Starbucks Fraps

Mu usual orders in Starbucks are their Green Tea Frap, Hot Green Tea and Green Tea Latte. But since I had to have 17 stickers to get the 2010 planner and I don't drink coffee, I had to try their other cream-based fraps.


I started with Double Choco Chip Frap which the barista told me resembled a cookies and cream shake. Well, I didn't get that vibe in the drink.


Second to try was their Caramel Frap. It was just like their Vanilla but with caramel syrup drizzled on top of the whipped cream. It was just okay, though I wish it had more caramel syrup in it.


And last was the Strawberries and Cream.


I love Mcdo's Strawberry Shake and Starbucks Strawberries and Cream was similar to it but fresher or have this fresh and sweet strawberry taste that I love. This is currently my favorite in Starbucks.

And here's my 2010 planner.




Happy Eating!

Starbucks Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake

New York-style cheesecake on a chocolate crust, finished with chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate garnish.


The cheesecake was thick and dense but still creamy and melts smoothly in the mouth. It was also not nauseatingly-rich but had this intense bittersweet taste that anyone who loves chocolate will definitely love.

Happy Eating!

Trip or Treats: Christmas Ain't Over! Goodie Giveaway #2

I bumped into the site thru ourawesomeplanet. I definitely like what I read. The site is all about food and a little bit of travel.

The site is currently having a contest where a can of sprinkles' cupcake mix is at stake. So anyone who haven't tried sprinkles' cupcakes just follow the link and you might get to try a batch soon.

Trip or Treats: Christmas Ain't Over! Goodie Giveaway #2

Happy Eating!

Trip or Treats

I bumped into the site thru ourawesomeplanet. I definitely like what I read. The site is all about food and a little bit of travel.

The site is currently having a contest where a can of sprinkles' cupcake mix is at stake. So anyone who haven't tried sprinkles' cupcakes just copy the link http://triportreats.blogspot.com/2010/01/christmas-aint-over-goodie-giveaway-2.html and you might get to try a batch soon.

Sorry that you have to copy the link, my insert the link option is not working.

Happy Eating!

Chimara

Known for their healthy and organic menu offerings like Tofu Chips, Pita Wraps and Moringa Bars.

Since I can't watch a movie without food, I ordered their Olive-Oil Popped Sour Cream & Chives Popcorn (lightweight P55.00) and Sugar-Free Cold Green Tea (12oz P40.00) when I watched Imaginarium in Greenbelt 3.


Aside from its olive-oil popped, the seasonings used for their popcorn are also msg-free.

I can't tell the difference between the regular and olive-oil popped popcorn. But what I do know was what I am popping in my mouth was not only good in taste but also good for me.

The sugar-free cold green tea is the next best thing in Chimara after their bottled water. That is for someone staying away from soda as much as possible and minimizing calorie intake to make room for sugar-laden cakes and bars.

Happy Eating!

CHIMARA
Level 4, Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati City

GIligan's Miki Bihon Guisado

I often eat at their old branch in Park Square. My usual orders there are their Vegetable Kare-Kare, Fish Fillet and Tortang Talong when I dine alone, but when with my family, we often have the same 3 orders plus Sisig, the Giligan's Grill Platter (grilled chicken, tuna belly, squid and liempo) and Lomi.

This is my first time at their Glorietta 5 branch and also my first time to order their Miki Bihon Guisado (P133.00).


I am craving for a Miki Bihon for a year now. It was brought about by the delicious Miki Bihon that my mother bought at last year's quiapo feast. She forgot where she bought it. So to make a long story short I am stuck forever looking for something that will equal if not surpass its taste.


Giligan's Guisado though was just okay. They were generous with their toppings of mostly vegetables but there was still something missing in its taste. It wasn't "malinamnam".

Happy Eating!

GILIGAN'S RESTAURANT
3rd Level, Glorietta 5
Ayala Center, Makati City

Red Ribbon White Forest

WHITE FOREST WHOLE (P560.00) JUNIOR (P335.00)

White chocolate on chiffon cake with cherry bits filling adorned with white chocolate curls and whole cherries.


It was a light cake compared to the rich chocolate cakes that I usually have. It was so light that I ate the entire junior size in one sitting. And by the way, it was also good.




Happy Eating!

Figaro Belgian Toffee Caramel Delight

BELGIAN TOFFEE CARAMEL DELIGHT P 70.00

New from Figaro. Layer of chocolate brownie, caramel toffee with nuts and Belgian chocolate ganache.

It doesn't have the cohesiveness that would have made it better.


The brownie base was good, the toffee layer was kinda bland while the ganache wasn't that thick. Together they don't jive.


I'm confused whether to like it or not but I'm tilting over not.

Happy Eating!

FIGARO
Greenbelt 3 Makati

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Banana Caramel

Since I don't drink coffee my usual order in CBTL are their vanilla and chocolate drinks, so it was nice that they came out with something like this that by the way is also available in chocolate.

It is also a way for me to get my daily fruits allowance which I tend to forget with all the sweets I take which leaves no more room for fruits.


BANANA CARAMEL ICE BLENDED (12 OZ) P155.00

The combination of banana, caramel and cream just did it for me. It was more or less like a drink version of a banoffee pie and who wouldn't want that?

Happy Eating!

COFFEE BEAN AND TEA LEAF
Ground Level, Greenbelt 3,
Ayala Center, Makati City

Red Ribbon Choco Caramel Cake

Choco roll with caramel filling coated with rich chocolate icing.


My first time to try it. It was very good though. Especially just right out of the chiller.

The chocolate icing was indeed rich and fudgy, the chocolate cake moist and the caramel filling not too sweet.

My only complaint was that it doesn't have enough caramel in it. I want more, a whole lot more of it.

Happy Eating!

Burger King Burger Shots

served with fries and a regular drink for P99.00


You have a choice between beef and chicken. But since their other chicken products were too salty for my taste I chose their Beef Burger Shots.

It has caramelized onions, cheese and BBQ sauce.

It was a good burger, small and soggy because of too much BBQ sauce but was still very good.


It was BK's take on White Castle's Burger (small square burgers also known as "Slyders")

My only complaint in the burger shots meal was the fries. They were bland and not as salty-good as Mcdonalds.

Happy Eating!

Starbucks Caramel Waffle

With whipped cream and caramel syrup.

It was of course as good as ever, with the waffle's edges being crispy and sweet and the whipped cream and caramel adding more goodness to the already delicious waffle.



Happy Eating!

Ilustrado Mini Decadent Cheesecake

MINI DECADENT CHEESECAKE (P80.00)
Layers of graham crust, baked cheesecake and chooolate ganache topped with a chocolate coated cookie.

The cheesecake layer doesn't have the tart taste of cream cheese. It also made me wonder if it really has cream cheese in it. The ganache part was fudgy like a chocolate bar while the graham crust was just so so.


What I like in it was the chocolate coated cookie on top. It was reminiscent of The Russian House's Black Russian.

It was a good cake to say the least but not a good cheesecake.

Happy Eating!

ILUSTRADO
Mall of Asia

Bacolod Chicken Inasal

I was craving for an inasal eversince I read a blog about it. Yesterday I tried one at Bacolod Chicken Inasal in Robinsons Ermita.


Since I love white meat, I ordered the Petso (Chicken Breast)P95.50. I also ordered Garlic Rice and Ensaladang Mangga with Bagoong.


My orders came one after the other only after a couple of minutes. But while waiting I prepared the "Inasal Sauce" of calamansi juice, soysauce, siwarat vinegar and chili pepper.


I also followed their recommendation on how to fully appreciate their chicken inasal to the letter. Like eating with your hands (without utensils), tear-off chicken pieces with your fingers then dip into the inasal sauce, eat with hot rice and wash down with a cold & refreshing drink. But in the end I wasn't that satisfied.

I expected the inasal to be malinamnam with the different native (from bacolod) herbs and spices infused in it but the end product was just tender and bland and all the inasal sauce did was made it spicy.


The saving grace in my Bacolod Chikcen Inasal meal was the Ensaladang Mangga with Bagoong. It made my meal not just tolerable but even better.



Happy Eating!

Starbucks Christmas Turkey Sandwich

Part of the Christmas Offering of Starbucks, turkey sandwich on cranberry bread.


I love the Turkey Sandwich of Olivers that I tried Starbucks version.

I was a little bit disappointed with the measly turkey slice, the equally minute dressing and the dry cranberry bread. I even told my friend who's having the Tomato, Bacon and Egg Sandwich that compared to what she's having my sandwich was a very sad sandwich. It made me even sadder thinking about it.


Happy Eating!

Karen's Kitchen Xanadu

I wanted to be economical that I bought a whole xanadu cake from Karen's Kitchen for P800 than the miniature xanadu from UCC for P220. I thought that I would be able to finish it as I normally do with Polly's Chocolate Cake, Estrel's Caramel Cake and almost any cakes, but I was wrong.


Crunchy meringue base, Chocolate Cake, Cream, Chocolate Mousse enrobed in a Dark Chocolate Ganache.

It was too rich and sweet that a little will definitely go a long, long, long way.


What I loved in the cake was the meringue layer and a little of the chocolate cake but the rest was just too much. It was just too rich a cake.

Happy Eating!

Ersao Spicy Chicken

It tasted like Big Daddy's Chicken of Taiwan. The spices used were almost the same.


Ersao served it with their sweet and chili sauce.


The chicken was tender and spicy complemented by the sweet sauce. It was a Taiwanese snack but I prefer eating it with rice and not on its own.


Happy Eating!

ERSAO
Abad Santos, Manila

SINGAPORE EATS - Bengawan Solo Macadamia Cashew Sugee

I got to try several of their sugees and tarts while roaming Suntec Mall in Sg and also while waiting for boarding at Changi Airport.


I absolutely liked what I tasted that I bought a couple of tins to bring back home.

They were butterier (there's such a word accdg to Wiktionary) and creamier than our lengua de gato. And the taste was a mixture of powdered milk and sugar that will smoothly melt in your mouth.



Happy Eating!

Kenny's Grilled Sausage

Back at Kenny's I ordered Grilled Sausage (P155.00) with garlic rice and macaroni and cheese as sides and mayo-mustard sauce.


Their sausage tasted like Purefoods hotdogs but was grilled perfectly. While the mayo-mustard sauce gave it a tangy taste.

Happy Eating!

Razon's of Guagua

I was craving for their Halo-Halo that I went to their branch in Robinsons Place just for it and added Pancit Luglug and Special Ensaymada to my order.


The Halo-Halo was still as special as ever. With the fine shaved ice and the ingredients of sweetened bananas, leche flan and macapuno complementing each other.

The Pancit Luglug and Special ensaymada though weren't as good as I remember them to be. In the case of the Luglug, the noodles were to blame. They were as hard as raw noodles. While the Ensaymada was just okay, soft but not fluffy and cheesy.





Happy Eating!

Starbucks Caramelized Hazelnut Loaf

It was good, especially the sides which have chocolates on it. You might think that just the top has the hazelnut flavor but you'll be surprised that it's all throughout the loaf. Every morsel has the hazelnut flavor which my entire family loved.



Happy Eating!

Kenny Rogers Roasters

My usual order at Kenny is their Solo B, but last tuesday I wanted to try something new like their Chicken Fillet American BBQ. I told the cashier my order but were told that they only have thigh part and none of the breast part that I wanted. With that told I resigned on just having their Solo A with fries, garlic rice and cookies and cream muffin for sides. I also asked for an extra BBQ sauce and ordered brownies for dessert.


It was a good meal. I liked how the BBQ sauce gave a different taste to the usual chicken and gravy combination and was also a good complement to the classic chicken and garlic rice pairing.


The fries were better when dipped on their peppery gravy than on Ketchup. While the cookies and cream muffin was not so different with their corn muffin except that it has a mini choco & cream cookie on top.

It was just ironic that they gave me a thigh part classic chicken when it's the reason I didn't order their Chicken Fillet American BBQ. It was just too late to send it back and I didn't want to make a fuss out of it. Good thing also that I was in a good mood that afternoon.

Happy Eating!

Forget Me Not Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Cheesecake on a graham crust topped with whipped cream and nuts.

It doesn't have that dulce de leche/caramel taste that I am used to. Only on top did it taste of caramel, I didn't taste even a trace of it after that.

The graham crust was wafery in taste (sweet and creamy), the cheesecake was dense and had this pure cream cheese taste to it, while the cream was airy and sweet.

Happy Eating!

Soup Kitchen Set B

- consisted of half an order of soup and half a sandwich for P195.00

I chose the Snow Crab Soup, a winner according to them, and the Chicken Sandwich on brown bread (made from molasses and oatmeal).

I didn't like the soup. It was thick but it was so salty and the taste was not so good. The soup choices that day were Clam Chowder, Chili Minestrone and Bacon & Potato. While it's just Tuna and Ham for the sandwiches.


I even think that the instant Crab and Corn Soup of Knorr is better than the Soup Kitchen's Snow Crab, way better.



Their chicken sandwich was the only consolation in the Set B meal. It tasted just right, with the brown bread being sweet and soft and even had a rich taste to it.



Happy Eating!

THE SOUP KITCHEN
Glorietta 5, Makati City