Promenada Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

July 1, 2010 by Janey

June 1, 2010 –Friday night, it was such a busy week as any busy bee can be. We were off to La Union the following day but we had a great Friday night stop at Casita Xocolat.

Casita Xocolat is located near Calle Industria in Libis, Quezon City, somewhat a hideaway from the usual commercial complexes that people frequent. If you want a good break from all the crowded places, Casita Xocolat is your breakaway from the city’s rush and people stream. And not only is it a café for a quiet chat, it’s also a watering hole for all good things about chocolate and surprisingly, savory dishes.

I’m such a big fan of chocolate. I used to be a bigger fan but decided to cut down a bit… check out the chocolate traces on this site:

Chocoholic Evidence 1

Chocoholic Evidence 2

Chocoholic Evidence 3

Chocoholic Evidence 4

Chocoholic Evidence 5

Chocoholic Evidence 6

Chocoholic Evidence 7

Chocoholic Evidence 8

But I think Casita Xocolat will get me started again with a happy habit of eating chocolates. Xocolat Cacao Mixes are made only from carefully selected premium cocoa beans harvested from around the world and they have incorporated the premium chocolate taste in different variety of drinks and dishes.

On the Table

Taza de Xocolat PHP 115

Rich dark chocolate

Hot Xocolat PHP

Chocolate chips in a tall glass poured with milk. Bubba wanted a second glass immediately.

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Croquettas PHP 115

Potato fingers with ragu and choriqueso sauce. Soft potato mash fried to perfection. Combine the quezo and salsa dip together and it’s a pleasant appetizer to start with or munchies for merienda talks.

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Xocolat Chicken Pasta PHP 175

Xocolat reinvents chocolate through new approaches of presenting them in savory dishes like their Xocolat Chicken Pasta, which are chocolate-rubbed chicken strips tossed in a light cream sauce topped with chocolate shavings. Bubba just had to make room for this dish.

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Pork Belly with Cacao Bagoong PHP 185

Partly crispy, partly tender pork belly served with potato gratin and cacao-bagoong sauce. This is definitely one of the must-try dishes for me. Imagine a spoonful of your favorite pork belly with white rice and smidgen with semi-salty semi-sweet bagoong or shrimp paste with a faint trace of chocolate that takes out any fishy taste and makes the flavor to a degree –rich and with a different layer.

Spicy Tuyo PHP 165

You’d be happy to know that Xocolat also has a Breakfast Menu for you folks who start your day early or those who just want to feel the start of the day with a breakfast meal. Spicy Tuyo in olive oil with capers and garlic rice topped with scrambled eggs is a breakfast winner –or at any time of the day for that matter (we had it for dinner). The sun-dried fish is mildly spiced and soft.

Xocolat Sunset PHP 125

Dark chocolate and cointreau

Service is fast, efficient and friendly. Prices are affordable while flavors are simple but interesting. I’ve already scheduled a next visit to Casita Xocolat this July. I can’t wait to try the cacao bagoong again and the spicy tuyo and I’d surely be licking my lips once more in delight! 😉 July 15 is the date in fact to celebrate Marge’s pre-birthday dinner. And Casita Xocolat is our destination.

Casita Xocolat

Topy’s Place, Economia corner Calle Industria

Bagumbayan, Libis, Quezon City

(632) 470 7563

Many thanks to Spanky Enriquez, Rosanna Unson and Tricia Avecilla for the invite! 😀

Directions: Along northbound c5, turn right to calle industria (after nuvo city), then left on the first corner (before gas station), 1st big gate on the left is casita xocolat (with signange). It’s across the karinderyas with tents on the other side of the street.

Other Xocolat Branches:

Casa Xocolat

172 B. Gonzales St. Loyola Heights

Katipunan, Quezon City

(632) 929 4186

Xocolat

Serendra

Fort Bonifacio, Global City

(632) 856 2146

Café Xocolat

Promenade Greenhills

San Juan City, Metro Manila

(632) 514 3862

Casita Xocolat Album

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Heart’s Day at Arya!

February 21, 2008 by Janey

With a lot of Middle Eastern places to go to nowadays, Arya is a refreshing change of pace. The menu will tantalize your palate with truly authentic dishes made with a harmonious mingle of unusual spices and flavors. Exotic and festive, with Persian décor as the background, your eating experience is heightened to a new level. With subdued lighting, Arya adds a touch of elegance with the intricately designed lamps and chandeliers.

The first dish was Roti Chanai (P185). One of the staple orders when eating this type of cuisine. Bubba liked the crispy roti and the curry sauce that accompanied it, while I was biased with my preferred Roti (Prince of Jaipur or Long Grain –which I learned only Tuesday that it was replaced by a new restaurant in Rockwell). My preferred Curry sauces at those places are bursting with more flavors than the one I had in Arya. Arya’s version bore my taste buds.

Don’t judge a book by its cover –or in this case, don’t judge a restaurant by its starters.

I went through the next four dishes with much gusto like leafing through the pages of a John Grisham novel. Your eyes work double time as you become engorge with more information. The same with Arya, the plot thickens as you go from one plate to another. They couldn’t serve it fast enough. Chicken, beef, and fish kebabs are popular entrees and are accompanied by basmati or you can request for Biryani rice for an additional P58 (which the waiter forgot to tell us! A total No-no!)

On to the next plate which name I forgot, it’s a tomato type stew (P280 ++) that consisted ground beef, onion and fried eggplant served with pita. It had a mild spicy flavor to it. It was the least popular of the dishes we ordered. I ended up having to finish it since nobody wanted to. And I don’t want to waste good food –especially pricey ones! (And yea, that’s the reason I gain weight. I’m the garbage bin.)

Next chapter, Lamb dish served with Biryani rice. My mom really enjoyed this dish and we were fighting for the last piece of meat. Although I would have preferred a spicy sauce, we had to tone down the level of heat since my mom and sister were eating with us. It was a big shank of lamb cooked stew type with fried potatoes.

Persian dining wont be complete without a taste of their curry. The Chicken Curry was the highlight for me since it stood out from the rest of the dishes. It had exotic flavors and the curry sauce was distinctly original.

5^th order was Bubba’s Beef Kebabs. It was served with Basmati rice and roasted tomatoes. Tender beef cubes really made an impression on Bubba. I had a bite and was satisfied.

The tab worked around PHP 1,800 for all 5 dishes. Next time, I’ll be more mindful of the price for your reference.

I have a list of restaurants I’ve been meaning to try out and sometimes you just don’t know which one to prioritize. I’m glad that finally I was able to go to Arya. Thanks to mom for the Valentine treat! The way to a happy Valentine is through the stomach!

Album: http://cushee.multiply.com/photos/album/367/08_0214-_Arya