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| food at Green Pastures |
I know it's been a while since I last posted. My seemingly erratic schedule is partly to blame. But mostly inspiration to write is hard to come by. A number of times I tried to sit down to write a post but the moment I started to type, I couldn't even finish a single sentence. It's like staring on a big white canvass and not equipped with any ink or paint to splash on it in order to create something. So I decided to visit places (food places, that is) that I've been dreaming for the longest time of going in hopes to re-charge me and re-ignite the passion (or fire, if you will) on something that is very important to me, which is my online diary. And my recently held birthday gave that license to splurge a little and to make it very memorable.
A Nice Detour To Greener Pasture
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| table set up |
I would call this visit to Green Pastures a pre-birthday treat to myself of sort since it happened a few days (two days, to be specific) before my actual natal day. It wasn't even planned. I was really eyeing to visit this Third Wave coffee shop in West Avenue which I first got a whiff from a online Cosmopolitan article listing down must-try Third Wave coffee shops in the metro sent to me by a friend via Facebook, but it was a pay day weekend and the MRT station was a chaos that day and I chickened out. As we all know the MRT station in Manila, especially during rush hour and on a payday weekend, can be as frenetic and frenzied as if local actor Daniel Padilla or UK band One Direction is holding a concert at the very station. And I don't want to take my chances. So I chose a safer ground and my feet led me inevitably to Green Pastures.
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| organic melon tea |
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| stracciatella |
I was actually hoping to get a cozy seat near the open kitchen, but I was led to a table just right outside the restaurant's facade and right beside the mall's walk way leading to the old Shang building. I felt a little uncomfortable, seated on a place for all eyes to see. Not that I'm assuming that they would even pay me any attention but... still. I guess you know what I mean.
But when the food started coming in, I started not to notice the uncomfortable area I'm in. I started off with the Stracciatella, a stringy kind of buffalo cheese that's quite creamy. I was even amused when the server advised me that I could sprinkle some salt to the cheese if I find the taste too bland. I followed suit and it even made the cheese taste better. I chased it all down with the refillable Organic Melon Green Tea.
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| 80/20 burger |
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| octopus & marrow |
The 80/20 Burger is my kind of burger. The 80/20 moniker came from 80% came from grass-fed beef while 20% came from double smoked organic panchetta which makes up the very juicy and succulent burger which I asked to be cooked medium. Slathered with more of the stracciatella and incorporated with a very rustic brioche bun, I just couldn't get enough of this burger.
I've always wondered what an octopus tastes like so I have no qualms ordering the Octopus & Marrow on fusilli noodles. It's more akin to eating squid but chewier. The marrow gave the pasta dish a very heady, deep beefy essence that some people may find too rich (or illegal, if that word can be attributed here), but I loved it nonetheless.
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| salted caramel ice cream |
I would want to order more for dessert but with the amount of food I've consumed so far, I could only afford one. The Salted Caramel Ice Cream dessert is very easy to love because of its very uncomplicated concept. Two scoops of ice cream, chocolate sauce, a dollop of whipped cream and the playful touch of caramel popcorn. Though I should warn you, it's a shamelessly sweet dessert.
4th Flr. East Wing
Shangri-la Mall
Mandaluyong City
654-3219
***************
Comforting Food At Kettle
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| Kettle's signature dish, the buttermilk fried chicken |
Eating at Kettle is like a foodie's dream come true. I've heard and read so many good things about the comfort food being offered here that I was no less than ecstatic to eat dinner here on my birthday (the 16th of June, if you may want to know) with some of my closest friends.
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| our choice of beverages |
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| clam chowder |
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| rosemary garlic chicken |
A must-order and what appears on almost every table at Kettle is the Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Crunchy and juicy, I would want to appropriate the entire plate to myself (this was my friend Ofie's order), truth be told. Maybe on my next visit. But another chicken dish that I believe should also be given superstar treatment at Kettle is the Rosemary Garlic Chicken. Equally juicy with an extremely flavorful meat, me and my companions demolished this chicken in no time.
We also like the Clam Chowder served on a sourdough bread. Creamy and thick, my friend Karen liked it so much she was quite tempted to order one for herself. But that would be too much of an excess already since there's already a lot of food on the table already.
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| beef brisket sandwich |
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| mac & four cheese |
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| roastbeef hash |
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| truffle gorgonzola |
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| angus short ribs |
I must say I'm quite happy with all of the food we ordered here. The standout is Karen's order of the Angus Roastbeef Hash, the meat is very tender and the gravy alone is good enough for me to lick my lips involuntary. Karen find Darlene's order of Truffle Gorgonzola too rich but I like the creaminess of it. Jhen wasn't too fond of her Smoked U.S. Beef Brisket Sandwich, she doesn't find the addition of coleslaw too impressive and she felt it marred the appeal of the sandwich. But I like this one well enough to consider ordering it on my next visit to Kettle. Other noteworthy dish we tried are the Mac & Four Cheese (which has cheddar, fontina, gruyere and parmesan) and the U.S. Angus Short Ribs. I concede we've ordered too much meat and in retrospect, we could have included some greens in here like a bowl of salad, perhaps.
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| banana cream pie |
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| make a wish |
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| happy birthday chocolate candy bar |
I appreciated that Kettle sent out a free dessert in the form of a Banana Cream Pie when they've learned it's my birthday that day. But I'll definitely come back for more dessert, specifically for the Pineapple Upside Down Cake & Checkered Cake. The best part of the meal was this chocolate candy bar Jhen gave me with a Happy Birthday wrapper. I just like it when gifts were thought out and personalized this way which makes it feel much more special.
What's in store on my next post: A hip hang-out bar in Ortigas that still only a few people know; an Italian restaurant from the South that I've been wanting to try for so long finally set foot on a more accessible area; and visiting back a Greek restaurant that you could always rely for good food.
5th Floor, East Wing
Shangri-la Mall
Mandaluyong City
654-7077
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