Antonio's, Tagaytay

We're having a long weekend here in Manila. There was no work yesterday, and there's none today! So my mother, sister and myself went to Tagaytay, which is like Baguio, only nearer and more convenient.

Just like Baguio almost always means Le Chef and Cafe by the Ruins, Tagaytay is starting to mean Antonio's. Which is gorgeous and has great service.

They start you off with a crusty sesame roll and unsalted butter. 

Aroma Festival!

Guess what?!

I went to the Aroma Festival over at The Rocks late July.

Cause really like coffee.

It's addictive.

I think it calms me down and relaxes me.

Plus I feel like an adult whenever I have it- shmo-phisticated.

Cafe CreAsion Macarons

I love the cold cold unfinished cement structure.

Well obviously I've been missing in action for more than a week ages already. No, I didn't travel or go on a crazy wonderful food trip, I was just literally swamped with deadlines, projects, and work. Yes, WORK. Just in case you didn't know, I work part-time as a waitress. Yes, a waitress and I'm damn good at it. Gotta love it when customers tip you well.

Lovely colorful macarons

Anyway, I should stop ranting and start writing about these ASIAN macarons. I just call them Asian macarons cause the place is run by Japs. Nestled in the labyrinth known as the city, there lies a Cafe CreAsion that particularly specializes in macarons. Yes, macarons. It's no secret that I'm a sucker for a good macaron. And I'm particularly fascinated when there are fabulously strange flavors such as the ones Zumbo creates! Click here, here, and here for my Zumbo misadventures!

Saint's Alp, Katipunan

Lately, my life has been a blur. It's crazy, fast-paced, and very busy. But it's a happy whirlwind and I am always feeling fulfilled! :-) 

Most of my free time during schooldays is spent in the library – I just study and write papers. But last Tuesday I decided I needed a change, and reminded myself that life is for living, not rotting away and perpetually studying!* So I left the library, looked for my friends, and then we decided to try Saint's Alp! It's a newly opened restaurant franchise from Hong Kong. The Katipunan branch is their first branch in the Philippines.

Airy interiors. My friend James deemed it virginal

Bangbang Espresso Bar and Cafe, Surry Hills

Bangbang on Reservoir.

Surry Hills is the place to be. The place is teeming with restaurants, cafes, and other foodie finds. It's my go-to place during breaks in between classes and day-outs as well.

View from the inside.

Gigantic headphone illustration up on the white wall.

So Bangbang opened sometime in 2009 and it's been thriving since then. It's owned by some renowned Brit DJ, and all over the cafe there's that street, retro hip vibe.

Got to love that tomato container.
Kitsch & Quirky

They're known for their breakfasts but it's such a shame since it wasn't an all-day affair like I was expecting. They had a very casual and relaxed lunch menu that's just typical of a cafe offering burgers, sandwiches, and salads with slight tweaks and modifications.

The Real Eat, Pray, Love.

Nah, not Eat, Pray, Love.

It's Move, Eat, Learn.


NO, I wasn't the one who travelled 1/3 of the world to find myself. or whatever.

I wish it was me though.

Let's face it, I've got a hectic degree to finish.

BUT after that, we'll talk about travelling. Definitely.

Mesa, Tomas Morato

The first time I ate in Mesa was in there Greenbelt branch (many years ago!). They've since opened a branch in Tomas Morato. Mesa is Spanish/Filipino for "table" and the restaurant serves Filipino food.

Filipino-esque interiors with a modern twist

Astralis, Rockwell

Last month, Chloe and I hit the Supersale bazaar at Rockwell. I think that was the same day we watched Harry Potter 7.2.* Honestly speaking, there is practically nowhere to eat in Rockwell – neither of us liked any of the restaurants in the foodcourt (read about our unfortunate experience at Myron's here) or felt like eating at Cibo. So we went outside, looking for other restaurants. And we stumbled upon Astralis, which is operated by Diamond Hotel and has garnered several awards (I forget which!)

Shakespeare Hotel's Epic Cheap Steak.

I've been skipping breakfast to catch up on sleep.

It's really bad.

Midday, I crave steak.

Big fat juicy hearty steak.

My friend Adara is adventurous, and craves just as much as I do.

We headed to Shakespeare for the infamous $12.50 T-bone.

The T-bone comes with a side salad, mash or chippies, and your chosen sauce.

We had a good meal and ended up with full, really stuffed bellies.

It's a classic.

Good pub, good grub.

A tad dodgy looking sign outside. 

Classic.

The beers on tap.

Suzhou Dimsum: One of Binondo's BEST Kept Secrets

It's been years since my family has discovered Suzhou, I wonder why I've never properly blogged about it. I had my first real/acceptable/authentic xiao long bao there. I loved it so much, my uncle and I would order a lot of them for lunch. A lot= we wouldn't eat anything else. I find it fantastic that they've opened shop in Greenhills which makes it far more convenient for yours truly!


BTW, for more go to restaurants in Binondo, click here and here!

Specialty Xiao Long Bao- P100 for 4 pieces.
Trust me, 4 are not enough.

Perfect and intricately crafted.

There's a relatively thick wrapper that envelopes the soupy meaty morsel inside. It's tasty and absolutely lovely. More often than not, I wouldn't touch a xiao long bao when I've seen the wrapper broken that's cause all the lovely juice would've dripped out. Now that's a shame.