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!

The Clubhouse at Robinsons Magnolia

I took a one-day leave from work last week to do some errands and have a little bonding time with one of my sisters. We had dinner at The Clubhouse in Robinsons Magnolia, which I had long wanted to try. Finally, I had the chance. With my 
sister footing the bill. I couldn't get any happier! 
Our orders, all of which we shared:

   Caesar salad, P265.

We really enjoyed this one. Everything -- the crunchy veggies, dressing, bacon, boiled egg -- came together really well. A yummy health-booster!

Triple decker, P325.

This is almost my default order whenever it's on the menu. I loved that they used wheat bread, as it's healthier than white. The problem was the ham, tho. It was too salty! They better switch brands or they'd give their customers kidney trouble! Otherwise, this was a good clubhouse, loaded with meat and fresh veggies.

Classic carbonara, P295.

The first thing I noticed here was the serving size -- it was quite huge! My sister and I shared one order and we still had some left for take out. Taste-wise, it was good -- creamy, bacon-y, and flavorful without being salty. Thumbs up to this pasta!

Brewed coffee

My sister's not much of a coffee fan but she had this anyway as she was having 
a sore throat and needed something hot.

Green tea

I wanted to have a cup of coffee, too, but it was around 8 p.m. already and I didn't want to stay up late, so I settled for green tea. This was aromatic and refreshing. Perfect as palate-cleaner! Loved it!

Inside The Clubhouse

The Clubhouse at Robinsons Magnolia

I could say that food at The Clubhouse was good, but honestly, not unforgettable. Maybe, there are more fantastic dishes to try so I'd better pay the place another visit. Well, the brekkie sets and even bibimbap look promising, so who knows? I just might fall in love with the place next time. You might want to try The Clubhouse too, so visit them at the ground floor of Robinsons Magnolia along Aurora Blvd. in QC.

Pinoy food with style at Mesa Filipino Moderne

Last January when I was chaperoning my sister who was then on vacation from the US for nearly a whole month, I had the chance to try this sleek and elegant restaurant called Mesa Filipino Moderne. My sister's friend who we met at Robinsons Magnolia took us there. What a good choice it turned out because we loved just about everything we ordered and honestly, I was surprised 

that the food was not as expensive as I expected. 

Our orders:

Chicken binakol, P260. I hadn't eaten this delicious soup dish that originated from the Visayas region before and was glad to finally try it. It's basically tinola, only it's cooked in coconut water and added with coconut meat, giving the soup a sweetish flavor. A welcome change from the usual chicken tinola.

Laing two ways, P170. I thought it was cool to have this Bicolano dish served two ways but there's not really much difference - the other's saucy while the other's a bit dry. I read in another blog that one of these "two ways" was crispy but it wasn't like that at all when we ate. Anyway, both are topped with adobo flakes which is the one that's a bit crunchy.

Binagoongan baboy ni Kaka, P225.  Whoever Kaka is, I want to thank him for creating this savory dish. I loved that this wasn't all meat but accompanied with lots of veggies. The pork, though bathed in bagoong (shrimp paste), wasn't too salty. This was easily my favorite among our orders.

Baby squids in own ink, P265. I love squids whatever way it's cooked - be it fried calamares-style or ginataan (with coconut milk) or yes, adobo like this one. I loved that Mesa's version is homestyle - the way mom would cook it - no frills but certainly delicious!

Kapeng barako jelly with ice cream, P80. When I dine out, I always look for desserts that are not too rich and sweet so I was happy that there's coffee turned into dessert at Mesa. There's a scoop of ice cream, I know, but I only ate a little of it. Haha!

                          
                         Green mango shake, P80. My sister's favorite drink when we dine out.

       

   Interiors - notice the elegant, Filipino-themed setting

Mesa Filipino Moderne lives up to its name. Here, you can have the dishes we Pinoys have grown up with but served beautifully and with a twist (for some of the dishes). It's like having something old in a new and different way. The taste, is course as crucial as the aesthetic factor and Mesa is successful both ways. Couple that with an elegant and relaxing ambiance and you have the perfect restaurant to bring family and friends. As I've mentioned, I was surprised about the food prices 'coz I was expecting it to be steep but we only paid P1,200. for all our orders (the ones in pictures plus three cups of rice at P40. each). Try Mesa Filipino Moderne if you haven't, folks and 

enjoy the food and ambiance as we did. 

Happy eating!

The 'trailblazing' French Baker

What's your favorite bakeshop? Mine is The French Baker - yes, that old bread place that's been around long before Eric Kayser, BreadTalk and Tous les Jours came ashore. In fact, it's been in our midst for more than 25 years now since it opened its first store at SM North Edsa. 
Trailblazer? I believe so! 
I love going to The French Baker not just to buy their delicious breads but to actually sit and dine at their cozy stores. What comfort it brings to take a break from shopping at the mall, just sit there for bread and a steaming bowl of soup and sip a delicious cup of brewed coffee. 
Sounds like a perfect time? Yes, indeed it is. :) 
These are what I've loved at The French Baker: 

Chicken salad croissant with sour cream potato chips, P185.

Ham and cheese Quiche Lorraine with soup of the day and honey balsamic greens, P195.

Clubhouse sandwich with potato chips and honey balsamic greens, P245.  

Beef Lasagna, P195.

Soup Starter, P85. 

Blueberry cheese cake, P80.

Carrot cake, P75.

Brewed Tchibo coffee, P85.

Four seasons juice, P62.

Brewed Citrus Iced Tea, P58. 

Iced Mocha, P64.

I love that they put lemon into their service water 

The French Baker at SM City Manila

Among the food items/breads I've had here at The French Baker, my top favorites are the quiche, soup,  salad and garlic toast, the latter also a favorite of my kids. These are perfect for a light snack on a lazy afternoon after church service or in between shopping or errands at the mall. Delicious, lightly filling, comforting. Of course, their Tchibo coffee is one of the best for me and a must whenever I visit. And may I add, it's quieter at French Baker than in most restaurants I go to, giving also the perfect atmosphere for a nice chat to catch up with friends. 
The branches I usually visit are at SM City Manila and Robinsons Magnolia.
Well, whatever you're having right now, happy eating, folks!