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Monday, June 30, 2014
Avida Land's Taft Food Hunt



When I go on a staycations or even look for a place to stay at far far away from home, the first thing I do is ask a very important fundamental question. That being, where and what should I eat? Where could I get a budget friendly meal that could satisfy my cravings.
Thankfully now that I have a car I could be able to go to a lot of places both near and far but for college students it would be a hassle to bring a car just to go from a resto to another and back to school. Think about the parking and the traffic. Thank God, Avida Land with its infinite goodness and foresight, offered a quick look into the food places one could visit in prime locations. This time around, Avida Land's Food Hunt focused  in the Taft area. Think DLSU, PWU, CSB, AU.  

Over the weekend, along with fellow blogger, invitees and other participants, we were able to check out 5 different food places that would definitely be a guide for students and residents in the Taft Area. Who else than to be our tour guide but Mr. JJ Yulo. Surprise surprise, Mr Thomas Torres was also there, Point Guard of DLSU Archers, to lead us to his favorite spots.
The hunt kicsk off with Black and White Cafeteria. Located just beside Avida Towers Prime Taft, this budget friendly place serves student meals that definitely won't hurt the pocket.
We were able to try out the Burger & Bacon Extra Special.
 
 Cheese, ham, burger.. honestly though I didn't taste the bacon. Must have been on the other half...
 Next on the list was Nemoto Japanese Restaurant which believe it or not may have been there for more than 30 years. Kinda like an institution already with Japanese folks visiting this place. I guess its because the owner is Japanese and that they offer affordable fare and the place spells HELLO KITTY!!!! 
Yep, the owner is in love with Hello Kitty!!!and they got a few Manga collection as well and this comfortable looking pink chair!!

We were able to try out their Special Mix or some sushi/makis which were fresh and mind you tasted okay!
 
and they also serve complimentary fruit plate which vanished quickly LOL! Watermelon and banana
After getting our game on, we were led to one of DLSU's basketball team secret. 
After practice, they would hung out at Rap Steaks & Cakes. Here, they get their carbo and protein loading done.
We were served their porterhouse steak. It tasted awesome and pretty darn good for the price.
Talagang pang studyante! The sauce I guess made them famous.
They basically had two. One was sweet and soy based while this white, creamy gravy like sauce is made of a secret ingredient. Bulalo/Bone Marrow! Dangnamit!! Ang sarap niyang gawing sabaw I mean sauce. If only I wasn't watching myself. OMFG~!!
Next on the hunt is this known cafeteria type place for all those DLSU students. The Agno Food Court houses a lot of interesting food stalls. During this leg of the trip, it got interesting. We were given 120Php each and used it to buy our own meals.
Since we went there on a Saturday, only a few places were open.
I was only able to buy a bottled water, nagaraya and dimsum. All for 70Php!
You know what? I was able to win a gift bag for this part of the hunt because I was able to prepare my meal fastest! Yahoo!
Our last but not the least stop was at Cafe Noriter. 
At first, I thought I heard JJ say, No Return but it was actually Noriter.
The place exudes a chill vibrant atmosphere. There are nooks and cranny where one could remove their shoes and sit on the wooden floor and even scribble on it. 
Yes they allow vandalism on certain parts of the store.
On this last part of the leg, we were served the Honey Bread and Java Chip Frapuccino.
The bread was somewhat like Cafe Shibuya's but still different with the vanilla like topping. The drink on the other hand was super bitter. It was amped up coffee and had no sugar in it. I don't know if this is how they serve it, but they have brown and white sugar available near the counter.

With that, we ended the amazing Avida Land's Taft Food Hunt , I had a grand time going around and even experience what the other side of Manila is. With these cool restaurants and I actually got to meet some new friends and seeing an old one too!!!!
LR:  (Future)Mr and Mrs itsberyllicious (click), Sir Abet of The Food Alphabet (click). and yours truly! (autocrop!)

Anyway, I would really love to thank Avida for this wonderful opportunity. Here is a quick map of everything we did!

Avida Food Hunt
#avidafoodhunt
http://www.avidaland.com/
Facebook
Suggest you go on and Like Avida's Facebook as they announce awesome deals and maybe in the future you could also join the upcoming Avida Food Hunts!
Previous Food Hunt


Disclaimer: Invited by Avida Land. Sponsored Post.
For more information on Avida Towers Prime Taft and Avida’s condominiums in the Philippines, visit www.avidaland.com or call +632 848 5200 (within Metro Manila) and 1-800-10 848 5200 (outside Metro Manila).
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Friday, June 27, 2014
Giving Detalle

Secluded and hidden. I had to go around in circles just to get to this place. Was it worth it? I don't know. You tell me.
Located in a compound that sells cars and a few hole in the walls, I believe DETALLE definitely stands out.
To welcome my friend back, she and I went out to have dinner on a lazy night. We were the first one in and the place was definitely small. Around 25 people could fit in the first floor and they had an alfresco place up top which could accommodate a few more guests.
Its a dream to have a restaurant slash bar in a somewhat secluded place as it gives out a chill vibe. 
Since my friend K went out late till the wee hours of the morning, she had wanted to have something to smooth her throat. She had a glass of LEMONADE (120Php). I actually wanted to get her drunk just like one of those drinking sessions we used to have but she was too tired and wasted from the night before so this was an all right choice for her. 
While looking at the menu, I figured that most of their offerings are pica-pica.  I guess these are their specialty. We had the Housemade Ricotta (260Php)
These were by far one of those dishes that I liked that night. It had crispy prosciutto, orange marmalade and supposedly crispy basil. Great for kungfu aka kungpumulutan. LOL!

We wanted to try almost everything on the menu since well, its one of those nights that we had all the time in world to chill and relax and experience everything. 
For pizza, we got their Meathouse (440Php)
Honestly, I would have liked a margherita instead. this pizza tasted ordinary. It lacked oomph! Just meat, cheese and tomato sauce.
The Truffle Penne (340Php) lacked the truffle flavor. It wasn't oozing with truffle like with other dishes from other restaurants. The mushrooms' flavor and the cream were more present than the "truffle".
Since my mom would always push me to eat healthy, we got the grilled salmon (400Php)
The salmon was definitely normal. The risotto well definitely made the dish better. I liked the tomato flavor.
Unfortunately, we didn't enjoy the last dish. The D Burger (380Php) was supposed to be the best seller but it is a weird burger.
The blue cheese didn't go well with the meat and the bacon jam made it worst. Maybe they need to tweak this some more. Even if the inside were reddish, I could say that it wasn't that tender. Better to go to a different restaurant if you are up for burgers. I liked the fries though if that counts.
Even if the taste of some the dishes were somewhat off, I really got to give props to their service. The staff was attentive and gave their best in giving into our needs. I guess this is more of a chill place to have a drink or two with friends and get some bar bites or appetizers to go with them. I would not go back for the mains but if I am a drinker, I would go for their cocktails and mixes. 
Budget around 400-500Php. Better to call in for a reservation as they easily gets full during the weekends. Parking could be a hassle. Maybe 6-8 cars at most.

DETALLE
Opens at 5pm to 4am 
0917 560 0988
88 Meralco Avenue Corner Julia Vargas, 
Ortigas, Pasig
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Monday, June 23, 2014
Tatang's Boneless Lechon in CEBU!

 
When I had the chance to ask Justinne of Babe for Food  of Cebu, one of the things that she mentioned that I must try was TATANG'S BONELESS LECHON. Which is totally different from CNT and ZUBUCHON.   
 Why? Well first of the style of their restaurant. It definitely is more of a along the street kind of place. This particular joint is on a vacant corner lot that you could easily pass by. Best landmark? Almost besides Matias.


Of course you don't go there for the ambiance but rather for the food. As you could see the lechon is pretty much different. BONELESS Lechon would be the first words coming out of your mouth.

It is really has a carinderia or hole in the wall kinda feel but believe me it is worth the visit and the smokey smell you get after. YUMMY!.
 There is pretty much 2 kinds of lechon they serve. Spicy and normal. When my friends and I went, the only available lechon was the spicy. Some guy before us ordered a lot and got them packed for their Manila trip. Argh! 

The skin is crispy and crunchy. The meat is tender and flavorful. According to my companion, she loved this among the 3 lechon places we have tried. I guess that is why it is making a mark as one of the best boneless lechon in Cebu.
 
When the food was presented, I remember the days when I would eat using my hands. Thankfully, this is a place where you could. You are given plastic gloves to cover your hands. Genius I tell you! It should be done here in Manila too! Finger Licking good I tell you!!! It makes eating more enjoyable!!Don't worry though, the place is pretty clean and has a sink for you to wash your hands.  
Yup! You have to get the puso or rice to go with your meal
 
 Since this is a Cebu Lechon, there were no sarsa or gravy around. Only vinegars. One tip though, don't get the hot vinegar when you have the spicy version. It might literally burn your lips.
Pretty much, this has got to be one of the most affordable lechon my friends and I tasted. The price doesn't disappoint.  It is on a class of its own as it is boneless and it has a lot of herbs which totally makes the taste yummy!
 One of those places where you must bring your barkada and friends just to chill, enjoy and not waste money. Budget around 200Php per person. Better to go there around afternoon-night so that it won't be that hot out. You could actually get some lechon here and bring it to Matias for a grill food fest with your friends. Better to call first and reserve some because you might end up not getting any. LOL!
 Pretty much all good!!! Pasok sa budget.



Tatang's Boneless Lechon

A.S. Fortuna Street Corner Hernan Cortez Street
Cebu City
032 406 3873 or 0916 226 9946
Facebook 
New Branch: SkyRise 1 It Park, Cebu
(Note: as of 10-29-16, AS Fortuna branch closed. Please check FB page for updates)
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Friday, June 20, 2014
Zubuchon: Yay or Nay

Fee Fy Fow Fum!!!!!! I smell a pig and this is just fun! As part of my Cebu Food Tripping, I was able to visit two restaurants in a span of an hour. Yup! It was food trip mode! My friend J and I went on over to Cebu's IT Park. Something like a Mini Eastwood if you must compare. 
We were on our way to Casa Verde but the line was still long, so a store away was ZUBUCHON.

Since I was on a quest, I definitely had ZUBUCHON on my sights. It was a bit controversial for some Cebuanos as they definitely don't agree with Bourdain. My friends unanimously advised me against buying
and having it. Nothing to lose and everything to gain, I still pushed through to try it out.
Compared to other Lechon Places I visited in Cebu, (Rico's, CNT, Tatang's) Zubuchon, features a more  chill and relax environment. Wifi was there plus great service and the a/c was on full blast. 
We get to see lechon skin that you won't normally see in other places. The skin doesn't look like the usual shiny and nice looking thing you see. I guess its the taste they were after and offer more off.
Since we still had a dinner to go to in the next restaurant, I only ordered light. So that I could taste the Famous Zubuchon.
To start the meal, I had an IBA(Kamias) Shake (100Php/140Php-Airport Price).
The taste is wonderful. I think I almost got addicted to it. The conflicting flavor worked well. It was darn good.

I also had a plate of lechon and rice (170Php).
As I said, the skin looked different. It was still crunchy so all is well. The meat, on the other hand, was definitely different from the CEBU lechons I have learned to taste and love. It was more of a mild flavor filled with herby taste. We all know that lechons from Cebu are generally saltier and has this intense taste. The Zubuchon's version is different as it catered more to something not traditional. I guess this is why most of my friends from Cebu didn't like it. It was different for their taste and from what they grew up with.

In all honesty, I was satisfied with the meal and went on over to Casa Verde for my 2nd dinner of the night.

On the day we were leaving Cebu, my companion and I came across the Zubuchon Branch in the domestic  airport. People were lining up and getting stuff from it. I will be honest that I got a Kamias shake again and bought some pasalubong on over.

Like some Chicharon (200Php)
It was pretty awesome. A little salty but the taste was pretty intense. And their selling point, no MSG.
Also, yeah I got 2 kilos of frozen lechon to bring home and here's the instruction for those who lost their copy.

I got to say that Zubuchon deserves a try for everyone but it isn't your traditional Cebu Lechon.








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