Brick Oven Goodness at Gino's Brick Oven Pizza, Serendra, Taguig City, Philippines

It takes a special kind of place to make us go on a carbo-loading binge on pizza and pasta. Gino's Brick Oven Pizza is one of those places.

We've been to their Salcedo branch before so for this visit, we decided to go to their Serendra one. With almost the same interiors but with more comfortable booths and shorter waiting time (since they accept reservations), it was a great start to our evening.

Browsing through their menu is actually a pretense; we already have our favorites. For this particular dinner though since we were a party of four, we left the additional pasta and pizza choices to the other guests.

It was unanimous; everyone was in the mood for Burrata.

Trying to at least keep it healthy, we got the Burrata Caprese (Php 405). A dish, no matter how simple, when served with the freshest ingredients will always be a hit. The luscious cherry tomatoes plus the herb-y flavor of the basil worked really well with the burrata and pesto. This was easily polished off by everyone.

Pictured is their Salted Egg Pasta (Php 225), our go-to pasta staple whenever we're at Gino's. The fettuccine noodles were well-coated with the salted egg mixed with cream and then topped with bacon bits and Parmesan cheese. The salted egg flavor is subtle, it neither overpowers nor underwhelms. I was actually looking for the added saltiness by the bacon but that was sorely missing. To make it a cheesier dish, ask for more Parmesan cheese. 

Burgers and Wings at Sweet Ecstasy, Uptown Parade, BGC, Philippines

I've had it with those patties piled high with "extenders" (tomatoes, mayo, cheese, cucumbers), leaving you feeling full with no memory of the beef. Sometimes, you just need to sink your teeth into a good-old-fashion burger with less the trimmings.  

Sweet Ecstasy, Uptown Parade Taguig

Order window

Here's how no frills this place is; once you step up inside you'll see this takeout window that acts as their order counter. But don't worry, they cook your food as you order so you get them hot off the grill.

After having our fill of their "unique" interiors, our orders arrived. 

#FoodStarsAtUptownMall: Cowboy Grub at Texas Roadhouse, Uptown Mall, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines

My feed has been filling up with alerts from the newly opened Texas Roadhouse in Uptown Mall. As luck would have it, we were invited to a birthday celebration on the week of its opening.

Due to its soft opening, phone lines were either down or no one was answering hence we were forced to go without a reservation.  Wisely used the time taking pictures while we waited to be seated.

To keep us from losing our cool ('coz they were really making us wait a long time), they began serving their complementary wares.

.... and I must say, they should've served this earlier. These freshly baked bread rolls with cinnamon butter is enough to cool off any hot heads in sight. I couldn't stop raving about this and our dinner was yet to start.  Food-Stars Tip: Ask for a butter knife for spreading the butter since they don't serve it with one. Here's a little incident that happened to us. One of the managers who apparently didn't want to go back to the kitchen & get one told us to use the ones on the table instead. When we unwrapped the napkins, the knife he was talking about was bigger than the rolls 'coz it was a steak knife. I would've understood if that was the same case for everyone but our other table got a butter knife. Tsk tsk. Tamad 101. I just asked for one from a server instead. 

#FoodStarsAtUptownMall: Getting the VIP Treatment at the VIP Cinema, Uptown Mall, Taguig, Philippines

When going out for a movie date, there are 2 things to remember: (1) Choosing the right kind of movie is the key to a fun time; and (2) Being with someone special or at least with someone you like is also a must. For this particular Friday, I was going out with Hubby & we were watching Captain America's Civil War so I was already good on both points.

Remember our Uptown Place Cinema Review? Well, for this time around we were in for a special treat, a VIP one to be exact. 

Food-Stars Tip: Going a day before to buy the tickets is a good idea to avoid getting bumped off by a block screening. They also offer online reservations just visit this website. 

They were still kinda strict about letting people in the cinema, their 5 minute rule before showtime still stands. With our 20 minute idle time, we decided to walk around the mall...

..which alas took only about 10 minutes. A lot of shops were still under construction and with the restaurants in the open-air part of the mall, it was too hot to explore. 

With nothing else to do, we went to the food counter to start on our popcorn binge because when you get tickets for their VIP cinemas.....

..... you get UNLIMITED popcorn & sodas!!! ;p

#FoodStarsAtUptownMall: Movie Night Upgrade at Uptown Cinemas, Uptown Mall, Taguig, Philippines

We knew that the battle between Batman & Superman (Dawn of Justice) had to be watched at some place special. Heard of this new mall that offers state-of-the-art surround sound & uncrowded viewing.  

Welcome to Uptown Mall, a new mall venture by Megaworld which promises luxe viewing pleasures with their upscale cinemas.

We were there for their VIP cinema (Php 520) which offers reclining couple chairs plus unlimited popcorn & soda at a push of the button; but was sadly unavailable due to a block screening. We ended up with Cinema 1 which offered Dolby Atmos Sound with free medium-sized popcorn (Php 320).

Revisited Review: Todd English Food Hall, SM Aura Taguig, Philippines

For Hubby's birthday, we decided to treat his family to Todd English Food Hall. We enjoyed our first visit so we knew that they'll love it here too.

For tonight, we went with completely new dishes.

Todd English Two-Way Duck (Php 650)

We ordered this for mom-in-law & father-in-law. Seeing that they serve this quite a different way than they're used to in Chinese restaurants (Peking duck), I knew this was going to get interesting. Todd English's Duck dish was really good; serving it 2-way was a nice touch. The Duck Leg Confit was really tender & tasty while the Duck Breast was somewhat firm yet moist. Overall, this was a great dish.

Duck Fried Rice (Php 380)

To complete our duck meal experience, we also got the rice. This was actually good but I wasn't able to taste the duck; which was kinda disappointing. Honestly, it tasted just like ordinary fried rice. So with that in mind, the P380 price tag is a bit steep.

Rissoto Paella (Php 480)

Since we knew that the father-in-law loves paella, we got him this one. This is fresh seafood mix of clams & calamari with saffron risotto rice. This had a bit of an earthy taste to it that lingers on the tongue. Don't forget to ask for lemon wedges, it helps bring out the flavor of the paella. 

U.S. Hanger Steak with Bone Marrow (Php 590)

Seeing this on the menu, we were excited to try this out. Unfortunately, their Bone Marrow was out of stock which was a HUGE bummer. They replaced it with a serving of Truffle Fries on the side. Hmm... Fries for Bone Marrow? It's kinda an unfair trade if you ask me. It's a good thing that their Hanger Steak was damn good; it made me forget about the Bone Marrow fiasco for a bit.

Todd English Pork Chop (Php 430)

Menu reads 2-day brined double boned frenched Chops served with wilted greens & potato gratin with demi-glace sauce. All I can say is this is one 500g slab-tastic Pork Chop! Just get your knife skills ready; the birthday boy became the designated carver for the night. ;)

Linguini & Clams (Php 250)

From their Pasta Section, we chose something light. The linguini was well-cooked and the clams were fresh but I was actually expecting a bit more flavor. At least Hubby liked it.

Chorizo & Shrimp Flatbread (Php 650)

For our first choice of Flatbread, we got something hearty and it doesn't get any meatier than this. I liked how the saltiness of the chorizo helped bring out the flavor of the machego cheese. Add the shrimps & scallions and you're in for a real treat. ;)

The Classic (Php 380)

 And because one Flatbread wasn't enough, we got another one. This time we went for something totally different; we went for The Todd English Classic. This is Mozzarella Cheese, Tomato Sauce, Basil and Parmesan Cheese. So simple yet oh so satisfying. This one got everyone's seal of approval. 

In the end, Hubby had fun and everyone went home with happy tummies & smiles on their faces. ;9 Thanks Todd English Food Hall! ;)

'Til our next Good Eat!

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Todd English Food Hall

5/F SM Aura Premier, Sky Park, McKinley ParkwayMcKinley Hill, Taguig(02) 621-4002

Facebook: Todd English Food Hall

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Revisited Review: Harvest Gastro Pub, The Fort Taguig

Since the last time we went here was when the sun was down; it was just proper that we try it again when the sun was up! ;)

For this late lunch, we wanted to try Harvest's other dishes.

Butter Parmesan Chicken Tenders (Php 195)

First Impression? Seemed like the butter-parmesan sauce was almost nonexistent. Taste-wise? A bit ordinary. Next please!

Fish Parmigiana (Php 245)

This was breaded dory pomodoro 3-cheese melt with pesto rice & roasted veggies. You had us at 3-cheese melt. ;) FS Verdict? The dory was cooked just right, crunchy & flaky. Sadly, the cheesy part was not enough to redeem the dish. :(

Chinese Monday at Zong, Fort Square Plaza Bonifacio Global City

It's been ages since we've had Chinese so we were happy to learn that in BGC, there was this restaurant getting rave reviews for their Yang Chow. We're always on the lookout for yummy Yang Chow and only a few has made it on our list. 

Tonight, we were hoping that Zong would be a new addition.

Zong, The Fort Strip BGC

 We made good time (C & L was right behind us) even with the wrong directions given by the staff. Hay.

Table Setting

Simple & plain are the first things that come into mind; none of the usual Asian fixtures or decors. Honestly, the place didn't look Chinese.

Catching Up at Mango Tree, Bonifacio High Street Central Taguig

December; the month of holiday cheer, gift giving and of course... eating! :9 

 It's always nice to meet and catch up with friends; tonight was no exception. 

Mango Tree. Bonifacio High Street Central

Hmmmm... with a tagline like that, expectations were definitely through the roof.

Let's see how they fare.

With the high ceiling & long curtains adorning the windows, Mango Tree managed to convey a touch of class and elegance. 

RR: Kuya's at The Fort, Fort Bonifacio Taguig

As much as possible, we give restaurants second chances. So here's our Revisited Review for Kuya's.

For our first visit, click here.

As our usual, we made reservations. The person on the other line (Art) accepted our reservation and confirmed the details. 

Kuya's at the Fort

We arrived by 8:10pm to a full house. Okay... so what happened to our reservation? What was the point of accepting reservations if you're not going to reserve the place for us? Tsk tsk. It seemed that this Second Chance visit was starting off badly.

Talking to the waiter led to nowhere. No one can tell me what happened to my reservation plus that the indoor section was reserved for the night. Yup, Art didn't even tell us that the non-smoking area was already full. Another misstep. 

What was more frustrating? Someone (who later on turned to be the owner's son Jed) arrogantly kept on repeating this statement "Yes, you should've been informed but I'm not going to give you a place inside since there's a party. You can stay here outside instead."

Points for clarification. 

Number One: Yes Jed, we should've been informed. Admitting that we should've been informed was a step in the right direction. But insisting that you can't do anything about it and saying that we should just deal with it? This was a huge step backwards.

Number Two: Next time, I suggest that you introduce yourself first. I was talking to your arrogant waiter when you suddenly butted in. Sorry, that's just bad manners. Plain and simple.

Expected a Better Night with Kitchen Knight

As promised, here's our review for Kitchen Knight's bestsellers!

It was 12:45am and we were hungry. Wanted to try something different for a change. After minutes of searching the web, we stumbled upon this restaurant. Open from 6pm-2am only? Sounds perfect for my midnight cravings. All the dishes comes with rice and veggies. They also offer FREE DELIVERY for 3 dishes and up. 

Placed my order, waited for 40 mins and voila! 

Kitchen Knight