Our Romantic Dinner at Restaurant 101

A couple of months ago, I was lucky to be chosen to win a romantic dinner date at Restaurant 101 by Pond's. Time went by so fast that Paul and I realized that the certificate was expiring next month and so we have decided to use it right away.


It was just timely that we celebrated our last monthsary before our BIG day last Saturday. Overlooking the sentence that says to call 72 hours in advance, I just took the chance and tried to book a reservation barely 6 hours before dinner time. With our fingers crossed, we waited for the confirmation from Restaurant 101. Luck must have been by our side that I immediately got a reply saying that we may proceed with our reservation for that evening. Yay!


Arriving at Restaurant 101, I was at awe with the grand interiors and the exterior reminds me of old western architecture with huge beams and high ceilings. Entering the restaurant, we were ushered by a nice Korean girl who happens to be a student of Enderun College, the culinary school running the restaurant.


We were ushered to our comfy seats and after handing over the certificate, our three-course dinner began with a piece of freshly baked bread and butter. Paul and I were trying to enjoy the ambiance as it has really been a while that we've gone out on a dinner date given our hectic schedules. This was truly a good break.


Not long after, our appetizer was served. Davao Goat Cheese Tart with Lingurian Olive and Confit Tomatoes (Php. 230). To be honest we were both hesitant when our server enumerated our menu for that evening. We were both not fans of tart but then later agreeed to just keep an open mind, heart and stomach for whatever will be served on our table.

Well, this turned out to be the biggest surprise of the evening... it was love at first bite. We both love the mix of arugula and goat cheese. The tomato has a slight hint of sourness that perfectly complemented the salty olives and cheese. All these were delicately placed on top of thin filo pastry that melts in your mouth.


Next was our main course, I chose the Buttered Poach Salmon with Pommery Mousseline and Asparagus (Php. 520). I love fish and nothing can make me more happier than to sink my fork into soft, buttery salmon meat and swirling it around the pommery mousseline before taking a bite. I was in salmon heaven and even Paul enjoyed the small slice of fish that I shared with him.


My fiance, the manly man, got the Australian Pork Chop with Mashed Potatoes (Php. 490). We were amazed to see a thick cut of pork placed on top of the creamiest mashed potato that we've ever tasted. It has the perfect consistency not making it too filling nor was it lacking in taste. Needless to say, it was just right. At times, we fear slicing into thick cuts of pork with hesitations that the middle portion may still be raw. Of course, raw pork meat is a big no-no. Taking extra caution, Paul sliced through his pork chop and every single bite-sized piece shows a well-grilled strip of meat.

For dessert, our server announced that we will be having ginger cake. We both nodded uncertainly. Once again, we weren't fans of ginger but after being impressed with both the appetizer and our two main dishes, we were ready to give this a try. Laughing as we recalled our experience of trying ginger juice (salabat), we cringe at the thought and just hoped for the best for our dessert.


Finally our Chocolate Ginger Cake came in a long white platter accompanied with a few pieces of mandarin orange and a tiny saucer of cream. Following the instructions of our server, Paul carefully poured a small amount of cream onto the cake. He cut it into half and out came the chocolate cream which surprised us both. It was a lava cake!

Taking my own half, I took a slice of mandarin orange and ate this with a small piece of ginger cake. No strong ginger taste here, in fact, we enjoyed the decadent chocolate flavor and the cream as it complemented the sweet mandarin orange. We loved it! Paul actually wanted more!

P&F :)

We had a lovely dinner at Restaurant 101. It's no wonder that families would go all the way to McKinley Hill to enjoy a quiet dinner here. In fact, some would even invite the entire clan and get themselves a function room where they can enjoy more privacy.

It surely was a good win and we're glad to be able to discover this. Definitely, this will be one of our go-to place for our future dinner dates.

Restaurant 101 is located at 1100 Campus Avenue, McKinley Hills in Taguig City. Call them at 856-5000 local 101.

Want to start your very own Franchise Business?

Following the success of the first Networking Night early this year, we are bringing you the 2nd leg this time putting together 3 experts from the Franchising industry! Plus, get a chance to build your contacts by meeting your fellow aspiring and current entrepreneurs!


See you all on July 13, 2010 (Tuesday), 6PM at the Amber Lounge (Fort Strip, Taguig City). Just present a copy of the July issue of Entrepreneur Philippines to enter.


Register at http://www.entrepreneur.com.ph/netnight and get a chance to get the 67 Success Stories book for FREE!

See you all there!!!

Feeling like a Japanese at Izakaya Kikufuji

It has been years since I've been back at Little Tokyo along Pasong Tamo in Makati City and Paul has actually never been there. For almost two years, this place has been a permanent fixture in my list of places to visit with Paul, I'm glad that last Saturday, we were finally able to tick this off the list.

After setting an appointment with our BIG day officiant, we took a short drive from the church to Pasong Tamo making it just in time for lunch. While Paul was parking, I quickly headed to Izakaya Kikufuji to reserve us a table. I've been warned : this place can easily be jam-packed during lunch time. Luckily, a table for two was being cleared up and we were immediately ushered to our seats.


Inside, a number of Japanese diners were present. I love dining in places with their "locals" present as it speaks a lot about the quality and authenticity of the food being served. 


It took us a while browsing through their menu, everything sounded so delicious! Then Paul had a better idea, we shall focus on their lunch menu to help us narrow down our choices. I was craving for Uni and so our first choice was their Sashimi Platter (Php. 360). I love the uni while Paul enjoyed the fresh mackarel, lapu lapu and salmon. How we just wish that they have tamago in this platter as well. Needless to say, I was in sashimi heaven. :)


Little did we know that their platter came with a whole array of appetizers consisting of: Spicy Tuna Salad, Japanese Salad, Sauteed Vegetables and Salmon Tempura. I love the spicy tuna salad as well as the sauteed vegetables. This definitely gives more value to the price of each lunch item.


We also got the Unadon (Php. 345) which is an unagi (eel) rice topping. I love Japanese rice and Kikufuji's serving was pretty generous. In fact, three people can share on one big bowl of rice. The unagi, I have to say, is one of the best. I've tasted a number of Unagis in the past as this is Paul's favorite Japanese dish and I've had my share of unagi mishaps. From tasting scaly eels to having the bone stuck on my gum and a lot more. I was extra cautious upon taking my first bite this time and I was surprised that the eel was perfectly deboned, the skin was edible and the fish was simply delicious. We enjoyed every single bite of our unagi and the fragrant Japanese rice.


We wanted more, after enjoying the Unadon and the Sashimi Platter, we ordered a couple of skewered items such as the buta bara (pork), aspara (asparagus) bacon (Php. 52/stick) and enoki (mushroom) bacon (Php. 52/stick). I love the buta bara and I'm glad we took our server's word for it. No wonder it is one of the best-selling items on the menu. The menu was very juicy and flavorful, this is actually good with a bowl of rice and you get yourself a delighful lunch already!

Just when we thought our meal was over, our server arrived with two tall glasses of iced coffee as our dessert. We were so full that we asked to have this transferred into a take-out cup for us to enjoy this on our way home.

We surely had a complete meal and I'm so happy to see Paul satisfied with our lunch.


On our way out, we noticed that there are a number of sake bottles displayed on their wooden shelf. However, all of these are opened already and have their own individual name tags which we later found out belongs to their regular diners who frequents Izakaya Kikufuji at night for some after work drinking session.


After enjoying your meal, why not take a stroll around Little Tokyo and enjoy the pocket garden and its neighboring shops such as Choto Stop that has a lot of Japanese great finds! We love it that they actually have authentic Japanese chips, Okonomiyaki sauce and a lot more. At the back of the shop houses a little eatery where you can enjoy quick and yummy snacks.

Choto Stop

Izakaya Kikufuji is located at 2277 Pasong Tamo, Makati City. Call them at 893-7319 for reservations.

Taking a bite on Big Better Burgers

Remember the time when I finally got myself to eat beef again? This was after a long hiatus following the mad cow scare. Since then, I never looked back...from burgers to steaks and a lot more, I treat myself to a slab of melt-in-your-mouth premium beef once in a while.

Of course, I enjoy a good piece of burger when the craving calls for it. Note though that I can be pretty picky with my burger. I realized this when I joined an afternoon burger taste test with my colleagues wherein we had to blindly taste three different burgers not so long ago. There, I was able to distinguished one from the other from the quality of the bun, the tenderness of the meat and a lot more. I like my burger patty to be really juicy, the type that will make me go "mmmmm" after my first bite. I love the bun soft yet not the type that I have to pull and struggle with. Lastly, I love a good amount of toppings..something savory and that will perfectly complement my burger patty. A burger like this is hard to find, in history I think I have only tasted two that somehow matches this dream criteria.

Enter, Big Better Burgers. It was actually my first time to hear about this after receiving an invite from fellow blogger Jane. We arrived at SM Cubao just right on time but had a little difficulty finding our way around. Finally, we found our way out of the department store and straight to the rows of restaurant where BBB was located. We joined our fellow bloggers whom we've began to form a tight group called The Club with.


Soon enough, we catched up by ordering a couple of burgers and our own potato accompaniments. Luckily, Abet and Joan agreed to share with us and we were able to sample 5 delicious burgers that evening. Let me share with you the different burgers that we have sampled and you should watch out for:


Bacon Barbecue Burger (Php. 150).
I'm not really a big fan of bacon but this one I'm willing to make an exception for. The bacon was pretty lean and the barbecue ranch sauce gives a western feel to this special burger.


Mushroom Loco (Php. 147).
A very subtle burger that I think my mom will like. It has a generous amount of button mushrooms sauteed in burgundy sauce and a layer of quezoloco, BBB's best-selling dip. Who would have thought you can have cheese and button mushroom with your burger?


BBB One Third Pounder (Php. 105).
For those who just wants it meaty less the frills. This is the perfect choice for you. This is BBB's basic burger with the works -- lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a drizzle of mayonnaise.


Double Dare (Php. 161).
Fo those who wants more than the usual -- get a double patty burger! I had a hard time biting into this resorting to just breaking it down section by section. Yep, it's pretty high!


Shiitake Teriyaki Burger (Php. 147).
My personal favorite. I love the salty-sweet mushroom on top of my beefy burger. The cheese sauce was subtle but pleasant. I will definitely go back for more of this.

Over-all I liked how the patty was juicy and tender, no struggling was needed and I'm glad that it was grilled to perfection. The sauces and toppings were there to accompany the patty but not to overshadow it. I love their creative offerings and can't wait to go back for more.

BBB is the perfect place to satisfy your sudden burger craving. The price points are very affordable too!

* photo credit : Paul Ang

Check BBB out at the Ground Floor of SM Cubao. They also have branches at SM North EDSA Annex, SM Fairview Annex 2 and Shoppes @ Victoria in Timog.

Where in the World is your Chill Zone?

Don't you sometimes wish you can be anywhere in the world with just a blink of an eye? How about with just a couple of slurps and a few clicks? Before you think I might be going crazy, I came across this interesting photo contest brought by KFC where you may submit your most creative photo of you and your friends posing anywhere in the Philippines that resembles that one place that you would like to go to.


Perhaps a certain mall would resemble that of the Grand Palace of Bangkok or the Esplanade of Singapore, take a couple of wacky shots together with a cup of KFC's Krusher and upload this photo in the official KFC Krushers Chill Zone Website.

You have up until July 30, 2010 to submit your entries. The good news is that there's no limit to the number of entries that you can submit.

The contest will have two stages:

1) You photos will be shortlisted by the KFC officials and after which...
2) Online viewers will be asked to vote for their favorite photo! (so alert your troops, guys!)

They have amazing prizes too!

3rd place: P5000 KFC GC

2nd place: P10000 KFC GC

1st place: the chance to go to any place in the world with as many people of his/her choice provided the spending allowance is P400,000!

What a great contest right? :) So hurry up and JOIN NOW!

Heaven on my Plate

This week was very stressful...both at work and for my personal life. With so many pending tasks calling out my name all at the same time, I just wish I can just close my eyes and everything will just move around in a snap.


However, if there's one moment this week when I hope time would just stand still and things would go in slow mo, it would be during my lunch last Wednesday with my sister. We felt like one of the girls of Sex and the City enjoying their lunch out in a lovely restaurant with the best tasting food.

Yes, I felt like I was in heaven for two hours away from the office.

Well, I just had the most delicious crepe I've ever tasted in my life and I enjoyed this with a glass of bubbly too!

Crespella with Tartufo Sauce

Crepe stuffed with ham and cheese and covered with rich, creamy truffle sauce...need I say more?

Definitely found heaven on my plate. 

Let me tell you more about this particular lunch in the following days. Meanwhile, enjoy the weekend everyone and advance Happy Father's Day!

You can enjoy this crepe at L'incontro located along Reposo street, Makati City.

Xocolat(e) for the Soul

Everyone is a chocoholic, in one way or another. For instance, my family loves deep dark chocolates while I prefer the smooth milky white ones. Nonetheless, we have that sudden craving for that bitter-sweet bar of chocolate that promises to take your stress away.

We were fortunate to be invited to Xocolat, a lovely chocolate cafe tucked within the residential part of Katipunan in Quezon City. From the outside, it looks just like any of the houses beside it however, one step inside and you will be transported to relaxing chocolate haven.


While scanning the menu, we chatted with Xocolat's marketing manager Tricia who also suggested a couple of items that we should try. For starters, we got the Churros con Xocolat (Php. 95), we love having churros as a snack and it's our first time to have this as an appetizer. I love how thin and crunchy Xocolat's churros are.


The chocolate syrup won Paul's heart as he literally scraped the saucer clean. I love how it has a hint of hazelnut which reminds me of my favorite Ferrero Rocher chocolate.


Aside from chocolate desserts and drinks, Xocolat actually has an impressive line-up of hot dishes. To give it a try, we ordered the Spicy Tuyo (Php. 165) which is actually part of their breakfast fare that is available all-day long! Paul, a tuyo fan, was so happy with this choice and I got to admit this dish can surely brighten up your day. I love the delicious garlic rice and the fluffy scrambled egg that accompanies it. No chocolate here but simply a perfect wake-me-up choice at any given time of the day.


Upon learning that we have been invited to Xocolat too, fellow blogger Spanky told me to try the Pork Belly (Php. 185). I took note of this and made sure to mention this to Tricia as she was taking our order. I later found out that this was one of Xocolat's best-selling dishes. After all, who cannot resist mouthwatering deep-fried pork topped with crispy leafy strips and served with Xocolat's very own Chocolate Bagoong. I also love the Potato Gratin that was served with it. The pork was delicious and luckily still had a good portion of lean meat. I enjoyed mixing the veggies with our rice and the potato gratin was actually the first thing I finished off. Thank you Spanky for the wonderful recommendation!


Before heading to dessert, we enjoyed a pasta dish that caught my curiosity while scanning the menu. Imagine having chicken pasta with drizzles of chocolate sauce. This was the Xocolat Chicken Pasta (Php. 175) another best-seller and in my opinion, definitely a must-order. I'm glad that the chocolate drizzle was not too overpowering and the rich creamy pasta was just so good we kept on digging in for more despite finishing off two dishes already. This is definitely one thing that will make me go back to Xocolat over and over again.


To cap off our wonderful meal, we had the Chocolate Fondue that has an array of fruits and tiny marshmallows! This was the only thing not new to us as we have visited Xocolat's store in Megamall a couple of year back and enjoyed their fondue as well. I loved the mandarin orange dipped into the rich, creamy chocolate sauce.

It was truly a relaxing evening that both Paul and I truly enjoyed. No wedding talk, no lists, no pending tasks -- all we had were chocolates, chocolates and more chocolates.

*photos by Paul Ang

Xocolat is located at 172 B-Gonzales St., Loyola Heights, Quezon City. They also have branches at the Ground Floor of Greenhills Promenade and in Piazza Serendra in Taguig City.

A Father's Day Treat from Bizu

Father's Day is coming this Sunday and Bizu Patisserie and Bistro was able to come up with this amazing gift idea that you can surprise your dad with.



Check out these Sugarless Chocolate Cigars (Php. 1895) that comes in 5 yummy flavors! When my friend Audrey offered to send a box over for my dad, I cautiously asked her if these are real cigars as my dad does not smoke. She assured me that there is no need to light it up instead a couple of bites and munches is needed to enjoy.



We tried the first cigar last night -- Milk Chocolate with Hazelnut Feulletine and everyone agreed that it was delicious!

We're excited to enjoy the other for cigars in the coming days!



What I also love about it is that it comes in a pretty hard case! Here's a great way to impress dad on his day! :) Plus get a pair of men's socks from Goldtoe for ever purchase of these yummy chocolate cigars!

Bizu Patisserie and Bistro is located at the ground floor of the Promenade Mall, Greenhills Commercial Center. They also have branches in Greenbelt 2, Alabang Town Center and in Glorietta 4. Call them at 724-BIZU (2498)

Real Home Ideas 5 : Small Space Solutions

Paul and I have been extremely busy lately, aside from preparing for the every single detail of our BIG day, we also have to fix up our two future rooms. Back then, I thought renovating a small room is just as easy as waving your magic wand and tadah! you get a pretty, fully furnished room that perfectly matches your taste.

What I didn't know that the smaller the space available, the harder it actually is to make everything fit. Given that we only have a room (or make that two) to work with, we sat down and brainstormed on the color scheme, the feel and all the decors that we would like to have in our room. Of course, there's the issue on making everything fit our small budget.


Call it lucky or simply perfect timing, Real Living Magazine in partnership with SM Homeworld is proud to launch the 5th book in their Real Home Ideas series called Small Space Solutions. This book shows various small space living options from condominium units to simple townhouses with 101 tips on how to maximize and prettify ones space.

I am so excited to bring this book home with me and to start going through each tip hoping that I will be able to make the most of our tiny space.

Check out their official launch on June 23, 2010 at SM Megamall Atrium from 430PM onwards. Email Abigail Pinili at abigail.pinili@summitmedia.com.ph to register. The first 20 registrants gets the previous Real Home Ideas Book 4!

Turning 28 at Yuujin

In our family, one's birthday celebration does not begin and end on our respective birth dates itself rather it starts a couple of days (even a week) before and ends one to two weeks after. However, what remains constant is that intimate birthday dinner that we always look forward to with just the 5 of us.


This year, my mom, sensing my craving for Uni Sushi decided to celebrate my birthday at Yuujin Japanese Restaurant along Wilson street. We're a family who loves Japanese food and we love sashimi and sushi with loads of wasabi!

Yuujin reminded me of my favorite Sugi Restaurant that my family used to frequent on a weekly basis. With the wooden furnitures and brown/white color scheme they should have added some tatami rooms to add more authenticity to the entire feel.

I allowed myself to fully enjoy our dinner that I almost forgot to take photo had it not been for Paul who reminded me before I almost dove for the sushi platter. My apologies also for not getting the exact names of the dishes.

My mom ordered a feast for 5! Here's what we had for my special birthday dinner. :)


Agadashi Tofu (complimentary starter)
It was a good starter with the tofu soft and silky and the soy sauce light and yummy. I love how the tofu held together even after slicing it up with my chopstick.


Sweet Eggplant
As much as we love sushi and sashimi, my family (expect yours truly) loves eggplant too. Just imagine how happy my mom was upon learning that Paul loves this particular vegetable too! This dish is a staple for as long as my parents, sister and Paul is present. While this may not be my favorite vegetable, I love how Yuujin has successfully masked the slimey, bitter taste that I am not fond off. I found myself enjoying 5 tiny pieces that evening.


Sushi Platter
Since we love all types of sushi and sashimi, this is the best way to satisfy everyone -- getting a platter with a wide assortment for everyone to enjoy. My favorites in this platter were the tuna sashimi sushi, salmon sashimi and of course the tamago roll! Furthermore, I love Yuujin tamago, it is sweet and firm to the bite making me wish the platter had more than one tamago.


Uni Sushi
Oh I was in Uni heaven.
Although I got to admit that Omakase's Uni was less slimey, I still enjoyed two Uni rolls that evening. No wonder one order only has 2 pieces because one is really enough to be enjoyed and to leave a lasting memory. Uni is really something... I love its creamy, buttery texture and a flavor that reminds us of the sea.


Tenderloin Teppanyaki
We enjoyed the tender tenderloin steak that goes perfectly well with Yuujin's fragrant white rice.


Green Tea Soba
My sister, a fan of Japanese cuisine that she was the one teaching us how to enjoy this particular dish by pouring the entire contents of the quail egg into the soy sauce mixture and mixing as much wasabi as we want then later pouring the sauce on to the green tea noodles. Despite being a bit full already with our sushi and steak fest, we managed to enjoy the noodles. It was very tasty and I didn't taste any bit of the raw egg which was really the only thing we were hesitant about at first.


After learning from my sister that we were there for my birthday, the sweet staff of Yuujin surprised me with a special song number and presented a delicious dessert! Thank you guys! :)

While the taste of Yuujin is still inferior versus Sugi, our dinner was nonetheless enjoyable and for me, it was truly memorable.

Yuujin is located at 221 Wilson Street, Greenhills in San Juan City. Call them at 727-5291.

Chinese Family Dinner at HK Choi

Every year, I find it a good challenge to pick out a restaurant on where I will treat my extended family to for my birthday. Early this year, I knew I wanted to throw a special lechon/paella dinner however after dining in more than a hundred new restaurants for the past two years, I have found a couple of good ones that I'd love to let my family enjoy for themselves.

Such is the case of HK Choi, it was during one shopping date that I had with Mommy that we came across this promising Chinese restaurant in SM Megamall. We just shared on their Xiao Long Pao and Fish Brisket Hot Pot and HK Choi has successfully won us over.

A week before my birthday, I invited my grandparents, aunts, uncle and cousin over at HK Choi. It's good that it's located in a mall making it pretty accessible for everyone.

I went over and over their menu making sure I will be able to order a good mix. Of course, I also got suggestions from my grandpa and mom who are both expert foodies in the family.

Here's what we have that evening:


Prawn Salad
My favorite! Even how often mom would say this is not worth it since most restaurants has more fruit cocktail and mayonnaise than prawns, I can't help but order this for our appetizers. Luckily, HK Choi's prawn salad passed the approval of my mom who noted that they were pretty generous with their prawns.


Xiao Long Pao
I guess this dimsum has been regularly mentioned in this blog and it's simply because we love love love eating Xiao Long Pao! My dad enjoyed HK Choi's Xiao Long Pao and noted that it can passed as the local version of Din Tai Fung's! Wowee! :) We love the fact that it has a generous amount of soup secretly tucked beneath its not-so-thick wrapper. Yum!


Fish Brisket with Tofu in Hot Pot
After Mom and I enjoyed this dish during our first visit, we made sure to order this for everyone to enjoy as well. I love how tender the fish was and the sauce was just so delicious that we all poured a spoonful over our rice.


Birthday Noodle
Of course, no birthday dinner is complete without having birthday noodle. It is also our family's tradition that the celebrant should have the first taste of the noodle and everyone else will follow. HK Choi's noodle is ok, nothing spectacular and to be honest we all still love the birthday noodle from another favorite Chinese restaurant.


Salted Fish Fried Rice
I love fried rice and this is a must-order when dining at HK Choi. I actually first had a taste of this a week before this particular dinner, when Paul's mom got this for our regular Sunday lunch. The fish was not too overpowering however you can still taste that it's there. The rice does not taste old and it was not too oily too.


Watercress with Three Kinds of Egg
This is one way to let the kids enjoy their veggies...or perhaps just in the case of Paul's niece who enjoyed bowls after bowls of watercress. I enjoyed the century, duck and chicken eggs that added more flavor to the steamed watercress. I also enjoyed getting the garlic and mushrooms which they obviously did not scrimp in quantity.

I love the service rendered by our server who stood close-by our table ready for anyone's requests. He was also able to suggests dishes and tell us if we have ordered enough. Our dining experience was definitely pleasant thanks to the delicious dishes and the wonderful service of HK Choi. In fact, my grandpa is already planning our next return perhaps on his birthday happening in two weeks!

HK Choi is located at the 2nd level of The Atrium, SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City. Call them at 394-1070 / 382-7757.