Posts Tagged ‘restaurant

13
Mar
12

OUR HONG KONG DISNEYLAND TRIP 2012 : LAST DAY HIGH

By docgelo 27 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, HEADLINES, HONG KONG, ILOVEPHOTOS and TRAVEL
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19 February 2012. Sunday. It was the last day of our 3D2N grand family vacation in Hong Kong Disneyland Park and Resort. And although we’re ecstatic with everything we had experienced in the Happiest Place On Earth, we tried to struggle a bit with fact that we’re leaving Hong Kong for our work place in Penang, Malaysia before dusk. It’s always hard to leave something so special that gave you many wonderful memories. Nontheless, we still had a day to enjoy so Tina, Gabby and I started our last morning in Hong Kong with ear-to-ear smiles.

Good Morning, Disney’s Hollywood Hotel !!! :)

From our room down to the lobby, we headed directly to Chef Mickey to have our buffet breakfast!

“Chef Mickey recalls the lavish Art Deco-styled studio commissaries of Hollywood’s Golden Age. Mickey decorations and various Disney characters in sketch form are found throughout the restaurant.” (via hongkongdisneyland.com)

Here’s the nice corner reserved for my family and me…

From the ceiling, fixtures, tiled walls and the spread, there’s a piece of Mickey Mouse to delight your senses!

It was Gabby who first noticed and told me, “Daddy, look at the plate, it looks like Mickey Mouse’s pants!”

Much ado about carbo-loading : My first plate had a crusty cheese bread, a delicate egg tart, sample of fruity and fluffy pastries and a piece of Winnie the Pooh banana cake. Of course, my morning would not be complete without a dose of coffee.

Who says pizza ain’t a morning meal? Gabby was wide-eyed when he spotted an all-cheese-thin-crust-pizza on the spread; he’s a purist when it comes to pizza thus, it’s his favorite!  I asked him, “Anak, do you want some?” Of course, I received an excited positive response! I got a few slices for him, added some hash browns molded into smileys; how cute! And the basic scrambled eggs and bacon with Mickey Mouse waffles spruced up with maple syrup, while our boy favored chocolate syrup!

One of my favorites that I found so good from Chef Mickey’s various offerings was those thin slices of smoked salmon! I paired it with fresh green salad which I topped with different kinds of cheeses, some bits of cold cuts and vinaigrette and my morning instantly became perfect!

Tina and Gabby were satisfied with the breakfast too. Why, there were cereals which is a staple for my wife and son; yoghurt and fresh tropical fruits too! There were also some Chinese favorites –choices of dim sum, noodles, congee and a lot more that we wished our stomachs can accomodate. :)

After filling our tummies from Chef Mickey, we got our luggage and bags, had an early check out at 10:30AM, deposited our bags (for free!) at the Left Luggage Service of the hotel and trooped to the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel garden.

For the nth time, I owe some brilliant observations from our 7-year-old-kid. After first noticing those Chef Mickey’s plates patterned after Mickey Mouse’s pants, he commented about the aisle at the garden has film strips! And so I took a snap…

Bright and beautiful foliage at the Disney’s Hollywood Hotel garden…

The colors of the blooms – both big and small were awe-inspiring!

Pretty, isn’t it? My mother would agree (read : she loves flowers while my wife prefers food!).

It must be the great climate. It must be…

Happy moments in Disney’s Hollywood Hotel were made of these…

So happy he became buoyant on cool air!

Then, at the back of those “Hollywood Hotel” signage is somewhat discreet walkway where vintage cars are parked, excellent for photo-ops. What is Hollywood without them anyway?

Now, here are the exhibits of our “not-our-car-photos”….

Gorgeous cadillac coupled with those lovely smiles…

We’re almost ready to leave the garden when Gabby was fascinated with this movie ticket booth…

Gabby was inspired to do role-playing with his mom. Tina as the movie-goer and Gabby sells the tickets. Guess who’s their director? Definitely, not me! I played the usual camera man; Gabby himself called the shots! And all the while we thought his mind’s already fixed in becoming a chef, hotelier and restaurateur in the future. He got other talents, baby! ;)

The moment came when he thought of dancing in the middle of a turntable-designed ground near the poolside. Elvis Presley songs were on air. He was then more of an entertainer with the grooves more than just an actor-director! haha! :D   (I captured all of his moves in photos which I will probably post on a separate entry soon).

Time to bid goodbye to Disney’s Hollywood Hotel. Thank you for that warm and family-friendly accomodation! :)

As we planned to collect our luggage from Disney’s Hollywood Hotel at around 3PM before heading to Hong Kong International Airport to catch our 5:45PM HK-KUL flight via Air Asia, we rode the resort’s free shuttle bus and went to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Public Transport Interchange (PTI). 

TRANSPORTATION IS ALSO WHIMSICAL AT HONG KONG DISNEYLAND! 

Here are some info and tips on how to go about the MTR Disneyland Resort Line

Getting to and out the park is as easy as counting 1, 2 and 3. :)  From Hong Kong International Airport, one can opt to ride a bus, a car, a taxi cab or a train to reach Hong Kong Disneyland and vise-versa if you’re leaving the Happiest Place On Earth.

We’ve been to Hong Kong and Hong Kong Disneyland quite a few times already but we were always on a package tour (read : there’s a tourist bus that pick us up to and from the park) and we have not experienced riding that Mickey-Mouse-windowed train running on the MTR Disneyland Resort Line. And so we did not let the chance pass last month to enjoy such experience.

It’s always great to ask whenever you’re in doubt. So I went to the counter of the MTR Disneyland Resort Line to inquire how to go to Ting Chung via Sunny Bay. He instructed me to buy tickets from the machines located at the laterals of the station just before the turnstiles. He generously broke my bills into coins for the train ticket machines; very HKDL-friendly! :)

The ticket machines are touch screens; you need to identify and press the point of your origin before you touch the point of your final destination. Say for example, touch first Hong Kong Disneyland Resort then Tung Chung. The ticket price for adult and kids are different but the machine monitor will show the amount per person and you just need to press the total pax (e.g. 3 adults, 1 kid).  Et voila, you collect the tickets to be inserted (or swipe if it’s loadable) on the turnstiles!

Convenience meets Fantasy.

That’s my first impression on Disneyland Resort Train Station.

It made me wish that all train stations around the globe would be as neat and pretty as this.

“Travel on the railway network of MTR and interchange for the Disneyland Resort Line at Sunny Bay Station.

  • Only 23 minutes from the Hong Kong International Airport, MTR Airport station,
  • 30 minutes from MTR Kowloons tation and
  • 33 minutes from MTR Hong Kong station where Guests can pick up  Park Tickets too!
Operating Hours between Sunny Bay and Disneyland Resort Station
From Sunny Bay: from 6:15am – 12:45am the following day From Disneyland Resort Station: from 6:20am – 12:40am the following day
Frequency 4 – 10 minutes.” (-via hongkongdisneyland.com)

Just wonderful. :)

And at an instant, we fell in love with the train! Those train handles are one of the many reasons why one should visit and experience Hong Kong Disneyland! :)

Among the many train couches, we were lucky to randomly seated near that Mickey Mouse bronze statue.

There’s Tink’s and many other Disney characters immortalized in bronze enclosed in capsules.

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort line runs until Sunny Bay. From here, you wait and take other trains that will take you to your destination.

Doing the “tourist thing” at Sunny Bay Station….

Now, where did we go and what did we do after Sunny Bay would have to be posted next!

With that, I’d like to thank the people who made our Hong Kong Disneyland trip very memorable and fun-filled!  Thank you to Jaclyn, Nicole, Catherine and Purple –you guys are the BEST!

Thank you to my fellow Filipino bloggers and their families and friends who were nice companions on this trip -Gael of The Pinay Solo Backpacker, Thammie of ThammieSy.com, Leslie of Shoot First Eat Later, Laureen Uy of Break My Style, and Kyrz of KyrzUy.com.

Thank you to my fellow Filipino bloggers with their families and friends! Thank you to Gael of The Pinay Solo BackPacker and her sister, Juvy, Thank you to Thammie of ThammieSy.com who came with her entire family, Pastor Dennis of Act Like A Man and their two adorable daughters, Alyanna and Mika. Thank you to Leslie of Shoot First Eat Later who came with her friend, Ms. Elizabeth (not in photo but Thank you, Maam for giving Gabby a lego-Buzz Lightyear watch!), Thank you fashion bloggers and celebrities, Laureen Uy of Break My Style  who came with her special one, Robbie, and Kryz Uy of KryzUy.com who went with her sister, Jack.  Maraming Salamat! Don’t you wish we meet again in some similar trip like this? Better yet, let’s go to HKDL again someday! :)

Last but not certainly not the least, THANK YOU SO MUCH to HONG KONG DISNEYLAND for being the venue of our FAMILY bonding, offering more than expected delicious FOOD and providing us never-ending FUN!

In so many ways, this Hong Kong Disneyland vacation was truly an exceptional one! 

Whether it was our first time or we’ve been to the park and hotels several times over, reasons are beyond words to go back and revisit the Happiest Place on Earth!

Let this last set of my photos speak of those remarkable reasons why WE SO LOVE HONG KONG DISNEYLAND!

As Shakespeare had put it, “Parting is such a sweet sorrow.”

It was an enormous blessing that we got a chance to revisit Hong Kong Disneyland and experienced family bonding, food and fun beyond our great expectations!

Thank you so much, our dear God!

Thank you so much, Hong Kong Disneyland!

Till we meet again, Mickey Mouse! ;)

———————————

This Blog Series Includes :

11
Dec
11

RECYCLED GEMS

By docgelo 38 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Never underestimate things from rubbish for you might find gold in them.  I told Gabby this while we walked our way towards Armenian Street in George Town after alighting the ferry from Jetty. The little-big boy, at first was puzzled until I simplified what it means.

I was surprised when our 7-year-old wonder boy is already familiar with the triple R -recycle, reduce, reuse. Apparently, his mom and teachers have been doing their duties wonderfully. Our casual father-and-son conversation became more meaningful when we spotted several used bath tubs now serving as plant boxes lining the street. Whoever thought of that must have been so environmental-friendly.

As Tina usually wants to spend her Sunday at home whenever possible (for she  thinks and I also agree that she deserves a rest before she begins another work week), it was only Gabby and I who went out to the Island primarily to run some errands (we needed to go to a money changer to have our ringgits changed to pesos as we’re going home to Pinas for the holidays, we also had to buy some ingredients for Tina’s home cooked siomai and a few more pasalubongs for our relatives and lastly, I was asked by my lovely wife to bring her old denims for a change of zippers in a repair shop). However before doing all this, I decided to drop by AMELIE CAFE and grabbed the opportunity to expose my kid to something totally different.

that gem in the mirror

Located in #6 Armenian Street beside a famous tourist spot, Cheah Si Sek Tek Tong that we have yet to explore some other time, AMELIE CAFE is a hole-in-the-wall cafe that serves quality Western food in the heart of George Town.

At  first sight, one would not imagine that this tiny food place can provide a charmingly beautiful gastronomic experience. It actually looks like an ordinary carinderia outside, housed at the ground floor of a pre-war building except that its simple facade was made attractively beautiful by those lavish green potted plants and its unique hand-made sign boards express that there must be more than meets the eye. :)

Amelie Cafe is open from 10AM daily except Mondays

Having been an expat for more than a year here in Penang, I completely know that this Malaysian state, particularly in one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, George Town, offers diversities not only in race, religion and color but evidently in culinary department as well. Like mushrooms in the woods, hawker food stalls, restaurants and coffee shops are having healthy competitions despite they thrive side by side.  Food in this part of Asia is more than substantial but a lucrative business too.

With the commercially available kedai kopi like Starbucks Coffee, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf including the popular local kopitiam and the like, AMELIE CAFE, in my honest opinion has greater advantage above all these giants.

It’s edge –the highly creative atmosphere out of recycled materials.

Take a peek at what we had enjoyed inside…

It’s like we entered a hole-in-the-wall eatery-slash-museum-slash-art-gallery. Amazing’s an understatement! :)

No corner was overlooked; even its humble ceiling deserves a glimpse.

On top of the door were tin plates displayed beneath those water plants (I’ve known them as celia as told by my old relatives; we have some at home in Butterworth cut from the jetty/ferry station) placed in old bottles of various branded fruit jams.

What’s great with all of these decors, I think they’re highly mobile as the owners can move them from one corner to the other making the interiors of Amelie Cafe uniquely different in a snap.

There’s only one ceiling fan without unusual look but nonetheless functional.

Must have that detail shot…

i want to take that dog & cat painting home!

On the left side by the door is a table and this wall…

Who says you cannot create remarkable things out of rubbish?

As we stepped inside Amelie Cafe, we found out that it only has 5 small tables filled with mostly foreigners dining their brunch. Fortune was on our side when we spotted an available table located at the end, just by the kitchen. No worries for Gabby and I because astonishingly, smoke from the frying pan is handled professionally. I didn’t mind being welcomed by the gentle wafting scent of the bacon at late morning; it was so welcoming actually! :)

The limited 5 tables with 3 to 4 stools each do not come in set. Even their plates, cups and saucers never look alike but when put together they contribute to ones’ fantastic dining experience.

Don't let the simplicity of the table and stools fool you; the total dining experience here is more than you can imagine.

The finish of the walls, floor and ceiling was not made perfect but it added to its enticing appeal.

We were greeted by Yen, one of the owners of Amelie Cafe. It’s only Yen and her husband, Hung run the entire show at their very quaint food place. The wonderful duo serve as wait staff, at the same time, do the preparation of food, do the cooking and tender the cashier counter and if chance permits, entertain their diners.  Fantastic! :)   I just failed to ask them if they have formal education in culinary or in related fields nevertheless, I think it’s no longer important as they’ve been managing everything at Amelie Cafe smoothly and successfully.

As Gabby and I sat down, Yen handed in the menu…

menu with hand painted cover, made out of cut-out cartons.

She told us, pointing with her thumb (the way Malaysians do it-not the common use of index finger or for us Pinoys, with a pouting lips, hehe!) to the uber artistic dessert menu board beneath the stairs.

After getting our orders, I asked if they have tandas (toilet), Hung pointed towards the back of the kitchen. The kitchen looks like this…

The Kitchen : Everything's prepared and cooked here. Nothing more, nothing less. Isn't it amazing?

These are some of the artworks located above our table. Other than the use of recycled materials, did you notice the recurrent theme?  Mother Nature must be super happy! :)

Can you spot that solitary little fish inside the jar that was made into its aquarium and a plant vase too?

Humor in recycled art : Old wooden planks nailed side by side painted with fish spines and dog bone noted with “meow” combined with “oof oof !” ….Nice! :)

I believe the couple also did all those colorful pieces. And it looks like they’re also responsible designing the whimsical interiors of Amelie Cafe. How many businessmen do their work with complete hands-on?

With all those eye-catching things, waiting for our orders to be delivered and boredom inside Amelie Cafe didn’t become an issue. After 15 minutes, Gabby and I were already sharing these…

I gave him the liberty to go over the menu and choose whatever he wants. He selected carbonara, hazelnut chocolate parfait and chocolate banana milkshake. That was pure carbo-glucose fix!

After that candid shot, my boy asked me to dunk my fork and eat all those crispy cut bacon strips from the pasta because he doesn’t eat bacon and seldom he likes ham. Sure, I replied to him; I became easily submissive with his wish. :)

As Gabby continuously dreams of becoming a chef, a hotelier, restaurateur someday, I told him that putting up a carinderia as gorgeous and attractive as Amelie Cafe would do. Thinking of owning something like this is more than surreal!

Hazelnut parfait was a perfect ending to our mini-brunch. It came with fresh cranberries that Gabby wrongly thought of cherries. The pasta plate was also satisfyingly good, although minimal in serving and less creamy than usual–the taste actually made the difference. And the milkshake?  Refreshingly delicious!

Honestly, the food doesn’t come that cheap compared to what you might expect. The price is comparable to Starbucks Coffee’s. A little more expensive than the common fast food joints. But hey, you don’t get all these visual treats from those commercial food places.

Then the moment of “must sample their coffee” dawn upon me…

The first sip of this cappuccino was for Tina. Yeehaa! :)   I really wished she’s with us with this (another) extraordinary experience.

The table where we enjoyed everything…

Just before ending our meal at Amelie Cafe, Gabby told me that he liked everything he ate and appreciated all things he saw inside.  Like me, he loved all the artworks, all the delightful clutter including the simple presence of that fish solitarily swimming in that old jar.  The sense of recycling old things and turning them into great use rather than considering them as useless junks was reinstilled in his young mind. The exposure brain-washing, I guess was successful! :)

06
Nov
11

SHANGRI-LA’S RASA SAYANG : A BLEEDING WOUND, A THOUGHTFUL STAFF, A DIGESTIVE FEAST PART 2

By docgelo 38 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, ILOVEPHOTOS, MALAYSIA and TRAVEL
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
I have always thought that most of our priceless and happy moments together as a family are commonly shared over a meal. Either at home or whenever we dine out, great tasting foods have been essential in making the three of us more joyous. Most epicurean adventures that we celebrate, be it simple or otherwise have been a constant reminder too, that we’re so blessed on top of life’s challenges. 
On a lighter note, I am a strong believer of my personal beatitude, ‘Blessed are the people who consider food as their kryptonite for they will continuously seek strength to fight cravings for more toothsome dishes!’ LOL! :D However, I know most, if not all will instantly agree with me that resistance is remarkably futile if the spread includes the following….  

Mont Blanc

 Black Forest never presented this edgy…

Our 7-year-old wonder boy loves cheese and cheese cakes and so are we…

Gabby’s palatal exposure to wide array of digestive stimuli may hopefully contribute in his aspirations to become a chef, a hotelier and a restaurateur someday. So help us, God! :)  

Paris Brest

Strawberry Flan

Apparently, Chocolate Dome Cake…

Pralinosa Bavaroise…
 
And of course, Tiramisu….
Reservation was done over a phone call a week prior to this dinner-buffet. Spice Market Cafe in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa in Batu Feringgi, Penang is usually packed even on weekdays, as we’re told, not only because of their on-going promotion (Yes, if it’s not a buy-one-free-one we could have not afford it, haha!) but more logically for their delightful dishes. 
No fresh floral arrangements, neither fancy balloons nor fruits. What could be more appropriate table centerpieces for Spice Market Cafe but mortar and pestle with dried herbs and spices.
Table for 3 please : Tina, Gabby & me :D
The three of us immediately became busy viewing the spread of the different live-cooking stations that represent a multi-cultural gastronomic feast : Continental, Indian, Japanese, Chinese and Malay.  Even Gabby had several trips to the buffet tables on his own. And after getting our individual preferences, we shared plates generously.
Without a clue, Tina’s scarred wound at the tip of her left ring finger was already bleeding; her table napkin was inevitably stained with drops of blood.
  • me: Ano nangyari? Bakit dumugo?  (What happened? Why did it bleed?)
  • Tina : Hindi ko napansin e.  (I didn’t notice.)

Then out of nowhere, Norizah, a short-haired pleasant female senior wait staff approached our table with utmost concern. She asked what happened and offered something she can do.

  • Tina : (smiling despite bleeding) “My wound is bleeding but I’m OK. Nothing to worry. I am a nurse and my husband is a doctor.”
  • me : (smiled and nodded at Norizah)
  • Norizah :  “You’re a nurse and he’s a doctor but you are my customers and I worry about you. Would you like me to bring something from the clinic?  I’ll go get some band-aid.”   

Right there and then, I wanted to give Norizah a “Natatanging Waitress Award.” (Outstanding Waitress Award) haha! :) Seriously, I could have told her that it’s our first time to experience such utmost thoughtfulness from a restaurant staff but Tina and I only thanked her for her impeccable service.

How many hotels, restaurants or any form of food places have thought of providing kids their own plates?  Isn’t this gesture sweet?

Because excitement was difficult to contain, Gabby filled his first plate with chilled scallops that he topped with what else but parmesan and cheese dressing. Cheesy overload on those delicious mollusks. Takaw mata man, Tina and I were there to eat his leftovers. Sarap!

There’s a bar that has various cheese offerings; celery and carrot sticks made available for dipping.

How do you like blue cheese?

Or emmental cheese perhaps?

There’s no wine for obvious reasons but breads made a great combination..

Now, let’s proceed to shameless display of plates :  I started with this few slices of cold cuts– chicken ham and that remarkably delicious smoked salmon, with bread and cheeses. We also enjoyed their thick and creamy corn soup.

Must have that detail shot, haha! :)

Second of my beatitude, “Blessed are the people who have no hypersensitivity, for theirs the kingdom of seafoods!”

I am a sucker for prawns and proof to this is the fact that I never miss out to buy prawns from the public market here every weekend (read : we’re lucky for it’s a lot cheaper here than in Pinas).  Tina usually cook it either with garlic and butter or just steamed and we’re on cloud 9 already! :)

Mussels on the otherhand, aren’t as common as shrimps here. :( If you must know, the sweet taste and humongous size of mussels that we’ve eaten when we were in Auckland, New Zealand back in 2005 for our memorable 7 week family vacation there remains to be unforgettable! We’re fortunate enough that the buffet of Spice Market Cafe has mussels but not as close as what we had in Auckland.

Then there were those another family favorite which Gabby had singled out…

Have you tasted yabbies?

We could have wash our hands and enjoyed them to bits but I for one had no extra room in my gastric pit…some other time, I guess haha! :)

Here’s my seafood plate…

Pity those who must take anti-histamines when they eat these glorious foods!

Moving on, the Chinese section’s essentials were present like noodle station…

It’s an experience watching the chef make hand-pulled noodles live! :) The force in kneading that dough as he stretched and slammed it to have less air was already an entertainment while eating!

Noodle soup must have other ingredients…

But where are the dimsum and dumplings? Did we miss it out? :(

I was silently jumping for bliss when I saw that there’s a Japanese station. It has been months since I’ve last squeezed a sushi between chopsticks.

Although to our dismay there were no ebi and crab tempura which are also Gabby’s favorites, we were happy to have freshest tuna and salmon sashimi, and some sushi…

The little-big boy really had his time…

I can eat this plateful of yummies everyday, haha! :)

I just recently found my love affair with some Indian foods, so I tried some chicken tandoori (but too spicy for my palates), papadum and roti, and one of the famous local grilled goodies here, chicken satay with peanut sauce…

I like their chicken satay but had an aversion to eat it with fresh onions. Usually, it’s eaten with cucumber and onion slices. Don’t you love these brass wares? I do!!! I wish when the time comes that we need to leave Malaysia, there would be extra money to buy these as souvenirs (O marami nyan sa Divisoria? LOL!) :)

Do you like lamb? I don’t because of its usual-after-taste that leaves you wanting to gargle non stop, hehe! But the slices of roasted lamb leg from this buffet made me reconsider it!

Beef dishes, as I know it, aren’t easy to prepare. It needs slow cooking for it to become tender and the beef medalions with mushrooms from Rasa Sayang doesn’t disappoint!

Peking Duck and  Char Siew Chicken were also sublime!

tastier and crunchier than it looks on photo!

Most foreigners and tourists would dig the local Malaysian favorites so for the desserts section, they’re offering ais kacang, cendol, ABC and more….(their version of our Filipino Halo-Halo!)

However, we didn’t try their version; perhaps, next time.

We've already tasted those green worm-like jellies made from rice flour and food coloring that are toppings of cendol from a hawker food stall in George Town before and we liked it! Grossly looking but will delight your palates!

Thankful to Gabby, he had the effort of going to the ice cream station to prepare a cup as Tina and I were already full that time.

Ice cream toppings and syrups never looked and tasted this great!

 Chef Gabby’s plating of ice cream…

Local Malaysian desserts were satiatingly good; our own versions we call them in Tagalog, kakanin…

Skewered for dipping…

One of this blog’s valued commenters (convictstock from Australia) mentioned before that their stay and dining in Rasa Sayang was made extraordinary because of their chocolate fondue. I agree but it would not hurt for Shangri-La Penang to double it with white chocolate fountain too! We have lots of hotels in the Philippines who offer it and it’s twice the fun of course!

Melted dark chocolate : so heavenly but wished there was white one too!

Gradually, Gabby’s having big ideas of what his kitchen, hotel and restaurant will all look like in the future as he picks up beautiful things and notes those he must avoid doing by his decent exposures to all this. It’s like (positive) brainwashing 101 or more like an early immersion for our kiddo. :) Salamat na lang, lagi may promosi! (We’re always grateful for promotions as buffets in hotels are made affordable!).

These FUNtastic looking sculptures out of some ingredients I guess, made Gabby and Tina the happiest people on that dining area that night. My family's addicted to Angry Birds as they left me still enjoying Plants vs Zombies, LOL!

 Thank you, Spice Market Cafe for putting up such dining decors for kids and kid-at-hearts!

Fresh fruits were also on the spread but not the same with fruit juices; you need to pay extra for a glass or two. :( It’s unlike other premier hotel-buffets we have tried here in Penang where beverages are included in their offering; that’s one little disadvantage for patrons of Rasa Sayang in our humble opinion.  

However, they uplifted our spirits when we learned that coffee is included in the buffet, yahoooo! Tina and I are just simple coffee-lovers! :)

One week prior to our dinner when I had phoned them to make a reservation, they told me that the 250-sitting capacity of the restaurant is almost filled. I just took the chance in requesting that if and when some guests back out for whatever reason, I’ll appreciate if they can accomodate us in for consideration that I am bringing Gabby and I was surprised on the eve of our indulgence, they did! They allowed us to sit inside the buffet dining area instead outside where they have nipa huts and more tables for diners. 

All in all, our first dining experience in Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa Spice Market Cafe was indeed, less ordinary. Admittedly, I personally had great expectations because of its name and reputation and they exceeded it, bar none! More than great tasting dishes, their friendly service to customers showed how they value their market over their business. And where else can you spot such impressive factors for the price of RM 185 nett (PhP 2,590 or USD 59) for the three of us (at RM 104+ : buy-one-free-one+kid’s half rate)? The cost is such a steal that one will be tempted to go back for more!  Visit their website for more details of their rates and promotions (http://www.shangri-la.com/)

Until our next family bonding moments! :)

________________________________ 

PART ONE : Shangri-La’s Rasa Sayang Spice Market Cafe Buffet

02
Oct
11

ON GABBY’S SPECIAL DAY

By docgelo 20 Comments
Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and MALAYSIA
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,


“I love you, Ma, I love you, Daddy!”
These phrases never fail to melt our worries and stress away. And now that Gabby is turning 7 years old this Wednesday, 5th October, Tina and I cannot be grateful enough to the Lord for giving us His greatest blessing; we love our son beyond words.

Because his birthday falls on a weekday (we have work, he has school), we decided to celebrate it in advance last weekend. Tina was suggesting for us to dine at T.G.I.Fridays again but of course, the birthday boy’s wish prevailed.

He has been craving for some bites at an all-cheese-pizza from Pizza Hut so we gave in to his request…

He’s a purist when it comes to pizza as his preference is exclusively partial to 3 to 4-cheese pizza; like he really doesn’t like anything on top.
Gabby also favored calamari and garlic bread from the menu…

I maybe a doctor and an educator but I honestly don’t know everything. I’m not sure if the love for great-tasting food (read : huge appetite) can also be transferred via genetics, can it? Gabby might have been blessed with good genes, don’t you think? LOL! :D
My choice : Pizza Hut’s Honey Barbecue Chicken Wings –sarap to the bones! :)

We washed everything down with iced cold water, canned light Pepsi for Gabby (yes, I know sodas are junkie too!), and a tall glass of citrus flavored drink infused with calamansi and champoy at its bottom–uniquely refreshing; an eye candy too!

After that hearty lunch (we didn’t finish everything; we had some slices as takeaway *defensive*), Tina went to the department store and bought Gabby a new shirt while I headed to the mall’s barbershop for that much needed haircut. We met about an hour after, and had some grocery shopping too.
Then the time to blow candles on a birthday cake came; we sat inside Secret Recipe and the rest was momentous…

While waiting for Gabby’s cake, Tina took this photo on a whim. A littly grainy but I just had to post it because Gabby’s too adorable, isn’t he?

Chocolate Indulgence cake landed on our table with a cake slicer and 7 pieces of candles. Our little big-boy didn’t waste time and made his wishes…

The multilayered and richly textured chocolate cake was truly to die for; there’s no other name more apt for it but Chocolate Indulgence. It’s one of our favorites!

At seven, Gabby’s still a baby. He still likes toys a lot! Good thing he knows how to profess what he wanted to receive so we know what to give. Best, it’s afforbale and functional too. Uhm, I think so… hehe..

He could have asked for a remote control aircraft but opted for his second wish. With these, you now have a clue where we’re heading next weekend, if and when weather permits…

We left Queensbay Mall last Saturday with happy faces and full tummies.

The simple celebration continued the next day on our humble abode here in Penang. Tina cooked another irresistible dish – creamy carbonara with lotsa bacon bits on penne, yummy!

We’re joined by my dad whom we picked up from Penang Airport after we spent our entire Saturday at Queensbay Mall. With his Lolo Ben around (who went home 2 months ago to Manila with my mom for some important matters), Gabby will have longer sleeping hours again before he goes to school daily. The birthday boy’s smile reached ear to ear when his Lolo Ben brought out from his luggage a gift imported from Pinas from his Lola Tessie (my mom).

And there was a candle on a birthday cake again; he really enjoyed blowing candles on his cake. There must be something special about it.

What made his birthday preparation this year a bit different from before, he took the initiative and the efforts to pack his simple loot bags for his classmates and teachers on Wednesday (his actual birthday)…

Alone, he segregated candies and packs of chocolate bicuits piece by piece and put them on these loot bags. Such heightened his excitement to share his special day with his Chinese and Indian schoolmates too…

But we made known to him that he’ll only have loot bags as giveaways and no party will be thrown in his school here (read : we’re cutting on expenses, seriously!). Nontheless, it’s fine with him, after all, he understands and loves us so.

Our family life, although far from being perfect has been incredibly special and seems like there’s always an everyday-celebration because we have you, anak! We love you very much, Gabby! :)

04
Jun
10

A TASTE OF TUSCANY

By docgelo 19 Comments
Categories: EVENTS, FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Dear Gabby,

Remember when I went home last Wednesday afternoon with a wide smile and a pasalubong for you and your mom?  It was after I went to Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila located in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.  I had a pleasure of being invited to Oakwood’s  A Taste of Tuscany, Italian Wine and Food Festival Press Lunch.

I met gracious and wonderful people whom I even talked to about you dreaming of becoming a chef someday. :)

Like their Spanish Wine and Food Festival last April, what we recently had was a supreme indulgence!

I know you’ll enjoy looking at these pictures again, son…

Basket of amazingly delicious breads with olive oil and balsamic vinegar dip.

Believe me, Gabby, the photo cannot justify how good Oakroom’s breads are!  I’m sure you’ll like those soft and crunchy bread sticks or that herbed bread can surely stimulate your palate.

But of course, you understand that I cannot bring you to this event because those glorious foods were paired with finest Italian wines.  Time will come that you’ll mature and develop the appreciation for occasional drinking.  Who knows, other than being a chef that you wanted to be, you might become a wine connoisseur too!

Meanwhile, here’s ALBIZZIA, CHARDONNAY 2007, 2008.

*ALBIZZIA, TOSCANA : Flowers, apples and pears on the nose are followed by a palate of ripe peach and apricot.  Green apple notes at the finish make this a wine well balanced between fruit and acidity.  A light and appealing Chardonnay, with no oak.

This Chardonnay was paired with ZUPPETTA di LENTICCHIE con GAMBERONI e CORIANDOLO or  Lentil soup with king prawns and corriander…

You know your Daddy, anak. Anything with shrimps or prawns is delicious to me. :)   The texture and flavors infused into this soup were certainly new to me but I liked it as it was best complimented by that light and fruity Albizzia, Chardonnay.

PARMIGIANA di MELANZANE  e  ZUCCHINE or Aubergine and courgette parmigiana.

Tasteful!  It was paired with REMOLE, TOSCANA 2006. I learned that gone are the days of following hard rule of white wines should only be for white meat and red wines are only for red meat.  That afternoon, we had red wine paired with greens!

*REMOLE, TOSCANA is 85% Sangiovese (red wine) and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon but very lightly pressed, giving gentleness and subtlety. Fermentation and aging in stainless steel accentuates the fruit.  The aroma has violets, raspberries and red cherries.  The palate has red cherry, with hints of tobacco and leather before a soft finish.

Look how Oakwood Premier’s Executive Chef Jerome Cartailler prepared this eggplant dish to perfection…

Ultra-thin layers of eggplant were somewhat grilled for that much needed taste. Sarap!

Main entree was MEDAGLIONI di FILETTO di VITELLO con CARCIOFI LIMONE e PROVOLONE or Veal fillet medallions with artichokes, lemon and Provolone.

The required tenderness of the meat was there.  The risotto with provolone was one of the best rice dishes I’ve tasted.  This  delightful dish was greatly paired with CASTIGLIONI, CHIANTI 2007.

*CASTIGLIONI CHIANTI, awarded as “Oscar for value for money from Italy’s prestigious wine magazine, Gambero Rosso. A nose of cherries, red currants and raspberries, backed by cassis, leather and tobacco notes.  A palate of stone fruits (cherries, black plums and blackberries), with a long lasting, well-structured finish.

Another shot of that lovely plate.

What’s a great meal without dessert?  We’re almost satiated but can’t resist this temptation :

TIRAMISU ai FRAGOLA  or  Strawberry tiramisu…

Luscious!  I just dunked my spoon on this sweet treat, it exposed generous strawberry slices!

And we nicely capped that excellent lunch with espresso.

It’s such a beautiful experience, Gabby!  An exquisite Italian fare we enjoyed.  This proof  is only a slice to the fact that Oakwood Premier has been living up with its tag line of “Luxury defined by trust.”

I hope this inspires you more to pursue your dream of becoming an iron chef! :)

I and your Mommy Tina  love you, anak!

:) Tatay-doc.

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“A Taste of Tuscany” at Oakroom is co-presented by Future Trade International, Inc., distributor of Frescobaldi and Danzante wines in the Philippines.  It runs from June 07 to 27, 2010.

For details and reservations, please call the Oakroom direct line at (63-2) 719-1160. Other phone lines : (63-2) 637-7888/ 910 8888 ext. 8118.  Oakroom is on the 6th level of Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila, located at 17 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

Thank you, Ms. Genny Puno for the invite! :)

Regarding TASTING NOTES  for WINE APPRECIATION, visit my other blog –>DOCGELO’S  EYES .

11
Apr
10

SPANISH WINES & RABBIT STEW FOR LUNCH

By docgelo 31 Comments
Categories: EVENTS and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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Guess where I had lunch last Wednesday ?

Upon arrival from Tokyo a couple of weeks ago, I immediately received an invitation via text and e-mail to attend TORRES WINES PRESS LUNCH at Oakroom in the 6th level of Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila.  Of course, I’m no member of the press, (but who knows? I might venture into that avenue too, LOL! :D ) but I am as excited as them to share with you what Future Trade International, the importer and distributor of such wines and more to the Philippines, Oakwood Premier and Torres Wines have to offer as they collaborate in this Spanish Food and Wine Festival.

ELEGANCE  in  BOTTLES… 

I arrived at the venue last 07 April 2010 just several minutes before the event started.  The simple and intimate affair began with white wine offering : TORRES FRANSOLA. 

“TORRES FRANSOLA - Intense complex aroma of exotic fruit (passion fruit and green fig), delicately ennobled by fine notes of toast and vanilla (from ageing in new French oak). Good balance in the mouth thanks to the wine’s acidity, with floral notes that pleasantly linger mid-palate.”

I am far from being a wine connoisseur; in fact, I rarely drink!  I do,  but very occasionally.  I may not be knowledgeable enough with wines and spirits but I know my palate well. :)  

And among the  Torres wines we’ve sampled that day, I like the white wine-FRANSOLA the best.  It’s fresh and light and makes you want to drink more! LOL! :D   I just reminded myself that ”everything should always be in moderation.”  

With Fransola’s light and pleasing taste, I am now a believer that white wines aren’t less sophisticated than red. :)  

After the warm introduction, lunch was served…

Our first course : JAMON SERRANO, hand carved Serrano ham with olives and greens.   

The salad was paired with TORRES CORONAS TEMPRANILLO…

“TORRES CORONAS TEMPRANILLO : Delicate floral aromas over a background of very ripe fruit (blackberry and strawberry), oak and truffles. Its tannins have a fruity, meaty structure that evolves into velvety touches of smoke and spices acquired during ageing.”

I tried to savor the flavor of this red wine with that bit salty taste of the salad and I wasn’t disappointed. 

I admired its almost magenta-red color; tried to swirl my glass and smelled its aroma and appreciated its stronger taste than Fransola. 

Bread and butter were served prior to the salad; then on to the second course :  GAZPACHO ANDALUZ; chilled soup (yes it was not a usual hot soup!) with tomato, garlic, bread, cucumber and onion.

My senses welcomed the cold soup! It’s thick and creamy with a taste that’s complementary with Fransola.

Then came the main dish : CONEJO CON ACEITUNAS; rabbit stewed with red wine, tomato and olives.  The rabbit stew was paired with TORRES GRAN SANGRE DE TORO…

“TORRES GRAN SANGRE DE TORO -All the exuberant aroma traditionally found in an intense, ripe red wine, with a sensual background of the spices in good balance with perfumed notes reminiscent of blackberries. Full, long finish on the palate.”

I was easy on the red wine; and had mixed thoughts on the rabbit. :)   Actually, most people with me on our table had been thinking as early as we read what’s on the menu, if they would dunk their forks and knives on the slices of bunny on our plates; considering that we just celebrated Easter! LOL! :D  Most of them were thankful that the rabbit stew was served with sea bass  that I found delicately delicious!  Almost all of us thought of  lamb as closest comparison to the rabbit’s different taste and distinct aftertaste. 

I was never skeptical that I cannot eat that rabbit dish (for I fear other animals, not that furry one).  I took it as a fresh experience (similar with having that chilled soup!).  I seriously thought at that moment that a drink of Torress Gran Sangre de Toro  in between bites of that rabbit meat was indeed, necessary! :)

The dessert was LECHE FRITA, deep fried custard that’s crunchy outside with soft, mushy and gooey filling.  

 

I may not be that adventurous when it comes to dining as I try to avoid exotic “unusual” foods and commonly stick to my favorites. I may not be a “wine master”  and still have to learn more about wine appreciation but nevertheless, this lunch set paired with finest Spanish wines gave me a new and pleasant experience on the table and I honestly appreciate it.

To Torres Wines, Future Trade International and Oakwood,

Cheers!  And Thank you for sharing this wonderful event with us.

Special thanks to Ms. Nadal for the invites. :D

*Viva Espana Spanish Wine and Food Festival at Oakroom is celebrated on April 16-30, 2010 at Oakwood Premier Joy~Nostalg Center Manila in Ortigas.  Tel # (63-2) 637-7888 / (63-2) 910-8888 ext 8118.

26
Mar
10

LETTERS FROM TOKYO #7 : YAKINIKU BUFFET

By docgelo 18 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD!, TOKYO and TRAVEL
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Edited : Thank you to this blog’s reader, Ms. Ces Orquiola, for identifying the Yakiniku Buffet featured on this post. I stand corrected, the name of the restaurant isn’t Don. K! but  Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten (literally “karne station” according to Ces) located at Ginza nine Building No. 3 B1, 8-10, Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo point. Don.K! is the superstore that has this super size sign board. Not that I blame my Filipino colleagues then but they also called the buffet restaurant, Don K! Or I just missed out the name. Sorry readers! Thank you again Ces! I really appreciate the email! :)

Dear Tina and Gabby,

Of course, you’re the first 2 people I miss when we went here…

Don.K! (pronounced by Japanese as donki and not what we think) is a superstore where Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten, the  YAKINIKU buffet restaurant is housed at its basement, located near Ginza Street, Tokyo.

Gabby, remember when we dined at YAKIMIX at SM Mall of Asia few months back where you had fun time grilling our food on the spot ?  Don.K! Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten  is like that; however I find our local version of Yakiniku more Pinoy-family-friendly. Why?  The moment we’re on their long queue last Sunday and paid Y1000/pax (or PhP 500/pax;  I and nurse Ruth were treated by our consultants :D ) , the wait staff immediately warned us that we only have ONE HOUR TO EAT. That applies to every table, FYI.

Yes, dining experience at Don. K! is limited to an hour only. Unlike in Yakimix where we started our dinner then at 5:30 PM and ended at almost 10PM, hahaha! (Erratum : Don.K!  Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten lunch buffet starts 10 or 11am and ends in 3pm; we arrived at past 1pm and had a table reserved; we  got in at around 2pm so we only got an hour left to eat. BUT IT’S NOT ONE HOUR DINING ONLY. Sorry).

But what can we do with Don.K! rules except to follow. Nevertheless, it was another remarkable gastronomic adventure!

On Don.K!‘s Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten’s spread…

Freshest & crisp greens with several dressings to choose from…

On my gluttonous plate …

I liked their potato salad; one of the best I’ve tasted so far.

Yakiniku literally means ‘grilled meat dishes’ ... Here are the large bowls of raw meat all waiting to be grilled…

I know Holy Week is just around the corner and we’ll miss eating all these until Easter.

There were also some noodle and rice dishes… I like the noodle with fresh bean sprouts… yummy!

Here’s what we got to grill…

Price for lunch buffet inclusive of drinks (sodas, juices, coffee) is Y1,000 but for dinner it’s a whopping Y3,000/pax!  I don’t have idea what Don.K! Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten serves for dinner but don’t you think it’s expensive compared to their lunch?

There were pork, chicken and fish to grill too but beef slices were on top of our list.  However, I didn’t see any sushi or sashimi at Don.K! Karunesutehsyon Ginzaten.

One of the doctors got samples of what he thought as chicken skin; only to find out that it wasn’t;  it’s some part of intestine, probably the omentum or something (read : chicharong bulaklak?).

Grilling time!

No Coke for me us, remember?  So I settled with Minute Maid OJ ….

The beef slices after grilling were delicious!  So tender I almost thought a friend’s statement about cows in Japan are given frequent massage to somehow ‘tenderized’ their meat (?) is true…

Although there was a chocolate fondue, and my colleagues enjoyed those huge mallows dipped in tasteful choco fountain, I favored peaches and pineapples for dessert!

Sarap ng lunch namin but again, it made me miss you more.  Kain tayo buffet ulit pag-uwi ko. :D

I miss you both; I love you.

:D Tatay-doc.

02
Feb
10

WE WON AS FINALIST AT HP @ PL!

By docgelo 16 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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I was literally surprised to receive a call from Ms. C last Saturday afternoon; it went something like …

Ms. CVS :  Hello, docgelo?

me :  Yes, who’s on the line?

Ms. CVS :  CHUVANESS.

me ( a bit sleepy) :  who?

Ms. CVS :  Cecile.  You won! Kaya lang finalist lang.  So when do you want to get your GCs from PL-Shang ?

me : Oh, Ms. Cecile! Wow (me -wide-mouthed-drop-jaw on the phone)!!! Thank you for the call. You made my afternoon, really!  We’ll claim it tomorrow–Sunday afternoon. 

Ms. CVS : OK, i’ll just leave it Mylene (the store manager). Thanks!

me :  Bye, thank you so much (wide smile up to my ears).

         Hey, Tina, nanalo daw, finalist yung picture nyo ni Gabby! Yehey! 

And so this picture of my wife, Tina and our 5-year-old son Gabby made it as one of the finalists at HP @ PL contest, conducted by Pepper Lunch, Shangri La and HP.  We didn’t win any of the 2 units of HP Premium Printer/Scanner/Copier but are still grateful of such blessings!

We won PhP 1,000 GC from Pepper Lunch and my family’s photo landed a space at Ms. C’s blog!  View here –CHUVANESS

After we heard mass at St. Francis of Assissi last Sunday; enjoyed spoonfuls of cereals at Cerealicious in Shangri La Plaza Mall, Tina, Gabby and I with our dear friend LG, headed to PEPPER LUNCH in the same mall to claim our Pepper Money. 

It was definitely another awesome PL experience!

What did we savor?

This was my hot grill plate – SHIMOFURI PEPPER STEAK, PhP 650.  Where else can you enjoy an affordable and tender-licious beef steak in a SIZZLE-IT-YOUR-WAY-style ?  Sarap! This is my next PL favorite to Double Beef Pepper Rice. :D

Flipping the beef strips onto the grill in a few seconds will give you this heaven-on-a-hot-plate! :D

While our friend LG enjoyed his order…

SALMON PEPPER RICE, PhP 275.

Tina had her favorite (and mine too!)…

BEEF PEPPER RICE, PhP 198.

I love PL’s KANI SALAD, PhP 99 while Gabby had his MOLTEN ALA MODE, PhP 140.

We LOVE PEPPER LUNCH MORE not just for their delicious PEPPER STEAKS AND HONEY BROWN SAUCE but for being so FAMILY-FRIENDLY.  All PL people from staff to the manager are always ready with warmest smiles and courtesy. One even provided Gabby with crayons and something to color which we really appreciate.  :D  Good job, PL!

Surely, after every meal at PL, everyone’s a winner!  :D

Thanks again, Ms. C., PL and HP! :D

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PEPPER LUNCH, LG Level Shangri La Plaza /aslo in Alabang Town Center, Greenbelt 5, Power Plant Mall.

24
Nov
09

SMOKELESS GRILL, SUSHI AND MORE!

By docgelo 67 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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Last week, everything was unplanned when my family and I had a glutton’s gastronomic adventure from breakfast at Starbucks Coffee and lunch at Filipino restaurant, KKK,  to ultimate dessert at  HAAGEN-DAZS and ending the day at YAKIMIX!  

My wife, Tina, our son, Gabby and I, all came with hungry tummies with my youngest brother, JC  for dinner to this buffet-and-grill-all-you-want-restaurant that we’ve been wanting to try for several weeks now.  Initially, we planned to try it months ago as we spotted Yakimix in their branch along Macapagal Avenue in Pasay City near those seaside-’dampa’ restos. But unexpectedly, after long hours of strolling in SM-Mall of Asia last week, finding difficulties in deciding where to chow down from so many choices, we’re just lucky to find Yakimix’s  posters at the entrances of the mall as one of its newest food places. 

We had to wait for few minutes when we came to Yakimix-SM-MOA before 5:30PM as it re-opens in the evening.  When we’re ushered in to our table, we saw this impressively spacious buffet place…

This was just one view taken from where we’re seated. Another section is available to accomodate, more or less 60 to 70 pax inside and few more tables are outside catering to those who prefer al fresco dining.  Believe it or not, before we get to taste our first choices from the spread, the place was packed in a heartbeat…

I know you’ll agree with me that whenever an oriental food place is full of chinky-eyed diners, then it verifies the taste of Japanese and Chinese foods it offers. :D   That was so apparent when we dined at Yakimix; the more we got excited to try all dishes at the buffet table.

I got this plate filled with raw seafoods and marinated meat for us to cook in our smokeless grill at our table…

Soon after the wait staff smeared oil on the grill and turned it on, our little ‘chef’, Gabby became too busy :P

Obviously, our son enjoyed cooking for us :D   Look at his ‘masterpiece’…

We’ve tried Shabu-shabu few times before and still enjoyed Yakimix for it’s purely grilling pleasure.  Everything was browned by Gabby to almost perfection :D

There were more seasoned cut meats and seafoods on the buffet spread; skewers which we failed to sampled; there’s always a next time. :D

It may not be the best Sukiyaki in town but it satisfied my craving for that sweet and salty Japanese soup. For me, UMU in DUSIT THANI, Makati City serves the best Sukiyaki.  My brother, JC had the other bowl of Hot and Sour soup which was also just OK.

I got few sushi and two slices of sashimi :D

On Tina’s ONLY plate :  ebi tempura, fried unbattered prawns, california maki, bacon-wrapped shrimps,  crab sticks, mushroom and veggies,  and according to her, the best among she tasted from Yakimix were those “seafood balls” .  I cannot agree because I failed to bite at them :(

On my plate : almost the same thing but I got to try the noodles.  There were more on the spread that we passed on simply because we’re so satiated already. And unlike what you might be thinking, we don’t have bottomless gastric pits, LOL.  :D    There were just so many dishes, but so little time! :D

There were salad bar, fresh tropical fruits and yes, cakes and pastries too, mostly from Red Ribbon and Goldilocks. :)

On our table :

Yakimix offers Selecta Ice Cream included in the buffet! Gabby went several times to the dessert table for these ice cream sprinkles…

Although I found Yakimix’s dishes plain and ordinary,  it gets our nod because of its wide-array of choices, better traffic of diners and spacious ambiance.  Our drinks were refilled at an instant even without asking, but nothing special for the commonly tasting instant juices and iced tea.  Far from the other blog reviews of Yakimix-Macapagal branch,  service at SM-MOA was quick and friendly exceeding my expectations.  :)   Yakimix’s buffet costs half as hotel buffet prices and can surely give Dad’s Saisaki Kamayan Ultimate Buffet a stiff competition.

Another reason to give Yakimix a try :  where else can you find an eat-all-you-want-Selecta Ice Drops ? LOL :P

We’ll visit their branch in Tomas Morato, Quezon City whenever possible because it’s closer to our place. :D

Have you been to Yakimix?  How’s your experience ?  :)

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YAKIMIX /Unit 122-126 Ground Floor SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City /

Yakimix Weekend Buffet rate : PhP 580 per pax; bottomless drinks at PhP 55.

PS : Gabby ate for free :D (children below 4 feet get to dine free of charge)

08
Nov
09

EATING TUNA HAS NEVER BEEN BETTER

By docgelo 51 Comments
Categories: EVENTS and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
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If you must know, my family and I have been eating CENTURY TUNA for decades now. Personally, it’s one of those canned goods I like on my sandwich, or as simple as rice toppings and appreciate it more on some dishes. I like my Century tuna flakes or chunks in brine, oil, water, hot and spicy and their flavored variants of Mechado, Bicol Express and the like. So when this brand came out with their newest innovation, adding to their line of products a few weeks back, I was one of those many who became so curious of how it’s going to taste like.

I love corned beef particularly a local brand and Century tuna a lot like I love eating; and I honestly never thought that these two can make a great fusion and can transform any instant dining into a healthier experience and a little more edgy until they introduced CENTURY CORNED TUNA! 

Saturday, 07 November ’09  – I went with my wife, Tina and our 5-year-old son, Gabby to THE STOCK MARKET (the restaurant, not the stock market we all know! It’s called as such because it’s where Del Monte showcases its stock of products from salad dressings to fruit juices etc.) at Bonifacio High Street in Fort, Global City in Taguig City for the CENTURY CORNED TUNA BLOGGERS’ COOK OFF.

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We were served with these plates and a choice of iced tea or lemonade…IMG_5261The sandwich and the pasta was made better with what else but Century Corned Tuna.  :)

So did I cook? Did I participate in the ala Iron-Chef-Bloggers’ Cook Off? 6I was fortunate to be invited via e-mail last week as one of the (self-proclaimed) foodies and food bloggers to this event (Yes, this blog remains to be about my family and our adventures beyond dining!).  My participation was upgraded to the next level when I was asked (via e-mail again) if I can sit as one of the…ehem,  judges.  :o  Who says doctors &/or educators can’t be best food tasters  critics ? We also have our own discriminating palates, LOL!  :D  Needless to say, I obliged. 

7The contest was lively hosted by celebrities JM Rodriguez and QTV QUICKFIRE Chef-Mom Rosebud Benitez (my family is a fan of her cooking show).  

Here are the ingredients that the bloggers had to include, but not necessarily all, as they were tasked to prepare an appetizer and an entree per team.

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While the food bloggers in Team A and Team B were busy preparing for their dishes… 

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my name was called by the hosts as one of the GAME participants!  C’mmon, can you spot me ?  :o  

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While I was busy guessing the condiment as we taste it blind-folded, our adorable son, Gabby was busy too posing for the cam :D   Isn’t he the cutest 5-year-old kid?  You cannot agree less and I cannot blame genetics, hahaha!  :o

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My fellow foodie-bloggers made sure that their pasta was cooked al dente!  I’m no chef but I follow my own rule of  no-cooking-beyond-ten-minutes to make it pasta-perfect!  It usually works.

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While waiting for their contest-entries, my co-judge, Ariel was so generous to take our pic with the 2009 Century Tuna Superbod Model Winners…(papasa na din ba kaming Tuna models? hehehe :o )

with 2009 century tuna superbod winners 

On with the judging thing… Team A and their starter…

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Team A’s appetizer was canape made of soft white bread topped with Century Corned Tuna on slices of tomato with asparagus.  Their main dish was…20Fusilli in olive oil highlighted by the main ingredient plus tomatoes and parmesan.  

On the other table was Team B with their starter…

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It was a salsa made of….pears! and pita tortilla with Century Corned Tuna filling ala quesadilla… and their entree was the bomb itself!  

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Tagliatelle in olive oil topped with the main ingredient, asparagus and chopped almonds.  Believe it or not,  it was delicious!  Now, can you guess who won?

gabby with chef rosebud benitez and jm rodriguez 

Judging was damn easy; given a set of criteria and my own gastronomic instincts, I believe I was fair enough for the two teams.   It was a unanimous decision actually. And it was fun doing it :D

They’ve proved that they’re not only good on food blogging but knows culinary as well.  And they did their best dishes with Century Corned Tuna!

There was a dinner buffet after the contest but we beg off as my family and I were still full. After I was given a token of  box of 6 cans of Century Tuna Bangus Fillet Spanish-Style Gourmet, I thanked the people who invited me and politely exit to Timezone and Starbucks. :D

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Sarap itong Century Bangus fillet! Try it too! I’ve never enjoyed bangus like this before. :D

 Have you tried CENTURY CORNED TUNA already ?  Grocery shelves are running out of stocks. 

———————————–

Thank you to the management of Century Corned Tuna and all the people behind this event particularly Mr. Christopher Santos (not my relative)  for inviting me here. Salamat ! :D

05
Oct
09

GLUCOSE FIX

By docgelo 12 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

DEFENSIVE FOODIE :) My family and I love to eat veggies, fruits and drink liters of water a day (especially me, I always think I’m an marine creature on my past life if there is such, for my great love for fluid intake).  We try to balance our meals AT HOME but whenever we go out on a simple family bonding, say inside a mall or in a stone-throw away fastfood or convenient store, can’t resist when our cravings go haywire sometimes most of the time, LOL. Resistance as the say is futile… I say particularly when food is notably delicious!

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I always wanted to try CAFE BRETON but only had a chance last weekend (yes, just before we had our panic buying preparedness-grocery shopping in Landmark, TriNoma, in Quezon City). 

The comment posted by one of my blog buddies, Ingrid of  Urban Mudra in my earlier entry about desserts to try this quaint food place was really compelling!  I brought my wife, Tina and our son, Gabby to have our glucose fix which was perfect before we hit the grocery shelves.

I was surprised that Cafe Breton’s menu is so reasonably priced and that we only spent less than PhP500 for everything we’ve tried.  Times like these, families have to be extra conscious of domestic budget and luckily, this homey Mediterranean-Grecian inspired resto will not make you spend too much on dining, at the same time, there’s no compromise with the quality of food they serve. 

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Gabby was so delighted that he had a handful of yummies…

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He and his mom shared on those tall glasses of sweet refreshments.

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STRAWBERRY COBBLER, PhP 107.14 + It has generous servings of plump soft-chewy strawberries and whipped cream. Gabby, who loves strawberry-flavored anything other than chocolates, unsurprisingly liked this!

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He also tried the smoothy mango shake, although I like it more than he did. In case you don’t know yet, I’m a sucker for mangoes. :D

IMG_4039MANGO SHAKE, PhP 84.82+.  It’s near velvety consistency and taste of real ripe mangoes makes it different to other commercial shakes and smoothies.

I now believe that a visit to Cafe Breton isn’t complete without trying a plate of their heavenly crepes!

IMG_4037LA PINAY, PhP 142.86+  This perfectly thin crepe was filled with ample volume of riped mango slices, topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate drizzle. I swear, this has been the most delicious crepe I’ve ever tasted. Can’t wait to revisit Cafe Breton for another plate! :D

While my son and wifey were enjoying their sweet moment together with their orders, I felt satiated after finishing my plate and sipping a cup of coffee…

IMG_4033CAPPUCCINO, PhP 75.89+.  Foam’s just right…a nice way to end a sweet treat.

We like it here. Definitely. 

Cafe Breton, Level 4, TriNoma Mall, North EDSA, Quezon City.

22
Sep
09

1950′s PANDESAL & MORE

By docgelo 20 Comments
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

One day, my family and I were enjoying  brunch at a luxurious hotel in Makati;  the next day we found ourselves having another extraordinary breakfast in a rustic quaint comfort food place in Marikina City. Regardless of the place we’re at, the important thing is we’re having family fun, fun, fun :D

I was surprised when my wife, Tina agreed to my suggestion that we’ve to try PAN de AMERIKANA for breakfast.  Even  it would take us approximately 20 to 30 minutes less traffic to get to its location at Concepcion, Marikina City from our place in Quezon City, we wouldn’t care less.  After seeing it on a local morning TV show and learning that it’s owned by the same family who runs the school I attended during my High School (OLOPSC), the more I became interested to try its 1950s wheat pandesal and other affordable yummies.

With empty stomachs, we hit the roads to Marikina and reached Pan Amerikana around 10AM.  Pan de Amerikana greeted us with its facade…

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Where in the metro could you see a wooden windmill? LOL, only in Marikina! It’s really interesting!

The place isn’t only a bakery but an all-day restaurant as well.  It has lots of fascinating things that may amuse you while you dine or simply can provide you a venue to kill time by playing chess on tables or on the ground, literally.

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There’s this giant chess set much to delight local tourists like us especially the kids.  It was a bigger chess set than the ones we saw in Island Cove Resort in Cavite early this year.  Gabby was really excited to get hold of those black and white pawns. 

At the counter, there are lots of regular-sized chess sets that diners can borrow for FREE after presenting a valid ID.

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Do you play chess?  Shame on me, I don’t, LOL.   So when Gabby asked me to play with him, I thought we can just delay it until the day we both learn the game, LOL :D  For that moment, we just had it as props for photo-ops! hehehe :D

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Pan de Amerikana boasts of not only chess sets but a distinctly Filipino ambiance…There’s an overload of arts and culture that is truly Pinoy! Look at the kalesa  parked near those bikes and a woven rattan hammock that’s so inviting.

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Then there’s this antique grinder of something which led me clueless, if it’s a coconut grinder or an ice crusher. Can you please identify ?  I found this collectible old piece few steps next to Popeye! :D

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There’s also that miniature  pugon or  brick-oven to depict where the famous pandesal are baked.  

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The dining area has laid back atmosphere.  It’s only provided with large units of electric fans, at times, it can become humid; the entire area is roofed so everyone is safe from inevitable downpour.  There’s also a place where dripping water serves as fountain…  

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And did I mention already that the entire food place offers FREE WI-FI ACCESS? A lot of people across ages came in with their laptops and chargers doing school or perhaps office stuffs while having brunch.

As I went to the counter to order and pay for my food, I saw these striking things that can stimulate one’s interest : A tiny set of dining table and a small billboard with schedule of  activities offered by Pan de Amerikana. 

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So did we try those 1950′s wheat Pandesal ? Of course!

IMG_3951PAN de AMERIKANA’S WHEAT PANDESAL, PhP 5.50 each.  It’s humongous! So rich and fibrous, very filling. We took them home as our afternoon snack. 

  PAN AMERIKANO (mega-sized pandesal) gained its popularity when the Americans arrived during the 1940′s. It looks like a giant baguette that was processed like the pandesal. It was during the 1960′s that it suddenly disappeared and was replaced with rectangular loaves. Then came the famous Nutri Bun (monay shaped bread -3 -5 times the size of the pandesal), which was a hit during the 1970′s.

More than that Harley Davidson on display and FOR SALE and the other things we saw at Pan de Amerikana, the one that really caught my attention was this wooden posting in front of the  big bike and a concrete bridge; figure out why….  :D

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Although this restaurant observes self-service policy, there are wait staff who will bring your tray to your tables; so we were handed a customer-number that was creatively Pinoy!

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We also tried their pandesal with chicken and sardines, at PhP 25 each.  Tina had the SARDINES PANDESAL,  I had the CHICKEN PANDESAL; equally must-try!

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Gabby wanted ARROZ CALDO with EGG, PhP 28 and a cup of HOT CHOCOLATE, PhP 25…

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The arrozcaldo was good, but Gabby failed to finish it. :(

Before going to this place, I’ve heard that two of its specialties are WAKNATOY, PhP 35/order; a dish similar to menudo and EVERLASTING, PhP 35/order; which is I’m more familiar with. Everlasting is Marikina’s own.  I grew up with that dish made of grounded pork with green peas, some hotdogs, boiled egg and carrots for garnishing; similar to embotido but steamed in an aluminum container.  My relatives in Calumpang, Marikina and my late Lola used to cooked the best Everlasting, even better than that of Pan de Amerikana which was a bit soggy and has a bit poor consistency.  Nevertheless, their version satisfied my craving for Everlasting!

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The servings of each dish were good enough for a diner with regular appetite. And I must say the prices were very budget-friendly.  After feasting on my pandesal, I dunked my spoon and fork at Waknatoy and Everlasting and sipped brewed coffee, PhP 15/ cup, in between. 

Tina ’s breakfast choice other than Sardines Pandesal was DAING NA BANGUS MEAL, PhP 48. 

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She enjoyed that boneless dried milkfish with vinegar. Perfect meal to start a day!

There were also desserts like Halo-Halo, Saba con yelo and others but we’re just so full to try those sweets.

With Pan de Amerikana’s homey ambiance, friendly service, free-wi-fi access, and to top it all – most affordable food, Tina and I envied the people living within the area. After rising from their beds or coming home from schools or offices, they can just go straight to Pan de Amerikana and savor that family-friendly bonding moments. :D

———————————-

PAN de AMERIKANA, 92 Ordoñez St., Corner Maroon Concepcion Dos (near World of Butterflies) Marikina City/ Tel # (63-2) 934-0667 and 475-2398. Branch : 118 Katipunan Ave., White Plains, Quezon City.

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!

——————-

Cafe Adriatico-Gateway

G/F Gateway Mall, Araneta Center

Quezon City.

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

11
May
09

UNHOLY COW CHOPHOUSE

By docgelo 10 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I am always PUNCTUAL because I VALUE TIME. So it really upsets me when something or someone’s LATE!

After my son Gabby and I gave my wife Tina roses and personally-made greeting card for mother’s day, the three of us went to TriNoma mall to eat lunch.  Since we wanted to eat in a restaurant that we haven’t tried before, two food places were considered and both of them were steak houses.  To be honest, Tina and I even surfed the www and the blogosphere to read reviews and menus before we finalized everything.  And we were so wrong to give benefit of the doubt to those bad reviews and comments about this particular resto. In short, we were misguided by our own insights.  Can you blame us?  Anyhow, here’s my two cents worth of views and personal opinion.  It’s up to you then to believe it or not.

We rode the lift to the fourth level of TriNoma where the upscale restos with al fresco dining (that includes one of our all-time favorite TGI Fridays--and I regret not dining there for a special occasion such as mom’s day) are located but and decided to eat here …

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The exteriors of Holy Cow Chophouse was truly inviting.  As we saw the place at around half hour past noon, it was so packed with hungry celebrators and their families and friends, we were somehow convinced that it’s OK for us to give it a try and just forget the not-so-good comments in  MUNCH PUNCH (the site I frequent for menus and reviews of local restaurants).  So while we’re on queue, we forgot the clock was ticking because we’re busy checking their menu and I was taking pictures of my family while they’re seated on a custom-made, what else but cow, in the waiting area, which I found so cute…

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As you can see from those photos above, Tina and Gabby had the sincerest smiles, proof that we really gave the restaurant a chance to prove its worth, however these were taken before we knew the truth behind those reviews from other blogs.

I agree with the other commenters on MUNCH PUNCH that the bar at the center of the resto made it too small. The traffic of diners and service crew was going nuts because of that bar!  Plus how do these cow heads appeal to you? There were three of its kind on one of the walls of Holy Cow. Do you like seeing them while eating your favorite steak?  Just asking.

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Since I was busy taking the photos, and we’re still OPTIMISTIC with this place, we disregarded the 25-minutes of waiting on that cute cow couch as we’re ushered to our seats.  They were wonderful bulky leather seats, really comfortable.

IMG_1059   IMG_1057 Still smiling ‘no?

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And what killed our time for a while other than capturing the moment, was a lady from TriNoma Ayala Malls who approached every moms per table to give these paper bags of freebies. It has Hersheys Kisses chocolates and a feminine douche POMELO scent! That’s sweetness from Ayala malls management.  My wife was delighted!

But DESPITE THE CHARMING EXTERIORS and the freebies from TriNoma /Ayala malls, IT HAS BEEN EXACTLY 45 MINUTES SINCE I TOLD THE WAITER OUR ORDERS and I’m having hyperactive bowel sounds because of hunger! That was few minutes to 2PM.  Yes,  the single-serving glass of  iced tea landed our table at around 20 minutes since we sat there, but the entrees were still out of sight and I was starting to believe the testimonials of the previous diners posted on other blogs.  IT FELT LIKE WE HAD THESE FOODS ON OUR TABLE AFTER WAITING FOR A LIFETIME!  Tina and I noticed that we were NOT ALONE WAITING TO FOREVER for our plates but most of the diners there experienced the same.  One mother who was with her teenage daughter even stood up from her seat to notify the unmindful staff that their food hasn’t been served yet!  We heard clamor from other tables of the same complaint.

And to top it all, all the staffs were CHAOTIC in getting orders and serving plates to other tables. All of them WERE  NOISY, FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE! How can you enjoy your meal with such inappropriate behavior? 

We made a follow up for our food twice, and they were only served nearly an hour after we first sat at those pretty black seats.

Nevertheless, here are the photos of those plates, which seemed to be OK but far from being special.

SOY HONEY GLAZED MAHI MAHI, PhP 280 .                GIANT PORK CHOP, 12oz, PhP 420.

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The fish and its side dishes were just typical.   The pork chops were not tender! And the price was as if we bought 2 kilos of  swine meat! I don’t know how much longer (than 45 min) it should have  stayed in the grillery for it to be perfectly bite-worthy.  The mashed potato, according to Tina, wasn’t tasty either. It lacked the buttery creamy taste of its kind.  Why Holy Cow? Why ? Haven’t you heard the cliche, “First impressions last”?

It was good thing though, that we ordered Gabby his own meal. It came LATE with a toy in a box that would remind us of our first dining experience with them, lol.

CORNFLAKE CHICKEN TOTS, served with kid’s iced tea and a scoop of vanilla ice cream plus the toy-mascot, PhP 350.

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ALL OF OUR PLATES WERE SERVED LATE!  THEY WERE NEVER WARM OR HOT FROM THE GRILL!  FAR FROM BEING TENDER. What almost saved their day was the chicken fingers and fries which were a little bit nice. 

I also wanted to note that COURTESY BEFORE and AFTER receiving guest/diners WASN’T OBSERVED! NOBODY GREETED US “Good Afternoon”  or said “Welcome”  or whatever… and as we walked out of the place SILENTLY AS IF EVERYTHING WENT FINE,  NO ONE BID US “Goodbye” or “See us again..”  ”Thank you for coming..” -NOTHING !!!

I guess the ENTIRE STAFF and CREW of Holy Cow TriNoma WERE NOT TRAINED to WORK UNDER PRESSURE. The mere fact that there was an occasion – Mother’s day, they should have done EXTRA MILE on THEIR SERVICE to make each diner’s experience SPECIAL!

I’m so proud I am learning to control my temper now.

All I remember was the bill when asked from the staff was IMMEDIATELY, PROMPTLY, URGENTLY handed into my table for me to settle.  Need I say more ?

——————-

The Chophouse Holy Cow Bar and Cafe

Level 4 TriNoma Mall EDSA cor North Avenue, PAG-ASA,

Quezon City. Tel # (63-2) 919 – 6299.

*All prices noted are subject to changes and VAT plus SERVICE CHARGE !

01
Apr
09

TGI FRIDAY’S

By docgelo 1 Comment
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
T.G.I. Friday's CAESAR's SALAD

T.G.I. Friday's CAESAR's SALAD

Tossed crisp, chopped romaine lettuce
with T.G.I. Friday’s creamy, garlicky Caesar dressing,
topped with cheese & garlic-butter croutons.
(PhP 352.69 exclusive of VAT & service charge),
plus extra bacon bits & cheese (PhP 100).

T.G.I. Friday's JACK DANIEL's CHICKEN

T.G.I. Friday's JACK DANIEL's CHICKEN

Three juicy chicken breasts served with corn on the cob,
with Jack Daniel’s dipping sauce
and a choice of either creamy mashed potatoes or rice pilaf.
(PhP 316. 96 exclusive of VAT & service charge).

Those were my dinner last Friday (after my son’s preschool graduation)
at T.G.I. Fridays in Trinoma mall in Quezon City…
I just love Jack Daniel’s dipping sauce!
It’s sweetest to perfection…
Simply worth my drool, err, my post! lol

——————————————–
TGI Friday’s / Trinoma Bistro Americano Corp.,
Space 4009, M4 Level
Trinoma Mall QC
Tel # : (63-2) 901-5626
email add : tgiftrinoma@bistro.com.ph

10
Mar
09

KICK-OFF PARTY

By docgelo Leave a Comment
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO and FOOD & MORE FOOD!
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

As we took our lunch at T.G.I. Fridays, Trinoma a few weeks back, we were asked if we’d like to enlist Gabby to their Kiddie League Membership. Tina & I agreed for the rewards are great!

A membership fee of PhP500 entitles the kiddie leaguer to the following :
1. Free kiddie meal & drink every visit for one year.
2. Free birthday package good for thirty (30) kids with
PhP1,000 accumulated receipts within a month after card issuance.
3. Valid at TGIF Trinoma only.
4. Kick off party with freebies.

Then last Thursday, I received a text message informing us of the details of the TGIF Kiddie League membership kick-off party. We were more excited than Gabby to attend the event even it’s scheduled on a Monday. Good for Gabby that the party was at 3-6pm a few hours after his school. We know that such activity will give him a chance to mingle & meet other kids.

The staff was just preparing for the event when we arrived there earlier than expected.

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We were given stubs to claim freebies at the party. Those stubs were for the free meals for the kiddie member & parent (yes, in singular form, but that’s OK, we just had to order something else to satisfy our cravings). There were also stubs for face painting, photo op with TGIF backdrop & photo op – memory charms. Giveaways also included a cocktail tumbler for the member that has a lemonade & fried fries & hotdog all in one, it’s called KERRIMO. The tumbler has oriental caligraphy (can’t decipher if it was japanese or chinese) but the brand name KERRIMO was only a sticker so I assumed it was only a local party distributor. It looks like this ….

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We ordered Ceasar’s salad PhP 352 plus i requested for extra bacon bits PhP 55…

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We also had Chicken Fingers with honey mustard dip PhP 263…

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There was photo-op with TGIF backdrop…

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And the photos were made into what they called memory charms …

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Gabby also enjoyed being face-painted but it wasn’t as nicely done compared to his other face painting from other kiddie parties.

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When the hostess-magician in a spiderwoman costume called Gabby and asked him to say the magic word, “abracadabra!” for her act, my son was too cute too say it instead he yelled, “rah rah rah!” which brought all the kids and parents into a big laugh!

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Exclusively given to Kiddie League Members : Personalized tumble & stuffed toy…

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Everybody went home that late afternoon with smiles & anticipation for our next TGIF Trinoma visit.

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T.G.I. Friday’s Trinoma Bistro Americano Corp.,
Space 4009 Level M4, Trinoma, North Avenue corner EDSA,
Pag-asa, Quezon City.
Tel # 943-2163.

01
Mar
09

AFTER THE WIN

By docgelo 3 Comments
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and whatever
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The morning after Gabby’s win from his declamation contest, Tina, Gabby & I went Eastwood City, Serendra & Bonifacio High Street just to have another weekend of family bonding.

We went to Something Fishy in Eastwood to avail of their buffet breakfast. It wasn’t our first time to dine there but after today, I’m not sure if it’ll be our last.

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I & Tina are very picky on food taste & service. Both of us are very particular on courtesy and smiles from waiters & resto staff. It makes dining a better experience if all of the crew is as pleasant as the food they serve. The service crew & staff of Something Fishy Grill & Bar did not offer a smile or welcoming gestures except for their security guard who also serves as their door man. IMO, the food on the buffet table of Something fishy was not that impressive. It’s just too plain for me & ordinary or something like “you-only-get-your-money’s-worth” kind of thing. It’s perhaps one of the cheapest eat-all-you-want-breakfast at PhP 114 per pax, exclusive of drinks, inclusive of charges, offered from 12MN till 10AM. We gave it a second shot after our rush buffet breakfast there a couple of weeks ago thinking that there might be changes on the menu list or at least a little improvement. We were disappointed because we were wishful thinkers hoping there would be new addition to their buffet menu list, but there was none. There was NO corn cereals, bacon, ham, fresh fruits, fish fillet, longanisa, tocino, pan de sal & other Pinoy breakfast favorites. Although I admit there are many food choices offered at their breakfast buffet, the taste is just mediocre for me. The fried eggs contained NO salt at all or at least there should have been a salt & pepper at the tables, the daing na bangus was less salty as well, the beef tapa was too oily, the palabok (or was it pancit malabon) was too bland. The price is ofcourse affordable but it should not discount the taste or the food quality. I believe there is always room for improvement & I just wish this establishment will consider doing this.

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Moving on from a not-so-impressive dining experience, we walked around Eastwood City & made Gabby pose for some photos before goint to Serendra…

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Then at around 7:30AM we were in Boni High Street already. Since most of the shops there open at 11AM, we took a stroll, read the Sunday broadsheets (FYI, I read Manila Bulletin, PDI, Phil. Star every Sunday AM), did some people-watching, just enjoyed the morning….

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Tina took this photo while I was scanning the papers & Gabby was busy with his gameboy…

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care for some green telephones? these tubes conduct sounds from end to end…

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The fountain that looks like something from outer space. I so like it. Neat and edgy !

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Bonifacio High Street also has these unusual but creative & playful stuffs, something for kids and the kids at heart…

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Wish we have puppy(ies) to walk here. We both wanted a PUG, but aren’t sure if we can maintain it.

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EYESOLOVETHISBANNER!!!

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If God wills it one day, Tina & I with our kid(s) will have our own place in Tagaytay or wherever, definitely we’ll find a space for this trellis…

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We found a store that sells toys, mostly collectible items & I just love these YODA icon and bubble heads…

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These are sold in this store…

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Our bonding is not complete without getting a dose of caffeine from wherelse but Starbucks Coffee…

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We allowed Gabby to stroll alone, even tested him of what he’ll do when we leave him. We left him walking ahead of us in Serendra & we hid from him. When he found out that we’re out of sight, he quickly ran back towards where we were. What a reflex from a 4-year-old kid. Tina & I were glad to see he did not cry nor panic given the situation.

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This is one of Ramon Orlina’s glass sculpture masterpieces which serves as a fountain & Serendra’s public attraction…

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We tried CUPCAKES by Sonja in Serendra for the first time & liked it !!! The place, though small, is attractive with retro interiors in pastel colors. The cupcakes are good as they look. But again there were no smiles or kind gestures from the staff. I feel sorry for them because they’re not as pleasant as their work place & work gears…

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Tina had the PEPPERMINT PATTY cupcake, PhP 68 (the one with pink whip, the base was tasty but the cream whip was too sweet), Gabby had the VANILLA SUNSHINE cupcake, PhP 55 (the one with a powder blue whip), & I had the PISTACHIO BERRIES & CREAM, PhP 85 (the one with white whip & green cupcake with thin slices of strawberries in between); we all agreed it’s the BEST among the 3, so yummy, flavorful & not to sweet… I did not expect cupcakes can be this yummy!

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The fridge of Cupcakes by Sonja is so hip in its light blue color…

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They bake their cupcakes just before store’s opening and flavor it with these sweet treats…

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And just before going home, we went to a public toilet in Serendra right across where Cupcakes is located & Tina can’t resist but to document how Ayala management keeps everything at its best. Even restrooms are posh, similar to toilets of premium hotels, fully airconditioned, clean, well-maintained with supplies of tissues & liquid soap with sensors, even had a landscaping of some greens at the center…

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All in all, we ended the 2nd month of the year grateful to the Lord for everything & we’re happy & hopeful to start the month of March. =)

18
Feb
09

TGI FRIDAY’S KIDDIE LEAGUE

By docgelo Leave a Comment
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and WISH LIST
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We revisited TGI Fridays at Trinoma last Sunday, Feb15 for quick lunch before hitting the grocery in Landmark. It was our 4th time to eat in TGIF, Trinoma; also had previous visits in their Glorietta3 branch. The one in Trinoma is more spacious and has more modern interiors, their tables don’t have the usual red & white striped mantles seen in other branches.

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I so like the walls!
… wish I had these walls in my room when I was a kid… Look at those snow ski boards made in Spain, a skateboard & a blue bike, traffic sign boards among other interesting things. How cool is that?!

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Tina ordered Tortilla crusted fish and requested for honey mustard dip…

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while I decided to eat sizzling chicken and shrimp in mozzarella cheese that was served with 2 scoops of creamy mashed potatoes… sinfully delicious!

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Our visit became more special when we enlisted Gabby in TGI Friday’s Trinoma Kiddie League after we were invited by the staff. As a member of TGIF kiddie league, Gabby will get the following perks as stated on their temporary membership card:

1. Free Kiddie Meal & drink every visit for 1 year (wow!!!)
2. Free Birthday Package good for 30 kids with PhP 1,000 accumulated receipts within 1 month after card
issuance (the bday package for 30 kids is only offered as delivery within Quezon City; good enough!).
3. to attend a KICK-OFF PARTY with other members as an official launching of the league; ID will be issued.
4. Restrictions : Only valid at TGIF Trinoma, Non-transferrable, must be presented upon dine-in.

As I fill out the form for my son, I found out that almost all members of the Kiddie League are studying in reputable schools which I think will give Gabby MORE oppotunitieS to interact with cultured kids, get social exposures and be engaged with fun-filled activities which are all essentials in growing up.

Wish they also have FREEBIES for parents, hehehe =)

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T.G.I. Friday’s Trinoma Kiddie League Membership : PhP 500.
For querries, please contact TGIF Trinoma General Manager @ 0917-5092601.

T.G.I. Friday’s Trinoma Bistro Americano Corp.,
Space 4009 Level M4, Trinoma, North Avenue corner EDSA,
Pag-asa, Quezon City.
Tel # 943-2163.

11
Feb
09

COLOR ME NORI

By docgelo Leave a Comment
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and whatever
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

It was the schedule for us to claim our personally painted ceramic now glazed after 10 days at Color Me Mine in Shangri-la mall. As we were amazed how our own ceramic art of a small candle holder was turned into a little masterpiece after being subjected to an oven kiln and glazing, we decided again to paint another ceramic; this time a cross between a bowl and a plate, and sat for more than 3 hours doing color application with brushes. Here are photos of our 2nd attempt at being “pottery-inclined artists”…

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We’ll get the glazed and baked finished product on February 21st, and I’ll try to post here the difference of before-and-after thing…For now, here’s the BEFORE photo…

That was Gabby’s right hand imprint…

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Just prior to enjoying another ceramic painting, I brought Tina and Gabby to Sumo Sam japanese restaurant at the 6th level of Shangri-la mall for an early dinner. It was our 3rd time to eat there but nothing has changed since the 1st. What disappointed me was that I expected change of something from the menu, perhaps with the price to no avail. Or was it a plain and simple consequence for being headstrong to something?

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Taste of the food was really OK except that I think the menu was atrociously expensive compared to others which serve similar plates. I guess most who have tried dining at Sumo Sam will agree that other jap resto is far comparable but this one’s quite pricey. We haven’t tried eating at John and Yoko at Greenbelt 5, it’s Sumo Sam’s sister company for it’s also partly-owned by Marvin Agustin (yup, Jolina’s former reel partner). Do we have enough reasons to try it one day? Will it be any different from Sumo Sam ? Or only an upscale version? Anyway, here are what we munched at Sumo Sam, Shangri-la mall…

California rolls : yummy with kani shreds but pricey at PhP 218.

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Seafood Omelet Rice : I so like jap rice but Sumo Sam’s costly at PhP 228.

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Chicken Teriyaki : tender yes, but limited slices at PhP 228.

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Green Iced Teas; bottomless at PhP 98 each. (heard that John & Yoko’s has also a BLUE ICED TEA)…

And a generous scoop of Ube Ice Cream requested by Gabby; served with cherry & whipped cream of which price was nearly a pint at PhP 88.

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So will you try to bring yourself to Sumo Sam just as I did, Not twice but thrice?!!!
On the second thought…

10
Feb
09

BELLINI’S !

By docgelo Leave a Comment
Categories: FAMILY : LOVE KO 'TO, FOOD & MORE FOOD! and whatever
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Last Friday, I and my wife, Tina decided to have dinner after work to finally try Bellini’s. This restaurant located in the subdued area of Marikina Shoe Expo in Cubao, Quezon City offers great authentic italian foods. One will disregard the location and the how-to-get-there once he/she gets to experience the reasons why Bellini’s is a word-of-mouth when it comes to sublime italian dining experience.

We’re both familiar with the resto since we already heard & read reviews about it, even watched a local movie shown in cable TV shot in Bellini’s itself.

Bellini’s ambience is really inviting and very homey. It has cozy interiors with murals and art works of what makes Italy and its key cities popular. And because the owner Mr. Roberto Bellini, married to a Filipina Ms. Maria Luisa, was a former Italian paparrazzo, most of his precious photos from his work are displayed on the walls which makes the place more interesting. I guess courtesy is the second skin of Bellini’s waiters for they have ready smiles to greet diners and very polite when taking orders and answering our querries.

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We ordered a pasta called Bucatini all’Amatriciana, Bellini’s special pizza and 2 glasses of house iced tea. Tasting Bucatini all’Amatriciana was heavenly! I’m a fan of freshly cooked tomatoes and having it on thick strands of pasta was really something! The pizza was equally superb; its very thin crust and generous toppings made it really special. There was one funny moment when that Bellini’s special pizza was served to our table. The waiter also gave a medium-sized flask-like bottle of transparent semi-thick liquid with capsicum. Tina was clueless of what it was, so she asked the waiter if it was a bottle of vinegar and the server informed her that it’s a bottle of olive oil with capsicum - the Italian way of making pizza spicier. We were laughing at the moment and the waiter just commented that it happens all the time.  We’re both familiar with only tabasco or any bottled hot sauce or something in sachets.  Now we know more. LOL !

free breadsticks, house iced tea (PhP 50 each)…

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Bucatini all’Amatriciana (PhP 250)…

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Bellini’s Special Pizza (PhP 280)…

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 We’ll surely be back in Bellini’s to try other food on the menu.

Note : the photos were blurry because we only used a mobile phone in taking pictures.

Bellini’s Italian Fast Food & Restaurant
Stall 68-69 Marikina Shoe Expo,
Gen. Romulo Ave., Cubao, Quezon City
Tel : (63-2) 913-2550
(do i get a discount on this, Mr. Roberto Bellini ?)

28
Sep
08

CHEAPEST CHINESE BUFFET

By docgelo 1 Comment
Categories: FOOD & MORE FOOD! and whatever
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Two days ago, my mom suggested over the phone that Tina and I should try eating at Tramway Garden Buffet in Timog Avenue,  Quezon City.   Inspite of the fact that we’re on a tight budget these days, we still love to eat good food, and we live quite near the place so I decided to bring my family there.

Tramway Garden Buffet serves chinese food, around 14 of them I guess, includes dimsum, dumplings, fried chicken, some chinese-cooked veggies, sweet and sour pork, chinese-cooked fish, and others with two types of soups and a salad bar with fresh fruits and guinatan. They mixed Chinese with Filipino dishes even Japanese for they also serve California Maki beside their butchi.   

Advantage over other buffets : CHEAPEST at  P199/pax inclusive of VAT and no service charge. Sunday buffets are at a higher price of P300 plus for it includes Peking Duck, Roasted pork, shrimps & other seafoods.   

Disadvantages compared to other buffets : Since the buffet price is so cheap, the place is chaotic at dinner (they also serve lunch).   Smiles and courtesy of the staff are not as cheap as the buffet price.  I’m not sure if they’re so stressed out that night when we ate dinner but there should be no excuses for courtesy if one works in a restaurant or any other people-businesses where smiles to customers are mandatory.

Taste review :  I haven’t heard of any buffet cheaper than P199 but when it comes to taste,  I must admit my gastronomic craving was satisfied.  Taste of the entire buffet is good enough for its price, but it should be improved to be at par with the others.  

Tramway Garden Buffet is at #65 Timog Ave, Quezon City near the old Ozone Disco.

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