X Marks The Spot

Nothing beats chocolate for a wonderful dessert. Whether it's chocolate cake, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate milkshake, nobody would say that they made the wrong decision in choosing their dessert. In fact, not only can chocolate be a delectable dessert, it can also be healthy. It has been proven (Well, just because we love food doesn't mean we don't do some research hahaha) that dark or bitter chocolate is rich in antioxidants that can fight certain types of diseases. Chocolate also contains phenylethylamine, an organic compound that can stimulate our brain to produce serotonin, a mood-enhancing chemical. Some of us might not understand those terms, but the bottomline is chocolate is healthy (just make sure that it's dark or bitter, since milk chocolate has added sugar in it). So, sometimes it's better to give in to our chocolate desires. In fact, where else to give in to this desire than this food place at Katipunan.

The place might not look like a restaurant, but Xocolat offers delicious and mouthwatering chocolate desserts and drinks. The place is very cozy, perfect for students who want to study or make their projects. There's free WiFi here so you won't have any problems if you need internet for research or if you just want to check you Twitter or Facebook accounts. The place is beautifully designed, with colorful chairs and tables and other decors that would make the place more comfortable-looking. Their staff are very courteous and very accommodating. Overall, the place is great. It really will make you want to stay a bit longer than planned.

Their food is as great as the place. Xocolat's food is delicious, not that cheap, but worth the price. Their servings are kind of big, and it seems as though they don't cut costs on their ingredients, because every dish is packed with flavor. Of course, your Xocolat experience won't be complete without trying some of their chocolate drinks or desserts. We tell you, you won't regret whatever you choose on the menu, because every food on the menu is as delicious as the others. They also offer rice meals and pastas for those who want to have something heavy. So, you have more than enough reasons to dine here any time of the day.

Here's what we tried during our Xocolat experience:

Hot Xocolat, 145 php


Glutton Guy: I know it sounds weird drinking a hot chocolate drink on a hot day. But, this drink is just too good to resist. Whenever I eat at Xocolat, I make sure to order this drink. It's a drink I usually crave for whenever I want a chocolate drink. It not only is delicious, it really makes me feel relaxed. Every sip of the drink is packed with that bittersweet cocoa flavor. The milk makes the drink creamy and adds a bit of sweetness, too. Plus, it's served beautifully, with a nice glass and a personalized (it has an 'X' mark haha) small plate or 'platito', as we call it. If you want to have something better than Milo and Chocquick, I recommend trying this one. : )

Meaty Lasagna, 165 php


Glutton Girl: This was my order. I didn't want rice for lunch, because I felt that it was kind of heavy for me. So, I ordered pasta instead. I didn't like the sides of the lasagna because the cheese on top was kind of burnt. The middle, though, was soft and delicious. It wasn't too cheesy, yet it wasn't too mushy. There was enough cheese and enough meat in the lasagna. The pasta was cooked al dente. For me, it was perfectly cooked. It's a pasta worth trying at Xocolat. 

Cream Dory, 185 php


Glutton Guy: I ordered Cream Dory for lunch. I tasted it before and I have to say, it's probably the best Cream Dory that I've tasted. Aside from how beautiful it was presented, it absolutely is delicious. The fish is soft and tasted really good.The cream sauce that comes with it was also delicious. It was so good, I actually finished the sauce even before I finished the fish. I wanted more, but of course that wasn't possible. The mashed potatoes was also delicious. It was burnt on top, like creme brulee, which made it really good. There wasn't a trace of mushiness in the mashed potatoes. It was very creamy and it complements the fish really well. Overall, it's a perfect dish. : )

Churros Con Xocolat, 95 php


Glutton Guy: I'd have to say, this is one of the best desserts of Xocolat. It's a dessert that's hard to resist. The churros sticks are served hot and crunchy. Dipping it in the creamy chocolate sauce is heaven on earth. The sauce also has that bittersweet taste, which is good for me. It wasn't too sweet to make me feel that I'm eating too much sugar, yet it wasn't too bitter to spoil the whole dessert idea. Try it out when you visit the place. : )


Glutton Girl: A very delicious dessert. Xocolat's churros would probably be in my top 5 list of best desserts in the Metro. I love the crunchiness of the churros sticks. If you're craving for a delicious dessert, 6 sticks would probably not be enough. The best part would be when the churros sticks are all gone and what's left is the delicious and creamy chocolate sauce. Scooping the sauce all by itself is lovely. Even without the sticks, the sauce is very delicious.

If you had a rough and tumble day or if you want to start your day in a perfect way, Xocolat is the place to be. They offer wonderful meals and delectable desserts and drinks, with excellent service to boot. It's a perfect choice, whether you want to have a nice meal, or if you just want to hang out and snack with some friends. Truly, Xocolat's delicious food places that 'X' on the food map.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Xocolat has 4 branches: 1. 172 B. Gonzales street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City (Near Bo's Coffee and Citibank), 2. Topy's Place, Economia corner Calle Industria, Bagumbayan, Quezon City, 3. Ground Level, Serendra, Taguig, and 4. Lobby area, The Promenade, Greenhills Shopping Center, San Juan City.)

Tapsilogan Galore!

Manila is a very busy place, especially the U-Belt area. Everyday you can see hundreds of students from different colleges and universities walking around the area. This area is where you can find schools such as FEU, UE, San Beda, and UST. Plus, there are a lot of commercial establishments surrounding the area. With Isetann and Ever in the area, not to mention the very busy Recto street and the Quiapo church nearby, it's not a wonder why it's always a busy spot. So, if you're a person who's up for peace and quiet, you'd want to resist going to this place as much as possible. But, if you're a food-loving person, then this spot is where you'd want to go next because our Glutton instincts bring us to this busy place.

If you're familiar around the University of the East area, or if you know someone who studies or who studied there, they would say that one of the best food places around the area would be Tapsilogan ni Mama Leng, or more commonly known as Mama Leng's. Don't underestimate this food place, because Mama Leng's is famous around the area. It was already featured at TV Patrol (Talk about PR hahaha). It's also a food place where some of the UE basketball players eat (Yep, even James Yap ate here often). In other words, Mama Leng's is already a veteran in the food business.

The place is just like a normal carinderia with a normal carinderia setting. The place has lots of tables to accommodate the students who are the usual customers of the place. Nevertheless, there were times that there still weren't any available tables. The place is never free of noise, because the students who eat there are really noisy (Yep, we understand. It's a been there, done that kind of thing hahahaha). Nevertheless, in a food place such as this, it's the food that matters above all else. So, we tried some 'Silog' specialties to see if Mama Leng's is really a must-try food place. We tried the dishes with Pepsi Litro (just like what people drink at a carinderia hahahaha).

Here's what we got:

Tapsilog, 39 php


Glutton Guy: Mama Leng's Tapsilog is delicious. The beef is soft and easy to chew. It was marinated perfectly, not too sweet and not too salty. The sinangag is also delicious. I really don't know what's in the sinangag (aside from rice, of course hahaha) but it's really good. It's perfect with the chili sauce that they serve together with the dish. The only thing I don't like is the egg. Somehow the egg is too small, like a quail egg. Plus, the tapa is not enough. It probably would be better if the servings of tapa would be more.  Other than that, no more objections. : )


Glutton Girl: The tapa was cooked perfectly. It's sweet and it had that special taste uniquely different from the other tapsilog's that I've tasted. I didn't try it with the chili sauce since I'm not a huge fan of spicy stuff. I somehow agree with Glutton guy on the egg and servings issue. They could at least try to make the egg and the tapa servings bigger.

Longsilog, 38 php


Glutton Guy: Nothing special about their Longsilog. It was just like normal Longganisa, minus the skin. It's like a longganisa tocino, since it looks like tocino but tastes like longganisa. Again, the servings were kind of small for me. : )


Glutton Girl: It was an okay dish for me. There wasn't anything special about the dish, aside from it being affordable. It was like the normal longsilog I could find anywhere else. For me, the servings were not enough for a hungry student. It would be better if they added a bit more on servings, especially the longganisa.

Chicksilog, 48 php


Glutton Guy: As compared to the tapa and the longganisa, the chicken had a bigger serving. The chicken was kind of dry. Nevertheless, it was soft and tasted good. It tastes like leftover chicken from last night's dinner, marinated and fried, and served with sinangag and egg. Dipping it in the chili sauce would do the trick. It's perfect with the sinangag and the egg. : )


Glutton Girl: The chicken was delicious. It was a big part that we got, which was better for me. There was a crunch from the fried skin of the chicken which was very delicious. It was cooked perfectly. It wasn't too difficult to chew. I have to agree with the chicken being dry. Since I didn't dip mine in the chili sauce, it was kind of dry for me. It probably would be better with ketchup. For me, however, this dish worked. I liked it, overall.

Porksilog, 48 php


Glutton Guy: It was like the normal porkchop. When you look at it, you'll see that there's nothing special about the dish. Nevertheless, Mama Leng's Porksilog tasted good. The pork was crunchy, which I really liked. It wasn't difficult to eat although it's crunchy. Out of all the silog's that we tried, this was probably my favorite. It's really delicious, especially if you dip it in the chili sauce. You'll definitely like the crunchiness of the pork together with the spiciness of the sauce. You just gotta try this when you visit Mama Leng's. : )


Glutton Girl: I also liked this dish. When we were choosing our order, I really wasn't rooting for this dish. I'd rather have tapa or chicken. Good thing we tried this. It looks like a homemade porkchop meal, but better in taste. The crunchiness of the pork is an added plus for me. Also, the dish is bigger when it comes to serving size. So, this dish really is a hit for me. It's definitely a must-try for you guys!

When it comes to delicious and affordable silog meals, Mama Leng's would probably on the top of the list. Their servings aren't that big, but that doesn't mean that their dishes aren't worth a try. The students around the area who flock the place are a testament to the yummy-ness of Mama Leng's food. It's enough reason for you to go to Manila and experience the hustle and bustle of the place. Mama Leng's is truly a food star of the U-Belt area.


















Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Mama Leng's has 5 branches: 1. Unit 7, University of the East Building, S.H. Loyola Street, Sampaloc, Manila (Just beside UE), 2. Gastambide Street, Sampaloc, Manila, 3. Caimito Road, Caloocan City (Near UE Caloocan and PNR Hospital), 4. M.H. Del Pilar Street, Caloocan City (Between 9th and 10th Avenue), and 5. Mc Arthur Highway, Valenzuela City (Near Our Lady of Fatima University).)

The Good Burger

When we talk about burgers, the first thing that comes into our minds is the cholesterol we'll get. Yep, burgers can be so fatty that you'd want to resist eating it if you're a health conscious person. So, it's ridiculous to call a burger a healthy food, right? Well, not for long. We've found a burger place that not only serves delicious and affordable burgers, but also healthy ones that you'll surely won't regret eating.

In Sikatuna Village, just further beyond Teacher's Village in Diliman is a small burger place called Good Burgers. It might not be noticeable during the day, but it's very much visible during the night because of the lighted signage and the many people who eat here. It might be small, but during our time there, every table was occupied. The owner (we think he was the owner hahaha) was forced to place extra tables and chairs when we came so they could accommodate us as well. The place can seat probably around 20 people estimate. Nevertheless, the place is kind of cozy because the tables are set outdoors. The only bad thing is that the place is hot because there are neither air conditioners nor electric fans. The place is more popular, though, for takeouts. When we were there, there were a lot of people ordering burgers to-go, probably to eat it at home since there are no more tables available.

The place is self service, just like a normal fast-food place. The difference lies in the food they serve. They serve very delicious burgers here and they serve it hot off the grill. Upon opening the wrap of the burger, you'll feel that it's hot, a very good indication that your burger is freshly cooked. You'll also notice that the cheese is melting (that is, if your burger has cheese). Plus, the service is quick.

Good Burgers offers healthy burgers that you'll surely enjoy eating. They don't offer oil-rich patties here. They'll either serve you a chicken patty burger or a veggie meat patty burger, depending upon your choice. Whichever you choose, you won't regret it since you really can't distinguish the difference of their patties from the normal burger patty. They're both delicious. The only difference is Good Burgers' patties are healthier. They're a bit messy to eat, probably because of the sauces and the melted cheese. But, you definitely won't regret every bite of their yummy burgers.




Here's what we tried at Good Burgers:

Cheesy Mushroom Burger, 75php (Good), 85 php (Better), 100 php (Best)

Glutton Guy: Nothing beats a good burger with lots of burger and lots of cheese. This burger is really delicious. It's not actually a bestseller of Good Burgers, but it really is a good burger to me. An added plus was the melting cheese in the burger. It's not too overpowering. I ordered my burger with chicken patties. You really can't tell the difference. In fact, in my opinion, I think Good Burgers' patties are even better than the normal patties. What I can say is that whatever burger you try here is absolutely delicious. : )

Glutton Girl: I enjoyed eating this delicious burger. Not only was it served hot, it was also the perfect burger that I was expecting to have. Every ingredient in the burger was delicious. I actually craved for more when I finished eating mine. Like Glutton Guy, I also liked the melting cheese in the burger. The burger patties were perfectly cooked. They were hot and easy to chew. It wasn't too salty as well. You definitely have to try this burger. It's absolutely delicious!

Persian Burger, 75 php (Good), 85 php (Better), 100 php (Best)

Glutton Guy: Another perfectly cooked burger, I must say. You can really taste the delicious onions and peppers. And the garlic sauce works perfectly! I thought that the sauce wouldn't blend well with the flavors of the onions and peppers, but I was wrong. The patties were also cooked perfectly. There was also a little bit of crunch from the onions which I liked. If Persian burgers were this good, I think even the Prince of Persia would endorse it hahahahaha : )

Glutton Girl:  I liked the garlic aioli sauce. There's the sweet-sour-salty taste from the sauce that complements the burger. I would have to say, though, that I didn't quite like the peppers. The onions, however, are perfect. The burger buns were soft, like a slightly bigger pandesal. The burger patties are once again the star of the burger. Again, this burger worked for me.

Garlic Barbecue, 75 php (Good), 85 php (Better), 100 php (Best)

Glutton Guy: Aside from cheesy burgers, I also like burgers with barbecue sauce. An example of such a burger would be the barbecue burger of Burger King. That, for me, is a delicious barbecue burger. However, when I tasted Good Burgers' barbecue burger, I have to say that the reign of Burger King's barbecue burger is over. Everything is just perfect. The patties, the sauce, everything worked really well. It's another must-try at Good Burgers. : )

Glutton Girl: The barbecue sauce worked well with the burger patties. I liked the sweetness of the sauce. It wasn't overpowering. I kind of didn't like the vegetables in the burger, though. I think it would be better for me if it was just mayo and barbecue sauce. Nevertheless, it's still a must-try burger.


Good Burgers offers healthy burgers for those guys that are looking for a healthier option. In here, you wouldn't worry about fats or cholesterol. All you have to worry about is what to order, because every burger is a must-try. So, if you wanna try something good, why not go for Good Burgers' burgers? Who knows, it might just be a start to a healthy yet delicious diet that you've been planning months ago.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Good Burgers has 4 branches: 1. 162 Maginhawa Street, Sikatuna Village, Diliman, Quezon City (Beside Mexican Express), 2. 106 E. Rodriguez Jr. Avenue, Barrio Ugong, C5, Pasig City (In front of Silver City), 3. 10 East Capitol Drive, Baranggay Kapitolyo, Pasig City, 4. One Kennedy Place, Annapolis corner Ortigas, Greenhills.)

A Different Kind of Cafe

Cafe = coffee and cakes.

Not in Cafe 1771.

Located in El Pueblo Real de Manila, Ortigas, this dainty place, perfect for dating, tried to prove it has something new to offer.

Here's what we ordered:

Orange Pork Spareribs, 450 Php

Glutton Guy: I love spareribs especially when it's cooked so tenderly, so this got my vote at first bite. It goes so well with the plain rice, it actually felt like I was eating a home-cooked meal! : )

Glutton Girl: I love how tender this dish was made. The meat just falls off the bones, and there's no effort needed to chew it. The sauce is also very unique. It's like adobo with a twist because of the orange sauce. No doubt, the best dish I've tasted in this restaurant.

Lemon Chicken, 390 Php

Glutton Guy: I was disappointed with this dish. Maybe I was just expecting too much because they dubbed it as one of their best-sellers. It tastes just okay. I actually tasted other versions of this dish which are better for my palate. Well, like I said, it's still one of their best-sellers. So might as well try it out if you want. : )

Glutton Girl: This is supposedly one of their best-sellers, but I didn't find it exceptional. I love Chinese cuisine, so I have tasted different versions of Lemon Chicken left and right, and this is not the best. It's too much on the sour side and the chicken's kind of overcooked. I liked how it was presented though; the plate looked like a sun.

Crispy Pork Roll, 650 Php

Glutton Guy: This dish is too meaty for me. I still prefer the fatty crispy pata that we Filipinos are used to. I liked the sauce that came with it though. It tastes like wine, which gave the dish a different kind of taste from the normal crispy pata. : )

Glutton Girl: This is the cafe's version of Crispy Pata. I love the fact that it's boneless, but the taste is not as tasty as our local version. It lacks the oomph (aka cholesterol) that the Filipino Crispy Pata gives. I didn't get the chance to ask though if this dish was baked or fried. Because if it was baked, then I'd give it more credit. The serving is a lot for the price they charge for it.

Aside form these dishes, the restaurant gave at least 5 bowls of free popcorn for us to munch on before our orders arrived. This was a good strategy though because service was kind of slow. The waiters and waitresses were very accommodating though. Too accommodating actually; one of them took our rice bowls even if we're still not done.

The overall experience was okay, but given the price we paid for this restaurant, we were expecting more than what we actually got. Still, we enjoyed the food, and we recommend you guys to try eating here. Even once, for the ambiance.






Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Cafe 1771 is located at El Pueblo Real de Manila, J. Vargas corner ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City.)

The Fro-Yo Pioneer of Katipunan

To people who are frequent around the Katipunan area, one of the difficult things during lunch or snack time is choosing the right food place. Because of the many restaurants in the area (yep, it's still counting hahaha), you'll really have a hard time choosing where to eat. The more difficult thing is finding the right place where they'll serve the right dessert. One by one dessert stores have sprouted all around the Katipunan area, which makes it more difficult for dessert seekers like us. If you haven't seen what Katipunan has to offer for quite some time now, you'll notice that there are new dessert stores such as Cerealicious, I Heart FroYo, and Frutti FroYo (which, by the way, we have already blogged hahaha). Another thing that you'll also notice is that they all offer something similar - Frozen Yogurt. Yep, even Cerealicious has it's own Fro-Yo now. We have said in our previous blog entries that the trend today is being healthy. And for students studying near Katipunan, being healthy is as important as their studies. So, what better way to be healthy than to have a healthy snack or dessert. But, this isn't about Cerealicious' Fro-Yo. Heck, this isn't even about the other two's Fro-Yo's. This time we will feature a Fro-Yo store which started even before the other Fro-Yo stores sprouted at Katipunan.

 
It's just a small place, but you won't regret trying the frozen yogurt of Green Mango Yogurt Ice Cream Bar. Like the other Fro-Yo stores out there, Green Mango's Fro-Yo's are also worth trying because they're really delicious and really affordable. For as low as 55 pesos, you can already have a taste of their delicious and healthy frozen yogurt. Add a bit more and you can already add fresh fruits to make your dessert healthier. Or you may opt to place candies or sprinkles to make it more colorful yet still delicious. Whichever option you choose, you won't miss anything. In fact, you can even mix candies and fruits since you're the one who's going to choose the toppings. You can add up to 3 toppings to your Fro-Yo, and every additional topping would cost you 10 pesos. Whether you have 2, 3, or even 5 toppings it wouldn't matter because the fact of the matter remains that you still have a yummy and healthy dessert in the Fro-Yo itself. By the way, you can also choose between the normal Vanilla flavor or the Green Tea Fro-Yo. We think they even have Ube and Chocolate flavors, but I think they weren't available when we were there.

Here's what we tried:

 Green Mango Fro-Yo in cone, 30 php

Glutton Girl: I actually wanted to try Fro-Yo on a cone, which is why I tried this. I also wanted only a small amount because I was already full from lunch hahaha It's also the same Fro-Yo, only in a cone. The cone used, though, was crunchy and delicious. I usually don't like ice cream cones, but this one was delicious and perfect for the sour frozen yogurt. I wish, however, that they also have the option of placing toppings on the Fro-Yo cone. I know it's a bit difficult, but I think it would be better for me, since I wanted some fruits on my Fro-Yo and I think that it's kind of do-able.

Green Mango Frozen Yogurt in cup, Medium cup - 55 php - no toppings, 70 php - with 3 toppings; Large cup - 75 php - no toppings, 95 - with 3 toppings

Glutton Guy: I always want my ice cream, Fro-Yo or not, to be in a cup. This is because I'm really not a fan of cones. Plus, I think they're messy when you eat them. I chose the medium cup and as for my toppings, I chose choco drops, Koko Crunch, and peach halves. The sweetness of the choco drops and the Koko Crunch complements the sourness of the frozen yogurt. They also add crunch to the Fro-Yo, which is a good thing for me. The peach halves are really fresh and delicious. The bright yellow peaches add color and make it more enticing to eat. For me, it's really good. It's a perfect meal ender. : )

It's always a lovely treat to know that what you eat is delicious and at the same time, healthy. Green Mango offers both of these in their frozen yogurt. So next time you're around the Katipunan area, do stop by Green Mango and give their Fro-Yo a try. You definitely won't go wrong with what they have to offer. Enjoy healthy yogurt treats with a twist at Green Mango!




























Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Green Mango is located at Rosa Alvero corner Esteban Abada streets, Loyola Heights, 
Katipunan, Quezon City. It's beside Fruit Magic and McDonald's.)

Definitely Shiok!

When you're eating within the Fort area, the first thing that comes to mind is to go to Serendra or High Street. This time though, we tried to look for an eating place outside the comforts of that familiar lane of restos. Looking around, we stumbled upon a very cute looking resto, situated in between a Shell gas station and a 7-11 store. How weird is that, right? But the food, ambience, and owner (hello, Ms. Christine!) were pleasantly surprising, it makes us want to go back again.

Shiok, which means "Tastes good!', is a Singapore-inspired restaurant, but not a franchise from Singapore, according to the owner. Christine said they made it sure that the Filipinos can appreciate Singaporean cuisine without compromising its authenticity. And sure it was well-appreciated! The restaurant just opened last January, but it already is very popular amongst the foodie crowd. 

On to the things we tried.

Roti Prata, 55 Php

Glutton Guy: I like my prata dipped in the curry sauce, unlike Glutton Girl. It makes the dish more of a meal. The curry sauce was tasty but not too full of spices. Just right for the Filipino taste. : )

Glutton Girl: The Roti Prata was chewy and tasty, there's no need to dip it in the curry sauce that it came with. It's somehow tastes like pita bread, for those wondering. I looked for prata with cheese and bananas, but the owner said they still didn't have that. I've tried that once in Singapore and I think the restaurant should add that to their menu as dessert because it's really good.

Hainan Chicken, 245 Php

Glutton Girl: I love Hainanese Chicken, so I already have a bias for this one. I like how the chicken doesn't taste oily at all. The chicken rice was also super good. You could really taste the chicken broth in it. I loved it best with the sweet black sauce (I think it's Hoisin sauce, but I'm not so sure) and the ginger shavings. It reminded me of Singapore. 

Nasi Lemak, 165 Php

Glutton Guy: It's my first time to try Nasi Lemak, but Glutton Girl said it's a must try so I obliged. The chicken was crispy and the peanut sauce complemented the chicken so well, I had to ask for another one! It's rice tasted a bit like pandan and coconut, but I guess that's really how it is with Singaporean/Malaysian food. I liked it; not recommended for first-timers though. : )

Spicy Pineapple Fish, 130 Php

Glutton Guy: I like the spice level of this dish. It's mildly hot, but the pineapples make up with its sweet, tangy flavor. : )

Glutton Girl: I think this dish is normal, something my mom can do at home. It's price is very affordable though. At P130, two people can already share this. The dory was cooked well: crispy on the outside but juicy on the inside.

Aside from these, we also tried out their famous drinks: Milk Tea (P50) and Milo Dinosaur (P55). Both should be tried when you're there. Unfortunately, we forgot to take pictures of them. 

It's rare that you find decent restaurants with very affordable prices, so Shiok is like a needle in a haystack. It is hard to find, but the look is very worth it. If you want to get authentic Singaporean cuisine, visit Shiok at the Fort some time.











Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Shiok is located at 0105 Fort Forum Bldg., Bonifacio Stop Over, 31st and 2nd St, Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.)

Cubao's Italian Offering

For most of us, Cubao can really be a populous area. Not only is it a place for shoppers (well, there's Farmer's Plaza and Gateway to name a few), it's also a place where thousands of commuters pass by (It's where the MRT and LRT2 are connected). Aside from these, you also have the Farmer's Market, the Araneta Coliseum, and the provincial bus terminals, which is why there's no doubt that the hustle and bustle happens here. Moreover, the area is known for motels, econo-tels, and the like, giving the stereotype of it being a "place of pleasure". Despite all this, however, it's not deprived of having good food. Cubao has a lot of food shops, from carinderia's to fine dining restaurants. And to show you how good Cubao food can be, we feature a food place that's located there.

The food place we found is located at the Cubao Expo. It's a place located at the Araneta Center where you can find unique (not to mention cute) shops. The shops there are small (they're just like small stalls), but most of them are uniquely designed. Tired from the long walk (we actually walked from Gateway to Cubao Expo hahaha), we, together with some friends, decided to have lunch. We luckily found Bellini's Italian Restaurant. Some of you might ask yourself, "This place kinda looks familiar...". Well, to answer your suspicions, YES, this is the restaurant where Basha (Bea Alonzo), Popoy (John Lloyd Cruz), and their barkada eat when they meet in the movie "One More Chance". And I think this was also featured in the movie "For The First Time" (Glutton Guy). 

The place is really really nice. You'll really feel like you're in a restaurant in Italy. The paintings on the walls were beautiful and the ambiance was excellent. Every wall was really designed to give the Italian feel. Wherever you look, you'll really be blown away. We were lucky enough to be greeted by the owner himself, Mr. Roberto Bellini. He offered us some pastas which weren't on the menu and which they just finished cooking. And to our amazement, Mr. Bellini and the waiter (get this, the waiter) talked in Italian! Mr. Bellini can talk English, though. We then assumed that the waiters were required to learn Italian. 
 

The food price ranges from 200-400 php. Some of the dishes are even good for 2 persons. There are some dishes, though, which are not on the menu. The waiter who'll take your order, however, will tell you the dishes they don't have. Also, there's a small board outside where they mention the day's specialties. After your meal, they'll offer you shots of wine (we think it's fruit wine. It's delicious, though hahaha). It's a really good way to end your Bellini's experience.

 Here's what we tried:

Iced Tea, 50 php - glass, 250 php - pitcher


Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: There really is no point in telling you guys what we think about their iced tea since it's the drink that we have almost everytime. One thing that we have to say, though, is that their iced tea is different from the others in terms of taste. Bellini's iced tea is somewhat fruity and sweet, which is delicious. The one in the pitcher can probably serve up to 8 glasses of iced tea. : )

Pesto Mare, 250 php


Glutton Guy: Anything with seafood, I like. It's one heck of a dish. The dish is filled with clams and shrimps, big ones at that. The pesto sauce was really good, too. The seafood was just kind of difficult to eat since you have to remove the shells and all. But, overall, it was a worth it dish. I wouldn't hesitate on ordering this the next time I come here. : )


Glutton Girl: I really liked this dish. The pasta was very firm to the bite and the seafood were perfectly cooked. I'm not exactly a fan of pesto, but this was really prepared well. The pesto had a different taste. It seemed like an authentic Italian pesto dish. Also, it's a first for me to see a pesto pasta with seafood. Most of the pesto I see have either chicken or pork. Thus, this makes it a delicious and unique dish.

Spaghetti Allo Scoglio, 260 php


Glutton Guy: It was also a seafood pasta dish, but it has red sauce as base. Nevertheless, it was still delicious. As I've said in the previous dish, anything with seafood, I like. So, this dish worked really well for me. None of the ingredients were overpowering for me. There was complete balance, from the pasta to the sauce to the seafood. Plus, the seafood in the dish were already without shells, so it saved us the hassle of removing the shells while eating. The seafood were really cooked well and the sauce was really good, not too sour yet not too bland. The pasta would work well with or without cheese for me. : )


Glutton Girl: This was the pasta that caught my attention when I was glancing at the menu. It's actually better for me if seafood is paired with either red sauce or oil. The pasta was delicious. The seafood, perfect. It was also like an authentic Italian pasta dish. I think it would also work with angel hair pasta. Nevertheless, spaghetti pasta works as well. For me, it's a must-try here at Bellini's.

Lasagna Meatsauce, 350 php


Glutton Guy: Probably the best lasagna I've ever tasted. It was served hot, which was an added plus for me. The lasagna was stuffed with meat sauce and eggplant, which really was delicious for me. The lasagna was soft and was super stuffed with sauce. The eggplant, for me, was actually the star of the dish. It worked really well with the lasagna. It made it unique, not the same old boring lasagna. Plus, it made it more delicious. I actually wanted more, but I was already full hahaha If you want a pasta that's worth the price, order this lasagna at Bellini's. : )


Glutton Girl: This was actually suggested by both the waiter and Mr. Bellini himself. The dish wasn't actually on the menu. It's one of those specialties for the day. At first we didn't want to try it. Eventually, though, we gave in to their suggestion and gave the lasagna dish a shot. I do have to admit, though, it turned out to be a good decision after all. This was also one of the best dishes for me at Bellini's. It was cooked perfectly well. The sauce was good. The lasagna was superb. The eggplant inside the lasagna were delicious. If you're a lasagna or a pasta lover, I suggest you try this dish.

Rigatoni Cocinghiale Penne Selvaggi, 350 php


Glutton Guy: It was an okay pasta for me. It actually was not on the menu. The waiter just told us that they offered this dish for the day and so we tried it out. The penne pasta was mucho al dente, but it just didn't work for me since it was kind of hard and difficult to chew. The sauce, however was good. My only problem with this dish is the pasta itself. If they made it softer, it would probably be better, in my opinion. : )


Glutton Girl: Just like what Glutton Guy said, the pasta really didn't work out in the dish. The sauce was delicious, and the dish was even served hot. However, the pasta was not the usual penne pasta. Unlike the usual one, the penne pasta that Bellini's used was bigger. This, together with it being a bit hard,  gave a problem to the dish. The pasta being hard gave the feeling of the penne being uncooked.

Blue Marlin Alla Griglia, 280 php


Glutton Guy: I ordered this one out of love for fish. It was a delicious dish. Though I'm not so sure of combining a grilled fish with butter sauce. Because it was grilled, the fish gave a somewhat bitter taste. The lemon, though, made up for that bitter taste. I also liked the potatoes and the onions side dish. It really complemented the fish. : )


Glutton Girl: The fish was grilled well. It was delicious and soft. Plus, because it's grilled, it's healthy. It's actually healthier because it's a fish dish. The sauce of the fish was also delicious. It was a good idea to put lemon butter sauce on top of grilled fish. The side dish was also delicious. The potatoes were soft and cooked perfectly while the onions were caramelized to perfection. There were bits of burnt rosemary, but it didn't matter. Overall, it was very very good.

Ai Frutti Di Mare, 300 small, 600 large



Glutton Guy: Probably one of the best Italian pizzas I've ever tasted. It was a very delicious pizza that you'll surely love. The toppings worked really well. There weren't too many toppings, which was good because it didn't give me that confusion of what the pizza really tasted. And to think what we ordered was just the small one. It's already good for 5-6 persons, just in case you're imagining how big the large one is. : )


Glutton Girl: If you're gonna order a pizza, I suggest you try this one. It's a very delicious pizza, and a very affordable one. For a small sized Frutti Di Mare, it's already a lot. The sauce wasn't too much, so the pizza wasn't soggy. There was also an added crunch from the crust which made the pizza better. The toppings were also delicious, the amount not too much yet not too little. Better share the pizza, though! You probably won't be able to finish it all alone hahahaha

Eating at Bellini's won't just let you taste authentic Italian dishes, it also gives you the feeling of eating the dishes at the country itself. You'll simply admire how the place is designed. More importantly, you'll admire how the dishes are perfectly executed and cooked. You will be very pleased on the kindness and patience of the waiters. It's more of the good things that matter at Bellini's. They'll really make you feel comfortable and let you relax and savor their food. Overall, we'd say that it's an experience you'll surely love. So what separates Cubao from any other busy places in the Metro? Simple. Bellini's.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Bellini's is located at the Marikina Shoe Expo (Cubao Expo), Gen. Romulo Avenue, Brgy. Soccoro, Cubao, Quezon City. The Cubao Expo is in between Puregold Cubao and the Cubao bus terminal. Bellini's is at the farthest end of the Expo.)