makati restaurants | beyond toxicity

Posts Tagged ‘makati restaurants

Jan

CHRISTMAS BREAK 2011 FOOD TRIP

Our Christmas Break 2011 Series includes :

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Foreword : You might need a glass of cold water when you browse this post. You have been warned, haha! *Most dishes are NON-HALAL too. Obviously, this is another gastronomic entry however, allow me to remind you again that I am not blogging food exclusively, but family and fun too. Go ahead, indulge and feast your eyes!

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The Christmas season in my country is all about family togetherness, friendly celebrations and homecoming particularly to those Filipinos who are residing and working abroad. Yuletide is such a perfect time for all those fun pursuits. It’s such a big blessing for us to be able to come home again after almost 2 year of being an expat-family here in Penang. Our hearts and stomachs remain loyal to the Philippines indubitably.

The following photos with brief descriptions essay some of the fantastic digestive feasts we savored with our families and friends during the entire 21 day-break (including holidays and weekends) we had in Manila. Don’t ask me about their calories, we’re not counting, haha!

At Via Mare in Greenbelt 3, Tina, Gabby and I enjoyed Filipino dishes….

Crispy Binagoongang Baboy served with Pakbet side dish (Crispy Pork Belly with Shrimp Paste and veggies).

Via Mare's Beef Caldereta was Tina's choice; sarap!

Our late-lunch-heavy-merienda included…

Wild Mushroom Soup for Gabby

Puto Maya : glutinous rice served with panutsa syrup and riped mangoes.

Gabby's personal preference : Shooters-a trio of guinumis, mais con yelo and halo-halo. The kid has his own taste, do you agree?

Via Mare's famous Bibingka : buttery, fluffy and served with salted egg (or kesong puti) delicious!

It’s only every Yuletide season when leaves of poinsettias become vividly red; lovely, aren’t they?

And poinsettias are lovelier at the facade of Manila Peninsula.

…where Gabby was overwhelmed with holiday cheers

…where we dined with one of our good friends of almost 2 decades, LG who also stands as one of Gabby’s dutiful godparents.

At the LOBBY of the Manila Peninsula, dinner included another set of Filipino favorites…

Kare Kare (Ox Tail and Veggies in Peanut Sauce served with Shrimp Paste) : one of my favorites!

Pancit Guisado

Lechon Kawali

And an Oreo-flavored sundae dessert for Gabby

Moving on to our other indulgence, at the Podium in Ortigas, we were treated to a Chinese dinner by my dad-in-law at …

I am proud to belong to a beautiful family…oh yes, that’s something to be proud of!

Must have soup…

then a prawn dish selected from the menu by my sister-in-law.

And despite no one’s celebrating a birthday (except for Baby Jesus!), must have Birthday Noodles…

Tender slices of beef and mushroom on a bed of broccoli’s always a winner for me.

Hakao or shrimp dumpling cannot be missed.

Our beloved kid ordered Four Seasons to wash down everything. Have I told you he has his own taste?

Gabby and his cousin, Raphael loved the dinner.

Then one lovely weekday afternoon, we found ourselves in the middle of Ayala Triangle in Makati City.

At last, after having a long thread at the inbox in facebook, we finally arranged a meet up with our good blogger-friends around the area of their offices in Makati City. The lunch was set initially at Banapple, however the place was packed, so we had to look for Plan B : Wee Nam Kee.

It’s our (Tina, Gabby and I) first time to dine at this Singaporean-inspired food place, where Hainanese Chicken Rice is the bestseller.

Hainanese Chicken cooked two ways : Steamed and Roasted; sarap pareho! And we ordered LARGE! haha

Dyan, one of the most bubbly blog buddy I have suggested we try Cereal Prawns when we visited Singapore last year. However, we didn’t have the chance back then, and luckily, it’s available to sample at Wee Nam Kee. Another yummy!

Here are our pretty lunch dates at Wee Nam Kee :

Tina & Gabby with blog buddies, Marian, Dyan and Grace

And we had another version of Birthday Noodle. Sarap din!

Two days before our flight back to Penang, I attended to the invitation of Ivan Man Dy of Old Manila Walks a personal FREE Big Binondo Food Wok along with other BIG TIME food bloggers (read : For the nth time, this may be a food post but I am not into an exclusive food blogging). After that almost 4 hours for pigging out at Manila Chinatown, I hurried to meet my family and my sister-in-law with our Med school classmates and great friends, also godparents to Gabby –doc Shiny and doc Mitch at Peking Garden, TriNoma Mall in Quezon City.

At around half hour past 6 in the evening when I arrived, they’ve already ordered and all I had to do is eat. But because I just came from another food trip, I was still satiated and had more appetite in catching up with them and our lost times.

On our table at Peking Garden :

Forgive me, I failed to get the names of the dishes from the menu; as I mentioned, I arrived when there were already food on the table.

Spareribs, obviously. It tasted better than it looks.

Fried chicken that’s nothing special to rave about.

They also selected Yang Chow Fried Rice and yes, Birthday Noodle again. However, if I can call the attention of Peking Garden with this post, or the concerned diners in the TriNoma branch, then I’d like to ask them the reason why their waitresses have to get the used plates from their diners’ table IMMEDIATELY, as in, IN A SNAP, iyong tipong hindi pa tapos kumain, kinukuha na ang plato. Why? Never do that to your paying customers, okay? I believe it’s disrespect. Why in a hurry? May lakad kayo? LOL! I swear, of all the food places I’ve featured here on my blog, my family and I will never set foot in Peking Garden TriNoma ever again, seriously.

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There was no lack of excitement in all the moments amidst gastronomic feasts we shared with our families and friends. Our vacation was made complete with such wonderful experiences. We look forward again to another holiday when we can extremely stretch the time to bond with our love ones.

Nov

EAT AND BE MERRY

By docgelo 27 Comments

john lennon

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Yoko_Ono_Biography

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It’s not our first time to dine at JOHN AND YOKO in Greenbelt 5, Makati City. We’re also quite familiar with the other themed restaurants within its group of companies- MR. KUROSAWA Euro-Japanese in Eastwood Mall and SUMO SAM in Shangri la (and other) malls as we’ve tried them a few times already.

John and Yoko, Cosmopolitan Japanese almost appears (and tastes) like the other two mentioned food places which are all co-owned by the local celebrity, Marvin Agustin. They all feature union of the East and the West from their modern ambiance to whatever is served on the plate.

The last time my wife, Tina, our preschooler son, Gabby and I ate there was a few months back. I took pictures of what we enjoyed but unfortunately, I cluelessly pressed something on our cam that deleted every photos I had. It taught me a lesson, big time!

Last Saturday, after few hours of trick or treating, Gabby was finally convinced that we had to munch something as our late lunch before he continues with his Halloween event at Greenbelt. Thankfully, he and his mom agreed on John and Yoko and I was too weak to resist.

It was our first time to try this dish last Saturday and we’re missing it already…

JAPAELLA, PhP 378+. One of Spain’s well-loved dishes was twisted anew with generous slices of chicken teriyaki, bite sized chorizos, my favorite prawns topped with nori strips. These ingredients rest on the most flavorful rice I’ve tested. Japaella also won my wife’s discriminating taste; we’re one in saying that we’ll definitely have this again next time we visit John and Yoko. Did I tell you it comes in enormous serving that’s good for 3 pax? But since it was just perfect for our appetite; I don’t think Tina and I would share it with other friend/s or relative/s, LOL

Gabby ordered one of his staples…EBI TEMPURA, PhP 368+ /5 pieces. Our son nearly finished the entire plate! He had 4 out 5 of those battered prawns. He must be so tired and hungry then or it must have been that delicious for him, or he just really favored it over other Japanese yummies on our table. But I know he also likes kani (crab). He enjoys dipping them on tempura sauce. As for my two-cents worth, it may not be the best tempura in town but heck, Gabby was satisfied so we like this too.

IKA LINGUINI IN TOMATO CREAM SAUCE, PhP 228+. This was my brother’s choice and because of its large serving, of course he had no choice but to share it with us. Crunchy fried squid served as toppings in creamy pasta; not bad…but where’s the tomato?

CHISAU RICE, PhP 208+. Tina ordered this bowl of rice+mushroom+chicken and nori strips. As she puts it, “Masarap naman.” but you know now that she likes my order better than this.

ICED TEA in BLUE (Dalandan), RED (Calamansi), GREEN (Lime), PhP 108+ each/refillable servings. I like my glasses in BLUE and its flavor doesn’t disappoint.

FOOD : A bit pricey as expected of Japanese restaurant, but Japaella will keep us coming back. We also appreciate the use of (heavy) stone wares as plates and serving platters.

AMBIANCE : Although we like its cozy, dim lights with black and white film of Akira Kurosawa being projected on one of its wall the last time we visited; it’s a bothering thought that it can be so congested and a bit noisy during peak hours.

SERVICE : Now, allow me to be extra serious with this. I certainly profess that this resto, along with SUMO SAM and MR. KUROSAWA ULTIMATELY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT when it comes to this department. Their wait staffs, although clad in sexy black uniforms, should attend vigorous trainings on PUBLIC RELATIONS and HOSPITALITY MANAGEMENT. Read : THEY’RE NOT SERVICE ORIENTED as they don’t offer smiles and are far from being family friendly compared to other restaurants of the same cuisine.

We waited for several minutes before they attended to our requests with no signs of being apologetic whatsoever.

I controlled my temper during and after we dined but it doesn’t mean I won’t blog do anything about it.

WE ARE PAYING CUSTOMERS and DESERVE nothing but THE BEST SERVICE THAT ONE CAN OFFER. Gaano ba kamahal ang ngiti ngayon? What’s with their 8% service charge if they’re not on their best foot during work?

Let me remind all the UNfriendly wait staffs of John and Yoko that other than the dishes on the menu, SERVICE COUNTS A LOT in restaurant business.

As I’ve stated on this free and unpaid advertisement for John and Yoko, WE LIKE THEIR FOOD BUT PLEASE, they have TO IMPROVE SERVICE….They have to… It’s never too late for change before they lose customers who are supposed to BE VALUED.

Eating should always be a happy activity especially with family. It shouldn’t be less interesting.

We will revisit this resto whenever possible not only to grab a spoonful of that Japaella again but particularly because I am STILL optimistic that they’ll change for the better.

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JOHN AND YOKO, 2F Space 205 Greenbelt5, Ayala Center, Makati City. For more of John and Yoko’s menu, click here

Sep

DUSIT THANI : REVISITED

By docgelo 20 Comments

September 20, 2009 - Two days after my 33rd birthday, my wife, Tina gave me her present : a confirmed reservation for the two of us, with our son, Gabby who eats for FREE at Dusit Thani’s Family Sunday Brunch Buffet! It was our second time to experience such gastronomic adventure in 4 different themed restaurants of Dusit : Benjarong – Thai; Basix -Asian-Continental; Tosca-Italian; Umu -Japanese; Our first dining experience of such epic proportions at Dusit was only last March and can be viewed here; it was such a blast, we had so much fun!

After I have donated blood last Thursday at St. Luke’s Medical Center, as my humble charity work for my birthday, and revisited Bellini’s with my family on the day when I turned a year older, this buffet brunch is more than enough. For the moment, life cannot be better than this!

We both love Dusit; it’ll be forever memorable for the 2 of us, because 2 sections of its ballroom served as our wedding reception venue more than five years ago. And the brunch we had six months back was so remarkable that we promised ourselves that we’ll try and explore other dishes some time. We even spread the word about this Family Brunch Buffet to our colleagues and friends.

We arrived at the hotel lobby at 11AM exactly half an hour before buffet starts. After paying PhP 1450 nett per pax, the friendly staff gave our wrist bands that rendered access to those 4 fantastic restaurants in Dusit Thani. We also got a chance to roam around the Japanese garden opposite Umu while waiting…

We like those kois on the pond and that man-made waterfalls…

We shot photos of Gabby at every ‘road signs’ heading to those 4 restos which he enjoyed so much!

Though she likes Basix, my wifey chose to reserved a table for 3 at Umu for she knows that I like the ambiance of that Japanese restaurant; not to disregard the fact that I’m excited to eat Umu’s teppanyaki again!

Who can resist the beauty of Umu?

Its contemporary Japanese interiors is so inviting. With those wooden tablets in black with gold Japanese characters, and a sushi-sashimi station at the center, and a classy atmosphere, everyone is easily drawn to its charm.

After being ushered to our table by a purple-Kimono clad staff, Tina and Gabby went to Basix to get some yummies, while I walked straight to an area in Umu to get some of these…

At the Teppanyaki section, you have the freedom to choose the ingredients you’d like the chef to grill for you at his teppan – from the freshest beef cubes which I skipped; to thinly sliced veggies, bean sprouts, mushrooms, shelled tiger prawns, pink salmon and lapu-lapu…A dash of salt and pepper and other Oriental seasoning and oil, voila!

My teppanyaki plate from Umu is always a personal favorite! I just love how those fresh seafoods are grilled to perfection!

I also got goodies that were deeply fried upon request : prawn and bacon which was sooo good! and ham and cheese, eggplant on sticks.

I didn’t pass the chance to try another favorite from Umu : SUKIYAKI Look how those bowls of very tender marbled beef and stock with veggies and soft tofu are prepared…

The glass noodles were soft and thick; the soup itself was never too sweet, neither too salty… Sarap!

Unlike Sukiyaki from other Japanese restos, Umu’s version doesn’t disappoint because of its almost fatless beef. Isn’t it obvious that I really like Umu? LOL

Other delectable must-try are : (from left to right) Tamago rolls, Ika Karaage, Salad, Cold Soba…

What’s a Japanese restaurant without sushi and sashimi ?

On way to Basix, there’s a lady dressed as Thailander who played the string instrument, Khim.

Basix has this relaxed and cool ambiance…

Tina and Gabby brought to our table at Umu this plate from Basix…

I was informed by the chef at Umu’s Teppanyaki section that Ebi Tempura’s cooking was transferred to Basix. Because it’s one of Gabby’s favorites, Tina got him generous servings of those battered shrimps. It’s not the best tempura we’ve tasted but nonetheless, OK. The mussels from Basix were bordering from tasteful to bland; still we favor Circles Events Cafe of Makati Shangri la when it comes to New Zealand Mussels.

When I went to Basix, I got a slice of Roast Beef and 2 wrapped rolls of Peking Duck. Peking Duck tasted fine, but I wish they can improve the Roast Beef’s mushroom gravy into a thicker consistency and making it more flavorful.

There are tons of choices to choose from the spread at Basix; the buffet duration of 11:30 AM to 3PM is just not enough! Too many food, so little time, LOL

What makes Dusit Thani’s Sunday Family Crossover Brunch creatively unique compared to other Live-cooking / open-kitchen buffets in other hotels is that diners in Dusit can burn calories immediately after munching. How? One has to walk from the base-station of choice (for us :Umu!) to the other 3 themed restos. I view it as Dusit’s advantage rather than its opposite. Diners may take the grand winding stairs, or on our case, who were tooooo lazy to walk, take the lifts to go to the mezzanine where Benjarong and Tosca are located. At the lobby, there are interesting characters to cheer up kids and the kid-at-hearts – just like this smiley stilt-walker who’s always ready for a photo-op :D

Being a Thai hotel in Manila, it’s not surprising that Dusit Thani’s Benjarong boasts of ambiance that’s so elegant and enticing to the senses. The entrance to Benjarong has a wall adorned with ceramics that will lead you to the main dining area.

But, I guess my palate isn’t partial to Thai dishes, whether mild, or super spicy. I only like their desserts.

YAM SOM O : Pomelo Salad, and YAM PLA DOOK FOO : Crispy Fried Catfish with Green Mango Salad

YAM SAI KRAWK BACON THOD : Spicy Bacon Wrapped Sausage

MEE KROB KRATHONG : Sweet and Sour Crispy Vermicelli in Pastry Cup.

My Thai plate had a bit of everything…

I like those Thai sweet treats with coconut milk and glutinous rice…

KHANOM TAKO : Sweet Water Chestnut and Coconut Cream in Pandan Cup -> sarap!

KHANOM SOD SAI : Stuffed Glutinous Flour Ball with Grated Coconut and Sugar -> yum!

KHAO NIAO MAMUANG : Ripe Mango with Sticky Rice -> I love mangoes; i like rice! Tasted like bico.

Let’s leave Benjarong and allow me to take you to TOSCA, the Italian Restaurant of Dusit Thani in Makati…

Tosca is noted for its sophistication and class… the atmosphere is made subdued and comfy by a musician who plays the piano while diners enjoy some of the best Italian cuisine…

FREE FLOWING ITALIAN SPARKLING WINES, anyone ? This is another edge of Dusit Thani’s buffet. In other hotels, rates do not include beverages, but in Dusit, you can enjoy Italian wine flavored with either Dalandan or Raspberry to your hearts content! Other drinks available are Lemongrass Juice from Benjarong, Iced Green Tea from Umu, Dalandan and Raspberry Juices from Basix all in bottomless servings! Plus the staffs are always ready with smiles, which I most like!

There are wide array of food to be cooked and prepared upon request, from pasta to pizza, to salads and more.

I so wish our stomachs are bottomless too, LOL We can only eat as much.

I asked one of the chefs in Tosca to prepare me a personal-sized pizza. As he began to knead the dough I requested all toppings available except for olives. Tina and I aren’t fanatics of olives. He politely told me to return after 5 minutes as he bakes my pizza. It was delicious; the bread alone can stand sans toppings! As I enjoyed the pizza freshly made from Tosca, I failed to savor other Italian dishes like that Turkey Breast Stuffed with raisins and sage on roasted tomato cream (photo beside pizza); it looks delicious as well.

One rule that Tina and I have learned from buffets : MAKE ROOM FOR DESSERTS !

After my wife entrusted Gabby to the very accomodating staffs of KIDS’ STATION at the lobby, Tina and I became so busy with desserts… (Gabby opted to play and watch his favorite cartoons, Spongebob rather than stuffed his tummy like his parents, LOL). We had ice cream from Tosca, as we look upon Gabby.

DESSERTS from TOSCA : DIVINE!

DESSERTS from BASIX : SUBLIME!

Care for some D-I-Y HALO-HALO or CHOCOLATE FONDUE that tastes like Hershey’s?

While Gabby became occupied with having his face painted for FREE, Tina and I sat at Basix and had blueberry and mango crepes! I had mine topped with almond flakes.

BENJARONG SWEETS : EXQUISITE…

DESSERTS from UMU : TOOTHSOME…

Half hour before 3PM, we took time to photograph Gabby with the friendly balloon-maker and the man on stilts…

It was another memorable fun day with my family. What a way to welcome my 33rd year! The buffet was only icing on the cake; I am so grateful to our good Lord for my family’s health and safety. I am just thankful for having Tina and Gabby!

We love Dusit Thani’s Sunday Family Crossover Brunch!

Dusit Thani Manila, Ayala Center, Makati City/Tel (63-2) 867-3333 Every Sunday 11:30 AM to 3:00PM/ PhP 1450 nett for adults/PhP 725 nett for children 6 to 12 years old.

Aug

PIG-OUT MONDAY

By docgelo Leave a Comment

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: buffet, dad's, Dad's Ultimate Buffet, doc gelo, docgelo, Eat all you can, Eat all you want, filipino eating, food, foodie, Glorietta, glorietta 3, Kamayan, makati restaurants, Philippines, pinas, Pinoy, Saisaki

Oops, we did it again!

Three days ago, I brought my family to one of our favorite malls – Glorietta, to claim our free buffet plate from Dad’s,Saisaki,Kamayan Ultimate Buffet as we have completed another promo card.

After completion of ten validations (one signature for each visit —> read : yes, we’re a regular patrons), a FREE CROSSOVER BUFFET PLATE can only be claimed Mondays to Thursdays, lunch or dinner. FYI, it was our second time to finished a ”Happy Diner” promo card. As the cliche goes, the best thing in life is FREE.

Since I was off the whole day last Monday, and my wife Tina was done with her work around 2:30PM, together with our son Gabby who’s more excited to eat his favorite kani tempura, we headed to G3 in Makati.

However, we came too early for dinner so we decided to munch on something light as late afternoon merienda before pigging out at Saisaki. Tina wanted to have Taro Ice from Quickly at the Foodcourt of Glorietta 3 but it wasn’t available, so she and Gabby settled for Chocolate Ice also from Quickly. While I’m not sure of what to eat, Tina suggested for us to have dimsums. Immediately I thought of President’s Tea House.

We only ordered Japanese siomai – a piece of crab stick wrapped in nori, Asado siopao and of course, Hakao or shrimp dumplings. I eat anything with shrimps, lol.

The Hakao of President’s Tea House does not dissapoint; its moist-melt-in-your-mouth wrapper was just perfect to embrace those plump shrimps. And the Japanese siomai also is a must-try. I can’t say anything bad with the Asado siopao; the dough was just finely steamed; its filling-delicious.

After that quick bite, we took a stroll around the mall just to burn those few calories (as if we’re too health conscious, lol), and awited for 6PM, dinner time at Dad’s, Saisaki, Kamayan.

This was my first plate from Saisaki, sushi and few sashimi I like Saisaki’s Tamago rolls; I want to learn someday how those sweet fried eggs are rolled into its form

Tina also had similar choice…

Not too long, my wife came back from the spread with these deep-fried Ebi and Kani Tempura –yummy!

For a buffet price of PhP 455 at the Ultimate Buffet (crossover from Saisaki to Dad’s to Kamayan), it’s already a steal compared when one orders Tempura as an entree from other Japanese resto. We paid half price for Gabby.

Gabby was delighted munching his favorite Kani (crab) Tempura and sipped some of these bowl of creamy rich seafood chowder from Kamayan, while I didn’t pass the chance to taste Saisaki’s Sukiyaki again…(read : i like them both,lol).

Just before we thought we haven’t had main dishes yet, we’re almost bloated. But heck, we went there to pig out, so on with the deglutition, lol.

We had some fibers in between. Then I got my turf and surf plate - I had few rings of calamari seasoned with pesto (it was overpowering and too salty, sorry.), a slice of roast beef with pepper mushroom sauce, a thin slice of Dad’s original ham with sweet sauce, and my buffet in Dad’s isn’t complete if I didn’t taste lengua. It’s only in Dad’s that I get to enjoy this dish. Dad’s lengua is always tender, flavorful with its mushroom gravy.

I and Tina were not into Kamayan that much, as we’re into Saisaki and some of Dad’s dishes. Because we’d like to taste something different from home-style cooking whenever we dine out. But we cannot resist Kamayan’s puto bumbong at bibingka served with coconut shavings and muscovado… I don’t know about you but just like most Pinoy, we like it too! :D

While Tina and I shared the unbeatable tandem of bibingka and puto bumbong, Gabby was busy eating his plate of pasta with tomato cream sauce topped with bacon bits from Dad’s.

Gabby ordered bottomless iced tea but more than the beverage, he was more excited with what comes with the drink. He asked the waiter politely if he can choose from the many colors of those stuffed insects and he favored a red bug.

A satiating dinner would not be complete without a stimuli to my sweet tooth. The scoop of mocha ice cream was sweet, but my family’s hearty smiles were sweeter.

Jul

GELATONE’S GELATO

By docgelo 14 Comments

I don’t know about you but regardless of the weather, ice cream is always one of my comfort foods.

Half hour before we went to Greenbelt Cinema 3 to watch Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince yesterday (scroll down below for the post), our son Gabby was begging us requesting for ice cream. My wife Tina and I, as usual, were too weak to resist, we immediately gave in to his want.

Our immediate choice was to try Cold Rock Ice Creamery (from Australia) located at level 3 of Greenbelt 3 and it could have been our first time there. But when Tina was about to enter, I saw a posting at its glass doors prohibiting cameras inside. Why Cold Rock? Don’t you want free advertisement without frills on my blog? Well, whatever your reason for such regulation I wouldn’t care less, and it wasn’t our lost but yours…:) One establishment’s loss is another’s gain…Cest la vie!

So we had to go a level down the escalator and settle for an incomparable ice cold treat BETTER THAN ORDINARY ICE CREAM - what else but gelato from GELATONE!

It wasn’t our first time to try Gelatone but it took us a while to go back. We already tasted some flavors of this Italian frozen dessert (called gelato) a couple of years back with our friends of more than 16 years who then were back in Manila for vacation. Gelatone since then, serves cold yummy treats but their small dining place is warm and perfect for small conversations between friends and families

Even though I didn’t notice any apparent change in its interiors, it remained simple and comfy all these years.

Fair service + best gelato = more than enough reason to keep coming back to Gelatone!

Customers have options in Gelatone - Order gelato outside on a cup or cone and off you go, or to have it as dine-in, just choose the flavor from the frozen glass stall outside and a wait-staff will bring it to your table. If the order is for dine-in, a choco-stick will be served with the scoops on cups, but if it’s a dine-in gelato on a cone, the cone is also served with the cup. Get it? Of course, LOL. BTW, they also serve pasta and some sandwiches.

The hardest part in Gelatone : selecting from the wide array of flavors of gelato! Looks like everything is a must-try!

Don’t get me wrong because I still LOVE regular ICE CREAM even YOGURT too. I can’t imagine a world without them For a kid-at-heart but a huge man-at-stomach like me, these desserts mean HAPPINESS! I am not bias with any of them however I’ve learned long before that gelato has less air than ordinary ice cream, making it more compact so what you’ll get is more of its delectable goodness compared with regular ice cream; it’s just all in the process of making this yummy dessert.

We tried these flavors for dine-in yesterday….

Gabby had his scoop of BUBBLE GUM….

Our son enjoyed this flavor he even licked drank its last drop! On the opposite table where we were seated inside Gelatone, a kid with his European-looking mom, was also savoring the same flavor. Does it really has that appeal on kids? It tasted like, well, Bazooka-bubble gum the way it should be. At least the bliss that it brings to our own kid is priceless.

I ordered a scoop of this gelato of HAZEL NUT with DARK CHOCOLATE called BACIO NERO. Pangalan pa lang ng flavor, ang sarap na! Excuse me, I’m drooling as I post this, I need to wipe my keyboard, LOL.

I like chocolates so much that I wouldn’t pass an opportunity to enjoy it. There was no regret in ordering this, it’s a superb palatal stimulus but I was happier to taste Tina’s choice…

FRUTTI di BOSCO or MIXED BERRIES SORBET was a winner among the 3 scoops we had. It can deliciously clean your palate. I love the berry-flavor that’s neither sour nor sweet; it was just heavenly, lol.

Each scoop of gelatone costs PhP 100 inclusive of VAT if ordered in cups and + 10% service charge for dine-in.

These are proofs of how my family happily spent our thirty minutes before we headed to Hogwarts yesterday

GELATONE, Level 2, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City.

Jun

TATAY-DOC’S DAY!

By docgelo 4 Comments

Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: bibingka, buco pandan, cakes, dad's, Dad's Ultimate Buffet, daddy's day, desserts, father's day, Filipino, Filipino food, food, food blog, foodie, Glorietta, glorietta 3, ham, Japanese food, Kamayan, makati restaurants, Philippines, pinas, Pinoy, Pinoy food, restaurants, roast beef, Saisaki, sashimi, sushi, tempura

Warning : This post contains gastronomically stimulating photos and you may want to have a glass of water with you while you view. Enjoy…

I celebrated Father’s day with my wife, Tina and our son, Gabby for two consecutive days at two different venues. Needless to say, I’ve got the happiest stomach last weekend!

After Gabby and I got sick of mild viral infection last week, this year’s Daddy’s day out had more meaning by being thankful that we both regained our health as if nothing happened. It’s but logical to enjoy the weekend and savor another family bonding moment. We attended anticipated mass last Saturday afternoon at Greenbelt Chapel (that I’m posting after this entry) after our hearty lunch in Glorietta 3. Amidst the countless restaurants in Makati, there’s one spot where Gabby loves kani tempura the best… yes, our 4-year-old son already prefers crab tempura better than hotdogs and burgers! So we usually have buffet brunch or dinner at one of the affordable buffets in the Metro, where else but…

That’s my first platter of sushi, tempura and few slices of sashimi from Saisaki. Dad’s Ultimate Buffet includes Saisaki and Kamayan that offer Japanese and Pinoy food spreads respectively (and continental for Dad’s). We always have these blue plates which also mean cross-over buffet or access to those 3 buffet sections.

And just after finding our table at Saisaki, the manager on duty (ispooting na ispooting in tux, LOL) asked us if we would like our Ebi tempura to be served at our table (so as to avoid stampede at the buffet spread-JOKE!), he got my approval ofcourse! I was too weak to resist, LOL.

Then I walked through the open kitchen where I found my favorite Japanese soup Sukiyaki (I’m not a fan of miso soup, sorry), while Gabby opted for the thick and creamy seafood chowder from Kamayan. Take your pick…

Surprisingly, SAISAKI was having a theme of SUSHI IN THE CITY (a delicious spoof of sex and the city series) so the spread of sushi and sashimi improved a lot better since we last dined there few months back. The yummies were presented more stimulating to the palate and to eyes. If you like these Japanese starters, feast your eyes on this spread… (I repeat : these plates were at spread, not on our table, LOL)

There’s an art in every roll…

It’s advisable to call and make a reservation for table/s or at least to be early before the doors open at 11AM for lunch or at 6PM for dinner buffet. We were just on time for lunch last Saturday and I’ve clicked my cam on those gastronomic delights. Those tamago rolls (egg) are one of my favorites, with California maki and other sushi. The tuna and salmon sashimi were just right at every slice, without that fishy after taste, they were really perfect for soyed wasabi!

By mere posting this I’m craving again for those yummy sushi! Tina had her own preference, this was her plate…

I like that shredded crab sticks with Japanese sticky rice and generous slice of ripe mango wrapped in nori; my wife shared it to me and it was really sarap!

Now if you don’t fancy those sushi and sashimi, I can’t blame you but you should know you’re missing the world, LOL, anyway, you might be interested with the other spread most especially the desserts…

Before those delightful sweets, let me show you the plate I didn’t finish… well, almost. I just stuffed and hid the few slices of left-overs with tissue papers and used chopsticks … This was my carnivorous-protein-rich platter from Dad’s and Kamayan… While on the right was my surprised gift from Enervon prime adult milk given by a promo lady.

The roasted pig’s skin was crispy as expected. I also enjoyed the salty sweet ham from Dad’s but I was surprised that the staff in the carving station put 3 slices of ham on my plate when I only asked for one. I didn’t notice it because my eyes were glued to the other dishes, LOL. So I failed to eat them all, sayang. The roast beef was not that tender. I asked for 2 slices from the medium well-done part but still it didn’t pass my expectation. But the Lengua from Dad’s is always a winner for me. The slices were far from having gum-consistency and the mushroom gravy was also perfect. Tina also had ceasars salad from this spread which she shared with me. It’s healthy to eat fruits and veggies in between during buffet dining…

There’s so much more food in Kamayan but we only had few bites of bibingka with muscovado and puto-bumbong…

On with those desserts : This was Gabby’s plate after he munched on those kani tempura.

His mom got those for him from these plates at the buffet…

Tina and Gabby got scoops of ice cream in strawberry, mocha and chocolate flavors. The scoops were also bottomless however we only had these cups and tasted other favorite sweet treats…

While Gabby was enjoying these bite-sized cakes and pastries, I got some fibrous fruits from Saisaki and Tina had Buco-pandan from Kamayan…

When I paid the bill, I asked the manager to validate my DAD’S HAPPY DINER card (which they hand in to customers after dining) and by doing so, we’ve completed 10 required signatures thus we’re already given one FREE BUFFET on our next visit (Mon-Thurs) before August 19. Count few weeks and we’re off to Dad’s again, LOL.

After each buffet in Makati, whether it’s on Dad’s Saisaki Kamayan or in hotels (we’ve tried Dusit Thani and Shangri La’s Circles Events Cafe, you may want to hit my search engine here to view those posts) we always try to roam the entire Makati shopping district, LOL, to burn those calories and cholesterol we ingested. So after that “ultimate” lunch, we strolled Landmark, Glorietta and Greenbelt which I’ll post next…

BURP!

————————–

DAD’S ULTIMATE BUFFET include KAMAYAN & SAISAKI -GLORIETTA 3 MAKATI – (632) 892-8898.

Ultimate Buffet costs PhP 590 for adults, half price for kids.

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