Pedro 'N Coi Pinoy Pop Chibog at the Fisher Mall

When Kris featured Miss Universe Third Placer Shamcey Supsup’s and her businessman hubby Lloyd Lee's restaurant, everyone just got ecstatic to try it out, as if the dining populace is bitten by a gustatory bug. 

That is true with my lady cousins as well. So the natural gesture of them having to have lunch with me is to go to this place nestled in the nook of the Fisher Mall, Quezon City. 

The nomenclature Pedro ’N Coi is derived from Lloyd’s second name and Shamcey’s nickname. The place is teeming with Filipino motifs, from our national transport, a Jeepney-inspired tables and condiment holders to the typical Filipino community as depicted in famous TV shows like Okidokidoc and Ok Ka Fairy Ko, featuring Doc Aga and Entering Butingting in their design elements. 

It is an unassuming, homey place that is imbibed with are Filipino spirit and tenacity, a fragile balance of Filipino satisfaction despite the scrimmage, with signages like Tubero and other means of living. Obviously, a brainchild of an architecture summa cum laude graduate in Shamcey is what is being exuded in the entire design tapestry -  a personal touch, a detail to the minuscule, a labor of love. 

Even their menu is somewhat iconic: Inasal Raymundo, Joey de Lechon, Belly Flores, Ihaw Moto, to name a few. But let’s look at what we have ordered. 

Peanut as a courtesy appetizer. 

Sizzling Sisig Awww. 

Shooli’s Chapseuy. 

The rice. 

Pata Kang Kare Kare.

Pinoy Lemonade. 

The hungry gastric tank satisfied and so we head down to the only coffee shop in the mall. Surprisingly, the mall is not yet graced by Starbucks, and perhaps the only mall in the metropolis without it, so we ended up sauntering at the SBC instead. 

Buffalo Wild Wings at the Conrad Manila Hotel

It was a very long, laborious day and we worked like a log, traversing from heads office to site to training centre and back to the head office(in another tower). So our newly founded subcultural assembly, from the whole IT group, mostly consists of IT project managers, application support and me as a sole IT asset management slave, which we collectively, fondly call “The Night Class” since we at almost a daily basis spent late night work because of a tremendous pile of work, decided to paint the town red. 

It was a Friday, a payday Friday that is, and as expected the mall that is close to our office is already cramming with the south’s foot traffic. And the nearest spot we could hang around into is the Conrad which is practically uncharted by mall rats. 

And given that SMaison is already closed, where else can we saunter that at the Buffalo Wild Wings. 

Buffalo Wild Wings is an American-based casual dining and sports bar, proliferated from Ohio, USA and had already set forth their commercial expansions at Canada, Mexico, and lately, at The Philippines. This franchise though is currently under corporate umbrella of the Bistro Group, hence explains our discount(thank you, Bistro Card). 

Let’s see what we have on our table.

Baby Back Ribs that is so flavourful. A pork meat is usually hard to crunch but this is probably the softest pork that I have ever tasted. It’s so flavourful that I ended up having more pork than beef, an outright violation of my gustatory rule of thumb.

Fries to complement the comfort. 

And who would want to miss their highly acclaimed buffalo wings. It’s relatively pricier than most, but, it was heavenly. Buffalo wings are served with 18 signature and dry seasonings of your choice— from barbecue with a mildly hot, sweet tang, to a really blazing hot variant. 

All in in all, that experience itself is topnotch as you can get to watch your favourite sports channel. But since, I am not really into sports other than bowling and golf, my gastronomic gusto leads to the cuisine, and those fall-off the-bone meaty goodness of baby back ribs and pork belly. 

Bossing's Grill at Ali Mall Cubao

For many years, I have been one of the panellists for the annual Philippine Astronomy Convention. And while I am swarmed by the busy undertakings and underpinnings of the event, I always made sure I will rake my rewards after. 

After dishing out a lecture about planetary terraformation, this time it’s a lesser about gastronomic degustation. And what could be rewarding than to load yourself with sumptuous feast. 

Bossing’s Grill proliferated as a one of the few buffet offerings from the seasoned restauranteur group of business genius Larry Cortez and Exec Chef Mau Arjona, the same group who brought to your Uncle Cheffy, Chef’s Quarter, Kuse, Beurre Blanc, Old Vine and Lorenzo’s Way. 

So I started off with a lachon. What else than a premium component of the buffet.

Crispy but cardiac-arrest friendly, so take it model

My all time favourite is a sisig, and what else to make it sumptuous than with a barbecue.

Something to get rid of your ickiness.

 And my poorboy tendencies. 

Yup, my poorboy tendency is my affinity to rice noodle.

Over all, it’s all about making most of it, the concept of maximization. At Php299++, it may not be wide-arrayed as most of the mainstream buffet joints that I have been into, but it’s adequate enough for you to be able to make most of it. 

Spanish Roots

A couple of years ago, we tied the knot in a colonial Spanish built-church and had the reception at Spanish-themed restaurant. Fast forward today, we are still celebrating our marriage and our everyday Valentines Day. 

But we look back not only to our marital beginning but to our ancestral roots as well, and went to a Spanish-themed restaurant. And this time around, it’s just us. No photographers dictating us what to do, no guests that we have to mind if they’re comfortably seated and and had a fill with sumptuous feast, no programs and wedding dances, ceremonial accolades and rippling undulations that we have to mind. 

What we missed eating on our wedding, we made sure that we will have our slice everyday of our marriage life. And here are some excerpts of it of our dining lives together. 

We got the entire place for ourselves and these are for today. 

Freshly squeezed citrus Calamondin and a wine bottle.

Lengua Estofado. 

Sauteed Filipino-style noodles.

Sizzling Tenderloin with corn and carrots. 

Home-made Blueberry Cheesecake. 

So while we have an unorthodox, quiet, and simple celebration this time, no bouquet of flowers but on food, we still manage to keep each other’s smile unabated. 

Happy Valentines Day everyone. 

Grissini Ristorante in Marikina City

Marikina has become teeming to be a treasure trove of some of the hidden culinary gems in the metro, and what surpasses me is that most of these restaurants does not compromise commercial value with quality. 

Lately, I was invited by a friend who happens to be a condo-mate for her son's birthday party. I wasn't able to go to her son's last year's birthday celebration so I made it a point that my schedule is cleared for this year's celebration. Thankfully, she sent out the invitation in advance and with so much leeway to adjust my other undertakings. 

Grissini Ristorante is an Italian-themed casual dining that is just a few blocks away from where we(my friend and I) both live. It brims of a homey feel interior with cozy ambiance, vibrant lighting fixtures, and a friendly staff to boot. The couch is an added superb comfort while you wait for your table, or perhaps you can opt to browse around their desserts section to choose which pastries you are going to conclude your regular comfort food with. 

Although, I haven't really dined in as I have to leave early, let me give you a glimpse as to what they served.

Insalata. 

Bread Sticks

Pizza.

Basic staple, one a Filipino and the other perhaps Western. 

Pasta. 

Italian Herbed chicken. 

Epicurean Panna Cotta. 

Baked Confectionery Corner. 

This is probably the best children's party place I have been into, and I have to give kudos to my friend who invited me despite the fact that only intimate kins are the one she folded.

Next time we(my wife and I) will dine in and saunter around here.