was quite okay as an appetizer.

Restaurant Love: Franco's

I love my alone time. It’s quite sad to know that some people assume that being alone means being lonely. For me, spending some time with one’s self is proof that you are not dependent on people to do things. I know some people who can’t eat alone. Some can’t even go shopping alone. Well, I have been through that phase too. And yes, saying, “Table for one, please” still makes me giggle.

While walking around Rockwell to canvass some items for work, I passed by the strip of restaurants and realized that I was famished. Given, I haven’t had breakfast yet and it was already 1 p.m. that time. I was thinking of having a light snack at some coffee shop but realized that it’s such a waste if I don’t try something new. So after some thought, I decided to visit…

Franco’s.

Apparently, Franco's is also owned by the management handling Myron’s Steaks, Ribs and Seafood. I noticed though, unlike the steakhouse counterpart, the dishes offered by Franco’s are much more affordable.

The place is pretty charming. (Fine, I like wooden tables and cute chairs.)

After a quick look at the menu, I decided to go for the Pumpkin Soup (PHP120), Grilled Salmon (PHP350), Crème Brulee (PHP160) and Butterfly Iced Tea (PHP90). Yes, I wanted a light lunch.

The pumpkin soup was served first and it was deeelightful! It was creamy and it had a great balance of sweetness and saltiness. I finished the whole bowl in less than five minutes.