Yoghurt Invasion by Golden Spoon

The sprouting of yoghurt places in Manila goes on as different brand names continue to tickle one’s imagination and make the taste buds curious. I’ve heard about Golden Spoon months ago when the establishment has put up a store in Shangri-la Mall. Now they are also in Paseo Center so I was able to try.

The interior looked like the setup of your usual yogurt places— white therefore is a predominant color of the interior. There were quite a few seats but I have seen this particular branch packed, usually after lunch time. I read through the available flavours they offer (old fashioned vanilla, peanut butter cup, simply tart, Belgian chocolate, strawberry and cake batter), each labelled whether non-fat or low-fat. Among the six, peanut butter cup was the only one that was low-fat, the rest were non-fat. I asked for samples of the simply tart, strawberry and Belgian chocolate. The last two tasted as if they were ice cream, only with less milk.

I availed of the tart. Then I decided on what toppings to get. There were a whole lot of dry toppings that I had a hard time choosing. I settled for chocolate chips and almonds, which I almost always get to go with my yoghurt. I was eyeing on the caramelized almonds called almond roca and crushed M&Ms, crushed Nestle Crunch and chocolate sprinkles (yes, I love chocolates in case it was not that obvious).

They have a limited fruit selection, strawberries and blackberries were the only ones I remember. They have a number of hot syrup which includes sugar-free fat-free fudge (wow, right?). Mallow creme would be appreciated by marshmallow lovers, I’m sure. I wanted to get the butter pecan as well but I thought there sure will be a next visit anyway.

What is called the simply tart tasted good despite the faint hint of sourness. Prior to tasting this, I was told that Golden Spoon’s yoghurts were generally sweet and I was glad that this flavour was not (well, not too much). As for the price, it’s a little steep compared to the others I’ve tried. They offer 4 sizes: Php 85 for kiddie, Php 155 for small; Php 220 for medium and Php 499 for quart. Toppings, regardless of kind, is at Php 20 each.

 

I want to go back to try the other flavours, also to fill the Golden Spoon card to get one yoghurt free after getting 8. :D

Golden Spoon

G/F Paseo Center, Paseo de Roxas, Makati City

(632) 4039131

Comfort Food at Mr. Jones

It would’ve been cool to have lived in the west during the 50s; when everything was casual, easy. But this restaurant didn’t evoke so much of a diner’s vibe outdoor, well, at least not so much. With quite a sophisticated ambiance (for a diner, very much indeed), their menu sure screamed comfort food nonetheless.

Take note, there were only three of us who consumed all these. Gluttons weren’t we? Read on as I try to lose all the weight I gained.

A Bowl of Chili (Php 295) – this food was made up of a whole lot of ingredients along with chunks of really tender sirloin. It was too tender it almost melted in my mouth but there were bits and pieces of beef fat mixed in. It tasted great, it’s that Mexican bite you get when you have some of their dishes. Aside from the black beans, there were American cheddar & Jack cheese, sour cream, jalapeños and chips that well complemented each other. It also came in a really cute mug-like bowl.

Two Dogs in Bed (Php 220) – I’m not really sure if I can appreciate hotdogs because truthfully, I’m not fond of eating them. I think this was the only non-oily food we ordered. The Wienerli franks were good, with relish, Sauekraut, onions, mustard ketchup and jalapeño. But what made this a hit was the bread. It was a little bit crunch outside yet warm and soft in the inside. The fries were well cooked as well and served hot.

Fish and Chips (Php 385) – I don’t think there was anything different in their version of fish and chips, but then again, I think there really isn’t much you can do with this dish. I would suggest for it to have less oil though because I felt like even my lips were covered in grease. Despite that, the dish was well cooked, crispy on the outside and tender inside. The dips varied. There were tartar sauce, spicy cocktail sauce, and malt vinegar. That other food on the left was coleslaw.

U.S. Beef Ribcap “Tapa & Garlic Overload” (Php 295) – breakfast food anyone? Mr. Jones has them. This was their version of tapsilog. Their tapa was sliced terriyaki-style. It was full of flavour as garlic made its presence in my taste buds. The meat was tender. The garlic rice was fantastic, it would confuse your taste buds when you eat it with the tapa because both had strong flavours. It was a good though I wish this dish would contain less oil.

Chocolate Malt Milkshake (Php 250) – milkshakes are the specialty of Mr. Jones so even if at Php 250 (which I find a bit expensive), I decided to try. The chocolate malt milkshake tasted like melted ice cream… melted chocolate ice cream to be exact. It was the good kind of sweet, not the type that your taste buds get easily tired of. The shake also had a really good smooth consistency. The whipped cream served was good tasting as well as it neutralized the sweetness of the shake. What’s good about Mr. Jones was that the extra milkshake that didn’t fit in the regular ice cream glass used to serve the drink was even given to us, only in a stainless glass which we appreciated.

Frozen Blueberry Iced Tea (Php 125) – It was iced with a consistency of a shake that was blueberry flavoured. Quite a complicated drink, don’t you think? It was sweet yet refreshing. I know I’ve tasted this flavour elsewhere but I just couldn’t remember where. It’s worth a try.

The indoor seating was limited so reserve if you do want to experience the diner ambiance. There were a lot of people dining when we were there. The staff were efficient and gladly granted each of our request (even when my friend asked the eggs in the U.S. Beef Ribcap to be boiled instead of fried).

Mr. Jones
G/F Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Vill.
Makati City
(632) 5013682 to 83

Portuguese Dining at O’ Sonho

I have been itching to give this restaurant a try because number one, I have been hearing a lot of good things about it and number two, I didn’t realize that I am so clueless about what Portuguese dining is.

The place was almost empty lest for one occupied table by the door. I got a bit worried. An empty (or in this case, an almost empty) restaurant is never a good news… or so I thought. Anyway, we settled to our table and browsed through their menu. I noticed that there were already priced changes (evident by the taped prices on the menu). I am not sure when they really opened, but a price change… that got me thinking.

And so we ordered the following:

Portuguese Gambas (Php 310) – I did not really notice anything different from the gambas except that it has more garlic than usual, almost hiding the olive oil. This dish was expected to be spicy which is perfectly fine with me because I can eat spicy food. It consisted of nine small plump deboned shrimps. As the dish ahd so much garlic, it is of course, expected to taste as such. It went well with the bread which I am not really sure if the basket came with the dish or was a house complement. In any case, it was good.

Peri-peri Chicken (Php 320) – Peri-peri is used in Portuguese cooking for added spice. It is said to be the African word for chilli. Prior to eating this dish, I know it would be spicy. It was served with rice which was cooked in some broth that made it very flavourful and with some more chilli sauce where you can dip your chicken to. The meat was juicy and tender even if the part was white meat. The serving, judging by the cup of rice that was included was good for one but because I have little space in my stomach (okay, fine, I try to be on a diet). I believe this dish will be good enough for two (just order another rice).

Tenderloin Steak (Php 620) – two blocks of meat wrapped in honey bacon and covered in beets. The dish came with buttered mashed potato. The meat was perfectly cooked as it was very tender and it actually felt like eating chicken. As for the taste, it was on the sweet side which I’m not really a fan of. But nothing like the remedy (also one way to ruin your steak) of  putting some A1 Steak Sauce. Don’t get me wrong, the flavour was not at all bad. It was just quite sweet to be meat for me but I was able to consume a chunk nonetheless.

Lemon Iced Tea (Php 200) – the drink came in a fish bowl, literally. I liked this iced tea as it came with fresh lemons. Also, aside from the usual sweetness that you taste from iced teas, theirs had a hint of bitterness that was just right for the palette. It’s also evidently for sharing.

I noticed at the end of our meal, the place seemed to have quite a number of customers already which was good. The ambiance and the lighting was good enough to allow conversations. Spanish / Portuguese samba music was being played all throughout the night which puts you right in the mood to chill-out and relax.

O’ Sonho

20 Jupiter Street Makati City

(63-2) 8963289

(63922) 8707844

Singapore Dining at Shiok!

A fast food Singaporean type of establishment is hard to come by in our city. I was instantly intrigued by Shiok because I’m fond of eating Hainanese Chicken; also, it is located in Fort which is very accessible to me. Besides that, I’m curious as to why the name because in Fookien, Shiok means cheap, I was wondering if this holds true.

We ordered the following:

Roti prata (Php 55) – this was soft thin pita that came with Shiok’s version of curry sauce. I am a fan of Wild Ginger’s version so I tried theirs. It did not disappoint. I loved the curry sauce which was a bit strong with different spices but turned out to be very good combined with the pita it came with. I found the amount of dip not enough but I did not attempt to ask for extra anymore as I had around two bites to go. I hope they serve them for no extra cost.

HK Luncheon Meat Rice (Php 105) – this was weird. The luncheon meat had a different texture. I really can’t describe it but it is not the usual luncheon meat we are used to getting from grocery stores in Manila. It tasted quite ordinary too so I don’t have any intentions of ordering this again.

Hainan Chicken (Php 245) – this dish composed of a lot of different things. I had my chicken rice which was rice cooked in chicken broth I believe and then there was the soup which was oozing in flavour with every sip. I had my boiled chicken submerged into a soup with spices plus three different condiments (soy sauce, sauce with a lot of ginger, spicy catsup).

This dish was really good. The chicken rice was already great to be eaten alone as it was moist and full of chicken flavour but add it up with the soup then you go to food nirvana. The chicken was tender and hot, just the way I liked it. It is best to be dipped in the spicy catsup which tasted a lot like kimchi paste but if spicy is not your thing, the sauce with a lot of ginger is a refreshing change for the palette. The price was a little steep for me considering the ambiance of the place but I think it is the best thing to order in the establishment. You can order extra chicken rice at Php 30.

Milo Dinosaur (Php 55)– I really didn’t find anything special about this or I guess I was expecting too much. It’s a Milo drink with some sort of a cream or milk, which added to the sweetness to the drink and Milo powder on top but honestly, it’s just cold Milo with a lot of added sweeteners for me.

Iced Horlicks (Php 50) – I couldn’t really figure out what this was and it tasted like milk. I’m not really sure how this one was supposed to taste. It was quite sweet as well.

Next time I come by, I’ll try the version of Hainan Chicken with soy, steamed fish fillet as well as their version of milk tea. Service was good and efficient plus friendly people and no service charge.

Shiok

1-5 Fort Forum Building, Bonifacio Stopover,

31st & 2nd St., Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.

(63-2) 4666291

An Afternoon of Equus

I am not exactly a fan of literature that involves a disturbed mind, because I myself get confused. For that, I know I have to watch A Beautiful Mind again to appreciate it because I once did in the movie house and I came out of it more bewildered. I didn’t know whether I was too tired when I watched or whether it was just really the movie. I am just the feel-good movie/book kind of person.

Ever since I started watching theatre, I was surprised that I can appreciate dark and deep story lines bit by bit. I love light genre because entertainment is a way of relaxation for me. But then, I started to appreciate unique and complicated plots. I watched Sweeney Todd the last time at On Stage and I liked it. Of course there was Menchu Lauchengco-Yulo who played Mrs. Lovett that gave out a really good performance. Often though, those that are being staged for plays really have unique plots to differentiate themselves from the rest.

Truth be told, I was really set to watch Equus only because of Daniel Radcliffe. No, I am not a fan of his, but the controversial role that came with a controversial buzz that I think favoured the play convinced me to watch. Besides, it was a plot that I haven’t seen before.

It was around two hours and fifteen minutes of cracking what was said to be the disturbed mind of an adolescent boy. Alan Strang (played by Marco Mañalac) the 17-year-old boy, blinded six horses in one night. The psychiatrist, Dr. Martin Dysart (played by Miguel Faustmann), attempted to figure out the reason behind this crime as he tried several means which what composed the entire play.

The play touched on the necessary factors that contribute to a child’s development— family values, family relationships, education, religion – all of which were considered by Dr. Martin Dysart to have contributed to such behaviour shown by Alan. Through this, Equus proved to be more than just a play with a nude scene.

What I liked about the play:

• Marco Mañalac’s portrayal of Alan Strang. I am just amazed at how much passion he showed through playing this role. The expression on his face and his timing was impeccable. He is said to be a newbie in the theatre, I’m no expert but judging by what I saw, he can go a long way in the theatre industry.
• Miguel  Faustmann’s portrayal of Dr. Martin Dysart. His brain is just a marvel. I can’t imagine how many lines he memorized for this entire play. He was able to deliver, word per word, and acted them out. Only if he weren’t suffering from cough which was evident because at times it would drown out the voice of whomever he was currently having a scene with. But then again, hats off to this guy.
• Praises should also go to Phoena Barranda for playing Jill Mason. She had believable accent. Her enunciation was very credible. Her acting was really good and the way she handled such a delicate scene was great.

There really wasn’t anything that I think the play could’ve done better. The play had a humble set, which I think is fitting for such a strong, unconventional plot. I don’t know how they did the horses’ parts in London but I found the execution okay. I actually think being one of the actors who played one of the horses was very tiring. The horses kept on “running” the entire duration. Hats off goes to those guys as well as to the rest of the actors of the play.

Although this play is said to garner many praises from the reviewers, I’m actually sad that during the time I watched it, the venue wasn’t full house. Probably more promotions could’ve improved attendance, but then maybe because I watched during a Saturday afternoon. I hope the producers were able to earn from this because more plays and musicals should be staged in the Philippines. Praises should also go to the director, Audie Gemora and Repertory Philippines for making Equus stage in Manila possible.

Sawa dee-ka from Marriott Café

Sawa dee-ka was the first thing I heard upon stepping foot in Marriott Café. Excitement crept in when I saw the staff in Thai costumes. I was ushered in where a lot of the bloggers were already settled and eating. I waited for my friend Lush Angel as she was on her way there. The attentive waiters asked me what I wanted to drink. Aside from the usual soda and iced tea, you actually get to choose from around four concocted beverages that are tea-based. Milk tea has made its way into my heart several years back and so I ordered just that.

My milk tea served as my appetizer. Haha. Of course there were a lot of appetizers prepared, only that I wanted to wait. I went around and became trigger happy snapping the night away.

The Flavours of Thailand is currently ongoing for the whole month this August as Marriott Café’s themed buffet offering. The choices vary everyday but what we had were the green chicken curry, phad thai (in live station, just throw in the stuff you want with the noodles), thai fried rice with shrimps and spicy wok-fried seafood.

 

I loved the spicy wok-fried seafood, especially the shrimps that were quite smoking (for my taste). It looked intimidating as I saw some minced chili all over. I love a good enough spicy dish but I don’t like it Tabasco-hot. The most I can probably take would be an authentic Korean Kimchi. Anything spicier than that, I’d pass. Anyway, this was impressive. The shrimps were fresh (judging by how easy it was for me to take off its skin) and oozing with spices. It went well with the fried rice.

Thai food’s not your thing? Fret not. Aside from the highlighted Thai offering, Marriott Café still offers the usual international buffet alongside. It varies from Chinese, Japanese, a bit of Italian, as well as some grilled stuff like the U.S. Beef.

  

For dessert, aside from a lot of the delicious bits of cakes and chocolates everywhere, I decided to get the lemon ice cream to keep up with the Thai theme. It was surprisingly refreshing yet creamy with a hint of sweetness. I had mine with chocolate chips. Had my stomach had more space to accommodate more food, I would’ve gotten myself a second serving.

The Thai spread offered by Marriott Café was cooked by Chef Thanathom Krobsuay who indulged us for moments of short interviews and photo sessions. He will be conducting a free cooking class on the 12th of August at 2:30pm, just make sure to reserve a slot and show your receipt.

Diners also get a chance to win a pair of roundtrip tickets to Bangkok courtesy of Thai Airways and Tourism Authority of Thailand plus a 3-night stay at Rennaisance Koh Samui Resort and Spa Thailand. That’s just sweet.

How much to fork-out? Lunch and dinner is at Php 1,350 for adults and Php 675 for children nett; brunch is at Php 1,650 nett, children below 12 pay half and kids below 6 years old get in for free. For reservations, please call the details below.

Thanks to the bloggers that night and special thanks to Hannah for recommending my blog as well as to Savannah for the invite!

Marriott Café

Marriott Hotel Manila

(63-2) 9889999

Dining at Thunderbird

Dining:

Right at the hotel’s building is Olives. It is where the guests avail of their breakfast buffet and so did we. I am such a night owl that I only catch breakfast whenever I am on vacation (sometimes, not even). I love breakfast food though. Something as common as cereals and sunny side-up eggs make me happy already. The breakfast at Olives has enough choices for everyone.

They offer hot congee with various toppings and an array of hot Filipino Breakfast favourites such as vigan longganisa and tocino. There was bacon and some other hot food to warm your stomachs first thing in the morning. There was an omelette station which I love because I get to pick what goes with my eggs. Good enough choices of bread such as croissant, muffins, raisin, wheat and white breads are available. There were also different kinds of cereals. Hungry still? Fret not, a few cheeses are available (I liked the one with some herbs in it but I don’t have an idea what cheese it was), a salad bar, tropical fruits and juices. (Okay I got hungry all of a sudden, excuse the blurry photos, I didn’t have my flash with me then and it was too early, my brain was not working yet).

One afternoon, we were treated for some slices of pizzas from their wood-fired stone oven. Thunderbird had us taste the Pizza Ilokano (Php 400) which had vigan longganisa, tocino, tuna together with the usual tomato, mozzarella and onions. The pizza itself being thin crust was really good. I found the flavour to be on the sweet side but it sure was a different take on the food. This is good to order to get a taste of the local food.

Pizza Quattro Stagioni (Php 470) had olives, artichoke hearts, parma ham, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese. I have to admit, it looked really good. Olives are my favourites (oh, it reminded me of España again) so anything with it I’ll enjoy. I wish they threw in some capers as well for a kick-ass taste.

Vegas Café is located at the same building as the Fiesta Casino. The restaurant offers all sorts of dishes mainly Asian but there are some food off the grill as well. Casino players usually are the ones who eat here (understandably, of course).

I had the following:

Surf and Turf (Php 500) – mine composed of two prawns and a tenderloin steak (if I’m not mistaken). You can opt to have rice, baked potato or mashed potato as your side dish. I got the mashed potato which tasted good and a perfect neutralizer for when I was having too much bursts of flavours. The prawns were delicious, they were grilled. Judging by the way I easily removed the skin (okay, it was pre-sliced, but still), the shrimps were pretty fresh. The steak I had was cooked medium. It was tender enough but I would have preferred it to be less vein-y. The flavour was a little on the salty side when eating the meat alone but you can put in some gravy to even the taste a bit. I almost forgot, this meal gives you access to the salad bar where you may get some soup, and of course salads as well.

Complimentary bread – soft and warm rolls were served just after they had got our orders. Sorry, they were too good, I didn’t even pause and take a photo before I ate them.

Four Seasons (Php 250) – juices were made fresh, I particularly loved this one because it is seldom that I get to drink fresh orange juice and this was a nice surprise when I had my first sip. I find the price a little steep though but just for the mix of sweetness and a hint of natural sourness, this juice will make it hard for you not to order it.

The bar is called Santorini. I wasn’t able to try ordering from there though but this is the place to get your alcohol fix. It has a very relaxing ambiance and almost an extension of the lobby.

I hope they build a restaurant that offers Mediterranean dishes or Greek food (ala Cyma / Sophia’s) exclusively. That would definitely complete the (well at least for me) the guests’ Mediterranean vacation. I’m crossing my fingers for the future.

There are just too many things to tell. Before I go, here’s a group photo of the bloggers / media plus Nica (left side, farthest from the camera).

I’m thanking these folks along with the management of Thunderbird Resorts for an awesome vacation experience. To book, please call (63-72) 8887777 in La Union or (63-2) 8865555 Makati Office.