Dulcinea

It was one of those days that we were craving for Paella.  On a rainy night, we dined at Dulcinea Eastwood. Knowing us, we will not order just 1 dish.

We had the favorito meal for 150 PHP only. Tom got the beef while me, Anj and Teri ordered the Chicken a-la-King. 

The meal comes with a bowl of soup (French Onion) for that day. Which is ok. I think they should have filled the bowl more soup.

 A glass of iced tea.

And 2 pieces of cream puff which we girls loved. It was soft and the caramel adds crunch to it. It was not too sweet either and it was just right to finish off a meal.

 Of course we had the Seafood Paella (560 PHP). The rice was soft and well seasoned with Saffron, the seafood were still succulent. I loved the tutong and the egg also. The proportion was just right for 4 people...well make it 2-3 if we didn't have the favorito meal.

Dulcinea Eastwood can be found at the ground floor of Eastwood Ave near Something Fishy and KFC.

Manila Beer

The old baby is back. Manila Beer has been relaunched to the market by Asia Brewery. This beer was around during well...circa Papa's time.

With new packaging and a new image, Manila beer is expected to have a big come back.  The beer with the red label has more alcohol content at 7% than what we usually have. The light beer has 5% alcohol content.

 This provides us with more beer options when we go out since the taste is good enough for me. I'm not really a good judge of beer though but it's passable and not too bitter for me.

Diwal Surprise

I was quite happy when my mom brought me some diwal. Diwal or Angel clams are quite popular in the Panay Island but to date there are only a few left which is why it is expensive.

 Unlike oysters, that some may find slimy, there's no slime feeling in Diwal.

In order for my Mom to be able to bring this to Manila, she wrapped each shell in foil then baked it and placed it in the freezer.

When she got here, we just popped it in the oven toaster for 5 minutes and you can enjoy Diwal. This method also allows you to sip the soup from the foil which is really good.

For a better Diwal experience, come on over to the provinces in Panay island (Iloilo, Capiz, Antique and Aklan).

Ma Mon Luk Siopao

Ma Mon Luk is one of the longest running Chinese restaurant in Manila. It is quite evident with the place when you visit it At Q Ave but people will always go for their mami and siopao.

After pleading with Marlon several times what I want to eat, we both agreed to get siopao at Ma Mon Luk. We ordered the Special Siopao (55 PHP) with chicken asado, chorizo and egg inside.

What I like about this siopao is the very heavy filling. The buns are soft enough but the filling is very tasty. The asado is very close to an adobo's taste. One siopao can make me very full and can be considered in my standards as 1 full meal.

There are other things to try at Ma Mon Luk such as their beef mami and siomai.

Ma Mon Luk is located at Quezon Ave near Banawe.

Our 6th at The Gustavian

Why do I like monthsaries? I think this is the best excuse for us to eat out and the best chance also to try something new. So for our 6th, Anj suggested that we try out The Gustavian in the Eastwood Mall Veranda.

Their staff were very nice to us. We had to ask them though any specials or promos that they have since it was not initially offered to us. The interiors were simple yet it has that elegant feel to it. This must have been our 2nd romantic dinner to date and it did not disappoint.

They had a promo with their tenderloin steaks from Mondays-Thursdays. You can get the Tenderloin Steak (650 PHP) with their buy one get one free promo. Each steak comes with two side dishes and a sauce of your choice.

Marlon being a rice boy, opted for plain rice, garlic rice and mushroom sauce. He chose to have his steak medium as well. He said the steak was cooked to his liking and the sauce was great with wild mushrooms and wine. 

I opted to have my steak medium-well since I've been used to that since I was a kid. I opted for Bearnaise sauce, Caesar salad Potato Dauphinois. My steak was juicy as well without too much blood just how I like it. The Caesar dressing was a little bit on the spicy side. The potatoes were a bit hard though but I still enjoyed it with the cream and wine sauce. The sauce has to be eaten in moderation though and changes in texture if it stays in your plate. So this is ideal to be eaten quickly.

We were served with toast and white mustard spread before our meal came. It was really good. They even gave us another serving without us asking for it.

To finish our meal, we had a slice of Blueberry Cheesecake (185 PHP). I found this no bake cheesecake to have a very thin crust and very sweet. I thought it was a little overpriced since it was a no-bake cheesecake. They place a lot of blueberry though.

 I highly recommend The Gustavian for a nice and quiet evening meal. This is a place where you can get your money's worth. They also have set meals available at 420 PHP. The meal includes soup or salad, main course of beef or seafood and Creme Brulee for dessert.


Over all this was a good dinner that exactly reflect where we are in this relationship...happy.

The Gustavian can be found at the Eastwood Mall Veranda and at The Picasso in Makati.

Osonho

I finally had my chance to eat at Osonho in Eastwood after my friends have been raving about their Peri-peri chicken. Pay day has never been this magical for me.

The branch in Eastwood seems pretty quiet on a weekday with only a selected few having dinner there. Service was just ok, nothing to praise and nothing to rant about.

We got the Peri-peri Chicken (320 PHP) which was suggested by everyone. The chicken was tender and each bite is bursting with flavor. The meat was also very juicy. It comes with rice and a siding of steamed vegetables to balance out your meal. I loved the kick of the chili oil that it came with if you want your dish to be spicy. 

We also had the Stir Fried Seafood Paella (360 PHP). If you want the taste of paella but don't have the patience to wait for it, then this is the dish for you. The saffron used was just right and quite hearty with lots of seafood and egg in the dish. This doesn't have the texture of paella though since the rice seemed to be pre-cooked already and this did not come in a paella dish so there's no tutong for anyone to enjoy.

Overall I would come back for the Peri-peri chicken. I'm not sure about the other dishes since they seem so pricey.


Osonho can be found at the Eastwood Mall promenade. Pics are from Anj's iphone.

Army Navy

When I told Marlon that I'm treating him to Army Navy last sunday, he instantly replied that I get him a belt and combat boots. Of course he's referring to the Army Navy store in Iloilo Central Market where the whole city will get all their CAT and ROTC stuff. Obviously he was making "pa cute" to me since we were on a kiss and make up weekend.

Army Navy is usually the place where me and my sisters would usually eat on sundays if we're all at home since it's the most accessible restaurant from our condo in Taft.

The restaurant is boasting their burgers and burritos. The ambiance of the place has this whole military barracks concept. I think it would even be better if their staff wore their camouflage instead of black shirts to complete the military feel. The place seems to work best for yuppies and students.

Titit ordered the the Chicken Burrito (135 PHP). The size seems worth it for the price and comes with unlimited garlic sauce. I find that the burrito has a lot of rice and the chicken is being overpowered by it.

hoking our baby ordered the soft tacos (125 PHP). The chicken, salsa and parsley just worked wonders for this dish with very soft tortillas. I think it needs cheese though. This comes in 3 small sized tacos but you get very full when done.

I ordered their fried chicken (135 PHP). You get two pices of deep fried, tender chicken, rice and gravy on the side. The breading is a bit salty for my taste. The chicken was very tender though. The gravy was not that good and forgettable. I was satisfied though due to the big portion of one order.

 We got the Freedom Fries and Onion Rings (60 PHP each) on the side. The onions were a bit too thin with heavy breading. The fries were excellent though. Thinly sliced and extra crispy with the added coating.

We also ordered Libertea or Iced Tea (55 PHP for medium 65 PHP for large). This is really good. I can't exactly describe it but it's highly recommended.

 I don't have a picture of the burgers that Marlon and I ordered when we went here on a different time. The regular burger is at 135 PHP while the tripple patty Bully Boy Burger is at 235 PHP. Burgers come in black sesame buns and veggies. You may get unlimitted condiments at the counter (ketchup, mayo, mustard, hot sauce). Marlon was satisfied on how meaty was the Bully Boy. He wants more veggies on it though. Burgers were seasoned just right and grilled to perfection.

I recommend Army Navy for a good barkada lunch or dinner. The Libertea is a must try instead of just going for sode.

Army Navy is located at Taft Avenue in front of De La Salle University

World Cup Fever

The 2010 World Cup in South Africa is over. Cheers to 31 days of goals, saves, yellow cards, red cards and great team spirit. 

Congratulations to Spain for winning the World Cup for the 1st time. It was a long match against the Netherlands capped with a beautiful goal from Iniesta.

 

 I'm proud of this young guy, Thomas Müller of Germany. I have rooted for this team since the start and was also disappointed when they were beaten by Spain to settle for third place instead. I believe this young team has more to give and they were the most entertaining team this world cup. 16 goals was just amazing. I'm still rooting for the Germans in Euro 2012 and World Cup Brazil 2014.

This guy is just oozing with hotness having carried that LV case with the cup from Italy. Before he bids us farewell, he flashes that gorgeous smile while holding the cup. Ciao Fabio!

 Since this is all over, I'm going to get all the sleep I lacked from watching the games. I'm hoping the Philippines will do well in the Homeless World Cup in Brazil and will continue dreaming the someday, Philippine football has a future.

Forever 21 Opening

I barely go crazy just to shop...or that's what I think. I could barely sleep last night, excited for the Forever 21 opening in Megamall. I was really excited because of two reasons, I need to update my wardrobe and I go bitin with the sale at Zara yesterday.

 I had about 4 or 5 hours of sleep only which is really horrifying for a batugan girl like me. After 10 years of waiting for the LRT and lining up in the MRT, I finally got to Megamall.

There was a really long line already when I got there. I was lucky number 201. Anj and Tricia were the early ones who saved me a spot. They gave us 200 pesos vouchers (2 vouchers, 100 each).

 While waiting, we were checking the items inside to see if we can recognize the stuff we wanted online. Anj, spotted the sandals she wanted.

The lines to the dressing rooms were really long as well as the ones going to the cashier. We had to discard some of the items we hoarded since we cannot fit those and will return once it was calm.

 I admire SM for organizing the security, that no one will go berzerk and for maintaining the lines as well as controlling the crowd going in and out of the store. The trip was worth it, I got 5 tops for myself and a shirt for Marlon and spending 1500 PHP only. 

Pictures from Anj's iPhone.

Forever 21 is located at 2F SM Megamall.