Mommy Eats: Momma Brown

I have been curious about this coffee shop along Marcos hi-way since it opened I think late last year.    We always pass by it but It was only during my son's  summer class last May that we were finally able to try it.  

                                                                                                                                                                       

                 

                           The place is spacious! And I like the simplicity of its interiors.  

                        

                 

                          It was lunch time and there was only us and another customer, 

                                       so R had the place to himself. 

They have rice meals, pasta, sandwiches, and coffee.  The Chicken Terriyaki (above) and Tapsilog (below) were only for P150.   I found the Terriyaki too sweet and it didn't taste fresh.  The  Tapa on the otherhand was relatively ok. Thank God the beef was tender enough!

                    

This chocolate fudge cupcake was pretty moist.  Not bad for P45.

 I love the chalkboard designs in his resto and had R pose in front of one.  

                            

                           

Mommy Eats: Patio Vera

For thirteen years now, I always make sure that I do not have any plans on the first week of December to celebrate my sister's (aka BFF) birthday with orphans.  Right after the party at White Cross Orphanage in San Juan, we headed to Patio Vera in Marikina.  It was everyone's first time there.

Patio Vera is located in a narrow road and there is only street parking. Good thing that we arrived at 5 o'clock in the afternoon so we got all the available parking slots on the side of the street.   I can imagine what a parking nightmare it will be if we arrived later!  

Anyway, moving on to the restaurant, once we entered, it felt like we were immediately transformed to another place!  It is an old house turned restaurant (well the other half), which adds to its character.  You get to learn a little about the family's history and appreciate the house's rustic interiors.  There was nothing not to like about its vintage decors and inviting al fresco dining set up. We all agreed to have our dinner in the lounge area which was a unanimous favorite. 

    The menu consists of Filipino dishes.  Price wise, it's a little above average.

     Above :  I love the entry way's vignette!

     Below: The bar area to the right as you enters the gates of Patio Vera

    I love the rustic interiors and unique decors (hanging chair, who would have thought of that!). Truly, there is no place in Patio Vera that does not fail to interest anyone.

                  The common bathroom's quirky interiors.

    I am not a huge fan of al fresco dining, but this one was an exemption.

     Appetizers consisted of the complimentary bread with balsamic vinegar, Salipcao (which we all loved) and Calamares.

   Some pictures of the main course included  Seafood Pasta, Sardine Pasta, Paella con Carne, Lechon Kawali and Chicharon Sisig con Lechon.The Seafood Pasta was an instant crowd favorite.  The Sisig was missing the crunchiness.  

    Boy were we stuffed and still had a few bags that we took home. We decided to have dessert at Tiyo's (also in Marikina) though.  The bill unwittingly came in a shoe!  Now, that's unique!

It was a night of gastronomical journey in Marikina and I can't wait to bring my family here soon!

Happy birthday again to my sis!  

Food trip days

Fridays are usually food trip days since R has class at The Little gym.  I have been quite busy to do separate reviews, so here are some of our food escapades for the last two weeks.

                    

                     Ginza Bairin at the UP Town Center is a must for Katsu lovers like me!

          Pancake house's Limited edition Salted Caramel & Walnut pancake is so good!

                               

                            Green Pastures at the East Wing of Shangri-la mall is always

                                      full.  Organic food + good food = winner!

  

  

Mommy Eats : Chef Tatung at Acacia Estates

I have been hearing and reading good reviews about Chef Tatung.  As you know, I love good deals, that's why I subscribe to groupons.  I came across Chef Tatung's anniversary promo in Ensogo and grabbed the opportunity to finally try out this restaurant.

Tatung's Garden Cafe  became a hit a few years back when Chef Myke Sarthou opened his home for private dinners in Quezon City.  However, by word of mouth, people started to flock his place and it became a foodie's haven.  Tatung's Garden Cafe was then opened to the public.

A year ago, Chef Mike opened his new restaurant in Taguig.  It is located in the sprawling property of the DMCI group called Acacia Estates.   For this restaurant,  he  concentrated on serving Filipino heirloom dishes.

Going to Chef Tatung was quite a travel for us, coming from the LA, aka lower Antipolo (lol) especially on a Saturday.  However, when you get to Acacia Estates, it's pretty easy to spot the restaurant. Set amidst the low rise condominiums and some greenery, it automatically feels like you are far away from the city.  Upon entering the restaurant, you are greeted by Filipino arcticrafts and furniture.  The dining hall is huge but still gives a homey feel.  There was also a big function room to the right of the main wing where they hold their Sunday buffet and Sugbahan. 

We quickly scoured the menu to place our orders.  There were some items though that we're not available like the Lumpiang ubod, Lemongrass Chicken Relleno and Sago't gulaman.  We settled for the Tamarind Glazed Butterfly tilapia, Pokipoki Gratin, Binagoongang Pork Skewers, and Tatung's Fried Rice.  For dessert, we ordered  the Warm Tsoknut Chocolate Cake and the Pichi-pichi with Quezo de bola.  

Among all the food that we ordered, what stood out was the Pokipoki Gratin and Chef Tatung's rice.  Pokipoki is an Ilocano cuisine.  I love Chef Tatung's version of this with layers of vigan longganisa, eggplant, egg, tomatoes, and carabao mozarella cheese.  Mouth watering, indeed!  Tatung's fried rice on the other hand reminds me of Kiampung Rice (Chinese fried rice cooked in Pork Stew).  It was so good and filling and was already a meal itself.   For the dessert, both had a unique taste and were really good.  My son devoured the Warm Tsoknut Chocolate Cake like there was no tomorrow, that's why I was not able to get a picture of it because I was stopping him from eating it too fast!  The Pichi-pichi with Quezo de Bola blew me away.  It has a different texture compared to the other Pichi-Pichi's out there.  It is slimy and that's what made it perfect!  The melted Quezo de Bola  gave it a different twist. I was totally sold!

I cannot wait to go back to Chef Tatung soon and try out the famous Slow Roasted Lechon Belly and another serving or two of that Pichi-pichi!    

Chef Tatung's Garden Cafe is part of  Manila's 115 Restaurants we love.

Facade of Chef Tatung at Acacia Estates.

R checking out the banga at the entrance.

Spacious dining area.

Chef Tatung.

The ladies' washroom mirror.

Love the mix and match chairs.

Our Saturday Lunch.

The very filling Tatung's fried rice.

You have to try the Pokipoki Gratin.

Chicken Inasal

Tamarind Glazed Butterfly tilapia

Binagoongang Pork Skewers.

Pichi Pichi with Quezo de Bola is bliss!

Now this is what you call a super highchair.  Nice concept, but it was way too high and is pretty unsafe for the kids.

R and my niece on the mini stage.

Mommy Eats: Gavino's Japanese Donuts

I came to discover Gavino's from a friend, who I bumped into SM Megamall one Saturday afternoon.  She made me taste the mochi-like donut.  I liked the unique texture (gooey and oh so chewy) and the fact that unlike other donuts out there, it not too sweet!

I  quickly headed to their kiosk at the Basement of building B, just outside the entrance of SM's Department store and ordered away!  The donuts come in 24 flavors and are very affordable.  Price for the regular donuts are at P29 a piece, the premium donuts at P39 a piece and the mochi balls at  P15 a piece.  If you order by the bulk, it comes out cheaper.  

I ordered the choco almond, glazed, strawbery sprinkle, green tea cheesecake, old fashioned cinnamon and choco crunched.  I have always loved my donuts plain and boring and that's why the Glazed donut topped my list.  For me, no amount of fancy flavors can hide a good donut.  My little R on the other hand devoured the Old fashioned cinnamon donut like there was no tomorrow (and that was because I was also taking a bite on his donut).  They also have mochi balls, which I believe are the mini version of the donuts.  In addition to that, they also sell coffee and chocolate drinks! Perfect combination, a must say.

I did some research to find out where Gavino's originated.  I did not know that it is not an international franchise. The owners were inspired by their travels in several Asian countries that  served such donuts.   They started selling these babies at the Mercato Centrale weekend market two years ago and because of the demand, they have expanded their business and now have five branches.

Alright, I am now salivating and craving again! Boy am I glad that these pon de rings have found their way to Manila.  I now have a go to place to satisfy my donut cravings!

                       

                                      

  

                                      

Find your way to the Gavino's branch nearest you!

Quezon City:

Unit 5, Greenhills Town Center, 2 Granada Street, Brgy. Valencia, Quezon City

808 Banawe Avenue, Quezon City

Ground Floor, Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato, cor. Scount Madrinan, Quezon City

Manila:

4/F Pedro Gil Wing, Robinsons Place, Ermita, Manila

Mandaluyong:

Lower Ground Floor, Robinsons Galleria, Ortigas Avenue, Mandaluyong City

Lower Ground Floor, Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City

Mommy Eats: Maple

I completely forgot to post pictures of the desserts that we ordered from Maple Shangri-la!  Shame on me.  Maple is Pancake house's high-end sister restaurant.  For me, a visit to Maple will not be complete without pancakes, being that Pancake House is one of our favorite restaurants for ages.  They just serve  the best pancakes (second is the Maya hotcake mix, hahah).We were just there for dessert and ordered the Bourbon Bread Pudding and Maple Buttermilk Pancakes with coffee.  Yum!  Boy were we in dessert heaven.

Bourbon Bread Pudding

Maple Buttermilk pancakes with coffee.

Mommy eats: Yabu, House of Katsu

My husband and I are suckers for Katsudon and Pork Tonkatsu;  Hence, when I read in several blogs about this newly opened katsu restaurant, I was itching to try is out ASAP!  So, off I went to Megamall (2F Atrium) last Tuesday (during my 'me' time) to see what they've got to offer.

Once I was given the menu, I instantly knew what I must try first, the Rosu Katsu , which is served with Miso soup, cabbage salad and slices of fruits as side dishes.  I also ordered the appetizer set, wherein you get to choose two. I ended up with the Wakame, which is seaweed salad with ebiko and Potato Salad.  

Once my food arrived, I didn't expect that it would be too much for me (knowing the portion size of food here in our country). I ended up eating only half of what I ordered because I was so stuffed!   I loved the creamy potato salad and the Rosu Katsu was heaven!  It was cooked to perfection!

Thursday came and I was in Megamall once more for the Thanksgiving sale ( first time I went home not buying anything for myself, but that's another story) with my mom and son in tow.  I had to eat at Yabu again and let my mom taste it!  This time the place was jam-packed, a different scenario two days ago.  It's probably due to a lot of publicity and the owners were also there.  This time, I tried the 180g Pork Tonkatsu. Again, I wasn't disappointed!  I was wiser and just settled for the main course, no more appetizer.  Just the same as the other dishes, it comes with soup, salad and slices of fruits. They will also give you a mortar and pestle to crush the sesame seeds for the tonkatsu sauce.

Yabu interiors

Yabu interiors

Appetizer: Potato Salad and Wakame

 Rosu Katsu

 180g Pork tonkatsu

Yabu is still on its soft opening phase, so the service isn't that polished yet. But I can say that this is my new favorite restaurant in Megamall and I will definitely be back soon wtih my hubby!