The Perfect Alibi for a Night Out

You don't need to find an excuse to get a drink or two and bar chows to pair it with. You deserve it after surviving a grueling week at work or simply living in chaotic Manila. And if you do, we have the perfect alibi which is Alibi.

Hello, Alibi.

Alibi is one of the newest speakeasy bars in Tomas Morato. Located in the basement of Geonbae, one could easily miss this new gem in the city.

First Bite: Churchill

Capitol Commons has been my go to place whenever I want to have a relaxing shopping spree. With the place barely packed on any day of the week, it was the ideal shopping destination for those who want a break from socializing. However, this place changes at night! It evolves into this party hot spot filled with millennials. So what we thought to be a relaxed get together turned into something more than what titas and titos in us could handle. 

Hello, Churchill. 

Churchill is one of the most recent additions to the Capitol Commons dining and drinking scene. Positioned as a not so hidden speakeasy bar behind Highlands Bistro, R's friends figured that this would be a great place for a mini reunion. 

First Bite: City Garden Hotel's Encima Roofdeck Restaurant

Dining in hotels could be intimidating especially for the wallet. But I've noticed that a lot of well-known posh establishments have developed reasonably priced menu for those who are dining on a budget. And one new discovery of mine is Encima Roofdeck Restaurant's Everything Bottomless promo. 

Hello, City Garden Hotel.

City Garden is no new name in the hospitality industry but it was my first time to visit City Garden Hotel. I blame Makati due to crazy traffic and confusing one-way streets. But last weekend, I finally made it!

First Bite: AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe

I hardly frequent San Juan as traffic there gets too insane at times. I still remember the times when I get stuck in standstill, no thanks to a certain school. But thanks to Waze, I discover new routes in order to get around its small streets filled with good food finds. And a few weeks back, I discovered this new restaurant that offers everything from breakfast to bar chow that is worth braving the traffic for.

Hello, AM:PM Brunch Bar and Cafe.

Second Bite: Burgers & Brewskies

Living near Kapitolyo and the developing foodie area Capitol Commons has its perks. I have quick access to the good restaurants near Ortigas. However, it can pretty much damage the wallet as well. (I seriously need to save more!) I blame my I-say-no-to-food mentality.

Hello again, Burgers & Brewskies!

Mr. Flaker J suddenly wanted to have dinner because he was too hungry to drive back home. And since he knows that I’m the resident foodie who’s pretty much easy to drag around as long as food’s involved, he messaged me. Soon, we were in front of Burgers & Brewskies.

The place was pretty packed on a Thursday night. There was also a guy singing to add some good vibes on a “thirstday” night. We were lucky to get a table near the bar.

J decided to go for Call the Nurse (PHP280) while I got Neat burger (PHP180) and Krispy Pinkies (PHP175). I also got a glass of Classic Mojito (PHP140) while J went for a bottle of beer.

First served was the Krispy Pinkies and it was great! It’s basically chicken tenders but instead of the usual bread crumbs, they used Rice Krispies. As a fan of the crunchy treat, I loved this dish! I chose honey mustard as my dip.

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*

Restaurant Discovery: Madeca

I admit, as much as I want to be lean and strong, I would choose a food trip over a free workout anytime. However, the case was different a few weeks back. I felt really heavy and when I do, I just have to give in to exercise and tried Plana Forma. It was PAIN. But there’s something I look forward to after every workout… reward. And by reward I mean food.

After an hour of squatting, T and I went to Podium with the plan of eating at Wildflour. It was our second attempt to do so but when we arrived, the place was packed with hungry brunch people. So we decided to look for another place to have brunch. Then I remembered Madeca. I saw it before in Yummy magazine and fell in love with the cute mason glasses. 

Luckily, the 4^th floor of Podium isn’t packed. (Normally, the busiest floor is the ground floor where Wildflour is located.) There was only one diner when we arrived. 

We noticed that Madeca isn’t an authentic Mexican restaurant. It is a fusion between Mexican and Filipino. I got intrigued with Lechon Kawali Burrito (PHP245) so I ordered one along with Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla (PHP125) and Guava Mojito (PHP135). T on the other hand ordered  Sisig Burrito (PHP225).

The Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla was on the bland side but topping it with sour cream and salsa solves that. I love that it was served warm. The chips were delightful too as it added texture to the dish.