Therese in the Philippines: Torch Restaurant

I know that Torch has been open for quite a few years now, but I was only able to try it during one of my visits back home last year.

It's hard to see the sign if you're coming from the other side

There's a smiley face on the wasabi! So cute!

White Truffle Sausage Panizza | 429.95 PhP
    Grilled Italian sausages drizzled with white truffle oil on a fresh, oven-baked panizza topped with mozzarella cheese

Cream Cheese Salmon Roll | 339.95 PhP
    Deep-fried crispy sushi roll filled with salmon and cream cheese, topped with bonito flakes and served with unagi sauce and Japanese mayonnaise

Lychee shake | PhP

Chicken Cannelloni | 494.95 PhP
    Golden fry cannelloni stuffed with chicken and mozzarella poured with arrabbiata alfredo sauce

Salpicao Medallion | 479.95 PhP
    Medallions of Certified Angus Beef, wrapped with bacon and served with garlic parsley rice and sauteed French beans

Torch's Signature Roll | 399.95 PhP
    Sushi roll filled with soft-shell crab, ebi tempura, unary, tamago, and Japanese cucumber, topped with fresh wakame seaweed, kani and ripe mangoes

Steak Fondue | 879.95 PhP
    Melt-in-your-mouth Ribeye Meltique Beef, done your way. Comes with five different sauces from five different countries

Steak Fondue | 879.95 PhP
    Melt-in-your-mouth Ribeye Meltique Beef, done your way. Comes with five different sauces from five different countries

Bread Pudding | 149.95 PhP

Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruits | 179.95 PhP

New York Cheesecake

We loved the Salpicao Medallion because the meat was soft and it was done just right. We also loved the Steak Fondue because the beef really melts in your mouth. The fondue was a new and interesting way to eat food. I say that because we normally don't think of fondue and steak together, and it's a fun way to bond with your friends. I just wish there was more meat. Heehee. For dessert, the New York Cheesecake wasn't on the menu but we saw it on the display shelf so we ordered a slice. I wasn't able to take note of the amount though. It was suuper good that we even brought home another slice to eat the next day. I love how they also serve it with blueberry so that if you're also into blueberry cheesecake, just slather (can I say that?) that on top and voila, instant blueberry cheesecake!

Address: 63 Connecticut St. Greenhills, San Juan, 1208
Operating Hours: Mon-Tues: 7:00-0:00, Wed-Sat: 7:00-3:00, Sun: 7:00-0:00
Contact Number: (02)-477-3771
Facebook page: Torch Restaurant

Brian Ong: Sweet Patti Cakes by Patti Grandidge-Herrera

Sweet Patti Cakes by Patti Grandidge-Herrera
by: Brian Ong

One of the more reliable go-to places to buy exceptionally good comfort food (and in my opinion, best desserts) are the kitchens and stores of the home-cooks and home-bakers. These "kitchentreprenurs," have a high standard for quality and taste, and are usually teeming with passion for their creations. That is why when I get to find them, I make sure to share these great finds to my friends.

One highly recommended recent find is that of Patti Grandidge-Herrera's Sweet Patti Cakes, which offers premium home-baked creatively designed cupcakes and treats that would tickle your taste buds and other senses. 

"No one can resist a box of playfully sweet and utterly enchanting cupcakes," its website describes of their heavenly cakes in a cup. Truly, with 12 existing flavors to choose from, you are taken into a play of taste and flavors, which marries well, and would not disappoint.

Recently, I chances upon Patti's Instagram post of a creatively designed cupcake topper, made especially for dog lovers like herself. Her dog, Truffles, was also celebrating her 3rd month birthday. I wanted to do the same for my mini dachshund, Kiwi, who, back then, was also celebrating her 6th month birthday. 

I messaged Patti right away because besides the fact that I really wanted to try her cupcakes for the longest time then, it was a timely treat for Kiwi. :)

Finally, when the box of Sweet Patti Cakes arrived in my office, I was excited to bring it home to Kiwi! Look how she was when she saw the treats. But more importantly, Kiwi's owners had the best time eating all the yummy cupcakes.

Now, Patti just released three new additional flavors of Sweet Patti Cakes (Vanilla Vanilla, Vanilla Chip, and Vanilla Royale) in celebration of her three delicious cupcake making years, satisfying every customer and cupcake lover coming her way.

Do check out Sweet Patti Cakes Website and Facebook page for more details and how to order.

Claudette's Cloud 9

Claudette's Cloud 9

by Nicole

Presenting the most heavenly cake yet in the metro! Say hello to the Cloud 9 by Claudette's!!! :D

Cloud 9
(Php 380.00)

This is the cake everybody will certainly love, your tastebuds will most definitely approve, and heck you will crave for more! Three reasons - the sweetness is perfect (absolutely NOT like the other cakes that you'll get tonsillitis after eating), it is moist, and it is fudgy. A triple threat cake that's true to its name! You'll feel like in a special cloud after eating it, I swear! And oh a bonus - it does not cost much.

If you're in the Makati CBD area, there's no way you should miss this! Time to ditch those usual cakes and introduce your palate to this delightful dessert.

Cakes by Claudette's
Dolly Sin, Cappuccino Cake, Dulce de Leche, Carrot Walnut, Sansrival, Brazo de Mercedes, Caramel Crunch
Cheescakes: Blueberry, New York, Toblerone, 

Claudette's serves meals as well - different pasta dishes and rice meal. You might want to try their spicy pork (if I remember that right) - it's good too! 

Address and Telephone number:

Claudette's

Ground Floor Easton Place

118 Valero St.

Makati City

(02) 843-3996

Therese in Taiwan: Dazzling Café

Have you ever heard of honey toast? A better question is, have you ever eaten honey toast? If you haven't, head on over to Dazzling Café and order one!

One of my classmates posted a picture of her eating honey toast, and because it looked really good, I invited my cousins to eat out with me. The good thing about Dazzling Café is that they accept reservations (although you might have to wait a couple of months before your turn), and when you fall in line, you can leave your number, walk around, and they will call you up when it's your turn to go inside. There are some restaurants here in Taipei that don't do that. I'll blog about such restaurant next time. Each table has an allotted time of 90 minutes inside the restaurant. The servers tell you when your time is almost up, and then you have to leave after that.

 

We went to Dazzling Café Mint in Zhongxiao East Road (忠孝東路), and we had to wait around an hour maybe before we were seated. We passed the time in Uniqlo!

Smoked Chicken and Mushroom Panini

Strawberry Lover Honey Toast 就愛草莓蜜糖吐司 | 250 NTD (~375PhP)

How the inside looks like

Banana Chocolate Honey Toast 香蕉巧克力蜜糖吐司 | 220 NTD (~330PhP)

How the inside looks like

Mentaiko Spaghetti with Cream Sauce 明太子義大利麵 | 260 NTD (~390PhP)

We were really satisfied with our orders because they were delicious, and we could share them with each other. I must admit that the prices are a bit on the expensive side, especially for students like us. It's worth trying at least once though!

You can check them out here.

Chocolate Mochi is Back at the Soul Shop

Chocolate Mochi is Back at the Soul Shop
by Nicole


Want mochi? I've just got the perfect mochi balls you'll love for sure!!! P-R-O-M-I-S-E!

Soul Shop's Chocolate Mochi Balls
Php 25.00 each

These are the chocolate mochi balls sold only at one of my favourite places, the Soul Shop. The pictures are no lies; they are huge (way bigger than the mochis I've seen at the malls and, not to mention, cheaper!). Each mochi ball has dark chocolate inside and it's covered with chocolate truffles. These are not fried but only chilled. The taste is suuuuper yummy - really, really, REALLY GOOD!

Last summer, these mochis also took a vacation so I'm just sooo happy, sooo stoked to have them back! I waited for them all summer! When I learned they're back, I went to Soul Shop the following day and right before I said anything, the lady asked me, "mochi?" Oh the joy!!! Welcome back mochi balls!

UPDATE (November 2012):

Soul Shop's mochi balls now have faces! :D There are now coconut covered mochis too - still at Php 25.00 each! Call 352-1207 or 374-4811 before going to the shop because these mochis are easily sold out. TRUST ME!

Still the best tasting mochi!

Soul Shop

Crossroad 77 Bldg. #77 Mother Ignacia Avenue Corner Scout Reyes St. 

Brgy Paligsahan, 1100 Quezon City

(+632) 352-1207 / 374-4811

Visit Soul Shop's Facebook for their menu and how to find them. Click here

Happiness In Cupcakes (H.I.C.)

Yesterday, I received a sweet surprise! Guess what this box contained.



This box was sent to Manila Foodistas by Meg from Happiness In Cupcakes. Happiness in Cupcakes, or fondly known as HIC, is a home baking venture selling cupcakes that are infused with alcohol. Yes, you heard it right!





It was the first time I saw a cupcake with a bacon topping! (Above)

Their cupcakes are available as either alcoholic or virgin. The former contains hints of alcohol like Cerveza Negra, Kahlua, Cuervo, etc, while the latter has no alcohol at all. It's funny how they have disclaimers that don't usually come with your ordinary cupcake box: "We don't sell alcoholic cupcakes to minors." & "Lightheadedness is a popular experience."


Here you go! In the box were 6 tasty-looking, unique cupcakes. Flavors are: The Elvis, Mojito, Car Bombs, Food For The Gods, Red Hot Choco Peppers and Margarita.




I got to share it with my friends, and they liked Red Hot Choco Peppers the most. It was spicy and chocolatey, a twist to your usual cupcake experience.



My favorite however, was Food For The Gods, which had a distinct walnut and caramel taste.



And yeah, here is The Elvis! It's peanut butter banana bacon-flavored goodness with bacon topping!



What's special about these cupcakes (besides the alcohol) is that their icing or cream are really delicious.

To order, you can contact them at 09175362770. Like their page on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/Happiness.In.Cupcakes.


One dozen's order is P650. 3 days lead time for orders!

Many thanks HIC!

Danne

Therese in Taiwan: Cold Stone Creamery 酷聖石冰淇淋

The first time I had Cold Stone ice cream was with my cousin Richelle. We were walking around the mall that time, and the sweet scent of ice cream tempted us to pass by and order. At that time, I had also been wanting to try it for quite some time, so that was an opportune moment.

Different sizes

Left: Cookie Doughn't You Want Some 停不了口的餅乾, Right: Our Strawberry Blonde 草莓美莓

Cookie Doughn't You Want Some 停不了口的餅乾 is made of French Vanilla Ice Cream 香草冰淇淋, Chocolate Chips 黑巧克力葉, Cookie Dough 巧奇餅, Fudge 巧克力醬, and Caramel 焦糖醬.

Our Strawberry Blonde 草莓美莓 is made of Strawberry Ice Cream 草莓冰淇淋, Graham Cracker Pie Crust 派皮餅乾, Strawberries 草莓, Caramel 焦糖醬, and Whipped Topping 鮮奶油.

The second time was after dinner at Saizeriya with my classmates. We saw a Cold Stone Creamery stall nearby and although we were already full by then, we lived by the phrase, "there's always room for dessert," or as the Japanese would say, "betsubara!" The 6 of us shared a cup! Haha.

I can't really remember how much it costs, but a Gotta Have It cup is maybe around 140 NT, or depending on what you order.

Cookie Doughn't You Want Some 停不了口的餅乾

I don't know if this has been franchised in the Philippines (I remember there being a store before, but maybe it closed down) because according to their official website, they are still aggressively seeking Master Franchisees in the Philippines.

For the list of stores (and directions) in Taiwan, you can go to: http://www.coldstone.com.tw/store.asp

Therese in the Philippines: Baler

Intro: You probably don't know this, but I went home to the Philippines last month. In the span of the 9 days that I was there, I tried 5 new restaurants around the metro, and I even went out of town! Therefore, let me take a short break from my Taiwan posts and in my next few entries, I am going to write about the new places I've been to in and around the metro!

Since surfing is on my bucket list, my friends and I decided to go to Baler the weekend I was in the Philippines. It was a weekend of surfing, relaxation, and bonding.

How to get there: We took the midnight Genesis Joybus from Cubao to Baler. It cost us around 650php one way. From what I know, the joybus is 200php more expensive than the regular bus because of the bigger seats and the added amenities (blanket, small pillow, snacks, bottle of water). The bus ride takes around 4-5 hours. You can click the link for more information.

I wasn't able to take a picture of the snacks and the bottle of water because my sister placed her blanket and pillow on my seat!

Where to stay: We stayed at Bahia de Baler. There was a recent change in the room rates so you can just check out the link/send them a message for inquiries. They're very accommodating.

Our basic room. We placed the beds side by side so that we could all sleep next to each other!

What to do: Aside from eating and surfing, we also went to Museo de Baler (where I found out more about the Siege of Baler, the Ilongots, and so much more), Ermita Hill, Balete Tree, and Dicasalarin when we were there. I'm sure there are a lot more things to do/see in Baler but since we were only there for a night, we weren't able to go to other places/do other things.

The survivors/original settlers (?) of Baler

View from Ermita Hill - and yonder is the Pacific Ocean!

I climbed up one of the tree's branches

In and out of the Balete tree!

Dicasalarin

Where to surf: I recommend Charlie Does surf shop, because it's really close to Bahia de Baler/sabang beach. It costs 300php for an hour of surfing lessons. I think they also have a day rate but I don't know how much it costs.

With my surf instructor Jomar - he's really good and he knows how to teach! Day 1, I was able to stand up. By day 2, I was able to ride the waves! Hihi.

The most important thing of all -

What/where to eat: We tried 2 restaurants there: Bay's Inn and Bayler. We also went to Aliya one time for dinner but I don't have photos, and their service really sucks.

Bay's Inn and Bayler are 2 restaurants located nearby. We had breakfast at the former, and we had dessert at the latter. Yummy food! Check out the photos and see for yourself.

I think this is tapsilog. Haha, oops!

This is what they call the surfer's breakfast. I don't know how much this costs but if I had to guess, maybe around 100php?

Hotdog breakfast

Super yummy French toast

Apple and cinnamon pancakes

Chocnut turon - I'm usually not a fan of chocnut but this is really delicious!

Chocolate fondue - we regret ordering this because it wasn't delicious at all! The chocolate and the bread sticks tasted old.

Pizza from Bayler. Yummy!

We really had fun at Baler and we hope to go back there next time! :)