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On The Tummy Spot: Mango Walnut Torte
After that fulfilling Zensho meal, friend L and I trooped down the streets of Tomas Morato in search of our dessert stop. Oh yes, we still had a dessert stop in spite of all that we ate. Goodness, how I packed all that delicious food into me I can only wager a guess. J Anyway, it was quite a way off so we walked and did a bit of exercise which somehow helped loosen up our full tummies a bit.Finally we stopped at a little cozy door along the long street of Tomas Morato and there I first chanced upon “Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee”. It’s warm and homey interiors made me want to sink in their sofa seats and curl up with a good book with a mug of steaming coffee and a plate of their dessert items which friend L told me was quite good. She was all praises for this one cake dish so I decided to get that and see what she was raving about.
I ordered what friend L recommended to me – Mango Walnut Torte. The torte in the name alone made me want to see what it was all about and boy was I not disappointed. When it came into view on a really nice dark red plate I was so eager to get some of it on my mouth that I almost forgot to take pictures but luckily friend L reminded me so I got a few snaps of my soon-to-be demolished dessert.
It was really very rich and luscious. Luscious and creamy would go hand in hand in my description for this very rich and yummy cake. It was perfect with some freshly brewed coffee as it helped to temper the rich and sweet torte. On the last layer were some crunchy walnuts and syrupy glazed kiwis. The next layer after that was a flavored whipped cream which was so light. You could not taste any cakey portion of this cake. It was all light and airy whipped cream with some syrupy and glazed fruits and nuts. On the side were some chocolate fingers. They were not biscuits because I did not get some crunch in the bite but these delightful little beings were so light. It was like eating whipped cream but flavored in chocolate but they were not whipped cream. They were just so soft and so right for the whole torte.
Oh yes I finished it along with the brewed coffee I ordered with it. It was indeed the perfect ending to a great dinner which started at Zensho’s. Always great conversations, great food and great company! Thanks again friend L!XoXo -
On The Tummy Spot: Eating Japanese at Zensho’s Eat-All-You-Can Buffet
When I hear Japanese food, I always equate it to great food with more than the average price, after all they use good and fresh ingredients so I always expect to pay more than the average when eating in a Japanese restaurant. I’ve had Japanese in Cebu and here in Manila and they don’t disappoint. They rarely do! Just a few months back (so sorry for the late post), me and friend L decided to do a catch up lunch and she suggested a Japanese eat-all-you-can feast at Zensho’s in Tomas Morato. I haven’t heard of Zensho before but friend L said that it was value for money at around 595++ so I jumped at the chance. Japanese is Japanese!
Now what was more delightfully surprising was the fact that it wasn’t a buffet spread where all the dishes they had on their menu were showcased in chafing dishes and such but rather it was an a-la-carte type of buffet where you just order anything you want on their menu and they will cook it for you. This for me was a great plus. As a diner, you get your food freshly cooked and you are sure that you aren’t getting leftovers. As for Zensho, it ensures them that they will not waste so much food. Quite a win-win situation for both sides. Friend L and I started ordering from our appetizers to our main dish and also the side dishes.
Our first appetizer was one of their bestsellers – Oyster Motoyaki! Plump and buttery oysters served in their shells with this really creamy and buttery sauce. This was creamily delicious and I believe we finished off 3 orders with around 20 oysters between the both of us. This was really deliciously sinful. Friend L and I agreed this was really one of their bestsellers. Who could resist it!
Then, of course assorted sashimi – from salmon, tuna, tangigue and crab sticks. We had our fill of fresh and juicy fish.
Friend L then introduced me to Tofu Agedashi– Crispy fried tofu on the outside and silken goodness on the inside. Tofu should always be this good. It was bathed in a soya and green onion sauce with that distinctly Japanese flavor. We had 2 or 3 orders of this very healthy tofu dish.
For a refresher, we had some Yasai Kani salad. Cucumber and mango strips mixed together with crabstick strips make for a very refreshing salad topped with some fish roe. Cool and light. The perfect go-between! Of course we had some California maki rolls. Mango, crabstick and cucumber little strips rolled with Japanese rice and wrapped in seaweed. A Japanese dining experience wouldn’t be complete without it.
For our star dish, we had order after order of one of my most favorite things to eat – Ebi Tempura. We had several orders of this yummy fried goodness. Crispy and light batter enclosing meaty and juicy shrimps. Absolute heaven! Friend L and I had no problem stuffing ourselves with piece after piece of this heavenly morsel.
We also had this chicken dish and I forgot what it was called (This reminds me to make my blog posts very current! J). It was also good.
Everything that I ate at Zensho really made me happy and the service was also good. I had no complaints and had only my big tummy to show for it. As always a food trip with friend L is GREAT. Good food, good friends and great conversation! Thank you friend L for another great food trip date! Until the next time!
XoXoYou May Also Like
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Italianni’s With Long Time Friends
Who hasn’t heard of Italianni’s? With its great big servings of Italian inspired dishes that will have you panting after eating, that is in essence Italianni’s. I have eaten in Italianni’s countless times but haven’t really reviewed or written about them until now.Recently I got in touch with really old friends way back in college and we agreed to meet at Italianni’s at Alabang Town Center. The location was chosen as such because it was the crossroads of where we all were located. Friend T was from Las Pinas, Friend X was from Batangas and I came from Cavite so meeting in Alabang was quite okay for everyone. It was a pleasure catching up and meeting with old friends. I had forgotten how much fun it was to chat and just while away the time with them. Before we used to do it often as we shared the same house in college. Now everyone was a professional but it seems like only yesterday. We decided to have lunch at Italianni’s and as usual when we got ourselves seated there, we were given their complimentary ciabatta with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. This is always a great combination.
We then proceeded to order. I had the Parmesan Crusted Fish Fillet. It was creamy dory fish with a Parmesan cheese crust and served with a caper cream sauce, mashed potatoes in the side and some buttered vegetables. The fish was crispy and had lots of flavor especially with the cream sauce. Dory is pretty much a bland white meat fish but with the Parmesan crust, it was good. The crust was crispy and the vegetables were cooked just right. Crunchy and slathered with butter.
Friend X had her Grilled Pork Chops. It was huge! J The pork chops were grilled with a pepper crust and served with some black peppercorn sauce. It was served with some crispy spinach leaves that I ate because friend X did not want them and also garlic rice and buttered vegetables. This was really value for money right here. Although it is value for money, I can’t really say that the taste was something remarkable or unforgettable.
Friend T had some Chicken Parmigiana. It was chicken cooked with a Parmesan cheese crust same with my fish then it was topped with some melted, creamy and stringy mozzarella cheese. On the side of the Chicken Parmigiana was some spaghetti with Marinara sauce.
The dishes were good but not really spectacular but they sure are value-for-money with how they are portioned so you know that you got your money’s worth of food as you should because they are not so much inexpensive when it comes to their pricing.
The lunch was good with old friends and lots of food. I’ll be trying out other dishes from Italianni’s soon!XoXoYou May Also Like
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On The Tummy Spot: My Cebu Zubuchon Experience
I have been hearing rave reviews about MarketManila’s Zubuchon that I decided to check it out on a Cebu trip I recently had. I asked my friend A to guide me through Zubuchon’s menu items and introduce me properly to what Anthony Bourdain has tagged as one of his greatest food finds. Being a foodie, of course I was looking forward to the experience.Friend A decided to bring me to their Mango Avenue branch. When I got inside the restaurant, it was cozy and comforting and I was looking forward to the lunch ahead of me.
I had not eaten any breakfast and just had coffee because I was so looking forward to this much awaited lechon experience with Zubuchon. I am a fan of CNT although there are times that their lechons tend to be a bit salty but otherwise I am well satisfied with the taste so I wondered what makes Zubuchon different and why does it stand out. Also, being from Cdeo, I have had my share of really tasty and yummy lechons and when I compare it with the lechons I have had here in Metro Manila, nothing comes close. I have been very disappointed so far with the taste and quality of the lechons here in Luzon because they tend to be bland and just not tasty at all.
I was waiting for friend A to arrive so I ordered myself a glass of mango juice. Nothing fantastic, just your regular mango juice but it was made from real mango fruits and was not made out of a concentrate.
A few minutes later, friend A arrived and we proceeded to ordering our lechon lunch. Of course we got ourselves Zubuchon and we had ½ kilo between the both of us. No judgement please! 😉 The lechon had hints of rosemary and the meat was not bland but tasty. It was not also too salty. Just right! The skin was really really deliciously crispy and I think that my lechon cravings were satisfied with this Zubuchon foray but I’d like to try them again to see if they were consistent with their lechon and also because I miss lechon again!
We also ordered the pickled vegetables sampler on the side. 3 varieties of pickled vegetables: pickled raddish, atsara and pickled mangoes all served in little square bowls. These were great and a perfect foil to the Zubuchon. It cut through all the fats!
Of course I also had to have the Lechon dinuguan. Pig’s intestines in pig’s blood topped with some crispy chicharon, a green chili and sprinkles of green onions. A taste I so missed.
Friend A also ordered a Kamias shake and this one was a winner. A bit tangy and sour and sweet! I wish I had ordered it!
I plan to try their other offerings when I get to Cebu again one of these days. Definitely one visit is not enough! Also, if you’re dining on a budget, they offer lechon meals as well.Happy Lechon Craving! Hahahah!XoXo -
On the Tummy Spot: Cebu Tales – My East West Café Love Affair
With the July visit, of course I always make the time and this time lots of it to spend at East,West since I was on somewhat work mode so I made the café my home base. Frankly I can’t think of any other place that I would feel comfortable in. My good friend A was there and stalwart friends R and L were nearby so this was the perfect location.
And of course, I stocked up on my usual favorites from their menu to quench my drooling dreams of those delicious crepe and pasta favorites of mine. It was like coming home! The anticipation I felt going in and through the doors and looking at the familiar food items just made me nostalgic. Yes, I had spent the better part of my college life here and of course with friend A. She gave me lots of funny, hilarious, love-affair moments and I was going down memory lane when I got inside the store.
First on the must-eats is a favorite – The Mango Sushi. Fat juicy portions of mangoes wrapped inside light and tasty crepes laden with their signature east west sauces and drizzled with some butterscotch and finally for the big finale topped with vanilla ice cream. Who can resist that?! Over the years, I have had my share of eating this sweet creation and one thing I can say for sure, the taste remains true as what it was before to what it is now.
Next is another all-time favorite – The Bananas and Hazelnut Crepe. A secret combination of chocolate and hazelnut flavors spread all over the crepe then topped with banana slices then crowned with vanilla ice cream and slivers of toasted almonds and butterscotch sauce again to round it all up. This is one of those dessert items I won’t be tired of eating. Hmmm…brings back memories yet again!
Third on the eat list was the – Clubhouse Sandwich. As usual this savory and yummy crepe is good enough to share so I did with friends R and L. Stack after stack of savory east, west crepes interchanging with the chicken filling and drizzled with yet again their own signature east west sauces on a bed of a special tomato sauce. This was filling and hearty and satisfied me and my friends and filled us with nostalgia because we remember so many conversations over this delicious and savory crepe.
Next, my favorite pasta item – Pasta Aligue. Aligue generously mixed in with al dente spaghetti noodles and some flaked tuyo with shiitake mushrooms sprinkled with some green onions make for a unique and one-of-a-kind pasta dish which will surely be something to remember.
There is also some bar chow that could be had at east,west and these delightful items we had with some of their signature cocktail drinks like the Purple Aura! We had chicken fingers. They were crisp and the chicken was cooked right together with some real potato chips. This alone might prove to be your dinner if you were eating it by yourself but it’s really great bar chow.
If you want chips, they also have it complete with a Mexican style salsa which you can share with 3-4 people along with that pitcher of cocktail! Now you know why I’m a big fan of this place. From the appetizers to the main course and dessert, they all have it along with their coffee and cocktail drinks. Complete one-stop café! It was perfect for me when I was on vacation and still working. For me, it’s really the crepes that make my visit always worthwhiley yummy!
Until my next East,West visit! I already miss you and friend A.
XoXoP.S. The photos are courtesy of Anne Rose Minoza!I did not eat all the items I just described in my post in 1 session. I was there for a few days! 😉 -
Ding Qua Qua: On Another Cebu Visit
I actually came from Cebu a few months back, it was around July and I was there for a surprise yet welcome addition for the completion of one of the items on my bucket list. Thank you to all who made this possible. I was anticipating the trip already and dreaming of all the good stuff that I will soon be eating! I can’t help but be crazy for food. This is one of my major addictions. Food in all forms, kinds, cuisines and etc.. I am not really picky and would consider myself as an adventurous foodie because I have no qualms with trying the odd and unexpected. Truth be told, I have tasted bat meat and a few other things which I consider exotic. I am that passionate about it. So here I was, face to face with Cebu again. The place of good and inexpensive food and I couldn’t wait to frequent a few of my old haunts just to get a taste of yesterdays!One of those that was on my “To Eat” list was dimsum and steamed rice in Cebu. Although I am a Binondo goer and I always have access to all the dimsums I want, there is one item that I can’t seem to find in Binondo or Manila for that matter, they are the Steamed Rice in the dimsum places of Cebu. This steamed, savory goodness always makes my mouth water just by thinking of how they would taste once I get my hands on them. Loosely packed steamed rice doused with a special gravy and bits and pieces of soft pork with some vegetables. The gravy does it for this food item. I can’t find any type of gravy elsewhere to match the taste of what Ding Qua Qua has to offer. There are also other dimsum places with steamed rice but Ding Qua Qua is the favorite along with that dimsum place in Ayala – the name of which I forgot!
Alongside my steamed rice order, I also got some steamed siomai and some stuffed prawns. They were as delicious as I remembered them. The stuffed prawns were meaty and shrimpy (if there is such a word). I could taste the bits and pieces of shrimp along with the stuffing. The sweet and sour sauce was the perfect foil for this along with some ginger sauce!
I also got some steamed siomai and they tasted more or less the ones that always have in Binondo but there is that distinct taste of which only Ding Qua’s siomai have.
Again, I would say that the star of this lunch feast was really the steamed rice. I have been craving for that particular food item for a long time now and I finally satisfied my tummy but then again that was way back in July and it is now October. I miss it again!!!XoXo -
A Foodie Destination: Witchy Crazy Mommy’s Home
One lazy Sunday, friend Witchy Crazy Mommy and hubby invited me over to their house for a housewarming party. They had just transferred to a new condo and now they were living in a posh neighborhood in Eastwood. It was like a mini city and I think they made a good move because I did feel that their old neighborhood was a bit scary especially with baby S in tow so this move was really nice. It may be a little bit farther but it really is a nice place.
Brother B fetched me, my crazy sister and Z from our place and we proceeded to go to Eastwood. When we arrived at the condo, what greeted me was an assortment of ingredients on the table and a busy Witchy Crazy Mommy. She was still preparing our fare and boy what a delicious and humungous lunch it turned out to be. Brother B also brought some good old “Ngohiong Cebu” for us complete with the spicy dip of which I am a huge fan off. I couldn’t help myself and got a piece of ngohiong and were they really great. I missed that ngohiong! Crunchy kinda greasy outside and spicy soft inside together with that equally spicy dipping sauce. One thing I forgot to bring though was a housewarming present. I promise to make this up to you Jho!Witchy Crazy Mommy was busy with her dishes as she was making them from scratch. She told me she had pre prepared the pork leg for our crispy pata and soon after we were helping her to fry it. All that crispy skin and meaty pork was making my mouth water.
Aside from that, she also prepare sushi for us. A variety of sushi and it was so great to look at super appetizing.
I also spied some shabu shabu items all together. Variety after variety of them! She told me she was making some broth with dashi for it. I love her house. Everytime I am in their home, Witchy Crazy Mommy always feeds us delicious stuff so her house is a favorite foodie destination of mine. I’m hoping we can have Christmas dinner with Beef Wellington? Heheheheh!
When we finally started to eat, I didn’t know where to start and after a while I felt so full and happy and satisfied plus we had some good red wine. Happy lunch with happy friends and good wine. It was indeed a great Sunday! Thanks Mark, Jho, Bens, Bri, Krizzy, S and Z!
XoXo
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On The Tummy Spot: Dome Cafés Churros
One early morning with A and Z in tow, we trooped together to Shangri-La on some fun business. Since the mall wasn’t open for operations yet, we decided to hang out in one of the open cafe’s situated inside Shangri-La. I had seen Dome Café before but haven’t really tried or explored it. I’d rather just go on a Starbucks fix so this was really one of those “first” moments.I didn’t really fancy coffee so A and I decided on having a nice hot pot of mint tea. They brought us little “DOME” cups and a big pot of hot minty tea. On the side of the cups, they had these little nice biscuits which I guessed were accompaniments to the tea. The tea was refreshing and soothing at the same time. Just right to make us calm down after that long bus ride from home.
I also scanned their menu for any item/dish that I would fancy together with the tea and I saw that they had Churros. I quickly ordered these and the waitress told me that I would have to wait for a few minutes because they make the Churros ala carte to ensure the freshness of the pastry.
After like 20 minutes of waiting, I followed up on my order and after 5 minutes or so, they came out with the most golden and lovely looking churros which made me cringe in anticipation. Immediately the smell of the cinnamon sugar wafted to my nostrils and I could feel my mouth beginning to water. I saw that beside the churros, there was a bowlful of thick and rich, yummy looking chocolate dip. When I first took a bite of the churros, I was mesmerized with the crispiness of the outside crust and the lightness and fluffy softness of the inside. The churros were warm and this even made the eating experience more pleasurable. I then dipped the churros into the luscious dark chocolate and it was heaven! The chocolate was kind of bittersweet and it didn’t taste like any local chocolate I had tried. It was not too sweet and it was just the right pairing with the churros. I quickly gobbled it up and got myself another churro stick. The mint tea was the perfect foil to the richness of the churros and chocolate and it was a really nice morning tea break for us.
I will definitely go back to Dome for their Churros!
XoXo -
My Binondo Foodie Adventures Part VII: A Look Inside President’s Tea House Along Ongpin Street
When I go traipsing along Ongpin Street, there is one mystery that always appeals to me and it is wondering what is going on inside the big President’s restaurant along Ongpin Street. I have heard from so many people about the good reviews of this place but just that their price ranges are quite high. In Binondo, I have so far seen 2 President’s restaurant: 1 along Ongpin street and the other along Salazar street (this is a smaller restaurant reminiscent of other smaller restos in the Binondo area).
From the outside, you’d probably wonder how big the place was since knowing Binondo everything is like squeezed together and you see that out at the front of the restaurant you have this entryway staffed with waitresses in traditional red Chinese garb. Me and a few old friends walked inside and lo and behold I was shocked to say the least. The place was sprawling (and when I say sprawling, it really is big) inside with quite a number of round tables and a huge crystal chandelier to boot. The restaurant was huge. It was very well lighted too. It had all the hallmarks of a first class Chinese restaurant. We made our way through to the very end and had a Bisaya waiter attend to us. We checked out the menu and ordered. I couldn’t wait to try their food out.
Friend Kuya A and I both agreed on a first order of a plateful of century eggs. I sound crazed right! Century eggs are an acquired taste really but I just don’t get it why a lot of people are not fans of this food item. It really is delicious. That black and clear gelatinous (white portion) of the egg with that grayish and soft (yellow part) part which melts in your mouth. I can’t quite describe how it tastes but to me it tastes really good.
Next, we had some Bird’s Nest Soup, the really authentic one. I missed this soup. The eggy and thick flavorful broth with the sort of gummy pieces in it was a joy to taste once again. It’s been too long since I had authentic Bird’s Nest.
After that there was a plateful of cold Chinese appetizers ranging from the steamed orange innards to the pale white chicken and seaweeds as well as century egg slices. Very interesting mix. I tried them all and found them okay. I didn’t feel like rice but we ordered for the others and I got a taste of it and boy was it so yummy.
Yang Chow fried rice with all the trimmings. Medium sized shrimps cooked to perfection. Heavenly rice with a heavenly aroma as well.
Friend R had to have his fried noodle fix and it was really delicious. Crispy canton noodles with a pork topping slathered with a rich and very delicious Chinesy sauce. This was one item I kept coming back to. It was a good thing I ate just a small portion of rice because I was on the noodle dish fixation episode.
We also ordered fried pork with garlic and other herbs. It tasted like pan friend pork pieces seasoned with salt and pepper and topped with cilantro leaves. It was okay but not really great. Just the usual way of cooking pork.
Then we had calamari with sweet and sour sauce. The calamari was cooked to perfection and the squid not gummy without a thick coat of breading. There was only a thin layer which made the squid crisp but I got to really taste the squid and the sweet and sour sauce was the perfect complement to it.
We also had some really spicy stir fried beef in a thick sauce. The beef was so tender and sliced thin so it didn’t make you feel as if you’d eaten a ton. The sauce was perfect for it and I truly enjoyed this dish.
Almost all of the things I had eaten at President’s Restaurant was a delight. I enjoyed myself thoroughly as well as enjoying the time spent with friends who loved food like I did.For those wanting a really great Chinese food experience, you can try out the big President’s Tea House restaurant located along Ongpin street.P.S. I forgot to bring my camera with me so you’ll have to contend with my shots from my camera phone.XoXo -
Having A Happy Drink At Happy Lemon
The same day that I and a few friends went to the Saturday Salcedo Market and Mercato Centrale, we also stopped by Greenhills in San Juan to do a little bit of shopping and afterwards we wanted to rest our tired feet a bit and refresh ourselves with a drink. My friend AM told me that Happy Lemon serves really rockin’ drinks so we headed to the Promenade in Greenhills and went inside the Happy Lemon Store.
The inside was very welcoming and quite cozy with chairs suited to accommodate groups and there was quite a long line at the counter so I guess that was a testament to how good the drinks were. I saw that there was a drink there that had Yakult and I was happy. I love Yakult! I’ve loved it ever since I was a kid and my grandfather would buy it for me every afternoon in CdeO. I revisit happy childhood memories with Yakult. On initial inspection I assumed that the drinks were quite rich and frankly I felt that my tummy could not hold it all. But I really wanted to try it so much so I ordered what friend AM suggested to me was good – green tea with rock salt and cheese and I figured it would be a pretty refreshing drink, it being green tea and all.
When I got it, I noticed that there was this thick foam on top and some green powder which I think is green tea powder. Friend AM suggested I try the thick foam and boy was I surprised with the mixture of flavors in that foam. I could taste the rock salt, the cheesy cheese and the lightness of the foam which they sat on. The salt was the perfect foil to it all. It consolidated all the flavors well. I expected the drink to be quite rich and lo and behold, it wasn’t. In fact it was a great, light and refreshing green tea with the thick and foamy savory/sweet top. Really good! I enjoyed my first happy lemon experience and I am a satisfied happy lemon customer looking forward to more happy experiences.
Now, I can’t wait to try the other ones in the store!
P.S. Have you tried to have your Happy Lemon experience already?
exploring food forever! among other things…
