Affordable and Authentic Korean Barbecue in Makchang Korean Restaurant Ermita

Our family loves Korean food so much. Ye Dang in Ortigas is our usual go-to place whenever we crave for some authentic Korea food.  One Friday after we went to the National Museum, Mom, Dad and myself, we went to Makchang in Ermita, Manila which my sister always recommends.

Makchang grills using traditional charcoal, unlike other Korean barbecue restaurants which use electric or gas grillers. That's why you will get that authentic charcoal-smokey flavor on the meat. So good!

Winner Beef Wanton Mami in Charlie Wanton Special

One of the things I love about Saturdays lately is Yan and I get to tick something off our wedding checklist while spending QT together getting the chance to explore different restaurants along the way.

We always pass by this humble Chinese restaurant called Charlie Wanton Special when we transverse the San Juan route which is Yan's favorite route on a weekend going north. Yan said it should be good because there are lots of vehicles parked in front of it every time we pass by. We always tell ourselves we'll go there one of these days. One Saturday after some errands for our wedding in the area, we finally went to Charlie Wanton Special and tried their best-seller Beef Wanton Noodle Soup, and the giant siopao.

Kapitolyo Foodie Bucket List: Got to Love Desserts at Karen's Kitchen

My craving for a good Red Velvet cake led me to visit this recently opened love-themed restaurant in Kapitolyo, Pasig - Karen's Kitchen.  This was after a hearty lunch on a rainy Saturday at BullChef also in Kapitolyo.  Kapitloyo's such a foodie haven!

Aside from the heavenly desserts, Karen's Kitchen's ambiance is also so charming and interesting.

The Red Velvet was moist and soft. Yan loved it so much. This cake was awarded Top 10 Red Velvet in Spot.ph's Top 10 Food Awards 2014. While I just fell head over heels for the Sitcky Toffee Pudding! It has a texture and flavor I find so delightful. I have to admit I have never quite tasted anything like it.

My Vanilla Custard Pudding Recipe

I looove puddings! They're one of the best desserts there is. My taste buds adore simple flavors, and I'm just head over heels with vanilla puddings. I recently saw "Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations" episode in Macau where he featured steamed milk pudding, among other Macanese dishes. I've been to Macau several times, but I've never tried this dessert. My craving for it led me to make one. It's so easy and the ingredients are commonly found in your kitchen. Here it is! My own version of milk pudding which I'll name Vanilla Custard Pudding - yum! I also did a version with a twist of health benefits - Custard Chia Pudding.

Your Favorite Movie Stars Come to Life in Movie Stars Cafe

When entering Movie Stars Cafe, one must be prepared for a festive dining atmosphere. There's no door fee and you get to see your favorite movie characters and watch them in action! Kids would definitely get frantic with all the visual spectacle Movie Stars Cafe offers.  Movie Stars Cafe, located in the Seaside Blvd., Mall of Asia, is a movie memorabilia studio slash cafe and restaurant. Talk about entertainment!

Characters in full costume are a common sight, even the waiters are dressed as movie characters. Guests can take all the photos they want. But wait till the show started, it's a spectacle you wouldn't expect to find here. The shows are scheduled with intervals of 15 minutes.

Kapitolyo Foodie Bucket List: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

It's been a while! A long while. My last post was about the raffle I held with high hopes of getting more respondents for the survey that I did for my IMC campaign in order to finish grad school. And so I did. And I am happy to be back! I have a looong list of topics I am itching to write about, let me start with one of the stops in our Kapitiolyo Food Bucket List.

If you are a foodie, sure you must have been to Kapitolyo, Pasig where a hub of unique, affordable and good restaurants can be found.  One of the first stops - Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina.

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina uniquely showcases a fusion of unpretentious Filipino and Mexican flavors.  Mexican is my number one favorite cuisine in the world, and so I would not mind queuing up to try the dishes that make this place so packed every single time I pass by.

We ate here several months ago, way before my life got held up by grad school's last and most tedious challenge. I made notes, so don't worry. :)

We ordered Silantro's Quesadillas which comes in two big servings for only Php160, Lucha Tacos Medio which comes with two tacos with double choice of meat for Php 95, and of course you gotta have the Silantro's Burrito which was a giant for Php 180.

This Quesadilla was unlike anything I've had. It's drowning in mushrooms, chicken, mozarella cheese, it was so good. It was unexpected. Yes, it was a deviation from the Mexican Quesadillas I'm used to, but it was sooo good! Served with fries on the side. An order is good for 2 persons.

Silantro's Quesadillas - must try!

I swear it's worth it!

Truly, Deeply Mad for Garlic!

Mad for garlic or not, you will definitely find the unique gastronomical experience Mad for Garlic in Bonifacio Global City offers addicting. Love garlic? This Korean-Italian bistro is a food haven! Mad at garlic? You will still love the dishes that's for sure! It's not just about the super strong flavor of garlic cloves in your food. It's the creativity of complementing garlic with other ingredients to create mouthwatering, unique flavors.

Mad for Garlic is a popular restaurant in Korea brought to the Philippines offering garlic-based Italian dishes with an Asian twist. The branch in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig is the first and only in the country as of now. It does not only serve garlic-based dishes, but also a vast selection of premium wines.

As you enter you will find a restaurant adorned with wine cellars. The ambiance is classy and relaxed. 

We dined on Christmas day and the resto is not packed compared to the queue of the customers in IHOP, situated beside it, which draws a crowd especially on occasions like this.

Chef Arnold's Pizza: Good Italian Food Carinderia-Style

One day Dad brought home a plain white box of home-made pizza. Just another budget pizza, I thought. I'm really not a pizza fan now, but this cheap pizza in a plain white box brought my love for pizza back. I never expected what my palate told me the first time I took a bite.

Chef Arnold's New Yorker Pizza

Chef Arnold's Marinara Pizza - my personal favorite!

Chef Arnold's Pizza is a humble pizza place, carinderia style, where patrons patiently queue and wait as their pizza orders are being done. Pizzas here are made upon order to ensure its freshness. From a ball of dough, it will be worked on into a pizza masterpiece right in front of you.

Atelier 317: Secret Resto in Makati

We all know it's quite a pain to dine out on V-day in the metro together with hundreds of other couples trying to squeeze in a nice dinner for two on a busy day.  I just did not want that.

So last Valentines Day, I looked for a quiet and nice restaurant far from the places crowded with lovers.  I simply Googled secret restaurant in Makati and found Atelier 317, a small fine dining restaurant hidden in the outskirts of Makati. (Don't we just love the web?) I got really curious as the Facebook page does not give the address, rather says they'll give it only upon reservation.

The restaurant's owned by Stephanie Zubiri whose travels across the globe inspired the dishes of  her small, but classy restaurant.  It serves Filipino classics with a global twist to French café fare and ethnic specialties.  Truly interesting.

And so I made a reservation a week before the V-day, and luckily it was confirmed by Stephanie herself.

Oh My Custaroons!

Custaroons

Have you ever heard of Custaroons?  It's obviously a compound word for custard and macaroons - sounds interesting as it sounds yummy!

Only one store in the country sells this heavenly dessert - The Custaroonery Manila located right inside the compound of St. Pio Chapel. Every year on Holy Thursday we go to St. Pio Chapel for its one of a kind Station of the Cross, where you have to carry a cross literally while doing it, and we never miss the Custaroons.

Abuhan Tres: Must-try Cebu's Sizzling Pochero

During the first few days of our recent trip to Cebu, we indulged in the delicious and fatty foods Cebu has to offer.  Cebu is indeed a haven of mouth-watering Filipino dishes and it is so difficult to hold back from eating all of them!

Look at that UTAK!

 Abuhan Tres in I.T. Park was one of the restos we visited during the few days of our food trip stint.  The highlight is definitely their Sizzling Pochero.  Pochero in Cebu is popularly known as Bulalo by the Tagalogs.  So this for me is one fine Sizzling Bulalo Steak!

Italian Dining Pleasure Al Fresco at Buon Giorno Tagaytay

Looking for a perfect spot in Tagaytay to hold intimate Christmas gatherings with friends and family?  Here's one for the holidays!

Yan and I celebrated our anniversary in this relaxing Italian restaurant overlooking the Taal Lake - Buon Giorno Caffe and Bistro in Cliff House Tagaytay.  We arrived at 11 AM, before everyone else, for lunch so we got the benefit of picking the most sought for seat in the house, the Opium Bed.  There are two of this seat in the resto, the one which we chose was located at the far end of the outside dining area with the magnificent view of the lake, while the other one is just beside the entrance of the restaurant.

The opium bed at Buon Giorno - best seat in the house!

We had Baby Back Ribs, Spaghettini Aglio Olio and New York Pizza.  The Baby Back Ribs option prevailed over Rib Eye, next time we'll try the latter.  The Aglio Olio was a no-brainer, it's always my default pasta choice. ;) I looove pasta in oil. Both were very good. The pizza was so-so, not as wonderful as the other two.  Servings were in small portions and is good for only one person, maybe two if you are sharing more than two dishes. I like the bread as well, which was complimentary and which basket was kept refilled throughout.   There were balsamic vinegar and olive oil for dip.

Baby Back Ribs (PHP 598)

Spaghettini Aglio Olio (PHP 272)

New York Pizza (PHP 295)

The stunning view from the opium bed.

Buon Giorno Caffe and Bistro at lunch time

Outside dining, this fills up first before the inside of the restaurant.  Well, that's why you're in Tagaytay right?

Inside the restaurant where diners go when the outside area is already full.

The complete menu for your picking!

For the dessert, we opt to buy some ice cream at the ice cream station just beside the restaurant (near the bathroom) which we still enjoyed at the opium bed. :)   Buon Giorno Caffe and Bistro is located inside Cliff House Tagaytay in General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City. Phone number is (046) 413 210.  It's open from Monday to Sunday, 7:30 AM to 10:30 PM.

We enjoyed Buon Giorno's meals, its ambiance and the service, and we'll definitely come back for more!  ♥

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