Happiness is a great bowl of tom yum!

After swearing off food events for the past three months in my quest to be a Fat Girl No More, I broke my fast for a Taste of Thailand at the Marriott Manila last night. And boy, was it a wonderful break!

My tummy is still reeling from all the sumptuous food I sampled!

As I told Chef Thanathorn Krobsuay, Thai cuisine is by far my most favorite in the whole world. In fact, it was even what I wrote about in the Yummy contest last year. When I saw the dishes in front of me, I immediately went into "takaw" mode, but I quelled that by taking photos first.

Initially, I was a bit disappointed because I did not see my favorite dish on the table, Tom Yum Goong. Well, apparently I was wrong because it was there! The reason why I thought it wasn't there was because I was looking for the signature red broth of tom yum, but what they had was the white one (which I understand is made of coconut milk). As soon as I tasted it though, I was in heaven. Yes, happiness indeed.

There were also a host of other Thai dishes on the menu:

And for dessert:

For a Thai food lover like me, I would have to say that The Flavors of Thailand buffet at tha Marriott Hotel Manila is by far the closest I've been to Thailand while in Manila. The buffet  is available for lunch and dinner daily at Php 1,350 (Php 675 for children). Sunday Brunch runs at Php 1,650.

Besides the authentic Thai spread, diners can also enjoy a wide array of other very delicious dishes. From fabulous appetizers to indulgent desserts, an evening at the Marriott Manila will definitely be a belly-filling experience!

For more larger, more detailed and higher resolution photos, check out my Flickr page :-)

Rediscovering Filipino Cuisine with Kusê

this is the first of two parts to the fabulous belly busting pre-Valentine feast we bloggers were treated to at Old Vine and Kusê located at the Venice Piazza Mall at McKinley Hill, Taguig.

There's really no substitute to honest to goodness Filipino food. Last week, I was among several bloggers treated to an early Valentines feast by owner Larry Cortez and by nights end, I was stuffed beyond belief! I was so full I had to pass on two of the dishes they had served us, the classic Bulalo and inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly). It smelled so good and I really wanted to eat more but there was no way I could. And that's a lot coming from me!

My favorite dish for the evening was the Fried Pla-pla with burong mustasa, balo-balo, escabeche and tomato salsa. I don't really know what escabeche is but I definitely LOVE balo-balo which is a (if I'm not mistaken) Kapampangan delicacy. It is a concoction made of fermented rice and generally has a very unpleasant smell. The one we had in Kusê, however, was not very stinky. It was perfect with the salsa and the fried fish. At first I though the fish was Tilapia and was surprised at how big it was! This dish costs Php 295.00 and for me, is worth every peso, seriously!

 It also complemented their best-selling Garlic Dulong rice nicely.A bowl of this yummy fried rice costs Php 95.00 and is good for sharing.

An interesting dish I sampled that night was the Paco Salad sa Laguna (Php 165.00), which is served with kesong puti and red eggs. Paco is, as I understand it, a kind of plant that thrives in the cool climate of Laguna.

For dessert, Kusê offers an different but definitely delicious sapin-sapin.

Overall, I would rate my dining experience at Kusê as excellent :-) An added bonus to dining at Kusê is that it is adjoined to Old Vine, so if you are craving for a more international flavor, you can just walk on over and order from that menu too.Watch out for my Old Vine review!

Yapatoots meets The Sandwich Guy.

One of my most favorite restaurants ever is Subway. However, for Philippine standards, it's kind of high-end even though it is large and worth the money you pay for. Lucky for me, I was introduced by a friend of mine to The Sandwich Guy.

TSG offers a wide array of freshly made sandwiches ranging from Php 55.00 to 110.00 only. This is a great deal! I like how the sandwich is well-filled, and not like other sandwiches that are all bread and mayo and a little itty-bitty piece of something stuck in the middle. With TSG, it's a pretty good size. Like in Subway, the sandwiches are made as you order them, so you can be sure of its freshness.

My friend and I ordered two sandwiches the day we went to the McKinley Hill branch of TSG. We tried the H.B.L.T (or the Ham Bacon Lettuce and Tomato) and the Crabstick and Mango sandwiches. I liked them both, although I would have preferred a slightly crunchier texture to the bacon. The crabstick one was great! It came with some wasabi mayo on it and it had a good kick to it.

TSG is now one of my favorite sandwich places, although I must be honest...Subway still tops my list. Comparatively, however, while Subway has more veggie options, I think TSG is a better choice in terms of dieting because of its portion control. With regular sized wheat bread over a six-inch wheat sub, you definitely will not be tempted to eat more than you should!

You can try TSG at the following locations: McKinley Hill and Total Corp. Bldg at the Fort, Cybergate Tower at Pioneer, Sun Plaza Building at Mandaluyong, Standard Charter Building at Makati City. They deliver too! Check out www.thesandwichguy.com for delivery numbers and menu.

Kain Na!!!! (Let's Eat!!!)

Isa sa aking pinakapaboritong pagkain ay pizza. Kahit saan, mapa-3M o Greenwich, Pizza Hut o Yellow Cab, basta pizza, siguradong swak na swak sa akin yun. Ito ang aming tinanghalian noong isang linggo...ang napakamurang promo ng Gourdo's pizza! Bihira ako magpakuha ng litrato na naka-wacky mode, pero sa sarap ng pizza, di ko napigilan!

Pizza is by far, one of my most favorite things to eat. No matter where it comes from, be it 3M Pizza, Greenwich, Pizza Hut or Yellow Cab, pizza's are definitely a sure win for me. Last Friday, my co-teachers and I decided to have lunch out and try the Gourdo's pizza promo. I read it in my friend Rowena's blog, Animetric's World. Imagine this: 3 gourmet pizzas all for the low price of Php 499. That's about the equivalent of one from most pizza chains, and at some, not even their large pizzas.

There were four variants to choose from, but I personally liked the vegetarian one best. Even my co-teachers, who aren't big fans of veggie pizzas, enjoyed it a lot too. On the other hand, the Hawaiian, which was incidentally the most expensive technically, was a bit disappointing as the ham they used wasn't so good. The Margherita pizza was quite good too.

Overall, it was a good deal that we got at Gourdo's! Would I try it again? OF COURSE! We were so full we weren't even able to try the gelato!!!

I'm sharing this shot as my Litratong Pinoy for the week. Come see more LP's here!

TGIF...even on a Thursday!

TGI Fridays has always been one of my favorite restaurants. From the tender and yummy Cajun Chicken Fingers, to my all time fave, the Shanghai Chicken Salad, there's always something great to have in Fridays. Though somewhat pricey, the dishes are always good to share. Today I tried something new. Because I'm trying to make healthier choices, I tried the Tortilla Crusted Fish. It was delish! A little spicy, but good nonetheless. It came with rice through, so my no rice dinners was a fail hehe.

To top off my Fridays dinner, I was able to claim a prize I won recently! A Mocha Mudpie :-) Okay, not a very good dieters choice...but I shared it with my friends anyway so I didn't eat it all! That should count for something!!!!

Wanna win your own Mocha Mudpie?!? Click here!!!

A Perfect Start and End to Any Day!

I'm sure we've all been told at one point or another that the most important meal of the day is breakfast. However, as times have changed, so has our so-called important meal of the day. Enter brunch!

While many may do brunch in the spirit of rushing, the phenomenon is slowly becoming trendy as many of Hollywood's elite start their days mid-morning with a brunch. Remember that infamous Bass Brunch in Gossip Girl? Yes, brunch is indeed the new "it" meal.

Recently, bloggers were invited to Brunch and Desserts with World Asia Café Star, Bobby Chinn.

photo courtesy of Azrael Coladilla

We, too, can now enjoy brunch in the cozy interiors of The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. With selections such as their Brek O'Day, Salmon Scramble (which I heard is really yummy!), assorted muffins and Eggs Ben, weekend mornings can definitely be an event to look forward too. Let's not forget the wide array of Tea Lattes and Ice Drinks CBTL has to offer.

Brunch, and any meal for that matter, would not be complete without dessert. I am a sucker for dessert, seriously. I've said time and again I can go without a full meal so long as I have a great dessert. And great desserts I got! We were treated to a whole bunch of delectable treats.

Choco Fudge (uber yummy and chocolatey to death!!)
Lemon Squares (yum. yum. and yum)
and Triple Berry Coffee Cake (served warm wih coffee, good, not a personal fave though)

My personal favorites: A Chai Tea Latte, Camembert Oreo Cheese Tart
and Chicago Cheesecake

Truly, CBTL offers you a perfect way to start or end any day!

Sushi with a Twist: Terriyaki Boy's Crazy Rolls

I am a big fan of sushi. In fact, I'm willing to give almost any kind of sushi/maki a try, at least once. I used to love going to those buffets in Saisaki because of all the sushi! The other day, my friend J asked to have dinner in Terriyaki Boy. It's been a while since I've indulged in Japanese food so I agreed.

I had my mind set in ordering a dish of Agadashi Tofu or Tofu Steak, after all, I'm trying to watch my weight, right? However, I got tempted by their Crazy Rolls. Even though it is rice based, I decided to go ahead and try some. It took me a long time to decide which one to try because there a dozen varieties to choose from. Finally, I decided to try the Firecracker Roll. I chose this for two reasons: first, it was made with salmon (others were made of chicken) and second, it was had the best photo appeal! I know the second one was kind of an airhead reason for choosing a dish, but I went with it.

The Firecracker Roll is described as "a display of color and various flavours. Minced fresh Norweigan salmon smothered with chili oil with our very own chili dressing rolled in green fish roe and black sesame seeds, topped with shoestring wanton" and was served with their crazy dip. I didn't particularly like the dip much, but the sushi was delish! I liked it better with soy sauce and wasabi. The Firecracerk Roll sells at Php 240.00.

An Indulgent Treat.

Nestled in the hustle bustle of the metro is a cozy little café that offers a wide array of indulgent dishes....not a great idea when you're on a diet, but how can you resist something like this?!? Looking at the dessert assortment alone is enough to make you gain ten pounds!

amaretto cake

I personally preferred their tiramisu, but this was quite good too. Indulgence Deli Café offers a cake and coffee combo at Php 100.00 only. Much lower than many of the more popular cafés around. I also tried their hungarian sausage and must say it was well worth it! At a little less than two hundred pesos, I had a great meal.

For the more health conscious, however, not looking at these indulgent delicacies is highly advisable. This doesn't mean, however, you can not have a good meal here. Aside from desserts, Indulgence serves pastas, pizzas and rice meals. A friend of mine tried the pesto pasta and said it suited her liking well, unlike other pestos which have too much of an herb-y taste.

According to Leirs Pagaspas, manager of the resto, they also have salads, soups and more low-calorie pastas. Their specialties, however, definitely don't fall under that category! A must-try is their Pizza Pinoy, which offers a unique Filipino blend to the typical pizza.

Indulgence Deli Café is located at the ground floor of Mayfair Mansion, 116 Perea St., Makati City.

Cool Summer Treats at Bizu.

A patisserie or pastry shop may not be the wisest resto choice for a dieter...but who can resist the call of Bizu Patisserie?!? It's inviting store decors and set-up alone is are enough to lure you in...

Thankfully, this summer they are featuring a new item on the menu: cool summer sorbets. We often think "sherbet" when hearing the word "sorbet" and for the most part, perhaps the most commonly available flavors, especially here in Manila, are buco and calamansi or lemon. In Bizu, however, Chef Sander was whipped up a batch of delicious and cool sorbets for you to enjoy on a hot, summer day. While it may not be 100% guilt-free, it definitely is a way better choice over ice cream...



My personal favorites was the mango and passionfruit. It had just the right blend of sweet and tangy. It was definitely quite refreshing! I was also looking forward to the green apple and mint variant, but it was not as good as I thought it would be, despite it still being good nevertheless. It just seemed to lack a wee bit sweetness for my personal taste. Chef Sander said his favorite was the raspberry and merlot, and I can see why. It was indeed a special blend.

To satisfy the sweet tooth, try out their new Yoga Cake. Their new masterpiece, as they'd like to call it, is describeas as "a blissful union of tropical passion fruit and hearty yogurt, spread with just the right amount of lemon custard ,placed in between layers of moist sable and genoise sponge". Yes, it is still a cake but for someone who is looking for a lighter and yet just-as-filling option, this is definetely a welcome treat!

I enjoyed this cake a lot, despite it missing the requisite chocolate in desserts :-) The combination of fruits, yogurt, lemon custard and moist sable and genoise sponge cake was hit the spot just right. An added bonus of getting a Bizu cake is that it is available in those mini cake sizes, that way I am portion controlled, even if unintentionally :-)
Bizu is located in many malls in the metro, including Greenbelt 2, Greenhills Promenade, and Alabang Town Center.