Mad about FOOD

HERSHEY–a name that’s synonymous with chocolate. A name so well-loved and revered that an entire town in Pennsylvania has been re-named after the man who founded The Hershey Company more than a century ago. Milton S. Hershey was the visionary who made chocolate (scientific name: Theobroma cacao) so much more affordable for the average person by adding milk in it. With its signature Milk Chocolate bar and its brand Kisses already considered global icons, Hershey’s legacy continues to be enjoyed by generations of chocolate lovers all over the world.

Last month, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts had a successful tie-up with Hershey’s and came up with 4 sinfully delicious variants: Reese’s & Kreme, Special Dark Chocolate, Hershey’s Cookies & Kreme, and Chocolates and Almonds (P38 each). Now let me tell you, I’m not a fan of Krispy Kreme’s. I find the doughnuts way too sweet, even for my sweet tooth. But the Hershey’s doughnuts, which became available only for the whole month of August, were an exception. The union of the Hershey’s chocolate brands and the pillowy softness of Krispy Kreme was a match made in foodie heaven. Obviously, I was enamored and I wish those Hershey’s Chocolates & Kreme will make a comeback real soon.

                   
If the Hershey’s doughnuts were perfectly sweet for me, the same thing cannot be said of the Hershey’s sundae pie (P75) from Burger King. Given its name, I thought it was like an ice cream cake or a mud pie. Instead, it was just chocolate mousse with a thin cookie crust. Both mousse and crust are extremely, incredibly sweet. Proof of this is I never got to finish the small slice. Lush and chocolatey, but not for the faint of hearts (or diabetics).

As an avowed chocoholic, I’ve always loved Hershey’s even as a child. I grew up on the original Kisses, while my daughter Bea is now loving the  Kissables. Through the years, chocolate has earned a bad reputation and was blamed as one of the main causes of acne, high cholesterol levels, and even hyperactivity in children. But taken in moderation, chocolate even has health benefits, aside from the pleasure it gives just by melting it in your mouth.

You can try my chocolate lover’s fondue recipe, so you can share your chocolate with your friends and family and not worry about eating too much. I made this for my sister-in-law’s birthday party very recently. It was so good and a cinch to prepare, too.

You will need:

1 cup    Hershey’s Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips
1 can    Nestle Cream (160 g)
1 tsp     butter

Just put everything together in a microwaveable bowl. Heat in the microwave oven for about one minute. Mix well. Pour in a fondue set (mine is the 100th anniversary of Kisses special edition fondue set courtesy of Appetite Magazine–isn’t it a sweetheart?). You can dip marshmallows, pound cake, barquillos, and fresh fruits like kiwi, banana and strawberry. If you like your fondue sweeter, you can substitute with Hershey’s Kisses or the Milk Chocolate bar (broken into small blocks) or you can add sugar or use condensed milk. You can also adjust the consistency of your fondue according to the thickness of the chocolate that you prefer. Afterward, sit back and enjoy your chocolate fondue with your loved ones. After all, everybody loves chocolate! It’s an indulgence that’s almost impossible to resist.

Here’s another thing about me: I’m not very adventurous when it comes to pasta dishes. My tastebuds are so accustomed to the sweet Pinoy-style spaghetti that is a common treat in kiddie parties. There was a time when I considered Jolly Spaghetti (from Jollibee) as my comfort food. I don’t particularly fancy sauces like puttanesca, arrabiatta or pomodoro, and I probably couldn’t tell rotini from fusilli. But on rare occasions, I let the foodie in me take over so I try different kinds of pasta specialties.

It seems that everybody is raving about Amici di Don Bosco so, one day, off my Bea and I went to Don Bosco in Makati. As expected, there was a long list of pasta dishes to choose from. My head reeling in confusion, I ordered the tagliatelle ai funghi misti (P180) since we both love mushrooms. It has mixed mushrooms in red sauce, and is served with a piece of bread smeared with pesto. We also had a prosciutto pizza (P250) and orange juice (P75/carton) to wash them down. Honestly, I don’t think we will be going back to Amici after sampling the pasta, which tasted as flat as the noodles. It’s so bland that I wondered if they’ve ever heard of ‘herbs and spices.’ I’m sure a lot of Amici fans will disagree about that, but, as I always say–to each his own (taste).

For many of us, it’s a little-known fact that Yellow Cab Pizza Co. is an original Filipino business venture. Since its inception in 2001, we’ve always assumed that it’s an international franchise, given its name, the modern minimalist interiors, and the images of the Big Apple displayed in all of its stores. So it comes as a surprise to learn that the chain is actually as Pinoy as Jollibee.

Now this one I know many will agree: the Charlie Chan chicken pasta (P185-regular order; P95-half order, available in selected branches) from Yellow Cab is a real delight! Full-packed with flavor, it has chicken strips, shiitake mushrooms (YUM!) and roasted peanuts in a mildly spicy oriental sauce. I have actually elevated it to my list of feel-good foods. It’s so delicious that I have an insatiable appetite for it. I crave it day after day. Whoever came up with this recipe deserves my gratitude.

Sometimes, one finds something good from an unlikely place. At best, one would expect excellent cakes and sandwiches from a coffee/espresso shop. But aside from great cakes, sandwiches and its signature drinks, the pasta marinara (P200) from Mocha Blends is also a smart choice. It has hefty potions of seafoods like squid rings, mussels and shrimps. The sauce is a nice blend of sun-ripened tomatoes, herbs and parmesan cheese. The pasta goes really well with the garlic bread that comes with it. Actually, the Mocha Blends garlic bread basket (in the background - P70) is one of my Bea’s favorites. She’s crazy about it!

What they say is true: you’ll never know if something is good unless you try it. So who knows, maybe one day I will be harping on the best puttanesca in town?

In Japan, mochi is a traditionally important confection. This native Japanese delicacy is basically made from glutinous rice flour formed into cakes, usually in the shape of balls, and is considered a staple in Japanese New Year’s Day celebrations. While the Philippine media give gory accounts of firecracker victims, the Japanese media report on the number of mochi casualties. According to Wikipedia, many elderly Japanese die from choking on mochi (because it is very sticky) after every new year. Uh-oh, so much for traditions for good luck.

Enter my latest discovery: Magnolia Mochi–ice cream balls wrapped in glutinous rice.

Originally, mochi was stuffed with sweet fillings like sweetened red bean paste, white bean paste, azuki and the like–similar to its more familiar Chinese counterpart, the buchi. That was until the early ’80s when an ingenious Japanese company (Lotte) came up with the unthinkable–mochi stuffed with ice cream. Today one of our ice cream giants is testing if the local market is ready for this dessert by introducing its own version of mochi ice cream.

There were only two flavors at the store from where I bought them–ube and sesame. Mochi has been compared with our native palitaw, but the texture and taste of this mochi is more akin to the flavored tikoy rolls from Eng Bee Tin (which i adore) and, to a certain extent, our very own espasol. However, one bite of the Magnolia Mochi and you’ll know there’s nothing quite like it.

I like the ube variety. The other one has the intense flavor of sesame, which is also good but not as good as ube. The ice cream filling coupled with the soft, chewy, not-too-sticky rice cake provide an exciting sensation in the mouth that puts the ooohh in mochi. My only reservation about this is that it retails for P13.50. If you knew me so well, you’d think that I can eat 10 mochi balls in one go (and you’d be right). But because of its price, I have to control myself. I wish there’s a green tea variety, too. What a really toothsome treat that would be!

I love Tuesdays. Tuesdays are my and Bea’s special day for food-tripping. Our last few weeks were spent in Glorietta and Greenbelt, checking out the restaurant scene as well as the annual book sales. During our brief absence from Serendra, a new store has opened that is creating all the buzz these days. Having a sweet tooth, I was drawn to it like a moth unto flame.

I read somewhere that the color orange can boost one’s appetite. Marta’s Cakes obviously didn’t need that–pink and green colors dominate the shop. With its undeniably chic yet welcoming interiors and sophisticated display cases, one cannot help but be magnetized toward the store. Cake lovers–young and old alike–will surely have a fun time hanging out in the shop for some sweets and coffee.

Take note of the small chairs and tables–aren’t they just cute? They have a dream-like quality about them, as though they came straight out of a candy factory or a Disney animated movie. Well, actually, they’re there to encourage kids (and adults) to be creative. You’ll see how later.

Everything about the shop is well-planned and well-executed. The ceiling is decorated with attractive, colorful lamps that will have you craning your neck so you can admire them. Two lavatories have been thoughtfully set up in a corner for hand-washing (the liquid soap even smells so delicious!). The main glass display case features an assortment of cookies and mini-cakes that are a delight to behold. Jars filled with knick-knacks provide more colors to this dreamland. On one side of the wall are display shelves that showcase the cakemaker’s sample works. Here’s just one of her many wonderful and unique cake creations:

My favorite design is the "Noah’s Ark" cake but I couldn’t get a nice shot of it because it’s way up there on the shelf. Anyway, the cakes look so meticulously crafted and, according to her customers, they taste great, too. I know this because I’ve encountered the name Marta Matute before. She used to accept orders for made-to-order cakes  (for birthday, baptism, wedding and other special occasions) from her home in Alabang, or so I’ve read.

As I was saying, kids are encouraged to bring out their creative streak, so Ms. Marta herself approached us and asked if Bea and I wanted to try decorating cookies. Of course we did. So we bought a decorate-your-own-cookies kit (P85), which consists of two shortbread cookies (one heart-shaped and the other one a cow) and a small pack of candies. The staff lent us bottles of liquid frosting in different colors. I sat down with my little girl and I felt like I was an 8-year-old again. Now I’ll let the photos do the talking:

         
              That’s my Bea trying her hand at cookie-decorating. Go, baby!!!

         
Now she’s putting on the finishing touches–small ‘marshies’, candy-coated chocolates and rainbow sprinkles.

         
                    Our masterpieces…love that blue-and-yellow cow!

         
            The verdict: wonderful to look at, even better to eat. Yummy!!!

Now that was one of the best Tuesday afternoons we’ve ever had! Bea even remembered it before we went to bed: "Thank you so much, Mommy, for taking me to that cake shop!" I promised her we will visit it again one of these days.

As for the gorgeous Ms. Marta, I told her how I learned about her new store. I said I belong to this online community and there’s a topic about ‘Marta’s Cakes’ on one of the boards. She said that someone emailed her a link to that topic, in fact, but when she clicked on it, it was all about ‘Wendy’s.’ "That’s what happens when you’re not high-tech," she added. Well, if we can be anywhere near as imaginative and creative in baking as she is, who needs to be high-tech?

There is a number of things that I don’t eat–cucumbers, bell peppers, onion rings, sitaw, yogurt, paksiw na isda, kimchi, and a few others. But the first item on my list is always "cheesecake."  Regardless of what other people say, and no matter how glorious they look, I really don’t appreciate the sweet-sour (read: rancid) taste of cheesecakes. It can never be my dessert of choice.

Yesterday I attempted to develop a sort of liking for cheesecakes by having lunch at Cheesecake, etc. with my little foodie, Bea, and my friend, Aimee. We went to the Greenbelt 3 branch, which is a small, cramped space on the 3rd level. I was surprised by the extensive menu–from sandwiches to pasta dishes, boneless bangus, chicken pork adobo and even sisig. So we started off with a bowl of seafood corn chowder (P115) with a side of wheat toast.

If only I hadn’t seen the food server in the act of re-heating the soup in the microwave oven, I would’ve given it two thumbs-up. And even though the only seafood I could find were the tuna flakes (presumably from a can), the soup was tasty and satisfying, with chunks of potato, bits of bacon and lots of corn kernels. I’m thinking of making my own version of this chowder at home. Wish me luck.

We had the St. Galler schueblig (P225) next. It had a portion of egg salad and wheat toast with butter. I ordered it because I figured it was the safest choice. This traditional Swiss sausage always tastes almost the same anywhere you have it–whether in its place of origin or in a third world country like ours. The serving was humongous that Bea and I weren’t able to finish the entire thing.

My friend Aimee had the baked seafood rice (P210) and four seasons juice (P80). She said the former was a really heavy meal, topped with a creamy sauce similar to Greenwich’s rice melts. Judging from how she nearly polished off her plate (*wink*), I can only surmise that it was a good deal.

Aimee has a thing for cheesecakes, which is why I invited her there. From among the many very attractive ones on display, she picked the simple Belgian double cream (P150; plus P25 for the blueberry topping), which has a thin layer of crushed graham crackers as its base. I dared give it a try–just a teensy weensy bit–and, well, it wasn’t that awful. The cream cheese doesn’t have that overpowering taste of something rotten or spoiled. It was actually quite good. At least, Bea thought so. Still, I am no convert. I maintain my aversion to this dessert.

But if ever I’ll go back to Cheesecake, etc., it will only be because of the Ghirardelli double choco malt (P150). Having visited San Francisco several years back, I know that Ghirardelli is a well-loved homegrown chocolate brand in the City by the Bay. The choco malt drink is a real winner, with its ultra-smooth, thick and sinfully creamy chocolate goodness.

My only real and valid complaint about the branch is that it only had one person handling everything–taking the orders, preparing/cooking the food, blending the drinks, serving them, manning the cash register, and cleaning up. Granted, the place is tiny but with only 2 sets of customers, she already had her hands full. Our orders came one at a time, maybe ten minutes apart. She was friendly and still had a smile on her face, but it’s just not fair for her, wouldn’t you say?

Special thanks to Appetite ~Your lifestyle food magazine~ for the P1000 Cheesecake, etc. gift card.

More and more people are getting health conscious nowadays, even fastfoods recognize this fact. So now they’re trying to include salads on their menu. KFC, Jollibee, and McDonald’s are already offering salads along with their bestselling fried chicken. I actually like the KFC chicken caesar salad, especially when my budget is tight. But when you want to go for a healthy-licious treat, I recommend the following–
      
         

So remarkable in its simplicity is this vegetarian salad (P120+) from Vietnamese restaurant Pho Hoa [SM Mall of Asia]. As the name suggests, there is no meat or any other complicated ingredient–just lettuce, cabbage, shredded carrots and ground peanuts (if I remember correctly). The vinaigrette is a bit on the sweet side, but it really brings out the simple flavors of the veggies. Whether you’re a vegetarian or not, I’m sure you will love this one.

I’ve dined at Duo Steakhouse and Wine Bar [Serendra] often enough to be able to engage the head chef in conversation. So I asked Chef Mau, "Why is this salad so named?" And he said, quite simply and in his natural unassuming manner, "Because it’s her favorite." Thus the Tessie Tomas salad (solo-P370++) was born. It used to be a popular item at Le Souffle even though it was not on the menu. Once I tried it, I was immediately hooked. It has grilled prawns, marinated salmon, shiitake mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes, lollo rosso and green ice lettuce and a creamy balsamic dressing that’s absolutely delectable. They named it after the actress-TV host, but I call this salad a masterpiece!

The first time I tried the seafood salad (P329++) of UCC Vienna Cafe at the Podium two years ago, I was instantly smitten. I had it again recently at the SM Mall of Asia branch and it’s still as good as before. How can anyone not fall head over heels in love with the generous portions of ebi furai, crab cakes, kani sticks, whole kernel corn and fish roe on a bed of lettuce? What makes this salad even more special is the Japanese dressing–distinctively piquant and very appetizing. Is this salad a starter or a main course? You decide.

My latest discovery is the Sicilian chicken salad (lunch portion-P350++) from Italianni’s [Glorietta]. It took me this long to try it because I used to sneer at salad recipes that call for fruits like pomelo, mango, apple or kiwi as ingredients mixed with leafy greens. My initial reaction was, yuck. But after reading raves about this one, I wanted to judge for myself. It’s a medley of "diced chicken breast, mangoes, ripe red grapes with pine nuts, tossed in a creamy lemon-dijon dressing served on a bed of crisp romaine lettuce." I never thought I’d say this, but the ingredients really blend well. The grapes and mangoes together with the lettuce, the focaccia croutons, and the dressing provide a burst of flavor in the mouth that’s, in fact, pleasantly unusual. My 3-year-old foodie, Bea, confirmed: "Mommy, I like it. It’s so delicious!"  Coming straight from the mouth of a babe, that’s a very positive sign. My only complaint is that the chicken and the pine nuts are scarce, but after finishing the entire platter, it didn’t matter anymore. The salad was so filling.

Oftentimes, I find myself not fitting into my pants anymore, so desperate times call for…SALADS! And while my favorite salads don’t seem to help trim my waistline, at least they make me feel good. Really good.

Today is Tita Honey’s 80th birthday. She is my dad-in-law’s younger sister, one of only three ninangs at our wedding, and someone we love dearly. Every December 31st, she prepares a special breakfast and lunch at her house for our clan. So this time, her children decided to throw a surprise breakfast party for her at HEAT in Edsa Shangri-la Hotel.

I had been subtly persuading my husband to take me there ever since it opened, but I had made the mistake of informing him what HEAT stands for: Healthy Eating Amazing Tastes. It’s typical of my husband to shun all things healthy, so needless to say, we’ve never been there. Until today.

I’m the type of person who does not skip the most important meal of the day. I can never go anywhere without eating breakfast. For this extra-ordinary day, I wanted to kick up my appetite for a really hearty one. I’m quite used to breakfast buffets in hotels, but I’m not sure why I felt that the choices in HEAT are overwhelmingly endless. I had set my eyes on the bread station, but even that had too many offerings. So I just settled for some Danish pastries, a cinnamon roll, a small slice of fromage (my Bea’s term for cheese; she’s learning some French in time for the showing of "Ratatouille"), and then crossed over to the cold cuts section.

My husband’s plate was, naturally, filled with food that’s heavy on the stomach–garlic rice, hash brown, bacon, ham, sausage, sardines, scrambled egg. He even had baked beans and a ham-and-mushroom omelet.  I wasn’t able to take a bite of any of those, but I had some dumplings, herbed salmon, and California maki even though I couldn’t take anymore. I didn’t even bother to see what’s cooking in the other buffet stations. I mean, just how much breakfast can an average person eat?

To make it a truly healthy breakfast experience, I ordered a pot of green tea (sans sugar) and got a few slices of fresh fruits to cap off the celebration.

Tita Honey still looks fab even now that she’s officially an octogenarian. And we’re glad that, on her birthday, she enjoyed a breakfast fit for a queen. And we, her loyal subjects, were part of it, too.

         
                    the birthday girl with my little one (in a cheongsam)

With the popularity being enjoyed by Sonja’s cupcakes, these miniature cakes have suddenly become in vogue and other more established outfits have jumped on the bandwagon. Now one doesn’t have to go to Serendra to satisfy a craving–there are cupcakes, cupcakes practically everywhere!

The carrot cupcake (P37) from the House of Silvanas has been around for quite a while, but it’s only now that I’ve given it the much-deserved attention. I’m very fond of carrot cakes. I like the whole notion that you can have your (healthy) cake and eat it too! Unlike Sonja’s bunny hugger’s carrot cupcake, that’s dry in both texture and taste, the HoS’ version is dense but moist–with bits of pineapple and walnut for that unmistakable edge. And because I don’t particularly like cream cheese frostings, this humble-looking cupcake really does it for me.

Brownies Unlimited has recently added party cupcakes (P180/box of 6) to their line of baked goodies. These cute cupcakes are a vision of yumminess, crowned with pastel-colored beehives of butter icing and adorned with candy sprinkles. The chocolate cake itself is soft, but there’s nothing extra-special in terms of taste. The butter icing reminds me of the ordinary cupcakes of old–when life was much simpler. This is actually one of my favorite food shots, but the cupcakes are definitely not my favorite. My husband likes them very much, though. Like I always say, taste is relative.

More recently, Go Nuts Donuts took the plunge and came up with "insanely delicious" cupcakes that are very attractive, too. The new line made its debut last July 6, and I’ll have to give them credit for creativity and originality. There are so many varieties to choose from, and with names like white chocolate crunch, dulce de leche, chiffon rosette, Mexican mocha, and a dozen other flavors, they’re absolutely irresistible! I bought half a dozen pieces (P190), and they’re definitely worth a try! My personal favorite is the white chocolate crunch because it’s different, and the white chocolate frosting has just the right sweetness. But I vow to try all the other varieties. I read on the package that the cakes use
Callebaut milk chocolate and pure Belgian sweet cream butter to ensure
the very best quality. Wow. And with prices so affordable, how can you
go wrong?

Cupcakes sprouting like mushrooms all around are reminiscent of the lechon manok craze and the pearl shakes fever. But whether or not they’re here to stay depends on the fickle cupcake-loving market. The danger lies in the saturation of the same. If it reaches that point, I’m sure it will be a survival of the best…and the yummiest.

What comes to mind when you hear the word Mongolia?  Aside from its capital, Ulaanbaatar [Ulan Bator], and our very own Mr. Shooli, I can only think of one other thing: Mongolian barbecue! It’s one of my favorite pig-out foods. A hodge-podge of rice, noodles, meats, vegetables flavored with your choice of sauce, it simplifies the cooking process of something that involves a lot of ingredients. Unlike the usual barbecue, which we know to be grilled, the Mongolian barbecue is stir-fried. What I love most about this food is that I get to choose what goes into my bowl–that means, no bell peppers, no onions, no pineapples, etc.

So where do I go for a Mongolian barbecue fix? Well, first, there’s Mongolian Quick-Stop in SM City Sucat (where I do my monthly grocery-shopping). For only P105+ (single bowl), I also get a small serving of the soup of the day.

For the uninitiated, here’s how it works:

[1] Fill your bowl with all the rice, noodles, and vegetables that you like (I particularly like the flat miki noodles, vermicelli or glass noodles, bean sprouts, carrots, young corn, plus the fried tofu cubes).

[2] The counterperson will put the chunks of meat that you choose (I usually tell that person to add everything in–beef, pork, chicken, squid, fishballs and squidballs).

[3] Specify the type of sauce/flavoring that you prefer (could be sweet and spicy, regular, spicy or sweet).

[4] Get a number and wait for your bowl to be served to you hot and ready to enjoy.

I recently discovered this restaurant called Kublai’s Rock at the Paseo de Magallanes in Makati. The place is small but nice and modern. It serves a mean Mongolian barbecue (P279/person) with added ingredients like mussels, whole corn kernels, mushrooms, and a whole lot more. That also comes with a free bowl of soup (it was cream of potato that day). Mmmm…the Mongolian barbecue is really, really good! A complete and very filling meal, it’s something that we ought to thank the Mongols for.

A chocoholic’s haven

Serendra is definitely a place where one can enjoy la dolce vita. For one thing, there’s a shop called Cacao that’s solely dedicated to–what else–chocolates. I haven’t gone inside the store because surely I won’t be able to resist the urge to buy something, but knowing that such a place exists is already a source of comfort.

There’s this store named Tea & Therapy, owned and operated by the same group behind Haägen Dazs Café, Max Brenner, and Oliver’s Super Sandwiches–just three of my most favorite places in the metro. And because I’m a tea lover (I won’t last a day without a warm cup of my favorite tea), I checked the new place out and discovered that there’s a lot more on the menu than just tea. There are pasta dishes, bento lunch boxes and afternoon tea sets consisting of dimsum, among others. Since it was merienda time when I visited, I just had a slice of the chocolate cashew sansrival (P130++) and a tall glass of the German wild lover cold tea infusion (P95++). The sansrival presented a new twist on an old favorite, but it lacked the requisite crunch that gives this cake a truly unique character. Still, it was delicious, owing to the rich chocolate mousse and the chopped cashew nuts. The iced tea was very refreshing, like the one they have at Oliver’s. Infusing life with health and serenity is the restaurant’s concept. I hope Tea & Therapy thrives in the cut-throat restaurant business, because I find its concept really refreshing as well.

I hooked up with a few fellow chocoholics and we agreed on sampling the chocolate fondue at Serendra’s Café Xocolat. We ordered the Belgian Chocolate Bliss (P355) for sharing. I was a bit dismayed because of the limited choices for dipping–just four, actually. I remember that, for almost the same price (or even cheaper), Max Brenner’s had more stuff on the platter and not just one but two fondues (white and dark chocolate). Anyway, Xocolat’s version of the fondue is a pot of extremely rich, bittersweet melted chocolate that is, well, good enough. I liked the shop’s dulce de leche ensaymada more, though. It was my ‘yummy find’ that day.

Chelsea Market & Café is the newest restaurant on the block, and it promises to be a most interesting one. I really like the feel of this place–warm and cozy, and like a European delicatessen where you can buy cold cuts, spices, coffee, and other specialties from around the globe. So many items on the menu seem excellent choices like the pizza (served on a wooden chopping board) and the salads (served in a really huge bowl), but since I just had a cupcake at the nearby shop, I decided to  have only the Toblerone torte (P160)–layers upon layers of mellow chocolate mousse speckled with bits of nougat alternate with soft, light meringue layers and topped with a block of Toblerone. The result is a scrumptious dessert that tickles the tastebuds. A glass of strawberry iced tea (P95) is a great thirst-quencher, with bits of fresh strawberries adding a fruity sweetness to the drink.

I don’t think I can get enough of Serendra just yet, not until I’ve ticked off all the establishments on my list of must-try, like Ilustrado, Abé, Hosseins, Polu Kai, and Brazil!, to name a few. And just across Serendra is another exciting development, Bonifacio High Street, which is absolutely amazing! It’s unbelievable what Ayala Land is doing to that area, but this much I can say: I LOVE IT!