Whole Pet Kitchen: Pet Deli and Bark-ery Dog Cafe in San Juan

If you are someone who loves bringing your dogs out, you may have already brought them to various pet-friendly malls and places around the Metro. Normally, dog owners would just walk their pets while they shop, eat or do whatever they planned for the day. But if you are looking for a place where dogs are top priority, check out this new and coolest place your dogs could ever be. 

D and I declared a Doggie's Day Out one Saturday afternoon, so we decided to bring Anton and Hugo to Whole Pet Kitchen: Pet Deli and Bark-ery in San Juan for some treats. The dog cafe is owned by Chef Giannina Gonzalez, who started out cooking and making dog treats for her dogs. She eventually used this experience and her professional culinary background to open up the first ever gourmet pet bakery and cafe in the Philippines. 

Wee Nam Kee New Culinary Treasures of Singapore- Glorietta 2

Wee Nam Kee recently launched the "All New Culinary Treasures of Singapore" to showcase new signature dishes other than their famous Hainanese Chicken. Prepare yourselves for some gastronomic delights as Wee Nam Kee presents authentic Singaporean dishes ranging from appetizers, mains, rice, noodles, drinks and desserts. 

Starting off with Crispy Mantou Bread with Condensed Milk (P78) that will prepare your taste buds for the coming Singaporean delights. 

An appetizer of Prawn Paste Chicken Wings (P218) will tease your palate with a taste of Singapore.

Tipsy Pig Gastropub in Capitol Commons- Ortigas, Pasig

Capitol Commons in Pasig recently became one of the newest hangout places for those working around Ortigas. They can have a Mediterranean dinner at Black Olive, some hot bowls of artisanal ramen from Nomama, their favorite drink from Starbucks, or shop for imported gourmet products at Santis Delicatessen. Another restaurant where most people go to is Tipsy Pig Gastropub. Such a quirky name don't you think? 

Just like this quirky one whole chicken sitting pretty on a can of San Miguel beer.

Beer Can Chicken (P750)- whole roasted chicken, can of Pale Pilsen, grilled tortillas, bbq sauce

It was juicy and tender with a hint of spice rub that takes roasted chicken to a whole new level. Non-beer drinkers shouldn't hesitate to try this out as they won't really taste much bitterness of beer in the chicken. 

Tipsy Wings (P295)- fried wings smothered with homemade Jack Daniels bbq sauce

The Buffet International Cuisine in Commonwealth

Who doesn't love buffets? Who doesn't want to enjoy unlimited servings of their favorite dishes for a fixed price? Who doesn't want eat-all-you-can concepts that allow them to eat to their heart's content? Coming from a family who loves to eat (a lot), I've had numerous visits to different buffets in the Metro. Whenever there's a family gathering, birthday or special occasion, it would either be in Chinese restaurants or buffets. 

I've tried Vikings, Buffet 101, King One, Banzai, The Food Club, Chinatown's Best, Sambokojin, Dad's World Buffet, Saisaki, Seoul Garden, Yakimix, Movie Stars Cafe, Alba, Primero Casa Filipino, Tong Yang.. and just recently, The Buffet International Cuisine added up to my list.

The Buffet International Cuisine located in Commonwealth used to be a Nissan showroom. The place is huge with chandeliers, grand staircase, and elegant decors. The dining area and buffet table is at the first level, while the second level is where the function rooms are.

Upon checking the buffet, I noticed there weren't as many food stations as compared to other eat-all-you-can restaurants. But, staple dishes and stations were there like sushi/sashimi, tempura, steak, noodles and dimsum, salads and appetizers, cheese and bread, pasta, pizza, yakiniku and teppayaki, barbecue and desserts. Plus, you can also have a hotpot experience on your table with their shabu-shabu station.

Yakiniku & Teppanyaki

Bellini's Italian Restaurant- One More Chance Restaurant in Cubao

"She loved me at my worst, You had me at my best.. and you chose to break my heart." Ring a bell? It's one of the famous lines in the movie One More Chance by Bea Alonzo and John Lloyd Cruz. Last December, we visited Bellini's Italian Restaurant in Cubao where some scenes in the movie was shot. 

I've been hearing good reviews about the place several years ago, but it was only last year that I got to try it out. The place is tucked inside the Cubao Expo where several bars, vintage and novelty shops can be found.

Bellini's Italian Restaurant nails it when it comes to ambiance. A small replica of the Leaning Tower of Pisa greets customers by the entrance, while interiors will leave you in complete awe as you go in.

Avida Food Hunt in Taft with Chef JJ Yulo and Thomas Torres

As I mentioned before, D and I have always wanted to go on a foodtrip around Taft area. It seems that after we graduated, a lot of restaurants and cafes started popping out everywhere. We've been quite busy lately, but fortunately, a chance to go on a food hunt around Taft came in. Thanks to Avida Land, we got to discover new and old food destinations within the vicinity of our beloved alma mater.

Meeting place was in Avida Towers Prime Taft showroom where all participants gathered and met with the food tour host- Chef JJ Yulo. It was our third time to join his food tour, first was when we joined Perfect Italiano's Mystery Dinner and second was during the BGC Eats Food Tour.

UP Town Center Series- Pinac Heirloom Capampangan Cuisine

If there's a cuisine I don't often crave for when dining out, it would be Filipino. It's not that I don't support our local dishes, but it's just that I enjoy eating them in the comforts of our home or when visiting our province in Quezon. I appreciate simple and classic Filipino dishes without the twists and frills. But how can one say no to a Filipino restaurant specializing in dishes from the culinary capital of the Philippines- Pampanga. 

Pinac Heirloom Capampangan Cuisine takes pride in heirloom recipes that Pampanga is known for like sisig, buro, bringhe, rellenong manok, crispy pata, kare-kare etc..

Crispy Hito Balls, Mustasa at Buro (P235)