At Basty's

The gloomy rainy atmosphere of the past few days has left me sliding into a spiral hysterical depression like a proper lunatic, coupled with a smoldering miserable rage to devour food. 

I mean real food!

So if you think you have some sort of a disease like mine, or vegetarianism, then let us begin with some of the best cures of them all..

 

 

 

These are better with some beer

  

Or rice...  

 

 

 

 

When in Basty's, the breeze of insanity must have blown through your head if you let these two pass.

  

  

 Simple good things that make me happy - chocolate and caramel.

 Three layers of happiness!

Basty's

G/F Net Quad Building, 30th Street cor. 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City

Taguig

(02) 856 9132

Calamansi Muffins

I woke up today and suddenly missing Calamansi Muffins. Hidden somewhere in the lungs of Boracay are these golden treasures.

Are they the best best muffins I've had? Probably not. But they certainly are special, refreshing and gives that tangy twist that goes well with my tea.

They can be found in Real Coffee restaurant. And looking for it amidst the hustle and bustle of the white island is part of the adventure. Worth the find, and I hope to be back soon.

Peanut Butter!

If I have to choose just the one filling that I will have for the rest of my life, it would be peanut butter. For me it is the best and always will be...and there is no point ever thinking otherwise.

This was not the first time I've been to Peanut Butter & Co. But every single time I visit the place I have this: Elvis The King. Peanut butter sandwich with slices of banana and bacon strips.

Classic Spaghetti. Yes this have peanut butter mixed with the sauce.

Aside from pastas and sandwiches, PBCo. also serve an array burgers, rice meals, salads, waffles BBQ wings and milkshakes, all with a twist of peanut butter. Sorry was not able to take pictures of some of these though. Will post next time.

They are also sold in jars. They come in 12 different flavors - creamy, crunchy, dark chocolate, white chocolate, cinnamon, sun dried tomato, chilli, sesame, curry, green tea, butter, cardamon.

PBCo. branches are located at the Paseo Center in Makati, SM MOA, Katipunan

Harvest

Had lunch with a few friends one weekend. We decided to try Harvest at the Fort.

Sausage, Cheese and Fries - Hungarian Sausage and potato wedges topped with cheese sauce

 Fillet Mignon -beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon

Roast Iberian Chicken with Spanish Chorizo and garlic. Got to love the flavor of garlic!

Toro Teriyaki - Tuna belly with teriyaki sauce with ensalada on the side.

Sta. Fe Porkchops - Spicy garlic breading with corn on the side

Potato Wedges

With Kim, Jo and Chux.

Everybody agreed the food we had was worth the price. Some of these come in large serving portions and good for sharing.

My choice, the Roast Iberian Chicken!

Harvest Gastro Pub is located at the Grand Hampton Tower 2, 31st St. cor. 1st Ave., BGC Taguig right in front of the Bonifacio Technology Center.

Tsumura

Once had lunch with mom and sister at Tsumura. Found out about this place thru the internet and I initially have no idea where it is. There were no signs outside the building. Just asked one of the guards at 88 Corporate Plaza building and he pointed us to the right direction.

Mango shake, sweet.

Lobster Miso Soup. This I like but a bit pricey. The lobster is just small, cut into halves. 

Sashimi! Fresh, worth the price.

A closer look

Gohan, delicious. Although I would prefer the plainly steamed one considering the next item is so full of flavor.

Beef Usuyaki. These are thinly sliced wagyu beef strips rolled with mushrooms. I will come back for these!

Teppanyaki Bento. Beef, scallops, squid, shrimps and some veggies. The sizzling plate is full of these.

Operated by Japan Gourmet, Inc., the place is a hidden gem somewhere in Makati CBD and can easily get full during lunch and dinner time. Reservation is recommended. Tsumura Sushi Bar and Restaurant is not what you might consider "mura" at all. But I am happy with the food here, the staff are attentive, and the place is not quite what you'd expect once you get into the restaurant - and I'm meant that in a good way. 

The complete address of the place is:

2^nd Level 88 Corporate Plaza
Sedeno corner Valero Streets,
Salcedo Village, Makati City
(632) 887 4848/ (632) 4850


This one is so good it deserves a second look

Adam's Ice Cream: Rose at The Fort

Went out with a couple of friends to get some dessert after a hearty lunch. We decided to try out the ice cream by Adam Lieberman.

The First Lady's Fantasy, mixture of dark and milk chocolate. Sweetened with honey and coco sugar, I like the sweetness of this one. It is less sweeter compared to most chocolate flavored ice cream I've had in the past, but the chocolate flavor is still there.

Baklava! Pistachios walnuts, almonds, honey, cinnamon and spice.

The Ambassador's Butter Cream - butter cream with pieces of almond brittle. If I remember it correctly, the ice cream got it's name from a former U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines who liked this flavor.

Himalayan Salted Caramel. Kim wanted to order this but Adam said it is not yet ready. He instead offered a free taste of the cream. I think we will be able to appreciate this more at it's frozen state. Will try next time =)

Jo and Kim posing with Adam

My choice of flavor, First Lady's Fantasy. 

Adam's Ice Cream can be bought at the Rose at The Fort, 31st St. cor. 1st Avenue, Ground Floor, Grand Hamptons Tower, Bonifacio Global City. Or Adam can be contacted through Adam@Lieberman.com (+63 917 597 2573). 

Adam seems very approachable. He makes sure to add that personal touch by coming out of the kitchen from time to time to check on his customers.

DUO Steakhouse & Wine Bar

Well what can I say, these taste very familiar, very similar to Sutra. It is because they belong to the same group of restaurant chain. We enjoyed Sutra and so did we with Dou.

Too hungry to decide which food to order, we opted for a set menu.

Garden Fresh Salad. Fresh indeed

Iced Tea

Meat Platter - Chicken Kebabs, Crispy Lamb Spareribs and BBQ Beef Rib Fingers. I missed the focus on the kebabs :-(

Pasta Paella - pasta instead of rice. We liked this. Heavy meal though.

Mushroom Risotto- looks plain but full of flavor. This is the meal of the night for me.

Sad Kimmie. She can't start eating until the picture taking session is done. While uncooperative Leigh has already began her assault }:-(

DUO is located at Serendra, McKinley Parkway Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Gourmandise Patisserie: Eclairs!

I once attended a talk about photography by Jim Paredes and I remembered him saying, "take a picture with an adjective in mind".

With these eclairs however, I cannot seem to put my finger on just one adjective to describe them.

The first time I tried these, it feels like... "I'm a little bit older, a little bit wiser"...feels like it's my birthday! ;-)

I was never a fan of eclairs until I tried a few from Gourmandise Patisserie. If I am to write some sort of handbook on food, these right here would be on page one, chapter one of the desserts section. I was amazed by the attention to details. I mean, how good can an eclair look (and taste)? 

And if you think these look good on pixels, I suggest go and get the real one!

The packaging for single purchases.

Hazelnut Praline

Raspberry Dulce de Leche

Matcha and Yuzu Opera - this one's twice the price of the other eclairs.

See the creamy hazelnut praline filling? :-)

Mont Blanc with chocolate pastry cream

Lemon

Salted Caramel
 

My favorites:

Matcha and Yuzu Opera
Hazelnut Praline
Mont Blanc


I am missing the Foie Gras-Apple and Fig. Apparently these are the ones that go first. Will drop by early next time to try other flavors as well ;-)


Visit Gourmandise Patisserie at the Ground Floor, Serendra Mall, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City, Monday to Sunday 11am to 10pm.


Well done Sunshine Puey-Pengson!