RESTAURANT HOPPING: HAPPY CREAM PUFF

Here's our featured food store for today's entry, HAPPY CREAM PUFF

PRICE RANGE: 20- 80PHP

LOCATION: DELA ROSA ST., MAKATI CITY; MALUGAY ST., MAKATI

Happy Cream Puff is a dessert shop that sells delectable cream puffs in bite- sized portions and avant- garde decorated puffs.

They sell by piece and per box. I suggest you get yourself a box because it's so good, you'll crave for more!

The Happy Cream Puff Branch in Malugay, Makati

It seems like this is a Japanese conceptualized food store because I see that they have articles, newspapers and magazines in Japanese.

Check out the yummy creamy puffs box of 10!

Mom and I got ourselves an assorted box of 10, which costed us 180php. Our personal favorites are the (L-R) white chocolate puff, caramel glazed puff, glazed pecan puff and the glazed walnut puff.

A bite is sure to release some awesome cream goodness inside every cream puff. It's so good! I always get myself a box whenever I'll be having one of my weekly badminton sessions.

If you're planning to drop by in one of their outlets, I assure you, you won't regret your visit! I hope they branch out to malls and places in the north and south! :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: THE KEBAB FACTORY

Here's our restaurant of the day, THE KEBAB FACTORY

PRICE RANGE: 60- 500PHP

LOCATION: THE ATRIUM, SM MEGAMALL

Hubby picked me up at 4pm after my class. He was so sweet to surprise me because he waited for me right outside our classroom. We headed straight to SM Megamall for our scheduled stroll

The Kebab Factory: The Atrium, SM Megamall

Okay, So we decided to try The Kebab Factory, since we are lovers of the Persian Cuisine.

Here's what we ordered:

PAPADUM MASALA

HUMMUS WITH GRILLED CHICKEN

MOTABLE

BEEF SHAWARMA

BEEF KEBAB (ONE STICK)

He swallowed a lot of the spicy Mint Coriander Sauce. :D

KAON TA? :D

We spent around 500php+vat. Not bad. Their food is aboslutely good, most especially the Papadum Masala. We really had a great filling. I ate the Beef Shawarma. It's so huge and it's priced at 99php only. 

We're really planning to go back to this place on our next monthsary, which is on Sept. 7, 2009. :D If you're kebab lovers, this place is a must- visit for you. :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: FROSTINGS

Okay, so I'm here in Glorietta and I decided to get a bit of sugar high by eating dessert. I'm feeling kinda' slow, low and sleepy today so after eating dinner in World Chicken in Food Choices, Glorietta 4, I dropped by Frostings, a cupcake store

PRICE RANGE: 40- 80PHP

LOCATION: 2ND FL., FOOD CHOICES, GLORIETTA 4, GLORIETTA CENTER, MAKATI CITY

Their cupcakes are well- made because from their deli freezer, all the cupcakes look so delectable. Each are uniquely designed and are beautifully made so you'll really want to try each of their cupcakes!

Their prices are based on the following cupcake creations: Regular, Premium, Extra Premium and Fruit.. They also sell miniature cupcakes so you'll have a taste of everything in bite- sized renditions.

I got the White Chocolate cupcake since I'm very much of a White Chocolate fan. This is a premium cupcake and it costed me 55php. Not bad right?

I told the saleslady that it was a take- out purchase. And they put the cupcake in a plastic cup with a dome cover. It's pretty effective because it keeps the cupcake from getting messed up inside. It also came with a spork so you'll be able to eat this neatly.

I really love this cupcake! It's sweet, yet not uber sweet to a point where it's "nakakaumay" already. It's what I always experience whenever I'm gonna eat Sonja's cupcakes in Serendra, Fort Bonifacio.

Going back to Frostings' cupcake, the frosting is just right and I'm loving the white choco morsels that garnished the cupcake. I had a pretty good filling after eating this. It just had the exact amount of sweetness that I was looking for.

Overall, it's kinda' expensive but trust me, their cupcakes are quite big and you'll really get a good tasting cupcake. Besides, the overall packaging of the cupcake and design of the cupcake is a 10 out of 10 for me so I got my 55php's worth. :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: COLD ROCK

SO HERE'S ONE OF MY MOST FAVORED FOOD PLACES IN THE METRO. IT'S COLD ROCK IN GREENBELT 3.

LOCATION: 3RD FL., GREENBELT 3; THE FORT STRIP, FORT BONIFACIO; ALABANG TOWN CENTER; TRINOMA

PRICE RANGE: 160- ? (PRICE DEPENDS ON THE ICE CREAM SIZE AND MIX- INS YOU PAY FOR)

IT'S THE FAMOUS AUSTRALIAN FRIED ICE CREAM. THEY BOAST OF A LUSCIOUS ICE CREAM LINE IN UNIQUE FLAVORS AND A TON OF MIX- INS FOR YOUR FRIED ICE CREAM. OVER 3000 ICE CREAM CONCOCTIONS TO TRY AND LOVE!

MY PERSONAL FAVORITE HERE IS THEIR HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM. IT'S THE MOST UNIQUE ICE CREAM I'VE TASTED EVER! I ALSO LOVE PUTTING VIOLET CRUMBLE, RICE CRISPIES, MARSHMALLOWS AND LOACKER IN MY HONEYCOMB ICE CREAM.

ANOTHER FAVORITE FLAVOR OF MINE IS BANANA MONKEY PIE. I LOVE PUTTING COOKIE DOUGH AND BLUEBERRY IN IT. IT'S SUCH A YUMMY CONCOCTION! TRY IT! :D

LUSCIOUS BUTTERSCOTCH WITH VIOLET CRUMBLE

WELL, IT'S KINDA' EXPENSIVE THOUGH. IT'S LOCAL COUNTERPART, FLOYD'S HAS ALREADY CLOSED DOWN. IT'S SUCH A PROMISING FRIED ICE CREAM COMPANY. I WONDER WHY THEY DECIDED TO GIVE UP ON IT.

OH WELL, AT LEAST THERE'S STILL COLD ROCK. IT'S JUST SO EXPENSIVE THOUGH... :D

BTW, I SUGGEST YOU TRY MY CONCOCTIONS. :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: CHATEAU 1771

For this edition of Restaurant Hopping, CHATEAU 1771 is in our spotlight.

NAME: CHATEAU 1771

LOCATION: GREENBELT 5

PRICE RANGE: 300- 2000PHP

This is one of me and my mom's most favored restaurants. They have "just right" food proportions that never fail to make you full. The food is full of flavor and you're gonna love the beautiful ambiance of this place.

Chateau 1771 serves a delectable line- up of famous foods from the French- cuisine. Here's a list of what we ordered:

ON THE HOUSE: BREAD CHIPS WITH EGGPLANT PATE

STEAK POTENCE (FULL PORTION) WITH GARLIC RICE

PRAWNS AND SHITAKE SALAD (SMALL)

MELTED RACLETTE CHEESE

RED WINE (GLASS)

This restaurant has a fine dining atmosphere though a lot (even me and my mom) would go there wearing pretty casual clothing. I like how this fine dining resto does not have a dress code because I really love wearing laid back clothes when I'm out in the malls. 

Okay, so this restaurant is expensive. You could pretty much gauge that the food costs 300 and up from the looks of this restaurant from the outside.

The steak Potence, aka steak flambe costs 1400php for the full portion but it's already good for two, unless you can eat for two or you eat for two. :D The half portion costs at around 760php. The prawn and shitake salad is divine. It has two serving sizes. Small and Large. We just ordered the small portion and split the salad into two. Even if the servings are small, they're quite heavy. 

So, are you ready to get hungry? Then scroll down. :D

ON THE HOUSE APPETIZER: BREAD CHIPS AND EGGPLANT PATE. :D

THE DAYUM GOOOOD MELTED RACLETTE CHEESE WITH MINI PICKLES, MINI SKINNED ONIONS AND BOILED MARBLE POTATOES. :D

PRAWN AND SHITAKE SALAD. IT'S SOOOO GOOD! :D

FLAMING GOODNESS! THEY GRILL THE STEAK RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOU. :D

YUMMM. STEAK. :D

THREE SAUCES OF THE STEAK POTENCE: BUTTER, GRAVY AND BERNAISE

Overall, I love this restaurant. Great food, great servings. If there's one bummer, it would have to be the price. But if you would like to spend a special day treating yourself (or in any case, you and your special someone or you and your family) to a good restaurant, then I suggest you visit this place. It's worth your money. :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: PEOPLE'S PALACE

Hi guys! Mom and I had a dinner last night in People's Palace, Greenbelt 3, Makati City

So this is our IT restaurant for today's edition of Restaurant Hopping.

I love Thai food. Every dish is an explosion of flavors. Another thing that makes me love every Thai dish is how a particular dish tastes completely different from the other. Spices, aroma, and taste. That's what Thai food is all about.

I currently have a favorite restaurant, which is a popular restaurant in the Metro as well. It's called Soms, and is located just outside the Rockwell area. I'll feature that fave Thai resto of mine in my next restaurant hopping entries.

People's Palace is a very popular restaurant in the Greenbelt area. You can always spot foreigners and locals dining in this rather exquisite restaurant. From the outside, it might look too formal, so you'll have the notion that it's expensive. Truth be told, food's ain't cheap here. But eating here is truly an experience. Every food is worth every penny you'll pay. When I say authentic Thai cuisine, People's Palace means it.

Price range is around 250- 700php. Make sure you have a date or someone with you because the food here is really worth sharing, especially the bill. :D But if you're overflowing with cash, indulge here, anytime you want. If I have tons of money, why not?

So here's a list of what we have ordered.:

CATFISH AND GREEN MANGO SALAD

PAD THAI

CHICKEN AND PORK SATAY

LEMONGRASS JUICE

JASMINE RICE

Not much right? But I tell you, their servings are always good for two! Unless you eat for two, or you can eat for two. :D

Another good thing, for rice lovers out there, it's unlimited rice for all orders so it's one place to go to if you're famished.

TOTAL BILL+VAT: 1307PHP (NOT BAD, RIGHT?)

ARE YOU READY TO GET HUNGRY? THEN SCROLL DOWN :D

My mom is famished. tulala na. :D

LEMONGRASS JUICE---- A REFRESHING DRINKS MADE FROM PURE LEMONGRASS. THIS IS MOM'S DRINK. I ALWAYS PREFER WATER OVER FLAVORED DRINKS

CATFISH WITH GREEN MANGO SLICES SALAD-- TRULY A WONDER RECIPE OF THE THAI CUISINE. CRISPY CATFISH FLAKES PLUS JULIENNED STRIPS OF GREEN MANGO. I ACTUALLY DON'T LIKE EATING GREEN MANGO BUT THIS RECIPE MADE ME TO DO SO! :D

CHICKEN AND PORK SATAY- A CUISINE FAVORITE. BEST WITH PEANUT SAUCE 

Satay goodness. :D

PAD THAI-- A POPULAR THAI DISH MADE OF EGG NOODLES, LEEKS AND BEAN CURD AND TOGE STIR- FRIED IN SATAY SAUCE GARNISHED WITH CRUSHED PEANUT. CHILI FLAKES ARE OPTIONAL

EGG NOODLE GOODNESS. :D

THAI CUISINE RESTAURANT RECOMMENDATIONS:

SOMS

PRICE RANGE: 50- 300

OODYS

PRICE RANGE: 150- 500

THAT'S IT FOR OUR "IT" RESTAURANT OF TODAY. HOW ABOUT YOU GUYS? DO YOU LIKE THAI FOOD?

RESTAURANT HOPPING: BRAZIL! BRAZIL!

Here's an initial review on BRAZIL! BRAZIL! Restaurant.

We had dinner in one of the "trendsetters" in the Philippine restaurant industry, Brazil! Brazil! Restaurant. It became so famous in the dining scene today because of the Churrasco or the Brazilian Barbeque.

"Churrasco" means "grilling" in a way to preserve the flavor of the grilled food.

They have a variety of grilled specialties but not much, but each food is guaranteed to overwhelm you (in a good way) that you'll be SO satisfied with what their Churrasco can offer!

Here are some of the stuff in their sumptuous Churrasco:

BEEF BRISKET

BEEF TENDERLOIN

CHICKEN THIGH

PORK BELLY

CUTTLEFISH/ SQUID

BANANA WITH HONEY

PINEAPPLE

LAMB

SCHUBLIG SAUSAGE

CHICKEN SAUSAGE

FRANKFURTERS

BUTTERED CORN

They also have a buffet that offers French/American/Japanese food, depending on what cuisine is due for each day. The best part is, you pay for the Churrasco and Buffet for the price of one.

The fun part is, they give customer/s a yoyo with a red and green face, which you'll put in your table for your Churrasco orders. If you want the Churrasco girls coming over and over to your table, the green face of the yoyo should show, and if you want to take a break from the yummy Churrasco, turn the red face of the yoyo up. After eating. you get to bring the yoyo home for free! :D

Price range per head is 600php++ and VAT but you're sure that you're gonna get your money's worth. 

I always go back to this restaurant if ever I want to satisfy my meat cravings. :D

RESTAURANT HOPPING: LA MAISON

My mom, big bro and I ate in La Maison in Greenbelt 5 after hearing mass. It is a fine dining restaurant at the second fl. of gb5. We sat near the window and was glad because we're having a good view of the greenbelt area. We're very famished so we ordered quite a lot. Here's a list of what we ordered:

MOM:

APPLE AND TUNA SALAD

BIG BRO:

FILET MIGNON 250GMS WITH LA MAISON RICE

OYSTER PLATE

ICED TEA

MOI:

FILET MIGNON 250GMS WITH MIXED VEGETABLES

WILD SHITAKE MUSHROOM SOUP

THE VERDICT:

I love steak and was glad because I was able to enjoy my steak meal. It was juicy, yummy and easy to chew. The vegetables were also good and I love the fried potato shoestrings that served as a base for the slab of meat. The only thing that didn't seem right were my asparagus sticks. In the menu, it stated that it will come with bacon strips but when my order came, It was only plain asparagus that served as a garnish atop the steak. But it didn't bother me that much since I'm on a diet and bacon is not part of my diet. If there's one thing worth trying here, it's the Wild Shitake Mushroom Soup. It's cream- based, has a dash of cayenne and topped with croutons. The serving is quite big so one bowl can serve 1- 2 persons. I love that it's loaded with shitake mushrooms! (self- confessed fungi lover :D) 

Place- wise, I like the overall lighting and design of the place. Not too bright, not too dark. The interior is classic, dominated with warm colors such as white, black, brown and dark red. I also appreciate ambiance music but I really hate it when the song that's currently playing has lyrics, which I think is not kinda' right for a fine dining resto. I'd rather have classical or instrumental of popular oldies but goodies songs playing in the background. Worst part is, it's pop- ish and the song is like a christian song of some sort. And another bummer, the volume is kinda' loud. 

Price range: 180- 1500php

I have to admit that this is really and expensive restaurant (and it's a fine dining resto). I'd like to conclude that it's a must- try, but not something to rave about. I wouldn't mind not being able to eat here for 2- 3 mos. Their food is really good, but not stellar. I could settle for Burgoo, which is a cheaper place for steak and grilled food. But hey, if they lower their prices, why not? :D

ARE YOU READY TO GET HUNGRY? THEN SCROLL DOWN.... :P

FREE GARLIC BREAD! :D

WILD SHITAKE SOUP (MUST- TRY)

ICED TEA! :P

APPLE AND TUNA SALAD

OYSTER PLATE

MY STEAK MEAL! :D

OOHH...CAN'T WAIT TO FINISH EVERYTHING! :D

TTFN! (TATA FOR NOW!)

- TIGGER