Simply Thai Contemporary Thai Cuisine- Greenbelt 5

If I would be asked what type of cuisine I am fond of, it would be Thai. I don't regularly dine in Thai restaurants mainly because Thai choices are quite limited around the Metro unlike other Asian restaurants. 

But when I find a new Thai resto in town, I surely won't miss the chance to visit. 

Fortunately, The Foodies Circle decided to go for a contemporary Thai cuisine at Simply Thai in Greenbelt 5. 

The place is perfect for an evening rendezvous with its sophisticated vibe coupled with green and gold accents. I also love the hanging bird cages that was turned into lamps to illuminate the whole place.

Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza- Greenhills Town Center

Greenhills Town Center is this fairly new commercial area in Quezon City that instantly became a hot spot for foodies. We were intrigued by what it has to offer so we decided to swing by and grab some late night snacks. 

The moment we entered the premise, I spotted the perfect place that would surely tickle my fancy. 

Red Buffalo Wings & Pizza

The American-inspired restaurant displays a casual vibe of a New York City diner with red and white theme paired with steel tables and chairs. 

Lolo Dad's Cafe Tasting Menu- Quirino Ave, Malate

Lolo Dad's Cafe is a house-turned-restaurant tucked in the corner of Quirino Ave, Malate. Owned by the Ayuyao family and helmed by renowned Chef Ariel Manuel, an architecture graduate who found his love and passion for cooking, the fine dining restaurant instantly became a shrine for happy foodies and couples. 

Lolo Dad's Cafe is definitely on the top list of classic date places for couples in the Metro. Everyone wants to bring their loved ones here to celebrate a special occasion at least once in their life. But every time we talk about Lolo Dad's Cafe, the first thing that comes into our mind is the hefty price  tag associated with it. Agree?

Yoogane 유가네 : Famous Dak Galbi in Korea now in the Philippines- Il Terrazzo

Good news to Korean cuisine fanatics! The famous restaurant chain in Korea that specializes in chicken galbi since 1981 is now in the Philippines. Yoogane Philippines could be found at the ground floor of Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato. 

Restaurante Pia Y Damaso: Subversive Filipino Cuisine- Greenbelt 5

I remember the first time I've tried Restaurante Pia Y Damaso in Greenbelt 5, I completely fell in love with their desserts. On my second visit, I was able to feast with subversive Filipino cuisine that is out of the usual Filipino dishes, like having crocodile meat on my salad. It was like incorporating a fusion of modern flavors to the classic Filipino cuisine. 

To begin our subversive feast, we were served with Filo Tarts with Pork Asado Apple Relish (P220)

Press Release: Foodgasm at Mercato Centrale

The UP Economics Society, Knorr, Sunsilk, Mercato Centrale, DC, Kickers, Roxy and Quicksilver, in cooperation with San Miguel Purefoods, AudioMixx, Appetite Magazine, Circuit, WheninManila.com, ClicktheCity.com, DZUP 1602, and 99.5 RT, bring you the yummiest event in the Metro!

Foodgasm: Indulge Your Taste Buds is a food-tasting event and competition to be held on August 25, 2012 at Mercato Centrale, Bonifacio Global City Taguig. Up and coming food businesses will showcase their scrumptious creations. Attendees will be able to taste all these delicious treats ranging from appetizers to desserts. Guests get to judge for a day and vote for the dish that tickled their taste buds the most. The crowd's favorite food business will take home very exciting prizes. As a bonus for everyone, there will be games and freebies from our generous sponsors.

MECHANICS:

1. Foodgasm is open to all young and aspiring, up and coming food business owners- student entrepreneurs, food business existing for no more than 4 years, and those who just previously launched a new product.
2. Each participant should serve free samples of their best seller during the event, which will serve as their official entry to the competition.
3. Participants are also allowed to sell additional products in the event, provided that their allotted space will be able to accommodate the additional products. The allotted space will have dimensions of 2x2 meters. This may change depending on the number of participants.
4. Each entry will be carefully judged by all 1,000 foodies, including bloggers and judges from Knorr and San Miguel Foods.

Don't miss this event! Bring your family and friends and indulge your taste buds in Foodgasm!

Doors open at 7pm. Pre-selling and door price until 8pm at P200

Door price 8pm onwards at P220

This event is also brought to you by our partner bloggers: All Loving Chic, Beryllicious, Between Bites, Certified Foodies, The Food Alphabet, Food Reviews Manila, The Food Scout, Forkplay, Luto ni Lola, The Peach Kitchen, The Pickiest Eater in the World, Spread Some Awesome, Stop! Look! And Capture, Tales from the Tummy, and The Unstoppable Kimpossible.

For tickets, contact 0917 885 0738. Limited slots only so order now! 

Visit facebook.com/UPEcosoc.Foodgasm for more details!

The Magnolia Flavor House at Robinson's Magnolia

Remember the Old Magnolia Ice Cream House in Aurora Boulevard that we used to visit back then? Well, I certainly do. The memories are still vivid and fresh in my mind. I remember the place being crowded with kids, smiling and laughing while digging their spoons into their favorite ice cream sundaes, banana splits and parfaits. It was like a wonderland of desserts full of new surprises and sweet encounters. So, imagine the sadness I felt when the classic ice cream parlor closed down. 

August 13, 2012, Robinson's Magnolia, the latest lifestyle shopping center in Quezon City opened its doors to the public giving them a new place to hang out and rekindle memories with friends and families. 

Got a chance to visit the place and look what we found! The new Magnolia Flavor House located just outside the mall. We just couldn't pass the chance to try it out since we were already there.

Glass windows sheltered the place giving a spectacular view of the mall. The blue and white chairs gave a contemporary look that exudes a nostalgic vibe.

They are still on soft opening with limited menu offerings. I remember the last time we dined at Magnolia House, they had this huge menu board with extensive food and dessert choices. 

I just had to order our classic favorite- Banana Split (P240).  

The Wine Museum - Wine Appreciation with the Breakfast Club

I’m not much of a wine person but still, I keep an open mind about learning some few things about it. Fortunately, Breakfast Magazine organized a wine appreciation event for us to sample The Wine Musuem’s  food and wine offerings. 

The Wine Museum is a family-oriented hotel and restaurant located along Aurora Boulevard (formerly Tramo Road), Pasay. A restaurant that features Colonial & Spanish dishes could be found at the lower level while the Wine Education Center sits at the second floor. The learning center where seminars and wine courses are held was set up by the R. Joseph Wine Museum Foundation Inc. to educate people about wines. It became a learning and training facility not only for students in tourism and hospitality courses, but also for people who are just merely interested in wines. 

Our Wine Appreciation started with Mr. Jorge Joseph presenting a brief history of The Wine Museum and the R. Joseph Wine Museum Foundation Inc. Followed by the Chef and General Manager himself, Mr. John Joseph Jr. who fervently shared to us his inspirational success story. 

Sir Jorge Joseph then continued to his Wine 101 presentation where he demonstrated on how to check the color of wine on a piece of paper.

Appetizers were served during the lecture paired with a chilled glass of Claro (Chilean) Chardonnay. 

The light and refreshing acidity of the white wine paired well with the sampler appetizers especially with the smoky Gambas Al Ajillo (P300).

The Vigan Longganisa (P250) also complemented the wine with its full-flavored taste while the Mushroom Adobo (P120) gave a sharp tang on the palate. 

Kusina ng Gerry's Combo Meals- Lucky Chinatown Mall

Earlier this year, “Kusina ng Gerry’s” opened its first branch at the 3rd level of Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila.

Dubbed as the "do-it-yourself" casual restaurant, it aims to provide a new dine-in concept with greater efficiency and offer more affordable meals.

The restaurant’s popular dishes can now be enjoyed in more ways with the same food quality suited for the Filipino taste and the same great service that Gerry's has been providing their customers for years.

Now, Kusina ng Gerry's offers a unique dining experience for customers where one can mix and match from a variety of food selections.

Their combo includes one main dish with rice, a side dish and soup.

Diners could choose from Chicken Kebab, Fried Chicken, Liempo, Pork Barbecue, Lechon Kawali, Crispy Binagoongan or Inihaw na Manok as their main dish, and Noodles (Canton/Bihon) or Vegetables (Pinakbet/Kangkong) for their side dishes.

Foodgasm! "Indulge Your Tastebuds" at Mercato Centrale

Foodgasm is an event organized by UP Economics Society to be held at Mercato Centrale, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig on August 25, 2012 (Saturday) 7pm-11pm. 

This project aims to highlight new and upcoming food businesses through a food tasting competition wherein their products will be judged by 1,000 individuals, bloggers, chefs and food critics. 

Young and aspiring food entrepreneurs are highly welcomed and encouraged to join the yummiest event in the Metro as they will be able to showcase their food creations and market their brand to their appropriate target market.

Deadline was on August 4, but they are still accepting interested participants to date. 

Enticing prizes awaits the Grand Winner such as:

a. 10,000 pesos in cash

b. trophy

c. feature in Appetite magazine

d. feature by 13 guest bloggers

e. Opportunity to sell in Musikapella, a choral competition to be held in Aliw Theater on September 30

There will also be Special Category winners who will be featured on partnered blogger sites. 

Check out the video below:

For those interested in becoming one of the critics in this event, you may buy your tickets on the event proper or forward concerns and inquiries to (0927)525-3427 or email at upecosoc.finance@gmail.com.

Save the date and join this gastronomic food adventure and discover new and exciting products! 

See you all there!!! :) 

For more information, visit their Facebook fan page at www.facebook.com/UPEcosoc.Foodgasm

Chow Fun - Modern Chinese Bistro in San Juan

Passed by this new chinese bistro along J. Abad Santos in San Juan called Chow Fun. We didn't have any idea where to eat so we decided to give it a try.

Chow Fun is just a month old restaurant which happens to be the sister company of Nav Modern Thai Cuisine in Pasig. They are still on soft opening but there were quite a number of diners on a Sunday night despite the heavy rain. 

Our server that night was very kind to introduce their must-try dishes and gave a few recommendations. 

We started with the Oriental Duck Rolls (P165) which are fried spring rolls with duck fillings served with three kinds of sauces. 

The spring rolls were crispy and taste was very flavorful. Quite different from the usual spring rolls I had 'cause I could actually taste the savory duck meat inside. I prefer to dip it in the tangy lemon or vinegar sauce to balance out the flavors. 

Mother's Crepe & Cafe (Mazazu Crepe) - SM Mall of Asia

After our Jawbreaking experience at Zark's, we managed to save room for dessert and headed out to Mother's Crepe & Cafe in SM Mall of Asia. 

Mother's Crepe is a famous crepe chain in Japan that is also known as Mazazu Crepe in other countries. It currently has franchise stores in Hongkong, Singapore, China, Korea, Canada, Australia, Thailand and Saudi Arabia. And now, Mother's Crepe has also landed in the Philippines to bring their delicious and healthy Japanese crepes to us. 

Located at the 2nd level of the Entertainment Mall near Chatime, a display of eye-catching and mouth-watering dessert crepes leave passers-by curious about this new found crepe haven. Mother's Crepe and Cafe occupies a small area that can accommodate just a small number of dine-in customers. It doesn't stop customers  from trying out some of their crepes though as Mother's Crepe is also a dessert-on-the-go. 

Mother's Crepe takes pride in using a propriety recipe for their crepe mixes and whip cream. Their crepes are made with flour mixed with bran which is a high source of dietary fiber. They are also conscious of the fact that whip cream has a very high fat content, so intensive research was done to  come up with a light-tasting and low fat whip cream. It only contains 26% amount of fat content using pure vegetable fat hence making their whip cream low in cholesterol.

Aside from their crepe mixes, they also use the finest and quality ingredients in every order. Using Driscoll's strawberries for some of their fruit crepes, you'll be sure to have a delighting and satisfying sweet treat. 

Mother's Crepe not only serves dessert crepes but also has a wide menu of beverages ranging from smoothies and milk teas to sodas and floats. 

With the wide selection of their menu, it was really hard for us to decide which flavors to choose. Lucky for us, Ms. Adeline Ong-Santiago, hands-on owner of Mother's Crepe, was very helpful in recommending some of their best-sellers and must-trys. 

Nuat Thai "Create Your Own Spa Experience"- Tomas Morato

Everyone deserves to be pampered once in a while. For me, a day to relax and de-stress would automatically be a trip to the spa. Normally, I would avail of the regular 1-hr massage and then I'm done. But sometimes, I feel unsatisfied and wanted more of some pampering sessions.

I remember having a whole day of relaxation earlier this year when we got the chance to visit Sonya's Garden in Tagaytay. It was one of the best places I've been to calm my senses and have a day to unwind.

But, not everyone would have the luxury to drive all the way to Tagaytay and spend more than thousands just to have a 2-hr spa service in a tranquil garden far away from home.

Good thing, you may also experience the same space of serenity here in the bustling streets of the Metro. The place I'm talking about is in Nuat Thai- Tomas Morato Branch.

After a late lunch in Octoboy-Tomas Morato with the gang, we excitedly went to Nuat Thai and try out some of their services. Little did we know that we were off for some pampering feast! 

Here are the standard and regular spa services of Nuat Thai- Tomas Morato.

And to give their guests the luxury of experiencing a day of pamper and care, Nuat Thai-Tomas Morato has come up with an exciting new feature for their services. Wondering what to choose between body scrub or body massage? Why choose when you can have both plus an add on to complete this "Make Your Own Spa Experience".

For as low as P700, you may experience this head-to-toe package that is equally relaxing and gentle on the pockets.