PROMO: Subway's 12 Subs of Christmas Discount Deal Now Available!

I was really stuffed with all the meat and pasta that was served last Noche Buena (Christmas eve dinner) and until now we're still serving the food leftovers from it. My stomach is somehow starting to have a hard time digesting all the pork, beef, and pasta I've been having. So I decided to eat something fresh and healthy today. I still have the Christmas blues so I'm lazy to cook and that's why when I learned about Subway's 12 Subs of Christmas Discount Deal, it's perfect for me!

Dinner at Sze Chuan House Manila

Sze Chuan House since 1977

I've always wanted to try Sze Chuan House situated at the lobby of Aloha Hotel along Roxas Boulevard, Manila. I've heard that they really do offer authentic Chinese food so I tagged my family along to take a peek at their menu and try out what's good to eat.

A Visit in Mr. Park's Bread & Cake

It was my birthday and we were looking for a bakery that offers unconventional cakes aside from the usual local bakeries. Inside BF Homes village, we went to Mr. Parks' Bread & Cake and checked out their cakes. I've also been hearing some good things about this place so we decided to check it out.

Lunch Date at Little Quiapo BF Homes

Little Quiapo has always been the favorite go-to place for people when they crave for some delicious good old-fashioned Filipino home cooking. I was craving for some "lutong bahay" food, so my hubby and I decided to have lunch at Little Quiapo, BF Homes Paranaque.

Coolato Gelato in SM BF Paranaque

Coolato Gelato opened its doors to the public for only a few months but it is slowly becoming a favorite of the people of the South. Strategically located beside the cinema of SM BF Paranaque, one cannot help but notice Coolato and its colorful interiors with the welcoming couches. 

Our Sunday Buffet Dinner at The Pantry

Last year, we had the opportunity to eat a wonderful buffet breakfast at Dusit's all-day dining restaurant, Basix. But now, Basix no longer exists as they replaced it with a new restaurant called "The Pantry." Luckily, I still have my free buffet dinner voucher good for 2 from my Dusit Wine & Dine membership so we had the chance to discover what The Pantry offers for simple diners like us. Without the voucher, a dinner for two would cost us around Php2,800. Kids 5 years and below eat for free.

Sumptuous Sunday Lunch Buffet at Buffet 101

We just had lunch in one of the most popular buffet places in town, Buffet 101, located at the 3rd floor, Glorietta 2. I actually used my Metrodeal voucher worth P764 for a Sunday lunch buffet (original price of P899) with unlimited drinks so I saved P135.  

Extraordinary Coffee Experience in Caffe Bene SM BF (Closed)

Every afternoon, I usually treat myself with coffee and bread. I just dip the bread in coffee and voila! It's a simple, but satisfying afternoon snack for me in years. I would buy a whole loaf of bread just for that and five pieces of 3-in-1 coffee sachets good for 1 week already. Although some people eat them during breakfast, I eat them for snacks.

But since it's payday, I would like to treat myself with the same set of snack, but a more unique and special one meaning I would like a special kind of coffee and a special kind of bread. The only problem is...  where? 

So I used my OpenSnap application on my mobile phone, canvassed a few coffee shops listed nearby and found out about Caffe Bene. I honestly got captivated by the Choco Banana Toast picture sent by one of OpenSnap's users. 

Add me when you sign up! My account name is "timeassasin"  :) 

As I opened OpenSnap, I canvassed through their labels and chose coffee shops since I want to have coffee.

I noticed they had a lot listed so I filtered it down. I clicked the "Filter" button (the orange one) and chose "Nearby" because I don't want to go too far from our residence just to have a cup of coffee.  When the filtered list came up, there I saw Caffe Bene  and I was just captivated with its pictures.

So I went to Caffe Bene in SM BF Paranaque yesterday afternoon to see what's in store for a coffee + bread lover like me. 

Note: Caffe Bene originated in Eastern Seoul, Korea and opened its first shop last April of 2008. 

Very nice and inviting facade. 

A definite eye candy for me! Those breads are humongous! 

Sandwiches and more desserts!

Korea's version of halo-halo according to their staff  :)
Note: Bingsu means iced parfait. 

Gelato!
So other than coffee and tea, you can also enjoy some yummy Gelato here! :) Great for kids, too. 

They also have gourmet sandwiches! Looks yummy!

I waited for about 5 minutes for my order to arrive. 

This is my table where I stayed :

Very relaxing ambiance (spacious + good music + nice interiors)
They also have a nice lounge at the back. I noticed that youngsters loved to hang out in that area more :D

My Order:

Caramel Cinnamon Honey Bread ( P175 ) + Hot White Mocha  (P160 ) = Divine Coffee Experience

Another picture of the star of my afternoon. *wink*
Note: This is big enough for sharing. 

The external part of the toast is super crunchy and then it's so soft on the inside.
The toast + the whipped cream + caramel syrup + generous amount of cinnamon = My kind of  treat.
I loved how the cinnamon balanced the sweetness of the caramel and the whipped cream combined together.

Did you know? According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, Cinnamon is used to help treat muscle spasms, vomiting, diarrhea, infections, the common cold, loss of appetite, and erectile dysfunction (ED). Cinnamon may lower blood sugar in people with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, according to Diabetes UK

Before I left, I ordered the Iced Misugaru Latte (Roasted Multi-grain Based Beverage) for take out out of curiosity. It has some healthy benefits as listed on the pic below 

(P 170)

My tummy was so full so I just took a sip of it and gave it to my mom when I got home. As I tasted it, I could actually taste the brown rice and sesame seed flavors. It's perfect for health buffs. 

Thank you, John, Justin, and Clarisse for being so nice and accommodating! 

So there you have it! Thanks Caffe Bene for making my coffee time an extraordinary one! Maybe next time, I will bring my family because they just have everything for everyone like coffee for me, gelato and waffles for the kids, and a gourmet sandwich for my husband :D  They also have free WIFI so that's good enough reason to stay *evil laugh*.  Special thanks to OpenSnap for helping people like me find what where we want to eat. 


Caffe Bene (Closed)
Ground Floor, SM BF Paranaque 
Website: http://www.caffebene.com.ph/

.

Barako Haus in Paranaque

Just May of this year, Barako Haus opened in BF Homes where you can enjoy authentic Barako coffee!

Vikings Luxury Buffet at SM BF Paranaque

Yesterday, my husband treated me to Vikings BF Paranaque because it was my birthday! Well, he only had to pay for himself because I ate for free because it's my birth date, but I don't mind at all.

We were greeted by this gentleman on the right asking if we have reservations. You bet we do! I also indicated on the phone when I called that it was my birthday. So when everything was arranged, he summoned another guy whom I forgot the name and he was told to get my ID card for verification.  Well, the guy did assisted us towards our table, but he seemed to forget to collect my ID.

Traditional Filipino Food at Via Mare

Via Mare is a familiar name especially to restaurant diners old and new. They became famous with their oyster specialties and other Filipino favorite dishes. So when I won a Via Mare gift certificate worth P500 from their Facebook contest, I got all excited and decided to use it when I went to Makati. I chose their Greenbelt 1 branch because I've been longing to dine there for its cozy ambiance that people can see through their restaurant window.

Very nice and cozy ambiance. Luv it!

It was really difficult to choose what to order from their menu because everything looked so delicious to me. But then, their simple pandesal meal caught my eye at that time so I ordered their Crispy Vigan Longanisa.

For dessert, I ordered my all-time favorite Pinoy food, the Palitaw.

I was craving for coffee at that time, but coffee was not available so I ordered their Spanish Style Chocolate.

Grilled Pan de Sal with Crispy Vigan Longganisa 

The first one to arrive at my table! I did not expect my order to have chips on the side, but the more the merrier! .It may not look so grand in the picture (They're breads! What more can you expect?)

but they sure did not disappoint. The breads were sooo soft that almost melt in your mouth and they go really well with the crispy Vigan longganisa.

My Spanish Style Chocolate!
Very thick and bland so you have to add some milk and sugar according to your liking.

My meal.

Palitaw
Tastes like the original and authentic Palitaw - just the way I like it. 

Another shot of my complete meal.  I was so full after eating all of them.!
 Call me an old soul, but this is my kind of happy meal :D  

 I really loved eating at Via Mare. The manager and the staff were all very accommodating, the place was so fine, and the food is just divine. I look forward to dining there again in Greenbelt 1 branch. :)



GREENBELT 1
Restaurant Type: Cafe & Oyster Bar Express
Paseo de Roxas Makati City
Tel. No. 815-1918
Telefax No. 893-2306

Chairman Wang's Prime Beef Noodle House Review

Chairman Wang's Prime Beef Noodle House: Alabang's Newest Authentic Chinese Noodle House 

Last April 1, 2014, I got invited in an intimate bloggers' gathering in Chairman Wang's Prime Beef Noodle House restaurant located in Molito ( a small mall situated beside Alabang Town Center), Alabang. It was actually my first time to attend a bloggers' event in a restaurant so it was pretty exciting for me. 

Mushroom Burger in Tagaytay

Last Sunday, we went to Mendez, Cavite to visit Paradizoo with the kids. It was so hot and walking around the zoo was quite tiresome so when we were finished with the zoo trip, we went straight to Mushroom Burger after hearing all the good reviews about it so we gave it a try.

I would like to apologize beforehand for most of the pictures without prices because my basis for the prices is supposed to be our receipt, but my husband told me that when he claimed our food (since it was a self-service restaurant), the cashier took the receipt with the designated number written on it so I was a bit shocked and a little irritated. I wanted to ask them to have our receipt back, but the line was soooo long and we were sooo hungry at that time so I didn't have enough energy to complain.

Looks more like a cafeteria inside

Unli Gravy!

Spaghetti that my son didn't eat because he didn't like the smell of the sauce. He must have thought that this was the same as Jollibee's spaghetti so he just ate the noodles without the sauce. :P

Burger steak meal with mushrooms.
This is what my sister-in-law ordered. I didn't hear any complain from her after eating this so it's either good or just so-so.

 Blueberry flavored pancakes (P99 with drink)!
I was able to finish all 3!They're quite soft and yummy. Nothing to complain about.

Regular burger with cheese (P86 w/ fries and drink)

If I were to rank this, this would be my second favorite burger next to Jollibee Yum with cheese. I liked the pink sauce that they used in it which probably was just mayonnaise and ketchup. But still, I liked everything about it - the patty, the cheese, the cucumber inside and the soft buns. 

Note: Contrary to common belief, the patty was actually made of beef, not mushrooms. They do have a burger made of mushrooms, but we weren't able to order one.

Lomi

Mushroom Burger's Tornado (P35)
This is probably one of the best soft served ice cream I've tasted and the most reasonably priced considering the generous size of it and the richness of the berries inside. The flavor of the berries overpowers the sweetness of the ice cream and I liked it.

They have only one size for the drinks and they're actually big in size. Definitely good value for your money

I actually enjoyed dining here because I liked the food, the simplicity of the place that gives you the "I can eat however I want" kind of feeling, and most especially the reasonable prices! There were 5 of us (3 adults, 2 kids) dining here and the bill didn't reach Php1,000.

When we go to Tagaytay once again, we'd probably return here especially if we're tight on the budget. I'll probably try their chicken meals next and the real mushroom burger. You can't miss this place when you go to Tagaytay because it's situated along the main highway very near Taal Vista Hotel.

Two thumbs up! 

Mushroom Burger
Km. 60, Brgy. Kaybagal
Tagaytay, Philippines
Monday-Sunday – 7:30 am to 11:00 pm
Tel: (+6346) 483-1330
Website: http://www.mushroomburger.com.ph

Kenji Tei in Alabang Town Center

We went to Alabang Town Center because I were to claim a prize from Ayala Cinemas - the 47 Ronin t-shirt and The Wolf of Wallstreet ref magnet. The shirt was so nice and my husband is the one currently using it, but I'm a bit disappointed with the ref magnet. I thought I would be given at least 3 magnets, but they only gave me one. Imagine if I were to travel all the way to their mall and just claim one magnet?

Well anyway, this blog isn't about the prizes. After claiming them, my husband pulled us into his all-time favorite Ramen house, Kenji Tei! If you've read my previous posts about Kenji Tei, they were once located in BF Homes, Paranaque, but they decided to transfer to Alabang Town Center to serve more customers.

So here we are and this was our dining experience:

Mango Juice (P86)

Crunchy Kani Maki - P288
I liked it, but nothing special. I was able to taste the same one in Rio Japanese Restaurant in BF Homes with a cheaper price. This one, though, is bit bigger in serving.

Shoyu Ramen - P288
Yummy as always.

Gomoku Sho Ramen - P268
Did not disappoint as always

I'd really wish they could serve smaller sizes of Ramen for kids. My son loves Ramen, but he still can't finish an entire bowl of it.

Our overall experience was all right. The service was great and the food was what we expected it to be. I just wasn't able to enjoy my food because my 1-year-old was always moving around so I got tired and a bit irritated while holding her.

Downsides:

• All their prices went high! Well, we did expect this to happen because they transferred to a mall so their prices became mall prices.
• Their have a bigger restaurant. Though, I have nothing against bigger restos, but I still liked the old, cozy Ramen house because somehow we were able to enjoy our food more with lesser people around compared with a  big crowd.

 It was quite nice to dine in to Kenji Tei once again. Maybe next time, we'll try some of their new items in the menu.

Kenji Tei Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/kenjitei