Revisited: Pepi Cubano

I heard of Pepi Cubano back in 2016 when a handful of friends couldn't stop raving about its pressed no frills Cuban sandwiches. I got to try my very first was when it joined  the Gourmand Market and understood the hype after finishing one of its filling sandwiches. It's not surprising for many to favor this as quick bite. And it also serves as a great afternoon snack for a catch up session. 

Hello, Pepi Cubano.

Pepi Cubano grew from a hole in the wall shop in Makati into a multi-branch brand in just a few years and it now has stores conveniently located in malls. 

J and I decided to meet at Pepi Cubano Trinoma branch one time and had a long overdue chat over some sandwiches. I went with Pepi Cubano (PHP190) while J got Torrejas (PHP170). I also got Guava Lemonade (PHP95). 

First Sip: Tiger Sugar

Tiger Sugar definitely tested how we Filipinos love milk tea. With hundreds braving the unforgiving Manila heat for hours just to get hold of this popular drink, Tiger Sugar became trending and talked about for months! I also tried to line up one time but gave up after 2 minutes when I overheard someone say "Hmm, okay lang. Not worth it." while holding a cup of Tiger Sugar. I told myself that I'll just try it when the craze for it die down. Months passed and the hype for it is still alive! I guess waiting for 30 minutes won't be that bad so I finally gave in. 

Hello, Tiger Sugar.

Tiger Sugar quickly expanded to four branches in under 6 months and I'm so glad that the locations it chose are all near the places I frequent. 

Restaurant Love: Fish & Co.

R is such a big fan of Fish & Co. and that is the very reason why he avails of a Bistro Group card each year. He gets perks such as 30% discount on Mondays and 20% on the other days of the week. Not bad if you frequent the Bistro Group establishments. And during a long break, I managed to visit R at work and we had lunch together at… yes, Fish & Co.

Hello, Fish & Co. 

The place was not packed when we arrived. We easily managed to get a table and ordered R’s favorite Pork Knuckles Platter (PHP995) and a liter of Jungle Freeze (PHP335) split into 3 mugs. I also ordered a cup of Mushroom Soup as I was really hungry.

First served was the messily poured Jungle Freeze. 

The nice blend of pineapples and rambutan made this drink very sweet. No wonder R loved it. I hardly managed to finish my mug and R gladly finished it for me. 

The mushroom soup didn't leave much of an impression and I could not recall anything about it. 

The platter arrived next and it looked delectable!

First Bite: The Clean Plate by Twist

Thanks to the Holiday shutdown, I could visit R at work and have lunch with him. But since the installation of my new shelves ended late and the Christmas traffic was worse than a typical weekday, I arrived almost 2PM and R already ate. I ended up having lunch alone. :( Perk though was that I had more time to explore and check the new restaurants. Buuut...there weren't a lot of interesting restaurants in Trinoma. Most of the establishments there are the ones you find in other malls. I even checked Looloo if I missed out on any. Sadly, I didn't missed out any interesting or new restaurant. That was it. (T_T) Then I spotted... The Clean Plate.

Hello, The Clean Plate!

The restaurant that promises healthy dishes (hence the name) has very charming and warm interiors. It made me feel comfortable and at home that I didn't mind being the only loner when I visited.

I ordered a bowl of Rustic Tomato Soup (PHP195) and a plate of Pro-Biotic Chicken Tocino + Veggie Rice (PHP295). 

Service was quick and I got my bowl of piping hot soup in less than 10 minutes.

It was tangy, thick and undeniably flavorful! The slight spice of garlic and onions made me whet my appetite even more. It had that mild heat that makes you keep on eating, or in this case, slurping. What I loved best about this dish was the huge chunks of tomato for me to munch on. It was really hot though so I made sure to enjoy it bit by bit.  

As soon as I finished my soup, the tocino arrived and it looked scrumptious.

I got a piece of tocino and noticed that the chicken meat was slightly tough. And my first bite confirmed that it was not only tough but dry as well. 

[Activity Alert] The Zombie Room: Breakout @ Trinoma

I get super excited when I get to do or see something different. This is the reason why I was so hyper when I discovered Mystery Manila. I got so hooked after trying (to solve) Justice for Jamilla. I wanted more. I felt like I was possessed by Detective Conan. I just want to keep on solving mysteries! But it was hard to pull people to join me with my “quest” for justice and answers. (Okay, I have to calm down now.) It has been four months since my last staged adventure. I am not sure if it was fate or what but I saw something that made me so excited again.

Breakout Manila @ Trinoma!!!

I’m a big fan of the series, The Walking Dead and I sometimes imagine what I’ll do when a zombie apocalypse happens. Yes, you read my mind… I will get all the food I could get. Hunger scares me more than zombies. Okay, going back to the activity…

Breakout Manila, the other Saw-like company that made people so frustrated to escape the rooms they designed, is determined to make hearts go wild again this February 20 to March 22, 2015.

If you happen to hang out a lot in Trinoma, you might want to keep the blood pumping by being Rick, Daryl, Glenn, Maggie, Michonne, or Carol for 30 minutes.

The story is as follows:

It’s dark. You’ve been popping in and out of consciousness not knowing where you are… Then you discovered you are in a cage.

At least you’re alive… for now. [Then] You hear a growl. A sound you only hear in nightmares. You discover a zombie across the room.

You and your friends have 30 minutes to escape from not only the room but the flesh eating zombies as well. Can you breakout or will you become zombie bait?

Exciting right? This is one interesting activity to do with family, friends or your special someone!

Check www.breakout.com.ph for details on how to secure slots. [Note, there’s an extra PHP50 for online transactions.]

See you there!

-Gluttonshopper

All images are from Breakout Manila’s website and Facebook page.