Finest cooks of Mongkok

Went to MOA last Saturday to have lunch. Out of all the many restos and food chains around, we decided to try “Mongkok Dimsum and Noodles.” Since we’re in the mood for chinese cuisine that afternoon.
The place is nice, looks clean enough. And I love their big ceiling lights that really reflect the chinese ambiance. I just find their flooring weird because of the tiny orange and yellow tiles scattered around, above the grey cement flooring, looks like bits of pieces of art paper. Besides that, the interiors are good.

The food was great, I especially loved the lobster roll ’cause it’s my first time to try some.

Shrimp Dumplings = Php 75.00

Lobster Rolls = Php 75.00

Mixed Vegetables = Php 160.00

Mongkok Special Fried Rice = Php 130.00

I enjoyed every bit of the food here. And the price is just right. We gotta try the noodles when we get back though. Dining in Mongkok is ideal for the whole family. I’m even thinking of bringing my whole family here one of these days.

The finest Chinese cooks are here, indeed.

Your Highness at King’s Kebab

Been craving for persian food for a couple of days now. The night is young, our stomachs are empty, and Matt has a car that night, so we opt to have dinner at King’s Kebab in Katipunan. The place isn’t actually typical for a King, ’cause it’s open, no airconditioning, and the tables and chairs are not quite that presentable. Basically, it’s just a typical food outlet along the Katipunan Road. After all, what we really came here for is the food. It has a second floor, by the way, which is a bit more cozy and pleasant.

We ordered the King’s Kebab w/c is Php399.00 worth. It has chicken, pork and beef kebab, all in one plate, plus 2 Basmati Rice.

Burp! Yep, we ate like a King and Queen would do. It was so delicious and I’m glad we came to the right place. Then, we asked for the bill and something funny happened. We were confused for they only charged us Php399.00, when we ordered 2 softdrinks in can and an additional rice. On the receipt, it read, Discount= 99.00, so we asked the management if they have a promo. Unfortunately, they just had a miscalculation so we payed for another hundred bucks. God, we’re so honest!

So there, my craving for persian food was finally granted, by the King.

BFF Discount Card

The new BFF Discount Card is now available for P1500 each. Got mine at Flapjacks Greenbelt. Get yours now too!

FLUKE what you’ve done!

What’s up, guys? Cuisine Connoisseur’s author has been through a lot lately with regards to her life priorities. And now, she’s back, with revenge! Just kidding. Anyways, Cuisine Connoisseur is definitely up and running again.

Okay, last week, my friends and I decided to have a dinner out, as usual, it’s a Friday night and I’ve missed them a lot, and they’ve been waiting for like 3 hours or so. We were all, especially they, are growling of starvation. Okay, now, maybe that’s a bit exaggerated. Now, we’ve been arguing and battling on which restaurant to go to. And, we’ve decided to make a stop at A-Venue in Makati Ave. Since, its nearer, and there are lots of restos around to choose from.

When we got there, we still had a hard time choosing on where to eat, because we’re on a budget, but we want a quiet and cozy place and of course, we want the best out of our tight budget. After minutes of going to and from, in and out of A-Venue, we’ve finally decided to eat at FLUKE. The place and the ambiance of the restaurant was just amazing. I love the interior design and the furnitures as well. It was very classy.

We ordered Beef Tepanyaki, Chicken Tepanyaki, Baked Chicken on Mushroom Sauce and Salpicao.

They’ve got a big food serving. Prices range from 155php-250php. Unfortunately, we were disappointed with the taste. We were not expecting for just an average taste. And their beef tepanyaki was too sweet, I think I lost a tooth.

Beef Tepanyaki

Chicken Tepanyaki

Baked Chicken on Mushroom Sauce

Salpicao

Nevertheless, we still enjoyed the night. With good friends, great company, gossips, and laughter. We had a fun night.

If we want to go back to FLUKE? I don’t think so. Sorry, but it wasn’t even a fluke the first time. But if you want a cozy and quiet place to hang out with your friends, it’s still worth a try. They also serve desserts and cofffee, that, we might try one of these days.

Isshin it Japanese?

It’s April 30th, Thursday night and the next day is a Holiday (Labor day). Since it’s a long weekend, we decided to watch a movie. And I’ve waited long enough for this movie to be shown, the X-Men Origins: Wolverine. I’m not really a Marvel fan, but this film’s said to be one of the biggest this 2009. And, ok, yeah, I heart Hugh Jackman, and believe it or not, I find Ryan Reynolds hot. Okay, enough about the hot casts of the film. The 8:00pm show is already full, so we decided to take the last full show seats. And, we’ve got 2 more hours to fill in while waiting for the clock to strike at 9:30pm.

Macky and Jacky knows a Japanese restaurant along Pasay Road, Makati. Isshin. They’ve been here once and they wanted us to try it out as well, they said the food was great. And so we did.

The interiors was very Japanese-y. You have to take off your shoes though before taking your seat. They’ve placed cushions around the table, you have an option to do it the Japanese way, or you can put your feet down under the table which is actually carpeted.

We ordered california maki, yakisoba, tempura shrimp, and crabmeat. They are known to serve freshly cooked seafood.

True enough, the food was all good. Plus, they have a free dessert (chocolate ice cream/ nata de coco). And their house tea was also good.

Isshin Japanese Restaurant is located at 1024 Arnaiz Ave. (formerly Pasay Rd.), Makati.

And, in case, you guys are wondering how was the movie, it was great too. Who says you can’t have much fun on a thursday night?

Say hello to Chef Donatello

Okay, I’m not sure whether Donatello really is the chief chef, I have no idea why it’s called that way, or where the name originated from. But what I’m sure of is that they’re quite affordable for a fusion of Italian and American cuisine.

The place is too bright, the tables, chairs, colors, and design of the whole restaurant interiors is not at all impressive (SM Megamall branch). At first, I thought it was a fine-dining kind of Italian restaurant. But with the affordable menu and the look and feel of the place, it’s actually just another fastfood chain.

We tried their seafood marinara which I love.

We also tried their fried chicken and baby back ribs, which tastes ordinarily average.

The food and the ambiance of the place was okay. With their cheap prices, its good enough a treat for your friends and family.

Chef Donatello is located at SM Megamall 3/F Bridgeway, and SM City North Edsa.

Seafood Dinner Party @ CLAWDADDY’S

Ey folks! Here’s another restaurant I’ve been to just last Friday. I, and the rest of the gang wanted to have dinner at Serendra, the Fort after office. The traffic within the Makati area and along Edsa made our stomachs wry with hunger. When we got to Bonifacio High Street, we had a hard time choosing where to eat. Until all of us decided to try Clawdaddy’s.

The food was uber great. I recommend this especially to seafood lovers or just plain food lovers. The place is packed. The waiters are all in a hurry and the customers’ faces were all satisfied. As I entered the restaurant and had a chance to take a quick glance at people’s table, the food serving was overflowing. I’m so excited to check their menu.

We had the Crab and Seafood bowl worth 1,195php. This is definitely the star dish of the night. It has crabs, prawns, clams, mussels, and potatoes. Also served with sausage, watermelon, lemon and 1 pitcher of iced tea (bottomless), which is just so worth the price.

We also ordered Boston wings, which was served with soup, for only 285php. I love the carrots and celery dipped into the mayonnaise.

And here are the happy faces of Clawdaddy’s customers.

I guess the pictures and the smile on our faces are already proof of how happy we were that night. Enough said, it really was a party. =P

Hang out with Kangaroo Jack

Hi Everyone!

A long weekend has passed, and only two more days to endure going to work, and another long weekend to look forward to. Meanwhile, let me tour you again into the restaurants I’ve been into last week.

Last Wednesday night, we went to Kangaroo Jack (SM Megamall branch). Matt wanted to have a steak and I wanted to have sausages for dinner, for an affordable price. So, we decided to leave Atrium this time and settled for Kangaroo Jack instead.

This is my second time to eat at Kangaroo Jack, although the first time was at the RCBC, Makati branch which actually looked more “sushal” and a bit more pricy too compared to the SM Megamall branch. The place and the interiors looked average. They kept the consistency of the place to its logo, which I found cute. As an artist, I usually noticed the logo designs as well.

The food was good. They serve mostly steaks and sausages. Prices range from 120php-2250php.

The food, the interiors, the price, the service is average-ok. But, what I can assure you is you’ll leave satisfied of the food servings and the price. It is perfect for dining out with family and friends.

Two thumbs up to Botong’s Up (2nd Part)

As promised, I uploaded more pictures of Botong’s Up restobar. Enjoy!

Botong's Up facade

It’ a 3-floor restobar. The 3rd floor has a balcony for smokers. It is also an art gallery, the whole place is filled with paintings and artworks for sale.

As expected, the food was great. I would definitely recommend this to all who wants to get the most out of their money, the food is definitely worth it.

Sinigang na Salmon Belly worth 330php

roasted chicken worth 320php

Inihaw na Liempo worth 180php

The only thing I didn’t like about them is their loud music, my friends and I can barely hear each other. The loud hip-hop and rnb music doesn’t fit well into the resto’s sleek interiors. It would be much more interesting if they provide jazz and chillout music in the background instead. Another thing that my friends and I hated was the service charge and VAT which costs us about 400 bucks. So, if you’re planning to visit here, don’t forget to bring extra cash just to be safe.

Two thumbs up to BOTONG’S UP

One Friday evening, while looking for a cool place to hang out for awhile and eat good food, we decided to stop by A.Venue @ Makati Ave. Since it’s our first time to check out the place, we have no idea where to dine. We looked around and was a bit disappointed by the prices (mostly quite expensive). Just when we were about to leave, we tried looking around the place once again, and saw this Filipino restobar called Botong’s Up. We checked the price which seems fine compared to the other restaurants around (php299-499/meal). Since it’s a Friday, we ought to have seafood for the night (fasting for the lenten season). We ordered the Sinigang na Salmon Belly and Inihaw na Pusit. And, it was so good. I wasn’t just hungry that night
(well, I actually am starving to death..), but the food was really good, especially the Sinigang na Salmon Belly. We’re planning to go back again sometime, bring our friends along and try other dishes.

This restobar is perfect either for a formal dinner with family and/or friends, or for inuman night with the barkada.

BOTONG’S UP
G/F A. Venue Mall 7829 Makati Avenue Makati
Phone:(02)7016189

*Pictures to be uploaded soon.

FlapJacks’ heavy breakfast

FlapJacks Greenhills Entrance

We’ve been curious about FlapJacks before, since Matt (my boyfriend) heard it from the DJs of 89.9 Magic. But we have friends who claimed they weren’t happy with the food, for they only serve breakfast meals.

Last Saturday morning, we decided to try it out, and I’m glad we did because we loved the food. It was a bit pricey but was definitely worth it. What we also love is their bottomless coffee service, and we’re allowed to share.

Cheese Sausage with garlic rice and egg

Blueberry Pancakes with sausage and eggs

The interiors of the restaurant has vibrant colors orange, yellow, and purple which invites happy and cheerful ambiance.

FlapJacks is located at Greenhills, San Juan and Greenbelt 2, Makati.

Below 100peso meals

I was out on a Thursday evening (without extra money at hand). I was scheduled for a job interview at Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong. It went well but the interview finished late at around 9:00 pm. And I was starving. Since my budget for that night is only 100 bucks, I decided to try out the new steak house located at Shaw Boulevard, The “Carver’s tender roast steakhouse”. I was with my boyfriend (as usual), as his place is just around the corner.

The place looks clean enough, the interiors were colorful. The price is affordable, however, we weren’t really happy with the food. Especially the mashed potatoes. It’s smell was different, seemed like it’s been in the fridge for days, just waiting for someone to order it. They just re-heat it. The porterhouse steak my boyfriend ordered was worth 130php, and he wasn’t happy with it. Such a small serving for a rubber-like steak isn’t just worth it. The spicy garlic liempo I ordered was OK for a 99php meal.

Porterhouse Steak

Spicy Garlic Liempo

mashed potatoes - highly not recommended

A Relaxing Sunday Morning @ Café Breton

I can’t think of any other ways to enjoy a cool Sunday morning at Tagaytay than spend it with a hot cup of coffee and sinfully delicious crepes. This is what Café Breton is known for, their delicious array of fruit crepes. I enjoyed sitting at the corner of the restaurant overlooking Taal, while a nostalgic classic music plays on the background. The cozy and homey feel of the restaurant makes me feel like I’m at my own house. What a great way to start the day!

hot cup of cappucino

Déjá Vu - mango, special cream sauce, caramel syrup, vanilla ice cream - P201.15

Peche Mignon - peach halves, vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce, Grand Marnier & whipped cream - P259.30

Café Breton also has branches in Tomas Morato, The Podium, Greenbelt 3, Trinoma Mall and SM Mall of Asia.

Dinner at Buon Giorno, Tagaytay

It’s been months since my boyfriend and I first planned to have a Tagaytay Road Trip. And, last weekend was the best timing since it’s a long weekend (due to the the commemoration of Bonifacio Day). Since we’re both Italian food lovers, we decided to end our long day with sumptuous Italian meal. It’s a good thing our hotel was just nearby the Cliffhouse. So, we ended up having dinner at Buon Giorno!

The restaurant interiors seemed cozy enough because of the use of earth colors around the restaurant. The big wooden tables and chairs also helped define the country feel, which makes it warm and inviting. We dined outside overlooking Taal. We didn’t see much of the view though because it was already 7 o’clock in the evening. I just love the tiny colorful lamps hanging around us.

The service was fast; the people were friendly and very accommodating.

The food was okay for me. I wasn’t really that impressed with the penne we ordered. But, I have to give them credit for their vegetable risotto. Even if you’re not a veggie lover, you’ll surely love this risotto, which contains mushrooms, broccoli, and carrots. The tarragon hot tea was also delicious, it was served with a milk cookie beside.

The prices of their food ranges from 200-400php per plate. Not bad for an Italian restaurant.

Restaurant Entrance

the Menu

The giant iced tea

The refreshing green tea

Steak Sandwiches

Pasta Penne

Vegetable Risotto

Tarragon Tea with Milk cookie

Inside the resto

Dining outside

If you want to have a romantic dinner with your special someone, or simply dine out with your family while staying at Tagaytay, you can visit Buon Giorno at the Cliffhouse, Tagaytay.