HANGING OUT AT BACKYARD KITCHEN + BREW

I said I wasn't going to post anymore until 2015 but I just couldn't wait any longer to share with you my experience at one of the metro's newest restaurants..

      I'm going to say this the manliest way possible. I think Chef Edward Bugia is my (Soulmate) brother from another mother (Fistbump). I'm talking about the man behind Pino. The very same person who conceptualized The Burger Project. The man that brought Breakfast & Pies into our lives. Yeah, that dude.

     His dishes often seem as if it were culinarily (is that even a word?) engineered to exactly suit my taste buds. 

   

     However, Chef Ed's newest restaurant, Backyard Kitchen and Brew, is his take on the whole Farm to Table Concept, but at the same time, he shows us what it would be like to have a relaxed BBQ at his place. 

   Chef Ed Bugia whipping us some rustic, down home country dishes? 

    Count me in! 

HAVE YOURSELF A MERRY LITTLE CREMAS!

        Kitchens are getting extra busy this time of year. With only a few days before Christmas, people are getting creative in making yummy recipes that will make their noche buenas ever more memorable. I’m not a home cook, and the things I know how to cook can be counted using just one hand. But the purveyors during the MERRY CREMAS FESTIVAL event really showed off their mad skills in whipping up something special, creatively using non-other than ALASKA CREMA

PHIL'S BBQ SAN DIEGO: CHECK ONE OFF MY MVF BUCKET LIST!

      The very first thing I did when I booked a flight to the United States earlier this year, was go through my (complete, mind you) collection of Man V. Food episodes, and watch the ones that featured the cities I knew I would be visiting. 

     

    On top of that list was Phil's BBQ in San Diego. We were staying in Laguna Niguel, which is roughly around two hours away from San Diego, and by happenstance, it is also where my niece Cara lives (The reason why we were in the United States in the first place). 

    And as if I needed a second opinion, when I asked my friend Dani (Who I happened to meet through my blog and is a former resident of San Diego), for suggestions on nice places to eat in San Diego, she elicited a high pitch screech which eerily sounded like, "Phil's" (But in actuality sounded more like,"OHMYGAWDDDPHIIIIILLLSSS!!".

   

NEST MODERN TABLE & BAR: SOARING THROUGH BGC!

           Since my very first meal in URBN Kitchen & Bar, I knew that their Executive Chef, Benjo Tuason was the real deal. More than anything, it's his versatility that impresses me most. One minute he's delving into oriental dishes, the next thing you know he's whipping up a European delicacy. The next, he's schooling you in classic Pinoy dishes.

            The man simply refuses to keep his culinary talents in a box, and is unafraid to explore flavors and dishes from around the world. When Rina and I were graciously invited to Chef Benjo's newest baby, Nest Modern Table and Bar, I knew we were in for yet another mouth watering evening of food and fun!   

MY FIRST TIME IN 2ND'S! (AND THIRDS. AND FOURTHS. AND FIFTHS.)

       As a blogger that has been at it since 2010, I am quite ashamed to admit that I had never had a full meal at the popular restaurant, "2nd's". I can't give you a valid explanation why, but my schedule has usually been the culprit.

      2nd's burst into Manila dining scene in 2011, with an eclectic menu that features unique takes on some of your favorite "Comfort food", including their version of Bacon that helped put them on the map. 

     As teary Renee Zelwegger told Jerry Maguire, "You had me at bacon.." (At least in MY version that's what she said). 

CLAWDADDY'S & NEW ORLEANS WITH TAGGO!

       I really love American food, but I'm not too big on Seafood. This is the dilemma I face, every time I think about eating at Clawdaddy's. I've heard that the food is delicious, but fish is the only seafood that truly appeals to me, so I was always concerned that I wouldn't get my money's worth. 

    All that changed when I visited Clawdaddy's last week, and learned how to avail of a discount, using "Taggo"!

FARMACY ICE CREAM & SODA FOUNTAIN: THE PRESCRIPTION FOR ICE CREAM AWESOMENESS!

          I've always found the concept of a "Drugstore" an intriguing piece of classic Americana. Let's face it, to us Filipinos, the first thing that comes to our mind when we think of a "drug store" is Mercury, right? Well, back in the late 1800's to the early 1900's, a Drugstore was more associated with Soda Fountains than an actual Pharmacy. I'm a assuming the mixing of the chemicals and syrups to make your carbonated soda was once thought to be best left in the hands of the Pharmacist, who in turn employs a "Soda Jerk" to take care of your drinking needs. The Drugstore pretty much involved into an ice cream parlor as well, and became a very popular hangout, especially for the teen crowd.  

        A new restaurant in Bonifacio Global City opened recently, that gives us Pinoys a glimpse of what it may have been like to enjoy a nice Chocolate Fudge Sundae under the summer sun back in the day. 

       One lovely Sunday afternoon, Rina and I took Baby Rain to Farmacy Ice Cream and Soda Fountain, to experience the vibe of an old school Ice Cream parlor, but it turns out it was us who ended up feeling like kids again! 

TONY ROMA'S: JOIN THE RIBVOLUTION!

             I must admit, it's been years since I've been to Tony Roma's.  The first time I went was in the late 90's, when I visited the beautiful island of Hawaii with my cousin Raffy, and he made sure Tony Roma's was one of our first stops. He wasn't just raving about the ribs, but the Onion Loaf as well, which featured the wonderful sweetness of the Maui Onion. 

        The last time I went was in 2010, for the Second year Wedding Anniversary of Rina and I, and I hadn't started my blog yet, so our photos were only courtesy of Rina's iPhone 3.  

       The quality of Tony Roma's food, particularly their ribs, has been known throughout the world for its excellence. Let's face it, you don't open roughly 260 restaurants in 27 countries because you suck, right? 

     The knock on Tony Roma's, however, seems to be the price range. Though it is admittedly on the pricier side, the restaurant Famous for their ribs has developed a special promotion that will open people's eyes and join Tony Roma's Ribvolution! 

KRISPY KREME MAKES MAGIC HAPPEN THIS CHRISTMAS!

           Christmas came early at the Pickiest Eater household! Just the other day, the doorbell rang, and much to our surprise (and delight), was two boxes of Donuts from Krispy Kreme! 

     What was in it? Krispy Kreme's Holiday Donut series that will surely make Magic Happen! 

A DREAM COME TRUE: GORDON RAMSAY BURGR IN LAS VEGAS

          Before you go any further, please let me apologize for the quality of the pictures, which is nowhere near the level of previous entries in my blog. During my trip to the states, I left the DSLR camera back home, and relied solely on my iPad, which I've come to regret, but at the time it was the smarter move.

         Nonetheless, enjoy the first entry from my trip to the United States, earlier this year. 

          I don't know if I mentioned it before, but I am a fan of Chef Gordon Ramsay. In fact, One of the greatest moments of my blogging career was this:

A photo posted by RichieZ (@pickiesteater) on Apr 4, 2013 at 3:54am PDT

      Yup, Chef Gordon Ramsay followed me on Twitter. He has probably unfollowed me by now, but you can imagine how excited I was when I saw this! 

   He followed me after I tweeted him, "If I ever go to Las Vegas, I'm going straight to Gordon Ramsay BurGR". 

   Well, last June, I went to Las Vegas, so it was time to put up. We got a great deal for rooms in Planet Hollywood, so I had no excuse. Even though I'm fairly certain Chef Ramsay forgot about my tweet by now, I believed I had a promise to fulfill. 

   Finally something to to check off my bucket list.. dining in a restaurant of Gordon Ramsay.

HE'S BACK! TOM SAWYER'S FRIED CHICKEN IN TIENDESITAS!

       As a child studying in O.B. Montessori during the mid-80s, trips to Greenhills were quite frequent. We would usually stop by McDonalds for lunch, just before my 11am class. The lure of course was the happy meal and the toys that it came with. There was one instance though that I recall being extremely disappointed because we arrived a little later than usual, and the place was packed. Since we couldn't get seats, my Yaya decided that it would be best to take us somewhere else for lunch, rather than risk us being late because we were waiting for a table at McDonald's.

      You must remember that I was only a few years removed from living in the United States, so places nearby such as Goodah had absolutely no appeal to me. Thankfully, my Yaya (believe me.. If there's anyone who knows how Picky I am, it's her) spotted a restaurant that she knew would be to the approval of my finicky taste buds.

     And that was the first time I had tried Tom Sawyer's Fried Chicken.

   Events in my life unfolded, leading me to move to Cebu, where I lived until I graduated High School. As I returned back to Manila years later, the name "Tom Sawyers" was only spoken of in sentences that usually began with the words, "Whatever happened to...?".

  Enter 2014. 

  Guess what folks? He's Back! 

   You read that right.. Tom Sawyer's Old Fashioned Krispy Fried Chicken is back in the metro! 

KESSAKU'S AWESOME BUY 1 TAKE 1 PROMO

        We went back to Kessaku Alabang the second time around and guess what? They have an awesome deals on their sushi every Tuesdays. It's the BUY 1 TAKE ONE on ANY sushi!!!! How great is that?!?! It's certainly another good reason to visit Kessaku in Alabang on Tuesdays (besides being hungry and craving for good Japanese food)

VILLAGE TAVERN: TEX-MEX MENU & MORE!

         I've been back to Village Tavern quite a few times since that very first Epic Meal I enjoyed there when it first opened a couple of years ago. Since that first meal, Chef Josh Boutwood has continued to innovate his menu, consistently coming up with new dishes that  keeps his customers coming back for more. 

      Chef Josh's newest menu concepts were inspired by the Southwestern fare, and he managed to give it his trademark spin that makes Village Tavern's dishes so memorable!

MCDONALD'S COKE GLASS COLLECTION 2014

        It's been ongoing for 7 years, and this year, it's back! In stylish and classy patterns which will make you want to collect all! Thank you McDonald's for our complete set!!!

It's the 2014 Coca-Cola Modern Glass Collection!

BACK AT MESCLUN: THE JAPANESE A5 WAGYU SIRLOIN STEAK

        I first went to Mesclun last year, and was very much impressed with the dishes that Chef Katrina Alcantara has whipped up. After starting at the Linden Suites, Mesclun expanded to Serendra (which was the branch I visited), and now, their newest branch at Eastwood. 

       Last week, I was invited to try their newest items of their menu.. 

      I was really looking forward to what Chef Katrina had up her sleeves this time, but deep down, I honestly had no idea how she could top her earlier dishes.

       Then she brought out a Japanese A5 Wagyu Sirloin Steak.

NATIVE LONGGANISA FEVER AT MONTEREY MEATSHOP

        Longganisa has been a sausage dish that has been popular in a lot of Spanish countries and the Philippines. And it’s hard not to like it. Especially to meat lovers like Richie. Compared to processed sausages, longganisas have chunkier and tastier meat. This often means the fat are chunkier too. Just the way Richie likes it hehehe.

        I grew up liking Longganisang Ilocos because my family’s province is in Bangued, Abra. I am only able to try it whenever we visit our grandmother in the province, when we are able to schedule a vacation. Which is a shame because it’s really good. Very savory, this one’s not sweet at all but really tastes good especially with vinegar! But anyway, because longganisa is so popular in the Philippines that there are a lot of other different variants of longganisa in the Philippines that I haven’t tasted yet. Until today! Thanks to Monterey Meatshop, some of these regional homemade and authentic longganisas can now be bought here in Manila at affordable prices!

        Monterey Meatshop now produces authentic longganisas including Longganisang Alaminos, Longganisang Lucban, and Longganisang Davao.

IT'S SWISS WEEK AT EDSA SHANGRI-LA!

          Chocolates, Cheese, Watches, Army Knives and Banks. Those are the very first things that come to my mind when I think about anything "Swiss". Sadly, I am left at a loss when I try to think of any sort of food (aside from Chocolate and Cheese of course) that comes from the great country of Switzerland. 

        Thankfully, Swiss Week is happening at Edsa Shangri-la Hotel this week, so I got a little teaser of what to expect!

THE MCGRIDDLES ARE NOW IN THE PHILIPPINES!

          I still remember the morning after I arrived at the United States. I had a whole slew of restaurants that I intended to invade, and I couldn't wait to make my way through that list. A lot of those places were restaurants I found in Man V. Food and other food shows I'm obsessed with but, but for some reason, the first thing I wanted to try was a McGriddle from McDonald's. 

       Thankfully there was a McDonald's 5 minutes away from my Uncle's place where we were staying at Laguna Niguel, in Southern California, so my brother and I made the quick drive, first thing the following morning of our arrival. 

      What makes the McGriddle rather unique is the way the "Griddle Cakes"- which serve as the sandwich buns-, have the maple syrup baked into it, giving the cake a tinge of sweetness that goes well with whatever savory filling you choose. 

      I really enjoyed the McGriddle, and I must have gone back for one at least four or five other times during my 5 weeks in the United States. My mentality was to enjoy it as much as I can, because I highly doubted that the McGriddle would ever be available in the Philippines anytime soon. 

      I was wrong. 

      I'm proud to announce that the McGriddle is now available for breakfast at selected outlets here in the Philippines! 

MARRIOTT TREE LIGHTING CEREMONY 2014

        I'm still coming to terms with the fact that we only have a little over a month until Christmas! 2014 has been one of the best years of my life, and my wife and daughter played a huge part in making that happen. That's why we intend to make the most of the holiday season as a family, giving thanks to God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon us. 

       Since shes three years old already, we wanted to make sure that Rain understood the facets that make Christmas such a wonderful time, especially for Children. Last year, she still didn't have an understanding of who Santa Claus was. For all she knew, he was just a fat guy in a red suit. 

        This year, our first step to getting Rain into the Holiday Spirit was to take her to Marriott Hotel's Tree Lighting Ceremony! 

PORK + RAMEN LOVE AT BUTAMARU

        On the rare occasions that I find myself at the South, I can't help but be on the look out for some great places to eat. During my short weekend food trip down south a couple of weeks back, My buddy Richard of Tales From the Tummy, invited me to try yet another Ramen place that has sprouted, this time located at Westgate, Alabang. 

     Being the certified carnivore that I am, I was actually hoping for more of a meat based restaurant, instead of a bowl of hot noodle soup. I told Richard about my apprehensions. 

       "I'm not sure I'm in the mood for Ramen. I'm looking for pork-", I said.

      "The name of the restaurant is 'Butamaru'", Richard interrupted. "'Buta' is Japanese for "Pig". The dishes are Pork based.", he replied.

      "So, what time do we meet?"

THE GREAT STEAKHOUSE: HOUSE OF WAGYU

           Like the majority of people around the world, I enjoy a good steak. But I must admit, I am not a Steak snob. I only have two simple rules when eating steak. The first being, that the said piece of meat must contain fat. The more the merrier. It just makes the meat juicer for me. I don't know the science of it, but the bottom line is, I like my steak with a lot of fat. 

        The second rule, is that my steak shouldn't be tough. A steak that lacks of fat would be forgivable, for as long as its meat is tender enough, so i'm not picking off meat bits from in between my teeth afterwards.

       So my entire life, I've gone around with those two simple rules for eating steak.. I need fat, and it needs to be tender. 

       As it turns out, everything I knew about steak was wrong.  

      So I was about to get an education in the subject of steak at where else? 

      The House of Wagyu.

A SOOTHING TREATMENT AT NUAT THAI BANAWE

        Richie is a sucker for massages. Every time we come home from wherever, somehow he always says "I think I'll get a massage". We may have tried all the home-service massage service near our area. He often complains that he can't find a masseuse that can get the right pressure that he looks for in a massage. 

         Just recently, a trip to Nuat Thai in Banawe changed all that.  I'd like to share with you our very first Nuat Thai experience!

BAMBA: SHAKING UP DINING AT THE SOUTH!

      Much to the protest of my sister, I rarely ever visit the South. I have heard of some of the wonderful places to eat at there, but with the exception of Mama Lou's, I had yet to schedule our long-planned-but-can-never-seem-to-push-through Food Crawl of some of the best restaurants in BF Homes. 

      A few weeks ago, Rina and I decided to use a voucher for Bellevue Hotel Alabang that we purchased earlier in the year. Baby Rain had a Halloween party to attend at Bellevue as well, so the timing was perfect. My buddy Tales From the Tummy also had a GC for a stay at Crimson Hotel, so we decided to make it a Food Trip Weekend down at the South! 

    As soon as our bookings were confirmed, we contacted the Queen of the South, Sugar & Spice herself, Jane Go, to let her know that we would be entering her kingdom. The next thing I know, (Before Richard and I could even plan anything) Jane had reservations for us at one of her favorite restaurants in BF.  

    In fact, it was the restaurant that I had been most eager to try.. Bamba! 

IL PONTICELLO: BRINGING SEXY BACK

      I don't know if you know this, but I used to work in a Post Production House in Makati. I started at around 2007 or so, and our biggest clientele came from advertising. Whenever there was some sort of event or function.. Or if you wanted to take a client out, one of the go-to places to do so was Il Ponticello. 

    Truthfully, I know the place is an institution, but I don't have any fond memories there.. Well. Let me correct that - I have no memories of the place whatsoever. I know they served Italian cuisine classics, but I never tried any of the dishes, because I thought it was more of a bar than a restaurant.. and I don't drink, so all my visits were always very brief.  

    Cut to 2014. Il Ponticello is back, and it's better than ever. With a jazzed up Modern Italian Menu that will definitely captivate your taste buds, It was time for me to make up for lost time and discover what made Il Ponticello the iconic hot spot that it is.

THE AMAZING FLAVORS OF KOREA AT YOREE KOREAN BBQ

          You know, I went to Korea early this year, and I had a wonderful time. It's truly a beautiful country that I would love to visit again in a heartbeat. But perhaps it was the places that we had gone to, but food-wise, none of the restaurants we went to really blew me away. In fact, you may have noticed, I haven't seen anything about it on my blog yet, and I'm actually thinking I might not bother writing it at all. 

      Not because I didn't enjoy the food there.. But because I think restaurant owners have done a great job of raising the standards of quality of the Korean food in their establishments here in the Philippines.  

     One such restaurant is one that you may not have heard of just yet, but believe me, once you try their excellent Korean food, you will inevitably be back over and over again. I'm speaking from experience because I've been back twice since. 

     Remember the name, folks.. Yoree Korean BBQ Dining. 

PEPPER LUNCH LAMB SPECIALS

          I have made no secret for my love of Pepper Lunch. I am also very vocal on how much I love lamb dishes. 

       So what happens when you combine my favorite gamey meat and The Original Japanese D.I.Y. Teppan Restaurant? 

      Pepper Lunch's Premium Lamb Steak dishes, of course! 

        Available for a limited time only, starting November 1! 

THE BIG FUN EVENT AT JOLLITOWN!

        Jollitown Big Fun Event happened last Saturday at the SMX Convention Center wherein Jollibee created a cool place where Jollibee Kids Club members can have loads of fun in different booths for one whole day! 

MOTORINO PIZZA: FROM NEW YORK TO MANILA

       I am proud to say that I was able to check off experiencing Authentic New York Style Pizza from my bucket list during my visit to New York in 2012. Since then, we have tried numerous pizza specialist in the metro, all very good in their own right. 

    

       But there was one New York Style Pizza place in particular that opened its doors earlier this year, that I can safely say, was the closest to bringing me back to the Big Apple, and allowed me to relive my short fling with their world famous pizza... Motorino's Pizzeria Neopolitana.

FOUR SIMPLE REASONS WHY I USE UBER & WHY THE LTFRB CAN GO SUCK IT

         "*Grumble*.. uh.. He-.. Hello?", the groggy voice on the other line said. I knew my wife was already sleeping, yet I couldn't resist. "Meet me at the front of the house in five minutes", I said. "Oh, and don't forget to bring the camera". 

     As I arrived, the shock on Rina's face was evident. She was clearly wondering which Celebrity or politician pulled up to her gate. Much to her surprise, it was little old me.

     That was my very first Uber Ride last March. I haven't taken a regular taxi since.  

         Like everyone else (not connected to any Taxi operation or The Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board, of course) I am infuriated by the LTFRB's "Crackdown" on the app, UBER, and its contemporaries. I honestly don't know the legal mumbo jumbo that the LTFRB is spewing out in trying to justify its stand on treating this service - which by the way has helped hundreds get a ride in the traffic congested metro- like a crime, similar to drug dealing. 

       To go out of their way and do a "Sting Operation" just to "Bust" the driver, which resulted in a P200,000 fine for the operator and a 3 month impound? Was that really a smart way to spend tax payers money? 

      I'm baffled why the LTFRB is going out of their way to STOP a service that is clearly helping people, and is preferred by a good number of the public. 

      I think LTFRB Executive Director Roberto Cabrera III needs to stand out on the street and try to hail a cab more often during rush hour so he'll know what it feels like to be a stranded commuter. 

UBER

     If you don't know what Uber is, it's a smartphone App in which will find you an available vehicle nearest you from its fleet. Once an available driver is alerted to your location, you will be given an estimate on the time they will arrive at your pick up point, even giving you the description of the car, and the contact details of the driver (including a photo for ID Purposes!).

       Everyone I know that has tried this app, has nothing but good words to say about it. If you haven't tried it yet, I highly recommend you do. Here are some reasons why I love UBER.

WHO IS MR. COCHINILLO?

        I have a thing for pork. I think I've made that clear in my four plus years as a blogger. Regardless of it's shape or form, Pork is something that simply works for me and my taste buds. 

       So imagine how I felt when I was invited to sample a couple of slow cooked roasted suckling pigs fresh out of the oven, at the home of a man that is taking the classic Cuchinillo to the next level.. Then not being able to go.

          After missing the first event that left me no choice but to stare helplessly (not to mention enviously) at my friend's instagram pictures, I was determined to not let the next opportunity slip away.

      

        A couple of days later, Nina, the event organizer, sent a message me, Spanky and Yedy.. The three bloggers that were absent that evening, inviting us to set a new schedule.

      "Come hungry.",  her E-vite reminded, to which I replied, "Have no fear, "Hungry" is my default setting". 

         By day, he is Tinee De Guzman, the mild mannered food photographer.

         But by night, he takes up the mantle of "Mr. Cochinillo", the newest name in delicious slow roasted, suckling pigs. 

MUNCHTOWN'S LINE UP OF PIZZAS!

        If you ever plan to watch a movie and pig out at the same time, may I suggest you watch at Greenhills Promenade? So you can also order your movie food from Munchtown! The fun thing about Munchtown is their extensive menu. You may have already seen our post about all those Munchtown hotdogs. If you have then you'll already know what I mean.

        And the fact that we're doing another post about Munchtown only means one thing... There's more food we'd like to share with you!  This time, it's all about PIZZA!!!

        Munchtown's Pizza is not your usual commercialized round pizza. It's got a more rustic oval-like shape that's 8 inches with 6 square slices. You can say it looks homemade! We got to try all 6 flavors.

OH NO THEY DIDN'T! OSAKA OHSHO'S BACON GYOZA AND OTHER NEW DISHES!

       When I first visited Osaka Ohsho, I was expected to be blown away by what they claimed to be "The World's #1 Gyoza". No doubt about it, it was very excellent Gyoza - definitely among the best I've ever had-, but to me, it wasn't really mind blowing. I realized the problem wasn't in their version of Gyoza.. It was Gyoza itself. I mean, as much as I enjoy Gyoza, how exactly do you elevate ground meat and cabbage in a pan fried wrapper, to the next level?

      Rina joked, "I'm sure you'd say it was "Mind-Blowing" if it had bacon in it, right?". I smiled back at her and winked, "Right". 

     I don't know if someone from Osaka Ohsho was listening, but months later, Osaka Ohsho has gone and done it. They made a Bacon Gyoza. Call me biased, but now, I'm on board. 

     To me, THIS truly is the World's Number 1 Gyoza. 

SOMETHING NIU AND EXCITING: NIU BY VIKINGS!

        NIU. Pronounced Nee-uh. It means 9 in Viking language which is a significant number in Norse mythology. But aside from all these facts, what I can say is that NIU by Vikings, is probably one of the classiest non-hotel buffets I have been to!

MCDONALD'S MCRIB IS NOW IN THE PHILIPPINES!

             Everyone knows that I'm a burger fanatic, right? And I never hid the fact that I'm a big fan of McDonald's. Back in 1998, I was in a trip with my cousins, and we did a tour of United States. During one of our stopovers, I was so famished that I decided to grab something from the nearest McDonald's to tide me over till dinner time. It was then that I tried the somewhat mythical "McRib". 

       I say "Mythical" because it never stays in the menu for very long. Much like a Unicorn, everyone talks about how beautiful and wonderful it is, but no one can actually seem to grab a hold of it. I recall going back to McDonald's a few days later and to much my utter disappointment, discovering that it was gone. I swore to my cousins that I was with that it was true. 

       Whenever we would talk about the McRib, I would drift off, and tell a tale of love found, and then lost in a one fleeting moment. I asked myself, when would I be able to hold that delectable sandwich in my hands again.. Maybe it was never meant to be.. Or maybe it was just a dream. 

    Well it's time to wake up and smell the BBQ Sauce! 

       I'm writing to you with tears in my eyes, and I am proud to announce that the McRib is finally available in the Philippines!!!!

COME TOGETHER: SALO AT THE FORT STRIP!

          A couple of years ago, the sister company of the company I was then working for opened a new office at The Fort Strip. The office itself was quite stunning, and my friends from there were excited for the move. However, the common problem they all had was where to eat. 

      Don't get me wrong.. The Fort Strip has numerous choices to dine at, and most of them offer some very delicious fare. Early Bird Breakfast Club is one suggestion that comes to mind. Burger Avenue is another. Racks is also another good choice. I joked to my boss that I would like to apply for a transfer, with the restaurants nearby as the sole basis. But the problem is, as tasty as the choices undoubtedly are, you can imagine that eating in restaurants around The Fort Strip would eventually take its toll on one's wallet.

   Thankfully, earlier this year, a new restaurant opened that not offers not only comforting Filipino classics at great prices. I was excited to check out what my friends had been raving about when I visited Salo!

   

UPDATED: BABY RAIN'S BDAY GIVEAWAY: KING CHEF DIMSUM KITCHEN!

        If you're ever in the vicinity of Banawe in Quezon City and you're craving for some good and affordable dim sum in a bright and very presentable place, King Chef Seafood Restaurant would be your best bet. We recently went there with a couple of our other blogger friends to try their long list of over a hundred type of dimsums!  

        And the best part is, they have Morning, Afternoon, and Late Night Tea Time where they offer a huge discounted price on their dimsum! 

MAGNIFICO! LINGUINI FINI AT SM MEGAMALL

                When I was young, whenever people would ask me what my favorite food was, I was quick to answer, "Italian". Funnily enough, my claim was largely influenced by my favorite cartoon character, "Garfield", and his love for Lasagna. Truth be told, the only three Italian dishes I knew were Spaghetti, Pizza and Lasagna. I had yet to understand the gastronomic wonders of a creamy Risotto. Never had I experienced that immeasurable joy you get in every bite of crispy Porchetta.    

           As I got older and my aversion to tomato based dishes became stronger, I slowly strayed away from my "first love". Lasagna would be something I would have during family dinners, and I pretty much considered Pizza and Spaghetti as American fare than Italian. 

          It took a stroll down to Linguini Fini, the newly opened restaurant at SM Mega Fashion Hall to reawaken my senses to the awesomeness that is Italian cuisine. 

          And you know what they say.. First love never dies.

          

          Especially when it's covered in cheese.

STAYCATION SERIES: OAKWOOD PREMIER JOY-NOSTALG CENTER MANILA

         It was in 2013 that I declared that The Pickiest Eater blog would be expanding, and would now be featuring hotels around the country, including those located within the metro. Since then, I have had the good fortune of experiencing the accommodations and services of some of the finest establishments the Philippines has to offer.  

       With all the negativity you hear about our country, its always nice to see how we have hotel chains situated here that we can be proud of, especially with tourists. It's probably a given that their airport experience will not be all that pleasant, but at the very least, once they've checked in to their hotel, it's comforting to know that they will get the genuine, welcoming warmth that the Philippines is known for. 

       This year, I have been fortunate enough to travel to three different countries - Korea, Hong Kong, and The United States. All beautiful countries, no doubt, but when it comes to hospitality, there's nothing like the genuine warmth of the Filipino. 

      Which is why I always enjoy staying in different hotels, whether it's for a vacation or a "Staycation".

       Recently, Rina and I went on a Staycation at a hotel located at the bustling Ortigas Business District. I honestly wasn't really expecting much from Oakwood Premier Joy-Nostalg Center Manila. Truth be told, I didn't even know Oakwood had moved to Ortigas til Rina went there earlier this year. 

      Well, I was in for a rude awakening because I discovered that Oakwood is actually one of the finest hotels in the metro. 

THE 76TH OKTOBERFEST AT SOFITEL PHILIPPINE PLAZA!

        It seems like only yesterday when Richie and I cheered and celebrated this famous worldwide beer festival with a big mug of...iced tea. (True story. What can we do? We're not really beer drinkers. But that doesn't mean we can't join the fun, right? Hehehe)

And just like that, it's Oktoberfest once again!


        And if you're looking to celebrate an authentic German beer festival here in the Metro, head on to Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila on October 17-18 and join the German Club Manila as they cerebrate the 76th Oktoberfest! Party with the world famous original Hofbräuhaus band from Munich! And yodel along with Lizzie, an internationally acclaimed female yodeller! (Yodelehi--hooooo!)