Marielle zeroes in on the meat of the matter: Brickfire Oven-Roasted Steaks and Chops

Where else can you find brick oven - cooked steak served with delectable sidings, all for an affordable price?  You don't need to travel far, because there's a new place in town that offers diners a casual, cozy environment to indulge in your favorite comfort food. 

It started out as an idea that came out of the blue while owners Aaron Macalinao and Tadi Diaz were biking in Sierra Madre. They both shared a love for steaks, and given that Aaron already owns a meat shop (yes, he proudly calls himself a butcher!), and Tadi, an experienced chef, the partnership was a match made in meaty heaven. They opened their steakhouse last April 21, 2012, and has been making quite a buzz with students and families frequenting the restaurant. Located just behind the dynamic Katipunan food strip, Brickfire is the place to go for satisfying your carnivorous cravings! I was lucky enough to try out their best-sellers, and I went all gangsta on the meat!

This is the scene right after a packed lunch hour. There are still some customers taking their time to savor the goodness!

The house specialties are fork-tender steaks and chops, but there's something for everyone here. You can order their Baked Fish, Pasta, Tofu Tempura, and Los Indios, a different take on the adobo. Take a look at their wide range of choices:

The menu

If reading the menu isn't mouth-watering enough, check these out. My photos aren't doing these dishes justice! You must try them out for yourself.  

Cowgirl Annie

This T-bone steak is marinated in a special sauce (you can choose from original or honey-mustard) and is tender as can be. Some of the T-bone steaks I've tried are so easy to finish because they've been cut so thinly. I couldn't get enough of this one, but I had to make room for the rest!

The Duke

This premium tenderloin is a juicy slice of heaven, bathed in Brickfire's homemade gravy and eaten alongside the mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes may seem innocent enough, but once you bite into the delightful chunks inside, you'll realize you might need extra rice with this one. 

Los Indios

Los Indios is an adobo experience I haven't had in a long time. Remember going out on family picnics and unraveling delicious Filipino delicacies wrapped in banana leaves? This take on the adobo is special because the meat so gracefully shared its juices with the rice, making it all the more flavorful. You can choose from pork, chicken, spicy, or sisig.

Tofu Tempura

Not in the mood for meat? You can try their Tofu Tempura. Not too dry, and not too soft as well. The crunch is balanced out by the creamy sauce. Great for sharing!

Brickfire's Marketing Officer Ms. Jowie Maulawin, Me, and founders Mr. Aaron Macalinao, and Mr. Tadi Diaz

It was really a great experience for my taste buds. Chatting with Aaron, Tadi, and Jowie made my experience all the more special. I can't wait to go back! :)

Brickfire is located at:

2/F Xavier Residence Building, E. Abada corner R. Alvero St., Loyola Heights, QC

Contact numbers:

(02) 4262254

(0917)7777034

Operating Hours: 6AM - 10:45PM

Visit their facebook page for more details and get updated with their promotions. 

Therese in the Philippines: Bon Chon Chicken

Intro: You probably don't know this, but I went home to the Philippines last January. 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!

I first heard about Bon Chon Chicken around 2 years ago, when it was still new. I had always wanted to try it but back then, their only branch was in Makati and I don't really like going there. Long story short, I was finally able to try it at their Regis Center, Katipunan branch.

According to their official website, BonChon is a Korean word meaning "Original Village." They promise crispy, juice, and flavorful chicken.

It was a struggle for us to order because there weren't menus available by the counter, and the big screens behind the counter were moving. The screens would change items every few seconds. After a couple of minutes of intently looking at the screens, I finally decided on the Boxed Meal C - Drumsticks/Thigh Ricebox. What's good about this set is you could mix and match the parts. I only got the 1 piece thigh (95php) though. You could opt for the 2 pieces set, which costs 145php.

After ordering, you have the option of going for the Soy Garlic Sauce or the Hot Sauce. Since I'm not a really big fan of spicy food, I went for the former. True enough, the chicken was crispy, juicy, and flavorful.

My friend ordered the Kimchi coleslaw (45php) along with her meal, and I was able to take a bite. We weren't big fans because it didn't have that spicy kick that Kimchi is supposed to have.

They currently have 13 branches around the metro. You can check out www.bonchon.com.ph for the list of branches and for the menu as well. It would help to at least have an idea of what you want to order because the screen really is confusing! Had I known that they have bulgogi wraps (among other things), I would have ordered that too. Maybe next time!

Katipunan: Tia Maria's Cantina

Katipunan: Tia Maria's Cantina
December 15, 2011
By Tiffy

Even though I've studied at the University of the Philippines for 5 years now, I've never been to Cantina. As far as I know, it's a popular drinking place for the students around the area.

I was at the Institute of Environmental Science and Meteorology (IESM)'s Christmas party when a bunch of us decided to eat somewhere else afterwards.

Nachos Grande | Php 335 | USD 7.65

The thing I hate about eating nachos is that the salsa and cheese are usually all on top and by the time you reach the bottom of the plate, there's no more of the salsa or cheese left. But this one did not disappoint.

Piña colada pitcher | Php 240 | USD 5.48

Piña colada glass | Php 90 | USD 2.05

The pitcher is pretty small--around 4 glasses. It wasn't good. This is by far the worst piña colada I've ever had. It was tasteless and didn't feel like it had any alcohol in it. 

Carne Asada Quesadillas | Php 245 | USD 5.59

Their quesadillas were really good. I would definitely go back even for just this dish. 

Any other dish you would recommend?

Tia Maria's, Katipunan 
(right beside Shakey's)
Katipunan Ave. cor. Alvero St.,
Loyola Heights Quezon City,
Metro Manila Philippines
(02) 426-2350

It's open everyday from 11 AM to 2 AM except on Sundays when they close at 12 MN.

Moshi Moshi and Red Mango in Katipunan

Moshi Moshi and Red Mango in Katipunan
by Nicole

On a fine Tuesday afternoon, I went to Katipunan with one of my awesomest pals. We went to check some books for our reading list. (Hello Fully Booked!)

For those of you who have not been to Katipunan for ages, there's a new commercial building in the area and it houses Fully Booked, Coffee Bean, aaaand new eating houses!

Right before browsing books, I got hungry so my friend and I had our early lunch at one of the restaurants there. I actually wanted to try Saint's Alps Teahouse because of Bong's post about it but we decided to try Moshi Moshi instead.

What a homey, cozy place! I liked how spacious this restaurant was and I was so pleased that it was not crowded.

Moshi Moshi is a Japanese restaurant and their menu has the typical japanese dishes - they've got takuyaki, okonomiyaki, and donburi among others. Donburi is very much like the Filipino rice topping (rice plus ulam on top) and in Moshi Moshi, you can make your own Donburi by choosing what you want to have in your rice bowl. Top it with meat, egg, kimchi (I think I saw kimchi there), etc. - you decide.



Moshi Moshi's Menu

My friend and I chose two of their "special" donburis - the chicken teriyaki don, and the curry don. I had the curry don - all vegetables; no meat - hooray! I was very happy that I was able to choose weather I would like my curry don with or without meat.



All Vegetable Curry Don (Php 105)

This curry. . . it was just okay. It was a little bit spicy (I could taste they put quite a lot of black pepper in it.)



Chicken Teriyaki Don (Php 135)

 The serving was rather small and according to my friend, their chicken teriyaki was salty (she asked me to taste it but I wasn't able to because I was busy talking so I forgot ha ha!). Anyway, I really liked that the rice was perfectly cooked!

We didn't order any dessert in Moshi Moshi because I wanted my friend to try my favourite yougurt place, Red Mango! We tried their waffles.


Banana Almod Waffles (Php 85.00)
Extra Yogurt (Php 40.00)
Blueberry toppings (Php 5.00)



Green Tea Waffle (Php 85.00)
Extra Yogurt (Php 40.00)

WE LOVED RED MANGO'S WAFFLES! They were reaaaaallly yummy! I thought the green tea waffle wouldn't taste that good but it was soooo goood! Top it with Red Mango's original yogourt - hands down super d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s! My friend and I really enjoyed our dessert time here in Red Mango Katipunan. The place is perfect for students who want to munch something while studying. :) I'm absolutely going to get my sisters and my friends to try Red Mango waffles!



Address and Telephone Number

Moshi Moshi
2/F #327 Katipunan Ave.
Loyala Heights, Quezon City

Red Mango
2/F #327 Katipunan Ave.
Loyala Heights, Quezon City
+63922 820 8456


P.S.

I'd like to thank my friend Jad for all these photos and for an awesome day! Weeee!

Saint's Alp Teahouse

It was my first time to try Saint's Alp Teahouse. I brought my family to Saint's Alp Katipunan, located right above the Fullybooked branch along Katipunan Avenue, in front of Ateneo. I have been really curious about this place, as I have tried other milk tea and tea stores which have taken Manila by storm, and sprouted like mushrooms everywhere you look. Lucky for tea lovers like myself, we have a lot of options to choose from.



Saint's Alp Teahouse has a nicely decorated interior, which provides comfy seats and great ambiance. It isn't just a tea shop, because it also offers a variety of food and beverage items for customers to choose from (which is also good, come to think of it).




And since I had Php 1000 gift certificate to use that night, I browsed through a very long menu, and decided to order these for the family to try:



We ordered the 2 Taiwanese Breaded Chops (Chicken and Pork) with Marinated Minced Pork add ons (Php 195 + Php 60 = Php 255): Quite honestly, I like the chicken better than the pork. The chicken chops were okay, but with the minced pork combined, it was good and filling. We also got a Large Chicken Breast (Php 110) to add on to the chops.



An all time Filipino breakfast favorite, the Beef Tapa w/ Garlic Rice & Egg (Php 195), I think, was the better choice. The tapa was soft, tasty, and flavorful.



For cheese lovers, you might want to try their Cheesy Tempura Balls (Php 90), which is a good appetizer. Watch out for the oozing hot cheese, if you don't want to scald your tongue. It's fried cheese in light tempura batter.



A must try off their menu is the Matcha (half-and-half) Peanut Butter Toast with Tea (Php 90). Matcha flavor and peanut butter with honey green tea equals perfect combination. The toast is a perfect snack, combined with a perfect hot tea, which is flavorful.




The drinks reminded me why the place is called a teahouse. Surely, I can say that the beverage is good. As for drinks, we got the Almond Milk Tea (Php 115) and Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies (Php 130). The almond milk tea is a refreshing taste, something different from what I have tasted so far. I think it's good for almond lovers, or those who want the tea taste hidden. The Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies is one of the best iced blended drinks you should try in Saint's Alp. Who would have imagined blueberry and chocolate (double) actually works. It's a little sweet for my taste though, other than that it's a perfect cooler!



Last, but definitely not the least. This is the star of the night. The best drink I have tasted in Saint's Alp Teahouse. It's actually not a tea-based drink, but it's great for coffee lovers, like myself. Sumiyaki Coffee with Coffeeagar (Php 150). Really good strong coffee with coffee jelly on ice. Yummy! :)



Saint's Alp Teahouse
2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel#: 990-2194 (Katipunan), 478-7135 (Fort Branch)
http://www.saintsalp.com.hk/

Restaurant Review | Sicilian Express

Sicilian Express
Petron Gas Station, Katipunan Ave., Quezon City
Type of Cuisine: Italian
Average cost per person: Php 350-400 (US$7.30-US$8.34)
Overall Rating:

Since the meeting with a couple of friends didn't push through, Manila Foodistas' Bong and Tiffy, together with their friends, Alex and Fritz, decided to have dinner instead. Since they were in Katipunan, Tiffy suggested eating at Sicilian Express, which can be found in Petron, Katipunan, near Miriam College.

Aside from your usual pizzas and pastas, you can also buy a cup of ice cream for dessert!

Fettuccine Cheese (Php 156, US$3.25 | without VAT)
When we ordered our pastas, we were told that they ran out of fettuccine and ingredients (Seriously--restaurants run out of ingredients? An Italian restaurant, at that!) and we were asked if it would be okay if they used spaghetti pasta instead. It turned out so-so. It didn't taste like cheese and the pasta was soggy.

Seafood Marinara (Php 174.11, US$3.63 | without VAT)
We were supposed to order Chicken Alfredo. But just as the order was punched in, we were informed that they had no Chicken Alfredo. So we switched it to Seafood Marinara for the same price instead. Again, this was a bit of a huge disappointment. Like the fettuccine cheese, the pasta was soggy. Old. It didn't help that the food chilled fast because the place was cold -- it was like eating paste.

Italian Sausage (Php 388.39, US$8.10 | without VAT)
Thank goodness for their pizza! If not for this, the whole experience would've sucked. Their pizza was yummy. Although of course, we're not sure whether it was yummy because the pastas sucked, or it was just really yummy!

All in all it was a nice experience. Nice because the place was clean and the staff was accomodating! We gave it a 3 because it might have been their off-night. We might do another review if we get to eat there again.

Reviewed by Bong and Tiffy.
Special thanks to Alex and Fritz for their inputs.
Photography by Fritz.