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Category: Food Reviews

Review of L’Opera Ristorante Italiano (The Fort Strip, BGC, Taguig)

Thanks to Zomato for choosing me as the winner of their Write for a Bite Contest the second time around, I earned a PHp 1000 voucher in this chic restaurant in The Fort Strip, Taguig (or shall I say Makati City now?) last Saturday.

For four, please. I was glad that my dad and my sister agreed to join us for dinner at L’Opera Ristorante Italiano or my mom and I would be forced to finish everything ourselves!

Having a pleasant family dinner always puts a smile on my face. Dining into an all-star restaurant offering a great selection of vegetarian dishes makes this smile even wider. 😀 Too often vegetarian-friendly restaurants tend to over-complicate and over-compensate, but L’Opera Ristorante Italiano by L’Opera Holdings, Inc. is not afraid to let their ingredients shine with a daring simplicity and a passion for flavor.

Review of L’Opera Ristorante Italiano (The Fort Strip, BGC, Taguig)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

I have seen one or two reviews about this place so I know I could expect the ambiance to be elegant and quite classy. True enough, the interior design was grand and well above and beyond expectations. Wine bottles were displayed on the walls. The chandeliers and lighting, thick curtains, heavy golden chairs and tables, and rustic flooring all provided an enchanting vibe. Background music was soothing to the ears. We felt like dining in some royal event in this “two-storey palace.”

Service: ★★★★★

Servers were friendly and interactive. They gave good recommendations and answered our questions on food kindly. We appreciated their good service from automatic refilling of water, positioning the plates to fit well on the table to taking our pictures and following our requests quickly.

Food: ★★★★★

Our server warned us that cooking time of the food we ordered requires patience. To satisfy us while waiting, she served a basket of complimentary appetizers onto our table. It consisted of their homemade focaccia bread (four pizza-shaped ones and four regular-shaped bread), a flat oven-baked Italian bread that’s a wonderful alternative to garlic bread, which we topped and flavored with patie liver spread, black olives purée, sliced tomatoes in olive oil and butter.

The combination of these tasted surprisingly awesome. What’s good is that you can order unlimited refills of the focaccia bread but of course, don’t be too greedy or you’d be too full to appreciate the main entrées.

After like 30 minutes, the four dishes we ordered came almost simultaneously one after the other. First was the Pizza con verdure grigliate (PHp 460). The name was too hard to pronounce and we were also left speechless after finishing a slice. There were eight slices of this pizza filled with tomatoes, mozarella cheese, grilled eggplant, zucchini and bell peppers.

The mozzarella was super oozy, the sauce perfectly tomato-y. We added a touch of salt and pepper to make the pizza more appetizing. The crust and bottom were crispy and thin. It was comforting and hearty and felt really light. For sure, it’s a pie to beat.

Second came our Pasta Vegetarianas: Penne all’ Arrabbiata con Porcini (PHp 360) and Trofie Al Pesto Alla Genovese (PHp 380). Why two pastas in one meal? you ask. Well, my mom’s pasta addiction certainly knows no bounds. We were entranced by the tastes of these pastas.

The Penne all’ Arrabbiata con Porcini was cooked with garlic, basilico, chili and porcini mushrooms in fresh spicy pomodoro sauce. I accidentally ate the chili together with the penne and thought the spiciness was tolerable. Porcini mushrooms are no picnic to find. In fact I haven’t seen them sold in our local supermarkets. The care taken in bringing out every bit of flavor from the tomatoes also was a prime example of what vegetable-centric cooking should be.

We gave another “thumbs up” to the Genova-style pasta with freshly made basil pesto sauce – Trofie Al Pesto Alla Genovese. I mean, there’s nothing like green pasta to brighten up a meal. The taste of pesto was very evident, punctuating the whole dish. To add savory bites, I thought toasted pine nuts would allow for that missing extra crunch and nuttiness. Nevertheless, this meat-free pasta was extravagant, authentic, and just may be the best if you want to impress your non-vegetarian friends. 🙂

Lastly we had the Ravioli Ai Funghi Porcini (PHp 390) which was recommended by the staff under the “Pasta Fresca” category. It comprised of seven mushroom-filled ravioli in their porcini mushroom cream sauce. The earthy punch of porcini mushrooms was DIVINE. The hook is in. Inside the ravioli was cheese. Immediately once you taste heavenly find, you might not want to go back down to earth. 😛

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

As a complete Italian fine dining restaurant, L’Opera Ristorante Italiano is a keeper! You’d walk out of this venue with a tab that’s lower than what you’d rack up by sharing at a small-plates eatery and those restaurants where you have to nibble. Here, you gorge. Portions of food were bigger than we expected. Essentially, it had was one of the best renditions of pastas and pizzas I’ve come by. Prices of food may be at the high end. Ultimately though, the money-to-happiness ratio was truly a steal. 😀

Click here to view the list of food on their menu.

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Operating hours: 11:30AM-2:30PM; 6:30PM-10PM – daily

September 9, 2013
Review of Project Pie (Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong)

I’m the first to admit that I haven’t much covered Mandaluyong, the “Tiger City of the Philippines” or “Metro Manila’s Heart,” as much as it deserves. While I have eaten my way through Chinatown and most malls in Manila, my coverage starts to thin out in restaurants in Quezon City, Eastwood, Ortigas, etc. The lack of posts though doesn’t mean there is a lack of options.

It’s frustrating because some of the most quintessential eats (that are not of Chinese cuisine) are far from my place. Reaching for the best vegetarian-friendly burger, ramen, macarons, cupcakes, paella, etc. I’ve ever sampled means sitting in an hour or more of traffic jams. Get the picture?

Recently, I have been absolutely smitten with the idea of Project Pie: EVERYDAY ARTISAN PIZZA CUSTOM BUILT BY YOU. The concept is really cool, whereby customers can choose the kind and amount of pizza toppings they want to have on a 12″ thin pizza for PHp 285. Preparing and making the pizza normally take only seven to 10 minutes.

So I was much allured and the only problem was accessibility to the location. This restaurant is not conveniently accessible by public transport. I thought to bring a car but then again, I don’t want to drive around areas such as Shaw Boulevard, Wack Wack, Highway Hills which I’m not familiar with. Fortunately, Louie agreed to tag along with me and my friends to have lunch here last Sunday. Translation: I can be a “free rider.” Wee. 😛

Review of Project Pie (Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

The decoration was plain and sparse. “Zigzag” light bulbs encompassing the ceiling brought sheer luminance to the entire area. Also adding to the brightness were the transparent walls and windows covering one side of the restaurant.

The Project Pie logo on the opposite wall was large to encourage interested dining customers to take it as a background for photo opportunities. On the other two sides of the wall were favorite sayings of famous people. They were very catchy and inspiring.

The queue to the counter was insanely long. Project Pie is a quick-server restaurant; however, customers tend to linger and enjoy their stay. Turnover is not as quick as other fast food chains. So there was a large number of people who stood and waited beside the taken tables, staring at the food and hoping for them to be finished immediately.

Of course those were awkward scenes. Somehow, seated customers can feel guilty and the same cycle would go on all day.

The tables and chairs can accommodate up to about 60 people, but according to my count, there were about double the number of customers who were present that day. Because of this, the environment was noisy and air conditioning did not seem to be enough. On a positive note, the place was clean as a whistle.

Service: ★★★☆☆

Initially, you would think that the staff would be responsible for finding and reserving seats for you upon your entrance. But after a few minutes of observation, you would notice that this is mainly a self-service restaurant. As you order and pay the cashier, you would get a tray of pizzas or pies and serve food to your table.

It’s best to come here when you have company or be prepared to stand still alone after getting your order from the counter until you find an available seat for yourself. Napkins, disposable forks and knives and spices/condiments can be taken from a station.

Food: ★★★★☆

Design. Build. Eat. I can describe Project Pie’s food as simple but perfectly executed. The menu is pretty straightforward as well. You can have the preset combination of toppings and/or pick your own toppings (for no extra cost) to add on. The pie is placed in the wood-fired oven at the end of the assembly, and you get the finished product easy-peasy.

We had the pre-set combinations no. 2, 6, and 7 and the banana nutella pie for dessert:

2 (PHp 285): red sauce, pepperoni, mozzarella, Italian sausage, garlic, crumbled meatballs

6 (PHp 285): grilled chicken, sliced red onion, cilantro, mozzarella, gorgonzola, barbecue sauce

7 (PHp 285): prosciutoo, caramelized onions, mozzarella, parmesan

Banana Nutella (PHp 145): banana and nutella

The pizzas looked unassuming, no big deal. The bottom didn’t get perfectly brown but they were nicely cooked and tasted great. A minute or so could be used under the broiler to brown up the cheese and toppings a bit more. Requiring slight chew, the base was thin and crispy but it has to be eaten quickly or it would be rubbery when cold.

I especially liked the banana nutella. It had the most unique, drool-worthy presentation. Yum! 😛 You can never go wrong with nutella, I guess.

Consider the following in building or designing your own pizza:
1. White pizza (with Olive Oil only) or Red Pizza (with their signature red sauce)
2. Meat options: Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Crumbled Meatballs, Grilled chicken, Canadian Bacon, Prosciutto, and Bacon
3. Cheese options: Gorgonzolla, Ricotta, Parmesan, Feta Cheese, and Mozzarella
4. Chili: Jalapeños, Green Bell Peppers and Roasted Red Peppers
5. Pineapples?
6. Vegetables and spices: Red Onions, Caramelized Onions, Cilantro, Tomatoes, Black Olives, Garlic, Pesto, Artichokes, Freshly Chopped basil, Rosemary, Mushrooms, Anchovies

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Project Pie is an awesome find. It’s is like a Subway (niche: sandwiches) or The BRGR Project (niche: burgers) for personal-sized pizzas. PHp 285 for one pizza cut to four slices good for 1-2 people is not bad.

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Operating Hours:
Every day: 10AM-10PM
No reservations available. No phone available. No home delivery.

September 4, 2013
Review of Cajun Red Rock (SM Megamall Megastrip B, Mandaluyong)

For the record, this post has been a back log for a month already! Whoa. What this implies is that I’m totally not excited to report my review on this restaurant — Cajun Red Rock, in particular. The food simply failed to rock my world.

If you’re an avid reader of this blog, you probably know by now that I’m not a fan of pasta and all the more, meaty dishes. So when pasta and meat are combined together, I’m like 95% sure that disaster would be gushing right through my door. But since Louie is fond of eating these food, I thought it was okay to give them a try.

Review of Cajun Red Rock (SM Megamall Megastrip B, Mandaluyong)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

The first branch of Cajun Red Rock was only a burger joint in Glorietta built in 2000. After receiving positive responses and warm accolade from customers, the owners were inspired to open a restaurant in SM MegaMall from a garage in Retiro.

Cajun Red Rock is a family restaurant with a New Orleans setup. The walls are decorated with pictures and stuff related to New Orleans. The place seemed casual but what I didn’t like was that everyone can see you eating inside or outside and there’s no sense of privacy.

The interior design is kept simple — not anything special or unusual, not breathtaking. It’s a restaurant theme that’s not bold but one that you won’t get tired of. It’s not the kind that takes your breath away but one that makes you breathe.

Service: ★★★☆☆

Because the restaurant’s interior area is shaped like an L with the counter and most of the servers positioned at the “|” side and not both the “|” and “_” sides, calling servers’ attention was hard for diners like us who were seated at the “_” side. Some waiters were also attending and serving requests of those outside. So it was too tempting to just stand up and walk to them instead of raising a hand till the cows come home. Overall, service was mediocre in this branch.

Food: ★★☆☆☆

Louie ordered Cajun Bourbon Ribs (PHp 360) and Creole Chicken Pasta (PHp 250) for us. I can’t remember how he made me say yes to these two.

While waiting for our orders, we were given a small bowl of popcorn to munch on. The popcorn was bland and it needed pinches of salt badly. It was not a fun starter. I also thought it was not fresh as some flattened between my teeth into a stale, impenetrable pancake.

Onto our actual orders, first up was the Cajun Bourbon Ribs. Presentation-wise, this signature dish was noteworthy. We saw other customers having the same on their tables. The food was meticulously prepared and done, even reaching to a point where it assuaged some remorse over getting this “carnivorous” plate. Taste-wise, I felt the remorse back. 🙁

Much force and effort was required to slice through even a small portion of this age-old house tradition grilled back ribs. I didn’t think that it was tender or juicy. The bourbon sauce, on the other hand, was strong and unique. It gave life to the slow simmered ribs that were, to me, not well formed. The saffron rice and the sweet potato mojos tasted fine. They were neither overwhelming nor getting lost in the other flavor.

Next came Cajun’s Creole Chicken Pasta which was full of tomatoes and red and green bell peppers. Served with crisp chicken strips, this other signature dish had a lick of heavy cream on it. The pasta provided a chewy texture against the smooth sauce with a hit of cheese amid it all. It was not better than any pasta I’ve tried but it was okay.

Price for Value: ★★☆☆☆

I hate to say this but honestly I didn’t enjoy eating at Cajun’s Red Rock, as mentioned in the intro. The food was not likeable but maybe I’m really not the best to rate this restaurant or their food after all because my taste buds are pretty different from the majority of people who are used to eating meat.

Cajun Red Rock was packed with diners that day, and this showed how their food are much appreciated. We’ll see about that in another time when I get to sample their seafood entrees on the menu. For now at least, I give 2/5 stars for what our cash had been worth.

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Other branches:
Level 4, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas, Quezon City
Contact number: (02) 4709961, +63922 8791315

108, N.S. Amoranto Street, Santo Domingo, Quezon City
Contact number: (02) 4152605

August 29, 2013
Review of Chez Karine Bakery (Serendra, BGC, Taguig City)
Unlike donuts which are now practically everywhere (think Dunkin’ Donut and Mister Donut hubs), French macarons are, weight by weight, one of the most hard-to-find and expensive food yet people are still going for them! Each piece costs PHp 50++ and you only get to have a max of 3-4 bites until finishing off the entire thin, flavorful meringue cookie sandwiched with some kind of filling.

So why the macaron craze? Bakeries put so much effort in packaging and designing macarons that these beauties come out as utterly gorgeous and delicious displayed in shops and in boxes. As a result, love on both the visual and palatable elements about these confections has been developed.

I’ve tried macarons by TWG Tea Salon and Boutique in Greenbelt 5, Makati, Tous Les Jours in Mall of Asia, Pasay and The French Baker before and undoubtedly, I thought TWG macarons are the best! Another contending macaron maker is Chez Karine Bakery, which my friends all over Instagram go gaga over. They promote it with pictures and captions saying that this bakery’s macarons have a chewier bite than other regular crispy French biscuits in Manila.

Last Saturday, out from lunch with my friends, we decided to continue our girl talk in Chez Karine Bakery located in the same aisle as Fez Gastrobar in Serendra area and find out if Chez Karine’s macarons would seal the deal, break the record and indeed win over my love for TWG’s.

Aside from macarons, Chez Karine patisserie offers high quality, specialty coffee and tea and other pastries like cakes, royal pudding, panna cotta, cookies and honey toast all inspired by Asian and American flavors with fresh and natural ingredients.

Review of Chez Karine Bakery (Serendra, BGC, Taguig City)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

The space is limited with less than 10 chairs available for the long table across the counter. Everything on display was appetizing, particularly if you have a sweet tooth. Interior design was minimalistic and there were no frills on the backsplash other than the list of prices and items on the menu. Outside, three tables with four chairs each can be occupied by guests who want to chill out and stay longer. But most of Chez Karine’s customers choose to leave after getting boxes of orders here.

Service: ★★★★★

Staffs were always inside the counter, so I can’t say more about service on this one. Anyway, I would give an all-star perfect rating as they provided good assistance in suggesting preferences and preparing orders. They were quick on their feet, too, so long lines are manageable.

Food: ★★★★☆

Chez Karine’s macarons come in many flavors, each at PHp 50. Since we couldn’t try every one, we chose six we thought were sufficient to represent:
- Salted Caramel – When asked, the staff said that salted caramel is one of their best-sellers. So without question, we added it to our order and were not disappointed. There’s a tiny hint of salt mixed with caramel resulting to a bittersweet divine taste.
- Mint Chocolate – With back-to-back fillings of mint and chocolate, this was the one I enjoyed most! Mint and chocolate must be in my blood, so naturally when I put these together I thought they were amazing. 😀
- Earl Grey – Filled with earl grey milk chocolate ganache, this macaron was among the best we had. It was so good that it should be able to get anyone to come out of hiding.
- Speculoos – Speculoos was a name that’s quite hard to remember but the taste was really unforgettable. It was buttery and tasted like a vanilla-based gingerbread cookie.
- Matcha Green Tea – This can be the ultimate macaron that would ruin my diet. I can eat ’em all day! This green tea flavored macaron tasted somewhat like Starbucks’ green tea latte. ♡
- Maple Bacon – Though it was okay, this was the flavor we all least liked. It tasted like a breakfast of pancakes with maple syrup and bacon.
All in all, the cookie surface was smooth, without bumps and bubbles (as you can see in the picture below). There were no large air bubbles or irregular empty pockets either. Although the shell of the macaron was thin, it did not easily shatter. The macarons were not as super chewy as expected but just fine. One bite gave way to a tender and moist (not soggy or wet) interior. Eating was clean; the filling did not squish out and didn’t leave any residue on the teeth (yes, I’m concerned and conscious of this because of my braces).

In terms of flavor, Chez Karine’s macarons were sweet but not to the point where the original flavor is already masked; they didn’t coy sweetness forming a lump in the back of your throat. They were true to whatever the name of the flavor literally spell.

After gaining fuzzy happiness from eating macarons, we tried the Muscovado Royal Pudding (PHp 100), a soft set custard pudding with dark caramel at the bottom. This royal pudding had a smooth texture, almost the “melt-in-your-mouth” type, but it was just a bit disheartening that the taste was not anything spectacular. If you’re familiar with leche flan, then you’d know exactly how this pudding tastes. Only key takeaway was this cute bottle that can be reused at home! 😀

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

The reason why these are costly may be that they are notoriously difficult to make and to perfect. I understand that there’s a lot of patience required, as well as planning and precision. Almost, the presentation must be as good as the flavor.

Even so, paying PHp 50 for one macaron is, I think, too much. Same goes for PHp 100 for a tiny jar of pudding of ordinary caliber that doesn’t make enough justice to the price tag. In the end, I wasn’t that convinced that Chez Karine’s macarons are better than TWG Tea’s. I guess I’m still sticking to my first love.

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Operating Hours:
Sunday to Thursday: 10:00 am to 10:00 pm
Friday to Saturday: 10:00 am to 11:00 pm
August 23, 2013
Review of Fez Restaurant and Bar (Serendra, BGC, Taguig City)

The “rice and chicken” tandem seems to be a default choice for anyone who’s looking for accessible comfort food. Why? You can be stuffed with goodness and you can be full without feeling much guilty out of consuming too much fats and unhealthy ingredients.

So my girl friends and I stopped on a rainy Saturday at Fez Gastrobar in Serendra Piazza Branch, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig as we’ve planned to have the “rice and chicken” entree offered as promotion at CashCashPinoy: Mum’s Roasted Chicken, a “healthy alternative to the usual fried chicken.”

Side dishes offered in the advertisement were: rice pilaf, grilled veggies, sautéed marble potatoes, or baby asparagus. The meal is paired with a glass of iced tea. Original price? PHp 440. Discounted price? PHp 190! Definitely, it was a good buy. 😀 If not only for the price, read why else:

Review of Fez Restaurant and Bar (Serendra, BGC, Taguig City)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Rare is the restaurant where we dine in from start to end and not have any “co-diners” who split the attention of servers to half or maybe more. I’m not sure why there was not a single one customer who dared to eat here when we were in. So it looked like we reserved the entire space for ourselves! 😛

Ambiance is good on both European-style indoor and outdoor (al fresco) settings. Wooden chairs and tables contributed to the homey, minimalist and clean atmosphere. Background music is Moroccan and so I couldn’t understand a word. Anyway, that’s fine—for as long as the songs were soothing to the ears.

On the whole, I recommend Fez Restobar as an ideal spot for hanging out with friends, dating for couples and just having casual meals alone. You won’t feel intimidated because the place is quiet, very different from the busy and lively street outside.

Service: ★★★★★

Ordering was simple. Since there were no other open tables, we got quick service from the two staff who treated us with a genuine sense of lighthearted pleasure.

Food: ★★★★★

Fez Restaurant and Bar’s menu merits considerable exploration, as there seemed a lot of interesting entrees. This is because Moroccan (North African) cuisine is a mix of Mediterranean and Arabic as well. Must-tries are Cous-cous Salad, Roasted Pumpkin Soup, Pita Platter, Crunchy Pork Belly, and Lamb Shank Tagine, among others.

From the poster, Mum’s Roasted Chicken looked downright tasty. I thought there were supposed to be two side dishes but we were served with only one, and that was sauteed broccoli chopped to bite-size pieces, a solid addition to any grilled food.

Mum’s Roasted Chicken was better executed than expected. The taste had a little semblance with Kenny Roger Roasters’ roasted chicken but with creamier gravy and more tender texture. Portion was generous, with two pieces of chicken, a cup of java rice, and an unlimited refill of the gravy. After chomping, we all realized that an order is too big to handle alone.

Nonetheless, we ordered Pita Pockets (PHp 260) only to immerse ourselves with another Moroccan dish a little further. 😀 The Pita Pockets consisted of fresh pita bread packed with chunks of chicken tandoori, tomatoes, caramelized onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and mixed cheese.

It was a challenge to pause and appreciate each bite as I was overwhelmed with the rich flavor mostly oozing from tomatoes, chicken chunks, and cheese, especially when I added the accompanying sauce. Yummy!

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

The prices of food are just right; the taste is enough to forget about soggy toes and leaky umbrellas. In spite of the scarcity of restaurants offering Moroccan cuisine in the metro, the food here felt familiar. It can leave adventurous foodies a good smile after receiving punches of satisfaction on both the stomach and the senses. We’re looking forward to another dine-in here on warmer days! 😀

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August 19, 2013
Review of Hainanese Delights (Robinsons Place, Manila)

Almost no matter where you are on the globe, you’ll find some sort of “chicken and rice” dish. Singaporeans perform their version with delicious justice. After all, chicken rice as a Singaporean staple is hands down one of the most popular food in Asia. One reason could be that it’s just soothing—exactly what you should order when you want to take a break from the usual fiery dishes. Almost every chicken rice I’ve ever sampled in their local hawkers was good. I have also come across a vegetarian chicken rice made from veggie meat which was equally good.

In the Philippines, one casual joint serving Hainanese chicken rice is Hainanese Delights. This fast food chain has several branches now all over the country. Hainanese Delights was opened by Chinese owners who already have other successful chains of restaurants under their belt. This time around, they have established Hainanese Delights which specializes in Singaporean cuisine. To invite more Pinoy foodies, they have this all-you-can-eat rice scheme offered to diners (just like Tokyo Tokyo, Mang Inasal, etc.) because Filipinos are known to love eating unlimited rice. ♥

After watching Monsters University on a Sunday, Louie and I passed by Hainanese Delights in Robinsons Place, Manila and decided to give their signature dish, chicken rice, a try and see if it matches the authenticity of the “original” Hainanese flavor as expected from its name.

Review of Hainanese Delights (Robinsons Place, Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Simple and straightforward, the ambiance here is very fast-food-restaurant-like. With nice contrasting colors, the tables are black and the chairs are white. This branch has spacious area (both indoor and outdoor). Inside got minimalistic designs with pictures of food all on the walls. Spotlights on the ceiling made the place extra classy and quite elegant. Generally, it’s a good venue for hangouts with a bunch of friends.

Service: ★★★★★

Paying before you eat is a thing at Hainanese Delights. You can either sit down and be handed a copy of their menu before ordering and paying at the counter or proceed directly to the counter. In either way, wait staff would serve food on trays promptly and courteously.

Food: ★★★☆☆

When compared to the authentic chicken rice from Singapore (or Malaysia), Hainanese Delights’ chicken rice (PHp 130) is not very close. It tasted like ordinary steamed white chicken that was not too dry but rather supple and delicate.

The chicken pieces were not really seasoned well so you have to put a lot of ginger purée, dark soy sauce and chili sauce for it to taste strong enough and for your buds to accept and realize that it’s chicken rice you’re eating.

Of course, the “chicken rice” dish would not be complete when there’s no chicken rice which typically is cooked from the flavorful stock made from the oily fat of the chicken. Hainanese Delights’ rice, on the contrary, was not aptly gratifying; it failed to be a beautiful accompaniment to the chicken. In my humble opinion, I thought it was only spiced with salt and colored with light yellow to appear like the usual serving of chicken rice. Hmph. 🙁 The texture though was lovely as each grain was easily separated.

In addition to the supposedly “highlight” of our dinner, we had the [EAT THE HEAT] Spicy Fried Squid (PHp 190) that tasted decent. It was salty and spicy so we put lots of vinegar to enhance the taste even more. I could say it was worthy of our calories and thus made the night! 😀

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

A plate of chicken with rice, in average, costs S$3-4 in Singapore. So in conversion, the price is likely the same here. Basing on the prices alone, food in this restaurant are affordable. Budget per person is less than PHp 200.

Note: If you’re expecting to find authentic tastes then resorting to other restaurants like Wee Nam Kee, Makan Makan and Old Penang for chicken rice may most probably be a better idea.

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August 5, 2013
Review of Super Duck Modern Tea 超級達可時尚茶飲 (Ortigas, Pasig City)
For days when you need a simultaneous pick-me-up, a cool-me-down or a chill-me-out, Super Duck Modern Tea is a tea shop that would best claim your sanity back.

I actually had to attend two consecutive events last Saturday, but I later chose to stay in Super Duck because I suspect I’d be arriving very late at the second destination. I felt sorry but glad at the same time for I had a pretty good time drinking and learning about teas from owners of Super Duck: Steve, Dennis, Ellen and Olivia.

A totally fabulous modern take on tea…

In 2011, the first and only branch of Super Duck in Metro Manila, Philippines has been brought within reach to Filipinos and most especially to those who are near Robinsons Galleria. The brand is originally from 鹿港 Lukang, Taiwan. Super Duck Modern Tea Shop’s fresh approach to tea appeals more to those who are into drinking healthy tea stuff. Showcasing only the best, this cafe serves more than 50 different flavors of teas brewed with loose tea leaves and key ingredients imported from Taiwan that had soothing aroma.

The response has already been outstanding ever since, and it’s not hard to see why. Not only does Super Duck provide customers with a funky, modern tea lounge experience, but it also delivers on innovation, quality and taste — quite different from the usual milk tea and coffee shops that penetrate the local market.

Review of Super Duck Modern Tea 超級達可時尚茶飲 (Ortigas, Pasig City)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Super Duck is a casual restaurant where you can put your bags down, sip a specialty tea, have a meal and relax. Customers can stay in the air-conditioned area or the outside area. Seats are limited to about 20.

Serenity is embraced all throughout the space, with a muted green color scheme combined with white. The decor is clean and modern without having pretensions. Attention to detail is evident, from the Super Duck dolls, Chinese figurines that bring luck, and tea bags and leaves inside small containers on the counter.

Service: ★★★★★

What I like most about Super Duck is that customers are not being rushed. Why do I say so? Nice and friendly, staff are more than willing to make sure that customers get the most definite order they want to get.

Here, customers are asked what level of sugar, level of ice, size of the drink, and whether they want large or small straws to sip drinks from and whether they want the drink hot or hold as all these would affect their experience and judgment of the taste of the “mighty beverage,” aside from the sinkers: pearls (big/small), perilla seeds, fig jelly, coco jelly (marinated with pineapple juice), aloe vera, grass jelly, pudding, coffee jelly and beans (red/green).

The menu is posted on the wall, just beside the counter, and a list of sassed-up “best-sellers” is on the counter itself to aid customers in making up their minds and selecting from the long list of drinks available. If you’re still not sure which to buy, Super Duck staffs allow free tastes of the drinks for you to come out truly satisfied!

It’s also worth mentioning that the team of Super Duck is in constant research and development of new items that would click after receiving accolades and suggestions from people. Their menu is still expanding, in adherence to providing the best quality stylish tea that can be enjoyed alone or with companions.

Food/Drinks: ★★★★★

So, what did we slurp? For the taste-testing event, we sampled almost every drink they have on the menu! We kicked off with their five classic Super Duck teas 原味好茶: (1) Ceylon Black Tea, (2) Jasmine Green Tea, (3) White or Clear Tea, (4) Oolong Tea and (5) Tie Guan Yin Tea.

These can be ordered as they are (either hot or cold) or as bases of the other succeeding flavors as follows: (1) Black Fruit Chestnut Tea, (2) Golden Oolong Tea, (3) Standard Pearl Milk Tea (4) Classic Tea with Pearl, (5) Blend of Black and Green Tea, (6) Clear Tea with Coffee Jelly, (7) Te Guan Yin Tea with Coco Jelly, and (9) Longgan Red Dates Fruit Tea.

Drinks that are not tea-based are: (1) Hot Coffee – from 2-in-1 coffee powder from Taiwan, available in mild, regular and strong taste with one tablespoon of sugar, (2) Mango Milk Smoothie – mango concentrate and condensed milk, and (3) Mixed Fruit Juice – refreshing orange, calamansi, grape fruit, passion fruit and lemon with sliced apples.

Moving on, we also gave the following a whirl and we were not disappointed: (1) Mixed Oolong Three Jelly – grass jelly, coco jelly, red bean and nata containing standard sugar, (2) Longgan Honey Green Tea – first Super Duck drink tasted by Steve, (3) Rose Petal with Lemon, (4) Peach Green Tea (5) Orange Grapefruit with perilla – good for digestion, (6) Rossel Fig Jelly with Plum – taste like kiam-moy, good for lowering high blood and cholesterol, (7) Strawberry Yakult – strawberry jam (not syrup flavoring) plus Yakult, (8) Lychee Tea – the newest addition clear tea-based with lychee jelly, (9) Almond milk with pudding,(10) Heineken Green Tea – with real Heineken beer (half can for a large cup), (11) Roasted Macha – homemade brown rice and black beans with grass jelly, (12) Chocolate Nai Kai – chocolate “milk cover” with rock salt and cream cheese, and (13) French Rose – green tea with French rose and non-dairy milk.

Finally, the pièce de résistance: the Quackers, namely: (1) Vegetarian Nuggets, (2) Tofu Bites with Pepper and Basil Seasoning, (3) Tofu Bites – taste like tofu with fish balls, dash of salt and pepper (Dips are plum and catsup but for purposes of tasting, we were not advised to eat with any condiments.), (4) Vegetarian Fish and Fries – vegetarian codfish and Belgian fries and (5) Shrooms – fried bite-size mushrooms.

I could dedicate this whole review to these vegetarian delights but I won’t. 😀 Safe to say, if there was only one reason to visit Super Duck for its uniqueness, these, my friends, would be it. I’ve grown up with these veggie meat so eating them made me feel at home. I’m sure my family would love them, too. ♥

Bits of Trivia:
- Super Duck uses fructose (high quality sweetness) and not refined white sugar.
- Super Duck serves both fresh milk (with roasted and creamy taste) and non-dairy for those who are lactose-intolerant.
- Super Duck has the biggest pearls in the Philippines with the diameter of 2.5mm, while the smallest they have is 1.5mm.
- Big pearls are cooked in an hour, while small ones are cooked in 25 minutes. So staff has to arrive in the store an hour earlier opening time to get prepared. Super Duck cooks pearls about four times in a day.
- Super Duck maintains a strict quality check form storage until handing each drink to their customers. They dispose unused tea every day.
Price for Value: ★★★★★

When what I need peaceful, calming, almost spa-like environment without any chatter or clatter, Super Duck fits the bill. Prices are agreeable. 😀

I would wholeheartedly recommend an afternoon visit to the Super Duck Modern Tea to witness and experience its charming style and ambiance enhanced by the help of friendly staff yet again. For those of you that might prefer to start your day off with more of a swing, try any of their teas with unusual names and don’t just stick with the classic Wintermelon Milk Tea every time. 😛 Peruse the menu for yourselves here and I encourage you to take full advantage:

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Operating Hours:
Mon – Fri: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
Sat: 2:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Sun: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
July 31, 2013
Review of Tramway Bayview Buffet (Pasay City)

Looking for a cheap but good buffet restaurant in Manila? There’s no doubt about it – Tramway Bayview Buffet just might end your long search. Tramway reigns king when it comes to presentable, super affordable buffet-style Chinese, Japanese and Filipino food choices in the city.

Last Thursday, my mom who’s a sucker for all-you-can-eat buffets was craving to dine in at Tramway’s branch along Roxas Boulevard since she was too tired (and dramatically “lonely”) to cook. So we slipped into the venue at about 8:30PM just in time.

Review of Tramway Bayview Buffet (Pasay City)

Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

With so many great restaurants in Pasay City saturating the foodie market, this buffet restaurant may be easy to overlook – unless of course, you’re one of those working or residing in one of the establishments and office buildings nearby.

Tramway’s interior design is quite simple. All the chairs and red linen-topped tables are placed on the rectangular area without divisions. So this place is not a pretty good one to chair and hold private meetings. Also, because of the loud/noisy RnB music playing on the background, you could hardly hear anyone unless you opt to go to their function rooms, or wait until one song is finally over.

Rates of function rooms are as follows:
Restaurant Exclusive (good for 950-1050pax)
4 Open Dining Exclusive (good for 350-850 pax)
4 Big Function Rooms (good for 100-150 pax each)
4 Medium Function Rooms (good for 50 pax each)
4 Small Function Rooms (good for 12 pax each)

Service: ★★★☆☆

This is a self-service restaurant. Upon entering through their glass doors, we were not accompanied or helped by any of their staff to find clean and empty tables. We walked through the aisles, found one by ourselves and started to get food. The only things the server did were leaving a pitcher of water when we were seated and giving the bill out as it was called for.

Food: ★★☆☆☆

What do Steamed Fish, Sweet & Sour Pork, Vegetable w/ garlic, Fried Chicken and Tofu have in common? Not much, except they were all served in Tramway for both lunch and dinner. Other staple dishes are Yang Chow Fried Rice, Pancit Canton Guisado, Pasta (Spaghetti and Linguini with White and Red Sauces), Dices of Raddish Cake, Clams and Chicken Feet.

We ate to our heart’s content but still spared some space in our stomachs for the side dishes: California Maki, Century Egg, Chinese Dimsum, Vegetable Salad, Tossed Lettuce, Carrots, Cucumbers and Onions (with Salad Dressing: Thousand Island Sauce) and Macaroni Salad.

For desserts, we had Fresh Fruits (Watermelon, Papaya and Pineapple), Assorted Gelatin (coffee and pandan) and Assorted Puto.

Food quality and taste were on the lower scale of average. Sigh. I don’t count myself any satisfied. The taste test here failed pathetically.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

All the food above were for PHp 248 (no drinks included) per head. Senior citizens even have 20% discount, and rate for children who stand below four feet is at PHp 181 per head.

True, the price is considerably cheap for buffet; judging based on the food though, value is low. Exerting her utmost disappointment, my mom said the price should be only at PHp 150 pax. 😀

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Operating hours:
Lunch Time:
1st Batch – 11:00am to 1:00pm
2nd Batch – 1:00pm to 3:00pm
Dinner Time:
1st Batch – 6:00pm to 8:00pm
2nd Batch – 8:00pm to 10:00pm

Other Branches:
1. Tramway Buffet Plaza
Lower Ground Floor, Worldwide Corporate Center, Shaw Boulevard, Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City
Contact numbers: (02) 8617129, (02) 7066351
2. Tramway Garden Buffet
65 Timog Avenue, South Triangle, Quezon City
Contact number: (02) 4152005
3. Tramway Tea House
Alcaraz Street, Santo Domingo, Quezon City
Contact number: (02) 4111565

July 27, 2013