New Bites at Sunnies Café

Sunnies Café has been known to be one of the best places for Instagram-worthy snapshots. But more than those pastel colored pictures, its bang for the buck dishes will tickle you pink. And same is true for its new dishes.

Hello, Sunnies Café. 

I still remember the first time I visited Sunnies Café. It was during its opening day and the famous gals behind the successful brand Sunnies were there too for a shoot. Fast forward to two years later, Sunnies Café still remains as one of the favorite spots of millennials (and surprisingly titas of Manila as well). 

New Favorites at Bench Café

Bench is one amazing brand. From a humble retail store, it has expanded to more than just selling clothes. Now seen as a lifestyle brand, it now has spin off brands like Bench Fix and one of its more recent ventures, Bench Café. Its festive and flavorful dishes were instant hit to the BGC market that even those not within the area brave the traffic just to have a taste of the famous Tinapa Cones, Sisig and to die for Halo-Halo. And its newest dishes charmed us as easy as counting 1-2-3. 

Hello again, Bench Café. 

Bench Café recently revamped its menu and added some stellar new favorites in its menu. Now offering more a la carte dishes perfect for sharing, Bench Café becomes a family destination. 

Best of Boracay in Manila: Fat Rice

I still remember how challenging it was to find Street Market Boracay last year. As the newest (and only) food park in the island back in March 2017, hardly anyone knew Street Market Boracay, Station X or even Hue Hotel. But I was determined to try it out as the people behind the food park are the power couple Nowie and Odette Potenciano. I managed to find Street Market Boracay after almost an hour of asking around and it was worth it! The place was beautiful and filled with interesting tenants. One of the stalls that caught my eye was Fat Rice and I feasted on its divine wings. 

Hello, Fat Rice. 

Fat Rice has been one of my favorites during my last Boracay visit. R and I were actually considering to head to summer destination a few months back to relax and indulge in good food but it was put on hold when the island was forced to close. Thankfully, my favorites found its way to Manila serving its bestselling dishes for a limited time at Hole in the Wall. 

Best of Boracay in Manila: Spicebird

The shutdown of Boracay has made summer a bit darker for most. As the favorite summer destination closed down last April, it was goodbye not just to Laboracay and all those fun festivities but also farewell (at least for half a year) to some of our favorite food establishments in the island. Thankfully, Nowie and Odette Potenciano figured out a way to bring its mouthwatering dishes to Manila. 

Hello Best of Boracay!

Crowd favorites Spicebird, Fat Rice, Poketo and Coco Mama found its way to Manila last June and have been delighting Manila foodies' taste buds since then. Its pop up stalls are located at Hole in the Wall and will be in town until August 15, 2018. 

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: Holy Crab!

Part of our Aguirre itinerary is E’s sister’s seafood restaurant. I haven’t been to this place before and it didn’t really make a lot of noise as well hence being out of the looloo radar. But I’m sure glad we stopped by.

Hello, Holy Crab!

The not so new seafood restaurant has the same concept as Boiling Crab in the US and Shrimp Bucket here in Manila. I heard though that Holy Crab was the first one to bring such concept here in Manila. It’s just that the other player was a bit more aggressive in expanding. 

The smell of shelled fish was the first thing I noticed as soon as I stepped inside the restaurant. It reminded me of dampa. It wasn’t funky; but it wasn’t exactly pleasant as well. 

Since we just came from Bamba Bistro, I was a bit hesitant to order a dish for myself so I decided to just share with E and K. 

We ordered Mussels in Garliky-Lime and Salted Eggs Sauce (PHP330), Grilled Tuna Belly (PHP260), and a pitcher of Raspberry Cooler (PHP175). 

Service was fast and first served was our drink which was refreshing but dilluted. 

Mussels were served next and it was a pretty generous serving. One order was definitely good for sharing. 

First Bite: COCA

A message from P never fails to make me smile like that creepy cat from Alice in Wonderland. It was an invite for COCA, a Thai restaurant under the same group as Mango Tree. I immediately typed "YES!" faster than my next heartbeat.  And after a week of waiting, I finally found myself in front of Mango Tree's baby sister. 

Hello, COCA! 

I had an impression that this place is a seafood restaurant as its ads before kept on highlighting its humongous crab dish. I'm a fan of crabs but I absolutely hate removing its shell just to get to the delectable white meat. And so, I shunned the idea of dining here… till I got a COCA gift certificate from looloo. And my plan to visit was moved earlier thanks to looloo and COCA’s generous invite. 

I guess all of us were excited to indulge in a Thai feast as everyone was already in SM Aura before 7 pm. I thought I’d be able to get back my early bird title but some were already around as early as 5 pm! 

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by shades of browns and maroons which somehow reminded me of Mango Tree. It still exudes a fancy feel but it was more casual with its brighter lighting. 

C, A and I were the last ones to arrive and appetizers were already on the table. 

We first sampled the Salmon Grapow Cups (PHP180) which confused us if we were indeed munching on salmon. The color and texture were different from the salmon I know. 

The salmon bits of this one were tougher and quite close to ground beef. However, if you try to slowly enjoy the filling, you’d get the salmon flavor. It was just a bit too salty so make sure you eat it with the cup. 

I enjoyed the Roast Duck Salad (PHP380) more than the first appetizer because of its interesting play of flavors and textures. The crunchy skin and cucumber strips went well with the watermelon chunks and duck meat. It had a light taste and was refreshing at the same time! I had to get two to three servings of this one. 

Foodie Alert: Noche Dine in the Dark Manila

It is absolutely fascinating how social media changed our dining habits. Back when phones are bigger than the remote control, we start the meal with a prayer. These days, we start with a flatlay. Just 5 years ago, we choose our meals based on taste; now, we choose base on appearance. We have been so concerned with how dishes look and if it'll generate a lot of likes or regrams. We take so many shots that we get used to cold food and lukewarm drinks. And in the age of digitalization, most of us simply have lost the ability to enjoy food the right way. And this is one of the issues Dine in the Dark aims to address. 

Hello, Dine in the Dark! 

I was so thrilled when P messaged one weekend informing C and I that we will be the looloo representatives for Noche Dine in the Dark's VIP Preview. I have been eying to try it out with R ever since I saw its teaser. Though I've tried dining in the dark before, I know that it'll be a totally different experience when you're with different company. 

Days before the preview, C and I had to choose among fish, meat, vegetarian and chef's surprise for our 3-course meal. We both chose chef's surprise because it sounds exciting!

And finally, it was 10.05.16!

Noche is located at the 4th floor of A.Venue Suites Hotel and before entering the dark realm, one had to proceed to the holding area where diners will be briefed. 

While waiting for everyone, several braille cards were given and we tried to learn how to read using it. I actually enjoyed memorizing each letter and I plan to master it soon. It was also a very engaging way to introduce us to the world of the visually impaired.  

Second Bite: Dohtonbori

R’s parents have been so nice to me and they always invite me to join them dine at great (and fancy) restaurants. I have always wanted to return the favour and kept thinking where to bring them for lunch. And thanks to looloo and Dohtonbori, I managed to treat R’s parents for free! 

Hello, Dohtonbori!

I decided to treat R’s parents during Father’s Day and tried to make a reservation at Dohtonbori for lunch. However, Dohtonbori does not accept reservation on weekends. And so, this marked a Sunday morning Amazing Race. 

We got to the place at 11:30 a.m. and I rushed to the second floor of the building where Dohtonbori is located as I was scared we might ran out of table with chairs. R’s dad cannot dine at the tatami area as he might have difficulty standing up. I was lucky that I managed to score the last table with chairs! (Note: The okonomiyaki restaurant opens at 11 am.)

R’s dad was famished so we quickly ordered the following: Mixed Okonomiyaki (PHP290), Quattro Formaggi (PHP240), Dohtonbori Pizza (PHP340), Grilled Salmon Chanchan (PHP380), Sukiyaki (PHP190), Steak Yakimeshi (PHP390) and Kiwami (PHP390).

We were offered the Father’s Day promo where dads get a free mug of beer. But there’s a catch. This promo cannot be availed with any other discounts and that includes senior citizen discount. Since the discount we will get from being a senior is more than the cost of a mug of beer, we decided not to avail of it. (Oh, and you cannot use your gift certificates too if you avail of the promo which was weird since gift certificates should be considered as cash.)

Since Dohtonbori was so busy that day, speed of service was not at its peak. Though water was served while we were ordering, our request for hot and cold tea was forgotten and we had to follow up more than thrice for it. 

The ingredients for our first dishes also arrived after 20 minutes. Yes, ingredients. We had to wait for a few minutes for someone to prepare the okonomiyaki for us and it took around 8-10 minutes before the dishes were cooked. 

I felt so bad as R’s dad was so hungry already. He ate the salmon chanchan a few minutes short of the ideal cooking time. Nonetheless, it was still good and he liked it! He even asked to have the salmon skin placed back on the teppan plate to make the skin crispy. 

The Mixed Okonomiyaki and Kiwami were prepared next and both were well-loved! 

I loved the different textures in the mixed okonomiyaki. 

The crunch and chewiness of the squid, pork, shrimp, octopus, tempura bits, cabbage, spring onions and red pickles led me to okonomiyaki heaven.

First Bite: Bondi & Bourke

I have been eying Bondi & Bourke for several months now. I have read countless reviews about this Australian steak place and all claim that the succulent slabs of meat are worth fighting for...against the unforgiving Makati traffic. But Makati is a strange and far land, or so on weeknights for me. To cut things short, I never had the chance to visit. Till last Friday night.

Hello, Bondi & Bourke! 

Thank you for opening a BGC branch. You made me so happy! 

I met up with some of my favorite looloo foodies at Melt, their second stop (third for C) that day. After our impulsive Flatiron visit to try the raved about Coffee Pie (PHP220), we headed to Bondi & Bourke for a heavy dinner. (J had to rush to Makati and R had to meet up with her boyfriend and left us alone with our steak night dream.)

While waiting for A to return after parking his car, we ordered a bowl of Garlic Fries (PHP95). I was absolutely famished when it arrived as it was already past 8 then. 

The fries were served in 10 minutes and though the fries were thick and crispy, the garlic powder was not spread evenly. Some fries were too garlicky while some were bland. 

To rightfully utter "Thank God it's Friday," we also ordered Australian Prime Rib Eye Steak (PHP2,190), Truffled Crab Carbonara (PHP630) and Chocolate Lamingtons (PHP145). A also ordered a bottle of red wine Crackerjack River (PHP1,000/bottle). 

The pasta arrived first and it was delightful. The noodles were al dente and the truffle taste was strong enough to be appreciated. 

The sauce was flavorful yet not overwhelming. It was one of my favorites that night. I only have one concern though... I could barely taste the crab meat. 

The rib eye steak arrived after 10 minutes or so and T was just in time for it! (We were already done taking photos when she arrived.)

With high expectations, we each took a morsel of meat and popped it inside our mouths. 

First Bite: IHOP

I have never tried IHOP here in Manila for two reasons, crowd and bad first impression. I tried IHOP in the US and everything I ordered were too salty or too oily. It made me wonder how this breakfast joint became so popular (even to Filipinos). But I guess there's no avoiding IHOP when P invites you while you're on a Sakura vacation. I immediately replied GAME when she mentioned IHOP. IHOP, we are meant to enjoy each other's company. 

Aaaaaand... I was late. I was trying to avoid Uber surge that morning but I eventually gave in with 1.2 surge as I was really running late. And to make things worse, I didn't know that 9th Avenue (or was it 7th) was closed for an event. Almost everyone was there when I arrived. 

After a few catching up and sharing our food finds, we eventually ordered. 

First served was my Splashberry (PHP175) drink. It was so refreshing and I loved that there were whole strawberries inside!!! Yum! The fizz from the lemon-lime soda and the sweetness of orange juice made this drink the top choice to beat the summer heat! Pricey? Well, did I mention that it was refillable? WE HAVE A WINNER HERE!!! 🏅

We also got to try some of IHOP's LTO (limited time offers) for lunch! We had Southern Fried Chicken (PHP195, one piece | PHP295, two pieces) and IHOP Tacos (PHP125, single | PHP195, double).

First served was the Appetizer Sampler (PHP425) and it was goooood! The sampler comes with giant onion rings, chicken tenders and mozzarella sticks. The mozzarella sticks were a bit on the bland side and lacked the gooeyness great mozzarella sticks have in common. But it was good with the marinara sauce. I liked the chicken tenders more as it was so crunchy on the outside and quite juicy on the inside. It went well with marinara sauce too. The onion rings were great too! I ate 3 rings, I think. I totally ignored the honey mustard sauce as I fell in love with the red dip. 

The Southern Fried Chicken was served next and it was delectable. Simple and straightforward, it's that type of chicken that reminds you of home cooked fried chicken, only better! The skin was so crispy and the meat inside was so juicy. The one we got though had slight red spots which I didn't like. I guess I should request for breast for more white meat. 

The tacos and pretty much everything else were served after. We took advantage of the natural light and scored some nice photos. But it took us long enough for the Banana Hazelnut Crepe (PHP275) to require some retouch. 

First Bite: BLK513

I'm quite hooked to Looloo these past days and I can't help but notice the numerous reviews on BLK513, the newest yogurt place in Manila. Okay, you might think that it's nothing special because it's just another yogurt shop which brands such as Red Mango, Pinkberry and White Hat made popular. Buuuut... this yogurt is black. BLK= black. And since new food or restaurants are very appealing to me, I just have to try it myself! 

Hello, BLK513!!!

It has been several weeks since I first saw a post on this "activated charcoal" infused yogurt. Charcoal on yogurt??? Well, it is definitely not your lump of coal on top of smooth and delectably tangy yogurt. Activated charcoal is actually used in hospitals and even at home. Some of the benefits you get from it are (1) reduces high cholesterol (2) anti-aging (3) digestive cleanse (4) toxin removal; and (5) prevents hangover.

Okay, sold!

R's family scheduled a katsu lunch at Maisen a few days back and I thought that it was perfect since I hardly visit Megamall these past months. (Holiday rush, traffic and SM Megamall is an equation for headache!)

After lunch, R and I went to BLK513 for dessert and I opted for cup (PHP185; PHP175 for cone) so that I could get more toppings/layers. I went with caramelized cookies (which tasted like Speculoos or Biscoff) for crunch, kiwi and strawberries for fruits and Nutella for syrup.

And tadaaaaa...

My first spoonful didn't give much of an impression. It tasted like your usual tangy yogurt which you get from Red Mango, only darker. But the second spoonful with the layers made it more delectable.

Love at First Bite: Le Petit Soufflé

[Disclaimer: This blog will be longer than usual as we were fed really well by the generous team behind the charming Le Petit Soufflé.]

I get so giddy and thrilled whenever I receive goodie packages from Looloo. I emailed P to say thanks but her reply thrilled me even more… she invited me to one of the eat-up events of Looloo. Woohoo! After 4 months of reviewing, I finally got an invite to one of their fun events where foodies meet fellow foodies who are patient enough to allow you to take few, scratch that, several snapshots of the dishes served. And the best part of the eat- up was that it was in a restaurant that I’ve always wanted to visit. (I tried twice and failed twice to dine there!)Yes, it’s Le Petit Soufflé!!!

Hi, Le Petit Soufflé!

The charming and aesthetically pleasing restaurant is now a few months old and it still gets packed with hungry diners. 

That only proves that this restaurant is not all cutesy furniture and interiors and that it serves delectable dishes.

During the eat-up, we got a chance to meet the brilliant minds behind the restaurant—Miko Aspiras, Charles Paw and Kristine Lotilla. They mentioned that the inspiration behind the restaurant is the fact that Japanese are so fascinated with French cuisine hence the play of French and Japanese ingredients to whip up mouthwatering dishes. They also mentioned the use of greens to make the dishes look “alive”. And I guess healthy.

First served was the Tropical Basil and Cucumber drink (PHP350, carafe). Despite its dark color, it was not that sweet and in fact, it's refreshing. I liked the tinge of basil and the coolness of mint leaves. (Since this was first to arrive, it preoccupied us for more than 10 minutes, taking photos of all possible angles.

The savory dishes started to be served one after another.

Let’s start with the Kinoko Frites (PHP235).

These deep fried enoki and oyster mushrooms toasted in matcha salt are so addicting. Who would have thought that fried fungi would be this good? Don’t forget to dip it in tonkotsu mayo. It makes it even more delightful. Careful though with the thicker parts for it could give an oily surprise!

The Cheesy and Matcha Puffs (PHP175) reminded some of us of fish balls with its flat round shape. It was pretty much just like flavored bread with a hint of cheese and matcha. I guess it’s a good and light way to start your meal but I wasn't that crazy over this one.

The Sesame Crusted Tuna Salad (PHP345) was perhaps the most photogenic savory dish served. The seared tuna loin was so inviting that it made me salivate while taking photos of it. Thank goodness I did not drool. The garden greens, shimeji mushrooms, tobico and bonito flakes, topped with sesame wasabi dressing added more color to the dish.  Sadly, I wasn’t able to try it. *Insert ugly cry here.*

Team Clingy was raving about the Japanese Beef Curry Soufflé (PHP525) and most if not all of them said that it was their favorite dish in Le Petit Soufflé. It made my expectation higher and when I got to taste it, it was pretty good. In fact, I’m willing to order this when I visit again. It was the type of curry that is "curry-me-no-likey" friendly. The curry taste was definitely there but it wasn’t overwhelming. The nicely cooked cheese soufflé was a great complement to the thinly sliced US beef mixed with Japanese rice and curry sauce.

As a noodle lover, the Vegetarian Soba Pasta (PHP345) caught my eye. Made of buckwheat soba mixed with shimeji, zucchini, eggplant, and bell pepper in delectable shoyu sauce, this dish is a winner! Serving size though is not that much and could only be good for one to two.

Another dish that deserves the spotlight was the Foie Gras Mac and Cheese (PHP755). This awesome dish (wait, did I mention awesome yet?) was soooo good! It’s a must-order even if you’re not a fan of foie gras. The mac and cheese was oozing with flavor and it was a cheese person’s dream. Sharp, tangy, cheesy piece of heaven. Munch on some Hungarian sausage slices for some contrast in flavor.

I had a lot of squid ink dishes before and Le Petit Soufflé’s Squid Ink Rice (PHP395) was good but nothing spectacular. Well, we can’t expect everything to be superb right? 

One thing to note was that they used fresh seafood with this dish. Oh, and shimeji mushrooms made yet another appearance. Le Petit Soufflé must love this ingredient.

I wasn't really attracted to the Truffled Mushroom Hambagu (PHP595) despite its truffle cream. I had a few bites and yes, it didn't stand out. (Maybe it could have if I ate it before the Foie Gras Mac and Cheese or the Japanese Beef Curry.)

After trying all the savory dishes, I started to munch on French Toast (PHP295). It is Le Petit Soufflé’s signature brioche French toast served with maple syrup and whipped cream and it is worthy to be called a signature dish. It was soft, light on the palate and simply lovely. You can even enjoy it as is sans maple syrup and whipped cream.