Kubiertos

I have heard a lot of hype regarding Sonja’s cupcakes for quite some time now and I am aware that there have been other food bloggers who have already tried these desserts and written about them too. Reading their testimonials, I got excited and for so long have wanted to have a go at these seemingly picture perfect desserts.

I guess you would ask why I did not indulge. One reason really is that I have never stepped foot in the Serendra area since the time it opened to a lot of dining establishments. I have been too busy at work to travel to the Fort area even for Friday lunch outs.

So I made the most of my first trip to Serendra Piazza by visiting the highly popular Cupcakes by Sonja. Despite the rains, my officemates and I went from Bonifacio High Street to where Sonja’s was. I knew I could not leave without the cupcakes that I have been dreaming of for so long.

My first glimpse of the store made me go “Awwww” just like someone who has seen an old couple kissing or a baby gurgling. The store was all pink and white so that made me an instant fan (I absolutely love pink!). There was a glass counter that displayed all the delicious cupcakes that they sold. I spent about 15 minutes just ogling all the goodies on display. There was a white counter that looked out a glass window which was perfect for when you want to eat in. Another thing I really loved about the place was the homey feeling it gave you. I am reminded of those quaint candy stores that they have in the states or even old fashioned diners (although I doubt they have that in pink). And the stuff that they had decorating the store was something out of the 1950’s (think Pleasantville).

I wanted to get all the cupcakes that I wanted to try but it would be too expensive for a first time visit. So I had to settle with all those that have chocolate in them. I figured that I couldn’t go wrong with those as I simply love anything that has to do with chocolate.

The cupcakes were packaged in these adorable blue boxes that screamed simply chic. I loved their individual boxes as they looked like packaging one would get when buying jewelry.

So far, everything about Sonja’s that I have seen has thrilled me no end. I am anticipating the same as soon as I get my teeth into those chocolate yummies.

These were the cupcakes that I have been able to try and what my take is on each:

Mocha Motion is a chocolate cupcake topped with mocha buttercream icing. I must say that aside from a total lover of chocolate, I am also very much fond of mocha, which is basically anything that resembles the taste of coffee. So it wasn’t much of a challenge deciding to get this flavor. The cupcake was packed! I used an exclamation point because I think that will more accurately describe how packed with flavor the cupcake was. It wasn’t fluffy or airy. It wasn’t sickening sweet too. I think its because the sweetness will be provided by the icing. And sweet it was. Too sweet even for me. Halfway through the cupcake, I felt a sore throat coming along. (Php55.00)

Chocolate Surprise is described to be Valrhona Chocolate cupcakes topped with either our signature vanilla buttercream or creamy chocolate frosting. I chose creamy chocolate frosting (need you ask?). It brought the same goodness as the Mocha motion including the sweetness of the creamy icing. The tag said Valrhona which is known to be high quality chocolate from France. My tongue though was too excited to eat the cupcakes that I really could not tell the difference. For me, this is just the chocolate version of Mocha Motion. (Php62.00)

Valrhona Milk Choco-Hazelnut Tart is definitely not a cupcake. It has though become my favorite. The crust was crumbly but good. The hazelnut filling was absolutely marvelous. And the chocolate glaze topping was perfect. The tart did not have the same sweetness of the cupcakes so you can actually finish a whole one in a minute. I was craving for more after the last bite. The sad thing was I only bought one of those. Oh well I can always go back right. (Php65.00)

So there you have it. Sonja’s is all what it is hyped up to be. It is more in some areas and less in others. Many have read Lori’s interview of Sonja and understand why it is what it is - delicious, pricey, sweet. I think many are taken aback by the steep price because of very high expectations. But are you all aware that these cupcakes are similarly priced as Starbuck’s pastries (not cakes but the pastries)?

I applaud Sonja for sticking to her standards no matter how high it appears to be for some people. And although personally, I may not choose to frequent her store - it is a personal choice driven by practical reasons. Let us just say if I had money to spare, I wouldn’t complain about the price. She has found her home in the grounds of Serendia Piazza where I believe she will always have customers and lovers of her cupcakes.

Cupcakes by Sonja
1C03 Serendra Piazza, 1st Level
Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
8560308

Singapore has brought a lot of good things to our country. These include the latest and trendiest in fashion and accessories. Do you know that they also brought food?

Fish & Co opened its first branch in Singapore about nine years ago. It has since then expanded to the different countries around Asia including the Philippines.

The first time I ate at Fish & Co in Greenbelt 3 was when we were entertaining foreign clients. All I can remember was how good the calamari was and how exorbitant the prices were. It wasn’t a place that encouraged me to dine there frequently.

I was able to go back again to visit for a sort of counseling lunch that I had. It wasn’t the first choice that we had but the new pictures on their menu were so enticing that the choice was actually made for us.

We ordered the prawns fettuccini in mushroom cream sauce and one of their specialties - the New York Fish and Chips. The pasta was like any other mushroom cream sauce served in other restaurants except this one had very big prawns that went along with it. The taste was nothing extraordinary… but still good.

Now the New York Fish and Chips was another matter. It was white fish with parmesan cheese stuffing with lemon butter sauce and french fries. Imagine cutting into the fish and seeing the steam rise out of it. The fish and the cheese melted in your mouth that you couldn’t help but get one more bite. And one more bite. And just one more. One more?

Our stomachs were exploding as tried to finish all that was in our plates.

We took a break by answering a survey that they asked us to fill out. As we were figuring out whether to put a 3 versus a 4, a plate with a nice looking chocolate dessert was placed in front of us. I was quick to say they made a mistake but I was wrong. Apparently there was free dessert for those who cared to respond to their surveys. That was a great move I must say. And we really appreciated the delicious melt in your mouth chocolate mousse - that was really an ice cream cake. Yummy!

One thing I did not like about Fish & Co, was I thought the prices of their dishes were way expensive than they deserved to be. Admittedly, the food was very good but it still is a casual dining restaurant like a Fridays or Italianni’s type. The surroundings were casual so that shouldn’t be the reason for the price. The servings were enough for one person so that isn’t it. I guess I will never know why the dishes cost at least P400.

One thing is for sure, it would be a place that I would come back to when the wallets are full. It would not be a place I would deem one for special occasions and way too expensive for a regular friday lunch out.

Fish & Co. Seafood in a Pan

Greenbelt 3 3rd Level, Fun Dining Area 
Ayala Center
Makati City
Tel. 729-7431 to 32

Open for lunch and dinner

If you have heard of CIBO and Pepato and love eating at these places, then Cafe Bola is right up your alley. It is also co-owned by famous chef Margarita Fores. I had a chance to see her in our company’s International Woman’s Day celebration. She was part of a group of Filipina women who were achievers in their own right.

I used to be a regular at CIBO but I haven’t had a chance to go back there in the last 9 months. Has it really been 9 months since this blog has been up and running? That is indeed too long to not visit one of my favorite restaurants.

Cafe Bola is the affordable alternative to getting a taste of Margarita Fores’ cooking. It also caters to the rice-eating type as they serve rice bowl meals that is abundant in our country’s eating establishments.

My favorite dish is the Cafe Bola pasta in parmesan cream and bacon. This time however I chose to go red sauce. I picked out one of the uncommon items on their menu. I ordered the Cafe Bola pasta in tomato cream sauce and white cheese (a.k.a kesong puti).

The pasta had this sweet taste that could only be brought on by fresh pureed tomatoes. The cheese added a tinge of saltiness that was so subtle it was a compliment to the overall dish. The serving was just perfect for one person who did not want to be left “craving for more” but at the same time did not want to overstuff themselves. The price was great too as their menu items cost from P135 and up. This particular dish cost P155 which is not bad.

I am already looking forward to trying out their Cafe Bola pasta with Dulong in cream sauce. Doesn’t that sound just divine?

Cafe Bola

Greenbelt 3
2nd Level
Ayala Center
Makati City
Tel. 757-2652
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner

I was intrigued by this place when I first chanced upon it. It had tall glass doors and white interiors. It exuded an aura of a fine dining establishment that it is no surprise I have not had a chance to try it until now.

An officemate suggested the place because our first choice to go to for lunch was unfortunately packed during that day. I was excited partly because I have never been to the place and partly because it was late and we hadn’t eaten yet. When I heard though that it served Thai food, my enthusiasm toned down. You see I am really not a fan of curry or spicy food and we all know Thai is abundant in those types of dishes.

We were hoping to get seats even without making reservations and just planned to look for another place if we were turned away. Since it was past rush hour lunchtime, the place had lots of space to accommodate our party of eight.

One very distinct feature of the place is the appearance of cleanliness. Everything was bright and white, with high ceilings and bare walls. It projected minimalist chic that would at any other time intimidate me. The servers were friendly. We sat down and felt at best “served”. It had been a long time since someone else laid my napkin on my lap.

The prices of the dishes though were indeed expensive. But that was what I expected with my first step inside the restaurant. I was wishing I would find a dish that would be compatible with my taste buds. We ordered “family style” so that we could get a taste of a bit of everything.

We ordered spring rolls, crispy catfish, pandan chicken, chicken and cashew, lapu-lapu fillet, pad thai, and tom yum goong accompanied with plain rice.

I perused the drinks list to see if I could try something new. Then I saw it - People’s Palace Iced Tea. I figured any dish or drink that had the restaurant’s name in it would be a specialty. The iced tea came in a tall glass filled with crushed ice. It was refreshing. However, I did not find any distinguishable taste that would make me remember it to be a specialty of People’s Palace. It was cool though how they served unlimited rice placed in silver bowls (wowza!).

Personally, the dishes were ok. Just that ok. Maybe its because Thai food doesn’t rock me. But I would like to share a surprising experience with the People’s Palace spring rolls.

I love eating what we call locally as lumpiang shanghai. This would be a pork mixture that would be covered in rice wrapper and deep fried. This is usually dipped in banana ketchup and eaten with tons of rice.

Spring rolls appear similar to lumpiang shanghai but its ingredients and taste is different. The spring rolls that I have tasted in chinese restaurants and other thai restaurants left me permanenty staying away from them. These rolls tasted too veggie for me.

I tried out People’s Palace’s spring rolls through the insistent prodding of my officemate. She swears by their goodness and I felt I could at least give it a chance. And there came the surprise. The spring rolls were packed with a mixture that I was sure had a lot of vegetables in it. The roll was so packed that you could hardly taste the wrapper after you’ve taken a bite unlike most where the wrapper cracks and leaves crumbs all around you. I couldn’t get enough of it and the two rolls I had did not satisfy my hunger for it.

If there is one thing I will come back for it would definitely be the spring rolls. I have reformed my opinion of them and am looking forward to future encounters.

Oh and did I mention they have the cleanest comfort room I have ever been in? That alone gives them the thumbs up for me.

People’s Palace
Ground Floor, Garden side Greenbelt 3 Ayala Centre
Makati, Metro Manila
Philippines

Tel: (632) 729-2888
Fax: (632) 728-4812

Operating hours:
Lunch 11:00am to 2:00pm
Dinner 6:00pm to 11:00pm
(except on Friday & Saturday 6:00pm to 12mn)

Open all day on Saturday & Sunday

I have always loved coffee as you may all know by now. Both my husband and I drink coffee to start out our day and we frequent coffee shops around the city when hanging out.

It has been a while since I went back to Libis but when I did, my coffee shop stop was Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf.

I had anticipated waiting for hours for my husband to get off work so decided to just take my lunch there. I then started my pros and cons on choosing pasta vs. a sandwich. I was about 2 persons away from the counter so I took the chance to read everything on their menu.

By the time my turn came up, I was already salivating on the thought of putting my teeth into their Three Cheese Sandwich. Imagine a sandwich that was a

A melt-in-your-mouth blend of three complementary, yet contrasting cheeses.
– courtesy of www.coffeebean.com.ph

My mind was set. I ordered the three cheese sandwich on ciabatta bread as I was not in the mood to have a hard time munching on my sandwich. And because it was an extremely hot afternoon, I chose to have my lunch with Mocha Iced Blended coffee.

I love that the meal came with a small portion of their Caesar salad. Did I tell you I simply love their recipe for salad? Their Caesar salad dressing is to die for. It raised the bar for my standards on salad dressings.

The three cheeses that were in the sandwich were: parmesan, cheddar, and emmental. Combine all that saltiness and flavor with the juiciness of a big slice of tomato on ciabatta soft bread and you have got yourself one hell of a good lunch.

As for dessert… well that is another post altogether. Delicioso!