Coffee and Churros at Cafe Maxims

After our dinner at Johnny Chow, we went to the Casino area where the couple applied for Resorts World Manila membership. 

For our dessert, I initially wanted UCC because of the cakes, or Starbucks because of the planner stickers, but Doc M preferred Cafe Maxims. He said he like the ambience, with it being an open area.

Churros with Chocolate Dip

Churros with Chocolate Dip

Churros is expected to be oily, but definitely not the chocolate dip. Cafe Maxims offers it in slim sticks drizzled with white sugar. It was crispy and can be eaten without the dip. 

The chocolate dip, however wasn't how I expected it to be. It was like peanut butter, where there's so much oil that separates from the chocolate. Expectedly, the churros gets drenched in oil before it reaches the chocolate and that gives the "umay factor".

I'd go to Dulcinea instead the next time I crave for churros.

Beverages

*Their coffee and the green tea latte came with a chocochip cookie, which is extremely nice. No need actually to order additional pastries as it would be enough to satisfy sweet cravings.*

              Cafe Latte

Doc M had this and he didn't have complains so I guess it's okay.

    Cafe Mocha

This is what I had this time. It's too sweet for me so I'd perhaps stick to capuccino next time.

Green Tea Latte
This is indeed interesting. RA and EA are in the meantime forbidden to take coffee due to doctor's order, so this is what they had. I haven't tasted it, but sure worth a try next time. The only comment that RA had was it was sweet. 

Doc M have started to appreciate hanging out at Cafe Maxims. The experience was special everytime, probably because it's a bit far from the crowd and as he said, being it in an open space makes it more relaxing. What's more, It's never ran out of seats!

Cafe Maxims Bibingka Prima

  

I am a bibingka lover since I was a kid. I remember buying them during Simbang Gabi, together with puto bumbong and a mug of hot plain tea. I have never forgotten that particular love for bibingka, and I always find them irresistible every time I see a store selling them. Hence, I didn't miss the opportunity of tasting the Bibingka Prima from Cafe Maxims. I saw their poster after watching Priscilla at the Resorts World Manila.



Getting a mini size at about P85.00 was quite expensive, but what would you expect from a hotel cafe? I tried resisting of only getting one, as we were so full from our dinner at Victoria Harbour Restaurant (located inside the casino) but still, I ordered 3 of the 5 flavors: buko pandan, ube and nutella. I was being offered the regular flavor that has cheese and "itlog na pula", but I have thought of being able to get it from Bibingkinitan for only P25.00.

It took a while before our orders came as they create the bibingkas upon order. Doc M ordered a cup of Cafe Mocha to go with his bibingka, while I had a Capuccino.

Capuccino

Cafe Mocha

Biningka Prima: Ube

                                      

Being a fan of native delicacies, halayang ube is one of my favorites. Combining it with bibingka sounded interesting. However, it didn't go well with the bibingka. Maxims' version didn't taste authentic, as if it was made of flour instead of plain ground rice. The texture was too fine, or should I say too smooth. The ube was something that I didn't taste too much. We weren't able to finish it.

Bibingka Prima: Buko Pandan

                                       

Buko Pandan has become a famous flavor for the present generation. From salad, cakes, ice cream... you name a dessert, most likely it has a buko pandan flavor. For Maxims' version, it was acceptable. The topping were shreds of buko, but it was more like sweetened macapuno. The pandan flavor was also present as we took bites of it. This piece, we were able to finish.

Bibingka Prima: Nutella

                                        

Anything Nutella is good. I may not be a fan of it, but I can say that its choco-hazelnutty taste is incomparable to all other spreads who are trying hard to top it. This bibingka was made interesting by the Nutella topping. However, Doc M and I scraped the topping and consumed it first, before we ate the bibingka itself. Now I can't remember how the bibingka tasted with Nutella on it. I can say it was good also.

                                       

In summary, part of the experience was being able to eat bibingka at the simple but classy cafe of Maxims Hotel. It may not be the best, but the toppings made the difference. However, experiencing it once was enough and we'd rather go back to the old tradition of getting bibingkas the SM supermarket for an affordable regular size bibingka, or Ferino's for a more authentic, quality one.

                                    

Johnny Chow at Resorts World Manila

 

Doc M's high school classmate RA arrived from Singapore and they have met up, which is usually the practice every time he goes home. Initially, RA wanted Mall of Asia but given the holiday season, we recommended that we meet at the Resorts World instead to be able to avoid the mad Christmas crowd.

We were 4: Me, Doc M, RA and his wife EA. We have decided to eat at Johnny Chow.

Doc M and I has frequented Resorts World but it was our first time to try this restaurant. The waitresses would always catch our attention because of the colorful wigs that they wear.

So here's what we ordered:

Chap Chae Adventure

I remember first time tasting Chap Chae was when during the time when I was taking French Language classes. Our instructor was Vietnamese and she brought this when we had a mini Christmas Party. It has become one of my favorite noodle dish since then.

For Johnny Chow's version, it was okay. Not spectacular as I've tasted better ones before. It is good in meeting your craving for chap chae.

The serving can be shared by 3-4 persons.

Crispy Beef Orange

It was like eating the usual lemon chicken. Perhaps the beef was too tender that it didn't taste like beef at all. Nothing special about this dish but it wasn't bad either. 

Serving is good for about 3 persons. Doc M and I didn't finish it as we were so full already.

Maggie Woo
*Lechon Macau with Pineapple Fritter*

My first reaction when this was served was "Whoah!", simply because it came out more that the serving that I have expected. And if you look at those cuts, thery're simply heaven for pork fans and death wish for those who are restricted to eat pork. I didn't get to taste it, but EA said it was also good.

Korean Beef Kimchi Rice

According to EA, she's not fond of Kimchi. However, this came to her as a surprise as it was good. I also didn't get to taste this, but will consider ordering next time.

Entrance Door

I like the ambience of the restaurant and the accents are cool. Just like the door you see above, it's really nice isn't it?

In summary, we went out full and satistied. Johnny Chow still has  a lot of interesting dishes in the menu that I am still planning to try really soon.

Kapehan Sang Silay, Bacolod

October 2013

Doc M and I had a trip to Bacolod last October 2013. I was already able to blog a summary of our trip as well as Trattoria Uma, but haven't really zoomed in to the details of our Bacolod food trip.

One of the places that's being recommended by other bloggers is the Kapehan Sang Silay, which, from the name itself is in Silay City, Bacolod. 

From Bacolod, Doc M and I rode a jeepney going there. It's been more than a year so I can't remember the signage on the jeep. Although it won't be difficult because you can ask around and people would be willing to let you know. We sat beside the driver so we didn't have much difficulty letting him know that we'd alight Silay City. 

The jeepney stopped right in front of Kapehan Sang Silay that's why we didn't have difficulty going there. It was over lunch time already and we were the only customers when we entered. The ambiance wasn't as welcoming as I have expected, but it wasn't a bad place either. 

I ordered 2 cups of coffee for us, and 2 ibos as it was the only suman available during our visit. 

Silay Native Coffee

(with evaporated milk)

I love coffee, but am not an expert when it comes to taste. The Silay native coffee tasted like a regular one for me, but was made special because of the place where I was having it. It's also the same coffee being sipped by several generations already. Combining it with evaporated milk is something that I like as well.

Native Coffee with Evaporated Milk
(P14.00)

Suman sa Ibos
(with Muscovado Sugar)

Same as the one we usually get from Antipolo, this particular suman is dependent on the sugar, honey, syrup, milk, or whatever sweetener it's being served with.

For Kapehan, they serve it with Muscovado sugar, which gives it a healthier twist. I also like anything muscovado so it was really good for me.

At P6.00 per piece, what else could go wrong?

Suman sa Ibos with Muscovado Sugar
(P6.00)

Below are photos of how it looks like inside and from the outside: 

Interior of the Local Cafe

Exterior View of the Cafe

Whenever you're visiting Bacolod, it's a must to drop by Silay City. Going to Silay then won't be complete without getting a cup of coffee at Kapehan Sang Silay. It is like sipping a hot cup of the city's history!

Moshi Koshi: The Noodle Boss at Market! Market!

December 14, 2014 (Sunday)

Doc M set up his own dental clinic that opened last November 25th. Our past weekends were mostly spent canvassing and purchasing items for the clinic. Then there was one weekend that we spent out of town.

We were back at our usual mall Sundays; with Doc M and Baby G last Sunday. As expected with the Christmas rush, Market! Market! was packed with shoppers that day and obviously, the fast food and restaurants were also full. As we were looking for where we'd have our lunch, we found ourselves inside Moshi Koshi, a Japanese restaurant located at the ground floor. It's in beside North Park, across One Serendra. It's been there for quite sometime already, but it was our first time to try it out.

We were supposed to go to North Park, but Baby G requested for Japanese food instead of Chinese.

The place was quite full, but we still had a place and didn't have to wait to be seated. It's sort of a fast food style where you'd order and pre-pay at the counter. It meant no service charge.

Doc M was the one who ordered, and he was advised that food would be serve at a maximum of 30 minutes. He agreed, despite the fact that we were starving already. It gave us time to do some chitchat. However, as minutes passed by, I already started to look around and noticed about 4 tables that were still waiting for their food to be served. And they were already there when we entered. From then I realized that their 30 minutes was for real. 

There were only 2 waiters at the floor and I suspected that only few were in the kitchen to prepare the orders. Hence, the really slow service. I could see the people from the other tables already smirking and making signs how hungry they were. There were also instances when orders weren't being served at once so with one group, some have already started eating, while the rest were waiting. 

In about 20 minutes, I was already thinking that going there was not a good idea. I was already challenged on how the food would taste, as it should really be good in order to be worthy of the extremely long wait.

Chicken Teriyaki Bento 

(for Baby G)

The presentation was impressive, as you can see from the photo below. 

The chicken portion was a bit small, but it was just right for Baby G who is 5 years old. At an early age, she is already meticulous when it comes to her food. She can already tell if what she's being served is good or not. For this particular chicken teriyaki, she liked it. From her first spoonful of chicken and rice, she has already blurted out that the chicken was nice.

All bentos include 4 special side dishes. Baby G didn't like them much so Doc M and I ended up finishing them. The chicken salad looked like a pate and tasted like a tuna sandwich filling, is what we loved the most. Second is the sauteed veggies. I liked the crunch in every bite. Then the kuchay that has a sauce that tasted like wasabi (although I was the only one who finished it), and lastly on the lower left is a mix of vegetables and it was the least that I liked in the bento set.

Bento meals also come with Japanese rice and miso soup (which I failed to take a photo of). The quality of the rice also makes up the entire positive dining experience.

This is how their Bento is being presented

Chicken Teriyaki Bento
(P250.00)

Shoyu Ramen

This is one of the best-tasting ramen that I have tried. We got the big bowl so Doc M and I could share. The serving, however, can serve 3 persons. It comes with a hefty serving of succulent noodles. The soup was also delicious as it was flavorful and not salty at all. They were generous with the toppings too, which will make you full and satisfied in no time. 

Shoyu Ramen (Big Bowl)
(P310.00)

Gyoza

We have tried several Gyozas already, which actually failed. The first time we had a good one was when we dined at a restaurant (the name slipped my mind) in Chinatown, Binondo. The other Japanese Restaurants that we've been to didn't impress us at all. Either their gyoza has thick, soggy wrapper or the meat filling tasted awful. I am basing it from another Ramen restaurant that usually has the Buy 1 Take 1 promo (hint! hint!).

The version of Moshi Koshi, however, was good. The wrapper wasn't too thick and has a little crunchiness in it. The filling was good too, especially when dipped with the sauce that came with it. 

5-pcs. Gyoza
(P120.00)

Overall, our dining experience was great, minus the waiting time. I think the best time to go there would be for an early lunch at around 10:30am to 11:00 am or a little bit over 1:00pm where diners have quite dwindled down. The amount we paid for the food was reasonable for the good quality of their food.

We will definitely be going here again the next time we crave for a Japanese fix.

Cafe Ilustrado at SM Makati

December 20, 2014 (Saturday)

It's Christmas season. It's that one Saturday when I met with my friends from my previous job. We had lunch at Conti's in Greenbelt 2.

After our reunion, I opted to do a little bit of window shopping, especially it was Midnight Madness Sale at the Makati Ayala malls (Glorietta, Landmark, Rustan's & SM).

Unlike the previous years when I was younger and able to roam around the mall until midnight, I felt tired and had to rest a bit at the SM Prestige Lounge. It is beside Ilustrado Restaurant that is why I opted to have my dinner there.

It was almost 9:00PM, perhaps the reason why there weren't much people dining.

Since it was late already, I have thought of just having a pasta. Looking at their menu, the Machito pasta appeared to be interesting. The pasta is made up of beef, shitake mushroom, garlic, olive oil and Worcestershire Sauce. 

Taking a spoonful, it was okay. The taste of Worcestershire Sauce strucked all at once, giving me an impression that it's a salty dish. The beef was tender but the shitake mushroom, which is my favorite, was hardly there. It wasn't bad, but perhaps since I am not used to having pasta that's cooked in Worcestershire Sauce, I can say that I didn't become a fan of of Machito Pasta. I would rather have a pasta with either an Italian or sweet sauce. I'd be ordering the Carbonara next time for a safer option.

In terms of the serving, it may actually be shared with somebody.

Machito Pasta
Ilustrado's Signature Dish
(P295.00)

I didn't want a heavy meal, but being a dessert lover that I am, I didn't pass the opportunity to try their cakes. I opted to have the Chocolate Decadence Cheesecake. This, I truly appreciated. Both of my favorite flavors in just one cake was the best! 

The best way to eat it though is to separate them because if you eat them together, you'd end up just tasting the chocolate cake as it overpowers the taste of the cheesecake. Both are not too sweet, which is what I really want in my dessert. 

The slice (serving) was good too. I actually had the half for take out so I was able to still share with Doc M.

Chocolate Decadence Cheesecake
(P125.00)

In summary, I can say that the dining experience was on an average. The quality of the pasta is okay, but the dessert was superb. However, if I have another P400++ to spend for a meal, I would rather go somewhere else. Next time I'd just have coffee and dessert.