Beer Night: Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant

It has been a while since the last T3 meet up. With busy schedules, our plans normally get cancelled and *sniff sniff* forgotten. But it was different last week. We finally got to have dinner. Yahoo!

We decided to have dinner at Shangri-La as N was around the area and J and I work nearby. We all met around 7 p.m. and we were all very hungry. (Well, I was.)

 

We had a hard time choosing where to eat as they avoid places I have been to already. (Aren’t they the most supportive friends?) But since I’ve been to all the restaurants already (except for that new Korean place at the 6^th floor), we stalled for a bit. Given that they are not in the mood for Korean, and I wasn’t too, we went down again and visited BrotzeitGerman Bier Bar & Restaurant.

Given that it was a weekday and it was raining hard, the place was packed. We ended up sitting between the tables of two couples. Thank goodness only one of the two was in intense PDA mode.

We controlled ourselves with ordering as we tend to go overboard when we are all together. We ended up ordering Würstelplatte (PHP980) and Griebenschmalz (PHP290). I also decided to order Tagessuppe, or a fancy way to say Soup of the Day (PHP220). I was pretty stressed that day so I went for a glass of beer. The server said that the sweetest one is the Original Münchner Drunkel Lager (PHP200 for a Klein after 6 p.m.) so I ordered that one. N got the Banana Beer while J, a beer expert went for something N and I were not interested in.  :P

CRONUT MANIA: Dunkin Donuts

Manila is now officially cronut crazy. You see it everywhere! Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even on the news. It all started with Wildflour Cafe then other players joined the bandwagon. And finally Dunkin' Donuts decided to join the fun.

 

I've always wanted to try a cronut but it's so hard to get hold of one since it's always sold out. They say that it takes time to make a batch and that's the reason behind the very limited quantity. It doesn't even last 30 minutes for some stores. *sigh* But thanks to Instagram, I discovered something... Dunkin' Donuts now sell cronuts! 

Restaurant Discovery: Spätzle Euro Market Café

It has been my goal to visit all the new restaurants I see. Thus, I’m in food heaven every time I get to pass by an area filled with restaurants I have never seen before. True, my wallet will be screaming for help (and perhaps my tummy at some point will too) but I just love the feeling of discovering new food, new tastes, new love. 

 

It has been weeks already when I first saw Spätzle Euro Market Café. I have been planning to dine there for quite a while but the people I’m with always want to try something else. But thankfully, I was able to convince my mom one day to dine there before watching Despicable Me 2 (yes, I’m finally in after a week of not getting the “bottom” joke).

So finally… hello, Spätzle Euro Market Café!

 

We easily got a table but after a few minutes, we noticed that there was a line outside waiting to get seated.

 

Now Serving Tea: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique, Shangri-La Plaza Mall

I am so fascinated with TWG. Call me a frustrated British wannabe but there is something so comforting dining at TWG. I feel so girly and classy.*blinks slowly* All those tea cans, charming golden tea pots, dainty pastries and even rock sugar (is that how you call it?), I feel like I’m back to my kiddie days playing tea party with friends.

TWG Shangri-La branch is now open! Yahoo!

The place was slightly packed when we arrived and it was already past 9 p.m. that time. Well, it was a Friday. But it was not a pay day weekend.

Since we all came from dinner c/o birthday girl L, we opted to just have tea and a few pastries. 

First Bite: Buffalo's Wings N' Things

Chicken has an amazing charm on kids. Most kids just adore chicken, especially if the word fried comes along with it. Buffalo chicken wings are another story though as it is slightly spicier compared to its well-loved fried chicken goodness.

I’ve heard a lot of good things about Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things from a colleague of mine. So when I saw it in SM Megamall, I decided to give it a chance and dragged my family with me.

 

The place was pretty small and the menu’s pretty simple. Burgers, fries, nachos and chicken wings, that’s it. It was nothing fancy so ordering was a breeze. I ordered for everyone and chose the mild flavoured wings namely K-Pop (sweet), Garlic Parmesan, and Honey BBQ for the Triple Sampler (PHP409). I also ordered a basket of fries (PHP99) and two cups of NY Dirty Rice (PHP39). 

Service was quite quick and it was great as we were famished. First served were the fries and it was served piping hot!

 

Next were wings and rice. I noticed that the rice had an odd smell. To some it may smell repulsive. I gave it a shot and it was quite spicy (well, I have a low tolerance for anything spicy). 

Grandma Approved: Mangan Restaurant

Filipino cuisine will forever have a special place in my heart. I am not being biased or what but there’s really something so comforting with eating Filipino food. Could it be the umami?

One Saturday, I had a girls’ lunch out with my mom and grandmother at Robinsons Galleria. Since my grandmother isn’t that adventurous with food, we decided to head to Mangan, a Filipino restaurant.

There wasn’t much people eating and it was lunch time when we arrived. I guess those new restaurants at BGC and Shangri-La’s east wing are eating other malls’ share of hungry tummies.

It didn’t took us long to decide what to order. We ordered my grandma’s favorite Sinigang sa Bayabas Bangus (milkfish) Belly (PHP280) and Gatang Sigarillas (PHP120). After some thought, I also ordered Lechong Babi (PHP240) as it goes well with the veggies I ordered.

While waiting and munching on the complimentary crispy shoestring sweet potatoes (where some were oddly wet), one of the servers approached us. He shared that they are selling PHP300 gift certificates and if we buy now, we get free puto bumbong. (It made me wonder if he saw my excitement when I saw that they sell puto bumbong.) I then asked if the GCs have an expiry date and true enough the GCs are valid until November this year. I told him that this is against DTI rules as gift certificates should be treated like cash as it was bought with cash, at full amount. The server just… smiled then asked if I still want to avail of it. Uhm…

Restaurant Love: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

I’m not really sure what made ramen so popular lately but I’m sensing that this is one trend that is just getting started. With ramen places popping out left and right, despite the prolonged summer heat, people can’t help but crave for a bowl or two of this Japanese dish.

I’m back Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen! This time, I went with N’s family and cute little (and hyper) B was with us. 

The wait was crazy this time. We were number 13 on the waitlist. So V, B and I went down to check out Maple if the waitlist is shorter but *tada* we were number 9. The East Wing sure is packed on weekends so better call to reserve; to avoid the long wait.

After an hour, we finally secured a table at Ikkoryu Fukuoka. Soon, we were all busy reading the menu. B ordered the Black Garlic Tonkotsu I tried before. V and I tried the same ramen, Ajitama Tonkotsu (PHP380). This time, I asked for hard noodles as I just hate overly soggy ones. *excited*

Service was quick given the full house. I guess the servers were now used to it given it was like that ever since it opened. (Ramen madness!)

I'M IN LOVE: Minions of Despicable Me

It has been a while since I last bought a Happy Meal. I believe they were giving out Rise of the Guardians toys then (and I got an elf). I never thought of wanting to complete a collection again till…

 

BA BA BA BABANANA BA BA BA BABANANA NA NA NA AHH POTATO NA AH AH BANANA…

Yes, that song! Those cute yellow minions captured my heart ever since I saw them on the big screen helping out Gru to be the best villain ever.

Restaurant Discovery: Lombardi's

There are times when I wake up and crave for something real bad. The thing is, I won’t stop thinking about it till I get to eat it. And last Saturday, I woke up with the thought of… Pizza. N though wasn’t in the mood for pizza that day. Luckily, N was running late and I thought to myself… pizza time! And just when I was about to have a solo date, I saw my mom and sister and M (my sister) was in the mood for pizza too. High pizza five! (Hmm… that sounds nerdy.)

I’ve been eying Lombardi’s ever since I saw it while eating at Corazon during Mother’s Day. I thought of checking the place out as soon as my tummy said “PIZZA”.

 

The menu wasn’t very extensive but it’s perfect for those who think so long before ordering.

Since it was past 1 p.m. that time, I decided to do the ordering as my mom and sister take longer when we try out a new restaurant. 

 

I planned on ordering the Parmigiana Di Melanzane (roasted eggplant with stewed tomato and mozzarella) but it was not available. The server suggested another bestseller, Mozzarella in Carrozza with Arrabbiata Sauce (PHP230) and as a sucker for anything recommended, I said, “We’ll have that!” We also ordered chef’s recommended Ravioli Di Carne (PHP480) and Pizza Gambaretti (PHP480). For desserts, we ordered Tiramisu (PHP210) and Pannacotta Del Piemonte (PHP160).

 

We were given complimentary snacks to calm our angry tummies. We finished it in less than 3 minutes.

A pitcher of brewed iced tea is PHP150. Ask for more ice as it tends to have a very strong flavor.

The dishes were served fast though. First, the appetizer.

An English Afternoon: TWG Tea Salon and Boutique

Tea, just like ramen and katsu, has been available in the market for a long time but it was just recently when it became a craze… a big craze. Taking photos with that cute cup with a mustache to the reflection on a shiny gold teapot, these are just a few of many posts  we commonly see on our social media news feeds. Yes, compared to those tea bags available in your favorite supermarket, these raved ones are pretty pricey. But I guess you pay for the ambiance and rather English experience. 

I’m in love with that classy tea place. Yes, it was love at first sight. I enjoyed munching those wonderful brunch dishes while sipping my Pink Garden tea. I just have to go back for more. And I did with T last time.

Since we just came from lunch then, we opted to just try TWG’s pastries. There are two kinds—Tea and French. After a bit of thinking, we chose to try Financiers with Matcha Tea (PHP150 for 2 pieces).

Restaurant Discovery: Saboten

Japanese food seems to be extremely popular these days with ramen and katsu places popping left and right. Every time I pass by The Fort or walk around Shangri-La, I see a lot of new Japanese places I just have to try. And yes, Saboten is in the list.

It has been a while since I last saw M so I set a date with her to catch up. We were supposed to have lunch with T but T suddenly backed out as he had to meet his friend. *sad*

We met up a bit past 2 p.m. and I was surrounded by food as early as 11 a.m. so I was tortured for over 3 hours! >.<

 

Anyway, when we arrived at Saboten, the place was still full and we were on the wait list. But since we’re second, we decided to wait. It wasn’t long till we got a table.

I got mesmerized by the Grated Radish Katsu so I ordered the Loin Set (PHP395). But since ordering just one viand isn’t my thing, I convinced M that we order Saboten Special Set (PHP525) too. The Special set includes one deep-fried shrimp, 65g loin cutlet, 30g tenderloin cutlet, and one crab cream croquette. For dessert, we ordered one Chocolate Hazelnut Cream Cake (PHP195).

 

Service was quick given that the place was packed.

 

First served was a huge bowl of cabbage and some pickled cucumber and radish.

M and I enjoyed it so much that when the first dish arrived, we were a bit full. But the dressing was just too addicting!!!

 

Now for the moment of truth, the Grated Radish Katsu…