Birthday Getaway: Amarela Resort in Panglao, Bohol

I knew that this year's birthday celebration would be a lot different as I will be tagging along R on his business trip. Though I was expecting that we'd find time to at least have a mini celebration together, it didn't exactly turned out as such given that we had a packed schedule to follow. But just when I was frowning and at the verge of crying, R surprised me with a lovely stay at Amarela Resort in Panglao, Bohol the day after my birthday. 

Hello, Amarela Resort.

First Bite: Sultan Mediterranean Grill

Kapitolyo never fails to fascinate me. I've seen it transform from a quiet residential area to a food haven with countless restaurants and concepts. Now, with the area being too saturated and parking becoming even scarcer, we'd see the newer establishments opening nearby instead of within Kapitolyo. One of the streets becoming busier is Brixton and that's where I spotted Sultan. 
 
Hello, Sultan Mediterranean Grill.

Now in BGC: Uma Uma Ramen

I think I’ve used the sentence “I love Japanese food” countless times to the point of me quoting myself. But I can’t resist it. I really do love this Asian cuisine and always find myself craving for more. And when I found out that one of my favorite ramen joints finally opened in Uptown Parade, I just have to drop by ASAP. But adulthood got in the way and it took me a few months before indulging in some Hakata ramen.

Hello, Uma Uma!

I’m so glad that they opened a branch in BGC. Gone are the days when I have to brave the traffic just to get to S Maison. I could finally have my ramen fix by walking to Uptown. (Okay, that might take at least half an hour but hey, at least I won’t get stuck in the detestable EDSA traffic.)

First Bite: Lemuria

R wanted to bring me to this fancy place that he finds really beautiful. Luckily, we scored a Deal Grocer promo for its six course degustation at PHP1,450 per head. Not bad. Not bad at all. 

Hello, Lemuria!

I made a reservation for two at 6 p.m. one Sunday and we got there a bit past 6 as traffic was a bit crazy in Quezon City. 

We were greeted by one of the staff in butler outfit and assisted R with parking. When we step foot inside Lemuria, I was awed by the restaurant’s well tended garden and picturesque interiors. 

We were the only diners when we arrived. It was like R reserved the whole place for us. <3

We were served some complimentary bread with butter and balsamic vinegar to start our meal. 

There were two kinds of bread, both warm and fragrant. I liked the darker one with nuts as it was moist and way softer. The pale coloured bread was rather tough.

After a few minutes, we were given our first course, the Amuse Bouche, which is basically cherry tomato with cheese. 

The serving size was too small for it to leave a lasting impression. I totally forgot about it when I slurped the next dish which was the Caramelized Cabbage Soup with Lardoons and Sour Cream. 

The soup reminded me of some Chinese cabbage soup, only creamier and a tinge of sourness. 

Next served was the Sautéed Kale and White Onions with Chorizo and Crumbled Goat Cheese. 

Weekend Getaway: The Bistro Saratoga

I love celebrating Valentine’s Day, White Day (March 14), Black Day (April 14), Children’s Day, Halloween, Christmas, New Year’s (including Chinese New Year) and every other occasion you could think of. It’s fun! My favorites are Children’s Day and Black Day (where those who did not get anything from Valentine’s and White Day sulk over a bowl of black bean noodles). This year’s White Day was planned out by R and it was a great day!

Hello, Tagaytay Highlands!

We left for Tagaytay around 11 a.m. and arrived past lunch time. Famished, we decided to have lunch at Tagaytay Highlands instead of the original plan of visiting Sky Ranch.

Since The Bistro Saratoga was nearer, we decided to go with that place for lunch. I decided to go for the make your own sandwich at PHP280. I chose roast beef with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mushroom and cheese. I also got a cup of tomato soup and strawberry shake. R, on the other hand, got a plate of carbonara.

First Bite: Marketplace by Rustan’s Supermarket

I love grocery shopping! It’s one of my happy places for it gives me extreme happiness whenever I see a new products or my favorite snack that I haven’t seen in ages (such as Tronky). My all-time favorite supermarkets are Pioneer Supermarket (with its highly impressive selection of imported goods) and S&R. A few months ago, I noticed Marketplace, the deli area of Rustan’s Supermarket in Rockwell. I used to ignore it but I see more and more diners in the area so I thought that it might be a good place to have a meal. And a few Sundays ago, I finally got to visit the place.

Hello, Marketplace!

The first thing I saw when I got in was the man who was enjoying a tray of salmon. I circled the place thrice but I couldn’t find it. Oh well.

After a few more minutes, I finally decided to get the following: Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad (PHP220), Bacon Cheddar and Tomato Sandwich (PHP199), Mozzarella and Chunky Tomato Sandwich (PHP165) and Quiche Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese (PHP99).

The Pasta with Pesto Mozzarella Salad was more on the bland side. My mom and sister didn’t really like it as it was cold. But it was meant to be cold and it was actually refreshing.

Restaurant Love: Avi (Take 2 and 3)

I hardly visit a restaurant twice in a week but I made an exception last week.

It has been a few months ago since I last visited Avi. The place offers really good food at affordable prices yet I never see it packed with hungry foodies. I guess it is because diners have so many options in Kapitolyo. Anyway…

I had lunch at Avi two Sundays ago and I decided to go with my favorite Basil in Red (PHP165) and Lola Soledad’s Buttered Shrimp Agoile (PHP210).

While slurping my soup and munching on the nacho chips, one of the chips went straight to my throat and got jammed inside my esophagus! Yes, it may sound a bit disturbing (and Avi has nothing to do with this) but this sure reminded me to chew my food well.

The pasta was pretty good too. The noodles were al dente and the flavor was not that overwhelming. The shrimps were fresh too.

First Bite: Press Café

I love Fully Booked. It’s one of my happy places when I’m in the mood to see quirky notepads, fangirl on the latest manga or swoon over interesting books. I have been meaning to try Press Café, the coffee shop inside Fully Booked, Rockwell branch; but for some reason, it always get cancelled…until the night I met John Wick.

A few Couchsurfers and I were supposed to meet at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf a few Saturdays ago but since it was crowded, we decided to meet at Press Café instead.

We were just supposed to have coffee but it was my first time to dine there so… I just have to order at least three dishes. I went with Eggs Benedict (PHP260), Tomato soup (PHP125), Grape shake (PHP110) and an Oatmeal cookie (PHP70).

First served was my grape shake and it was refreshing. It wasn’t overly sweetened.

The tomato soup was love. Though a bit thick to be an appetizer, it had the tangy taste that I love. The bread on the soup added texture and made it even more filling.

The Eggs Benedict came with a forest ham which was a bit too red for me. But it was pretty good with the poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. I also liked the overdose of onions!

The oatmeal cookie was pretty big though fair enough for its price. It was pretty good too though keep a glass of water ready as it could make your throat a bit itchy.

Overall, it was a filling late lunch. I’ll try the pasta and quesadillas next time.

Press Café is located at 4^th Floor, Fully Booked, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City.

Restaurant Love: Leona's Art Restaurant

I was so excited for the Quezon City Food Fest as it sounded so promising. Imagine, gathering all the best finds in Quezon City in one area. It was a foodie’s dream come true. But I wasn’t expecting (1) that it’ll rain pretty much the whole afternoon and (2) that there wasn’t anything special about the whole event. There were no special dishes or offering and every single restaurant was packed! In short, I ended up being a sticky and wet hungry girl.

After an upsetting trip to this new Japanese restaurant I shall not mention, M recommended that we visit his favorite pizza place instead. And since I was famished and the two sorbetes cones I bought were about to disappear, I agreed.

Hello, Leona’s Art Restaurant!

The place is pretty small and we had to wait for a bit for a table to clear up. Luckily, the wait wasn’t that long.

Since the place was packed, it took the servers a while to clear our table and to get our orders. But since the owner was apologetic, I was more forgiving this time. (Plus, the sorbetes helped calm me.)

We opted to get the Take Three Pizza Promo for only PHP499 (for 10 inches). For the flavors, Three Cheese and Pepperoni are fixed. We could only choose one more and we got the Garlic and Mushroom. I also ordered the Tomato Espresso (PHP80) and Soft Taco (PHP90). I also got a rootbeer float as drink/dessert.

Restaurant Love: The Nest

I am definitely not a South girl. I only go there to visit my aunt and occasionally visit ATC when it’s too hot in their lanai. However, I have been hearing a lot of good word about the restaurants in BF Homes and even those near my aunt’s place. Then N told me that he works for The Nest. After his sales talk, I was sold. Actually, the phrase “pesto stuffed salmon” was enough to convince me.

Two of my foodie friends and I agreed to have a mini South food trip to celebrate their birthdays. We all met at 9 a.m. along Pearl Drive in Ortigas and we were with a bunch of Korean kids who seem to be on their way to the beach. (Not our thing so we were not jealous at all.) After a quick breakfast, we were off.

After 30 minutes of driving, we made it to The Nest.

The place was practically empty with only two tables occupied. So we had all the freedom to take photos of the place. The view was spectacular!

It didn’t take us long to decide what to order. K ordered Pan Grilled Chicken and Garlic Steak (PHP380) while E went with the Salmon and Lapu-Lapu Duo (PHP670). I ordered Truffle Scented Tomato Basil Soup (PHP165) and Pesto Stuffed Salmon Steak (PHP575). I held back with the dessert as I felt shy since my two kuya/ahya/big brothers will pay for my meal. It made me wonder if I am now bound to treat them on my birth month. 

Love at Second Bite: Spätzle Euro Market Café

I love it whenever I get a chance to have a dinner date with my friends. It’s nice to break the routine once in a while. Hours of sharing what’s happening with one’s life to reminiscing the good ‘ol past could sure brighten one’s day (and even more). I just hope that Shangri-La gets all the restaurants open and operating soon as I have tried all of the restaurants already! But of course, there are the “favorite” spots and I dined in one with my favorite dragon lady. 

Hello again, Spätzle Euro Market Café!

We decided to dine at Spätzle given T never got the chance to visit that restaurant yet. It has been a while since my last visit but I really enjoyed the food there. I remember having that smoked salmon benny which was spectacular. I fell in love with the slightly breaded soft boiled egg. (Okay, just remembering it makes me drool.) Anyway, T and I decided to have a date after work since it has been a few weeks since we last saw each other. Plus, we had so many stories to share to each other. (Clingy friends.)

It was a breeze for us to decide on what to order because we were both hungry and every second counts! 

We went for the following: Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup (PHP220), Monte Blanc Pizza (PHP325), and Roasted Chicken Sausage (PHP295). As for the drinks, we got Spätz All Natural Caffeine-free Iced Tea (PHP98) and Haus Iced Tea (PHP90).

First served was our soup. We asked to have it split into two and it was plated in a charming manner.

Restaurant Discovery: Black Olive Cerveceria

Funny how when you get older, birthdays seem to be less and less of a special day. But one thing I still want on my special day is a cake and a meal, may it be breakfast, lunch, or dinner, outside. However, I had prior engagement with a company from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (though I have 12 noon to 2 p.m. as my lunch break). Given that I have never been to Capitol Commons, that was our first option for my birthday lunch.

Hello Black Olive Cerveceria!

The place hardly had customers when we arrived. Well, it was a Wednesday and lunch time so it was pretty much expected.

Since I was in a hurry to finish lunch, we ordered right away. What caught my eye was the Porchetta with Rosemary Roast Potato and Caponata (PHP490) while my mom went for the Grilled Italian Sausage with Roast Garlic Mashed Potato and Pepperonata (PHP390). We also ordered a bowl of Bell Pepper and Tomato Soup with Basil Pesto (PHP220) and Vanilla Pannacotta with Balsamic-marinated Strawberries (PHP220).

While waiting, we were served with a complimentary basket of bread with dip. My mom enjoyed the freshly baked bread and ended up finishing it herself.

Next served was the soup which was served on a huge bowl. It was slightly spicy and I find it rather thick as an appetizer. It was very creamy and the tomato taste was pretty strong (which I love). However, I'd rather go with a slightly lighter appetizer.

The sausage arrived next and my mom loved it as it was not overly processed so it had more texture and it was juicy too.