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. 

Promo Alert: Scoop All You Can at Papa Diddi's this July 15

National Ice Cream Day is coming right up and there's no better way to celebrate this yummy day than to indulge in several scoops of ice cream. And Papa Diddi's is bound to make you look forward to Monday with its mouthwatering Scoop All You Can this July 15!

Hello, Papa Diddi's.

Papa Diddi's started with small store along the foodie district Maginhawa focused on creating unique handcrafted ice cream flavors. Such gave this ice cream joint an edge in the ever competitive food scene and eventually gained a strong following and patrons who would visit this shop despite having other more convenient options. Fast forward to 2019, it grew to have two other branches-- one in Libis and another in Poblacion. 

Love at First Bite: Sugarbee

"If you're sosyal, you'd know Sugarbee." It was a brief introduction given to us by S when we stepped inside Sugarbee's SM Megamall store. True enough, if you frequent Manila Polo Club, you'd be familiar with this cake haven. 

Hello, Sugarbee. 

Hailed by Spot.ph as one of the best cake brands in the city, Sugarbee has a strong fan base even before its first store opened. Born from Ms. Jenny Silayan's passion for baking, Sugarbee is now available in BGC, Makati and now, Ortigas. 

Indulgence Redefined with Milkmaid

I am a fan of Chef Miko Aspiras, one of the most brilliant pastry chefs in Manila, and probably in Asia and the world. Known for his refreshing take in sweet treats, you might remember him with the quirky and quite revolutionary ice cream flavor ketchup and mayo. And this time around, Milkmaid, the premium condensed milk that we grew to love and perhaps get addicted to, has challenged the young innovative chef to come up with desserts that would redefine how we describe the word indulgence. 

Indulgence has always been defined as an excess of something and there's a saying that anything in excess is bad. But Chef Miko wanted to use the word to depict treating one's self to something good, or even great. 

Must Try: Samba's Sabado de Fiesta

Weekends are made for lazing around the house and recharging for another battle with reality come Monday. However, there are times when I find myself excited to wake up early on a Saturday despite a grueling Friday because good food awaits! And such is the case a few Saturdays ago. 

Hello, Samba!

Samba is one of my favorite Peruvian restaurants. As one of the few establishments that offer top notch fresh ceviche and to die for Arroz con Mariscos, I found myself visiting this place quite a number of times. 

Love at First Bite: Don Andres Peruvian Kitchen

I usually visit Pioneer Center to do my grocery shopping.  The place is a gold mine for cheap finds and hard to find imported goods. But recently, I discovered another reason for me to frequent the place. You could say that it was love at first bite.  

Hello, Don Andres.

This Peruvian restaurant may not sound very new to some who hangs out in Quezon City. It has been in Sergeant Esguerra for quite some time before it decided to move to a new location. So for those who were heartbroken with its disappearance, it's back!

Love at First Bite: Sunnies Cafe

A bright ray of sunshine dazzled everyone walking along High Street. With its pastel colored walls and light hued furniture, it's an instant magnet for youngsters and Instagram lovers. It's no surprise that it was packed with people on its first day of operation yesterday. And despite feeling ill, I headed to the lovely new restaurant slash café today for lunch. 

Hello, Sunnies Cafe.

I was greeted by a plain pink door with a signage that says that it is now open. I noticed that the celebrity owners are inside and looking posh as always. But they were there not to chitchat with the customers; rather to prepare for a TV shoot to feature their newest business venture. 

I felt that this is a mistake on their part as it made the whole dining experience not as good. It was quite chaotic when I was there. And I could not get a decent photo of the whole dining area. And it took me around 5 minutes before I waved the white flag. You won this time, TV crew. 

For lunch, I opted to go with Spaghetti Al Fungi (PHP260). The server recommended Sunnies Cafe’s Pumpkin Purée soup (PHP150) which I decided to order as well. I also got a free Sunnies Funtetti (PHP290) as part of Sunnies Cafe’s opening promo*. 

First Bite: Patio Vera

I love giving (nice) surprises. Planning and thinking of what would make my special someone happy already makes me smile. Seeing the person appreciate it gives me a sense of fulfillment and I felt that when I surprised R with a romantic dinner for two at Ninyo. And since it was a success, I decided to do it again with Patio Vera (I got a CashCash voucher worth PHP1,600 for a romantic dinner for 2), yet another hidden gem according to Looloo.

Hello, Patio Vera.

The place is a bit hard to find since it is located in a residential area. The location itself is also a bit shady. But it’s another story when you enter the house turned restaurant.

The garden area and patio are the first dining areas you will see. We entered the house and saw antique pieces and our romantic set up was near the cockatoo glass cage.

The hyper cockatoo kept us entertained while waiting for our food. The adorable bird also distracted us while we were being bitten by mosquitoes. (Warning: apply mosquito repellant if you do not want to be their feast.)

After 30 minutes of waiting, our appetizer was finally served. Presenting, banana wrapped in bacon.

It was quite weird and the contrast between the supposedly sweet banana and salty bacon did not happen as well as it should have.