Tim Ho Wan, the home of the best pork buns (for me) is finally opening a branch here in Manila! Tim Ho Wan will open at the upper ground floor of SM Megamall. Pork buns cravings can easily be satisfied, hooray!
Pork buns from Tim Ho Wan, HK
Read about: Tim Ho Wan: cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong
Now, the question is, will it retain the same taste as their original branch in Mongkok? I hope so…. Excited!
Spiral Buffet at Sofitel Philippine Plaza is one of the best buffet restaurants in Manila. It is one of the most pricey too so the first time I dined there, it’s because I availed the Sofitel buffet promo at CashCashPinoy. This time, it’s for an important occasion, it’s Gwen’s 3rd birthday. We made reservations for their Sunday dinner, and it’s extra festive because it’s Christmas.
Read my first Spiral experience in 2011 before it got destroyed by Typhoon Pedring: Sofitel Spiral Buffet
A view of the adorned spiral staircase
We were assigned a table near the fountain and the Sushi/Sashimi station. Too bad because we can’t see the choir singing Christmas carols by the stairs.
Sofitel buffet boasts of 21 dining ateliers: Salad and Appetizer; L’Ecailler (seafood); Sushi Sashimi; L’Epicerie (THE CHEESE ROOM); Hot Japanese; French Stove; Rotisserie; Wood fired oven; Churrasco; North Indian; Asian Noodles; Peking Duck Oven; Chinese Wok; Steam Basket; Filipino; Thai; Korean; La Boulangerie (breads); La Patisserie (desserts); Chocolaterie; and Creamery. The last 3 sections are my favorite =).
The first one I visited was the Steam Basket, I had hakaw, xiao long bao, siomai, and some veggie-filled dimsum. I also got the crispy crackers similar to Chowking’s Chicharap because that’s Gwen’s favorite. She liked it very much I returned to that station 3 times, lol!
She had crispy crackers and corn at Spiral :p
Next, I went to the Sushi Sashimi station near our table.
I can go through the dinner just eating purely these, but with plenty of good food around, I wish I have a bigger room in my tummy to taste everything.
Italian
Wood-fired goodness. Just the way I liked my pizza, thin and crispy. I drizzled a generous amount of olive oil on top too.
You can also request for your own pasta, with your choice of ingredients cooked while you wait.
We were given a complimentary bread at our table so we passed on trying out these breads at the La Boulangerie.
freshly baked breads with a wide array of dips and spreads
At the old Spiral, cheeses were just given a station and laid out on plates. But now, Spiral has a cheese room.
Are you ready for desserts?
I love the gingerbread house at the background
I love how their desserts were perfectly lined up like the desserts on the pull-out drawer. They also have chests filled with truffles, chocolates, and candies for kids. I initially thought that it’s just for ornamental purposes, it looks so good and neat I hesitated touching them.
“treasure” chest, truffles
And here’s my happy plate, with my fave from the dessert station. Dark Chocolate Truffle cake for the win, it’s sinfully delicious, you might eat a lot because it’s not too sweet. I also liked the Chili Chocolate cake and the chocolate truffles and the one with nuts.
dessert time
The dinner buffet comes with free flowing champagne, juices, sodas and iced tea. I enjoyed the champagne, haha, just making the most of our festive dinner.
If you’re looking for a hotel buffet worth giving a try, I highly recommend Spiral buffet. I’m always on the lookout for promos in different groupon sites for this. :p
Happy holidays!
I’ve been meaning to try Hokkaido Ramen Santouka when I first learned that they opened in Glorietta. But I was discouraged when I was told to prepare to line up when I go there. So I just waited for the hype to die down. Well, no more waiting for me because Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is now open at SM Mall of Asia.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s branch at SM Mall of Asia is long and narrow. Inside, it can seat around 30-40 people including the bar area. You can opt to dine al fresco, with a view of the bay area.
As expected, the restaurant was full when we arrived past 1 pm, good thing they have a waiting area. Aaand look what direction Gwen is looking, they have gashapon for the kids.
It’s the first time that I encountered a Parent-Child Set for a ramen restaurant. It has 1 regular size ramen and 1/3 portion of the regular-sized ramen for the child. What’s special for the parent-child menu is that it comes with a card to redeem tokens for the gashapon. A nice way to encourage the kid to finish her ramen.
Parent-child Set, Php 410
You can also request a different flavor for the child ramen, in our case, the regular size ramen is Shoyu (soysauce-based) while the child ramen is Shio (salt-based).
I always like my ramen spicy, so I had Kara-Miso Ramen.
Kara-Miso Ramen, Regular Size, Php 340
I didn’t remember being asked for the spiciness level. So I find it mild for people like me who are tolerant for spicy food. Overall, the broth is still tasty, I can still taste the nutty flavor of the miso with a hint of spice.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka has an extensive menu from ramen to sushi and rice meals set. One sulit meal is their set menu like this Tonkatsu set, comes with a small bowl of ramen, tonkatsu, unlimited rice, komi-tamago, salad, kimchi and tea.
Tonkatsu Set, Php 500
The purported simmering of pork bones for 20 hours might be the secret of Hokkaido Ramen Santouka’s flavorful and milky broth. It’s not the type of broth that’s masked with MSG any other seasoning. The bamboo shoots included in the soup is a bit tough to my liking. The pork slices are very tender to the bite. As for the noodles, they’re just your average noodles. Indeed, the star of any ramen bowl is the broth which Hokkaido Ramen Santouka perfected.
Check out the other ramen places I’ve tried:
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka is a kid-friendly place, aside from the parent-child set, kids are provided their own set of utensils. On our 2 visits, Gwen had Hello Kitty and My Melody bowl, cup, spoon and fork, I wonder what are the characters for the boys.
And the kid’s reward after finishing her ramen….
We found out on our second visit that you can just buy a 60 peso token at the cashier if you don’t want to avail of the Parent-child Ramen set.
Hokkaido Ramen Santouka
2nd level, Bay Area, SM Mall of Asia
https://www.facebook.com/RamenSantoukaPH
Halo-halo is the perfect Pinoy cooler during summer. Most Filipino restaurants have their own version, from the affordable ones in fastfood such as Chowking and to the most expensive like The Peninsula Manila’s halo-halo. My personal favorite is Razon’s halo-halo, I like my halo-halo simple, not too many ingredients and with a generous amount of milk. Last Sunday, Jeff was craving for halo-halo but there’s no Razon’s near our place. Then I suddenly remembered an episode at Rated K featuring Kabigting’s Halo-halo in Banawe.
Kabigting’s Halo-halo, Php 75
It’s easy to spot Kabigting’s Halo-halo in Banawe, it’s just beside Cake2Go and near TonTon Massage. The place is just small with just a 20-25 seating capacity.
Kabigting’s Halo-halo in Banawe
I also ordered their Palabok, nothing special with this and I find it weird that the sauce is reddish.
Kabigting’s Palabok
Meanwhile, back to my halo-halo. Kabigting’s Halo-halo is also simple: macapuno, banana, beans, cream of corn and… are you ready for this? PASTILLAS made from carabao’s milk. Given the main ingredients, expect Kabigting’s halo-halo to be in the sweet side.
I like the generous amount of ingredients added with copious slush of milk in finely shaved ice. I love the pastillas, it’s an ingredient unique to Kabigting’s. No wonder Kabigting’s is included in the list of best halo-halo to try here in the Philippines.
Do you have a favorite place that serves halo-halo? What’s your favorite ingredient in your halo-halo?
I’ve heard about Project Pie months ago when they first opened in Mandaluyong. The idea of making your own customized pizza excites me, but since it’s too far, I’ll have to wait out a bit for a branch to open near my place. Finally, Project Pie opens up a branch in SM North Edsa, it is located at the Upper Ground Floor of the Main Building, beside Cinderella. As expected for a newly opened resto, lines are longer than usual.
Project Pie in SM North Edsa, Main Building
I thought that Project Pie is a Filipino concept just like The Burger Project but I learned that it’s an international franchise, with the first branch in MGM, Las Vegas.
It’s a casual dining place, they don’t take reservations. You have to look for your own table, and then line up to order your pizza.
First order of business, decide what will be the base of your pizza, red or white pizza. Red is tomato-based while white is olive oil-based. After that, it’s up to you decide from a slew of toppings available. To make things easier, they have 7 pre-set pizzas with different toppings. If you order the pre-set pizzas and no customization needed, it’s Php 245. If you’d like to add more toppings to your pizza like more cheese, more bacon, etc, it will be considered as Build Your Own for Php 285. All pizza crusts are 9 inches and is good for 1.
Choose your meat toppings
We had Pizza Number 2 and Number 7, and customized them to our own liking.
Pizza Number 2 originally has red sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, italian sausage, garlic, and crumbled meatballs. We added jalapenos and roasted bell pepper. I like the kick the jalapeno gives on this one.
Pizza Number 2 with added jalapenos and roasted bell peppers
Pizza Number 7 is olive oil-based with prosciutto, caramelized onions, mozzarella, and parmesan cheese. I added olives and mushrooms. Funny but this tasted like omelette. Maybe because of the caramelized onions.
Pizza Number 7 with added olives and mushroom
I prefer thin crust pizzas and Project Pie’s crust is just the way I like it. I love how it became toasted with a nice crunch. Just eat it fast because it’s not as yummy once cooled.
Drinks available are soda, different flavors of China Mist iced tea, and Del Monte juices.
Refillable drinks
Local and imported beer, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay are also available.
Cabernet Sauvignon, Php 250
Chardonnay, Php 250
For Php 285 customized pizza, I think lining up for this is worth it. And if your pizza turned out not good as expected, well, try again next time :).
Have you tried Project Pie? Care to share your lethal combo of toppings?
I have a confession to make, I rarely eat at food courts. I’m not being a snob but this happens to me always, my food when I eat here is always a hit or miss. Inconsistent, of course these aren’t from the usual fastfood chain which are sometimes present there. Yesterday was an exemption, I wanted to have a free Coca-Cola Collectible Glass which is a promo when you eat at SM Food Court so I went on searching for a store to buy our lunch. I chanced upon Thaicoon, and from the store’s design and colors (and also its name), I knew that they serve Thai food. I was quite surprised to find a store inside a food court that serves Thai cuisine. The menu looks promising and they are affordable too.
Thaicoon serves delicious and affordable Thai cuisine inside the food court of SM North Edsa
Jeff likes curry so I ordered Chicken with Green Curry and I had Sizzling Bagoong Rice. The meals do not come with drinks, add Php 30 for additional drink and 1 small square of Thako, a dessert.
Chicken with Green Curry, Php 158
This Green Chicken Curry is so flavorful and has generous slices of chicken. The curry sauce is creamy with a spicy kick and the freshness of lime and lemongrass lingers. This is not really spicy though, I think they purposedly tamed the spiciness cater those who can’t tolerate heat that much. This is a must try!
I’m not really sure about the addition of sunny side up egg on top of the rice though, it’s perfect with rice alone.
Sizzling Bagoong Rice, Php 98
For Sizzling Bagoong Rice, you have the choice of pork, chicken, or beef, I chose Chicken. The chicken slices were tender and the sweet sauce is just perfect you’d want to eat more bagoong rice with it. I wish the sizzling plate to be hotter next time.
For dessert which is Thako, I asked what’s in it and the server said it resembles maja blanca. True enough, it tasted like maja blanca, the green bottom layer is flavored with pandan and added bits of corn kernels.
With my discovery of Thaicoon, I think I’ll never be a snob at food courts again. I’ll be back to sample other Thai rice meals.
From their Facebook page, Thaicoon has 3 branches: SM North Edsa, Zuellig Building and Lucky Chinatown.
Trivia: September is Chocolate Month
I didn’t know about that too until Krispy Kreme sent this box of Limited Edition Cadbury doughnuts yesterday.
Thank you @KrispyKremePH for sending these over!
In celebration of Chocolate Month, Krispy Kreme collaborated with Cadbury to make these limited edition, melt-in-your-own chocolatey doughnuts. It’s everything chocolate and more!
Fruit & Nut; Chocolate & Biscuit; Chocolate Mud Pie; Triple Chocolate
Take your pick among these 4 flavours:
Fruit & Nut - a chocolate doughnut dipped in Carat white chocolate and topped with chopped Cadbury Dairy Milk Fruit and Nut chocolate.
Chocolate Mud Pie - a chocolate doughnut infused with chocolate kreme filling dipped in dark chocolate and topped with crushed Oreo and chopped Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.
Triple Chocolate - a chocolate heaven with fresh Krispy Kreme doughnuts dipped in white and dark chocolate, dolloped with Vanilla Kreme Icing and sprinkled with crushed Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.
Chocolate and Biscuit - topped with checkered ganache, sprinkled with graham cracker crunch and chopped Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate.
I’m partial with Fruit & Nut because that’s my favorite Cadbury chocolate flavor too. Second would be Chocolate Mud Pie, it’s chocolate all the way down to the core!
Catch these Cadbury doughnuts at Krispy Kreme branches near you. You better hurry coz it’s for a limited time only. #JoyInABox
You haven’t traveled until you have eaten the food. This is what I believe when I travel. I’m glad I discovered Withlocals.com a few months ago. It lets you experience to dine and cook in a local’s house, it can’t get any authentic than that.
Read more: Eat and travel with locals
During our Bangkok trip, I made sure to book an experience with Withlocals. I chose the one offered by Predaphol “Cook like a local!”. Not only we get to have a hearty lunch of Thai dishes, we get to learn to cook a few Thai dishes. Upon booking, Predophol or Phoom as his nickname, sent the menu and asked if we have special requests. Jeff likes Green Chicken Curry so I specifically mentioned that. We scheduled our Thai lunch on our 2nd day in Bangkok, our host, Phoom, gave his number and kept in touch during our trip. He even waited for us at the BTS station Chong Nonsi near his restaurant i-Gourmet. Yes, this guy is a chef so you’re sure to have a delicious meal with him.
with Phoom inside his kitchen/office
I paid 45 Euros or $ 56 for our lunch booking at the site. Withlocals accepts Paypal and credit card payments.
Instead of simply sitting down and munching your food away, you are offered the opportunity of cooking your own real Thai dishes! All ingredients will be prepared in a professional manner – healthy and clean. You can learn by watching me cook, or you can help and get to know the basics of local food styles and ingredients.
Phoom prepared the ingredients prior to our arrival, he told us the basics of Thai cuisine, the spices used in most dishes. For Jeff’s green chicken curry, here are the ingredients.
sugar, green curry paste, fish sauce, Thai basil, eggplant, kaffir lime leaves, coconut milk
I listed down some of the ingredients I remember. It’s funny because Phoom said that this is the first time he’s gonna cook chicken curry, haha. He never cooked it at home. It was very enlightening because all the while, I thought that the fragrant herb in the chicken curry I tasted is lemongrass. I was wrong, it’s kaffir lime leaves.
lime, sliced chilies, shallots, lemongrass, sliced green mango, honey, fish sauce, chili paste
These are the ingredients for Pla Goong or Spicy Shrimp Salad. This is the one I made with the help of Phoom. He said that Thai cuisine consisted of 4 different tastes called Yum, these are sweet, spicy, salty, and sour. Hence, this salad has all that tastes.
prepping the sauce for the salad
Since we have different tolerance for spiciness, he let us decide if we’ll add more chilies on the dish.
Some dishes were already cooked and ready to serve. Are you ready for a feast?
our hearty Thai lunch
I didn’t get to note the Thai names of some of the dishes though. This one is a non-spicy dish with pork slices and ampalaya leaves (talbos ng ampalaya).
pancakes
Another non-spicy dish, pancakes with plum sauce as dip.
stir-fried chicken with cashew nuts
This salad uses the same base of the Spicy Shrimp Salad we made but added sigarilyas and sliced hard boiled egg on the side.
Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai or Green Chicken Curry
This is Jeff’s Green Chicken Curry or Gaeng Khiao Wan Gai. “Gai” means chicken. It has a lot of coconut milk because it serves as a soup to our lunch. Unlike here that we treat this as a main dish.
Pla Goong or Spicy Shrimp Salad
My favorite dish, haha (love your own!). Pla Goong is an indeed an explosion of sweet, spicy, salty, and sour in my mouth. I can’t get enough of this salad.
outside Phoom’s office/kitchen, iGourmet
We had a great lunch with Phoom and his fiancee Tangmo. They gave us some packs of green curry mixes so that we can cook at home. They even invited us to go to the market the next day to get to know more of the spices used in Thai cooking but we begged off since we came from Chatuchak. I highly recommend to book with Phoom at Withlocals, it’s worth it. But do book in advance because he is a very busy person. And if you can’t get hold of him during your stay in Bangkok, you can just dine at his Thai restaurant I-Taste just beside I-Gourmet in Sathorn.
I’ve been seeing a lot of food sellers on Instagram offering Taste N See Toasted Pastillas and Rodillas Yema Cake. I was curious but holding back from ordering online since I don’t want my food to be squished during shipping. During our visit to Robinsons Magnolia, there was a food bazaar near the food court and I saw one store selling Rodillas Yema Cake. What happens next is me unboxing my yema cake at home.
The Original Rodillas Yema Cake
The 6″ x 4″ cake sells for Php 269, the seller said that she personally goes to Quezon every morning to buy the cakes. I learned that this cake when bought in Quezon is Php 135, but add the cost of delivering these goodies to Manila and also the space rental, the price goes up naturally.
The packaging is as simple as it gets, no fancy ribbons in the box.
The first thing I tasted is the custard icing, I like that it’s not cloyingly sweet. The magic happens when you mix the cheese and the icing, sweet and salty goodness. The spongecake is soft, it melts-in-your-mouth. You can tell that the cake is really fresh.
Rodillas Yema Cake reminds me of Estrel’s Caramel Cake.
Was it worth the hype? It’s delicious alright, but I’m still a chocolate cake lover :p.
Taste N See Toasted Pastillas
Another popular food online is this toasted pastillas. I got sweet tooth, I love pastillas so I’m curious what’s the taste of a toasted one. I chanced upon these sweets in Trinoma’s food bazaar, it sells for Php 150. I find it a bit expensive, but bought one anyway. There are other flavors such as cookies and cream and caramel.
Once I opened it, I was controlling myself not to finish the pack hehe. This glorified pastillas is so addicting, I like the more toasted ones. The toasted coating gives a nice crunch before sinking your teeth into the creamy center.
Was it worth the hype? Yes, and I’ll buy 2 or more packs next time, one is not enough, lol!
It’s beginning to look, smell, and taste a lot like Christmas! For coffee lovers, Starbucks Christmas Drinks is something to look forward to every year. Starting November 3, 2014, the red cups will hit your favorite Starbucks stores.
There’s a new variant, I’m sad because my favorite Dark Cherry Mocha is no longer part of this year’s offering.
The rich, buttery flavor of toffee with the warmth of toffee nuts, combined with our smooth espresso and velvety steamed milk. This Toffee Nut Latte is made even more special with new espresso caramel whipped cream and toffee sprinkles.
Rich, bittersweet chocolate, combines with peppermint, sweet espresso and velvety steamed milk. Topped with whipped cream, mocha drizzle and peppermint-flavored candy bits.
A buttery creamy latte infused with shortbread cookie sauce, topped with whipped cream, shortbread cookie drizzle and butter cookie crumbles.
Purchase these Christmas drinks using your Starbucks Card to earn one beverage star and one PLANNER sticker. Woot! I can’t wait to see the 2015 Starbucks Planners.
It was a long night for us last Friday, we stayed at the memorial park until midnight and just slept for a few hours. So on Saturday, after having lunch at our friend’s house, we headed to Alabang Town Center to pass the time. Gwen played a bit at McDonald’s play area before proceeding to even more rides at ATC’s activity area where Timezone’s kiddie games are located.
After a few rounds in the mall, it’s time to eat! We wanted to try a new ramen joint in Westgate for my birthday, libre daw ako ni Jeff :p, but I said to just choose from the restos in ATC since we’re already there. We chose from the rows of the restaurants in the Garden Wing starting from Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen, Crisostomo, John & Yoko, and Shi Lin. It’s my birthday and I get to choose what to eat, and I chose Shi Lin because I want to eat Xiao Long Bao.
We went around 4 pm and there were only 2 or 3 occupied tables. We were promptly seated at the couch. I like Shi Lin’s modern interior, with just a hint of oriental touch. There’s a glass where you can see the kitchen and the staff making your dumplings.
Without even looking at the menu, I’m decided on my first order, Xiao Long Bao. The server went ahead to tell our order to the kitchen and just went back to get our other orders after scanning their menu.
First in, first out. Six pieces of piping hot Xiao Long Bao housed in a larger than usual steamer basket were placed in front of me. It’s like putting a birthday cake and letting me blow the candles.
Xiao Long Bao, 6 pieces for Php 165
I scooped out one dumpling in my spoon, pierced through its skin and delicately sipped it’s soup. It’s not as soupy as I expected but it’s tasty I don’t even have to dip it in my vinegar/soy sauce/chili garlic combo. Oh and the meat, it’s so juicy and soft I’m struggling for them not to break when I dip the meat. The Xiao Long Bao’s skin has a bite to it but I like munching on them even it’s thicker skin on top.
I also ordered the Shrimp and Pork Shaomai.
Shrimp and Pork Shaomai, 6 pcs. for Php 195
Photo on the menu looks inviting but what arrived lacks color from the shrimp. It’s not as plump and big too. This is called such because shrimp goes on top and the pork is inside. It turned out that like the Xiao Long Bao, it also has a soup inside. Same issue with the skin, thick on top that holds the shrimp.
Jeff had Noodles with Vegetables and Pork Wonton.
Noodles with Vegetables and Pork Wonton, Php 185
I was doubtful at first if Jeff will like something with clear broth. I first suggested the Braised Beef Noodles but he insisted on this, okay walang sisihan. Surprisingly, the broth is very flavorful sans the appetizing color. The egg noodles were cooked with just the right bite. There’s a hint of sesame in the soup but it doesn’t overpower the taste. The vegetable dumplings didn’t add any flavor to the soup, though. Overall, I like how this soup left a clean taste on my palate.
spot the sleeping Gwen
Just for the Xiao Long Bao and the noodles, we will definitely visit and try other dumplings at Shi Lin.
Shi Lin
Ground Flr. Garden Wing
Alabang Town Center
Muntinlupa City
Tokyo Tokyo is one of the restaurants that is close to my heart because this is where we eat during special occasions back when Jeff and I were still in college. Special occasion means monthsary hihi… I remember the Sumo Meal at that time costs Php 199 only. Today, Tokyo Tokyo is the Philippines’ leading Japanese restaurant chain and it continues to innovate with their delicious Japanese food.
I got invited to an autumn affair last week together with my kumares to launch their newest offerings in time for the holidays.
Peachy of www.thepeachkitchen.com; Pehpot of www.pehpot.com; Levy of www.levyousa.com
As if namang di nyo sila kilala…
#Sumo2Share meal is only Php 299
Tokyo Tokyo’s Sumo2Share meal includes generous servings of two dishes of your choice, unlimited rice and two glasses of drinks.
You can combine any 2 of the following Japanese favorites: Beef Misono, Pork Tonkatsu, Prawn and Vegetable Tempura, Honey Chicken Teriyaki, and Chicken Karaage.
Snow Ice is a unique item only available at Tokyo Tokyo. It is inspired by the Kakigori, a classic Japanese festival offering of shaved ice mixed with various flavored syrups. This is the first time to try the Snow Ice, I never tasted any dessert like this from other places. So I was really surprised how refreshing and delicious Tokyo Tokyo’s Snow Ice. It’s like I’ve been missing a lot in the dessert department all these years.
Original snow ice flavors are Halo Halo, Mango Peach Medley, and Choco Sensation. That afternoon, they introduced two new flavors, Mud Pie and Mango Float.
Mango Float
Mango Float has fresh mango bits and crushed graham on a bed of creamy vanilla shaved ice, topped with condensed milk, chocolate syrup and a cherry.
Mud Pie
The Mud Pie is my favorite! I think I can eat this huge bowl all by myself. Creamy vanilla shaved ice with condensed milk and chocolate syrup, crushed oreos and marshmallows are the star of this dessert.
Avoid the stress that the holiday brings. Make your Christmas parties convenient and worry-free by bringing these party trays from Tokyo Tokyo. Each party trays are good for 8 to 10 persons.
Yakisoba party tray, Php 600
Best Chicken Teriyaki party tray, Php 1,115
Pork Tonkatsu Party Tray, Php 995
If you prefer individual meals, Tokyo Tokyo has Bento Go meals. They also offer catering services, just book through their website, www.tokyotokyo.ph.
If you’re curious to whom I shared my #Sumo2Share meal, it’s with none other than Daniel Matsunaga…
….just kidding!
November is our birth month. Jeff celebrated his birthday last Friday and our friend gave us Party with Bear cake from Tous Les Jours.
Thank you Alvin for the cake!
Tous les Jours is a French-Asian Bakery serving a unique selection of bakery goods and beverages made with the highest quality ingredients. It has established a reputable bakery café system in the United States, building on a brand image that is respected in Asian American communities and is expanding into other mainstream markets.
Right-out-of-the-oven freshness is essential for tasty bread, and Tous les Jours promises you’ll be delighted by the baked goods we make right on the premises.
This is the first time to try a Tous Les Jours cake but I’m familiar with it since I always see it in Koreanovelas. Koreans surely know how to make everything so cute!
Anyway, the bear originally has a party hat like so…
Party with Bear cake, Php 598
Party with Bear is a chocolate cake topped with chocolate mousse. I like the fact that it is not too sweet. It’s soft and moist but I’m looking for a more chocolatey flavor.
Party with Bear cake is Php 598, it is packaged in a pretty green box complete with a plastic knife and birthday candles. It’s really a perfect gift for special occasions.
Tous Les Jours has branches in SM North Edsa, SM Southmall, SM Mall of Asia, SM Fairview, SM Jazz, SM Megamall, Cubao, Eastwood City, Glorietta, Greenbelt 5, Trinoma, Alabang Town Center, and Festival Mall.
Tous Les Jours website: www.tlj.ph
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/touslesjoursph
Since it’s the season of celebrations, parties and reunions here and there, Shakey’s has the best deal for you. Shakey’s is one of our go-to-places whenever we’re dining for big groups like team building, get-together, etc. Their monster deals are value for money, you already have pizza, pasta, appetizers, and drinks. But there’s an even better deal all you Shakey’s Pizza lovers cannot resist.
Here’s how it works:
Ordering the Shakey’s Super Grand Slammin’ Deal also entitles you to one (1) FREE SuperCard, all for only Php999! Shakey’s SuperCard allows card holders to enjoy discounts and freebies, including a free pizza for every pizza delivery order with drinks to match. So upon having the SuperCard, you can start enjoying all the amazing treats from Shakey’s.
The promo runs until December 17 only, so make sure you get your Shakey’s Super Grand Slammin’ Deal in any Shakey’s branch near you.
Last month was my birthday month and I received a package from Vince and Rhoda. It’s a boxful of Villa del Conte Chocolates! This chocolate lover in me was so delighted to open a box of chocolate treasures.
Villa del Conte is a rurale local in Padova, Italy where these artisanal chocolates came from. These chocolates started 75 years ago and has passed 3 generations.
The box has an assortment of chocolates, the wrapper’s colors indicates their flavors. It’s also a mix of Praline Balls and Praline Sticks. I got really curious on the names of each flavors of Villa del Conte chocolates so I looked them up in their website.
Villa del Conte flavors: Praline Balls
My favorite praline ball flavor is the one with dark chocolate with coffee cream filling, it literally melts in your mouth.
Villa del Conte chocolate flavors: Praline sticks
I like three flavors of these praline sticks: dark chocolate with orange cream filling, milk chocolate with strawberry cream filling, and dark chocolate with mint cream filling.
Villa del Conte Pick & Go Pouch
Villa del Conte is a perfect gift this Christmas, you can never go wrong with chocolates. They also have these Pick & Go pouches available for an affordable price. Choose from a pouch of Ovicini, Praline Balls, or Praline Sticks.
Visit Villa Del Conte at Greenbelt 5, Century City Mall, Shangri-la Mall, Resorts World, Alabang Town Center, and Robinson’s Magnolia. For bulk orders, please contact 893-2575 or 621-6101.
www.villadelcontecioccolato.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/VillaDelContePh
Instagram & Twitter: @VilladelConte
We were at SM Mall of Asia for some late Christmas shopping and to watch the Grand Festival of Lights. After watching the parade, we got hungry so we thought of some places to eat in SM MOA. I refused to eat in our usual food choices so we walked around while scouting for a place to eat. When we passed by Watami Philippines, I suggested that we give this a try.
Watami at SM Mall of Asia
At their facade, the sign reads Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant. Watami has over 700 branches in the Asia Pacific region. I think in other countries especially in Japan, it’s considered as a “casual” restaurant hence the name. But the ambiance of Watami’s branch in SM Mall of Asia shows otherwise. Its Japanese interiors with a modern touch can be at par with the vibe of fine-dining restaurants. Don’t be intimidated though, because upon checking their menu, the prices are quite affordable.
I had a hard time deciding on what to order because they have an extensive menu. They offer sushi and sashimi, hotpot, tempura, ramen, and rice meals. They also have an array of drinks and desserts. If you crave for some Japanese food, I bet dining at Watami will surely satiate your craving.
Jeff settled for Pepper Beef Rice in Stone Pot.
Pepper Beef Rice in Stone Pot, Php 190
Funny because we were this close to eating at Pepper Lunch but since there were no vacant tables, we proceeded to Watami. One obvious difference from Pepper Lunch is the way the Pepper Beef Rice is served. Watami serves them in a Stone Pot, it has generous servings of meat, corn and of course, pepper! We asked the server to mix it for us, we waited some time before getting a spoonful because it is still warm, no it’s hot! The food stayed hot until Jeff finished it. Jeff liked it because the meat, aside from its generous serving, is tender.
We also had Special Curry with Deep Fried Pork Tenderloin Cutlet.
Special Curry with Deep Fried Pork Tenderloin Cutlet
I really like the sauce, flavorful with just a spicy hint. For the meat itself, as much as I don’t want to, I can’t help but compare it with Yabu or Saboten. If you had Yabu’s juicy and tender katsu, then this one won’t pass your tenderness meter. The four slices of cutlets look rather sad amidst the generous serving of curry sauce too.
I got excited when I saw takoyaki from their menu. I had to try so I ordered the Kansai-style Takoyaki with Mentai Cheese.
Kansai-style Takoyaki with Mentai Cheese, Php 195
I was in takoyaki heaven with these! Just the right texture and doneness, soft on the inside and chewy outside. The creamy mentai cheese made it even delicious.
Watami deserves another visit because we have yet to try their other offerings, as I’ve said, they have an extensive menu. One thing’s for sure, I’ll have their Takoyaki again on my next visit.
Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant – www.facebook.com/WatamiJapaneseCasualRestaurantPhilippines
Level 2, Entertainment Mall
North Veranda, SM Mall of Asia
Hey guys, your ramen girl is back! You may have noticed the lack of ramen posts here but that doesn’t mean that I’m no longer a ramen monster. I still get my ramen fix and already tried Ramen Nagi, Mitsuyado Sei-Men, and Hanamaruken Ramen. I promise to write about them and let me start with Hanamaruken Ramen in Trinoma.
I think yesterday was our 5th visit in Hanamaruken Ramen in Trinoma. We dined here with our friends on its opening month, the succeeding visits were with my family to have our ramen fix.
Hanamaruken Ramen is a franchise from Osaka, Japan. It was created by a family of butchers in 1982. It is a subsidiary of the Arakawa Pork Company, a reputable supplier of high-quality meat in Osaka, Japan. Hence, it not only brings the flavors of Osaka through its ramen but also with its meat.
Our usual order: shoyu-based ramen for Jeff, spicy ramen for me, and a rice bowl for Ate Rose.
Curry Tan Tan Mien, Php 320
I had Curry Tan Tan Mien because the spiciness is just right unlike the Spicy Tobanjan Ramen which I had on my previous visit. It has a tonkotsu-based broth with curry and sesame paste. It’s a rich broth and it’s flavorful. Each sip has that rich curry and sesame flavor with a hint of spice.
Salary Man Ramen, Php 280
Jeff likes shoyu- soy sauce-based broth that’s why he always order this Salary Man Ramen. Named after the working class in Japan, this humble dish packs in a lot of flavor from its meat and its light broth. It’s also a tonkotsu-based broth but less milky than other tonkotsu broths we tried. The meat is pork shoulder with is very tender you can tear it apart just by poking your chopsticks. If you want your meat with a bit of fat, get the Chasyu Ramen instead, same broth but with pork belly.
Check out the other ramen places I’ve tried:
Drunk Man Rice Bowl, Php 240
Ate Rose is a rice-kind of girl that’s why she always get her fill of Drunk Man Rice Bowl. Just look at that rice bowl, it will surely take your hang-over away. Bite-size pieces of braised pork belly, two runny eggs on top of steaming white rice, and sprinkles of chili will surely awaken your senses.
Aji Tamago, Php 50
You can order Aji Tamago on the side. I like my egg yolks runny so it’s a hit or miss whenever we have this at Hanamaruken.
Overall, Hanamaruken Ramen is a place to go for authentic ramen at an affordable price. Each serving is huge, it’s so tempting to share a bowl of ramen but it’s a no-no in the etiquette of eating ramen. Make sure to specify how you like your noodles, sometimes it’s soggy just like our noodles yesterday.
Their signature bowl is Signature Happiness Ramen but I’m already eating with my source of happiness 
But be sure to try this one too when you dine at Hanamaruken because they only serve 20 bowls of this per day.
Hanamaruken Ramen
www.facebook.com/hanamarukenph
Branches: Trinoma | Alabang Town Center | The Grove by Rockwell
The dimsum gods heard my prayers when I wished that Tim Ho Wan will open more branches aside from SM Megamall. I’ve been wanting to dine their branch in SM Megamall but the lines were always discouraging me to line up. Months later, it’s confirmed that Tim Ho Wan will be opening a branch in SM City North Edsa, it will be beside Project Pie at the mall’s main building.
The line was manageable when we went there last night, waiting time is only 30 minutes. When we got in, the place was bustling, staff were busy delivering trays of dimsum in every table. It is a no-frills place, just sit at your table, fill out the order slip, hand them to the staff and wait for your orders to arrive. We hurriedly filled out the order slip found on our table so that we can finally sink our teeth on those precious baked pork buns!
Order slip looks like this, you can ask for a pen from the staff.
The first to arrive on our table was these Baked Buns with BBQ Pork. These buns are worth lining up for! We already tried this in their first branch in Hong Kong where they earned their Michelin star. We lined up very early for that!
Read more: Tim Ho Wan: cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in Hong Kong
Baked Buns with BBQ Pork, 3 pcs. for Php 145
We’ve tried these buns for take-out but they weren’t as good as the ones eaten inside Tim Ho Wan. I learned that they must be eaten within 10 minutes. I guess we enjoyed it a lot, the buns stayed on the plate for only 2 minutes :p
I like the sweet crumbly top of the buns that goes well with the flavorful bbq pork buns.
Soft and crunchy at the same time, complemented with tender barbecue pork and sweet sauce, inexplicably delicious!
We also had the Prawn Dumplings. They serve it the Pinoy way, they have calamansi on the side. In HK, they don’t have calamansi and we only have to dip it in soy sauce. I like it better here because I can make my own “sawsawan”, hehe.
Prawn Dumplings, 4 pcs. for Php 160
I love how it is filled with plump shrimps. The skin is not that thick, just right to hold the filling.
We also had Vermicceli Roll with Shrimp, yes we love shrimp too much. There are other vermicelli rolls variety such as with pig liver, with BBQ pork, and with beef.
Vermicelli Roll with Shrimp, 3 pcs. for Php 190
Tim Ho Wan doesn’t scrimp on shrimp! You can indeed find shrimps, a generous portion at that!
Aside from ramen, dimsum is also in my family’s food group.
Because the Baked Buns with BBQ Pork are worth lining up for, this cutie will be back at Tim Ho Wan in no time.
Tim Ho Wan
SM City North Edsa
Upper Ground Floor, Main Building
It’s that time of the year again when it’s hearts all over! I’m not a fan of Valentines Day per se, but I love the treats that come with it….. except flowers (not a fan and never will). Just give me chocolates or a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts.
This Valentines 2015, Krispy Kreme Philippines shares the love through these limited edition Valentines Doughnuts.
Wanna give a hug and kiss to someone?
XOXO
Double the love and the sweetness with these double heart doughnuts.
Feel the love in every bite, available in 6 variants:
Valentines doughnuts are available from February 1 to 15, 2015 only. Go and share the love!
You know the cliche that you can never let go of the classic. This applies with RACKS. When you hear RACKS, it’s synonymous with RIBS. After all, it’s called home of the best ribs in town!
#Trivia: RACKS stands for Real American Country Kitchen Style @racksphl
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Over two decades later, RACKS continues to deliver the same quality of homey, mouthwatering, all-American dishes that customers just keep coming back for. Last week, RACKS Philippines opened its 15th and 16th branches, one in Timog Avenue, Quezon City and Evia Lifestyle Center in Alabang.
I was at the launch of their Timog Branch and I was wowed with their new look, it’s huge and the large American-style windows invites you to come in. Looks like I’m in a Tagaytay restaurant and not along Timog Avenue.
According to Mr. Chukri Prieto, they want to reflect the southern country style on their restaurants’ design. They want to create a warm, homey atmosphere where people can sit back, relax and have fun while enjoying great comfort food with their significant other, family or friends.
RACKS Timog branch is so spacious, perfect for parties or meetings since spaces can be divided, in this branch, I think it can have 3 private spaces.
Photo taken while at the middle party area
Aside from their flame-grilled, falls-off-the-bone ribs, here are other sumptuous American-style dishes that you can try.
Onion Brick, Php 180, good for sharing
Spot.ph named it as the best onion rings in town. Thinly-sliced onion rings, marinated, spiced, and lightly breaded, then deep-fried to a crisp. The magic here is it’s lightly breaded just to make it crunchy so you can still taste the onions. The two sauces are great complements but it’s still yummy when eaten as it is.
Salad with Blackened Chicken Strips, Php 295
A triple portion of Classic Caesar salad topped with tender Cajun-rubbed, blackened chicken strips. Crisp fresh veggies in a cream Caesar dressing, I like it because they drizzled it generously.
Garlic Scampi Pasta, Php 295
Spaghetti pasta sauteed in chili garlic olive oil mixture, added with shrimps and broccoli florets. This is one of my fave and will include this on my must-order list.
Angus Au Jus, Php 765
Juicy and tender Angus beef, perfectly cooked (according to your preference) with a nice marbling. If you want to indulge and give in to your luxurious craving, this is a must-try.
Glazed Memphis Babys
The star of our table Glazed Memphis-style ribs. True to their claim, it’s falls-off-the-bone, no need for a knife, you can just pull it apart with your hands or with a fork.
Choose from Original or Extra Hot barbecue sauce. They are not kidding with the word HOT, it’s really spicy.
Original or Extra Hot?
Great meals should end with delectable dessert. RACKS offerings do not disappoint such as these Memphis Pound cake and Mississippi Mud Pie.
Memphis Pound Cake, Php 155
Buttery pound cake topped with raspberry preserves and 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream.
Mississippi Mud Pie, Php 180
A moist chocolate fudge brownie laden with gooey chocolate inside on a bed of thick choco syrup topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. I’m really not a fan of ala-mode desserst but this one satisfied my sweet cravings sans the whipped cream.
RACKS also has Family Platters which is perfect for dining in groups and family. We had lunch on Valentines Day at their Timog Branch and we had Ribs & Chicken Platter for Php 1795. We upgraded to Java Rice and a pitcher of iced tea. We were so full and we still had for take-out good for our dinner.
V-day lunch at RACKS Timog branch
RACKS has branches at Timog Avenue Quezon City, Evia Lifestyle Center, El Pueblo, Festival Supermall, Greenhills, Paseo de Magallanes, Paseo de Santa Rosa, Robinson’s Manila, SM Fairview, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM North, SM Pampanga, SM Southmall, The Fort Strip, and Trinoma.
