restaurant review – Page 41 – Jellybeans in the City

Steakin’ it easy at Meat Depot

Truth be told: I came from a family of true-blue steak-lovin’ carnivores and so did my Hubby. Apparently, through the interplay of “nature” and “nurture”, our kiddoes turned out to be just like us.

Little wonder, then, that the thought of indulging our inner carnivores by having a steak lunch at Meat Depot after a bout of shopping in Greenhills was enough to have us practically salivating with excitement for the upcoming meal.

Meat Depot has the unique quality of being both a butcher shop and a kitchen at the same time. First established in 2014, it aimed to provide consumers with quality meats for home or institutional consumption, and to bring excellently cooked meats to hungry diners.

At any of its branches, diners can browse through and select their choice from a wide selection of premium cuts which they can bring home, or turn over to Meat Depot’s master grillers for cooking those meats to bring out all of its possibilities in flavor, tenderness and juiciness.

So that’s how we ended up gorging ourselves with our tender and juicy medium-cooked AB Rib-Eye Steaks (Php2,410/kg with Php125 cooking charge per piece which already includes mushroom gravy and choice of rice or mashed potato).

Well, what can I say? We really are a family of steak lovers!

This Meat Depot branch is located at Second Floor. O Square Building 2, Greenhills Shopping Center, Greenhills, San Juan.

Steak lovers in the metro will be happy to know that although this branch is closed for the duration of the enhanced community quarantine, selected Meat Depot branches are still open for pick-up and take-out.

Available products in these branches include:

Pork: lean ground (Php268/kg), menudo cut (Php304/kg), pork cubes (Php288/kg), pork chop (Php278/kg), country style (Php380/kg) and baby back ribs (Php330/kg)
Beef: ground (Php275/kg), shank (Php400)
Angus Beef; T-bone (Php2,070/kg), Striploin (Php2,130/kg), Rib-Eye (Php2,410/kg), Tomahawk (Php2,535/kg) and Tenderloin (Php3,920/kg)
Wagyu: Japanese Wagyu Striploin (Php10,070/kg) and Japanese Rib-Eye A4 (Php11,130/kg)

Just call or message the branch closest to you, indicate your name, order and time of pick up, make your payment via BDO and pick up your order or have it delivered to you through Grab Express or Lalamove.

Banawe, Quezon City: +63 966 7444366
Paseo de Magallanes, Makati: +63 926 0755187
BF Homes, Paranaque: +63 926 6474778

Ramen delivery from Ramen Len, Santa Lucia

My #RamenPhase has been going on for years (and I don’t think it will end anytime soon!)

With the implementation of the Enhanced Community Quarantine, it has been hard for me to get my ramen fix. Authentic ramen does not lend itself well to delivery: the noodles tend to get soggy if left in the broth too long. Due to this, many ramen restaurants refuse to offer their fare for delivery.

Well, the ramen shop near my home, Ramen Len, has found a way around that difficulty. Thanks to its ingenious packaging, the firm and chewy noodles, toppings (a slice of chashu, naruto, bamboo shoots and green onions) and broth are all kept separate until they get delivered.

I discovered this when I decided to supplement our family dinner with some of Ramen Len’s offerings by ordering from FoodPanda.

Our ramen orders included:

Tonkotsu Shoyu (Php190). Thick and creamy pork bone broth flavored with herbs and Japanese soy sauce.

Tonkotsu Red (Php220). The pork bone broth combined with spicy sesame as well as various herbs and spices.

Tonkotsu Black (Php230). The pork bone broth made even more flavorful with the addition roasted garlic oil.

We also ordered Special Gyoza (Php110/ 5 pieces) which is among my daughter’s perennial favorite Japanese dishes. These are Japanese dumplings filled with seasoned ground meat, finely chopped vegetables and aromatics.

Now, I know where to go when I get that ramen craving!

Ramen Len is located at 45 Countryside Avenue, Countryside Village, Barangay Santa Lucia, Pasig City. To order for pick-up, call +63 939 3357160 or have your order delivered to you via FoodPanda.

Avocado Ice Cream Cheesecake from Avocadoria.PH

Avocado remains one of my favorite fruits ever.

Some of my favorite foodie memories when I was growing up involved my mom preparing a simple dessert made of avocado, sugar, evaporated milk and ice cubes. This was done only within the rainy season because that’s the only time avocados are available.

Now, thanks to modern farming technology, fresh avocados are readily available practically throughout the year.

It also gave rise to the popularity of avocado-based desserts such as those found in Avocadoria.PH.

This dessert chain prides itself on its delicious dessert products made with fresh avocados and other premium ingredients. It also helps local avocado farmers by creating possibilities for use of their harvests and by recycling discarded avocado skins to be mixed with fertilizers used by the farmers.

For foodies like me, it provides more ways to enjoy our favorite fruit.

Take the Avocado Ice Cream Cheesecake (Php550), for example. It’s a great pasalubong for the family or a gift for loved ones during special occasions.

Made with smooth and creamy avocado-flavored cream cheese filling on top of crushed graham crackers and topped with a layer of white chocolate studded with chopped nuts such as pistachios, almonds, cashews and walnuts, every spoonful of this cheesecake is a study in delectable contrasts of tastes and textures.

I’d love to get my hands on another tin of this lovely dessert so I can sate my avocado craving again!

This Avocadoria.PH stall is located at Level 1, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Center, Quezon City.

Other stalls in the metro are located at:

Pasig: Tiendesitas, SM Center Pasig, Robinsons Metro East, Ayala Malls The 30th, Ayala Malls Feliz
Mandaluyong: SM Megamall, Shangri-la Plaza, EDSA Central Pavilion, SM Light Mall, Forum Robinsons
San Juan: Greenhills Shopping Center
Quezon City: Eastwood Citywalk 2, Ali Mall Cubao, Farmers Plaza Cubao, Robinsons Magnolia, UP Town Center, Ayala Malls Vertis North, Fisher Mall, SM North EDSA, Walter Mart North EDSA, Ayala Malls Cloverleaf, Robinsons Novaliches, Ayala Fairview Terraces
Marikina: SM City Marikina, Riverbanks Center, Ayala Malls Marikina, Dona Aurora Parang
Taguig: Market! Market!, Food District Signatures on the 5th
Makati: Ayala Mall Circuit, Glorietta 3, Philamlife Tower, San Lorenzo Place Condominium
Manila: The One Grand Center Sampaloc, Robinsons Place Manila, SM City San Lazaro, Lucky Chinatown
Pasay: Ayala Malls Manila Bay,
Paranaque: SM City Bicutan, SM City BF Paranaque, SM City Sucat
Caloocan: SM Center Sangandaan
Malabon: Fisher Mall
Valenzuela: SM City Valenzuela
Las Pinas: SM Southmall, Vista Mall Las Pinas, Ayala Center Las Pinas
Muntinlupa: Alabang Town Center, Starmall Alabang, Festival Mall, Ayala Malls South Park Alabang

Healthy choices and fresh flavors at Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar, Paligsahan

Making healthy food choices is important.

More than the amount of calories consumed, healthy eating is also all about the nutrients that fresh and wholesome ingredients bring.

Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar, located inside Cedarhills Garden Center along Mother Ignacia Avenue, is one of Quezon City’s prime destinations for healthy food.

Aside from its healthy food choices, visitors can also enjoy green space of the plant nursery beside the resto, and maybe even learn a thing or two about urban gardening.

My office friends and I recently visited Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar where we nourished ourselves with the resto’s deliciously prepared dishes made with organic and all-natural ingredients that demonstrate the gustatory possibilities of healthy food, such as:

Roasted Vegetable Salad (Php285 solo | Php475 to share). Roasted carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and squash tossed together and doused in a cauliflower-tomato-garlic dressing and topped with herbs.

Pesto Crusted Chicken Parmigiana (Php435). Large pieces of tender chicken cutlets, breaded with basil and deep-fried to a golden brown served on top of zucchini spaghetti aglio olio, accompanied by stewed chickpeas, edamame and sweet corn.

Squid Ink Pasta (Php265). Linguine pasta in tossed in rich, natural squid ink sauce along with sauteed shrimps, clams, mussels and squid. Here’s a warning, though: Get your selfies before you eat this dish because the squid ink is so rich and dark, your teeth will show the evidence of what you ate whenever you smile, hehehehe!

Citrus Crush (Php165). One of Hillside Cafe’s cold-pressed detox juices made with orange, lime and lemon to boost immunity, lower cholesterol levels and cleanse the skin.

Cacao Fudge (Php145 junior | Php185 regular). One of the classic flavors of Hillside Cafe’s Superfood Smoothies made with cacao, banana, cacao nibs and almond milk.

Choco Peanut Butter Nana (Php150 junior | Php195 regular). A Premium variant of Hillside Cafe’s Superfood Smoothies made with banana, dates, peanut butter, cacao, coconut sugar and cashew milk.

With restos like Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar, foodies can consider benefits food brings, not just to their palate, but to their overall health.

Hillside Cafe & Juice Bar is located inside Cedarhills Garden Center, 57 Mother Ignacia Street, Paligsahan, Quezon City. To order or inquire, call +63 2 77927475 or +63 915 6474706.

Check out my blog posts on other healthy eats in the metro:

Pizza delivery from Papa John’s, Riverside

It’s been three weeks since the enhanced community quarantine came down and I’ve just got to say: thank the powers-that-be for food delivery services!

My son #ExhibitB is an avid pizza lover and he’s been hankering for his favorite food for some time now.

Wanting to give him a treat for not driving me crazy while we’re all stuck at home, I scanned the FoodPanda app for some options, and lo, and behold! There’s a Papa John’s branch in the next subdivision that offers pizzas for delivery.

Gifted with a FoodPanda discount voucher which gave me Php100 off my order, I was able to get a 12-inch family-size Simply Cheese Pizza (Php519 + 10% delivery fee) for just Php470.90.

This went so well with our Pinoy Spaghetti lunch and made my little boy so happy.

Not yet on Food Panda? Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Did you know can practice contactless delivery with your FoodPanda order? Here’s how:

Make sure you’re using the latest version of the FoodPanda app.
Upon checkout, select “Contactless delivery” before placing your order.
Go to your order and tap “Contact your rider” and indicate where you want your order to be placed upon delivery.
If you’re paying via cash, the rider will step three meters back so you can get your order. Please place your payment outside when you claim your food.

This Papa John’s branch is located at Ortigas Avenue Extension Corner Riverside Street, Santa Lucia, Pasig City. To order, call +63 2 88877272.

Other branches in the metro are located at:

102 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati City
Blue Bay Walk, Macapagal Avenue Corner EDSA, Mall of Asia Complex, Pasay City
87 Visayas Avenue, Vasra, Project 6, Quezon City
Ground Floor, A.M. Pacleb Building, Bayan-Bayanan Avenue, Concepcion Uno, Marikina City
N. S. Amoranto Corner Banawe Street, Santo Domingo, Banawe, Quezon City
Ground Floor, Eton Baypark, Kalaw Avenue, Ermita, Manila
Gotaco Building, MacArthur Highway, Marulas, Valenzuela
Ground Floor, Chill Hotel, McArthur Highway, South Caloocan, Caloocan City
The Rolex Place, Rolex Corner Dahlia Avenue, Fairview, Quezon City
Shell Station, C5 Corner Julia Vargas Avenue, Ugong, Pasig City
M.L. Quezon Corner MRT Avenue, Lower Bicutan, Greater Taguig, Taguig City
Lubiran Street, Bacood, Santa Mesa, Manila
VM Terminal Mall, Soldiers Hills, Putatan, Muntinlupa City
Aguinaldo Street, San Antonio, Parañaque City
Metro Gas Station, J.P Rizal Street, Nangka, Marikina City
Don Graciano Building, 1108 E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City
Kamias Road, Diliman, Quezon City
Maysilo Circle Corner San Francisco Street, Plainview, Mandaluyong City
Petron Gas Station, Marcos Highway, Dela Paz, Pasig City

Got noods from Aling Banang’s, Santa Lucia

Pancit – aka noodles – are so firmly ingrained in Filipino cuisine that they qualify as Pinoy food.

Introduced by Chinese settlers, pancit – derived from Hokkien term pian i sit which translates to “convenient food” – has been widely adopted throughout the country, with many provinces boasting of their unique spin on the dish.

Well, one of my favorite pancit variants is the pancit canton, the Pinoy version of the chow mein.

Made with stir-fried meat and vegetables tossed with thick wheat noodles, the pancit canton is a beautiful fusion of colors, flavors and texture, a true symbol of bounty which is why this dish graces most, if not all, Pinoy celebrations.

Well, after tiring of the usual lutong bahay options while stuck at home during the enhanced community quarantine, I was lucky to find that a store near my house offers this dish.

And so twenty minutes after I called the store, I braved the heat of early summer to pick up my order of Pancit Canton (Php400 good for five persons) from Aling Banang’s. Apparently, I’m not alone in my quest as I encountered food delivery riders waiting for their orders as well.

And what a platter of wonder my pancit canton was! Veggies, noodles and sauce plus a generous topping of crunchy bagnet slices mixed in. What’s not to love?

It was more than enough to satisfy my hungry fam. (There was no time to do a pretty plating of the pancit for the ‘gram because we just wolfed it down, really!)

And guess what! An order good for 15 people is just Php750. I guess I know where I’ll order my birthday noodles!

Stuck at home during the ECQ? No need to leave the safety and comfort of your abode to enjoy Aling Banang’s hearty dishes. You can simply have your meal delivered through GrabFood or LalaFood.

This Aling Banang’s branch is located at 5th Street Corner Countryside Avenue, Santa Lucia, Pasig City, with a limited menu available for pickup. To order, call +63 915 3413183 or +6 399 85946908.

Other branches still open during the enhanced community quarantine are located at:

Pablo Ocampo Extension, Santa Cruz, Makati City
N. Domingo Street, Greater San Juan, San Juan City
Dona Anita Building, E Rodriguez Avenue, New Manila, Quezon City

Friends & Family Express, The Podium

“Kain tayo!”

It seems that for any Pinoy having a meal ot a snack, the experience won’t be complete without someone to share it with.

Well, Pinoy meals are best enjoyed with friends and family.

That’s probably the concept behind the newly opened stall in Podium Mall and its mother restaurant in BGC, both named Friends & Family.

Its food offerings harken back to old-timey faves and twists on classic Filipino recipes that kith and kin can all come together to enjoy.

One evening after work, I got together with my college girl daughter #ExhibitA for a bout of shopping and dinner at The Podium Mall.

Since I was gifted with a Raintree Restaurants GC last Christmas, we decided to use it at the Friends & Family Express stall at The Corner Market Food Hall.

There, we were able to some of F&F’s signature dishes such as:

Mr. Jones US Beef Garlic Tapa (Php195). Tender beef tapa served on a sizzling plate with fried egg, pares rice and sinigang soup.

Beef Pares (Php275). Braised beef stew also served on a sizzling plate with a soft-boiled egg, pares rice and sinigang soup.

Ube Champorado (Php175). A large bowl of champorado flavored with purple yam instead of tablea chocolate served with a piece of dilis for a bit of salty contrast to the sweet porridge.

Foodies seeking for cool and exciting twists to everyday Pinoy food will find their cravings satisfied at Friends & Family.

Thanks to Marj for the GC.

Friends & Family Express is located at The Corner Market Food Hall, Second Floor, The Podium Mall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City.

The flagship store of Friends and Family is located at Bonifacio High Street Central, 7th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig.

During the enhanced community quarantine, F&F’s BGC branch offers curbside pickup and delivers through its hotline +63 917 8917053 or via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Healthy snackin’ with The Sandwich Guy

It’s been two weeks into the enhanced community quarantine, and some of us might be feeling confined within the four walls of our abode.

My first instinct was to stock up on chips and chocolates – yes, my kind of comfort food – but I do realize that there are healthier alternatives.

Some of those alternatives may be found at the nearest branch of The Sandwich Guy, the go-to destination of health-conscious folks – or those like me who should be a little more health-conscious, hehehe!

I recently got to snack on two of its tasty yet healthy offerings that prove the adage “Everything is better with bacon.”

Check them out:

Bacon & Egg Sandwich (Php72 Junior | Php115 Whole). Creamy egg spread punctuated by crunchy toasted bits of bacon accompanied by lettuce, tomatoes and cucumbers in two slices of toasted bread.

Keto Bacon Bits (P150). A protein-filled package of bacon bits, cheese, egg, tofu cubes, lettuce, tomato and cucumbers to build up on energy and strength, but not necessarily the pounds.

So the next time you’re hankering for a healthy snack, you know who’s your guy, right?

The Sandwich Guy! (See what I did there?)

Many thanks to Harvard of AlwaysHungryPH for sharing these items from his snack stash!

This outlet of The Sandwich Guy is located at Ground Floor, Robinsons Cybergate 1, Pioneer Street, Buayang Bato, Mandaluyong City.

Other branches are located at:

Robinsons Cyberscape Alpha, Garnet Road, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Second Floor, Techno Plaza One, Libis, Quezon City
Third Floor, The Block, SM City North EDSA, Bago Bantay, Quezon City
Lower Ground Floor, Building B, SM Megamall, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City
Upper Ground Floor, Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Times Square Food Court, Pacific Star Building, Senator Gil J. Puyat corner Makati Avenue, Makati City
Lower Ground Floor, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue, Poblacion, Makati
Second Floor, Cash & Carry Mall, Palanan, Makati City
Third Floor, RCBC Plaza, Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Makati City
Dela Rosa Car Park 1, Dela Rosa Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
Ground Floor, Net Plaza Building, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Ground Floor, One World Square, McKinley Hill, Taguig
One E-Com Center, Harbor Drive, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City
Second Floor, Northgate Cyberzone, Filinvest City, Muntinlupa

The Sandwich Guy also delivers via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. Get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

Use this link to download the FoodPanda app and get Php100 off your first order.

Check out my blog posts on other healthy eats in the metro:

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.

Chicken inasal meal at home from Mang Inasal, Libis

To me, grilled food is a taste of the outdoors.

Roasted chicken, or letson manok, is a welcome break from the braised, stewed, boiled or fried fare that the family and I usually have at home.

Chicken inasal, the version of roasted chicken from the Visayas, offered a delicious variance from our usual family meal. It is made by marinating the chicken in a mixture of calamansi, pepper, coconut vinegar and annatto then roasted over hot coals.

Well, as a treat for the fam (and a way for me to avoid cooking), I decided to order from Mang Inasal via GrabFood for our dinner. Thirty minutes after placing my order, my fam’s meal arrived, ready for eating.

Our meal included several orders of:

Pecho (Chicken Breast and Wing) Solo (Php125 each).

Paa (Chicken Thigh and Leg) Solo (Php109 each).

Pork Barbecue (Php39 per stick).

These chicken inasal solo meals are served with a cup of steamed rice and are best enjoyed with chicken oil (used to baste the chicken pieces) and a dipping sauce of calamansi, soy sauce and siling labuyo.

This delivery is from the Mang Inasal branch located at Intrepid Plaza, E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City, via GrabFood.

Download the Grab App on the App Store or Google Play. Get a discount on your first food order when you use my code: GRABJELLYBEANS.

During the Enhanced Community Quarantine, other Mang Inasal branches in Metro Manila are open:

For delivery (via #73333): Navotas Bayan, East avenue, Novaliches Sta. Quiteria, San Roque Supermarket, San Lazaro, Kalentong, Pasong Tamo, Baclaran, Moonwalk, Gate 3
For takeout: Sangandaan Caloocan (+63 923 4025595), Navotas Bayan (+63 9399136147), Puregold Valenzuela (+63 918 3425363), Paso de Blas (+63 932 1336949), East Avenue (+63 933 8670280), Retiro (+63 933 8670279), Novaliches Sta. Quiteria (+63 925 6462725), San Roque Supermarket (+63 932 7998977), Doroteo Jose (+63 9332848245), Pedro Gil (+63 922 4132838), Kiko Camarin (+63 923 1283557), Hidalgo (+63 922 7620977), San Lazaro (+63 936 0962443), Parang Marikina (+63 932 2027036), Hillside Masinag (+63 917 1199318), MLQ Antipolo (+63 917 8143904), Ligaya Pasig (+63 977 8899997), Pasig Rotonda (+63 939 9159771), Pasig Market (+63 915 4061717), Puregold FTI (+63 922 9353717), Puregold Taguig (+63 922 9353717), Waterfun Taguig (+63 975 4824051), Gate 3 (+63 925 4944715), Pasong Tamo (+63 943 7055774), Guadalupe EDSA (+63 917 1165603), Evangelista (+63 942 3727748), Buendia Taft (+63 943 3292476), DD Meridian (+63 921 0097607), Burgos Arnaiz (+63 2 84423773), , Malibay Pasay (+63 932 5761960), Baclaran (+63 917 1782004), Lianas Sucat Paranaque (+63 923 7097331), Moonwalk (+63 927 8859925), Starmall Las Pinas (+63 923 4542164)