seafood – Jellybeans in the City

Amah Restaurant’s student-chefs collaborate with Chef Donovan Cooke on a 14-course gourmet dinner

We often hear of restaurants referred to as “hidden gems,” those little-known or undiscovered dining spots that offers exceptional food, service, or ambiance that is worth discovering.

Often tucked away in some out-of-the-way location, these spots may be hard to find but but once discovered, they offer a unique and unforgettable dining experience that makes them stand out from other more well-known restaurants.

It’s no wonder then that foodies like me are always on the lookout for hidden gems; aside from the delicious and unique eats, we greatly enjoy the feeling discovering a hidden treasure that is not widely known, and we take pride in sharing our discovery with others who share our passion for great food.

One such discovery is Amah Restaurant in Taguig City.

A quarantine venture

Amah Restaurant was founded by Chef Jose Villarreal, a young culinary prodigy who parlayed his childhood interest in cuisines into a budding career as a chef. While on lockdown in 2020, he and his classmates at the prestigious Enderun Colleges set about gaining real-world experience in their field by launching their own food business headquartered in Jose’s family home in Taguig.

From researching, test cooking and initially selling food products online, Jose and his team eventually opened AMAH Restaurant, named after his maternal grandmother, situated at the roof deck of his family home in 2021. By October 2022, the restaurant gained accreditation from Enderun Colleges as an establishment where its students can undergo their on-the-job training.

Amah Restaurant is known for its heirloom Filipino-Chinese dishes with a twist such as Sisig Stuffed Chicken Wings, Smoked Char Siu Pork Belly with Bao Buns and Bibingka Cheesecake. These delicacies are prepared by the young chefs who made it a point to use local ingredients and put their own unique twists to heirloom recipes.

The restaurant also treats its patrons to a breathtaking view of the Makati and BGC cityscapes. Sunsets were definitely amazing on the upper roofdeck, making it a favorite for engagement proposals, anniversaries, and other special occasions.

A dream collaboration

Chef Jose recently led his team of fellow student-chefs for a dream collaboration with Chef Donovan Cooke from Melbourne, Australia on a two-night dinner event which featured 14 specially-curated gourmet courses from Chef Donovan’s menu. These dishes were prepared by Chef Jose and his Amah team under the supervision of Chef Donovan himself.

Chef Donovan is known for his exceptional culinary skills and his extensive experience in the fine dining industry. He has worked in some of the most prestigious restaurants around the world and gained recognition for his expertise in seafood as well as for his innovative and creative approach to cooking, which combines classic French techniques with modern Australian flavors.

“This was such an honor for Amah and a great treat for our clientele,” Chef Jose shared. “We were so excited to have had the opportunity to work in the same kitchen as Chef Donovan and to have him guide us as we prepared dishes he developed. It was definitely a major milestone for all of us at Amah. And our guests for those two nights were so lucky for the experience that was in store.”

Chef Donovan Cooke was just as excited about the dinner event. “These young chefs are very dedicated and passionate about their craft. They could have taken it easy during the pandemic, found an excuse to just lay around and rest like many of us did during the lockdowns. But they forged ahead because they’re all determined to continue learning and honing their talents. It was my privilege to be one of their mentors, to encourage them as they make their marks in the business.”

A symphony of flavors

The 14-course dinner took Amah Restaurant’s guests on an exciting flavor journey, with each dish thoughtfully designed to showcase the interplay of ingredients.

The meal startsedwith a refreshing Chilled Oyster Truffle Soup with cos lettuce, followed by the delicate balance of Mud Crab with pomelo, coriander, and ginger. The Torched Sardines with escabeche olive offered a burst of smoky and umami flavors, while the Seared Spiced Tuna with Watercress, pickled mushroom, and truffle dressing offered a combination of spice and earthy notes.

The dinner progressed with the richness of the Mussels Mariniere with parsley and white wine sauce, and the Baby Squid with Pear, Parma Ham, and olive oil emulsion that offered a delightful play of sweet and savory flavors. The Grilled Octopus with Piperade and Spanish chorizo brought a smoky touch to the table, while the Slow Roast Free Range Chicken with celery heart and sauce Bois Bourdain offers a comforting and savory indulgence.

The Hibachi Grilled King Prawn with asparagus and shellfish citrus vinaigrette added a burst of freshness, while the Curry Roast Mahi-Mahi with cauliflower, capers, raisins, and apple offered a unique blend of sweet and spicy flavors. The Spiced Roast Duck with fig compote and spice jus brought a depth of flavors with its combination of sweet and savory notes, while the Braised Beef Shin with balsamic onion and bordelaise sauce offered a rich and succulent experience.

The meal came to a close with the delightful Mango and Almond Cake with Mango Salad and Banana Passionfruit Sorbet, followed by the Spiced Pineapple with Pain Perdu and gingerbread ice cream, offering a sweet and tangy finale to the flavor journey.

To fully appreciate the intricacies of each dish, diners were encouraged to savor each bite, to allow the flavors to linger on the palate while taking note of the unique combinations of ingredients, the textures, and the subtle nuances of flavors that Chef Jose and his team have masterfully crafted. Each dish tells a story, a culmination of culinary expertise and creativity, meant to be savored and enjoyed to the fullest.

After successfully executing a challenging 14-course menu in collaboration with Chef Donovan Cooke, it’s clear that Chef Jose Villareal and his team of student-chefs from Amah Restaurant are ready to take the local food scene by storm. This unique culinary experience allowed them to showcase their skills and creativity in the kitchen, while learning from a master chef like Donovan Cooke.

It sure is exciting to anticipate what more these enterprising young restaurateurs will be able to come up with in the future with the hidden gem Amah Restaurant as the backdrop for these culinary adventures!

Amah Restaurant is located at 27 F. Segundo Street, Phase 4, AFPOVAI, Taguig City, open Tuesdays to Fridays from 5pm to 10pm and Saturdays to Sundays from 10am to 10pm.

To know more about its regular menu, visit its website or follow Amah on Facebook and Instagram. To reserve your table, call +63 998 9721198 or +63 917 5101368, or visit heirloomamah.com/reserveme.

Disclosure: Together with fellow content creators, I attended a food tasting held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to us at no cost.

Seafood feasts cooked at home, thanks to Mundo’s Seafood

Do you like seafood? Hubby and I do, and we’ve been trying to get the kiddos to develop a taste for them.

After all, seafood can be quite delicious: there are countless ways to prepare these bounties from the sea, from grilling to frying to baking, and they can be easily paired with a variety of different flavors and ingredients that make for exciting gustatory adventures for the fam.

However, eating seafood at restaurants can cost you a pretty penny. While a great way to get around this hurdle is to cook seafood at home, this presents another obstacle to overcome: how can we source seafood for delicious home meals that are fresh yet won’t burn a hole through our pockets.

Well, my ever-resourceful Hubby solved this problem the last two weekends when he had a strong hankering for some seafood.

He simply got in touch with one of his former schoolmates who now operates Mundo’s Seafood and ordered fresh items for our Saturday dinners:

3 kilos of Aklan oysters (“talaba”): ₱160/kilo (and another 2 kilos a week later because we liked it so much!)
2 pcs of tuna jaw (“panga”): ₱380/pc
2 kilos of wild prawns (“sugpo”): ₱750/kilo

Cheesy Baked Oysters

Mundo’s Seafood delivers fresh seafood to anywhere in Metro Manila and nearby areas, thereby bringing the pleasures of the sea to the plates of the metro’s seafood lovers.

All it took was for Hubby to place his orders and send his playments via GCash, then, voila! Fresh seafood was delivered right to our doorstep, allowing us to enjoy these benefits of cooking fresh seafood at home:

Freshness. Since the seafood were delivered the same day that we will cook them, these were not sitting around nor stored in the freezer for too long, ensuring that they seafood retain their flavor and texture. (Although we did get quite a workout when, together with Yaya, we shucked all those oysters and deveined those prawns!)

Health Benefits. Fresh seafood are loaded with nutrients, such as protein, vitamins, and minerals, that are essential for maintaining a healthy body. Cooking seafood at home allowed you to prepare them in healthy ways, like grilling or baking, which helped to preserve the nutrients and reduce the fat content. (Still, there’s nothing wrong with a little – or a lot of – deep-fried prawn tempura every once in a while, right?)

Cost savings. Since we were able to source our seafood ingredients from Mundo’s Seafood’s affordably-priced options, our delectable seafood feasts didn’t break the bank.

Grilled Tuna Panga

Variety. Cooking seafood at home allowed us to experiment with different recipes and cooking techniques. I was able to flex my culinary muscles by whipping up some Cheesy Baked Oysters and Wild Prawn Tempura (I learned the recipe from Chef Gene Gonzalez of the Center of Asian Culinary Studies) while Hubby showed off his grill-master prowess with his signature Grilled Tuna Panga.

Basically, we proved that cooking fresh seafood at home is a great way to enjoy healthy and delicious meals that give us a break from our usual weekend ulams. Plus, thanks to Mundo’s Seafood, we were able to enjoy our sumptuous seafood feasts without spending so much.

By the way, if you’re planning a party, you can wow your guests with freshly shucked oysters with the help of Mundo’s Seafood’s Oyster Bar. With packages ranging from ₱8,999 (good for 50 persons) to ₱15,999 (good for 100 persons), your guests can enjoy unlimited oysters for two hours along with free sauces and other inclusions depending on the package (such as baked oysters, wagyu cubes, shrimp cocktail and lobster rolls). Plus, the oyster cart can be decorated to match your party’s theme.

Wild Prawn Tempura

Now, what are the chances I can get Hubby to sponsor this for me for my birthday party? Hehehehe…

To know more about Mundo’s Seafood or to place your orders, send a message through its Facebook or Instagram pages, or call +63 918 3524786.

New Rice Baked Oysters at Seafood and Oyster Bar, The Grid Food Market

Craving for fresh oysters?

Well, the shuck-ingly good news is that you can simply hie yourself down to The Grid Food Market to eat your fill of these tasty samples of the sea’s bounty.

Seafood and Oyster Bar (SOB) operates an Oyster Cart which serves up freshly shucked oysters you can slurp right off the shell.

Yep, you can savor their briny taste and silky texture – whether raw with spiced vinegar, doused with garlic butter, heated with a few drops of tabasco or as an oyster shot – as easy as walking up to an SOB Shuck Buddy and ordering your preferred variant.

And why not?

Oysters, after all, are quite good for you. They are low-calorie sources of Vitamin B12 (said to help in keeping your brain healthy) and micronutrients Vitamin D, copper, zinc, and manganese (which help in keeping osteoporosis at bay).

But wait, there are more reasons to enjoy them: Seafood and Oyster Bar is launching three new rice baked oyster flavors.

Check them out:

Truffled Mushroom (Php280/3pcs | Php550/6pcs). The best of the land and sea meet up with oysters topped with cheese and earthy truffle-flavored rice with mushroom bits.

Herbed Chili Garlic (Php280/3pcs | Php550/6pcs). Oysters topped with cheese and herb-and-garlic flavored rice with that subtle heat from the chilis.

Creamy Sisig (Php280/3pcs | Php550/6pcs). The savory, fatty and citrusy flavors of every Pinoy’s favorite dish gets mixed in with all those fresh oyster goodness.

Curious yet? Be sure to give these a try!

Catch these fresh bites of the ocean Wednesdays to Sundays by heading straight to Stall No 8 at The Grid Food Market, Powerplant Mall, Rockwell Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati.

(PS: They will also soon be available at Public Eatery in Robinsons Magnolia.)

For more details on its menu items and offers, follow Seafood and Oyster Bar on Facebook and Instagram.

The Grid Food Market is the resident food hall of Powerplant Mall which offers a wide range of flavors to cater to various cravings.

Check out my previous posts on other cuisines available at The Grid Food Market:

#ChinoyComfortFood at White Flower Tea House

America’s BEST BURGER of 2022 available at The Grid Food Market

Treat mom to Manila Ocean Park’s Under the SEAfood Buffet for an advanced Mother’s Day celebration

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, I’m sure we’re all looking for ways to make it a day to remember for our moms.

The most important women in our lives deserve nothing but the very best on their special day, right?

The traffic jams during the mad scramble for our go-to restaurant haunts on May 8 will also stress our mamas out.

So why don’t we treat our moms to a truly memorable time at Manila Ocean Park the day before Mother’s Day?

On May 7, from 4pm to 9pm, with Manila Ocean Park’s Under the SEAfood Buffet (Php2,299/adult | Php1,839/kids 11 years old or younger), our moms and our loving families can look forward to:

A Scrumptious and Sustainable Seafood Dinner.

The whole fam can feast on the sea’s bounty with a delicious buffet spread laden with classic faves and fresh takes on Philippine and Asian seafood dishes as well as local produce, all ably catered by Hotel H2O’s Makan Makan Asian Food Village.

A Tour of the Park’s Well-Loved Attractions

Awaiting the family’s enjoyment – both the young and the young-heart – are six of the park’s educational and interactive attractions. From a trip into the watery depths at the Oceanarium and Jellies Exhibit, a sojourn to Antarctica for the Penguin Exhibit and the Christmas Village, to the playful forays into the Super Toy Collection and World of Creepy Crawlies, there’s something to catch everyone’s fancy.

Manila Ocean Park Reopening — Christmas Village

Meet and Greet with Manila Ocean Park’s Mermaid

Let’s make our moms’ fairytale fantasies come true with an encounter with Manila Ocean Park’s mesmerizing and magical mermaid.

Plus, our moms also get their very own special flower souvenir from Manila Ocean Park to commemorate their special day.

A pre-Mother’s Day celebration at Manila Ocean Park is a great way to trear our mamas to new and exciting experiences while showing them our love and appreciation.

So what are you waiting for?

Set up your family’s advanced Mother’s Day celebration at Manila Ocean Park today. Book your tickets here.

Do take note of these details:

Event will be held on May 7, 2022 from 4pm to 9pm at the Oceanarium Area.
Registration starts at 3pm.
Tour of attractions starts at 4pm and ends at 6pm.
Dinner buffet will be served from 6.30pm to 8.30pm.
Children below 2 feet are free of charge.

Manila Ocean Park is located behind the Quirino Grandstand, Luneta, Roxas Boulevard, Manila. Book your tickets for your Manila Ocean Park visit via Klook.

For more news and updates on its attractions and offers, follow Manila Ocean Park on Facebook and Instagram.

Check out my previous posts about Manila Ocean Park:

Manila Ocean Park's Francis Low — Profile: Manila Ocean Park’s Francis Low

Photo Credits: Images of the Seafood Buffet and Mermaid were taken from Manila Ocean Park’s Facebook Page. Used with permission.

Dining indulgence at Cowrie Grill

Sometimes, the occasion calls for you to indulge in the finer things in life – and what better to splurge on than an unforgettable meal? Paying homage to its former home with old world opulence, The Manila Hotel-managed Cowrie Grill delights guests by offering the choicest selection of meats and seafood.

Fine dining goes one step further at Cowrie Grill. It is a gem of a restaurant located at Promenade 3 Mall, Greenhills on Missouri Street. It is upscale and impressive, coupled with warm service reserved for VIP guests like you. Explore our distinctively flavored steaks handcrafted by our chefs, as well as tantalizing menu that includes main entrees, appetizers, healthy greens, and desserts!

As a start, go for the French Onion Soup, or try the Maitre D’ Caesar Salad – freshly prepared greens with crunch from romaine lettuce, croutons, generously drizzled in olive oil, cheese and bacon complemented by the sweet and zesty Caesar salad dressing. Pair it with the flavorful pan-seared scallops on mushroom risotto.

Menu standouts here are the Surf and Turf set duo of Pitik Lobster Thermidor [fresh slipper lobster] and US Angus Beef Tenderloin with baked garlic and garden vegetables. Go for US Angus Beef Rib or the US Angus Chateaubriand that are seasoned and grilled to perfection. Complement this with any of Cowrie Grill’s fine selection of red wines. You also have a choice of a generous serving of certified Angus Beef Tomahawk [best shared by two].

When it comes to the food, Cowrie Grill is a great place to go for variety. Aside from meat cooked to perfection, the seafood is much more than an afterthought. Pescatarians will enjoy our mouth-watering sweet and silky Chilean Sea Bass, or the Grilled Norwegian Salmon Steak.

You must also try other good choices like the Symphony of Scallops, Baked Oysters, Iberico pork loin, and Angus Beef Burger.
An excellent ending to your hearty meal is our Chuao Chocolate Gateau, a rich four-layered cake served with Crème Anglaise.

Then, there’s the crowd favorite, Baked Alaska, with its perfectly browned meringue, flambéed with brandy, mouthwatering moist sponge cake with strawberry ice cream in the middle, and layers of different textures and flavors all in one bite.

With scrumptious food and impeccable service, Cowrie Grill’s guaranteed to impress. For table reservations, please call (02) 84631993 or email r.cowriegrill@themanilahotel.com.
Cowrie Grill may also be booked for exclusive functions for up to 30 guests.

About Cowrie Grill

Cowrie Grill used to be an in-house restaurant in The Manila Hotel but had to be transferred to San Juan in 1993 to give way to the famed Café Ilang-Ilang. With its classic and elegant interior, Cowrie Grill is perfect for celebrating special occasions like Father’s Day. It caters best to families and friends looking for a good intimate fine-dining place to relax and have a good meal after work or shopping. Guests can book the entire restaurant for an exclusive small function in strict compliance to the heath and safety protocols in the guidelines of the IATF.

The Jelly List: Top breakfast finds at Lamp Quarters, Marikina

Foodies in Marikina and nearby places, it’s time to rise and shine, especially with the sumptuous breakfast choices awaiting you at Lamp Quarters!

This food hub nestled in the quiet suburb is a perfect place to enjoy the first meal of the day because:

It houses a diverse collection of restaurants offering various cuisines
It has a spacious outdoor dining area where you can meet up and dine with family and friends in comfort (you can also bring your fur-babies with you)
Its San Diego-inspired decor will make you feel like you’ve stepped into sunny Southern California

So if you’ve been feeling cooped up at home for the past few months, you can definitely step out and enjoy the morning in the great outdoors with these fab breakfast finds from Lamp Quarters’ restaurants.

Dampa sa Cogeo Marikina Branch

Get a taste of the sea’s bounty with Dampa sa Cogeo’s various seafood dishes plus more for a wonderful start to your day.

Breakfast Bilao (Php599, good for 2-3 people). What’s Pinoy breakfast without the silog? Enjoy a hearty meal with this breakfast staple along with daing na bangus, tocino and beef tapa, all classic flavors we just love to wake up to!

Seafood Stir-fry (Php699, good for 2-3 people). For breakfast with a bit of zing, check out this sumptuous seafood dish made with fresh crab, squid, mussels and shrimp stir-fried with veggies in a slightly spicy tomato sauce. You’d definitely be asking for extra rice to go with this!

Dampa sa Cogeo also delivers its seafood bilao and party trays. For more details, call +63 945 8646423 or +63 961 4207400 or follow it on Facebook.

Night & Day Restorante

A fusion of Italian and American flavors await you at Night & Day.

With its Breakfast Buffet (Php299, available on weekends from 8am to 11am), you can feast on a whole slew of tasty, all-you-can-eat breakfast dishes. This July, the breakfast buffet consist of beef salpicao, corned beef, daing na bangus, aglio olio, pancakes and waffles, sanwiches and sliders, eggs, roasted sesame salad and breads, accompanied by iced tea, lemonade or hot chocolate.

Night & Day is open everyday from 8am to 10pm. To reserve your slots for its Breakfast Buffet, call +63 917 1079678.

For updates on its offers and promos, follow it on Facebook and Instagram.

Kebomb

A wise man once said “Why have abs when you can have kebabs?”

Why, indeed, when you can indulge yourself with delicious yet very affordable Mediterranean-inspired food that will also appeal to Pinoy tastebuds!

Widen your morning meal horizons with Kebomb’s breakfast dishes such as beef shawarma tapa, kebab longganisa meal and chicken tocino meal, as well as its best-sellers like beef or chicken kebab rice plates, keema, keemadilla, hummus, Persian burgers in shawarma wrap and my newest favorite: chicken skin nachos!

Kebomb also delivers via Grabfood and FoodPanda. Pickup options are also available. For more details, call +63 956 9781805 or follow it on Facebook or Instagram.

So if you want to catch the sun’s early morning rays as you fill up on tasty breakfast meals with family and friends, drop by Lamp Quarters in Marikina!

Lamp Quarters is located along Gil Fernando Street, Centro de Buenviaje, Bgy Santo Nino, Marikina City. For updates on its special promos and events, follow Lamp Quarters on Facebook and Instagram.

Disclosure: Together with my foodie friends, I attended a food tasting held at this venue. Food items mentioned here were served to elicit honest feedback and were not paid for by the attendees.

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.

Check out my posts on other seafood restos in the metro:

#TheBistroGroup Trinoma Food Crawl: Fish & Co.

Truth be told: Fish & Co. was not among my go-to restaurants. Being a carnivore, I gravitated to restaurants centered on steaks, ribs and meat. And boy, have I been missing out on quite a lot!

This I discovered when my foodie friends and I went on an epic food trip at Trinoma Mall of which Fish & Co. was the second stop.

Fish & Co. is a casual dining restaurant that serve fresh seafood in a pan. Drawing inspiration from the practices of Mediterranean fishermen who cooked their freshly caught seafood on board their boats and ate directly off the pans where they cooked their food to ease their hunger pangs while they’re at sea.

The restaurant prides itself on offering the freshest seafood, prepared with natural and wholesome ingredients and served in generous portions.

Fish & Co. is one of the restaurants managed by The Bistro Group, a collection of international and local hospitality brands.

In response to the need of the times, The Bistro Group has instituted safety protocols for safe dining-in at its restaurants. These include: regular health checks for all its personnel, compliance of all outdoor and indoor seating to physical distancing guidelines, hand sanitizers available at the entrance and on every table, as well as contactless menu ordering and payment.

These protocols require diners to submit to temperature checks, provide contact tracing details and using the hand sanitizers and sanitation mats prior to entering the restaurant premises, as well as wearing their personal protective equipment (PPEs) while inside. Would-be diners who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to people who do, have underlying health conditions or have concerns about contracting the disease when dining out are advised to stay home and avail of the restaurant’s contactless delivery options.

With safety concerns adequately addressed, diners can fully get down to getting hooked by Fish & Co.’s sumptuous dishes such as:

Ceasar Salad with Ramen Egg (Php295/Php495). Romaine lettuce tossed with croutons and parmesan cheese in house Caesar dressing and topped with marinated egg.

Crispy Fish Skin (Php195). Deep-fried salmon skin served with cocktail vinegar and spicy mango vinaigrette.

Singaporean Fried Chicken (Php795). Deep-fried marinated chicken served with house gravy.

Seafood Spaghetti Marinara (Php355/Php595). Clams, prawn and fish cubes, tossed in our homemade tomato-basil sauce.

The Best Fish in Town (Php395/Php525). A slab of lightly battered fish deep-fried to a beautiful and crispy golden brown and served with tartar sauce.

At Fish & Co., you get a delicious taste of the sea’s bounty and more!

You can also get great savings with the BFF Card, The Bistro Group’s loyalty program that gives members exclusive perks across 15 restaurant brands such as:

30% off on Mondays
20% off on Tueadays
Complimentary coffee or hot tea single-serve with entree purchase
Online seats reservation
Six Php250 e-vouchers with minimum purchase of Php1,000 per voucher

This Fish & Co. branch is located at Fourth Floor, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 8pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 79162028, +63 2 7916 0105 or +63 977 2414903.

Other branches are located at:

Ground Floor, Venice Grand Canal Mall, Upper Mckinley Road, Taguig City
4th Floor, The Deck, Uptown Place Mall, 36th Street Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
G/F Entertainment Mall, MOA Complex, Pasay City

Fish & Co. delivers via FoodPanda.

Check out my posts about other restos of The Bistro Group:

Your faves at Buy One Get One at TGI Fridays

Until July 31, customers can enjoy Buy One Get One deals on TGI Fridays’ most popular dishes on their designated days.

Miss eating out and dealing with a monster appetite? Here’s some good news: you can feast on your American comfort food faves twice over at TGI Fridays!

That’s what I did with my friend EJ of ILoveToEatPH this Sunday when we met up at TGI Fridays Boni High Street in BGC.

It’s been a while since we last saw each other, and quite a long while since I last ate out. And what better place to meet up and catch up than at TGI Fridays?

This global restaurant chain started in 1960s New York when Alan Stillman established a bar at the corner of 63rd and First Streets. There, he served big American burgers and beer always available on tap for his guests, making sure that they’re having a great time.

TGI Fridays is where friends and family can come together to eat their favorite American comfort food and enjoy a lively and energetic vibe. Plus, they can dine here confident that the resto is equipped to serve them in the New Normal.

When TGI Fridays re-opened for dine-in service last June 15, it has already adopted protocols and new service processes that help to safeguard the health and safety of its customers. These include:

Reduction of its seating capacity
Requirement of facemasks, temperature checks and use of disinfection mats prior to entry
Provision of hand sanitizers at the takeout, service, cashier and restroom/handwashing areas
Updating of floor plans and table arrangements to enable diners to maintain physical distancing
Adoption of no-contact processes (online via QR codes) for health declarations, menu ordering and payments

And to sweeten the experience of people venturing out to eat after extended home stays, TGI Fridays has extended its Buy One Get One Everyday offer. Until July 31, customers can enjoy BOGO deals on TGI Fridays’ most popular dishes on their designated days:

Mondays: Fridays Signature Burger, Fridays Cheeseburger and Shiitake Truffle Burger
Tuesdays: Baby Back Ribs
Wednesdays: Chicken Fingers
Thursdays: Fridays Liempo
Fridays: Fridays Mozzarella
Saturdays: Three-Meat Platter
Sundays: Seafood Platter

EJ and I munched on two orders of the Seafood Platter for just Php1,450, thanks to this BOGO deal. Each platter contains fried calamari, fish ‘n chips (battered white fish fillet and fries) and battered shrimp, accompanied by marinara and tartar sauce.

We also sipped a couple of refreshing Classic Mojitos (Php385) made with rum, mint and soda (although I asked mine to be made sans the alcohol – don’t drink and drive, folks!) and munched on complimentary nachos while waiting for our orders.

Dining out in the New Normal may involve new protocols that may take some getting used to. But, with great food and the company of great friends, who’s to say the experience won’t be as enjoyable as before?

Oh, and did I say that the Buy One Get One Everyday Promo is available for dine, to-go, pick up and delivery via GrabFood?

Participating stores include:

Bonifacio High Street (+63 2 88562997 | +63 995 4814847 | +63 935 2507044)
Alabang Town Center (+63 2 88429355 | +63 917 9530628 | +63 953 1441147)
Evia Lifestyle Center (+63 2 88693429 | +63 915 0298826 | +63 966 4225015)
SM Mall of Asia (+63 2 88219166 | +63 917 6761358 | +63 977 714 5903)
Glorietta (+63 2 88928910 | +63 936 9912036 | +63 936 8895744)

Thanks to EJ for the treat!

This TGI Fridays branch is located at B4 Bonifacio High Street, 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. Click here to book your table.

Get the romance burnin’ this February at 390 Degrees, Entertainment City

At last January is over and done with. Now, let’s get ourselves in gear for the month of hearts – February!

And what better way to celebrate this month than to spend time with our Significant Other in a special place, one that can provide not only a venue for a romantic outing but also good food that can make the experience truly memorable?

Well, venture into the still seemingly uncharted Aseana City Business Park in Paranaque and there you will find the newly opened 390 Degrees.

Operated by the same team that brought about Ombu Kusina in Quezon City, 390 Degrees brings the same hearty servings and imaginative takes on comfort food in an elegantly well-appointed setting that Ombu Kusina does.

Here, though, the restaurant’s concept centers around its charcoal brick oven which influences all of its dishes. In fact, the resto’s name 390 Degrees refers to the temperature that restaurant’s oven must maintain to produce its delectable dishes.

In a special foodie meetup hosted by 390 Degrees’ head chef Mark Griffin Oraiz and marketing head Tammy Lim, my fellow food bloggers and I were treated to a sneak peek into the resto’s exciting Valentine’s offering.

Curious yet? Imagine dining with your special someone on a special meal for two which consist of:

Tomato Soup with Ravioli. Thick soup of pureed tomatoes topped with spinach-cheese ravioli to warm your tummies and your hearts.

Chicken Ceasar Salad. Get your taste buds ready with this hearty salad made with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, bell peppers and sliced hard-boiled egg tossed in a creamy Ceasar salad dressing topped with a dash of paprika and topped with sliced charcoal-grilled chicken.

Pepper Crusted Steak. Juicy steak with peppery seasoning charcoal grilled to a medium doneness. You can choose two side dishes to go with this dish (and the chef recommends Sweet Potato Mash and Cauliflower and Cheese.

Two Mini Salted Caramel Cream Puffs. Finish off the meal with these cute and not-too-sweet pastries.

Two Glasses of Shiraz Red Wine. All the better to drink to more wonderful times ahead!

This special Valentine’s meal is available from February 3 to 29 for only Php2000! So what are you waiting for? Book your Valentine’s date today!

The tasty eats don’t stop at Valentine’s, though. Check out the other yummy viands you can enjoy with your family and friends:

Vegetable Chowder (Php200). A cream-based soup with mixed vegetables served inside a charcoal-baked bread bowl.

Seafood Marinara (Php270). Mixed seafood tossed with fusili pasta in a savory tomato sauce.

Margherita Pizza (Php290). Tomato, basil and mozarella top a hand-stretched charcoal-baked pizza.

The Black Burger (Php530). A hefty and juicy charcoal-grilled burger patty sandwiched in charcoal activated burger bun with fresh lettuce, tomatoes, caramelized onions and cheese.

Blackened Salmon (Php880). A charcoal-baked salmon fillet with creamy dill sauce which go so well with Rice Pilaf as a side dish. I usually look for a cream cheese topping for baked salmon but this dish has no need for it.

Tiramisu. 390 Degrees’ take on the coffee-based Italian dessert.

All those good food will work up quite a thirst. Fortunately, 390 Degrees has a bevy of refreshing drinks to quench your thirst:

390 Signature Iced Tea (Php120). House-brewed black tea given some zest by the addition of lemon and pineapple.

Tropical Lagoon Soda (Php120). A fun and citrusy fizzy drink made with blue curacao, orange juice and soda water.

Mountain Mojito (Php130). A herb-flavored drink made with lime, mint leaves and soda water.

With such delish dishes and drinks, 390 Degrees is slated to be one of the hottest foodie destinations this side of the metro!

Many thanks to Tammy, Chef Griffin and the staff of 390 Degrees for the warm and fun welcome and the delightful food and to Kaycee of Date For Two for extending the invitation!

390 Degrees is located at Ground Floor, Sequioa Hotel Manila, Aseana City Business Park, Entertainment City, Paranaque, open daily from 6.30am to 10pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 921 2446502 or +63 945 639 0724.

For the meantime, the restaurant accepts payments in cash only.

Check out my posts on other places for your romantic date in the metro:

1 Peso Flash Sale at Seascape Village

Among the things we love so much about going to coastal provinces is the calming and welcoming presence of the sea: the relaxing sound of the waves and wind, the laid-back atmosphere and, of course, the abundance of fresh and flavorful seafood.

There is a place right here in the metro where we can enjoy all three and we don’t even have to travel outside the city to get there. We Metro Manila denizens can have our own seaside escape at Seascape Village.

This sprawling complex combines top restaurants of varying concepts and origins with stalls of fresh seafood and an amazing view of Manila Bay. Here, foodies can converge with their friends and families to enjoy an exciting blend of cuisine, culture and community. Food can be ordered from the restaurants’ ala carte menus or can be cooked according to the diner’s choice using the fresh seafood from the clean and modern wet market conveniently located within the complex.

And guess what: it won’t stop here. This is just the first of four phases in an impressive bay side development that will soon include lifestyle and wellness, events and entertainment, hotel and commercial complex set to be completed within the next two years.

For the meantime, though, we can already enjoy the delicious offerings of the restaurants located here. In fact, on weekdays from November to January, Seascape Village visitors can enjoy a bountiful meal for only Php1, thanks to its monthly 1 Peso Flash Sale.

Here’s how:

Step One: Accomplish any one of the following to claim the Php1 deal.

Like Seascape Village’s Facebook Page and share the promo post of the month.
Follow it on Instagram and repost the promo post of the month
Share the promo post on Viber, WeChat, WhatsApp or any chat group with a minimum of 200 members

Step Two: Form a group of five and visit any of the participating restaurants on a weekday, from 12 noon to 2pm or 6pm to 8pm. You just need to show proof that Step One has been accomplished.

Participating restaurants include Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant, GoGo Kitchen, Golden China, Golden Fortune Seafood Restaurant, Lola Ina’s Seafood Paluto Restaurant, Mazu Seaside Diner, The Country Crab and Yatai Asian Cuisine.

Want to know what’s in store for you? Well, check out the viands my foodie friends and I feasted on when we visited Seascape Village.

November: Chicken

3 Cups Chicken at Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant.. Also called sanbeiji, this Taiwanese braised poultry dish got its name from the traditional use of 1 cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine. Basil, ginger, garlic and spring onions are added to flavor the dish. Legend has it that a sympathetic prison warden prepared this dish (using these limited number of ingredients) for the Chinese poet and patriot Wen Tianxiang prior to his execution ordered by Kublai Khan.

GoGo Fried Chicken at GoGo Kitchen. Tender and juicy chicken pieces coated with GoGo Kitchen’s housemade breading.

December: Pampano

Pompano in Tausi at Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant. This mildly-flavored fish is fried instead of steamed, giving its skin a slight crispy texture which contrasts well with the black bean sauce.

Fried Pampano in Black Bean Chili at GoGo Kitchen. The mildly flavored pampano fish is enhanced by the tausi chili sauce.

What about the offers for January? I guess you’ll have to watch this space to find out, huh! 😉

Seascape Village is located at Atang dela Rama, CCP Complex (near Sofitel), Pasay City. For inquiries, call +63 2 88697452.

Check out my full reviews of the restaurants I visited here:

Seafood Feast at Dampa Seafood Grill, Tomas Morato

There’s something about feasting on the ocean’s bounty that seems so special, especially to us Pinoys. Living in an archipelago, we are surrounded by water teeming with fish, crustaceans and all other seafood that we have found numerous ways to cook and enjoy.

A recently opened restaurant in the foodie-friendly Tomas Morato area is poised to answer the cravings of the QC denizens for fresh, tasty and beautifully prepared seafood.

Dampa Seafood Grill originally opened in Dubai and later expanded to Abu Dhabi, soon gaining popularity among the Filipinos and foreigners working in the Middle East due to its happy and laid-back atmosphere, that signature warm Filipino hospitality, and, of course, great-tasting food.

With the opening of its first store in the country, we can say that the brand has finally come home.

The place boasts of sprawling premises where a large number of people can dine comfortably, both indoors and al fresco. The ambiance is casual and fun, with neon signs and artwork that serve as points of interest or backdrops for the photo opps. While it already has quite a sizeable parking space, it apparently was not enough given the number of people who dine here. Fortunately, two people are assigned to help car owners park or bring out their vehicles.

However, the main draw here is the food. Together with my fellow food bloggers, I feasted on the sea’s bounty and more during a recent Blogger Event held here. These included:

Crispy Salt and Pepper Squid (Php275). Crunchy and crispy, and with a bit of heat, this version of calamari is a great meal starter.

Grilled Squid (Php329). Marinated squid grilled to tasty perfection.

Baked Mussel (Php230). Melted cheese and garlic top these mussels which disappeared as soon as we started eating. Go figure.

Kinilaw na Isda (Php219). The Pinoy version of the ceviche, this is a staple in many gatherings and drinking sessions.

Crispy Tilapia (Php199). Battered slices of tilapia fillet fried to a crispy golden brown. Goes well with the aoili dip. Yum!

Liempo Two-Way (Php348). There’s more than one way to enjoy pork belly: with this dish, you can have grilled or deep-fried. The best of both worlds, IMHO.

Grilled Panga ng Tuna (Php499). One of my childhood favorites: a portion of the giant tuna’s jaw is marinated and grilled. I love digging into the bones for the flavorful meat!

Ultimate Crispy Pata (Php498). Falling-off-the-bone tender (I broke of pieces using just one hand!) and juicy pata (pig knuckles), deep-fried for that flavorfully crispy skin. Something I’m willing to risk “putok-batok” for!

The piece de resistance of any dining experience at Dampa Seafood Grill is the Dump @ Seafest. For only Php1,599, your group of up to 3 people can feast on the days freshest catch – shrimps, clams, crabs, mussels and corn – as these are dumped along with all the rice you can eat onto your table for a messy but happy boodle fight meal. Choose from among 6 flavors for your feast which you can dial up or down in spiciness levels: Mardi Gras (lemon and herb), El Mexico (Mexican spiciness), Salted Eggsperience (salted egg in white sauce), Thai Curry or Cajun (a mix of salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic and chili, just the way the Louisiana Cajuns like their food).

When we sat down to eat, it was perfectly understandable that we would be “galit-galit muna;” we definitely wouldn’t be focusing on social niceties while we’re wolfing down the food. #SorryNotSorry

I especially enjoyed dousing my rice in the salted egg white sauce. Mmmm, yummy!

Each Dump @ Seafest also comes with free two liters of non-alcoholic Fishbowl Mocktails (also available ala carte for Php198/liter). Take your pick among six refreshing flavors: Sex Appeal (brewed iced tea with lemon and grenadine), Green Minded (green apple with lemon), Blue Jobs (pineapple juice with blue curacao), Lindsay Lohan (passion fruit, pineapple and soda), Amaretto Sunset (amaretto flavor, mango, four seasons and fresh lemon), and Incredible Hulk (mojito flavor with cucumber).

Feeling adventurous? Get a colorful cocktail to go with your meal. Ask the friendly bartender for his recommendation.

Needless to say, my fellow foodies and I ate our fill of fresh and yummy seafood and more at Dampa Seafood Grill!

Many thanks to Kristine and the staff of Dampa Seafood Grill for the warm welcome and the wonderful seafood feast and to Aileen of AileenL Loves to Eat for extending the invitation!

Experience Oktoberfest at Dampa Seafood Grill with Buy 1 Get 1 deals on local beers everyday, from opening to closing, this October. This promo is available on Red Horse (Php80), San Miguel Pale Pilsen (Php70) and San Mig Light (Php70).

Dampa Seafood Grill is located at 71 Scout Limbaga Street, Bgy. Laging Handa, Quezon City, open daily from 12 noon to 2am. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 916 105 2421.

Disclosure: Together with fellow foodies, I attended a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare in exchange for honest reviews and were not paid for by the attendees including myself.

Check out my reviews of other seafood restaurants:

Great eats at GoGo Kitchen, Seascape Village

Out with friends or family?

How about treating yourself and your companions to a meal at GoGo Kitchen at Seascape Village in Pasay City?

GoGo Kitchen boasts of a modern black-white-green decor that still exudes a homey vibe. Here, small groups to entire families can enjoy its own versions of Chinese and Filipino dishes ala carte or have fresh seafood and other items purchased at Seascape Village’s wet market cooked by the resto’s chefs.

Together with fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH, I attended a food crawl organized by Seascape Village, the second stop of which was at this restaurant. Here, we tasted some of its signature dishes which included:

GoGo Fried Chicken (Php280 for small | Php380 for medium | Php480 for large). Tender and juicy chicken pieces coated with GoGo Kitchen’s housemade breading.

Fried Pampano in Black Bean Chili (Php350 for small | Php450 for medium | Php550 for large). The mildly flavored pampano fish is enhanced by the tausi chili sauce.

Grilled Liempo (Php320 for small | Php420 for medium | Php520 for large). Thick slabs of marinated pork belly, grilled for that wonderfully smokey taste and juicy texture.

Black Pepper Beef (Php450 for small | Php550 for medium | Php650 for large). Beef slices braised in a spicy black pepper sauce.

Salted Egg Shrimp (Php480 for small | Php580 for medium | Php680 for large). Succulent fresh shrimp cooked Singaporean-style in salted egg yolk, milk and spices.

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php280 for small | Php380 for medium | Php480 for large). A staple in any Asian restaurant, this special kind of fried rice made of cooked rice, bits of pork and aromatics serve as a perfect complement to the dishes served.

Buchi. Known in China as jian dui and more commonly as sesame balls, this is a favorite dessert after a Chinese meal made of glutinous rice studded with sesame seeds and filled with a lotus paste.

My friends and I had our fill of yummy food and laughter which just goes to show: good food and good company make for a great time!

Thanks to Mica and the crew of GoGo Kitchen for the warm welcome and the fantastic eats, and to Jen and Louie of Seascape Village for inviting us!

Enjoy free dishes at GoGo Kitchen when you unlock your Zomato Gold privilege. 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 at here. Use my code JELLYB to get 10% off the membership fee.

Get up to 50% off the buffet rates when you book your table via Eatigo, restaurant reservation app that offers time-based discounts everyday in its 2,000 partner restaurants. Use this link when you register and get rewards points that you can redeem for gift vouchers and restaurant freebies.

GoGo Kitchen is located at Seascape Village, Atang dela Rama Street, CCP Complex, Pasay City (beside Sofitel Philippine Plaza), open daily from 11am to 10pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 915 5401181.

Disclosure: Together with fellow foodies, I attended a foodie meetup held at this restaurant. Food items mentioned here were served to allow us to sample the fare in exchange for an honest review and were not paid for by the attendees including myself.

Check out my reviews of other seafood restaurants:

A taste of Asia at Asian Taste, Seascape Village

Asia is home to many countries with varied geography, climes and cultures, giving rise to richly diverse cuisines.

At Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant, located at the foodie haven Seascape Village in Pasay City, this diversity is showcased and celebrated.

While the dining area at the ground floor is set up like a typical Chinese restaurant – complete with 10-seater round tables, each with a lazy susan so people can eat family style – the second floor VIP rooms add a stunning view of Manila Bay. Despite Seascape Village being a “paluto” area – where diners can buy their fish and other seafood from the wet market within the complex and have them cooked by the restaurant, Asian Taste added some fine dining elements to their diners’ experience with well-appointed surroundings and accommodating wait staff.

As explained by restaurant manager, Ryan Uy, Asian Taste’s menu spans several Asian cuisines, including Chinese (of course!), Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and more (even Filipino!), giving its diners a literal taste of Asia. To this end, the restaurant employs two chefs from Hong Kong who bring their flair and expertise in cooking up tasty Asian dishes.

Together with fellow foodies from #WeLoveToEatPH and #SaanSaPH, I attended a food crawl organized by Seascape Village, the first stop of which was at this restaurant. Here, we tasted some of its signature dishes which included:

3 Cups Chicken. Also called sanbeiji, this Taiwanese braised poultry dish got its name from the traditional use of 1 cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil and rice wine. Basil, ginger, garlic and spring onions are added to flavor the dish. Legend has it that a sympathetic prison warden prepared this dish (using these limited number of ingredients) for the Chinese poet and patriot Wen Tianxiang prior to his execution ordered by Kublai Khan.

Pompano in Tausi. This mildly-flavored fish is fried instead of steamed, giving its skin a slight crispy texture which contrasts well with the black bean sauce.

Salt and Pepper Liempo. Don’t be fooled by the seemingly simple preparation of this dish: juicy pork belly seasoned with salt and pepper then stir-fried to a golden brown and topped with chilis and garlic make for a flavorful viand.

Mango Lapu. This Singaporean dish is made of lightly-battered and fried lapu-lapu, topped with strips of green and yellow mango that added sweet and tart elements as well as contrasts in texture to the dish.

Golden Beans. Crisp French beans lightly coated with salted egg yolk batter, another culinary influence from Singapore.

Prawn Tempura. Large juicy tiger prawns covered in golden crispy batter. These have an extra layer of bubble-like batter for added crunch.

Asian Taste is clearly the place to be for a taste of Asia – different facets of a cuisine rich in stories and traditions, expressed in every dish.

Many thanks to Ryan and the staff of Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant for the warm welcome and the wonderful meal and to Jen and Louie of Seascape Village for inviting us.

Asian Taste Seafood Restaurant is located at Seascape Village, Atang dela Rama, CCP Complex, Pasay City (near Sofitel and Manila Film Center), open daily from 11am to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 8520877 or +63 917 8557926.

Check out my reviews of other seafood restaurants:

There’s something for everyone’s craving at Pob Stacion Food Park

For quite a while now, the Poblacion area has been reinventing itself from its previous incarnation as Makati’s red-light district and re-establishing itself as its foodie-friendly haven. Here, foodies can explore various options in food and drink spanning various cuisines and concepts.

If you were to pool some of those eateries together and concentrate them into one easily accessible place, you would have the Pob Stacion Food Park. Located at B. Valdez Street, Barangay Poblacion in Makati, a ten-minute walk from A Venue or Century City Mall, the newly opened multi-storey Pob Stacion houses a variety of concept food stalls that give the park’s visitors wondrous choices for their gastronomic adventure or to soothe their food cravings.

Recently, together with my fellow foodies, I had a taste of what Pob Stacion’s food outlets have to offer. Read on and check out my top picks.

Above Sea Level (Seafood)

As the home of the Giant Butterfly Squid (Php180 with 1 Java rice | Php250 with 2 Java rice | Php350 with 3 Java rice | Php450 with 4 Java rice), they really do serve it up big-time. Lightly battered, well-seasoned and fried to a golden-brown, each enormous squid by itself is good for two people and is best enjoyed with the resto’s vinegar dipping sauce.

If you’re feeling extra hungry or adventurous, add the Seafood Festival (Php380) to your order and bite into mouthwatering crab, shrimps, mussels and corn on a bed of Java rice doused with a buttery crab fat sauce, or the Spicy Squid Sisig (Php180) for a seafood take on the Pampanga delicacy.

Rib Pop (Pinoy-Korean Fusion)

With the Korean food craze firmly entrenched in the Philippine culinary scene, it’s hardly surprising that the two cuisines would mesh together at some point. That point is here at Rib Pop where the best of the two cuisines is highlighted in its Ribpop Sampler (Php400) which consists of its signature dishes: Black Ink Chicken Wings – squid ink bettered fried chicken pieces with spicy tangy sauce, Ribpop Bowl – your choice of rice topped with beef short ribs, and an assortment of banchan – small plates of Korean appetizers.

Octoboy (Japanese)

Who would have thought that Takoyaki (Php70 for 3 pcs | Php140 for 6 pcs), balls made of batter filled with chopped octopus meat, cooked in a specially shaped griddle and served with those wriggling Bonito flakes, would be such a hit with us Pinoys? If you’re on the lookout for something quick, cheap and yummy, Octoboy’s Takoyaki is your best bet.

Tokyo Tempura (Japanese)

Did you know that tempura, the Japanese method of deep-frying battered seafood and vegetables, was influenced the Portuguese who were residing in Nagasaki in the 16th century? Today, tempura is a mainstay in practically all Japanese restaurants in the country and is even gaining some foothold in Pinoy eateries through localized versions.

Tokyo Tempura’s versions are quick, yummy, easy to enjoy when you’re having a case of the munchies, and with affordably priced options which include Imperial Tempura (Php150 for 12 pcs), Tempura Rice (Php80) and Kani Tempura (Php55 for 6 pcs).

Want some spicy kick to go with your tempura? Add the Chili Cheese Poppers (Php55 for 4 pcs) to your order and take some heat from those tempura battered cheese-filled jalapenos!

Oskar’s Soul Kitchen (American)

If you’re looking for an alternative to your usual fastfood burger, check out Oskar’s Soul Kitchen’s Cheeseburger (Php220) – a quarter pound of ground Wagyu beef patty sandwiched in an oatmeal bun together with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles and the resto’s signature sauce.

Still have room for more? Add Angus Beef Hotdog (Php140), Fries Overload (Php160), or the Nachos Overload (Php150) to your order and eat to your heart’s content.

Wing’s Lab (American)

How about Wing’s Lab’s sinful take to your flavored chicken wings? Try its American Wings (Php699 with Nachos and Beef) which hits you with its Jack Daniels flavored sauce.

Want something to quench your thirst after those spicy wings? Take your pick from the resto’s refreshing and conveniently packaged Juices (Php60 – Blue Lemonade, Cucumber Lemonade and Melon with Milk). The best part is that you can easily take these handy juice packs with you all over the park and beyond.

Authentic House of Curry (Indian)

Get yourself a taste of the exotic with the Authentic House of Curry’s spicy Beef Rendang (Php240) and Lobster Scallop Balls (Php180). These dishes provide a nice South Asian flare to your food park fare.

Cha Tuk Chak (Thai Milk Tea)

While boba milk teas abound all over the metro, Thai milk teas are not as visible, which , for me, is a shame if Cha Tuk Chak’s drinks are anything to go by. From the world famous creamy and silky Cha Yen (Php110 regular | Php125 large), the sweeter, fruitier and caffeine free Nom Yen (Php120 regular | Php135 large), the sweet lemon-infused Thai Ruby (Php115 regular | Php130 large), the refreshing Thai tea with real lemon Thai Emerald (Php115 regular | Php130 large), and the gourmet dark chocolate milk tea given a Thai spin Koko Yen (Php110 regular), among others, you’ll have tasty thirst-quenching options as you navigate the food park.

Papa Diddi’s (Ice Cream)

And who can forget about dessert? Papa Diddi’s Hand-crafted Ice Cream (Php75 for 1 scoop | Php110 for 2 scoops | Php145 for 3 scoops) come in such unusual yet localized flavors that pay tribute not just to our Pinoy heritage but also to the farmer communities that supply the brand’s all-natural ingredients. From the fruity Mango Pili, the cheesy Queso Blanco with kesong puti and Cheese Closed with cheddar, the chocolatey Chocolate Lovin and Tsokolate de Cagayan, the sinfully indulgent Tres Leches and the chocolate-meets-spicy Davao Meets Bicol, your dessert gives you a cool, culinary trip across the country.

So if you’re a denizen of Poblacion, or on a night out with friends in the area, do add a stopover to Pob Stacion Food Park to your evening’s itinerary.

Many thanks to Raina of KonyoQueen.com for extending the invitation!

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