Posts Tagged ‘quezon city restaurants

03
Jul
10

CHOWDER X MONGOLIAN BBQ

By docgelo 36 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I don’t know if you’re like me who barely know CHOWDER.

It’s NOT that thick and creamy soup with yummy seafoods that’s best served on a bread bowl but this :

I grew up on Popeye, Smurfs and Thundercats and am currently lost with my son’s numerous favorite cartoons; one of them is Chowder from Cartoon Network.

Imagine how Gabby became so excited when last Friday afternoon, we chanced upon watching its free mascot show in TriNoma before we hit the grocery shelves in Landmark.

Tina and I were amazed how Gabby knew almost all the antics of the show.  I guess what draws him to Chowder other than its being colorful is its theme of cooking. The show we saw involved Chowder and friends to cook a dish called Froggy Apple Crumple Thumpkin; whatever that means! So much for half an hour of kiddie fun. :D

Then undecided of where and what to eat, we went to TriNoma’s foodcourt and had different choices.

My wife enjoyed an affordable but satisfying meal from Le Ching Tea House : Chicken Mushroom Rice Toppings and HK style Asado Siopao + ‘the essential,’ chili sauce. :) You might think that my wife eats like a carpenter but she shared her food with Gabby and me.  Yum! :D

Then my kid and I tried one of Tina’s favorites, Mongolian barbecue!

Our bundle of joy who dreams of becoming of a chef someday really enjoyed getting all the ingredients from the spread as I guide him what to put on our bowl.

Rice, vermicelli, julienned carrots, Chinese cabbage, onions, garlic, julienned turnips,  red and green bell peppers, leeks, cubes of tofu and a personal choice of all-squid meat (there are also strips of chicken, pork, beef, squid balls to choose from) plus its sauce made our Mongolian barbecue bowl; all in for PhP 160.

There are directions on the spread on how to seasoned the bowl. I wanted it SWEET and SPICY :

  • 1 tsp brown sugar
  • 2 scoops Teriyaki sauce
  • 1 scoop Mongolian sauce
  • 1 scoop Szechuan sauce
  • 1 scoop Lemon water
  • 1/2 scoop Garlic water
  • 1/2 scoop Sesame oil
  • 1/4 scoop Soy sauce
  • -recipe from Mongolian Rice Bowl, Foodcourt, TriNoma, Quezon City.

and voila!

Do you like Mongolian barbecue?

What’s your favorite cartoon/s during your childhood?

How’s your weekend?

Enjoy the new week, everyone!

05
Oct
09

GABBY TURNS 5

By docgelo 21 Comments
Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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Our son, Gabby officially turns FIVE today.  Happy Birthday, anak!  Your mom and I love you so much!  Thank You, Lord for giving us Your greatest blessing.  

In line with his birthday and in the spirit of sharing,  my wife and I segregated again his old clothes which we’ll donate to the children affected by typhoons.  I already brought few kilos of his clothes to my work for similar reach-out activity last week and we’ll do it again this week in response to the request of the organizers of Philippine Blog Awards.

This humble blog  is one of the finalists under Family and Living Category on this year’s PBA.  Last weekend, I received the official invitation via email to the awards night this Friday, October 09, at PETA theater in Quezon City and with it came a request for all the blogger-finalists and attendees and their guests to bring dry clothes, towels, footwears to the designated area at the venue which they will turn over to the recipients.

CONFESSION :  I’m a sentimental fool. I’m attached for a while to some things of the past that usually remind me of  remarkable memories.  Such things include our son’s baby clothes.  It’s not that we don’t like to give them away as most of them are of imported brands, but a lot of these clothes were gifts from my in-laws, relatives and friends.    
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Then again, we thought of finally donating them to the needy rather than keeping them with no use in our wardrobes. So these few pieces will be brought to PBA Awards night as our little pledge. We’re happy that we’ll donate all of these with our son’s consent. :D

His preschool, which is a few blocks away from our place, allows simple birthday celebrations during recess.  Since Gabby is a member of TGI Friday’s, TriNoma which gives him FREE KIDDIE MEALS for an entire whole year of dining with them and a free birthday package for 30 kids, we initially thought that we’re spared with the expenses for his birthday party this year.

But just like other nice things with little hassles in between, the free TGIF birthday kiddie package is only available for pick up during store hours, which we completely understand.  Problem is, our son’s school recess is at 9:30AM so it will be impossible for us to use the TGIF freebies to their class as his party food. Nevertheless, we decided to claim the freebies today and we opted to reschedule our son’s school birthday party on Wednesday, October 07.  My wife is free from work on Wednesdays this semester allowing her to cook and prepare all stuffs.  

Tina arranged details with the friendly people of TGIF  TriNoma for me to claim the birthday package today at 1PM.  Since I’m off from work the whole day, I came to the resto with my cousin earlier than expected.

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One our favorite venues for our dates since we’ve met is TGIF.  We like Glorietta 3 and TriNoma branches.  We go here not only for their great food in huge American-servings but also for the ambiance of this resto-bar.  Imagine ski and skate boards, movie posters, whales and big fish, a bicycle and road signs on walls to delight you as you enjoy your plates. 

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We only waited for 10 minutes for the staff to prepare these…

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My cousin and I were surprised to easily lift  a tied-5-styro packs in a finger! They were so super light! I almost forgot that these are KIDDIE birthday packs! :D  

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Each packs contained fettuccini in tomato beef sauce, chicken fillets and potato chips. 

I asked my cousin to bring 10 packs to my dad and siblings and nephew and nieces at our house in Pasig City and the other 10 packs for my aunt, uncle, and cousins whose house in Karangalan Villagae in Pasig was deeply submerged in last week’s typhoon. 

We saved the 30 pieces of apple and dalandan juice cups and the packs of plastic spoons and forks for Gabby’s school party.

Tina came home with Breadtalk’s Chocolate mousse with a free little yellow candle for Gabby to blow and make his wish.

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Gabby’s request is a Spongebob Squarepants themed party during their 30-minute recess on Wednesday, so despite the fact that we’re on a tight budget, we’ll grant his wish. 

Invites were already sent to his classmates.  He’ll have his Spongebob birthday cake, Spongebob-inspired loot bags and a home-cooked party meal courtesy of his mom.

Thank you TGIF TriNoma! 

Thank you Gabby for being so obedient, smart, God-fearing son.

Carry on, anak! 

Happy birthday!

19
Sep
09

A QUAINT RESTO : REVISITED

By docgelo 6 Comments
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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Our munch plan for my birthday : 

               Friday late afternoon snack/early dinner + Sunday hotel buffet = family bonding :D  

This is the first of two celebrations I had with my wife, Tina and our son, Gabby…

It took us seven months before we revisited this quaint Italian restaurant tucked in the low-key area of Cubao (our first can be viewed  here ). I like  its interiors and ambiance more than their food.  OK, their menu may be authentic, as the owners are a former paparazzo who married a Filipina; but I guess my palate has been biased with other restaurants that serve similar cuisine.  Nevertheless, I always  find BELLINI’s  pleasing… 

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These aren’t paintings on the walls but murals on the ceilings. 

Check out how enticing  the interiors is…

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Bellini’s, owned by Roberto and Ma. Luisa Bellini, has been a location of a local movie  because of its romantic appeal…

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It’s like a small piece of Italy in the heart of Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao, Quezon City… 

Bellini’s delightful atmosphere is artistically beautiful but I just wish the service will be friendlier. The two wait staffs who attended to us were discreet and courteous; but smiles were inapparent. I like food servers who always flash their best smiles while at work. For me, smiles mean that they love and enjoy what they do.  It lessens my appetite if the servers are apathetic.  

I always expect waiters and waitresses to be acquainted with the menu. I usually ask something like the serving size and the restaurant’s bestsellers; and I admire staffs who are familiar with the food they serve.  Yesterday was not my lucky day at Bellini’s; for the querries I addressed to our waitress were all thrown to her colleague.

I ordered one of my favorite breads, focaccia; even asked the waitress the dip that comes with it, but got no reply from her but from other waiter.  And when I checked the bill before paying, the focaccia bread was charged but it wasn’t served.  To be fair, I’d say the waiter was apologetic and did the necessary changes on our bill; but there’s no room for mistakes to render remarkable dining experience.

Poor me, I just thought that the waitress was new and still untrained, and I just swallowed my temper and remembered that it’s my birthday.

Enough, and on with the food… :D  

IMG_3690BREADSTICKS, Complimentary :D     House Iced tea, PhP 50+; it tasted like Peach flavored Sola Iced tea, not bad for me; i love peach!

Last February, we ordered a pasta that won our hearts, so we had another plate for my birthday!

IMG_3702BUCATINI AMATRICIANA, PhP 250+ (bacon, tomato and onion sauce).

We love its thick strands of pasta and its simplicity made it so tasteful.

What’s an Italian dining without pizza?

IMG_3712QUATTRO FORMAGGI, PhP 250+ (mozzarrella plus 3 different kinds of cheese; tomato based).

All of Bellini’s pizzas are mozzarrella and tomato based. We had Bellini’s special pizza seven months ago.  It was fine combination of most toppings in super thin crust.

Yesterday, we chose this 4-cheese-pizza because we considered our son’s preference. He doesn’t like any toppings on his pizza but cheese.  We all liked its flavorful thin crust;  but we all thought that Amici’s version is far better.  

IMG_3710POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA , 1/2  PhP 280+(grilled chicken breast with herbs and chili).

I ordered this grilled chicken breast with herbs and chili just to taste how different it is from other chicken recipes I’ve sampled from other restos. I like its well-marinated meat that was so tender that once you dunk your fork into it, it easily shreds off from its bones. I like it but not to point it’ll become my favorite.  Unfortunately, my wife gave this dish her thumbs down.  She was probably not in the mood for some spice.  

IMG_3723TIRAMISU : GELATO CAKE, PhP 170+

Gabby immediately recognized that it’s a combined mocha and coffee ice cream cake. For a barely five-year-older, we’re proud to raise Gabby as a food enthusiast too (with the hope that he’ll pursue his early dreams of becoming a chef one day).  But to my wife Tina, this gelato cake is a dissapointment; not of its taste, but of its price.  I have to agree with her that it’s pricey for its serving. C’mmon, with its price more expensive than a pint of ice cream, the cost is just too steep! Look how fancy the layers are but its tiny size of slightly bigger than a teaspoon drowned all its glory…

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Although we’re full after that meal, I felt something’s missing.  I never experienced the excitement of dining I had during our first visit.  Perhaps because of the gloomy weather, or can I attribute it to the service and some dishes that can still be improved? 

Anyway, there’s still tomorrow for another day of gastronomic adventure. 

Abangan! :D

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Bellini’s Italian Fast Food and Restaurant / Stall 68-69 Marikina Shoe Expo, Gen. Romulo Ave., Cubao, Quezon City/Tel #s (63-2) 913-2550.

20
Aug
09

BANAPPLE GOODIES

By docgelo 18 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last Monday, Tina and I had a free schedule to fetch our son, Gabby from his 8 to 11AM kindergarten class.   We went to the school on the dot but the kids weren’t dismissed until after their 30-minute-rehearsal for their dance performance for the school’s celebration of Linggo ng Wika which was scheduled by their school on a later date, the 28th of this month, next Friday.  While my wife was happy to see Gabby dancing to the tune of a folk song,  I grabbed that waiting period to go to a nearest bank and settled our domestic bills. After which, I went back to them and Gabby was surprised to see us together instead of his yaya fetching him that day. 

After 10 minutes, we were at a mall called Il Terrazzo, along Tomas Morato in Quezon City.  I’ve been reading and hearing about this mall that has Rustan’s supermarket, and a number of affordable and upscale restaurants and food stalls.  One of those is BANAPPLE  PIES  and  CHEESECAKES . 

Since I did my Post-Medical-Graduate Internship at Quirino Memorial Medical Center along Katipunan Avenue  almost a decade ago, I’ve been passing along BANAPPLE’s original branch few steps from that tertiary hospital but for no particular reason,  it took years and a family and Banapple’s second branch for me to try and taste the goodies they serve. 

We only saw a couple of women dining outside Banapple at the second floor of Il Terrazo before noon last Monday.  But soon after we ordered, people came in troop. :D  

Tina noticed that wherever we dine, it always happens as if Gabby’s attracting more customers for the restaurant.  Is this an indication that he has to pursue his early inclination to becoming a chef for us to put up a restaurant years from now?  *wishful thinking*  

Bannaple in Il Terrazo is a small but with homey and charming appeal to families and friends.  Though with limited space, it has high ceiling and is well interiored that gives that welcoming ambiance.  This was the view from where we sat…

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A huge multi-layered glass fridge keeps the cakes fresh and a smaller one is used near the counter to display those delectable yummies.  

We occupied two round tables and it was delightful to see art on them!  Colored glass marbles were embedded in round cemented tables in different mosaic patterns. These simple details make dining experience remarkable! :D

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We had different cravings that day.  I ordered one of Banapple’s entrees, Tina only had sandwich and Gabby, pancakes.

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 ASIAN CRABSTICK & MANGO SALAD SANDWICH, PhP 100. 

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I was able to taste this sandwich; the salad dressing was OK, slices of mango were sweet, the toasts were nearly perfect but Tina and I were expecting that the crabs sticks are thinly shredded but were not, so it’s quite disappointing.  Another comment from my discriminating wife, lol, she didn’t like the cheese-flavored chips as sidings of her sandwich.  Plain salted potato chips could’ve save the entire plate.

While Tina was partly satisfied with what she ate, I enjoyed mine.

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PAN-FRIED PORKLOIN WITH HERB MUSHROOM GRAVY, PhP 160.   I like its sidings – freshly blanched and seasoned carrots slices. I have high regard to those carinderias and restaurants that prepare their own vegetable side dishes instead of the chilled-readily available carrots and corn packs from groceries.   The porkloin strips fried in olive oil were so tender and its thick gravy was flavorful.  I might order this again on our future visits. :D

Gabby, who was a little tired from their dance rehearsal, ordered pancakes… IMG_3320

BUTTERMILK  PANCAKES, PhP 100.  As expected, Gabby wasn’t able to finish this plate because it’s too much for him. But we were again disappointed with its consistency.  The menu says their fluffy but were not.  It has the poorest pancake consistency. Sorry :(

A visit to Banapple isn’t complete without tasting pies or cakes.  With the variety of flavors, it took us few minutes before finally deciding what cakes to order…

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BANAPPLE’S  BANOFFEE  PIE, PhP 70.   I love Starbucks’ Banoffee pie. But Banapple’s version at almost half the price of Starbucks’ is also satisfying, hands down! :D

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TIRAMISU, PhP 95.  It’s a multi-layered mocha-coffee cake with different textures that’ll stimulate your palate. Sarap!

We didn’t order pasta and only tasted two of the many cakes. With few flaws on what we ordered and with those uniquely delicous cakes that are different from those too-commercialized ones, we’ll definitely visit Banapple again soon.

IMG_3342BANAPPLE PIES & CHEESECAKES, 2L  Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato cor Sct Madrinan, South Triangle, Quezon City.  The other branch is located along Katipunan Avenue, Project 4 Quezon City.

13
Aug
09

IT’S BEEN A FAVORITE

By docgelo 14 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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Yesterday, we had another remarkable afternoon dining at Conti’s in TriNoma.  Tina, Gabby and I like their food so much that it has become one of our favorite restaurants.  The ambiance is simple, never intimidating;   their patrons- mostly family-oriented; the service is always fair;  prices of dishes-value for money, and the food itself -impeccably delicious!

We first asked Gabby of what he’d like to order and quickly browsing the menu, he pointed out to a cake and a tall glass of iced beverage.

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 Our preschooler son opted to only have desserts. And just like his father, ehem, I guess he has good taste! :D  He is sure of what he want, and he’s not “takaw-mata”.  He makes sure that whatever he orders whenever we dine out, he’ll eat it.  Yesterday at Conti’s he ordered for a glass of MOCHA FRAPPE PhP 110 and had a slice of a heavenly cake called BANANALICIOUS, PhP 80. 

Its crust is made of fine graham powder topped with soft cake and cream with slices of chilled bananas in between.  It’s simply hard to resist.

Since I’ve described what our son had for his sweet tooth, might as well continue with what Tina and I shared for dessert….it’s  a slice of my favorite cake from Conti’s…

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In my opinion, it’s a mortal sin to dine in Conti’s without having a slice of MANGO BRAVO, PhP 105. lol. :D   IT’S MY FAVORITE CAKE for few months now. And nothing had replaced its place in my heart palate, lol.  :D

Look how gorgeous those layers of lady fingers a.k.a. broas are! Perfectly fused with just the right sweetness of that cream and chilled slices of mango with minimal drizzle of chocolate. It’s just sublime!

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Prior to being hyperglycemic with those divine cakes from Conti’s, Tina and I enjoyed these plates…

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For our starter, we had RUSSIAN POTATO SALAD, PhP 115.  The plate was served with chilled cubes of potatoes, carrots and red beets that made it pink, sarap!

Tina had this CHICKEN BALLOTINE, PhP 195.  It’s a dish of chicken rolls with ham and cheese stuffing topped with white creamy sauce served with freshly blanched veggies. 

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What is BEST with Conti’s isn’t only the tastes of the dishes and of course their cakes and pastries but moreso, I like the fact that they don’t use commercially available packed corn and carrots.  Don’t get me wrong, we also buy it from groceries once in a while, but I believe that all restaurants should served freshly cut and blanched vegetables as sidings to their entree for the benefit of their clients of course.

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What I HATE about eating at Conti’s is the difficulty of deciding what to order.  It’s not our first time to dine there but  I still had a hard time again in choosing what to chow down.  :D   After several seconds of staring at their menu, pondering, lol.. I finally told the waiter of what I’d like and if the experience yesterday was a lottery, I think I hit the jackpot with this dish…

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ROAST BEEF in MUSHROOM SAUCE, PhP 270.  The beef slices were so tender; the mushroom sauce was flavorful and creamy, even the sidings as I’ve told you, were so pleasant not only to palate; it was just delightful.

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I wouldn’t mind eating at Conti’s on a weekly basis. :D

CONTI’S TRINOMA, P1 Level, TriNoma EDSA corner North Avenue, Quezon City, Tel # (63-2) 900-5013.

They also have branches at BF Homes, Parañaque, Connecticut Street in Greenhills and in Serendra in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.  Conti’s also have catering and food order services : tel # (63-2) 842-5265.

note :  Just the same whenever I feature other food places we enjoy, this post isn’t paid by Conti’s.  

08
Aug
09

GABBY’S CHOICE

By docgelo 5 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A couple of days ago, we had to go to Landmark in TriNoma to buy stuffs to fill in the fridge at home.  But since it was half hour past 4 in the afternoon, we decided to munch on something as late merienda/early dinner before heading to the grocery shelves.  

I had a short list of restaurants in mind to satisfy my own craving for some delights but I became too submissive when our four-year-old son Gabby called the shots.  While walking towards the escalators, he told us that he wanted to eat a specific favorite at one of the common resto that we frequent.  Since we just weaned Gabby from bottle-feeding several weeks ago (I know it’s quite late but what can we do? we’re just parents) and is now still adjusting with the sipping cup that he uses whenever he drinks milk, Tina and I are always excited to give in to his personal food preference.

Look how he candidly expressed his excitement to order the food that he wanted…

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While I was wearing a blue shirt that day, they’ve conspired to wore politically-significant-YELLOW.

I think it’s a small hint of maturity for our kid that at a young age, he begins to have personal preferences towards food and starts to distinguish fastfood yummies from restaurant’s entrees.  I also consider this as a result of our brain-washing  motivating him to become a chef one day; which Gabby already disclosed since his mom allowed him to watch Iron Chef America on cable TV and of course, as we bring him to few hotel buffets and various restaurants, he developed his good taste for good food.  We wouldn’t mind if he becomes a chef one day; we’re actually excited with just the mere thought of having a chef or a restaurateur in the family.  Isn’t it obvious that we really love eating  :D

Last Thursday, our son was craving for a pan pizza of a particular pizza place…

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I like Pizza Hut’s pan pizza too.  Mahusay pumili ang anak namin!   But I was surprised with what Gabby favored. It’s 3-cheese pan pizza sans toppings!!!!  Not even a single chopped mushroom was seen covering those cheeses. 

It’s a cheese lover’s delight. A pan pizza of only cheddar, mozzarella and parmesan, family size costs PhP 429… Sarap, but my palate was looking for some toppings…

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I was happy that Gabby volunteered to eat on his own plate of his own preference but I did not allow the chance to pass without trying again my own Pizza Hut favorites which I know are Tina’s favorites too…

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CAESAR SALAD.   With crisp romaine lettuce, bacon crumble, parmesan cheese, and herbed croutons tossed in Pizza Hut’s own caesar dressing served in chilled plate,  how can you not start your meal right ?  The price too, was very reasonable at PhP 79 a plate.

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GARLIC BREAD.  Toasted bread with garlic parsley butter, PhP 55.   Happiness is affordable at Pizza Hut! :D

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Then we ordered one of our favorite pastas from their menu….

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GARLIC SHRIMPS and MUSHROOMS. Spaghetti tossed with sauteed shrimps and mushrooms, in garlic-butter sauce; PhP 119.   It’s so delicious that I can eat it everyday. :D

Gabby also ordered his preferred drinks- Iced Mocha.  Once in a while, we allow him to sip a small dose of caffeine and his other favorites are the frappuccinos of Starbucks.  Calories, calories, calories….

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After that hearty meal, we burned those calories by pushing carts at the grocery….

Till our next foodtrip. :D

16
Jul
09

ANOTHER FIRST INDULGENCE

By docgelo 10 Comments
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last Sunday, my wife Tina, our son Gabby and I went to TriNoma mall in Quezon City to have our almost-weekly grocery shopping.  But before pushing those two grocery carts shelf after shelf, we enjoyed our lunch at this small but very charming cafe.

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One thing that I and my family share and enjoy so much is our own passion towards eating good food.   It doesn’t need to be pricey although I personally developed the preference to that flavorful and appetizing dishes;  it must be  deliciously stimulating not only to the palate but to the senses too.  I guess my wife was severely infected.  :)   I am also bias with good plating and nice presentation of food combined with fair ambiance.  And surprisingly, all of these we found in CAFE MARY GRACE  in TriNoma. 

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It was our first time to dine in this quaint food place and it was far from being unpleasant. I like the homey atmosphere and that very inviting interiors. With the use of well-polished wood furnitures and interesting tables with notes and wonderful comments from diners written in different stationaries and some in colorful cards adorn the glass table tops.  One may easily notice that no table is alike in CAFE MARY GRACE  because of this well-thought-of concept.

3Tina and I were delighted that our preschooler son, Gabby was beginning to feed himself with adult food.  He’s still picky on solid food and usually prefers chicken from Mcdonald’s.   But last Sunday, he asked for two dishes – a soup and a dessert.  So we ordered SEAFOOD CHOWDER, PhP 137 for him…  

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While I had my own plate of  SPICY LEMON SCAMPI,  PhP 268.80.   I  like it,  sarap,  but I certainly wish that they have a BIGGER SERVING to satisfy my HUGE APPETITE.   Nonetheless, it was really worth a try! :)

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SPICY LEMON  SCAMPI is made of fresh pan-seared shrimps atop linguini  noodles in a sauce made  of lemon juice, chili flakes, minced garlic and extra virgin olive oil.

I found this pasta so delicious that I can probably eat it everyday.  LOL  :)   It’s not irritatingly spicy and has the ingredients that I like best – SHRIMPS!!!   My plate was wiped off in a few minutes. :)

6Each plate of pasta and starters like salad (which we’ll try on our next visit) and soup comes with toasted bread.  Unfortunately, Tina had preference to her order, and disliked mine.  She had this CLASSIC CARBONARA PASTA, PhP 202.68.

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CLASSIC CARBONARA is a creamy pasta with mushroom and lots of bacon bits. 

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For our drinks, we tried Cafe Mary Grace’s home-made iced teas.  Tina had her glass of PEPPERMINT and FRUITS, PhP 75 and I had RASPBERRY ICED TEA, same price.  

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These tall glasses of iced teas were refreshingly bubbly that made me want to  try their other concoctions – SANGRIA and HIBISCUS soon.

On the list of desserts, Gabby singled out MANGO BENE so we ordered it, but few minutes after, the waiter came to our table, apologetic that he admittedly did not inform us that they ran out of that cake.  Sayang, it looked gorgeous on its picture at the menu.  I appreciated though, the courtesy of the wait staff.  So Gabby settled with his second choice – a slice of CHOCOLATE CAKE, PhP 80. 

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It was perhaps a blessing in disguise that we’ve tasted Cafe Mary Grace’s version of the usual favorite chocolate cake.  It has the right amount of sweetness, with caramel filling and that richly thick chocolate fudgy icing that would make you crave for more.   

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These moments are priceless…

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My family’s showing PDA (public display of affection) @ Cafe Mary Grace…

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Cafe Mary Grace, TriNoma Mall in front of National Bookstore, North Avenue cor EDSA, Quezon City.

05
Jun
09

YOH-GURT FROZ

By docgelo 8 Comments
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,

Life is damn short and sweet.   Do you agree?

As I maximize time to enjoy it, I found myself torn between two kinds of yogurt, LOL. 

If you’re frequenting this site then you have probably viewed this post —->CLICK THIS!  

And just the other day, my wife Tina and I enjoyed  YOH-GURT FROZ  at Tomas Morato, Quezon City.  

Do you like fruits in yogurt?   Blueberries, slices of mango and kiwi perhaps ?

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The plain yogurt of Yoh-gurt froz was thick and frozen.  It took more than a minute of air exposure before it began to melt.  We just stared at it for a moment, scrutinized its edge over the rival brand that we’ve also tried and delighted with the experience (twice and counting).  

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Although Yoh-gurt froz has a little space for its diners,  and they use frozen fruit toppings, which according to my wife are better for it lessens the moisture compared to the fresher fruit toppings of other yogurt brands, I say I will not say no to it at any season – summer or not!  Refreshingly healthy!

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04
Jun
09

ZENSHO

By docgelo 15 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Despite the weather today, my wife Tina and I braved the rains just to give in to our gastronomic craving – Japanese food buffet! .  We usually pass by this restaurant at Tomas Morato in Quezon City on our way home but  it took us some time to finally try dining at Zensho and today’s lunch was just perfect.

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Zensho’s lunch buffet is available from Mon. to Sun. at 11AM to 2:30pm for only PhP 485 ++ per pax.  What’s good with it, unlike the other buffet, the orders are served ala carte, even if you avail of the eat-all-you-want, so the yummy japanese foods can be enjoyed fresh and hot.   

We were guided to our table by the kimono-clad wait staff as Tina already made reservation few hours ago.  It’s a weekday so we expect that the place won’t be packed as much as we see it during weekends.  But we were wrong.  We arrived at 11AM with only few tables at Zensho occupied, but as clock ticked to lunch time, no table was left without diners.

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Japanese dining isn’t complete without hot tea. To maximize our dining pleasure as we might be satiated early with sweetened beverages and to improve peristalsis and digestion, we spared the drinks except for Zensho’s house tea. Talk about the art of buffet eating according to the book of docgelo, LOL.

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The first of our orders from the buffet menu was EBI KAKIAGE TEMPURA or mixed chopped shrimps and sliced vegetables.  The tempura breading was just right, deep-fried to perfection.

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From the Nabemono (鍋物, なべ物, nabe cooking pot + mono things, stuff, kinds) page in Zensho’s menu, I never missed to order SUKIYAKI.  My favorite Japanese soup made up of beef slices, tofu, noodles, vegetables flavored with dashi (cooking stocks)  shoyu (soy sauce), sugar and Japanese wine for that authentic Japanese food taste!  Zensho’s version of Sukiyaki has the basic tender beef slices and that sweet and salty taste.

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What’s a Japanese buffet without SASHIMI (刺身)? 

As late as High School, I remember then that I’m clueless with the difference between sashimi and sushi besides their spelling, LOL.  I can’t blame my parents who brought us not to these types of food places but to fastfood joints like McDonald’s, Jollibee, Goldilocks and to a favorite Filipino restaurant before - that UlamNilad in Cubao.  Now, I know better, LOL.  

Sashimi ofcourse is sliced fresh raw seafoods while sushi  is made of rice topped with ingredients such as seafood usually served rolled inside or around  nori  (dried and pressed layer sheets of seaweed or algae ) is called makizushi (巻き).

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SUSHI .  Sarap with WASABI (Japanese horseradish).!

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We also tried tons of beef dishes – SUKIYAKI STEAK and BEEF TERIYAKI.

Sukiyaki steak (left) was so delicious made of thinly sliced striploin.  Beef Teriyaki (right) was equally pleasing to the palate with sauteed beef  in Zensho’s teriyaki sauce.

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Two of Zensho’s house specialties were also notable as they were served identical – these were the OYSTER MOTOYAKI and PACIFIC SPECIAL.  Both were indistinct except for their basic ingredients. Oyster Motoyaki is made of baked oyster and Pacific Special consists of other seafoods.   Both can be eaten as appetizer, but I can’t deny the fact that they’re also best with Jap rice.

OYSTER  MOTOYAKI 

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They’re such a delight not only to the tongue but to the eyes as well. Look how Zensho served its house specialties… At the right end was our choice from the YAKIMESHI menu (japanese style fried rice cooked in the misono table with chopped vegetables, egg and seasoning) we chose a small bowl of SEAFOOD RICE.  It was delightful!

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PACIFIC SPECIAL equally looked and tasted buttery like OYSTER MOTOYAKI but it has other seafoods.  Yummy too!

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YASAI KANI SALAD, anyone ?  Those strips of artificial crab, tobiko (とびこ) or fish roe, cucumber and sweetest mango really made my day!

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CHICKEN YAKITORI 17

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EBI TEMPURA  also made our lunch complete. I can eat any shrimp dish daily, LOL.

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Burp !  Till our next digestive feast. Thanks for visiting.

24
May
09

PASTO

By docgelo Leave a Comment
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Before heading to the movies a couple of days ago, my wife Tina with our son Gabby and I made sure that we’re satiated first, so we decided to dine at PASTO, one of the an Italian restaurants in Eastwood City.

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It was our first time to dine at PASTO and it wasn’t bad at all.  Although I am bias with CIBO,  I’ve enjoyed the few things we tried;  the ambiance was OK too, -simple and just overflowing with red!  I like the unique use of bloody-red-painted corrugated iron roofing  sheets, as one of the walls which make good accent interiors. 

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Since we were catching a movie schedule, we just chose a pasta, a pizza and beverages ofcourse, from PASTO menu.  I love seafoods especially shrimps and I also like pesto, so you can just imagine my widest ear-to-ear smile when I read their menu that PASTO have dishes with two of my favorites. Pesto perfectly compliment seafoods. It effortlessly spells delicious! Hence we ordered…

GENOVESE, PhP 255.  Capellini (thinner than vermicelli) with shrimps, arugula (peppery-mustardy green leaves), pesto and pine nuts, in a tomato sauce.

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BIANCA,  PhP 265.  Pesto-based pizza with assorted seafoods. 

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TE FREDDO-LEMON, TE FREDDO- RASPBERRY,  PhP 95 each.

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Everything could have been a nice first-time- dining experience for us except for the service. I and my wife are very particular not only of food taste, and presentation but moreso of service.  Though it was fast, foods were served within 15 minutes, it was  less efficient.  They didn’t know how to anticipate diners’ request – say refilling of bottomless drinks, tissues and whatnot.  Most, if not all of the few waitresses forgot to wear smiles on their faces while at work.  Courtesy and customer relations should be improved. It counts a lot, definitely.

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PASTO, Eastwood City Walk, Cyberpark City, Libis, Quezon City. Tel # (63-2) 911-2768.  They also have branches at the Fort, Greenhills Theater Mall, El Pueblo Ortigas, Paseo Center, Makati.

11
May
09

CAFE ADRIATICO = SARAP!

By docgelo 11 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Apparently I am not content with our celebratory lunch date for mother’s day yesterday because the restaurant my wife and I chose was far from being impressive.  Totally wrong decision!  So I made an effort to convince her for us to try Cafe Adriatico in Gateway mall, Araneta Center this afternoon, to compensate for the bad experience we had yesterday.  This time, it was a sure winner!

Good thing we dined there to have our late merienda/early dinner on a Monday when it wasn’t packed.  We got to enjoy the ambiance and food before we went shopping for our weekly needs to a nearby grocery.

From the wide choices in the menu, to the interiors, to the VERY FRIENDLY and EFFICIENT SERVICE, I highly commend Cafe Adriatico, Gateway!  The wait-staff was courteous and attentive; everyone was smiling at us! Nice!

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It’s interiors from floor to ceiling is arresting!  The tables and chairs are so simple yet very comfortable.

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Freebies :  fish crackers                                           Fresh mango juice, PhP 75;   Iced tea PhP 55.

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Gabby had this PAN DE SAL with KESONG PUTI and butter, served with TSOKOLATE  E,  PhP 135.  The pair of pan de sal had its distinct taste, the kesong puti serving was ample, and the cup of hot chocolate with peanut buttery taste was a unique Pinoy alternative to coffee.

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Then I was excited to try Cafe Adriatico’s Lola Ising’s ADOBO  or Adobo rice as it’s called by Ms. CZVS of her widely-read blog where I discovered that this food place is amazing.  But she dines at its original Malate branch.  As I’ve stated, the ADOBO here is served at its best. Being the commonest Filipino dish, I guess it’s hard to serve it with a twist or at least to make it spunky but Cafe Adriatico was successful in doing so. Their adobo recipe is a must-try!  Spareribs were tenderized and served in a soyed rice with achara as side dish.

LOLA ISING’S ADOBO, PhP 330.

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Tina wanted to eat noodles so she ordered pancit canton. It was again served with distinct TSINOY (Chinese-Pinoy/Filipino) taste.  While we’re savoring its taste, we wondered what ingredients were used for it to be that delicious. It’s another usual favorite yet it can impose as another gastronomic stimulant.

LOLO’s CANTON BINONDO, PhP 215.

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As we know our son’s preference for something sweet, Tina ordered LECHE FLAN for Gabby.  When I tasted it myself,  the flan didn’t appear to my palate as the usual egg yolk-milk-and-sugar, but it had a twist of having a lemony taste.  Sarap!  

Leche Flan, PhP 68.

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Cafe Adriatico Gateway also serves breakfast as early as 7AM, I’m excited to try it and as well as the other entrees.

Burp!

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Cafe Adriatico-Gateway

G/F Gateway Mall, Araneta Center

Quezon City.

*Prices inclusive of 12% VAT but exclusive of 10% service charge.

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