One of the Best: Ba Noi's

Ba Noi's has been known as one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Manila. It never fails to delight the taste buds which always yearn for Vietnam's clean flavors. This led to the humble hole in the wall restaurant in Makati to expand to other areas, particularly Pasig. And when my sister suggested that we have lunch there a few weekends ago, it was an easy yes. 

Hello, Ba Noi's.

It has been quite a while since I've last dined in Ba Noi's. I remember that I would usually grab a bowl of phở and its tender stir-fried beef. 

Love at First Bite: Tra Vinh

I've been hearing a lot about this Vietnamese restaurant near Banawe for months. I couldn't find the time to visit this restaurant though given that it's very far from where I live. Thankfully, after several attempts, I finally found myself around the area and decided to do a side trip to Tra Vinh. 

Hello, Tra Vinh. 

Since its opening last year, Tra Vinh has been receiving recognition from several media outlets and food apps listing it as one of the top Vietnamese restaurants in Manila. And I was so giddy when I finally had the chance to try its dishes. 

I got the chance to meet its owner Michael Ang who gave me a brief background of the restaurant. Tra Vinh is a brand that started in Australia and founded by Mr. Van Chien Ho, a native of Vietnam who specializes in Southern Vietnam cuisine. Mr. Ang also told me that the dishes I was about to taste are not the usual flavors I'm used to as the popular Vietnamese dishes here in Manila are mostly from the Northern part of Vietnam. 

First Bite: Just Thai

It's hard not to fall in love with Thai cuisine. With dishes like Pad Thai, Tom Kha Gai, Pad Krapow Moo Saap, Gaeng Keow Wan Kai and refreshing Thai Milk Tea, it is a tough battle not to like this Asian cuisine. And so, when the lovely gals of The Foodie Station invited me to savor some of Just Thai's dishes, I quickly said yes and cleared my schedule for a fanTHAIstic day. (Okay, that was a lame pun but it was really fantastic and let me tell you why.) 
 
Hello, Just Thai.

Restaurant Love: Bawai's Vietnamese Kitchen

I've been in love with Vietnamese cuisine ever since my first sip of pho. The delectable clean taste of the broth never fails to make me feel that I'm indulging in something healthy. And I was beyond ecstatic when I visited one of the famous Vietnamese restaurants around, Bawai's. However, it being in Laguna (and the super traffic White Plains) made Bawai's spread a rare treat. Thankfully, I don't have to drive (or be stuck for) hours to this superb restaurant as it finally opened its doors in Uptown Parade. 

Hello, Bawai's.

I was so giddy on my way to this Vietnamese restaurant and my eyes sparkled with joy when I spotted its facade across the Uptown Bonifacio fountain.

Latest Pho Restaurant in Manila: Annam Noodle Bar

I have been dying to visit Annam since it opened last July 6. I was already planning to go but a terribly bruised leg and very uncooperative tummy made me stay at home. I tried to visit again countless times but each attempt was a failure. It would be either we were too full to enjoy another meal or Mother Nature suddenly wanted to create a scene. And after SEVEN failed attempts to visit, I finally got to visit Annam Noodle Bar on a Sunday for lunch.

Hello, Annam Noodle Bar! 

This is newest pho restaurants in Manila and it is a franchise under the Namnam group. 

 

We were charmed by the beautiful interiors of the restaurant with its beautiful bright red lights and eye catching pho and banh mi signs. The restaurant is huge and gave an illusion of an even bigger space with its wide mirrors at the side of the restaurant. Annam also has bar stools for those who like to be isolated from the crowd. 

There were not a lot of diners when we went so we were easily assisted to a nearby vacant table. 

Thrilled to finally be here, I giddily ordered Pho Australian Beef Combination (PHP350) and Sautéed Lemongrass, Pork and Cream Cheese (PHP250). R's parents went with Pho Australian Beef Steak Slices (PHP320), Caramelized 5-Spice Pork Belly (PHP230) and Vegetarian Southern Rolls (PHP170). For drinks, R went with Lychee Pandan Iced Tea (PHP150) while I ordered Vietnamese Iced Coffee with Condensed Milk (PHP120). 

Service was impressive. Our pho bowls were served in less than 5 minutes while the banh mi buns, rolls and drinks were served a few minutes after. 

I attacked the roll first as R was still busy slurping down our shared bowl. The spring roll had a faint herb taste and it could easily fall on the bland side if you are the type who loves bold and rich flavors. 

First Bite: Basil

Food trips are the best. It’s the sole reason why I eat less on weekdays—to have more space for weekend feasts. When J mentioned that he’ll be visiting again, the first thing that came to my mind (or tummy) was that I have to plan a food trip. And J wanted that. So one Saturday, we explored White Plains.

Hello, Basil!

Our first stop was Basil, the first restaurant you’ll see once you turn to White Plains.

The place was quite dark and had a spa ambiance to it.

 

After a bit of thinking, we decided to go with the following dishes: Thai Money Bags (PHP325), Thai Sizzling Sisig (PHP350) and Thai Style Fried Noodles (PHP360). I also got a glass of Thai Milk Tea (which I forgot to take note of the price).

First served was my Thai Milk Tea and it was pretty good. It was more like a Thai Milk Tea Shake. It was not too sweet and it was a great way to battle the crazy summer heat. 

Next served was the Thai Money Bag.

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.

Hole in the Wall Find: Phobobo (Pho-King De-li-cious)

I used to not care much about interior designs. I would say, “oh, nice place” without much thought into it. However, working with the Real Living team helped me become more appreciative of details. I even helped style the Yummy booth before for Yummy Eats’ first year and cried when I stepped inside an Ikea store for the first time. So just imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Hole in the Wall’s Instagram account. The first thing that came to my mind was… I HAVE TO GO THERE ASAP. But work was a bit crazy for the past few weeks. We even have work on Saturdays. Then again, nothing can stop me with my affair with food.

Hello, Hole in the Wall. It has been a long two weeks of agony not being able to visit you sooner.

I was surprised that the place was quite packed on a Wednesday night. I guess Friday night is now seven days a week.

I was really famished when J and I got there so I wasn’t able to take much photos plus I was feeling shy to take photos of hungry diners. I also didn’t really choose which concessionaire to buy from. My only basis that time was which one had the shortest line. At that time, it was Phobobo and Greencheese. But let me focus more on Phobobo in this entry.

I was actually more excited to try Kwong’s and Bad Bird but the lines were too long for my tummy to understand. And since I got rained on earlier that day, a warm bowl of pho sounded appealing.

After a minute or so, it was my turn to order. I quickly went for the Pho Bo (PHP360) and Ox Tripe Chicharon (PHP160). Unfortunately, the chicharon was not available that night. I ended up with Crispy Spring Rolls (PHP140).

Weekend Lunch Date: Lemongrass Asian Bistro

Ask me which mall I frequent the most and I’d always answer Shangri-La Plaza. And since I’m the one organizing the mini reunions with friends, I always suggest having lunch or dinner at Shangri-La. So when some of my Dongguk friends and I met up for lunch, we decided to meet at… you guessed it.

 

I remembered that I haven’t tried the restaurant beside Dome so off to Lemongrass Asian Bistro we go. Actually, we were supposed to have lunch at Pho Hoa but we were too hungry to take another step.

T and I went first as E and D were still busy buying stuff for E’s trip to Palawan (which she found out that same day and that she’s off the following day).

T and I decided to order light dishes as we do not know what E and D were craving. We ended up ordering Thai Catfish Salad with Green Mangoes (PHP265) and Crispy Fish Fillet with Tamarind and Sweet Chili Sauce (PHP350). I also ordered a glass of Thai Iced Tea (PHP105) and Chilled Sago with Mango and Coconut Milk (PHP105) to complete my meal.

The salad arrived first and just like in other restaurants, the sauce, nuts, onions, and mangoes were all on the side. Since we were not sure if E and D are fond of the other ingredients, we just took enough to top our portions and opted not to toss the salad.

 

It was crunchy and it was a great contrast to the softness of the shredded green mangoes. I needed to put more sauce though as the catfish was really dry and it made my throat slightly itchy.

 

The fish fillet was served in a very cute way. It looked like mushrooms! It could pass for cocktail gatherings as you do not need utensils to eat it. It was nothing extraordinary but I loved that it was served freshly cooked. 

Tasty Dinner: Pho Tasty

I’m a sucker for the word “tasty”. If the restaurant has that word as part of its name, I’d most likely try it. I also go for the “chef recommended” and the dishes with hearts beside it. Thus after the chilly San Francisco trip, N and I decided to have dinner at a pho restaurant and guess what, the name of the restaurant is… Pho Tasty.

Hey ho, Pho Tasty!

 

The place was packed when we arrived and it was already a bit past 9 p.m.. It must be one popular pho place.

 

We managed to get a table after 15 to 20 minutes and we immediately ordered two bowls of pho with assorted meat and a plate of spring rolls. I also ordered a glass of Iced Jasmine Tea and N ordered his all-time favorite… Taro (shake version with pearls). 

Restaurant Favorite: Pho Hoa

I love Pho Hoa, its chicken dishes, marinated prawns, spring rolls, tenderloin beef, crepe, and their sweet vinegar dip. Now, let me share with you my love affair with this restaurant.

Vietnamese food? Why?

That was my first reaction when my mom told me to try this restaurant. I was quite iffy since I have never tried Vietnamese food… ever (before).

I then read through the menu and I was surprised that not everything sounded so foreign to me. They have grilled meat, several chicken dishes, soup, salad, and even desserts such as crepes. I remember that I was fond of chicken when I was young so I ordered Grilled Chicken with Fried Spring Rolls (which I thought was just like your ordinary lumpia). I was surprised though that they served it with vinegar… sweet vinegar. And that was the start of our wonderful love story.

Years later, I have tried several other [non-spicy] dishes and I would say that I’d still go back for more. My must-orders though are the Fried Rice Paper Roll with Pork and Vermicelli (PHP127) and the Tenderloin Beef with Rice (PHP295). And that was what my mom brought home for me for dinner one happy Tuesday night.  

Fried Spring Rolls freshly removed from the take-out container

The Fried Spring Rolls were still the crispy and scrumptious rolls I remember. You could taste the pork in every bite. It wasn’t as oily as well. It was not the type that will make your lips shine and blind people when the light hits it. Plus dipping it in the sweet vinegar brought out the savory flavors of the stuffing of the roll.