Restaurant Discovery: Yellow House Café

I just love visiting Koreatown in Los Angeles. There are a lot of cute restaurants and cafés (and some of which are in Manila too) open till the wee hours just like how things are in Seoul. The place I visited this time seems to be a popular one as it was still packed at 8 p.m..

Meeting up with K and T guarantees that we eat somewhere cute or fancy. (So, horray for me! I'll have something nice to blog about!) This time, they decided that we have dinner at Yellow House Café .

We met up a little bit past 8 p.m. and we had to wait for a table to clear up. Apparently, the bigger the party, the more difficult it is for you to get a table.

While waiting, we all decided that we order something to pass time since we were all too hungry to wait. K and I ordered Cheese Tteokbokki ($10.95). 

Blogging.

Blog is defined as a "a personal website or web page on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular basis (Oxford dictionary). However, blogging has become more than that these days. Aside as a medium in sharing (at times oversharing) one's opinions, it has become a way to earn extra cash. At times, this has also become people's ID to events or whatnot. And there is nothing wrong with that. But  there are also cases when being a blogger becomes some people's excuse to act in a way they shouldn't. 

I'm a blogger. I must be a good great writer. 

I'm a blogger. I deserve to be in this event. And hey, I deserve extra pampering too.

I'm a blogger. Where are my extra freebies?!

Take 2: Вà Nôi’s

I just love living near Kapitolyo, one of the hole-in-the-wall restaurants hotspots. Admittedly, it has been a while since the last time I went there and I was surprised to see that there are a lot of new restaurants since my last visit. One of which is a Vietnamese restaurant named Вà Nôi’s. Okay, perhaps not all are new establishments but new to Kapitolyo. 

Welcome to the neighborhood, Вà Nôi’s.

I still remember the first time I dined in Вà Nôi’s. It was way back in 2011 when it was still in Makati. I was with my Couchsurfingfriends and we ordered a handful of dishes for sharing. One of the dishes I loved was the Bo Luc Lac, an oh-so-tender stir-fried beef. It was a bit pricey though for the serving. 

 

This time around, I went with two of my college friends and we ordered Pho Bo (PHP260), Pho Ga (PHP230), Cha Gio (PHP195), Cha Thia Xao Dao Hao (PHP115), Ca Kho To (PHP250), and a glass of iced Vietnamese coffee (PHP110).

 

Service was very quick. First served was my coffee on a dripper. It reminded me of Highland’s coffee.

Restaurant Discovery: Woo Galbi

I think I'm sick. I'm suffering from an ooh-a-new-restaurant-we-have-to-eat-there-NOW disease and I think I have reached stage 4. 

Lately, I haven't been going on hardcore food trips where I have to stop by 4 restaurants in one day. (Awww T3, I miss those days!) But one thing is for sure, if there's a new restaurant in Shangri-La or Megamall, I have to go there. True enough, when Woo Galbi opened, I begged my mom and sister that we hold one of our Saturdate lunches at the new Korean restaurant. And we did.

We arrived a bit past 1 p.m. as my sister came from school and I was trying to lead a healthier lifestyle by going to the gym for circuit training and studio for yoga. (Yeah~ <3)

The place wasn't packed so we easily got a table. I got slightly confused as there were Japanese dishes on the menu too such as tempura and sashimi. While reading the menu, the only thing in my mind was, "hey, the food here is pretty pricey" upon seeing the price of the bibimbap. PHP450 for a bowl?! Well, worth it, I guess.

It took us 10 minutes or so to decide on what to order and finally, we ordered a solo serving of Cucumber Prawn Salad (PHP176), Japchae (PHP298), Grilled Boneless Shortribs Bulgogi (PHP595) and Shrimp Tempura (PHP232 for three pieces and PHP350 for 5 pieces). 

While waiting, we feasted on the side dishes which I find okay. The serving though wasn't very generous. 

First to arrive was the salad. I must admit, it was pretty tasty! The dressing was superb. Slightly tangy and sweet. It somehow reminded me of the dressing Vietnamese restaurants serve. The greens were crisp and fresh though there were only two prawns included. I guess if I upsize it'll be four or more.

D-I-Y: My Ikea Experience

Ikea... oh how I love thee. From those cute accessories down to the most colorful furniture, you never fail to amaze me. For the longest time, I was in love with this giant brand. Little did I know that I have yet to experience the full Ikea deal.

Yes, I'm back to the land of uhm... Disney! And agenda on the first day is a trip to IKEA. (Woohoo!)

How I miss the place. The cute set ups, the interesting furniture, the soft stuffed toys, everything is L-O-V-E!

Anyway, N and I were looking for a dresser and after an hour of looking around, we found the one. 

Love At First Bite: Mesclun Bistro

It has been a while since my last entry as I have been trying to lead a more active lifestyle and I'm dead tired by the time I get home. I'm happy to share though that finally, I have a bit of arm muscles! Woohoo! Those hours of planking, low push ups and whatnot poses finally paid off! However, practicing yoga and going to the gym surrounded by amazing restaurants is a huge temptation. I usually end up having two breakfasts or a heavy lunch (plus dessert at times).

I met up with N one rainy Saturday afternoon after a (kind of) relaxing yoga. The weather was crazy as it was the time typhoon Maring was making its grand entrance felt. N and I were planning to check the Fort Strip for new restaurants but since we only have one umbrella to share, we ended up stuck in Serendra. Luckily, N remembered Mesclun, a restaurant a lot of people raved about. I recall seeing a lot of posts about it and I was curious myself.

So, Mesclun it is. 

It took us quite a while to decide on what to order as everything seems so tempting. There were different pizza, salad, pasta, and mains to choose from. At first we ordered Grilled Salmon Steak (PHP645) and eventually decided to cancel it for a Four Cheese Sourdough Pizza (PHP345). We also ordered Goat Cheese Salad (PHP455) and Sisig Spaghetti (PHP245). I also ordered a Power Shake (PHP195) to give me well, uh, power!

While waiting, we were given complimentary bread and butter with herbs. It was such a great start as the bread alone was tasty!

The Power Shake, a combination of apple, cucumber, and lettuce was very refreshing as well. I just hope that they pulsed it a bit more as there are some chunks that get stuck in the straw that made sipping a bit challenging.

Restaurant Discovery: Madeca

I admit, as much as I want to be lean and strong, I would choose a food trip over a free workout anytime. However, the case was different a few weeks back. I felt really heavy and when I do, I just have to give in to exercise and tried Plana Forma. It was PAIN. But there’s something I look forward to after every workout… reward. And by reward I mean food.

After an hour of squatting, T and I went to Podium with the plan of eating at Wildflour. It was our second attempt to do so but when we arrived, the place was packed with hungry brunch people. So we decided to look for another place to have brunch. Then I remembered Madeca. I saw it before in Yummy magazine and fell in love with the cute mason glasses. 

Luckily, the 4^th floor of Podium isn’t packed. (Normally, the busiest floor is the ground floor where Wildflour is located.) There was only one diner when we arrived. 

We noticed that Madeca isn’t an authentic Mexican restaurant. It is a fusion between Mexican and Filipino. I got intrigued with Lechon Kawali Burrito (PHP245) so I ordered one along with Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla (PHP125) and Guava Mojito (PHP135). T on the other hand ordered  Sisig Burrito (PHP225).

The Spinach and Mushroom Quesadilla was on the bland side but topping it with sour cream and salsa solves that. I love that it was served warm. The chips were delightful too as it added texture to the dish.

Love at First Bite: Bono Artisanal Gelato

Dessert. It’s something I look forward to in every meal. I love to order a complete course whenever I eat out. I must have an appetizer, a main course, and dessert. No wonder I’m feeling heavy again. 

After a hearty Mexican lunch, my friend T and I decided to walk around Podium and burn some calories before heading to Wildflour for some cronuts. But something else caught our eye… Bono Artisanal Gelato. 

 

The cute kiosk at the ground floor is quite eye catching. The clean design and that clear glass encasing the “lab” are so adorable. The names of the flavors were pretty witty too. I had a hard time choosing which one to buy as I was torn between Speculoos and Taho. Eventually, I decided to go for Speculoos as it was tastier.

Food Find: Chatime's Kronuts

The Cronut mania is still very alive as I still see long lines in Wildflour, empty racks in Chatime and posts on social media. I got to try the ones from Dunkin Donut (which you have to eat warm if you want to enjoy it), the cute version of Le Coeur (cute because it was the smallest so far), and Chatime’s Kronuts (which at first was sold out 30 minutes after opening). There’s still a lot more to try but my pants are suffering!

My mom called me one night and said that she was buying a few stuff from Pioneer Center and the first thing that came to my head was Chatime’s Kronuts. (They spell it like that since they can’t use the word Cronut as it was trademarked.) My mom asked which flavors and I tried to think for a moment but then decided to say, “ALL!” So much for trying to live healthier. >.<

When I got home, I was greeted by 6 Kronuts and all looked so yummy and saying, “Eat me! No me first! MEEE!” Okay, that was weird but you get my point.

The first one I tried was the sugar raised Kronut and I was surprised that it has hazelnut filling! I really enjoyed this one!

Chocoholic News Alert: Ovomaltine is coming soon to Manila!

Oh oh Ovalteenies, oh oh Ovalteenies. You just can't get enough, you just can't get enough oh~~ Please tell me I'm not the only one who remembers this jingle. 

Image from: adyingstar.blogspot.com

I grew up drinking chocolate drinks as my after school treat. One month with Milo, another with Ovaltine, another with Enervon HP then repeat. (Yeah, I wasn't offered Swiss Miss when I was a kid.)

Just drinking a cup of hot chocolate brings so much comfort, especially on a gloomy day as today. It makes me want to stay in bed, watch some movies and drink my cup of happiness.

Image from: www.ovomaltine.ch

But just when I thought these powdered chocolate can't be better, Ovaltine came up with Ovomaltine, a crunchy chocolate spread that you can use to whip up amazing baked goods or simply as spread (if baking is such a chore or if you can't bake to save your life). 

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