Sandwicheese

Katipunan (extension)

Its a small new-ish resto on Katipunan just next to Banapple. It opened only January this year yet the place, is almost always packed.

Sandwicheese specializes on ooey gooey cheese sandwiches and simple salads. If you like your sandwiches big, meaty and cheesy, then this would be a great place to try out.

Entering the cafe, the place feels light and open despite its very small area. It almost feels like an american diner and the smell of sandwiches being prepared is just awesome. The tables are small though and the stools, smaller still. I imagine that it wouldn't be so comfortable eating there during rush hour. The furniture is obviously geared towards the college kids in the area. Not a good idea to bring grandma and grandpa who will need sturdier seating with back rests.

So anyway, we ordered their bestseller; the Drippin' Roast Beef Sandwicheese (P160), their Hickory Shredded Pork Sandwicheese (P160) and the House Burger Sandwicheese (P170).

Everything was great. The cheese melted right on top, the soft toasted bread brimming with meat. Yuuuum. Of everything though, we most liked the Drippin' roastbeef. It was saucy, filled with caramelized onions and topped with melted cheese. Among the best sandwiches I've ever tasted. That sandwich alone is reason enough for return visits to Sandwicheese. As for the Hickory pork, it was good though the bbq pulled pork sandwich at Chocolate Kiss is much better in my honest opinion. And the house burger? It was good and hearty. The meat patty was almost an inch thick and was absolutely tender. A good honest-to-goodness burger, but again, I've tasted better elsewhere.

On the side, we had their Salsa & Cheese Nachos (P80); also hearty and a deal for 80 pesos, and their Dalandan Passion Slush (P80). I thought that the slush was okay. Too sweet for my taste but a thirst quencher on a hot day.

All in all, Sandwicheese is a great place to try out especially if you're craving for that perfect cheese sandwich. Pricewise, its very competetive and taste is awesome as well. A definite reco for me.

CityBuffet Restaurant

Robinson's Galleria Mall

So theres this new buffet in town, and of course, we just had to go and check it out. Its very new, yet the lines were long and making a reservation was a slight challenge. We were able to get a table at lunch though and the place was packed.

I understood from the staff that CityBuffet is by the same people behind Yakimix - and it is apparent. Several food items were similar if not downright the same. The variety of food was okay, but not great. They have a selection of soups, a salad bar, appetizers, sushi bar, several entrees and dessert station. They even have an area devoted to halohalo.

On the table, you have the option of ordering grilled entrees as part of the buffet; angus beef, salmon belly and chicken fillet. We ordered everything but was informed that they only had angus beef available for the day. So, okay? Not so okay in my book; I'm a fan of salmon belly, and its not available? In my opinion, items offered to clients at any restaurant should always be available. Its just a big letdown.

Anyway, the angus beef arrived and it was very good. Tender, not overcooked, marinated just right. I only wish that they had a mint sauce available to properly complement it. You can order as much as you like and we had several servings. For as much as Im not into beef, it was just so, so good.

In my opinion, the buffet items were plenty but could not compare to other major buffets in the metro. The food was good but other than the angus beef, I have none in mind I'd want to come back for. Their desserts are a bit lackluster, except for the larger icecream flavor selection. The halohalo area was a good idea too.

So, bottomline; food was okay but I'd recommend other buffets to try. Value for money, spending the same amount at another buffet will be a better idea. Service and ambiance was very good but again, a restaurant's food must be the true stars of the show.

SOFT OPENING PROMO PRICES
P449 Mondays - Saturdays Lunch
P499 Mondays - Saturdays Dinner
P599 Sundays & Holidays
P59 Drink All You Can
P299 Kids below 4ft

Tel. Nos. 6969324 / 8615449

Swensen's

Swensen's
Eastwood Mall, Libis

I was so excited to find out that Swensen's was finally coming to the Philippines; which was why we were right there on soft opening night. Not even their grand opening, me, my husband and my brother were already lined up at the nearest Swensen's at our place all ready to consume copiuous amounts of icecream. We've been to Swensen's Eastwood several times since its opening and the everything's been consistent so-far; service that needs improvement, tables are always packed and icecream thats always, always awesome.

Pretty much every time we've been to Swensen's in Eastwood, the place is packed and the service staff look disorganized. They have someone posted in front to direct customers yo tables - sometimes. Sometimes you're left standing there with several others and nobody knows if theres a qeue or not.

The place itself is a bit cramped; so much so that they have more tables outside than inside. The chairs outside though are horribly uncomfortable and the high traffic area does not make for a relaxing atmosphere. Inside, the tables are packed so tightly together that when its full; you could practically swap faces with the stranger next to you.

So its really not looking good for Swensen's; the battle for the table, the staff who looks lost half the time, the noisy environment, the excruciatingly slow service which doesn't deliver everybody's order all at the same time- which is a recipe for melting icecream. But, but, but, then the icecream appears before you, and its so, so good.

Their icecream is absolutely delicious. Its creamy, its sweetness is just right, the chunks are generous and its wonderfully complemented by the hot fudge, the bananas, the caramel, the wafer, the nuts... I could keep going for a while. They have a pretty good sundae selection and it caters to many different preferences. They serve uber chocolatey things, fruity bowls and flavors, kiddy servings, barkada sized monster bowls. Their coffee is pretty good too and for the price (Php60-100 each) very competitive.

I definitely recommend; the Hot Fudge Bonuz (Php145), Banana Boat (Php185), the Chocolate Fondue (Php555 - 9 mini scoops of icecream and other choco dippables) and if you're feeling very hungry; the Earthquake (Php655 - 8 big scoops and toppings). For all their sundaes, you can opt to change the flavors to anything you like from their long list of unique flavors. I definitely recommend the Rock@Heart, Turkish Coffee and Chocolate Chip. My brother worships their Vanilla. Dad loves their blueberry.

So, all in all, the icecream is great and the shop would be perfect if only they could work out the kinks in their service. A definite reco, but try it out at an odd hour to make the experience more pleasant.

Milk+Tea / Drink Tea

Milk + Tea
Katipunan

Drink Tea
5th floor, Podium

So this whole milk tea craze has spawned all kinds of milk tea franchises all over the metro. I have noticed all sorts of variations and word plays on the word 'tea' and I think that its starting to get downright ridiculous. I have spotted (and have yet to try) an Infinitea, a Tea Ninja, a Teaology. I mean, what? Does the business really have to have 'tea' in it? And then we have these two 'new' players in the milk tea market, hoping to take a chunk out the big boys; Serenitea, Happy Lemon and Tokyo Bubble Tea. They're obviously either fans of the direct or have already run out of 'tea' word variations.

So these are a couple of the smaller players in the market and we're tried them on separate occasions.

First; Milk+Tea. Its a small shop pretty much on the middle of katipunan. One would think that will so many students in the area the place would be packed all the time despite having to share the area with several other milktea places. The sheer volume of kids in the area should ensure that you have at least a steady stream of clientele. But of all the times I've passed the place, its always empty. So we check it out one late-ish evening after work and we're craving for a cold drink. Coming into the shop, it was warm as if the AC wasn't on, and it smelled like really really sweet tea and sugar syrup. That alone should have warned me.

So I ordered what I always do when trying a new milktea shop; royal milk tea. Its supposed to be the simplest thing they can serve you and the whole menu line-up is based on how good their basic black tea and milk concoction is. So I always expect that the basic milk tea must be really good. But it wasn't all that. I asked for about 70% and it was still sickeningly sweet. I could hardly taste the tea which should be the star of the show. Jojo ordered chocolate milk tea with coffee jelly That's another thing thats hard to botch up. I mean, milk tea, add choco syrup; what can go wrong? And yet my husband who will eat anything as long as it involved chocolate didn't like it either. He says that the chocolate tasted kind burnt (not in a dark chocolate way) and absolutely synthetic; somewhat like melted local choco lollipops. It was pretty bad. He abandoned the drink not halfway through.

Pricewise; Milk+Tea is cheaper but not by a whole lot. It's really not likely we'll ever come back to their shop.

And then we have our other shop; Drink Tea. I understand from their menu that its a Taiwanese franchise and that its been around since 2006. We end up trying their milktea after a search for a light snack and drink.

I (very predictably) ordered their Royal Milk tea at 50%sugar, Jojo had the oreo coffee shake (medium, Php80). Its pretty obvious who has the sweet tooth between the two of us. I was delighted to find that they have a small size option (Php40) and its perfect if you want to try something new from their menu without committing yourself to a giant drink you might not like. Their tapioca was bright reddish orange, not the usual black. They say that they're roselle pearls, red in color because they've added rose extract to the mix. The roselle tapioca balls tasted pretty good; firm, chewy and sweet-ish. The milktea itself was good but not something I would seek out in the dead of night to fulfill a craving. Jojo liked his oreo coffee drink, I gave it a taste and it was okay too. Again, not something I'd think of immediately if someone asked me where they should get good coffee milk tea (I would reco Gong Cha, but thats another article altogether).

Drink Tea's service was fast and friendly, and I would like to try more things from their long menu. Not terribly good, but not terrible either.

So that's it for now, two mini milktea shops to try out or not-try-out. And before I end this article, a few ideas for my own milktea place (if I suddenly win the lotto and would like to jump into a funky business entirely out of my expertise);

- my brother's brainchild: Mr. T (where my tagline would be; "I pi-tea the foo'!")
- Tearahan
- for the risque: Naughtea or Pantea
- for the depressed: Emptea
- for archeologists and/or small children: Tea-Rex
- for the mysterious: Mysteaque
- for the children of the 80's: Tea, tea Boba-Tea, Banana-fanna fo-fa-tea, Fee fie moh-ma Tea.
- for the architects: Tea Square
- for those who live in Makati: MakaTea
- for the Timothies of the world: Tea-Moo-Tea

And finally, I call copyright on all our ideas for our (fictional) milk tea place! Don't ya'll be making shops with thse ideas on it or Mr. T will be there to smite ye!

Momo Cafe

Eastwood Mall, Libis

Momo is, in my opinion, one of the best places in the metro to get your comfort food fix. It is our favorite place to visit whenever we're craving for good food in hearty servings.

Located in Eastwood mall, Libis; it is one of first cafes one would see on the ground floor. Their decor is a funky mishmash of french wallpaper, modern country kitchen and colorful flowers and plates. They specialize in serving comfort food given a gourmet twist in big helpings. Expect food to be enough for at least 2 people (or one very, very hungry human) and their beverages are towering and meals in themselves.

Upon ordering, customers are treated to a free toast and cheezy appetizer which can be replenished upon request. Tonight we decided to have the Momo Gourmet Salad (P295) and the Boneless Cornflake Crusted Coubtry Fried Chicken (P395).

The salad was good, but could have been better. It was a mixed greens salad with arugula, candied walnuts, orange segments, grapes and shitake mushrooms with a raspberry balsamic vinaigrette. I thought that the salad needed more of the toppings. The big bowl practically had only about 4 pieces of mushrooms and walnuts. The vinaigrette tasted homemade but too sweet for my liking.

The fried chicken on the other hand was heavenly. Crispy on the outside, tender meat inside. The mashed potato was creamy and salted just right. The small serving of grilled vegetables on the side was also amazing. Its so good that I wonder why they don't offer just the grilled veggies on the menu.

If you're looking to try Momo cafe, I definitely recommend these dishes:
- Pan-roasted Shitake Mushroom Crusted Norwegian Salmonw/ Teriyaki Orange Glaze and Spinach Cream
Risotto (P425)
- Bucket of Corndogs and 3dips (P295)

Servicewise, the staff are generally warm and helpful. The food come freshly cooked and on-time.

All in all, the dining experience was very pleasant and the food awesome. I think that the food may seem a bit pricey for some, but I think its well worth it. Great hearty comfort food, good service and big helpings is always an awesome combination.

Jatujak

SM Megamall Branch

First of all; I love thai food. I fell in love with it right from my first authentic pad thai in one of the sidestreets in Bangkok so many years back. Which is why I'm picky when restaurants claim themselves to be 'authentic' thai cuisine. Jatujak, however, completely delivers - their food is good and one of the most authentic thai restaurants in the metro.

Me and my family have been dining in Jatujak for the last few years and we're always satisfied with the food and the service.

Tonight, Jojo (my husband) and I had dinner here and decided to order a couple of dishes we haven't tried before. Aside from our usual order of Bagoong Rice/Kao Kluk Gapi (P160), we had Duck curry/Kaed Ped Pet Yang (P295) and Beef with Basil/Kaprao Nua (P265). We asked that the dishes be prepared not-spicy and the waiter happily obliged.

The duck curry was good and tasted of rich coconut milk. The duck meat had a slight aftertaste which was okay seeing that it was duck but I still would have hoped that it didn't have it. It was served in a clay pot which helped keep the dish warm all throughout dinner. I think there was enough for about 3 people in that pot.

The beef basil was also okay. It wasn't as awesome as our usual preferred dishes from Jatujak but it went well with the bagoong rice. It was nice to try something else on the menu, but their tried and tested dishes are still the best bets if you will be trying the restaurant for the first time.

My personal recommendations would be tor try their Green curry chicken, Thai spring rolls and Crispy pork. Their bagoong rice is always right on the money with its green mango, chunky pork bagoong, red onions and cilantro.

Service wise, the waiters are usually cheerful, accurate and prompt. Expect though for service to slow down a bit during rush hour but we've never had to wait too long for our food to be served.

Their ambiance and decor is fit for casual dining. Their tables and seating can get crowded though, but not too unmanageable.

Pricewise, I think the food is well worth the money. All dishes are intended for sharing and taste great. Its a comfortable place to have casual lunch or dinner, and a great place to enjoy hearty, delicious thai food which has been adapted to the Filipino palate. I definitely recommend giving Jatujak a try :)

clubsixfifty Sports Center

Eastwood, Libis

clubsixfifty offers a large array of sports courts for many kinds of sporrs enthusiasts. Its main attraction; the 15 badminton courts, take most of its floor area. 7 of these courts are panaflex which supposedly should help make your 'game' better. I personally find little difference, seeing that I'm a complete amateur at the sport. However, I'm sure that the pros who come to practice at the club appreciate the panaflex courts.

Aside from badminton, the club also offers courts for basketball, volleyball, futsal, table tennis and aikido. It also has a small 200m. track and a gym for cardio and weight training.

So the nitty gritty, how are the facilities?

All the courts are covered but there is no airconditioning. They provide large industrial fans and blowers but the place quickly feels like a sauna after you've played a few sets. While its good for those who wanna really sweat, its not too good if you have a couple of guests who just meant to watch the game.

The lighting is okay, although I would prefer it to be a bit brighter. The white flourescent lights also do not hide the fact the place must be about 5 or so years old. Its well-maintained but hardly 'posh'.

They provide large bleachers for seating which is great and enough space between courts so players can run all they want without fear of bumping into others.

Showers and restrooms are very clean and airconditioned. It smells pleasant (which really is a big thing for me) and they provide lockers at an extra cost.

Costwise, I think that it is pretty average. I know some badminton clubs offer a much lower rate, but considering its in Libis, then its not too bad. Come in before 6pm and it's about P125 per person want-to-sawa/play-all-you-can. In the evernings, its at a P300per hour rate. They also provide sports clinics and workshops.

I've been to this club for about three times now and I can say that its a pretty good, no frills place to get a good workout. Nice venue to spend time with friends and family too, just bring a lot of towels and drinking water.

clubsixfifty
150 E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Libis, QC
6370650/6366667

First Post

I plan to post new reviews soon. I have a ton of places and things I'd like to talk about, though I'd like to post a review next time I've been to the place. That way, it's accurate and up-to-date. I realize that my blog is very new, although if anyone has a suggestion for a place to review, let me know and I'll check it out!