FRIENDS & FAMILY: TASTE OF CHINATOWN MENU

I visited the popular restaurant Friends and Family and Bonifacio High Street to try their new Taste of China Town Menu, just in time for the Chinese New Year by Chef Kalel Chan! Please don’t forget to subscribe to my channel! Follow me on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pickiesteater/ Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepickiesteater The Ultimate Vlogging Camera: http://bit.ly/PickyCam

APPLEBEES: CELEBRATING EVERYTHING AND HAPPY HOUR!

        Ever since she visited the pre-opening Sneak Peek event at Applebee's in Bonifacio Global City last year, Rina has been raving about their food. I took her gushing about their food with a grain of salt, because I had been to Applebee's in New Jersey a couple of years ago, and although I did enjoy our meal there, it wasn't something that I feel I need to go back to given the chance. 

      Rina, however, was adamant. She kept saying, "Trust me.. The Applebee's here is better than the one in the states!". A bold claim, but as I would find out a few months later when I was invited to Applebee's Happy Hour.. she was 100% accurate.    

CRYSTAL JADE DINING IN: CHEF'S RECOMMENDATIONS AND THANKSGIVING!

   2014 was a very blessed year for me and my family, so I make it a point to give thanks every chance I get. One of the restaurants that I enjoyed immensely last year was Crystal Jade. Not only is the food excellent, but Rina and I were blessed to meet some of the key people behind its success, such as Kenneth and Gela, who turned out to be genuinely nice people whom I now consider them as friends. 

     As a way of giving thanks to its friends in the bloggersphere, Crystal Jade held a lunch at Crystal Jade Dining In at The Fort, which also featured some of the latest additions to their already awesome menu! 

MY FIRST TIME IN 2ND'S! (AND THIRDS. AND FOURTHS. AND FIFTHS.)

       As a blogger that has been at it since 2010, I am quite ashamed to admit that I had never had a full meal at the popular restaurant, "2nd's". I can't give you a valid explanation why, but my schedule has usually been the culprit.

      2nd's burst into Manila dining scene in 2011, with an eclectic menu that features unique takes on some of your favorite "Comfort food", including their version of Bacon that helped put them on the map. 

     As teary Renee Zelwegger told Jerry Maguire, "You had me at bacon.." (At least in MY version that's what she said). 

VILLAGE TAVERN: TEX-MEX MENU & MORE!

         I've been back to Village Tavern quite a few times since that very first Epic Meal I enjoyed there when it first opened a couple of years ago. Since that first meal, Chef Josh Boutwood has continued to innovate his menu, consistently coming up with new dishes that  keeps his customers coming back for more. 

      Chef Josh's newest menu concepts were inspired by the Southwestern fare, and he managed to give it his trademark spin that makes Village Tavern's dishes so memorable!

TAKE ME TO THE BUTCHER SHOP & PUB

       Whenever you think of "Expensive Food", Steak is usually the first thing that comes to my mind. Which is why I'm always on the lookout for a great place to have a steak, that offers me the best value for money. Although quality will also be first and foremost on my list of priorities, it is also nice to find a restaurant that you can go back to time and time again, without it hurting your wallet so much. 

       The Butcher Shop and Pub is the latest Gastropub to open in Manila. I'll be honest with you.. I'm not too big on the nightlife, but I love how these gastropubs have been sprouting around the metro. You see, I don't drink, but I eat like a bad mutha (Shutyomouth!). My friends find it difficult to get me to join them for a night of drinks, and they know that it is in the promise of some great food that may lure me out of my hiding hole. Usually, when they ask where we can go, I always choose a place to eat, but the selection of drinks aren't all that great, or could be expensive. Whenever THEY choose, it's usually with food so awful, I usually end up passing by for some drive thru fast food on my way home. 

      The next time that they ask me for a suggestion, I know exactly what I'll suggest... The Butcher Shop & Pub.

THIS IS HOW WE ROLL: CRYSTAL JADE'S DICE GAME AND MID-AUTUMN FOOD FESTIVAL!

          I was really excited when I got an invitation from Crystal Jade to play a Chinese Dice game for the first time! The last time I played a dice game was in high school. The game was Dungeons and Dragons, and I had a high level Magic User. Our mission was to save the daughter of the Village Chieftain from the clutches of the Diabolical Sorcerer, who together with his evil minions, sowed fear throughout the land.

     Apparently, this was nothing like that. No zombies. No goblins. No Dungeons, and definitely no dragons. 

      All it was, was 6 dice and a bowl. 

     And it was one of the most fun I've had in my life! 

'CUE MODERN BARBECUE'S NEW PORCH MENU!

        I've actually only been there once, and only got to try a limited number of items on their menu, but Cue is definitely one of my favorite restaurants. From the moment I saw a friend post the picture of the Steak and Bone Marrow Tacos, I knew that this restaurant, whose them is "Modern Barbecue", was right up my alley. 

        As a testament to how good the food was, here's a little anecdote.. I was invited over a few to 'Cue, a couple of months after it had opened. On the date that Rina and I were supposed to visit, the marketing guy that invited me didn't realize that he scheduled my visit on a day that he would be out of town, and didn't endorse me to anyone. He apologized, and said we could re-schedule for another day, which was fine with me. But the problem was, I had studied the inside and out of the menu every single day leading up to my visit. Meaning my mind and heart was dead set on finally trying 'Cue.

     There I was, standing at the door of the restaurant I had been drooling over the past couple of weeks, so I decided, "You know what? Forget the invite! Let's eat now!". 

    Since we were eating there on my own dime, our feature was not as extensive as I would have liked, as 'Cue's price are a little steep - not say it isn't worth every cent, but still a bit steep nonetheless. 

    I told myself that Rina and I would go back soon, but our schedule hasn't permitted it. 

    So even though I don't drink, when I was asked to sample Cue's "Porch Menu", I said YES without a moment's hesitation. 

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!

WINE PAIRING AT THE CAKE CLUB - RINAZ

        People usually find it interesting that between Richie and I, he’s the one who does not drink (at all!) and I’m the one who can take a couple of glasses of cocktails occasionally. I especially love frozen margarita with lotsa salt! (Missing weekends at Chilli’s with my ex-office mates! Huhuhu!)

        But truthfully I never really enjoyed wine (unless it’s my sister-in-law’s special red wine with sprite... I think it’s sprite...) Aaaaanyway, I find the taste of wine a bit too bitter for my liking. I would try but only end up taking 2-3 sips and that’s it.

        And it was only until a few days ago when I finally appreciated the pleasure of drinking wine. It was during the wine pairing at The Cake Club that I started to understand that wine is best enjoyed when paired with the right stuff. 

       Or in this case, when paired with the right dessert! 

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".  

THE STORY OF THE LAMB BURGER & THE CAKE CLUB PART II

          We were having so much fun with the other bloggers, we didn't realize that what was supposed to be a Brunch experience at Cake Club had spilled over to lunch time. We were enjoying the ambiance so much, that time definitely flew by. Given the time, Melanie, who handles the Public Relations of Cake Club and Diamond Hotel, asked if we wanted to sample the lunch menu. 

     All the bloggers stopped and pointed to each other saying, "Umm.. Ikaw.." followed by another saying "Ikaw bahala..". Obviously the WANT was there.. But believe it or not, Shy type din kami mga blogger.. hehe.. 

      So after some SERIOUS arm twisting, we finally relented and said "Why not?". (Actually, it went closer to something like.. "Umm.. No it's ok.. ikaw.. You.. If you want, I'm ok.. it's up to you.. OH GOD YES PLEASE!!!") 

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. 

RIGHT ON 'CUE: MODERN BARBECUE

          Ahh yes.. Barbecue.. Perhaps my favorite food group. I'm going to be the first to admit that I have a weakness for food that is prepared in this highly esteemed method of cooking. From Barbecued meats, to the different types of sauces, it matters not. I love them all. 

      A couple of weeks ago, a childhood friend of mine, Chaveli, posted a picture on Instagram (follow me, pickiesteater!) that showed "Steak & Bone Marrow Tacos" from a Restaurant called "Cue: Modern Barbecue", with the apt caption, "Heart attack on a plate'. Chavs explained to me that it was a new restaurant at Bonifacio High Street that was opened by couple of our childhood friends from Cebu, Jon and Pebbles. 

     Regardless, though, the concept alone, "Modern Barbecue" had my full attention