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.

Restaurant Love: Barcino Wine Resto Bar

Barcino has been around for a few years now yet I still remember its launch years back where I was still new with food blogging. I guess it is hard to forget such a fantastic dining experience and being in the awesome company of top foodies and wine connoisseurs. Hence it was such a treat to have my first 2017 date with R at what I consider one of the best tapas restaurants in town. 

Hello, Barcino!

We were warmly greeted by the front hostess upon entering its Forbes Town branch and were quickly ushered to our table near the bar. 

First Bite: Made Nice Supper Club

I have been an active looloo user for over a year now and it never seems to get old. I just love the looloo community and I truly enjoy listening to each and everyone’s food and adventure stories. Coming from different walks of life, each member are like spices and herbs that make the community a lot more interesting. And what’s a fun community without regular meet ups, or in our case, eat ups? Our resident PRO, J, arranged a looloo holiday dinner open to all active reviewers and it sure was a festive one! Our venue? The new restaurant across Your Local called Made Nice Supper Club.

Hello, Made Nice Supper Club!

It could be challenging to spot this place if you have no clue where it is along the foodie Esteban street. It is across Your Local and beside a bridal store. With its minimalist MN signage, you have to remember those two landmarks to avoid missing it, as some of us did. 

Love at First Bite: Foggy Mountain Cookhouse

Long weekends usually mean staycation but since R and I miss the cool (and kind of fresh) wind of Baguio, we decided to head to the land of ube jam and strawberries for a short getaway. We usually sleep in whenever we’re at the summer capital of the Philippines; but thanks to R’s love for Pokemon Go, he agreed to the idea of us eating out for dinner. I have a long list of restaurants I want to visit but there is this one place that I was very interested in. And after making the necessary arrangements, we found ourselves in front of the gate of Chef Babes Reyes’ home, owner of Foggy Mountain Cookhouse. 

Hello, Foggy Mountain Cookhouse!

Noted as one of the best local strictly by reservation only restaurants, Foggy Mountain Cookhouse requires at least one day heads up before diners drive all the way up to its homey establishment. 

I sent Chef Babes a message 4 days in advance as I was worried that the place might be packed given the long weekend. After half an hour of panicking, the friendly restauranteur replied confirming my reservation and inform me that I had to pre-order our mains at least a day before our reserved date as some of the dishes had to be marinated overnight. I sent him a message before the ordering deadline and chose Split Pea Soup (PHP175), Norwegian King Salmon (PHP700), Brick Oven Roasted Boneless Lamb Leg (PHP650), Pasta in Egg Sauce with Truffle Oil and Parmesan Cheese (PHP180), and Cookhouse Iced Tea (PHP150, pitcher).

I got a message from Chef Babes a few hours before dinner and was informed that his Norwegian salmon did not arrive and suggested that we get Smoked Salmon Carpaccio (PHP700) instead. Since R and I are both hardcore salmon lovers, we agreed.

With the help of Waze, we didn’t have a hard time finding Foggy Mountain Cookhouse. The location could look intimidating though to big cars or low vehicles as the steep and narrow road sure made us worry. Parking is limited and if unlucky, you’d have to back up when one of the diners leave before you. 

We were warmly greeted by the staff (and the neighbor’s cat) and were ushered to our table. 

After 20 minutes or so, our appetizers—mixed greens in orange vinaigrette and salted flat bread with hummus dip—were served.

Honestly, the appetizers look really sad with its poor plating. Taste-wise though, we enjoyed the flat bread with hummus. The greens were the usual crisp veggies with a slightly tangy dressing. 

Next served was our cinnamon pineapple iced tea which tasted like churros in liquid form. It was sweet and refreshing. I just didn’t like the slight rough texture of the drink because of the undissolved cinnamon. 

R and I both enjoyed the Split Pea Soup which we were told took 2 hours to make. 

The broth was thick and oozing with flavor from the ham hock stock and Italian garlic sausage. The grainy texture of the soup and the soft sausage cuts were simply delightful! I just had to pause from time to time as the soup was too salty for me. 

First Bite: Acacia Hotel's Acaci, The Lobby and A Steakhouse

Alabang seems to be a very distant place if you reside somewhere in Quezon City or what we call “North”. This is why I hardly get to explore the serene and posh area of Metro Manila. I was lucky though to be invited by Acacia Hotel to celebrate with them the launch of celebrity chef Boy Logro’s dishes in its Acaci restaurant. 

Hello, Acacia Hotel.

It was my first time to step foot inside this Filipino restaurant and I was impressed by its high ceiling lobby. I was also mesmerized by the beautiful abstract art that adorns the spacious area. 

It was then when Acacia Hotel’s Senior Sales Manager, Jason Dinglasan, mentioned that the abstract art near the elevator is actually a dragon split into different canvasses and the metal art on the wall against the front desk is a bird’s eye view of an acacia tree. 

Acacia is one of the shortest, if not the lowest, hotel in Alabang. So do not expect a striking view from its roof top. 

But what Acacia could offer is its accessibility to the malls and other establishments. It is also located right across the road that gets closed every Sunday to cater to joggers and bikers. 

First Bite: Qiwellness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse

They say that time flies so fast when you are having fun. I believe in that as I still cannot get over the fact that R and I have celebrated our first anniversary a few weeks back. I still clearly remember our first few dates and how we became more and more comfortable around each other. But enough of the mushiness as this entry is all about my degustation experience in Qiwellness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse.

Hello, Qiwellness Living Teahouse + Bathhouse.

I spotted a deal in Deal Grocer while looking for the perfect (and romantic) anniversary gift for R. Since it’s hard to buy him an actual gift, I figured he’d appreciate something we'd experience and enjoy together. And so why not a nice dinner with a beautiful view? 

I instantly purchased two coupons (priced at PHP1.950 each) of Qiwellness Living's Yin Yang degustation after reading good reviews about this place.Reservation was also a breeze as the customer relations person replied to my email in less than 24 hours. Qiwellness has already delighted me prior to my dinner. And on the night of our dinner, we were treated like VIPs. <3

The place does not have a screaming signage so it could be a challenge to find this place if you do not have Waze. (So download it now!)

We were asked to wait for a bit outside while the guard radioed the staff inside that we have arrived. In a few minutes, the big red door opened and we were welcomed with a gong. (And I meant that literally.) 

We were seated right next to the view of Taal. We would have loved it even more if we could see it. But it was too dark when we got there. Oh well.

It was so windy that night that I was literally shivering. I was barely saved by the complimentary lovely pink and floral tea. 

After 20 minutes or so, our first dish arrived and it was Pine Tree-Smoked Clams with Tofu Skin and Paprika. 

It was a delightful starter spoon. The flavors were not overwhelming yet you could definitely taste the freshness of the clams. It balanced well with the tofu and paprika.

Next served was a plate of complimentary signature bread and salted butter. And I loved it. The bread was glutinous and was lightly seasoned making you whet your appetite even more. 

First Bite: Spice & Cleaver

I was overwhelmed by the new restaurants in Estancia. There are more options now and some of which are fairly new and I have never visited before. One of which is Spice & Cleaver. I spotted this new joint the night I had dinner at UCC Clockwork. And since I can’t wait to try it, I set my sister’s birthday lunch there.

Hello, Spice & Cleaver!

The place had a few seats left when we got there. But we managed to get a couch at the far end as the ones on the sides seem to be set for large groups.

While waiting for my sister, R and I ordered Fish and Chips (PHP499), Wild Mushroom Tartuffo Pasta (PHP350, PHP430 with prawns), Lamb Sausage (PHP280 for one piece) and house blended iced tea (PHP120).

First served was my iced tea which was served in a small glass. It had a nice sweet lemon taste but for PHP120, this is an expensive drink.

Next served was the lamb sausage with mashed potato base. It was juicy and meaty and I loved it with sauerkraut for that extra flavor and different texture.

R was slightly disappointed with the fish and chips. He ordered it primarily because of the fact that Spice & Cleaver uses halibut fillet. But the beer battered fish fillet served wasn’t something at par with what R expected. It was the frozen kind, he said. It was okay though I prefer Chelsea’s or Fish & Co.’s.

Love at First Bite: Vyne

I love Girls Night Out(s). It forces me to dress nicely and be girly (though I seriously hate heels so I always bring flats in case my poor knees give up on me). Plus we get to talk about our love lives or the lack of it. One day, I got a message from my favorite Dragon Lady saying to block off one Saturday so that we could try Vyne. She added, wear something nice. (I volunteered as one of the runners of the Ethan Allen Anniversary sale then so I was a bit harassed but it’ll do.)

Hello, Vyne!

The place is located at the 8^th floor of the W building with IHOP. The entrance looks cute as it is also the entrance of Hyve, one of the bars (or should I call it a club) at The Fort.

First thing I noticed inside were the graffiti or paintings on the concrete walls. It added an adorable vibe to the place.

The washroom is also charming!

Anyway, for the food, we ordered the following: Apple and Bleu Cheese Salad (PHP285), Prawn Ravioli Laksa (PHP270), Lamb Rendang Bolognese (PHP360), The Salmon (PHP450), Breaded Aji Tamago (PHP200) and Mexican Grilled Chicken Sandwich (PHP280). We also ordered two glasses of Lychee Martini (PHP280 for two glasses).

The Apple and Bleu Cheese Salad arrived first and it looked so pretty! The crispy and slightly tangy green apples went well with the sweet honey yogurt dressing. The tanginess of the bleu cheese surely made us hungry for more.

Kapitolyo Food Stop: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

Kapitolyo sure is a foodie destination with so many restaurants appearing left and right. And since it was a holiday last October 6, the Foodie Trio of UA&P (which I now baptize as F3) decided to explore Kapitolyo once again. Our first stop is none other than Silantro.

Hello, Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina!

This wasn’t my first time to visit this place as I got to try it a few months ago with W. However, we didn’t order food and I just had their unlimited mojito (for only PHP250!!!). And the mojito was not bad at all.

We arrived a bit past 11 a.m. and the place was already packed! It was a good thing though that K’s friends, the Triple J (as they all have J in their names), arrived early and managed to get a table inside.

After a quick look at the menu, I decided to go for the Completo (PHP110) where I could choose three kinds of meat for my soft shell taco (I chose lamb, oxtail and beef), Silantro Quesadillas (PHP160) and a glass of Mojito (PHP90).

First served was the mojito but I did not dare take a sip as I skipped breakfast for the food trip. After the first 10 minutes, I started to become restless and at the 15 minute mark, I started to be irritable.

Twenty minutes later, the server approached us to inform me that they were out of oxtail. I snapped! They could have told me that way before! Why wait for 20 minutes???

Anyway, I told the server to give me lengua instead and make sure that he serves my order in 5 minutes or less. And it did. However, we had to wait for a few more minutes for our utensils and sauce. *sigh*

Kiddie Adventure: Ark Avilon Zoo

I just love doing unique activities. As a person who is no longer fond of going to the malls as I find it so mundane, going to Binondo for a kalesa ride or to La Mesa Eco Park to play paint ball are a few things I wouldn’t mind doing every weekend. Imagine how happy I was when my favorite Dragon lady said yes to change our Children’s Day plans to visit a zoo instead. I was ecstatic!

We decided to pay Ark Avilon Zoo a visit as it was the nearest zoo our area (or at least mine).

It was slightly hard to find the place as it was at the very back of Fun Ranch. And there were very few people to ask so T and I ended up circling around all sweaty in our kiddie outfits. (Cue: Eww.)

After a few minutes, we found someone to ask and he told us that the zoo is indeed at the far back. So we went back to the fish pond and saw a walkway to the zoo’s entrance.

The place was pretty empty when we arrived. Well, it must be because we were the only brave ones to face the crazy heat. We quickly paid the entrance fee of PHP350 and went inside.

First thing we saw was the birds’ area. There were several parrots and other birds of different shapes and sizes. (Can you sense I have no interest in them?)

 

Then we saw…  a Siberian Tiger! We were mesmerized by the size of the tiger. It seemed restless though walking back and forth across its very small cage. It took us 10 minutes or so before we could move on. We can’t help but stare at the wonderful creature. It was simply beautiful.

When we finally decided to move on, we saw…

A BEAR!!!

A LION!!!

A CHEETAH!!!

A CASSOWARY!!!

PENGUINS!!!

Some mammals who experienced "The Hangover" and Last Friday Night combined.

The scary big birds

Why hello there cutie pie!

Watermelon loving tortoise

I want to pet you!!!

We had a glimpse of an Ark Avilon scandal...