Summer Barbecue Party: The Plaza

The summer heat this year is unbelievably insane! We are now hitting highs of 37 degrees Celsius and that's even different from what we're actually feeling which is about 5 degrees higher. But one thing that could make the sweltering weather bearable is The Plaza Catering's mouthwatering barbecue spread!

Hello, The Plaza. 

The Plaza is known as one of the most reputable catering services in the metro. Having hosted the likes of Pope Paul VI, U.S. President George H.W. Bush, Indian Prime Minister Indira Gandhi as well as local stars like Vilma Santos and Susan Roces, it wasn't surprising that The Plaza turned into a household name. And over 50 years later, its brand is a strong as ever. 

The New Flatiron

Flatiron is no new name to me as I've visited the home of the famous 6-hour brisket a few times already. But it seems that I haven't dropped by for a long time as I didn't even notice the change in Flatiron's look. More than its interiors and new logo though, it also revamped its menu and added new mouthwatering dishes.

Hello, Flatiron.

I was greeted by a place with familiar look but different hues and a more vibrant vibe. As I moved closer to the private dining area, I spotted M who, as always, greet me with much warmth. 

First Sip: Cattle Milkshake Bar

Milkshakes are like fashion. It has its classic and crazy years. We've seen and tasted clean, creamy milkshakes and we've also witnessed these drinks topped with burgers and what-have-you. As much as I love milkshakes, I often find myself avoiding it when I see it being ridiculously topped with everything in the candy store. I make a few exceptions though especially when I hear that the place is good.

First Bite: Brick Burger

"Everything is awesome! Everything is cool when you’re part of a team. Everything is awesome! When we’re living our dream.” Those lines have been stuck in my head ever since I watched The Lego Movie. I still go crazy whenever I hear it and I just have to sing along! And I got crazier when I found out that a Lego themed burger joint opened a few months back, I just have to visit it soon!

Hello, Brick Burger!

The place was packed with families on a rainy Sunday afternoon but we were lucky to score the last vacant table. 

We were quickly assisted to our table and were handed menu cards. There are not a lot of dishes to choose from as Brick Burger focused on comfort dishes such as chicken wings, pasta, hotdogs, fries, nachos and of course, burgers. After much thought, we went with Cheesy Mac (PHP210) and Fries (PHP65). 

Restaurant Love Revisited: Wildflour

There are so many new restaurants in Bonifacio Global City and I always get overwhelmed when someone asks me where to eat. With hundreds of options, how can I choose just one? A few weekends ago, I met up with some of R’s friends from his Shanghai group and since we were running late, his friends made the decision to have dinner at Wildflour.

Hello, Wildflour.

This restaurant never lost its charm. The place was packed on a Saturday night and shortage of parking space did not seem to bother the diners (unless they live around the area).  

Since R and I were quite famished, we quickly ordered Kimchi Fried Rice (PHP495) and Mac n' Cheese (PHP310). R also ordered one Baked Escargot (PHP75). 

While waiting for our orders, we munched on the complimentary bread and chitchatted with R’s friends who were exhausted from braving the sun to walk around Fort Santiago. 

After a couple of minutes, our Mac n' Cheese arrived. 

R found the baked pasta a bit bland so I asked for parmesan cheese. But apparently, there is an extra charge for it. (WHAT THE?!) 

First Bite: Big D's Smokehouse

My uncle couldn’t stop raving about this ribs place in Eastwood and told us that he’ll treat us there on his birthday. Confident about his choice, he scheduled the last Sunday of the Christmas break to be his birthday celebration at Big D’s Smokehouse.

Hello, Big D’s Smokehouse.

We arrived a bit too early in Eastwood and ended up waiting for 20 minutes outside for the restaurant to open. 

I was a bit hesitant to dine here as the place didn’t exactly get a lot of good reviews online. Some said that the ribs were dry while others were disappointed with every single dish they ordered. But it’s free so… game!

My uncle wanted to order The Big Feast which includes a plate of nachos, two servings of onion rings, 2 pasta plates of your choice, 2 orders of chicken fingers, 3 full slabs of ribs, 4 side dishes, 5 cups of rice and a sizzling plate of pulled pork for PHP2,999. I did the math and if you choose all the most expensive pasta and sides, you manage to save about PHP200 or have that sizzling pulled pork for free. (I guess it wasn’t that bad if you do not want to think of what to order anymore.) We also ordered a plate of Hush Puppies (PHP175) as additional appetizer.

First served was the platter of nachos and it looks so oily. The tortilla chips were thin and crisp which I enjoyed. But I would have liked it more if the beef topping was juicy. The one we got was dry and the cheese wasn’t as creamy or gooey as I wanted it to be.

Onion rings were served next and it’s your usual crisp onion rings with garlic ranch dip. Nothing much to talk about.

Hush Puppies soon followed and it was a crowd favorite. The combination of cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan cheese created a delightful and crisp cheese ball! It also had the right level of tart. But what I loved most about this dish is that every bite is promised with an ooze of the heavenly cheese combination. 

The smooth and creamy melted cheese with the crunchy batter was divine. I also enjoyed it with the garlic ranch dip.

The chicken fingers (PHP190) looked so… thin. Taste-wise, it was a bit bland and dry. We had to put a generous amount of honey mustard for it to be more palatable. At least it was crisp.

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.

Friday Night Destination: Tipple & Slaw

Ever since we moved to a busier part of Manila, things felt busier at work too. But since temptation to eat out is stronger in our new area, dragging people for dinner became easier. Hence Friday Night Out with officemates!

Hello, Tipple & Slaw!

It has been a while since I last visited Tipple & Slaw. I recall it was way back August when I first (and last) visited.

The place remained the same and I got the same table too as last time. But this time, instead of just ordering one dish, we ordered six. I ordered Oyster Chowder (PHP180) first as I was famished. D got the Sriracha Mac N Cheese (PHP200) while C1 ordered Chicken Nuggets (PHP250). C2 and A ordered Peruvian Roast Chicken (PHP350) for sharing while M and I (ßthat’s me, not an initial I) got the Roast Beef (PHP550). We also ordered Meat-zza (PHP650) for sharing.

First served was my oyster chowder and it was super salty. It tasted like I was drinking creamy seawater! But I was really hungry to the point of being hangry so I kept slurping and I also ate the crispy (and oily) oysters on the side.

Next served was D’s mac n cheese and everyone reacted that it was spicy. Well, it really was but people who love that kind of kick will adore this dish. (P.S. It wasn’t super spicy.)

C1’s chicken nuggets order seemed to be a value for money. Not bad for PHP250.

Restaurant Discovery: Burp

I get so excited every time I get to read a list of new restaurants near my area. Well, aside from being excited, I get frustrated too as there are times when I hardly know any from the lists. It means that I don’t get to explore that much and it makes me wonder what I do on weekends. Anyway, one list covers the restaurants in Mandaluyong and I was surprised that out of 20 or so, I was only able to visit 5. FIVE. It made me a bit disappointed with myself as a foodie. I must bring back the foodie the explorer in me. And so on my anniversary with work I decided to visit…

Burp!

I’m not exactly sure when this restaurant opened but it was part of the list I “reviewed” a few months back. It was pretty small but it could accommodate around 20 diners. Parking though is very limited.

The menu had a handful of choices from appetizers which are mostly soup and salad, sandwiches, breakfast meals, mains such as ribs and pork chops, pasta and desserts. There are a few shakes and frappes as well.

I decided to go for the Truffle Mac and Cheese (PHP245) and Stuffed Chicken with Garlic Cream Sauce (PHP245) while R went for the Roast Beef with Red Wine Sauce (PHP345). For drinks, I opted for the house blend iced tea (PHP55) while R got the Dulce de Leche Frappe (PHP125). We also ordered a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake Frost (PHP125) for dessert.

First served were our drinks.

My iced tea tasted like tamarind candy while R’s frappe was quite light (rather than thick) and milky.

Love at First Bite: Chelsea Kitchen

I think Ippudo and I are not meant to be. I have tried to have lunch or dinner there for a whole month now (or even more) and for some reason, it gets cancelled… all the time. But I am not giving up on you, Ippudo! I AM NOT GIVING UP. Anyway, I was supposed to have lunch there with friends after Christmas but the line was still crazy which scared my friends. So we opted to eat elsewhere.

Hello, Chelsea Kitchen!

A good friend of mine told me that this place serves good food. And I believe her since Chelsea never fails me.

When I arrived, M and K already ordered the following: Smoked Tinapa Aglio Olio (PHP320), Three Cheese Pizza (PHP320), The CK Chicken Salad (PHP250) and Jones’ Tapa & Fried Egg (PHP320). I just added Crispy Pork Belly “Bagnet” (PHP395), Truffle Mac N’ Cheese (PHP295) and Sundrenched Freshly Brewed Iced Tea—Strawberry and Lemon (PHP195).

First served was our salad.

The server mentioned that it is best eaten with a bit of the dressings. True enough, I like the different flavors—saltiness of the grilled chicken, sweetness of the plum dressing and coolness of the herbs. It was a delightful dish to start the meal.

Next served was the tapa which was topped with a lot of fried garlic. It was loooove! It was tender and flavorful.

Finally... Wildflour Café + Bakery

[Continuation of Black Saturday food trip] We were already starting to get full when we were on our way to our last stop. I persuaded the group that we walk (since I love talking walks, yes, even here in Manila) to the last stop. But the heat made A want to take a cab and M and T agreed. It was 1:3 so we took a cab in the end.

Hello, Wildflour Café + Bakery!

As a foodie, I feel slightly embarrassed to say that this is my first trip to the croughnut paradise spot, Wildflour. Every time I plan to visit this place, it gets cancelled. But last Black Friday was not one of those days. I finally made it!

Since we were still pretty full, T and M decided to go for just desserts and drinks. However, A and I decided to order pasta with our cakes and drinks. T and M shared a slice of Salted Chocolate Cake (PHP195), A went for the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie (PHP190) and Mac n’ Cheese (PHP280) while I went for the Cheesecake Flan (PHP195), a cup of iced Hazelnut Chocolate (PHP160) and Rustichella Squid Ink Spaghetti (PHP450). Yes, A and I were full too. (But we managed to find a bit of space somewhere.)

While waiting, a complimentary plate of bread with salted butter was served. I love that it was served warm and it sure made me forget that I was full. Munching on the fragrant bread with butter topped with rock salt was delish!

Soon, our orders arrived.