Sugarleaf - Makati Branch

Anyone who has ever tried to eat healthy knows that it's a daunting task especially with all the good restaurants in the metro.  Well, there's one place that caters especially to health buffs, vegetarians or just about anyone wanting to have their fill of healthy and nutritious dishes.

I did not know anything about the place when we visited their Makati dining outlet which was situated in the MEDICard Lifestyle Center at the corner of Paseo de Roxas and Gil Puyat Avenue.

In the ground floor they sold kefir, fresh juices, ice cream and other healthy items.  

Their dining area, which is situated at the second floor, consists of around five or six tables.  The air conditioner was not working when we visited so it was quite warm during our meal despite the electric fan they provided.

My foodie friend ordered the Organic Guyabano Shake and found it very refreshing.

Organic Guyabano Shake

Their version of the Pina Colada Shake was non-alcoholic and contained kefir, a sour tasting cultured milk similar to yogurt.  Kefir is considered a superfood and has major health benefits.  Sugarleaf maintains a steady supply of kefir for their dishes and sells it in their retail outlet.

Pina Colada Shake

The crabstick & mango goody wrap can be compared to a healthy version of the California Maki without the rice.  It is filled with lettuce, crabstick and mango wrapped in a soft wheat tortilla.  Once again they used kefir as a dressing for this dish.  

Crabstick & Mango Goody Wrap

The Waldorf Salad contained raisins, apples, potatoes and walnuts in a bed of lettuce served with their house dressing (not sure if it's kefir based).   The varying textures from the fruits and nuts was enjoyable.  However, I prefer my Waldorf Salad without potatoes.  

Waldorf Salad

For dessert, we ordered the Kefir Cheesecake which as expected was on the sour side given its main ingredient.  Not sure though if the fruit topping was organic or canned.

Given the limited number of healthy dining places, Sugarleaf is definitely a keeper.  The service and the food were above average.  However, they really need to fix their air conditioning unit.  I  went there again and they still haven't fixed it.

Expect to spend PhP400++  per person to enjoy their meals.

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Sugarleaf
G-2F MEDICard Lifestyle Center
51 Paseo de Roxas corner Gil Puyat Avenue
Makati City
Tel No. 8127323

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Kenji Tei - Greenbelt 5

I have a confession to make.  I'm not actually a ramen/noodle enthusiast.  I was meeting up with some good friends from when I was working and we agreed to meet at Kenji Tei Greenbelt 5.

Honestly, I don't mind having to dine at a ramen house.  There are always options available for a non-noodle lover like me.

I was running late for our dinner and they already ordered when I arrived.  I asked them to order miso soup in advance.  

Miso soup is a traditional Japanese soup usually made of miso paste mixed with dashi soup stock.  A bowl of this soup just makes me happy :-)

The Tofu Steak was definitely one of the best I ever tasted in the metro.

Tofu Steak

I cannot comment on how the noodles tasted.

However, my friends ordered different types of noodles and they all loved it.

Hiyashi Chuka

Yaki Soba

Hiyashi Special

I had the Yaki Gyoza for my main course.  I did not order rice with it which was fine because those six pieces of potstickers were quite filling coupled with the miso soup and tofu steak I had earlier.

Yaki Gyoza

Kenji Tei first opened in B.F. Paranaque.  Kudos to the owners for making their noodle house one of the finest in the metro.  By branching out to an upscale location like Greenbelt, Kenji Tei has definitely made a mark into the minds and tummies of noodle and non-noodle lovers alike.

*All photos courtesy of MPW Cu.

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Kenji Tei 

3rd Level, Greenbelt 5

Ayala Center, Makati City

Tel. No. 754 3098

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P.F. Chang's Alabang

My foodie friend came all the way to the South to try out the latest restaurant that hit the metro.  This post is a couple months late since we were actually there last February.

Together with our sons, we sampled P.F. Chang's bestsellers.

This is, hands down, one of the best chicken lettuce wraps I have tasted.  The minced chicken was so flavorful.  Those avoiding rice will definitely fall in love with this dish.  I can eat this everyday!

Chang's Chicken Lettuce Wraps 

I always order calamari whenever I get the chance and P.F. Chang's did not disappoint.  I especially loved the green onion garnish which gives the salt and pepper calamari an added dimension.

Salt & pepper calamari

We also ordered the Tamarind Iced Tea which I found a refreshing but a bit sweet.

We were, however, disappointed with the stir fried spinach.  When it was served, it looked undercooked and this was confirmed when we tasted the dish.  The server accommodated our request to have it cooked again but when it arrived, there was certainly no improvement to the doneness of the spinach which was still on the raw side.

Spinach stir fried with garlic

It took us several minutes to decide which desserts to try.

We settled for the Apple Fritters and the Black Sesame Pavlova.

The Apple Fritter is the foreign equivalent of our banana turon, but presented differently. The whipped cream and caramel sauce made it more decadent.

Apple Fritters

If, like me, you like sansrival then you will enjoy having the pavlova.  The only downside is the black sesame seeds - not to be ordered if you're on a date!

GF Black Sesame Pavlova

Overall, the food quality was good, unlimited brown and white rice is a plus, service is also at par with other foreign food outlets.

Prepare to spend at least 700++per person (from drinks to dessert) for this Asian themed American based restaurant.

*All photos courtesy of MPW Cu.

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P.F. Chang's Philippines

Alabang Town Center

Muntinlupa City

Tel. No. 869-7837

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Max Brenner - Westgate Alabang

Any meal would be incomplete without dessert.  Our dessert of choice last week was Max Brenner in Westgate Alabang.  My friend had a voucher which we used to try out their different chocolate concoctions.

Since it was past two in the afternoon, we had the whole place to ourselves.  

What caught our attention were the childhood treats which lined the shelves.

The Venezuela Dark Chocolate came in this cute cup which they refer to as the Hug Mug.  This variant is quite good but strong so prepare to stay up all night if you finish the whole cup.

Venezuela Dark Chocolate

The cinnamon sugar laced churros dipped in dark chocolate was a special treat.   This is one of the best churros I've tasted in the metro.  

Their single serve chocolate fondue is equally good but too much for me and my friend.  It can be shared by 3 to 4 persons if you're ordering other items from their menu.

We were still enjoying ourselves but then their air conditioning timer went off at 3:00 pm which marked the end of our meal.  If it weren't for the endorphins due to chocolate overload, we would have stayed on.  

Overall, the food was good, above average prices and service needs improvement.  

*Some photos courtesy of MPW Cu.

Memoirs of A Royal Wedding

Last year, the whole family gathered to witness the grand wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.  

The areas near Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey were filled to the brim days before by media and avid fans of the couple.  With a two year old in tow, we braved the crowds and headed to Green Park which is right beside Buckingham Palace.

On our way to Green Park, the Ritz Hotel displayed a sign wishing the royal couple their best.

Despite the number of people around, there was no pushing or shoving at all which goes to show how polite and well behaved the Brits are.  

My son playing with the signs distributed by local groups....

Here's a closer look....

Note:  Blighty is a slang term for Britain

When we got inside Green Park, it had a very festive atmosphere with people milling around, drinking and watching from the giant screens set up all over the park.

This man was selling the flags for GBP 5.00 each.

That's us posing for posterity

Eventually, we got tired of standing around and my son was hungry so we headed to Pret for some refreshments.

This was 30 minutes before the wedding ceremony and the crowd was still going inside Green Park.

At that point, we decided to go home and watch the whole thing on TV (or the telly, as the British would say).

Our attempt at watching the entire ceremony in the park may have failed but the photos we took and just being there will stay with us for a long time.

First Class Cinema Experience at SF Cinema, Bangkok

I wish for a time when the South of Manila would have its own luxury cinema with enormous seats, unlimited popcorn and drinks, as well as impeccable service.

In 2010, my sister and I were in Bangkok and on our last day, we experienced first class cinema service at SF Cinema at Centara Grand.  

We were amazed at the whole set-up.  The dining area for first class cinema goers looked like the lobby of a chic hotel or club.

The food was limited to hors d'oeuvres and pastries but the presentation left us speechless.

That's my sister enjoying the couch.

Our complimentary non-alcoholic drinks were served by the cinema staff.

I chose to have the mini burger and pasta dish.

We only had twenty minutes before the movie started so we had to rush into the cinema.

The seats were huge....

The cinema staff informed us we can have unlimited popcorn and drinks.  We only had to ring a bell near our seats to call them...now that's first class service.

Overall, we enjoyed the movie (Dear John), the dining lounge and the cinema.  It was truly worth its   price of 700 baht per person.

Buffet Time at Acaci in Acacia Hotel

I was curious to try out the buffet spread at Acacia Hotel.  I invited my friend to drive up all the way to the South for this.

The buffet was located on the mezzanine floor which was quite airy and spacious.  We had reservations at 11:00 for the lunch buffet.

The interiors were totally modern.  

We especially liked the upholstered chairs.  

Service was a bit slow considering that we were the only diners in the first hour of the buffet which is from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm.

The buffet costs Php 1,086 with one round of iced tea or pandan drink and comes with coffee or tea.

We lingered over the appetizers and sushi area.

I tried 4 out of the 5 dishes below.  I'm not fond of spicy dishes which is why I avoided the Kimchi (see upper left of the photo below).

The salmon sashimi was very fresh while the tuna sashimi was a tad dry.  I had second servings of the salmon sashimi.  The steamed shrimp was quite good as well.

A taste of Italy was offered in the parma ham and perfectly ripe honey dew melon.  When the melon is this ripe, the salty flavor of the parma ham is enhanced.

Being a salmon aficionado, I likewise tried the smoked salmon with dill sauce which was up to par with other hotel buffets.

My first plate consisted of different appetizers...

The entrees included pork sisig, beef slices, roast chicken, steamed fish, pasta and the carving station featured lamb.  

They also had a mongolian station which I failed to try because I was so full from the appetizers station.

For dessert, there's a halo halo station, chocolate fondue and various pastries.  I especially liked the brownies and the strawberry mousse.

Out of 5 stars, I would give this buffet a 3.5.  The ambiance made up for the lackluster taste of some of their dishes. We went on a Thursday and according to their staff, the dishes they serve are changed on a daily basis.

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Acaci Buffet @ Acacia Hotel

5400 East Asia Drive corner Commerce Avenue

Filinvest Corporate City,

Alabang, Muntinlupa City

Tel. No.  720 2000

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