Lola Ote: The Best BBQ in QC!

Looking for quality yet affordable barbecue in town has always been a challenge. We cannot deny that our favorite street food may be prepared a little bit questioningly in some kanto or carinderia, but there are some that stood out like Grill Queen. But since there is no GQ near where I work, we oftentimes go at the back of the building where we work to have our fix of pork barbecue, chicken and pork isaw, grilled hotdog and tenga.

So imagine my delight when I chanced upon a joint online where they offer grilled foods. I immediately checked out the details and pitched them to my office mates and immediately ate there the next day.

The name is Lola Ote. Our new barbecue haven.

Chicharon Bulaklak (Php 100)
Our appetizer. Freshly cooked so it was still hot and very crispy while the meat was relatively soft. Easy to chew on unlike the gummy texture if this was prepared way beforehand.

Chicken Isaw (Php 23/stick) & Tenga ng Baboy (Php 25/stick)
Still considered cheap. And the chicken isaw was so siksik. I like the chicken isaw of Mang Larry's in UP but their isaw is so small that it tends to get burned easily, that's why I order their isaw baboy more.
The sauce used while it was still grilling was good. Right amount of sweet and salty.
As for the tenga ng baboy, this was the order of an office mate. Was not able to try it but it looks promising. 

Isaw ng Baboy (Php 25/stick)
My sinful favorite! Very soft with a slight char to the skin. I really love this and I will keep on coming back for this alone. Yum!

Pork Barbecue (Php 55/stick for 12 inches and Php 85/stick for the 18 inches)
Very very good! 2 thumbs up! Tender meat, very good marinade and very nice presentation. One can never get enough of this. 

Atchara and vinegar dipping sauce. The vinegar was sweet and slightly spice and it was so good. I actually made it my soup as I sipped several spoonfuls. Haha!

Affordable menu. 

The food was simple fare yet tasted amazing! The wait staff was very courteous and attentive in addressing our requests but there was a slight hitch, we waited a bit long for our orders to arrive. I'm not sure if there  was a mix-up or something. Our pork barbecues arrived first then waited for several minutes for our partial order of isaw to arrive then waited again for the last batch of isaw. It was a good thing that we really appreciate their food because if not, we might have gone the less pleasant way.  An office mate who had eaten here before also commented the same. Hope they improve this for next time.

Overall, I liked the food and the service (with some improvements on the food order delivery, we hope) and I will come back here and keep on recommending this place still.


~Lovelee~


RESTO FACTS: 

LOLA OTE
26 Courtyard Building, Sgt. Esguerra Street, 
South Triangle, Quezon City
FB: Lola Ote

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss (SM North Edsa)

I still love ramen! The love in my heart is not fading at all anytime soon. And I'm so happy to discover an affordable version of my faves at Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss. 

Chanced upon this when the parentals did not wait anymore for me and they dined already at Ramen Nagi, which left me very frustrated because I wanted some slurping action too. So while walking along SM Annex, I saw this spot and decided to give it a shot. 

 Tantanmen Ramen (Php280)
I got hooked immediately. Their ramen is filling, the eggs perfect and near tasted like their more expensive counterparts. The noodle had the right type of firmness and enough spiciness in the broth. It's not similar in taste with the other ramen places but it gives them some run for its money.

The "before" picture, just before I dunked in the Aji Tamago.

Aji Tamago for Php35 only.

Helpful guide  to eating your Japanese favorites.

And there are lot of seats since they are situated a bit far away from the main mall. 

I  now know that SM North has three ramen players - Ramen Nagi, Taisho and Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss. But if you want value for your money and some silence while eating, try it here. It's worth it!

Me, I'm going to come back soon. I found a new place for my ramen cravings, if on a limited budget. 


~Lovelee~


RESTO FACTS:

MOSHI KOSHI NOODLE BOSS
Upper Ground Floor, The Annex, 
SM City North EDSA, Quezon City
02 3511219
02 2121212 (for delivery)
FB: Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss

Vittorio's Steakhouse

If you happen to drop by the Kamuning area and in need of sustenance, drop by Vittorio's Steakhouse for good supply of protein  found in their relatively affordable yet quality steaks and other dishes.

Barely new in the area (I believe they opened last quarter of last year), they are slowly, but surely, gaining momentum in the foodie scene.

Overload Pizza (Php 315)
This was the most expensive in their pizza choices so we expected a lot. When it came, I was disappointed because it looked very simple. But like what they say, do not judge a book by its cover, it tasted so good! Something to do with the dough, I believe. Very very good!

Vittorio's Baby Backribs (Php 710) - full rack
Very flavorful and tender. Meat falls of the bone. But I must say, I still love ribs from restos in Bacolod City because they have more meat in their bones. Ribs here in Manila, in my experience, have limited meat. But they're still good. 

Corn & Carrots and Fries. Came with the ribs. Winner!

Angus Top Sirloin 400grams (Php 710)
We ordered it medum-well and we loved it. Me and my friends could not stop taking slices once it was served. Well, aside from the fact that we were hungry,  their steak was so good that we cleaned up the plate pretty fast. No need for gravy since it's flavorful already.

Simple interiors. You can take a peek while they prepare the food through the see-through glass. 

I'm not into spending huge amount of money on steaks but Vittorio's are reasonable compared to their other contemporaries. The service was great and we liked how simple everything is. No frills. Just great food and great service.


~Lovelee~

RESTO FACTS:

VITTORIO'S STEAKHOUSE
121 Forab Building, 
Kamuning Road, Kamuning, 
Quezon City
FB: Vittorio's Steakhouse

Tweedle Book Cafe

Discovering and trying out new dining places has always been a favorite hobby of mine. I always browse the internet and social media sites for good finds and try them out for myself. So when I happen to chance upon Tweedle Book Cafe, I got interested in their Pinoy Breakfast pasta and wanted to try it our right away since it is located near our office. 

So on one of our lunch-outs, we finally, as a group, decided to come try this out. And we immediately liked what we saw. 

It was located at a residential area. Looked like an old place that was recently converted to accommodate this unique coffee + library place where one can hang out. It was away from traffic noise so the ambiance was really relaxing.

This will greet you upon entering the driveway. Interesting piece of information. Cool!

Simple drink and ice cream menu and even pleasant staff. The food menu can be seen at the cash register area. The staff will patiently answer all your questions and make recommendations if they sense that you are undecided on what to order.

Sandwich, pie and dessert choices. Prices are written on the glass, can you see?

I love Merry Moo and I was glad they have it there though limited in options. But my fave Candied Bacon and Salted Caramel are there so that's good with me. But I did not order that day, I decided to order something new. 

Genmaicha Latte Php100
Love the roasted taste and my companion commented that it tastes like what she had in Japan. Too bad they did not put latte art like what we saw in online posts. Hope they try to be consistent about it.

TCC Hot Chocolate in Salted Caramel (Php160) 
I ordered this and I loved it! Love how rich and creamy it was. I really could drink several cups of this in one sitting. But then, that would be too expensive and I would be saying hello to Diabetes. Haha! I highly recommend this one. 

Pinoy Breakfast (Php180)
This has exceeded my expectations! I came for this and it certainly delivered. This pasta has longganisa bits, tomatoes and salted egg in olive oil. It has the perfect blend of saltiness and chewiness to it since the ingredients were very generous. I hope that the next time I go here, the serving would still be the same. This is now a part of my favorite pasta dishes.

Ola! Sardinas (Php180)
This has Spanish Sardines, garlic, basil and tomatoes in olive oil. Pasta used was angel hair which complimented the lightness of the ingredients. It was good but I prefer the Pinoy Breakfast more. 

The rest of the menu

They have a long table, just like a library setting. If one is engrossed in what they're doing, you certainly won't mind this setting. But for me, this is not ideal for a group of people who talks loudly because it might disrupt the others. There are other tables for that. 

Books everywhere! You can definitely lose yourself in this place once you start on a good read.

Here you'll find Platform 9 ¾. I wonder if I will see Harry Potter if I go inside, Haha!

Interesting ceiling. (Thanks Honey O. for this photo)

Overall, it has been a very pleasant experience, well, save for the serving time of our pasta orders. Afterall, we only had an hour because it was just our lunch break and had to go back to work after. That took nearly 30 minutes. But that did not hinder our good moods. I hope they improve on that. Other than that, I loved everything!


RESTO FACTS:

Tweedle Book Cafe
106B Scout Gandia
Quezon City, Philippines
0922-8051688
FB: Tweedle Book Cafe

 ~Lovelee~

My Pope Francis Experience (Papal Visit 2015)

It has been 20 years since our beloved country, the Philippines, was visited by a pope. It was 1995 when Pope John Paul II visited and I was still in 6th grade back then. I remember memorizing the official World Youth Day hymn which was "Tell The World of His Love" and practicing the hand movements were something that I looked forward every day. It was not hard to memorize.

Present year, our pope of almost two years, Pope Francis, visited our country for the first time and a lot of people were very excited for this big event. The first time I heard about this, it was just alright, but as the day nears, I got very excited every day.

On January 18, this was the day that we decided to go to the University of Santo Tomas and try to catch a glimpse of him.

Here is our story on that memorable day:

Walking from Welcome Rotonda to UST.
This was around 7:15am. The weather was just right and we were feeling optimistic that we would get to see him. But a lot of people have already lined up around the area so that feeling of dread that we would not be able to accomplish our mission was felt. 

The bright dog.
His owner/trainor asked this doggie if he loved Pope Francis and this adorable dog would bark twice. People approved and gave a round of applause every time he would do this.

THE FIRST ATTEMPT

We were informed that Pope Francis will pass by Lacson Street and we hoped to get a nice place there but we were so wrong. This is the nearest that we came to doing our goal. We stood in this place almost 2 hours and a half. When he finally passed by, we got hold of the word that he was not in his popemobile and that this vehicle passed by very fast. WE FAILED!

A video of the crowd waiting for the man of the hour. 

Even if the crowd was thick and we were literally rubbing some body parts with the crowd, everyone was wearing their happy caps and that emanated all throughout the place. A few misses but those were just minor. We also heard people calling for medics because some fainted. 

THE SECOND ATTEMPT

This was taken along Lacson Street, near the bus terminal. People were flocked alongside the streets so we got excited and and felt hope rising again. We still have a chance! So we waited for more than an hour. I was wet already because I did not bring an umbrella nor a raincoat, I just had with me my thin shawl that barely protected me. 

He's coming! "Ayan na. ayan na sya!"

And the moment that I dreamed about finally happened. I saw him in the flesh! Wow! The feeling was so overwhelming. I was so touched by the experience and can't help but shed a few tears before going back to see my boyfriend and friend. Before this happened, we ended up standing in different strategic positions so all three of us got different angles and videos.

The full video that we had. My priceless video. 

After that, we still wanted to do more so we decided to go to Quirino Grandstand to be one with our fellow Catholics and other people who wanted to be part of this momentous experience.

On our way there, we made a stop over at the San Sebastian Church on our way to SM Manila to have lunch. We took advantage of its clean restroom as well. 

After having lunch, it was steadily raining already and having an umbrella (we bought one at 7-11 after the second attempt)  is not enough so we tried looking for raincoats, but alas, no more! We came inside National Bookstore and there was only Barbie raincoats for kids available. But we saw some people lining up inside the store and we got curious and we saw that they were selling plastic wrapper and making them into a makeshift raincoats. Galing ng Pinoy! So we ordered.

Ta-Daaaah!
Kudos to the ladies of National Bookstore for making our coats. After all, they could have just sold us the plastic covers and left us to figure out a way to do it but they did not, they custom-made it for us. Not only did they sell, they also contributed their talent by doing something special to the people who want to see the pope. *clap clap*

So we walked going to the grandstand but unfortunately, we could not go any further because the roads were congested already. Best effort we could do was somewhere near the back of the National Museum. There was a video wall set-up so we can see and hear the mass. But it was so noisy that we were not really able to do that.

Us! 

Going back home was a challenge because of the massive number of people who took the public transpo. So we headed back to SM Manila and had coffee, hoping that the crowd had waned out but that was the exact opposite. So we just decided to be brave about it and faced the music. See!

Extra challenging but at least we all got to go home. Tired but very happy and fulfilled.

That day, I really counted my blessings even as small as they seem. I recall:
1. Not having difficulty getting a trike to take me to the van terminal at 530am.
2. The van started the trip even if it was not full yet (I remember still lacking 4 passengers)
3. I arrived on-time at our meeting place which was 6:30am
4. Getting a cab going to Welcome Rotonda was a breeze
5. The weather that morning was not hot
6. We saw Pope Francis
7. We got to use the clean restroom at the San Sebastian Church, no lining up needed (the lines at SM were such a blockbuster, haha!)
8. The National Bookstore and their salesladies provided us with "raincoats" for only Php30/pc

This was truly memorable. I was so happy to be given the chance to see Pope Francis. Who knows when a pope would next visit our country. He gave us hope and charmed us with his charisma and unli-smile, as they say. Thank you for leading your 1.2 billion Catholic members. It's not easy but we feel that you really are trying your best to do a great job. And you are.

Mercy and compassion!

Viva Il Papa! Long live Pope Francis!