Author: Gel Jose

Manic Pixie Dream Girl Wannabe, Imagineer, Foodie, TV Addict and Lifelong Learner

Homey Comfort Food at Mom & Tina’s, Greenhills

One of the mantras I always try to follow is to never shop hungry. For one thing, experiencing hunger pangs might distract me from getting the best deal and I might end up just settling. On the other hand, hunger makes me a bit grumpy and I might snap at a hapless salesperson.

In a recent foray with Hubby at Greenhills Shopping Center (where I did not snap at anyone, hapless or otherwise), I chanced upon this Mom & Tina’s branch near the newly renovated Unimart.

I’ve enjoyed dining at this chain’s branches in Tomas Morato and Ugong (even took out cakes for celebrations at home) so I had no qualms suggesting to Hubby that we take our lunch here.

Similar to other Mom & Tina’s outlets, this branch has a bright, cheery yet cozy atmosphere, accented by rustic and homey bric-a-bracs and light-colored furniture.

We ordered a substantial amount of food (proof of how hungry we were):

  • US Roast Beef (Php435) – slices of roast beef served with rich gravy served with mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes and rice.
  • Beef Stroganoff (Php270) – al dente fettuccini pasta tossed in cream sauce with thin beef slices.
  • Barbecued Pork Steak (Php335) – marinated and grilled pork belly served with Java rice and achara

The roast beef slices are a bit too well-done for my taste (they tend to seem dry) but the meats are tender and well-complemented by the mashed potato and veggies. The pork steak is also tender and well-seasoned; its blend of sweet and savory flavors blend well with the Java Rice (I prefer not to include the achara, it’s quite overpowering). The beef stroganoff is also hearty and filling. The portions of these dishes are quite large and we ended up getting part of our orders wrapped for take home (which was greatly appreciated by my son who ate it for merienda).

And simply because there should always be room for dessert, and because I truly deserve it, I got myself a Carrot Cupcake (Php70) to cap the meal. (No, Hubby is not into cupcakes; so… more for me!)

This lunch experience reminded me of the appeal of Mom & Tina’s and I look forward to trying more of its offerings.

This Mom & Tina’s branch is located at 2/F O-Square Building, Greenhills Shopping Center, Ortigas Ave., San Juan City.   For reservations, call + 63 921 5737710.

Other branches are located at:

  • Ugong: FRDC Building, 106 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., (C-5), Pasig City (Tel: + 63 2 9140833 or +63 2 5711541)
  • Makati: G/F Unit 14 Tropical Palms Condominium, Dela Rosa St. cor. Perea St., Legaspi Village, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 8404299 or + 63 2 8943598)
  • Tomas Morato: 58 Sgt. Esguerra Ave., South Triangle, Quezon City (Tel: + 63 2 3323080 or +63 2 3323579)

Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Got a taste of Bicolandia at Gata, Tomas Morato

Bicolano cuisine is characterized by spiciness and the use of gata (coconut cream): the spiciness gives the dishes a certain excitement while the gata gives them a distinct richness.

I’m not much of a Bicolano food fan myself (but I’m willing to give almost anything a try) so during lunch with my officemates, I found myself trying out a newly opened restaurant along Mother Ignacia Street – Gata: Flavors of Bicolandia, Atbp.

The resto’s interiors have a bright and airy feel; its walls are even adorned by a large colorful mural as well as paintings that depict food and food preparation.

For our lunch, we ordered some of Bicol’s most popular dishes:

  • The ever-present Laing (Php235) made of dried gabi leaves sourced directly from Bicol
  • Adobong Bicolano Liempo (Php250), Bicol’s traditional way of cooking adobo characterized by the lack of sauce
  • Piniritong Manok ni Lola (Php230), homestyle fried chicken, cooked like how grandma does it 🙂

The flavors are familiar and comforting but the serving portions are on the small side.  That said, my dining experience here certainly merits another visit.

Update: I recently attended a Zomato Foodie Meetup held here.  Together with fellow Zomato foodies, I was able to taste more of Gata’s signature Bicolano dishes such as:

  • Sinantol with Kamote Chips (Php190).  Great for vegetarians, this dish pairs deep-fried kamote (sweet potato) chips with the tangy sinantol which consist of finely grated santol rind cooked in coconut milk.
  • Laing Bites with Gata Sauce (Php180).  Another all-veggie dish, this features laing wrapped in deep-fried wonton and served with a homemade gata sauce.
  • Cocido na Buong Lapu-Lapu (Php495). Bicol’s version of Sinigang, it is less sour but still has a hearty broth.
  • Kare-Kareng Bagnet (Php330).  At last I was able to taste this dish made of sizeable slices of pork belly served with a gata-infused kare-kare sauce.
  • Kinunot na Pagi (Php295).  Flakes of stingray meat simmered in gata, quite a new foodie adventure for me! (Trivia: There’s a joke that when a Bicolano takes some gata to the beach, the sharks and stingrays get the hell outta the way!)
  • Halo-Halo Turon with Ice Cream (Php110).  Classic halo-halo ingredients in lumpia wrapper then deep-fried and served with vanilla ice cream.

Gata: Flavors of Bicolandia, Atbp is located at Unit 3, The Grandia Place, Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City.  It is open everyday from 11.30am to 3pm and 4pm to 10pm.  For reservations, call +63 995 4627251.

Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant.  Food items specified here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

Lechon Feast at the Lechon Shop, Tomas Morato

In the Philippines, a celebration wouldn’t be complete without lechon. This much-loved national dish is an offshoot of our colonial roots, having been brought here from Spain. The word lechon, in fact, is a Spanish word referring to a roasted suckling pig.

The best examples of lechon are characterised by tender flavorful meat and crispy, crackling skin, best served smothered with a think and slightly sweet lechon sauce usually made of liver, breadcrumbs, vinegar, sugar and spices and partnered with steaming hot rice.

On the birthday of one of my coworkers who has a marked preference for lechon, he treated us to one of his newly-discovered haunts: The Lechon Shop along Scout Tobias near Tomas Morato in Quezon City.

Operated by the same people as Leonardo’s Lechon based in San Juan, The Lechon Shop offers diners lechon by the kilo. (If I recall correctly, our group ordered 4 kilos.). We also ordered Chicharong Bulaklak and Laing which we ate with our steaming plain rice. A welcome surprise were the Maja Blancas that brought us back to our childhood.

The place is quite cozy and almost had trouble fitting our large group in. However, the server was friendly and accommodating, and helped us all find our seats.

This celebration was one for the books and I, for one, don’t regret the sinfully decadent consumption of lechon. After all, you only live once and “nasasayang lang ang calories pag hindi ka nasarapan.”

The Lechon Shop by Leonardo’s Lechon is located at 49B Scout Tobias Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City. For reservation and inquiries, call (02) 745 3104.

The Lechon Shop Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Want to learn how to cook your favorite Filipino dishes at home? Check out these recipe books on Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients.  With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500.  You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

Soul Food Feast at Morganfield’s, Ayala the 30th

The fam recently met up with the in-laws for a birthday celebration at Morganfield’s at Ayala The 30th.

Morganfield’s is a casual dining restaurant specializing in “good ole’ fashioned barbecued pork ribs with an extra dose of Southern hospitality” – the tenets of cooking what has come to be known as soul food.

Its signature dish – Sticky Bones – is made of slow-cooked and hickory smoked tender prime pork ribs, which are then basted with the home-made tomato/based sweet-and-sour mopping sauce, resulting to the “sticky bones” left when diners are done with the meal.

This and more were feasted on when the fam ordered Rib Sampler (Php3,295) sharing platter. It’s basically a humongous serving of 3 Flavors of Barbecued Ribs, loads of sausages, garden salad, corn on the cob, corn bread and french fries. For added meat, we also ordered a 300g Rib-eye (Php1,325), a juicy medium-done US rib-eye steak accompanied by a special garlic butter, baked potato and crisp garden vegetables. To represent the fruits of the sea, a serving of Beer-Battered Fish Fillets (Php395) was ordered. And, as if all that was not enough, we munched on some Onion Rings (Php155).

There was a wide range of hearty flavors and textures that made for a filling meal, albeit quite an expensive one as well.

The place had a fun and casual family-friendly vibe, helped by cheery and helpful wait staff.

This Morganfield’s branch is located at the 2nd Floor, Ayala Malls The 30th, 30 Meralco Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For reservations, call +6327213502.

Morganfield's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

Kids take a first crack at adulting at Kidzania Manila

Children can only aspire to what they know exists.

This is central to Kidzania and its Director of Education Dr. Ger Graus’ philosophy.

When you enter Kidzania, you enter a sprawling but kid-sized edutainment zone where children can explore and discover on their own while learning how to operate in the real world. It is a mini-metropolis, where the kids can fill roles in establishments such as a bank, a school, a hotel and more, while imbibing Kidzania’s culture, economy (it has its own currency – kidzos – that kids get paid with after fulfilling their tasks), and even language (say “Kai!” for “Hi!” and “ZanK-U!” for “Thank you!”).

The fun learning roles kids can take part in at kiddie-fied real-world establishments or brands include:

  • Actor or Street Performer (Star Magic – Acting Academy)
  • Artist or Student (National Bookstore – Art and Design Academy)
  • Pilot or Cabin Crew (Cebu Pacific – Aviation Academy)
  • Pastry Chef (Goldilocks – Bakeshop)
  • Client or Banker (Bank of the Philippine Islands – Bank)
  • Free Reader, Book Display Designer, Creative Story Teller, or Book Writer (National Bookstore – Bookstore)
  • Plant Engineer (Coca-Cola – Bottling Plant)
  • Crew Member (McDonald’s – Burger Shop)
  • Customer, Car Designer, Car Salesperson (Honda – Car Dealership)
  • Tourist, Tour Guide, or Safety Inspector (Victory Liner – City Tour Bus)
  • Clean Energy Engineer (First Gen – Clean Energy Center)
  • Cable TV Service Installer (SKYcable – Climbing Building)
  • Cookie Engineer (Cream-O – Cookie Factory)
  • Culinary Student (Lady’s Choice – Cooking School)
  • Logistics Officer or Pick-Up and Delivery Team Member (LBC – Courier Service)
  • Treats Inventor (Oishi – Creative Hub)
  • Fashion Model (Penshoppe – Fashion Boutique)
  • Firefighter (Pioneer Insurance – Fire Station)
  • Gas Dispatcher or Mechanic (Shell – Gas Station)
  • Electrician or House Painter (First Balfour – Hime Finishing)
  • Home Shopping Host (O Shopping – Home Shopping Studio)
  • Health Care Worker (Johnson & Johnson’s – Hospital Baby Care Training Center)
  • Paramedic (Green Cross – Hospital Emergency Room)
  • Surgeon, Assistant Surgeon, Anesthesiologist, Instrumentalist (St. Luke’s Medical Center – Hospital Operating Room)
  • Receptionist, Wait Staff, Housekeeper (Holiday Inn – Hotel)
  • Production Engineer (Magnolia – Ice Cream Factory)
  • Laundry Operator (Champion – Laundromat)
  • Feature Writer or Comic Artist (Metro Publishing – Magazine Company)
  • Marine Conservationist (Century Tuna and World Wildlife Fund – Marine Research Lab)
  • Recording Artist (Star Studio – Music Studio)
  • News Writer (Philippine Daily Inquirer – Newspaper)
  • Pharmacist (Mercury Drug – Drug Store)
  • Pizza Maker (Yellow Cab – Pizza Parlor)
  • On-Cam or Off-cam Talent (ABS-CBN – TV Studio)

… and so much more!

Parents accompanying their kids won’t be bored either. They can hang out at the Parent’s Lounge where they can sip of some coffee as they watch TV or surf the net powered by SKYzone.

Hungry little ones can sate their appetites with the Belgian Waffle, Purfood Hotdogs, Goldilocks and McDonalds outlets inside the park.

And here’s something to spur you to visit Kidzania really soon: Until July 31, you can avail of an Unli-Pazz which allows a kid and an accompanying adult to enjoy a month of unlimited visits to Kidzania for only Php2,475.

Kidzania is where kids can take a first fun glimpse at adulting.

Disclosure: I work for SKY which is one of Kidzania’s featured establishments and powers the cable TV and internet access in the Parent’s Lounge.

Steak Lunch at Sizzlin’ Steak, SM East Ortigas

I was initially excited when I saw that Sizzlin’ Steak opened a branch at SM East Ortigas.  Being a confirmed carnivore, I decided to take the fam out to lunch here one Saturday.

The place was packed when we got there (the resto being newly opened and all) but there were still some unoccupied tables at the back, which, curiously, the servers weren’t ushering us to.  After some minutes of awkward waiting, we were finally seated.

We crossed-ordered some items from Teriyaki Boy next door (read about that here) but Hubby and I decided to get twin orders of Australian Marbled Steak (Php675 each) for ourselves.  These were served on sizzling plates with plain rice and some veggies; the gravy, of course, was poured over the steaks for that sizzle.

Given the price of this dish, I wish there was more I could say about it.  Sadly, I had to sprinkle some salt on my steak to get a little more flavor out of it.

The service was also slow. Aside from not being quick to usher us to our seats, the staff also neglected to refill our water glasses (I ended up having to stand up and get the water pitcher myself).  Lastly, they forgot to give us the official receipt I requested for.

Oh, well. Maybe next time, I’ll have a better experience here.

 

Lunch at Teriyaki Boy, SM East Ortigas

Update: I patched things up with this resto (so to speak). Check out my updated review here.

I used to really enjoy dining at Teriyaki Boy.  This is the place that developed my family’s love for ebi tempura. My special go-to order would also be the Wafu Steak and Yakimeshi Rice; I found the blend of flavors rich and satisfying.

This is why we cross-ordered some items from the Teriyaki Boy menu when my family dined at its sister-store Sizzlin’ Steak.  For appetizers, we got a Dynamite Roll (Php185) and a Tuna Tempura Tartare (Php165).  Both were pretty good.

For our mains, I wanted to order my favorites Wafu Steak and a Yakimeshi Rice (Php75).  However, for some reason, the Wafu Steak is no longer in their menu! We then ended up getting two orders of Tonkatsu (Php280 each) for the kids.

Later that same week, I went back with my daughter for a late lunch.  We ordered a Chashu Ramen Shoyu (Php245) which fell short in comparison to the other ramen I have tasted.

I might still be feeling miffed at the removal of Wafu Steak from the menu.  Hopefully, the next time I dine here, I will be in a better frame of mind to enjoy the store’s offerings.

Why not try your hand at preparing Japanese cuisine at home?  Check out these recipe books from Amazon.com!

Want to try some recipes today? There’s no need to leave home to shop for ingredients.  With Honestbee, just order your groceries online and you’ll get them delivered right at your doorstep at your preferred time. Use this referral link and get Php500 off for a minimum spend of Php2,500.  You can download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play.

If you’re in the US and an Amazon Prime member, sign up for a free trial of Amazon Fresh to get your groceries delivered to you.

A special screening of Diego Luna’s “Abel” brought by CinemaWorld

Sometimes, you have to step up and be the man of the house.

In Diego Luna’s (“Y Tu Mama Tambien,” “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”) feature film directorial debut, that is what nine-year-old Abel (Christopher Ruiz Esparza) did when he got home from the psychiatric hospital. When his father (Jose Maria Yazpik) left their family three years prior, he suffered a breakdown and retreated into silence until his mother (Karina Gidi) persuaded his doctors to let him come home. When he starts talking again, he talks and acts like an authoritative father figure: talking sternly to his siblings, sleeping beside his mother and demanding his breakfast in the morning. Amazingly, the family plays along and all seemingly goes well… until the father comes back.

CinemaWorld showcased this 2010 Mexican satire in an exclusive screening held at Restaurant 9501 held at the ELJ Communications Center inside the ABS-CBN Compound in partnership with local pay TV provider SKY. Attended by select members of the press and social media influencers, the screening had a festive feel to it: a sumptious feast of Spanish cuisine was served to the guests and sweets packaged in colorful mason jars served as the events take-home souvenirs.

The screening is among CinemaWorld’s myriad of efforts to bring more of the global cinema experience to Filipinos.

CinemaWorld is a 24-hour, movie channel that premieres the world’s best and award-winning movies, box-office successes, critics’ favorites from all around the world. SKYcable and One SKY subscribers can add it to their channel line-up for only Php150/month.

CinemaWorld not available in your area?  Watch Abel on Amazon Prime. Sign up today for a 7-day free trial.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

HBO colonial period drama Grisse now in production

Modern-day Indonesia was formed from the nationalised colonies of the Dutch East India Company. It was a gem of the Dutch empire, contributing to the empire’s prominence in the spice and cash crop trade in the 19th century.

In common with the experience of various colonized lands, the economic prosperity that befell the Dutch empire came at a great cost to the natives: from exploitation of their resources to being relegated to second-class citizens in their own motherland. Unsurprisingly, tensions rose between ghe colonizers and the natives until revolts broke out.

One such revolt is depicted in the new HBO Original Series, Grisse, which has now begun its principal photography amd is scheduled to premiere later this year on HBO’s on-air, online and on-demand platforms.

The series’ eight hour-long episodes will chronicle the story of how a group of unlikely individuals with diverse backgrounds and motivations came together to rebel against a brutal governor and found themselves in control the Dutch garrison town called Grisse.

Developed and produced by HBO Asia and together with Singapore-based Infinite Studios, GRISSE will feature an ensemble cast of actors who are based in Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and Europe. They include Adinia Wirasti (HBO Asia’s “Halfworlds Season 1”), Marthino Lio (“Sayang You Can Dance”), Michael Wahr (“City Homocide”), Edward Akbar (“Air Terjun Pengantin”), Jamie Aditya (“Sync or Swim”), Toshiji Takeshima (HBO’s “True Blood”), Joanne Kam (“Kopitiam”), Zack Lee (“The Raid 2”), Tom Dejong (“Medisch Centrum West”), Ully Triani (“Stay With Me”), Rick Paul Van Mulligen (“A’dam E.V.A.”), Alexandra Gottardo (“Tanah Air”), Hossan Leong (“The Forbidden City”) and Jimmy T (“Robocop 3”). Director and showrunner for GRISSE is Mike Wiluan (“Buffalo Boys”).

“We are delighted to once again bring together many talents from Asia to produce this adaptation of a historical tale of a small town in Indonesia. GRISSE promises to be action-packed with plot twists and interesting storylines that we hope will captivate our audiences in the region and beyond,” said Jonathan Spink, CEO of HBO Asia.

Series details provided by HBO in a recent press release.

Disclosure: I work for SKY and part of my job is promoting its products and services, especially the content it provides to its subscribers. I consider being able to share my love for TV shows and movies and the experience of watching and talking about them with like-minded people some of the biggest perks of my job.

Affordable Chinese Food at Greyson’s Dimsum and Noodle House, Mother Ignacia

Feeling a bit adventurous and finding myself without my usual lunch buddies, I decided to try out the newly opened dimsum and noodle place near my office.

It’s really a hole-in-the-wall, a cozy (almost cramped) self-service eatery along Mother Ignacia Avenue.  I suggest you head on over here for lunch a bit early as it tends to get full of diners really fast.  In fact, I almost didn’t have anywhere to sit; it’s a good thing I was able to spot some coworkers who were already dining there and allowed me to sit with them.

Given the really affordable pricing, I actually went a bit crazy with my orders (takaw-mata, anyone?): Spareribs with rice (Php85), Pork and Shrimp Siomai (Php45) and  Quail Egg Siomai (Php35).  I didn’t get to finish my rice toppings and quail egg siomai as I got too full.  Still, it was a filling lunch at less than Php200 so I can’t complain.

If you want a quick, fuss-free and affordable meal, this place might just be your best bet.