OUR AWESOME PLANET

MAPLE: All Day Breakfast @ San Antonio Plaza, Forbes Park Makati

MAPLE is the high-end All-Day Breakfast restaurant by the Pancake House group with its flagship store in San Antonio Plaza.

We like Pancake House, and it's our comfort breakfast food with our boys. But recently we noticed the taste is getting too commercialized, the serving of the pasta is getting smaller, and the flavors are a bit diluted.

I'm glad that they decided to create a Breakfast restaurant for the foodies who demand a better breakfast experience all day. 

Here's our breakfast date experience at MAPLE:

The Best of ALL-DAY BREAKFAST Craze:

• BREAKFAST at ANTONIO'S: Welcoming 2013 with a Yummy Bang along the Ridge!
  
• MAPLE: All Day Breakfast @ San Antonio Plaza, Forbes Park Makati
• EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Starting the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
• IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP?

PHAT PHO: A Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup @PhatPhoCebu

P.H.A.T. PHO (short for Pretty Hot and Tempting Pho?) is the Vietnamese Resto created by Jason Hyatt of The Abaca Group in Cebu.  There's not a lot of Vietnamese flavors in Cebu, and Abaca Group's Vietnamese concept is interesting with Vietnamese Chef Ahn Sy Hoang or Chef Bruce.

In contrast to the other Abaca restos, Phat Pho is quaint (with a capacity of about less than 30pax) but still hip. During peak lunch and dinner time you have to sit shoulder-to-shoulder giving up a bit of privacy just to get a taste of the latest Vietnamese cuisine to invade Cebu.

Here's our PHAT PHO Experience in Cebu:

The BEST of Cebu City Series 2013:

• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca - the BEST Italian Restaurant in Cebu?
• MAYA, Cebu: My Birthday in the Best Mexican Restaurant
• ABACA Restaurant in Mactan, Cebu by Jason Hyatt

Best Vietnamese Restaurants in the Philippines:

• BAWAI: The Best Home Made Vietnamese I've Ever Tasted
• PHAT PHO: A Modern Vietnamese Kitchen @TheAbacaGroup
• BA NOI's - Secret Vietnamese Hole-in-the-Wall in Makati
• LA PETITE CAMILLE: American Vietnamese Cuisine with a Dash Of Joie De Vivre?

MESCLUN BISTRO (formerly Cuillere) by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra

MESCLUN BISTRO is the casual version of the MESCLUN Restaurant & Cafe in Linden Suites by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara, also the creator of Chuck's Deli, Paulene Chocolats Suisses, and the now-defunct Cuillere French restaurant.

Its name is inspired by the mixture of culinary inspirations (not only from French cuisine but also from other European cuisines) from Chef Kat's travels and collaborations with other chefs.

It's nice to follow Chef Kat's journey from Cuillere to Chuck's Deli and now to Mesclun. You get to notice the maturity over the years and see her personality in her culinary creations.

I'm happy to know that she's back in Serendra in the original location of the French resto that made her famous in the foodie circles.

Check out Mesclun Bistro when you are in Serendra (where Cuillere used to be located):

Related Blog Post: Chuck's Deli - Now Serving Awesome Sandwiches in Serendra!

What's New in BGC Restaurants in 2013?

• VASK: Traditional Basque Cuisine and Modern Gastronomy @VaskManila
• EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Start of the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
• IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
• GYU-KAKU Philippines: World's No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila :)
• MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
• MESCLUN BISTRO by Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara in Serendra

BRASAS: Kicking Off the Latin American Fever in Manila :)

BRASAS is the first restaurant specializing in Latin American Street Food in Manila. Aside from Brazil Brazil, which is a churrascaria, you won't find much Latin American cuisine in the metro.

As the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil draws near (it kicks-off June 12, 2014), it would be interesting to see if the Latin American fever takes over Manila. Brasas is on the right track in leading the introduction of the cuisine to the local foodies.

Check out the flavors of Brasas in their flagship store in Podium:

The Best of Gourmet Food at Podium:

• BRASAS: Kicking Off the Latin American Fever in Manila :)
• JAPANESE MOCHI CREAM: Authentic Japanese Mochi Now in Manila!
• Borough, 24x7 NY Comfort Food in a Mall?

TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca - One of the BEST Italian Restaurants in Cebu! @TavolataCebu @theAbacaGroup

TAVOLATA is an Italian bistro that serves simple Italian dishes from The Abaca Group (known for really yummy Cebu restaurants like Maya Mexican Restaurant and Abaca Restaurant in Mactan.)

Its name means "to gather around a table", and the restaurant is designed to be a great place to hang out with friends or to celebrate special occasions.

It uses the finest ingredients from Italy like Finestra in Solaire, and has that informal feel, stylish ambiance and cult following like Wildflour in Manila.

It is worth flying to Cebu from Manila just to eat here. :)

Check out our Tabolata experience in Cebu...

The BEST of Cebu City Series:

• TAVOLATA: La Trattoria di Abaca - the BEST Italian Restaurant in Cebu?
• MAYA, Cebu: My Birthday in the Best Mexican Restaurant
• ABACA Restaurant in Mactan, Cebu by Jason Hyatt

THE FARM ORGANICS: Certified Organic Beef and Steaks @TheFarmOrganics

THE FARM Restaurant showcases the Organic Beef Products of The Farm Organics, certified by the Organic Certification Center of the Philippines (OCCP).

They have been raising their own cows in their 1,000-hectare farm in Masbate since 1976. The cows are free to roam and graze around the property. They grow them naturally, without the use of any antibiotics, growth hormones or artificial drugs.

They serve really good organic steaks for less than P1,000 and also have healthy burgers like Paleo Burger and Vegan Mushroom burgers.

(Note: They were the first to use The Farm branding since 1976. This is different from The Farm Spa at San Benito.)

Check out this awesome restaurant in the South!

BEST OF THE SOUTH Series:

• RAMEN YUSHOKEN: Guide to the BEST Ramen in the South!
• Sensei Sushi by Chef Bruce "Broosy" Ricketts
• ♥ @LarcysCupcakery Cafe in BF ♥
• THE FARM ORGANICS: Certified Organic Beef and Steaks @TheFarmOrganics

ARIA CUCINA ITALIANA (Revisited): Our ARIA Favorites and Kids' Menu @AriaCucina

Read first: ARIA Mania in Manila?

We love trying out new restaurants, but there are times when we want to revisit places that we've been to simply because they're yummy. One of our favorite Italian places in Boracay and in Manila is Aria because of the delicious pizza, pasta and salad combinations.

Recently, they added innovative cocktail drinks by Tim Walters and also a Kids' Menu.

Here is our updated Aria experience...

Related Blog Posts:

• ARIA CUCINA ITALIANA (Revisited): Our ARIA Favorites and Kids Menu @AriaCucina
• ARIA Mania in Manila?
• Top5 Bora Resto! [ The Bora Life #3 ]

What's New in BGC Restaurants in 2013?

• EARLY BIRD Breakfast Club: Start of the All-Day Breakfast Era in Manila?
• IHOP Philippines: Manila Goes Crazy Over IHOP? @IHOP_PH
• GYU-KAKU Philippines: World's No.1 Yakiniku Japanese BBQ Brand now in Manila :)
• MAD FOR GARLIC Philippines: Italian Korean Wine Resto (and Garlic Breath)
• ARIA CUCINA ITALIANA (Revisited): Our ARIA Favorites and their Kids Menu @AriaCucina

WEE NAM KEE: Hainanese Chicken Rice now uses WNK Singapore's Yellow Chicken! @WeeNamKeePH

Read First: Wee Nam Kee's Hainanese Chicken Rice Now in Manila!

Finally, Wee Nam Kee has imported the Yellow Chicken, considered the Wagyu of Chickens, for its Hainanese Chicken Rice! This was a response to a customer suggestion on importing the same chicken (sourced from Malaysia) originally used by Wee Nam Kee Singapore.

The Wee Nam Kee we love just got better, and they even added signature drinks and desserts to complete the dining experience. You've got to try the Yellow Chicken Difference. :) 

(Note: Yellow Chicken is on a limited run from May 1 to June 30 at WNK Glorietta and Serendra.)

Related Blog Posts:

• WEE NAM KEE: Hainanese Chicken Rice now uses WNK Singapore's Yellow Chicken!
• Wee Nam Kee's Hainanese Chicken Rice Now in Manila!
• BOON TONG KEE in Manila?!
• Tao Yuan - Best Singaporean Food in Manila as Attested by the Singaporean Embassy

The New Glorietta Series:

• RAMEN SANTOUKA PHILIPPINES: Legendary Hokkaido Ramen now in Manila!
• WEE NAM KEE: Hainanese Chicken Rice now uses WNK Singapore's Yellow Chicken!