"Merry" Grace

Its that time of the year again when everybody is buzzing around, rushing here and there with lists on their hand (may it be paper or cellphone), trying to find the perfect gift for special people in their lives. While for me, its the time for savoring simple treats and giving me flashes of memories back when I was still a child. Last week, as I drive myself crazy over telephone calls, text messages, and plans in connection with the office moving, I find myself craving for a traditional Christmas treat for typical Filipino family. I would imagine myself biting into a soft ensaymada and sipping hot chocolate while feeling the warmth and heat calming my mind and body from the cold Christmas breeze. So when weekend came, I went to my favorite Robinson's mall to satisfy this wish. While coordinating with my boss regarding some things, I head off straight to Mary Grace's and sat on of the empty seats. The first thing that I notice, aside from the Christmas decors are the notes and memos inserted under the glass top of each table. I read some messages and realized that these are sweet, appreciative messages of satisfied customers to Mary Grace. I was then handed the menu and as I already know what to eat, I focused on their Chocolate drink menu. My God! I was kind of overwhelmed by the number of choices they have on that menu. For just a common drink, that is the Tsokolate, Mary Grace made different alternatives, for I think different moods and experiences for their customers. I was torn among three choices, really. First to turn me on is the Traditional Tsokolate, then the Valencia Hot Chocolate which, according to the menu has orange cream, and lastly, the Mexicana Tsokolate which has chili spiked on it. Not wanting to catch myself offhand, I settled for the Traditional Tsokolate, and of course, the Grilled Ensaymada. One thing that I do not understand, is that why, the price of the grilled ensaymada is increased by at least Php15.00 as opposed to the ungrilled one or the classic, as they call it. Anyway, as I struggle yet again to pass messages after messages to and fro my boss, I was taken aback when I was served my cup of Traditional Tsokolate. The cup containing my longed-for hot chocolate is small. And I really do mean small. Its just a little bit bigger than the tea cups used in Chinese restaurants. So I thought, what the hell? For the price I'm paying, I think I deserve something bigger than this. And I wouldn't want to be bitin since I have been craving for this hot chocolate for months now. Then came the Grilled Ensaymada. And it looked better than the one I usually buy wrapped and ungrilled. I tried to take a sip of the Traditional Tsokolate after stirring it for a couple of times but once the drink hit the tip of my tongue, I retracted. The tsokolate is soooo hot. Yeah, it is that hot. So I just spoon a little into my mouth (of course, after blowing away the heat) and then turned my attention to the Ensaymada. Now, I have tried their Ensaymada before, the ungrilled one and I really did not love it the way I liked their Cheese Roll. This time though, I gave it another try since it's part of my "Christmas bliss wish". When my knife touched the Ensaymada, I heard a crunch. I was pleasantly surprised. I never had that crunch when I bit into my Ensaymada before. Then I thought, it must be the sugar that has crystallized when the Ensaymada was grilled. After the crunchy layer, my knife poked the inner core of the Ensaymada and immediately went through as the pastry is soft inside. I put a forkful of it into my mouth and my teeth sank into very soft and fluffy pastry while at the same time, creating a contrasting texture of crunch from the crystallized sugar. I find it perfect that it is neither too sweet nor too "bread-y", instead it is so tasty that I cannot quite stop myself from continuously putting bite after bite of this yummy goodness. One thing that did not quite appeal to my senses is the grated queso de bola on top of it. The cheese, upon grilling the Ensaymada, did not melt. Instead, it turned a little bit chewy and created another texture in general. I prefer the cheese of the Ensaymada be "invisible" but unites the tastes of the Ensaymada by giving it a salty twist instead of standing out on its own. After spending a few minutes with my Ensaymada, I gave my Traditional Tsokolate a try yet again. This time, even as it is still hot, I patiently blow my way through every sip. I find their Traditional Tsokolate thick. Not thick enough to give bitter taste and coarse texture but enough to prove that it is indeed from cocoa and not powdered drink. It is surprisingly smooth, they filter it well, I suppose. But somehow, this one did not meet my expectation. I read from a website that Mary Grace's hot chocolate selection is good so I have a quite high expectation for this. But I feel like something is missing from this cup of hot choco that I cannot really put my finger into. But I am excited to try their other variety of hot choco, especially the White Hot Chocolate, Mexicana Tsokolate, and the Valencia Hot Chocolate. All in all, I had a good experience this time from Mary Grace's and hopefully, I find what my palette is looking for on my next cup of hot chocolate.

Ohh Wham!

After a not-so-satisfying meal yesterday, my friend and I decided to grab ourselves burgers for late lunch. We went to Wham! and each ordered her own burger. I ordered their Kapow Burger and a side of Onion Rings. She on the other hand ordered their Bronco Burger and we both had Iced Tea to wash down the sandwiches.

First to arrive are the drinks and the Onion Rings. Though the serving is quite small, as I counted just about more or less 10 rings, they are very big onion rings. What I love about them is that they are very crispy and yet very light. The breading is not weighing the onion rings down. It is lightly seasoned and I think it made these onion rings the perfect side for their burgers. And soon, I was proven right by their burgers.

Wham! burgers are huge. When they arrived, I was shocked by their size, and immediately afterwards, I wondered how to bite into it. Their burgers, as what they claim are made of 1/3 pound of beef. And I think there's truth in it as to the weight of the whole sandwich. My Kapow burger, as how they described it on their menu, is made up of 1/3 pound beef patty, salsa, cheese, chili sauce, and Jalapeño Peppers. As I read this, I thought okay, I am a bit adventurous today, I think I can handle all that peppers. So when the burger was put down in my table, I was very very excited.

When I opened the wrap, I was ecstatic. My hunger will be satisfied. The Kapow burger was served with everything that was written on the menu on it. What I did not expect is that it will be served with quite thick slices of Jalapeño Peppers in it. I took my first bite and quickly hit by the juicy and flavorful beef patty. I just love the beefiness of it. Then came the salsa, the cheese, lettuce, and hint of spiciness. So I thought, yeah I told you I can handle this one. Then I took my second bite. After two chews, KAPOW! the spiciness overwhelmed me. But since I want to prove to myself that I can handle the spiciness of the pepper, I tried to act cool-y. I sip my Iced Tea and took another bite from the burger. KAPOW! Now, this time, I won't try to act oh-so-cool-y on this one, beads are starting to form on my forehead and my friend has noticed my uneasiness and asked me if it was too hot. At this point in time, I cannot hide the fact that my mouth is on fire. I nodded and took a rather long sip on my Iced Tea. I put ketchup and mustard on my burger, hoping to alleviate the spiciness of it but I failed miserably. So later on, accepting defeat, I pulled out all the Jalapeño Peppers and savored the juiciness and hint of spiciness of my burger. It was heaven. I love their burger. And there's no need for ketchup and mustard either. The burger is well-seasoned and delicious on its own. I can see myself going there over and over for my burger-fix from time to time.

Dessert Loft

Its Christmas shopping day 1 for me yesterday and at the same time, bonding time for me and my friend as I drag her from store to store. But of course, the bonding time will only be bland if we don't trade stories over good food so we headed for one of the restaurants on our "go-try" list. First off, we headed to Jack's Loft. Upon sitting on their very comfortable seats, the menus are promptly handed as they are placed on the tables already. Well, its hard to choose something if most of the items on the menu are either too expensive for a small serving or does not appeal on my sense of taste. Although, the redeeming factor is, they have heavenly arrays of treats on their dessert menu.

While both our stomachs are growling in hunger, we opted to just share a slice of cake and each choose her preferred coffee drinks. So we came up with a slice of Chocolate Mousse and Cheesecake, and Cafe Mocha for my friend, and a cup of Cappuccino for me. The Cappuccino was good. I added a teaspoon of sugar on it and it was perfect. The coffee was not too strong, and neither it was too sweet. The froth has just the right consistency and I love that cup. According to my friend, she love her tall glass of caffeine herself. I think it has chocolate in it as what the waiter said.

What I did not appreciate is the Cheesecake. I am a fan of Cheesecakes. I love their creaminess and their not too sweet taste. But I was disappointed with this one. Their version is composed of a thick layer of chocolate mousse on top of the yet again thick layer of cream cheese all laid on top of Oreo crust. I was disappointed because the whole of the cheesecake was gelatinous. Something that I do not really like. As what my friend commented in her second bite, "it is not creamy". And I agree, because of the gelatin that sort of covered the whole cream cheese and the mousse also, the creaminesswas just overpowered. I just hate the slimy texture of it. The crust on the other hand was so soft that the Oreo crumbs just breaks down into mushiness when your fork reach the bottom. It just melts away. Although I can taste the Oreo but I cannot, or rather my tongue cannot decipher which one is the cream cheese and which one is the Oreo. It just get all mixed up with the cream cheese. I do not want to base everything on this particular experience so I think I will still go there and try their other cake offerings. But its safe to say that I will just stir clear of the cheesecake selection.

Merry Starbucks!

Yeah, it is the beginning of the sticker collecting, and hunting again. The Starbucks Planner is at stake again for the Christmas season. I have always tried to collect these stickers but never completed any. This year, I wouldn't obsessively purge myself with classy caffeine just to be able to get a planner. Although, if I will have the chance to complete the stickers (with the help of my friends), then I would happily redeem of the planner.

This afternoon, I was with my friend at Starbucks Binondo to catch up on each other, and for me to take a breather from my intoxicated life. As always, I am very excited to try the very delish food Starbucks offer especially during the Christmas season. This year, I have tasted already the two cheesecakes that they are offering, in just a span of two days. I am talking about the Cookie Dough Cheesecake and the Almond Roca Cheesecake. I tried the Cookie Dough yesterday, and I was blown away. But no, it's not the Cookie Dough that blew me away, but the Cheesecake itself. At first bite, I was greeted by the sweet-tangy bliss of the cream cheese. The taste in my mouth is just very mouthwatering, and divine. The taste of cream cheese, it is just full of creaminess, and indescribable divinity that even as I am blogging this now, my mouth waters. Although the cream cheese is not that light, it is very sinful and yet I cannot possibly forget the heavenly feeling that devoured me on my first bite. Starbucks for me really is the royalty of Cheesecakes (or the supplier of Cheesecakes for them). I was disappointed on the Cookie Dough part though. I love the taste of the raw dough and was expecting to reconcile with the taste on this offering of Starbucks. Sadly, it did not deliver. The Cookie Dough tastes like cookies, baked cookies instead of the raw, sticky, dough. The cookie nibbles on the Cheesecake though is not crispy, do not resemble a dough at all. But I love the buttery crust and the cream cheese so I will still indulge this but will not particularly crave this flavor.

Today, I tried the Almond Roca Cheesecake and was not wowed by it either. Though, as always, the Cheesecake did not fail to satisfy me but I missed the Almond Roca flavor. I did taste a subtle Almond Roca flavor but it was quickly overpowered by the Cheesecake. Not even the Gold-smeared chocolate kiss on top of the Cheesecake took my breath away. I actually thought the Gold-smeared chocolate kiss has a redeeming factor, what with the gold and strategic positioning, crowning the cake, but I was again disappointed. I swear, if Starbucks will put Plain Cheesecake on its menu, I will gladly order every single chance I get. Because everytime I get to sample one of their Cheesecake variant, I always get swooned over by the Cheesecake itself and seldom by the new flavor.

Sticky, Yummy PB

My friend and I went to MOA for the Book Fair event held there two weeks ago. After a tedious walking around the where the Book Fair was held, we went to the Entertainment Bldg. of MOA to get ourselves some snack before we head home. I was intentionally looking for the PB & Co. that I saw when we arrived. It was just near the Supermarket I think, and a few steps away from my another favorite, Chocolat. I was excited to try Pb & Co., because the first time I saw it on a magazine, I thought it is worth trying. The sad thing is, that time, the nearest branch to me is in SM North EDSA which is not near to me at all. Its a long way to go just for a Peanut Butter Sandwich. I have been waiting for a nearer branch to open and I guess for now, I have to settle for the MOA branch. It was a pleasant surprise to me really, when I saw it in MOA, finally I can taste what people are fussing about this Peanut Butter Sandwich that can be made even by the kids.

The PB & Co. MOA is just a small place. And I mean small. You will be greeted by a table beside the see-through glass doors, then a counter top, and four more tables at the far end. The cashier and the glass counter where they put their canned beverage choices, is placed opposite side of the counter top. Beside the beverages, a shelf built-in to the wall is reserved for their Peanut Butters that they sell in plastic bottles. The menu is installed above the counter just like in fast foods. What caught my eye is the spotless, gleaming, white interior that they have. White interior has always given me the impression that the place is clean.

As this is the first time that I will be trying their offerings, I chose the one that I think is the "safest" choice for first timers, which is the Mallow Peanut Butter Sandwich. Then I ordered their Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake to go with the sandwich. Honestly, I find their prices too steep. I mean, I can buy a jar of peanut butter from the Supermarket and make my own PB sandwich right? But the hell, what I can say, I love food. So, here it is: I LOVE the Mallow Peanut Butter Sandwich. The white bread are toasted just enough, although it does not have that biscuit-crunchy texture. The melted marshmallow is not too sweet and it gives me that sweet and salty taste that always tastes good. The sweetness of the melted marshmallow and the saltiness of the peanut butter is perfectly balanced. Nothing is overpowering. Both tastes danced in a perfect melody. Although, when I was already devouring the second half of my sandwich, the sweetness is starting to become obvious. But the toasted bread always manage to contain the excessive sweetness, keeping the perfect fusion consistent.

The peanut butter on the other hand is silky smooth. I don't think I have ever tasted other peanut butter that is that smooth. It is neither too sweet nor too salty on its own, thus a perfect match to the melted marshmallow. I thought of buying a jar of peanut butter but as I still have to buy some more things, I set aside buying a whole jar and promised to come back for a jar some other day instead. The sandwich is pretty big too. Although they are offering it by half or whole, I suggest you buy a whole sandwich and split it with a friend if you cannot eat the whole thing. Or simply eat your share and wrap home the other half.

The Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Milkshake though, I cannot say that I liked it. The concoction is too thick. I know Milkshakes are supposed to be thick but this one, I think they can tweak the recipe a little. When they served it to me, I literally cannot sip any drop from it. I have to wait for a good 5 minutes before I can sip anything that I can taste. Sadly, the only thing that my taste buds managed to recognize is the hint if peanut butter and banana. I wonder where the Dark Chocolate is? I think it was lost somewhere, in the middle of the vanilla ice cream, peanut butter, and banana. Although it is a good cold drink if that is what you are after. But as for the taste, my Milkshake standard was not met.

Next time, given a chance, I would love to try their peanut butter-cooked pasta. I saw a lady paired her sandwich with a pasta and she finished everything off. My curiosity was tickled by this scene so I think I am going to try to convince my friend to try to have our lunch there.

A venetto Pizzeria

I went to buy some accessories for my netbook this afternoon and decided to also have my lunch there. Before I take my lunch, I looked around first for accessories as I was not that hungry anyway. By the time I'm done with my window shopping, I was already hungry and decided to look for Burger King. But I remembered that I only have a 500 peso bill in my wallet and I know that some of the stores that I planned on going back to buy accessories from them are not accepting credit cards. So I decided to take my lunch somewhere where they will accept my card. I thought of A venetto. I have always loved their pastas but I know that it is quite big for me since I'm dining alone. I then ordered their hot roast beef and cheese hero sandwich and soda.

They served the hot hero with gravy, fries, and ketchup on the side. By the time the plate hit the table, the very first thing that my nose whiffed up are the fries. The smell of their fries can really lure any hungry person's heart inside. The smell of their french fries is heavenly. Its the smell of heaven that gives you the signal of the best thing to come, which is a pigout session. The fries are crunchy and tasty. It does not have that stale-like taste and cardboard texture you usually get from fries served in fastfoods. Theirs taste the same as when they are hot as when its already cold. It does not dry out in any way.

The sandwich is served open-faced and with gravy on the side. The first layer is the mozzarella cheese, followed by the gravy, the same gravy that they served on the side. Then the thin slices of beef and lastly, the bread. The bread which they claimed to be italian, and which I cannot distinguish if true or not is very soft and fluffy but not soggy. They have toasted it a little yet is so easy to slice and chew. The beef slices are paper-thin but juicy. Beef slices are not tough at all and very tasty. I first tried it with the additional serving of gravy and thought it was perfect. But at the second bite, it became salty too me. So I just disregarded the additional gravy and just put some whenever needed since the gravy is not spread perfectly entirely. Nevertheless, the gravy is also good, although the taste is quite familiar, I just cannot remember where I have tasted that blend of spices. But I attest that the gravy is the perfect pair for the roast beef sandwich as a change from the usual mayonnaise dressing. For me, the side gravy is not a necessity because the gravy on the sandwich is already enough. If you put some more gravy on the sandwich, it will only make your sandwich too salty to consume. All in all, it was a worthy lone lunch dining.

There's Another Secret.. Recipe

I had a movie date last Sunday with no other than... MYSELF. Pathetic isn't it? But honestly, I enjoyed that day with myself. Sometimes its also refreshing to go out on your own. You get to choose your own venue, own time.. you're free to do whatever it is that you wish to do. Two weeks ago, my friend and I planned to watch a movie, Inception. But it so happened that my friend has been suffering from a bad tummy. So I ended up being alone, all by myself, so eager to watch the movie.

The first screening was set at 1PM that Sunday afternoon but rain was pouring quite heavily that until noon and so I thought I will not be able to go to the movie anymore. It was a little past 12 when the rain finally stopped and i decided to prepare and go to RP. Yeah, I know, RP again. Well, it is my favorite mall. Anyway, it was already past 1PM when I got there so I was not able to catch the first screening. And I do not wish to enter the dark cinema and not able to watch the movie right from its very beginning. I find that disturbing. It makes me feel that the intensity and the excitement has already subsided.

The next screening is at 3:50PM so I have an almost 3-hr vacancy on my hand. I bought a cup of my favorite Starbucks drink, which is Caramel Macchiato and strolled around. As I walk around the Midtown area, I spotted Secret Recipe again and decided to spend a fraction of my excess time there. As what usually happens, I was overwhelmed with their wide selection of cream-based cakes and cheesecakes. When I've finally made up my mind, I took a seat and ordered their "Chocolate Indulgence" cream-based cake. A slice only costs Php95, quite reasonable if you ask me. Unlike with my previous Secret Recipe experience, nobody gave me something to read, not even an old magazine was handed out. But I also noticed that no other diners were reading anything also, so I thought maybe if the place is quite busy, they do not bother to offer you any reading materials anymore. As to the reason behind it, I do not know.

I was seated in a table fit for three persons, and beside my table is a man who I think is in his late twenties, with newspapers and other papers strewn all over his table, and a laptop. Whatever it is that he is eating, I did not bother to look at. It was well over 5 minutes already and the slice of cake has yet to arrive. I did not bother to make a follow-up because I want to know how much longer will I have to wait before they serve me my cake. Turned out, when a waiter passed by me, the guy beside me signaled to him and whisper something to his ear. After that whisper, the waiter approached me and asked if I already have ordered. I said yes, and he said he will make a follow-up for me. I knew that the guy is not an ordinary customer. I heard a waitress asking him about what I think is the inventory of one of their ingredients. I have already thought that he may be the franchiser, in his plain clothes.

The cake was served to me exactly 8 minutes after I placed my order. Quite a long wait for just a piece of ready-made cake. Anyway, the slice was quite big, maybe because of the 8 layers that the cake was made of. The first layer is a thin layer of chocolate mousse, followed by the sponge chocolate cake, which is very soft and moist. The third layer is the vanilla cream, then another layer of cake. The same stack of these goodies is then repeated for another set that completes the 8 layers of heavenly goodness. The cake as a whole is not too sweet and yet very decadent. It looks very delicate, and soft. It is a perfect cake actually, especially for chocoholics out there. But the best part of the cake will be the chocolate icing. If you see the the cake in whole, you will be amazed of the shiny, dark, perfect "blanket" covering the cake layers. That is my most favorite part of the cake. That "blanket" is fudgy, chocolatey, and yet not too sweet. Perfect 10 in my opinion.

Ssshhh... its Secret Recipe

I was in RP this morning to do some official tasks and when all these tasks are not yet done when the clock struck 12, I decided to take my lunch there. I was torn between Mexicali and TGIF when I thought of Secret Recipe. I have tried their fruit cake and their shepherd's pie but I have yet to try their other offers. So I went to the upper most floor of the Midtown wing browsed Secret Recipe's menu. I was approached by one of their attendants and I asked about their specialty when it comes to their pasta offerings. She told me that Carbonara is their best-seller and followed by the Meatballs Spaghetti. But these two are, well, priced a little over what I prefer and I was afraid that I might not be able to finish it. She then recommended their Mushroom Chicken main dish but I don't feel like eating rice, and is craving for pasta instead so I ordered their Spaghetti Bolognese. Then, as I thought it won't be "wise" for me to leave the place without trying their infamous cheesecakes, I ordered a slice of Marble Cheesecake, which is according to their menu, is the awardee of the Best Cheesecake award. Then, just to have something to go with it, I ordered a cup of Cappuccino.

When I sat down to one of their plush sofa chairs, I was introduced to their menu. After ordering, my glass of warm water was served to me with a little caution of its temperature. I was looking at this glass of water that do not come to me as warm and decided to try it. It was indeed just a little bit warm. But at least its not cold. A few seconds after, the attendant approached me and gave me a copy of today's papers and a couple of magazines. I appreciated that since I do not have any book with me today and I figured that my food will be cooked as ordered. One thing that I noticed is that their water glass is not that squeaky clean, at least the bottom outside part of it. The inside is clean, and I do not see any dirt so I figured it will be okay.

Now let's start with the Spaghetti Bolognese. When it was served to me, the first thing that I noticed is that it is piping hot. And I mean, piping hot. So I let it cool down a little bit while I read the papers. When I noticed that the smoke has already subsided a little, I put down the papers and turned my attention to my food. I wouldn't want it to turn cold so I started to dig in. At the first look, its as if the meat sauce is not enough. But the melted cheese on top of it is just of the right amount. When I tried to stir in the meat sauce to the pasta, I noticed water-like sauce at the bottom of the plate. I thought the sauce was a little bit watery for my taste. When I took my first bite, I appreciated that the pasta was perfectly cooked. The sauce is real meaty. It has ground meat in there, and slices of button mushrooms. As I eat, I noticed that the watery sauce was replaced by a thicker consistency. I think its because the meat of the sauce was suspended on top of the pasta when it was poured on it so when you stir everything, the meat and mushrooms finally join the liquid portion of the sauce in union. One thing that didn't sit well with my tastebuds is that it was a little bland. I think it needed a little bit more salt. Also, the sauce was leaning towards the Asian side, which is very natural since Secret Recipe is a Malaysian origin. But I prefer my pasta sauce prepared with a little creaminess. I think a splash of milk or cream on the Bolognese sauce will make the dish taste better, not to mention aromatic.

When the Marble Cheesecake was served, I thought, there's nothing special on it. How come it won the Best Cheesecake award? The Cheesecake has marbles on top of it and the rest is visually of no extraordinary eye candy. Curious, I took a small bite. That Cheesecake is the lightest cheesecake I have ever tasted. It literally melts in your mouth. And there's no "sawa" factor the way cheesecakes are supposed to possess. The marbles on top of the cheesecake, I do not know how it was supposed to serve it's purpose because I can barely taste it. If there's something to taste. The crust is different though. They use oat-based crusts. So the cheesecake is not sweet at all. Although, I would want the oats on the crust to give a slight crunch because this one is chewy and is not crunchy at all. I think a crunchy oat crust will give this cake a pleasant texture all in all.

The Cappuccino on the other hand has nothing special, its just a plain cup of Cappuccino although the serving is slightly bigger than others'. So yeah, if you were to ask me if I will go back to Secret Recipe, you bet, I definitely will. No questions asked.

Talk the Bread

Entering the Breadtalk in RP is heaven for me. I don't know why this is, since I do not feel the same when I go to Breadtalk's other branches. I never enjoy going to crowdy places and since almost all of the Breadtalk's branches are full of regular customers and intrigued first time triers, it really is a maze to me why even though Breadtalk in RP is almost always bursting with people, I still do not mind. I still enjoy going around, picking my own breads and even queuing in a very long line.

Going inside a Breadtalk store is like submitting yourself to a temptation haven. You see countless of breads everywhere, surrounding you, as if they were hypnotizing you. One of their bestsellers, and their original creation, is the Floss. It is a soft bread covered with pork Floss. Right now, they also have the cheese floss variety and the chicken floss variety available. I must admit, these Floss breads are real good. In fact, my grandmother who has never been a fan of "upscale" breads, and "fancy" breads fell in love with the Floss. It became her favorite with just two bites. Last weekend, I went to RP again, and before I go home, I went to Breadtalk to buy some breads for my breakfast for the week ahead. I saw this square, sturdy bread with what looks like cranberry chunks on top, on a tray. I was thinking twice about getting this one because it looks like it is tough to the bite. Nevertheless, I went ahead and picked one up and put it on my tray. It was heavy and while still walking around the humble store, I thought of putting it back simply because I thought the bread will not suit my taste. But curiosity killed the cat and so I went ahead and paid for the breads.

Honestly, when I picked this cranberry bread, I did not read the whole name on the label. When I read the word "cranberry", I got excited and just refused to read the whole name. When I took my first bite on this cranberry bread, I thought it was good. On the second bite, it was only then that I realized that there are cheese crumbs inside. Turned out, these are cream cheese baked together with the bread. Every bite is just bursting with the tartness of the cranberry and the tangy taste of the cream cheese. The cranberry chunks are crunchy and the cream cheese literally melts in your mouth. The bread itself, although heavy in weight turned out to be soft and a little moist inside. It can really fill your hungry stomach and satisfy your taste buds. In short, this Cranberry Cream Cheese Mini Toast is HEAVEN on earth.

King-Congo

Last Sunday is Father's Day. My grandmother and I went to SM San Lazaro for a trip to the Supermarket. It was already almost 2PM when we got there and were surprised that almost every restaurant located at the upper ground floor of the mall was packed. And I mean really packed. From Starbucks, to Krispy Kreme, to KFC, to Greenwich, all the way down to Chowking. We were left with no other options but to look for somewhere with lesser customers. I have always wanted to try Congo Grille. A friend of mine told me years before that the food there is good, although quite pricey. Since Congo Grille is just nearby, and I can see a number of free tables inside, I decided to try it there for the first time. But first, I went to the menu displayed beside the entrance, and scanned the prices. I find the prices quite reasonable, meaning, nothing too expensive. So we went ahead and asked for a table for two.

The inside of the restaurant is softly lit. There are no florescent lights but yellow bulb-like kinds instead. It was not too dim and not too bright either. While entering the restaurant, I was half-expecting a rather "wild" ambiance. I mean, its Congo after all. But there was none of the wild things there. A couple of the servers wear hunting outfits, and the rest of them wear white tee's and jeans. The place is relaxing and is peaceful, although not of the fine dining type. I have also observed that the place is clean. No sticky tables, no grains of rice, and no slippery flooring. Perfect for kids and elderly alike. Even their water glasses are squeaky clean.

Congo grille serves Filipino dishes. They have a very wide selection of Filipino food on their menu. In fact, I had a hard time ordering. According to their menu, their sisig won the award for the best sisig in 2007. So of course, I ordered their Pork sisig. I originally wanted to order Pochero but when I glanced at their rice offers, I saw Adobo Rice. Based on the picture, their Adobo Rice is served with toppings. After about 15 to 20 minutes, I finally decided to have Adobo Rice, Tortang Talong with tinapa (eggplant omelette), and Pork Sisig (made with pork ears) with egg. The food was served about 15 minutes after.

The Pork Sisig was served on a sizzling plate, and topped with one raw egg. I quickly mixed it in and squeezed a calamansi (lime) on it. Tortang Talong is quite plain. It seems like they boiled the eggplant first before frying it with eggs. The Adobo Rice on the other hand is good. I mean they served it with few pieces of bite-sized Pork and Chicken Adobo on top, which I did not expect. Usually, toppings are just 4 to 5 pieces. So they really got my respect for that.

I took my share of the Adobo Rice and I was surprised to find that it is indeed a big serving. It is good for two to three persons already and can be a meal on its own. The rice is perfectly cooked, and the Adobo toppings are meaty but a little bit salty. Actually I find their serving big, really good for sharing. The Tortang Talong on the other hand is quite simple but the eggplant is soft and flavorful. But you cannot find any pieace of meat or vegetables there, unlike when you eat at some other restaurants, they usually put ground meat and minced veggies on their Tortang Talong. As for the Pork Sisig, I was impressed. It is so good that you can almost forget that you are eating pig's ears. The serving is also bigger than other place's and is really flavorful. One thing though, the chicharon (crispy pork skin) is a little tough, or too crunchy as I may put it.

After we finished our food, I ordered a cup of Brewed Coffee. I must admit that after the excellent food we had, I have got a very high expectation on their Brewed Coffee. When the coffee was served to me, the cream and sugar packets are stained with coffee sputters. It is already a no-no because after all, the dining area, and the utensils are all gleamingly clean. I guess they put the coffee maker near the creamer and sugar packets, thus sputters land on them. Honestly, I will not recommend their Brewed Coffee whether you are a coffee aficionado or simply a coffee drinker. The coffee is, I think flavored but I cannot recognize what flavor it is. I don't know if it is vanilla or almond taste that their coffee has. Also, I am not sure if they put too much water or they scrimped on the coffee but the coffee taste is very light that it is as if they only put coffee flavored powder to hot water. The Brewed Coffee is a let-down but I will not take it against them. I mean, they are not a coffee shop anyway, and if I want a better tasting coffee, I can go to Starbucks or to Dunkin' Donuts for a cheaper alternative.


All in all, my dining experience with Congo Grille is good. I can't wait to go back and try their other offers. Everything on their menu looks delicious. I want to try all of them and classify those that are really amazing.

Cheap Fingers

I have been busy with my sideline in Binondo starting last week. I have to go to that office everyday, after my day job and work for an hour a day, Monday to Friday. Yesterday, instead of heading to Binondo, I went to Robinson's Place instead for a very important purpose. It has been more than a week already since I first saw the promotional ad of TGIF on its website. The ad says TGIF's chicken fingers will be priced at Php99 only on May 27. I haven't tried their chicken fingers and after the whole burger scenario, I guess TGIF has redeemed itself from my first bad impression about them. So, as the ad starts to sink in to me, I thought, it would be such a waste if I will not grab that opportunity. Knowing for a fact that the offer of Php99 is such a steal, because TGIF chicken fingers is priced at Php290 per serving, I simply will not forgive myself if I let this opportunity pass by me. Also, I have done my assignment and researched on the internet and found out that TGIF do not lessen, may it be the quantity nor the quality of their promotionally-priced good, compared to the regularly-priced ones. Meaning, I will be a complete fool if I don't go and benefit myself from TGIF's irresistible offer.

I have second thoughts yesterday if I will go or not because of my sideline but craving for this offer is much stronger than the sideline so I went ahead to Robinson's Place and started to tame my grumbling stomach. When comfortably seated, I ordered their chicken fingers and fried mozzarella. While waiting for my orders, I sit and watch the place be jampacked with diners as though it was a weekend. And I thought the food here is on the expensive side! Almost every table was occupied yesterday. I am not sure if it is because of the chicken fingers, but I have a feeling it is not just that because each table is bursting with food and not only with chicken fingers.

First served was the Fried Mozzarella. On their menu, they are offering it in six pieces per order but I saw on their website before that they have it in four's so I tried my luck and asked if indeed they are offering it also in four pieces per order and they confirmed. The Fried Mozzarellas were sliced perfectly. They were neither too thin nor too thick. Each slice was lightly breaded and fried and served with Marinara sauce on the side. They were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. It is quite bland for my taste if eaten alone. Maybe they should put a little more spices on the breading before they coat the mozzarella slices with it. When paired with the Marinara sauce, it tastes okay, but I cannot find anything special about this dish.

When my share of the chicken fingers has turned up on my table, I felt relieved. Relieved, maybe because even though I know that discounted good is just the same as the regularly priced one (and I even ask the attendant again, just to be sure), I half-hoped that it will be less or will be in smaller pieces. But no, it was just the same, just like how it was described on the internet and by the waitress. I know it is just the same because of what they look like on their menu. I know that pictures on menus are always exaggerated in a good way but they will not try to "degrade" their establishment by putting some gross looking food on their menus. So anyway, excitedly, I tried their fries first. I have already tried their fries the last time that I had my burger experience but I was eager to know if they will have the same quality since the last time I was there the place is very well far from being jampacked. Luckily, the fries still are of the same quality as before, and even the flavor, is still intact. They obviously season their fries well as they really are flavorful. After indulging on their fries, I then moved on to the subject matter of the night. The chicken fingers.

Using my knife and fork, I cut a strip of chicken finger and found out that it was not crispy. I was expecting it to be crispy but anyhow, it does not matter that much. What I cannot understand is that the chicken tastes bland as well. I don't know if the chef that night is just light-handed when it comes to seasoning the food but if not for the mustard-mayo sauce, I will be forced to sprinkle salt on it. Honestly, I was real tempted already to reach for the table salt but dipped the chicken instead to the sauce. The meat is tender but a little bit dry. It did not reach my expectation but I will not hold another "grudge" against TGIF this time. I am very much welcome for any redeeming act from them. What I really appreciate is that the promo price still applies even for take-outs, unlike in some other restaurants that promo price is applicable only for dining customers.

Anyway, I appreciate the fast service and especially for the very kind waitress that served me last night. I did not get the name of the waitress but next time, I will make sure that I will ask for her name. She was really good and friendly, and warm. She made my solo dining a pleasure.

Friday's on a Sunday

I was pretty hyped up this weekend. I have been waiting for this opportunity and when it finally turned up, I just can't contain my excitement. I have been nursing a craving for burgers last week. In fact I have been surfing the net in my effort to look for a gourmet burger that I can indulge and experience here in Manila. I remember an office-mate who recommended before TGIF's burger. I was hesitant about TGIF because I have already tried eating there before with my friends at their MOA branch and it did not turned out well. I ordered their Tortilla Crusted Fish on Rice Pilaf then and my friends ordered their pasta. As for what kind of pasta, I cannot remember anymore. Actually, while reading the menu, I kind of cannot pick a dish because of the price tags. That time, I was trying to keep my expenses to a minimum because I can sense a shopping spree coming on. Anyway, I was also looking for something with rice, since I am already famished that time. It did not occur to me that TGIF's servings are big enough for sharing or for those who are very hungry already.

The fish, to be honest enough, did not impress me. I mean, with the price tags that they have, I expect something special with their dishes. But I find it just so-so. No special flavor for the fish, nothing special either with the rice pilaf. My friends and I agreed that there's nothing special with the dishes, and we felt that the lunch was not worthy of the hefty price tag at all. So after that experience, I vowed not to eat there anymore since I cannot see the point of paying expensively for something that does not taste good. Their desserts are extraordinary though. But since the office-mate kept on raving about TGIF's burger, I decided to break my own vow and went to try it myself.

Yesterday, Sunday, was the day I was looking forward to. I went against my fear and sarcasm, and left my negative first impression at home so as to be able to make unbiased judgment. I have been checking their menu via their website so I pretty much already have an idea on what to order. I settled for their Soup and Half House Caesar Salad for starters and I get to choose what kind of soup to be served. I chose Broccoli Cheese Soup over French Onion Soup simply because I love cheese dishes. Of course, I cannot leave out the "star" and the cause of this another gamble to eat at TGIF, which is the burger. I chose their Jack Daniel's Burger although I originally want a Cheesy Bacon Cheeseburger which I cannot find on their menu but saw it on their website. While waiting for the food, I put out a novel which I am already about to finish and read. After just a few minutes, the food was already served. I estimated it to be about 10-15 minutes waiting time. Which is not bad at all. I was shocked by the size of their serving. It really was big even the half order of Caesar Salad. The Caesar Salad was good and tasty even though it has nothing on it except for Romaine lettuce a little amount of grated Parmesan cheese. It was tossed with Caesar dressing and croutons. The Romaine lettuce is fresh and crispy and tossed with creamy Caesar dressing that for me is a little bit salty. It was then contrasted by the crunchy croutons which tasted real good.

The Broccoli Cheese Soup on the other hand is my favorite. Honestly, I did not taste any Broccoli on it, which I do not know if is a good news to some people, but a couple of Broccoli florets are used as garnish on top of the soup, along with a few grated cheese. The soup was very very cheesy, but not without the "umay" factor. You can only taste "unadulterated" cheese, I mean it has a clean cheese taste. Yeah, I know it sounds weird but you can go try it yourself and stop imagining instead. I love that it's a little bit salty but did not go overboard in spite of the cheese base. When we are already done with the soup and the salad, the burger was served.

I am not aware of the Jack Daniel's, and so do not have any idea what it tastes like. But since I have been lurking at TGIF's website, I kind of imagined the Jack Daniel as a barbecue sauce of some sort. When the plate was put on our table, I simply cannot believe it. It is big. I was shocked, and stared at it in awe. The burger was served open faced, which at first I did not understand why but later on, I thought, maybe it was served face-up because the cheese on top of the patty will stick on the bun. Let me tell you this, the burger was made up of the following, starting from the bottom: the bottom part of the burger bun, the fixing, which includes shredded cabbage, rings of onions, a couple slices of pickles, and tomato slices. Then sitting on top of these veggies is the beef patty which I chose to be cooked well done. The beef patty as I measured it, was more or less an inch thick. Covering its top part is the cheddar cheese that is starting to melt and clamp on the beef patty. On top of the Cheddar cheese slice are two strips of bacon formed in an "x" shape. The top part of the bun is then served beside the burger barely covering it. On the other side of the plate is a hefty serving of fries which is just casually placed beside the burger. Then of course, a little cup beside the burger and the fries is the Jack Daniel's sauce.I first tried the fries since I was still recovering from the overwhelming feeling when I saw how big the burger is. The fries are crispy and not soggy at all. It was cut a little thicker than the usual fast food-served fries. What I really like about it is that when you sink your teeth into it, your teeth immediately hit the potato unlike in some fastfood chains wherein your teeth hits air first before it chomps on the potato. It is flavorful too and not bland at all. In short, my grandmother and I just love their fries. Even if it has already turned cold, it was not soggy nor did it turned bland and tough. It retained its moisture which enhanced its flavor in spite of the change in its temperature.

I then moved on to the burger itself. While cutting the burger, to give my grandmother her share, I thought it was a little tough but it was not really. Its just that the patty is really thick and the fact that it was well done so I thought it was tough. I put on some of the Jack Daniel's sauce on the top portion of the bun then put it on top of the burger. The burger is just very delicious! The Jack Daniel's sauce, as it turned out, is sweet. It is like a sweet barbecue sauce so you might want to moderate on putting this on your burger. The bacon is not crispy anymore, but nevertheless still contributed to the yumminess of the burger. The pickle is not that sour also, just the perfect tangy taste that will complete the flavor of the fixings. The beef patty, is simply incredible. I did not taste any fat on it, which means they only used lean meat on their patties. Despite of being cooked well done, the patty was not tough at all. It was in fact still juicy and has the right spring of chewiness in it. The burger was just very amazing. I can eat this on a weekly basis and not get tired of it. What really touched me the most, and earned my admiration, is that the bun is buttered first before heating it, I think on a grill. Tell me, who on earth would think of doing that when you are in this business, and when your burger already has many flavors on it anyway? I mean, without buttering the bun won't be noticed, nor would anyone complain. But they did it their way, and I admire them for doing so. For me, it only means that they care truly for their customer's satisfaction.

So I think I can say that at least for the soup, salad, and burger, I would recommend TGIF to friends and family. Definitely good food. Perfect for celebrations or for a perfect casual dining experience. Honestly, I just forget the amount of money that I paid for and did not felt like I wasted my money in TGIF. Definitely worthy!

Modern Classics

Me and my grandmother went to RP one Sunday noon and decided to take our lunch at the mall too. I took her to C2 since I have already decided even before we left the house that we will eat there. Actually, I was already practically drooling over the thought that I can now actually try their food. Yeah, I have always wanted to eat at C2 but just cannot find time to do so. My food trip buddy is not a Filipino food fan that is why I cannot drag her to C2 each time we're out on another food trip mission.

While reading the menu outside the restaurant, I was a little bit skeptic. I mean, seriously, crispy sinigang? Well, my curiosity beat the skeptical side of mine and we went ahead inside. I must admit, I love the interior of C2-RP branch. It is a small place, but is very cozy. The smooth and glossy wood tables and soft couches are perfect addition to the cozy ambiance. They have soft lights all over but the place is neither too dark nor too bright. For me, the lighting and fixtures created the perfect dining ambiance. Plus the attendants were all very friendly and attentive to their customers' needs. The food is quite pricey but I think it is all worth it.

Let's start with the food that we ordered that day. Since it was only the two of us, and my grandmother has a small appetite, we ordered quite simply. We had Satay Bagnet and Aligue Rice for our entree because I think these are enough for the two of us.


The Satay Bagnet was served with fried wanton wrappers around the Bagnet and a little bit of shredded pickled vegetables. And since it is Satay, it was served with Peanut Sauce on the side. The serving was already good for two persons considering it is fried, so you will not want to eat more than you should. Although, you might have to hold back since it is quite tempting to eat this Bagnet bite after bite. The liempo is very crispy outside but very tender inside. Another good thing is that it is quite lean and only has very small part of fat in it. So even though it is fried, it is not too oily. When dipped into the Peanut Sauce, it gives you a jambalaya of flavors. Plus the Peanut Sauce is not too watery nor too thick but just the right consistency for this dish. So first you will taste the salty-sweet taste of the Peanut Sauce clinging on the pork, then you sink your teeth to the crispy outer covering of the liempo only to hear the cracking sound inside your mouth. Then you feel the tenderness of the pork and taste the nutty accent of the Peanut Sauce blending inside your mouth. Ahhh! Heavenly, yet very sinful! The wanton wrappers are also very crispy but quite oily and the pickled vegetables are very fresh. What I do is to slice the liempo in half-bite sizes then get a little of the pickled vegetables and assemble everything together with the wanton wrapper and the Peanut Sauce then put everything into my mouth. I find it good and refreshing with the vegetables thus lessening the oiliness of the combined Bagnet and wanton wrappers.
Then there's the Aligue Rice. That is the first time that I will eat Aligue Rice (yeah, pity me). I have never eaten Aligue Rice yet and I was very excited to try it. It looks so delicious on the menu picture but looks so "deadly" because I know that it is full of cholesterol. But the hell with cholesterols, I want to try it and no one can stop me. Anyway, the rice was so good. It is so flavorful and the rice is cooked perfectly. Although, it is also quite oily but you can totally forget about it because it is really good. I know that the Bagnet Aligue Rice combination is a bad idea because these are fatty foods but it is really delicious. One very small thing though, I would rather like it better if they will add a little bit more of the pickled vegetables to ward off the oiliness when you had a little bit too much of the Bagnet and Aligue Rice. Because for me the pickled vegetables balances the oiliness with its tartness.

And now that the serious part is over, let me share to you the most amazing, and for me, the star of my lunch. The Dessert. I have read about this delicious dessert from a food blog some time ago. I then lust to taste it because the blogger gave it so much credit that the entry made me swear to myself that I cannot miss trying it when I have the chance to. So as not to keep you waiting anymore..

Ladies and Gentlemen.. Please put your hands together for the star of the meal..

Bibingka Souffle!!!Yeah, damn it. IT's that good. When they served the Bibingka Souffle to our table, it shone among the rest. And I mean, it is the only thing that I see. All of the spotlights are focused on her. I think you will regret it if you go to C2 and not order this. And I'm serious. Its as if the Bibingka Souffle is the specialty of C2. Or, on the second thought, maybe it is the specialty of C2 when it comes to the dessert department. Anyway, I think I have held your breath enough so let us now go to the details of the infamous Bibingka Souffle. According Wikipedia, Souffle came from a French verb which means to "puff up" or to "blow up". True enough, when you look at the Bibingka Souffle, its as if you were served a volcano that has erupted, minus the lava. It really is a huge one, and as if it will explode any minute. The Bibingka Souffle has all the glorious toppings of an authentic bibingka that fills the Christmas air during December. It has queso de bola and salted egg that give the Bibingka Souffle the sweet and salty taste. What I love most about it is that it is very light and fluffy. It is so light that it melts in your mouth literally. It is so fluffy that I was almost afraid of digging inside because I think it is very delicate to be dig into. But of course, I couldn't just let it sit there right, so I dug quite softly on the souffle. Careful as not to destroy the perfect dome it has become to. The Bibingka Souffle was served with a coconut cream sauce on the side. What I did was create an opening on the top of the souffle dome and then pour more than half of the coconut cream sauce and then mix it a little then pop a dessert-spoonful of souffle on my eager mouth. I hesitated to pour the whole coconut cream sauce because I thought it would be too sweet. Turned out, I was right. Had I pour the whole coconut cream on it, it will turn out to be too sweet. Since, my instinct told me the right instruction, I ended up with a heavenly, amazingly delicious, sweet and salty Bibingka Souffle. Sound like an advertisement, isn't it? Well I can invest on the souffle just to prove that it is really that good.

The last thing that I entertained to my stomach is the chocolate drink which they amusingly called Tsokolate Eh. Yeah, when I read it from the menu, there's only one thing that came to my mind.. Batangas. I do not know for sure if the chocolate drink really came from Batangas but one thing for sure, it is excellent. It is very chocolatey, and by that I mean it is not watery so it really has the perfect chocolate taste. In short, it does not taste like thickened Hot Milo. It is also smooth and has no residue of whatsoever. But, I found some rice-like pulp, and the consistency made it sticky to look at, like champorado. It is also not too sweet also thus prompting me to give it the title of the "Perfect Chocolate Drink".

The C2 experience is perfect and my grandmother thought so too. There's only one thing that she does not approve of, the price of the food. I admit it is quite pricey for a Filipino dish but I think it is all worth it. I mean, it is not everywhere that you find that one-of-a-kind Bibingka Souffle, do you? And I give it to them when it comes to the creative department. Yeah, I'm still not yet over the crispy sinigang. Next time, when I happen to go to RP, I will make sure to order that crispy sinigang. And of course, the Bibingka Souffle again.

Okay! I will stop rambling about the Bibingka Souffle now!