First Bite: Bake House Manila

I love hanging out at Shangri-La at the Fort. Aside from its amazing restaurants, I find its lounge the perfect place to have some work done. And I was beyond thrilled when I got word that it opened a new shop to showcase its pastries and desserts. 

Hello, Bake House Manila. 

Bake House is Shangri-La at the Fort's newest food concept. It is hard to miss as it's located at the main lobby of the hotel, just at the opposite side of High Street Cafe. 

Fly to Rome for Free with Cibo

Italy is a beautiful country filled with so much history. But one thing I absolutely love about this place is its intense passion for great food. Italians take pride in its cuisine and its use of the finest and freshest ingredients. Many too continue to practice the traditional way in preparing food. And though I miss all the trattoria, ristorante and deli shops, I'm happy that I could have a taste of Italy here in Manila at Cibo. 

Hello, Cibo.

Cibo has been our go to restaurant whenever we're craving for good Italian food. I'd often get Patatine Fritte and Spinaci Zola for starters, Penne al Telefono and Panino Porchetta as mains and Panna Cotta for dessert. And don't get me started with my love for its Pomelo Shake! 

First Bite: Caffe Freddo

The insane heat and Manila traffic turned me into an anti-social hibernating bear for months. I hardly go out unless needed or when curiosity hits me bad. The latter was the case when I dropped by Caffe Freddo, the newest brunch spot in Bonifacio Global City. 

Hello, Caffe Freddo. 

Located along the busy strip of 9th Avenue and Bonifacio High Street, Caffe Freddo is a shiny gem waiting to be discovered by many. 

First Bite: Bistro United

I miss living close to Kapitolyo, one of the best food havens in the metro. Though it’s technically just 20 minutes away from where I live now, the traffic makes it seem a far away land. But good food conquers all and I found myself in front of this new restaurant in Kapitolyo one Tuesday afternoon. 

Hello, Bistro United.

This new restaurant by Chef Mia of The Round Table is one of the handful delectable additions in Kapitolyo. 

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.

Second Bite: Black Olive Cerveceria

Food never fails to make me smile. Whenever I feel down, I eat. (Sometimes a lot.) And last week, R was not in his best mood so I figured food could make him smile. Or grin.

Hello, Black Olive!

It has been a while since my last visit but nothing much has changed.

I also ordered an apple flavored iced tea and it was… so-so.

We got there around 7 p.m. so it wasn’t packed with hungry yuppies just yet. R got the Black Fettuccini (PHP510) while I chose the Risotto Verde (PHP605). We also got Black Olive’s Barbeque Pork Riblets (PHP280).

Restaurant Discovery: Linguini Fini

I love birthdays. I get giddy waiting for 12 midnight just to greet my favorite people. And I want to be the first one to greet them. Yes, I could be competitive with those things too. (I also want to be the last one to greet them [again] just because I like to pester the people I love.) And birthdays are always best celebrated with people dear to you. Okay, I kind of forced myself to be dear to Lil R.

It was one (failed) tea afternoon when my favorite Dragon lady (T), Lil R, Big R and I decided to explore the new restaurants of SM Megamall’s Fashion Hall. We originally planned to visit Ippudo but I think Ippudo hates me. Every time I plan to visit, the line looks like Nokia’s Snake that has been played for 10 hours.

We roamed around for a bit and saw Linguini Fini, a new Italian restaurant near Boqueria (which is now Alqueria). The place looks cozy. So, why not?

It took us quite a bit to decide on what to order but finally decided to get Porchetta (PHP595, served sliced and with chili mostarda), Bianco (PHP745), On Top of Spaghetti (PHP425), and Pappardelle “Nose to Tail Bolo” (PHP430).

First served was the Pappardelle “Nose to Tail Bolo” and it doesn’t look pretty. But the taste says otherwise. The bouncy pasta with the pork testa, veal and oxtail ragu were savory and delightful. T though found a bone on her portion.

The Bianco is your usual cheese pizza. I only had one slice as it was oily. (Sadly, my tummy reacts funny to oily food after two weeks of Alkaline diet.) Cheese lovers would love this though as the pizza had a generous serving of mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, Parmigiano, and Grana Padano.

The On Top of Spaghetti was the idea of the two Rs. They claim that the meatball talked to them. Anyway, it was indeed pretty good. The meatball was savory and juicy. However, I still think that it is just a typical spaghetti dish with a huge meatball on top.

Restaurant Discovery: Black Olive Cerveceria

Funny how when you get older, birthdays seem to be less and less of a special day. But one thing I still want on my special day is a cake and a meal, may it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, outside. However, I had prior engagement with a company from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (though I have 12 noon to 2 p.m. as my lunch break). Given that I have never been to Capitol Commons, that was our first option for my birthday lunch.

Hello Black Olive Cerveceria!

The place hardly had customers when we arrived. Well, it was a Wednesday and lunch time so it was pretty much expected.

Since I was in a hurry to finish lunch, we ordered right away. What caught my eye was the Porchetta with Rosemary Roast Potato and Caponata (PHP490) while my mom went for the Grilled Italian Sausage with Roast Garlic Mashed Potato and Pepperonata (PHP390). We also ordered a bowl of Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (PHP220) and Vanilla Pannacotta with Balsamic-marinated Strawberries (PHP220).

While waiting, we were served with a complimentary basket of bread with dip. My mom enjoyed the freshly baked bread and ended up finishing it herself.

Next served was the soup which was served on a huge bowl. It was slightly spicy and I find it rather thick as an appetizer. It was very creamy and the tomato taste was pretty strong (which I love). However, I'd rather go with a slightly lighter appetizer.

The sausage arrived next and my mom loved it as it was not overly processed so it had more texture and it was juicy too. 

Smorgasburg: A Foodie Destination

I love weekend markets! I just do not like that it closes so early. I want to munch and munch (then digest) and munch some more! While traveling, it never occurred to me that I will be visiting a weekend market. But the video R sent was just too convincing that despite being tired from walking and the long 2 hour travel from Staten Island to Manhattan, N and I just couldn’t help but gooooo~

Why hello there, Brooklyn Bridge!

It was easy to spot Smorgasburg as it is located very near the famous Brooklyn Bridge. I instantly fell in love with the brick walls surrounding the open food market.

Our eyes sparkled seeing a lot of promising food vendors. There’s this concessionaire that sells ADOBONG LUMPIA (6 rolls for $7) and there’s this kiosk that sells amazing BEEF BRISKET ($10 per sandwich). But I’m getting too excited. 

Happy Late Lunch: Cibo

I just realized that I really play favorites when I am at Shangri-La. Well, there are limited options but my top picks are always Cibo and Pages Deli. (I miss Fish & Co. though.)

One Sunday afternoon, my family and I decided to have lunch before heading to a kiddie party in Makati. Since we plan on having lunch somewhere near, we opted to drop by Shangri-La which is just 5 minutes away from our place and headed straight for Cibo.

 

It was already past lunchtime when we arrived and we were really famished. I opted to order Pappa Al Pomodoro (PHP173), Porchetta (PHP390) and a glass of Pomelo Shake (PHP119). My mom and sister on the other hand decided to share a Parmigiano Pizza (PHP325).