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A good friend and I went to indulge ourselves with dim sum and other Chinese specialties at King Chef Dimsum Kitchen along Banawe, Quezon City.  Not to be confused with King Chef Fine Dining (which is located on the same street), King Chef Dimsum Kitchen is located at 238 Banawe Center. Chef Nicole of Nora's Homemade Frozen Delights was kind enough to tell me about King Chef's tea time, where dim sum prices are discounted. Daily tea times are from 8:00AM to 10:00AM (morning), 2:00PM to 5:00PM (afternoon) and 9:00PM to 12:00MN (late night).  We took advantage of the discounted prices and had a late-night dim sum feast. 

I was so fortunate to be one of the first to try the newest additions to Yabu's menu:  #TheYabuDonSeries The first part of the Yabu Donburi Sets includes two masterclass creations: the Salmon Don and the Katsu Curry Don. But first, I had a glass of Honshea (Php 220), one of the Yabu craft cocktails created by Erwan Heussaff . Honshea is a mild mix of sake and lemon, just enough to relax while waiting for the food.  Honshea I had the Katsu Curry Don (Php 480 for Rosu/Hire, Php 470 for Chicken).

Note: As of June 2015, Racks SM Megamall has moved to 4th Level, Bridgeway The whole family celebrated my little brother's 11th birthday at Racks last month.  Racks is a family-friendly restaurant that serves the most popular ribs in the metro. I love that they have a sizable menu which just screams that when you visit Racks, you have to try the ribs.  For starters, we had The Onion Brick (Php 245), served with spicy remoulade and barbecue sauces. The Onion Brick I love onion rings, and I love that it wasn't too oily, but I would appreciate it if it could be crispier.  For the kids (and me), we ordered Southern Fried Chicken (Php 660 for full, Php 380 for half), served with buttermilk biscuits and honey.  Southern Fried Chicken (and the birthday boy)

What is Teppanyaki? Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cooking that uses an iron griddle to cook food.  Osaka Ohsho pays homage to this authentic style of cooking by introducing the All New Teppanyaki Festival with 8 All-Original Teppanyaki Dishes last March 16, 2015.  There are 5 seafood teppanyaki dishes and 3 meat teppanyaki dishes to choose from. 1. Salmon Bacon (Php 370) Salmon Bacon Teppanyaki Fresh Norwegian salmon wrapped in premium honey cured bacon, doused in teriyaki sauce with spring onions. The bacon and the teriyaki sauce makes this dish a bit sweet, but the freshness of the salmon balances it quite well.  2. Prawn (Php 495) Prawn Teppanyaki Premium seasoned Black Tiger Prawns sauteed in butter and garlic, served with wasabi mayo dip. It took a bit of effort to deshell the prawn, but the effort was worth it. Don't forget the wasabi mayo dip, as it enhances the flavor of the prawns to a different level. 

Note: This location is already closed.  Gino's Brick Oven Pizza has finally come to Ortigas!  Owned by the same people behind Cello's Doughnuts and Dips , Gino's has become a favorite haven in the Katipunan area for pizza lovers. It has now opened branches in Makati and most recently, at the Podium in Ortigas Center.  I was impressed particularly with the live plants as wall decors. Nothing is more beautiful than nature, isn't it? Aside from the usual condiments that you see in an Italian restaurant, this peculiar pizza condiment piqued our interest: Gino's Spicy Honey. 

I have been invited to a one-of-a-kind dining experience at CRU Steakhouse at the Manila Marriott Hotel.  CRU is a global restaurant brand exclusively by Marriott Hotels that serve quality delicious steaks, other delectable dishes, and amazing desserts. CRU is open during dinner service and also serves wine to complete the gustatory experience.  We were first served the appetizers: Salmon Tartar (Php 650), Sauteed Duck Liver (Php 920), and Seared Yellow Fin Tuna (Php 650). Salmon Tartar Sauteed Duck Liver Seared Yellow Fin Tuna The Salmon Tartar was prepared tableside and served with lemon mustard dressing and EVOO. Everyone's favorite, the Sauteed Duck Liver or Foie Gras, is served with maple lemon glaze and apple chutney. The very fresh-looking Seared Yellow Fin Tuna is served with mango slaw, soy tapioca, and wasabi aioli. 

#PerfectCoke FTW!  Coca-Cola has always been a part of our family. It is not uncommon to see a bottle or two (or sometimes more) in our fridge, as our family loves pairing this refreshing drink along with our weekend lunches and meryenda. Though I'm cutting down my  But did you know that the perfect temperature for Coke is 3 degrees Celsius? How do you turn Coke into the #PerfectCoke ?  There are 2 ways! 1. Store your Coke bottles inside the cooler (or Coke barrel) with lots of ice. the Coke Barrel :)

After our healthy lunch at The Wholesome Table , my friends and I walked towards Farmacy to try their desserts. Well, one of my friends thought we were actually going to Watson's to buy meds and only realized that deception when he saw the resto signage. hehe.  Back in the old days, pharmacies or drug stores used to serve soda fountains and ice cream hence the design and name of this newly-opened dessert shop. Bar stools are available inside the resto while tables & chairs are available outside due to limited space.  Located beside Wildflour, its sister restaurant, Farmacy's menu is straightforward with only three items on their lunch menu (available from 12 noon to 6pm). 

I went back to Oriental Palace one weekend to have lunch with my friends. I was amazed by this restaurant when I first visited it a few months ago , so I was quite excited to introduce this place to my friends. We chose to sit in the shabu-shabu area, which is ideal for small groups like ours.  While waiting for our food, we were given complimentary nuts. 

After our awesome lunch at Silantro , we headed north to meet a college friend at Cafe Breton , UP Ayala Technohub. I have been to Cafe Breton several times before, but I haven't really explored their menu. It was only during this visit that I realized that they serve ice cream parfaits, milkshake, and other savory dishes apart from the coffee and crepes.  Some of us grabbed coffee (both hot and iced), while others craved for desserts. Do I have to say that I got both? :P

Note: This restaurant has been rebranded to Chicken Studio  I went back to Crazy Chicken in Marikina to get my hands on Black Listed Wings, also known as Chocolate Chicken. This flavor is not entirely sweet, with a nice kick of spiciness as you bite into it. It was so memorable that I had to drag a friend to satisfy my week-long craving for chicken wings.  While we shared a Wings Solo (Php 109) of Black Listed Chicken , we opted to try their Insanity Burgers as well. Black Listed Chicken Wings

Great mornings start with a great breakfast, because there’s nothing like waking up to the thought of having your classic favorites for your most important meal of the day.  McDonald’s once again shares the goodness of a McDonald’s breakfast through the 3rd National Breakfast Day.  On March 9, McDonald’s celebrates the “world’s biggest breakfast” where all participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide and in other countries will each give away a free McMuffin for the first 1,000 customers starting 6:00 a.m. Customers may line-up at the front counter for their free Egg McMuffin, or go for a Drive-Thru visit on their way to work. 

It is not a secret on how much I love ice cream. Moreover, I love artisanal ice cream flavors.  I was glad to be introduced to Nora's Homemade Frozen Delights , a local ice cream brand from Baguio City.  Named after Chef Nicole's grandmother, Nora's Homemade Frozen Delights proudly uses main ingredients fresh from Baguio, including the fresh cow's milk and yogurt from Baguio Dairy Farm.  Unique flavors are Good Shepherd's Alfajor and Ube, Benguet Coffee and Strawberry Frozen Yogurt. We got to try other delicious flavors such as Chocolate Campfire Marshmallows, Blueberry Cheesecake, Cookie Dough and Lychee Yogurt Sorbet.