Makchang Korean Grill Restaurant in Ermita, Manila

Ermita district in Manila is a haven for Korean food lovers as the area teems with restaurants serving this cuisine. This, I learned when my friend and I dined at Korean Village along J. Nakpil St. last year and walked on our way to Robinsons Place. Such restaurants are lined up from one end of the street to the other. Some of them are big, others almost merely holes in the wall. 
One of the bigger and more decent-looking places is Makchang along M. Adriatico St., just across the street from Robinsons. My sister treated our family and some of her friends to dinner there some months ago, so we were able to appreciate what this place boasts of -- fresh meats for grilling and veggies, 
reasonable prices and good service. 
Our orders:

Samgyeopsal, P300.

Pork Galbi, P350.

Ramen, P150.

Sundubu jjigae, P300.

Sweet-chili scallions -- just among the unli-sides

We also ordered L.A. Galbi, which is marinated beef, but I wasn't able to take a picture of it. Anyway, the food -- everything -- from the Korean barbecue, to the ramen and sundubu (soft tofu stew) -- is fantastic. And I loved that the restaurant crew grilled the meat for us 'coz I dislike having to do it myself, for fear of hot oil splatter. Haha! 

Now we wait excitely for our Korean 

barbecue to be ready

Menu

Interiors

Makchang Korean Grill Restaurant 

at 1547 M. Adriatico St., Ermita, Manila

I recommend Makchang for your Korean cravings, dearies. Pay it a visit one of these days. 

Happy eating!

Abe for exquisite Capampangan cuisine

I am happy to start my gastronomic chronicles early in 2019 as I had a new foodie discovery on the first Friday of the year. And what a good choice it was -- Abe, a Capampangan restaurant at SM Megamall (with several other branches). It's been existing for a few years, yes, but it was my first time to dine at this modern-traditional restaurant that belongs to The LJC Group of the late famed restaurateur-journalist Lorenzo "Larry" J. Cruz. Thanks to my nephew, who treated his mom and me to an advanced birthday lunch in between post-Christmas shopping, 
I finally sampled Abe's exquisite dishes. 

Our orders:

Paco fern and tomato salad, P185.
A great, healthy starter of fresh leaves, tomatoes 
and sliced salted egg.

Bamboo rice, P325.
I was really hungry, I didn't mind finding out what was in the rice. Haha! I just remember the pleasant bamboo smell and that we loved how the rice tasted.

Tuna panga sa bawang, P345.
We raved about this one -- deep fried pieces of tuna head topped 
with lots of toasted garlic. Yum!

Ginataang langka at pusit, P375.
This seafood-veggie dish cooked in coconut milk could have been really, really good if it weren't bland. A bit more salt and we would have loved it more.

Maruya ni Maria, 150.
What's different about Abe's maruya is that it isn't made with saba but with lakatan banana, thus, it's a notch higher in sweetness and much yummier. And being crowned with vanilla ice cream makes this dessert heavenly and a perfect ending to our meal.

Dalandan juice, 135.

My sister's hot citrus drink.

Americano, 99.
My drink -- a super strong cup of joe -- so strong I had to ask 
the server to add some hot water to it.

 Wine on every table
We didn't open our bottle :)

Interiors

Abe at the 3rd Level of Mega Fashion Mall, SM Megamall Expansion Building D

Was I glad to finally try Abe coz id heard about how good their food was. No mistaken word, we really loved what we had. Great ambiance, too -- no crowd, no noisy diners, and a whiff of simple elegance. I would love to bring the 
whole family over to Abe someday soon!

Conti's Bakeshop & Restaurant at Robinsons Magnolia

The Christmas and New Year holidays were filled with family gatherings. Even though the kids in our immediate and extended family are now all grown up and mostly working already, all look forward to spending precious time with one another, especially during Yuletide. Sadly, finding the perfect schedule for a gathering, when everyone could come, was a futile effort for us because of different days off at work and for one nephew, being under the weather. Before New Year's Day, we watched a movie at Robinsons Magnolia then had dinner at Conti's Bakeshop and Restaurant, which turned out to be a good choice (it was my second time dining in, the first being several years ago already). Our huge group was comfortably 
seated and everyone enjoyed great food. 

Our orders: 

Appetizers and Entrees

Gambas y champignon al ajillo, P195.
One of my nephews, a geek, chose this -- a dish of mushrooms and shrimps cooked in olive oil. Rice was separate order at P45. per cup.

Baked prawns, P495.
My niece's. I felt envious when I laid my eyes on it. Haha! Both the 
fried rice and prawns looked delish.

Roast beef, P395.
Twin orders of this for one of my daughters and her beau. I was kinda jealous of this as well, 
as the meat looked luscious while swimming in gravy. Tee-hee.

Breakfast B, P680.
My eldest daughter and her boyfriend shared this humongous all-day brekkie plate that's served with two bowls of fried rice. An order of this set is actually good for up to three persons and I helped myself to some of the beef tapa, fried milkfish (I can't remember if it was daing or tinapa), pork adobo and minced boiled egg (which we wished was 
salted egg instead..maybe they ran out?).

Buffalo wings, P220.
Kids always, always love fried chicken. But I do too!

Linguine in pesto sauce, P245.
My nephew and youngest son did a twinning on this. They both loved their pasta, but 
my nephew said the serving size was kinda small for him. 

Pancit palabok, P135.
My sister and I also did twinning over the palabok. I guess the love for this pansit dish runs in our family. It's also our mom's default order at restaurants! Conti's version is delish although adding 
a little more of the sauce to the noodles would make it better.

Desserts

Mango bravo cake, P215.
I know, I know, this one's Conti's' famed cake and we wouldn't want to miss it. 
It was a hit among our group!

Sans rival, P155
I found Conti's sans rival quite dry.

Mango cheesecake, P135.
Thumbs up for this! It's firm enough to hold up but still velvety and creamy. 
Yup, we love anything mango for dessert!

Halo-halo Jr., P85.
This was my guilt-ridden dessert. Halo-halo is not among my favorite snacks or meal-enders, and in fact, I rarely eat it, not because I dislike it, but more because I could never finish an order, which is usually served on a tall glass. But I was drawn to Conti's halo-halo when I saw on the menu that it's available in junior size. I was happy over my dessert -- petite, 
yes, but big on enjoyment.

Drinks

Bottomless iced tea, P105.

Dalandan juice, P110.; Calamansi juice, P85.

Brewed coffee, P75.

Menu

Interiors

Conti's at the ground floor (al fresco area) of Robinsons Magnolia 
along Aurora Blvd. in Quezon City

It was a memorable dinner that our family had at Conti's. Not only was food generally good, prices were reasonable and service was fast and friendly. Even though we came in a big group, our orders didn't take long to be served. I do recommend Conti's Bakeshop & Restaurant for a hassle-free and enjoyable gathering whether 
for lunch, merienda cena or dinner. 
Happy eating!

Sad goodbyes and a flicker of hope

The year 2018 had just ended, but not without bringing with it some of the things close to my foodie heart. As I bid goodbye to the year that was, so did I say "adieu" to two of my favorite restaurants -- Kamuning Bakery in Quezon City and Amor Bakery in Manila (all of the latter's branches closed down as well). These two were on top of the places I loved to lounge in to have coffee and do some writing. 

Kamuning Bakery -- which had existed for seven decades -- was, however, razed by fire in February 2018. On the other hand, Amor Bakery announced in its Facebook page just last week as 2018 was drawing to a close, that it would cease operation effective Jan. 1, 2019. Just like that. No explanation. For loyal patrons like me, that was one sad news. I felt much like a woman dumped without reason by the love of her life. The beauty and comfort of the flagship España Blvd. store and my favorite food 
and drinks would now be nothing but a sweet memory.

Personal memories of Amor Bakery in Espana, Manila

Thanks to my optimistic self, however, I have the belief there's something good awaiting foodies like me who have grown to love Amor Bakery. What exactly it is, I still don't know. Maybe, it's opening again under new management? 
So, till we meet again, Amor! 

My Kamuning Bakery and Cafe memoirs

As for Kamuning Bakery, I'm sure it wont be long before it opens its doors again to its loyal customers, though the nostalgic feels of the old, original store 
won't be coming back by any luck. 

I hope, too, for more great foodie discoveries this year. I would be in wait for 
a place I could love as much as I did Amor and Kamuning Bakery. 

Well, hello, 2019!