Fantastic crepes. Two words that describe Cafe Breton best. But of course, a café isn't just their…read moredelicious crepes. As it is popular, the place is pretty busy at all hours of the day so if you're unable to relax in good company and enjoy a discussion while your order is being prepared you might want to find it within you to just chill. Cause the wait is worth it, and we can all find the time (unless you have a meeting you're running off to!) The atmosphere is perfect for unwinding and relaxing over a chat with your friends and family, with cheerful splashes of color, ambiance to match the café mood and a nice view of the pretty surroundings in the neighbourhood. They serve awesome coffee and awesome frappes that naturally go so well with crepes. A good pairing in my opinion, it's what I tend to get, is their Lost Paradise with a nice Café Liegois. And naturally I would suggest going so far as getting a savory crepe and then finishing with a sweet crepe. Tops.

I LOVE CAFE BRETON It is my favorite places to go to for…read morecrepes. They have the BEST crepes, I promise these crepes will not disappoint. Although Cafe Breton does offer savory meals, it's really their crepes and coffee you should try. The crepes here aren't soft and pancake textured, or too thick, or tasteless. The crepes themselves are light, super thin, and flavorful. They also cook it so that the edges kind of crisp up a bit (BEST PART!). They have so many different crepe combinations and you can even DIY them! They have blueberry cream crepe with blueberry compote, vanilla ice cream, and whipped cream (they're very generous with their whipped cream) which is stellar. They have classic combos like nutella and mangoes. BUT what you really really NEED TO do is ignore all those fancy crepes, all you need to order is their simple and classic BUTTER & SUGAR crepe. I know, what am I saying. Really? YES, REALLY. It may sound unexciting but trust me when you taste this you will feel the excitement. This crepe is loaded with butter (THANK YOU) and sugar and it forms are crisp outside cause of the sugar, the inside is so buttery this almost reminded me oddly of an egg tart. Their coffee is local, they don't sell it commercially but trust me when you taste it you wish they did! One of the best coffee in the Metro.

There are places that are worth going to even if they're totally out of the way or tucked in the…read moremiddle of nowhere. For me, one such place is the Dutch Bread Hauz. This quaint shop is first and foremost a bakery but they also offer meals, coffee, and snacks on the side. The smell of chocolate and bread in the oven wafting from the kitchen greet customers the moment they step inside this bread house. On the counter you will see various types of dinner rolls, croissants, buns, and breads. Although they serve familiar dishes, like lechon kawali with rice and chicken shawarma, I chose to try Dutch specialty snacks which -- according to the staff -- were made using traditional means from the Netherlands. I was a bit adventurous so I got Berehap (slices of meat ball and onion on a stick served with peanut sauce) and Bitterballen (small meat-based balls served with mustard, a favorite snack from Holland). My wife was hungry this time and she was not in the mood to try products she can't pronounce so she decided to have parma ham and cheese sandwich. The attendant asked her to choose the type of bread for the sandwich and she picked spelt, a type of bread made from hulled or dinkel wheat that's popular in Europe. Of course, both of us had coffee. I was glad that we decided to drop by this place because the coffee was good as expected from Lavazza and the food was different but surprisingly savory. The spelt bread was tough and heavy so I don't think anyone could finish one order of sandwich using this bread. I liked my order of Berehap. The sausage was a bit salty when eaten on its own but a bite of the sweet onion and a dab of the peanut sauce neutralizes the saltiness. My wife liked the Bitterballen dipped in mustard. She said it was similar to croquettes because it's crunchy on the outside but a bit gooey on the inside. The place is clean, well-maintained, and generally peaceful so I think this is an ideal place for a meeting. It's also worth noting that their restroom faucet comes with hot or cold water. Parking can be a problem but if you do not mind walking for one or two kilometers, you can park your car at Power Plant Mall and just walk your way to Dutch Bread Hauz.

Café 1771 has undergone quite a number of changes since it first opened in El Pueblo many moons…read moreago. What once was known as classic Chateau 1771 has now evolved into the more modern Café 1771 and I for one welcome that change with open arms as the most important thing remains: their food is still killer. I come to 1771 whenever I want go somewhere nice as I truly believe that one's surroundings have the power to affect their mood and attitude. The interior is very elegant and easy on the eyes and the service is excellent as well. Some of my favorites on the menu are French toast with bacon, kesong puti fried in butter, salbacho pizza, lime butter prawns, and cocotte lamb shoulder chops.

Café 1771, which was formerly known as Chateau 1771, has taken a modern look and I definitely…read moreembrace this new ambiance. I celebrated my 29th birthday here over a simple lunch with a friend. The place looks like a page out of a home magazine with their interiors having a fancy vibe to it. I ordered their Lemon Chicken and Rice on the side and was satisfied by the flavor, as it wasn't too sour and a bit sweet for my taste. I ended my lunch with their slice of Valrhona Chocolate cake that is good for two people with a sweet tooth. As we were about to leave it started to rain really hard and since parking was a few steps away and we didn't have any umbrella, one of the servers volunteered to walk us to our parking slot and use his umbrella. Plus points for great customer service absolutely.

My friends and I were lured by Spatzle's cute decor/design and Wi-Fi connection, plus we were…read morealready quite hungry, so we chose to eat here. Everything we ordered saved for 1 dish needed some salt. :( For starters, we tried the classic rosti, which is basically a potato pancake. However, I think it had more onions than potatoes, and I wish it had more sour cream. Next, we tried a pizza-like dish, the Monte Blanc. This is topped with chips, which were sweet! :( Super fail :( Potato chips are supposed to be salty! The actual pizza tasted ordinary, nothing spectacular about it. My main choice was the smoked salmon Benny, and it's such a disappointment! The thinly sliced salmon didn't have a smoky flavor at all, the egg was soft-boiled, and the salad had a horribly sour dressing. Such a waste of money, IMO. My friend's wife tried the roast chicken on sausage on mushroom. This came with mashed potatoes, which still had some lumps, but that's fine because I loved chewing them. This was decent tasting, but tasted better with salt. Finally, the best dish was the carbonara, which was easily the most flavorful one among those we ordered. Overall, this place is good for one dining experience only. Ordinary food at extraordinarily high prices haha =p

Spatzle, or literally means "little sparrow" is made from eggs, flour, and salt. It is commonly…read morefound in Switzerland, Germany, and Austria. It is far from the usual-shaped pasta and is more filling, much like a gnocchi. Here, Spatzle is a European restaurant located inside Shangrila Mall. It has a European al fresco cafe vibe. One night, my friends and I visited this place but ended up underwhelmed. Since we went there very hungry, we ordered quite a number of items in their menu: - Smoked Salmon Benny (Php355) - Smoked salmon on a bed of mushrooms and lettuce topped with egg on a warm brioche. The smoked salmon pieces were a few as you could taste more of the mushrooms than the salmon. The entire dish was bland. It is served with a side salad of lettuce and a somewhat honey mustard sauce, or maybe just mustard because it was too sour and doesn't stimulate the appetite. - Classic Rosti (Php160) - Rosti is a potato pancake from Switzerland. It is the first dish I learned to make in culinary school. I love Rosti because of its simplicity of ingredients yet the flavor it brings. The sour cream and lemon on this wedge brings out the flavor, but it wasn't enough. Maybe because it was "au naturelle", but adding a bit of salt should suffice. - Spatz Carbonara (Php295) - one of the better dishes of the night. This egg and cream-based dish is filled with pancetta and bacon to add flavor. I like how the sauce covered each spatz (singular form of spatzle), although I would prefer more of the classic Italian Carbonara of egg and cheese. Although I ordered a solo size, this is meant to be shared as it gets a little satiating after a few tablespoons. The spatzle tends to be quite doughy and the sauce doesn't do much help. - Tarte Flambe Monte Blanc (Php365) - Spatzle's version of a thin crust pizza, topped with mozzarella cheese, spinach, mushrooms, pancetta, and paprika chips. Remove the chips, and it is like a doughy bread with gooey, tasteless cheese. Add the paprika chips and it becomes weird because of its sweetness. Maybe I am just used to eating chips with a salty flavor. I do not see how the flavor of these chips complement the bland flavor of the pizza. Furthermore, it is difficult to eat because when you lift it up, the chips fell. - Roast Chicken Sausage on Mushroom Spatzle (Php265) - roast chicken roulade stuffed with sausage. I am not sure how to comment on this. The roulade was okay, a bit crunchy because it was fried to a crisp. And because it was fried to a crisp, I had a hard time looking for the chicken and the sausage. Taste wise, quite okay. It came with mashed potatoes and gravy. The mashed potatoes had some potato cubes inside but I find it more "real" and has good texture. - Mint Lemonade (Php125) - has good flavor of mint, but a bit sweet. I remembered adding a lot of water to balance the sweetness. The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere and has free wifi. It can be a good place to catch up with friends or a quiet time alone. The price is on the high side if you compare the dish they serve. Overall, just an okay for me.

Remarkable Filipino food. If you don't mind spending on good Filipino food, this is the place…read more Highly recommend the beef salpicao and beef tapa. Nice variety of drinks, too. Cool ambience. Only concern is that there were too many mosquitos outside the restaurant but that's about it. Service is also satisfactory. Overall, solid place.

Ordered chicken sausage, corned beef hash, some drinks. Everything was pretty good. I like that…read morethey made their potatoes crispy and the chicken sausage was delicious.

Wow! I love this place!! Actually, it's rare to find a place that serves a lot of veggies in the…read morePhilippines as the veggies are expensive here and so small. This place is good for vegan, vegetarians and meat lovers. It's good for all types of eaters. It's located on the 4L in the back of Shangri-La Plaza. My mom and I shared their Ceasar Kale salad that actually, had big chunks of salty chicken ; very tasty! The small sized bowl gives about 5 serving plates. We also shared their 3 slider burgers which we chose: the Tuna, Red Ribbon and Duck Fat Fried Chicken sliders! They also come with very good crispy fries! All of the tiny sliders were tasty good! We also tried the Mango Panna Cotta which was very soft than what I am used to but still good none the less. I really enjoyed the food, service and restaurant so I will definitely come back to try the other dishes! This is not priced cheap for the average Filipinos but I totally recommend it still! [14/100]

Just recently, CNN announced to the world that red meat is a definite cause of that incurable…read moredisease we all fear. I guiltily thought about the inside of our fridge with all that stock of bacon, tocino and barbecue leftovers. So as much I wanted to quit meat cold turkey, we took some baby steps and made sure that if we'll ever be eating meat, it's got to be paired with something healthy. Like salad, or just any kind of veggies. With our brand new "healthier lifestyle" approach, we were naturally interested when we stumbled upon Green Pastures. I can't believe we haven't heard of this place. I scanned the prices first before the food. Wow. There is actually food for less than Php 200. When you're in a restaurant within Shangri La Mall and there's food for less than 200 bucks, and it's not even located in a food court, that's considered affordable already. You'd find that their menu has a LOT to offer and everything is deliciously described so prepare to spend about Php 1,500 for two. We couldn't decide between "GF Pork Chop" and "Duck Fat Fried Chicken (Probiotic)" so we asked the waiter's opinion which is better. He kind of compared Duck Fat Fried Chicken to KFC so the second I got the KFC visuals I had no choice but to get the GF Pork Chop instead. MEAT!!! Since it's meat, we paired it with Yang Chow Cauliflower Rice, so there! For drinks, I got the bottomless Moringa Ginger Lemon Grass Tea (refillable for Php 205). However, I got jealous when I saw from the next table a big pitcher of what looks like a citrusy mix of something ice cold and yummy. I totally overlooked that on the menu. It's called Agua Fresca and a pitcher is only Php 250 which seems to be good for 4 people. So we'll definitely order that next time instead of a bottomless ice tea for just one person. The bowl of Yang Chow Cauliflower Rice is good for two, and we were pleasantly surprised that it came with shrimps and a chunk of roast pork. In fact, if you're not starving, I can say that it can work as a standalone meal for two. It's pretty good! Compared to rice, it's not as heavy on the stomach. Towards the end of our bites though we start to notice that there's this oiliness factor to it, but I'm assuming it's some kind of healthy oil like olive oil. As for the GF Pork Chop, i hate to say it but it's good... tender and juicy. But the guava jam that came with it made it awesome! Next time, I'll probably try their whole grain bowl because it's got wildly organic things in it like kale and quinoa. So long, meat!

While strolling through Ortigas in Manila, we decided to explore The Podium from the opposite…read moreentrance and unexpectedly stumbled upon Terry's Bistro--a Spanish restaurant with a micro wine cellar. Intrigued, we browsed their collection and were astonished to find vintage French wines, including aged bottles of Châteauneuf-du-Pape and Gigondas, still dust-covered with time. Naturally, we had to snag a bottle and savor it on the spot. This is the beauty of little wine store cellars--they often hold hidden gems that not many people are aware of. We also ordered a few dishes to accompany our wine. The food was decent--simple and enjoyable but nothing groundbreaking. While the meal didn't particularly stand out, the wine selection alone makes this spot worth a visit for any enthusiast.

I don't know what it is about restaurant tucked-away in the corners or basements of buildings that…read moreI like. It could be the mystery, the solitude, or maybe the food itself. In the case of Terry's though, there's no guessing. I'm pretty sure I like Terry's and keep coming back because of the food. Plus the wine. Plus the service. Plus the ambience. I like their Flamenquin Andaluz, which is jamon Serrano and raclette cheese rolled in thin sirloin, then breaded and fried in olive oil. Jamon and cheese doesn't just taste good, it even sounds good! My favorite would have to be their Paella Negra. Just the rice is so delicious, all the more with the aioli and shrimp or clams. All these gastronomically exciting things plus the pleasant ambience, paired with a glass of chilled white wine is something that I cannot get enough of. You may add the deli that is just several meters away from the dining area where you can conveniently shop for when you try to cook-up a Spanish meal as inspired by your meal at Terry's.

I think I'm on a sandwich phase right now because everywhere I go, I've been ordering sandwiches…read moreand it so satisfyingly delicious every time I get my fix. I found myself in Shangri-La last week and the moment I saw the sign that says sandwiches, I immediately wanted to try it out. I mean yeah, almost all restaurants serve it or some form of it but a restaurant that declares it serves SANDWICHES. PASTA. and something else definitely deserves my attention. I love it when a restaurant menu is cleverly named. Like my sandwich "Animal Farm" which is a turkey and bacon sandwich, Journey to the center of the Earth is a sausage sandwich. It's cute, admit it. The restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, the indoor space is a little cramped but it'd be a good place to stay a while and do some work on your laptop or read a book, the chairs are cozy but hey they make up for it with the large outdoor space. The food looks awesome and I liked my sandwich (Turkey & Bacon) even though the bread was a tad tough and as for the other one, I like my sausages to have that strong meaty tough flavour, like it just came home from war and it's the meanest sausage ever but theirs were the nicest one I've ever tasted, no strong flavour there. Still, there are a lot of other options on the menu I've yet to try and I'm holding out judgement. You can't judge a book by just reading one paragraph now, right? Check it out and see for yourself! Let me know what you love about Pages so I can put it on my list!

If there's one restaurant I frequent at Shangri-La, Pages Deli is it. First of all, I really love…read morethe cozy ambiance of the restaurant and it makes a perfect setting for a date or if you just want to be alone and read a book. Speaking of books, the interiors are similar to a reading room with plush chairs and pretty mood lighting. Keeping up with Pages Deli's book theme, the restaurant's sandwiches are also playfully names around famous book titles such as Of Love and Other Demons (chorizo and swiss melt sandwich), Gulliver's Travels (shrimp sandwich), To Kill a Mockingbird (chicken sandwich) and Canterbury Tales (turkey with cranberry). Apart from the playful take on the sandwiches, Pages Deli also offers soups, salads, brunch items, pizza, various kinds of deli and cheese platters, dessert and coffee. In addition, they also have a selection of wines, cocktails and local and imported beers. One of the sandwiches that I frequently order at Pages Deli is thier Charlotte's Web Sandwich. Served on whole wheat bread, the playful take on the children's classic is composed of deli ham, fresh mango, honey dijon mustard, tomato and lettuce. This sandwich is filling and Pages Deli definitely does not scrimp on the ingredients. The deli ham was sweet and it complemented the fresh mango and honey dijon mustard spread. On the other hand, their pasta is more for those with a heavier appetite, and I really like their Carbonara pasta. The sauce is very creamy and is made on the spot and has bits of bacon, basil, mushrooms and topped with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese and toasted garlic bread on the side. As a huge coffee fan, Pages Deli also offers a limited selection of coffee choices, and my favorite being the Ice Cafe Latte. The blend is very good and it's quite refreshing and will either go best with your sandwich or pasta order.

It was already 2:30pm and I haven't eaten anything yet. Since this was going to be my first meal of…read morethe day, I was incredibly hungry. I ordered the tapa bowl with rice. When it was served, I took a picture, then proceeded to dig in. Before I could take my first bite, I saw a piece of hair underneath the sunny side up egg, mixed with the rice. I immediately informed the server, and she just told me "I'll check with the kitchens", then took the dish. No apologies. No explanation. Another server came back with a new tapa bowl. I'm actually not sure if they indeed replaced it, or they just removed the hair and brought it back to me. When I first ordered, it took them around twenty minutes for them to serve my order. This time, it took them less than five. Such a disappointing experience. Taste wise, the tapa was well-flavored, although I found it too fatty.

For lunch yesterday, my mom and I thought we'd try Chelsea Kitchen for the first time. We decided…read moreon the Chioppino and a Grilled Chicken Salad, because we wanted something light. My mom doesn't eat onions, so we chose the salad because onion wasn't included in the ingredients listed on the menu. And we made sure to ask the kitchen (through our server) not to put any, for good measure. The salad arrived, and while it didn't have onions, it had onion leeks, which, to some palates are the same thing. We raised this concern to the server, and she apologized. We requested for a small plate of just greens instead, so that my mom could at least eat something. Because there was enough salad to take home, we requested for them to doggy bag it. When we got home, I checked the bag and was surprised to find not my salad, but SOMEONE'S DIRTY APRON. IS THIS A JOKE? Food-wise, Chelsea could have been aces. But service, is clearly terrible.

I had dinner at Locavore while visiting Manila, and it was honestly one of the best meals I've had…read moreduring my trip. I'd been wanting to try Filipino food, and this place came highly recommended by some locals. The food was incredible. I tried the sizzling sinigang, and it completely surprised me. The flavor was sour, savory, and comforting all at once. I also had the oyster sisig, which was crispy, rich, and perfect with a cold San Miguel beer. Every dish came out hot and well-presented. The restaurant itself has a great vibe!!! lively but not too loud. The staff were really friendly and helpful, especially since I wasn't too familiar with Filipino dishes. They explained what everything was and even suggested a few must-tries. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone visiting the Philippines. And I'll definitely come back next time!

First time to try Locavore Kitchen & Drinks and na enjoy namin ang brunch dito sa Kapitolyo What a…read morefantastic meal! We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.Tastes great! Eating something delicious right now.. i love it..