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I expected the place to be classy and it did not disappoint. It's rustic, romantic, and simply beautiful.

I appreciate the time and effort put into the dishes that were served, I really do. A lot of them were stunning and photogenic, especially the Juan's Sole Roulade! That is also easily my favorite among all the dishes as the pasta alone was already a winner. It went well with the yummy vegetable bread. I also enjoyed the Jake and Christine's Crisp Smoked Fish Wantons, particularly because of the salsa verde. Citrusy and fresh, perfect for the salty wantons. Bobby Chinn's pizza was good as well, especially because of the generous heap of arugula!

The Cafe Ysabel Burger was so-so tasting, and frankly, I was shocked to know how expensive it is! It's supposed to have foie gras, but I don't know where that went. My guess is it's simply added as a spread on the patty? Not sure, but I would definitely not pay for something okay tasting at a costly P800-900! :(

I was also saddened by the Capampangan caldereta. I was expecting it to be really good because Pampanga is known for the culinary talent of its locals. Not sure if there's an authentic way of cooking caldereta, but this one really didn't suit my tastebuds. I would like my caldereta to be cheesy and spicy, and the beef to be flavorful.

For desserts, we had the Peter Pan Pie and Junjun Chocolate Souffle. Both were good, but not really rave-worthy.

Overall, I think Cafe Ysabel is worth one visit, just so you could experience its beauty. Nevertheless, many thanks still to Chef Gene and the attentive staff.

I expected so much from Charlie's because I've been hearing/reading a lot about how amazing their burgers are. In fact, one of the pickiest eaters I know often frequent the place! No doubt about it, the burgers here are quite good, but for me they're not the best. Their patties are flavorful, the burger variants are bold, but everything boils down to personal preference. I did enjoy the 4 burgers we tasted, including the basic Angus cheeseburger, 5-cheese, foie gras, and Sloppy Joe - I don't know which one's my favorite! The real stars, however, are the FRIES! Made with Idaho potatoes, they're extremely flavorful and who would have thought to pair them with grilled chicken liver? I am so not a huge fan of liver, but I'd definitely go back to Charlie's for their dirty fries or black truffle fries! Oh, and I also love their take on wings - reverse buffalo! I especially enjoyed dipping the bleu cheese-drenched wings into the buffalo dip. Yum!

I've always liked Cafe Mary Grace no matter what branch I visit. It was my first time at their Gateway branch, and though quite cramped compared to their other branches, it's still cozy and homey. The handwritten letters on many of their tables are inspiring! It was nice to read them while eating our two desserts: vanilla bean cake and apple pie. The former is a filling cake, not dry, and quite good. However, I prefer the apple pie because of its various flavors and textures: the tartness of real apples, the hint of cinnamon, the nutty walnut crumble, and the creamy whipped cream! So good! :)

The Araneta Cubao branch is my favorite because it is easily accessible, plus the staff's quite nice and attentive. Although it does get noisy when the restaurant's full, I still like eating here as I love North Park's food! Actually, I was pretty late in discovering what NP has to offer because I thought they're an expensive Chinese restaurant! They've been around since 1988, but my first NP experience only happened in 2013! Better late than never, I guess! :) In fact, I was so happy with this branch that I decided to hold my 27th birthday celebration there! It was then that I discovered NP's group meals, which are highly recommendable for groups of 10 or more.

I've tried many of NP's dishes already, and it's difficult to say which ones are my favorites, but I do recommend the sweet buns that go with their happy birthday noodles! I also like their YangChow fried rice and ultimate noodles! I prefer their soup-based noodles to the dry ones, but the separate soup that comes with their dry noodles is good, too. They also have a variety of refreshing drinks, plus I love their house hot tea!

This branch has a small function room meant for only around 10-12 people, but it's good enough if you want a semi-private ambiance. :)

The name of this resto itself is enough to attract any foodie! I've dined here thrice and their dishes never disappoint in terms of taste/flavor. Most of them are good for sharing, so Nomnomnom is definitely a good place for groups.

For appetizers, I recommend that you try their good sisig platter, which actually doesn't have meat, but crunchy tofu pieces! They're so good that they do have a meaty taste! I also like its good mix of salty-spicy flavors! Yum! I'd want to have rice with this dish! :D Another appetizer worth ordering is the fried ravioli! It's stuffed with mushroom, kangkong, and lots of CHEESE! So good!

For the main meals, I've tried their baked salmon, some pastas and pizzas, and fish & chips. The salmon's good, although a bit pricey. The fish & chips...hmmm nothing extraordinary. Among the pastas I've tasted, I like the creamy tomato pasta the most, followed by the olio e aglio. Their pizzas are alright, but I wouldn't come back for them.

Aaaaand of course, desserts! I'd definitely always go back for their mango crepe cake!!! It's not so filling, so there's always room for this dessert! :) (the pistachio sansrival is also good, but the mango crepe is my favorite!)

I love the interiors of this restaurant as well, particularly one part of the wall that's filled with book pages! At Nomnomnom, you'll be so full in no time, after which, you'll want to sleep! :p

We first had Meliton's Spring Rolls: crisp greens and sweet mango slices. They reminded me of the Vietnamese spring rolls I have tasted before. I prefer vinegar to peanut sauce, though.

For our viands, we had two: kare-kare with pesto and pork binagoongan. I prefer the former because it's such a surprising twist to a Filipino classic. Even if it lacks the peanut-y flavor of kare-kare, the pesto more than makes up for it. It's not overwhelming, and it went well with the bagoong. The binagoongan, on the other hand, was like others I've tried, save for the mango slices on top. I felt like eating mango with bagoong basically.

Lastly, we had the halo-halo turon with home-made sugar beet ice cream! WINNER! It wasn't too sweet, and I loved the ensemble of different textures: crunchy, smooth, and chewy! It's definitely a great way to end a meal!

Cucina ni Bunso looks small and cramped on the outside, but they're actually quite spacious and have pretty interiors!

I've heard/read mixed reviews/opinions about Huat Pot, especially regarding their "limited' selection of hot pot items and desserts. Yes, their selection isn't as wide compared to actual buffet restaurants, but I still think it's diverse. The experience of getting my own balls (lol) and meat was enjoyable, and my favorite ones would be the cheese balls, fresh shrimp, and shrimp/pork dumplings!

For the soup/broth, I was able to taste 3 kinds: satay, laksa, and the Huat Pot special. Frankly speaking, the last one wasn't special at all because of its blandness. The other two, on the other hand, tasted much better, especially the laksa. However, my favorite laksa soup would still be the one from Mogu Tree Noodle House along Lilac Street.

Huat Pot's dessert selection includes MAGNUM bars and other Selecta ice cream sticks. During our visit, the available Magnum flavor was the original one, but the owner said they sometimes have other flavors (my fave is the almond, so I hope they could have that next time). Diners can also create their own halo-halo and taho. There is also a selection of chilled fruits and other sweet treats. Moreover, I would definitely go back for their green tea latte alone!!! Yum! :)

I've been to Ludo thrice, and my friends and I would stay for at least 6 hours each visit!!! I highly recommend this place even if you're not really a gamer because you'll have more than 600 board/card games to choose from, and it's impossible NOT to play any of them! Unleash your competitive side or choose co-op games to strengthen your friendship, win or lose!

Their menu is composed mainly of drinks, both alcoholic and otherwise. You can munch on chicken wings, gyoza (CHEESE gyoza ftw!), or nachos while playing. However, if you're really hungry, go for their heavy rice meals, especially the curry!!! :) You can stay as long as you want as long as you and your companions order at least one item each. :)

The servers and owners are very helpful in teaching games, so diners/gamers can learn more. A warning, though: this is not a place where you can expect some peace and quiet! They're also usually full, especially on weekends, so it's advisable to reserve a table a few days before your visit.

This time, I instead of bloggers, I went with some friends. The Il Terrazzo branch doesn't seem to have as many customers as the one in Serendra, so it may be easier to get a table here. The place is nice, but I think the Serenda branch still looks better.

We ordered 3 kinds of dimsum: hakaw, siomai, and spare ribs. I'm fine with the first 2 in terms of taste, price, and serving. On the other hand, I find the spareribs too little, too bitin! It's good, but I won't be ordering that again.

We also had yangchow fried rice, polonchay, and salted egg fried chicken. I knew the chicken would be a hit among my friends! :) The Yangchow was great as well - one could eat that as a meal on its own! The polonchay's okay - a bit pricey for a vegetable dish, though.

For drinks, most of us had Thai milk tea, while two others chose Milo dinosaur and a lychee drink. I've tasted better Thai milk tea with not so much ice, so I still prefer Wangfu's Singapore milk tea - too bad this branch didn't have it during our visit.

What I like most about their cupcakes is the fact that they're relatively cheaper than others, yet just as delicious, heck, even better! Worth every peso, I tell you! So far, my favorite flavors are banana Nutella (I would often have this as a takeaway, refrigerate it first, then eat it the following day or a few hours later - so good!), cheese, lemon rainbow, vanilla cookie dough, and green tea (this one's really rare as they haven't found a decent matcha supplier).

On the savory side, I've tried their lasagna and pesto pasta, and I love them both! The lasagna is huge in serving & tasty, plus it has a generous amount of hmmm lasagna sauce/meat. Their pesto pasta, on the other hand, is really cheesy!! Yum, yum!

Cupcake Bites definitely sells the BEST cupcakes in Marikina! :) Consistently moist and yummy!!!

I believe their ramen + rice bowl set meals are the best items to order because they're super filling and sulit! I wish that they could offer unlimited rice for their set meals, though, because any kind of katsu is best paired with rice, not ramen! :D Another winner would be their mango juice, which had the consistency of a shake! I was a bit disappointed with their iced green tea, though. It tasted a little better with sugar syrup (but if you really want good iced green tea, visit Hanamaruken!). In addition, their katsus taste good enough, but I've had better. Overall, I'd still want to eat here again, especially since I have a big appetite! :D p.s. I like their lamps! :)

Ah, Mandi's Grill Grub! Goodness, where do I begin describing my love for this restaurant?! For me it's hands down the best dining place along Lilac Street when it comes to quality food & service! I've tasted everything on their menu already, even off-menu items actually! :)

For starters, one can have the sisig surprise - an epitome of the saying "looks can be deceiving." A lot of my friends' initial reaction to this dish was, "Isn't this JUST mashed potato?" and then they'd be surprised! Underneath the creamy, milky mashed potatoes is sisig, but it's not the usual kind of sisig. Mandi's version has grilled LEAN meat. Lean as in no fat! The milky smoothness of the mashed potatoes complements the meaty goodness of the sisig. This appetizer is so good, it could very well be a main dish! The meat content isn't so much, though, so if you want more meat, go for the sisig meal served in lettuce and comes with rice.

And now let me describe more of their meals! :) Each meal already has rice and drinks, plus most of them also come with a side dish: either mashed potatoes or coleslaw (I personally prefer the former as the latter is just ordinary, and I generally dislike coleslaw).

Grilled beef tapa: the flavor of the beef is not compromised as it already has a vinegar-y taste that’s perfect for tapa! Each beef piece strictly follows a precise measurement, allowing diners to easily eat the thinly sliced meat. This dish comes with scrambled egg, Mandi's salsa, and fried rice.

Tatlongsilog: In Filipino, this translates to "3 pieces of baloney," which are rekado (garlic), hamonado (sweet), and bototay (beef). They have a good mix of sweet-sour-salty-garlicky flavors.

Chicken Inasal or BBQ: Mandi's version of inasal is so good that I don't need any chicken oil to enhance its flavor! But if you want your chicken to be sweet, then go for their chicken BBQ. Either dish includes half a chicken, so what is sulit?!

Pork BBQ: Whenever I order this, I always have an extra order of rice. Okay fine, 2 orders of extra rice! Haha! It's that good! I especially like to partner this with garlic vinegar with chili!

Pork Adobo: Mandi's is also not afraid to experiment, so they came up with a grilled version of this Filipino classic. I thought the pork slices were going to be dry, but no!!! The vinegar-soy sauce marinade very much permeated the meat, making it a highly flavorful dish! There is a separate container for the adobo sauce, but there’s a good chance you won’t need it for the meat anymore (mix it in your rice instead!). Moreover, the adobo meat is topped with flavorful garlic (peelings and all) and chives, while the plain rice is topped with a sunny side up egg. SARAP!

American Rib: a meaty slab that is at least half a foot long! It’s almost like liempo, but much softer, making it a lot easier to slice and enjoy! No need for a knife! Each serving also comes with Mandi's fried rice, coleslaw, and mashed potatoes.

Pinaputok na Blue Marlin: This is wrapped in aluminum foil and upon popping it, you’ll be greeted by a very delicious smell! It has a very generous amount of Mandi's secret sauce, which can be a substitute for soup. I enjoyed eating this even without rice.

Grilled Blue Marlin: It’s simply good. Nothing fancy about it, just a buttery glaze, crushed garlic, and chives. It’s thick, huge, and good for sharing, but I know that I could eat an order all by myself haha! It’s so delectable that my stomach is growling as I type this! This comes with chili-garlic sauce and calamansi for a spicier and tangier gastronomic experience! An order of this is good for two because it comes with 2 servings of rice & 2 jars of ice tea.

Grilled BBQ Pata: this one's a good alternative to the usual crispy pata. It's soft and meaty, and the barbecue flavor isn't overpowering, plus it is topped with sliced apples. Good for sharing!

Grilled Arroz Valenciana: A whole chicken topped with Hungarian sausage slices, quail eggs, carrots, marble potatoes, parsley, and gizzards - paired with nutty Valenciana rice! Perfect for groups of 3-4 (or two really hungry foodies hehe). The Valenciana rice is so good even without the chicken!

Crispy Baby Back Ribs: Another favorite of mine from Mandi's! The ribs are topped with cheesy Bechamel sauce, parsley, bell peppers, and cashew! Best paired with their super creamy mashed potatoes! One order is good for 2 people! Or one hungry person haha!

Drinks: my favorite ones are the cucumber-calamansi and cucumber-raspberry!

The owner and staff are really, really nice, so dining here is never a dull experience! I always feel like a VIP! Moreover, the place is adorned with vintage tin signs, cans, and also toys. What I hope Mandi's could improve on, though, is their space because sometimes, it gets too cramped and the smell coming from the kitchen sticks to the diners haha (not a bad smell naman).

Note: I ate at their The Grove branch.

Great food, nice place! The broth of their ramen is really flavorful! Each serving is a bit pricey, but good for sharing! I was also amazed by the softness of the Happiness Ramen's rib! Winner! I like this more than their Champon Ramen, which isn't extraordinary tasting.

Their ramen is best paired with REALLY HUGE prawn tempura! The chicken karaage, on the other hand, is a little dry. Another interesting dish is the Drunk Man Rice bowl, which is said to be best eaten to nurse a hangover, and I like it because of its nice spicy kick, plus it's really Instagram-worthy. We also tried the Arakawa Abura Soba - flavorful, but a little too salty.

Lastly, I was heartbroken to learn that they don't do takeouts for their iced green tea! One glass isn't enough! It's very refreshing!

Overall, I still want to go back, especially for the green tea. However, I believe that Ippudo is still the best when it comes to ramen, :D

Lilac Street is home to a number of dining places that serve flavored chicken, especially wings. I don't dislike wings, but thighs are my favorite chicken parts. Omonok has been operational for more than a year already before I decided to give it a try; I'm not a big fan of Korean-style chicken that's why Omonok didn't appeal to me when I saw it for the first time. I regret not tasting their chicken right away!!! It's soooo good! Their chicken has a great balance of sweet & savory flavors, plus the spiciness is just right. The price-size ratio is also quite acceptable, plus one gets to choose from 3 parts: wings, legs, and yes, THIGHS!!! Oh, and if you're a lazy eater, you can opt to have chicken nuggets. :) I also love their Omo-rice - their version of fried rice, which could already be a meal on its own even without the chicken! They also have a spicily good version of coleslaw as well as delicious fries that are seasoned with salt & nori. As for dessert, they have yummy Korean ice cream like Melona!

Currently, Omonok is only open on Saturdays and Sundays, 4pm-10pm. Actually, sometimes, they don't open at all :( it's because the owner hasn't found a trusted helper yet. So whenever they're open, I make sure to drop by! In the past, Omonok allowed al fresco style dining, but for now, they only accept takeaways (unless you're a friend of the owner hehe). Hopefully this 2016, they'd open their dining area again and open also on weekdays. Fingers crossed!

My boyfriend and I decided to eat here only because all other dining establishments near the Color Manila event were already full. We were starving and didn't want to go far to eat, so we tried this resto. We ordered bibimbap, crispy chicken wings, and chapchae.

Their bibimbap and some other meals come in 2 sizes: light and hungry. We opted for the latter and regretted our choice. The ensemble looked amazing, very Instagram-worthy, but the taste? Meh. It was okay, but the vegetables didn't taste as fresh as they should be. We've definitely tasted much better bibimbap at a much cheaper price, with more beef as well.

The chicken wings were impressive upon being served, plus they smelled really nice. All 4 pieces were crispy, but not as flavorful as we expected them to be. The salt-pepper flavor was limited to the chicken skin, and the inner meat simply tasted like boiled chicken. Definitely a disappointment!

I was prepared to also be disappointed with the chapchae, but thank goodness it actually tasted good. It's more on the sweet side, so it could still improve on having a good balance of both sweet and savory flavors. It had a good noodle-sahog (meat & veggies) ratio.

As for the service, it was forgettable. There were only 2 servers at that time (between 9-10). It was difficult to get their attention despite not having a full house. While getting our orders, we didn't have the full attention of the server, as he was also talking to other customers from another table. BibimHaru definitely needs much improvement on service!

Overall, I won't recommend this place unless it's the only one with available tables. There are much better Korean restaurants out there. I would commend them for their good-looking food as well as their acceptable price-serving ratio, though. Oh, and this is the first time for us to encounter a Korean resto that DOES NOT serve free or unlimited banchan (side dishes/appetizers). A diner needs to buy them for P75 (choose 3 kinds). That's definitely a big minus for me.

Thanks to some of the really big food bloggers for inviting me to a Christmas party sponsored by Osaka Ohsho! They're promoting their 2 latest gyoza variants, curry and kimchi. I love the former because of its salty-garlicky flavor that's perfect with the imported Koshihikari rice! I wish I could say the same for the kimchi variant, but no...it tastes awful! The kimchi on top also looks anemic, like it lacks fermentation and seems to look like under-sauteed onion bits. Anyway, we also had their salad with fresh greens, mango balls, cherry tomatoes, crab sticks, and my favorite, candied walnuts. Their ebi chili is also good, but I'd want it to be spicier and I wish they used prawns instead of shrimps. As for the chicken teriyaki, surprisingly, I liked it even though I'm not a big fan of teriyaki sauce. Lastly, we also tried the Fuwatoro Tenshin Han... OMG the egg's so FLUFFY!!! It's so good, even the sauce, which isn't too sweet! Oishii!!! Oh, their house blend iced tea (peach flavored, if my taste buds are correct) is a tad too sweet, so make sure to ask for a lot of ice!

Thanks to some fellow food bloggers, I discovered BLK 513 in Megamall - 2nd floor Building A, the area where Sugar House was once located. Activated charcoal in yogurt? It's kiind of weird but quite intriguing! This cup is worth P185, and you can choose from a variety of toppings including 1 crunch (white chocolate for me), 2 fruits (I chose peaches and mangoes), and 1 sauce (I just had to pick an unusual one - spice cookie caramel). It's so yummy! The actual Greek yogurt is thicker and creamier than the usual white yogurt from other froyo shops. Because other toppings and sauces are available, I'm definitely coming BLK...errr back! :) You can also choose to have this in cone form, which, if I reckon correctly, is cheaper by around P15. Too bad their store is an open one and there is only one table available, so this isn't ideal for sit-down meet-ups, unless you;re there like really early.

Patio Vera is definitely one of the most gorgeous restaurants I’ve been to in Marikina! It’s quite an ideal place for dates or fancy meet-ups! If dining places were people, Patio Vera would be a highly sought after model. :) Understandably, their food is pricier than other restos that offer similar dishes. However, the dishes (based on what we had) were hefty in servings, plus the place is really beautiful - it was truly love at first sight!

What we ate: Dinamito (stuffed jalapeños with cheese and ground longganisa - really good, but wish they were meatier!), Pasta Negra with calamares (kind of messy to eat, so make sure to brush your teeth after eating or at least gargle to make sure your teeth/mouth/lips aren't blackened by the squid ink), carbonara (one of the best I’ve ever eaten!), liempo (a bit on the dry side, but the salsa that came with it is quite good), and turones with coco jam (a good way to end a savory meal, albeit I'm not really a fan of coco jam). Most of them are very Instagram-worthy, just like the place (I could go on and on about how nice the place is).

What I dislike about Patio Vera: there is very limited parking space, and it is located along a narrow street, so better be there early!