Restaurant Love: Duck & Buvette

Shangri-La Plaza Mall is one of my favorite malls but lately, I don’t feel like visiting the place. Yes, I don’t. It’s because there are no new restaurants. *insert sad music here for the foodie* We always end up visiting the restaurants we’ve been to and order something else. But when I’m with my family, they always order the same thing. *insert another sad music here*

Hello again, Duck & Buvette!

I have nothing against D&B so it was okay for me to eat there. And luckily, they have new dishes!

Duck & Buvette now serves dishes like Mustard Rabbit (PHP440) and Braised Frog Legs with Herby Breadcrumbs (PHP280) which made the exotic foodie in me excited. But… those were not available when we visited.  So, we ordered the following instead: Grana Padano Cheese with Quezon Wild Honey (PHP190), D&B Crispy Half Duck Confit (PHP980) and the family favorite, and the 8 Hour Angus Briskets (PHP370).

First served were the slices of cheese with honey. Okay, confession time. Cheese with honey was something new to me. And oh boy! I felt bad that I discovered it after two decades! I love the contrast of the tanginess of the cheese and the sweetness of the honey. (P.S. I just discovered yogurt and honey combination recently. I used to put maple syrup but since we were out, I tried honey and it was better!)

The angus briskets were served next and it was still as yummy as before. (Click here to read my review about this dish.)

Restaurant Discovery: Eggs for Breakfast Café

I love exploring and visiting new (or at least new to me) places. Just last month, my friends and I planned to visit Pinto Art Museum. Since we were already in Antipolo, a place we do not frequent, we decided to have brunch at a place called Eggs for Breakfast Café.

Hello, Eggs for Breakfast Café.

Thanks to Waze, we were able to find the place with ease. It wasn’t exactly located in a commercialized area so if you’re not using any app, it might be a bit difficult to find.

We were greeted by a nice garden (which I forgot to take a photo of) that led us to the restaurant. (I think that the whole place used to be residential and the owner decided to divide the place into an abode and a restaurant.)

Since we were already hungry, we quickly ordered the following: Eggs Benjamin (PHP335), One Pan Breakfast (PHP470), Bloody Mary Linguine (PHP145) and Green Goodness (PHP150).

Service was slow. Super slow. And there were only very few diners then and the dishes were not even that complicated to make. We didn’t really understand why it took them over 45 minutes to prepare our dishes. At least the garden distracted us.

Restaurant Love: Brown’s Gourmet Chicken

When service has been impressive, I usually come back. And I did with Brown’s. This time, I went with my mom and sister.

Hello again, Brown’s Gourmet Chicken.

It was a late lunch for us so we hurriedly ordered the following: Roasted Carrots and Garlic Soup (PHP90), Shrimp + Pork Egg Roll + Nuoc Cham (PHP110), Roasted Tomato pasta (PHP185), Brown’s Quarter Pounder Burger (PHP260), Fish and Chips (PHP245) and Fried Cookie Dough (PHP120).

First served was my drink, Mixed Berries. (I forgot to take note of the price but I’m sure it’s less than PHP150.)

The drink was a tad too sweet. It was like drinking Nerds but it sure was tasty. Not a thirst quencher but a delightful drink that went well with the savory dishes.

The roasted carrot and garlic soup was great! It was creamy and a great appetizer. Well, slightly biased here because I love garlic.

Love at First Bite: Magnum Manila

I am not a fan of Magnum. There. I said it. I never went wild and consumed Magnum every day when it was launched. It tasted like your usual ice cream to me. But the thing is… I drooled when I found out that there will be a Magnum Manila Café. Yeah, yeah, why am I saying this just now? It has been up and running since early last year. Well, I was a late bloomer with Magnum Manila Café. Just like Ippudo, whenever I plan to visit, it gets cancelled. Luckily, my favorite Dragon lady was game to try it with me before 2014 ended.

Finally! Hello, Magnum Manila! Whaaaazaaaap? (Okay, too much enthusiasm there.)

T and I did our best not to order the popular chocolate dish from Todd English just so we could stop by Magnum Manila. And it was lovely to see the place without a crazy line in front. We easily got a table and we ordered Pink Friday (PHP290) and Trio of Hot Chocolate (PHP180). I also got a cup of Hot Cappuccino (PHP110) while T went for her usual black coffee.

While waiting, we got mesmerized by the wall filled with Magnum stamped Popsicle sticks. Pretty!

Soon, the Pink Friday dessert was served. And it sure was very pink.

 

The dish is made of strawberry marbled cheesecake on a bed of Speculoos tea cookies. It also has strawberry nerds and a pink chocolate dusted vanilla Magnum on top and strawberry coulis on the side.

Love at Second Bite: Maple

There are just some things worth giving a second chance. And no, I’m not being mushy here. I’m talking about giving some restaurants a second chance. There are times when I get bad first dining experiences because of either bad food choices or terrible service. But when I see good reviews about those establishments I visited (and swore will never visit ever again), I get curious and try to dine again. And I’m glad I did with Maple.

Hello, Maple.

To be honest, I wasn’t that thrilled to eat there again since my first visit wasn’t that pleasant. (We ordered all the wrong dishes hence Maple never appeared before.) But my mom wanted to visit something new to her so I gave in.

She ordered The Maple Burger (PHP475) and a glass Country Iced Tea (PHP105) while I got the Salmon Catch (PHP550).

The iced tea was quite concentrated so my mom had to wait for the ice to melt. Then again, that’s value for money (in a way).

The Maple Burger was pretty huge. Thick and juicy beef patty served with cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, and bacon with onion rings on the side, this dish guarantees a full tummy.

Love at First Bite: Chelsea Kitchen

I think Ippudo and I are not meant to be. I have tried to have lunch or dinner there for a whole month now (or even more) and for some reason, it gets cancelled… all the time. But I am not giving up on you, Ippudo! I AM NOT GIVING UP. Anyway, I was supposed to have lunch there with friends after Christmas but the line was still crazy which scared my friends. So we opted to eat elsewhere.

Hello, Chelsea Kitchen!

A good friend of mine told me that this place serves good food. And I believe her since Chelsea never fails me.

When I arrived, M and K already ordered the following: Smoked Tinapa Aglio Olio (PHP320), Three Cheese Pizza (PHP320), The CK Chicken Salad (PHP250) and Jones’ Tapa & Fried Egg (PHP320). I just added Crispy Pork Belly “Bagnet” (PHP395), Truffle Mac N’ Cheese (PHP295) and Sundrenched Freshly Brewed Iced Tea—Strawberry and Lemon (PHP195).

First served was our salad.

The server mentioned that it is best eaten with a bit of the dressings. True enough, I like the different flavors—saltiness of the grilled chicken, sweetness of the plum dressing and coolness of the herbs. It was a delightful dish to start the meal.

Next served was the tapa which was topped with a lot of fried garlic. It was loooove! It was tender and flavorful.

Restaurant Love: Todd English Food Hall

I have been planning to visit Todd English Food Hall for the longest time but for some reason, the people I’m with are not game or something happens hence having to change plans. But my favorite Dragon Lady wanted to visit it too before 2014 ended so, it finally happened!

Hello, Todd English Food Hall.

It’s pretty dark inside giving it a bit of classy and intimate vibe despite the food hall set up. But we didn’t really care as we were famished. After 5 minutes or so, we decided to get T.E. Pork Chop (PHP440), Charred Octopus (PHP380), and Home-Cured Bacon (PHP450). We also ordered rice to share since we were advised that the bacon’s taste might be a bit too overwhelming.

The 48-hour brined pork chop arrived first and the size was pretty generous. We were surprised with how soft the pork chop was and it was really flavorful. It went really well with the marbled potatoes and the French beans and demi-glace sauce.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

I usually skip Filipino restaurants when I eat out as it’s the only cuisine I could prepare at home. If I were to choose, I would always pick Japanese as salmon sashimi is L-O-V-E. However, when I’m out with family, I have to take into consideration their preferences. They love Filipino and American food the most. So, a few Sundays ago, after having a lechon feast, we decided to visit Sentro 1771.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

A good friend of mine told me that Sentro 1771 serves really good food and that made me curious about the restaurant. I was supposed to visit the place last Halloween with my UA&P food buddies but since we were still full from our Spätzle dinner, we decided to go to Starbucks instead. (Silent boo.)

The place looked full when we visited but we were lucky as we got a table on the second floor.

Since we were famished, we ordered the following: Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls (PHP280), Rated GG (PHP295), Camote Cups (PHP240), and Sinigang na Corned Beef (PHP595).

First served were the Fresh Smoked Fish Spring Rolls.

Restaurant Discovery: Linguini Fini

I love birthdays. I get giddy waiting for 12 midnight just to greet my favorite people. And I want to be the first one to greet them. Yes, I could be competitive with those things too. (I also want to be the last one to greet them [again] just because I like to pester the people I love.) And birthdays are always best celebrated with people dear to you. Okay, I kind of forced myself to be dear to Lil R.

It was one (failed) tea afternoon when my favorite Dragon lady (T), Lil R, Big R and I decided to explore the new restaurants of SM Megamall’s Fashion Hall. We originally planned to visit Ippudo but I think Ippudo hates me. Every time I plan to visit, the line looks like Nokia’s Snake that has been played for 10 hours.

We roamed around for a bit and saw Linguini Fini, a new Italian restaurant near Boqueria (which is now Alqueria). The place looks cozy. So, why not?

It took us quite a bit to decide on what to order but finally decided to get Porchetta (PHP595, served sliced and with chili mostarda), Bianco (PHP745), On Top of Spaghetti (PHP425), and Pappardelle “Nose to Tail Bolo” (PHP430).

First served was the Pappardelle “Nose to Tail Bolo” and it doesn’t look pretty. But the taste says otherwise. The bouncy pasta with the pork testa, veal and oxtail ragu were savory and delightful. T though found a bone on her portion.

The Bianco is your usual cheese pizza. I only had one slice as it was oily. (Sadly, my tummy reacts funny to oily food after two weeks of Alkaline diet.) Cheese lovers would love this though as the pizza had a generous serving of mozzarella, gorgonzola, ricotta, Parmigiano, and Grana Padano.

The On Top of Spaghetti was the idea of the two Rs. They claim that the meatball talked to them. Anyway, it was indeed pretty good. The meatball was savory and juicy. However, I still think that it is just a typical spaghetti dish with a huge meatball on top.

Colleagues’ Choice: Watami

It’s always fun to bond with colleagues outside the office. You get to know them better and you get to freely talk about other things without feeling guilty of slacking off. And since one of my officemates will be leaving soon, we decided to have a team dinner. After a few suggestions here and there, we decided to dine at Watami.

Hello, Watami.

I was super hungry when I got there with one of my officemates who happen to live in the same area. Due to lack of self control, I ordered right away. I went with: Watami Salad (PH255 for half), Salmon Irodori (PHP195), Cold Soba (PHP225) and Shochu (PHP150).

The Shochu arrived first and it looked like water. Upon sniffing, I could definitely tell that it’s alcohol. It was pretty strong too.

The Watami Salad and Salmon Irodori were served next.

I noticed that the salad’s meant for sharing as it was served with tongs but… no. *sharing no likey* (Kidding! But I really didn’t share that night.)

Restaurant Discovery: Brown's Gourmet Chicken

Christmas season means lunch and dinner out with different groups of people. For my department’s Christmas dinner/party, we decided to try Brown’s Gourmet Chicken, a roasted chicken restaurant in Greenfield District. I saw it early December and it sure made me curious. Luckily, when I suggested that place, I got the department’s sweet yes.

Hello, Brown’s Gourmet Chicken!

The place is simply adorable. The wall décor is so warm and homey.

The second floor is equally charming. It’s also a great place for an intimate gathering for a group less than 20.

After appreciating the cute décor and kidding on stealing the wooden reindeer, we started to place our orders. I went with the 1/4 Roasted Chicken with 1 Rice and 1 Side (PHP170, but I changed my rice to eggs and leek which costs PHP45), Mushroom and Spinach Croquette (PHP120), Ginger and Basil Shake (PHP110), and Churros + Blonde Mocha (PHP120).

Service was quick as my appetizer arrived in less than 10 minutes.

The Mushroom and Spinach Croquette has a crispy batter. Unfortunately, they used too much of it that I could hardly taste the mushroom and spinach. It was an okay dish though for an appetizer.

It is also available in whole that comes with 4 side dishes and rice (PHP620)