A Date With Nanay On Her Birthday

cupcakes and eclairs at Shine

My Nanay is not as adventurous to food and eating as I am. Whenever we're out and about, she would often ask me to take her to a fast food chain and she would be more than happy twirling her plastic fork on a spaghetti with lots of hotdogs and cheese or to munch on a crispy fried chicken dipped in gravy. She would already consider it high end eating if I take her to a Pizza Hut restaurant. Oftentimes I broach to her the idea of trying out a different restaurant but she always views it with abject horror. It's like pulling her out of her comfort zone. You could just imagine my surprise (and uncontrolled glee) when she agrees that I take her to Shine Bakery & Cafe on her birthday.

I've Finally Met Paul

desserts at Paul

In case you're wondering, the Paul that I'm referring to is not an actual person but a boulangerie (bakery) cafe that opened it's first branch just recently at SM Aura Premier. A second branch is currently in the works and would open soon along Rizal Drive, also in BGC Taguig.

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.

Selecting At Random

truffle pasta at Monsees

I've been eating to a lot of fast foods lately. It's the usual rounds of Jollibee, McDonald's, KFC and Wendy's. Save for a few occasion that we go to Lasapin, a 24-hour food court located at the ground floor of Strata 2000 Building. But it's usually a chore going there, considering the distance from the office I worked for (walking under the intense heat of the summer sun, at that). Although a friend of mine usually complains that the smells brought by the food being prepared at various stalls inside the food court area tends to cling to clothes; and that averse her. I do bring pack lunches everyday especially prepared by my Tita so getting too used (in Tagalog, umay) to fast foods does not pose as an immediate problem. But my friends and co-workers usually don't have baons with them; and food being sold at the pantry usually doesn't appeal to them. So off we go to their chosen fast food of the moment. And the mere fact that I accompany them so I could eat lunch with them, I feel somewhat obligated to order something. Usually a sundae, a Frosty Swirl (choices of KitKat or Butterfinger), Milo Mix-ins soft serve or if I have extra money to spend, the whole nine yards of a burger, fries and drinks combo.

Luscious Red Food & A Happy, Peppy Bakery Cafe

food at Buenisimo

I always enjoy long walks, especially on food centric treasure trove places such as Katipunan, Wilson Street and Tomas Morato. Going to these places is more like being presented with a deck of cards, it's up to you to choose which among those cards to pick. In this case, on which food places to try out based on once's whim. I've always wanted to try Cafe Ysabel and Buenisimo, whichever comes first. On a not too hot Sunday afternoon, I finally had the chance to visit Buenisimo on its new dig in Tomas Morato.

A Bakery Cafe I Would Keep Coming Back To

table setting

Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe will always be my favorite spot whenever I want to be assured that I would get delicious home cooked style meals. My first visit here made so much of an impression that I decided to held my birthday here a few years back following that visit. So last Valentines Eve, when my friend Gael asked if we could hang out since we haven't seen each other for ages, Mom & Tina's was the easiest choice.

An Upscale Bakery Cafe w/ The Best Croque Madame In Town

croque madame at Wildflour

Hands down, this is the most extravagant bakery cafe that I've ever been too. I've been planning to dine at Wildflour Cafe + Bakery for quite sometime now, however I always get sidetrack for one reason or another. But last year (which was really like a few weeks ago), I decided to end year 2012---and my food trip chronicle---with a bang. Hence this visit to this swanking bakery cafe in Bonifacio Global City.

A Shabby Chic Bakeshop That Offers Gourmet Desserts & More

cake at Nic's

I currently have a monster headache. And this is due to the fact that I've walked the long stretch of Wilson Street from Greenhills Shopping Center and then took another long detour along A. Mabini Street under the glaring sun. After that I got slightly soaked by a sudden downpour earlier (yesterday afternoon [July 19], Manila time) when I made a quick stop in Big R Cainta en route to Robinsons East to buy some bargain books to a Booksale branch there. But I'm not complaining---not at all. Not after I savored the delectable goodies and yummy sweets here in Nic's Gourmet Desserts.

A Slice Of Good, Healthy Eating

arroz caldo & putanesca

It all started when Karen Anne called me late at night while I was hunched over my netbook inside my room, tapping soundlessly away on my keyboard as I compose the text for The Bread Bag post which I already published on my blog a few days ago. Since its her day off from work the following day and she really need a respite from her call center duties, she asked me if I could join her to go out somewhere. It will be my call on where we would go and where we would eat. I cannot confirm my availability right away since I'm also expecting to meet another friend of mine tomorrow to do some errands. But when I got a word from that friend of mine the morning after that our meet up was cancelled, I immediately informed Karen through Facebook chat that I'm free to join her. I've read a recent post a few days ago on Our Awesome Planet by Anton Diaz that Slice Cafe, owned by Senator Pia Cayetano, is already on soft opening in Bonifacio High Street Central. When I suggested this restaurant to Karen, including the resto's location and the political personality behind it, she immediately agreed without any qualms.

Launch Your Appetite At Lunch Pod

lunch pod's food

I'm one of the many "night crawlers" working in Eton Cyberpod who got excited when Lunch Pod finally opened on the ground floor of our building. This canteen served as a nice respite from the very few food places inside the building which usually just a toss-up between Mini-Stop for quick bites, Mang Inasal or Jollibee. I know the name of the canteen is quite odd but as they say: Never judge a book by its cover. If other food places offers all-day breakfast food, Lunch Pod offers all-day----and night lunch food to cater to people who works in the outsourcing company also located inside the building. Thus, the name implies.