Tsuke-Men: Dipping Ramen at The Grid

The Grid is one of the best food markets in Manila right now with its lovely selection of concessionaires. We have the likes of Bun Appetit, Risa's Chocolates and La Chinesca to satisfy our growling tummies. But there are also stalls that may have been unheard of before and made its debut at The Grid and one of which is Tsuke-Men.

Hello, Tsuke-Men.

Tsuke-Men is managed by the people behind The Grid and I managed to get first dibs (or should I say dips?) on its tsukemen or dipping ramen concept when The Grid opened last year.

Just in Time for Christmas: Midsummer Manila Christmas Creations Pop-Up Bazaar

Midsummer is back and just in time for the holiday! With over 50 merchants offering unique fashion pieces, scrumptious treats, striking statement pieces and about anything and everything for you and your loved ones, this is one bazaar you shouldn't miss.

Hello, Midsummer Manila.

I had the pleasure to attend its bazaar a few months ago held at Arya and my eyes feasted on the beautiful items brought by the wonderfully curated merchants of Midsummer Manila. Though it is not as big as bazaar giants, one of the things I love about Midsummer Manila is how it made shopping a lot easier by handpicking its merchants and just offering some of the best in town. 

Save November 20 and 21, 2018, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. as Midsummer Manila has more in store for you in this season of gift giving!

Now Open: Bake Cheese Tart is now in Manila

Bake is finally in Manila! After over a year of waiting, the world's best cheese tart is now open in Podium. 

Hello, Bake Cheese Tart.

I haven't heard of Bake till I visited Japan last year. The long queue in front of its store near the subway caught my attention and made me curious. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to convince R to line up with me that time. But the enticing aroma of freshly baked tarts left a strong impression that I made sure to grab some when I visited Seoul, Korea and Taichung, Taiwan.

First Bite: The Dessert Kitchen

It is undeniable that The Dessert Kitchen has really photogenic desserts. I have been eying to visit this Hong Kong dessert shop for the longest time but I never manage to do so because 1) I don’t have any other business in Rockwell and 2) Manila traffic is crazy. But I managed to pay this place a visit on Father’s Day weekend and it sure was packed!

Hello, The Dessert Kitchen!

The small and quaint dessert place was very busy on a Saturday afternoon. There were only four bar stools and a table vacant when we arrived. Luckily, the table that was vacated could accommodate four. 

It took us a while to order as the menu was quite extensive. Shaved ice, pudding, soft serve ice cream, eggette… name it, The Dessert Kitchen would most likely have it.

We went with the award winning and bestseller Purple in Love (PHP258), Tofu with Hokkaido Red Beans (PHP168), Matcha Red Bean Eggette with Strawberry Ice Cream(PHP288) and Sakura Warabi (PHP168). 

Service was quite fast considering that the place was busy. Purple in Love was served in less than 10 minutes. 

It looked pretty good and the serving size seemed generous as it was overflowing. Then again, it might be because the bowl used wasn’t that big. 

New Dish Alert: Precynct Berry Brioche

NEW DISH ALERT! Precynct launched a new dessert!

After a tiring hour of jumping around and making ugly faces, R and I headed to The Grove by Rockwell to have dinner at his favorite tempura place. Yes, I'm referring to Asakusa.

While parking, I spotted R's good friends M and K having dinner at Burger Pub. We approached them and decided to have dessert together to catch up.

After a delectable dinner (this will be a different review), we went to Precycnt to try the mouthwatering Dulce de Leche brioche (PHP350). I wanted to try The Garden too but I wasn't sure if they have good desserts. Since I want to give the impression that I am a very reliable foodie, I went with a place I am sure to serve great drinks and food... Precynct.

Precynct was quite packed last night with only a few stools available. I was decided to order the dulce de leche brioche till the server suggested their newly launched Berry Brioche (PHP375). New? Strawberry? Brioche? And with ICE CREAM? Gimme one of that! So that ends my craving for dulce de leche.

I also got a cup of Bitter Burnt Better (PHP180) while R got a glass of Small Victory (PHP90). K and M shared a glass of Faux Cappuccino (PHP160).

The Berry Brioche was L-O-V-E! ️

Soft and fluffy brioche topped with slices of strawberries, strawberry puree (or jam?) and ice cream... what is not to love?

Restaurant Love: Asakusa Home of Tempura

Jumping around is tiring. R and I could not even last five straight minutes jumping on trampolines. Oh how I miss being a kid. After an hour (well, more of 30 to 35 minutes) of playing with trampolines and questionably clean foam cubes, R and I built a huge appetite for heavy dinner. Since R fell in love with Asakusa and that we are just across The Grove, we decided to head there after Jump Yard.

Hello, Asakusa Home of Tempura!

The place was packed on a Saturday night. We had no choice but to eat outside. At least we were beside the fan and mosquito repellant machine.

R wanted us to stick with our usual Salmon Salad (PHP208) and Emperor Tempura Set (PHP578) but since I want to try something new, we also ordered Salmon Maki (PHP318) and Cold Soba (PHP98).

First served was salmon maki. We opted to make it mildly spiced as I have low tolerance for spicy food.

It was... not spicy at all. And the salmon bits were too few for us to get a taste of it. All we got a taste of were the Japanese rice and tempura crumbs. R gave me an I-told-you-so face after he saw my disappointed face. 

The salmon salad was served next. To make things a bit interesting, we got it with spicy sauce. But we played it safe by asking for the spicy sauce or dressing to be put on the side.

Love at First Bite: Asakusa Home of Tempura

I have been dying to visit this tempura place at The Grove for months but it gets cancelled every single time. I blame the lazy weekend bug! There was one time though when we finally braved the Saturday traffic and we were greeted by… a closed sign. I heard my heart break and my tummy whine the moment I saw the glass door signage. But the Year of the Monkey seems to be my year as when R and I visited The Grove during Chinese New Year for dinner, the place I have been eying for months was open. OPEN! *insert creepy mega giant smile here*

Hello, Asakusa! 

The foodie in me found it so surreal that I finally managed to get inside the “home of tempura”. It was a long wait and I hope that it won’t disappoint.

Famished, we ordered Salmon Salad (PHP208), Emperor Tempura Set (PHP578) and Gyudon (PHP288). For beverage, we settled with the complimentary house tea.    

Service was quick as it was not even past the 5 minute mark when the salmon salad was served.

I loved it! The fresh salmon cuts drizzled with what seemed to be teriyaki sauce went really well with the crisp veggies and tempura flakes. The contrast between the soft and crunchy textures was delightful as well. Though flavor was a tad strong as appetizer, it was still a great starter!

Gyudon was served next and we were perplexed with its appearance. It did not look like the gyudon we know. The meat looked a bit too dark. Tastewise, the flavor was overpowering. It was too sweet for gyudon. 

Love at First Bite: Alley

I think the Year of the Monkey is my foodie year. Just last weekend alone, I managed to visit 5 restaurants in my must visit list. Among the restaurants I have been eying and finally visited is Alley, one of the new players at The Grove.

Hello, Alley!

This adorably designed restaurant serves several light snacks. Or so I thought.

It opened its doors just a few days ago but I am already familiar with its offerings thanks to my stalking skills. (Okay fine, it was because of Chef Angelo Comsti’s mouthwatering photos of Alley’s dishes.)

I went here after finally visiting Asakusa since I wanted some sweets to cap the night. I was a bit disappointed though that they only have two desserts to choose from, Financier (PHP229) and Caramelized Banana Bread (PHP249). I went with the latter because “house-churned cashew ice cream” sounds so delectable. (I was warned by the server that the banana bread is huge. It made me wonder if it’s because I smelled like tempura or if the phrase YOU-MUST-DIET is plastered all over my face.) I also ordered a cup of Cappuccino (PHP139) to balance the sweetness of my dessert.

First served was my cup of cappuccino and it was lovely. I got regular instead of decaf and it was still not that strong making it “night-friendly” if there is such a term. I didn’t get to appreciate the aroma though as I was about to get sick that night. Also, serving size is a tad too small for the price.

My dessert was served right after and the server was right. It was HUGE and definitely good for at least 3 hungry fellows.

First Sip: Precynct

Checking Looloo or my Instagram feed never fails to make me drool. I always see new dishes, drinks or places I have yet to try or visit. And one of the drinks that made me drool (and stalk) was the Faux Cappuccino of Precynct, one of the new coffee shops at The Grove by Rockwell. I planned to pay Precynct a visit last December only to be greeted by a closed sign. Apparently, they made last minute announcements on their holiday shutdown. Boo! But my curiosity remains strong and I tried to stop by again last week and it was a successful visit!

Hello, Precynct!!!

We arrived around 3PM and we were famished given that we skipped breakfast AND lunch. I was starting to see flying crispy pata and fried chicken when we got to the small and quaint coffee shop.

The server gave us the menu and it was all drinks. Nothing else. I got confused why they didn't offer any savory dishes and it made me check their Instagram account again and confirmed that they do serve meals. However, I didn't know that it is only available during lunch and dinner time. >.<

Anyway, we opted to have lunch elsewhere (*ahem* Backyard) and come back here for an after meal drink. 

When we got back, I finally ordered Faux Cappuccino (PHP160). YAY!

The server told me that it is best enjoyed by sipping from the cup. I read it somewhere too  so I gave it a try. It was a messy, not exactly cute, sip.

First Bite: Backyard Kitchen+Brew

I still remember the first time I visited Backyard. We only ordered its famous butter beer since we saving space for our Mecha Uma tasting menu dinner. And since there are just too many new restaurants here and there, I didn't get to visit Backyard again till last week. Well, we didn't really plan to visit Backyard but since we failed (once again) to have lunch at Asakusa, we ended up stuck between Backyard and Burger Pub. Thinking that I just recently blogged about the latter, I convinced R that we go for Chef Ed Bugia's restaurant. 

Hello, Backyard Kitchen + Brew! 

This time around, we ordered non-alcoholic drinks Lemonade (PHP65) and Home Brewed Iced Tea (PHP85). For our hot meals, we went for Slow Roasted Pork Belly (PHP275) and Backyard Burger (PHP285).

First served were our drinks and both were very refreshing. The lemonade was delightfully tangy while the iced tea had a nice citrusy flavor with a tinge of honey. Yum!

In less than 10 minutes, the Slow Roasted Pork Belly was served. Now, that's fast service! 

As one of Backyard's specialties or recommended dishes, it did not fail in the taste department. I truly enjoyed the rich flavor of the pork belly. Succulent meat covered in a sweet and mildly spicy sauce. 

In order to offset its overwhelming taste, I ate some of the crunchy and slightly tarty coleslaw and delightfully cheesy mac and cheese after each bite of the pork belly. It was a harmonious dance of flavors! And the good thing about this affordable dish was its generous serving size! 

First Bite: Burger Pub

The Grove by Rockwell has evolved from a mere events area for birthdays or bazaars to a foodie haven. Indeed, it does not offer a lot of choices yet but it has a pretty good variety from Filipino dishes to Japanese, Indian to American staples. I have been eying the tempura place there for quite some time but every time I plan to visit, it gets cancelled. I blame traffic (and lazy bug) for it. And when I finally decided to visit The Grove, the tempura place was closed! *ugly cry* But a new burger joint made me smile. 

Hello, Burger Pub.

The place is quite small and could perhaps sit at most 25 diners.

Positioning itself as a no-frills burger place, its interiors have an industrial, semi-finished look. Even the menu was very simple. (Though not sure if they'll make it more extensive since they seem to be still testing out their menu.)

I ordered the Pub Original (PHP345) while my mom went with the server's recommended off the menu Ragu Bolognese (PHP335). We also ordered iced tea (PHP120) for beverage.

First served was the iced tea and I noticed its very dark color. It somehow reminded me of milk tea. And it... doesn't taste like one. It had a very strong tea taste to the point of it being too bitter for iced tea. It wasn't that refreshing too because of the after taste that stays in your mouth. It was not worth my PHP120. (And we ordered two glasses of it so that makes it PHP240!!!) 

My mom's pasta was served next and serving size was quite generous and good for two. 

It was also delightfully meaty. Each bite was guaranteed to be packed with meat. I also liked the firm pasta complementing the soft and juicy meat sauce. The parmesan added a tinge of tart and further enhanced the dish's taste.

First Bite: Draft Gastropub Manila

I always frequent Rockwell for food and I discovered another favorite few weeks back. It was quite unexpected. I was thinking of just relaxing at home that night as we just came from Coron. But R’s friends all wanted to have dinner at Draft and since we were hungry too, we decided to join them.

Hello, Draft Gastropub Manila!

I recall that I visited the Draft BGC branch a few years back with some colleagues but since we came from an event, we were stuffed and just had light snacks and a few drinks. This time, R and I ordered the Beef Pot Roast (PHP480) for sharing, Paulaner Dunkel (PHP200, 330ml) and Stella Artois (PHP150, 330ml).

I’m not really a beer person but the Paulaner Dunkel was pretty good! It didn’t have that bitter beer taste unlike the one I ordered at Brotzeit. It had a mildly sweet after taste and I like it.

First Bite: Dean & Deluca

I always get curious and excited every time I see a new establishment opening soon. But it took Dean & Deluca quite a while before it opened. The place had mixed reviews—some say the original Dean & Deluca is better than the local one (well, I wouldn’t know as all I could afford when I was in NYC were hotdogs and Halal food) while others can’t stop raving about its desserts. There’s only one way to find out… to visit the place and try its food myself.

Hello, Dean & Deluca!

The place was packed when we arrived. Luckily, there was an available table.

Dean & Deluca has a nice selection of dishes and we chose the ones I read were good—Trio Field Mushroom Soup (PHP280), Gratinated Baked Oysters (PHP325), BBQ Braised US Beef Short Ribs (PHP850), and Seafood Medley (PHP980).

First served was the soup and it was lovely. The texture was slightly thick and the truffle cream was divine. I loved slurping it the thinly sliced mushrooms.

Next served was the plate of gratinated baked oysters. I read really nice reviews about this dish but… it wasn’t extraordinary. The oysters were indeed fresh and there was a nice contrast between the grated cheese and the smooth oysters but that was about it. Well, if you’re a fan of oysters, you’ll most likely enjoy this dish.

First Bite: Wild Ginger

I feel terrible when I pay for a dish I find “meh” or worse… “blargh”. I had that sentiment last Friday when I had lunch at a ramen place in Rockwell. The broth had a very odd taste and the appetizer we ordered was too salty. It’ll take me a long while before I decide to visit that place again. The only perk I got from the lunch was when my colleague mentioned a list of restaurants I have to try. One of the restaurants she mentioned was Wild Ginger.

Hello, Wild Ginger!

I always pass by this restaurant and it never really made me curious as I only see a few people eat here. But since my colleague mentioned that this quaint restaurant serves good food, I had to give it a try.

R was indecisive that night so I ordered for the both of us: Pad Thai (PHP245), Thai Green Chicken Curry (PHP285), and Asian Tomato Soup (PHP135). I also got a glass of cold Calamansi juice (PHP75).

I was a bit iffy to order the tomato soup as it mentioned “spices from the East Indies” but I assumed that it wouldn’t be spicy. WRONG. It was so spicy that it made me cough and tear up. People who love spicy dishes would like this though.