First Bite: Bar Pintxos

I've been curious about Bar Pintxos ever since it opened its first store down south. Frequented by discerning locals, I couldn't help think that this place must be really good. I was thrilled when it opened branches in BGC and Makati as it made it more accessible to me. And after a few failed attempts, I finally got to visit its BGC branch a few weeks ago. 

Hello, Bar Pintxos Tapas Y Mas. 

Specializing in Spanish cuisine, Bar Pintxos serves limited but superb dishes perfect for lunch, dinner and after work drinks. 

First Bite: Vagabonds

We'd often associate steaks to fancy dinners or special occasions. But the abundance of pocket friendly steak restaurants made succulent meat nights a regular thing. And when with a group of hungry carnivores, it's best to indulge in Vagabonds' One-Kilo Steak.

Hello, Vagabonds.

Vagabonds has been known for its bang for the buck one kilo steak. It recently found a new home in O'Square Greenhills and I was one of the lucky few to be there for its grand opening.

Restaurant Love: Sentro 1771

Filipino food always have a special place in my heart and tummy. I'd often find myself craving for bulalo, sinigang or adobo. And one of the best places I know that offers good sinigang is Sentro 1771. But this Filipino restaurant offers more than just Sinigang na Corned Beef.

Hello, Sentro 1771.

It has been a while since I last visited Sentro 1771 and I was glad that the dishes I love are still available and there are a few new items worth checking out. 

When in Bacolod: Bilbao Cansi House

Bacolod is one of my favorite provinces in the Philippines. The City of Smiles is not just known for its hospitality or the anticipated Masskara Festival. It is also a popular destination for foodies. With every corner offering scrumptious and bang for the buck dishes, Bacolod is a haven for anyone who enjoys good food. And I always take note of the locals' recommendations. One of which is Bilbao's, a strong competitor of the famous Sharyn's Cansi House. Or so what our acquaintance told us. 

Hello, Bilbao's Cansi House. 

This cansi joint is located along the bustling Lacson street. With it being just a couple of blocks away from Robinsons Bacolod, I'd say that it has a better location than Sharyn's. 

Christmas Hacks: Barcino's Christmas Party Packages and Party Trays

Christmas is just around the corner and with relatives coming home for the holidays and potluck parties filling our calendars, I couldn't help myself from looking for some shortcuts. It is also the busiest time of the year for me so having a little help is very much appreciated. Thankfully, several establishments I patronize are embracing the holiday spirit and are saving most of us from slaving in the kitchen. And one of the newest addition to my list of saviors is Barcino. 

Hello, Barcino. 

I got an invite from D a few weeks ago inviting me to a tasting of its newest offerings. I thought that it would just be some new dishes in the menu. But I was surprised that it was actually party packages and party trays fit for any occasion. 

When in Bacolod: Pendy's

I grew up in Manila and never had the chance to experience the provincial life. I always thought that it would be nice to live somewhere where everyone knows (and usually related too) each other. The only downside of this is that when something happens to you, the word spreads out faster than light. And when Bacolod's favorite spot, Pendy's, experienced a nasty split with its staff, everyone knew about it. It was a matter of where you'd be loyal to, the original owners or the staff who decided to open Mimi's Cafe which offers an identical list of offerings. Mimi's already made me fall in love with its spectacular service and scrumptious bang for the buck food. So this time around, R and I tried the original Pendy's.

Hello, Pendy's.

First Bite: ¡OYE! Tapas & Grill

Is it just me or there is a crazy number of restaurants opening here and there? I used to be able to keep up with the new store openings within my area but I couldn't keep up anymore with the rate it's going. But I prioritize those I've been itching to try and one of the new restaurants I spotted a few weeks back is this tapas place in Uptown Bonifacio.

Hello, ¡OYE! Tapas & Grill!

When in Bacolod: Mimi's Café & Restaurant

I heard that Pendy's in Bacolod is another must visit restaurant in the City of Smiles. With a few dishes in mind, R and I headed to Pendy's for lunch. But Waze brought us to Mimi's by accident. Apparently, Pendy's used to be where Mimi's is now located. Locals say that the owner of Mimi's used to work for Pendy's and things got sour between the two parties hence the split. Mimi's for some reason got the original spot and Pendy's had to move to the lot across the street. And since we were already at Mimi's and got mesmerized by its various delectable pasalubong items, we decided to stay and give it a try. After all, the staff highlighted that Pendy's original chefs now work for Mimi's. 

Hello, Mimi's Café & Restaurant. 

First Bite: Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House

I first spotted Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House in the South but never had the chance to visit as I had dinner plans elsewhere. But food gods want me to drop by this place and soon, I found myself in front of this colourful establishment’s North branch one Saturday afternoon. 

Hello, Johnny Kahuku's Hawaiian Shrimp House! 

It was like being transported to Hawaii as soon as you step foot inside the restaurant designed as a shrimp shack. The colorful wall decor, warm lights and wooden furniture are so inviting and cozy making it a nice place for family lunches or dinners or a nice catch up meal with friends. 

Johnny Kahuku is known for its seafood fare so we went with Tuna Ahi Poke (PHP365), Island Pride (PHP595, 6 pcs of shrimp | PHP645, 9 pcs of shrimp), Fiesta Paella (PHP899) and Tropical Chill (PHP285). 

First served was the tuna ahi poke bowl which was chilled ahi tuna drizzled with ginger shoyu sauce on top of rice. You may opt for brown rice for no additional cost. 

The tuna cubes were undeniably fresh. I loved the subtle sweet taste from the dressing which went so well with the Japanese rice. 

Restaurant Love: Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar

It has been quite a while since I last saw A and we just have to catch up for a girls day out. (Sorry, I have a curfew so it can’t be a night out.) We decided to go for a mini spa date but ended up having an early dinner with drinks at Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar and arcade afterwards. So much for a girly day.

Hello, Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar!

It has been 8 months since I last visited this restaurant and I could say that I loved the dishes I tasted. It was slightly on the expensive side given we only ordered two appetizers and iced tea but our bill was over PHP800. However, we didn’t really mind since the food was great.

This time around, we ordered Prawns and Chorizo Pasta (PHP599), Salmon Benedict Salad (PHP395) and Pumpkin and Pea Soup (PHP239). We also got Almond Cream Pie (PHP150) for A and Ginger-Lychee Mojito (PHP150) for me.

Restaurant Discovery: Your Local

Legaspi has transformed into another foodie destination. With quaint coffee shops and charming restaurants, this is one area I just have to visit. A few weeks back was my first trip in this area and I visited Yardstick and Local Edition. My favorite Dragon lady and I also planned visiting Your Local as it has been getting great reviews. It took longer than we planned but we finally got to pay the place a visit last week.

Hello, Your Local!

Since the place is usually packed, reservation is important. I made a reservation for two at 6 p.m. on (an apparently rainy) Saturday. Placing a reservation was smooth as after 3 minutes or so, I’m done. However, I got a call two days later telling me that my reservation is good until 7:30 p.m. only if I wanted a table (as they accidentally gave me bar seats). WHAT THE HECK? That made me upset as I don’t want to be constantly checking my watch while enjoying my dinner. But the woman assisting me was able to arrange things for me after I expressed my annoyance with the situation. [Case closed.]

The place was quite dark. I guess it sets that chill ambiance the young crowd wants.

We immediately ordered our food as we were both hungry. We settled for the Carrot Cake (PHP280) as appetizer, Torched Salmon Donburi (PHP390) and Chorizo Sandwich (PHP490) for main course. We also got Strawberry Lemonade (PHP190) and Sea Salt Lemonade (PHP160) for drinks.

Fondue Haven: Eleven Tables

1... 2... 3... Hold on. I can only see 10 tables. What happened to the 11th? Oh well.

I have always wanted to visit this place ever since I got an email about it from Leslie Go. It is just a few steps away from my place but every time I pass by, the place is closed. And two years later, I found out why. They are open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., closed from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. and resumes from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.. 

N arrived late that day and I was really famished. We decided to order the Chorizo Cheese Fondue (PHP420) and the Seafood Bourguignonne (PHP880) without much thought to it. And we didn't regret. 

The Chorizo Cheese Fondue was served warm and it was so stretchy that it made it difficult for us not to make a mess. I always end up getting too much cheese as I had to keep on wrapping the stretchy cheese on my broccoli, carrots or potatoes. (I skipped the bread.)

The cheese though was flavorful though not as tangy as I wanted it to be. Perhaps the chorizo's flavor was a bit too strong.