Phat Buddha Chinese Vietnamese Cafe & Restaurant, White Plains Quezon City

Phat Buddha is a Café Restaurant located along White Plains in Quezon City that specializes in Chinese-Vietnamese cuisine. Operated by The Spoonstories Inc., the same people behind the famous Bawai’s and Smokin’ Cues, Phat Buddha is poised to set its place in our local restaurant scene by offering fresh and spirited taste of Vietnam coupled with fascinating flavors of China. 

“Phat” means Buddha in Vietnamese, which makes this restaurant’s name depicts subdued repetition – “Buddha Buddha”.   Although a relatively new player in the field, Phat Buddha already established several solid items on their menu that best represent them which also people likes. 

These includes variety of Vietnamese Spring Rolls, Beef Hotpot, Braised then Grilled Soy Pork Belly, Crispy Salt and Pepper, Sweet and Sour Squid, and Vietnamese Coffee just to name a few. Since it shares the same space with Smokin' Cue, diners may also enjoy ribs and barbecue items that the establishment is known for. 

Paradise Dynasty Philippines at The Podium Mall + New Menu

After the success of the opening of its flagship store at S Maison Mall in Conrad Hotel MOA, Paradise Dynasty Philippines recently opened its second outlet located at the new Podium Mall in Ortigas, Pasig City. Its venture in this side of the metro gives chance to Northern and Eastern dwellers such as myself to finally try Paradise Dynasty's claim to fame - the Legendary Signature 8 International Flavoured Xiao Long Bao alongside other Shanghainese cuisines that this restaurant is well-lauded for.

Paradise Dynasty which hails from Singapore specializes in finest flavors from Northern and Southern China. It is poised to give its diners a gastronomical experience that will take them back to imperial China.

Lung Hin, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila: New & Classic Dishes, Exquisite Abalone, and Chinese Lunar New Year Celebration

Lung Hin, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila’s Cantonese restaurant gives us more reasons this year to indulge in a gastronomical journey that will transport us to Hong Kong through their new delectable offerings. Through the able hands of well-trained Chinese chefs spearheaded by Chinese Executive Chef, Lai Cheuk Kou, also fondly called as Chef Terry, diners can expect new addition to the flavorful authentic and traditional Cantonese dishes that Lung Hin is known for. 

Having been awarded as one of the most outstanding Chinese restaurants outside of China at the 16th China Hotel Industry Golden Horse Award Gala, Lung Hin continue to prove that it deserve all the good reviews it has been getting since its opening. 

I recently attended a Media preview of the new dishes at Lung Hin and it reminded me once again why in my opinion, I consider Lung Hin as one of the best Chinese restaurants here in Manila - and a personal favorite. 

시별리 Sibyullee Flavors of Seoul Korean Restaurant at Ayala Malls The 30th

I have been hearing a lot of good review about Sibyullee, a Korean Restaurant located at Ayala Malls The 30th which made me want to visit it to see if it can satisfy my unwavering love for Korean food. Yet, it wasn't an easy feat for someone like me who lives and works far away. When I had a staycation at Marco Polo Ortigas during my birthday, I took advantage of my free time and finally visit Sibyullee.

Now I am saying this from the get-go; I only have good words for Sibyullee. From the service to the ambiance up to the quality of food they serve - everything was satisfyingly impressive.

I guess that is to be expected. After all, the people behind Sibyullee are the same lot behind the equally impressive Sariwon Korean Barbecue and Soban K-Town Grill which I heard was also noteworthy. But whether you are a fan of its two sister restaurants, Sibyullee has its own charm that would make any Korean food-loving person happy to the core.

Morganfield's Philippines New Menu and Affordable Value Meal and Combo Sets

Morganfield's Philippines, home of the famous and delicious Sticky Bones recently added new items to their menu. I figured it is the best time to finally visit their branch at Ayala Malls The 30th one of Morganfield's three branches here in the Philippines, the other two are located at SM MOA and Uptown BGC. It is one of the restaurants highly recommended by some of my fellow Manila food bloggers and friends who shares the same love for good ol' ribs, and I can understand them why.

It is not as if Morganfield's menu wasn't extensive and impressive enough because I tell you, they have everything for everyone. Add to that the fact that the have value meal sets with really affordable prices.

Morganfield's commitment to satisfy their diners with their Sticky Bones and other dishes drives them to continuously develop menu items that everyone will surely loves. Yes, aside from the signature dishes from their mothership in Malaysia, Morganfield's Philippines got some dishes developed with local diners in mind. 

Applebee's Philippines New Menu: Serving Up Good Times!

Applebee's Grill and Bar Philippines recently launched its new menu straight from the US packed with new dishes including all-new local favorites. Applebee's has always been about encouraging their valued customers to celebrate everything - from small victories to the grandest milestones. Hence, their new brand promise, "Serving Up Good Times" is very much fitting.

That is why when it comes to celebrations spent at Applebee's are guaranteed to give you the best dining experience from great food to amazing service. 

I should know, I celebrated with them many times since they opened here in Manila. It is safe to say that I am a fan and I know some of you are too. 

Grissini Ristorante, Marikina City

There are a lot of restaurants and food parks in Marikina City but if you are craving for good Italian food, there is Grissini Ristorante along Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue that you might want to consider. Grissini offers delicious Italian cuisines with price tags that are not meant to burn a hole in one's pocket.

Breads are freshly made and baked everyday. So are the pizza dough which are hand-rolled on the spot once an order has been made. Fresh pasta noodles have spot on their menu alongside other Italian dishes. Garnishes, herbs, and some spices came fresh from their garden.

From where I am there aren't many Italian Restaurants. So, a trip to nearby Marikina City is always a good idea when hankering for Italian food made with care.

Unlimited All-You-Can-Eat Korean BBQ and More at GEN Korean BBQ House Manila

Eat-all-you-can Korean BBQ Restaurant Buffets in Manila are plenty but Korean food-loving Filipinos still can't get enough of it. Hence, the opening of Gen Korean BBQ House Manila located at the Seaside SM by the Bay is a welcome addition to the endless list of the best Korean restaurants we love. Who doesn't like feasting on unlimited Korean BBQ anyway?

Gen Korean BBQ House hails from California. It is so famous in the area that there is always long line of diners waiting for their turn to enjoy premium eat-all-you-can meats and seafood. Gen Korean BBQ House Manila is their first branch outside the US.

It was the Excello Restaurant Management Group composed of Raymund Magdaluyo, Leina Bolinas, and Marvin Agustin who brought Gen Korean BBQ House here in Manila, so all thanks to them we can get to experience the wonder that is Gen Korean. 

Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant: New and Old Favorites

We recently had lunch at Watami Japanese Restaurant’s Shangri-La branch to check out some of their new menu offerings and to enjoy some old favorites. I have a lot of favorite Japanese restaurants in Manila and one of them is Watami. Not only the food selections are always good at Watami, the price tags are also affordable – a feat so rare in Japanese restaurants that serves good quality food.

Currently, there are four Watami Japanese Restaurant branches here in the Philippines; SM Mall of Asia, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Uptown Mall BGC, and Greenbelt 2. 

It is not very often that I get to join my fellow food bloggers from our little group we fondly call The KTG, so this trip to Watami was a bit special. We all love Watami. Personally, you wouldn’t believe what mountains I had to move for this lunch, and it was worth it. 

Café Shibuya at SM Megamall

I visited Cafe Shibuya at SM Megamall recently and I have come into realization that after all these years, Cafe Shibuya is still one of those cafe restaurants that makes me giddy with happiness like a kid. It first captured my heart way back 2014 when I first visited their branch in Glorietta, and to this day, I am still fangirling over their delicious offerings.

Just the thought of having their amazing Shibuya Toasts coupled with Ghirardelli Frappe excites me to the core. While actually feasting on it - euphoria, man!

I am telling you, their is the kind of sugar rush I welcome warmly in my life. 

The Cheese Steak Shop and Fire Station Char Grilled Food Manila

The Cheese Steak Shop Manila has a new sister food concept named Fire Station Char Grilled Food. Unlike The Cheese Steak Shop, Fire Station is downright Asian and is specialized in well, as the name suggests char grilled food. But it's not just your run-of-the-mill char grilled food we are talking about here. I bet my name on it, it's all about flavorful and really good char grilled food. 

I had a wonderful staycation at Makati Diamond Residences recently (which blog post will be posted soon) with some of my Manila Food Bloggers friends (a.k.a. KTG Bloggers) and before heading home, some of us visited The Cheese Steak Shop in Makati to check out The Fire Station where it is also currently housed in. 

People behind Makati Diamond Residences fed us really well up to the last minute we were at their property. But being acquainted with a new food concept especially when it is under the umbrella of one of those people who we trust in Manila food landscape, is not something we could pass up. Bloated faces and all, we went there and feast to our hearts' content.

Ramen Nagi Robinsons Galleria

My recent visit to Ramen Nagi Manila Robinsons Galleria branch I deem was timely since it is officially ramen weather now. While there are several ramen restaurants that claim to be the most authentic and best ramen in Manila I only have few favorites I always go back to and one of them is Ramen Nagi. 

If the several branches that Ramen Nagi has already opened here in Manila is not a clear indication of success, then I don't know what is. It only goes to show that they are one of the most trusted in Manila restaurant scene when it comes to Japanese ramen. 

Robinsons Galleria is one of the malls I usually frequent to because of its proximity to where I reside. These days it is undergoing facelift on several spots and from what I heard, there are several new restaurants opening in the area. Now they already have Ramen Nagi.

Bigaw's Brick Oven Pizza, Lilac St. Marikina [Pizza, Pasta, and More!]

Just when you thought that you have already tried all the best restaurants along Lilac St. in Marikina City, there are relatively new players in the field that are well worth the visit. It is true that there several restaurants and even food parks sprouting all over Marikina these days but the food scene at the pioneer and famous foodie haven Lilac St. still deserve the attention,

One of these restaurants I am talking about is Bigaw’s Brick Oven Pizza that serves pizza, pasta, and a whole lot more.

I was recently introduced to Bigaw’s Pizza and to this day, I am still dreaming of having that amazing Kebab Pizza again. And that Baked Lasagna which flavor is as impressive as its hefty serving portion – still makes me salivate even at its mere thought.

J.CO Donuts and Coffee at SM East Ortigas & the New J.CO Premium Affogato Drinks

J.CO Donuts and Coffee Philippines recently opened their newest branch located in SM East Ortigas. J.Co Philippines is now on its fifth year here in the country and this new branch is said to be the 44th J.CO store. In line with this, J.CO also recently launched a new addition to their menu, the all-new premium J.CO Affogato Series.

The all-new premium Affogato drinks line up is perfect for the summer season. It is a perfectly delicious way to combat heat by enjoying the best of both worlds - coffee and ice cream. 

And J.CO as expected, goes beyond that. J.CO's Affogato Series isn't just confined between the goodness of ice cream and espresso. There is more to it, of course. Something I am enjoying immensely these days while lounging at their newest branch.

California Pizza Kitchen Philippines New Menu for 2017 #SeekTheUnique

CPK California Pizza Kitchen Philippines  recently launched its new menu for this year 2017 highlighting and staying true to California uniqueness, creativity, inventiveness, and ingenuity. Tagged with the phrase "Seek the Unique", CPK PH's new menu boasts of new line-up of pizzas, pastas, salads, and get this - rice meals!

Fervent requests to include rice meals on CPK's menu have been heard and answered. Now, not only we can enjoy the usual suspects of pizza and pasta at CPK, we can also celebrate our innate love for rice as well while dining at CPK.

Of course, just like all other grubs on the menu, the rice meals are not without the touch of intrinsic California identity known for California Pizza Kitchen. 

Brotzeit Philippines' Lunch and Kinder Menu

On the previous blog post wherein I share an easy recipe for spaetzle made from scratch, I mentioned how I consider the cheese spaetzle at Brotzeit as the best restaurant-bought spaetzle I have tried by far. Recently, I found myself in the company of some of my Manila food blogger friends once again at Brotzeit, enjoying their spaetzle, and then some.

Brotzeit has just launched their new lunch and kiddie menu offerings. Which I believe is a good reason to visit them even outside the happy hour.

If you are one of those who is under thee impression that Brotzeit is only good for those who loves to drink beer and eat sausages (I know some people who do, it's shocking and sad), you gotta believe me that they are so much more than that.

Puerto Princesa Palawan Food Trip: How I Stuffed My Face in 48 Hours

We got 48 hours and the goal was to stuff ourselves silly to full capacity as humanly possible. We were in Puerto Princesa Palawan armed with inflexible belief that we got legit reason to throw away bout of puritanical health kick with reckless abandon in exchange of two-day feeding frenzy. 

For certain, two-day worth of eating stunt hardly suffices to cover everything that Puerto Princesa has to offer. Still, we ate and we ate - until we couldn’t anymore.

In our minds that time, “We will never be as young as we are now.” The same old adage I held on to way back when I got my very first tattoo after I graduated from college. Still relevant.

We seized upon the chance – we searched and met good grubs that befriended our bellies.

Summer Palace at EDSA Shangri-La Hotel

After several months of renovation, Summer Palace of EDSA Shangri-La Hotel which is touted as one of the best Chinese restaurants in the Philippines finally opened its door again recently with a spanking new fresh and contemporary look. In line with the unveiling of the newly renovated restaurant, Summer Palace also introduces new menu items which give people more reasons to visit them again.

Summer Palace has been serving delicious and authentic Chinese cuisine to its guests for 22 years now. It has surely become part of the many milestones for most of us.

Can I share a little personal fun fact here? Yeah, my first ever official date was at Summer Palace. The guy and I did not end up together but to this day, we are still good friends and we still share the same love for Chinese cuisine at Summer Palace. I’m sure some of you have fond memories of this restaurant.

The Great Aussie Eats at Outback Steakhouse Philippines

We visited Outback Steakhouse Philippines' branch at Eastwood City Libis recently to check out their new menu items tagged as The Great Aussie Eats. The new Outback Steakhouse dishes are said to be "Extremely addictive new favorites from the land down under" hence, I knew from the get go that we gotta check it out pronto. 

It was my first time at their Eastwood branch right after relocating from their old nook along C5 and I must say that this new branch is way better because it is accessible. 

While their branch in Glorietta Makati still holds a special place in my heart, the one in Eastwood is not a bad option either. not to mention, they offer breakfast meals in this branch. 

Holiday Rib Platter at RACKS Philippines

Indeed, it is the best season to share the best ribs in town as RACKS Philippines launched their Holiday Rib Platter and other holiday offerings this year. RACKS is always known as one of the best places to go to when craving for downright manly and delicious ribs so this holiday offerings could be one of the many reason to tag along your family and friends as you visit your favorite Racks PH branch.

Available from November 14, 2016 to January 15, 2017, the holiday specials at RACKS PH is surely to please the meat lovers in you.

I am not sure about you but I personally love RACKS and I have a lot of fond memories of it which involved my loved ones. So I am excited to share this news to you the same way I am excited to visit RACKS soon with my family to enjoy their holiday specials.