Kubiertos

Manila’s weather is mostly hot and humid. This makes it easy for ice cream stores and ice cream products to foster because the demand is so great for iced concoctions even during the rainy seasons. Imagine Ice Monster, Zagu, Icebergs, Gelatone, Mamang Sorbetero’s Dirty Ice cream, Fruits in Ice Cream, Selecta Ice Cream, Nestle frozen delights. In fact, many of today’s big malls would either have a Nestle Ice Cream stall, an FIC stall, an Ice Monster stall or all of the above.

The thing though with eating ice cream, its such a messy scenario. Most of the time, I prefer my ice cream in a big waffle cone but because I either have to eat it while strolling the mall or driving on my way home, an ice cream cone just is not the best way to go. Even frozen delights like the Drumstick, or the Twin Popsies cause quite a mess while eating. True OC that I am, I cringe at the thought of having a sticky mess drizzling down my chin or staining my shirt.

So when I was given the opportunity to try out Nestle Ice Cream’s new product - Nestle Pops, I knew they hit jackpot. While everyone else was wishing for an easier way to enjoy their ice cream, Nestle went on and created it. Their vision was to market their product as a snack instead of a dessert. And to achieve this, they came up with an easy way to pop your dessert in your mouth whenever and wherever you are.

Nestle pops comes in a handy plastic tube in two sizes, 62 mL and 211 mL. Inside are bite-size pieces (the shape of Hershey’s kisses) of chocolate covered vanilla ice cream. It was similar to how an ice cream bar would taste but you get to preserve it longer because you don’t have to wave it around in your hand while you eat it. In fact its sooo easy to eat that you can’t help but keep popping it inside your mouth. Word of caution though - too much ice cream may cause sore throat (awww).

** Nestle Pops SRP are Php25 for the 62 mL and Php75 for the 211 mL. These are sold at local supermarkets and convenience stores (Mini-Stop or 7-Eleven).

Starbucks has did it again. Each time they come out with a new drink, they seem to couple it with dessert made of similar ingredients. Like when they offered the Dulce De Leche Frappucino and the Dulce De Leche Cheesecake. I can still remember how yummy it was. Hmm.. Now they are offering the Italian Dark Mocha Frappuccino with their Italian Dark Mocha Cake. I do not recall them ever making this a regular thing but apparently it sits well with the customers and now they have created themes for every new drink they introduce to the public. Not that I am complaining though - especially if you are getting to taste these new desserts for free courtesy of your friends (hehe).

At first sight, the cake looked dark and busy. I could see multiple layers of cake and mocha cream (I assume) covered in dark chocolate icing sprinkled with huge chunks of chocolate chips. Whew!

I was quite hesitant to take a slice out of the beautifully-crafted cake but the temptation was so overwhelming that I eventually gave in. The chocolate mixed with mocha taste exploded in my mouth. I had to say hmmm… because I literally could not speak. The cake offered a rich dark taste that came in smooth but interrupted by the chunkiness that was brought on by the chips. The mocha cream too was not smooth. It tasted like there were also bits of chocolate or nuts or even toffee in it that I did not care anymore to confirm as I was too busy pushing the cake around in my mouth.

The cake really is an explosion of flavor and may not please those who prefer a lighter fare or simply those who are counting their calorie intake. Or if you really must, I recommend you share. Right?

I cannot recall when I first ate at Cibo’s cold steel chairs in Glorietta 3 but I do remember loving it for life. So much so that my friends knew to bring me my favorite Pate di Fegato the day after giving birth to my eldest son via C-section.

Well-known chef Margarita Fores opened Cibo more than 10 years ago and it now has about nine branches around the metro. In addition to that, she also now has the flourishing Cafe Bola and Pepato restaurants. It is no wonder that I go back regularly to the place that has nurtured my desire for truly delicious Italian cuisine.

Since I have been dining at Cibo for years and have only been blogging about food for just barely two years, I can only share with you my most recent dining experiences at this lovely place.

Spinaci Zola Php 200++

I mentioned earlier that my favorite antipasti is the Pate di Fegato. It is a chicken liver pate dip topped with fruity sauce and served with toast rounds. I am a fan of the local liver spread (Reno is the best!) but having tried pate has elevated my taste buds to seventh heaven. Even after my sister discouraged me from eating it as she says the creation of pate displays such cruelty to animals, I cannot help but have my favorite each time I visit Cibo.

Often during my visits, I order the cream based pasta’s as I can never have this at home. I can’t, mostly because none of the members of my family like cream or make a point to even avoid cream based dishes for fear of gaining on the pounds. My favorites from their menu include: Penne ‘il Magnifico which is penne pasta cooked with gorgonzola, porcini mushrooms and cream; Penne al Telefono which has stewed tomatoes, mozzarella, white cheese, basil and cream; Linguine alla Ghiotta which is served with mushrooms, bacon and cream.

Recently, I have turned to trying out their tomato based fare. Partly because I have eaten my regulars more times than I can remember, and also because I wanted to try out something new.  I have also detached myself from the fruity pate and allowed myself to be convinced to order the Spinaci Zola. The waiter told us some sob story about someone who started eating it at a very young age and is still eating it years after. It was THAT good. And it was. The dip was made from a mix of spinach and gorgonzola cheese and served with toast rounds. Being made of cheese instead of minced liver meat made it more tasty.

Spaghettini alla Bolognese Php 220++

The Spaghettini alla Bolognese was indeed different from the many I have tried in various restaurants. First I do not really like spaghettini noodles as I feel it leaves me lacking in substance (too thin for my appetite hehe). The beef ragu sauce was more saucy than beefy so although I liked it, I doubt my hubby will.

Linguine di Valentino Php 300++

But the Linguine di Valentino was utterly delicious! It was made with crab meat, stewed tomatoes, chili peppers and cream. At first I was hesitant upon reading that it had chili peppers but my friends teased me about being such a coward so I gave in. I did not regret it. The sauce was full of flavor like it was slow cooked until all flavor was sucked out of the ingredients. It is at times like these that I sometimes wish Cibo had huge servings.

Strawberry Shake Php 100++

Oh and did I mention their fresh fruit shakes are to die for? Most famous of their offerings would be the Red Grape shake which I always order. But I was also able to try the Strawberry shake which is just as refreshing but not as yummy as the Red Grape. Now am salivating.

Cibo
2nd level, Glorietta 3, Ayala Center
Makati City
Tel. No: 892-3963

Tender Bob’s Steaks and Ribs place brings with it old memories of a romantic date in the Libis branch (now gone). It was situated near Starbucks along E. Rodriguez Jr. and offered a warm and cozy ambience suited for couples wanting to cuddle up over a fine meal. I can still remember that we had chosen that place for its famous lamb chops with mint jelly. Hmmm.

Now my accidental visit to Tender Bob’s offered me a different image. Tender Bob’s at the 6th level of Shangri-La Mall greeted me bright and happy. I was early so I got to choose where I sat. I opted to take my place at a table outside that looked out into the center of the mall and was far away from the action that I can eat and read in peace.

I peruse the menu and zoned on the steak list. Cheap-ee that I am, I got myself the “Hungry” portion of the Ribeye steak cooked medium well. And because I took my time in choosing that day’s meal, that gave my server the opportunity to tempt me with some appetizers. I did not regret being tempted to order the onion rings. The presentation of the onion rings was so much fun that my appetite went on overdrive. The onion rings were placed in a wooden upright paper towel holder and served with some zesty mayo. The rings were hot and crunchy and very tasty. Don’t tease me but I could not help but finish ALL of it.

Onion rings - Php 130

My ribeye arrived hot and sizzling on its plate. Mashed potato and corn were the side dishes. Although I was presented with a variety of Tender Bob’s Steak Sauce, I chose to just use the mushroom gravy provided to pour all over my steak and my mashed potatoes. The gravy did nothing to the potatoes as they remained utterly bland (salt please?).

The steak was tasty… but tough. My jaw was aching after several bites and it destroyed the experience for me. I chose medium well but the steak appeared to have been cooked very well done. But because I did not want to waste anything, I struggled to finish till every bit was gone… and I was tired.

Too bad as I really really love steak and because meat is meat, the best thing you can offer is how well you can cook it regardless if its prime, angus or wagyu. My craving for steak was fed but not appeased. I was left feeling empty and aching and without any happy memories of the meal that I just had.

Ribeye Steak hungry portion - Php 255

Tender Bob’s
6th Level, Unit 637
Shangri-la Plaza Mall
EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd.
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila
Tel. No: 638-7161

Truthfully, I am not an avid fan of Chinese cuisine. I cannot say it enough that my taste buds are tired of sesame oil, oyster sauce and soy sauce. But I live in a country where Chinese food is as staple as rice. But once in a while I chance upon a place that serves great tasting Chinese dishes. And I am a hypocrite if I do not admit that of all Chinese edible creations, dimsum is the best. It is also the easiest to imitate. Imagine all the stalls that sell siopao, siomai, sharks fin in all shapes and sizes.

An invite to Shanghai Bistro at Paseo Center made me crinkle my nose. I heard that the place served food that cost and arm and a leg and I was not about to throw away money on food that I know I would not like. But THE BOSS is paying so I was not one to argue.

The place was at the 3rd level of the Paseo Center along Sedeno in Makati. Shanghai Bistro looked snobbish from afar. Super glossy dark wood tables, high backed chairs… I was half expecting everything to be gilded with gold. The wait staff was attentive though and we were quickly seated dispelling my discomfort at such formal surroundings.

Acting on prior instructions, we ordered seafood bean curd soup, honey pork combination with roasted duck, crispy shrimp in mayonnaise, deep-fried boneless chicken in lemon sauce, fried squid in salt and pepper, and some yang chow fried rice. In addition, I got myself some dimsum - steamed pork and shrimp “siomei”.

The soup was hot and good for our empty stomachs. I don’t think it was oooh! ahhh! as I cannot even think of a nice word to describe its flavor. The other dishes were similarly forgettable except for the siomai. I must have been so used to the all-wanton-wrapper siomai sold in most restaurants that truly satisfying dimsum amazes me. Just look at the picture of those siomai wrappers filled to the brim with the pork and shrimp mixture. With these, you taste more of the meat and shrimp and less of the wrapper.

Another thing I wanted to say was that despite some people tendency towards mayonnaise (imagine Megastar Sharon and a spoon of pure mayo) - crispy shrimp drizzled with sticky mayo (not even creamy mayo) is definitely in my gross list. And this is my own taste buds talking so readers please feel free to try it.

Lastly, I think the one consistent feedback I have read and heard is how service stinks. We were there for a late lunch which means there were very few customers to cater to. The place had tons of waiters ready to accommodate your requests… but for some reason, our orders, request for water or more tea, or kubiertos - were either ignored or forgotten. THE BOSS asked for a glass of water and he nearly choked on the lemon chicken and still the water did not come. Tsk tsk.

I must say, no matter how fine the place is or how lovely the food tastes, if the service is not very good, then the restaurant is clearly not very good too. I really hope the staff gets better at it soon.

Shanghai Bistro
3rd Floor Paseo Center, 8757 Paseo de Roxas cor. Sedeno St.
Makati City, Metro Manila
Tel. No: 892-8872