Bagoong Club

Tomas Morato is known as a food strip in Quezon City...however, it becomes too crowded especially during lunch or dinner time. There are times when you want to eat good food with nice ambiance at a reasonable price and just somewhere near that area. Along Sct. Lazcano St. stands Bagoong Club. If you're not familiar with the Scout Area, you won't be able to find it easily. But in order to reach this place, if you're coming from E. Rodriguez St, turn right at Starbucks (California Berry should be in front of you, and to your left is Alfredo's). Just go straight and Bagoong Club is on your right (a restaurant that looks like an ancestral house).

Of course, as the name of the restaurant indicates, it is Filipino cuisine. Since the best bagoong, most of the time, came from the Ilocos region, most of the food has a touch of Ilocano cuisine. Their best sellers are Dinakdakang Lechon (pork strips with mayonaise and chili), Bopis na Binusog sa Pusit (pork heart with chopped squid), Poque Poque (an omelette with eggplant, tomato, and bagoong), and of course their Bagoong Rice. To end the meal, you have to try their Queso de Bola Cheesecake and their Pastillas de Leche Cheesecake.

Well, for a Filipino food with a different twist, I highly recommend Bagoong Club on your next Food Trip. And for the price, roughly arounnd P300 per head...but remember, you pay for the cozy and homey ambiance too!

Boracay Food Trip

Ah...Boracay! It has always been one of my best vacation spots here in the Philippines! I have been there for four times already and every visit has always something spectacular that happened. This year so far, was the best! Because my friend and I just went there to eat and eat and eat and eat!!! It was like we've been eating the whole day! So hold your appetite as I walk your through the three-day Boracay food trip that we had...

Smoke (D'Mall, Station 2)
I first ate there last 2007 when I was with my family to celebrate my aunt's birthday. From then on, I made sure that I had to eat there. In fact, I celebrated my birthday last year at Smoke too! Their specialty is the Beef Salpicao (sauteed spicy beef rice topping), Kad Pao (sauteed beef with green mangoes and egg topped on bagoong rice) and Sizzling Bulalo. The price is very reasonable as one rice bowl is just P95. We also had their sizzling prawns and the sauce...perfect with the garlic rice!





Jony's Fruit Shake (Station 1)

Going to Boracay without a sip of the fresh fruit shake will not complete your trip.   Jony's offers a wide range of fruit shakes and milk shakes to choose from but for me, the Best will always be the Avocado Shake (seasonal) and Mango Shake. My friend had Buko Shake and she told me that their Pineapple Shake is also very good (there's a reason to go back!). Their shakes are very thick and not too much ice. The price ranges from P90-P100 depending on the fruit and fruit combination.









Manana (Station 1)

So far, the best Mexican food I ever tasted! They make their own sauces and sides. Very authentic Mexican food! My favorite dishes are their Enchiladas and Tacos. Although their set meals are kinda pricey but it is good for two. We also had soft tacos and the fun part is you get to wrap the filling on your own. I also love their salsa and because of the authenticity, you know that it is freshly made.


Bite Club (D' Mall, Station 2)

Craving for a burger? As in BURGER! Bite Club offers a burger that's somehow guilt free because it is char-grilled...therefore, NO OIL! We ordered Bombarella, a half pound burger with mozzarella cheese. It was a good thing we shared the burger because it was so BIG that I, myself can't finish everything on my own! You will also be given a wide range of sauces to top your burger. A burger will not be complete if you did not order some fries. Their Crispy Fries is like Jollibee's but has a better taste because they season it with some pepper to enhance the taste. Their burgers price range from P140-P305...next time I had to try their Triple X burger with some friends. How is that possible? They have a branch here in Katipunan! Woohoo!!!




Aria (D'Mall, Station 2)

Beach life won't be complete without pizza. Aria is one of the oldest establishments in Boracay that serves Italian food. Their pizza is baked in a stone oven, so, no oil is needed. We had the Aria Pizza with Parma Ham (Italian Ham) and it's taste would enhance if you put some chili oil in it. Although it's quite expensive but when you go to Boracay, Aria is a place where you must try their pizza and pasta!








D' Talipapa (Station 2)

How could you go to Boracay without eating seafood? Just walk a little further and D' Talipapa is where you can feast for seafoods! From prawns to clams to oysters to lobsters, name it and you can have it! The style here is that you need to know how to buy your fresh catch and how it should be cooked. But I do recommend that for crabs, have it with chili sauce. For lobsters, butter garlic sauce and for the prawns, let them grill it. By the way, although we didn't have oysters, I suggest you have them baked topped with cheese, butter and garlic...yum!


Real Coffee and Tea Cafe (Station 1)

Craving for a dessert like no other and only in the Philippines? Then, you better have the Calamansi Muffin at Real Coffee and Tea Cafe. It's P40 and would surely satisfy your tangy craving. You can even make some pre-order to bring it back to Manila.












I guess, after reading this blog, you are now hungry...well, I think you better pack up your stuff and have a Food Trip in THE party island, BORACAY!

Cajun

When I'm feeling stressed or down, I always splurge on good food. Just around the corner of Retiro St. in Quezon City stands a restaurant called Cajun. An American cuisine like no other! With their homey style restaurant, it really makes me feel relaxed and forget about the pressures in life even for just an hour.

For appetizer, you may order their sampler platter. The platter contains chicken fingers, onion rings, calamares and my favorite, cheese logs!

For their main entrees, my personal favorite is Chicken Alfred (breaded boneless fried chicken with Alfredo sauce) sides with their sauteed Hashbrowns and Cajun Saflon Rice. I also love their Mustard Chicken and Volcano Burgers! Well, practically, I love all their food! And the price, it's very reasonable. An entree with a big serving costs more or less P215-P275 depending on what type of meat and entree you prefer.

Then, it is going to be perfect to end your meal with their Overload dessert! Fresh hot chocolate cake topped with chocolate coated vanilla ice cream...hmmmmm....need I say more? No need to pay for an overpriced meal anymore on your next relaxing Food Trip; just drop by at Cajun and it now has two additional branches: Atrium at Megamall and Robinson's Galleria Movieworld.

Suka at Sili

When I eat Halo-Halo, I become very choosy because I don't like eating beans. However, there's one place in Quezon City where their Halo-Halo becomes my personal favorite. And I always keep on coming back for it.

Suka at Sili is located at D. Tuazon, Quezon City beside Quincy Supermarket. At first, you will not notice it because it looks like an office space. They serve Filipino dishes that cost about P150 per head with ALL YOU CAN EAT RICE. Their specialties are grilled chicken, grilled pork, enseladang talong and, my favorite dish, crispy hito and make sure you dip it in their special suka (vinegar)!

In this blog I will highlight their Halo-Halo. The ice is very fine and it looks like an ice cream. Mixed in this dessert treat are slices of bananas, langka (jack fruit), coconut meat and leche flan. Nothing beats this P60 dessert that you would crave for perfect for a cool Food Trip!