buffalo wings – The Jellybeans Edit

Friendly get-together at Sundays, Marikina

While I’m happy as a clam with my current work-from-home setup, there are days when I do miss my work buddies. These are the peeps that I can relax with, as well as exchange jokes and all the hot gossip with.

During pre-pandemic times, we would venture out of our office during our lunch break to check out the nearby dining spots. Due to the fun we have while checking out new restaurants and amusing ourselves during our breaks from the daily grind, these lunchtime food adventures came to be dubbed as our #HappyLunch times.

Well, COVID-19 came and some of us transitioned to other companies or decided to take a break from the rat race, so some of us were only able to get together at Sundays Cafe & Restaurant in Marikina at the tail-end of last year.

Imagine my delight when I received a message to join another get-together with the gang at the same restaurant, this time on a Monday night!

So off I went to hang out with my pals (a bigger group this time) and return to the cozy neighborhood cafe in Marikina.

There was a marked difference between this outing and my last visit, which took place on a Sunday morning at the time when quarantine restrictions were just beginning to loosen. During my dinner date with my friends, Sundays Marikina was lit with a warm light which also seem to illuminate the surrounding area. Also, it seemed like the restaurant had a sizeable Monday dinner crowd which gave the place a busy and lively feel.

In between back-and-forth banters and gossip exchanges, my friends and I discovered new menu items to enjoy at Sundays:

Pizza Margherita (Php330). Always a safe bet, this hand-tossed pizza made with marinara sauce, mozzarella, parmesan and basil appeals to everyone in the group.

Salted Fish Fried Rice (Php195). A novel take on the sinangag given additional saltiness and umami with the addition of tuyo flakes.

Sundays Crispy Sisig (Php260). A favorite appetizer that also doubles as an entree consisting of crispy pork cheeks sauteed in house-made sisig sauce and topped with crispy onions and chilis.

Crispy Spicy Squid (Php260). Lightly battered pieces of squid served with chili sauce. (TBH, I prefer pairing this with the tangy ranch dressing).

Buffalo Wings (Php285). Crispy fried chicken wings coated in spicy and tangy buffalo sauce.

Salted Egg Wings (Php315). Crispy fried chicken wings coated in a rich salted egg sauce.

Crispy Kare Kare (Php405). An indulgent viand which combines crispy liempo with house-made special kare-kare sauce and veggies.

Sans Rival (Php145). A classic Pinoy dessert made with layers of nutty meringue, French buttercream and chopped cashews.

Mango Creme Brulee (Php145). A fruity take on the creme brulee, thanks to bottom layers of chiffon and mango cream covered by custard and topped with torched sugar.

While regular #HappyLunch adventures with my friends may not be feasible right now, I’m glad we were able to carve out time to do two of the things we enjoy doing together: eating delicious food and spilling the proverbial tea!

Sundays Cafe and Restaurant is located at J.P. Rizal corner V. Gomez Street, Barangay San Roque, Marikina City, open Mondays to Thursdays from 8am to 10pm, Fridays from 8am to 11pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 7am to 11pm. For reservations, call +63 917 1572634.

To know more about its latest updates, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

A great reason to dine out: House of Lasagna’s Pizza and Wings Happy Hour

After almost two years of lockdown and community quarantine restrictions, it sometimes seems as if we are just now emerging from our cocoons, relatively free to go out into the world once more.

That’s surely something worth celebrating, right?

Lucky us, House of Lasagna’s got just the thing that will make our celebrations complete: a Pizza and Wings Happy Hour!

From April 18 to May 7, 2022, from 2pm to 5pm, we can give our appetites for tasty and hearty food free rein for 90 minutes with unlimited refills of these irresistible selections:

Pergola Pizzeria

Composed of three best-selling variants of House of Lasagna’s line of stone-baked Neapolitan-style pizzas, these feature that irresistible combination of crunchy-chewy crust and flavorful toppings.

Pergola Special. Topped with bacon, ham, tomatoes, bell peppers, black olives, onions and mozzarella.

Pepperoni. Topped with pepperoni, mozzarella and aged cheddar.

All Meat. Topped with premium ground beef, bacon, ham and mozzarella.

Southern Fried Chicken Wings

These consist of three variants of chicken wings coated in batter, deep-fried to achieve that golden-brown skin and juicy meat, then shaken with flavorings to add new dimensions in taste to the dish.

Original.

Classic Buffalo.

Garlic Parmesan.

House Iced Tea

House of Lasagna’s Pergola Pizzas and Southern Fried Chicken Wings are best paired with the restaurant’s refreshing house iced tea, served bottomless and available only through this Happy Hour offer.

Treat yourself and your #TeamDineIn buddies to House of Lasagna’s Happy Hour Unli Pizza and Wings offer for just Php499/head.

So go ahead and celebrate our collective re-emergence from being cooped up for the past two years by dining in at these House of Lasagna branches and taking advantage of its Happy Hour treats:

240 Aguirre Ave. BF Homes Paranaque, Paranaque City
218 Katipunan Ave, Project 4, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Quezon City
3/F Dela Rosa Carpark 2 Bldg., Dela Rosa St. , Brgy. San Lorenzo Legaspi Village Makati, Makati
Unit 2 l, Ground Floor, Quad 2, Plaridel, Sto. Rosario, Angeles City, Pampanga (starting Wednesday, April 20, 2022)

To keep updated of its latest promos and offers, follow House of Lasagna on Facebook and Instagram.

You may also order House of Lasagna’s ala carte offers online through its website, which covers delivery in Metro Manila, Batangas (Lipa, Tanauan, Padre Garcia, Rosario,Cuenca, San Jose, Mataas na Kahoy, Malvar, Sto. Tomas), Cavite (Kawit, Imus, Bacoor), Laguna ( Biñan and San Pedro) and Rizal (Cainta, Taytay, Antipolo, Angono and Binangonan). It accepts payments via GCash, Visa and Mastercard.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting held by this restaurant wherein food items were served at no cost to the attendees.

Check out my previous posts on House of Lasagna:

House of Lasagna Megamall — Carbo-loading at House of Lasagna, SM Megamall

Get the best of both worlds with Zark’s Pizza x Burger series

Among us foodies, some would say that their food of choice are burgers while some would make a beeline for the nearest pizza joint when the hunger pangs strike.

For those that can go either way, Zark’s Burger has a special treat for you: its Pizza x Burger series!

Zark’s Burgers made its name by introducing burger innovations: fresh, crazy and sometimes over-the-top takes on the all-time favorite burger, and its newest line of burger creations is no exception.

For just Php229 per burger, your inner glutton can indulge in not one, but two (!) of your food cravings with these creations.

These filling burgers all consist of meaty and juicy char-grilled quarter-pound hunks of pure beef on a bed of seasoned fries sandwiched in fluffy and freshly baked brioche buns which are then topped with a tangy and savory pizza sauce, oodles of mozzarella and your favorite pizza toppings.

Check them out:

Pepperoni Overload.

Four Cheese.

Bacon and Mushroom.

Each pizza x burger would be more than enough to sate your cravings.

Still, for us foodies, we go big or we go home, right? So how about giving in to your super-sized appetite and adding these munchies to your order:

Hall of Fame Nachos (Php179).

Chicken Wings: Classic Buffalo (Php289) and Honey BBQ (Php289).

Those savory and spicy appetizers will sure work up quite a thirst so be sure to add a refreshing cup of Iced Tea (Php49) or Blue Lemonade (Php49) to your order.

So if you want to enjoy both of your food faves – pizzas and burgers – at one go, head to the nearest Zark’s Burgers!

This Zark’s Burger branch is located at Eastwood Citywalk 2, Eastwood City Mall, Libis.

Other branches are located at:

Pasig: SM City East Ortigas
Quezon City: Robinsons Galleria, Shopwise Araneta, SM City Santa Mesa, Fisher Mall, SM City North EDSA, SM City Fairview
Taguig: Food District Signatures on 5th BGC
Makati: Glorietta
Marikina: SM Marikina
Manila: SM City Manila, SM City San Lazaro
Pasay: Mall of Asia
Caloocan: South Caloocan
Valenzuela: SM City Valenzuela
Las Pinas: SM Southmall
Paranaque: SM City BF Homes

Zark’s Burger delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Chef Edmond Dannug brings back-to-basics comfort food via Heavenly Spiced

You would think that after honing his craft through stints at upscale hotel restaurant Amber in Hong Kong and as head chef of Enderun Events in Davao, Chef Edmond Dannug will bring his considerable skills to bear in whipping up complex French dishes when he decided to go into business.

But no.

Instead, he opted to offer comfort food – his personal favorites, actually – through the online store that he co-manages with his fiancee Jasmine Guillarte. They named it Heavenly Spiced.

“My cooking mentors always taught me that the best food are the simplest,” he shares.

Still, the dishes on offer at Heavenly Spiced are no run-of-the-mill viands. Their flavors have been enhanced through careful preparation and cooking techniques ingrained into culinary professionals, such as Chef Edmond. They come in large party trays that can serve six to eight people and are perfect for small gatherings or for a special family meal that you don’t want to slave over in the kitchen.

He started out with the Hainanese Chicken and Rice (Php850), widely considered as one of Singapore’s national dishes. Based on the Wenchang Chicken, a well-known dish in South China dating back to Qin Dynasty, this dish is painstakingly made by poaching a whole chicken in sub-boiling temperature, with some of the resulting stock combined with ginger, garlic and other flavorings to cook the flavorful rice that will accompany the dish. Chef Edmond completes this platter with bright green bokchoy and the three traditional dipping sauces for Hainanese Chicken: a red chili sauce, a thick and dark soy sauce, and a paste of freshly ground ginger.

Another of the chef’s comfort food faves is the Bourbon Glazed Barbecue Pork Ribs (Php1,400). Meat lovers would love to get a hold of this dish! Slow-smoked, falling-off-the-bone meat flavored with a sweet-savory bourbon glaze and partnered with umami corn cobs made for a finger-licking dish! It’s messy eating but there’s really no better way to enjoy it.

Chef Edmond recently expanded his menu to include Chicken Wings (Php900). Inspired by his favorite chicken chicken place Frankie’s, this dish is made with large pieces of chicken wings which are deep-fried then coated with a vinegar-based cayenne pepper glaze. They are then served with bleu cheese dipping sauce which made for a well-balanced combination of sweet, spicy and tangy flavors.

The chef’s newest creation which also joins Heavenly Spiced offerings is the Angus Burger (Php1500). Six hefty quarter-pound patties made with ground Angus beef are lightly seasoned and then grilled to medium doneness to bring out their beefy goodness. These are then placed in grilled brioche buns along with lettuce, tomato, battered onion rings and cheddar cheese then coated with the chef’s Bourbon Barbecue Glaze and served with a side of umami fries.

Aside from these party trays, Heavenly Spiced can also cater your Zoom parties via its gift boxes made with solo servings of especially curated dishes from Filipino, Chinese, Japanese and Western cuisines. Prices range from Php450 to Php600 per box.

Now we know where we can get tasty and wholesome comfort food that’s been meticulously prepared by a professional chef!

To order, text or call +63 939 2373383 or Viber +63 929 4514998. To know more about Heavenly Spiced’s latest offerings, follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

Disclosure: I attended a food tasting of Heavenly Spiced dishes together with fellow foodies. Items mentioned here were served to let us sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my blog posts on other small enterprises and startups in the food business:

Raintree’s #ValentineFoodCrawl: Chicken in Love Set at Pak! Pak! Chicken, BGC

Love is in the air, and it’s even more prevalent in Bonifacio High Street where Raintree restaurants have unveiled their Valentine’s Day promo and deals.

Raintree Hospitality Group brings fresh and exciting hospitality concepts, including hotels, food courts and restaurants. The newest among the innovative restaurant concepts it developed is Pak! Pak! Chicken.

At Pak! Pak! Chicken, you can expect crispy fried chicken pieces in strong delicious tastes, you’d feel like you’re being slapped with flavor… Pak! Pak!

Check out some of its fried chicken variants:

Crispy Original + Gravy (Php260/6pcs | Php450/12pcs),

Sweet Soy Garlic (Php260/6pcs | Php450/12pcs),

Garlic Herb Parmesan (Php295/6pcs | Php540/12pcs),

Old Skool Buffalo (Php335/6pcs | Php595/12pcs).

Other variants include: Takoyaki, Smokey Hickory BBQ, Singaporean Style Black Pepper, Po’s Orange Chicken and Korean Fire Pepper.

You can also enjoy these flavors in chicken wings.

Want to make a complete meal? Pair your Pak! Pak! Chicken with sides:

Japanese Chahan Fried Rice (Php140 solo | Php350 family).

Garlic Herb Yakisoba (Php135 solo | Php275 family).

Creamy Kimchi Coleslaw (Php175).

Pak! Pak! Chicken also has a special treat for its customers this month of hearts: it’s Chicken in Love Set! A special set of your choice of two chicken flavors plus Kimchi Coleslaw, Garlic Noodles or Chahan Fried Rice for just Php775, it’s great for sharing for two people.

So go ahead and plan your Valentine date at Pak! Pak! Chicken! This offer is available within February only.

Pak! Pak! Chicken is located inside Motto Motto, Ground Floor, Serendra, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, open for takeout on weekdays and for dine-in on weekends. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 8440219 or send a message via Facebook or Instagram. Payments via cash, GCash, credit and debit cards are accepted.

Pak! Pak! Chicken also delivers via FoodPanda.

Buffalo’s Wings N’ Things, Tomas Morato

If you’re eating lunch with a big group and you all want to stay together in one place, what do you do?

Head straight to Buffalo Wings N’ Things, of course! Here, everyone in the fam and barkada will find something to like.

Deep-frying chicken wings is rooted in Southern cooking but cooking them in peppery sauces started in Buffalo, New York in 1964. A bar owner in the area decided to cook leftover wings in hot sauce as a snack for her son and his friends. Served with celery slices and bleu cheese, it was a hit among the guys and the rest, as they say, is history.

Buffalo Wings N’ Things enriches its buffalo wings by having eleven savory flavors and seven spicy ones for its customers to choose from, along with tasty add-ons that chicken lovers can enjoy along with their Buffalo Wings.

While out on my lunch break with my office buddies (ten people in total!), we decided to maximize our budgets while sating our hunger by getting Grand Slam bundles of Buffalo Wings, and, well, things:

Grand Slam 6 (Php688 Good for 4). 8 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 8 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders,Bacon & Cheese Fries, steamed rice (we added Php98 for iced tea.

Grand Slam 4 (Php988 Good for 6). 12 pcs Champion Buffalo Wings, 12 pcs Signature Chicken Tenders, Chili n’ Cheese Nachos, steamed rice (we added Php138 for iced tea.

With these bundles, we were able to enjoy these Buffalo Wings flavors:

Honey BBQ. Southern BBQ flavor blended with sweet honey.

Creamy Salted Egg. Rich and creamy version of the regional favorite.

Chipotle Lime. Creamy smoked Chipotle sauce enhanced with the tanginess of freshly squeezed lime juice.

Garlic Parmesan. A blend of garlic butter sauce and real Parmesan cheese.

New York’s Finest. Medium heat Buffalo Wing sauce.

Thanks to the bundles, our meal amounted to just a little Php200 per person!

How’s that for value for money?

The good news for chicken lovers out there is that you can enjoy these with your family at home during the quarantine by ordering from these Buffalo Wings N’ Things branches now open for takeout or delivery via GrabFood, FoodPanda or LalaFood:

Brixton Kapitolyo, Pasig
Banawe, QC
Calle Bistro , Ever Gotesco Commonwealth
BGC Stopover
SM Manila
Grace Mall, Taguig
SM North EDSA
SMDC Jazz Mall
Southwoods Mall
SM Valenzuela

This Buffalo Wings N’ Things branch is located at M Place, Panay Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City.

Drinks, bar chows and songs at 121 Restaurant, BGC Stopover

Celebrations are best done with good food and fun drinks amidst friends and family.

And you know what else marks good Pinoy-style celebrations?

Music!

Any true-blue Juan or Juana can gather up the courage to break into song (in tune or not!) for the sake of a good time.

And with 121 Restaurant’s Canta Rooms, you can enjoy just that!

Canta Rooms are the restaurant chain’s videoke rooms that can cater to groups of up to twenty people. In these rooms, you and your friends can sing and party your hearts out!

Don’t forget to fuel yourselves up for a night of singing and laughter with 121 Restaurant’s tasty bar chow, such as:

Nachos (Php419). Crispy nachos doused in cheese sauce, grated cheese, onions, peppers and ground beef.

French Fries (Php139 solo | Php499 barkada). A mountain of crispy thin fries for mindless munching.

Cheese Sticks (Php199 solo | Php759 barkada). Sticks of cheese in lumpia wrapper.

121 Tofu Sisig (Php179 solo | Php699 barkada). A healthier version of the Pinoy’s favorite appetizer.

Calamares (Php219 solo | Php839 barkada). Succulent and chewy squid rings covered in batter and deep-fried for that satisfying crisp.

Pork Siomai (Php179 solo | Php699). Sate your hunger with these Chinese-style pork dumplings.

4th of July (Php599). A bundle good for four people consisting of Spicy Buffalo Wings, Chili Fries and Beer Battered Onion Rings.

To get the good times rollin’, be sure to check out the restaurant’s drinks, such as 121’s Pink Panty (P199 glass | Php999 scorpion bowl), a top secret concoction!

So the next time you’re in the mood to party and dine with your pals, head straight to 121 Restaurant’s Canta Rooms.

Many thanks to Daryl of 121 Restaurant for having us!

By the way, with Zomato Gold, you get a dish free when you dine at 121 Restaurant with a friend. Zomato Gold provides members with 1+1 (Buy 1 Get 1) deals on food or 2+2 (Buy 2 Get 2) deals on drinks. All you have to do is sign up for a Zomato Gold membership here. Use the code JELLYB to get 45% off the membership fee.

This 121 Restaurant branch is located at Third Floor, BGC Stopover Pavilion, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, open 24/7. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 79467429.

Other branches are located at:

121 L. P. Adamson building, Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Ground Floor, Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig
Second Floor, Allegro Center, Pasong Tamo Extension, Magallanes, Makati City
Eastwood Citywalk 1, Libis, Quezon City

Stuck at home during the ECQ? No need to leave the safety and comfort of your abode to enjoy 121 Restaurant’s famous bar chow. You can simply have your meal delivered through GrabFood, LalaFood or FoodPanda.

Disclosure: Together with other food bloggers, I was invited to attend a food tasting held in this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

San Juan’s newest food and nightlife destination – Varra Restobar

The workday is through and you’ve earned yourself a little bit of a respite, wouldn’t you say?

If you’re looking for a place to meet with friends, enjoy good food and perhaps have a drink or two, then this newly opened and somewhat hidden restobar in San Juan would be just the thing.

A namesake of P. Guevarra Street where it is situated, Varra Restobar offers food lovers new reasons to make Little Baguio in San Juan their next foodie destination.

Together with my foodie friends, I ventured to Little Baguio in San Juan to check this resto out.

Getting to the resto is quite easy (it’s already on Waze, peeps!), but finding the entrance may be a challenge. Here’s a tip: go straight to the back of the building (where the car wash is) and climb up the stairs straight to the third floor. And then, you’re there!

Here’s what you can look forward to:

One: A chill place to hang out

The place has a relaxed vibe that is conducive for friendly get-togethers or chillin’ out with your favorite drink and bar chow.

It has a sprawling dining area with an abundance of power outlets. If ever your gadgets are low on battery, you can easily juice up again without having to leave your table.

Want to party in style? Reserve the stately Lounge and hold your celebrations for up to 40 pax for Php35,000 (fully consumable).

Or you can let loose with the gang in privacy and comfort in the VIP Room for just Php20,000 (fully consumable). Aside from the well-appointed interiors, you and your friends can enjoy your own private comfort room and a buzzer to summon the service team for your requests and orders.

Two: Mouthwatering comfort food

Whether you’re after a feast or a snack, Varra offers you a well-curated array of sure-win familiar dishes or fresh twists on the classics.

These include:

Crispy Shrooms (Php130). Deep-fried and crispy oyster and enoki mushrooms that you will want to pop into your mouth again and again.

Spam Chips (Php210). Thin slices of spam deep-fried to crisps accompanied by garlic aioli.

Messy Fries (Php150). Fries served with beef, lots of cheese and garlic aioli. It’s the kind of mess I certainly wouldn’t mind!

Varra’s Nacho Overload (Php350). Crunchy nacho chips doused in cheese sauce and overloaded with beef, tomatoes, onions, peppers and olives. Perfect for munching while chatting with friends.

Soy Garlic Chicken Poppers (Php240). Fried chicken balls served with coleslaw, rice and fried egg.

Beef Tapa (Php240). A classic breakfast staple, this consist of garlicky marinated beef served with salted egg, salsa, rice and fried egg.

Chicken Pesto Marinara (Php380). A tomato-based pasta topped with grilled chicken flavored with pesto sauce.

Classic Carbonara (Php290). A creamy iteration of the carbonara loaded with ham pieces and served with poached egg.

Wings Basket (Php230). Six pieces of juicy and flavorful fried chicken wings flavored with your choice of sauce – Buffalo, Sou Garlic, Garlic Parmesan, Hickory BBQ, Chili Cheese and Honey Sriracha – that go so well with rice. We got two baskets each of Soy Garlic and Garlic Parmesan.

Varra’s Steak Salpicao (Php380). Ooh, this is definitely the star of the show! Tender and flavorful slices of steak sauteed in garlic and oil and served on a sizzling plate.

Three: Refreshing drinks

As you enjoy the tasty viands and bar chow, quench your thirst with Varra’s Signature Cocktails (Php200 each) which include: Blue Cruise (white rum, lemon and triple sec), Rosee el Varra (tequila, sour mix and Hoegaarden Rosee), Varra Mountain (gin, gin de cacao, sour mix and triple sec) and Basil Slush (blended basil leaves, rum, lemonade and sugar).

If you don’t feel like imbibing alcohol ot if you’re the group’s designated driver, you can also opt for non-alcholic drinks such as Varra Iced Tea (Php80), Frozen Peach Iced Tea (Php100) and the cranberry and citrus-y Sunset Spritzer (Php130).

Well, it sure looks like San Juan just got itself a new go-to place for munchies, drinks and chillin’ out!

Many thanks to Ms. Lovely Tan and the crew of Varra Restobar for the invitation!

If you and your gang can’t get enough of wings, take advantage of Varra’s Unli Wings & Rice Promo for only Php359 per person, available from Sundays to Thursdays.

Varra Restobar is located at 333 P. Guevarra Street, Little Baguio, San Juan, open from Sundays to Thursdays from 6pm to 2am, and Fridays to Saturdays from 6pm to 3am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 916 5870345.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended a foodie meet-up held in this restaurant. All the food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare to facilitate honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees, including myself.

The Tita’s Guide to Brunchin’ at The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery, UP Town Center

If the hassles of city living gets you all stressed and harried, get yourself and your pals some decompressing time with a leisurely brunch at one of my new favorite haunts in Quezon City.

The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery in UP Town Center is a concept cafe that enlightens and inspires its guests to be themselves.

Together with my fellow foodies, I ventured to this resto and discovered a way to let loose my inner tita and fully enjoy a #TitaConvention with the friends at The Fat Seed.

Here’s how:

1. Set the stage.

The resulting photos and Instagram posts will document your outing with the ladies. Choose the spot that will serve as a wonderful backdrop for your photo opps. Fortunately, The Fat Seed has those in abundance from its custom wood tables made by local craftsmen to its grand wall mural.

2. Choose the grub.

The Fat Seed recently updated its menu, giving its clientele new viands to try while still bringing back many of its best-selling dishes.

You titas will be happy to see that these dishes not only combine ingredients in new and exciting ways, they look great, too! Feel free to upload your foodie shots!

Check them out:

French Toast (Php405). Slices of brioche dipped in rhum syrup and flavored with cinnamon and nutella topped with whipped cream and banana slices.

GaBa Chop Chicken (Php160 for single | Php265 for double). Chicken chops flavored with garlic, basil and chili.

Crispy Egg Salad (Php220). Unripe papaya, fried egg, century egg, arugula, cucumber, carrots, red radish, fried shallots and red cherry tomatoes.

Cheetos Rings (Php225). Onion rings covered with crushed Cheetos and accompanied by bleu cheese and cream.

SS Poppers (Php295 for combination| Php325 for shrimp only | Php225 for squid only). Beer-battered shrimp and squid with garlic aoili.

Wings Sampler (Php330 for 4 flavors). Twelve pieces (four pieces each) juicy deep-fried chicken wings in Louisiana Hot, Salsa Verde, Japanese Miso and Garlic Parmesan flavors.

Wagyu Beef and Peppers Pasta (Php405). Slivers of tender and flavorful wagyu beef and pasta noodles in a red wine and garlic sauce with green bell peppers and chili.

Triple Decker Grilled Cheese (Php450). Grilled cheese sandwich with alternating layers of melted cheese and bacon and mango in thick slices of buttered brioche bread and served with a cup of tomato soup for dipping.

Red Pesto Seafood Pasta (Php430). Prawns, squid, sundried tomatoes, white wine, basil, olive oil, chili and garlic.

Bacon Truffle Burger (Php480). Premium beef patty in buttered brioche buns, tomatoes, lettuce and melted cheddar cheese accompanied by truffle mushroom paste with crispy bacon strips.

Portuguese Seafood Casserole (Php350). Squid, shrimp, kani, corn and green peas baked in bechamel sauce over rice.

Seafood Cauliflower Rice Bowl (Php330). Shrimp, squid, red radish, ebiko and mango on top of cauliflower rice.

Breakfast Steak (Php405). Juicy slices of medium-cooked rib eye steak with grilled tomato and fried egg over garlic rice.

3. Have a drink… or two!

Being a roastery, The Fat Seed prides itself on its coffee-based drinks made with single origin beans. So, coffee addicts, grab yourself a glass of Cold Brew (Php165), Coffee Cubes (Php150) or Rootbeer Express (Php175) when you feel the need for a caffeine fix.

Looking for something refreshing? Check out The Fat Seed’s tea infusions and juices such as LGBT (Php135) or Mojito Tea (Php130) to quench your thirst.

Have a sweet tooth? Indulge in some delectable milkshakes such as Chocolate (Php215) or Strawberry.

4. Strike a pose (or several!) and snap away.

With great-looking surroundings, great food and drinks and great company, don’t hesitate to commemorate your brunch with your amigas with a few snaps.

The Fat Seed got its name from the concept that great things can grow from small seed. From my all-too-brief time here with my friends can grow lasting vines of fun and friendship!

Many thanks to The Fat Seed’s management and crew for the warm welcome and the gorgeous and delicious meal, and to Zomato for extending the invitation!

The Fat Seed Cafe + Roastery is located at Ground Floor, Phase 2, UP Town Center, Katipunan Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 9362113.

Did you know that if you and a friend ordered 2 drinks at The Fat Seed Coffee + Roastery, you can get the same 2 drinks free via Zomato Gold?

Food trippin’ nearby at Buffalo Swing, Caniogan

Though a proud Pasiguena, I admit that the incessant traffic jams in and around my city do sometimes get to me. These nuisances get in the way of so much: errands, appointments and, of course, foodie adventures. So whenever possible, to lessen the travel time and the frustration that comes with navigating the metro’s streets, I do try to find nearby places to indulge my food cravings.

Fortunately, Pasig City already has a lot to offer in terms of foodie destinations.

One such place is Buffalo Swing Cafe, a small eatery along Sixto Antonio Avenue that specializes in American comfort food: flavored chicken wings, pizzas and pastas. Owned and operated by Ingrid Mediarito, it is co-located with her baking supplies store named Ingrid’s.

Ingrid has long recognized the need to address the Pasiguenos’ need for affordable and easily accessible dining choices which led to her making her cafe’s food available to locals via delivery. A while back, in fact, when I was so busy running errands one Saturday that I didn’t have time to prepare food for my family’s dinner, I just ordered some wings and pizza from Buffalo Swing Cafe via Honestbee.

Honestbee has since stopped its operations in the country (oh, Honestbee, you are sorely missed!) but another delivery option is now available: via Zomato.

However, for this blog post, let me tell you more about my actual experience visiting Buffalo Swing Cafe together with fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH where we enjoyed its freshly made comfort food:

Pizzas

All Cheese (Php300). Made with four kinds of cheese: cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan and cream cheese and flavored with garlic. Wonderfully cheesy!

Meat Overload (Php320). A carnivore’s dream on a pizza crust: pepperoni, Hungarian sausages, breakfast sausage and beef toppings and topped with caramelized onions.

Pastas

Aligue Cream (Php180). A decadent cream-based pasta flavored with aligue (crab fat).

Bacon Tomato (Php160). Flavored with tomatoes and savory bacon, this pasta has the slightly sweet taste that kids love.

Spanish Sardines and Olives (Php160). Slightly spicy pasta dish made with Spanish-style sardines.

Wings

These flavorful chicken wings, cooked to crunchy and juicy goodness, are priced at:

Php155 (5 pieces, one flavor)
Php300 (10 pieces, one flavor)
Php585 (20 pieces, two flavors)
Php1150 (40 pieces, two flavors)

These wings go so well with the resto’s pizzas and pastas, but they’re also great on their own. I’d love to have some delivered the next time there’s a big movie on TV so I can have something yummy to munch on while I’m indulging my inner couch potato.

Buttered Parmesan.

Spicy Salted Egg.

Salt and Pepper.

Sweet and Spicy.

Flamin’ Lemon.

Honey Soy Sesame.

American BBQ.

For dessert, we had Luleepops (Php20), a real treat for me since this is the first time I’ve tasted an avocado-flavored iced candy.

And we chased away the heat from some of the spicy chicken pieces with refreshing Lemonades (Php40 each) and a sweetly decadent Rootbeer Float (Php100) made with A&W Rootbeer.

So whether you’re a local or a dayo (visitor) from another city, check out Buffalo Swing Cafe for tasty, tummy-filling comfort food.

Many thanks to Ingrid and the staff of Buffalo Swing Cafe for the warm welcome and the yummy eats!

Buffalo Swing Cafe is located at 363 Dr. Sixto Antonio Avenue, Caniogan, Pasig City, open Mondays to Saturdays from 11am to 9pm and Sundays from 5pm to 9pm. For inquiries or reservations, call +63 922 8864381.

No time to drop by Buffalo Swing Cafe? Order your food via Zomato! Just click on the link below.

Disclosure: Together with other foodies, I attended 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.