Tres Filipino and Spanish Cuisine - A Kare-kare Pinoy Food Experience

This is a long overdue post on my birthday eat out last March at TRES Filipino & Spanish Cuisine, The Block, SM North City Edsa, ground floor facing Trinoma. Ok, so me and Rache wanted to try a different eating experience for my birthday. I had wanted to try out a place that I myself haven't eaten before. While resto window shopping, someone gave us a flier advertising Tres' promo of EAT ALL YOU CAN KARE KARE. We were on the escalator going up to The Block's 2nd floor and we were supposed to go looking for a place to eat there but the thought of stuffing ourselves with Kare-kare won us over! We immediately went down the escalator again to go to the restaurant's location which was on the ground floor outside.

Photo Credit: Tres

I loved the interior. It was warm and cozy looking. It had an old Filipino-Spanish feel to it which of course is the theme of the whole restaurant. We sat down on a corner table and ordered the Eat All You Can Karekare promo. 

Unfortunately I don't remember exactly how much it was but it was definitely not more than Php 300. Rachel and I were both pleasantly surprised by the superb service that was given to us. We talked with the head waiter and  had a lovely chat with him while waiting for our food to be served. We found out that the owner has Filipino-Spanish roots and the recipes used were family recipes. Then the food arrived! The eat all you can Karekare promo served all three of their karekare special dishes - namely Krispy Kare-kare (their bestseller!), Beef Kare-kare, and Seafood Kare-kare. They gave us small portions of each on three small rectangular dishes and we could have it refilled once we were done. We both had our own Kare-kare "gravy" boat to slather our meat (and RICE!) according to our taste.

The dish on the farthest left are veggies! :)

Left - Beef Kare-kare, Right - Krispy Kare Kare

What I loved about the Kare-kare? THE SAUCE! I absolutely loved it! It had this rich creamy texture and peanut "sauce" (hehehe for lack of the better term) that I like in Kare-kare. It wasn't that strong but had the just right taste! Being allergic to seafood, I let Rache have all of mine I had her Krispy one. WE WERE FULL! And for that we even haven't had our second serving at that time! We then just had one more refill (me on krispy and Rache on seafood) until we surrendered. 

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! hehe

And just before we left, they gave us a free taste of their dessert which were old fashioned fudge cake and orange cake. Surprisingly, I loved the orange cake! It was light and sweet and tangy! I loved the flavor. Rache is a chocolate lover so naturally she preferred the fudge. The cakes were really affordable around Php 93 per slice only!

Will I recommend Tres? YES! The food, service, and ambiance is GREAT! Its also a great place to bring your balikbayan friends or family and let them renew their taste buds of Filipino-Spanish cuisine in a classy way. 

P.S. By the way, Tres has a promo right now! CRISPY SISIG for only 3 PESOS! Drop by at TRES now to try it out! :)

Photo Credit: Tres FB Page

A New Look at Greenwich

I've always been a fan of the Greenwich Pizza Commercials. I can't help but laugh over the creative ideas that they had and mind you.. it works! Who cannot forget their famous line.. "ANG CHEESY!!!" and elegant looking Anne Curtis pushing that car. Eventually, those commercials got to me and I just HAD to drop by a Greenwich Pizza and Pasta store to check out  how "cheeeeesy" it was. Rache and I went to the brand new Greenwich Fast and Casual Store in Trinoma, 2nd Floor. I LOVE THEIR NEW LOOK! 

The Cashier looks like a barista in a posh cafe! :)

Love the interior look and lighting! Plus the posters are inspiring! :)

Now this nook definitely looks cozy enough to bring friends over to chat and eat!

The ambiance really drew me in! I loved the cozy feel to it. BUT I would say its the restaurant's furniture that was the real winner! It made me want to stay there for quite some time!!! 

ME totally luvin the red chair. Made me feel like a queen! :)

Rachie admires the interior design as well! She's an architect -- so yeah, she'd know!

Of course, besides the ambiance I ended up really enjoying the FOOD! Yes! The food! Ok honestly now, I haven't been a big fan of Greenwich coz I thought it was... well... let's just call it "another-random-fastfood-pasta&pizza-place-not-worth-my-money". BUT eating there just blew me away! Now, remember Anne Curtis' famous commercial or advertisement? 

I ordered the Lasagna Supreme and as a side dish -- Onion Rings (lol. I just HAD to taste it to compare other onion rings that I've tasted from other restos!).

New Crunchy Onion Rings, Medium Size, PHP 49.00

Lasagna Supreme - PHP 89.00 Snack Size Ala Carte

Ok and let me tell you -- YES IT IS CHEEEEEEEEEEEESY!!! I love LOVE LOVED IT!!! Personally, I like pasta more than pizza. And definitely this one is a winner in my book! Every bite was delicious! I love the whole combination.. especially the right amount of cheesiness in it. It was cheesy, creamy, meaty, and definitely deserved the title as Greenwich's "Best Tasting Premium Pasta Ever!" So check out the new and improved Greenwich Fast and Casual Store at Trinoma Mall--one of the few of this type of Greenwich store around Metro Manila.  

i LOVE Frutti Froyo!

Taken from http://www.facebook.com/fruttifroyo 

Summer is soooo here in the Philippines and because of this, I've searched  found my new snack/dessert addiction... FRUTTI FROYO! One of our friends recommended this to us, and once I tasted it.. I GOT HOOKED!

One of the amazing things that I love about Frutti Froyo is the fact that its a SELF-SERVE FROZEN YOGURT -- meaning I can make my own mix! Each time I visit Frutti Froyo becomes a unique experience because I can choose from a variety of flavored yogurt and awesome toppings AND I can choose how much or little amount of each yogurt or topping! I have the control! And I absolutely LOVE it! 

Yes those nuts are hidden somewhere under those other yummy toppings!

I've tasted the chocolate yogurt flavor (which my dad and brother is totally addicted to) and the typical tart yogurt flavor and those are my favorites! The toppings are sooooo awesome! Whenever I eat yogurt, it must have a lot of CRUNCH to it... and Frutti Froyo satisfied my craving for nuts! They have pecans, walnuts, cashew, almonds, and even hazel nut toppings to choose from. And yes, my frutti froyo MUST always have all of those nuts in it! hehehe.. of course, the usual yogurt toppings are available there. 

But I must say what makes Frutti Froyo unique is that they have GHIRARDELLI chocolate sauce (and also caramel I think..) available to make your Frutti Froyo experience so much more memorable for the chocolate lovers out there. :) love love love it!

One of the best part of eating at Frutti Froyo is that you have control on how much you will pay for your Frutti Froyo experience because the price is based on how much it weighs! Each ounce is Php 18.00. Not bad eh? And check this out, they also recently gave out a loyalty rewards card. For every 10 ounces single receipt purchase, you get a sticker.

Collect all 10 stickers and you get ONE FREE CUP up to 10 ounces with any flavor or toppings of your choice! 

I got my rewards card PLUS a 10% discount card on next single receipt purchase earlier this year as a promo for filling up their survey form. :) Thanks FF! Anyway, all this talk of yogurt has made my mouth water.. so why not drop by at the nearest Frutti Froyo branch near you! 

I want some more... :(

with Friends and Family at Trinoma Frutti Froyo Branch!

Loving Caffe Ti-Amo

  

RESTAURANT: 
Caffe Ti-Amo
LOCATION: SM CITY NORTH EDSA ANNEX UGFloor

PRICE RANGE: Php 80.00 up
Kai Cafe Rate: 

Taste 10/10
Environment 9.5/10
Service 9.5/10
Price 8/10 

Caffe Ti-Amo SM North Annex Facebook

Ok so I admit it. I'm a sucker for cafes that combine COFFEE and ICE CREAM in one place. Recently though, with the advent of Gelato craze in our country, I've stumbled upon one of the cutest and most delicious gelato place that I've ever been-- Caffe Ti-Amo at SM North Annex. Caffe Ti-amo is quite new since it officially opened its store at SM City Annex just this May 2010. After doing a bit of online searching and reading, I was surprised to find out that its a franchise from Korea and now partly owned by Jollibee Foods corp. I'm  happy to find out about this coz then it would mean more Caffe Ti-amo's to visit here in the Philippines. So far, the only branch I've been to is the one at SM City Annex.

Lets talk GELATO.  So lets cut to the chase and let me just say that the Gelato here is DIVINE!! I swear, they have the BEST dark chocolate gelato EVER! I've been to several places and ate all sorts of gelato already and this is definitely one of the BEST gelato place ever!!! I know I sound redundant but I'm THAT in love with their gelato. So far I've tasted Dark Chocolate (my rate - 10/10!!!!!), Chocolate (comes a close 2nd), Tiramisu, Cookies and Cream, and Yogurt. I guess the reason why I love their yogurt so much is because its NOT too sweet. Its got the right amount of sweetness and flavor that makes you want to eat more! Not only that, just for 15 pesos, you can add some toppings to your gelato to make it your own unique experience. I was very surprised with the yogurt. I'm not a big fan of yogurt (coz its sour.. lol) but their yogurt grew on me! It wasn't too sour but in fact quite creamy and I really enjoyed it that much that I'm now torn if I should order Yogurt or Dark Chocolate whenever I'm there. 

 This is dark chocolate and chocolate gelato. The very first thing I ordered at Ti-Amo. PERFECT combination! For one scoop of their gelato, a Singolo order, you only pay Php 80. For two scoops, called Doppio, you only pay Php 130. Its a perfect deal for me especially if you want to taste two different flavors and share it with a friend.

Of course I couldn't leave Ti-Amo without tasting their coffee. I love the coffee and it went perfectly with the yogurt! I ordered Mocha and I enjoyed the drink very much. I thought it was really cute because I really enjoyed the tiny details that they put effort into make your Ti-Amo experience worthwhile. The adorable smiley face spoons, the small unique Ti-Amo labels on the cups and table tops, and even their smiling and accommodating staff made us feel that indeed Caffe Ti-Amo is a place that you'll fall in love. There are still a lot of Caffe Ti-amo which I haven't fully experienced yet. I have yet to taste their blendemos (blended drinks), Honey Bread with gelato, and their affogatos. I can't wait to go back there to try out more. You'll definitely hear me and more about my Caffe Ti-amo experiences when I drop by there again. Hopefully soon. Some people think its a bit expensive. Actually, it is compared to other gelaterias that I've been to. But its worth every single penny. Yes, its that good! I'm totally recommending it to all my friends!

                               

                             Me and My bestfriend Rache at Caffe Ti-Amo

Pasta Fun at The Old Spaghetti House

RESTAURANT: The Old Spaghetti House

LOCATION: SM Marikina, SM North Edsa Annex (and so many more)

PRICE RANGE: Php 100.00 up
CUISINE: Italian

Kai Cafe Rate:

Food 8.5/10

Environment 8.5/10

Ambiance 8.5/10

Service 8/10

"Welcome to The Old Spaghetti House! A great dining experience doesn't have to cost a lot. Indulge on mouth-watering spaghettis, delightful dishes and heavenly desserts in a unique and fun environment. Indeed, there are Treasures Waiting to be Discovered."

They definitely got their description right! As a pasta lover, this is one of the places I love to go to even on a tight budget. This year, I actually celebrated my birthday at The Old Spaghetti House at SM City North Annex. It was really a happy moment for me coz I got to celebrate it with my family and church friends. I've also eaten at TOSH for several times already with my bestfriend or coworkers.

EXTERIOR/INTERIOR. What I like about TOSH is the "old red brick house" look that they have that makes it look.. well old and established! It gives the subliminal message that they have been there for a long time already and they know what they are doing.. cooking rather! TOSH restaurants in the mall still exude the same feeling. The interior of the restaurant gives a warm feeling as well with the dark brown, black, and brick red colors used in the furniture and walls.

AMBIANCE. I love the lighting at TOSH. It does exude a warm, inviting, and also romantic atmosphere which I'm pretty much sure is appreciated by couples who eat there. Also the atmosphere does give off a semi-posh feel to it which is pretty amazing since the food offered is definitely within one's budget!

FOOD/SERVICE.  Of course one cannot mention TOSH without lavishing praise on the food! I love the variety of pasta that they offer! And not only because they all taste delicious but because of their amazing low prices. The price for appetizers or starters begin even below 100 pesos. Then they offer different spaghettis, red sauce pasta, white sauce pasta, pizza, rice meals, pasta meals, and so much more! My personal favorite pasta at TOSH is the Sun-dried Tomato Pesto. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water! What I usually order is the Pasta Meal which is Pepper crusted fish with sun-dried tomato pesto. Its price is actually Php 190.00 and I swear, worth every cent! Other pasta that are quite famous at TOSH is Pasta Negra (pasta cooked in squid ink) and Gourmet Tuyo with Lemon Rind. Its uniquely TOSH so if you are willing to have a pasta adventure, I would suggest that! And surprisingly, the desserts are actually divine! As I mentioned, I celebrated my birthday at TOSH and they actually gave me a slice of cake (forgot what its called). Service was good and the waiters were accommodating. It does take a while though for the food to be served so I wouldn't advise this place if you were in a hurry.


OVERALL IMPACT. TOSH gets high rates from me for the great food, affordable prices, and "date-able" location!