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Category: Quezon City

  • Review of Rēis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt (SM North EDSA, Quezon City)

    Review of Rēis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt (SM North EDSA, Quezon City)

    Rēis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt features the world’s first and only Robotic Frozen Yogurt Kiosks. It has recently built their first location in SM North EDSA, Quezon City, the first in the Philippines! Two weeks after its soft launch, it finally had its grand opening last Saturday. I was lucky to be handpicked and notified as a blogger to cover the event. 😀

    The first 50 customers in the queue were given complimentary vouchers used as tickets in purchasing frozen yogurts via a robot. Yes, you read that right. Rēis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt is equipped with a robot, which acts like a vendo machine, that prepares and serves customized four-layer yogurt with different flavors and toppings to the customer’s exact specifications. The store concept can be easily remembered with three steps: 1. DESIGN your 4 layers of freshness; 2. WATCH a robot prepare it for you, and 3. ENJOY your creation!

    Review of Rēis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt (SM North EDSA, Quezon City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★☆

    While the kiosk, mini counter and dining area cover only less than 50 square feet of the mall ground, customers can line up to get their yogurt on the entire space in the open. The theme was pretty top notch, with pink and white as the obvious color motifs. High chairs were comfortable to sit on. The LCD featuring guidelines on the kiosk gave an impression of modernity. I thought the robot machine itself could capture attention and raise curiosity and interest to prospect customers passing by. But it also helps to have a human staff to accommodate questions on how-to’s and make the ambiance look more “approachable” (since people may tend to feel reluctant or shy to use a frozen yogurt self-serving machine that’s new to their eyes).

    On the opening day, customers (mostly children) got to choose any robot to be painted on their arms, hands or faces. Mom was pleased to give it a try. 😛

    Service: ★★★★☆

    As this outlet is more of a self-service one, customers would have to buy a coupon (PHp 125, standard) from the cashier and line up in front of the kiosk. Once the ticket is inserted, the presentation / ordering begins…

    After feeding your coupon to the machine, the next screen lets you pick a flavor of the yogurt, then you just have to press on the button to proceed to the next screens to choose your first topping, second yogurt and second topping respectively.

    The last step is to choose a robot (Cid, Irvy, Reis or Rev) who will “dance” to get the ingredients from different tubes and entertain you for about a minute before serving the cup of frozen yogurt. The output would be the same, but the movements on how the treat is made vary according to the robot selected. I bet kids would absolutely be excited to see and experience this. 🙂

    The screen interfaces were very user-friendly. If you’re used to manipulating a tablet, a smartphone or any device with touch-screen technology, then you won’t have a problem interacting with this machine. Else, you can approach the human staff and ask for assistance. 🙂

    Food: ★★★★☆

    Only up to two flavors can be programmed to be added in the machine. At this time, chocolate, vanilla and mixed chocolate and vanilla are available. The flavors will be changed and rotated every two weeks.

    Toppings that can be added are: muesli, chocolate pieces (like M&M’s), peanuts, chopped cashews, rainbow sprinkles and chocolate sprinkles. One can also go without topping/s or ask the staff to put on more toppings (optional, two more toppings for PHp 25).

    My version consisted of the following:

    • 1st layer (yogurt): chocolate and vanilla yogurt
    • 2nd layer (topping): muesli
    • 3rd layer (yogurt): vanilla yogurt
    • 4th layer (topping): chopped cashews

    The frozen yogurt was refreshing and cold with a smooth and creamy finish but not mouth-coatingly rich. At at predefined weight of 10oz, the serving was enough for me to finish quickly in one sitting. Toppings were generously portioned. As for the flavor, vanilla and chocolate seemed like the usual ones we see in other yogurt outlets (nothing special), so I’m looking forward to trying unique flavors like wild berries, green tea, kiwi, peach, cherry and pomegranate from Rēis & Irvy’s (if ever they offer such in the future). 🙂

    Price for Value: ★★★☆☆

    Next to ice cream, yogurt is another scream-worthy choice these days. Redefining the way yogurt is delivered, Rēis & Irvy’s creates lasting memories as it brings out the WOW factor and offers a highly interactive user experience that is unmatched in generating customer excitement. I thought that the price (PHp 125) was comparable to other froyo chains in the Philippines:

    FYI: The White Hat (small cup for PHp 85 with toppings that start at PHp 20), Californiaberry (small cup for PHp 60 with toppings that start at PHp 20), Green Mango (PHp 70 with 3 toppings), Ice Cream Bar (PHp 120 with no toppings), Cold Spoon (small cup for PHp 60 with toppings that start at PHp 10), Yogurbud (PHp 85 with three toppings).

    Still, it’s quite expensive for me lah! 😛

    Me with Lydia Jones (Owner from US), Eiri Mina (Rēis mascot) and Joy Reyes (Marketing)

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/ReisIrvysPh” name=”Reis & Irvy’s Frozen Yogurt – Philippines” description=”3/F The Block, SM North EDSA, Quezon City (Beside The Sandwich Guy)” author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-09-30″ user_review=”15″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

    Operating Hours:
    Mon – Thu: 10:00 am – 9:00 pm
    Fri – Sun: 10:00 am – 10:00 pm

  • Review of Fariñas Ilocos Empanada (Visayas Avenue, Quezon City)

    Review of Fariñas Ilocos Empanada (Visayas Avenue, Quezon City)

    Two years ago, husband and wife Brian and Hazel Fariñas launched the first “branch” of Fariñas Ilocos Empanada along Visayas Avenue, Quezon City adjacent to the South Star Drug. It started as a five-square-meter booth where passersby snack on their “authentic empanadas” made with ingredients from Ilocos. What was tad surprising was that their children (still in high school) were the ones who posted the idea of opening up this small venture for a tryout. Little did they know that pursuing this business would open them the door to success…and more success to come.

    I got an invite here last week and came to visit their restaurant to get an idea of what many of their customers and the media now are raving about. I mean, empanadas are already ubiquitous, thanks to the food carts that have been spreading everywhere in the MRT stations, malls and establishments like a disease. So I wondered what Fariñas Ilocos Empanada’s empanadas can offer more to differentiate from others. Whatever makes their food outstanding? Let’s find out. 🙂

    Review of Fariñas Ilocos Empanada (Visayas Avenue, Quezon City)

    Ambiance: ★★★☆☆

    Out of 10 branches, this is one of the two branches of Fariñas Ilocos Empanada that’s open-air. We were lucky that we came at dinnertime and it was raining so the wind was cold, else I could already imagine the heat. To keep the air ventilated, this restaurant has a fan and a wide entrance that are enough to provide cool environment.

    Chairs and tables were neatly positioned. Printed on the wall was Fariñas Ilocos Empanada’s logo and opposite it was a landscape image showing an overview of naimas (simply delicious) empanadas and other food cooked with “zero cholesterol.”

    There’s no menu passed on to dining customers but like other fast food chains, their menu is posted behind the counter. It’s a “pay as you order” restaurant and you get to see the empanadas being prepared and fried in front quickly before they are served.

    Service: ★★★★☆

    The staff were eloquent and they appeared friendly much like the owners who entertained our questions and delivered answers that demonstrated care for both their line of business and their customers. Serve time was quite fast considering that food is cooked upon order.

    Food: ★★★★☆

    Fariñas Ilocos Empanada’s empanadas are said to be an improved version of the authentic empanadas from Ilocos. The Fariñas family is from that region in the country and they have spent much time and effort in researching and concocting for a more flavorful Pinoy pie based on its original savor. Finally, they came up with five types, each with varied taste:
    1. Regular Empanada (PHp 40) – consists of one egg and veggies
    2. Special Empanada (PHp 50) – consists of one egg, one longganisa and veggies
    3. Extra Special Empanada (PHp 65) – consists of one egg, two longganisas and veggies
    4. Super Special Empanada (PHp 80) – consists of two eggs, two longganisas, and veggies
    5. Ultimate Empanada (PHp 99) – consists of bagnet, two eggs, longganisa and veggies

    I can’t get enough of all these adjectives that are incorporated as part of the names of their specialty empanadas. I thought that it was rather hard to remember that the Super Special has this and this, the Extra Special has this and this, etc. All that’s being changed is the number of eggs and longganisas included to form the finished product. Hahaha. 😛

    Eggs can be requested to be either cooked as “malasado” (half-cooked or soft-boiled) or well done. The veggies comprise of balatong (mongo) and grated papaya, and the outer orange shell of the empanada is made from rice powder with achuete (roucou).

    We were served with the Extra Special Empanada, and I supposed it’s best eaten with their homemade native chilli with garlic sauce. This empanada can be a meal in itself and there wasn’t anything not to love in all of the finest ingredients used. The crust was crisp and wasn’t as flaky and greasy as other fried food. The flavors of everything in the filling blended as sweet and savory into one complete bite.

    After finishing the pocketed treat, next came jostling for our attention was the Pancit Bagnet (PHp 125), a unique bagnet recipe from the north of the Philippines. The pancit was topped with bagnet slices, eggs and vegetables. It was a fine dish that’s been introduced proudly to my taste buds.

    Then I learned the difference between bagnet and lechon kawali: While bagnet is boiled and deep-fried pork belly with a well-browned, drier and crispier exterior portion of the meat, lechon kawali is deep-fried at a very high temperature only until the skin is blistered and the meat is lightly browned.

    Thirdly, we sampled another dish with a bagnet-y twist: the Ilocos Miki (PHp 115), which was cooked in chicken soup with eggs, bagnet and toasted garlic. It came out delicious yet adding drops of their Sukang Iloko proved to enhance its taste further. If Singaporeans and Malaysians boast their laksa, then we can match it with this soup.

    Fariñas Ilocos Empanada does not have desserts available, however you can have a pack of camote chips (PHp 75) or garlic chichacorn (PHp 105) to snack on. Between the two, I liked the sweet potato chips more as they were firm, thin and light. 😀

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    In sum, the empanadas are definitely the star here. I have yet to visit a Fariñas branch that’s closer to home to make a better judgment on their food. At this point, I guess I can say that the best thing about these succulent hand-held food is their diversity, something Ilocos can offer to Manileños. 😀

    [schema type=”review” name=”Fariñas Original Ilocos Empanada – Visayas Avenue” description=”56 Visayas Avenue Project 6, Quezon City” rev_name=”For inquiries, contact 0917 817-3146″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-09-16″ user_review=”15″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

    Branches:

    56 Visayas Ave., Project 6, Quezon City (12noon to 10pm)
    140 Kalayaan Ave. cor Mayaman St., Diliman (10am to 8pm)
    Maysilo Circle, Mandaluyong City (11am to 10pm)
    Lansbergh Condominium, Tomas Morato (11am to 10pm )
    Short horn corner road 20, project 8, Quezon City (11am to 10pm)
    77 Stotsenburg, 10th Ave. Caloocan City
    58 Katipunan Road, White Plains (12noon to 11PM)
    West Avenue
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  • Review of Carol’s Texan 5 (San Juan, Quezon City)

    Review of Carol’s Texan 5 (San Juan, Quezon City)

    Free and/or discounted meals can buy happiness, at least for adventurous foodies. And that’s exactly how we became happy diners at Carol’s Texan 5. Back story: Recently, Zomato rewarded me with a PHp 500 meal voucher at Carol’s Texan 5 for winning their Write for a Bite Contest. I used the GC for an early dinner with my boyfriend last fortnight.

    Somehow, we have not been keeping up with scenes in San Juan area. This gives us a valid excuse for not hearing about this restaurant at all. Having the address written on the voucher, we navigated through iPhone Maps application and finally reached Carol’s Texan Five after several U-turns. 😛 The off-the-grid location makes it feel like a real find, and I think the level of food being served would cost double if this spot were located in Greenhills Shopping Center or anywhere nearer.

    Review of Carol’s Texan 5 (San Juan, Quezon City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★☆

    Texas is often associated with the image of the cowboy. Thus Carol’s Texan 5 is decorated aptly with cowboy stuff and colorful Western art. I like the bright ambiance here which makes the place ideal for group celebrations, dates and even client meetings.

    I thought there’s supposed to be a band performing at night because of the area that looked like where a drum set is placed. Later we learned that the perimeter is only for taking pictures and looking at your reflection in the mirror as you wear cowboy hats and pretend you can speak Italian.

    Service: ★★★☆☆

    We were the only customers at that time, yet service was not prompt and a bit below par. There was only one staff behind the counter and it was she who took our orders, served the food, and prepared the bill.

    When asked, she said that peak hours are staggering every day, so she couldn’t be sure when more customers would arrive. That’s doubtful. I mean of course she should know! This explains why I gave few stars for service in this establishment. I wondered how many waiters normally work in busier hours and if they are able to handle customers well.

    Food: ★★★★☆

    It’s an incontrovertible fact that fried foods pair fantastically with other fried foods. 😯 Taking that to proper consideration, we had three dishes which are marked with the “best-seller” sign on the menu: Five Star Fish and Fries (PHp 255), Dynamite Wings (6 pieces for PHp 175) and Calamares (PHp 125) — all fried! 😛

    The Five Star Fish and Fries is a dish that is more popularly known as “fish and chips.” So make no mistake about thinking this is one that features “star fish” as the main ingredient. Texan 5’s fish and chips were not as greasy as other restaurants serve. In fairness, this dish was a tasty break from the norm. The garlic mayonnaise was a great dipping sauce for potato chips as well as the fish fillet. It’s one of those splurge-worthy comfort food that never goes out of style.

    The dynamite wings didn’t taste hot or spicy as we expected; These were regular breaded fried chicken without the frills of any other noteworthy flavor. Potato wedges (French fries) were okay.

    Lastly, the calamares (fried squid rings and coated tentacles) that came with sour cream was appetizing as it was visually appealing. In sum, good food: check!

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    Whether you’re six or 60, there’s little denying that comfort food forms a culinary genre that’s near and dear to most of our hearts. Food in this house are, at large, comfort food. While there’s grease and much oil because of the deep fry cooking and thus the 99.5% chance that it could be terrible for your health, it feels so good going down — and don’t you deserve to feel good now and then?

    Carol’s Texan 5 serves good food with affordable and reasonable prices and generous portions. It’s where you can eat your meal anytime during operating hours (see below) without feeling guilty of overspending.

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/texan5″ name=”Carol’s Texan 5″ description=”(2F) 713 Jose Abad Santos, Little Baguio, San Juan, Quezon City (You’ll find Tea Monkey in the first floor.)” rev_name=”For inquiries, call (02) 727-3843″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-07-08″ user_review=”15″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

    Operating hours:
    Sundays to Thursdays: 12nn to 10pm
    Fridays and Saturdays: 12nn to 12mn

  • Review of Galli Village Cafe (Maginhawa Street, Quezon City)

    Review of Galli Village Cafe (Maginhawa Street, Quezon City)

    If you are not convinced of Maginhawa Street’s credentials as a fully realized foodie village, then this cafe I’m featuring in this article will go some way to changing your opinion. Right in the middle of the street, Galli Village Cafe in Quezon City opened just two months ago (since May 2013), clearly targeting passing traffic of food lovers who want to stay in a quiet place whilst enjoying delicious food. This is actually its second branch, while the first one has been open to the public since last year.

    Galli Village Cafe seems to be set up for success as it possesses the crucial combination of Spanish and Filipino-inspired cuisines with the theme of the Mediterranean, ready to pique the taste buds of patrons.

    The business started when husband and wife tandem (the Villongcos) thought of establishing a restaurant where they can eat after church service every weekend. This couple goes to National Shrine of Sacred Heart Church, where nearby restaurants serving decent food are almost nowhere to be found. Thus, in God’s stamp of approval, everything came in proper order and timing. The ground floor of YMCA Hotel across the church had an open space. So like an answered prayer, this spot became perfect fit and hence where the first branch of Galli Cafe now stands.

    Galli Village Cafe has been featured several times on TV shows and popular blogs, but it was only yesterday when I had the chance to dine in its QC branch.

    Review of Galli Village Cafe (Maginhawa Street, Quezon City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★☆

    Galli Village Cafe posits itself as a “refreshing dining place from the hustle and bustle of Makati and Quezon City.” At least in its QC branch, I totally vouch for that. Galli is a rustic and cozy restaurant where everyone feels relaxed. The area may be small when compared to regular dine-in restaurants, as it can accommodate only about 25 people. The space is tiny, yes, but it can pose as a perfect place for sharing plates and making some new friends in the process. Also, this can be a plus for dining customers who value intimacy and privacy.

    I find interior design quite alluring as there’s obvious creativity shown throughout this cafe. Since the owners are fond of traveling, they collect souvenirs and take pictures to form the concept of Galli Village Cafe. Bursting with originality, the walls are filled up with framed collages and keepsakes from European, Asian (including the PH) and American countries. The vibrant colors and the upbeat music playing on the background cater to the younger and modern generation whose personalities are more on the chic, artistic and bohemian type.

    Service: ★★★★☆

    Despite the limited number of staff, Galli serves customers responsively both in the indoor and al fresco setting. As guests, we were entertained and satisfied not only with the food but also with the knowledge on their dishes. The staffs were friendly and thoughtful to balance being accommodating while allowing us to engage in a wonderful conversation.

    Galli Village Cafe is not what you can call a “fast food” restaurant because admittedly, waiting time is quite long. To give consideration, this is understandable as they make food upon order and not just heat them few seconds before serving. For cooking their specialty paella, for example, customers must be willing to wait 40 minutes for the food to arrive.

    It’s recommended to call first and order in advance to save time. They also do catering and accept reservations so make sure to find their contact numbers at the end of this post! 😀

    Food: ★★★★★

    We had a great lineup of food that consisted of their specialties and wholesome dishes: Beef Salpicao (PHp 195), Paella Valenciana (good for 4-5; PHp 495), Angus Beef Tapa (PHp 170) and Shrimp Gambas (PHp 195).

    The paella was especially sumptuous, with a very good selection of toppings: chicken, pork, eggs, chorizo and some vegetables. I have the habit of smelling food first before eating every spoonful of it. This one smelled really delicious. 😀 I would raise my two thumbs up also for their shrimp gambas.

    Christine was kind to offer tuna salpicao when she learned two of us bloggers are pescetarians. Tuna Salpicao is not even existing on the menu yet, and together with Grilled Tuna Belly, it will probably be released in the next two months. In addition, she asked the cook staff to bring us Chorizo Rice that complemented the taste of the salpicaos.

    For the drinks, I had Hot Chocolate (PHp 35) which tasted like pure chocolate with a tinge of sweetness, to wash out the astonishingly strong flavors swimming in my buds. Two other bloggers had the Sparkling Lemonade (PHp 39) and Four Seasons (PHp 39). For our desserts, we had Leche Flan that was creamy but not too sweet.

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    Food prices are accessible, considering that the quality is high. Budget per person is less than PHp 300 and you can get fulfillment from this restaurant that not only gives customers a taste of what they can get but is as well given enough of a local touch that people in the city can recognize in terms of taste. One promising thing to note is that things will surely get better, as Galli still is in the process of improving and expanding their menu.

    Boo, it’s too far from home! 😯 There were no regrets though, because I had fun eating and chatting with Christine Arriola-Villongco and the bloggers. I almost felt like carrying my stomach with two hands after pigging out in this cozy resto. Exaggerated much? Yeah, I know. Nyahaha. :mrgreen:

    [schema type=”review” url=”https://www.facebook.com/GalliVillageCafe” name=”Galli Village Cafe” description=”154 Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City Open daily, 11AM-10PM” rev_name=” Contact number: (02) 434 6716″ author=”Rochkirstin Santos” pubdate=”2013-07-07″ user_review=”17″ min_review=”0″ max_review=”20″ ]

    Other branch:
    G/F YMCA Hotel, 7 Sacred Heart St San Antonio, Makati
    Open daily, 7AM-8:30PM
    Contact number: 0927 3914655

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

    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)

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

    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 🙂 –

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

    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

  • Review of Sango! The Burger Master (Tomas Morato, Quezon City)

    Review of Sango! The Burger Master (Tomas Morato, Quezon City)

    While we are already quite familiar with sushi, bento meals, tempura and other Japanese food, most of us haven’t tried Japanese burgers—admit it! 😀

    Sango! The Burger Master is Japanese restaurant that specializes in Japanese-style burgers. Louie brought me here last week for dinner, and I thought the venue is ideal and fantastic for a first date! Read on to know why.

    Review of Sango! The Burger Master (Tomas Morato, Quezon City)

    Ambiance: ★★★★☆

    Sango’s location in Quezon City is easy to find as it’s just along Timog Avenue where many restaurants are lined up. The construction is like a duplex, with two floors filled with tables and chairs and the first one occupied by the kitchen behind the counter. The colors of the interior theme, light green and white, contributed to the pleasing and playful ambiance. The place was considerably quiet though Japanese songs were being played in the background in low volume.

    Customers can read Sango’s collections of mangas arranged against the mirror beside the seats during their stay.

    The little old-school in feel brought a charming effect. Displays of cute origami characters around added more “Japanese vibe” into the restaurant.

    Service: ★★★★★

    There was only one chef who cooks and prepares food and one waitress who attends to orders and serves the food to customers. Despite having a small workforce size, Sango offered good service with efficiency and productivity of their staff. I think that the space being perfectly serviceable helped a lot.

    Food: ★★★★☆

    Sango has a rather organized menu. Here are pictures of its pages for your reference:

    First off, we had the fries (PHP 85) which featured a nicely crispy exterior with cheese and minced beef that were full of flavor. The fries were in regular cut; they were not greasy so can stay worry-free about having a sudden heart attack. 😛

    Casually served in a basket, the Fish Burger (PHp 150) was packed with a heaping portion of fish fillet with mayonnaise and soft burger bun. I took my first bite felt the warm, comforting relief that took away my hunger but didn’t give me greed. It was a nice moment.

    The Master Chili Burger (PHp 175), on the other hand, was accompanied with luscious special meat sauce, a big slice of red tomato, lots of onions with mustard and Japanese mayo plus a slice of jalapeño. Thick seasoned ground beef dominated the sandwich, as the juicy meat goodness soaked the bun. “The Master” is plenty for a girl with a healthy appetite but not enough for a guy like Louie. Haha.

    He didn’t feel satisfied with one burger and his share of the fries. So he had another one: Yakiniku Rice Burger (PHp 150), the house specialty that Sango can boast about. Instead of the typical burger bread bun, this one had rice supporting the opposite sides of the patty. Tender juiciness was apparent on the inside and the whole shebang can be tasted right when your buds meet the spicy and tangy curry sauce.

    Price for Value: ★★★★☆

    As far as Japanese comfort food goes, Sango! The Burger Master is one of the standbys. People can eat there all the time: for breakfast, for lunch, for snacks, for dinner and for when guests come over anytime before 10PM, you name it. For less than PHp 200 per burger, their food is affordable. So are you swayed to visit soon? Come on, the decision is a no-brainer. 🙂 Sango’s burgers will definitely make you take that once a year risk to escape burger mediocrity.

    Sango! The Burger Master
    186 Tomas Morato Ave cor Sct De Guia Laging Handa, Quezon City
    For inquiries, call (02) 990-2484

    Other Branch:
    Rm. 5 GF, Makati Creekside Mall, Amorsolo Street, corner Herrera Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City
    Phone numbers: (02) 830-0391, (02) 889-4445 and (02) 819-3740