Celebrating My Birthday Week As I Turn 34 (Part 2)

pasta and fish & chips at Sci-Fi Cafe

This would be a continuation of my previous post. If you wanted to check that out first, you could click it right here.

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You might think that after consuming that much food at Red Garlic Bistro Cafe, we don't have enough girth space for more. Not quite. Upon my urging, me and my friends head on to Cold Stone Creamery in Serendra, situated where Le Petit Artisan used to hold court. 

lining up

drool worthy ice cream flavors

mixing ice cream

fanciful cones in their signature cups

I already expected that we'll encounter some difficulty nabbing seats for all five of us and the long queue to the counter. The ice cream place is already packed when we got there. What I didn't expect was the hurdle that we would face on choosing which ice cream flavors to order and on actually naming the sizes of our ice cream choices. Aside from the very intriguing list included on their Signature Creations in which I had a full discussion with Jhen on which flavor to order for whom, I was flabbergasted (and felt a little coy) in saying 'like it', 'love it' and 'gotta have it' for the ice cream flavors that we ended up ordering.

You see, instead of saying the specific sizes or ounces for your ice cream of choice, you'll blurt out the aforementioned "monikers" that they've used to determine which ice cream size you want. It takes a little getting use to, I'm telling you.

While still waiting in line to pay at the counter and waiting for our orders, I had a grand time gazing at the display where all sorts of ice cream flavors were showcased for sweet crazed fan like myself to gawk at. I also marveled how the servers were tossing, slapping, mixing the ice cream with add ins on a very frosty-looking cold stone table top. Now you know why this ice cream parlor is called as such. Don't worry, I also had an A-HA moment myself.

counter-clockwise: cheesecake fantasy, founder's favorite, strawberry blonde and chocolate devotion

We shared our orders among us. Karen like to play safe with the Chocolate Devotion. Ofie, who ever adore anything and everything pink with the Strawberry Blonde, Jhen and Darlene shared the Cheesecake Fantasy while I settled for the Founder's Favorite. Me like the stick-to-the-teeth and very fudgy brownie chunks on this concoction.

G/F Serendra Piazza
(Between McKinley Parkway & 11th Avenue)
Taguig City

www.coldstonecreamery.com
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Hellboyrger and frapp

This high-tech cafe caught my eye after attending a Victory worship service in Robinsons Galleria one Sunday. I was a little discomfited with the prices when I gazed it on the menu propped near the entrance of Sci-Fi Cafe but what the heck! I told myself. If the food is great, it would be all worth it. The end result: I was not only taken with the food I ordered here, but the unmistakable geeky vibe of the place as well. Just look around you to see all the expansive (and expensive) collection of superhero toys and replicas (from Star Wars to Star Trek to The Avengers and more) decorating the restaurant from one wall to another. Oftentimes they even let their guests, kids and kids at heart, to play with some of the toys or wear some of the masks and costumes.

The names on their menu is also an attraction by itself. With names such as Van Hellswing for their BBQ wings, Fantastic Four Cheese for their four cheese pizza and a pasta dish call Iron Ham Carbonara, I couldn't help but smile at the quirkiness and the inventiveness of whoever come up with this one of a kind cafe.

The Hellboyrger that I ordered the first time, a delicious beef burger with chili con carne with an equally arresting side dish of nacho chips and spicy salsa left quite an indelible mark that I decided to go back to this cafe on my birthday week.

toys of all shapes and sizes lining up the walls

counter

superhero replicas

dining area

After I drool at all the toys before me, it's time to dig for some lip-smacking food. 

time to dig in

Sebastian and vanilla frapp

Sci-Fish & Chips

The Sebastian is their own take of the aligue pasta. Stark orange hue did not deter me in enjoying the dish, although I wish that I had a wedge of lime or calamansi to spritz it with to balance the flavor more of the crab fat.

The Sci-Fish & Chips is also a winner. Dipped fried dory fish fillet with a crispy coating but an oh-so-quavery soft meat underneath. I had a grand time tearing off the fish while alternately nibbling with the fries. A great partner to sip with the cold and sweet coffee blended Vanilla frapp, which by the way I much prefer than the milk blended version.

cappuccino & butter cake

The only low down is this Butter Cake. It's too sweet even for me with a sweet tooth. And the icing that covers the cake was so hard it took a little force to pierce into the cake itself. The Cappuccino though was satisfactory enough. I marveled at the mini-Milky Way latte art before I dumped the brown sugar in and stirred.



4/F, West Wing
Robinsons Galleria

www.facebook.com/TheSciFiCafe

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lasagna bolognese at Wildflour

One afternoon right after work, I was in a melancholy mood. And the gloom of dark clouds covering the horizon outside that promised an onslaught of rain and sleet amplified the sullenness of my emotion. I so badly needed something to surge my spirit, even a little. I then coerced my friend Jamie to come along with me to eat at The Podium. 

I asked her where she would like to eat, she kept on insisting that we eat at Burger King. My brow automatically furrowed, "You could always eat at Burger King on any given day. Let's go to a place where you haven't tried yet." I broached at her. We first checked out this Italian restaurant with giant clown masks that decorates its wall. I perfunctorily asked Jamie if it's okay for us to eat here as I glanced back and perused at the menu. The muted lights, the almost empty seats inside the restaurant and maybe, just maybe, the big ass clown masks scared her that she suggested that we go elsewhere.

We went back to the ground floor of the mall and settled at Wildflour Cafe & Bakery situated where Cafe France used to be. We were able to tag Star (a friend and colleague of ours) not to go home yet and to join us.

menu

red lemonade and Hot Lips soda

croque madame

mac & cheese

lasagna bolognese

Our drinks allures with its red colours. Hot Lips Raspberry Soda is mine for the taking. Slightly fizzy with a fruity note while Jamie settled for a red lemonade drink.

Quite reluctant which to order, I suggested for them to try the Croque Madame and the Macaroni & Cheese for Jamie and Star respectively since both items I've already tried previously at Wildflour's branch in Taguig and enjoyed eating them immensely.

For this visit at their second branch, I decided to have the Lasagna Bolognese. I almost scalded my tongue when I impatiently tried a portion of it, a punishment for not taking seriously the server's caution that the dish is really hot. But the lasagna itself was divine. Overflowing with cheese and the fat that makes the outer layer sheen just took my breath away.

pastel de tres leches and peanut butter banana cream pie

Star & Jamie

Jamie & me with the bad hair

Dessert is a must after every meal for me so we had the Pastel de Tres Leches and the Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie. Both good and equally satiated our yearning for sugar. Thanks again to my friends Star and Jamie for making me laugh that day and made me forget about my woes. We also had a grand time doing some paparazzi work since a celebrity chef went by while we're there on which Star has a huge crush on. *wink*! ;)

I may have spied the much talk-about cronuts of Wildflour on this visit but I took no notice of it since it wasn't as well publicized back then. Maybe when I swing back at Wildflour I'd try all their flavors.

To be continued...

 
www.facebook.com/WildflourcafebakeryFortBonifacio