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An upscale food court is what I have wanted to see in Manila like the Paragon Food Hall in Bangkok . Luckily, the Mega Food Hall , located at the SM Mega Fashion Hall opened a few months ago with food choices ranging from different cuisines for as affordable as Php 200.  I like that this particular spot is not so crowded even during peak hours. Also, almost (if not all) stalls use coaster pagers so you can sit anywhere while you wait for your food to be prepared.  Mega Food Hall has been my favorite dinner spot lately and I'd love to share with you the dishes I have tried and recommend for you to try when you visit the food hall.  1. Nav Modern Thai Cuisine This Thai resto located in Kapitolyo finally branched out to a food court scale in Mega Food Hall. They offer Thai curry dishes, noodle, and soup dishes. I particularly like the mix-and-match meals where you can choose your appetizer, meat dish, and rice.  Beef Brisket, Thai Chicken Fried Rice,

I had the first taste of this all-organic restaurant, The Wholesome Table, during the Boni High Street Food Crawl several months ago . I visited this place again with my friends for our Sunday lunch out to try their other offerings.  I was really impressed with the naturesque boho-style interiors that go really well with the theme of the restaurant.  We were served with complimentary bread and butter as we wait for our food to arrive. 

My college friends and I have very busy lives, so whenever we have time to meet, we try to make the best out of it. During the holidays, we decided to keep it simple and had late lunch at Silantro Fil-Mex Cantina in Kapitolyo . Compared to my first visit when it was fairly new , Silantro has emerged to one of the most crowded restaurants in the area.  We had a table at the alfresco area which wasn't a problem because of the cold weather.  We shared these appetizers: the Beef Nachos (Php 180) and the Calliente Wings (Php 180). Beef Nachos Calliente Wings

Here's a new snack from Jack 'n Jill that you'll truly enjoy: Cream-O Brownie Crunch ! Brownie Crunch is Jack n' Jill Cream-O's version of the brownie thins, a hybrid of a brownie and cookie. It is available in two variants: Brownie Crunch Choco Chips and Brownie Crunch Peanut Thins. Brownie Crunch Choco Chips Brownie Crunch Peanut Thins

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  Canadian food is a cuisine I haven't really explored, except for the poutine (being a fries lover, it seemed disrespectful not to have poutine if it's available). Fortunately for me, there's a newly-opened bar and lounge near my workplace that serves Canadian dishes: meet Red Maple .  Located on the second floor of the building, this well-lit place is easy to spot from afar albeit the missing restaurant sign. The huge Canadian flag is not difficult to see, though. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  The first time I was in Wolf & Fox , I wasn't able to try the beer cocktails. That's why after a hefty dinner, we ended up in this book-themed gastropub for a nightcap.  My friend had the Bananenweizen (Php 118) while I tried The Cunning Fox (Php 198).

From grand gestures to sweet nothings, Filipinos revel in sharing love to family and friends in celebration of Valentine’s Day. This month, make every moment count as Shell V-Power Nitro+, Shell’s premium performance fuels, helps you show your love to your family and friends with a limited-edition KIT KAT Valentine pack .  “At Shell, we value the loyalty and support of our customers,” said Anthony Lawrence Yam, Pilipinas Shell Vice President for Retail. “To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we are again making Filipino motorists’ visit to Shell stations worthwhile. This month, we continue to fuel excitement on the road and share the love with the limited-edition KIT KAT Valentine pack, exclusive at Shell.”  

A long weekend has allowed my foodie friends and I to explore this part of town and give Señor Pollo a try.  Señor Pollo is located at F7 Building along Scout Rallos. The first floor is the counter where you order your food before you get seated on the second floor, which is the bar and dining area. 

Note: This restaurant is already closed.  I found out about this small Korean cafe in the middle of Ortigas from Instagram, and I have been wanting to try this place for the longest time.  Cafe Flafe is a flower shop and cafe in one. It is amazing how they decorated the limited space to a garden-like environment, decorated with real flowers. 

I had the chance to finally try NIU by Vikings with my fellow foodie Lovelee .  NIU is the upscale buffet concept of Vikings, the fast-rising buffet restaurant brand in Manila.  Upon entering the restaurant, it felt like we were transported to a posh hotel. The staff was very helpful in assisting us to our reserved table. Vast seemed like an understatement to describe NIU's buffet spread.  There's a lot of choices for freshly-baked bread, cold cuts, cheese, salad, and other appetizers. 

How time flies when you’re having fun!  Wee Nam Kee is now celebrating its’ 5th year of operations in the Philippines. And as a way to thank all you Singaporean cuisine fanatics, they are launching a Php 299 Unli Hainanese Chicken Promotion where you can enjoy unlimited helpings of Roast or Steamed Hainanese Chicken and Hainanese Chicken Rice for only Php 299 per person valid for dine-in transactions from February 9 to 13, 2015 only! (Other terms & conditions apply)

One of the things I wanted to try after my trip to Thailand is to cook Pad Thai at home. I took a short cooking course in Chiang Mai and realized that Pad Thai was very easy to cook. :) Luckily, Thai rice noodles can be found in most groceries. I bought Real Thai brand in SM Supermarket for around Php 90, and it could last you at least 5 servings of Pad Thai.  Ingredients: 2 tbsp cooking oil 1 tsp sugar 2 tsp fish sauce 3 tsp oyster sauce 1 cup of water 2-3 pieces garlic, chopped 1 piece tofu, cubed 100 grams bean sprouts 1 stalk chive, cut into 1-inch 50 g chopped chicken 200 g rice noodles (soak in water before cooking) 1 egg shrimps, deshelled (optional)

Say hello to my newest favorite hangout: Toby's Estate Ortigas . :) Toby's Estate's newest branch has opened last January 17 at along Ruby Road in Ortigas Center. Fortunately, a few meters away from my current workplace (yay!). What's not to love about this place? Toby's Estate Ortigas is one of the most spacious coffee shops I have visited. It has this industrial yet homey ambiance that would make you sit and enjoy your coffee even for a few minutes. 

Update: As of March 2020, Tweedle Book Cafe has rebranded to an events place called Tweedle Book Hub  Manila is full of amazing cafes for coffee lovers or people who try to be coffee lovers. I myself love hanging in cafes, but I notice that most places are not really ideal for reading. Glad somebody thought of opening a library cafe for bookworms like me: Tweedle Book Cafe . Tweedle Book Cafe is the newly-opened library cafe near Tomas Morato, Quezon City. The place actually has books you can borrow and read while you're enjoying a cup of coffee, hot chocolate, or any of their pasta dishes and desserts. 

Note: This location is already closed.  The recent trip to Thailand made me appreciate Thai cuisine more. Even when I got home, my tastebuds were missing the spicy and sweet flavors of this delicate cuisine. A meetup with a good friend convinced me to satisfy the longing and headed out to Soi (or "street" in Thai).  Soi is a sister restaurant of Oody's, a delicious Thai restaurant located in Greenbelt I have visited way before I started blogging.  Since we weren't very hungry, we shared a Shrimp Pad Thai (Php 298), along with Chicken with Green Curry Rice Topping .  Shrimp Pad Thai Chicken in Green Curry Rice Topping I was impressed with how the Pad Thai was presented but was disappointed to find it seasoned with chili. After taking up a short Thai cooking course , I learned that Pad Thai isn't prepared spicy but should be served with chili flakes and sugar on the side for the eater to the season to his or her taste. Still, it wa