Eighteen Bistro

My friends and I recently decided to meet up in the Tomas Morato area on the condition that we try a restaurant we haven't all been to before. As the food blogger, they left it to me to do the research on new must-try places, and the promise of honest to goodness French and Italian food swayed me to suggest Eighteen Bistro.

Upon entering the restaurant, the first impression you'll get is how small the place is. It can only seat about eighteen people, but it only takes a few more seconds of looking around the place to slowly change your perspective from small to cozy. From the classic dark wood furniture mixed with industrial steel light fixtures, to framed inspirational quotes against a wall of liquor, the place is a snug place perfect for a romantic dinner or for having an intimate meal with close friends and family.

One glance at their menu, and I instantly knew I would love the place. I love how the place is semi-casual but their menu is so classy that you feel like you're in a fine dining restaurant. Seeing words like Moscato jus, potato terrine, and feuilletine crunch almost made me want to order with a French accent.

However, my love for Italian food will always triumph so I went for one of their best-sellers, the Chicken Parmigiana. This is a dish that's composed of all things that I love -- chicken, cheese, and tomatoes, and yet I've been let down too many times by mediocre versions of it where the chicken is usually dry, is drowning in tomatoes which makes the crust soggy, and worst is topped with cheap, salty cheese that just overpowers everything. Eighteen Bistro's version though, is hands down the best Chicken Parmigiana I've had. The chicken which is served on a bed of mushroom rice pilaf is absolutely moist and tender that you can cut through it like a hot knife cutting through butter. I love how the tomato stew is spooned on top of the chicken rather than underneath because it keeps the beautiful golden crust crunchy. Then, it's topped with a generous amount of really good mozzarella cheese and finished with fresh basil. It was so delicious I literally couldn't stop thinking about it days after.

Martin also had one of their best-sellers, the Spicy Portobello and Cream Cheese pasta. While mushrooms and cream are a classic combination when it comes to pasta, I love how they put a twist to it by using cream cheese for that slight tangy flavor which contrasts well with the earthiness of the portobellos. The spiciness from the cayenne pepper cuts through the richness of the cream which lets you have as much as you want. 

As if the food wasn't great enough, we were pleasantly surprised when we were offered Php18 cocktails. Yes, eighteen pesos. If I'm not mistaken, you can have their cocktail of the day from 6-9pm for only Php18. Who were we to resists such a good deal so we had their Mai Tai which was so refreshing you wouldn't think it's a cocktail until it suddenly sneaks up on you.

I could think of eighteen reasons why I love Eighteen Bistro, but I'm pretty sure the ones I've mentioned above are enough to convince you to go check them out.

Tipsy Pig

Catching up with good friends usually involves some cold drinks at your favorite watering hole. To go with your drinks are usually greasy, fatty bar grub which starts to taste pretty good after couple of bottles down. However, at Tipsy Pig, they have put their own twist on bar chow by elevating them into dishes that doesn't require you to be tipsy just for you to think they taste delicious. 

No drinking session is complete without some sisig. However, Tipsy Pig has made the classic sisig into something that's a bit more sophisticated compared to its usual sizzling platter presentation. The Belly Good Sisig Tacos has crispy pork belly made into sisig, wrapped in tortilla with asian soy garlic sauce. I love the texture contrast of the creamy sisig with the crunchy deep fried pork belly on top. For me, the best part of sisig are the crunchy skin parts and these tacos really highlight that amazing texture. The sweet asian soy garlic sauce (which reminded me of peking duck sauce) surprisingly worked really well with the sisig, and was balanced by the acidity of the kalamansi. If you're going to try one thing in Tipsy Pig, I highly recommend this.

Bar grub is usually finger food, and things can get pretty messy when it comes to The Dirty Mexicana. When you enter the restaurant, the first thing you'll notice is this mountain of yellow and bright pink nachos which seems to be on every table. It's overloaded with 3 kinds of cheese, beef, pulled pork, jalapeno, pico de gallo and sour cream. The serving was so huge that we were already so full from eating and yet we felt like we've barely made a dent in it. Believe it or not, there were already four of us sharing this, and we didn't even get to finish it. It's the perfect thing to munch on while catching up with friends, and is also probably enough to feed your whole barkada.  

We were supposed to go restaurant hopping, and just have appetizers at Tipsy Pig but we got so full that we ended up wrapping up our meal there with some Lava cake. It's molten chocolate cake oozing with warm chocolate ganache topped with vanilla ice cream. I loved how moist tthe cake is and how fudgy the center was without being too sweet. 

Tipsy Pig is definitely worth going to if you're looking for some good food to munch on with friends. However, it's better to make reservations because their tables are usually reserved from 9pm onwards which will force you to have to cut your dinner short if you just walk in before 9pm. 

Ramen Nagi: Black is King

My first ever Ramen Nagi experience was at their Robinsons Magnolia branch. It was that first taste that started my love affair with ramen. I remember back then, my idea of ramen was just the just-add-hot-water instant ramen noodles you could get in groceries and convenient stores. Now, ramen has become part of the Filipino dining culture as a gourmet dish. With so many Japanese restaurants popping up everywhere with their own versions of this noodle dish, it takes a lot of creativity to really make your ramen stand out above the rest. 

I was fortunate enough to have been recently invited to the first anniversary of Ramen Nagi's Magnolia branch where at the same time, they were also showcasing their best-seller, the Black King. Like most people, I was quite intimidated when I heard about this dish. While most strive for a colorful food presentation, Ramen Nagi serves you this big bowl of jet black soup. However, being adventurous when it comes to your food does pay off because one slurp of this squid ink infused pork broth is enough to get you hooked. It has the same rich flavor of their original pork tonkotsu broth, but has deeper, earthy taste because of the squid ink and toasted garlic. It's topped with tender slices of pork, mushrooms, and a ball of ground meat, but I just had to add some seaweed and tamago because I love its sweet, smokey, creamy egg yolk mixing into the broth. I love how it's a modern take on a classic dish without compromising the traditional ramen taste that we all know and love.

As Ramen Nagi Magnolia celebrates its first anniversary, it's giving us a chance to enjoy this well-loved ramen for only Php 100! That's right, you can have the Black King ramen for only Php 100 for every order worth Php 1,200 from August 10 to 14! You can also win bowls of free Black King by dining at their Robinsons Magnolia branch from August 10 to 14, taking a selfie, and posting on your instagram account with the #ramennagianniv.

Hanamaruken Ramen

After months of curiosity about Hanamaruken Ramen, one cold, rainy date night was the perfect opportunity to try their Signature Happiness Ramen. 

Now, the obvious thing that separates this from any other bowl of ramen would definitely have to be the slow-braised custom cut soft bone pork rib on top. While other ramens are topped with thin slices of pork, with this, you are spoiled with a huge chunk of meat that's so tender all you need is a soft bite to tear it apart. It's so delicious I remember thinking to myself that I would actually eat that pork with rice. It has a sweet, barbecue-like glaze which slowly bleeds into the broth, making the soup even more flavorful as you're eating it. However, even without the pork rib, the shoyu tonkotsu broth can confidently stand on its own. When the ramen arrived to our table, the first thing I did (aside from take pictures) was taste the broth. One slurp was all it took and I instantly understood why it seemed inevitable for people to not post pictures of this ramen on Instagram. The broth is so rich and flavorful, but still has a very clean taste.

Martin and I just shared the ramen because we knew we wouldn't be able to finish a bowl each, but we did order some Gyoza on the side. Their gyoza did not disappoint as well. I loved the crispiness of the pan-fried side while the rest of the wrapper was soft and chewy. When you bite into it, what greets your palette is the brightness of the garlic and greens, which makes it the perfect pairing to the heavy ramen. 

On the bowl of the ramen, there's a piece of seaweed which according to our server reads something like, "Happiness coming your way." This rainy season, while the winds and rains are on their way, we can all take comfort in the fact that so is happiness when we eat a bowl of ramen on a cold, rainy day.

Eating at a Korean Restaurant in a Motel

Now, before you get any crazy ideas as to why I was at a motel, let me be clear that I was there solely for the food. I went to Cavite with my boyfriend Martin, and his mom. On our way home, his Uncle said that he's heard that this particular Korean restaurant is good. However, some people are hesitant about trying it because of its location. No one wants to risk being seen coming in and out of that place for fear that he or she might be mistakenly judged for being there other than to eat some Korean food. 

The inside of the restaurant, much like its exterior is modest. No fancy decor aside from the the walls having various pictures of Korean food I was unfamiliar with. The names of the dishes underneath the pictures weren't much help either since they were in Korean. It's the kind of place where judging from your first impression, your dining experience can either go very bad or very well. I, of course, hoped for the latter, and the several groups of Korean men dining there were very encouraging. If Koreans are actually eating there, the food must be authentic and good. 

Since we were quite overwhelmed by their extensive menu, we decided to go for something familiar -- shabu-shabu. While waiting for our order, we were served a beautiful spread of complimentary appetizers in small plates called Banchan. The appetizers were mainly vegetables that were either a spicy pickled dish or lightly sautéd with a sweet flavor. One thing you'll notice is that crispness is key with these dishes. The vegetables still have a nice crunch when you bite into them despite being pickled, and even those sautéd were not overcooked. I've always seen and known about Banchan whenever I watch travel shows, and I always wondered why it seems to be the favorite part of the meal of anyone who enjoys Korean food. After trying it for myself, I now understand why. Let's just say once you try really good Banchan, you'll find yourself salivating for some pickled radishes.

Then came out a humungous platter of towering food, filled with the bounties of both land and sea. We were presented with this glorious plate of seafood, beef, vegetables and even processed food. The fun thing about shabu-shabu is that you cook your own food table side. The broth was simple enough that it could be flavored with whatever you put in it. The crabs, shrimps and squid were so fresh and delicious that their flavors were what you could predominantly taste. With so many ingredients floating in the pot, you would think that those tastes would just clash with each other. However, the broth still had a mild, clean flavor, allowing you to eat way more than you thought you could. While we were eating, a Korean man came out from the kitchen into the dining area, and the red liquid splatters on his shirt give away that he was the one cooking. He acknowledged us and shyly smiled as we tried to communicate to him that his food was delicious. Having the Korean owner cook the food himself definitely assured us that the food was indeed authentic.

Although we initially had reservations about eating at this Korean restaurant that I don't even know the name of because I can't read their Korean signage, I had two important realizations from this dining experience. First, Korean food is good. I mean, really good. Before this, Korean food to me was simply kimchi and bibimbap, and yet the Banchan alone opened my mind to the complex flavor profile of Korean cuisine. Second, in the same way that one must not judge a book by its cover, one must not also judge food based on the restaurant's logistics. If you want to find good food, don't be afraid to try hole in the wall places. In our case, even if it's in a motel by the side of the road. 

Express Sincerity

I learned about Sincerity's chicken from my mom who is notorious for not being fond of chicken. A friend made her try it, and trust me, if there's a chicken dish out there that my mom likes, it really must be darn good. Fortunately, Sincerity recently opened a stall at the Robinsons Magnolia food court so I could finally try it without having to go to Binondo. The long line of people that you'll always find at their store is very reassuring that their chicken is truly worth-trying.

You can order either half or whole chicken, but we just had half since my Dad, sister and I just wanted to try it. We were actually pleasantly surprised by how generous the half order is -- easily good enough for three people. At first glance, their chicken doesn't look like your typical fried chicken. They don't just use the prime cuts such as the thigh, drumstick, and wings which are normally used because these dark meats have the most flavor. They use every single cut of the chicken which is really impressive because they manage to make even the parts that are usually discarded taste so delicious. I mean, it's difficult to make white meat flavorful but they can make it taste the same as the dark meat parts.

Speaking of flavor, whenever I eat fried chicken, I already have an expectation as to how it will taste like since they don't really differ much from each other. However, when I tasted Sincerity's chicken, I couldn't quite put a finger on what ingredients were used to flavor it. Whenever this happens, I get excited because I know I'm eating something unique (and most of the time, delicious). It definitely has an Asian flavor, and not your typical American friend chicken. It has a subtle sweetness, and I think there's a little bit of ginger as well (but I could be wrong). Anyway, however they flavored this, it's so good that they don't even serve it with a dipping sauce or gravy because it's that tasty on its own. The breading is crispy while the meat on the inside is tender and juicy. It's easily one of the best fried chicken dishes I've had.

Aside from their chicken, we also ordered their Kikiam. Unlike other kikiams that use ground pork, you can see that they use tender slices of pork. My favorite bits are the ends because the bean curd sheet there gets extra crispy while for the rest of the dish, the wrapper has a nice crispy, chewy consistency. It's served with a sweet-spicy gravy-like sauce that compliments the dish well. 

I love trying out new dishes all the time, but it's not everyday that I find something that is so delicious that it makes me excited to recommend it. Sincerity, however, is one of those places that makes me so happy to share this food discovery with everyone. 

Vlog: The Great Gatsby Debut Hosting and City of Dreams

One of the things I absolutely love about hosting is getting dolled up for the event. Things, however, get even more fun when the party has a specific theme, and you get to play dress up for a night. For my last hosting job with Martin, we hosted someone's 18th birthday and the theme was The Great Gatsby. Having read the book and watched the movie, you could just imagine how excited I got when I found out I could dress up just like a flapper girl, and be my own version of Daisy Buchanan. In true Roaring Twenties fashion, I wore pearls, a silver headband with feathers across my, and some gold and silver studded shoes to accessorize my flowy cocktail dress. I also rocked some black eyeshadow and dark red lips for my make up. We had such a fun time hosting, we felt like we were also just enjoying the festivities even though we were actually working.

It seemed like a pleasant coincidence that as Martin and I were hosting a Great Gatsby-themed party which is known for its decadence and excessiveness, the venue of the party is right beside the newly opened City of Dreams which is a lavish resort and casino in Manila (and is even endorsed by Jay Gatsby himself, Leonardo di Caprio). While we were in the area, we also got to explore City of Dreams for the first time. It's a nice place to go to if you're a high roller and you're feeling a bit lucky to play cards or slot machines. There are also restaurants to eat at, several high end boutiques to shop at, and Dreamplay which I'm not sure what it is exactly. All I know is that it has the Dreamworks cartoon characters and a whole lot of children lined up to go in it. 

If you want to see more of the place, and how our hosting went, make sure to check out our latest vlog!

May Favorites

I can't believe how fast the month of May flew by! Well, one reason could be because I spent about a week binge watching four seasons of the TV show Scandal. It's just one of the things I absolutely loved for the past month. If you want to know what other beauty, fashion, and random things I loved for the month of May, make sure to check out my May Favorites video!

Life Lately #1

Instagram: @deniseyalung

I was trying to come up with ideas on new things I can post here on the blog, and I thought of adding a little more personal touch in here. Aside from simply writing restaurant features and reviews, I also want to share snippets of what's going on in my life. To make things more interesting, I'm going to be doing this "Life Lately" series using my Instagram photos. For my first post, the color green seems to be a theme. 

1) The weather seems to get hotter by the day despite summer coming to a close here in the Philippines. On days when the heat just becomes unbearable, I turn to my friend, Starbucks, for some ice cold beverages to help me cool down. My favorite Starbucks drinks are their Iced Caramel Macchiato and their Iced Chai Tea Latte.

2) If you catch me in the kitchen, chances are you'll find me cooking pasta. If I had a specialty, it would be my pasta dishes because they're so fast and easy to cook (not to mention delicious). I recently cooked my all-time favorite pasta dish -- pesto with chicken and mushrooms, and my family and I wiped it out in an instant!

3) When I wake up, I usually go out to our garden to breathe in some fresh air and to bask in the morning sun. One time, as I was having my coffee, I realized that we had some makahiya plants in our garden which are plants that fold up when you touch them. It definitely brought back childhood memories of me playing with these plants, and I felt like kid all over again as I touched each one of them.

4) Speaking of plants, a lot of the tropical plants that we have in the Philippines are in full bloom during the summer, and I can't help but admire how pretty they are. Whenever my Dad and I would drive around, we would talk about the beautiful flowers and plants that we'd pass by. We recently saw this gorgeous Golden Shower plant and I just had to take a picture with it. I felt like it was one of our tropical versions of a cherry blossom.

Bronzy Summer Make Up Look

Summer will soon come to a close here in the Philippines but that doesn't mean that you can't rock a bronzy, glowy look even if you're not at the beach anymore. Check out my new Youtube video where I show you how I create this bronzy look that's perfect for summer!

Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar

When you see a sign outside a restaurant that they were ranked by spot.ph to have the best Margherita pizza, you don't think twice about whether or not you're going to eat there or not. You forget about your other restaurants options, and simply enter in the hopes of having what could be one of the best pizza experiences you'll ever have. Well, at least, that's what Martin and I did when we passed by Olive Tree Kitchen & Bar.

It wouldn't be a Den and Martin meal without some salad, so we started things off with their Chopped Salad which has mixed greens, herbs, red cabbage, provolone, walnuts, spicy salumi, and house dressing. It was very refreshing especially with its light, tangy dressing. I also absolutely loved the salumi in it because it's not often that you get some spiciness in a salad. All the vegetables were crisp and fresh, and the walnuts added a sweet crunch.

I was so excited to try their Margherita Pizza, and trust me when I say that it did not disappoint. I'd have to agree with spot.ph that this is also the best Margherita pizza I've had. The crust was toasted on the outside and chewy on the inside. Unlike other pizzas that use sliced tomatoes, theirs are not so that when you bite into them, the heirloom tomatoes burst, releasing the warm, sweet tomato juice in your mouth as if they were grapes. The bufala mozzarella is so creamy you'd that you'd think you're eating custard, and it has a very subtle flavor to not overpower the dish. The basil leaves are kept fresh, and adds a bright flavor to the pizza. It's such a simple pizza but it is a lot better than anything I've tried before because they use high quality ingredients that are allowed to shine. 

For pasta, we had the Prawns and Chorizo which has tagliatelle all'uovo, bell pepper soffritto, and confit of garlic. Now, this is unlike any other ordinary shrimp pasta you've had. First, let's start off with the prawns. They are huge, which really makes you feel like you're getting your money's worth. The pasta sauce is more flavorful than your usual tomato-based pasta because of the bell peppers and garlic. The chorizo bits have a nice bite to them, and adds just the right amount of spiciness to the dish. It's such a delicious combination of a meat and seafood pasta.

Olive Tree Kitchen and Bar was named one of the Best Restaurants of 2014 by Philippine Tatler, and I couldn't agree more. Its  classy and sophisticated while still having a smart casual vibe, but even more beautiful than the interiors are the delicious plates of food that come out of the kitchen.

Olive Tree Kitchen and Bar

G/F B3, Bonifacio High Street,

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

Green Pastures

Just say the words "organic" and "healthy" about a restaurant, and Martin and I would probably already by sprinting our way there even before you could finish your sentence. As much as I love indulging on burgers and fried chicken, lately, I find myself craving for healthier meals more. I guess you could say I've been searching for greener pastures when it comes to restaurants I eat at.

Martin and I were in Eastwood, undecided where we were going to eat, when we thought of going to the concierge to check out their list of restaurants. Their concierge kindly told us about their newly opened restaurants, and the first thing she mentioned was Green Pastures which serves organic dishes. Upon hearing that, we knew we definitely wanted to try it out.

For starters, we had their Organic Mushrooms Toast which has sous vide egg, house made ricotta, and caciocavallo cheese. I love mushrooms and it was great being served a dish made with fresh mushrooms and not the button mushrooms from a can. The mushrooms had a firm and chewy consistency, and had an earthy flavor that was balanced out by the creaminess of the cheese. The toast had a nice crust that was the perfect bed especially when the yolk of the sous vide egg started oozing all over the mushrooms. If you love mushrooms, you will definitely enjoy this dish!

For pasta, we had the All'amatriciana which is made with buccatini pasta, housemade passato, pancetta, red onions, chili flakes, and pecorino. To be honest, I was a little bit disappointed with the pasta sauce because it was a little too sweet for my liking. It reminded me of Filipino style spaghetti that's sweet rather than Italian style which has the fresh, sour taste of the tomatoes. If you're into the sweet pasta though, then you'll probably like this dish. However, I loved the pancetta that was served on top of it. The saltiness of the pancetta contrasted the sweetness of the sauce, and it was cooked crisp, just the way I like it. I would order this just to munch on the pancetta.

While I was a bit underwhelmed by the pasta, I still absolutely love Green Pasture's concept of being an organic, farm-to-table restaurant that uses locally-sourced produce. They have so many other dishes on their menu that I'm excited to try so I'll definitely be coming back. If you're looking for honest-to-goodness, delicious food, make sure to check them out!

Green Pastures

Third Floor, Eastwood Mall

Libis Quezon City