Heart-shaped Burgers: Murray and D'Vine

I have this huge thing for hearts. I don't really know why but ever since I was young, I get attracted to anything shaped like a heart (not the human heart, just so we're on the same page). I used to have a lot of shirts with hearts printed on it. I also used to have a lot of accessories with heart pendants, charms, and what not. I also went crazy over Papa John's heart-shaped pizza. And I have this glowing heart pin I used to wear every Heart's Day. I guess it has something to do with being me being a February baby.

My favorite Dragon Lady, T, told me that there's a restaurant that serves heart-shaped burgers and we agreed to have a date there and murder a burger or two. But I didn't expect to visit the place sooner when I ran out of ideas during my trip there with J. 

Hello there, Murray and D'Vine.

The place was pretty dark when we went so I thought it was closed and I was already planning to recommend my favorite restaurant in Serendra, Mesclun, as an alternative. But the friendly server approached us and told us that they were open. So, I guess it was destiny. Hello, heart-shaped burger. <3

We opted to dine upstairs as it was cooler there. The server gave us a bell to use to call them. Pretty cute but it clashes with the whole concept of the restaurant. Anyway...

It took us quite a bit to order as we were distracted by the shape of the food. After a while, I decided to go for the Ostrich Burger (PHP565) while J went for the Aussie Burger (PHP515). We also ordered a glass of drink each (and unfortunately, I forgot what it's called but we got it for less than PHP100 each if I recall it right).

First served were our drinks which were pretty decent. The drinks had a slight kick but nothing to make one woozy.

Detective 101: Mystery Manila

I have been going crazy over Mystery Manila and I was quite surprised that I had a hard time finding friends to drag to this fun place. Luckily, I saw a post of one of my former colleagues saying that she will go with her boyfriend. I put my thick face on and asked if I could tag along. (Yes, third/fifth/seventh wheeling is my hobby.) They agreed and as soon as we set on a date, it was game on. Woo hoo~ 

I think we were a bit too excited as we arrive 45 minutes before our schedule. A, being the “cool” one, suggested that we kill some time inside the car as to not look too eager. But after 20 minutes, we decided to go in.

The mystery we tried

The place was surprisingly small. I noticed that there are only three rooms and two of which are for the two stories while one serves as their office. There was also a chalkboard wall where they write down the top 10 teams with the fastest time in solving the case. A, M and I thought really hard on what our name should be and I really want the name “Do Not Erase” with the hope that they will never erase it. Anywaaaay…

We were greeted by the friendly staff and asked us where we’re from and offered some refreshments. (I had to ask if that’s a clue since I was in my detective mode as soon as I entered. Well, it was just iced tea and water. Nothing more.)

The rewards if you get to solve the mystery!!!

Yummy Eats 2014 Countdown: 33 days to go!!!

33 days to go before the yummiest event of the year! Yummy Eats is back with more food finds to satisfy our ever growing discriminating taste buds.

 

I just love it that every single concessionaire that is part of the event offers amazing (and I mean AMAZING) dishes as each concessionaire is carefully screened by Yummy’s editorial team. Yummy Eats is definitely not an event for all as several do not make the cut. So you are guaranteed to have happy tummies when you leave the venue.

Looking back, I always look forward to March as that’s the time when Yummy starts to screen the concessionaires. Different kinds of food fill the pantry for us to savor. And the best thing was… it was part of our job! We were actually working while enjoying those yummy dishes. Oh how I miss those days.

Anyway, I believe Yummy has been announcing some of the participants this year through its Facebook page so make sure you like Yummy magazine’s page for updates!

I am hoping my favorites Mochiko, Pepita’s Lechon, Crunchy Belly, and Pio’s Kitchen will join again!

I am so excited for the biggest foodie event of the year! See you all soon! :D

P.S. They are offering the tickets at really really (did I mention really?) affordable prices. Get your ticket at PHP250 if you buy through Yummy.ph (<--click now!!!). If you get 5 tickets, one is free as you just have to pay for PHP1,000. Now how sweet is that?

Finally... Wildflour Café + Bakery

[Continuation of Black Saturday food trip] We were already starting to get full when we were on our way to our last stop. I persuaded the group that we walk (since I love talking walks, yes, even here in Manila) to the last stop. But the heat made A want to take a cab and M and T agreed. It was 1:3 so we took a cab in the end.

Hello, Wildflour Café + Bakery!

As a foodie, I feel slightly embarrassed to say that this is my first trip to the croughnut paradise spot, Wildflour. Every time I plan to visit this place, it gets cancelled. But last Black Friday was not one of those days. I finally made it!

Since we were still pretty full, T and M decided to go for just desserts and drinks. However, A and I decided to order pasta with our cakes and drinks. T and M shared a slice of Salted Chocolate Cake (PHP195), A went for the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie (PHP190) and Mac n’ Cheese (PHP280) while I went for the Cheesecake Flan (PHP195), a cup of iced Hazelnut Chocolate (PHP160) and Rustichella Squid Ink Spaghetti (PHP450). Yes, A and I were full too. (But we managed to find a bit of space somewhere.)

While waiting, a complimentary plate of bread with salted butter was served. I love that it was served warm and it sure made me forget that I was full. Munching on the fragrant bread with butter topped with rock salt was delish!

Soon, our orders arrived.

Xiao Long Bao Heaven: Lugang Café

When eating out, Chinese restaurants are hardly top of mind for me as I prefer Japanese food. (Go blame my anime addiction turned I-want-to-be-Japanese-but-it’s-impossible-so-I’ll-just-eat-everything-Japanese nature.) This is the reason why for the longest time, I have never tried Lugang Café. It’s not Japanese. *turns away* But F has been raving about Lugang Café’s coffee and was very nice of him not to tempt me during Lent season as I sacrificed coffee for 40 (long) days. Come end of Lent, we finally went to Lugang to try that F-recommended coffee.

Hello, Lugang Café!

It wasn’t exactly my first time here as I visited the same branch with my friend A. But I just had a drink then as I was too full to eat anything else. This time though was different as I came from work and famished.

F was already inside when I came in and I let him order for me as I have no idea which ones are good. He ordered the following: Steamed Xiao Long Bao (PHP248), Taiwanese Steamed Minced Pork (PHP220), Stir-fried Beef Noodles with Taiwanese Barbecue Sauce (PHP280), Aweto Flower, Mushroom and Jelly Fish (PHP290) and a pot of Arabian Coffee (PHP240).

In less than 15 minutes, our xiao long bao was served. It was served hot and I found out from F how to eat it the right way. [Dip it in the sauce, place it on the spoon, and then nibble a bit of the dumpling and sip the juice then eat the whole thing.]

The warm xiao long bao sure hit the grumpy spot. It made my tummy happy. The pork was rich in flavor and I just love that it was really juicy.

The Taiwanese Steamed Minced Pork was rather soupy but it was yummy too. The bits of pork were slightly sweet and salty at the same time. It somehow reminded me of pork adobo but minced and saucy.

The stir-fried noodles on the other hand somehow reminded me of Thuk Thai’s noodles. The sweet barbecue sauce made it hard for me not to have a forkful after another. The tender beef bits added texture to the dish making this a winner plate.

The Aweto flower dish was rather interesting. F asked if I was grossed out by it but I actually found it yummy. He mentioned that the taste of this dish is something that requires getting used to. That statement made me wonder though if I just gulped down the whole thing before I could taste it or simply because I love food.  Anyway, the dish was slightly tangy and the texture was quite unique. It had some rough parts and it was rather gummy as well. Overall though, it was a great dish.

Ramen Girl in Manila: Ramen Nagi

Whenever there are long lines, my expectation for great food gets higher and higher. And a handful of restaurants disappointed me to the point of me sulking as I felt that I just wasted time and energy to line up and endure a grumpy tummy. But there are also those worth-the-wait restaurants (though of course, it would have been so much better if there’s no line) like Ramen Nagi.

Hello, Ramen Nagi a.k.a. popular-ramen-place-people-go-gaga-over!

We arrived a bit past 11:30 a.m. and the place was already full of hungry people. We had our names listed but we had to wait for an hour to get a table. No. We just cannot wait for an hour with really grumpy tummies. (Plus it was really hot and uncomfortable that day.) What we did though was go to the nearest restaurant, have a few bites and hurry our way back to Ramen Nagi for lunch #2 (click here for lunch #1). Yes, that is the life.

We were number 5 from the list when we came back and we had to wait for another 15 minutes to get a table. Luckily, we got one inside the store and not along the hallway which was very narrow and crowded with other people waiting for their tables.

T and I decided to share a bowl while M and A had their solo share. T and I decided to go for the Black King (PHP410) while M went for the Green King (PHP410) and A got the Ramen Nagi special, Truffle King (PHP700).

For a full ramen house, service was very quick. Our orders arrived in less than 10 minutes and I was still busy appreciating the interiors then. (They have ramen bowls as wall accents!)

Restaurant Discovery: Ogetsu Hime

I’m so thankful that some of my friends decided to stay in Manila this Holy Week so I was able to drag a few friends for a food trip over the weekend. Our plan was to visit four stops in Bonifacio Global City (BGC) but I guess we were no longer used to eating a lot as we just managed for stop by three restaurants.

It was one hot Saturday when M, T and I went to SM Aura. Our plan is to stop by Ramen Nagi first but the line was crazy at 11:30 a.m.! So we decided to just have our names listed for reservation and looked for another restaurant to have a quick meal to appease our grumpy tummies.

We thought of going to Magnum Bar first but the place was packed as well and it was just too hot to wait outside. So we opted to go to the restaurant beside it, Ogetsu Hime.

Ogetsu Hime was about half full so it w asn’t that hard for us to get a table. And since this was our first stop, we opted for only a few dishes: Oyako Shake Roll (PHP240), Rainbow Batera (PHP240), Gyoza (PHP165), Goma Ebi Tempura Roll (PHP205), Enoki Bacon Kushi Yaki (PHP190) and Momo Teri Maki (PHP205).

Given that we only have an hour to eat and rush back to Ramen Nagi, we were in a hurry and Ogetsu Hime did not fail us with its quick service.

First served was my Oyako Shake Roll and it was divine. Thinking that the right and polite way to eat Japanese food is eating it whole, I stuffed the whole maki inside my mouth. And yes, I choked a bit while doing so. Why do makis have to be humongous anyway?

The salmon was fresh and there was a slight tangy taste from the cream cheese. There was also an interesting play of different textures brought by the smooth salmon and the slightly crispy salmon skin. I wasn’t able to taste the avocado and the wasabi mustard that much though.

NEWS FLASH: Mystery Manila opens this May 2014!

I love mystery movies and just about anything that would push me to think as it makes me feel more productive even when in reality, I just munching on popcorn. I remember my Detective Conan and Psych addiction days where all I do was speculate. I even got hooked to playing Clues! So just imagine how happy I was when I discovered…

Mystery Manila!

If I am not mistaken, this is the first of its kind here in Manila. It’s like one of those Murder-Mystery dinners in the US where you try to find the murderer amongst the guests.

One room.

One mystery.

One hour.

One way out.

Intriguing right? Right? Riiiiiiight?! Okay, I think I’m too hyper to blog in a calm manner. But if you are into these things, you’d understand why this makes me very giddy.

The fascinating part is that you will be locked inside a room to solve the mystery. (Think Saw the movie.) There will be clues, riddles and evidences all over the room of the mystery you chose. You will be stuck inside the room till you solve the mystery (or when you run out of time).

The objective to this game is to of course solve the mystery the fastest way possible as you get a prize after closing the case. The quicker you solve the mystery, the nicer the prizes you will get. You have to solve the mystery in under an hour to succeed. But you also have an option to try again at a discounted rate in case you didn’t finish in 60 minutes but this is of course subject to the availability of the room. To date, there are no published rates for this.

Love at Second Bite: Spätzle Euro Market Café

I love it whenever I get a chance to have a dinner date with my friends. It’s nice to break the routine once in a while. Hours of sharing what’s happening with one’s life to reminiscing the good ‘ol past could sure brighten one’s day (and even more). I just hope that Shangri-La gets all the restaurants open and operating soon as I have tried all of the restaurants already! But of course, there are the “favorite” spots and I dined in one with my favorite dragon lady. 

Hello again, Spätzle Euro Market Café!

We decided to dine at Spätzle given T never got the chance to visit that restaurant yet. It has been a while since my last visit but I really enjoyed the food there. I remember having that smoked salmon benny which was spectacular. I fell in love with the slightly breaded soft boiled egg. (Okay, just remembering it makes me drool.) Anyway, T and I decided to have a date after work since it has been a few weeks since we last saw each other. Plus, we had so many stories to share to each other. (Clingy friends.)

It was a breeze for us to decide on what to order because we were both hungry and every second counts! 

We went for the following: Roasted Creamy Tomato Soup (PHP220), Monte Blanc Pizza (PHP325), and Roasted Chicken Sausage (PHP295). As for the drinks, we got Spätz All Natural Caffeine-free Iced Tea (PHP98) and Haus Iced Tea (PHP90).

First served was our soup. We asked to have it split into two and it was plated in a charming manner.

Restaurant Love: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen

I just can’t get enough of Japanese food. Given a chance, I’ll live in Japan and eat all the salmon sashimi I could get my hands on. But of course, that would be too much. So let’s throw in some ramen. There you go. That is the life. Okay, I kid. But I really am too attached to Japanese cuisine. I was so thrilled when I got an email from them before giving me a heads up on their new dishes. I was out of the country then but I promised Riza of Ikkoryu Fukuoka that I will drop by as soon as I’m back. Well, fine, it wasn’t as soon as I anticipated as there were just too many new restaurants to visit. But Black Day was the perfect day for some ramen love. 

For some reason, J and I meet on the 14^th of the month. It started with Valentine’s Day where we traded gifts. (Hey, single people can celebrate Valentine’s Day too you know.) It was followed by Pi/Pie/White Day where we had some beer can chicken and finally, Black Day. And yes, I forced J to wear black.

We actually had no idea where to eat when we met but since we were both famished, we had to think fast. We eliminated the cuisines we do not fancy that night and ended up with around four restaurants to choose from. J initially crossed out ramen but remembered his Monday ramen nights and finally gave in to have dinner at Ikkoryu Fukuoka. 

 

The place wasn’t as packed compared to when it first opened (where wait time was around 30 minutes to an hour). The servers were very attentive and gave us menus as soon as we sat down.

Black Day 2014: Master Bee Chinese Restaurant

In Korea, Valentine's Day (February 14) and White Day (March 14) are pretty important for couples. Valentine's Day is when the girls give gifts to the guys they like and White Day is when the guys give sweets to the girls they fancy. But the 14th of April is also celebrated and it's called Black Day. It's the day those who did not get anything gather and eat black bean noodles together. I like wearing black too on Black Day. And I was so happy that my Black Day dates wore black too this year! 

I have a set of friends who I bug for anything related to Korea simply because we met there. T and K are two of my dearest friends who are game for almost anything Korean and they were both game to celebrate Black Day with me. We also invited two Black Day newbies F and W. (Wow, K and I were with FTW! Anyway...)

We decided to have dinner at this Chinese restaurant named Master Bee Chinese Restaurant  that serves Jjajang-myun (black bean noodles) and then sing like crazy after.

When I arrived, K and F were already inside. T soon followed and we ordered the following: Jjajang-myun (PHP220/bowl), Jjin-Mandu (PHP200) and Tangsuyuk (PHP800).