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Chocolate Sansrival at Aristocrat

Excuse the melted frosting as I would like to share this cake from Aristocrat Bakeshop.

Torta de los Reyes is a chocolate covered sansrival that is surprisingly light.

Sansrival lovers would surely love this as the chocolate didn’t overwhelm the rich buttery flavors of the sansrival. So good is this cake that I found myself eating a slice for three days straight. A plus is its ability to stay crispy even after a few days in the fridge.

No wonder Torta de los Reyes was part of Inquirer's 20 yummiest commercially baked cakes of  2008.

Aristocrat Bakeshop is located at the following branches: 432 San Andres, Malate, Manila, tel 5247671; 146 Jupiter corner Saturn Sts., Bel-Air Village, Makati, tel. 8995035; No. 70 Pinoy Shopper Mall Scout Gadica corner Tomas Morato and Scout De Guia Sts., QC, tel. 3711040; Level 4 Robinsons Place Manila, Ermita, tel. 5233923; 2/F SM City, San Lazaro F. Huerta corner A.H. Lacson Sts., Sta. Cruz, Manila, tel. 7862664.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 6:11 PM No comments: Labels: cakes, dessert, sansrival


A Taste of Singapore at Wee Nam Kee

I had my doubts when I first heard that Wee Nam Kee was opening in Manila.

But just like everyone else, I braved the long lines to give this import from Singapore a try. A trip to Wee Nam Kee isn’t complete without ordering their specialty, Hainanese chicken.
Close enough to the flavors found in Singapore. Better than most white chicken served in Manila. Chicken is soft and has the right amount of fat.

On a different occasion, I ordered the chicken combination to try the roasted version:

The roasted chicken didn't taste any different from the steamed variety.


No chicken should be eaten without a dip in ginger or soy sauce.

Very flavorful. I don't eat rice but I managed to eat an entire bowl of chicken rice on my own.

Another Wee Nam Kee must-try. Not oily and I love the generous coating of cereal each prawn had. The cereal coating is especially addicting.

I love the strong garlic flavors.


﻿Fresh and light. Nothing out of the ordinary though.

Wee Nam Kee doesn't disappoint, giving us, Manila residents, a taste of Singaporean cuisine.

Wee Nam Kee is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens Ayala Avenue Makati.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 5:19 PM No comments: Labels: cereal prawns, chicken, hainanese chicken, Makati, Singaporean


Uninspired Asian Buffet at Crustasia

Last time I checked,  buffets are designed to have the capacity to feed tons of people. Too bad Crustasia missed this memo. I had the misfortune of eating at Crustasia where one has to wait a considerable amount of time before food at the buffet table is refilled.

The only section where supply looks bountiful.

Sad looking and uninteresting

Warms the stomach.

Not so bad. As the night went on, 4 pieces became 3 pieces per serving though.


﻿I requested this to be cooked  with a lot of spice but I didn't feel any heat.

To this day, I am still confused what these dishes were all about.

I wasn't able to try Crustasia's specialty as there are no good parts to be had. Shells, shells, and just more shells for the crabs.

Pad Thai tasted nothing like pad thai. Fish was good but the real challenge was to catch it at the buffet table first.

Tough and cold.

My favorite of the three desserts.

Comes with the buffet which costs 395++.

While the cost of the buffet is dirt cheap, it's no excuse for the very limited supply of food that we had.

P.S. I learned that Crustasia had its final run of the Asian buffet at Trinoma this weekend. I'm not surprised as the buffet only gives the restaurant a bad name.

Crustasia is located the second level, Alabang Town Center, 772-2968; the sixth level, Shangri-La Plaza Mall, 910-4096, TriNoma, 901-3607; and Rockwell Powerplant Mall, 728-5463.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 11:42 PM No comments: Labels: buffet, fail, Trinoma


Jatujak at the Food Court

While I haven’t featured a lot of Thai restaurants in this blog, let it be known that I’m a lover of Thai food.

Unfortunately, Thai food is not as popular as American or Japanese cuisine here in the country.

Times are changing though and I will not be surprised if Thai food soon goes mainstream with Tom Yum Thai setting up shop at Mall of Asia’s food court.

Tom Yum Thai is managed by Jatujak, a relatively established Thai restaurant found in SM malls. Tom Yum Thai has a limited menu offering the essentials of Thai cuisine at affordable price points. I had lunch at Tom Yum Thai on two separate occasions with contrasting results.

Everything fell short with this bagoong rice. Rice was needing more bagoong and the few meat pieces were too sweet. This was one big fail and I wasn't satisfied.

Good thing I gave Tom Yum Thai another chance as my second meal was much better. While the bagoong rice is still bland, the red chicken curry has the right consistency and spice level albeit a bit oily. The star of the show though is the papaya salad which has the perfect balance of sweet, sour, and spice. Unbelievably good that I am willing to brave the crowds of Mall of Asia just for the salad.

For a quick fix of cheap Thai food at a more comfortable location, head to Tom Yum Thai.

Tom Yum T﻿hai is located at SM Mall of Asia's food court.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 10:33 PM No comments: Labels: food court, Mall of Asia, Thai


Wai Ying is Comfort Food

What do you do when you’re feeling blue?

Some shop.

Others indulge in a relaxing massage.

I, on the other hand, eat at Wai Ying  where the familiar flavors of the food never fail to comfort me.

Wai Ying is a popular joint in Chinatown that serves good dimsum at affordable price points. Just leave your expectations of sophistication at the door, as ambiance is nonexistent in Wai Ying.

A trip to Wai Ying is never complete without me ordering:

One of the better versions of siomai in Chinatown. Flavorful with real pork goodness.

I first discovered the wonders of Wai Ying’s spareribs more than a decade ago and I've never grown tired of it. Perfect balance of meat and fat with the light sauce allowing the meat to shine. A must try!

Fresh and plump. Shrimps are also huge.

Make sure not to get the breast part as those tend to be dry. Decent version of steamed chicken with the spring onions adding flavor to the dish.

Best way to end a meal at Wai Ying. Sweet and crispy. Best eaten piping hot.

I also never fail to bring home some food from Wai Ying for my brothers to eat:﻿
One can do no wrong with fried food. Addictingly good.

﻿I'm not a fan of siopao but Wai Ying's siopao has earned raves from my brothers.

I'll end this post by sharing the menu of Wai Ying in the hopes that it will encourage more people to visit Chinatown for a taste of Wai Ying as it's certainly worth the trip. Wai Ying is located at 1237 to 1241 Benavidez St. Tondo, Manila. Contact 2543318 for more information. It also has a branch at the heart of Chinatown in Ongpin.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 1:13 AM No comments: Labels: Chinatown, Chinese, dimsum, hole in the wall, Manila, siomai


Carbs Overload at Cantinetta

Update: Cantinetta at the Podium has closed for business.

Another trip to the salon, another Podium restaurant to try.

Cantinetta caught our fancy this time. Cantinetta is an Italian restaurant with the menu offering soups, salads, pizzas, pastas, risottos, and grilled specialties. Needless to say, we had a carbo overload during our visit.


﻿Ordinary made extraordinary by Cantinetta’s delicious liver pate.

1. Beef = Hohum 2. Seafood = Good because of the strong garlic flavors 3. Vegetables = My favorite! Perfect combination of spinach and mushroom. Would not order this next time though because the complimentary bread basket is more than enough.

I like Mamou’s truffle pasta better. This is creamy but lacking real truffle flavor.

Nothing special. Dry with not much sauce and cheese. The thin crust is at least crispy. Waste of carbs.

This is how I like my meat done. Perfectly cooked, flavorful, and with a generous amount of fat. So good that a purist like me didn’t need the gravy. I want more!

Word of Caution: There’s an annoying server at the Podium branch who "critiqued" the food we ordered. He gave unsolicited order suggestions and still pushed when we said we were perfectly happy with our choices. This got me all riled up and somehow ruined the dining experience. I hope I don't see him next time.

Cantinetta is located at the G/F The Podium ADB Avenue Ortigas Center. Mandaluyong City. Cantinetta also has branches at Rockwell and Pasong Tamo.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 12:35 PM No comments: Labels: bad service, Italian, Ortigas, pizza, steaks, truffle


Murtle and Me at CBD

Murtle joined me for lunch at Ayala Triangle Gardens during a hump day work day.

Restaurants fill up fast during the lunch hour and we ended up at Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Drinks or CBD.  CBD opened a month ago and is operated by the same group that owns Tender Bobs.

Murtle and I Shared:

Very crunchy though something's missing...

We ordered the buffalo strips spicy and it thankfully came out perfect with the spice level just right. Especially good once dipped in the blue cheese sauce. A good alternative to regular chicken wings.﻿

﻿The sweet bun complements the strong beef flavors of the patty. Also perfectly cooked keeping the burger moist and juicy. Shoestring fries are addictive. Worth every penny!

CBD is good enough for a quick lunch fix during a work week.

Cheesesteaks, Burgers, and Drinks is located at Ayala Triangle Gardens Makati City. For more information, contact 8392882.
Posted by Glutton Is Me at 10:48 PM No comments: Labels: American, buffalo wings, burgers, fries, Makati, Murtle