Cupcake Lab

It's such a blessing to have generous friends. 

A priest-friend gave our family cupcakes. I had this little beauty, Ferrero-inspired. Maybe I haven't sampled enough cupcakes, but this is the best one I've ever had in my life! If you want to splurge, this cupcake is a good bet.

Coffee and Saints Cafe

While my favorite food-for-a-cause in Silang, Cavite is from the Divine Zeal near Ilog Maria, my favorite in Makati is from Coffee and Saints Cafe of Don Bosco. 



This is a malunggay drink called the Green Lantern. They also have an array of snacks, my favorite being the hotcakes served with egg and bacon for the most reasonable price (around P75, may have increased).

Coffee and Saints is one of those food places which in my book has the triple threat--taste, budget, and a good cause. Busog ka na, nakatulong ka pa! Yay! Kain na!

Yabu

Yabu at Alabang Town Center is a nice Japanese restaurant.

It is enjoyable to grind sesame seeds and mix in what you like (I prefer the simple version with their salt) to eat with the pork (tonkatsu).



One can have a complete meal with miso soup, unlimited rice and salad, some fruit for dessert, and your choice of ulam.



The salads don't look like much but the grated cabbage with the Japanese dressings are actually very yummy. You'll be glad it's unli =). Happy eating!

Mystic Brew

Mystic Brew is a quaint little place inside BF Resort Village just a short walk from the friendship gate of Moonwalk Village, Las Piñas. 

The decor is syncretic with a rosary beside tarot cards in glass display tables--creative but also troubling for the sensitive orthodox believer. But if you are secure enough in your faith to enjoy the magic themes, the food names are quite entertaining and the ambience is inviting for artistic imagination.  



The food is okay but what we really enjoyed was the Crop Circles at P145. Definitely something I want to go back to. Their menu description reads: "Crepe with yellow mango slices & our Mystic rum mocha dressing. So cosmically good! Did the aliens make them?"

Alien or not, I want more!

Siklab

Through the courtesy of my mother's former colleague, we had a nice lunch at Siklab in  Greenbelt, Makati.

The trademark dish for us is Turon 2.0 which is a traditional Filipino dessert but fused with langka (jackfruit) ice cream in a sweet crispy cone. 

Gising-gising is a veggie dish with coconut milk and sili.



The main course was a sample platter which I now cannot recall. I just know I did like it.

There were few people eating during lunch, probably because for a working lunch Siklab is over budget. But for a special occasion lunch, it's quite a nice place. 

French Baker and Italianni's

Mother-daughter bonding over French Baker's chicken a la king, which is served in a flaky pastry with sides of veggies. Corn and carrots provide a touch of sweetness, while the dressing of the salad adds a touch of tartness. 

Later that evening, bond with Le Chink over Italianni's Sicilian salad and, a favorite dessert of my father, New York cheesecake. This one is particularly good, with the flavorful cheese balanced by the right amount of sweetness from the strawberry amaretto sauce. Yum.

Cafe Breton

Been finding comfort in food as of late... bonding over Café Liégeois at Cafe Breton. Espresso, ice cream and whipped cream with chocolate syrup... keeps sadness at bay... at least for a little while.

Teriyaki Boy

Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisines. Teriyaki Boy is definitely comfort food. 

Ripe mango juice was a tad too sweet but still refreshing.

Tempura tuna sashimi tartare was a new discovery for me since
we tend to stick to certain favorite dishes. Love the sharp tang of
wasabi amidst the freshness of the greens. My favorite for the day.

The Philadelphia roll was my next favorite.

Tempura batter and ice cream--not your traditional mix, 

which I prefer, but it's an okay dessert.

Chico, chico, chico starts with C

This fruit is now associated with someone I wished was my OTL but whether the source is romantic or platonic, organic chicos from a long-time friend are always appreciated. For the first time, supply outstripped appetite. Happy chico monster extends thanks to Le Chink! =)

Crisostomo

Photos by Eline Santos. Collage created with PiZap.

After feeding our souls at a retreat, 

my sister treated me out to a sumptuous lunch

at Crisostomo (Alabang Town Center).

Excellent Filipino food. 

And the ambience was lovely. 
Happy Easter, everyone!

Chocolate Fire

Is there anything better than a shop full of chocolate? 

Chocolate Fire in Makati has so many choices, it is

quite overwhelming. The one in the center is dark 

chocolate with mint. Yum!

An order of tea helps to keep the umay at bay. 

Relik

Before visiting our friend whose wife just gave birth, Le Chink and I had dinner at Relik at Bonifacio Global City.

Our salad was the chicken fajita which was presented with its bread arranged in a way that reminded me of a triceratops ;-). This was my favorite dish of the night---particularly refreshing when the spicier dishes would get to me.

Our main course was the gambas and the beef salpicao. The gambas had a touch more heat than the salpicao; it went well with the lemon. The beef salpicao was tender and also very good.

The name of our dessert escapes me but it had lady fingers with a bit of orange peel covered in some yummy cream underneath its toasted crunchy top.

Relik (BGC) also features a quiz night on Tuesdays so trivia buffs can have their fun and eat it too. Enjoy!

Oodles of Noodles

Le Chink treated me out to a noodle place along Jupiter Avenue: Mitsuyado Sei-Men. Men is the Japanese word for noodle so in this place, it's really raining men, sei-men!

Gyoza was gyoza... at par with other Japanese restaurants we've tried.

The black pepper chicken was good too.

We got the jumbo char-siu tsukemen, which was the first time I saw noodles served with a separate dipping sauce. The char-siu was a very tender pork roast--my favorite part of the meal. 

The other distinctive feature for me was the ambiance. The restaurant was decorated to give it a street-feeling... pretend stalls on the "road"; a bike hanging in one corner; pretend store fronts lining up one wall; and other details which lent a touch of whimsy to the place. The staff were attentive. Overall a fun and light dining experience.