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Serendra Piazza: Restaurant Index

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Here are the restaurants I've tried in Serendra. Check these out first and I'll be updating this mini-Index on Serendra Piazza.

Restaurant Index
Mezzaluna-First Night High!
Aloha Polu Kai!
Cupcakes+Sonja: Opening Nights
Oh my Guava!
Sonja's Cupcakes--- Creating the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines?

Related Posts
Piazza Serendra slowly coming to life...

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

Aloha Polu Kai!

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One of the firsts Hawaiian-themed restaurant in Manila. I did not know what to expect when we would say Hawaiian food but you could imagine how the ambiance would feel like. I think this is the first time I've eaten in a Hawaiian restaurant so I don't know if it really should be hot and spicy or is it a fusion of western and asian food. The restaurant is full of tikis which could be scary for some kids but we were glad that it did not affect Aidan. The waiters would greet you with an "Aloha" welcome and wave a "Mahalo" good bye. The initial feedback from the people that have eaten here is not that positive (see Eye Candy's Polu Kai reaction). The "tiki" ambiance creates excitement in the dining experience but the food, indeed, needs improvement. I'm sure it would still improve after two months in operation.

Here is the menu so that you can prepare yourselves on what to expect when eating here.
Soup, Salads and Appetizers
Grilled and Main Courses
Pizza, Sidings and Desserts

BTW, just a word of caution, I've eaten in most of the Serendra restaurants and you should expect about 20% premium in most of the restaurants here. I'm not sure if the intent is just to attract the upper middle class or rich crowd; or the Serendra rent is really more expensive than most establishments. Check out the food and a detailed look at the restaurant. I'm sure you have eaten here if you have been in Serendra, so let me know how is your experience.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

A Big Aloha would greet you as you walk in the store. Wood and Tikis (those nasty looking faces) are the overall theme for the restaurant.

As starters, we had this...

Devil Shrimp (P195). Indeed, the hottest shrimp dish in town! We liked the taste of this seafood, crunchy and chewy shrimp but don't expect a Si Chuan type hotness. We loved this sizzling dish and this has been the best menu item that we have tasted.

To satisfy our cravings for more food, we had to order more.

D Polu Kai Baby Back Ribs (P730). They say it was grilled "falling off the bone" and I say, it is definitely not so. My friend recommended it that is why we agreed to pay P730 for it but we were disappointed. With its price, you are better off eating in Tony Roma's and without being disappointed with the tastiness of its meat. It is like bland meat coated with "their own secret special sauce" (which is very good) but the meat was not well marinated (i think.).

Crispy Creamy Fish (P330). Pan fried fish fillet with sze chuan peppercorn cream sauce served with garlic pilaf and vegetables. The fish lacks taste and freshness. Lets leave it at that.

Not to be outdone is the dessert,

Polu Kai Fried Banana (P170). Fried banana in caramel syrup served with ice cream. We found it easy to make at home but after eating the desserts in Mezzaluna, this won't stand a chance.

As you go out, these tikis would greet you, "Mahalo! "

CONTACTS:
Polu Kai @ Serendra Piazza
(I don't think you need to reserve since there are plenty spaces for walk-in guests.)

Cupcakes+Sonja: Opening Nights

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Cupcakes by Sonja's Baby Models :) Yummy, Indeed!

At last, Sonja's Cupcakes finally opened in Serendra last Thursday Sept. 21. They are usually open from 3pm-9pm since the cupcakes are baked in the morning. We usually go at night, but most of the cupcakes (at least the best ones) would be sold by then. The cupcakes ranges from P50-P80 per piece and it is usually addicting that you get to buy two at a minimum. Sonja is getting a lot of trials and repeat customers which signifies that this is a start of something good :) The place is quite homey with the retro bakeshop feel to it which I believe, perfectly matches with the Serendra concept. She is still selling a limited assortment of the cupcakes and usually produces to sell fresh within the day. The cupcakes would only get better over time as the staff would be trained and become an expert in baking the cupcakes.

Have you tried this yet? Let me know what you think.

Related Posts:
>> Sonja's Cupcakes--- Creating the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines?
>> Cupcakes by Sonja: Soft Opening

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

I love it when the owner is always in the store. It gives a warm and personal touch to the Sonja's cupcakes experience and she is very friendly so don't forget to say hi to her.

I was ecstatic to see this! One of my blog post about Sonja's has been framed and posted on the wall :) When I asked Sonja for a free copy of the press kit with the CD, I asked her to autograph my press kit copy (naks). Surprisingly, she reciprocated with the idea for me to sign my blog posts hanged on the wall. It was fun joking around with the signatures since we are not really a celebrity.

Btw, I only get to know Sonja through my blog and the first time I met her was when I ordered a dozen of the assorted cupcakes.

My Top 5 Cupcake Favorites!

1. Melt-in-your-mouth Flourless Chocolate Cupcake. Dense Valrhona flourless chocolate with rich velvety texture. Dissolves in your mouth with pure sublime Flavor.

2. Creme Brulee Cupcake Tart- Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee with a sweetened Cupcake Short Crust

3. Heavenly Pistachio - Pistachio Dacquoise with flaky almond praline and pistachio bavarian.

4. Sweet Pleasures -- Layers of creamy milk chocolate mouse with a flaky hazelnut praline crust and thin plates of milk chocolate.

5. Berries and Cream -- Brown butter almond cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream icing.

Coming Soon! Cupcakes (Complete Lineup)

Sonja with cupcake lover, Aidan :) Congratulations on a great opening, Sonja! Wishing you all the best :)

Cupcakes by Sonja L. Ocampo
1C03 Serendra Piazza, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel no. 856-0308
Mobile: +63 906 477 0833
cupcakesbysonja@gmail.com

More Desserts:
>> Chocolat Cakes -- Best Chocolate Dessert Place in Mall of Asia!
>> Sebastian's Ice Cream @ Shepherd's Staff, Mall of Asia
>> a Fleur de Lys Discounted Experience

Mezzaluna-First Night High!

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Chef Carlo Miguel chatting with Aidan :)

What is the probability of having 4 tables celebrating birthdays at the opening night of a restaurant which also falls on a monday? A slim chance perhaps, but it was indeed a blessing when Mezzaluna opened last Sept. 25 on such rare circumstances. On my mom's birthday, we again decided to check out Piazza @ Serendra, and we were fortunate enough to eat on Mezzaluna's 7pm opening night. Also, Baby Lopez with all the owners were celebrating his wife's birthday and there were two other birthday celebrants on that night. We were fortunate enough that the owners decided to give each table 10% discount and 2 free complimentary desserts! Amazing night, indeed :) Happy Happy Birthday to Momsy and to all the birthday celebrants!

Finally, I was able to taste the culinary delights created by Chef Carlo Miguel. The Chef Miguels (Carlo + brother, Anton who is now in Australia), are famous at one time for catering to special events/ occasions and they usually cooked at the venue itself (could be your own home). I had many failed attempts in the past to schedule such events with these Chefs, and that is why I was so curious to check them out when they opened Mezzaluna in Serendra. This is already their second restaurant and a more upscale version of their first one located in Legaspi Village. Have you been there? It would be nice to know what you think of this restaurant. If this is your first time to hear of this restaurant then let me share with you our experience at Mezzaluna last night.

( P.S. Finally, I got to blog again and get back to the blogging grove. I'm happy that I don't have any more business trips until December -- yahoo! )

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines, Restaurants

The place is small and it can accommodate, I estimate about 50 people. I love the high ceiling and the lovely sentimental music that plays in the background. I also like the fact that the kitchen is open and you can see how your food is prepared. The owners are very nice and I think all of them came to visit our table and greeted my mom, a Happy Birthday.

This is an upscale version so at first you'll be shocked at the prices but this is definitely a special place for dating or celebrating special occasions.

Check out their menu: Mezzaluna Appetizer and Main Course Menu. (Take note of the "Introductory Prices Inclusive of VAT".)

Tournedos Rossini (P1150). Roasted USDA Angus Bistro Fillet side by side with potato gellete, sauteed foie gras and truffle jus. A Mezzaluna Favorite!

The benchmark for fine dining restaurants these days is how well they cooked the foie gras. This is definitely melt-in-your-mouth foie gras! My wife can't get enough of it, but we have to be extra careful of the calories that comes with it :) The Angus beef was OK and I had a mistake of ordering medium well which turned out to be well done.

Fish Of The Day (P530). Seated on Linguini Pasta, Cream Fraiche, Snow Peas and Mussels

The fish of the day was the Lapu-Lapu and this tasted ordinary. Nothing special.

Rosemary Chicken (P600). Together with Pumpkin, Mustard Braised Spring Onion and Asparagus

It reminded me of Andok's Lechon Manok and I could have ordered 3 full chicken with its price :)

Crisp Skin Salmon (P600). Topped with Roasted Tomato and Onion while seated on crushed lemon oil potato

This is a must try! Crispy skin with very tasty textured meat with saturated (norwegian?) salmon color. Oh, we loved this, and you will completely forget how much it costs.

Also, it was funny that the chef asked me if I was taking pictures for a publication and I told him it was just for personal (blog) purposes. He said that if it was for a magazine, he would style the food differently. But see, I love my food photography to be true and honest. Frankly, I love the way it was styled when they served our food.

We loved the Desserts and I know this should have been served first :) If there is a reason to go back to Mezzaluna, it would be the desserts!

Caramelized Banana Tart Tatin with Hazelnut Gelato (P225).

Can we have more of that hazelnut gelato, please? Ang sarap! This dessert is a perfect combination of Banana, Caramel and Hazelnut taste.

Valrhona Dark Chocolate Marquise (P250). Surrounded with Vanilla sauce and Topped Cotton Candy

When I saw the cotton candy, I suddenly reminisce my childhood days when I get to have my own cotton candy stick (which made me fat when I was a child). Another melt-in-your-mouth dessert that you gotta have especially for those who want to be awake all night long. Its dark chocolate's richness is so addicting that you'll be surprised that it's gone in just a few minutes! Bravo for this innovative creation!!

Yoghurt and Honey Panna Cotta (P180). With Spiced Oranges

Nicely done. The spiced orange gave a new twist to the panna cotta. Minimalist both in design and taste.

Meet Chef Carlo Miguel and his chef protege, Aidan. Too bad, his brother, Anton is no longer here to share the limelight with his brother.

Wonderful restaurant and wonderful owners!! Thank you very much for a memorable birthday celebration for my mom!!

Mezzaluna @ Piazza, Serendra!
(oops, I forgot to ask their phone number in case you want to reserve.)

Mezzaluna
U-1C-01-02 Ground Floor, Serendra Piazza, The Fort, Makati City

Ground Floor Value Point Executive Apartment
227 Salcedo St. Legazpi Village, Makati City
Tel# +632 818-01-06
Opens on Monday-Friday 12nn-2:30pm, 6-10:30pm; Saturday 6-10:30pm

Gary V-- Still the best after 23 years!

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You got to watch Gavy V @ 23 this coming Sunday on Channel 2 after Pinoy Dream Academy. This is one of the best Gary V concert that I've seen. We watched the last show last Sept. 8 and all the Gary V fans out there would agree that after 23 years, Gary V. still has that magic. There will also be a re-run in October in Music Museum, maybe you might want to catch that instead.

What I like about the show is that they used rectangular LCD panels to enhance the performances. I've seen this used also in musical broadway shows. In the particular photo above, the rectangular LCD screens transformed into large speakers as Gary and son, Gaby danced passionately to the song "Di Bale Na Lang." This is only one of the attractions in the show and I'll give you a sneak peek on this concert.

BTW, Let me know what you think after watching the concert this Sunday in TV.

I had a hard time capturing this photo, because of the bright lights from the video screens/ projector. But I'm glad I was able to capture this moment.

This was a cool treat from Gary singing "Huwag mo na Sana" with his daughter, Keana Valenciano as back-up vocals in the background video.

Gary serenading the crowd. This is one of the kilig moments and my wife wish that we bought the center tickets.

Gary and Gaby playing with techno music from their mac powerbook.

This was hilarious! Gary V imitating Martin and his facial expressions.

Booganda jamming with Gary V with the medley of Hataw na, Sayaweh, and Shout for Joy! This was fun and these band group is coincidentally from the pep squad of Lasalle Greenhills --- Animo Lasalle!

Encore Song. Gary sings a dedicated to Kristine Hermosa who was celebrating her birthday, as requested by Diether Ocampo. They were seated in the middle so this is an incentive for buying those center aisle tickets.

Josephine's Restaurant -- a Filipino Resto experience in Central London

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I had an argument with my brother before I finally convinced him to go to this only Filipino Restaurant in London. It was a first time for both of us in Central London. We spent two and a half days, going to the different tourist places and usually we eat on the go to save time. We were debating on why do we need to eat in a Filipino restaurant in London. First of all, eating in a restaurant would set us back at least 2 hours and why do we need to eat Filipino cuisine in Central London when I am from the Philippines and going back the next day! Endless discussion but in the end, my argument of loving our own and supporting our fellow kababayans outside our country won. Also, I'll tell you an open secret, the Londoners have no food that they can call their own --- except for Fish and Chips. I hated all the food I ate and I was dying to eat Filipino food. After having the food trip in Singapore, I thought I would also be able to do this here but I was dead wrong! I was already dreaming of eating at least a decent meal in a Filipino restaurant only to find out that there is one and only Filipino restaurant called Josephine's somewhere around the Oxford shopping area.

If you are a tourist and you only have two days, would you spend the time to eat in a Filipino Restaurant in Central London? Or, maybe I'm just weird.

Josephine's Restaurant was a 5 minutes walk from Tottenham Court Tube station corner Oxford street. It was the best meal I had in London, and my brother would agree. The food is home cooked Filipino Fusion that could rival Guava or Filos in the Fort. They have been operational for 10 years now this September.

Technorati Tags: Philippines, Restaurants

The interiors are predominantly red with a large mural of bahay kubo on stilts facing a river.

Josephine's Restaurant is owned by Eddie (pictured above) and Josie Poniente who have been in London for 20 years already. They are proud that all the dishes are home cooked as you order them and they are not stored food heated in microwave.

This was an interesting description of Filipino cuisine.
"Filipino cuisine is an exotic, tasteful blend of oriental, european and american culinary influences. "

Hmmn... come to think of it, I would agree with it. We have a lot of chinese, spanish and american influence, so can we call this global cuisine then? But I'm still wondering why Filipino have not taken off globally and have its own equity plus following.

Only Kare-Kareng Baka in Central London! (8.50 pounds) Beef in Peanut Sauce. A traditional Filipino stew of beef with banana bloosom & vegetables in tasty peanut sauce and shrimp paste on the side.

(Ok, don't ask how much is the conversion rate or you'll die with how expensive it is when you convert it. )

My brother is an expert on Kare-Kare and he loved it! There is something with the thick peanut sauce that makes this a yummy treat. The servings are good for two and they use basmati rice which have lower sugar content than ordinary rice. My wife would definitely love this, when she was pregnant, she usually crave for kare kare aside from the chicken barbeque from Aristocrat.

Oh my favorite, Sinigang na Lapu-Lapu! (4.50 pounds) Tamarind flavour soup with chunk of radish and string beans

The sinigang broth was so deliciously sour and hot perfect for the cold windy afternoon in Central London. The vegetables are crispy fresh and the fish was surprisingly tender and tasty. Sometimes, you tend to neglect these food and I can't imagine how our OFWs survive in other countries if they don't have this kind of cuisine in their country.

Manok sa Mani -- Filipino Chicken Sate (4.50 pounds). Marinated grill chicken in skewer with peanut sauce.

This was OK and I can't remember having this type of food even here in the Philippines. This is like chicken marsala with peanut sate sauce.

The menu is very simple and I was pleasantly surprised that I can have Halo Halo in Central London -- Yahoo!

Halo - Halo with Mango Ice Cream on top. (3.85 pounds) -- Filipino Sundae? a refreshing concoction of original Philippine fruit preserved and beans blended with crushed ice and Mango Ice cream on top.

Simply the best! I can't ask for more while Im here. It was interesting that they use Mango instead of the usual Ube ice cream.

Here is a photo of myself and the owner Josie in an al fresco dining setting.

Josephine's Restaurant
4 Charlotte Street
London W1T 2LP
Opening Hours: Monday-Friday: 11:45am-11:00pm
Tel# 0207-5806551
email: Jores4@aol.com

Cupcakes by Sonja: Soft Opening

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cupcakesbysonja_soft opening copy, originally uploaded by Our Awesome Planet.

Finally!!! Cupcakes by Sonja is opening. Don't you wish it was already Thursday? Please say hi, if you happen to see me there.

Also, you might be wandering where have I been and have not been updating my blog. I don't usually announce in my blog if I will be traveling outside the country with the hope that I can continue to blog. Unfortunately, I now realize that I need to go on blog leave. Anyway, I've been to London, UK and I can't wait to post my experience. Watch out for it!

Related Post:

Sonja's Cupcakes--- Creating the Cupcake Craze in the Philippines?

What a Spankadventure: The Very Best of Pampanga Cuisine!

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(Left to Right, Back to Front Row) Ajay (annalyn.net) with son Paolo, my brother Rommel, my sister-in-law Clauds, Spanky Enriquez (spankyenriquez.blogspot.com), Bal the driver, Nina (justwandering.org), Kendrick Tan, our good friends Maong and Luisa, my lovely wife Rache, my son Aidan, and yours truly. Taken in Everybody's Cafe in San Fernando, Pampanga just before the Pampanga feast!

Related Post: Pampanga Food Trip- A Culinary Tour of Pampanga 1.0

It was a foodie dream come true!

I have always dreamed about the day that I would get to explore the very best of Pampanga food. Once again, that dream came true last Saturday night during our pampanga culinary adventure 2.0 led by Spanx. We ended the food trip with a kapampangan feast that we will never forget. From Mely's Sisig, to Jun-Jun's Barbeque and the popular Everybody Cafe's authentic Pampanga food. Of course, the meal will not be complete without the unique Pampanga dessert treat of Doren Tayag's Decadent Cake with Caramel Sauce and Aurely's Special upside down version of Brazo de Mercedes.

You won't be a certified foodie if you haven't tasted this cuisine. I will try my best to share with you our experience so you can be inspired to seek out these authentic Pampanga delights on your own time. I assure you can't find these types of food in the Metro and yes, you have to travel to San Fernando, Pampanga for a taste of all of these. Thanks to Spanky for another successful Pampanga Culinary Tour!

It would be difficult to top this trip because every tour gets better and better. We are thinking of a final Pampanga culinary tour 3.0 which will be the last of the Pampanga Culinary Trilogy. I do hope you can come and I'm sure that it would be one food adventure you will never forget. Watch out for this in October and I'll try to put an invite earlier so that you can block your own schedule.

The Uniquely Pampanga Feast!

Fried Catfish (P80) with Buro and Mustasa (P25). I was never fond of eating catfish specially the fried one because of its after taste. This one is an exception because the meat was fried well -- crunchy outside but tasty juicy meat inside. You eat this by wrapping a piece of catfish meat with Buro in a vegetable leaf similar to how you would eat a peking duck. The buro is so good that you forget that it is made from fermented rice.

Fried Camaru (P160). I must admit that these food trips are becoming adventurous bordering into the exotic. Although it looks like a fear factor dish, don't be deceived by its looks. This taste like bacon and you won't be believe me that this was the first dish that was wiped out! 

Pindang Tapa (P160). I must admit that this is an acquired taste. This carabao meat taste like sweet but with a slimy sour texture that would make you imagine how this one is cooked. This was the only dish that was not finished but Spanx affirmed that this is a favorite pampanga breakfast meal. 

Betute (P50/ frog). These stuffed frogs are intimidating at first because of its shape and looks. This is my first time to eat frogs and it surely tastes like chicken. The fried frog is stuffed with frog meat and pork, so it feels just like eating embotido. This was likewise very good and you got to eat this in Everybody's Cafe.

Jun-Jun's Barbeque (P40/stick). All my blog readers vouches for this, so we had to take out 5 sticks with us to eat in Everybody's Cafe. This is the best barbeque I ever tasted and it taste like Aristocrat Chicken Barbeque. It is marinated in Java sauce which makes the meat very tasty and you have the option to put more java sauce on top before eating. Each stick is already good for one meal, and the P40/stick is well worth it because it is full of meat and cooked while you order. 

Mely's Sisig. Voted as the Best Sisig in Pampanga by the locals. Mely's Sisig is grilled to perfection, chopped and mixed with the special sauce which makes this dish very addicting. Contrary to popular belief that sisig needs to be in a sizzling plate and should be crunchy. I'm glad AJ insisted to buy this and take it with us in Everybody's cafe. 

Doren Tayag's Decadent Cake with Caramel Sauce (P550/ box).  The Best Chocolate Cake in Pampanga (if not in Metro Manila)! Now, I'm sounding like I'm exaggerating already but we had to seek out all these treats to taste the best of what Pampanga has to offer. Polly's Cake will be no match for this soft chocolate cake with decadent icing  topped with oh so delicious caramel sauce! We had to get this from the house of Doren Tayag directly and I have proven that the legend is indeed true, that Doren's Chocolate Cake is the best chocolate cake in town!

Aurely's Special: Brazo de Mercedes (P125/box).  Spanx has been raving about this dessert for days now. These highly rich in cholesterol brazo de mercedes are sinfully tempting. I should warn you not to eat one of these or you'll be addicted specially if you are a brazo de mercedes lover just like us. Thanks Spanx for introducing us to this unique Pampanga dessert.

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was the best Pampanga cuisine I've ever tasted! Although, just on hindsight, all of the pampanga food we ate are carbo rich and fattening if you think about it. So this is not for the diet conscious or for the vegetarians out there. I'll create a separate post on where can you find them in Pampanga if you decide to have your own food adventure.

 

Anton

[Singapore #3] V Tea Room-My Best Dessert Place!

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9/9- A Culinary Tour of Pampanga 2.0

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9/6/06: LAST Call for all those who wants to join us in Pampanga. There would be slight chances in the itinerary but these trips are usually anything goes. Total damage might be P1,000-P1,500 depending on how many will be joining to share on the transpo costs. Pick up areas would be Makati and North Edsa.

Open Invitation to all foodies out there:

We loved it so much that we felt that we are just scratching the surface of the Kapampangan cuisine. Spanky again agreed to lead us to another food adventure on Sept. 9, Saturday and here is the tentative schedule:

Leave Manila at around 9/10am.
Take Nlex and exit San Fernando.
Razon's Halo Halo at their original location in Guagua.
Check out Wood Carvers in Lubao Drive to Subic SBMA and have lunch at Meat Plus.
Take the Haribon Foundations's GuBAT Biodiversity Conservation Education and Bat-tour
To make Ajay happy, Duty Free shopping in SBMA.
After Subic, drive to Sen. Lito Lapid's legacy of the Megadike
Pasalubong shopping in San Fernando at Aurely's Bakeshop for the sinfully rich Brazo de Mercedes "bars"
Pasalubong shopping at Pampanga's Best & Tita's Pasalubong
Finale Dinner at Everybody's Cafe

There are already a few people who have confirmed to join so let me know if you want to join. Everybody is invited and the only requirement is that you need to be ready for a food marathon. Based on the first culinary tour experience, we would like to hire a van so that we can maximize the interaction and bonding in the car.

If you have any other suggestions on the itinerary, please let us know.

Brought to you by: Spanky Culinary Tours of Pampanga.

Technorati Tags: Philippines, Restaurants

Sanctuario Spa, Tagaytay

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Technorati Tags: Philippines, Spa, tagaytay

Pizzeria via Montenapoleone: The Best Italian Pizza in Town in just 5 minutes

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Romana Pizza (P270+). Tomato, Anchovies, Capers, Olives, Mozzarella, Oregano, Olive Oil

This pizzeria has a canteen feel of Amici de Don Bosco, the pizzas are wood fire oven cooked, and owned by an Italian. Finally, another authentic Italian pizzeria in town and it boasts of perfect pizzas in only 5 minutes because they use a high heat imported Italian oven. There is no such thing as crunchy thin crust, or thick crust for Italian pizzas --- so expect a soft, chewy and thin crust pizza. The pizzas are great and remind me of Amici de Don Bosco pizza. I noticed that there are only a few burned portions and this is a good indication of how well they cooked the pizza.

As for the pasta, it tasted ordinary. You should definitely leave room for the gelato dessert! It is a simple pizzeria which serves pizza and pasta:
>> Pizza Menu
>> Pasta Menu

Have you eaten here?

Technorati Tags: Philippines, Restaurants

The italian owner, Nuccio doing the honors to serve the wine as my brother Rommel looks on.

It resembles a canteen / fast food ambiance. Food are served quickly as their pasta (or the one we ordered) is displayed at their counter as seen at the far left of the photo. A turn off since it is not cooked as ordered.

Italian Red Wine! I'm not really an expert on wine yet, but this is the first time I loved a dry italian wine.

Cannelloni Agli Spinachi (P160+)
Baked Cannelloni stuffed with spinach and cheese topped with bechamel and parmesan cheese.
This is quite unique order for me because we usually order the one with noodles. I love the spinach and cheese inside the cannelloni. Just looked at the cannelloni photo and it screams " eat me ".

Fettucini Panna e Prosciutto (P170+) Stuffed Pasta with ham, cream and parmesan cheese
Nothing special. Tasted ordinary and easy to make. Quite pricey for its servings but I think this is the going rate of the food nowadays especially places like Makati.

Al 4 Formaggi (P270+) Tomato, Mozzarella, Tallegio, Parmesan, Brie, Others
We first ordered this 4 cheese pizza and it was gone in a minute. This pizza did not feel heavy and the taste of the cheese is complimented by the soft dough. Of course, best eaten when it is still hot from the oven.

Gelato Galore -- yummy delight! Although, I must admit that the Amici Gelatos are still the best.

Pizzeria Restaurant via Montenapoleone
#38 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air Village, Makati City
Tel# +632 8996147

Bag of Beans: Beyond English Pies

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There are no new restaurants in Tagaytay, recently. So, you have to go back to old favorites like Bag of Beans. If you have not been here, BOB is a good place for lunch and desserts. Initially, this place was promoting their English Pies that gets mixed reaction from customers. These days I go here for a nice ambiance (ala Sonya's Secret Garden), good food, and coffee Alamid -- which is one of the most expensive coffee in the world :) Coffee Alamid is Philippine civet coffee that comes only from the sweetest coffee cherries of the Philippine forests. (trust me you don't want to know what civet coffee means :)

This place is conveniently located near the Mendez intersection so you'll never miss it. Chances are, you would have seen this place already when you get stuck in traffic in that intersection. Another landmark would be when you start seeing vendors selling steamed peanuts (I'm addicted to this), which signals that you are near Bag of Beans already and there are a lot of cars parked along the road.

For those who haven't been here, let me tour you around the place.

>> Bag of Beans Coffee and Bakeshop Menu
>> Main Courses and Dessert Menu

Technorati Tags: Philippines, tagaytay

Certainly eating al fresco is one of the allure of this place.  Be sure to bring an insect repellant if you are with your kids because our superboy got bit and you know how those bites gets nasty with them.

 
You can opt to sit in a colorful homey type of ambiance.

 
More al fresco options under the big umbrellas.

 
This is the main dining place which reminds me of the Sonya's Secret garden setup but a smaller version.

 
You don't really need a reservation but if you decide to reserve, this would be a nice part to seat in.  We arrived after lunch so the were only a few customers and their best sellers are not available anymore.

 
Grilled Blue Marlin (P280++) (+12% VAT and +10% service charge)
The blue marlin was well done and properly cooked in a way the the juices were kept in tact inside the meat. Although it is expensive, the serving was in fact good for two so it was worth it. We were hoping to order the pink salmon which is also one of the best sellers in the house but luck was not on our side because the last piece was already gone.

 
Chicken ala Kiev (P225++)
We did not waste our time in eating this juicy chicken dish. The chicken breast was cooked with oozing cream, light butter and pesto encapsulated by a crispy flour crust. We were satisfied and glad that it did not disappoint us since we got no choice but to order this.

 
Blueberry Cheesecake (P95++)
This was the perfect dessert to finish our meal. The texture and taste of the cheesecake is similar to a layer of vanilla ice cream with a hint of cheese flavor. This is not your usual cheesecake and the blueberry topping makes this, I believe, the best seller in the house.  You can opt to have a strawberry topping if you're having too much of the blueberry.

 
Coffee Alamid (P95++)
It was my first time to taste coffee alamid and I was disappointed that it did not taste anything different to justify its high cost. This coffee tasted like the kapeng barako of Batangas.  This coffee was highly controversial and I heard that they asked Oprah to taste this before knowing the story about the coffee alamid beans.

" Coffee Alamid is Philippine civet coffee that comes only from the sweetest coffee cherries of the Philippine forests. The palm civets that naturally propagate the sugar palm trees are also the same civets that choose and eat these ripe cherries. The beans are then fermented in the digestive system of the civets, then excreted as whole beans. The coffee farmers pick these civet droppings during coffee season. " (www.arengga.com)

 
I leave you with a photo of superboy contemplating on his life :)

Bag of Beans Coffee Shop & Bakery

115 Aguinaldo Highway

Mendez Crossing West, Tagaytay City

(046) 413.2724; (0920) 954.6370

chat_antiquera88@yahoo.com

Is It Really A Fantasy World?

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Sunset Air Plane Watching

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It's a bird, It's a plane, or Is it superman?

I have another discovery. I surprised my wife and son that I'll bring them to a unique place that they would enjoy. I got mixed reaction from both of them.

Check out the photos and can you guess where this is?

Technorati Tags: Philippines

There is a place in the Fort where you can see up close all the planes landing down in NAIA at around 5pm. The loud sound of the airplane scared my son so you could really imagine how close we were.

Imagine seeing all these planes landing every 5-10 minutes! I do hope someday my son would appreciate this scene because I do.

This is also a perfect time for Airplane shoots and how I wish I have a telephoto to practice my panning shots.

You can also wait for the sunset and get shots like this.

City Kart Racing, First Indoor Go Kart in the Philippines!

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Before.

After the race.

This was my first time to try out Go Karting and I loved it! It is a great team building session that somehow simulates how it feels to race in a F1 circuit. (Ok, that might be an over statement but you need to imagine that you are in one to get the best experience :)

To tell you frankly, I was hesitant to try Go Kart and I can't understand what's the fuss about this. It is fortunate that Jeff, a French guy, decided to open City Kart, the first indoor Go Kart and most technically advanced in the Philippines, 4 months ago. Aside from being indoor, the City Kart circuit have an outdoor portion and an elevated track to go on a second level. It also boasts of a higher standard of safety better than any of our Go Kart racing circuit. This was highly recommended by my friend, Jovy, a passionate racer.

We had definitely had fun! I was already getting the hang of it during the third race that I'm more confident to turn into the tricky corners at high speed of maybe 50-60kph. Of course, what is a Go Kart without its racing suit and helmet. What a memorable experience for my team!

This is still a secret for most people and only popular to racers. You would normally see this on the right side (if you are going to Alabang) along the service road in between the Bicutan and Sucat exit of South Super Highway. Here's more of our experience.

Technorati Tags: Manila, Philippines

This is a snapshot of the track. I love going up and down that ramp and it is quite unique where the circuit has an elevated portion.

Here is a view of the canteen/ reception area from the main control point in the track.

All of us are first time racers so Jeff personally taught us how to operate the Go Karts. He also explained to us the Safety Rules and Regulation of City Kart. He put particular emphasis on the yellow flag/ yellow flashing which signifies danger and the blue flag telling you to give way to a faster person behind you.

Another photo of the team who excitedly got into their racing costumes and is just waiting for the race to start. Hang on there guys!

The balaclava is the racing mask you have to wear before putting on the helmet.

We had a practice lap for 10 minutes to get us comfortable with the Karts. Then, a qualifying round for another 10 minutes. After the qualifying race, we were put on a racing grid based on our best time in the qualifying round. It was such a fun race and I finished 5th!

Chris Alano won the race --- Congratulations, buds!

City Kart Racing
Jean-Marc Freihuber, Managing Director
Km. 18 West Service Road
Sucat, Paranaque City
Tel: +632 821-7087
Mobile: +63 917 - 866 5555
Website: www.citykartracing.com
Operating Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9am-11pm

The Racers (Name and the best time in finishing a lap)

1st Place: Chris Alano, 75,285 seconds -- Congratulations!!

2nd Place: Francis Uy, 78,722 seconds.

3rd Place: Ethel Blanco, 79,163 seconds

4th Place: Camille Ballo, 79, 603 seconds

5th Place: Anton Diaz, 81, 336 seconds
(Okay, we were beaten by two ladies...I can't stand wearing a blue racing suit)

Boni Andino, 82, 933 seconds

Bro. Connon Awardee, Herbert Hallig, 86, 206 seconds.

Eric Nabos, 85, 012 seconds.

Power Blogger's Meet and Unfulfilled Expectation

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There are only two reasons why I wanted to go to the Innove Bloggers Meet . First, to finally meet all the power bloggers in our country today and second, to get a free one year HSDA wireless broadband access from Globe/ Innove. It was great to finally meet the power bloggers all in one round table discussion including:

Abe Olandres of Pinoy Top Blogs (http://yugatech.com), -- blog overlord problogger
Connie Veneracion (http://houseonahill.net), --- Finally! The controversial Sassy Lawyer
Jangelo Racoma (http://racoma.com.ph), --- The first Full time Blogger
Gail of Kutitots (http://kutitots.com), --- The first pinoy blogger
Marc Macalua (http://www.macalua.com/) --- Mr. SEO Philippines
Markku (http://rebelpixel.com) -- Pinoy Lyrics Guru

We were a cheap group. It only took a few round of drinks for us to share all our knowledge and insider information about blogging with Innove. The Innove marketing guys has NO clue what blogging is all about so they invited us to know what really ticks in the mind of bloggers for them to create services to meet blogger's demands.

It was a great meet and here are some more photos on the actual focus group discussions in Temple Bar at Greenbelt last night. In the end, we just ended up with one month free wifi subscription and some goodies. Hmmn, I'll talk to my Smart Contact (attention Jovy... ) and maybe they can fulfill our dreams of free pilot use of HSDPA wireless broadband for one year :) Just kidding.

The 12 Apostles of Globe Innove
Innove Meet
When: August 31 2006
Where: Temple Bar, Greenbelt 2 | 8:00PM
What to expect: It’s a surprise party (shhh!)

The night started with a serious FGD of Q&A discussions on blogger habits and aspirations.


Yuga passionately explaining his aspirations and pro blogging passions.


Jayvee sharing with us his geeky desires as James of Innove Broadband marketing looks on.

Mr. Full Time Blogger J. Angelo enjoying the food and he came in with his lovely wife.

Lovely Gail of Kutitots.com poses with Yuga. Finally, I met Gail who I've always wanted to ask for a wordpress theme for a new blog that I am going to launch. Thanks in advance Gail!

The Sassy Connie of houseonahill.net. One of the most successful blogging idols in the country today. Connie/ Jayvee will be joining us for the Sept. 9 culinary tour.


Mr. SEO Philippines Marc Macalua shares his how-to-trick-Google secrets with the shirt bought from the Great Garment Sale :)


Lovely Innove ladies...

A few round of drinks for a wealth of knowledge on how blogger thinks is a cheap deal. But we are glad to spill all our brains out just for this.

Jayvee -- you're the man. Thanks for inviting us to the innove meet.


Markku and Kevin with the Innove goodies of One month free wifi, jacket, notebook and other marketing materials.

Hopefully, next time Buddha grants our wish of one year free pilot test of HSDPA wireless broadband.

[Singapore #2] Makan Food that did not make the cut

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1. Fish Head Curry -- My wife wanted to try this out and so we did. It was just okay, nothing to rave about or maybe we just had too much of everything that night. The huge snapper head served was enough for the three of us but with the other food on the table, it was way too much. There was so much fish meat that i thought it was an endless eating. Cooked in a spicy, tangy, tamarind curry with okra and tomatoes.

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2. Popiah -- A Hokkien style fresh spring rolls with julienned turnips (singkamas), carrots, egg, prawns and ground peanuts wrapped in rice flour sheet. One healthy dish! Counterpart of our lumpiang ubod with its crunchiness and freshness.

3. Chwee Keuh -- Steamed round soft rice cakes topped with preserved raddish, fried garlic with soy sauce and herbs. Looks like the almond cake but definitely not the same taste. We did not even get to finish one chwee keuh!

4. Rojak -- A weird salad concoction but just for fun, we tried it. Made with pineapple, cucumber, dried tofu and grilled cuttlefish tossed in a spicy and piquant tamarind, prawn paste, sugar, lime and chili topped with crushed nuts. This tasted so funny because I'm not really into having pineapple in my dish.

5. Froggy Delight -- Food that did not make it because we didn't get to eat it! Maybe next time! Another must try!

6. Nasi Lemak -- Its rice cooked in coconut milk thus, a rich rice. Topping includes a fried fish, dilis and the chili sambal we love. Otah or otak-otak may be eaten with nasi lemak.

7. Bongo Burgers -- Our first Singapore meal because we had no choice. We went straight to Jurong Bird Park after dropping off our luggage to maximize the day so what else was there to eat but the usual fastfood restaurant with their usual burgers.

8. Biryani Rice with Curry -- When I knew that this rice was cooked in pork's lard, I just couldn't finish it. Too much fat! One reason why Indian's population has been decreasing.

9. Bak Wa -- Preserved meat. We decided to buy the chicken meat since we have been tasting all the pork and beef as a take home.

10. Fried Carrot Cake -- We felt this was too oily for our own good. No, this is not our usual orange carrots but this is a white radish belonging to carrot family. Mixed with rice flour and fried with eggs and pickled vegetables.

[Singapore #1] Makan Food Trip - My Top 10 Favorites!

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I always dread going to Singapore because I thought the place is so boring and the food is uninspired. I was only exposed to my usual routine of hotel to office and eating in Orchard Road, Clark / Boat Quay, or Suntec City Malls, the usual tourist route. Boy, was I dead wrong.

Singapore is a foodie haven! My taste palette just got expanded when I tasted the best of Singapore Makan delights. In fact, Singaporeans are known for their 24-hour passion for makan -- the malay word for "food" or "eat". Armed with a Uniquely Singapore Makan Delights brochure, a popular book called Makan Sutra (singapore makan bible), and a singapore local foodie, my family went on a makan food trip in Singapore. I now respect and appreciate Singaporeans passion for food and as they say, the best food is found along the streets. That I would have to agree 100%!

Here is my top 10 Makan Favorites! For those who will have a chance to go visit Singapore, you have to seek out these Makan Delights! Just an additional tip if you are going on a Makan food trip: a) bring your own tissue/ water and, b) you can say no to the wet towels and peanuts which usually comes with a fee.

1. Bak Kuh Teh -- This is the Singapore/ Malaysia version of our Bulalo. There are two versions the one with clear, aromatic broth that is full of garlic and white pepper and the one with a dark broth full of Chinese herbs that is good for your health. I like the latter one (dark broth) and it is usually served with white rice, yu tiao (chinese fried dough fritters), sliced red chillies in soy sauce, and a pot of Chinese tea.

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The best Bak Kuh Teh can be found in Ng Ah Sio Pork Ribs Eating House located at 208 Rangoon Road. This is near our Novena office and the pork used is so tender and fresh. They are only open from 6am to 2pm and closed on monday to ensure freshness of the meat which I believe is one of the secret of this pork soup dish. It is said that all the meat butcher shops are closed on a Monday so they don't want to serve frozen meat bought on a Sunday.

You can also find Bak Kuh Teh along Balestier Road which serves the clear broth one pictured above. If you prefer this, I would recommend Founder Rou Gu Cha at 347 Balestier Road. They are closed on a Tuesday, serves lunch from 12nn-2pm and dinner 6pm onwards.

2. Chili Crab -- Singapore's unofficial National Dish and the most famous dish known to tourist. The juicy King crabs are cooked in a chili-spiked yummy gravy perfect as a dip for the small fried buns. You won't go wrong with this dish and you just have to be careful the cholesterol that you take in.

There are only two places I would recommend. Either you eat in the Jumbo Seafood located in #1-07/08 East Coast Seafood Centre, Blk 1206 East Coast Parkway or in the No Signboard Seafood located in 414 Geylang Road, next to Lorong 24 or their Esplanade (pronounced like lemonade) branch.
Also, nice to eat with the crispy cereal prawns but this might be a cholesterol overload. I like eating at Esplanade because of the cool ambiance it brings especially at night. It was a good thing we ate there past lunch time so there was barely people eating. It sure can pack a lot of customer come dinner time!

3. Kaya Toast -- Kaya is a local jam made from eggs, sugar and coconut milk. The Ya Kun version (a popular Kaya Toast chain) comes in green color with a caramel taste and texture, their version of our coco jam. I was instantly hooked with Kaya Toast and you can opt to eat it traditional style with a thin layer of pure butter spread all over the bread. This is one of the best pasalubong from Singapore that I bought. In the many years that I visited Singapore, I was ignorant about this local favorite treat.

4. Chicken Rice -- A flavourful chicken up to its fragrant rice. I cannot get enough of this chicken. My favorite dish!

5. Prawn and Banana in Dragon Beard Dimsum -- I should say this is a nice combination. You could taste the sweetness of the banana and mayonnaise after a bite and the prawn adds flavor to it. Ever wonder why it is named dragon beard? Question got answered when our Aidan got a bite and caught some of the crispy noodles on his mouth that resembled a beard. A messy eater he can be.

6. Singapore Satay -- Singapore's version of our barbecue, marinated and skewered mutton, beef and chicken and grilled to perfection. The lemongrass was the dominating flavor which I liked. This came with ketupat (compressed rice cake, like our puto but this is one bland puto that obviously we did not like.) to complete the meal.

7. Mee Siam -- A sweet and spicy noodle soup that you will sip away and not leave anything in your bowl. The tanginess flavor from the squeezed lime makes you want to finish it all off. One cannot forget their sambal, their version of our bagoong, which is almost part of their every meal. This soup also comes with a hardboiled egg, fried tofu and beansprouts.

8. Otak - Otak (Grilled Fish Paste) -- Taste like your favorite maling or spam except that this is made from fish and vegetable. As usual, this is kinda spicy and is nice to eat it with rice. Cooked in banana leaves that also gave a flavor to the otak-otak. Sometimes, eaten with nasi lemak.

9. Mee Goreng -- This was one of our last chance to eat a noodle meal, a meal before flying out to Manila. I noticed that there are so many noodle dish so I did not want to miss at least one of them. It is like eating pancit canton but this is much better with its sambal sauce to go with it! So tasty!

10. Fried Oyster Omelet -- Your aphrodisiac meal for the night. Full of oysters fried with egg. My first time to eat and it did not disappoint me. But you have to be careful since this is highly packed with cholesterol. Come on, just this once!

Too bad, we had to go home because I know there are just too many dishes to try in Singapore. But I am also relieve to go back because I know I have again gained so much weight. Maybe next time, we will try to walk more.