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. 

First Sip: Macao Imperial

Hype. I don't seem to ever learn from my past experiences. I always get excited to try the talked about food and drinks and I even go out of my way at times just to get hold of it. Though there are some worthy to be showered with praises, most are just average and nothing spectacular. One particular brand I've been wanting to visit for a while is Macao Imperial as this has been getting a lot of love from Masarap Ba? and its community. And I finally got to visit it last Friday. 

Hello, Macao Imperial. 

Macao Imperial is one of the many milk tea franchises from abroad and it gained popularity and strong following after Masarap Ba? vouched for its cream cheese drinks. It became so trending that Macao Imperial offered a "kakulto" (name of Masarap Ba's community members) discount in the form of free upgrade. 

The Common Good Launches Lunch Sets

Enjoying a meal or two at a hotel always sound fancy and rather expensive. But more and more of these lavish establishments come up with options that appeal to yuppies and to those who want good value food with great ambiance to match. And this is exactly what I'm Hotel's The Common Good did with its lunch packages. 

Hello, The Common Good.

The Common Good is I'm Hotel's food playground which showcases different cuisines to satisfy everyone's palate. It has been one of the bang for the buck dinner buffet options in Makati and it has further pushed the envelope by offering lunch sets to cater to the Makati professionals. 

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf launches Genmaicha Iced Tea

We're probably one of the few Asian countries that doesn't drink a lot of tea. Most would go for sugary drinks like soda, juice drinks or boba. I'm happy that despite the limited demand for this healthier option, there are a few establishments that offer wide selection of tea, and great ones at that. I also love how these brands make tea less foreign to many by presenting it as iced tea. And speaking of iced tea, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf's Genmaicha Iced Tea is really good!

Hello, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

CBTL's Genmaicha is one of my favorite hot tea variants for years. I love its earthy taste from the roasted popped brown rice. Its nutty note made it so addictive as it beautifully blends with the refreshing flavor of green tea. The perfect marriage of two classic Japanese flavors of this drink is just one of the handful of reasons why I love Genmaicha. Aside from its great taste, it is also packed with health benefits which includes increase function of catecholamine and encourages fat loss!

First Bite: Megawatt

I can't help be skeptical whenever a place seems to be too trendy or different. I'd always imagine Instagram-worthy food and it pretty much ends there. As more and more restaurants focus on feeding our social media accounts, most fail to realize that it is more important to satisfy the taste buds than garner a lot of likes. After all, those unforgettable first bites are what will make people go back for more. And I was glad that Megawatt did just that.

Hello, Megawatt. 

Megawatt has this industrial chic vibe all over. It was first located by a car wash garage and eventually moved to Build Plus where it shares space with a hardware shop. It may seem odd but it also felt right. 

First Sip: Tea Mama

Tea is not exactly a popular drink of choice in Manila. With majority of the market more inclined to get sweetened drinks such as boba and soda, tea is a far fifth or sixth in the drinks category. But I'm glad that there are establishments that focus on tea and offer a wide selection at that. And when I got to encounter da.u.de back in 2014, I was beyond thrilled. Competition must be tough though as it rebranded again and is now called Tea Mama. 

Hello, Tea Mama. 

Tea Mama is the revamped version of Sweetea's by da.u.de. Aside from its interesting selection of tea, it now offers other refreshing drinks such as fruit tea and matcha latte. It also offers pearl milk tea and milkshakes for those who prefer sweet drinks. 

Revisited: House of Lasagna

Nothing beats feasting on comfort food after a shoot or meeting. And when I spotted House of Lasagna after a meeting, I just have to stop by and grab one of its famous cheesy dishes.
 
Hello, House of Lasagna.

House of Lasagna has been around for a decade serving simple yet delicious dishes such as fried chicken, pork chop and of course, lasagna. 

First Bite: Vagabonds

We'd often associate steaks to fancy dinners or special occasions. But the abundance of pocket friendly steak restaurants made succulent meat nights a regular thing. And when with a group of hungry carnivores, it's best to indulge in Vagabonds' One-Kilo Steak.

Hello, Vagabonds.

Vagabonds has been known for its bang for the buck one kilo steak. It recently found a new home in O'Square Greenhills and I was one of the lucky few to be there for its grand opening.

Delicious with a Purpose: L'Shef

In this world of entitlement, we often encounter people who are too focused on what they could get and barely put any thought on what they could give back. This is why businesses that have Corporate Social Responsibility or give back programs stand out so much. And I find it hard not to support these selfless brands. One new discovery is this online shop that offers bottled kimchi and gourmet tuyo which supports our local fishermen. 

Hello, L'Shef. 

L'Shef is a play of words between chef and Shela, the lady behind this socially responsible shop. It currently offers a short list of homemade products, all of which were made or cooked by Shela. 

First Bite: Poke Shack

I have this insatiable appetite for salmon. My family and friends know this and it's a great way to know how I see you as I only share my plate of salmon sashimi with people dear to me. But one poke store made it easier for me to share as it offers generous serving of this delectable seafood in every order!

Hello, Poke Shack!

Poke Shack has been around for quite some time now. Located near Tiendesitas, it serves as a great dining option for people working within the area. It even offers free delivery for foodies at Tera Tower where Poke Shack is located.

First Bite: Wing's Lab

Food parks are designed to be a melting pot of different cuisines and dishes. Most would have the crowd favorites burgers, tempura, noodles, milk tea or shakes, butterfly squid and so on. One more thing food parks have in common is wings. These good ol' snack is often paired with beer for that chill night cap. But there's this wings place in Poblacion that made wing pairing its expertise.

Hello, Wing's Lab.

Wing's Lab is a new player in the competitive world of wings but it has established a pretty solid unique selling proposition by simply focusing and celebrating this messy dish.