food reviews from a person who's always hungry

Scene from Loving You

2009-01-15T03:23:00.000-08:00

ex-boyfriend na childhood friend: . . .ginagawa mo lang bang past time si laine?

current boyfriend: We both know she's way too special for that. Jepoy . . . you're the only one who's holding her back. Do the right thing.

ex-boyfriend na childhood friend: Sige, just so we're clear - you break her heart and i'll break her neck.

ano raw???

Trick or treat!

2008-10-31T16:36:00.000-07:00

Happy Meal Near McDonalds

2006-03-09T00:56:00.000-08:00

I had dinner with officemates last night at Je Suis Gourmand at the Fort (near McDonalds) and the food was excellent!

We loved the pate platter - it had different types of pate, all of them creamy and tasty. We also enjoyed the prawn and smoked salmon salad. The prawns weren't so big but they were perfectly grilled and the smoked salmon was creamy and tasty. It also had some greens (except arugula! yey! for arugula lovers, they have arugula with smoked salmon). I also got to taste the roasted vegetables and feta cheese salad - the vegetables were just lightly roasted and the feta cheese was a good foil to the vinaigrette dressing.

An officemate likes their pea soup and their pasta. I didn't get to taste these dishes, though.

For the main course, we had the duck confit which was tender and served with mushrooms. We also got to taste the lapu-lapu, which, by itself was light but flavorful, but tasted rich and creamy when eaten with the sauce (the sauce was so yummy that it can be eaten with bread!). An officemate loved their braised lamb shank in peppered mushroom sauce.

For dessert, we liked the creme brulee, the strawberry sherbet and the grand marnier sherbet.

The owner is a French chef who is married to a Filipina.

It is best to reserve a table before going to the resto as it only has a few tables and it gets filled up quickly. Their number is: 8158801.

Good Earth, Metrowalk

2004-10-10T09:51:00.000-07:00

On our way to Robinson's Galleria to buy dog food, we noticed that there was a new row of food places at the Payanig sa Pasig area. Like 2 kids, we decided to explore the area.

There were only a few eating places open, but since Rey read somwhere that the spicy chicken in Good Earth is very good, we decided to eat there.

We ordered our favorite lobster balls, the spicy nutty chicken, mixed vegetables with young corn and 2 cups of rice.

The lobster balls were as good as the ones served at their Greenbelt branch. The lobster balls are deep fried in lumpia wrappers and served with a tomato-based sauce and wasabe. The lobster balls are tasty even without the dressing but the dressing gives the dish a lot of character.

The mixed vegetables was also good. The greens and the young corn were crispy and we love how the vegetables were mixed with balck mushrooms. It didn't taste like it was seasoned with monosodium glutamate, too.

I was too full to appreciate the spicy nutty chicken but Rey thinks that the dish is great! If I remember right, the dish was made of chicken sauteed with cashew nuts, black mushrooms and other spices.

Service was very good. My water glass was always filled with water and the check came in 2 minutes after we requested it.

I was just disappointed when their green tea came from a tea bag.

Trellis, Market! Market!

2004-10-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

We went to Market! Market! yesterday with a view to dining at the "Dampa"-style establishments. However, since it was still about 5 pm, and the sun was still up, the heat at the market area was a bit uncomfortable for Rey and I. So, we decided to have dinner in Trellis.

Trellis is a few meters away from the market area but it has its own airconditioned space. The temperature was just perfect - it was enough to keep us cool but it wasn't chilly. Since we were hungry, we ordered dishes that were enough for 4 people - we had fried chicken wings, potato salad, sisig, green mango salad, brocolli leaves with shrimp paste, inasinan na hipon and 2 cups of rice.

The food arrived in just a few minutes. The inasinan na hipon was soooooo tasty. It was deep fried shrimp seasoned in nothing but salt. I usually eat my shrimp with vinegar and siling labuyo but i made an exception for this one. The dish was perfect without any sauce (sawsawan, to be exact.) It was great with the green mango salad.

The green mango salad was served so that the customers would be the ones to mix their salad. I think I mixed too much shrimp paste so the salad tasted too salty. (That or the salt from the inasinan na hipon got stuck on my tongue.)

The chicken wings were very good. They almost tasted like my favorite Max's Spring Chicken that I wanted UFC catsup with it!

The potato salad was also very good but the serving size was too small.

We were disappointed with the sisig. It was soggy and it had too much vinegar. The sisig that comes in a can tastes so much better.

The best thing about it was that everything was just a little under P500! Talk about value for money.

The hitch? We felt like we needed a flare gun to get the attention of the waiters. After serving our food, they seemed to have forgotten about us. It also took them 10 minutes to give us our check! I had to tell the waiter that if they didn't give us our bill in 3 minutes, we'd walk out and not pay for our meal.

manila polo club

2004-09-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

had to sing the national anthem for the testimonial dinner of ibp makati for the new appointees to the court of appeals, regional trial court and other executive offices.

the testimonial was scheduled at 6 but the program started at 7. so we had a full hour to eat!

it was supposed to be cocktails but the food was really filling. they served tuna, salmon and crabstick sashimi, assorted sushi, angel hair pasta with mushroom sauce, banana wrapped in bacon, calamares, and assorted cakes and pastries.

their sushi and sashimi are good. the salmon looked fresh and the crab stick was perfectly firm. the angel hair pasta was okay but not spectacular but the banana wrapped in bacon was so delicious! at first i found the combination weird but once i popped one in my mouth, i realized that the combination was perfect.

i also loved the chocolate pudding - it was deliciously creamy and it wasn't too sweet.

the best thing of all - everything was free!

Bubba Gump

2004-09-12T23:18:00.000-07:00

I love shrimps. I'm allergic to them when they're not fresh but I always take the risk. I can always take anti-histamines if I get itchy.

For this reason, I've been wanting to try out Bubba Gump in Greenbelt 3 ever since I heard that they have shrimp dishes for their specialty. And so, when Rey asked me where I wanted to eat, I jumped at the opportunity and dragged him to Bubba Gump.

When we got there, we were so hungry so we ordered their appetizer sampler and their drunken shrimp.

The drunken shrimp was served first. The serving size was okay, it was more than enough for 1 persons but it was barely enough for 2. Since the menu described the shrimp to be soaked in bourbon, i was expecting the sauce to be white. I was mistaken. The sauce was reddish and there were about 10 pieces each of shrimp and sausage slices surrounding a humongous mound of mashed potatoes with fried shoestring potatoes on top. I loved the shrimp but after a few pieces, i got tired of the taste. The mashed potatoes were pretty good - the consistency was even and it was very creamy and buttery. The shoestring potatoes were also crispy and the saltiness was just right. Except that there were so much of the mashed and shoestring potatoes that I got full just by looking at them.

The appetizer sampler was very good! I loved the battered fried shrimp and the nachos with the dip. Rey and I loved the chilly shrimps. We loved it so much that we ordered for more chilly shrimps.

The chilly shrimps were really cool. Literally, that is. These are steamed shrimps that are served with ice cubes. The shrimps were tasty and it's fun dipping them in the tomato sauce that was served with the dish.

Rey ordered beer with his meal - nothing fancy, just the plain and predictable San Mig light. It was served cold. I ordered the strawberry shake. It wasn't too sweet but it wasn't sweet enought either. It can stand a couple of teaspoons more of sugar. But the good thing about it was that there was a huge but still tastely whole strawberry in it.

When we got the bill, we were a bit surprised. It was a bit high, which led to our discussion on which item in the menu pumped up the price - was it the ice or the giant potato?

Segafredo, De la Costa

2004-09-03T11:05:00.000-07:00

I had a meeting at the Trafalgar Plaza til 6:30 and I was attending a concert with friends at the nearby Equitable Bank Building at 7:30. So, I decided to grab a bite at Segafredo's while waiting for my friends.

Since I wasn't sure what time my friends would arrive and I've been nibbling on some nuts and chips during the meeting, I wanted a light meal that can be prepared in less than 5 minutes.

The waitress recommended choosing from their the antipasti and their pasta since it takes them at least 10 minutes to prepare a sandwich. I chose the salmon carpaccio. I also ordered mint tea.

The mint tea, which came in a teabag, was served in less than 5 minutes. The salmon, which was swimming in an ocean of soy sauce, was served in 12.

I wish I just ordered sandwich.

It's no wonder why Rey hates the place.

shopwise

2004-08-30T17:05:00.000-07:00

yes, this is a food review.

a week ago, i went grocery shopping with my father in shopwise, cubao. right in the middle of their bakery and fresh produce sections is a food place. there are foodbooths that offer a variety of dishes and there are several monoblock tables and chairs where you can gobble up the food.

there were so many choices! there was a stand that sells my favorite shawarma next to the stall that sells my favorite bibingka. there's also a purefoods stand that has the hotdogs that i really love. even gloria maris has a stall! (i think it's becoming too obvious that i love food.)

anyway, fatherlily got adobo and prawn balls from a stall selling chinese food. i got roasted duck on rice from gloriamaris and one-fourth kilo of cebu lechon!

the only hitch was that the person manning the cashier's booth was on break so i had to line up at the regular booths. it took me about 10 minutes to pay so this lessened my excitement. but not by much! because when i got to claim all the food that we ordered, everything just looked and smelled so delicious!

father lily and i shared the prawn balls and the lechon. the prawn balls were huge and tasty and the lechon was really flavorful. the skin was still crispy! i loved dipping it in soy sauce and calamansi.

i also loved my roast duck. i didn't expect much from it - i was thinking that the food they serve in their restaurants would probably be a lot better than the food that they serve in such a small stall. but i was mistaken. the roast duck was perfectly cooked and it was served with all the condiments that are available in any of their restaurants. it was just perfect.

fatherlily also loved his adobo.

so we really had a feast and were very happy with each dish that we ordered.

and the icing on the cake? everything that we ordered, including the canned drinks that we got, cost less than P400!

Pepato's, Greenbelt 3

2004-07-28T02:47:00.000-07:00

Pepato's has just elevated "comfort food" to a new level.

"Comfort Food" is a term we use to dishes that we like to eat when we're tired, feeling sad or iffy. Our comfort food must be consistently delicious to remind us that there really are good things in life and that there are things that we can rely on.

After sitting for 4 hours in a meeting that involved taxes, balance sheets, and lots of figures in small print, I needed some comfort. So when my officemates asked me where I wanted to eat dinner, I suggested that we eat in the Pepato's the place where I remember having perfectly cooked chilean sea bass.

When we got to Pepato's I asked for my favorite dish - the sea bass that's cooked inside a paper box. I also ordered tomato soup and salad with fried cheese. for appetizers, we had the bone marrow. I asked for the green grape shake.

I was not disappointed. The serving of the bone marrow, as expected was little, but it was packed with flavor. The bread that was served with it was also buttery and tasty. The salad was really good! i didn't even mind eating those bitter leaves (arugula or something.)

The tomato soup was perfectly light. The tomatos were so sweet and the cheese sprinkles on it made the taste more interesting. It was also served at the perfect temperature - hot enough to warm the tummy but it wouldn't scorch your tongue.

As usual, the sea bass was light (yes, it's light, not creamy) even with all the butter!

The green apple shake was also yummy! It was also brain freeze free.

And the best part of the dinner? The "butler type" of service that rey really enjoys. We didn't have to ask for anything - waiters re-filled water goblets when they're near empty, plates and bowls which are no longer used are immediately cleared, they even served more butter in the middle of the main course just in case we wanted to eat more bread. and this was done without any fuss. You wouldn't even notice the waiters! Galing talaga.

After the meal, I've forgotten how tired I was. Life is really good.

Mongkok in Glorietta and Dencio's at Capitol Golf

2004-07-24T20:37:00.000-07:00

After a week of working, my friend, Kat and decided to meet for dinner and drinks. We initially wanted to meet at 7 but at around 5:30, I found out that my father, whom I call Pa or Fatherlily, is in Makati.

I'm using Fatherlily's car so I offered to bring him home. I met him in Landmark at around 6. Since he hasn't eaten and we correctly expected a long ride home due to the traffic, I decided to treat him out for dinner. Since Fatherlily doesn't eat anything but Chinese of Filipino food and we were really hungry, we ate in Mongkok.

Since we were hungry, we got dumplings from the cart. The hakaw, or the shrimp dumplings were ordinary, but the sharks' fin dumplings were really good! We also ordered their yang chow fried rice, salt and pepper spareribs, mixed vegetables and shrimp with hot salad. For our drinks, Pa got pineapple juice. I ordered Mongkok lemonade.

The yang chow fried rice was good - it had egg, green peas, some porkbits and my favorite chinese sausage. It was also a bit wet, which is how I like my rice. They served the fried rice before they served the other dishes, but since it was so tasty, Fatherylily ate a few spoonsfull even if there were no other viands yet.

The mixed vegetables were okay but typical - the greens were crisp and the carrots were cut in cute floral shapes. The dish wasn't too salty. Their use of aji no moto wasn't too obvious. The salt and pepper spareribs were a bit tough but were delicious. It was hot enough to leave a small bite on the tongue. I didn't like their hot salad, though. It was a bit too sour for me.

The Mongkok lemonade is ok. There were some dayap slices floating in it but it is quite obvious from the taste that the lemonade wasn't fresh.

After the meal, we had green tea. It was a disappointment since their tea came in a tea bag. It's a good thing that service was excellent and they don't have service charge. For a fast food resto, Mongkok was ok.

After bringing Fatherlily home, I met with Kat. We wanted to watch a show but our choices were Diether Ocampo, Beverly Salviejo and the Rage Band - none of whom appealed to us. We just decided to go to Dencio's in Capitol Golf for the ambiance. The resto was around 5 minuts from Rey's house so we invited him to join us. He did.

Dencio's is at the 3rd floor of the old clubhouse of Capitol Golf & Country Club. It has a nice view of Antipolo and Libis. Eating at their balcony has a calming effect on me. (I need some calming after huffing and puffing through 4 half-flights of stairs. They don't have an escalator or an elevator.)

We ordered ensaladang mangga, chicharong bulaklak and crispy pata (hey, we initially ordered panga ng tuna but they don't have it.) The ensaladang mangga was perfectly sour (because of the green mangoes) and salty (i love their bagoong!). The chicharong bulaklak pieces were too huge that they were actually intimidating. They were not as crisp as I wanted. But the crispy pata was unapologetically crispy, juicy, flavorful and fattening. Of course, we had to order rice.

The service was not as good as it used to but their beers are perfectly cold. That was good enough for us. Unfortunately, they close at 1 am. So, even if we wanted to drink some more we had to say goodbye to our beautiful view and our consistently cold beer.

The Cookery Gourmet Catering

2004-07-21T04:58:00.000-07:00

Rey and I were in a wake for his uncle yesterday evening. The food was catered by The Cookery. They served penne pasta in tomato sauce, which was okay. The bread was a bit too tough and the pastry tasted different. Not bad, but different.

But the stars of their show were the tenderloin tips and the canonigo.

The tenderloin tips were easy to chew and the sauce was enough to prevent the meat from getting dry without being too drippy. The taste was a perfect blend of soy sauce, garlic and other spices. The taste of the garlic was subtle but strong enough to be felt. I was planning not to eat meat for a week or two but the dish was too tempting to resist.

The canonigo was the bigger star. Like most canonigos, it melts the moment it touches your tongue (and immediately finds its way to your love handles). But unlike other canonigos, this one doesn't immediately melt in its entirety, it leaves a soft layer that's light but creamy. Since this layer melts more slowly than the rest of the canonigo, you get to enjoy the subtly sweet taste of this wonderfully sinful dessert for a little bit longer.

When they ran out of canonigo, they served an equally sinful-looking chocolate cake. Of course I wanted to taste it, but thought against it - after all, we were with Rey's relatives and I didn't want them to think that I was just there for the food. I really wasn't.

gloriamaris in greenbelt 2

2004-07-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

I had a really nice dinner at gloriamaris earlier this evening.

They still have their 3 treasure's promo so their crab is still at P350 per kilo. They were suggesting the crab in szechuan sauce but i asked for the salt and pepper crab thinking that it's less messy to eat. i still made lot of mess, though. The crab was perfectly cooked (no overcooked nor raw parts) and they put lots of toasted garlic on it (really yummy!). It was also a bit spicy but you can add more spice by dipping it in the sauce that had some mean-looking chilis in it. I chose to dip it in black vinegar.

I also got to taste the steamed lapu-lapu fillet in soy sauce. It was good but not spectacular. I like the fresh lapu-lapu better if it weren't for the hassle of having to de-bone it.

We also had mango sago for dessert - it was really good! The mango was sweet and creamy and the sago were soft. They also added finely shaved ice that felt like velvet on the palate. The combination of the taste and the texture was really awesome. I wanted to eat another bowl! (Sadly, I can't. While I'm not on a diet, I try not to be a glutton.)

The bill? It was a little over P1,000. The crab was small so it was only around P270. The fish fillet was P400! That was a surprise since the whole lapu-lapu was only P420.

At around P500 per person, the meal was a bit expensive but it was worth the price. I can't wait to go back and order my favorite - PEKING DUCK!!!

Alex III

2004-07-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

My officemates and I had to work over dinner. The partner wanted to meet somewhere near UP. We decided to meet in Trellis. However, when we got to Trellis, it was closed so we decided to visit Alex III which was only a few meters down the road.

Alex III offers a wide selection of dishes, we ordered tuna and salmon sashimi, sinigang na salmon sa miso and spare ribs. We didn't order too much food because their menu states that the sinigang was good for 2 to 3 persons. We didn't wait long before they serve the tuna and the salmon sashimi. they looked and tasted fresh but their serving size was too much of a david for eaters like us who have goliath-sized appetites. Within a few minutes, they served the sinigang. It was okay but it could be better. (My standards for sinigang are high because thanks to nanay, the sinigang at home is really good. It's perfectly sour.) And the serving size was barely enough for 2 people. Sigh. The spareribs came much later but it was worth the wait. It's not too sweet and it's really soft! I didn't get to taste the java rice that came with it, though.

After our main meal, we decided to have dessert. One officemate got a scoop of strawberry ice cream which was undeniably Nestle. I got the pandan tapioca with coconut milk. It wasn't bad. it wasn't good either. It was a bit too sweet for me and the whole thing just didn't blend - it was like eating the pandan tapioca and the coconut milk separately.

Oops. I almost forgot. They do serve japanese green tea (yup! the one that's supposedly good for the health.) What's good about it is that they serve it in a huge pot and they use loose green tea leaves.

As for the price, our bill was around P1,000. For 3 people, the price is reasonable.

But will Alex III earn me a point if i bring Rey there? Possible. The taste of their food made up for their miniscule serving size and the waiters were very attentive. It is not a bad substitute for Trellis.

The Game

2004-07-17T12:11:00.000-07:00

I met Rey when I was an incoming college junior at the Ateneo. Right after we were introduced, we all went to the college caf to buy some food.

11 years and 16 pounds later, food is still on top of our priorities. So, a few years ago, Rey and I decided to play a game to keep track of who recommends the most good restaurants.

The rules are simple - a point is given everytime the food in a restaurant where we're dining for the first time is something that we would want to eat again.

It's unfortunate that from the time we started the game until today, we did not list the restaurants where we earned points. But from this day forward, I'll try to document our visits to new eating places.