Looks like the chocolate heaven’s really come!!!! =D
Check out these links! 
http://vyanski.multiply.com/journal/item/186/Royce_opening_in_Rockwell
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view/20081008-165361/Japanese-choco-store-opens-in-Rockwell
I really miss Ongpin. I lived in Binondo for almost 25 years before my family moved to another Chinese-populated community up north, aka Greenhills. There are some decent Chinese restaurants in the area, but nothing beats good old Ongpin Chinese food!!
There are three branches of Wai Ying in Manila – the original one (near President’s Tea House), the take out branch (a few establishments down from the original), and the bigger branch near Hope Christian High School and Metropolitan Hospital (from the Ongpin side of Benavidez, go straight, cross Recto).
Wai Ying can be considered a hole in the wall kind of a restaurant. If you’re looking for a clean Chinese restaurant in Ongpin (but still cheap), go to President’s Tea House (Salazar St.), Wan Chai (Benavidez St.) or Golden Fortune (2 branches – Soler and TM Kalaw; go there past 9pm to get discounted prices). But if you want badass Chinese dimsum and rice toppings, go to Wai Ying. The place looks dirty – and actually IS dirty… 
Wipe your plates and utensils first!! If you can, use the chopsticks as much as possible.
*Watch out for the cockroach legs in the Chili Sauce container!!! Once, a small cockroach actually crawled out of the chili sauce container (the aluminum thing mixed in with the condiments, 3rd picture from this sentence) as my sister was about to spoon out some of the mixture. Another instance, there was a dead fly inside the container!!!
… But the food will actually take away your qualms. Think of those flies and cockroaches as booby traps that you’ve to conquer to reach glory.
This is my favorite – Shrimp Cheong Fan or Shrimp Rice Rolls. It’s called a rice roll because the wrapper is made from rice. The sauce is … I don’t know how to describe it. Like soy sauce, I guess. Haha!
Lo Mai Kai – reminds me of Ma Tsang (beef, pork, chinese chorizo, chestnuts and vegetables mixed in with brown sticky rice and wrapped in banana leaf). The Lo Mai Kai is a simpler version of the Ma Tsang. A pork mixture was sandwiched in between layers of the sticky rice. It tasted okay, but I prefer the special Ma Tsang. Try Diao Eng Chay or Eng Bee Tin if you wanna buy the Ma Tsang. If you know Ongpin well, try the one sold at a store near Sincerity restaurant on Nueva Street. On Ongpin, turn right at the street which has the Eng Bee Tin restaurant on the corner. Walk past some jewelry stores. Then look for a Chinese deli on your right before a corner where lots of vendors sell vegetables and little pineapple ornaments.
White Chicken and Ginger Sauce – It’s like steamed chicken. I don’t know what this tastes like because I don’t want to try the ginger sauce. But my friend wiped her plate clean!! So this must be good. 
Fried Dumplings – the name says it all. Haha! This has a curry version – fried dumplings bathed in curry sauce. Yummmy!! We were only four but we finished 2 orders of Curry Dumplings (3 pieces each) and 1 order of Fried Dumplings (7 pieces in one order!!).
Of course, I’ve to help my stomach digest!! The Iced HK Milk Tea in Wai Ying is the bomb!
Now I’m craving for dimsum again!!!! Ugh!
Heavenly chocolates!!!!
I’ll write more about Royce chocolates some other time.
For now, what’s important is that I share the treasure with everyone!
Royce chocolates are available in Konbini Store (Tokyo Market) located at 57 Connecticut St., Northeast Greenhills, San Juan. Contact number is (02) 722-4263. Coming from Greenhills Shopping Center, go past Conti’s, a fruit stand, and Angel’s Kitchen. Konbini is almost beside Angel’s Kitchen.
Call first. Nama chocolates are 620php per box. Orders take about one to two weeks before you can get your chocolates! Worth the wait!!!
It’s a quaint concept restaurant found along Ortigas Avenue near Santolan. Maybe it was the name which pulled me to it. It reminded me of an old favorite when I was in college in Loyola (I miss the moussaka!!!! 
). Maybe it was the need to go somewhere… private.
I’ve been meaning to have dinner with RCP for a few months now. He’s reviewing for the bar exams in September, and has been telling me that he’s quite depressed. Of course he’s worried about the bar exams, but his depression does not stem from the fact that the dreaded exams are looming. It resulted from his indecision resulting to a miserable love life. (Peace chief!! :* ) Is there anything new? :p
We took a cab from Greenhills Shopping Center and headed towards Gilmore. Immediately after Santolan, I saw the black and red sign of Cucina Gayuma. The cab driver dropped us off with just 37.50php on the meter (plus 10php, I rounded it off to 50php).
We were the only guests, as our server Rabz (great server!! very attentive and friendly) informed us that the big group left a few minutes before we came in. Several minutes later, the dad of the owner came in and chatted with us for a bit. My thoughts… The owner’s so lucky to have a dad who’s very proud of her.
RCP noticed that not all of the chairs used were the same, and most came in pairs only! I found this cute!! Haha! I’m not sure if the second floor (there were stairs leading up) is used as well, but the first floor can comfortably sit about 20-25 people. The place had a homey and cozy atmosphere.
I like Bicol food. So it was automatic for me to go for the Laing Cheese Spread! This appetizer was only 80PHP. It came with an abundant serving of pita triangles, and the yummy gooey laing cheese dip 
The presentation can still be enhanced. The taste!!! I scraped that little cup down to the last cheesy drop. It was like eating the topping off a laing pizza sans the meat. That was how thick the cheese was. I did not know laing can be so great with cheese! And it was gooey!! Love it!! Gooey gooey gooey… :p
Cheesy Crust Baked Fish (230PHP)
The dory was great! Hindi lasog. The dish was not too rich either. The flavors were distinct and could be identified indivudally even as they joyfully fused with each other. What I did not understand though were the potato dumplings that came with the fish. What should these complement? The dumplings did not taste like potatoes. Would it be safe to assume that the dumplings were just made from potatoes and that no potato bits should be expected? What was the orange stuff that came with it? In fairness, the dumplings tasted okay if mixed with the orange stuff. Otherwise, it tasted like dumpling wrapper only. But who am I to complain, really, when we finished almost the whole dish?
Beef Balsamic Adobo (280PHP)
You see that huge whitish chunk on the plate? That’s bulalo!!! Bone marrow galore!! Of course, siren’s roared as RCP’s and my blood pressure and cholesterol level raced towards the roof. Hehe.
The dish was so good that even if RCP and I were already so full, we struggled to sweep the meat off the plate. Talk about gluttony!! Hahaha!
I’d like to go back to that place. I wanna try the desserts. It was such a shame that RCP and I did not have room for the leche flan or the panna cota anymore. But then that’s also another reason why I should go back. Maybe with L.
By the way!! Because we really were so full and we are really crazy people, RCP and I walked all the way back to Greenhills Shopping Center!! Surprise!! It only took us around 15 minutes at the most!!
I spent the holiday with my family. Since my dad was craving for Japanese, I suggested John and Yoko as he had not had the chance to try it yet.
We were lucky that there was a vacant table big enough to fit the five of us. As we settled in, my sister and K were whispering whether they should be the ones to pay the bill. I, on the other hand, was happily browsing through the menu and the mouthwatering dishes I haven’t ordered before.
The decision:
1. Spicy Tuna Salad (PHP 189) – This is really good. I’d love to order this everytime I go to John and Yoko.
2. We Found Nemo (PHP 799)
OMG!!! The kani sushi with the cheese on top was divine!! The tuna sushi… It was a spicier version of the salad sans the greens. My mom loved this.
3. Beef Spinach Tomamto (PHP 198 ) – Beef and Spinach mixture hiding inside an egg omelette wrapper. Yummy! K wanted to order another one as six pieces were bitin for all of us. Haha! But after feasting on the sushi and sashimi boat, we were quite ready to finish the rest of the meal without bursting our stomach.
4. Japanese Fried Rice (PHP 158 ) – This bowl is good enough for 3 hungry people.
5. Chicken Teriyaki (PHP 199) – It was okay. Reminded me of Teriyaki Boy’s version.
6. Green Chicken (PHP 199) – My mom was super curious about this dish! Fried chicken (bite-sized) with dried seaweed flakes, served with a vinegar-based sauce. Wow…
7. Beef Teppan (PHP 289) – The presentation of this dish was nice. Clean and simple. The beef was cooked to perfection! We asked for medium-well (my sister does not like medium-rare)… And the beef was on the spot!!
The verdict:
My family loved John and Yoko! Yehey! K commented about how the place looks and about how loud the music was. People have to raise their voices a notch to be able to hear each other. The lights were a bit off for K’s taste. K said the place could have easily passed off as a bar. He suggested that rave music should be played instead. But I guess the design lives up to the concept of John and Yoko as a cosmopolitan Japanese restaurant. The design is ultra modern and edgy. Whether one likes it or not would depend on the individual’s preference.
The service was better this time around. Madison, our attendant, was very nice. She smiled a lot and was very patient while we debated about ordering half of the menu! LOL! Haha! She also helped us choose which dishes to order, and knew which ones were good and which can probably suit our taste. There was one servant who kept scowling whenever we’d ask for drink refills or napkins (we asked her only when Madison was not around). Maybe she was born with that face. Anyway, Madison did a great job that the scowling lady can be forgiven.
As for the food, we would definitely come back. There are still other items that we want to try. Mmmm….
It’s one of those days when I just can’t quite identify what I want. Or need, for that matter. The feeling I get is just… I don’t even know how to define it. Feels like something’s missing, but I know I have what I need. I’m full from my lunch, but there’s still a minute space of a vacuum which needs to be plugged. When my indecision trumps, I just turn towards chocolates to tide me thru until realization hits me.
Chocolates have always been my first choice for comfort food. It’s tied with ice cream. Hence, I usually head towards Haagen Dazs (chocolate chocolate chip is the bestest!!!) or the supermarket for a pint of double dutch (I like Magnolia. Reminds me of my childhood). But on a day like this when my foreign boss is in town and has the airconditioning turned to the lowest temperature possible, I shy away from eating anything cold. Bbrrrr…
The usual coffee shops bored me today. Their menu can’t appease my undefinable craving. So I traipsed towards Glorietta 4 Food Choices, as I’ve been curious about Nana Meng’s Tsokolate for a while.
It wasn’t G4 which introduced me to Nana Meng’s. I’ve seen it before along a street perpendicular to J.P. Rizal, whenever I visited my ex-boyfriend N. I’ve tried asking him to go with me to inquire about the chocolate products, but he never wanted to budge – a sign, I guess, of the inevitable leading to our break up.
Anyway… I was surprised that Nana Meng’s offered only two types of cups for their hot chocolate drinks – Demi and Taza. The demi looks like a shot glass made of styro! The Taza, on the other hand, is only as big as the hot chocolate or coffee cup you can get from McDonald’s.
There were four flavors for the hot chocolate selection – peanut, cashew, Tsokolate E! and Tsokolate A!. For the peanut and cashew flavors, the Demi costs around 25php while the Taza costs 55php. The Tsokolate E! comes only in a Demi cup – 60php. I guess that’s because of its richness (Tsokolate E! are the traditional Spanish recipe which is thick and concentrated).
I opted for the Tsokolate A! in a Taza (55php)!
Divine! I was a kid again for 30 minutes while I sipped slowly and inhaled the wonderful aroma of the cocoa. I remembered being giddy in my lola’s kitchen in Quezon while she stirred the pot bubbling with cocoa drink and oatmeal (I used to think that was champorado! Haha! That’s why I always scolded my yaya when I ask for champorado and instead of my lola’s cocoa drink, my yaya would hand over a bowl full of rice in a chocolate soup. I thought she just put chocolate powder in lugaw [congee]!). I can only guess that the oatmeal was added to absorb the oil from the cocoa. But still, I loved the texture of my lola’s tsokolate drink. And, of course, the exquisite flavor. *sigh*
L bought a cassava-leche flan dessert. This was a cassava cake with a thin layer of leche flan on top. Eaten separately, the cassava and the leche flan were not anything spectacular. According to L, his mom’s cassava’s better. But when the two flavors blend in your mouth… Well, we finished the cake in 15 minutes. I guess that says it all. :p
After hearing the Sunday mass, my siblings and I, with K (my sister’s better half) in tow, all agreed to splurge K’s salary!! Hahaha! LOL [ Thank you K!!! ]
I’ve read about Cafe Damaso in some blogs. It received good reviews so I recommended the place to my hungry pack. Well… I guess if one wants to spend just for the sake of spending, this restaurant’s a good place to go to.
We sat outside as Cafe Damaso has a small interior. I welcomed this as it was a rainy Sunday and I can’t bear the cold too much. Unfortunately, my sister and K had a hard time. They really like being frozen alive.
See! The view isn’t at all bad. Very soothing. The melodious cacophony from the choir in the Chapel drifted up and added to the relaxing atmoshpere.
We asked the waiter for his recommendations. He informed us that there were only a few main courses good for sharing. This raised our eyebrows, especially after we’ve seen the price on the menu. But then that didn’t stop us from ordering a number of oddities.
This cute thing is the Crisp Cones with Crab, Corn and Tomato Relish! This order actually comes with 3 cones for PHP220. A cone is divided into two layers. The top part is the relish. Think of fresh salsa! The lower half contains the crab and corn mixture. This cone was good. It was a delight to eat. Unique, I guess, would be an understatement. I just had a hard time trying to take a bite that would include all three elements – the cone, crab and corn mixture, and relish – without ruining the way the food was arranged.
Oh! And yes, that is a deep bed of salt.
These are the remnants of the Ham Croquettes (PHP160) we hungrily devoured before I remembered to take a picture of. There were only 5 pieces. We were bitin. These looked like umm… bigger versions of the bite-sized hashbrowns offered in KFC. More like the umm… “cheesy pops” things in Pizza Hut. But of course, Cafe Damaso’s croquette’s way better and beyond compare to KFC’s and Pizza Hut’s stuff. And more delectable. You can really taste the meat. When you bite on it, you’d sink your teeth in meat and not just starch or a thick wad of something covering a teeny bit of meat.
This is the Bacalao a la Vizcaina (PHP400).
Callos (PHP300).
These two dishes were served in a small bowl. And these bowls were not filled to the brim, as can be seen from the pictures. Ouch! says K’s wallet. The Bacalao was good. Loved the saltiness of the fish mixed with the sweet n sour feel of the sauce. The Callos… My mom cooks a meaner callos. But the meat was tender. Not too chewy. I guess these dishes would have been good were it not for the distortion between the price and the serving.
I don’t remember what this dish is called. Hehe. Basta it’s pork. :p This was sulit!! The rice that came with it had pine nuts. I forgot the other stuff they put into that rice, but it was really tasty. The meat tasted like tocino and liempo combined. I’m not sure if that description is accurate or exaggerated already in my memory. Hehehehe. But the bottomline is that it was good!!
Another good dish!! Fileto Empanada with Dayap (Lime) and Caper Butter. This is just PHP280, but the serving was big enough. At least, bigger than the other viands. :p I don’t want to describe the taste as I might not do justice to the dish.
JUST TRY IT!!
Next stop:
I spied these steps leading to Fish out of Water. But I haven’t heard a good thing about it from my friends. Hmmm…
I had dinner last Friday with college friends. Three of us were part-Kapampangan and were curious enough to try Fely J’s. This resto and Abe in Serendra are, well…, married to each other. Abe and Fely were husband and wife in real life. The restaurants are tributes to them by their son. Sweet!
When we arrived, we were ushered into a small room near the back of the resto. My first thoughts… The dining room looked like a cramped up version of one my lola’s old dining room in Pampanga, sans the windows. High ceilings, subdued lights, wood furniture and flooring… It also made me miss our old house in Manila (a house which has stood in that street since the Spanish era!!)…
Which means that I really liked the room! It’s a great place to treat family and friends in as you’d be able to enjoy privacy.
The food… We ordered a LOT!! Haha! There were only 6 of us, but we got -
1. Tokwa’t Baboy
2. Lengua
3. Tilapia with Sweet Plum Sauce
4. 2 orders of Spiced Buttered Shrimps
5. Chicken Mabuting Inasal
6. Sinigang na Baboy
7. Crispy Pata!!!
8. Bayabas Pie
9. Sans Rival
10. Cassava Bibingka with Buko
11. Cups of Chocolate Eh!
My tummy was so heavy after that dinner. I specially liked the Tilapia, the Sinigang and the Shrimp!! Yum! The Tilapia (Php385) reminded me of the butterflied fish in Abe. I like the fish in Abe better, but Fely J’s is good enough. The Shrimp… I’m not sure if it was really good or if I’m just partial coz I love shrimp. Haha! One serving had 4 sugpo. So I guess the price (Php475) isn’t at all that bad.
The Sinigang (Php330), on the other hand, was very good!! One order fed all of us.
The Lengua was a bit weird. One of my friends’ comment was that it was “maanggo”. The curry sauce did not go well with the natural taste of the lengua.
All the others were a bit normal. I didn’t taste the Bayabas Pie coz I’m not too keen on eating guavas. The chocolate eh!… The cup was too small. But I enjoyed it! Although Rocci serves more sulit hot chocolate!
Our bill went over 5,000php. Hahahaha! But it was worth it. (I sneaked in a cup of tea before curling up in bed to read The New Moon, hoping to dilute the cholesterol humming thru my veins!! :p)
Note to Self: Edit this post once I get the pix.
It’s this little stall near tyler on the 2nd floor of Glorietta 4. I’ve passed it a couple of times coming from rustan’s on my way to food choices. My curiosity was piqued coz they sell only by the box. Add to that my problem with Konbini store in Greenhills which opens only by 11am and closes by 8pm; hence, I have a hard time trying to find a way to get a hold of my greatest love ever (well, so far) – Royce chocolates.
The small boxes (10pcs) cost only 200php (if I remember right). But they only have the original flavor (cacao) in the small boxes. Other mouth-watering flavors come in bigger boxes containing 30pcs each for 450php.
Mmmmmm….. It’s like Royce chocolates in its texture. Once the truffle hit my tongue, I went off to creamy ecstasy. I don’t like putting a big chunk of chocolate in my mouth. I like nibbling and I like using my fingers when I eat my chocolates. With Royce chocolates, I cannot nibble as the chocolate would melt before I’m able to finish the square off. This one, Truffles, I can enjoy it for a few moments more than Royce. It does melt when left on my fingers for too long, but it holds well enough for me to finish it off with just a few smudges on my tips, easily licked for another piece.
I got the champagne flavored truffles! It comes in an insulated bag with cute little pouches of dry ice. As soon as I opened the package, my blood started boiling! I love chocolates and I love liquor. And this one… I was not let down!! The liquorish scent filled my room like potpourri! The alcohol flavor was there but it mixed exquisitely well with the richness of the chocolate. Mmmmm…. Mmmmmmm….
Of course, Royce chocolates still hold the number one spot. But if you don’t have the time or patience (traffic!!) to go to Greenhills or abroad, try Truffles!!
i’ve missed eating at this place. the food was still good, although it used to have been much better.
i had the country fried chicken steak, with mashed potatoes, sunny-side up (over easy), and pancakes — 235php. L had the t-bone steak, with potato wedges, sunny-side up (over hard), and rice — 385php.
the pancakes were not that good. they were bland. the chicken steak, i still loved! the t-bone… L found it okay. but there are other restaurants which serve better.
they don’t have the sodas in different flavors anymore. bottomless drinks plus i got to choose a different flavor for each refill. sayang!
i would have rooted for saisaki or seafood club if only L wasn’t that full from his merienda in shangri-la.
next time.
Philippine Daily Inquirer
