First Bite: Le Jardin Café

First impression lasts and Le Jardin sure knows how to charm. I still remember my full course dinner at this spectacular restaurant and I often find myself craving for its superb Dessert de Gils. And I regretted not going back sooner when I found out that they finally closed their huge French doors. But great things never fail to make a comeback and Le Jardin opened once again but as a casual café.
 
Hello, Le Jardin Café.

I was greeted by familiar garden inspired interiors and a menu that is a lot more affordable than its fine dining predecessor. Focusing more on comfort food and breakfast must-haves, Le Jardin has charmed me once again. 

First Bite: Lemuria

R wanted to bring me to this fancy place that he finds really beautiful. Luckily, we scored a Deal Grocer promo for its six course degustation at PHP1,450 per head. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

Hello, Lemuria!

I made a reservation for two at 6 p.m. one Sunday and we got there a bit past 6 as traffic was a bit crazy in Quezon City. 

We were greeted by one of the staff in butler outfit and assisted R with parking. When we step foot inside Lemuria, I was awed by the restaurant’s well tended garden and picturesque interiors. 

We were the only diners when we arrived. It was like R reserved the whole place for us. <3

We were served some complimentary bread with butter and balsamic vinegar to start our meal. 

There were two kinds of bread, both warm and fragrant. I liked the darker one with nuts as it was moist and way softer. The pale coloured bread was rather tough.

After a few minutes, we were given our first course, the Amuse Bouche, which is basically cherry tomato with cheese. 

The serving size was too small for it to leave a lasting impression. I totally forgot about it when I slurped the next dish which was the Caramelized Cabbage Soup with Lardoons and Sour Cream. 

The soup reminded me of some Chinese cabbage soup, only creamier and a tinge of sourness. 

Next served was the Sautéed Kale and White Onions with Chorizo and Crumbled Goat Cheese. 

First Sip: Sap Juicery

I have been pigging out like crazy for the past weeks and not working out helps keep the fats stored in undesirable places. And now that I now work closer to several malls, it'll be even harder not to eat out. Thanks to some stores that specialize in healthy and detox treats, I might be able to avoid a few pounds. *crosses fingers*

I have read about Sap these past months and it caught my interest as I have a thing for juices. (R makes fun of it though as he could not understand why I spend so much when I could just buy a fresh fruit and eat it as is.) I actually saw the Sap kiosk at SM Aura last year when I tried Yakitori One but I was in a hurry because I wasn't feeling well then. But I couldn't let it pass twice so when I had lunch at the kinda pricey food court, I got myself a bottle. 

The server suggested that I get G1 (PHP185) which is a combination of pineapple, apple, kale, cucumber, spinach and organic cane. Since I'm a Sap newbie, I gave in. 

After paying and getting my bottle, I noticed that there are cheaper drinks such as the organic cane and smoothies! Price difference was around PHP25-65! Some are even less than half the price of what I got. It made me feel a bit of regret not seeing it (and my wallet uttered "ouchie") but I just hoped that it tastes good and worth the price I paid. 

Good news, it's actually a good drink. It was sweet and went well with my meal. Bad news, it was a bit too sweet (and it made me wonder if I'm really drinking something healthy). It is not an ideal drink when having desserts. 

Overall, it was still an a-okay beverage. I'll probably try the other more affordable drinks next time. 

Sap is located at Food on Four, 4th Floor, SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City. Sap also has a branch opening soon in NAIA Terminal 3 across Wendy's.

Love at First Bite: Fireside by Kettle

I can’t help it. I just can’t. I smile like a love struck fool whenever I see a new restaurant. And last December, I saw Fireside. I was really curious and wanted to check the place out but my favorite Dragon Lady and two Rs wanted to visit Linguini Fini then. Three weeks later, I made it happen.

Hello, Fireside!

I guess I wasn’t too observant when I went in as I was surprised to see that Fireside is owned by Kettle, the maker of “Manila’s best buttermilk fried chicken” or so what most foodies claim. And since I was in a hurry and was quite hungry too, we decided to go for the following: Grilled Chop House (PHP189, bowl | PHP389, platter), Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders (PHP489), Steak BLT (PHP389) and Homemade S’mores (PHP139).

First served was our salad.