Date Night Diaries : LOLA Cafe and Bar

Having worked and lived in Quezon City most of my life, I’ve seen neighborhoods transform from private, quiet and residential, to accessible and commercialized.  This is very much true especially in the Scout area, which has lately developed into a haven of new and undiscovered restaurants.

The edge that some of these restaurants have over their more sophisticated Pasig, Taguig, or Makati counterparts is that the vicinity in which they are located has retained much of its neighborhood feel.  No concrete jungles here.  Low-rise buildings still abound, and even better, houses have been transformed into attractive and chic establishments.  Hence, the vibe is more relaxing and laid back, conducive for those moments where you just want to enjoy a good meal in a pretty atmosphere, and amongst close friends.

One such establishment is LOLA Café + Bar. Tucked away in the non-descript street of Scout Lozano, it is a gem of a restaurant just waiting to be discovered.  The restaurant itself is a beautiful, old, restored residence, whose façade is made modern with touches of white paint, huge black pots, metal grilling, and bamboo plants.

The furniture inside is also streamlined and simple, the artwork contemporary. This nicely contrasts the “older” elements of the space such as the staircase and dark wooden floors.

I also liked how old mason jars were re-purposed into light fixtures.  Innovative, yet industrially chic!

On to the food…

For starters, the H and I ordered some Salpicao.  The beef was nice and tender, seasoned just right.  Unfortunately, it was also swimming in a sea of oil .  It would have been better if this was drained first, before it was served.  Nevertheless, the meat itself tasted very good .

For our mains, we also decided to go with 2 of their recommended dishes.  Their Tartufo Pasta, and Rosemary Chicken.

As expected, the Tartufo Pasta did not disappoint.  As it was set down on the table, the wonderful aroma of truffle made my tummy do a dance of joy.  Hahaha!  And the taste definitely lived up to its wonderful smell–creamy, flavorful, al dente noodles with every bite!  Considering there was cream in this dish, it was surprisingly light .  I only wish they added a bit more of the portobello mushroom, and that the serving size was bigger because after a couple of forkfuls, the entire dish was wiped out!!!  Hahaha!

The Rosemary Chicken, on the other hand, was a bit unexpected.  I was looking forward to half an herbed roasted chicken, but instead got one that was covered in an orange sauce that tasted a bit tangy and lemon-y.  Once I got over my initial surprise, though, I enjoyed the juiciness and flavorfulness of the chicken very much.  Maybe I would not pair it with the Tartufo again, though, as the flavor profiles did not quite complement each other .

For dessert, we decided to split a Banoffee Pie.  Again, I was (delightfully) surprised to see that it was different in appearance from the banoffee’s that I’d grown accustomed to, yet was every bit as delectable.  There was a very thin layer of graham crust at the bottom, another thin layer of banana, then the last layer was thick custard cream with a dusting of chocolate.  The custard was light and not nakaka-umay at all.  Eaten with a cafe latte, it was the perfect ending to a very flavorful meal!

The verdict?

Good comfort food set in a wonderful ambience makes this restaurant worth coming back to !  LOLA also has a lot of other interesting menu items that caught my eye.  Three words in particular—Tapa Eggs Benedict—made me do a double take, and made me already want to plan my next visit.  Hahaha!

Fortunately for me, not only is my office near the area, but I also work with colleagues who share my enthusiasm for food and eating in new, undiscovered places.  Wanna guess where our next lunch out will be?

LOLA Cafe + Bar is located at 99 Scout Lozano Street, Quezon City; Telephone Number +632 501 2620

Images without my watermark/blog name were grabbed from FourSquare

My Best Food Forward Picks!

My “diet” just flew out the window .

*SIGH*

I guess it was to be expected as the H, the Little Miss and I made our rounds of the Best Food Forward food fair last Saturday.

Being a BFF virgin, I was excited to see and sample the various offerings of the participating food purveyors.

Was it worth sacrifice?  A big resounding YES!!!

Here are my top picks (in no particular order).  Please note, I wasn’t able to sample all the vendors below so my picks are not solely based on taste.  They’re also based on the uniqueness of the product and on interesting packaging .

1. Casa San Luis

Although they are more known for their pastries, I decided to sample their Sweet Dips.  According to the lady attending their stall, the Salted Caramel with French Sea Salt and their Caramel Bacon Bits are their best sellers.  Since I’m not particularly a fan of Salted Caramel and a HUGE fan of bacon, it was a no-brainer that I allocate my precious calorie count to the Caramel Bacon Bits dip.

Rich, decadent, yummy and sinful were words that came to mind when I tried it.  I could actually feel my waistline expanding–haha!  The nice thing about these spreads is that they are also very versatile and can be used either as a dip, sauce, or topping!  I can imagine that they would be great poured on top of ice cream, or something to eat with crackers or to spread on bread!

Both flavors come in 4oz and 10oz jars that are priced at Php150 and Php300 respectively.

For orders, you can call Casa San Luis at 0916 644 8522 or email them at casasanluispastries@gmail.com

2. Double Delights

This next vendor caught my attention because of its cute, detailed designs.  At first, I thought I was looking at a bunch of mini cupcakes, but they’re actually polvoron cupcakes!  Innovative, right?  I love how they gave a different twist to this well-loved Filipino milk candy, and made it more “now”.  Since cupcakes are all the rage nowadays, why not a polvoron cupcake?  And not just any ordinary polvoron cupcake, apparently, because aside from the polvoron layer, it is also topped with white chocolate and royal icing.  Can you say “yum”?

To order, call 2963702/0932 8881350/0919 4286320 or email at anne@double-delights.com.  Their website is http://www.doubledelights.com.

3. Casa Angeline

By the time I got to this booth, my stomach was already losing pretty much all of its valuable real estate space .  And it was really too bad because I love flan and I was so looking forward to trying Casa Angeline’s Flan Pots.  Again, I thought it was  interesting and different to package the custard in a mason-like jar, versus a ramekin or a serving dish, as it is usually presented at home or in restaurants.  It kinda makes the leche flan look more special and sosy.  Hahaha!

The Flan Pots come in four different flavors: Leche Flan, Mango, Strawberry and Coffee Caramel.  It costs about Php225 for 3 pots.  Not bad, right?

And aside from the flan, Casa Angeline is also knows for their french macarons, cream puffs and sticky toffee pudding.  Talk about a quadruple threat!

To know more about Casa Angeline, visit their website at http://www.casaangeline.com. You can also follow them on FaceBook!

4. [unit16sweets]

Aside from the fact that I LOOOOOOOOVE chocolate, I could not help but be drawn to this booth because of the cute and quirky designs of the chocolate labels.  Then I realized they were personalized chocolate labels!  Kewl!

Mental Note: Great Gift Idea!!!!

The chocolates used are guaranteed to be of the finest quality, and comes in a variety of flavors–milk, semi-dark, dark, and mint flavored.

To know more about their pricing and how to order, you can go to their website, http://www.unit16sweets.com, or call them at 8959180.

5. The Noodle Bakes

Almost, but not quite up there next to chocolate in terms of my favorite flavors, is Green Tea or Matcha.  I blame it on Kit Kat.  Now I am addicted to anything green tea! Hahaha!

When I tried The Noodle Bakes’ Matcha White Chocolate cupcake, wow, it totally made my eyes roll to the back of my head!  Hahaha!  Okay, I’m exaggerating a bit, but I was honestly really hooked!  Like, “I want to buy a whole box and keep it to myself” hooked.  Hahaha!

Not only was the cupcake moist, but you could totally taste the matcha flavor. What I especially liked about it is that it wasn’t sickeningly sweet either.  It was just right, actually, which is pretty deadly.  That means it is perfectly “legal” to have more than just one!  Hahaha!

The Noodle Bakes is a home-based seller that can be reached through cell (+63920 920 7268) or via email (thenoodlebakes@gmail.com)

Guess what?  They also have speculoos cupcakes on limited availability!  That, I cannot wait to try!!!

6. Twisted Desserts

When my good friend M was on her radical sabbatical, she had a sideline business making uber yummy red velvet trifles that she packaged in 3 ways.  A small personalized cup, and tubs that were good enough to feed a group of 4 and 8. Ever since she had me sample her product, I’ve been having late night cravings or even dreams about it.  Seriously!!!

Sadly, M had to go back to work and her fledgling business had to take a back seat as well .

When I came across these Dig Deep Cups at BFF, it reminded me so much of M’s trifles!  Unfortunately, because I was already seriously full at this point, I could only sample a small morsel of the 3K Karrot, which is a cup full of carrot cake, with layers of cream cheese in between, and topped with crushed walnuts.  I was pleasantly surprised at how moist the cake was (I’ve encountered a lot of really dry carrot cakes.  Boo ), and how the sweetness was just right.  I’m sure their Oh-riffic (Oreo) and Choc O’ Nut versions taste really yummy too!

The cool thing about these Dig Deep Cups is how you can handily eat your cake pretty much anywhere, without the mess!  Talk about having your cake and eating it too!  Hahaha!

For orders, call/text +63906 246 0976 or +63917 620 8749.  For a complete list of their products, you can visit their FaceBook page.

7. Cocoa Monster Manila

Pretty packaging always gets me right away.  If only more people realized that. You can totally take a basic product (like chocolate) and jazz it up to look like it costs a hundred bucks, all by simply giving it some awesome packaging.

In the case of Cocoa Monster Manila, they definitely made me do a double take, when I saw their edgy red, black and white design.  It definitely stood out amongst the other stalls in BFF.

Cocoa Monster offers many different types of chocolate products from tablea to fondue, to cocoa powder and specialty chocolates.  They guarantee that their products use 100% pure cocoa.

I wish I had sampled one of their truffles but like I said, I was so full, my stomach could not take anymore .  The good thing is, Cocoa Monster can do custom orders for events or corporate giveaways!  I may just give them a try!

For orders and inquiries, call 838 8067 to 69 or +63922 873 6638.  They also have a FaceBook page!!!

8. Kalookies

I first came across this brand through Patty Laurel’s blog.  My first thought, “I love the name!”  Hahaha!  It’s funny, catchy and memorable .  Nowadays, the expression “kalurky!” has become such a part of Filipino lingo and this brand totally capitalized on that.  Smart.

But the great thing about this product and its name is that the experience of eating it, totally makes you feel as if you’re going “kalooky” (slang for crazy) because it’s soooo honest to goodnessly good!

I had the Kalassik cookie and the Oreolla during the fair.  Both cookies were of the deep dish kind, and just one bite had me craving for more!  Next time, I am definitely trying the Paolo Special and the White Toblerone.  Haaaaay!  At the rate I am going, todo diet na ang kailangan ko with matching barre3 and treadmill!  Hahaha!

To order Kalookies, call +63921 302 2241.

So there you have it, my picks at this year’s Best Food Forward.  Hope I’ve enticed you to give these vendors a try!  Support Filipino made, support Filipino entrepreneurs, support small businesses!

What’s In Store + Happy Weekend : April 20-21, 2013

Looking for something to do this weekend?

You may want to check these out…

1. If you’re a foodie, head on over to:

It’s the Philippines’ biggest benefit summer food fair, now back on its 3rd year! I particularly cannot wait to try new food items from the various specialty stalls that are participating in this event.  One thing’s for sure, I must make sure to come with an empty stomach!  Hahaha!

2. If you are artsy and love the environment, you may want to join:

This event by WWF aims to highlight the importance of eliminating illegal wildlife trade through art!  Looks like this will not only be interesting, but a lot of fun!  There’s an entrance fee of Php300, but that will entitle you to a Doodle Kit, access to the booths, and will serve as your donation to the cause.

This is a wonderful way to do something meaningful for the environment, while at the same time spending quality time with your family!  I may just drop by with the H and the Little Miss!

3. If you love arts and crafts, and browsing for unique, vintage finds, make your way to:

It’s the start of the weekend!  And after a long, tiring work week, what better way to rejuvenate than to do some retail therapy?

If you’re tired of hanging out at the mall, here’s an interesting alternative!  With retro and vintage, recycled and upcycled items for sale, there may be some treasures waiting for you here!

Have a wonderful weekend, folks!

Fabulous Find : Ministry of Mushrooms’ 3-Kinds Mushroom Risotto

I’m not much of a cook, but I do know how to cook.  Hahaha!

When I was living abroad, I had to learn how to cook more out of necessity, otherwise I’d probably starve to death, or worse, have to eat really unhealthy fast food all the time!

While I’ve gotten good feedback on the dishes I’ve prepared, it’s still not enough to motivate me to slave away in the kitchen.  There’s something about the peeling, cutting, dicing, and absorbing all the food smells that just doesn’t appeal to me.  I’d much rather wash dishes!  Hahaha!

Thank goodness for meals that cut out all the prep work, but still taste so yummy,  it makes you look like you spent the whole afternoon preparing it in the kitchen!  Hahaha!

Enter, Ministry of Mushrooms’ 3-Kinds Mushroom Risotto!

It comes in an aluminum sealed pack, and is good for 4 servings.  To make the dish look more profesh, you can even add strips of grilled chicken and asparagus!

Would you have guessed that I just poured all the contents into my rice cooker, added onion, water and oil, and twiddled my thumbs waiting for it to cook?

And it was so yummy, the H was impressed!

Definitely, my kind of meal!  Fuss free and delicious!  And at Php300 a pack, it hardly breaks the bank too!

This amazing find is available at the Ministry of Mushroom stall at Salcedo Park Market every Saturday morning

Date Night Diaries : Barbacua

It was a night of a hundred stars…okay, maybe not a hundred, but let’s just say there were a lot of stars there–famous people from the showbiz, culinary and publishing worlds.  But the real stars in this venture of Manila Pop Up was the food!!!  Amazing, wonderfully sublime food!

The brainchild of Chef Bruce Ricketts, Dee Jae Paeste, Mike Concepcion and Erwan Heusaff, Barbacua is a one-night-only gastronomic thrill. This second initiative of the Manila Pop Up team featured food with a mix of Thai and South American flavors.

Potential patrons were invited via social media (twitter and IG), and were contacted through email.  Information was given regarding seating schedules, location, cost per food item, and the type of cuisine to expect, but that’s pretty much it.  Guests were instructed to bring along their sense of adventure (and cash!  Hahaha!), as they were invited to join this culinary escapade.

I just love pop-ups!  While it’s not entirely a new concept, it is only starting to gain popularity in Manila.  I love the mystery behind it, as well as the novelty. While I’m not big on snobbish, velvet rope exclusivity, there was nothing snobbish about this event, despite its limited seating and it being held for one night only. It is for these very aspects that I find this pop up to be intriguing and exciting!  For those of you who read my blog, you also know how I love new and different experiences!  And this, definitely, falls under that category .  Without a doubt, this experience ups the ante in Manila’s culinary scene .

On to the food…

The menu was pretty much composed of small sharing plates and several kinds of punch cocktails.  Our “waiter”, Erwan Heusaff himself, recommended that we each get 2 plates, so that we can try out a variety of the dishes.  We eventually settled on the tuna, oxtail, skirt steak, lapu lapu and sea prawns.

The tuna arrived at our table first.  It was soooo good!  The dish was served with green papaya, avocado, soy and bone marrow.  It had a bit of cilantro in it as well. I looooooove cilantro!  It makes everything taste so fresh and crisp!  This was a wonderful dish to start the meal with .

Next came the sea prawn.  It was served on top of a bed of crab rice and uni (sea urchin).  Can you say winner?  This dish was AMAZING!  I enjoyed the mix of the seafood, as well as the different textures they each had in my mouth.  Mouth party!!!

While I’m not usually into oxtail, the H happens to love it!  And because it came highly recommended, we decided to give the ox tail plate a try.  And I’m so glad we did because again, it was such a wonderful dish!  The ox tail was so tender, so soft and extremely flavorful.  That it was served in tiny taco bites was also perfect, and made it easier to eat by hand.  And don’t you sometimes think that eating with your hands makes the meal all the more enjoyable?  Even though I don’t usually like getting down and dirty when I eat, there was something about the juices dribbling down my mouth and fingers that made eating this dish particularly fun and pleasurable!

Seasoned with black garlic, accompanied with some peanut sauce, avocado and market veggies, and topped with a fried egg and some oregano, the skirt steak was another favorite, and satisfying dish.  Again I loved the different textures and flavors rolling around in my mouth with each bite!  Call it a more sophisticated version of steak and eggs.  Hahaha!  While I would never think to mix it with peanut sauce and avocado, the combination surprisingly worked very well!

Of all the dishes, the least I liked was the lapu lapu.  There was nothing wrong with it per se–it tasted really good as well–it just didn’t have the same WOW effect as the others.  It pretty much tasted like other ceviches I’ve tried.

For drinks, only 3 types of punch cocktails were served.  Because I hardly drink any alcohol nowadays, this was a bit disappointing for me.  However, when I took my first sip of the Pilgrim’s Punch (a combination of pineapple syrup, gin, green tea and bitters), I was pleasantly surprised at how good it was! I could hardly taste any alcohol!  It was light, yummy and refreshing, and went really well with our meal!  The H even ordered a second serving for himself!

The verdict?

Everything about Barbacua was fantastic!  The concept, the food, the flavors, the experience–chalk one up for the Manila Pop Up Crew!!!  It was a date night to be remembered for the H and I.  I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that the eye candy was a big draw as well.  Hahaha!

Grabbed these IG photos from Jae Pickrell and Nix Alanon.  Was too dyahe to take my own photos.  Hahaha!  I didn’t want to come off as an awe-struck groupie.  Hahaha!

I can’t wait for their next event, Kabukicho!  Slightly different in concept, it is a dive bar/food/music event, done in collaboration with Yabu.  For those interested, shoot the Manila Pop Up team an email at mnlpopup@gmail.com.

Foodie Friday : Wrong Ramen

Time for another Foodie Friday post, folks!

The H and I finally had a chance to try the newest ramen place in town–Wrong Ramen at Burgos Circle in BGC!!!

What I love about this place is its slightly irreverent approach to this traditional Japanese fare.  There is nothing typical about the ramen here, yet Wrong Ramen makes no apologies about it.  It poses the question: “Is it better to do Wrong Ramen Right, or Right Ramen Wrong?”

Hmmm…“Ano nga ba?”

Read on and find out…

We had the Enoki Mushroom Fries for starters.  To be honest, I could not really taste any of the mushroom .  Sayang because it sounded so good when it was described on the menu.  I think this is one dish that can still be improved on.

For my main dish, I had the Sea Men Ramen.  Catchy name, right?  Hahaha!  And it’s called so because it is a seafood ramen!  There were clams, shrimps, and some squid rings, along with a good dose of bean sprouts and spring onions.

The broth of this soup was light, yet very flavorful.  I looooved it, and so did the little one!  Two thumbs up, and highly recommended!

The H, on the other hand, ordered the Wrong Ramen Tonkotsu Rich.  From the way he slurped his soup, and finished his bowl down to the last drop, I guess I could say that he enjoyed his meal!  Hahaha!  I actually liked the slightly nutty taste of the broth too.  I only wish they added more pieces of pork, though .

Aside from our meal, I also looooooved Wrong Ramen’s interiors!  Although the place is quite small, I thought the minimalist tables with dividers were genius!  Depending on the size of your party, the tables can expand simply by removing the dividers!

I also loved the quirky art…

…and this painting by Dan Matutina!

So despite its name, I definitely think that Wrong Ramen got a lot of things right!

No doubt, we will be making more trips back here!  Thank goodness it’s right in the neighborhood!

WRONG RAMEN, Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio, right next to the Apple Store, Telephone Number 823 8249

Tip: Try to come early.  Since the place is small, it fills up quite fast.  During the time of our dinner, they were not yet accepting reservations.

Singapore La la la la laaah…la la la laaaah!

My super sweet H knows how stressed I’ve been at work, especially these past couple of years (yes, years!).  Prior to all the challenges, I used to have more of a life–hahaha!–which included lots of travel and quality time with the family.

This year, though, I promised myself that things would be different, and that I’d make more of an effort to do all the things that I used to love doing.  At the top of that list is ofcourse spending more time with the little girl and the H, followed by making more time for arts and crafts projects, and going on trips!

If I had my way, I would love to escape somewhere out of town or out of the country every month!  Hahaha!  And so far, I think I’ve done pretty good!  While January had its share of day trips, February was a highlight because the H treated his ladies (that’s moi and the little girl) to Singapore!  Yup, a first for A, and a first for our family!

Here’s a photo diary of what went on during our 3-day vacation.  We also celebrated my birthday, so turning 38 (yes, I am proud of my age !) turned out to be extra special this year!

Day 1 consisted of a trip to the aquarium in Sentosa.  Thank goodness we decided to buy our tickets online!  We totally skipped the long queues and got in right away!  But it seemed like we were there with the rest of the world–so many people were in the aquarium that day!!!  Nevertheless, we really enjoyed ourselves .

Day 2, the busiest of all the days, started with a trip to the Children Little Museum, and ended with a visit to Singapore’s newest attraction, Gardens by the Bay.  We had an awesome time!

The Children Little Museum is basically a two-storey shop filled with curios and vintage paraphernalia.  That it was filled with a collection of items that would give one an idea of life during the “olden” days, piqued my interest.  I thought that it would be a fascinating experience for the little one too .

Located very near the Bugis area by the Arab Quarter, the Children Little Museum is identified by the tall robot standing at the store front.

Some of the merchandise on the first floor are for sale, but it is the display items on the second floor that people come to see, and where the real treasure lies.

Ascending the steps is like walking up memory lane–the items on display reminded me of a totally different era when things were much simpler, when children drew pictures and played games on the streets.  There were different types of toys mounted on the wall, different types of tricycles, rocking horses, strollers, a collection of school supplies, old musical instruments and equipment, and other interactive displays.

This was a really cute display of a street barbershop, the H pretending to give the little miss a haircut!

As you can see, we really enjoyed our visit here .  There are many things to explore so the little one was kept busy!

After the museum, we headed over to Gardens by the Bay, right by the Marina Sands Hotel.

Aside from the outdoor gardens, this place also has two huge conservatories. The one called The Flower Dome features many different flower species from various parts of the world, while The Cloud Forest mimics the conditions inside a rain forest.  Visitors get to walk through the “forest” via some ramps that go up, down and around a mountainous structure.

The Gardens by the Bay is unlike anything I’ve ever seen or experienced so we really had a wonderful time!  It amazes me how the Singaporeans are able to come up with these unique tourist attractions.  Galing!

On our last day, we decided to take it easy and have brunch at one of our favorite restaurants, PS Cafe.  Since the Dempsey location was a bit too far, we decided to try the one on Orchard Road instead.

I really, really love the interiors of PS Cafe.  It’s very chic!

We decided to sit outside on the balcony though since it was a pretty cool day, and we wanted to take advantage of the sunlight and natural setting.

Aren’t these tiles soooo pretty?  I tried to take the token feet shot with the fam, but the little one couldn’t keep still!  Hahaha!

We left PS Cafe and decided to walk all the way back to our hotel.  When we arrived, we had just enough time to freshen up and grab a cab to the airport.

It was a really quick weekend, but I think it was a weekend well spent!  We saw a lot of new attractions, and a side of Singapore that we have never seen before! It was also wonderful to be able to get away even for a short bit to re-charge and spend quality time with the fam bam .

Next month, it’ll be a trip to Japan to see the cherry blossoms!  Woohoo!  I am sooo excited!  In April, it will be a Palawan trip with my colleagues.  I can’t wait to hit the beach!  I wonder what other trips this year will have in store?  Stay tuned!!!

The Brunch Files : Early Bird Breakfast Club

When it comes to restaurants, it’s quite difficult for me NOT to “judge a book by its cover.”  If you’ve been reading my blog, you will know by now how important restaurant decor and ambience is to me.  I’m one of those people who love eating, but get more excited when the restaurant looks chic and pretty .  Hahaha!

Early Bird Breakfast Club is one of the newcomers to The Fort’s all-day breakfast dining scene, and it certainly passes the pretty standard with flying colors!

Located right next to Zong at The Fort Strip, it is at the ground floor of the building that was once Pier One.

I love that the exteriors of the restaurant already project lots of sunshine and cheerfulness  The peach and yellow combination surprisingly works!

The interior is equally bright and pretty .  I fell in love with these vintage chairs, with their tiffany blue seat covers.  I’m glad this table was unoccupied when we arrived  so we were able to get seated here.

Patterns, patterns, patterns everywhere!  A good mix of feminine, geometric and kitschy done just right .

I think this is the best seat in the house .  Very picture-worthy too .  Unfortunately, this table only seats two.  Great for dates, not so great for dates with a plus one.  Hahaha!

On to the food…

I ended up having some Nutella Hot Chocolate and Adobo Flakes.  The H decided on Tapsilog and a double espresso.  Between the two entrees, I have to say the Tapsilog was the better choice.  The timpla was  sweet and garlicky, just the way hubby likes it.  Unfortunately, my Adobo Flakes were a bit too vinegar-y for my taste.  I actually had to order a side of poached egg just to balance off the zing.

 

The hot chocolate was really good, though .  I love how it tasted exactly like Nutella!  Even the little one downed the shot glass of hot chocolate that I poured for her .

The verdict?

Even though my meal was a bit of a fail, I’d like to chalk it up to soft opening woes–they’re probably still working on getting the dishes cooked just right.  I definitely think I’d like to come back to Early Bird Breakfast Club though, to try their other breakfast offerings, and to enjoy the chill and cheerful atmosphere.

 

Fabulous Find // BONO Artisanal Gelato

So I’ve been reading a lot of rave reviews about BONO gelato lately.

And after seeing the umpteenth post about it on Instagram, I finally convinced my good friend M to make the trip to SM Makati with me so we could give it a try, and see what all the fuss is about.

What can I say?

The experience of eating BONO gelato was every bit as delightful as I expected it to be .

Creamy, smooth and not too sweet, I thoroughly enjoyed my scoop of Malted Milk.  I was actually amazed at how it tasted precisely like Malted Milk!  Hahaha!  Coz don’t you hate it when the flavor says one thing, and the taste says another?  I’ve experienced that with other gelato brands.  Such a disappointment!  But with BONO gelato, flavor and taste are one and the same!

They also have other unique flavors such as Cereal and Milk, Chocolate-covered Potato Chip, and the very popular Speculoos.  Ofcourse they also offer more typical choices too such as Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, and Roasted Pistachio.

I thought it was cool that the guy at the counter gladly let me sample as many flavors as I wanted.  Now I know that the next time I find myself craving for BONO gelato, I’m having me some Speculoos and Roasted Pistachio.  They are yum!

And the best part is, because it’s gelato, it’s supposed to be less fattening than ice cream!  Hahaha!  Good news for all of us perennial dieters! *wink, wink*  Also, BONO promises that it uses only the finest imported and local ingredients–nothing artificial– and that each batch is made fresh, the “real” way and without any shortcuts.

Do I already have you convinced to give it a try? Hahaha!

I guess no store review would be complete for me without mentioning design or ambience.  I’m a sucker for that.  I’m elated to say that aside from having such a yummy product, the store atmosphere was also so nice–so bright and cheerful!  Seeing the colorful and cute graphics on their wall made me feel really happy!  The typography they used was really cool too–kinda retro-ish.  Totally Instagram/FaceBook worthy siya!  Hahaha!

So once I am off my dessert fast for Lent, I am definitely making a beeline for BONO gelato.  After 40 days of no sweets, this would no doubt be a wonderful reward .

BONO Gelato is located on the 2nd floor of SM Makati, right off of the bridgeway coming from Glorietta

Foodie Friday : Spectrum at The Raffles

My dad just turned a year younger .

To celebrate, we were treated to a sumptious buffet dinner at Spectrum, in the newly-opened Raffles Hotel.

It’s been AGES since I last ate buffet dining!  Obviously, I’m always on a diet and challenged to shed these extra pounds I’ve put on.  Hahaha!  But since it was a very special occasion, and hey, it was  a free dinner, so I allowed myself this indulgence .  Hahaha!  Excuses, excuses, right?

The restaurant is very posh and nicely decorated .  Quite dimly lit, compared to Circles and Heat at the Shangri-La.  But it had a very luxurious feel to it, without feeling too stiff and stuffy .  I liked that .  I also liked these tasseled drop lamps .  Very pretty .

The staff was also very friendly and attentive without being too overly solicitous. They knew just when to magically appear by our side to offer to clear our plates, or to follow up on our food.  They were also confidently well informed about their offerings, and answered our questions with knowledge and ease.  That’s another thing I liked.  Waitstaff who don’t know what they’re talking about is a serious pet peeve of mine, and can seriously ruin my dining experience.

On to the food…

Just like other buffets, Spectrum had many different stations.  Funny though, from where we sat, we had to pass by the dessert station first before getting to the actual food!  Hahaha!  My mouth was totally watering when I saw all the delectable sweets that were on display!

Aside from desserts, Spectrum also had a salad bar, a bread bar, a selection of cheeses and cured meats, a raw bar, a noodle station, a carving station, an area for Chinese food (siomai, duck, steamed fish, etc.), and a selection of international dishes.  There was so much to choose from!

Careful decisions definitely had to be made.  Hahaha!

Eventually, I ended up with a plateful of sushi, a couple of dimsum, some noodles for long life (ofcourse!), and roast beef from the carving station.  I have to say, the roast beef was sooooooo good, and sooooo buttery soft it totally deserves a special mention!  Mmmmmm…!  My tummy is growling right now, just thinking about it!  Hahaha!

The verdict?

Even though I’m not a fan of buffet dining, I have to say that Spectrum provides a yummy, enjoyable eating experience.  They have a good selection of food items to choose from, without being too overwhelming.  I also like that the food is cooked in small portions, so you are assured that what you eat is always fresh, hot and new.

The staff is very well trained–friendly, knowledgeable, and on their toes.  The manager even came to our table to greet us, and to make sure we were enjoying our food.  Our glasses were promptly filled with water, plates were bussed immediately, and they were also very quick to act upon all our requests .  I actually felt like we had our own personal butler !  Definitely, plus points!

The ambience was also very nice .  Among all the hotel buffet restaurants, I think Spectrum is the most classy .  I liked how the space felt so intimate and cozy, despite its size.  The acoustics are really good too!  I actually had no idea that there were so many other diners in the restaurant that night!  It seemed like it was just us .  It was that quiet!  Hahaha .  Which was great because it was like dad had his own private little party .

Great food, excellent service, and a beautiful ambience–what more could I ask for, right?  For those of you looking for a place for your next gorge fest, definitely give Spectrum a try!

SPECTRUM, G/F Fairmont Makati, 1 Raffles Drive, Makati Avenue, Makati, TELEPHONE (632) 555.9888, EMAIL makati@fairmont.com