Spaghetti Factory

I thought this was the Hongkong based Spaghetti Factory so we were pleasantly surprised that Spaghetti Factory in Glorietta 5 is a home grown establishment. The place is quite small but it must have quite a following already because they're constructing in the adjacent space to accommodate more diners. The first thing you will notice once you step inside is the huge poster of the different kinds of pasta noodles.

When you order a pasta dish, you can choose the kind of noodle you want to go with it. We got the meatball with angel hair and linguini ala vongole. 

    The angel hair pasta with meatballs(P179)  is ok. The meatballs were just a bit salty for me but the sauce is good and the bread tasted fresh.

The linguini ala vongole (P179) was almost perfect for me , I just tasted a bit of sand in 3 to 4 pieces of clams. The mixture of olive oil, white wine and a hint of garlic was just right. 

We got a combination pizza, one half seafood pesto and one half barbecued chicken for only P180 or P190. 

The seafood pesto is good. It had shrimps, mussels, squid in a bed of pesto sauce and cheese. I was disappointed with the chicken barbecue because the chicken flaked easily, it wasn't the chunky type and you can barely taste the barbecue flavor. The crust isn't the thin crust type, it has a bit of a sweet after taste and it reminds you of the store bought varieties. But still, I enjoyed the pizza with their homemade bottled hot sauce. Pizza is comfort food after all and for its price, it was OK. 

We'll be back for sure , to try the other interesting pastas like the spaghetti ala mafia or the raviolis (my favorite filled pasta) . Service is great also by the way. 

Bravo! & Apartment 1B

Salcedo Village has a lot of good finds if you're after a cozy dinner or a relaxing night cap with that neighborhood feel. Our favorites include New Bombay, Bravo, Apartment 1B and Bugsy's. It's been awhile the last time we ate in Bravo along HV Dela Costa so we decided to have dinner there with a good friend who's visiting from New York. I told her it's not our favorite Famous Ray's Pizza in NY but Bravo serves good Italian comfort food.   Our "hungry" group of four (Marco was busy taking pictures)  ordered two huge bowls of salad, the insalata di aranchie, two family size pizzas and three kinds of pastas.

The insalata di aranchie had lettuce, arugula, walnuts, tomatoes and fresh parmesan shavings. A simple salad just enough to tease the palate for the pizza and the pasta. We forgot to take a picture of the salad up close coz everyone started digging in. 

We had  the spaghetti gamberi ( shrimps, tomatoes and lots of garlic),  penne al granchio ( with crabmeat ) and the carbonara to break the two tomato based pastas. 

 I love the gamberi coz I like a lot of garlic with  tomato based pasta. The penne with crabmeat was good too though it could use more of the crab. The carbonara was creamy , a good blend of egg and heavy cream , with the Italian bacon providing the right amount of salt. 

The pizzas are the best. Bravo!'s pizza crusts are all thin crusts but it doesn't crack or collapse when you bite it and they have that nice bubble burst on top. Both the margherita and vegetariana tasted delish. 

                                              margherita pizza

                                             the vegetarian pizza..notice how thin the crusts are..

                                            

We were full already but there was still a bit of space for dessert at Apartment 1B. We ordered the apple crips with vanilla ice cream and the crepe cake . We wanted to compare the crepe cake with Manhattan's Lady M cake boutique which is famous for serving the best crepe cake in New York. 

                                           

The apple crisp which is a deconstructed apple crumb pie was really good. It blended well with the vanilla ice cream. It's the second time we had this dessert and the taste and texture is still the same. The crepe cake was pleasant, it wasn't too sweet and you can see the 30 layers of crepe but we still personally prefer Lady M's version. 

                                             the crepe cake and a cup of hot chocolate

Apartment 1B serves more than dessert, they have good brunch meals, appetizers and dinner entrees.  Our favorites are the porkchops and the meatloaf with potato gratin. I didn't check though if they have new dishes because it's the same menu 3 years ago but it's worth a visit if you're in the area. 

Tummy Trip in Europe: Salzburg's Apple Strudel and More

Part of the Original Sound of Music Tour  is going to  Mondsee, a lake side town one hour away from Salzburg.  If Salzburg is like one huge storybook given its charm and captivating beauty, Mondsee is sort of a mini-me, more quaint but not sleepy and deserving of a visit from Sound of Music fans all over the world.  The claim to fame of this town is the St. Michael Parish Church. St. Michael just happened to be the church used in the wedding scene of Maria and Captain Von Trapp.  We arrived an hour before lunch and the weather was picture perfect that day. Bright and sunny, too sunny in fact that I had to wear flip flops.

With a cheerful yellow facade, St. Michael is beautiful at the outside with two clock towers reaching for the heavens. Elegant without being imposing. No wonder this was the choice location for the movie. Once you step inside and see the splendid interior of the church, you can't help but be transported back to the movie and sing in your head " how do you solve a problem like Maria?"  Romantic and peaceful , we felt very grateful and blessed to be inside that church. Heading out, there are free bottles of holy water for the visitors, you simply donate if you want to for the upkeep of the church.

After St. Michael , it was time for lunch!!! Mondsee is dotted with quaint stores and restaurants. We picked the Italian ristorante across because it was near the cafe selling the best apple strudel . Sometimes, you have to be strategic with your food choices.  Apple strudel with ice cream or if you want, there's also a cheese strudel with ice cream. Drool!!!!

Surprisingly,  Ristorante Pizzeria Nudelini turned out to be an excellent choice because it served the best pizza we had for the entire trip. The runner up is in Bordeaux but I will make another entry for it. We sat at the second floor so we can get a charming view of the hustle and bustle outside and picked a table near the chef's corner so we can see how our food will be prepared.  The set up has that old world charm with a freshly cut rose in each table.

                                            

They have a wide selection of pizzas and pastas but decided to order a margherita pizza and spinach filled tortellini with creamy gorgonzola sauce for our pasta.  The Italian chef prepared the crust using a fresh dough and he topped it with the usual basil, tomatoes, olive oil before putting it inside the brick oven.

Voila!  The crust wasn't too thick or thin, it was perfect and everything tasted fresh. Best pizza for us. In fact, this pizza is my cover photo for blog header hehe.. I love their margherita pizza. I think a good way to judge an Italian restaurant is to order the simplest pizza of them all without the assorted toppings because you'll see how good they are with the crust and in bringing out the flavor using only fresh herbs and tomatoes for toppings.

                                                        best margherita pizza!!!!

The pasta was equally delicious. Spinach goodness inside the tortellini bite after bite coupled with the gorgonzola cheese sauce..wow..for a split second, I wanted to be left behind Mondsee and just take the next bus going back to Salzburg hahaha...

                                             spinach tortellini with gorgonzola and blue cheese

But we made haste , well I made haste as if a matter of life and death to go to the cafe serving the best strudel with vanilla ice cream.  I made it in time! I got the apple strudel with vanilla ice cream.

I had it to go because we had to leave for the next stop already.  The strudel was yummy. It wasn't too sweet, the apples were perfectly cooked and the crust was flaky but solid enough to hold the apples. And it was perfect with the home made vanilla ice cream.

It was a great stop over from the tour. I loved everything about Mondsee , the picturesque town , the shops , St. Michael and more importantly the food!!!!  I will surely remember Ristorante Pizzeria Nudelini for the best pizza and the oooh lala tortellini . And the cafe I can't recall the name  for the apple strudel with ice cream. These are just a few of my favorite things...

Thanks to Marco for all the great shots.

Wee Nam Kee

Out of curiosity, we tried Wee Nam Kee for the much celebrated chicken rice when it opened at the Ayala Triangle Garden last December. I'm not really big on the steamed chicken type since I'm biased with the crispy chicken skin ( hello cholesterol) but if I want to go the healthy route with chicken this is the best.

They say the waiting is long so we came in at 11:30 am. We really wanted the roast but no roast is available at that time so we got the steamed chicken rice set , broccoli and tofu for vegetables. The chicken is good, the meat cooked, tender and healthy (haha!). It was tasty even before dipping it in the usual soy ginger sauce and Wee Nam Kee serves it unlimited. Bottles of soy, ginger garlic and chili are provided per table so no need to request for any additional sauce. The chicken rice was okay, I could taste the broth (perhaps where the chicken was cooked along with the other spices) but it has a tendency to be a bit bland for me. And when eaten with the steamed chicken, why do I get the feeling of eating deconstructed arroz caldo? : ) Still, in spite of these comments, I ended up getting another cup of chicken rice.

Steamed Chicken Rice Set

Broccoli with Tofu











I loved the broccoli in this dish , the tofu I was expecting the soft Japanese silken type but I guess it would have collapsed so they used regular tofu instead. It was mildly flavored, low in sodium which I liked and best of all, they didn't scrimp on the broccoli. It was ok but something you can also order in a Chinese restaurant. On our next visit , I will try the roast chicken instead and see how it compares to Tao Yuan, so-called the best Hainanese Chicken in Manila.

Okonomiyaki at Kagura ( Little Tokyo)

Okonomiyaki is a Japanase pancake containing various ingredients like chopped cabbage, squid, shrimp, corn , dried bonito flakes and more. We tried the version of Kagura at Little Tokyo and so far its the best in the lot. This tiny place specializes in Okonomiyaki so don't expect to find sukiyaki here or other Japanese favorites but they do serve tempura also. We sat at the counter where you can see your order being prepared in front of you. There are two types of Okonomiyaki, the Osaka style, with the batter containing chopped cabbage , squid and other ingredients while the Hiroshima style contains yakisoba noodles as add on.

We got the Osaka style with shrimps and one order is good for two (but the glutton in us later on realized if you want to really have your fill of okonomiyaki, you can order the Hiroshima style as well and just bring home the extra slices - it was that yummy) . It was served piping hot, straight from the hotplate where it was cooked , topped with bonito flakes and Japanese mayo. It has the same texture of a Takoyaki ball so if you like Takoyaki go and have an Okonomiyaki. Soft, flavorful sauce that isn't too salty that bites the tongue , a cross between tonkatsu and teriyaki with enough shrimps and other goodies nestled inside the batter...Nomnomnom..Yummy! You can even order Japanese beer to go with your pancake or the fruit shakes/juices to wash it down.

More reasons to visit Little Tokyo aside from Kikufuji and Seryna.

Osaka style Okonomiyaki with Shrimp

Lorenzo's Way in Greenbelt 5

If you're a fan of the LJC group ( Cafe Adriatico, Ang Hang, Abe, Bistro Remedios among others) then you should try Lorenzo's Way in Greenbelt 5. This restaurant gathered all the signature or bestselling dishes from the LJC Restaurants into one comprehensive menu making it possible for you to enjoy the squid tactics of Anghang while having your beef salpicao from Cafe Havana.

It was a relaxing Saturday lunch and good thing we came in a little before 12 noon because all the tables inside are already reserved. God probably knew I'd be disappointed so He made sure there's one free table waiting for walk in diners like us..haha! The interior is very cozy and warm with the wood panel design accentuated by the ceiling lamps giving that flushed glow. You have to give it to the LJC group or to Larry Cruz himself for creating restaurants that showcase good food in a world class setting. For sure , we all enjoyed a meal or two at the original Cafe Adriatico in Malate , one of the local restaurants that I admire in terms of decor and ambience , given its turn of the century charm. But Cafe Adriatico is another story. Going back to Lorenzo's Way , we ordered the following, the Baked Cheesy Spinach and Banana Blossom Dip for appetizer, the binukadkad na pla-pla with buro and kangkong with lechon kawali for the main course with garlic rice.

Baked Cheesy Spinach and Banana Blossom P225

Super yummy not to mention healthy! A heavenly and creamy dish of spinach , banana blossom (puso ng saging) and mushrooms with melted cheese baked to perfection ... And I think I tasted a hint of roasted garlic also.. This is served with bread sticks, 8 pcs if I remember correctly but you will definitely order more because it's so good..

Binukadkad na Pla-Pla P385

This is ok, it was crispy, yes.. and it was served with buro ( fermented rice) but it had a bit of the fishy taste just a bit hmmm but it was huge! I think it serves 3 people ...but I still think Mesa's crispy tilapia with four sauces is better.

Kangkong Lechon

I'm into veggies and I love crispy pork so order I must this dish. The kangkong is great nothing really fancy, the lechon kawali could have been more tender but the skin is crispy enough. Please, I like my meat tender and falling off the bone so the same holds true for the lechon kawalis and crisy patas/knuckles/trotters of this world. The lechon kawali could use around 15 to 20 minutes more of boiling time ( I would know because I cook myself ) maybe the chef turned off the flame a bit earlier but it was still a pleasant dish overall..

It was a good lunch and no surprise that the place was packed with families , just like me , craving for old favorites given a new spin in this melting pot of a place that will surely serve a dish you can have your way.

Chef Dogan Turkish Grill

It's easy to find Chef Dogan if you're coming from Katipunan like me. Just cross the Katipunan fly over and at the right side , you will see Chef Dogan after Katips, Bite Club, Banapple and the Sbarro Corporate Office. The place is small but there's a second floor. We ordered the mix salad ( baba ganoush, hummus, motabal and potato salad) yarim izgara (grilled chicken) and beef kebab. I love the mix salad specially the baba ganoush and it came with the free pita bread but it was bitin! So better to order a solo order of baba ganoush for P100+. The grilled chicken had the right spice and everything nice and it was a half chicken so it's really good for two but if you have a huge appetite like me, its just good for one. The beef kebabs were delicious too and the yoghurt sauce wasn't overpowering though a bit watery for me. Chef Dogan himself is the one preparing the order so you're sure to get quality Turkish food for a very reasonable price.

Mix Salad

Grilled Chicken

Beef Kebab