My parents treated us to lunch at their SM Southmall branch. At the weekday lunch price of Php 549, it's a better option than Yabu next door which charges the same amount for just one dish.

The marinated meat section was a hit along with their sushi and maki options - the rice used was really good so there wasn't a maki or sushi I met that I didn't like!

Not so great were the katsu and the furai, but their cooked Korean menu options were not bad (at least the few that I tried).

Dessert wasn't bad either, though not spectacular which was okay since I was too full by the end of it to appreciate flavoured mousse.

This is now definitely on my list of places to come back to the next time we're in Manila.

Sweet Bella Cafe

After the rather lacklustre lunch at 1521, we decided to move to Sweet Bella Cafe across the street for dessert.

A friend treated us so I was not able to take note of the prices, but here are the descriptions as taken from their Facebook page:

Mi Camille

Belgian milk chocolate mousse layered with hazelnut praline and french biscuit on almond praline crust.

Strawberry Cheesecake

New York style cheesecake with a hint of lemon topped with fresh strawberries.

Chocolata

Moist chocolate cake layered with rich ganache topped with chocolate glass.

We liked all of them! It fittingly provided a sweet ending and saved the day.

1521

Earl and I were in Manila two weeks ago for a short vacation and met up with friends at 1521 in Burgos Circle.

They recommended that we order the Talong Mo Kay Tulfo (Php 280) which is basically fried eggplant stuffed with sisig. We decided to order two of these which was a mistake. Most of us concluded that this dish is more eggplant than it is sisig. We should have tried something else.

We also got the Pinakbet-ter Than Best (Php 245) - definitely not the best pinakbet we've ever had. We've had better elsewhere so we felt that for a simple dish of mixed vegetables sautéed in local anchovies, pork and prawns, this was overpriced.

Lastly, we had the Sinigang na Lechon Kawali (Php 325). This sounded promising since tamarind soup is a favourite of Earl's and it's mixed with fried pork belly which I love. Sadly, this too was disappointing as the tamarind soup was way too sour.

Unless the meal were free, we won't be coming back anytime soon since we can get better food elsewhere at prices much lower than what they are charging.

Tokyo Café

Whenever Earl and I feel like having a somewhat healthier lunch, we usually end up in a Japanese restaurant. This meal was at their SM Southmall branch:

Teriyaki Chicken Salad - Php 188

Creamy dressings are not synonymous with losing weight, but I'm just not too fond of vinaigrette. So this salad fit the bill for our "vegetable" requirement and was neither bland nor too salty.

Salmon Cream Pasta - Php 252

I'm a sucker for smoked salmon so when I saw this on the menu, I just had to order it. Also falls under the "lean protein with omega-3" category (hahaha!). It wasn't bad though I added Parmesan cheese to give it more oomph. Also, should have separated the salmon from the hot pasta first as the heat cooked it through.

Ten-Ju - Php 248

Basically their shrimp tempura bento box. It was better than a lot of other tempuras we've tried - and we've had quite a few since Earl will always order shrimp tempura without fail in every Japanese restaurant we go to.

Scorecard: In the same price range as Tempura Grill, but also serves pizza. A good option if you can't decide between Japanese and Western cuisine as this place combines both.

UNIQLO in Manila

They opened yesterday and here's what the line looked like at around 3 PM today:

Phat Wong

I've always wanted to try Chef Ariel Manuel's restaurant Lolo Dad's, but their prices are a little steep for our pockets. So when I read about his new venture for the budget conscious, we headed to Makati to try it out.

For this lunch, I was with my mother and sister and here's what we ordered:

Shrimps, Pomelo and Young Coconut,Coconut Milk and Lime Dressing - Php 270

Best described as interesting since we've never had this salad presented in a whole coconut cup before. But in case you're partial to pomelo chunks when it comes to this Vietnamese dish (like my Mom), you won't find it here. And though we all prefer the Pho Hoa version, it's not a bad choice if you're in the mood for something light.

Phad Thai Omelet - Php 240

If you're not a heavy eater and you'll be ordering other things from the menu, then this is good enough for three. We asked for the chili to placed on the side as I'm not fond of anything spicy, but Mom said it tasted much better with it than without it. My sister tried the sauce and it was way too hot for her liking.

Blue Crab with Crab Fat on Lemongrass Dumpling - Php 180

This was nice though we wish it had been smothered in crab fat. Yup, we're not exactly healthy eaters - hahaha!

Pinoy Duck Mami Shredded Duck Meat, Boiled Duck Egg, Spring Onions and Roasted Garlic - Php 255

Both Mom and sibling found this soup to be very salty but I didn't. Maybe because I was recovering from the flu at the time and my taste buds were not up to scratch?

Grilled Baby Back Ribs Tocino In Garlic and Vinegar Sauce - Php 325

For me, I would not mind having this for breakfast though I was expecting it to be a little bit on the softer side. Probably it's because I automatically associate melt-in-your-mouth tender whenever I think of baby back ribs.

Menu

The verdict? If you're in the area, it's not a bad place to stop by.

Burgoo

I once went through a Buffalo Chicken stage. Basically, it was a quest to find the restaurant that served this dish best and the winner, according to my taste buds, is Burgoo.

They recently opened a branch at SM Southmall and we took the opportunity to treat my parents and sister who had never tried this place before.

Manhattan's Best - Php 395 (Regular)

The dressing was a little too light for me as I tend to favor thick and strong flavored dressings.

Supreme Sampler - Php 425 (Regular)

Well, this is what it looked like after we had dug in since I forgot to snap a photo when it was first served at our table. Earl and I usually order this as it has everything we both like.

Boneless Buffalo Chicken - Php 325 (Regular)

Ah, my favorite! My mother also liked it though she said she prefers the one at Yellow Cab.

Seafood Au Gratin - Php 375 (Regular)

My sister ordered this and while I was not too keen (anything "au gratin" reminds me of mac and cheese), it turned out to better than expected. Quite good actually.

Raspberry Cheesecake - Php 195

This was another hit, but it's a very dense cheesecake - best shared with others after a light meal.

All in all, everyone enjoyed the meal and ended with Mom planning to bring her friends there too for her birthday.

Ramen X

Another new addition to the South dining scene is Ramen X. Located at the new wing of the Alabang Town Center, both Earl and I have decided that it's worth the trip to the third floor if you're in the mood for reasonably cheap eats.

Fried Gyoza - Php 59
Gyudon Rice Bowl - Php 99

Green Apple Soda - Php 50
Ebi Tempura Rice Bowl - Php 109

The apple soda actually had the taste of apples (unlike the one we tried at Hapadog) and both rice bowls came with a complimentary bowl of soup. And typical of free soups, it was more like watery chicken broth...

The rice bowls were not bad, though I prefer the Beef Misono over at Tokyo Tokyo to the Gyudon Rice Bowl, and Earl thinks the tempura served over at Tempura Grill is better. But in my opinion, I liked Ramen X's tempura compared to a lot others we've tried. What we did agree on was that the rice bowls had more rice than toppings so we eneded up ordering another appetizer:

Ebi Tempura - Php 99

What Earl really enjoyed was the ramen which had a rather generous serving size:

Karaage Ramen - Php 99

As I've mentioned, there are better versions of these dishes, but for the price it's a nice alternative to the usually pricey Japanese restaurants.

Café Mary Grace

In years past, I used to frequent bazaars and would usually see the Mary Grace booth selling mostly ensaymadas. They then expanded to mall booths and have since put up a café. It made me wonder, are their pastries that spectacular? It took awhile for me to try their ensaymada as it's not my favorite snack, but once I finally succumbed, I understood. It was really good!

I've since gone on to try their other menu items and my current favorite is their Black Velvet Cake - this is the dessert I buy whenever I need to give a gift or contribute to a potluck meal.

Black Velvet Cake - Php 100

Apple Cinnamon Iced Tea - Php 75

Think of a really rich, moist chocolate cake slathered in cream cheese frosting - this always makes me forget that I should be on a diet! I paired it with their Apple Cinnamon Iced Tea for something light to counter the decadence. Take note that I have a humongous sweet tooth which means that my tolerance for sugar is higher than most. Here are the other things we ordered:

Three Cheese Ensaymada - Php 163

Everyone who I've introduced this ensaymada to has loved it. It's a no-fail, albeit expensive, merienda to feast on. There's also a Laguna Cheese version which is equally as good.

Muscovado & Chocolate Coffee - Php 124

Our friend Jojo ordered this and liked it. Along with the ensaymada, it made him wonder why he had never tried Café Mary Grace before.

There are no pictures, but worth mentioning, Earl had the Tsoknut Chocolate (Php 80) which is basically native cocoa infused with a locally popular chocolate and peanut candy called Choc Nut. We both agreed that the hot chocolate tasted like the liquid version of the grounded peanut treat. Abbie, on the other hand had the Peppermint and Fruits Iced Tea (Php 75), which she liked but said that it does not go with the Black Velvet Cake.

Hapadog

Another newly opened establishment at the Alabang Town Center is Hapadog.

Since both Earl and I are fond of Japanese cuisine and I love sausages, I was very interested in trying out their menu. The perfect opportunity came when we watched The Avengers last week and we trooped over with friends to buy snacks for the movie.

First of all, this is like a hamburger - eat with care as it's messy! I'm a klutz so it was no surprise when my first bite had the toppings falling on my shirt. And only after a few adjustments was I finally able to munch without getting sloppy and concentrate on what I was eating.

Hapadog - Php 175

Korokke Dog - Php 165

The Korokke Dog had a nice soft crunch to it thanks to what seemed to be fried mashed potato coating, but other than that we uninanimously decided that Smokey's Hotdogs tasted much better. Not to mention they're cheaper too.

Hmmm... In theory, it looks and sounds appetizing, but the reality is unfortunately the opposite. The problem was the hotdog itself. It's like a cake - no matter how nicely decorated, if it doesn't taste that great, then it will not matter how it looks. My suggestion? Change the sausage to come up with a better end product.

Lychee Iced Tea - Php 55

Ramune Apple - Php 85

What was nice was the Lychee Iced Tea - definitely light and refreshing with an actual lychee dropped in. The Ramune, on the other hand, is basically Japanese soda (we got the apple flavor) that reminded me of a fruity version of Sprite. Interesting is probably the most that I can say about this drink. It can be either good or bad depending on your taste.