Penang Hill – Greenhills

Penang Hill is one of the most sought after tourist spot/resort in Malaysia. Why this restaurant is named after a Malaysian tourist spot, i have no idea why. THe place specializes in Southeaast asian cuisine..

On the Table

Roti Canai 95- a big piece of multilayered pancake type of bread. Its afalt bread consisting of fat(butter), flour, egg and water. Usially serve with curry, where in you tear apiece of the Roti and dip it unto the Curry. Their version is one of the better Roti that can be find here in Manila

Crispy Catfish Salad 195—underneath the green mango slivers, onions and cilantro, is a pile of crispy catfish floss, fried without the oily aftertaste. Mixed everything up and u get the taste of the sourness of the mangoes, the crisp of the fish, the tangy sweetness of the dressing.. The freshness of the ingredients used makes this salad wonderful

Hainanese Chicken 260- This was very very good, one of the better Hainanese Chicken here in Manila. Served with 3 different sauces which were perfect for the chicken. The chicken itself was cooked beautifully. Tender and juicy. Comes with a cup of gingered rice.

Chicken Tandorri 190- a whole chiken leg/thigh, deeply flavored by Indian spices. Penetrating the chicken to the bone. The accompanying yogurt, balances the flavors.

Sweet and Spicy Pork Ribs 250- the problem with this dish was the pork was over cooked, it became dry and tough. They came thru with the sweet and spicy taste. It’s the meat that disappointed me.

Braised Beef Brisket 250- Cubed beef briskets with mushrooms(canned), carrots. Beef was tender. The sauce was ok. Nothing extraordinary

Seafood Hot pot 240- this was ok, nothing to brag home about..

Oyster Pancake 165- plump fresh little oysters cooked well., the pancake was made with eggs, fried to a golden brown crisp. Great dish,

Char Kwey Teow280- Stir fried flat noodles, with an assortment of meat incorporated. A little oily as u can see by the sheen on top of the noodles. Huge flavors here, Right amount of sweet, salty and spices.

There were hits and misses on the dishes we ordered. Overall, If u know what to order and what to avoid, the restaurant’s food is pretty ok. Good Hainanese Chicken and Roti.

Definitely deserving of a return trip in the future…..

Focaccia – Makati City

Address: Ground Floor A-Venue Mall, Makati Avenue
Makati City

Tel No:(02)7299403

Seating Capacity: 25-30pax

One of the newest restaurant in Makati. I saw this when I ate at Artina at A. Venue Mall, but didn’t gave it a second look cause I thought they were not offering anything different… then I got to know what they offer/serve from one of the blogs I regularly read.. Heart to Heart. . They have a dish they named Crazy rolls, that is reminiscent of the Panizza of C Italian dining… well, to travel 90kms…is really a far drive so I decided to give this place a try and see how they compare to Chef Chris version.

Place is relatively small, Well lit, with a view of the kitchen.

On the table

Focaccia slices served with balsamic/olive oil/Parmesam cheese.

Tuscan Garlic Chicken in Parmesan Cream Sauce(250)- described as baked Garlic Chicken with Fettucine tossed in cream- I was expecting at least a quater chicken baked with garlic and herbs… this is what i got. the chicken was tender and juicy, perfectly seasoned. But, was it baked? Hmm.. it looked fried to me, but what the heck.. they say baked.. it was delicious. So no complaints here, expect the marble potatoes were a bit undercooked.

Crazy rolls- It looks exactly like the ones in C Italian, a little thinner Maranello(shrimps salami) P350. Came with Arugula and alfalfa sprouts. Roll everything together.. then pop it in your mouth. So, how does it compare? Hmm.. they have a thinner crust.. but ill say they have duplicated it 70-75% of the way.

It was delicious but it lacked something.., they have a smaller personal size of this dish.. I wonder how small is it.. ill try it next time.

Very few dessert choices.. aside form the gelato which was not available (except for one flavor)

They have items on the menu that are the same as the ones in C Italian.. maybe the chef was an understudy of Chef Chris.. well I am just assuming here.. hehe

Anyway,  to the people who love Chef Chris’ Panizza. Give this place a try and eat the crazy roll and tell me what u think

MARUCHAN Dining – Makati City

Address: 2282 Chino Roces Makati City

TEl. No: (02)7597777

Parking- Avaialble in front and the side of the restaurant

Japanese cuisine is one of the most popular cuisine here in our country.. Makati by far has more than 80 restaurants according to munchpunch.com but i think there are more…

The newest one being this restaurant, opened only middle part of the year, barely 3 months old. First I thought it was a Chinese restaurant because of the name: Well, apparently, I was mistaken.

The interiors of the place are beautiful, black wood panels, Tables were well spaced.

I love the uniform of the servers, very sleek, stylish and modern. No more kimonos here

Menu. Surpirsingly they offer other cuisines aside from Japanese like Chinese, Korean and Western Items, Another Rant here is that everything is in Japanese. So there are some items that u have to ask the waitress what they are.

May I suggest that u ask the exact kind of meat and the way it was cooked.. why?…. read on..

On the Table

Ika Shiokara110- Sliced fresh Squid with a pink sauce.. I never thought it was fresh, I ask the Chef of it is possible to have it cook, He denied my request. Well, I respect his decision. He might have been offended by my request anyway.

Well, the sauce taste like mild bagoong, a little fishy at the same time salty. The fresh Squid taste like hard jello… not really my type, but I guess some of u guys can give this a try..

Beef Tan Shio 50 per pc—Descrbied to me as Beef Skewers.i was expecting sliced tender beef here, but . here is what I got.. Beef tongue…. Haaay… salted and grilled.. served with Japanese Mustard…

 

Shake Shioyaki210—Salt Rubbed Salmon grilled. Cooked through but still maintaining its moistness. Be sure to eat it with the grated radish to counter the saltiness

Ebi Tempura 200– 5 pieces of medium sized prawn tempura. The batter was more like a light camaron rebosado batter, not the flaky kind. But nevertheless, it was still good.

Oyakodon 240- Big bowl of little Chicken pieces cooked with egg topped on plain rice with sweet mirin soy sauce.. Add some Togarashi on top and this is already a dish on its own. It comes with a bowl of miso soup.

SMB Premiun 90- 1^st time to try the new San Miguel beer. The bootle design remind me of Stella Artois—the premier belgian beer, it also comes with a glass similar to Stella. Compared to the usual Pale Pilsen, It has a more fruity taste.

I love the interiors, the service, the look of the place. But the food is not something I would look forward to eat. U guys try it and tell me what u think..

Barcino Gourmet – Fort, Taguig City

Address: Unit 101/102 Forbeswood heights condominium. Rizal Drive cor West Cresent Park. Global City Taguig City

(02)4685942

Capacity- 65 to 70 pax

Parking- Street Parking Available

Spanish cuisine… one of the oldest foreign cuisine that started here in the country.. well, We were conquered by the Spaniards for a long long time. This is where some of our native pinoy food got some of its beginnings. For me, Spanish cuisine boast of big flavors. Stewing is one of the base of Spanish cooking aside from their penchant in curing different meats which I think is one of the traits we learned from them. Spanish cuisine like Filipino cuisine.. a lot of their dishes are not freshly done, because of the cooking process…

Now, this restaurant has its humble beginnings in Ortigas a few years back, then bought buy a couple of young Spaniards… taking over the place and changing the concept a little. Who would have thought we would enjoy Spanish wines and tapas nightly. This place in Fort they decided to open bec the one in Ortigas is getting crowded. From a seating capacity of less than 50(in ortigas) they up it more to fit close to 70 people. But still maintaining the “factory/warehouse” feel.. with the boxes of wines scattered all over the place..

On the Table

Lengua Estofado- 290 – Slices of Beef tongue and sliced potatoes, stewed till tender, with olives and mushroom. Tomatoes, olive oil, sugar…. Love this dish.. the intense flavor coming from the long hours of stewing rewards the diner with excellent tasting Lengua.

Bread- 40 – The server will ask you if u want bread… not saying that they will charge u for it… hehe. Well, its was good bread.. Buti na lang…

Tapas Gourmet( the signature tapas dish with Manchego, chorizo, Serrano ham, and Russian salad) 560. A little overprice if u ask me, but well, u get good quality meats.. The Russian salad(potato salad) was a surprise.. but the pairing was still good.

Vallformosa. Semi-seco 500 – a CAVA / sparkling white wine, excellent with Spanish food… love the bubbly.. while eating the tapas… and for the price, definitely worth it..

Nice place to unwind, talk about things, sip ur CAVA and let loose. Wish there would be more places like this:)

Shokuji Restaurant- Makati City

Address: G/F LPL Center, San Agustin cor Sedeno St. Salcedo Village, Makati City

Tel No: (02)812-9235

Open- Mondays to Fridays Lunch and Dinner

Parking- Available in Front.

Salcedo Village has a lot of restaurants, along main road and some hidden in its side streets. This is one of them. According to their multiply site, they are already in the business for 16 years.. wow, never knew that.

This is a homey Japanese restaurant. more catered to the Pinoy palate. Why do i say that… when i dined here, there was no Japanese eating.. Well, i dont know if on other days they are… so, its just my opinion.

On the Table

Dobin Mushi- 60- called emperors soup in other Japanese restaurants. This soup is usually served in a little tea pot so I was surprised that they serve it to me in a bowl. Well, the broth taste light, not as fresh as u can get in an expensive Japanese resto where u are use they make their Dashi stock form bonito flakes and konbu strips. But for the price, this was tolerable. It warms the stomach well for one to be ready for the meal to come

Tai Teppanyaki 215- Lapu lapu fillet quickly pan friend, mixed with strips of carrots, bell peppers and onions, then tossed in a sweet soy glazed. This was good, Fish was cooked right, still moist inside. The veggies still has the crunch, not soggy. The sauce that enveloped with item has the right amount of sweet and salty blend.

Fried Shrimp with Tofu 225- Shrimps, firm tofu, mushrooms and onions, sautéed in a clear sauce. If u would look closer, the Shrimp the use here I think are the same shirmp they are using for tempura, as u can see .. its elongated..hehe. This dish was ok. A light dish.. not oily, nothing heavy.

Chahan 65- this was a bit of a disappointment.

The rice was mushy… not really enjoyable to eat… too bad.

This restaurant also offers order all u can buffet for less than 500 pesos..

Will I return here? Hmm.. not in the near future… But for people who work or live near the area, this place is a nice place to just relax and get away from the crowd..

C Italian Dining – Clark Field, Pampanga

Address: 1210 Don Juico Ave, Clarkfield Pampanga.

Tel No. 045-8924059

Open form 11:30am to 12:00am, Tuesdays to Sunday

If japanese food is light and healthy, for me Italian food is the heavy counterpart, heavy yet healthy. One of my favorite Italian restaurant which I think is also one of the best in the country is this restaurant in Clark, Pampanga

Voted one of the best restaurant for 2 years in a row by the Philippine Tatler.. though I really do not agree with some of the Tatlers choices, this one I agree with them.

C Italian Dining. The “C” I guess came form the name of the Chef, Chris Locher. Despite not being a true blue Italian, does Italian food really, really well.

Service is excellent, Waiters are attentive and knowledgable of the menu.

Reservations are recommended, because sometimes the place get full and if u are coming from Manila, it would be a waste of time to go there and not having a table.

On the table

Crusty Italian bread(priceless)- with parsley oil .. Baked fresh daily, lovely outer crust. Soft dough..

Panizza Peppone(P580)- Chef Chris Creation… ultra thin rectangular pizza, served with arugula and alfalfa sprouts wherein u roll everything in, and pop it in you mouth, the combination of the peppery arugula, the cheese, the morsels of meat or seafood, the crunch of the crust and alfalfa sprouts… the combination was just terrific that u will just keep on rolling and eating…

Bramata Peidmontaise(P570)- written as a gnocchi.. when this dish arrived, we were surprised by the appearance, it didn’t look like the usual gnocchi, it looked more like a cake, made from corn meal, topped with bleu cheese, served with roasted tomatoes, potatoes and mushrooms. Initially, I was kinda disappointed, but once I got a piece of it with bleu cheese, a little of the tomatoes, a little of the mushroom,… by golly wow… it tasted wonderful.. To blue cheese fans, this dish is for you. The mushrooms were so juicy and the flavour of the rosemary and pepper, soaked in the mushroom meat.. combined with the saltiness of the cheese, the corn potato combination of the cake, plus the sweetness of the tomatoes. Bravo chef Chris!!

Linguini bottarga di tonno- Now this dish is more of an acquired taste dish. This tasted like a more refined tuyo pasta.

US Angus Flank Steak (half order) – cooked medium well, accompanied by frien potato and sautéed spinach. Beef… Tender.. Heavy on the stomach. A wonderful main course, good enough to be shared by the whole group.

We were too full to have dessert.

Defintely one of the best Italian restaurant here in the Country… Worth the 90km trip:)

Zhuang Oriental Cuisine – Mandaluyong City

Address: Pioneer Center, Pioneer Street. Mandaluyong City

Tel no: (02)7474837

Chinese food has always been a family favorite , because no.1 u can order big amounts of it. Its always eaten family style. And service is always fast.. Here in the Pasig/Mandaluyong Area. There are very few good Chinese restaurant. This place I always pass by but never got to try, until I stumbled in upon it in a blog. And saw what they had to offer. And this is my turn to blog about the place.

On the table

Mixed nuts(priceless)

Hakao85- one of the hakao that gives u value, when I say vakue it means that u can see and taste the shrimp inside:

Seafood and spinach soup 60- good for two, a bit watery compared to the other soups of this kind ive tried

Hot and sour soup 60- also good for two. Right combination of sourness and spicyness, one not overpowering the other. Good amount of veggies in the soup

Crispy Spinach roll- 168- a vegetarian dish, hehe, the crispy exterior was a little oily, it kept the spinach form over cooking and maintain its crispyness despite being fully cooked

Okiam Chicken 198- I have tasted a couple of Okiam chicken in restaurant in binondo and their version really paled in comparison. It was bland. Though it was fried exceptionally well, being crispy outside and juicy inside. Too bad, the coating lacks flavour, seasoning.House Special Combo- 275- century eggs, dimsum and roast pork asado, The star ehre is the Asado, glazed with syrup/honey.. it was sliced exactly the right thickness, with the amount of fat that wont make u feel queasy after eating it..

Sauteed Baguio Beans 180- sautéed with ground pork and chili flakes to give u the slight heat factor. Baguio beans were stir fried until just cooked but still crispy.

Sweet and sour pork 195-One of the quintessential chinese dishes, Tender pork pieces, deep fried, coated with sweet and sour sauce. This was just ok…

Siao Long Pao 72—the skin was a little think.. filling was delicious, not as soupy as I want it to be; but very juicy

Shanghai Fish Fillet 198- this was disappointing, thought it was something special. Nothing great in this dish…

Purple Feet – Makati City

217 Nicanor Garcia St. Bel Air Village
Makati City

Tel: (02) 897-3220 Hours: 11:00 AM-10:00 PM

Capacity: approx 40 pax

Wine depot has been selling wine..mostlly new world wines for quite some time now. And I think following the footsteps of some of the wine cellars here in the country like Titania which has La Vigne, Santis which has Cave Wenderberg. Etc, etc. They decided to put up their own restaurant inside their shop in Nicanor Garcia, amptly named Purple feet. If u guys remember, how in the olden times people make wine by

stomping on them with their feet to extract the essence of the grapes(remember Keanu Reeves- Walk in the Clouds?).. Don’t know if they still do it now though…

Purple feet prides itself by their cooking style. Describe as Freestyle cooking. Wherein u will choose from the blackboard, a choice of meat. The waiter will recommend a way of cooking it, but u can also give your own preference as long as the Chef.. Marco Legasto of the defunct Restaurant 12(greenbelt 2) fame…knows

how to do it or if the ingredients are available.

On the Table

Appetizer; Jalapeno Poppers(P200)- To those people who grew up eating at Friday, u will remember the restaurant serving jalapeno popper was whole jalapenos, stuffed with cheese then breaded and deep fried. That was what I was expecting when I ordered this dish. But I was served this breaded rounds filled with

chopped jalapenos and cheese. It was still good, but for the price… hmm.. give me your thoughts.

Tuna Steak cooked mediterrenean style(P520). Now, this one put a smile on my face. Its one big ass tuna, the biggest piece of tuna I have ever seen served in a restaurant. Seared on the outside, cooked till pink in the middle. Served with a sauce made of tomatoes olives and sausages. Topped with crumbled feta cheese. I would like the tuna to be raw in the middle, but well, it wasn’t . Anyway, it was still yummy though….

Tiger Prawns(P770)- I asked them to cook it the best way they can, and this is what hey brought me. Grilled . Slather with a sauce that taste like mild barbeque sauce, serve with Mashed potatoes with truffled mushroom sauce(additional P45). The Prawns were grilled perfectly, still juicy even when it was cooked through. The sauce was a little bland, I wish I just had it as a thermidoreJ the mashed potatoes were excellent though.

Molten Chocolate Cake(P220)- good quality chocolate cake, most probably valrohna, didn’t ask anymore, but u can taste the chocolatey richness in the cake. Very good.

What I like about a place like this is the wine selection. Wide variety without the restaurant mark-up…WE got a Rose which went well with the Seafood and the dessert.

This place definitely deserves a return trip, I just hope they can work on the way the cook their meat, if we want it medium, make sure to give us medim doneness meats. I have friends who ate here and said they were given well done steaks.. I don’t like returning food to the chef coz it would be an insult. The tuna could have been done more rare. That the only rant on this tale.. nevertheless, the entire meal was enjoyableJ

First post

There are a lot of food blogs spurting in the past year. So, i guess u guys are wondering, why i started this one. Well, for one, i love eating. I eat out a lot and one of the things i love is trying new places of far fetch places that only a person who loves to eat would do. And by doing so, i want to share my experience with you guys. Hopefully all good, but then again, there will always be bad experiences, which i wil never hide.

I will be as truthful and as frank as possible. You guys may ask, what can i offer that other blogs dont have? Its my passion for food. It doesnt neccesarily have to be expensive. I can be happy even with the cheapest meal as long as it good and it was cooked with love.

Follow me in my journey for the best food here in the Philippines:)

The bottom line here is. Taste is never objective, it will always be subjective. This will all be my opinion.

Enjoy reading:)