Tikim33: Good Vibes at Van Gogh is Bipolar (Maginhawa, Quezon City)

I heard a lot about this feel good restaurant in Maginhawa Street; and so curiosity led me to try out Van Gogh is Bipolar on a special day. Indeed it was, the place was food-gasm and I was picture-happy to document this experience!

I got a bit lost going to the restaurant since there were no big signage. The restaurant is located inside a yellow building and when you enter inside, and you'll quickly notice the door entrance with many shoes and a garden area that reminded me of Alice and Wonderland.

Van Gogh entrance

A little sign that I am in the right place

At first, I was hesitant to enter the restaurant, I guess I got used to having guards and waiters invite or welcome me in their stores. The place is actual the quirky home of the bi-polar chef, Jetro.  He cooks happy inducing food and you get the food from the counter (self service). Sometimes he has a friend who helps out in guiding people how to order--- one can get a bit confused with the ordering process since everything is unconventional---self service from making your own tea to paying your bill!

The quirky interiors and what not toys you see inside are great for conversation starters

Self-service: Order and Check-out.
 See the board for the set menu

Honesty system in paying, just put money in the red box

Choose your teapot then...

choose a tea that suits the mood you want to achieve, their tea tastes well with honey

Got their famous Avocado Tea, my first time to try! 

For the special day that I am celebrating with Evan; we decided to order the 5 course meal (P999). Definitely "busog" and full-feeling after dessert, This set includes the following:

Courtney love drink

The Courtney love drink was like a four-seasons fruit shake, just this time I think different fruit combination was used ~ definitely green apple and a citrus taste was reminiscent. It is also a healthier version of fruit shakes because natural sugar, honey, is used as the sweetener! 

Wild Turkey Soup

This soup has an unexplainable "sopas" creamy citrus taste! Surprisingly, there's even a fried banana that complements everything!I don't know what is in the soup but I like it! 

This is how it was served.

Egg submer

This is the axel rose eggshot. You eat it by pouring the organic egg yolk in the fruit sauce that has blueberry. It was another first time for me to gulp a raw egg yolk with fruit sauce; Jetro helped me prepare this eggshot and he even gave a trivia (Egg is a stress reliever)! Evan and I toasted our eggshots!

Garden Salad

"Wow!!!" Cashew nuts, tomatoes, fried banana chips (my favorite topping!), Sun-dried fish, salted duck egg, sweet mango, pickles, basil, and a hot steamed 1 whole cabbage to wrap these toppings is just WOW! It was overwelhming at first because of the big plate but me and Evan ended up finishing this dish! You use your hands to do the wrapping and you have the option of putting the black vegetable sauce that has a spicy tangy taste. It was actually my favorite, why? I like salads, discovered that fried banana chips + mango + sun-dried fish goes very well with hot cabbage and tangy sauce, and that cabbage is said to be the best vegetable to beat depression!

Turkey with Black Mountain Rice

Fish with Mash Potato

Come main meal, Evan and I were already full but still it didn't stop us from eating the yummy black mountain rice from the turkey meal. The rice has a grape flavor that I eat it alone like Chinese fried rice. The black mountain rice is the rarest native rice in the Philippines that is rich in fiber and folic acid. After tasting the black rice, Evan bought a bag of it from Rustan's and it's the rice he eats now while I occasionally eat it at home too!

The fish (emperor) meal served with small potatoes mango green apple, basil, red beefs also tastes good. The banana chip, mango, and green apple added sweetness to the dark (blueberry?) sauce.

Mel Gibson's Dark Sin

Marilyn Monro's Ice Lolly

For dessert, Evan chose the Mel gibson dark sin; a chocolate dessert while I chose the other option: Marilyn Monroe's Ice Lolly. Evan had a wild and sinful dessert, as the picture shows, the dark chocolate was submerged in vodka. You first spoon out the chocolate from the vodka, then drink the vodka, and use the chocolate as a chaser. This is why it is sinful = vodka + chocolate! Evan got surprised with how good a combination it was and he felt the kick from the vodka...it makes me wonder if I can survive this shot without getting dizzy. As for my wholesome dessert, it was refreshing like halo-halo! I love how the "Carabao"/Water buffalo's milk complements the fruits.

Photo-op with the chef!

Reserve now!

The dishes speak for themselves! I can't further explain how good the set meal is but from ordering to eating the  is an EXPERIENCE TO TRY. The food trivia that I learned plus the personal touch and done by Jetro was heartwarming and sincere in getting to know his guests/visitors/diners :) It is very nice to meet a chef in person that is very humble :)! The  Unconventional space and the positive atmosphere created in Van gogh is a celebration of life itself! It is something to try out. Don't forget to make reservations because the restaurant only serves 12 diners per night! :)

Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
***My first PERFECT rating restaurant!

Van Gogh is Bipolar
154 H Maginhawa Street,
Sikatuna Village, Quezon City 1103
Contact: 0922-8243015 for reservations. [Note:12 diners per night only!]
Website: http://www.facebook.com/vgibipolar

Tikim32: Like Honeymoon's in HK 88 Dessert? (Divisoria,Manila)

On my recent trip to the Bronx (Divisoria-Tutuban area) to buy for my school projects, I was able to buy 2 F's: Fabrics for sewing class and Food for my tummy! The new 999 mall was a perfect location to park because it sits between Tutuban Prime Block and the Tabora/Ylyla Streets, where I go to buy my fashion supplies. The new mall also has a small fastfood area (note: still clean up to today) in its top floor where it is convenient to buy food after a tiring day of shopping. What caught my eye was the HK 88 Dessert sign where it reminded me of my usual hang-out dessert place in Hong Kong, Honeymoon Dessert.

HK 88 Dessert in 999 mall

As I went for it, I saw that they were selling desserts just like in Honeymoon's! I got excited and ordered Mango Pancake for P90.00, thinking this would taste similar to Hong Kong's Honeymoon.

Mango Pancake (P90)

The pancake or the wrap was soft like Honeymoon's and icing even tasted the same. What was disappointing was the filling! As you can see in the photo below, 95% of the pancake consists of the icing which made the pancake too sweet to eat. I really wished they put more mango into it even if the P90 mango pancake would only consists of 2 pieces instead of 3 pancakes filled with icing. I hope that they would improve the filling because I like this dessert.

Slicing it in half: All I see is ICING!

Below is the Mango filled pancake of Honeymoon. I forgot how much it costs for 2 pieces but all I can remember is that the icing did not overpower the sweetness and it was worth it! :)

Honeymoon Dessert's Mango Pancake

Despite their boo-boo with this particular Mango pancake, I think I will still give them a chance and try once more HK 88 Dessert.

Taste: 2/5
Quality: 2/5
Ambiance: I ordered my dessert as a take-out for this would be not applicable.


HK 88 Dessert
3rd Floor, 999 Shopping Mall,
Soler Street, Binondo Manila.
Telephone: 881-6258


*Credits to adoboart for the HK88 Dessert Photo http://adoboart.com/2012/01/19/hk-88-desserts/

Tikim31: Comfort food+Sweet tooth=Naci (Greenhills, San Juan)

If you have passing by Conneticut street, you might notice the newest restaurant in the area.  Naci opened its doors last ---, and it been blogged and published already! One late night, I decided to have a 10 pm dinner due to a heavy lunch. Evan and I drove around Greenhills area and found out that the restaurants are in their last order/some even closing up! I saw the big sign of Naci and asked the guard if it's open,.. yes it is! They are usually open until past midnight until 1:00-2:00am during Monday-Saturday! Plus points for those who want to unwind from work and for those who like to eat midnight snacks! :)

Naci Comfort Food & Dessert Bar

Inside

On the table... 

Shrimps on Toast (P190)

For appetizer, I ordered Shrimps on Toast, minced white shrimp with chopped pork and veggies served with tomato salsa cheese sauce and spicy tomato dip. An okay dish but I honestly find that the dish lacks meat (shrimp and pork). A shout out to the salsa dip, it's good!

Trio of Potato (P180)

A sampler of potato fries, wedges, chips with cheesy Mexican beef and tomato catsup. A very sinful plate --- all kinds of deep fried potato! This one definitely needs more cheese, mayo, and ground beef to achieve a nacho feel.

Nadine's Adobo Cannelloni (P280)

Classic flakes adobo rolled in a pasta topped with bechamel laced with adobo sauce in mozzarella. This was my first time to eat cannelloni and I like it! The adobo sauce and generously filled mozzarella is a great match! Just wished that it was served with more bread

3pcs Grilled Prawns with Tangy Semisweet Garlic Glaze (P290)

This reminds me of my mom's cooking. It tastes the same but my mom cooks the prawns half-shelled and with more cheese and garlic on top! My take with this dish... I find the prawns bland  but when dipped in sauce it tasted better. 

Cookies to taste

Lastly, for those who have a sweet tooth, the restaurant generously offers cookie bits of different flavors for appetizer/dessert. It works for Naci because they are reinforcing their "dessert bar" title, and who knows a bite of those of cookies may lure a customer to order cakes, cupcakes, and cookie bags! Naci also has a selection of cupcakes which range from red velvet to chocolate lava. I bought a greentea 

cupcake from Naci for my best friend and she liked it! 

The dessert bar will greet you at the entrance

These look so cute!

Oh they also have special events like a ballroom day on Thursdays. I haven't been to this event yet but do let me know if it is fun! 

Retro Thursday in Naci

Taste: 3/5

Quality: 2.5/5

Ambiance: 3/5

Naci Comfort Food & Dessert Bar

2/F, Fox Square Building, 53 Connecticut Street,

Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila

Telephone: 726-7266

Tikim30: My Favorites in Cafe Breton (Tomas Morato, Quezon City)

I have been to Cafe Breton quite a few times after dinner just to eat dinner and I usually order their La Pinay or Fantastic Pinay mango crepe. Mango is sweet and good, crepe texture is just right, perfect combination with chocolate, nutulla, whipcream/vanilla ice cream.

The bright yellow sign of Cafe Breton

Inside the Cafe

My biggest mistake is associating Cafe Breton with just crepe for desserts. I have never ordered their hot crepes until a few weeks ago when I tummy grumbled on a late night. I ordered a Gallette Rustique which is a combination of smoked bacon [it looks like ham when it arrived], tomato provencale, mozzarella, and egg. What I like about this dish are how the tomatoes were soft and steamed; these tomatoes converted me to like them! Aside from the previous dish, Evan ordered a Gallette Paysanne, a combination of onions, egg, asparagus, Hungarian sausage slice, and cheese sauce. Again, the vegetables were steamed, a healthier way of eating it plus and it tasted great with the cheese sauce! I would gladly recommend both hot crepes for dinner! :)

Gallette Rustique (P182.50): My fave hot crepe

Gallette Paysanne (P273.50): Sauce is good!

For this visit, I decided to g for Fantastic Pinay. It is just like La Pinay, except that La Pinay doesn't have nutella and is topped with vanilla ice cream instead of whipped cream. Note that La Pinay is also cheaper than Fantastic Pinay! 

Fantastic Pinay (P205.95): Mango Crepe with nutella, chocolate sauce, and whipcream

For my recommendation, I wish they had special gourmet crepes for special occasions or have a "flavor of the month" dessert crepe to introduce new flavors. Better yet, why not have a special crepe for certain branches; for example the Cafe Breton in Tagaytay may offer something a dessert crepe associated to Tagaytay flavors. Other than coming up with something new from time to time, Cafe Breton remains to be my favorite go to place when I am craving for crepes. :)

Taste: 4.5/5
Quality: 4/5
Ambiance: 4/5


Cafe Breton
Tomas Morato corner Sct. De Guia,
Quezon City, Metro Manila
Telephone: 374-6334

Tikim29: Sichuan Hot in Komrad (Eastwood, Quezon City)

When you see the "Sichuan", what is the first thing that comes to your mind? For me, Sichuan equates to spicy food! Yey for me since I love spicy! It is actually my second time in Komrad (Mao's Hunan and Sichuan Kitchen) as I write this review. I also found out that one of the owner's of the restaurant is the celebrity, Marvin Agustin. Just like his other food food ventures Sumo Sam and John and Yoko, Komrad has its familiar taste of interior style. Kudos to the interior styling and the ambiance of the place, it really brings out the theme; in this case you'll feel that you are brought back to the time of Mao's propaganda days.

Komrad Mao's Hunan & Sichuan Kitchen*

Propaganda posters and stair tables add an authentic feel to the Mao Theme

There were electric fans inside the restaurant on my second visit; sad that it obstracts the interiors. Still, it was quite warm inside the restaurant, it certainly wasn't the spice! 

Why Mao? Hunan is the home province of Mao.

Food-wise it was nothing spectacular and I didn't got that hot from the spice. I suggest they have a spice meter when asking a customer if they want their food to be not spicy, mild spicy, or hot spicy! My parents also got a bit disappointed with the food serving because the pictures from the menu looked big but it wasn't. On the table....


Ordered 2 kinds of siomai, one is steamed Hunan Cumin dumpling [first photo] and the other one is the Komrad garlic siomai [second photo]. The Hunan siomai tastes more beefy and you can really taste the chili essence while the komarad garlic siomai is a fried normal pork siomai topped with chili garlic, this is not so spicy so it's good for those who arent fond of spicy food.

Steamed Hunan Cumin Dumpling P135

Komrad Garlic Siomai P185

See the difference!

My family likes this one, they say the pork belly was soft and tender, but serving was small! We initially thought this would be bigger because it seemed so at the menu.

Braised Pork Belly with Preserved Vegetables P288

These are not the shrimp balls that I imagined. I thought they would be ground shrimp in ball shapes! These are like crystal shrimp balls with their Kung Pao sauce.

Kung Pao Shrimp Ball P325 

This is one of the restaurant's specialties. It didn't look appetizing but my family liked it!

Sichuan Fish Fillet With Preserved Vegetables

Not so spicy Mapo Tofu. It lacks flavor, I also wished it was served in a clay pot with smaller cubes of Tofu.

Mapo Tofu P255

Rock Lobsters have a special section in their menu!

Sichuan Rock Lobster With Minced Pork P625

It tastes just like the banana fritters of Peking Garden Restaurant. Just thought it went over with the toffee. ^.^ Not a sweet tooth!

For dessert, Toffee Banana Fritters P98

All in all, it was good but then again Mao's Hunan & Sichuan Kitchen didn't dazzled for me. :)

Taste: 3/5 
Quality: 3/5
Ambiance: 4/5


Komrad. Mao's Hunan & Sichuan Kitchen
Address: 2nd Level, Veranda, Eastwood Mall
               Orchard Road, Bagumbayan, Libis,
               Quezon City
Telephone: 994-8123/ 921-3440


*Credits: Spread some awesome for the photo
 [http://spreadsomeawesome.com/2011/09/15/komrad-maos-hunan-and-sichuan-kitchen-in-eastwood-mall/]