Revisited: Cello's Doughnuts

Cello's Doughnuts used to be my go to place for doughnuts. I always go for its Honey Glazed C doughnuts or Pillows with dip. And I was thrilled when I spotted it at Shangri-La Plaza Mall.

Hello, Cello's Doughnuts.

I was a bit bummed that Cello's Doughnuts doesn't seem to carry my favorite Honey Glazed C doughnuts anymore. But they do have the normal shaped one and letter doughnuts (which is the cutest pasalubong idea). 

Cookie for a Cause: The GoOD Cookie Project by Overdoughs

Overdoughs has been known not just for its beignets, loukoumades and cookie doughs but also for its strong support for the non-hearing community. Along with its sister dessert concept Elait, Overdoughs promotes inclusivity of its deaf employees. And just when we thought these two brands under Carvan Food Group, Inc. could not impress us any further, it took another step in making us utter 'wow'.

Hello, Overdoughs.

Overdoughs launched its newest product, OD Cookies last April and I got to sample all four flavors, The OD Chocolate Chip, Corn flake, Ube White and Choco Nutella. My favorite was The OD Chocolate Chip which they made more delicious with OD Choco Chunk! But this was not the only thing Overdoughs made better. 

First Bite: Overdough's OD Cookies

Elait's sister Overdoughs made us rediscover how fun doughnuts can be especially as snack inside the cinema. And while its beignets, loukoumades and cookie dough continue to tickle us pink, Overdoughs has something fresh out of the oven which will be hard to resist. 

Hello, Overdoughs!

Cookie lovers would go crazy with Overdoughs' new offering... OD Cookies!

Promo Alert: Vatos is turning February FunTACOstic!

Vatos is probably one of the best restaurants I've been to last 2018. Just thinking about its to die for Cowboy Queso or its sweet as nectar Sexy Sanchez margarita is enough to make me drool for days. And just when I couldn't think of more reason to drop by for more, Vatos came up with a special treat for its patrons and would-be fans for the month of February. 

Happy anniversary, Vatos Philippines!

Vatos is celebrating its first year in the Philippines with 100% yumminess with its anniversary promos lined up! 

For the whole month of February, grab your favorite Vatos Urban Tacos for just PHP100 (2 pieces per order). Included in this promo are Spicy Chicken, Chimichurri Chicken, Braised Carnitas, Chili Lime Shrimp, Korean Pork Belly, Baja Fish and Barbacoa Pork. Its premium tacos Carne Asada and Wagyu Galbi Short Rib are available for PHP200 (2 pieces per order). 

First Sip: Cafè Barbera

Italians are known to be particular with what they eat and drink. To some extent, they can be what millennials describe as savage when they eat anything non-Italian. I can't blame them though as they have been spoiled by the finest ingredients. However, not everything that Italians love and rave about is well received by the local market. But for something universal as coffee, it's a different story. 

Hello, Cafè Barbera.

This Italian cafè has been around for over a century and has grown from a small street coffee vendor on the streets of Naples to a global franchise. You'd think that this place would most likely have the best coffee. After all, espresso is something deeply rooted into the Italian way of life. 

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: Peperosso

I love to stalk Instagram accounts that focus on food. Several posts make me drool like crazy on a daily basis and when the restaurants that serve those delectable dishes are within my turf, I try to pass by as soon as possible. One of the restaurants featured by a certain food app was Peperosso and it sure made me curious. I immediately messaged my looloo friends R and W and after a few adjustments with our schedules, we finally went.

Hi, Peperosso! 

The place was pretty empty on a Tuesday night. R and I went to the second floor for the servers said that it's the coldest area of the restaurant. 

There was only one other table occupied when we got there and they were having a rather interesting discussion about the latest elections. 

Anyway, since W will be arriving late, R and I decided to order ahead and went with Tartufo (PHP385), Parma Ham and Arugula (PHP290, solo) and Peperosso (PHP300, solo). 

Service was quick and our pasta and Parma Ham and Arugula pizza arrived in less than 15 minutes. The Peperosso pizza arrived 10 minutes after. 

The Peperosso which has ham, mozzarella, spinach, egg, mushroom and Evo as toppings was pretty good. It was a bit oily but flavorful. The crusts were a tad burnt making the dish bitter. 

The Parma Ham and Arugula pizza was slightly bitter too because of the crust and arugula. But the parma ham balanced it with its natural saltiness. 

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.

Promo Alert: Start Your Day with Nutella

Great news, Nutella lovers! Your favorite chocolate spread has an early Christmas treat for us. If you passed by Landmark a few days ago, you may have spotted a Nutella pop up booth in the supermarket level. And yes, it is there to stay until October 18!

Here are the items you could get when you purchase your Nutella supply from the pop up booth:

Things get even yummier when you purchase at least PHP500 worth of Nutella. You could win one of the following: Nutella Tub Jar, Nutella Shopping bag or Nutella Portion Pack.

I guess it’s time to bring out those Nutella recipes!

See you there!

-Gluttonshopper

Restaurant Discovery: Early Bird Breakfast Club

Never skip breakfast. That’s something our parents always tell us. But with the boom of breakfast-all-day restaurants, this is one reminder that we will definitely remember.

I just love meetings outside the office as it helps me think better and churn out more ideas. And I just love that my officemates are such great foodies that they know the best restaurants.

 

One day, we had a meeting for Real Living’s big celebration and our group publisher (GP) decided that we hold the meeting at Early Bird, a cute restaurant that serves breakfast food… all day long.

 

The place sure is charming. It is screaming Real Living with its printed wallpapers and nice furniture. The lighting fixtures are cute too!

 

For my order, I decided to get the Tenderloin Tapa (PHP375). I hesitated though given that I want a dish with bacon but since GP ordered bacon crisps with maple syrup (forgot to take note of the price though), tapa it is! As for my beverage, I went for Early Bird Signature Iced Tea (PHP125).

Central Park Favorite: Wafels & Dinges

I feel so guilty knowing that I haven’t blogged for quite some time. Frannywanny has been telling me to blog as well. And now I am baaaack! Hello again, blogger me! I have a lot of yummy dishes and interesting places to share with you all and first would be something that I went gaga over… Wafels & Dinges.

It was one chilly, wait, really cold Wednesday morning in New York City when we planned to visit Central Park to skate and feel like we were part of the movie Serendipity (only our version was rather clumsy and full of violations—I’ll share that in a bit!). J, our wonderful host, joined us and got excited over this food cart outside Central Park. I’ve heard her rave about this cart days ago so the foodie in me can’t help but drool (in the inside of course!).

Since I wanted to try several toppings, I decided to go for the plain waffle (liège wafel, $5) and got the unlimited dinges (WMD—wafel of massive deliciousness, $2) and chose bananas, strawberries, nutella and belgian chocolate fudge as my toppings. Oh sweet waffle goodness!