Pazzo Rollio

When we are in Robinson's Magnolia, we only usually eat at Yabu. And by usually, I mean always. So today's entry will mark only the third time we have eaten somewhere else other than Yabu in Robinson's Magnolia (the other two was when we ate at Gaucho and at Max's).

We wanted to eat at somewhere we haven't tried before, and at the same time we were craving for pizza. Good thing we chanced upon Pazzo Rollio as that satisfies both something new and pizza. It's located near the cinemas and has predominantly red interiors. It also has a cool "2nd level" dining area which can be shared by 2 groups of 4.

The menu consists of rolled pizzas, pastas, salads and some desserts. Prices were also fairly reasonable. We ordered the following:

Yummy Carbonara. Solo 210php.

This was creamy and full of flavor. We just shared their solo order, which was a little big in serving size.

Big Bang Supreme. Family 400php.

Good thing we ordered the Family size for their rolled pizza as it looked really small! And true enough, we finished the whole pizza with space in our tummy to spare! The pizza's flavor was good along with the greens to roll it with but we felt that it was not cooked enough. The pizza dough was still a little sticky and it was quickly tearing into smaller pieces upon rolling.

Its good that we got to try something new at Robinson's Magnolia, so that we could suggest to people whenever they ask about restaurants in the area.

Pazzo Rollio
3rd Floor, Robinson's Magnolia, Quezon City

Gumbo: A Taste of New Orleans

February 23, 2012. Saturday.

After watching the Final Four of the Women's Volleyball tournament of the UAAP, we proceeded to Gateway Mall to have dinner. We really didn't have a preference on where to eat, so we took the first restaurant that wasn't packed. And that was Gumbo.

Gumbo is a New Orleans themed restaurant. New Orleans the place has been a melting pot of different cultures for the longest time. Influences of the French and Spanish can be seen infused with the local southern Louisiana cooking. This make up a good portion of Cajun cuisine, which typifies the Gumbo menu. Gumbo itself is actually a dish that can trace its origins from the fusing of these different influences.

The place itself was a little small, but you it didn't feel cramped. The interior had a "French Quarters" feel and look going on for it. I've never been to New Orleans, or the French Quarters for that matter, but this is how I imagine it to be based on all those movies I've seen. The servers were very attentive and courteous in taking our orders, and in serving them as well. Service was really fast and efficient without compromising the quality of the food.

We ordered the following.

Seafood Spaghetti.

Seafood Spaghetti. 345php.

Joseph and the JT's eldest sister ordered the Seafood Spaghetti. It was a pomodoro sauce based pasta that had shrimps, mussels and squid tossed in it. A pomodoro pasta is usually a light meal or snack, but based on Gumbo's servings this wasn't meant to be a light snack at all. And what you see in the picture is just the petite version. Joseph only had one thing to say about his meal, "Bennissimo." So I'm assuming, he was totally satisfied by this. Big bowl of seafood pasta goodness.

Cajun Shrimps Kebab.

Cajun Shrimp Kebab. 395php.

Kim loves shrimps, and since shrimp and seafood is a big part of Cajun cooking, she had to order something with shrimp in it. As soon as it was served, you could smell the nice grilled, garlic butter which wafted from the black baby prawns. It came with rice, veggies and corn. Kim loved everything about this dish except for the veggies, well mainly because she doesn't eat vegetables that much.

Cajun Fried Chicken.

Cajun Fried Chicken. 395php.

When this arrived on our table, JT was surprised at how big the serving was. This was supposed to be good for one, and it came with 3 pieces of chicken. The chicken is coated and seasoned with different spices before being fried into golden perfection. I wasn't able to taste this but it sure did look good from where I was seated.

Grilled Pork Chops

Grilled Pork Chops. 395php.

JT's youngest sibling ordered the Grilled Pork Chops. The plate had a generous cut of pork, together with mixed veggies and Cajun rice. It looked juicy and tender, and certainly aromatic from all the spices.
Shrimp and Steak Combo.

Shrimp and Steak Combo.

I wanted some shrimp since it seemed so predominant in southern cooking, but I also wanted some steak. Dilemma. Good thing, Gumbo served a Shrimp and Steak Combo which solved my mini food problem. The shrimp used was the same as Kim's order, black baby prawns. My hotplate also had a nice cut of ribeye topped off with mushroom gravy. The prawns had a nice sweet flavor to it, while the steak was a little chewy despite it being well done. This plate is a nice compromise if you want to have both seafood and meat.

Gumbo's menu might seem intimidating at first with the prices. But with the hefty servings, they offer good value for your money. Most of their dishes are really good for sharing, so if you're with a group that has a big appetite, dining in Gumbo might provide you a good opportunity to sample dishes that you don't see in most restaurants in the Metro. All our orders were just the petite serving size and they were still good enough to share. The staff is also very attentive and friendly which is a big plus.

Gumbo: A Taste of New Orleans
2F Gateway Mall,

Araneta Center, Cubao,

Quezon City

(02) 440- 4632
http://www.gumbo.com.ph/

Cafe Xocolat

January 31, 2013. Thursday.

 

Cafe Xocolat is a little restaurant located on a sidestreet in the Katipunan area. It's a chocolate themed cafe that provides traditional chocolate drinks and desserts, and creative chocolate infused meals. The place has a warm and homey vibe, well in part because it is an old home converted into a restaurant! It has managed to mostly retain parts of the house, which really exudes an 80's family home vibe. The inside is well lit with colorful artsy stuff adorning the walls. The al fresco on the other hand, is a little dim with soothing music setting the ambiance.

 

The menu is mostly made up of chocolate drinks, cakes and pastries. But there are also a few pasta dishes, sandwiches and rice meals on it. Some of them are actually chocolate infused and inspired.

We ordered the following dishes:

French Toast.

French Toast. 175php.

We ordered this to share as our appetizer. It tasted good but it was nothing like any French Toast I have ever had in my life. The bread is dipped in cacao batter instead of the normal egg-based batter. But even with that, this tasted more like brownies than bread. It came with country style sausages that were really cold.

Gamberetti Pasta.

Gamberetti Pasta.

This was my order. This is a pesto pasta with sauteed garlic shrimps. Although the taste of the pesto was a litte too mild for my taste, I really liked this. The shrimps had a nice garlic flavor that enhanced the taste of the pasta.

Xocolat Chicken Pasta.

Xocolat Chicken Pasta.

Kim wanted to try some of their chocolate infused dishes and ordered this. This is a creamy pasta with chicken strips rubbed in cacao topped off with chocolate shavings. The dish was really fragrant when it was served, you could really smell the chocolate wafting from it. The chicken strips were really tender, but the cacao rub didn't provide any different taste to it. The chocolate shavings though gave a nice, slight bitter taste to the creaminess of the pasta.

Churros Con Xocolat.

Churros Con Xocolat. 95php.

The real reason why we dined here was because Kim wanted some churros. Unfortunately she was disappointed with the churros. This has got to be the hardest churros we have ever tried! The sticks were so thin that there were no soft middle left at all. It was just rock hard from outside to the inside. The plate presentation was the only saving grace of this dish.

Dalandan Honey.

Dalandan Honey. 95php.

I wanted something refreshing so I ordered a Dalandan Honey from their fruit shakes. I loved how it had maintained a little sourness from the dalandan. The honey provided a a nice sweet taste to the ice cold drink that was served in a nice jar.

Overall, Cafe Xocolat is a nice, laid back place to hang out and have quiet conversation in. It provides some good quality food for a good price. Our one main qualm with this was the service was really slow. Our food made its way to our table a good 25- 30mins after we have ordered it. So if you are in a hurry, this might not be a good place for you. But if you have time to kill and have some good stories to share, the ambiance here is perfect.

Cafe Xocolat
Casa Xocolat, 172 B Gonzales St.,
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
http://xocolat.com.ph/

Yellow Cab

September 7, 2012. Friday.

It seems like all we've been posting are restaurants that aren't really accessible everywhere and to everyone. For this entry we're doing the opposite as we feature a restaurant that can be easily found everywhere, Yellow Cab Pizza Co.

We had dinner with Kim's mom. And if we always over-order for two, we also over-order for three. Haha. On to what we ordered for four to five three.

Being at a pizza place, one has got to order pizza. We got the Roasted Garlic and Shrimp.

14" Roasted Garlic and Shrimp. 630php.

I love my meat on my pizza but I also love Yellow Cab's Roasted Garlic and Shrimp. It's a simple, feel good pizza. It doesn't have that many toppings as most pizzas, but that's what makes it great. Nothing overwhelms you. The shrimp, onions and roasted garlic really go well together on top of the cheese.

To add to the carbs, we also got Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta.

Charlie Chan Chicken Pasta. 265php.

This is like the perfect storm- chicken strips, mushrooms and peanuts in a pasta coated with semi-spicy oriental sauce. Who knew it would taste this good? The first time I tried this out in Yellow Cab, I really found it weird that a pizza place has an Asian dish on its menu. But eversince tasting it, I don't ever eat at Yellow Cab without ordering this.

It felt odd having something Asian at a pizza place since I always associate boxed pizzas like this as an American style. To get that vibe back (I'm weird that way), we ordered Hot Wings.

Hot Wings. 235php.

I think it's already well established that I love chicken wings. I don't know why I keep ordering Hot Wings from Yellow Cab since it always disappoints each and every time. It's always dry, but I always end up hoping that maybe it won't be this time around. Guess what? It hasn't changed. Still dry.

Of all other mainstream pizza chains, Yellow Cab is still our favorite.. Or maybe 2nd favorite (next to Shakey's). The quality of the food is always consistent more often than not (even the wings remain unchanged, haha). And the serving always seem more than what you paid for.

Oh, and say hello to happy box :)

Yellow Cab Pizza Co.

Eastwood City Walk 1, Eastwood Cyberpark,

Bagumbayan, Quezon City

789-9999

http://www.yellowcabpizza.com/

https://www.facebook.com/YellowCabPizzaOfficial