Restaurant Favorite: Abe

The crazy number of restaurants we have in Manila makes it challenging for most establishments to be relevant. With the market bombarded with so many options, consumers find it hard to stay loyal to a particular restaurant... unless the restaurant's doing something right. And such is true with Abe of the LJC Group of Restaurants. 

Hello, Abe. 

Abe has been around for several years now yet each branch continues to be flocked by numerous guests every day. And it takes only one bite to understand why.

Revisited: Pepi Cubano

I heard of Pepi Cubano back in 2016 when a handful of friends couldn't stop raving about its pressed no frills Cuban sandwiches. I got to try my very first was when it joined  the Gourmand Market and understood the hype after finishing one of its filling sandwiches. It's not surprising for many to favor this as quick bite. And it also serves as a great afternoon snack for a catch up session. 

Hello, Pepi Cubano.

Pepi Cubano grew from a hole in the wall shop in Makati into a multi-branch brand in just a few years and it now has stores conveniently located in malls. 

J and I decided to meet at Pepi Cubano Trinoma branch one time and had a long overdue chat over some sandwiches. I went with Pepi Cubano (PHP190) while J got Torrejas (PHP170). I also got Guava Lemonade (PHP95). 

Restaurant Discovery: Madeca

I admit, as much as I want to be lean and strong, I would choose a food trip over a free workout anytime. However, the case was different a few weeks back. I felt really heavy and when I do, I just have to give in to exercise and tried Plana Forma. It was PAIN. But there’s something I look forward to after every workout… reward. And by reward I mean food.

After an hour of squatting, T and I went to Podium with the plan of eating at Wildflour. It was our second attempt to do so but when we arrived, the place was packed with hungry brunch people. So we decided to look for another place to have brunch. Then I remembered Madeca. I saw it before in Yummy magazine and fell in love with the cute mason glasses. 

Luckily, the 4^th floor of Podium isn’t packed. (Normally, the busiest floor is the ground floor where Wildflour is located.) There was only one diner when we arrived. 

We noticed that Madeca isn’t an authentic Mexican restaurant. It is a fusion between Mexican and Filipino. I got intrigued with Lechon Kawali Burrito (PHP245) so I ordered one along with Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla (PHP125) and Guava Mojito (PHP135). T on the other hand ordered  Sisig Burrito (PHP225).

The Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla was on the bland side but topping it with sour cream and salsa solves that. I love that it was served warm. The chips were delightful too as it added texture to the dish.

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…