Casa Verde is Now In Manila!

My friends could probably tell how excited I was upon seeing Casa Verde by how fast I ran towards them (in an unathletic, girly manner) to tell them we should eat there. It was our first time in U.P. Town Center (which I blogged about here) and with so many restaurants that were so tempting to try, we took our time going around, checking every single restaurant before we would finally decide. While walking, I noticed with my peripheral vision a familiar green logo. I left the pack to go check it out and lo and behold, it was Casa Verde!

Casa Verde is a famous restaurant which previously only had branches in Cebu that serves classic American comfort food. I was lucky enough that I was able to go to Cebu early this year for work which gave me the chance to try this awesome restaurant. I blogged about Casa Verde before and I said that I would seriously go back to Cebu just for this restaurant. What do you know, now I don't have to because it's finally here!

While a lot of the restaurants were pretty empty despite how enthusiastic their servers were in inviting people to try them out, Casa Verde was jam-packed. Since they've only been open for less than a month, some of their dishes (and service water) were still unavailable but that didn't stop people from coming.

It's a good thing though that their famous best-seller, Brian's Ribs was available. I would have been so heartbroken if it wasn't. If you eat in Casa Verde, it would be a sin not to try this ribs. It's so good and so affordable. One order which is already good for two people is just around P250. And it is so delicious. I was never really a fan of ribs because I don't like sweet food but this has the right balance of sweet and tangy. Although the meat was tougher and drier than the one I had in Cebu, it still tasted like the original. 

To go with our ribs, we also ordered their Southwest Pasta. It's penne pasta tossed in alfredo sauce, with chicken, bell peppers and onions. I love this dish! Even though it has a cream-based sauce, it was surprisingly light which only means you can eat more of it (and trust me, you will). The flavors of the bell peppers and onions were also a great contrast to the richness of the sauce. I could have finished this whole plate if only I didn't have too much of the ribs (and of course I had to share it with my friends). 

There's so much more on the menu that I'm so excited to try at Casa Verde and I'm so happy I don't have to take a plane anymore to try them!

U.P. Town Center is Now Open!

After pretty much exhausting most of the hangout places in Ortigas, my friends and I were thinking of a new place to have lunch at. One of them suggested we got to U.P. Town Center along Katipunan Avenue which just opened late this September. 

If you're familiar with the U.P. Technohub along Commonwealth Ave., it has the same feel as that. The spacious layout, lush greenery and al fresco dining for some of the restaurants give you a sense of being in a park. 

However, what really excited me about this place was the restaurants in it. Most of the establishments here are ones that you won't normally find anywhere else. While we were walking around trying to decide where we were going to eat, we all had the same reaction that we weren't familiar with most of the restaurants there. Those that were familiar though were big players but are still just on their first few branches such as IHOP. Whatever food it is you're craving, there's most probably a place there that can satisfy you because of the wide range of cuisines available -- from Greek to Vietnamese, there's something for everybody. Since it's fairly new, there are still restaurants that haven't opened and most of them are still on their soft opening. It's definitely a cool place if you wanna try something new so go check it out! 

If you wanna know what restaurant we actually tried there, then watch out for my next blog entry!

Super Spinach

Just when you thought you've been doing yourself a favor by drinking up fruit shakes and smoothies, that drink might not be as healthy as you think. You might be asking, "How can fruit smoothies not be good for you? Fruits are good for you, right?" Well, it's not really the fruit that's bad for you but the sugar syrup that some establishments add to make your smoothie sweeter. It's a good thing there are juice bars like Mondo Juice that are dedicated to all natural ingredients and don't add any sugar to their drinks.

It's hard to find sharp, straight lines in their interiors and furniture which gives it a hip, modern feel.

As kids, we're always taught to eat our veggies (even though it was probably to our disliking). Growing up, we slowly get to realize how important it is to eat healthy. If you're not a fan of eating veggies, then drinking it might be your solution. 

Most of the drinks in Mondo Juice are fruit based but they have Super Spinach which is their vegetable-fruit smoothie composed of spinach, mangoes, watermelon and nectar. As its name suggests, spinach is definitely a super food because it's loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that your body needs. Now, I know the thought of spinach in your drink can be a bit intimidating but trust me, this drink tastes so good! Even though it has spinach, what you'll taste more of are the mangoes and watermelon. I was also surprised by how clean the flavor was -- no unpleasant tastes and aftertastes. It's also very refreshing compared to other smoothies (probably because it has no sugar).

The next time someone asks me how I like my smoothies, I'll have mine with no sugar, and extra veggies, please! 

Noodle Boss

Colder days have arrived and there's nothing like a hot bowl of noodles to warm you up. The idea of slurping some hot ramen seemed appealing one rainy lunch time so I found myself in the Japanese restaurant, Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss.

Aside from the typical array of Japanese favorites that you'll find there, their specialty is their ramen. If Italians like their pasta al dente, the Japanese also have their own version of that called koshi wherein the noodles are firm and chewy, and not soggy. Moshi Koshi is so passionate about koshi that their make their noodles fresh everyday. 

I ordered one of their best sellers, the Shio Butter Corn which has a salt-based broth -- perfect for those who like their food simple. I also ordered additional Aji Tamago which is Japanese soft boiled egg.

 I liked how there was a contrast of textures between the chewy noodles, crunchy corn, tender pork and melt-in-your-mouth soft egg. The butter adds a subtle saltiness that is different from the salt flavor in the broth. 

Though I've had better ramen, this one was not bad at all. I can say that they really live up to their name when it comes to their koshi noodles. They definitely know how to make noodles... like a bawse!

Sizzling Hot

Sundays usually mean date night for me and my boyfriend and last night was a sizzling hot one because of this Beef Pepper Rice at Pepper Lunch. Strips of tender beef, white rice, sweet corn and spring onions, sprinkled with ground black pepper all getting brown and toasty on a buttery sizzling plate -- this dish is perfect for a casual dinner. And if you're lucky, your date might just be as hot as this plate.  

Berry Chocolate-y

Jamba Juice has always been know for its healthy and refreshing fruit smoothies. As I was about to order my favorite Banana Berry smoothie, I was asked if I wanted to try their new flavor, Choco Berry Moo'd Smoothie. Chocolate and berries together in a drink? I was a bit hesitant to try it but then the flavor combination of chocolate-covered strawberries came into mind, and how can one refuse that?

The drink is a mix of chocolate moo'd base, mixed berry juice, dark choco chips, non-fat frozen yogurt, strawberries, and blueberries. 

One sip was all it took for me to conclude that this drink is awesome! Though the ingredients are strawberries and blueberries, it tasted more like chocolate-covered raisins. Nothing wrong with that! It was surprisingly still refreshing despite the chocolate flavor. If the regular Jamba Juice concoctions don't satisfy your sweet tooth, then this is the drink for you. 

And just so you know, dark chocolate (when taken in moderation) is actually loaded with antioxidants and has various health benefits. Who said eating (or drinking) healthy can't taste good? 

Live fruitfully! 

Pretending to be an Iron Chef

Waiting for your food in a restaurant can seem like forever especially when you're starving. Well, if you're craving for Japanese food, that waiting time may seem shorter than it actually is since some katsu restaurants now provide you with something to do while waiting for your food -- making your own katsu sesame sauce!

My boyfriend and I recently ate at the newly opened Katsu Cafe branch in Tomas Morato. After taking our order, we were provided with a mortar and pestle with sesame seeds inside. 

The mortar has indentations to make it easier to grind the sesame seeds. 

After grinding, you simply have to add the sweet and tangy katsu sauce that's already prepared for you. And voila! You have just created (or should I say mixed) your own sauce! 

I had the Chicken Katsu. It was served with miso soup, rice and some cabbage. 

Katsu basically means food that is coated with bread crumbs and is then deep fried. Traditionally, it's made with pork (known as tonkatsu) but you can also use chicken like what I had. 

Even though you simply ground up sesame seeds and mixed the sauce, it's always fun knowing you had some participation in preparing your food. I honestly felt like I was like some katsu master preparing my signature dish... or Iron Chef' Morimoto. 

Anyway, order up some katsu and have fun pretending to be a master in the art of making sesame sauce! 

One Huge Breakfast

Whoever came up with this dish must have had the saying "Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper" in mind because this is a breakfast that's definitely fit for a king. But we'll get to that later.

My friends and I were at Home Depot in Ortigas last night and as we were walking around in the rain, trying to find a place to eat at, we stumbled upon Little Pantry Cafe that was still on its soft opening. Since it was new to all of us, we decided to try it out. 

The simple but elegant interior design gives you the feeling that it's as if you're simply entering a friend's beautiful house for dinner and not a restaurant. The neutral and pastel colors used compliment the brightness of the space.

Being a cafe lover, one of the things that immediately got my attention was this chalkboard wall. It definitely adds a touch of playfulness and color to the place. I personally think that every cafe should have a chalkboard menu. 

Having benches as seating can be uncomfortable but these padded backrests against the wall not only provide comfort but also serve as wall decor.

Aside from their ala carte menu, they also have an eat all you can Mongolian Bowl section where you can pick the components of your rice bowl, and they'll cook it for you. 

 When we asked the waiter for their best sellers, he was very enthusiastic about One Huge Breakfast in their all day breakfast menu. He was so convincing that all five of us ended up ordering the same dish. He was even drawing in the air how big the plate was, and he was not kidding. This plate was literally bigger than our heads and was loaded with everything you could ever want for breakfast. Bacon, ham, hash, tomato, sausages, pork and beans and two eggs on top of toasts -- this was literally one huge breakfast! And this plate doesn't only get a thumbs up for quantity but also for quality. Even though the serving was much more that what I usually consume, I was able to finish my plate. 

This cafe might be called Little Pantry Cafe but there's definitely nothing little about their food. 

Tony Moly! It's Magic!

Lip stains are great because the color on your lips lasts longer than lipstick or lip gloss. However, most lip stains end up making your lips look really dry. If you've experienced having the cracks on your lips show through after applying lip stain, you know what I'm talking about. It's a good thing I found a lip tint that works like magic -- the Tony Moly Magic Lip Tint!

What I love about this product is that the color stays on your lips for hours like a stain but it also gives your lips a nice shine. Even after eating or drinking, the shine wears off but the color stays on your lips. 

You're probably wondering, "So, what's so magical about this lip tint?" Well, the product is clear but once you swatch it or apply it to your lips, it turns pink! I know there are a lot of other products that can do the same but it's just so cool whenever you encounter one. It's like magic! 

It's in a cute little pot which is great because it's easy to take along. It doesn't take up much space in your make up kit, and you can simply drop it in your purse and you're good to go!

And since fall is coming, it's time to transition your make up from soft pinks to darker berry colors! The color is great because it's a berry color which is perfect for the season but it's not too dark so it's very wearable for everyday looks. 

While this lip tint magically changes its color, I've always seen make up as sort of like magic as well. Just add a little color to your face and it can instantly transform not only how you look but also how you feel inside. So go ahead, don't be afraid to experiment with make up and add a little magic in your life!