Rediscovering Magnolia Gold Label Ice Cream

Christmas is just a few weeks away, but there does not seem to be a sign of the Manila getting cooler anytime soon. I survive the crazy weather by staying indoors, putting the A/C on full blast, and spoiling myself with cold treats! And I'm so happy to rediscover Magnolia's Gold Label ice cream. 

Hello, Magnolia Gold Label. 

With almost a century of ice cream-making expertise, Magnolia delighted the Filipino market with its lip-smacking desserts. It also plays a sweet part in some of our fondest memories with our loved ones. 

First Bite: Cheesecake Stix

A meal is never complete without desserts. I've been used to having something sweet to cap my meal that despite being at the verge of bursting, I still find space for ice cream, cake or what-have-you. And last weekend, I had a mini food crawl with my sister which ended with feasting on cheesecake on a stick. Yes, on a stick!

Hello, Cheesecake Stix!

Cheesecake Stix became the talk of town when it launched its cheese cake on a stick.

First Bite: Nomi Matcha and Açaí

I'm a big fan of matcha. Perhaps it's because of my intense love for anything Japanese. But there is something about matcha that I find very endearing. It's my go-to treat whenever I indulged in something (too) sinful  as a cup or two of this green wonder would make me feel less guilty. But what I love most about matcha is how it evolved from a drink made from a very precised tea ceremonies into a modern and casual treat which ranges from drinks to desserts. I've also tried some savory dishes infused with green tea! Though there are hits and misses here and there, I'm always open to trying out new matcha places. And a few weeks back, a new matcha player opened in BGC so...

Hello, Nomi Matcha and Açaí!

Nomi, or drink in Japanese, is the first food venture of three Japanese friends who thought of giving the well-loved matcha a modern take. 

Situated at the ground floor of W City Center along 5th Avenue, the first thing I noticed was its brightly lit space and its light-colored interiors with touches of green and pink. 

First Bite: Fat Daddy's Smokehouse

Receiving a text message from P always mean good (and yummy) news and her message last Monday was no exception. It was a looloo invite to try Fat Daddy's Smokehouse. At first, I got it confused with the burger joint that has that three letter word that love to settle on unwanted areas. Thanks to P's email. I got the idea that it... could be even better! 

Hello, Fat Daddy's Smokehouse.

I WAS LATE. I underestimated the distance between my place and Burgos Circle. I even got lost due to my lack of night vision. So much for being an early bird.

The group was already enjoying the big tray of Jera’s Ultimate Pulled Pork and Bacon Nachos (PHP550) when I arrived. Even though it was already “touched”, I was still overwhelmed by the huge serving size. This one is definitely good for sharing! I think even 10 foodies cannot finish this dish (assuming there are other dishes).

Taste-wise, it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed the harmony of textures and flavors among the crisp seasoned and slightly salty tortilla chips, sweet and tender pulled pork, delectable bacon strips (which was stripped off its salty flavor because of the Alabama barbecue sauce) and of course, cheese! This dish was far from being short of toppings or sauce!

I tried Chef Pat’s Ultimate Cheese Dip (PHP450) next and it was indeed very cheesy! I loved that it was oh so thick (thanks to the layers of mozzarella and cheddar cheese). Getting a spoonful was a challenge though as there were huge onion rings stuffed inside too! But it did not hinder me from smothering my fried tortilla chips with the scrumptious dip! (There were no toasted baguettes left when I got to try the dish.)

One of my favorites is the Crispy Fried Pickles (PHP120). I was quite surprised to say this as I am not a fan of pickles. But I had no idea that I would enjoy it a lot when deep fried covered with panko and corn crust and dipped in a delightful white sauce which reminded me of ranch. It was a lovely appetizer and made me salivate for more.

Next served was the Crisp Fish Tacos (PHP320) and it was one of my favorites that night. The beer battered Alaskan Pollock had a nice light taste which was a great break from the dishes with very heavy flavors. 

I loved the crisp of the batter and the taste of the garlic sauce. I skipped putting barbeque sauce on my portion as I really wanted to have a break from the sweet barbecue sauce.

Smoked Beef Brisket (PHP550) and North Carolina Pulled Pork (PHP220) were served right after and this marked the end of my break from barbeque sauce.

The 250 gram smoked beef brisket, which was smoked for 16 hours was divine! It was so tender! Though it was one of the dishes with relatively small serving size (because of its thin cut), I’d highly recommend this. It was packed with flavors without it being overpowering. Oh, and this is senior friendly. It was effortless to chew this dish!

The North Carolina Pulled Pork was similar with the ones on the nachos. I guess if you order the nachos, you may opt not to get this anymore.

BLAT, or Bacon, Lettuce, Apple and Tomatoes sandwich (PHP275) was a crowd favorite. Though just like most of the other dishes, this one also have the yummy homemade bacon. But for some reason, this sandwich is a notch higher in the taste department with its refreshing baked spiced apples. It went really well with bacon, veggies and remoulade sauce (a type of aioli) adding nice cinnamon spice that I simply love.

Sweet Stop: Lucca Bakery

It’s always fun to be around my college friends. I witnessed the growth and maturity of our conversations. From homework and theses to household chores and banking and from crushes to… well, more crushes (but older). Okay, perhaps not all topics evolved to something more. But it has always been filled with laughter and at times some “kilig” too. And a few weeks back, we all met to celebrate our dear K’s birthday and shared some sweets at…

Lucca!

It has been a while since I last visited Lucca. It was still crowded and the menu didn’t change so much. And since it was packed, we opted to eat outside to avoid waiting for a table. But to our dismay, the tables were sticky and stinky. R who has a sensitive nose sure did not enjoy it. (And who would anyway?)

We decided to go for a slice of Hazelnut Indulgence (PHP145), S’mores Cookielato (PHP195) and Twix Cookielato (PHP175). R also ordered a glass of Green Tea Frappe (PHP145) while I got a cup of Cappuccino (PHP115).

First served was the slice of hazelnut indulgence and it had a weird rubbery or synthetic taste. We asked the server to replace it with another slice as it tasted really off. And the replacement slice tasted the same. We told the server that the weird taste was still there but I guess she got frustrated with us and began to raise her voice. (Uh oh!) Anyway, we soon discovered that it was the base that had a weird taste so the girls just ate the creamy part of the cake.

First Sip: Habitual Coffee

The summer heat is making me cranky. It is just too intense these days. But I could never turn down a free cup of coffee.

Hello, Habitual Coffee!

This small coffee shop located at Ortigas Home Depot is one of the silent players in the world of third wave coffee.

Upon entering, I fell in love with the shelves that display cute knick-knacks. My sister finds it pricey though.

Love at First Bite: Fireside by Kettle

I can’t help it. I just can’t. I smile like a love struck fool whenever I see a new restaurant. And last December, I saw Fireside. I was really curious and wanted to check the place out but my favorite Dragon Lady and two Rs wanted to visit Linguini Fini then. Three weeks later, I made it happen.

Hello, Fireside!

I guess I wasn’t too observant when I went in as I was surprised to see that Fireside is owned by Kettle, the maker of “Manila’s best buttermilk fried chicken” or so what most foodies claim. And since I was in a hurry and was quite hungry too, we decided to go for the following: Grilled Chop House (PHP189, bowl | PHP389, platter), Buttermilk Fried Chicken Tenders (PHP489), Steak BLT (PHP389) and Homemade S’mores (PHP139).

First served was our salad.

Love at First Sip: Refinery

I just love it when I get to try more than one restaurant in one day. It gives me a lot of happy vibes. So, when my favorite Dragon Lady agreed to try Refinery after Rambla, my grin reached both ears.

Hello, Refinery.

For some reason, I thought that this place is a bar or something. I never thought that this place serves good coffee and dessert.

Since we were quite full, we were more focused on just ordering dessert and coffee. We went with Black Onyx (PHP195, syphon extraction) and a pan of Baked S’mores (seasonal and for limited time only). 

What I loved about Refinery is that we still get the remaining coffee from the syphon. Some coffee shops (e.g. Dolce Latte) only fill the cup and return the remaining coffee back to the kitchen.

Soon, our coffee and s’mores were served.

T likes her coffee black and an auntie once told me that it’s best to enjoy coffee as is—with no sugar or cream. That way, you get to taste and appreciate the beans.

Got Crumbs?

Hello Americana! This place is love. It had a lot of nice places to visit and there’s a trolley!!!

Our family friend suggested that we stop over Crumbs before heading back home. Curious as it sounded a place serving edible items, we said, “game!”

Ooh, it’s a café! Just like other cafés, the place was predominantly brown in terms of interior with the oh-so-good aroma of coffee. Don’t you just love the smell of freshly roasted coffee? (cue: drool now)

We ordered 4 cupcakes (mine was S’mores, $3.75).

As soon as we got back home, I started to munch on my cupcake.