The Pinoy Food Photo Blog combines my family's love for eating and amateur photography.
Photography is also a hobby which I enjoy but am still learning. read more?
Posted by Noemi | Under Restaurant with 274 views
Friday Jun 26, 2009
If the Philippines is a “third world country in first world drag,” then The Establishment at the Fort is the country’s gaudiest and most pretentious accessory. Some people may be relieved that the country finally has a fine dining establishment that rivals those found in Singapore and Shanghai, but considering how only a handful of people can afford to dine here, it seems almost indecent to put up a place like this.
The Establishment is actually a restaurant complex made up of four establishments: the Tulipan Spanish Bar, the Hall Spanish Tapas Restaurant, The Crystal Room French Fine Dining, and the Oriental Chinese Restaurant. I would normally not go to a place like this of my own choosing but an event I attended several days ago was held at the Tulipan Spanish bar, where the food was served in tiny, fine dining portions.
Posted by Lauren | Under Restaurant with 801 views
Thursday May 21, 2009
All most Filipinos know about Indian cuisine is curry, but that changed for me when I went to San Francisco last year. At a convenience store in Berkeley I had my first samosa for $1.50, and a friend introduced me to chicken tikka masala and garlic naan, which soon became my favorite comfort food combination. When I came back to Manila I had really bad cravings for samosa, and it was only then that I realized that there are hardly any Indian restaurants in the Philippines. Is it because the Indian-Filipino community hasn’t integrated with the locals as well as the Chinese have? Does the lack of Indian restaurants in the country have anything to do the myth that Indian food makes you smell bad? Or does it have to do with – dare I say it – the Filipinos’ racist tendencies against the Indians? Sure, there’s Prince of Jaipur, but their food is overpriced and the place is fine dining. I prefer the no-frills, low-key Indian restaurants in San Francisco to the plush decorations of Jaipur, because that way you know you’re going for the food, not for the imagined prestige of being seen at a fancy restaurant.
I’ve been told that there’s a more affordable Indian restaurant called New Bombay all the way in far far Makati, and I promised myself I’d suck it up and travel all the way there the next time my cravings got bad. Luckily for me, I didn’t have to – turns out there’s a New Bombay at the 4th level of Podium! My boyfriend spotted the restaurant when he and his brother saw a movie there last Sunday and being the sweetheart that he is, he immediately thought of me and decided that our next date will be at New Bombay.
Known for their large servings at affordable prices, Bigby’s became a household name in Cagayan de Oro when they first opened in 1998. After opening several more restaurants in Mindanao and Visayas, Bigby’s finally came to Manila ten years after their first branch opened. Bigby’s in Manila can be found at SM Megamall Atrium.
Please vote for Bigby’s Restaurant and Cafe by registering at http://www.mieleguide.com/register and selecting Bigby’s among the nominees. Deadline to cast your votes is on May 24, 2009, so start voting now!
Posted by Noemi | Under Restaurant with 1,798 views
Thursday Apr 30, 2009
There I was, the first to arrive at an intimate meeting with Kiko Pangilinan and a few bloggers. Little did I know that Kiko was one of the owners of MESA, a modern Filipino cuisine restaurant part of La Mesa Grill group of restaurants.
In terms of presentation, price, and the variety of favorite Filipino dishes in the menu, MESA beats most Filipino restaurants out there. On the surface, it might look like yet another fusion cuisine restaurant, but it’s really just the same old Filipino classics served in a different way. Mesa just opened in Greenbelt 5 at the first week of April and while I don’t necessarily support Kiko Pangilinan, this restaurant looks like an interesting alternative to Kamayan Restaurant or Kanin Club.
Our appetizers were a platter of adobo flakes, calamares, crispy shrimp, and crispy tawilis at 350 pesos
Posted by Noemi | Under Restaurant with 1,027 views
Monday Apr 27, 2009
Sunday mornings are usually the best time of the week. There’s no rush to go to work, which means that you can sleep in, go about your daily chores in an unhurried fashion, even have time for a long, leisurely breakfast. Because of all the wonderful things Sunday mornings stand for, The Stock Market at Bonifacio High Street made this time of the week even more pleasurable with the new Brunch Club. Whether you’re an early riser or a late starter, treat yourself out by partaking in the special Sunday brunch menu made out of The Stock Market’s signature Regional American cuisine. And with the restaurant’s homey atmosphere, rustic decor, and comfortable interiors, you’ll start thinking that brunch was created to be enjoyed at this restaurants.
Below are some of the goodies you can expect to enjoy at The Stock Market on Sunday mornings. Each dish has generous portions designed for sharing or for satisfying huge appetites.
Remember Dr. Seuss’s story of Green Eggs and Ham from your childhood? The Stock Market brought the famous story to life with their own version of Green Eggs and Ham (380). The green in the scrambled egg comes from the savory souflee of pesto, and is served with a large glazed ham steak and a side of potatoes.
Balaw-Balaw Restaurant is one of Angono’s more famous pit stops, probably because of its unusual array of exotic dishes like soup no. 5 (balls and butt of cow), uok (larvae of beetle cooked as adobo or steamed in tamarind fruit and tomatoes), and rose petal tempura (rose petal leaves dipped in butter and deep-fried). But don’t let this intimidating menu scare you off. Balaw-Balaw Restaurant also caters to the less adventurous and serves delicious local delicacies.
They also have an art gallery with the works of local artists on display.
The air conditioning on the bus we took back to Manila wasn’t working so well, and I found myself craving for a nice, cold halo-halo as I wrestled with the vents. For some time now, my boyfriend has been raving about this place called Razon’s and their unique Pampanga halo-halo. The halo-halo served in most restaurants is made up of all sorts of colorful ingredients – beans, nata de coco, banana, sago, and pinipig, to name a few. At Razon’s, however, their halo-halo is completely different. My boyfriend was really surprised when I said I have never heard of Razon’s, so when I let him know about my food craving, he said he’d pop my Razon’s halo-halo cherry the moment we reach Manila.
It took us an entire afternoon to reach Manila from La Union, and we were starving by the time we reached Razon’s at Greenhills. We both ordered a hearty bowl of arroz caldo (P70 each) to calm the hunger pangs before we dug into our icy desserts.
