Pares Retiro along P. Tuazon Now on its Soft Opening

Yesterday, we had breakfast in Pares Retiro. It's a newly opened restaurant along P. Tuazon Blvd. that serves Pares, Silog meals, Mami, etc. This is my second time to visit. During our first time eating here, I didn't really liked their Pares. The beef is so tough.

This time, I ordered Sizzling Sisig. Jen ordered Beef Chami(P95) and Tokwa't Baboy(P50) and Ira had Pares(P80).

They served the soup first then it took a while before they served our order especially the Sisig. That's understandable since they are still on soft opening but I got really disappointed when their waiter served the orders and he accidentally spilled the soup on me but didn't even bother saying sorry. He even acted like nothing happened. He didn't even mopped our area even though the soup has spilled on the floor.

The Sisig has some bits of Chicharon and it's good for two but it's not something to crave for. Well, I can describe it as decent considering the price is at P105.

After eating, I asked Jen and Ira for their ratings. They both loved the food there so Jen gave 8 while Ira gave 9. But for me, I will only give them 6.5 even though their meals are cheap because I can get better food and better service for the same price. So, our overall rate for Pares Retiro is 7.8

Pares Retiro is located along P. Tuazon Blvd. corner 17th Street

Sunday Breakfast at Kitchen Diaries Cafe

It's Sunday and I was too lazy to prepare breakfast so Hubby and I decided to just have breakfast somewhere in Kapitolyo so I searched the web and Kitchen Diaries showed up. I've been seeing this place whenever we eat at Kanto Freestyle Breakfast but we never had the chance to try it until today.

They're still on soft opening so they have a very limited breakfast menu but they have a wide choices of cakes and pastires. They suggested we order their bestseller Angus Corned Beef, which we did. For the cakes, we tried their Black Forest and Strawberry Cheesecake.

Angus Corned Beef (Definitely worth a try!)

Black Forest at P75

Strawberry Cheesecake at P125

Capuccino at P85

I think the Black Forest is a bit tough but I loved their Strawberry Cheesecake. While we're eating, we're given free samples of Red Velvet Crinkles, Brownie Brittle and Oreo Cream Cheese Cookies and we liked all of them. We even bought our son Brownie Brittle for take away since he almost want to eat the whole jar (LOL).

Overall, we liked the ambiance, the service and the food and we'll definitely go back soon.

Kitchen Diaries is located at Unit 1E, 1st Corner San Rafael Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City

Milky and Sunny and Yummy!

After attending the Sunday Mass, one of Hubby's officemate texted him asking if Goto Monster is open but they're closed on Sundays so she asked us for recommendations on where they can have breakfast and we suggested Milky and Sunny in Kapitolyo. It's a few minutes away from home and we haven't eaten yet so Hubby decided to meet them there and have breakfast .

On their menu, I was looking for something different, but all they have are food you can prepare at home so I just went for their Garlic Longganisa. I also tried out their Choco Milky Shake. Hubby ordered Bacon and Spam Pasta plus Banana Shake.

Our orders were served after 15 minutes, and the first thing I noticed is the yellow-orange color of the egg yolk so I assumed they're using high quality eggs. Their Garlic Rice and Garlic Longganisa tasted good too. I was also able to try Hubby's Bacon and Spam Pasta and it's too Cheesy. I can taste the Parmesan and it had a twist of Queso de Bola. It also immediately became my favorite. The only thing I didn't like is the Choco Milky Shake. It's too sweet. I like their food better when compared with Kanto Freestyle maybe because of the quality of the ingredients used.

The place is cozy and kid-friendly. They have books and toys that children can play while waiting for the food to be served or after eating.

Milky and Sunny is located in East Kapitolyo.

Conti's Bakeshop & Restaurant in Katipunan

There are a lot of must-try restaurants along Katipunan Avenue and one of them is Conti's, famous for their Mango Bravo. I've been wanting to try it but I only had the chance last Wednesday. After our shift, we went off to COnti's in Katipunan to have breakfast. It's just a few blocks away from our office.

Once we entered, we're greeted by pastries and cakes from their Take-Out Nook. Just a few steps away is their Dining Area. It has a very relaxing ambiance. We chose the couch near the window but it's just unfortunate that the window didn't have a  good view. You'll only see walls.

We're handed out the menu and we had a hard time deciding what to order. Originally, I only planned to order cakes and some coffee but when I scoured their menu, I suggested we share their group breakfast set and desserts. We ordered their Breakfast Combo D. It's good for 3-4 persons. It is consisted of Hamonado Longganisa, Beef Flakes, Salmon Belly in Olive Oil, Egg Salad, Tomato Slices, Garlic Rice and Atchara and costs P590. For desserts, they have limited to offer that time so we chose Tiramisu Cheesecake, New York Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Cake and Turtle Pie.

Salted Caramel Cake at P95

New York Cheesecake at P145

Tiramisu Cheesecake at P155

Turtlepie at P115

All the food tasted great but their cakes are so sinful. You can't have enough with one slice and their cakes are cheap at P95/slice. It's just unfortunate that we're not able to try their famous Mango Bravo but maybe next time it will be available.

This place is recommended for intimate dining with friends and loved ones.

Tri Mo Shawarma in Lagro

Our whole week has been all about food. Yesterday, our destination was in Tri Mo Shawarma in Lagro. They are open from 3PM-2:30PM and we're lucky that we arrived just before people started to line up. One order of their Beef Shawarma costs P75. Yep it's cheap but it's filled tightly that you'll be full even before you're done eating.

I was also seeing customers bringing in BBQs from Tri Eat but we're not able to try them since we're already full. Next time, I'll try ordering their Sizzling Shawarma.

Here's their updated menu:

Tri Mo Shawarma is located in Bristol St, Novaliches, Quezon City.

Saturday Lunch at Smokin' Pig Legendary Rib Joint

Just this afternoon, my officemates and I went to try Smokin' Pig in Capitol Green Street and all I can say is that it's worth visiting.

The place is inside Capitol Hills Golf and Country Club and near Celebrity Sports Plaza. It's not accessible so you either need to have your own mode of transportation or hire a cab to get here.

The place overlooks Marikina and the neighboring cities and it only has al fresco dining but that's fine because even though we're there at 12NN, it's still cool.

  

View from the Entrance

The mini bar

We're the first ones to dine so I'm not sure if it gets full during weekends.

We ordered a full rack of ribs (P1120) and we had the option to have half wet and half dry so we're able to try both, but we all agreed that the wet ribs taste better. For the sides, we just ordered garlic rice and mashed potatoes. We were able to try their wings as well but personally, I'd still go for Frankie's.

Solo serving of Ribs with 2 regular sides (P335)

After we're done eating, we ordered San Mig Super Dry (P60) and stayed until past 3PM. It's really a nice place considering there are not that many people visiting and we'll definitely go back to this place.

Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina in Kapitolyo

It's already 3 in the afternoon and Hubby is still not sleepy so we strolled around our neighborhood to have snacks. Our first choice is Silantro since we just want something light. It's a Fil-Mex Restaurant along East Capitol Street and just right beside Holy Family Parish Church.

View from outside

Here's their menu:

I ordered Lamb Tacos and Nachos. They served our food with three different sauces, Guacamole, Chili and Garlic. The Nachos tasted great and I think it's very cheap because one serving is huge and already good for up to 3 persons.

Nachos at P160

Lamb Tacos at P75/Ligero

The place is just small and we're really lucky that we're done just before customers started lining up. I loved the food and for sure I'm gonna be back soon to take my friends here. Next time I'll try their cocktails.

Tanay Road Trip

It's my rest day and I was feeling bored at home so I convinced Hubby to take me to Tanay and it took a while before he said "YES" so I got excited when he finally did and I immediately called my friends Jason and Ira and asked if they wanna come with us.

We set off before 1PM without really knowing where we're going then in the middle of our travel, we just finally decided to go to Sierra Madre Resort in Tanay. It's already past 2PM when we arrived and there are groups of people who seemed to be having prenup pictorials.

On our way to Sierra Madre Resort

View of the pool from the deck of Sierra Madre Resort

  

The feel of Baguio right outside Metro Manila

After an hour, we're all hungry so we went to Mang Frank's Bulalohan just right after Pranjetto Hills Resort but unfortunately, Bulalo(P300) is not available anymore. He offered us Silog meals (P100) but Jason suggested that we go to Tiolo's in Antipolo instead.

Inside Mang Frank's Bulaluhan

Yep! Jay Taruc was here!

It was already a quarter before 6PM when we arrived in Tiolo's so we're really, really hungry and tired.

Tiolo's is located infront of Unciano Hospital

The place is so cozy and there are not that much diners that time.

T-Bone Steak is at P183

Hubby and I ordered Pork Belly. It's cheap at P68. Jason and Ira order T-Bone Steak and the steak is bigger than their plate LOL! They foods are okay. You'll get what you pay for but it's not really something you'll be craving for.

After a few minutes of chatting and eating, we headed back home. This is one of the most tiring but enjoyable trip that we have.

Lunch at Casa Verde in UP Town Center

For weeks now, my foodie buddies, Ira and I, have been exploring and trying out hole-in-the-wall restaurants in search for delicious food. This morning, just out of nowhere, our office mate and friend Jason asked if we want to have lunch with him in Smokin' Pig and we all agreed but unfortunately, it was closed since it's November 1 so Ira suggested going to Casa Verde in UP Town Center instead.

I checked out their FB page and they'll open by 12NN. By 12:15, Ira, Jen and Jason are already there but they're already on the waiting list. Not so long, Hubby and I arrived and we waited for 30 minutes I guess until we're given seats.

I ordered Brian's Ribs (I was able to try it out during my visit to Cebu) while Hubby ordered Casa Verde Burger and the five of us shared the big Milky Way Shake (P345) which we had a hard time consuming.

Casa Verde Burger at P225

Brian's Ribs at P250

Brian's Ribs is good enough for 2 and it tasted delicious (as usual!). As for the burger, I'd say it's just 3.5/5. The taste of the butter is overwhelming and the patty tastes ordinary. I'm not sure if their Big Bang Burger tastes the same but maybe we'll try it on our next visit.

A Day in Fun Ranch

It's our rest day so, Hubby and I decided to take our son to Fun Ranch since it's just very near our home. We arrived there at 10AM so there are only a very few guests although the party venues are booked for birthdays. One thing I noticed about the place is that all staffs are friendly, helpful and warm. They're all smiling. We bought a Ride-All-You-Can tag for our son. It cost P340 but we're told that the guardian who will ride with him is free of charge.

At first, he's hesitant to try the rides but when a group of kids arrived, Hubby was able to convinced him to try Red Baron.

After that, we took him to the Bumper Car but he's too shy to try it even if his Dad's going with him. So, we took him to the Blue Whale in Annex where there are fishes swimming.

After a while, we checked out the Dragon Rollercoaster but we still can't convince him to ride.

We went back to the Main area and other kids were in line to ride the Ferris Wheel. I immediately carried our son and before he knew it, he's already riding the Ferris Wheel. He enjoyed it so we took him again to the Bumper Car but he still didn't want to ride it.

We went to the second floor and they tried the Fun Ranch Express.

We went to the Big Red Barn after to take our Lunch. There's a McDo a few walks away from Fun Ranch but since it's raining we just decided to eat in Big Red Barn. Anyway, I read in a blog that the food there are cheap so I thought we'd give it a try. The Playdium is also inside the Big Red Barn so parents can still look after their kids while eating. We ordered Spaghetti (P165) and Pizza (P220) and our son liked the Spaghetti very much. They have Softdrinks in can and Iced Tea but are not on the menu and they cost P65.Their food are a bit more expensive than in fastfood plus there's a 10% Service Charge.

After eating, we took our son again to the Bumper Car. This time, I told Hubby to just carry him inside the track since I noticed earlier that he's staring at the car but I guess he's just too shy to try it. And I am right. He enjoyed the ride. After that we took him to the Carousel but he kept telling us that he wants to ride the blue car. So, he and his dad just spent another hour riding the Bumper Car.

The three of us enjoyed our visit to fun Ranch. Apart from being very near our place, our son was able to ride the without waiting in line.

Ying Ying Tea House - A Must-Visit Restaurant for Authentic Chinese Dishes

It's been a while since I ate authentic Chinese Dishes so when we visited my mom in Manila, I asked her if she could take us to Ying Ying. The place is very nostalgic since our dad used to take us there whenever we just feel like eating Dimsum or Mami.

Not much really changed in Chinatown. It's still the same simple place with old buildings.

At Ying Ying, We ordered Mami and Dimsums. While waiting for the food to be served, we took a sip of their free unlimited hot tea.

Unlimited Hot Tea for free

Wanton Mami

Hakao at P70

Radish Cake at P60

Spare Ribs at P70

Tai Pao (Special Siopao) at P70

Our food was served just a few minutes after we ordered and after having my lips touched the Radish Cake, it was like Heaven. I wish we could frequent the place again. Oh! If only I'm still living in Manila.

Ying Ying Tea House is located in Dasmarinas St. cor Yuchengo St., Binondo, Manila