Since I’ve already eaten at home and Bubba is not a fan of shrimps, we went out for a quick dinner somewhere nearby.  We always see 4 x Force when we’re eating at JT Manukan’s but never got around to trying it.  Finally, we decided to eat there.  The area is divided into 4 sections, thus the name.  One section is for the auto detailing which is at the far end.  The rest are three types of grill restaurants.  One of which is the Persian restaurant right at the very front entrance. 

The owner was very accommodating and funny!  But maybe due to language barrier, he took down the wrong order.  Anyhoo, since Bubba was hungry, we decided to eat it anyway.  I ordered hummus too but it never arrived.  Still, with the owner’s ebullient personality, we didn’t mind much.  Especially with a huge albino snake displayed in the resto, Bubba was very happy.

On the Table:

Sizzling Persian Beef PHP180

Some parts were tough to chew on but the flavor was not so bad.

2 Pita Bread PHP 40

 Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/450/0522-_4_x_Force

April 10, 2008: Jem’s birth date.  The birthday dinner was spent at In Yo restaurant, which she frequents with Fidel.  This restaurant has been on my hit list since early this year but I haven’t had the chance to visit the place because I thought it was far.  I was surprised that only after a few blocks from Bubba’s place, we hit the long street where In Yo is located. 

The staff is very attentive and well versed in all the menu items. 

Jem recommended the grilled salmon.  I hesitated since she was ordering the same but went for it nevertheless.  Amusingly, Aunt and Bubba had the same orders too.  They ordered the US Hanging Tender Steak on Mushroom Risotto.   On the Table: Amuse Bouche: Cheese Pimiento Bread served with butter (with chives?)Bread was served warm which is the best way to serve it.  The bread in itself is good without the butter (how many “freebie” breads can disrespect butter?)

Raspberry Romaine Salad

The raspberry romaine salad was a delicious jumble plate of egg slices, beets, Romaine lettuce, onions, cherry tomatoes dressed in raspberry dressing.  I think it also had watercress (because I see watercress on my notes but I’m not sure which dish I got it from.  No I do not have the actual leaf staining the paper, but yes I’m a messy eater.  I scribbled watercress with a question mark and I do not remember now why)

It was dressed with a Miso citrus sauce that gave a slightly sweet taste.  This is the first time I almost mistaken a salmon for an actual meat steak.  It was tender but it didn’t easily break apart like any usual salmon would.  It had volume like cutting through beef but swiftly and with so much ease.  In Yo’s salmon is now competing with Café Verbena’s salmon for a place in my heart.  The brown sauce that accompanied it made fish look more macho than beef.  As for the wasabi potato salad, I wish I were able to order another serving.

I had only a piece of the steak but that one bite made my eyes dilate.  This is what I’m going to order next time.  Bubba grades the mushroom risotto as so-so.

As for the sweetest portion of any meal, it was ended on a sweet and satisfying note.

What a delicious meal we had.  I imagined myself going to the other room and plopping myself to bed.  That’s how comforting the ambience and the food make you feel… (okay, okay, my sister who eats and sleeps take after me.  I’m so unladylike that sometimes right after eating, I lax on the seat or couch and even rub my tummy after eating! Gross huh?)

On our way out, we saw big fishes swimming about underneath the wooden-glass porch.  There were fish feeds in a ceramic bowl in front of us so we couldn’t help ourselves (we didn’t eat the fish feeds!) and fed the fish with the minuscule red fish food.

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/405/08_0410-_In_Yo    

Before we hopped our way to the ABS-CBN Trade Event at A-venue last night, we first grabbed a dinner at Mickey’s Delicatessen along Jupiter Street.  It was either that or Alexi’s Deli, but since Mickey’s was nearer, we decided to test the German deli.

The setting of this restaurant is pleasant with an atmosphere that combines European essence with a casual yet sophisticated look.  As I sit down on my wooden chair, I can see that it is the most vibrant deli I’ve been to.  Wait staff robed in blue and white-checkered Holland milkmaid outfits greet you as a welcome, though without a cheerful mood I note.  Nevertheless, the deli looked so inviting. 

The tables and chair aren’t dramatic.  It simply had a ceramic mug that holds the utensils.  A glass window allows the clients to peer inside the kitchen and actually see the black suited chefs grill your wieners.

It took us quite some time to order because the menu was very limited.  Selection of wines and cheese are more extensive than the actual dishes.  More restrictive we found out –most are mainly sausage orders.  Nurnberger pork sausages are their specialty, as my feeble mind would naturally assume since orders come in different plates ergo quantities.  The smallest order is 6 of the popular sausages that amount to about PHP 260++.  Unable to make up my mind, I decided to try the sausage sampler, which was quite pricey at PHP640++.

The sausage sampler is a slaver of 1 long piece of Vienna, 1 2-inch thick veal (is the meat of a young calf) -grilled or boiled, 2 Nurnberger pork sausage, 2 bratwurst, and pure beef sausage served with warm potato salad and sauerkraut.  My eating partner is not a fan of mustard but he finished the first saucer and asked for a 2^nd round.

The restaurant had 4 tables occupied at the time we visited.  Interestingly, it was all male diners.  This is certainly what you call a sausage fest.  It’s true because they also offer Nurnberger sandwiches. 

Lartizan is the Boulangerie Francaise found inside the deli.  We bought a tuna turnover PHP 58, and a blueberry muffin PHP35, served warm.  I was very happy with both purchases.  The tuna turnover, which was perfect blend of tuna meat, cheese and cream almost, melts in your mouth. 

Their soups of the day available were Minestrone and French Onion, while salads were Insalata di Parma or Insalata Al Tonno, which in more barbaric terms simply mean mixed greens with tuna or ham. 

I find the prices quite a bit steep but not at all bad.  Spending PHP 640 for hotdogs?  Not my type of investment, but I’d definitely go back to the Lartizan to bring home some sourdough bread.  The breads smelled fresh and tasted delish!

144 Jupiter St. Corner Orbit Street (in the middle of Chicken Bacolod and Plato Fino) Bel-air 2 Village, Makati.  Store contact numbers are 8969650/8991440.  Deli contact number is 8998080. 

Texas Roadhouse is now included in my list of comfort food.  There’s Mom and Tina, Café Juanita, Shakey’s, Pasto to name a few.  Texas Roadhouse has become that feel good food for me.  After checking out at Makati Shangrila, we headed to Texas Roadhouse in Ortigas (since the one at the Fort is always full!).  Our body was still tired from the adventure race we participated in from 8pm-2am (more on that on a separate post).  I actually slept around 5am already.

 On the Table:

Nacho and Cheese PHP 250 ++

This is the first time Bubba tried this dish and I was right!  It was really up his alley.  He enjoyed the chunky layer of cheese on top of the nacho, garnished with a coin of Jalapeno on top.  He even discovered that there’s a layer in between the cheese and nacho that’s ground beef.  Ultra yum!

Parmesan Crusted Fish PHP 340 ++

A favorite of Bubba and mine.  Parmesan encrusted fish has a crunchy coating but the fish meat remained fresh and juicy inside.  It had Alfredo sauce poured on top and Marinara sauce on the side.  I was tempted to order this too but it doesn’t make sense to have two plates of it when we can try a new dish.

Shrimp and Salmon Skewer PHP 350 ++

Served with vegetables and pilaf rice. I wasn’t able to finish this but was a bit disappointed that the shrimp tasted bland.  It didn’t have any grill markings.  It was like steamed shrimp pierced by a skewer.  The salmon was dry. 

 I was stung by the heat of Tabasco (Bubba claims I had a spoonful of the spicy condiment) and couldn’t get my bearings.  I asked for sugar from the wait staff.  The manager saw what happened and was so nice to get me a slice of Mandarin to ease my tongue on fire.

 (Disclaimer: Prices are as my memory serves me.) 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/393/08_0330-_Texas_Roadhouse_Yet_Again#

Related Post:  

Texas Roadhouse Grill

Bonifacio High Street, Ground Level Bldg 1

McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio Global City

8561547 

El Pueblo, Ortigas Center. 

Whenever we are in the area of Banawe, we can’t help but drop by Ersao.  Quick meals.  Inexpensive food.

Porkchop Rice 

Spicy Squid Rings 

Mango Shake with Jelly 

They sell frozen dumplings that you can bring home. 

CW made dinner plans for our Anniversary at Alba.  He knew how I love paellas.  That night though, I wasn’t too hungry and I didn’t want CW to spend P600++ each for the Alba buffet that would not be maximized.  I suggested another place.  Katre. 

A two-story restaurant quietly tucked in an unassuming street.  Katre can hold its ground against the other restaurants in the Timog area.  The dining area is dimly lit but the minimalist interiors give an aura of posh.  The wait staff is very knowledgeable about their menu and can explain what the 15% extra charge is if you ask the dish to be split into two.

 The price of dishes is normal at first glance but becomes ridiculous with the 10% service charge, 12% vat and local tax added. I ordered the Chicken Quesadilla while Chris had Lamb Curry with Papadum. The Chicken Quesadilla was sliced into 6 servings and was doled out with hummus, tomato salsa and thick sour cream.  The Quesadilla was tasty and was toasted to a get that perfect crunch.  It had the right amount of cheese and meat, which made each bite

glorious to the last bite.  

The Lamb Curry was nicely done as well.  CW is very particular with lamb because he doesn’t like the fishy taste of the meat when it’s not properly cooked.  The spice of the curry tingles the taste buds but doesn’t leave it searching for water.  It wasn’t overworked with spices too.  The taste was subtle yet flirty.  The Crispy Papadum was the perfect match to the dish, but CW had to order white rice on the side. It turned out to be a swell choice since we were able to enjoy a wonderful, relaxing dinner. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/361/08_0210-_Katre

I was happy that I got to have two dinners with Fay during her visit to PI last December.  The first one was short notice as Fay and Patrick only informed me on the same day, but all was well since my schedule was open that evening.  The second one was planned way ahead with our other DLSU friends in Abe Serendra.

During the dinner with Fay and the Engineering guys, they decided to have it at Sentro.  Patrick picked me up from the office and we met with Fay and Eric at Greenbelt 3.  CW joined after work.

What a fun evening reminiscing about college days and teasing Fay and Eric!!!  Eric paid for dinner!!! He must felt feverish that day. 

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/310/07_1214-_Sentro# 

A lonely artistic candleholder by the window greeted us as we enter the resto-house named Vieux Chalet. One area had an unfinished window. We’re dining tonight in a rustic atmosphere atop of Metro Manila, a place where a pool of lights is swimming in front of your eyes. Antipolo.

It was an evening of charming celebration since it was the 18^th, a significant number to Bubba and I. Bubba was the one who set this dinner date. I’ve always wanted to try this restaurant since I read I good review about it. We ordered 5 items on the menu. We didn’t travel all the way to Antipolo to only try a couple. On the table were:

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/264/07_1018-_Swiss_dinner_at_Vieux_Chalet

Raclette 185

Rico, who was our table attendant that night, discouraged us in ordering the Raclette since the smell might turn us off. Little did he know, we are fans of any cheese –even the stinky stinky I’m going to barf with that smell -kind. On the white plate was melted Swiss cheese garnished with 2 olives, half-boiled potato, and a few pickles. The potato was sweet. The cheese was seasoned with paprika. We loved the sharp flavor of the cheese, which was enhanced by the odor. Smell really affects flavor. The pickle was juicy and sour as expected and a good contrast to the salt of the cheese. The olive, not falling behind, served its purpose in harmonizing the two flavors.

Rosti

Simply put, Rosti is potato hash that’s fried. It had the right taste of saltiness. You get a bit of a crunch when you bite it then softness as your teeth sink in the soft texture of potatoes.

Lamb Shoulder 725

I hesitated ordering this since I found it expensive compared to the lamb shoulder in Kai (and I’m sure Kai pays more taxes and rental rate than Vieux Chalet) You can have the Lamb shoulder in three different ways: with red wine sauce / café de paris/ curry sauce. As expected, only a few pieces of meat were on the plate along side 2 slices of tomato. The first bite tasted fishy. The meat was pretty inconsistent. Some chunks were too tender, like it was overcooked/over-boiled, while others where tough to chew. Overall, the dish was way SALTY! – I can’t taste the red wine in the sauce at all– and the saltiness overpowers the entire meal.

Pasta Padilla 575

The recipe is the same as Pasta Alfredo but key difference is the mushroom in Padilla. Nothing extraordinary except that the serving is good for the buck you’re paying for. Mushroom flavor is strong which carried the overall taste of the pasta. Before they bring out the last part of the whole meal, which is the sweet portion. Let me tell you about the service at Vieux Chalet. Rico has to be the most accommodating and polite wait staff I’ve ever met – he doesn’t tire saying welcome every time I say thank you. He knows the dishes by heart and can very well explain what they are. While waiting, we were asked to sign the guestbook and Bubba read some pages and the common denominator of the comments are their acknowledgment of Rico’s high quality of service.

Chocolate Parfait

The winner of the night hands down!!! It was a rich chocolate dessert that had a mousse consistency – Belgian chocolate yum! Parfait au chocolait! It was served in an Ice Cream glass with apple slices as garnish. I didn’t see any use for it but the plate was dusted with Cinnamon and chocolate powder for added design.

Reviews are really relative… first and foremost to the taste and personality of the person writing it. It is also relative to timing and service.

Gawd, have to end this abruptly. Cheers to more fun eating!

Around the ABS-CBN vicinity, there are a lot of Filipino grill restaurants.  One of which is Sangkalan.  I was invited by the restaurant to be their guest of honor on the restaurant’s re-launch. 

I was thin then.

7PM- Sangkalan Re-Launch at Morato.

11PM- Theo’s Birthday at Rack’s.

1AM- Late-night at Cuisine with my DLSU girls.

 Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/56/17_September_2005#