Entries Tagged 'Bar/Grills' ↓
Todd English Food Hall Manila Opens Today!
March 25th, 2014 — Bar/Grills, Casual, Chinese, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, European, Filipino, Fusion, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malaysian, Mexican, New Brews, Pizza / Pasta, Restaurants, Sinaporean, SM Aura Premier, Steakhouse, Sweet Shops, Taguig, Vietnamese, Western, Where To Eat
Watami Shangri-La Plaza Opens
March 20th, 2014 — Bar/Grills, Beverage, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Fusion, Japanese, Restaurants, Steakhouse
Watami, a Japanese Casual Restaurant, recently opened their 3rd branch in the Philippines at Shangri-La Plaza Mall in Ortigas. They serve a wide variety of authentic Japanese dishes infused with special sauces and spices that ranges from appetizers, sushi, skewers, hot pots, various meat and seafood dishes.
Watami also have a good costumer service, staff who are happy to help out, and cheerfully welcome you upon entry. As NomNom Club’s contributor, it’s my first time at Watami. It enriched my appreciation of what Japanese food is all about.
Japan has invaded our tummies with mouth-watering dishes and beverages. A modern but homey place and delicious food.
What I found interesting was the Watami Ramen. Its pork was tender and nicely blend with spices which makes it one of my favorite being tasty and satisfying.
If you’re a rice person, then you must try Special Curry with Deep Fried PorkTenderloin Cutlet Rice Set. The Tempura Rice Set is also a must try.
Moreover, I enjoyed the food without the hassle of smoke while having the fun to choose and pair food choices. Try theur refreshing glass of Passion Frut with Mango Tea and Kiwi Tea with Agar as well.
*Photos and article by contributor Tina Qunies
Watami prices are at par with its value for taste. Drop by and visit their 3rd and newest branch at 6th level, East Wing of Shangri-La Plaza. You can also visit Watami in Glorietta 2 and SM Mall of Asia. Visit their Facebook page here.
Photo Chips: Chili’s SM Megamall
January 19th, 2014 — Bar/Grills, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fusion, Mandaluyong, Mexican, New Brews, Restaurants, SM Megamall, Sweet Shops, Western, Where To Eat
NomNom Club recently visited Chili’s at The Atrium of SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City for the first time.
Here’s a short photoblog, aka ‘photo-chips‘, of what we had in the filling dinner a few days ago.
Chili’s SM Megamall
- Triple Dipper (P495) – a combo of three well-loved appetizers in Chili’s: Chicken Cripsers, Wings Over Buffalo, and Southwestern Eggrolls. The latter is a crispy flour tortilla filled with smoked chicken, black beans, corn, jalapeno jack cheese, red peppers and spinach. Triple Dipper also comes with avocado ranch dressing, among other sauces.
- Bottomless Tostada Chips with Skillet Queso (P390) – never tire with your unlimited crispy tostada chips with flavorful house-made salsa and skillet queso which is a combination of chesse dip and soft beef.
- Classic Nachos (P435) – It certainly looks like pizza, but they are nachos! These nachos has melted cheese on top, jalapenos, and beans served with house-made pico de gallo and sour cream. You have the option to add grilled beef for (P195), grilled chicken for (P95), and guacamole for (P55).
- High and Mighty Pie (P380) – Definitely a dessert to share (although I can finish this all by myself)! 🙂  It’s indeed high for a pie and mighty for a cake! It has Heath candy pieces in rich vanilla ice cream piled high on a crushed Oreo cookie crust and drizzled with caramel and hot fudge.
Lastly, we had the Big Mouth Burger Bites. We also had smoothies which are as good as desserts by the name of  Fresh Strawberry (P195) and Molten Chocolate (P195).
The former is a generous serving of vanilla ice cream blended with chunks of strawberries at the bottom. The latter is special chocolate coating blended with vanilla ice cream and milk. It’s creamier than the first.
Chili’s chilisphilippines.com 2F Greenbelt 5, Ayala Makati (729.3022) Northeast Greenhills, San Juan (727.2959) Tomas Morato corner Scout Fernandez, QC (372.5017) Power Plant Rockwell, Makati City (659.65627) SM Megamall (631.0380) Twitter/Instagram:Â @Chilis_PH
We used to go to Chili’s in Greenhills and the one at the Timog / Tomas Morato Area. Chili’s SM Megamall is surely a welcome addition to their list of branches which is more accessible.
An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour @ Tuscany
November 30th, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, European, Filipino, French, Fusion, Greek, McKinley Hill, Mexican, New Brews, Pizza / Pasta, Promos / Events, Quick Service, Restaurants, Spanish, Steakhouse, Sweet Shops, Taguig, Tuscany, Western, Where To Eat
There are four numbers to remember from this ‘Awesome Secret Foodies Tour‘ – they are 8, 20, 3, & 1000. The numerals represent 8 restaurants, a 20-course degustation, 3 Hours, and 1000 pesos.
The Tuscany Food Tour at McKinley Hill in Fort Bonifacio presents a 20-course degustation spread among 8 restaurants that intends to continually fill your tummies for 3 hours. All these for a measly P1,000 from you pocket. Moreover, 2 of the metro’s iconic foodies – RJ Ledesma and Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet – will join the group of 30 to make the experience more engaging.
Participating Restaurants in the Food Tour:
- Sauceria
- Planet Grapes
- L.E.S. Bagels
- Main Street
- Sophie’s Mom
- B&T Mexican Kitchen
- Marciano’s
- Trattoria Poggio Antico
Not to keep you wanting for too long, let’s take a peek on what the 8 restos  have to offer:
Planet Grapes
Wine pairing at Planet Grapes plus choice of one red wine and one white wine:
Trattoria Poggio Antico
B&T Mexican Chicken
L.E.S. Bagels
Marciano’s
Sauceria
Main Street
Sophie’s Mom
The place is dainty and cute fit for the little princess. However,  I’m not sure if the Red Velvet shown below will be offered because the tour menu only indicated Oreo Cheesecake Cookies and Flourless Chocolate Cupcakes (fyi). Any which way, you could always order it independently. 🙂
The “An Awesome Secret Foodies Tour” is presented by Megaworld Lifestyle Malls for you to discover Tuscany’s best kept secrets starting today (November 30) and for the next three more Saturdays (December 7, 14 and 21) from 2pm to 5pm.
The experience will enable you to taste a little bit of everything and get a feel of the place before splurging out on an entire meal. Only a limited set of 30 tickets will be available per date tour so hurry up and get your tickets at designated booths near the Tuscany Grand Villas Gate from 11:00am to 6:00pm (between Ukkokei Ramen Ron and Marciano’s).
For more information, you may call 709-0888, 709-9888 or 0917-838-0111.
Food Tour Tip: Eat slowly and enjoy the company as much as you would the food. Each participant will be given a tour kit including the tour ticket, tour pin, degustation menu and the McKinley Hill Gourmet Guide.
NomNom Top Picks are:
- Main Strreet’s Organic Maple and Candied Bacon Artisan Ice Cream
- Sauceria’s Tuna Tataki
- Sauceria’s Feta Cilantro Tomato Cocas
- Marciano’s West Side Four Season Pizza
- L.E.S. Bagels with black sesame seed (I forgot the name; it was long 🙂
- B&T Mexican Kitchen’s “Rice” drink
- Planet Grapes’ Torrontes wine.
Join this mouthwatering degustation at Tuscany in McKinley Hill with your friends and family and I’m sure you will enjoy it as much as we did during the media tour. This Tuscany Food Tour is a secret no more, but remains awesome for the next 4 Saturdays.
Photo Blog: UP Town Center in QC
November 21st, 2013 — Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Casual, Chinese, Coffee Shops, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, DIliman, European, Filipino, Fine Dining, Fusion, Greek, Hotels, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mexican, New Brews, Pizza / Pasta, Quezon City, Quick Service, Restaurants, Sinaporean, Spanish, Sweet Shops, UP Town Center, Where To Eat
Tagged as “where great minds come together to shop and dine,” the Ayala group has created a new lifestyle hub in Quezon City called UP Town Center.
Located in between UP Diliman campus and Ateneo De Manila University, the UP Town Center is patterned after the tradition of great university town centers around the world. The 7.4 hectare UP Diliman East Campus property along Katipunan Avenue in QC has been transformed into a “mixed-use retail and office development“.
Premium retailers, services, and restaurants will serve the needs and demands of office tenants, students, workers and surrounding residential communities surrounding the area.
What makes it unique from the usual retail developments is its bias of support for industry-academe collaboration such as on-the-job training and incubation of start-up businesses. Its operating hours is from Sunday – Thursday 10 AM to 9 PM; Friday & Saturday 10 AM to 10 PM.
Here are some establishments that are currently operating at the UP Town Center:
- Ba Noi’s
- Cafe Shibuya
- Family Mart
- Ginza Bairin
- Highlands Coffee
- IHOP Philippines
- J Co Donuts & Coffee
- Kos Greek Ouzeri
- Lucca Bakery
- Red Onion Cafe
- Ryu Ramen & Curry
- Salu-Salo
- Shrimp Bucket
- Steveston Pizza
- Tea Rock
- Tokyo Tonteki
- Torch
- Vanilla Cupcakes
Not in Photo:
- Boon Tong Kee Philippines
- 8 Cuts Burger Blends
- Dulcelin Gourmet
- Casa Verde
- Pinac
- The Primary Kitchen Bar
Soon to Open:
- Aeropostale
UP Town Center
1101 Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines
uptowncenter.info@gmail.com
http://www.ayalamalls.com.ph/
I was able to dine at Ginza Bairin. Watch out for its feature here in NomNom Club soon! Enjoy special treats at the UP Town Center when you present your student ID until November 30, 2013!
Beyond Ordinary @ the New 26th St. Bistro by CBTL
September 10th, 2013 — Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Bonifacio Global City, Casual, Coffee Shops, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Fusion, Mandaluyong, New Brews, Restaurants, Shangri-La Mall, Steakhouse, Sweet Shops, Taguig, Western, Where To Eat
More commonly known as ‘CBTL’, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf turns 50 this 2013 with an extraordinary celebration. Going beyond being the pioneer of the original ice blended drinks and the first to offer tea lattes, CBTL recently unveiled its latest unique dining concept by the name “26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leafâ€.
Dipping its fingers into the full-service restaurant industry, CBTL intends to deliver ‘#everydayextraordinary’ dining experiences to its customers through its everyday meals that are of high quality while maintaining affordable prices.
The #EverydayExtraordinary Dinner
This is exactly what we experienced last week when NomNom Club was invited together with a long table full of food writers and bloggers. We got to try taste-sized servings of some of the best of what their menu has to offer, from soup to dessert.
Salmon Fishcakes with Greens
We started with a medium-sized salad plate of Salmon Fishcakes with Greens (P345). The basic mixed greens was complemented well with the balsamic vinaigrette while the pan-fried Norwegian salmon cakes with smoked paprika aioli beside it was cooked just right.
I started the meal right as it turned out later on that this was my favorite dish of the night.
Wild Mushroom Soup
The appetizer was followed by a good serving of Wild Mushroom soup (P225). I’m not so much a fan of mushroom soups but this one was good. It’s flavorful concoction was due to the fact that it was a combination of button, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. The latter dominated the taste.
Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine
The entrees was started by the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine (P395) which is a white sauce-based linguine pasta served with seared tiger prawns and shiitake mushrooms. I love prawns and needless to say, the dish was gone in a dash.
Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala
From light to heavy, the second dish – Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala (P475) – will fill your craving for meat as the pan-roasted steak was fork-tender. Completing the dish was potato gratin and marsala sauce on the side.
Chocolate Lava a la Mode
With the series of good food, my expectations for my well-anticipated dessert/s was high. Sadly, similar to another food blogger across the table, it fell short as we expected the Chocolate Lava a la Mode (P235) to be more moist with some actual ‘chocolate lava’ at the center.
Nonetheless, the chocolate cake was generally ‘ok,’ The others had the apple crumble a la mode.
Breakfast. Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
The 26th St. Bistro by The CBTL caters to the whole day foodie from breakfast to lunch and dinner, including in between snacks and coffee. The restaurant is brimming with yuppies and executives from surrounding buildings and offices around Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
For breakfast, I’d like to try the following soon: Toblerone Pancakes with Salted Caramel and Peach Stuffed French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs and Smoked Salmon Florentine, and the Tapsilog-inspired Filipino breakfast served with U.S. Angus Beef Tapa and Baked Pesto Tomato.
The lunch and dinner menu has a selection of light and heavy salads, soups, pastas and entrees including Spinach and Blue Cheese Farfalle, Slow Roasted Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Lamb Chops with Ratatouille and Rosemary Marble Potatoes.
They also have an expanded range of sandwiches including the vegetarian option Portobello Mushroom Ciabatta.
For desserts, I look forward to trying the Pannacotta Sampler paired with a cup of hot African Sunrise tea, the decadent Turtle Pie, Apple Crumble ala mode, and any of the Chicago–Blueberry–Toblerone–Triple Decker family of cheesecakes in my next visit.
Of course they also serve the signature CBTL coffee and tea beverages plus imported wines and beers.
The 26th St. Bistro distinguishes itself from the usual Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches with its larger and more comfortable dining area, as expected from a full-service restaurant. The ambiance is also upscale while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere.
26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
26th St. corner 5th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
Twitter/Instagram: @CBTLph
Join their tagline and share your #everydayextraordinary experience in Facebook, Twitter or Instagram whenever you visit the 26th Street Bistro. They also have a branch for those in the Ortigas business district at the East Wing, 5th Level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
Kapitolyo Food Trip: A Stone’s Throw Away from Avida
August 23rd, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Bonifacio Global City, Bonifacio High Street, Casual, Chinese, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Foodie Information, Indonesian, Kapitolyo, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Malaysian, New Brews, Nomnom Loves, Pasig, Pizza / Pasta, Promos / Events, Restaurants, Singapore, Steakhouse, Tagaytay, Taguig, Where To Eat
I had lived within the vicinity of Kapitolyo in Pasig for a year or two sometime between 2001 to 2004. It was already a foodie haven back then. Home-based food establishments can be found left and right and I used to have a simple dinner in a street corner restaurant called Cafe Juanita.
Ten years later, surrounding towns have  developed such as the nearby community of Avida Towers Centera along Reliance Street. A stone’s throw away from the Kapitolyo food streets, Avida Towers Centera is a residential condominium located at the corner of EDSA, Reliance, and Mayflower Streets.
Kapitolyo Food Tour
Last weekend, a day before the recent typhoon Maring devastated parts of Metro Manila, we had a day of food tripping around Kapitolyo together with some guys from Avida Land. I immediately noticed that there were a lot of new food establishments, with some replacing even formerly non-food establishments.
Milky & Sunny
First stop was Milky & Sunny for our breakfast. With interiors in the theme of baby-blue and white, it really sets you in the mood for the morning sunshine. Milky & Sunny had just opened in October of 2011 and I’m loving their fluffy soft waffles and tasty-toasty french toast.
I ordered the Choco Hazelnut French Toast (P150) and Spam Sandwich Specials (P150). The others ordered the famous Breakfast Platters which is a big plate consisting of a choice of three from bacon, hotdog, sausage, spam, and corned beef. Then add a choice of bagel, toast, waffle, or pancake. And finally, take a choice of scrambled egg or sunny side up. The big plate also includes hash potatoes.
Although I found the combination of their Spam and egg in the ‘Spam Sandwich‘ a bit too salty together, the Choco Hazelnut french toast was a good one and is worth coming back to.
Since it would be crazy to immediately jump to Poco Deli for lunch, we found it a perfect time to check out the model units of the nearby Avida Towers Centera. Check out my photos of Avida Centera here.
Poco Deli
Giant sausages, bacon rice, and bacon slabs were the celebrities for lunch.
It was raining different kinds of sausages in our table inside Poco Deli. It gave me flashbacks of the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” which I watched recently through ClickPlay app.
Anyhow, our group made sure we ordered different entrees so we can try out as much. I ordered Mom’s Pot Roast (P320) while the rest had a German Sausage Platter/sampler, Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice, and Beef Stew, among others.
Although my order didn’t came through, I told the waiter that it was ok since I had enough from tasting all the entrees around me and was satisfied.
The German sausage platter is a good idea to share in a group of 3 to have some guide on what to order next. Bacon lovers should try the Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice (P320) [TOP PHOTO]. For a change, have your bacon in chunks. I had high expectation from the bacon rice. But it turned out to be a simple cup of rice with generous sprinkles of bacon bits on top. I think it’s ok, I just expected a lot.
Although that was a  let down, you should not miss the Citrus Delight (120). A bit citrus-y and sweet, it was ultimately refreshing. Make sure to press on the orange slices and stir well so you get maximum pulp bits with every sip.  Pizza, pasta, cold cuts, cheeses, and gourmet sandwiches are the other options.
The desserts were also a killer. The Blackout Chocolate Cake(P155) is aptly named and will get all praises from chocolate lovers, most probabaly. If you are not, the other cake behind is tamer – the White Mountain Cake (P150).
Poco Deli has another branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens, or so their poster says. Checking that out is something I look forward to.
Charlie’s Grind and Grill
Straight from lunch, we headed to the next for merienda [snacks] (yes you read that right). That’s what we did all day – eat; this is a food tour after all.
Store design wise, don’t expect much from Charlie’s. It is beside a car wash station which I think also belongs to the owner. That says it all. But believe it or not, their menu board consists of Black Angus Burgers, Wagyu CheeseBurgers, natural-cut french fries, and related burger variants with a commanding price of P200 up for each burger.
But what caught my fancy most was something I saw for the first time in all the burger joints I’ve been to – the San Miguel Beer Burger. I knew at that moment that I’m not going to leave this place without trying that Beer Burger.
And so I did.
10 minutes later, it came as served by a rowdy-looking but courteous waiter. Even before you take a bite, you can smell the hint of beer right from the aroma. I uncovered the top bun first and a slew of seemingly sauteed onion and mushroom greeted me. This was followed by the bacon, the meat patty resting on a huge fresh onion and the usual burger conspirators.
I had a bite, turned my tongue upside down and back. Aside from the burger patty, I can taste a hint of beer even with the onion and mushrooms. This was confirmed by the server. It had griddle mushrooms, bacon baked onions, cheddar cheese, mayo, Â SMB BBQ Sauce , and the toasted beer bun.
At P350, it is not cheap but worth the experience and having the right to say “I have tried a San Miguel Beer Burger“. It tasted good too! 🙂
Needless to say, I didn’t have to eat dinner that night.
Avida Towers Centera
In a similar way, the lifestyle being offered by the Avida Towers Centera to its future residents are filled with dynamic activities and food scene such as the Core @ Centera for the fitness and sports buff, the Hub @ Centera for the techie, the Peak @ Centera for a magnificent views of the cityscape; the Serenity Park @ Centera for the peace seeker, and the Shops @ Centera for the city dweller. Know more about Avida condominiums via www.avidaland.com and www.facebook.com/AvidaLandCorp, or call (+632) 848 5200 (within Metro Manila) and 1-800-10 848 5200 (outside Metro Manila).
And that was my fattening Kapitolyo Food Trip last weekend. The following days of being stuck at home, care of typhoon Maring, didn’t help in burning all the calories I gained. 🙂
Kidding aside, it was great to discover these new foodie spots in nearby the residential area of Avida Towers Centera and the Kapitolyo food scene.
This. is. life.
5 Bonfire Restaurant Dishes You Shouldn’t Miss
June 9th, 2013 — Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fusion, Greenhills, Greenhills Town Center, New Brews, Pizza / Pasta, Restaurants, Steakhouse, Western, Where To Eat
A bonfire is not only found at the beach front encircled by a group of people for an activity, it is also a new restaurant where people can gather for a simple get-together or a  celebration.
Replacing Sumosam at the Greenhills Town Center, Bonfire Restaurant opened just a few months ago offering straightforward comfort-food. Although they are slowly getting known for their steaks and baby back ribs, I love them for their pizza more.
Here is a straightforward list of Bonfire dishes you shouldn’t miss: at Bonfire Restaurant
1. Shrimp, Mango, and Alfalfa Salad
Start your meal right with the Shrimp, Mango, and Alfalfa Salad (P185) as appetizer. It’s a handful toss of fresh shrimp, mango, and alfalfa salad combination good for 2 persons. It will clean your palette ready for the main dishes.
2. All-in-One Pizza
The All-in-One Pizza is similar to the super supreme pizza which you are familiar with, only better. Topped with ground beef, olives, button mushrooms, bell pepper, and more, It’s a really tasty treat priced at P340 per serving.
3. Bonfire Grilled Chicken Pizza
And when you thought you already had All-in-One Pizza above, it just gets better with the Bonfire Grilled Chicken Pizza (P295). The chicken strips complemented well with the cheese on thin crust highlighted by the brown sauce you can see from the photo. I wasn’t able to confirm though if this was some kind of barbecue-related sauce.
Moreover, it was odd to find grapes slices on a pizza but they’re not bad at all. This is actually the flagship dish in this list; at least for me. It was not named after the restaurant for nothing.
4. Pan Seared Creamy Dory and Spinach Fillet
And now for the first main dish – the Pan Seared Creamy Dory and Spinach Fillet. Seemingly shy and covered with crispy spinach leaves, the soft dory came with a rich cream sauce and mashed potatoes on the side.
Although a bit expensive at P305 for its size, the taste and symphony of flavors made it all worthwhile.
5. Baby Back Ribs
And now for the big boys, you should not leave Bonfire without having a serving of their Baby Back Ribs. The pork ribs are delightfully tender smothered in rich hickory barbecue sauce. It will remind you of your mother’s home-cooked recipe.
It is also served with mashed potato, sweet corn, and some veggies on the side.This one goes for P385 per serving.
Desserts
A meal is not complete for NomNom Club with out desserts. So we tried Bonfire Smores and Dulce de Leche Cheesecake.
The former had chucks of roasted marshmallows in between graham crackers topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzles of chocolate syrup. P125 per serving.
I prefer the latter however. Although it is almost doubly expensive at P210, the cheesecake-and-cream melody was almost perfect and light. It was a seemingly suitable ending for the heavy pizza and ribs.
Bonfire
Greenhills Town Center (near Gilmore corner Aurora Blvd)
#2 Granada St., Barangay Valencia, Quezon City