Manila Food Trips: Silantro at UP Town, Slappy Cakes at SM Aura and Alley at The Grove Rockwell!

All restaurants and malls in Manila I frequent are closed for Maundy Thursday and Good Friday... And so, in this period where eating at home is the only clear option for me, I choose to look back on my latest food trips in Manila (so I don't feel as if I have nowhere to go this lenten break) haha. Check out Silantro at UP Town, Slappy Cakes' new menu offerings and this Alley restaurant at The Grove Rockwell =)

 

Savoring the Healthy Flavors of Thailand at the Mango Tree Restaurant Manila (Plus Recipes)!

I'm excited to go back to Thailand this December! I'd only been to Bangkok once for a short trip and I remember plenty of delicious food! When I got back, J and I frequent Thai Dara here in N. Domingo before they transferred to Kapitolyo. It's been a while though coz we have lots of other cuisines competing for our attention nowadays. A great reminder just came along this month when Mango Tree Restaurant invited me to this mindful eating talk with speaker Lia Bernardo. Oh, how fitting it was to reunite my senses to the unique flavors of Thai food, to ignite my curiosity for the classic food ingredients (as well as herbs and spices) one can find in Thailand and much more (I have some recipes in my post too below) :) I know more or less what to add to my itinerary while I'm there now haha.

KCC Fort Gayageum and Korean Class in Manila

I can't believe it's almost a few months since I studied Korean and learned to play the Gayageum (Korean zither). Maybe I was not very good at it so I stopped for a while haha. I miss the enthusiasm in our classes though, my classmates and my teachers. I can't commit for another 3 months though for classes at the Korean Cultural Center (KCC) at the Fort for now so it's self study for me. Practise speaking in Korean in my travels to Korea for one - I did a handful of that during my most recent trip with the Korea Tourism Organization and Asiana Airlines! Anyway, here's a sample of my attempt at the gayageum and our performance hehe. It's helping me prepare for the next series of posts about Korea!

 

New Discoveries in Manila - Costa Coffee, Lazy Boy Fort Cinema Club and Uke Box Music Caffe!

Movies, hang-out, food and music in Manila - these things I've been doing more of lately with J. Many thanks to Rado Watches for the invite to the Mission Impossible screening. They have this new premiere cinema club for Rado Swiss Watches patrons! I got to appreciate the comforts of an all-theater lazy boy experience at the BGC Cinemas. They carry the Tissot watches in the film as well, BTW. ;)

Learning Gayageum - Korean Zither Classes in Manila and Seoul

I've only been in Seoul for a few days and I'll be missing a part of school (literally and emotionally) for my trip. You see, I've been so into making progress these past few weeks with the Gayageum =D This is, by far, the closest I've been to playing an instrument and putting music back into my life. It has always been my dream to sing while playing but I've long given up hope because I've failed at numerous attempts in learning to decipher the notes in the music sheets haha. This type of Korean zither creates one of the most relaxing music for me when I hear it. Originally observed from the instrument guzheng of China, King Gasil of Gaya commissioned Wu Ruk to make a Korean version according to the stories of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. There are different kinds of Korean zithers (some up to 18 and 25 strings, more modern) and what we have for the class is the Gayageum (12 strings and more traditional). The latest good news I've received from this morning is that my Seoul homestay host has a gayageum I can practise on!!! Hihihi. I quickly asked my classmates to send me a copy of our music sheets today LOL. Now the only thing to do is schedule a house day here to play! :D Let your heart beat for the Korean zither and fall in love with the Gayageum through this post...

I'm pretty sure the feet are not 100% correct haha.

Crystal Jade Dining IN Fort - Cantonese Dimsum Buffet in Manila Every Weekend!

I was at Crystal Jade Dining IN at the Fort recently and it was kinda fun that got the chance to chat with Head Chef Lam about Cantonese food - particularly their current weekend dimsum buffet offerings. "Dimsum" if translated literally is like "touch of the heart or little morsels of love". It used to be just an added snack in the afternoon that has now evolved into a meal in itself. One can find a lot of these dishes (traditionally in trolleys) and the yumcha phenomenon in Hong Kong and Cantonese restaurants.

Pushing Myself to the Limits - My Axe Apollo Philippines National Challenge Experience!

If there's one thing that kept on popping out in my head this year, it's "Be careful what you wish for and say out loud. Think of many firsts and unimaginable things." Haha. At the start of this year, I told myself to take on more physical and healthier adventures, right? Because I want to find a way to keep myself fit while traveling at the same time (and because I hate jogging). Then major opportunities for Mt. Pulag, Sagada and Organic Agriculture trips came along. The latest - was a test to check out if I can make it, in my current fitness condition and lifestyle, to do space camp training with NASA in the US! hahaha. Out of more than 350 nationwide Pinoy participants, I was one of the few (around 20) females there and I did the same obstacles as men. I ended up surprising myself during this AXN Axe Apollo Philippines National Challenge hehehe. Here's my story.

 

Crystal Jade Dining IN Manila 翡翠膳坊馬尼拉, a Taste of Cantonese Chinese Cuisine at the BGC Fort!

Early Warning! Remove all your previous notions of Crystal Jade in Manila - there is no xiao long bao at this Fort branch, the Crystal Jade Dining IN 翡翠膳坊馬尼拉 (FeiCui ShanFang Manila) has a different concept from the Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao (now Crystal Jade Shanghai Delight) in Greenhills (Casual Dining) =) I had the opportunity to visit CJ Dining IN (Fine Dining), which just opened at the Bonifacio High Street Central, and I must say that this is a must-try if you're looking for a new take on Chinese food in Manila (especially if you always spend holidays with the family in Chinese restaurants like me haha). Let me take you on this journey and introduce you to some Cantonese/Chinese cuisine =) As I always say, eating different cuisines in Manila is a great way to experience a slice of life in different parts of the world.

Izumi Sake Bar in Fort, A Taste of Japan in Manila Giveaway!

I've always kept my Favorite Guiltless Date Places in Manila post in this travel blog as one post. I have been thinking about featuring and highlighting restaurants of different cuisines in Manila for some time now but the posts are written for my other blog Manila Overload. Since I now have plans to merge my blogs, today is the day that I will change all of that. Let me tell you about my experiences here instead. For me, eating out in Manila is just like going to another country or other Philippine province and you know home is a car ride away. Today, let me tell you about Izumi Sake Bar and Restaurant in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig for Japanese food!

If you've read my post above that I constantly update, you will read this:

Eating different cuisines in Manila is a great way to experience a slice of life in different parts of the world. I am not an expert in differentiating which one is more authentic because you would have to have a good palate, a good memory and a thick wallet to do that. I do, however, have my own list of favorite restaurants in Manila that serve different cuisines. If you ever decide to try them out, you will be able to get a taste of my food preferences and how restaurateurs perceive either their own food or an adaptation of another cuisine through their restaurants. Sometimes, they even try to provide the same ambiance, culture, language and service of the country they are representing. Oftentimes, everything suits your taste that you end up assuming that this must be what I would be served when I go to that country. Note: Some restaurants here adjust their recipes to satisfy the Filipino senses.

Favorite Guiltless Restaurant Picks In Manila / Also Top Guiltless Date Places in Manila

Eating different cuisines in Manila is a great way to experience a slice of life in different parts of the world. I am not an expert in differentiating which one is more authentic because you would have to have a good palate, a good memory and a thick wallet to do that. I do, however, have my own list of favorite restaurants in Manila that serve different cuisines. If you ever decide to try them out, you will be able to get a taste of my food preferences and how restaurateurs perceive either their own food or an adaptation of another cuisine through their restaurants. Sometimes, they even try to provide the same ambiance, culture, language and service of the country they are representing. Oftentimes, everything suits your taste that you end up assuming that this must be what I would be served when I go to that country. Note: Some restaurants here adjust their recipes to satisfy the Filipino senses.

As for this blog post, favorites are favorites. It's so hard to rank them and there is no need because they have different cuisines. Only my favorite locations are listed and I've included restaurants opened by locals (even those with no particular cuisine). We are not going to discuss the price because premium ingredients are generally expensive and restaurants are supposed to make some business (if you don't like to eat at home and make it yourself). If you eat in one of my favorite restaurants and you don't like the food I marked with Y, it just means that we have different tastes. I rest my case. This post will appear again once in a while with new additions (new restaurants and pictures) so stay tuned! I will search the metro and pickle my brain for some more.

Foodie Adventure at Mercato Centrale & Midnight Mercato

The foodie in me just came out of the closet. Imagine Banchetto and Legaspi Sunday Market in the quiet but hip side of town on weekends, from Friday to Sunday. Both the new weekend lifestyle market and the night foodie market promise gastronomic adventures for food lovers out there in Manila.