A Sudden Whim Fulfilled

desserts at Chateau 1771

Learning new stuff could be quite of a challenge. This prove to be the case after I got transferred to a new line of business in the company I'm currently working with. Good thing I'm getting ample support from friends and mentors that helps me to get by. But after one tedious workweek, I got this yearning to feed myself of some homey, comforting meal which also offers a very relaxing ambiance. Never mind if I have to brace the bumper-to-bumper traffic from Eastwood to Makati. If it would immensely satisfy my hankering, then I deem the long travel inconsequential.

Remembering Good Meals Eaten In A Not Too Distant Past

juicy lucy burger at 2nd's

Good meals should always be remembered with reverence, I'd say. Don't worry, I'll try to make this list a short as possible and will try to cut the needless babble so as not to bore you, I hope. =)

All I Need Is Some Sucre

desserts & coffee at Kitchen's Best

Walking around BGC can be all fun and exhausting at the same time. My reason for this long excursion on foot: I'm searching for this Parisian bakery shop brought to Manila by a well-known clothing magnate. But alas! The two branches that I know of where the said high-end bakery were supposed to be located were still undergoing construction. Boohoohoo! So I walked, and walked...and walked. By the time I passed by The Mind Museum, I already felt my knees and legs starting to quiver. No doubt it would soon turn into jelly. Sounds like an image straight from Tales From The Crypt or The Twilight Zone, right? I was already musing on the idea of settling for Toast Box but I wanted to load myself on desserts that were quite exemplary and would give me that much needed energy boost that only sugar can do.

A Durian Affair

at Cafe France

Peculiar as it may sound but I couldn't remember actually eating the durian fruit. I might have during my younger years but the only thing that I could recall was eating the candied version of it. I even urged my Tita to buy me some durian on her weekly trips to the market but she begged off. She's not a fan of durian, especially of it's notorious smell. Nor does the other members of my family. One of these days, I will be the one who will buy that durian from the market and I'll bring it home. Never mind if my household would look at me contemptuously after bringing such a fruit with a pungent smell.

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.

Of Pink Hamburger, Carbonara For Adults & A Big Ass Macaron

desserts at The Cake Club

From the moment that I step inside this restaurant and settled on a table in one corner, a feeling of unrestrained glee envelops me. Who couldn't possibly help to feel that way especially when all the finest desserts and sweets were all at your fingertips? Just ask and the server will give to you in a jiffy. And you might ask where could this be? The restaurant I'm referring to is The Cake Club by The Diamond Hotel and is currently one of the string of restaurants that occupies the very upscale Bonifacio High Street Central.

Some Good Eats

salad & sangria at Pizza Hut Bistro

Just random food features of old favorites and a fairly new tea place that caught my fancy.

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.

Caviar On Pasta & Crispy Tiramisu

dessets at Cibo

Believe it or not, this visit to Cibo was only my second. My very first visit with a friend of mine I only tried the panini sandwiches and those were the Praga and the Panino Porchetta. So when deciding on which resto I would dine right after the New Year revelry, Cibo was my easiest choice.

Rustic Italian Food At Piadina

food at Piadina

Piadina is an Italian flatbread traditionally prepared using a terracota dish and usually sold in the region of Ravenna and Rimini. But no need to travel all the way to Italy to enjoy this Italian treat since one could have it within reach on any of the Piadina Italian Passion Food branches in the metro.

Feel The New York Vibe At The Heart Of Ortigas

chili chicken burger at Borough

Soft, muted lighting. Earth tone colors. A restaurant that's very masculine in appearance with a very laid back vibe but the ladies were not put off with a dash of floral accents thrown into the picture. They said Borough tries to imbibe the look and feel of a typical New York diner. I'm wont to believe that even if I haven't been to New York. So, imagine my profound excitement when I finally set foot here together with my friends, Pam and Harris, to try out what they call "New York comfort food".

A Perfect Place For A Solitary Diner

table setting at Galileo Enoteca

I've been to Galileo Enoteca before and this is on their flagship store located in Calbayog Street in Mandaluyong City. I like the holistic vibe of the place. Frankly, who would have thought a gem of an Italian resto can be found amidst this gritty district where one could also sight a pharmacy, a videoke bar, a talipapa market, a tricycle station and a honky tonk bar? This somewhat unusual location of the restaurant added more to its charm. Once inside, it really felt like you're dining inside a wine cellar with rows and rows of wines that lined each walls and brooding lighting to match it with. Their servers very knowledgeable in suggesting on what to order on the menu. This somewhat contributed to the outstanding dining experience that I had here. From the fish appetizer placed on top of a creamy polenta, the delightfully spicy Spaghettini Ala Arabiatta down to the very luscious Panna Cotta dessert.

The Roast Beef At Dayrit's

food at Dayrit's

I actually went to Tomas Morato a few weeks ago in hopes to try the famed Virginity cake in Sucree Patisserie & Cafe. I already scoured the entire street of Scout Borromeo but Sucree was nowhere to be found. Can somebody tell me if they already closed shop here in Quezon City? Travelling to their other branch in Robinsons Place Manila was totally out of the question. Sullen and sulky, I almost went home immediately but since I'm already here and have a monstrous appetite to satiate, might as well look for another option to get fed.

resto's main entrance

dining area

another view of the dining area

A friend of mine mentioned that she enjoyed a wonderful meal once at Alba that specializes in Spanish cuisines. However the restaurant's facade exude somewhat a haughty, snobbish air to it. Unlike Dayrit's Burger & Roast Beef House's friendlier ambiance of brightly lit dining area that reminds me so much of a large canteen. So off I went to Dayrit's to try out their all-time bestseller, roast beef.

guyabano juice

pasta americana

roast beef plate

It's my first time to eat on this landmark restaurant and quickly asked for the Roast Beef Plate (P300.00) once the menu was handed down to me. Really soft and tender meat that chewing it didn't require any extra effort. It also comes with baked potato topped with some cheese sauce and bacon bits. There's some sauteed vegetables on the side, too. I just hope the ramekin that holds the mushroom gravy were much bigger. I found the scant quantity of the gravy were no match to the big serving of the roast beef slices. I do adore gravy just like everyone else. And I felt too shy that day to ask for a refill.

The Pasta Americana (P140.00) was very much like the Carbonara that my Tita usually cook at home. I also appreciate that they put a lot grated cheddar cheese on top.

The Guyabano Juice (P50.00) that I ordered has that slight tang to it. It seems too heavy a drink to partner with my ordered food but I really liked it.

apple pie ala mode

I like ending my meal with a sweet note and the Apple Pie a la Mode (P120.00) did just that. Best eaten when the vanilla ice cream has started to melt. Hot and cold; tangy and sweet. Just my kind of dessert.

Dayrit's ;Tomas Morato

I was hoping to jump to Fleur De Lys for some more sweets right after I dine at Dayrit's. However, my tummy already raised the white flag. I'm too full to even get off my seat. Here's hoping to try Dayrit's ever famous burgers the next time I visit. Ciao for now! :)

JSB Building

Tomas Morato cor Sct. Delgado

Laging Handa, Quezon City

376-9684

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What It Was Like To Be In The Room Upstairs

desserts & coffee at The Room Upstairs

It's quite obscure location in Reposo, Bel-Air, Makati was the reason of this much delayed visit to The Room Upstairs. As I've mentioned on this site quite a few times, I'm very directionally challenged truth be told. I would really need to review the layout of the place via Google Maps especially if I haven't been to that area at all. Asking for directions would only confuse me more. I would have to get a clear picture (visually) of the sideways and hideaways, the nooks and crannies of the thoroughfares that I would need to slip through to get to the place I wanted to visit. Inevitably, one fine sunny Saturday afternoon, I finally decided it's time for me to visit The Room Upstairs.

A Milky & Sunny Weather All Day, Everyday

pancakes at Milky & Sunny

I favor breakfast food more than any other meal of the day. It's good way to jumpstart your day and breakfast food has a way to fuel you to brace yourself for the tasks that lies ahead. I admit, though, that I wake up fairly late so I wasn't able to enjoy it on cafe-restaurants that only offers breakfast food at a certain time. I'm still working on my body clock to wake up much earlier and savor the goodness that is breakfast. For the meantime, I'm thankful to those food establishments that offers breakfast meals all day. Like this shabby chic breakfast place in Kapitolyo, Pasig aptly named Milky & Sunny.To people like me who like breakfast but still find it quite a hassle to wake up early, this is great news.

Ristorante Bigoli: The Italian Fastfood Place

Bigoli's food

I've been eyeing this restaurant for quite sometime now. For one reason or another, I was sidetracked to try other food places in Eastwood City. When me and my friends decided to have a get-together a few days before the New Year, I saw an opportunity to finally try Ristorante Bigoli.