S&R Splurge

If there's one thing we don't do at S&R, it's shop. Well yeah, we buy chips and drinks once in a while, but if the S&R guys were to carefully plot our visits and purchases, they would find the strangest consumer item of preference: Pizza.

While we've been celebrating pizza nights at S&R for ages, which is highly possible with cheese, combo, pepperoni, shrimp and the seasonal barbecue chicken as rotating flavors, there is no such thing as getting "sick" of the place. With calzone and fries in the roster, it's a place we might as well call our second home.

The cheese pizza on its own is screaming with golden cheesy sheen while the garlic and shrimp is seafood splendor that escalates it to my "craving" level.

Innovation is highly encouraged for those who want a poutine-inspired masterpiece. Fries on pizza, why not? I'm not as adventurous, and would just prefer to smother my slice with mustard and onions (which does not make a pretty photo, I tell you).

[caption id="attachment_1834" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Someone's hungry: Fries-topped Pizza[/caption]

I've skipped the burgers and hotdogs phase, being an all-year Lenten diner, but with churros, fries and chicken rolls on the list, the place is becoming a better-than-fastfood joint. Heck, they've even got a sandwich bar and ice cream station (It's Blue Bunny, so beat that) which recently added shakes and pastries on the chiller. Fabulous.

[caption id="attachment_1833" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Shrimp Salad with onions on the side[/caption]

What makes me doubly pleased is the addition of salad in their menu. While the Chicken Caesar Salad was a giant bowl of veggie delight (all great, except for the dressing), the Shrimp Salad was absolute enjoyment. A bit smaller in serving with about 6-8 shrimps, the salad is gratifying and amazingly improved by that wee slice of lemon. Refreshing, light and certainly agreeable even to the anti-vegetables, it makes a great siding to the hungry and a perfect meal to those like me - who consider dessert as part of the meal!

Dessert time meant visiting the actual store and raiding the chiller for something to-go worthy. 

[caption id="attachment_1836" align="aligncenter" width="461"] Move over, Blue Bunny. Make way for Mudslide.[/caption]

The choice was terrific: Tillamook Mudslide. Chunky chocolate swirls circled creamy chocolate ice cream. Forget EQ; despite its partially melted state, my mind urged me to dig in, and I did. No manners, no civilized utensils. All was forgiven in the presence of this dandy dessert.

[caption id="attachment_1835" align="aligncenter" width="461"] Better start calling it (melted) Chocolate Fudge Ripple.[/caption]

While it wasn't a 100% mudslide, as I was looking for a hint of coffee, it was a perfect fudgy treat. More of a Chocolate Fudge Ripple. Now that's more like it.

Next time we ought to try its Vanilla Flavor, unless S&R decides to re-stock on Klondike.

If that's the case, bring out the coin.

An "F" Lunch

When I said,  "I had lunch at that F place" I was being honest, solemn and definitely not vulgar. That "F" place happens to be the restaurant at the hotel with such a lengthy name, it makes anyone's most customized Starbucks drink sound monosyllabic.

Get ready because it's quite a mouthful: Best Western Premier F1 Hotel. I'd prefer my self-made nickname: F1 Hotel. However if you imagine a racing-inspired accommodation and theme, then you'll have to go to Toyz for that. F1 Hotel is classy, sleek and very silver/gray-oriented. There are no cars, just quite a collection of mirrors lining the walls.

As for F, the restaurant, it was enclosed with glass, giving a fantastic view of Taguig. As a downside to this glorious location, the summer sun was not very forgiving to lunchtime diners. Good thing I was part of the late lunch crowd. Dining at near closing time (2pm), something as irrelevant as sunshine can be waived for other more pertinent matters such as cheese and ice cream. With fewer people to contend with!

The lunch buffet offers the usual cuisine selection that people have gotten quite used to: Japanese, Chinese, a bit of Indian and American. Nothing fancy as Greek or Mexican, but with my limited time, I was glad that I need not face indecision at such a crucial moment.

[caption id="attachment_1806" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Salmon & Salmon Salad[/caption]

The salad bar was nothing grand and extensive, just the usual dressing and toppings. On the side were various cold cuts, sushi and sashimi that were plentiful enough to appease the hungry crowd. As for me, salmon sashimi and smoked salmon topped my salad - weird, I know - but was engaging enough for me. Perhaps with the lack of interesting toppings, the salmon came in particularly tempting.

The main course section was a line of viands, soups, pasta, shabu-shabu and seafood selections. Spotting the cheese board at the start of the line, I couldn't help but get a sample of each, thus reducing plate space for the main course. My bad. But it was so good, topped on my already existing salad, so not bad at all.

The vegetables were the first to grace my plate, then came the fish with raita sauce and that cajun chicken. The waiter-cook swore to that chicken's spiciness which I looked forward to with a glass full of water, only to find out that it was mediocre hot in my spice scale. The fish was tender and succulent, but I found the sauce a tad too sweet for my taste. Too early for dessert. Hence the fish dove into my salad. Fabulous catch.

[caption id="attachment_1799" align="aligncenter" width="614"] Pesto with Mushrooms[/caption]

My customized pesto came in a wee serving but tasted absolutely fresh and cheesy. The carbonara looked just as appetizing - a bit on the creamy side but with all that cheese - worth it!

Roasted potatoes, tempura, dumplings and bagnet graced the plates of my companions. I would be forever sorry for not having taken photos, but with the way everyone was rushing, people might just end up eating my camera in haste, or something to that disastrous effect.

The dessert section was a glorious lair of fondue, fruit, cakes, pastries, crepes and ice cream. For once, I was astounded and could not determine what to select. Strange as it was, I decided to forego ice-cream for the first time in my life. A traitor to ice cream, I will make it up next weekend.

[caption id="attachment_1804" align="aligncenter" width="614"] The Crepe that Launched a Thousand Burps[/caption]

The crepe station had fruits, a host of awesome toppings and ice cream to boot. This crepe was not mine but was such a delight to stare at and take a photo of. As for the rainbow sprinkles, good luck to the lucky diner who finished this off.

[caption id="attachment_1801" align="aligncenter" width="614"] The Chocolate Crew with the Lone Creme Brulee[/caption]

My dessert platter was painstakingly chosen from a chiller containing at least 10 other cakes. I decided to stick to the chocolate inspired theme. The brownie was the best bet, ultra moist and mixed in with a bit of walnut. If I was not that full, I'd have gotten more of that brownie and topped it with vanilla ice cream. The chocolate cake had a layer of chocolate icing and another of hazelnut - perfect with coffee. The creme brulee was fantastic for those who refused to indulge in a totally sweet dessert but wanted a decently sweet treat. A second favorite next to the brownie.

Aside from buffet, the hotel also offers conferences and the like. Here's what they served our guests. The thickly sliced bread was quite a sight, I'd forever wonder how they finished their sandwiches while trying to be all prim and proper.

Of course I had none of those sandwiches. I was still too full from lunch - and just managed to drown myself with chamomile tea.

It can't get any more "F" than that.

Red Velvety Goodness

I have never really figured out how Red Velvet came to be or why it was named as such. Why it's so strikingly red, when it can be brown or peach colored and renamed as Caramel Velvet? It does have a nice ring to it though, wouldn't you say?

How about Maroon Mayhem? Indulging!

However Red Velvet has become quite a universal madness, from cupcakes to ice cream to lipstick shades. While I've never been that fond of red food, having associated it the Neolithic medium rare steak, I did fancy the Red Velvet Cake from Christina's Kitchen.

Bought from Parvati (Trinoma), it was 100% red and with no hint of pink. For certain, Revlon would have a hard time replicating such a gorgeous and seamless shade of red. Muy rojo!

As for the "velvet" side of it, the cake was pure smooth and spongy goodness. While not bordering on the heavy cake consistency, it was greatly complemented by its cream cheese frosting. Not too buttery and by no means my-dentist-will-kill-me sweet, the light frosting and soft, light cake create that seamless Red Velvet cake, whose name or color I will never question again.

I've never described a cake as seamless, so I suppose this is one makes it to my books.

But I still think that someone ought to consider Maroon Mayhem. You do that, all right?

Starving at Sambokojin

Sambo Kojin (Eastwood), the smokeless grill, provides quite an appeal to those who want to grill their own meal, eat, eat some more, and leave the place smelling all fresh and dainty. Even those who have the aversion to cooking will find an interest at this proposition, this lazy cat included.

Why, my menu even included grilling the salmon, searing the tuna sashimi and bathing them with teriyaki sauce - sweet seafood fantasy!

All those plans flew out of the window when, upon being seated, the waiter dropped this chunk of butter on the grill.  Closer scrutiny revealed that it was not butter but something more horrid, as if butter was not bad enough: beef fat! Being part vegetarian and a firm believer that Japanese cooking favored less animalistic elements, this new information astounded me to the point where it can't be helped.

Sayonara, grill!

I had to forego the grilling element and enjoy my sashimi raw. It was time to hang out at the cooked food station and deem the raw foods nothing but the beefy offshoot of that sinful grill.

This abstinence rather paid off, having enjoyed the cooked bounties of the seafood offerings. Tuna teppanyaki and the seafood with creamy egg sauce topped my list, while the fried salmon was a bit of a disappointment.

I spied tofu steak as well and had the audacity to pick out the tofu from the meaty mayhem. No one ought to complain since I got the part that people never really like. Poor tofu.

The chap chae glistened and beckoned my plate, but beef strips heralded themselves and I had to move elsewhere.

Other fishy viands were scattered around the place, breaded, steamed - you name it - but since they yielded the similar flavor, best to stay loyal to my tuna teppanyaki.

Wondering about the tempura? Well it's got its own fried battered station with kani, ebi and the whole lot of vegetables. As always it was hailed the most populous spot in the buffet, which is why I had to steer clear of it for fear of getting my new open toed sandals sprinkled with tempura sauce. That, and I enjoyed my kani raw.

Sushi and maki rolls are also provided for in abundance, alongside the volume of human traffic concentrated in that dangerous region. Once again, I steered clear of the "rice" path and concentrated the tongs on the protein bearers, the the sashimi.

The dessert station was nothing exorbitant or ravishing - the usual fares you'd expect from Saisaki. There's the ubiquitous ice cream and the line that stretches to the kitchen, the mini pastries with skyrocketing icing and fruits in season. No cheesecake, mousse or anything with green tea. In short, no dessert for me - but I had to make do with the fruit cup, as necessitated by my "complete meal" mantra.

This beef bias may be dissuading and most likely, discouraging for most, since 99% of the people I know wouldn't care about beef fat, butter or whatever animal they are ingesting. If you are part of the 99% then good for you, grill to your heart's content and savor your "moo-tiful" meal.

As for the minority, the cooked foods are quite a bountiful lot and yes, if you are as lazy as me, no need to don that invisible chef's hat!

No more cooking - now that's a catch!

Mochiko = My Mochi

Whoever invented Mochiko named it perfectly. That fist-sized ice cream-filled mochi is great for a one-time snack, unfit for sharing and definitely meant to be finished single-handedly. Mochiko roughly translates to "my mochi" in Filipino. My Mochi, not ours, certainly not yours -  just mine.

Let us not lie to ourselves with that delusional thinking that we are selfless and giving. With the sight of this ball of mochi goodness, all those hopes of world peace and brotherhood are sure to dissipate, to be replaced by that inevitable gluttony that we've been harboring all this time.

Best to give in though, as it's rather cheap at about P70 per serving. With an assortment of flavors (chocolate, vanilla, red bean, cookie dough, etc.) you can have a different flavor each day, or until your blood sugar spikes - then you might have to take a break from these sinful balls. Mindless choice for me was, of course, green tea - an unfounded hope for a lower calorie serving.

Surrounded by a thin layer of mildly sweet mochi, the label strongly advises us to let the ball thaw for a few minutes before we get those incisors working. Ever devious, I forced a bite, failed and ended up leaving teeth marks on that still-hardened ball. At least I can't say I didn't try.

Upon reaching the desired thawed state, another attempt was made on this unyielding green fellow and finally, success! I was getting impatient from walking around Eastwood Mall with this plastic ball in my hand, and it didn't help that it was in this horrid shade of apple green.

The thin mochi layer uncovered the creamy goodness of still a perfect ball of green tea if cream. Each bite was a mixture of smooth ice cream with that slight tinge of sweetness and chewy bits from the mochi.

Best way to end any meal is by this ball of indulgence. Best way to burn the calories is to just walk it off as I did.

While I'm no follower of Mochiko, just in case someone asks, I've encountered these little balls of toothy mishap in Mercato Centrale, the Eastwood Weekend Market (at the Eastwood Mall) and Parvati (Trinoma, by the bulk).

Panera Bread and The Cheesecake Factory

If for some unforeseeable and inexplicable reason two places were to spring in Manila overnight, I would want these to be The Cheesecake Factory and Panera Bread. That's right, cheesecake and bread. Just those two and I'd find myself gastronomically sound for the next decade or two.

The Cheesecake Factory has topped my place-to-eat list ever since the diary was invented. Seriously though, from articles in Eat This, Not That and those hard-to-resist chiller merchandise at S&R, just a slice of the real cheesecake was my irreparable wish, but then again, I’d be mental if I refused a meal.

[caption id="attachment_1663" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Veggie Burger"][/caption]

So prior to the dessert, a proper meal was obligatory but nonetheless very appetizing.

I decided on a strange course that Manila has yet to offer: Veggie burger and side salad with Bleu cheese dressing. The veggie burger was a massive patty made with brown rice and grains and seasoned with what seemed like cumin. Sweet and curry-like, the garlic mayonnaise blended well with the burger, while the bleu cheese provided the saltiness needed for that overall vegan experience. While many might find the exotic flavor of this vegetarian fare a bit off putting, I enjoyed every bite and yearned for the Archer Farms Hummus Chips that I had stashed back home. What a wonderful pairing that would’ve been!

[caption id="attachment_1662" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake"][/caption]

The Godiva Chocolate Cheesecake was a mindless choice: chocolate in all layers for the dark chocolate lover. Even Willy Wonka would be greatly interested in this godly creation. The cheesecake was fused with chocolate, firm, no overwhelming flavor—just smooth cheesecake heaven. The sweet revelry will certainly be missed. Forget the calories and sugar, it’s cheesecake excellence that I would certainly crave for despite being halfway across the world.

As for bread lovers, Panera Bread is the way to go. Going on another "goat mode", I decided on the salad path, but still with lovely bread on the side. Lovely indeed.

Panera Bread serves freshly baked bread everyday; well loved by neighboring folks, the line stretches and peaks during meal hours as well, so best to be an early diner.

[caption id="attachment_1658" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Chicken Salad"][/caption]

My BBQ Chopped Chicken Salad was gigantic and luxuriously spread with tortilla chips, black beans and corn for that Mexican touch. The flavor is not restrained, yet carefully prepared—making comfort food its other name. Good for two and accompanied with Panera Bread's signature bread, I will be forever apologetic for passing off on that wonderful piece of bread. 

[caption id="attachment_1661" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Chicken Tortilla Soup"][/caption]

The Chicken Tortilla Soup manages the same kind of flavor and toppings, good enough for a meal on its own with bread on the side.

The sight of the pastries and bread is enough to get people crowding in the place, but the wafting aroma will certainly get you hooked. As for me, another craving that will linger in my dreams.

So yes, I keep my fingers crossed that one day Panera Bread and The Cheesecake Factory will suddenly open in Manila. Oh please do, and make that soon, as I sense another cheesecake craving coming up!

Three pointer at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf

Anything that suggests a cluster reaching the number three is normally dismissed as trouble: triplets, 3-in-1, triumvirate, three’s a crowd. Oh, and there’s the Triple Decker Cheesecake at Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (CBTL).

[caption id="attachment_1717" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="Three's so not a crowd with this one."][/caption]

No need to sense troublesome presence of calories and saturated fat, not to mention sugar - three whole layers of it - as they smack you right in the face with their creamy temptation! However it’s best to disregard these upsetting numbers especially when a slice is loaded with layers of fabulous cheesecake, guaranteed to kill any craving. The topmost dark cookie portion is a wonderful find and best kept as "the last bite." The coffee layer may be a nuisance for insomniacs (like me) but this issue was easily addressed with good ‘ol water. Lots of it. Or decaffeinated tea, of course.

I wouldn’t recommend sharing this with anyone, as a bite less and you’re sure to scowl. Compared to Starbucks, Conti’s and some Parvati miniature bestsellers, this one’s a hefty serving—all fun, all cheesecake, all yours.

Or mine.

Then there’s this Chicken Chipotle Sandwich on the side, which took forever to prepare. I spied cucumber and one big chunk of panini—a kid’s jaw can’t get through that threshold. Since there was nothing special about the sandwich, except that it was sprawling with greens, we’re better off splurging on sweets when in CBTL.

CBTL in Trinoma provides a park-like venue for the bored or hungry—wide and overlooking Mindanao Avenue. Beside Peking Garden and Kimpura which are rarely filled—more space for everyone’s enjoyment and a breather compared to the top floor Starbucks which is forever congested in human haze.