Perfect places for your Valentine's date

Don’t have any plans for Valentine’s Day yet? No need to worry, we got your back! Here are some of the restaurants we have visited which will be perfect for your February 14 date.


1. STELLA

If you and your date are into Western cuisine, Stella is perfect for you. Their dishes are mostly cooked in wood fire which makes them flavourful. A few of their specialties are their pizzas and pastas.

Other than their Valentine’s Day table setup, Stella has also prepared a special dish which will only be available on February 1-28.

MUST TRY: Warm Chocolate Raspberry Cake
Read more about Stella: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/01/stella-wood-fired-bistro.html


2. KABILA

There’s never a wrong time for Pinoy food. So, why not have your date at Kabila where they serve authentic Filipino food?

This love month, Kabila will also be serving the Love Burger.

MUST TRY: Crispy Catfish, Burong Hipon + Mustasa
Read more about Kabila: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/02/kabila-filipino-bistro-pinoy-na-pinoy.html


3. SABOTEN

Japanese food is always on someone’s cravings list. Let your significant other have a taste of Japan at Saboten this Valentine’s Day.

You may also want to try their Valentine’s Day special, Green Tea Latte (Iced or Hot).

MUST TRY: Shabu-Shabu
Read more about Saboten: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/02/have-taste-of-tokyo-at-saboten.html


4. The Nook Café

Are you a certified Potterhead? Well, if you are, The Nook Café is where you should be. From their interiors to their menu, everything is Harry Potter inspired!

Especially made for Valentine's Day is this newbie in their menu Strawberry Cream-O.

According to their owner, they always prepare a special gimmick for their customers every Valentine’s Day. Be sure to find out what awaits you at The Nook Café on February 14!

MUST TRY: Butterbeer
Read more about The Nook Cafe: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/02/the-nook-cafe-keeps-harry-potter-vibes.html


5. Artesania MNL Café

Get artsy and have good food at Artesania MNL Café this Valentine’s Day. They don’t only serve good food but they also have free art activities you can do while waiting for your food. A written “I love you” in calligraphy would surely make your date even better.

This Valentine’s Day, Artesania MNL Café has a special offer just for you: When you order 1 salad, 1 pasta, and 1 pizza, you will get complimentary drinks - your choice of Galaxy Latte or Cucumber Lemon Soda.

MUST TRY: Midsummer Night's Dream
Read more about Artesania MNL Cafe: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/02/an-artsy-cafe-is-finally-in-maginhawa.html


6. TERRAZ

If you want to get all fancy and romantic, Terraz is the place to be. Here, you can experience how it feels like to dine in a five-star hotel without having to spend much.

Terraz also has a special Valentine’s Day menu just for you.

MUST TRY: Sesame BBQ Pork Ribs
Read more about Terraz: http://www.advertisingmarketingph.com/2017/02/get-all-fancy-at-terraz.html


Whether alone or with a date, I hope you'll all have a meaningful Valentine's Day 2017!

Get all fancy at Terraz

Once in a while, you feel like you need to get all fancy even without any occasion. But you already feel guilty even just with the thought of spending too much, right? Don’t worry, I’ve found a fancy place that serves top quality yet affordable dishes.

Located at the 3rd floor of the renowned high-rise Zuellig building is this casual and approachable dining space called Terraz. This 117-seater bistro has a very relaxing atmosphere that’s perfect with their mouth-watering dishes.

Here’s a little sneak peek of their menu:

REFRESHMENTS:

(from left to right)

Ginger and Mint Lemonade – 130
Strawberry Lemonade – 130
Lychee Shake – 135
Four Red Fruits – 120

SALAD:

Housemade Norwegian Salmon Gravlax – 310

(fresh lemon + capers + mixed greens + sweet chilli + orange truffle dressing)

SOUP:

 Mushroom and Barley Soup – 275

(shitake + white and brown button mushrooms + baby arugula + barley and basil foam)

WESTERN DISH:

Sesame BBQ Pork Ribs – 450

(sesame asian slaw + garlic truffle potato puree)

ASIAN DISH:

Szechuan Prawns – 555

(butterflied prawns + chilli bean paste + kaffir lime + cilantro rice)

DESSERT:

Deconstructed Chocolate Valrhona – 275

(revel bar crumbs + nougatine crisp + vanila ice cream + chocolate soil)


Terraz is also open for social events, meetings, and even romantic dates.

OPERATING HOURS: 11:00 am to 11:00 pm, Monday to Friday
LOCATION: 3/F, Zuellig Building, Makati Ave. cor Paseo de Roxas, Makati City 
TEL. NO.: +63-917-833-6804 or +63-917-859-9082 or +632-625-4831 / 4832 

Facebook: www.facebook.com/raintreeterraz
Twitter: @raintreeterraz


Photo credits to John Edward Amar

An artsy cafe is finally in Maginhawa!

Calling all artsy people! I've found our happy place!

Along the busy Maginhawa Street in Sikatuna Village, you will find Artesania MNL Cafe, a place where art and food meet. Their artsy interiors are so inviting and relaxing.

In Artesania MNL Cafe, it's not just all about art, but good food as well. I can't help but be amused with their artsy and appetizing dishes.

Potato Eaters (French Fries Palette - 185php) - Nope, it is not your ordinary french fries. It is served with playful dips that look like paint in a palette. Out of all the four dips, my favorite would be the blue cheese which has a very unique flavor.

Midsummer Night's Dream (Tropical Mango Salad - 245php) - This salad won't make you feel like you're eating greens because of its sweet taste. What made it perfect is its walnut toppings that added extra flavor to the salad.

Forrest Gump (Shrimp Aglio Olio Pasta - 280php) - Out of all the dishes served to us, this is my favorite. It's simple yet mouthwatering. What I loved most about this pasta is the kick of chili and garlic that complemented the shrimps well. They are also very generous with the serving of shrimps!

The Animal Farm (All-Meat Pizza - 290php) - I would recommend this pizza to the meat lovers. I also loved their pizza crust which is thin and crispy - just perfect for the toppings.

Artesania MNL Cafe also offers a wide variety of drinks like this Iced Caramel Macchiato (140php) that was so refreshing. You may also opt to order your coffee hot or iced.

Black Forest Latte (135php) - It is also known as the Galaxy Latte which is one of their best sellers.

What's even more exciting about Artesania MNL Cafe is that it also serves as a venue for various workshops such as calligraphy, sketching, painting, and even makeup.

Below is a list of the upcoming events at Artesania MNL Cafe:

Feb. 13 (Monday) - Noche la Peña (Night of Misery) feat. Bullet Dumas
Feb. 14 (Tuesday) - Not-your-ordinary-romantic music by Iwag Maninantan
Feb. 17 (Friday) - Labing-Labing (Poetry Night) feat. various Spoken Word Artists


Like their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/artesaniamnlcafe/ and follow them on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/artesania_mnl/ to be updated with their schedule of events and workshops.

OPERATING HOURS: 11:00am to 10:00pm (Tuesdays to Sundays)
LOCATION: #140 Maginhawa St. Sikatuna Village, Quezon City
TEL. NO.: (02) 891 8958



Photo Credits: John Edward Amar

Kabila Filipino Bistro: Pinoy na Pinoy!

Our very own Filipino food is going places. I’ve been reading a number of articles about Filipino chefs serving Filipino dishes in restaurants abroad. This only means that people of all nations are dying not only to try our food but to have the convenience of getting these whenever they want to even though they are not here in the Philippines. But where else can we get the most authentic Pinoy taste but here at home.

My team had the chance to visit Kabila Filipino Bistro located at the Ayala Museum Complex, just next to Museum Café. We got to explore the Philippines through different dishes from the parts of the archipelago.

First things first, we were served with refreshing drinks namely, Pineapple + Ripe Mango Shake (175php), Lychee Dalandan Iced Tea (125php), Fresh Four Seasons Fruit Drink (165php). All of these gave us that tropical feels because of the fresh fruits incorporated in the drinks. Just one sip made me miss the beach!

For their appetizers, we had Melted Butter + Quesong Puti + Pandesal Crisps (275php) which not only smelled so good but tasted superb as well. The mix of melted butter and quesong puti was just perfect to complement their own Pinoy version of crostini – pandesal crisps.

Another appetizer is the Fresh Fruit & Bagoong (195php). I never thought mixing singkamas (turnip), green mango, pomelo, guava, salted egg, and bagoong (shrimp paste) can taste extremely delicious.

The last but definitely not the least starter we had was their Crispy Catfish, Burong Hipon + Mustasa (375php). This is my personal favourite. I even had the serving plate in front of me the whole time because I couldn’t stop munching on this dish. It is like a Pinoy version of Korean Lettuce wrap. To make it really Pinoy, they made use of mustasa for the wrap. For the fillings, there are crispy catfish, burong hipon (fermented shrimp), green mango, onions, tomatoes, calamansi, and balayan vinaigrette on the plate. Besides its outstanding taste, it was also fun making your own wrap.

Moving on to their main dishes, first, we had Grilled Pork Belly & Pig’s Ear Dinakdakan (275php). It’s somehow different to the Ilocano version of Dinakdakan but Kabila was successful in elevating this dish.

We also tried Kabila’s Pork Bagnet (420php) which was so scrumptious. Its crispiness made us feel like it’s too sinful yet so irresistible.

To balance out the pork dishes, we were served with Grilled Gindara (275php). I am not familiar with this fish but it tasted so fresh and its special sauce complemented it well.

For our dessert, we devoured their Ultimate Avocado Crush (250php) which is perfect for the hot weather. It has avocado pudding, avocado ice cream, queso, sago, and pomelo shreds.

If you’re craving for our local flavours, you should visit Kabila. All their dishes are good for sharing. What’s also admirable about Kabila is that all their ingredients are locally sourced. Although Kabila is known as a place for business meetings, I would recommend it for families because their dishes will surely give you that homey feels.

OPERATING HOURS: 8:00 am to 12:00 mn daily

LOCATION: Ayala Museum Complex, Makati Avenue corner Dela Rosa St., Makati City

Contact Nos.: +632-757-3000, +632-757-6000 or +632-758-1268

Facebook: www.facebook.com/raintreekabila 

Twitter: @raintreekabila

Photo credits: John Edward Amar