A Taste of Home: Limbaga 77

Being away from home for a month made me miss our local cuisine tenfold. Just thinking about how a single whiff of sinigang would make me drool drives me crazy. And it was an easy decision for us to pick Limbaga 77 for dinner after a long trip abroad. 

Hello, Limbaga 77.

Limbaga 77 is a homey Filipino restaurant tucked inside the semi-residential area of Tomas Morato. It has been one of the highly rated restaurants in the area by Zomato users and it definitely made me excited to try some of its bestsellers. 

Restaurant Favorite: Abe

The crazy number of restaurants we have in Manila makes it challenging for most establishments to be relevant. With the market bombarded with so many options, consumers find it hard to stay loyal to a particular restaurant... unless the restaurant's doing something right. And such is true with Abe of the LJC Group of Restaurants. 

Hello, Abe. 

Abe has been around for several years now yet each branch continues to be flocked by numerous guests every day. And it takes only one bite to understand why.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

Filipino food always have a special place in my heart and tummy. I'd often find myself craving for bulalo, sinigang or adobo. And one of the best places I know that offers good sinigang is Sentro 1771. But this Filipino restaurant offers more than just Sinigang na Corned Beef.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

It has been a while since I last visited Sentro 1771 and I was glad that the dishes I love are still available and there are a few new items worth checking out. 

Two is Better than One: Max's Kabisera

With the local food scene getting crazier and crazier each day with the number of new brands and concepts opening in every corner, there are still classics that I go back to with Max's as one of my go to restaurants when it comes to Tofu Sisig, Pancit Canton and of course, fried chicken. And when it merged with my other favorite Filipino restaurant Kabisera, it felt like it was an early Christmas gift. 

Hello, Max's Kabisera.

Max's Kabisera came from the idea of merging two of Max's Group brands under one store to offer the best of both concepts resulting in a wide array of familiar dishes yet in a redefined dining experience and setting. 

When in Davao: Paradise Island Park & Resort

Mindanao used to be a place I was afraid to visit. With media and elders saying that this part of the Philippines as an unsafe place, I didn't even consider to travel and spend my vacation down south. Sure, there are cities that are considered safe like Davao. But it being a few miles away from NPA surrounded areas and even a war zone made me feel even more afraid. But all that changed this year when I visited President Duterte's hometown not just once but thrice. And for this trip, I got to enjoy Paradise Island. 

Hello, Paradise Island Park & Beach Resort. 

When in Davao: Saging Repablik

I'm always on the lookout for good food. I usually check apps and ask for recommendations whenever I'm somewhere I'm not familiar with. And when ForkSpoonManila recommended Saging Repablik to me when I was in Davao, I made sure that I drop by the place. After all, Forkie said the magic word... bibingka. 

Hello, Saging Repablik.

I've read a few reviews about this place on TripAdvisor before visiting. Most reviews say that service is slow and that the serving size of the dishes are not that generous. All reviews agreed though that this place offers delicious meals. It's just lacking in some aspects. Reading these made me expect a bit less from the place. 

First Bite: Empacho

Filipino cuisine will always be love. Its rich flavors and textures never fail to charm me. And when I was invited to indulge in a Filipino spread, I simply could not say no.

Hello, Empacho.

First Bite: Wok2Go

In order to survive in Manila, one must learn to move and act fast. And with the intense daily struggle with city traffic, we are challenged to do several tasks at the same time. Thankfully, a new food concept understands our need to be always on the go and three brilliant minds thought of Wok2Go.

Hello, Wok2Go.

This refreshing concept by Kim Garcia, Marc Soong and Angie Mead King located at Venice Grand Canal Mall is designed to allow its diners to enjoy its savory dishes while being on the move.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

I usually skip Filipino restaurants when I eat out as it’s the only cuisine I could prepare at home. If I were to choose, I would always pick Japanese as salmon sashimi is L-O-V-E. However, when I’m out with family, I have to take into consideration their preferences. They love Filipino and American food the most. So, a few Sundays ago, after having a lechon feast, we decided to visit Sentro 1771.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

A good friend of mine told me that Sentro 1771 serves really good food and that made me curious about the restaurant. I was supposed to visit the place last Halloween with my UA&P food buddies but since we were still full from our Spätzle dinner, we decided to go to Starbucks instead. (Silent boo.)

The place looked full when we visited but we were lucky as we got a table on the second floor.

Since we were famished, we ordered the following: Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls (PHP280), Rated GG (PHP295), Camote Cups (PHP240), and Sinigang na Corned Beef (PHP595).

First served were the Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls.

Grandma Approved: Mangan Restaurant

Filipino cuisine will forever have a special place in my heart. I am not being biased or what but there’s really something so comforting with eating Filipino food. Could it be the umami?

One Saturday, I had a girls’ lunch out with my mom and grandmother at Robinsons Galleria. Since my grandmother isn’t that adventurous with food, we decided to head to Mangan, a Filipino restaurant.

There wasn’t much people eating and it was lunch time when we arrived. I guess those new restaurants at BGC and Shangri-La’s east wing are eating other malls’ share of hungry tummies.

It didn’t took us long to decide what to order. We ordered my grandma’s favorite Sinigang sa Bayabas Bangus (milkfish) Belly (PHP280) and Gatang Sigarillas (PHP120). After some thought, I also ordered Lechong Babi (PHP240) as it goes well with the veggies I ordered.

While waiting and munching on the complimentary crispy shoestring sweet potatoes (where some were oddly wet), one of the servers approached us. He shared that they are selling PHP300 gift certificates and if we buy now, we get free puto bumbong. (It made me wonder if he saw my excitement when I saw that they sell puto bumbong.) I then asked if the GCs have an expiry date and true enough the GCs are valid until November this year. I told him that this is against DTI rules as gift certificates should be treated like cash as it was bought with cash, at full amount. The server just… smiled then asked if I still want to avail of it. Uhm…