Rochkirstin | com

Category: Food Reviews

Review of Bistro Ravioli Italian Restaurant (Robinsons Place, Manila)

Get an introduction to the vitality of Italian food at this swanky restaurant where creativity and amazing flavors abound. Bistro Ravioli in Robinsons Place, Manila sits at a corner of the Midtown Wing for two years now. But it was only last Sunday night that we took notice of it, while roaming around the mall after watching Man of Steel (a very boring movie, by the way).

Maintaining their magic at a string of classic pastas, brick oven-baked pizzas and raviolis, Bistro Ravioli is known for their consistency, extremely fresh sauce and cheesy goodness. On the menu, their dishes look impressive but couldn’t be any simpler to make. How about on the taste buds? Read on this review to find out. 🙂

Review of Bistro Ravioli Italian Restaurant (Robinsons Place, Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Just like their branches in MOA and Makati, their location inside Robinsons Place features minimalism. The combination of brown, white and green all around their walls, fixtures and lights somehow add to the calming and soothing effect in terms of the ambiance.

When we first entered, music was very loud. I don’t know if my ears just got numbed to the noise level but the volume softened as we were eating.

I could see that their designers have very well maximized the space capacity of this restaurant. 10+ tables which can accommodate four diners each and a long table for a big group are fitted in neatly.

Service: ★★★☆☆

Bistro Ravioli’s staff assigned to us was attentive and welcoming. Our orders were served quickly, and I don’t know how the food are cooked with that minimal amount of cooking time. I remembered that we had to wait 30-40 minutes before our spinach, eggplant and basil lasagna at home is ready for serving. In stark contrast, Bistro Ravioli makes pasta dishes in just about 10-15 minutes. Unbelievable!

The waitress was also quick on her feet to refill our glasses with water when she saw them nearly empty.

One thing that turned my boyfriend off though was that he accidentally left his credit card after paying, and the staff didn’t even manage to chase us to report and return the card. Good thing he noticed that something was missing in his wallet and so we went back to the restaurant to claim it back.

Food: ★★★★★

It seemed almost obvious and a requisite to order the house specialty: ravioli. There are five types of raviolis offered, each valued at PHp 245: Salmon Ravioli in Saffron Cream Sauce, Sausage Ravioli in Romesco Sauce, Three-cheese Ravioli and Mushroom Mozzarella and Spinach and Feta Cheese Ravioli in Pesto Sauce.

We had the Spinach and Feta Cheese Ravioli in Pesto Sauce and found it taste-bud-tingling delicious! This ravioli came with a filling of spinach and feta cheese contrasted with pomodoro sauce and topped with roasted tomatoes and pesto. It had generous amount of fillings, so even if it appeared small, it was enough for two people to share. Finishing my share of this pasta plus drinking water made me feel full. One bite and for a moment, your worries are gone, your fever breaks, and why yes, I’d be happy to try out their other vegetarian-friendly raviolis.

Then this question left me hanging: What is the difference between lasagna and ravioli? From my research, “A lasagna is a layered dish made with tomato sauce, broad-layered long, flat pasta and various cheeses, while a ravioli is a round or square-shaped “pouch” of pasta with fillings inside.” I hope I made this clear to my readers as well. 😀

Next we had another best-seller in the house: Diablo Wings (PHp 280) which consisted of buffalo-style chicken wings coated with a spicy barbecue sauce and served with a garlic ranch dressing. It wasn’t fiery spicy as I expected but it was spicy…and sweet. This dish is often categorized merely as an appetizer, but I think it well deserves to be a star this time.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

Prices are bit high, considering the portion of food (serving size) but I still recommend Bistro Ravioli as a great restaurant choice when you’re in the mood to pig out. They possibly can deliver never-ending rounds of every amazing pasta dish available in their limited but varied menu.

Bistro Ravioli
2F Midtown Wing, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila
For inquiries, contact 0922 830-9869
Email: info@bistroravioli.com
Facebook

Other Branches:
2F Glorietta 3, Makati City | 0922 887 8379
GF SM Mall of Asia, North Arcade, Pasay City | (02) 804 0577 and 0922 8533377
GF Greenbelt 1, Makati City
Alpha Land Makati Place

June 24, 2013
Review of King Chef Seafood Restaurant (Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo)

Partially because last Sunday was Father’s Day (父亲节) but mostly because this restaurant is awesome, King Chef in Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo was completely packed with people. Still, the queue outside seemed unending. Why not? King Chef’s exterior and interior designs shine exuberance while its dishes give every flare and flavor that one would expect from an upscale and authentic Chinese restaurant.

Plenty of à la carte selections are available on the menu, but the fun is in the set or packaged offerings for groups which taste all like the good life…like royalty (including the cost). 😛

Review of King Chef Seafood Restaurant (Lucky Chinatown Mall, Binondo)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

This branch of King Chef in LCM has just celebrated its first anniversary, after opening last June 8, 2012. After one year, the design and ambiance have been kept quite the same. Everything inside spells “class” and everything in terms of theme is coordinated. Walls, chairs and tablecloths are in gold, as well as the teeth of waiters assigned to your table. Ting!

Nah, I’m just kidding on that last one. 😛

Since time immemorial, we have been eating out at Chinese restaurants with likely the same menu and ambiance. I can probably say that King Chef has about similar rate of grandiose and bright setting as Gloria Maris, Tao Yan, Crystal Jade and Lugang Cafe — where “fine-dining” and “festive” can be put as common denominators.

Aside from occupying the “ballroom” dining area, guests can sit inside function rooms by reservation. We took two tables and were accommodated inside the exclusive Princess Yang Kwei-Fei’s (貴妃) room.

Service: ★★★★☆

There was no hovering and no rushing patrons to leave so they can fill the next table. While the rest of their service and treatment were great, there was one quibbling thing to point out: waiters at times failed to deliver food in a timely manner. However, I can be considerate to acknowledge their busyness. Indeed, there were so many customers and so many orders coming into and from the kitchen. Eating a full-blown Chinese lauriat lunch combo helped make wait time for the arrival of the next dish tolerable; there were still loads of food left on the lazy Susan anyway.

Food: ★★★★★

Large dishes at King Chef take “large” to its very literal sense. Here are dishes we ordered, which were served in this order:

Yang Chow Fried Rice (Large, PHp 525)

Kung Pao Chicken (Large, PHp 875)

Seafood with Spinach Soup (Large, Php 620)

King Chef Vegetarian Hot Pot (Small, PHp 300)

Shellmeat Brocolli (Large, PHp 920)
Cha Misua (Large, PHp 420)

Steamed Lapu Lapu (Large, PHp 960)

Fried King Fish in Mango Sauce (Large, PHp 1160)

Hong Kong Spare Ribs (Large, PHp 750)

Mango Sago (Complimentary Dessert)

With dynamite blend of flavors and textures, everything tasted perfectly — though my favorite was hands-down the staple Yang Chow Fried Rice because it is rice and viand in one.

A beacon of ingenuity, the standout dish had to be the Fried King Fish in Mango Sauce which I’d be glad to get the recipe of. Its glory lies in the textual contrast between the taste of salt and pepper mix and mango. If you can’t imagine that, just take the “more ordinary” steamed lapu-lapu and add sip into mango sago at the same time. Probably that would do justice.

Additionally, every platter of food was technically immaculate, clever and beautifully presented. Yes, presentation added huge value on creativity while sticking to the essence of traditional Chinese food. We ended up with happy tummies before leaving the place. 😛

Next time I’d love to try their dim sum delights. King Chef runs a regular promo wherein prices of their dim sum are discounted at about 50 percent every day from 7AM to 9AM, 2PM to 5PM and 9PM to 12AM. These dim sum (or snacks, in Chinese) go beyond the usual pork siomai and shark’s-fin siomai, mind you, but everything!

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

Set in a landmark building, King Chef boasts a fine ambiance and service to match, so high prices aren’t exactly a surprise. A number of my friends are asking me for good restaurant recommendations where they can gather for business meetings and celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and other special occasions.

Well, guys, I have shown you the way. The ball, now, is in your court. 😀

King Chef Seafood Restaurant
2F Lucky China Town Mall, Binondo, Manila
For inquiries, contact (02) 720 8594 or (02) 466 5765
Facebook

Operating hours:
Daily – 11AM to 11PM

Other branch:
989 Banawe St., Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
(02) 410 4919

June 18, 2013
Review of Café De Seoul (One Archer’s Place, Taft Avenue, Manila)

It seemed like De La Salle University-Manila and College of Saint Benilde students are now lucky to have so many nice hangout places around their campuses and school buildings where they can huddle and conduct group studies, do homeworks and chill to let out stress. Not students but still look like students, we burst into one of the cool cafés in One Archer’s Place (along Castro Street adjacent to DLSU Gokongwei Building) last Saturday.

Where exactly? Café De Seoul. Purpose? To try drinks and delicious pastries, relax and just have fun even without the booze at this Korean-style café. 😀 Let me share with you my review of this place which started its operations only last March 1, 2013.

Review of Café De Seoul (One Archer’s Place, Taft Avenue, Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

Café de Seoul might have opened in the last three months, but so many diners have already caught word. We went there during lunch time and while the place was not busy, Café de Seoul never ran out of customers. From the entrance, guests walk into a sleek hall whose walls are posted with pictures of happy customers side by side with the café’s Korean owners.

A number of tables with embedded Samsung Galaxy 10, matched with high chairs, are available so dine-in guests can use the tablet’s full functionality and at the same time utilize free Wi-Fi connection (ask password from the “counter guy”) without bringing in their own device.

With European fine dining infused with modern Korean popular culture theme, Café de Seoul offers spacious accommodation with different stylish and quirky pieces of furniture for seating. The ceiling is a mirror which reflects everything on the floor.

Snag a window seat and you can see the busy Agno Street and go people-watching. 😛

Couches are comfortable and music is not obtrusive, so you can expect to see folks taking a nap inside. While waiting for orders, you can view books, Korean magazines and other items displayed on the shelves along with pretty cute Café de Seoul mugs and tumblers that are on sale.

(Promotion: Buy a tumbler and get a drink for free! Also, get discounts when you bring your own Café de Seoul tumbler every time you buy a drink.)

Service: ★★★★★

Three versatile staffs go around to take orders in the cashier counter, prepare beverages and snacks, and fulfill any request asked by seated customers.

Because we’re not familiar with the name of the drinks in Korean and not sure which ones to buy, the staff was kind to suggest the best recommendations (for selection of cold, blended and hot drinks) without blinking an eye.

After ordering, just like in most coffee and tea shops now, customers receive a gadget that buzzes and lights up when order is ready for claiming.

Waiters were gracious to take our picture and serve us free kiwi yogurt to taste. I commend this team for the warmth of its service.

Food/Drinks: ★★★★★

Café De Seoul features its menu on the screens behind the counter, like other fastfood restaurants do (e.g. Jollibee, Red Ribbon, KFC, etc.). I remember it was written on one of the animated projections there that their coffee is made with 100% arabica beans developed by the best brew master from Seoul, South Korea. These coffee beans are nourished, pruned, picked and perfectly roasted from the best selection of coffee beans from five major countries: Brazil Santos No.2, Guatemala SHB, Costa Rica SHB, Tanzania AA, and Kenya AA.

However, I ordered something else, as I am not a particular fan of coffee. I followed the staff’s best bet for mocktails. Mocktails, by the literal sense of the word, are “mock cocktails” which are actually fruity non-alcoholic mixed beverages. I had the Ddalgi Sonagi (PHp 155 for small, PHp 165 for large) which is a mix of strawberry, kiwi and blue curaçao (liquer-flavored dried peel of the laraha citrus fruit). This drink translates to “Strawberry Rain” in Korean and true enough, the taste was strong in strawberries with a hint of citrus/orange-ish taste.

I find the three colors intermingling in spiral form awesome. The combination is genius yet uncomplicated. It makes me realize that drinks don’t need to be having only singular focus on ingredient but can be a lot more if you put your thinking hat on.

H had the Caramel Machiatto (PHp 140 for small, PHp 155 for large) drink, a blend of espresso and steamed milk with vanilla flavored syrup finished with sweet caramel drizzle — perfect to be paired with the Chocolate Lava Cake (PHp 145). This moist chocolate cake with light soufflé that has a spongy texture is one of their best sellers.

G had another type of mocktail, the Honey Yuja (PHp 145 for small, PHp 155 for large) drink, which consists of thinly sliced Korean citrus fruit and rind infused with sugar and honey stirred in water. I felt somewhat invigorated after a sip!

Click here to view more items in Café de Seoul’s menu.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

With super nice and dainty ambiance, excellent service and drinks and food to crave for anytime, Café de Seoul is a great venue I admire. I have yet to try their ice cream, sandwiches, Gangnam balls, waffles and other gourmet products next time. 😀

Prices are competitive with similar high-end coffee and tea joints like Starbucks, The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, and so on. Bring your bills because they are a little on the pricey side and the joint accepts cash only!

Café De Seoul
Unit 12, 2F One Archers Place, Green Podium, Taft Avenue, Manila
Facebook, Twitter

Email: cafedeseoulmanila@gmail.com

Store Operating Hours:
Mondays to Thursdays 8AM to 1AM
Fridays to Sundays 9AM to 12:30AM

June 17, 2013
Review of Sumo Salad (Holland Village MRT, Singapore)

Dubbed as the “The Healthiest Fast Food Franchise,” Sumo Salad is a hearty and healthy endeavor. It makes and serves salads that never go out of style regardless of the season. Sure, side salads definitely offer a green counterpoint to whatever else you’re eating, but they can be pretty as standalone meals as well.

Luke Baylis and James Miller from Australia started this chain of healthy yet delicious food alternative in 2003 to battle against unhealthy eating trends which surround eaters almost everywhere now.

When you walk into a Sumo Salad store, you will see plenty of salad ingredients that you can choose and design for your own salad meal. Yes, meal! Sumo Salad empowers you to stop thinking that salads are only to set side. Follow Sumo Salad and be full with their large gourmet salads.

Review of Sumo Salad (Holland Village, Singapore)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

This branch is located in the Holland Vollage MRT station in Singapore. Mom and I were heading to Holland Village Food Center (hawker place) in the area and we were enticed to “stumble upon” Sumo Salad because of its inviting storefront design. It’s a typical standalone to-go restaurant (not the push-cart type) where busy people can just be refreshed seeing tons of healthy and freshest ingredients displayed in the counter.

Service: ★★★★★

Here customers can choose more than one viand. The server which happened to be a Filipino suggested us to not just stop at lettuce but layer the salad with more vegetables to make it to a power salad. Since we’re first-timers here, we asked her to pick the best for us. She added shredded carrots, celery, radishes, tomatoes, beets, cucumber, sprouts and peppers. Definitely our salad was infused with more color this time. 😛

Food: ★★★★★

What I love about it right off the bat is that their salads have everything going on: roasted vegetables, vinaigrette, warm and crispy garnish and some meat. Aside from salads, Sumo Salad offers a huge range of healthy food including wraps, rolls, toasties, pasta, soup, yoghurt, coffee and other tasty options to satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.

We had salads that came with a duet of varied greens sliced into fine ribbons that gave a nice crunch. Next, to pump it up with protein, aside from the fiber we got from eating these vegetables, we also had bits of chicken, hard-boiled eggs and salmon drizzled with olive oil for that extra booze of healthy fat. Penne pasta, nuts and seeds were also put together and our order resulted to one crazy salad and wrap with tons of health-promoting compounds.

The mixed flavor was super sarap. Delicioso!

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

Sumo Salad is where you can find great choices for a light lunch, brunch, snack or dinner! Budget per meal is S$6-9 and the range is about PHp 200 to PHp 300. Must-tries are Tuna Potatoes, Grilled Chicken Potatoes, Grilled Chicken with mushroom. The price is quite reasonable with generous portions that really fill up the entire plate or container (you can choose small or large). I hope they also open a store in the Philippines soon! I suspect I’d be a frequent customer when they do. 😀

Thinking about this food, do I miss Singapore? Yes, guilty as charged.

Sumo Salad Holland Village MRT Station Xchange
Holland Village MRT – 200 Holland Avenue
#B1-11 Holland Village MRT Station S278995
For inquiries, call +65 6465 5011
Facebook

Other branches:
Raffles City Shopping Centre, 1 Shenton Way, 313@Somerset, Changi Airport Terminal 2 Transit Lounge and Vivo City

June 5, 2013
Review of Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen (SM Aura Premier, BGC, Taguig)

You’re craving Japanese cuisine and the unexpected? Solved. Grab a seat in a cozy spot at Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen and indulge in their exquisite ramen dishes with signature rich and creamy Tonkotsu pork-based broth soup.

Japanese ramen gurus behind the success of ramen house, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen at Shangri-la Plaza, just opened their second branch in the Philippines at another premier location: SM Aura Premier, Taguig City. And I was one of the foodies who graced the food tasting event on their first soft opening full day last Saturday. 😛

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen at the second floor of SM Aura is still under construction (at least the back part where functional rooms are yet to be built), but this restaurant already guarantees that they can serve food on the menu that will make crowds feel much obliged to persuade. Each bowl of ramen brings a whale of an appetite, coupled with soy sauce, tender Chashu roast pork, premium flour imported from Japan to make the noodles, plus the enhancements: sliced red ginger pickles on the side.

Hungry? いただきます! (Let’s eat!) 🙂

Review of Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen (SM Aura Premier, Taguig City)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

This restaurant might seem unassuming from the outside, but inside this venue is a busy team which produces fabulous ramen and other Japanese dishes of the highest quality. The overall theme is mainly zen-like, where traditional wooden planks and dividers with hand-drawn Japanese characters appearing as backdrops are the highlights as well as the red stools that infuse modernity into the setup.

The only thing that’s a bit off to me was the startlingly loud chorus of servers and staff in the kitchen greeting “irrashaimase’s” (meaning “welcome” in Japanese). We learned later that shouting it to every customer is just common to any other ordinary restaurants in Japan that serve ramen. With their means to convey Japanese hospitality, diners can hardly hear the music playing on the background and there may be the need for customers to talk louder to continue smooth conversations while eating.

As an added info, the writings on the wooden planks are composed of an elegant essay entitled HOJOKI (“An Account of My Hut”) by Kamo no Chomei. It was recognized as a masterpiece in the Japanese essay tradition and is believed to be autobiographical. You can refer to this link to know more.

Having about twice as large as the floor area at their branch at Shangri-la Plaza, Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen at SM Aura Premier can probably fit 100 people.

Service: ★★★★★

All staff provided us service with a smile even when the restaurant got crowded later that night. Their efficient and gracious service was well worth our visit.

We were also lucky to meet the person who oversees the consistency of flavors: Kenji Komuro, Public Relations Director for Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Philippines from Japan.. He entertained our interview questions and so we learned a lot of things about the restaurant chain under the Yamagoya Ramen which was established in 1970.

Food: ★★★★☆

Unlike typical Japanese restaurants you can find in Manila or the rest of the country, Ikkoryu Fukuoka does not offer traditional sushi fares, tempura and meal sets similar to Tokyo Tokyo, Teriyaki Boy, Sakae Sushi, Tempura Japanese Grill and other household-name fast food chains. Rather, they have 12 different ramen that vary in toppings, limited rice dishes, salads, deep-fried chicken and pork dishes and yummy desserts.

We had the following ramen variants:

1. Ajitama Tonkotsu (PHp 380) – Ajitama in Japanese is “boiled egg” and indeed, the boiled eggs here are the “cream of the crop.” Kenji revealed that it takes two days to prepare and make these half-boiled eggs fully marinated with special blended soy sauce base to perfection. I rate this the second best among the four in this list. 🙂
2. Special Vegetable Paste Tonkotsu (PHp 380), enhanced by a seasonal vegetable paste and aromatic oil, tasted ordinarily like the broth used in instant noodle sachets. The soup which took glorious 12 hours to cook and firm noodles may compensate for the goodness in this dish, but because I don’t eat pork, sorry to say, this one is the least favorable of the ramens we tried.
3. Black Garlic Tonkotsu (PHp 380) was blended with roast garlic oil and “juice” of boiled pork bones which brought the black garlic aroma that was very evident in the ramen’s taste. Personally, I recommend this ramen as the best among all here. 😀
4. Kimchi Tonkotsu (PHp 380) is a kimchi-inspired ramen which I didn’t quite enjoy simply because I don’t like kimchi. It’s a mix of stimulating sour and spicy flavors, salty and not bitter.

Next on the lineup was Gyoza (PHp 150). We had six pieces of wonderfully crafted Japanese dumplings. Each one had firm stuffing of minced meat — not greasy, not doughy but fresh and savory. It’s best paired with the paleo-friendly dipping sauce that came immediately after the plate of gyoza landed on our table.

Almost simultaneously, we had the Karaage (PHp 180) which comprised of boneless fried chicken complemented with light vegetables. The chicken was surprisingly moist and juicy on the inside and golden and crispy on the outside. Adding the squeezed lemon helped liven its flavor more.

Given the various choices of drinks, I easily picked iced milk tea as it’s my biggest sugar rush. Sadly, it was not available at that time. 🙁 Fresh fruit shakes sounded pretty good as well, so I ordered the banana shake (PHp 120) that was made with real bananas. Though not exactly Japanese, it was a real win—not too sweet to my palate and not too milky either. The fresh buko juice (PHp 80) on the picture was my friend Aldous’ drink.

For desserts, we devoured Ice Cream Shiratama Zenzai (PHp 180) in two flavors: Macha (Green Tea) and Sea Salt Caramel ice cream with glutinous rice balls and red bean paste. I can’t decide which one is better! 😀 Both were unique and crazy-exotic as they were made not with the usual skim milk, much sugar and butter but with fresh milk and cream.

These ice creams are so good that by the time you’ve had your final scoop of spoon, you’ll know you’ve been transformed into an insatiable addict when you still can’t help digging in scooping out the tiniest bits of leftovers.

Price for Value: ★★★★☆

When you hit up this restaurant, part of what you’re paying for is the experience. Sure, a large bowl of ramen may seem pricey at about PHp 380 but the overall experience makes this one splurge worth it. Also, prices tend to go upscale because of the premium ingredients used and the long preparation done to attain the perfect essence of food.

Marketing Manager Rizza Meriado sent word that they will be opening four branches this year all in premier locations. I guess they know exactly how to establish their target market and brand position thus follow the price to pitch.

– Group Picture with Rizza, Kenji and the bloggers –

[schema type=”review” name=”Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen” description=”2F SM Aura Premier, McKinley Parkway McKinley Hill, Taguig” rev_name=”For inquiries, contact 02 4788333″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-06-03″ user_review=”17″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

Other branch:
5F Shangri-La Plaza East Wing, Shaw Boulevard corner Edsa, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
For inquiries, call (02) 477-8333
Facebook

June 3, 2013
Review of 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken (SM City North EDSA, Quezon City)

Hello, Friends. 🙂 After more hours spent at work than rest and recreation, you deserve a break. Sit back, pour yourself a glass and enjoy Korean-style fried chicken introduced by Singaporean folks and brought by Alfonso Hortaleza, President of Mindblowing Delicious Food Corporation, to the Philippines in January 2012.

While you won’t use only four fingers to eat their crispy fried chicken, you should know that the name of the restaurant “4 Fingers” pertain to four friends who established this fast-food “phenomenon” taking inspiration from eateries in the NY, the Big Apple.

Their first branch was situated in ION Orchard, Singapore lah, but I never have seen it before during my stay there. Now’s the perfect chance to dine in and give their food a review. Mom got us two vouchers from Ensogo (LivingSocial) which saved us 48% off the price. We availed of discounted food from 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken at its first branch in the Philippines: SM City North EDSA.

What’s in the Deal?

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken Meal: 6pcs. Wings/Drummettes (Soy Garlic/Hot/Mix), includes a small soda/iced tea and fries/rice originally priced at PHp 229

Review of 4 Fingers Crispy Chicken (SM City North EDSA, Quezon City)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

This smallish outlet can occupy 50 customers more or less. Giving chic and cozy ambiance, the interior style and decors are consistent with those in SG, featuring hanging bulbs and murals that look like a graffiti wall on the streets of New York. Regular movable chairs are made of white plastic, while stable high chairs near the entrance are made of wood. The placement of the seating, I would say, pretty much maximized the limited space of the restaurant.

Red is the theme color, which according to psychology, makes people hungry as it attracts attention and excitement to diners. Maybe it’s another way to indicate that diners must go right after satisfying their hunger and finishing their food. Still, it’s a good place to sit down and enjoy a meal for long.

Service: ★★★★☆

Service was nothing to shout about since this is fairly a fast food type of restaurant where customers have to order and pay for their food first at the counter before they get served on the table. For drinks, customers have to go self-service — even for plain water. No special awards for friendly service here though food were quickly served by the crew wearing cool uniforms.

Food: ★★★★☆

I am not really a fan of fried chicken since it conjures up images of clogged arteries and heart attacks. Also, I tend to shy away from chicken wings because they are often known and paired for having messy and unhealthy affairs. Remember the urban legan saying that eating chicken wings can cause cancer? I have not gotten over it quite yet. Anyway, 算了吧 ! One-time eating may do the tiniest bit of harm in our bodies. 😛

My office mates have tried 4 Fingers’ crispy chicken last time, and they said the taste and texture are almost the same as Bon Chon’s chicken, another famous Korean fried chicken that’s been a hit since last year. And yup, that’s agreeable. We’re not sure if the latter is just renamed or they are under the same management. We can’t tell the difference of the taste apart, but it’s obvious that their food differ in packaging and presentation. Bon Chon serves meals in regular plates, while 4 Fingers uses funky “tin” boxes as plates.

4 Fingers offers three variations of special sauces that are hand-painted on the fried chicken: soy, garlic and spicy sauce. We’ve only tried the soy and garlic, but I dare say that the spicy one is worth a try. The chickens are twice fried thus are left with minimum amount of grease and moisture. Kudos to the fry cooks and the secret formula that 4 Fingers came up with. I like the crispiness and the salt-and-sweet taste. However, if you want meaty and juicy chickens, this place is not for you.

Compared to Jollibee, McDonald’s, KFC, Kenny Rogers Roasters and other similar food chains selling chicken, 4 Fingers’ chickens are smaller, with skin that’s wafer thin and not full with flour. They are not suitable for those with a heavy appetite. This is probably the reason why they don’t sell only one piece or part of chicken in a meal (refer to the menu here).

Additionally, we had two orders of Shrimp & Calamari combo (PHp 189 each) which were nicely fried as well. One platter is good for two people. Flavor and texture wise, the battered shrimp and calamari are above mediocre. Give a pinch of calamansi and you’ll get a slightly tangy taste. My mom and my boyfriend both feel that mayonnaise and thousand island dressing are more fitted as condiments here.

For drinks, we had green tea and red tea. Both were too sweet so drinking water after is a must.

Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

Price for individual orders ranges from PHp 150 to PHp 300, and this is okay for fast-food. Even at original price, an order of crispy chicken (wings & drumlets) is not so bad since it’s good for sharing. To sum up, the budget-conscious have nothing to worry. There are budget meals even for vegetarians and pescetarians. 🙂 4 Fingers pleases customers, especially chicken lovers, making them order another bunch and go back once more. This is stark contrast to the notice imprinted on the cup:

So how? I have just told everyone their secret. 😛 Does that make me a tattletale?

4 Fingers Crispy Chicken SM City North EDSA (beside National Bookstore)
G/F SM City North EDSA, Main Building, North Avenue, Sto. Cristo, Quezon City
For inquiries, call (02) 376-7543
Facebook

Other branches:
SM Mall of Asia (Pasay City)
Acqua Residences (Mandaluyong City)

May 20, 2013
Review of GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes (Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City)
Gigi Gaerlan’s The Custaroonery is already well known for excellent custaroons, matcha cookies and green tea. Building on that success, she started a new confectionery business, a patisserie named after herself, GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes, with partners Patrick Gaerlan, her husband; Joey Luna, Dondi Gaite; and Cynthia and Ivy Almario in July 2012.

GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes takes pride in the moistness and taste of their specialty cupcakes. They also offer a variety of chill coffee concoctions and sweet-tooth-satisfying goodies — all contributing to a touch of viral hype now in Eastwood City.

An invitation to bloggers came up last week, and I’m glad to be one of the selected few to taste as many GIGI cupcakes as we wanted with delight. 😛

Review of GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes (Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City)

Ambiance: ★★★★★

I’m impressed with the cutesie-wootsie style of the shop. The Almarios gave the interior design an outdoor feel (see the fake grass) but without the heat and the pollution. Once inside, I felt like just being in a park and at the same time a candy store with less candies and more colorful cupcakes displayed beautifully on the forefront. The list of drinks are listed at the backdrop, also taking attention.

GIGI is located in the lobby area of an establishment where employees and other people go in and out. I’m surprised that the place is quite cozy, peaceful and welcoming in spite of this. All around, you can see the colors green, brown and white as motifs, soothing to the eyes. With simple but stylish avant-garde furnishings, the French-inspired modern setting gives the perfect ambiance where guests can unwind, relax and chat for over an hour.

Service: ★★★★★

The staff members were fantastic and friendly. They served coffee and cupcakes and allocated space for us very quickly. WiFi connection can be accessed for free by dine-in customers. Password was given immediately after we asked for it, thank goodness. I appreciate the kind gesture.

Food: ★★★★★

Patrick Gaerlan mentioned that they serve different flavors of cupcakes in a day. They are not yet ready with their printed menu so diners have to choose from what’s available in the counter.

In our visit, we had the following listed below, while we missed Bacon Chocolate, Chili Chocolate, Cinnamon, Blueberry, Apple Crumble, Key Lime, Orange, White Mocha and Peanut Butter. (The latter two arrived later as part of the afternoon batch.)
- Sea Salt Chocolate – Sweet and salty frosting plus the moist texture of the cake equate to a perfect cupcake. Yummy! Warning: The chocolate is so rich that it will make you feel heavy afterwards.
- Chocolate Chip Overload – This chocolate-studded cupcake can be your ultimate indulgence. OMG, they are just delicious! You will be very satisfied with only one.
- Raspberry – The cake was out of this world, but that frosting was even better….super good and heavy to the stomach. If you’re hungry and you don’t have time to eat a full meal, this one can quench your hunger in no time. And as you take it, may the Gods of Sugar bless you.
- Red Velvet – I saw how customers just walk in, order the Red Velvet, pay to the cashier and move out. No doubt, this is the best-seller of all time. Trust me, it can really be one of the best cupcakes you will ever taste.
- Peppermint – Among all those cupcakes I’ve sampled, this is by far my personal favorite. I love mint with chocolate, and this cupcake flavor hit me right on target.
- Green Tea – Divine and unique, the green tea is another variant which I liked most. It tastes bitter and sweet, ridiculously flavorful, buttery and moist as well.
I was super full after taking bits of these six cupcakes! All of them are worth to be hoarded into your belly, but make sure to follow through with physical exercises to shed off the fats and calories especially if you’re conscious of your weight and fitness like me. 😀

As for the drinks, I had the white mocha frappe which is sweeter by about 50% than the mocha frappe. I was the only one who didn’t get to finish her drink. I probably had drank more plain water than the frappe to cleanse the sweetness in my mouth. 😀 Don’t fret as it might only be me; I’m not really a “frappe person” and I’m not much into drinks that can “damage” my waistline. I prefer subtle ones like milk teas which are concocted with little amount of sugar (if possible, 0-20%).

In fairness though, GIGI’s Coffee and Cupcakes has done an excellent job with the coffee base and whipped cream. Their drinks can be your next alternatives to Starbucks’ ice blended coffee drink fixes.

The third picture on the right is the lemongrass tea, which I look forward to order in my next visit.

Price for Value: ★★★★★

With joints selling donuts, cakes, sandwiches, yogurt, ice cream, milk tea, macarons, other desserts and snacks almost everywhere now, apparently the market has become saturated. But GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes should not worry. The shop is strategically located in Eastwood City (between Citibank and IBM Plaza), where streams of potential customers from offices and malls continually pass by from morning till midnight.

Each cupcake flavor is every bit as impressive as another. Gigi’s cupcakes are aesthetically pleasing enough that you can serve to guests at a party or at a client meeting. To sum up, their coffee and cupcakes are absolutely worth the price! There’s no shortening-based icing on the cakes but quality frosting which in Filipino terms can be put this way: “Walang daya.”

Cupcakes are sold at PHp 40 individually yet you can save some when you buy them in bulk. (Note that other cupcake stores sell cupcakes at PHp 80-120 each.) Prices of drinks, on the other hand, range from PHp 50-95. 还好吧 ! 😀

So, listen up, Folks! For the upcoming celebration in your home or office, instead of baking your own goodies, treat your families and friends to affordable but elegantly prepared cupcakes by GIGI. Avoid the hectic queues and call their contact number below to reserve boxes for convenience. When you’re just walking around Eastwood, casually drop by their shop and find yourself craving for more cupcakes one after the other. 😀

“A great cupcake starts with a great cake.”

[schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/GigiCoffeeAndCupcakes” name=”GIGI Coffee & Cupcakes” description=”5 Eastwood Avenue, Felina Corporate Plaza Lobby, Eastwood City, 1110 Quezon City, Philippines” rev_name=” For inquiries, contact (02) 234 2842″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-05-13″ user_review=”20″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

Operating hours:
Monday to Thursday – 7AM to 11PM
Friday and Saturday – 7AM to 12MN
Sunday – 11AM to 8PM

– Gigi and Patrick Gaerlan with their cute daughter who was making faces 🙂 –

– The Bloggers (Me, Hana, Ann, Florence and Ross)
minus Mac, who took the shot, and Sef who came later 🙂 –
May 13, 2013
Review of Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Pugliese Pizza (Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila)

Louie and I watched Iron Man 3 with friends last Saturday night. It was the first time we experienced total electrical disruption (brownout) for almost an hour in the mall. Even the electrical generator was not able to push electricity back in immediately. People shouted “Aaaahh!” like they were riding a roller coaster, every time lights turn on and go off like disco in a split second. 😯

We knew the schedules and timing of the movies in cinemas would be delayed. Anyhow, we were still able to catch the movie and have dinner comfortably.

We hit up Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Pizza Pasta Resto, as a result of easy round of approvals and agreement among us nine. Like the LAB Gastropub OCEANA, Lombardi’s is also a product of center for Culinary Arts (CCA) Manila. The name of the restaurant originates from Chef Davide Lombardi’s last name. This guy came to the Philippines to share Italian cooking secrets to aspiring chefs. Talk about passion.

To date, there’s only one branch of Lombardi’s in the country and it’s located right here at Robinsons Magnolia’s Al Fresco area.

Review of Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Pugliese Pizza (Robinsons Magnolia, New Manila)

Ambiance: ★★★★☆

Lombardi’s provides seating to customers inside and outside the restaurant. Seats are apt in number and the entire combined areas can accommodate about 80-100 people. There was a live band playing loud music outside, so this place is best recommended for those guys who just want to chill out, eat and not say a word (else hurt their voice box in trying to overcome the noise and make themselves be heard).

Theme is consistent throughout the space, featuring light wood furniture, elegant light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, brick walls and attractive ornaments everywhere. At the far end of the air-conditioned interior room stands a wall where names of dishes are listed in multicolored chalk. Beside it is Lombardi’s kitchen that’s enclosed with glass — making the process of preparing and cooking pizzas through their large wood-burning oven attractive to guests.

Service: ★★★☆☆

The pleasing vibe of the ambiance was enhanced with the nice appeal of Lombardi’s staff. We were offered to be seated first outside as guests were full inside. Orders were taken and starters were placed on our tables fast. The deal-breaker had to be the waiting time. Our pizza came really later than expected, so we began eating when our friends were almost done with their meal.

Every restaurant has slow service at one time or another, so I can let this one pass.

Food: ★★★☆☆

We received focaccia bread with balsamic vinegar olive oil dip as complimentary appetizer. The aroma of the bread plus the herbs were fresh. One bite and you can sense the crispiness on the edges and take delight on the fluffiness of the bread inside.

There’s a ton of dishes on the menu but we decided to go for pizza, since an authentic Italian experience is said to be incomplete without it. To be exact, we had the Pugliese pizza, a thin-crusted pizza topped with tuna, onions, mozzarella cheese and green olives.

The pizza was acceptable across the board, but it was no major star. The pizza surface with nicely melted cheese was nearly mercifully grease-less, but it was under-spiced. The stray bits of onion did not successfully help to add snap and flavor. Without the chili oil, salt and pepper we had to put on, the light taste was almost assertively void of the unassuming tuna flavor. The crust was dry and thin like reinforced cardboard, not chewy.

Price for Value: ★★☆☆☆

If you’re on a diet but strongly crave for a slice of pizza right now, the closest thing you can probably grab is this Pugliese pizza from Lombardi’s. It’s not addictive and it won’t make you feel guilty with its healthy toppings and super light taste. The price, on the other hand, is not for the faint of heart. The Pugliese pizza costs PHp 320 with PHp 28++ service charge.

Here’s the menu of Lombardi’s, for folks who aren’t afraid of racking up a tab. ❤

Lombardi’s Authentic Italian Restaurant
2/F Robinsons Magnolia, Doña Hemady Avenue, Valencia, Quezon City

May 2, 2013