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!  

Mommy eats : Rustic Mornings

I am not from Marikina, but I love Marikina (my neighbor City), especially because it is home to some good hole in the wall restaurants.

Last Saturday morning, I had breakfast with my son and my parents at Rustic Mornings by Isabelo.  I have been itching to eat there for the longest time!  It was just recently that my family and I got ourselves acquainted with the numerous restaurants that abound in our neighboring city.  It is such a shame that we only did this now, but better late than never as they say!

Entering Rustic Mornings, I was pleased with what I saw.  I loved it's quirkiness and the feeling of being away from the mall or any commercial establishment.  I felt at home.

At 8:30am, the place was quite full and we were lucky that we were able to secure a place inside the air conditioned dining area.  Not that I did not mind eating in the garden, but my mom isn't a huge fan of Al Fresco dining.  I suggest that if you are planning to eat here, better call in advance to make a reservation.

I was happily surprised that there were a number of kids that were dining, too!  Literally, every table had a child or two.  I only wished that they will add more high chairs because there was only one available, and it was already taken when we came.  I hope they will think of adding a couple more since the place is getting more popular, and kids like eating too, you know. Since we did not have a high chair, I had to chase my son once in a while, who would get down his chair and try to go outside.  He loved exploring the place and pointing at the fishes in the small pond in the garden.

Now moving on to the food!  The menu had the usual breakfast offerings - Omelettes, pancakes, sandwiches, etc. They also have pasta and pizza.  We ordered the All meat and Country omelettes and Buttermilk Pancakes.   The Omelettes were quite good and filling that we were not able to eat Lunch anymore! The Buttermilk Pancakes that I ordered for my son was just average.  They were fluffy, alright, but the pancakes were buttery oily (if there's such a term) and I am not a fan of crispy pancakes.  It also lacked the buttermilk flavor that I was looking for.  Well on second thought, nothing beats Pancake House's Pancakes.  The brewed coffee was also a let down.  I'm a sucker for coffee and was not quite happy with it. On my next visit, I'd skip the pancakes and brewed coffee.

Despite a few disappointments, our overall dining experience was still a pleasant one. We loved the ambiance, food was pretty good (the omelettes), service was fast, and there is ample parking space. We would definitely eat here again!

Rustic Mornings' Menu

  Foods are reasonably priced.  You'd spend an average of P200-400 per person.

 We ordered the Meat Lovers omelette, buttermilk pancakes, coffee and the Country Style omelette.  The Omelettes came with home made ciabatta, while the Buttermilk Pancakes came with free brewed coffee.

    Entrance to the air conditioned dining area.

Vintage bicycles.

Al Fresco dining.

Airconditioned dining area

My son exploring the grounds.

Parking space.

Restaurant hours: 8am-4pm. No reservations required

Address :#11 Isabelo Mendoza St. San Roque, Marikina City
(02) 5106914 . (02) 6812461 . 0917 7005810

   

Yabu found me!

Look what found its way to Yabu's SM Aura wall!  It's my 2011 post on their very first branch in SM Megamall.  Thanks to my aunt for letting me know and for sending me a picture!  

I'm a sucker for anything Katsu and Yabu just satisfies my cravings.  My hubby and I are huge fans of this resto that there was a time wherein we ate in their Magnolia branch every weekend!  

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!