Love at First Bite: Jamie's Kebabs

Growing up in a household not very fond of Meditteranean food made me appreciate this cuisine later in life. I never thought that I'd love kebabs, hummus, pita, and dip almost everything in garlic sauce. It even became one of my constant cravings during Manila's lockdown. And I'm so glad that there's a new place in town that serves superb Middle Eastern food.

Hello, Jamie's Kebabs.

Jamie's Kebabs is the newest food concept by the people behind Main Street. It serves the classic beef, chicken and lamb kebabs as well as other staples like hummus and pita wraps.

Second Bite: Brad and Pits Ribshack

It has been a crazy for me since I left the corporate world. I was painting a picture of a very relaxing and carefree life but it turned out that I became busier than ever with meetings, shoots, and events. I’m not regretting my decision to become a full time blogger and freelance marketer though as I finally got to become my own boss. And to reward myself on taking the big jump, I feasted on some succulent ribs (at very pocket friendly price, coz, you know, I’m still kind of jobless). 

Hello, Brad and Pits Ribshack. 

It was my first time to visit Brad and Pits’ Kapitolyo branch and it gives the same vibe as its Marikina branch. However, this one is more spacious and has more parking space for diners. Its private function room is also slightly bigger and it has its own bathroom too. 

First Bite: Main Street

I always see Main Street whenever I pass by Tuscany. I also noticed it while making my rounds in Kapitolyo when I hunt for new restaurants. But for some reason, I was never lured to pay this restaurant a visit. It may be because I was in the mood for something else whenever I see it or perhaps because of the several lukewarm reviews about its food I've read online. But food gods paved the way for me to find out myself if I'm missing out or not at all. 

Hello, Main Street! 

I was greeted by a well lit black and white signage and a dining area with warm yellow lights. The brown tables, lovely natural stone tiles and tan couches added warmth to the space making it quite homey and quite fitting in Kapitolyo. 

We were in for a treat as we were served a lot of dishes! 

First Bite: Tittos Latin BBQ & Brew

I’ve been hearing a lot of great reviews about this South American joint in Kapitolyo. I got so curious that I always drag people and convince them to try it out with me. But my first two attempts were not successful. The first one was because of parking and the second one was because we were too full from our first stop. But third time’s the charm.  

Hello, Tittos Latin BBQ & Brew! (Finally.)

The spacious restaurant is one of the few that offers a handful of parking spaces in Kapitolyo. But on a good day, the place gets really packed and you’d be lucky if you could score one of the “double parking” spots. Inside, you’d be welcomed by vibrant colors and very South American murals. 

New Food Park Alert: The Food Haven at 77

Filipinos love to eat and that pretty much explain why more and more new restaurants and food parks open almost on a daily basis. Though I’m not exactly a fan of food parks as more often than not, the food in these places are just so-so, I had to take back what I said countless times when I visited The Food Haven at 77. 

Hello, The Food Haven at 77!

This spacious two-storey house turned food park is one of the latest Kapitolyo gems worth visiting. Unlike other food parks, this one has ample parking space and the main dining area has A/C units in full blast to beat the never ending Manila heat. 

First Bite: Little Bear Diner

After several months of planning for another Kapitolyo invasion, I finally managed to set foot again to the well-loved foodie haven. I was very excited when my mom told me that there are a bunch of new restaurants in the area. However, most of the new restaurants I was eying were still closed when I visited. I was saving this adorable diner for my Kapitolyo food trip with some of my favorite girls; but I ran out of options and ended up going anyway. It sure made me feel like Goldilocks though. 

Hello, Little Bear Diner.

It was quite hard to find this place as its signage could be easily blocked by a parked car. It is located in between a water refilling station and Poco Deli. We were lucky though to be able to score the parking space near the quaint restaurant. 

We were greeted by an adorable dining set up with cute framed artwork. The second floor is equally adorable with its wall full of small stuffed bears and other charming decors. 

Restaurant Favorite: Locavore

After an afternoon date with my mom and sister, I headed to Kapitolyo for dinner with R’s family at Locavore. Auntie C made reservations but since the place was so busy during Mother’s Day, we were given seats at the al fresco area. At least we didn’t have to wait.

Hello, Locavore! It has been a while!

I think my last visit here was December 2014. It was memorable because it was the first time I met some of R’s friends. He made such a smooth move by asking me to recommend places to eat around my area. As an always-giddy-when-food-is-involved person, I recommended a handful and told him which dishes to order per restaurant. Then he asked me to join them so that they do not order the wrong ones. How can I turn down free food?! Anyways, fast forward to May 2016, I was back!

We ordered quite a lot as everyone was famished. Of course, part of the list were the bestsellers Lechon and Oyster Sisig (PHP360) and Sizzling Sinigang (PHP475). We also ordered Boneless Lechon Belly (PHP495), Baked Scallops with Aligue (PHP500), Garlic Baby Squid (PHP440) and Mac’s Boneless Fried Chicken (PHP220). For dessert, we got Sorbetes Gatas and Tsoknut (PHP150). 

The Baked Scallops with Aligue was served first and it was pretty good. It was buttery and the aligue added flavor to the typical baked scallops. There was also a generous serving of rock salt. However, the scallops were too small and too few for its price. 

The entrees were served next. 

The Sizzling Sinigang and Lechon Oyster Sisig were delightful as always. 

I loved the tanginess of the sinigang’s gravy. The crunchy veggies also added bite to the tender meat. This is best enjoyed with rice given its rich taste. So forget your no rice diet when you order this dish.

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #7: The Masala Bar

Our desire to stuff ourselves till we burst brought us to our last Gastro Park Kapitolyo food discovery, The Masala Bar. This stall didn’t have a long line when we spotted it. (The ones with long wait are the milkshake stall and SurFries!!!.) It didn’t cross my mind that the store might offer mediocre dishes hence the lack of foodies lingering in front of its store. I just wanted to maximize my Kapitolyo visit. 

Hello, The Masala Bar!

We got the Chicken Tikka Quesadilla (PHP120) as it is easy to be shared and it sounded light, giving us room for drinks or dessert. An order comes with pico de gallo and garlic dip.

The server told us that they will just serve the quesadilla to us. We just have to inform them of where we’re seated. 

Our order arrived in about 10 minutes and it was served warm. 

I dipped my slice in the garlic dip and topped it with pico de gallo and… it was still bland. I had to sparingly drizzle more garlic dip as I was sharing it with my friends. 

I am not sure if we ordered pita with a hint of cheese or Chicken Tikka Quesadilla. I could not taste the chicken or any of the other ingredients. Perhaps they were almost out of ingredients when we placed our order? I have no idea but I’ll buy from the other stalls next time. 

The Masala Bar is located at Gastro Park Kapitolyo, 1st Street, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #5: The Seventh Element

Though it's cold at night, the scorching afternoon heat  reminds us that summer is near. It is the signal to prepare the bods for the beach but it is also a sign for... ice cream!

Hello, The Seventh Element!

I've read several good reviews about this nitrogen ice cream and it sure made me curious. I promised myself that I'll try this place out when I visit Gastro Park. And I don't break promises. :D

After a hearty meal, T and I decided to cap our lunch with some sweets. I decided to go for Oreo and Cream Cheese while T went for Avocado. Both flavors are their bestsellers.

One cup costs PHP150 and it seems steep compared to its competitors. But since it's the only ice cream stand in Gastro Park, it doesn't really matter to the food park's patrons. 

It took the staff a couple of minutes before serving our cups of ice cream. And when it was finally served, I was a bit disappointed that our cups were not overflowing with ice cream. 
But a spoonful of ice cream changed my disappointment to delight.

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #4: Tolyo's Soup n' Grill

While waiting for our orders from Brick Plate and El Phante, T and I checked the other kiosks in Gastro Park and we spotted something interesting... Mexican Bulalo. 

Hello, Tolyo's Soup n' Grill.

We were convinced to try the Mexican Bulalo when we saw "bone marrow" (PHP165, regular | PHP180, with bone marrow). Unfortunately, they were out of the delectable marrow. But since we were still curious with how Mexican Bulalo tastes like, we ordered a bowl. 

The soup was served in less than 10 minutes and my first impression was... it was a small serving for PHP165.

The dish was quite oily and though the broth had a bit of spice, it was still on the bland side hence the need for condiments. (Tolyo's provided us with spiced fish sauce for additional taste but it didn't help much.)  

Wondering why this is called Mexican? There were some beans too in the soup. But it didn't give the dish a distinct taste. 

Sadly, I was not impressed and will not be back to try the other dishes. 

Tolyo's Soup n' Grill is located at Gastro Park, 1st Street, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #3: Surfries!!

It was a humid day when T and I visited Gastro Park and a drink was a must, especially to help push down our food finds. And then that was when I spotted...Surfries!!

Surfries!!

Were you surprised? Okay, okay, it is a terrible joke. But lame joke aside, I was surprised when the friendly server presented to me the size of the Raspberry Bowl (PHP85) when I asked if it is good for sharing.

The raspberry drink was served in a fishbowl! And for PHP85, it was a steal!!! 

It was not overly sweet and definitely a thirst quencher. This is the perfect drink to be shared with friends who are not "laway-conscious". (We estimated and this is probably 1.5L of raspberry drink.)

When I came back for dinner, I decided to try Kaboom! fries (PHP145). I also order another raspberry bowl to be shared with my friends. We had to wait for 15 minutes or so for the drink though as Surfries!! ran out of fishbowls. (That's how packed Gastro Park is on a Saturday Night!)

The small tray of fries was served in less than 10 minutes. I told the server that I could get the tray from him but he insisted to bring it to our table because... he had to blow torch the cheese. Oooooh. Fanceeeeh!

I liked this dish a lot! Each bite was cheesy and I liked the crunch of the spring onion bits. I didn't get to taste the smoked bacon though. I guess the cheese topping overpowered it. 

I'll definitely try the other fries next time. 

Surfries is located at Gastro Park, 1st Drive, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #2: Brick Plate

Since I hardly frequent Kapitolyo these days, I made sure that I get to try as many dishes as possible from different food establishments. And one of the kiosks that caught my attention was Brick Plate.

Hello, Brick Plate!

I wasn't really hungry when I got to Gastro Park to meet up with T as I just had brunch at Starbucks. (Yes, I know it's a waste of tummy space if you're out on a food trip in search of new food finds.) But the gluttony in me didn't stop me from ordering ribs.

T and I decided to share one Shaker Ribs (PHP180) with No Fail Sauce (or more known as classic BBQ sauce) and instead of rice, we asked the server to replace it with corn and she gladly obliged.

The shake ribs come with two ribs packed with meat. The corn, coleslaw and barbecue sauce come in small plastic containers.

The meat was slightly on the tough side and it was lightly seasoned. It is best enjoyed with the sweet barbecue sauce. I liked the two side dishes as it added crunch and more flavor to the bland ribs. 

Though it's only PHP180, I find it steep for the size and quality.

Brick Plate is located at Gastro Park, 1st Street, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

Gastro Park Kapitolyo Find #1: El Phante

Last Saturday was a crazy food fest. I scheduled to meet my friends for breakfast, lunch and dinner in Kapitolyo as I realized that I have to start visiting the new ones before it starts to become unmanageable. I was so giddy on my way to Kapitolyo but it instantly disappeared when I couldn’t find Kitchen Diaries Café. There were two location pins, one from Waze and another from Instagram. I went to both and circled both areas like Sisa looking for her kids and I just could not find it. Worn out and sweaty, I decided to give the café a call and… apparently, there was a change in management and they have to close down the café indefinitely. It pissed me off! They could have at least announced it or something! Aaargh. Anyway, I made sure that lunch will be awesome as I planned it to be at…

Gastro Park!

This place is the StrEat version of Kapitolyo. Similar to the Maginhawa branch, this small compound houses several small food establishments offering different cuisines. And on top of my list is El Phante which got good rating in looloo.

I was excited to hand the coupons I got from Metro Deal where PHP200 worth of food will be just PHP99. But I failed to take note that the coupons are only valid from Sundays to Thursdays. It was not a big deal since it was my mistake and prices are wallet-friendly.

I then ordered the bestseller Chili Beef Basil Soft Taco (PHP140). Don’t be deceived by the name of the dish. It was just mildly spiced or so what the server claims.

It took roughly 10 minutes for our order to be served and it was… small. What do you expect from PHP140? I was pleased though that despite the small size of the soft taco, there was a generous serving of ground beef.

Love at First Sip: United Coffee

Now on our last stop, simply because the establishments in the area were getting ready to close, we decided to go for a nice and quiet place to chat. The coffee shop in the Nav compound made me curious and after our meal at Diner on 16^th, we opted to look for it. And thanks to the shop’s signage, finding it was a breeze. But the climb up wasn’t due to my aching knees. >.<

Hello, United Coffee.

There were only two other tables occupied when we arrived. The interiors reminded me of a humbler Yardstick—warm and cozy. We settled in one of the window seats.

The place is still on its soft opening, having opened its doors last December. Menu is not very extensive but since I was already full and slightly sleepy, none appealed to me. The friendly server suggested their bestseller, Espresso + Milk + Mocha (PHP160) and as a sucker for bestsellers, I gave it a try. I wanted to try the S’mores cake but I just do not have space for it anymore. T_T

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. 

First Bite: Taco Vengo!

Ever since my office moved to Fort, I hardly get to visit Kapitolyo, my favorite foodie haven. But thanks to the long weekend, I got to visit this lovely area again and managed to visit not just one but three stops. Our first stop was the raved taco place named Taco Vengo!

Hello, Taco Vengo!

I have been looking forward to visit this place after reading all those positive reviews and seeing mouthwatering photos of tacos. And the place being Instagram-worthy makes it even more irresistible. 

The place is part of the small compound where Nav and Longganisa Sorpresa are located. Though the restaurant does not have frontage, you could easily spot it thanks to its signage alongside the more established food stops. 

Taco Vengo!'s menu is not that extensive but since I'm a newbie, I asked for recommendations and I was told that their best seller is the Shrimp Taco (PHP110 for 1 taco; PHP210 for 2 tacos). I ordered two of that and one Steak Taco (PHP110) and Cheese Quesadillas (PHP120). I was tempted to make my steak taco into a rice bowl but the server said that their fillings are best served with soft tacos. The place has the word "taco" in its name after all. I also got a glass of house blend iced tea while my sister went with a can of soda. 

First served was the saddest looking quesadilla I have ever seen. It was so flat and it looked like it was just a piece of folded thick tortilla. 

And it tasted just like pita. The cheese filling was too mild and there was a very, very faint taste of cheese. The sour cream helped give a bit more flavor though. 

My iced tea arrived next and it tasted...weird. It had a strong herb-y taste which I didn't like at all.

Next served were the shrimp and steak taco. 

They only served one shrimp taco instead of two and I didn't bother to correct it anyway thinking that the server just got the quantity wrong. But after tasting it, I sort of regretted not calling the server's attention.