Date of visit: September 29, 2011

Mark paid me a surprise visit at work one Thursday afternoon. We were actually supposed to have lunch but something came up on his side so it didn't push through. I was really feeling sad about it, until I got a text message from Mark around half past 3pm asking me out for some snacks. I initially thought it was just one of his practical jokes when he instructed me to come down to the lobby to meet with him. Though very hesitant, I still went down and when I got to the ground floor, there he was, at the building entrance, smiling sweetly as I approach him. :p

We both wanted to try out some new restaurants and I thought the Ayala Triangle Gardens would be the perfect place. We walked around the area and this Filipino-home-style ambiance caught our attention the most.


It was late in the afternoon and there were only a few people dining in so we had the liberty to choose our seats. We chose the seats at the leftmost side of the restaurant, which gave us an ample view of the whole place.


Mark and I both loved Kanin Club's simple yet homey interior. Everything was just so Pinoy. The colorful stained glasses and the sliding windows and dividers were what I loved the most. The place actually reminded me of the houses and structures in Vigan.


Okay, so much with the restaurant's interior, let's now go to what we really came here for...the food! :D Our drinks were served a few minutes after we placed our orders. I had sago't gulaman while Mark had dalandan juice.

Dalandan Juice (Php 67.00) and Sago't Gulaman (Php 90.00)

We were in a Filipino restaurant so I already knew what Mark would have---his all-time favorite Kare-Kare. Unlike other kare-kare dishes that are just overflowing with veggies, Kanin Club's kare-kare had a generous amount of tender beef tripe and pork leg chunks. The veggies were also cooked just right, not too soggy and just had the right crunch. It's rich peanut sauce was also perfect as is but was made more delectable when paired with bagoong. There's actually no surprise that this was a hit for Mark (even if eaten with sour rice). :p

Kare-Kare - Php 358.00

It actually took me a while to finally decide what to have. I've been hearing raves and been reading a lot of good reviews about Kanin Club's Crispy Dinuguan and Sinangag na Sinigang. I don't eat dinuguan but I was a little curious about how the Crispy Dinuguan was proven to have convinced non-dinuguan eaters to actually love the dish, but I guess I still wasn't adventurous enough so I opted for Sinangag na Sinigang.

Sinangag na Sinigang - Php 224.00

It was actually my first time to see a dry sinigang. I was still trying to contemplate on how this dish would be like, and was amazed on my first spoonful. It really tasted like the sinigang that I grew up with. And that distinct sour taste that I really love was really captured by the dish. To whoever is behind the birth of this dish--the sinigang-inspired fried rice, the pork liempo, and the vegetable tempura--you are such a genius! Some of the veggies were a bit hard though, but there's no denying how innovative this dish is! :D I just wish they were not a little carried away when adding in green chili. :p

By the way, here's another photo of Mark and I. I'm still not convinced that Mark's photo from my previous posts increased my blog traffic, but I'm still posting another photo of him anyway haha! :p

Mark and I in our very late lunch/super early dinner at Kanin Club :p

With a restaurant with an ambiance that is so cozy and relaxing and with food that is perfectly delicious, who would have thought that a very bad service would come with it? Yup, I would love to give them a perfect 10 but because of their unresponsive waiting staff and not so good service, I don't think they deserve such rating. :p

We had to follow up our orders many times. You would also hardly see a waiting staff roaming around to check for customers request because they were all busy stamping those paper place mats, and to think that it wasn't even lunch/dinner time. *sigh*

But then again, I think there are still a lot of good food here that we have yet to try so we'll still be coming back. I just do hope their service would improve on our next visit. :)

KANIN CLUB, Ayala Triangle Gardens
Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati Ave., Bel-Air
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 621-6109


      sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

Date of Visit: September 22, 2011

We dined at Burgoo on Mark's 5th day of being back home. After flipping the pages of the menu for a little while, Mark finally knew what he wanted to eat. I guess he still had his Qatari culture in him that's why he ordered Burgoo's Ultimate Fajitas--choice of char-grilled chicken, steak, prawns, or combo with buttered potato wedges, mushrooms, onions, and bell peppers; with tortilla wrappers and sour cream, grated cheese, and salsa.

Ultimate Fajitas - Php 595.00

When the dish was served, I was surprised at how very different it was from the photo in the menu. It actually didn't look that appetizing and with all that oil, oh my! Mark also got surprised that it was served on a sizzling plate.

This dish is usually eaten by having all the meat, veggies, and dressings wrapped in the tortilla; but since Mark is still on a diet, he just decided to do away with the tortilla and dressings. He didn't seem to be liking his dish, mainly because it was swimming in oil. But even so, I still decided to give it a try.

Tortilla Wrappers

I tried eating the fajitas the traditional way. Honestly I didn't like it too. I was expecting a pungent dish, but the dish was just plainly bland. The dressings didn't even help. And the tortilla was a little hard to chew.

Grated Cheddar Cheese, Sour Cream, Salsa

Good thing this mashed potato saved Mark's day. :p I wasn't able to get to taste it because it was gone the moment I finished taking a photo of the rest of the dishes. :p I'll just take Mark's word that their mashed potato is good. :)

Mashed Potato Mexicano - Php 175.00 (Regular), Php 295.00 (Large)

After a quick glance at the menu, I already knew what to have...Chicken Diane!!! I've tried this before and immediately fell in love with it. :) The generous serving of grilled chicken fillet was very tender and juicy. The sautéed onions and tomatoes, and the pool of creamy Diane sauce made the chicken even tastier. The garlic spaghetti and garlic bread were also a hit as they balance out the flavors of the chicken fillets.

Chicken Diane - Php 375.00 (Regular), Php 525.00 (Large)

I sensed a hint of envy from Mark when he saw my dish. :p And since I knew he wasn't loving his dish, I just let him have mine since I was already full.

Aside from the food here in the Philippines, Mark must have missed me a lot that he always wants our picture taken whenever we dine out. :p

Mark and I in one of the many pig out sessions that we have since he came back :p

Okay fine, he just actually wants to have more of his photo posted in my blog because according to him, his photos will make the readers come back for more! Haha!

BURGOO, Gateway Mall
2/F Gateway Mall, Aurora Blvd.
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 913-6112


kriskamarie   sweetnothings.kriskamarie
kriskamarie   kriskamarie

I got some cheap but cute find on a Wednesday a couple of weeks back. It's usually a long day for me during Wednesdays because of the number coding scheme. I went off from work at 5pm and totally forgot that it was a Wednesday. Since I still can't go home and drive, I decided to do some window shopping to kill time.

After window shopping for around an hour with my black pumps on, my feet began to ache. I was already at the SM Department Store in Makati so I decided to buy some flip-flops there. I was looking for a certain brand which unfortunately was not available at the department store. Good thing I came across the Parisian shoe stall. And viola! I got this Parisian Comfy Flats!

Parisian Comfy Flats - Php 299.00

I immediately fell in love with these shoes when I tried them on. Its soft cushion inner sole was heaven for my feet. The same material was also used for the shoe itself. I took a few steps with these comfy pair on and every step really felt good. I love its simple design and that little bow, oh don't they just look so cute?

Date of visit: September 21, 2011

...Mark and World Chicken finally got to meet again! :p

Mark and I went to the Gateway mall for another movie date. And when he got hungry after the movie, there was no food that he wanted to have other than World Chicken. :p

Mark and World Chicken: reunited ♥♥♥

Mark was still a little strict on his diet but he still managed to enjoy his favorites. He ordered grilled chicken with 2 mashed potatoes as side dishes, minus the sauce and gravy. :)

Grilled Chicken Fillet (without sauce) and 2 Mashed Potatoes (without gravy)
Grilled Chicken + 2 Side dishes - Php 159.00

And I, not being able to get to dine at World Chicken when Mark was still abroad, gave in to my cravings and ordered my all-time favorites! Unfortunately they ran out of potato salad so I settled for mashed potato. :D

Grilled Chicken Fillet with Gravy, Fettuccine Al Tono and Mashed Potato
Grilled Chicken + 2 Side dishes - Php 159.00

WORLD CHICKEN, Gateway Mall
Level 3, Food Express, Gateway Mall
Araneta Center, Cubao
Quezon City, Philippines
(02) 440-4286

      sweetnothings.kriskamarie
       @kriskamarie   @kriskamarie

Date of visit: September 20, 2011

The following day, after our seafood feast, we spent the wholde day at Mark's house to rest and recharge since we stayed up late the night before, fixing his things. After dinner, Mark and I went to the Trinoma mall in QC for a last full show movie date.

The movie ended past midnight and Mark got hungry so we searched for a place to eat. There were only a few bars in Trinoma that were open that time and there were also no establishments open at the the nearby mall, so I suggested we drive around the Timog area. After a few minutes of resto-hunting, we ended up at Yam Cha.

We were greeted by two of their waiting staff who were at the entrance and accompanied us to our seats. Another staff went to turn on the aircon, and still another handed us their menu. Another staff went to us to take our orders, and a few minutes later, our orders were served.

First to arrive were the drinks. I got their Guyabano Shake while Mark had their Dalandan Juice. I wasn't able to get the receipt from Mark, so I'm not sure about the prices. :p

Guyabano Shake and Dalandan Juice

I was craving for Pork Siomai so I got an order of it. Their Pork Siomai was a bit bland. I think there was more flour than pork in it. I wasn't really loving it, the calamansi, soy and chili sauce didn't also help, and I finally gave up on my second piece, so I just gave the rest to Mark. I usually like siomais in general, but not Yam Cha's. Theirs didn't even come close to Mongkok's. :p

Pork Siomai

I'm not that hungry so I went for their Beef Wanton Noodles. Although there's nothing really special with this dish, this one I liked (at least more than the siomai). :) The soup was served hot and was seasoned just right, the wantons were good and the beef was tender. The noodles were also perfectly cooked.

Beef Wanton Noodles

Same is true with their Chicken Wanton Noodles, which was Mark's order. Instead of beef, slices of chicken were added with the noodles, wantons, and hot soup. :)

Chicken Wanton Noodles

Mark also ordered their Tuna Sashimi. I'm not a fan of sashimis or raw food in general, so it really didn't get me drooling when this dish was served. Mark said it was fine and he insisted that I taste it. He got one slice, dipped it into the soy sauce and then directed the fork to my mouth. I still felt the crunchy but jelly-like texture of the raw fish when I chewed it and then swallowed it immediately and followed it with a sip of my guyabano shake. :p But it must have tasted good that Mark finished the dish in no time.

Tuna Sashimi

Mark must have been very hungry that he still ordered another dish. The tofu slices were fried but was still soft and tender inside. I can taste the oyster sauce's and garlic bits' flavors which were greatly absorbed by the tofu slices. This Garlic Tofu was good but not really something to crave for.

Garlic Tofu

Although Yam Cha's food, or at least the ones that we've tried, were okay but not really something to drool over, I still liked our dining experience because of the waiting staff. All of them were very attentive and were always ready to grant our requests. Just like one of the staff who gladly obliged when we asked her to take a photo of us. She even directed us to come closer together and she even arranged their tabletop sign so that it will be included in the photo. :p

Mark and I

But then again I also thought that they might have been very attentive since Mark and I were the only ones dining that time. :p Well I just hope they maintain that good service even during regular hours to at least compensate for their so-so dishes. :p

YAM CHA
Seafood & Dimsum Restaurant
44 Timog Ave. cor. Scout Tuazon
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (63 2) 373-1359, (63 2) 372-8136

Date of visit: September 18, 2011

The boyfriend is back! I can now get to post about food other than my daddy's specialties! Haha!

He actually came home two weeks ago and we spent most of the time together. We've been dining in a lot of restaurants for the past few weeks and it's just now that I got the time to write about our very first food trip together, after 1 year and a month of being apart. :)

After hearing mass last Sunday, September 18, and after having lunch with my family, I headed next to Mark's house at Caloocan to fetch his mom. We then went straight to the airport to catch Mark's arrival at 4:25PM. We were caught up in traffic and got a little late so Mark was already at the waiting area when we arrived. Mark was so hungry and requested that we have our dinner at the seaside restaurants in Macapagal boulevard.

We arrived at the area after around a 15-minute drive. We headed immediately to the wet market to shop for our food. Mark wanted to have fish so his mom bought a kilo of blue marlin steak slices. She also bought a kilo of clams, a kilo of squid, 2 kilo of prawns.

We went around the area to look for a restaurant who can cook for us and we ended up at Aling Tonya's.

with Mark and his mom while waiting for our food

We had all our seafood cooked and then our seafood feast began. :) The clam soup was served first. This dish was just like my dad's. The soup was really yummy and the clams were cooked just right. A perfect starter for our hungry stomachs.

Clam Soup

Seashells: Sinabawan - Php 120.00 (1 kilo), Php 80.00 (1/2 kilo)

Mark was still conscious about his figure so he decided to have his fish grilled. Mark started devouring it the moment it was served. This dish was so delish!

Grilled Blue Marlin

Fish: Inihaw - Php 120.00 (1 kilo), Php 80.00 (1/2 kilo)

The squids were made into Calamares. There's nothing really special with this dish. I commend Aling Tonya's though because the calamares were tender. The dish also came with a mayo-garlic dip.

Calamares

Squid: Calamares - Php 180.00 (1 kilo), Php 120.00 (1/2 kilo)

A kilo of prawns were made into Shrimp Tempura and the other kilo was cooked in butter with garlic. The grilled fish and tempura were what I ate the most because I just had my braces adjusted. I so love the shrimp tempura! The dip that came with it made the dish more delectable.

Shrimp Tempura

Shrimp: Tempura - Php 250.00 (1 kilo), Php 180.00 (1/2 kilo)

This next dish was also okay. The shrimps were a little overcooked though because it was hard to peel off the shells.

Shrimps in Butter with Garlic

Sugpo/Hipon/Swahe: Php 180.00 (1 kilo), Php 140.00 (1/2 kilo)

Overall, we enjoyed our seafood feast. The fish and tempura were a hit for us.

Here's our seafood feast! Another set of these dishes were also on the other side of our table :p

But of course, we weren't able to consume everything so we had the left overs wrapped.

Mark with his uncle and cousin

Mark's mom must have missed his son so much that she ordered a lot of food! She even got this chocolate cake for his baby boy. :) We then went to Duty Free Fiesta Mall to shop for some stuff and chocolates.

Hizon's Chocolate Cake

Welcome home Mark! I'm really glad that you're back! :D

ALING TONYA'S
Seaside Macapagal, D. Macapagal Blvd.
Pasay City, Metro Manila
Philippines
(02) 556-1782