FOOD 3.5 EGGPLANT PARMIGIANA (285+ PHP) a vegetarian…read morefriendly dish that's light and healthy. Its tomato sauce was strong yet refined. The eggplant is sliced into 1/8 inch thick chips and layered in between the pasta that form a tower. It may look minuscule, but it was tasty enough to satisfy my hunger. SERVICE 4.5 The lovely waitress kept me updated on the the waiting time of my pasta and even asked after my first few bites if the dish was up to my standards. Ala carte here isn't a second class citizen to the buffet they offer. AMBIANCE 4.5 What can I say other than it's in a 5 star hotel. It's not exactly super luxurious, but certainly enjoyable thanks to their 50 mbps internet.

If you have already read my other reviews, you would already know that I'm a woman with a crazy big…read moreappetite. Breakfast is the one thing that I look forward to whenever we check in on any hotel. To date, the best breakfast buffet that I have eaten in is at the Cafe Eight! I'm glad that we have been given the best place where we can conveniently have breakfast with our toddler and have our bulky stroller by our side without making it hard for others to pass by. The waiters were already on their toes as there were a lot of us who planned to have an early breakfast. Our coffee was served promptly as we were busy hoisting our son's booster seat on the dining chair. As my husband and I took turns in getting food for ourselves and for our little one, we cannot keep smiling as we hop from one buffet table to the next seeing our favorites and discovering new dishes. The omelette station was a hit and plenty of people were lining up for it but the staff assigned to that station were able to manage us well. I like it that the waiters were prompt to refill the empty trays with warm food that we didn't have to wait for our plates to be filled. Also, they were prompt to clear our table of empty plates just so we could conveniently place our newly filled ones. Oh how I'd love to have another breakfast buffet at Cafe Eight soon!

I've always been a fan of Uncle Moe's. It was love at first bite back on Malingap st. when I was…read morestill a university student. Now that I frequent BF more than QC, I find myself eternally grateful that an Uncle Moe's is also readily available near my place of work. The food is exactly the same--savory beef kebabs, my favorite hummus version (others are bland and doesn't have as smooth a texture), and pita bread. And no, I haven't forgotten the buttered rice-- I just thought it deserved special mention. They serve their rice with a slice of butter on top of it, and watching that block of fat melt into a cup of hot rice is one of the things that make life worth living. Here is where you throw caution to the wind and forget how many calories are in that one stick of butter and that you added it to what is essentially a cup of carbohydrates. Eat everything they serve with some cold tomato and onion salsa, and you'll want to weep with the simplicity of Uncle Moe's culinary genius. Of course, I never leave without ordering the ox brain, which is hard to find anywhere else and in such good condition--hot, buttery, with a hint of lemon. The ambience here is a little bit dreary though. It's definitely not as hoppin' as Uncle Moe's other branches. What I will attest to is the consistency of their food no matter which branch you visit.

Years back, my obsession with kebabs and Mediterranean food started. It actually originated from…read moreMister Kebab, some 1 hour drive from my house (with no traffic). So obviously, I had to look for another place to fulfill my cravings, somewhere at least 1 hour from my house (with traffic). I don't know who suggested it or how we found it, but I landed in Uncle Moe's one evening with a couple of my friends. At first, nothing could beat Mister Kebab in my heart, but then someone had me try their order of Kofta Balls with cheese oozing out of it, and that was it. I was hooked. From kebabs to hummus, I would try something new every time that I was there. If you're cholesterol isn't very high, you can order some ox brain, wrap it in a pita bread, pour some garlic sauce and add a few drops of chili sauce, and I swear to you, you'll win in life. Now, I only recently visited the Uncle Moe's in BF, some 30 minutes away from my home this time (with traffic). But you can just imagine how happy I was to finally have a spot near enough my house that I can eat in whenever I have those late night kebab or hummus cravings!

Sometimes heaven can be found on a smooth and creamy cheesecake. And my sister, being one with an…read moreavid fascination for this desert always makes sure that we are never far from any place that serves it. So, of course we had to try the cheesecake at Don Limone. What makes their cheesecake so special? My sister, the self-proclaimed expert describes it as, "it's light and smooth and has a special cream cheese flavor that makes it seem like the maker took her time in mixing it" To her, this was the real deal. To me, it tasted wonderful just like all the other things you can eat in this restaurant. Their pizzas, pastas and appetizers were all equally as good. I do think that opening a branch in Tagaytay makes the restaurant even better. Now, foodies have another reason to drive up there.

From the owner: Mediterranean Cuisineread more

Sometimes, it's true what they say - treasure could be right under your nose and you wouldn't know…read moreit. This is definitely true for Dilak's Shawarma Snack Stop. A friend from our village told me he gets his authentic shawarma cravings satisfied at a small store in the vicinity of a government high school along the Friendship Route, which we regularly pass. Being a fan of shawarma and other Middle Eastern or Mediterranean food, I don't know why I never noticed the store and hearing this from my friend, I knew I just had to try it. My friend and I ordered the special beef shawarma (the biggest).. I was surprised at how humongous the shawarma was. It was filled with beef, greens, a generous slap of hummus and cheese. I'm not too sure if this is really how it's done in Palestine or the mix is to suit Filipino taste, but it sure suited mine. Our afternoon snack was filling enough for dinner and at P80 per serving, this is definitely getting my money's worth, maybe even more!

It's enough to satisfy your middle eastern cuisine cravings at a reasonable price! They normally…read morestart making food at 4pm.

Prior to dining at Ble, I got very intrigued by vegans on Facebook who were posting photos of their…read morevegan souvlaki. SOUVLAKI! I have never tried souvlaki before, even in my pre-vegan days (ashamed!), so this means only one thing. I dragged a few friends with me all the way from Makati to BF Homes just so we could try this place out. It's a charming and quaint place with beautiful, mediterranean-themed decor. I mean, anything mediterranean is beautiful to me! I think you can tell the difference between a good falafel/souvlaki/mediterranean sandwich wrap thing and wannabe local versions by the sauce they use. Good places use actual tahini sauce (sesame-based sauce), while those you see in food markets, kiosks, and the like use this garlic cream sauce thing (that Pinoys loooove and swear by - not me though) similar to what cheap shawarma places use. Anyway, I was really pleased to know that they use tahini for the vegan falafel souvlaki. Inside it are elongated pieces of falafel and veggies. It was a satisfying meal nonetheless, and if you're bringing friends, their dip platter is EXCELLENT! Baba ganoush, hummus, olives and tzatziki (tzatziki is not vegan though, has yogurt) served with pita bread.

It has been quite a lot more enjoyable to live in the south of Metro Manila since the BF Homes…read morestarted becoming a little bit of a food mecca several years ago. There are so many more options for eating out and we no longer have to brave the traffic heading to Makati, Ortigas, or even Quezon City. Once such occasion was when friends had the itch to eat good Greek food, so we headed to Aguirre Avenue and made our way to Ble. There were three of us so we felt it was perfect that they have a dip platter and we can try a bit of all their appetizers. It had Grecian favorites like babaganush, tzatziki, popular hummus, and a few pieces or olives, along with slices of pita bread. I then had their gemista - bell peppers stuffed with rice and bits of wagyu, then baked to perfection. I liked that it wasn't overwhelming and not too filling, mainly because I wanted to save room for dessert. Finally, the time for dessert came, and we each took a slice of baklava. Oh it was heavenly. They take pride in the 50 layers of handmade fyllo pastry, pistachios and syrup that altogether makes one hel of a dessert. It's a fantastic way to end a meal. These days, not so many people say "oh you're from Las Piñas? Where is that? Is it far?" Thanks to little restaurants like Ble that make the southern star on the map shine brighter.