Crimson Hotel: Dinner Buffet at Cafe Eight

After a short afternoon tea at Crimson Hotel, we were famished with all the gabbing, and stayed long enough for the dinner buffet at Cafe Eight. Jane's daughters left, and was replaced by her husband Jeff, a.k.a. Kap. The night was still young, and dinner is always a good excuse to hang around a buffet table, so with that in mind, we proceeded to the cafe-cum-restaurant.

Pinky Up! Dainty Afternoon Tea at Crimson Hotel

As most of my friends know, I was born and grew up in Dubai, spending most of my life being surrounded by Brits. I went to an English school, revered Remembrance Sunday by wearing a Royal British Legion poppy and donating to the Poppy Appeal, celebrated Mother's Day on the last Sunday of March (also called Mothering Sunday), and stuffed myself silly with mince pie and Welsh cakes whenever Christmas rolled around. Making the move to Manila was hard for me, but like most kids, I learned to adapt. But what I really missed the most about my old life, was tea time.

Tea time is a magical twilight hour for little girls (and even grown ones!), where they sit at home or in posh hotel lobbies with their mom - dad can sometimes make an appearance, too - patiently waiting for their handsome server to appear with a pot of Earl Grey and dainty teacups along with tiers of little scones, French pastries, mini cakes, cookies, and finger sandwiches. Which is why I'm not only ecstatic seeing the tea revolution currently starting in the Philippines, but I am overjoyed that places like the Crimson Hotel offer affordable tea sets for two, for only P550++.

Bulgogi Brothers Spices Up Their Menu #7NewKoreanClassics

One of my favorite restaurants of The Bistro Group (aside from Village Tavern) is Bulgogi Brothers! I love this accessible Korean BBQ joint, with the Korean wines, the heart-shaped beef patties, and other dishes that are friendly to the non-Korean Western palate. But with the release of their 7 New Korean Classics, they've definitely taken it up a notch in the spice department - which is just the way I like it!

My foodie fambam and I met up at Bulgogi Brothers' Greenbelt branch to check out the new line up of dishes - everything from crunchy Korean fried chicken to the latest US-grade beef cuts one can cook (or have somebody else cook!) on the grill top.

Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ Going Japanese Casual at Watami
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa

Midas Hotel & Casino: Taking In the Sunset Lounge

I have to say, I got the Midas Hotel & Casino pegged all wrong! What I thought to be another outdated, blah hotel is actually one of the best-designed places I've been to in this part of town. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear the Starwood people owned this!

Along the stretch of hotels along Roxas Boulevard in Pasay stands the Midas Hotel & Casino, an upscale, boutique hotel built for sassy businessmen and women, well-researched tourists, romantic couples, and the flush yuppies of Metro Manila.

So yes, it's very posh and a suite for the night here will cost you a pretty penny, but did you know that you can also enjoy some of Midas Hotel's comforts for a mere P500 per person? The Sunset Lounge is open for guests and walk-ins between the hours of 4 to 8 o'clock in the afternoon, with complimentary coffee and tea, with cocktails and food for those who wish to stay and unwind for a few hours before heading up to their suites or back to brave the crazy Manila traffic.

Midas Hotel & Casino: Yanagi Cosmopolitan Japanese Cuisine

I have a love-hate relationship with hotel buffets. I love that they have such a wide array of food to offer. I hate that my tummy can only hold a finite amount. I also hate that I always seem to panic, simply being overwhelmed with so much good food that I don't know where to head for every time I stand up for a new plate. Which is why I like small buffets that concentrate on quality versus quantity, like that of Spectrum. But thanks to The Mommist, I have now found a new favorite small buffet place that serves up excellent Japanese cuisine!

Yanagi, located at the Mezzanine at the Midas Hotel, is a Japanese buffet that doesn't feel like a Japanese buffet. Priced at a very affordable P1,088 per person, it doesn't cost like a Japanese buffet either. I thought this demanded a bit more investigation, and so a few folks from my foodie fambam and I headed over there one sunny Saturday afternoon to enjoy a spot of lunch.

Cignal's Feast of Colours Brings Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarian to Manila

I remember enjoying brunch at The National at the Benjamin Hotel over by Lexington a few years back, sitting down with foodies and chefs to a big plate of Steak & Eggs and glasses of mimosas. The general manager at the time was Filipino - a classmate of Chef Laudico way back when, as it turned out. I learned the name, Geoffrey Zakarian, from my chef friends, who said he was the name to look out for in the next couple of years, as he an up-and-coming superstar in the industry. And a season of Iron Chef later, and yes, he is a superstar.

Geoffrey Zakarian's taste, style and passion for fine cuisine have defined his storied career as an accomplished chef that has presided over some of the country's top kitchens. The chef also has a heart of gold, as he came to Manila a few days back to whip up a one-of-a-kind five-course dinner gala for the most discriminating foodies in the country, held at Sofitel Philippine Plaza called "Feast of Colours", with the proceeds of the gala going to the victims of Typhoon Haiyan.

I may not have had an extra P10,000 in my pocket to join the gala dinner, but I was one of the lucky few to get invited to the media event earlier that day to try Chef Geoffrey's take on a classic Filipino dish.

Pink Panda: Southeast Asian Diner Celebrates Its Grand Opening

I've been to Pink Panda quite a few times now, and it's fast becoming my favorite place to get my Singaporean-Indonesian-Malaysian-Filipino fix. This time around, however, I dropped by Pink Panda a few days ago to celebrate their grand opening! Has it only really been a little over a month?

It was a fun night, with lots of food going around and part-owner Erwan Heussaff carting around a trolley of booze, mixing cocktails for everyone. Fun times!

Going Japanese Casual at Watami

Being such The Bistro Group baby, I made it a point to visit the only restaurant of theirs that I haven't been to yet - Watami. Popular in Japan, this restaurant may be a dime a dozen over there, but the branches in Metro Manila can be harder to come by, although The Bistro Group did make it a point to put them in the best foodie malls in the country. Aside from the original branch at the Mall of Asia, there is also the newest one that had just open on the 6th floor of Shangri la Mall.

The Watami restaurant branch that I ended up going to was in the harder-to-find Glorietta branch, which is actually located outside of the mall, near the Holiday Inn and next to Lugang Cafe. I was going around in circles inside the mall for a good while, 'til I asked a security guard where the heck it was and finally got pointed in the right direction.

Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ Village Tavern Introduces Char-Grilled Wagyu Burgers
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa

6 Steps to Achieving the Perfect Sunkissed Tan

It's weird how we Filipinos are blessed with a beautiful golden hue and beaches a hop, skip, and a jump away, yet the majority of products we see in beauty aisles are all related to becoming unnaturally white. I remember when I was in high school, the soap in the shower was Silka Papaya, Block & White lotion was all the rage, my mom had me taking glutathione before it became all the rage, and I was to wear a jacket and tote an umbrella around no matter how hot it was outside to maintain my glow-in-the-dark complexion.

Yes, I was the "ideal color", but I wasn't happy. I looked pasty and sickly. I tried to get some color on me. I really did. But everytime I'd lie out on the beach to brown up, I just ended up turning lobster red one day and sunburned the next - no matter how much sunblock I'd slather on. I just couldn't understand it. "Was this the effect of too many whitening products?" I thought to myself. I had almost given up all hope of ever being golden like Solenn, until that trip to Cancún  a few years back where a friend of mine taught me her secret for bronzing up and staying that way - no matter what the weather.

So if you've always wanted to rock that perfect sun-kissed tan 12 months out of the year, here's what you need to do:

Magosaburo Now Serves Affordable Lunch Sets

Although the Japanese restaurant Magosaburo is known for their hedonistic (in the nicest way possible!) degustations and extravagant lava stone steak dinners, the restaurant also has filling lunch sets that not everyone is aware of. The ideal place to enjoy long, lazy lunches or executive business meals, Magosaburo's lunches aim to impress and fill you up without having to break the bank.

A Luxurious Lava Stone Steak Dinner at Magosaburo

If you're looking for a Japanese restaurant to impress your date that serves the best cuts of meats, uses only the freshest ingredients, has an amazing chef, and treats you to an all around dining experience, then bring your significant other to Magosaburo at the Fort Strip.

I had first read about Magosaburo in Anton's blog, and was so impressed that I was looking for an excuse - any excuse! - to visit the Japanese fine dining restaurant. So when my foodie fambam and I got invited to dinner there, I was as giddy as a schoolgirl, dreaming about all those prime cuts of Wagyu meats being served - the marbling, the texture, the flavor! I couldn't wait to go!

Village Tavern Introduces Char-Grilled Wagyu Burgers

As far as The Bistro Group is concerned, my favorite restaurant happens to be Village Tavern. You kind of know what to expect, but at the same time their Corporate Chef, Josh Boutwood, is always whipping up something new in the kitchen, it feels like there's always a surprise waiting for me every time I pay them a visit.

Case in point: I dropped by to say hello a couple of days back, and the next thing I know I'm sitting down and wiping my chin off with burger juice, oohing and aahing over Chef Josh's newest delectable creations - his huge char-grilled Wagyu Burgers! They were so good I almost forgot they came with a side of fat fries.

No, I'm lying. I ate most of the fries. I love fries. More fries!

Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ All Night Happy Hour at Village Tavern
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa

12 Lent-Friendly Restaurants in Metro Manila

As most of this predominantly Catholic country starts to observe the Lenten Season, people also get incredibly choosy when it comes to restaurants they dine in that don't have Lenten Specials. But Lenten Spaials aside, most restaurants here already have vegetarian and pescetarian options, and they hardly taste as boring and bland as most carnivores imagine them to be. At the very least, they all look a lot more appetizing than Jollibee's Tuna Pie!

Take Pink Panda's beautifully plated Prawn Toasties and Tom Yum Shots (P285) for instance - crispy shrimp toast canapés are paired with a red curry shrimp paste sour prawn and mushroom broth, with a plump prawn half-dunked into the broth. Take a bite of the toast, a sip of the broth, and a bite of the shrimp. It's like a Lent-friendly Asian tequila shot! And it looks so puuuuuurdy!

Here's a list of my top 12 Lent-friendly restaurants in Metro Manila in no particular order:

Italianni's Introduces Their Breakfast Creations

I had always wondered why the Italianni's at Greenbelt was always packed in the mornings. Whenever I'd happen to be in the area, I'd see businessmen and women enjoying their power breakfasts over iPad presentations, groups of Sex in the City cliques sitting down for a bit of catch up before they start their day, and expats sipping their coffees while going through the newspaper or tablets.

Until I discovered that they had breakfast meals! Other than your usual Filipino, Western, and continental favorites, Head Chef Josh Boutwood of The Bistro Group has also come up with a few Breakfast Creations to add to the menu, too. Enjoying brunch is always a great excuse to wake up early, so I bugged Jericho until he grudgingly agreed to go with me to their Bonifacio High Street branch, one of two branches that are open for the hungry breakfast crowd.

Invited by the good folks of The Bistro Group, I was lucky enough to get to try a little bit of everything. Thank goodness for that - I don't think I could handle so many eggs in one morning.

Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ All Night Happy Hour at Village Tavern
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa

Kat's Café Shares the Love of Baking in Las Piñas

It's refreshing to meet young business owners who aren't in it for the money, but instead use the business as a jumping off point for their passions in life, like Kat. I met the shy, soft-spoken owner of Kat's Café one afternoon while trying out some of the items off her menu. I appreciate how she treats her space like a food playground of sorts, experimenting with flavors and techniques, coming up with delicious discoveries, and making almost everything from scratch - right down to the bread for her sandwiches.

Jericho discovered this super cute place, and it was only a few blocks away from my building. Usually I'd expect to travel to Makati or BGC for a decent sandwich that uses artisan bread. Whoever would've thought I could have that in my own backyard and in Las Piñas, of all places?

Osaka Ohsho: Best Gyoza Place Opens in Megamall

Although I had my weekend and then some recovering from a bout of severe hyperacidity, this didn't stop me from heading over to Megamall to check out the newly opened gyoza place, Osaka Ohsho. The popular concept from Japan was brought to the sunny shores of Man-illa by the same group that brought us Wee Nam Kee, and since I was a huge fan of the Singaporean concept, I had the same expectations for this restaurant being pretty awesome, too.

Known as the #1 gyoza place in Japan, their secret-but-not-quite to success is the proprietary blend of Japanese flour they use to make the gyoza skin, keeping it thin but sturdy. That, and the obvious fact of using only the freshest ingredients to make the gyoza stuffing, ensuring the best quality Japanese dumplings.

Yee-Haw for Tex-Mex at TGIFriday's

When I accompanied a friend of mine visiting her sister in Houston, Texas, I fell head over heels in love with the food (I miss you, Cracker Barrel)! Aside from discovering the ice cream brand Blue Bell and reveling over the chalk-that-melts-in-your-mouth-what-the-hell-is-this astronaut's ice cream, I was hooked on everything Tex-Mex, which was mostly composed of seared steak, deep-fried onions and okra, lots of corn, sharp cheeses, and heaps and heaps of spicy layers of flavor like chipotle and jalapeño. And Lawdy, one plate of their food could feed four starving Asians!

That being said, you could imagine my excitement when I was invited to TGIFriday's to try out their newest Tex-Mex dishes. The TGIFriday's branch at Greenbelt had recently gotten an overhaul in the looks department as well, so I was excited to check out the new, sleek, modern interiors.

Read more on The Bistro Group's other restaurants:
★ All Night Happy Hour at Village Tavern
★ Bulgogi Brother's New Barbecue Specials
★ Modern Shanghai's Guide to the Xiao Long Bao
★ Celebrating Chinese New Year at Modern Shanghai
★ Spanish Iberico Pork Tonkatsu at Tonkatsu by Terazawa