Chef Laudico Guevarra’s

My dining experience at Bistro Filipino by Chef Laudico at Bonifacio Global City months ago was gratifying so I was really looking forward to try their Filipino buffet restaurant, Chef Laudico Guevarra’s.

Since it is our first time to go at Guevarra's last October 3, we find it difficult to locate the place--387 P. Guevarra St. cor. Argonne St., Addition Hills, San Juan. After asking for directions, we finally arrived at a white-painted ancestral house. The lighting and the garden gives it an old romantic charm.

It was hard to get a nice shot from the outside since it was raining that night.

Here are the dishes (from what I can remember):

An assortment of starters/appetizers-- radish cucumber salad, macaroni salad, steamed vegetables, longganisa, squid, lumpiang ubod, angus beef, grilled chicken, liempo, chicken skin, camote croquettes, fried danggit, calamares, seafood pizza, karnevorous pizza and vegetarian pizza.

Interesting main dishes like--fish escabeche dory, seafood ala pobre, chilli garlic alimasag, halabos na hipon, fried chicken adobo, chicken pastel, beef kaldereta and dinuguan.

They also have seafood tinola and roast angus beef.

And what a better way to cap the night--with sweets! From suman balls, maja blanca, leche flan, tablea and ice cream. Included in the buffet are the softdrinks and iced tea.

an ice-cream vendo machine!

Here’s what I had:

-          - I liked the macaroni salad even if it is sweeter than the usual macaroni salads.

-          - Black paella is good though they need to add more ingredients (It only has a small quantity of squid and egg!)

-          - The pizzas are unflavorful, cold and dry.

-          - I was expecting a different fried chicken adobo but it turned out to be fried chicken cooked in sauce that doesn’t taste like adobo at all.

-          - Chicken pastel, beef kaledereta and pinakbet bagnet were all good!

-          - Leche flan and maja blanca are both deliciously creamy.

-          - I wonder why their chocolate ice cream tastes like coffee. Ube ice cream is delicious but is sort of “watery”.

With such an ambiance, good service and extensive menu, I can say that Guevarra’s price is “affordable.”  Although with regards to taste and quality of food, Bistro Filipino is much better (in my opinion).

For prices and reservations, check their official FB page:

https://www.facebook.com/ChefLaudicoGuevarras

Here're the location based from Google maps:

https://www.google.com.ph/maps/place/Chef+Laudico+Guevarra's/@14.593011,121.033673,18z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3397c82d530b38d3:0xf0c5b574473f2f00 

Tokyo Cafe: Western dish with a Japanese twist

With its name, one would expect Tokyo Cafe to serve katsu, maki, etc.--well, they have that—but also burgers, fried chicken, pizza, and crepes among others! Curious on this eclectic menu, I researched on the internet and found out that Tokyo Cafe’s concept is “Western comfort food with a Japanese twist.”

So one Saturday evening, I decided to treat two of my friends at Tokyo Cafe’s SM Southmall branch (at the Food Street area) to try this relatively new fusion restaurant.  It has a cozy ambiance—I especially liked their Japanese-inspired ceiling lamps.  After a hard time choosing which to order because of the extensive menu, we decided to have the following:

Miso Soup – warm and light with lots of nori!

Miso Soup, PhP 65

Mango Chicken Salad – the light dressing, ripe mangoes, seedless grapes and romaine lettuce was refreshing. It has a generous amount of tasty chicken salad.

Mango Chicken Salad, PhP 230

Carbonara – classic creamy pasta with liberal servings of mozzarella cheese, bacon and mushroom.

Carbonara, PhP 250

California Maki – their version has “jam-packed” amounts of rice vis-a-vis the “tiny” crab stick, mango and cucumber at the center.

California Maki, PhP 150

Katsu-Ju – tonkatsu flavored with tempura sauce and onion leeks. It is served with scrambled egg on top of steamed rice in what they call a Ju-box. It also comes with miso soup and some vegetable sidings. The deep-fried pork cutlet is tender and lightly breaded.

Katsu-Ju set, PhP 285

And the drinks—Cranberry Juice, Cafe Jelly Smoogee (coffee jelly blended in espresso base) and Iced Green Tea (I didn’t like the leafy-bitter taste!).

Cranberry Juice, PhP 85 * Cafe Jelly Smoogee, PhP 155 * Iced Green Tea, PhP 80

Tokyo Cafe is quite expensive (maybe, that’s why there are only a few diners) but the serving size and taste is worth it. I will definitely come back and try their cakes and coffee concoctions.

For more details, visit their Facebook page:

https://www.facebook.com/tokyocafephilippines

Classic Favorites at Pancake House

Established in the 1970s, Pancake House has been a favorite in the Philippine restaurant scene. I, for one, have dined here for countless times already. As far as I can remember, I have eaten at these branches—El Molito, Robinson’s Galleria, Bonifacio High Street, Solenad 2, and Cardinal Santos Medical Center. Their branches still has that signature movie posters decor.

But do not be misled by the name, Pancake House not only serves pancakes, but they also have other offerings such as the following: (Good thing, I was able to take photos on recent visits!)

House Specials Set—Pancake House’s non-pancake specialties all in one plate! It has spaghetti with meat sauce and garlic bread, one piece pan chicken, iced tea, and a piece of their “Best Taco in Town.”  The taco consists of beef, vegetable toppings, cheese and tasty dressing.

House Specials Set, PhP 257

Sorry but my friend already grabbed the taco!

Pan Chicken Special Set – Two pieces pan chicken with gravy, tuna macaroni salad, buttered toast and ice tea. This is a full meal even without the rice. As always, the pan chicken and the tuna macaroni salad tastes good.

Pan Chicken Special Set, PhP 246

Hamburger Steak Special Set- Juicy hamburger steak with gravy, spaghetti with meat sauce, mixed vegetables (it is actually corn & carrots) and iced tea. I love their spaghetti but their hamburger steak is just okay.

Hamburger Steak Special Set, PhP 257
w/ iced tea (not seen in photo)

Arroz ala Cubana – Classic Spanish dish of sautéed ground beef served with plain white rice, fried egg and fried bananas. I maybe biased here but my mom’s version of this (her specialty) tastes better!

Arroza ala Cubana, PhP 240

Chicken Fillet w/Cheesy Spinach Pesto Linguini—This one’s a disappointment. It was so bland and they just put in a very tiny piece of chicken fillet.

Chicken Fillet w/Cheesy Spinach Pesto Linguini, PhP 235

I must say that through the years, Pancake House has maintained the taste and quality of their dishes plus the ambiance. Albeit, I find their serving sizes small—it really is for good one person only and not meant to be shared.

For more information, visit their website:

http://www.pancakehouse.com.ph/

Aling Nene Express

For most Manilenos, placing delivery orders at Aling Nene has been a tradition when you want to treat your officemates or your family with a filling lunch. And why not, this restaurant along Osmena Highway, Manila has been around since 1955 and is well known for their legendary pork barbeque.

So recently, I chose to order at Aling Nene as a birthday treat for my workmates. We asked it to be delivered in our Mandaluyong office by 11:30am to 12nn but the food arrived at 12:30pm!

Anyway, here’s what we had:

Of course, their famous Pork Barbeque! It is tender and flavorful. The accompanying “vinegar” sauce tastes great and compliments well with the barbeque.

Regular Pork Barbeque, PhP 35/piece

This one is also a must-try, the Pansit Palabok. It has generous sauce and loaded with garnishings.

Pansit Palabok, PhP 900/large bilao

Another Aling Nene cult favorite, the Lumpiang Shanghai (I loved the accompanying sauce!):

Lumpiang Shanghai, PhP 470/medium bilao

We also had the usual Pinoy fares, Kare-Kare & Chopsuey:

the still "unmixed" Kare-Kare, PhP 700/gallon

Chopsuey, PhP 425/small bilao

We just cooked our own rice to cut costs. Total bill was PhP 3,322 (inclusive of taxes, etc plus). Our orders came with two complimentary 2-liter softdrinks, but they didn't inform us, so we already bought from the store down the building. There were 14 of us and I guess serving size is big because the leftovers can still make a full dinner! I can say that Aling Nene’s is perfect for those group get-togethers—delicious yet affordable.

For more information, visit their website:

http://www.alingnenesbarbeque.com/

Eat all you can at Cabalen!

One time that I was at the cinema area of Alabang Town Center, I passed by Cabalen and saw that their regular buffet costs only PhP 298 per pax (or PhP 333.76 vat in). Since I’ve heard about Cabalen for the longest time and haven’t tried it yet, I decided to treat my mom and relatives here.

Here’s a rundown of what they offer:

The best this buffet has, is of course, the lechon de leche. This one goes out really fast. I also loved their native longganisa.

Sorry, but the lechon was gone in a flash!

Their sinigang and arroz caldo is always hot (which is good!). But I prefer my arroz caldo with egg.

What’s interesting here is the beringhe. I guess this is the Pinoy version of paella. This one’s made of sticky rice and coconut milk with some carrots, green peas, egg, chicken, sausage, etc. Another one is the crispy kangkong—my companions kept on going back for this light, snack-like dish.

Here’s a set of Kapampangan classic dishes:

Here’s the section for grilled fish, etc. I liked their pork sisig and sizzling tofu.

They also have a salad bar:

And finally, time for dessert! They have a chocolate fondue and a variety of Pinoy dessert mainstays like halo-halo, gunomis, biko, fresh & cooked banana, fresh pineapple and gelatin.

For unlimited drinks like iced tea and softdrinks, just add Php 60. Overall, service was good and hey, where can you find a buffet restaurant that can only cost you this much?

For more info, visit: www.cabalen.ph

2014 Peace Cup @ RMS

I was very excited to watch our very own Philippine Azkals battle it out against the Myanmar White Angels for the Peace Cup last September 6 at the newly-renovated Rizal Memorial Stadium. Good thing they lowered the prices—lower grandstand tickets were just Php 533.60 each.

The new all-weather surface pitch has now the FIFA-standard size. The artificial grass turf looks good too. It was a sizeable crowd with the grandstand & white bleachers section filled up.

RMS, March 2013

RMS, September 2014

I used to watch from the white bleachers section and I must say, I really loved the view from where we were seated on the grandstand. We were there early, but the first game between Chinese Taipei and Palestine went to overtime so the kick-off started at 7:35 pm.

At the eight minute, Myanmar scored a “lucky” shot with the ball hitting the pole then went inside the goal. There were scoring attempts from Bahadoran, P. Younghusband, J. Younghusband, C. Greatwhich, but in vain. It was a very intense game with even the Myanmar coach, thrown out of the game.

At the second half, the crowd went wild as Sato made the equalizer. The Philippines was able to take the lead in the 70^th minute after Phil converted from a penalty kick. Everyone thought that Azkals already have this one, but at the dying minutes of the game, the visiting team was able to score! Imagine the shock and disappointment of everyone at the stadium (Well, except for a handful of Myanmar supporters)

In overtime, Myanmar yet again scored another goal and the Philippines never recovered. Azkals GK, Muller kept on moving out of his territory. There were also errors in passing, throwing away possessions, and not too much pressure in defending. It seems to me that our coach loves to “experiment” as some of the players were not playing in their “natural” position and there were “questionable” choices on who to field in. Still, congratulations for the silver finish and I hope the Azkals will be better this coming Suzuki Cup.

North Park Noodle House @ ATC

I’ve eaten at North Park Noodle House plenty of times in the past and at different branches. It has been a favorite for lunch or dinner blow-outs for group of friends or officemates since the food here is really affordable and delicious.

And after about three years, I was finally able to eat at North Park again! Last Sunday, I treated some churchmates for late lunch at their branch in Alabang Town Center. Even if it was crowded, we were able to get a table fast.

I did not order my usual favorites sweet & sour pork, stir-fry beef broccoli and pinsec frito, as I wanted to try their other dishes.

Here’s what we had:

Manchurian Calamares, P243

Nanking Beef Noodles in Soup, P 173 (regular) –an all-time classic favorite

Yang Chow Fried Rice, P 193-an all-time classic favorite, good for about 3 people

Sweet & Sour Lapu-Lapu Fillet, P283—loved the sweet-tangy taste!

Roast Combination Platter, P 388—best if you want to have a taste of their different roast specialties like, sausage, pork, etc. Big serving.

Well, what can I say, everything still tastes great! North Park Noodles still remains as one of my go-to Chinese comfort food habit.

North Park Noodles

Ground Floor (near the Cinemas), Alabang Town Center

My #Slipstream Experience

I’m a fan of Marlon Stockinger so I was really ecstatic when I found out that Globe Telecom has cooked up an event called “Globe Slipstream” where I can see him drive his Lotus Formula race car in person! Thankfully, my friend from Globe invited me to this one-of-a-kind “experience”.

And on August 30, all roads (well, most of the roads in BGC were barricaded because of the parade) lead to Bonifacio Gobal City. My friend and I went straight to the Main Stage area in Bonifacio High Street. 

Side view of the main stage. James Deakin was one of the emcees

But I guess the Mind Museum area is the best place to be to see Marlon and the other celebrities (Dingdong Dantes, Matteo Guidicelli, to name a few) up close. 

A few minutes past 1 PM, the event started. Various fast cars, go-karts and Ducatis were paraded.

And finally, Marlon Stockinger in his Lotus Renault race car! Seeing and hearing how fast the car (and how good Marlon is) was a total rush! Thanks to the HDR function of my phone, I was able to capture this moment here:

Aside from the parade, there were also various attractions like these photo-op walls:

Ducati Displays:

And the real treat—a chance to drive (simulator only) the Lotus F1 WSR Race Car! I think this booth had longest line but the wait was definitely worth it. Since I don’t know how to drive, I had a hard time stepping on the gas or brake pedals and I find the steering wheel hard to manage, but it was lots of fun! Good thing there were coaches (I suppose they are from Lotus) to guide us.

We weren’t able to visit the other attractions like Mad Science, etc because we were so famished amd decided to have early dinner.

At 7 PM, we went to the Bonifacio High Street Ampitheater where the Outdoor Music Festival was already ongoing.

For VIP ticket holders, you get a free raincoat, a food stub for free samplers from the various kiosks (Brothers Burger, Quiznos, etc) and this awesome blinking tag:

Up Dharma Down was the most recognizable band which performed. Yolanda Moon, Dualist Inquiry, DJ joey Santos were some of the acts.

Up Dharma Down in the house!

A  foam party ensued towards the end of the concert but we didn’t join because we don’t want to get wet (kill-joys, haha).

Overall, it was a great experience! I’m hoping that Globe will organize another event like this in the near future or perhaps, an actual race J

Globe Slipstream official page: http://www.globeslipstream.ph/