Mochiko, Mochi Ko

This store in The Cliffhouse (Tagaytay) caught my interest so after dinner I insisted we check out the place. 

And since I am so in love with cold and feel-good food, you know what's next. I could not control myself and I just had to taste those yummy-looking mochi!

Mochi is a Japanese rice cake made of glutinous rice flour. It is usually filled with a sweet center such as anko or red bean paste.

Mochiko serves mochi filled with ice cream. How cool is that! There are several flavors to choose from- Vanilla, Chocolate, Caramel, Green Tea, Black Sesame, Strawberry, Mango, Avocado and Coffee. I opted for Coffee since the other flavors are too fancy for me.

Pardon me for not being able to take a photo of the mochi itself because on my first bite, I instantly fell for the smooth texture and luscious taste. I finished it in a couple of minutes! No brain freeze!

Just a friendly reminder- wait for two to three minutes before biting onto the mochi. It is very frozen and hard as rock when taken out of the freezer. I don't want you to feel that pain/discomfort especially if you have sensitive teeth.

There is a Mochiko stall at Mercato Centrale. That's super good news because I can easily satisfy my craving without having to go all the way to Tagaytay.

I am super excited to try the other flavors. By the way, each costs P70. Quite pricey? I don't mind because it's really heavenly! It's a must-try luxury. :)

The Big Bad Wolf and His Friends

Once in a while, we need to relax, chill out and have some fun. Once in a while, we need to de-stress and get rid of the negative vibes. This is where Big Bad Wolf comes in.

Barely four weeks since its opening, Big Bad Wolf is one of the newest hang-out places in Bonifacio Global City. It is in Fairways Tower, the same area with Ristras, Joey Pepperoni and Malcolm's Deli.

I super adore the mismatched furniture! Very chic and charming!

Lots of colors and style but still looks unified and clean.

Cheers to life! Cheers to friendship!

Try Big Bad Wolf on your next chill out night with your girlfriends. You might love it as much as I do.

Crepe Affair

Savory crepes or dessert crepes? I love both! My choice for savory crepe is Mushroom and Cheese from a restaurant in Pampanga (which I think is already closed now. Too bad.) and for dessert crepe, nothing beats La Pinay from Cafe Breton (P160 plus 10% SC).

Luscious ripe mango slices, sweet chocolate sauce and creamy vanilla ice cream. It's just PERFECT! It's the only crepe I eat when I go to Cafe Breton. I don't have plans of trying out the other crepes yet. I'm so in love with La Pinay!

Do you love crepes too? Share your favorites here. :)

Jumbo and Delicioso!

I love Mexican cuisine because of its various spices and flavors. Zapata's in Pampanga (my hometown) tops my list of Mexican restaurants. My first taste of it was when I was in college and since that day, I knew that it has captivated my taste buds.

Last night, my J and I bonded with our office mates K, B and I over dinner. Our choice was Ristras Mexican Grill at McKinley Hill.

Since we knew that the burrito in Ristras is gigantic, my J and I just ordered one and then had it split into two. The process is actually DIY because you choose the ingredients you want for your burrito. Flour or whole wheat tortilla. And then for the meat filling, you can opt for carnitas, chicken, steak, barbacoa, or even vegetarian (in the form of beans). Pick between chorizo brown rice or cilantro-lime rice and then take up all the other items such as corn salsa, guacamole, cheese, sour cream and Romaine lettuce.

What I also like about Ristras is that you can actually see the  food preparation that's why you can be assured of the cleanliness and safety of the food. I applaud the restaurant for its  spotless and orderly preparation area. Also, they put generous piles of ingredients which is why a serving is actually good for sharing between two persons.

Steak Burrito (P340)

This is very filling! It's undeniable a full meal. The ingredients are fresh and flavorful. Halfway though I thought that I should have ordered the Naked Burrito (sans the tortilla) because I think the tortilla is quite heavy on the stomach. Still, believe it or not, I was able to finish this and still ate my J's leftover. Haha!

We also ordered Corn Chips with Cheese Dip just in case the burrito wasn't enough. (But we were wrong!) Huge serving of chips in two colors (how unique!). I actually like the violet color.

Corn Chips with Cheese Dip (P90)

Ristras also offers the Godzilla Burrito as they call it, which is a 2.5kg burrito. It is priced at P1,200 if I am not mistaken. Imagine how humongous that is! There is a bulletin board posted on the restaurant wall recognizing a certain guy who finished one Godzilla Burrito in 73 minutes. 73 minutes! I couldn't even imagine myself devouring a whole alone!

I greatly recommend Ristras if you are dining as a group. The servings are huge (I say that again, HUGE) without sacrificing taste.

Ask me if I will go back? I absolutely will! And I will bring my chums along.

*** Ristras Mexican Grill

G/F Fairways Tower, 5th Avenue, Fort Bonifacio Global City,

Taguig City

(02) 218.02.53

Worth a Try

Bag of Beans is recognized for its  English pies, breads and coffee. But since we were feeling adventurous that day we opted to order the other items on the menu. We dined at the open area to take advantage of the cool Tagaytay breeze as well as the warmth of the morning sunshine.

Roast Beef (P350)- The beef is tender and juicy but overall, it is unexceptional.

Lasagna (P195)- It is savory with just the right amount of sauce. But then again, nothing so special about it. It looks small but it is actually very filling.

Blueberry Cheesecake (P145)- I quite expected this to be perfect (or somehow close to perfect) to compensate for the main dish we had but unfortunately it disappointed us also. It is too frozen! I expected a silky smooth and creamy cheesecake but it is like it has been frozen for three days or so. We had to wait for a few minutes for it to melt. Still I didn't really enjoy it because the flavor has been altered due to extreme freezing.

Maybe we should have ordered the house specialties like the pies and coffee? Or was it just that we ordered the wrong items on the menu? Either way, I am very open to try this again when I go back to Tagaytay. I will make another post if ever.

Have you tried Bag of Beans? How was your experience?

We Meet Again, Buon Giorno!

A trip to Tagaytay is never complete without breakfast at Buon Giorno. The food is really fantastic! And since the restaurant is overlooking Taal Lake, the ambiance is peaceful and intimate.

Do you not wish you have this view every morning?

Tocino (P180)- chicken or pork home-style tocino. Served with fried rice, tomatoes, red eggs, chopped onions and your choice of egg.

Three Cheese and Herb Omelet (P218)- a flavor-rich omelet of 3 cheeses (swiss, cheddar and parmesan) and herbs (basil, parsley and chives). I super love this because it is creamy and savory. I can eat this everyday and not grow tired of it.

Ripe Mango Shake (P120)- my favorite drink at Buon Giorno.  Perfectly smooth blend of sweetness and sourness!

I always look forward to a hearty breakfast every time I go on a trip.  It's what keeps me fueled for the entire day. And Buon Giorno never disappoints me. Surely, I will visit this place when I am going south.

Full Plate

My J went all the way from Manila to Pampanga on my birthday. We wanted to celebrate my special day in my hometown. Besides, it has been a while since my family saw him. We decided to have a buffet lunch at Mequeni in Holiday Inn Clark.

I had very light breakfast that morning to prepare my stomach for the feast. My sister suggested we try the restaurant because of the wide variety of food. Lunch buffet starts at 11 am until 2 pm.

 

My plate is oozing with desserts! I got each kind even though they look similar. This is my first serving. My second dessert serving is a heap of ice cream. I tried all four flavors!

We looked around the hotel after eating to help digest the food we devoured. There were a lot of tourists enjoying the heat of the sun by the swimming pool. That's what they love about the Philippines!

 

Rate is P999 per head. It's a sensible price, in my opinion, since the buffet offers an impressive variety. Food is properly and evenly cooked, with just the right amount of flavor.  Surprisingly, I didn't have left-overs on my plate. I have two assumptions- I put the right amount of each dish on my plate or the food is just so good I was able to finish my serving. I have several experiences with buffets wherein even if I just got small portions I still wasn't able to finish my food mainly because it wasn't delicious at all. But that didn't happen to me at Mequeni. It was a perfect buffet lunch! My J definitely agrees with me. He keeps on asking me when will we come back there. Well, I hope soon!