First Bite: Ça Va Crêperie & Floral Atelier

A quaint café caught my attention while strolling around Podium. Adorned with flowers and everything dainty, I convinced my friends that we check it out after our heavy afternoon snack. 

Hello, Ça Va Crêperie & Floral Atelier.

It would be hard to miss Ça Va (pronounced sah-vah, French for "how are you doing?") with its prime spot at the Julia Vargas entrance of Podium Mall. Its warm ambiance and feminine vibe was like a strong magnet that lured us into its store.

First Bite: Nono's

I've been wanting to visit Nono's ever since it opened mid last year. Knowing that it got a seal of approval from a very particular friend, I was sure that it will tickle my taste buds with glee. But it was hard for me to drop by as I don't frequent U.P. Town Center. Thankfully, it opened another branch at a more convenient location last month-- Podium. 

Hello, Nono's.

It would be hard to miss Nono's at the new wing of Podium mall as it is located near the escalator. But even its eye-catching and dreamy interiors will make any Instagram-loving individual take notice of it. 

Restaurant Love: Joey Pepperoni Pizzeria

Joey Pepperoni is no stranger to me as I've worked with Kettle Foods Corporation before and handled this pizzeria for a short while. I still remember going crazy over its delectable pesto pasta and how I make sure I dine there for lunch every payday. And years and other pesto dishes later, Joey Pepperoni's version still delights my taste buds. 

Hello, Joey Pepperoni. 

This local pizzeria rebranded a few months ago and added new product offerings. Shifting to brick oven also changed how Joey Pepperoni makes its pizza. Now with a puffier and thicker crust, it made carb lovers twirl with happiness. 

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: Village Tavern

It has been 3 months since my office moved to Fort and till now I hardly explored the area (except the establishments in front of our building). For one, I want to go home before it gets dark. Second, it’s expensive to explore here! But I do treat myself a good meal on certain days when I feel I deserve it. And a few weeks back, I invited E to join me for dinner and we went to…

Village Tavern.

I was first to arrive and the server led me to a corner table (near the al fresco part of the restaurant) and I politely asked her to move me to another table as I noticed that the area had a lot of mosquitoes. I refuse to be the mosquitoes’ dinner. She then led me to the table near the bar and it was a lot better. Soon, E arrived.

Since we got there before 7PM, we managed to score some Happy Hour drinks. I ordered Red Sangria (PHP95 before 7PM, PHP180 regular price) while E went for Long Island Iced Tea (PHP95 before 7PM, PHP155 regular price). We also ordered Roasted Bone Marrow (PHP365) and Black Pizza (PHP550).

The Roasted Bone Marrow was sinful and quite weird too. We put a bit of bone marrow goodness on the sourdough and sprinkled a bit of salt and added the greens that went with the dish. 

It tasted okay but quite far from the bone marrow dish I had from Cue.

Love at First Bite: ArroZeria Manila

I absolutely love that I’m surrounded by people who love to eat. My Instagram feed never fails to make me hungry. It also gives me ideas on where to eat next. And a few weeks back, someone posted a photo of paella. Soon, I found myself researching about the restaurant that serves that paella and after a few minutes, I listed it down on my “must visit” list. And since it’s my birthday next week, I figured that this is the place to go to treat some of my favorite people.

Hello, ArroZeria Manila!

This new Spanish restaurant has been gaining followers since it opened. Located at Century City Mall’s 4^th floor, this place has a homey vibe. 

And ArroZeria is quite artsy too with the ladders on the ceiling and adorable door handle!

We decided to go for the following dishes: Tatin De Tomate (PHP395), Jargo Asado (PHP495), Panceta Y Trigueros Risotto (PHP450) and the Paella of the Day, Del Señorito (PHP275). [One thing you have to be mindful of when ordering Paella, Caldoso, Meloso and Fideua is that there’s a minimum order of two. The prices in the menu are on a per person basis, which we find quite odd.]

Complimentary appetizer!

The first dish to arrive was our salad.

I must say, the presentation was quite different. The lettuce was on top of the baked parmesan and the mozzarella balls and cherry tomatoes on spinach pesto were at the bottom. However, the taste wasn’t as impressive. It was too bland for me and for the price of almost PHP400, it was a bit expensive given its serving size.

Restaurant Discovery: Feta Mediterranean

Whenever I see new restaurants, I salivate. Okay, that didn’t sound so girly or proper but sadly, it’s true. I tend to be less picky when I’m hungry. Anywhere will do (as long as it’s a place I’ve never been to). And on our way back to the parking, we spotted Feta Mediterranean.

Hello, Feta Mediterranean!

The place is located a bit away from the strip of other restaurants so you could easily miss this one. But since we were walking, we spotted it.

There were only a few tables occupied when we arrived. We managed to get some couch seats and ordered Tomato Soup (PHP140), Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce (PHP490), a beef wrap I totally forgot its name and price, and a glass of their House Blend Iced Tea (PHP90).

First served was the tomato soup and it had bits of mozzarella to make it thicker. Somehow though, the mozzarella all clumped together making it seem like soggy and chewy bits of bread. It was served warm though and was quite okay as an appetizer.

First Bite: Marketplace by Rustan’s Supermarket

I love grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places for it gives me extreme happiness whenever I see a new products or my favorite snack that I haven’t seen in ages (such as Tronky). My all-time favorite supermarkets are Pioneer Supermarket (with its highly impressive selection of imported goods) and S&R. A few months ago, I noticed Marketplace, the deli area of Rustan’s Supermarket in Rockwell. I used to ignore it but I see more and more diners in the area so I thought that it might be a good place to have a meal. And a few Sundays ago, I finally got to visit the place.

Hello, Marketplace!

The first thing I saw when I got in was the man who was enjoying a tray of salmon. I circled the place thrice but I couldn’t find it. Oh well.

After a few more minutes, I finally decided to get the following: Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad (PHP220), Bacon Cheddar and Tomato Sandwich (PHP199), Mozzarella and Chunky Tomato Sandwich (PHP165) and Quiche Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese (PHP99).

The Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad was more on the bland side. My mom and sister didn’t really like it as it was cold. But it was meant to be cold and it was actually refreshing.

First Bite: 8 Cuts Burger Blends

Burgers. My tummy must be filled with burgers to last me a lifetime. I have been munching on burgers for months now! I had tons of burgers when I was on vacation and I had tons of burgers when I got back here. Heck, I even had a burger during the day of love. (Hey, that's my day!) And today, I will share another burger joint I have visited recently.

Hello, 8 Cuts Burger Blends!

I saw 8 Cut's signage on our way to the parking lot. I must say, having a store signage facing EDSA is pretty effective to capture attention and create interest. (Or maybe it was just me.)

We then went straight to the fashion wing and went to the 3rd floor to see this new burger place. And thankfully, the place wasn't packed at all. 

Restaurant Discovery: Lombardi's

There are times when I wake up and crave for something real bad. The thing is, I won’t stop thinking about it till I get to eat it. And last Saturday, I woke up with the thought of… Pizza. N though wasn’t in the mood for pizza that day. Luckily, N was running late and I thought to myself… pizza time! And just when I was about to have a solo date, I saw my mom and sister and M (my sister) was in the mood for pizza too. High pizza five! (Hmm… that sounds nerdy.)

I’ve been eying Lombardi’s ever since I saw it while eating at Corazon during Mother’s Day. I thought of checking the place out as soon as my tummy said “PIZZA”.

 

The menu wasn’t very extensive but it’s perfect for those who think so long before ordering.

Since it was past 1 p.m. that time, I decided to do the ordering as my mom and sister take longer when we try out a new restaurant. 

 

I planned on ordering the Parmigiana Di Melanzane (roasted eggplant with stewed tomato and mozzarella) but it was not available. The server suggested another bestseller, Mozzarella in Carrozza with Arrabbiata Sauce (PHP230) and as a sucker for anything recommended, I said, “We’ll have that!” We also ordered chef’s recommended Ravioli Di Carne (PHP480) and Pizza Gambaretti (PHP480). For desserts, we ordered Tiramisu (PHP210) and Pannacotta Del Piemonte (PHP160).

 

We were given complimentary snacks to calm our angry tummies. We finished it in less than 3 minutes.

A pitcher of brewed iced tea is PHP150. Ask for more ice as it tends to have a very strong flavor.

The dishes were served fast though. First, the appetizer.

A Glutton Favorite: Amici

Don’t you just love sibling bonding, especially when the word shopping is involved? But things can get really messy when you’re just given 3 hours to attend mass, shop, and have lunch.

3 hours to do three different things. You might think that it is long enough but I take food shopping seriously and I enjoy entering food stores to sniff and let out a loud aaah~ given that what they were cooking or baking smells delightful.

My sister and I agreed that we will first shop for a bit, then eat and finally attend mass at 2:30 p.m.. Fight!

After 30 minutes of walking around Forever 21, I felt my tummy begging for mercy and grumbling, “Feed me!” So, I looked for my sister and convinced her that it was time to have lunch with puppy eyes. (Fine, it looked more like eyes that will murder someone. I just can’t do that whole begging prettily style.)

I was eyeing Kebab Factory for I miss its Chicken Mast but my sister needed to be dragged inside the restaurant first before she agrees and I just do not have the energy to do so. Then light seemed to hit my eyes and saw… Amici. My sister loves pizza. This will do.

 

We instantly grabbed a table and ordered the following: Crema di Zucca (PHP134), Mozzarella Fritto (PHP220), Al Quattro Formaggi (PHP348), Linguine al Salmone Cremoso (PHP298), Mango Felicity (PHP80) and Brazo de Mercedes (PHP65). We also ordered one pitcher of coke just for the two of us.