SALE ALERT: Lego Warehouse Sale 2014

Calling all LEGO lovers!

Lego is having its warehouse sale on December 10 to 14 at Unit A23, 2^nd Floor, Topy Building IV, 3 Economia St., Bagumbayan, Quezon City.

 

Discount is up to 60% off so go get that Stormtrooper set now!

Take this opportunity to buy your kids, nephews and nieces Christmas gifts!

Image from OzBrickNation 

I do hope they have the Lego key chains on sale too!

-Gluttonshopper

Lego warehouse sale images are from Bricks Philippines

Restaurant Love: Avi (Take 2 and 3)

I hardly visit a restaurant twice in a week but I made an exception last week.

It has been a few months ago since I last visited Avi. The place offers really good food at affordable prices yet I never see it packed with hungry foodies. I guess it is because diners have so many options in Kapitolyo. Anyway…

I had lunch at Avi two Sundays ago and I decided to go with my favorite Basil in Red (PHP165) and Lola Soledad’s Buttered Shrimp Agoile (PHP210).

While slurping my soup and munching on the nacho chips, one of the chips went straight to my throat and got jammed inside my esophagus! Yes, it may sound a bit disturbing (and Avi has nothing to do with this) but this sure reminded me to chew my food well.

The pasta was pretty good too. The noodles were al dente and the flavor was not that overwhelming. The shrimps were fresh too.

Hole in the Wall Find: Green Cheese (Happiest Cheesecake in the World)

While waiting for my pho from Phobobo, I looked around to check the other concessionaires and see if I could try more dishes that night. However, the place was really packed so I was forced to buy from stores with shorter lines (as we were also rushing to visit a coffee shop after dinner).

Hello, Green Cheese, the happiest cheesecake in the world!

This cake stall caught my interest when Jin Perez of Jin Loves to Eat featured it on her blog. From the smiling Japanese cheesecakes to the nice façade (with a swing), Green Cheese sure screams kawaii!

I decided to go for Green Cheese’s plain cheesecake (PHP50 per slice or PHP350 for a box) and custard pudding (PHP120).

Hole in the Wall Find: Phobobo (Pho-King De-li-cious)

I used to not care much about interior designs. I would say, “oh, nice place” without much thought into it. However, working with the Real Living team helped me become more appreciative of details. I even helped style the Yummy booth before for Yummy Eats’ first year and cried when I stepped inside an Ikea store for the first time. So just imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon Hole in the Wall’s Instagram account. The first thing that came to my mind was… I HAVE TO GO THERE ASAP. But work was a bit crazy for the past few weeks. We even have work on Saturdays. Then again, nothing can stop me with my affair with food.

Hello, Hole in the Wall. It has been a long two weeks of agony not being able to visit you sooner.

I was surprised that the place was quite packed on a Wednesday night. I guess Friday night is now seven days a week.

I was really famished when J and I got there so I wasn’t able to take much photos plus I was feeling shy to take photos of hungry diners. I also didn’t really choose which concessionaire to buy from. My only basis that time was which one had the shortest line. At that time, it was Phobobo and Greencheese. But let me focus more on Phobobo in this entry.

I was actually more excited to try Kwong’s and Bad Bird but the lines were too long for my tummy to understand. And since I got rained on earlier that day, a warm bowl of pho sounded appealing.

After a minute or so, it was my turn to order. I quickly went for the Pho Bo (PHP360) and Ox Tripe Chicharon (PHP160). Unfortunately, the chicharon was not available that night. I ended up with Crispy Spring Rolls (PHP140).

First Bite: Press Café

I love Fully Booked. It’s one of my happy places when I’m in the mood to see quirky notepads, fangirl on the latest manga or swoon over interesting books. I have been meaning to try Press Café, the coffee shop inside Fully Booked, Rockwell branch; but for some reason, it always get cancelled…until the night I met John Wick.

A few Couchsurfers and I were supposed to meet at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf a few Saturdays ago but since it was crowded, we decided to meet at Press Café instead.

We were just supposed to have coffee but it was my first time to dine there so… I just have to order at least three dishes. I went with Eggs Benedict (PHP260), Tomato soup (PHP125), Grape shake (PHP110) and an Oatmeal cookie (PHP70).

First served was my grape shake and it was refreshing. It wasn’t overly sweetened.

The tomato soup was love. Though a bit thick to be an appetizer, it had the tangy taste that I love. The bread on the soup added texture and made it even more filling.

The Eggs Benedict came with a forest ham which was a bit too red for me. But it was pretty good with the poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. I also liked the overdose of onions!

The oatmeal cookie was pretty big though fair enough for its price. It was pretty good too though keep a glass of water ready as it could make your throat a bit itchy.

Overall, it was a filling late lunch. I’ll try the pasta and quesadillas next time.

Press Café is located at 4^th Floor, Fully Booked, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City.

First Bite; Size Matters

You only live once. That’s pretty much the motto of the younger generations to justify their crazy antics. Lately, I feel that I have been doing the same thing with how I eat. I know that I have finally reached the stage where I have to be more careful with the food I eat. Hello, slow metabolism! However, I do not want to deprive myself of the delicious things in life so…

Hello, Size Matters.

I recall checking Size Matters out before with N during one of our food trips; but it didn’t exactly catch our fancy, we skipped it. But since E sounded so eager to visit the place (again), we decided to have dinner there instead of the failed Burp hunt.

The menu is quite simple and straightforward—a few burger selections, some rice meals, pasta and chicken. That’s it. Simple and easy.

I decided to go for The Works Burger (PHP299 for 1/3 lbs.) while E went for Breakfast in Bed Burger (PHP199 for ¼ lbs and PHP279 for ½ lbs.) then just added an additional PHP60 to make our meals “combo” to get a glass of 12 oz. house blend iced tea and fries. We also ordered a plate of lasagna (PHP159).

Given they were only serving two tables that night, service was pretty quick.

First served were our glasses of iced tea. True enough, it was not your usual Nestea. It had a stronger citrus taste.

Next served was the lasagna which I liked. It was somehow similar to the cheesy lasagna of Greenwich and Red Ribbon. Comfort food is always great.

The burgers arrived soon and both were pretty big.

The Works Burger was rather fat (and yes, fattening). I had a hard time getting a whole bite. I liked the Monterey Jack patty though as it was juicy and flavorful. I just hoped that the bacon strips were thinner and crispier.

E enjoyed The Breakfast in Bed Burger but it was too salty for me. It was interesting though as it had fried egg on it. Again, the bacon looked so foreign to me.

Overall though, it was a filling and worth-your-money dinner.

Size Matters is located at Ground floor, Ace Water Spa Building, Barangay Kapitolyo, Pasig City. 

Love at First Sip: Kissako Uji Matcha Café

Friday nights are meant for munching and discovering new food. I am not so fond of eating the same food twice as there are just so many restaurants to visit and so many dishes to try. Just thinking about it makes me so giddy.

Last Friday, I made an 8 p.m. reservation for three at Locavore thinking that my sister’s last class ends late. But we all got together at 6:30. So to kill time, I asked them if we could visit the new Japanese tea and coffee shop I spotted a few weeks ago.

Hello, Kissako!

The place is quite small and could only accommodate perhaps 5-6 groups at a time. Choices are also limited making it easier for me choose. I went with Strawberry Shortcake (PHP170), Chocolate Mousse (PHP170) and Horiguchi Coffee (PHP130) in medium roast.

The cakes arrived in cute dark colored clay plates. I am already in love without even tasting the cake yet.

Love at First Bite: Locavore

I seriously love my area. Crowd favorites such as Silantro, Poco Deli, Rub Ribs, Calderon and Mad Marks can all be found in Kapitolyo. My new favorites Avi, Haru, Open Kitchen, Gostoso, and Tomahawk are all in the area too. And last Friday, I discovered a new favorite, Locavore.

I've heard of Locavore from my friend F who randomly messaged me if I have tried eating there. Curious, I made my research and upon seeing the photo of the Sizzling Sinigang, I was convinced that I have to dine there soon.

However, I failed on my first try. Locavore was packed and waiting time could be half an hour to over an hour. My mom and sister were already hungry then so we went to Pearl Drive instead for some chi-mek (chicken and beer).

I was informed that the best way to secure seats is to make a reservation. It’s not really my habit to do so unless I feel that the place is awesome and always packed. I could still count how frequent I made reservations. I recall I did with Your Local, Haru, Bistecca, House of Wagyu, and Nav.

When we arrived, the place was still spacious with only a few tables occupied. However, we did notice that almost all tables were tagged “reserved”.

Since I already have a copy of the menu, I already “planned” on what to order. I got Sizzling Sinigang (PHP530), Lechon and Oyster Sisig (PHP400), Crispy Tilapia (PHP280), Mac’s Boneless Fried Chicken (PHP240) and Calamanjito (PHP280 for two glasses during Happy Hour).

Molito Food Stop: Le Petit Cheri

There are so many new restaurants here, there and just about everywhere! I went crazy when I spotted Molito, the new foodie haven in the south. I saw several new establishments I have never seen before and I am so excited to visit those places soon. Earlier, I posted about Ramen Yushoken. The place offer really flavorful ramen. Since we still had had 30 minutes to explore Molito before going home, my sister and I dashed to Le Petit Cheri.

Hello, Le Petit Cheri.

It had an eerie ambiance as we were the only ones there when we visited. And it didn’t seem to be a good sign. But it was recommended by a few friends so I had faith in this establishment.

Since we were not in the mood for anything savory, we went straight to desserts and stared at the display cooler. I got the White Chocolate Cheesecake (PHP148), Baked Polvoron (PHP78) and several macarons: Caramel, Salted Coffee, Purple Yam, Red Velvet, and Strawberry (PHP38 each).

I ordered the baked polvoron since it intrigued me. I love polvoron but I never really had a chance to try a baked version of it. The texture was similar to a rather hard cookie and it wasn’t as sweet as the well-loved Goldilocks polvoron. Actually, it tasted just like a slightly bland cookie. 

I ordered the White Chocolate Cheesecake since it was the most photogenic among the cakes available then. It was very dense and thick and it didn’t have the tart that I like from cheesecakes. It also made me remember why I don’t like white chocolate. In short, I will not order this again… ever. But white chocolate lovers might enjoy this.

The macarons were pretty decent though for its affordable price. My favorite was the salted coffee (which I cleared with the person who assisted us if it’s really coffee and not caramel). It tasted just like coffee but it wasn’t as sweet. The ganache was so thick though.

Love at First Bite: Vyne

I love Girls Night Out(s). It forces me to dress nicely and be girly (though I seriously hate heels so I always bring flats in case my poor knees give up on me). Plus we get to talk about our love lives or the lack of it. One day, I got a message from my favorite Dragon Lady saying to block off one Saturday so that we could try Vyne. She added, wear something nice. (I volunteered as one of the runners of the Ethan Allen Anniversary sale then so I was a bit harassed but it’ll do.)

Hello, Vyne!

The place is located at the 8^th floor of the W building with IHOP. The entrance looks cute as it is also the entrance of Hyve, one of the bars (or should I call it a club) at The Fort.

First thing I noticed inside were the graffiti or paintings on the concrete walls. It added an adorable vibe to the place.

The washroom is also charming!

Anyway, for the food, we ordered the following: Apple and Bleu Cheese Salad (PHP285), Prawn Ravioli Laksa (PHP270), Lamb Rendang Bolognese (PHP360), The Salmon (PHP450), Breaded Aji Tamago (PHP200) and Mexican Grilled Chicken Sandwich (PHP280). We also ordered two glasses of Lychee Martini (PHP280 for two glasses).

The Apple and Bleu Cheese Salad arrived first and it looked so pretty! The crispy and slightly tangy green apples went well with the sweet honey yogurt dressing. The tanginess of the bleu cheese surely made us hungry for more.

McDonald's McGriddles Now Available in the Philippines

I love breakfast! I love to eat breakfast meals for breakfast (duh!), lunch, dinner, or as midnight snack! I dislike it when restaurants only offer breakfast meals in the morning. What if I’m craving for scrambled eggs, bacon and sausages at 1 p.m.? Anyway, rules are rules. :| One fine Sunday though on our way to visit our lovable grandma, we passed by McDonald’s for a much needed breakfast.

I was about to order Egg McMuffin when my sister told me to order a McGriddles instead as it’s “limited edition” breakfast. I spotted bacon so I ordered the Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown). My mom ordered the Sausage, Egg and Cheese McGriddles (PHP113 with coffee | PHP128 with coffee and hashbrown).

While waiting for our order, I made a quick check on what McGriddles is all about and apparently, it’s a pancake sandwich with maple flavoring. Sinful? Oh yes! Yummy? Definitely.

Okay, I wasn’t able to try my mom’s McGriddles as she ate it while I was not looking for me to flash my annoying puppy eyes (which do not really work on anyone). But since she finished it, I’m guessing it was good.

My Bacon, Egg and Cheese McGriddles was pretty good. The bacon was quite crispy (though the serving was a bit stingy with just 2 small strips) and I love the contrast of its saltiness with the sweet griddle cakes. If only they put in more bacon, it would have been my everyday breakfast meal. Hello, Super Size version of me!

And speaking of Super Size Me, the McGriddles was mentioned in the well-loved documentary. Morgan Spurlock described it as “one of their fattest sandwiches to date.” So try to keep it down to once or twice a week. ;)

Here’s the list of McDonald’s branches with McGriddles:

Navotas

Sun Mall Welcome Rotonda

Farmer's Market

Pioneer Reliance

Ortigas Extension Cainta

Quirino

Granada

Tarlac Hi-way

Sto. Tomas Batangas

Dona Soledad

Bankmer (along Ayala Ave)

Lucky Chinatown

Matalino

San Pedro

Binan

Blue Ridge

Las Pinas Talon

Project 8

Angeles Intersection

(List from Pickiest Eater in the World)

Try them all before it’s too late!

-Gluttonshopper