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. 

Love at First Bite: Rita’s Ice-Custard-Happiness

I have been eying Rita’s for a long time now. Ever since it opened, I have heard and read nothing but praises. They say that this Italian custard really is “happiness” and finally, I got a taste of it last week.

Hello, Rita’s!

The place was packed when we visited but we didn’t mind the long wait as we couldn’t decide what to get. We got giddy with the thought of combining our favorite flavors but we were not so sure if it would work. Eventually, it was my turn and I asked the friendly guy manning the counter for recommendation.

I chose Gelati (PHP130 for regular) which is a combination of Italian flavored ice (think sorbet) and creamy custard. Since I wanted Strawberry-Banana (coffee was just too sweet!), he suggested that I pair it with vanilla custard. But I want to try more so I opted for the twist (chocolate with vanilla).

Presenting… chocolate vanilla twirl with strawberry-banana ice.