Rediscovering SM Fairview

(from here onwards are 9 foodie field trips of the past year)

We are supposed to be seeing a movie at SM North's IMAX before we head to Fairview to attend Anne's birthday. But, our plan backfired as we discovered that the movie isnt worth watching. We decided to go straight to SM Fairview and check out was new.

After the longest time, i again set foot on the same mall that was a witness to a lot of *ugh* moments in my life. We were surprised to find that a lot has changed and the mall has a new wing already. New stores, new restaurants equals food trip!

One of J's favorite is Takoyaki Balls. and HUC on the other hand, is sickened by its taste but all that is about to change. They stopped by the Food Court and spotted Ohayo. They're not your usual Takoyaki as it has different varieties from Squid to Crab to Chicken.

a bed of Ohayo goodness

 
We also tried Gilson Nook's Coffee Jelly. It was not that bad. Surprisingly.

Coffee Jelly in budget

After a quick snack, we continued to stroll down the basement area when we spotted Magic Pop. It was kind of intriguing as it had a loud popping sound that echoes the entire area. It looked like a fluffy object flying out from that weird looking contraption. Magic Pop is one of Korea's favorite rice snack. It tasted like chicharon, a more filling one, but without the guilt. You can actually have fun eating this product because it is tasty and healthy at the same time. It comes in 5 flavors namely Chocolate, Strawberry (actually its not really Chocolate and Strawberry flavored but its more like a drizzle only), Cheese, Barbeque (which i looooooooooooove), and your trusty Plain. We really ate it as our pulutan and pairs well with beer. Well there goes the healthy snacking. Haha.

Its also good for dipping too!

Strolled a little bit farther and as we got to the far end of the mall where the entertainment center is located, we decided to go up to see the view as they had a contest of some sort.

Di na ako mabugnot mamasyal sa SM Fairview. Maluwang na siya!

 

 

Of course, we never forgot to stop by our childhood favorite food stall. Scramble! Its like a shake with a thicker consistency. Its pink but its not strawberry. Its topped with powdered milk and chocolate syrup (it was Brown Cow back then. I remember sneaking out of bed just to have a little, oh. okay a big gulp of it straight from the bottle.). But now, its just some weird flavored syrup. Boo.

Oh yes. Its cool to be Pinoy. :)

J likes his scramble done in a specific way. Topped with lots of powdered milk!

you can never have too much scramble in one day!

And for my most favorite part, SPAM JAM! We have heard of this and forgot about it and never got the chance to visit it. So, now's the perfect time!

This was once mine.. And now i miss it. :( See that? Its only 38php!

There were only 3 items on their menu. Spam Musubi, Spam Burger and Spam with rice and egg.

J's Spam Burger. The bread was nice. Its like pandesal. Thank God. Kus it would fail miserably if it was paired with sliced bread.

My Spam Musubi. I <3 it terribly.

Our short foodie field trip only cost us below 500php! At its a record! Even if we didn't eat real filling food, we still had fun. And its all that matters.

On Hiatus

The two have been quite busy wrapping gifts and filling their mouths with all sorts of food. Now, they will be back, hitting the metro. One bite at a time.

BRGR Project: JandHUC Burger

J and HUC decided to eat out on their birthday and went to BRGR Project, a burger joint now gaining fame among Foodies for it's "DIY Burger". Situated along Maginhawa St in Teacher's Village, taking the space once occupied by Pino Resto Bar, BRGR Project is now winning hearts of burger lovers around the area and the Metro.


J and HUC went ahead and got a seat outside but shortly transferred inside the store as they were quite a rowdy group of kids eating at the space outside. They were amazed by how you can come up with a thousand and one (or even more) variants of burger that you could make just by "ticking" an ingredient on their checklist.

Step 1: Pick up an Order Form at the Counter


Step 2: Fill out the Order Form & build your BRGR

1. Choose a Burger: 100% Beef (Php95), Tofu (Php75), Chicken (Php95) and recently learned from their Facebook Page of the new addition, 100% Angus Beef. yum!

2. Choose a Bun: Poppyseed (Free!), Potato (Php15), and Oatmeal (Php15) (for the health conscious. BRGR Project is Vegan-friendly y'know.)

3. Choose a Cheese (Php35): Bleu, Mozzarella, Gruyere, and your trusty Cheddar

4. Choose your Premium Toppings (Php25): Bacon, Chili con Carne, Caramelized Onions, Canadian Bacon, Pepperoni, Onion Rings, and Guacamole (Seasonal)

5. Choose your Basic Toppings (Php20): Mango Salsa, Pineapple Slices, Jalapeno Peppers, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Egg, Sliced Onions, and Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms

6. Free: Lettuce, Tomatoes, and Pickles 

7. Choose a Sauce (Php15): Wasabi Mayonnaise, BBQ Sauce, Teriyaki Sauce, Marinara, Pesto, Buffalo Wings Sauce, Special BRGR Sauce, and Garlic Sauce

8. Name your BRGR!

Step 3: Submit your form and pay at the counter.

Step 4: Pick up your BRGR when your name is called out. Enjoy!

BRGR Project also have Designr BRGRs and various sides including burger side staples such as fries and onion rings. Buffalo Wings and Mozzarella Stick are also present. The usual soda for drinks but they also have Milkshakes and Float. They serve beer too.

For J, his burger was aptly named, the Jock BRGR and for HUC, well, you've guessed it. the Underground Cheerleader's BRGR. This was the first time that HUC would be able to try a Tofu burger. Just in time because she's currently on a diet. She loved it much! and even thought of doing an all Tofu Burger diet. :)

The Jock BRGR: 100% Beef, Poppyseed bun, Mozzarella, Chili con Carne, Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms, Lettuce and Tomatoes

The Underground Cheerleader's BRGR: Tofu, Poppyseed bun, Cheddar, Canadian Bacon, Sauteed Mixed Mushrooms, Lettuce, Tomatoes and Special BRGR Sauce

Onion Rings

Float

BRGR Project's interior has a diner-y feel with chalkboards, high tables and chairs and Float and Milkshakes on the menu. They also recently added a Lomo wall. Both wonder what will be the next project of Chef Ed Bugia? A dessert shop? JandHUC will surely be on the look out for that one!

BRGR Project's Lomo Wall

Oniooooooooon Rings

BRGR: The Burger Project is located at 122 Maginhawa St Teacher's Village Quezon City

Exquisite Sunday Brunch at Romulo Cafe

J's college friends make sure that they meet up at least once a month to catch up if their schedules permit. Most of the time for coffee and dinner + a little booze after. This time it was different because it was for a brunch. As they were talking among themselves thru Facebook, HUC's friends were also planning to meet up when her friend suggested a restaurant hidden in the Timog/Tomas Morato area named Romulo Cafe. Like any other new discoveries, HUC quickly googled the place, looked for reviews and went to Mr Anton Diaz's website,  Our Awesome Planet to see what are the must-try food there. She immediately fell in love with it's mix of quaint and at the same time modern interiors. That's when she decided to suggest, oh no. More like, push it to J's friends. HUC secured their phone number from their Facebook Page to place a reservation for 10. Her friend informed her that walk-ins are kind of impossible because the place gets really packed especially on weekends. They got a reservation on the common room but the next day, a lady from Romulo called her up and said that the group would be placed on a private room at no extra charge. :) Privacy is key to a tryst so she thanked the lady and hung up.

They quite had a hard time finding the place. J and HUC were the first ones to arrive at Romulo. They were originally placed on the Kapayapaan aka Blue Room. A day before, HUC saw pictures of the Blue Room and it looked kind of small. Her main concern was the kids of J's friend, not being able to move and play around because of the quite confined space. She politely asked if somebody had already reserved for the Kaligayahan aka Brown Room and said that they are bringing kids along with them and needed a little more space. The lady was kind enough to make the necessary arrangements and the reservation was already set for the Brown Room.


While waiting, of course, the only thing to do was to take pictures. A little after 30 minutes, Shi and Rap arrived and Shi handed me this.

jandhuc's current headshot by Shively Abella

Kaligayahan Room (Brown Room)

the flatware were kinda heavy. :)

Various pictures of Carlos P Romulo hanging at every wall around the restaurant

Menu of Main Course, Vegetables, and Rice

Menu of Appetizers, Soup, Salad, and Pasta/Noodles

What's New Menu

Romulo is owned and maintained by Carlos P. Romulo's granddaughter. Their menu is consist of mainly Filipino food and a little Pasta. HUC read from different reviews that their Boneless Crispy Pata Binagoongan is a must try so, that was their share. Here's a quick look on their delectable selections on their menu.

Cool as a Cucumber (Php90): their Signature Mocktail made of Fresh Lime, Fresh Cucumber and Mint Leaves

Banshee (Php65): their Signature Mocktail made of Fresh Banana, White Creme de Cacao, and Fresh Milk (not for the lactose intolerant)

Penne Carbonara with Vigan Longganisa (Php220) (well, its not Penne but Linguini. according to Kuya, their Penne went stale.)

Vigan Longganisa Fried Rice (Php120)

The General's Chicken (P475)

Boneless Crispy Pata Binagoongan (Php625)

Other dishes that were ordered were Pinoy Nachos, Romulo's very Filipino take on nachos consist of Camote and Taro Chips drizzled with Kesong Puti & Keso de Bola and Tomatoes, Baby Pusit in Garlic, Tofu & Amplaya with Tausi and Lengua. Everything was a little too much for HUC's eyes so she ended up eating only a portion of the Crispy Pata. A little chit-chat after the meal and they're back on taking pictures. All had fun on the nice wall design that the Kaligayahan Room had. They didn't stay for long as they decided to have some coffee to wash all the cholesterol they've stored. You know what they say, "Mas masarap ang bawal." 


Romulo Cafe is a good venue to have meetings, celebrate birthdays and most especially, just hang out. Fascinating interiors coupled with equally good food certainly made a mark on J and HUC's list. Definitely recommended!

Maan and Wang without their cute chikitings

Rap aka Rain and Shively

Wang, Maan, Jovi, J, HUC and Shii. no Rap :(

Jovi fresh from an all night's work

Romulo Cafe is located at 32 Scout Tuazon cor Dr Lascano Tomas Morato Quezon City

Phone Number: 09156623121/ 3327275

Oktoberfest at Sofitel

Earlier that week, HUC saw Cash Cash Pinoy, a site that "features something cool to do in several towns, all over the Philippines, at amazing discount prices of up to 90% off" as their website describes it. She initially discovered Twangoo, a site that works the same way but caters to a more posh and expensive crowd. 


At that time, their featured deal for the day was the P900 for Unlimited Food and Drinks Brunch at Sofitel’s Oktoberfest Celebration. HUC was itching to go and check out Sofitel and the much raved about, Spiral Buffet. She urged J to buy vouchers for the both of them. There goes her impulsivity, not even knowing and researching how the site works or if people ever had a bad experience with it. Not until she did experience one.


She bought the vouchers Thursday and the event would be on that Sunday. Up until Saturday afternoon, the email notification that contains the printable voucher never came into her inbox. She was already in dire panic kus Php1800 is not that big of a money but still, money that she and J worked hard enough for. She also cannot find a copy of it on her account. She decided to look for a Customer Service number first on their website and all around the web. But, to no avail, she didnt find any. Not unlike its other competitors like Buyanihan and Ensogo, which numbers can easily be spotted on their website. Now she tried to leave a comment on their Facebook Page in which she immediately got a reply. She was given quite a run around and was ready to ask for a refund when the voucher magically appeared on her account. Smile. :)


The two decided to leave early to get good seats. MRT ride-Cab to Sofitel. Oh boy Sofitel's huge! The cab parked on the Main Lobby(?) of Sofitel and asked the receptionist which was the way to the Oktoberfest Celebration. Being the lakwatsera-but-surely-to-get-lost type, she just nodded as the receptionist bombarded her with directions. The only thing that sticked to her mind was "tent". They went down the grand "Spiral" staircase and went out the pool area. They both didnt know which way to go and was on the verge of having a fight when J suggested to go ahead and pass by the Salon and voila! The Harbor Garden Tent was there. The area beside the tent was adorned with different rides for kids such as a carousel, balloon wheel ride, choo choo train and mini jets to name a few. Too bad the event was held on brunch time which meant, hot and sunny. Not good for kids. Armed with their vouchers, they went to the entrance and had their wrists stamped. They were then handed 2 humongous ceramic mugs.

German Club Manila Oktoberfest 2010 Celebration Commemorative Mug

The tent was huge and spacey and had an Inflatable Kingdom for kids. Stiltwalkers were also all over the place. Around the sides of the tent were the buffet tables which had an appetizer table, an assortment of sausages, pasta and HUC's favorite, the dessert table. They also set up a stage which played Authentic German Music from an Oompah Band and had a magic show too. Every long table, there were 2 beer dispensers which contains San Miguel Draft Beer. They were beer drinkers, no doubt. But at 12 noon, drinking lukewarm beer wasnt a good idea. So the two took turns on raking the buffet table. 

Beer Goodness at noon

Red Cabbage, Potato Salad and Green Beans

Bread Ball (twas wet so, it was kinda weird to eat)

Sausages

 

Sausages (again)

and mooooore Sausages!

you know what this is. :)

serving the Meatloaf

the Buffet table

J's plate

bite-sized Banana Cake

Cheesecake

Strawberry Panna Cotta

OKT

German Interiors

Oompah Band

J munching on sausages

busog ka na naman?!

There were different kinds of Bavarian food that was served. Some, unfamiliar in look and taste especially on the appetizer table. Beer was overflowing but not really given notice of because that was the last day of the Oktoberfest celebration and intended to be a Family Day. A lot of Milkmaid looking girls were also lurking around the place selling a bunch of memorabilias such as shirts, teddy bears, and even gingerbread cookies. The shirts were sold for Php600 so the cheapest thing that you could buy was obviously the cookies. Php100 for a cookie as big as your palm.

The pretty girl who sold HUC cookies.

Gingerbread cookies

After a filing brunch, the two went outside the tent. Sofitel's driving range was facing Manila Bay. They didn't stay for long as they also have a lunch engagement with J's family that they have to get to and were running late. Though their Oktoberfest date was cut short, the two clearly enjoyed the Oktoberfest celebration sans the beer. This really calls for a sequel. Sofitel: The Spiral Experience. :) 

Driving Range

Bye Sofitel! See you soon!