Bees love it @ Honeybee Patisserie

strawberry matcha cake (115PHP)

About the food:

If you've already tried all the pastries available in the famous BreadTalk, then maybe its time to try out a new pastry shop: Honeybee Patisserie. They have their own unique cakes, such as the strawberry matcha cake above). Furthermore, they also have different kinds of breads that would satisfy your taste. Below are pictures of breads i bought before, but I only now remember the takoyaki bread, which is good:)

takoyaki bread

Where to buy and how much:

The strawberry cake costs PHP115 per slice while the three breads in the pictures above cost me a total of PHP136. I believe their prices are competitive with BreadTalk's.

Honeybee Patisserie is located inside and beside Tokyo Bubble Tea, which is beside Pan de Amerikana, in Wilson St. San Juan.

Rating: 7/10

Tastes Like Heaven @ Heavenly Chocolates

banocco cake slice (PHP100)

About the food:

Looking at this cake slice really gives me a big smile. The dark chocolate on top, the melting texture in the middle, and the bananas at the bottom. This cake is really a heavenly delight. :)


Where to buy and how much:

Heavenly Chocolates is located at: 127 Roces Avenue, (beside Taste of LA), Quezon City. They also have various chocolates and the well-known Sachi Nama Chocolates.

Rating: 7.5/10

The cakes don't taste as sweet as compared to the more commercialized ones like Red Ribbon or Goldilocks. But I do hope to find a store that indicates how much sugar they put on their cakes (just to be on the healthier side).

Yuujin Japanese Cuisine

sashimi moriawase (PHP360)

About the food:

Finding a Japanese restaurant that has both fresh ingredients and affordable prices is not easy to do. But fortunately, I've found one that goes by the name Yuujin. Its sashimi moriawase is one of the most reasonably priced samplers I have found to date. Furthermore, the other dishes I ordered were also good. 

miso soup (php50)

The miso soup is reasonably priced and I found nothing extra special about it.

this dish is complimentary

Regarding the sashimi, the tuna slices were really fresh. It wasn't pale like the ones you would find in other restaurants.

The salmon was also nice.

The cuttlefish was also good and even had a nice design to it

shiitake teppanyaki (PHP210)

For those who love mushrooms, this is really good!

steamed gyoza (PHP110)

Reasonably priced and well-presented:)


Where to buy and how much:

Yuujin Japanese Cuisine is located at 221 Wilson Street, Greenhills in San Juan City. They open around 11AM daily and is open during lunch and dinner hours only. Parking is scarce and so you have to arrive early. 


Rating: 9/10

Vegan Macrobiotics by Chef Alice Ty

About the food:

Quite a number of people do not like to consume vegetables. Some would even remove the smallest of greens in their double-hamburger sandwiches. Others meanwhile, think that eating healthy means spending more. This is not the case with Vegan Macrobiotics.  



Where to buy and how much:

For only 70PHP you can have a meal consisting of:  baked okara balls in sweet and sour garlic ginger sauce. 

 If you're on a tight budget but want to avoid cheap fastfood, visit Mercato Centrale. They might just have something new in store.


Rating: 10/10

Healthy is the way to go nowadays:) You should also try the fresh shiitake mushrooms in olive oil. 

S&R pizza

About the food:

If there is one thing worth paying for in an S&R membership, it is the pizzas they have.

Like this shrimp and garlic pizza, the dough is fresh, shrimps are good, and there is a generous serving of garlic. In addition the serving size is good for one family.


Where to buy and how much:

At any S&R branch in the metropolis, you can buy their freshly baked pizzas and other foods such as hotdog sandwiches, as a member or a supplementary of the primary member. The price is competitive with major pizza chain prices. Quality is also superb. 

Rating: 7.5/10

Mad About Yogurt

About the food:

Yogurt places certainly abound nowadays. Mad about Yogurt is one such small place. If you want a yogurt that tastes sour and is flavored slightly with vanilla, then you should give this small restaurant a visit. On certain days I believe they have a yogurt-all-you-can promo. 

Where to buy and how much:

Mad about Yogurt is a small store (has only 1-2 parking slots), located along Katipunan Avenue extension.

The following are their prices: S= 70 M=100 L=140 plus 1 topping=20PHP; 2 toppings=30php, 3 toppings=40php. Other yogurt places provide a greater variety of toppings and flavors.

Rating: 6.5/10

Sugar-free Cupcakes by Baked by Anita

About the food:

Eating too much sweets can be a cause for worry, especially if you're concerned with your blood glucose levels exceeding normal. After all, diabetes can never be cured, it can only be controlled and maintained (with expensive and regular insulin injections in a good number of cases).

Fortunately, Baked by Anita has successfully created a sugar-free version of her famous and uniquely flavored mini cupcakes. The ones above are the red velvet cupcakes. I hope there can be more sugar-free flavors that come up.



Where to buy and how much:

Baked by Anita can be found in Mercato Centrale during Saturdays. The sugar free ones, if I remember correctly cost PHP38 a piece.

As for other flavors, they have mango tamarind, pink coconut, caramel apple, orange and cranberries, roasted banana, and many more.



Rating: 8.5/10

The sugar-free dessert challenge

Looking for a totally sugar-free dessert is like looking for a needle in a haystack. Perhaps what is more difficult is to create your own sugar-free concoction. 

In the new promo of Watson's, The Sweet and Sinless Dessert Challenge, you may have the chance to win an outstanding prize, if you can create the perfect sugar-free dessert. If you're not a culinary professional, an employee of Watsons, or  an employee of its affiliated partners, then you are welcome to put your dessert crafting skills to the test!

To find out more about the mechanics, please visit this site. 

http://sweetandsinless.watsonspromos.com/mechanics.php

Mandarin Sky Seafood and Shabu Shabu Restaurant

japanese siomai

About the food:

There are a lot of chinese restaurants located in Metro Manila, and here is one of them, Mandarin Sky Seafood and Shabu Shabu Restaurant. I just want to share some of the food photos I have and so I am blogging about it.

beef ball siomai

vegetable dumplings

hotpot soup stock

shabu shabu ingredient choices

Where to buy and how much:

Mandarin Sky is kocated at Banawe corner Atok Street Quezon City.If you drop by the Banawe area to have your car fixed, then you should try this place for its value for money. A reasonable budget would be from PHP300-PHP500 per person.

Rating: 7/10

Rating a chinese restaurant and comparing it to other chinese restaurants can be difficult. In this case, I do not find any dish that is unique in taste and flavor for Mandarin Sky. Their dishes are just at par with any other restaurant offering chinese cuisine.

Breaktime with Kopiroti

milk tea with chocolate bun (php115)

About the food:

Its back to school for students and back to working hard for parents, for the goal of paying off tuition fees. Furthermore, its now time to look back at one of the places Ive tried, Kopiroti. Kopiroti is one of the most popular hang-out places by students and even working professionals in the C5 Katipunan area. I only had the chance to park at this place because it was holy week then.    

Kopiroti is pretty much like Ya Kun Kaya Toast in that they also serve ya kun kaya sandwiches and breakfast sets. I tried their milk tea with chocolate bun. The chocolate bun wasnt that sweet and the milk tea tasted good. 

 

Where to buy and how much:

For around PHP150-200,  you can have a nice breakfast set. If you happen to drop by near C5 Katipunan area and looking for a place to hang-out, then try out Kopiroti for a change. 


Rating: 7.5/10

Margarita's Paella at Mercato Centrale

About the food:

Finding the perfect paella is never easy, even if we have a lot of authentic Spanish restaurants in the Metro. What is harder though, is the effort exerted to the creation of the paella. Paella doesn't just require any ordinary rice, it has to be high grade. Paella also uses a lot of broth, and not just one kind. Furthermore, if there is seafood involved, a lot of squid ink and fresh ingredients need to be cooked. Another ingredient to buy is the expensive saffron (the more authentic, the more expensive).

Fortunately, you don't have to cook your own paella all the time. Instead, you can try out Margarita's Paella. They serve Paella Negra and Seafood Paella (Paella Marinara).  


Where to buy and how much:

For PHP280 per serving, you should savor the smell and the flavor of the rice. The seller suggests you should apply the lemon squeeze to the paella to make it taste better (and it does).  If you want a really good paella, visit Mercato Centrale during Saturdays.

Rating:  9/10

Ilustrado

About the food:

If you're looking for a restaurant with classy food, and an authentic Spanish times ambiance, then you should visit Ilustrado in Intramuros. The following are some of the food we have tried.

jamon serrano

This is one of the more expensive meats. Though its pricey and quite thin, it is good.

noodle soup

I can't recall what soup this is but I'm thinking of it as La Paz Batchoy. Serving is small and the taste is just okay. The next dish is more recommended.

pasta el diablo

This was the only pasta available during Sundays. Note that the main restaurant is closed on Sundays and that the smaller Cafe Ilustrado (with fewer dishes offered) is the one that remains open. For this pasta, the shrimps were fresh and the dish itself had a mildly spicy quality to it.

sampaguita ice cream

Now, this is what makes Ilustrado unique. They offer Sampaguita ice cream. While not exactly as creamy as the ice cream you see in supermarkets, this version really did smell and taste like the real thing.

Where to buy and how much:

Ilustrado is located in Intramuros, Manila. On the streets outside, you won't see the restaurant itself, so you will have to look for the big sign saying 'Ilustrado' first. Afterwards you have to enter the gate (see topmost picture)

As for the budget, this is a high-end restaurant. It is often reserved for wedding receptions. Hence, you should be prepared to spend a lot, perhaps around PHP700 per pax, at least.


Rating: 8.0/10


http://www.ilustradorestaurant.com.ph/promotions/menu/

On Making Good Food Photos

I'm sure some of you would be wondering what makes my foodblog photos sharp.

To answer that question, I would say I use a good dslr lens and a reasonably priced dslr body.

As of now, I am using a Nikon D3000 body with a Nikon 17-55 F2.8G IF-ED DX.

http://ic2.pbase.com/g3/85/651285/3/102343174.JOUaAuHy.jpg

There are times however, when carrying a dslr with a huge and heavy lens can be exhausting.  With that in mind, I'm thrilled with the upcoming LG Optimus 2X. Not only is it light to carry, it also has an 8 MEGAPIXEL camera! With 8 megapixels you can capture a lot of detail in food (my DSLR has around 10 Megapixels, while my phone from 5 years back has only a meager 1.3 Megapixels.). It also comes with a LED flash, for those dimly lit restaurants.

http://www.talkandroid.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/lgoptimus2x2.jpg

It would be great if I could someday compare the pictures I take with my dslr and the pictures I can take with this LG Optimus 2X.

Optimus is more than just smart. It’s genius. Visit lgoptimus.ph for more information!

Maru Maru's Takoyaki

 

About the food:

If you are craving for takoyaki balls, are looking for a smaller serving,  and a cheaper price, then you should try Maru Maru. Their takoyaki balls are less expensive than Octoboy's but the balls are also smaller in size. As for taste, I find nothing superb about it, but still it's a good afternoon snack.

Where to buy and how much:

I tried the Maru Maru at Eastwood Mall's food junction. There is also one at Trinoma. For PHP104.00, you can get six pieces of takoyaki balls with iced tea.

Rating: 6/10

Flaming Cheese at Cyma

flaming cheese (php200 or more est.)

About the food:

I've always wondered what was unique about Cyma. One day I decided to give it a try and witness it first hand. The answer came up: flaming cheese!

If you simply adore cheese then I recommend this one. Its probably even better if you order it during night time, so you can see the flame more.

The flaming cheese is served with fresh garlic bread.

Aside from the flaming cheese, they also have a lot more greek cuisine to offer. They have salads, and the famous gyros, among others. 

Where to buy and how much:

I tried the Cyma branch in Trinoma Mall, at the topmost level. Cyma is along the row of restaurants like Holy Cow! (known for steaks) and SumoSam (japanese-western fusion).

Rating:  8.0/10

I consider Greek cuisine to be healthy in general.

A Pizza Meant Not Just for Bowlers: Magoo's Pizza

Everything On It (PHP699 excl. delivery charge)

About the food:

After eating too many stuffed crusts and thin crusts, perhaps its time to go back and try something different: Magoo's Pizza. This is the only pizza that is served as a square. Greenwich used to have a Sari Sari Square pizza, but theirs can't compare to Magoo's. The latter has more toppings and their crust tastes better. Magoo's offers a different and delicious pizza. the crust is not so thin, and not so thick. There is not too much tomato sauce but there are good toppings.


Where to buy and how much:

Although their pizza is good and their toppings abundant, Magoo's Pizza branches are scarce, their cooking time for pizza is around 45 minutes, and their ambiance is quite behind the times. Further, they can only be located in areas where there are bowling alleys in malls (e.g. Ever Gotesco Commonwealth and Robinsons Galleria). Putting aside the ambiance and location, it's a pizza worth trying before it disappears. 

For the Commonwealth branch, delivery hotline is 931-1548/931-1267

Rating:  7.5/10

Restaurant concepts come and go. However, some flavors tend to stick in people's minds. This would be one of them.

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

soup noodle with fresh shrimp wanton (php280+)

About the food:

With the crazy weather we are having right now (from hot and humid to rainy and cold), it's not a bad idea to eat soup noodle with fresh shrimp wanton at Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao. The noodles are very firm in texture and hand pulled. Likewise the dumplings are really fresh and the serving size good enough for sharing.  

xiao long bao (php 158+)

If you don't want noodles or lots of broth, you can try their xiao long bao. The dumplings retain much of the soup inside and tastes good with ginger, soy, and black vinegar.

grass jelly and beancurd jelly (php198)

Finally, for a unique treat, you can try their grass jelly and beancurd jelly dessert (gulaman at taho). Their colors and textures complement one another perfectly.



Where to buy and how much:

Crystal Jade is located at Greenhills Shopping Mall near the Haagen Dazs store, Milky Way, and Watsons. It is near Virramall.  Prices are indicated in their respective captions below each photo.

Rating:  8/10

Crystal Jade is a must try for the quality of their hand pulled noodles and xiao long bao.