Alain's Exploits: The Tea Republic

Waiting is a tedious task. It's unproductive and mind-numbingly boring. I've never been a fan of waiting (just ask Anne) so when I  went to an interview, I went very early. I was presented with the problem of how to ease my mind while waiting for the set schedule. Then just like a lightbulb lighting up in old cartoons, I was presented with a counter-action plan of my own: Eat!

I was quite lucky since I was waiting at the Enterprise Bldg Tower 2 in Makati, which is home to several  cafes and restos. I spotted The Tea Republic, a place I rarely go to.

*Looks at lower right* Perfect!

The place itself is cozy. The lighting and the decor matches the furnitures, the wall and the floor. The chairs are comfortable and the place is airconditioned. There is WiFi if you have a WiFi capable device (smartphones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks, etc). If you're waiting for your date, this place will be your Nirvana.

Classy Almost.. foreign.

This was early in the morning (around 8AM) so I opted for their breakfast sets. Being in Makati, which is probably the biggest business center in the Philippines and where a lot of foreigners are, I tried some of the American Breakfast meal. It is made up of waffles, bacon and egg. I partnered that with iced tea (not American but still foreign).

If you weren't hungry before, you're hungry now.

It's no wonder this combo is very popular in the US and in many restaurants pretending to be from the US. The combination itself is excellent. The sweet sweet fat from the bacon compliments the egg's taste and coupled with the oil absorbing properties of the waffles, you enjoy the trio with no problem.

This is probably also because the bacon and waffles they used were of top quality. I'm a fan of bacon and I'm not afraid to admit it. Anne doesn't like me liking it but I do and I know when a bacon is very good or very cheap. The waffles had a slightly sweet taste which you can enhance with the honey, although, overdosing it with honey is not recommended because it will taste weird (I tried it).

A close up: Are you hungry now?

I have to say this is the best American breakfast I've tasted EVER.

Ratings:

Place: 4.5/5

Food: 5/5

Drink: 4/5

Anne's Laboratory: Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

my first batch of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!

I love chocolate chips in cookies but not really a fan of chocolate chip cookies due to their very floury feel on the mouth. I also love oatmeal cookies but I don't like raisins in them, thus I had this idea of making my very own version of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies. Also, oatmeal cookies makes me feel less guilty because of the rich fiber content oatmeal is known to have. Also, the chocolate chips in oatmeal makes it less grainy and more yummy!

Here's what you'll need:

1. 1 cup butter or margarine (it is said that margarine has lesser fat content than butter so I chose the latter)
2. 11/3 cup sugar
3. 2 large eggs
4. 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5. 3 cups oatmeal
6. 11/2 cup all-purpose flour
7. 1 teaspoon baking soda
8. 1 teaspoon salt
9. 1 cup chocolate chips

Tools:

1. Mixer
2. Mixing bowls
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Rubber spatula
5. Cookie sheet is preferred but a baking pan will do
6. Wax paper
7. Oven
8. Oven thermometer

Here's how to do it...

all-set and ready for the pan

Make sure your butter or margarine is soft enough for your mixer to handle. Don't melt the butter, it'll give your cookies the horrible and sloppy consistency. What I usually do is take the butter or margarine out of the fridge an hour before  I start baking.

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit, that is, 204.4 degrees Celsius.

Place the softened butter or margarine in a mixing bowl, add in the sugar. Using the mixer, beat the sugar and butter or margarine  until creamy. That'll take you about 2 to 3 minutes.

Add in the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Then beat in the vanilla extract. Vanilla extract is really potent. Just a small amount and it'll make your mixture very aromatic.

Anyway, set aside this mixture and get another bowl. In the second bowl, combine the oats, flour, salt, and baking soda. Make sure you stir them evenly. Add this mixture to the earlier creamed mixture and beat until the mixture has been well mixed. Add in the chocolate chips and mix to distribute them evenly.

they need enough room to grow and flatten out

Line the cookie sheet with wax paper if you're using aluminium pans/ cookie sheets. Then drop a spoonful of the mixture into the pan. Make sure you give them enough room for it to spread or else you'll end up with a pan-sized cookie instead of having bite-sized pieces. When you're done placing the the mixture, spoonful each, into the pan, you're now ready to bake them.

If you prefer chewy cookies, bake them for 8-9 minutes. For  crispy cookies, bake them for 10-11 minutes.

Once they're done, take them out from the oven and leave them to cool for 1-2 minutes then take them out and place them in a wire rack to further cool them down.  Store in a tightly sealed container or serve them out to your family and friends an enjoy this really nice afternoon treat.

chewy cookie variant

Have a great day!

Ante-dinner Pancit Lucban Affair

a take-out food from Buddy's

Dieting is really tough when people around you tempts you with food you surely can't refuse. Yesterday, his mom brought home a box of Buddy's Pancit Lucban! Yes, indeed! It was in a box, like all other take-out food. No longer fo they serve them in bulky bilaos thus sparing them from too much foil and banana leaves!

We used to eat at Buddy's located in the open-air food plaza in Market!Market! when we visit the condo in BGC but I think it was only last year when they had opened a branch along Timog. We'd usually eat the pancit with a dozen on longganisa. Anyway, last night, we just had the pancit.

a hearty serving of pancit Lucban

Location: @home, take-out food from Buddy's

Food Ordered: Pancit Lucban

Cost: not sure

She says...

chomping on another spoonful of pancit!

This pancit from Buddy's is quite yummy. It really carries a different taste as compared to the usual pancit Canton or bihon that's traditionally served every birthday "for long life. Indeed Filipinos have such a number of beliefs and pamahiin. Going back to Buddy's pancit Lucban, it was tasty. The meat in it had bigger slices compared to the usual bits and pieces noted in commonly served pancit. It also had plenty of vegetables in it. It was really flavorful but quite oily at the same time. The pack came with vinegar and adding the vinegar into the pancit lessens the oily, greasy feeling on the palate. I really like this noodle treat. It's really something worth considering when planning the menu for my next birthday.

She rates:4/5

He says...

Buddy's restaurant has really great food and one of their specialty is the Pancit Lucban -- a noodle-type food with lots of toppings. This pancit has a lot of toppings and also varied in types. There are different vegetables and meat in it.

The oil and other seasoning give this food a very strong flavor. It's so strong that even old person can probably taste them.  If you're on a diet. This is not for you. The oil in this thing is so thick that the box it came with is soaked in it.

However, as delicious as this is, this is still not the best pancit out there.

He rates: 4.5/5

Arabian Night Food Fest (Part3)

is that a Jordanian flag?

Eating at Shawarma Snack house perhaps wouldn't be complete without getting to taste their shawarma. Thus, as finale to this 3 part series, we shall be scrutinizing the food where this resto has been named after... shawarma.They serve 2 variants, the chicken and the beef... but we tried out the beef.     

beef-filled pita wrap

Location: Shawarma Snack House

Food Ordered: Beef Shawarma

Cost: about P100

She says...

beef pita wrap

This was truly a beef shawarma! I could taste the beef, although it was not well roasted. More of like boiled beef. It was soft in consistency. Quite flavorful but not really intense. There weren't much other filling, just a few onion slices but I couldn't really discern if there were cabbage added into it. Had it not been for the garlic and chili sauces,  this would have been a plain-tasting dish. Although, it did taste better than your regular food stall shawarma.

She rates: 4/5

He says...

I hate unground beef because they're usually very hard to chew. This shawarma has this and plenty of it (more than most shawarma makers care to give). Surprisingly it wasn't that difficult to eat.  After eating this food item, I finally accepted the fact that this restaurant prepares its food way better than the other restaurants. Now if it only had some salted fries in it and it would be perfect. Yes, there is such a food item as Shawarma with Fries. I've tasted it before.

He rates: 4.5/5

Arabian Nights Food Fest (Part2)

Falafel @Shawarma Snack Center

Another food on the menu that we tried at Shawarma Snack Center was their Humus with Pita Bread and their falafel. It was a year ago when, after that trip to Kuala Lumpur, we had been hooked into trying out food of middle eastern cuisine and the search for the best tasting humus.

plateful of humus variants and falafel balls

Location: Shawarma Snack House

Food Ordered: Humus and Falafel with Pita Bread

Cost: around P200 each

She says....

This perhaps was the best tasting humus. We got to try out 3 humus variations in this restaurant and I was overwhelmed at how tasty they were. It just had the right amount of spice and olive oil that blended perfectly right to the slightly rough texture of grounded chickpeas. Eating it with the pita bread and adding in their special garlic and chili sauces made this dish something to go crazy for. It was just so so yummy!

The falafel on the other was weird looking. Dark brown in color with the shape of a flattened ball with a hard crust (maybe this was deep fried), but with a really soft and mushy center. I believe this is made of ground vegetables and potatoes and rolled into a ball. Together with the yogurt dip, this was truly a meal  worth the second helping.

"I will consume thee!!!! Nomnomnom" - Alain

She rates: humus 5/5, falafel 5/5

He says...

When I first heard about Humus (from the move You Don't Mess With The Zohan by Adam Sandler) it sounded like some pasty stuff middle easterners just like to put on their food. Kinda like rice for us Pinoys. Since it was portrayed comically, I never had an inkling to even try it but after actually trying it out, we actually liked it.

We've tasted humus across different Middle Eastern restaurants but this restaurant has the best one. They carry three flavors and all are excellent.

The falafel was different. It was my sister's suggestion. She said it was good but she was wrong. She totally under-rated it. It was very good. It's the first time I've eaten it yet I've already fallen in-love with it. Just so yummy!

He rates: 5/5

Arabian Nights Food Fest (Part1)

an evening outside the streets of Salas

After a fun-filled night watching the wonderful act of Cirque Du Soleil's Varekai which was really awesome and totally worth it for the price we paid for the entrance, we headed to Manila's hidden gastronomic gems. This time it was the Shawarma Snack House located in Salas Street, near Mabini Street, Ermita, Manila.

You see, there are two Shawarma Snack Houses located on both sides of the street. The one on the right side was the open, canteen-type shawarma station which offers basically beef and chicken shawarma variants, either served on plate or in a pita wrap. They offer a cheaper version of the menu which are served on the left side of the street, their Shawarma Snack House restaurant.

We headed to their restaurant which really offered an authentic middle eastern ambiance. In their menu, apart from food, they also offered sheesha on a hooka or water pipe with several different herbs you can smoke on. We didn't try them out though.

Anyway, we tried a few of their wide range menu of food  whose names we had difficulty pronouncing. Among those were the Felafel or the deep fried vegetable pastry with a yogurt dip, their beef shawarma,  humus with pita, and their beef keema.

beef keema @Shawarma Snack Center

Location: Shawarma Snack Center

Food Ordered: Beef Keema

Cost: approximately P250 per order, couldn't recall the exact price

She says...

thickest pita we've encountered!

The beef keema was very tasty. It was slightly oily and was quite spicy. We ate it along side with the pita bread and it was really perfect. For an appetizer, it was quite heavy on the tummy. Adding their special garlic sauce, on of the best I've ever tasted, and a drop of chili sauce, made the keema even yummier.

She rates: 5/5

He says...

I've liked Mediterranean food since the first time I've tasted it but this Keema is really a different class on its own. It still retains the aroma and texture present in other Mediterranean foods but it has a distinct flavor of its own.

The beef used here is grounded well. It is very soft and has a strong aroma and taste. Partnering it with pita bread and you got yourself a full meal.

He rates: 5/5

Beyond Manila: Bacolod's Napoleones

Sweet things... yumm...

Today, we'll take a breather from the many foods we get to eat here in Manila and we'll be checking out this special treat we received as pasalubong from  the city of smiles, Bacolod City, the napoleones. It is a type of puffed pastry with custard filling and glazed with sweet sugar on top. Truly a treat from our country's sugar capital!

She says...

I Liked how this little square shaped treat tastes. I'm an avid fan of sweets but this one truly gives you different levels of sweetness that just makes my mouth water each time I recall how this one tasted.he custard filling was really soft and creamy. The pastry itself was a bit rubbery from the perhaps supposedly crunchy  texture, perhaps because this treat had rode an airplane just to get into our palates. Anyhow, the different textures and tastes was truly in harmony with each other. I can't wait to dig in on the second batch lying around in the fridge.Yikes! Another diet day ruined....

She rates: 5/5

I'm not on a diet. not.

He says...

Almost everyone loves sweets. They can induce bliss in all of us (some more than others).

I also love sweets. I pretty much eat at least one sweet food every week. The sweeter the food, the better. The moment the food touches your tongue, you immediately know how sweet it gonna be.

Not so with this particular brand of Napoleones. Although it is covered in white frosty icing, you won't be able to tell how sweet it us when you bite it. Yes, it tastes sweet but not that sweet. It tastes more like just bread. You chew on and you realize that the food is getting sweeter in your mouth and then BOOM! You get to experience its full sweetness. It's a weird sensation since most sweets are only as good as the first bite.

You can actually hear the explosion in your head

He rates: 5/5

Stuffed Pastry Treat

quiet food stall near MRT Ayala exit

Walking long distances, riding in a congested train and alighting in almost the farthest station would truly make one hungry. Perhaps that is the reason why MRT stations are lined with several different food stalls to choose from. One of which had caught our eye, Empanada Especiale. It's just a small food stall selling empanadas or stuffed baked pastry.  They offered 4 variants, chicken, ham and cheese, tuna, and pork.

We tried out their ham and cheese and chicken variants.

Location: Empanada Especiale, Ayala MRT Station

Food Ordered: Ham and Cheese and Chicken Empanada

Cost: P20 each

She says...

The stuffed pastry was really tasty. The chicken variant reminded me of the empanadas baked and sold in bakeries in the province, really tasty, meaty and so flavorful. The ham and cheese variant on the other hand was the one I liked most. The pastry really had that huge chunk of semi-molten cheese inside that was wrapped around a slice of sweet ham. It was just perfect.

She rates: 5/5

He says...

Empandas on my hand!

Who would have thought you'd find delicious empanada on an MRT station? Edible, sure. Decent, perhaps. But delicious, that's something else.

The empanada from this stall reminded me of  one of my favorite snack houses in the province. There was a right balance between the wrapping and the filling. The bread does not overwhelm the meat and vice versa. I liked both but the ham and cheese variant reminded me more of that snack house and so I liked it more.

This is one of those stalls that I'm sure I'll always be visiting when I pass by MRT Ayala.

He rates: 5/5

Amber's Golden Dinner Set

Imagine this: The rainy season has just (officially?) ended. The heavens have been kind to you and you were provided with a nice and warm weather for the week. What do you do?

Take a nice stroll outside and celebrate by eating out, of course!

And that's exactly what we did. Just conveniently located on the corner of Tomas Morato and Scout Castor streets in Quezon City, we took a small walk to this very simple looking establishment called Amber's Golden Bowl Restaurant. The place doesn't look so much like a typical restaurant in Tomas Morato but more of an upgraded carinderia (filipino. noun. a small food joint).

"Who needs interior designers if you have great food, right?"

The restaurant mostly caters to takeouts (or "To go" for Starbucks fans out there) that's why they only have an ordering counter and some bar stools lining the counter on the first floor. If you prefer to eat in, they have some seats on the second floor. The joint itself is open so you're treated to a bit of al fresco dining.

Alfresco dining - pinoy version

For this little excursion, we ordered the pork barbecue (for the meat) and the restaurant's famous pancit malabon (a noodle based food) and pichi-pichi (a local snack item) - the variant with the cheese. 

Don't be scared. That's just the cheese toppings.

She says...

Amber's Golden Bowl Restaurant reminds me of old chinese restaurants where we used to eat lomi and bihon. The area was not well ventilated. At 3 in the afternoon it was really humid. The barbequed pork tasted like its been prepared hours ago, not even a hint of getting reheated. Although, it did taste sweet and flavorful. The pancit malabon, which is one of their house specialties, had a full taste of atchuete, coconut milk and chicharon. It tasted nice but really the tastiest of all. The pitchi pitchi on the other hand was superb! It just had the right amount of sweetness, with a really soft almost jelly-like consistency and with an overload of grated cheese on top. This perhaps is the best pitchi pitchi that I've ever tasted.

Cool...ed?

She rates: pancit malabon-3.5/5, pork bbq-2.5/5, pitchi pitchi- 5/5

He says...

The pancit malabon tastes really good. Although it is not the best, it is one of the good ones (and I've tasted some really bad ones). Eating this with the egg slices, shrimp cuts and pork barbecue gives you a really satisfied feeling. Just thinking about sends shivers down my spine and a tongue drooling for more.

Drool worthy

Their famous pichi-pichi is famous for a reason -- it is the best pichi-pichi I've tasted in my life! This pichi-pichi itself is very soft and yet solid. It's soft enough to chew easily without stressing your jaws but solid enough to not stick on to your mouth. There are no hard residues (from the cooking process) anywhere in the pichi-pichi which is quite common on other pichi-pichi I've eaten. The cheese only adds more flavor to an already delectable chow. Being a meat lover, I partnered that again with the barbecue and, like in the movie Ratatouille, my whole childhood play right before my eyes.

He rates: 5/5 for this combo!

P.S. They have a site! Check it out HERE!

In The Company Of The Fishes

It was the first day of showing for the second part of Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows (a.k.a. HP7) and we took the last schedule for the show. We were both hungry so we decided to return to one of our favorite food shops in Trinoma -- Fish & Co.

This restaurant's specialty is, you guessed it, fishes and sea foods. Although they also offer pork and other meat based food in their menu, don't expect too much from them because they're really all about fishes. Which is why we tried two items: one of fish and another of pig. Another way to look at it is: one of specialty and one of experiment.

Location: Fish & Co, top floor,TriNoMa Mall

Food Ordered: New York Fish and Chips, Barbecue Pork Ribs ("Just for me" size)

Cost: 441.96 each (VAT Excluded)

She says...
Fish & Co.'s New York Fish and Chips have always been our favorite. I personally loved the parmesan cheese that is in every bite of this treat. The outer shell was crispy but it's amazingly soft and juicy in the inside. The blend of tartar sauce, pickles and garlic plus the squirt of lemon juice enhances the taste even more.

The fries siding is just your usual fried potato but with a less salty taste. Not sure though if it has lesser sodium content.

The barbequed pork ribs on the other hand was not so pleasing. The meat itself was bland. It tasted like boiled meat without even a hint of salt in it. Dipping it in their bar-be-que sauce gives it an average taste that appears notably to have had too much Worcestershire sauce added into it. Just maybe not my type. The seafood rice siding on the other hand was like jave rice, plain tasting, purely turmeric I guess. t didn't have a hint of seafood in it. All you can notice is the overload of red and green bell peppers.

She rates: NY Fish and Chips 5/5, Bar-be-que Pork Ribs 2/5,  Seafood Rice 2.5/5
He says...

As I said above, this is one of our favorite places to go to in Trinoma Mall. Their specialty here are their fish and chips, which they have three variants, and we found, through repeated visits, that the most favorable (for us) is their New York Fish and Chips. It has the taste of Parmesan Cheese all over it. The taste is still mild but you can remedy that by adding some of their special dip. You control the proportions of the dip's ingredients are but however you want to do it, it has the same taste but only differ in intensity.

Also, as said above, pork is not their specialty so I didn't expect much but their pork was still delicious anyway. It still had that flavor that could almost rival some very good steak houses but it has some flaws. The flavor isn't as full and the meat isn't as soft.

He rates: 5/5 New York Fish and Chips. 4/5 BBQ Pork Ribs

An Evening in Muang Thai

half serving of pad thai noodles @Muang Thai

Just finished a session of Aikido at the Philippine Heart Center dojo and we were so hungry. We thought of eating in the nearby concessionaires like Jollibee and Chow King but felt we needed something new, something different on our palates. Thus just a few strides behind Philippine Heart Center, along Malakas St. I think, we found a resto, Muang Thai, that looks like a cute house. It's just close to McDonald's (which is currently on renovation) and just right beside Pancake House. They serve authentic Thai cuisine as well as sell embellishments that bear Thai influence like pots and serving bowls as well as other goodies. 

We ordered half binagoongan rice, half pad thai noodles (yes, although not stated in their menu, they do allow you to order just half-a-serving), and grilled pork. We also had house iced tea for their drink.

half serving of binagoongan rice @Muang Thai

grilled pork on a hot plate @Muang Thai

Location: Muang Thai, Malakas St.

Food Ordered: 1/2 Pad Thai Noodles, 1/2 Binagoongan Rice, Grilled Pork, 2 Bottomless Iced Tea

Cost: Total of P508 (Can't give you a breakdown, my apologies)

in my favorite corner spot...

She says...

I loved Pad Thai noodles. The texture of the noodles was just right, 'al dente' perhaps. It was really flavorful and had a certain nutty taste owing to the crushed peanuts that topped the the noodles. The binagoongan rice was just as yummy. It was topped with caramelized pork, strips of green mango, and strips of egg omelet. The different textures and tastes was just perfectly in harmony with each other. The grilled pork on the other hand tasted like any other marinated pork, however, when we poured the sauce over the pork, which was served in a sizzling pan, there was a significant difference in taste, a bit sweet, a bit salty, and truly meaty taste. The iced tea on the other hand was just your normal sweet cold iced tea.

third refill...

What I like about the place on the other hand was its homey feel. It was like an old house with tables and chair made of hard wood (seats were not cushioned). The large water fountain on the side added a relaxing feeing to the total ambience of the place. The people there were pleasant and most of all, they give additional discount to PHC employees!

She rates: Pad Thai: 5/5, Binagoongan Rice: 4.5/5, Grilled pork: 4.5/5, Iced Tea: 3/5, Place: 4/5, Service: 4/5

He says...

I love this place. The food is very compatible with my taste and yet so unique in its own way. The Pad Thai noodles was especially delicious. I cannot recommend it enough. It is one of the most delicious pasta-like food stuff out there, even better than our own pancits.

The Grilled Pork was also delicious if you mix it with their vinegar mix. Without the vinegar it tastes just like an average steak but with it, it becomes the most delicious.

He rates: 5/5 for the food. 3/5 for the iced tea.

A Burger to Crave For

Crave Burger Combo 1

We were in BGC to settle some things at a condo and do some clean up when we got hungry. Not much options there but we did saw a small stall right behind the corner, Crave Burgers. We ordered their classic combo meal which contains a burger, skinny fries, and a red iced tea or blue lemonade of your choice. We had the drinks upsized for P10 additional. The offered free delivery service with no extra charge since our unit was nearby.

the burger @Crave

the skinny fries @Crave

Location: Crave Burger, Bonifacio Global City

Food Ordered: Combo 1= single patty crave burger, skinny fries, red iced tea

Cost: P190 (additional P10 for upsizing the drinks to 16 oz.)

She says...

The burger was huge. It had to be, since this is quite expensive for a  burger. The beef patty  was grilled, didn't experience dripping oil as I ate it although some parts were not well done. It was flavorful and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. The didn't put mayo or anything on it but you have the option to  add them to your liking. Included in their pack was 3 small cups, one containing mayo, the other ketchup, and the last one had mustard. The skinny fries were large slices of fried potato pieces. Real potato, that is. It wasn't oily either. The red iced tea went well with the burger. The meal was really heavy on the tummy, it made me so sleepy after consuming the meal.

She rate: 4/5

He says...

This thing is humongous! Being a person raised on local burgers, I'm still amazed by how big some burgers can be. This is probably due to its American origin -- they are huge people. Crave burger is one of the big ones I've seen locally and we just ordered the single patty version.

The burger was tasty enough. The people at Crave Burgers are kind enough to give us different types of sauce unlike they typical, ketchup from other stores. I suppose that's to be expected if the burger costs that much. You can choose which sauces suit your taste or you do it pinoy way and just put it all there. Eating the burger with the fries was great. It adds that much needed saltiness to the burger.

My order came with red tea. It was delicious and with just the right sweetness but it wasn't on the level of a certain "japanese" unlimited rice fastfood shop.

He rates: 4/5

Alain's Exploits: A FroYo Experience

When the frozen yogurt (a.k.a. Froyo) craze first came out a few years ago, the advertisers and food shops claimed that yogurt will be the new ice cream, as delicious but without the fat. They said that you won't be able to distinguish between the two therefore you'll be enjoying the fruits of the sin without its consequences.

Due to my *ahem* adventurous(READ: glutton)  nature, I tried some at different stalls but they all failed. The yogurt tastes bitter and disgusting. Not even all the toppings can save it from its horrible taste. This is not the food that will takeover ice cream. I wasn't impressed at all.

Last year, I decided to try again on those yogurt craze (which apparently didn't go away) and the taste never changed. Ice cream is eaten for its sweetness and good feeling, while this was eaten just to hide the guilt from your previous meals. Then we came across Tutti Frutti.

That's NOT Ice Cream

Tutti Frutti is just a mall's small hole-in-the-wall. It advertised a very affordable PhP 20.00 per ounce and you put your own yogurt and toppings. They give you different flavor of yogurts to choose from and you can even mix it up. I can't list down what flavors there are because each store seems to carry different sets of flavors. 

Being a fan of chocolate, I tried chocolate with some sweet toppings and it was very gratifying! In all the times I have eaten froyo (most of them are invitations from friends and family), this is the first time that I actually liked it. This is also the first time I thought, "HEY, This might actually replace ice cream!". I have become a fan.

Now, they also have a promo until Sept 31 that for every 100 purchase you get a stamp on their promo card. If you get 15 stamps, you get a 5 Oz froyo with your toppings of choice and if you get another 15 stamps on the same card, you get a unisilver signature timepiece. How cool is that?

Hopefully, not a neon green watch

Ratings:

Service: 4/5

Place: 4/5

Froyo: 5/5

Toppings: 4/5

Disclosure:
We are not in any way receiving any compensation nor do we have any relationship with owners of Tutti Frutti or their affiliates.

Grilled Chicken Afternoon

Pa-a @Mang Inasal

We headed to Broadway St. near N. Domingo as I was given a tip by the neighborhood veterinarian that it is the place for cheaper yet quality animal cages. It rained so hard that we dopped by Broadway Centrum. He hadn't tasted Mang Inasal yet so we decided to let the rain pass while trying out the place. Besides, there weren't really much option in this mallito ("little mall"). We tried out their PM1 which is a meal set with pa-a (quarter thigh and leg) and unlimited rice wrapped in banana leaves.

Location: Mang Inasal, Broadway Centrum

Food Ordered: PM 1 (pa-a with unlimited rice)

Cost: P99

She says...

Mang Inasal offers really affordable  and tasty grilled chicken. The chicken was well done yet it still retained its juiciness and remained flavorful. Perhaps they really have a good marinade mixture to begin with. I like it very much. As for the rice. I liked how it was done, just the right amount of moisture. They also have chicken oil at hand which they claim to enhance the taste of the rice, although I didn't find any difference in taste, just the oily feeling. I wonder how many calories each teaspoon of chicken oil contains?

She rates: 4.5/5

He says...

When I think of "Inasal", I think, over-priced pinoy foods you can probably buy from a karinderya. At least that was before we tried Mang Inasal. They offer one of the best barbecues I've tasted so far but with the benefit of afforability and mild abuse of their chicken oil on your rice. Although there isn't much of a difference in taste, it gives the rice a softer feel in your mouth and throat making it easier to chomp and swallow.

If you're low on cash but still can't deny yourself great food and Jolibee is not doing it for you anymore (Jolibee is a major owner of Mang Inasal, btw) then this is the place to go.

He rates: 4.5/5

Lamb Chops @CIBO

Costello d' Angelo @CIBO

We were in Trinoma to meet an online seller for an item when we landed in CIBO. It had lots of empty chairs, just a perfect setting for closing the deal. We were then so full after having a heavy lunch and some treats as well but since I was going to work that night, we decided to take home an order of their lamb chops---- Costello d’ Angelo. It’s a meal set with lamb chops with grilled zucchini, bell pepper, and tomato sidings and a cup of basmati rice with chopped parsley.

at another angle

Location: CIBO, Trinoma

Food Ordered: Costello d’ Angelo

Price: P420 per set

She says…

The lamb was nicely cooked--- medium well. It retained the rich and flavorful juices. Ithad the right amount of tenderness and was not very difficult to slice. I did not like the taste of the vegetable siding though. It had a charred and sour taste. The rice with parsley was perfect for the chops. Parsley gave it a different twist on the taste and was very aromatic. Basmati rice was just as sweet as expected.

She rates: 4/5

Flamango @Fuzion

I wanted something cold to drink and I remembered that right in Trinoma’s fourth level where the cinema is, there is a juice and smoothies bar called Fuzion ( I hope I spelled it right). Thus, I asked the bar tender which one was their best seller when it came to smoothies and right away, he said that Flamango was their top pick. I ordered a large glass of flamango, a mix of banana, mango, and peaches.

Location: Fuzion, Trinoma

Food Ordered: Flamango

Cost: P129/ Large glass

She says…

I found the banana too overwhelming for me. It didn’t taste a bit peachy or mango-ey at all. It tasted alright, I guess. I mean, I also like eating bananas, just that I’m not that fond of banana smoothies.

She rates:2/5

He says…

I don't like banana smoothies or any smoothies with even a hint of banana in it. They leave a bad aftertaste.

He rates:

1/5