carbonara – Jellybeans in the City

Indulge in delicious comfort food at Mom & Tina’s

During a #ReturnToOffice day when our boss (also known as #FearlessLeader) was on leave, my coworkers and I consoled ourselves by having lunch at the Mom & Tina’s branch located a short walking distance from our building.

Mom & Tina’s Bakery Cafe is a popular restaurant concept named after the mother-daughter duo who founded it a few years ago. Its branches have since become beloved destinations for those looking for delicious baked goods and hearty comfort food.

These establishments are marked by their cozy atmosphere, friendly staff, and mouthwatering menu comfort food that includes breakfast items, main dishes, sandwiches, pasta dishes, salads, and cakes, pies, and other baked goods. Mom & Tina’s takes pride in its heirloom dishes, all made from scratch using fresh and locally sourced ingredients.

During our lunch time foray, we feasted on Mom & Tina’s savory viands such as:

US Roast Beef (Php645). Tender slices of beef slow-roasted to perfection, served with gravy, mixed vegetables and fluffy mashed potatoes, definitely a must-try for meat lovers.

Paella Valenciana (Php495). Mom & Tina’s take on the classic Spanish dish, featuring saffron-infused rice cooked with chicken, seafood, and vegetables sautéed in oil with garlic, tomatoes and chorizo. This hearty and flavorful dish is perfect for sharing, which is what I did with one of my officemate.

Barbecued Chicken Fillet (Php395). Juicy and succulent deboned chicken leg quarter marinated in a special barbecue sauce and grilled to perfection and served with java rice and atchara.

Barbecued Pork Belly (Php395). A Filipino favorite, Mom & Tina’s version of this dish features pork belly marinated in a sweet and savory sauce and grilled to perfection. It’s served with rice and your choice of sides.

Pasta Carbonara (Php365). A classic pasta dish that’s creamy, cheesy, and oh-so-delicious. Mom & Tina’s version features al dente spaghetti tossed in a creamy sauce with bacon and grated Parmesan cheese and served with freshly baked rolls.

Thanks to our #HappyLunch at Mom & Tina’s Bakery Cafe, we cheerfully faced the rest of our workday, even if #FearlessLeader was not with us. (Well, we made sure to share our lunch pics to make her miss us all the more, hehehehe!)

This Mom & Tina’s branch is located at Across ABS-CBN Main Building, 58 Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Barangay South Triangle, Quezon City, open for dine-in, takeout and delivery weekdays from 8am to 10pm and weekends from 7am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, contact +63 2 83323579 or 63 999 8859254.

Other branches are located at:

S&R Libis, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue corner Calle Industria, Bagumbayan, Quezon City (Tel: +63 2 82568611 or +63 999 8850092)
Tropical Palms Condominium, 103 De la Rosa Street corner Perea Street, Legazpi Village, Makati City (Tel: +63 2 88943598 or +63 999 8859252)

Know more about Mom & Tina’s by visiting its website or following it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Mom & Tina’s:

Mom & Tina's Greenhills — Mom & Tina’s Greenhills

Grupo Meal at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Capitol Commons

One thing most of us have been looking forward to – after two years of lockdown – is the freedom to come together with friends to catch up on each other’s goings-on since the pandemic.

Thankfully, with the easing of quarantine restrictions, larger groups of people can now gather in restaurants for meetings and celebrations.

That’s what happened recently when my division’s head at work got all of my workmates and myself together and treated us to dinner.

And the venue for this heretofore unprecedented gathering among officemates who have all been working from home for the past two years is Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken in Capitol Commons.

Thanks to a relatively balmy late afternoon weather, we were able to opt for the larger tables outside which could be positioned to accommodate our large group as opposed to the booth tables inside the restaurant which can only accommodate six people per table.

The resulting al fresco dining arrangement allowed our group to all sit together and share a delicious meal while enjoying boisterous banters and teasing.

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken is a fast-casual full-service restaurant known for its signature dish: the Peri-Peri Chicken.

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken brings about this famous dish by marinating a whole chicken overnight in a special mixture of peri-peri (bird’s eye) chili, herbs and spices, then charcoal-grilling it to a gloriously golden hue.

This flavorful and juicy grilled chicken dish is best enjoyed with one or a combination of the restaurant’s eight signature sauces representing various gastronomic destinations, ranging from mildly sweet (Cajun Remoulade, Hoisin Sesame and Sweet Soy), medium spiciness (Garlic Brew, Spiced Vinegar and Mesquite BBQ) and hot (Chili Peppa and Harissa Exotica).

My workmates and I enjoyed this dish and more during our get-together:

Appetizers

Loaded Pica Sampler (Php320). Assorted pica-pica good for sharing consisting of Salted Egg Crispy Chicken Skin, Salted Egg Potato Chips and Peri-Peri Dynamite.

Peri Nacho Bake (Php395). Peri-Peri’s twist on the trendy sushi bake wherein crisp nachos are dipped into a savory cheesy baked dip.

Fish Sticks (Php310). Battered fish fingers deep-fried to a beautiful golden btown.

Mains

Chorizo Bolognese Platter (Php560). Spaghetti topped with tomato sauce and homemade chicken chorizo.

Carbonara Platter (Php560). Spaghetti tossed in creamy white mushroom alfredo sauce and bacon.

Chicken & Rib Grupo (Php2,414). One whole Peri-Peri Chicken and One Whole Slab BBQ Pork Ribs served with 6 java rice, 6 regular sides and drink.

Like I always say, good food and good company lead to great moments!

So why don’t you take advantage of the loosening quarantine restrictions and bring your friends and work pals to Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken for a great time!

This Peri-Peri branch is located inside Capitol Commons, Meralco Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Ortigas Center, Pasig City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 10am to 1am and Fridays to Saturdays from 10am to 2am.

Other outlets are located in the following areas:

Las Pinas: Evia Lifestyle Center
Makati: Ayala North Exchange, Greenbelt 3
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall
Manila: Robinsons Place Manila
Marikina: SM City Marikina
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center
Paranaque: Ayala Malls Manila Bay
Pasay: Resorts World Manila
Pasig: SM City East Ortigas, Ayala Malls Feliz, Capitol Commons, Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City: Eastwood Mall, Gateway Mall, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, Trinoma Mall, Banawe, Brittany Square
San Juan: Promenade Greenhills
Taguig: Uptown Parade BGC, Market! Market BGC, Venice Grand Mall

To know more about Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, browse through its website , or follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts on Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken:

Peri Peri Chicken, SM East — Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, SM City East Ortigas

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Tomas Morato

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.

Breakfast at BenCab Museum’s Cafe Sabel

Part of the family’s Baguio vacay itinerary is a visit to the BenCab Museum. After hearing rave reviews about the place from friends for so long, and having an art geek for a daughter, I was glad to finally step foot in it.

Well, the 30-minute travel and all the walking around that we did took its toll on me and I got so hungry. The fam then decided to take our breakfast at Cafe Isabel, located at BenCab Museum’s lowest level.

Similar to the museum’s upper levels, Cafe Sabel offers fantastic views of the mountainside. It also leads to an organic farm and garden that, sadly, we weren’t able to explore due to the rain. The farm supplies fresh and organic ingredients for the cafe’s food offerings.

Our food orders were:

Basil Pesto (Php200). The pasta has a fresh flavor and is adequate as a snack. You might want to add to your order if you’re really hungry (like we were!)
Bagnet Rice (Php350). The crispy bagnet with melt-in-your-mouth fat went so well with the mountain red rice and chili eggplant salsa. After seeing me finish off my plate, hubby ordered his own.
Carbonara (Php200). A bit on the saucy side but good, nonetheless.
Strawberry Shake (Php120). It still has a bit of natural tartness from the fresh strawberries but my little boy loved it.
Hot Caramel Coffee (Php150). It was a good pick-me-upper and helped energize me for the rest of the tour.

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Breakfast at Cafe Sabel at @bencab_museum . The travel going here and walking around took their toll and we got sooo hungry. The #BagnetRice is a winner! The #pesto, #carbonara, #strawberryshake and #caramelcoffee are pretty good too. Check out my resto review at beingjellybeans.wordpress.com (Search: Cafe Sabel). #foodie #foodiegram #foodstagram #travelandeat #jellybeansinthecityofpines

A post shared by Jellybeans in the City (@beingjellybeans) on Jun 15, 2018 at 7:55pm PDT

Hopefully, I get to visit the cafe again in the near future to try out its hot choco!

Cafe Sabel follows the same hours as the museum: 9am to 6pm Tuesdays to Sundays (closed on Mondays, Christmas and New Year’s Day).

For more info on BenCab Museum, click here.