Food News: Scare Up Some Fun with Krispy Kreme's Monsters University Treats

Coffee with Mike, Art, Sulley, Terry and Squishy. And Randy too. The gang's all here...

Krispy Kreme once again launches another cool cross promotion, this time with Disney Pixar for their latest animated film, Monsters University. A dozen donuts featuring your favorite Monsters University characters, recreated by Krispy Kreme in a delicious dozen of vibrant colors and flavors.

Holding Back The Rains at Sunshine Kitchen

The crazy rains and even crazier traffic the night before made me think twice about venturing deep into the metro, but I've always been wanting to try the much talked about Slow Roast Porchetta of Sunshine Kitchen. It was another evening without any stars, signs of another possible massive downpour. But it would take more than the potential threat of flooding or being stuck in traffic for hours to hold me back...

Located at the second floor of Fort Pointe Building, Sunshine Kitchen is one of many restaurants at The Fort Strip. Known for its artisanal pizzas, Sunshine Kitchen serves classic comfort food drawing inspiration from American, Italian and Spanish/Basque cuisine.

Salmon 100 Ways and More: Salmon Nights at Diamond Hotel's Corniche

Salmon. From sashimi to gravlax, baked, steamed and grilled, and everything in between. Salmon a hundred ways and more. Diamond Hotel's Corniche launches its Salmon Nights, a seafood buffet showcasing a variety of premium salmon dishes, including Norwegian Salmon, every Friday.

In addition to the premium salmon selection every Friday at Corniche, the buffet also includes the signature Japanese corner, a grilling station, appetizer counter, and the popular desserts station, featuring homemade ice cream and cakes from Diamond Hotel's The Cake Club. A real power buffet any way you look at it.

Amazed at Gloria Maris Shark's Fin Restaurant

One word. Impressive. From the restaurant's sheer size and scale down to each individual dish, Gloria Maris Shark's Fin Restaurant offers one of the best and authentic dining experiences in the metro.  

With several veteran Hong Kong chefs heading the kitchens at Gloria Maris, one can expect authentic Chinese dishes as well as the latest trends in contemporary Chinese cuisine. Gloria Maris also regularly sends their chefs to Hong Kong to identify new dishes and emerging trends. Gloria Maris recently hosted a lunch for bloggers to sample their signature and classic dishes, and some new dishes as well. Here's a quick tour of Gloria Maris to give you a better idea on the restaurant's size...

A Weekend Brunch at Mario's

A tradition of fine Spanish cuisine from heirloom family recipes, excellent steaks and perhaps still the best Caesar's Salad in the metro. For over forty years, Mario's continues to serve its classic dishes with the same consistent quality and passion, and a flair that can only be described as Mario's way. Old school is still definitely way cooler at Mario's. 

From its very first restaurant in Baguio along Session Road, the story of Mario's is an amazing one, and quite inspiring. Mario and Nenuca Benitez always dreamed of having a restaurant of their own, and in 1971, opened the very first Mario's in the summer capital. Mario's quickly gained a loyal following, serving traditional Spanish cuisine from Nenuca's cherished family recipes passed down from generations. Today, the second generation continues the tradition of fine Spanish cuisine, as well as incorporating new dishes with the cool Mario's touch.

Food News: More Katsu Love with Yabu's New Miso Katsu

Yabu, The House of Katsu, offers something new again for Katsu fans...and more katsu love.

Tracing its origins to Nagoya, a region noted for its red miso, miso katsu is a regional variation of the traditional katsu with red miso paste as the sauce for the dish. The red miso paste has a noticeably sweeter and nutty flavor that works great with the crisp katsu cutlet. A cool twist on the usual katsu, definitely different. Good to know that Yabu continues to introduce new dishes, with even more options for diners.

A Late Afternoon at Mesclun Bistro Serendra

French ham on a freshly baked brioche, topped with duck egg. Just can't get better than that. And in the fading afternoon light at Serendra, Mesclun Bistro shines with its unique and diverse menu. Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara is at it again, with her own take on classic dishes inspired by French and continental cuisine with that unique Mesclun touch. 

After sampling Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara's Mesclun Restaurant and Cafe at The Linden Suites (see my previous post here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-mix-of-flavors-at-mesclun-restaurant.html), I was looking forward to her second branch at Serendra. Mesclun Serendra offers the same classic dishes, but in a  more casual, bistro-style setting. Formerly Cuillerre, Chef Katrina Kuhn-Alcantara's French resto, Mesclun still retains some of the signature dishes from the former resto, adding to the vibrant mix of flavors Mesclun is known for. And true to its name, one can sample a wide range of flavors at Mesclun, from French cuisine to Alsatian style flatbread pizza, and even pasta with sisig.

Sentro 1771: Rediscovering an Old Favorite, and Discovering New Ones

I remember the first time I tried Sentro 1771's Corned Beef Sinigang so many years ago, and reliving that exact same experience every time I visit Sentro 1771. With each spoonful of Sentro 1771's classic Corned Beef Sinigang, I remember countless overtime meals at the office, made so much better with this dish. A pioneer in modern Filipino cuisine since 2002, Sentro 1771 still leads the way with its classic take on traditional Filipino dishes with a refreshing modern and cosmopolitan twist.

Part of the 1771 Group of Restaurants, which include the flagship Chateau 1771 specializing in French, Italian and Swiss dishes, Cafe 1771, WB 1771 and Sidebar, Sentro 1771 is the group's lead resto concept for modern Filipino cuisine. The group's name, "1771", can be traced back to the original address of its very first restaurant in old Manila back in 1988.  And the group of restaurants has definitely gone a long way since then...

Food News: Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen Now Open at SM Aura

Ikkoryu Fukuoka Ramen opens its second branch at the new SM Aura. After enjoying some really cool tonkotsu ramen at Ikkoryu's first branch at the new East Wing of Shangri-La Mall Plaza (check out my previous post here at http://dude4food.blogspot.com/2013/03/ikkoryu-fukuoka-ramen-authentic.html), it's great to hear they now have a second branch.

Richly flavored pork bone broth simmered for hours, tender slices of chashu pork and authentic noodles are the three components of Ikkoryu's ramen, all made with their proprietary recipes and secret blends of spices and seasonings. Known for its Chikuho-style noodles and buttery tonkotsu broth, Ikkoryu serves a regional style of ramen popular in the Kyushu region. A visit to Ikkoryu's second branch was also a good time to try their other ramen dishes.

Asya Filipino Asian Restaurant: A Cool Mix of Filipino and Asian Flavors

Familiar comfort food, distinct Asian flavors, the richness of Asian cuisine at reasonable prices. Sounds good to me...

Owned and managed by the same group behind Duo, Zuni and Sutra, all fine dining establishments, Asya is the group's first restaurant concept offering Filipino cuisine with a mix of Chinese, Japanese and Thai dishes at friendly prices. The group's experience with its high-end restaurants comes to play in Asya, where quality ingredients blend with traditional Filipino and Asian flavors at reasonable prices.