Fish and Co.

My friends and I were so hungry after the Katy Perry concert and it was past midnight, we just wanted to grab something to eat before we go home. Thank goodness Fish & Co is still open.

Fish & Co. is a part of Bistro Group Restaurants, which also houses popular restaurants like TGI Friday's, Flapjacks, and Italliani's. Originated in Singapore, it is a casual dining restaurant specializing in fish and seafood.

I've read somewhere that Fish & Chips is a must-try so we ordered Fish & Chips (Php 435, to share).

Fish and Chips

Fish & Chips is a their classic, topped with lemon butter sauce, served with chips. I love fish fillet. I love fries (though I should be avoiding fries) and fish fillet with fries is HEAVEN! :)

We also got Mediterranean Pizza (Php 395)

Mediterranean Pizza

Mediterranean Pizza is freshly baked puff pastry spread with Napolitana sauce, topped with olives, shallots, tomatoes, toasted pine nuts, mozzarella cheese and basil. I liked the fresh tomatoes on top, but we found some parts too garlicky. The puff pastry as pizza crust is interesting but a bit messy to eat. Nevertheless, the Mediterranean Pizza is a healthy choice. Drinks like juice and soda are also refillable (Php 100 - Php 105).


I've always found Bistro Group restaurants overpriced, though I have yet to experience poor service. But if you're looking for comfort food and relaxing ambiance, this place is a good choice for you.

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Fish & Co
Space 113-115
Ground Floor
Entertainment Mall
SM Mall of Asia
Pasay City
Contact Nos.5769170, 5560683
http://www.fish-co.com.ph

Other branches are Greenbelt 3, Trinoma, Shangri-la Plaza and Alabang Town Center

Sebastian's Ice Cream

A college friend introduced Sebastian's Ice Cream to me a few months ago with their Frozen Yakult flavor. I recently visited this ice cream studio to try other flavors that are exclusively made by Sebastian's.

Sebastian's Ice Cream is a Filipino brand specializing in artisan ice cream. What I love about Sebastian's are the Filipino flavors which they turned into ice cream like Chilled Taho, Sapin-sapin, Tibok-tibok and many more.


Just like any other ice cream fanatic, it took me a while to choose which flavor I'm going to try. Good thing they allow free taste. :)

I chose the a single scoop Once in a Blue Moon flavor (Php 125) with one topping: Palawan honey or walnuts. I was about to choose walnuts but the friendly crew suggested that I choose Palawan honey instead.

Once in a Blue Moon with Palawan honey

Once in a Blue Moon is blue cheese ice cream. For those who aren't familiar with blue cheese, it is cheese made from sheep's, cow's or goat's milk with cultures of the mold Penicillium thus the bluish parts. Blue cheese has this strong aftertaste that I had to drink lots of water after finishing my ice cream. It's available for a limited time so if you're curious about this flavor you have to get it soon. :)

I got another flavor, a single scoop of Cornflake Milk (Php 100).

Cornflake Milk

One of their newest flavors, it is made from crunchy cornflakes in fresh milk. If you want something creamy and mild, this is the flavor for you.

Because they offer free taste, I have tried Chilled Taho and Sapin-sapin, which surprisingly tastes like the real thing.

Sebastian's Ice Cream might be a bit more expensive than other commercially-produced ice cream brands, but it is really worth it. I see myself dropping by to try more flavors.

Frozen Yakult again, please? :)

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Sebastian's Ice Cream
4th Floor
The Podium
ADB Avenue
Pasig City

Other branches include SM Mall of Asia and SM North The Block

Katy Perry California Dreams Tour: Live in Manila!

I was planning to spend my long weekend sulking at home because I will not be able to watch Katy Perry's concert, since I have nobody to watch with. Thanks to Facebook statuses, I got two friends to watch the concert with me, so I didn't have to get so bitter on not having to watch one of my favorite artists.

As I've posted before, I still buy original CDs, and Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" is one of my purchases last year. Her CD is played at least ONCE every weekend that even my 6-year-old sister knows every song. ;)

My friends and I bought the silver ticket with costs Php 1600++, but we got ours for Php 1500 each.

We agreed to meet up at SM Mall of Asia at around 5PM for an early dinner, but having seen the line for the concert, we only got to buy from The Sandwich Guy and Starbucks (since food and drinks are not allowed inside the venue, we had to eat our food first).


At around 8PM, DJ Skeet Skeet started the show. He played feel-good songs alright but after 15-30 minutes, we really wanted to see Katy.

The show started around 10PM, with Katy performing "Teenage Dream", gosh, my heart began swelling. :)


The concert has this "Alice in Wonderland" inspired theme, talk about giant candies, gingerbread man and the magical brownie. ;)

Katy Perry performed most of the songs from her latest album "Teenage Dream" and some songs from her previous album "One of the Boys"

See the list here (not in order):
- Teenage Dream
- Waking Up in Vegas
- Hummingbird Heartbeat
- Ur So Gay
- Peacock
- I Kissed A Girl
- Circle the Drain
- Futuristic Lover (ET)
- Not Like the Movies
- The One That Got Away
- Firework
- California Gurls
- Hot N Cold
- Last Friday Night (TGIF)

Though I was quite far from the stage (the screens didn't really help, it should have been placed higher). I really enjoyed singing along with Katy. This is the first foreign act I've seen, and it was AWESOME!

I'm currently writing this with my whole body aching (due to standing for a few hours, tip-toeing once in a while for a better view) but my heart is still singing "I wanna see your peacock-cock-cock, your peacock!"

Katy, thank you for the music! :)

Bo's Coffee

I'm a self-confessed Starbucks fanatic, but whenever my favorite coffee shop is super crowded, I go to Bo's Coffee (without having to stomp my way, as I usually get bratty if I can't get Starbucks).

Bo's Coffee is a Filipino coffee shop the opened more than 15 years ago in Cebu. If you've been to Cebu, you can see Bo's Coffee in almost every street corner. It also has branches in Metro Manila and other parts of Visayas and Mindanao.

Bo's Coffee has this homey ambiance like any other specialty coffee shops, and it also offers FREE wi-fi! :)

My friend and I have the same order: a tall hot Caffe Caramel Latte (Php 125). Another friend ordered Grande Froccino Primo Chocolate Chips (Php 145)

Caffe Caramel Latte

Chocolate Chips Froccino Primo

If you're looking for a sweeter latte, Caramel Latte is for you. I didn't need to add sugar as the caramel is enough to make the latte sweet enough. However, my friend thought the Chocolate Chips Froccino Primo a bit bitter.

We also ordered a slice of Almond Torte (Php 95)

Almond Torte

I haven't tried an Almond Torte before so I didn't expect that it would be tough. We even broke a plastic fork since we cannot slice through it. I loved it, nevertheless. The sweetness was just right, and I like the almonds too.

Overall, I liked the ambiance and the excellent service of Bo's Coffee. Though I'm forever a Starbucks fanatic, Bo's Coffee will now be my go-to place if my dear ol' mermaid is quite busy with other fanatics like myself.

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Bo's Coffee
5th Floor Bridgeway Atrium
SM Megamall
Julia Vargas Avenue
Mandaluyong City
http://www.boscoffee.com

Other branches include Robinson's Galleria, SM Mall of Asia, Tagaytay and many more

My Favorite Quick Eats

Sometimes, I get so hungry that I want food, and I want it right now, but I don't want fast food (but yeah, I get fries once in a while). Here are some quick eats that saves me from hunger.

1. Odd Balls

Odd Balls

Odd Balls is a sureball clean squid balls. It is a bit more expensive than the ones found on the street, but it is really worth it. My usual order is Php 63.25 for 11 pieces plus 2 balls. I don't know what's in the sauce, but I love both sweet and spicy sauce. Try it with both sauces mixed. :)

2. Kebabers

Kebab anyone?

Whenever I'm craving for kebab but I don't have enough budget, Kebabers make do. I usually get 2 pcs beef kebab and 1 pc chicken kebab with rice (Php 72) with garlic sauce.

Kebabers is located at Lasapin Food Court at Strata 2000 Building, Emerald Avenue, Pasig City.

3. Mini Stop Pork Siomai

Mini Stop's Pork Siomai

During those times when Hen Lin and Master Siomai (my favorites) are nowhere near the area, Mini Stop's Pork Siomai (Php 41, with drink) will do. I like it better than Dimsum and Dumpling's Pork Siomai.

4. NYFD (http://www.nyfd.com.ph)

Large NYFD fried with 2 dips

NYFD is popular for its hand-cut thick fries and its variety of traditional and unique dips such as Thai Peanut, Garlic Wasabi, Lemon Herb, Pesto and many more. It claim to use transfat-free pure canola oil.

A Large NYFD Fries is 200 grams of potato fries with two free dips (Php 80). An additional dip costs Php 10. I love dips but believe me, NYFD fries don't need dips to taste good.

5. The Sandwich Guy (http://www.thesandwichguy.com)

Peanut Butter Banana

Healthy snacking? Try The Sandwich Guy. Using patented hexagon whole wheat breads, The Sandwich Guy only uses fresh and organic ingredients. It also offers pasta, salad and baked potatoes. Sandwiches ranges from Php 55 to Php 125 while pasta ranges from Php 70 to Php 85.

I've tried Peanut Butter Banana (Php 55) for breakfast, and I'm addicted. If you're a potato fanatic, try the Cheesy Bacon Baked Potato (Php 75), which is baked baby potatoes oozing with melted cheese and bacon.

Enjoy snacking! ;)

The Return to Johnny Rockets

Note: This branch is already closed. 

I've been going to Johnny Rockets whenever I want some comfort food in a less crowded area (and whenever I have some extra money to spare).

Johnny Rockets is every fries junkie's heaven because it offers unlimited fries for every burger / sandwich order. This is also popular because of its dancing crew, and some customers dancing with them. ;)


Each table has a mini-jukebox, which plays oldies songs in the whole restaurant. Each song is only Php 1. I load the jukebox as soon as I get to the table, and it empties my coin purse most of the time.


Since we went to Johnny Rockets to munch on the unlimited fries, we ordered something we could share: Philly Cheese Steak (Php 395). If you're a fast fries muncher, you might want to order in advanced since fries are cooked as requested.

Philly Cheese Steak

Philly Cheese Steak is grilled thinly sliced steak topped with grilled onions and cheese on hoagie roll. I have tried the Chicken Philly Cheese Steak but nothing beats the original beef (sorry, I'm too biased with beef). I'm not too impressed with the hoagie roll, but I prefer a bit of mayonnaise on my philly cheese steak.

I've heard that Johnny Rockets serves one of the best milkshakes, so I ordered an Original Chocolate Shake in teaser size (Php 185).

Original Chocolate Shake

I liked the shake, it wasn't too thick that I finished it right away. I should try a bigger size next time. :)

Overall, Johnny Rockets is the place for oldies fanatics and fries junkies. If you want to have the 50's, 60's or 70's feel, this is the place for you.

I want to try the Premium Shakes with Malts next time.

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Johnny Rockets
Robinsons Galleria Branch
Level 2, Space No. 2355,
Robinsons Galleria Veranda,
EDSA corner Ortigas Ave.,
Quezon City
Contact Nos. 4776499, 4776501
Store Hours:
Mon-Thurs: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
Fri-Sat: 10:00 AM to 11:00 PM
Sun: 10:00 AM to 10:00 PM
http://www.johnnyrockets.com.ph

Note: Other branches are Eastwood City and Tomas Morato

Nav Modern Thai Cuisine

A co-member from PEx food club was raving about this Thai restaurant during our food trip to Petra & Pilar, and so the food club went to Nav Modern Thai Cuisine.

Nav Modern Thai Cuisine is located at Bgy. Kapitolyo in Pasig, a booming area for foodies. The restaurant has posh interiors and can accommodate around 30 people.

Nav's Starters

As we are waiting for other foodies to arrive, we ordered Son-in-Law Eggs (Php 180)

Son-in-Law Eggs

Son-in-Law Eggs are deep-fried eggs served with tamarind syrup. I was quite surprised with this dish because I thought it was just an ordinary egg dish. Let me tell you that it isn't. :)

Soups

One soup dish we don't miss ordering is the Tom Yum Goong (Php 270 for sharing)

Tom Yum Goong

Tom Yum Goong is the Thai version of sinigang na hipon, but a bit hot and spicy. I'm not a fan of spicy food but I got a taste of it and it was good.

Salads

Our group ordered these salads:

Som Tam (Php 185)

Crispied Catfish and Green Mangoes (Php 245)

Som Tam is green papaya salad with sour and spicy dressing. This is a favorite of a co-member and he loved it. I loved the sizzling sound the Crispied Catfish makes as I mixed it with the green mango. I love the extreme saltiness and sourness of the catfish and the green mango.

Curries

We also got Thai curry dishes: Chicken in Green Curry (Php 240) and Penang Curry (Php 420)

Chicken in Green Curry

Chicken in Green Curry (with eggplants) has this reputation of being 'mild but wild' spiciness to me. I would always recommend this dish.

Penang Curry

Penang Curry is beef brisket in red curry. I love the tenderness of the beef, and I love that it's not spicy. :)

Nav's Entrees

Nav's Pad Thai

We ordered Nav's Pad Thai (Php 280), which I fell in love with. We were told that a serving is good for 2 persons but it can actually feed 3-4 persons. I could say that Krung Thai's Pad Thai now has a competitor.

Whole Crispy Tilapia

We also got Whole Crispy Tilapia (seasonal price, Php 420 during our dinner). The tilapia is filleted, served with chili spiked tamarind sauce. The tilapia is kinda huge from the usual tilapia I used to eat at home. Of course, it's delicious.

Wok Fry Squid

Wok Fry Tender Pork

We also got Wok Fry Squid (260) and Wok Fry Tender Pork (Php 250). Wok Fry Squid has sweet soy, chili and galangal while Wok Fry Tender Pork has lemongrass and basil. Both dishes are sweet, which I think kids would love.

Thai Rice

Khao Krok Kapi

We ordered Khao Krok Kapi or Thai Bagoong Rice (Php 225). A serving is good for 2-4 persons. We found their version too salty.

Beef with Pineapples Rice

We also got Beef with Pineapples Rice (Php 195), which goes well with the other dishes.

Nav's Thai Coffee

Since I'm not a milk tea fan, I ordered Nav's Thai Coffee (Php 110), which I liked, the sweetness is just right for me.

Desserts

To complete our meal, we got Thai Sticky Rice with Fresh Mangoes (Php 170)

Thai Sticky Rice with Fresh Mangoes

Thai Sticky Rice with Fresh Mangoes is their version of suman and mangga. This is a very simple but yummy dessert.

I would like to thank Nav Modern Thai Cuisine for giving us these desserts for FREE:

Pandan Creme

Pandan Creme (Php 140) is a their version of panna cotta with grilled fresh pineapple. It is not too sweet, which I liked.

Taro Mash

Taro Mash (Php 140) is Nav's version of crepe with taro, topped with sweet milk. The taro oozes from the inside as I get my serving.

Overall, I love Nav! I love the modern interiors, I love the modern Thai dishes (especially the Pad Thai!). The dishes are reasonably priced too. Thanks to Ray for introducing Nav to us. I'm definitely going back. :)

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Nav Modern Thai Cuisine
#16-C United Street
Brgy. Kapitolyo,
Ortigas Center,
Pasig City
Contact No.6558395