First Bite: Catch of the Day by Cold Storage

I could never say no to salmon. I love this seafood a lot that I'm willing to give up steak for it. And when I spotted it one at Catch of the Day, it attracted me like fly to light. 

Hello, Catch of the Day by Cold Storage.

Catch of the Day is Cold Storage's paluto-type stall at The Corner Market.  

The Red Crab Alimango House opens in El Nido

Crab is probably the only seafood I have a love-hate relationship with. I love eating its fresh and slightly sweet meat, not to mention that divine crab fat. But getting all those could be a pain. And more often than not, I avoid ordering crab if it's not de-shelled as I've developed a bit of trauma from being hurt while cracking open those long legs. Then again, seeing ginormous ones could be too hard to resist especially when its a restaurant's specialty. 

Hello, The Red Crab Alimango House. 

If you've been to The Red Crab Alimango House in Manila, you'd know that this establishment takes "crab" seriously as it is one of the best places to satisfy your hunger for this delectable crustacean. 

Singapore in Manila: Nanyang

I have been a fan of Nanyang's delicious Kaya Toast ever since I got hold of it last December. It has been one of my favorite afternoon spots in BGC. But ever since I started working in Quezon City, I hardly get to visit its High Street branch. Thankfully, it opened a branch at SM Megamall which is closer to work. 

Hello again, Nanyang!

Its SM Megamall branch is quite smaller than its BGC counterparts. But its prime location at the ground floor of building A (beside Breadtalk) makes it hard to miss. 

First Bite: Wok with Mom

I feel absolutely bad for not being able to properly celebrate my mom's birthday. I was swamped with work on her birthday that we only got to briefly meet on her special day. To make up for it, I decided to host a small lunch party for her with my sister. And Wok with Mom definitely came in at the most perfect time.

Hello, Wok with Mom.

Wok with Mom is a humble home-based party tray business that was started in 2018 by Oi's 77 year old mom. Specializing in authentic Filipino-Chinese dishes like Eight Treasure Chicken, Citrus Baked Pork Spareribs and Potato Shrimp Chinese Salad, Wok with Mom became a popular choice for celebrations and all kinds of festivities. 

First Bite: Kushikatsu Daruma

No double dipping! Finally, one restaurant said it. 

Though I'm not very strict with the no double dipping rule, I still cringe whenever someone I barely know dips his or her bitten food in the communal sauce. I guess that is what Kushikatsu Daruma wants to avoid... a sudden lack of appetite due to what kids call "cooties". Then again this newest addition to Uptown Bonifacio's roster of restaurants have to mess up a whole lot before I lose my appetite for its mouthwatering offerings.

Hello, Kushikatsu Daruma. 

First Bite: New Kamameshi House

Japanese restaurants never fail to charm me like light to fly. I’d go to one for lunch or dinner if I have the chance to do so. And when I spotted New Kamameshi House during one of our Pokemon Go runs, R already knew where we were going to have dinner. 

Hello, New Kamameshi House.

I heard that this Japanese restaurant is one of the pioneers in Quezon Memorial Circle. With it having several years of being in business, my expectation from this place went up a bit. 

There were not a lot of people when we dropped by around 7:30 pm on a Sunday night. In fact, there were only 2 other tables occupied then. 

First Bite: Piccolo Padre Restaurant

Piccolo Padre is one of our Pampanga food crawl stops and A sure knows how to keep one excited with this stop. She mentioned a couple of times how much she loves this place and its oysters. As a big fan of oysters, I drooled at the thought of feasting on some fresh ones. And after visiting the Instagram heaven Teaspoon Café, I counted the minutes till we reached this Pampanga gem.

Hello, Piccolo Padre!

It was like entering a theatre when you step inside Piccolo Padre. Various masks adorn the walls of the Italian restaurant. 

According to Chef Dan Giampaolo, owner of Piccolo Padre, the restaurant’s elegant atmosphere is influenced by three architectures of Venice—apartments above the Venice Canal, the famous Venetian Mask and replica of the famous clock tower in Piazza san Marco with the winged lion protector of Venice and Apostle Saint Mark. 

Second Bite: Adaäm and Yves

Organic? Blargh! Most restaurants that use that word come up with hella expensive dishes. And when this trend was still in its earlier stages, most establishments have no clue how to make it more palatable. I recall trying some out and I felt robbed for eating grass that costs like steak. A couple years later, they finally got the idea that healthy does not exactly have to be yucky. And one restaurant that captured my heart and tummy is… Adaäm and Yves.

Hello, Adaäm and Yves.

It has been a few months since I last visited this dark yet charming place. The industrial interiors truly give this place a chill ambiance while its accent lights add elegance.

R and I were the early birds that night. The place just opened when we got in and the servers were still busy putting all the cutleries and condiments in place.

It was quite warm inside the restaurant as they just turned on the AC. The perk though of being early is the undivided attention of the staff.

Since R wasn’t very hungry, we decided to share Cabo Quesadillas (PHP340) and A Day is Ibiza (PHP495). We also ordered a glass of Coco Rocha (PHP175) for a sweet treat.

Service was quick as our dishes arrived in less than 20 minutes.

The serving of Cabo Quesadillas is quite generous and good for sharing. The toasted tortilla, which reminded me of crunchy pancake, was topped with free-range chicken sausage bits, cheese and sour cream.

I loved the play of textures and flavors. The crunchy base, soft and slightly salty chicken sausage bits, and creamy and tangy sauces all made this dish divine. I also loved the delightful sunny-side up egg that I had the pleasure to poke for its yellow yolk to ooze.

I was a bit disappointed with the serving size of the paella. It was quite small and it was even more expensive than the quesadillas. But it had two pieces of prawns,mussels and clams so... fine. 

I liked the texture of the Valencian-style organic red rice. It was slightly firmer than the usual grains I eat on regular days. It went well with the seafood toppings and it was even better with lemon juice drizzled on it to balance the paella's saltiness. It was also pretty heavy despite its small serving size.

Restaurant Love: Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar

It has been quite a while since I last saw A and we just have to catch up for a girls day out. (Sorry, I have a curfew so it can’t be a night out.) We decided to go for a mini spa date but ended up having an early dinner with drinks at Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar and arcade afterwards. So much for a girly day.

Hello, Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar!

It has been 8 months since I last visited this restaurant and I could say that I loved the dishes I tasted. It was slightly on the expensive side given we only ordered two appetizers and iced tea but our bill was over PHP800. However, we didn’t really mind since the food was great.

This time around, we ordered Prawns and Chorizo Pasta (PHP599), Salmon Benedict Salad (PHP395) and Pumpkin and Pea Soup (PHP239). We also got Almond Cream Pie (PHP150) for A and Ginger-Lychee Mojito (PHP150) for me.

Restaurant Discovery: Tim Ho Wan

When there’s a hype, I get curious. When there’s a line, my curiosity disappears (unless I really, really want to try it). Tim Ho Wan has been one of the most anticipated restaurants this year. The line seems to be longer than when you process your NBI clearance. As much as I would love to try its famous pork buns, I always think of the long line and I’m not confident my tummy will like the wait as I am always hungry when I pass by Tim Ho Wan. I thought that the line would eventually disappear after a few weeks but it’s a totally different case for this place. Luckily though, grumpy W was in a good mood and lined up while I was busy looking for a paper bag to pack his late birthday gift. So…

Hello, Tim Ho Wan.

It was almost our turn when I arrived so I didn’t have to do the Trip to Jerusalem game (where you move seats every time someone gets a table) that long.

The menu is very straightforward. There are the famous pork buns, dumplings, a few rice toppings, and congee. They also have barley which happens to be one of my favorite drinks (thanks to Toastbox). W pretty much chose what we’ll eat. I just added two. We ended up with the following dishes: Pork Buns (PHP145/ 3 pieces), Rice with Beef and Fried Egg (PHP180), Pork Dumplings (PHP150), Prawn Dumplings (PHP160), Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp (PHP120), Steamed Egg Cake (PHP85), Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp (PHP190), and Mango Pomelo Sago (PHP90)

First to arrive was the plate of Pork Buns. It was served warm and I had pretty high expectations as people line up and wait to order this.

It was good. Not great but good. It tasted like your typical asado though this one had a stronger flavor. I also enjoyed the baked bun. I just find it slightly messy to eat. 

Next served was the Rice with Beef and Fried Egg which was rather soupy. It was also a bit bland for me.

Restaurant Love: Black Sheep

I am not a picky eater but one thing I am allergic to would be "expensive" food. I guess I have the I-could-eat-this-much-which-is-a-lot-instead-of-spending-it-with-this-one-pricey-dish. Okay, I still blame my Bistecca experience. It really affected how I view restaurants serving expensive dishes. Don't get me wrong. I don't mind spending a few thousands for a nice lunch or dinner. But if I walk out with a sad or still hungry tummy, I turn into an angry foodie. Thus, it took a bit of convincing before I finally gave in to try...

Hello, Black Sheep!

Located at the Penthouse of W Building at the 32nd and 5th, it definitely doesn't sound like casual dining. I was surprised though that the place wasn't as uptight as I thought. (In fact, despite not knowing, I opted to wear a summer dress and flat sandals.) 

The host guided us to our table and handed our personalized menu. (As a sucker for anything personalized, they get 5 stars already!) I also like that despite getting a specific set, we still have a freedom to choose some appetizers, mains, etc. 

First served was the Chicken and Egg. Charmingly plated, it was a piece of deep-fried chicken, marinated in soy and topped with salmon roe and submerged in raw egg. I was iffy at first to try it as I have never tried gulping raw egg. But since it looked divine, I gave it a go and I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken was flavorful and slightly crisp and the remaining liquid was warm and slightly sweet. 

This was followed by a bowl of warm Tocino Bread. It was light and sweet because of the tocino bits.

Served next was the Longganisa Ice Cream. What made me go crazy over this dish was the fact that they were able to capture all the tastes you get from eating a longsilog. Aside from the sweet and meaty taste of longganisa, there was also the crispy black rice, pork flakes, and even the tangy taste of vinegar. It was an amazing dish! The vinegar was turned into this jelly base that made me smile like a fool while finishing it. I also ate the flower!