The Divine Old Vine

this is the long overdue part two of a pre-Valentine blogger treat sponsored by the Old Vine and Kuse restaurants, located at the Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill. 

Before I started my blog post on the pre-Valentines dinner for bloggers, I said the two restaurants that sponsored the event deserved two separate blog posts simply because their food was fantastic :-) And I'm not just saying that because I was invited to the event! Seriously, these two restaurants are must-try's.


I particularly enjoyed the dishes served by Old Vine. As the title of this post goes, it was divine!

For starters we had the Tessie Tomas Salad (Php 295 for the regular, Php 595 for the large), Seared Tuna Tataki (Php 220/410)and Salmon Carpaccio (Php230/420) . All three were great but I enjoyed the Seared Tuna Tataki best.

For the main course, my favorite was the Poele Lamb Spareribs. It comes with a cilantro-curry sauce with mushrooms and vegetable risotto. I liked how the curry sauce was not too overwhelmingly-curried. The risotto was also nice and flavorful.

I am not a big fan of dory, particularly because I don't like the texture of the fish. However, the Baked Cream Dory in Old Vine made me change my mind. It had a very good flavor that compensated for my dislike for the texture of the fish. This dish is served with angel hair pesto.

During our pre-Valentine dinner, we also got to sample the Peppered Steak and the Chef's Quarter Steak. We also got to sample some great desserts! Boy was I full!

Old Vine is located at the Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill, Taguig.

Bloggers Take on Yoshinoya

Yoshinoya, the home of the famous beef bowl, recently graciously hosted a dinner for some food loving Bloggers.

some of the foodies

photo credit: Iris Camille Mejia-Acosta of pinayads.com

I had tried Yoshinoya once for take out and it was quite a pleasant experience but since that time, I never had a chance to go back, mainly because there is no branch near my place. Suffice it to say I was really glad to have gotten the opportunity to come back and sample their menu once again. 

There are so many options to choose from! I had a hard time deciding what I wanted to try so I opted for one of the Jumbo plates, which is a bed of rice topped with their famous Gyudon Beef plus either Chicken Teriyaki, Beef Yakiniku, or Ebi Tempura. I tried the Jumbo C (P165), which is a combination of the Gyudon Beef and Tempura. 

I enjoyed the dish a lot! It was really good. Though the beef may not look like much (partly due to my not so good photography skills!) but it is really tender and tasty. I like how there is a bit of fat in the beef, but not too much that it makes it nakakaumay. 

A big hit for many of us that night was the Japanese Fried Chicken with Karaage Sauce. The yummy vinegar dip was perfect with the crispy chicken. I liked how the chicken was not oily at all, which is generally the case for many fried chicken dishes.

It was a belly-filling night for sure! I am a big Japanese restaurant fan and I love how Yoshinoya makes many of my favorites pocket-friendly AND high-quality. They definitely did not sacrifice quality for affordability.

However, for those who are watching their weight, I asked what would be the best option for a dieter. It was suggested to me that if you are on a diet, try the Chicken Teriyaki rice bowl.

It looks yummy, doesn't it? With a good mix of chicken and vegetables, the toppings are enough to fill you up.

Yoshinoya also offers Shu Mai, Yoshinoya Skewers and and several desserts. Do try the Citrus Green Tea which is simply delicious and very refreshing.

Visit Yoshinoya in the following venues:
SM Megamall Building A
Robinsons Galleria
SM North Edsa
Greenhills Carpark 2
SM Mall of Asia
Sta. Lucia East
Park Square 1

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!

Good Eats at the Good Earth.

fter a brief hiatus, The Good Earth Tea Room reopens at the 2nd level of Greenbelt 3 with a revamped look and a spruced up repertoire of authentic Asian dishes. To mark it's reopening, an eat all you can buffet awaits diners. It's sure to be a pure gastronomical treat, what with 12 sumptuous dishes to indulge in for only Php 299.

Good Earth has been known for its fusion cuisine. Described as  a merging of Chinese with Western influences, Chef Henry Cheung's dishes are sure to give diners a modern taste of traditional Chines cooking. One of their most popular dishes is the Tunaquitos, which is made from raw tuna with spring onions served in a taco shell with white sauce and wasabi. The Duckquitos, also a big favorite, is The Good Earth's version of the Tex-Mex taquito made of roast duch with white sauce and black sesame seeds in a traditional taco shell.

For dimsum lovers, there is also Lily on the Pond, a delectable steamed dimsum made of a mix of vegetables and prawns in a spicy curry and while coconut cream sauces. Other dishes to choose from include the Crispy Chicken Pao and Duck Siopao.

Beef and pork specialties offered at the Good Earth include Spicy Nanking Beef, Beef in Oyster Sauce, Spareribs with Mandarin Sauce and Crispy Pork. If you're looking for healthier choices, try Popoy's Delight, which is a delicious harmony of steamed fish with ham. Other seafood dishes to choose from include Crab Claws with Tamarind Sauce, Pan Fried Lapu-Lapu with Mango Sauce and Lobster Ball. If it's chicken you go for, try the Sauteed Chicken with Pine Nuts and Lettuce, Drunken Chicken with Centrury Egg, Shantung Spicy Chicken, and Crispy Peking Chicken.

The Good Earth Tea Room is located at Greenbelt 3, Makati City
For inquiries and reservations call tel. no. (02) 757-4561 to 62.

Say it with me: I Ate To Educate!

Eating out is one of the few luxuries my college friends Che, Monsi, Angie, Cathy and I love to indulge in. Whether it is in a fast food chain or a nice new restaurant, splurging for good food and enjoying each others company is definitely something we still value. I think we value it even more now, especially since we barely get a chance to see each other as often as we'd like.

Over the years, we've developed some sort of a criteria for choosing restaurants we go to. For example, for a brief period of time, we boycotted Jollibee because of environmentally un-friendly practices they were reportedly doing. Up to now, we avoid using plastic straws whenever we order drinks because of the same reason. Other things we consider would be food quality (of course), serving size, service and quality for money.

From October 26 to December 31, 2009, 8 great restaurants and food places in Serendra and Bonifacio High Street are on my list to watch out for, mainly because of one good reason: by simply ordering a specially marked dish from their menu, you get to say "I Ate To Educate!".

The 8 to Educate project aims to raise support for the Virlanie Foundation, a private, non-sectarian instutution that cares for street and abused children. They do not just offer a roof over the heads of these children, but they aim to empower them by educating them to work for a better future.

You can also support the 8-to-Educate project by pledging an amount or sponsoring a child for Php 800.00 a month for one year. Donation envelopes are available when you dine in the partner restaurants. In the next two weeks, I will review each of the partner spots with with a blog post dedicated solely to them. I hope you look out for them!

Remember: check out the specially marked dishes in ArAma, CAV, Chelsea, Cupcakes by Sonja, Fu, The Healthy Kitchen, Sentro 1771, and Xocolat and say you ate to educate!

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.

Sicilian Express Disappointment.

I don't always blog about complaints with my orders in restaurants because I figured, if I am not happy with a dish, that's not always the restaurants fault. For example, if a dish is a little too salty for my taste, that's on me, not them, right? However, when you find something that's not supposed to be there, that's another story.


Last Thursday, July 23, 2009, my friend and I went to McKinley Hill to grab a sandwich from The Sandwich Guy (it was good...watch out for my post on that soon!) However, as we walked towards the stall, I chanced upon Sicilian Express. Being the pizza lover that I am, I couldn't resist but get one for take out, especially since McKinley Hill isn't so easy to go to. I also checked out the list of other branches and since there was none in the Paranaque area, I figured reheating it the next day, albeit not as great as fresh, would be good enough to give me a taste.

The next morning I heated myself two slices of the pizza, stuck it in a ziplock and got in my car to go to work. After taking two bites, I was shocked to feel a sharp pain suddenly in my mouth. I had bitten into something sharp and hard in the pizza. After spitting out what was in my mouth, I was appalled to find a chicken bone in my pizza. My white cheese pizza. I emphasized the white cheese pizza because there's supposed to be no toppings at all, what more a frigging chicken bone!!!I was disgusted by it and couldn't eat the rest of the pizza. I don't know if that bone had come from another guests' dish or what, but regardless of whether it was "clean" or not, it is unacceptable to have food waste on your order, right?

So at the end of the day, I can't say if the pizza was yummy or not. All I remember is that I was sorely disappointed by a pizza place I was so excited to try.

To be fair, however, I did receive good service from the waitresses and when I called the resto to inform them of my complaint, the manager Bhel was attentive to my complaint.

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!

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.