First Bite: Mr. Graham's Sandwich Shop

After several Monopoly Deal Millionaires’ Edition games with 4:0 in favor of moi and digesting the macarons, cookie shot and milkshake we ordered from Mrs. Graham’s, R and I move to Mr. Graham’s Sandwich Shop. With several foodies raving about this shop, we just have to know why. 

Hello, Mr. Graham’s Sandwich Shop!

The place is small… very small. I didn’t get to check the second floor but the first floor could accommodate a maximum of four guests. The place was also (literally) hot. I’m not sure if the store’s air-conditioning was busted when we visited but I noticed that there was a stand fan trying its best to work its magic to keep the place cool.  

I decided to go with the shop’s bestseller The Cebuano (PHP210, small | PHP380, medium) and had it to go as the place really wasn’t that pleasant and inviting for us to stay. (And R wanted to head back so that we could work out and swim.) 

While waiting, I noticed that some customers just order sandwiches to go as well. Perhaps that’s the market of this shop. This explains why the place isn’t that comfortable. I have to admit though, the wall decals are adorable.

I asked the server to plate the sandwich first so that I could take photos of it. He gladly obliged and served The Cebuano on a wooden plate. I took some shots and had it wrapped.

First Bite: Mrs. Graham Macaron Café

Our dinner at Eighteen Bistro was quite heavy. But there is always space in the tummy for desserts! Since Mrs. Graham’s Macaron Café is just beside the bistro, R and I decided to visit the quaint little shop. 

Hello, Mrs. Graham’s Macaron Café!

The interiors of this café is so charming. The white rustic tables and chairs, windows with dainty decals and mouthwatering sweets, this place is to die for! 

R and I decided to go with Bittersweet and Cookie Dough macarons (PHP70/piece), Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake (PHP160) and Cookie Shot (PHP74). 

While waiting for our food, we took some board and card games from the game corner of Mrs. Graham’s. We started with Monopoly Deal Millionaires’ Edition.

We were busy dealing the cards when the macarons arrived. 

The bittersweet macaron was delightful. It was the perfect macaron for dark chocolate lovers. It was not exactly bitter but it was dark. I also loved the slight chewiness of the macaron.

The cookie dough was fatter and sweeter than bittersweet. The ganache reminded me of peanut butter (but without it being cloying) for some reason. This would go well with tea or coffee. 

R’s Toasted Marshmallow Milkshake was a bit of a surprise. We were expecting rich brown marshmallows. Instead, we got black marshmallows. I know that once you go black, you can’t go back. But I don’t know with this one. I even asked the server if it was meant to be black than brown. She insisted that it is how they prepare it. We just let it be and R just avoided the black parts. It sure made me wonder though how they define burnt if toasted is black.

First Bite: Eighteen Bistro

I had no idea that Friday traffic would be this crazy. I had to rush from Greenhills to Tomas Morato before 6 p.m. but I failed. Hence, I had to go back to Tomas Morato the following day to complete my task. And I’m not complaining from working on weekends when I get rewarded with food. After all, Tomas Morato is a foodie destination and thanks to the ever trusty foodie app, looloo, I found out that three restaurants on my must visit list are just a couple of blocks away. And for stop #1, R and I went to Eighteen Bistro.

Hello, Eighteen Bistro!

I have been eying this restaurant ever since I saw a post or two of its PHP18 cocktails on Facebook. I’m not an alcoholic. I just love scoring great deals!

We got to the place around 5:45 p.m. and the place was empty. We ordered Tomato Cream Soup (PHP180), Beef Bourguignon (PHP350) and Spicy Portobello and Cream Cheese (PHP310). We also wanted to avail of the PHP18 cocktails but the bistro was quite strict with the deal and we could only order when the clock strike 6:00. And so we waited. 

The tomato soup, despite its description of being a slow cooked stew, was served fast! (Okay, corny joke.)

It was served piping hot but it had a stench that R negatively reacted to. The server said that it must be the balsamic vinegar. But R felt that it was something else, like a poorly dried dishwashing towel or something.  Despite the smell, the soup was delightful.

It had a thick texture and I loved the sweet yet tangy taste of it. It was like slurping spaghetti sauce with a borderline Filipino and Italian blend. The toasted baguette with cheese was a nice touch.

The slow braised beef in red wine with potato terrine on the side was also good. The meat was succulent.