Promo Alert: Vatos is turning February FunTACOstic!

Vatos is probably one of the best restaurants I've been to last 2018. Just thinking about its to die for Cowboy Queso or its sweet as nectar Sexy Sanchez margarita is enough to make me drool for days. And just when I couldn't think of more reason to drop by for more, Vatos came up with a special treat for its patrons and would-be fans for the month of February. 

Happy anniversary, Vatos Philippines!

Vatos is celebrating its first year in the Philippines with 100% yumminess with its anniversary promos lined up! 

For the whole month of February, grab your favorite Vatos Urban Tacos for just PHP100 (2 pieces per order). Included in this promo are Spicy Chicken, Chimichurri Chicken, Braised Carnitas, Chili Lime Shrimp, Korean Pork Belly, Baja Fish and Barbacoa Pork. Its premium tacos Carne Asada and Wagyu Galbi Short Rib are available for PHP200 (2 pieces per order). 

Night Life: Unlimited Tacos with Unlimited Sangria or Margarita at Encima

Restaurants that offer Do-It-Yourself dishes are brilliant. Guests find it attractive, interactive and never blame the restaurant if it tasted bad as they made it themselves. But there are some places where no matter how bad you messed up, your creation will still be delicious! And such is the case with Encima's DIY Taco Bar. 

Hello again, Encima Roofdeck Restaurant.

To celebrate the Encima's anniversary, they threw a simple and intimate thanksgiving party which also served as the launch of their DIY Taco Bar, Unlimited Margarita or Sangria promo for just PHP499.

First Bite: Vatos

With the crazy number of restaurants opening here and there, you must be bestowed with supernatural powers if you could keep up and visit all. First impression could make or break a restaurant and I often mentally give it a "deadline" on until when it'll stay open. But there are a handful of restaurants that impressed me and made me look at my calendar on when I could visit again. And one of the restaurants that tickled my taste buds with glee is Vatos. 

Hello, Vatos. 

First Sip: Mozafrió

It may be a couple of months to go before Christmas but the intense summer heat is here to stay. I always find myself wanting and craving for cold treats like ice cream and milkshakes. And last week, I discovered Mozafrió.

Hello, Mozafrió. 

This milkshake store is located on the second floor of the hip and very millennial The Food Hive in Quezon City. 

Second Bite: Backyard Kitchen + Brew

I've been a fan of Chef Ed Bugia's Pino and Pi Breakfast & Pies restaurants for years and I was so giddy to try Backyard Kitchen + Brew back in 2015. And it was a memorable experience at that as one year later, I could still remember its succulent baby back ribs and delightful cheddar chips till now. But just to make sure, let's do a second take on the baby back ribs.

Hello, Backyard Kitchen + Brew!

First Bite: Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Cafe

It is very interesting how Manila has turned from an Aristocrat-Jollibee-Max’s-McDonald’s foodie scene into one where every corner has a yummy find. At Fort alone, there are a lot of places worth visiting and every month a new one opens. I get so overwhelmed (though mostly, it’s my wallet that gets overwhelmed) just thinking of all the places I could visit. And just yesterday, I visited…

Unit 27 Apartment Bar + Café.

The place is screaming cute and it reminded me of Hole in the Wall with its charming décor.

Since I made my research before going, I found out that Unit 27 Apartment’s bestseller is its Jack Daniel’s Aussie Bacon & Egg (PHP495). It is one of the restaurant’s expensive dishes but since it made me curious, I ordered one and decided to split it into two (one as early dinner and the other half as my lunch the following day). 

The other dishes ordered were the Peanut Butter & Banana Pancake (PHP280), Truffled Fries and Popcorn (PHP350) and House Party Nachos (PHP495).

Kapitolyo Food Stop: Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina

Kapitolyo sure is a foodie destination with so many restaurants appearing left and right. And since it was a holiday last October 6, the Foodie Trio of UA&P (which I now baptize as F3) decided to explore Kapitolyo once again. Our first stop is none other than Silantro.

Hello, Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina!

This wasn’t my first time to visit this place as I got to try it a few months ago with W. However, we didn’t order food and I just had their unlimited mojito (for only PHP250!!!). And the mojito was not bad at all.

We arrived a bit past 11 a.m. and the place was already packed! It was a good thing though that K’s friends, the Triple J (as they all have J in their names), arrived early and managed to get a table inside.

After a quick look at the menu, I decided to go for the Completo (PHP110) where I could choose three kinds of meat for my soft shell taco (I chose lamb, oxtail and beef), Silantro Quesadillas (PHP160) and a glass of Mojito (PHP90).

First served was the mojito but I did not dare take a sip as I skipped breakfast for the food trip. After the first 10 minutes, I started to become restless and at the 15 minute mark, I started to be irritable.

Twenty minutes later, the server approached us to inform me that they were out of oxtail. I snapped! They could have told me that way before! Why wait for 20 minutes???

Anyway, I told the server to give me lengua instead and make sure that he serves my order in 5 minutes or less. And it did. However, we had to wait for a few more minutes for our utensils and sauce. *sigh*

Restaurant Love: St. Patrick's

My friends and I have been planning to have dinner in Kapitolyo for months after realizing that our offices are practically neighbors. But since everyone’s so busy, we just can’t find time to do it. Until one Facebook post made it possible. Then again, K suddenly had to back. But since F and I were stressed that day, we still went for it.

Hello, St. Patrick's!

St. Patrick's was rather packed when we arrived. Originally, we planned on having dinner at Red Panda but we decided to change venues due to the desire to drink. [No, we are not alcoholics. Just so we’re clear. ;)]

The menu covers simple dishes so it wasn’t that hard for us to choose which ones to order. We opted for the following: Spam Chips (PHP160), Calamari (PHP180), Taco Bites (PHP180), and Shepherd’s Pie (PHP250). I went for a glass of Margarita (PHP180) while F ordered beer.

First served was the plate of Spam chips. It was simply deep fried thinly sliced Spam and it was superb! Okay, I’m a bit biased as I love Spam!

Next served was the Calamari. It was your typical calamari with yummy garlic mayo! I enjoyed the dip so much that I ate the carrot sticks! (And I hate carrots!)

The Taco Bites were awesome! It was slightly spicy but very tolerable. I enjoyed the flavorful chili con carne and the generous dose of cheese. 

Restaurant Discovery: Texas Roadhouse Grill

[Mother’s Day Celebration Saga] So, after watching Iron Man 3 (second time for me), we opted to have dinner at Texas Roadhouse Grill due to my desperate attempt to look for an establishment with plugs to charge my almost dying phone.

Hello, Texas Roadhouse Grill! You got me at the word “plug”.

 

The restaurant exudes the Texan feel with predominantly brown interiors with a bit of red. The wheels also added the Western feel to it.

 

While browsing the menu, I had this sudden feel to order margarita and totally forgot that there was an alcohol ban then. Tsk. Anyway, after a few minutes, we decided to order Creamy Parmesan Chicken (PHP395), Geronimo’s Seafood Pasta Marinara (PHP350) and Shrimp and Salmon Skewer (PHP495). For dessert, we ordered Country Custard (PHP165). I also ordered a glass of Grape Shake (PHP120) as my beverage.