I don’t think we have any friends who don’t like to eat. What would we do with them? Our social life revolves around meals and drinks, and if you don’t appreciate either, I’m not sure conversation would be enough 🙂 Haha!
Spicy salmon
Of course we let our dear friends drag us to their favorite Japanese restaurant. Nihonbashi Tei in Pasay Road is famous for its relatively inexpensive Japanese fare, so accessible that our friends go through week-long binges at this place.
Pickled squid
Pakibalot Panciteria‘s pancit canton was recently ranked #2 by Spot.ph so I knew it was a place I wanted to visit the next time I was in Manila. Of course the pancit never made it to my photos because I got too excited again, but I did manage to capture some of their other specialties.
Tokwa’t Baboy (Fried Tofu and Fried Pork Belly)
I always enjoy a good Tokwa’t Baboy. To me the quality of fried tofu is a testament to the skill of the chef as it’s very easy to over- and undercook firm tofu and end up with either a soggy mess that could use a little more browning, or tough squares that have long lost their touch. Pakibalot hit the spot right here with a perfect crunch while remaining tender inside to soak in the delicious sauce.
Chop suey with lechon
They do offer vegetables on the menu but with a Filipino touch of fatty meat stirred along with it. Of course! Continue reading
I made sure Mr. Jones was on my list of restaurants to visit during a recent trip to Manila. Friends raved about their beef tapa, burgers, and milkshakes. They sang praises for the truffled mac n’cheese and challah french toast and I would drool every time someone posted a photo online. I knew I had to go.
Fortunately we had friends who were fanatics and knew the menu well. Unfortunately, we each only had one digestive system so we couldn’t order everything I wanted to try.
The evening began with a Banana Cream Pie Milkshake which reminded me of a liquified Magnolia Banana Pudding. Not too sweet and made with love. I was too eager to consume it that it didn’t live long enough for a photo, but there was more in Mr. Jones’ arsenal to cover.
Tapa and Garlic Overload
The main reason I made sure to go to Mr. Jones was for their famous Tapa and Garlic overload, a fancy take on the Filipino breakfast tapsilog, a combination of air-dried beef, fried rice, and sunny-side eggs. Usually considered a budget meal, Mr. Jones’ take on it is 2-4 times more costly than its fast food counterpart, and not because of the restaurant’s venue and ambiance. Mr. Jones makes their tapa from Yakiniku cut US Ribcap Beef, and the result is the most generous serving of beef you’ll ever have on a breakfast plate, and could quite possibly be the most tender pieces of meat you’ll ever have in the Philippines. You get what you pay for. Continue reading
New Yorkers are arrogant about pizza, and with reason. We do have the best pizza you’ll ever find outside of Italy. See? Okay, I would rephrase that to say that New Yorkers are arrogant about a particular kind of pizza, the coal-oven thin crust variety, not to be confused with Chicago’s deep dish or a hearty thick crust elsewhere. But ours is still the best. 🙂
(Read DJ’s take on Grimaldi’s, Patsy’s, DiFara’s, Rome’s Pizzeria Da Baffeto, and Sint Maarten’s La Fregate. I do love my slice!)
And so when a friend said the pizza at this restaurant in Manila was good, I was skeptical and nearly rolled my eyes. Good pizza? Surely you don’t know who you’re talking to. But wait, there was a twist. It wasn’t just pizza but PANIZZA, a supposed combination of pizza and panini, that made me even more suspicious. You must be kidding me. I knew I had to try this bipolar pie.
Rolled up panizza. The richness of the cheese combined with the crunch of the crust is the perfect accompaniment to the freshness of the greens inside.
Google it. No such listings for Panizza exist other than family trees for that Italian last name and restaurant listings from the Philippines. Is panizza truly a Filipino phenomenon? Why hasn’t anyone thought of it elsewhere? Some entrepreneurial spirit needs to read this and rock New York with panizza because it was so, so good! Continue reading
I saw it in the works. The celebrant’s husband got up from his beach bed shortly after breakfast and talked to the manager of Discovery Shores Boracay‘s Indigo Restaurant.
“What do we want?” he asked our group. We threw out some standards.
Fish!
Prawns!
Squid!
Pork belly!
The manager wrote down the requests on a piece of paper and nobody thought about it after that. In the afternoon, the staff began setting up what would be the most beautiful outdoor dinner I’ve had. You could feel all the love in it, and I have to say it was a magical evening for all.
Fancy table set-up. The staff worked all afternoon on this. You could see the love in their eyes.
The memorable dishes of the evening below:
Steamed crab over rice noodles.
