The Ultimate Food Addict

Elena's Lechon Manok

2011-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Let’s start my Tagum City food reviews with this all-time fave lechon manok of mine. No lechon manok in the whole Philippines can ever beat Elena's and when I say none, it’s truly none! :) I have not tasted one that is close to Elena’s in terms of flavor and “sarap to the bones” factor. Elena's originated in Tagum City and can only be found in Davao del Norte. I’ll throw in one funny fact about me, when I’m in Tagum I don’t eat any other lechon manok. It should only be Elena’s!!! :)

Sbarro

2011-11-18T19:15:00.000-08:00

I love Sbarro! It’s my perfect comfort food. Oh yeah, I know it's sinful but it’s so good I simply can’t resist it! Baked ziti with white sauce and spinach pizza are my ultimate favorites! It has just the right amount of flavor and tang to it and who would have thought that a veggie pizza could taste so damn good?

I also have tried the lasagna. It’s too heavy for me though and the flavor is too powerful. The seafood pasta on the other hand is somewhat bland. The cheese pizzas, pepperoni and other regular varieties are ok. I’m not a fan of Chicago deep dish pizzas maybe because I just prefer my toppings on top. Overall it serves yummy food and I’m sure you’ll leave happy and full.

Italianni's

2011-11-17T21:02:00.001-08:00

I’m not new to Italianni’s. I have eaten here several times already. This time we tried the angel hair pomodoro and quattro carne pizza. The angel hair pomodoro was an instant favorite. I liked that the pasta was cooked al-dente and blended in with the right spices. The Quattro Carne pizza was a new item thus the curiosity. It was a bit dry for me and didn’t have enough toppings.

Italianni’s is just ok. You would not hear me rave about it. It’s even a tad bit pricey for me. I can recommend other Italian restaurants that are more affordable and better in terms of flavor and serving size. I am two thumbs-up for their customer service though.

Italianni's can be found all over Metro Manila and in major key cities nationwide.

Let's go Korean!

2011-11-17T04:13:00.000-08:00

Dolsot Bibimbap, Jap chae and Pajeon are more than enough to fill your hungry tum-tum! I now appreciate Korean food more after I learned what to order. (special thanks to Pinky Tan) :) Trying it out for the first time can be quite intimidating especially if you don’t know what you will get. Mom and Dad learned it the hard way but with practice and a little research a Korean food trip is truly worth it.

If you’re in Davao you can try KIMCHI SOMANG which is just across Victoria plaza besides Chowking Bajada or you can also try SIGOL BAP SANG Korean Restaurant, this one's across Grand Regal Hotel. The latter also has a Korean grocery store beside it where you can buy yummy Korean ice cream for dessert. Enjoy!

Filipino Appetizers

2011-11-15T17:31:00.001-08:00

Crispy Kangkong

Yes, I’m a fan of this yummy appetizer. Just a simple dish of kangkong leaves mixed in batter and then fried to crispy goodness. I like how the delicious flavor of the leaves comes out in this dish. Heck, I’d even choose this over pork chicharon anytime.

Crispy kangkong can be usually found in restaurants serving Filipino food.

You can also try it in Delongtes (Davao city) and Papa Pin’s (Tagum city)

Chicharong Bulaklak

Chicharong Bulaklak is a Filipino street delicacy. This is usually sold on the streets together with fishballs, kwek2x and isaw. It is made from pork intestines, seasoned and then deep fried. One would be surprised to find that this is truly very tasty and flavorful. Word of caution though, this is high in uric acid and cholesterol. Eat in moderation.

Cyma Greek Taverna

2011-11-15T17:13:00.001-08:00

I love Cyma! Almost everything’s delish! :) I tried the beef pasta and lamb gyro! Both were super yummy.

Lamb gyro- It’s similar to a shawarma but richer. Bits of spices, veggies and roasted lamb meat rolled in pita bread and topped with garlic and hot sauce.

Beef pasta- Fat spaghetti noodles topped with meaty beef shank and mixed in full-flavored red sauce.

Everything’s so heavenly and tasted so right with my lemonade.

Cyma has five branches in Metro Manila: Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Greenbelt 2, Eastwood Mall, Trinoma Mall and Robinsons Place Manila

Provincial branches: Boracay and Ayala Center Cebu

Friuli Trattoria

2008-12-16T18:03:00.003-08:00

It's a lazy friday night and I'm here in a coffee shop in my hometown drinking frappes with my cousins and brother. We were talking about pizzas and pasta and I suddenly remembered that at this time last year I had a pizza and pasta feast together with my Jodera family back in our favorite little Italian restaurant located inside UP Village, Friuli Trattoria!

I first tried this restaurant sometime in July 2007 when a friend and I were looking for somewhere to eat and saw this little green shop and got enticed by it. We decided to try it and it was one of the best discoveries of my college life. Too bad I was already in my last year then.

One of our favorites is their tuna pasta, the pasta's cooked al dente with savory spicy cream sauce and served with garlic bread. The serving's quite big. It's already good for two persons.

A trip to Friuli would never be complete without ordering the house's specialty, PIZZA :D It's truly filling, delicious and heavenly. They have a lot of choices to choose from. The pizza below is Tres Formaggi which roughly means "three cheeses", basically it's a pizza topped with three different kinds of cheese. Perfectly melted cheeses over a perfectly baked crust. What more could you ask for?

Tres Formaggi

We also ordered their version of the Hawaiian pizza, bite sized pieces of ham over melted cheese and tidbits of pineapple. Hot and tasty with just the right touch of sweetness. The food is great and yummy and they also serve gelato cakes for dessert.

Hawaiian pizza

The Friuli Trattoria dining experience is truly pizza and pasta heaven! It's also very affordable plus the ambiance is relaxing. A trip to Friuli will indeed leave you full, satisfied, happy and still wanting for more.

It is located along Maginhawa street, Teacher's village, Quezon City.

On Cakes and Candles

2008-11-29T06:28:00.000-08:00

It's the eve of my birthday and I just remembered how much I love birthdays and look forward for my brothers', cousins' and friends' birthdays. I just asked myself why and I realized that the reason is not hard to figure out. It's simply because of the FREE FOOD!hehe No really, aside from that, I love birthdays because it's a happy occasion and I just can't get enough of the smiles and birthday wishes I hear being given out. Everyone claps and sings the "happy birthday song" the moment it's time blow the candles on the cake. Everyone is happy for the celebrant and wishes him/her the best in life. I'm going to turn a year older tomorrow and I just want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who have been a part of my life. You all know how grateful I am that I was given the chance to grace your lives and also become a part of it. I am indeed very grateful most especially to those people who have shared their food with me, eaten with me, invited me for food trips and in general shared with me the wonderful world of food! hehe

Thank you and I love you all!:)

-the ultimate food addict- *wink wink(with a tear or two dropping)* hehe!

Tagum Fiesta and GS Lying-in and Ob-Gyne clinic Blessing

2008-11-24T21:40:00.001-08:00

Last November 23, Tagum City celebrated its fiesta, the feast of Christ the King. It was also the blessing of my mom’s lying-in center and Ob-gyne clinic. It’s named after her and it carried her initials, GS. It was indeed a very busy day but it was fun. A lot of guests came and celebrated with us.

Front and signage of GS Lying-in Center and Ob-Gyne Clinic

I started the day at 8am and helped cook the fish fillet. I helped prepare the fish, mix the batter and fry it. We also made a sweet and sour sauce to go with it. We used “malasugue” for this dish. It’s a kind of fish that’s similar to tuna but has softer and whiter meat compared to tuna. It’s a relatively easy dish. You just season the fish and dip it in batter and fry it and then top it with sauce. The sauce is made up of pineapple juice and chunks, carrots and spiced with bell pepper, garlic and onion. Vinegar is also mixed in to achieve that sweet and sour taste. Voila! below is the finished dish!:)

Sweet and sour Fish fillet

I finished cooking at 10am and then prepared for the blessing which was at 11am. The food started coming in a little while after the blessing. Tasty and well-known Filipino delicacies were served first. There were cuchinta, palitaw, and suman malagkit. All of these are rice-based, just cooked in different ways to achieve different types of “kakanin” and flavours.

This is the cuchinta. It is made from rice flour that's mixed with water, lijia and brown sugar. It is served with grated coconut.

Cuchinta and grated coconut

The palitaw is also made from rice particularly "malagkit rice" (sticky rice). The rice is ground and cooked in boiling water. They are dropped and they rise to the surface when done. They float thus they are called "palitaw" which roughly means let it float. It is then coated with grated coconut and served with a dip that's made up of sugar and toasted sesame seeds.

Palitaw topped with sugar and toasted sesame seeds

In Filipino celebrations and special gatherings like this the lechon (roasted pig) is truly the one that makes the feast complete. For me no special occasion is ever complete without the lechon. :D It is very much-awaited for, the moment it is opened guests immediately go to it to be able to get a piece of its tasty crunchy skin. It is not unusual to see a lechon that is still intact but already has no skin left. Indeed it is a first-come, first served basis. hehe :)

Lechon (roasted pig)

Other dishes that were served were butter chicken, chicken cuts dipped in batter and deep fried. Sotanghon guisado, a noodle dish similar to bihon guisado, main difference is that the sotanghon guisado uses "sotanghon" (glass noodles made from mung bean flour) instead of bihon noodles (made from rice flour). The sotanghon noodles is clearer than bihon noodles, softer and more chewy.

Buttered Chicken and Sotanghon guisado

Filipinos are also known for their resourcefulness and this trait is very evident when it comes to food. One evidence of this is the famous Filipino dish "dinuguan" (pork blood stew). It is a tasty dish made from a pig's internal organs, blood and other spices. It is also sometimes known as chocolate meat. Dinuguan is usually served and eaten with puto.

Dinuguan with puto

No matter what the occasion or meal is, dessert is really a must and should be served! hehe They make the meal more satisfying and filling especially if they are as delicious as these bite-sized moist chocolate and carrot cakes. Wheew. What a way to top the meal off! :)

Bite-sized carrot and chocolate cakes

The event was a successful one and at the end of the day we were all exhausted but it was all worth it because we were all full and satisfied. hehe Needless to say it was a fun day. There's a part in me that wishes that everyday is fiesta but I know that's not possible. hehe Oh well I'm now looking forward to the next one. Until the next fiesta!:)

Feast of Christ the King

2008-11-22T23:44:00.000-08:00

Today is the feast of the Christ the King- the Fiesta of Tagum City. It is also the blessing of my mom's lying-in. GS Lying in Center and Ob-Gyne clinic. It has been a very busy day. I woke up at 8am and I'm proud to say I cooked!haha (I'm trying my luck in cooking now. I guess it's worth a shot given the fact how much I love to eat!hehe) I cooked fish fillet. I'm going to post the picture and procedure here tomorrow. :) You truly could see how excited I am. I even couldn't wait for tomorrow to share some of the things that happened today. I'm going to stop blogging now and fill in the details real soon. Until then, with love from appetizer to dessert.

-the ultimate food addict- ;)

Tagum Fiesta!!!:)

2008-11-21T19:07:00.000-08:00

Tomorrow will be the fiesta of Tagum City, Davao del Norte, Philippines---my hometown!!!:)
I'm somewhat excited because I haven't been here for this occasion for four years now and I'm sure you all know what I'm excited for! THE FOOD!!! hehe :D There'll be lots of food tomorrow and I'm going to share each one with you guys!:) I'll really be busy then taking food pics and of course eating! hehe! woohoo!:) Watch out for it guys! It will be a feast! Until then! :D

-the ultimate food addict- *wink wink*

Pancakes :)

2008-11-16T04:10:00.000-08:00

What's your idea of a perfect breakfast? Mine is a big serving of pancakes with yummy toppings, melted butter and drizzled with rich maple syrup. I'm truly a big fan of pancakes. I admit I have a sweet tooth but pancakes do more than just satisfy that, it also fills my tummy. yahoo! I love it really hot with the butter melting and with lots of syrup. wheew. Even just thinking about it makes me hungry again. I'm really going to have pancakes tomorrow for breakfast! hehe :)

Most of the restaurants around just serve pancakes for breakfast and I remember that there were times when I would wake up early and rush to the nearest Mcdonald's or Jollibee just to have a pancake breakfast and then go back to the dorm and sleep again. ;p Mcdonald's pancakes are firmer compared with Jollibee's and their butter is saltier. Jollibee's pancakes are softer and and the butter creamier. Both are served with maple syrup.

At times when the craving for pancakes hit me and it's not breakfast time anymore I go to Pancake house for the needed fix. The pancakes here are also good though more expensive. It's also soft, creamy and not greasy. They also have many toppings and syrups to choose from. Below are some of the varieties.

If you're hungry and won't mind going bananas, you can opt for the banana walnut pancakes. It's topped with bananas, syrup and butter. Chopped walnuts are added for that distinct nutty flavor.

Banana Walnut Pancakes

The blueberry pancakes is the perfect pick for those wanting a tangy berry kick. The center is filled with blueberries topped with butter and confectioner's sugar and you can also add syrup if you like.

Blueberry Pancakes

What does a chocolate lover want in a pancake? Of course chocolates! :) and so the chocolate chip pancake is born---for all the chocolate lovers around. It's filled with chocolate chips and topped with chocolate cream and butter. woohoo! somewhat rich isn't it? just skip the calorie count! :P

Chocolate Chip Pancakes

No doubt I would gladly have any of the three above. I could even have all. hehe kidding! (btw, they say jokes are half-meant) ;p

Pancake house is located all throughout the Philippines and has branches in major cities, malls and shopping centers.

Mcdonald's and Jollibee serve pancakes from 6am-11am and is also located all throughout the Philippines and other countries as well.

Photo credits: Aileen Kaye Dalugdug

Dairy Queen Dilly bar

2008-11-11T22:18:00.001-08:00

It's cold and I'm somewhat freezin' yet I still want to eat ice cream! hehe :) A dilly bar to be exact! Even just the thought of the crunchy chocolate coating and the rich vanilla ice cream makes me want to disregard that the aircon in this room is in full blast. How could I feel the cold when all I'm thinking of is the sweet taste of the yummy chocolate and vanilla ice cream melting in my mouth. wheww... and to top that off I love the hefty serving I get for just 35php. A dilly bar is served straight from their cold rock freezer and indeed it's very cold and frozen. I usually wait a few minutes before biting into my dilly bar so that I would not hurt my teeth. haha! kidding! :) I just like my dilly bar a little softer. This is perfect for that sudden sugar craving and a perfect energizer for one more round of shopping or window shopping in my case. haha! :P

DQ dilly bar

Dairy Queen can be found in Gateway Mall, Cubao, Quezon City
Photo by Aileen Dalugdug

Kopiroti

2008-11-11T01:46:00.000-08:00

Kopi bun! How I love the sweet aroma of hot coffee and a freshly baked bun! The smell of these two combined together is indeed heavenly. When I was young my lola always brought me freshly baked bread and I cannot remember a time that I was without it. Literally, I grew up with bread in my hands. haha :) My love for coffee also started at this time. I remember liking its bittersweet smell and the the times when I would dip my bread in my parents' coffee cups when they were not looking. hehe

Just imagine my delight when I came across a real coffee bun, one which has all the goodness of bread and coffee without needing to dip the bread in a cup of coffee and getting it soggy. I first came across a Kopi bun in Kopiroti Makati, the one in Ayala avenue. We were looking for the National Statistics Office to get data for our thesis and we didn't know where it was and so we entered Kopiroti and bought something to be able to ask for directions. haha! and boy was it destiny! Right in front of me was a goodie worthy enough for my ultimate favorites list.

The famous Kopi bun

This coffee bun is indeed a piece of heaven. It has a crunchy coffee flavored crust with hot soft bread and creamy butter filling inside that will leave you wanting for more. One bite is indeed not enough to taste all the creamy, buttery and coffee goodness of this delectable Kopi bun.

Aside from the Kopi bun which is their specialty by the way. Kopiroti also serves other kinds of toasts such as French toast and Kaya toast.

Iced tea with milk, soft boiled eggs and kaya toast

Kaya toast is a toast filled with coconut jam and butter. It has a sweet and buttery taste that will somewhat give your tongue a tingly feeling.

Kaya toast

Kopiroti also serves a side dish that makes eating toasts and buns more fun. This soft-boiled eggs dish is ordered and eaten together with the toasts or the coffee bun and is usually used as a dip. One dish consists of 2 soft boiled eggs mixed in with a little soy sauce.

Soft-boiled eggs

After all that eating surely one is bound to get thirsty and what indeed is the best way to quench that thirst? For me it's simply Nai Cha or milk tea. This is what I usually pair off with the buns or toasts that I order. It's a combination of milk and tea and a little bit of condensed milk. I have always been a fan of milk tea and I like mine cold and not too sweet and Kopiroti's milk tea meets my standards. yahoo!! :D

Iced tea with milk (Nai Cha)

Kopiroti originated from Singapore. This is one coffee shop that's fun to visit and we usually go here if we want to have coffee or tea and something real good to go with it. :D

Kopiroti can be found all over Metro Manila and selected provinces nationwide. In Davao City it's located on Jacinto extension.

Al's diner

2008-11-10T17:14:00.000-08:00

Ever had that craving for a real burger? One that has all that yummy burger-y goodness? A burger that’s big and juicy topped with fresh veggies and cheese and of course with tasty fries on the side? That craving hit me after hearing mass last Sunday. We were deciding where and what to eat when suddenly the image of that interesting little restaurant near Rizal street appeared. I’ve been curious for a long time now because of its catchy sign. It said home of the biggest burgers and with that powerful phrase in mind, off we went to Al’s diner! :) We were greeted by Santa’s little helpers and they led us to our table. The tables and chairs were typical that of a diner, box type with benches facing each other and the table in the middle. The place was already in full christmas spirit. It was filled with bright christmas lights and decorations. Awww. :) It's christmas time already. Bring out the food!!! haha

Al's diner in full christmas spirit

As we were seated the menu was given and we excitedly browsed it through. It took us a while to order because we had fun looking at all the stuff they offered. There were a lot of interesting items on the list like a love burger meal that consists of a big burger that's good for two with strawberry shakes, ice cream dessert and chocolates (perfect for lovers!haha) a giant burger, a burger that's good for about 3-4 people (this is their specialty! :D) and they also have breakfast sandwiches and rice meals.

The menu :)

After we ordered we looked around the place. The walls were painted with cute and colorful murals showing how the burgers were made.

Burger mural

Our orders came approximately after 8-10 minutes. My friend ordered a sloppy Al's(55php). I'm guessing this is their counterpart of sloppy Joe's. :D He liked it though it was a little bit sloppy to eat. hehe :P The beef was tender and savory with just the right hit of spices.

Sloppy Al's

I ordered a happy burger(79php) (for the happy person in me! hehe). It's a mini-version of the bigger burgers but still had all the goodness that the bigger ones had. It had all the goodies I want in a burger. The patty was just the way I wanted it, not overcooked nor undercooked thus making that yummy beefy burger taste come out. The vegetables were crunchy and fresh and topped with cheese for the finish. You could also add mustard, ketchup and mayonnaise for relish. Of course it wouldn't be complete without the serving of fries on the side. The fries were good, unsalted and had just the right crisp.

Happy Burger

Usual drinks like softdrinks and iced tea were also available, as for coffee they serve the 3-in-1 varieties so I suggest that you try the shakes instead :) Overall the experience was delicious, fun and satisfying. We had the chance to talk to the owner before leaving and we found out that 50 percent of the profit of the restaurant goes to purchasing computers for public schools. Wow! talk about good food for a good cause, it's like having your cake and being able to eat it too. woohoo! :) We certainly will come back to this diner and we assure you that we'll indeed be ready then to devour the biggest burger in town. :D

Al's Diner is located on C. Bangoy street, Davao City with tel. no. (082) 222-5555.

Chocolate Kiss

2008-11-05T00:41:00.000-08:00

What's better than chocolate and kisses? Are there really other stuff better than these two? Hmmm. This I want to find out. :) Located inside the UP Diliman campus is a restaurant that offers food that's said to be comparable to chocolate and kisses combined. Chocolate Kiss(even its name spells it out already) can be found on the first and second floor of Bahay ng Alumni.

This is one of those places where dining is truly delightful and gratifying. Choices are abundant and you certainly can't go wrong because they serve really good food. Chocolate Kiss is the restaurant we often visit during those times when we just received our allowance or aced a killer exam and deserved a treat. There's a fixed menu where the regular bestsellers are featured and a weekly menu which features daily specials.

Sample Weekly Specials

First thing that one should order when dining in Chocolate kiss is the house iced tea, it's unlimited by the way (yahoo!) It's an unsweetened iced tea that comes with a small pitcher of honey for that desired sweetness. Truly a great way to quench and satisfy your thirst. :)

House Iced tea and honey

After getting a fill of the iced tea and already craving for the main deal, a thorough look of the menu is recommended to be able to really decide what will merit the meal's main course. Bestsellers are the hickory-smoked spareribs and the chicken kiev. I ordered the chicken kiev which was great by the way. It's like cordon bleu that's more tender and with savory cream cheese in the middle topped with luscious gravy and served with rice or bun and rich buttered vegetables on the side. The hickory-smoked spareribs is also delectable, also very tender and smothered in rich hickory barbecue sauce which gives it its sweet yet tangy taste. Other yummy favorites like kalbechim, beef stroganoff and popular pasta dishes are also available. Chocolate kiss is also known for its Filipino dishes such as sinigang and "silog" meals.

Chicken Kiev

Another thing that makes Chocolate kiss popular is their cakes, they serve really yummy and luscious cakes. They're well known for their blueberry and strawberry cheesecakes and and for my ultimate favorite, the devil's foodcake. It's sweet and every bite gives you that tingling sensation on your tongue. I believe that the rich icing, the texture of the cake and the moist chocolate cream in the middle play around with the four different tastes thus creating that tittilating experience. It's truly heavenly for something with the word devil in its name.

Devil's foodcake

Overall the Choco kiss experience is something I think everyone should experience. :) The food's great and it has a friendly ambiance perfect for dates, buddy lunches and family outings. So is it really better than chocolates and kisses? Try it and you'll soon find out too. :) It's located in UP Diliman, Quezon City, Ang Bahay ng Alumni, R. Magsaysay street with tel. no. (02) 433-7382.

Kasagingan

2008-11-02T05:11:00.001-08:00

One of my new favorite hang-outs is Kasagingan--a coffee-shop located along Torres street fronting Davao Convention Center. Its name means banana field, indeed a unique and quite a funny name for a coffee shop. My brother told me that when my dad called him one night and asked where he was, he mindlessly answered “Kasagingan,” dad was shocked and said “What are you doing in a banana field? and at this hour? My brother explained that it was a coffee shop and my dad replied “Oh, what weird names shops have these days.” Hahaha. I found that very funny. Nice one dad, you should go out more often. :P

It’s my second visit to Kasagingan. My friends and I have just finished dinner and we wanted to go somewhere to have coffee and talk the night away. We decided to check this out since they haven’t been here yet. As you enter you’ll notice that the air-conditioned area is somewhat small but still comfortable and inviting. The key color of the place is green. Walls are painted green and the furniture has touches of green. Funny and interesting promotional posters are all over the place. Read it and you’ll surely be entertained. It is also a wi-fi hotspot area and it doesn’t charge plugging fees. yahoo! We felt comfortable right away seeing that the place looked fun and not pretentious and that we could easily be ourselves.

Caffe Americano

Kasagingan offers coffee, cakes, pastries and other beverages and goodies as well. They are popular for their… wanna guess? Yeah you’re right. Banana. haha They’re well known for giving the popular Filipino saging(banana) meriendas a twist. “Maruyya Supreme” is their banana cue counterpart, “tworon” for turon and a number of other interesting banana names and twists.

I ordered Caffe Americano during my first visit with my friends. The coffee was ok and I drank it black as usual. :) I got curious and tried one of their famous banana concoctions, the “tworon” which is just our usual turon (banana rolls) placed in a plate and drizzled with syrup; you could choose between chocolate and caramel or you could choose both, a different syrup in each turon. I chose the latter. It was just ok not that extraordinary, good thing it had just the right amount of sweetness though.

During my second visit, I ordered hot choco mallows and banana crumble, the hot choco was so cute! it came in a small cup with a sprinkle of chocolate dust on top and several medium-sized mallows on the side of the plate, it was rich but not that thick and it had all that chocolate-y goodness! just the way I like it. Mmmm…

hot Choco, caffe Latte and oatmeal cookies

My friend ordered Caffe Latte and oatmeal cookies. According to her the latte was good, it was hot and mildly creamy. The banana crumble was ok though not as good as we expected it would be but the oatmeal cookies were superb, the best that we’ve had so far. It was not that sweet and it had just the right kick of cinnamon for that needed oomph.

Kasagingan is one of the more affordable coffee shops here in Davao City. We enjoyed our stay and the service was good. We spent almost three hours talking and laughing and just enjoying the night away. I could say that this is one of those few coffee shops where you could actually get the value for your money. We left satisfied and with smiles on our faces. ‘Til next time. : )

Kasagingan is on F. Torres street, Davao city.

Taps

2008-10-27T09:31:00.000-07:00

Taps is an all-time favorite of mine. It can be found all over Davao city. Even when I was still studying in Manila, I remember there were times when I would suddenly crave for Taps. Their “silog” meals have that distinct “Taps” taste. My cousins and I love almost everything here. I would like to believe that the liking for “silog” meals is already present the moment a Filipino child is born, really I believe that. Kidding aside, a meal with sinangag and itlog for me is as Filipino as it could possibly get. It is the perfect breakfast for every Juan and in my case and maybe many others, the perfect meal for any time of the day. :P

The first thing that’s noticeable when visiting Taps is the unique winding, continuous counter-like table tops. Fixed stools are placed at a reasonable distance from each other and serve as chairs. One could say that this is perfect for the “eat and run” set-up and I guess that’s also one reason why the place is designed this way. It is simply saying that my priority is FOOD and my business is to make it delicious, affordable and fast. Add-on comfort from chairs not needed. Whoah. True, I agree.

Almost all “silog” meals are available. Some of the more popular silogs are the tapsilog which is the tapa and the taporsilog which has tapa and pork, bangsilog—bangus, corsilog-corned beef and primasilog-pritong manok. My all-time favorite is the tosilog, a simple meal of tocino, sinangag and itlog. Yum2x! I guess I’ve tried out almost all variants already. How could I not when my cousins and I usually order two different meals each whenever we eat here and to top that off a couple extra orders of ox feet are tossed in for sharing to complete the meal. The meals are somewhat oily though so it’s really not recommended to eat here everyday but it’s definitely worth it to give in to that craving once or a couple of times a month. :D

tobangsilog (tocino, bangus, itlog and rice)

Lekasi (lechon kawali and sinangag)

Taps menu

Taps is indeed all over the city. It should be because my craving for it can strike anytime, anywhere and I really must immediately have my Taps fix. I think there are over 6 branches already. Branches are in Matina, Illustre, Quirino, Bolton, Torres and across Dimsum diner at the back of Gaisano mall. You can contact them at tel no. (082) 225-0013.

Congo Grille

2008-10-26T19:19:00.000-07:00

What first comes to mind when the restaurant Congo Grille is mentioned? ------Guess! :) Sirit? SISIG!!! Yep. It’s sisig! This restaurant is best known for their mouth-watering sisig, be it tuna, pork or chicken. It even won a sisig competition in an event before. I don’t particularly like sisig but I enjoyed theirs, now that’s a first. Hurrah for Congo Grille for introducing to me the fun world of sisig. Haha!

Aside from sisig, Congo grille offers a lot of food too. They serve mostly Filipino food. This is one of my favorite restaurants because the food is pretty good and quite affordable too. (a must for someone thriving on school allowance Haha!) I’ve been here a lot of times already mostly during friends’ birthdays (told ‘ya it’s affordable :P) My latest visit was sometime before my graduation. I had dinner there with Sis Jam and brods Fred, Allan and Bryan, actually it was an unplanned one. Sis Jam and I were kidnapped! Haha! I like the interiors and ambiance of Congo grille. It has that wild jungle touch which makes diners feel adventurous. :P The waiters are dressed in jungle outfits. (hunters’ outfits of course but it wouldn’t hurt if they would sport a tarzan ensemble as long as they have tarzan’s body too! wishful thinking. haha) Nah… on second thought that would be a major distraction. Now back to the food, we started the meal with baked oysters for our appetizer; it was a little bit dry but still ok. We ordered sinigang na baboy, kare-kare, cheesy monster burger and even had a free tuna sisig! (it was their promo for graduating students and I was supposedly one that time :D) The sinigang na baboy was delicious, it was tasty and had just the right amount of sourness. The kare-kare had that peanut buttery goodness and the tuna sisig was yummy as always. The cheesy monster burger was all mine to devour. haha! just kidding! It was good though a little bit dry because I asked for it well done.

Sinigang na baboy
cheesy monster burger

baked oysters

The service was ok and the place was clean and comfortable. We had a good meal, we were satisfied, we had fun and most importantly we were full enough to take on a whole night of partying. haha!

Congo Grille can be found all over Metro Manila with branches in malls like SM and Trinoma with telephone numbers (02) 925-3896, 638-3857, 930-8874, 786-2509 and 556-0108.

Banapple

2008-10-26T17:58:00.000-07:00

Sugar! I can’t live without it. (waah! sounds like the line of a future diabetic, good luck to me. haha!) I dream of cakes and cookies, caramel and chocolate bars, pretzels and donuts, ice cream and syrup. I live for meals, I kill for the dessert. :p All that sugary goodness, the sweet tingling I feel in my tongue when I get my taste of that first slice of cake, the sudden bolt of the sugar rush…wheew. I could die anytime. Haha!

I am always in a constant hunt for the perfect dessert, my eyes and ears are always on the lookout. I heard from some friends that Banapple cakes were good and so it was time to get to work. I contacted my partners in crime and voila we were there for the killing! Banapple is just a small shop along Katipunan avenue but the selection’s endless. There are so many cakes and pastries to choose from. They also serve coffee, meals and pasta. After a little heated conversation we settled for an oreo cheesecake, a banana cream pie and a strawberry cheesecake. A slice of cake costs around 70-150php. The cakes were very good. They were sweet, creamy and delicious. The taste surpassed our expectations. Thank God we just got three for the five of us because the cakes were indeed very rich and heavy with goodness. One could not possibly finish 1 slice alone. I liked the banana cream pie the best; it was smooth and creamy and had just the right amount of sweetness. We also bought some of their big and tasty looking cookies and muffins for the go in case the need for that sugar rush comes back. :)

Strawberry Cheesecake
Banana Cream Pie

Oreo cheesecake
Contact details:
Banapple
225 Katipunan Ave, Blue Ridge, Quezon City
tel. no.(02) 4392675
open everyday from 7.30am-11.30pm

Mr. Kabab

2008-10-24T18:56:00.001-07:00

I so so love, love and love Mr. Kabab! It reminds me of the fun food trips we had during my college days, nights and dawns with my beloved brods and sisses. Aww… nakakamiss! A whole night of gimmick would indeed not be complete without a meal at this yummy Persian place, be it early pm or even 5am. It is open 24/7, truly a haven for a night person like me.

I’ve been to this Persian heaven countless times already and every visit always leaves me satisfied, happy and of course FULL. :) It is located along Quezon Avenue. The place is spacious with lots of tables and lit with yellow light for a softer and more comfortable feel. It is evident that it is designed for a lot of hungry people with two wants in mind: yummy and affordable food. These people usually come in groups of three or four and sometimes even in groups as big as 10-15 persons. I’ll toss in one fun observation, if these people come in during the wee hours of the morning, chances are most of them are really hungry and still dizzy coming from all night partying and flowing booze. Woohoo! Hehe

Mr. Kabab is one of my favorite Persian restaurants. It serves good food. I’ll list my food buddies’ favorites in here: Sis Jam likes the special chelo kabab(120php), a meal with two pieces of grilled strips of beef with grilled tomato and rice. This is their best seller and yep! it’s very delicious and tasty. Bro Allan and Bro James go for the keema with eggplant(80php) plus extra rice with butter(25php) for Bro Allan. :P Keema is a yummy ground beef dish that goes well with pita bread or rice. Bro Nemi likes the shawarma rice(80php), the shawarma goodies are placed in a plate and served with rice and Bro Brian likes the shawarma(75php). I'm guessing he likes it so much that I don’t have to describe it because I remember one time he wouldn’t eat anything else other than the shawarma. Hehe peace bro!:) and as for me I love the Persian burger(70php), a special beef patty rolled into a grilled pita bread with cucumbers and tomatoes. Wait…something’s still missing, oh yeah, the sauces! Any Mr. Kabab meal wouldn’t be complete without their signature garlic and hot sauces. One warning though: be careful with the hot sauce because it is well… HOT. Try the yogurt shake(35php) too. It’s the best way to cool off the heat from all that accidentally poured extra hot sauce. :) There are also other beverages such as the usual sodas and iced tea if you’re not in the mood for something dairy. :)

Shawarma Plate

Keema and Pita bread

The service is ok though a little bit slow during super jam-packed times but it is bearable and the food is worth the wait. The Mr. Kabab experience is really fun especially if it’s shared with friends who are either too hungry to notice the mess on their faces or are still dizzy from all that booze and still don’t know where they are or what they are doing. Haha!

Mr. Kabab is located at 95-E Quezon Avenue corner West Avenue, Quezon City with tel. no (02) 3735941.

Fagioli

2008-10-23T21:01:00.000-07:00

Fagioli is a coffee shop here in Davao which originated from General Santos City. It opened sometime last year but I was able to visit it just recently after coming back from Manila. It’s located across Damosa Gateway just in front of one of the known call centers here in the city. As you enter the place you will easily notice the inviting interiors. It is homey and relaxing at the same time. Wooden accents and furniture give the place a natural touch. It is also a wi-fi hotspot and it doesn't charge fees for plugging.

Fagioli serves Italian coffee, food and wine. It has a wide selection of hot and cold coffee, from brewed to iced including everyone’s favorite, frappucinos! Yummy! There are also hot and cold teas. One fun detail is that their hot tea comes in a cool tea pot with honey on the side and another is that their iced teas come in different flavors; a must-try is the green iced tea(60php). Other beverages such as lemonades and sodas are also available.

Now, down to the part that I love the most--- the food! If you want to have your day’s fill, you could choose to have one of their delicious pastas, there are over 10 sauces to choose from. My current favorite is Sicily(140php), a cream-based pasta topped with mushrooms and if you’re still hungry add a panini on the side to complete the meal. It would truly leave you full for the rest of the day. Of course, there should still be room for dessert. I tried the blueberry cheesecake and the brownie mink(95php), I liked the latter better, it's a hot rich chocolate brownie topped with vanilla ice cream. After tasting it, I truly agreed that indeed no meal is truly complete without dessert.

The Fagioli experience is a memorable and fun one and I’m sure I’ll drop by again sometime soon. Oh and if you do visit this place check out the restroom before you go. You'll be in for a nice surprise. :)

Contact Details:
Beside Kia Motors, Lanang, Davao City
(082) 3051168
Open from Mon-Thurs 8am-12mn
Fri-Sat 8am-1am
Sunday 3pm-12mn