First Bite: Sweet Ecstasy

I have been dying to visit Sweet Ecstasy ever since I heard that it serves really good burgers and that its taste is very close to In-N-Out's, a well-loved burger joint in California which also had a few pop up events here in Manila. I was ecstatic when I found out that they have a branch in Uptown Parade. However, all the negative reviews from that branch made me hesitate. Hence, it took me longer to try this joint’s famous patties. Thanks to an event at Miriam College, I finally had a chance to visit its Katipunan branch.

Hello, Sweet Ecstasy!

Located at the second floor of Regis Center, I had an impression that this place will be packed by students and residents around the area. I dropped by around 12:30 p.m. and surprisingly, the place only had two tables occupied. I guess it is busier on weekdays. 

Since I had to go to Banawe at 2 p.m., I quickly ordered Cheeseburger (PHP195) and Ginger Ale (PHP150). 

Love at First Gulp: Backyard Kitchen + Brew's Butterbeer

Harry Potter and beer lovers alike will love the drink concocted by Chef Ed Bugia of Pino, Pipino, The Burger Project and π Breakfast & Pies. His newest restaurant Backyard Kitchen + Brew serves butterbeer using real beer! And since H was craving for it one afternoon, we decided to head to UP Town Center.

Hello, Backyard Kitchen + Brew!

The place wasn’t packed at all when we arrived as it was around 3 p.m. on a Monday.

R and I decided to give butterbeer a try too and ordered one mug each.

The butterbeer smells lovely with its butterscotch scent. It would make beer haters love beer as it is not bitter at all. The whipped butter made it extra sinful which might turn away some health conscious foodies.

I also got a bite of the potato chips drowning in cheese powder and it was L-O-V-E. I can’t wait to visit Backyard Kitchen + Brew again to try its dishes.

Backyard Kitchen + Brew is located at 2^nd Floor, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City. Contact them at 0999 3666921 for details and reservation.

Love at First Bark: Barkin’ Blends Café

I am a frustrated pet lover. I love pets; but since I live in a condominium, I have very limited options. I used to have goldfish, hamsters, hermit crabs and all those small adorable bundles of joy. But what I really want is a puppy… a cute, sweet, hyper puppy. So when Barkin’ Blends opened, I was one of the happy dog lovers who went during its soft opening and so many things changed since my last visit.

Hello again, Barkin’ Blends!

It has been several months since my last visit and I was surprised that the puppies grew so much (and in number too). This time, I got to try the puppy café’s savory dishes.

We ordered Marley N’ Cheese (PHP120), Skyegetti (PHP120) and Smile’s Tunawich (PHP90). We also ordered drinks which were PHP180 each and it already includes our 2 hour pass in the puppy area. (There was no limit before but since the puppy area gets packed, they had to limit playtime.)

The Marley N’ Cheese was such a comfort dish. The pasta was al dente and it sure was cheesy. My sister loved it a lot!

Next served was my Smile’s Tunawich and it was the usual tuna sandwich. Nothing fancy but it was filling.

The Skyegetti had giant meatballs on it and it had the lovely tangy Italian sauce. I liked the spaghetti the best.

Second Bite: K&L Café

Summer is here and the intense heat is driving me crazy. I want to walk around especially during food trips but the sun wants to fry an egg on my head. So when J and I went on a White Plains food trip, we try to escape the heat by having saba con yelo (hielo) at Pan de Amerikana (and brewed coffee and pandesal for a sasaw sa kape afternoon treat). And after a bit of cooling down, we were game to visit our last stop… K&L Café.

Hello again, K&L Café.

It has been quite a while since I last visited the adorable K&L Café.

They were busy setting up for a mini gathering when we arrived so we were requested to dine at the second floor.

The second floor is pretty cute too. The wall ornaments and the frosted window with the logo of the shop made the place homey.

After checking the menu, we went with the following: Longganisa Locale (PHP219), Mozz-Ham-rella Sticks (PHP195), and Ultimate Red Velvet Pancakes (PHP295). We also got Strawberry Calamansi (PHP95) and one of their new drinks that I forgot to take note of.

First served were our drinks. I loved J’s drink as it was sweet yet citrusy. Mine, on the other hand, was a bit too sweet and wasn’t much of a thirst quencher.

The mozzarella (with ham) sticks were served next. Served warm, the stretchy mozzarella with bits of ham was a great appetizer. I’m sure cheese-loving kids would love this dish.

First Bite: Basil

Food trips are the best. It’s the sole reason why I eat less on weekdays—to have more space for weekend feasts. When J mentioned that he’ll be visiting again, the first thing that came to my mind (or tummy) was that I have to plan a food trip. And J wanted that. So one Saturday, we explored White Plains.

Hello, Basil!

Our first stop was Basil, the first restaurant you’ll see once you turn to White Plains.

The place was quite dark and had a spa ambiance to it.

 

After a bit of thinking, we decided to go with the following dishes: Thai Money Bags (PHP325), Thai Sizzling Sisig (PHP350) and Thai Style Fried Noodles (PHP360). I also got a glass of Thai Milk Tea (which I forgot to take note of the price).

First served was my Thai Milk Tea and it was pretty good. It was more like a Thai Milk Tea Shake. It was not too sweet and it was a great way to battle the crazy summer heat. 

Next served was the Thai Money Bag.

Love at First Bite: K & L Café

I get flattered every time I get an invite from an establishment to try their food. It shows that they trust my blog and that they see me as an influencer. A few weeks ago, I got an email from Karen and Loren, sisters behind Blushing Cupcakes, inviting me to visit their newest venture, a restaurant named  K & L Café along White Plains, a few steps away from Pan de Amerikana. After two weeks, I finally got to visit the quaint café.

Hello, K & L Café!

The place is extremely adorable! It had a rustic and homey feel that I simply love. My eyes had a feast! J, the architect, noticed the super sweet sign Karen and Loren prepared for me. It sure made me feel so special! <3

While chatting with Karen and Loren, I found out that they both studied in St. Paul College, Pasig and University of Asia and the Pacific. They were my school mates in high school and college! Small world!

They recommended the following: Maple Caramel Latte (PHP105, hot | PHP125, cold), Famous Strawberry Calamansi (PHP95), Ultimate Red Velvet Pancake (PHP295), Daddy’s Bourbon American Ribs (PHP295), Ilocos Bagnet with Tomato Salsa (PHP265), and Apple, Brie and Baguio Honey sandwich (PHP227).

First served were our drinks. I didn’t get to try J’s drink as he didn’t offer. (Insert sad music here.) 

Love at First Bite: Hot Star Large Fried Chicken

I have heard a lot of good reviews about a Taiwanese fried chicken place a few months ago but I was never motivated to go as fried chicken is just fried chicken for me. Nothing special. But I guess I was destined to cross paths with this establishment when V recommended that we have dinner here last Sunday.

Hello, Hot Star Large Fried Chicken.

The restaurant is on the second floor of the building with Engine 46 at the ground floor. The place isn’t that big but spacious enough to accommodate more than 10 groups of hungry diners (mostly students on weekdays).

The food is pretty affordable too! The Original Large Fried Chicken and the Crispy Large Fried Chicken are priced at PHP110 while BBQ Large Fried Chicken is at PHP125. Just add PHP35 and you get a cup of rice and drink. V and V2 got Almond Ice Crush while I chose Black Gulaman.

I loved my drink! Though I wasn’t allowed to drink anything cold yet, I still drank it. It was yummy! It was like Black Gulaman shake! I had a few sips of almond and as a person not fond of the Almond Jelly dessert, I didn’t like the drink either.

We were amazed with the size of the chicken. It was huge (but flat). After giving V and V2 a bit of mine, I started munching on my Crispy Large Fried Chicken. I’m not so sure if I was just hungry but the chicken was pretty good. The skin was seasoned well and it sure was crispy. It was slightly buttery.

Puppy Love: Barkin' Blends

I love animals. Wait, let me make that more specific. I love furry and cuddly animals. I get so giddy whenever I see a puppy, kitten or just about anything that I could pat and hug. So when my colleague M mentioned that a puppy café called Barkin' Blends will be opening soon, I JUST HAVE TO VISIT IT ASAP.

My sister and I were super excited to visit the puppy cafe. Unfortunately, she was too busy with school work that she had meetings even on Sundays. (Eww.) And since my EQ drops to negative when I really want something, I went without her. (Sorry.)

Hello, Barkin’ Blends!

V was already there when I arrived and we hurriedly paid the entrance fee of PHP180 inclusive of one drink so that we could play with the puppies.

 

There were a lot of people so we were not able to have quality time with the puppies that much.

MUST WATCH: Kapeng Barako Club: Samahan ng mga Bitter

I used to believe in fairy tales. I thought that every girl has a destined prince charming waiting for her. I had hopes that one day, I would meet my “one true love” and that we’ll live happily ever after. Go blame Disney and all those chick flicks aired on TV. But as I grow older, I realize that we do not live in fairy tales. There won’t be animals helping us clean the house or an evil witch with a gorgeous apple that is more powerful than Benadryl. Then again, I still can’t help be optimistic with love. Heck, that’s 1/3 of my name!

I have always wanted to watch the Palanca Award-winning play Kapeng Barako Club: Samahan ng mga Bitter play for years but I just couldn’t find the time to watch it as work always gets in the way. Luckily, they staged it again this year and I got free tickets! (Thank you so much, J.)

It was staged last August 9 at Third Cup, a quaint coffee shop along Rosa Alvero St. (near Shakeys and McDonalds right across Ateneo). 

Restaurant Discovery: Pan De Amerikana

Ever since the upside down bakery caught my eye, I have been bugging my mom that she brings me there. But I think I need to work on my charms. Thankfully, N was open to the idea of visiting the place with me. So off we go to the upside down bakery, or popularly known as Pan de Amerikana

It was a hot day when we visited Pan de Amerikana. And the place being an open space wasn’t something that we were looking for that time. Such made us order Halo-Halo (PHP50) with the hopes of helping us cool down.

We had fun taking pictures of the place as it is such a pretty place. They even have a minibridge as a pathway to the dining area. Soon, our orders were served.

Well, I actually forgot to take a photo of the Halo-Halo and I didn’t really mind as it was practically a bowl of ice. There were not much toppings. I didn’t get to taste any langka, saba or leche flan. I was hoping that there would be an ube ice cream but there was none. :(

Restaurant Love: Old Oven Art Café

As foodies who “somehow” plan, we plan half of the stops we’ll visit. N mentioned that she wanted to visit Old Oven so we made sure that we have enough space in our tummies for its risotto and it was one of the best decisions, ever!

 

The Old Oven Art Café was our fifth stop during our White Plains food trip so just imagine how full we should be. It may sound bizarre though as we weren’t really that full at all.

We had a hard time finding Old Oven as the numbers seem to be a bit messed up. But the place is fortunately just a few steps away from Pan de Amerikana.

We were greeted by a curved staircase and once we entered, it seemed like a chill hang out place for college students. With friendly prices, this place is actually perfect to be along a university district so N and I find it odd that the place is in White Plains.

 

We practically own the place when we were there. I took two jars with puzzles for us to enjoy while waiting for our food.

Restaurant Love: Earth Kitchen

We were so happy with the Bloomin’ Bread that we were still talking about it while on our way to Earth Kitchen which happens to be… right across the bakery. Gluttons? We prefer to be called food enthusiasts. ;)

N got word that Earth Kitchen opens at 6 p.m. and luckily we checked the place out before exploring other areas as it was open! I wonder who blogged that the place is closed till 6 p.m.?

Anyway, we were greeted by a charming façade and a unique door which swivels than swings. The interiors make you feel like you are inside a greenhouse (but air conditioned). I instantly fell in love with the look of the restaurant.

After checking the menu and checking blog posts about the place, we decided to go for the Watermelon and Rocket Salad (PHP270) and Beef Kebab (PHP360). Yes, we try to limit our orders to two per stop this time so that we get to cover more stops.

Restaurant Love: Harina Artisan Bakery Café

I get really giddy when I see new restaurants. As in crazy giddy! I’m just glad that my friends are very understanding with my low EQ when it comes to food. And I am so blessed to have N as a foodie friend! Just one message and she’s game! That’s my kind of girl!

After our successful Kapitolyo food trip, N and I decided to do a White Plains food trip. I was beyond amazed that there are almost as many restaurants in White Plains (or Katipunan Avenue) as in Kapitolyo. Our stops were very near each other that we hardly had the time to burn the calories. With just a few steps, we were at our next stop.

N and I learned our lesson last time when we met quite late and we both had lunch prior to the food trip. N had a burger while I had steak. This time around, we decided to meet at 10:30 a.m. and have brunch at Harina Artisan Bakery Café (our first stop).

We were famished when we arrived as we both skipped breakfast for this. So, after a quick look at the menu, we decided to go for the Biscuit and Gravy, a set with chicken fillet, bacon and baked tomatoes (PHP225) and Bloomin’ Bread (PHP320). 

N went for Tablea Hot Chocolate (PHP145) while I ordered Red Iced Tea (PHP125).