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

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 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/

c2 classic cuisine

last february 5, with the invitation of my friend who works at c2, junjun and i had a dinner date at c2.

we ordered the lover's set meal which was offered for the valentine's season. the package included alique rice, crispy ribs sinigang, binagoongang lechon kawali and leche flan.

the food was good. i liked how crispy the lechon kawali was and the veggies on its side. the sinigang was also a unique dish. the ribs was done very crispy and it was served separately with the sinigang broth. the sourness of the broth complemented well with the ribs.

i loved the leche flan... the description was true... it was melt in the mouth. you can be very sure that there was no egg white used. it was just soft, velvety custard. we also had the bibingka souffle, which is not your usual souffle. you could really taste the saltiness of the egg, the coconut... it is like eating a real bibingka that transformed into a foam-like texture.

for drinks (not included in the set meal) we ordered sago and gulaman for junjun and green mango shake for me.

our total bill was around Php 1000.00 pesos. the food was great and the ambiance was nice. it is a place where you can share a meal with your loved ones or friends, and catch up with each other's lives.

c2 classic cuisine

2/L Archaeology Section,

Powerplant Mall, Makati City

8978113 / 8973911

PS: add the restaurant as your friend in facebook and you will get a free bibingka souffle when you eat there, with a minimum bill of Php 1000.00

wicked

we had the chance to eat at "Wicked Kitchen" before the holiday break. i have heard good reviews about this restaurant and we decided to try it out.

since this is located in Mother Ignacia (near ABS-CBN), it was a little traffic, and we were lucky that we were able to get a parking space.

we ordered the broccoli and cheese chowder, sisig rice, bagoong pork rice. their dessert were named after the seven deadly sins, and we decided to try gluttony.

our total bill was a little over Php 500.00. the food was good and we were filled to the brim. the only downside was that the resto was a little small, and i imagine it would be packed during meal times, and of course the parking would be difficult.

we would go back here to try the other meals, and of course sample other sinful desserts. =)

Wicked Kitched

143 Mother Ignacia Ave.

Quezon City

Around the Manadaluyong Circle

Since we have been renting an apartment in Boni, we have tried out several restos where we could find good food at cheap prices. Here are two of them.


Find #1 – R&J Bulalohan

From EDSA going to Mandaluyong City hall, just before you enter the circle, this resto is located near the Petron gas station. I have heard many comments about this resto and we decided to check it out.

As the name implies, they are famous for their bulalo, which is served either regular or special. They also have the bulalo steak. Aside from this, they also offer a variety of viands, meals and snacks.

We ordered a regular bulalo (Php 199.00), lechon kawali, rice and a pitcher of iced tea. The servers were efficient. You could also ask for extra “sabaw” whenever you have drained your bulalo of its soup. Our bill amounted to around Php 500.00.

The place is not airconditioned, but it is well ventilated. They are open 24 hours, and even accepts catering and delivery. Inside the store you could also find message from different stars/tv shows whom they have catered to like mixed nuts, rated k, and the buzz.

If your looking for something cheap, tasty and filling, then this is one place that you could go to.


Find #2 – Circle Garden Grill

This restaurant is located along the Mandaluyong City Hall circle. Near to it is the newly opened animal hospital.

The menu they offer is similar to what is in R&J. Here we ordered bulalito (a small serving of the bulalo), sizzling sisig, and chopseuy. We also ordered rice, and a 1.5 liter of softdrinks.

I liked their sisig, it was very tasty and is a little bit crunchy. The bulalito was ok, but I prefer the bulalo of R&J.

The restaurant is air-conditioned, but there is also a garden portion at the back of the resto. This I assume is for those who go out on gimmicks. The server was a little bit masungit, but she was efficient in providing us everything we need before we even ask for it.

Our bill was a little more than Php 600.00. I would go back to this place to try out other offerings and also for the sisig.

sinigang na corned beef

last week, i was feeling a little under the weather, so i decided to cook some sinigang na corned beef for our dinner.


i just used purefoods chunkee corned beef, string beans and sinigang sa sampalok mix.






any other tips on cooking this viand? =)

lime leaf

another restaurant opened in madison square, pioneer. it's name is lime leaf. the cuisine they offer is thai based, but at a more affordable price. junjun and i decided to check it out since they also had free wi-fi. =)

we ordered green pork curry and chicken satay. i also had the thai iced tea.

green pork curry

chicken satay

thai iced tea

the food and iced tea was good. the curry was a little bit sweet though. I liked the peanut sauce for the satay, except that it didn't came with cucumbers and tomatoes which i like to munch on as side dish.

the value for the food was ok too. our total bill was around Php 300.00. the free wi-fi was definitely a plus.

sizzling pepper steak

last night, junjun and i had our date at sizzling pepper steak in glorietta 5. despite mixed reviews on this restaurant, i still decided that we give it a try.

when we arrived at the place, we were almost seated at once and was handed the menu.


because i scanned thru numerous blogs and websites regarding this resto, i already had a fairly good idea of what to order. i got a sizzling beef pepper rice and cranberry juice while junjun had the herbed chicken, japanese rice and bottomless soda.

sizzling beef pepper rice
(Php 185.00)

sizzling herbed chicken
(around Php 150.00)

the sizzling beef pepper rice was good. the beef was thinly sliced and was not gummy, the pepper flavor was just right. i think it just lacked sauce, or maybe i should have asked for additional serving of the sauce. the herbed chicken also has a nice distinct flavor and junjun liked it. the only downside of eating on sizzling plates was that you have to wait a little while before you can take your first bite since you will burn your tongue if you hurry.

the staff were friendly and efficient. prices were also good, we spent a little over Php 500.00, and they had no service charge. the place was a little crowded though, maybe due to the weekend crowd, so we sat on the veranda.

i would recommend this place to someone who would like a different adventure on eating.

head over meals

monday night... another trip to madison square for our dinner. we decided to try out a restaurant called "head over meals."

at first, we thought it was an expensive restaurant. but they offered meals which are cheap, but tasted good. the selection of food were also not your usual menu.


meals come in budget and big sizes. for viands, it comes with free rice, while for burger, it comes with free fries.

junjun ordered the honey glazed pork liempo, while i chose fish fillet florentine. we also ordered two glasses of softdrinks which caused Php 20.00 each.

honey glazed pork liempo - Php 80.00


fish fillet florentine - Php 75.00


overall, this is a good place to go to if you are on a tight budget and you want to steer away from your usual fried chicken and rice.

amici

last friday, Junjun and I had our "date" at Amici in Don Bosco. i have heard a lot about this place and decided to check it out.

for a brief background, amici was used to be a school cafeteria ran by the priests of don bosco. But some years ago, it was bought by the group that owns red ribbon. since then, there have been changes. other branches have also been open.

for our dinner, we ordered al quattro formaggi (pizza), cannelloni agli spinaci (pasta) and soda. of course, we also had gelato.

al quattro formaggi (four cheeses) - Php 290.00

cannelloni agli spinaci (spinach and ricotta cheese in pasta tubes topped with tomato sauce) - Php 195.00


gelato (ice cream - blueberry/mint with chocolate) - Php 50.00 per cup


overall, i liked how the food tasted. the pasta was good, and even though there was a lot of spinach, it did not taste like vegetables. the pizza was a combination of the different cheeses. and of course the gelato... if i wasn't too full, i would have gotten another cup. the ambiance was nice, there were three counters that could take your orders. service was fast, and the servers were attentive. i hope i could go back and try the other dishes... and sample other flavors of the gelato. =)