RICE AND DOUGH: THAT SUSHI AND PIZZA THOUGH

      A common problem Rina and I have when dining out is her requirement of there being rice. Sometimes I feel like having a burger, pizza, or even just a sandwich, while she requires something with rice, whether it be in a "Rice Topping" meals or even Sushis and Makis.  

     I recently visited a restaurant that would be the ultimate compromise for me and Rina, allowing us the flexibility to choose from a wide array of mouth watering dishes, without someone feeling lie that got the short end of the stick (Usually me). 

   Rice and Dough is the truly the Carbohydrate heaven that its name implies.        

TIPPLE & SLAW: SANDWICH HEAVEN AT BGC FORUM

           As soon as the itinerary for my trip to the United States a few months ago was confirmed, the very first thing I did was map out the places I would eat out, using one of my all time favorite shows, "Man V. Food" as a point of reference. Though I haven't written it yet in my blog, I am proud to say I was able to visit three places that have been featured in the show! 

      In case ya'll don't know, Man V. Food is what inspired me to start my blog. After watching an episode for the first time (Season 2: Episode 4, San Francisco), something inside me woke up, and I realized that what Man V. Food Host Adam Richman was doing - Perhaps, not the food challenges, but the going around to different places, and sharing my eating adventure with people - is what I wanted to do. 

    Which is why, as I entered Tipple & Slaw and saw a photo of Adam Richman up on the wall, I knew I had come to the right place for lunch. 

WEEKEND BRUNCHING AT MAIN STREET

               One of my favorite restaurants that opened last year had to be Main Street. If you haven't been to their quaint little spot along Tuscany in McKinley Hill, then you are missing out on some amazing comfort food. 

         It was in the fresh and modern execution of classic favorites, such as Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Grilled Porkchops, and Griled Steak that sold me on to Main Street. I was blown away before, but upon my return, The brains behind Main Street's Kitchen, Chef Adam Tan, made sure that I was blow away to little tiny smithereens this time, by unveiling his new Weekend Brunch Menu!

      And friends, it is simply incredible.  

BURGERS & BREWSKIES: FOOD FOR THE OVERLY MANLY MAN

       Hello, my name is Richie Zamora. And I am a Burger Addict. I dont understand what exactly it is about burgers that have captivated me so. Granted, I spent my formative years in the USA, and burgers were definitely a staple in my diet. Although I've lived a great deal of my life in the Philippines, my Western influenced palate remains drawn to those grilled patties on soft toasted buns. Rina gets annoyed with me when I choose a burger joint over a rice meal ready restaurant. 

  

     What I enjoy about Burger makers nowadays is how they seem to have become more and more bold with their concoctions.. Pushing the limit of abusurdity not only with size, but with the toppings and ingredients that comprise the entire burger. 

    One of those newest Burger places, is Burger and Brewskies. 

A DELECTABLE STROLL DOWN SILK ROAD

                I won't lie to you.. Being a blogger certainly does have it's privileges. But to me, all the free food and hotel perks that I have had the pleasure of enjoying comes only second to being able to meet some inspiring people behind the business, that I am proud to call a friend. 

         One of those people is Chef Cecille Chang. 

         I first met Chef Cecille when a fellow blogger, Shen's Addiction (congrats btw Shen!), invited Rina and I to try Thai Bistro, which at that time, had just opened. My first impression of her, was that she isn't your sterotypical Chef that stays in the kitchen in her Chef Whites, with her hair up, as she stirs pots and pans. True to her nickname, "Chef in Stilettos", Chef Cecille cooks amazing food, and knows how to look fabulous while doing so. 

       More than anything, it was how incredibly down to Earth she is that endeared her to Rina and I. She sat down with us as we ate, and we swapped stories, just like we had known each other for ages. And we loved how she was unafraid to speak her mind with her firm, yet fair opinion. 

      But make no mistake about it- Chef Cecille knows her food, especially when it comes to the complex art of Thai food. She proved that with her work at Thai at Silk, and reaffirmed that with Thai Bistro. It is one thing to know how to cook Thai food.. But it's another to take it to the next level. Which is what Chef Cecille does with every dish she makes. 

  

      It is in her latest "Baby", Silk Road, that she puts a definitive stamp on being the leading name in Thai Cuisine in the country today. Easily one of my best dining experience in 2013. 

        

RAMEN NAGI OPENS AT SM AURA!

           I'm not gonna lie to you, I got into the Ramen game rather late. I'm really more of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so as my foodie friends were talking about the richness of a ramen's broth, the firmness of their noodles and the like, I was wondering why people were going nuts over something that you can buy at the grocery by the pack. 

        Naturally, as my food blogging career went on, so did my education in the art of Ramen, courtesy of my other foodie friends.  A few months ago, I was invited to visit a taste test of the newest Ramen place that would be arriving in our shores. I had the pleasure of tasting some Ramen dishes that were completely out of the ordinary, and anxiously awaited the day that their doors would finally open. 

       As December came, I got the call I had be waiting for. 

       Rejoice, Ramen Lovers! Ramen Nagi has opened its doors in SM Aura. 

A WALK DOWN MAIN STREET AT TUSCANY, MCKINLEY HILL

         I don't know if you guys know this, but I spent my early years in the States - Which is probably why I'm more particular to simple dishes from the good ol' U.S. of A, than classic Pinoy fare. Though I do love a good Chicken and Pork Adobo or Pochero from my Yaya's kitchen, to me, it was her BBQ Ribs, Roasted Chicken with Bread Stuffing - dishes that tend to lean towards the Western Hemisphere, that I always found the most comforting. 

       Which is why Main Street, a new restaurant at that opened at the growing Tuscany Hill that specializes in Canadian Comfort Food, really piqued my interest from the moment I heard about it. 

IHOP'S NEW GRIDDLE MELTS!

          Though its still rather busy during peak hours, the IHOP craze has seemed to die down. The lines are nowhere near as ridiculous as it was during the first few months of their operation. 

        So what does IHOP do to make sure their brand stays fresh? Introduce new products of course! 

         Starting off with their new Griddle Melts!

COCA RESTAURANT NOW IN THE PHILIPPINES! - RINAZ

With Mr. Trevor McKenzie, Managing Director of COCA Group of Restaurants

           I’m really fascinated with restaurants that serve family dishes that have been passed along for generations, but with their own special twist! And this is COCA restaurant’s legacy. Mr. Pitaya Phanphensophon, the CEO of COCA international Co. Ltd. Told us a simple yet powerful statement that night. “I would not serve you anything that I would not serve my children”. And this is precisely how it should be.

            Just a little history:  This restaurant started back in 1957 when Mr. Pitaya’s parents Mr. Srichai Phanphensophon with his wife Mrs. Patama opened a 20-seater restaurant that immediately became a huge hit, until they moved to a different location (Soi Tantawan) and eventually expanded to a 150-seater restaurant.  From there, everything was history! Suki style cooking was introduced. And this, my friends, was the birth of COCA Restaurant. (COCA derived from “Kekou” which means appetizing. 

       And I gotta tell you, “appetizing” is an understatement! 

MESCLUN BISTRO: A TOUCH OF CLASS AND COMFORT

  

     Late last year, Rina and I were supposed to attend a lunch at Mesclun with my other blogger friends.. As luck would have it, we had already committed to other plans, so we were unable to join the event. Though I had a wonderful time during my own trip, seeing the posts of my other blogger friends made me extremely jealous. Everything looked absolutely amazing.     I intended to bring Rina there one time, but our schedule didn't permit it, until it was eventually forgotten about. 

       When I found out that Mesclun Bistro would be opening in Serendra, It once again re-awakened my longing to visit. This time, luck was on my side, because my and some blogger friends were once again invited to try some items of their menu, I cleared my schedule and made sure Rina and I wouldn't miss it for the world! 

THE LUZVIMINDA FOOD FESTIVAL AT THE F1 HOTEL MANILA

    

       You don't have to be a comic geek to know that the success of the movie "The Avengers", which earned a staggering US$1.5 Billion in its worldwide box office, can be attributed to the public's anticipation of seeing Earth's Mightiest Heroes assembled on the big screen for the first time. Even a year after its release, I still sometimes find myself going on to Youtube just to watch the scene where Dr. Banner casually strolls toward the Huge alien transporter/creature that is chasing Iron Man, and nonchalantly tells Captain America, "That's my secret Cap.. I'm always angry", then transforms into the Hulk, and punches the creature square on the nose, causing it to flip over, just in time for Iron Man to blast it to smithereens. 

       To this very day, the scene that followed, where they are all gathered around in a circle, with the camera panning around them still gives me the chills. 

        Though they're aren't superheroes, seeing the collection of talented Filipino Chefs from across the country that F1 Hotel Manila assembled for their groundbreaking "LUZVIMINDA: Filipino Festival of Flavors" stand before me, gave a food lover such as myself tingles down my spine. 

         I knew that this moment, was something very special, and I was excited for what was to come.

DELICIOUS ICE CREAM, IS JUST A COLD STONE AWAY! - RINAZ

          What could be more perfect this summer than an awesome ice cream place opening at the heart of The Fort? Nothing!!!

          Cold Stone Creamery is a premium ice cream brand that serves fresh, smooth, and creamy ice cream with an outstanding and wide variety of flavors you wouldn't believe. Their ice creams have a special formulation of premium milk, cream, and buttermilk fat. (Sounds good already!) It originated in Scottsdale, Arizona and is now here in Manila!

          What's special about Cold Stone is the customer's ability to customize their own ice cream. To give you an idea on how many possible concoctions you can create with Cold Stone Creamery, They have:

22 fresh flavors of ice cream and sorbet made fresh every day.

10 kinds of candy toppings

2 types of Nuts

8 types of fruits

9 other sinfully good toppings

To be more specific, here is a list of their Ice cream Flavors and list of Mix-Ins they currently have:

I can imagine your heads exploding with delight hehehe! The possibilities are really endless!

          You can choose from different cup sizes. I like how they named their sizes.

Waffle Cone

Waffle Bowl

          You can also have it on a waffle. From plain waffle cone / bowl (P35) , to coated waffle cone / bowl (P45).

          The customer chooses their ice cream / sorbet and mix ins. And then the crew mashes them together on a granite stone chilled to 16 degrees Fahrenheit and places it in the cup or waffle. Then presents it to you with a smile!

Two thumbs up!

          So anyway, I fell in line to order and thought of what flavor and mixes I can create. But once I saw the list of their signature creations, I was baffled! It made me want to try it all first before I attempted to create my own. It's like Sophie's Choice! So hard to choose!

          Get what I mean? They serve a variety of Signature Creations. And the ones mentioned in the two photos above is not the complete list. I'll show you later the complete menu.

I got an All Lovin', No Oven!

          I had the All Lovin' No Oven in a Like It size (P180). Forgive my melted photo. It was really a hot day and we were seated outside so it was perfect for me (not for my pictures hehe). It's made of cake batter ice cream, with cookie dough, fudge, and whipped cream. It really screams comfort ice cream! If you have a sweet tooth you will really love this.  But personally the cookie dough chunks were too sweet for me. But that's just me. But the Cake Batter ice cream was perfect!

My friend Gerry's Dark Chocolate with brownies!

          I was also able to try their Dark Chocolate with brownies. Actually it was my friend Gerry who tried it and I just took a bite hehe. I was so full from my All Lovin' No Oven. It was really good! I love dark chocolate and I looove brownies!

And of course where there is ice cream, there are shakes and smoothies!

          And signature ice cream cakes! Oh my! Any birthday with a Cold Stone Cake is a happy Birthday indeed! The launching of the store was jam-packed that I totally forgot to take photos of the interiors. There was a lot going on!

          Video interview of the President of Cold Stone Creamery, Mr. Michael McGill. (Bless you kind sir for bringing your product here in Manila!)

Cold Stone Philippine Crew doing a little cheer outside

          The staff can also do some barista moves where in they throw a scoop of ice cream in the air and another staff catches it with a cup. I had a hard time taking a video of it because every I saw it, it's already in mid air hahaha!

          Unfortunately, me and my friend had to leave for a dinner event. But I would definitely love to go back with Richie and Rain for a refreshing family day at Cold Stone! :-)

COLD STONE Menu, prices, and other amazing flavors!:

Grab a cup today!!! ;-)

Cold Stone Creamery is located at Serendra, Bonifacio Global city, Taguig City, 1634.

Follow them!

Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Pinterest : coldstoneph
Official Website: www.coldstonephilippines.com
Tel. No. : 846-0460

BREAKFAST, INTERRUPTED AT MALCOM'S DELI

            Even though I don't get a chance to have it on a daily basis, I am always on the lookout for a great place to have breakfast. I know it's considered the most important meal of the day, but when you're expected to be at the office by 10am everyday, it's pretty tough to make time for a morning meal. 

            I've heard of Malcom's Place, because their burgers are supposed to be stuff of legend. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to try it just yet. When I was told that their sister restaurant, Malcom's Deli at the Fort, was serving a Breakfast menu for us to sample, there's no way I was going to say no to that! 

PIZZA HEAVEN AT NOLITA BONIFACIO HIGH STREET

     Time and time again, I often repeat my frustration with the culinary wonder known as "Pizza". I love those glorious oven baked pies, but more often than not, it triggers my hyper acidity,and the results aren't pleasant. As much as I would love to be able to indulge in a stunning, thin crust pizza, topped with a double helping of mozzarella cheese and bacon, ham, and pepperoni, I would never do so at the expense of possibly having a brown baby boy in the middle of an important meeting. 

     Which is why It took me so long to visit Nolita. 

     A couple of months ago, as I made plans to meet up with my college friends, I suggested to my friends that we check out Nolita, thinking that I could taste one of their pizzas and realize that it wasn't something I would crave for, and my tummy would not be in jeopardy. Basically get the whole thing over with.

    As my teeth dug into my pizza, the first thing that came into my mind was, "Uh-oh".  

A NIGHT OUT AT URBN BAR & KITCHEN

             I am a notorious introvert. The only way you could get me to go out past 7 or 8pm, is if there was a promise of amazing food or a much awaited event movie (Possibly based on a comic book). Other than that, in my house, the lights are out by 10pm. The only time in my life that I would willingly go out at night was during my college days, when my sister introduced me to the awesomeness of rock bands such as Wolfgang, Razorback and Advent Call.. And even then it didn't last very long. 

       Call me an old fogey, but I don't enjoy the concept of "clubbing" at all. I don't drink, and I don't smoke. I have a disdain for loud booming music. 
And because of that, I will admit that URBN Bar and Kitchen is a place that would not have caught my attention on the onset. 

     But thankfully, my eyes and taste buds discovered that this place was much more than just a place for these young whippersnappers to unwind with a few drinks. 

RACKS RIBS: FALL OF THE BONE GOODNESS - RINAZ

         “Ang swerte ni Rina!” (Rina’s so lucky!) Richie frustratingly tells my sister last week. “Since I have work, she’s going to have lunch with a few blogger friends to cover Rack’s new Pork Belly dish!” I can understand how frustrating this can be for Richie. You hear bacon / liempo / and other pork dishes, you immediately think “Richie!”.  To a point that friends and acquaintances often tag him to any photo or meme about bacon in facebook. 

         And the funny part is he’s loving it!

WRONG RAMEN: BREAKING ALL THE RAMEN RULES

                There are quite a few restaurants that I've been to, that I feel that were made with me specifically in mind. This, of course, is totally not true. However, in a world where new "healthy" concept restaurants seem to be popping up out of nowhere, one can understand my elation whenever I find a place that is unafraid to add a little something greasy or fatty into their dishes. And when I say "Greasy or Fatty", I mean Bacon. 

         Wrong Ramen is one of those places that captured my complete attention. With Ramen Houses being the new craze, and one claiming to be more authentic than the other, it's refreshing to see a Ramen Restaurant that takes the timeless Japanese ramen recipe, and dares to give it the proverbial finger. 

     Wrong Ramen knows that their way isn't the way ramen is supposed to be. And the funny part? that's exactly how they like it. 

        And you know what? 

        So do I. 

EARLY BIRD BREAKFAST CLUB GIVEAWAY!

Yes, I am indeed holding a jar of bacon. 

           I could safely say that my love for breakfast food - particularly bacon- has reached legendary status. I get tagged on Facebook or mentioned on Twitter about bacon related subjects on a near-daily basis, by friends and complete strangers. And you know what's funny? I read every single one of those posts like it was a Greek epic. 

       Imagine how I felt when I found out that a restaurant dedicated to serving breakfast food opened up at The Fort Strip. Probably the same way you felt.. I must go there STAT! (Sorry, Rina was just watching Grey's Anatomy last night)

      Upon hearing that The Early Bird Breakfast Club had recently opened its doors, I got the feeling that this restaurant was conceptualized specifically for someone like me. I am the embodiment of an "Early Bird", with waking up early not being a problem for me. I am also notoriously "Antukin".. By around 10pm i'm constantly yawning and dazed, which is precisely why you'd probably never see me at a bar or one of them so called "Super Clubs" (I'm an old Fogey, I know). Whenever Rina and I dine out, it's usually on a Saturday or Sunday morning (Not so traffic and you're guaranteed parking.. makes perfect sense, right?).

       In other words, I truly am the Ultimate "Early Bird" (No double entendre, promise). 

VISITING CHEF TATUNG AT ACACIA ESTATES

       I'll be the first person to admit that my palate is strongly influenced by the Western Hemisphere. I'm a guy that looks for Burgers and pizza over Caldereta and Mechado. I lived in the United States when I was around three years old, and moved back here to the Philippines when I was six, and I still remember the first thing I ate when I got back here was, Believe it or not.. Spam. 

       That's because I took a look at all these strange looking meats drenched in sauces, all with different colors and thinking to myself, "What a strange country I'm living in". 

       My Yaya then made me try the wonder that is Liempo, which I instantly loved. From there, she slowly broke me in to more exotic local dishes, which not coincidentally, were predominantly meat based.  

      Through the years, my appreciation for the food of my homeland has grown exponentially, but I still wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of Filipino Cuisine.

      One lunch at Chef Tatung's changed all that. 

EPIC FIRSTS AT VILLAGE TAVERN

      Have you ever been to a restaurant, and the moment you open the menu, everywhere you look.. no matter what corner of the page you glance at, you see a dish that you just HAVE to order? 

     Well, that's exactly what happened to me when I went to Village Tavern last week. I swear, I was just staring at the menu, with my tummy growling at me and I just drew a blank. The dishes just sounded so amazing, I was completely overwhelmed. I honestly wanted to order practically EVERYTHING.

     Which is why I turned over the ordering reins to my friend Mitzi of The Bistro group, figuring since she has declared The Village Tavern one of her favorite restaurants to eat at, she wouldn't lead us astray. 

    Funnily enough, I was right. Everything Mitzi recommended knocked it out of the park.