It seems like only yesterday when I was still very excited for the opening of the first T.G.I.Fridays restaurant here in Davao City located at the ground floor of Abreeza Mall. Time indeed flies so fast that I came to realize that they will be turning two when I got an invitation to their 2nd year anniversary celebration last May 18, 2013.

T.G.I.Fridays celebrated their 2nd year anniversary by having a Buy 1 Take 1 on their famous cocktails and at the same time, holding a Bar Champ Competition with their in-house bar experts. Judges had a great time deciding the winner since the competition was very tight among the contestants.

One of the things I really recommend when you get the chance to dine at Bigby's Cafe & Restaurant is their Blossoming Spinach Dip. It is a delectable blend of creamy mozarella and parmesan cheese mixed with minced spinach and served together with baguette toasts. It is best consumed while it's a bit hot and creamy. One serving is perfect for sharing but with my intense love for cheese, I can consume the entire serving all by myself. Seriously.

Priced at around Php 200, this dish is worth the price. It can truly satisfy a craving palate and a hungry tummy. Ever since I had tried it, it has instantly become a favorite at Bigby's.

In celebration of the 115th Philippine Independence Day, Army Navy Burger + Burrito at Abreeza Mall is giving away free Freedom Fries for every burger purchase.

Promo happens on June 12, 2013 only so grab a burger + free freedom fries now!

The story behind this restaurant chain started out in downtown Manhattan when Alan Stillman opened a place not only "as a way to meet Pan Am stewardesses" but also to create an environment where people can meet their friends and make new ones and all of them can just relax and have fun in 1965.

Then came T.G.I.Fridays.

Suddenly, there was a place where great food, exciting drinks and an electric energy can be combined - a place where bartenders create a euphoric environment in the same way that they mix a drink. To simply say, T.G.I. Fridays is a place like nowhere else.

T.G.I.Fridays have expanded to different branches in the world, fourteen of which are found in the Philippines. In Davao City, this restaurant is located at the ground floor of Abreeza Mall.

It has been 2 years since T.G.I.Fridays opened its doors to Davaenos and will still continue to provide great food and drinks plus excellent service. In celebration of its 2nd year anniversary this Saturday, May 18, 2013, T.G.I. Fridays Abreeza branch will be offering Buy 1 Take 1 on Cocktails and at the same time, will hold a Bar Champ Competition.

So what are you waiting for? Come and celebrate this occasion only at T.G.I.Fridays at Abreeza Mall, Davao City. Hope to see you there!

Complete your summer fun with this unique kind of treat! See you there!

I have a confession to make. 

Contrary to my health teachings as a nurse, I do not like eating vegetables nor do I even indulge regularly in healthy food choices. But I also admit that there are also days when you feel like craving for them, or just feel like ditching away the rice on the plate for something healthier like greens and fruits.

I discovered Rego's Cafe when I had a meeting with my classmate in MAN, Jay, who just recently came back from his Manila trip at that time. We were supposed to meet in Happy Lemon but since we were both hungry, we decided to look for a place to dine instead. I wasn't in the mood for something heavy since I was aiming for a few days off from rice at that time. Then, we spotted Rego's Cafe. I was lucky to have seen this cozy and charming restaurant at The Peak just when my taste buds were craving for something healthier. To be honest, it was my first time to have heard of this restaurant's name but what really caught my attention were the affordable price and healthy food selections on their menu.

GRILLED CHICKEN CEASAR SALAD

One thing that made me love this Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad is that there are lots of dried cranberries which added more flavor to it. The grilled chicken is tasty and flavorful which complemented the crispiness of the lettuce and cucumber.

CHICKEN, FISH AND FRIES

This order was supposedly made up of chicken, fish and fries but the owner of Rego's Cafe told us that their fries is not good enough to be served so I opted to add more fish in it. I truly admired the honesty of the owner, who also happened to be Joshua's classmate in high school. That means to say that they really serve only the best and high quality products to their customers. 

One of the things I love the most about Davao City is food. Dining places here in Davao have been so generous with food that almost all places offer unlimited rice. And what could get better than that? Of course, nothing but unlimited BBQ and grilled food for only P200.

So come and join the fun as we grill and dine to our heart's delight on the first ever Dabaw Sinugba Festival. Hope to see you there!

 The first time I fell in love with Cafe France's Beef Lasagna was during my practicum days in UP-PGH barely three years ago. I first had a taste of it when my classmates and I decided to had a late lunch at Podium and oh boy I got so enticed. Ever since then, their beef lasagna has become one of the food that I made sure to eat every time I am in Manila. Ever since then, the same beef lasagna had also become my staple airport food every time I get to fly back to Davao from NAIA Terminal 2.

When I heard about their opening here in Davao, I got so giddy like a little child seeing her favorite candy within her reach again. And just last Tuesday, I was able to visit their branch at The Peak where I had another Tuesdate with the BF. It was my first time to really dine in at their place but I have already been a satisfied customer of their breads, croissants and sandwiches which I usually order for take-out since they opened their doors in this city.

Just a quick trip down memory lane, it was one hot afternoon in August 2012 when le BF and I decided to try Backyard Burgers for the first time. This burger joint is situated just a few walks away from le BF's house so we ordered 1 cheeseburger (for me) and 1 Ha'ang Burger (for him) for take-out because the place was jam-packed. At first try, I wasn't happy with my burger. I found the bun to be stale for my taste, and the patty was a bit burnt and dry. On the other hand, le BF liked his extra spicy burger. Although I was disappointed, my first experience with Backyard Burgers didn't stop me from visiting them for a second try.

Last December 2012, I came back again for another dining experience. This time, my friend, Sarah and I decided to dine in as the place was empty, unlike my first visit. I was eyeing for the customized burger but found it very expensive after the lady at the counter calculated all the ingredients so I settled for the BB Garshroom Bacon Burger instead, while Sarah had her burger customized.

BB Garshroom  Bacon Burger (Php 150 + add-on Php 35)

The BB Garshroom Bacon Burger is made-up of a single beef patty with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, mayonnaise, garlic mushroom fried in butter, bacon and sesame bun. Since I like my burgers with loads of cheese, I opted to add the Cheesy Dip Sauce. 

The first time my curiosity got triggered with Pepper Lunch was during the time that I saw a long line of people in their Greenbelt 5 branch. I thought to myself that definitely, their food must have been very good for people to be patiently waiting to be seated considering that the price is a bit steep to my liking. That same curiosity also wanted me to try their meals at that moment but the impatient me opted to dine in another restaurant.

Then I heard that Pepper Lunch already opened another branch at The Peak in Gaisano Mall. On our first visit, the BF and I backed off because like I said, the price was a bit steep and we weren't that hungry enough to splurge around P300 for every meal. However, on one special day in November (it was in fact our monthsary. Notice how delayed this blog post is?), we finally gave Pepper Lunch a try.

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg

Curry Beef Pepper Rice with Cheese

It's the last day of the year 2012. We've been hurdling a lot of end-of-the-world predictions and until now, we're still alive, breathing and blogging!  

Just like when the Mayans predicted the end of the world to happen on December 21, 2012, I also predicted that something will end but only a day before that said prediction and it is---- the end of my 3-week diet! In an instant, I finally gave in back to my love for food when I was one of the bloggers who got the chance to have a taste of authentic Chinese cuisine at the newly-opened West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden last December 20, 2012.

Let me just give you a brief background of this new restaurant. West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden is actually one of the three newly-opened restaurants located at the West JBT Plaza, the new food haven in Davao City. Alongside with it are the Jaime's restaurant which offers an international fusion cuisine buffet and the quaint-looking Chiyo Authentic Japanese Restaurant and Yakiniku House which offers the best yakiniku and Japanese food in town. I'll be making separate blog posts for the two other restaurants so for now, I'll be focusing the spotlight on what West Empire Chinese Restaurant and Seafood Garden has to offer.

Brace yourselves, I'll be flooding you with pictures which will surely make you drool!

Assorted Cold Cuts for Appetizer. See next photo for the contents!

White Chicken, Pork Asado, Suckling Pig, Peking Duck  (everything tastes delicious!)

Every minute that I am writing this post feels like suicide to me. Since the start of December, I have been adhering to a "very strict diet" which, together with all the other factors, made me lost 3 kilos in 2 weeks. (Mind you, it's not that easy!) But this post has long been overdue and I guess you deserve a little information about the latest craze in town: J.CO Donuts. So here I am killing myself (and my cravings) in order to share something to you my beloved readers.

I first heard of J.Co Donuts from a flood of posts in Instagram to a dozen rants in Facebook and Twitter sharing how people manage to wait in queue for an hour for just a dozen donuts. An hour for a donut? Are they really worth it?

Having been a language teacher to Korean students for almost half a year had made me steer away from Korean food. No offense, it's just that I don't like eating spicy food. From what I have experienced in my previous Korean employer, almost every food I tasted is too hot and spicy. But when I heard about a lot of positive raves about the Bon Chon Chicken, I couldn't help but get curious and later on indulge myself (and thy boyfriend) to have a taste of the much-hyped Korean chicken delight.

 Bon Chon's Spicy Chicken

The chicken pieces were coated with a glistening reddish brown spicy sauce just enough to cover the chicken. The skin was crunchy and tasty and much to my delight, the spiciness doesn't overwhelm. The meat is also juicy, flavorful and tender in every bite.

Bon Chon's Beef Bulgogi

Aside from the jaw-dropping scenery and amazing landscapes, Palawan has much more to offer than what meets the eye. The city also has a wide array of restaurants that would suit every craving palate, therefore a wandering traveler will surely never go hungry in this city. Mostly, the restaurants in Puerto Princesa have a native theme serving Filipino dishes and boasting of the Filipino pride. From among these restaurants, one of the most famous places in Palawan is Ka Inato.

I can still vividly remember the first time I fell in love at a first bite of a hot and fresh original glazed doughnut. It was a rainy July 07, 2010. I dropped by at Krispy Kreme Mall of Asia to buy 2 dozen of doughnuts to bring home to my family and friends. I didn't knew about the hotlight then - what it truly meant - not until when it was switched on and the lady at the counter asked me if I wanted to have fresh and hot original glazed doughnuts. Realizing that I can be hungry while waiting at the airport, I ordered one and paired it up with a cup of hot caramel latte. The fresh and hot doughnuts plus a warm cup of coffee on a rainy day ignited my love for the original glazed doughnut that time. It was so great that other varieties of doughnuts became less attractive to me.

Who would not love the smell and taste of hot and fresh doughnuts? Who would not be enticed with the stimulating aroma of freshly-brewed coffee? And who would not mind getting your favorite donut and drink without the worry of parking space because there's a drive-thru counter?

KRISPY KREME IS FINALLY COMING TO DAVAO VERY SOON!

Stay tuned in my blog for more updates.

***posted using Blogsy***

Filipinos are well-known for their close social ties. Whether it's within families, friends and communities, Filipinos stand out above the rest when it comes to valuing presence and relationships which can be truly seen even in our manner of dining. For one, my family always sees to it that we dine together even just for one meal a day despite of our busy schedules. It is in the dining that we can share what happened to our day and bond more through food. Even though the western culture already invaded us with fast food chains that makes eating alone seems to be a quick thing to do, nothing can make a dining experience more satisfying than having family and friends to share our food (and love with).

However, it's good to know that there are still some restaurants out there who happen to value the importance of close social ties among friends and families. One of which is Max's, "the house that chicken built", which is one of the country's leading restaurants. They just recently launched Max's 4Sharing Meals, a new meal bundle consisting of four cups of rice, four glasses of iced tea, the all-time favorite classic Max's "sarap-to-the-bones" Fried Chicken, and this October, delectable beef selections such as Beef Caldereta and Adobong Baka sa Gata, have become a part of the 4sharing meals.

One Saturday morning, I stumbled upon a post of one of my friends in Facebook asking what's the best burger in town. People from her list provided variety of answers including Hollywood Burgers, Backyard Burgers and Army Navy. I have already tried the first two, and to be honest, I was more satisfied with the food at Hollywood Burgers than in Backyard Burgers. With regard to the third one mentioned, that is still yet a mystery to me.

So when the BF asked me to watch Total Recall last Saturday, I asked him if we can have dinner at Army Navy Burger + Burrito in Abreeza before the movie. I know he quickly agreed since like me, he has also heard raves about this new diner in town. After his duty, off we go to Abreeza for our chance to try what this diner has to offer.

When we arrived, the place was packed so the first thought that came into my mind was that food must be really good to have this much number of people. Luckily we managed to find seats for ourselves. The BF placed our orders at the counter and then we waited for around 10-15 minutes before our order arrived.

Army Navy Pork Burrito (P165)

Hurray for another weekend! I'm glad that with my work, I'm able to spend the weekends lounging at home, just chilling, feeling lazy, doing thesis work if I'm feeling motivated, and at times, wandering around town. My schedule for the weekends usually depends on my boyfriend, since at times he is on a 24-hour duty and if I feel lazy to go out without him, I stay at home. But if my parents have other plans, then surely I'm not one to just bum around.

Let me share to you one weekend trip I had. This was actually last Saturday, when I'm still feeling sick and all. But since the BF wants to spend quality time, I compromised. LOL! This time, I gave him the autonomy to decide where to go. When the boyfriend blurted out that he wants to have dinner at Lachi's, all I can say was, "Yahoo, perfect!"

Lachi's Sans Rival Atbp. has been famous in Davao for creating and marketing delightful pastries and delicacies that will surely make a sweet tooth go crazy. I have been an avid fan of Lachi's and every time that  I'm in need of a remedy for my sweet tooth, this place is always the first to pop out of my mind. I'm happy to see that they have been improving, from what used to be a very small restaurant has now occupied a bigger space enough to accommodate hungry costumers. What I just don't like with Lachi's is that their location is not that easily accessible (for me) that I don't even know how to commute to reach the place. And if you're bringing a car, then the parking space is another problem. However, once you get to taste their food, then you'll surely brush these problems away.

Here's what we ordered:

Crispy Lechon Kawali

If there's one common thing between the BF and I that I am very thankful for, it will be our love for Japanese food. Yes, when we were still dating, I was very delighted to know that he too loves Japanese food much as I do. Japanese food has been my kind of comfort food, and I would always find myself craving for them whenever I'm stressed out. Luckily, my boyfriend has always been supportive in my pigging-out sessions and has been devouring them with me all the way!

A few weeks ago, we decided to have another comfort pig-out session at Sushi Dito.