Part two of my banapple adventure. After lunch, I bought take away: two muffins, a chicken pie, and a slice of apple pie.
Finally got through eating the lot, and again, I had some issues. As with the lunch portions, banapple's claim to fame seems to be its serving sizes. The chicken pie was huge; the muffins and the apple pie slice weren't too tiny, either.
However, of the four, I only really like the Orange Poppy Seed Muffin. I couldn't decide which of the remaining three was the worst; they were all pretty not good. The blueberry muffin (with non-existent blueberries except for a schmear of blueberry filling on top) was dry. The apple pie had equal parts crust, topping and apples (which were a strange dark color); one would have wished that an apple pie would have more apple than carbohydrate. The chicken pie had a strange, unidentifiable filling. The brown colored mush could have been chicken (as the restaurant claimed), but it could have stunt-doubled for tuna or some mystery meat. Inedible. I'm taking back my first statement, I think the chicken(?) pie was the worst.
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Banapple
Banapple; a contraction of banana and apple. Also a quaint and cramped restaurant along Katipunan which apparently built its fame on its banana toffee cream pie.
I (we) happened upon this hole-in-the-wall restaurant coming from a wake and going back to the office. The decision to stop was cemented when one passenger praised the pie as the best he's had.
The restaurant was homey; food was okay (yes just okay) but portions are huge! Great value for money (we of the Makati lunch set marveled at the price and portion).
The main event, of course, was the banoffee pie. Two huge slices were served (again, if one was used to the puny servings one gets in Makati restaurants, Banapple's portion sizes are gianormous!). Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love the pie, I only just liked it. I haven't tried the other desserts (apart from a take-away apple pie slice, which is still sitting in my fridge) but I wouldn't go out of my way to.
All in all, a good everyday, value for money, restaurant.
I (we) happened upon this hole-in-the-wall restaurant coming from a wake and going back to the office. The decision to stop was cemented when one passenger praised the pie as the best he's had.
The restaurant was homey; food was okay (yes just okay) but portions are huge! Great value for money (we of the Makati lunch set marveled at the price and portion).
The main event, of course, was the banoffee pie. Two huge slices were served (again, if one was used to the puny servings one gets in Makati restaurants, Banapple's portion sizes are gianormous!). Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to love the pie, I only just liked it. I haven't tried the other desserts (apart from a take-away apple pie slice, which is still sitting in my fridge) but I wouldn't go out of my way to.
All in all, a good everyday, value for money, restaurant.
Thursday, August 09, 2007
Krispy Kreme
Krispy Kremes were my Holy Grail of desserts. My friends would regale me of stories of their many Krispyriences, evoking tremendous envy.
So it was with great joy that I greeted news of the opening of the first store in Fort Bonifacio. Luckily for me, my officemates managed to get their hands on a few of the original glazed.
I remember my first bite; I also remember my first thought...it's so very (pause for dramatic effect) SWEET! Not bad, but nothing great. And very, very sweet!
BTW. For all you sugar junkies, Krispy Kreme has a stall inside the BPI Head Office in Makati all of August (weekdays only). With such easy access, I've decided on a mad and diabetic quest to sample as many of the doughnut varieties as there are on display. So far, I've tried and liked the dark chocolate and new york cheesecake. Would recommend passing on the Reeses Pieces and Chocolate Iced Custard. The worst was the Powdered Strawberry.
BBTW. I think they are also planning to open an outlet in the Jaka Building (along Ayala) sometime September or October.
So it was with great joy that I greeted news of the opening of the first store in Fort Bonifacio. Luckily for me, my officemates managed to get their hands on a few of the original glazed.
I remember my first bite; I also remember my first thought...it's so very (pause for dramatic effect) SWEET! Not bad, but nothing great. And very, very sweet!
BTW. For all you sugar junkies, Krispy Kreme has a stall inside the BPI Head Office in Makati all of August (weekdays only). With such easy access, I've decided on a mad and diabetic quest to sample as many of the doughnut varieties as there are on display. So far, I've tried and liked the dark chocolate and new york cheesecake. Would recommend passing on the Reeses Pieces and Chocolate Iced Custard. The worst was the Powdered Strawberry.
BBTW. I think they are also planning to open an outlet in the Jaka Building (along Ayala) sometime September or October.
People's Palace 2
(Have been quite remiss in updating the blog; was pretty shocked to see that my last entry was way back in 2005!)
Recently went back to People's Palace; balikbayan friend of mine chose this restaurant over two others. Given my previous experience, I had low expectations.
Surprisingly, I had a pretty good meal (perhaps because my friends did the ordering). The catfish salad was good; so was the bagoong rice (I know, the usuals but sometimes, you just want to eat the old and familiar).
The curry was fantastic; I imagined it would have been loads better if we had not fiddled with the heat (my lunchmates were pepper-shy). So it was no surprise that our last dish was a relatively tame chicken with cashew and basil; it was still good though.
Rounding out the meal was a too-die-for mango and sticky rice.
What hasn't changed was the cost! For a party of five, we spent about P1,000 a head (yikes!).
Recently went back to People's Palace; balikbayan friend of mine chose this restaurant over two others. Given my previous experience, I had low expectations.
Surprisingly, I had a pretty good meal (perhaps because my friends did the ordering). The catfish salad was good; so was the bagoong rice (I know, the usuals but sometimes, you just want to eat the old and familiar).
The curry was fantastic; I imagined it would have been loads better if we had not fiddled with the heat (my lunchmates were pepper-shy). So it was no surprise that our last dish was a relatively tame chicken with cashew and basil; it was still good though.
Rounding out the meal was a too-die-for mango and sticky rice.
What hasn't changed was the cost! For a party of five, we spent about P1,000 a head (yikes!).
Thursday, December 01, 2005
People's Palace
No, this blog isn't about the Marcos's unfinished rest house in Tagaytay. People's Palace is the new Thai restaurant in Greenbelt, beside Via Mare. The restaurant is unusual/memorable if only for the fact that it does not allow walk-in customers (or at least that's what my friend who made the reservation said). I find all of this a little too pretentious; a heavy baggage for any restaurant to carry.
This plus the hefty price tag (our table spent over P3,300 for a party of four) may account for this less than positive review. In my terribly biased opinion, any restaurant that requires reservations and charges close to hotel prices better deliver on the food. At best, the food was forgettable; at worst, oily, flavorless, crappy, expensive, pretentious food.
People's Palace is supposedly the new "in" place to dine in Greenbelt; this should have clued me in on the overall dining experience. As is normally the case in these types of restaurants, food quality correlates negatively with the difficulty for a diner to eat in these places.
I must confess that my friend at another table enjoyed her meal; upon discussion, I found that their table ordered different dishes. I may revisit this review if I get a chance to eat at PP again; however, I wouldn't hold my breath.
This plus the hefty price tag (our table spent over P3,300 for a party of four) may account for this less than positive review. In my terribly biased opinion, any restaurant that requires reservations and charges close to hotel prices better deliver on the food. At best, the food was forgettable; at worst, oily, flavorless, crappy, expensive, pretentious food.
People's Palace is supposedly the new "in" place to dine in Greenbelt; this should have clued me in on the overall dining experience. As is normally the case in these types of restaurants, food quality correlates negatively with the difficulty for a diner to eat in these places.
I must confess that my friend at another table enjoyed her meal; upon discussion, I found that their table ordered different dishes. I may revisit this review if I get a chance to eat at PP again; however, I wouldn't hold my breath.
Tuesday, November 15, 2005
Coffee and me
I am a coffee fanatic; there was a time when my intake reached four to five cups by lunchtime. (Note the past tense; I cut down on my daily caffeine infusion after a particularly nasty episode of coronary palpitations following my fifth cup of coffee).
Since I only take at most two cups of coffee a day, I try to make sure that these are fairly good cups. The profusion of coffeehouses is a godsend in the Metro Manilan's search for the better-than-average joe.
I never took to the frappa-blended-shaken-cino supersweet blended coffees; I like my coffee black, sometimes with a little muscovado, sometimes with a little milk. (A note to all non-dairy creamer users, your creamer is mainly hydrogenated oils and glucose, read the label; you're better off with milk and sugar). Here's a tip I read or heard somewhere, always order an Americano or its equivalent (espresso with water), that way you're always sure that your coffee is freshly ground and brewed.
Some of my favorite coffees were had at Seattle's (I like it better than Starbucks); Bizu (nice coffee, terrific desserts but heart-stoppingly expensive; has anyone else noticed that their desserts are shrinking); UCC and its rival Kohikan (I hope I spelled that right, Kohikan is in Promenade in Greenhills; try their Sumibi coffee); Segafreddo (did i spell that right? great coffee; good food too; super vongole with white wine sauce); Coffee Bean and Cafe Breton also have nice cups; likewise the Nescafe cafes (which contrary to initial expectations, do not serve instant coffees; they do sell bottles of instant coffee, though).
Some my more memorably forgettable cups were at Bo's (in Glorietta, I think it's a Cebuano import, should have stayed in Cebu); Tropical Hut (came with the breakfast, should have left it; come to think of it, all fast food coffees are pretty bad); Chocolate Kiss (see previous post); Dulcinea (black death); Mister Donut (only good thing about it is that it's one of the cheapest cups of brewed coffee around); the Nescafe vending machines (one of the cheapest cups of instant coffees around).
I am pretty ambivalent about Figaro (never liked their barako coffee, I always said there was a good reason why the use of that bean is dying out). Don't really like Starbucks, too (just not that impressed).
Let me know if you know of any other good coffee places; willing to try anyplace once.
Lastly, would like to give a holler to Marketman and Blair Mitch; thanks for leaving your comments. Good to know that there are fellow foodies out their reading my (infrequently updated) blog! Thanks!
Since I only take at most two cups of coffee a day, I try to make sure that these are fairly good cups. The profusion of coffeehouses is a godsend in the Metro Manilan's search for the better-than-average joe.
I never took to the frappa-blended-shaken-cino supersweet blended coffees; I like my coffee black, sometimes with a little muscovado, sometimes with a little milk. (A note to all non-dairy creamer users, your creamer is mainly hydrogenated oils and glucose, read the label; you're better off with milk and sugar). Here's a tip I read or heard somewhere, always order an Americano or its equivalent (espresso with water), that way you're always sure that your coffee is freshly ground and brewed.
Some of my favorite coffees were had at Seattle's (I like it better than Starbucks); Bizu (nice coffee, terrific desserts but heart-stoppingly expensive; has anyone else noticed that their desserts are shrinking); UCC and its rival Kohikan (I hope I spelled that right, Kohikan is in Promenade in Greenhills; try their Sumibi coffee); Segafreddo (did i spell that right? great coffee; good food too; super vongole with white wine sauce); Coffee Bean and Cafe Breton also have nice cups; likewise the Nescafe cafes (which contrary to initial expectations, do not serve instant coffees; they do sell bottles of instant coffee, though).
Some my more memorably forgettable cups were at Bo's (in Glorietta, I think it's a Cebuano import, should have stayed in Cebu); Tropical Hut (came with the breakfast, should have left it; come to think of it, all fast food coffees are pretty bad); Chocolate Kiss (see previous post); Dulcinea (black death); Mister Donut (only good thing about it is that it's one of the cheapest cups of brewed coffee around); the Nescafe vending machines (one of the cheapest cups of instant coffees around).
I am pretty ambivalent about Figaro (never liked their barako coffee, I always said there was a good reason why the use of that bean is dying out). Don't really like Starbucks, too (just not that impressed).
Let me know if you know of any other good coffee places; willing to try anyplace once.
Lastly, would like to give a holler to Marketman and Blair Mitch; thanks for leaving your comments. Good to know that there are fellow foodies out their reading my (infrequently updated) blog! Thanks!
Tuesday, September 20, 2005
I Scream
For ice cream that is (but you already knew that). Ice cream is definitely one of my favorite desserts; smooth and creamy, cold and sweet, what could be better to cool you down (but if you must know, this is a fallacy, as the high sugar content in ice cream would have the opposite effect).
I go local for my ice cream (mainly because I can't afford to buy the imported stuff on a regular basis). Fruits in Ice Cream was started by former employees of Magnolia; the brand used to be available only via home-based distributors but lately, I have seen it in supermarkets. Strawberry, halo-halo, caramelo, vanilla and dulce the leche are quite good; can't stand the green tea, though.
Newly reissued Magnolia is also another current favorite. The texture is not as nice as FIC but still better than the commercial brands. Flavor choices are limited still, but offhand can recommend the chocolate and the strawberry.
Arce is the old standby; quality remains good and the flavor choices are unique; I do find Arce a bit sweet, though. Most flavors are good; the sherbets (sorbets?) are an excellent fat free choice (although quite heavy on the sugar). Heard good reviews about the atis, but strangely, have yet to try some.
Amici (see previous post) has homemade gelato, which are a welcome alternative to the store-bought brands. There are other gelaterias in the city, but I don't think any comes close to the incredible value you can get at Amici (here's a tip, Amici gelato is also available at Waltermart Pasong Tamo, near the supermarket entrance; curiously, pricing here is cheaper than the main outlet, go figure?!).
Moving to the worst of the bunch, I particularly detest Nestle ice cream. Airy, gummy, and flavorless, this is the ice cream for people who prefer Jello (given the amount of carrageenan in the ice cream). One can use Nestle for science experiments (try watching a scoop of Nestle ice cream melt). I also don't care too much for Selecta; I find it too sweet and too airy (manufacturers whip air into commercial ice cream to bulk up the product).
There are some boutique ice cream that has eluded my tastebuds. I remember reading an article about a brand of homemade ice cream, available only via delivery. Unfortunately, I lost the article and cannot recall the name of the ice cream. All I remember is that is costs about as much as the Haagen Dazs's and the Dreyer's.
I go local for my ice cream (mainly because I can't afford to buy the imported stuff on a regular basis). Fruits in Ice Cream was started by former employees of Magnolia; the brand used to be available only via home-based distributors but lately, I have seen it in supermarkets. Strawberry, halo-halo, caramelo, vanilla and dulce the leche are quite good; can't stand the green tea, though.
Newly reissued Magnolia is also another current favorite. The texture is not as nice as FIC but still better than the commercial brands. Flavor choices are limited still, but offhand can recommend the chocolate and the strawberry.
Arce is the old standby; quality remains good and the flavor choices are unique; I do find Arce a bit sweet, though. Most flavors are good; the sherbets (sorbets?) are an excellent fat free choice (although quite heavy on the sugar). Heard good reviews about the atis, but strangely, have yet to try some.
Amici (see previous post) has homemade gelato, which are a welcome alternative to the store-bought brands. There are other gelaterias in the city, but I don't think any comes close to the incredible value you can get at Amici (here's a tip, Amici gelato is also available at Waltermart Pasong Tamo, near the supermarket entrance; curiously, pricing here is cheaper than the main outlet, go figure?!).
Moving to the worst of the bunch, I particularly detest Nestle ice cream. Airy, gummy, and flavorless, this is the ice cream for people who prefer Jello (given the amount of carrageenan in the ice cream). One can use Nestle for science experiments (try watching a scoop of Nestle ice cream melt). I also don't care too much for Selecta; I find it too sweet and too airy (manufacturers whip air into commercial ice cream to bulk up the product).
There are some boutique ice cream that has eluded my tastebuds. I remember reading an article about a brand of homemade ice cream, available only via delivery. Unfortunately, I lost the article and cannot recall the name of the ice cream. All I remember is that is costs about as much as the Haagen Dazs's and the Dreyer's.
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