Planet Infinity Energy Lounge

Energy Lounge
by Nicole

Looking for a quiet place to chill out while having great food aaand not to mention fast internet connection (wifi)? I know just a place!

Energy Lounge, a small restaurant in Crossroad 77, Mother Ignacia Quezon City, serves a hefty lot of health food that you'll love for sure. Ever since eating here for the first time about three weeks ago, I just can't have enough. Now that I think of it, I've been going here every week! Ha ha! I love this place because it is quiet, it has books and magazines that you can read, a fast FREE wifi AND they serve you great food that nourish your body and definitely not kill you.

Here are some of my favorites:

This is called Spinach Raisin Salad. It is super yummy and eating this is a great way to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease! The freshness of the ingredients, the vinaigrette, the caramelized apples - sweet and with a hint of sourness - the flavors just go perfectly well. A note though, if you're not a fan of blue cheese (just like I do) you might want to have 'em removed.


Spinach Raisin Salad (Php 170)
Mixed greens, baby spinach, mushrooms and caramelized apples topped with bacon and blue cheese and drizzled in berry vinaigrette

And by the way, before I forget, I really like how detailed their menu is. You'll get to read the nutrition facts of every dish. For example this spinach raisin salad has 441 calories (ito palang busog ka na promise!), 5 grams of protein, 104% Vitamin A, 75% Vitamin C etc...

For the soups, they've got interesting ones - valued at Php 70.00 per serving you'll get to choose from milestrone (clear vegetable soup flavored with chicken and bacon), mongo soup, and pumpkin soup which  is the best pumpkin soup I've tasted so far (can't believe it's better than my mom's!). It's not watery and the flavor was so rich! Wasn't able to take a photo of it though.

For the main dish (if you consider it that), they've got these delicious rice bowls among others. They've got 7 types of rice bowls, all served with brown rice, and I have yet to try all of them. So far I've eaten the black bean tofu - which I loved! -, chicken terriyaki - I like that it's not salty -, and the chicken satay which is a total MUST TRY! The best chicken satay I've ever eaten so far! The chicken meat was tender, perfectly cooked, and has super rich flavor.
 

Black Bean Tofu Rice Bowl (Php 110)



Chicken Terriyaki Rice Bowl (Php 110)

For dessert, they've got cakes, muffins (I have yet to try their blueberry muffins!) brownies. . .
The last time, my sister and I tried their cake of the month for February, this red velvet cake. SUPER YUM! Not too sweet, and the frosting, which I believe is a cream cheese frosting (I might be wrong though) is YUMMY!


Cake of the Month: Red Velvet Cake (Php 100)

Last weekend, we tried the NO SUGAR blueberry cheesecake (no picture here T^T, sorry) and boy, how many times have I already said "best"? IT IS THE BEST TASTING BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE EVER! I love it because it has no sugar! Don't think though that it tasted bland because it did not - it tasted really, really, really, really, really gooood!



One of the awesomest features of Energy Lounge are reading materials. I love that they have plenty of TIME magazines and they've got books too - mostly about health, body building. . . This place is really perfect for chilling out (at least in my preference). The sofas are so comfortable and the tables are big - really conducive for doing homework or whatever paper work while eating ha ha!

Great food, great place - no wonder I keep coming back to this place.


Planet Infinity
Energy Lounge
4/F Crossroad 77 Bldg.
Mother Ignacia ave. corner Sct. Reyes St., Quezon City
Telephone: 332-1922

	mondays to saturdays: 7:00 AM - 0:00 midnight sundays: 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Energy Lounge on Facebook

Therese in Taiwan: 85°C Cafe

Not to generalize or anything, but I'm pretty sure that a lot of us are familiar with Starbucks Coffee, am I right? Well, have you heard of 85度C Cafe (85°C Cafe)? It's this Taiwanese coffee shop that's very popular in... where else? Taiwan!

They have over 300+ branches here, and according to their website, they also have branches in Australia, USA, and China.

My cousins like to drink their teas topped with sea salt whipped cream. I guess you could say that it's the Taiwanese version of the Philippines' rock salt with cheese drink. When I heard about it, I wanted to try it for myself.

I got the cold version (there's also the hot version) of the Sea Salt Green Tea (30NT ~ PhP 45)

Look at that yummy sea salt whipped cream! I'd prefer to have this with milk tea rather than plain tea, but it's yummy nonetheless. The drink had the right balance of sweetness, bitterness, and saltiness. Plus, it's fairly cheap.

Another thing we've tasted at this cafe is their 8-inch Classic Tiramisu cake. My aunt bought it for my birthday! Hee.

8-inch Classic Tiramisu cake | 480NT (~ PhP 720)

I don't really know how much a cake sells for in the Philippines (because it's been a while since I've had any) so I don't know if this counts as a bit on the expensive side or just right.

It was very delicious though! Tiramisu is one of the cakes I love (aside from cheesecake), and this one was just right! The cake wasn't soggy (cos I've had soggy Tiramisu before) and it wasn't so sweet. Buon appetito!

Haus of Burgertainment

Haus of Burgertainment
by Nicole


Somewhere in Ortigas Extension, Pasig is a small restaurant that will sure entertain your taste buds.

Haus of Burgertainment opened on the eve of Chinese New Year last January 22, 2012. It is owned by a wonderful lady, Eve (who happens to be my colleague), her husband, Mark, and Steve, their friend and business partner. They serve DELECTABLE snacks and you'll be dazzled on how affordable they are! Their recipes are full of flavor and they do not add MSG in anything they make. They sure make food the way you would make it at home!

The wall paintings

Last weekend, some of my teammates and I went here to check the place out. I thought I would only stay for breakfast but boy, that day turned out to be a non-stop pigging out until two in the afternoon!

The Menu

We arrived at the place at around 8:30 in the morning and the day at this humble restaurant was just getting started.

For our starter, we had FLAPJACKS! I can't remember the last time I ate one so it was a thrill to find out that they have flapjacks here! They cook and serve these every morning.

Flapjacks (oat bars) at only Php 5.00 per bar

 For our breafast drink, instead of the usual coffee or juice, we chose these really interesting creme brulee shake! Where on earth can you find a super creamy creme brulee shake for only 20 pesos? No where but here! They have raspberry, strawberry, and chocolate shakes too.

Crème Brûlée  Creamy Ice Shake (Php 20.00)

After the flapjacks, we had pancakes! Their pancakes are made from scratch meaning they don't use those ready-made pancake mixes.

Pancakes (only Php 10.00 each)

Then came lunch time. We were served with these uber DELICIOUS spaghetti! Now, this is totally not your average spaghetti. The sauce is a combination of Italian and Filipino taste - lotsa herbs, not sour and with a hint of sweetness. I loooooooove this! It tastes sooo great and it smells sooooo good I could make a perfume out of it! :D

Totally not your ordinary spaghetti with Parmesan cheese  (Php 25.00)

Because the people in this place are just awesome, they served us with something that's not on the menu. We all know what a mashed potato is but have you ever tasted a mashed cauliflower? Well folks, I had tasted one and it's heavy! With all that we had eaten plus this, we all felt like our tummies were about to explode! HA HA! Their mashed cauliflower was creamy and garlicky.


Mashed cauliflower

After lunch snack:

Another something new. These are called crunchy munchies. They are made from a mix of flour, milk, baking soda, and sugar, then deep fried and sprinkled with cheese powder.


Crunchy Munchies at Php 3.00 each!

French fries -  a total best seller! These are made from fresh cut potatoes. You can sprinkle it with cheese or barbecue powder - your choice.



Fresh fries (Php 12.00)

  This is how their french fries are cut. That's my supervisor by the way :D. She's trying out their potato cutter.



How come their food taste soooo good? One, their ingredients and two, their recipes are created by Mark, an Italian-American who's got a passion in cooking, and Steve who's British.


The ingredients

As an addition to really good food, people can also chill out in this place because they have a videoke and TV corner. Sing a song or watch your favorite and recent movies here!


The videoke/TV corner

Hands down, this is one special restaurant! They serve amazingly great tasting food and they price it for ANYONE. Check this place out - you won't be disappointed! A note though, you'll have to wait for your order because this place is packed with people!


How to get there:

From SM Megamall, take an FX and get off at Countryside. From there, ride a tricycle (tricycles are stationed at the corner beside Ministop) and tell the driver that you're going to the Burger haus :D


Haus of Burgertainment
84 Rosario Village
Sta. Lucia Pasig

	+63 9157918132

http://burgertainment.com/
Like them on Facebook

Therese in Taiwan: Sausage in rice roll 大腸包小腸

Let me introduce you guys to what they call the Taiwanese-style hot dog. It's sausage (which is so yummy, I might add) in rice roll. The rice roll looks like a sausage from the outside, but don't be fooled!

See, the "sausages" on the left are the rice rolls. When you order it, they take a piece of that rice roll, slice it open, and then put the sausage in. They also add other stuff like cabbages, pickles, etc. (but they aren't seen in the picture)

This can be found in a lot of night markets here in Taiwan - I've had it in Shilin night market, Shida night market, and Gongguan night market. It only costs 50NT (~PhP 75) and it's really filling.

A tip to fully enjoy night markets is to go with your friends. You can buy a variety of food, and then each have a bite or two (or more!) of everything. That way, you can taste a lot of delicious (and sometimes unhealthy) food! Plus, since you'll be walking around the market anyway, you don't have to worry about all that calories you're taking in. Just keep walking until you feel like you've burned all that you've eaten. Hee!

Sa Kanto | Podium

Podium | Sa Kanto

by: Tiffy

Manila Foodistas was lucky enough to be invited to try out Sa Kanto at the Podium. Kanto is the Filipino word for corner, sa kanto meaning just around the corner. 

Saan ka pupunta? Where are you going?

Diyan lang sa kanto. Just there around the corner. 

Sa Kanto serves all kinds of Filipino food--from street food to pulutan (food one usually eats while drinking) to meals. 

It is also by Il Ponticello, who is the group behind Borough which just happens to be situated beside Sa Kanto.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | Two E-Com Center: SPECIAL PROMOTION

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf® branch in Two E-Com Center will be holding a special promotion that will run from February 18 to 24, 2012. Customers can come to the store from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and purchase their favorite drink for only P100.

Therese in Taiwan: Gua Bao 刮包

Since Taiwan is still on a Chinese New Year high, I have decided to dedicate this post to one of the dishes famous during this season - gua bao 刮包, or otherwise known as Taiwan hamburger (it's also known as Taiwanese pork belly buns). This is typically eaten on the lunar calendar's December 15, but it's also available up to the Chinese New Year, or maybe even later.

What is it? It's this white bun filled with mustard greens, pork belly, and topped with cilantro and crushed peanuts.

Yummy! You can buy the fillings separately, and then assemble it at home (like what we did), or you can also buy the ingredients and cook them yourself, or you can just buy one at gua bao stores (it costs 45NT ~PhP 65)

Happy Chinese New Year!

Tiffy's Attempt at a Different Dish

And I forgot what it's called.

Actually, my boyfriend came home before we finished cooking.

They have those powder soup thing and you just add stuff in!

The avocado is fresh from their garden. 

I cut the vegetables!
(Except the avocado--there's actually this technique that my boyfriend's mom taught me but I forgot)

Malagos Farmhouse's Blue Pepato Cheese

Olive Puentespina of the Malagos Farmhouse in Davao City has been producing cheeses using cow and goat milk for the past six or so years. Her products - Blue Pepato, Aged Pepato, Fromage frais, Chevre, and other gourmet cheeses and products that are "natural, farm fresh from their gardens, and prepared by caring hands."



I was able to try Malagos Farmhouse's Blue Pepato cheese thanks to Director Art Boncato, Eden, and our friends from our Tourism Office in Davao. It's mildly aged cow's milk cheese with whole green pepper corn. Available in approximately 130g tumblers.



I tried scraping off some of the cheese and placed it on top of my spaghetti/pasta. It was really good :) I think Filipinos aren't that acquainted with different kinds of cheeses. I, for one, just had Blue Pepato the first time. I never knew there was such a thing before.

Also, I don't know if these kinds of cheeses are for everyone given that they're aged and fermented, and do not really smell that good. But frankly, I do not care because it tastes good to me. We should have more cheese appreciation opportunities.

Malagos Farm is a sprawling, eight-hectare property in the Baguio District of Davao City. At an elevation of 375 meters above sea level, it is the ideal location for growing the most breathtaking Vandas, Dendrobiums, Mokaras, Oncidium Grower Ramsey, and Phalaenopsis, as well as exotic landscape plants. It produces approximately 20,000 dozen sprays of Oncidium Grower Ramsey and 60,000 dozen inflorescences of Dendrobiums. Adjacent to the farm is the family’s famous Malagos Garden Resort, which serves as a hotel, park, function area, and public stage where the family can share its love and knowledge of indigenous Philippine flora, and, occasionally, even the country’s rich avian life.

Danne: Alchemy Baking Magic

In no other month does the sale of chocolates, greeting cards and roses peak other than February. And in this month of love, what better way to show your loved ones a simple gesture of love than giving them a simple macaron treat?

My friend Meryl, owner of Alchemy Baking Magic bakes awesome macarons which comes in different flavors. I personally have tasted her delicious and colorful home-baked macarons, and I could not get enough!

She personally bakes them. My personal favorite is Passion Fruit Milk Chocolate (5th from top). My second favorite is Coffee Caramel Ganache (2nd from top). I actually like them all, I had trouble deciding.

I really liked the crunchy texture upon biting these macarons, followed by the flavor of the filling.

Meryl commissioned me to design Alchemy's packaging for this season. Being an artist and a foodie, I was thrilled to be part of something that would combine my interests in graphics and eating. Ha ha!

So this was the design I drew! I tried to merge ideas related to baking and love, like sugar and sweet things.

These come in boxes of 4 or 6. To order, you may contact Meryl at 0917 896 3795 or call (02) 330-9229. Alchemy is also on Facebook! Click here!

Happy Valentine's day!

Danne

Congo Grill Tomas Morato

Congo Grill Tomas Morato
by Nicole


My folks and I had our late lunch one Sunday in Congo Grill Tomas Morato. It's my second time to eat in this restaurant and their food has never disappointed me.

Congo Grill is a Filipino grille restaurant which offers a wide selection of Filipino dishes. They serve almost 154 items including appetizers, seafood, soups, chicken, pork, beef & steaks, specialty drinks, sodas, wines, desserts, and other native favorites. Their menu is indeed diverse!

So now. . . the food that we ate:

First, we were served with this ampalaya. Oh I really like this! The ampalaya was crisp and it was not too bitter. Also, I liked how there were only few slices of meat in it.

Ampalaya con Carne (Php 145)

It's my second time eating this tofu. It was not super delicious - it was just okay. Maybe because I was thinking how much better the tofu is in Bodhi.

Sizzling Fried Tofu (Php 105)

This sizzling stuffed squid is the bomb! It sizzles deliciously! The squid was perfectly cooked! Stuffed with lots of onions, tomatoes, green long peppers and with special sauce, no wonder this stuffed squid is one of their best-sellers. A MUST TRY.

Sizzling Stuffed Squid (Php 320)

This is my Pop's favorite - the tuna belly. It's really  good too! It has a hint of sweetness and a dab of sourness - I totally liked the combination of flavours (and I'm sure you will too - once you taste it :)).

Tuna Belly 300g (Php 300)

We were all fully satisfied with the food and the fast and friendly service. Before we finished, one of the crew asked us if we would like some dessert. We're not a family who's really into dessert but since I've got two siblings who are still kids, my Pop ordered a  banana split. I tasted it and honestly, there's nothing special about it.

Banana Split (Php 120)

It was my Pop who introduced the family to Congo Grill. My family including me, of course, now like this restaurant because it's affordable (really ideal for big families or any kind of group), the service is two thumbs up and, the food is GOOD! I indeed found a  DELECTABLE  Filipino restaurant!


Address and Telephone Number
Congo Grill Tomas Morato
Tomas Morato, corner Scout Limbaga
332-2194 / 332-2193
http://www.congogrille.com

Danne: Chef Laudico's BFast

Ayala Triangle is one of the few parks in Manila where you can stroll and hide from the city bustle. For all those part of the Makati workforce, I'm sure this place is a familiar lunch or dinner area for you.

One day at Ayala Triangle, we got to eat in a restaurant called Chef Laudico's BFast. It's an all-day breakfast cafe, where they serve one of the most famous kinds of morning meals for Filipinos, the silog (sinangag, which is fried rice + itlog or egg).

Here's their menu, showing specifically the silog meals.

I still had hangover from Christmas so I got Christmas Ham Silog (PhP 148).

They had a unique version of the classic Champorado. This had rice krispies in it. 'Twas really

good.

I like how they made usual Filipino dishes unique.

Try BFast, whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner!

:-)

Good morning?

Danne

Chef Laudico's BFast

Telephone number: (02) 621-6100

Address: Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave, Bel-Air, Makati City