Hawker Chan opens at SM City San Lazaro

And so it turned out that my last foodie discovery of 2019 was Hawker Chan. I know this isn't something new for some of you, folks, but it was my first visit to this Michelin-starred restaurant franchise from Singapore last Dec. 31, after making last-minute purchases before preparing our Media Noche. I'm not a fan of queues, y'know, so I waited for the hype to simmer down and the SM City San Lazaro branch to open (just last week, I think) as it is close to home. I was with my daughter, who had dined at Hawker Chan-MOA together with her boyfie just a day earlier. She didn't mind being back too soon, saying she wanted to try other offers on the menu.

Our orders:

Wonton Noodle Soup 

Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle

Fried Dumplings 

   Menu

 Interiors

Hawker Chan at the ground level of SM City San Lazaro beside Hukad

My Wonton Noodle Soup was a bit of a letdown because the broth and noodles were bland for my taste. The wonton dumplings were flavorful, thankfully, and there was a lot too (six pieces!). The serving size was big, and I wasn't able to finish everything.

The Soya Sauce Chicken Noodle was really good, on the other hand. The meat was bursting with flavors and tender as well. I also liked the fried dumplings although 
I dissed their chili sauce which wasn't hot at all!

Overall, it was an enjoyable first visit to Hawker Chan. I could say the food 
was generally good at amazingly low prices and the store was clean, 
well-lighted and spacious. I'll be back soon, this, I know for sure. 

Boulangerie22 for the perfect aftie snacks

Boulangerie22 is one of the places I like having my coffee at when I'm running errands or shopping at SM City San Lazaro. It's a simple, no-fuss cafe and bakeshop with quite a short list of offers. Their pastas are really good, though, as well as their 
assortment of breads and of course, coffee. 

Recently, I found out Boulangerie22 also has a store at SM City Sta. Mesa and was impressed by its spaciousness compared to the San Lazaro branch. This one's not just much bigger but also sleeker with a more homey ambiance. What surprised me more was that Boulangerie now offers the Vietnamese sandwich called Banh mi. I just got to try it! So I hurried with my shopping and strutted back for a banh mi and cup of joe.

Spicy Korean Pork banh mi, P149.
The filling is really spicy, and yummy too! Some veggies provide additional flavors and surely, much needed nutrients. And I loved that the baguette is fresh, it's firm but soft enough to enjoy this banh mi as a filling meal in itself. The sandwich is huge, 
I only ate half of it.

Meanwhile, these are what I, together with my youngest child, had one time at Boulangerie-SM San Lazaro:

Truffle Fettuccine Alfredo, P129.

Yum! I loved the creaminess of this. Bits of bacon lent so much flavor too!

Italian Spaghetti Bolognese, P149.

My (not so) little boy loved his pasta as well. I liked that it leaned more on the Italian side rather than Pinoy -- meaning, it's not sweet!

Hungarian Sausage Mozzarella Bread, P59.

Japanese Heart Chocolate Strip Cookie, P12.

Caffe Americano, P79.

Loved everything on the tray..soft bread, strong coffee, sweet cookie, the perfect antidote to weariness due to shopping. Haha!

Matcha Creme Frappe, P99.

I knew my boy would order this. He's an avid green tea fan and 
finished this in no time.

Inside Boulangerie22 at SM City Sta. Mesa

Boulangerie 22 is one great idea when you're running low on caffeine (and carbs, dahleens!). Get your much needed cup o' joe in between shopping or after the movies, or when you're wanting to work on your gadget whilst sipping (I like doing my writings while filling on coffee and bread or pasta). They have 13 locations 
in Metro Manila so find one year you.
Happy eating!

Red Table for good, affordable Korean food

How often do you have that feeling of coming out of a restaurant happy and fully satisfied because you've just had a delicious, filling meal and without breaking the bank as a bonus? That's exactly my feels every time I have my favorites at Red Table -- that casual Korean restaurant that you find at SM Malls. I say every time I have my favorites because not every order left me truly happy. There are some things that were quite good and then there were those were really, really good 
that I crave for them from time to time.

I love Red Table for a number of reasons: One, they serve yummy, flavor-packed food. Two, their serving size is perfect for me. Not too little, not too much (I'm not a fan of "unli" restaurants because even though I love food, I don't and can't eat much). 
Three, I love Korean food for scoring high in the nutrition department

(there's always vegetables whatever you order). 

And four, I love the affordability. 

Well, here are the dishes that I've so far tried at Red Table. 
At the top are my favorites while at the bottom are those that are not.

Samgyupsal
I super love the flavorful, tender and juicy meat, plus lots of onion and garlic slices. The soup and kimchi are included in the set but the cup of rice is ordered separately. I often crave 
for this filling and very satisfying meal. Two thumbs up!

Bibimbap
This is one of my top favorite Korean dishes. Healthy and delicious, it's a complete one-bowl meal with meat and veggies coming in a frenzy of colors, flavors and textures. Delicious!

Osam-Bulgogi
I was impressed by this flavor-packed dish of pork, squid and vegetables. The combination of sweetness and spiciness makes the taste buds dance in a delightful hysteria! Be forewarned, you'd be eating a lot of rice with this, so gather up some self-control 
if you're trying to cut back on carbs.

Sundubu jjige
This is spicy soft tofu stew that I fell in love with on first taste. That kick 
is sure to chase the blues away!

Bulgogi sizzling pan

Bite-sized beef slices are tender and fun to eat. Cabbage adds nutrients to this delicious viand.

Bulgogi deopbap

I hope I remembered right the name of this dish. The sunny side-up egg makes 

the bulgogi one notch more filling and satisfying.

Japchae
Korean pancit with glass noodles, beef and veggie strips plus strings of fried scrambled egg. 
This one's yummy but a bit too saccharine for me.

Gimbap
Korean version of my favorite Japanese comfort food. I still prefer sushi, though.

Menu

 Inside Red Table at SM City San Lazaro

Red Table is my go-to place when I'm either at SM  San Lazaro or Manila and craving for my Korean food favorites. Most of their offers are really good and no item on the menu is above P200 per order.That means saving a lot of moolah compared to eating at unli-barbecue restaurants (That is if you aren't a big eater or not famished, I clarify). What's more, the place is nice and clean and servers are courteous. 
There's nothing that's hard to love at this place!

Cafe Mary Grace at SM San Lazaro

Good friends and good food are a perfect mix, I'm sure you would agree. Two weeks ago, I had the utmost pleasure of having the company of a dear friend whom I hadn't seen for 12 long years, for early dinner. And at a very lovely place at that: 
Cafe Mary Grace at SM San Lazaro.
Our orders:

Fried Kesong Puti Salad, P288.
Something new to try, I thought, when I saw this on the menu. I'm a big fan of kesong puti and I just think it's the perfect thing to put on my pandesal. But to have it on a salad is something different and it was actually a great idea. The white cheese is covered in batter, deep-fried and put on a deep dish alongside with green and purple lettuce and some chunky slices of tomato. Dressing is vinaigrette with calamansi. The mix of different flavors - sour, tangy and salty - works really well in building up an appetite and making you ready for the mains.

Fish and Bell Pepper Sandwich, P258.
I loved this one! Fish is an ideal sandwich filling when you're trying to cut back on meat, which is precisely the reason I ordered this. And I could say this was a utterly good sandwich, especially with the addition of veggies and homemade potato chips on the side. Delish!

Spanish Sardines & Olives Pasta, P320.
My friend ordered this and raved about how good it was. She's a chef back in the US, you see, and admitted she could easily whip up good pasta. But she absolutely loved this healthy Sardines Pasta at Cafe Mary Grace that she even ordered another serving to take home to her mom. 

Americano coffee, P95.
My buddy and I loved Cafe Mary Grace's coffee. It was bold and rich without being too bitter. 
My friend even ordered another serving! 

Inside Cafe Mary Grace at SM City San Lazaro

Cafe Mary Grace at the ground floor of SM San Lazaro in Sta. Cruz, Manila

Cafe Mary Grace, for me, is the perfect "comfort place" for that elegantly beautiful interiors in all of its branches. The fresh plants, country-style decors and wooden furniture provide a lovely and homey feel that draws people to dine in a relaxing environment. The good food complements the ambiance, of course. 
The prices on the menu are steep, however. I also know of some people who do not approve of some dishes, especially those using aromatic spices. But for me, Cafe Mary Grace is one of those places where I'd love to spend special moments with special people. And that includes real, long-time friends.

Tim Hortons opens at SM City San Lazaro

Me and my friends had been eagerly anticipating the opening of Tim Hortons at the SM City San Lazaro and finally, the long wait is over. Canada's favorite coffee shop opened in this mall in Sta. Cruz, Manila on Friday, Aug. 17, 2018. 

On my birthday last Monday, Aug. 20, I chose to have brunch there 

with my good friend and we both loved the place. Unlike the small, cramped UN Ave. branch where I used to spend Sunday afternoons after our worship service nearby, the Tim Hortons store at SM City San Lazaro is spacious and airy, very welcoming 
and homey. It's a place most suitable for hanging out either 
to work or have a chat with friends. 

Anyway, it was brunch for us, as I mentioned, and we had:

Crispy Chicken Ciabatta combo, P230.
This would have been a great sandwich, chicken being my favorite but the patty was dry, sadly. I hope this isn't always the case 'coz I still want to have this next time. By the way, a combo comes with a small drink, either hot or iced coffee, and a serving of Tim's delicious potato wedges.

Italiano Grilled Bagel combo, P270.
My friend's. I forgot to ask her if she liked it but I loved the bagel when I ordered it at the UN Avenue branch. There was a lot of filling and the ham was great-tasting and fresh. (The S'mores Pocket is a separate order.) 

S'mores Pocket, P35. 

Small original blend coffee, P70.
I ordered hot coffee (with cream but no sugar) after nearly two hours of exchanging stories with 
my friend and I was really feeling cold inside the store.

Well, what do you know, I was back at Tim Hortons just five days later after having a much-needed pedi and bag-shopping. Oh, I wanted to celebrate having scored a nice tote at 50% off from Charles & Keith and ordered:

Steak and Cheese Panini combo, P250.
Loved this one! There's a huge mound of thinly sliced beef as you can see. No scrimping! It's cheesy, too and with some slices of red onion. The only thing I didn't like so much was the bread (ciabatta, I think) 'coz it wasn't as soft as I wanted. This combo is very filling, aside from yummy!

In and around Tim Hortons at SM City San Lazaro

 Counter

Desserts!

Weekend crowd! 
No vacant table on a Saturday afternoon.

Just over a week after it opened, Tim Hortons is already giving coffee shops at SM City San Lazaro stiff competition. It was jam-packed last Saturday! And I can't 

blame all those people, both young and old, for trooping to this place 

even if it's hidden, tucked away on one far end of the mall. 

This place is lovely, very comfy-looking and the coffee is really good! The sandwiches could still improve but the pastries are crave-worthy. I've tried

their muffin and donuts at the UN Ave. branch and I loved them, 

especially the red muffin (blueberry, I think). 

If you haven't been to Tim's Hortons, I highly recommend this store 

at SM City San Lazaro. You'll love it here. 

That's a guarantee!

Happynest Play and Learn Cafe at SM City San Lazaro

There's a relatively new place in SM City San Lazaro that is so welcoming and refreshing to parents and little tots. It's Happynest Play and Learn Cafe at the 2nd floor near Toby's Sports. It opened December 2017 but it wasn't till April that I discovered and visited the place. What did I find so interesting about Happynest? They serve Illy coffee! I first had a taste of this Italian coffee about three years ago in a cafe near Robinsons Magnolia in Quezon City and I was impressed of its crisp, bold taste. 

It's a good thing I can now have Illy coffee again 

at a place which is nearer our home. 

Also, Happynest is kinda unique because it isn't just a cafe, it's likewise a play hub for kids. Parents can enjoy sipping their cup of joe while letting their little ones 

have the time of their lives at the play area. The kids, once they're done playing, can also enjoy eating as Happynest has special meal sets served on really cute plates that might as well be toys themselves so yes, they can play with their food. 

Haha! Just kidding.

I've gone to Happynest twice, once with my two kids and once solo. 

These were our orders:

Meaty Spaghetti, P165.
I had expected my son to have this and I was right. Happynest's version is a kid-pleaser: saccharine but not too much, even the much older me loved it. It was meaty and cheesy as well.

Mr. Porky Chop, P195.
This was really good! The breaded porkchop was tender on the inside, crunchy on the outside. Love, love, love! There's a bit of salad there but a whole lot of steamed rice, making 
this plate perfect for famished peeps. 

Finding Dory Bun, P245.
I liked the sandwich but would have loved it had the fish fillet been more crunchy on the outside and less oily. But it seemed they finished the frying process a little too soon, so the fillet was a bit soggy and dripping with oil. :(

Salted Egg Golden Fingers, P185.
I was curious about this but was disappointed that the salted egg flavor merely came from the powder dusted all over the fries. I just thought paying almost P200 for a handful 
of "powdered" fries was a bit too much.

Iced Cappuccino, P135.

This one is perfect when it's a searing summer afternoon but 

you just gotta have your coffee fix. 

Bambi Iced Tea, P70.
My son's default drink anywhere, anytime. :)


Mr. Shrekky, P180.
My daughter's. She's a bit of a "matchamaniac". Haha!

Latte, P125.
Pure bliss! I so love Illy coffee for its bold, intense and clean flavor.

In and around Happynest Play and Learn Cafe

Cute chairs!

Play area
This place makes me as giddy as a kid!

Happynest Play and Learn Cafe at the second level of SM City San Lazaro

Happynest Play and Learn Cafe is worth a visit, folks, especially if you have small children who would surely enjoy playing with all sorts of toys for boys and girls in the play area. 
Nice place, good food and coffee, and friendly crew. :)