Love at First Bite: Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant

R told me about this great seafood restaurant called Matutina on our way to Baguio. But since we were still full on our way (as we stopped over an icky McDonald’s) and we were too sleepy on our way home, we missed having a meal there. But a few weeks back, we stayed at a place which was near a few branches when we went to Clark for C’s big day. We didn’t exactly plan to drop by but R’s dad craved for it and so…

Hello, Matutina’s Seafood Restaurant!

It was a simple no frills seafood restaurant that has a bit of Padi’s Point minus alcohol feel to it. (Or let’s change it to Gerry’s Grill as an easier reference.)

Uncle H already ordered for us and we had Bangus na Inihaw (PHP130), Tanigue Kilawin (PHP180), and Sizzling Bangus Sisig (PHP180).

While waiting for our fish, we munched on some coconut candies wrapped like pastillas which were yummy! I failed to take photos as I was already hungry then.

For the price, the grilled milk fish was huge. It was grilled well as it was still juicy when it was served to us. I enjoyed it with soy sauce with calamansi.

Look at that belly!!!

Love at First Bite: Spanglish

Looloo is an amazing app. I find myself relying on the app when I am traveling locally and have no idea where to eat. And last week, Looloo helped me find another great restaurant.

Hello, Spanglish!

After checking in our hotel, R and I went out for lunch to fill our tummies before C’s big day. And since we’re not familiar with the area, I checked Looloo for some recommendations. There were a bunch of Filipino restaurants in the list but the one that caught my attention was Spanglish.

Aside from the high rating, one of my schoolmates reviewed it too saying that it’s a gem in Clark. Convinced, we headed to the Mexican restaurant.

The complex where the restaurant is located looks abandoned with several retail spaces empty. Spanglish was the only area with a lot of customers. And we were lucky to get the last table inside the restaurant. (It was super hot that day!)

We decided to order the following: Chips and Salsa (PHP150), Chicken Quesadilla (PHP310), and Chimichanga Plate with shredded beef (PHP315). R also ordered a glass of House Blend Iced Tea (PHP65) while I got Espresso Triple Thick Milk Shake (PHP240).

First served was R’s iced tea and it was nothing spectacular. I also find it a bit too sweet to quench our thirst.

Chips and salsa was served next and it was quite filling. R and I ate nonstop and after 10 to 15 minutes of munching, the appetizer calmed our grumbling tummies. The pico de gallo was fresh though again, nothing extraordinary.

My Espresso milk shake was dessert and drink combined. It sure was thick and flavorful. I enjoyed it but I need it with a glass of water.

Finally, the mains were served.

When in Cebu: Crimson Resort and Spa, Mactan

Since it’s Thursday, time for a throwback post! Okay, I just missed out on this entry which truly deserves to be posted.

Hello, Crimson Resort and Spa Mactan! (Whew, that’s a mouthful!)

It was quite a trip from Bantayan Island to Crimson, Mactan. It took us roughly 4 hours just to go back to Cebu City and another 40 minutes or so to Mactan. We were weary from the hot ferry ride and crowded bus trip. And we were famished too since we skipped lunch. But this made us look forward to our stay. True enough, we were so delighted to see our room and the spacious bathroom (which was 6 times bigger than the bathroom in Kota Beach, Bantayan Island).

After freshening up a bit, we decided to head down to the beach area but sadly, it was already closed. So we just took a quick dip in the crowded pool (there was a Korean-Chinese event during our stay and the resort was PACKED).

While lounging, our tummies reminded us that we haven’t had a meal since 10am. And since it was happy hour, R and I ordered Mango Shake (I recall it was around PHP150 per glass) and a plate of Tuna Tataki (PHP220).

The mango shake was sour. Perhaps it was no longer in season. We also noticed the shortage of buko in the island. Bananas too! We heard that a huge company bought most of these fruits hence the shortage.

Promo Alert: Start Your Day with Nutella

Great news, Nutella lovers! Your favorite chocolate spread has an early Christmas treat for us. If you passed by Landmark a few days ago, you may have spotted a Nutella pop up booth in the supermarket level. And yes, it is there to stay until October 18!

Here are the items you could get when you purchase your Nutella supply from the pop up booth:

Things get even yummier when you purchase at least PHP500 worth of Nutella. You could win one of the following: Nutella Tub Jar, Nutella Shopping bag or Nutella Portion Pack.

I guess it’s time to bring out those Nutella recipes!

See you there!

-Gluttonshopper

New Restaurant Alert: The Halal Guys

Yes, it is finally happening. After almost a year of waiting (or was it over a year?),  The Halal Guys is finally opening its first store in Manila!

I still remember the first time I saw The Halal Guys Opening Soon tarpaulin signage at the quirky SM Mega Food Hall. I squealed like fangirl and anticipated its opening which was supposedly July of this year. But just like most stores’ opening dates, The Halal Guys’ was also moved. They said that the cause of the delay was that they wanted to make sure that they get the quality right. Sounds reasonable to me as long as I get the real deal!

And THIS IS IT. The Halal Guys already announced it in its Facebook and Instagram accounts that it will open tomorrow and here’s the good news… first 100 customers get free meals! Yes, FREE MEALS! Woohoo… for you. As much as I want a free meal, it’s logistically impossible for me to be one of the first 100. *cries*

Ladurée in Manila!

I love macarons. But I hate the snootiness that goes with it for those who fancy it. I still remember the time I had to listen to this person raving about the French macarons and that it would never be at par with the local ones. There are also those who say that the pricy branded macarons are the bes- thing-evaaah. To be honest, yes, the macarons are crazy expensive but most actually taste the same. (Well, it is for me.) Then came Ladurée in the local scene.

Hello, Ladurée.

Just when I thought that the macaron craze was dying, this well-known and well-loved brand entered the market. I hear people going crazy over it. I did too… when I saw the price per macaron. PHP150 per piece?! Are you kidding me?!

But the foodie in me could not stop being curious. It must be really good then if it was priced that high.

Then again, when I found out that the macarons are not made here and are flown in from Paris (every single time), its price started to make sense. Sort of. True, they may use premium ingredients but it’s the air freight and taxes that made the macarons expensive.

I have to admit though, the Ladurée store here is really fancy.

Oh, they also have some non-food items like perfume and accessories.

First Bite: L&L Hawaiian BBQ

Shangri-la Plaza Mall is one of my favorite restaurants but lately, nothing seems to be new there. And I realized that its cinema seats are really old! I noticed it when I decided to linger and finish the credits. Eventually, my love for the mall started to dwindle. (And I live far from it now.) But since my mom and sister find the place convenient, we still spend family time there and a few weekends ago, I discovered a new Hawaiian barbeque place called L&L Hawaiian BBQ.

Aloha, L&L Hawaiian BBQ!

This restaurant took the place of the well-loved Trattoria Gourmet.  The first thing I noticed was the surf board menu which gave me an idea of what they serve… barbequed and breaded meat.

It was easy to choose what to order since there are not a lot of dishes to choose from. We decided to order Seafood Combo Platter (PHP285), Garlic Fish (PHP220) and Chicken Katsu (PHP195).

Service was pretty quick too. It took them less than 10 minutes to prepare our meal. Well, with its plating, you can tell.

My seafood combo—shrimp tempura, breaded fish and chicken teriyaki—was good but nothing special. The breaded fish is best to be enjoyed with tartar sauce. The shrimp tempura was okay though I felt that it was too small.

The chicken katsu was plated in a chaotic way since the plate was not big enough for the katsu. My sister enjoyed it with tartar sauce while my mom and I liked it with the katsu sauce (which had a slight tangy taste). She totally ignored the macaroni salad.

Food I Love: Vargas Kitchen's Brazo Bomb

A meal is not complete without desserts. There are even times when I look forward to desserts more than the main course. And one of my favorite desserts is from…

Vargas Kitchen.

I’m so glad that they expanded and have more branches. (The only one I know is in Market Place, Rockwell.) I have tried their buttercake and it was great! But my favorite is Vargas Kitchen’s Brazo Bomb!

Think of the delightful chilled Brazo de Mercedes and top it with soft and slightly chewy meringue. Okay, it’s more of brazo with vanilla whipped ice cream and Vargas Kitchen polvoron crust or so what their materials say.  

It is available in a box of 6 (mini cupcakes) for PHP180 or mini cake for PHP125 (pictured).

Give it a try!

Vargas Kitchen is located at Market Place Rockwell and Market Place Shangri-La Plaza Mall. 

First Bite: Pablo’s

Working in Fort Bonifacio could sure dent your wallet if you’re not smart with your money. Temptation is very strong, especially on payday, as we are surrounded by restaurants and retail stores. There are even a few malls to choose from. And being stranded could also be costly. Believe me. As a person who brings homemade food to work, I make sure that I spend less than PHP100 a day, even less on most days. But when rain pours, sometimes, so does money.

Hey, Pablo’s!

Rain was crazy a few weeks ago. I was stranded for almost 3 hours for two days! And since I had no plans to brave the rain, I decided to join my officemates for dinner at Pablo’s.

It has Happy Hour until 8 p.m. but since I have some drinks at home, I focused on the real food. On my first night, I opted to get the Sirloin Beef Tapa with 2 Eggs (PHP245) and an order of Pablo’s Potato Chips (PHP170). On my second visit, I went for Basil Chicken (PHP245).

The potato chips confused me. Those were definitely not “paper thin” as what the menu claimed. It was fat potato cuts. At least it was crispy.

But it was smothered with spicy red powder making it difficult for me to enjoy.

My officemates kept saying that Pablo’s tapa is deeeelish so I had my palate ready for something awesome.

When it was served, first thing that came to mind was, “serving size is okay, it’s fragrant too, but is it better than my mom’s tapa?” Yes, I have never tasted better tapa than my mom’s. My mom’s tapa has this sweet and tangy taste that I love and so far, I have not tasted anything better.

It was okay. The tapa was tender and it was juicy. It was a nice mix of sweet and salty taste. I didn’t taste the tanginess that I want from tapa though. But it was pretty good for its price. And I loved that the rice was not your usual plain rice. It was mixed with tapa sauce and bits of marinated sirloin.

First Bite: Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Cafe

It is very interesting how Manila has turned from an Aristocrat-Jollibee-Max’s-McDonald’s foodie scene into one where every corner has a yummy find. At Fort alone, there are a lot of places worth visiting and every month a new one opens. I get so overwhelmed (though mostly, it’s my wallet that gets overwhelmed) just thinking of all the places I could visit. And just yesterday, I visited…

Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Café.

The place is screaming cute and it reminded me of Hole in the Wall with its charming décor.

Since I made my research before going, I found out that Unit 27 Apartment’s bestseller is its Jack Daniel’s Aussie Bacon & Egg (PHP495). It is one of the restaurant’s expensive dishes but since it made me curious, I ordered one and decided to split it into two (one as early dinner and the other half as my lunch the following day). 

The other dishes ordered were the Peanut Butter & Banana Pancake (PHP280), Truffled Fries and Popcorn (PHP350) and House Party Nachos (PHP495).

First Bite: Mecha Uma by Bruce Ricketts

I’ve always wanted to visit Mecha Uma by Bruce Ricketts ever since I read wonderful and mouthwatering reviews. But the fact that I have to shell out PHP3,000++ for the tasting menu made me think twice since that’s equivalent to a Spiral dinner buffet or a Kapitolyo or Maginhawa food trip. But thanks to R and his family, I got to give this place a try.

Hello, Mecha Uma.

The dim lit restaurant was packed when we visited. (Well, the restaurant can only accommodate maximum of 30 persons at a time.) Despite the small crowd, the place still gives a seemingly romantic vibe. It must be the ambient lighting.

It took them a bit before they served the first dish, Tomato. It was peeled tomato with white chocolate, a dash of sansho pepper and cucumber. It was paired with tomato juice with gin and soy sauce. I must say, the presentation was impressive.

As for the taste, I love it yet I hate it too. I loved the peeled tomato, cucumber bits and sansho pepper but I didn’t like (at all) the white chocolate and tomato juice. Despite my craziness with tomatoes, I absolutely hate tomato juice.

Next served was Tostadito. It was a combination of scallop, pico de gallo, scallop and mussel crema. It was a play of textures. The taco was also made of scallop and squid ink. It was refreshing thanks to pica de gallo. The only downside was that it was a bit messy to eat.

Lobster was the next dish and it was a mix of octopus, lobster, plantains, scorched coconut leche de tigre and mung bean puree. Again, there was an interesting play of textures here. There was the smooth yet charred octopus, rough yet soft puree and refreshing pomelo bits.

St. Pierre or the atlantic dory and local crab dish was scrumptious! The asparagus and broth of vegetable sauce was heavenly. R got so upset when I allowed the server take my bowl with some sauce left. He really loved the sauce.