Food Delivery: Go! Salads Smoothie Kits

Eating healthy has been a challenge for me for years. I grew up spoiled with chips, soda, chocolates, and everything one would consider far from nutritious. But the availability of fresh produce made me want to have a healthier lifestyle. And being pregnant made me more motivated to stick to it. Thankfully, Go! Salads got my back when it comes to power smoothies!

Hello, Go! Salads.

Go! Salads is known for their fresh and convenient salad bowls. With several mixes to choose from, it's hard to get bored with eating healthy. For an extra dose of fiber and vitamins, many indulge in its delicious smoothies. And you can now have these guilt-free drinks at home!

PizzaExpress Launches International Flavors

PizzaExpress spices things up on its second year by bringing the famous Pizza Express flavors from Indonesia, Singapore and China. Expect a burst of bold flavors in every bite! 

Hello, PizzaExpress.

We dropped by PizzaExpress' SM North EDSA last week to try the favorites from its international counterparts. A total of five pizza flavors are up for grabs from May 6 to June 30, 2019 and we got to try them all. 

First Bite: Katherine's Café

Homey restaurants never fail to get my attention. I'd often find myself approaching it and checking its menu. Such was the case with Katherine's Café when I passed by it on my way to Mama Lou's. 

Hello, Katherine's Café. 

Brightly lit with a bit of Julia Child vibe, Katherine's Café was bustling with hungry guests when I dropped by for lunch last Thursday. 

First Bite: Runner's Kitchen

I've been hearing a lot about this restaurant offering organic dishes for more than a year now. Though it has been getting mixed reviews, I can't help myself from wanting to visit the place that makes healthy eating look so photogenic. And two weeks ago, I finally got to drop by with R and his vegetarian supplier S. 

Hello, Runner's Kitchen.

Located along the busy foodie stretch of Tomas Morato, you have to keep your eyes open as its facade is not easy to find. But thanks to Waze, we found it. 

First Sip: Tom N Toms Coffee

It is interesting how many Korean brands are entering the country. From cosmetics to food brands, these things we used to only see in K-Drama are now within reach. And it wasn't surprising to see this popular cafe brand to enter the local scene as well.
 
Hello, Tom N Toms Coffee!

First Bite: Bliss Bowls

My Instagram feed was filled with beautiful bowls of mouthwatering bowled treats for weeks and I could not help get curious by it. Upon quick research, I found out that these Instagram worthy treats are from Bliss Bowls, a new player in SM Megamall that offers healthy smoothies in a bowl. 

Hello, Bliss Bowls!

First Bite: Siglo Modern Filipino

R and I decided to avoid the Valentine's Day mayhem in Manila and went to Tagaytay for a nice short break. We arrived in two hours on a Friday night and enjoyed the cool breeze of the city. Thinking that most people will celebrate Valentine's on Saturday, we decided to head back to Manila early afternoon of the 14th but we were stuck in traffic and Waze said that it will take us a long time before reaching Nuvali. Without hesitation, we made a U-turn and opted to head back to R's apartment. But since we were hungry, we made a quick stop at this Filipino restaurant called Siglo. 

Hello, Siglo Modern Filipino.

I was a bit iffy to stop by this place as I couldn't find reviews about it. But hungry people stuck in crazy traffic cannot be choosy. 

The restaurant serves typical Tagaytay specialties such as Bulalo (PHP350) and Tawilis (PHP150). We opted to get those as well as Chocolate Milk Shake and Strawberry Smoothie (PHP125 each) from its neighbor Adam's Cafe. 

Our drinks arrived in 15 minutes or so and both were very sweet. In fact, too sweet. It was like slurping dessert on a hot day. Not exactly something ideal to be paired with our meal but it was okay to battle the early summer heat.

After almost an hour, our dishes were finally served. The waiter apologized and said that it took them a while to make the bulalo as they had to make sure that the meat's tender. (True enough, it does take at least 3 hours to make really good bulalo. But the long wait was not acceptable.)

Restaurant Love: Chili's

It has been quite a while since my last Chili's visit. If I remember it right, it was way back February of last year. Yes, it has been a year! I usually visit for a few mugs of margarita till I realized how much sugar each glass contains. Oh how I hate getting old. Anyway... Since we were missing Chili's delectable dishes and because I had PHP1,000 worth of gift certificates (thank you, looloo!) waiting to be spent, R and I opted to have dinner here one night.

Long time no see, Chili's! 

The restaurant was packed the night we visited and we were on the waiting list. We opted to use this time to browse the menu and decide on what to order.

R went with his usual Chicken Crispers (PHP340) while I tried Monterey Chicken (PHP485). We also got a glass of Molten Chocoate Smoothie (PHP195).

Despite having a very busy night, service was quick. We got out beverage in less than 10 minutes.

It was love at first sip! It was chocolate ice cream in liquid form! It was so chocolatey and something kids would love. The only downside is that it doesn’t really quench your thirst and actually just makes you even thirstier.

R’s Chicken Crispers and my Monterey Chicken were served soon after.

R’s chicken tenders are delightful as always. The crisp hand battered chicken strip is L-O-V-E. I also loved Chili’s fatfries that are made from real potatoes.

I’ve never ordered the Monterey Chicken before and one bite made me regret why I didn’t bother to order this during my earlier visits. The dish was delightful!!! The succulent chicken breast was far from being called bland and I loved how the bacon strips added flavor to the dish. The mashed potato topped with white sauce that had a hint of garlic was divine and addicting! And the best thing was it still tasted great after a few days! (I had my leftover packed and I had it for lunch a couple of days later.)

Love at First Bite: Alchemy Bistro Bar

I got an email from Janine last week inviting me to Alchemy Bistro Bar. I’ve heard of this place before where the drinks are fondly called concoctions. And since we cancelled our La Union trip for the long weekend, I decided to accept Janine’s lunch invitation (yes, they are also open for lunch!) and know more about the bar which offers more than just great drinks.

Hello, Alchemy Bistro Bar!

We were greeted by shades of purple and nicely decorated walls with flasks containing colorful liquids and a bicycle. I’m not exactly sure what look they were trying to pull here but it was quirky and cute.

The restaurant’s owner, Tina Currie (who studied in Le Cordon Bleu and worked in the US and Thailand), welcomed us and gave us an overview of what’s lined up for lunch—Baked Oysters (PHP350), Croquettas (PHP260), Burrata Cheese Salad (price not on the menu), Alchemy Pizza (PHP450), Gnocchi (PHP390), Pan Seared Salmon (PHP465), Roasted Organic Chicken (PHP450), Slow-braised Lamb Shank (PHP775), Crème Brulee (PHP210) and Cheesecake with passion fruit coulis. We also had Alchemy Smoothie and Four Fruit Smoothie (PHP180 each).

First served was the baked oysters and R and I were impressed with the Aklan sourced shells. It was very fresh and it was so delightful with the spinach, hollandaise sauce and gruyere cheese. [Note: Be careful though and check your oyster. R ate his fast and didn’t notice a little shell piece was on the oyster and it hurt his tooth.]

Next served was the Burrata Cheese Salad and it was delicious. The giant red tomato slices made the tomato lover in me jump for joy! The prosciutto ham added flavor and the mozzarella on the outside and cream cheese in the inside combo made me go crazy! I also love the play of textures of the ingredients.

The croquettas were piping hot when it was served and I just found out when I took a big bite. I love the smooth potato with cheese stuffing. It was a great contrast with the crunchy breading. And the paprika dip wasn’t bad at all.

But if I were to choose between croquettas and gnocchi, I would choose the latter. Made with Gorgonzola cheese sauce, it was a cheesy affair with my taste buds. I love the crispy pancetta too for added bite. To fight off the “umay” factor, I munched on the herb garlic bread. This dish is a bit heavy on the tummy though so it’s best to share it with a fellow cheese lover.

R and I were slowly getting full when the Alchemy pizza arrived and it was pretty big. The wood fired pizza was amazing too. The speck ham, which was slightly different from prosciutto, added flavor to the pizza. I also enjoyed the slight tanginess from the Balsamic sauce drizzled on the arugula. And yes, the arugula made us feel that we were eating something healthy.

Restaurant Discovery: Lucca Bakery

I love Saturdays. It’s my I-will-eat-whatever-I-feel-like-eating day. It’s also the day I get to meet my friends and explore new restaurants. At times though, I go on dates with my sister. And when we do, we make sure we have lots of fun doing the most mundane things.

I was my sister’s mom one Saturday as I had to bring her to school, wait for her class to end and bring her home. But since I’m a “cool” mom, we decided to have lunch somewhere before heading home.

Hello, Lucca Bakery!

I’ve passed by this restaurant a few times and I got curious with their dishes. However, I always get lured by other restaurants hence it took me a while to pay this place a visit.

 

The restaurant is pretty homey and casual. Quite a great place to hang out with friends. The server was quick to clear the table for us and handed us the menu. But it took them a while to get back to us for our orders (due to the lack of staff).

M went with the Monte Cristo (PHP275) sandwich while I went for the Salmon Benedict (PHP275) simply because it’s salmon. (There’s not much thought process when I see salmon.) We also ordered a glass of Coffee Caramel Smoothie (PHP145).