chairs Archives - Between Bites - Bites of Food, Travel and Lifestyle

Between Bites TOP 10 MUST BITES 2011

December 22, 2011 by Janey

I have scoffed, gobbled, munched, wolfed down different dishes in many, almost countless, restaurants that I have to really organize my food thoughts. That is the reason time and again I come up with these Between Bites Top 10 lists.

Between Bites TOP 10 Best Japanese Restaurants

BETWEEN BITES TOP 10 BEST DATE PLACES

BETWEEN BITES TOP 10 BEST FILIPINO EATS

BETWEEN BITES TOP 10 BEST PAELLA

BETWEEN BITES TOP 10 BEST Buffalo Wings

TOP 5 Sultry Strawberry Treats

Mercato Centrale, Where Food Lovers Meet, The TOP 10

Between Bites TOP 10 Things About Bali

And here we go again! This time I have dubbed my annual list as “MUST BITES” in line with the Between Bites “brand.” Yuck, brand daw oh. Haha.

10. Rub Ribs and Barbecue

A simple duplex with a red signage that spelled RUB stands in Tomas Morato. With more comfortable dining area on the 2^nd floor, the small space has quotable quotes in frames adorning the wall. Their menu offers wings, potato wedges, pastas, pork belly, among others but obviously, it is a no-nonsense restaurant devoted to the love of ribs and barbecue.

Fat Michael’s Gastro Pub

April 26, 2011 by Janey

Bubba invited me out for lunch a few weeks back. And I welcomed the opportunity to spend time/lunch with him. It was perfect timing because I really needed the break that week –lunch break that is. I rarely take a quality lunch break and I’m happy when I do… this particular lunch qualified as one.

He had something up his sleeve when he didn’t ask me where I wanted to eat. He parked at the basement parking of Agustin 1 Building in Ortigas and was glad to see there is a Fat Michael in the area. Fat Michael’s Gastro Pub was really huge and had the same quirky elements the original Fat Michael’s located in Bangkal, Makati is known for.

They had a colorful map of Ortigas drawn in some of the glass windows.

In the middle of the dining room slash pub stands a flight of stairs cum pedestal that had all things playful… and the ever familiar, “we cook slow.” board.

Fat Michael invites you to get any of their board games, chess, magazine, books displayed there and enjoy leisure time while waiting for the food you ordered to be cooked.

I just noticed a boo-boo 😀 LOL

–

Somebody cheated! 100?? 100??

On the Table

Spicy Lamb Kebab with Curry Rice PHP 298

For the price, I was surprised to see just one skewer of the spicy lamb kebab and surprised that it didn’t come with curry rice. The rice it came with was enjoyable and the same rice they served the rosemary herb chicken with. The lamb was flavorful although it had some overcooked tough parts.

I also wished that the vegetables (tomatoes, onions and bell peppers) were grilled but they tasted very raw.

Rosemary Herb Chicken PHP 198

Bubba is craving for Go Greek’s rosemary herb chicken for the longest time now and orders rosemary herbed chicken elsewhere while we find a schedule to visit Go Greek in Glorietta.

During lunch here, I suddenly missed the dishes at Frazzled Cook.

Bubba and I played Scrabble during the whole lunch and we both laughed during the game trying to come up with words and the biggest score possible. It was a good lunch, albeit I found the lamb kebab a bit on the pricey side.

Fat Michael’s would be a great place for after-work drinks with colleagues or friends.

Fat Michael’s Gastro Pub

G/F Agustin 1 Building, Ruby Road

Ortigas Center, Pasig City.

(63 2) 843 1953

Fat Michael’s Flickr Album

Related Posts:

Dazzling Dishes at Frazzled Cook

Fat Michael’s

—

1 Comment Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: addition hills, american, antique, best food blog, best foodie, best in Metro Manila, Blvd., chairs, Chef, Cuisine, discount, discover, drink, drinks, Fat Michael, Fat Michael interior, Fat Michael's, Fat Michael's Gastro Pub, Filipino, food blogger, food blogs, food review, Frazzled Cook, homemade iced tea, how to get there, Jude Mancuyas, kitchen, lamb stew, location, Luna Mencias street, mandaluyong city, Map, menu, mismatched, new Fat Michael, new restaurant in Metro, newest restaurant in Ortigas, ortigas, owner, Pasig City, Peruvian Hot Pot, Philippines, photos, pinoy, price, Promo, recipe, restaurant, review, san juan area, Seafood Paella, Shaw Boulevard, Spanish, spicy cajun fish, street, The Frazzled Cook, Wagyu Salpicao, what to order, where to go

Between Bites’ TOP 10 Food Highlights of 2010’s 1st Half: What a Mouthful!

June 23, 2010 by Janey

Between Bites TOP 10 Food Highlights (2010 -1st Half)

10. King One’s Shabu Shabu

That Sunday lunch at King One’s Shabu Shabu (PHP 529 per head) was a wonderful lunch where the food were abound and of good quality –prepared well I should say. I get turned off with restaurants that offer buffet sometimes because of the way the food is prepared… but in this case, King One’s staff handles the food properly. Service was friendly, prompt and inclined –more reason to enjoy your King One feast. Don’t forget to order fresh prawns, mozzarella balls, tao pao and lamb! Oh lamb!

King One Rotary Hot Pot

M2-A Lower Hobbies of Asia

#8 Macapagal Ave., Pasay City

(632) 556 1370

9. Sweet Revenge of Maitre Chocolatier

Sweet Revenge is Maitre Chocolatier’s Lindt Molten Lava Cake -dark chocolate molten lava cake made from Europe’s finest Lindt Excellence Dark 70%, filled with oozing sweet and vengefully spicy chocolate served with vanilla ice cream

Sweet Revenge was the unanimously favorite on the table with its gooey warm chocolate that ruptures from the moist cake that’s bittersweet dark and spiced with chili. Midway when the chocolate flavor sinks in, the chili essence abruptly creeps in creating a sweet heat inside your mouth. Cool off with the vanilla ice cream that soothes your taste buds to a calm reverie. Bubba, Zipster and I loved the yin yang taste of darkness and sweetness, as well as the heat and arctic feel.

The spunk of the chili in the luscious chocolate liquid inside and the vanilla ice cream bring it all together in sweet harmony.

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Café

Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Cafe by Eva Wong

2A (Beside Starbucks), No. 28 Jupiter Street

Bel Air, Makati City, Philippines

(632) 897 8559

8. Minato’s Great Korean Barbecue

Other than the smorgasbord of side dishes that includes Kimchi, spiced green vegetables, peanuts, bean sprouts, marbled potatoes among a variety of other side accompaniments, it is really the barbecue that’s quite good at Minato. It has to be one of the best in town.

Kimchi Pancake

The Kimchi Pancake is oil-fried pancake with bits of beansprouts and cabbage flavored Kimchi-style. And I think it’s free.

So Kal Bi PHP 350

Marinated beef short ribs –has a shadow of sweetness, garlic and soy. It’s hard to restrain oneself from gnawing the large bones with charred meat.

Sam Gyeop Sal PHP 240

The plate had thick, fatty slices of pork belly (almost looks like uncured bacon) alternating meat and fat and then skin. Meat is left unseasoned and usually cooked on a grill at the diner’s table. In this case, the wait staff helped in cooking the pork belly slices. On the side, green onion leeks and lettuce are served in case you prefer to wrap your meat inside. Customize it and add different side dishes or Kimchi and dip in sesame oil with fine black pepper and salt for a perfect finish.

Minato Korean Restaurant

Escriva Road (between Furu Restaurant and Agua Vida)

Ortigas Center, Pasig City

#8 is a toss-up between Minato and Chic Boy

tied at the same number.

8. Tasty Lechon Liempo at Chic Boy

Great food doesn’t necessarily have to come at a price. There’s a new affordable (almost dare to say cheap) food discovery along Jupiter Street in Makati. Call on the Chic Boy. Chic-Boy is actually a play on the words Chicken and Baboy (pork) –the meats that are quite popular in the Filipino community particularly when it’s grilled.

Chic Boy is putting a whole new turn on chicken inasal, lechon manok and lechon liempo like you’ve never tasted before. They’ve taken a special secret recipe of tasty lechon manok and lechon liempo in Cebu and chicken inasal of Bacolod and put it all in one easy-breezy and affordable restaurant here in Manila.

–

Must-orders include their Cebu Lechon Liempo and Salmon Sinigang (PHP 45). With those affordable prices and flavorsome and satisfying meals, how can anyone go wrong? 😀

READ MORE!

Tasty Lechon Liempo at Chic Boy

Chic Boy

Jupiter St., Makati City

7. 22 Prime’s Tomahawk Chop

Quick-fire thoughts:

I love the ample size of fat that adds a buttery texture

and heightens flavor of the meat

Peppercorn sauce bursts a bouncy flavor that goes perfectly with the chop

The salad is a good pause in between bites of meat as a cleanser to the palate

Side of baby vegetables had the right crisp and seasoning

–the lone brussel sprout was my favorite! Quite tasty!!!

Don’t miss out on ordering my FAVORITE Chef Rick’s Cheese Bread!

Chef Rick’s Cheese Bread PHP 140

Gooey warm cheese topped on three breads, soft and bursting with tantalizing flavors. Served with baby greens in a mild citrus dressing sparkled with pink peppercorn. Sun dried tomato and broiled four cheese together? It’s an exercise in indulgence.

Premium Night at 22 Prime

22 Prime

22^nd Level, Discovery Suites

25 ADB Avenue

Ortigas Avenue, Ortigas Center

Pasig City, Metro Manila

(632) 719 8888/ (632) 719 6821

6. Ya Kun Kaya Toast –Ortigas

Want a great breakfast that lifts you up at any time of the day? Head over at Ya Kun Kaya! 🙂

Kaya Toast (Half PHP 115, Set Menu PHP 140)

2 slices of delicious Kaya toast with butter –has the right lightly toasted crunch of the bread, slathered with butter and just enough green sweet coconut spread. Satisfies when washed down with Ya Kun’s famous coffee tarik or the traditionally pulled coffee. It’s not on their menu, but you can change your coffee to Yin Yang, which is this delicious half-coffee and half-tea drink.

–

Noticeably, the Ya Kun eggs were cooked perfectly, which other Kaya stores can’t quite get, where the eggs usually come out with still some raw uncooked parts. My little spoon broke into that fountain of yolk and I was soaked in sunshine delight. There’s no brighter day than eating wet and perfectly prepared eggs with the crunch of your toast.

READ MORE!

Ya Kun Kaya -Ortigas

In Crumbs: Ya Kun Kaya, Taverna Verde and Taal View Heights

Ya Kun Kaya Toast

G/F AYK Bldg., Escriva Drive (Right beside Astoria Plaza)

San Antonio Village, Ortigas, Pasig City

(632) 470 4285

7AM-11PM

5. Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice

Suffused in its natural chicken juice/broth, the chicken meat was very tender and delectable –quite tasty for what can be considered a “healthy food.” The exquisite and juicy flesh of the steamed chicken is finely balanced with the fragrant rice sprinkled with green onions. Add a splotch of color and taste by blending in the ginger in sesame oil, chili and sweetened soy sauce.

Ooh, the appetizing smell and pleasant gingerly-sesame light taste mixed with a touch of soy and red spice… makes you definitely bite off more than you can chew.

Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice: Bite Off More Than You Can Chew

Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice (For pick-up orders only)

21 Libra St. Bel Air,

Makati City

(0906) 508 4155

4. Legend of India

Next to my favorite cuisine, I think Indian cuisine is one of the most interesting and flavorful fares in the world. Indian cuisine uses various spices, herbs, and vegetables and fruits sometimes grown only in India. It also has a wide assortment of cooking techniques.

Kadai Paneer PHP 260

Cottage cheese cooked in a traditional kadai masala paste

Rogan Josh PHP 450

Rogan Josh is an aromatic curry meat dish cooked with a mixture of strong Indian spices where the fat of the meat is usually roasted first in yogurt marinade. Legend of India tamed their version for our group, which mean it wasn’t intensely hot, but it was still intensely enjoyable paired with the vegetable biryani or the naan.

Sweet Lassi PHP 110

It was my first time to actually drink a whole glass of sweet Lassi. I’ve tried it before in other Indian restaurants but found the others’ version too sour for my taste. Lassi is a popular and traditional Indian yogurt-based drink. I tremendously enjoyed Legend of India’s sweet lassi since it has a perfect blend of yogurt, milk and sweetener. There’s a bit of tangy taste to it but it mellows down with a frothy sweet milky flavor. It fully relaxes your taste buds from the spices.

READ MORE!

Legend of India is Legend of Taste

Legend of India

114-B Jupiter St.,

Bel-Air II, Makati City

(632) 836 4232

3. Tsumura’s Wagyu Beef Usuyaki

Other than the sushi and sashimi…

It’s the Wagyu Beef Usuyaki that’s memorable at Tsumura! 🙂

Wagyu Beef Usuyaki PHP 600

Supple mushrooms wrapped in thinly sliced Wagyu beef –very tender, flavorful that it’s mighty impressive. The mushrooms were very light, in mellow contrast of the excellent beef. It is simply an indulgence in fine food. The taste is divine.

Tsumura

2^nd Level 88 Corporate Plaza

Sedeno corner Valero Streets,

Salcedo Village, Makati City

(632) 887 4848/ (632) 4850

#3 is actually a toss-up between Tsumura and Serenitea

tied at the same number.

3. Serenitea’s Okkinawa or Hokkaido Milk Tea

Serenitea is your one-stop shop for all things serene about tea. They have different variants of tea that will help boost a definite change of drinking lifestyle. It is the healthy alternative to colas, coffee and sugar-loaded smoothies. We visit 3 to 4 times a week to get our “Serenitea fix,” which is usually their Okkinawa milk tea drink with nata or pearls (depending on what topping you want) or Hokkaido with pearls.

–

A Sunday Afternoon Picnic

2. Frazzled Cook’s Paella

In terms of taste and price, I consider Frazzled Cook’s Seafood Paella as the best in my book so far.

Seafood Paella PHP 550

For those diners who love their seafood paella with the full generous portions of mussels, squid rings, shrimps, chorizo and egg, this is their best bet for paella and huge value for money. I love the fact that they serve it on the paellera since I enjoy most my paella with the burnt crispy part at the bottom.

For other recommended orders, below are some dishes worthwhile to try:

Wagyu Salpicao PHP 550

When the serving arrives on your table, initial thought would be, “this dish is pricey.” If you’re being served with quality Wagyu that certainly softens in your mouth in a buttery texture without any effort, then your money is good. Have no qualms being served only a few flavorful cubes of beef drenched in its sautéed oil with lightly fried chips of garlic and slices of button mushrooms. Superb.

–

Peruvian Hot Pot PHP 400

The Peruvian Hot Pot is their version of spicy lamb stew. This was Bubba’s favorite as the spicy invigorating flavors all come together from the lamb, olives, bell peppers and wine –great flavor and unbelievable rich sauce. The lamb meat had no gamey aftertaste that will surely convert those non-lamb eaters.

The Frazzled Cook

#916 Luna Mencias Street, Baranggay Additional Hills,

Mandaluyong City

(632) 782 5980

1. La Tienda Steak

Chuleton PHP 2,150 (PHP 425/100 grams)

It was the steak that was the highlight of this dinner date for me (okay, plus Bubba’s adoring chinky eyes). One of the best steaks I’ve tasted in Manila is not found on a focused steakhouse. It’s at a Spanish restaurant called La Tienda. I was pleasantly surprised how the steak gratified my meaty cravings. I think we had it cooked in medium doneness. The delicious steak was quite tender –glistening with appropriate grease and seemingly lightly salted while being cooked.

READ MORE!

La Tienda

43 Polaris St. Bel-Air

Makati City, Philippines

(632) 890 4123

Because I love food so much, I have #11-#20 but I’ll save it for another post. Watch out for that soon! 😉

For the meantime, here’s looking forward to the wonderful eats and gastronomic experiences for the next half of the year! Food Highlights from July-December 2010 –2^nd half version! And finally, by the end of the year, TOP 10 of 2010!!! 😉 I’m so giddy with excitement! CHEERS!

THANK YOU Ming for this photo! 😉

LIVE, LAUGH, LOVE and EAT!!! 😉

Photo Credit:

Carlos Palma of Foodie Manila

www.FoodieManila.com

—

14 Comments Filed Under: (NEW HERE??) TAKE A BITE OF THE FAVORITES FIRST!!!, Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: address, affordable, after clubbing, after gimmicks, all you can eat, alternative, american, assortment, Authentic, award, awarded, beancurd skin, bel air, best blogger, best buffet in Manila, best chicken, Best Chicken Rice in Manila, best chocolate fondue, best crab restaurant, best date place, best food, best food blog, best food blogger, best food review, best foodie, best hot chocolate, best in Metro Manila, best milk tea, best steak house, best tea drink in town, Between Bites, Between Bites's Top 10 Food Hitlist, blogger, boiling, branch, branches, Breakfast, breakfast fix, brewed tea, Buffet, call centers, Carlos Palma, chairs, champions, cheap, cheap finds, cheap food, cheap good food, cheap thrills, cheese, cheezy toast, Chef Bruce Lim, Chef's Table, Chic Boy, Chic Boy Pier One bar and Grill, Chic Boy Restaurant, Chicken and Baboy, chicken inasal, chili sauce, Chinese, chocolate cafe, chocolate shops, Chocolate stores in Philippines, Chocolates, Chuleton, Clawdaddy Crab House and American Grill, Clawdaddy Crab restaurant, coffee, contact number, creative chocolate, Cuisine, customized, date, davao, delicatessen, delivery, dessert place, different dinner, dining, dining club, dinner, discount, discover, dish, dishes, distributor, drink, drinks, Eva Wong, exclusive, Fat Michael's, Filipino, Filipinos, food blog, food blogger, food blogs, food finds, food review, foodie, foodie blog, Foodie Club, foodie club series, foodie find, FoodieManila, foodies, for orders, Fort, Fort Bonifacio, franchise, Frazzled Cook, freestyle cooking, fresh seafood, freshly brewed tea, Garden, ginger, good, grams, grill, grilled cheese sandwiches, group, guests, Hainanese Chicken Rice, hawker, healthy lifestyle, Hobbies of Asia, Hokkaido Milk Tea, homemade iced tea, hotspot, how to get there, how to go, Ilonggo chef, ingredients, inquiry, interactive, interesting, Irene Co, jelly, Joan Lim, Jok Bal, Jude Mancuyas, Jupiter Street, Kalayaan, Kaya, kimchi, King One, King One price, King One Rotary Hot Pot, King One Shabu Shabu, kitchen, Korea Town, Korean, Korean cuisine, Korean grilled barbecue, Korean schools, La Tienda, La Tienda restaurant, lamb, lamb stew, Lechon Cebu, lechon liempo, lechon liempo tasty, Lindt, Little Korea, live music, location map, Luna Mencias street, Macapagal Avenue restaurants, Maitre Chocolatier Boutique Café, Makasuntra, Makati City, Makati restaurant, Makati restaurants, Malate, Mango strudel, Manila, menu, Metro Manila, Michelle Lim, Minato Korean restaurant, Minato Ortigas, new restaurant in Metro, now delivers, open 24 hours, operation hours, order, outdoor, owner, paella, Paella Mixta de la Tienda, paella valenciana, Party, party orders, Pasig City, peanut butter, pearls, perfect, perfectly cooked egg, Peruvian Hot Pot, Photo, photos, picnic, pinoy, play catchy words, Polaris street, premium, Press, price, Promo, pulled coffee, Quezon City, restaurant, review, ribs, romance, romantic, rooftop, Sam Gyeup Sal, San Juan, Seafood Paella, serenitea, service, Shabu Shabu, shangri-la plaza, shrimps, side dishes, Singapore, soft boiled eggs, Sol Kal Bi, South, Spain, Spanish, Spanish Cuisine, Spanish restaurant, Spanish rice, Steak, steak place, Stevie, Stevie Villacin, stevie's, Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice, street, sweetened soy sauce, Sweets, Sze Chuan sauce, Taiwan, Taiwanese, Tao Pao, Tao Yuan, Taste Manila, tea drink, telephone number, the best Korean restaurant in Philippines, The Frazzled Cook, toast, Tofu, Top 10, Top Korean Restaurant, top restaurants in Manila, TOP TEN BEST FOOD HIGHLIGHTS in Manila, unique, Valentine's, Wagyu Salpicao, website, what to order, where to go, where to order, whistlestop, Ya Kun Kaya in Singapore, Ya Kun Kaya Ortigas, Ye Dang Korean restaurant

In Crumbs: Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice, Clawdaddy Crab House, Cibo

June 11, 2010 by Janey

2 Sets of Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice Aren’t Enough

May 30, 2010 –2 weeks ago, we ordered Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice yet again. This time, scared to run out of it, we ordered two sets (plus an extra cup of ginger, as usual). It was the highlight of Sunday family lunch at Bubba’s place. We learned that Sundays are usually the busiest day for Stevie since a lot of people call in for orders during this family day. That specific Sunday, there were 8 orders called in for pick-up in Bel-Air, including 2 that were ours.

Bored of the usual lunches in the office? Order Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice, pick it up, and share a great lunch at work. That’s what we did in April. Karen was stuck somewhere so the HCR lunch was shared with our COO and my boss. I’m glad they both loved it. Karen followed afterwards and ate a hefty share as well. I had three helpings myself.

I had more than three helpings 2 Sundays ago… 😉

Stevie’s Hainanese Chicken Rice (For pick-up orders only)

21 Libra St. Bel Air,

Makati City

(0906) 508 4155

Venting out on Food @ Clawdaddy Crab House and American Grill

May 31, 2010 –My make-up was lost one day and replaced the next day (Monday). And that brought a string of good luck with it in the weeks that followed.

But that Monday night, I can’t help but do a vent-out dinner (where I eat my heart out literally –I choose the restaurant and not look at the price tag when ordering and just eat what I want). I treated Bubba at ClawDaddy Crab House and American Grill. We rarely eat at seafood restaurants (Bubba is not a shellfish fan) but this time, I just wanted to get my hands messy with crabs and ribs.

Crab Maritess PHP 120/100 Grams (I think our crab was at 900grams so that was about PHP 1,080)

Crab sautéed in olive oil, white wine, garlic and chilies

–

What I do every time I visit is order Crab Maritess and requests for the sweet and spicy Sze Chuan sauce on the side

Smoked Baby Back Ribs (Half) PHP 398

Smoked, slow-cooked, and char grilled baby back ribs basted with ClawDaddy’s BBQ sauce –with 2 side orders of dirty rice

–

Rustic Mashed Potato PHP

ClawDaddy Crab House and American Grill

6^th Level, The Ledge, Shangri-la Plaza Mall

EDSA Cor. Shaw Blvd. Mandaluyong City, MM.

(632) 636-5679

READ MORE

ClawDaddy Crab Buffet

ClawDaddy Crab

Meann’s Birthla at Cibo

June 3, 2010 –It was Meann’s birthday. I surprised her at the office with some Machiavelli chocolates and a banner with the Happy Birthday sign. Lunchtime, we headed out to Shangri-la Plaza for Meann’s birthday lunch treat from dee boss (CGS). It was a toss between Agave or Cibo. We ended up in Cibo.

We bumped into Pebs (AFC’s Senior Sales Affiliates Manager) and Michelle (wife of Chef Bruce of Tablescape) at the restaurant. Pebs used to be my religious supplier of Royce chocolates from Singapore back when she was still based there for work. And Pebs also used to work for SKY as airtimes sales head. She’s now with Asian Food Channel. I’ve met Michelle once when we dined at Chef’s Table.

Pebbles briefly shares that a good friend of hers and her husband’s suggested a place to dine at and when he sent the link of the place –it was my Between Bites site’s link he sent. She laughed a bit because we knew each other. What a small world after all. They tried Frazzled Cook and were really happy about it. I flushed a bit when Pebs said that I got many readers. I delight in the honor of being read… but alongside it is the “invisible” pressure of improving my writing and making good recommendations –those that are deserved.

We ordered one appetizer and a pizza to share among the four of us. As usual, I had my favorite, Pasta dela Terra. Meann asked me what’s good to order and I suggested either Pasta Dela Terra or Pasta Al Telefono. She got the latter while CGS and Karen got two other pasta plates I wasn’t able to note.

Pasta Dela Terra PHP230

Mushroom trifolati, stewed tomato, goat cheese, Parmesan, cream

Tegamino Di Formaggio Fuso Mozzarella PHP 230

Mozzarella, white cheese, tomato, anchovies, basil

Cibo

2nd Level Shangri-la Plaza Mall

Shaw Blvd. cor. EDSA, Mandaluyong City, Philippines

(632) 631 7753

READ MORE

Agave Mexicana Cantina

Gastronomic Indulgence at the Chef’s Table

Pebbles and Royce Nama Chocolates Bitter

Frazzled Cook and His Dazzling Dishes

Cibo

Two Italians in One Night

Thursday Club Series: Agave Mexican Cantina

—

2 Comments Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: 100, 21 Libra, addition hills, address, american, antique, awarded, bel air, best, Best Chicken Rice in Manila, best crab place, best crab restaurant, best food, best food blog, best foodie, best in Metro Manila, best recipe online for fragrant rice, Between Bites, Blvd., boiling, branches, Buffet, bulk, chairs, Chef, Chef Bruce Lim, Chef's Table, chicken, chicken broth, chili sauce, Cibo, Claw Daddy Crab, Clawdaddy Crab House and American Grill, Clawdaddy Crab restaurant, contact number, Cuisine, date, delivery, different dinner, dining, dinner, discount, discover, drink, drinks, engaging, Fat Michael's, Filipino, food blog, food blogger, food blogs, food finds, food review, foodie, for orders, Fort, Fort Bonifacio, Frazzled Cook, freestyle cooking, Garden, ginger, grill, group, Hainanese Chicken Rice, hawker, homemade iced tea, hotspot, how to get there, Ilonggo chef, inquiry, interactive, interesting, Jude Mancuyas, Kalayaan, kitchen, lamb stew, live cooking, location, Luna Mencias street, Makasuntra, Makati, Malate, mall, management, mandaluyong city, Mango strudel, Manila, Map, menu, Metro Manila, Michelle, Michelle Lim, mismatched, new, new concept, New Orleans, new restaurant in Metro, now delivers, olive rice, outdoor, owner, P1, P950, Party, party orders, Peruvian Hot Pot, pesos, Philippines, Photo, photos, pinoy, price, Promo, recent, recipe, restaurant, review, ribs, romance, romantic, rooftop, san juan area, seafood, Seafood Paella, Sentosa, service, setting, shangri-la plaza, Shaw Boulevard, Singapore, site, Spanish, spicy cajun fish, steamed, Stevie, Stevie Villacin, stevie's, Stevie's Hainanese Chicken Rice, street, STV, STV Hainanese Chicken Rice, sweetened soy sauce, tableside cooking, Tao Yuan, Taste Manila, telephone, The Frazzled Cook, unconventional, unique, upcoming, Valentine's, Video, Wagyu Salpicao, website, what to order, where to go, whistlestop

The Frazzled Cook and His Dazzling Dishes

April 20, 2010 by Janey

As soon as my family and Bubba arrived at that quaint spot along Luna Mencias Street in Addition Hills in Mandaluyong, “Moms” as what I fondly call my mom, immediately asked, “I thought this was an antique furniture shop?” “Yes moms, this used to be the location of that antique store that had large vases displayed by the gate. It’s now a restaurant!” 😉

Behind The Frazzled Cook is the same folks who brought us Fat Michael’s –whose patrons have constantly requested to have the same restaurant opened near the north. Owner Jude Mancuyas has such a passion for their restaurant that it reflects from the shabby chic interior to the creative and delicious food that their regulars have come to love –that is unchanged in The Frazzled Cook.

The unique and artsy dining room was designed with some vintage chairs and comfortable couches, a varied collection of nostalgic memorabilia that include books, paintings and other trinkets. The medley of furniture is quite an eye-ppetizing treat in itself.

A quick review of the menu shows a variety of dishes that the “frazzled” kitchen can whip up on the fly. From Spanish, Italian, Mediterranean, Filipino and American cuisines, there is something for every individual with a discerning taste.

On the Table

Grilled Cheese Stacks PHP 130

Started with a lighter fare.

Seafood Paella PHP 550

–

The traditional saffron seasoning is evident in this colorful Spanish dish providing the delightful piquant taste. What I like best is the several lemon wedges that garnish the top. Bubba knows how I love a liberal squeeze of lemon that adds the zesty kick. This paella, similar to the one I remember enjoying at Fat Michael’s in 2007, was the very equal highlight of the entire meal for me.

Spicy Cajun Fish with Saffron Rice PHP 375

Get a shade of Southern cooking by ordering their spicy Cajun fish with saffron rice. In our case, the saffron rice was substituted with French fries.

–

Peruvian Hot Pot PHP 400

–

Wagyu Salpicao PHP 550

–

Pork Chop PHP

This was another one of Bubba’s orders, which I really didn’t get. Pork Chop would really be the last on my list when eating out unless I know for a fact that the place makes really damn good tender pork chops. They have a tendency to easily dry out. I didn’t get to taste the dish but with Joyce and Bubba’s approving smiles, I know that the pork chop didn’t disappoint.

–

Iced Tea (by the pitcher) PHP 275

Jude probably wanted their restaurant to reflect the cozy, casual atmosphere of Fat Michael’s. At The Frazzled Cook, one can enjoy a hearty meal that’s quite exceptional while relaxing in a “home away from home” environment.

Twas Bubba’s celebration treat of my Glutamax win 🙂

Great bonding time with Shobe Joanne

The Frazzled Cook’s cooking expertise comes through in every dish he carefully prepares –begging you to wonder if he’s frazzled in the kitchen at all.

The Frazzled Cook

#916 Luna Mencias Street, Baranggay Additional Hills,

Mandaluyong City

(632) 782 5980

The Frazzled Cook Album

Fat Michael’s

—

4 Comments Filed Under: Inside Dish: A BITE of Food Tagged With: addition hills, american, antique, best food blog, best foodie, best in Metro Manila, Blvd., chairs, Chef, Cuisine, discount, discover, drink, drinks, Fat Michael's, Filipino, food blogger, food blogs, food review, Frazzled Cook, homemade iced tea, how to get there, Jude Mancuyas, kitchen, lamb stew, location, Luna Mencias street, mandaluyong city, Map, menu, mismatched, new restaurant in Metro, owner, Peruvian Hot Pot, Philippines, photos, pinoy, price, Promo, recipe, restaurant, review, san juan area, Seafood Paella, Shaw Boulevard, Spanish, spicy cajun fish, street, The Frazzled Cook, Wagyu Salpicao, what to order, where to go

Singapore Day 3: IKEA and Connection

December 16, 2009 by Janey

When I woke up, Kate was already at the desk clicking on her laptop. She was hard at it, working fervently at a career she loves. She used to be based in Singapore for work but she realized that there’s no place like home and eventually left the Singaporean company to go back to the Philippines. A few months later, the Singaporean company hired her back –this time, she is working home-based in the Philippines and the emails are her attendance at work. What a really great break! 🙂

She was almost done and she asked me my plans for the day. I said I had no plans and was thinking of a trouble-free last day in Singapore. She said she was going to IKEA and invited if I would like to join her. She wants to buy some stuff from IKEA and meet friends she made in Singapore. I was suddenly ecstatic!!! 😀

You see, I wanted to go to IKEA that I was harping about it the night before in the cab on the way home with Chrissy, Ivy and Jonel. Since I had no one familiar with the city to go with, I decided against it. I heard it was a bit far from Link Hotel. Thank goodness for an angel like Kate, my beloved roomie, and suddenly my Sunday was looking less bleak.

Another thing I like being bunked with Kate is, without having to speak, our movements are in such great tango with each other. She had her space and I had mine and timing in the bathroom between us was seamless –both productive and relaxed.

What made this departure day different though is I usually have my luggage packed the night before and clothes to wear and everything else ready. But after a fun night with the group much laughing and walking, I plunk-ed on my unmade bed with my water bottle. I wasn’t able to pack at all –a first in my book actually.

Good thing I was able to make haste and packed in 20 minutes (I usually take a leisure hour), just in time Kate finished packing too. We checked out and placed our luggage in the lobby. We were crossing the street when I checked my phone and saw Jen’s text message. I replied and said we were on the way out but will wait for her if she’s ready. She was all set and 5 minutes later the three of us were on a bus going to our IKEA date.

IKEA

IKEA was a good 30 minutes from our starting point. It wasn’t so difficult to get there by commuter bus since Kate was familiar with Singapore. At one point, it took a while to figure where the express shuttle is but both Jen and I were still at ease with Kate at the front. We took a train, 2 buses and we were finally at IKEA.

IKEA was like an enormous warehouse that offers a wide range of well-designed functional home furnishing products at prices so reasonable, both Jen and I did quite some shopping. We only had an hour before we meet up with Kate again so we really maximized our time –checking only items that really caught our interests and consulting with each other on the price and usability.

$1 Breakfast

I bought a few items (lamps, rags, photo frame, 1kg Swiss meatballs, chocolates, etc), while Jen’s big purchase was two white fur shrugs for her favorite chair at home. I ran out of Singapore dollars and my only complaint about IKEA is that they don’t accept US dollars. Jen and Kate had to lend me some SG money for my purchase.

It was time to relax when we had lunch at the huge IKEA cafeteria. Of course, both Jen and I tried the meatballs everyone was raving about. We also bonded with Kate’s friends from Singapore and asked them about life in the cosmopolitan country.

Going back was so much easier although we were running out of time because we were supposed to reach the hotel lobby by 3pm. Stopped by quickly at a money changer shop, had my US changed and paid my dues. We had a good 20 minutes to spare and since Kate knows I wanted to try Ya Kun Kaya, we looked for it at a nearby mall. Time is gold and I decided to just concede to trying Singapore’s Toastbox at the ground floor. Both Jen and I ordered food to go.

I also appreciate how easy I got along with Jen. I’ve been reading her Sexy Nomad site and like her steady positivism and travel spirit as well even before meeting and working briefly on a film project together. Just the day before, we bonded over breakfast and waiting time at Selangor.

We hailed a cab and finally reached the lobby on time. We were one of the early ones there. The bus actually left an hour later. No complaints since Jen, Kate and I had to repack our luggage and hand carry bags to fit in what we just purchased.

After repacking, we still had 30 minutes to enjoy leisurely the soft-boiled eggs and kaya toast combination we bought. Yummy!!! It wasn’t Ya Kun but it satisfied my kaya and egg craving!!! 😉

All aboard the bus, we hit our airport destination. Because of the items I bought from IKEA, I was over the limit weight by 7lbs! First time it happened to me too but since we were in a big group, I wasn’t too worried. Not until the ground officer said we couldn’t do a big group check-in, which was a bit weird. I was getting really concerned… Being quite independent, I was timid to ask people if I could share their weight limit 🙁 I checked how much it would cost me to just take in the extra weight -PHP 7,000! Gosh, I didn’t want to pay an extra 7 Grand for “pasalubongs.”

After much scurrying, (big thanks to Alodia, Ashley, and Jonel as well as Frances and Fran who tried to help out), Jonel shared my luggage weight and checked in my bag under his name. *BIG HUG to Jonel*

Whew, trouble-free huh 😉

—