Alab by Chef Tatung

Alab is the newest restaurant in the QC area that offers authentic Pinoy dishes with a twist, or for some, just plain comfort food. I have read good reviews about the place and got excited to give it a shot. 

Located near Tomas Morato, this place is convenient to foodies on the hunt. We came lunchtime and we were ushered to their second floor since ground floor was filled with diners already. That's one thing that is commendable with the place is its size. They can pretty much accommodate a big number of people for casual dining, maybe for simple functions too.

Now the food. Here are the dishes that we had:

Pianggang (Php 270.00)
Grilled chicken cooked in coconut milk flavored with a special Tausug spice paste made from fresh aromatics and burnt coconut. 
I thought I would be tasting the usual chicken with coconut sauce but I was so wrong. This is different. It's good and best eaten with rice.

Sisig (Php 220.00)
Thrice cooked, as the menu said. Well, you can't possibly go wrong with sisig, especially on a sizzling plate so this was good too.

Okoy (Php 120.00)
Succulent shrimp and vegetable strips mixed in a light batter then deep fried to the right crispness.
I'm not actually a fan of okoy because in past experiences, the shrimp's head or whatever body parts would sting my mouth and I did not like that. But this one I liked because I did not experience that and at the same time, the batter was so light so I really got to enjoy the ingredients. 

Penuneng (Php 150.00)
Diniuguan longganisa or blood sausage made the Ilocano way. Served with vinegar dip.
This did not work for me since I do not eat Dinuguan but for the sake of adventure, I did have 2-3 small slices and it tasted ordinary for me.

Rice on a wooden bowl. Very local. 

We ordered a bowl of Pancit Molo but we were not able to take a photo because we attacked it immediately. There was a typhoon that day so you can just imagine how welcoming the soup was. But I found it very ordinary in taste. I'm a bit biased on this because I grew up enjoying this hot soup because my mom makes it.

The serving sizes were a bit small but I believe that their food are served with great effort and love for the dishes itself. Our stomachs got filled up still though but I stand by my comment on the serving size. 

I will give this a try in the near future to have their other dishes. Got to try that Bibingka cheesecake. Have.To.Try. 



~Lovelee~

RESTO FACTS:
Alab by Chef Tatung
67 Scout Rallos St. (near Tomas Morato Ave.)
Sacred Heart, Quezon City
(02) 364-9631
FB: Alab Chef Tatung

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant: Of Spatzle & Sausages

My liking for sausages often lead me to try out different places that offers them. But my experiences are few. To note some were Treffpunkt in Cubao (now closed, I believe, after existing for so long) and those stalls in weekend food markets that I always see.

So when former office mates and I decided to have a rare dinner date, they asked me where to eat and after some thinking, I suddenly thought of Brotzeit in Glorietta 4 that I often passed by on my way to the MRT or SM Makati. So that's why we ended up here.

Here are our orders:

Apple Juice (Php 90.00)
Since I was so thirsty, I wanted something refreshing so I got this. Pretty much tasted like the one from imported carton juices. Sweet and refreshing, but bitin.

Crispy Chicken Salad (Small - Php 295.00 / Regular Php 495.00)
Mixed salad with crispy chicken fillet, potato salad, semi-dried tomatoes. sweet corn, cucumbers and pumpkin seed oil tossed with house dressing. What a mouthful, but tasted bland. 

Bavarian Pizza (Php 540.00)
With tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, bacon, leg ham, red and green bell peppers, onions and mushrooms.
Very thin but very tasty. And good for 3-4 people.

Cheese Spatzle (Php 580.00)
Bavarian homemade Spatzle (soft egg pasta, pronounced shpaetzli) with assorted melted cheeses and crisp onion rings. Now this I really liked because I am into creamy dishes. And the thin onion rings complimented the creaminess of the dish. My friends were done with this but I finished off its remnants. 

Pork Cheese Sausages (Php 480.00)
Smoked pork cheese sausages with potato salad and sauerkraut. Small in size but not in taste. These sausages are delicious! But I did not like the potato salad because it was bland and the sauerkraut is ok, I liked the one that I've tasted at Treffpunkt before.

The place was moderately spacious. Regular customers are expats more than locals. 

Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience. 1 or 2 of our orders we had to follow up with the waiter 2x but he was nice and courteous so we let it pass.

Will I come back? Yes, sure. But the prices are a bit above average so better ready your wallet also. =)



~Lovelee~

RESTO FACTS:

Brotzeit German Bier Bar & Restaurant
G/F Glorietta 4, Ayala Center
Glorietta Complex, Makati City
(02) 893-2815
FB: Brotzeit Philippines

Quezon City Food Trip on a P1K Budget

Quezon City has so many food trip destinations and one of my favorite spots are the UP, Teacher's and Sikatuna Village area.

For this particular food trip, we headed to the most talked and raved-about Maginhawa Street and also Malingap Street, Anonas Extension and V.Luna Extension. And what's best about the experience was that our working budget was Php1,000 only for 2 persons.

Curious with what we came up with? Check it out below!

1. INDONYAKI
54 Maginhawa St. Diliman, Quezon City
(02) 5334841
FB: Indonyaki

Hole-in-the-wall alert! Indonesian food in this small place.

Indonyaki Lumpia (Php 80.00), Seafood Canton (Php 75/single), free Soto Ayam soup
and Mango Gulaman (25.00)
Each one was so tasty! All are my favorites. And very affordable. Total spend was Php 200.00 including the tip.

2. AL FARSI PERSIAN GRILL
Maginhawa St. Diliman, Quezon City
(02) 2121212
FB: Alfarsi Persian Grill

Small yet colorfully bright place with a relaxed vibe

This is the first time I encountered this - so many choices for my shawarma, etc.! Hot sauce, garlic herb, garlic original, garlic pepper  and garlic cheese. I tried each one and my favorite was garlic pepper for a mildly stronger taste and also garlic herb. Tasted pesto on it.

Keema Pie (Php 175.00)
Loved how delightful this was to eat. Very thin yet can carry the weight of all that ingredients on top. A fun twist to the crowd favorite, the Keema. Size was approximately 1 plate.

Combo Kebab (Php 140.00)
A combination of beef and chicken kebab with a portion of grilled onions and 1 whole slightly charred tomato. The chicken was better than the beef. 

3. TWITTEA
G/F The Malt Terraces, Anonas Extension,
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
(02) 7941392
FB: Twittea Sikatuna

My first try here was more than 2 years ago and I liked what I had back then but this time around, we shared one  Salted Caramel Bacon milk tea with cheese froth, but it did not quite hit the spot. Far from it, actually. I don't know how they included bacon in the name when clearly there's none there that I tasted.

But I do appreciate the staff/owner(?) who asked me how my drink was. I told him it was just ok and he said that they will try to improve. Hope they do.

This cost us Php 120.00.

4. CADENCE BURGER CAFE
121C V. Luna Extension,
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
(0917) 5697590
FB: Cadence Burger Cafe

There's a new burger place in town! Snack Shack, Cadence Burger Cafe will give you a great run for your money!

Fire it up!

Ordered some for take-out for my family. On the left was the burger when I got home at night then rightmost was the next day. Still tasted very good except for the now-soggy vegetables.

Loved how the 1/4 burger patty was so thick with meat and how simple yet delicious it was. And best of all, Php 69.00 only for a Classic Burger (above). This is a must-try. Another good thing, since it's fairly new, there are no long queues yet!

5. THE BREAKFAST BIN
Unit C, 168 Maginhawa St. cor. Mapagkumbaba St.
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
(02) 4356191
FB: The Breakfast Bin

Quaint place they got here. A bit cramped but they do have seats outside too. But inside is good because it's airconditioned. So apt for the hot weather. 

What we had: Beef Tapa with 1 sunny side up egg and upgraded to talangka rice (Php 140.00 + Php35 for the rice upgrade) and extra 2pcs longganisa (Php 55.00) your choice whether garlic, sweet or 1 of each.

This simple breakfast bestseller was so good! Tapa's texture was very good and the longganisas were both delicious! So happy with the food. Will try their other items next time around. No frills just plain good food.

6. PI BREAKFAST AND PIES
39 Malingap St. Teacher's Village, Quezon City
(02) 4411773
FB: Pi Breakfast and Pies

One of Malingap Street's treasures..Pi! Always packed with people. 

What I love here, aside from their food, is the end-of-day sale that happens after 8:00 pm daily. They slash selected breads at 50% off! Such a steal. My favorite Sticky Buns is regularly priced at Php 85.00 so I indulge with this.

So here are my food finds - Buy 1 Take 1 Sticky Buns and Brioche bread. These were taken home for me and my family. 

Epic, right? Every nook and cranny has their own hole-in-the-wall place that offers so much!

So my costs breakdown would depend on the food that we ate and not the items that I took home. Again, this budget is for two already.

Here is the list:

Winner, right? Give it a shot, you just might surprise yourself with your foodie explorations in these areas.

3 thumbs up!



~Lovelee~

Vegetarian Options at Wabi-Sabi Noodle House

One's health is prized very highly nowadays and the local food industry has recognized this need to improve man's food options and came up with lots of great resto selections. But sometimes they came at a high price.

So here comes Wabi-Sabi, a simple hole-in-the-wall place near Tomas Morato in Quezon City who gives us an affordable taste of their vegetarian fare.

Tantanmen Ramen (Php 180.00)
Of course I ordered my favorite type of ramen. My verdict? A bit flat but I guess I sort of expected it because this is a healthier option after all. But not bad. 

Chahan Rice (Php 70.00)
Flavorful and a must-have when you order their viand options

Mushroom Shumai (Php 55.00)
Healthier version of our favorite dimsum. Not that strong in taste but you can always add some of that dipping sauce for stronger flavor. 

Veggie Crackling (Php 60.00)
Their take on the famous porky Chicharon. A bit bland but again but it is indeed healthier. I think they can amp this up a bit by having other dipping sauce options. 

Sweet Corn and Cream Cheese Tempura (Php 85.00)
Now this we all loved! I like the combination of the corn and cream cheese and then deep-fried, add some salt and it's packing! I would love to learn how to do this at home.

Thai Milk Tea (Php 60.00)
Tastes like my favorite! 

This is love love love!

Bahn-My (Php 150 whole, Php 75 half)
I loved Banh Mi since the first time I had it in Vietnam and finding one here in the metro that comes near to the taste of the authentic one that I had was a challenge. Their version is vegetarian so it does not come near my expectations but it's not bad at all. It's actually good in its own special way.  And affordable. 

Veggie Feast!

This is a nice and cozy place for a quiet night alone or with close friends. Just a few tables available but there are some outside. The service was great and the food was equally healthy-good. And the prices are very fair.

I guess becoming vegetarian is not an option for me now but it is indeed nice to take a break from your usual grub and have something healthier instead.

I say, give this place a try. You just might like it.


~Lovelee~


RESTO FACTS:

Wabi-Sabi 
POS Building, Sct. Madriñan cor.
Tomas Morato, South Triangle
Quezon City
0918-9622935
FB: Wabi-Sabi Makati
       Wabi-Sabi Quezon City

The Baker's Table: 80s & 90s Candies in a Cake

Found a dessert place that brings me back to my childhood's past. 

A part nostalgic and a big part excited is what I felt when I ordered their Butterball Caramel Cake and Potchi Cheesecake. I mean, these candies played a big role in during my formative years and having them in a cake/cheesecake version was something to look forward to.

Butterball Caramel Cheesecake (Php110.00)
Very light and not too sweet. You can definitely taste the Butterball candy in every bite. This I like. The owner/baker who was there that night said that he uses real Butterball candy which he melted. This is one of their bestsellers

Potchi Cheesecake (Php110.00)
Most and very Potchi indeed! I With that hint of sourness that makes it more delectable. Love that pink shade of the top layer. 

Yay for nights like this!

Choices, choices, choices..

See, they are really good!Inquirer says so.

Free candies in the house!

Small in space but big in quality

Two thumbs up! =)

~Lovelee~

RESTO FACTS:

The Baker's Table

88-B Maginhawa Street,

Teacher's Village, Quezon City

(02) 433-7543

FB: The Baker's Table