AMC Sizzling Palace at Fisher Mall

There's a Mediterranean food place at Fisher Mall that I've been visiting and that's aside from Mister Kabab. Haha! There is this restaurant tucked away in a far end corner of the mall that I got curious about so I tried it then came back two more times. It's called AMC Sizzling Palace and if I remember it right, it comes after Adobo Connection at the second level. It's the last locator in that part of the mall 
and is quite inconspicuous. 

However, their Chicken Biryani floored me for having all the right flavors at the right amount and the serving was quite huge, it would fill you up to the brim! My orders on my next visits were less spectacular though, so it's still the 

biryani that is etched in my mind.

Chicken Biryani, P165.
Delicious and filling! Definitely worth going back for.

Shawarma Sandwich, P75.
The meat was quite tough and lacking in flavors.

Hummus (with pita bread), P135.
The hummus was quite good although a bit bland. And the serving is generous!

AMC Sizzling Palace at the 2nd floor of Fisher Mall in Quezon City

If you love Mediterranean food, go find AMC Sizzling Palace at Fisher Mall, guys. But if you're craving for Pinoy food such as bulalo and pansit, you might want to go there too, because they also serve it and based on some reviews I've read, they're quite good at making our favorite comfort foods as well. I would love to have 

a good sip of hot bulalo soup next time. 

Happy eating, folks!

Delicious Pinoy comfort food at Bench Cafe

Folks, if you belong to my generation, you, like me, probably began buying Bench clothes and other stuff in your teenage years. This iconic Pinoy brand was established in 1987. I was in college when I started patronising it, and loved the brand-embroidered face towel which I, and many of 
my friends, used as a hankie. 
Now, 32 years later, Bench is not just about shirts and towels, 
not even just about scents and bags and other life must-haves, 
it is also about food - - and good food, for that matter. 
Bench Cafe opened in 2017 at the flagship Bench store and headquarters in Taguig City. A branch opened this year at Robinsons Place Manila, which is near where I go to church so I was able to finally try this modern-looking cafe and 
have gone back on multiple occasions since July.
Bench Cafe serves traditional Filipino dishes and comfort food with a twist plus street food, without giving you the fear of jaundice-causing virus. I was fascinated by the menu so I keep on coming back to try new dishes.
 These are what I/my companions have so far enjoyed: 

Bagnet Kare-kare Bench-to 

The Benchto is Bench Cafe's own version of the Japanese bento. There's a cup of steaming white rice, your choice of viand, plus veggies. The Kare-kare was my daughter's choice. It was good! And nostalgic...it almost tasted like home. 

Inasal na Liempo Bench-to

The thick slice of pork appealed to me. It was also flavorful and tender. 

Lechon Kawali Bench-to

This was my choice. I'm a big fan of deep-fried pork! But although I liked the lechon kawali itself, the brown sauce underneath wasn't so much to my liking. I wasn't sure if it was lechon sauce but it was bland for my taste. The laing side dish was superb though. It was creamy and mushy - - the way laing should be.

Pancit Guisado
This has a mixture of bihon and canton noodles, with veggies, some meat slices and chicharon toppings. Good! My sister loved this one. 

Palabok

I'm also a fan of this kind of pansit but Bench Cafe's version was sadly not up to par. It was dry and the noodles seemed to be rather undercooked. I hope this isn't always the case 'coz I would want to order it again. 

Arroz Caldo 

Now this was a game-changer. Rice porridge with all the works! There's fried pulled pork on top, crispy garlic bits which I absolutely love, poached egg and meatballs. I was famished when I arrived at the cafe and having this hot bowl of arroz caldo gave much comfort to my "hangry" tummy. Each spoonful was made even more delicious when I added some of the mashed ginger it was served with. Yummy! 

Tomato Kesong Puti Pandesal
More fried egg taste, less of kesong puti. I loved the fried potato 
and "kamote" (sweet potato) chips, though. 

Tinapa Cones
These look like ice cream, I know, but they aren't cold. Haha! Cones made from fried lumpia wrappers are filled with creamy tinapa mousse. Because I'm such a huge fan of tinapa or smoked fish, I loved this one though I admit it was kinda cloying 
so I wasn't able to finish all three.

Street Food Platter

One time, I came not so hungry so I only had this together with the Ube Latte. It was good to have street food in a "sosyal" setting. Haha! No fear of "hepa" too!

Banana Cue

I was happy to find this on the Bench Cafe menu and for only P20! Sweet and delicious, it was the perfect thing to have with a cup of kapeng barako. 
What a divine pair! 

Bibingka Cheesecake 
This is a dense cheesecake that's not too sweet. The infusion of "bibingka" (a type of native rice cake) flavors renders some saltiness to it. There's even a slice of salted egg on top for a more bibingka look and taste, and which 
gives this dessert a Christmas-y feel. 

Turon ala Mode

If the turon looks boring to you, it's because it doesn't have any sugar, just as I requested, to compensate for the sweetness I would take in from the ube ice cream. Too much of a good thing is bad. Haha! I was happy my request for a sugarless 
turon was granted. Kudos to the cook! 

Ube Halo-Halo

This was a guilt-laden thing to cap a good meal with. It was sweet and delicious! This halo-halo uses shaved ice that's already mixed with Ube, so you could just imagine how flavor-packed it was. The ice was smooth to the tongue, really creamy and definitely heavenly. This Ube Halo-Halo is a must-try! 

Ube Grass Latte

Obviously, this one changes the way you drink your coffee with the 
clever addition of lemongrass and some ube halaya. Another must-try! 

Pakwan Shake

I asked for a sugarless serving and got what I wanted, thank you. 
A guilt-free drink for me! 

Kapeng Barako

Gave me my needed caffeine jolt. Not for the faint of heart 'coz it really is strong!

Sago't Gulaman

Looked good to me but it wasn't mine. Haha! 

Benchanted Iced Tea

My daughter's choice. She said she liked the blend as it 
wasn't too sweet and was refreshing.

Menu

Interiors

Bench Cafe at the ground floor of Robinsons Place Manila

There's a lot more appetizing dishes to try at Bench Cafe and I'm just so sure to keep coming back. It has become my favorite place for a meal and a good drink at Robinsons Place Manila. I definitely recommend that you bring your squad there to enjoy, too, not just the tummy-fillers but the chic, elegant interiors and ambiance as well. The prices, if you ask me, are reasonable, and the crews are very friendly 
and helpful, always willing to grant the customer's request. 
What's not to love about Bench Cafe? 

Apo Mayang's Kainan sa Kubo in Morong, Bataan

Before school opened this year, our family went to Morong, Bataan in an attempt to have a last hurrah for summer. A failed try it was, though, because it was raining almost all throughout our stay there. We lost our zeal to go for a swim at the beach or even the pool because it was already wet all around. Even going around Morong to find a nice place to eat was a hassle. Good thing there was this restaurant very close to the resort where we stayed that served really good Pinoy fare. Amazingly, they also have Vietnamese fare on the menu such as those fresh spring rolls and noodle soups. The owner was so accommodating he made us feel more "at home" even though we were feeling uncomfortable because of the constant raining. The place is called "Apo Mayang's Kainan sa Kubo" and is so-called because there are several huts all around where customers sit and dine. There's only one huge place that's enclosed for big groups and it's where we ate twice in a day, for lunch and dinner.

These were for lunch:

Grilled pusit
My favorite! Tender, juicy squid grilled to perfection. Yummy!

Sinigang na tanigue
The hot, sour soup brought comfort to our tummies, perfect 
for an exceptionally rainy day!

Crispy pata
Always a crowd favorite and it's no different with our group. Everyone was excited 
to dig into this one, which didn't disappoint.

Inihaw na liempo 
Delicious with a perfect smokey flavor and meat that's tender and juicy.

Chopsuey
Quite good but some of the veggies are a bit overcooked.

Mango shake; Guyabano shake
Fresh and natural! They even made shakes without sugar when 
my sister and I requested.

And then, these were for dinner:

                                                 Calamares

I loved that the batter wasn't too thick, making this calamares crunchy 

and thankfully, not dripping with oil.

                                                 Buttered shrimp

Love, love, love! The shrimps are fresh and the addition of garlic

and butter enhanced its flavor.

                                               Lumpiang shanghai

Crunchy and not too oily. We all loved this one.

                                              Pesang lapu-lapu

This is sooo good! The soup is flavorful without being salty. I suddenly remembered our lola who always cooked pesang isda.

                                                      Menu 

                          In and around Apo Mayang's Kainan sa Kubo

Our group inside a huge hut.

My sister and kids were looking outside, trying to spot the frogs 

that were making such thunderous sounds.

We were impressed by the good food and fast service at Apo Mayang. All of our orders were yummy and fresh. And even though we were a huge group (there were 11 of us), and ordered quite a lot, we didn't have to wait long for our food. 
The cooks and servers were impressively efficient.
By the way, they also have rooms for rent. Too bad, we had booked for a place to stay nearby, which, sadly, fell short of our expectations.

 Rooms for rent here

Kudos to the hardworking staff at Apo Mayang's who seem not to mind serving customers, walking under the rain to bring their orders from the kitchen. 
Such dedication to work!
I sure hope to eat here again and maybe stay a night or two.

*Apo Mayang's is at Burgos St., Poblacion, Morong, Bataan. 

Visit their FB page for inquiries.

Tres Cuisine at SM North Edsa

Last summer, my sister who is a US-based nurse, came to the Philippines for her yearly vacation, and stayed all throughout those two weeks in her friend's condo unit in Grass Residences. Since this condo is located at the back of SM North Edsa, we frequented that mall and ate at various restaurants there. The night before she left for the US, we chose to have a despedida dinner at Tres Cuisine at The Block.

This restaurant that serves Filipino and Spanish cuisine has been in existence for 

about five years but it was our first time there. Hopefully, I could be there a second time soon because I loved most of the dishes that we ordered 

plus the attentive and efficient service.

What we had:

Main Dishes:

Classic Beef Kare-Kare-Kare, P393.
This is the dish Tres Cuisine is mainly known for and it didn't disappoint. The nutty sauce was flavorful and with the right consistency. The beef and tripe slices were tender. But of course, the "bagoong" or shrimp paste completed the overall taste and satisfaction this popular Filipino dish brought. Why is it called Kare-Kare-Kare? Because there are three steps to enjoy it (yup, you have to work a little. Haha!). First, pour the sauce, which is served separately, into the dish, then sprinkle the ground peanuts all over. Lastly, drizzle some chili oil, 
which is of course, optional.

Crispy Pata, ala carte, P623. (only P33 on promo)

    Who could resist ordering this for just P33 if your bill reaches P1,500? Certainly not us! We took advantage of Tres' promo and enjoyed this 

crunchy, savory delight that brought us pure porcine pleasure. 

Sinfully delicious if you're like me who's on maintenance BP meds!

Classic Bagnet, P243.
Didn't get to taste this but the kids said they loved the crackle of the pork skin.

Sinigang na Salmon sa Miso, P363.

 Something to balance the diet that dinnertime. Fish! 

   The hot, sour broth was very comforting.

Pancit Canton, P283.
It was a pleasant surprise to be served fried chicken with your order of pancit.  

How nice! A complete meal in itself.

Calamares, P233.
Another seafood dish to balance our diet. The kids loved this one both 

as pica-pica and "ulam" (viand).

Ensaladang Talong, P153.
I was a little excited for this but was a bit disappointed that it was too mushy and soupy. I would have loved it without the watery texture.

Desserts:

Birthday Mangoes, P153./slice
Loved this one for the rich mango taste without being too saccharine.

Fruit Salad, P93.
Nothing so special about this: canned fruit cocktail mixed with cream 
and accompanied by two wafer sticks.

Leche Flan, P83.
This was really good! Creamy, milky and firm, not soggy or overly soft. Yummy!

Drinks:

Calamansi Juice, P103; Fresh Green Mango Shake, P123. 

Tres Brewed Iced Tea, P93., Fresh Ripe Mango Shake, P123., 

Tres Cuisine offers an impressively extensive menu  and even has a number of variations to some dishes. Their Kare-Kare-Kare, for instance, comes in several varieties like Grilled Sugpo, Crispy Beef, and Crispy Pata. Hhmmm..interesting! I wonder as I write this why we hadn't thought of ordering these unique kare-kare versions. Anyway, servings are for sharing, making Tres an ideal place to bring family and friends. There are even two function rooms for 20 and 40 people - ideal for celebrating occasions. 
Try Tres Cuisine, folks!

Happy eating!