Berting's Grill behind the kitchen

More and more restaurants offer Filipino dishes and they tweak it themselves to make their food unique among the rest. At Berting's Grill in Quezon City, you will taste the whole Philippines as prepared by owner-chef Andrew Wijangco.

It was just a concept between him and LaSallian classmates to put up a business. It's first branch in Ortigas has gained acceptance from the residents and employees within the area. So it's not as bad to raise another restaurant in the entertainment district of Quezon City.

We tried several dishes that I can say, can boost your appetite and good for the bonding time with friends. Munching on crispy anything is a very nice feeling in the mouth. For example, the Lechon Manok has been prepared for up to 72 hours so you get a very tasty and healthy chicken. His Crispy Kare-kare and Bicol Express are experiments on the side.

Some dishes inspired from Chef Andrew's travels. And since he loves to cook, he enhances and makes his menu extra special. There's a little food on the menu unlike other restaurants because they focus on the quality of the food and satisfaction of the customers.

Berting's Grill is not named after any Berto that Chef Andrew knows. He just kept the very-Filipino passion for cooking which eventually paid off.

The Quezon City branch just started last March 2011 and is very accessible. And if you want entertainment, you can go up to the 2nd floor during T-TH-S for an Acoustic Night.

Berting's Grill is located at Scout Rallos corner Tomas Morato, Quezon City. They are open from 11AM to 2AM (Monday-Sunday). Find them on Facebook and LIKE Berting's Grill.

I'm a Chic-Boy virgin no more

i remember laughing at the new barbecue chain that i saw along the street. with it's complex name that has another connotation in the Filipino language, i never knew that it will continue to grow into a competitive food chain in the city.

this is just the first time that i am trying Chic-Boy. a grill restaurant offering Filipino dishes like barbecue etc. the concept is mostly Cebuano, famous for their lechon Cebu -- any tasteful dish even without the condiments. and the most accessible branch to our place is at Sta. Lucia Mall along Marcos Hiway in Cainta, Rizal.

there is very spacious and comfortable space. they even have an al fresco setting for those who want to dine outdoors. and at the walls of the restaurant, a display of their menu offerings that have enticing visuals; all you have to do is to order whatever you want.

for me and my mom, we both ordered Lechong Manok (Thigh Part) with unlimited rice (Php 99). and as i've said, the meat itself is very tasty and the marinade ingredients really sinked in to the meat. you can also find anis and tanglad pieces as you finish the meat. complimentary house soup is included. the vinegar that comes with it compliments well the salt content of the chicken and a little sweet too. i had another 2 servings of rice.

added to the side is Mango Ensalada, (Php 25) composed of ripe mango, tomato, onion and mix it with bagoong.

to finish it off, we had a generous serving of Turones con Leche (JUST Php 30). six pieces of saba banana wrapped and fried and then dip it in to caramelized condensed milk. promise, i love it!

i know that i had nothing yet. next time i'll know the native Cebu Pork Lechon that Chic-Boy offers. can you suggest the next dish that i should try?

TGI Fridays'

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Hyphy's gets me hyped!

You may already have come to this San Francisco-inspired cuisine in Robinson's Galleria's newest food strip called the Veranda. Hyphy's San Francisco Restaurant introduces the fusion of American and Filipino cooking in one place. Developed and served to us by Chef Bruce Lim who has the critical and appreciative taste in Filipino dishes. Now he's sharing to us a taste of what it's like in the west which most of us may get a very long time if we wish to go to the States.

The place is very much accessible and cozy in the middle of the busy streets of Meralco Avenue and EDSA as it sits in the new area of Robinson's Galleria in Ortigas. Professionals and employees in the area can easily drop by and have a good treat. Though there's a limited parking in front of the restaurant itself, you can go down to the Basement Parking of Robinson's Galleria.

And for the fun part, the food is very delicious and I'd love to share it with you. Notice that they also offer Calamansi and Tuyo Spaghetti in the menu just like Chef's Table. I'd really love the fighting sour and salty taste of that pasta dish. Chef Bruce Lim has a good story to share about why he includes the humble tuyo in the main course of his restaurants too.

It was his niece who loves tuyo back in the States. So when Chef Bruce comes to the Philippines, his niece would ask to bring tuyo to San Francisco and experiment on dishes. Gladly we have the Calamansi and Tuyo Spaghetti, one of the best sellers of Hyphy's.

Take time to visit and enjoy the food at Hyphy's. I guarantee that you'll have a great time.

Chef's Table reinvents local dishes

This was my first time to try out Chef's Table restaurant in Bonifacio Global City. At first look it was a fine-dining restaurant but it will take you to a surprise as you try their menu. Getting there may be a hassle when you commute because there is no accessible public transportation. And if you don't really know the place, you might get lost and take an expensive taxi. But I tell you, the stress on the road will take off when you lift your spoon or fork and put it in your mouth.

Chef's Table interiors provide that comfortable and home-y feeling with soft lights, unusual wall fixtures, a fusion of contemporary design and native elements of wood, metal and glass. Notice the shallow pockets at the sides of the square tables for they make it interactive -- adding a paper sheet on top where you can doodle with the pencil on the side. The concept of the furniture is school but they tweaked it to suit the restaurant business. And from the dining area, you can view the whole stretch of the kitchen. Clean and entertaining, you can see how your food is prepared.


On the upper floor is a small dining area convertible to an intimate function room. And you can look over the whole ground floor of the restaurant while enjoying the good stuff.

And now who says that Filipino food is so simple and cannot go sosyal? CHef Bruce Lim of this restaurant has developed our favorite Pinoy dishes into gourmet masterpieces. Quite surprising transformations from appetizers, to entrees and full course dishes, guaranteed will give you a good food coma. And best of all, the prices are so affordable that everyone who dwells in BGC can enjoy.

You can visit Chef's Table Restaurant at the Ground Floor unit 106 of Infinity Tower, 25th St. corner 10th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City. Or visit their website www.chefstablemanila.com. You can also dial (02) 399-18-88 for inquiries.

visiting Banapple Greenhills

just visited the newest branch of Banapple in Northeast Square in Greenhills, San Juan with my friends for lunch. i have been to the Blue Ridge branch and this was very comfortable as well. though it was small, the place is very inviting that you can almost not leave the store to go back to your workplace. it is also accessible to the executives nearby like Ortigas, Mandaluyong or Quezon City.

in every Banapple branch, you will be served with mouth-watering foods and it won't take long before you reach the stomach. the staff take the initiative to take your orders and the food gets to your table without expecting too much time. and for a very affordable amount, you will have a good meal anytime of the day.

here are the foods that arrived on our table:

Banapple's newest branch is located at Northeast Square along Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan City. You can visit their Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/Banapple or visit their site at http://www.banapplekitchen.com/Banapple.html

trying out Panciteria Lido

I am just lucky that I was given a gift certificate at Panciteria Lido at one event that I attended. My sincere gratitude for having good friends like Ms. Janette Toral who hosted the 2nd Blog4Reviews anniversary. And then good enough that there is a nearby branch of Panciteria Lido near our workplace and I brought Joy with me. We had a very long lunch and enjoyed the hospitality of the staff and of course the food.

Though the place is a little small, ventilation is well-observed and there is proper lighting. You can also get wi-fi signals at nearby establishments so I keep on posting Facebook updates as orders come.

I presented my GC which grants us a complimentary dish. I forgot its name but it really tastes good especially when you dip it in their house vinegar. And to add, I ordered Chicken Sate Rice (P 135) and Joy wants Buttered Chicken Rice (P 145) for herself. We shared our own dishes and loved the texture and softness of the chicken meat. My order came sizzling and steamy. I had to be really careful to take a bite. I almost hurt myself with the heat of my food.

Chicken Sate Rice (Php 135)

Buttered Chicken Rice (Php 145)

And to finish it off, we also had a Mango Sago for dessert. Soft and tangy mango smoothie added with pearls for texture. Sweetness is just right and the natural flavor mango is very strong. Price: Php 65.

And I would like also to commend the good service skills displayed by the staff at E. Rodriguez Ave. branch. We got a chance to meet Ms. Pinky who was very calm while she entertains the guests coming in. All in all, the facility gets 4 out of 5 stars. 4 since there is no comfort room within the restaurant.

You can visit Panciteria Lido at Unit 1, Ground Floor, The Capital Towers Building, E. Rodriguez Sr. Ave., Quezon City. You may also call 414-5496.

FREE COFFEE at McDonalds for a limited time!

From August 8- 12, experience the goodness of McCafe Premium Roast Coffee for free, just by simply presenting your “FREE COFFEE” coupon from 4:00 to 10:30 am at all McDonald’s breakfast stores nationwide. Watch out as these free coupons will be given away in offices, transportation terminals, colleges, universities and McDonald’s stores starting August 5.

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Have your free McCafe Premium Roast Coffee any way you want - coupons can be redeemed through dine –in, take-out or even drive-thru. For complete mechanics and details, visit the McDonald’s Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/McDo.ph.