Swensen's

I'm sure almost everyone will agree when I say that ice cream is the number one comfort food. So I'm happy to announce that Swensen's recently opened in MOA. :)

Here are some pages of their menu.

Look at all these delectable treats! It was so tempting to just order them all. *sigh* If only losing those extra pounds are as easy as gaining them..

My HS friends and I vowed (yes, VOWED!) to order The Earthquake next time we visit. Eight different flavors of ice cream in one huge bowl = HEAVEN! *drool*

American Tower - Vanilla and chocolate ice cream with hot fudge and strawberry jam

Frosted Choc Malt Fantasy - Chocolate ice cream with hot fudge, marshmallow and malt balls (Maltesers)

Frosted Choc Malt Fantasy (Close-up)

Mr. San's Babies - Vanilla and strawberry ice cream on banana with hot fudge. This is part of the kid's sundaes menu. It was just too cute so we ordered. :)

Ice Cream Shake

Ice Cream Shake Float - With Choc Peanut Butter Cup ice cream

Water were served in really cute glasses. :)

On our way out of this dessert place, we noticed something displayed on the wall - A list of the first 63 customers who get a year of FREE Swensen's ice cream! Ha! More pounds for them! (Okay.. I admit. I'm a bit jealous. :P)

Swensen's really is THE ULTIMATE SUNDAE EXPERIENCE. An ice cream a day, keeps the bad mood away! I hope they bring Ben and Jerry's to Manila soon.. :)


Swensen's
Mall of Asia
SM Mall of Asia (Ground Floor South Wing-Near SM Department Store)
Telephone: (63 2) 805-0046

Bar Dolci

It is said that Bar Dolci has the best gelato and macarons in town. Time to try it out myself. :)

I was actually expecting more gelato selections from them. Despite the limited choices they have, it still took me a while to decide on my order. :P

Alas! I settled for Pistachio, Manhattan Cheesecake and Banana with Caramelized White Chocolate Freckles. Hm.. Let's just say I only enjoyed the first flavor.

For milk tea lovers, you can opt for the Thai Tea flavor. :)

They also sell alcohol-infused gelato. :)

I did not enjoy their macarons that much.. Too sweet!

In my opinion, this dessert place was overrated. I agree that their flavors are definitely out-of-the-box like Thai Tea and Salted Caramel (just to name a few). But overall, I was a bit disappointed..

Bar Dolci

Burgos Circle

F133 Forbeswood Heights cor. Burgos Circle, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 846-8245

Chihuahua

I love my former teammates because:
1.) We never fail to have a good laugh
2.) We love making "chika" over what's happening at work and of course in our personal lives, and
3.) We all enjoy trying out new restaurants


Our latest food adventure? Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar.

This fast food type restaurant has a very simple interior. And I heard that it's usually packed but to our surprise, there were no customers on a Friday night. Lucky us! :)

On the wall, you will see a shelf (and I really mean SHELF) of various hot sauces labeled "Owner's Private Stash". And who is the owner you might ask? - The one wearing the white Chihuahua shirt in the picture. :) 

They prepare the food in front of you. So rest assured that what they serve is clean. :)

You can choose from the variety of salsa found on this table.

What's nice about this place is that it caters to different types of people. For those who just want to hang out, they can borrow different board games found on the corner table. At a later hour, the disco ball lights up - ideal for those who feel like partying.

My officemate K ordered Cherry Coke.

Nacho Grande - Served in a tin bowl, this dish is so flavorful and spicy. We wolfed this down in 10 minutes. That's how hungry we were. :P

Extra queso on the side makes the Nacho Grande even yummier! :)

Steak Burrito - You can choose between chicken, beef, veggies or steak. Of course, we went for the most expensive and it was worth every penny! The steak was succulent and tender. Most importantly, they did not scrimp! You will find 4 to 5 chunks of meat for every half burrito. :)

Definitely, the best Mexican restaurant I have tried in Metro Manila! When you happen to be in Cebu, try Maya Taqueria and Tequila Lounge. :)

Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar

Makati Avenue

7838 Makati Ave. (across from A-Venue), Makati, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 897-0087

Buenisimo

My friend S happened to be in Eastwood for training, so we met up for a Wednesday bonding dinner. :)

Buenisimo is owned by the Cafe Ysabel family. This Spanish word means "very good", "excellent" and even "terrific". And their food / service delivers just that..

Lavosh Bread with Zatar - The bread is like that of panini but softer. The dip, zatar, is a delicious blend of the herbs and spices of Asia Minor and the Middle East. When we asked the waiter what type of herbs they included in this concoction, he just said "special herbs". I have to say that it's quite good. S even asked for a refill. :)

Buenisimo Shake - I ordered this because I read on a blog that it is one of their must-try drinks. This is ripe mango + passion fruit juice  + mint. The fusion just works! Sweet, sour and  a really small hint of mint.. :)

Silk Road Salad - This is fresh greens with smoked salmon. What stood out is its dressing - Tamarind Cilantro. The salmon was sweet while the dressing was tangy. The mixture really went well together. We made an error of pouring the entire dressing onto the salad which left huge portions of this dish dry. Our fault! :P

Puttanesca alla Buenisimo - Normally when you think of pasta, the following comes to your mind.. Creamy sauce, parmesan, mushrooms and the like. But this is no ordinary pasta. It's made up of longganisa Lucban, gourmet tuyo, sun-dried tomatoes, green and black olives, basil and parmesan. You can also choose the type of pasta (spaghetti, fettuccine, penne - we chose the second one). Be sure to mix this really well as you may find it too salty if you don't. I actually wanted to recommend that they cut the tuyo into tinier pieces to split the saltiness across this dish evenly. But overall, I'm very impressed with the taste and originality. :)

It's a pity I wasn't able to try their Artisanal Ice Cream - Dried Mango flavor, which was out of stock at the time. A good enough reason to pay this restaurant another visit in the near future! :)

Buenisimo by Cafe Ysabel
Eastwood Mall Veranda

Eastwood Mall, Orchard Road, Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 709-2136

Cookbook Kitchen

After going to The Spa with my family, we went to Cookbook Kitchen for dinner. It is one of those affordable restaurants one must try. The food here is simply delicious - perfect for family gatherings and team lunch-outs. :)

Green Iced Tea, Lemonade & Red Iced Tea - My red iced tea was the best! :P

Garlic Shrimps - Succulent and juicy shrimps topped with garlic. :)

Pork Steak with Honey Mustard Sauce - This dish has a big portion of fat but it doesn't really matter. Its taste and tenderness more than make up for it. :)

Gen's Steak - My dad's order. According to him, it's not bad. Well everything is "not bad" for him so I guess it's not really a good basis. Will have to try this out for myself. :)

Wasabi Soy Fish - I order this EVERYTIME I visit this restaurant. Dory fish coupled with soy and a hint of wasabi. :)

Parmesan Crusted White Fish - This is really good. My suggestion is to share this order with someone because some may find the parmesan a bit too thick. :)

If you get to visit Cookbook Kitchen, try the entrees above. I also recommend their Kittin's Scarlet Cake for dessert which is their version of red velvet cake. :)

Cookbook Kitchen
Eastwood

Ground Level, 1880-A Bldg., E. Rodriguez Avenue, Eastwood City Cyberpark, Quezon City, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 709-3593

My Thai

Last October 31, we celebrated my dad's 61st birthday. Since everyone's enjoying the holidays while I work work work (hardworking of me, right?), all 9 of us (family plus 2 cousins) decided to have dinner near my workplace. :)

Yam Pia Duk Fuu (Spicy Deep Fried Catfish and Green Mango Salad) - We started off with this salad. Crunchy and tasty! All of us really liked it except for the birthday boy (I mean man). :)

Tom Yam Goong (Shrimps in Hot and Sour Soup) -  This was another good dish. Though I must warn you that the spices are quite strong and it goes straight to your throat. So make sure to have a glass of water beside you, just in case. :)

Thai Iced Tea - A sweet drink that went really well with everything we ordered. It also comes in handy when drinking the Tom Yam Goong. Best of all, it's the easiest to pronounce out of all the dishes we ordered! :)

Gai Hor Bai Toy (Chicken in Pandan Leaves) -  Out of all the orders, this is the most forgettable. It's good but it tasted like any normal chicken.

Satay Moo (Pork Sate with Peanut Sauce) - I'm a huge satay fan. Whether chicken or pork, I will definitely enjoy. Be sure to dip it in lots of peanut sauce like I do! :)

Pad Thai Noodles with Chicken - Daddy's birthday noodles! :) Not too sour, just the way i like it.

Khau Kluk Gapi - Can you guess what this is? It's Bagoong Rice with Sweet Pork and Green Mangoes. Mix it all together and it's like Yang Chow fried rice, Thai style. :)

Pla Meuk Tort Gratiam Prik Thai (Squid Stir Fry with Garlic and Peppercorns) - This may have the longest name in the menu but it's all worth the struggle of saying. My favorite out of the bunch! The vinegar is so yummy too. :)

Pia Krapong Pad Prik (Crispy Tilapia) - This is fried tilapia fillets. My mom and sister S enjoyed this. :)

Goong Curry (Red Prawns Curry) - One word.. YUM! :) If you want it to be spicier, go for green curry.

  

Tago Haew (Coconut and Pandan Pudding) - I don't appreciate pandan that much but I have to say that this is good! A perfect way to end our very scrumptious meal. :)

Overall, we thoroughly enjoyed everything that we ordered. Not just that, but with the amount of food that we were able to consume (2 orders of everything so that's a lot.), our total bill was only around 4000php! :)

So if you're looking for good and affordable Thai food? My Thai is the answer.

My Thai Kitchen
Eastwood Mall Veranda

Eastwood Mall, Orchard Road, Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 709-2127

Bulgogi Brothers

I've been hearing nothing but good reviews regarding this restaurant. So when I happened to be at Greenbelt 5, Bulgogi Brothers was the first thing that came to my mind.

They used real Korean utensils - A first from my fair share of Korean restaurant experiences. :)

My sister R and I ordered the bottomless Iced Tea.

My other sister S who usually orders bottomless Coke Light opted for a healthier drink - Oksusu Cha (Corn Tea) which is their house tea. They say that it's good for people with high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease.

What is a Korean meal without the appetizers? Everything was really good but my favorite was the eggplant. :)

Haemul Gungjung Mandu - Fried dumpling with seafood. This was quite tasty. :)

Gwangyang Style Bulgogi - This one I really enjoyed. The beef was tender and the sweet sauce was just plain yummy. Pair this with a cup of rice and you're all good. :)

It looks like this when cooked. I know.. not as glamorous as the previous photo. But you wouldn't mind because it's just so yummy! :) Their waiters can even help you cook - ideal for those who want to focus on eating. :) And let me warn you, it gets really smokey. So just imagine what we smelled like after having this meal.

Sogogi Japchae - This was just alright. One good thing is that it's not too oily. :)

Unyang Style Bulgogi - This is presented as a heart-shaped meat and one of the Bulgogi Brothers specials. Well, it WAS supposed to be heart-shaped but now it's all crinkly because the waiter was kind enough to cook it in the kitchen instead of cooking it on our table (my preference being the latter). But on to the food.. Again, the beef was really tender. And what's nice is that you really get to taste the difference between this and the Gwangyang. :)

Bulgogi Brothers Special - This is actually another table's order. :P I really wanted to take a picture of the heart-shaped Unyang (talk about being a brat..) and so I asked the waiter that if someone orders it, can he please show it to us first. They have very accommodating waiters, I must say.. :) So here it is! Although you can't really see the shape because of how it's presented.

Good food and good service - Who would not enjoy that kind of meal?! I know I would. And don't forget to present your Bistro Group discount card! :)

Bulgogi Brothers

Greenbelt 5

3rd Level, Greenbelt 5, Greenbelt, Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St., Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, PH

Telephone: (63 2) 621-6216, (63 2) 621-5289