Robot Bar & Lounge

One afternoon found myself and some friends over at Robot Bar & Lounge. Robot, short for Robotoyaki, is a Japanese restaurant and bar that offers a modern twist on Japanase cuisine. We chowed on some of their menu items like the Spicy Tuna Roll, which was very creamy and the heat is tolerable, which I like very much. My tolerance for spicy food isn’t really high.

spicy tuna

 

 

Spicy Tuna Roll Php 320.00

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Bistro Ravioli Opens New Branches

raviolicopya

One of my favorite restaurants, Bistro Ravioli, opened two branches in the last twelve months. One is in Robinson’s Midtown Wing of Robinson’s Place in Ermita, and more recently, at Glorietta Mall in Makati City.

margheritacopy

Both branches offer the same delicious dishes that their Mall of Asia branch does, such as their fresh pasta dishes and pizzas baked in a brick oven. And let’s not forget dessert!

panacottaandtiracopy

If you’ve been wanting to try their offerings for some time now, but still haven’t, it’s certainly more easier to do so with two new branches in the metro. Here’s hoping that they’ll open another branch somewhere in the north.

Makati branch
2nd floor, Glorietta 3
Makati City

Malate branch
2nd floor, Midtown Wing, Robinson’s Place Ermita

Gelato and More at Caffe’ Ti Amo

March is almost over and the days are getting hotter. Summer is definitely here! It’s during these times when I crave for something cold to help cool me down, like gelato. There’s a gelateria that I love going to where I get some really good gelato. It’s called Caffe’ Ti Amo.

gelato

Caffe’ Ti Amo is a gelateria cafe’ that offers Italian gelato and coffee in a fast casual dinig format. It was established in 2006 in Korea, where it has become quite succesful with stores numbering close to 270. Their first branch here in the Philippines is located at The Annex, SM City North Edsa, and they have since opened another one in Greenbelt.

gelato2

Affogato and Gelato; Gelato Small Php 55.00; Regular Php95.00

I’ve tried out a lot of the flavors of their gelatos from chocolate to green tea. But out of everything I’ve tried, the dark chocolate, coffee, mocha, strawberry and yogurt are my top faves.

honeytoast

Honey Bread  Php 120.00

But aside from the gelato, Caffe Ti Amo also has Gelato Creations like the Honey Bread, which is a big chunk of loaf bread drenched in honey and served with scoops of gelato. They also have different flavored waffles which are topped with gelato and slices of fruit.

waffle

Gelato Waffle Small Php 95.00; Regular Php 189.00

They also have Banana Split, Affogato, and 3 flavors of Mischiato: Yogurt, Green Tea, and Chocolate. Affogato is a combination of hot coffee and gelato.

coffee

Chocolate Mischiato

And what cafe wouldn’t be without coffee? Caffe Ti Amo  not only serves gelato, but offers coffee and tea selections  as well.

Caffe Ti Amo is definitely one of my favorite cafes to hang out in. The place is cozy and inviting, the gelato and food are delicious and truly mouth-watering.

 

 

Classic Pinoy Food at Sentro 1771

It was quite a hot day when we went to have lunch at Sentro. So it was such a welcome relief when I saw they have a classic Filipino cooler, Sago’t Gulaman, in their menu. It wasn’t overtly sweet, as most sago’t gulaman tend to be. The best
part? It’s refillable!

fried kesong puti
Fried Kesong Puti Php 250
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Conquering the Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula

I’ve heard of this chocolate buffet before, and I remember I missed it because I was out of the country the whole time it was on going at the Manila Peninsula. Once I found out that it’s back again this year, I quickly made plans with friends to indulge in chocolate.

Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula Manila

Like warriors going into battle, we made preparation. We read and memorized Lori’s Guide to Gorging on the Peninsula Chocolate Buffet. We kept dinner light and rather salty, and admittedly, cheap (for the Chocolate buffet is rather pricey). With tummies partially filled with fast food goodness, we drove to the Peninsula.

Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula Manila

We arrived a couple of minutes past nine, and already, some of the plates were already empty. We surveyed they scene, planning our attack on the buffet tables. There were rich and moist chocolate cakes and cheesecakes, creamy mousse, smooth chocolate drinks, chocolate buttons, exquisite truffles and pralines, bread sticks dipped in chocolate, ice creams made with or laced with chocolates, puddings, brownies and cookies, assortment of nuts, fruits and marshmallows to be slathered with three different kinds of fondue. It was mind boggling, but once we got over the shock at seeing so much chocolate, we made our choices and converged back at the table.

Chocolate Buffet at the Peninsula Manila

Argee, Anna and I hungrily dug into our picks and paused for a nanosecond, savoring each orgasmic bite of chocolate. Everything tastes as good as they looked. Some desserts have a richer and fuller taste than the others, so to cleanse the palate, we tucked into pieces that doesn’t have as much chocolate in them. Unfortunately, (I’m not one for l33t talk, but this is one occasion that calls for it) the chocolate pwned us. We managed 5 or 6 trips back to the buffet before admitting defeat. By the end of the night, I was nibbling on marshmallows, strawberries and ice cream cone — without the chocolate fondue nor the ice cream. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience, all these chocolates. I would not hesitate to go back to this buffet.

Chocolate Buffet at the Manila Peninsula Lobby
Adults: Php 550+
Children (12 yrs & below): Php 225++
For inquiries and table reservations please call The Peninsula Manila at 887-2888, extensions 6757
and 6759 (The Lobby) or 6694 (Restaurant Reservations).
Corner of Ayala and Makati Avenues
1226 Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines

Lisa Leung at Tang City

Top Singaporean chef Lisa Leong flew in to Manila recently to demonstrate the uses of MCT products by hosting a cooking demo at Tang City in Glorietta. Aside from being a top chef, Chef Leong has long been an advocate of healthy living and healthful eating.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 05

 
Normally, when we hear healthful food, we think of bland, and tasteless food. Well, Chef Leong came to show us that healthful food can also taste great.

mct coco powder

During the event, she demonstrated how these products can be used as substitutes to other ingredients. By the way, most MCT products used in the demo are coconut based, such as the MCT COCOS Powder- which is a good substitute in recipes calling for coconut milk or cream-and the SUPER COCO Organic Virgin Coconut Oil.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 09

 
She first made some Kaya, a Singaporean jam, using the MCT Cocos Powder and the COCOS Pandan Coconut Oil. These were then served for us to sample on some hot, toasted bread. That was the first time I’ve had Kaya, and I have to say, I loved it! It was so good.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 02

 
Next, Chef Leong made a rice dish called Nasi Lemak, again using the MCT COCOS Powder and the COCOS Pandan Coconut Oil. These were served with the usual sidings.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 04

 
Another Singaporean delight she made was the Dancing Singapore Laksa, her take on the traditional Laksa. It was basically the same, except that she used the Dancing Chef Laksa Paste, the MCT COCOS Powder and the COCOS Pandan Coconut Oil.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 07

 
For dessert, Chef Leong made some Jingle Glass Jell-O, again using the MCT COCOS Powder in place of the milk. It looked pretty much like the Stained Glass/ Cathedral Windows Jelly we’re used to.

Lisa Leung at Tang City 01

 
And, she also baked a delicious Pandan Cake using a rice cooker! How awesome is that?!

Lisa Leung at Tang City 08

 
Who says you’d have to deprave yourself just to be healthy? This array of New Asian Style cuisine by Lisa Leong proves to us why great-tasting, healthful food is far from being a myth.

brown rice tea

This cooking demo is made possible by Team Asia Corporation, the leading distributor of Highlanders Brown Rice Tea, Super COCO Virgin Coconut Oil, and Nano Wellness Cards in the Phillippines. For inquires, please call (02) 723-4461 to 64; email sales@teamasiacorporation.com, or visit their website : www.teamasiacorporation.com

Milky Way at the Powerplant Mall

After a blog event in Makati last Saturday, Arpee, Noreen, Eric, Bong and I headed to Rockwell for the Negros Trade Fair. A freak thunderstorm had us changing our plans at the last minute — it was pouring so hard that visibility was zero! Luckily, we were already inside the mall during the sudden downpour. We were left without any plans though… where do we eat?

I seldom go to Rockwell, so I asked Arpee and Noreen to pick out where we’d have an early dinner since they frequent the Powerplant mall. We went down to the lower ground, where most of the the restaurants are. We were overwhelmed with the choices, each restaurant with its own specialty. We were all set to go to Mongkok when we spotted a restaurant that is near and dear to the Lazaros: Milky Way.

Milky Way Pork Spareribs

I’ve only heard about Milky Way from Arpee’s blog, and I’m glad to finally able to try it. Milky Way is set up much like a turo-turo, where each dish is laid out in glass display and you point to the dish you want to order. My eyes were immediately drawn to the gorgeous pile of Pork Spareribs, and ordered one for myself. I ordered one order of rice to go with it, and a plate of Pancit Luglog.

When the food was served, I went about taking photos as I usually do (except when I’m extremely hungry). Arpee and Noreen, on the otherhand, having eaten at Milky Way several times before, didn’t bother and went about attacking their spareribs and Adobong Pusit. I heard Arpee gushing about the spareribs — how tender the meat was, and how flavorful it is. Quickly finishing my photoshoot, I put my camera and Gorillapod back in my bag and digged in.

Milky Way Pancit Luglug

I’ve learned to take Arpee and Noreen’s word when they say something’s good, but nothing prepared me for how good the food actually taste. The Pork Spareribs was great in every way — it’s tasty, it’s tender and it has a good proportion of fat at meat. Priced at Php 180 for one slice, it may seem pricey, but bear in mind that it’s a pretty big slice: it’s big enough to share. One rice is not enough for the whole slab, but I refrained from ordering an extra serving because I still have my pancit. The Pancit Luglug was another hit in my book. Unlike other palabok/luglog that tries to overwhelm you with the number of toppings, Milky Way keeps it simple with the delicious aligue sauce, hardboiled eggs, chicharon and spring onions. At Php 90 per order, Milky Way’s Pancit Luglog is a good choice for a filling merienda (try it with their Sago’t Gulaman, which I hear is another clear winner).

Milky Way
Concourse Level
Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Drive corner Estrella St.
Makati City

900 Arnaiz Avenue
Makati City

Ground Level, V-Mall
Greenhills Shopping Center
San Juan

Rafik's Wagyu Shawarma

Fellow foodies Eric and Bong were headed to the Salcedo Weekend Market, so I tagged along, eager to see how the market has grown from the last time I went there (which was way back in 2004). My, has it grown! There are certainly more booths now compared to 4 years ago, and twice as many people. The only familiar sight was Ineng’s barbeque stall, which has always been a bestseller.

Rafik's Wagyu Shawarma 01

I went around the market twice over, to see the offerings before I decide what to have for breakfast. I was thinking of having the Paella, Kaoko always rave about, but couldn’t find it. Still, there were plenty of stalls offering a wide variety of cuisine. In no time, I was torn between several choices.

In the end I ended up at the stall near the Bgy. Bel Air Clinic. Proudly proclaiming that they serve Wagyu burgers and shawarma, my interest was certainly piqued. I’ve been hankering for shawarma for some time now, and my curiosity about Wagyu pushed me to stop and buy from the stall.

Rafik's Wagyu Shawarma 02

This is the most expensive shawarma I’ve ever had. At Php 190, it raises your expectations. It certainly reached mine. The meat was tender and packed with flavor. The garlic sauce was especially nice, too. It was quite a way to satisfy my shawarma craving.

The Salcedo Community Market is open every Saturday, from 7am to 2pm.

Salcedo Community Market
Jaime Velasquez Park
Tordesillas and Leviste (formerly Alfaro) streets
Salcedo Village, Makati City
The market is open every

Scooping for charity: Miguel Escueta for White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt

Miguel Escueta and White HatIn an effort to give back to the community, White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt is teaming up with singer Miguel Escuata to raise funds for his charity of choice.

On the 24th of August, Miguel with don the White Hat apron and stand behind the counter, serving the real Italian frozen yogurt to customers. Half of the day’s earnings will be donated to I Am Strong, an NGO aiming to help the youth become responsible adults. They do this by conducting nationwide training to impart values such as being trustworthy, being respectful, doing noble deeds, being steadfast in times of crisis, being open-minded and being gutsy enough to face challenges.

Now isn’t this a good enough reason to try out White Hat? 😉

White Hat Italian Frozen Yogurt
2/F Entertainment Mall
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
Location Map: (click to view large)
White Hat in Mall of Asia

Tasting the best hamburgers at Pepper Lunch

I’ve been eagerly waiting to try Pepper Lunch, ever since I read about it in Chuvaness’ blog, one of Pepper Lunch’s owner. So have every blogger subscribed to her blog. When it finally opened, fans came in droves, resulting in long lines that snake around the Powerplant’s basement. Two months after, I was finally able to try it for myself.

Hamburger at Pepper Lunch
Melo’s Hamburger Steak

 
After reading several blogs singing praises for the flavorful meats, I had high expectations. Also, after seeing countless pictures of the servings and the menu, I know what to order even before I went.

I had the Cut Steak and Hamburger Combo, while my dinner buddy Melo had the Hamburger. For dessert, I ordered the Vanilla Crepe Cake.

Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger at Pepper Lunch
Combo Cut Steak and Hamburger

 
The steaks were served in a hot plate. Not just any ordinary hotplate — Pepper Lunch uses a patented technology that heats up to 300 degrees so you can cook your meat, and keeps your food hot without burning it. It’s also non-stick, so there’s no danger of your food sticking to the metal.

The meats arrive sizzling. There’s instruction printed on the paper that shields you from the bubbling oils. Basically, when you’re served your meal, you’re supposed to slather the flavored butter across the meat and cook it to your desired done-ness. There are two kinds of sauces you can use on your veggies and meat: Garlic Soy Sauce and the Honey Soy Sauce.

Vanilla Crepe Cake at Pepper Lunch
Vanilla Crepe Cake

 
The meat and hamburger were good on their own, even without the sauce. The hamburger was incredibly juicy, and the cut steak reminded me of bacon with its generous sliver of fat. Bacon = good. Mmmm, bacon.

Bacon talk aside, the entire meal was good. Another thing that stood out for me was the rice. They use real Japanese rice, and you can clearly taste the difference from ordinary rice. The dessert was light and fluffy. Good enough, but I’ll probably order a different dessert next time.