Recognition dinner needs recognizing: Mesa Review

              

          

             March is the month of graduations and recognitions .. aaand when someone graduates, there are bound to be celebrations. Tonight, we’re celebrating the recognition of my dear cousin Issa(she’s now a grade 3 student! Yey!) So, there I was in Mesa, located in The Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu. Naturally, since this is a food blog, I will talk about the amazing food I had that night so let your mouths start watering.

              For appetizers, we had several plates of Tinapa roll wrapped in lettuce(135php). It’s flaked smoked fish with tomato onion and salted egg wrapped in fried rice paper and plated single soup spoons on a lettuce leaf. (haaahh.. that was long. HAHA) Let’s start with how you will react when you eat it.. “Hmm”. It has a light flavour delicately balanced with the egg and tomatoes countered by the saltiness of the deep fried rice paper. It’s also served with spicy vinegar which, I might say, is a great edition.

              Then the main course came,  we had Tinolang Sea Bass(480 php depends on how much sea bass is used since it’s 80php/100grams). It was your basic Tinola,  you know.. fish, tomatoes, onions,  green onions.. It’s simple, light, but the difference come with the fish. You don’t usually eat Tinolang Sea Bass so it’s really different. We also had Pomelo Salad with latik(250), it’s fresh chunks of pomelo with a coconut shreds and peanut tossed in the house dressing. It was not something that you would think of mixing everyday. It’ a good mix of crunchy and sweet and sour and it’s something to tingle the little buds on your tongue.

            

      Then, of course we had the Filipino favourite, Crispy Pata(420php). As this restaurant is not your usual Filipino Grill and Resto, their Crispy Pata comes boneless. It’s plated beautifully on the bone but it’s fried separately, which means that the hassle of taking the meat that sticks to the bone while cooking is gone(It’s amazing how this restaurant does things). It was your not-so-typical crispy pata. Greatly crisp and served with their mix of their dipping sauce(soy sauce and vinegar with red onions).

               We also had Baby Squid sautéed in olive oil with garlic and laurel leaves(220php). Since the baby squid were newly brought into this world, their soft little bodies would be perfect when it’s sautéed within a short time. The  hints of garlic and laurel were very apparent and was a great addition to the light flavour of the olive oil. This comes highly RECOMMENDED.

                Next we have, Garlic Chicken(185php). Fried chicken served with a honey-patis sauce that gives it a bananacue-ish feel. The saltiness of the crispy skin is good with the Honey glaze. At first sight, you would think the sauce is like your basic barbecue sauce, but when you bite into the chicken, you are met with the crunchy ,sticky combination which is this dish right here. It’s something you won’t always expect.

                Then came the Bangus Belly braised in soy sauce and calamansi(280php). A dish balancing the salty flavour of soy sauce and sour calamansi. It was good.





               Lastly, the Sisig in a pouch(110php). I didn’t really get to taste this one but I’ll describe it anyway. It is Pork Sisig wrapped in Rice Paper and tied with pandan leaves then deep fried and served with their spicy vinegar. It looked good, I don’t really know how it tastes like though.

                     Our night in Mesa was awesome.
                  Definitely  somewhere to go back to.

That little Mexican place in Talisay: A Bistro Mexicano Food Review

              As I was waiting for my driving test in LTO Lawaan Extension, I decided to get lunch at Robinson's Supermarket which was right beside it. I was walking around and I caught a whiff of,, uhh.. Mexican? well it smelled Mexican, I don't really know how to describe it, it was just that. So I followed the smell which led me to Bistro Mexicano. It's a small place near the side entrance of Robinson's supermarket. When I sat down, I was greeted by the waitress who was nothing short of respectful and cheerful..and she gave me a bowl of chips and salsa while waiting. AWESOME. haha

              I started my order with a Beef Burrito which is served with a side of rice, tomatoes, onions and beans. You can also choose having your burrito in chicken or pork. Now let's start with what's inside. It's ground beef along with some rice. The beef was a bit dry, was yummy nonetheless. The rice had a good aroma. Both were wrapped in a slightly toasted soft flour tortilla and finished with a salsa topping and parsley garnish. The side of beans and tomatoes was good addition. All of that for 160 php. Worth it. Not TOTALLY SUPERCALIFAGILLISTICLLY AWESOME. just worth it

I also had a plate of fries, thick, small ridge cut. 40php, fried crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. not worth your money, too small of a serving........and some coffee, judging by the types of coffee I have had in the past few years, not really good. Then again, it's a Mexican Restaurant, I can't blame them.

Their menu, includes all the Mexican Traditionals: Carne Asada, Echilladas, Tacos , etc.


I GIVE A 7 out of 10.. Stop by if your craving Mexican.. it's in Robinson's in Lawaan, Talisay.

The Italian Flag: My Favorite Shaved Ice Flavor

      

      There is a Hawaiian Shaved Ice Stall located on the third floor of Sm City Cebu, right in front of Worlds of Fun.  It’s Cherry’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice. I used to buy from Aloha but they closed down so I decided to try this and it’s great! I especially like the branch in SM because they have bigger servings than the one in Parkmall(there’s another branch, just so you know). A regular costs 55 php and a huge is 75 php.. and let me tell you, when they say huge it’s HUGE.

                

      My favourite flavors to put on shaved ice is STRAWBERRY, GREEN APPLE AND DAIQUIRI(supposedly alcoholic but since it’s flavouring it’s lime-ish). Together, they make up the Italian Flag or some weird 60’s wig.

                

     You can choose from a wide range of flavors to mix and match with.

              

     Don’t  get me started on their staff’s apron. It’s a maong apron with embroidered words “ WE SHAVE ICE” HAHA.

             Cherry’s Hawaiian Shaved Ice: A perfect cold fix. 

It's So Good, It's Sinful: A Maitre Chocolatier Review

    
          The Maitre Chocolatier Boutique and Cafe is located in the ground floor of  the Terraces, Ayala Center Cebu(near the grassy part). It's where you find practically everything they serve comes with chocolate, be it an Entree, Antipasti, or Main Dish.

         Me and my friends had a wonderful lunch filled with chocolate goodness. We shared a Chocolate Fondue which was served with several fruits(green apple, strawberry, melon, cantaloupe), Campfire Marshmallows and ground peanut. It cost around 290+ php and was worth every cent. It was thick, rich and absolutely to die for.



      

The Fondue was so yummy I just spread it on a plate and ate the thing. HAHA.. kidding

Since we were on lunch, me and friend Steven ordered a Chocolate Hungarian Sausage which was served with slices of toasted bread and Shauna had water(Mang Inasal Hangover). Cost us 128 php each and I know what you might be thinking, "CHOCOLATE AND SAUSAGE?!?"(my mom's reaction too) contrary to that, it was surprisingly good. we even dipped it in the fondue and it still tasted great!

     After our Chocolate fiesta, we paid the bill and on the way out we saw that they were selling different types of chocolate and chocolate products. They have Chocolate Bouquets where the flowers are made of Ferrero Rocher, perfect Gift for the Chocolate lover.

      


We left satiated and vowed to never eat chocolate again(a lie, obviously). HAHA

My Year Ending Sandwich of EPIC Proportions

        
MY YEAR END SANDWICH


        After my dinner at The Pantry, I wanted to make a sandwich of my own so I bought a Baguette from The Pantry and it smelled so great, the aroma would pierce through the plastic that was sealed air tight. 




        I wanted to make it special so I made it 45 mins. ago(it's 11:30pm) just to end my year and it was great.

         One Baguette, toasted on the grill.. A thin layer of mayo on both sides... Tomatoes, sliced paper thin to cover both sides...Shredded cheese... A whole head of perfectly crisp Iceberg Lettuce and about 500 grams of Sweet Honey Glazed Ham, grilled and seasoned with butter and dried herbs..

A GREAT WAY TO END THE YEAR!

3 Favorite Frozen Yogurt Stores: Tutti Frutti, Coffee Cat, Red Mango

Frozen Yogurt 
    
      A frozen treat made from yogurt or other dairy products. It contains lesser fat than Ice Cream because instead of it consisting of cream, it's made of milk. It's kinda like Gelato only it's aged for a certain number of hours after yogurt culture has been mixed into a combination of milk products and certain types of gelatin.


Tutti Frutti

      Tutti Frutti is a brightly lit Frozen Yogurt Store located at the Ground Floor of SM, Cebu. Across Game Zone, there you can find the fruity marvel that is Tutti Frutti. For people who haven't been there yet, yogurt cost 20 php/ounce. Toppings are free, but don't get excited 'cause it's included when you weigh in your yogurt for the price. Here, you serve yourself..from putting the yogurt in your cup to adding your choice of toppings. They have different flavors of yogurt and they change it every week (so I've heard). 


Here was my situation the first time I was faced with 
THE NOZZLES OF AWESOMENESS. 

"Oh.. Hmmm.. Chocolate? Blueberry? maybe Raspberry?

It's so FREAKIN' HARD to choose!!!!

           Eventually, I settled for a mix of blueberry and raspberry(I like berries) flavored yogurt, topped with slices of Kiwi fruit, Peaches, Mangoes and Almonds. The consistency of the frozen delight was amazing and it's mixed up right(you'd know because it won't melt quickly). How it tastes is completely up to you since you made it. 

How my did my friend Shauna find it?

 One word : Awesome. 

Coffee Cat

     Coffee Cat is located in I.T. Park, Cebu. It's a Coffee Shop/ Yogurt Shop. Me and my cousins went there after dinner that The Pantry(http://arvintang.blogspot.com/2010/12/pantry-food-review.html). When you enter the Coffee Cat, you are greeted with the rich aroma of coffee(it's a coffee shop, DUH!) and the cutest set of black and white furniture. 


   Coffee Cat's yogurt is called YOGO. Comes in Original and Green Tea. A bit expensive but, worth it. 


    The creamy, dense taste of the Original Flavored Yogurt stays in your mouth for a few hours more or at least that's what happened to me(I'm not sure if it was me or the Yogurt). Still, it was great! 
   
   I come to the conclusion that the Coffee Cat is an 8 out of 10 for it's ambiance, YOGURT, coffee and selection of desserts and drinks. As for it's price, Marked as AFFORDABLE. 




Red Mango
  

    A friend of mine was bored and wanted to go somewhere for the afternoon. We decided to go to Ayala Center Cebu. When we got there, we were looking for things to try so we went to Red Mango. It's a Yogurt Shop on the Top floor of Ayala, near Cinema 1. 


     As we went in, the smell of Yogurt was just UHHHHHH... It was so UHHH., it went through my runny nostrils and made me think of heaven(Okay, maybe not heaven but it was, in fact, heavenly). I had a large cup, it cost around 150+ php.  Toppings will be charged 20 php for 1 topping, 30 php for 2 and 40 php for 3. I also ordered a  Blueberries and Cream Waffles while my friend Shauna had a Banana Almond Waffles, both priced at 85 php. The waffles were plated beautifully, we did not want to eat them(we did, obviously) and they tasted as good as they looked. 


    The Yogurt was also great! From flavor to consistency, when a spoonful of yogurt touches your tongue, it doesn't just melt, it melts with pride. HAHA   


   Red Mango is sheik, chic, awesome and affordable. Be sure to experience it yourself! 

The Pantry: A Food Review

        

      The Pantry is absolutely a must-go Deli located in The Gallery, Mabolo, Cebu City. I was there with my Cousins(we rarely go out together, so when we do, we try something new). Me and my sister got there first and we decided to order something while waiting. I had a Cafe Latte, which by the way is served with a free mini cupcake, and my sister had a RJ sandwich, a perfectly toasted baguette with loads of lettuce, very generous layers farmer's ham(I think, I forgot), tomatoes, cheese, onions.. it was how'd you say,, uhh. EPIC.

   

 My brother and my other cousins arrived shortly after. We ordered our meals and started to dig in. I had a Hungarian Smokie Plate, served as one really big sausage, a choice of rice or bread and a helping of salad greens, lightly peppered and dressed with a light, tangy vinaigrette. Actually, it's served the same with all the other sausages and at the same price, 160 pesos. I know! Awesome! 

   Sandwiches are no different. They have an extensive selection of sandwiches, each as mouth-watering as the other. Something you can get at a price range of 100-200 pesos and for "barkada-type" get-togethers, they serve platters that houses all of their sanwiches or sausages. 

    After our very satisfying meal, we headed on desserts! Yay! 

Here's the setting of the pantry, meat,bread and ice cream(FIC : Fruits In Cream) on one side and on the other are the Cakes and Pastries(all of which are to die for). My brother had a Cookies and Creme Ice Cream Cake and the rest of us had coffee and mini-cupcakes. 

   It was a great night, and The Pantry was, in all honesty, perfect.