Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Golden Fortune









Eri Curry






Manila Polo Club



There's something about wide open fields that makes me happy.  I had the pleasure of having a meeting at the Cogon Village of the Manila Polo Club a couple of weeks ago.  This casual dining area overlooks the EZ playing field, and at 8 o' clock in the morning, the calm and serene vista gave me a sensational, thrilling feeling (even though there was no game in play).  Somehow, open fields remind me of autumn in upstate New York, or the green French countryside.  I just love it!


Balai Pandesal







Morita




























The Q-Pound Project



With the sudden rush of burger joints, it's becoming an interesting guessing game as to which brands will stand the test of time and which brands will fall by the wayside.  I came across The Q-Pound Project along Matino St. in Sikatuna Village and was amazed to find a big burger for P80.  Tasty, juicy, topped with cheese and veggies, drizzled liberally with mayo.  Not bad at all.  The place isn't big however, and can seat just maybe some 10-12 people. No air-conditioning too, so be prepared to rough it up at street-side.  What going for it?  Value for money burgers--you just can't beat the price!



Tsim Sha Tsui



No, this isn't about the famous shopping district in Hong Kong.  This eatery's name just comes from the shopping district.  I was at the NAIA-3 waiting for Korina's long delayed flight (whatever happened to the efficiency of Cebu Pacific?) and I had to sit down for a rice meal when I was informed that the flight would come in 4 hours after ETA.  The steamed-fried rice was topped with a pork-shrimp combination and it was hot and tasty, costing just P150.  Not bad, kept me relaxed throughout the wait.


The Sicilian Pizza



I fetched Korina from NAIA-3 almost four hours after her ETA (CebPac seems to be slipping these days).  We were both very hungry.  On the way to her dorm, we stopped by The Sicilian Pizza along Katipunan Avenue in the Blue Ridge area.  I've seen this store a couple of time previously, but never had the chance to try their pizza.  I'm glad we did--the crust was crispy, the cheese was gooey, and the toppings blended for the right flavor.  Being a stone's throw away from UP, Miriam and the Ateneo, I was expecting prices to be more friendly for students; 14' pizzas are prized at the P400 to P550 range, which I think is a bit high for the campus crowds.


Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Bondi & Bourke




Tucked away from the main areas of the Makati CBD is Bondi and Bourke, at the ground floor of the Cattleya Building along Salcedo St. in Legaspi Village.  Simple, casual Ozzie food. Generous portioning.   Spend anywhere from P700 to P1,500 per person, which is reasonable for the CBD.


I like the easy ambiance of the restaurant, no frills interior, very accommodating staff.  The tartine we ordered for starters gave us a glimpse of good eating.  Mussels were stout, nicely buttered, very flavorful.  



The beef and mushroom pie we had was good.  Hot and flavorful.  The burger?  That was an experience by itself.  It was large and I bet that you will have difficulty munching on a whole burger--we wound up sharing the other half!  We also had braised beef, but I didn't have enough tummy space to fully savor that.






They have a Roast Room which doubles as a private function room, with a seating capacity of roughly 25 persons.  On-street parking is available after 5pm, but don't complain about CBD vehicular traffic on weekdays--it will always be jam-packed in the middle of Makati.