Swirls Ice Cream at SM City Davao

Frozen desserts always bring back memories of childhood. There is something about ice cream and sundaes that makes me feel like a child. Hence, I can't deny that there are times that I give into my cravings and treat myself to a scoop of my favorite ice cream or gelato whenever I get the chance. And as a self-confessed foodie, I make it my mission to explore new offerings like Swirls Ice Cream in SM City Davao.

Image via SM City Davao Twitter

A few weeks ago, I saw a tweet from SM City Davao's official Twitter account making a mention of a new ice cream shop opening business to all visitors of the said mall. When I went to SM last weekend, I was determined to give it a try.

Swirls Ice Cream in SM City Davao is the latest in over 30 branches of the franchise nationwide. They opened their business to the public last July. Hence, Davaoenos who have frequent cravings for frozen treats will surely have their fill without spending too much.

Indeed, you can get your own Swirls Ice Cream for as low as P49 (for each 8 oz. serving). But they do have plenty of choices available on the menu, depending on how you'd like to enjoy your ice cream. Their ice cream, for instance, is available in three cup sizes and prices vary according to the size selected. Aside from the 8 oz., you can get the 12 oz. cups (P 69) and 16 oz. cups (P 85).

They also use real vanilla beans in producing their ice cream mixture that results in a very thick and creamy ice cream, and never too sweet. However, I was slightly disappointed when I got my order for Very Rocky Road. It was nothing at all like pictured on their menu. Yes, I hear that they are priced affordably, so I can't complain if there aren't too many ingredients stuffed in there, but I would appreciate that they charge a little bit for the add-ons than be deceived by what is advertised.

Anyhow, I am looking forward to try their "Carfait". I saw it on the menu and looked tempting. Hopefully, they're as good on the actual serving because I can't wait to give it a try.

Have you tried Swirls Ice Cream yet?

Swirls Ice Cream is located at 2/F of SM City Davao, right in front of the SM Food Court.

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Vikings Buffet Coming Soon at SM Lanang Premier

Buffets are never made for me. For a 'foodie', I oddly have a small appetite. But that does not stop me from wanting to take a bite, especially when a famed restaurant is set to open its doors to Davao. There is no shortage of buffet restaurants in the city but when a new one opens, it's also an exciting prospect to be able to give them a try! One of those restaurants that I am excited to sample and had been waiting for in a while now is Vikings. If you can remember my previous blog here, it's one of those restaurants that I was keeping a close eye on, along with the opening of SM Lanang Premier, because I've heard a lot of good reviews about it and had been itching to see for myself.

Image: Vikings Facebook Page

To my delight, I stumbled onto their Facebook page and it seems as though the much awaited opening date is drawing near. This is a long established buffet restaurant that promises to offer luxury buffet experience to everyone at a reasonable price. The buffet tables at Vikings offer a wide range of cuisines such as Japanese, American, Italian, Chinese, Filipino, European, to name a few. Thus, it is a dream come true to foodies who are serious about trying out various cuisines. Vikings, therefore, makes it possible for one to try out a variety of dishes in one restaurant!

Image: Vikings Facebook Page

I also heard that their dishes vary all the time as they change it every four days. Hence, you can expect something new every time you visit.

No official dates had been released yet as far as the opening date for Vikings at SM Lanang Premier is concerned. Hopefully, a date will be announced soon. I'd definitely be one of those to lineup first!

Visit Vikings on Facebook for more info and to stay updated on their upcoming opening date!

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Annipie's Delicious Cinnamon Rolls

"Annipie - Your Cinnamon Destination". With a restaurant bearing this particular tag line, you would expect nothing short of the best. And with Annipie, you can certainly expect to find the best cinnamon rolls in Davao, if not the Philippines. This store chain has been around since early 90's in Davao and they continue to expand with several new branches in the city, catering to the locals' yearning for their sinful and irresistibly good cinnamon rolls.

When I paid a visit to their Abreeza branch for the first time, I felt it was about time to treat myself to a piece (or two!) of their famed rolls. I don't know what took me so long to finally give their cinnamon rolls a try but taking a bite into it made me felt like it was years wasted of the opportunity to sample one of the best treats for my taste buds! I might sound exaggerating but I haven't been known to do that, and when I do it's because it's well deserved!

The quality of the cinnamon rolls from Annipie starts from the cinnamon bread in itself. It is soft with a right amount of cinnamon flavor and aroma that does not overpower. It sure is an upgraded version of your typical cinnamon bread! Then here comes the best part... the gooey and mouth-watering toppings (choices range from cappuccino and chocolate) and a drizzle of cinnamon syrup. These ingredients help to add the right amount of sweetness and aroma to an already delectable roll.

Have you tried Annipie's famous cinnamon rolls? If not, you should!

Annipie - Your Cinnamon Destination

Contact Nos.: 295-3022 (Malvar Branch), 295-3799 (Ecoland Branch)

Annipie - Your Cinnamon Destination @ Facebook

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Pink Creation's Customized Cakes

Nothing says "Happy Birthday" quite like a delicious cake does! But what if you can create a custom cake design that is specific to the hobby or interest of the birthday celebrant? Even more special, right? I thought of the idea of ordering a customized cake for E's recent birthday celebration to make it extra special. Store bought cakes are good but if I can choose my own design, that's even better!

I quickly looked up online and on Facebook for the best custom cake makers in Davao. I also asked some friends for recommendations. Thankfully, I had plenty of choices available. But I admit that it made my task of finding the right baker a bit more difficult. So when I contacted one online shop to create my custom cake design, I held high expectations and hoped for the best.

I eventually ordered mine from Pink Creations, when I stumbled upon her lovely looking cupcakes and read rave reviews from previous clients. She was also quick to respond upon my initial inquiry and told me to email her my sample cake designs so she can send me quotes. The overall process of sending in my sample cake designs to the final order went pretty stress-free! However, that is only the first half of the experience. The quality and taste of the cake is still the biggest determiner as to whether or not I will be satisfied with my order.

When I picked up the cake on the actual day of E's birthday, I was very pleased with the outcome. She created my cake design concept to a tee! Even the smallest of details were recreated - from the two wrestlers in an arm bar position to the octagon fence, all of the details I imagined were accurately replicated on the actual custom cake!

If you ever find yourself wanting to order customized cake for birthdays, graduations, and other special occasions, I would highly recommend Pink Creations. She was also very nice to offer me two pieces of chocolate truffles for freebie upon pickup! The truffles, like the cake, were beyond delicious!

Pink Creations

Pink Creations on Facebook 
Contact #: 0925 513 0503

Email: guzmanjudith@yahoo.com

Disclaimer: This is NOT a paid post, just an honest recommendation from a satisfied customer!

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The French Baker Pastry Treats

It does not matter if you have naturally sweet tooth or you are looking for a delectable way to end a meal, no one can refuse a good pastry treat! And for those on the hunt for quality, authentic Parisian pastry treats, there is no better place to turn to than The French Baker. On my first visit, I was unable to give their pastry treats a try because I went for a full meal. But on my recent trip there, I was determined to give those delicious desserts a bite into.

The peach danish pastry was unbelievably good. I rarely get to treat myself to Danish pastry because, after all, not too many pastry shops or bakeries in Davao offer authentic ones. But with French Baker, I knew that it's one of their specialties so I gave it a try. The dough in itself was fluffy, flaky and buttery but not too sweet. Not really a big fan of peach yet I ended up liking this anyway. You can order the Peach Danish pastry for roughly PhP 65.

I'd like to apologize that I forgot to make a note of what this next pastry treat is called. It is too cute and appetizing that I was so excited to dig in. This was nothing like I've tried before. The outside is a bit flaky and comes with a bite, but the inside is soft, almost goo-ey in consistency. This isn't sweet though, but more creamy and buttery. If you want to try it, a piece costs more or less PhP 40.

Have you tried any of The French Baker's pastry treats? 

The French Baker is located at the G/F of SM Lanang Premier beside ChaTime and Krispy Kreme.

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Barrio Bistro: More Than Just a Pizza Shop

During my first three trips to Barrio Bistro, I have sampled only their pizzas and sing praises for the Three Cheese Pizza. However, I won't deny that the other dishes on their menu had caught my attention. So when the boyf and I decided to drop by their Duterte Branch one time, I figured we skip the pizza and go for their other dishes.

I did not hold high expectations because this restaurant primarily made a name for itself with their pizzas and figured that maybe they offered other items on the menu to give more options to their customers. But I was actually quite satisfied with our orders. You can find out more about our orders below:

Fried Cream Dory (P 155)

Aside from salmon, cream dory is one of my favorites! Naturally, I got excited when we ordered this at Barrio Bistro because I was curious about their own version of this delicious fish! The cream dory is coated with a crunchy batter then deep fried until it is crisp on the outside. The fried cream dory is topped with garlic oil and herbs with caper cream sauce. In addition, mixed vegetables consisting of corn, carrots, and beans are served on the side.

Italian Meatball Pasta

Love this pasta dish! The pomodoro sauce served along with this pasta has that tangy aftertaste, which is what I was looking for! I am not a fan of the sweet spaghetti sauce at all. In addition, the meatballs served on this pasta is well seasoned and made with a lot of spices.

Cookies & Cream Overload Parfait (P 150)

Ahh, the perfect dessert to end the meal. Anyone who knows me personally knows that I love cookies & cream. So, when I saw this on the dessert menu, I knew it was a must-try! It comes with several scoops of the overload cookies & cream ice cream then topped with whipped cream and more bits of cookies! I love that they used large chunks of cookies so you can bite into them to provide a nice contrast to the smooth cream topping.

Barrio Bistro is located at Lacson St. and Duterte St., Davao City.

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New on the Menu at Grub Resto Cafe

Finding a restaurant that you can rely on for quality food is a rare thing. Most of the restaurants that I've been to either go through a plateau or decline in terms of food quality and service. But I cannot say either of that of Grub Resto Cafe. They had maintained and even improved their quality of food. And for their customer service? All waiters are quick to respond to needs and are well informed about the dishes on their menu. The latter is particularly helpful when the restaurant introduces new dishes that I am not familiar with, and so the waiter can give me a sense of what a dish is about before I decide to order it.

On my recent trips to Grub, I've tried a couple of new dishes: Grilled Pork Belly and Grilled Chicken Salad.

The Grilled Chicken Salad is a fresh, new way to enjoy your salad. It comes with several slices of grilled chicken that are cooked until tender and seasoned very well. I appreciate the fact that the chicken meat is tender and juicy, not dry and overly cooked. If you are into vegetables, then you are going to enjoy this dish because there is a wide range of leafy greens tossed in here. I noticed that they added arugula as one of the ingredients, too. Loved everything else except for the arugula because it comes with a bitter aftertaste. That is simply my personal preference, though. If you don't like arugula, stick with their standard salad dishes.

Meanwhile, the Grilled Pork Belly is a sinful goodness that will surely treat your palate to quite an experience. This is a very simple dish. It got me curious how they are able to season the meat so it is neither overpowering nor too subtle, but you can certainly taste the fullness of the flavor!

If you ever find yourself near Grub Resto Cafe, I suggest you drop by and sample these new dishes.

Grub Resto Cafe is located at Duterte St. beside Barrio Bistro.

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