Flower Boy: Colors of Thailand in Manila

One of the stalls that opened early at The Grid is Tankchop XL which is now named as Flower Boy. Offering ginormous pork chop rice and picturesque Pad Thai, this stall experienced a lot of hiccups on its first few months of operations. Thankfully, it managed to get the groove of moving plates fast after some time. 

Hello, Flower Boy. 

Flower Boy is one of the first stalls you'll see if you circle The Grid clockwise. Located at stall #2, this kiosk specializes in Thai local fare and one of its signature dishes is its Pad Thai. 

First Bite: Honolulu Café

The influx of foreign brands has been crazy these past years. We've welcomed several establishments that we used to include in our itinerary whenever we go abroad. And one of the newest brands to find its way to our shores happen to be the oldest tea restaurant in Hong Kong.

Hello, Honolulu Café.

Honolulu Café's story began in 1940 when it opened its first store in Hong Kong serving  egg tart, coffee, milk tea, buns and mouthwatering comfort dishes. Regarded as the first and original Hong Kong café dining concept, it is not surprising that a stop here is a must for every traveler up for a gastronomic experience.

Kitchen Hacks: Japanese Curry with House Foods

I am a big fan of Japanese cuisine but there are some dishes that I am not very fond of. I could name a few off the bat... nattō and shirako. I used to add curry in that list but I grew to love Japanese curry a few years back. And I've recently found another way to have it on a regular basis--with House Foods' curries!

Hello, House Foods!

House Foods recently sent some of its bestselling curry packs for me to try and I excitedly read how to prepare each one. 

Taiwan in Ortigas: Fat Fook Manila

I love how my favorite restaurants are opening branches closer to home. One of my favorites to date is Fat Fook, a Taiwanese restaurant in SM North Edsa. And after more than a year, it finally opened its second branch in Robinsons Galleria. 

Hello, Fat Fook. 

Located at the newly renovated wing of Robinsons Galleria, Fat Fook retained its glass facade and quirky ceramic plates accents. 

Life Hack 101: No More Thawing with Panasonic’s Prime Fresh

Gone are the days when I can't wait to head out and search for new places to visit and interesting food to indulge in. These days, I like staying in a lot. I get to avoid the insane traffic and get to spend time experimenting in the kitchen. However, when the lazy bug bites, I find myself eating the usual hotdog and bacon. There's one thing I hate though... thawing. 

I hate how my freezer turns my meats into popsicles! 

There are times when I have to remove my bacon or pork chop from the freezer at least two hours before dinner just to be able to thaw it properly. Though I could just pop it too in the oven, I prefer doing it the "natural" way. Thankfully, there's Panasonic to make cooking a lot easier (and quicker) for me. Its latest models are now equip with Prime Fresh. 

First Bite: Sobremesa

Sobremesa has been one of the most talked about restaurants when it opened. And how can it not make it to the social media world when it tries to address the society’s extreme addiction to gadgets. I’m sure that you remember this restaurant that had the witty idea of putting adorable small bird cages on every dining table where diners are encouraged to put their phones in. Yes, the idea behind it is to have a gadget-free meal and for people to actually talk to each other, in person. And to whoever cannot resist to check his or her phone, that person has to pay the bill of the whole group. Though I’m not exactly sure if diners actually locked their phones in, especially now with the need to document everything, it was and still is a great idea. I’ve been meaning to visit that restaurant for months now but traffic always gets in the way and I couldn’t drag anyone to go with me. But it was a different story a couple months back.

Hello, Sobremesa!

I was invited by The Menu Group to its blogger meet up a few months ago and I figured that this is finally my chance to visit the place as I have other foodies going with me.

Restaurant Love: Todd English Food Hall

I have been planning to visit Todd English Food Hall for the longest time but for some reason, the people I’m with are not game or something happens hence having to change plans. But my favorite Dragon Lady wanted to visit it too before 2014 ended so, it finally happened!

Hello, Todd English Food Hall.

It’s pretty dark inside giving it a bit of classy and intimate vibe despite the food hall set up. But we didn’t really care as we were famished. After 5 minutes or so, we decided to get T.E. Pork Chop (PHP440), Charred Octopus (PHP380), and Home-Cured Bacon (PHP450). We also ordered rice to share since we were advised that the bacon’s taste might be a bit too overwhelming.

The 48-hour brined pork chop arrived first and the size was pretty generous. We were surprised with how soft the pork chop was and it was really flavorful. It went really well with the marbled potatoes and the French beans and demi-glace sauce.

Kapitolyo Food Stop: Tomahawk Chops & Grill

Finally stuffed and happy, the F3 moved to the next destination with our new friends, Triple Js. While still at Silantro, we decided on where we should go next and we all decided to give Tomahawk Chops & Grill a try.

Hello, Tomahawk Chops & Grill!

When we arrived, all the long tables were occupied and the available tables (which were too small for a party of six) were spread out. The server then suggested that we go to the second floor. Second floor?! We were all surprised that there is a second floor. We all had an impression that it’s a very small restaurant.

The second floor is adorable. There are giant letters that spell EAT and CHOPS. The walls are also adorned with frames.

After a short while, we decided to go for the Grilled Tomahawk Chops (PHP295) and Grilled Baby Back Ribs (PHP425). For our sides, we went with mashed potatoes and string beans. I also ordered a glass of the Premium Iced Tea (PHP60/glass).

The Stinking Rose: A Garlic Restaurant

“Where will we eat?” N and I have been asking ourselves that question a lot for the past month. N’s mom, Auntie J mentioned this restaurant that serves garlic ice cream. Weird. I like it already! But we can’t seem to find time to visit the restaurant which is in Beverly Hills. Till one night when we met up with T and K.

 

Hello, The Stinking Rose!

It was pretty dark inside and it somehow reminded me of this restaurant called Gayuma ni Maria. Despite it being a “garlic restaurant”, there’s not a single foul smell.

 

Thanks to N’s reservation, we have a sure table.

 

Service was also very quick for as soon as we got settled, the server gave us some warm bread and told us to put garlic garnish on top of it. And it was so good! Bad breath galore!!!

 

We waited for T and K to arrive before we ordered dinner. But while waiting and munching on the warm bread, we decided to order Popcorn Calamari (small: $9.95, medium: $14.95, large: $19.95) and Garlic Spinach Fontina Fondue ($9.95) as appetizers.

 

The popcorn calamari is your typical calamari but what made it a bit different from the rest is its dip. I love the tanginess of the tomato dip (which is quite similar to salsa).

 

The spinach fontina fondue was served really hot! It was gooey cheesy goodness and we just can’t help but put a lot on our bread. It was quite sinful as every bite was full of oil as well. But we just can’t resist it.