tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-224208822024-03-24T02:30:39.101+08:00The Makati Brunch ClubThe Makati Brunch Club is a gathering of friends based in Makati who meet to eat at restaurants in and around the Makati City area in beautiful Makati City, Philippines!Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-36251511575815186162008-03-16T15:21:00.003+08:002008-03-16T15:29:06.834+08:00Thanks for the memoriesTina, Leigh, Lean, and Idjea, and I would like to thank you for sticking it out with us. As a group of friends who worked in the same office in Makati, it was easy for us to go enjoy eating at restaurants in Makati, but as it is, life has taken us many different places, and the Makati Brunch Club, unfortunately, has to come to a close because of this.<br /><br />Tina now works in Ortigas. She is immensely successful and beautiful as always.<br /><br />Leigh and Lean work in Singapore. The former is a fulfilled career woman with a great zest for life; the latter is starting a new career as well, and has the support of so many people in prayer and good vibes that her success is virtually guaranteed.<br /><br />Idjea continues to work in Makati, and is extremely successful at what she does. She's skyrocketing up management levels and continues to do amazing things.<br /><br />And as for Ganns? Well, I'm working full-time for a <a href="http://victoryfortb.multiply.com">church in Makati</a>.<br /><br />Thanks for the memories, everyone. We love you all.<br /><br /><br />The Makati Brunch ClubGannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-12285691841969626462007-12-21T16:25:00.000+08:002007-12-21T16:51:24.785+08:00Loving Krispy Kreme's Holiday DonutsHave you seen <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme</a>'s new <span style="font-weight: bold;">Holiday Donuts</span>?<br /><br />These Christmas donuts from Krispy Kreme are so beautiful!<br /><center><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWS5vIfF3yoA9Wis9XK-cD7HfydsK8oYulzWZfyuRBlYfzEhHONglBDFcTnApbU1MZ9TiB4yx_DZvEQV41gSGfpRUq34DVx0F_AUm4m7wUzdoWRTW-s0Tv1h56eI84qzDY4fjpw/s1600-h/Image098.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQWS5vIfF3yoA9Wis9XK-cD7HfydsK8oYulzWZfyuRBlYfzEhHONglBDFcTnApbU1MZ9TiB4yx_DZvEQV41gSGfpRUq34DVx0F_AUm4m7wUzdoWRTW-s0Tv1h56eI84qzDY4fjpw/s320/Image098.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146341190009682482" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: center;"></div></center><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: georgia;">The six-donut Holiday Donut box from Krispy Kreme features (clockwise, from top left) Star-shaped Chocolate Iced </span><span style="font-family: georgia; color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">with Sprinkles; Santa's Chocolate Iced, Holiday Vanilla Iced, Holiday Chocolate Iced, Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses, and Star-shaped Vanilla Iced with Sprinkles.</span><br /><br />Christmas candies meet donuts! We received these delightful donuts earlier today, and we still haven't eaten them because they're too pretty to eat!<br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCwF2brIjdozKzTjFqDruY7mthlvv9lWK8ZbQNJy1Mw25pZxzueBSJyfap_5dp-xWUvRHhsbLwQPLHI9N89gdx8cPLWuWUM227-qjfabS6UuhpgGtqlqnNGRa0MkkKFPK79cBbg/s1600-h/Image099.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCwF2brIjdozKzTjFqDruY7mthlvv9lWK8ZbQNJy1Mw25pZxzueBSJyfap_5dp-xWUvRHhsbLwQPLHI9N89gdx8cPLWuWUM227-qjfabS6UuhpgGtqlqnNGRa0MkkKFPK79cBbg/s320/Image099.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146341190009682498" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;">Santa's Chocolate Iced</span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5dEsbFid9jfZHmJ53Q8f1p1jJlUgZ7biZhq7IMFXAAZ5oR5mWrwpmNtFjxasFWT-uMTu4uU6WuFM9VooDGW7HfK8iDffVH-3X1NFhBQJMX7f1aoF52uhS1G8P22jl7jB5GAU_A/s1600-h/Image101.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5dEsbFid9jfZHmJ53Q8f1p1jJlUgZ7biZhq7IMFXAAZ5oR5mWrwpmNtFjxasFWT-uMTu4uU6WuFM9VooDGW7HfK8iDffVH-3X1NFhBQJMX7f1aoF52uhS1G8P22jl7jB5GAU_A/s320/Image101.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146341194304649826" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"></span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Krispy Kreme Holiday Chocolate Iced </span></span><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFk3Jv9R_Rey8Eph6yIb8PfvGg5xsWh5xDX1RWP27fH0CZwp-uCLVJzLxVSKqDYbBi5nubbt5Ry7KkxZhR6lxS-uSWmkyHkpkztcLx1K8VNZzmeqlwpzzLUMtRvjsPtf-0WCRgg/s1600-h/Image102.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioFk3Jv9R_Rey8Eph6yIb8PfvGg5xsWh5xDX1RWP27fH0CZwp-uCLVJzLxVSKqDYbBi5nubbt5Ry7KkxZhR6lxS-uSWmkyHkpkztcLx1K8VNZzmeqlwpzzLUMtRvjsPtf-0WCRgg/s320/Image102.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5146341198599617138" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Hershey's Candy Cane Kisses </span>is a Krispy Kreme peppermint-flavored white chocolate iced doughnut topped with little pieces of crunchy candy. It looks spectacular, doesn't it?<br /><br />The Holiday Donuts are available at all Krispy Kreme Philippines outlets: Bonifacio High Street, SM Megamall, Greenhills Shopping Center (1st drive-thru store in Asia), TriNoma and now in SM Mall of Asia.Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-85000943824501930192007-04-24T08:42:00.000+08:002007-04-24T09:38:27.370+08:00Cashew bars that do the trickWe received a delightful little baked goodie sampler from IT specialist and apparent tycoon-in-the-making Irene Hungria, who coursed these little drops of heaven through one of our web designers, Red. The goodie sampler contained a box of cashew bars (PHP80), chocolate lollipops (PHP50), brownies (PHP80), and food for the gods (PHP135).<br /><br />We sampled each and were surprised by its quality. The cashew bars were che<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5jvX2BTqQk9i19533kMHeBWtGBlkGXn0VuTYkBUal7GEb5ULJ96Btn7mimMRA_esXVIDts-o300mQGw0B6Kcz0wlAUfhEanupUStvkuTuGTSHhM39xNA9LnqxC7b8QPJ0ehyphenhyphenWQ/s1600-h/mbccashew.jpeg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5jvX2BTqQk9i19533kMHeBWtGBlkGXn0VuTYkBUal7GEb5ULJ96Btn7mimMRA_esXVIDts-o300mQGw0B6Kcz0wlAUfhEanupUStvkuTuGTSHhM39xNA9LnqxC7b8QPJ0ehyphenhyphenWQ/s200/mbccashew.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5056802821242835346" border="0" /></a>wy and chocolatey, with just the right mix of crunch from toasted cashew toppings. The chocolate lollipops, while typical Pinoy chocolate, were made so much more attractive with the addition of little candy fruit. The brownies were moist and rich, as were the food for the gods. The prices were definitely worth it.<br /><br />If you'd like to order or sample any of Irene's handiwork, give her a call or SMS at 09179950870. You can also call Red at 09165958245, but you'd better be female and cute or he won't entertain you. Hahaha!Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-62746442793069260442007-04-16T11:11:00.000+08:002007-04-16T11:22:57.267+08:00We heart Yummy MagazineThanks to a tip from <a href="http://toni.marikit.net">Wifely Steps</a>, we picked up a copy of <a href="http://www.femalenetwork.com/recipes-cooking/yummy/">Yummy</a>, the newest b<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.femalenetwork.com/images/yummy/teaser_page1.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="http://www.femalenetwork.com/images/yummy/teaser_page1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>aby of Summit Media, and WE LOVE IT!<br /><br />We love the reader-friendly, colorful layout. We love the easy, budget-friendly recipes. We love the relevance of the content to ourselves as individuals and as family people (after all, some of us in the Brunch Club are married, some of us are single).<br /><br />We may not need to eat out as much if we use the recipes here! LOL<br /><br />It's also a real treat that fellow food blogger Marketman was given a spotlight!<br /><br />Seriously, give Yummy a quick run-through and see what a great magazine it is. It's available now at your neighborhood bookstore for just P95.Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-50433137981162901722007-04-10T16:17:00.000+08:002007-04-10T16:53:39.049+08:00Krispy Kreme Easter donuts.... Mmm!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3SB36CidgKa_nUH7RaR6V5JYOpR60DCKZLGY3kZSuYaoFklgYnVpUn-hidj1EPDsV8NklB7DCN0QdnUBRBBRO080c9yfClk6sza_5q1ibvrc4T7wDttjrkcmsTvEI-8q0yQNdA/s1600-h/DSC02736.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 191px; height: 143px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_DHoKHYIMUtk/RhtIU28HXhI/AAAAAAaAAAAM/8GbcjRghQpo/s320/DSC02736.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051710930208382482" border="0" /></a> For the Makati Brunch Club, Easter means the rising of the Christ and an opportunity for a host of new beginnings.<br /><br />Kicking it off with spectacular goodies from Krispy Kreme was an amazing way to celebrate Easter!<br /><br />The special Easter donuts prepared by Krispy Kreme Fort and Krispy Kreme Megamall were welcomed by the Makati Brunch Club with open arms and watering mouths.<br /><br />We enjoyed three variants: a cream cheese topped egg-shaped donut with chocolate<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLBYxGTtNmeaTHeUACgnQpcYn01rOykzvua54WcC4AuS5Xb3VItse5rlhigcXbH0g8adt_CDF0IHPTJQ21jFRI4_gIc8-RsHxGjUyeSiZn169nqf8DYU8WmV5mphZ-u_LExK1OA/s1600-h/DSC02733.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 152px; height: 114px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkLBYxGTtNmeaTHeUACgnQpcYn01rOykzvua54WcC4AuS5Xb3VItse5rlhigcXbH0g8adt_CDF0IHPTJQ21jFRI4_gIc8-RsHxGjUyeSiZn169nqf8DYU8WmV5mphZ-u_LExK1OA/s320/DSC02733.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5051718459286052402" border="0" /></a> dollops, a cream cheese topped candy sprinkled egg -shaped donut, and a chocolate topped candy sprinkled egg-shaped donut. They were really awesome.<br /><br />Some of our friends also enjoyed them. :)Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-2499347025626147902007-03-19T13:03:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:10:34.422+08:00Max's Restaurant in Greenbelt<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Today, the Makati Brunch Club visited Max's Restaurant in Makati. Located in Greenbelt 1, along the strip of Legaspi Street - that whole row of Chef D'Angelo, Mercury Drug, Chubby China, etc. - that most cars pass by but few people actually know, Max's restaurant in Makati would be long-forgotten were it not for the quality of its food.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">This morning, Leigh and I decided to go for brunch, and what better way to enjoy a heart breakfast than to help ourselves to the new Power Breakfast selection at this homey restaurant in Makati?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The breakfast choices at Max's Makati restaurant consisted of the following:</span><br />
</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Sausage Meal, featuring frankfurters, caramelized onions, served with garlic rice, eggs, and coffee (P150);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Tocino Meal, pan-fried pork seasoned with salt, pepper, and sugar, served with garlic rice, eggs, and coffee (P120);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Adobo Flakes Meal, shredded chicken and pork adobo, fried to a crisp, served with garlic rice, eggs, and coffee (P120);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Longganisa Meal, two pieces of cured sausage, served with garlic rice, eggs, and coffee (P120).</span></li>
</ul><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">You could also select:</span><br />
</span><br />
<ul style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Tapa Meal, marinated beef, served with garlic rice, eggs, and coffee (P155);</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Pepperoni Omelet, spicy pepperoni seved with four half-slices of toast, orange slices, and coffee (P150); and<br />
</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: 85%;">Triple Chocolate Champorado, sticky rice in a glutinous chocolate porridge.</span></li>
</ul><span style="color: #ffffcc; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I had the adobo flakes, which was delicious and crisp. The eggs were perfectly done, as was the garlic rice. Delicious, delicious, delicious. Unfortunately, it took them almost 40 minutes to serve my adobo flakes, virtually unforgivable for a restaurant meal. Leigh and Samira had long gone before I was served my food.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">The service at this Makati restaurant was, as usual, quite good. Save for some confusion when management and servers could not agree on whether or not to charge us for the champorado when we were initially told it was not included in a lovely gift voucher we received last week as courtesy from the restaurant, it was still a good experience.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I would recommend you try the adobo flakes - although those of you with heartier appetites may prefer the tocino meal, as it seemed to have larger portions - along with the champorado. Delightful!<br />
</span> <span style="color: #cc6600;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">*********************************************<br />
</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">An Early Morning for a Chocolate Rush</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
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I am not a breakfast-eating person. Don't get me wrong, I love all Filipino breakfast items. Corned beef, longganisa, tocino...I love them all, just not at breakfast or to be more exact, just not so early in the morning at a time when my stomach can't take anything in but liquids.<br />
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I however, will willingly brave an upset stomach and eat breakfast in only two situations: (1) if it's a breakfast buffet in a hotel or (2) it's free. Our early-morning trip to Max's was thanks to #2. And well worth the effort. ;)<br />
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I ordered their Triple Chocolate Champorado. (Don't you just love the name? Chocolate Champorado would have been enough for me but TRIPLE CHOCOLATE? Who can beat that?) I was not disappointed at all. When they say triple chocolate, you can just imagine 3 bars of chocolate melted into the sticky rice. It was sweet, rich and just simply delicious.<br />
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The champorado purists may not like it because of it's sweetness but knowing the Filipino penchant for sweet food, it'll be a hit. I wouldn't mind another bowl of their Triple Chocolate Champorado. I wonder if it's available for snacks...<br />
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~ Leigh<br />
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</span> <br />
</span></span></span></span>Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1165223920045286252006-12-04T17:01:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:11:11.240+08:00Delici Pastries and Sweets<div style="color: #ffffcc; font-family: trebuchet ms; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">This week, the Makati Brunch Club had the pleasure of enjoying a cookie sampler from Delici Pastries and Sweets, confectionery specialists extraordinaire.</span> </span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/1600/621884/DSC00378.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/320/310671/DSC00378.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> </span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The first thing you may notice about Delici cookies is its truly exquisite packaging! A light green box is kept together with a brown paper runner, on which are printed pleasant little silver twigs. Each Delici cookie is sealed in its own individual bag. Can you say, fresh and flavorful?</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/1600/842552/DSC00382.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/200/45354/DSC00382.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The white chocolate chip cookie from Delici was the most delightful of the Delici lot. With a generous helping of chunky white chocolate chips, this sweet and crumbly Delici cookie begged for a cup of hot cocoa or steaming coffee.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/1600/812798/DSC00385.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/200/106095/DSC00385.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The double chocolate Delici cookie, on the other hand, was a goosome twosome of awesome chocolatey goodness. Thick chocolate chunks embedded into a rich chocolate cookie. Lord, have mercy.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/1600/474276/DSC00381.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/2220/627/200/698105/DSC00381.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The chocolate chip cookie, while chewy and good, was nothing out of the ordinary. However, there are other cookie types at Delici that may cater to your own preferences.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Other varieties include Cream Cheese, Chocolate Orange, Chocolate Swirl, Peanut Butter, Chocolate Mint, and Oatmeal Raisin. Expect other MBC bloggers to weigh in on these, because I never got my grubby fingers on 'em.</span></span></div>TRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232270128979949883noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1164196167955872402006-11-22T19:19:00.000+08:002006-11-28T09:19:56.090+08:00[Krispy Kreme Philippines Series] The Original Glazed DonutToday, the Makati Brunch Club blogs about <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a>' spectacular original glazed donut.<br /><br />As we mentioned before, Krispy Kreme's Philippine branch opens on November 30, 2006, 8:30am, at the City Center, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, near Serendra, selling glazed lemon-filled, traditional cake, sugar, chocolate iced glaze, chocolate iced with sprinkles, glazed raspberry filled, new york cheesecake, powdered strawberry filled, chocolate iced creme filled, glazed cruller, glazed sour cream (!), chocolate iced custard filled, caramel kreme crunch, and glazed chocolate cake, in addition to the original glazed we sampled.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00347.3.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00347.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />The original glazed donut is the classic Krispy Kreme donut: simple and flavorful, an airy donut dipped into a sugar glaze that positively crumbles in your mouth. It tickles the palate with hints of sugar that are not too sweet - just perfect, if you ask us.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00345.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00345.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Lean: "One bite will never be enough."</span><br /></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00352.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00352.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Idjea: </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Yummy donut that melts in your mouth. A big improvement over the other donuts <br />available here in Manila. A definite must-buy for all donut-lovers!</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00346.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00346.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ganns: "I don't like having too much of a sugar rush, so this is great.<br />On the downside, the donuts I picked up seemed a little oilier than most."</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00344.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00344.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tina: "My perfect morning: fresh, light, soft and sweet!"<br /><br /></span></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00348.0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00348.0.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Leigh: "Sugar rush!"</span></span><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00353.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00353.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Say KRISPY KREMEEEEEEEE!<br /></div><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a> and Press Inc.'s Blooey Singson for hooking us up with these delightful donuts.<br /><br />Come to <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a>' official store opening on November 30, and avail of the following:<br /><ul><li>The first customer to ring the cash register will win a one-year supply of Original Glazed donuts.<br /></li><li>Free limited-edition <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a> tees will go to the first 500 customers.</li><li>Raffle prizes (one-, three-, and six-months worth of free donuts) up for grabs to the 2nd to 500th customers)</li></ul>TRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232270128979949883noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1164074255917067932006-11-21T09:22:00.000+08:002006-11-21T10:02:17.013+08:00Cucina @ Food Choices, Glorietta 4With some free time on our hands, we decided to walk all the way to Glorietta 4 for a yummy brunch. We walked around Glorietta 4 but couldn't come up with a choice that made all parties happy, so the solution? Food Choices!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">Fast Food</span><br />I'm not a fan of fast food areas, especially that of SM's. The cold metal benches and seeing the settling layer of fat and oil on perpetually reheated food doesn't stimulate your gastronomic senses at all. Glorietta 4's Food Choices is a definite improvement from the usual. (There are actually tables and chairs not bolted to the floor, imagine that!)<br /><br />However, one thing common among all fast food areas, and Glorietta 4's Food Choices is no expection, is the cramped space. Glorietta 4's Food Choices used to be a bit more spacious but for some reason they've added several booths or kiosks in the middle of the eating area and now it's just too congested.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold; font-style: italic;">On to the food</span><br />On this trip to Glorietta 4's Food Choices, I decided to get my food at Cucina (They serve Spanish-Filipino cuisine). Since they had a lot of yummy looking viands and I couldn't decide on just one, I ordered one their "promo" plates. For 155 pesos, I get a choice of 3 viands, rice and a small (really, it was small, look at the photo below) glass of softdrink.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image005.2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image005.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a>For my viands, I chose their Lengua with Mushroom Sauce, a spanish classic, Callos and my craving for that day, Chorizo. For the rice, I had their Spanish Rice.<br /><br />For just 155 pesos, the amount of food on my plate was not bad. It was pretty amazing actually, I was expecting them to stinge on the dishes but surprisingly they placed a good sized serving of each viand.<br /><br />Their Lengua with Mushroom Sauce was good. It was cooked well, not tough to eat and the mushroom sauce was delicious. I think I had about 3 slices of lengua (tongue!)<br /><br />Their Callos was also yummy and cooked just right. Some callos dishes come out chewy but theirs weren't which was good considering the dish was probably out there on the display for several hours already.<br /><br />Now for their Chorizo, this was a bit of a disappointment. The last time I ate at Cucina, I adored their chorizo dishes. Unfortunately, on this try the sausage was cut too thick and it was crumbly. Don't know how else to describe it but looking at the sausage slices, I think the meat of the sausage was not packed into the sausage skin (or whatever that's called) that well. The taste wasn't all that bad but the texture of the sausage when you eat it just distracts you from tasting its flavor.<br /><br />Yes, they didn't stinge on the viands but boy were they "economical" on the drinks. When I said small, I didn't mean the regular sized plastic cups. Small means those transparent plastic cups some places give out when you just want some tap water. Darn it, it was <span style="font-size:78%;">small</span>!<br /><br />Verdict: I will go back and try out their other dishes (their chicken looked good) but maybe this time I'll go with a regular order to get a regular-sized drink.ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1163643684224641072006-11-16T10:02:00.000+08:002006-11-21T09:14:27.843+08:00The Old Spaghetti House @ Paseo de Roxas<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">We headed over to The Old Spaghetti House or TOSH along Paseo de Roxas Road in the Makati Central Business District. This Old Spaghetti House is just a couple of blocks away from Greenbelt 1. Really just a short 5-minute walk from our office.<br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image004.4.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 278px; height: 207px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image004.1.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Old Spaghetti House's Lasagna</span><br /></span></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br />Anyway, we had eaten there before but I think it was pre-MBC days so no review yet. This time, I tried their Lasagna, a classic pasta dish. Thanks to Greenwich commercials, I have been craving this pasta for days (ironically, I didn't end up in Greenwich...) There's not much you can do to destroy a lasagna recipe. It's pretty simple to cook and the flavor is classic. As for TOSH's Lasagna, it was good. Not great mind you, but not bad at all. It could have been better with more cheese and a bigger serving.<br /><br /></span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image002.3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 207px; height: 155px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image002.2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">I also ordered their Garlic Mushroom appetizers and it was pretty good. Cebu's Sol E Luna had better unfortunately, t</span><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">hey closed down (big bummer).<br /><br />Conclusion: I'd go back for another serving of their lasagna and maybe try out their other pasta dishes. That's if I really want to spend a bit more than I should for lasagna.<br /><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image003.2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 269px; height: 200px;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image003.2.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-style: italic;font-size:85%;" >Another one of their pasta dishes... now if only I can remember what it's called...</span><br /></div><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1163572093985935442006-11-15T14:08:00.000+08:002006-11-15T15:13:28.466+08:00[Krispy Kreme Philippines Series] The Glazed Chocolate Cake<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://krispykreme.com.ph/images/kkSubHome.gif"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 116px; height: 42px;" src="http://krispykreme.com.ph/images/kkSubHome.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a>For the next few days, the Makati Brunch Club will have the pleasure of blogging about <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a>! Krispy Kreme donuts, the world-renowned American doughnut franchise, will officially open on Philippine shores on November 30, 2006, 8:30am, at the City Center, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, near Serendra.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00333.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00333.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Today, with Lean and Idjea out of the office on official business (bwahahaha!), Leigh, Tina, and I had the pleasure of sampling the first donut variety sent us, the <span style="font-weight: bold;">glazed chocolate cake</span>, which was a soft, moist chocolate cake topped with a light glaze. Rich and sinful, but not gritty with sugar, this donut was absolutely delightful.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Leigh</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">The glaze is so yummy, I could lick it off the donut!<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00337.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00337.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ganns</span>: <span style="font-style: italic;">To quote </span>Friends' <span style="font-style: italic;">Monica Geller,</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">I think I just had a tiny orgasm! Hahaha! Seriously, a sinfully rich, wonderfully moist cake donut with just the right amount of sweetness.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00338.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00338.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Tina:</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">Irresistible, minus the guilt!</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00339.gif"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00339.gif" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div>Other donut varieties available in the Philippines are original glazed, glazed lemon-filled, traditional cake, sugar, chocolate iced glaze, chocolate iced with sprinkles, glazed raspberry filled, new york cheesecake, powdered strawberry filled, chocolate iced creme filled, glazed cruller, glazed sour cream (!), chocolate iced custard filled, and caramel kreme crunch.<br /><br />Thanks to <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a> for hooking us up with these delightful donuts.<br /><br />Come to <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph/">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a>' official store opening on November 30, and avail of the following:<br /><ul><li>The first customer to ring the cash register will win a one-year supply of Original Glazed donuts.<br /></li><li>Free limited-edition <a href="http://www.krispykreme.com.ph">Krispy Kreme Philippines</a> tees will go to the first 500 customers.</li><li>Raffle prizes (one-, three-, and six-months worth of free donuts) up for grabs to the 2nd to 500th customers)</li></ul>Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1161154998073547742006-10-18T14:49:00.000+08:002006-11-16T10:00:22.830+08:00Razon's Greenbelt<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00267.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00267.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br />Today, Leigh, Tina, and I brunched at the new Razon's Greenbelt, a Filipino restaurant in Makati beside Delifrance Greenbelt. This new Makati restaurant is famous for its pancit luglug and halo-halo, so we trooped on over to try the food at Razon's Greenbelt.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Ambience.</span> Razon's Greenbelt is relatively new, so its facilities were still quite clean. Its yellow interior was very inviting, and I was impressed with how spacious it looked compared to Monasteryo, the restaurant in Greenbelt whose spot Razon's now occupied. The chairs were relatively comfortable, and the lighting was quite good. The only drawback to the ambience? The strong smell of food - which isn't necessarily a bad thing - was all over this Makati restaurant, and without an exhaust fan in sight, the odds that the different aromas of the food will stick to your clothing are quite good.<br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00268.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00268.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00269.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00269.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00270.0.jpg"><img style="cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/200/DSC00270.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br /></div><span style="font-weight: bold;">Food.</span> I ordered the two house specialties: pancit luglug, which is rice noodles in a yellow spiced sauce, and halo-halo, which is an ice mountain with milk, candied bananas, and custard on top. The pancit luglug was not bad at all, flavorful and textured. The P65 I paid for it, however, seemed a little steep, considering the amount of noodles on my plate. The halo-halo, which I shared with Leigh, was also good, different from typical halo-halo, which usually has kaong and beans, which I don't like. Without these colorful Philippine tidbits, we basically got a cold, caramel-flavored ice shake - which I did like.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00272.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/400/DSC00272.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">Price.</span> I paid P65 for the pancit and P65 for the halo-halo. The food was good, but to pay P130 for a meal that I think would've cost me about P100 if I had ordered a standard halo-halo to go from ChowKing and a petite pancit palabok from Red Ribbon, was a bit stiff.<br /><br />Overall, the food wasn't half-bad, the place wasn't half-bad, and the prices were a little meh. Would I return to this Makati restaurant? Only if I were craving pancit luglug, which doesn't happen that often.Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1155874589688585172006-08-18T11:33:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:11:22.685+08:00Masas @ Greenbelt 2<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Dining at the Masas restaurant in Greenbelt 2 in Makati is always a delight. Aside from the great food, it's also a great restaurant in Makati to hang out with friends and catch up with each other's lives. An added bonus are occasional acoustic performances at night, which never fail to delight music-lovers, such as yours truly. Watch out for my friend Zion, who won last year's Next Big Thing - Search for the Next RnB Star. He sometimes performs at Masas, accompanied by his acoustic buddy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Now back to the food... </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Tina, Leigh, Lean and I headed to Masas in Greenbelt 2, along with a few co-workers, to celebrate Tina & Leigh's birthday. I hesitated at first because I know menu items at this Makati restaurant could be a bit pricey - I didn't know they have "silog" items that are quite affordable (the most affordable being at P105). </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">I ordered Adobo Flakes, served with fried rice, scrambled eggs, diced tomatoes & onions with 2 slices of salted egg and sauce on the side for the adobo. The food was hot when it was served; and the entire dish was not at all oily, at least not as oily as "silog" food served in other restaurants in Makati. The saltiness of the adobo, even with its sauce, was just right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The service at this Makati restaurant was fast. But that's probably because we went there early. The staff were also friendly, they struck a pose behind us when we took pictures of each other. I think they're notorious for that. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Nevertheless, the dining experience was great, as always. -- Idj</span><br />
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</div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/CIMG1340.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"></span></span><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/CIMG1340.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Adobo Flakes</span></span></div></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/CIMG1344.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/CIMG1344.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Skinless Longganiza<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Quezo Puti and salso</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;">I love Masas at night. The acoustic background, food and the ambiance is great. One of my favorite chill places. -tinz</span></div>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1154570581746336542006-08-03T09:48:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:11:46.149+08:00The Seafood Club @ Greenbelt 3<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/yumcrabs.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/400/yumcrabs.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">We've been craving crabs for months now. We've always planned to have some come payday but somehow we always ended up in some other restaurant or worse, in the pantry with our canned goods and <span style="font-style: italic;">baon</span>.<br />
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Finally, this payday we satisfied our cravings. Lean, Idj and I headed to The Seafood Club at Greenbelt 3. We had planned on ordering the Crab Solo (crab, pasta and something or another, can't recall now) but Lean and I got sidetracked with their buffet, specifically their appetizers.<br />
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For my first round, from the appertizer area, I sampled some of their meatballs, baby potatoes and garlic mushroom. And from their main course, <span style="font-style: italic;">Lengua</span> and fish fillet in some cream sauce,<br />
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The meatballs was yummy, it reminded me of Ikea's Swedish Meatballs with not as much gravy. Their baby potatoes were boiled, semi-peeled, sauteed in garlic and basil (?) and topped with a white cream sauce. It was yummy but then again I'm partial to anything potato-ey. Their garlic mushrooms were not so good. They were cold and not as garlic-y as I wanted them, not enough flavor.<br />
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And for the second round, I got a plateful of crabs. The buffet featured two types but on sight, you can't tell the difference. After eating them you'd realize one had spicier taste to it. It was YUMMY. I love crab. I don't mind eating with my hands, it's thrilling to remove the shell of the crab and aim to get a perfect peice of crabmeat.<br />
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I enjoyed the buffet but for 450 net it's a splurge.<br />
<br />
~~ Leigh<br />
<br />
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</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/withthecrabs.4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/400/withthecrabs.4.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">miss leecha and miss moja feeling crabby</span><br />
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<br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/seafoodclubpasta.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/400/seafoodclubpasta.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-style: italic;">idjea's Seafood Club Pasta<br />
</span></span></span></div><span style="color: #ff9966; font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <span style="color: #ff99ff;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I absolutely love seafood. However, when the brunchers wanted to go to The Seafood Club in Greenbelt 3, i hesitated a bit. I didn't want to lunch there as I feel it would eat up on my budget. And besides, what's the point of going to The Seafood Club if not to crab-all-you-want from the buffet? <br />
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I curbed my appetite for crab... poor me... and ordered The Seafood Club Pasta from its a la carte items. I didn't regret my decision as it was a delightfully tasteful meal. It's fetuccine pasta, with an oil-based sauce, with lots of shredded seafood, dried tomatoes and big slices of sweet bell pepper, served with 2 pieces of one of the best garlic breads I've ever tasted. Yummy!!!<br />
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However, the price was a bit steep as expected. This particular dish costs P230, and that's without tax & service charge yet. It's quite pricey and I just think it shouldn't be worth that much. But it's great food, so I guess that's okay... :) - Idj</span> <br />
</span></span></span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1154080786899882872006-07-28T17:45:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:11:52.677+08:00David's Tea House @ Greenbelt 1<span style="font-family: georgia;">It was still several days before payday (and a Friday to boot!) and we were tired of eating canned goods for lunch (not too mention it's bad for you). So half of the Brunch Clubbers decided to eat out for lunch. (plus it was raining... need comfort food -tinz)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">After much deliberation (we're running out of budget-friendly places!), we decided on David's Tea House in Greenbelt 1 Makati. Usually this place is overflowing with people but today was not one of those days which was good for us. David's Tea House is a typical Chinese restaurant, it's bright, crowded and noisy. Thumbs up for the fast service and cleanliness of the place. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">This is my second time at David's Tea House. The last time was pre-Brunch Club days. We ordered family style and it was yummy albeit a bit expensive for everyday eating. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00342.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00342.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">This time, to save what little money I had left, I ordered their Wanton Hofan Soup and an order of Shrimp Siomai. Their Wanton Hofan was okay, not good but not bad either. It wasn't as tasty that I expected. I had to rely on their chili sauce to add some flavor. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">The Shrimp Siomai from David's Tea House was actually pretty good. Very tasty and not all covered in siomai wrapper like some other dimsum places. </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">(true true! love their siomai!-tinz)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">I'd go back to David's Tea House in Greenbelt 1 Makati but maybe this time I'll stick to their family-style offerings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: georgia;">~~ Leigh<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00341.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00341.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Sweet and sour pork was average. Used to order their orange chicken... yummy too. Chinese food really is soothing. -tina<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00343.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00343.png" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #ff9966; font-family: georgia;"><span style="color: #cc33cc;"><br />
</span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1153220499465599572006-07-18T18:02:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:12:01.255+08:00Pizza Company @ Market! Market! Fort - Taguig<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc2.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="color: #ffff99; font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc2.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Today, the Makati Brunch Club decided to step out of its native roots, and headed off to Taguig for its first non-Makati restaurant review. The beneficiary of this “special” distinction: The Pizza Company at the Market! Market! shopping mall in Taguig City.</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc3.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc3.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Idjea, Lean, Leigh and Tina pose in front of the Pizza Company restaurant in Taguig<br />
<br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Even more fun was the fact that the Makati Brunch Club – Lean, Leigh, Idjea, Tina, and I – was complete for the first time in months! With all this excitement, we piled into The Family Car (that would be my Revo) and headed towards Market! Market!<br />
</span> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc1.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc1.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Pizza Company's festive and clean interiors<br />
<br />
</span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The Pizza Company restaurant in Taguig is a delightfully clean place that offers Italian dishes for value. As the The Pizza Company - Fort photo above shows, festive wallpaper, preserved vegetables, and an open-air cooking area add to the pleasant vibes of The Pizza Company in Market! Market!</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc6.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc6.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A thick, creamy Fettucine Florentine from The Pizza Company<br />
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</span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> We ordered The Pizza Company's Fettucine Florentine</span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> that was rich, creamy, and flavorful without being heavy. The pasta was cooked to perfection, al dente without starchiness. Abundant ham and spinach only served to enhance the fattucine experience.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc7.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc7.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">A sweet and tasty Pasta Bolognese from The Pizza Company</span></span></div><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">We also ordered The Pizza Company's Pasta Bolognese, which was tangy and sweet, with generous servings of spiced ground beef.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc5.gif" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc5.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Idjea posing with the Bacon and Cheese Twists </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> from The Pizza Company</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"> A special treat that I finally got to claim was The Pizza Company's Bacon and Cheese Twists, which were heavenly and flaky, rich and truly delightful. We got this free, thanks for the Pizza Company Taguig's Loyalty Card promotions, which I was finally able to claim on a weekday.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/pc4.png" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/pc4.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Tom Yum Kung / All Meat Pizza </span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;"> from The Pizza Company</span></span></div><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><br />
Finally, the piece de resistance, the Pizza Company's pizza, which was a half-and-half, a treat they give because of their first-year anniversary. The top half in the photo shows the Pizza Company specialty, a mouthwateringly spicy Tom Yum Kung; the bottom half shows this Taguig restaurant's half-sweet, half-salty all-meat selection. We ordered the medium size crispy, which it was.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Price-wise, expect a heftier bill than usual at the Pizza Company thanks to almost 20% add-on in taxes. Ouch. Other than the exorbitant bill, which almost didn't justify the cost of the food, The Pizza Company is a fantastic restaurant in Taguig worth experiencing. I'd go back in a heartbeat. - Ganns<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: verdana;">It has been one Italian place to another! In this particular rainy day, the club was once again in complete attendance and in full force as we trek down Market Market and indulge in a much-awaited Pizza Co. experience.<br />
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I personally have been to this resto a couple of times and I can say that it never fails to satisfy not only one's hunger but also some major Italian craving.<br />
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We ordered a personal favorite of mine, Pasta Bolognese. I'm not much of a fan of white/cream-based pastas and this bolognese is cooked to perfection. The sauce is so yummy and not oily at all; the pasta itself is perfect in every bite.<br />
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The pizza on the other hand is a character in its own. It was my first time to try the Tom Yung Kung pizza and since it's the pizza's take on the famous Thai soup, which I'm not a fan of, I didn't like it as much as I thought I would.<br />
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As for the All Meat pizza, as expected, it's so sinfully delicious. The crust is superbly thin and crunchy and the portions of meat are bountiful.<br />
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This place makes you fall in love with Italian food over and over again. - lean<br />
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<span style="font-family: georgia;">Like Lean, I've also been to The Pizza Company in Market! Market! before. My all-time favorite dish there is the Fetuccine Florentine. I'm partial to tomato-based sauce as well but this pasta dish is to die for. Perfect white sauce in my opinion. It's not too creamy nor is it too oily. You don't feel your arteries clog up with the cream.<br />
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I also like their Tom Yung Kung pizza but then again I'm a thai food junkie. I don't think it's for everyone though, especially not for those that detest Thai food.<br />
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Other items on their menu that I recommend but we didn't order: their Stuffed Calamari (yummy baby squid stuffed with crabstick) and their Cheese Garlice Bread (yummy yummy for your tummy).<br />
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I will definitely go back to The Pizza Company in Market! Market! You go too!<br />
-- Leigh<br />
</span></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00330.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00330.jpg" style="cursor: pointer;" /></span></a></div><span style="color: #ffff99; font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #ffcccc;"><span style="color: #ffcc66;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
I'm not really a fan of pizza company. Maybe because I prefer my red sauce to be more italian- a little sour and not so sweet. And I didn't like the crust of their pizza that much too. I prefer homemade dough. Their cream based pasta seemed starchy. And maybe because I didn't like the Tom Yum Kung seafood pizza that we ordered that much. There's this tang of salty water or is it just my imagination? hehe I just liked the colorful decor amongst the wooden chairs. Nothin' beats </span><a href="http://makatibrunchclub.blogspot.com/2006/07/italiannis-greenbelt-2.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Itallianis</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> for me. :P -tina</span></span><br />
</span></span></span></span></span>Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1152863016259530142006-07-14T14:12:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:13:43.923+08:00Pizzeria via Napoleone @ Jupiter Street<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 100%; font-weight: bold;">Pizzeria Via Napoleone<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">#28 Jupiter St., Bel-Air Village, Makati City</span><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">63.2.899.6147</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/DSC00288.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/DSC00288.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 142px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 190px;" /></a><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">an Italian restaurant in Makati foodfest, Pizzeria Via Napoleone along Jupiter hosted half of the Makati Brunch Club today while the other half dined at Italianni's in Greenbelt 2. Tina and I took time out to travel from our office in Legaspi Village to sup at this charming Italian restaurant in Makati and enjoy authentic Italian cuisine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">Together with four other friends, we ordered two pizzas (Gorgonzola and Tutta Carne) and two pastas (Carbonara and Amatricana), a selection adequate for a party of six but certainly not for four hungry gentlemen and two famished ladies.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">So how did I find Pizzeria Via Napoleone's food?</span><br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/DSC00287.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/DSC00287.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 179px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 242px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The Pizzeria Via Napoleone's pizza dough was obviously fresh and handmade, with the chefs making the pizzas in full view of diners. The pizzas of this particular restaurant in Makati may be designed to be light, which they were. In my opinion, the pizzas lacked toppings, especially the gorgonzola, which was supposed to highlight blue cheese, which I hardly got to taste, even hints of it, in the pizza. The tutta carne, which means all meat, had meat, but certainly not enough to make the pizza filling. To add insult to injury, at the bottom of the plate, underneath the pizza, was one solitary hair; Tina and I then glanced over to the chefs' corner to discover, to our horror, that the chefs were not wearing hairnets while they kneaded the dough and baked the pizzas.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">The pastas, on the other hand, were overcooked, so instead of a pleasant al dente, we got a relatively tough, almost starchy pasta. I did not try the carbonara, but the amatricana was relatively bland, and one other diner with us noted the lack of flavor.</span><br />
<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/1600/DSC00290.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="font-family: trebuchet ms;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/823/42/320/DSC00290.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">"Maybe real Italian food is supposed to be bland," he noted.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">"Believe me, it's not," I countered.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';">In fairness, the prices of this Italian restaurant in Makati were quite reasonable, so I imagine that may have softened the blow of this otherwise noteworthy restaurant. The ambience lent itself to a pleasant experience, with its clean, austere surroundings and Italian decor. The service was lightning fast (food arrived within minutes), and there was no wait for seating. Ultimately, though, I was not particularly impressed with the food of Pizzeria Via Napoleone, and when the food of any Makati restaurant leaves me wanting to eat more, albeit not of the same cuisine from said restaurant, I do not see myself returning. - Ganns<br />
</span></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 130%;"><br />
</span><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">Ninja turtle in the past life. </span><span style="font-size: 130%; font-weight: bold;">(hehehe kidding)<br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;">by: Tina</span><br />
</span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00292.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00292.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a>I've always been a fan of pizza. Pizza could sustain me. hehe I just love pizza and any kinds of italian food! (I know it's not forever that I could just escape the implications from all the calories hehehe) Coming across Pizzeria via Napoleone's at Jupiter Street, Makati, I knew I've found another favorite italian restaurant. The blue cheese pizza is just heavenly. This runs third place in my favorite pizza list! (And it's in reasonable prices too. Although the carbonara seems a little starchy. Still I love it's not so cheesy, not so salty, not so buttery taste... a little bland and sour pizza and not-so creamy white<br />
sauce. The restaurant is really not so fancy. But they serve your order really fast! I'm definitely coming back! <span style="font-size: 78%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">~ Nice boxy lights on top... </span>~</span>Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1152857736531229462006-07-14T14:01:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:13:52.352+08:00Seattle's Best Coffee @ Greenbelt 3<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image004.3.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image004.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 160px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 210px;" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">And for dessert... we headed off to Seattle's Best Coffee at Greenbelt 3 Makati. I've been craving for Seattle's Best Coffee's all-time best SBC Javanilla Shake since last Tuesday (when I last had one!).<br />
<br />
</span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image005.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/200/Image005.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia;">Seattle's Best Coffee's</span><span style="color: #ff9966; font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> Javanilla Shake is like no other's. I love it mainly because it's not sweet. You can actually still taste the coffee in this great coffee creation from this coffee shop in Makati. You are not overwhelmed by the whipped cream. Between Starbucks, Gloria Jeans, Coffee Bean and Seattle's Best, the best ice blended coffee (for me at least) would be SBC's Javanilla Shake.<br />
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My dad once asked a barista from another coffee shop in Makati what their counterpart for SBC's Javanilla Shake was. The barista recommended one drink but let's just say it doesn't even come close to the ballpark.<br />
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YUMMY!!! -- Leigh<br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffcccc;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">I must admit that I am not a coffee drinker. I do love coffee shops, though. There's something quaint about them.<br />
<br />
<br />
Anyhow, I am such a Starbucks, Seattle's and Coffee Bean fanatic. Not so on their coffee concoctions but on the other drinks they offer.<br />
<br />
<br />
Arriving groggy and sleepy today, I had to get my caffeine fix, so I went to Starbucks during the morning. Quite satisfied, I was taken aback when Leigh wanted to get a Javanilla Shake at Seattle's, which of course, I could never resist. C'mon, it's Javanilla! No one can resist that, right?<br />
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So with a palpitating heart, I bought my Javanilla even though my eyes are almost bawling out of their sockets due to coffee overload. Told ya I aint no coffee drinker. A cup makes me an energizer bunny already. And having two, well, just keeps me going and going and going......<br />
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But, yummy nonetheless. Never fails. - lean</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
</span> <br />
</span></span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1152856647826895952006-07-14T13:34:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:13:59.285+08:00Italianni's @ Greenbelt 2<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/logo.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/logo.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 78px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 261px;" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
<br />
Don't you just love paydays? Everyone does but more so us Makati Brunch Clubbers. It's a day when we can splurge and eat to our stomachs' content at any restaurant in Makati.<br />
<br />
This payday, we went Italianni's at Greenbelt 2. (Actually, we were craving for the Japanese food at Yaku at the Somerset, but due to ongoing renovations, that review would have to wait until August.)<br />
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<span style="font-style: italic;">Smoked Salmon Pizza<br />
</span></span></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image002.2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image002.1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 181px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 263px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br />
Before anything else, forgive us for the pictures of the half-eaten food we ordered at this Italian restaurant in Makati. The only excuse we can give is that we were so hungry we totally forgot to take photos.<br />
<br />
Anyway, because of the <span style="font-style: italic;">sashimi</span> cravings, we decided on the Smoked Salmon Pizza and it was good. Not great mind you, I found the crust too chewy for my taste. I tend to like my pizzas with a little crunch in them. (If you guys are looking for an Italian restaurant in Cebu, try La Tegola Ristorante! The Parma Ham is yummy!).<br />
<br />
The smoked salmon was satisfying, with the many flavors - cheese and dill, among them - blending very well with the fish.<br />
<br />
</span></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image003.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image003.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 183px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 257px;" /></a><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;">Baked Ziti<br />
<br />
</span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">The baked ziti of this Italian restaurant in Makati was fantastic. Italianni's baked ziti was very good; the meat and sauce was delicious. It wasn't flavored for the Filipino preference of sweet tomato pastas. A little dash with Tabasco sauce and it's perfect.<br />
<br />
The Italianni bread looked yummy as well but I'd have to get Lean's take on that since she was the only one who had a taste.<br />
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Italianni's serving size is perfect for two. Maybe three if you're not too hungry. With the pizza, one serving was enough for us three girls.<br />
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-- Leigh<br />
<br />
</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image001.4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image001.2.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 177px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 262px;" /></a> <span style="font-size: 85%;">One good reason to go to Italianni's: free foccacia bread!<br />
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #ff99ff; font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Makati Brunch Club was craving for Japanese food, and we wanted to go to Yaku at the Somerset Millenium, but it is unfortunately closed for renovations. We head our way to Greenbelt instead, without any clue where lunch was going to be. We decided on Italianni's at the last minute, and we didn't regret our choice.<br />
<br />
The Baked Zitti was great! It had lots of cheese, which I liked, and lots of sausages, which I also liked. The serving was a bit small to be shared by 3 people, but with a slice of Smoked Salmon Pizza, which also had generous toppings of salmon and cheese, which I also liked, what we had was definitely filling.<br />
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I would like to especially commend on the service rendered by the staff at Italianni's. They were very quick with their service, from the time they seated us to our table to the delivery of our change. What's worth mentioning though is how they didn't throw away our packed left-over pizza when we left the resto to buy our coffee elsewhere. We went back to the resto hoping that they haven't thrown it away yet. Apparently, they kept it at one of their counters for just in case we had to come back for it. Great service, ain't it? :) -- Idj<br />
</span> <span style="color: #ffcccc;"><span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
I adore Italian food. I have good enough reason to believe that I'm a Sicilian native in my past life.<br />
<br />
Yep, Idj is correct when she said we did not plan on eating at Italiani's this fateful payday. But since the Jap resto near the office is closed for renovation, we had no choice but to scour for a new place to dine.<br />
<br />
And yes, Greenbelt is the answer to our aching tummies. And what better way to satisfy it but indulge in some Italian loving!<br />
<br />
So we, the fantastic three of Idj, Leigh and I, decided to have pasta and pizza. Smoked Salmon Pizza and Baked Ziti. Good thing it's already payday and we can dine in our hearts' content without much of the annoyance that we'll end up penny less afterwards. Come to think of it, we almost did.<br />
<br />
Every single bite was sumptuous. The pizza crust is perfect. The pasta is al dente. It was simply heavenly.<br />
<br />
- lean</span> <br />
</span></span></span></span></div></div>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1152775332176719822006-07-13T15:05:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:14:12.988+08:00McDonald's - Greenbelt 1<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/mcafe.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/mcafe.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 209px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 311px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Awww...do we still need to do some review for McDonalds? (whining) Filipinos love McDonalds. Everybody does. Who doesn't? Of course, excluding people who are working in call centers, claiming it as their 24/7 fast food chain and source of survival that they basically have to eat it everyday. Don't ask them they'd probably throw up first before saying one word. Or those that are extremely health conscious and deprives themselves of once-in-a-while indulgence.<br />
<br />
But of course, McDonald's is the all time favorite American fast food chain all over the globe! Let's not dig into the history, all we know that if it's raining, or if we are low in budget like today... (since payday is not until tomorrow) there's no other comfort food better than McDonald's french fries, quarter pounder, double cheeseburger, bigmac and chicken meal.<br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image001.2.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image001.1.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 206px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 273px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lei havin a Car's (movie) Happy Meal - chicken nuggets, twister fries and soda<br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00283.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00283.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 204px; width: 272px;" /></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">my big mac meal =)<br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00287.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00287.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 202px; width: 270px;" /></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Our common favorite: Hot choco fudge brownie.... delicious when topped with vanilla icecream<br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00284.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00284.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 199px; width: 267px;" /></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">McChicken Meal of Cel</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">YUM! JUNKFOOD we know, but there's no other fulfilling super quick meal than McDonald's! It's good to eat sinfully sometimes. Extra cardio! I'll probably walk an extra hour this weekend.hehe As what Ganns would say when he is doubted of his food choices. "You live longer, but at least, I'm happier." ;)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Donna and Cel, two fellow designers joined us today by the way. Thanks to you two! Hope you enjoyed our makati brunch sessions. We're a little feisty today, it's probably the weather. hehe -tina<br />
</span> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00286.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00286.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; height: 200px; width: 268px;" /></span></span></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 78%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">A Quarter Pounder</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Love ko to! : )<br />
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McDonald's is one of those comfort joints that never fails to soothe one's craving. Not to mention it's being budget friendly.<br />
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Love their McCafe, with its cozy ambience best partnered with their delightful sweets.<br />
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For today's rainy day edition, I had my usual McNuggets Turbo Treat. I'm not much of a rice fan but since I love chicken, this is the closest I can get.<br />
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Thanks Tin for the pics, even though we have that "depressed area" look because of the awful weather.<br />
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- lean<br />
</span> </span></span></span></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image002.1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image002.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 186px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 247px;" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: 'trebuchet ms'; font-size: 85%;"><span style="color: #ffcc00; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #ffcccc;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When the Makati Brunch Club is on a budget, and none of us has baon, McDonald's is always on top of the list. Apart from its ideal proximity from the office, we just love hanging out at McCafe, where we'll have dessert - most of the time the fudgy choco, a common favorite - after we have had our very satisfying comfort meals.<br />
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See that meal above? That's my absolute fave when eating at this joint -- Double Cheeseburger Meal, just plain, without the dressing please. For cheese & meat lovers, you must absolutely try this for the following reasons:<br />
<br />
1) Since it is a special request, your burger is served right off the grill<br />
2) The taste of alternating cheese slices & burger patties is absolutely heaven!!!<br />
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Sinful -- I know! But who cares? :) -- Idjea<br />
</span></span> <br />
</span></span></span></span></span></span>TRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14232270128979949883noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1152180536815784712006-07-06T17:55:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:14:28.257+08:00Fish & Co @ Greenbelt 3<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today, the Makati Brunch Club eats at the Fish & Co. restaurant in Makati, located on the third floor of Greenbelt 3 in beautiful Makati City, Philippines.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00080.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/DSC00080.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">the girls at Fish & co</span></span></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00076.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/DSC00076.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 153px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 203px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Grilled Calamari</span> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
We ordered Fish % Co.'s grilled calamari to share among the four of us and it was delicious, cooked to perfection!<br />
<br />
Squid is tricky to cook. If you overcook it, it's so hard to eat. But Fish & Co's Grilled Calamari was perfect. It was a great starter as we waited for our next course.<br />
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</span> <span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fish and Chips</span></span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00077.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/DSC00077.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 161px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 216px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
We had two orders to share among the four of us. The fish was yummy. </span> </span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fish % Co.'s Fish and Chips was definitely </span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">juicy and flavorful. The breading didn't overpower the fish. Other fish and chips from other restaurants in Makati sometimes have the breading thicker than the fillet of fish. The fish at Fish & Co. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"></span></span><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">also came with some sort of sauce (tartar?), although it was not enough for the entire fish.<br />
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The chips were also great. It had spice (cajun powder?) on it which gave the potatoes an extra kick.<br />
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Overall, I loved Fish & Co. If I were hungry enough, I could have finished the entire dish. I would definitely go back. And if they were more affordable, I'd be there twice or thrice a week. I love fish.<br />
<br />
-- Leigh<br />
<br />
</span> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00082.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/DSC00082.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 196px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 242px;" /></a></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Birthday treat: Free cake from Fish & Co. because it was Idjea's birthday.</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00079.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00079.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 211px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 282px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 85%; font-style: italic;"></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Thank God for Fish and Co. because eating healthy has never been this good and filling.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have always been a fan of everything and anything seafood. Thanks to my boyfriend whose love affair with seafood has rubbed off me big time.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I love all the food at this restaurant in Makati. The fish and chips are sumptuous to every bite; the calamari is tender in every way and we even got free cake!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum :)</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">- lean</span></span></div><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/1600/DSC00072.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2220/627/320/DSC00072.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 195px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 146px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I just like this photo of Leigh I took! Red striped shirt in synch with the background! hehehe I need to post it! hehehe. I love the blue painted walls of fish and co.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I love their chair too. I just love their interior and ambiance. Food is great! Healthy and satisfying! :)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">yours truly,</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-tina</span></div></div><span style="font-size: 100%; font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/DSC00084.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/DSC00084.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 199px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 264px;" /></a>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1149562275111114022006-06-06T10:34:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:14:36.518+08:00Soul Food @ Greenbelt 3<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image002.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image002.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 186px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 237px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">It was a day after payday and we were depressed (well, most of us at least). A surefire way to cure our ills? Good food and good company.<br />
<br />
We tried Soul Food on the second floor of Greenbelt 3 Makati.<br />
<br />
They had a selection of "budget meals" which were mostly chicken. I ordered their Jerk Chicken since the waiter said it was one of their best sellers and it was not bad.<br />
<br />
It consisted of grilled chicken fillet, java rice, half a fried banana, sweet vinegar and some sweet chili sauce. The serving was not so big but perfect for me (I was able to finish it all! And that is a feat for me). The chicken was tender and well-cooked. The rice was yummy (although for those rice hogs out there, the serving is a tad small). The fried banana was okay but so little, they could have just gave the entire banana. The "sauce" selection was good but the red chili (I assume it was chili), was too sweet for me. The vinegar was good as well.<br />
<br />
Overall, it was a satisfying lunch for me but for 158++ (with no drinks) it's over-priced.<br />
<br />
-- Leigh<br />
<br />
</span> <br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image001.1.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image001.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 211px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 282px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul Food's Chicken Tenders</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image003.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image003.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 209px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 278px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul Food's Chicken Barbecue<br />
</span> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I am a big Soul Food fan, which is strange, considering I only order one dish from this restaurant in Makati. Their chicken tenders are wonderfully light, fried in a crisp batter served on a bed of lettuce with a tart sweet and sour sauce and traditional gravy. I agree with Leigh that it's a little pricey, but where else can we find good South Beach food for P160? - Ganns</span></span></div></div><span style="color: #ffcc99; font-family: georgia;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span> <span style="color: #ffcccc;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Soul Food is definitely a date place - with its cozy couches, warm ambience and not to mention candlelit tables. Wasn't my first time to dine there although the first, of course, for the BClubbers.<br />
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Idj and I had their Chicken Inasal (somewhat like bbq looking) and it wasn't bad. Wasn't bad at all. Pricey, yes. Portions, small. <br />
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Dunno what got into our minds (pressured decision) why we ate there but all in all, not a bad choice. - Lean</span></span> <br />
</span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1143785729311314822006-03-31T14:08:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:14:59.003+08:00Big Buddha @ Greenbelt 3<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image002.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/200/Image002.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span> </span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Big Buddha at Greenbelt 3, from the makers of Super Bowl.</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> With the rest of the MB Clubbers stuck in a meeting, it was just Ganns, Tina and I for our brunch at Big Buddha.</span></span><br />
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We ordered the regular-sized Birthday Noodles and a Dimsum Combination Platter. The Birthday Noodles was delish! It didn't stinge on the seafood and meat thrown into the noodles. As far as I could tell, it had chicken, squid, shrimp and scallops (as well as carrots, pepper and the rest of the veggies). With the three of us sharing the serving, we didn't even finish everything. It was very filling.<br />
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The Dimsum Combination Platter consisted of 3 peices of siomai, 3 peices of fried wanton, 2 peices of hakaw, 4 peices of lumpia shanghai and 3 peices of another fried dimsum (cannot recall right now). That's a lot for only 220 bucks!<br />
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The platter and noodles was enough for the three of us. We were all full and satisfied with the meal. One bad thing to note about Big Buddha though was the very poor service. Although the crew was friendly, they were slow and at times forgetful. I had to ask 3 different people for a refill of my iced tea, same with Ganns. And the bill took 10 minutes to arrive and another 5 minutes for our change to get back to us. Considering it was lunch hour, I would have thought they'd want to get us out of our table quickly.<br />
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I'd definitely be back for the food but maybe not during peak hours.<br />
-- Leigh<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image001.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/200/Image001.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Bottomless </span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Kropek</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">! Yummy!<br />
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</span> </span><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image004.0.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/200/Image004.0.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Half-eaten or according to Ganns, a ravaged order of<br />
Big Buddha's Birthday Noodles<br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Big Buddha at Greenbelt 3 is one of my favorite restaurants in Makati. Big Buddha servings are very generous, ambience is quite good, and, of course, the flavors are very, very good. Leigh</span></span><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> already mentioned the food we shared, so it doesn't make any sense to repeat what she said. What she didn't mention in her restaurant review for Big Buddha in Greenbelt 3 is that there's bottomless kropek! I love BIG BUDDHA!</span> </span></div></div></div></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: 180%; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I'm speechless... no words to describe it. I'LL ALWAYS LOVE BIG BUDDHA! This place are for ravenous creatures like me! =P -tina</span></span>ALGMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01519252335302258743noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1143012865457499592006-03-22T15:18:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:15:07.585+08:00Fuzion Greenbelt<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/fuzion.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/fuzion.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fuzion Greenbelt, a famous fruit smoothie cafe slash restaurant in Makati, played host to Leigh, Lean and myself today. One of the more popular restaurants in Greenbelt, Fuzion Greenbelt is famous for its fabulous fruit smoothies, delightful selection of sandwiches and salads, and, most recently, an irresistible choice of alcoholic smoothies that has most of Makati begging for more! Truly a great place to eat in Greenbelt, and probably one of the best restaurants in Makati.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">We love Fuzion Greenbelt's interiors! Splasheed in deliciously bright oranges and yellows, the chairs and tables of Fuzion Greenbelt are so uplifting and kitschy, you can't help but feel good in there. A section at the back allows you to Indian-sit or lie on the floor with red and orange pillows to prop you up beside translucent orange tables.</span><br />
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</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">While at Fuzion Greenbelt, I ordered a South Peach Try-It, which is a real sugar rush of mango, peach, and lychee. Refreshing and delicious! Leigh, on the other hand, helped herself to a Show Me the Monkey, which is a mango-banana hybrid of KingKong proportions. Lean didn't get herself a smoothie from Fuzion Greenbelt, choosing to go with a donut from the GoNuts Donuts Greenbelt branch next door.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">For me, better than Big Chill Greenbelt, which is ridiculously and mostly artificially sweet, and Fruit Magic, which tends to taste artificial and clumpy when the smoothie's no longer cold. Fuzion Greenbelt, a place to which I will always return, one of my favorite restaurants in Makati! Do try it out, two thumbs up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Fuzion... as it tagline says. "no ice... no sugar.. pure fruit" is one healthy drink that I'm sure I'm going to keep looking for especially now since I'm battling the summer's heat. Plus the ambiance is really.... colorful... cozy... my kind of chillout place. :) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><a href="http://tinaelaine.blogspot.com/2006/03/college-reunion-fuzion-greenbelt.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Some pictures here guys.. ;)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span style="font-size: 85%; font-weight: bold;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">-tina</span></span>Gannshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02753531325558159722noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22420882.post-1142659694314380832006-03-18T12:10:00.001+08:002010-07-12T11:15:17.473+08:00Pancake House @ Greenbelt 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Lunch yesterday brought the Makati Brunch Club to Pancake House in Greenbelt 1 in Makati, where Leigh, Lean, Ganns, our friend Noel and I had pancakes galore. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Who said one cannot have pancakes for lunch? We did!</span><br />
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</span> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image%28641%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image%28641%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 162px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 216px;" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">My ultimate favorite at the Pancake House is the Mix N Match Combo 3, which comprise a taco, spaghetti and iced tea. But this time, I let go of the spaghetti and ordered 2-piece banana walnut pancake.<br />
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The taco was as good as it always is and the pancakes looked superb. Two pancakes placed one on top of the other, 5 slices of banana arranged creatively on 'em, topped with a scoop of butter and walnuts mixture and syrup on the side. Yummy noh? Unfortunately for me, pancakes were a bit bland, but with help from the syrup, it tasted ok. I expect my brunchmates would find that hard to believe since I ate every single morsel on my plate. So what? I was hungry! =P<br />
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Service was good. The waiting staff were attentive to our requests, but it took them a while to serve our food. Ambience is a big improvement if you compare it to Pancake House's interiors prior to renovation. Movie posters still deck the walls, but it's no longer crowded.<br />
</span> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image%28642%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/200/Image%28642%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;" /></a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Even with all the changes they've made, Pancake House will always be one of my favorites. Can't wait to go back and have my fave mix n match combo 3, the pan chicken, club sandwich, lasagna if they still have it, chocolate chip pancakes, waffles, and the list goes on and on and on... -- Idj<br />
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</span> <a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/1600/Image%28640%29.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/338/2286/320/Image%28640%29.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 160px; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; width: 213px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Pancake House is one of my ever so favorite places to eat. I love everything they have - from breakfast items, to FIlipino and American food, to their heavenly desserts.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Today, I had their Tuna Macaroni Salad and Chocolate Chip pancakes. Very satisfying!!! </span></span></div><span style="font-size: 85%;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
Love it, love it, love it!<br />
<br />
- Lean</span> </span><span style="color: #ffccff;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><br />
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</span></span>Idjhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12488239927853224410noreply@blogger.com1