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.

---------------------------------

P.F. Chang's Philippines

Alabang Town Center

Muntinlupa City

Tel. No. 869-7837

---------------------------------

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.