Spanish Food and Exciting Workshops at Mateo's

A family with a passion for good food has set up their own restaurant featuring their heirloom recipes in Diliman, Quezon City.

Flash Giveaway: T.G.I. Friday’s Turns 20!

The best thing about T.G.I. Friday’s Philippines’ 20th anniversary is that it’s so big, everybody is invited. Starting as your favorite go-to restaurant for after-office hangout and reunions, it has now evolved as your family-friendly, craving-solver restaurant.

The French Baker @ 25: 'Visit Paris in Summer 2015'!

The French Baker celebrated its 25 years in the Philippine market with a Paris-inspired event held at The New Mega Fashion Hall, SM Megamall.

Paella Festival 2014, Marikina City

Join us as we celebrate an Eat All You Can Festival featuring a wide array of Paella choices for your own delight!

Paella Festival 2014 will be hosted by Song and Lydda's Food Service on November 21, 2014, 5:00 PM to 10:00 PM, at the Kapitan Moy Main Hall, J. P. Rizal, Marikina City.

Six (6) variations of paella will be served alongside plain rice, pork sinigang, kansi (soup with beef kneecap cooked in langka chunks and kamias) and bottomless iced tea.

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  SPANISH PAELLA in tomato sauce with lechon and seafood


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  PAELLA NEGRA MARINARA in black squid ink sauce with seafood


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  INDIAN PAELLA in curried spicy sauce with seafood


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  CHINESE KIAMPONG PAELLA with chicken pork adobo mix with pechay, gabi and peanuts


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  KOREAN PAELLA, sweet spicy with sesame seeds and toasted pork ribs


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  JAPANESE GOMOKU GOHAN. GREEN PAELLA, seasoned with herbs and variety of nuts

EAT ALL YOU CAN at the Paella festival for only P550! A discounted price of P440 can be availed by senior citizens. Bring your family and friends, reserve a table for 10 and only pay for 9 people!

You may pay your reservations through bank deposit and email the receipt to jessgrafilo@yahoo.com.

• BDO - Jesus B. Grafilo, JR., #006510139625


• RCBC SAVINGS BANK - Jesus B. Grafilo, Jr. DBA SONG AND LYDDA'S FOOD SERVICE, #0007-01891-7

Also, a mini raffle will take place during the festival. See you foodies! :)

Winter Garden Desserts, Katipunan

In a tropical country like ours, to experience 'winter' is to stay in Baguio during December to January. I would wake up early and talk a lot because smoke comes out of my mouth! Good times eh?

I think it's the very thing that makes liquid nitrogen ice cream the latest craze in Manila.

Dekada: Historic Filipino Cuisine, Glorietta

Alighting at MRT Ayala Station, one can miss out on countless shops and restaurants as they walk their way through four interconnected malls towards their destination.

Mega Food Tour 2.0: Linguini Fini by Chef Vinny

Our first stop for the Mega Food Tour 2.0 was the flagship branch of Linguini Fini in the Philippines. It is an Italian-American restaurant based in Hong Kong brought to us by the Moment Group.

#GKCooks: Century Tuna Risotto Balls

Breakfast, lunch, dinner and sometimes even for merienda, we eat rice. But plain rice is boring and fried rice can get old!

Here's another Italian healthy alternative that you can prepare with kids - Risotto Balls with Marinara Sauce!

#GKCooks: Century Tuna Baked Ziti

When people learn about this blog's name, they ask if I cook. In all honesty, I want to play the part. Not just to justify the name but because that's how much I love food.

Eat your way through Northern Luzon at Big Bite!

Head up to Pampanga for a three-day celebration of all things delicious at Big Bite! The Northern Food Festival!

Yabu Opens Newest Branch in Power Plant Mall

Pioneer of the tonkatsu craze in Manila, Yabu: House of Katsu opened its ninth (9th) store in Power Plant Mall, Makati City last September 30.

My, my, Bellysima!

Glorietta, in partnership with Mercato Centrale and Our Awesome Planet, gives its customers a one-stop shop for all things artisan, gourmet and organic.

Plana's Pantry: The Good Stuff

A trip to Plana's Pantry is like visiting an old friend's home. It is "all about simple, honest, generous, delightful food, and good relationships" (quoted from their Facebook page).

[caption id="attachment_3753" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Ready for another food adventure? :)[/caption]

The restaurant is a month old, which opened last September 1 2014 and is owned and operated by husband and wife tandem from a family with a passion for food.

[caption id="attachment_3758" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Full of new and repeat customers! :)[/caption]

Aside from operations, Ms. Rachel Plana is hands on with the restaurant's aesthetics — from custom-made furniture to wall decorations to dinnerware. Every nook and cranny of this little piece of heaven on earth is definitely Instagram-worthy! <3

[caption id="attachment_3760" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Colorful chairs! :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3759" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Books to keep kids occupied :)[/caption]







[caption id="attachment_3757" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Outdoor seating while waiting or those who want to smoke :)[/caption]

Her husband, on the other hand, is busy with the kitchen creating tasty Filipino and Western meals the way it should be.

[caption id="attachment_3750" align="aligncenter" width="427"] By the counter / kitchen :)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3754" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Oregano and Basil, grown right at the restaurant :)[/caption]

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It was a Saturday and I had dinner with some food blogger friends. While everything we tasted was delicious, I'm sharing with you my personal favorites:

I was happy to wait for my meal while munching on some Mushroom Salpicao. Each piece was cooked just right and absorbed the garlic flavor. It was gone too soon haha!

[caption id="attachment_3766" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Mushroom Salpicao - P130[/caption]

I never had lamb before (as far as I know) so Lamb Masala was my main meal for the night. Was it malansa? Not at all! The meat was tender with a smokey flavor and a light kick. I believe I made a good choice since my bloggers friends also enjoyed the dish. :D

Ms. Rachel highly recommends their Lengua and I'm glad she did! It was the best I ever had for the longest time! For a second I forgot this was made with ox tongue because it has melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. We kept coming back for more :)

Their ice cream are a different story, homemade by Ms. Rachel's husband and son. Using fresh and natural ingredients, each flavor was rich and creamy. The chocolate wasn't melted thoroughly, giving it texture which I liked very much. The strawberry one has bits of the fruit itself too. Did I tell you what you can see on the photo is their single serving portion? Your choice to share or not hehe :P

[caption id="attachment_3764" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Chocolate Rumble & Avocado Mambo - P60 (single), P110 (double)[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3792" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Strawberry Lane. Photo by Cristal. Thank you! :)[/caption]

In between meals, I sipped some Calamansi with Honey. It was light, refreshing and perfect for the heavy meal we had. If you must, order the Malunggay-infused version (photo onset with the Lamb Masala).

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The group also ordered Battered Fish & Shrimp with Frizzy Fries for appetizer (crispy brown with light batter), Angus Rib Eye Steak, Plana's Sisig (reminds us of our Vigan trip), Gindara Steak (lemony Black Cod fish), Meltique Steak (meat was buttery c/o marbling technique), and Hickory BBQ Ribs (barbecue flavor was not overpowering for me, meat was tender as well). All rice meals comes with a side serving of vegetables.

[caption id="attachment_3763" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Battered Fish & Shrimp with Frizzy Fries - P155[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3770" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Angus Rib Eye Steak - P380[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3771" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Gindara Steak - P250[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3772" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Meltique Steak - P350[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3767" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Plana's Sisig - P230[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3773" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Hickory BBQ Ribs - P265[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_3765" align="aligncenter" width="427"] Supersized Lemonade - P65[/caption]

That was a lot of meat (and a lot of food for me and Alice since we came from two different food events beforehand) so we had hot tea to aid with digestion ;)

Plana's Pantry is a place where I'd like to spend time catching up with friends or family over good food. Or somewhere I can finish off creative tasks as it is full of positivity and inspiration. The ambiance is very homey and the hospitality in their service is from the heart.

Thank you Ms. Rachel for having us over and Cristal for the invite!

Plana's Pantry

50 Domingo M. Guevara, RL Bldg., Highway Hills, Mandaluyong City

Operating Hours: Mon - Sun, 10:30AM - 11:00PM

Follow them on Facebook

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Looking for restaurants near California Garden Square?

• Tipsy Beans


• Plana's Pantry

Authentic Korean Fare at Leann's Tea House

A couple of weeks ago I had lunch with old and new food blogger friends. I was excited because we were going to a Korean restaurant <3

Pig Out at Livestock Restaurant & Bar

A stone's throw away from two of the country's biggest TV networks is a relatively new restaurant that will delight pork lovers.

The difference is Gaggenau: Vario Cooling 400 series

With its lavish LED lighting concept and perfected details, the new Gaggenau Vario cooling 400 series offers all the benefits of modern storage technology. The 14 cooling appliances in the first modular system of fully integrated built-in appliances introduced in 2007 can be combined in countless ways to create a stylish cooling wall. Illuminated by LED lighting, their stainless-steel interiors, designed for optimum use of space, are bright and practical.

With the Zomans: Heaven & Eggs, Glorietta 4

It's been there for years but I've never really stopped for a second to look at this breakfast spot h(e)aven.

PACE in the 2014 Philippine Culinary Cup: Learning Never Stops!

Professional Academy for Culinary Education (PACE) recently participated and got awards in the recently concluded and highly anticipated, international culinary competition “2014 Philippine Culinary Cup”.

Friggies Launches its Website and Delivery Service

MANILA – As the juicing craze continuously creates a buzz in the metro, Friggies, a social enterprise hailing from the countryside is now ready to come out in the open to offer juicing with a new twist.

Upcoming: 2014 Philippine National Barista Championship

The country’s most prestigious barista competition is happening this October 2014.

Redefine Your Coffee Experience at Tipsy Beans, Mandaluyong

Tipsy Beans opened its doors to the public in June 2013, owned by brother tandem Stephen Alvin and Patrick Lorenz Gueco.

Robinsons Easymart launched in Tarlac City

With the goal of improving access to good food and basic household items in communities across the country, Robinsons Supermarket is launching Robinsons Easymart, a network of neighborhood grocery stores for everyone’s day-to-day needs.

IS YOUR BELLY READY FOR BELLY-SIMA?

It is with pleasure that we announce an event for both artisanal & gourmet food lovers and natural, healthy & organic food advocates will enjoy!

Saboten Japanese Cutlets, Glorietta 5

Saboten first opened its doors in Shinjuku, Tokyo back in 1966. The restaurant was named after 'cactus' because of the plant's vitality, even in the harshest conditions.

BGC Eats 2014: Food Tour For Passionate Stomachs

Bonifacio Global City, one of the country's fast rising mixed-use district, is home to a wide range of gastronomical finds that's yet to be discovered.

Back to back: Eastwood Coffee Con & McKinley Coffee Culture Fest!

Coffee lovers, head over to Eastwood Mall Atrium to discover delicious brews and learn more about coffee at Eastwood Coffee Con!

Clara Ole Cream-based Pasta Sauce Taste Test

Cooking at our home is minimized, unless I take over the kitchen (which doesn't really happen haha!). Remember the Three Cheese pasta served piping hot when I woke up? I thought I was the one who'll prepare that.. :3

Anyway, I got excited to 'cook' because I have secured a small package of Clara Ole cream-based pasta sauces, but I had to wait for our grocery time to restock on pasta. Bummer :(

The Balcony Gastropub, Makati

After a long (stressful / busy) day, we all just want to unwind. Girls usually eat one of their comfort foods while guys would want to grab a bottle of their favorite ice cold beer.

Along with one of my best friends, Yem, we went to our first gastropub to hang out with fellow bloggers Aldous and Carol :)

The “Quality Cream-based” Sauces from Clara Olé

From the family that made Pasta Sauces a true and delicious fixture in every Filipino dish, Clara Olé, a leading name in pasta sauces, tomato sauce, marinades, syrups, jams & jelly, dips n’ dressings, introduces its newest line of cream-based sauces that will surely provide delight in every family meal.

14 New Ways to Love Garlic at Krazy Garlik!

Do you like garlic? I love it particularly garlic flakes! I always try to add a little more in my goto and tapsilog. If you are repelled by the smell of garlic, lemme change your perspective :)

Photoblog: Lucky Chinatown Secrets Tour

I have never been to one of the world's oldest Chinatown and I feel like eating authentic Chinese food on a budget. If you're like me or just looking for something to do this summer, I got a solution to our dilemma: go on an awesome culture and food tour at Lucky Chinatown!

Le Mirand Restaurant and Recreation, Antipolo

Want to grab a drink but staying away from crowds? Looking for last minute or spontaneous place to bring your date? Let me take you on a virtual tour on one of the secret gems of Antipolo City.

Watami, EDSA Shangri-la

Mention Japanese food and I'd start daydreaming about fresh tuna sashimi, ebi tempura and green tea. Oh, yum! I've been busy with school in the past few months but you can't say no to good food!

Pinoy Lunch Meals below Php300 at Siklab

The proud all-Filipino restaurant from Bistro Group, Siklab, introduces their Pinoy Lunch Meals! How about your favorite, great-tasting Pinoy meal served in ten minutes, with adobong kangkong, iced tea and rice, all under Php 300?

Easycook Legumes Cooking Demo & Recipes, Genting-Star Tourism Academy

Peas and lentils (can be referred to as 'pulses') are two of the healthiest food on the planet yet not typically found in Filipino diet.

Pasta, Pancakes and Clara Ole!

A few days ago I received a package (actually picked it up Friday from Mama's house) from a homegrown Filipino brand containing an array of food products ranging from sauces to Dips n' Dressings enough for us to whip up a feast!

End of Term Celebration at Fish & Co. Trinoma

Three weeks vacation time from university flew by fast... BAM! Boy I'm glad I had a good start for my Christmas break!