Cozy Afternoons at Cafe Xocolat

If you are ever in the Katipunan area, and you find yourself looking for a place to:

1. treat yourself to some nice comfort food
2. spend a lazy afternoon catching up with an old friend
3. just chill out and curl up with your laptop or book while enjoying a nice cup of hot chocolate

... then Xocolat is the place for you!

I can't believe I've never blogged about this place. This is definitely one of my ultimate go-to place, and why shouldn't it be? A small, cozy cafe converted from the sala of an old house, Xocolat definitely has that homey feel that makes me want to stay here all day. In addition, with the friendly staff, eclectic decor and of course, the consistently good food, I kind of wonder why I haven't just moved in already (well, they're not open 24/7 for one).

Xocolat's comfy vibe makes it the ultimate chill-out place

The food... oh, the food. Obviously, for a place named after the world's favorite food, Xocolat offers excellent chocolate. Their signature beverages and cakes are some of the most decadent chocolate offerings this side of town. Because of this, you'd think that those exotic creatures called people who don't like chocolate won't have any reason to come here, but actually, Xocolat offers so much more. The menu is a labor of love, carefully crafted to bring you all the best comfort food.

Cha Dao Tea Place: Part 5 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

This post is the fifth of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.
Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

We've finally come to the end of the series! It's been a fun ride, and it'll be some time before our next post, making this the perfect time to check out some of our older posts! ;)

Anyway, our final course for The Great Maginhawa Food Trip is none other than a cool glass of pearl milk tea at Cha Dao Tea Place.

The small shop consists of a counter where they serve their specialty tea drinks, as well as several little tables where you can just sit and chill with your friends. In fact, the tiny store is full of students studying and holding meetings. There's not much room, but the bright tea-green walls, light wooden furniture, and quiet atmosphere make you feel calm, relaxed and refreshed, the perfect space for you to unwind. 

Sancho Churreria: Part 4 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

This post is the fourth of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.
Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

We're now nearing the end of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip, and our fourth installment features a little, old-fashioned cafe called Sancho Churreria Manila. What is a churreria, you ask? Why, a store that sells churros, of course! And excellent churros, at that!

Even before entering, the glass panels already make the store look very warm and inviting, with sunlight streaming through from outside. The interior isn't very spacious, but the displays of yummy goodies as well as the cozy furniture and decor help you feel right at home. The store was packed when we were there, with people having important business meetings, long overdue reunions with friends, or maybe just some lazy afternoon coffee. I never wanted to leave.

Cocina Juan: Part 3 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

This post is the third of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.
Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

UPDATE: As of September 2013, which is when I last visited Maginhawa, Cocina Juan is no longer open for business. You can check their FB page for updates!

Part 3 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip is about Cocina Juan F. Gallery. The F. Gallery part refers to the restaurant's double function as an art gallery, with its walls displaying some paintings and other pieces by local artists. I'm not an art critic, so I'm not going to comment but even to my unrefined eye, the art is certainly interesting. (I'm not that sure what the F stands for but I'm assuming it's "food".)

Cocina Juan, one of the more unique finds in Maginhawa, serves Nicaraguan food. I'll wait here while you look up Nicaragua on Google... Good? Okay. Nicaragua, as you might have learned already, is a country in the Central American region, which is right between North and South America. Easy, right? It's also right below Mexico, which explains some of the menu options in Cocina Juan, which seem to be Mexican-inspired, if not actual Mexican dishes. What sets Central American food apart is their use of meats, grains and various herbs and spices. Their cuisine was also influenced heavily by the Spanish, much like Filipino food.

Now enough history/geography lessons! It's time to focus on Cocina Juan and their fantastic food! 

The restaurant itself is a cozy little house, brightly-painted and with assorted foliage covering the front, so much so that it might be hard to catch the tiny signage in the front. Just make sure to watch out for the big red chili pepper when you look for this location.

Friuli Trattoria: Part 2 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

This post is the second of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.

Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

Our second installment in The Great Maginhawa Food Trip is all about Friuli Trattoria, a cute little Italian cafe that serves pizza, pasta and desserts, and prides themselves on their "Genuine Italian Cooking".

According to our ever-reliable source Wikipedia, Friuli is actually a region in northeastern Italy famous for their local cheese, cured meats and wine, while Trattoria refers to a small casual dining restaurant where "prices are low, and the emphasis is on a steady clientele rather than on haute cuisine. The food is modest but plentiful (mostly following regional and local recipes) and in some instances is even served family-style (i.e. at common tables)." With this, I'd have to say Friuli Trattoria definitely lives up to the standards of its namesake. The staff service is informal and friendly. The interiors are warm and cozy with the checkered tablecloths and the Italian themed decor. The food is excellent, as I shall soon further expound. And this is a place I'm sure I'll want to go to again and again.

It's a-me, Mario!

Tomato Kick: Part 1 of The Great Maginhawa Food Trip

If you live in the Quezon City area, you've probably heard of Maginhawa Street, that artist-culture-foodie haven located in UP Village, Quezon City. A nice quiet street by day, a crowded youth hub by night, this place boasts some of the most unique food finds this side of town!

Because Maginhawa's not-so-hidden treasures cannot be contained into one post, I'll be covering five of Maginhawa's best in this series which I dub The Great Maginhawa Food Trip. (Which, I know, is a ridiculous title, but there are just no other words fit to describe the sheer awesomeness of the Maginhawa experience.)

Just a quick teaser of the upcoming posts in the series ;)

This post is the first of a five-part series called The Great Maginhawa Food Trip.
Part 1: Tomato Kick
Part 2: Friuli Trattoria
Part 3: Cocina Juan

Part 4: Sancho Churreria
Part 5: Cha Dao Tea Place

For this post, we'll be starting off with one of the most well-known spots in Maginhawa: Tomato Kick.

A popular watering hole for students of the University of the Philippines, Tomato Kick has a laidback casual vibe that makes it the perfect hang-out. When you see the sign, you'll probably have trouble finding the entrance as we did, but it's actually on the second floor.

Introduction to Dimsum: Causeway Seafood Restaurant

Chicken Feet with Tausi

It's been a long time since I wrote my last post, sorry for that. But!!! I'm back with some food adventures. For my comeback, I want to share with you my love for dimsum! =D I know a lot of you also love it just as much as I do. The dimsum to be mentioned in this post are from Causeway Seafood Restaurant along Banawe. I've attended their opening before, and they got their chefs from Hongkong so the food are good for its reasonable prices.

One More Chance at Bellini's

Hello there! It's been a while since I posted, but as promised, I'll be telling you about a special restaurant this time. So it was my first time to go to the Cubao Expo for a project in school (I didn't even know such a place existed before, and of course, food will always be part of any adventure haha), and boy, it was really a hidden place with full of really interesting stuff! There isn't much light in the entrance which was why we missed it at first, and the place is alive around 4 to 7 pm, because that's the time that the different stores selling really unique one-of-a-kind clothes and shoes are all open. It's really like a village from a different time all on its own. Then we stumbled upon Bellini's, which my friend said was where John Lloyd Cruz and Bea Alonzo shot a scene in their movie One More Chance. Intriguing, huh? We thought so too haha that's why we ate there even if we already ate dinner!

Bellini's Ambiance

This is the exact table where John Lloyd and Bea Alonzo sat, according to the chef

Modern Japanese Cuisine at Omakase

First of all, I'd like to greet everyone a happy new year! I know it's been ages since we last posted, but don't worry because we're back for good! :)

Today I'd like to talk about a place that practically everyone is familiar with and is easily my favorite among the Japanese food offerings in Manila. I'm talking about Omakase, a trendy Japanese restaurant with good food that gives a modern twist to old classics.

Omakase

According to my trusty source, Wikipedia, Omakase is actually a Japanese term meaning "It's up to you", and is a style of serving food in sushi restaurants, where it's "up to" the chef to serve you a complementary (by which I mean they complement each other, not free) series of dishes meant to be eaten one at a time. While this Omakase does not exactly offer this type of service, it's interesting to note because their name suggests that they put utmost importance in the quality, presentation and service that they offer to their customers.

The interior

As you can see from the photos, the place is decorated in a contemporary style that reflects their fusion cuisine, blending old Japanese with modern Western tastes.

Mushroomburger-- Totally Confused

I didn't really plan to write a blog about Mushroomburger BUT I just had to share my confusion... THIS.

Car seats at Mushroomburger

Yes, that's Mushroomburger at Katipunan. My reaction went like this "What??? Am I seeing things?.... Why???" So you could really feel my confusion upon entering the place. At first I thought it was just the new addition of pancit in bilao that was a weird addition to the chain, but now this! Why car seats??????

Anyway, since I have expressed enough confusion already, I shall now comment on the food. It was my first time to realize that there are rice meals there actually hahaha I thought it was all just burgers (it's named MushroomBURGER for a reason).. and to think that it's not my first time to visit =P So of course, I tried their Mushroom Beef rice meal with the side dish of Mushroom Fiesta.

Great Food and the Company of Friends at Manang's

If you have friends studying at Ateneo de Manila University, you've probably heard about Manang's at least once. Ateneans love it, Ateneans rave about it, and Ateneans, when they graduate, miss it more than anything else in the school.

Manang's is a cozy little corner right next to the Covered Courts where most freshmen and sophomores have their PE classes. In the morning, you can already smell them grilling their signature liempo (pork belly), for which eager diners line up for during lunch time. The open air space is packed with hungry students who come to meet up with their friends, relax, unwind, and simply have some great home-cooked food.

Manang's at Ateneo de Manila University

Cantonese Soup Kitchen

Ok, first of all, I once again forgot my camera =( so forgive me for the quality of the pictures.

Moving on, today I'll introduce to you the Cantonese Soup Kitchen. Their specialty is of course their soups. I wasn't able to take a picture of it though. They have different kind of Chinese soups made of various kinds of herbs, which comes with a lot of health benefits. And the best thing is that they taste really great! Authentic Chinese cooking if I may add! Although it may be a little expensive since the serving size of their soup is just for one person, it's worth it! =D

Cantonese Soup Kitchen

Ersao

It's always pleasant to try out food that you know is real deal. And since Ersao has been started up by a Taiwanese in the Philippines, you could be sure that it's authentic =)

I have actually been eating from Ersao since I was in elementary, because there's an Ersao store near our school. Of course, the staple would always be the fruit shakes and the spicy chicken (but I always order it without the spice haha). Through the years my favorite fruit shake have changed from mango to avocado to papaya, now I always buy their pearl milk tea. But for those who want to try different flavors, they have a wide array of flavors to try from =D. Presently, they have expanded their products to include some meals and that's where I order my lunch sometimes.

Spicy Chicken with Rice + Pearl Milk Tea

Greek Lunch at Cyma, Italian Dessert at Gelatissimo Cafe

Today, I was able to catch Harry Potter 7-1 with a couple of friends at Trinoma, and of course, I couldn't pass up the chance to have some yummy food as well! We ended up having a late lunch at Cyma, a Greek restaurant which offers an almost authentic experience of Greek cuisine.

Just entering Cyma makes you feel like you're entering another world. The place gives off a very Mediterranean ambience. Apparently, the branch at Greenbelt is small and less spacious, but feels more like a cozy Greek taverna where you could just imagine the food-loving Greeks gathering together for a sumptuous feast.

Inside Cyma

Open kitchen at Cyma

But enough talking about other people's sumptuous feasts. It's time for our own feast! :)

Eid'l Adha

It was announced that today is a national holiday in the Philippines for the observance of Eid'l Adha, "which commemorates and pays tribute to the trials of patriarch Abraham (Ibrahim among Muslims) and his family."

On another note,  today I'd like to share with you one of the restaurants recommended to me by my friend for some time now-- Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen. It's very conveniently situated near Puregold and Mercury Drugstore. Anyway, let's go to the good part!

The food there is generally served in big amounts and does not taste bad, tastes like real Chinese food! haha =D

Experiencing Japanese Zen at Kozui Green Tea

(Sorry for the late update! School was a little hectic, but I'm here now! :D)

I've always loved tea ever since I was a child. I grew up drinking tea everyday, with all my meals, which probably explains why I never grew taller after 6th grade... Of course, that's just an urban legend, because I'm pretty sure lots of Asians who drink tea regularly are tall, so it's probably just my genes. Anyway.

I've always wondered why tea wasn't more popular in the Philippines as it is in China, Japan, Korea, etc., but I guess that's just part of our culture, seeing as we were a Spanish colony for a long time so we never received a lot of British or Portuguese influences. Recently though, tea has become more of a novelty product, with lots of bubble tea and milk tea stores sprouting up all over the place.

When I first heard about Kozui Green Tea, I thought it was another one of those faux-Japanese restaurants, where they serve you Westernized versions of Japanese food that is not even the least bit authentic. However, I was quite surprised because despite the initial impression I had of the store, Kozui Green Tea is the real thing.

Outside Kozui Green Tea

Local Specialties - Davao Tuna Grill

Being someone who likes to try different things, we're always bombarded with so many choices. This is why my rule of thumb is always to ask for the bestseller or the local specialty. At least that way if the best they could offer does not taste good, you'll have every right to complain, just kidding haha.

Anyway, I was walking around Trinoma last night trying to choose a place to eat. Since I was alone, I don't want to eat Chinese food because that cuisine is meant for sharing. So even though that was the first thing that came to mind, I had to choose a place where I could finish the food and do some work in peace. My directionless wandering eventually got me to the food court of Landmark. Ok fine, it wasn't exactly directionless. I just didn't want to eat inside the Trinoma atrium since it was so loud and crowded all the time, and the food court not only offers a lot of choices, it's near the supermarket too! hahaha.