Carnivale @ S Maison, Conrad Hotel

It was the Sunday before the birthday of Doc M. We were scheduled to meet our (real estate) agent  at the Mall of Asia but when we got there, we realized that they were having a Sale Event, which meant that the place was extremely crowded. 

Given that I wanted to see S Maison for quite a while now since it opened, I suggested that we just park there instead. I was however lazy to cross with the swarm of people in my mind, we have opted to stay there to instead meet our agent at the Starbucks.

For lunch, we decided to try out Carnivale. There wasn't much restaurants and shops open yet so choices were really limited.

For Carnivale, we were given their soft-opening menu, which was really limited. The waiter said that there are more options to come in the next few days, so it must be something to look out for.

So here's what we ordered:

Wangus Burger with Salted Egg French Fries on the side (P350.00 + P160.00)

The Wangus Burger is what Doc M had ordered. Being a burger fan, he said that this offer from Carnivale is good. He like everything in it. I can't remember having a bit of this burger, but I trust Doc M when he said that it's good and that he liked it. 

As for the Salted Egg French Fries, it was our first time. For the first few bites, we loved it. Something new, perhaps. However, the fries weren't fully coated so some of the pieces tasted like typical fries. I wouldn't go for it next time given the price for a side dish. Having it once is okay, nothing to die for. Besides, salted egg is becoming popular these days.

Gravlax Burger (P370.00)

Gravlax is what I ordered. What I liked about it is the fact that it's composed of salmon, instead of the usual beef patty. As far as I can remember from the menu, the bun has squid ink, which gave it's dark brownish color. It also has fried sweet potato, lettuce and generous spread of cream cheese. 

The bun that they used are soft and slightly chewy, which made it unique from the usual burgers. I am fully satisfied with what I ordered because they placed a generous amount of salmon and cream cheese, and the sweetness of the fried sweet potato balanced the overall taste and the crunch added value to the experience. 

Burgers in reality are complicated. Given that the main character is the patty, everything else matters like the bun, the veggies, etc. So many restaurants boast of their patties, however they pair it with a bun that's dry, which actually affects the entire meal experience.

For Carnivale's burgers, both the Wangus and Gravlax, everything they placed compliments each other. It's a total package. Their burgers should be in your must-try list! 

Monkey Split (P340.00)

For dessert, we tried their Monkey Split. It is an updated rendition of the banana split. This time, they used "turon" (vietnamese spring roll wrap), with just one flavor of ice cream, which is black sesame-flavored. They added grapes and clustered cornflakes and drizzled with (fish) sauce (tasted like caramel).

It is something that can be tried, but for the price of it, you can actually just skip dessert and head somewhere else.

Overall, we enjoyed our dining experience at Carnivale and the burgers we ordered were perfect for our palates. So yes, we will still be dining here soon; but as mentioned, will probably skip dessert by then. But who knows? The waiter said that they will still be adding more items in their menu in the next few days.

*** NO SERVICE CHARGE

Dining Date: September 18, 2016 (Sunday)

Carnivale - Level 2, S Maison, Conrad Manila
Seaside Boulevard cor. Coral Way, Pasay City

Cafroozo @ SM Tarlac

I was with my family when I first saw Cafroozo at SM Tarlac. We went to another restaurant that my parents preferred but told myself that I'd try it out the next time I'd be at the area.

So I did last February 14, 2016. Doc M had an event to attend in Tarlac and booked an overnight stay at Microtel in Luisita. Before we headed back to Manila, we opted to have lunch at SM Tarlac and I suggested to try Cafroozo.

Ambience is more like a cafe, which is relaxing.

Here are what we ordered:

Spaghetti

This is what we ordered for Baby G and she enjoyed it. It's the usual spaghetti that tastes sweet, which is a hit with kids. Their serving is good for 2-3 persons, and can even be shared by 4!

Burrito

Their burrito is large and stuffed with vegetables, which made a healthier twist. It was big enough to be shared. by 2-3 persons. Although since we were full already, I wasn't able to appreciate it fully and we had to had it wrapped for takeaway.

Burger and Fries

This is what Doc M ordered. He said that it's good, but nothing so special about it. No factor to stand out among other burgers, but was enough to fill a burger craving.

Mojos

Baby G requested for it, as it's her favorite whenever we go to Shakey's. However, we'd still go to Shakey's for mojos cravings. This is more like a homemade dish.

Overall, our dining experience was average. Cafroozo is affordable with huge servings. We'd consider dining here again but probably not really soon. We'd pass in order to try another restaurant. Perhaps 3 out of 5 stars.

Chili's at Greenbelt 5

It was a Sunday. Doc M, Baby G and I went to Mass at Greenbelt Chapel. After the mass we headed to Greenbelt 5 to have our dinner. We chose Chili's as I have always wanted to bring Baby G for her to try the Choco Lava cake. 

Chili's at Greenbelt is full most of the time; or at least every time I pass by. They actually have large servings so the price you pay is just right since they offer good food. 

So here's what we ordered:

Santa Fe Quesadillas
Flour tortillas with sliced grilled chicken breast, corn relish, Monterey Jack and Santa Fe sauce.
Served with house-made pico de gallo and sour cream.

STA FE QUESADILLAS

I don't usually order quesadillas because oftentimes they are flat and boring. However, Chili's version changed all that. It's stuffed, and the tortilla has the semi-crunch factor that gives a nice touch to the meal.

The chicken is seasoned well, and the portion is goes well with everything like the corn relish and the sauces. The pico de gallo and the generous service of sour cream made it more special. 

The taste is also superb that Doc M and I was able to finish it all. If you're looking for a lighter version of dinner, this is what you can order.

Original Chicken Crispers
Famous strips of hand-battered chicken fried to perfection. Served with corn on the cob, 
homestyle fries and honey-mustard dressing.

ORIGINAL CHICKEN CRISPERS

Baby G was the one who ordered this. She ordered rice with it. She said it's delicious, but liked it as it is and did not dip in the sauce anymore. She had few of the fries and the corn, but it was Doc M and I who finished the sides.

I didn't find anything special about it, though. You can order if you're craving for chicken fillet and fries.

Molten Chocolate Cake
Warm chocolate cake with chocolate fudge filling. Topped with vanilla ice cream under a crunchy chocolate shell.

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

This is a death wish, but can certainly satisfy your chocolate cravings. It has a little bit of everything that I want and drizzling it with caramel makes it more sinful.

I should warn you, though, that this dessert should be more than enough to meet your sweet requirements for a whole week. 

It's best to be shared with three or more people, and I won't recommend for one person to consume it all.

*** And as an added treat, the manager approached our table and gave the voucher below to Baby G. It has an expiration date, though. 

I will certainly be coming back to Chili's to try the other items in their menu.

Dining Date: March 6, 2016

Matutina's @ Tarlac

It wasn't a Valentine date, it just so happened that Doc M had to attend an event near Luisita mall. It was just a half-day affair, but since Baby G and I went with him, we opted to make it an overnight trip.

For dinner, we decided to eat at Matutina's. It's just about 10 minutes drive from Micrtotel, where we're booked for that night. It's along McArthur Highway and near SM Tarlac.

That evening, parking was a challenge as there was an event going on at the 2nd floor. We had to park at Hyundai shop beside it. We didn't have difficulty in finding seats as only few were dining at the 1st level.

Here's what we ordered:

Sinigang na Malaga Fish

This is what was recommended by the staff as one of their bestsellers, and also according to several blogs that I've read.

For us it's just a usual sinigang. It actually didn't have that "asim-kilig" feeling, but I was able to appreciate the taste of the fish itself. 

Tortang Talong

I have already mentioned in previous blogs that Doc M is a fan of Tortang Talong. Matutina's version was able to impress him as it contains more eggplant with just the right coating of egg. Simple yet tasty.

Bangus Sisig

It's also one of the recommended dishes. Doc M liked it as well because of the fact that it's fish. Didn't get to taste that much, but so far it's okay. I still like the usual pork sisig.

Turon with Langka

From the photo in the menu, their turon looked like 3 small tubes. However, they came in 3 long tubes drizzled with chocolate syrup.

I prefer turon coated with caramelized sugar. Theirs was just okay, but lacked the sweetness that I was looking for. 

Since we're all full, I was the only one who ate. Baby G had leche flan for her dessert (but I wasn't able to take a picture of it).

We had the other 2 for take out and gave it to the hotel staff. 

Our dining experience was just average, but we are still considering eating at Matutina's to try the other items in their menu.

Tidbit:

They give these coconut pastillas as complimentary item for every table. I super loved it and truly a must-try!

Dining Date: February 13, 2016

Red Kimono @ Glorietta

It was a regular working day. Doc M and I decided to go to Glorietta to stroll and have dinner. Wanting to try something new, we ended up in Red Kimono located at Glorietta 5, the new wing. It was less than an hour before closing time, past 8PM. 

CHICKEN TERIYAKI BENTO

This should be ordered by somebody who is extremely hungry during lunchtime. It looks like a regular bento meal of other japanese restaurant, but for some reason, this truly felt heavy. I actually wasn't able to finish all, despite Doc M sharing it with me. The taste is exactly what I was looking for. 

Just a sidenote: I remember dining at Karate Kid (Waltermart branch) also at almost closing time and the food was extremely sloppy (I remember having an undercooked rice, with a super salty teriyaki sauce). The food quality reflected on how excited the cook was in going home. Really bad!

This is what Doc M ordered, which was a more appropriate dinner that day. Not too heavy, but was just enough to fill a nighttime hunger. Nothing extravagant in terms of the taste, but it wasn't bad either. I can't remember how it's actually called, but it's salmon rice topping.

CHOCOLATE BALLS - P100.00

Being a dessert person, I didn't pass the meal without the coconut balls which were delicious. It has the right sweetness, and the coconut added a little crunch. We weren't able to finish all actually, and we added another order for take out.

I am not sure as well on how this is called, but it's a cream-based dessert with what seems to be a crushed oreo at the bottom. Another must-try!

It was a tummy-filling experiene and yes, we will still visit Red Kimono!

Dining Date: August 12, 2015

Cafe Ilustrado at SM Makati

It was November again, about a year when I last dined at Cafe Ilustrado at SM Makati. I was again having an early Christmas shopping. While waiting for Doc M to pick me up, since it was extremely traffic that day due to the APEC activity, I have decided to try them again. 

From my previous blog, I didn't have a good impression about Cafe Ilustrado, and this next experience wasn't different.

RELLENONG BANGUS MEAL

I ordered Rellenong Bangus, which is one of my favorites. It's milkfish stuffed with ground pork/beef with bits of veggies. 

As you can see from the photo, it's extra toasted and immediately I felt that it wasn't fresh anymore. As if it's been in and out of the freezer for several days already. It was salty and the taste itself wasn't even close to how a relleno should taste. The sauce it came with wasn't able to redeem it.

SAMPAGUITA ICE CREAM

It was my first time to try a sampaguita-flavored ice cream. Just for the sake of being unique, the experience was okay. However, I will not be ordering it again in the near future. It's more on the icy type of ice cream instead of the creamy one.

For this particular branch of Cafe Ilustrado, it will take a year or more again for me to dine again. It breaks my heart every time, and my dining experiences don't feel worth of the price I paid. 

Although I am not closing my doors as I still plan to try their Intramuros branch, which I think is the original store. 

Dining Date: November 17, 2015

Tiki Island Grill at Splash Island, Laguna

It was the family's first outing for 2016 at Splash Island. Food and drinks (even water) are not allowed inside this water park, so it's either you bring your food and eat in your car parked outside and will take a little bit of walking, or buy from their food court. 

It's understandable that they need to work hand in hand with their concessionaires.  For us, we opted to just dine in because we did not bring food at all. Surprisingly, the food that they're offering is affordable. Another plus factor is that they're fresh. They have grilling stations in the site so you know that they're freshly prepared and the most important factor is that their food is delicious. 

We ordered the "bilao meal" at P800.00, which is supposed to be good for 5 persons. However, we were 8 (6 adults & 2 kids) who shared this meal and we just added 3 extra rice. It's composed of:

* 10 pork barbecues

* 2 large fried bangus (milkfish - not boneless)

* 2 large grilled eggplant

* 2 red eggs

* 1 green mango with bagoong (shrimp paste) 

* 5 rice

It was actually more than enough for us. We just bought C2 as our drinks, which is at P45/bottle. We all enjoyed our meal, with the semi-boodle set-up. It was best to eat with our hands (utensils aren't needed!) to give an authentic sense of Filipino meal.

I recommend this meal to those who plan to go to Splash Island. 

Dining date: January 2, 2016 (Saturday)