frozen yogurt day

at sm manila, en route to visiting a friend at jose reyes hospital, we decided to try out the frozen yogurt stores there.

first stop: tutti frutti

"self service frozen yogurt cafe offering up to 50 delicious and exciting flavors and over 30 topping varieties" (from their site)

for that day, we decided to try the combination of taro and lychee flavored yogurt. choco chips and kiwi were the toppings that we chose.

junjun loved the lychee flavor, i liked its tartness. as for the taro yogurt, it lacked a little flavor. priced at Php 20.00 per ounce, it could be enough to satisfy your frozen yogurt craving.

next stop: california berry

"100% non-fat. low calorie frozen yogurt" (from their site)

from california berry, we decided to have original flavored yogurt plus 3 toppings. we chose rice crispies, walnuts and lychees.

the taste of the frozen yogurt was good as it was tangy. i liked the way it combined with the walnuts and the rice crispies.

pricing is as follows:

small: Php 65.00 + Php 15.00 per topping

medium: Php 85.00 + Php 30.00 for 3 toppings

large: Php 115.00 + Php 30.00 for 3 toppings

Tutti Frutti (SM Manila)

http://tfyogurt.com

California Berry (SM Manila)

http://www.californiaberry.net/

the frazzled cook

i'm starting to do my bloglog (blog backlog). here is the first item. :)

another "hidden" restaurant at shaw is the frazzled cook. it is about two blocks away from cookbook kitchen. once we got time in our hands, we decided to try it out for lunch.

the interiors of the restaurant was like a home that was converted into a dining area (think cafe juanita - but a little less eclectic). the chairs were mismatched, a lot of books and other stuff decorating the area. here is a photo of their hello kitty utensils.

for our drinks, we ordered a pitcher of iced tea (Php 250.00). don't be fooled by the small size of the pitcher. even after downing several glasses of iced tea, we did not manage to empty it.

junjun ordered lengua with mushroom and corn, served with buttered vegetables and mashed potatoes (Php 350.00). the lengua was good as it was tender and flavorful. although junjun would have preferred gravy with it instead of the mushroom and corn sauce.

i ordered spicy gambas al ajillo with saffron rice, served with buttered vegetables (Php 300.00). the shrimps were cooked nicely and the garlic gave the kick to the dish. it really went well with the saffron rice.

for dessert, we had an order of pancake ala mode (Php 180.00) which consisted of freshly cooked pancake, syrup and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. the contrasting temperature of the pancake and the ice cream was a treat.

overall, we had a good dining experience here. if you are to go as a group, it is advisable that you call ahead for reservations. there is limited parking in front of the restaurant.

The Frazzled Cook

916 Luna Mencias St.,

Brgy. Addition Hills,

Mandaluyong City

(02) 782-5980, (02) 7253354

http://www.thefrazzledcook.com

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