» restaurants

Happy Lemon’s Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese

Badet — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 07:50:02 +0000

While at the 4th level of Trinoma on our way to Mexicali, I noticed a long queue of people just beside the carousel and found out that it’s for Happy Lemon. They now have a branch in Trinoma. And to satisfy my curiosity on why Happy Lemon is called World’s Yummy Drinks, I have to fall in line and try the famous Rock Salt and Cheese variants.

Happy Lemon Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese, large, Php 100

I ordered the Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese and excitedly sipped the concoction. Sipping from the straw, it tasted like faint unconcentrated cold chocolate, this is from someone who dislikes drinking cold milo, Chuckie or any other chocolate beverages other than Starbucks’ Iced Chocolate.

I drank it from the cup to be able to taste the creamy mixture on top. But nothing still impressed me, it’s like a flavored whipped cream which I don’t like in my frappucino .

I must have ordered the wrong flavors and will give Happy Lemon another try. In the meantime, I’ll just enjoy my fave drinks from Gong Cha, Chatime, Serenitea and Zen Tea.

Gasthof, Home of Boracay’s Famous Baby Back Ribs

Badet — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:24:43 +0000

When in Boracay, do not miss eating at Gasthof for their baby back ribs! You won’t miss Gasthof because it’s a beachfront restaurant, and is located just at the entrance of D’Mall.

We already knew that the ribs are a must-try so we ordered it the moment we sat down.

Baby Back Ribs, Half (good for 2-3 persons) - Php 450; Full - Php 700

Indeed, they have the right to be famous because of their lip-smacking ribs. Just the right tenderness and grilled just to have a smoky flavor. I like it because the servings are just right for 3-4 persons. You can also ask for extra barbecue sauce without charge.

We also had grilled eggplant with bagoong as a side dish for Php 80. The bagoong is so addicting because it has the right combination of sweet and salty.

Next time, we’ll try their other grilled offerings like the Korean liempo.

PS: if you have time, I hope you can drop by my health and beauty blog (link is at the left sidebar) for beauty products reviews such as bb creams, eyelash growth products, foundations, etc…

Real Coffee, Boracay

Badet — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 16:50:58 +0000

When in Boracay, eating at Real Coffee is a must. Well, that’s what all of other food bloggers say because in here, you’ll find the famous calamansi muffins. It’s really unique and quite intriguing, so I’m also one of those who searched for Real Coffee in Station 1 one morning after a swim near the grotto.

look out for this sign just near the Havaianas store in Station 1

When we get there, tables were already full at around 10 am. Real Coffee is open as early as 7 am by the way. I immediately asked for their calamansi muffins, of course! But the staff said that they already ran out of calamansi muffins and they’re just about to bake. So I got their Ultimate Muffin instead and Jeff ordered their pancakes with two eggs.

Pancake with Two Eggs, Php 140

Eggs are cooked just the way I like it, runny yolk. But the pancakes are just your ordinary pancakes, nothing special. This came with a cup of coffee, which tasted good.

Ultimate Muffin (carrot, pineapple, banana, walnut & raisins), Php 60

Reading all that comes in this muffin, this is indeed the ultimate muffin! And it also packs a lot of yumminess!

super moist!

Real Coffee’s Ultimate Muffin is my fave! Super moist and doesn’t scrimp on ingredients, you can actually taste all of the fruits and walnuts plus the cinnamon.

After a while, I heard a group of new diners came and ordered the famed calamansi muffins, and they now have freshly baked calamansi muffins. I’m already finished with my Ultimate Muffin so I asked for their calamansi muffin.

calamansi muffin, Php 45

Honestly, after tasting the calamansi muffin, I don’t get it why this is so hyped up. Perhaps those who raved about the calamansi muffin didn’t taste the Ultimate Muffin. Because for me, Ultimate Muffin is better than this one. It’s packed and filling alright, but it’s a bit dry. The tart taste from the calamansi is only present from the outside part of the muffin.

So it’s the Ultimate Muffin for me on my next visit but go ahead and order the calamansi muffins just for curiosity’s sake.

Gong Cha wish your milk tea is yummy like this

Badet — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 07:27:22 +0000

Apologies for the corny title but after tasting Gong Cha milk tea, I bet you’ll be singing a happy tune too. After Serenitea and Chatime, I can say that Gong Cha is the best milk tea place in town. I got acquainted with Gong Cha when we were in Singapore last July, people lined up at Gong Cha to have their milk tea fix. And because the lines are always long, I wasn’t able to try it.

Manila got caught up in the milk tea craze too and so Gong Cha is finally here…

Gong Cha

Tried their Milk Wintermelon Tea, Php 95 for large size plus Php 15 for pearls. This will be my staple order next time, I chose the 100% sugar level and still it’s not sickly sweet. I also have to try their Caramel Milk Tea because I’m a caramel lover, Php 90 for large size plus Php 15 for pearls. I can taste the caramel flavor but still has the distinct tea flavor, not sweet at all even at 100% sugar level.

Have you tried Gong Cha? What other milk tea places/variants you like?

Figaro’s rice meals

Badet — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 16:34:32 +0000

We were passing time in Starmall, Las Pinas last month and since it’s dinner time, we decided to look for a place to eat. Aside from the usual fastfood, we saw that Figaro serves rice meals.

Tapa meal

Jeff had tapa. As you can see, the egg was not freshly cooked. Just from the looks of it, it’s not appetizing.

Chicken Thyme with Creamy Cheese Sauce

I also didn’t like this because the thyme is overpowering the whole meal. I can’t taste the cheese sauce either.

Good thing we’re hungry at that time so we just ate what we ordered.

Sumo meals at Sumo Sam

Badet — Fri, 07 Oct 2011 16:05:33 +0000

We were able to use a Sumo Sam voucher from CashCashPinoy last month. Good thing they have a branch at ELJ Building, ABS-CBN compound so we had our lunch. We were quite intimated to dine here before because meals might be expensive, so using the voucher is great savings.

Posh Sumo Sam interiors

Sumo Sam has an extensive menu, from rice meals, sushi and ramen. Jeff had their rice meal, Beef Yakiniku.

Beef Yakiniku, Php 248

Generous servings of meat and veggies, the flavorful sauce is on the sweet side. Sumo Sam really did not scrimp on ingredients and with the servings too, this plate can be shared by two people.

Shoyu Ramen, Php 299

I asked the staff if they have spicy ramen, unfortunately they don’t have spicy ones so I settled for Shoyu Ramen. It’s taste is far from an authentic ramen and is quite ordinary. I like the well-cooked noodles but it’s tastes like instant noodles for me. Again, servings is huge and good for sharing.

They have 3 kinds of iced tea, we had the bottomless red and green iced tea. Next time, we’ll try their sushi.

Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata from Jamicos restaurant

Badet — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 16:20:00 +0000

Malabon has lots of hole-in-the-wall restaurants that offer sumptuous and authentic food. Aside from the popular Pancit Malabon and Dolor’s Kakanin, there are other yummylicious food to try in Malabon like the sumpia, kikiam, giant burgers, pichi-pichi, etc. I also heard about Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata from Jamicos restaurant being one of the must-try food when you’re in Malabon. Since Malabon is just a jeepney away from Caloocan, I decided to order this for Gwen’s 9th month birthday.

I initially called Jamicos to order the crispy pata in advance so that I won’t wait long in their restaurant. So after 30 minutes, Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata is ready…

Judy Ann's Crispy Pata from Jamicos

I ordered the jumbo size, Php 450. They have an XL size.

jumbo size, Php 450

I like the fact that I can order thru phone and just pick up and pay at the restaurant, no wasted time. The crispy pata is still hot when I got home and the skin is really crunchy! The meat is tender and falls off the bone. However, I find Judy Ann’s Crispy Pata a little on the sweet side, maybe a dipping sauce of soy sauce, calamansi and chili will do the trick on making it perfect for a pulutan.

Jamicos Restaurant

201 Gen. Luna St., Malabon (in front of Meralco)

281-41-93

How to get there: If you’re from 2nd Avenue Caloocan or any place along the route of Gasak-Recto jeeps, just tell the driver to drop you off at Meralco in Concepcion, Malabon. Jamicos is just in front of Meralco.

Shakey’s All American Cheeseburger Pizza

Badet — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:50:42 +0000

We were craving for pizza so we headed to Shakey’s to order just the usual, Manager’s Choice and mojos. But the waiter suggested and was really pushy that we get their latest pizza, The All-American Cheeseburger Pizza. Okay, let’s try.

All American Cheeseburger Pizza

The united goodness of burger and pizza with liberal servings of hamburger beef, tomato, onions, lettuce, pickle relish all spangled on our world-famous brick oven-baked thin crust! your enjoyment, our pledge.

All American Cheeseburger Pizza

First impressions, I think the name Cheeseburger Pizza does not match with its look. The pizza is more like a salad or vegetarian pizza of some sort. The meaty bits hence the name “cheeseburger” are so small. The pizza comes with a special honey mustard sauce and mayonnaise. It’s a bit messy to eat because of the lettuce, I had to wash my hands in their stainless steel sinks.

It’s a fresh and new taste from Shakey’s and it’s a nice option for those who want something new. The tomatoes and lettuce gives a crisp and fresh twist to the pizza. And the two sauces, honey mustard and mayonnaise, is a good complement instead of the usual hot sauce.

Time for Chatime!

Badet — Sat, 03 Sep 2011 17:17:53 +0000

The milk tea craze heats up! After Serenitea and Happy Lemon, now here’s Chatime. I only tried Serenitea and although, they’re good, I never got addicted to it because there are no branches near my place. Same with Chatime, while my online friends were already raving about Chatime months ago, I only got to try it last week at their SM Mall of Asia branch. Well, I almost tried it in one of the malls in Orchard Road, Singapore but the lines are long.

Chatime SM Mall of Asia branch

You can’t miss Chatime’s colorful interiors and purple chairs.

Chatime menu

They have plenty of milk tea varieties on their menu, I really can’t decide what to order. I just ordered one of their bestsellers, Chatime Roasted Milk Tea Large (Php 85) with extra pearls (Php 15)and coconut jelly (nata) (Php 20).

Chatime Roasted Milk Tea

I also requested for less ice and 75% sugar.

The verdict, refreshing! I’m not a fruit shake person so milk tea and iced drinks are love. The pearls or tapioca are just perfect for my taste, chewy!

I hope they open more branches, an SM North Edsa branch perhaps….

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen at Hobbies of Asia

Badet — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 11:07:51 +0000

Hobbies of Asia in Macapagal Boulevard is the place we frequent for our imported goods fix and of course, Aling Tonya’s Palutuan is just near. But we found another reason why we should visit Hobbies of Asia more often, to eat authentic ramen from Genya Tonkotsu Ramen.

Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen, Regular Php 200

Shoyu Tonkotsu Ramen is soy sauce based broth. The broth is rich and packs a lot of flavor. I added Ajitsuke Tamago or seasoned soft-boiled egg in my noodles because I love soft-boiled eggs. And they made it perfect, well-cooked whites but runny yolk. They only serve 50 Ajitsuke Tamago per day.

The flavorful broth is the result of boiling the tonkatsu for 18 hours. Well, this is what their menu says…

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen menu

Jeff ordered the spicy ramen called Pilikara Ramen.

Pilikara Ramen, Regular, Php 220

The spicy taste overwhelmed the richness of the broth. All that we can taste is the spicy taste.

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen menu

The noodles are not the instant style noodles though I’m not sure if they are freshly made. But the noodles are not overcooked. The tonkatsu or pok cutlet is tender.

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen has ample parking space and it’s easy to spot as they are just in front of Hobbies of Asia.

Bikkura Ramen Challenge

For those with monstrous appetite, they have this Bikkura Ramen Challenge. Finish the 2500 gram Bikkura Ramen in 20 minutes and it’s free.

Now, move over Ajisen Ramen, we now have a special ramen place and it’s Genya Tonkotsu Ramen.

Genya Tonkotsu Ramen

Hobbies of Asia, Macapagal Blvd.

Pasay City