#aNIUexperience: NIU by Vikings Opens at The Podium

For over four years, NIU by Vikings continues to lead the evolution of the casual buffet dining experience with its impressive scale, variety and value, the very same core principles showcased in its newest location. It's something they do very well...

From the same group behind Vikings (more on Vikings on my earlier posts, Food News: Vikings Invade SM Jazz Mall and Experience a Taste of America with 4th of July Themed Dishes at Vikings SM Megamall), Four Seasons Hot Pot (more on Four Seasons Hot Pot on my previous posts, What's Hot? Four Seasons Hot Pot City and Quezon City's Newest Hotspot: Four Seasons Buffet and Hotpot Opens in Araneta Center) and Nord's Bread Hub (see my post, Elevating Your Bakery Experience at Nord's Bread Hub, Now Baking at The Block), NIU by Vikings continues to elevate the buffet dining experience at its newest location at The Podium. And just like my previous dining experiences, Niu by Vikings continues to impress.

The Good Taste Series 2018 at Hyatt City of Dreams

Flounder. Bacon. Couscous. Squash blossoms. And lychees. Five ingredients from a Mystery Box. And six talented young chefs take up the challenge in creating a lavish dish using these same five ingredients. Welcome to this year's edition of The Good Taste Series at Hyatt City of Dreams...

The 2018 Edition of The Good Taste Series at Hyatt City of Dreams was recently held at The Cafe last week with three winners selected for the next round of qualifying stages leading to the Asian semi-finals in Macau. Observing the competition up close was a memorable experience for me, seeing the whole creative process unfold all the way until final plating. Read on for another look back at the recent The Good Taste Series 2018 at Hyatt City of Dreams...

Sunday Best: The Sunday Brunch Buffet at Nobu Restaurant

Sunday brunch is elevated to an elegant, even sublime, dining experience exuding that masterful Nobu touch...at Nobu Restaurant.

World renowned master chef Nobu Matsuhisa brings his unique and expressive style of modern Japanese cuisine at Nobu Restaurant showcased in a lavish Sunday Brunch Buffet. It's a dining experience like no other with its wide array of Nobu-style Japanese cuisine infused with Peruvian hints masterfully executed taking Sunday Brunch to a whole new level.

Fresh Catch for the Weekend: The Seafood Extravaganza at The Cafe

It's the weekend, time to haul in the day's freshest catch...

Fridays and Saturdays mean only one thing, it's a lavish seafood feast for dinner. Hyatt City of Dreams presents the Seafood Extravaganza at The Cafe, a sumptuous buffet offering the day's fresh catch in an impressive buffet spread.

#TheGutomIsReal: Go All Out at Takaw! Filipino Eatery

When that insatiable craving for comforting Filipino flavors hits you with an unrelenting assault on the senses, just give in and head on over to Takaw! Filipino Eatery...

Noted chef Myke "Tatung" Sarthou shares his take on comforting local cuisine at his latest dining concept, Takaw! Filipino Eatery that's perfect when that craving turns to real hunger. At Takaw! Filipino Eatery, Chef Tatung infuses some light-hearted humor to some seriously good eats... 

#BestOfBoracay: The Best of Boracay Pop-Up at Hole In The Wall

More than just sun, sea and sand, Boracay has become a sub-culture all its own, a liberating state of mind temporarily placed on hold with its recent closure. Part of the unique Boracay experience is its equally famous beach grub to complete the perfect getaway. But Boracay is far from being the lost paradise, and until it recovers and opens late this year, we'll have to just wait and see. For a limited time, you can have a taste of Boracay's renowned beach grub at Hole in the Wall to satisfy your cravings, all the way until September...

The Sunny Side Cafe Group brings four of Boracay's very best to Hole in the Wall for a special pop-up allowing the metro's countless loyal fans to savor the flavors of the iconic beach destination. With the closure of numerous establishments in Boracay for the duration of its rehabilitation, the pop-up also assists business owners in providing continuous employment for its employees. At the pop-up, diners can rediscover the casual and comforting cuisine of Spicebird, Poketo, Fat Rice and Coco Mama, all in one place. For Nowie and Odette Potenciano of the Sunny Side Cafe Group, the Best of Boracay Pop-Up at Hole in the Wall is just the beginning of even better things yet to come until the re-opening of Boracay... 

Recreating Inspired and Flavorful Journeys at Vanderlust

Each dish is a story inspired by fond memories of a European journey, recreated and retold daily at one of The Podium's newest must-try restaurants...

Vanderlust takes you on a culinary journey of European-inspired flavors with its extensive menu at The Podium. The young couple behind Vanderlust, Mark Anthony and Valerie Spencer, draw inspiration from fond memories of a European journey, retelling their stories of memorable experiences in different European cities with each flavorful dish. And you get to share the young couple's passion for both travel and food with an intimate dining experience at Vanderlust. So go ahead and wander through the different layers of European flavors at Vanderlust, now open at The Podium.

Mangiamo! Savor Hearty Italian Flavors with Deliziosa Italia at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila's Cucina

The vibrant tri-colors of Italy gently wave high up at the ceiling inside the elegant interiors of Marco Polo Ortigas Manila's signature all-day restaurant. Prepare for an Italian feast at Cucina...

Comforting and rustic Italian flavors take the spotlight at Marco Polo Ortigas Manila's Cucina with Deliziosa Italia from August 14 to 27, 2018. From antipasti to savory hot dishes and desserts, it's an authentic and sumptuous Italian dining experience recreated by Executive Chef Alisdair Bletcher. Read on for a tasty peek...  

Fix Your Hunger: Everything You Need To Know About Yellow Cab's New Pizza Flavors Is All In The Bag...

Hunger is, according to the guys at Yellow Cab, the most unstoppable force in the galaxy. It's what drives us. And I really believe that. It's what makes us great. Hungry? Fix it. And everything you need to know about Yellow Cab's exciting new flavors is in the bag... 

Yellow Cab announces the introduction of new pizza variants in August with flavors that will take you to the streets of New York. And if you've got the bag, you're invited to an exclusive sneak peek...

Take Home Treats: Sweet and Savory at J. Co Donuts & Coffee

Sweet or savory? Why not have both...

Bring home a box or two of sweet and savory treats from J. Co Donuts & Coffee, and cloudy days just feel so much better. A box of Al Capone, J. Pops, and Donut Sandwiches, the day's lookin' good...

Fresh From Saigon: A Flavorful Tour of Duty at Propaganda Bistro

Authentic yet modern, progressive with an innovative and playful twist borne out of the colonial experience and revolution, Propaganda Bistro brings both art and food in a seamless blend for yet another colorful layer of the uniquely Vietnamese culinary experience...

From the same group behind Ramen Nagi, Toritake and Fat Fook Taiwanese Kitchen, Propaganda Bistro adds to the ever-growing portfolio of distinctly Asian flavors with its authentic yet modern take on Vietnamese cuisine. It's Vietnamese cuisine with a fresh, vibrant, youthful and even revolutionary spin that's just not mere propaganda. Read on and take a peek at Greenbelt 5's newest dining destination...

M2 Malunggay Okra Luya Tea Drink: Your Refreshing Vegetable Fix for the Day

Moringa. With Okra and Ginger. In a new and refreshing tea drink. It's an unusual combination, but it's surprisingly good. And good for you too...

Quench your thirst with a healthier option with M2 Malunggay Okra Luya Tea Drink by naturearth, think of it as your refreshing vegetable fix for the day in one cool tea beverage. Sweetened with natural brown sugar, it's a better alternative to the usual high-sugar content of commercial beverages. So make that lifestyle change...

M Bakery: New York's Finest Opens at One Bonifacio High Street Mall

Maybe it's the subtle pastel hues of the cakes and cupcakes following precise Pantone specifications. Or being chosen as one of Zagat's 9 Game-Changing Desserts To Try Around The US. Or the scene with Carrie and Miranda enjoying vanilla cupcakes topped with pink vanilla buttercream adorned with a sugar daisy at Magnolia Bakery's Bleecker Street location in Sex And The City. Whatever it is, Magnolia Bakery, or simply M Bakery, has become a global phenomenon and one of New York's finest. And it's now here...

Now an original New York institution, M Bakery brings its renowned cupcakes with its first ever branch in Manila, opening on August 22 at One Bonifacio High Street Mall. Just a little than than a two weeks away, you can soon enjoy the indulgent temptations from one of the world's most recognized bakeries. Just ask Carrie and Miranda... 

Spontaneity and Going With The Flow at Chibo Okonomiyaki

Like all good intentions and the best-laid schemes, nothing ever goes according to the plan. Take a usual and ordinary weekday highlighted by a few simple tasks: pick up a few items at the mall and have a light seafood lunch at Chibo Okonomiyaki. Sounds straightforward enough. But with so many tempting options to choose from, a light seafood lunch at Chibo Okonomiyaki is far from being simple...

Go have a light seafood lunch as planned, and have a few extra builds to your game plan for an epic meal. Spontaneity is always the better plan after all. At Chibo Okonoliayki...

Coming Home: A Weekend at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle

Fratres Scholarium Christianarum. Brothers of the Christian Schools. Words that have been ingrained in my memory for years since childhood, bringing back memories of the once imposing figure of Bro. Francis Cody and his ruler. Good times. And for one weekend, I get to re-experience it all over again at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle...

From the institution that molded my formative years, a weekend stay at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle almost felt like coming home. And in many ways, it was a homecoming of sorts. Just a short walk away from my old university, returning to this part of Manila just brought back many fond memories. And one weekend at Hotel Benilde Maison De La Salle promised even more...

Let's Do Dim Sum For Lunch. At Jasmine...

When a sudden craving for dim sum hits you for lunch...head on down to Jasmine.

Indulge in a lavish dim sum feast at New World Makati Hotel with Unlimited Dim Sum at Jasmine for a hearty lunch. All for only P 988 per person. Now that's a deal that's hard to pass up. Dim sum for lunch? Absolutely...

Modern Cuisine. Local Ingredients. Masterfully Executed at Gallery by Chele...

When the familiar suddenly becomes refreshingly new, dining is elevated to an almost sublime experience.

Gallery by Chele takes you on a culinary journey of discovery with comfortingly familiar local ingredients as seen and tasted by a foreign master chef armed with a wealth of knowledge from the world's finest Michelin starred restaurants. It's a refreshingly new perspective, and a personal one for Chele Gonzalez whose name greets guests at the entrance of the new restaurant. For Chele, the preservation, sustainability and exploration of food and local flavors of the region remain at the heart of the new dining concept's culinary philosophy, driven by a constant curiosity in the use of local ingredients applied with modern techniques for a unique and memorable dining experience. And let me tell you, it's one flavorful journey...

The Secret's Out: Take Five at Arya Plaza For The Best Al Fresco Dining in BGC

A leisurely brunch, a hearty lunch, an afternoon tipple with wine or cocktails or a sumptuous dinner, you can do all that in at one of Bonifacio Global City's best kept secrets...

Five restaurants. One place. The Plaza at Arya Residences, or more popularly known as Arya Plaza, is fast emerging as Bonifacio Global City's best al fresco dining destination. Architecture, design and engineering weave seamlessly with the curated selection of gastronomic offerings at Arya Plaza. The secret's out, come take a peek at BGC's premier al fresco dining hotspot and take five...