ABBEY: I’ve seen a lot of post about Manam and I got curious on how good their Filipino dishes are. We went to their Gateway Mall 2 branch and ordered crispy palabok, bibingkang galapong and coffee.
I disregarded the delay and my follow-ups (but I hope no need for that in the future) when I saw how they serve the palabok; the crispiness is being melted with rich orange sauce from a pot. So aesthetic. And the taste is at par with its presentation. The bibingka has a fluffy and soft texture. Best paired with coffee. Authentic Pinoy merienda.
We liked the food that we visited the branch at Ayala Malls Manila Bay with our family. For lunch, we had kare kare, fried chicken, this time the black ink palabok along with the classic and beef short rib sinigang with watermelon. Yes, with watermelon. Kind of should-not-be-on-the-mix but I’m telling you it elevates the flavor. Truly Manam lives up to is mission to serve Filipino cuisine to provide good food, nostalgia, patriotism boost and comfort.
Manam’s Twist on Traditional Filipino Cuisine - From Bibingka to Watermelon Sinigang
Manam’s Twist on Traditional Filipino Cuisine - From Bibingka to Watermelon Sinigang
WILL: In Manila, the trend of all-you-can-eat buffets is widespread, with many restaurants offering similar selections. However, we were thrilled to discover something refreshingly different through Korina’s YouTube channel—Manam’s innovative twist on Filipino dishes.
Our first visit to Manam wasn’t planned. We were simply looking for a spot for Abbey’s afternoon coffee when we stumbled upon Manam’s Cubao branch. We decided to try their bibingka and palabok, and what an afternoon treat it was! The flavors were exceptional, leaving us eager for more.
Unable to resist, we returned for a meal — but now with our family. This time, we ordered a variety of dishes: the original and squid ink palabok, their renowned watermelon sinigang, kare-kare, and of course, fried chicken. Each dish was a masterpiece, showcasing Manam’s creative approach to Filipino cuisine. Their commitment to refining and reimagining traditional flavors is evident in every bite.
Manam offers great value for money and is highly recommended for those looking to experience Filipino cuisine with a twist. We can’t wait for our next visit!
ABBEY: We’ve been anticipating our visit to Blake’s Wing & Steaks as our kuya recommended it. We gathered the family there for dinner. No reservations. Our host gave us a big table enough to sit us comfortably.
Our order included nachos, chicken wings (honey chipotle, Korean Snowing Cheese, truffle parmesan), pesto and carbonara pasta, and their signature pork ribs. I like the honey chipotle as flavor didn’t overpower the taste of the chicken. The pesto pasta can improve if more basil is on it. The pork ribs are fall off the bone however don’t mistake the fat with juiciness. Also it is slathered with the sauce; like the char though. I admit we order too much and have them to go.
WILL: When chatting with my eldest brother, I asked him for a restaurant recommendation, a place he thought would be good for us to dine in. He suggested Blakes. Initially, we planned to go to the SM North branch, but its location under an escalator made it seem noisy and awkward. So, we opted for the Trinoma branch, which is more serene.
My brother was right; their servings are huge! Haha. Now, how's the taste? It appears that every dish is excessively sweet, especially their Blakes Signature Pork Ribs. I only took two bites and gave up on it. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the flavored chicken and pesto pasta.
Is it recommendable? Definitely worth a try.
***
Blake's Wings & Steaks
(W) blakes.ph
(H) 10AM – 9PM
(A) Level 1, Garden Restaurants, TriNoma, EDSA, cor North Ave, Bagong Pag-asa, Quezon City
ABBEY: Once you enter Dear Joe, it feels like you've been transported to a patio shaded by the surrounding plants, creating a very homey atmosphere.
I ordered their mango drink, and the sweetness of the fruit's aroma filled my nose as I approached the counter. It didn't disappoint; it was sweet, cold, and had just the right amount of sourness.
In addition to their drinks, Dear Joe also offers cakes, cronuts, brownies, and muffins.
My curiosity was piqued by the wax-sealed envelope on the wall. Apparently, you can send snail mail right from Dear Joe. How nice! You can enjoy the cafe experience, write about it, and send your thoughts to your friends.
WILL: I am astounded by the café scene in Manila today. There are many new players offering a variety of coffees and drinks to their diners. One of the cafés that caught my attention is Dear Joe.
The ambiance of the surroundings is quite homely. It feels as if you are visiting a friend's house. They also have a unique concept of writing and sending letters. They provide you with everything you need: cards, envelopes, and even free postage for your letters all around the Philippines.
Now, let's talk about their drinks. I went there to try their fruit smoothies, and it seems like they excel in selecting the finest fruits for their customers. I made sure to check if they had added sugar to my dragon fruit drink, and they confirmed that they didn't. It's all-natural.
Dear Joe is a truly unique café. If you're looking for a place to relax, make sure to visit Dear Joe and support local businesses!
ABBEY: I really want to try Red’s Fried Chicken not only because I’m craving for chicken but also to support the business of our friend. We opted for thigh and leg buckets but both of them has original flavors only and the latter is sold out. So we got the flavoured wings.
For Php 699 we have 30 pieces of wings in these sauces: butter, garlic parmesan, honey-glazed, salted egg, and Sriracha. Perfect for dinner along with friends.
The business chat replies quickly and ensure that our order is correct. The meat is tender and cooked just right. I liked the sriracha for the heat and garlic parmesan for indulgence without guilt. Hahaha.
Discover Red's Fried Chicken: A Crispy Adventure Supporting a New Business in the Philippines
WILL: Abbey is a chicken lover, but due to the recent steep increase in chicken prices in Singapore, we've been buying chicken less frequently for our meals, even when dining out. This is the primary reason we treated ourselves to fried chicken during our vacation in the Philippines.
We opted for Red's Chicken, which is owned by one of our schoolmates. Supporting local businesses is something we take pleasure in.
So, how was it?
Price Point: A set of 30 pieces of flavored fried chicken for only Php699 is quite affordable, especially for larger groups.
Communication: The communication regarding payment and delivery was straightforward and efficient.
Taste: The chicken was wonderfully crispy, and the flavors were satisfying, leaving you craving for more.
We wholeheartedly recommend it! We hope that both the quality and price will remain consistent, despite the ongoing trend of rising inflation.
***
Red's Fried Chicken
(W) https://www.facebook.com/redsfriedchicken/
(H)
(A) 9-J Nightingale street corner Skylark, Zabarte Subdivision Brgy Kaligayahan, Quezon City, Philippines, 1124
The only difference I observed between sans rival and silvanas is that silvanas are mini versions of sans rival. The ingredients are the same.
Ingredients:
Merengue
3 egg whites
1/2 cup cashew nuts (crushed)
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vinegar pr 1/2 tsp lemon
Corn flour (optional)
Buttercream
3 egg yolks
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (softened)
1 tsp vanilla
Note: Adjust the sugar and butter to liking.
Merengue:
Beat the egg whites until frothy then add the vinegar (lemon).
Gradually add the sugar and beat until medium peaks are formed.
Fold in the cashews and put the mixture in a piping bag.
Trace circles (2-3 inch in diameter) and flatten it.
Bake for 45 mins at 160C or until lightly brown.
Buttercream:
Mix egg yolks and sugar in double boiler until sugar is dissolved.
Remove from heat and beat until light and fluffy.
Add the butter (in batches) then add the vanilla and continue beating until the color becomes light.
Assemble the silvana by alternating merengue and thinlayer of buttercream. Cover it with remaining buttercream and garnish with roughly chopped cashews or crushed graham crackers.
WILL:Abbey was bombarded by my side comments how silvanas will make me extra happy. Yihee. Well, it took months for him to clear up his schedule and bale it for me. Well, the main point is…he still do it… ha!ha!
The taste? It is the higher/better version of what my Nanay used to buy at Minute Burger. The cashew bits are prominently everywhere in this silvanas. Love it! The crust is crispy yet gooey (do you understand me right? Abbey is now a seasoned baker haha!
ABBEY: We’re looking for a place to catch up with our nephews and nieces and Mama Lou’s provided just that. We talked about their careers and lovelife over dinner.
We got two pizzas (spinach and goat cheese and pepperoni), three pasta (Vesuvio, ravioli spinach, and truffle) and fried chicken. I recommend Vesuvio not only with the beautiful presentation but also with flavor and the kick at every scoop. The raviolis are creamy and the chicken is crispy and juicy. As with the pizza they are good; dough and toppings-wise. Good thing we went there early before a long queue built up.
Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen - Ayala Malls Vertis North
WILL: Trinoma is just unlikely to be the same as before. It feels that the mall is gloomy and lost it glory. It is crowded too! Luckily I found Vertis North Mall that housed many new restaurants like Mama Lou’s.
We waited 30mins to have a seat and immediately order the things that appetized my eyes. For pizza we had Pepperoni and pizza with goat cheese. For pasta we had Vesuvio, Lucio’s Truffle Pasta and Ravioli Spinach. We also had a basket of Fried Chicken. Amongst all, we ordered Quattro Formaggi and Vesuvio! The pizza tastes nearing in blue cheese side. The Vesuvio’s pasta is perfectly standing in a bath of sauce!
Delighted we chose to dine and have a catch-up with my nephews and nieces here in Mama Lou’s! It not only offered us a good food but a homey feeling too!
***
Mama Lou's Italian Kitchen - Vertis North
(W) https://www.mamalous.com/en/
(H) 11AM - 8PM
(A) Vertis North, Ground Floor, Ayala Malls, Quezon City, 1105 Metro Manila, Philippines
ABBEY: We were looking for Pinoy cuisine and we found Guevarra’s. For Php699.00, you can have a delicious lunch buffet. They do have lechon, bacon bagnet, angus tapa, baby back ribs, chicken barbecue, laing, paella, caldereta, and chicken skin.
For dessert, you can enjoy choco pudding, halo halo, flan, and cakes. I keep coming for more lechon and baby back ribs; falls of the bone and melts in your mouth. Be sure to eat as much as you want. They are strict in sitting times as another batch will be served after you.
Only later we knew that Chef Laudico is a celebrity chef. Celebrity or not, the food is great. End of story. Haha.
WILL: If you are an expat that didn’t have a chance to visit Philippines due to COVID there’s a possibility that you really do miss to indulge in authentic Filipino cuisine. And when we say indulge it means that it should be unlimited food with a fair cost (stingy mode) right? I have seen Guevarra’s Lunch Buffet and we were shocked that it only cost Php699 Nett (USD 11.86) and it was tucked away in a quite secluded neighbourhood of San Juan.
So without further words, I would say that this is totally recommended. I love their sisig in shot glasses, kare-kare, baby back ribs, laing and their ensaymada! Ahhm, not so happy with their paella.
I would love take out some of their whole cakes but we are bound to another location. The seats are very limited so please do make an advance reservation.
***
Chef Laudico Guevarra's Late Lunch Buffet -- Php699(NETT)
(W) https://guevarras.com
(H) Late Lunch (Weekdays only) - 2:30 to 4:30pm
(A) 387 P. Guevarra St, cor Argonne, San Juan, Metro Manila
ABBEY:The first time we went to Spiral Buffet I admit I don’t know much about other cuisines. And I’m not keen on exploring.
I stick to what I know and I assume what’s delicious; Filipino foods like sinigang, mechado, pork belly, tempura or anything fried. I felt during that time that it’s worth for what I paid for. Little did I know that there’s a big food world out there.
So we prepared for a second visit; this time armed with Php3900 and knowledge about what to eat and try at the restaurant.
I had lamb, sausages, curacha, sashimi, grilled squid, prawns, dumplings, roast beef, and butter chicken. I even curated my own charcuterie board with aged cheddar, salami, gouda pesto cheese. Our dessert is choco and vanilla ice cream, bibingka and puto bumbong.
Now I can say that I redeemed myself “against” Spiral Buffet. No tables were unturned. Haha.
LEGENDARY All You Can Eat Buffet in Manila Philippines - Spiral Buffet Review
WILL: We had our first lunch buffet in Spiral last 2010. That is the first time I experienced food coma, haha! But there’s unsatisfied moment when Abbey realized that we didn’t ate the food we should have eaten. So we are coming for dinner for our BUFFET REVENGE!
Once the food counters opened, I immediately went to their cheese room and requested aged cheese as my appetizer. Then went to live station for lobster and curacha. For my second serving, I went for sausages and dumplings. Then back to lobster and curacha again. Next is the salmon and tuna and some pizza cheese slices. Then cheese room again for some blue cheese. Lastly, puto bumbong, ice cream and bibingka sealed my night.
That “revenge” cost Php3,900/pax. Is it worth it? Definitely! The seafood is guaranteed fresh! How do I know? Abbey will flare up once the fish and crustaceans are not fresh. He didn’t! So, that is the price of the food with quality!
ABBEY: I want pork barbecue. And with the BBQ pits closed, the craving intensified. Good thing we found Lutong Ina. We got pork barbecue in skewers, isaw (pork intestines), grilled hotdog and Pansit Malabon (palabok but from Malabon?) :)
For a total of SGD, craving satisfied. I indulged in the Pinoy version of BBQ even the vinegar dip. Parang bumili ka sa kanto. I thought the isaw is of chicken but it is not. I’ll just say I’m not a fan of pork intestine. The pansit is savory; just make sure to mix it well and drizzle it with calamansi. Felt like home when we feast on them.
WILL: Abbey is having this inihaw (grilled) cravings and I am quite love to have this isaw (intestine) as our dinner for that weekend. On our search we found Lutong Ina which is serving both dishes.
Sembawang MRT is the meet-up place and when they handed us the package, the common aroma of inihaw made our stomach churn.
Our orders:
10pcs - Pork BBQ
5pcs - Pork Isaw
1 tub - Pancit Malabon
1pc - Grilled TJ hotdog
The vinegar dip is amazing, the common taste street food dip. Pork BBQ - quite chewy but the marinate is amazing. Pork Isaw - smells…hmmm isaw?! hehe, Pancit Malabon is just fine, nothing special. Recommended for you to try! Their price is quite reasonable too.
WILL: COVID-19 really alters everyone’s life. The three hour flight from Singapore to Manila became a “NO WAY”. We are missing our loved ones of course but for safety of all we intended to stay here in Singapore.
Aside from people, of course you will miss food that you are fond of eating since your childhood and one of those is TAHO. Taho is silken tofu with black sweet syrup.
Second Serving located at Tai Seng is the answer for our Taho cravings. It feels like I was thrown back into my childhood. Haha. I like it to be hot but i love it when it is COLD! You may see me hoarding more than 5cups of taho. Haha. That is for my COLD Taho fix.
ABBEY: Potato Corner fries is a luxury when I was in high school. Either I have a cup of flavored potatoes or risk buying materials for school projects. Good thing they expanded their business here in Singapore. For less than 3SGD you can have a “large” cup of fries with a flavor of your choosing. Or splurge with 4 flavors with their Tera size at almost 11SGD.
We chose the middle: Mega (5.7SGD for 2 flavors) and always choose truffle and wasabi. Bit of advice: choose large or mega. The large is not large at all and definitely you’ll be wanting for more.
Potato Corner Singapore Wacky Wasabi and Creamy Truffles
WILL: Time flies! Fast! And now, Potato Corner’s first Singapore Branch turned 1! Happy 1st Anniversary Potato Corner Singapore!
This french fries brings back memories of my High School days. It costs Php15.00 for a small packet but you will still buy it because it is somewhat addictive haha!
Glad that they have new flavours like Wasabi and Truffle. My new favourites. It really replicates the flavours of the two. Their bucket-like packaging gives a good grip. Designed to munch tge fries while roaming around the mall or park. A perfect partner with your milkteas!
More anniversaries and branches in Singapore to come, Potato Corner!
ABBEY: After a relaxing massage, we fill our tummy with food from Denny’s. We sat on a booth just like in a diner. I ordered one of their classic items: Denny’s fried chicken. It comes with three pieces of chicken, steamed rice and gravy. The chicken were on the burnt side but they were crispy. The meat is moist though. Have chicken, rice and gravy on every spoonful for complete flavor.
Denny’s TriNoma Spicy Sriracha Burger
Denny’s TriNoma MENU
Denny’s TriNoma MENU
Denny’s Fried Chicken
WILL: I am craving for a good beef burger after our massage and found Dennys along TriNoma’s rooftop garden.
The beef patty is shockingly flavourful and juicy. The distinctive milky taste of it burst in every bite! I asked Abbey to try it for him to confirm my delight on that meal! Hehe. It is not that spicy.
A nice place to bring along your date for a fancy and restaurant grade fastfood meal.
ABBEY: This is one of Wilma’s request for me to bring her after my Pinas trip. A box of 20 1-inch cubes is Php 140. Yup, Php 7 per piece. It is best to eat along with your coffee or tea. Reheating it in microwave can give you the same feel when you bought it. More on the sweet side and less of mungbean itself. But who cares? The “essence” is there. Haha.
Bakers’ Fair Dice Mongo
WILL: When I was in college and I am running out of budget, I will dropped by at Grand Central Caloocan or at Doroteo Jose branch of Bakers’ Fair and buy Dice Mongo. One day, I missed it! And Abbey, my personal genie, grant my wish. Haha!
Creaminess of its munggo filling satisfied my cravings! Sweet, hot and and a little bit crunchy from the outside. Lovely! It is quite expensive now but still, a good fix to have once in a while.
ABBEY: A cake from Becky’s Kitchen is always a “go to” pasalubong of Wilma. And it is on the top of the list that she gave me for the things I need to buy from Pinas. Aside from the cake she added Victoria’s Secret cupcakes.
The cupcakes were sold for Php 365 a dozen while a whole cake costs Php 600.
At last I set my foot at Becky’s Kitchen. Grab can definitely bring you anywhere. Hahaha.
The cupcake is brazo de Mercedes in a cup. The meringue didn’t deflate after all the time it traveled. It is not too sweet also.
Now I know why Wilma really like the cake. The icing is not your ordinary icing. It is almost like candy; semi-hard that gives the crunchy texture but melts in your mouth. The chocolate cake is not too overpowering but complements well with the toffee crunch.
Both the cupcake and the cake should be taken moderately and with unsweetened hot drink.
Becky's Kitchen - Victoria’s Secret Cupcake
Becky's Kitchen - Swiss Chocolate Cake
WILL: I am surprised that this will be Abbey’s first time to taste Becky’s Swiss Chocolate Cake. Gosh! Sorry baby! Hehe.
So what’s the good thing with Becky’s Swiss Chocolate Cake that I keep on craving for? Let’s start at its core.. the toffee nut gives the chewy texture that and melts in your mouth sweetness. The cake that enveloped the core reminds me of the brownies that my godmother used to sell at schools. And to top it all, the icing. I am not fond of any icings but this one is not too sweet but gives some crackles, it seems that there are unmelted sugars in it.
My first time to taste Becky’s Victoria’s Secret, well, this is a brazo de mercedes in a cupcake. It is soft of course and sweet but lacking texture. It is just plain soft. Hehe.
So do not settle for a mango-mango cake, if you are around the Valle Verde or Manila drop by at Becky’s!
