MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!

A Very Merry Christmas To All!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ^_^

Sam Won Garden, Paranaque

Are all Koren restos created equal? You get small plates of pickled veggies, mini pancakes and other yummy nibblies to whet your appetite before your meal =) We love it! I guess the only difference is the number of freebie plates in different Korean restos. The more the merrier so please give us more! ;P

In Aguirre St., BF Paranaque, we tried Sam Won Garden. We tried their Chicken Bulgogi. It came with kimchi, fresh lettuce leaves, garlic cloves and bean paste.

One of the things I love most about eating Korean food...you don't simply get your food...you have some fun before and while eating!

I love grilling the meat on the table. I love mounting the veggie leaves with spices and condiments.

I love placing the grilled meat on my prepared veggie-mount and wrapping each piece before taking a bite =) It's like having a mini ceremony prior to devouring your food, in the process you take charge of the flavors goin on inyour meal.

With that, we had an order of Dolsot Bibimbap

Their version had some minced beef, veggies, pickled ginger and ofcourse an egg. Stir..stir..stir....

enjoy!

I guess we could say that dining experience are more or less same with most Korean restos...but the food quality and taste definitely differs! Sam Won Garden flipped our switch =)

Kiss The Cook Cafe

Another new resto just sprung up at Maginhawa St., UP Village...Kiss The Cook Cafe! I got really excited when we passed by this place one evening. The place is quite nice and cozy...now let's see if the cook deserves a kiss ;P hehehe

We decided to get starters first before we order any main dish. Their menu offers an array of interesting fusion dishes...and we picked ...

Hermit Crabs Php 195.00

Crabcakes in a borrowed shell, with mango salsa. We love crabcakes so this one was the first thing that we wanted to try here. They were 7 pieces of clam shells filled with spiced and breaded crabmeat. At first bite, we were really pleased as there were lots of crabmeat and each bite was very tasty and flavorful. However, after finishing our first shells, our palates were left by a very overwhelming saltiness! We asked for more of the mango-salsa to douse off the salt on out palate so we may continue to enjoy the crabcakes...but alas...they were just too salty =( . Just take out 50% of the dishes' salt content and this would absoultely be great!

We gave the starters another shot and opted for ....

Spinach Feta Dumplings Php145.00

Mini spanakopitas with roasted garlic aioli. They were nice and crunchy and had generous spinach filling.... we counldn't really taste the feta and the dish was also salty =(

The place is promising but we were kinda taken back by the saltiness of both appetizers we tried. The place has just opened so we can give it another try one time =)

Cafe Juanita Fort and Larry's Bar Serendra

It's been a long while since I last dined at Cafe Juanita. I remeber falling in love with the swanky yet cozy ambiance and delicious Filipino dishes they serve. I have read that they they already branched out to the Fort. Yes my friends! From Kapitolyo Ortigas, Cafe Juanita's ostentacious charm can now be enjoyed at the new Forbestown Center at the Fort.

We had to try our old time fave to see how the new branch fares with the original.

Catfish Mango Salad Php 230.00

Crispy shreds of Catfish ontop of green mango salad. It was yummy and the the texture of the crispy catfish gave a nice delicate touch of savory taste to the tangy mangoes.

Beef Salpicao

This dish was ok but we found the serving size contemptibly small.

Laing Php 180.00

Ground pork and sundried anchovies wrapped in young taro leaves and stewed in thick coconut milk and capsicum.

Two-Ways Pork Adobo Php 435.00
Tender pork adobo ribs topped with crispy adobo flakes. This was very flavorful and I liked contrast in pork textures . Yummy with rice!

Laguna Fish Php 228.00
Crispy fried Tilapia with a tomato salsa on the side. It was nice but we found the fish too small for the price.

Fresh Corned Beef Sinigang Php 428.00

Sorry for the blurred picture, it was taken in a hurry as the server was to dish out this soup already. This was a house specialty, as indicated on the menu. They even set out a cup of the broth to our table so we may check the taste of our sinigang soup before they finish cooking it. How nice we thought...so that the balance in sour to salty would be just as we liked it. We told the waiter that we were pleased with the sourness and asked for the saltiness to be toned down. When we were finally served our custom sinigang, we were disappointed that it was still salty =(.

Lengua Estofado Php 385.00

Tender Ox tongue gently stewed intomato sauce. The dish was flavorful but we found the tongue not as tender as it should be.

Over all we found the ambiance great and the food not as wow-ing as my dining experience at it's Ortigas branch. The prices are just right but the serving portions of some dishes are a bit small...not enough for sharing perhaps.

After dinner, we moved to Larry's bar at Serendra to have a little bit more nibblies...

Larry's Spinach Quiche

This was delicious! The pastry was rich tasting and the egg-bacon-spinach filling was cooked perfectly....eggs set yet still deilicate...served hot. The side salad with vinaigrette gave the touch of tart that I needed to cut through the savory richness of the quiche! Yumm! =)

Churros con Chocolate

One of my friends found the chocolate, not sweet enough... I liked it nevertheless. I detect a touch of mani (peanuts) grounded with the chocolate---native chocolate is at times made that way.

A delicious evening of good food, ambiance and friends =)

Momo's, Eastwood Mall

Momo Cafe, as we have learned, is the sister of Chelsea! Set with a cozy-casual ambiance, located at the ground floor of Eastwood City Mall. It's always packed with diners, usually families, probably because of the comfort food it's menu holds. Every member of the family will find something to enjoy!

Now enough for sounding like an ad for MOMO cafe and on to their food!

Complimentary Buttered Toasts with Cheese-Pimiento Spread

This had me at hello =). I love the spread! The taste reminded me of a college fave of mine, which I used to have almost everyday when I had lab classes in UP. It was grilled-cheese pimiento at the UP College of Home Economics' Tea Room ^_^...ahhhhhhhhh....I used to make my own too. Mix grated quick-melt cheese with canned diced pimientos and add some condensed milk....spread bread with a little butter...spread the cheesy love spread and squeeze in the sanwich-maker...of just grill on a buttered non-stick pan----la-la-la---love it! =)

Soup Du Jour: Roasted Capsicum with Artichoke Soup

Sorry I didn't get to note it's price because it was just written on the specials menu board. It tasted like an indian soup! It was spicy and thick...nice but I think I can have too much of this as the flavors are a bit too strong for a soup, in my taste.

Grandma's Country Herb & Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf Php 395.00

Meatloaf stuffed with Spanish chorizo and topped with tomato cream gravy and fried egg. Whoa! Stay away if you are on a diet! Two very thick slices of meatloaf...wrapped in BACON ....topped with FRIED EGG...then you pour gravy on it as you eat it with mashed potatoes and corn relish! hehehe The meatloaf was indeed HERBY as promised. We could see the fennel seeds and other spices as we dig in the meatloaf. That's some grandma the chef must have had! hehehe

That was all we got to try for the day. It was a pleasant first time with momo. We would love to come back and try their pizzas and ribs!

Wicked Kitchen!

I think this place used to be where MY SPOON stands. Wicked Kitchen, is a casual dining cum hang out (mostly of abs-cbn peeps and celebs) place behind the abs-cbn complex (Mother Igancia)...along the row of Panaderia Pantoja, Ai-Sarap, Pixie's etc....you'll find the place =)

They dish out a variety of food...from appetizers, pastas, rice dishes to desserts!

Fish & Chips Php 180.00

Beer battered dory fish with fries.

Firestarters Php 168.00

Minced chicken with cheese and chili lumpia, served with a tomato salsa. I liked this a lot =) ! It has just the right amount of zing that I can bear.

Seafood Aglio Olio Php 175.00
A light garlic and oilive oil pasta with squid and shrimps, served with garlic toast.

Chicken Kebabs Php 185.00

We loved the presentation =) I think the funky metal skewer they used was cool! hehehe The chicken pieces were tender and tasty.

Mushroom Chicken Pie Php 172.00

Sorry for the wrong orientation of the pic (I don't know how tp rotate the pic here =( my apologies!) It was button mushrooms and chicken breast cubes with cream, topped with a puff pastry. I liked the puff pastry, but the cream filling was a bit runny. t was an ok dish.

Beef and Beer Pie Php 195.00

The beef brother of the above mentioned pie. Same comment here...the gravy was runny. I think pie fillings should be rich and thick.

Wicked Kitchen's cuisine is generally ok. Nothing really fantastic with all the dishes we tried but all were generally pleasing to the palate and eyes. The service is good also. I guess we always come back here is for the comfy-casual ambiance =)

Oh...I hear a lot of people rave about the Gluttony Dessert....large warm baked chocolate -chip cookie ala mode!~must try soon. I can't believe we still haven't...hmmmm....

Army Navy, Glorieta 5

We first stumbled upon Army Navy Burgers and Burrito, during a recent trip to Tagaytay....we were only able to try their chicken quesodilla because we had dinner elsewhere. We really liked their quesidilla so kept a mental note to try their burritos when we go to their branch in Glorieta 5 =)

And here we are.....

Fries Php 60.00

They tasted alot like KFC fries...only this was a better version because the potatoes were cut thinner...and these were crispier....a bit pricey at 60 bucks for a small helping though...

Now, for what we came for...Army Navy Burritos!

Steak Burritos Php 155.00

It was a bit smaller than what we expected. The tortilla was delish...chewy and tasty...the rice kinda needed more flavor and there weren't much meat and beans.

Chicken Burrito Php 135.00

This was my order. I think I needed more chicken in my burrito! hehehe

I want more beans too! The beans were crushed and I could barely taste it there.

Each burrito cvame with a side salsa...very spicy!

Our overall experience here was pleasant...but I think we kinda expected more. We would suggest that Ristras, BY FAR...serves BETTER burritos. Even if you pay double the price (compare to Army Navy burrito prices) at Ristras for a burrito...the serving size there is very well good for sharing...so you end up with the same bill or probably less, as you would here when you have 2 burritos. Ristas burrito have more meat, more beans and a whole lot more flavor. We ended up not very full actually after this meal. Nevetheless we may come back to try the burgers and have quesodilla! =)

Try for yourself.

Kanin Club, UP Ayala Hub

The Kanin Club at the UP Ayala Hub, is always packed with people everytime we pass there. We have heard and read a lot of good things about their witty rendition of our fave Filipino dishes ... so we go there to check it out =)

This is one of their signature rice dishes...SINIGANG NA SINANGAG Php 224.00

Sinigang-inspired fried rice with liempo and vegetable tempura. The rice has a very pleasant sourness with crispy kangkong and 2 thin slices of fatty liempo. This was our fave amoung the dishes we ordered.

SIGARILYAS EXPRESS Php 149.00

Wing beans cooked in coconut milk and chiles with bits of pork....bicol express! =) It was a very flavorful dish..the sigarilyas were cooked just right with a light crispness to it, however, we thought it was a bit too oily.

And the house specialty...CRISPY DINUGUAN Php 261.00

Crispy chicharon like---pork TABA (FAT) pieces cooked in blood sauce. I know there are a lot of crispy pork fat lovers out there...and a lot od KC (Kanin Club) Crispy Dinuguan fans too...but I just speak for ourselves when I say we didn't fancy this dish. We would have like it better if there was a nice balance the pork:fat ratio....perhaps something like a crispy fried lechon kawali like pork bits rather than just ALL FAT pieces. We barely ate this dish...we just aren't fat lover's I suppose...so again...my apologies to the fans of this dish and to KC! =)

Overall, we thought we would have enjoyed our meal if we had ordered the Binukadkad na Tilapia with our Sinigang rice or perhaps the Crab Omelet (which was what we initially ordered but had cancelled when we remembered the Crispy Dinuguan). Nontheless, the service and ambiance was great, very ideal for family and group get togethers

Try for yourself and see if this place flips your switch ;P

Kabob Corner, Matalino St.

KAbobs? KEbobs? ...which ever way it ought to be really spelled...we love em' ^_^! There's just this wonderful GUILT-LESS feeling we have when we choose to enjoy mediterranean food.

We never knew why for the longest time we pass by KABOB Corner at Matalino street, infort of Trellis restaurant (an old college fave), we just never were enticed to eat here...well...now we are very pleased to have finally tried =)

The place is set up very much like the Mister Kebab in Timog...but looking at their menu...it seems like the prices here are a bit cheaper!!!---Cool right?

We ordered the Mix Kabob Platter Php 240.00

You choose 4 stick of either beef, chicken, beef chelo, chicken chelo, tandoori,veggie, seafood, shrimp, fish or lamb chelo. The difference between the beef/chicken from the chelo one's are that...chelo is the ground meat formed into skinless longganisa like forms. The difeerence between the chicken from the chicken tandoori is the marinade =) For this platter, we chose chicken, beef, veggie and fish kabobs. We were very pleased by the serving portion as well as the taste. They were all tender and flavorful...although the beef had a "cured" texture to it (perhaps it's a tenderized inexpensive beef cut)...it was nevetheless tender and tasty.

Spinach Yoghurt Dip Php 45.00 (+ Php 15.00 for a pita)

It was yummy but a tad bit too runny for a dip and not enough spinach in it.

Eggplant Yoghurt Dip Php 45.00 (+ Php 15.00 for a pita)

We can same the same here as that with it's spinach sister. Just thicken and add more eggplants...it would be great!

The dips were also great as sauce for the kabobs =)

Chicke Tandoori (Php 60.00/stick)

We wondered how different the plain chicken kabob would taste from the tandoori kind...so we got ourselves a stick to check. It was yummy!!! Yummier actually. We liked the tandoori better =)


Another stick of the Veggie Kabob Php 60.00/stick
Grilled tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and eggplants =)

The best part is....WHEN YOU DINE AMOUNTING TO PHP300.00...USE YOUR BDO CREDIT CARD AND GET A FREE KEEMA PLATE!!!

YUMMM!!!! It'FREE...AND IT'S GOOD =)

Restaurant Updates Part I

Let me do a little restaurant updating today =). Apart from the new places we love to try out we still find time to always go back to our old faves or sometimes give restos where we had not so good..not so bad experiences, another shot.

An all time fave Barcino...

Sometimes it fun to have small Tapipitas instead of the usual tapas platter we order here...

Meatballs with Cheese and Mushrooms

Liver Sauteed in Garlic and Olive Oil

weird as it may....we do love liver =)

Breaded and Fried Quezos
Sorry I didn't get all their spanish names...but they were all good and fun to nibble on while enjoying some wine =)

At Bugsy's....

Fried Hamburger Sticks

hamburger meat made into springrolls..enjoy your burger embraced by less
carbs!

lambchops with mint vinegar
yummm!

and at the neighboring Uncle Moe's...

Pan Grilled Dory Fish with Tapenade

love their tapenade...can serve as dip for your pita too!

Chicken Shawarma

their shawarma kinda lacks taste...the only thing here we weren't so hot about...


At Buffalo Wings ans Things

Firestarter

he loved it...too hot for me =)

Chili Fries

spicy...cheesy and oh so yummmy! prepare to get your fingers dirty!hehehe


At Jalapeno....

Grilled Chicken Platter

Yummy and spicy grilled chicken breast with salsa and corn relish on the side and flour tortilla

Chicken Quesodilla

We love to eat ^_^