Mercato Centrale @ Bonifacio Global City

Since my wife and I were at St. Luke's Global City for a doctor's appointment last Saturday, We decided to drop by Mercato Centrale for lunch.  We've heard about Mercato Centrale at Bonifacio Global City from a segment We saw on T.V. Ever the food lover's, We love going out in search of great tasting food with friends, family, and loved-one's. Mercato Centrale was only about two blocks away from St. Luke's Global City. We decided to take a casual walk to Mercato Centrale and arrived there a little past 12 P.M. Since they were open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. last Saturday, We only got to sample a selection of grilled items, organic fruits, and a selection of fruit drinks.  Never-the-less, We had a hearty meal and great conversation.  We'll Definitely go back for more.

Sicily, Festival Mall, Alabang

Checked-out this newly opened restaurant at Festival Mall, Alabang called Sicily.  Ever the Pizza and Pasta lover, We decided to sample their menu. The ambiance was simple, yet had a homey feel to it.  The place was painted mostly white with a touch of green accents, which was nice since you could see the cleanliness of the place and could immediately see any dirt that could accumulate on it's immaculate white tables and walls.  The tables and chairs where surprisingly comfortable to sit-on and enjoy your meal with family and friends.

Slice n Dice SM Sta. Rosa Laguna

Went to SM Sta. Rosa a couple of weeks back to get out of the house and do a little bit of strolling. Since it was already lunch time, We decided to take a break and eat lunch. With a lot of food establishments at our disposal, We decided to be a little bit more adventurous and try something new. At first glance Slice n Dice immediately called our attention, not just because of its colorful facade but also because of the prices on their menu. For Php 99 or less, you could already enjoy a complete meal inclusive of rice and drink. We ordered a T-bone steak Jr. w/ Pasta meal and a Cheezy Garlic Mussel meal all for less than Php 300. Not bad for a meal good for 2-3 persons.  Slice n Dice is the local version of servicing fast food style steaks ordered through a counter with a touch of local flavors.

SUPERBOWL OF CHINA ALABANG

Had lunch last Sunday at Superbowl of ChinaFestival Mall.  There were a lot of people last Sunday, maybe it was because of the Sale or people just wanted to get out after days of rain.   We’ve gone to Superbowl of China before and We particularly liked their Birthday Noodles because the serving is big and the noodles are quite tasty even without the other flavorings.  Fortunately, they had a promo for a 50% discount on their Birthday noodles worth Php 130 (original price Php 270). This promo is good from Aug. 1 to Oct. 31, 2011 only.  Would have helped though if the discount promo board was made more colorful or placed near the entrance.  Would have been nice also if their promos were mentioned by the waiters prior to ordering.  We only knew about the promo only after  We paid our bill.  Nevertheless, this is still a good deal as you save 50% for this item.  You can also go to their website and print out their discount coupon and avail of their dish of the month promo.  They also serve free chips to help you pass the time while you wait for your order.  We also ordered a Dimsum Combination platter (Php 260), Sliced Beef with Broccoli (Php 320), and Mango Sago (Php 90) for dessert.  Had a nice meal and had some left overs to take home.  The Mango Sago sure seemed good, I wasn’t able to try it as my son finished it all. Visit their website for more details.

Superbowl of China Alabang

Address: 3rd Level, Chef's Avenue Festival Supermall Filinvest Corporate City, Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Tel. No.: 556-4174

Telefax: 809-8968

California Pizza KItchen Alabang Town Center

We have always been a fan of good Pizza and Pasta.  Happened to come by California Pizza Kitchen Alabang Town Center and found this promo for BDO Credit card holders.  Spend at least Php 2,500 anywhere with your BDO Credit Card and get a FREE Personal Size Tomota Basil Spaghettini (Php 185) or Marinara Linguini with Chicken (Php 195) or Spaghetti Bolognese (Php 215).  Spend at least Php 5,000 anywhere with your BDO Credit Card and get a FREE Personal Size Pepperoni Pizza (Php 185) or Traditional Cheese Pizza (Php 165).  A nice deal as the serving can be shared by 2 persons.  Odered a personal sized The Original BBQ Chicken Chopped Salad (Php 375) and tried their Thai Chicken Satay (Php 175).  Had a nice conversation and dinner with my Lady and took home some of or left over Pizza.  The atmosphere at CPK is very homey and the seats are quite comfortable, a definitely recommended r & r venue for family and friends. 

Thai Chicken Satay, Grilled chicken w/ Thai peanut sauce.

California Pizza Kitchen Alabang Town Center

Address:  Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center Muntinlupa City

Telephone:  (632) 8505771

Mushroom Burger Tagaytay

For years now Mushroom Burger Tagaytay has become one of the cities landmark.  A trip to Tagaytay is not complete without a visit to Mushroom Burger.  You haven't really lived the Tagaytay experience without taking a bite of their famous Mushroom Burgers.  But don't worry,  if your not a fan of mushrooms or vegetables.  Mushroom Burger doesn't only serve mushrooms but also serve burgers and other meals with pork, beef, and tuna among others.  They also serve rice meals and noodles.   For a fair price, you get to experience Mushroom Burgers famous burgers and meals. Ordered Mushroom Burger Royale, Tawilis HK rice meal, Spaghetti and Pancit Canton Delight, for a total of Php 400+.  Not bad as the serving is big and filling.  

Mushroom Burger Tagaytay

Address: Km 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay City

Visit their website or

Facebook Account

Don Henricos Festival Mall

Don Henricos has always been an all time favorite.  I have been going to Don Henricos for as long as I could remember.  Among our favorite dishes are the tutto de mare and their buffalo wings. However,  I'm just a little bit disappointed that their menu has not expanded much over the years.  Though we enjoyed there new Crab Fettuccini very much.  It could have been nice if they had new offerings such as grilled items and more sea food.  The Eat-all-you-can promo is not very appealing since their food is supposed to be served and enjoyed hot and fresh.  Besides the amount is almost the same as ordering from the menu Ala-carte, you even get to take your left overs home.  Putting their found on the buffet table easily makes the food go cold and Pizza crust tends to become hot when cold. I've been to a lot of Don Henricos branches all around the country.  I've been to Don Henricos Session Road Baguio, Malate and Festival Mall Alabang.  I have nothing but fond memories and great company during my visits to Don Henricos.  However, Don Henricos should really consider a serious make over. Nonetheless, I wish them well and hope to visit again in the future.

Don Henricos Festival Mall Alabang           
2nd Level near Bridgeway Entrance, Filinvest Festival Supermall
Tel Nos.: 850-3915 to 17

Cabalen Festival Mall Alabang

We've been going to Cabalen for a long time now.  Cabalen which specializes in Capampangan dishes and other native dishes has been here since I could remember.  Cabalen is a true Filipino restaurant. I could probably say that I grew up with Cabalen.  This is part of my generation.   I could still remember Cabalen serving ala cart meals and buffets were special luxury.   Now Cabalen is practically the most popular buffet restaurant in the country.  Eat-All-You-Can promos were once though of as indulgences and places to pig-out, has become a venue for a wide range of food choices.  For Php 318 per person you could sample different dishes, anyways you could only consume a certain amount of food at a time.  Aside from their dishes, we always look forward to Cabalens dessert menu which consists of Halo-halo, bico, leche flan and other local sweets.

I think Cabalen rotates the menu on the buffet table as the food served on the buffet last December, where we held our office Christmas party was different from the menu last Tuesday.  This is good as it gives customers and guests options, especially on a buffet table.  Dining at Cabalen is ideal for small occasions and groups of people as get to enjoy good food and hassle free service.  Over-all I have only but fond memories and great conversations at Cabalen.  More power to them and I hope to see Cabalen do even better in the succeeding years to come.

Cabalen Festival Supermall Alabang

3/L Chefs Ave Festival Mall, Alabang

Tel#809 6698

Cafe d' Asie at The Bellevue Manila

My wife found this excellent deal at Ensogo. For only Php 650 you can enjoy a wonderful buffet lunch or dinner with unlimited Iced Tea at Cafe d Asie at The Bellevue Manila. Original price for the buffet is valued at Php 1,307 which is a good deal as you get to enjoy a wide variety of foods from their buffet at half the price. Cafe d Asie has an assortment of foods from Japanese, Dim Sums, Mongolian Cuisine, sea food and grilled items. Had a great dinner with my wife and was so full that I wasn't able to sample all of their foods.  Personally my wife is not an Iced Tea lover, but she absolutely loved the Iced Tea that came with the package. Well we could always go back next time to try the other foods on their menu.  Cafe d Asie has a warm cozy feel to it and you could meet casually with friends and family. The staff and on duty service manager was very accommodating and friendly which made our visit more enjoyable and relaxing. The Service manager even told us that we could have our parking ticket validated so we could avail of the free parking.  Kudos to the Service Manager and his team.

Sample their desserts and treats, which is not just eye candy but is guaranteed to tickle your palates.

Too bad the voucher ends on July 27,2011. 

We'll definitely come back to Cafe d Asie at the Belleveu Manila, If not for the food, definitely for the

experience.

The Bellevue Manila

North Bridgeway, Filinvest Corporate City Alabang

Muntinlupa 1781, Philippines

Tel#027718181  

San Mig Alabang Town Center

July 2011

My wife came upon a deal from Ensogo for a Php 500 gift certificate for only Php 250 which is valid for 3 months, from May 7, 2011 to Aug 7, 2011. The promo is valid for a choice of any dish with refillable iced tea at San Mig Alabang Pub and Restaurant. However, you could only use a maximum of 3 vouchers for every visit. This is such a sweet deal as you get Php 1500 worth of food for half the price. What's nice about this deal is that it's transferable and may be given as a gift.  Just make sure you consume the entire amount of the voucher as any unused amount is non-refundable or returned as cash. This voucher is valid for Monday to Saturday only, exclusive of public holidays. We used 3 vouchers for lunch with a total of 7 adults and 2 kids. Had a great time with good food, a nice conversation and with plenty of take-out to spare. I was still in college last time I visited a San Mig branch and it was good to see that they were still open after so many years. 

Visit Ensogo for more deals and promos.

San Mig Alabang Town Center
Address: 2nd Level Corte de Las Palmas, Alabang Town Center, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City
Email: sanmigalabang@pldtdsl.net 
Phone: (02)8420776 or (02)8073595

Tony Romas's Alabang Town Center

July 2011

Passed by Alabang Town Center and was handed a Tony Roma's Alabang Anniversary Card which is good for 25% discount for lunch and 20% discount for dinner.  Unfortunately, we just finished eating lunch. This would have been a nice deal as we have always loved Tony Roma's ribs and grilled items, not to mention their corn on a cob. Tony Roma's Anniversary Card is only valid in their Alabang Branch and is good up to August 31, 2011 only. The offer is only valid on Weekdays and cannot be used with other promotions or packages.  Nevertheless, the discount is still a good deal.

Tony Roma's Alabang Town Center
2nd Floor, Expansion Wing, Alabang Town Center, Muntinlupa City
Tel#(632)7711388

CAV Wine Shop - Cafe

Twice a month, my wife and I go on a date minus the kids, to talk, unwind and relax. Last time We had dinner at Cav Wine Shop and Cafe located at Lot 5, Quadrant 8, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio Global City. Although were not really wine lovers, We really enjoy, excellent food, wonderful surroundings and good conversations. Cav Wine Shop - Cafe though more famous for their wide variety of wines, serve excellent food which works best with wine. Serving is filling but not heavy on the tummy. Price is quite expensive, but ambiance, food and service is well worth it, especially if your out on a date and trying to impress the ladies. Good thing we came upon an excellent deal from Deal Grocer for 2 Lamb Shank meals worth Php 790 each.  Since, we still driving home to Laguna we decided to order tall bottomless glasses of ice cold water which also goes well with the food.

Ordered a 1/2 Oysters as appetizer.

Cav's Lamb Shank is filling but not heavy on the stomach.  Texture is soft and easy to chew.  Taste is great without leaving an after taste in your mouth.  We'll definitely drop by again soon.

Cav Wine Shop - Cafe

Lot 5, Quadrant 8, Bonifacio High Street, Fort Bonifacio Global City

Tel#(02)8561798

Cafe Mary Grace Greenbelt 2

Had a chance to be invited to a birthday party at Cafe Mary Grace Greenbelt 2 last month. The place wasn't really that big not enough for a large crowd, just enough for an intimate celebration with family & close friends. Cafe Mary Grace had 2 floors, so you could either rent the whole place or book the whole 2nd floor. The food was great as expected. What caught my attention is how Cafe Mary Grace was set-up. It has a cozy and warm feeling inside. This made the place very nice for family and friends to meet, enjoy nice food, and a good conversation. We were so impressed by the decor and arrangement that I even told my wife that if we were going to remodel our house, I wanted it to look and feel as cozy as Cafe Mary Grace. They even have a kids play area. unlike most play areas, theirs had a sort of fairy tale theme to it. Loaded with books and educational toys you could leave your child there while enjoying the food and conversation. Had a great time at Cafe Mary Grace, we'll definitely visit again.

Cafe Mary Grace Greenbelt 2 

located between Bizu and Spicy Fingers

Tel: 5013089/5013093 | 09175439402