Steak Double Date at Cowrie Grill by Manila Hotel, Greenhills, San Juan, Philippines

Our trips to Greenhills are mainly composed of eating Chinese cuisine or the eat-all-you-can Teppanyaki. Imagine our delight when we spotted this steak haven just at the other side of the building.

  

We've already eaten at Manila Hotel but this is my first time to try Cowrie Grill. Hubby's been raving about this place so for tonight, we were having a date night; a double date to be exact.

Was lucky enough to have the restaurant to ourselves while waiting so I was able to take a lot of pictures. Loved the opulence of the place; the interiors manages to transport you inside a luxurious hotel restaurant, making you forget that you're actually in Greenhills. 

This is my favorite spot. 

This lovely alcove with booth looked really romantic. The curtains are drawn so I can get a better picture but you can always have them closed for privacy. 

 

 They offer you a guide for your preferred degree of steak doneness. Nice to see that they take their meats seriously.

While waiting, they serve a basket of dinner rolls with dollops of swirly butter. The ones that arrived on our table were a bit cold but they'll gladly heat up the rolls for you.

Going Loco Over Taco at El Chupacabra, Polaris Street, Makati City, Philippines

While waiting for our coffee date with our friends, we decided to try out the taco haven hidden in one of the side streets of Makati.

Welcome to El Chupacabra. 

First impression? All your senses will definitely hit overdrive once you step in. They weren't lying about the "street tacos" part. Their al fresco area is literally on the street; passing cars were just inches away from your reach. But what was more surprising was the fact that even with all that, it was a full house. People were happily chugging down beers & tacos with not a care in the world. Now that was truly something else.

Ohh and have I mentioned that they do the grilling out on the street??? 

We were one of the lucky ones to get a place inside; just be ready to kiss elbows with strangers since the inside was definitely as crowded as the outside. And non-stop bumping from the servers while maneuvering in between tables were a frequent sight & felt. Sigh. 

After looking at their menu, we decided to try 3 of their tacos & 1 stick each of the barbecue.

Going loco over taco #FoodStars #foodie #foodstagram #elchupacabra #mexican #taco

A photo posted by Food Stars (@foodstars) on Jan 1, 2016 at 7:23pm PST

Here's a table shot of our food. Excuse the bad picture, it was really hard to find good lighting inside.

Dimsum Feast at Summer Palace, Edsa Shangrila Manila, Philippines

 Brunch with Hubby's side of the family means waking up for a bit of dimsum... but their version of "a bit" is quite different. You'll get what I mean in a minute.

We mostly get our dimsum fix from Summer Palace, Edsa Shangrila. For this particular Sunday, our brunch party included Auntie Shirley, Sonny, Ryan & Sherm. 

We arrived at around 10am just in time for their dimsum cart to make its rounds. 

Radish Cake (Php 180)

To start us off, we got 2 orders of the Radish Cake; mother-in-law's favorite dimsum treat. This was actually a substitute to their cubed radish cake with XO sauce (which seems to be off the menu), a poor one at that. I like my radish cake to be crunchy on the outside & soft on the inside. Food-Stars Verdict? I hope they bring back the one with the XO sauce.

Shrimp-y Siomai #FoodStars #foodie #foodstagram #FoodStarsHotelHits #siomai #EdsaShang #SummerPalace

A photo posted by Food Stars (@foodstars) on Jan 2, 2016 at 8:34pm PST

The Pork Siomai (Php 210) makes its appearance! This was served fresh from the cart hence the steam. Food-Stars Verdict? Yummy pa din, although the size of the shrimps were disappointing. 

Hakaw (Php 220)

Our next dimsum choice for the day was Hakaw or as Summer Palace makes it, HUGE ass fresh shrimps wrapped in thin wanton wrapper & steamed 'til orange. Food-Stars Verdict? Still the star of their dimsum cart :p

Family Time at Mann Hann, Z Square Mall, Quezon City, Philippines

Dinner with my side of the family is now becoming a weekly thing. For nights when we plan a massage session after eating, we usually don't venture far from our favorite spa place at Z Square Mall.

This new mall of sorts offers a pretty limited selection of restaurants to choose from. It didn't take long before Mann Hann was the only restaurant left to try. 

We were there pretty early, about 5 in the afternoon, and we were the only ones in the restaurant. :x 

Since Mommy & the rest of the family were running a bit late, we ordered ahead.

Dimsum downtime #FoodStars #foodie #foodstagram #mannhann #dimsum #hakaw #siomai #FoodStarsAtZSquare

A photo posted by Food Stars (@foodstars) on Dec 31, 2015 at 11:36pm PST

Hakaw (Php 130)

Surprised that Mann Hann's Hakaw only comes in 3's. 

Siomai (Php 120)

Their siomai was just okay; nothing special.

Sweet & Sour Pork (Php 295)

We were always on the look out for good Sweet & Sour Pork so we knew we had to try Mann Hann's version. Food-Stars Verdict? Tasty but wasn't as crunchy as we hoped. 

By 7pm, everyone arrived. 
Here's a shot of our 2nd batch of orders.

New Year's Eve Dinner 2015

To celebrate the coming of the new year, dinner was set up at home. 

Here's our New Year's Eve feast!

Sticks Galore!

That's Chicken BBQ on the left & Pork BBQ on the right.

Homemade Noodles for long life.

Huge Apple Crumble with 2 sauces on the side.

Beef Lasagna from Magic Kitchen

Relyenong Bangus

Of course dinner wouldn't be complete without lechon! (Click here for the full review)

Not in the picture were the Lengua & Sibut Soup.

And of course the centerpiece of 12 round fruits for luck in 2016! :P

How about you? What was your New Year's Eve feast? Share below! :)

Happy New Year everyone!

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Final Lunch of 2015 at Nihonbashi Tei, Tomas Morato, Quezon City, Philippines

For our last lunch of 2015, it was decided that we would be going for Japanese. We set our sights on the newly opened branch of Nihonbashi Tei in Tomas Morato.

Don't let the facade fool you, it may look a bit old & decrepit on the outside...

... it's all brand spankin' new on the inside :) 

Got reservations for their mini function room which can fit 6-8 people easy. While waiting for our to-grill meats to arrive, we ordered a few items from the appetizer menu.

California Maki (Php 250)

 We got 2 orders of their California Maki to start us off. Food-Stars Verdict? The rice was sticky enough to hold its shape and there were mango slices in each one so there's that. But overall, it tastes just like any other california maki.

Clams with Asari Sake Mushi (Php 180)

 Fresh clams dipped in this tasty sauce is a nice start.

Toro Spicy Sashimi (Php 270)

This orange tinged sashimi is a must try. You get to choose either salmon or tuna, we got the tuna version. The spicy kick plus the crunchy fried bits on top are the perfect complement to the fresh tuna. Food-Stars Verdict? Yummy but the serving size will definitely leave you wanting more. 

What I love about old school Japanese restaurants nowadays is the fact that they give bang for your buck when you dine during lunch. At Nihonbashi Tei Tomas Morato from 11am-5pm, every main dish/ ala carte order comes with miso soup, salad, appetizer, rice & iced coffee. Can you say sulit? ;)

Ebi Tempura (Php 380)

Surprised to see that each order had 4 pieces of tempura only. Fried 'til crunchy, Nihonbashi Tei's version was not bad. Oh, and Ebi Tempura counts as a main dish so you get all the works with this order.

Now on to the meats. 

Crunch and Munch at General's Lechon, Petron Gas Station, Dasmarinas Village, Makati City, Philippines

We timed our first taste of the much-raved about General's Lechon on the eve of the new year. Called ahead to place an order for pick up but was informed that for Dec 31, they only accept walk-ins. :X

Oohh... nothing like having to make extra effort to get my taste buds excited. 

After the 2 1/2 hour wait, finally it was time to try the fried crunchy goodness that General's Lechon promised.

1 kilo Garlic Lechon (Php 850)

Garlic lechon anyone? #FoodStars #foodie #foodstagram #lechon #generalslechon #garliclechon #2016 #FoodStarsBites

A photo posted by Food Stars (@foodstars) on Jan 1, 2016 at 4:15am PST

We got 1 kilo of their Garlic Lechon. Looks crunchy and you can really see a huge serving of garlic in between the layers of meat. And it smelled delicious. Now for the taste.