Have your cupcake and eat it, too

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Yes, you can enjoy two desirable things at the same time. Yesterday, we had sweet escape and ate cupcakes. I had coffee too. Now that's even three of a good thing. Hehe. A little break away from the work station is truly sweet, won't you agree? Just after having a lunch of arroz caldo and lumpiang prito which my officemate-friend Pam brought, we thought of having dessert at SM North Edsa. We had been craving for cupcakes for days so where to go to satisfy our sweet tooth was an absolute no brainer:  Blushing Cupcakes Cafe at the lovely Sky Garden. 

Red Velvet, P49.

Carrot, P46.

White Frosted Vanilla, P40.

Peppermint Vanilla Latte, P75

Strawberry Calamansi juice, P50.

I loved my Carrot cupcake. Pam's Red Velvet and White Frosted Vanilla weren't great, however. We had high hopes for the Red Velvet. But we had set a standard, we had a point of comparison - an unbranded cupcake given to us by another friend in the office that was soo delicious - but the Blushing Cupcakes version paled in comparison with it that's why we were quite disappointed. Our drinks, however, were the saving grace. I loved my Peppermint Vanilla Latte and Pam, her Strawberry Calamansi juice. I never knew coffee with peppermint was a real treat, except that it was on the sweet side a little too much. Had the coffee been stronger, i'd have praised it to higher heavens. Still, I savored those moments at Blushing Cupcakes Cafe - the rendezvous, a cup of coffee, sweets and laughter shared with a good friend. :-)  

Hits and misses at Grand Momma's Kitchen

Last Saturday, I was happy over a foodie find: the Grand Momma's Kitchen on Tomas Morato in QC. My friend Pam wasn't too happy, however. Haha! I guess I really am easy to please (read: mababaw ang kaligayahan) when it comes to food. Well, in truth, this applies to many aspects of my life. Hehe. Anyway, I was immediately impressed by the interiors of this restaurant. With the country-style motif, it strikes me as homey and cozy. I so liked their wooden tables that have natural, rough surface. I hadn't seen any other restaurant using such lovely dining tables. As for the food, t'was quite satisfying for me. 

Red Velvet Pancakes, P255.

Garlic and Basil Pesto, P155.

Quarter chicken with rice and side dish, P155.

Banana Split, P155.

Lemonade, P60.

Interiors

Wicker and wood. Nice!

There are tables and chairs outside, too.

I loved my roast chicken. The meat was tender and delicious. I had a little problem with my side dish, though. It looked like buttered vegetables and tasted like it, too. However, I told the server I wanted coleslaw for my side dish. Hehe. It's okay, however, coz I liked my veggies. But Pam, my friend with the discriminating taste (Hahaha!), wasn't very happy with her pesto. I tried it and liked it too, however. Hehe. I told you I'm easy to please, didn't I? Our banana split made both of us, happy, but of course. But surprise came with the Red Velvet Pancakes! My eyes widened when it was served because we were sure we ordered a slice of red velvet cake but here it was, a gorgeous pile of three red pancakes with a creamy crown! Pam and I wondered why the server didn't make it clear to us that they only serve red velvet pancakes, not cake. Hmmm..Booboo No. 2.  No. 1 was my side dish, remember? Now are you ready for Booboo No. 3? When the bill was handed to me, it came as a "shock" that it was only a little over P500. We ordered quite a lot and remembering the prices from the menu, I thought the amount was lesser than expected (This restaurant is full of surprises, I noticed. Hehe). I showed the bill to Pam and she said why would they make a mistake about it when they knew their prices. But after we paid and went to the restroom, Pam said she thought there was indeed a mistake. So we made a little kwenta and then we were sure something was indeed amiss in our bill. We were undercharged by almost P300! So we went back and had the server make ulit the kwenta. Our rightful charges totaled over P800. So we paid for the additional and walked away with a clear conscience. Hehe. Wow! What an unforgettable lunch we had 

at Grand Momma's Kitchen.   
By the way, watching an episode of the popular teleserye My Husband's Lover earlier this week, I saw Lally and Paul dining at Grand Momma's Kitchen. Hehe.

Feigning courage at Nueve Cafe

How adventurous can your palate get? What's the most exotic food have you stuffed yourself with? When I was a gawkish teenager in our hometown in Quezon, I "accidentally" ate asuzena (dog meat) and that was the "weirdest" thing I'd ever had..till last Friday. My office pal Pam and I decided to go out for lunch. After minutes of walking under the noonday sun, we found ourselves at Wilcon Depot, inside Nueve Cafe which serves croc meat. Yup, you read it right. Crocodile! Remember "Lolong", the over 20-foot saltwater crocodile that landed the Philippines in the Guinness Book of World Records? Hehe. Pam told me she couldn't and wouldn't eat croc meat out of  respect for the memory of the former world's largest crocodile in captivity. Haha! But I couldn't be at this restaurant without trying croc meat. I had to have my croc! Haha! But before I impress you with having an adventurous palate, let me admit that I was only feigning courage. Hehe. Truth was I shied away from pure croc meat by looking past the Dundee Burger, Croc Katsu and worst, Sesame Croc Ribs (I wouldn't want to be staring at crocodile ribs and scrape the meat off it too and eat it!) in the menu. Instead, I ordered Croc Carbonara because I knew that once I mixed the pasta and sauce all together, I wouldn't taste croc meat in all its pureness. Hehehe.  

Here are Pam and mine's orders:    

My Croc Carbonara, P135. See the crocodile meat toppings?

Pam's Arrabiata, P120.

Tuna Clubhouse, P185. We shared this.

Our drinks: Mango Juice and Dalandan Juice, P40. each.

Inside Nueve Cafe.

Pam and I both loved our pasta and the clubhouse sandwich too. If you're curious how the croc meat tasted, I tell you I'm not sure, I didn't want to concentrate on it for fear of losing my appetite. Hahaha! But Pam opined that it tasted like longganisa and I agreed. Anyway, I asked the server where they get their croc meat and she shared that Nueve Cafe is owned by Wilcon Depot and that they have their own crocodile farm in Teresa, Rizal. By the way, Pam and I "pitied" the server because she seemed to be the lone crew so she also was the cashier and the one who prepared (the sandwich, at least.. not sure if she cooked our pasta too!) and served our food. I cheerily added that maybe, she was also the one who caught the crocodile for my order. Hehehe. (Joke lang!) I liked her though because even if she was multi-tasking, she was still friendly toward us..until she told me I couldn't take a picture of the counter. Grrr..hehehe. The owner forbids it, she said. Oh well, I'm glad I was still able to take a picture of the cafe's interior. (I hope the server doesn't get a memo for this). 

Nueve Cafe has three branches that I know of - Visayas Ave., Libis and Alabang Zapote. I'm not sure if there are others besides these and so is Google. 

Dare munch on croc meat today?

Letdown lunch

I hadn't been going to Goldilocks except to buy cake and tarts a few times over the last couple of years. Lately, I'd been wanting to go for a sit-down meal, especially since I had been seeing their posters on new menu items. One day last summer, the opportunity presented itself. With two kids in tow, I was at Goldilocks inside Crossings Mall on Quezon Ave. in QC. My excitement, however, was doused with cold water once our orders came. Food was served on disposable dishware. Call me maarte but I'm not so happy eating using disposable utensils. It depends, however, on the situation, as some occasions necessitate it. For instance, eating Styrofoam-packed food is perfectly okay with me while taking part in a tree-planting activity. And yes, I'm used to eating on Styrofoam at Jollibee (most branches, thankfully, already use melamine dishes these days). But I was expecting more from Goldilocks. I looked forward to better food presentation that would look really good in pictures, at least using melamine plates. But oh well, I couldn't fret too long as I had to eat. The kids and I were ravenous as it was way past lunchtime so we started eating. And then..another disappointment..my Arroz ala Cubana was swimming...almost drowning, in oil! My son, on the other hand, whose order was Baked Lasagna, was also not so happy. The daughter, thankfully, didn't share our trouble. Hehe. She said her Breaded Porkchop was okay, same with her Veggie Kare-Kare, except for the bagoong, which wasn't so good..
Have a peek at our orders:

Arroz ala Cubana

Baked Lasagna

Breaded Porkchop

Veggie Kare-Kare

A slice of Cathedral Window

The counter at Goldilocks-Crossings Mall

Goldilocks has been around for many years (starting in 1966). Though it isn't a foodie place that I frequent, I still hold it in high regard  for its success and stability as a business. Consider this: almost 200 stores nationwide and a few in the US and the Middle East. I hope my wish isn't too big to grant for Goldilocks: that they start using stoneware or even melamine plates soon. Also, that they hold some back cooking oil when making Arroz ala Cubana. :-)

Shrimp burger, ramen and more at Tokyo Tokyo

As I planned to eat at Tokyo Tokyo after Sunday service at church, I wondered when the last time I did so was. But hard as I tried, I could not remember. Two..three years? Probably four.  It's been quite a long time, for sure. And so I was kinda excited as I went to SM City Manila to meet my daughter and her beau after 5 pm. of an exceedingly wet Sunday (so wet that many Manila streets were flooded and I had to find another way 

to go to church on Taft Ave.) 

At Tokyo Tokyo, I found out how big their menu has expanded since my last time there. Not that I was completely oblivious to all those developments, I'd known from seeing posters and liking Tokyo Tokyo on Facebook that they now offer burgers and ramen. Hehe. But that they now have Shrimp Burger..now I'm surprised. Hehe. Never in my almost 45 years here on earth have I eaten a shrimp burger and so I decided at once to order it with wasabi fries (another must-try for me) and red iced tea.  And as I had been craving for maki the days that preceded Sunday, I ordered it, too. Meanwhile, the younger ones went for ramen and beef teriyaki bento meal.

Shrimp burger with wasabi fries and red iced tea, P145.

Wasabi Fries: crispy and yummy

Braised Pork Ramen, P150.

California Maki, P45.

Beef Teriyaki Bento with miso soup, iced tea and coffee jelly, P185.

Miso soup and coffee jelly

Red iced tea

The three of us shared everything and were equally full and satisfied (there's 'unli' rice here, ya know?). I, however, was the happiest because I was the "prodigal" who returned and realized what I missed all these years (my daughter and her boyfriend always eat here, they say). I was very much raving about the beef teriyaki, ramen, shrimp burger and the coffee jelly. My miniscule disappointment was that the wasabi fries wasn't as hot as I expected. I longed for a lot of wasabi in them. But oh well, I was very satisfied with all the others that we had and want to eat these again in the next few days. Hehe. What more to love about Tokyo Tokyo? Their prices don't leave you in poverty. Haha!

The 'house' you'd want to go visit

I'd been curious about The House of Mantou ever since it opened on Quezon Ave. near Banawe in 2011. It's on my route going to work, that's why I've seen it everyday and witnessed how its patronage has grown over the two years of its existence. Although it took me so long to finally visit this foodie place, I'm glad I did last Saturday together with my eldest and youngest kids. This Chinese restaurant offers good food at fairly reasonable prices. Well, okay..some menu items are a bit expensive but the flavors and huge servings make up for it. 

Consider these:

Beef Brisket Noodles, P128. 

Pork Siomai, P78.

Chicken Teriyaki, P118.

I thought this was really cute -- heart-shaped rice. :-).

Lechon Kawali Rice, P118.

Black Gulaman, P48.

Triple Berry Shake, P148.

The House of Mantou on Quezon Avenue in Quezon City

The first thing that impressed me when our orders were served was how huge the servings were. My Beef Brisket Noodles could easily feed two persons! I was only able to finish half of it and took home the rest. My son finished his rice but left about half of his Chicken Teriyaki. My daughter munched on her Lechon Kawali slices after she ate all her rice. I tried my kids' food and drinks. Yummy, everything!  I liked that the lechon kawali didn't have a lot of fat and though fried to a golden crisp, it wasn't oily. The chicken teriyaki was a tad too sweet for me but still, I liked it. I finished it for my son. Hehe. Meanwhile, I was all praises for my beef noodles - very flavorful, with a lot (I repeat, a LOT!) of tender beef chunks. 

My only complaints were that it was quite hot inside The House of Mantou and the space was cramped such that the tables were too close to each other. As to the service, it was efficient and quite friendly. All in all, I had a good dining experience at The House of Mantou. I intend to go back whenever I can to try their mantou (It's Chinese steamed bun/bread, by the way.) and Tamarind Iced Tea. Probably their brewed coffee, too. :-)  

More reasons to love Lido

 Lido Cocina Tsina is one of those restaurants I love going back to because of their yummy dishes and really good coffee (This is my third blog about Lido, by the way). You see, I'm a true blue coffee lover and I order a cup everywhere I eat that it's on the menu. Of all the restaurants I've visited since I started blogging last year, there are only two foodie places where I had brewed coffee so good it had gotten etched on my mind: French Baker and Lido. Last July 7, however, I was at Lido for the third time with a bunch of kids (my four children and the eldest's beau) and I ordered iced coffee instead of hot and I loved it as well. Hmm..another reason for loving this Chinese foodie place. 

Anyway, it was the UN Ave. branch that we went to for lunch right after church service at the Cathedral of Praise that Sunday. These were our orders:  

Pugon-Roasted Asado, P270. This is what Lido is known for. Really delicious!

Drunken Lechon Macau, P267.

Shrimp Balls, Mucho size, P280.

Buttered chicken Mucho size, P255.

Yangchow Fried Rice, Familia size, P380.

Hototay Soup, Mucho, P205.

Mango Jello Cooler, P65.

Halo-halo, Regular, P95.

Our varying drinks - iced tea (P35), iced coffee (P95) and mango juice (P65).

My iced coffee

Interiors

The menu

Lido on UN Avenue, Ermita, Manila

We liked everything we ordered but the stand-out dishes were the Pugon-Roasted Pork Asado (the default!), Shrimp Balls and Yangchow Fried Rice. If you've never been to Lido and want to try their specialties, you'll never go wrong with the Pugon-Roasted Asado. After all, it's a recipe that has withstood over 70 years! Anyway, the Hototay Soup was kinda weird to me because it had ginger. Sorry but we do not put ginger when we make hototay at home, that's why. But we do put in a lot of veggies - carrots and Baguio petchay - and these were scarce in Lido's version. It tasted good, however, so we still liked it. As for the others (Drunken Lechon Macau and Buttered Chicken) they were not unforgettable but okay nonetheless. 
Service was friendly, too and the ambiance was relaxing with the clean surroundings and simple interiors. All in all, it was an enjoyable lunch we had at Lido. Lido Cocina Tsina has branches at Shaw Blvd in Mandaluyong City, UN Ave. corner Jorge Bocobo St. in Manila, Commonwealth Ave., Visayas Ave. and E. Rodriguez in Quezon City, Ortigas Ext. in Cainta, BF Homes in Paranaque, and South Park High in Las Pinas, and Pasong Tamo in Makati City.
By the way, Lido Cocina Tsina is owned by the same people who own Panciteria Lido, in case you're confused as I was. Hehe.