After reading so much about this place in the forums, I finally had my chance to try out this place when I visited Davao with my siblings and cousins last March.  They’ve already been to Bigbys a couple of times and had liked it so their ravings only added to my curiosity.  I must admit I’m impressed with their interiors; it’s really classy and cozy at the same time.  I love those travel memorabilia they decorated all around the place, not to mention the interesting tidbits they written on the walls.  I had their Pescana al fresco and the monkey business freeze.  My order was actually Sole fish covered in shoestring potato fries.  Unfortunately I didn’t like it.  Aesthetically it was pleasing but the taste left a lot to be desired.  My drink was a banana shake so nothing to rave about really.  We shared an order of sour cream fries and cream of corn soup.  These two I have nothing to quibble about.  I also tried out the other’s orders of sizzling pork belly, rodeo chops, Jambalaya fettucine, and chili flappers.  Truth to tell, I wasn’t that impressed with their food…except for the cool names they gave it.  But to be fair, I’ll probably give the place another try when I’m in town again.

     It's been awhile since I logged in and tons of things has happened.  Restaurants have come and gone.  New ones have popped up all over the metro too; some of which I had the luxury of trying out.

      So to continue my last post (way way back in June)...I finally got to give A Veneto Makati a try last Sunday.  We ordered their Hungarian Sausage Parmigiana and Family Platter.  The servings were pretty hefty compared to the those of the QC branch.  I'm not so sure though if it's because they raised the prices as well or not.  In any case, I haven't got any complaints with the food...taste, price or serving size-wise .  I'm not much fan of tomato-based pasta but their parmigiana was really cheesy (no pun intended ) and not as acidic as most tomato-based Italian pasta are. So sue me, I'm pinay to the bone...I like my pasta with the sweet-sour blend.  Their platter was delish as well.  I especially liked their garlic sauce with chunks of onion (so stay away from me! haha.)...their cheesy potato balls were really good too.  Their chicken had this sweet chili sauce coating but unfortunately the chicken wings were a tad puny, they only looked bigger because of the breading. hehe. 

      Lessee, I've a bone to pick with their service though.  We went there after the lunch hour rush on a Sunday so you'd expect their service to be better right? Not much confusion and etc.  Unfortunately when this waiter served our food, he brought the pesto-nut pasta to our table which I politely declined at first.  He went back to the counter to check and he came back insisting that we ordered it.  Got kinda irritated and told him to check again.  I think it was their lady manager came over to our table (btw, she's the one who took our orders too) to confirm that we didn't order the pesto.  I thought things were straightened out when our food finally came.  Obviously not.  They added the pasta to our bill even after knowing we didn't order it and we'd already refused the food.   It was a good thing I thought of checking the bill details otherwise we'd have paid an additional 200+ bucks for an order we didn't make.  So if you guys wanna try out the place, do make sure you check your bill carefully before paying.

     And oh, some of Moo Moo Paradise's menu (the bestsellers that is) were incorporated into Zen's menu.  Weird really considering Zen was supposed to concentrate solely on Japanese food.

    I took my brother to this small Japanese diner a few months back...it's a place my former introduced me to when we went out to one of those lunches before she left the company.  It's called Aioyama (hope I got the name right).  Their food's totally dirt cheap!  A hundred plus bucks for a complete bento meal ;  you get sushi, tempura, sashimi, rice, veggies, miso soup and a fruit...not to mention a soda of choice. How good a deal is that??

      My siblings and I love soup and sandwich meals; always have.  So whenever they're in town, we always make it a point to visit the Almon Marina, our favorite deli/sandwich place.  These are some of our regular fares there; their chicken and veggie soup and the petulama sandwich...roastbeef with a side order of potato chips. YUM!  

     There are still tons of the food pics I'd like to share, unfortunately I have to run.  I'll drop by later tonight or tomorrow to update my blog.  For now, happy eating!

     A lot of things has happened since I last logged in to this food journal.  Plenty of restaurants have either closed, renovated or changed names.  Two of the places which I've visited before and talked about had closed down ...Puffy and Moo Moo Paradise.  As of the moment, Puffy's location at the Cyberzone of SM Megamall is still vacant while I heard that A Veneto is opening at the spot where Moo Moo Paradise used to be.  I sure hope that if it's true then A Veneto will have a long and happy life there as history shows that spot seems to be cursed.  If I'm not mistaken, Moo Moo was the 3rd or 4th to lease that space.

     I've loads of food pics I'm dying to share with you guys.  Hopefully my blasted net server won't take ages to upload it.

   1 hour later...

     Uh-oh, might take a while.  Seems like there's loads of pics.  Will post them in the next few days.

     The other night I got together with a couple of girl friends for dinner.  We decided to have our little reunion at the one place we used to hang out a lot when I was still working in TF.  LKG Tower.

     Oh how I had missed this place!

     So you can imagine my shock when we got there around 6:30PM only to find the place near empty.   I was like, what the hell happened???  This place was usually packed with people who either are there to hang out, have a couple of drinks or have their dinner break.  Where did all the people go??

     I soon got my answer.  Jollibee, the one-stop shop that has always been the fallback for every working yuppie in the area, had closed.  If I remember correctly, they moved out of the building and into a newer and better location.  Ground floor, still along Ayala, but accessible to the throng of people milling around the CBD. 

     It saddens me to see how empty the place was.  In fact, it was so empty that I ended up almost losing my apptite.   So anyway, we walked around trying to decide what and where to order dinner. 

     Then kulot goes, "Have you seen the owner of Fowl?" and I was like, "What Fowl?"  She points at a food counter where an organic resto used to be.  Oh.

     She said that the owner of the place was really cute and so to satisfy her curiousity and mine, we ended up eating there. 

     Looking at the menu photos, everything looked appetizing.  After some difficulty, I decided to order their Fried Chicken Steak.  I basically had an idea what this should look like, having ordered this dish from some resto before but I was surprised when I got my food.

     Their version of the fried chicken steak was simply fried chicken strips (generous in size though), dripped in gravy.  The place boasted of not using MSG but heck, with the amount of salt they use in their food who needs MSG anyway?   Everything was salted to high heaven.  The chicken strips, the gravy and even the mash potatoes.

     I don't think I'll be trying out the food there again.  Besides, the owner isn't really that cute.

     This is the first and only fastfood Japanese place I've seen in Makati that has a drive-thru.  Everyday on my way home, I pass by this resto and at least once a month, I see this resto from across the street in the supermarket where I usually buy my groceries.  But never once have I ever thought to eat there.  Not even when they opened a small place at the ground floor of my office building.  I've heard people say that the food sucked big time...which is kinda hard to do really considering this is Japanese food.  But a friend of mine, who incidentally shares the same taste in food with me, commented that they serve better tempura than Tokyo Tokyo. 

     Anyway, today I decided to give Kitaro a try.  I dunno why.  Maybe it was because I felt it was time to give it a go since I was leaving soon; or maybe it's because I simply had a hankering for Japanese food these days.

     I had their Kappi Maki (cucumber maki) and a tonkatsu bento.  The prices were about the same as that of Tokyo's but well, that's about it.  The maki was weird really.  The rice was a bit on the raw side so you could actually bite into some crunchy bits.   There were 8 pcs per order and each piece was so tiny, you could actually pop two into your mouth simultaneously and still be able to talk!   The tonkatsu bento meal was worth the price though. A generous serving of rice (cooked well I might add), a Japanese salad on the side, a tomato & a cucumber slice, stir-fried tau-ge (mung bean sprouts), and the pork tonkatsu.

     All in all, this is a place I have no intention of trying out again.  If I wanted cheap Japanese food, I'll definitely head for Sugi, Kuretake, Tokyo Tokyo or those little Japanese cafes along Makati Cinema Square.  This one sucked big time.

     Here are some shots I took of the food I ordered.

   Notice how Jap food always looks more appetizing when set on a black or dark background than in white?

     I visited the Bakers' Fair last weekend with my mom and took a couple of interesting pics of entries for the bread making and design contest.

  This bread design won first place in the contest and rightfully so.  The intricate details of bakers kneading the dough, forming the bread and carrying a stack to the oven was beautiful.  And the theme was just right smack at it too.  

   There were other entries but I wasn't able to take a photo of them all.

   A cool entry for the cake decorating contest...this was made by one international hotel in Makati.

And oh, here's a cute form of tikoy I found at my granny's pantry...a Chinese money shaped tikoy.

     Every year I look forward to the family's celebration of the Lunar or Chinese New Year.  Unlike the usual New Year where we get so busy with preparations and the celebration with other people, the Lunar New Year is more of a family occasion. 

     Our usual fare for this particular day is more special than usual.  We always have the traditional roasted chicken or turkey, vermicilli or what we call "Tang Hun", meatballs, shark fin's soup or Nido soup, and fruits.  Of course, there'll always be the ever-present "Tikoy" or the New Year Pudding (glutinous rice pudding).

     It's actually funny how different flavored tikoy has cropped up through the years.  In any case, I've seen ube, strawberry, sweet corn and buko pandan so far (aside from the traditional pudding made from white and brown sugar).  It's actually quite distressing to see them.  LOL.  Because Filipinos and non-Chinese alike, end up getting the wrong idea.  There has been so many stories about the tikoy, some of which are quite ridiculous.  Simply put, the tikoy is simply a sign to foster unity within the clan.

     I was cooking tikoy this morning to share with my colleagues in the office when I remembered my conversation with my aunt last weekend.  I've been bemoaning how we had 3 kilos of the blasted tikoy at home and that I was tired of eating them.  She gave me some interesting tips on how to cook it in a different way.

     Aside from the usual, dip it in beaten egg and frying it that is.

     1/  Improvised "Palitaw" (poached rice with grated coconut, sesame seeds and sugar): 

     -  prepare a pot of water.  bring to boil

     -  slice tikoy thinly and drop into pot of boiling water

     -  as soon as tikoy softens, scoop them out and put them on a plate.  make sure to keep each piece separate.

     -  sprinkle grated coconut, sesame seeds and sugar.

      Voila!

     2/  Turon (the Filipino version of crepes or rolls):

     -  cut tikoy into strips, the size of your finger

     -  wrap in spring roll wrapper along with strips of langka or jackfruit

     -  deep fry

Happy eating everyone...and have a great new year!

     The following are some of the stuff I harvested at our backyard when I went home for the holidays.

  These are the first three goose eggs I got.  Made really delish omelettes out of them too.

  Our first corn harvest.  These were made into yummy corn on cob and creamy corn soup.

  First guava-apple.  It lasted about...5 minutes.

  This is the first...and last orange we managed to harvest. Haha.  It wasn't really that good so twasn't a great loss.

   The left pic is the new year's lechon (roasted pig) and the right pic is after dinner.

Ang my ultimate food photo of the year...

  look for the hidden mickey!   

     After months of waiting, I finally am gonna be able to upload the photos I took from my phone to my comp.   These are posted in alphabetical order of the places I've checked out so far.  Read my past food reviews if you like.  Enjoy!

Breadtalk:  These were the last wares I got from this classy bakery, Sisig bread and Tiramisu. Sisig actually is a uniquely Pinoy or Filipino spicy pork dish...the ingredients of which are taken from where else?  The pig's head!  Thus the bread design.   Their tiramisu small and a tad pricey but delish.  It's got a generous dose of liquor to put the right zing to it.  @ Cafe Breton:  Sorry, I started digging in to my Blueberries & Cream crepe before I realized I haven't taken a pic yet.

 @ Chili's:  Their Molten Chocolate Cake  is the most heavenly and sinfully delicious dessert I've ever tasted in my entire life.  Really worth the price.  The scooped bottom is made of spongy choco cake and inside the cake is gooey warm bitter choco syrup topped with a vanilla ice cream ball coated with hard chocolate.  It's chocoholism at its best!

@ Dome:  I distinctly remember.  We had dessert here after watching Baby (Lea Salonga's latest musical play) at the Meralco Theater at that time.   Iced cappuccino with coffee jelly, a vanilla creme brulee and cheesecake.

  Go Nuts Donuts:  Last year's craze along with Breadtalk.  Their donuts are really good (but not good enough to compare to Krispy Kreme) and surprisingly, not that pricey than the local donuts.  You can even leave it out w/o refrigerating for two days and it's still soft enough to eat.

@ Jack's:  A trendy resto at The Fort where their menu items are all named after stars or movies with the name Jack.  I had an order of their Jack Bauer (I was in a 24-mania then) and their iced tea frappe.  The dish I ordered is actually tender roast beef with mash potatoes, corn and grilled veggies.  Pricey for such a small serving but delicious enough that I'd go back for more.

@ Juan Soy:  A small resto in Greenbelt 1...it's a fusion resto for all I know.  Their buffet seems pretty cheap too.  I had their Pesto Chicken meal and was a bit shocked by the minimal serving.  The pesto's a bit overpowering but the dish was quite tasty.  Don't think I'll be going back there though.  Their tables are really interesting though.  They use mannequin legs instead of the usual table stands.  Too bad I think I deleted the pic I took of it.

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Edited January 30, 2005 13:48

     On second thought, I found the pic.

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     @ Jumbo Japs:  The pic at the upper left side is what they call their Kamameshi Rice Meal.  It consists of the Japanese fried rice, two viands and two drinks.  The photo at the upper right side is the contraption that intrigues me.   "Kamameshi"is a popular Japanese cuisine prepared and served in a small pot. Rice and other ingredients are cooked in soup stock to create a harmony of tastes with toppings. (~www.torigin-ginza.co.jp~)  The pic at the lower left side is the Vegetarian Maki I had and the fourth photo is the Tempura Green Tea Ice Cream.  Jumbo Japs is fast and cheap Japanese, something you might wanna look into if you've a hankering for it.

@ Krua Thai:  The first pic you see is my dinner plate.   Or rather, what's left of it.  The 2nd pic is the Pineapple Friend Rice (delicious! kinda like that of Banana Leaf Curry House). The 3rd is the Sauteed Chicken in Thai Chili Paste.  Now this dish surprised me a bit.  I made an entry a few months back about this place, check it out.

   @ Kuretake:  I had their bento meals.  Sukiyaki Beef.  It consisted of tea, miso soup, several appetizers, the boxed meal and a plate of mixed fruits.  Definitely worth my money!   The other pic is after dinner.  And no, we weren't that hungry.

@ Lemon Grass Restaurant:  The pic on the left side is what I ordered.  Vietnamese Grilled Pork with rolls.  Delish and the price is really cheap.  The other pic I couldn't resist not taking since it looked really interesting.  You might think it's pasta but at a closer look you'll see that it's baked pork chop - Hong Kong Style.

  @Next Door - North Park:  The left pic is the crispy noodles we ordered at this late-night Chinese dimsum place.  The right pic is the thai iced coffee that I really am getting addicted to.

  @ Picadilly Cafe:  I had their turkey ham sandwich for lunch once.  This is a new cafe that opened at the ground floor of a condo building that opened next to my office.  The sandwich and the coffee isn't so bad but overpriced really.

    @ Spaghetti Factory:  The cheesy pumpkin soup and the Vangelina's Spare ribs with risotto and veggies.

  @ Cibo:  Penne Al Telefono with focaccia bread and mint iced tea.  One of my all-time favorites there.

  @ Don Atilano's: This is my usual fare when I'm eating at one of the best steak places in my hometown.  Rib-eye, medium rare.  Yummy!

     After months of planning, I was finally able to push through with trying out this Japanese Restaurant over at the Powerplant Mall.

     We ordered a California Maki to share.  Admittedly I've tasted better (and cheaper) makis though theirs wasn't so bad.  I had their Beef Sukiyaki boxed meal after such a long deliberation.  The beef was tasty and tender, the rice really soft and the noodles and veggies were just right.  Their pickled ginger was delicious too.   The entire meal consisted of some appetizers, pickled veggies, the boxed meal, tea and fruits.  Not bad for 290 bucks.

     The service wasn't so bad except for that annoying service crew who kept asking if it was okay to clear out the extra place we reserved on our table since we were still waiting for a friend.