What I Enjoyed Doing (And Eating) This Holiday Season

a Christmas drink & gingerbreak cookie from Starbucks

My prolonged absence in the blogosphere is truly unforgivable. Aside from a very tight schedule, it seems that each passing day I could only just accomplish little with the list of things that I wanted to do. But then again, you wouldn't really achieve anything if you really didn't sit right down on it and write. After all, delaying tactics will really not get you anywhere.

So I'll give you a summary of what kept me busy during the holidays. I'll try to be brief and hope you find it an interesting read, at least.

Visiting A Familiar Favorite

cakes and milkhake at Kitchen's Best

Kitchen's Best Home Patisserie has always been a favorite of mine. I'm all crazy with their French-inspired cake choices. Whenever some of my friends would ask me on which restaurant or dessert place they could go to buy a cake to impress, I would always suggest Kitchen's Best. 

They've recently opened a new branch inside Valle Verde 2, in Lily Street to be more specific. I was a little wary going here. It's inside an exclusive subdivision for one thing, and you'll be relentlessly scrutinize by the guards as if you're up to something. With my tattered jeans, worn out sling bag and old tee, I really do fit the bill. But I just coyly smiled to one of them and said in a sheepish manner that I'm only there to eat.

inside Kitchen's Best, Valle Verde 2 branch

The Kitchen's Best branch in Valle Verde 2 maybe the smallest compared to their other two branches in Pasong Tamo and BGC but I liked it better because it's the most intimate. Since it's located in a secluded and upscale residential area, you're assured of a relaxed meal without the usual hubbub that one could experience if dining in a crowded restaurant. A perfect place to take your beau on a date, I must say.

the 40 cloves chicken

Before I dig into the desserts, I rummaged myself to my heart's content a serving of their 40 Cloves Chicken. A truly magnificent dish that I even scoop the olive oil that glistened the chicken further punctuated by herbs and spices unto the provided white rice and relished the essence of a glorious meal. It even bested an almost similar chicken dish that I tried at Earth Kitchen (more on that on another post).

turtle pie

Snicker's cheesecake

Of course, a visit to Kitchen's Best will not be complete without trying their delectable cakes on display. I initially wanted to try again the Macadamia Brittle Cheesecake because I missed it but it wasn't available (or at least I wasn't able to see it among the cakes on display). But what caught my eye was the pretty-looking Snickers Cheesecake. I ordered this along with the Turtle Pie. Undeniably stunning in appearance, the Snickers Cheesecake may possibly be the creamiest cheesecake I ever tried with a bonus of huge chunks of my favorite chocolate candy bar resting on top. I was all giddy while eating this dessert. I also like the Turtle Pie a lot,  a stick-to-the-teeth ooey-gooey chocolate cake love affair interrupted by bits and pieces of nuts here and there. 

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A Fast Becoming Favorite Grub Place Near My Workplace

inside Cafe Enye

I first learned of Cafe Enye from an article posted by Booky Report. It only stated on the post that the address of the said cafe is in Eastwood City. But was it in the Eastwood Mall? In Citywalk? In Le Grand Tower? Nothing specific was given. So I decided to check Cafe Enye's Instagram account to get more info. And based on the facade of the cafe, I pretty much know where to find it. If you happen to know where J.Co Donuts in Eastwood is, it's just right in front.

comfy seats

more chairs and the kitchen area

I like the enterior of Cafe Enye, it's spacious with an al fresco option for those who would like to maybe puff some smoke while eating. There's a semi open kitchen at the far wall where all the action happens while on the other side near the entrance is where the barista prepare the coffee drinks and the cocktails. Yes, cocktails are being offered here at Cafe Enye.

callos ala casa

chouxros w/ dulce de leche cream and whiskey sour

I deviated from my usual orders of sandwiches and pasta on my first visit here in Cafe Enye. I almost couldn't decide which one to order from the mains but decided over Callos Ala Casa, Slow cooked to perfection tripe strips on a tangy, rich tomato sauce with chorizo, potatoes, olives and what they call Mojo chicharrones. Liked the peppery kick of the sauce which I scoop to ladle over the provided white rice. My order of the Roasted Pumpkin Soup goes very well with my main dish.

A unique dessert is the Chouxros w/ Dulce De Leche Cream, light churros with dulce de leche dip with red egg and tsokolate dip infused with peanut butter. The dilemma of choosing which dip to dunk the churros is truly a delicious problem one can enjoy.

lechon carbonara

cafe joya

On another visit, I got to try the Lechon Carbonara. A creamy carbonara dish further enrich with a raw egg yolk glistening on its center. One may find the sauce a bit underseasoned but the saltiness was provided by the generous chunks of lechon and mojo chicharrones. If other coffee shops has frappe with coffee jelly in it, Cafe Enye offers pearls on their frappe which they call Cafe Joya, basically an ice blended coffee drink with tapioca pearls. I'm okay with the coffee. Just not too crazy with them pearls.

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Catch Up Reading

various books I bought from thrift stores and book stores

currently reading The Twilight Saga (I know, I'm already a couple of years late)

I would never forget reading books penned by our local writers

In spite of the busy Holiday season, I also found time to catch up on my list of to-read books. I have The Twilight Saga books with me since it erupted to great popularity a couple of years ago, but I never got around to read them until now. I finished Book One but the seemingly obsessive behavior of Bella Swan over the supposed-to-be embodiment of a perfect creature that is Edward Cullen is somehow a bit irritating. And most of their moments with each other, especially their conversations and how Bella described it felt like I was reading a description straight out of a badly written romance novel. I'm currently in the middle of New Moon in which in my opinion the narrative fares better (I even find it much more engaging than the movie version) but I'm still frustrated (and maybe annoyed) by Bella's dependency on Edward and eventually on Jacob Black to keep her sanity and not lose herself to the brink of madness. 

In between reading The Twilight Saga trilogy, I also read Ricky Lee's first novel, Para Kay B. A very different concept from the usual paperback novels that I normally read. It has several stories rolled into one that are interconnected with a touch of metafiction and autobiography that the book itself is almost un-classifiable. I only felt that Mr. Lee's intention on pushing the boundaries of a conventional novel has gone a little overboard. And there are certain moments in the book that he became too technical with the blocking of the characters that I felt like I was reading a script rather than a novel. But still I'm awed with the brilliance of his storytelling gift. His inimitable brand of telling a gripping story is apparent on every pages of Para Kay B.

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Limited Edition Christmas Coffee Drinks

Christmas drinks and a chocolate crepe cake at Starbucks

Caramel Popcorn Latte from Costa Coffee

croque madame, guiltless chocolate cake and an ice blended drink from CBTL Bistro

Of course, the Christmas drinks from various coffee shop franchise abounds. While the hoi polloi are lining to get collect stickers to finally get a hold of their much coveted planners, I'm more attuned to the food and beverages offered during the Yuletide. The Toffee Nut Latte from Starbucks has always been my favorite Christmas drink but it was finally eclipsed by the Caramel Popcorn Latte from Costa Coffee. It has a more playful touch with swirls of caramel and pieces of caramel popcorn languishing on top of the coffee. And the latte has a more velvety feel to it.

With CBTL, I like to visit The CBTL Bistro since it function as a full-service restaurant and with menus not being offered on regular The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches. They do offer a mean-ass burger, delicious and fluffy Toblerone & Salted Caramel Pancakes and their delectable Panna Cotta Sampler w/ chocolate chip cookies. I also like it here because their Ice Blended drink (which the White Chocolate Dream is my ultimate favorite) are served on a tall glass and not on the plastic container it usually came with.

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Visiting Another Specialty Coffee Shop

inside Single Origin

I've been meaning to try Single Origin and I was glad I was able swing by before I officially start work for January. The place looked really hip and cool. I was tempted to stay longer (possibly with a book in tow) if only there's not a lot of people milling around inside hoping to also steal a seat as well.

creme brulee espresso latte

breakfast sausage & waffle plate

chocolate lava cake

I wanted to try the Chicken & Waffle savory breakfast meal but was told they've already ran out of chicken so I decided the Breakfast Sausage & Egg w/ Waffle meal instead. It's fairly good. And I like the wetness of the scrambled egg but I like more of the maple syrup to drizzle onto my waffles. The Creme Brulee Espresso Beverage is indeed a stunner. I playfully cracked the creme brulee topping with the spoon before sipping it. The Chocolate Lava Cake is booming with its chocolate bravado tempered slightly by the coolness of the ice cream. It's highly addicting.

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Watching Various Filmfest Entries

Honor Thy Father film poster

My Bebe Love film poster

I've also busied myself on watching at least a few of the entries on the recently concluded Metro Manila Film Festival. First in my priority is to watch Erik Matti's Honor Thy Father. A gripping story of how faith and fanaticism can lead to one's downfall and the extent of what a man can do to protect his family from harm's way. 

On another occasion, I've watch Jose Javier Reyes' My Bebe Love with my Nanay since she's an avid AlDub fan, especially of Maine Mendoza. There's a lot of hate commentaries about the film. While it's true that commercial advertising have been forthright in a number of scenes, very blatantly even. I don't think it's fair to say it's the worst movie that was ever screened in the entire history of the filmfest, as other crude critics have implied about the film since it does have a story. Not an award winning piece but with a story that's easy enough to follow.

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Eating The Best Cassava Cake 

the enticing cassava cake

I was fortunate enough to try what could be the best Cassava Cake I've ever tried. This beauty was made by the lola of a colleague of mine at work (Tina) and the wonderfully torched top layer reminded me of creme brulee melded with a creamy and milky custard loaded with cheese. It's good! And the cassava itself has no errant lumps. It's a smooth texture through and through. When I brought it home, the next thing I know is that me and the rest of my family already consumed half of it in one sitting.

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Date w/ Nanay

our merienda at Cheesecake By Guy

Right before we watch a Metro Manila Filmfest entry, to kill time, I coerced my Nanay to have a quick meal at Cheesecake By Guy in Eastwood. She was actually asking me to just eat at McDonald's but I told her she could always have McDonald's anytime but on this rare occasion that we found time to watch a movie together, a fastfood meal can take a back seat for the time being.

meat lasagna

chocolate cake

Cheesecake By Guy are notoriously known for their truly wondrous cheesecake. But I still got to try their savory offering. For Nanay, I ordered the safest on the menu which is the Meat Lasagna. Served on a hot plate, the bubbling cheese really made my mouth water. And I ended up snagging more than a few forkfuls of this pasta dish. I also liked my own order of the Philly Cheese Steak. The zingy spiciness from the slices of jalapeno peppers is really what make the sandwich a hit for me. 

My Nanay and I also shared a slice of a simple Chocolate Cake. The chocolate ganache softly glisten from the muted light of the restaurant. An utterly good chocolate cake that banks its charm in its simplicity.