a bite of brownie

Still part of the Abaca group of companies, Phat Pho specializes in Vietnamese and Thai cuisine, served with a modern twist for the contemporary diner. We visited the restaurant twice and both visits I could say that I was not disappointed. Situated near its siblings at Crossroads, this restaurant opens its doors to its patrons at dusk and goodness me, due to the limited amount of space, it is suggested that people should arrive early before their patrons flood in by the throng.

They have very little on the menu, most of it were made up of different flavored pho bowls while the others were appetizers and pica-pica. Here are some of the things we ordered:

Goi Cuon (vegetable, grilled pork, chilled shrimp)
Pho bowl
Pork in Lettuce cups
Spring Rolls
Chicken wings
Grilled pork tenders

What I really liked most about this restaurant is that the chefs listen to customer feedback and alter the menu to their taste. The proof of this is when we visited the first time and found that the peanut sauce was too sweet and too smooth, we brought this up to the chef and suggested that it would be nicer if it was a little more textured and less sweet. Lo and behold, the next day, we were able to enjoy a new an improved dish, to our proposition.

If I were to choose between which of the three Goi Cuons was the most delicious, I would probably vote for the grilled pork, in favor of the meat being cooked and seasoned as opposed to bland but refreshing hint the shrimp offered. Pho here is delicious, and you could probably share a bowl with a friend because the regular serving is good enough for two. The pork in lettuce cups was one of the ever changing dishes on the daily specials, which, although messy to eat, was delicious. Pork tenders were well cooked and juicy, perfectly cooked if you ask me. Their chicken wings shine with just the right amount of sweetness and sourness and saltiness, plus the serving size was plenty enough too.


 Phat Pho
Crossroads Banilad



Verdict:
A: 4.75/5
One of the few deserving modern restaurants in the market that serves good food. It would be nice if they expanded the menu.

Situated on the 19th floor of Apple One building within walking distance from Ayala, Blue Elephant Sky Lounge is one of the more recent happenings especially for the opening for the  year 2014. This restaurant-bar is said to be a nightly extension of the parent company located in IT Park; it opens at 5 pm and closes at 2 am. Moreover, due to its recent rise to popularity, it is recommended to secure a reservation beforehand to make sure you don't run out of tables.


Access to the restaurant is granted at exactly 5pm, and it even has its own dedicated lift for patrons and staff. The restaurant itself is pretty barren at opening hours, but life starts to flourish as soon as the sun hits the the sack and the moon rises in its place. This sky lounge's true worth lies in dusk where lights start to shine and a beautiful cityscape roars to life  with a variety of colors and sounds.


 Even if we came here at exactly 5pm, we were informed that the kitchen opens at 6pm, so the staff attending us told us to order ahead to avoid the rush of customers coming later. We ordered stuffed squid, seafood curry, bangkok express, sisig and crispy pata. For refreshments, my brother had a bottle of light beer, my sister got a glass of Thai iced tea, while I had a refreshing glass of frozen iced tea.



Our orders arrived one by one at around 630, when people have started claiming their seat reservations. The staff were slowly going around and placing light fixtures and these nifty changing lights on every table to provide a colorful display for the diners.                                       

I find it weird that the food served here tastes different from the main branch, like a clear deviation from the traditional taste that Blue Elephant was known for. The sizzling squid was saucy and we couldn't taste the stuffing so well. The seafood curry tasted sweet and had a very subtle taste of curry in it, as if the curry was added late. The sisig was tasted different, and wasn't sizzling as advertized. It did have unusual ingredients that regular  restaurants don't use: pork ears and liver. The crispy pata also paled in comparison to the one from IT park (which had softer meat and crispier skin, served with three types of sauces).           
                                                                                                   


A: 3/5

The crispy pata almost didn't arrive, and it tasted different from the usual taste I was so used to. The staff were courteous enough though, and very attentive. The drinks tasted too sweet, as if the barista wanted us to catch diabetes.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

We visited Lemon Grass Restaurant yesterday on the way to an office mate's house party for a quick bite of food while they were still out of their apartment. This restaurant offers a curious twist of vietnamese and thai cuisine that's definitely a fresh way to view things when you're tired of the repetitive japanese, chinese or korean meals you'd get if you're hungry and craving for something Asian.

Level 1, The Terraces
Ayala Center Cebu
Cebu Business Park
Cebu City, Philippines
(+63 32) 233.8601




Verdict:

4.5/5

This is a good place to eat, contrary to popular belief.

it was accidental that i ate at this restaurant since i had a hard time finding parking space close to an organic mexican restaurant i wanted to try out. this restaurant has a mix of burmese and chinese cuisine. i ordered their chicken curry lunch special. it came with hot and sour soup and salad with crispy noodles for starters. i liked the sauce which came with the salad. it's sweet and had a hint of sour taste. i was surprised they had samosa in their menu. i later learned burmese cuisine had been influenced by india. the samosa did not look exactly like the indian samosa but it tasted close. it did not
come with the indian sauce too. it came with sweet and sour sauce instead. the chicken curry was good. it tasted like filipino chicken curry. the chili sauce on the side satisfied my taste for a spicy chicken curry. i liked it so much i wanted to bring home the chili sauce. i was a bit turned off that they charged extra for brown rice or fried rice instead of white rice. i admired the friendly and attentive service of the waiters.

Last night while we were at SM, we discovered that our favorite Korean restaurant closed down for good. Granted it was late and mom was hungry, we settled for the next best thing: Royal Krua Thai. The place improved since my last visit here, particularly the ambiance of the restaurant.

Verdict:
A: 3.8/5

I'm not satisfied with how authentic their dishes are. After tasting their Pad Thai before, I am confident I can cook better than them. Also, their portions are small and expensive.

One sunny afternoon in IT park, my sister and I had this strong craving to try the new Thai restaurant in The Walk to break free from the usual food we eat. From the outside, Blue elephant seems to be a casual dining place amidst the rows of local hang outs in the area. The ambiance itself wasn't bad, in fact, I thought it was cute to have a metal elephant head hanging by the wall.

we celebrated valentine's day by feasting at "joy yee's noodles." it's a pan-asian cuisine. it serves korean, thai and chinese food. we did not order noodles there though. we ordered the soft-shell crab, korean barbeque spareribs and shrimp with walnuts. the soft-shell crab is very good and the korean spareribs is consistenly good everytime we order it. Their shrimp with walnuts is comparably the same with the other restos in chinatown but still good. joy yee is also known for its wide range of unforgettable fruit shakes and tapiocas.

Verdict: 5/5

Joy Yee's Noodles
521 Davis Street
Evanston, Illinois

Yesterday was the day that we used my Master card for the first time at Siam. The ambiance that the Thai restaurant offered was a refreshing mix of modern civilization and authentic Thailand, truly something that you wouldn't expect in today's restaurants. We picked a seat by the back entrance that offers a tranquil view of a green garden while we ate on one of the soft cushioned booths.

Anyway,we had scrumptious fried tofu paired with sweet mango sauce and sour-spicy seafood Tom Yang Goong for starters. For the main course, we had a hearty helping of crab fried rice and a serving of beef simmered in mild green curry. But wait, who wouldn't order another signature Thailand dish, the Pad Thai, in a Thai Restaurant? Not us, that's for sure. So we had a large plate of that too.

The meal started with with arrival of jasmine tea for both myself and my mother and a fruity glass watermelon juice for my sister. Next, The Tom Yum Goong, Fried tofu and the Pad Thai arrived. The Tom Yum Goong came with semi trapezoidal bowls and typical Thai soup spoons that looked like porridge spoons for babies :P. Nonetheless, it was delicious. It had just the right amount of coconut milk, tamarind soup base, special fish sauce and spice from the ginger. The kaffir leaves did a great job too. The tofu was good, it had a nice crunchy exterior but with a soft gooey interior. Pairing it with the sweet mango chutney is a great idea. The Pad Thai when it came, caught me in surprise. It had sprouts, crushed nuts, tofu, and shrimps in it. Sprouts I can understand. But nuts? As I sampled it, it had a typical pancit palabok taste for me. And it wasn't in the least spicy. Disappointment. The fragrant jasmine fried rice with hints of crab meat in it was okay. It wasn't that exceptional, but it was in the least flavorful. Finally, the beef curry came. The meat was just right and soft, and the spice from the curry was addictively delicious.

In the end, Siam Thai Restaurant is definitely worth giving a second try.

I'll give it a 3.5/5.

Verdict:
A: 3.5/5.0
N: 4.0/5.0 [Tom Yum was great, Pad Thai was so so, but it has free WIFI! and that makes me happy =)]

Siam Thai Cuisine
Terraces Ayala Center Cebu