These may be fighting words, but I must say that this is my favorite restaurant in Metro Manila,…read moreespecially for a seafood fanatic like myself. A local, divey (pun intended) vibe that is right up my recovering-pescatarian alley. Home to my favorite pot of mussels, probably ever. Give into your carnivorous desired and give some liempo a cameo appearance as well. I'm an equal opportunity eater.

Ortigas is the last place you would think of when it comes to Paluto-style restaurants, but Home…read moreDepot at Julia Vargas Ave has a very decent "Dampa". There are a handful of paluto restaurants in here to complement the surprisingly good seafood market there, but the undisputed leader of the pack would have to be Aling Tonya's. Tracing its roots to Baclaran, Aling Tonya's has been doing seafood cooking for four decades, and their expertise really shines through. I've eaten at this branch a couple of times and I swear I've never had a bad order. They do shrimps and tahongs very, VERY well. Sauteed, fried, or steamed, they just know how to cook. They do wonders with crabs, fish, and squids as well. My personal favorites would be their garlic buttered shrimps, their grilled squid, and their steamed tahong.

Most of my relatives love fresh lumpia, the Philippine version of fresh spring rolls. Despite being…read morea regular dish during family gatherings, my relatives still flock the fresh lumpia in every handaan. And, always, my lola keeps going back for more. But I, despite loving vegetables, did not really share my family's love for the fresh lumpia... Until I tasted Kuya's Special Lumpiang Sariwa. Suddenly, I was a fan! There are four things that set Kuya's lumpia apart from the others: the thing green veggie wrapper, chia seeds, Thailand grass, and the option to add chili flakes. These four things covered all the things I used to hate about fresh lumpia. The thin wrapper makes me feel like I am getting more vegetables than the wrapper and not the other way around. I can now have my lumpia spicy. Plus, the crispy, solid sensation of the chia seeds and Thai grass in the mouth make chewing the food more exciting. Not to mention these two added ingredients are healthy super foods! From then on, I often ask my mom to take home one (or sometimes two) Kuya's Lumpia for me or buy some on my own when I happen to pass by the mall. Currently, the only branch I know is the one in SM Marikina. There used to be one in Robinson's Metro East and SM Fairview. I hope Kuya's Lumpia will have more branches near my place and in other areas as well. This business deserves to flourish for they have the most delicious and healthiest Lumpiang Sariwa!

Hindi ako mahilig sa Lumpiang Sariwa pero ang sarap ng isang ito. Hindi ko makakalimutan yung…read morepanahon na naging karamay ko ang Kuya's sa pagdidiyeta, halos kumakain ako nito araw-araw para sa isang magaan na miryenda. Halagang P45.00 ang isang piraso ng lumpia. Karaniwan itong nasa food court at mga kioks sa mall, makikita mong sariwa nilang ginagawa ang lumpia bago ibigay sa costumer. Siksik sa lamang lettuce, ubod, mani at carrots na nakabalot sa berdeng lumpia wrapper ang laman ng isang rolyo. Ang peanut sauce naman na ka-pares at nagpapasarap dito ang nilalagay sa ibabaw ng lumpia kapag kakainin na ito. Magandang ipatikim ito sa mga taong hindi mahilig sa gulay at baka ito na ang maging unang hakbang para matuto naman sila kumain ng mas healthy at magaan sa tiyan.

Ambiance - very humble, very basic and sparse but clean restaurant. Wish they had toilet seats in…read moretheir rest room Service - no nonsense service. You order and they deliver. Food - we ordered fried dalag fish (meaty), fried hito, tortang talong (eggplant) which was quite large and perfectly cooked, crispy pata, grilled pork belly, fresh vegetable lumpiang ubod (generous amount of crunchy ubod (bamboo shoot) sprinkled with crushed peanuts and chopped green mango with salted eggs. My favorites were the fresh lumpia and the tortang talong. The preparations were traditional and classic Filipino - no twists, no pretense. The prices were very reasonable. Just basic good food that won't break the bank.

03/01/20- We went out to Taytay today to see my buddies house. 2 years ago it was a work in…read moreprogress in various stages of construction. Today it's a beautiful 3 story house at the top of the mountain overlooking Laguna Bay, Manila & Makati. We stopped at Buhay Kawayan to grab a late lunch w/my buddy, my wife & 2 brother in laws (yes they follow us everywhere lol). Buhay Kawayan is a very popular spot in Taytay on Manila E Road Barangay Pag asa. We ordered some of our favs like crispy pata, Bangus, squid adobo, veges dish w/bitter melon, yellow squash, okra, tomato, onion & garlic. Eggplant omelette & of course rice. Filipinos seem to eat rice @ every meal. (No Carbs when I return to the US). Excellent food & service one of the few Filipino restaurants that had quick service. They operated at a slower pace (Island life).

I am biased to cheesecakes and sponge cakes when it comes to cake talk. Tous Les Jours definitely…read morehit my sweet spot when it comes to fluffy and airy sponge cakes. I don't really eat the frosting whenever I eat cakes but with this one, I just can't help but dip my fingers over and over again because their frosting isn't really your typical frosting. It's like eating a whipped cream with zesty fruity powder drizzled on top. What I just dislike somehow in their cakes is that it's sometimes taste like it was stored for too long. I'm not sure if it's because of the air in their sponge cakes but somehow, it doesn't feel too old whenever I try their cheesecakes or mousse. What's funny is that I thought that it was a French patisserie from France but I later found out that it was originally from Korea. I'm such a bimbo when it comes to facts sometimes.

It's a bit odd, but I only ever go to Tous Les Jours when I'm in a hurry and therefore only grab…read moresomething to eat to-go. Aside from their selection of bread, cookies and light cakes, I like their cookies and macarons the most. I usually grab one or two pieces of their macarons when I'm in a hurry because it's easiest to eat and packs flavor in such a small thing. I'm not sure if it's the Korean or Asian twist, but their macarons are a bit more chewy and a bit thicker (or fatter) compared to the other ones I've tried around Manila. Though I don't think that's a bad thing. I actually like it. I also like that their macarons are vibrantly colored and I can really taste the flavors. Aside from the usual chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla, they have green tea and mango-flavored macarons at less than PhP30. They also have premium flavors like cherry, blueberry, maple, and even grape that are just about 30% more expensive, but still relatively cheap given the taste and fine flavors. My favorite flavors though would be the basic strawberry or chocolate. My Dad on the other hand likes the soboro the most. The soboro is bread with a crunchy coating that tastes lightly of peanut butter. Being the peanut butter lover, my Dad would have two of it as snack or even have it as dessert before he has his cup of coffee.

saglit haha totoo to sinong hindi makakarelate sa sasabihin ko :) yung kakain ka ng Signature…read more Halo-Halo ng Chowking nila tapos ang lamig pa sa loob pero pipilitin mong ubusin yun.bakit? Sarap kaya ng Halo-Halo nila! favorite! :)

Moonleaf was probably one of the "newer" milk tea places that opened in the Teacher's Village…read morearea. This was during the rise of the milk tea place so naturally, I had to go try it out. Years later, I still find myself heading there if I want something creamier than usual. Let me be honest here. I don't really go to milk tea places for the milk tea. I usually go for the tea. My order is usually a flavored green tea if anything. I blame a sensitive stomach and somewhat lactose intolerance. Yet Moonleaf actually gets me to order milk tea. Hear that, Moonleaf? I brave lactose intolerance for you! -Ahem- There's something in the way Moonleaf blends their milk and tea that makes it taste so good. I can't explain it but it's a certain mellowness that I haven't experienced with other branches. My personal favorite is the honey milk tea. The sweetness from the honey coupled with milk is wonderful is you want something relaxing and soothing after a long day.

I am personally going to swear by the original Moonleaf Tea Shop in Maginhawa as the first milk /…read morebubble tea shop in the metro, and certainly one of (if not THE) first to kickstart the milk tea craze all those years ago (which may have ended with the food poisoning and people dying incident). This is the favorite tambayan place for a lot of UP students because (1) it was the closest drinks place to the campus, and (2) they were the first to partner with a UP org to release UP planners. There were a lot of firsts in this place, and I'm glad I was there to see most of them.

Very nice place but horrible food. Pastries are supposed to be their specialty because it's a…read morepatisserie, but this was definitely not the case. I tried the mille-feuille, expecting a light, fluffy puff pastry with just the right amount of cream. What they served was hard, crumbly, had a cracker-like texture, and NO TASTE AT ALL. I couldn't even manage to finish the whole thing. Based on its texture and taste, it seemed like the cake was made weeks ago. Extremely disappointing. Not coming back.

We had their Poetry cake (250 PHP) a light and not-sweet-at-all dessert that's enjoyable for those…read morewho try to avoid sweets, but need something creamy to end the meal. A ribbon ties the lady finger biscuits together. The top jelly mango layer adds a little flavour for the generally subtle taste of the cake. The place is located by the Mercury Drug entrance of the Shang Plaza so you won't miss them. The place does lack the refinement to be considered up-scale.

Having dinner here tonight with Family. This Japanese restaurant has two levels next to a parking…read moregarage located inside the busy Greenhills Mall area. This place is busy on a weeknight. Not ideal for romantic date. Diners are noisy and loud! We ordered Salmon Sashimi, Tempura, Beef Sukiyaki and Seaweed Salad. Order takes 20 minutes to be served. The salmon sashimi is fresh and has mild sweetness. Taste good. The seaweed salad is served on top of lettuce and mixed with sauce. Deliciously made. Tempura shrimps are fried, not greasy. Dip it in tempura sauce, it's delicious. The beef sukiyaki took half an hour to serve. Sliced thin meat of beef is marinated and blended well with the clear glass rice noodles (Sotanghon), beef broth and veggies. Great taste. Serving is average, moderately priced. Serving Staff are courteous and helpful. Clean small/single separate Men and Women's bathroom.

It was yet another Monday morning and I had to rush to Greenhills from a meeting in Makati, which…read moretook longer than expected. Being somewhat on-call, Sometimes I am left with no choice but to sneak-in alight meal between meetings just so I won't distract my clients with my grumbling stomach over meetings. With the need for a quick fixer-upper, I asked to be seated at the first available table, and asked the server what the fastest items were. I decided to get a cup of miso soup to calm my grumbling stomach. It's never easy having a bad case of acidity, and adding work and traffic to the mix. Good thing it was a divine cup of tasty broth and had reasonable amount of seaweed and soft tofu cubes. Then I got their tuna tataki, which I absolutely loved! The tuna was very fresh and was seared well on all sides. Each slice I really had to devour and I was struggling between slowly enjoying each bite versus my being pressed for time. With the quality and reasonable price, I was glad with my quick choices.