First Bite: Friends & Family

Today's food scene has never been this dynamic. There are so many new and innovative concepts that would intrigue anyone. But one thing that trumps all trends and gimmicks is familiarity. And that is what Friends & Family focused on.

Hello, Friends & Family.

Friends and Family made its mark in the foodie community with its nostalgic take on several Filipino dishes such as Birthday Spaghetti and. It grew even more popular when The Raintree Group's Executive Chef Kalel Chan came up with Ube Champorado. And when it launched a very tempting Buy One Get One deal on two of its comforting dishes perfect for this rainy weather, I've decided that it's time to stop delaying my visit.

Love at First Bite: Ya Chou

I love manthou. I often order some when I see it on the menu or grab a plateful at Chinese buffet. Just thin‌king about these freshly steamed buns smothered with butter makes me drool for hours. And I'm so thankful to discover a shop that allows me to have my favorite snack anytime I want. 

Hello, Ya Chou. 

Ya Chou is a small shop in Quezon City that specializes in Taiwanese delicacies like dumplings, peanut balls, radish cake, sausages and machang. Being in the food business for over two decades, Ya Chou has gained loyal patrons who would drop by its store to grab hold of its sweet and savory products. 

Home Sweet Home: Cara Mia opens in BGC

From that dreamboat Ube Cake down to the trip back to memory lane Mango Cream Pie, Cara Mia made the past years extra yummy for me. And it's bound to make me fatter as it opened a branch closer to home. 

Hello, Cara Mia!

Cara Mia is now open in One Bonifacio High Street Mall! Be prepared to get your taste buds tickled in all colors with Cara Mia's amazing cakes and delectable gelato!

Cookie for a Cause: The GoOD Cookie Project by Overdoughs

Overdoughs has been known not just for its beignets, loukoumades and cookie doughs but also for its strong support for the non-hearing community. Along with its sister dessert concept Elait, Overdoughs promotes inclusivity of its deaf employees. And just when we thought these two brands under Carvan Food Group, Inc. could not impress us any further, it took another step in making us utter 'wow'.

Hello, Overdoughs.

Overdoughs launched its newest product, OD Cookies last April and I got to sample all four flavors, The OD Chocolate Chip, Corn flake, Ube White and Choco Nutella. My favorite was The OD Chocolate Chip which they made more delicious with OD Choco Chunk! But this was not the only thing Overdoughs made better. 

First Bite: Mihimihi

I hardly go out these days as I find Manila's traffic unbearable. But when I do, I see to it that I get to visit at least one new restaurant. And I was so thrilled when I accidentally discovered Mihimihi on my way home.

Hello, Mihimihi.

Mihimihi is a popular bakeshop from Guangzhou, China known for its eclair-shaped French puff pastries that come in different flavors and fillings. I've seen its shop a few times but our jam-packed Canton Fair schedule doesn't really allow me to explore the city that much. Luckily, these raved about baked goodies found its way to Manila. It opened its first store in SM Fairview last March and its second one opened in SM Megamall just a few weekends ago.

Makati Chronicles: Bench Café

Bench Café is one of my favorite restaurants in Bonifacio Global City. Aside from its pocket friendly prices,  its great selection of Filipino food make it one of the best places to dine in this blooming business district. And when I visited Greenbelt 3 for an event, I made sure to swing by Bench Café.

Hello, Bench Café. 

Its Makati branch is relatively smaller compared to its pioneer branch but continues to keep its warm tones and stylish interiors. I was also impressed how some of the staff remember me. 

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. 

A Berry Yummy Cake: Cara Mia's Strawberry Shortcake

Cakes symbolize celebrations and all kinds of occasions. But we don't need to wait for something to celebrate to grab a slice. In fact, I wouldn't mind having it every day especially if it's Cara Mia's latest limited flavor!

Hello, Cara Mia.

If its Ube Cake was not enough to impress us all, Cara Mia launched another easy favorite with its Strawberry Shortcake.

Revisited: Sebastian's Ice Cream

A meal is never complete without desserts. I'd always look for something sweet to cap my meal and one of my go to desserts is ice cream. And I was giddy to stumble upon Sebastian's after my hearty meal at Kureji. 

Hello, Sebastian's Ice Cream. 

Sebastian's Ice Cream has been around for quite some time now. I still remember how it reinvented classic Pinoy treats such as Sapin-Sapin and Green Mango into ice cream. Not only did it catch attention from foodies around the metro, it also delivered superb and great tasting products. 

First Bite: Froozy

This year's summer is crazy! With the temperature hitting 40s, Manila has never been this hot! And I can't stop dreaming of swimming in ice cream. But I found something a little bit close to that. By stuffing myself with shaved ice from Froozy!

Hello, Froozy. 

Froozy is a local shaved ice concept inspired by the Korean dessert bingsu. Designed to be a sweet escape for the health conscious, the ingredients you can find here are made from scratch.

First Bite: Kumori's Earl Grey Hanjuku Cheese

I love it when Kumori launches new products or flavors to celebrate its new store openings. And last month, it launched Earl Grey Hanjuku Cheese in line with its Ayala Cloverleaf branch opening and its limited delivery service for the holiday season.

Hello, Kumori.

Thanks to the loving people behind Kumori, I was one of the first to try its newest Hanjuku flavor last month. I was very excited to it after hearing that it's based on one of my favorite drinks.

First Bite: Pastry Armoire x The Wander Space

Ensaymada has been a staple merienda dish in the Filipino food scene. The fluffy bread topped with generous serving of butter and sugar on top can be bought in local bakeries and chains like Goldilocks and Red Ribbon. The growth of the market with discerning taste gave room to premium ensaymada offering more than your usual buttered pastry. We have the famous ensaymada of Pampanga hitting food bazaars like Yummy Eats and Ultimate Taste Test and we also have the like of Pastry Armoire. And I was lucky to be one of the guests of the later to its food tasting at the Instagram heaven, The Wander Space.

Hello, Pastry Armoire x The Wander Space. 

I was carrying several shoot items with me to the event and I gulped with cold sweat dripping down my temples when I saw The Wander Space on the third floor of a building along Maginhawa. With the elevator out of order, I took three flights up to get to the beautiful shop + coffee shop. And I was warmly greeted by Raymond of Pastry Armoire and Kim of The Wander Space. 

First Bite: Bistro United

I miss living close to Kapitolyo, one of the best food havens in the metro. Though it’s technically just 20 minutes away from where I live now, the traffic makes it seem a far away land. But good food conquers all and I found myself in front of this new restaurant in Kapitolyo one Tuesday afternoon. 

Hello, Bistro United.

This new restaurant by Chef Mia of The Round Table is one of the handful delectable additions in Kapitolyo. 

First Bite: Café Lidia

After 9 hours of eating, we have finally reached the last stop of our Marikina food crawl. And just when we thought we’ll just have a spoonful of each dish, we were spoiled with mouthwatering pasta dishes, pizzas, meats and cakes! And we simply could not say no to those!

Hello, Café Lidia.

Café Lidia is one of the pioneer restaurants in Marikina and has been well-loved by residents and foodies alike. Most have seen this establishment grow from a humble restaurant to a space that could cater to special occasions like weddings and birthday parties. And I was surprised that at almost 9 pm, the place was still packed with diners. 

The place has this Hispanic or Old Manila feel with its brick walls, wooden furniture and lovely pond. 

As we waited for the dishes we were about to sample, I browsed through the menu and was impressed with the number of dishes Café Lidia offers. They have several viands, pasta, pizza and cakes to choose from.

First Bite: 13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining

I got this random SMS from Angelo one evening inviting me to this family owned restaurant along Ubay Street. I am quite familiar with the restaurant as I’ve seen a handful of posts a few days back by Splat Manila. It was perfect timing as I was also invited to Miriam College’s cooking simulation scheduled on the same day where I was assigned as a food critic. *Woohoo!* Anyway, since I was already in Quezon City, I figured that it was the food gods way of telling me to say yes. And I did. 

Hello, 13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining!

I had no idea that Banawe is quite far from Katipunan. What was supposed to be a 25 minute trip turned into an hour and half drive thanks to the holiday road madness. But my annoyance with traffic was soon swept away when I saw the homey facade of 13 Ubay St. Comfort Dining.

We went straight to the second floor where the new menu launch was held. Almost everyone was already there when we arrived and the program already started.

We were given some welcome drinks and we could choose between Ginmansi (PHP200) and 13th Old Fashion (PHP200). I chose Ginmansi while K chose the latter. 

My First Thanksgiving (and Black Friday) Experience

It was my first time to experience Thanksgiving and Black Friday here in the US and it sure was TIRING.

Unlike the Philippines, most parts of the US do not celebrate Christmas the way Pinoys do. I think the only place in America that feels just like the bright Manila is New York. But I'm in California, 6 hours away from the Big Apple. Then again, they also have something quite similar to our Christmas where relatives come over to share a feast and that's Thanksgiving.