The minds behind the innovative food court favorite have opened Bistro Ravioli in SM Mall of Asia, a restaurant that offers the same fresh pasta that has made Ravioli a hit. Prices differ slightly from Ravioli; it is a full service restaurant after all and not the food court. The menu comprises of appetizers; the raviolis and other pasta; pizza; drinks, and desserts.

To start off, we ordered the Grilled Focaccia with Spinach dip and Grilled Focaccia with salsa. Both plates of appetizers have slices of buttered and herbed focaccia lightly grilled. The salsa dip is your typical salsa, but the Spinach dip is truly something else. Creamy spinach topped with a creamy layer of melted cheese. Absolutely delicious!

For our next courses we decided to try 1 noodle dish and 2 ravioli dishes. I’ve been jonesing for a creamy tomato sauce dish so we ordered Italian Sausage Ravioli; we also ordered the Salmon Ravioli in Saffron Cream Sauce and Garlic Seafood spaghetti. I love the salmon ravioli’s sauce, and I found that the salmon filling has a nice smokey flavor to it.

The Garlic Seafood spaghetti is a mildly spicy pasta dish that definitely tastes garlicky and seafood-y. But the star among the 3 has to be the Italian Sausage Ravioli. This I highly recommend that you try. The Italian sausage goes so well with the rich and creamy tomato sauce.

Aside from fresh pasta, they also offer thin crust pizzas baked in a bricked oven, giving it a very subtle earthy flavor that only a brick oven can give. We ordered the Italian Sausage and Bacon Pizza. I recommend wiping the ravioli sauce off of your plate with the pizza. It’s an excellent flavor combination!

What meal would be complete without dessert? Bistro Ravioli only has 2 sweet confections in their menu, and we decided to try both. The Panna Cotta has a very smooth and velvety texture; is not too sweet and is the perfect backdrop for the sweet and tangy flavors of the fruit toppings. The Tiramisu is a lightly sweet and creamy dessert that has a faint taste of liquor which would go so well with a nice cup of coffee.

And dining here won’t break the bank as the food is quite affordable. An order of ravioli is Php 190.00 while a pizza is around Php 325.00. The Garlic Seafood Spaghetti comes in 2 sizes: Solo which is Php 165.00; and Family which is Php 320.00. Appetizers are Php 125.00 an order and is good for 2-3 people.

As fresh pastas go, Bistro Ravioli is truly one of a kind. Good food, good ambiance, and good service. That’s the Bistro Ravioli experience.

Bistro Ravioli
2nd Floor, South Wing Main Mall,
SM Mall of Asia, Pasay city

Contact no: (02)8040577

The savory crepe menu includes the Pork floss Chessy Omellette, Smoked Salmon, the classic Mushroom ham with Mozarella, and the Japanese cuisine inspired Kani Mango. There’s also a BLT– bacon, lettuce and tomato- crepe, which is what I ordered since I’m a BLT sandwhich lover. This take on the classic sandwich is a rerfreshing and novel approach which I liked so much.

Kani Mango

Vegetarians and weight-watchers need not fret: there’s also something in the menu for you. Like the Veggie Crepe which is made up of sauteed mushroom, fresh lettuce and juicy tomatoes.

Crepes are widely known as desserts, and Crepes & Cream does not disappoint! Their selection of flavors is sure to sate your sweet tooth. Chocolate, fresh fruits and creamy ice cream are wrapped in crepe fro yummy delights like Carribean Cruise, Capuchocco, and Hazelnut Banana Chocolate.

If you are a cheesecake lover, then you’d be happy to know that there are cheesecake flavors on the menu. They have Strawberry, Mango, Blueberry and Oreo Cheesecake crepes. Real cake cubes are folded in with vanilla ice cream and topped with almond flakes.

Crazy For Strawberry

I love the Crazy for Strawberries crepe. Well, I love anything strawberry so I’m a little biased! This combination of fresh strawberry cubes, strawberry chocolate chips, almond flakes, whipped cream and strawberry sauce really made my sweet tooth happy.

One of the best things they have on offer, I think, is the Create-Your-Own-Crepe option on their menu. It’s perfect if you are undecided on which flavor to have, or would like to make your own creation. You can choose from any of the filling and topping ingredients they have.

So if you are hankering for a crepe fix, be it savory or sweet, give Crepes & Cream a try.

Crepes & Cream
4th Floor Bridgeway
SM Megamall
Ortigas

Crepes & Cream also have branches at the Podium; Ortigas Center; Crescent West Park; Fort Bonifacio; SM Mall of Asia; Power Plant Mall at Rockwell; SM Pampanga; and Robinson’s Place Ermita.

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)

Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie

My friend Rey and I got to try their rich Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie and the luscious Waffle Dream, featuring their new ice cream flavors, Dark Chocolate Orange and Caramel Apple Crumble. Okay, so it was just glorified brownie and waffle ala mode, but it was glorious! In the words of Joey Tribbiani: the waffe? Good. Brownie? Good. Ice cream? Goooooood.

Waffle Dream

Rey and I both loved the Caramel Apple Crumble ice cream. I actually thought it was mocha at first *slaps forehead* The flavor was subtle, making you wonder what exactly was in the ice cream. But at the same time, it was great excuse to keep on tasting this delectable ice cream. The Dark Chocolate Orange scoop, however, overwhelmed us. We loved the dark chocolatey taste of the ice cream, but the orange took us by surprise (specially when we keep on tasting the rind). As Ms. Vera of Häagen-Dazs say, it’s an acquired taste. The dark chocolate sauce that came with the brownie plate had a hint of orange as well, but it had a stronger chocolate taste, which suited me just fine.

Full of Bliss

The two new flavors aren’t the only thing Häagen-Dazs has in store for us this summer. Last week, Häagen-Dazs introduced their ice cream cakes, initially offered at their Mall of Asia branch. Teasing us with Strawberry Passion, a limited edition ice cream cake, Chocolate Royale and Full of Bliss, the sight of these cakes is enough to make one’s mouth water.

Chocolate Royale

Prices of Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Cakes starts at Php 1,600 for a cake good for 8-12 people. You have a choice of ice cream bases for the cake: Macadamia Nut or Belgian Chocolate for Chocolate Royale, or Vanilla or Chocolate Ice cream for Full of Bliss.

Strawberry Passion

To Order a Häagen-Dazs Ice Cream Cake:

• Call 357-2145 from 9am to 4pm Mondays through Fridays , or visit the Häagen-Dazs shop at the SM Mall of Asia (open daily from 10am – 10pm).
• Place your order at least 2 days in advance.
• Pay with cash or any major credit card upon ordering at the Häagen-Dazs shop or upon pick-up.

Häagen-Dazs Branches:
SM Mall of Asia
2nd Floor, Main Mall
Mall of Asia, Pasay City
+632 556-1111

Glorietta
Ground Level fronting Landmark
Glorietta 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
+632 752-7299 / +632 892-2873

Greenbelt
Ground Level beside Max Brenner
Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City
+632 757-7570

Rockwell
Level 2 near the escalator
Powerplant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City
+632 899-3274

Shangri-La
Level 2 near Activity Area
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City
+632 634-8101

Alabang
Ground Floor, fronting Lacoste
Alabang Town Center, Alabang, Muntinlupa City
+632 809-1996

The Dark Chocolate Orange Brownie costs Php 350, while the Waffle Dream costs Php 310.

All photos taken with Rey’s Nokia 6680 because this day was one of those rare moments when I went out the house without my camera.