Whenever the fam is in Eastwood Mall and is in the mood for Korean BBQ (which is quite often), Soban K-Town Grill is our go-to place.
This resto boasts of clean and modern interiors, warmly lit and giving that casual yet cozy vibe.
We were ushered to a table that can seat our family of four, but had trouble accommodating all the food brought to our table.
Since we prefer unmarinated meats over flavored ones so we ordered a Classic BBQ Combo Set (Php1,780). Good for our group of four, it is composed of 180g fresh beef belly, 180g pork belly, 180g boneless fried soy garlic chicken chops, one japchae (stir-fried glass noodles and vegetables), one pajeon (savory Korean pancake), half a serving of gimbap (Korean version of sushi rolls) and four refillable cups of either plain or kimchi rice. Adding to our table’s load are the refillable side dishes which include my favorites: egg cakes and sugared peanuts.
The meats that we grilled were of good quality, and I loved dipping slices of them in salted sesame oil and ssamjang paste, then wrapping them in crisp lettuce leaves together with some kimchi rice before taking a bite.
The soy garlic chicken, on the other hand, was tender and yummy; it suited the tastes of my little boy just fine!
Plus, since I presented one of their flyers from one of the take-one boxes at the parking area, we were each given a free coffee jelly dessert!
It was a wondrous feast for our family of four, one dining experience we wouldn’t mind repeating.
This Soban K-Town Grill branch is located at Second Floor, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 11am to 10pm, Fridays to Saturdays from 11am to 11pm and Sundays 10am to 10pm.
Other branches are located at:
Ground Floor, Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, Manila
Level 3, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City
Level 2, One Bonifacio High Street Mall, 28th Street Corner 5th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Ground Floor, ATC Corporate Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Upper Ground Floor, Main Building, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
Third Floor, Bridgeway, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
We Pinoys love sweets, and with a tropical climate such as ours, we won’t say no to frozen treats even in December.
While ice cream is more prevalent, gelato desserts are also growing in popularity in the country.
Gelato is a frozen dessert which originated in Italy. It has a much creamier and silkier texture than ice cream, given its increased use of milk rather than cream compared to ice cream. Gelato also does not make use of eggs, unlike ice cream, and is usually served using a small spade instead of a scoop.
That’s what I treated my family to over the holidays. After Christmas lunch at nearby Fireside by Kettle in Rockwell, we headed straight to Morelli’s Gelato for dessert. (Thanks to Jen of SandUnderMyFeet.com for sharing her GCs!)
The Morelli’s gelato brand started in Scotland in 1907 when father-and-son Giuseppe and Mario started selling the ice cream prevalent in their native Italy. The brand expanded to UK in 1932, and then went on to establish its presence in other countries, where its gelato offerings are made fresh everyday using natural ingredients.
My kids, mother-in-law and I enjoyed our scoops of truffle, chocolate, pistachio and vanilla gelato which served as a great cap to our Christmas lunch.
This Morelli’s Gelato branch is located at Second Floor, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City. Another branch is located at Level 3, East Wing, Shangri-La Plaza, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City.
I belong to a family of foodies, albeit I’m the only one who’s online all the time!
While I have a knack for finding places to get great desserts, my brother, on the hand, has a gift for finding tasty quick and cheap eats.
The restos he usually recommends are no-frills but are known to have paticularly delish specialties.
Take for example Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant in Banawe.
While we were running errands in the area together with my mom, we realized that we needed to go somewhere we can eat and run. He suggested this resto because of its famous fried chicken.
This resto does have a no-frills look and feel typical of Chinese eateries. Its color scheme is composed of reds, oranges and yellow. The furniture used are a bit aged but still functional.
The wait staff are present on the floor but getting their attention for orders or requests may take some time.
We went with my brother’s recommended dishes as well.
Spinach with Garlic (Php225 for small)
Sincerity Fried Chicken (Php180 for half)
Sincerity Chami (Php120 for small)
Makot Bola Bola Soup (Php140 for small)
The Sincerity Fried Chicken was quite tasty and it went well with the very flavorful Sincerity Chami noodles.
Since I unlocked my Zomato Gold Privilege in this resto, we got the Chami for FREE. (Note: we were informed by the wait staff that Sincerity Fried Chicken is not included among the Zomato Gold perks.)
Want to score a similar discount? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.
This Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant branch is located at Second Floor, RBL Building, Banawe Street, Santo Domingo, Quezon City, open daily from 9.30am to 9.30pm.
An izakaya is the Japanese equivalent to the Western pub or tavern: a place where people can hang out and drink after work.
The origin of these establishments can be traced back to 18th century Japan, at the time when sake – the Japanese rice wine – was also growing popular. In fact, the word izakaya is rooted on i (to stay) and sakaya (sake shop), because, in contrast to the previous practice in sake shops to drink alcohol while standing, patrons of izakayas can sit down, and even eat some finger food, while drinking.
In the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area is situated Nomiya Izakaya.
It veers slightly away from the traditional izakayas in that it serves full meals, which is quite fortunate as it recently served as the venue of a happy lunch among my officemates and myself.
Walking into the establishment, we were quick to appreciate its minimalist and industrial themed decor.
For our lunch, we took advantage of its donburi – Japanese rice bowls.
Chirashi Don (Php345). Chirashi means “scattered,” so this dish is basically a rice bowl with fish, vegetables and other ingredients.
Gyudon (Php320). This Japanese beef bowl boasts of thin and tender beef slices on top of steaming hot rice and doused with mildly sweet sauce.
Katsudon (Php290). This bowl of rice is topped with a deep-fried pork cutlet, eggs, veggies and doused with sauce.
Spicy Salmon Maki (Php250). Slivers of spicy salmon rolled in rice with some crunch from the tempura flakes.
It certainly looks like we have a new go-to place when we crave for Japanese food!
Nomiya Izakaya is located at 36 Scout Tobias Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open Tuesdays to Sundays from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6pm to 11pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 9547055.
Novotel Manila Araneta is located in the middle of the hustle and bustle of Cubao.
Despite this busy location, it offers its guests and visitors a welcoming haven to relax and rest for a bit.
Take for example its dessert bar Indulge.
Situated at the hotel’s lobby, Indulge can be a dessert stopover on the way to one’s hotel room, or before going out of the hotel.
It offers a variety of sweets – from premium ice cream and gelatos, shakes and floats to bread and cookies – that can serve as a yummy cap to a meal or as a snack treat to sate one’s sweet cravings in between meals.
Take for example the avocado ice cream I recently treated myself to. Imaginatively named Green with Envy, it is rich, creamy and not too sweet, with some crunch to it thanks to sprinklings of chocolate chips.
The Tiendesitas area (now becoming known as the heart of the new Ortigas East) is enjoying quite a bit of revival particularly for foodies, with more and more concept restaurants opening shop inside the compound.
A recent addition to these foodie destinations is Tenya Tempura Tendon, a chain of Japanese restaurants specializing in tempura.
What sets Tenya Tempura Tendon apart from other sources of tempura is the sheer amount of effort the resto and its staff put into their signature dish:
Black tiger prawns grown from the most sanitary aquaculture practices are used, ensuring the freshness and succulence of its ebi tempura.
Specifically formulated flour coat the tempura before it is cooked in a specially developed automatic infrared heat technology poweref air fryer, guaranteeing tastiness and consistent quality among its tempura dishes.
Each tendon is accompanied by a secret dontare sauce, a sweet dipping sauce that enhances the flavor of the tempura.
During a visit to Tiendesitas over the holidays, I treated the family to lunch at the newly opened Tenya Tempura Tendon branch. It occupies a sprawling area in the ground floor, making it accessible to those coming from the outdoor parking and those coming from Tiendesitas’ retail shops in the upper floors.
Its decor is light and airy, with both dark and light wood used in furniture and on the walls giving the place a clean and minimalist yet homey feel. The staff are warm and welcoming, immediately seating us at an available table.
For the family’s meal, we ordered the Ooedo Kagayaki Set (Php1,025), a basket of tempura composed of 4 black tiger prawns, 4 kani sticks, 2 squids, 2 fried fish, 2 sweet potatoes, 2 eggplants and 4 green beans, accompanied by 4 cups of rice and 4 steaming bowls of miso soup.
Knowing that we will be wanting some more tiger prawns, we ordered some additional Ebi Tempura (Php295/3pcs) to supplement the Kagayaki Set.
Hubby ordered Spicy Salmon Maki (Php315), spicy bits of salmon rolled in fish roe and topped with crunchy batter, shichimi and spicy Japanese mayo.
For the little boy, we got some Karaage (Php185), a Japanese-style variation to his down-home favorite chicken nuggets.
To comemorate a festival being celebrated in Japan during our visit, we were each given a free bowl of steaming hot Soba!
It was another tasty and filling family lunch, another happy holiday memory for all of us.
This Tenya Tempura Tendon is located at Ground Floor, Tiendesitas, Frontera Verde, Ugong, Pasig City
Other branches are located at:
2nd floor, BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive cor 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ground Floor, Market! Market!, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
4F SM Megamall Bldg. A, Doña Julia Vargas Ave, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Food Street, Ground Floor, SM Southmall, Almanza, Las Piñas City
ASEANA Avenue cor. Diosdado Macapagal Blvd. Paranaque City
GF Water Garden, Extension Site, Civic Drive, Festival Supermall Alabang, Muntinlupa
GF North Wing Entertainment Mall, Sunset Ave. cor. Seaside Blvd. SM Mall of Asia Pasay
GF Southpark Bldg. Paseo de Magallanes, Makati City
Feel like you might want to take a break from always running a tight ship and treat the family to some tasty burgers, pizzas and pastas?
Well, then… When you dock at the newly opened eatery along San Rafael Street in Mandaluyong’s Barangay Plainview, you will find plenty for the family to love.
One: The resto’s interiors leading to a seaside adventure.
The resto is situated in a converted two-story house festooned with nautical-inspired furniture and artwork, inspired by Chef Junjie Templo’s stint as a seaman chef and further refined by the San Rafael branch co-owner Cathy Donato – Miaque’s design sensibilities.
The best thing about the resto’s design is that diners can interact with the decor. Take a pic of yourself as a ship captain in the outdoor deck, make-believe you’re climbing up waterfalls in the hallway, or let your kids have a go in the rocking horse. If you let your inmer child out, there won’t be a dull moment here.
Plus, check out the washroom with a wall-to-wall painting of a seaside dock! Who would have thought going to a resto’s restroom would be so entertaining!
Two: Yummy munchies while waiting for your meal.
Start of your meal with some appetizers – platters of fries or nachos with oodles of cheese, peppers, onions, meat and other toppings!
Three: Its Burger Varieties.
Pinoy families have grown to love burgers and here, there’s enough variety and affordably priced items to have you and your fam coming back for more. Check these out: the crunchy chicken sandwich Captain’s Crave (Php109), fresh veggies and all-beef Anchor Point Burger (Php129), burger-with-bacon Quarterdeck (Php139) and so much more!
Want to prove your burger mettle? Take the Black Out Challenge (Php450 with fries | Php480 with nachos). Finish this monster of a triple patty burger and its accompanying sides in five minutes and it’s free. You will also have the honor of joining Anchor Point Diner’s Hull of Fame!
Four: Its Chicken Meals.
There’s nothing like chomping down on a juicy piece of chicken and at Anchor Point Diner, there’s plenty to choose from: from its original recipe Chicken Fritoz (Php99), savory Garlic Parmesan (Php119), spicy Texas Wild Wings (Php109) and my new fave Teriyaki Chicken (Php109).
Feeling extra hungry? Get a Bucket of Ten for only Php250! That should fill up the fam’s tummies!
Five: Pizzas and Pastas
Hearty and filling, these crunchy-yet-chewy thin-crust pizzas (made with hand-kneaded dough and baked fresh everyday) and yummy pastas will sate the fam’s hunger while making your taste buds happy!
Choose from two pizza sizes – Sailor at 9 inches and Captain at 12 inches – and from four yummy flavors – English Margherita (Php149 | Php199), Hawaiian Sunset (Php169 | Php219), Vegan Garden (Php179 | Php229), and of course, my absolute fave, Triple Cheese (Php189 | Php239).
Pastas come in two flavors: Shrimp Olio (Php129) and Italian Bolognese (Php99).
Six: Best value combo meals!
Despite the ala carte dishes being priced quite affordably already, these are further mixed and matched into combo meals with iced tea that not only give you a variety of flavors in one complete meal, but also super savings. Prices for single-person combo meals range from Php129 to Php259.
Plus, a family of four can dine on a combo of chicken, pasta, pizza, rice and drinks for only Php550, while a group of six can do the same for only Php859.
There’s so much food variation when I dined here, I nearly went into a food coma! (Special thanks to my fellow foodies who pulled me back from the brink, hehehe!)
Seven: Cap off your meal with decadent dessert frappes!
There’s a special treat for the family member who has a sweet tooth: dessert drinks in your choice among three yummy flavors at only Php95 – Rock & Load for chocolate lovers, Strawberry Kiss for strawberry fans, and the frappe that truly captured the taste of summer at sea with its zesty sweetness and refreshing cucumber juice, Sweet Innocence.
Eight: It’s home-grown.
Anchor Point Diner is all-Filipino, originating from Mataas na Kahoy in Batangas. It has since expanded further in the region to include branches in Sto. Tomas, Dagatan and Tanauan.
This first branch in Metro Manila is located in Barangay Plainview, Mandaluyong City. It will also serve as the commisary for all Metro Manila branches.
Interested in taking part of its further growth as a franchisee? You will benefit from the use of trademarks, staff training, procurement program, opening assistance, operations manual and more already developed by the team. The first step to getting on board is to contact Mr. Junjie Templo or Ms. Eds Lamela through the touchpoints below:
There are just so many reasons to hie on over to Anchor Point Diner and go on a voyage of good food and good company with the family. So what are you waiting for?
Anchor Point Diner is located at 43 San Rafael corner Buenconsejo Streets, Plainview, Mandaluyong, open daily from 11am to 12 midnight.
Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.
Just when you thought that you’ve tasted all there is to good ole’ steaks, here comes Miyazaki Gyu introduce us to a truly luxurious steak experience.
The restaurant got its name from the Miyazaki Prefecture in the Japanese island of Kyushu. It is the word’s second largest producer of beef from Japanese black cattle – referred to as miyazakigyu – which is known for having a high level of marbling, making the meat as tender and flavorful as can be.
The restaurant not only sells high-grade beef but also treats its diners to the optimal preparation of the meat, thereby maximizing flavor and texture. That is actually the driving force behind the resto: showcasing to local diners the full potential of miyazakigyu, as envisioned by its executive chef and youngest Iron Chef contender Kensuke Sakai.
Hubby decided to treat the family to the experience of eating such high-quality beef so we spent one of our weekend lunches over the holidays checking out its offerings.
The restaurant embodies a combination of Japanese simplicity with its clean lines and bamboo accents, and of luxurious opulence with its gold and leather interiors.
A display of its various meat offerings takes pride of place, giving diners the option to take some home.
For our luxurious miyazakigyu lunch, we had:
Beef Sushi (Php650). Slivers of tender wagyu draped over sushi rice and lightly doused with ponzu sauce served as our appetizer.
Hubby, my daughter #ExhibitA and I split orders of various beef cuts – Chuck Roll or Premium Steak (Php22/gram), Habaki or Special Part Steak (Php25/gram) and Top Round or Prime Marble Steak (Php32/gram) all cooked to medium doneness so we can savor their taste, juiciness and tender texture.
Hamburg Steak (Php900). Our little boy #ExhibitB, on the other hand, was treated to this tasty grilled ground beef burger patty.
All of these meat dishes are preceded by a light vegetable salad and a steaming hot soup with slivers of wagyu beef.
The steaks were served with sauteed bean sprouts, minced herbs and a bit of salt to bring out more of their flavor.
We also upgraded to the House Special Garlic Rice that went so well with the wagyu steaks.
Given its price range, dining at Miyazaki Gyu is really not for everyday enjoyment; for me, it’s for those rare occasions when you feel like you deserve a break from the ordinary. Its premium-grade wagyu surely takes you to a whole new level of experience.
Miyazaki Gyu is located at Podium Level, One Mckinley Place, 26th Corner 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, open daily from 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 11pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 8296167 or +63 917 166 6673)
The bookworm in me allows me to be happily content practically anywhere, and even all by my lonesome, so long as I have a new or my favorite tome in hand.
The foodie in me, on the other hand, gets me seeking new gastronomic experiences in both new and familiar places, often with close friends, because sometimes, breaking bread is more fun when you have people to break it with!
Imagine my delight when I discover establishments that cater to both passions!
Such is Tweedle Book Cafe, a small eatery located in a more out-of-the-way section of the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato vicinity.
Named after the zany twin characters Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum from Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, Tweedle Book Cafe is like stepping into your dream library: the kind where you can chill and lose yourself in the pages of your favorite book while sipping on some rich hot chocolate.
Aside from the wall-to-wall shelves of books, the place is filled with references to literary works: from planks of wood citing famius authors, to clocks showing purported time in fictional settings and to a secret door masked by Platform 9 3/4.
What makes the place even more appealing is its imaginative menu which a couple of my friends and I sampled when we went here on a lunch adventure.
Cheeseburgerballs Pasta (Php230). Just think: if you can have your favorite meaty burger, loaded with so much cheese, but in a bowl nestled in pasta and tomato sauce. Sounds good?
Hangover (Php280). Ever had case of the munchies the morning after a night out drinking with friends? This rice bowl with beef sukiyaki, kimchi and egg has a whole lot of comforting heartiness and a bit of spice to kickstart your morning.
Juan Tamad (Php180). This is named so because this dish of corned beef and spam cubes in fried rice is so easy to make that you would have to be really, really lazy to still go out and order it (which I was, and no regrets here!).
Choco Lava Cake (Php120). Served piping hot, this chocolate cake with a molten chocolate center that oozes out with each spoonful.
These lovely dishes took some time getting to our table but fortunately, they were worth the wait. Also, our group was able to entertain ourselves chatting (and poring over Anne Rice’s books in my case).
On my next visit, I’ll try items from Tweedle Book Cafe’s Chocolate drinks and Tweedled coffees.
Book lover or not, this foodie haven is worth checking out!
By the way, since two of us unlocked our Zomato Gold privilege at this cafe, we got Hangover and the Chocolate Lava Cake for free!
Tweedle Book Cafe is located at 106-B Scout Gandia Street, Sacred Heart, Quezon City, open weekdays from noon to midnight, Saturdays from 10.30am to midnight and Sundays from 3pm to 10pm.
Want to score a similar discount? Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 deals on food or 2+2 deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here as soon as slots open. (They tend to get snatched up pretty quickly so be sure to sign up as soon as slots become available.) Use my code JELLYB to get 20% off the membership fee.
The thing with having a nearly grown-up daughter is that sometimes you want to enjoy kid stuff with her (like ice cream and milkshakes) while her tastes are evolving towards more grown-up stuff (like cocktails and nights out).
Fortunately, we found the perfect combination at the recently opened kiosk of The Lost Bread in SM East Ortigas which we chanced upon while running some errands.
The Lost Bread has its roots in Maginhawa Street in Quezon City where it found fame as a the go-to place for French toasts and milkshakes.
This branch in SM East Ortigas is basically a dessert bar where you can order masterfully prepared milkshakes, milk teas, French toast cubes and soft-serve ice cream. You can order your concoction or confection of choice at the counter and enjoy your dessert or drink in the seating area at the back, which, by the way, gets props for the wise, unusual and Instagrammable use of available space.
Now, the wonderful combination I mentioned earlier refers to the Spiked Milkshakes available at The Lost Bread (and only to those at age 18 and above). These are dessert-based milkshakes accompanied by a small syringe of liqueur that you can elect to add to your drink or not (and why would you not? Hehehe!)
My daughter #ExhibitA ordered a Swiss Missed Milkshake (Php145) which features mini marshmallows, chocolate wafers, cocoa and a bit of Kahlua.
I, on the other hand, got for myself a Spiked Cookie Milkshake (Php145), which is flavored by coffee and chocolate chip cookies plus a bit of Baileys (which just happen to be my favorite drink!)
Such a happy time spent with my daughter, indulging ourselves in our favorite sweets and a harmless but enjoyable bit of buzz from the accompanying liqueur.
I’m looking forward to coming back and trying out the store’s other dessert and drink offerings.
This branch of The Lost Bread is located at Ground Floor, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Santa Lucia, Pasig City. Other branches may be found at:
Streat: Maginhawa Food Park, Teachers Village, Quezon City
Fourth Floor, Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City
Third Floor, Glorietta 4, Ayala Center, Glorietta Complex, Makati City
Check out my reviews of other dessert restaurants:
Jellybeans in the City 