A Cut Above at Atelier Vivanda Manila

A premium slab of beef, delicately and patiently aged and grilled to perfection, served with nothing more than a drizzle of housemade infused olive oil and a pinch of salt...just the way it should be. It's all about the beef, and a dining experience that's a cut above...at Atelier Vivanda Manila. 

Michelin Star Chef Akrame Benallal takes his own personal and unique culinary style to a new stage with Atelier Vivanda Manila, adding to his growing list of restaurants in Paris, Baku, and Wanchai. At Atelier Vivanda, it's all about the beef, and now local diners can experience world-class cuisine that's truly a cut above...

Pegi Waffles: Celebrating Nineteen Flavorful Years

Nineteen years is an impressive run, and Pegi Waffles makes it even more special for its loyal diners...

Pegi Waffles celebrates a milestone highlighted by nineteen flavorful years with its signature dishes, built on their bestselling Belgian-style waffles and savory selections. Now, Pegi Waffles offers a cup of creamy Mushroom Soup with two of its popular entrees free, or indulge with their sweet and special Birthday Waffle for a limited time only to mark nineteen years of comforting flavors. Join the celebration and enjoy your favorite dishes at Pegi Waffles...

Healthy and Irresistibly Delicious at H.I.D. Burgers

A local, homegrown concept shares its innovative take on the burger...and its healthy and irresistibly delicious.

Healthy doesn't have to be bland. H.I.D. Burgers offers a flavorful yet alternative option to the usual burger with their flame-grilled chicken patties served on a pan de sal-like bun for a new flavor experience. Matched with affordable pricing, it's a winning combo. And from the city's outskirts where it all began, H.I.D. Burgers expands its market and reach as it enters the heart of the metro's culinary scene.

Ballpark Nachos, Wings, and Ribs at TGI Friday's

Hitting it way out of the ballpark is easy at TGI Fridays...

The Fridays Chili Ballpark Nachos (P 445 Lunch/P 695 Regular), with deep-fried tortilla chips draped in a rich and creamy cheese sauce topped with chili, fresh and tart pico de gallo and served with salsa, is always a guaranteed homerun. At TGI Fridays, you can always find sure bets...

Afternoon Rains and Bowls of Noodles at Annam Noodle Bar

There's just something about rainy afternoons that trigger your appetite...

...and the steaming hot bowls of Annam Noodle Bar's signature Hanoi-Style pho is just perfect when the skies turn grey. And there's nothing like Annam Noodle Bar's Pho Australian Ox-Tail and Beef Balls to make things right on a rainy day.

Dee's Gourmet Popcorn: Not Your Usual Popcorn.

Cheesy Cheese. Coffee Almond Crunch. Buttery Caramel. Stripes. And Santa Fe Mexican Blend...it's definitely not your usual popcorn. 

With ten innovative flavors, Dee's Gourmet Popcorn elevates the comforting snack with its line of handmade baked popcorn. Open up a pack and discover a whole new snacking experience...

All's Good with Cucina's All Things Swiss Food Festival

Cheese, chocolates, veal, and potatoes, everything you love about Swiss cuisine, highlighted in an impressive lunch and dinner buffet...

Starting August 19 to September 4, 2016, Marco Polo Ortigas Manila's Cucina showcases the traditional flavors of Switzerland with All Things Swiss, a food festival featuring classic dishes prepared by Marco Polo Hongkong's Executive Chef, guest chef Rolf Jaeggi. Take a peek at Cucina's flavorful All Things Swiss buffet spread...

From Davao to Manila: Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps Opens at The Block

The freshest seafood, crabs, mussels, tuna, and shrimps, a casual and comforting "kamay-kainan" dining experience with the whole table as your plate, it's time to get messy...

Davao's popular Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps comes to Manila at SM North Edsa's The Block, the first of many branches planned for the year. And once the food-grade wax paper is laid across the wooden table, the fun and feasting is about to begin...at Blue Posts Boiling Crabs and Shrimps.

Now Grinding Up North: Grind Burger at The Block

Freshly ground premium USDA beef on a buttery brioche fresh from the oven, it's just the way a good burger should be...

Grind Bistro brings its signature burgers and comforting American-style cuisine up north, with Grind Burger at SM North Edsa's The Block. Burgers, hotdogs, and even rice meals, Grind Burger does it right.

Experience the Power of Z3N and the #Zenvolution

The ZenBook 3, Transformer 3, and ZenFone 3 finally arrives in the country...it's the power of Z3N.

Laptops, tablets, and smartphones combining zen-like simplicity and power...it's the #Zenvolution by ASUS with its third wave of innovative new products. After weeks of anticipation and excitement, ASUS recently unveiled the complete line-up of the advanced ZenFone 3 Family, the sleek ZenBook 3 and the versatile Transformer 3 at the official Philippine launch at Sofitel Philippine Plaza last August 14, 2016. Here's a cool peek at the #Zenvolution...

Quadruple Your Pasta Pleasure with Army Navy Burger + Burrito's New Mextiza Pasta

Traditional and inventive, four new pasta dishes guaranteed to quadruple your pasta pleasure...

Army Navy Burger + Burrito introduces their new Mextiza Pasta, four new pasta dishes offering both classic and innovative executions guaranteed to satisfy any pasta craving. Craving for an inventive spin, or simply comforting and rustic flavors, Army Navy Burger + Burrito's got one of four pasta dishes just for you with their new Mextiza Pasta. 

#SeeWhatOthersCantSee: Food Tastings with My ASUS ZenFone2 Laser

I've always relied on my same old but dependable DSLR for food photos on this blog since my very first post. Taking photos with a smartphone was something you would do on a spontaneous whim, nothing to be taken seriously. Or at least that's the way I thought, until the ASUS ZenFone2 Laser made me look twice...  

...and see what others can't see. Since then, taking photos with my ASUS ZenFone2 Laser has been an interesting journey, and quite a liberating and tasty one at that. One snap, and you finally get to realize what so many millennials have known all this time. Maybe you can teach old dogs new tricks, and it's easy with the ASUS ZenFone2 Laser. Even for baby boomers. And it all started at Makati Diamond Residences, with the Weekend Champagne Brunch at Albert (photo taken at Makati Diamond Residences with my ASUS ZenFone2 Laser, or see my earlier post, A Weekend Champagne Brunch at Alfred, and compare it with the photos on the post taken with my trusty DSLR).

It's Not That Complicated: Choose Any Two for P370 at Pancake House

Why complicate it when you can easily simplify it. At Pancake House, good food feels good, and it gets better with their Choose Any Two for P 370 offer...

Pancake House offers diners a winning pair with its Choose Any Two for P 370 combo combining good food with value for money.  Choose any two dishes from the 2-Piece Pan Chicken, Special Salisbury Steak, Spaghetti with Meat Sauce and Grilled Cheese, and the Pan Grilled Pork Belly for only P370, and you get two glasses of iced tea to complete the meal. Dining for two, or if you're just really hungry, feeling good with good food isn't that complicated at all. At Pancake House...

A Spicy Encounter with Ramen Nagi's Nagoya King

Grey skies and late afternoon rains, perfect weather for some spicy ramen with serious level 10 heat. And for a limited time only, you can indulge in Ramen Nagi's newest Limited King, the Nagoya King...

Ramen Nagi introduces the ultimate spicy ramen with their newest Limited King edition, the Nagoya King, with its signature broth fired up with soothing spices guaranteed to brighten up any rainy day. All fired up for the new Nagoya King? Read on...

Homey and Comforting Flavors at Limbaga 77

A former home transformed, serving inventive local cuisine...

Limbaga 77 shares its own unique take on Filipino comfort food with inventive dishes inspired by local flavors, just one of many dining options along Scout Limbaga in a quaint neighborhood of Quezon City. 

Beyond the Cup: Barista & Coffee Academy of Asia Coffee 101

A lot of love, dedication, and passion goes into each cup of premium coffee. And if you're after more than just a cup of coffee and craving to know more about what goes behind each cup, or even looking further and considering starting your own coffee business, then this might be for you...

Photo of coffee beans from my earlier post, The World's Best in a Cup at Dipdenza Coffee.

The Barista & Coffee Academy of Asia, or BCAA, will be holding special classes, including an advanced coffee roasting and specialty coffee grading classes in September. BCAA also offers short courses on Brewing Practice, Barista 101, Coffee Business Management, Menu Development, Cafe Operations, High Tea, and Cocktails this August. Grab yourself a freshly brewed cup of coffee and read on...

Sushi and Highballs at Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte

A restaurant and a bar, two distinct venues, in one place. Welcome to Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte...

Raintree Restaurants, the same group behind M Cafe, Kabila, Chelsea Grand Cafe, Chelsea Kitchen, Stella, Rocket Room, Terraz, Simple Lang, Momo Cafe, and Saboten, introduces its newest pair of dining concepts, Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte, for a new and refreshing dining experience that's authentically Japanese. And just like M Cafe and Kabila, and Stella and Rocket Room, Izakaya Sensu and Chotto Matte also offers a unique dual dining concept all in one place. Sushi and yakitori at Izakaya Sensu, followed by a round of Kakubin Highballs at Chotto Matte within steps of each other in one place, now how cool is that?

Now Grillin' in Quezon City: Johnny's Steak and Grill at B Hotel

Certified Angus Beef Porterhouse, Ribeye, and Tenderloin, fresh off the grill...there's a new steakhouse in town.

B Hotel's Johnny's Steak and Grill fires up its premium selection of steaks in Quezon City, adding to the blossoming culinary landscape this side of the metro.

New Flavors: IHOP Introduces All-New Lunch and Dinner Menu

Lunch and dinner at IHOP? Absolutely...

IHOP introduces new dishes created specifically for the Philippine market, providing loyal customers and diners even more tasty options in addition to the familiar IHOP classics available throughout the day. And you can even sample the winner of IHOP's International dineChef Contest, a competition participated by IHOP's global network of branches for the creation of exciting and new dishes. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner...it's all here at IHOP.

A Taste of Modern Japanese Cuisine at Fukudaya Japanese Dining

First impressions do last. And if the initial dinner sets at Fukudaya Japanese Dining are any indication, the newest Japanese dining concept this side of BGC is off to a great start...

Fukudaya Japanese Dining offers its unique take on modern Japanese cuisine combining the freshest ingredients with both traditional and modern culinary techniques. And the best way to sample their culinary style is with their Set Menus, served like a formal degustacion, Japanese-style.  Read on for a taste of Fukudaya Japanese Dining...

Food News: New Birthday Donuts from Krispy Kreme

Krispy Kreme marks a key milestone with its 79th birthday. Time for some Birthday Donuts...

To celebrate the milestone, Krispy Kreme offers a box of 6 Birthday Donuts for only P 79 with every purchase of 6 Original Glazed Donuts, extended up to August 15, 2016. Now, how cool is that...

At Home At Meranti Hotel for the Weekend

So close to home, yet one feels far away in a secluded private sanctuary...

A weekend at Meranti Hotel adds another dimension to the usual weekend staycation, with comforting and elegant accommodations matched by excellent service and sumptuous dining experiences all in the center and heart of Quezon City. Quezon City is definitely changing, and Meranti Hotel is just one of the many welcome additions to this part the metro. So near home, and Meranti Hotel is home for the weekend...

Re-Interpreting Filipino Cuisine's Colorful Palette at Restaurant Verbena's Feast of Colors

Like artists with their palettes, four talented and noted chefs collaborate to recreate Filipino cuisine's vibrant tapestry of colors at Restaurant Verbena's Feast of Colors...

Discovery Country Suites' culinary team, led by Chefs Anthony Raymond and Rhea Sycip, in collaboration with noted culinary authority and the "Adobo Queen" herself, Ms. Nancy Reyes-Lumen along with Chef Jaja Andal, join forces for a creative and colorful re-interpretation of Filipino cuisine at Restaurant Verbena's Feast of Colors. Drawing inspiration from Tagaytay's colorful landscape and the recently held charity dinner of Chef Sau del Rosario, prepare for a colorful and sumptuous lunch buffet of local flavors with a Feast of Colors on August 13 and 14, 2016 at Discovery Country Suites' Restaurant Verbena. Take a colorful peek at the upcoming Feast of Colors at Restaurant Verbena...

Classic Ilocano Flavors in the Metro at Victorino's Restaurant

The distinct regional cuisine of the north adds another layer to the rich and diverse tapestry of flavors in Quezon City...

Victorino's Restaurant serves traditional Ilocano dishes for an authentic taste of the north at the heart of Quezon City. The bustling and vibrant food scene in Quezon City's Scout area is filled with infinite dining options and culinary styles, but if you're looking for rustic Ilocano flavors, there's Victorino's Restaurant... 

Monday Madness with Shakey's Chicken 'N' Mojos

Your favorite Chicken 'N' Mojos at 40% OFF the regular price... It's Monday Madness at Shakey's.

When rainy days and Mondays get you down, simply pull out your Shakey's Supercard and enjoy your favorite Chicken 'N' Mojos with an exclusive 40% discount in any Shakey's branch. Rainy days and Mondays made better...at Shakey's.

After 71 Years And Counting, Still Sarap to the Bones at Max's Restaurant.

It's a love affair that just keeps getting stronger with the passing of every year...

And seventy-one years later, Max's Restaurant is still the place for the iconic "Sarap to the Bones" Fried Chicken, an institution in the local culinary scene that continues a proud tradition now managed by the family's second and third generations. From its very first restaurant at 21 Scout Tuason in Quezon City, Max's Restaurant has expanded to over 127 locations with a growing network of branches in Metro Manila, Luzon, and Cebu, as well as an international presence with restaurants in the US, Canada, Australia, and the Middle East. The House That Fried Chicken Built is the core of the Max's Group, which now includes other dining concepts an international franchises such as Krispy Kreme, Jamba Juice, Pancake House, Dencio's, Teriyaki Boy, Sizzlin' Pepper Steak, Le Coeur de France, Yellow Cab, and Maple. And a new hotel, Meranti Hotel (more on an awesome weekend staycation at Meranti Hotel on my next post), located near the original location of the very first Max's Restaurant. And it all started with a recipe for fried chicken...

Reviving the Neighborhood Bakery Experience at Kamuning Bakery Cafe

Pan de sal, Pan de keso, Bicho-Bicho, Egg Pie and Pineapple Pie...classic treats from a neighborhood bakery. 

Since 1939, Kamuning Bakery Cafe has been serving these baked treats and more using traditional old-school methods with its pugon, a wood-fired brick oven. Like a trip down memory lane, Kamuning Bakery Cafe stands out with its nostalgic freshly-baked artisanal bread and rustic pies, serving a new generation of loyal customers.