tomas morato – Jellybeans in the City

Culinary journey at Pandan Asian Cafe, Tomas Morato

Part of the fun of traveling is the eating the local food. By tasting the signature dishes of the locale – see what flavors the people savor, how they use available ingredients and more – you get to learn much about their culture and history.

Sadly, I haven’t been able to travel to our neighboring countries in Southeast Asia, as other priorities got in the way. However, there is a way to get a taste of Southeast Asian flavors, thanks to Pandan Asian Cafe.

One of the recent ventures by Chef Mike Sarthou (or more widely known as Chef Tatung), Pandan Asian Cafe brings iconic Southeast Asian dishes to Quezon City’s dining public.

The resto is situated where Lazat Fil-Asian Restaurant & Bar used to be. It maximized the place’s open and airy layout, adding vibrant greens from decor and plants, which add to the feeling of freshness.

Before the pandemic made itself known, I had lunch here with my officemates. Our Southeast Asian meal consisted of:

Nasi Goreng (Php285). The Malay version of fried rice with chicken, eggs and vegetables and distinctly flavored with sweet soy sauce called kecap manis.

Orange Chicken (Php450). A variation of General Tso’s chicken wherein battered chicken is served drenched in fruity orange sauce.

Salt and Pepper Squid (Php340). The Chinese version of fried calamari wherein squid pieces are covered in light batter, then deep-fried to become crispy on the outside, tender and chewy on the inside.

Sticky Rice (Php210). Traditional Thai dessert of sticky rice in coconut cream sprinkled with sesame seeds and served with mango slices.

Iced Vietnamese Coffee (Php160). Also known as ca phe da, it is made by allowing hot water to drip through medium to coarse-ground dark-roasted Vietnamese-grown coffee beans into condensed milk then stirring with crushed ice.

I’m glad with the break from the usual lunch fare that Pandan Asian Cafe provided our group. I just found the portions a little small.

During the ECQ, the resto temporarily halted its operations but re-opened last July. It also expanded its offers to include party platters of its best-selling dishes for takeout or delivery.

So if you feel like expanding your culinary horizons, drop by or order a food tray to go.

Pandan Asian Cafe is located at 76 Scout Limbaga Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 11pm. For inquiries, reservations or delivery requests, call +63 2 83550998, +63 2 83515279 or +63 917 7748999.

Lunch break adventure at Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Tomas Morato

Before the enhanced community quarantine, when the foremost non-work concern on my mind was where to venture of to lunch with my officemates, we decided on trying out the newly opened branch of Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken along Tomas Morato.

Peri-peri, also known as bird’s eye chili, is a type of chili grown in Southeastern Africa whose cultivation and culinary use was spread by the Portuguese to their colonial territories.

Today, it has defined a special way of preparing grilled chicken.

Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken brings about its famed dish by marinating a whole chicken overnight in a special mixture of peri-peri chili, herbs and spices, then charcoal-grilling it to a gloriously golden hue.

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

Our group decided on a Chicken Group Meal (Php799) which consisted of a whole Peri-Peri Chicken, four cups of Java Rice and four side dishes (we chose two mashed potatoes, a mac ‘n cheese and a coleslaw).

One of us was worried that the group meal won’t be enough for the whole group so he ordered a plate of Patatas Bravas (Php100).

As we finished our meal, our server gave us a taste of Peri Natas (Php140/box of four | Php199/box of six | Php360 box of 12). These are small egg custard tartlets that are popular in Portuguese colonies (I had my first taste of these in Macau).

What an adventurous yet filling meal for our group!

Want a taste of peri-peri chicken but can’t leave home? You’ll be happy to know that during the enhanced community quarantine, selected Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken branches in the metro remain open for takeout and delivery via GrabFood and FoodPanda.

UPS 2: Call +63 926 0645790 or +63 905 271 0224
Capitol Commons: Call +63 2 86566470 or +63 915 2718479
Banawe: Call +63 2 77990428 or +63 995 3202180
Uptown Parade: Call +63 2 77174408 or +63 915 3878028
Tomas Morato: Call +63 956 6944834

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.

This Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken is located at Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Rallos Street, Laging Handa, Quezon City.

Other branches in Metro Manila may be found at:

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

Check out my posts on other chicken places in the metro:

Sourdough Cafe + Deli, Tomas Morato

Sourdough bread is a new food trend that gaining traction in the metro. It is made by fermenting dough using naturally occurring lactobacilli and yeast producing a sour taste compared to breads made with baker’s yeast. It also keeps longer, owing to the lactic acid produced by the lactobacilli.

For the health-conscious, sourdough may be used to improve the quality of gluten-free breads by enhancing their texture, aroma and shelf-life. Its glycemic index is lower than other types of bread which is good news for people watching their sugar intake.

It’s a good thing, then, that a cafe specializing in sourdough recently opened near my workplace.

With such an exciting item in its menu (in fact, the central item in it!) as well poshly designed yet comfy interiors ideal for quiet lunches or intimate dinners tucked away in an office building along Tomas Morato, Sourdough held an irresistible appeal to titas like me.

This is why during one of our lunchbreaks prior to the Christmas break, my co-titas in the office and I decided to have our meal at Sourdough Cafe + Deli.

This tita meal consisted of:

Complimentary Flatbread Slices. Dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar with some parmesan cheese, these gave our tastebuds a good preview of Sourdough’s offerings.

Prosciutto Arugula Flatbread (Php345). Sourdough flatbread topped with marinara sauce, mozarella, arugula leaves and bits of prosciutto.

Pasta Carbonara (Php395). Al dente noodles tossed in a creamy sauce made with eggs, pecorino cheese, parmegianno reggiano, guanciale (Italian cured meat made from pork jowl) and pancetta (Italian salt-cured pork belly).

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Php295). Four cheeses – gouda, yellow cheddar, mozzarella and grana padano – sandwiched between sourdough bread slices lightly spread with mayo.

Basque Burnt Cheesecake (Php195). Also a trending food item, this cheesecake is an offshoot of Spain’s tarta de queso. Its top appears toasted but the center has a soft custard-y texture. Combined the top’s buttery taste to the tanginess of the cheesecake filling, and you have a winning dessert you would want to taste again and again.

After lunch, we also treated ourselves to Sourdough Cafe’s handcrafted coffee.

Not bad for a bunch of titas out for lunch.

By the way, since wine and titas go together so well, you might want to check out Sourdough Cafe’s unli wine at Php599 per person.

Sourdough Cafe + Deli is located at Ground Floor, JSB Building, 104 Tomas Morato Avenue corner Scout Delagado Street, Tomas Morato, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 11pm. For reservations and inquiries, call +63 2 85259463 or +64 917 1889463.

Check out my blog posts on breakfast/brunch joints around the metro:

A tonkatsu lunch at Fumizen, Tomas Morato

It’s the first working day of the year!

And do you know what I’ve been looking forward to since the day started?

A #happylunch with my office buddies, that’s what!

For today’s foodie adventure, we decided to give the newly opened Japanese restaurant along Sgt. Esguerra Street a try!

Located within walking distance from our office is Fumizen which specializes in premium katsu. It is a local franchisee of a long-established Japanese restaurant which was founded over 40 years ago and patronized by Japanese officials and celebrities.

It has a cozy atmosphere and a minimalist aesthetic with polished wood and gray upholsteried furniture set against clean white walls sparsely decorated with silhouettes of bamboo.

Katsu refers to “cutlet” in Japanese. It is usually a piece of meat coated in panko breadcrumbs and deep-fried to achieve a bright golden color and a crispy outer layer which gives way to tender. juicy and flavorful meat inside.

At Fumizen, diners can enjoy Katsu Sets which consist of a katsu variant plus unlimited rice, miso soup, shredded cabbage and fruit slices. The katsus may be enjoyed by dipping the pieces in Fumizen’s secret katsu sauce, rock salt or the resto’s signature truffle salt.

Our happy lunch at Fumizen included:

Rosu Loin Tonkatsu Set (Php375). This is the richer cut of pork loin owing to a strip of fat along one side.

Hire Tenderloin Tonkatsu Set (Php405). This is the leaner, less fatty cut of pork.

Fumizen also has ongoing Lunchtime Deals that some of my companions availed of. These deals give significant discounts on selected katsu sets such as:

Chicken Karaage Set Meal (Php199 from Php255). Japanese-style fried chicken best dipped (as we’ve discovered) in Japanese mayo with a bit of wasabi.

Menchi Katsu Set (Php199 from Php350). Patties consisting of two-thirds ground pork and one-third ground beef prepared and cooked katsu-style.

The katsus are well-cooked with the panko-breading adhering well and providing a satisfyingly crunchy texture to the meat. I found dipping the katsu in truffle salt winderfully heightens the flavor.

What could use a bit of work is the rice which could be a little stickier to serve as a foil to the katsu.

The wait staff is polite and accommodating but could use some more training on product knowledge.

Still, with the quality and afforadability of Fumizen’s katsu sets, it sure looks like my officemates and I found a new favorite Japanese resto in our area!

Fumizen is located at 34 Sgt. Esguerra Avenue, Bgy. South Triangle, Quezon City, open daily from 11am to 11pm. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 77931894

Check out my reviews of other Japanese restaurants:

Lunch Buffet at Vanilla Cafe, Tomas Morato

The Tomas Morato area is definitely a foodie haven. At practically every corner is an old and familiar or a new and exciting food destination, something that will spark a foodie’s curiosity and appetite.

One such destination is Vanilla Cafe along Mother Ignacia Avenue. Formerly known as Vanilla Cupcake Bakery, it has expanded its repertoire from cupcakes and pastries to pastas and classic Filipino food.

Enter its doors and you will be taken to a place of fun and cuteness with pastel-printed walls, plush floral couches and dainty chandeliers.

Guess what: come around lunchtime and you can eat your fill at Vanilla Cafe’s Lunch Buffet where you can enjoy a delightful curation of Vanilla Cafe’s food offerings served with delicate country style flair.

Have a sampling of these dishes:

Prettily prepared canapes and veggie dips.

Freshly made pastas.

Binagoongan and Tinapa Rice.

Classic Pinoy Favorites: Sizzling Tofu, Sizzling Sisig, Bagnet, Fish Sarciado, Chop Suey, Chicken Adobo, and of course, Vanilla Cafe’s famous Kare Kare.

And since there’s always room for dessert, have a cupcake (or two… or more!) because, why not!

This buffet is best enjoyed with pals as a barkada lunch date…

Or as part of a festive celebration!

So check it out: the Premium Lunch Buffet is available at Vanilla Cafe Tomas Morato on weekdays from 11am to 2pm for only Php398 per person (+10% service charge).

This branch also has a Boomin’ Breakfast Buffet available everyday from 7am to 10am at Php228 for adults and Php114 for kids ages four to eleven (plus 10% service charge). Kids below four years old eat for free.

This Vanilla Cafe branch is located along Mother Ignacia Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City, open Sundays to Thursdays from 7.30am to 11pm and Fridays to Saturdays from 7.30pm to 12 midnight. For inquiries and reservations, call +63 2 2 83743783 or +63 918 8264552.

Other branches are located at:

Second Floor, Garden Wing, Trinoma Mall, Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City
Second Floor, Evia Lifestyle Center, Daang Hari Road, Almanza, Las Pinas City
20 Villamor Street, Lualhati, Baguio, Benguet

Planning a get-together? Why not order one of Vanilla Cafe’s Party trays? Pastas, entrees, salads and rice trays are available for order at any Metro Manila branch.