Delish-ious!

When you're looking for a place that's got a lot of good food places, there's definitely no doubt that Teacher's Village would be a great suggestion. The long and winding Maginhawa street alone offers lots of good choices, whether it be for a sumptuous meal or for a simple yet yummy snack. Whatever food place you crave for - Italian, Filipino, Persian, Mexican, even the yummiest carinderia - Maginhawa street has it all. It wouldn't be a surprise that our next food trip would again (yes, again hahahaha) be here.

We found a food place that we felt would appease our palates - Delish. It's along Maginhawa street, so it's very easy to find. Besides, there's a big signage of the food place, so difficulty in finding it is really not a good excuse. From the outside, actually, it doesn't look much of a restaurant. But if you're kinda used to Teacher's Village, then it's good to try this place out. The inside looks more of a bar. There are also paintings displayed on the walls, which are for sale. The good part is that you can't remove the fact that they serve scrumptious dishes at very affordable prices.

Here's what we got:

House Iced Tea, 45 php


Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: A different take on iced tea. It had a fruity taste, which made it more refreshing. It wasn't too sweet, which is another good thing. Placing it in a beautiful glass makes it more inviting to taste. For 45 pesos, it's worth a try. : )

Mushrooms in Garlic ala Pobre Style, 165 php

Glutton Guy: I liked this dish. It had a spicy taste which really hyped up the flavors. You could really taste the garlic in the dish. The oil added more flavor, which I also liked. The mushrooms were perfectly cooked. It was also served beautifully. The servings were also a lot. For me, it's a must-try dish. : )


Glutton Girl: It's a yummy dish. I just felt that there was too much oil in it. I'm not much of a fan of oily foods. However, I liked the spiciness of the dish. The mushrooms were soft and delicious. I liked the garlic, too. However, I thought there was also too much garlic. I agree with Glutton Guy, though, that this is a must-try dish.

Crispy Shrimp and Potato Fritters, 160 php


Glutton Guy: Delish's take on our crispy Okoy. I have to admit, though, their version is much, much better. It's just potato and shrimp, but wow, it does pack a punch! Dipping it in the vinegar makes it more delicious. I'd have more if I wasn't full. It really is delicious! I'd definitely order more of this on my next trip to Delish. : )


Glutton Girl: I love this dish! It's very crispy and very delicious. The potato fritters were fried to perfection. The shrimp also tasted good. And I just love the vinegar dip. It really gives the climax to the dish. The vinegar was mixed with red pepper slices that made it spicy. It really accentuated the dish. I just found it hard to eat at some point since there were strands of potatoes which were too long so you had to break them. Overall, I think it's a very yummy dish.

Baked Oysters with Garlic and Cream Cheese, 225 php


Glutton Guy: Talk about delicious seafood! This really is a wonderful treat. Like I've said in our previous blog entries, I'm a die hard fan of seafood. This one made my day (really...hahahaha). The oysters were baked perfectly well. The cream cheese was just delectable. You can taste the freshness of the oysters. Presentation wise, the dish was served beautifully. I don't care if I sound redundant, but this dish really is delicious. : )


Glutton Girl: Another dish that's worth trying. It's comparable to the expensive oyster dishes that you find at fine dining restaurants. The melted cheese was simply delicious. The oysters were baked well and they tasted great. I think it would be better if there would be a splash of citrus, like lemon, perhaps.

Golden Fillet of Fish Escabeche, 95 php


Glutton Guy: I ordered this dish because I preferred fish rather than pork or chicken during that time. The fish was soft on the inside. There was a bit of crunch on the outside from the crust. The sauce was sweet and lemony. It tasted like sweet and sour fish fillet that we usually eat at Chinese restaurants. For me, though, it lacked some taste. : )

Crispy Honey-Garlic Chicken, 89 php


Glutton Guy: For me this dish tastes like normal, home-cooked fried chicken. The difference was that there was a bit of sweetness from the honey. The chicken, though, was crispy. Plus, it was perfectly cooked, it was soft on the inside. It was an okay dish for me, overall. : )


Glutton Girl: I liked this dish because it was crispy. I just didn't like the part that was served to us. I'm not much of a fan of the wing part. The honey gave the dish a different yet delicious taste. I also liked the crispy garlic on top of the chicken. For me the blending of tastes worked perfectly well.

Crispy Binagoongan with Green Mango Salsa, 89 php


Glutton Girl: This dish was really good. The pork was really crispy. The bagoong on top added flavor to the pork, which really worked for me. The mango salsa complemented the dish very well. The mix of mangoes and tomatoes was really good. It's another dish that's worth-trying.

Apple Pie ala Mode, 125 php


Glutton Guy: I'm really not into apple pies. This one was delicious at some point. However, I probably wouldn't be able to finish the whole slice. For me it was too sweet. I liked the ice cream, though. Plus, the pie was hot when it was served, which is a good thing for me. : )


Glutton Girl: For me it also was too sweet. It would probably be best for sharing, since I would also not be able to finish the slice by myself. The pie and the ice cream were a good tandem. The hot pie and the cold ice cream was just perfect. I liked the presentation of the dish as well with the cherry on top.


Delish is a good place that offers good food. It's also a nice place to hangout with friends, since it's an 'inuman' place at night. They are also open for catering and exclusive functions. With the delicious food that they offer, who wouldn't anyway? Delish is a great food place worth trying at Teacher's Village. The place is accessible, offers great food at an affordable price, what more could you ask for? For us, there would only be one word to describe the food - Delish-ious!

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Delish Restaurant and Catering is located at 103 Maginhawa street, Teacher's Village, Diliman, Quezon City. It's just beside BDO.)

 

What's Cookin' at Alan's Grill?

If you're looking for another food place option around the Cubao area, then we've got the exact place for you. It serves delicious Pinoy dishes that's perfect for inuman sessions or for simple dinner with family or with friends. We guarantee that your experience will be fulfilling, or should we say, FULL-filling.

The food place that we're talking about is located at the Cubao Expo (formerly called Marikina Shoe Expo). Cubao Expo is a nice place because not only does it have restaurants that will cater to your hunger, but also boutiques and dress shops that are open until late in the evening. One of the shops you'll find here is the food place known as Alan's Grill. At night, this food place is jam packed with customers, because it's also a perfect inuman place for people near the area. Their dishes are affordable and very Pinoy, some already good for 2-3 persons. Alan's Grill is most famous for their Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata. When it comes to these two dishes, Alan's Grill is a place to beat. When we were there, they had a Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata promo for a cheaper price. Nevertheless, when we were there, we tried other dishes. We wanted to know if Alan's Grill's rice meals are also as delicious as the famous Kare-Kare and Crispy Pata.

The place is filled with paintings. Even the tables have some kind of abstract art. We're not sure if they are for sale, or if they're just for design. Most of these paintings are good, though. There also is a function room upstairs, which is for rent for a very reasonable price. In general, Alan's Grill gives more of an 'inuman' type of vibe, since most of the people who eat here come in groups and usually order beer and 'pulutan'. Nevertheless, there are still some people (usually the office folks) who come here for a nice and satisfying meal. 

 
Anyways, here's what we tried:

Iced Tea, 50 php

Glutton Guy and Glutton Girl: Alan's Grill's iced tea has a different flavor as compared to the usual powdered tea. The color, too, seemed different. It tasted good, though. They probably had their own special concoction. It did taste a little bit sweeter than we expected. However, it's still a nice drink to try at Alan's Grill. : )

Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice, 147 php

Glutton Guy: This tasted like normal chicken barbecue. It's like the kind of chicken barbecue that you would taste at an ihaw-ihaw. The chicken, in my opinion, would have been better with barbecue sauce on the side, instead of achara (I'm really not a fan of it hahaha). The java rice, however, was very delicious. It made the meal a whole lot better. If the rice would have been plain, I wouldn't enjoy the dish. But with the java rice, I'd say it's a good addition to the meal. The servings was not enough for me, though. : )


Glutton Girl: Nothing out of the ordinary for me as well. The chicken lacked flavor, for me, probably because it was dry. Glutton Guy is right on the sauce issue. It probably would have been better with barbecue sauce. The rice was okay for me. I wasn't jumping up and down for it. Overall, I would say that it's an okay dish. It would be better to try other dishes on the menu, in my personal opinion.

Fish Fillet Rice, 147 php


Glutton Guy: Delicious dish! I love fish fillet and I love fried tofu. So, there's no better meal for me than this. The fish was cooked perfectly. The outside was crunchy, while the inside was hot and soft. The tofu made the dish more delicious. Its outside was also a bit crunchy, which is a good thing for me. The sauce was what gave the dish flavor. For me, though, the dish lacked sauce. However, I still enjoyed the dish. I removed the black beans since I don't eat those (especially when I see them in the dish hahahaha). Adding more sauce would definitely make the dish perfect. : )

Bangus Belly Rice, 147 php


Glutton Girl: I liked this dish. The fish was very crunchy, which is a good thing. It was Alan's Grill's version of 'Bistek Bangus'. The onions, the potatoes, the sauce, it all worked perfectly. It complemented the fish very well. The onions, which were caramelized, gave that added crunch. The potatoes were soft and weren't mushy. Like Glutton Guy's fish fillet dish, however, this dish also lacked in sauce. I would have preferred more sauce on my rice meal. But, it's a delicious dish that you guys should try.




Overall, our experience at Alan's Grill was a great one. It might not be the best, but it's one you wouldn't want to miss. Alan's Grill offers affordable and delicious Filipino meals that you'll definitely love, even if you see and taste these dishes most of the time. So, next time, when you visit the Cubao Expo to look around for some rare finds, be sure to check Alan's Grill as well. We assure you, you'll definitely want to know what's cookin' in this place.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Alan's Grill is located at the Cubao Expo Shopping Center, General Romulo Avenue, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.)

With Serenity Comes Serenitea (and vice versa...hahaha)

Some people say that tea is for old people. We beg to disagree. You know, a little sip of this hot drink can actually cleanse your internals. And it's not only good for the oldies, it's also a great drink for us young 'stressed out' people.Some food establishments serve it hot. Some serve it cold. Either way, we can't remove the fact that tea is good for you. In fact, there's a place in Metro Manila that we think you will surely like, not just because of the cool business idea that they put up, but also because of the healthy product of theirs that is tea.

The place we found is at San Juan, in an area called "Little Baguio". The tea place known as Serenitea may be a small one, but the drinks they serve do pack a punch. What's cool about this place is that they maximized the potential of tea, making it a cool and refreshing drink with the healthy factor of tea still present in it. Younger ones wouldn't have doubts on giving this drink a try, since it's like a healthy version of your favorite Zagu (Yep, minus the sugar, minus the calories hahaha). In spite of the fact that it's more of a newer version of tea, it's still good for our old folks. Regardless of what age you have, you'll definitely want to have a try of Serenitea's drinks. Aside from tea drinks, they also have their delicious Taiwanese Chicken Chops that you can munch while you're there. You should go and give them a try as well.

We noticed that a lot of people are big fans of the place (people just keep pouring in). We also noticed that a lot of people order drinks to-go, probably because the place is not that big to accommodate a lot of people. The place, though, has an incense-like aroma. It really would give you that refreshing and detoxifying feeling.

You can experiment with your drink (this is what we both loved hahaha) in as easy as 3 simple steps. First, you have to choose your tea (that's obviously a given). Next, you have to choose how sweet you want your tea to be. You can choose if you want 100% sugar in your drink, 50%, or all the way down to no sugar at all. Of course, the 0% sugar has the least sweetness, but it is the healthiest version. Lastly, you have to choose your sinkers or your add-ons as we know it such as crystals, black bricks, or pearls, depending upon your preference. Whatever you choose and however you mix and match your drink, we guarantee it'll be a great one.






Here's what we tried:

Choco Milk Tea, 75 php (small), 85 php (medium), 95 php (large)


Glutton Guy: We were with a friend when we tried Serenitea, and this is what he ordered. He allowed us to try his drink (for blogging purposes hahaha). He ordered his drink with 100% sugar, so it was sweet and chocolatey. It was not too sweet, which is good since you can still assure yourself that it's healthy despite it having 100% sugar. You can really taste the chocolate taste, and I think that you will still be able to taste it without any sugar. It's like your normal chocolate drink, plus the health benefits. : )


Glutton Girl: I also tried my friend's drink. I was a bit skeptical about it having 100% sugar, since I think that the health factor is being removed. Nevertheless, after tasting it, I was assured that it was still a healthy drink. It wasn't overly sweet, not like the usual cold teas and juices we drink at restaurants. The chocolate flavor is really good as well. The next time I decide to stop by at Serenitea, I think I'll have this one.

Hokkaido Milk Tea, 75 php (small), 85 php (medium), 95 php (large)


Glutton Girl: I ordered this drink since the lady taking orders said that this is one of their bestsellers. It was a delicious drink for me. Not too sweet as well (probably because I made mine 75% sugar) yet it's not too bland. It had that delicious coconut taste, which was really good. I added some black bricks to my drink to have that coffee taste. Overall, for me, it was a really delicious and refreshing drink. Thumbs up for Hokkaido milk tea!

Okinawa Milk Tea, 75 php (small), 85 php (medium), 95 php (large)


Glutton Guy: According to the lady taking orders, another bestseller is the Okinawa milk tea. I decided to give this a shot with....get this...25% sugar (Unbelievable, right? hahaha Talk about being healthy hahahaha). Well, it's not that bad having a drink with almost no sugar. In fact, I think that it's very delicious. At first I thought having 25% sugar would be pretty courageous of me. But, I have to say I actually enjoyed my drink, especially because of the fact that it's healthy. It tasted somewhat like the usual Nai Cha, but a better version of it. I think that regardless of how much sugar you put in it, it would still taste as delicious as mine. The crystals worked perfectly with the drink itself. For me a medium sized drink would probably be enough. But, if you really want more of this refreshing drink, go and order a large one. : )



The greatest thing about their drinks is that they're light on the pocket. Serenitea's drinks are very affordable and are worth the price, not just because the servings are big enough, but also because of the health benefits you'll get. It's not like the usual drink products that we find in the market who promise us healthy benefits but never really deliver them. For Serenitea, it's real. What they say is what you'll really get. Aside from milk teas, they also have other teas such as tea lattes, fruit teas, and grass teas. So, if you're up for a refreshing and delicious drink that has all the health benefits that you're looking for, then Serenitea is the drink for you. There really is no harm in saying that Serenitea is not you ordinary cup of tea.

Rating: Buddhalicious!
(Serenitea has 3 branches: 1. G&L Building, J. Abad Santos Street, Little Baguio, San Juan, 2. Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes, Paranaque City, 3. N. Roxas Street, Banawe, Quezon City.)