Promo Alert: Max’s Chicken All-You-Can 2015

It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No… it’s Chicken All-You-Can!

Yes, they are bringing Chicken All-You-Can back in celebration of Max’s successful 70 years. The house that fried chicken built will be having a party (and by party, I mean EAT ALL YOU CAN) again soon! There are no final dates or list of branches yet but based on how my tummy grumbles, it will happen sooooon.

See you there! [Use #ChickenLove to share the yummy Chicken All-You-Can news!]

-Gluttonshopper

Love at First Bark: Barkin’ Blends Café

I am a frustrated pet lover. I love pets; but since I live in a condominium, I have very limited options. I used to have goldfish, hamsters, hermit crabs and all those small adorable bundles of joy. But what I really want is a puppy… a cute, sweet, hyper puppy. So when Barkin’ Blends opened, I was one of the happy dog lovers who went during its soft opening and so many things changed since my last visit.

Hello again, Barkin’ Blends!

It has been several months since my last visit and I was surprised that the puppies grew so much (and in number too). This time, I got to try the puppy café’s savory dishes.

We ordered Marley N’ Cheese (PHP120), Skyegetti (PHP120) and Smile’s Tunawich (PHP90). We also ordered drinks which were PHP180 each and it already includes our 2 hour pass in the puppy area. (There was no limit before but since the puppy area gets packed, they had to limit playtime.)

The Marley N’ Cheese was such a comfort dish. The pasta was al dente and it sure was cheesy. My sister loved it a lot!

Next served was my Smile’s Tunawich and it was the usual tuna sandwich. Nothing fancy but it was filling.

The Skyegetti had giant meatballs on it and it had the lovely tangy Italian sauce. I liked the spaghetti the best.

Restaurant Love: Café Seol Hwa

I have been raving about Café Seol Hwa for weeks now. I was really happy with the bingsu that I ordered the last time I visited to the point that I crave it every day. So one hot day, I decided to visit again and this time, I went with R.

Hello again, Café Seol Hwa!

The Korean dessert place was quite empty during lunch and we easily got a table. Since we were a bit hungry, we decided to go for Cheese Garlic Toast (PHP220) and Strawberry Bing Su (PHP240, regular | PHP360, large).

Service in general seems to be slow in Café Seol Hwa as it took them around 10 minutes to prepare our toast. (Then again, an average toast would be 3 minutes so it seems reasonable.)  

And after one bite, I realized that… it was stuffed with MOCHI! This is BRILLIANT!!! The crunchy toast with a generous spread of cheese and garlic and the chewy rice cake was a lovely combination. It may seem pricey for PHP220 but it was worth it.

First Bite: Paprika

I have been following the Looloo app for quite a while now and my list of must try restaurants gets longer and longer. A few posts made an impression and one of which is Paprika, a comfort food restaurant and bar in RCBC, Fort Bonifacio. I have been pestering J to go with me to no avail. Luckily, R and his ChiChi friends are game to visit.

Hello, Paprika!

The place is pretty small and it wasn’t packed at all when we arrived.

It was already a bit past 8 then so we ordered as soon as we sat down. I got the Aligue Pasta (PHP300) while R got the Chicken Tenders and Fries (PHP150) and TNT (PHP265). We also got a Lava Cake (PHP95) and a Long Island Iced tea (PHP175).

First served was the bucket of chicken tenders and fries. It was pretty ordinary but filling as it had a lot of fries.

The Aligue Pasta was okay too though it was a bit on the bland side. The lemon juice helped though. I also enjoyed the fried shrimp which added texture to the dish.

Restaurant Love: ArroZeria Manila

I have been planning to visit Le Petit Soufflé for months now but every time I plan to, it gets cancelled. *sigh* I had my heart and tummy ready for a French dinner after my sister’s graduation but since we failed to reserve a table, we had to move elsewhere and our second option was not bad at all… not at all.

Hello again, ArroZeria Manila!

It has been a few months since I last visited this place and I recall that service was a bit slow given that they only prepare the paella after you order (though you could actually call in advance for them to prepare it before you arrive). But the food was awesome so I didn’t mind the wait. I went crazy over the Valenciana and risotto. We ordered Paella Valenciana (PHP295, minimum of two orders) again that night as well as Carpaccio de Atun (PHP195), Pepito de Ternera (PHP250), Fideua Negra (PHP295, minimum of two orders) and Cochinillo (PHP650).

First served that night was the paella and it was surprising given that was one of the last dishes served the last time I went.

The texture seemed to be tougher this time but the lovely flavor was still there. I felt a bit short of the chicken as there were 6 of us sharing paella good for two. (Okay, fine. It was actually good for four persons.) The manager scraped off the burnt paella and distributed it amongst us and it was pretty good too! The crunchy texture with the sauce of Valenciana made my tummy happy.

Next served was the Fiduea Negra. I loved the chewy texture of the octopus and thin noodles. It wasn’t that salty too. But there was one problem. The black squid ink sticks to your teeth. Avoid this when you’re on a date.

McDonald's Happy Meal Alert: The Minions Are Back!

I still remember how much nuggets I ate just to complete my Minions Happy Meal toys. I had a Happy Meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner for three consecutive days! And yes, I manage to complete it before they ran out of toys. *mwahahahaha*

I was pretty surprised though that McDonald’s thought of pre-ordering for the fans this year. I guess they received a lot of complaints last time.

Interested to pre-order and complete your collection hassle-free? If yes, then here are the steps to having your new batch of minions:

Go to any Mcdonald’s store from June 15-20, 2015.

Pre-order your complete set of Minions Happy Meal at the front counter for PHP949.

The Happy Meals are pre-selected and these are the inclusions:

                -Complete set of Minions Happy Meal Toys (10 pieces)

                -4 Burger McDo with regular fries Happy Meals

                -2 Chicken McDo Happy Meals

                -2 McSpaghetti Happy Meals

                -2 Burger McDo Happy Meals

You will be given a claiming stub which you must keep along with the official receipt of the pre-order transaction.

Notes:

1. Claiming of HAPPY MEALS starts June 15 and ends August 19, 2015. Coupons are no longer valid beyond these dates. Claiming of MINION HAPPY MEAL TOYS starts June 25 and ends August 24, 2015. Coupons are no longer valid beyond these dates. No stub and official receipt, no redemption.
2. Want a lot of minions? You can order up to 3 complete sets! If you want 4 or more, you have to bring a friend along to buy because pre-orders are limited to 3 sets per person.
3. Only PWD discount of 20% is applicable for this promo.
4. Pre-order is not available in Boracay branches.

I’m not sure if I’ll avail of the promo though as I’m not fond of the meals included. I want McNuggets! I’m a nuggets person and they did not include it. (I guess to make the total price more attractive?) I’m okay with “upgrading” if needed. Well, we’ll see. :)

-Gluttonshopper

All images are from McDonald's Philippines' Facebook Page

Love at First Bite: Chaya

It has been over one decade since I last visited Baguio and that’s why I was so giddy when R suggested that we visit the land of Ube Halaya last long weekend. I was thinking of all sorts of places to visit but I was warned by R that the traffic in Baguio’s as crazy as Manila’s. And he’s right.

After visiting the crowded Ben Cab Museum (and failed attempt to eat at Café Sabel) and the not in season Strawberry Farm, we were famished. R suggested that we pass by Legarda as he knows this Japanese place that serves good food. I also read about this restaurant called Chaya and it looks promising based on reviews. Long story short, we ended up in Chaya.

We were greeted by a quaint house with warm furniture. We got a table for two and ordered the following: Salmon Sashimi (PHP350), Spicy Tuna (PHP390), Sukiyaki (PHP390) and Isobeyaki (PHP150). We also ordered Iced Green Tea (PHP90) and Green Tea Shake (PHP120).

While waiting, we were given some complimentary appetizers—sautéed veggies and tuna. It was small but really tasty.

My Iced Green Tea was served next and it had that lovely real green tea taste. 

R’ s Green Tea Shake was better though as it tasted like green tea ice cream!

The salmon sashimi was divine! It was fresh and the melts-in-your-mouth type. This is a must order dish!

First Bite: Crisp on 28th

I have been hearing a lot of nice things about Crisp on 28^th but I never get to visit the place as my desire to go home after work is always stronger. But last week, R encouraged me to eat out for dinner with his friends and we ate at…

Crisp on 28^th

The place was quite crowded on a weeknight but we were lucky to have a table for four.

R’s friends were still full from the brokers’ gathering an hour ago so they just ordered a dish to share. I already had a sandwich when R called so we decided to share too. I ordered a bowl of Crisp on 28^th’s Soup of the Day (PHP180, which as Beef and Corn that night) and R ordered the Corned Beef Meatloaf (PHP395).We also ordered the Panna Cotta Trio (PHP180) for dessert.

First served was my soup and it was creamy. It had a slight tangy taste which I loved. I’m not sure but it tasted like cheese. The bits of beef and corn added texture to the dish. I also loved the toasted croutons.

First Bite: Rolling Bap Korean Rolls House

It was my sister’s big day (by big day, I mean graduation and not wedding) last Saturday and we all had a late start. We were supposed to leave our place at 10 a.m. but we left an hour later. Traffic in Makati was bad too and we got to PICC area past 12 noon. Since we wanted to have lunch first, we decided to explore Macapagal Boulevard and found Hobbies of Asia. There are several restaurants there but most guarantee a fresh scent of lunch to stick to our clothes. After looking for other options, we discovered…

Rolling Bap Korean Rolls House

The place is pretty small and the menu is straightforward. They have the basic dishes covered and we decided to get Regular Kimbap (PHP130), Bibim Mandu (PHP280), Tteokbokki (PHP270) and Bulgogi Rice (PHP250).

First served were the complimentary pickled radish and kimchi. I didn’t try the kimchi but I loved the slightly tangy and crunchy radish.

The kimbap was served next and it was delightful! The strips of kani, egg, ham, cucumber, carrots and radish wrapped in sticky rice and chewy nori was quite filling. 

For PHP130, it was a steal! I also love the mix of different textures and flavors.

Foodie Event Alert: BELLYSIMA! FOOD FESTIVAL 2015

Yipee! It’s a long weekend again this week and I can’t wait to discover more food finds! And just my luck, M emailed me this morning and shared with me an upcoming yummy event this Independence Day. Presenting…

BELLYSIMA! FOOD FESTIVAL 2015!

The foodies behind Mercato Centrale are at it again and will bring together new (and healthy) food concessionaires this June 12 to 13 at Glorietta 5 Activity Center. Some of the concessionaires to look out for are Milkman Dairy Bar, Jacob’s Peanut Praline Butter, Friggies, Healthy Shots Manila and Healthy Monsters PH. I’ve never tried any of these but they all seem interesting and promising.

My top picks (from the list M sent this morning):

Jacob's Peanut Praline Butter

Friggies

Milkman Dairy Bar

Be there early so that you get to sample the offerings of each concessionaire!

See you there!

-Gluttonshopper

Love at First Bite: Café Seol Hwa

This is probably one of the longest summers ever! The intense heat is too crazy that it makes me lethargic on weekends. But the heat didn’t discourage me to head out to grab a nice cold treat.

Hello, Café Seol Hwa!

I have been drooling over this Korean dessert place for months. Since the desserts at Café Seol Hwa seem to be good for sharing, I opted not to visit on my own. So one Sunday, before my mom and sister could drop me off, I asked them to visit the place with me. And they agreed. Hooray for captured market!

Café Seol Hwa was packed when we dropped by. My mom though was one wise diner and approached one of the servers and asked for a table for three while we order.  And we got one right in less than 5 minutes! Oh yeah~

While waiting in line, noticed that the place is decorated by trick eye wall paintings. Too bad though that the place was too packed for us to pose with each one.

I chose Pat Bing Su (PHP190) and Mango Bing Su (PHP170) for sharing while my mom ordered Mochachino (PHP155).

First served was my mom’s drink and it was chocolatey yet not too sweet making it still a refreshing drink.

Fancy First Bite: Senju

I noticed that I hardly blogged last month and it wasn’t exactly because I was busy with work (though I did get busier). I started to eat out less. Yes, I have been eating out less and less these days. *cries* I usually find myself stuck in a home-office-home (with lots of chores in between) routine. But R wants to change it by inviting me to…

Senju.

Okay, I wasn’t able to take much photos as I wanted to act less touristy given I was at Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. I wanted to act… classy. (*insert canned laughter here*)

R and his parents took charge of ordering the food and they chose a lot. They ordered Aburi Shake, Shake Sashimi (PHP575), Uni (PHP325), Ebi Tempura (PHP505), Saba Shioyaki (PHP515), Unagi Maki Tamago (PHP325), Agedashi Tofu (PHP395), Crazy Maki (PHP715), and Kuro Buta Sirloin (PHP850).

Dinner started with a mouthwatering appetizer… Gindara Teriyaki. The soft and sweet dish sure made me crave for more.

First served was the aburi shake and it was lovely though I think Tsumura has better aburi shake.

The shake sashimi was delightful as well. The slices were just right and it had a soft and smooth texture.

The unagi maki tamago had a slightly sweet taste which complemented the salty freshwater eel.