This weekend, I'm unboxing tummy goodies instead of makeup or gizmos. Dulcelin Gourmet's Mango Torte came out of the box and I was like, "ang nipis!", but that little negativity dug its own grave when I sank my teeth into the delightful treat. Ang sarap lang. And I realized it's a low cake for a reason.

    The definitive house specialty – Crispy-chewy nougatine, golden mangoes and cream

The torte is suggested to be served after slight thawing. To objectively quantify 'slight', I'd say it's about thirty seconds. Really. We let it stand out of the freezer for more than 5mins and the multitude of frosting plus some other parts of the cake weren't as palatable. It's still yummy but it tastes so much better when eaten shortly after getting it off the ice.

Dulcelin Gourmet

36 Times Street, West Triangle, Q.C. Tel. 374-2165

(more branches: in Makati, Pasig, Taguig, Muntinlupa, etc.)

Mango Torte, 9"- P680; 12"- P1,000

The best part about Dulcelin's mango torte is that it doesn't taste sinful. I hate it when I spend hundreds of pesos on a supposed treat that eventually makes me feel like I'm the most awful person for buying too much carbs. Nope, I'm far from feeling awful coz this torte's treating me just right.

If you love sweet mangoes and nuts, you'll enjoy this cake. The torte's manipis because it doesn't want to make you feel you've overindulged. Great job, Dulcelin! This would've gotten ten stars if not for the frosting-- I wish it had a subtler hint of sweetness.

Some few weeks ago, the sibs and I decided to spend one rainy Sunday afternoon eating merienda at Sentro 1771. I loved everything we ordered especially the Keso Flan. It's cheesecake, bibingka and leche flan rolled into one! Oh, Keso Flan!

I would not have guessed that the slices of salted duck egg mixed with a spoonful of the sweet & creamy keso flan created a wonderful burst of flavor! I loved Sentro 1771's version of leche flan down to the last bite. I didn't eat the queso de bola though. I never liked it.

P220 is quite a big price to pay for a dessert I chowed down in a little over a minute. Parang taga bundok lang, naexcite sa bagong pagkain na pagkasarap-sarap! The serving, in my opinion, is quite small especially for something so amazingly palatable.

It wasn't just this dessert that I loved at Sentro. I'll tell you about the others soon after I get the photos fixed. For now, I'll leave you with this so you can help me figure out why this dog kept barking crazily at me when I tried to pose beside him.

Get fresh updates via the Sentro Facebook page and their Twitter

Sentro 1771 is located at the Serendra Piazza (across Cupcakes by Sonja) and Level 2, Greenbelt 3

Sentro 1771's Keso Flan has raised the bar in leche flan. That's at least for my simple and easy-to-please palate. But if you want come up with a verdict and and try out a delectable treat where leche flan, cheesecake, bibingka, and itlog na maalat tag teams to knock your tastebuds out, go and try the Keso Flan any time soon!

Now C2 just had to come up with this. I love that their new Cool and Clean Milky Tea costs only a fraction of the more popular milk tea brands and tastes decent enough for its price (tastes like real Thai Milk Tea).

I will definitely be drinking more! At 11php per 230mL bottle (which is around 3-4 chugs if you're darn excited bout a cheap milk tea in this 90++-pesos-per-cup-of-milk-tea era), my money is undeniably well-spent.

Won't be surprised if the other tea-in-a-plastic-bottle brands follow suit. Has anyone of you tasted this Milky Tea by C2?

This is what I've been snacking on for the past week--- dried cranberries! Craisins (or dried cranberries, craisins is a registered trademark of Ocean Spray Cranberries), mixed with walnuts, help me hugely in getting back into shape by overlooking the truckload of junk food and chocs I've grown attached to during the holidays.

This sweet-and-sour fruit snack is a popular low-carb meal that's proven to not just help in weight loss but in countering common infectious diseases as well. The most enticing advantage of munching on dried cranberries is that you do not feel deprived of the good food while losing weight!

However, commercially available craisins may contain a high dose of artificial sugars. Some suggest drying your own cranberries to ensure the low-carbohydrate factor, which we all know is key to a successful weight loss plan. Feel free to google up recipes!

A pack of craisins is one of the diet plans in battling my all-time favorite fat-packing Pringles, Lay's, Clover Chips, Kornets and Piknik. I will of course include my basil and penne recipe and the 30-Day Shred workout in the battle plan. No Pretty Model Slimming Capsules included though, I plan to do it the natural way. 

So, how are you planning to get back into shape for the new year? Share, share!

I've read at least 5 blog reviews highly recommending Kogi Bulgogi's affordable and delicious authentic Korean cuisine. And so we went, two Fridays ago, and tried hard to digest what affordable and delicious authentic Korean cuisine really meant.

Kogi Bulgogi, owned by Pepper Lunch Food Co, failed to impress us that night. The food was decent but we kept wondering why it was highly-raved.

That Friday Night's Woes:

1. The long wait time for seats and for the food to be served. This is the least distressing because we had to understand that it was a Friday night (the place was seriously packed!). But because we had to endure, we expected quite highly from the meal we're about to to gobble up. There were free seats along the veranda but we preferred dining al fresco sans the cigarette smoke. 

2. Squished customers + more. By the time we got seated, we realized that the table for six we arranged for was a makeshift. My sister was closely beside the ice cream freezer while my brother sat 'neath a dripping aircon. My bf had to sit still lest the rear leg of his chair slides off the decorative gutter.

I know we could've refused to be seated in such manner but we were utterly famished that we, again, endured (and smiled for the photos).

3. Food Quantity. Chef Frugal must've prepared our bibimbaps himself. You can barely distinguish the meat in each dish.

Dulsot Bibimbap (Beef, veggies and egg)

Salmon Bibimbap (Salmon, veggies and egg)

Sae-u Bibimbap (Shrimp, veggies and egg) has the most appreciable quantity of meat in it

A photo of their bibimbaps on the menu

Also their usual 6-7 plates of Banchan (appetizer) was reduced to 5

We also ordered Haemul Tang (spicy stew of mixed seafoods) because of how yummy it looked on the menu

We waited to be served with soup where the seafoods are almost popping out of the pot. Unfortunately, all our crustaceans may have fallen deep into the pot's abyss

Nothing much about their Jjajangmyeon (Wheat noddles topped with black soybean sauce with diced meat and vegetables)

I can't say it was a completely terrible experience though. The food was decent and we liked Kogi Bulgogi's neat and sophisticated interior. The customer service was fairly okay but I'd like to note that only the trainee (I forgot to take photo) had commendable performance.

Overall, I'm not crazy about this place. Food is definitely affordable but there are other Korean food joints that give you more value for your money while letting you experience authentic Korean dining (within the radius of de Leon Street, Holy Spirit Drive in Don Antonio Heights, Commonwealth). 

DID YOU KNOW THAT: Bibimbap is concerned with presentation… Everything arranged beautifully and in balance. It can truly almost be considered a work of art when properly prepared

I hope Kogi Bulgogi does something about their bibimbap. The quantity is very disappointing for its price.

When we went out for our monthsary a couple of days ago, we were caught in a web of unfortunate events. Talk about tough luck. Amici's Cara Mia Mango Jubilee must've been the only saving grace that day (and a Motorola Defy, pala). Was it a horror story at The Old Spaghetti House SM North for us? Let's see...

As Lemony Snicketts Would Write It

First off, we were bypassed at a gas station after waiting in line for half an hour. Then, we almost got hit by a car who chose to ignore the 'right-of-way' rule. After so, we spent hours looking for parking at the mall and when we found our luck, another motorist unethically parked his ass over 'our space' as we made way for the outgoing vehicle.

The most unforgivable event must've been snacking on spaghetti w/ meatballs + lasagna at The Old Spaghetti House. We had high hopes for this Italian joint but we left the place VERY disappointed. It started with the oily onion rings "appetizer" (that was served along with the main dishes, would you believe! eh, appetizer nga eh, sana inuna at pinatagal ng onti yung pag serve ng spag and lasagna).

Onion Rings, 110PHP. Crispy, but majority of the onions are of poor quality. Yung tipong tinatapon mo sa sibuyas kasi makunat na. Not to mention it's too oily. Made me wish for a Carl's Jr onion rings tuloy
 Photo Source

The TOSH Horror Story

Spag's the boyfie's fave and lasagna's mine. Honestly, my dog Maxx's R.A.W. diet (consists of beef+veggies) must've tasted better than the meatballs we dug into. Ulk. Parang dogfood (sorry Maxx, no offense meant)! And the lasagna wasn't superb at all. It may have had that junky flavor I wanted, but it was too easy for me to tell twas prepared several days (or weeks! eep!) ago. I can already imagine how it got cryofreezed over time and was just revived c/o the good old microwave.

Spaghetti w/ meatballs. 150PHP. Noodles and sauce were okay. The meatballs?
Buti nalang al dente yung noodles at mapula yung sauce!
Photo Source

We thought of ordering dessert afterwards. When we decided not to, it was perhaps the first rewarding move that day. Second rewarding move was heading to Amici (which was beside The Old Spaghetti House) to order our cara mia gelato ice cream. Third was probably going home with a Motorola Defy. Ooohlala.

Huge Lasagna, ~160PHP. I like the burst of flavour and the junky cheesey taste. If only it was served fresh. It may be huge but half of it went to Maxx's guts anyway.
Photo Source

Happy Ever After

It may have been a bad start for a special day but it's all good that ice cream + android phone erased all that! Am I going back to The Old Spaghetti House? I actually like the interior --- it's so clean, homey and cozy; however, I went there to grab my fave Italian dishes (and these meals are relatively easy to whip, right?), got out disappointed, so, I'm not going back. Good thing we spent no more than 500 bucks (~$12) for the unsatisfactory food.

Recommendation

This place does not serve freshly-baked lasagna and spaghetti with meatballs all the time. If you're not a meatball/lasagna-lover, by all means, go try their other dishes. They actually have superb food prices, attentive and friendly staff & crew, and a very pleasant atmosphere inside the resto. However, if you love the stuff we ordered above, then you're on the road to wasting some few hundred pesos on The Old Spaghetti House, SM North. Getting what we paid for, you say? Nah, we got LESS of the cheap amount we shelled out when we ordered that weird triumvirate.

Happy Sunday everyone! 

I love Doraemon. Few days back, I got a taste of his favorite food, the Dorayaki, and I just went nuts after the first bite! 

Photo Source, a cute keychain of the Dorayaki

If you fancy red beans and soft bread, this is a must-try! If you are gaga bout Doraemon, then you ought to get your hands on this snack to understand why your fave blue-and-white cartoon character loves to gobble up gazillions of Dorayaki.

The Dorayaki treats that my brother brought back home for us!
(photo c/o the lil sis who loves Doraemon, too!)

Dorayaki: red bean paste chucked in between the softest pancakey bread

We already ran out of Dorayaki :( My brother got us a truckload, but the lil sis and I sank our teeth into every bread the moment we saw it. Cookie monsters in flesh.

I've always thought Doraemon looked like hopia

Now, we're in dire need to visit a Japanese grocery that offers the freshest Dorayaki in town! Can any of you recommend one? Hatchin grocery is just too far from our place. We're thinking of making the bread ourselves, but we'd still love to laze around and just buy these delish treats!

Happy Sunday, everyone! Let me complete my series of weight loss posts with a healthy pasta recipe. 

Ingredients:

300g penne pasta (boiled al dente)

3tbsp EVOO

1 1/4tbsp balsalmic vinegar

1 cup fresh basil leaves (shred by hands to prevent bruising)

4-5pcs tomatoes (boiled, peeled and chopped)

2 cloves garlic (minced)

salt and pepper to taste

parmesan cheese

1: Mix everything in except the noodles and parmesan
2: Let all the sauce ingredients mingle for ~10mins
3: Toss the noodles in + parmesan

And we are now ready to plate! Add in your favorite bread stick and you're pretty much good to go.

If you are a bit rigorous on losing weight, you can substitute the white penne with any type of whole grain noodles. 

Do you have your own healthy and no-cook recipes, too? Do share them, I'd love to know! I know Ava has a similar fix in salad form.

Happy Sunday everyone! I'm sharing one of my fondest moments during the first quarter of 2011... hanging out with my college classmates in PT at Crisostomo Restaurant!

We loved how we sort of had the place to ourselves --- well at least that area immediately outside the resto since we had friends who smoked their guts out.

My PT classmates @ Crisostomo Restaurant in Libis, QC, Jan 2011

Some of the food we ordered

The interior and lighting were posh enough to exude an inviting ambiance for couples or groups of friends. It could, however, ward off potential Crisostomo customers who may conclude that the food may be priced sky-high.

We opted for Filipino food because of our balikbayan classmates. They've been in the U.S. for quite some time and are dying to gobble up as much Filipino food as they can. The resto's menu was packed with amusing dish names, reminiscent of Noli and El Fili, that kept us entertained (Adobo Damaso kept us roaring with laughter! Care to take a bite off Padre Damaso's fats?)

Ensaladang Erehe (leafy veggies w/ tomatoes,
chopped green mangoes, onions and shrimp paste)

Adobo Rice

A party of Pinoy sauces (drooling over bagoong/shrimp paste)

A big platter of grilled stuff --- stuffed squid, milkfish belly,
and some other fish I can't name + chicken and pork bbq

Overall, the food was okay but I wouldn't spend that much on something that my mom can cook as good at home. Service was good, but not exemplary (perhaps because we ate outside?). It's more for balikbayans, and if you want to impress foreigner friends. 

Crisostomo is a fine resto to go to but there are other Filipino restos that offer fairly-priced Pinoy dishes you can enjoy!

............................................................

Crisostomo Restaurant

2/F Eastwood Mall Veranda, 

Libis Quezon City

Need the MENU?

(02) 710-1693

Crisostomo, Turn of the Century Filipino Cuisine

Veranda dining area @ Crisostomo 

I decided to treat myself to Cyma Trinoma's Greek cuisine after surviving yet another week of juggling work and review classes.  I didn't eat much at school today leaving my tummy real roomy for good food.

Cyma's Spinach and Artichoke Foundue, 350php
- it's got sun-dried tomatoes and squares of feta cheese swimming in that pool of creamy cheese
- served with toasted bread and pita

I ordered Spinach and Artichoke Fondue to satisfy this week's craving for cheese, Steak Souvlaki to make my entire meal protein-rich (I'm on a low-carb, high-protein diet; I'm targeting to lose the extra pound before December), and Roka Salata to get the guilt out of gobbling up the unnecessary calories from the entire gastronomic experience.

Cyma's Steak Souvlaki, 430php with spinach rice, 130php
i skipped the pita bread and ate rice instead.  i'm vouching for this tandem as a perfect meal for guys, really .

i really liked this!  it blended perfectly with the meat.
[waitress said] it's japanese rice. topped with feta cheese (and i thought twas tofu!)

And yes, something to balance out the meal, a salad.  The best way to go low on carbs is to ingest unrefined carbs.  Veggies are unrefined carbs (or complex carbs) --- sugars that the body finds easier to break down (it's really a misnomer that they're called complex carbs) so that no one has to end up storing too much fat in the body!  Other unrefined carbs include whole wheat grains, fruits, beans and nuts.

Refined carbs (simple carbs, the bad sugar) include white rice, white bread, softdrinks, fruit juices, etc.

Cyma's Roka Salata, solo 330php

tossed greens, sun-dried tomatoes, walnuts and shredded parmesan cheese!

Other Cyma must-try's are: hirine brizola (grilled porkchops, these are more tender than the steak kabab that i ate), moussaka (oh, the calories! i just can't have this at this point of fatness) and their gyros (pronounced 'yeer-ohs').

I brought home a good lot of leftovers.  But it just doesn't stop there.

I headed to Parvati to meet up with the boyfie for dessert (sweet!).  Cyma has drool-worthy desserts (try skolatina), but Parvati has better ones, IMO.  I feasted on my favorite cream CHEESE brownies while the bf had triple decker CHEESEcake.  We were just so cheesey today... literally.

Parvati Bakeshop @ the Trinoma Mall, it's such a tiny coffee shop!

We're lucky to have the place to ourselves... weird, though. we usually find the place packed.

Parvati: small place, big fridges

Parvatis Cream Cheese brownies, raised their prices to 240php though :(

Parvati Triple Decker Cheesecake, 130php per slice. i will order a whole cake from their baker next month.

We went to watch RED afterwards.  It was a great movie for us stressed-out couple.  We both love John Malkovich and seeing him trying to be funny this time was a total laughtrip!  There was even one person who coughed so hard for minutes as a follow through to the hilarious screaming suicide bomber Malkovich scene.

the huge movie pop-out art for RED at the Trinoma cinemas

Overall, the 2-hour movie was nice.  No Inception-ish arguments at the end of the movie, no regrets for the 170php movie ticket... just our belly wanting to burst from the hilarity of the film.  I didn't think Bruce Willis looked like a retiree, though.  I would've wanted a funny Robert de Niro instead. :)

This is the first time I've blogged about my Friday, second time blogging real-time (first real-time post was about my cute flat shoes).  Perhaps I'm on a high from the good food, sweets, funny movie and the fact that it's been a date night.  I hope you had a fun Friday, too!

P.S. SALE Alert!  Drop by and score great finds from them this weekend!  Check out other fab deals at the Sale Alert Page.

Topshop and Topman Trinoma, up to 50% sale

Dorothy Perkins Trinoma Sale

Cyma Restaurant
4/F Trinoma Mall, G/F Greenbelt 2
also located at Shangri-la Mall, Eastwood Mall, and ATC
Provincially located at Ayala Center Cebu and D'Mall at Boracay

Parvati Bakeshop
G/F Trinoma Mall, below National Bookstore