Pleasantly Pinoy @ Pan de Amerikana

Location: # 92 Ordonez Street
Marikina City, Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 2 - 4752398
Website: http://pandeamerikana.multiply.com
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I’ve been wanting to have lunch at Pan de Amerikana for the longest time after seeing it featured on a TV show for their whimsy decor.  With our boys and our trusty cameras in tow, we finally got around to going there on a Sunday. I honestly didn’t know what to expect in terms of food since my friends spent way too much time taking photographs when they had a meal there. They only got to tell me three things:  (1) That it was a great place to take pictures, (2) steaks were priced just below Php 200.00, and (3) that they had a huge chess board.

We asked around the Concepcion, Marikina area for directions to Pan de Amerikana. It was a cinch to follow and the restaurant is quite easy to spot too with a big windmill near the entrance. Lovely, eye-catching façade… me likey!

My Fave CashCashPinoy Deals: Update - 50% OFF for Sofitel's Scrumptious Spiral Buffet!

Location: Spiral, Sofitel Philippine Plaza
Price: Php 1160.00 per person
Savings: 1160.00 (50% savings at Php 2320.00 actual price)
Deal Site: CashCashPinoy

photo from cashcashpinoy.com

Sorry everyone... I just updated this post today... Just want to inform you guys that the Sofitel Spiral Buffet Promo from CashCashPinoy has ended yesterday (Wednesday, June 22, 2011)... However, according to them, they are still planning to offer the tempting deal again to all their fans...

Don't I'll be updating this post again once I know of an amazing and tempting deal from CashCashPinoy that I want to share with everyone!


In the meantime, feel free to sign up with them and subscribe to their newsletter to get first hand information on the some of the latest and best deals in town!

Visit  CashCashPinoy at http://cashcashpinoy.com to sign up!
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Oooohhhh! I just love "deal sites" and "discount sites"!. For those still not familiar with companies like CashCashPinoy, well... in a nutshell, they basically offer popular items (food vouchers, buffets, beauty treatments, hotel stays, vacations, and more) at awesome discounted rates. Mostly 50% OFF the regular price.. but discounts may be anywhere from 20%-80%!

Trickey's - Inasal Joe - Chillers Shakes @ Tiendesitas

Location: Food Court, Tiendesitas
Pasig City, Philippines
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I read somewhere that Tiendesitas had a Food Stall selling gigantic portions of Baby Back Ribs so we decided to head here for lunch on a Sunday after mass.  We tried looking for Baby Back Ribs in each stall (since I forgot the name), but too bad, we can't seem to find it. We settled on Trickey's instead since they had T-Bone & Prime Rib Steaks. We also wanted a soup dish for sharing so we ordered La Paz Batchoy from Inasal Joe, a few stalls after Trickey's. For drinks, Mango Shakes from Chillers.

Trickey's Prime Rib Steak (Php 150.00)

The  Prime Rib Steak was ok for the price, c'mon now Php 150.00... you can't really demand steak perfection. Flavor was average, but good and but definitely better than Slice N Dice... still can't compare to other similarly priced steaks as we haven't eaten at another cheap steak place recently. I'll post a comparison once we do :-) The meat was not as tender as I would want it, needs a bit of a chew but I don't mind. I would have to say that the gravy was good and went well with the steak.

Our Take-Out Dinner - Tom's Crispy Pata

Location: Congressional Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines
(and in other Q.C. areas too!)
Price: Php 350.00
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Whenever I'm too tired or lazy to cook, and waaay too hungry to wait for food delivery... we decide on ordering from any of the Take-Out Food stalls around Q.C. Choices range from Lechon Manok, Liempo, Lechon, Sisig, Pork Barbeque, or Crispy Pata. If I get to pick, and if my husband doesn't try to talk me out of the "cholesterol" bit, I'd always choose CRISPY PATA! I already mentioned I LOVE CRISPY PATA right? Hahaha :-)

We've already tried ordering from different Crispy Pata take-out stalls, but this was our latest Crispy Pata order since I started publishing my blog entries last month... so Tom's Crispy Pata is now the first Crispy Pata take-out I'll be reviewing :-)

Tasty Pancit Palabok @ Susie's Cuisine - Pampanga

Location: McArthur Highway, Dolores
City of San Fernando, Pampanga
Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 45 - 8612480 / (63) - 45 - 9639302
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I first tasted the Pancit Palabok from Susie's Cuisine 2 years ago when Wowie bought me a single order as "pasalubong" from his business trip to Pampanga. Since then, I simply had to have it as "pasalubong" together with Tibok-tibok every time he goes to San Fernando or wherever there's a Susie's Cuisine branch.

The sauce of their Pancit Palabok is just perfect.. super flavorful and tasty. Goes really well with the thick bihon-like noodles. I like the fact that the sauce is actually absorbed by the noodles, makes each bite really tasty, even without the toppings...  unlike other Palabok versions where the sauce is like a separate flavor from the noodles.

Pancit Palabok (Php 40.00)

Recipe & Tips: Flavorful Boiled Crab (Crab Boil)

My husband LOVES crabs. According to him, he can eat crabs everyday and never get sick of it... haven't tried serving him crabs daily though. Haha :-) When you ask my husband how he wants his crabs for dinner, he'll say he just likes them boiled. It might sound so basic to just drop the crabs in a pot of boiling water and it's done... but I have a few tips you guys (especially those new to cooking) might want to try the next time you cook boiled crabs or make a "Crab Boil" as crab fanatics call it. 

Not So Heavenly-Tasting Food @ Angeles Fried Chicken

Location: #1992 Marlim Avenue,
Diamond Subdivision, Balibago, Angeles City,
Pamapanga, Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 45 - 3224448
Website: http://angelesfriedchicken.blogspot.com/
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Their tag-line says "The Oldest Running Restaurant in Angeles City where Chicken Tastes Heavenly!!!""... Sadly, I would have to DISAGREE. 

On our latest trip to Subic Bay, we decided to make a stopover at Angeles for lunch. It has been 2-3 years already since we last ate at Angeles Fried Chicken.I can't really remember anything about the food... except that the restaurant kept popping up on my search results for places to eat in Angeles City Pampanga. Ok, so we thought of having lunch there, especially since their online menu seemed promising.

 Heavenly? Ummm... not quite..

My apologies in advance to the die-hard fans of Angeles Fried Chicken... I am just writing our family's personal experience. If you love it there, I respect your opinion... Hope you also respect mine. :-)

Recipe: Classic Crunchy Tasty Turon (Sweet Banana Fritters)

Our boys' favorite native snack/treat, which is extremely easy  to make at home, would be the Classic Turon (or Sweet Banana Fritters).  They just love Turon so much that they always order them when we eat out (together with Leche Flan) or whenever they see them being sold at street food stalls...  BUT my husband and kids agree that the ones I make are the best ever.

Others make their Turon by sprinkling them with sugar while frying, and some like having their Turon wrapped in Jackfruit... my recipe on the other hand is just pretty simple and basic... makes for a really yummy treat, and can even be served as finger-food dessert that your guests will surely enjoy at your next party!

The Max's Chicken-All-You-Can Promo is Back! Woohoo!!!

Location: All Max's Restaurant Branches in the Philippines (only)

Promo Period: 
June 10, 2011 to July 10, 2011
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm Daily

Price: Php 199.00 per person, includes 1 glass of  soft drink (Pepsi products) or Iced Tea
add Php 28.00 to upgrade to bottomless drinks

Perks: Diners will receive a Php 20.00 coupon rebate for every Php 200.00 purchase during the promo period. Coupons can be used after the Chicken-All-You-Can promo starting July 11, 2011. A maximum of 3 coupons per transaction can be used within one year.
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Ooooohhh... I've been waiting for this to be re-launched since last year's successful Chicken-All-You-Can Promo! Max's fans, myself included, have long been hoping to avail of this sweet deal again. Max's listened... and here we are again, looking forward to June 10, 2011 for another chance to eat as much of Max's scrumptious fried chicken as possible for just Php 199.00!

Crispy Pata, Kare-Kare, and Bagoong Rice @ Bagoong Club

Location: 122 Scout Dr. Lazcano, Sacred Heart

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Telephone: (63) - 2 - 9290544 / (63) - 2 - 9295450

Website: http://bagoongclub.multiply.com

Hours: Daily / 11:00 am - 3:00 pm / 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm

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Here we go again on my Crispy quest. What can I say, I really am A BIG FAN of Crispy Pata. So browsing the internet in search of a new place to satisfy my Crispy Pata craving, we decided to try Bagoong Club in Quezon City. Since they serve crispy pata AND is known to have great tasting bagoong rice... sounds like a winner in my book! Hello cholesterol and high-blood! Hahaha :-)

 Crispy Pata (Php 425.00)

I know it might seem totally silly of me to order the usual Crispy Pata and Kare-Kare in a restaurant offering a wide array of Filipino Food and bagoong-infused dishes... but hey, you can't blame me... don't worry, we'll make sure we try the other specialties next time.

On to the Crispy Pata... or Crispy Pork Leg (and knuckles) in English

The Best Pancit Guisado Ever @ Toho Food Center - Binondo, Manila

Location: 422-424 T. Pinpin Street
Binondo, Manila Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 2 - 2414208 / (62) - 2 - 2420294
Hours: 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
Sundays 8:00 am - 2:00 pm (new update!)
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Pancit or  "Pansit" is a Philippine stir-fried noodle dish of Chinese origin. There is a great number of varieties of this dish, using different noodles, recipes, and toppings. 

The word pancit is derived from the Hokkien word pian i sit, which literally means "something conveniently cooked fast." 

* Source: http://en.wikipilipinas.org/
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As you might've read in my brief profile, I'm addicted to Pancit (noodles with vegetables, meat/seafood)... and as far as ALL the Pancit Guisado dishes I've tried (in Metro Manila and in the provinces), Toho's version has got to be the best I've ever tasted. 

 Miki Bihon Guisado

(small - Php 75.00 / medium - Php 150.00 / large - Php 225.00)

Spicy Squid

(small - Php 115.00 / medium - Php 230.00 / large -Php 345.00)

Yang Chow Fried Rice

( small - Php 100.00 / medium - Php 150.00 / large - Php 200.00)

Recipe : Chicken Tinola (Chicken-Ginger Stew)

I have several friends who have asked me to teach them how to cook dishes for their husbands, families, or special someone. They all have the same requests... that the dish be easy to cook, but still be delicious and impressive. The first recipe I always share is for my scrumptious Chicken Tinola. Easy, breezy, and guaranteed to be really yummy! Chicken Tinola might seem intimidating to people just learning to cook, but believe me, it really is easy to whip up!

Aside from being Father Damaso's favorite food, as mentioned in Jose Rizal's first novel "Noli Me Tangere", Chicken Tinola is a classic Filipino favorite... hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do!

Chicken Tinola (Chicken-Ginger Stew)

photo by my husband Wowie

Halo-Halo Heaven & Palabok @ Teresita R. Razon's - Pampanga

Location: Petron Gasoline Station
North Luzon Expressway (Northbound),
Lakeshore, San Fernando,
Pampanga, Philippines
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Taking the North Luzon Expressway (NLEX)? Then why not make a pit-stop at the Petron Gasoline Station for a light meal or snack of delectable Halo-Halo and Pancit Palabok at Teresita R. Razon's? Mmmmm! This really is the place to get your fill of scrumptiously smooth Halo-Halo.

Take note, this is not the same as the Razon's of Guagua branches you see here in Manila or in Pampanga. They both have the same concept of Halo-Halo and dishes that they offer (such as Palabok)... but... if you pay close attention to the small but important differences, you'll notice that the shaved ice at is much smoother and the leche flan topping has a hint of dayap flavor.

Hum-drum Food @ Casa Reyes - Greenhills, San Juan

Location: 1/F Greenhills Shopping Complex
Conneticut Carpark, Ortigas Avenue
San Juan, Metro Manila
Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 2 - 7211358
Hours: Daily / 10:00 am - 10:00 pm
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Sizzling Sisig (Php 168.00)

If you want to have your fill of delicious and juicy Chicken Barbecue and Java Rice, Casa Reyes in Greenhills is NOT the place to go. If I were you, just head to Aristocrat. I honestly found their Sizzling Sisig better (but still average) than their claim to fame Barbecue.

Fun Place... But Don't Be Late! @ YakiMix Smokeless Grill

Location: 2nd Floor, Forum Building
270 Tomas Morato Avenue
Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: (63) -2 - 3328073 
Hours: Daily
11:00 am - 2:00 pm / 6:00 pm - 11:00 pm
Price per Person: 
Php 499.00 - Mon to Sat Lunch
Php 599.00 - Dinner, Sunday, & Holidays
+ Php 65.00 for bottomless drinks
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I was trying to decide on whether to mention the good points or bad points first. I chose to start with their bad POINT since there's only 1 to mention. :-)  I know you've heard a lot about YakiMix and are excited to try it out, that's probably why you're reading this entry right? Hehehe :-) Anyway, my FIRST and MOST IMPORTANT TIP OF ALL: Be sure to get to there EARLY is you want to get seated at once, especially on weekends, holidays, or special occasions like Valentine's Day, Mother's & Father's Day, and Easter.

Filipino Fare & Boneless Crispy Pata @ Finio - Tomas Morato

Location: Tomas Morato Avenue,

corner Dr. Lazcano Street
Quezon City, Philippines

Telephone: (63) - 2 - 4151278

Website: http://www.finioresto.com/

Hours: Daily / 11:00 am - 10:00 pm

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We decided to try having dinner at Finio one night when we were supposed to eat at Yakimix, Tomas Morato (but the place was packed as always)... and I suddenly remembered that there was this restaurant nearby serving Boneless Crispy Pata.

Excited, we ordered their Boneless Crispy Pata, Gambas Finio, Pork Bbq Batchoy, Bagoong Rice, and Banana Fritters (Php 58.00) and Leche Flan (Php 58.00) for dessert. Unfortunately, I, again, forgot to bring a camera. All the photos here are all from my trusty iPhone.

Boneless Crispy Pata and Bagoong Rice

(Php 438.00 and Php 50.00/cup)

Devilled Crispy Pata @ Krocodile Grille

Location: 2/F Trinoma Mall

EDSA corner North Avenue

Quezon City, Philippines

Telephone:  (63) - 2 - 9018754
Hours:
Sun-M-T-W-Th / 10:00 am - 12:00 mn
F-Sat / 10:00 am - 1:00 am

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Devilled Crispy Pata (Php. 420.00)

Ooops, I forgot to bring my camera again here. Had to settle with my phone's camera... so pardon my low-res photos... hehehe :-)

Any-hoo... On my quest to find the best Crispy Pata ever, we decided to go to Krocodile Grille in Trinoma to try their famed Devilled Crispy Pata... said to be so good and spicy too... I thought to myself, let's see...

Dad's Ultimate Buffet - West Avenue, Quezon City

Location: West Avenue,
Quezon City, Philippines
Telephone: (63) - 2 - 4136360

Website: http://www.kamayansaisakidads.com/
Hours:
Daily / 11:00 am - 2:00 pm /
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Price per Person: 
Php 665.00
(Php 565.00 for Monday-Thursday Lunch)
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I should really try to remember to ALWAYS have a trusty digital camera in my bag, lest I end up with more crappy photos like the ones I have here... hahaha :-)

Tempura and Sukiyaki

Anyway... back to good ol' Dad's Ultimate Buffet...

Well, what else can I say... Dad's has always been there for everyone wanting to pig-out on a buffet. It's relatively affordable for a crossover buffet offering more than 200 dishes at Php 665.00 (and Php 565.00 for Monday-Thursday Lunch). Not bad right? You get to eat all the Tempura, Saisaki Steak, Lechon, Pasta, Roast Beef, Lengua, and Dessert you want and more for less than Php 700.00 per person.

Mongolian Buffet @ Cafe Sweet Inspirations - Katipunan

Location: 311 Katipunan Avenue, Loyola Heights

Quezon City, Philippines 1108

Telephone: 63-(2)-4334200

Telefax: 63-(2-)9282557

Website: http://www.cafesweet.com/

Sample Menu: http://www.cafesweet.com/menu1.htm
Hours: Daily / 6:00 am - 11:00 pm

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If you're looking for a good old Mongolian Eat-All-You-Can Restaurant, then Cafe Sweet Inspirations is the place to go!

Their Mongolian Rice Bowls are just the way my hubby and I like it... Mmmm... PERFECT =)

My 3rd Bowl...

that's why it's not full to the brim anymore... hahaha :-)