Posts Tagged ‘restaurant’
Garden Cafe, Marriott Hotel, Cebu
We’ve been internet-deprived for almost 2 weeks now. Nothing wrong with our internet connection. But our desktop broke down from the recurring black-outs we’ve had last summer and my laptop needed to be upgraded as soon as possible. The desktop is still broken and in need to be brought at the repair shop. Thankfully, I got to upgrading my laptop first as I use it more often.
El Viento, Marco Polo Hotel Cebu
This is the only time we’ve ever been to Marco Polo and skipped the buffet at Cafe Marco to eat a simple dinner at El Viento. But either way, you’re guaranteed a pricey meal! For P1,000, our dinner was an Antipasti Platter and a Pizza Quatro Stagioni, 3 cooks at P200, and taxes at P500, for a grand total of a little over P1,500.
Teriyaki Boy, Cebu
Teriyaki Boy
Baby’s teeth have been giving us problems again. Her two upper canine teeth just came out and we had an interchanging cocktail of fever, runny nose, dry cough, and soft stool. One thing that never goes away though is Baby’s appetite. Sick or not, she eats the same way (Ha!). So after she started feeling well, we decided to go out as a family. We spent the afternoon at the mall and let Baby ride her favorite rides at Timezone. Then for dinner, we went to eat at our favorite Japanese restaurant in Ayala Center, Teriyaki Boy.
Johnny’s Fish and Chips
Tuna Panga, the star of the meal.
I’ve only eaten Tuna Panga 3 times in my life. The first time, I was 16 years old and it was our neighbor who cooked it. It was Sinulog and He had prepared it to be eaten as a pulutan/drinking snack for their drinking session. Something caught their attention and they left the table. I happened to be there and looked at the odd-looking piece of fish and thought to myself “that fish looks ugly”. Little did I know, that it would taste amazingly delicious!
Don Merto’s Restaurant
Don Merto's not-so-many item selections
I had my routine check –up the other day. Everything turned out fine except for a little anemia.
“Nothing to worry about”, the Doctor said.
I don’t even have medications. I just need a little change in my diet; focus more on foods rich in iron. Did you know that sea vegetables are high in iron? I didn’t.
Anyways, I called Hubby. They were strolling around SM with Baby and Dad. Seeing that it was close to noon, I told them to pick a restaurant and I would meet them there. They decided on Don Merto’s. It was our first time to dine at this branch. We were saddened when we found out that they close their original branch at Banilad Town Center. It was much closer to our house and an easy choice for busy dinner nights. But with the construction of the flyover, they unfortunately had to close. Soon after, they opened a branch in SM Northwing and another in Escario Street, which caters for a bed and breakfast. I’ve never been to the place as it is a little out of our way, but I hope to someday. Especially since upon inspection of their items for sale in SM, it was a great disappointment to see that they have little choice to buy from. Gone are the many products they used to sell in Banilad. I wonder what happened. I used to love their frozen yogurt and would buy boxes of it, but unfortunately it’s not available anymore. Even dad’s favorite items are not available anymore. Perhaps, they sell them at Escario Street. That’s why I will try to go one of these days. The SM branch is a lot smaller than their former branch. There seems to have many changes but one thing that has stayed is their themed meals per day.
The Gustavian
I don’t remember where I read or heard about the buffet at The Gustavian, but as soon as I found out, I knew I wanted to check it out as soon as possible. We had a very pleasant meal the last time we dined there and I was pretty confident we would have a good time again. I had no idea what they were offering but I was surely excited!
Appetizers Table
Casa Verde
Casa Verde is definitely the place you want to go to eat your money’s worth. Dishes are relatively cheap while servings are huge, usually good to feed at least 2 persons. For years, Casa Verde kept a low profile with their original branch located at V. Ranudo Extension and became famous for their exquisite baby back ribs. In the past year, they have branched out and set roots at The Walk, IT Park and The Terraces, Ayala Center. Sure, their prices are a little more elevated at their new places but what’s a couple of bucks when you get to feast on their succulent ribs. Trust me, no one leaves Casa Verde unsatisfied and hungry.
Casa Verde and McDo Take-Out
When I heard that they opened at The Walk, I could not help but jump for joy. This meant that I could easily call them and order for pick up on lazy nights. And this is exactly what I did last week. I came home late night and slightly panicked when I realized that I had nothing prepared to cook for dinner. Thawing the meat and cooking would take at least an hour and when I heard my stomach grumble, I knew I wouldn’t make it for another hour. That’s when the clever idea of ordering from Casa Verde came up. Hubby was set to come home in 30 minutes so I asked him to pick up the orders.
Brian's Baby Back Ribs (P168.00)
I looked around for their number, stumbled on a lovely receptionist and was informed that my orders would be ready for pick up in 20 minutes. I set the dining table and before I knew it, hubby was home with the food.
Barbie Shrimps (P148.00)
Tonight, my orders were Brian’s Baby Back Ribs (I never fail to order it) and Barbie Shrimps (my first time). Dad, who was in the mood for a burger and fries, asked Hubby to bring him home some from McDonald’s (also in The Walk).
Once again, the ribs were delicious. The secret is in the sauce, which I always ask for extra. The meat is so tender that it literally falls of the bone with the littlest nudge of the fork. Personally, I prefer eating at home because I can’t pass eating the ribs with my fingers. Definitely a finger-licking good experience. For only P168.00, it is a pretty good deal. The second dish we got was the Barbie Shrimps. This was my first time to order this but I was not disappointed. For P148.00, you have 3 sticks of 4 grilled marinated shrimps with red and green pepper, and onion. It is also served with herbed rice and sautéed vegetables. This was really delicious; good marinate and grilled to perfection.
Barbie Shrimps and Brian's Baby Back Ribs
For a total of P316.00, Hubby and I had a really really great meal that night.
Casa Verde is located at The Walk, IT Park (Tel. No. 412-3336). Other branches are at V. Ranudo Extension and The Terraces, Ayala Center
Mooon Cafe
Sun Cooler Pitcher (P130.00)
When one mentions Mexican food in Cebu, Mooon Café pops into my mind. I don’t know how authentic it really is because I’ve never been to Mexico, but whenever I wanted a burrito or chimichanga I always found myself at Mooon. I’ve been to their Guadalupe branch several times since they opened, but I was ecstatic when I found out they were opening at The Walk. It’s so much nearer to our house and convenient for those lazy nights.
Gilligan’s Island Restaurant and Bar
Another restaurant at The Terraces. It was my father-in-law’s birthday and Hubby and I decided to invite the family to dine out. Gilligan’s recently opened their first branch in Cebu and we were curious to find out what kind of food they offered and their specialties. As we arrived at The Terraces, we found out that a choir was performing that night and since my father-in-law likes that, we decided to reserve a table outside. I wrote down specifically what I wanted: a table for 9 people outside and when we arrived at 7:30pm, our table was ready for us. I had already glanced at the menu beforehand and hubby and I had chosen one of the package meal. It cost P1,350. It was good for 6 people and comprised of: 2 platter of rice, veggie kare-kare with bagoong, garlic chicken, grilled squid, grilled pork belly, grilled blue marlin, crispy pata, and 6 iced teas. I added 2 orders of pork sinigang, 1 order of pancit canton, 1 platter of rice, and 3 iced teas. I loved the garlic chicken: fried chicken topped with gravy and garlic bits. I guess I ordered too much because we had lots of leftovers to bring home.
The restaurant offers mainly typical Filipino food. The menu resembled a lot like the one at Gerry’s grill. I could not help but compare the two through the night. Our food arrived within 15 minutes, however, the grilled pork belly was missing in action. I was hungry at the time that I barely remembered about it. It was when my mother-in-law asked me if everything was on the table that I remembered about the grilled pork belly. I asked the waitress about it and she said that I didn’t order any grilled pork belly. But I remembered what was written in the menu, and I asked to see it. And yes, there was grilled pork belly in the package meal. I asked the waitress to fast forward the dish as we were almost finished eating dinner. I guess this is a disadvantage of ordering package meals; you have to keep up with the dishes. Unfortunately, most of us were done eating when the pork belly finally arrived.
