SM NORTH EDSA EATS: DOHTONBORI

             In the rare times that I find myself at SM North Edsa, I'm always on the look out for new restaurants that I can try. Yet there was one time I dropped by the Super Mall in the North, and found ourselves once again in a familiar restaurant, unable to resist the lure of their delicious food, particularly their Okonomiyaki.  

             Yes, I found myself at Dohtonbori once again. And I regret NOTHING. 

SM NORTH EDSA EATS: KING CHEF DIMSUM KITCHEN

Phantasm Darkstar, Bettina Bacani, and the Eatsplorations Family!

            One of the local restaurant chains that I enjoy watching grow is King Chef. Easily one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants, I've visited King Chef Dimsum Kitchen at Banawe and King Chef Seafood Restaurant at Lucky China Town, and both visits left me awestruck. I've tried visiting the branch at SM North Edsa before, however the line was too long and my tummy was grumbling a bit too loudly, it was starting to scare the children in the mall, so I had to eat somewhere else instead. 

         Thankfully I was able to schedule a visit to King Chef with my blogger buddies! We made sure to be there as soon as they opened just to make sure we get great seats!

THE GAME IS ON AT SIAM THAI BBQ & SPORTS BAR!

    When you think of going out to a sports bar to watch a big game or fight, you normally think of food such as Chicken Wings, Fries, Nuts, and Nachos as your typical Bar Chow. However, There's a Sports Bar in Pasig that offers you a comfortable place to enjoy your favorite games, while feasting on some delicious Thai BBQ and other favorites... Siam Thai Sports Bar and Restaurant!

      

INDUSTRIE FOOD LOFT: OPSTERS

        I think 2017 was the year that the Food Park concept really took the metro by storm. Dropping by a food park makes me feel like im in Disneyland or something to that effect, but my problem is, living in the Philippines, we usually have to deal with the heat. Which is sort of why I tend to prefer the Food Hall concept more than the park. 

         The difference, you ask? AIR CON. 

       It may sounds like a small difference, but believe you me, its often a deal breaker for me when deciding where to eat.  

       Which is why I was excited when I heard about Industrie Food Loft. With a whole bunch of exciting gastronomic purveyors, housed under one air-conditioned roof? Count me in!

        And the best part? It's located in Ortigas, which is located near me!

Here's a quick review of some stalls I was able to try during my first visit to Industrie Food Loft.

ALL IN THE FAMRY AT HOLE IN THE WALL

        Those are the exact words I used to describe myself on my Tinder Profile. 

          Last 2016, I flew to Taiwan for a food trip of epic proportions. Since that life changing journey, I've been looking for places here in the Philippines that can offer me a taste of the food I enjoyed in Taiwan. One such discovery is Famry, the newest stall at Hole In The Wall Food Hall at Century City! 

AN ITALIAN FEAST AT MAMMA MIA, UPTOWN PLACE MALL

           I really enjoy Italian food, so I'm always excited to try new Italian restaurants. Being hyper-acidic, I give plus points to establishments that can come up with dishes that doesn't use tomatoes. I don't know what it was about Mamma Mia, but they seemed to know my plight, so we were served some of their best sellers that didn't use tomatoes, and every thing he had were EXCELLENT! 

STARTING THE NEW YEAR AT F1 HOTEL MANILA WITH THE KTG!

         For the past few years, My blogger family known as The KTG has celebrated our Christmas Party at F1 Hotel at Bonifacio Global City. This is only fitting because it pretty much was the place where our Blogger Collective was born, and we now consider it the Home of The KTG.  For the past few years though, we decided to avoid the December rush and instead, celebrate it during the first week of January.. Which coincidentally happens to be the week of two major events for me, namely my Wedding Anniversary, and my Birthday, making the Party at F1 Hotel extra special! 

        During The KTG's 2018 Holiday Party, not only did we usher in the new year with a bang, we also welcomed Chef Chubby Timban to the F1 Family, as their new Executive Chef!

EAST MEETS WEST AT PING PONG DIPLOMACY

         The moment I heard that the restaurant "Ping Pong Diplomacy" would be opening up in SM Aura Premier, I was ecstatic for two simple reasons:

                            #1 I'm a huge fan of Chinese food

                                                       &

                            #2 I'm a huge fan of Chef Him Uy De Baron. 

         I've tried Chef Him's take on Japanese Ramen and Korean Bibimbaps, and both times he blew me away. I had an eerie feeling that his take on Chinese-American fusion food would be no different.. And BOY was I right. 

FROM CALI TO MANILA: GEN KOREAN BBQ HOUSE

  The last time I was in the US was back in 2014. Even though it was a little over three years ago, there was a place that I had eaten there that I really enjoyed and never forgot. I was amazed because, even though we were in the United States, it was probably one of the best Korean Restaurants that I had ever tried, and I couldn't help but wish that they would open up a branch in the Philippines someday. 

          Last August, that wish came true, when Gen Korea BBQ opened it's doors to the Philippines at the Mall of Asia Complex. 

CHIBO OKONOMIYAKI AT S MAISON CONRAD HOTEL

       Japan sure has a way of coming up with food trends that we Filipinos seem to love. From Katsu, Ramen, Soba,Tempura, Teppanyaki and so much more, the demand for these incredible Japanese dishes have become so strong, that stand alone restaurants featuring them have been thriving. The next dish that seems to be catching fire is Okonomiyaki, with more and more restaurants setting up in the Philippines, giving us Pinoys a closer look at the delicious Japanese delicacy. 

      One such restaurant is Chibo Okonomiyaki, which opened earlier this year at S Maison Mall at Conrad Hotel. 

BOUTIQUE BURGER KITCHEN: A BURGER HAVEN AT THE FORT STRIP

       Chef Carlo Miguel shook the Burger game to it's core when he opened his brainchild, Boutique Burger Kitchen early last year. Being the Burger aficionado that I pride myself in being, I immediately added it to my list of burgers to try. 

       And I was happy to discover an array of burgers so amazing, it easily vaulted itself to the elite status of burgers in my book. 

IBIZA BEACH CLUB AT BONIFACIO GLOBAL CITY

           I still remember my 15 Course Balearic Grilled dinner at Ibiza Beach Club in Movenpick Cebu being among the most epic I've ever had in my lifetime. It was always the highlight of my trip whenever I would visit my former hometown. 

       Can you imagine my elation when Ibiza Beach Club finally open a branch here in Manila, bringing with it the fantastic festival of meats that their Balearic Grill has been known for? 

     Check out my latest VLOG about my long awaited visit to Ibiza Beach Club in BGC! 

10 RONIN WILL RISE AGAIN

            When I began the blog, my intention was to be able to visit the smaller restaurants that needed help with marketing. Social Media was pretty new at the time, so anything you could get on the internet had a chance of being a big help to small businesses. As much as it worked out that way, I also had the good fortune of becoming friendly with the larger establishments, such as international hotel and restaurant chains.  

             As much as I appreciate being in the good graces of these industry Titans, I do make it a point to make sure I never overlook the small hidden gems of the hospitality industry that doesn't have the marketing machinery to keep up with the big boys. 

        One such gem I discovered was 10 Ronin, a Filipino Japanese Fusion restaurant located at the outskirts of Makati.  

RELAXATION AT MARINA BAY SPA & LIFESTYLE CLUB

            As a fan of massages and anything to do with relaxation, I was incredibly excited to hear that Marina Bay Spa and Lifestyle Club would be opening. Although it's a little far from where I live, hearing about their luxurious facilities and relaxing amenities assured me that this would be worth the trip! 

POUND BY TODD ENGLISH: MEGA FASHION HALL

         Since opening his Food Hall at SM AURA in 2014, the Todd English brand has continued to spread around Metro Manila. Given that the Burgers of Todd English Food Hall was the breakout items on their menu, it made sense that they would spin off "Pound By Todd English", which specializes in Burgers done by the celebrity chef himself.  

        Pound first opened at Bonifacio High Street, and was a major hit. Since then, they've opened two more branches, One in SM Mega Fashion Hall, and another in Robinson's Place Manila. Since Mega Mall is just a 10 minute walk from my office (Some do it in five.. I have short legs), I was able to drop by with the KTG to get a taste of these world class, and truly amazing burgers.