13 Dec 2012
in Photography, Restaurants Tags: catering, Christmas Party, food, Le Souffle by Chef Jessie, Makati at night, photography, Top of the Citi
A friend’s office Christmas party was held at Le Souffle by Chef Jessie at Top of the Citi on the 34th floor of the Citibank Tower in Makati last Friday and I went there to shoot it. They asked me to also take shots of the food, so I did, without really thinking that I was going to blog about it. But I kept coming back to these photos and making myself hungry that I thought, okay, I’m going to have to share this with other people, so they can get hungry with me. I love sweets. And these are just yummmmmy!
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06 Oct 2012
in Life in El Nido, Palawan, Restaurants Tags: dining, El Nido, food, Lonesome Carabao Lounge, Palawan, restaurants
One of the newer establishments in El Nido town, Lonesome Carabao Lounge, is located in Hama Street, and we passed by it every time we went to town. (We lived a few kilometers outside of town, in the direction of the Lio airport.) I heard about how good the tacos and burritos are but never actually went in. On this one time I decided to try it, I found it overflowing with people so I had to go somewhere else. In addition, my predisposition for beachfront places did not really help.
One rainy August afternoon though, I saw it empty, save for a few guests all on their laptops, so we went in.
My daughter, Lia, and I took this little table by the wall near the door.
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03 Oct 2012
in Palawan Tags: dining, El Nido, food, Palawan, restaurants, Trattoria Altrov'e
When I came back to El Nido after not being there for a year, I found myself lost in all the new establishments. I went to my favorite restaurants first, of course. But the first “new” restaurant that I found myself in was Trattoria Altrov’e, right at the corner of Calle Hama and the street where I used to live in 2005.
It’s a restaurant open only for dinner and located on the second floor. By the entrance on the ground floor is the pugon (brick kiln or oven) and the pizza preparation area. Guests have to leave their footwear at the bottom of the stairs and climb up to get to the restaurant.
It’s a small place and can get really full quick. Prices can be steep, a pizza can cost up to Php400+ BUT it is really, really good.
I fell in love with this place the very first time I went there.
My favorite place table was on the raised platform right by the windows and near the bathroom because it was very cozy! I loved the low tables, and the pillows on the floor.
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14 Jun 2012
in Albay Tags: 1st Colonial Grill, Albay, chili ice cream, Daraga, dining, food, Legazpi, Pacific Mall, restaurant
I was told there were many 1st Colonial Grills in Albay, but I insisted on going to the easiest one to get to, and that was the one located at the Pacific Mall. The place has two entrances, one inside the mall and the other, right by the street, across the open parking space.
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14 Jun 2012
in Albay Tags: Albay, food, Legazpi, pinangat, restaurant, Waway's Restaurant
I feel like I already wrote a blog about this before but I’ve been unable to find it. There was a time when I sought to separate all my travel posts from everything else, and created a travel site called “One Travel Story” – the goal was to write one travel story at a time. After a year, I realized it was much too tedious to maintain too many sites and decided to abandon the project. I therefore had to migrate the posts, at least some that I thought worthy of saving. When angkuletdotcom crashed in 2011, I lost all control of what was saved and not. I am still recovering.
I was first in Waway’s Restaurant in February 2010 for lunch. I was in fact with Lia, who was then ten months old. Here are some of the photos from that trip:
Chicharong Bulaklak
Fried Shrimps
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08 Dec 2010
in Restaurants Tags: food, friends, Restaurant Cicou, restaurants, UP Rep, UP Repertory Company
Summer missed Jma’s post birthday celebration at Merci Bar so she organized a lunch out at the restaurant where she works as a sous chef – Restaurant Cicou at Hotel Celeste in Makati – her treat!
Sous Chef Summer
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01 Nov 2010
in Camarines Sur, Restaurants Tags: Bicol, Bigg's Diner, Camarines Sur, food, Pili, restaurants
I was home earlier this year with Lia while H was busy with his first quarter meeting with the “United Nations” team. I always make it a point to eat at Bigg’s Diner every time I am home. There is one walking distance from my parents’ home in Pili. It is the one right in front of the Pili Elementary School, in the Pili town proper, next to a now-closed gas station (where I used to buy a pint of ice cream everyday the entire summer before I went away to college), along the National Highway.
Looking out into the street/parking lot
Interior and counter where it is pay-as-you-order
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15 Jan 2010
in Family, Restaurants Tags: Bellini's, dining, family, food, restaurant
We accidentally found Bellini’s Marikina during our last visit to Lia’s pediatrician for her measles vaccine. Actually, our finding it was not really very accidental since we knew Bellini’s is around the area, as was mentioned to us by our good friends Abet and Hash, who had their anniversary dinner same day Bellini’s celebrated their first anniversary in Marikina. (The original Bellini’s is in one of my favorite places in Metro Manila – Cubao Expo, formerly known as the Marikina Shoe Expo.) 
Bellini’s Cubao, November 2009
Bellini’s is right across from the nearest and perhaps only available parking space in the area. I must say Marikina is such a nice city because it seems like a bigger and more spacious version of Quiapo. I always make it a point to buy fruits from the market across the clinic where fruits are cheap! This time around, walking from the clinic to the parking space, we also accidentally found a nice store to buy cheap brandless diapers and baby wipes. No need to go to Quiapo! Hoorah for that!
This is what you will see when you get inside. Though this is the view from my table, as you can see the doors on the left side.
It was about eleven in the morning when we got to Bellini’s and it was empty.
A closer look at the painting on the wall.
Upon entering the doors, wall painting on the left, more tables on the right.
Photo wall on the right. Did not get to see a closer look though. Here, Ryan is showing Lia the photos while I eat.
The well-trained staff assisted us with our menu choices. We ended ordering the appetizer, which looked good on the table from where I was sitting.
Little window at the back is the kitchen. The chef was making pizza. 
Appetizer (composed of five different kinds of food); P300, small
If you know me, you will not ask me what these are, since I am absolutely stupid when it comes to food. I just eat away and don’t bother to know what I am eating. These appetizers were good though! Real good! I thought to myself, “Maybe next time I go to Bellini’s and just order the appetizers.”
And of course, since this is an Italian eatery, we ordered pizza and seafood pasta.
Lia looks like she is absolutely enjoying the food.
We had a hard time though with their high-chair since it was not ideal for kids of Lia’s age group.
Us wearing our current favorite dresses. Lia is salivating on, either the food or the high chair. Though, literally, she was salivating on the high chair.
While we were eating, an Italian came in, we think Bellini’s son, came knocking at the door. Yeah, he actually knocked. Then he was chatting with the staff and then us. He even ran around my table to pick up the fork I accidentally dropped on the floor and immediately replaced it himself.
When we left, he was standing by the table of an elderly couple who came in about thirty minutes after we did, chatting away.
Our bill was about P1,100. Ryan said afterwards, “I think we’ve found a better Italian restaurant than Cantinetta!”
I shouldn’t even have to say that I love Italian and Mexican food. It might just be worth mentioning too that I do not eat Japanese food at all.
“Yeah! We love this Italian eatery! You should come!” – Lia
***
For more on this Italian restaurant, read what this blogger had to say.
Also, read what Anton has. It’s informative and so much better than this post. Hahaha! Not that I’m competing, I am just documenting my otherwise boring life. Haha.
13 Dec 2009
in Restaurants, Uncategorized Tags: Adarna: Food and Culture, dining, food, Kalayaan Avenue, Quezon City, restaurants, restaurants
We have probably driven past this resto a hundred times. I have noticed it before, but was always hesitant to go in because I thought it was some sort of resort. Hahaha. Like you know, with nice villas and a pool inside. Sometimes I thought, it’s probably a chic little private museum. Other times I thought it was a restaurant, but an expensive one where we could not afford any food.
The courtyard
I love Kalayaan Avenue. It has all these cool little places that I make memories with. Like 9 Mile Bar. Like Pork Barrel, this kubo-kubo grill Ryan and I found ourselves one night we were trying to find a place to have coffee and beer and a quiet place where we could talk. Like this wine resto that is also a depot for native furniture. (Ha! Even BarKo in which we have unfortunately found ourselves one night). I lived in Kalayaan Avenue for one semester. My father rented out a big room for me, with its private bathroom at the back of this brick building that housed his then-office in the penthouse, where I was joined by my brother when he took up his masters in Ateneo de Manila. I almost know it upside-down, downside-up.
We had mass with Ryan’s parents because it was his mom’s birthday last Friday, at the Parish of the Holy Sacrifice in U.P. It was actually Lia’s first mass. I was not too happy about bringing her to mass because I know it was just gonna be hard on her but oh well.. We first thought of having dinner at Cocina Juan, since that is actually one of our favorite places these days, but we thought a party of six and a baby would not really fit in. We made it to Kamay Kainan thinking we were all gonna avail of buffet but the service there is awful, awful, awful, awful (I can’t seem to say it enough) that we left. We thought of eating at Trellis right across the street but Trellis was closed. I would say that this is another of those occurrences when a bad thing turns out to be a good thing because we ended up in Adarna: Food and Culture.
The trees in the courtyard decked with Christmas lights and lanterns
Doors at the dining area opening into the courtyard
Little sari-sari store at the lobby. More dining in the courtyard.
Dining is made more private with the use of dividers
The view of the courtyard from our dining table
We were supposed to head back to Teacher’s Village, a convoy of three cars. We stopped to wait right in front of Adarna and I thought, why not check this place out? A waiter came out to meet me and I asked if I could see the menu. I only really wanted to check if the food was affordable. Having seen that they were, we then decided to stay.
menu
Nice plate! 
(coz I don't remember what this was)
Again, don't remember what this was.
It may seem obvious to other people what this is, but to me, it's not. Haha!
I will have to improve my dish naming skills..
Don't remember what this was called but it's a must-try! 
This, I definitely know. It's halo-halo! Hahaha! Really, it is.
Taking a moment to have photo taken at courtyard.
It's Christmas season after all.
I would dare say, this place is great! Affordable food, wonderful ambiance, great service and all that. Love this place! We would definitely come back soon!
The family, in front of the restaurant.
19 Nov 2009
in Restaurants Tags: Cantinetta, dining, food, restaurants, Rockwell
Cantinetta at Rockwell is an Italian/Vegetarian resto. Or at least, that’s what this website says.
We were famished after almost two hours at the Global Pinoy bazaar and could not decide where to eat. We were standing at the taxi stand from across the street and I was so wanting to have a Mocha Frappucino at Starbucks. We spotted one across the street. On the way to Starbucks, we wondered where to have dinner. It was the first establishment we passed by.
![Cantinetta outside [1]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2581/4116991511_3500aaa860.jpg)
I was hesitant at first. After that ridiculous dinner at Cima in Eastwood and after a number of ridiculous dinners in places like Prince of Jaipur, Italianni’s, T.G.I.Fridays and even Claw Daddy’s, I was not too keen on eating in another expensive place – and hating it.
![Cantinetta outside [2]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2716/4116994607_7a134f4f92.jpg)
There were a bunch of real Italians sitting outside. A waiter from inside the resto came out of the door and approached us. I was apprehensive. I told him I wanted to see the menu first to see if I liked anything before deciding whether I wanted to stay or not.
![Cantinetta outside [3]](http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2739/4116997541_0b1a3b37dd.jpg)
It turned out to be a very good dining experience. Ryan said, “I think we have found our Italian restaurant!” …because I love Italian.
The food, service and ambiance were great! The waiters were helpful. Food was served fast. The bill and the change were fast too! The food was delicious! We finished the Pescatora (fresh seafood with tomato sauce) we ordered. Though we didn’t finish the Quattro Formaggi (mozzarella, parmesan, gorgonzola and ricotta cheese) pizza we ordered because we were quite full, we did not have a problem eating it for breakfast the next day! Haha! I did not get to take photos of the food because we were sitting under one of the umbrellas outside where it was really quiet and breezy and we were only lit with a candle light. It was just so relaxing to sit there, eat good food and have a little bit of chit chat with a cup of macchiato (for me) and an Earl Grey tea (for Ryan.)
Cantinetta
Blk. 9 Hidalgo Drive, Rockwell Center
Makati City, Metro Manila
(02) 403-0145
Open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm all days of the week
Click here to view the menu.
And well, I have got to say, you know it’s a good Italian resto when there are Italians eating.
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