Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel

June 15, 2013

Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel
24 Sct. Tuason St.,
Brgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City
4105050

Last Saturday, DH and I were looking for a new restaurant to try in Quezon City. Most of the restaurants were full and were not accepting diners anymore. By 8:30pm, we finally found a decent place to eat- Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel. It is a fairly new restaurant along Sct. Tuason beside Chic Nails where I had my nails done a few weeks ago.

 Grape Salad with White Cheese PhP 278 

Red/Green Grapes, Grilled Laguna White Cheese, Capers, Olives and Balsami Vinaigrette

Luckily for us, there were a few unoccupied tables when we arrived. We were seated on a couch next to a family of four. The waiter/waitress and even the guard were extra helpful with our things- we were supposed to bring in the stroller. I decided we we won't be needing it because there are several high chairs available ; )

Anyway, our orders came out in succession, within a few minutes after placing it... yey! I love how the kitchen staff work on the presentation of each dish (see the photos). I give it an 8 ; )

What about the taste, you ask? It surprisingly tastes as good as it looks.

For other orders, read after the break...

Birthday Lunch Treat From Pevonia!

June 4, 2013

Kimpura
3rd floor Trinoma Mall
9010813

Hello! How's your day? I was in Trinoma Mall earlier today where I met with the Pevonia girls (as I would love to call them ; p). They treated me to a hearty lunch at Kimpura (yes, this is still part of my post birthday celebration. IKR, it has extended until the month of June ; p)

 with Jennifer Casitas, Pevonia Philippines PR Manager/ Asst. to the Managing Director and 
Marie Elaine Palapag, Social Media & Marketing Coordinator

Our meeting was set at 11am, little did we know that the restaurant opens at 11:30am ; p Luckily, we were able to get inside before the said time, thanks to the charm of Ms. Elaine. 

We requested for seats in the Teppanyaki area. Ok, I am warning you, there's a lot and I mean a lot of food photos coming right at you! Don't judge us for what we have ordered lol 

With that said, you can read more after the break...

Salad, Burger & Crepes at Cafe Breton

May 26, 2013

Cafe Breton
G/F Alfredo's Building
181 Scout De Guia St. cor. Tomas Morato Ave.,
Laging Handa, Quezon City
3746334

Two Sundays ago, my family and I were back at our favorite quaint cafe in Quezon City called Cafe Breton. This time we tried other items on the menu such as Chicken, Orange and Almond salad and Breton Mozzarella Burger. The crepes were so hard to resist so we chose two from our list of favorites- Adam & Eve and Hawaii 5-O.

 Chicken, Orange and Almonds PhP 165

Mixed greens with arugula leaves and sauteed chicken slices, tossed with fresh orange slices and almonds

This order of Chicken, Orange and Almonds salad has a generous serving of almond which my mom truly loves so she was very happy ; ) The mixed greens were all fresh, not a wilted one in sight.

We requested for two kinds of dressings- Thousand Island and Vinaigrette. The latter won hands down. You can also opt for Honey Mustard.

Other salads available are Mini Side Salad (PhP 55) and Salad Bretonne (PhP 175)- salad greens with arugula leaves mixed with shrimps and crabs. It will definitely be next on my list!

Read more after the break...

Kaya Express Opens In Glorietta 2

April 21, 2013

Kaya Korean Restaurant
2nd floor, Glorietta 2
Ayala Center, Makati City
6253718

My parents and I bonded over Korean BBQ right after watching ASAP 18 LIVE! in ABS-CBN. It is located in the newly renovated Glorietta 2. I love the vibe of this new wing- bright and spacious!

 Kalbi Gui PhP 230

Marinated US beef short ribs

Before the Korean BBQ trend hit Manila, there's already Kaya. Every so often we miss eating Kalbi Gui so we make it a point to visit it once in a while.

The beef is tender and already marinated. It's juicy, perfect with a bowl of white rice!

For our other orders, read after the break...

Tully's Coffee in Robinsons Magnolia

May 7, 2013

Tully's Coffee
3/F Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd cor. Dona Hemady St.,
Quezon City
9615481

The first time I had a taste of Tully's Coffee was in Osaka, Japan last December. I was surprised to see that it has opened a branch in Robinsons Magnolia... yehey!  I really wanted to try it out but every time I passed by the coffee shop, it was always full... darn!

Matcha Bellaccino Tall PhP 165

I finally got the chance to try it earlier this month. I ordered a tall Matcha Bellaccino. I love blended drinks but this one was too sweet for my taste. I can't even finish the cup I ordered.

Matcha Bellaccino is also available in Grande PhP 175 and Veinte PhP 185. Other flavors available are Mocha, Cookies and Cream, Coffee, Caramel, Chocolate and Chai.

Read more after the break...

Solaire Resort & Casino Food Court

May 5, 2013

Solaire Resort & Casino
1 Solaire Boulevard
Entertainment City
Metro Manila
8888888

I have heard/read of so many outrageous stories about the prices on the menu of the fine dining restaurants found in Solaire. One even mentioned that he knows somebody who claimed to have paid PhP 250,000 just for dinner - they were a group of 10.

So, just to be on the safe side, we didn't bother to dine in one of the elegant restaurants when we visited Solaire for the first time. We looked for its Food Court instead ; p 

Sweet & Sour Pork PhP 200

The food court is divided into six sections: Sapporo (obviously, Japanese food), Pan Asian (SouthEast Asian cuisine), Hong Kong, Chicken Licken (I read it serves very good roasted chicken), Americano and Patisserie.

Anyway, the minute I saw Sweet & Sour Pork on the menu, I told DH that's what I want. I can't think of anything else because it was already late in the afternoon and I was already very hungry- we went there right after we check-out from Sofitel.

It was not the best Sweet & Sour Pork that I have tasted, Ling Nam tasted better but it was good enough to satisfy my hunger pangs.

Read more after the break...

Have It Your Way at Achiote Taqueria Power Plant Mall

April 14, 2013

Achiote Taqueria Mexican Cuisine
R1 Level, Power Plant Mall
Rockwell, Makati City
8221242

Are a regular reader of my blog? Have you noticed that I often blog about Chinese, Japanese and Korean cuisine? I know... sometimes it gets a little boring! So, when DH suggested that we dine in Achiote Taqueria, I didn't complain and just went along with his suggestion. I was really glad to try Mexican food for a change ; )

 Achiote Nachos PhP 395

Fresh crisp just-baked tortilla chips with black re-fried beans, pico de gallo, white Mexican cheese, topped with homemade sour cream and freshly made guacamole. 

Served with house salsa on the side.

First on our list of must-eat---> NACHOS! A trip to a Mexican restaurant will not be complete without one, agree? The tortilla chips remained crunchy despite the fact that it was overloaded with toppings! 

Hmmmm.... never mind that some of the chips were toasted/burnt as seen in the photo above ; p

Read more after the break...

DIY Anniversary Surprise (Verleo Catering & Pastry Princess)

This 2013 marks my 10th year wedding anniversary with DH. Since I am the mushy one in our relationship, I want to make the celebration extra special for my best friend, my partner in crime and my soul mate so I surprised him with an elaborate dinner not just for two but for our entire family!

DH and I celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary

I planned the whole surprise 10th wedding anniversary in less than a week. Yes, from ordering a cake to calling a caterer. It really helps if you are "best friends" with the caterer lol I really wanted to bring over a priest to officiate/ bless us as a couple but I was out of luck. I guess I am pushing too hard already ; p

Anyway, read more after the break...

Lola Cafe + Bar in Quezon City

April 19, 2013

Lola Cafe Bar
99 Sct. Lozano St.,
Quezon City
5012620

Happy Mother's Day!

Quezon City never runs out of new restaurants and that's one of the reasons why I love living here. Last month, I tried this new restaurant called Lola Cafe + Bar with my girl friends. We sampled a few dishes, there are some hits and misses. I found out that the restaurant just opened a few months before and maybe it is still finding its identity and flavor. Well, there's always room for improvement.

Garden Salad PhP 280

Romaine, arugula, cucumber, parmesan with candied walnut, feta cheese, fresh tomato and greek vinaigrette

An order of Garden Salad is good for sharing. The vegetable were not wilted and the amount dressing was just right. I also loved the shaved parmesan, candied walnut and feta cheese. These ingredients reminded me of Cyma's Roka Salata.

For our other orders, read after the break...

Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace Birthday Celebration

May 5, 2013

Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace
43 Annapolis St., Greenhills, San Juan
7246192   7246193   7211995   7228743

My birthday is a monthlong celebration. After celebrating it with DH on my actual birthday, I celebrated it again with my family last Sunday in Greenhills Uno Seafood Palace. It is located where Annapolis Seafood Restaurant used to be.

birthday cake bought from Hizon's

My sister's birthday is actually 3 days after my birthday so this second party is a joint birthday celebration! We always buy cake from Hizon's, it's our favorite. The sweetness is just right and the cake is always moist, never dry.

We ordered from the restaurant's set menu. Read after the break for photos of the yummy dishes...

1 Peso Appetizer from Texas Roadhouse Grill Shangrila East Wing

May 2, 2013

Texas Roadhouse Grill
Level 6 East Wing
Shangri-La Plaza Mall
09174548681

DH and I were supposed to go to Solaire to celebrate my birthday but he went home late so we ended up in Shangri-la's East Wing. I was initially looking for this new restaurant called Maple but we were not able to locate it... bummer! We settled for Texas Roadhouse Grill instead because it is a lot like Chili's (It has fajitas!!!). I was craving for fajitas for days, finally, I get the chance to eat one on my birthday!

 Jesse James Sampler for only PhP 1 (originally PhP 465)

The PhP 1 Appetizer flyer was handed over to us before we were ushered to our table. We picked Jessie James Sampler because it was the priciest one ; p On my next visit, I will order Santa Fe Nachos (PhP 365) because it looks appetizing, I saw one being served on another table.

Read what else we ordered after the break....

Breakfast at Spiral

Our Club Millesime room came with a buffet breakfast for two. We have a choice to dine at the Lounge or at Spiral. We chose the latter. The buffet starts at 6:30 am so we woke up early the next day to enjoy the sumptuous cuisines the restaurant has to offer.

 Spiral Breakfast Buffet

The second we entered the restaurant, it was already bustling with diners. Most patrons were families and business executives having their morning cup of coffee. We were ushered to our table located near La Veranda.

Food photos after the break...

Mr. Bean Fresh Soya Milk, Taho & Pancakes in Eastwood Mall

April 30, 2013

Mr. Bean
Ground Floor (near Activity area)
Eastwood Mall

Mr. Bean celebrates it's first birthday today and you are all invited! For the first 40 customers who visit Mr. Bean branches at Alabang Town Center, Eastwood Mall, JP Morgan Net Plaza Building and Lucky China Town Mall, you can get to win a free gift. That's not all, visit any of the stores and check out the price roll back!

 trying out Cheese Pancake PhP 60

Mr. Bean's pancake has siksik sa sarap pancake. Are you a cream cheese lover? Then this order is definitely for you. All that cream cheese goodness is right in the middle of the pancake ; )

Other variants to try are Peanut Butter and Chocolate.

Check out what else I ordered yesterday....

Wholesome Goodness at GrandMomma's Kitchen

February 20, 2013

GrandMomma's Kitchen
G/F Il Terrazzo Bldg.,
Tomas Morato, Quezon City
09178030211

A few weeks ago, I tried out the newest restaurant in Il Terrazzo called GrandMomma's Kitchen. The restaurant has a homey ambiance that will make you want to order everything on the menu ; )

 Strawberry Banana French Toast PhP 165

I ordered a Strawberry Banana French Toast under the All Day Breakfast section. At PhP 165, it was worth it. As you can see in the photo above, the restaurant did not scrimp on its ingredients. There were generous slices of bananas and strawberries as well. Oh, and I love the whipped cream on top ; )

To know what else I ordered, read after the break....

Random Eats: Mr. Choi Kitchen, Don Henrico's, Bag of Beans & Nurture Spa

Mr. Choi Kitchen
2nd Level Robinsons Magnolia
Aurora Blvd., Quezon City
87878

Mr. Choi Kitchen recently opened another branch in Robinsons Magnolia. Yey, it's now near my place, I can have Hot Prawn Salad anytime I want!

 Hot Prawn Salad PhP 360

An order of Hot Prawn Salad is totally worth it. The shrimps are really good. Oh, and the cherries on top too!

Read more after the break...

Cooked A Half Inch Steak for Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day!

Every since we got stuck in stupid traffic a few years ago, we promised not to go out every February 14 but that does not mean that our dinner will be boring like tonight ; )

1/2 inch Angus Rib-Eye Steak

I cooked us an Angus Rib-Eye Steak for dinner... yummy!

Wanna know how I prepared and cooked it? Read after the break...

Valentine's Day Celebration at Luxent Hotel Garden Cafe

February 8, 2013

Luxent Hotel
Garden Cafe
51 Timog Ave.,
South Triangle, Quezon City 1103
9228888

6:00 pm to 10:00 pm

My friends and I were able to buy Luxent Hotel's Eat-All-You-Can Buffet and Drinks for only PhP 599 instead of PhP 999 from MetroDeal. The voucher is not valid on February 14 to 16 (Valentine's Weekend) so use it last Friday instead. Based on my previous experience, traffic would be terrible if we celebrate it on the day itself anyway.

 here piggy, piggy!

There's only four stations - Lechon, Japanese, BBQ Grill and Dessert. Well, five, if you count the ice cream fridge located at the farthest side of the room near the entrance. 

Read more after the break...

Spareribs Rice at Le Ching Tea House in Greenhills

January 28, 2013

Le Ching Too
Ground Floor, Shoppesville 
Greenhills Shopping Center

I can't believe I have not blogged about one of my favorite comfort food in the metro!!! When my siblings and I were younger, we often dine in Le Ching. I think I even influenced a few of my college girl friends to hang out in Le Ching if our school load permitted it.

 Spareribs Rice PhP 148

I almost always order Spareribs Rice. It still tasted the same - juicy and meaty. I always feel that I am eating healthy food because I think the spareribs were steamed. Oh, just correct me if I am wrong lol

Read what my parents ordered after the break...

Cyma Mystery Diner for a Day!

January 19, 2013

Cyma Mystery Diner
Trinoma Branch

I was reluctant at first when I received an SMS from a representative of Cyma restaurant asking if I could be their Mystery Diner for a day. I asked myself "Is this some kind of a scam?", "A joke?" What?! Ok, that's what most people would ask, right? What does a Mystery Diner do?

 Watermelon & Lamb Salad (To Share PhP 630)

Fresh watermelon and grilled lamb with feta cheese, black olives, sunflower seeds and fresh mint served with Cyma's Summer Herb vinaigrette

After a few SMS exchanges, I found out that it's so simple. When chosen, you and whoever you are bringing, get to eat for free and in return, you have to answer a Mystery Diner feedback form, email it back to the company and that's about it.

There's a guideline on which category (salad, appetizer, main course-new!, dessert and drink) you should order but you are free to choose whatever is under that category. For example, under salad, DH and I chose Watermelon & Lamb Salad. It's our all-time favorite so the choice is a no-brainer ; p

 For other orders, read after the break....

J.CO opens it's first 24-hour store in Eastwood City

January 31, 2013

J.CO Donuts and Coffee
Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall
Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

Yesterday, I witnessed the grand opening of the 7th J.CO Donuts and Coffee store in the Philippines. Located at the bustling Eastwood City in Libis, this latest and biggest branch to-date is ready to serve you 24/7.

J.CO Eastwood City outlet

Founder of J.CO Donuts and Coffee, Johnny Adrean, flew in from Jakarta to grace the opening and join the festivities happening inside the newest outlet.

Find out what was in store for all media guests after the break...