Cerveseria

Oh well... what can I do... my aunt asked me and my brother out to try this new place at Greenbelt 3. The fuss is all about a casual Spanish dining place/bar.

Well since we were both free and the food will be too, why not? :P

So we went there and ... well ... here we go ...

Cerveseria

(Cerveseria in Facebook)

Location: Greenbelt 3, Ayala, Makati City

How to get there:

Take a bus going to Ayala (along EDSA) and you should drop off at the Rustan unloading shed. You cross from there and you should see Glorietta 5. From Glorietta 5, it will be quite a walk. You have to walk until the Link then past that, at the corner cross to the left side, walk up the bridge, go down the other side. You should be seeing the Greenbelt chapel on the right (far center) and the Greenbelt sign itself on the left. At front, there's Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Continue that same path on the ground until you reach the center plaza. This is beside Seattle's Best Coffee. 

Of course you can take a taxi if you want haha.

This place ain't nowhere near Aubergine's prices (thank God) but you've gotta prepare quite a budget for it (around 400++).

But we'll soon find out if the price is worth it or not :)

So the chief chef and owner of Cerveseria is Mr. Gilbert Pangilinan. They opened only this year (I'll have to check the date yet) and is next to a successful restaurant, that also resides in the Greenbelt area: Kai (co-owned by the same guy). Primarily, Cerverseria serves Spanish cuisine both classic and reinvented. The place is very homey and is uniquely designed...

Yup, waxed chandeliers..cool and creepy :P

Just like home (not mine though haha) :)

this is something else :)

My favorite part of this place :)

So as you can see, the place is really nice and pretty. Mr. Gilbert says most of the stuff and furniture here were from an old house in Pampanga. The bookshelves and the books were from somewhere else however. I think it's a clever and creative idea :)

But enough of that. Time to eat!!!

Name: Patatas Bravas

Price: 230php

CAUTION: Hot filling (believe me)

As the caption says, even if you're so eager to dig in, DON'T...(well it might be different for you i dunno) coz I burned my tongue when I did haha. Anyways, the potatoes were great coz they're still hot and soft with the tomato and aioli sauce that blends well with that texture. I actually found a bit interesting was the contrast of the temperature of the sauce and the hot potatoes makes it more enjoyable for me :)

Name: Chorizos Fritos

Price: 370php

MMM-mmm

Ah... this one is a hit for me. Juicy, tasty and aromatic chorizos drenched in olive oil...what else can I say? Not tough, just pure tasty meat in bite-size goodness. :) I was even tempted to order rice to eat it with and have some excuse of pouring all that oil haha.

Name: Gambas ala Plancha

Price: 355php

you're not supposed to eat the salt ... right?

I am a fan of shrimps. I just love them. And to tell you, I've tried this same dish somewhere else. But I guess I never understood what it should be haha. It's good actually coz it's simply shrimp taste. Maybe that's it. Anyways, I don't remember if it was my aunt who ordered this or my curiosity of the name hehe. Oh and don't be fooled by the pic. These are big shrimps :)

Name: Cochinilio with Tomato Salsa

Price: 980php

That's one big, crunchy slab of pork!!!

Now if you're in the mood for some crunchy lechon (actually cochinilio is not lechon, but to keep it simple and easy to relate with, let's stick to that idea instead haha) with not only the skin but the meat as well, then you should get this. Just right crispy skin outside and very tasty and still crispy inside with or without that wonderful dip is definitely a sold lechon for me. Somewhere near Elar's if I may say. And it's definitely finger-lickin' good :)

I actually enjoyed the salsa dip that went with this dish as compared to the usual lechon gravy, most often than not, that is either too sweet, too watery or too weird or in some cases, overpowers the lechon taste. This one was besides being different, was good. It compliments the slightly salty and "crunchy" taste of the lechon with a cool, smooth tomato dip.

Name: Cerveseria Paella

Price: 760php

Simply a winner :) :) :)

I have a triple-tie here actually on what I liked in this place: the chorizos, the lechon and of course, my all-time favorite paella. If you've tried eating at Casa Armas, then you're rich haha. Really. It's expensive there. I only got to try their amazing paella because a friend of mine had some leftovers to share. But even so, I think they're beyond my wallet. Now this on the other hand, for the casual person, would still be expensive but I'd say at least it's more affordable. What I can honestly say however, it is equally good. :)

The veggies are still fresh and juicy. The beans were crunchy. The bell peppers added that welcome sweetness to the rice and struck that nice balance with the saltiness. The rice was not too sticky, just right and it was so good that we had the waiter scrape the semi-toasted rice that stuck on the paellera. The meat (chorizos mostly) was abundant but didn't overpower the paella taste. And of course, the fish fillet and shells made sure it had that seafood taste.

I could definitely eat a whole paellera of this. No kidding.

Anyways, although most of the food was good, I have to still say, this is not my typical budget. And yes, I still think it's expensive despite it's style and flavor. I would definitely recommend this place as a nice date place or an occasional family reunion resto. :)

Till next time!

2GBTG!

M-4 Pares

... and on my way home after eating at Yummy Roast, yes, I still wanted to eat. Not that I wasn't satisfied but let's just say that I really am that way hahaha.

Gluttony... oh dear... maybe I did :(

Anyways, I'll confess that next time so onward with this review...

M-4 Pares

Location: JP Rizal St., Malanday, Marikina City

How to get there:

Get a ride going to Cubao. Then at Aurora Blvd (where one of the main entrances to Gateway Mall is), take a jeep that says Parang Fortune, Calumpang or SSS. Any jeep that goes to Marikina Palengke. Drop off at 7-11 at the Marikina Bridge, cross to the opposite corner then take a green trike. Tell the driver to drop you off at Lamuan or M-4 Pares.

Unfortunately, I should have not indulged in such a sin...

My brother used to tell me about this place and how he said that the pares here was good. So on my way home, I decided to try it out. The place is open 24 hours and at the time I went there, there were no customers.

Without further delay, I went in and ordered pares.

And yes I kinda interviewed the store help but he thought I was weird so he decided to hide in the kitchen in the meantime haha.

After 10 minutes, voila! One of my all-time favorite dish is served...

Name: Pares

Price: 65php

... well, almost.

The pares was swimming in this supposedly beef stew sauce. The sauce was a sweet mix and was kinda okay but it seemed like it was all sauce in the end. There was only some beef slices in the rice was very dry. The pares actually had anise in it (that star-shaped spice) which of course, I can't eat but added a lil twist to the taste (though it was hardly noticeable).

Overall, it was a very bland and plain experience. It was just like eating food for the sake of just satisfying hunger or because I paid for it already. :(

Oh well... lesson learned! Hahaha!

~2GBTG!

Yummy Roast

On this day, for some reason, I just wanted to go eat and just eat. I didn't really plan on doing a blog for anything but you'll soon find that I have another post next to this where I ate on the way home... talk about pigging out haha...

One of my close friends already ate at this place so that triggered my interest to try it out too. She liked it a lot she said so that got me excited.

Yummy Roast

(Yummy Roast in Facebook)

Location: Eastwood, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao.

Once at Eastwood, go over at the old Citywalk until you get to Stackers, take a right going to Blue Onion and ride the escalator there. The place is just at the top.

Now what made me hesitate to try out this place is because I thought, it maybe another one of those inasal places again (if you still remember my Food Junction post hehe...). I would say however, at the time I went there, there were still a lot of people so I was interested to try it out anyways.

Yummy Roast is actually a Singaporean food chain. It's first branch in the Philippines is this one, in Eastwood. So far, I'm not aware yet of other branches but I'm sure there will be others soon.

Once I entered, I asked their staff what makes Yummy Roast different from other chicken places. The cashier answered by saying it's roast chicken that's more on the sweet side and more tender meat. I then checked their menu and found that their dishes are very affordable AND with unlimited rice at that! :) And what's more, you already get bottomless iced tea (or soda) for just 35php! Hmmm... now this has got me interested...

Name: Yummy Chicken with Rice (unlimited plain rice)

Price: 98php

Oh, by the way, you can even upgrade your unlimited plain rice to their special Yummy rice (still unlimited) for an additional 10php. Really, the price alone is getting me hooked (to think it's the same as Mang Inasal's prices) and along with other interesting options.

But of course, we can't just settle for quantity right? We gotta know if it tastes right too.

The chicken's meat is very full and packed. You can actually see when you cut the meat that the fibers are really stocked nice and tight. But despite this, the meat remains tender to eat. As the cashier said, the chicken doesn't necessarily taste like the other roasts as it is sweet from the skin to the meat. I enjoyed eating it all the way to the bones. :)

Now what's kinda unique is that they don't serve you ketchup or gravy (although both are options) by default. They serve you garlic and vinegar with the chicken. If you ask me, that's a nice and new treat for eating roasted chicken. The combination and contrast is a nice twist. :)

And of course, the bottomless iced tea (it should really be refillable right?) is a winner for 35php.

To tell you, I had 3 cups of rice for that quarter...

Oh dear, I feel a workout coming hahaha...

Till next time friends!


~2GBTG!

Heaven and Eggs

Oh, what else can I say? After office, what else is there to do?

Eat. Hahaha. I feel like I'm some everyday stressed office employee who lashes it out with food.

Well, actually, eating is not really my stress-reliever, I just love to eat that's all.

You see, ever since I was a kid (why am I telling this story?) my parents used to scold me whenever I don't finish what I have on my plate. So after years of "training" and knowing that a lot of people out there are trying really hard to even get a bit of food, I became a food monster.

Mind you though, I'm not some over-sized whale or something.

Anyways, back to the subject...

I've eaten at Heaven and Eggs quite a lot of times already mainly because I just love how they do their eggs (yes, I know it doesn't sound right) and they're one of the places that I know who knows how to do poached eggs. I love poached eggs :)

And so here we are...

Heaven & Eggs

(Official is also under Red Crab's website... still down though...)

(Heaven & Eggs in Facebook)

Heaven and Eggs' new look

Location: Fuente Circle, Eastwood City, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao. Tell the driver to drop you off at Eastwood (Citibank) then you need to walk in to get to Eastwood proper itself.

You'll need to walk all the way to the right side of City Walk. It's at the avenue where The Distillery is and is just past the Bed Room bar.

Not much research done on what is and what was Heaven and Eggs since the staff seemed too busy at that time :P

But the name already gives a hint on what they are: they're a casual dining place who serves all-day breakfast meals. Along with their new look (their look before was a bit softer and more homey), they are now serving quite a selection of American and modern Filipino dishes with large servings.

Most of them, of course, are eggs or have eggs with them. :P They can cook your eggs in whichever way you like and you can even have your eggs cooked differently (for more than one egg dishes).

Name: Sweet Spam

Price: 235php

However the eggs are cooked, it's fine by me :)

How can you not like SPAM?

For this review, I was only able to eat one dish. It was really late that time and we just wanted to eat and go home after.

So I made a pretty safe bet on one when I ordered: Spam and eggs. How can I go wrong? Actually I can. Haha.

Anyways, so this is simply SPAM. Really, it's just spam and it's just sweet. Is there something wrong with that? For me, no not at all. I'm kinda biased because I love spam. But in it's simplicity, this is a good combo: sweet and salty...with eggs! Haha. I initially wanted the eggs poached but I wanted to eat the eggs in a way I can mix them with the rice. :P Anyways, although I find the serving size in general small relative to it's price (in short I think it's expensive for what it is), five slices of spam ain't that bad. I love the "just right" spam taste, untainted and just slightly sweet. The eggs were nicely cooked and still milky (I like my eggs that way) which makes this the good ol' breakfast I'd take any day.

So that's it. Really. Simply sweet and salty. Just expensive for me :)

Next time, I'll try to post another feasty treat hehe.

~2GBTG!

CBD

Every so often, you fall into a trap of sorts because of the nice place, some aura of kewlness, popularity... wait I'm talking about food haha.

Like in BFast, I never thought that I'd fall for another one too soon. In fairness however, I only tried one dish so there may be another try... just maybe...

CBD

(CBD in Facebook)

Location: Ayala Triangle Gardens

How to get there: Take a bus going to Ayala. Drop off at the Insular unloading bay. This is actually at the back of Makati Stock Exchange to you just cross via underground walkway then go all the way to the back to that strip of food places.

CBD stands for Cheesesteaks, Burgers and Drinks. They serve and specialize in the same said food in the American way. This one in Ayala is their first branch. Their place is very clean especially with the green and white combination though I think the lights are too bright in this branch.

Clean and bright

Since everywhere else is full again and we didn't bother trying BFast again, we tried the next least crowded and that was CBD.

So I went up the counter and asked what their specialty was: she said everything. That was very stupid of me to ask actually... But anyways, I took a quick look at the menu and I can say they have what their name says, including the drinks in which they have a wide variety of beers. :) Oh, these aren't just local beers, their beers from everywhere else :)

Since I love bleu cheese, I went for that one.

Name: London Blue Cheeseburger

Price: 220php

Bacon and bleu cheese. Mm-mmm

On another view

The burger is okay. Really. But that's about what I can say. I can taste that small bleu cheese there and a bit of the bacon but there really isn't much amazing about it. And that's just one patty for 220php. Hmm... I honestly think that's too much for this kind of burger.

Don't get me wrong here, I mean nowadays there are some burger places that are obviously notches higher than your typical fastfood and they prolly revolve around the same price but they serve much more at this price. I'd say CBD just got in line with my unliked restos similar to Wendy's where they price their stuff so much and I can't make sense why :(

I'd say go for Stackers or Wham instead... 

I'm only talking about this burger by the way so don't bash me yet haha...

I'll prolly try this again with another dish so I can say if this is or isn't worth it.

Oh after this, we just had beer instead which is another story... cheers!

~2GBTG!

 

Pho Hoa

After being stuck in Makati for quite some time and being jobless, I was detached from Pho Hoa for quite some time. But my old boss and bestfriend came to the rescue to bring me back to one of my all-time favorite places :)

Oh, and please do pardon me if I keep on going to Eastwood as it's very accessible relative to my place and it's packed of really nice food places :)

We were actually contemplating on checking other old places we used to go to but it was kinda a biased win because my bestfriend only likes two places here: Stackers or Pho Hoa. :P

Pho Hoa

(Pho Hoa (Philippines) Official Website)

Eastwood branch

Location: Eastwood City Walk, Eastwood City, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao. Tell the driver to drop you off at Eastwood (Citibank) then you need to walk in to get to Eastwood proper itself.
This one's just across Something Fishy where the central plaza for Eastwood is.

Pho Hoa, in Viet, actually means: "Pho" = rice noodles and "Hoa" = harmony or peace. So it means achieving harmony through noodles or more appropriately, good food :)

Obviously, Pho Hoa is a Vietnamese restaurant with affordable to mid to rarely expensive dishes. Always with generous sized servings especially their noodle ones. Don't underestimate when the menu says LARGE because you'll be surprised :)

This chain started not in Vietname but in North America and continues to be one of the largest chains of Vietnamese restaurants there is. Unfortunately, I have yet to ask which branch came in first in the Philippines though I am guessing it's not Eastwood. 

Name: Stuffed Chicken Wings

Price: 138php

Rellenong wings :P

Rellenong chicken wings is what I'd call this. :) It looks like chicken wings on steroids haha. But kidding aside, these are good stuff. Though it becomes old fast. One wing is enough for me to say, I think I won't order these for a while. Don't get me wrong, it's stuffed with ground pork and chicken, carrots, onions, you know, the typical in relleno. It's very much packed and tasty. But I guess it does get boring after a few. The vinegar dip tips it a bit so that saturation level goes down but not really. This one's good but a bit forgettable

Name: Caramelized Chicken Drumettes

Price: 165php

Never fails!!!

THIS is our ever staple order when we go to Pho Hoa. Really. We ALWAYS order this dish ALL THE TIME. I mean, how can you resist this: very crispy and moderately salty chicken dipped in caramel sauce...the perfect manifestation of sweet and salty in a bite-size platter. Just talking about it makes me want to order it now. HAHA.

Actually, I have to confess that I gobble up the caramel sauce when all is done and dead. Hehe. I know it's bad for my health but I can't resist it.

There, I hope you get an idea how much we LOVE this and that hopefully you'll agree with us. :)

Name: Chili Shrimps with Rice

Price: 265php

Spicy and sweet and shrimps!

And as if the drumettes weren't enough, I decided to try something different instead our favorite pho: chili shrimps. Shrimps and chili with that same caramel sauce, I dunno, I think I'm obsessed hahaha. Anyways, this one's quite a killer though because if you're not into spicy food or eat spicy but not so much, word of warning: it's really spicy :). The sweetness makes the perfect taste to douse it. And that slightly salty rice makes it all worth the effort haha. But it's actually the veggies that made the perfect contrast for me as they were plain, crunchy and cold. Trust me, they're not for decor only.

Yum yum... hmm... I can't wait to go back here...

Really... HAHAHA

Oh as a final note, for those who love lemonades, you've gotta order theirs. :) Believe me, you won't regret it and you'll even thank me you tried :)

~2GBTG!

Zao

As with Momo and Banapple (yes I haven't blogged the latter yet), this place is one of my staple favorites. And as you've noticed (or not), I love Eastwood for packing so much nice food (and non-food) places in a much compact space than Ayala or Ortigas.

Obviously, I had to revisit these places because I've only started blogging recently :D

So how can I pass up the chance to blog my favorites?

Zao

(Zao in Facebook)

Location: Eastwood Mall, Eastwood City, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao. Tell the driver to drop you off at Eastwood (Citibank) then you need to walk in to get to Eastwood proper itself. The Eastwood Mall is across Stackers.

Zao is on the 2nd floor, West Wing, at the terrace. You can take the escalator on the left side of the mall entrance. It leads straight to it. It's beside Red Mango.

Zao means "to live" in Vietnamese. I'd say that would be very appropriate for a restaurant as food is a basic necessity to live. Oh what's more is that Zao makes it worthwhile to live by letting you taste delicious food.

Zao though, is on the middle to expensive side. Casual dining for your Viet hunger. I'd say Pho Hoa would be on the slightly cheaper side but they actually have different specialties and varieties. I've noticed that Zao borders more on the meat and grilled side of things whilst Pho on the noodly side of things.

Zao prices range average 200 and above.

Name: Grilled Vietnamese Satay Chicken

Price: 185php

Nope, it's not barbeque, it's satay :)

Actually at first glance, I thought these were pork. Somehow I thought, it had fat inserted in between the meat and it looked stuffed and juicy. Well, it actually didn't matter because it IS stuffed and juicy regardless :) . The size of the satay is good compared to the usual I've tried that's spread thin across the stick. Then all that packed taste in the meat are only released when you actually bite the meat. The meat's not tough and it falls easily off the stick. On the side, they've got a slightly sweet vinegar and atchara that you can use to douse a bit of the taste with contrast. Really good :)

Name: Wagyu Beef

Price: 995php

oohhh wagyu

This is the first time I've ever tried wagyu beef. By the way, wagyu is not a way of cooking beef. It's a breed of cow that have been genetically and purposefully grown to have increased meat marbling (how the fat is spread across the meat) and richer, more tender tasting meat. Obviously, these make the beef the most expensive there is. Anyways, so I had to know if it really is worth the spend.

To tell you frankly, I was expecting that "melts in your mouth" experience that most people say about wagyu. The problem was I didn't experience it with this. I don't know if that's with the doneness or the authenticity of the meat being wagyu or maybe the rumors are wrong. So my check on wagyu maybe inaccurate :P

But was it worth it? Yes. Actually, to tell you, for this price, I'd say the serving size is quite big compared to some steak houses I know (that charge ridiculously for meat) and the quality of the meat is something you can actually feel and taste (provided you don't eat it in piggy mode haha). And as expected, the taste of meat is packed in. Actually, you won't taste much of the marinate, it's all beefy, meaty taste :) It's a bit on the sweet side (mostly due to the doneness we chose: medium-rare). The fat is very soft and thin that it somewhat acted as the sponge for the packed juiciness of the beef. Just not to ruin the experience, I didn't dip it in the provisioned vinegar sauce and atchara.

Name: Saigon Fried Rice

Price: 215php

Looks appetizing...

Honestly, Zao has not failed me with any of their food that I've tried. Much like with Banapple or Pho Hoa. But this one has to be my first. It's not that BAD but it was just so-so from a place that I love so much for consistency in deliciousness. It's a bit plain in taste and the sausages don't really stand out. There were also very small lumps of salt that I tasted making the taste uneven for the rice itself. The rice is not dry which is good but I was expecting more from the price and how it looks. Serving size is commendable though. Nevertheless, this has not lessened my love for this place :)

All in all, it may be expensive for most, but these are places that I would recommend to anyone, anytime for any occasion when there's a budget. It hasn't failed me and will continue to be one of my favorite food places ever. :)

Keep it up Zao!

~2GBTG!

Mexicali

And it was another stressful day at work and after promising (and failing) to be with my beloved team during lunch or dinner for a lot of times, I tried really hard to be on this one haha!

They were craving for something Mexican I think... but I think it was more of the place already. They've been here a lot it seems :)

Mexicali

(Mexicali in Facebook )

Location: The Link, just across Glorietta
How to get there: 
Take a bus going to Ayala (along EDSA) and you should drop off at the Rustan unloading shed. You cross from there and you should see Glorietta 5. From Glorietta 5, walk until you get to Starbucks in 6750. The Link and this place is just nearby.


Mexicali actually is a place along the border of California and Mexico. The owners Dixie, Dennis, and Chiqui Mabanta went to San Francisco at a time and got inspiration from the burrito chains there. So when they got back, they decided to do their own version of California-influenced Mexican food, hence Mexicali. They started way back 1993.

Mexicali's on the medium to high range. Dishes usually start at 100+ php up. They do have value meals every so often that costs a mere 99php :) Which is what we got hehe

Name: Meatloaf with Mushroom Gravy

Price: 99php

Meat Loaf with Mushroom Gravy

This one's worth it for both size and taste. Just the rice itself is tasty. The mushroom sauce gravy doesn't taste like out of the can either. The meatloaf is pretty packed despite the cut and is soft to chew. I'd take this over burger steak anytime :P

Name: Taco Rice

Price: 99php

Taco Rice

My friend actually got this dish and it looked yummier than mine. I did try a small part of it and as the name already says, it's taco on buttered rice with cream and egg on top. Along with the veggies and all. Worth the serving size. :)

Name: Super Fire Hot Wings

Price: 319php

Super HOT!!!

Now just for kicks, my officemate wanted to eat more and we were both interested in trying out their wings because we had this conversation of Buffalo Wings n' Things (another food place) and how we missed it's killer spice. So we went and ordered this lot and I was honestly amazed that it was really hot. I love eating spicy food and has developed a pretty high treshold for it so I'm not a reliable gauge haha. But I was expecting the name to be an exaggeration and alas, it wasn't. Juicy and spicy all over and with that oil all over, you can't escape the heat. :) If only the pieces were more or larger, I'd say it was worth the serving size.

After that we had Seattle's Best for coffee just to douse the flames and went our merry ways home :)

~2GBTG!



Bangers n Mash, Midnight Mercato

And so we return to the world of... Midnight Mercato.

You see I have a bunch of friends who work in the Makati area and just love going back here (since it's both near and due to the drive-thru Starbucks that they SO LOVE :) ).

Anyways, so since Sausage King has been missing in action, I decided to look for another sausage place. This time around, it's not just sausages...

Bangers n' Mash
(Bangers N Mash in Facebook)

Rachelle, co-owner

Location: Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

How to get there:

The only way I know how to get there by commute is by taking the bus that goes around Global City. It's supposed to go around some key points in the metro but the surest is at the intersection of Ayala and Forbes park. If you go across the Shell gas station, away from Ayala, you'll come across a small street where there's a line for usually 2 buses going to the Fort. Just ask the operator which one passes by Boni Hi-street or Mercato nearest. If that's much of a hassle, you can take a taxi. :)

Bangers n Mash actually means Sausage and Mashed Potatoes. Not the banger that you're thinking of. Really. Bangers is sort of a slang term for sausages. Don't ask me why though...

So what sets this one apart from the already large market of sausage stands is their mashed potato. And Rachelle tells me, the sausages are home-made! They're made in Tarlac then transported to Manila. Rachelle co-owns this place with her boyfriend (the guy in blue at the back).

And yes, I fell for that smile. I mean, for the yummy looking sausages (that doesn't sound right). Me and my friend was just passing by and we noticed Rachelle's stand. With that nice smile, friendly attitude and her persistent voice, we decided to try it out...

Name: Solo Sausage with Mash

Price: 135php

 Hunter Sausage... I think :P

Name: Double Bangers with Mash

Price: 185php

Yes, I forgot to ask what sausages were on display...

I do remember what I tried, Chicken and Roasted Garlic with Onion Chives mash topped with Liver and Bacon Tomato (and I asked her to mix it with Mustard Cream) Sauce.

Sounds chopsuey to you? I'm kinda the adventurous type (if you haven't noticed that yet) so I just put together stuff that I like: chicken, garlic, onions, liver, bacon, tomato and mustard.

Now the question is, did it work?

Okay, so the sausage is all natural, meaning it doesn't look or taste like it came out of a factory of preserved meat. It has this thin layer of skin that holds the meat together. When I ate it, I tasted the chicken but not much the garlic. It wasn't oily and was very tasty. Easy to slice too.

The mash actually is really good. It does have real onion and a hint of chives and it was nicely done, very tasty and serving was a lot. It doesn't feel dry or too mushy. Then since it was smothered by tomato sauce with hints of liver and bacon, it was just the perfect combo for me :)

By the way, the one I got was the solo sausage. And it was very satisfying :)

I'd be returning to this one too because of the mash and variety of not so common sausages and sauces.

Thumbs up for being unique! :)

~2GBTG!

Bon-chon

I've always wanted to try out this place as it's getting an awful lot of attention lately. I wanted to see if the hype is just a hype or it lives up to it.

So one time, I asked my team to go for a lunch out and we decided to eat here...

BonChon

(Bonchon in Facebook)

Location: Ayala Triangle Plaza
How to get there: 
Take a bus going to Ayala. Drop off at the Insular unloading bay. This is actually at the back of Makati Stock Exchange to you just cross via underground walkway then go all the way to the back to that strip of food places.

So each one was able to get their own meals while I got the two below (the third one I only tasted from my officemate's order.

Of course, I tried their...

Name: Chicken Drumsticks with Rice Box [Soy Garlic] (2 pcs)
Price: 145php

Well...?

Okay, so Bonchon boasts that double-frying technique. The end product is supposed to be crispy and saucy chicken. It actually is crispy but not crackling crispy and yes it is saucy. I actually like the sauce because you can taste the garlicky flavor. But... well, to tell you frankly, I think it's overrated. It is tasty and crispy but that's it. I didn't taste anything spectacular or what. And the chicken portion itself ain't special either so, I don't know. I liked it alright but I still think it's overrated. I guess I could say I'd like it better if they put in larger portions of chicken (but that would make it more expensive) or probably just make it boneless and crispier. That's just a guess :)

Name: Bulgogi Rice Box

Price: 145php

This one's actually good

This one kinda surprised me because it's good. I mean for a place that serves chicken as their specialty, having this in the menu is kinda odd for me. And that's why I ordered this too. And they got this one just right. It is your typical bulgogi: tender strips of meat, spring onions, onions, sauce and spices. That's it actually. Just plain and nice. Not sure though if I can get a better deal with the same price somewhere else but I could probably say it can only be cheaper a bit.

Name: Kimchi Coleslaw
Price: 45php

Interesting :)

Ah but speaking of interesting, this one is one I liked most. Surprised? Me too. To each his own haha. It's just coleslaw salad mind you but the kimchi gave it a nice spicy kick. So it's a cold refreshing salad side with a hint of spice. I don't know but it works for me :)

Overall, really, Bonchon's just okay for me. I can't figure out the craze for it but it ain't bad. I just think I'm better off with another chicken somewhere else... now where's that chicken somewhere else.........

~2GBTG!

Fort Legend Cafe

Remember Cafe Terya? (Food Junction post)

One of the part owners of that place, Joanne, also has her solely owned place in the Fort Global City. Her partner Jovi also manages the place with her. After this one opened, she told me immediately as she wanted to see if the reception will be the same as Cafe Terya...

And on a leave day, I went over here and tried it out!

Fort Legend Cafe

OC.. just love the setup

Location: Fort Legend Towers, Bonifacio Global City

How to get there: 
Go to Ayala intersection, walk to the Fort Bus terminal and ask which bus passes by Fort Legend Towers (I think it's the Westbound one). The bus stop is directly in front of the building itself. Once there, go to the 7th floor and go the parking lot. The cafe is at the left.

Nice background pics!

And nice lamps too!

Fort Legend Cafe is not your typcial carinderia. Because it's not, as Joanne would say. It's a cafeteria! Well, there is a difference... The former is about home made dishes with anything goes while being cheap while the latter is about home made dishes reinvented with style while being affordable. Confused? It doesn't matter haha.

The name's history is kinda funny when Joanne narrated it to me. They were thinking of many names for this place and some of them got rejected and some just weren't catchy enough. Until she just took the chance to ask if Fort Legend Cafe is taken and surprisingly, no. VOILA!

So the menu changes everyday for at most 15 dishes each day. The price ranges from 50 to 70 at most and their serving size is big. All their meals come with rice and soup. Their peak hours hit 11PM onwards till around 2PM. I do suggest going there before 4PM so the food isn't too soaked in heat from the warmers.

Ahm... I actually had 3 dishes by myself and if you're asking why, you should probably ask Joanne. :P

Name: Beef Casserole

Price: 70php

Their casserole is actually tasty. But the part I love most is how you're able to eat everything without struggle. Event the litids are chewable without effort. But the real secret behind this working is the sauce that covers all the pieces. I'd actually mistake this for a mechado if I wasn't looking. I'd say this one's okay.

Name: Chicken Caldereta with Gata

Price: 70php

The second one I tried, a caldereta, is one I had difficulty rating.

Why? Because I am not a fan of caldereta itself. I can't pinpoint why but I guess in the so many times I've been eating my grandma's version of it, I probably lost interest in it hehe. But the unique thing about this version is the coco milk (or cream), in other words, the gata. This is actually Joanne's recipe as she loves creamy dishes.

And it is a welcome twist. The creaminess makes it an interesting dish all together. Too bad I got neck portions (which is also a chicken part I don't like) but being the tastiest parts, I appreciated it nevertheless.

Name: Battered Chicken in Cream of Mushroom

Price: 60php

Speaking of bias, this has to be the winner for me for all 3 dishes. I have to say, chicken fillet with cream sauce or mushroom sauce is a simply sold formula for me haha. I just love the combo!

And their version didn't fail me. The fillets' breading were light allowing the mushroom taste to savor in a bit more into the chicken. Then putting carrots and potatoes adds texture and starchiness to the mix. Finally, that creamy covering makes it a lasting experience. Definitely a recommended dish.

But like I said, they change dishes everyday. There are staples however, like their crispy and standard sisig, their soups, their desserts like halo-halo, saba con yelo and other kakanin.

All in all, I was very satisfied with the variety and serving size of their meals. You won't go wrong with the dish as you have many to choose from and affordable as it is allows you to explore multiple dishes to fill out your stomach :)

If you're in this building, I suggest you build your healthy and variable diet here.

Till next time!

~2GBTG!