Chocolatey Breakfast

 

 His sister got him a sans rival came from Aristocrat. She said she left it at the fridge but all we saw was a box of chocolate cake... Or so we thought.

She is a fan of chocolate cake and anything chocolate so she was more excited to dig in. We sliced the cake and to our surprise it was indeed a chocolate-coated sans rival.



She says...
I loved every bite. I was feeling unwell that day and that different twist from the usually boring butter coated sans rival and the the overwhelmingly decadent chocolate cake was the perfect boost to the roughly-textured layers of moistened crackers. I really just can't get enough.

She rates: 5/5

Another Coffee Partner?

I've been longing to once again taste my favorite oreo cheesecake from Starbucks when my friends decided that we meet at Starbucks Megastrip tonight.  On my way here, I said to myself, finally, am going to have a bite of my favorite treat. When i ordered at the counter, the barista initially repeated my order of oreo cheesecake and suggested that i try out their new offering, the triple chocolate cheesecake. He said that it offers an even chocolatier experience. I conceded abd changed my order. Along with it,  I got my usual caramel macchiato despite the fact that i was initially tempted to try out their hazelnut frapuccino but I guess my palate tonight wasn't as adventurous.

Food ordered: Triple Chocolate Fudge Cheesecake with Caramel Macchiato
Location: Starbucks, Megastrip,  SM Megamall
Cost: P120 slice of triple chocolate fudge cheesecake; P155 grande caramel macchiato

She says...
The caramel macchiato has remained constantly balanced. It just have the right amount of creaminess and sweetness that makes this coffee truly a bittersweet symphony. I have always liked this brew.
The triple chocolate fudge cheesecake on tge other hand was indeed chocolatey.  It had brownie bits and mini kisses as toppings while cocoa was indeed discernable in the cheesecake base. The crust was still similar to that of the oreo cheesecake but since everything was chocolate, it didn't really give an added zing to the treat. I don't think this new offering trumps my regular oreo cheesecake. The latter just has this nice blend of sweet chocolatey topping, a really creamy cake and a choco bonus crust. Indeed no more second helping for me.

She rates: 5/5 caramel macchiato; 3/5 triple chocolate fudge cheesecake

Stranded in the Airport

Airports are probably the most boring place to be. Whether you're waiting for your flight or awaiting for someone, it just isn't the most comfortable place to be. Good thing there are a few restos that line the terminals that despite the over-priceds goodies and treats, give you a better and more comfy place to ease the waiting experience.

Today, we were at the NAIA terminal 3. We were waiting for someone and had noted that their flights all got delayed. Thus we decided to lounge at one of the restos there: Le Bistro. It's a coffee, pastry and sandwich shop that also offers some pasta. We just had our lunch before heading here so we just got coffee and a slice of cake.

He as usual, opted for a cold, Iced Mocha, while she had her usual hot cappuccino. We also tried out their cappuccino almond cake slice.

Food Ordered: Iced Mocha for him, Hot Cappuccino for her, a slice of cappuccino almond cake

Location: Le Bistro, NAIA 3

Cost: P119 iced mocha; P99 cappuccino; P135 cappuccino almond cake

She says...

I think this is truly an ideal place to lounge when you're waiting at the terminal. The place is quiet, the seats are comfy, and they have free wifi. 

The coffee I had was alright. The cinnamon powder gave the cappuccino a nice twist. Otherwise it would have been simply brewed coffee with a bit of milk and sugar. 

As for the cappuccino almond cake, it was unexpectedly moist. I liked it. I guess it exceeded my expectation. It looked dry but the butter perhaps made this cake soft and moist. The icing was butter based as well. It had just the right amount of sweetness, while the almond slices gave this cake a slightly crispy texture. I did find it weird though that their was a faint taste of rhum in this cake.

She rates: 3/5 coffee; 3.5/5 cake

Reminiscing Malaysia

spicy version of Nasi Lemak's char kuey teow

Coupons is perhaps the latest craze that hit the Philippine market. It is where you get to enjoy perhaps the best deals in town. A few weeks ago he stumbled on this interesting deal, a half-price deal on a voucher in Nasi Lemak. It's a restaurant located in the east lane of the minotaur-friendly Robinsons Galleria. I personally found the name of the resto very interesting because it bore the name of the dish we stumbled upon while waiting for our return flight at the airport in Malaysia. When I ordered nasi lemak, I actually didn't have any idea what it was. I just saw the label "wraps" so I thought it was a sandwich. When we finally settled in the airport, after all the check-in procedures, voila! It turned out that nasi lemak is a dish that's got rice with sweet satay sauce, anchovies, pickled papaya, salted egg, and bagoong (shrimp paste). We were then non-rice eaters but we pretty much enjoyed the dish.

Going back to Nasi Lemak restaurant in Robinson's Galleria, we ordered the Nasi Lemak set, his all-time favorite char kuey teow, and milo dinosaur for the drinks.

Nasi Lemak's nasi lemak set

Food Ordered: Nasi Lemak set, Char Kuey Teow, Milo Dinosaur

Location: Nasi Lemak Restaurant, East Lane, Robinson's Galleria

Cost: Nasi Lemak set P260, Char Kuey Teow P220, Milo Dinosaur P118

Milo Dinosaur...
baka kasi mukha siyang brontosaurus

She says...

I really enjoyed the char kuey teow here. It had just the right blend of sweetness, spiciness, and yumminess. The noodles was firm. It was not a very oily dish. Compared to the char kuey teow in other restos, I liked this one the most. This one reminded me of the char kuey teow we had in Genting Highlands in Malaysia. He really liked the dish so when we got home, we've been shopping around several asian cuisine restos just to get a taste of the char kuey teow. This perhaps for me is the "one."

The nasi lemak set on the other hand was alright. The satay sauce was sweet and creamy. It had the essentials to make the dish a true nasi lemak such as the peanuts, anchovies, pickled papaya and shrimp paste although instead of the small sardine fish, they served a bigger fried fish and along with it a grilled chicken. The grilled chicken was very dry. The fish was unremarkable. The rice was sweet and creamy. It was perhaps a great dish but it just really didn't measure up.

Our drinks, the milo dinosaur was very delicious. It reminded me of the free milo served during sportsfest in my elementary days... The extra milo powder toppings was remarkably nice. I used to do that when I prepare my iced-cold glass of milo.

She rates: 3.5/5 Nasi Lemak; 5/5 Char Kuey Teow; 4/5 Milo Dinosaur

found another resto with char kuey teow on their menu!

He says...

Char Kuey Teow!!!!!

That pretty much sums up my feelings about this whole dinner. I first had the pleasure of having this fine meal when we were in Genting Highlands in Malaysia where we ordered 3 big plates of this dish. I ate two and a half of them. The Char Kuey Teow here is even more delicious than in Genting so I enjoyed myself even more.

When we ate the Nasi Lemak at the Airport in Malaysia, I disliked it because it was weird looking and weird tasting so I gave it to Anne and ended up eating round two at a popular international fastfood restaurant with a clown for a mascot. The Nasi Lemak here though was a different story, it was surprisingly good! It is no wonder they named this restaurant as such. The rice mixed with the satay sauce and peanuts and anchovies was freaking awesome! Of the two dishes, this was the more delicious one, the other dish just one ups this because I loved it in Malaysia and I have much love for char kuey teow.

The milo dinosaur was... meh. It was a stupid  finish to such a wonderful meal. Maybe we should have stuck with some coffee or maybe water.

He rates: 5/5 for the meal. 1/5 for the milo

Malaysian-Thai Dinner on a Banana Leaf

no plates... just banana leaves!

It was already about closing time when I reached Trinoma. Shops were already closing I didn't get there soon enough to find a pair of shoes that I was supposed to wear to a wedding the following day, thus we decided to just get something to eat. Since most of the shops inside were already closing, we headed to the fourth level where most restos and food bars are located. We scouted the area and saw Banana Leaf. I remember eating there one lunch about  years ago. It was where we celebrated his graduation day. I remember that the food tasted great but we haven't been able to return to any of its branches since.

Pad Thai-Banana Leaf style tastes more like char kuey chow

at first I thought it was all shreds... Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb

 Food Ordered: Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb and Pad Thai-Banana Leaf Style; Iced Malaysian Tarik and Iced Milk Tea Hong Kong Style for the drinks

Location: Banana Leaf, Trinoma

Cost: P238 Black Curry Lamb; P188 Pad Thai; drinks P68 each

while waiting

She says...

The food here tastes great. The wok fried black curry lamb (what a really lengthy name for a dish!) is really flavorful. It is mildly spicy that makes it really acceptable for those people who wants their food spiced but not flaming hot. The shreds that coated the lamb, presumably grated coconut added a pleasant texture to the dish. The pad thai noodles banana leaf style ('coz they also have a pad thai-thai style) tasted more like the char kuey chow we had in Genting Highlands in Malaysia.  The flat rice noodles was cooked just enough so that it ain't sloppy. Soy sauce was predominant in this dish while the bean sprouts added a juicy, crunchy texture. Eating them all in a banana leaf makes dining here extraordinary and pleasant. The Malaysia Tarik complemented the dishes that we had. It has that sweet creamy taste resembling a caramel toffee. 

She rates: 4/5 Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb; 3.5/5 Pad Thai-Banana Leaf Style; 3.5/5 Malaysia Tarik

 

taller tarik, stouter HK style iced milk teas

He says...

I've always liked Banana Leaf restaurant since the first time I ate there some years back. This visit is very special because we probably ordered their best foods yet!

The Pad Thai noodles reminded mo my favorite noodles back when I went to Malaysia, only tastier. This noodle had mo ingredients than before.

The lamb dish was excellent! It had a spicy flavor which I favor (rhyme!). Too bad we were a bit full then or I would have eaten them all there.

He rates: 5/5 for everything!

Street Food Frenzy

standing in line waiting for my treat...

We've always noted people flocking extraordinarily around a food stall in Cubao MRT. After a few times that we've been passing by it, we decided to give it a try. The food stall's name is "tusok," and their specialty, fried innards from chicken intestine (isaw) to pork innards (mag wheels) and so much more.

Food ordered: Fried Isaw

Location: Tusok Food stall, Cubao MRT station

Cost: P25 per 4 pieces

She says...
Fried isaw in this stall is really yummy. It's got a nice blend of sweetness and saltiness along with the chewy texture of the chicken intestine makes this a truly perfect yet inexpensive treat for a hungry Juan. I really love this treat that I can't wait to drop by this stall the next time we alight from Cubao MRT.

She rates: 4.5/5

He says...
I'm not a fan of fried intestines or isaw but when you're busy you just have to make do and if you happened to be in Cubao MRT, this is probably the best choice. Like all isaw it has the slimey texture of innards that I dislike. Good thing there's vinegar to cover it all up.
He rates: 2/5 (not hungry) 3.5/5 (when hungry)

An Afternoon Tea Party

a cup of hot Moroccan Mint Tea Latte

It's been raining hard all day, but despite that, we had to do a lot of errands that involved travelling from end to end across cities. To start with, we had a scheduled client appointment that very morning which got eventually cancelled due to "Typhoon Kabayan." Afterwards, we had to process are license renewal at PRC. Even though it was raining hard, we decided to go to PRC since we felt that the lines won't be long this time. (Most of the time, when you get there at 8am, the waiting line is tremendously long!) Indeed we were right. In just an hour, we both finished the renewal process despite having to go to and from across the street for the needed photocopy and paste.

We then headed to Trinoma as I needed to attend a meeting with my partners. since we got there early, we decided to sip some tea. (At least that's what I thought.) Anyway, we headed to Coffee Bean and I ordered a regular-sized vanilla tea latte and a Moroccan mint latte along with a chocolate chip cookie. I thought he wanted it hot since it's been cold all day only to find out he wanted the iced tea variant. He couldn't do anything though thus he just had to make do and wait for the cup of hot tea to cool down.

a cup of hot Vanilla Tea Latte

Location: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Trinoma, Quezon City

Food Ordered: Vanilla Tea Latte, Moroccan Mint Latte, Chocolate Chip Cookie

alost forgot to take a photo of the cookie!

She says...

I always like hot tea.I find them really calming. I especially like sipping on hot tea after a really heavy meal.   But I usually drink tea with just sugar or honey added. This is the first time I've actually tried drinking a tea latte. Since moroccan mint is my favorite tea variant, I opted to drink that one although I did try to taste the vanilla tea latte. The moroccan mint had a bolder and richer taste. I like it better thatn the vanilla tea latte since the latter was more milky in taste. The chocolate chip cookie on the other hand was nice. It wasn't oily and it just had the right texture, not too soft, not too hard either. The sweetness was also mild. I liked it.

She rates... 3.5/5 Vanila Tea latte,  4/5 Moroccan Mint Latte, 4/5 Chocolate Chip Cookies

in a really serious "work more" (DO NOT DISTURB)

Beyond Manila: Baguio Treats

Baguio's dynamic duo

Baguio has always been known for great tasting vegetables, strawberries and the famous ube (yam) jam from Good Shepherd. It's been a while since we've lasted tasted it so what remains is a faint memory of the creaminess and sweetness of their ube jam, until recently when his mom just got home from Baguio and brought home these delightful treats... jars of Good Shepherd ube jam and walnut wheat bread from Baguio Town and Country Club.

yummy yams...

She says....

The ube jam still tastes delicious, very creamy and rich with the right amount of sweetness. The consistency has not changed, still that same pasty consistency that you can eat it as is or spread it over some bread. I prefer roping it on bread.

The walnut wheat bread was not so tasty on its own. It had a rough texture owning to pure wheat, which makes this fiber-rich that's truly perfect for all dieters and health buffs. Topping it with the ube jam is a different story. This crusty bread is truly a perfect match for the mildly sweetened ube jam. Together, it was truly a perfect snack... Or a dieter's lunch! Two sliced of bread was really heavy on the tummy, you need not gobble more.

She rates:4.5/5 Ube jam, 4/5 Walnut Wheat bread

Hawaiian Mid-afternoon Snack-out

doesn't look like a resto from afar...

We were out to meet someone at UP Ayala Techno-Hub when we spotted this interestingly blue colored store that lie amidst all the different restos that forms a semi circle food hub. From afar, it didn't look anything like a resto. Compared to the rest of the food shoppes in the area, this one looked surprisingly lonely.... Had it not been for the poster with an ice cream on it, one would really think that it was an outlet store selling surfing gears.

Anyhow, we went inside and saw that it was indeed quiet. Just one man was seated in one of it's tables. We proceeded to order at the counter. It's like a fast-food chain, you place your order, pay at the counter, then after a while, your name will be called to pick up the goodies from the counter. We tried out their "best seller" wipe out burger and had cheese added to it. We also tried out their phat fries, which notably had fatter potato slices compared to most fries. For our drinks, she had a north shore pine iced tea, while he had the regular lemon iced tea.

burger to wipe out your hunger, 1/3lb beef patty!

Location: Hawaii's North Shore, UP-Ayala Techno-Hub
Food Ordered and Cost: Wipe Out Burger 1/3 lb patty-P165, add-on Cheddar Cheese-P15, Phat Fries-P60, North Shore Pine Tea (regular)-P60, Lemon Tea (large)-P50
Total Cost:P350

dining on a surfboard!

She says...

I like the ambiance of the place. They play soft but not sleepy kind of music. The surf board tables were really cute! As for the burger, it was really juicy. The patty was soft and tender. It was not like some other burger which have very rubbery and rigid patties. I also like the dressing that they placed on the burger, it had an adequate mix of sweetness, sourness, and yumminess. I also like how they sliced up the veggie into bits and pieces as it's often annoying when the lettuce just comes off when you bite off a burger.

The fries on the other hand was alright. It was not so crunchy but it wasn't flabby either. But like any other fries, it felt really fat-loaded.

The pine tea was interesting. It was not your usually iced tea. It had a hint of raspberry and a bit minty, just a little. Most importantly, it just had the right amount of sweetness.

Oh, I also received a freebie, a vanilla ice cream twirl since our bill had exceeded P180. Despite the rainy and cold weather, I enjoyed it so much. It actually had nothing fancy on it. It was just plain vanilla ice cream, but sometimes simple flavors, as long as they are full, can really make our palates happy.

She rates: 3.5/5 Wipe Out Burger, 3.5/5 Phat Fries, 4/5 Pine Tea, 4/5 Vanilla Iced Cream

pine or lemon?

phat or fat?

He says....

When I first saw their sign, I thought "What the heck? Hawaiian theme is sooo late 80s!" I went inside expecting some native-ish decor and hawaiian shirts and skirts but I was surprised that by Hawaiian they actually meant surfboards. They had surfboards for table.

Fancy.

This is a new food shop so we ordered their best selling stuff which is the burger. Amusing thing about their burger is that aside from the typical burger ingredients, you can add ingredients to them depending on your taste. We added cheese.

There were a few customers in the place so I expected their food to suck. They didn't. The burger, although not as dense and thick as the other burgers of its price range, was very delicious.

We also had their phat fries. They're thickly cut fries served with tomato. We ordered two. It was that good.

I don't know why there were so few people there. Maybe because it was raining really hard that day.

He rates...

4/5

A Really Confusing Dinner

this place I think, used to be a car repair shop

ChickBoy is not a boy who has a lot of chicks (girls) or neither is it a half boy and half chick (again, girl). This is actually the name of the restaurant. They rode on the name's loaded meaning to probably try to jump start their business' notoriety and therefore it's popularity.

We've been passing by this restaurant for quite sometime now since it's very close to our home. We just never really got to going in because of 1) the parking is always full, 2) restaurants that use puns are usually cheap and disgusting, and 3) the restaurant was formerly a car repair shop (if I remember correctly). This time we got a parking (sort of) and I was feeling curious.

Their specialties are chicken (Chick) and pig or baboy (Boy) in Filipino but they also have seafoods and vegetables. This restaurant also offers liquor which suggests that this is a sort of hangout place for drinkers on a Friday night.

For this visit we tried their Lechon meal, calamares fritos, eggplant and, the ever present, iced tea.

not so 'fatty' lechon bits

Location: ChickBoy, Timog Ave., Quezon City

Food Ordered and Cost: Lechon Meal P99, Calamares Fritos P150, 

Eggplant P25, Iced Tea (bottomless) P35

He says...

side-street calamares tastes even better :( 

I was a bit panicked when ordering because there was so many food and Anne was already pressuring me to pick an order so I ended up choosing the calamares fritos. The calameres itself was cooked well and the quality of the squid was excellent because it didn't feel like I was eating rubber but calamares is usually complimented by its sauce. This wasn't. We were given mayonnaise for dip. It's disgusting.

The lechon on the other hand was great! It tasted like it came from a freshly roasted pig unlike most grilled or roasted pork meat I've tasted so far. It was well matched by the sauce -- a semi-sticky mix of I-don't-know-what-but-I-like-it. It's the best lechon I've tasted ever and I regret not ordering two of this.

I did't taste the eggplant because it didn't look inviting so only Anne ate it (also because it was her order). The iced tea was very regular and no different from the ones you can make at home with ready to mix iced tea.

He rates: 5/5 lechon; 2/5 calamares; 3/5 iced tea.

he says this tastes like 'sock soup', I beg to disagree

She says...

I like how fast they served the orders. It was really amazing. If you're so hungry I guess this is the place for you. Apart from that I think they do offer unlimited rice (something which we didn't avail as "we're on a diet").

As for the food we ordered, the lechon was really yummy. I like how flavorful the roasted pork meat tasted. It also had an easy to chew-on consistency which is a major plus factor. I initially thought I would need a vinegar-garlic-salt combo for the dip but then when I tried out their sticky and clear looking sauce, it was perfect! It had the right amount of vinegar and condiments that truly made the lechon even more yummy.

pure sugar iced tea, no need for dessert!

The other food we ordered we really disappointing though. The calamari was soft, crunch and easy to chew but it merely tasted like fried flour. Even with the mayo siding, the taste did not improve.

The eggplant with bagoong on the side was alright. I looked boiled but it appeared oily. They didn't use fresh eggplant. I know this because the eggplant's texture was really rubbery.... really awful.

The free soup on the other hand was tasty. It was just a simple meat broth that reminded me of the soup my mom prepares when I'm sick.

Lastly, I really don't like their iced tea. It's so sweet. It had too much sugar in it.

She rates:  5/5 lechon, 2/5 eggplant ,  1/5 calamari,  2.5/5 iced tea