Levante

June 28, 2013. Friday.

Midnight Mercato in BGC is arguably still the most popular and most frequented night food market in the Metro. But there have been a few other night food markets and bazaars to pop up in other areas. The latest one is Levante in Eastwood, which is brought to us by the same people behind Midnight Mercato, the Mercato Centrale Group. This night food market aims to serve the people residing/ working in Eastwood, Cainta, Marikina and other neighboring communities every Friday from 6PM to 3AM.

Levante is located in Eastwood Citywalk 2. It doesn't have as many concessionaires as Midnight Mercato, but I'm sure there's something for everyone here. The dining area also is considerably smaller than other night food markets, so you'd be better off taking your food to go. We've already tried some of the food from some of the same vendors from Midnight Mercato and Cucina Andare, so Kim and I decided to check out the other vendors we haven't ordered from before.

Sinangag Trip

https://www.facebook.com/sinangag.trip

Tapsilog. 90php.

I can't help but order Tapsilog everytime I see it on a menu, even though Kim always reminds me that I'll probably end up disappointed more often than not since I always compare it to Rodic's and Hungry Rover's version. And this case isn't any different. The tapa was tough and underseasoned. It may have been a bad day, and I'll probably give this another chance.. hoping that I won't end up disappointed again.

B. Wings
https://www.facebook.com/B.WINGSRESTO

 

5pcs Wings (Mild Spicy) with Blue Cheese. 130php.

We've seen this in a couple of night markets already, but we have never tried it despite loving Buffalo Wings. Wings is best eaten with your bare hands, and eating with your hands in a food market/ bazaar with sparse wash areas isn't a good idea. But since we are taking our orders to go, to be eaten in Kim's condo, we ordered the mild spicy with blue cheese. The wings were good, kind of a cross between Sunrise Bucket's and BWnT's.

Juana Bowl
https://www.facebook.com/juanabowl

Rib Eye Steak Value Meal. 110php.

This was our favorite out of all the things we ordered this night. 110php for some properly seasoned and cooked US Rib Eye Steak and rice? Now that's value for money. Of course, it isn't premium beef and the cut isn't as thick as most steak restaurants serve. But would you expect that for 100php? We're definitely ordering from Juana Bowl again.

There's still a lot more vendors we want to order from, including a couple of burger joints, so we will probably be back here again in the near future. Levante is definitely a great addition to Eastwood. It provides everyone with some nice alternative food choices even if only for a night.

Levante
Eastwood Citywalk 2
Every Friday 6PM to 3AM
https://www.facebook.com/LevanteEastwood

Sky Ranch + RSM Lutong Bahay

June 22, 2013. Saturday.

Impromptu road trips are always fun. And this post is born out of an impromptu road trip one drizzling Saturday. What was supposed to be just a quick drive to Nuvali to check out the outlets there, made it all the way to Tagaytay. Once we were up in the foggy and wet weather of Tagaytay, we decided to go all the way out to the Sky Ranch.

 

Sky Ranch is a new amusement/ entertainment complex just right beside Taal Vista. And it houses the Sky Eye, which is the tallest ferris wheel in the country at 207 feet high. There are also other rides inside the park, but we just chose to ride the Sky Eye since it was the main attraction and riding everything would be costly. Entrance alone to the park was 100php per person, and the ferris wheel was at 150php per person.

Like the MOA Eye, each gondola of the Sky Eye was air-conditioned. It was already breezy outside, and it was certainly cold inside. But maybe the air-conditioning was put there for those who would want to ride during the hotter days. Since it was foggy outside, the view was limited but it was still a great one as you are able to see the Taal Lake and neghboring establishments from up high. I imagined the view would've been more spectacular had it been a clear day.

After riding the Sky Eye and walking around the still unfinished park (it looks like they're still adding more attractions in the future, including a zipline over the ridge), we decided to look for a place to get dinner. Kim wanted to try the sizzling bulalo of Green ATS, but I didn't want to drive all the way out there on wet, and poorly lit roads, so we settled for RSM Lutong Bahay since all other places looked packed.

We ordered the following:

Inihaw na Liempo

I don't know why we ordered this since this is a dish you could get just about anywhere, but it seemed a good idea at the time. Anything inihaw always goes well with al fresco dining.

Ginataang Kuhol

Kuhol is escargot for the more culutured (haha!). I love this dish and since this isn't available in most restaurants, I always make sure to order this when I see it on a menu. The kuhol was still a little sandy, I think it wasn't washed and rinsed enough but other than that it was really something we enjoyed. This was great with the steamed rice.

Sizzling Bulalo

This is what Kim was looking forward to. We were a little disappointed since what they offered was more akin to Bulalo Ala Pobre, but once we tasted it our dismay was alleviated a bit. The beef was really tender and went well with the gravy on top. Despite it being a good dish, we will still make time to go all the way to Green ATS for their genuine Sizzling Bulalo.

RSM Lutong Bahay
Tagaytay Nasugbu Highway,
Tagaytay City, Cavite
http://www.rsmlutongbahay.com/

Sbarro

Despite being always in Eastwood, Kim and I never had the chance to eat in Sbarro when it was still located in Citibank Square. We always made plans, but never got to it since it was quite cumbersome to walk all the way to Citibank. Then that Sbarro closed down. Luckily for us, Sbarro opened up shop again in Eastwood but this time inside Eastwood Mall. The new Sbarro is located on the top floor, near where the cinemas are.

 

Kim has been craving for a slice of the white Chicago Deep Dish Pizza, so we ordered a couple of slices of those along with a plate of Roasted Chicken with Rice.

Chicago Deep Dish. 172php.

The slice, as usual, was packed and filled with different toppings (wait, do you still call it toppings if its inside?) and served with white sauce over it. We loved how the cheese was just the right softness -- not too melted and just a little gooey. Despite it being a little big for a single slice of pizza, we certainly enjoyed finishing it to the last forkful as it was very flavorful. A slice of this can definitely be a whole meal on its own!

Roasted Chicken with Rice. 169php.

I never understood why Sbarro serves their chicken with red pasta sauce on the side and I've never bothered putting it on my chicken. I've always liked their chicken and rice, which is a perfect combination. The chicken is aromatic, herb-y, tender inside, and just crisp on the outside.

Since it has been around a long time, Sbarro tends to get overlooked by all these new food chains that has been popping up left and right. But Sbarro is still one of the best fast food chains around, especially if you're looking to satisfy your Italian food craving.

*Because we were very hungry, we forgot to take a picture of us. :(

Sbarro
4th Floor, Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City, Bagumbayan, Quezon City
http://www.sbarro.ph/
https://www.facebook.com/SbarroPhilippines

Icebergs

June 8, 2013. Saturday.

One very rainy Saturday, we decided we wanted to have dinner in... Icebergs! Weird, right? While most people would look for places that serve some good hot soup during this weather, we ate in a place that is known for serving cold and refreshing treats. But we didn't go to Icebergs for their desserts, we went for their main meals.

Icebergs in Eastwood is relatively new. It is located on the 2nd floor of Citywalk 2, just right beside Reebok. It has 2 floors, but you can enter from either floors. But because it had 2 floors and the number of waiters were not enough, the service was a little slow -- both in them taking orders and serving the food.

Kim ordered the Pesto Penne with Grilled Shrimp.

Pesto Penne with Grilled Shrimp.

This was served late.. later than our other orders which were also served a good 20minutes after ordering. They bungled the order at first, serving Kim pasta with chicken instead of shrimp. The server then took the plate back, and replaced it a good 15minutes after. They got it right this time, it had grilled shrimp, but it was burnt. Kim was too hungry to care, but this wasn't a satisfying meal. The shrimp was burnt, the pasta was dry, and the pesto was too bland.

I ordered the Golden Lechon Kawali.

Golden Lechon Kawali.

The lechon kawali was served with steaming hot rice and sarsa, both perfect compliment to the deep fried golden goodness of the liempo.

And despite the weather, I just had to order their Halo- Halo.

Kim doesn't eat Halo- Halo, because she finds it weird that people want different flavors mixed in their dessert. I don't like sweets that much, but I can' resist getting a good cup of Halo- Halo whenever possible.

We might give Icebergs another try despite our experience with the slow service. It might just have been a bad day for them, but then again there were only a few diners around.

Icebergs

2nd Floor, Eastwood Citywalk 2,

Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City

Icebergs, Quezon City

02 4156778, 02 3528290

Pepper Lunch

Everyone might be familiar with Sizzling Pepper Steak but not everyone might be familiar with the franchise it copied from – Pepper Lunch. Pepper Lunch is a  Japanese original that has been around the Philippines for 5 years. It recently opened a new branch inside Eastwood Mall.

Pepper Lunch is famous for serving their meals on a hot plate/ pan. The customer then has to (finish) cooking the meal on the hot plate. It’s a novel idea that might not be for everyone. I, for example, tend to overcook one side and undercook the other. And since I paid good money for my food, I would want it cooked perfectly upon serving. Despite that, Kim and I still frequent Sizzling Pepper Steak because we like the food. So when Pepper Lunch opened a branch in Eastwood, we naturally had to give “the original” a try.

Pepper Lunch has a unique ordering system. You pick from their visual menu, line up and order. What’s unique with that, you ask? Well, you only get assigned a table after ordering. So don’t bother looking for an empty table to save before ordering.

Kim ordered the Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg.

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg. 235php.

Kim likes that the teriyaki sauce came separately with the dish, so she had the chance to cook the beef to her liking. She liked that the beef was tender and seasoned well, and that the egg proved to be a nice complement to it.

I had the Beef Pepper Rice.

Beef Pepper Rice. 198php. +40 for upsize, +60 for a meal

 

First off, I had my Beef Pepper Rice as a meal, which came with a drink and mashed potato (you can choose also either the miso soup or ice cream. And I also had it upsized. My first impression when it was served was visually it looked really small as compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak’s serving. But it was very flavorful!

We also noticed that the beef didn’t burn that easily inside the pan as compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak. But since it was our first time there, we can’t definitively say that it was due to the pan or just sheer luck on our side.

Overall, we enjoyed our meal at Pepper Lunch. It’s not as expensive as we thought it would be compared to Sizzling Pepper Steak. We’ll surely come back and try their other meals.

Pepper Lunch

4th Floor, Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City
http://www.pepperlunch.com.ph/index.html
https://www.facebook.com/pepperlunchphil

Club Tara (Surigao)

May 28-30, 2013.

Kim and I went to Surigao at the end of last month. We stayed at Club Tara, Bucas Grande Islands. It was this serene resort right on the edge of one of the islands. Aside from swimming, kayaking and island hopping, the other main activity in the resort is eating! Reservation for staying on the island already comes inclusive with full meals all throughout your stay. The meals were really nothing special and different, but they were good and the servings were more than enough.

Day 1 Lunch (with mango)

Day 1 Dinner

Day 2 Breakfast

Day 2 Lunch

Day 2 Dinner

Day 3 Breakfast

Club Tara
Bucas Grande Island, Socorro,
Surigao Del Norte

http://www.clubtara-surigao.com/ppc/?gclid=CKey5fOC8rcCFTF34godJAgAWA
https://www.facebook.com/clubtararesort

Stella

May 22, 2013. Wednesday.

It was Kim's birthday and she wanted to eat out somewhere we haven't tried before. After researching and reading up on the net, Kim decided she wanted to try Stella. We've always seen Stella whenever we eat in Cue or Nolita, but have never ever considered going through their doors. From the outside, you can already see that Stella (and Rocket Room, its sibling) looks more posh compared to the other restaurants around it. That in itself would have been a deterrent if it was me who was deciding, but it was Kim's day so she gets to decide. It's not that I don't like spending money on food (if you've read this blog for the past year then you'd know that's totally the opposite), it's just that I have an aversion to going to most upscale looking places.

Stella is under the Raintree Restaurants group. Included in Raintree's umbrella are Chelsea Market Cafe and Momo Cafe among others. So while the food might be priced a little high, at least you are sure to get quality food based the reputation of their restaurants.

We ordered the following:

Lamb Cochifrito. 295php.

This was actually from Rocket Room's menu but since they're under the same group, you can actually order from the other and vice versa. We felt that the lamb was a little overcooked since it was a little tough on the outside, but its taste more than made up for it. It had that herb-y aromatic taste going on without it being too overpowering.

Salt Baked Gindara Fish Fillet. 395php.

This is exactly what it says. It's Gindara baked in salt but we were so surprised when it was served. It came in a clay pot and from the looks of it. A generous amount of salt was used to envelop the fish then it formed a crust upon baking. They did a good job of presenting this with half the salt crust/ cover cut open and placed on the side. The presentation is awesome, but the taste so-so. The outer layer of the fish was salty, but the inside was bland.

 

 

 

Yellow Basmati Rice.

This smelled great and tasted even better. Couldn't resist pairing this up with the Lamb Cochifrito.

Wood Fired Roasted Sweet Pumpkin. 75php.

The Pumpkin was roasted nicely, giving it a nice toasted outside with a soft inside. The Ricotta on top of it added a little more sweetness.

 

Stella

Bonifacio High Street Central
http://raintreerestaurants.com/stella.html
https://www.facebook.com/stella.rocketroom