LOVE AT LOLA CAFE: VALENTINE'S DAY MENU WITH SEF CADONAYA AND MAX COLLINS

             When you're out for dinner with a woman as beautiful as Max Collins, you hope that your date will never end. That's exactly how Sef Cadayona felt after our meal at Mario's, so he asked me where I thought he could take his lovely co-star next! 

          Since we were already in the Quezon City, I decided to the lovely couple to one of my favorite restaurants, which was conveniently located a few streets away.. Lola Cafe! 

DERRICK MONASTERIO & BEA BINENE IN: KAPAG NAG REVOLVE ANG RESTAURANT - 100 REVOLVING RESTAURANT

       After hearing about how successful Sef and Max's Date was, one of GMA's fastest rising stars, Derrick Monasterio gave me a call and asked me where he could take his date this Valentine's day. He wanted to make it extra special because he was taking a girl that is very special to him,  his co-star and love interest, the lovely Bea Binene. 

     Being a good looking guy, you wouldn't think Derrick would have problems in entertaining a lady, however this was extra special to him, because he and Bea are great friends, and he wanted to be careful when taking that friendship to the next level. 

     His requirements were simple. Delicious food with classy vibe without being too stiff, and a most importantly, spectacular view. Numerous places came to my mind, such as Tagaytay, Antipolo, all taking into consideration Derrick's request for a breathtaking view. Though such choices will undoubtedly be very romantic and Bea would certainly appreciate it, I realized that the schedule of these two actors was something that needed to take into consideration. What if I could offer them a breathtaking view, without having to leave the Metro Manila.

      Because when you're up at the 34th floor with a 360 degree view of the city, it's a vision that will never fail to take your breath away.

    It was time for this little Cupid to once again work his magic. This time, I took Derrick Monasterio and Bea Binene, to the famous 100 Revolving Restaurant. 

SEF CADAYONA & MAX COLLINS IN: A FUNNY VALENTINE, THE MARIO'S WAY!

             Juan Tamad, aka Sef Cadayona was at it again.. This time he was lazy to look for an romantic date spot for Valentine's Day! He wanted to impress his beloved Marie, (also known to us red blooded males as the stunning Max Collins) and perhaps her mom, the ever-sungit Candy (Melanie Marquez), so whose help did Juan ask for in his search for the perfect date place? 

         Why, the Pickiest Eater in the World, that's who! 

         I wasn't going to miss this chance to play Cupid, so I strapped on my wings, grabbed my Bacon Bow, and took the lovely couple to Mario's Restaurant in Quezon City, to celebrate Heart's Day, The Mario's Way! 

IHOP Philippines Spreads Happiness with their P25 Pancake Promottion!

        And just like that, IHOP Philippinesis already celebrating their 3rd anniversary! And do they have an awesome promotion to celebrate it! It's the P25 Pancake Promotion! It's their simple way of saying THANK YOU to us Filipinos for making them a part of our all-day breakfast choices since 2013!

#LevelUpYourRice with Doña Maria Premium Quality Rice.. And an Instagram Contest!!

        We all probably take rice shopping for granted. I certainly do. I don't even know the difference between the different types of rice. Once I almost bought rice that's used for kakanin (rice cakes) just because I asked the vendor which type of rice is the sticky one. Something like Japanese rice. True story! Fact is if we go to the supermarket to buy groceries including rice, you might want to make sure you're getting the one with the best quality. One that looks good, smells good, and tastes good of course. An excellent example is this brand that most probably looks familiar to you (especially when you're the one who does grocery errands). It's Doña Maria Premium Quality Rice!

THE PICKIEST EATER WEB SERIES: EPISODE 2- FILIPINO FOOD 101 AT 49-B HEIRLOOM KITCHEN AND LEONARDO'S LECHON!

      After a very long wait (sorry na), Episode 2 of The Pickiest Eater Web Series is finally online! Life has gotten crazy since the Episode One, and my partner at Muvo Media and I finally buckled down to finish this. But fear not, because I assure you Episode 3 won't take another 6 months to finish hehe.. 

    So I think I've made you wait long enough.. In case you were wondering, Episode two features two food businesses.. 49-B Heirloom Kitchen, an amazing gem in the Scout area of Quezon City, and Leonardo's Lechon. The two businesses are run by cousins Erica Aquino and Nard Aquino (respectively), making this collaboration a family affair.. and It couldn't have been more fun!

   Ok so enough talking.. here we go!!

Tokyo Tokyo’s Donburi Festival: Tofu Steak Donburi and Cheesy Pork Katsu

        Fresh off my Prawn Tempura Hangover from International Tempura day, I set my sights on some of the newer items of Tokyo Tokyo’s menu, particularly their Donburi Meals! I couldn’t help but notice that there are two new dishes on Tokyo Tokyo’s that are not only affordable, but will also satisfy the cravings of the most ravenous carnivore and,  for those that are looking for lighter fare, without sacrificing on taste! 

   Presenting Tokyo Tokyo’s Donburi Festival!

YUMCHEE: TAKING YUMMY TO THE NEXT LEVEL

A photo posted by RichieZ (@pickiesteater) on Nov 21, 2015 at 9:20pm PST

          I have made no secret for my love of Chinese food, with dishes like Sweet and Sour Pork and Salt and Pepper Spareribs among my favorites. I'm always on the look out for an amazing Chinese restaurant, so when I visited Bonifacio Stopover a few months ago and saw the restaurant "Yumchee Premium Chinese Food" under construction, I was immediately intrigued. 

      Months later, when it finally opened, I was fortunate enough to receive an invite for me and my friends from The KTG to be among the first to try this new restaurant, there was no way I could say no! 

     And thankfully so, because we may have found the most "Bang for the Buck" restaurant in BGC! 

PUREFOODS CORNED BEEF: DELICIOUS FOOD MADE EASY!

        No joke, but Purefoods is our go-to breakfast food. Whether it’s bacon or any of their canned goods, it’s always our ever dependable quick meal. Truthfully, it’s not even just breakfast. It’s our to go food when we don’t have time to prepare anything more tedious to cook. Or if we want to eat something and our stomachs are not willing to wait, but you’re looking for something fulfilling at the same time, opening up a can is the best solution.

     Though its canned, it’s very versatile, allowing you to get creative with the simplest of ingredients. It’s easy to play around with and turn it into spectacular-looking dishes in very easy steps.

So easy that I did this one myself. Being a person who doesn’t cook, that’s saying something!

National Tempura Day Promo at Tokyo Tokyo!

                              

        What is it about Tempura, that everyone seems to go crazy over it. I always say, go to a buffet, and you’ll see even the most timid of people fight for the last piece of tempura. The tempura station usually has a line as long – or sometimes even longer – than the carving station! And even when they dump in a new batch, within seconds, you can be guaranteed that it’ll be all gone.  

        Being a Picky eater, I normally don’t eat dishes with shrimp or prawn. Just to avoid a lengthy discussion, I would tell people that I’m allergic to it. But when there’s Tempura, all bets are off.  It’s funny, because whenever we go to a Japanese restaurant, my wife and I would fight over the Tempura. She’ll stop and say, “Hey, aren’t you ALLERGIC to Shrimp?”  I would simply tell her, “ Oh no, my doctor said that the Japanese Breadcrumbs neutralizes the toxic agent that triggers my allergies.

Which is usually met with the roll of the eyes by my wife.