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. 

First Bite: Lola Cafe + Bar

Lola Cafe + Bar is one of the most recommended restaurants in Tomas Morato. Known for its quaint ambiance and interesting menu, I've been wanting to visit this place for years! And finally, after three long years, the stars aligned and off we drove to this foodie district. 

Hello, Lola Cafe + Bar. 

We visited Lola on a Tuesday night and the restaurant's parking was packed! We were told that we could park nearby as long as we get to have half the car up the sidewalk. 

Filipino Restaurant Favorite: Ombu Kusina

I find it so fascinating how our own Filipino cuisine evolved throughout the years. We've seen and tasted several new and innovative interpretation on classic dishes. And though our grandparents' recipes have a special place in our hearts (and tummies), the modern take on adobo, lechon and so on deserve applause. And speaking of modern Filipino restaurants, one of my new favorites is Ombu Kusina. 

Hello, Ombu Kusina. 

Ombu Kusina has been known for serving modern Filipino dishes. It has been around for slightly over a year and it continues to be patronized by locals and tourists alike. 

First Bite: Mr. Graham's Sandwich Shop

After several Monopoly Deal Millionaires’ Edition games with 4:0 in favor of moi and digesting the macarons, cookie shot and milkshake we ordered from Mrs. Graham’s, R and I move to Mr. Graham’s Sandwich Shop. With several foodies raving about this shop, we just have to know why. 

Hello, Mr. Graham’s Sandwich Shop!

The place is small… very small. I didn’t get to check the second floor but the first floor could accommodate a maximum of four guests. The place was also (literally) hot. I’m not sure if the store’s air-conditioning was busted when we visited but I noticed that there was a stand fan trying its best to work its magic to keep the place cool.  

I decided to go with the shop’s bestseller The Cebuano (PHP210, small | PHP380, medium) and had it to go as the place really wasn’t that pleasant and inviting for us to stay. (And R wanted to head back so that we could work out and swim.) 

While waiting, I noticed that some customers just order sandwiches to go as well. Perhaps that’s the market of this shop. This explains why the place isn’t that comfortable. I have to admit though, the wall decals are adorable.

I asked the server to plate the sandwich first so that I could take photos of it. He gladly obliged and served The Cebuano on a wooden plate. I took some shots and had it wrapped.

First Bite: Mrs. Graham Macaron Café

Our dinner at Eighteen Bistro was quite heavy. But there is always space in the tummy for desserts! Since Mrs. Graham’s Macaron Café is just beside the bistro, R and I decided to visit the quaint little shop. 

Hello, Mrs. Graham’s Macaron Café!

The interiors of this café is so charming. The white rustic tables and chairs, windows with dainty decals and mouthwatering sweets, this place is to die for! 

R and I decided to go with Bittersweet and Cookie Dough macarons (PHP70/piece), Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake (PHP160) and Cookie Shot (PHP74). 

While waiting for our food, we took some board and card games from the game corner of Mrs. Graham’s. We started with Monopoly Deal Millionaires’ Edition.

We were busy dealing the cards when the macarons arrived. 

The bittersweet macaron was delightful. It was the perfect macaron for dark chocolate lovers. It was not exactly bitter but it was dark. I also loved the slight chewiness of the macaron.

The cookie dough was fatter and sweeter than bittersweet. The ganache reminded me of peanut butter (but without it being cloying) for some reason. This would go well with tea or coffee. 

R’s Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake was a bit of a surprise. We were expecting rich brown marshmallows. Instead, we got black marshmallows. I know that once you go black, you can’t go back. But I don’t know with this one. I even asked the server if it was meant to be black than brown. She insisted that it is how they prepare it. We just let it be and R just avoided the black parts. It sure made me wonder though how they define burnt if toasted is black.

First Bite: Eighteen Bistro

I had no idea that Friday traffic would be this crazy. I had to rush from Greenhills to Tomas Morato before 6 p.m. but I failed. Hence, I had to go back to Tomas Morato the following day to complete my task. And I’m not complaining from working on weekends when I get rewarded with food. After all, Tomas Morato is a foodie destination and thanks to the ever trusty foodie app, looloo, I found out that three restaurants on my must visit list are just a couple of blocks away. And for stop #1, R and I went to Eighteen Bistro.

Hello, Eighteen Bistro!

I have been eying this restaurant ever since I saw a post or two of its PHP18 cocktails on Facebook. I’m not an alcoholic. I just love scoring great deals!

We got to the place around 5:45 p.m. and the place was empty. We ordered Tomato Cream Soup (PHP180), Beef Bourguignon (PHP350) and Spicy Portobello and Cream Cheese (PHP310). We also wanted to avail of the PHP18 cocktails but the bistro was quite strict with the deal and we could only order when the clock strike 6:00. And so we waited. 

The tomato soup, despite its description of being a slow cooked stew, was served fast! (Okay, corny joke.)

It was served piping hot but it had a stench that R negatively reacted to. The server said that it must be the balsamic vinegar. But R felt that it was something else, like a poorly dried dishwashing towel or something.  Despite the smell, the soup was delightful.

It had a thick texture and I loved the sweet yet tangy taste of it. It was like slurping spaghetti sauce with a borderline Filipino and Italian blend. The toasted baguette with cheese was a nice touch.

The slow braised beef in red wine with potato terrine on the side was also good. The meat was succulent. 

First Bite: Kozui

I have heard of Kozui before and it seems to be a go to place for matcha lovers. I just never braved the traffic to buy a soft serve ice cream especially since Family Mart is a lot closer. But with C in our group and with her love for matcha, we headed to the well-loved (and pioneer) matcha joint for some cold treats. 

Hello, Kozui Green Tea!

The place was a lot smaller and worn out than I pictured. The place actually looked… sad. 

Anyway, I decided to go with Green Tea Anmitsu with strawberries (PHP150/bowl) and shared it with C as we were trying to save space for other dishes.

Our bowl was served after a few minutes and the first thing I looked for was the strawberries. Apparently, it was just some sort of strawberry jam-slash-jello. 

First Bite: Estrel's Caramel Cakes

A classic. That is how foodies describe Estrel’s, a humble cake shop that was established in 1946. Known for its caramel cakes, it is a go to place when something is to be celebrated. I have tasted its caramel cake and true enough, it was delectable and a lot better than the other commercial cakes. But I have never tried its Food for the Gods till J introduced it to me a few weeks back.

Hello, Estrel’s Caramel Cakes!

I didn’t exactly get to visit the bakeshop but got to sample the famous shop’s Food for the Gods, one of J’s favorite sweets. 

A box (PHP300) has ten  individually packed Food for the Gods. One pack has about 2” x 3” of the sweet pastry. 

I opened a pack and it was quite oily. But its fragrant smell made me ignore my oily finger tips. 

I took a bite and it was love at first bite. It was moist and buttery. I loved the sweet flavor of the dates and the crunch of the walnuts. 

It is a perfect dessert to bring to potluck parties or to buy as a present. Since it’s not too sweet, it is also a good gift for dear grandparents.

I can’t wait to get my hands on more! I’ll also try the Sansrival next. 

Estrel's Caramel Cakes is located at 54 Scout Tobias corner Scout Limbaga Streets, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City, 1103.

First Bite: Shutter Café

It was already past 1 p.m. when C and I decided to head elsewhere for lunch. We initially planned to wait for J to pick us up to escape the harsh rage of the sun but we were itching to find a new spot and so we booked a cab and headed to Tomas Morato area and visited… Shutter Café. 

Hello, Shutter Café. 

The place looks so adorable with its display of vintage cameras. The place is divided into the actual camera store and a nook for eating. As a person who is more than satisfied with just my phone’s camera feature, we headed straight to the eating area. 

It was quiet when we went. Only one table with a small group of women learning how to knit was occupied when we got there. 

C and I decided to share our orders and went with Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich (PHP165) and White Sauce Pasta (PHP165). I also got a glass of Lime Basil Lemonade (PHP100). 

I was surprised when they served my drink. It was more of orange brown than greenish yellow. Apparently, it was iced tea which came with the dishes we ordered. The person manning the counter didn’t even bother to tell me that our orders come with drinks. I could have cancelled my Lime Basil Lemonade. (And it was too late of course so that they could use the classic excuse that it was already put in the system hence they couldn’t cancel my unnecessary order.) At least the iced tea was refreshing. 

The Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich was served next and it was not photogenic at all. C and I had a hard time taking photos of this dish and we even walked around looking for the perfect angle/light and failed. 

First Bite: Jack's Joint

R told me that we were heading to Tomas Morato one Saturday night to visit his friend's new restaurant business called Jack's Joint. It is not exactly a new brand as this is the second branch of the well-loved kebab place in Tondo. 

Hello, Jack's Joint. 

The place looks deceiving from the front as it would seem like a very small place but it actually has a deep space and could comfortably sit around 40 diners inside. 

Since we were not really hungry, R and I decided to share a Quarter Pounder with cheese (PHP85) and Special Kebab (PHP195). For drinks, we went with Mango Yogurt and Strawberry Shake (both are priced at PHP75 for small and PHP95 for large).

I was surprised with our large drinks as both glasses were filled to the brim! It was value for money in terms of quantity. As for quality... 

Well, of course, you wouldn't expect the strawberry shake to have real strawberries in it. But it was pretty good. I loved my mango yogurt more though because of the delightful tart of the yogurt. I can't stop sipping!

The special kebab was served next. Simply plated, it proved how this is a no-frills kind of place. It was very straightforward. 

Yakitake Japan Moment: Dezaato Pan Breads Sweets Café

For some reason, I wake up really early on weekends. Last Saturday, I woke up at 5am (to think that it was such a “bed” weather) because I was super hungry. It was also the same day of my food trip so I decided to stick with just some bread and jam.

My friend sent me an SMS telling me that everyone cancelled for breakfast. Well, it was not such a surprise for an 8:30am call time on a rainy Saturday morning screams SLEEP.

But determined to well… eat, my friend and I decided to have breakfast somewhere. The original plan was to try Marina at the Mall of Asia but since it was raining, we decided to change the plan a bit. We drove through Katipunan only to realize that most stores were still closed and those up and running were either fast food chains or restaurants that serve food I “was” not allowed to eat then. 

Soon, we found ourselves stuck in a light traffic going to Tomas Morato.  

We finally settled in Dezaato Pan, a quaint café known for its bread and cake.