Outback Freebies at Glorietta Cinemas!

So after purchasing some movie tickets in Glorietta 4 last night, we were thinking about where to eat dinner. As it turned out, we decided to avail of the coupons that came with the tickets. For each ticket, you get a coupon for free Kookaburra Wings and one Iced Tea for every 500 minimum purchase at Outback. We actually made it a point to make our bill reach 1,000 PHP just so we could avail of two of the coupons. Hehe.

I've tried the Kookaburra Wings before and I have always liked it. The skin is crispy and the meat is juicy, and it has a unique taste to it which is the product of a good mixture of seasonings. The dish itself (when availed through Ayala Cinema's coupon), has five pieces of drumettes, which is half of the serving of the original order.

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Kimpura - watching as your food is cooked

Kimpura is a Japanese restaurant located in Greenbelt 5, Makati, right next to Peking Garden. It also has branches in Greenhills and Trinoma. When eating here, you have the option of dining around a grill while a chef cooks your food in front of you. It's more commonly known as Teppanyaki. The first time we dined here, that one episode in How I Met Your Mother entered my mind -- the one where Barney ridicules Teppanyaki restaurants.

It's quite interesting to dine in Kimpura because of the fact that you can watch while your food is being cooked. You don't get impatient while waiting because it's entertaining to watch the chef!

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Singaporean Food at Toast Box

For some reason, I was really craving for Laksa. At the time that I really wanted some, I couldn't think of any restaurants that served it (and I'm still looking for more, so do tell me if you know any). After some researching, I found out that the newly opened Toast Box in Alabang Town Center was a Singaporean restaurant and that, yes, served Laksa. I couldn't get there faster.

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A Bunch of Photos from Omakase

As I mentioned in a previous post, Omakase will always be one of my favorite Japanese restaurants. I can never get enough of their makimono/sushi. This post is a collection of photos from multiple visits to Omakase. As can be seen from this post... I really am very much obsessed with sushi.

First up is the SAR platter. This is a platter of (clockwise, starting from the one on the bottom left) Salmon Skin, American dream,  and Rock n' Roll maki. We didn't enjoy the salmon skin roll, though the other two were pretty good.

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The Well-Known Yakimix

If you're a foodie residing in Manila, then chances are that you've heard of Yakimix. Yakimix is an eat-all-you-can smokeless grill restaurant with various branches all over the metro. Eating here costs P499 per head on weekends, and P580 per head on weekends. The lines are usually LONG, so be sure to arrive early or to call for reservations ahead of time.

As usual, the first thing I do was attack their sushi table. There's always a lot of rolls to choose from in Yakimix. It takes a lot of willpower to not stuff myself on the rolls, since then there wouldn't be enough room for the grilled food (which, really, is why we go to Yakimix).

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Gelato Cakes at Caramia

I love cold desserts. Cara Mia Gelateria, usually accompanied by the restaurant Amici, is a place I've been wanting to try. Their display is laden with delicious looking gelato cakes. Since some people don't like people taking pictures of their displays, I wasn't even sure if we were allowed to! Nobody stopped me though, so now I have the opportunity to show off these pretty looking cakes.

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Authentic Japanese Ramen at Ramen X

Ramen X is a name I've heard a couple of times in the past. Never really had a chance to try it out until they opened a branch in Alabang Town Center. Speaking of Town Center, they opened a new wing, and there's a ton of fabulous new restaurants to choose from... if you haven't checked it out, you must!

Anyway. Ramen X's store layout is nice. They have cute pictures hanging on the walls, and the place itself is really clean. My only complaint is that when we went there, a few of tables were cramped together. Please note though that in the long run, it doesn't really ruin the dining experience!

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Nomi Burgers + Shakes

Nomi Burgers + Shakes is back in Taft! I know I rejoiced when I found out that they reopened a store on Agno/Castro Street, next to De La Salle University. They used to be called 'Nomimono', and I'm sure most patrons still call them that. I'm not even sure if they have officially changed their name, and I just realized the change when I looked at the receipt.

To celebrate their comeback, I ordered my favorite. One Spicy Teriyaki Chicken Burger Set B for P150. The sauce of this burger is delicious, and as you can see, they don't hold back on the serving. It's quite messy to eat, but nobody should really mind. 

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Chilling at Chili's

Lame title, right? Well, it's pretty difficult to think of post titles, 'ya know? ;)

Anyway, I was finally able to eat at Chili's Bar and Grill. I have been wanting to eat there ever since I saw pictures of their Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie. Because I loved it so much, I'm using the photo as the preview to this post. Behold...! One of the best deserts I've ever tried. It's P380, but the serving is REALLY big. Pretty sure it would satisfy 2-3 people.

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Lugang Cafe!

Anyone craving for Taiwanese cuisine? If you are, then Lugang Cafe is the place for you. Lugang Cafe has brances in Greenhills and in SM Mall of Asia. Their website describes their restaurant as the 'epitome of elegance and style', to which I would agree to. 

We were able to visit the MOA branch and were greeted by a long queue... good thing it was worth the wait. Lugang Cafe was honestly a very good experience. 

Lamps... :)

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Sam Won Garden, B.F. Homes

Sam Won Garden is a Korean restaurant found on Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque. It's a down to earth restaurant with authentic Korean food. It's one of the Korean restaurants we've frequented in the in the past because it's affordable, service is fast, and the food is good. 

Barley Tea

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Hatsu Hana-Tei at Herald Suites

Greetings! These are shots taken from Hatsu Hana-Tei at Herald Suites, located on Don Chino Roces in Makati. This restaurant is a family favorite. They have a wide ride of authentic Japanese food to choose from, the place has a traditional Japanese feel to it, and the service is good.

These shots were taken from one of our many visits, and I unfortunately was not able to jot down the names and prices of these orders. So, I will leave you with a post of simply pictures, and I hope you enjoy them. ;)

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Focaccia Italian Restaurant

Focaccia Italian Restaurant can be found on the ground floor of A.Venue, Makati. They have a wide array of choices and a cute-looking wall (see below picture). Anyway, as you can see, customers leave behind notes on this wall, and it adds a personal touch to the restaurant, don't you think? :)

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Kenji Tei Ramen House at GB5

Kenji Tei Ramen House, found in Greenbelt 5 and B.F. Homes, specializes in Ramen (...just as the name should imply). If I'm correct, they started off in B.F. Homes. My companion was the one who chose this place when we went to Greenbelt 5, and I think it was a good choice.

Kenji Tei, GB5

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Win 2 Vouchers for Flower Stories Cafe!

Image from Metrodeal

Hi, guys! I was browsing through some vouchers sites and I decided to get some for a giveaway as well. Join now to get the chance to win two P500 vouchers to an Eat-All-You-Can International Fusion Buffet featuring the Finest Foods from Asia and Europe.

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Second Trip to Soderno

I really love these night markets. They never cease to satisfy someone like me who craves all kinds of food at such ungodly hours. Then there's my companion, who for some reason, eats even more than me. There I am, wanting something simple like ice cream... and he gets a smoked pork sandwich. But who I am to complain? At least I got to take a bite of something I wouldn't be able to finish on my own... and I have something to blog about to boot. ;) 

Again, to those who don't know, Soderno can be found in Molito, Alabang. It's on Madrigal street right across Alabang Town Center. If you're interested in the schedules, I have a picture of it under the cut.

The Best The South Has To Offer

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Authentic Taiwanese Food at Shi Lin

Alabang Town Center recently opened new wings (yes, wings!)... and with that, new restaurants have arrived as well! It's refreshing to see a bunch of new restaurants appear in a place we're often in. It's difficult to choose a restaurant when you've eaten in almost all of them. Then there's me, the difficult person who wants to eat in new places all the time. So... yey! Anyway, Marcus decided to eat in Shi Lin because he was entranced by their dimsum. 

Waiting for the food... :)

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Pigging out at Vikings

Vikings Luxury-Buffet Restaurant is an all-you-can-eat buffet located in San Miguel by the Bay, Seaside in Pasay. Or, to make it easier: it's right across Mall of Asia, on the bay side. It features many kinds of cuisine, including American, Chinese, European, Filipino and Japanese. It's fairly difficult to get a table right away, so make sure to make to get there early or to make a reservation a day earlier. For their contact information, here's is their MunchPunch page.

In front of Vikings

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Chicken Karaage at Tori Box

Tori Box is a newly opened restaurant one the 2nd floor of One Archer's Place (located next to De La Salle University, Manila). They sell Karaage pops seasoned with different flavors. The menu is still limited, but if I'm correct, they're still on their soft opening and their menu will be expanded soon. Doesn't really matter though, because I was pretty much satisfied ordering just the Karaage pops.

Tori Box

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Soi: Eat Thai, Love Thai

A few months back, I was intent on going to as much Thai restaurants that I could find. One of the restaurants I tried out was Soi: Eat Thai, Love Thai (found in Mall of Asia). It's a small Thai restaurant. I did some searching on the net and found out there's also a branch in Robinson's Place, Ermita. Other than that, there wasn't much information I could find on the net.

Interior

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Another Fave of Mine: King One Rotary Hot Pot

King One Rotary Hot Pot is an eat-all-you-can shabu-shabu restaurant located in Hobbies of Asia, Macapagal Blvd, Pasay. It's a few minutes away from Mall of Asia. It's one of my guilty pleasures, because seriously, who can't help but pig out at a place like this? When you sit down, they'll hand you some sheets of paper with what they offer. For the hot pot's broth, you have several options. These are some of the ones we've tasted: Curry, Szechuan, and Satay. As a note, the eat-all-you-can price for lunch is P479, and for dinner it's P529.

The Hot Pot!

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I Love Flaming Wings!

Flaming Wings is the sister company of Gravy Fix. They serve American dishes such as buffalo chicken, pasta, sandwiches, and excellent desserts (wicked oreos!). Actually, along with Buffalo's Wings n' Things and Wingman, this is one of my favorite places to go to for buffalo chicken. For the sauce, they have Mild n' Sweet, Wild, Smokey BBQ, and Original.

I usually order the Tenders meal. It's just like buffalo wings, minus the hassle of the bones. Heheh. What I love about Flaming Wings is that they are generous with the sauce, unlike some buffalo chicken restaurants that serve "kind of" dry buffalo chicken (and, to add to that, their sauce may be lacking in taste at times).

Tenders Meal - P125

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Buffalo's Wings n' Things

You know, I could have sworn I've posted this before... but apparently it was in my drafts. If by some mistake I'm posting this the second time around, and I'm not sure how that happened, please forgive me!

Marcus and I were driving around BF Homes the other day, looking for somewhere "new" to eat. While I bet Buffalo's Wings N' Things is a familiar sight to most people from BF (everyone seemed to be regulars), it was the first time either of us had seen it. We took a gamble... and I'm glad we did. The place offers buffalo wings in three servings: 1/2 pound - P129, 1 pound - P254, and Triple Sampler - P379.

Buffalo Wings 1/2 Pound - P129

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Vday's at John Bamboo

For Valentine's, we took a trip to Solenad, Nuvali and decided to eat at John Bamboo -- a Sate House by Red Crab. According to Wikipedia, sate is a "dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat, served with a sauce". I don't remember the last time I've eaten Indonesian food, so I was pretty excited because it was something "new". Anyway, we were given crackers as appetizers. The crackers itself was nothing special (though I doubt crackers can actually get any special), but the sauce was pretty good!

Crackers for Appetizers!

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Okiniiri, Japanese Restaurant and Izakaya

Marcus and I were driving along Aguirre in BF Homes looking for a place to eat when we spotted Okiniiri. Since we wanted an affordable place, Marcus made me go down the car and check the prices first. :P Honestly, the place looked quite expensive... but to my surprise, the prices were affordable! I guess looks can really be deceiving, huh? It was a good thing he made me check first rather than just driving past by.

On-the-house Appetizers

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FREE GELATO from Stickhouse!

Ciao from Stickhouse Philippines! 

Stickhouse, a franchise from Italy selling Authentic Italian Gelato on a Stick, has been in the Philippines since 2009. Currently, we already have 5 Stickhouse kiosks located at Trinoma (3), SM Megamall (1) and at Eastwood (1). Stickhouse takes pride in being the first in the Philippines to offer Italian gelato on a stick.

While I have never been to Stickhouse, I've seen nothing but good reviews from other blogs. Here are some posts from The Purple Doll and Frannywanny. Hurry and like the page now! ;) I want to win some gelato as well!

See the next image for the mechanics. Click to enlarge.

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Dinner at New Bombay

New Bombay is one of those places I've heard of since who-knows-when but never really bothered to try out. First of all, Indian cuisine is something I'm not really familiar with. I honestly know nothing about their food, but the other week, Marcus and I decided to try New Bombay just for the heck of it. As a note, I'm not listing down prices because after some research, I found out that the prices differ according to branch. :)

One think I do know about Indian Cuisine is that they like spices. When ordering dishes, the waiter would ask us how spicy we wanted it, and "Indian Spicy" (haha) was one of the choices. Basically, he described as it being the spiciest level of them all. 

Tawa Gosht 

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Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

One lonely day, I was bored and had nothing to do. I decided to scavenge our house to see if I had enough stuff to bake some chocolate chip cookies. I did a search on google and found this recipe called Best Big, Fat, Chew Chocolate Chip Cookies. It had high ratings and a lot of good reviews, so... there. I tried it out. The recipe made exactly a dozen cookies.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Anyway, it's a good recipe. My favorite choco chip cookie recipe so far! My only complaint? The cookies turned out kind of greasy... maybe less butter should be used, or maybe I made a mistake in measuring?

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

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I Love Manang's Chicken!

Manang's Chicken is a fairly new name. They offer soy fried chicken (think BonChon)... tagged as "Ang bagong fried chicken ng Pinoy", I predict that it's going to go places. I've seen it a few times at Mercato and Soderno, but I honestly didn't give it much attention. My thought was... it can't be more special than BonChon. And, in just a few months, branches have been sprouting everywhere, and its good reputation is spreading like wildfire. So, what's the harm in trying it out, right?

Chicken with Rice, 1 pc. - P84, 2 pcs. - P136

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Foodtrip at Soderno, Alabang

Air-conditioned area

Soderno, according to Anton Diaz of OUR AWESOME PLANET, is your "newest weekend food and lifestyle market in the South". If I remember correctly, it was launched some time late last year. Their schedule is as follows: Lifestyle Market every Saturday (7am-4pm), Organic Market every Sunday (7am-4pm), and Nights ever Friday and Saturday (6pm-3am).

As such, I was finally able to go to Soderno last weekend! It was fun to pig out and taste as much as we could, though I've already tried out some of the food before since most of the stalls are also available in Mercato.

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Buy One, Take One at Burgoo

The voucher that brought us here

Upon entering Power Plant Mall, Marcus was given this voucher for a Buy One, Take One promo from Burgoo. Because we're actually trying to save up (yeah!), we decided to try it out. The promo gives you a free Grilled Pork Chop dish if you buy something of equal (or more) value. 

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Som's Noodle House

Tom Yam - P250

I've been craving for Thai food for weeks now! After not finding the "perfect" Thai restaurant, my friend told me about Som's Noodle House, a place he used to go to for affordable but authentic Thai food. Yey! Upon getting there, I found out that it was a homey place, with tables on the street if you want to eat out doors.

Of course, I ordered my favorite Thai fish -- Tom Yam! I actually thought it was a bit expensive at 250 pesos, but when it came, I saw that the serving was huge. The waiter told us it was for 2-3 people, but I think it could easily be good for a family of five (considering you're not only ordering only the soup).

I found the Tom Yam not as spicy as I wanted, and the sourness actually overpowered the spiciness. I honestly don't know if this is what "authentic" Tom Yam tastes like, but I think I prefer the Tom Yam which is less sour and more spicy. We asked for something to spice up the dish though, and they kindly gave us some chili paste.

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My SerendipiTea Giveaway!

MySerendipiTEA is a bubbletea shop located at the ground floor of Cocoon Botique Hotel, Scout Tobias corner Scout Rallos, Quezon City (near Music21). They offer up to FIFTY varieties of drinks, and all ingredients are from Taiwan.

Want a chance to win a GC for two medium sized drinks of your choice from My SerendipiTea? Well, here's your chance! My SerendipiTea is generously sponsoring a giveaway. Interested to know what fabulous drinks they have to offer? Here is their menu. Click to see a bigger version!

The contest will run until Saturday, January 28, 2012, 11:59 PM. Only one entry per person. The winner will be chosen according to an electronic raffle.

Here are the instructions on how to join.


Note: Please make sure the tags are done properly, and that your profile is public so I may validate your post! Posts which are marked private and cannot be seen by me will not be considered valid! In order to find out the link to individual statuses, simply click the timestamp (e.g. '12 hours ago'). 

1. Like the Taste's Intentions facebook page. 

2. Like the My SerendipiTea facebook page and share this blog entry via FB (icon can be found after this post) with this as a message: "I want to try out some drinks from @My SerendipiTea because _____. Hope to win some GCs via @Taste's Intentions! @friend1 @friend2". 

3. Finally, please fill out the following form:

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Mochi Ice Cream from Mochiko

Good things come to those who wait!

I'm an avid fan of cold sweets. It's probably the only kind of sweets I like. Ever since Sebastian's disappeared from the places I frequent (Glorietta, ATC), I've been looking for something to replace it so I could move on. Hehe! Anyway, FIC has been good to me since then. 

I buy mochi ice cream from them if I have the chance. I know their mochi ice cream is from Mochiko (it says so right on the wrapper), and I've been waiting for them to get the cookie dough flavor for weeks now! I first tasted the flavor when I went to Mercato some time ago, but for some reason, it hasn't reached the ATC branch of FIC. So When Mochiko itself opened a new branch in ATC, new hope arrived! And I was right! I guess their slogan is right... Good things come to those who wait. ;)

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Great Wings at Wingman!

Wingman Wings - Half Dozen P180, Dozen P300

Wingman is one of our favorite places to dine in. It is THE place to go to if you're craving for some buffalo wings. They have many wing sauces to choose from (buffalo, asian invasion, mango barbeque, garlic parmesan, honey garlic, teriyaki, lemmon pepper and hickory barbeque). Buffalo, aka the "classic" sauce, comes in your preference of spiciness: medium, hot, apocalyptic or "Pinaka!". 

I don't know what possessed Marcus and I, but the last time we were there, we decided to order the Pinaka! level. And wow, it was the spiciest thing I've tasted so far (no exaggeration). See the first shot in this post? That's the "pinaka!" level, and it's apparent that it's bombarded with sili. I'm an avid fan of spicy things, and I pride myself in being able to withstand what most people can't... but this? I couldn't take it! Marcus had to finish it up while I feasted on the other set of wings (I think it was hickory barbecue). That said, the Pinaka! wings are for the daredevils. I am not kidding.

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Ice Cream Pie from FIC

Banana Walnut Pie - P195

This Ice Cream pie is from FIC, or from Fruits in Ice Cream. When I first caught a glimpse of this, I was overjoyed, because a lot of things I loved were combined into one desert... ice cream, bananas, caramel, and a cookie crust. Yey! I've been eyeing this for some time now but was never really able to try it because it's kind of a big serving. 

However, I have to admit, I think I expected way too much. When I was finally able to try it, I found it way too sweet. It was okay for the first few bites, but after awhile, it was an overload of sweetness. :) Also, the crust was really hard! It was difficult to eat. I do think it's a good buy though, especially since 2-3 people could share it and still feel satisfied in the end. I shared it with one other person, and in the end we were really full.

As a note, FIC is a good place to eat dessert at. I admit that I haven't purchased normal ice cream from them in a loong time, but I rarely fail to get a quick bite of mochi ice cream (not confirmed, but said to be same owners with Mochiko)!


Verdict

Taste - 3/5
Ambiance - 3/5
Service - 3/5
Price - 3/5
Overall Value - 3/5


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