Tag: Pastas

Casual Japanese Dining at Pasta de Waraku

Smoked Duck with Sweet Chili Sauce
Smoked Duck with Sweet Chili Sauce

I have only a few expectations when it comes to airport food.  But lately, some good restaurants have located their branches in terminals making people in transit  like us have better choices when it comes to food. When we arrived in Changi Airport in Singapore, the group ate at Pasta de Waraku, a Casual Japanese Pasta and Cafe Restaurant. Waraku in Japanese means “Peace and Harmony” and seeing the warm interiors, nicely-decorated walls filled up with patterns of their plated dishes and a welcoming staff, I was already looking forward to enjoy their meals.

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OMG, it’s Oh My Gulay

Oh My Gulay House Salad
Oh My Gulay House Salad (P100)

Go up five flights of stairs, past the sporting goods store on the ground floor, the drinking joint with the blaring karaoke on the second, a gym on the third, more offices on the fourth, and enter the world of artist, Kidlat Tahimik.  There are artistic curiosities on this high-ceilinged, top-most floor — large installations here, framed paintings over there.  The plants spread all over the place are real, lending it a lush, texture-filled vibe.  Up on the second level, the dining area offers a panoramic view of the city center.  Welcome to Oh My Gulay along Session Road in Baguio.

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Buono appetito at Amici

Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino (Php 175)
Spaghetti Aglio Olio e Pepperoncino (Php 175)

It’s been quite a while since we last stepped into Amici in Don Bosco in Makati City. Oh, we’ve always considered this restaurant that boasts of affordable, home-cooked Italian-style cuisine as a comforting constant in a constantly changing foodscape. But ever since its takeover by a new management team two years ago, we had our apprehensions. And there’s also the expansion to include a branch in SM Megamall. Did the move to professionalize the operations alter the relaxed eating experience? Or worse, change the great-tasting food we’ve always come to love?

To find out, we dropped by on a Sunday afternoon for a late lunch – something that was not possible when Amici was still run by the Salesians of Don Bosco. Obviously, this is one of the benefits of the new management as Sunday is a very nice time to avoid the big weekday office crowds and take your sweet time to savor each and every bite. The verdict: still as lip-smacking good as ever.

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Having a G’ day at Aussie Cafe

Pepper Tenderloin Steak (Single 200grams - Php 895, Family 500grams - Php 2050)
Pepper Tenderloin Steak (Single 200grams - Php 895, Family 500grams - Php 2050)

Apart from the food offerings of longtime stalwart, Outback Restaurant, we admit we’re not that exposed to Australian cuisine. Oh, we have images of Australian icons in our heads but still, we asked ourselves, “what is Australian cuisine?” Googling the topic reveals a bit of insight like the fact that traditional Australian cuisine borrows heavily from the British tradition (think fish and chips, pies, et al). The modern iteration, however, is not as easy to define as understandably, their cuisine is influenced by and infused with other cuisines, especially of the people who have been transplanted to the continent like Asians. Follow the Happyfoodies as they venture to the southern part of the metropolis to get a taste (and a flavorful idea) of Australian cuisine at the appropriately-named Aussie Café and Resto.

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Finding comfort at PenPen

PenPen Crispy Liempo (php 125)
PenPen Crispy Liempo (php 125)

The newspaper headlines. Global recession. Inflation. Times like the present calls for some relief. Now more than ever, we ought to get comfort where we can find it. If it’s spa for the body and music for the weary soul, then it’s comfort food for the weary spirit. So when we heard of PenPen, we took a chance on the Saturday traffic and went to Timog for a late lunch for a serving of comfort food. The place has received some media mileage owing to the fact that it is owned by the wife and son of veteran actor, Pen Medina (hence the name, PenPen), but we want to find out if the comfort food lives up to the publicity.

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Bigby’s is for big groups and bigger appetites

Bigbys Rack-a-bye-Ribs (Php 365)
Bigby's Rack-a-bye-Ribs (Php 365)

For the foodie with a bigger than average appetite, there is a constant battle waged against small portions. Should I place two orders instead of just one? Should I place an additional order after the first one comes? Such is the perennial dilemma of the hearty eater. Count us happyfoodies in that category.

Happily, there’s no such dilemma at Bigby’s Café and Restaurant. With roots in Cagayan de Oro City, Bigby’s makes its way to Manila, opening its newest branch at the atrium of SM Megamall recently. True to its name, the food we were served came in big, nay, humongous portions. But how does the food taste? Follow us as we navigate our way to the Bigby’s food trip menu.

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Alfresco dining at the Rooftop

Rooftop Restaurant Wood Fired Pizza
Rooftop Restaurant Wood Fired Pizza

Heading to a tropical destination such as Camiguin, one almost automatically imagine being served seafood at every meal. But for visitors who long for something familiar, there’s a big surprise waiting in the capital, Mambajao.

The island has attracted its share of foreign investors and one of them, an American, has found his way to opening a spanking-new restaurant-cum-hotel-cum-bar. The place is Rooftop, located at the busy thoroughfare of Mambajao proper. The stocked bar and rather sleek-looking restaurant weren’t open yet at the time we dropped by but the brightly-lit restaurant was already serving very good pizzas and pastas.

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Food tripping in Sagada

Yoghurt House House Specialty
Yoghurt House Specialty (Php 85)

Much has been written about Sagada and its natural wonders that attract trekkers, spelunkers and other adventurous spirits. But to the foodie, Sagada is more than that. there’s another side to this so-called Shangri-la of the north, a more flavorful one that will appeal to the adventurous foodie. We traveled over 400 kilometers to food trip there and there’s something about the highlands – its nippy, crisp clean air, peace and quiet, and of course, the awesome scenery – that makes eating so much more enjoyable. It could also be the elevation that takes eating to a new high. Here, we give a sampler of the many food offerings out there.

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