Hop to IHOP Philippines

I always hear about IHOP or International House of Pancakes from friends who've been to the states but I've never bothered asking them about it because I have no plans of going there anytime soon. Then IHOP opened in the Philippines and for a while a lot of people were talking about it. So last month I went with a friend to their 2nd branch in SM Mall of Asia.

I had no idea what they serve except for pancakes (haha) so I was amazed to see a lot of food items to choose from. Of course there are pancakes with lots of flavors. Then there are sandwiches and burgers as well. The pictures of the burgers on the menu looked interesting but I felt like they're something I've already seen somewhere.

They have appetizers and salads too. The Chicken Fajita Quesadilla looked interesting but I was thinking of having something heavier that time.

Healthy choices were also available. They have Simple & Fit Super Fruit Oatmeal.

They also have crepes. This one really got me interested. They looked good so I considered ordering one that night. Then I saw Specialty Entrees and Hearty Dinner. So i ended up eating Fried Chicken Dinner.
Yeah! I know! So ordinary. But I must say the chicken was really delicious. The breading is crispy. And the pieces are BIG.

Anyway, I think the food they serve look interesting but they are a bit pricey. But if you're gonna go there just once in a while then I think you're good.

Menu for the Holy Week Triduum - with Tokwa Staek and Boiled Tahong Recipes

It’s Holy Week and many of us Catholics are going to the provinces to follow the religious traditions that are seriously observed there. Many will be doing Visita Iglesia. I hope you’ve listed down the churches you will visit. A lot will also be joining processions. On Good Friday, many towns will have long processions – depending on the number of images that will join. And many will observe fasting and abstinence.

For those who will not be fasting (especially small kids and senior citizens) but will still be abstaining from eating meat, here are some food suggestions for you.

Maundy Thursday

Breakfast

Spanish bread

Lunch

Fish Fillet

Halaan Soup

Dinner

Chopseuy with squidballs/kikiam

Good Friday

Breakfast

Fried Banana (Saba)

Lunch

Tokwa steak (see recipe below)

Dinner

Fried Tanigue

Sautéed Pechay

Black Saturday

Breakfast

Pandesal with cheese or peanut butter

Lunch

Buttered Shrimps

Ensaladang Talong (eggplant)

Dinner

Grilled Fish

Boiled Tahong or Mussels (see recipe below)

Tokwa Steak (version of the more popular Tofu Steak)

Ingredients

8 cubes tokwa (cut into 4 cubes)

1 can tuna flakes

1 cup mushrooms (button mushrooms thinly sliced)

1 cup diced carrots

1 clove garlic minced

1 bulb onion chopped

Oyster sauce

Breadcrumbs

Eggs

Flour

Salt and Pepper

Procedure

1.      Mix eggs and flour in a bowl. You may add salt and pepper to taste.

2.      Dip tokwa cubes in the mixture.

3.      Coat with breadcrumbs.

4.      Deep fry until golden brown.

5.      Set aside.

6.      Sautee onion and garlic in a pan.

7.      Add mushroom and tuna. 

8.      After a minute or two, add oyster sauce.

9.      Pour over fried tokwa or you may also serve it separately.

Boiled Tahong (mussels)

Ingredients

1 kilo tahong

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp chopped onion

1 piece ginger (about the size of your thumb) sliced thinly

3 pieces green chili (optional)

2 cups water

Procedure

1.      Sauté onion, garlic and ginger.

2.      Add tahong. Stir occasionally for about two minutes.

3.      Add water and bring to a boil. Add green chili.

4.      When the all mussles have opened, simmer for about a minute.

5.      Serve hot.  

Buffet 101 - Buffet, Buffet, Buffet plus 98 more buffets

It's summertime once again folks and I'm sure you are all in some form of diet to get that beach body you want. I was hoping I would be able to do that too but I just can't resist eating good food. So yes, I still have a big tummy I would not dare show in Boracay or Coron. But since I have already booked a trip to Coron for the summer, I'm going to feature here another buffet or eat all you can restaurant. The goal is for you to try the place so I will not be the only one with a big tummy.

Buffet 101

They have Japanese food like the others I've featured here (Vikings, The Food Club, etc). And  like in those restaurants, you'll never see the sushi/sashimi tray (always boat-shaped) full.

There also have dishes from other parts of the globe. They have pizza that I liked. It has cheese that isn't rubbery though it was a bit too oily (who cares, lol).

Hmmm.....whatelse? Ah, they have lot's of seafoods too. They even have scallops which  I rarely see in buffet restaurants.

..........I guess I was too tired the day we ate there so I wasn't really able to take notes very well. All I could say is I enjoyed the dinner.

But wait. I must say the food sections aren't as organized as the other buffet restos. For example you'll find Japanese food in various sections. Anyway, I suggest you go around first before getting anything to study what they have to offer. Once you've seen all then that should be the only time you should start picking lest you miss the food you really want to eat.

I'm not sure if I'm making any sense here so  just look at the photos I took. They're only few, mind you.

Buffet 101 offers a free meal for your birthday -- not only on the day itself but 3days before and 3 days after your birthday.  

Buffet 101 can be  found in 3 places - SM by the Bay (556-2888), Robinsons Magnolia (961-2291) and Eastwood.

The Food Club - another eat all you can/buffet restaurant in the metro

Buffet restaurants are becoming more and more popular lately. When Vikings became famous, other "old" buffet restaurants became "in" as well. And not only that, new ones were also established. One of the newest buffet restaurants in the metro is The Food Club. It is relatively new so it  is also relatively easier to get a table any day of the week.

The Food Club has, as expected, a wide array of food to choose from. Of course, for those of you who've been reading my posts would know that the first thing I looked for is the Japanese section. I was not disappointed because they have what I wanted to eat except for uni. Actually, unlike other buffet places they have uni. However, we came a bit late that evening so it's no longer available. I can't say though if this is because they have really good uni that a lot of the diners had it or they just had a small amount available to begin with. Anyway, at least I can say they have it.

Next to Japanese, I also look forward to the seafood section. The Food Club really made me happy in this area. They have shrimps which happens to be my favorite. They have shrimps in the cold section -- it's I think steamed before they put on top of the ice cubes. They also have shrimps fresh and alive -- they'll cook it for you upon request. In the grilling sections you can also find shrimps "on sticks".  Oh, and there's also ebi tempura.

They also have various dishes from all over the world -- China, Mexico, Italy, etc. They have Peking duck, century egg, nachos, tacos, various kinds of cheese and cold cuts, bread of different kinds, soups, etc.

For those who are a feeling guilty because of all these meat products and seafood they have lot's of greens too in salad area. I'm sure having some of these vegetables will help you feel a little less guilty haha. Right next to the salad area is a small kimchi place.

  
Sweets. Oh,  they have lots of desserts for the young and old alike. They have fresh fruits if the vegetables were not enough to lessen your guilt. They have various cake slices too. I love the one with pistachios. There's also a chocolate fountain --  with fruits and mallows on sticks. Ice cream and halo-halo they also have. And something I didn't see in other buffet restaurants that caught my attention -- a candy bar. :)

For drinks, you can have fruit juice, shake, coffee, beer and I think wine.

We didn't make any reservation when we went there. We actually decided we would go lunchtime of that day. When I called i was informed that they no longer accept reservation -- by phone or in person -- but we can be "walk in" customers. I told the girl I was talking to that we would be going that night to try our luck. She said there's a chance we could get in. Then she said they would even be giving 30% off that evening because some of the air-conditioning units are not properly working. It was not as comfortable as I would want it to be because of the "broken" ACs but I didn't care -- 30% off means P300 savings.Yes, buffet dinner at The Food Club costs P1000 plus P50 service charge.

The Food Club is at the Bluebaywalk, Diosdado Macapagal Ave. cor. EDSA. It is in that complex where the Project Pie is (this is my next project).

Lenten Season: Friday Seafood Choices

The lenten season has already begun that's why for many of us Catholics, Friday means abstaining from meat. And sometimes it is a challenge looking for restaurants that serve good yet affordable seafood dishes. So here are some of my usual go-to places during this season.

Chowking: they serve bangus (milkfish) that is tried and tested. Thy also have kangkong with bagoong. And if you really wanna go light, they have plain tofu.

Jollibee: they also serve bangus particularly for breakfast. For snacks they have tuna pie.

Tropical Hut: they serve fish fillet with  rice and fish fillet sandwich.

McDonald's: they serve fillet-o-fish which is also very popular.

Chic-boy: sizzling bangus sisig is a good choice.

Tokyo Tokyo: california maki and kani salad are good choices. They also have shrimp and vegetable tempura.

Sa Kanto; subukan  nyo marami namang fishbolan dyan. Mura pa.  

Hogalbi Korean Grill Restaurant

We did an ocular in Pasig City for our Educational Tour last January. We visited the Pasig City Discovery Centrum, Dolljoy Museum, Pasig City Rainforest (RAVE) and Las Farolas. Visiting all those places was very tiring especially the rainforest tour. So to re-energize us, we  had buffet at  Hogalbi Korean Grill restaurant at Tiendesitas.

The buffet costs P 650. They have ready to eat food, sushi and sashimi, bibimbap, grill and shabu-shabu.

The staff was very friendly and accommodating. The chef even took an extra mile by giving us grilled prawns which we actually didn't ask for. Maybe he saw that we weren't trying their grilled offering so he just grilled some prawns for us.

Here are some pictures of the food we had at Hogalbi. I'm telling you it's really worth the price.

Hogalbi Korean Green Restaurant -  Tiendesitas Pasig City

Grilled Prawns

Bibimbap

Delectable Dishes

Shabu-Shabu

Salmon and Uni (sea urchin)

Salmon, Tuna, Octopus

For Grilling and for Shabu-Shabu

Warning: Left Over Charge is P 500

Valentine's Day Date

If you do not have reservations yet for your Valentine's Day date tomorrow, you have a very big problem. Well, it's a big problem because many restaurants will definitely be full tomorrow. You're most likely gonna get a lot of "please-wait-to-be-seated" greetings. But don't lose hope, somehow you'll be find a place to dine before the day ends. Meanwhile, I have here suggestions of the restaurants you can try for your Valentine's Day date.

Paul French Bakery Restaurant is a nice place to have your February 14 date. It looks classy in a not-intimidating way. It is inside a mall (SM Aura, BGC). You can take your date here especially if you are still at that point where you are trying to impress her. (Try: Saute de poulet aux Champignons)

Maple restaurant at the new wing of EDSA Shangri-la Mall is also a good place to dine if you are trying to impress your date. It definitely has that "expensive" vibe but the prices are actually reasonable. (Try: Prime Rib Tapa)

If you like to go Japanese, you can try Watami at Glorietta. Watami serves great salad. If you wanna go light, there are lots of options for you here. (Try: Watami Salad)

For "showbiz" effect try Ryu Ramen and Curry. I say showbiz because it is owned by Ogie Alcasid and Regine Velasquez.  

If you and your date like to eat a lot then there are various eat all you can restos to try. My suggestions for affordable buffet are Vikings and Yakimix. If your budget is "unlimited" try the buffet offerings of hotels like Manila Hotel (Cafe Ilang-Ilang), Sofitel, Traders and Shangri-la Makati.

For Italian cuisine, try Amici. It has a branch along Tomas Morato in Quezon City. You cal also find it in Ayala Triangle and at Don Bosco, Pasay Road.

For Pasig couples, try Cafe Juanita. If I'm not mistaken, this was the restaurant where Xian Lim was supposed to propose to Kim Chiu in the movie Bride for Rent (or was it Bakit Hindi ka Crush ng Crush Mo). 

You can also go to Bagoong Club in Quezon City if you want Filipino food. Just make sure to bring your toothbrush and mouthwash with you so you wont have bad breath after. Wink

If budget is a concern, try the following:
      - Zark's in front of DLSU, Taft
      - Mr. Poon, Guererro St., Ermita Manila (beside St. Paul's)
      - Savory
      - Chowking
      - McDonald's
      - Bon Chon
      - Jollibee
      - Mang Inasal
      - etc. :) wink