restaurant review – Page 28 – Jellybeans in the City

Dr. Wine presents a sneak peek into new menu by Chef Alain Raye

There’s a place hidden in the Poblacion suburbs where discriminating foodies can savor delicious French cuisine paired with the finest of vin.

Dr. Wine Manila – also known as Le Bistro du Dr. Wine – situated in Algiers Street just off Kalayaan Avenue and a few minutes walk away from Rockwell in Makati, is known for its cozy and rustic yet vibrant upscale premises, its extensive and well-curated collection of wines as well as the gastronomically delightful French dishes that emerge from its kitchen.

For weekend brunch, for example, diners may enjoy plateau de fruits de mer – platters of local mussels, clams and shrimps, as well as escargot of bulots and bigorneux snails, oysters and razor clams imported from France, all served on a bed of ice. These platters are accompanied by freshly baked artisanal bread from the restaurant’s sister bakery, Dr. Bread, salted butter and assorted sauces (of which, I think the Red Wine Vinaigrette with Shallots brings out all the fresh goodness of the seafood). These platters come in different serving sizes: Couple (Php2,899 | good for two), The Queen’s Platter (Php4,899 | good for four) and The Dr. King’s Platter (Php8,599 | good for six).

Michelin-starred Chef Alain Raye recently joined Dr. Wine’s team, bringing his considerable talents to bear as he takes the helm in Dr. Wine’s kitchen. He takes the bistro’s French cuisine offerings up several notches by adding his signature creations to menu.

Fish Quenelle. Lapu Lapu shaped into quenelles accompanied by plump prawns in a Gratinee Lyonnaise preparation. Its texture is creamy and delicate but is full of flavor.

Beef Short Ribs. Beef ribs slow cooked until fork-tender in classic French pepper sauce with sauteed carrots, and accompanied by a side of creamy potato gratin.

These dishes are best enjoyed with a glass (or two!) of French wines such as this fruity Chateau Cap de Fer.

Excited to taste these delectable oeuvres from Chef Alain? Well, you won’t have to wait for long because these are launching today, March 15!

Chef Alain also has a special treat to cap special wine dinners: the Nougat de Montelimar. It’s a decadent dessert made with nuts embedded in the nougat which is drenched in mixed berry puree and cream sauce.

So take a break from your usual food haunts and get ready to indulge your tastebuds with French food and wine at Dr. Wine Manila!

You can also book your intimate gatherings at Dr. Wine’s elegant and spacious private function room which can accommodate up to twenty people (while practicing safety protocols and physical distancing).

Dr. Wine Manila is located at Ground Floor, 5921 Algier Street, Poblacion, Makati City, open for dine-in and takeout Mondays to Wednesdays from 5pm to 10pm, Thursdays to Fridays from 12 noon to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays at 12 noon to 11.30pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 917 5638811.

Disclosure: Together with fellow foodie EJ of ILoveToEatPH, I attended a food tasting held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to elicit our honest feedback and as basis for this feature article.

Tsinoy food feast at Lido Cocina Tsina, New Manila

More often than not, a dish with Chinese origins would make its way into a Filipino’s hapag-kainan.

This is hardly surprising as the Pinoys and the Chinese have been trading since even before the Spanish colonization.

Through the centuries, various waves of Chinese migration occurred, each bringing their own cultures, especially their culinary traditions, into the country.

In the 1930s, a Cantonese chef known as Mr, Lido established a modest eatery in Binondo called Panciteria Lido. In the next eighty years, this eatery has grown into a chain of restaurants – now under the Lido Cocina Tsina brand – that are renowned for serving tasty Chinese dishes that also appeal to the Filipino palate.

Before the pandemic hit the metro last year, I was able to sample some of Lido’s signature dishes. These left quite an impression on me that when restrictions on dining out were recently loosened in the metro, I quickly grabbed the opportunity to bring my fellow foodie unnis – Jen of SandUnderMyFeet.com and Nix of IEatAndIWander.com – to the resto so they can taste for themselves what I had beem raving about for the past year.

That day, the unnis feasted on delectable Tsinoy food which included:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php132). I couldn’t fathom a Chinese meal without this egg fried rice made heartier and more flavorful with shrimp, pork, carrots and spring onions.

Pugon Roasted Asado (Php436). Mr. Lido’s claim to fame from his eighty-year-old recipe of pork loin basted in precise proportions of Chinese herbs and spices, and then cooked in the a wood-fired brick oven which infuses the meat with a rich and smokey flavor. It’s great as a viand for the Yang Chow Fried Rice but it’s wonderful when used as a filling for hot pan de sal.

Sweet and Sour Pork (Php374). A dish that appeals to the Pinoy penchant for the sweet and sour combination. It’s made with fried pork pieces sauteed with pineapple chunks, bell peppers and onions and served in a sweet and sour sauce.

Shrimp Foo Yong (Php468). Ever since I had my first taste of this egg omelette with shrimp, mushroom and veggies served in light oyster sauce, I’ve been obsessed with it. Taste it for yourself and you’ll see what I mean.

Buchi (Php138). Deep-fried sesame balls with lotus cream filling make for a satisfying cap for a hearty Chinese meal.

This visit to Lido Cocina Tsina has sated my year-long cravings and made believers out of my fellow unnis.

We sure are looking forward to our next Lido Cocina Tsina adventure!

This Lido Cocina Tsina branch is located at 1014-1020 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, Barangay Mariana, Quezon City, open daily from 8.30am to 6.30pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 8885436, +63 2 84145436 or +63 947 4925752.

Other branches are located at:

16 Visayas Avenue, Barangay Vasra, Quezon City
Unit 6 and 7, La Fuerza Bldg., 2241 Don Chino Roces Avenue Corner Sabio Street, Barangay Bangkal, Makati City
Block 8, Lot 9 Commonwealth Avenue, Barangay Batasan Hills, Quezon City
43 Mindanao Avenue (beside Phoenix Gasoline Station), Barangay Bahay Toro, Quezon City
Upper Ground Floor, Z Square Mall, Banawe Street Corner Del Monte Avenue, Barangay Manresa, Quezon City
532 United Nations Avenue cor. Jorge Bocobo St., Barangay Malate, Manila
35 Dona Soledad Avenue, Barangay Don Bosco, Paranaque City
Ground Floor, Puregold Building, Dr. A. Santos Avenue, Barangay San Isidro, Paranaque City
262 Alabang-Zapote Road, Talon Dos, Las Pinas City

To have your Chinoy food feast delivered right where you are, order online.

Check out my reviews of other Asian restaurants:

Get “Cool for the Summer” at Moonleaf, Novaliches

Ooh, summer!

There was a time when it was the most awaited season among the metro’s denizens. It used to signal a time to take a break from the daily grind of school and work.

Now, though, with the country still in quarantine and restrictions on travel and mobility still in effect, you might think that the pervasive heat will be the only thing noteworthy about this season.

Well, the Moonleaf Tea Shop in Novaliches is all set to bring new reasons to enjoy the summer with its new line of drinks, aptly named “Cool for the Summer.” With these drinks, harried city dwellers can enjoy refreshing beverages that bring a moment of Zen while tickling their tastebuds. Plus, accompanied by chewy add-ons and topped with a dollop of thick and foamy wintercream, this drinks also provide opportunities for sheer indulgence.

Wintermelon Milk Tea with Pearls and Wintercream

Lychee Strawberry Tea with Rainwbow Jelly and Wintercream

Mango Black Tea with Nata and Wintercream

Watch out for these refreshing drinks this April!

Want something to nibble on as you enjoy your drinks? Why don’t you indulge your sweet tooth with some pastries?

Fudgy Dark Brownie (Php49)

Blueberry Cheesecake (Php110)

As the summer season rolls by, don’t sweat the small stuff. Starting this April, you can get cool for the summer at Moonleaf Tea Shop!

This Moonleaf Tea Shop is located along General Luis Street, Novaliches Bayan, Quezon City, open daily from 10am to 8pm. For inquiries, call +63 926 7007720. It delivers via GrabFood and soon, via FoodPanda, too so you can enjoy your drinks and nibbles without having to leave home!

To know about its latest offers and promos, follow Moonleaf Tea Shop Novaliches on Facebook and Instagram.

Shrimp Bucket delivery via Pick•A•Roo!

It’s been a year since the quarantine took place, and while I don’t miss the hellish commute from my home to Tomas Morato, I do miss the lunchtime foodie adventures that my officemates and I used to have around the area.

One of our favorite haunts, especially for our payday splurge, is the Shrimp Bucket branch in Il Terrazzo Mall, a short walk away from the office.

Here, we would binge on shrimps and mussels by the pound, drenched in flavorful sauces that would leave us wanting more.

It’s been quite some time since our last foodie adventure at Shrimp Bucket but today, I was able to relive that experience with the family thanks to a new app called Pic•Ka•Roo!

This new all-in-one and on-demand lifestyle delivery app features all possible essentials for the home and more, delivered in a hygienic, contactless and stress-free. Aside from groceries, medicines, household appliances and gadgets, it also delivers from the metro’s restaurants, which is how I was able to get my hands on my Shrimp Bucket faves.

White Shrimp in Salted Eggsperience (Php785). Plump shrimp coated with a creamy savory sauce made with salted egg yolks.

Mussels in Mardi Gras (Php575). Mussels coated in a flavorful sauce made with pork chorizo blended with spices.

Both dishes are tasty by themselves but together, they’re dynamite!

Have a lot of steamed rice ready when dining on this winning combination of shrimps and mussels. You’ll be reaching for more again and again!

This Shrimp Bucket branch is located at Ground Floor, Rockwell Business Center, Sheridan Corner United Street, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City.

Other branches that deliver via Pic•Ka•Roo are located at:

Ground Floor, Bridgeway Shops, Across Connecticut Carpark Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Centre, Greenhills, San Juan City
Ground Floor, Grand Hamptons Tower 1, 31st Street Corner 2nd Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

Want to give Pick•A•Roo a try? Get a Php250 PICK•A•ROO voucher and have your groceries, food & more delivered when you register with my referral code: ANGE7726. Download the app here.

Classic Pinoy streetfood at Casa Calle, SM Megamall

Do you remember your first taste of streetfood?

The varied shapes, colors and textures, the interplay of sweet, salty, sour and spicy, plus a hint of the forbidden (because didn’t our moms warn us to keep away from these back then?) and that feeling of comfort when you bite into them, these are part and parcel of our early street food experience.

While those good sensations associated with street food remain to this day, that feeling of prohibition hardly applies now, especially when street food is elevated to the level that Casa Calle brings them to.

This stall located at Eatogether Food Hall in SM Megamall serves up, not just Pinoy comfort food faves, but also welcome tweaks on our favorite street food, such as:

Inihaw Platter (Php380). Various meat and sundry parts marinated in barbecue sauce and charcoal grilled to smoky perfection such as two sticks each of Pork BBQ, Isaw Manok (chicken intestine), Bulaklak (ruffled pork fat), Tenga (pork ear) and Betamax (coagulated pig’s blood). This promo bundle is available only during Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Lugaw Special (Php95 for small | Php115 for large). Savory rice porridge with bits of meat and tripe, a hard-boiled egg and garnished with toasted garlic and choppef green onions.

Tokwa’t Baboy (Php90). Crispy bits of pork belly tossed with fried tofu and chopped chilis and onions in a vinaigrette made with vinegar and soy sauce.

Tokneneng (Php35). Hard-boiled duck egg covered in orange batter, best enjoyed when dipped in spiced vinegar.

Sizzling Beef Pares (Php188). Cubed beef brisket sauteed and stewed with garlic, onion and ginger, and seasoned with star anise. This viand is paired with garlic fried rice (hence the name “pares”) and served on a sizzling plate.

Turones ala Mode (Php155). Banana and langka slices encased in lumpia wrapper, them deep-fried, and served with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream and garnished with sesame seeds and chocolate sauce.

Get ready to rediscover your love of Pinoy street food here.

This Casa Calle branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Another branch is set to have its grand opening soon at 163 Aguirre Street, BF Homes, Paranaque City.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my posts on other stalls at Eatogether Food Hall:

Savor Asian flavors at Hawker Lane, SM Megamall

If you’re craving for the bold flavors of Asian cuisine, Hawker Lane at the Eatogether Food Hall in SM Megamall should be right up your alley.

Inspired by the hawker centers in Singapore where tasty Asian dishes and more are sold from stalls inside these large food courts, Hawker Lane brings the the same vibrant colors, textures and flavors to its diners.

Together with fellow foodies last weekend, I headed to Eatogether Food Hall to sample some of its signature dishes which include:

Deep-fried Salt and Pepper Squid (Php290 ala carte | Php220 with rice). A Cantonese dish made with pieces of squid which are deep-fried and tossed in a mixture of garlic, ginger and hot peppers.

Fish Fillet Tofu Claypot (Php220 ala carte | Php180 with rice). Another authentic Chinese dish made with shallow-fried fish fillets braised together with tofu in a flavorful sauce and served in a claypot.

Crispy Fried Garlic Chicken (Php300 ala carte | Php240 with rice). Chinese-style crispy fried chicken infused with the flavor of garlic.

Theses dishes surely sated my cravings for bold tastes and textures!

Want to have your own taste of Asia? Drop by Hawker Lane!

This Hawker Lane branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, Eatogether Food Hall, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Another branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, Unimart Supermarket, Oranbo, Pasig City.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my posts on other stalls at Eatogether Food Hall:

Say hello to satisfying paella at Hola Paella, SM Megamall

I’ve always had a soft spot for paella. As one of the most well-known Spanish dishes with a long history, it enjoys great visibility, not just in Spanish restaurants but also in Pinoy fiestas.

The paella got its name from the shallow frying pan in which it is cooked and even served. Originating from the Valencia region in Spain, it combines both the Roman and Arab culinary traditions. Most iterations of this dish is characterized by its vibrant yellow color owing to the generous use of saffron which also contributes to its unique taste. One of the exceptions here is the Paella Negra which gets its color and flavor from the squid ink mixed in with the rice.

Having been colonized by Spain for three centuries, it is hardly surprising that the Philippines would develop a love for this dish, even making our own version – the arroz ala valenciana – which uses glutinous rice with chicken and longganisa or chorizo.

Well, the good news for us paella lovers is that we don’t have to travel far nor wait for a fiesta to get a taste of our favorite dish.

At the newly opened stall at SM Megamall’s Eatogether Food Hall, we can get this flavorful rice dish and pick the toppings we want to go with it.

Together with my fellow foodies, I was able to sample some of its solo servings.

Check them out:

Roasted Chicken Paella (Php235).

Pork Belly Paella (Php215).

Seafood Paella (Php185).

Paella Negra (Php290).

Aside from its many paella iterations, Hola Paella also serves appetizers such as:

Chicken Burrito (Php250).

Nachos with Pulled Pork (Php160).

It’s great to see that one of my favorite dishes is so readily available.

In fact, I brought home a Paella de Carne (Php710) for the fam’s dinner the next day. All I had to do was reheat the rice (with a little bit of stirring at first) in a large cast iron skillet and leave it alone on the stove for a few minutes to form a little bit of soccarat – the toasted and caramelized rice crust that forms at the bottom of skillet which gives the dish a whole new dimension of flavor.

Hola Paella is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

If you want to have your paella at home, you can order from Hola Paella via GrabFood, FoodPanda or Poodtrip.

For more info on Hola Paella and its latest offers, follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Check out my posts on other stalls at Eatogether Food Hall:

Feel good food at Recovery Food, SM Megamall

Whether you’re trudging in from a busy workday, or amping up for a hectic one, you need some comforting and nourishing food to rev you up.

Some tasty feel-good food would be just the thing, right?

Well, if you happen to be at the Eatogether Food Hall in SM Megamall, you can just head over to the Recovery Food stall.

Recovery Food is a casual dining concept that offers a variety of comfort foods which range from Asian-inspired hot noodle soups, home-style pressed sandwiches and to simple rice bowls.

During a recent meetup with my fellow foodies, we were able to sample first-hand Recovery Food’s signature dishes, which include:

Balbakwa (Php195). Extra tender beef skin in tomato-based broth, great for warming up our tummies!

Doc Sisig (Php155 for regular | Php235 for full recovery). Recovery Food’s house sisig – the Kapampangan dish made with various pig parts flavored with calamansi, onions and chilis – served with fried egg and garlic rice.

Tapa de Morning (Php185 for regular | Php265 for full recovery). Home-made tapa – tender slices of salt-cured beef – served with fried egg, garlic rice and ensalada, one of my personal breakfast faves.

Tomarrow Never Dies (Php235). RF’s newest offering: roasted bone marrow topped with garlic served on a sizzling plate along with beef bits and rice. Food for the fearless!

Champosandro (Php99). Recovery Food’s version of the champorado, a chocolate-rice based porridge served with milk and salted fish on the side. Whether for breakfast, a snack or as a dessert, it sure hits the spot.

So if you want some real good, feel-good food to power you up for all you need to accomplish, make a pitstop at Recovery Food!

This Recovery Food branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Crossroads Building, 32nd Street Corner 8th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
BGC Stopover Pavilion, Rizal Drive Corner 31st Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Molito Commercial Complex, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Comfort food at Nord’s Bread Hub, SM Megamall

There are only a handful of things that can match the ability of freshly baked bread to evoke feelings of warmth and comfort.

At the newly opened branch of Nords Bread Hub at the SM Megamall’s Eatogether Food Hall, comforting and delightful baked goods are what you’ll find in abundance.

Nord’s Bread Hub is a new dining concept managed by the Vikings Group. This particular restaurant brand specializes in producing artisanal breads from Asian and Western culinary traditions.

During a recent foodie meetup with my fellow foodies, I was able to check out some of its menu items.

Silvanas (Php78/pc). The Pinoy version of a frozen cookie sandwich, it consists of a layer of buttercream cashew-meringue wafer and coated with cookie crumbs. Available variants include Classic and Ube.

Dark Choco Messy Bread (Php58/pc). If you’re a fan of munching on pastries during your coffee break, then this flyffy Danish bread flavored with dark chocolate and cocoa powder should be right up your alley.

Craving for a hot meal? Nord’s got you there too with tasty appetizers and rice dishes for you to enjoy, like this Crispy Pork Kare Kare (Php280) which features Nord’s signature crispy pork belly in the rich peanut-based kare kare sauce and vegetables served with shrimp paste.

So come on over to Nord’s for a bit of comfort food!

This Nords Breadhub branch is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaliyong City

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Unimart Capitol Commons, Meralco Avenue Corner Shaw Boulevard, Oranbo, Pasig City
Third Floor, The Block, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.

Ripplin’ sushi at Sazanami, SM Megamall

Sazanami refers to “small waves” or “ripples.”

It may very well refer to the ripples of gastronomic pleasure you experience when you bite into the sushi rolls made at the new sushi place in SM Megamall named Sazanami.

If you haven’t been to Eatogether Food Hall, I suggest you visit it stat because here you can take part in a new wave of dining experiences like the one at Sazanami.

It offers, not your run-of-the-mill sushi rolls, but ones that use various (and even surprising!) ingredients and make them into tasty combinations that tickle your fancy, not to mention your tastebuds. This is in large part thanks to Sazanami’s in-house sushi chef who’s been servin’ up these sushi rolls since the 90s.

During a recent foodie meetup at Eatogether Food Hall, my fellow foodies and I were able to sample some of its delectable sushi creations. Each sushi roll order is served with pickled ginger, wasabi and Japanese soy sauce, as well as Sazanami’s signature creamy and savory sauce that go so well with its sushi variants.

Ready for a run-down of your delightful sushi options at Sazanami?

Take for example its Sazanami Maki (Php265/8pcs). This is the house specialty baked sushi with salmon, sesame seeds, scallions, spiced garlic mayo, unagi sauce, mango bits and kani.

The Yin Yang Roll (Php265/10pcs), on the other hand, is one of the store’s best sellers. It’s a deep-fried and crunchy shrimp tempura roll with cream cheese and umagi sauce.

The Special Roll (Php295/8pcs) is a treat: it’s ingredients vary every week, making it a real foodie adventure. So if you want to have a sushi surprise, go for this sushi roll!

With such a tasty sampler, I just knew I had to take some home to the fam who are all certified sushi lovers.

All I had to do was give my order at the stall where servers selected my choices from their menu screen, a bill was run up automatically and I just had to pay via GCash! What a safe and contactless way to get your food, huh? (By the way, other contactless payment options are available or you can just get a Vikings Card at the Eatogether Food Hall reception and load it up every time you visit.)

Curious on what I took home? Check these out:

First, I got an order of Ripple Roll (Php260), Sazanami’s own version of the classic California Maki, with crabstick, mango, tobikko and black sesami fried kani stick.

Then, I got a cute Caterpillar Maki (Php195), a sushi roll made with kani, cucumber, avocado, sesame seeds and unagi sauce.

And thanks to Sazanami’s ongoing promo which gives four Sazanami Maki pieces free for every sushi order, I was able bring home an additional eight Sazanami Maki pieces!

Well, the fam devoured the sushi as soon as I got home so I could pretty much say these were met with their approval.

If you’re on the lookout for your next sushi adventure, do give Sazanami a try!

Sazanami is located at Eatogether Food Hall, Second Floor, SM Megamall Building A, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

Disclosure: I attended a food-tasting here together with fellow foodies. All food items mentioned here were served for us to sample the fare and elicit our honest feedback.