After a bout of errands at SM East Ortigas, we decided to have merienda here. (Note: For some reason, getting a table at the burger joint at the next stall was taking too long despite the empty seats. Go figure.)
We ordered items that Razon’s of Guaguais famous for: Halo-Halo (Php85 for the junior size) and Pancit Luglog (Php118 for the single size). The halo-halo is notable for its simplicity: just the sweetened saba bananas, macapuno and leche flan, all flavors that we grew up with as our household pahimagas (dessert). As for the pancit, I found its portion size too small given its price.
Fortunately, we also ordered Dinuguan with Puto (Php170) and Pritong Lumpiang Toge (Php35) so we were at least able to sate our hunger.
Food took quite a while getting to our table, and, while the service staff were accommodating, there were no efforts to anticipate our needs or queries.
All in all, other than the halo-halo, there is no compelling reason to return here.
This Razon’s branch is located at Level 2, SM City East Ortigas, Ortigas Avenue Extension, Barangay Sta. Lucia, Pasig City.
While my daughter and I were waiting for her newly-ordered glasses from Sunnies Specs, we decided to have a late lunch at nearby Wing Zone.
Wing Zone was started in 1991 by then University of Florida students Matt Friedman and Adam Scott who sought to provide their fellow students who are burning the midnight oil or suffering from late night munchies with an alternative to the usual pizza delivery. They made the kitchen of their fraternity house into their test kitchen, trying out sauces and techniques for preparing their chicken wings. They sold out their first two nights of business.
Wing Zone has restaurants in 25 states in the US, and now, a branch right here at SM Megamall.
It has a spacious dining area with casual, sporty vibe further enhanced by the upbeat mainstream pop music is playing in the background.
Thanks to an Eatigo offer, we were able to enjoy 30% off on our orders:
Mozzarella Sticks (Php225 for regular). The sticks have a crunchy bite which contrasts nicely with the melted cheese inside, well-complemented by its accompanying marinara sauce.
Signature Boneless Bites (Php185 for 6 pieces) with Thai Chili sauce. My daughter ordered the boneless bites – lightly breaded chicken breasts coated with our sauce of choice – because she finds biting through wings bothersome. Recommended by our server, the Thai Chili sauce had an interesting fusion of sweet and sour, plus a bit of a spicy kick.
Strips (Php165 for 5 pieces) with Liquid Gold Sauce served on the side. These strips of chicken breast are marinated for 24 hours in a special spice blend, then hand-breaded fresh with every order. I found the Liquid Gold sauce – this resto’s version of honey mustard – a little too smokey for my taste.
Considering both boneless bites and the strips are made of chicken breasts, it is notable that they are tender and juicy.
Some areas that the resto can improve on are:
The serving portions. Our entire order fit into 2 itty-bitty plates. Wingzone should consider adding a few fries or other sides to the chicken servings just to add some visual volume to the dishes, perhaps?
An efficient way to call the wait staff. The wait staff’s station is located at the back of the store, well away and hidden from the counter where we were seated. I had to stand up and walk to the counter three times – once to request for the bill, second to ask a question about it and third to get the pitcher to refill our water – simply because I couldn’t catch the attention of the wait staff.
Wing Zone is located at the 2nd Floor, Mega Atrium, SM Megamall, Ortigas, Mandaluyong City. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 6374149. Another branch is slated to open in Glorietta Mall in Makati soon.
Register to Eatigo using this link and get up to 50% off your food bill in various restaurants in the metro as well as Php150 worth of rewards.
Gerry’s can be counted on for no-frills Pinoy food for large family celebrations, corporate lunches or for drinking with friends.
This particular instance, however, saw the brief return of one of my close office friends (the one who went to greener and less stressful pastures), who offered to treat our group to lunch.
So we trooped over to nearby Gerry’s Grill for food and chicka. 🙂
Gerry’s Grill started out as a place where people can have a drink or two, with its first branch opening right here in Tomas Morato. Over the years, the brand evolved into a family restaurant, serving familiar and homegrown Filipino food. Today, Gerry’s Grill has branched out beyond the country, with outlets in the US, Qatar and Singapore.
For our barkada lunch, we ordered a group meal that had most our favorite dishes along with rice and iced tea for only Php1199:
Sisig. Gerry’s is famous for its crispy and savory sisig. It seems like no visit to Gerry’s is incomplete without it.
Pancit Palabok. This brings to mind meriendas in the province.
Kare Kare. With its thick peanut sauce, tender beef cuts and crisp veggies, it served as the main viand of the group meal.
Spicy Chicken Wings. I usually shy away from spicy food but this dish offered a nice contrast in taste and texture to the other viand.
We also added Inihaw na Pusit at Php405 and a combo of two brewed coffees and a yummy moist chocolate cake for an additional Php200.
It was a fun time with a good meal and spent with friends.
This Gerry’s Grill branch is located at the corner of Tomas Morato and Eugenio Lopez Street, Brgy South Triangle, QC. It’s open from 10am to 2am Mondays to Thursday, 10am to 3am Fridays to Saturdays, and 10am to 1am Sundays. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 4159514.
Other than actually going to a place, the best way to experience its culture is through its cuisine. Ilocano cuisine is influenced by the region’s major occupations: agriculture and fishing. Thus, its dishes are simple to prepare, down-to-earth, and uses fresh ingredients.
Considering how long I’ve been working in the Tomas Morato area, it’s a wonder I’ve only been able to dine at Victorino’s just now. Luckily, together with two of my closest office friends, we ventured out to have a taste of Ilocos Sur at this resto.
Located at the corner of 11th Jamboree and Scout Rallos in Quezon City, Victorino’s is a sprawling house converted to a restaurant, with interiors designed to look like a traditional home in Ilocos, complete with old-style aparadors and various bric-a-bracs.
The restaurant’s kitchen is helmed by renowned culinarian and cake designer Heny Sison, who brings with her a fresh take on Ilocano cuisine that embodies how “simple pleasures taste best.”
With three hungry girls hitting a stalemate in trying to decide between sharing a meat-veggie-rice or a pasta-pizza combo (all of us basically saying “I have no preference, it’s up to you” to each other in typical girl fashion), our waiter, Lloyd, gamely took it upon himself to break the tie and suggested that we go for the rice combo instead.
(He even took our picture to commemorate our lunch — Lloyd, you the real MVP!)
The winning combo which became our taste of Ilocos Sur consisted of:
Bagnet (Php415). Ilocos’ famous version of lechon kawali, this dish is basically a slab of pork belly broiled to tenderize the meat then deep-fried to achieve that signature crispy crackling skin. It is served with a dipping sauce called KBL which stands for Kamatis (tomatoes), Bagoong (shrimp paste) and Lasona (small purple onions).
Pinakbet Ala Apo Lakay. This is one of the two versions of pinakbet served here. Pinakbet consists of slow-cooked vegetables seasoned with bagoong and topped with bagnet. (We initially disappointed not to find eggplants in the mixture and it took our MVP waiter Lloyd to point out that the plump round morsels there were actually the eggplants – a far cry from the long and thin eggplants we usually see in the markets, right?)
Steamed White Rice (Php45/cup). The perfect palette with which to taste and savor our viands.
Because a good time spent with friends seeks to extend itself, we ordered a Mango Chocolate Torte (Php348.50) (recommended again by Lloyd the MVP), a Heny Sison creation which came to our table as towering layers of cashew meringue, bittersweet chocolate, mango mousse topped with white chocolate drizzles. One of us ordered a Brewed Coffee (Php95), which is, of course, served with the traditional Ilocos sweetener baculicha.
Despite the hefty food bill, the excellent service, the yummy food and the relaxed homey atmosphere made our taste of Ilocos Sur at Victorino’s totally worth it.
Victorino’s is located at 114 Scout Rallos corner 11th Jamboree, Quezon City, open daily from 7am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 4147465.
And wouldn’t you know it, Victorino’s even delivers via Lalamove!
My officemates and I were on our way to Le Ching for lunch when we spied the lack of parking space in that resto.
So off we went to look for another place to eat. Since we were already in the mood for Chinese food, we settled on Causeway Seafood Restaurant.
Even with the number of cars parked in front of the restaurant, the parking attendant still found a way to fit our car in.
Inside, there is the usual hustle and bustle, the busy energy, usually found in Chinese restaurants. The place is not swanky, it may even be considered dingy, but judging from the sizeable lunch crowd and the busy wait staff, Causeway seems to have established itself among a loyal following.
Our group of four shared these Chinese dishes:
Beef Hofan Noodles (Php300 for small). Stir-fried beef with noodles that is oh so greasy but also oh so good!
Fried Spareribs with Salt and Pepper (Php330 for small). Such a simple dish but I seem to find myself ordering this in every Chinese resto I go to.
From the Dimsum Cart: Crab Roe Siomai (Php80), Asado Siopao (Php80), Kutchay Dumpling (Php90) and Seafood Roll (Php85)
It seems like Causeway’s combination of quickly served dishes and affordable pricing is a winning formula, as evidenced by its lunch crowd. The wait staff could be a little quicker in fulfilling refill requests though.
This Causeway Seafood Restaurant is located at 24 Timog Avenue, Bgy Laging Handa, Quezon City (Tel.: +63 2 3762559) with operating hours from 10am to 12mn Mondays to Saturdays and 9am to 12mn Sundays.
Other branches are located at:
8th Acropolis Center, 53 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, QC (Tel.: +63 2 6389374) with operating hours from 11am to 12mn Mondays to Saturdays and 11am to 11.30pm Sundays.
7 Congressional Avenue, Project 8, QC (Tel.: +63 2 4269032) with operating hours from 10am to 10pm Mondays to Sundays.
Banawe cor Linaw Street, Sienna, QC (Tel.: +63 2 5221690) with operating hours from 7am to 12mn Mondays to Sundays.
883 Banawe Street corner Del Monte Avenue, Sienna, QC (Tel.: +63 2 4108690) with operating hours from 11.30am to 2.30pm and 5.30pm to 12mn Mondays to Fridays and 10.30am to 2.30om and 5.30pm to 12mn Saturdays and Sundays.
1266 Benavidez Street, Tondo, Manila (Tel.: +63 2 2304381) with operating hours from 9am to 11pm Mondays to Fridays and 7am to 11pm Saturdays and Sundays.
No time for lunch out? Never fear. You don’t have to settle for the run-off-the-mill fastfood delivery. If you can’t go to good food, you can let good food come to you.
By expanding its services to include food delivery, Honestbee enables office workers to enjoy dishes from their favorite restos, without leaving their office building.
In the Ortigas area, for example, lunchtime traffic can carve precious minutes off your lunch hour. If you don’t have time to take out your car or hail a cab going to the mall or your favorite restaurant, getting food delivered via Honestbee just makes sense.
Here are five food items from restos around the Ortigas CBD or nearby Kapitolyo that you can have delivered right to your office building:
Caramelized Spam from Pi Breakfast and Pies (Php265)
Any Gourmet Burger from Brothers Burger (prices range from Php201.25 for the Brothers Burger to Php431.25 for the Boss Burger)
The Classic Banh Mi at Banh Mi Banh Mi Kitchen (Php99)
Steak Burrito from Tittos Latin BBQ and Brew (Php324.50)
Chicken Skewer from Amare La Cucina (Php340)
To begin ordering, download the Honestbee app on iTunes or Google Play. Don’t forget to sign up for the service first using my referral link to get a discount reward. Upon checkout, you can can also use the promo code NEWBITES200 to get Php200 off from your first food order (minimum purchase of Php400) and SAVOR200 to get Php200 of your next food orders (minimum purchase of Php600).
I love Honestbee when it comes to grocery shopping too! Find out why here.
I’m not much of a drinker but I understand the appeal of hanging out somewhere scenic or cozy, favorite concoction in hand and just chat with friends.
Last Friday night, together with fellow Zomato foodies, I did just that at The Nautilus Whiskey Bar. Named after the submarine helmed by Captain Nemo in Jules Verne’s classic adventure novels Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and The Mysterious Island, the bar boasts of an extensive wine list, steampunk-inspired interiors made to look like the inside of the famed submarine designed by artist Ram Mallari, Jr., and a roofdeck that provides a breathtaking view of Quezon City.
For this gathering, The Nautilus brought out more than just the regular bar chow:
House Buffalo Wings (Php275). Spicy chicken wings drenched in hot sauce and melted butter with a side of blue cheese dressing. Nothing like something hot and spicy have one go looking for drinks!
Wagyu Cubes (Php450). Melt-in-your-mouth cubes of tender wagyu beef served on a hot plate.
Tuna Carbonara (Php275). This dish featured the Mega brand of tuna flakes cooked with mushrooms into a white cream sauce.
Roasted Spiced Chicken Au Poivre (Php445). A spice-infused roasted half-chicken served with crisp steamed vegetables and fries.
Baked Norwegian Salmon (Php495). Cheese-topped salmon fillet served with onion links, shiitake mushrooms and steamed vegetables.
Nautilus Signature Cheeseburger (Php325). Homemade quarter-pounder beef patty drizzled with melted cheese, topped with deep-fried onion rings and served with crisp potato fries.
The Nautilus Sling (Php302.50). A blend of orange juice, lime juice, triple sec, blue curacao and bourbon whiskey.
The Nautilus Whiskey Bar is located at the roofdeck of Prime Hotel, No 70 Esguerra Street, Brgy. South Triangle, Quezon City (across Hi-Top Supermarket). It is open Tuesdays to Thursdays from 5pm to 2am, and Fridays to Saturdays from 6pm to 3am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 998 8680324.
Also, catch performances by singers Paula Bianca, Ana Ramsey and Aileen Udtog on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays respectively from 8pm to 12mn.
Special deals include:
Buy 1 Get 1 on local beers and selected cocktails as well as 10% discount on bottles during Happy Hour, 5pm to 8pm Tuesdays to Thursdays.
10% off on all bottled whiskey with a free Coke or Sprite carafe every Friday and Saturday.
Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in 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.
Filipino food sometimes get some flak for being unimaginative, too greasy, salty or sweet. Many of us, however, grew up with happy memories of the dishes that our mom lovingly prepared during holidays, our lolas slaved over the kitchen during family get-togethers, or were proudly served by our neighbors during fiestas. Criticism against our beloved dishes either go over out heads or are met with fiery backlash.
The thing with Filipino food is that one dish may have numerous versions, depending on the region, or even the family, that serves it. In fact, these recipes are even more enriched by the stories and histories that go into their preparation. Filipino food is basically an amalgamation of native and foreign influences, and can easily be adapted according to regional, familial or even individual tastes.
This makes the work of Limbaga 77, a Filipino restaurant located along Scout Limbaga Street in the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area, all the more challenging. According to owner Sonny Fortuna, the restaurant tries to stay true to the traditional and classic Filipino recipes. But with so many regional or individual variations, which versions should the restaurant present?
Based on my experience during a recent Zomato Foodie Meetup held at Limbaga 77, the versions that showcases the use of traditional and native ingredients take centerstage. The dishes served belie, more than anything, the allegation that Filipino food is unimaginative.
Take for example the Stuffed Bulaklak ng Kalabasa (Php227), an appetizer that made of squash blossoms stuffed with native cheese and minced pork, dipped and batter and deep-friend to achieve that crisp golden brown layer that gives in to a sumptuous bite of melted cheese and pork.
The Green Mango Pomelo Salad (Php377), on the other hand, combines the citrus-y flavors of the fruits with the grilled shrimp. Some shrimp pieces are a bit over-grilled though.
Most of Limbaga 77’s offerings are reminiscent of the special Sunday lunches that Filipino moms prepare to feed the family after church. The Roasted Chicken (Php577), Bistek Tagalog (Php477), Crispy Bagnet (Php477), and Limbaga 77 Stuffed Laing (Php477) are all on-point as main dishes, showcased by the Danggit Rice (Php77) and Garlic Rice (Php57).
In the Pochero (Php577), in particular, the rich tomato-based broth provides a savory-sweet background for the slow-cooked beef short ribs, the crisp vegetables and saging na saba; in terms of presentation and use of fresh ingredients, I think the dish wouldn’t be out-of-place in a hapag-kainan during the colonial period.
Here’s some trivia for you: Did you know that the Pochero is one of the favorite dishes of Filipino reformist, writer and journalist Marcelo H. del Pilar? (Many thanks to fellow foodie Lawrence Chan for this interesting tidbit!)
The Buffalo Wings (Php277), was developed by the resto to appeal to younger diners who may want some finger foods for their after-office hangouts. Its blue cheese dipping sauce has some bits of cucumber in it, adding some cool freshness to the spicy dish.
However, for me, the star of the show is the Limbaga 77 Paella (Php1,277). Five people can share this hearty Filipino-Spanish masterpiece made with generous helpings of seafood – shrimp, mussels, clams and squid – as well as chicken, Spanish chorizo and hard-boiled eggs. It’s a good thing we foodies took a while in taking pictures of this dish together with the other viands served as the heated shallow pan the paella was served in gave the grains at the bottom a bit of a toasty crunch.
The desserts served also had interesting stories The Brazo Tableaand the Davao Tablea Cake, for instance, use cacao discs sourced from Davao, the country’s top producer and exporter of cacao, giving these confections a rich chocolate taste. (The cakes can be further improved to have a moist texture, though.)
If you ever wondered what other uses can there be for queso de bola beyond the Christmas season, look no further: Limbaga 77’s Queso de Bola Cheesecake has a sweet-salty flavor that will satisfy those who tire of too-sweet delicacies.
The classic chocolate mousse dessert also gets a local twist with the inclusion of native coffee to the Barako Brownie Mousse: the thick mousse is flavored with coffee and topped with rich powdered cocoa.
Here’s another trivia: Did you know that kapeng barakogot its name from varraco, the Spanish word for wild boar? In Spain, wild boar are very fond of eating the plant’s leaves and berries.
Two classic Filipino desserts were fused together in Bikoron: a mashup between the biko and turon wherein the mild-tasting kakanin is wrapped in lumpia wrapper, deep-fried and drizzled with a slightly sweet peanut sauce.
The last dessert served is the Perlas ng Mangga: the Philippines’ national fruit is given a backdrop of sweet cream and tapioca pearls.
Don’t think that drinks in this resto fall by the wayside: fresh and fruity blended concoctions were also served such as Lychee Grapes Shake, Minty Mango Watermelon and the Mabuhay Smoothie (coconut milk syrup with pineapple), each at Php177. I opted for the Grass Citrus Iced Tea (Php97), a refreshing brew of pandan and lemongrass with a hint of calamansi, to drink during dinner and a cuppa with baculicha, a sweetener often served with coffee in Vigan, after the meal.
Limbaga 77 is located at No 77 Scout Limbaga Street, near Tomas Morato Avenue, Barangay Laging Handa, Quezon City. It is open daily from 11am to 3pm and 6pm to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 926 715 6134 or email limbaga77cafe@gmail.com.
Credit: Thanks to fellow foodie and flat lay slayer John Bunag for styling the flat lay of viands served.
Disclosure: Together with other Zomato foodies, I was invited to attend a foodie meet-up held in 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.
Now I can say that I’ve seen everything when it comes to Korean BBQ.
As our despedida blow-out for one of our office barkada who will be moving on to greener and less stressful pastures, we decided to have dinner at K-Pub BBQ in Trinoma. We figured that the group will bond over our shared love of Korean food and of chismis.
Well, the Korean food we had plenty. Our group availed of the Beat the Clock Eat & Run meal package wherein we can get unlimited refills for an hour at Php599 per head. The set includes:
Chadol Baki (Beef Sukiyaki)
Tong Samgeopsal (Whole Pork Belly)
Yengnyem Samgeopsal (Marinated Pork Belly in Sweet Spicy Sauce)
Dwaeji Galbi (Marinated Pork Chop)
Dak Galbi (Marinated Chicken in Sweet Spicy Sauce)
Fried Spring Roll
Japchae
The set also comes with side dishes such as steamed egg, kimchi pajeon, steamed rice, kimchi fried rice, soup, lettuce and house salad, as well as Melona ice cream bars for dessert.
I am not a fan of these timed Korean BBQ. Instead of leisurely enjoying your food and time with your friends, there’s the sense of trying to stuff your face before the hour for refills run out.
With its hefty price tag, the value proposition of this arrangement is also dependent upon the efficiency of the wait staff for refills. That efficiency is already compromised by the number of diners and the loud background noise.
And oh, that noise! (Yeah, I’m having a #TitasOfManila moment.)
For one thing, being a Korean resto and having K-pop decor, somehow, playing mainstream pop is off-strat. Furthermore, there’s a stage with an an open mic segment during which diners can sing if they so choose. (Well, one among us did choose, hehehe!)
Still, the noise precluded most of the chismis to the point that as soon as we finished the refill hour, we hung out at the cafe next door to recover and chat.
Note to self, and to you, dear readers: this place is not one for languid dining. But a great one for boisterous fun. Unfortunately, not for a tita like me.
I admit, there are times when I’m in no mood to worry about breakfast, especially when my (gasp!) three-in-one coffee is already waiting for me at the dining table (courtesy of my ever-loyal yaya, of course).
I keep hearing that “breakfast is the most important meal of the day… yada, yada, yada…” but we shouldn’t eat breakfast for its own sake. Breakfast should be a gastronomic pleasure too. (That way, more people will take eating breakfast to heart!)
After my first attempt to return to running for fitness (or to be more honest, walking around the track just to burn off some calories), I, together with Hubby who is more serious about running than I am, decided to stop over at Pi Breakfast & Pies at the Rockwell Grove in Ugong. For our breakfast – slash – recovery food, we ordered:
Caramelized Spam (Php265). The classic spamsilog is given a more premium twist. The hefty cubes of spam, tossed in the pan until they achieved a nice caramelization, were accented by garlic fried rice, kimchi, pesto, a five-minute egg, scallions and sesame seeds.
Queso de Bola Ensaymada (Php55). And I used to think those big red balls of cheese are only good for the Christmas season! The sharp saltiness of the cheese has a nice interplay with the sweetness of the bread. I would prefer it to be a bit puffier and have a smoother texture, though.
Hot Chocolate (Php85). I’m not sure what I expected but I would have thought that the resto could have added a new twist to this drink to make it special, maybe a drop of peppermint or some chocolate shavings?
All these said, I wouldn’t mind returning to Pi Breakfast & Pies to sample their other All-Day Breakfast Options such as the Eggs Benny (Php275) and the Beef Brisket Corned Beef (Php275).
This branch of Pi Breakfast & Pies is located at The Grove By Rockwell, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City, open from 7am to 10pm everyday (Tel: +63 915 2583314). Its other branch is located at 39 Malingap Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City, open from 6am to 10pm everyday (Tel: +63 2 9312337 or +63 2 4411773).
Want to learn how to give your family’s breakfast a new twist? Check out these books from Amazon.com!
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(By the way, Pi Breakfast & Pies also delivers via Honestbee). 🙂
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Jellybeans in the City 