30 Kitchen + Bar

    I've been planning to post a review about 30 Kitchen + Bar for a long time now but we just keep coming back to the place, causing a pile up of the food I need to post.  So I decided to do a two-part review about it.

     30 Kitchen + Bar is just a small restaurant beside the gate of Paradise Village and it's currently our favorite place to eat.  They serve great food and alcoholic beverages like beers and cocktails, all of those for a reasonable price.

Bottomless Iced Tea - Php45

Spanish Sardines and Toast - Php90

    We tried almost every dish on their menu except for the alcoholic drinks.  Let me start with their Spanish Sardines and Toast.  They made their own sardines, sautéed in garlic and onions.  It was seasoned with salt and pepper and it was just right, the sardines didn't taste fishy at all.  Its saltiness goes well with rice or the toasted baguette slice that comes with the dish.  I can't stop craving for it after a few days.

Garlic Ribs - Php125

    Garlic Ribs are cutlets of pork ribs flavored with garlic powder and deep fried until well done.  It was crunchy, tender on the inside and fun to eat.  It's a finger food and a good match for beers but you can also order it with rice for a pleasant meal.

Lingurian Fish - Php170

    The Lingurian Fish is a two-piece pan-seared fish fillet in pesto sauce.  The fish was moist and not flakey while you can taste the basil and nuts on its pesto sauce.  It was served with rice but you can change it to mashed potatoes for Php20.

Sausage and Spice - Php145

    Sausage and Spice is a tomato-based pasta with thin slices of sausages and it also comes with 2 baguette toasts, all of their pasta dishes comes with it.  Their sauce is Italian-style, it's real tomato sauce not canned.  The rich flavor of the tomatoes were eminent on the dish and I think I can eat it with just the sauce and the pasta.  The distinct flavor of the hungarian sausage adds some texture to the dish too.

Chicken Pesto - Php145

    The Chicken Pesto is a pasta with chicken strips in a creamy pesto sauce.  I love the sauce because it was so creamy with a hint of herbs and nuts.  I expected the chicken to be like the strips of KFC, but it was not.  It was fried and cut into small pieces.  I think it would've been better if the chicken was battered and deep fried. Well, that's just me.

Creamy Tomato - Php70

    Creamy Tomato is a soup made from of course, tomatoes and cream.  The flavors of tomato and cream is just delicious and the pepper add some spice and kick into it.  You can never go wrong with this dish.

Philly Cheesesteak - Php165

    Philly Cheesesteak, it's a sandwich with thinly sliced beef, mushrooms, caramelized onions, mozzarella and cheese sauce in a grilled wheat focaccia bread.  It's served with their home-made fries.  I like everything in it, from the onions to the cheese sauce and mozzarella except for its beef.  It's not tender and you will need time to chew it.  It was a bit of a let down because it says on the menu that they are using US Angus beef and it's the beef that should be the main feature of the sandwich.  Maybe it was just that time because when our friend had it on another time, she told me that it was great.

Pork Schnitzel - Php160

    Pork Schnitzel is a breaded pork cut with white sauce.  I remember that it was what I had when we first went to 30 and I was overwhelmed by it.  I was surprised by the size of the pork and and even more surprised when I discovered that it was all meat! No bones!  It was fried until golden brown until the breading becomes crispy but the meat is still tender while the white sauce tastes like a creamy gravy with diced onions and vegetables.  It was so so good!    I would recommend this if you visit 30 Kitchen + Bar soon.

   Well, this is the end of the first part but I promise, there's more...


30 Kitchen + Bar
Paradise Village Gate
Banilad, Cebu City

+63-32-5188975
+63-32-2390057

Siam Thai Cuisine

    It was Paz's Birthday, we're in the mall and we were hungry.  We have a lot of choices but the birthday girl chose Siam.

    We always have the Seafood Tom Yum every time we're in Siam but this time, we decided to have the Vegetarian Tom Yum together with Vegetarian Spring Rolls, Minced Pork and Vegetables with Egg, Hatuchak Thai Spare Ribs and a platter of Garlic Fried Rice.

Vegetarian Tom Yum - Php170

    The Vegetarian Tom Yum was amazingly good.  It has broccoli, cauliflower, young corn and tofu.  It has the right tinge of sourness and tastes like a real Tom Yum.  Not as bland as I imagined.  It's perfect for those who are in a vegetable diet.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls - Php140

    The wrapper of the Vegetarian Spring Rolls were crispy but the vegetables filling were a bit soggy and oily.  It was a disappointment.

Hatuchak Thai Spare Ribs - Php185

    The Hatuchak Spare Ribs was toothsome!  It was tender and you can taste the spices on every bite.  Excuse me Max's, but it was Sarap to the bones!

Garlic Fried Rice Platter - Php75

    Their Garlic Rice was nothing special, the usual rice fried with garlic.

Minced Pork and Vegetables with Egg - Php150

    The Minced Pork and Vegetables was like an omelette.  The sauce on the pork and vegetables was overwhelming and it over-powered the flavor of the whole dish.  It should be called Tomato Sauce with Minced Pork and Vegetables instead. :-)

    They also have refillable Iced Tea for Php60, and it's sure worth your money.  You don't have to ask for a refill from them, they will automatically do it if they see your glass half-empty.  We were also glad with the service they gave us.  They were polite, friendly and happy to serve us.

    *I forgot to bring my camera so I took these photos using my phone.

Siam Thai Cuisine

The Terraces

Ayala Center Cebu

+63-32-4171318

TsiBoom and CoffeeCat

    Sinulog is suppose to be sunny and sore-eye free!  So when we woke up at 9 in the morning with a fat and itchy eye and a gloomy weather I knew that we're going to spend the rest of the day on the bed.  I felt guilt for not celebrating the Mardi Gras on the streets but when I pictured the mud all over my shoes the feeling was all gone. 

    Later that evening, we went to Parkmall to avoid the over-crowded SM and Ayala.  On our way to the mall, I suggested to have dinner in Boosog at The Gallery since I was craving for its Lechon Kawali and Seafood Monggo.  Paz agreed but Stick tricked us, saying there's also Boosog in Parkmall.  I was about to have tantrums when I found out that there's no Boosog in the mall and we are going to have dinner in TsiBoom instead.  Stick told me that the food is the same because it has the same owner.  I told myself that it should better be  the same because I'm going to have THE Lechon Kawali on that night, even if it means going to Boosog alone!  Being lead on and hunger doesn't go well together, it can cause irrational thinking.

    I rapidly asked for Lechon Kawali and Seafood Mongo while Paz ordered Pork Sinigang and Binagoongang Baboy and Stick had the Grilled Squid and Baked Scallops.  

Lechon Kawali

Seafood Monggo

Baked Scallops

Pork Sinigang

Grilled Squid

Binagoongang Baboy

Iced Tea

    Then came the food.  Stick was not kidding, it was the same as Boosog.  I enjoyed my Lechon Kawali, it was crispy and tender.  The Seafood Monggo has shrimps and mussels, it was thick and not watery while the Baked Scallops was creamy, cheesy and you'll be asking for more.  Their Pork Sinigang was surprisingly cheap but it was good.  The sourness was just right and the pork meat was cooked well.  I didn't like the Binagoongang Baboy that much because they didn't put coconut milk on it.  It was like sweet and sour pork with bagoong.  I also wasn't able to taste the Grilled Squid but according to Paz and Stick, it was also tender.  And oh by the way, TsiBoom also offer unlimited rice and iced tea just like Boosog.

    On our way back, we noticed the fireworks of Ayala. So we stopped the car somewhere in Reclamation Area to watch it.  It took about more that 20 minutes to be over, It was the longest fireworks display I've ever witnessed.   With that and the traffic, it was enough to get us set for desserts!

    We went to Coffeecat in IT Park. The place was bright and warmly lit and the music was soothing. We went directly to the counter and got Caramel and Mochachip Avalanche, Cinnamon Roll, Coffee Rum Cake and Yogo with 3 toppings(strawberry, cherry and walnuts).

Caramel Avalanche

Mochachip Avalanche

Coffee Rum Cake

Cinnamon Roll

Yogo Premium Frozen Yogurt

    Their Caramel Avalanche was sweet, creamy and you can really taste the caramel.  Paz and Stick said it tastes like a coffee candy.  The Mochachip Avalanche was a bit bitter for me, they're really generous on the amount of chochips they put in it.  The Coffee Rum cake got a mixed review from us, me and Paz liked it but not Stick.  It was like a chiffon cake soaked in a black coffee with rum.  The Cinnamon Roll was soft and one of the best for me because of its creamy cream on top.  We also like their premium frozen yogurt.  You can eat it without any toppings, it's that good.  But also not cheap.

    So that was how we spent our Sinulog.  I really hope we're going to be on the streets next year. Pit Senyor!

TsiBoom Native Restaurant

G/F Parkmall

168 Ouano Avenue, Mandaue Reclamation Road

+63-32-2364147

CoffeeCat

G/F eBloc Tower Building

Asiatown IT Park, Lahug, Cebu City

http://facebook.com/yourcoffeecat

Arano's Spanish Restaurant and La Marea

    On a rainy Saturday night, I got a text from our long, lost friend Pia asking for our plans for the night.  This is the same day when we had our pre-Sinulog dinner.  Anyway, I texted her back stating that we are going have a bite somewhere close to our house because of the rain and the heavy traffic.  She said that she'll join us, so I immediately called Paz using her sister's number asking if she can join us too.  She told me that she was not sure because she had to go somewhere.  Earlier that day, Paz left her phone and wallet in Stick's car when we went home after our Chopsticks dinner.  I kept it and thought I could use it for something.  And I was right.  I blackmailed her to join us, saying I will only give her stuff back if she shows up.  And besides, Arano is just a few steps from their house. Literally.  They're neighbors!

    Arano's Restaurant is like hiding from the world because It's just a door on a wall from the outside.  

    I always wanted to eat at Arano for like forever but never had a chance.  But that night was the night.  Me and Stick waited for Paz outside their house and went directly to the restaurant when she showed up, Pia followed shortly.  We had Paella, Spanish Sardines with Bread, Grilled Malasugi, Callos, Chicken Lollipops, Mashed Potato and four glasses of California Red.

I'll stick with Iced Tea next time.

The Spanish Sardines with Bread was served first after a few minutes.  It was Montaño Spanish Sardines, we know because we asked the waitress.  It was delish!  The saltiness of the fish is addictive.  And if I may say, Montaño is the best Spanish Sardines around!

    The rest of the food was served after a long while.  So you should have a lot of things in your pocket for your friends to discuss while waiting for the food.  But it's worth the wait. 

The Grilled Malasugi was scrumptious, it was moist and it didn't taste like fish at all. 

 The Chicken Lollipops was crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  I like its sauce because it was spicy and you can simply taste the herbs and the fresh tomatoes.

The Callos was not bad(not a fan of callos in general). 

Finally, the Paella. It was superb!  It has clamshells, chicken meat, vegetables and the rice was just cooked to perfection.  They have mastered the art of cooking paella.  Just perfect!

    After we ate, we drove to Labangon to drop Paz and Pia off.  On our way back, we decided to have desserts at La Marea in Banawa.  

Yema Brownie Cup

Apple Pie with Ice Cream

    I had Yema Brownie Cup, which is a white chocolate brownie in a cup with yema filling in the middle and vanilla ice cream on top.  It was so creamy. Yum!  Stick had the Apple Pie with Ice Cream.  The cold ice cream and the hot pie just blend in your mouth together with the flavors of cinnamon and vanilla.  I wasn't able to ask Stick if he liked it because I was so focused on my white brownie cup.

Arano's Spanish Restaurant
31 Fairlane Village
Guadalupe, Cebu City
+63-32-2561937


La Marea
Paseo Arcenas
Labangon, Cebu City
+63-32-4162919

Tabléa Chocolate Café

    I woke up late Monday night for work with one teary eye.  Finally!  Sore eye!  I prayed to have one for the longest time, so I have a valid reason not to work.  I texted my supervisor informing that I will be absent because of my eye.  He didn't reply so I texted Stick asking if he can drive me to the office so I can have myself checked at the clinic.  He said okay but instead of going the office, we went to Tabléa Chocolate Café in JY Square to have a late dinner.

    Just a short fact:  Tabléa are pure cacao tablets made from cacao beans grown in the Philippines.

    I had the Spanish Chorizo Breakfast Plate and Mocha Frio.  Their breakfast plates comes with scrambled egg, rice and atchara. The chorizo is different from the usual sausage you can buy at the barbecue stands, it's compact with meat instead of fat.  Mocha Frio is a blended chocolate and coffee drink in a tall glass.  Dark chocolate lovers will definitely enjoy the bitter-sweet taste of our local chocolate.

Spanish Chorizo Breakfast Plate - Php140

Mocha Frio - Php100

Bangus Breakfast Plate - Php140

the scrambled egg

Special Champorado

Sola - Php60

    Stick loves the hint of smoked flavor of the fish on his Bangus Breakfast Plate and the scrambled egg because it was just seasoned right.  We shared the Special Champorado with corn flakes and peanut butter.  It's also bitter-sweet because of tabléa.  The corn flakes added some crunch to the regular porridge and the peanut butter gave it a twist.

   The servings are not on the ample side considering its price.  I'm only talking about the breakfast plates and the porridge but the rest are reasonably priced.  Tabléa has three stores in Cebu located at the Northwing of SM City, Robinsons Cybergate and JY Square.  We like the ambiance of the latest store, it's small and cozy.  They also have WiFi but it didn't work when we were there and the store closes at 2 in the morning.  So for people looking for a place to eat and craving for chocolates in the middle of the night, this is one of your options.

Tabléa Chocolate Café
G/F JY Square Discovery Mall
Salinas Drive corner Gorordo
Lahug, Cebu City


http://www.facebook.com/pages/Tablea-Chocolate-Cafe/142175245799021

Chopsticks and Vibe's Gourmet

   A day before Sinulog, we decided to eat out.  Me, Stick, Paz and Vhic agreed to have a late dinner at Chopsticks Casual Chow in J.P. Morgan & Chase Building, IT Park.  Vhic and Paz will be out of the office around 1-ish in the morning and we are already in IT Park by 12 midnight.  So we have more than an hour to spare.  Stick and I went to Wanna Eat, it's in the same building and had French Fries, Mango Pandan with Ice Cream and Leche Flan ala mode while waiting for the two.

The fries were like store bought but I didn't mind it because I don't dig fries that much.

Mango Pandan with Ice Cream was a simple glass of pandan jelly at the bottom, followed by diced ripe mangoes then topped with vanilla ice cream.

The Leche Flan ala mode was a custard in an oval shaped bowl with young coconut strips and ube ice cream on top.  It was sweet and yolky but not creamy enough for my taste.  I just like my flan to be thick, smooth and milky but nevertheless it was still good.

  

   We went directly to Chopsticks when Paz and Vhic arrived. We ordered my favorite Bean Curd, a platter of Spiced Rice, Beef Wanton Noodles, Fish in Salt and Pepper, Spring Rolls, Siopao, Japanese Siomai and Century Egg.

Bean Curd

Spiced Rice

Beef Wanton Noodles

Fish in Salt and Pepper

Spring Rolls

Siopao Asado

Japanese Siomai 

Century Egg

We always get Sola when we dine in Chopsticks because they don't have refillable iced tea.  I think it's the same price as their iced tea, but one Sola bottle is like two and half glasses of iced tea.

    I super like Chopsticks. Their food is superb and not expensive. We only spent around Php800 for all of these delectable treats!

Choco Chip Shake, Mango Shake and Supreme Blueberry Shake

   We ended the night with shakes  and a good chat with the owner of Vibe's Gourmet located at the back of the CDU's gymnasium.  I had a Choco Chip shake, while Vhic had a Supreme Blueberry shake and Paz and Stick had Mango shakes. Their shakes are to die for especially the supreme blueberry shake! Creamy creamy creamy!!!