Rainy December Evening

It feels like it has been ages since I last opened the posting part of this blog. I still have been regulary reading my favorite blogs and at times nostalgically re-read my old posts. Too lazy to write but happy to say not too lazy to read ;P! hehehehe

I wish I have had the energy to write about the nice new places I have eaten in....shared the not so pleasant experiences as well. There has been a lot of changes and developments in my personal life...mostly beautiful and wonderful, I am happy to say ^_^

I just take this time to say hello and check if there are still people who check me out. So, hello dear friends, I shall be posting more regularly next year....part of my new year's resolution ;P hehehehe

For now, let us all enjoy this cozy rainy December evening, hoping that you are having a warm delicious meal alone or with your loved ones.

I had yellow cab delivered: dear darla pizza, baked potato wedges and charlie chan pasta--yummmmm! Made more yummy by the sound of the rain pouring outside ^_^

Valentines Dinner at The Establishment

Love month once again. No matter how bad the traffic gets during this Hallmark created occasion, deep down inside, all of us want to be doing something special on this day =) I guess being out on V-day reiterates in our consciousness that we are either in-love and or have a love-life =)

Well for whatever reason we are celebrating heart's day, one thing is in common...we celebrate with food!

For this year, we set our Valentines dinner on the weekend prior to Valentines, to beat the traffic on the 14Th, and we prefer to have night outs on weekends to be more relaxed. We recently discovered this new website featuring dining and other relaxation promos and got their 4-course dinner set at The Crystal Room of The Establishment.

It was our first time to dine at the Establishment, we were delighted by the ambiance, service and formality of the place...makes a perfect setting for formal or intimate dinners. However, the food did not fair as great as the place.

Php 800.00/pax 4-course Dinner with Wine

Crispy Camembert with Mixed Berries served with Warm Goat Cheese Salad

I think this was the best part of the meal. I love the contrasting textures of the cheeses and the sweet tangy salad.

Pumpkin Cappuccino

The soup was lighter than I expected it to be...was served nicely warm...tasty.

His Main Course: Pan Seared US Beef Tenderloin with Lychee Truffle Sauce

He was a bit disappointed by the portion of his entree, though the beef was nicely cooked, he didn't like the Lychee truffle sauce.

My Main Course: Hainanesse Salmon with Teriyaki Rice

The Salmon with ginger sauce was nicely cooked and flavorful, I just didn't feel the rice complimented the Salmon. I would have liked it better if they made the rice like the traditional Hainasse style, which would make the entire interpretation of the dish more elegant and refined in flavors. It tasted good, but it just struck me as rice box-ish kinda rice, sorry.

Pistachio de Lupe

The house specialty dessert. Crepes, layered with pistachios and cream...it was nice =)

Over all, we still found the experience very enjoyable. The service and ambiance was indeed wonderful. We were told that for the month of February, the guest chef is Chef Hum Uy de Baron. I have tried a private dinner by Chef Him , and was delighted by the experience, that is why I wanted to know if by being guest Chef at the Establishment, did they mean Chef Him is actually there to over-see the kitchen and prepare the courses? If so, I am truly disappointed. Or, by being guest Chef, he just designedd the dinner? Perhaps the failure could be by the execution of the in-house chef's of the establishment. I wasn't able to investigate that night..hehehe nevertheless....it was a beautiful Valentines dinner because of the person I am with =)

a surprise for me......^_^

HAPPY VALENTINES TO ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pamana, Tagaytay

Filipino comfort food, makes for a perfect meal on a cool-crisp weather. That's what we thought when we headed for Pamana Restaurant on a recent get Tagaytay get-a-away. A great choice it turned out to be =)

Pamana is owned by the Ongpauco family, who are also responsible for the famous Barrio Fiesta restaurants.

I adored the rustic al-fresco setting of the place with a rustic Spanish-time feel to it. The menu was as interesting as the place. Spanish-Filipino treasured recipes by the family are featured.

3-ways Adobo

Chicken adobo, crispy adobo flakes and pork adobo trio. We loved each rendition. The chicken was like fried chicken with a garlicky gravy sauce, the most un-

usual adobo I have had, nonetheless delicious. They were all flavorful and delicious...with plenty of steamed rice =)

Zamboanga's Piyanggang Manok

Chicken simmered in coconut milk. I have never had this kind of dish before, but it was delightfully different. Think chicken curry sans the curry.

La Paz Batchoy

As I do not fancy bulalo, we just ordered some la paz batchoy. Piping hot, and rich tasting with all the innards, chicharon and egg noodle flavors melding together! Yum!!!

A little treasure box holding the bill...cute! =) The nice part...it was actually cheap!
Delightful Filipino food, reasonably priced with a good ambiance to boot! A comeback is a must.

Pamana Restaurant

Tagaytay City

Chef Tatung's Private Dining

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL YOU FOOD LOVER'S OUT THERE!!!=)

Gosh! It feels like it has been ages since I blogged about something! I soooo missed this....because I was sooooo lazy! hahahaha

I am back and for my for my first 2011 post, I share with you our dining experience at the home of Chef Tatung.

Dinners at his place is by reservation only, and they have a changed set menu, so do call ahead to check what he has in-store for the night (the number is at the end of this post).

Freshly Baked Bread

hmmm... a bit gummy...not of my liking..sorry

Spinach Soup with Fresh Dill and Sour Cream

It would have been better with less salt and if it was hot. The dill was refreshing.

Grilled Scampi, Beets, Feta Cheese Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

I love the salad as it was very fresh and the dressing was lovely. The scampi had a nice flavor but a tad bit salt.

Two Ways Chicken: Grilled Chicken Breast and Chicken Ravioli

The chicken breast was nice. but the ravioli had some gritty bits in the filling. I like the freshness and crunch of the beans =)

Chocolate Cake with Marshmallow Icing

Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. Chef Tatung is very warm to the customers and always visits each guest table to introduce the dish presented, which was very nice. Our server was very nice and cordial. You feel that they care for their food and service. I would come back still to try Chef Tatung's other menu. The food was ok, and for Php 500.00 for a set dinner, I would recommend it for a unique dining experience.

Chef Tatung's Private Dining

#17 Matipid St. Sikatuna Village

0915-8463234

=)

MERRY CHRISTMAS

AND

A

PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!!!

Happy Birthday to Me ^_^

My turn to add another year in my life. Above is my 33rd birthday cake, which my bf got from Bizu! It's a SAMBA!!! =) It tastes as good as it looks! All chocolate here..rich and decadent...just the way I like it!

I am happy that I am keeping this food blog. It helps me backtrack on the year that was...how I spent a certain day in a different year....how I felt...what I ate...I can accurately get back at...check, read and get to re-live that special moment. I went 3 years back. My 30th spent in Bali and finishing the day in Malaysia...I thought was a kinda cool. I remember feeling happy where I was, yet still dreaming of that special somebody to complete me. How was I to know the following year..I would be spending my birthday with a special somebody =) That was really nice. We never know what life has in-stored for us. It is exciting, sometimes scary to wake up each day and live out the day and watch the future unfold...sometime without us realizing, the "now" we are in...is the "future" we dreamt and hoped for a couple of years back.

I am very grateful that at my 33rd, I woke up with much excitement and anticipation of the day to come...excited for what the days will bring as life continues to unfold before my eyes. I thank God above for all the blessings and love around me now.

Now, let's celebrate with good food =)

I chose Cafe Caruso for my birthday dinner. I love the place for it's sophisticated-casual ambiance and ofcourse, very good Italian food.

There was no time for bread, as our food turned up right before we were wondering why we haven't been served our bread basket.

For my birthday pasta....I chose

Spaghetti Aglio-Olio, Peperconcino e Vongole Php440.00

Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil, chilly and clams. This was my half portion. I didn't get the chance to snap a photo of the whole dish because our server immediately served it on our plates. The pasta was perfectly al dente...strong garlic, clams and chili flavors. Simple and perfect.

Lapu-lapu alla Favigna Php660.00

Grilled Lapu-lapu fillet with capers and green olives sauce. Our server's recommendation. We chose mashed potatoes as our side dish, which was delicious and creamy.The Lapu-lapu was cooked very nicely. I loved the light crust with the soft and moist, yet perfectly cooked flesh. The capers and olive sauce gave the fish saltiness and complimentary flavors. What was great was that the fish was so fresh. Delicioso!

Napoletana Pizza Php590.00

The reason why we didn't care for our bread basket. Tomato, garlic, anchovies and mozzarella pizza! The crust is just divine. Crusty, chewy...I love the slightly burnt edges. Pizza at it's best. Simple yet divine. =)

After our wonderful dinner, we decided to move to another place for dessert. I chose Cafe Ysabel...I don't know why. Perhaps, in continuing with a relaxing evening...we wanted to cap the night in a not so crowded place.

I picked the Cafe Ysable Truffle Cake for my birthday dolce....

..one bite...and I wished I just opted for Tiramisu at Caruso.
...you can't win them all....but it was still a wonderful birthday dinner ^_^

Happy Birthday to me! =)

Paparazzi Birthday Dinner ^_^

Time does fly! I can't believe I am posting about our birthdays again...but very happy to be doing so =)

It's the birthday of my bf....this year he chose Paparazzi, Edsa Shangrila Hotel, to celebrate his birthday. We actually celebrated his birthday in two parts: 1) family lunch at Tau Yuan...which was AMAZING...unfortunately I cannot share with you or perhaps tease you with the splendid food we had there...(not polite to take pics while hungry members of the family want to start getting food ;P hehehehe)....ahhhh but let me just have a run down of what we had....lobsters (lobsters GALORE!), salt and pepper crabs, chili crabs, steamed fish, hong ma, tofu with minced pork, tau-pe spring rolls, birthday mee, hainanese chicken and chicken rice ofcourse (mmmmmm...pure carbo love!) plus I brought yummy chocolate cake from Mrs. Risa Perez (one of Manilas best chocolate cake! ) yummmmmmmmmm...=)

2.) special dinner date for two =) ....

We love the ambiance....elegant without being stiff....very cozy...we picked the table with a half circle sofa...behind us was the grand piano....I imagined how even more perfect the night would be with a pianist serenading us through dinner....but sans that, it was yet to become a perfect night.

Starting off with the complimentary stuff....Marinated Vegetables Bruschetta

a boat of bread varieties! We likey!!!!

Oat-rye, grissini, rosemary lavosh, ciabatta, sesame seed roll and onion roll.....delicioso with the olive oil-balsamic-Parmesan dip

bread basket second helping ;P

please note we didn't ask for any...they were just so gracious and even asked us our favorite kinds and gave us plates more throughout the meal.

To start of our meal aside from the delicious breads...we had

Mozzarella Caprese Con Olio Aromatizzato E Basilico Php 450.00

Buffalo mozzarella with beefsteak tomato, aromatic oil a

and basil. They referred to the "cut" of the tomato as beefsteak heheheh ...fyi ;P It wasn't beef looking to me...but we love how creamy the fresh buffalo cheese was.

Fettucine Paglia E Fieno Con Salsa Ai Funghi Misti E Pollo Php 450.00

Spinach and egg fettuccine tossed with chicken and wild mushrooms in creamy sauce. This was absolutely delicious! We are not really fans of creamy sauces on pasta, but this was highly recommended by our server. The portion was just just and perfect with red wine.

Salmone Arrostito Con Asparagi Grigliati E Salsa Al lo Zafferano Php 850.00

Roasted king salmon with char-grilled asparagus and saffron cream sauce. The skin was nice and crisp although we would have enjoyed it more if the salmon was cooked medium, nevertheless, the creamy saffron sauce offset the done-ness of the salmon...so all went very well =)

Ravioli D' Astice Con Salsa Di Mare Php 550.00

Lobster ravioli in light seafood broth scented with Aglianico wine.....

...topped here with freshly grated parmeggiano...love the giant grater !!! =)

Delicioso!!!! =) Lobster...pasta...cheese...how can that not be good? =)

And a scoop of Limoncello Sorbeto to finish of fine dinner

A wonderful birthday dinner for a perfectly wonderful person ^_^

Happy Birthday my love! =)

Paparazzi

Edsa Shangrila Hotel,

Garden way, Ortigas Center,

Mandaluyong City

Tel# (632) 633 8888 ext. 2738 or 2739