Northern Chronicles: Hawker Chan SM North Edsa is now open

Hawker Chan has been one of the most anticipated brand openings this year. It has received so much love since it opened its first store in SM Mall of Asia. Its winning and unbeatable bang for the buck Soya Chicken and the lovable Chef Chan Hong Meng have been just two of the main reasons why Hawker Chan became an instant hit with us. And for those from the North dreading to fight the Manila traffic just to get a bite of Hawker Chan's succulent chicken, this is for you... Hawker Chan is now open at SM North Edsa!

Hello again, Hawker Chan!

Hawker Chan finally opened its second branch at SM North Edsa Main Mall last November 29, 2018. 

Now Open: Bake Cheese Tart is now in Manila

Bake is finally in Manila! After over a year of waiting, the world's best cheese tart is now open in Podium. 

Hello, Bake Cheese Tart.

I haven't heard of Bake till I visited Japan last year. The long queue in front of its store near the subway caught my attention and made me curious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince R to line up with me that time. But the enticing aroma of freshly baked tarts left a strong impression that I made sure to grab some when I visited Seoul, Korea and Taichung, Taiwan.

Love at First Bite: Providore

The huge Providore signage intrigued me for months. It really made me excited because it has been quite a while since a new restaurant graced SM Aura. And the foodie in me jumped for joy when Chef Kalel and Mela of Raintree Restaurant posted that Providore will open this week. And true to their post, it did open today at 6 pm! 

Hello, Providore! 

This casual dining restaurant is the newest concept of Raintree Restaurant, the same group behind spectacular restaurants such as Chelsea, Simple Lang, Kabila, Stella, Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte. And just like its sister restaurants, this one was designed to impress. 

The first thing that caught my eye was the lovely wall of products from local retailers such as Nipa Brew, Manila Eat Up, Traydor and Casa Carmela. I really like that Providore decided to partner with these shops and carry its products. It made it a lot easier for foodies who are not fond of shopping online or driving around for a bottle of hot sauce. With this, we get to save more time for eating! (I spotted a few customers considering some of the goods displayed as Christmas gifts. I might do that too.)

It was their first day when I dropped by and a handful of items were not available then. Thankfully, the kitchen had ingredients to whip a Decadent Bone Marrow Burger (PHP450). I decided to get that sinful bun of meat and pair it with a refreshing glass of Kombucha Lime Iced Tea (PHP120). I struggled choosing my dessert as I was alone when I visited. All of the desserts seem to be good for sharing so I settled with what sounded to be the smallest sweet treat they have and decided to end my meal with a plate of Housemade Leche Flan (PHP95). 

Service was quite fast as I was not even done taking photos of the merchandise when my ginormous burger arrived. 

I was greeted by a good 1.5" U.S. beef burger with bacon marmalade jam and wild arugula sandwiched by a soft buttered brioche with spiced fries and oven-roasted bone marrow on the side. 

First Bite: Yayoi Philippines

It is so hard to resist good food especially when your foodie godfather invites you to the media launch of a Japanese restaurant. This time, the invite was for Yayoi, a reputable Japanese restaurant with branches all over Japan, USA, Australia, and now in Manila. 

Hello, Yayoi! 

I've heard about Yayoi from one of my friends working in Ortigas. He was quite excited to try this place out since he was starting to get tired of the usual restaurants in one of the busiest malls in Manila. And finally, it is open to the public! 

After crawling our way out of EDSA for half an hour, we finally reached SM Megamall and scurried towards Yayoi. And we made it just in time! 

We were greeted by the friendly PR team and owners of Yayoi. We were quickly ushered inside and I couldn't help gush over the mix of traditional Japanese ambiance with its wooden walls and technology through the iPads stationed on each table. (The iPads serve as the menu and platform to place your order.)

After feasting on some Edamame (PHP120), we headed to the photo table and joined other bloggers, media personalities and Instagrammers take some mouthwatering photos of Yayoi's highlighted offerings. 

Our orders were served after the welcome remarks of the hosts and we soon indulged in some serious Japanese dishes. 

First served was the Mix Toji Teishoku (PHP425) or breaded pork loin, deep fried shrimp and sukiyaki beef simmered in special sauce and egg served with rice, miso soup and two sides. 

I loved the sweet and salty taste of the sauce which complemented the succulent katsu and breaded shrimp. I also enjoyed eating the egg base with Japanese rice while slurping some hot miso soup. The tofu side dish helped balance the taste and avoided the main dish from being cloying. 

First Bite: Pink's Hot Dog Manila

I have been counting the days, weeks and months since I heard the news that the legendary Pink's Hot Dog is coming to Manila. I was ecstatic as I know that Pink's has never branched out outside (sounds redundant) Los Angeles. The well-loved hot dog joint has been patronized by foodies and celebrities alike. Heck, even Brad Pitt and Betty White love Pink's! Just knowing I ate the same dish as these A-listers make me feel like a celebrity. Forget the dirty tables and the long wait outside despite 3 degrees temperature. All for the love of hot dogs. 

And so when I found out that Pink's was opening on June 8, I planned out my schedule. I even bugged R's friend K to confirm the date and she said that it was indeed opening on Wednesday. There were also online news outlets claiming the same thing. It was just bizarre though that Pink's Hot Dog Manila's social media pages were not announcing any. I had to confirm as I do not want to waste my energy walking for 20 minutes to be greeted by a closed sign. I decided to message Pink's via its Facebook page. Seenzoned. 

Assertive and with burning desire to know the truth about Pink's opening date, I messaged one of the owners via Instagram. No reply. 

What annoys me is that despite the terrible online customer service, I would still go because it's new and I'm curious. There are times I hate the food blogger in me! 

Finally, it was confirmed that they will open on June 10, Friday. At 5 p.m..

I scheduled to go on Saturday (as I had to be in Quezon City during its opening day) but R got sick so I opted not to go. (It was also because I found out that the line was long and people had to wait for an HOUR to get their hot dogs. I refuse to wait that long.) 

And so I went a few hours ago after work. HELLO PINK'S HOT DOG!!! 

Guess what? There was no line. We managed to order right away and got a table. We ordered The Hollywood Legend (PHP280) and East LA Street Dog (PHP280). Drinks are steep so we just shared one Berry Yuzu (PHP160). 

New Restaurant Alert: The Halal Guys

Yes, it is finally happening. After almost a year of waiting (or was it over a year?),  The Halal Guys is finally opening its first store in Manila!

I still remember the first time I saw The Halal Guys Opening Soon tarpaulin signage at the quirky SM Mega Food Hall. I squealed like fangirl and anticipated its opening which was supposedly July of this year. But just like most stores’ opening dates, The Halal Guys’ was also moved. They said that the cause of the delay was that they wanted to make sure that they get the quality right. Sounds reasonable to me as long as I get the real deal!

And THIS IS IT. The Halal Guys already announced it in its Facebook and Instagram accounts that it will open tomorrow and here’s the good news… first 100 customers get free meals! Yes, FREE MEALS! Woohoo… for you. As much as I want a free meal, it’s logistically impossible for me to be one of the first 100. *cries*