a bite of brownie

Manggahan
Lahug


Verdict:
A: 3.75/5

Price is great, food is delicious. What's not to like?

Most of the food served here are expensive, being a drinking hub with foreigners as their intended audience. For our brunch, we had a plate of hanger steak and a serve of crispy pata. Apparently, they have this secret menu not included in the tagboard they hand out.




The only thing that prevents me from giving this restaurant a good score is the price and the availability of food.

Beef overload! Rib eye steak and wagyu beef with a band playing cheesy melodramatic songs in the background - a fine way to cap a Saturday night. The beef dishes were excellent but our calamari appetizer was so-so. I would pick Cyma's kalamarakia over this anytime of day.

I just noticed this last weekend, but it looks like all restos on the third level serve liquor and turn into gimik places come Friday and Saturday nights.

N: 3.5/5 non existent service on a Saturday night plus way expensive! rib eye is $7 per 100g - that's a person's salary for the day in Cebu.

++ because they have free wifi, -- because they don't have any discounts or freebies for Ayala discount card holders.

Bistro Ecila
3rd Level, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu

"The Gustavian Celebrates the decadence and glamour brought to Sweden in 1750’s by Crown Prince Gustav III from France where he studied. When Gustav was crowned King of Sweden he rapidly changed the whole country in to a Cultural movement that included fine cuisine. Sweden has since then been one of the most delightful parts of the French cuisine family tree. Scandinavian cuisine is a melting pot of the Haute Cuisine of the Baltic, Russian, Polish, Finnish and of course Swedish/ French find dining heritage from the past 300 years."

-The Gustavian
gustavian.ph/about-us

Dining inside this uniquely elegantly designed restaurant in Ayala Terraces is truly a breath taking experience on a hot lazy afternoon or a romantic evening with a date. The establishment lets patrons have the option to sit on one of the many carefully prepped tables a few steps away from the front entrance, with a relaxing view of the ayala gardens. To the left side of the door, buffet tables, carefully prepared against the glass wall, are filled with rows of salads, pita, bread and a few signature dishes like salpicao, sole and steak. Ahead, guests intent of watching an exciting game series unfold can relax with their friends while ordering bottles of liquor or a shot of imported wine. Ambiance-wise, this has got to be one of the best restaurants in Terraces.

To begin the meal, I had the privilege of sampling most of their appetizers of pita and Greek dressing, paired with a steaming broth of chicken. Their scrumptious salpicao, a dish composed of cubed beef sirloin or tenderloin, lots of minced garlic, olive oil and various seasonings was next to be tasted. Soft, heavenly, and heart pounding! It tasted just like meat simmered in coconut milk and tomato sauce, only better.

What made the trip to this restaurant worth it is the fact that they also serve tender sirloin steak to match the plethora of salad and sidings (Mussel salad was among the best, followed by the farmer's salad). Thinly sliced meat that oozed with flavor in your mouth is just too hard not to pass by.


The Gustavian
Stall F103, Level 1,
Terraces Area Ayala Center
Cebu Cebu Business Park, Cebu City


Verdict:
A: 4.9/5
Pricey restaurant is pricey! I recommend bringing your credit card to pay for the bill. Food and ambiance makes up for it, though.

It was Labor Day weekend so it was a lazy Sunday and we decided to use up all my movie tickets, which are expiring next year, and head downtown to watch Eat, Pray, Love. But first we had to eat.

Cactus Club is right across Burrard skytrain station so it was an easy choice on a balmy, cloudy, rainy, gloomy Monday. It was sometime in the middle of breakfast and lunch so I wasn't really in the mood for a full meal - I would have ordered steak otherwise, instead I chose their lettuce wraps - the presentation was great, that made it hard to eat it, maybe that's why I couldn't finish it haha - nah, it was just a lot. I forgot, I'm back in North America, the land of the plenty.


N: 3.5/5

Cactus Club
588 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC

Our dinner last night was supposed to be sautéed cabbage but when I was chopping the ingredients, there was a power shortage for an hour or less. So, cursing this unfortunate event, my sister and I decided to eat out before she heads off to work, at a restaurant we rarely visit now. AA BBQ is popular for its grilled items; seafood, meat, chicken. They even have roast beef and are known to serve soup based and sizzling dishes too.

With its main branch located between F. Ramos Street and Jones Avenue, Casa Verde has gained enough popularity and demand that it was able to expand its territory up to Ayala Cebu. Amidst the long line of well known eateries beside it, this restaurant thrives mainly because of the mouth watering ribs and ample slices of steak that they serve.

Last Wednesday night my sister and I went to I.T. Park to check out restos. We ended up in a resto-bar called Pier One. I have heard many good things about this place from ads and food write ups a few years ago. And now its time for me to check it out.

At the entrance, you will be greeted by a standing guard who checks your belongings for safety purposes. I don't know about you guys but all I want is to eat in that establishment and not to harass or be harassed by other people, so why put a guard to check a patron's laptop bag? Funny thing is, I think it was my first time to encounter a "bag check up" in a dining restaurant. Anyway, after the "security check" we were guided to a table outside, to the resto's balcony. Upon seating, A waiter with a sailor cap approached us to give us the menu and to take our orders. Since I was feeling a little feverish and needed a bowl of soup so we decided to get "Bulalo na Baka" which is beef soup with vegetables, "Tokwa't Baboy" a dish made up of fried tofu and some thin slices of pork and onions topped with soy sauce. And of course, steamed rice. For drinks, I got a glass of " Calamsi Juice" and water ( I really need plenty of liquids because my feverish state is slowly becoming a nuisance cold and fever). After taking the orders, our waiter hurried away to the counter to place our requests. A few seconds later the same waiter placed the spoon and fork together with the plates in front of us minus the place mats. He hen proceeded to get condiments and arranged them in one side of the table.

Around 10 minutes or so later our orders begin to arrive, first were our drinks and then the food. My calamansi juice came which I expect to taste sour like the fruit that it should be ended up tasting like a sugared sweet lemonade. A premonition just occurred to me that this could be a a disastrous evening for me. A few seconds past then a big bowl of heated beef soup (bulalo na baka), towa't baboy, and rice arrived. Te beef soup is a mediocre attempt to imitate a "pochero" or a nilagang baka". The dish itself taste more like a boiled beef cube soup with a mini slap of beef with a bone and some cabbages for posterity. The tokwa't baboy is good. Fried tofu cut into cubes, wit strips of thinl sliced onions and pork. As the orders came I was quiet and observing the people and surroundings inside and outside the venue. Though, a lot of customers eat here. It dawned upon me that this place must be good for people who come together and drink their hearts out not for people who wants to enjoy simple Filipino dishes.

Situated in the backdrop of Ayala's Terraces and overlooking the lush gardens of the mall, Mesa shines when it comes to fine dining Filipino food. Serving traditional Philippine cuisine with a touch of class and sophistication, this casual restaurant in Ayala is the only one that serves suckling pig. Upon entry, guests have the option to be seated on a private section of the restaurant just outside the restaurant or inside the lavishly furnished interior establishment. Their menu is composed of native dishes such as Sisig, a diced pork dish with a dash of chili served on a sizzling plate and Laing, taro leaves slowly simmered in rich fresh coconut sauce.

and while waiting for PR107 to board, we decided to grab a *light* dinner while watching the Canucks beat the Capitals at the comfy couch of Koho.

For starters we got the calamari which was cooked to perfection, although a bit salty I might admit; squeezing the lemon on top did make a difference though. The ranch dip was uninspiring, but then again, I never really liked ranch to begin with. [to be updated by K]

Moving on to the entree, we thought it would be best to try the seafoods this time, just to take a break from the hefty meat-filled lunch we just had. Krissy got the maple glazed grilled salmon while I picked the seared sesame covered ahi tuna.

[to be updated by K]

I haven't tried seared ahi tuna in my life, so I didn't really know what to expect. My dish came with grilled mixed vegetables - broccoli, peppers and zucchini - which I thought were tasty so I finished them all before I dissected my fish. I thought the tuna was not that fresh, it had a bit of an aftertaste that I needed to drown on the fish sauce side dish before I could swallow. I researched the recipe for this dish and it calls for really fresh sashimi-grade tuna to make it perfect, so I guess this failed that requirement. My dish was salvaged by the coconut-infused steamed rice (it was good even though I don't really eat rice) and the veggie side dish (which was my favorite). [to be updated by K]


We didn't really have room for dessert anymore, (there's no topping the bite of brownie I had for lunch) and K still had to organize her luggage, so we skipped the sweets and headed out. [to be updated by K]

Verdict:
N: 2.5/5.0 [-2.5 because I thought the ahi wasn't fresh but plus points for service because the waitress moved the TV so we could see the Canucks game]
K: [to be updated by K]

Koho Restaurant and Bar
Level 3, International Departures
YVR, Vancouver, BC

is Moxie's Classic Grill. "Let It Snow" was blasting from the restaurant's speakers as we walked up the stairs to the dining area, I do hope it would snow, I like waking up to a white Christmas.

The server led us to good seats, right by the corner window overlooking the intersection, nice view of the gray skies and Steamrollers, a place I should try out sometime.

We got Moxie-size Bellinis to start with while looking over the menu. Light, cool and refreshing, this frozen peach puree with sparkling wine is a perfect summer drink, sipping it on a cold winter day is like summoning the sun to shine again. [to be updated by K]

For appetizers, we tried the crab and scallop cake. I thought it was great, well cooked and well seasoned, not starchy and not oily at all despite looking like it spent some time rolling on flour and sleeping in the deep fryer. [to be updated by K]

Debating between land sea grill and the peppercorn new york steak, Krissy finally decided on the latter, thinking it's been a long time since she had a whole steak just for herself. [to be updated by K]

I picked the martini striploin from the the winter feature menu; it was cooked just the way i liked it - medium well, burnt on the outside but pink on the inside, the middle ground between well done and medium rare. This entree came with beans and chipotle roasted potatoes on the side, both of which I didn't really have the hots for so they were left almost untouched. Yes, I know what you're thinking, I'll specify the sides I want next time to prevent wasting good food.

After finishing our 10oz steak, we didn't really have any room for dessert but I insisted on getting one anyway, I just missed the white chocolate brownie with vanilla ice cream on top and I wanted K to try it. Since that order was too big, we agreed to get two small ones instead, we opted for the mini mousse and the bite of brownie.

I thought the bite of brownie was perfect, reminded me of the white chocolate chip raspberry cookie I used to buy at Safeway sans the raspberry. [to be updated by K]

And that was my meal of the day.. or so I thought.

Verdict:
N: 4.0/5.0 [-1 because it put a big dent on my wallet ^^]
K: [to be updated by K]

Moxie's Classic Grill - Robson
808 Bute Street
Vancouver, BC V6E 1Y4