Shopping Center (SC), UP Diliman

After dropping off my sister-in-law at the UP College of Music one cloudy Saturday morning, bibi and I went to the Shopping Center (SC).

SC…so many memories from this place. Can’t believe that more than 16 years has already passed since bibi and I spent long hours in one of the computer shops in SC, typing away my Humanities II report using Wordstar (hihi, pre-Microsoft Word days) – we were just friends then : ) There was also this shop where I buy my white UP shirts (the colored ones were more expensive) which I used as my school uniform, paired with shorts and sandals.

Highlights of our trip are as follows:

RODIC'S

A typical Isco (Iskolar ng Bayan – term for UP students) diet will not be complete without Rodic’s famous tapsilog (forgot to take a pic), though my preference then was their bopis and the free clear soup. Bibi and I usually have our lunch dates here.

ENRIQUEZ

I was not a fruit-veggie person in college but this stall now caught our attention as we have been trying to be more health conscious. I was very happy to spot the fruit shake stand inside. I was surprised to see langka (jackfruit) among the fruits that can be “shaked”. We tried the langka-avocado combination. Yum, yum for those who love langka! The sweetness of the langka is paired with the smooth texture of the avocado.  There are also a variety of fruits and vegetables as well as sausages, longganisa and snacks (nuts, chichacorn, spicy dilis, etc) being sold inside.   Too bad their best seller, garlic longganisa, was sold out already.

Aside from SC, there are a lot of other food places in UP that bibi and I would like to revisit so we can reminisce our happy college days (Beach House, isawan sa Kalayaan Dorm, fishball stand sa Ylanan, lumpiang togue from vendors sa Sunken, Aristocarts, Vinzon's canteen, etc). Looking forward to bringing buting to UP and let her experience food tripping, the UP way.

Bulgogi Brothers, Greenbelt 5

My friends from my former company invited me to a lunch date. I suggested that we eat at Bulgogi Brothers. I have been wanting to eat here for a long time but wouldn’t want to be adventurous before due to my pregnancy. Good thing they haven’t tried this place yet : )

Welcome appetizers - it's free! Think of bread from Italliani's :)

More free appetizers - veggies including kimchi!

We ordered the Gwang Yang Set (available from Monday to Friday only), which includes the following (sorry, don't know all the names but one thing I am sure of - delicious!!!):

reminds me of pizza, fritata and okoy 

 

 stir fried beef with bean sprouts

We also ordered ala carte items:

Seoul Style Bulgogi - sliced beef with vegetables and Bulgogi broth (broth is made of fruits, onions and soy sauce) 

my personal serving of the beef broth

Sogogi Japche
- the glass noodles are very flavorful and the glutinous siding is tasty

 

Melona Melon (melon frozen yogurt)
- very smooth  

each is given their own sauce - double dipping allowed!

a drawer of tissues and chopsticks in every table

The verdict - I will bring bibi here! (and we did just two days after - sorry no pics of new food items that I tried because we were starving already; we also have the Bistro card so we got 20% off from our bill :)


07.27.12

Stock Market, Bonifacio High Street

Hubby signed me up in MyBistro, the website of the Bistro Group of Restaurants which includes Italianni's, Friday's, Stock Market, Flapjacks, Fish & Co., among others. Upon signing up, the member gets a MyBistro P250 Gift Coupon. I was excited to use the coupon since it's been a while since I tried a new restaurant.

Last Sunday, during my "me" time, I dropped by Stock Market at Bonifacio High Street, its only branch. The place has a relaxed ambiance, may be because there were only a handful of customers that time. Perfect for someone who wants to have some quiet time while eating. The food were kind of pricey, typical of a Bistro restaurant. Here are what I ordered:

Slammers (prime fillet mignon, caramelized onions, bleu cheese crumble, mushroom ragout on soft mini buns, served with chips and fries)  - tastes like an ordinary burger, only smaller 

The fries and chips that come with the mini-burgers - loved the fries - twister!! but the chip is so bland, could use a dip

Lemonada con pandan - the pandan made the fresh lemonade to taste weird; the serving is "bitin"!

The verdict - I will not go back to this restaurant  unless I get a coupon specific for this resto.  I'd rather go to the other Bistro restos, like Italianni's.  

Chili’s, Greenbelt 5

Chili’s is our current go to place for comfort food. When I got pregnant, we started frequenting this place, which was every after OB check-up. Aside from its convenient location – it is very near the parking lot, the food’s great. Another incentive was we get a lot of freebies – Citibank promo, A-card tie-up and free buffalo wings on your next visit (just answer their online survey)! This is the first time that I remembered to take pictures of the food because before, we were usually starving already and I’ll just remember when the food is not presentable anymore. Here are what we ordered:

Chicken Lime Salad with Guacamole
(not sure of the name, forgot to take note)
A new addition to their menu - loved the combination of the greens, grilled chicken and avocados :D

Honey BBQ Ribs
Delicious and very tender Mexican-style ribs. Sarap to the bones! The fries don’t taste like the usual fast food fries – you can really taste the freshness of the potatoes and it’s baked too – no oily taste!  

Wings over Buffalo 
For me, the best tasting buffalo wings - with a hint of spicyness complemented by the celery sticks and yummy bleu cheese dressing. Another plus - it’s free!

5/12/12

Sumo Sam, Greenbelt 3

Finally, a Sumo Sam branch in Greenbelt!  Before, we go to Rockwell for our Sumo Sam fix and that was when we were still living in an apartment in Orion St, Makati, almost 5 years ago.  Rockwell was just a walk away...  

Sumo Sam Pride Salad 
- Summery flavor because of the mangoes, sweet due to the candied nuts,  light and sweet vinaigrette.  
Reminds me of the Sicilian Chicken Salad of Italianni's.

Vegetable Ramen (Shoyu soup base, solo)
- Just what ramen should taste like!  Yummy!

Birthday Noodles
- Great for a meat lover like bibi.  the sausage and pork have nice Asian flavors but too oily for me.

Bacon Enoki Mawashi
-  The teriyaki sauce was excellent but since the enoki (mushroom) won't tear into pieces so I had no choice but to gobble the whole thing making it too rich tasting in my mouth
trivia: in sumo, a mawashi is the belt that the rikishi (or sumo wrestler) wears during training or in competition (Wikipedia)

Ending - a very satisfied preggy who has been longing for Japanese food :)

04/28/12

Kenjie Tei Ramen House, Greenbelt 5

Ever since I had my first authentic ramen in Hong Kong, I have been on the hunt for a local place that could serve ramen with the same authentic taste. So far, I have tried Teriyaki Boy, Sumo Sam, Ishin and Shinjuku, during my blogging hiatus.  Unfortunately, I forgot to take pictures of the ramen. Without the pictures, I am not motivated to blog about it.

When I saw the new ramen place in Greenbelt 5, Kenjie Tei Ramen House, my love affair with ramen was rekindled. Here are what we ordered:

Gomoko Shio Ramen-seafood, vegetable and pork shio ramen

• Tasted good with the fresh shrimp, squid,boiled egg, slices of pork and mushroom.  But its taste reminds me of our local mami, just a notch better.  

Hiyashi Chuka-refreshing cold ramen with assorted toppings served with a sweet, tangy sauce

• It lives up to its description-cold, sweet and tangy.  But it lacks the wow factor that will make you crave for more.   

California Maki 

• Just the usual taste of a good old fashioned california maki

All in all, our Kenjie Tei dining experience is ok, enough to satisfy my curiosity on this ramen place and my ramen craving.

dined on 04/14/2012

Nameless Resto (You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food, Makati)

The friends of Bibi who brought us to Ba Noi's introduced us to a new place somewhere in the heart of residential Makati.  We called it the Nameless Resto because it has no signage that one can easily get lost if you do not have a guide.  It is a restaurant specializing in Hunan (Spicy!) Chinese cuisine.  The menu is in Chinese so you just have to point at the pictures to order.  

Is it worth the trip?  If you like very spicy and oily food, this place is for you.  The only dish I did like is the steamed vegetable dumpling.  

You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food

6404 Camia Street, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City

(near the Barangay Hall of Guadalupe Viejo)

Mesa (Greenbelt 5)

A place to eat Filipino food with a twist! 


The first time I ate here I was with my team for our monthly team lunch.  We always try to eat at a new place to make our team lunch exciting.  We were not disappointed :)

Hito Flakes on a Spoon
Crispy pulled catfish with mango salad

Crispy Boneless

Served with four sauces

Laing 2 Ways
Taro leaves, pork, shrimp paste and coconut cream, topped with adobo flakes, serve original and crispy

Baked Scallops with Garlic Butter
Scallops on a half shell with garlic butter compound

Crispchon (before)

Crispchon (after) 

Mesa, Greenbelt 5
G/F Greenblet 5, Legaspi St. Legaspi Vill.
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines

HotRocks (Libis)

Bibi discovered this place when he went to Club 650 for a badminton game.  It seems after every badminton game, he and his gang troop to this place to replenish the calories they just lost.  Of course, he just has to bring me here :) 


Great food at reasonable prices is what one can find in HotRocks.  And if you want to eat the classic grilled innards with less worry, this is the place to be.  The steaks and the grilled Tuguegarao longganisa are really delicious too – too bad I do not have pictures.  Lastly, the dessert – the Jar of Monkey is a sweet ending to a sumptuous feast.  

The plates on the wall are filled with messages written by celebrities. Very entertaining to read while waiting for our orders. 

HotRocks

Club 650 E. Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City