Restaurant Love: Happy Cream Puff

I have a few favorite places that I go to whenever I’m lazy, tired or just wanted to have a quick break. One of which is Happy Cream Puff at Shangri-La Plaza Mall’s East Wing. (Wow, that’s a mouthful!) The place is not as crowded as Starbucks and they have free wi-fi (which fails me at times). And since they also serve savory dishes, it’s one of my top choices when I’m hungry and need food ASAP.

It was already 4 p.m. when we got to Shangri-La and with no food in our bellies; we were starting to get cranky. My sister and I decided to go to Happy Cream Puff for a quick meal before doing other errands.

Konnichiwa, Happy Cream Puff!

This time around, I decided to go for the Nagoya Spaghetti (PHP230) while my sister ordered the Salisbury steak. We also got Banana Nama Éclair (PHP105) for dessert.

For some reason, I was so addicted to spaghetti that week. Just the day before, I also had spaghetti. I felt like I was possessed by Hetty Spaghetti. Anyway…

Love at First Bite: Puñta Manila

I love Silly People’s Improv Theater (SPIT Manila)! I always tell my friends that I had one of the best nights of my life when I watched them last year. I never laughed so hard and I thought I would die from laughing. And so when I saw their post on Facebook that their first show in 2015 will be at Puñta along Shaw Boulevard, I began to spam my friends. Sadly, people were busy then. I was too. But I badly needed a laugh.

Hello, Puñta Manila!

Photo from Spot.ph

Please do not ask me to pronounce the name of the restaurant for you. It sounds like you’re cursing when you say the name but I guess this is a creative gimmick of the establishment’s owner, Paolo Bediones. People would love to keep saying the name as it’s something different. But Bediones claims that the name was derived from an expression of surprise or delight and not from a “bad word”. Anyway, I will still not say it. >.<

The place was packed that night so it was a good thing that I reserved seats. We were supposed to be a group of four but two had to back out. So I had an extra chair for my bag. Woohoo.

It was difficult to order since all of the dishes I wanted to try were unavailable that night. I think I tried to order over 7 dishes and yes, ALL WERE UNAVAILABLE. I’m not so sure if it was because business was super good or if they only keep limited supply to lessen throw away cost.

We ended up ordering the following: Pollo Tirada Tortillas (PHP285) and Quesos Quesadillas (PHP275). (I wanted to order more but it was difficult as almost everything I wanted were not available. *frustrating!* )

Service was slow. It took Puñta over 45 minutes to serve our food. The food was served a few minutes after the show started which was past 9 p.m. and we arrived around 8:15 p.m.! Good thing we weren’t that hungry.

Love at First Bite: Fireside by Kettle

I can’t help it. I just can’t. I smile like a love struck fool whenever I see a new restaurant. And last December, I saw Fireside. I was really curious and wanted to check the place out but my favorite Dragon Lady and two Rs wanted to visit Linguini Fini then. Three weeks later, I made it happen.

Hello, Fireside!

I guess I wasn’t too observant when I went in as I was surprised to see that Fireside is owned by Kettle, the maker of “Manila’s best buttermilk fried chicken” or so what most foodies claim. And since I was in a hurry and was quite hungry too, we decided to go for the following: Grilled Chop House (PHP189, bowl | PHP389, platter), Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders (PHP489), Steak BLT (PHP389) and Homemade S’mores (PHP139).

First served was our salad.

Love at First Bite: Kanto Freestyle Breakfast

Whenever people find out that I am a foodie, most ask me if I have been to Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. The place seems to be very popular to yuppies and almost all of my colleagues know Kanto. And when I went for the first time, I realized why it’s such a hit.

Hello, Kanto Freestyle Breakfast!

The branch near my office is located in a dark street making it a bit scary if you’re going alone. (It’s best to come as a group if you want to visit at night.)

The place was slightly packed (considering that it was a Wednesday night) but my colleagues and I easily got a table for three.

The first thing that I noticed when I saw the menu was its super affordable food! No wonder people love this place! I ended up ordering: Tinapang Galunggong (PHP95), Ham and Cheese Omelette (PHP70), Grilled Buttered Suman with Ube, White Chocolate and Goya Ganache (PHP75) and extra bacon (PHP25) simply because bacon is LOVE.

Restaurant Love: Kettle

It has been a long while since I last visited Kettle. I think it has been almost a year! 2014 went by so fast. It was filled with so many changes, learning, challenges and a lot of food finds! I still remember the food I ordered in Kettle. The Mac and Four Cheese and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken definitely stood out. Anyway, since it was almost a year, it was time to visit again.

Hello, Kettle!

This time around, we decided to order the following: Oven Roasted Squash Soup (PHP269), Angus Roast beef Hash (PHP539), Angus Roast beef Sandwich (PHP459), Miso Glazed Salmon (PHP569), a carafe of green iced tea (PHP179), and a slice of Checkered Cake (PHP209).

First served was the iced tea.

It had a strong green tea taste that made it slightly bitter. In short, my sister didn’t like it.

Next served was the soup. I liked that it was creamy and the tidbits of shrimp added texture to the dish. It was heavenly!

Okay, my family loves roast beef. They ordered roast beef sandwich and roast beef hash. I was telling them that only one should order but no one wanted to change. *sigh* Fine.

After trying both, I realized that the only difference was that the sandwich was cheesier and that it had a banana inside making it a bit sweet. The hash was potato overload with the oh-so-soft-and-savory roast beef. The hash was also topped with a fried egg. Both were great but I would be more inclined to order the roast beef hash as it would be easier to share.

Second Bite: Ogetsu Hime

Japanese food is LOVE. I have said this too many times but I want to say it again… Japanese food is the best (for me)! Salmon sashimi, teppanyaki, tonkatsu, tempura, maki, sushi, ramen… *sigh* <3 And so one Saturday, I visited one.

Hello again, Ogetsu Hime!

I’ve been to this place before when I had a Black Saturday food trip with some friends. I recall though that we only had an hour to enjoy the food as we were waitlisted at Ramen Nagi and we were told that we have to be there when a table becomes available for us. This time though, I had more time to enjoy the salmon.

R kept on recommending Ogetsu Hime as he was in love with the Matsusaka beef and it was on sale (50% off!!!). So when we met, it was pretty obvious where we’ll head after the “mysterious activity” (which was ice skating).

We got the following: Matsusaka beef (PHP3,900 regular price but at PHP1950 when we visited), Salmon Sashimi (PHP350), Anago Sushi (PHP510; sale price PHP255), Hotategai Sushi (PHP420; sale price PHP210). R also got warm bottle of sake.

The first dish served was the salmon sashimi  and as before, it was fresh and made me one happy foodie. R was generous too to give me the last piece. (I wouldn’t if I were in his shoes. Well, unless the person does the Puss in Boots eyes.)

First Bite: Hatch 22

As I grow older (and hopefully wiser), I learn to appreciate my alone time. Being alone does not automatically mean lonely. It’s just that you are capable of doing things on your own. The only downside I could think of when eating alone is that I couldn’t order a lot as (1) I could not finish everything and (2) I’ll be too poor if I always do that. A few Sundays ago, I decided to have lunch at Hatch 22, a restaurant many warned me about. But since I was alone, I could eat wherever I want (and order whatever I want).

Hello, Hatch 22!

The place had a few empty tables when I arrived. I noticed that it’s more of a family place; that or simply because it was a Sunday. (And so, I was the only solo diner that time.)

I spotted a few salmon dishes while browsing the menu and so I ordered: Salmon and Lemon Caper Salad (PHP375 for half), Salmon and Rosti (PHP455), Pumpkin Spice soup (PHP185) and a glass of Grilled Lemonade (PHP110).

First served was my Grilled Lemonade.

I was warned that the drink has a bit of spice and true enough, it reminded me of Juju Cleanse. It was refreshing though and the lemon was really grilled!

The soup arrived next and it was a creamy bowl of heaven. The pureed roasted squash was delightful. The slightly sweet taste of squash went well with the salty chorizo bits.

First Bite: Hiyas Modern Filipino Comfort Food

It has been a foodie dream of mine to try all the restaurants in Kapitolyo. But it was difficult as there seem to be a new restaurant that pops out of nowhere every month. A few months back, I was down to my last 5 but now, I think I’m back to 10 or even more! And it gets even more challenging when you’re with people who are not so adventurous with food. But a few weeks back, I was able to convince my family to have a late dinner at Hiyas Modern Filipino Comfort Food.

Hello, Hiyas!

The place screams Filipino with its décor and wall mural. I love it that they have books and board games to keep the diners entertained. I also enjoyed the wait dish—fish balls.

We decided to order the following: Creamy Kalabasa Soup (PHP195), Salmon Sisig (PHP255), Hinuburan na Lumpia (PHP220), Laing (PHP295), Inasal na Manok (PHP195) and Pritong Sorbetes (PHP170).

Service was pretty quick as we were the only diners that time.

My squash soup was creamy and the serving was good for sharing. It was slightly heavy though for an appetizer.

Love at First Sip: Refinery

I just love it when I get to try more than one restaurant in one day. It gives me a lot of happy vibes. So, when my favorite Dragon Lady agreed to try Refinery after Rambla, my grin reached both ears.

Hello, Refinery.

For some reason, I thought that this place is a bar or something. I never thought that this place serves good coffee and dessert.

Since we were quite full, we were more focused on just ordering dessert and coffee. We went with Black Onyx (PHP195, syphon extraction) and a pan of Baked S’mores (seasonal and for limited time only). 

What I loved about Refinery is that we still get the remaining coffee from the syphon. Some coffee shops (e.g. Dolce Latte) only fill the cup and return the remaining coffee back to the kitchen.

Soon, our coffee and s’mores were served.

T likes her coffee black and an auntie once told me that it’s best to enjoy coffee as is—with no sugar or cream. That way, you get to taste and appreciate the beans.

Love at First Bite: Rambla

Instagram sure makes me fat. Yes, it does. Every time a foodie friend or a food app account posts a dish, I end up drooling and craving. And there was a time when someone posted a photo of the liquid omelette of Rambla. Yes, LIQUID OMELETTE. Awesome right? I instantly messaged J (one of the T3 members I bug… most of the time) and he agreed. But for some reason, we never visited the place! *cries* But I am blessed as my favorite Dragon Lady was game. And so after antigravity yoga, we dropped by Rambla for lunch.

Hello, Rambla!

The place is pretty dark considering it was just 1 p.m. when we visited. I guess that gives it the cozy date ambiance. (But the place is great for some afternoon chat or mini gatherings as well.)

It took us a bit of time to decide on what to order but finally settled with the following: The “Liquid” Spanish Omelette (PHP125), Black Paella with Salmon Loin Tataki and Baby Carrots (PHP595) and Salmon and Arugula Mini Pizza (PHP245).

The liquid Spanish omelette arrived first and it was heavenly. The slowly and lowly cooked till creamy egg yolks topped with caramelized onions was a foodie treat. 

I also loved the delightful potato foam that somehow reminded me of cheese for some reason (must be the color). I’ll definitely order three glasses of this next time!

The mini pizza was served next and it was also a lovely dish. The thick salmon cut topped with arugula on a thin crust served as a great appetizer (or snack). One order is slightly too small for sharing though.

Restaurant Love: Locavore

Locavore is love. I always recommend it to everyone I know when they ask me where to eat in Kapitolyo. One night, R messaged asking where to bring his friends and I recommended Detalle and Locavore. (I love it when people ask me where to eat. It feeds my foodie persona’s ego. So feed it, people!!! Kidding!) Unfortunately, Detalle was closed that night. Fortunately, Locavore was busy as always that evening.

Hello, Locavore!

The place was packed (again)! We had to wait for over 20 minutes just to get seats. So while waiting, we decided to order. R ordered for his friends and they got Sizzling Sinigang (PHP530), Ginataang Kaldereta (PHP570), Street Food Platter (PHP200), Leche Flan (PHP200) and Turon con Leche (PHP220). I also got a cocktail drink with pomelo but I forgot the name and price.

First served was the street food platter (no photo because I didn’t get some). I think that this dish was made for those who do not really eat street food on the street. I do so I couldn’t avoid computing how much it really costs if I buy from Mang Larry in UP.

The main dishes were served next. C and E enjoyed the Sizzling Sinigang (click here for my review on the dish) and the GInataang Kaldereta.

It was my first time to try the Ginataang Kaldereta and for the serving and taste, PHP570 wasn’t a bad price to pay. The tender short ribs with stewed tomatoes, marbled potatoes, crunchy French beans, garlic and shallot confit swimming in coconut milk was L-O-V-E. Okay, I’m a bit biased given I love dishes with coconut milk.

Now for the desserts…