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!

Papa John's

So during a whatever day, I texted one of my close friends and I suggested we try something new. While I was still working at Ortigas, I saw a lot of tarps advertising Papa John's. I was thinking why it keeps saying better pizza with better ingredients. So when my friend and I met at Galleria, I said we should go take a look at the Veranda and check out Papa John's.

Papa John's
(Papa John's Philippines Website)

Papa John's motto

Location: The Veranda, Robinson's Galleria

How to get there:

Take a shuttle or jeep that goes to Robinson's. If you're from the South, you need to take a bus that says "Ortigas Ilalim" so you can drop off at Galeria. Anyways, once at Robinson's, go to the Veranda. If you took the jeep, just take the stairs going to the 2nd floor from the outside and you'll see the food strip. Anywhere else, you'll have to go the right side of the mall on the same floor and side as Krispy Kreme. Papa John's is beside Johnny Rockets.

So what's with Papa John's then?

Yes, read that :P

If you read that, then good. Hahaha. In short, Papa John's a mid-range dining place for pizza and pasta. More on the Western side though :)

This one in Veranda is the first branch and opened in December 2010. There are other branches in Annapolis, University Mall (Taft Ave.) and Megamall.

Okay so that being said, don't expect Papa John to be priced like Greenwich but believe me, crunch a lil more budget in and this will be more rewarding :)

Name: Seafood Marinara (Penne)

Price: 190php

Penne!

We'll start with this one.

The pasta was just so-so. It wasn't bad but nothing special either. Not much seafood even.

NEXT!

Name: All the Meats (9 inches)

Price: 320php

Chewy Doughey

Garlic + Butter = PERFECT! (oh PLUS Jalapenos = SUPER SOLD)

The reason I wanted to skip the pasta is because i JUST LOVE their pizza!

Oh were they right about fresh dough alright. And it was just chewy all the way! As you can see, the ingredients are a-plenty. Really tasty and chewy pizza.

But wait! There's more!

You see that small saucer? It has their special garlic butter sauce. And it is SO GOOD! Like I already said, GARLIC plus BUTTER equals PERFECT. I mean I'd probably even bring my own bread as an excuse to dip into that sauce hahaha. I especially like them also serving those jalapeno chilis as I love that veggie (but not for those who aren't into spicy food much as it's really spicy).

We asked for 3 servings of that sauce actually hahaha.

Anyways, definitely, worth trying out :)

~2GBTG!

Racks

Just an ordinary let's have dinner day with one of my good friends.

She was craving for meat and we were at the Ortigas area so we decided to drop by at one of the formerly famous and now revived...

RACKS

Location: El Pueblo, Emerald Ave., Ortigas

How to get there:

Take a ride going to SM Megamall (usually a shuttle or FX) and the transpo should pass by this compound. You can't miss Racks because it's along Julia Vargas. If your ride took Emerald Ave., it would be on the left side so you have to go down at Podium, cross towards Discovery Suites then walk to El Pueblo. It's just across McDonald's El Pueblo.

Racks, as far as I know, had popular ribs and steaks back in the old days. I actually ate at their old branch in front of St. Luke's along E. Rodriguez (the spot is now a 7-11, last I checked). The reason I keep saying before and old days is because Racks closed out for a long time and they say it was because of mismanagement.

Now Racks is back (with new management) but I'm not sure if there really was any difference :(

Name: Racks Classic Pork Ribs (Quarter)

Price: 283php

Ribs... Hmm...

A bit on the dry side :(

Well to tell you, I'm not really a fan of ribs because they're usually not within my budget (much like premium steaks are) and you can't do the medium-rare thing with them haha. But there are a few that I have to do an exception for especially those that fall off the bone effortlessly :)

Did Racks fit that category? The fall off easily yes but it seems Racks isn't the way it used to be. Or to be fair, I don't think their ribs are the best in town nowadays. The meat tastes okay but the one that topples it most is its' dryness. The meat is a bit tough on the inside but yeah, it's just...dry and slightly bland.

Don't bash me for it but I'm just being honest :(

Anyways, the side dishes were okay (broccoli with cheese and cheesy macaroni). But all in all, not a memorable experience.

Oh well...

~2GBTG!

Red Crab Cafe

And me and my best buddy Joydie go out on another stress-reliever day (as you notice, a lot of my friends like doing stress relievers... and they tag me along for it... hmm)

We went to Gateway for a change (actually more of, we miss it coz we stopped going there after frequenting it a lot a year ago). We also wanted to try something new and guess what? There was only ONE new place there...

RED CRAB CAFE

(it says www.redcrabonline.com but i think the site's down)

Nice, clean and catchy logo :)

Location: Gateway Mall, 1st Floor

How to get there:

Easiest is by LRT2. Just go to Cubao station and you'll be at Gateway. Once in, it's at the opposite end where there's Pizza Hut and it's beside the Oasis garden. Or if MRT3 is more accessible, get down at Cubao and pass through the walkway going to Gateway. Then once by the entrance, you should see it after Pizza Hut. Now if you don't like taking trains, all you gotta do is take a jeep or bus going to Cubao and go to Gateway mall. :)

I've eaten at Red Crab before, the one in Greenbelt 3 (Seafood Club by Red Crab). Oh boy, was that awesome (and expensive) and was kinda, an unforgettable experience as ... well anyways, this is not my diary blog so let's skip that :)

Red Crab is famous for actually and literally, their red crabs. Yes seafood in general but their red crabs are king. And when I say king, that's king-size for you with all the good sauce and whatnot. That's why when they give you the bib, make sure you use it as eating their crabs is most specially done by hands :)

Anyways, Red Crab Cafe is like a smaller version of the Red Crab restaurants in Tomas Morato and the one I ate at in Greenbelt. It's got most of the same stuff but less of the expensive ones. Let's just say they're casual dining.

So we got three dishes...

Name: Crabstick Salad with Tobikko (bowl size)

Price: 99php

Fresh and cool

You know this kinda surprised me. It's just a salad of course. But I didn't expect to like it a lot. They were able to make this salad give out a fresh and tangy experience: fresh and crunchy veggie and kani strips, nori strips, light mayo dressing and of course, the tobikko (flying fish roe). The salad was just simple and perfect. Very refreshing!

Name: Seafood Skillet Paella

Price: 385php

La Paella!

I just love paellas :)

Obviously, we decided to go seafood all the way on this trip. And yes, I insisted on getting a paella because I am a BIG fan of this dish. I just love how this dish contains all the foodstuff I like :)

Anyways, this one had shrimps, squid rings, mussels, and scallops. Then it had of course, rice, lots of tomatoes, bell peppers and caramelized onions. Some bits of green peas and other unrecognizable ingredients haha. The paella has the default soft and sticky property but what I liked is that you can really taste the tomatoes' sourness and the bell peppers'/onions' sweetness. Every time I eat that sticky rice with the seafood and the sweet and sour taste, it's just...amazing.

Name: Seafood Laksa

Price: 295php

More seafood :)

Oh by the way, the service for this place was prompt and friendly. They were able to serve all 3 dishes within 15 minutes (but we ate at off peak so that may have helped).

Going back, the laksa is also one of my fave dishes as it combines both spice and cream in a soup. This had the same seafood as the paella minus the squid. What I liked about this laksa however, is the parsley and ginger. They were a very prominent taste and when you taste the soup, they both heighten the flavor of it. It was spicy and creamy due to the coco milk. Also, I noticed they used long, thin noodles rather than some recipes that use thicker strands.

It was all seafood alright, but we were surely full afterwards with all smiles.

I'd say this has to be one of the nicest places I've gone to along with my other faves like Banapple, Momo!, Ajisen, etc...

You'd wanna try this place out :)

~2GBTG!

BFast

Just another of those "I am stressed, let's eat" days of my boss...

This time, we head out to the fairly new Ayala Triangle Plaza to find some food we haven't tried.

Strolling, strolling and we find that this place wasn't swamped compared to BonChon and Banapple. Since we just wanted to eat, we decided to eat here...

BFast

(BFast in Facebook)

BFast... not so fast...

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.
 
So we said, "Wow! This place is quite nice with the warm ambiance and minimalist design and all." AND on top of that, no long lines or what. Now the reason of which we will find out soon...

Be Healthy! Nice board :)

Be Natural! Another of the numerous boards

Nice seats and they're eco-friendly

Their specialties

Tapangus is their house specialty too

BFast is, as the name says, an all-day breakfast place. Most of their menu comprises of the legendary silogs (sinangag-itlog) or fried rice-fried egg combos. But they got more creative by putting other variations of it: kalogs (kamote-itlog) and pandeninis (paninis using pandesal instead). And of course torta (omelet). They got non-breakfast items too like steaks and other Filipino classics like champorado and arrozcaldo.

What we got were...

Name: Salmon Tinapa (Silog)

Price: 178php

Nice egg and salmon looks yummy...

Now that was what I really thought. Nice and yummy. I mean this is salmon (one of my fave fishes) and it's with silog! Well, I guess it's my fault that I expected too much that I went ahead and ate it without thinking.

Why you ask? I thought it was boneless or at least soft bones. But it wasn't :( I thought it was just one piece, but every piece had large, annoying fishbones. Yeah, I know what tinapa is and yes it has fishbones. But, to be honest, it ruined my experience because I had to debone all the pieces before I could eat them instead of what assumed was a seamless experience (or what I usually get from salmon dishes). So the taste of the salmon wasn't much either :(

For 178php, I was expecting at least that...

Oh well...

Name: Tapangus Torta

Price: 178php

That's potato crisps all over

I am a fan of omelets too so I was kinda excited when I saw this. The potato crisps were a welcome innovation to me and of course the cheese was an automatic yes. The angus beef inside was a plenty which is value for money but it was a bit tough. What's interesting about this dish though is the large amount of onions and bellpeppers inside. This causes the omelet to become sweet. So it's somewhat a weird tasting omelet for most but for me, i'd say it's just unusual at the least but it's good.

Now since we thought we weren't too satisfied, we decided to get dessert to probably save the night. And this is what we got...

Name: Apple Pie

Price: (i forgot)

*sigh*

This has to be the worst apple pie I've tried :( The pie crust itself really dry and tastes stale and the apples inside tastes old too :( I am not exaggerating but maybe we just got old stock by chance. We didn't even bother finishing it and no, we didn't ask for it to be replaced. If this were it's normal state, then it would be the same for all the apple pies and if it really were old stock, then we really should let it be as it shouldn't have been served in the first place.

In the end, we went out and ended up eating somewhere else...

Disappointed :(

~2GBTG!