cookbook kitchen

after several rescheduling, junjun and i finally got the chance to eat at cookbook kitchen. making sure that we have researched how to get there, we flagged down a taxi and gave directions to cookbook kitchen.

i have made prior reservations for our dinner, so when we arrived, we were immediately ushered to our table. all of the staff was very friendly and accommodating.

for drinks, we ordered the red iced tea (Php 50.00) and green iced tea (Php 50.00)

i ordered the parmesan crusted fish fillet (Php 260.00). it had a nice crunch on the top, subtle cheese flavor, and it's creaminess was just right to my taste. you could also taste the hint of herbs. we ordered the regular size, but there was also a petite size. we had a leftover of about 1/3 of the dish we took out. junjun ate it for breakfast, and he said that it was still cold, even if it was cold out of the ref.

junjun ordered the cinnamon pork belly (Php 290.00). the pork was very tender and the cinnamon sauce/rub was very unique and complimenting to the pork. there was also a side of grilled pineapple and mushrooms.

for dessert, we ordered the petite size of kittin's scarlet cake. it was a red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting. the cake was very moist, and the icing was not too sweet.

overall, it was a very good experience. it was like a treasure hunt for the place, and it was well worth it. we might be coming back here to try out their other offerings.

cookbook kitchen

8 Socorro Fernandez Street, Mandaluyong City 1550

7243595 or 3815935

http://cookbookkitchen.multiply.com/

wham!

after buying our tickets to IMAX, hubby and i decided to try this newly opened food joint in SM Mall of Asia... Wham!

The interior was of warm red, yellow and orange colors reflecting comic book like illustrations. You can choose to sit on usual chairs and tables, or opt for the sofa.

Junjun ordered the hungarian sausage sandwich (Php 85.00), and i ordered the wham burger with cheese (Php 102.00).

The hungarian sausage was huge. The taste was ok with just the right amount of kick from being spicy.

the wham burger with cheese was very good. the 1/3 pound beef patty was grilled, and it was very flavorful and juicy. i also like the veggies and the dressing that came with the burger.

overall, the price was worth its value. one will be very full after eating the sandwiches they offer. you could also order sidings such as fries.

the MOA branch was a little hot though, i think there was something wrong with the airconditioning.

if you are looking for a good burger, this could be worth trying out.

Wham! Burger

SM Mall of Asia

custaroons

i have heard and read about these dessert treats, so i decided to order and taste some myself.

custaroons - a mixture of custard and macaroons.

i browsed through the website, found the contact number and ordered these cute desserts. i decided to have assorted bite-sized custaroons (original and cheese), and a tub of poppers (custaroon balls coated in chocolate).

i loved the treats, especially the cheese variant. i like them fresh out of the ref, but gigi told me that one could also toast the custaroons.

the chocolate poppers were also good, it was not too sweet which i like.

everyone to whom i shared these treats also found them very good.

The box of assorted bite-sized custaroons (30 pcs) costs Php 300.00; while the tub of poppers (22 pcs) costs Php 200.00

packaging was also very cute, which would make these treats a nice gift.

Gigi's Custaroons

http://www.custaroons.com/

0918-8282929

holy week 2010 destinations #2 - pandin lake

after our stay at casa san pablo, we went to pandin lake, one of the seven lakes at san pablo city. i have already heard about this lake from my niece since they had a field trip here last year, and she says it was fun to go.

boots (of casa san pablo) also told us the story of how this lake became a tourist attraction. manning the balsas and maintaining the park was done by the wives of the fishermen who lived and worked around the area.

after asking different tricycle drivers for directions, we finally arrived at pandin lake just in time for lunch. i already had reservations, so we were met by our guide at the parking. after a hike of about 15 minutes, we arrived at the lake and boarded our balsa.

we were then rowed to the middle of the lake where we would be having our lunch. my nephews also donned the life vest and wadded in the cool waters.

our lunch consisted of pritong tilapia, ginataang langka, shrimps, rice, banana and fresh buko juice.

while on the balsa, we were also told of the legend of how pandin lake, and its twin lake yambo, came to be. it was a tragic love story. we were supposed to hike over to see yambo lake, but since the kids were already tired, we just decided to stay at pandin.

they also told us that the rafts were also available for rent overnight, were the guests would be staying in a tent put up in the rafts, in the middle of the lake.

it was a fun trip. we explored our own natural tourist spots, and even helped the economy of the people living there.

the raft ride costs Php 180.00 per person, this already comes with the fresh buko juice. the kids were free. for the lunch, it was another Php 180.00

if you want to come here, better have a reservation so that you need not wait for an available raft.

Pandin Lake

San Pablo City

Contact Person: Mandy Marino - 09175016694

holy week 2010 destinations #1 - casa san pablo

for the holy week of 2010, we decided to go south and explore san pablo city in laguna.

since it was already holy thursday when we travelled, the traffic was heavy at the south luzon express way. the owner was even kind enough to meet us in the way since we took the unusual route.

after around 3-4 hours, and several stops, we finally arrived at casa san pablo, our first destination.

who would have thought that a retreat like this existed in the middle of the city? located inside the former kay inay resort, this is a place for those who wants a quick escape from the noise of the city.

the compound consisted of several rooms of varying sizes (it could accommodate different number of guests), a swimming pool, a large sprawling ground, and a dining area.

the room given to us was number 11. it was a medium-sized room with a loft, and two air-conditioning units. it had four single beds in the main room, and 4 single mattresses and a double mattress in the loft. there were also two showers and two toilets.

food was also good at the casa. based on the literature that you can find in the dining area, the food served were based on the menu and pairings that their Inay used to serve. dishes complimented with one another.

the different colored plates were a delight. i used a different plate each time i ate. ^_^

there were also a lot of unique old stuff around the house. there was this old scooter and a pig made of hay (i think).

we also tried out the swimming pool. the water was nice and cold since it came from the springs in the mountain.

during night, mats were lay down on the ground and candles were placed. one could hang out here and even do star gazing. the owner, mr. boots alcantara, even had a chat with us and shared stories and anecdotes about the place.

overall, we enjoyed our stay here. Boots was very accommodating and was really warm in welcoming the guests. once here, you will forget that you are in fact still in the city.

the price was fair too. to reserve, you have to contact Boots so that you would know if the place is still available on your preferred date, and then deposit your payment so that your slot will be secured.

Casa San Pablo

(Inside Kay Inay resort, San Pablo City)

Contact: Boots Alcantara - 09178126687

www.casasanpablo.com

red mango frozen yogurt

after watching a movie at greenbelt 3, i was looking for something to satisfy my sweet tooth so i decided to buy frozen yogurt.

i went to the red mango kiosk and ordered a small green tea yogurt with strawberries and kiwis as topping.

the yogurt was good. it had a slight sweet taste with tang of sourness. the flavor of the green tea was just right and not overpowering. the fruits were a great complement to the yogurt.

if ever i am in greenbelt 3 again, i would try another topping combination.

recipes by cafe metro

3/27/2010 - date day for us. what we decided to do was eat lunch at greenbelt and watch the movie "the book of eli".

after perusing through the various restaurants at greenbelt 3, we zeroed in at recipes by cafe metro. we ordered the rice + 1 meals. these are different choices of viands that is served together with rice and a glass of iced tea (Php 170.00).

we chose bbq short ribs, adobo flakes with egg and green mango + catfish salad (Php 105.00). i opted to change mine to garlic rice for an additional of Php 10.00.

the salad was good, but it could have been better if there was more catfish and the mango have been cubed instead of sliced into strips so that it would have been easier to eat.

the adobo flakes was crisply done, and was a little bit too salty. it would have helped if there was vinegar served on the side.

our total bill was a little less than Php 500.00. the food was worth the price. if you are looking for filipino fares, this is one restaurant you could choose.

Recipes by Cafe Metro

2nd floor, Greenbelt 3

Makati City

omakase

i was hoping to have lunch at banapple, but the place was full when we arrived. since junjun and i (together with his kuya) are already hungry, we decided to skip the place and go somewhere else for lunch (although i did take out cake slices from banapple which will be in a different blog post)

we went japanese and had our lunch at omakase at il terrazzo (tomas morato).

we ordered california maki, katsudon, ika fry and yakimeshi.

the food was good, but nothing to rave about. service was also fast. our bill was around Php 1000.00, which was ok since there were three of us.

the restaurant also offered bento boxes with cute names like naruto and doraemon, maybe i'll try that next time.

omakase

ground floor, il terrazzo

sct. madrinan cor. tomas morato

south triangle, qc

finds in boracay 2 - real coffee & tea cafe

i have heard many raves and read many blogs regarding real coffee's muffins. so while we were in boracay, one of my to-do's was to visit the coffee and get a hold of the famous muffins.

the shop is open from 7am - 7pm and they serve "breakfast" all day. they have omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches, shakes, tea, coffee, cookies and of course, muffin. the cafe is a little hard to find, since it was somehow "hidden" with just a small arrow on the beach pointing to it.

when we first went there, we arrived at around 6:30pm, unfortunately, the store was closed. so i was determined just to go back the next day.

after walking long stretches of sand from station 2 to station 1, hubby and i finally arrived (again) at the cafe. there were a few yuppies hanging around, having their brunch. we sat on the stools around the service station.

we ordered the calamansi muffin, banana-walnut muffin and a funky monkey shake (choco-banana).

the calamansi muffin was indeed unique. there was the play of sweetness and sourness that was just right. the aroma that the calamansi gave was also appetizing. the whole walking thing was worth it for this muffin.

the banana-walnut muffin was also nice. it was not too sweet, you could taste the bananas and the walnuts.

they do deliveries for a charge of Php 50.00. if you want to take home these muffins, they advise that you call a day before (i think they only bake enough for the store per day). unfortunately, since we were leaving that day, i wasn't able to bring some home. maybe next time we're in bora... i would also like to taste their omelettes. ^_^

Real Coffee & Tea Cafe

Station 1, Boracay

(+63) 36 288 5340

finds in boracay 1 - deco's la paz batchoy

just outside the resort that we stayed in at station 2, boracay was deco's la paz batchoy. they claim that they're the original. so on our second night, we tried to taste the batchoy that they offered.

of course, we ordered the batchoy. i chose the miki noodles. together with the noodles, we also ordered puto manapala, pre-war pandesal and pandesal ni pa-a.

the pandesal ni pa-a was a little like what we can buy in our bakeries now. it was soft. it was also said that these were baked in a pugon, or the traditional brick oven. pa-a was the name of the person who made these then.

the pre-war pandesal was more dense and smaller in size.

the batchoy was of course, good. it had chicharon, liver, and other pork bits. you can opt to have hard boiled egg for an additional price. the soup was sweet and salty at the same time. one can ask for more soup if you want.

the price was fair for the serving, and you will really be filled by their batchoy. if you're in boracay and looking for a nighttime snack, this would be perfect.

Deco's Lapaz Batchoy

Station 2, Boracay

http://decoslapazbatchoy.com/d/