Yummy Date Night

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  Tokyo Cafe is one of those places where you’re sure to be happy when you go out. It’s not a typical Japanese restaurant because instead of your usual donburi/tempura/sushi, it serves Japanese-style Western dishes.

  We went here for a quick snack before watching the movie “Inception” (Tokyo Cafe is very close to the cinema). None of us were really hungry so we ordered just one dish to share. However, we ended up wishing we had ordered more because the restaurant had a delectable variety of food on their menu.

  Service is quick, and the staff was also very helpful.

  They have a very attractive display of dishes in front of their restaurant, just like the actual cafes in Tokyo.

  Perhaps what I liked most about the place was their Strawberry Orange Shake (P125). Cold and refreshing, it’s perfect if you’re trying to relax. It had a strong, strawberry taste with a citrus-y kick. It’s really pretty too. A bit expensive for a shake, though.

  The iced Royal Milk Tea (P68) was blended nicely. I hate milk teas that are too sweet, because they don’t taste like tea anymore. Gladly, this one had a lovely, authentic taste to it. They serve it with syrup if you want to sweeten it up a bit.

  I love Shrimp Bisque (P88) so it was a natural for me to order this. It was a thick, yellow-orange soup with a shellfish-y flavor. (Like cropeck, but soup style. :P) I’m glad they got the right combination of saltiness and spiciness. 

  The Creamy Ebiko Pasta (P258) was “Awesome!” in Douglas’ words. First of all, I’m glad they were generous with the shrimp (it had six pieces for one order:O). The shrimps were also plump and fresh (To tell that shrimp is fresh, it should have a nice “bite” and should not be too soft/soggy).

  The pasta itself wasn’t extra creamy, but it was enough to flavor the dish. The cream sticks to the pasta, which is something I kind of like because it’s not super messy to eat. Some would probably want their pastas to have a stronger flavor, but this is quite fine for me.

  Definitely worthy of being one of their best sellers.

The Verdict: I wish we were hungry when we went here, because the food was great! As for the drinks, they were really good too. Unfortunately, I’m not into coffee, but if you are, try the ones here because I heard it was good. Definitely a cafe worth trying.

2/Lvl.

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 441-0346

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com 

  Cannan Bistro is one of my favorite establishments in Katipunan for a very simple reason: I love the reasonably priced food. 

  Cannan began by putting up stalls and kiosks in various schools around the Metro. Actually, my first encounter with Cannan was through their food stall in the Ateneo Cafeteria. Because of their interesting and creative take on rice meals, Cannan has become my staple choice when I eat in the caf. Unfortunately, though, the crowded cafeteria makes me claustrophobic, so I normally avoid the caf when I can.

 Thankfully, Cannan has expanded and has rented their own space in Katipunan Avenue—so now I can have my favorite food with a more comfortable ambiance. 

  In the bistro, you can ask the kind staff to turn the channel to something you’d love to watch. We watched the ADMU-DLSU game here, which we lost. :( If you’re not into that sort of stuff, Cannan Bistro plays a lot of wonderful music in the background, too.

  Alipasta (P140) is a spin off from one of their classic dishes, Alipusta Rice. Alipusta Rice is characterized by using crab fat to flavor the rice, and by adding various seafoods like squid rings and mussels. Alipasta uses the same concept, however, they changed the rice into pasta, and have added olive oil and anchovies to give a different taste. 

  I really loved this dish that I scarfed it down the moment it was given to me (It was still piping hot when it was served, by the way). I know I was hungry, but I’m sure my hunger was not the only thing which made me enjoy this very much. It was seasoned just right—a delicate balance of saltiness with a spicy kick to it.

  Definitely coming back here for this.

  Douglas ordered Pork Chop in Black Bean Sauce (P170). He commented that it was cooked really well, grilled to perfection. 

  Nevertheless, we loved the flavorful black bean sauce which covered the entire portion of the meat.

  The rice had interesting toppings—we didn’t know exactly what the toppings were, but they were very tiny strips of crunchy materials that gave the rice sort of a salty flavor.  He said that the crunchy toppings were a nice touch.

  In the end, the taste worked out great because the flavors of the rice and the flavors of the black bean sauce were able to compliment each other.

This is our friend’s order of Te’Vi Rice (P95). I love how Cannan mixes different ingredients in their rice meals—they seem very well thought of. This particular rice meal had teriyaki chicken cubes, various vegetables and scrambled eggs. One bowl is enough to fill up one hungry person because it’s quite big and heavy.

  As you can see, it’s a few pesos more expensive than the Te’Vi Rice in school. That’s why I advise you to order the stuff on the menu which aren’t found in school (like the previous two dishes).

  This is why the Ateneo Musicians’ Pool loves Cannan. We love drinking. Cannan Bistro offers Tanduay Ice buckets of six for only P200 each. They also serve buckets of my favorite beer, Red Horse, for the same price. San Mig beers are cheaper, P175, if I remember correctly.

The Verdict: The food is simply amazing, and it comes at reasonable prices. The beer does, too. You and your date can watch the next UAAP game here if you’re too lazy to line up for tickets. It’s a great place for budget-friendly dates with your partner. (Douglas doesn’t like basketball, but he enjoys it if he watches with me. :D)

Cannan Bistro,

329 D, Katipunan Avenue (above Copylandia, beside Bo’s Coffee)

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com

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  The restaurant we will feature today is one of my favorite restaurants, Seoul Barbecue. Korean cuisine is something most people are unfamiliar with, but those who have tried it, I’m sure, have been captivated. 

  Ideally, I would recommend this place for medium-sized groups (4-6 people). I know that two people can finish the meals in this place, but if there’s only you and your date, chances are, you’ll get full before you get to try the other dishes. So if it’s possible, try arranging a double date or bring some of your friends.

  Take note of lunch/dinner hours. Try calling them if possible, to reserve or to ask what time they will close.

  The place is very simple and clean. They have good airconditioning too. The staff is courteous, and they have a good knowledge of the menu.

   One thing about eating in places where you’re not an expert on the cuisine is that the staff must be able to answer your questions. The menu was well-designed, and everything had pictures.

  Free appetizers! This is a staple when it comes to Korean restaurants. We were really hungry when it arrived that we ate before taking pictures, so the fishcakes and the kimchi were almost out. My favorite was the kimchi, which thankfully did not taste like it came from one of those bottles you can get in the local grocery store.

  I don’t know why they have Tempura (P350) on their menu, but I really recommend that you order this. The shrimp was big and plump, but what’s really special is the sweet and crunchy batter. (It’s written as fried shromp on the menu. Yes, shromp.)

  Dolsot Bibimbap (P300) is a staple Korean dish. You can ask the waiter to mix the entire thing for you before eating. It’s composed of ground beef, egg, and various vegetables. What’s amazing is that the rice retains its stickiness even after mixing, so you’ll have no trouble with eating this with chopsticks. I loved the crunchy tutong part around the edges.

  I’m sure we’re all familiar with Kalbi Jim (P280) a.k.a. Korean Beef Stew. The secret of this stew lies in the tender meat with tendons and the light flavorful sauce. Very, very delicious (take note, this is the first time I’ve used that word in this blog). This would be perfect with white rice so you can taste the richness of the sauce better. 

  Their Chicken Bulgogi (P200?) was well-marinated and tender. My only complaint is that there were annoying little bones stuck with the meat. But I loved the delicate spicy-sweet flavor of this dish, nonetheless.

  What’s best about Seoul Barbecue is that although it is a stand alone establishment in Libis, it’s a walking distance (you only have to cross one footbridge) from Eastwood City. So if you want to watch a movie or grab dessert in Eastwood, no problem! We bought this yogurt in Golden Spoon, Eastwood Citywalk :D

The Verdict: GO. HERE. NOW. Korean cuisine is one of the best in the world, and you HAVE to try it. Seoul Barbecue is recommended by most Koreans because of its authenticity and value. You’re getting back what you paid for, to the very last centavo. When you visit, try ordering their Japche, I heard they serve the best one around :)

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com

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  Chili Willy’s is a restaurant that serves Tex-Mex cuisine. It comes from the same food chain that brought us Grilla and The Old Spaghetti House. 

  It’s a good place for hanging out because of the abundant couch seats  and because it has a television. This place is relatively more peaceful than the other establishments in Katipunan (which are often populated by noisy, rowdy students). The light is dim to warm, giving a more subtle ambiance. 

  I noticed that our waiter, although attentive (maybe because we were the only ones in the establishment) didn’t have much knowledge about the menu. That upsets me quite a bit when most of things on the menu strike me as new.

   Oh, but they serve beer and cocktails. I love that.

  Their Chicken Tenders (P140) was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Their round bite sized shape and crunchy texture reminded me of eating Planter’s Cheese Balls—but with chicken inside! The sauce on the chicken complemented the blue cheese dip, because while the cheese provided the tang, the buffalo sauce provided the kick! It wasn’t as spicy as others would normally prefer though, but it’s definitely just right for me. After I started eating one, I ended up popping one after another in my mouth.

  Value-wise, though, it’s quite expensive.

  I ordered Grilled Chicken and Fried Steak (P185). An order of it usually comes with plain rice, but I had mine upgraded to Cilantro Rice (P10). If you’re going to order this, I highly recommend that you upgrade your rice as well. Their cilantro rice has a sour taste that doesn’t overpower the meat, but instead adds a more Mexican feel to it. 

  I found the grilled chicken small, but it was juicy and tender. Mind you, I’m very particular with the tenderness when it comes to things I have to slice because I don’t have much patience with a knife. I’m glad this one passed my standards. In terms of taste, however, it wasn’t anything memorable.

  As for the steak, I believe it could be better if it was grilled as well instead of fried. The frying had rid the steak of all its flavors. But it was tender and easy to eat as well. 

  I was already full after this P185 meal. That’s good value, I’d say.

  Oh wow, isn’t it beautiful? Douglas ordered the Beer Battered Fish Fillet and the Short Ribs (P185). He also had his rice upgraded to cilantro rice. 

  He loved the ribs because of its fall-off-the-bone texture, and also because of the delectable barbecue sauce that it was coated with. He had me taste the sauce, and I’m happy it wasn’t a Hunt’s BBQ Sauce rip off. It was something else altogether. It had the signature BBQ taste but also had a distinct, sweet taste to it.

  I particularly loved the beer battered fish fillet. In truth, it didn’t even need sauce at all! It won because of the batter, which had sort of a buttery taste with a hint of beer. 

  He could only wish that the rice was served to us a little bit hotter though.

The Verdict: Not everything fit perfectly, but we were quite happy and satisfied with our lunch date in Chili Willy’s. We’ll definitely visit again next time. I love the warm and peaceful atmosphere, perfect for long, romantic drinking sessions.

Try eating the Blackened Catfish when you go there. I haven’t tried it personally but a lot of people have been raving about it.

Chili Willy’s

Katipunan Avenue

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With and For Love,

Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong 

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com

P.S. Pardon the cellphone pictures, we forgot our camera. :(

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  For everyone’s information, my boyfriend Douglas is actually full Chinese. It’s quite surprising that this is the first time we’ll be featuring a Chinese restaurant, knowing that I’m absolutely in love with Chinese food and that Douglas is Chinese. He will be helping me in writing this entry, since he’s more knowledgeable about the topic.

   Gloria Maris is a restaurant that serves a wide variety of dimsum and it is also a widely-acclaimed shabu-shabu place. It’s quite famous for being a venue for functions like parties or get-togethers. (When we asked what their best seller was, our waiter said it was the birthday noodles—haha, uh, no.) It is being managed by a Hong Kong chef, which should give it high expectations. I suggest being adventurous with your choice of food here, since a lot of them seem quite nice.

 Bichu Rice Roll (P105) is sort of like a puff pastry rolled in sheets of white rice, topped with sesame seeds. This is very new to me, actually. We found the wrapper too thick that it overpowered the bread inside. Douglas also pointed out that the bread didn’t seem newly cooked since it must have been prepared during breakfast hours (we arrived here for a late lunch). The sauce was quite delectable though, with its salty sweet taste. However, we had to dip it for quite a while before its flavor finally penetrated deep into the roll.

  When the Shrimp Rice Roll (P150) was served to us, it was literally swimming in a pool of sauce! Yum. Same comment from the previous one—the wrapper was quite thick that the sauce found it hard to penetrate inside. This dish gets a higher score than the previous one, though, because the shrimp made up for the thick, bland wrapper.

Siao Long Pao (P128) is my new addiction. I love it so much that I’ve eaten siao long pao thrice this week. Gloria Maris’ version has a thin wrapper with quite a heavy ground pork filling inside. I’m sad that it didn’t have much soup, though. They say the ability of siao long pao to retain the precious soup inside speaks a lot about its quality. Anyway, the generous portion of meat made up for it. It was very juicy and tasty, and bathing it with the sauce gives it a very satisfying gingery kick.

  Our choice of Dimsum Combo (P298) was quite a good one because it had two pieces of a variety of dimsum. You and your date can eat one of each. It’s very easy to share. This combo had spring roll, hakao, siomai, japanese siomai, sharksfin dumpling and fried wonton. Because of this dish, I can say that Chinese people love shrimp so much. Almost everything had shrimp inside! Douglas’ favorite was the hakao, while mine, surprisingly, was the spring roll. 

Trivia: Douglas taught me how to pronounce wonton in a Chinese accent, HAHAHA IT SOUNDED SO FUNNY.

You can ask your Soya Milk (P60) to be served either hot or cold. Isn’t it quite weird that I put this on the last part? Well, that’s how our lunch went, actually. We were so caught up with our dimsum that we forgot to order drinks until we were almost done eating! Hahaha, that speaks a lot about how much we have enjoyed. Their soya milk had the rich, soya flavor which I’m sure everyone will love. 

The Verdict: To quote Douglas, “Good at everything but not best at anything”. So if you’re craving for Chinese food, you might say that this is a good place, but not the best place to go. Well, at least it’s relatively cheaper than the really high class ones. We don’t really need the best to enjoy, and I’m sure we did. You’ll find this restaurant quite pleasant, too, I’m sure. It’s perfect for any date, even for the sensitive, awkward, first date.

Off Topic: We had dessert at Cerealicious after! Maybe we’ll feature this sometime, especially now that it has opened a new branch in Katipunan—right across our school!

Gloria Maris, Greenhills Shopping Center Club Filipino Ave., Greenhills Shopping Complex

San Juan, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 721-3504

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  Johnny Rockets is an international food chain that has finally made its way to the Philippines with its first branch in Eastwood, Libis. Normally, it would be described as a “family place”, but it’s still suitable for casual dating, with its lively ambiance.

  The interiors are hip and modern, resembling the ‘typical american fast food diner’ that we normally see on television screens. This mini-jukebox (P1) can play any song that you request from its playlist for just one peso.

  The crew is friendly and helpful, and they even have special dance numbers from time to time.

  I’m a big fan of Rootbeer Float (P175). From the picture, you can see that this was a satisfying one. It was a mixed blend of ice cream and soda with a healthy amount of froth on top. Some people like their cream floating idly on the top, but I prefer it this way better, because I get to taste how the two flavors mix. It was a bit heavy, though, so watch out.

  No burger chain is ever complete without a good glass of Strawberry Milkshake (P215). It was thick and heavy,  packed with strawberry milk goodness from the tip to the bottom. I remember Douglas telling me that he was still thinking about the shake two days later. That’s how good it was. His only complaint was that the mixture felt so heavy that it had taken him a certain amount of effort to suck it up the straw.

  These French Fries (bottomless) came with our order of the Rocket Single burger. They were fried to crispy golden-brown, exactly how people would normally like it. Yes, yes, they are bottomless, have as much as you want. Just mind your health when you’re at it. 

  I always order Onion Rings (185) whenever it’s available. Johnny Rockets’ version has round slices of onion rings in a crispy batter. I’m glad the batter doesn’t break into pieces when you take a bite, and that the actual onions weren’t minced. The order came with a ranch dip which I actually found kind of bland, so I preferred it with ketchup.

  Off to the main event. We had our Rocket Single (P345) cooked medium-rare. You can see the healthy redness of the meat at first glance. Their burgers are less greasy than the burgers in other food chains, which Douglas liked, but I found it kind of dry. Mixed emotions.

  You can have your burgers split into two for couples.

  We were too full to have dessert, and maybe that’s a good thing. 

The Verdict: Overall, it was a restaurant that was only worth trying once. It didn’t really cut it for me. Everything was overpriced (for one burger, two drinks and onion rings, our total bill was P1002.14, with VAT and service charge). The environment was jolly and upbeat, but nothing could really compensate for the “just okay” food, and the pain in your pockets. You can even tell I wasn’t enthusiastic at all in writing this entry.

G/F Eastwood Mall, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave., Bagumbayan, Libis

Quezon City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 470-2117

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With and For Love,
Rina Caparras and Douglas Chong

http://mydailydoseofrina.tumblr.com