First Bite: Finnians Irish Pub

St. Patrick's Day is a worldwide celebration of the Irish culture. It is also the day synonymous to October Fest. Known to be the day everyone dons a green garment, the night ends till  your face turns green as well with alcohol. It just comes once a year so it's fine. But what if I tell you that there's a place that makes one feel like you're in Ireland and gives the St. Patrick's Day vibe year round?

Hello, Finnians Irish Pub.

Tucked inside the foodie jungle San Juan, this quaint restaurant and bar is right beside the classic Calderon. 

Dark fixtures are the first thing you'll notice when you enter Finnians. Right beside the staircase is its bar filled with liquor, Irish beers and whiskeys that will make anyone fond of drinking giddy with joy. 

Affordable Bites: 7flavors

It was one random day when I got an email from A inviting me to visit 7flavors buffet in San Juan. His name sounded so familiar that I just have to fish. And true enough, A and I have met before back in 2012 when I was still with Summit Media handling Yummy magazine. The foodie community is indeed big yet so small. 

Hello, 7flavors.

This spacious two-storey restaurant is headed by celebrity chef Boy Logro and all the dishes served here are based on his recipes. The first floor is designed for diners who do not fancy buffets and prefer to order a la carte. The second floor tends to be more crowded with its pocket-friendly lunch (PHP399.99 on weekdays and PHP599.99 on weekends including Fridays) and dinner (PHP499.99 on weekdays and PHP599.99 on weekends including Fridays) buffets. 

I read through a handful of reviews before going to this place and most reviews gave it a fair rating and mentioned that it covers the basic dishes and would be considered a value for money place. True enough, the buffet was a simple spread of viands, appetizers and desserts. I spotted DIY taco and halo-halo stations and took a mental note to try it after my first plate. 

My first plate was a combination of crispy kare-kare, steamed fish, oil-based pasta and buttered chicken. All dishes tasted pretty average and something you’d get from the price you pay. 

First Bite: El Cabrito by Mexicali

Simply because I did not want to head home, yet, I pulled E to join me visit one more restaurant before we end our San Juan food trip. I wanted to try the Japanese vegetarian cafe in the same compound as Dohtonbori and Carousel Creamery but E hesitated as we just had Japanese food for lunch. We then decided to roam around Promenade and we spotted this Mexican restaurant by Mexicali named El Cabrito.

Hello, El Cabrito. 

I could still taste the delectable IHOP tacos from yesterday's looloo rendezvoos in my mouth (I did brush my teeth in case you're wondering) but I couldn't say no to restaurants I haven't been to. 

The place was a bit dark inside and only one long table was occupied when we got there. 

We opted to go light this time as our outfits were turning a bit too fit. I went with the bestseller Carne Asada street taco (PHP105) while E went with Lengua street taco (PHP135). We also tried one Grilled Boneless Chicken Skewer (PHP60) and had one beer each at PHP50 per bottle. 

Service was quick and our street tacos were served in less than 10 minutes. 

Presentation-wise, it was like the tacos were just dumped on the plate. But hey, that's why they call it street tacos. 

Love at First Bite: Balai Pandesal

I love pandesal. It is one of the reasons why I’m a morning person. Nothing beats enjoying freshly baked pandesal in the morning paired with a cup of coffee or hot chocolate. I am perfectly happy with Pan de Manila or Pan de Amerikana. There is also this bakeshop in Manila (as in Lungsod ng Maynila) that serves pretty good mini pandesal which I really love. It has this nice faint sweet taste that is simply addicting. But I only get to enjoy it when my aunt visits; which is very seldom. Then I saw Balai Pandesal. 

Hello, Balai Pandesal!

I have been seeing a few reviews raving about this place. But the bakeshop locations I saw were not exactly near my area hence I was not really curious to try it. But it was fate for me to have this for breakfast when I saw it in San Juan during my food trip just last weekend.

I decided to buy a couple of Small Pandesal (PHP3.50 per piece while large ones are PHP7.00 per piece) and Toasted Siopao (PHP9.00 per piece). I didn’t buy much as I just bought a box of diced hopia from Baker’s Fair the day before. 

First Sip (and Bite): Backyard Coffee

My foodie college friends and I decided to roam around San Juan and pig out. We had a game plan ready. Sadly, a few of the stops on our list were closed as it was a Sunday. I was running late (thanks to the crazy Uber surge) and my friends were getting hungry. They then decided to go to a coffee shop nearby named Backyard Coffee.

Hello, Backyard Coffee. 

The coffee shop was quite full at 10:30 a.m. with studious youngsters. It was actually pretty quiet there and seemed perfect for those group studies. For a coffee shop, I didn’t get a whiff of coffee beans. 🤔

I approached the counter and read the menu. Since we plan to have around four to five stops, I decided to just have a Grillled Cheese Sandwich (PHP200) and a cup of Cappuccino (PHP120). I had to call the server for my order who was just sitting and texting or tinkering with his gadget. After placing my order, I asked if I have to pay there and he said yes and that was pretty much it. He didn’t even repeat my order or tell me how much I have to pay. Yes, it was just simple math but isn’t that some sort of SOP? In short, customer service sucks! 

At least my cup of coffee and sandwich arrived in less than 10 minutes. 

My cup of cappuccino had a light taste. I feel like I was drinking half a foam of milk. I was only able to gulp down the slightly bitter coffee when my cup was almost half empty. Nonetheless, it was a good drink if that’s the first thing you’ll drink in the morning. My tummy didn’t hurt at all! 

The Grilled Cheese Sandwich was something else though. I loved it!

Love at First Bite: Carousel Creamery Handcrafted Ice Cream | 101 Flavors

It has been a while since my last lazy weekend. R and I have been out traveling for weeks and though it was fun to see new (and not so new places), it was tiring. (Oh how I hate unpacking!) So last Saturday, we decided to have a lazy day and napped the whole afternoon. But when I woke up from my slumber, my tummy was on a rampage. It was hungry and DEMANDS food ASAP. I then started to munch on the delightful Coco Banana Corn snack my officemate gave me for Christmas and I (well, with R’s help) finished it in less than one episode of Amazing Race. And since it was not enough to calm the grumpy tummy, I managed to convince R to go out (with a lot of cutie pie eyes which were not really cute) and head to Chili’s so that we could finally use the PHP 1,000 gift certificate I got from Looloo. (Stay awesome, Looloo! I love yah!) Buuut, this entry is not about Chili’s (which I will blog soon). The spotlight is on Carousel Creamery, a new ice cream place I spotted last weekend.

Hello, Carousel Creamery Handcrafted Ice Cream | 101 Flavors!

The bright black and white sign caught my attention as we brave the Missouri Street traffic last Saturday. Ice cream? 101 flavors? Oh yes please!!! Gimme all!!!

Almost all tables were occupied when we got there. But several chest freezers were still empty. Boo! That night, they had 21 flavors ready for us ice cream lovers and said that all 101 flavors will be ready in the next weeks to come. Apparently, they are still in their soft opening and last Saturday (the day I went) was their first day of operations. Sweet! I was one of the first foodies to spot this place.

They have a lot of interesting flavors such as Beer and Chicharon which have this nice malty caramel taste; Java the Hot Star Wars which was pretty much like chocolate until the spice hits you (surprise!!!); and Maple and Bacon which has real bacon bits! Bacon?!? *drooooool*

First Bite: Hokkaido Ramen Santouka

It has been a while since I last went to Greenhills. I went crazy with the great tiangge finds. I even thought of hoarding stuff for Christmas. But the tummy had another plan… to eat. And since F wanted ramen, we went to Hokkaido Ramen Santouka.

Hello, Hokkaido Ramen Santouka!

The place was packed with hungry diners when I arrived a bit past 1 p.m.. F and I had to wait for around 20 minutes before the server approached us if we’re okay with bar seats. Since we were hungry, we said yes.

I ordered a regular Shio Ramen (PHP345) with Komi-Tamago (PHP50) and Kurobuta Gyoza (PHP240) while F went for a bowl of Shoyu Ramen (PHP345). Service was quick as it took them less than 10 minutes to serve our food.

First Bite: Washoku de Azabu

I would never get tired of Japanese food. I’m too in love with sashimi, sushi and teppnyaki. Just a few weeks back, R and I had two Japanese meals in a row and we didn’t mind at all. One of the places we visited that weekend was Washoku de Azabu where the adorable M celebrated her 5^th birthday.

Hello, Washoku de Azabu.

Auntie C mentioned that this place serves good food so I had high expectations. I’ve actually never heard of this restaurant before though I’ve been to BTTC. Anyway…

R and I arrived a bit later than 11am so some of M’s guests were already there. We sat beside J’s siblings and adorable kids and ordered Uni Sashimi (PHP240), Salmon Roll (PHP380), Soft Shell Roll (PHP545) and Aburi Salmon Roll (PHP450).

First to arrive was the Uni Sashimi and it was quite good. It had a slight sweet taste which was delightful.

The soft shell roll was okay too. But it was forgettable. I still prefer the one from Omakase or the tako-maki of Ooma.

The Salmon Roll was filling. One roll is a mouthful. I loved the roe on top of it that added extra texture.

Restaurant Love: CO/OP Manila

Quaint coffee shops never fail to make me giddy. But quaint coffee shops that serve good food make me happier. Shops like Tweedle Book Café, Refinery, Yardstick and UCC are just a few that make me go gaga. Last week, I went to one of the cutest cafés I know… CO/OP Manila.

Hello again, CO/OP Manila!

It has been a while since my last visit. I recall that I only had dessert and coffee when I visited this cute place for the first time. This time around, I went for dinner and I realized that there are only a few savory options. Anyway, I decided to go for the Smoked Salmon (PHP370) while F got the Tartufo (PHP370) and R got the Beef Brisket Sandwich (PHP390). I also got the CO/OP Iced Tea (PHP80) while R got the Strawberry Lemonade (PHP150).

I noticed that the place is practically empty. It’s a perfect place to catch up with friends on a weeknight or the sanctuary of a person cramming.

First served were our drinks.

My iced tea was sweet yet refreshing. R also liked his strawberry lemonade. Though I couldn’t get much from him but a simple, “’k lang.”

Soon, our dishes were served.

Restaurant Discovery: Feta Mediterranean

Whenever I see new restaurants, I salivate. Okay, that didn’t sound so girly or proper but sadly, it’s true. I tend to be less picky when I’m hungry. Anywhere will do (as long as it’s a place I’ve never been to). And on our way back to the parking, we spotted Feta Mediterranean.

Hello, Feta Mediterranean!

The place is located a bit away from the strip of other restaurants so you could easily miss this one. But since we were walking, we spotted it.

There were only a few tables occupied when we arrived. We managed to get some couch seats and ordered Tomato Soup (PHP140), Grilled Salmon with Lime Butter Sauce (PHP490), a beef wrap I totally forgot its name and price, and a glass of their House Blend Iced Tea (PHP90).

First served was the tomato soup and it had bits of mozzarella to make it thicker. Somehow though, the mozzarella all clumped together making it seem like soggy and chewy bits of bread. It was served warm though and was quite okay as an appetizer.

Restaurant Discovery: CO/OP Manila

I just love quaint coffee shops. It never fails to make my heart skip a beat. Well, that and too much coffee.

After a quick and blooper-filled S&R trip, V and I decided to have coffee somewhere. V recommended CO/OP and I recall M mentioned that place when I asked for food stops for my San Juan food trip (which became a White Plains food trip). I quickly agreed and off we go to San Juan.

The place was slightly hidden (or was it because it was dark?) so you need to be somehow familiar how to get there. A big CO/OP sign though will greet you so you’ll know when you’ve reached your destination.

I instantly fell in love with the place. A huge MANILA signage was at the porch which serves as a cute backdrop for a few tables and chairs for the al fresco diners.

The counter is the first thing you’ll see once you open the door. With a simple menu, it wasn’t hard to decide what to order.

Since we were still full from our pizza, chicken and fries, we opted to have the Dessert in a Jar (PHP175), Cappuccino (PHP110) for me and CO/OP Iced Tea (PHP80) for V.

While waiting for our orders, we checked out the cute stuff CO/OP carries.

At first, I had the impression that the items they were selling were NGO products. Apparently, these items are from other countries like US and Australia. Most are priced about PHP900.