makati

EAT MAKATI: Nono’s

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

My husband has been raving about this place for so long and I’ve been pitching it to my colleagues about the same time but we never really gotten around to it with our limited lunch time of 1 hour.

BUT, Lo and behold. . We were given an opportunity when we had a field meeting! But it was only the two of us. It’s a good thing that we arrived at around 2:00 pm already. The place was almost full with 1 reserved table. What more during lunch time, right?

20200218_132435

Penne Pasta with Mixed Vegetables for Php 365

Cherry Tomatoes, Zucchini, Asparagus, French Beans and Carrots with extra virgin oil, basil and garlic sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.

20200218_133302

Okay! I didn’t think I would like it. Although I only had a taste of it. It’s my friend’s order. I recently discovered french beans and It’s pretty legit. If I were to go back, I will order this. ❤

Fried Chicken Nibblers for Php 295

Crispy chicken bites served with Nono’s home style waffles or fries on the side.

20200218_133228

My order is part of the Kid’s Menu. I didn’t really want something heavy since I was planning to wait for my hubby from work at a coffee shop. So I ordered from the kid’s section.  But the portion was good enough for me. It comes with Orange juice too and with pulp. 😛 I was looking forward for the fries but their waffles are good too.  Even the maple syrup! Usually, I find a lot of maple syrups too sweet – but this one is something else. ❤

I would love to go back and try their viands. I liked both of our orders. ❤ Recommendable! The husband is right.

EAT MAKATI: GAJA KOREAN KITCHEN

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

Here’s another Korean Restaurant you can try within Poblacion, Makati! 😀 Yay for some amazing food within our range of lunch proximityyy!

20190610_120607

20190610_120619

Okay, since I was with my officemates, I wasn’t really able to try the core food items that they are offering since we stuck with their lunch menus. . .

For Appetizers, we chose K-Taco for Php 320  – housemade kimchi tortilla with korean pulled pork and pickled vegetables.

LRM_EXPORT_22117694648544_20190610_143353275LRM_EXPORT_22172158606195_20190610_143447739

I was a bit hesitant cause I didn’t really like the taste of kimchi but this one is really good, actually. Kimchi was there but barely. The vegetables are just perfect for the meat. However, the tortilla was already soaked with what sauce they placed in there so when I picked up mine, it fell right through. — Delicious, nonetheless.

LRM_EXPORT_22228966521055_20190610_143544547

Buldak Dosirak Meal for Php 249 — Barbecued marinated pieces of chicken with melted cheese.

LRM_EXPORT_22269291309074_20190610_143624871

Jeyuk Dosirak Meal for Php 249 – Stir fried pork belly and vegetables in sweet and spicy sauce

LRM_EXPORT_22515978160317_20190610_144031558

Bulgogi Dosirak Meal for Php 249 – Thinly sliced marinated sirloin.

LRM_EXPORT_22563190551256_20190610_144118771

Ojingo Bokkeum Dosirak Meal for Php 249 – Stir fried squid and vegetables in sweet and spicy sauce

Everyone was raving about their own dish! Value for money? Defnitely. Everyone was sooo full and satisfied with the taste and the size. Each Dosirak Lunch Menu comes with Kimchi, Eggrolls, Dilis, veggies and rice.

LRM_EXPORT_22084228514403_20190610_143319809LRM_EXPORT_22013765432119_20190610_143209346

Black Sesame Creme Brulee for Php 220 – Black sesame infused custard topped with caramelized sugar.

I thought this would be a weird tasting dessert but I was wrong! It was actually nice but the caramelized sugar on top made it too sweet for me.

LRM_EXPORT_22395921263426_20190610_143831501LRM_EXPORT_22428863937775_20190610_143904444

Gaja is such a winner to all of us and we all agreed we need to come back for more. ❤

EVERYDAY: Tandem’s Birthday

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

I don’t know why but for some reason, I stopped celebrating my birthday with friends.
But this time, it was Tandem’s Birthday — and we are going to have dinner at Soban K-Town Grill
20190220_194711
Marc, Jaja and Nicole
20190220_194809
Myself, Jude, Alvin and Mich
20190220_194842
Boyfriend, Shek and Panda
20190220_194854
Mich, Gellie and Pam
received_2030436733718328received_2082885661766330
Afterwhich, we head to Barcino for some wine. ❤
See you all at our fitting.:D
LRM_EXPORT_27361068129086_20190222_231618932LRM_EXPORT_27430671351745_20190222_231728536

MAKATI EATS: COMMUNE

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

It’s been a while since I posted about food. You noticed? We don’t actually have the time to try out new ones or the boyfriend is lazy. :/ Good thing I have officemates willing to lunch out. ❤
The first time I tried commune, it was actually with Jude and we only had coffee and cookies at that time – which was good. So this time, we had their mains.
I tried their Kimchi Fried Rice for Php 300
Kimchi Fried Rice serced with crispy spam fries and fried egg
LRM_EXPORT_44826759413331_20190228_132616703LRM_EXPORT_44785910669478_20190228_132535854
My officemate loved it but it was just okay for me. I loved the spam, it really was crispy. I had to ask the waiter to have the egg well done because I don’t eat the gooeeyyy yellow. I loved that it came with bokchoy. ❤ but the rice was just o-kay.
Beef Tapa for Php 305
LRM_EXPORT_44655550306333_20190228_132325493LRM_EXPORT_44615246836522_20190228_132245190
I tasted their Tapa and it was yum-my. It didn’t taste like one — that’s maybe the reason why I liked it. Most of the time, I will never order a tapa.
Chicken Pork Adobo for Php 265
LRM_EXPORT_44581932526214_20190228_132211876LRM_EXPORT_44545100669447_20190228_132135044
The serving of the meat was pretty generous but most importantly, it was super tender. I will order this next time. 🙂
Bangus Ala Pobre for Php 290
It’s boneless and it was huge.
LRM_EXPORT_44754418548880_20190228_132504362LRM_EXPORT_44715729487528_20190228_132425673
We also ordered desserts! ❤
Oreo Cheesecake for Php 200
LRM_EXPORT_44251128515432_20190228_131641072
Choco Lava Cake for Php 160
It was a bit dry. I was expecting it to be runny and moist and full of chocolate.
LRM_EXPORT_44293311573994_20190228_131723255
Food and place was pretty instagrammable. ❤ I will definitely bring Jude here again to try out other rice meals.
LRM_EXPORT_44332669699846_20190228_131802613

EATS MAKATI: ESSENTIAL GOODNESS

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

Little did you know, there’s a nice rooftop restaurant inside Lub’d building in Poblacion.
I love the hanging lamps of the place, it was clean and sunny inside.
LRM_EXPORT_79283743181095_20190301_094319315
The service was a bit slow. The food was served about 25 – 30 minutes after we placed our order.
We ordered the following:
Sardine and Clam Pasta for Php 250
local clam and sardine confit with a wine sauce served with spaghetti & parmesan cheese.
LRM_EXPORT_79376880388848_20190301_094452453LRM_EXPORT_79392827263647_20190301_094508400
There were a lot of clams – but I don’t eat clams so I gave it to my friends but the tomatoes and the sardines is enough. The taste was superb and the serving was huge.
Chicken and Pork Adobo for Php 250
LRM_EXPORT_79342709489956_20190301_094418282LRM_EXPORT_79360515828673_20190301_094436088
The serving was huge but it was bland and the meat’s semblance is bubblegum.
Roasted Chicken Curry Stew for Php 245
Roasted Chicken in japanese curry, zucchini, carrots served with japanese rice.
LRM_EXPORT_79307239825939_20190301_094342812LRM_EXPORT_79326425052865_20190301_094401997
It was quite tasteful but I think I wouldn’t be able to finish the whole plate if it was the only thing I was eating.
LRM_EXPORT_79420629864285_20190301_094536202
Waiters were friendly and accommodating but we only encountered something unpleasant when my officemate found a hair on her plate of curry. They willingly changed the whole plate and was quick to act.
It was okay but there’s no urge to go back.
LRM_EXPORT_79439093121502_20190301_094554666LRM_EXPORT_79452186868925_20190301_094607759

EAT MAKATI: ZUBUCHON

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

For months since they opened, I have been requesting the boyfriend to bring me here. And traitor as he is, he went here without me on his time. TSSS. And much as his conscience can take, he finally brought me here.

They have parking lots ready for the hungry beavers so don’t fret. The place is spacious too and has lots of tables and can sit about 60 to 80, I guess. We got here at about 11:30 am and we were one of the first tables before it got crowded.

Since I am really not a big fan of lechon skin and bones in general, I pleaded to order the Boneless Lechon.

LRM_EXPORT_20180805_174538

Boneless Lechon, Small – Php 320 BUT I still tried the skin. It was nice and crispy. Meat was full of taste. It’s paired dip, soy sauce + vinegar with onions and chili. But I also prefer what they call liver sauce but tastes much like Mang Tomas. 😀

2017_0709_13430700

Baked Scallops – Php 250 Local scallops topped with butter, cheese and garlic. This has always been a favorite and glad the boyfriend liked it too! He even ate most of it. 😀 haha.

2017_0709_13413700

Ensaladang Talong – Php 150 Grilled Eggplant and Tomato salad with vinaigrette dressing. Because we are pretentious enough to order this to have something to balance the lechon. Who are we kidding? HAHA.

LRM_EXPORT_20180805_181102

No other than the person who I want to get highblood with. ❤ Thank you for ditching me on your first try and bringing me here, anyway.

P.S. I want to go back and try Paksiw na Zubuchon, Zubuchon Flakes, Sizzling Stuffed Squid, Tortang Alimasag, Gambas and Sinigang na lechon! ❤

EAT MAKATI: LOCO MANUK

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

This gem is in the corner of P. Burgos and B. Valdez. I believe we already passed this one but I didn’t mind taking a second look because it’s chicken. HAHA. You know how I’m not a fan of poultry.

20180629_123716

They are currently in their soft opening since May 2018. We were lucky enough to try them out before a pool of crowd. There was no one there but us by 12:30 pm, which gave us an advantage.

We opted to stay in the second floor since the ground floor is mostly for the bar and what-not. And what welcomed us  —- cute vibrant, hippie type of ambiance.

20180629_12385320180629_123904

Let’s go to the best part – LUNCH!

20180629_16550120180629_130649

Crispy Mushroom – Php 150

OH-MY-GOD. If you want to fuckin treat yourself and craving for some Chicharon Bulaklak but your BP is high? Head to Loco Manuk and try this Cripsy Mushroom! You read that right! It’s MUSHROOM! ❤ and we all absolutely loved every single piece! P-E-R-F-E-C-T! We couldn’t get enough so we actually ordered two. 😀

20180629_13145220180629_13150320180629_131343

Loco Manuk Chicken – Infairness, I din’t hate the chicken. BTW, a chicken comes with 3 dips that you can choose from. We were lucky to have tried all 6 of them since we ordered 2 whole chickens. Serving was generous enough.

20180629_13193620180629_131952

Loco Manuk Ribs The All Stay, Super Star, Diamond Star and All Stars of the table. The sauce is just sublime. Gold Stars, Thumbs Up and everything that screams excellent! I’d rather have it in a bigger serving but I’m just grateful for this dish. It’s that G-O-O-D!!

20180629_131909

I’ll drag my boyfriend here and order the ribs — all for myself. ❤

EAT MAKATI: HOLE IN THE WALL

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

What’s new in Hole in the Wall? We tried some. Though I’m not sure if the ones we tried are still new to you. Nonetheless, here goes:
First one: Spicebird
To be honest, I was not even aware that they originated from Boracay but glad we were able to try it here in Manila.
20180704_120816
“PIRI-PIRI,” “PERI-PERI,” or “Bird’s Eye” is a the name of a bad-ass little chili from Africa that brings explosive flavor to every dish it touches. Out of this, the Portuguese made a fiery sauce that is so good that it has travelled continents. ” – sunnysideboracay
20180704_12172420180704_121745
Piri Piri Shrimp Board – Php 390
It is the bomb, I tell you! It reminds me of the Thermidore Shrimp of Fish & Co. Just thinking about it makes me salivate. You will never go wrong with this one. ❤
20180704_120836
Second: Slabber’s
It’s quite new so I can’t find its menu anywhere and I forgot to take a picture of it. :/
20180704_12201020180704_122026
Buffallo Wings – Php 199 
An additional fries only costs Php 15 and the garlic aoli is Php 15 also.
According to my officemate, it’s okay but others are far better.
20180704_12091320180704_120906
Third: Poketo
I ordered the Yakitori Bowl. Here, you get to mix and choose from a number of sticks such as Pork Belly, Chicken Skin, Pork Neck, Eggplant and such.
20180704_12205220180704_122102
Yakitori Bowl – Php 390
Bowl with 2 sticks of Pork Belly, 1 stick of Eggplant and a hardboiled Onsen Egg.
Pork Belly is good, it is well seasoned and no fat. It’s not whoah but I will order this again. ❤
I am definitely coming back and try out the peri peri shrimp board. ❤

EAT MAKATI: 59C

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

I think this is our first time to try a restaurant not in Poblacion and I guess it’s safe to say, Good Job! 😀 This one is a good find!

20180510_132653(0)

The restaurant has a Brunchfast menu that is available all day and they also have your Build your own Plate for those who want their meals a little more specific to their taste. Here’s what we ordered:

I have no idea why 4 of us ordered the same food – Chicken Burrito at Php 260 – Yellow Rice, Egg, Sesame Slaw, Nacho, Sour Cream and Hot Sauce.

20180510_125036

The upside? It was a good choice. Each of them liked what they had on their plates.

Crispy Pork Belly at Php 300 – Fried Rice, Kropek, Honey Hoisin and Greens

20180510_125805

It has enough viand and meat was bite size. It’s the type where you would want more.

59c Chicken Tausi Asian Goreng – Php 280 – Fried Rice, Siomai, Fried Egg, Crispy Dilis, Peanuts and Kropek

20180510_130015

Let me just say it out there that it was pretty delicious although there is some room for improvement. One, they should ask how customers want their eggs. I’d like mine scrambled. I ended up giving my egg away. :/ Two, they did not serve siomai – it was a dumpling. If kitchen ran out, they should disclose it to the customer. Third, I know the chicken is cooked in Tausi but I’d prefer to have my chicken stay longer in the pan. It was a bit pale. Fourth, just my own preference (No Green Peas please and no cornick).

Power Bowl at Php 240 – Fried Rice, Seasonal vegetables and Fried Egg

20180510_130316

Much like my Asian Goreng, this one has the same rice with veggies mixed in there too. My officemate like it.

Overall? I am definitely coming back. ❤

 

 

EAT MAKATI: Hummus Elijah

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

Disclaimer: I’ve never eaten hummus before, I’m not an expert and I particularly am not fond of the food.. BUT I wanted to try. Heyyy, at least give me that. okay?

The space was a bit cramped and dark but it is very popular to foreigners. I think we were the only Filipinos eating there.

First off, I wanted a safe order so I tried the Hummus Elijah for I thought it’s a remarkable dish since it’s their signature.

20180502_122338 Hummus Elijah at Php 250 – Hummus with Tahini, Chicken Peas, Olive Oil, Herbs and Spices. For me, it was bland and so ordinary. It’s not even good (like you’ve placed butter on bread, and it’s not even butter! After my third bite, I said, Nah. I am not eating this. Blah. Don’t order this.

20180502_122853 Shakshuka at Php 200 – 2 eggs cooked in thick tomato sauce. This is slightly a bit better. I’m not a tomato person but the tomato saved this dish.

20180502_123318

Hamshuka at Php 290 – Hummus + Shakshuka with Spicy Sauce and Tahini

Out of the three dishes that we tried, this is probably the best. It’s not a winner but to compare, it’s the most decent one and a dish that I can probably finish.

BTW, All of the dishes are served with 2 Pita Breads.

20180502_122434

I’m getting the hang of Fake Smile. I managed to put on one when all I can think about is how I wasted my Php 250 for something I did not enjoy. Never again.

20180502_125826

EAT MAKATI: WHITEBRASS

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

Just a couple of steps from my office, you’ll see whitebrass in the streets of Jupiter.

DSCF0464

Some quiet and comfy restaurant enough for a cozy date night with my frood. ❤

DSCF0470DSCF0471

Pork Jowl Crisps (Php 150) – Deep Fried Pork – Can you imagine small portions of bagnet? Well, try this one and you’ll find out. ❤

DSCF0465DSCF0466 BBQ Chicken (Php 250) – Grilled Chicken Fillet / Calamansi based BBQ with Roasted Garlic Rice. This one is a keeper. ❤ I liked this dish.

DSCF0468DSCF0469

Shrimp and Olives (Php 275) Shrimp, Olives and Anchovies – Let’s just say we have a winner on our table! Everything that we ordered right here is worth the money.

DSCF0473DSCF0476

EAT MAKATI: WHISK

/ venicedelacruz / Leave a comment

This is not on my list — but the boyfriend was quick to suggest this (which happens rarely). Thus, I said yes immediately. 😛

20170708_131853

Let’s get straight to the food since I don’t have other pictures.

Grilled Chicken Teriyaki – Php 230 Grilled Quarter Leg glazed with their very own teriyaki sauce served with buttered vegetables

20170708_124543

Usually, I’m not amazed with Chicken Dishes – but I liked this one. And the boyfriend too, obviously. (this is his order)

Lechon Kawali – Php 350 Twice cooked pork belly and stir fry greens with pesto sauce.

20170708_124634

This was a first for me. The pesto sauce smelled appetizing. Although I didn’t know what it would taste like in a meat!!! Good thing I tried! It was S-O-O GOOD!

20170708_130102