The Circus is Coming Back To Town!

Here's something to look forward to next year.

Restaurante Pia Y Damaso

Pia Y Damaso has been around for a long time but I have not found myself wanting to try this restaurant out as I have heard some bad and lukewarm reviews about their food.

Theo & Philo Artisan Chocolates

Theo and Philo chocolates got my attention when a mentor was raving about having tried out the green mango and salt chocolate on his facebook page.  And for a person who was obsessed about the different flavors of Kitkat available in Japan, there was no way I was going to let this pass.

2nd's

My friends and I were at a lost on where to eat before heading home.  I have been hearing such rave reviews about 2nd's that we decided to try it out.

La Grotta Cucina Italiana

M has always been curious about about La Grotta  Cucina Italiana whenever she passes by this Italian restaurant.  So for her birthday treat, she decided it was about time to try this place out.

Cafe Juanita

Taking out my balikbayan relatives for lunch, I brought them to my favorite eclectically designed Filipino restaurant, Cafe Juanita.

Maki House

I wrote about getting my maki fix at Bodhi about a month ago but the aunts are in town and they wanted the real thing - meaning real meat and not the veggie meat that I prefer eating.

Mabuhay Palace

Manila Hotel has been undergoing some renovations for some time.  My friends and I were curious to see what's new with this historical hotel and so we trooped to Manila Hotel after watching Varekai.

Varekai

I want to run away and join the circus!

Bugsy's

An impromptu Saturday night meet up with some friends saw us at Bugsy's.  A popular hang out  that is famous for their bar chows.

Bodhi

I love veggie meat.  In fact, more often than not, I prefer veggie meat to real meat.  And I always get my veggie meat fix at Bodhi.

Tokyo Tokyo

One Sunday afternoon, while waiting for my spa appointment, I was kind of feeling a bit peckish and wanted a quick bite but wasn't really interested in the usual fast food offerings.  I came across a Tokyo Tokyo branch in Greenbelt and said why not?

Kindermusic

I vaguely remember my preschool years.  The memory I have of my nursery was this big hall that had a low divider on one side that served as our "classroom" and a few toys.  I don't remember any activities I ever did there and I am pretty certain that my parents were not with me in school except to drop me off or pick me up in a calesa.  Preschool then and now are so different.  Today, preschool education/program is so diverse and so parent-involved that it's a whole different animal all together.  One such program being offered now to kids (and even newborns) is Kindermusic.

Chuck's Deli

Looking for somewhere to grab a quick meal one evening before heading home, I chanced upon this  well lit, newly opened restaurant at the Eastwood mall called Chuck's Deli.

B & T (Burritos & Tacos) Mexican Kitchen

I was craving for some authentic Mexican food after seeing photos of a couple of my friends' recent trip to Mexico and a Mexican cooking show I have been watching lately hosted by Top Chef Masters Season 1 winner Rick Bayless.

Chelsea Market & Cafe

We celebrated T's birthday at Chelsea Market and Cafe in Serendra.  T, always on a look out for great deal and bargains, was able to buy coupons from Cashcashpinoy.  She got 7 coupons of P470 for P1000, that's a 53% saving on food and drinks!

Chef Dogan

Nestled among the small restaurants and shops along Katipunan Ave,  I have been curious to try this small Turkish restaurant ever since I chanced upon their FB page.

Bite Club

Just a few days after a week spent on a boat with my friends where we were together almost 24/7, we were having separation anxiety from each other.  One friend suggested dinner at Bite Club after a previous discussion about it's burgers.

Rene's Saigon Restaurant

One must do on my list when I had a day in Puerto Princessa, Palawan was to try out their Vietnamese food.  Playing host to Vietnamese refugees during the American - Vietnamese war, Puerto Princessa has become synonymous to good authentic Vietnamese food.

Espressamente Illy

Thinking there would be a mass exodus from Manila days before Holy Week, I got to the NAIA Terminal 3 way too early for my flight.  Instinctively knowing that the flight would somehow be delayed, as it always is, me my friend went to look for some decent food and coffee.

Le Ching Too

One of my favorite restaurants since I was in school, some xx years ago, was Le Ching.  Cheap, filling and tasty is always a very good combination.  So this is where I ended up in, with my good friend L, one Sunday night after a super hot and tiring day of running around Manila, Pasay and Greenhills.

Krispy Kreme's Baked Creations - Kruffins

Just say the name Krispy Kreme and I feel my blood sugar skyrocket.  So when my friend T made me try a Krispy Kreme's Baked Creations months ago, I was hesitant.  But that hesitancy quickly changed into   curiosity when the said product was sold out in 2 branches we visited.

CBD Cheesesteaks Burgers & Drinks

Flanked between 2 very popular restaurants, whose waiting lists are several miles long, CBD - Cheesesteaks, Burgers & Drinks, seems to be a well lit oasis for the hungry  who cannot sit around and wait for their turn at Kanin Club and Wee Nam Kee.

Beurre Blanc French Mediterranean Cuisine

I was suppose to watch Kaos with my mom at Resorts World but due to some technical problems the theater and the casino was closed down.  So theater night became shopping and dinner night instead.  After going around, there was a couple of interesting restaurants in the area that I would want to try out but because there were such a crowd over almost all of them, my mom and I decided to just go to the one with the least crowd.  Hence, we ended up a Beurre Blanc.

Johanna's Grill

For  months now, I have been hearing great things about this place from divers whenever I am in Anilao.  So I was finally able to visit this place one Sunday night after a great day of diving.

Pepper Lunch

Me and a few of my friends were suppose to eat at Azuthai but due to one reason or another, friends were not able to make it, leaving only me and M that night. 

Krazy Garlic

I love garlic, I don't really care about the garlicky breath after.  So when M and I noticed this garlic themed restaurant in Greenbelt, I was very keen to try it out.

Azuthai

photo credit: Google photos

I made plans to meet up with one of my oldest and dearest friend T at Azuthai, but because of conflicts on our schedules we postponed it so many times that I thought it was never going to happen.

Curry Potato Chips

Brother brought home this curry flavored potato chips from a recent trip to Hong Kong

Gelatissimo

The desserts at Ba Noi left us wanting, so we headed for Greenbelt to look for other sweet offerings.  My friend S wanted ice cream because she has not had her ice cream fix for the week.

Ba Noi's

After hearing such glowing reviews from Our Awesome Planet, we just had to try Ba Noi's.

Myth of the Human Body

I don't know who is more mad, me for wanting to see this exhibit or the creator of this exhibit, Dr Gunther von Hagens.

KFC Chili Lime

Once in a while, I feel like eating junk.  Calorie laden, artery-clogging junk food.

Ginzadon

Picked up mom at Resort's World one evening and decided to just have dinner there.  Mom was raving about this Japanese-Korean Restaurant where she and her friends had dinner at one time.  Clearly she wanted to go back there.

Kiss The Cook

photo credit: Kiss The Cook FB page

I have been wanting to go back to Kiss the Cook along Maginhawa St in Quezon City for some months now but I just haven't been able to find the time until recently.

Sing Hainanese Chicken House

Friday night found me waiting out the super heavy rains at Shangri La with my mom.  I guess everyone had the same idea since all the restaurants were pretty packed. 

H & E Rockstar (former Heaven 'n Eggs)

Last time I tried this place, the waiters were wearing wings and their benches were swings.  Now apparently, they've descended from heaven and are now one of your run-off-the-mill trying to be cool restaurant with all the waiters wearing black, and I think they have taken the quality of their food with them.

My Islands Massage Adventure

What better way to end a year than a relaxing day at the spa for an unbelievably low price.......NOT!

Angel's Kitchen

Checking with my friend if she's free for dinner one Sunday night, I immediately met up with her in Greenhills.  Our first choice on where to eat was a restaurant at the Promenade.  But as usual, parking in that area was horrendous.  So we decided to drive down Connecticut St. to see what's in the offering.  On our second run along the said street, we saw Angel's Kitchen and realized that even though we pass by this restaurant / store often, we've never really tried their food.

Cheesy Chicken Pie

One of my favorite cookbook where I get inspiration from is a very old cookbook called Flavor It Magnolia - A treasury of Magnolia Cook Match and Test Kitchen Recipe.  I don't have the actual cookbook but I had it photocopied years and years ago.  My "cookbook" has been showing signs of wear and tear that I am planning to redo it, complete with a couple of photos.  One of  my favorite recipe is a dish called Cheesy Chicken Pie, a regional entry for then Magnolia (now Nestle) cook match from an Amelia Tuble.

2 Chickens for Lunch

A super quick late lunch with my friend at the Promenade in Greenhills  found us ordering 2 chicken dishes which are poles apart in taste- one subtle and the other bold in flavor.

Happy New Year!!!!!

Happy New Year!!!!