OUR AWESOME PLANET

The New Look of Cafe Juanita in Pasig

First, see the old look of Cafe Juanita: OAP | Cafe Juanita - Eclectically Romantic

Some say the ambiance is now East Asian Chic...
Some say it's maaliwalas because of the lighting and high ceiling...
Some say that they are afraid that it would lose its charm and look like Cafe Juanita at the Fort...
Some say they feel like royalty every time they eat in the new Cafe Juanita...
Some say it is about time to upgrade the look and give it a modern chic ambiance...

On its 20th anniversary, Cafe Juanita decided to celebrate its success by moving into its new home beside the Shunji Matsuo hair salon (same owners as Cafe Juanita), which is across the old Cafe Juanita. When the lot owner of the old Cafe Juanita informed them one year in advance that the lot will be used for something else, the owners decided to find a new home for it. One of the main considerations was to get an old house that they could transform into a restaurant.

We attended the blessing, and here's how the new Cafe Juanita looks now...

Isabelo, Marikina's Secret Restaurant

We were blown away by our recent Isabelo Garden restaurant experience. It was indeed a secret restaurant -- you really have to journey to the heart of Marikina to find it. The food tastes good and you can tell that everything was cooked with love by the lovely Ms. Portia. The rustic Italian ambiance is set in an ancestral house (with old trees), which is artistically decorated by Portia's mom.

Isabelo is a combination of the concept behind Sonya's Garden, the kitschiness of Cafe Juanita, and the home-cooked goodness of Conti's. It is also a family showcase: the garden is created by the Mother, the Daughter is the queen of the kitchen, and the overall inspiration comes from the Grandmother. The walls are adorned with photos, paintings, pots and pans, mugs with faces, animal figurines, empty wine bottles and empty bottles of perfume (with contributions from some guests).

Marcia Adams' Tuscany

On New Year's eve, we decided to escape the noise and pollution of Manila and spent it in Tagaytay. We had an afternoon merienda in one of Tagaytay's latest garden restaurants -- Marcia Adams' Tuscany. We'd like to credit this discovery to Metro Magazine, which featured this place in its November issue.

Ever since that article came out, the owners started to open the venue to friends of friends until they fully opened this January. (You can probably say you're a friend of OAP. :) ) Thanks to Marge for introducing and treating us to this place. :)

Here is a photo essay of how we celebrated the last day of 2009 in Marcia Adams' Tuscany place:

Best Buffets in Manila: Li Li's Yum Cha Sunday Dimsum Buffet

Li Li Dimsum Buffet (P1,342 net) in Hyatt is one of the best Cantonese dimsum buffets in Manila. It’s just like the ones you can enjoy in Hong Kong. The restaurant is named after Li Li, a famous member of the Hongkong elite. Two of the private rooms are named after her daughters Fei Fei and Bai Ling. The menu is created by five highly skilled master chefs from Hong Kong to ensure the culinary quality and authenticity that Hyatt is known for.

 

 

Best Buffets in Manila: Dusit Thani’s Crossover Sunday Brunch

 

The Family Crossover Brunch Buffet is the best buffet deal in town every Sunday. You get to try the best Thai, Japanese and Italian cuisine in Makati for P1,450 net from Dusit Thani’s specialty restaurants – Benjarong, Umu, and Tosca, respectively. The continental buffet in Basix restaurant is also included but it takes a supporting role, providing the Peking duck, prime ribs, shawarma and other common dishes one would expect in a hotel buffet.

Chef Laudico Easter Sunday Brunch Buffet!

I usually don't like buffets because there is a higher chance of food contamination from the saliva of people talking while getting the food, and the food is prepared beforehand, so you don't get the freshly cooked yumminess.

Chef Laudico's Weekend Buffet is brilliant and different, though. For P788 net per adult and P488 for kids 10 years and below, you can order from over 50 popular dishes and desserts from the buffet menu. The food is only cooked and served as you order them, which addresses my buffet concerns above.

The dishes served are half of their regular ala carte portions but they actually look like a serving good for one person. It follows the Clean Plate, No Leftover policy -- you will pay P100 for every unfinished dish ordered. Of course, you cannot share unless all of you order from the buffet.

It was the best Easter Brunch Buffet we've ever had in Makati. The only thing is their popular Adobo Overload dish is not included in the buffet menu. (Chef Rolly, I do hope it will be included in the menu.)

Related Post: Bistro Filipino by Chef Laudico -- Best Filipino Fusion Food!

 

Kalamunda by Sylvia Miguel

"Dear, it's Kalamunda and not Sylvia's Garden...," Sylvia Miguel corrected me last Sunday. Kalamunda is an Australian aboriginal term, which means "home in the bush." (Yeah, Sylvia's Garden could be easily confused with Sonya's Garden...)

You have to literally drive to uncharted Tagaytay area with no signs and just views of one farm after another. Kalamunda is right beside the new Massimo in Tagaytay, hidden just behind the borders of Tagaytay and Silang, Cavite.

The main highlight of this foodie trip is the cleanest-tasting lechon by Sylvia and Carlos Miguel.

Le Souffle 38th Wedding Anniversary

Happy 38th Wedding Anniversary to Momsy and Popsy!

I would like to link back to this post after 30 years. I think only by that time would I understand how my parents are feeling -- becoming sentimental about life and looking forward to their golden anniversary. Hopefully, by the time we celebrate our 38th, we have some apos to blog about.

The family celebrated my parents' March 11 Wedding Anniversary in Le Souffle @ the Fort for classic French cuisine. The Le Souffle staff was kind enough to create this cake with greetings after I reserved for this special occasion.