1950's Pandesal, Pan de Amerikana Bakery and Restaurant

We were driving along White Plains Avenue to Katipunan, when my family suddenly pointed out this really catchy upside down house with an inverted car on top of the structure. Apparently, this is the gimmick of Pan de Amerikana Bakery and Restaurant (1950's Pandesal) which is set to open early next month (or is it opened already?). The bakery had its original structure on the other side of the road which was near their new location right now. Check it out if you're passing by the area. I'm sure you'll notice it. :)


Taken from the restaurant's website:

Pan de Amerikana restaurant Katipunan, Quezon City branch is a themed restaurant featuring an upside down full size Land Rover 4x4 defender 90 with working lights. The interior boasts of a photo gallery and off roading video presentations and focuses on 4x4 countryside motif. Pan de Amerikana, which is known for its first chess themed restaurant in Marikina, aims to take part in the Department of Tourism mission of developing interesting spots for local and international recognition thereby attracting more investments and revenues through Philippine tourism.

KFC's Double Down Chicken Sandwich

Kentucky Fried Chicken, or more commonly known as KFC to many, recently added a new hit Filipinos would enjoy. It's called the Double Down Sandwich. It's made of two thick and juicy boneless white meat chicken fillets (KFC Original Recipe) fried to perfection, strips of bacon, melted cheese and mayonnaise. Some like it as is, but some find it better paired with rice. It's shamelessly meaty and totally causing a lot of scandal across the Metro! Mind you, it's hard to find one as the day comes to an end, they say.

So what do you think of the new KFC Double Down Sandwich?

Café Xocolat with Quick Delivery service

Café Xocolat, or Xocolat to many, is a café restaurant, which seeks to pave the way for hot chocolate to be enjoyed by Xocoholics “in all its glorious forms and flavors.” It prides itself for its hot chocolate drinks, and chocolate inspired dishes. Its 3 branches are located in Loyola Heights Quezon City, Promenade Greenhills San Juan and Center Courtyard Eastwood.

Recently, I tried Quick Delivery’s we deliver “Two Any One” delivery service to order lunch. They promise to deliver the “best-of-the-best food and drink choices, fresh and tasty food from any of our restaurants at the time we say it will arrive, from 10:00AM to 10:00PM (Mon-Thurs) and 10:00AM to 10:30PM (Fri-Sun), within Metro Manila area.” With that, I decided to try it, and get my lunch from the home of one of the best hot chocolate in Manila, Xocolat.

Delivery Service

I dialed “2121212,” and was greeted by a cheerful customer service agent of QD. I placed my order at exactly 10:15 AM, expecting that it arrive by lunch, considering my area (TM Kalaw, Manila) is outside the delivery service area* of Xocolat. At first, my order was supposed to come from Greenhills, but it was later transferred to Loyola Heights Quezon City because the food I ordered weren’t available in San Juan.

Unfortunately, after a few minutes, the customer service agent called me on my mobile phone, and apologized because Xocolat will still open at 11:00 AM, and my order would not be processed until then. I said it was okay. They assured me that my order would arrive anytime from 12:30pm to 1:00pm.

At around 12:30pm, I called the customer service agent using my mobile phone. They assured me that they would contact me once they reach the rider/driver. My order was transferred to another rider in Makati. My order arrived 1:22pm, and the rider was apologizing for the delay. I guess they still have to master time management in the orders so that it will surely arrive on time.

Xocolat Food Order

I asked the Quick Delivery customer service agent what are the bestsellers of Xocolat. She gave a list of food items, and I picked those I wanted to try. Since I wanted to treat my 2 friends for lunch, I ordered food good for 3. The food that I got were:


Spiced Xocolat Chicken with rice and potato gratin (Php 195)

Pork Belly with Cacao-bagoong sauce (Php 185)

Xocolat Chicken Pasta (Php 175)

Flourless Xocolat Cake (Php 125/ slice)

That Xocolat Cake (Php 95/ slice)
It was my second time to try out Xocolat, and this time around fell short of my high expectations. The first time was great because I got to try out their signature hot chocolate drinks. Don’t’ get me wrong. We enjoyed their food this time, especially the cakes, but we found that the main course can still be improved.

The Xocolat Chicken Pasta was the main star of the course. The Spiced Xocolat Chicken with rice and potato gratin was second, and the Pork Belly with Cacao-bagoong sauce fell to the third slot because of its safe and very common taste. I guess one thing that affected our experience was maybe because we had a poor choice of food delivered.


The total bill was Php 929.75 (Php 775 for the food + Php 85 for the charge for service outside delivery area of the restaurant + Php 69.75 for the 9% additional charge on the food ordered.)

It was my first time using Quick Delivery and I still think it’s an innovative and great way to enjoy your favorite food items anywhere you are in the Metro. I will have to try it out again very soon, and assess better if I have a second experience to compare it to.

*If your area is outside the delivery area, you have to pay an extra Php 85.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Red Crab Alimango House

My bestfriend and I are trying out Manila’s Signature Dishes 2010, prepared by Unilever Food Solutions. The first restaurant we went to was Red Crab Alimango House which is located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center in Makati. Apparently, it is also one of the sister comapanies of the Fish Out of Water, Crustasia, and part of the Red Crab Group of restaurants.


At first you might notice that the ambiance in the restaurant is a bit gloomy, but wait until you try out their food selection from the newly revamped menu. The distinct characteristic of Red Crab Alimango House, compared to the other Red Crab Group of restaurants, is that it sticks more to the original Pinoy or Filipino taste, according to Sheila Pingul, the restaurant manager. Red Crab Alimango House offers buffet meals for lunch (11am-2pm) and dinner (6pm-9pm).

Originally, we were to try out the King Seafood Platter Set by Chef Arman Alvarez, but since Red Tide broke in Bataan, they didn’t have supply of fresh shellfish (claims, mussels, etc) that time, Miss Sheila decided to do away with the King Seafood Platter, and replaced it with the Typhoon Shelter Crab instead, one of the bestsellers in the restaurant, and one of the dishes the Red Crab Group is famous for.

The set includes an order of the Crab Relleno Salad, the Typhoon Shelter Crab, which weighed more than a kilo, Grandma’s Chocolate Cake and a glass of Red Iced Tea, with a complimentary refill.


The Crab Relleno Salad is made up of lettuce, tamiaw leaves, 2 pieces of crab cakes or patties which made the dish alive and tasty, topped off with a sweet tamarind based dessing. The crab cakes/patties held the whole dish together. The greens were fresh and the overall taste is more than good.


The star of the night was the Typhoon Sheltered Crab, which is made of deep fried king crab in olive oil on a bed of efu egg noodles, topped with lots of garlic, tausi and chili. Although we preferred the way of cooking of the Thang Nang Crab, which is only available at Fish Out of Water, the Typhoon Shelter Crab is equally fresh, humongous and appetizing.

If you ask my family, they would say that I do not know how to eat a crab, because I only eat the pincers. But that day was different; I felt that I already needed to learn how to eat a crab properly. I used my hands in trying to get the crabmeat out. Luckily, we were successful in finishing the whole king crab.


To cap off the meal, they served us the Grandma’s Chocolate Cake for dessert. It’s made of layers of chocolate which adds to the really rich and delicious texture of the cake. One problem though, it’s just too sweet for my taste. Personally, the presentation was simple yet it worked.

One thing is for sure, you can never go wrong with Red Crab Alimango House when you are craving for different styles of cooking of crabs. I would definitely go back maybe to try out their Crabs Martiess. Yummy!



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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Happy Lemon at Promenade Greenhills

Happy Lemon recently opened at Promenade in Greenhills. It occupies the space beside Starbucks and the ground floor entrance and space recently vacated by Fullybooked. At first glance, you would already be drawn to it because of its vibrant outside design. It has stylish red and white designed chairs, and block tables outside, and an inviting black and yellow outer color. You would be curious to what this new establishment is all about. Personally, I didn't know what Happy Lemon was, until my brother and I went inside to take a look.

Apparently, Happy Lemon is a drink shop which offers a wide variety of tea (lemon series, fresh tea, milk tea, specialty tea, mousse spin) and coffee drinks. For some weird reason though, I wasn't permitted by the owner to take photos of their drinks because it has prices on it. (It was weird because I wanted to take shots of that to share to my readers and people who are searching online, but if that's the policy, I cannot do anything about it.) So from my recollection they offer regular and large sizes with prices ranging from 60-100+ pesos per serving/order.


My brother didn't know what to order so we asked for suggestions from the cashier. He told us to try out one of their bestsellers, the Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese. Apparently, they offer a line of drinks with Rock Salt and Cheese in it - Green Tea with Rock Salt and Cheese (Php 80 regular, Php 90 large), Cacao with Rock Salt and Cheese, and Coffee with Rock Salt and Cheese (Php 90 regular, Php 100 large). This line was quite interesting, and it made us curious, so we followed the cashier and got it.

They ask for your name when you order, and you are given a lemon number that they match with your drink. The order came out in a few minutes. It was suggested that we drink it without using a straw, so we did. At first, you would taste the milk, cheese and salt combined, which didn't quite work that well for me. But after the first sip, the taste of the cheese and salt dies out, and the bitterness and sweetness of the tea and the sugar kicks in and balances out the experience. I personally like the tangy aromatic taste of the tea drink, and I would like to try how it will taste with cacao and coffee. :)


I am sure I would go back to try out their other drinks. I think there's a lot more Happy Lemon has to offer, and I would love to discover that in my next visits. Cheers!

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 by Unilever Foodsolutions

Experience Manila's Signature Dishes 2010. Every artist has a masterpiece. Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 is a collection of childhood memories, unforgettable travels, personal treasures and exciting experiences of chefs and restaurateurs expressed in a culinary experience across Metro Manila. Have a taste of the metro's signature dishes exclusively created for you by 16 of its finest restaurants.

So follow me and Lost Tsinelas as we take you to all of the 16 restaurants, share with you their exquisite food, paired with a glass of Casillero del Diablo wine, and enjoy ourselves in a gastronomic adventure, made possible by Unilever Foodsolutions. :)

Wicked Bites and Chocodamia from Dragonfly Desserts

Cheryl Lim of Dragonfly Desserts recently contacted me because she wanted me to try some of her pastries and desserts, and give feedback and comments on them. I didn’t know about Dragonfly Desserts until then. I got curious so I did some research online, which led me on her multiply page (everything she makes is there). It’s an online business of Cheryl, who took her lessons in the big NYC, and now, she’s back in Manila to share her food-secrets. She does pick-ups and deliveries (see info below).

Honestly, I was excited to try out the desserts after I saw them on her site, and in other blogs. I coordinated delivery of the food to my office in Manila. It came last Thursday. Thank you!


The first one is the Wicked Bites. It’s made up of chocolate and chili. You may think it’s an odd combination, but wait until you tried this “wickedly delightful treat.” At first, you may think that there is no chili, because of the sweetness of the chocolate, but wait for the kick at the end of every bite of this mini-cupcake treat. The mix of chocolate and chili is truly exciting. One note though – I would prefer if it wasn’t that soft. It could be chewier or chocolatier. The chili’s just perfect.


Next up is their Chocodamia Cookies. I loved every bit of this dessert. Each bite is chocolate and macadamia heaven. You can never go wrong ordering this. I think I said and advertised enough of this treat. It’s perfect to give to friends this holiday season. I’m sure they would love it.


Another pastry/dessert Cheryl sent was the Tomato Kesong Puti Tart. It’s made of Kesong Puti, tomato, basil and eggs. Out of the three, this was my least favorite. Don’t get me wrong, it’s smooth and tasty, but this is the kind of pastry which is not for everyone’s taste. I would definitely go for the Apple-Cheese Tart, which sounds more exciting and yummy. I hope I get to try that out soon. Oh, plus the Lemon Ginger Pound Cake sounds equally enticing.


You can click here for the dessert selection and price list. Pick-up and Delivery details: Free delivery for orders within New Manila and San Juan from Mondays to Saturdays. Free delivery for orders worth P5,000 & up within Metro Manila. Pick Up Points: New Manila, Greenhills, SM Megamall, Park Square 1, SM North Annex, Trinoma, Market! Market!, SM Marikina, and SM Mall of Asia. Pick up in malls are subject to schedule.

For Inquiries / Orders, please call, text or email: 5069922, 09178780001, 0909-8888802, cherylannlim@yahoo.com. Orders may be placed up to one day in advance, but three to five days lead time for volume orders. Please inform them where you would like to pick up your orders so they can coordinate delivery schedules.

SEAIR gives discounts for summer travels in the Philippines

Southeast Asian Airlines (SEAIR), the Philippines' premier leisure airline, offers huge discounts on flights to the country’s top island destinations this November 12-14 for travel on March 1 to April 30, 2011. The promo fares start at Php 435++. You just need to log on to the FlySeair website to avail these limited seats.

SEAIR also announced that it will be increasing its Batanes flights to up to twice daily for the winter season from December to February. If you don't know, the northernmost province of Batanes experiences four season just like Taiwan, its nearest neighbor. Its temperate climate combined with its idyllic landscape featuring rolling hills, lighthouses, and green pastures overlooking the sea has made this group of islands the next best year-round destination in the country. Summer adventurers headed to Batanes can get one-way tickets for as low as PhP 2,835++.


The Boracay experience is enhanced with the SEAIR special service advantages for Caticlan-bound passengers. Passengers enjoy VIP transfers from the Caticlan airport to Boracay and vice versa, as well as exclusive boarding pass privileges in partner establishments in Boracay and Manila. SEAIR offers the fastest flights to Boracay at just 35 minutes. One-way tickets to Caticlan from Manila and Cebu will be at PhP 635++, while one-way tickets from Clark to Caticlan can be as low as PhP 935++

Tablas is the largest among twenty islands in Romblon. The province has some of the most breathtaking white sand beaches in the country with panoramic views reminiscent of the Mediterranean. Romblon produces world-class quality marble and is nicknamed “Marble Country”. One-way ticket from Manila to Tablas, Romblon can be had for PhP 435++


The the El Nido-Taytay Managed Resource Protected Area is the largest marine sanctuary in the entire Philippines. This group of islands is a perfect destination for divers and snorkelers as well as beach and island-hoppers with over 30 dive sites and more than 50 beaches and hidden lagoons. One-way tickets to El Nido and Taytay in Palawan can be had at PhP 3,235++.

Fly SEAIR and rediscover the joy of flight - speed, convenience, personalized Service! Go to www.FlySeair.com for the best deals or call (+632) 8490100 for more information.

First two photos are from SEAir, while the last photo is my own :)

Thai Food Mango Tree Bistro at Trinoma

More or less a month ago, my uncle Martin invited me to try out this restaurant his classmate manages or owns. Apparently, he was hitting two birds with one stone. He was also meeting there the Smart Infinity manager because of his account, which I am in no liberty to discuss. The restaurant is called Mango Tree Bistro, and it opened mid-October on the space right beside Powerbooks at the 3rd floor of Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. This restaurant comes from the famous brand Thai Mango Bistro, which is also present in countries all over the world.

Since I didn't know what's good, and he's treating us, I let him order. He ordered these (see photos below). I forgot the names of the dishes we ate, but I am confident in saying that the Pad Thai, the shrimp dish and the chicken were really good. You can taste and spices and the flavors, which are pleasing to the palate.

Pad Thai

Seafood Tom Yum Soup

Shrimp Dish (I forgot the name of this dish, but the shrimps are delicious!)

Chicken wrapped in Pandan Leaves

One whole fish, which I didn't quite enjoy because of the bones

The dessert however was the winner! The mangoes were fresh and sweet, the glutinous rice paired with it was just a perfect match!

Coca-Cola Philippines 2010 Christmas Can Designs

For more than weeks now, I have been seeing these 2010 Christmas Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero and Coca-Cola Light can designs over the refrigerators and shelves of convenient stores and supermarkets. I have not had the time nor the extra cash to purchase three cans all at the same time. Earlier today after Church in Greenhills, my parents and I got these three Christmas designed or themed Coke cans in Unimart. Thank you! :)


Do you have designed or themed Coca-Cola cans in your country? Message me! :)

Starbucks Christmas Beverages are back to cheer us

November marks the launch of the much awaited Starbucks Christmas Beverages which became hit favorites of Filipino coffee drinkers from the previous years it has been ongoing. The Toffee Nut Latte, Praline Mocha, and the Peppermint Mocha return this year. You would have to collect 9 stickers for the Starbucks Christmas Blend Beverages or the Holiday Featured Beverages to complete the required stickers for you to get a Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner.

The TOFFEE NUT LATTE is made of rich, buttery flavor of sweet toffee combined with the warmth of toasted nuts, and blended with Starbucks' smooth espresso and velvety steamed milk; topped with whipped cream and toffee-flavored sprinkles.

The PRALINE MOCHA is a full-bodied blend of smooth espresso, creamy steamed milk and rich chocolate, accented by hazelnut syrup and topped with whipped cream and mocha sauce drizzle.

But the star of the show, for me, is the return of the PEPPERMINT MOCHA. This drink is made of rich chocolate, smooth espresso and velvety steamed milk blended with refreshing peppermint; topped with whipped cream and red sugar sprinkles.

Which one is your favorite?

Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner is out!

2012 STARBUCKS PLANNERS

Starbucks Philippines launched today at its Cheer Party in Starbucks 6750 Makati branch the annual Christmas Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner, the returning Starbucks Christmas drinks (Peppermint Mocha, Praline Mocha and the Toffee Nut Latte) which are available hot, iced or Frappuccino blended, and some new and returning pastries and food items.

The much awaited Starbucks 2011 Planner is here, and it comes in 3 designs -- Red Velvet, Metal and Wood. The theme of this year's planner is based on the materials used in the Starbucks store. Red Velvet is from the couches, the Metal is from the counters, and the wood, obviously, from the chairs and tables.


PERFECT TO TELL STORIES OVER. A STORY FOR EVERY CUP. Starbucks suggests that you fill the planner out with stories and experiences you want to share with others and the world.

Purchase select Starbucks beverages throughout the holiday season to redeem the Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner. You need 9 Starbucks Holiday Featured Beverages and 8 Starbucks Core Beverage of your choice (except bottled beverages, bottled water and fruit juices or Starbucks VIA Ready Brew for a total of 17 stickers to complete a card and claim your own Starbucks Coffee 2011 Planner :)


We got our own planner already. I chose the Wood design, while my brother got the Metal one. We sort of didn't like the Red Velvet because of the texture which was felt-like. For me, this year's planner is better than the last year. Although last year's cover was, for me, better than this year because of the action shots on the cover, the overall presentation and packaging of the 2011 Starbucks Coffee Planner has improved.


The calendar and the pages wherein you write stuff are better this year because it's less cramped and it has lines, unlike last year. The bookmark this year is a metallic Starbucks cup, unlike last year's coffee bean. The last page has discount and promo coupons you can use depending on the inclusive dates as stated on the coupon. You can see a sample of the month divider page from the photos below.