Wangfu Chinese Bistro (Tomas Morato)

Beloved and I had dinner at Wangfu Chinese Bistro weeks ago. This Chinese restaurant replaced (thankfully) Teriyaki Boy at the second floor of the building across McDonald's Tomas Morato. This is actually the second branch in the same street, the first being in Il Terazzo. Beloved had a chance to visit that place, and wasn't that pleased with the serving size considering the price. So I had a pretty good image that this place isn't your budget friendly Chinese place.

The menu isn't a purely Chinese list. Some of their items have obvious influence from other cultures. Also, I confirmed that this was indeed one of the pricier Chinese places we've visited. I guess the direct competition would be a place like Lugang Cafe. We ordered their Hongkong Beef Curry (368 Php), Chicken and Mushroom Clear Soup (228 Php), Hakaw (98 Php), and Seafood with Dried Scallop Fried Rice (248 Php). For our drinks, Beloved ordered their Teh Tarik (78 Php) and I ordered Calamansi Juice (78 Php).

Afters (Tomas Morato)

After trying out Manang's Chicken, Beloved and I found ourselves at the coffee shop right next to it called Afters. Beloved claims she's been wanting to go to this place but never had the chance to. I, on the other hand, have never heard of this place until last Saturday. Since I wasn't really filled and didn't want to fill the rest of my belly space with sweet potato chips, and since Beloved wanted her vice drinks, we decided to pass by.

We were somewhat lucky that they offer a promo that day on this month since it was their anniversary. Every weekends, they offered a free scoop of gelato, one of their specialties aside from coffee, which is a ~90 Php value for every 200 Php purchase. Since the drinks cost almost as much as the usual coffee shop prices for their larger offerings, the goal was simple to reach. Beloved ordered their Iced Cafe Mocha (145 Php) and made me order their Green Tea Latte (119 Php). For the freebie, we chose a flavor we both like, Vanilla Gelato.

Lugang Cafe (SM North EDSA)

Beloved and I had dinner at Lugang Cafe last night. This internationally-famous Taiwanese restaurant-slash-cafe is among our more pricier ventures, but Beloved mostly heard positive feedback here from her friends. I personally haven't heard of it until recently, when they opened doors to a new branch at an accessible (to us) SM North EDSA, probably because of it being pricy. Of course, we've had other pricy ventures before, and it mostly turned out well, so we gave this a shot.

The place was packed full. Luckily, they were able to accommodate us immediately. Unluckily for those who went after us, they had to wait a while. This further raised my expectations of this cafe, especially after they handed out the menu. Their dim sum, which I already raise my eyebrows when they pass the 100 Php mark, cost no less than twice of that. However, we already know that their xiao long bao is the must-order in this place. With a few to choose from, we settled for the Steamed Angled Loofah with Shrimps Xiao Long Bao (228 Php). We had a hard time deciding what else to order, since we were hoping not to break the 1000 Php mark. We settled for two noodle dishes: their Spicy Beef and Tendon Noodles Soup (250 Php) and Minced Pork in Bean Sauce over Noodles (230 Php); and their Spring Onion Pancake (160 Php) house specialty. Since this was a cafe, they had an entire menu filled with drinks and cafe-style desserts. Sadly, they didn't have what Beloved originally wanted: milk tea and a different flavored smoothie. She settled for their Peanut Smoothie (200 Php).

Gayuma ni Maria (V. Luna Extension, near Maginhawa Street)

Beloved and I had dinner at Gayuma ni Maria last night. We've known this place, which is located at the Savemore end of Maginhawa Street, where it meets Anonas and becomes V. Luna, for a while but never had a chance nor reason to visit it. Beloved got to try out one of their cakes called "Better Than Sex" during one of the food fairs we attended. Aside from the name, she didn't really found it special. After looking at the menu through the web, Beloved finally found a reason to go.

The reason for going was basically the names of their dishes. Beloved was giggling hysterically as she read through the online menu. When we got there, through a porch that you occasionally see during Halloween, we found ourselves in a similarly themed dining area. The online menu was a bit outdated, especially when it came to price, but the reason, the silly naming, was still there. Beloved planned to order their version of tom yung goon called "Unrequited Love", but settled for their French Kiss (295 Php), which was a beef tongue dish with mushroom-sauce. I was going to order their "Holding Hands While Walking Pa-Swing Swing Pa" or "H.H.W.W.P.S.S.P." for short, solely because of the name. However, I was recommended to order their I Love You, Cross My Heart (215 Php), instead, and I chose to do so since it looked a bit more satisfying, despite being both chicken dishes. We also ordered their Peek A Boo (145 Php), a pumpkin soup, because all the other appetizers we wanted to try weren't available.

Fancy Crepes (Matalino Street, near Kalayaan)

Today, me and my blockmates Hannah and Ivy decided to hang out for a bit after our review class. We were supposed to go Cha Dao at Matalino street to get our milktea fix but after seeing that the said tea place is full, we decided to hang out at Fancy Crepes instead which is just a few blocks away. From its name, we thought the interiors were "fancy" but actually it has a sort of eclectic x country style x garden-inspired feel to it. We love it! So for this entry I decided to include pictures of the interiors as requested by my lovely and pretty friends.

As for the menu, they only have crepes, cakes and drinks but they serve pasta on Sundays. I ordered an Iced White Mocha (90php) and the I love NY crepe (105php). Hannah ordered their Bananutella crepe (175php). Ivy got their Sweethearts crepe (105php). They will also ask for your names because they will write it on your crepe. I asked the cashier to write Hannah's nickname on hers. As for Ivy's, she rejected my suggestion of using her new nickname.

Magnum Ice Cream

Jumping the Bandwagon, I finally decided to write about the latest craze: Selecta/Unilever's freshly-imported Magnum Ice Cream. A few disclaimers: I am not a dessert lover. I do, however, fancy vanilla-flavored ice cream over other flavors. I've been reserving this post until I manage to taste all three varieties, and since I got treated again today, I can finally surely say that this ~60 Php Ice cream bar is simply over-hyped.

I first tasted the Chocolate Truffle variety early this month out of my own pocket at 55 Php from 7-11. It was claimed to be the best tasting of the lot. My first impression was from the size, or lack thereof, of the thing. It was... not as big as I wanted, comparable to a pinipig bar only costing five-fold. I let that stride because it's supposed to have a taste premium for its supposedly unique flavor. Sadly, it also failed in that aspect. This is something I've tasted before, and something I've had better of. I would've preferred my chocolate dark and bitter. I got essentially the opposite: sweet and milky. While I do admit that it tastes good, it just doesn't deliver a unique taste for such a costly ice cream bar. Hint: this tastes oddly similar to the plain chocolate ice cream of a certain ice cream brand with "Bunny" in its name.

Merry Moo (Eastwood)

After our dinner at Ramen Bar, we found ourselves strolling around Eastwood Mall. Since it was a Saturday, the Gourmet Market was open around the walkways. This market is basically a food fair featuring unusual treats. One such treat we found was ice cream made by Merry Moo. According to Beloved, this is one of the best artisan ice cream places in the Metro.

It didn't really strike me at first, but after seeing one of their flavors, I wanted to try it out. Each cup costs 75 Php, but I thought this price was worth our curiosity. So we did. I ordered a scoop of their Candied Bacon and Beloved had their Sea Salt Caramel.

Old Oven Art Cafe (Katipunan Extension)

Before I begin, please note that this was a Valentines promo, and I'm not sure if this will be available in the future. That aside, read on.

Beloved and I celebrated an early Valentines at Old Oven Art Cafe. Honestly, this was done on a whim. Beloved had "liked" their Facebook page because she was interested in their cheesesteak sandwiches. She then saw them advertising this special menu for two starting February 12. Since it included risotto (which Beloved wanted to try) and rib-eye steak (which I wanted), it was pretty much a done deal and we made a reservation, despite knowing this place is a bit inaccessible for commuters like us.

When we got there, I noticed that it's not really as un-commutable as I thought it would be. It was actually in a walkable distance from the Santolan-Katipunan intersection. However, it was a bit hidden, so we almost passed by it while riding a cab.

You have to climb a flight of stairs to get to the actual dining area. The place itself reeks of artsy. It was lit dimly to add to the vibe and they feature artworks made by deaf people. We find our table ready when we got there, and then our candlelit four-course Valentines Dinner for Two (1000 Php) began.

Mom and Tina's Bakery Cafe (Regis Center, Katipunan)

Beloved and I had dinner at Mom and Tina's Bakery Cafe. Located at Beloved's new favorite food and drink street, in the same building of BonChon Chicken and Moshi Moshi, this cafe had a welcoming atmosphere to it when we first passed by. It reminded me of Mary Grace, where we had a wonderful experience. Hoping to get a similar one, we decided to try it out.

The place was packed full, only having a couple of tables free when we entered. This further heightened my expectations of the place. Seeing the prices on their menu items increased it further. Their pastas almost cost 200 Php apiece, and their other menu items, consisting of sandwiches and food you would expect from a cafe, aren't really the most affordable I've seen. Hoping for the best, I ordered their Sirloin Burger (295 Php), which comes in half-pound or quarter-pound versions; I took the larger. Beloved ordered their Lengua con Setas (395 Php). In addition, Beloved also asked for their Iced Mocha (95 Php) and I had their Bottomless Green Iced Tea (70 Php). Finally, since this was a bakery, and I thought it would be waste not to try any of their baked goods, Beloved also ordered their Beehive (65 Php).

Five Cows (Trinoma)

Beloved and I had lunch the other day at Five Cows. This ice cream bar/resto at one corner on the top floor of Trinoma is a place we always pass by being denizens of the said mall. We never got to try it because of two things: first, their prices are far out of reach for former plebeians such as ourselves; and second due to the fact that it is primarily an ice cream bar. Of course, Beloved wanted to try it out because of the second reason plus the fact that their staff wears a funny-looking cap with a stuffed cow on top. I let this slide that day.

While they do serve some hot meals, most of their menu is dedicated to dessert. They have eight pages dedicated to ice cream and stuff you can make out of ice cream. As for the food itself, it was a typical cafe fare mostly composing of sandwiches and finger foods, but there were also some rice meals. We ordered their Calamari (160 Php), Prime Burger (275 Php) for me, and Fish Roll au Gratin (195 Php) for Beloved. Of course, we didn't let the opportunity pass to get dessert, so Beloved also ordered their Caramel Macadamia (190 Php). An interesting fact to share is they have some desserts they torch on fire, which we got to witness that day, but didn't order for ourselves.

Gelatissimo (Trinoma)

After our wonderful dinner at Cyma, Beloved wanted to have dessert, so we passed by the newly opened Gelatissimo at Trinoma, just a small walk away from Cyma. Because I said this was a dessert and its name pretty much says it, perhaps I don't need to say what this store specializes in. But I will. Gelatissimo is a gelato cafe. And it's not just the usual small-stall gelato shop or ones found within an Italian resto. This really is a cafe. This is the Starbucks of gelato. Of course, being the Starbucks of gelato, I expected this to be pretty expensive as well. However, since we did spend a bit on Cyma, I guessed spending a bit more on Gelatissimo wouldn't hurt, so I let Beloved have her way.

My suspicions were correct. This was indeed an expensive cafe. Their smallest serving of gelato—a small single cup—costs 110 Php. Luckily they offer a 15% discount to students, which we were, bringing the tab down to 93.50 Php. That's still plenty lot, though. They do offer a lot, and I mean a lot, of different varieties. Their selections were basically twice from your usual gelato places. If I counted right, there were at least seven different chocolate-related flavors, and that's barely a third of their menu.

Anyway, Beloved had their Green Tea Gelato. The server asked if she had tasted it, and she said no. They then gave her a plastic spoon to try it out. After tasting it, she confirms that it was the flavor she wants. Shame, I thought, because you can practically try out all the flavors before choosing the one you want. And there's my smart nomnom tip for this entry.

Dezaato Pan (Tomas Morato)

After dinner at Sushi Katsu, we went to Dezaato Pan for dessert. Dezaato Pan is a cafe that serves bread, coffee, gelato and the most aesthetically-pleasing cakes. It's usually beside a Tempura Grill restaurant. Dezaato means `dessert` while Pan means `bread` in Japanese. I decided to go here because of the parfait but sadly, the Tomas Morato branch didn't have it. Instead, I got their Green tea gelato while Inggo got the French Vanilla gelato for (55php) each. There are other unique flavors which was priced a bit higher than what we've ordered. I also got the Choco Otaku bread for (50php) for takeout. The bread here is self-service similar to Bread Talk. Oh, and the bread gets a 30% discount if its past 7pm.

Frostbite (SM North EDSA)

When Inggo asked me what I want as my reward for passing my thesis, I answered "ice cream". So we looked for an ice cream shop at SM North Sky Garden yesterday, after dinner at Koryo. We settled for Frostbite because I was too tired to walk. Frostbite uses the brand "Fruits in Icecream" for their creations. They have Coffee Bun with Icecream, bibingka, waffles and the like. I chose their Caramelo bowl for 90 Php.

Miguelito's Fried Ice Cream (SM North EDSA)

While wandering around SM North EDSA's annex after dinner at Persia Grill, me and my friends passed by an interesting stall at the 5th floor. The stall was called Miguelito's Fried Ice Cream. The thought of "fried ice cream" wasn't really weird for me, because I've had deep-fried ice cream before—ice cream wrapped in batter then deep fried. However, I soon learn that this was no deep-fried ice cream—this really was "fried" ice cream, and the thought made me very interested. Upon learning how cheap it was, we decided to try it out.

There were plenty of flavors to choose from—practically anything you can find from the peddled dirty ice cream and some of the common ones you get from Selecta or Nestlé, such as double dutch and black forest. The main difference is they come in powdered form. The server blends it with water and then "cooks" it on a cold pan, spreading it out onto a large, thin pancake shape. The mixture freezes and then scraped into rolls of ice cream. You then get a choice of syrup and one topping for the 25 Php cup, again, with plenty of choices to choose from. I had a cheese-flavored one with caramel syrup and rice crispies.

Icebergs (Trinoma)

Me and my friends went to Icebergs a couple of days ago. This is one of those I've-passed-by-this-place-a-lot-of-times-before-but-never/rarely-tried-it places—for me, at least. I think the number of times I've been here can be counted in one hand. From its name, you can assume it specializes in ice cream, which it does. The branch I always pass by, especially when I was a child, was the one in SM North EDSA. But the place it's in is pretty obscure that me and my lola, whom I always go with to go grocery shopping there back then, don't get to visit it. That, and my family has a history of diabetes. That doesn't stop any of us from eating ice cream, though.

Anyway, the branch we went to was the one in Trinoma. Similar to SM North's Icebergs branch, this one is also in an obscure place, surrounded by apparel stores that you wouldn't think there was a food place here. I also thought it was pretty funny that despite this being an ice cream store, the place features other foodstuffs, specifically Pinoy favorites such as sisig. Because I was hungry, I decided to try out one of their "all-time favorites"—their Golden Lechon Kawali (178 Php). The reason I got that was the rice, which I found interesting. I upgraded the plain rice that comes with the meal to their Yellow Corn Rice for 32 Php. Because Icebergs is an ice cream store, I also got one of their desserts—their Caramel Flan con Hielo (118 Php)—after a very hard time deciding.

My meal came first. Don't let the picture fool you—there's actually a lot of rice and a thick cut of meat. My friends were laughing at the fact that the pork was extremely oily on the side down, teasing that I would certainly die young. Nevertheless, I will admit that this is one great piece of pork. The fats toasted just right to retain its delicious flavor while still having enough juices keeping it from being dry. The atsara is a welcome addition to the plate as well, making for a great palate cleanser. Sadly, the rice, which was the reason I ordered this plate, wasn't really that great. I expected a buttery flavor, but it just tasted a bit plain. The only difference, aside from the color, is the random bits of corn every now and then.

Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee (SM North EDSA)

After dinner at La Mesa Grill, me and Inggo looked for a place to hang out at Sky Garden since we didn't want to go home yet. We ended up at Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee which is just a few steps away from La Mesa Grill. It's a small coffee shop that specializes in cakes and coffee, obviously. What made me choose this store from all the shops in Sky Garden is that they serve Alamid Coffee, which is the Tagalog version of Kopi Luwak or Civet Coffee. I didn't order that one because it costs (185php) a cup and didn't have the budget.

Instead, I ordered a slice of Crème brûlée for 60php, Iced Thai Milk Tea (80php) for me and Iced Green Milk Tea (80php) for Inggo.

Yogi Berry (SM North EDSA)

Beloved and I met up with our friends who were waiting at Yogi Berry. They were having yogurt from the said store, and we learn that they have a pay-by-weight style similar to Qoola. We also find out that the store is much, much cheaper than my comparison, and even to your regular yogurt store. I guess it also doesn't hurt that this would make my blog have another yogurt entry even though I'm not particularly fond of the dessert. With those facts jotted down, we head to the self-service counter.

Like Qoola, they have several flavors—melon, blueberry, raspberry, strawberry, and your plain classic yogurt. I expect these flavors to come and go depending on the time, day, and maybe mood of the manager/owner. Because my favorite flavor (green tea) was not in the choices, I went for their plain yogurt, filling my cup halfway through after learning my lesson from my first self-serve yogurt experience. Beloved got their melon flavored yogurt.

Yoh-gürt Froz (Tomas Morato)

After dinner, beloved and I went to Yoh-gürt Froz. Yes, this is another yogurt store. Yes, I still don't know why beloved forces herself to eat yogurt. Yes, this still has color motif that's different from the other yogurt places we've tried before (this one's blue). That aside, this is found across McDonalds on the side where we wait for a ride to come home. This happened to be open even though it was pretty late. Peeking through their window, we thought their prices was pretty cheap for yogurt, so we decided to try it out.

We soon found out that their plain yogurt was priced similarly to other frozen yogurt places. What we thought was cheap was their flavored ones, which I would guess are similar to ice cream. Even though the latter was what made us enter, beloved ordered a regular Classic Froyo (80 Php). Yes, Froyo means Frozen Yogurt. They also provide toppings as most frozen yogurt stores do. However, this one forces you to pick three priced at 40 Php. Because beloved needs to have granola, we had to add some. Our other two were butterscotch and coffee jelly, which I though beloved would like.

The White Hat (SM North EDSA)

Because we weren't able to eat dessert at Seoul Garden, we went to The White Hat. Well, it was beloved who said that she wanted dessert. For some reason, she insisted on having yogurt even though her last experience in fyi wasn't a good one. Maybe she's still clinging on the hopes that this one will somehow taste like Qoola. Yet, even though I say that almost all yogurt should taste sour, and even though she hates such sourness, she still insists that she wants one. I give in. Because this was the closest one, we went here.

It was pretty much similar to Red Mango and fyi, only this time, it's all white. And, yes, you can actually order a white hat and have them put your yogurt there. Beloved didn't order one, though, and just stuck with the plain regular-sized yogurt priced at 85 Php. They also have a decent selection of toppings ranging from chocolates to fruits to nuts priced depending on amount. It was 20 Php for one, 35 Php for two, and 45 Php for three. Beloved, as usual, put just granola on hers.

fyi (Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato)

After dinner, we had dessert at fyi. Yes, it's written in lowercase. It's a yogurt stall near Omakase. For long-term visitors of this blog, you'll know that beloved hates real yogurt. However, if you've read our experience at Qoola, you'll know that beloved loved the yogurt she had there. Perhaps because of this last experience, she actually wanted to try it out. Or maybe because I won't allow her to eat ice cream.

The place was pretty much similar to Red Mango, only orange. They have small and large cups and a decent selection of toppings. Beloved wanted to order a large cup for herself. After raising my eyebrows, she conceded to just the small cup (85 Php). She did, however, add granola toppings to her cup (15 Php) for a grand total of 100 Php.