Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken at SM Annex Davao

I don’t frequent SM City Davao that much especially since I live in the opposite part of the city. But on my recent trip there, I knew I had to sample one of the new restos that have opened for business at the SM Annex. Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken was my choice, and E agreed, because we’ve heard not-so-glaring reviews about Bon Chon, if I may put it politely. But we’d still get around to trying Bon Chon, just not for this particular visit.

First things first, I liked the ambiance and the colors at Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken. The color motif was easy to the eyes. The chairs were pretty comfy, too. And I’ve got to note the courtesy of the wait staff, they were quite friendly and the food was served faster than I had expected.

Ambiance

Menu cover

Both E and I skipped on the rice for dinner and we each opted for their platter meals. E opted for the Combo E meal (PhP 185), which consisted of ¼ Peri Peri Chicken with 2 side dishes. He chose the Mixed Vegetables in Butter and Garlic Breadstick for his side dishes. As for me, I went with the Light Platter Meal A (PhP 285) that comes with ¼ Peri Peri Chicken, 2 pieces quesadilla, and a salad.

Combo E meal

Light Platter Meal A

Light Platter Meal A

Unlimited Soup (Corn Soup!)

One other unique thing about Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken is their unli drinks and soup offer. For PhP 49, you can get unlimited drinks and soup! Pretty good steal! So, we started off this meal with corn and chicken soup each for the both of us.

Overall, this was a pretty satisfying meal. I noted how the chicken was really good – subtle flavor and not too much seasoning. My only qualm is that the chicken tends to be a little too oily that I couldn’t finish my entire chicken serving because I felt slightly grossed out. Also, the salad was really good – I would order it solo, if I had to!

I will surely be back to Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken if I get to visit SM Davao Annex soon. Great dining experience and excellent service!

New at KFC: Tiramisu Krushers

The KFC Krushers is one of my fave ways to end the meal at KFC, along with their spoonfuls (yes, I'm big on desserts!). I love how they continually introduce new variations to their products and on my recent visit at a local branch, I found out about the new Krushers Coffee.

There are two Krushers flavors to choose from: Coffee Jelly and Tiramisu. I’m big on tiramisu, so it was a natural pick for me. If you love Tiramisu, too, there is no doubt in my mind that you will love it!

The average price for the Krushers at KFC is PhP 65 (if my memory serves me right) but since we ordered this as an “add-on”, it only cost me PhP 40. If you want to cool off, order this at any KFC branch. Maybe next time I’ll get around to trying the Coffee Jelly.

image courtesy of kfc.com.ph

Have you tried the new KFC Krushers Coffee? Did you like it? Would love to hear your thoughts.

Gusteau’s Fud Haus

My first time to try dining at Gusteau’s Fud Haus at The Peak was during my nephew’s birthday. I took my family there for us to have a simple celebration and this was what I believed a perfect place to take them. And I was pleased to know that my choice of restaurant did not disappoint. Just like me, most members of the family were seafood lovers and so we picked one order each of nearly every available item on their menu.

I appreciate the fresh ingredients used for each dish and each serving is reasonable in size. Hence, my family enjoyed this dining experience and I can’t wait to go back there and try out their specialty – the king crabs!

Meanwhile, check out the photos of the dishes we ordered there:

Corn & Crab soup

specialty - Spicy Prawns!

What do you think about Gusteau’s Fud Haus? I’d love to hear your thoughts and/or experiences if you’ve dined here before. Share them at the comments section below.

Authentic Japanese Dining at Nonki

Regular readers of this blog are pretty much aware of how big of a fan I am of Japanese cuisine. Thus, I never quit scouring for the best restos that offer authentic Japanese cuisines. While I do have my fair share of favorites, it’s still fun sampling other restaurants in the city.

One unforgettable Japanese dining experience I’ve had was at Nonki. To check out our orders, view the photos below. 

If you love Japanese cuisine, there is no reason to pass up Nonki. It is a gem in the local Japanese cuisine landscape. I love the authentic ambiance at the restaurant, and most especially the authentic Japanese experience. Their full selection of Japanese dishes is surely going to satisfy any foodie’s palate. I suggest you give them a visit to experience the exciting flair it renders to your usual dining experience.

Birthday Lunch at Bigby’s

It’s difficult to find restaurants these days that offer international cuisines on its menu (most would stick with specific culinary cuisines such as Italian, Japanese, Greek… you get the point) and consistently keep its quality. Such is what you can expect when you dine at Bigby’s. This is one of few restaurants that I go to when I want to indulge, gastronomically speaking.

Bigby's Abreeza

Just recently, I was able to visit Bigby’s again. And it was the same comfort, quality goodness that I enjoyed on my previous visits.My recent dine at Bigby’s is my favorite so far, though. This happened during E's birthday lunch. 

During this particular visit I ordered their Salmon Steak, which they aptly called “Awesome Salmon”. This grilled salmon steak is served with its own sweet ponzu sauce along with buttered vegetables on the side. I forgot to take note of the price but it probably cost me nearly PhP 500 for this serving.

mango juice + water

Meanwhile, E had their best-seller: Rack-A-Bye Baby. This, too, is just pure goodness. The pork ribs are barbecued until tender and come with a smoky flavor. Like the salmon, it also comes with a vegetable side dish. There are two size variants here and E opted for the small serving, which is roughly priced at PhP 250-300. Take note though, the small serving is already good for two.

And the dessert is the best part of the meal. There is no better way to end this dining experience at Bigby’s than with a very filling serving of Caramel & Cookies Cheesecake. This is not an inexpensive dessert (priced at PhP 195) but totally worth it! I can’t even begin to describe how rich and delicious this one is, so you gotta try it for yourself.

Which is your favorite dish at Bigby's? I would love to hear them, share them at the comments section below. :)

SM Lanang Premier Davao: More Foodie Updates

In an earlier post, I have listed some of the restaurants that had been reported to launch along with the SM Lanang Davao opening. As the scheduled opening, which according to my sources will be on September 28, is drawing near, more restaurants and food spots had been confirmed to have a branch at the mall as well.

To learn more about new SM Lanang Davao restaurants, make sure to read more after the jump...

Hog’s Breath Café

This is the first time I’ve heard about Hog’s Breath Café, which isn’t surprising knowing that it is not only the first time to open in Davao (at SM Premier Davao) but also the first time in the Philippines. Its website dubs itself as an “Aussie Steakhouse with lots of grunt”. Interesting!

Dairy Queen

Honestly, I’m devastated that this has not opened in Abreeza yet, when I thought they would. But thankfully, one thing is for sure – SM Lanang is going to have a branch opened soon. Just seeing photos of the blizzard cake makes my mouth water.

Krazy Garlik

Ooh, for garlic lovers out there, here’s something to whet your appetite (am I talking to myself?). This new restaurant that is reportedly opening its doors to all clients of SM Lanang Davao offers the best garlic recipes from all over the world. As early as now, I predict it’s going to be a dining experience like no other.

Mesa

If you are looking for grilled goodness, this home-grown restaurant promises to satisfy your appetite. The restaurant offers a wide range of choices on the menu including appetizers, soups, grilled items, choice meat cuts, and many more. On top of that, they are known to offer a relaxing ambiance to help make your dining experience more satisfying. This is personally something that I can’t wait to try at SM Lanang Premier soon.

Which of these restaurants are you excited to try? 

Note: All images on this post are taken from Skyscrapercity forums and I do not claim ownership to them.

Café France - Not Your Average Cafe

On a rainy Monday night, I was looking for a place to enjoy comfort yet quality food. I am at a puzzle as to where to eat because we’ve tried almost everything at Gaisano Mall’s The Peak, except for Hollywood Burgers and Ombu, but I wasn’t up for Filipino food or burgers that time (I know, my taste buds can be quite picky). All the others were yogurt and dessert shops, so these were not part of the option.

Hence, we settled in for Café France. To be honest, I did not hold such high expectations of the place but had quite an enjoyable dinner. The beautiful thing about Café France is the wide range of options on their menu. They had a little bit of everything thrown into the mix so you will have your fill no matter what your craving for at the moment. 

I opted to go for one of their tray couture wherein I chose to order Pierre. This tray set cost me PhP 285, which already includes their Seafood Deluxe Clubhouse & Seafood Marinara. The serving also included a small serving of salad and a piece of chocolate for dessert. By the way, at this price, you already have one drink too, wherein I opted for their orange juice. The juice is very delicious because it is not of the canned variety – very refreshing. 

 

The clubhouse sandwich is humungous, if I may put it. This consisted of two layers of seafood fillings that included crabsticks, tuna spread, and omelet. This in itself is a meal and so of course I had to share it with the boyf because I can’t consume it all. One element of the tray set that I was able to consume to myself is the seafood marinara. Not trying to exaggerate but this is one of the best seafood marinara I had in a long while.

For E’s order, he went with the Roasted Chicken with Potato Salad on the side. This rice meal is priced at PhP 195, which again is slightly on the expensive side. But the roasted chicken tasted heavenly. The meat is soft to the point that it falls off the bones and the seasoning is just right – not too overpowering, not bland either. The outside is also slightly burnt, which is fine because it provides a slightly crisp exterior. 

For so long, Café France has been dubbing itself as “more than just your usual coffee shop”. And it is! I truly enjoyed this meal. And I can say with confidence that I will be back soon!

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Food Shots from Mandarin Tea Garden

Mandarin Tea Garden is an affordable yet high quality Chinese restaurant that I've been to one too many times over the past few months. I love that it is a place where people really come to eat. It definitely speaks volumes about the quality of food in here, something of which I could also attest to. 

The unassuming nature of this restaurant allows the food to become the highlight of every visit. Although the customer service is a bit subpar (I believe this is their weakest point), there are no service fees, so you don't really have much to complain about.

Going back to the food, here are a few shots of their delicious offerings from my past two visits there: 

Father's Day 2012

sweet and sour fish fillet

sauteed scallops!!

 

Post-Gym Dinner

Beef Wanton Soup - my favorite

steamed fish

How about you? What's your favorite at Mandarin Tea Garden? Share them in the comments section below.

Giardino Gelato in Abreeza

Ever since my first taste of Gelato, courtesy of Crepelato, I’ve become quite a fan. I also heard that gelato is a healthier version of ice cream because it is made from yogurt. If it’s delish and healthy, too, what other reason you need to go and grab a bite?

That is exactly what I did one weekend when E & I happened to be in Abreeza. Giardino Gelato is a bit pricier than other gelato stalls in the city but I love that their flavor selections are made from the finest ingredients – which explains the price tag. 

So far, I’ve only tried the Ferrero Rocher and the Oreo gelato (pictured here). They also offer 3 size variants so pick one according to your appetite (or sweet tooth!). It’s been a while since I last had Giardino Gelato, though, so I can’t wait to sample the other flavors, especially the Nutella  and Caramel.

Mango Pleasure from Bread Talk

Bread Talk is my ultimate guilty pleasure. Hands down, they have the best baked goodies in the country, which explains why they come a bit more expensive than your average bakeshop. But I think it’s all worth every penny you spend.

When my brother celebrated his birthday, I decided to bring home one of Bread Talk’s cake creations – Mango Pleasure. Everyone in the family seems to be a big fan of Mango Float, so I knew this would be a hit with them, too! 

It is priced at no more than PhP 600, which is smaller than most other cakes of the same price range. But if you’re crazy over sweet stuff, you can’t complain really. This cake is made up of real mangoes layered with chocolate and chiffon cakes. This is a very delicious cake that I would highly recommend. Be sure to visit them at Abreeza to find out for yourself.

Going Vietnamese at Hanoi

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Hanoi is the first and only authentic Vietnamese restaurant in Davao. And while I am not familiar with Vietnamese cuisine as I haven’t tried it before, I went to their Abreeza branch with an open mind and a belly ready to be filled up. After all, I was confident knowing the positive reviews I’ve read about this restaurant from other bloggers.

We decided to skip the noodles and the appetizers because we wanted to try out the entrée for this particular visit. I forgot to take note of the names of the dishes (duh). Check out the photos to get an idea of what we ordered during our visit at Hanoi.

The first pic is a beef dish, which was exceptionally good. This wasn’t surprising to me given that it was recommended by the attending waitress. As we had NO idea what to order, and the other bestseller was a bit too pricey and large of a serving for two people to enjoy, we opted for this beef dish. And it turned out really good. I believe we paid no more than PhP300 for this one.

The other dish was a vegetable dish just because I was craving for one at that time. This one is priced at approximately PhP 195 and was also well cooked, appropriately seasoned and the ingredients are fresh, which is always key with a vegetable dish. 

Aside from the food, I love the ambiance at Hanoi – truly a haven of tranquility as it’s website would describe. I also couldn’t keep myself from taking photos of the cute figurines that were on display on the shelf next to our table.

Judging by how we enjoyed our first visit, I will definitely be back at Hanoi soon to try out some of their other dishes. Aside from the Abreeza branch, there is also another branch (their original) along Camus Street, in the same building as Tsuru.