happyfoodies.com – Philippines Food Blog

Want home-made tasting polvoron? Just HOP over

After years of hankering for food that bears the imprint of commercial kitchens, there really comes a time when one starts looking for home-made flavors. Such is the case for polvoron, one of the Philippines’ most popular sweets. This shortbread is relatively simple to make with the most basic of ingredients being flour, butter, powdered milk and nuts. But consistently getting the taste right is another thing. This is where House of Polvoron (or to be more hip, HOP in short) leverages itself, focusing on just this product and nothing but. We’ve tasted a lot of polvorons before so will this be another one of those commercial-tasting ones? That’s we’d like to find out.

Tags: Desserts, House of Polvoron, Polvoron

Simple, fresh eats at Unit 8 Café

It’s not uncommon for us to meet restaurant owners who venture into the food business because of one fact: the love of good food. For them, the restaurant becomes an extension of their home kitchen, with menus that include their favorites and reflect their preferences. Straying into Unit 8 café, we found this to be a fact. Tucked at the bayside of the Southeast Asia’s Mall, it promises unpretentious food with a simple philosophy: simplicity, elegance and freshness. Let’s see if the place lives up to that promise.

Tags: Dilis, Dory, Mall of Asia, Mango Torte, Pasay, Salad, Steak, Whitebait

Wake up to Pinoy breakfast fare at Sentro 1771

No doubt, the Pinoy has gone global, his taste buds included. He/she has acquired a liking for tastes and flavors that transcend our borders but probe deeper and there’s this deep-seated, deeply-rooted liking for Pinoy food. Your happyfoodies are no exception. We love Pinoy food, period. But is there a place for Pinoy food in a fine dining set-up? The people at Sentro 1771 would like to believe so. The purveyors of modern Filipino cuisine, Sentro 1771 puts a twist to Pinoy fare. Their breakfast offerings at their Serendra location list more Pinoy selections than the Western kind. But are they worth waking early for? Your happyfoodies checked them out.

Tags: Bangus, Bonifacio High Street, Chocolate, Filipino, Sentro 1771, Serendra, Taguig, Tapa, Tuyo

Affogato to crave for at Cara Mia

It’s no secret that your happyfoodies are big fans of Amici. So when Cara Mia, their gelateria, opened in Greenhills recently, we promised ourselves to brave the EDSA-Greenhills traffic one day soon just to see what’s there. One recent Sunday, we dropped by with full tummies with barely enough room for dessert but happily, we weren’t disappointed.

Tags: Amici, Cara Mia Gelateria, Gelato, Greenhills, San Juan

Nama Sakana spells Japanese fusion

Truth is, there is no shortage of Japanese-themed restaurants here. Some are more authentic than the others, some far removed from their Japanese roots. Which begs the question: is there really space for a new one? The people behind Nama Sakana believe that with their fusion cuisine, there is always room.

But first things first – what’s in a name? Nama Sakana is Nihongo for “raw fish”, an apt name for the restaurant has an extensive sushi bar. But as happyfoodies found out, this upscale Japanese restaurant has more than sushi to offer. Talk about Nobu-style Japanese fushion cuisine where traditional Japanese fare is tweaked to offer the diner a tasty twist on their favorites. Chef Rolly, who has worked for Nobu London for more than a decade, does a fine balancing act in coming up with Japanese food that tastes familiar and yet offers something new for the taste buds.

Tags: Greenhills, Japanese, Nama Sakana, San Juan, Sashimi, Tobanyaki