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...

MAPLE in Shangri-la East Wing

May 12, 2013

Maple
L/G Shangri-La Plaza, East Wing
EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard,
Mandaluyong City
6216211

PROMO!!!

Get HALF the price at Maple Shangri-La Plaza Mall East Wing branch when you charge a minimum bill of PhP 1,000 to your Citi Card. Enjoy a maximum discount of PhP 2, 500 per visit. Valid from May 20 to May 26, 2013. For inquiries calls 4778027 or 4777248.

Alas! After salivating from so many photos of Maple dishes taken by Instagram users that I follow, I was finally able to try it during Mother's Day ; )

The Maple Burger PhP 475

A juicy grilled patty, American cheese, lettuce, pickles, tomatoes, fried onion rings and maple glazed bacon

I will start with The Maple Burger, the patty was juicy. The melted cheese on top kept the burger compact even after slicing it into four for sharing ; p I noticed that the bun was small for its burger though. The bacon was cooked just the way I like it. How I wish there were several more onion rings on the side and not just three. After all, I am paying PhP 475 for this meal alone.

And, uh, I think the country fries do not belong with this order but in The Big Maple Breakfast ; p I don't know why it was served together with The Maple Burger. I just noticed it while writing this entry.

For other dishes on our table, read 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...

New Find: Burger Bar in Greenbelt 2

January 14, 2013

Burger Bar
2nd Fl. Greenbelt 2
Ayala Center, Makati

A friend invited me over to try out the newest burger in town- Burger Bar. In this restaurant, you can be The Boss because you can actually choose everything that goes in your burger, yes, even the bun!

The Hangover Burger (single patty) PhP 285

Onion griddles double patty Big Game Blend of hanger and brisket, yellow cheddar, crisp proscuitto, fried egg, arugula, caramelized onions, BBQ sauce & house aiola all on a sesame bun

Since all four of us are first-timers, we decided to give Burger Bar's hand-crafted, freshly ground on-site, custom blended patties a try. These are 100% pure beef and are seared only upon order.

The Hangover Burger was actually served last but it's sooo good that I am making it this post's primary photo. It doesn't hurt that it looks good too ; p

To taste a little bit of everything, each burger, except for The Lamb Burger, were divided into four. Imagine our fear of splitting the burger into four when The Hangover was served to us. At one point, we all thought that the egg yolk will spill over but it did not. We were all able to eat our fair share of the burger ; )

The Hangover is also available in double patties for PhP370. 

Robinsons Magnolia: The French Baker

August 27, 2012

The French Baker

Supermarket

Robisons Magnolia

Aurora Blvd., New Manila

Quezon City

Before anything else, you might be interested to join my giveaway, win over PhP 4,000 worth of NEAT FEAT products!!!

Last Monday, after eating Korean Barbecue over at my house, my family and I went to Robinsons Magnolia for an afternoon coffee. Since Starbucks is not yet open, we picked The French Baker.

clubhouse sandwich with barbecue chips PhP 190

Ok, we had a light snack too ; p We shared an order of  clubhouse sandwich. A set includes 4 triangle-shaped sandwiches, barbecued potato chips and a vegetable side salad. I can't get enough of these crunchy potato chips, I think I ate almost half of it ; p The side salad dressing is light and appealing to my taste.

Birthday Lunch at Torch!

May 2, 2012

Torch 

Home Studio Building

63 Connecticut St., 

Greenhills, San Juan City

Don't be confused! I know I wrote about celebrating my birthday in Sariwon, Bonifacio High Street Central. What I didn't tell you is that I had lunch that day with my neighbor and fellow blogger Rowena in Torch.

 salpicao tenders PhP219.95

The restaurant is located along Connecticut St. You will not miss it because it is housed within the huge Home Studio Building. Be sure to be there early as parking slots are limited. 

Anyway, with only PhP1000 gift certificate on hand, we decided to just share whatever we order. I am a rice person so ordering a rice topping is a must. 

Salpicao Tenders is only served between 7:00 am to 10:30 am with complimentary bottomless House Blend Coffee. Since our visit was for blogging purposes, we were allowed to order a plate of sauteed US Angus beef tenderloin cubes with egg and garlic rice. Our verdict: Very Satisfactory. The beef was tender, almost melt in your mouth kind. No coffee was served.

The Works Bistro in Il Terrazzo

April 19, 2012

The Works Bistro

2nd Level, Il Terrazzo

Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Sct. Madrinan,

Quezon City

When a college friend and I had an impromptu meet-up, we decided to set it over lunch in The Works Bistro. Parking is a huge problem in Tomas Morato area that's why I like to set up lunch meetings in Il Terrazzo. The outer parking is free of charge while inner and basement parking cost only PhP35.

Chef's Work (to share) PhP175

Chef's Work had a lot of fresh greens topped with tomatoes, slices of beef and parmesan cheese. The dressing was not enough though. The serving was big, we could not even finish the entire thing! In fact, we were not able to taste the bread on the side.

Nestle Fitnesse... now is the best time to shape up!

My event: February 23, 2012

Nestle Fitness Shape Up Your Lifestyle

Featuring Zumba Fitness

Top of the Citi by Chef Jessie

34/ F Citibank Tower

8741 Paseo de Roxas,

Makati City

I am addicted to Zumba! In fact, I am currently enrolled in one of the studios near my house. When I got an invite to attend a fitness event featuring a Zumba class, how can I say no? 

a bowl of Nestle Fitnesse Honey & Almonds with apricot and cranberries

Whole grain food, such as Nestle Fitnesse cereal makes you feel fuller longer because it is high in volume and low-calorie density. 

While waiting for the event to start, we were treated to a healthy breakfast courtesy of Nestle Fitnesse. Three choices were available- Low Fat Whole Grain Cereal, Fitnesse &  Fruit and Honey & Almond. The cereal was complemented by Nestle Low Fat 100% Fresh Cow's Milk and some dried fruits and nuts. This was a nice alternative to my usual bread with peanut butter breakfast ; p

Flapjacks Blockbuster Favorite- It's Back... Better... Best!

Commercial break!

Flapjacks 

Greenhills Theater Mall

San Juan City

Flapjacks is bringing it all back! Presenting the comeback of Flapjacks' blockbuster favorite! I was given a voucher to sample the items on their "Back... Better... Best" menu.

mango exotica (lunch) PhP195

My parents and I used the voucher last Tuesday after my work out at the gym nearby. I know what you are thinking! Don't judge me, ok? At least I work out before I eat ; p

I gave the voucher to the manager and he immediately acknowledged it. As I browsed through the menu that was handed to us by the waiter, a salad called Mango Exotica immediately caught my eye. 

Mango Exotica is made up of romaine lettuce topped with slices of mangoes, croutons, California raisins, grilled chicken and tangy mango vinaigrette. Dried cranberries replaced the almond slivers. 

My mom could not stop raving about the salad. I caught her saying "Hmmm ang sarap!" as she was munching on it lol Crunchy veggies and the cranberries really made the difference. Mango Exotica is also available in Regular portion for only PhP325.

Australian Lamb Chops in Zucchini's Quezon City

My visit: May 2, 2011

Zucchini's

20 Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor Sts.,

Quezon City

4155533   3765896

I always wanted DH to surprise me whenever my birthday comes. And yes, I am usually surprised because he doesn't make any restaurant reservation haha 

We were supposed to dine in Lemuria in Horseshoe Drive but when DH called that day he found out that the restaurant is close every Monday. Lucky him because last I heard Lemuria is a pretty expensive restaurant hehe I was in fact shocked that he considered dining there.

Zucchini's Australian lamb chops with apple mashed potato and mint sauce PhP1350

We eventually ended up in Zucchin's. It was not our first time to dine in this restaurant. In fact, we were able to try out their steak back in their old location in Timog.

I like fine dining restaurants because of the ambiance. It's like having your own private nook even though just a few steps away from you there is another table.

Their Australian lamb chops is quite expensive. I would rather eat in Spiral, Sofitel Hotel. For a few peso more, I get unlimited serving of lamb chops and a buffet to boot. Or I can never ever forget my lamb chops in La Reserve, a French, air conditioned restaurant in Boracay. The lamb chops are succulent, juicy and yummy for just half the price.

I like the unique taste of apple mashed potato on the side though. Tiny bits of apple are mixed in with mashed potatoes. It's my first time to try it and I like the combination.  

Icings Cakes, Breads & Cafe

My visit: December 9, 2010

Icings Cakes, Breads & Cafe

101 Sct. Lazcano St., 

Quezon City

It's always nice when it's Christmas time! I get to bond with friends who I get to see only at this time of the year. My 2 college buddies and I decided to meet and eat at Icings in Quezon City. 

This is my second time to dine here. The first time was during Tipco event. I like the salad that was served so I made a mental note that I will come back hehe

 grilled pork chop in fruit sauce PhP175

I ordered pork chop rice. Since I have an ulcer, I didn't touch the pineapple and its sauce. I don't want to spend the rest of the day having cramps. The grilled apple is a delight! The pork chop is quite small but nonetheless tasty!

Spanish bread by Sonya's Garden

My family and I went on a road trip yesterday. We went to Tagaytay at 3pm when most families were already getting out of the city. Traffic was horrible on the other side of the lane while we were having a travel bliss if there is such a thing haha

Spanish bread PhP120/ 10pcs.