Therese in Taiwan: Rabbit Rabbit 兔子兔子

My cousins and I love going to Shida night market because we like how despite it being not too tourist-y, there's still a wide variety of yummy food, and the clothes are pretty (and there's a good mix of expensive and inexpensive ones) too!

One night, before heading to the night market, we wanted to have a sit-down dinner. I wanted to try Rabbit Rabbit because they serve Eggs Benedict and that was on my to-eat list. The restaurant is located across Macho Tacos (more on that in another post), around the Shida district.

Here are pictures of the food we ordered:

Eggs Benedict 班尼迪克蛋 (220 NTD || ~319 PhP)

Beef Eggs Benedict 匈牙利牛肉 班尼迪克蛋 (250 NTD || ~362.50 PhP)

BBQ Bacon Cheese Burger BBQ憂威夷起司碳培堡 (250 NTD || ~362.50 PhP)

Peanut Butter Burger 吉米愛吃漢堡堡 (240 NTD || 348 PhP)

Tornado Beef Burger 龍捲風牛肉起司堡 (250 NTD || ~362.50 PhP)

Yes, they're a bit expensive (in my opinion) but they were all delicious, and the big servings make up for it, I guess. We weren't able to bring cameras (because we thought that the other person would bring one, haha) so these are all pictures from my cousin's phone.

Address: 蒲城街4號 (No. 4 Pucheng St. Shida)
Operating hours: 11AM-10PM
Telephone number: 02-2368-2338

You can also check out their website and their Facebook page for more information.

Update: This branch has closed down operations starting today. :( This is so sad! There had been an ongoing "argument" between the residents of the area and the businesses operating there, so... yeah. You can check out their other branches!

Therese in Taiwan: Witch House 女巫魔法書

Witch House is a small restaurant located somewhere near Gongguan 公館 that my classmates and I went to a couple of months ago. Aside from food, they also have board games (how-to-play instructions mostly in German and Chinese though) and sometimes, they have music nights.

Exterior

See the bras hanging from the chairs? Yeah, the restaurant is a bit on the... mature side.

One of my classmates suggested we play board games so we did. It was fun playing not so complicated games such as trying to guess who the killer was (and bluffing so that others won't know that you're the killer), math games involving animals and the zoo, UNO cards, etc.

Now for one of the most important parts of the evening... the food!

Menu

As some of you might already know, Chinese is a tonal language meaning that there are words that sound exactly the same. This also means that if you change a tone of a character, it could totally change its meaning. Therefore, it's worth mentioning that a lot of the translations of food items on the menu are more on the... x-rated side. Haha!

Top: German bobbitto grilled sausage w/ rice 德國烤香腸飯 | 200 NTD (~290 PhP)
Bottom: La Poderosa drumstick dinner 老墨大根烤雞腿餐 | 200 NTD (~290 PhP)

I wasn't able to take a picture of all of my classmates' food but this is a picture I took of my Korean classmates' orders.

Tilapia baked in almonds & butter w/ rice 性人奶猶舉鯛魚飯 | 220 NTD (~319 PhP)

Soda float (came with the meal)

I ordered the Tilapia because it sounded yummy. It did not disappoint. It was indeed delicious. The fish was so tender (is that the word they use to describe fish?) that it almost melts in your mouth. Couple that with the almonds and butter and you have a dish full of win! It's also very filling, as you can see from the huge serving. Each dish also comes with a drink - you can choose from different types of coffee, tea, and soda. I went for this soda float because it was topped with ice cream. Drink + dessert = win!

Address: No. 7, Lane 56, Hsin-Sheng South Road, Sec.3 Taipei, Taiwan (Near Taiwan University)/
台北市新生南路三段56巷 7號 (台大新體育館對面/近新生南路與辛亥路口)

Operating hours: Sunday to Wednesday 11am - 12pm, Thursday to Saturday 11am - 1am

Telephone: +886 (02) 2362 5494
 You can also visit their website for more information.

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! :)

Therese in the Philippines: Balkan Yugoslavian Home Cooking

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!

We hadn't tried Yugoslavian food before so when I saw a deal in one of the Groupon sites I was a member of, I immediately told my family about it. According to what I saw on the Internet, reservation is required. We went there one Thursday lunch, and we were the only ones there.

Since we were told that servings were huge, we decided to just order a few dishes to share. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Goulash - The classic beef stew of the Balkans. | PhP 250

We had 2 orders of the goulash and had them split it 5 ways. This was the perfect mix of salty and spicy. The beef was tender and it melted in your mouth. The pasta was also cooked al dente. Yum!

Stuffed Pljeskavica - The burger stuffed with mozzarella, served with rice or fries. | PhP 320

 I liked this because it was stuffed with mozzarella!

Cevapici - The signature Serbian sausages made from spiced ground beef. | PhP 280

This dish was a bit too salty for me. Plus, I think it's sort of the same with the dish above, except that it didn't have cheese.

Batak - Boneless chicken thigh, grilled to perfection, topped with melted mozzarella. | PhP 290

I liked this dish the most because the chicken was indeed grilled to perfection. Plus, it was topped with a generous serving of mozzarella! Yummy!

Palacinke - Traditional Serbian crepes filled with Nutella | PhP 120

I think it can be said that anything with Nutella is delicious, right?

Apple pie

This wasn't on the menu, and we just asked the server if they had other desserts. Normally, I don't like to eat apple pie but this one is different. It was spot on!

Address:
Ground Floor Maripola Building, 109 Perea Street, Legaspi Village Makati 1500
Reservation is required, please call +63.917.547.4188 or +632.846.0744
Restaurant hours: 11:00am – 10:00pm daily

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!

Herschel: A Night at Uno Pizzeria

I was enthusiastic to take on the challenge of covering my first ManilaFoodistas event last Friday night (did I hear a song?!) – solo at that, and while the gang wasn’t around to supervise, I came to enjoy the experience, with food as the star of the show.

Organized by the people behind OpenRice Philippines as a “mini-eyeball”, several site members and an assortment of guest bloggers and friends were invited to Uno Pizzeria to mingle, sample and most of all, have fun!

Uno Pizzeria Ristorante Bar, an Italian-American-Asian fusion-themed joint, is located at Pasay’s San Miguel by the Bay (behind the MOA complex, and near the MOA Eye that Nicole blogged about last week), among the offshoot of restaurants that lined the strip. The façade of the resto was painted in red and black, quite like a playing card suit, while the interiors were austere white (even for the chairs and tables).

The rest of the room is spacious. Neon blue lights accented the dining area, while fiery red donned the mini-bar. Mini-bar, you say? If neon lights, mirrorballs and DJs were any indication, let me clue you in later…

Pride of place: the bestseller, Four Seasons Pizza

We started the night with a hefty Four Seasons Pizza (that consisted of West Side Shrimp Pesto, Tandoori Chicken Mango, Uno’s White Pizza, and Ruby Ribs, if I wasn’t mistaken). Among the three out of four variants I tried out the shrimp pizza won me over, as I am perpetually in love with shrimps slathered with white cheese. Good thing they came out with a similar pie, the Uno's Seafood Pizza, entirely indulgent with calamari and more shrimp. The Tandoori Chicken Mango wasn’t bad either, if you’re into a more savory, Asian bite.

Uno's Seafood Pizza

Tender and delicious: Ruby Ribs

The main entrée came shortly, and it was a revelation. Behold the Ruby Ribs, said to be Uno’s specialty – it was a juicy piece of bones and meat, tender to the bite and the sauce seasoned just right. Our platter was served with ‘Tato Wedges, although the menu says entrees are to be served with buttered vegetables with your choice of mashed potatoes or rice, or pasta with soup.

(from left, clockwise: Pesto Chicken Parmigiana, Grilled Chicken Salad Wraps, Jumpin' Jambalaya, Chicken Barbeque Quesadillas)

And with that the night just got started. We had appetizers of Buffalo Wings (not spicy or crunchy as I assumed) and Grilled Chicken Salad Wraps (light and filling). The only thin crust pizza came, called Buddha’s Feast, as it was strewn with lettuce and tomatoes. Two kinds of pasta were served: the Pesto Chicken Parmigiana and the Jumpin’ Jambalaya (pomodoro-style, smattered with ham, sausage, shrimp and chicken). While being a noodle head, the accompanying sauces were quite an overwhelming combination – mildly sour (in the case of parmigiana), and not the usual savory tomato (with the Jambalaya). I felt that the flavors could have been improved, as the servings were good (for 4, at least) and the toppings adequate.

I was appeased by the next entrée, a juicy, smoked chicken chop with mild-tasting sauce. We also had Chicken Barbeque Quesadillas (tasty, filled with cheese and smothered by toasted but soft tortilla wraps). And in case you wondered, we gulped the bulk (there were so many!) down with iced tea and a couple of mixed-drink towers (Margarita and Weng Weng).

For the encore, it was apt to have a meaty deep dish pizza. Being an inveterate bread eater, I had no qualms with the quality of the pies. The baked dough was soft in texture, whether thin or regular or deep dish. As mentioned earlier, I preferred cheese-overloaded and seafood-strewn pizzas, although Uno’s other variations suited my tastes too.

Our party was rather small, but the beauty of holding an early dinner was that as the night wore on, the vibe of the place evolved. Featuring an in-house DJ, R&B grooves as musical ambiance played as we ate. Around eight, when we were just about full, some guests were pouring in looking for a quick drink (hence the mini-bar). And up until the crack of nine, the aural pace slowly crept with dance tunes and current pop ditties! The pizzeria was converted to a lounge by the sweep of an hour! As we left the room with a crowd assembled near the entrance, I had to say that under the spot’s initially relaxed demeanor lives a frenetic spirit. HT for MF

---

Uno Pizzeria Ristorante Bar
Bldg G, Units 9-14 San Miguel by the Bay MOA Complex
Pasay City, Metro Manila 1300
Contact Number: 555-1174

Special thanks to Uno Pizzeria’s proprietor Alvin Ong and manager Girlie Herrera, and to the eager team behind OpenRice.com (Khaezel, Cecille, Dani & Raissa) for the evening.

(Disclaimer: The views expressed on this entry are those solely of the poster/diner. The opinions do not represent the consensus of MF, the featured dining spot, and/or third parties.)