Chocolatier Cebu

Had been passing this cafe for a very long time and I was always curious about their menu and the food  but never really had the chance to dine in until last Sunday when I decided to make a bold choice of going in with my mother. And surprisingly, they seem pretty normal :D

Their menu, to which I obviously went straight to cocktails and boy oh boy oh boy - look at those choices. I'm damn sure, it's chocolate with liquors - oops! It is indeed :)

It's just a small place. Kind of reminds me of a hotel lobby somewhere in Davao :) They also sell Merci Chocolates and other known brands :) But we opted to try some of the chef's special :)

Chocolate Euphoria (if I remember the name correctly) - is HEAVEN! The crushed bottom is made from Ferrero Rocher and it's just amazing. It kind of melts in the mouth as you munch on it and it's just too mouth watering as I'm remembering it now.

Linguine in Pesto with Crusted Chicken - I am in love with the chicken's coating. The pasta? Not so much. I think the sauce was too blunt - I can't even taste the pesto in it but it was surprising to see nuts on top of it. So, I love the chicken but not the pasta.

White omelette - It's crepe like omelette with white cheese and everything that's supposed to be in an omelette. I am amaze by the mixture of flavour but I eventually won't be indulging on it again 'cos I'm obviously not a fan of white chocolates :D

Sausage chocolate sandwich - the sausage was fine as well as the presentation but I don't seem to jive with the idea of nutella on my hungarian sausage :D 

The view - your view when you dine there :)

Overall, it was a good experience. Food wise - it was OK. I mean, some people may love chocolates on their dishes but not me. I still think that sweets belongs to desserts but it was interesting to try something new. 

I think that, one should dine there if, they're only to munch on beverages and cakes. They have cake choices that are just mouthwatering and they also cater to cake orders for special occasions. Price? Just average. Not too expensive, not too cheap. 

They're located at the lower level of the Ayala Terraces Cebu beside Healthy Options. They offer free wifi and it's a good place to have meetings and small talks with your lovers or friends :)

And oh, I forgot to take photos of our drinks. I had their signature chocolate smoothie like drink but didn't really love it that much. But they have other choices which I'm sure has that rock star taste :)

Mother's Day: Lantaw Floating Restaurant

Belated Mother's Day to all Momma's in the world. This is obviously an uber late post but nonetheless, I'm posting it anyway :D

So, my dad came back to Cebu last weekend to celebrate with us and it was truly a blessed Sunday. Had lunch at Waterfront Hotel and Casino fronting the airport and then headed to check Lantaw Floating Restaurant in Cordova. Here are a few photos that I took.

Started my lunch with some serious Oysters which totally rocked my weeks of cravings for the said seafoods :)

Mom with her gift certificate and cake from the Hotel and photos with my parents respectively. I do have a mother who looks young for her age and who is just too pretty for words. I kinda look more like my father - bummer :D

View from Lantaw Floating Restaurant in Cordova Mactan Cebu. If you asked me, it is best to go and dine and relax there during sunset because you get to see the perfect bursting of colours from the sun, the skies and the sea. Since it is floating, it literally means that there's an area of the restaurant that shakes a little because of the waves :)

My beautiful mamma and parents :)

It was beautiful Sunday spent with family. It may appear boring and yes I do get bored being with them almost always but it is also a blessing because not everyone has the chance to be spending some huge quality time with their parents. I get to travel, dine and chitchat with them whenever I want to and that's really something and that's something that I'm always thankful for. 

'Twas our first time to go around Cordova Cebu and I must say, Cebu is definitely a beautiful island filled so many beautiful sights to check and be nurtured. I was born in Davao but my heart will always be an island girl from Cebu - the love of my life :)

Sumo Sam Davao

I've written an entry about Sumo Sam a few months ago when my parents and I dined in at their first Davao branch and when I had lunch with my mother some time ago but I'm writing another one because the new revised menu for their Davao division has some fancy funky twist with their sushi rolls. 

They're basically an enhanced Japanese Restaurant because they don't have the traditional Japanese settings for tables and chairs. It's very contemporary which suits and justifies the current generation of clients.

Kimchi Pork Ramen that my father ordered. Didn't taste it because I don't eat pork but as per my dad it was good. On our second visit in one week, he ordered the same thing, so must be good :)

Curry Chicken Ramen. 'Twas my first time to try out their ramen (I'm a Rai Rai Ken fanatic but I don't know of a branch in Davao) but must say it was good but I can also say that I'd be able to recreate the same exact thing if I want to :D

Salmon... (I forgot the name) but it's a MUST if you're not into sushis and ramen and noodles. It's a classic grilled that's a little off for a Japanese Restaurant but it's so good and the serving is good for sharing :)

Beef something (pardon me, I'm not really good with remembering names) but it's so so. I don't really see myself ordering this 'cos how it was cooked was just basic - the usual way of cooking beef that is.

Rice topping is always a favourite but this comes off as dry :D But nonetheless the beef was cooked tenderly :)

"Davao Roll" The name itself is catchy because we're in Davao and they've created something on their menu that's purely from their own. And it's a blast of tastiness that I just love :)

"Mt. Apo Roll" Ever had Durian on your sushi roll? Then this is the real shiz people. It has a Durian in it and I never thought it will blend well with rice but it does :D

This one... I forgot the name but it's a MUST TRY on their menu :D

I'm big on Sushis, Ramen and other Oriental Asian dishes and Sumo Sam never fails me when it comes to the very basic traditional dishes that are purely filled with flavours. They've got branches almost everywhere in the entire Philippines. I'd like to believe that we Filipinos are really into dining out. I guess, when you work 6 days a week and you only got one day off, you'd love to just dine and try out new stuff on the menu. And most people in my country does that :)

Spice Fusion

Another favourite place to dine in, in Cebu. And not just because of their good tasting dishes that explodes with so much flavours and spices that I like - but because the owner is really good looking. Seriously been crushing for the longest time but just a crush, bet he's taken :D

Spice Fusion is best known for their Roti, be it plain or with flavours, it's definitely a MUST TRY.

I opted for Plain Roti because I wasn't going home yet after lunch. The spices on the other choices might leave my breath smelling like something else. LOL This is a personal favourite. Apart from Asian dishes, I am big on food from India, Turkey, Greece and Italy.

Shrimp Mango Salad. I don't know what the white thing is called but it's really good and the shrimps in their servings are not tiny - huge ones and it's really worth paying for the price :)

Sambal Kangkong. I like this one but I didn't quite like the fact that the servings (kangkongs) weren't cut twice their length. It felt like I was eating pasta when I had it but it was good tasting. :) A little sweet and a little spicy. :)

Pan Fried Mixed Seafoods. I love the creaminess on the sauce however, I didn't like the fact that the fishes had tiny bones. It ruins the momentum when you bite :) But overall it was yummy. It's Eggplant topped with Fish then Shrimps and then the sauce.

Siomai. Again, their servings are huge and it's really good because lately in the Philippines, food servings had been reduced to some level which I find a bit odd. I'm a big girl and I really like seeing food in huge servings because it makes you feel human. :D

Fan Fried Lapu-Lapu Fish. Now, this reminded me of a dish I ate in the floating (boat) restaurant in Saigon. The fish was already cut into square pieces which makes it easier to eat rather than the usual fish dishes served where you still have to skin (not sure if I'm using the right term) it. It's topped with green salads. Tomatoes, pineapples and mango.

Spice Fusion is always a favourite dig specially when it comes to dishes that aren't commonly served around the Philippines. If you want something exquisite and different, this is the place to dine in. And I also love their Mint Green Tea something. Really good. They have branches at the Banilad Town Center Cebu and at SM City Cebu Northwing.

For more, check their Facebook page: 

http://www.facebook.com/Spice.Fusion.Philippines

Mandarin Chinese Restaurant

I'm a big fan of Chinese cuisines specially the streamed and fried chicken that they offer. Mandarin Restaurant had been around for some time in my area and even in other parts of the Philippines they're everywhere but never had the chance to dine until last Sunday and what surprised me is that the prices were all pocket friendly. 

The branch that we went to was at SM City Cebu and I must give them credit for having a clean space and really nice staff. What I like about Chinese restaurants is that most of them has open kitchens where you can see how they work and prepare your food. 

Here are a few shots of what we ate.

Beef Wanton Noodle Soup. YUM! This serving is for 86Php (if I'm not mistaken). They have other varieties for the noodles.

Seafoods Roll. A MUST TRY. I really like how they wrapped the Crab Sticks, Scallops, Shrimps and Fish with Sotanghon Noodles :) Since it is a Chinese Restaurant, it is of course expected that they offer other dimsum dishes that most people like like Siomai and those other fried dumplings.

My all time favourite appetiser :) Century Egg :D

Vegetable Roll. 

Plain Congee and they have other choices for this as well :)

It was a good dining experience. We also ordered their Fried Chicken for take away to which I forgot to take a photo of but it was - as expected a good yummy tasting chicken from a Chinese Restaurant. I would definitely dine back and try their other dishes one day. They're budget friendly and that definitely puts on a smile on my face.

PS the ambiance and taste of the food reminded me of some restos in Hongkong but of course, Mandarin was more spacious and a little organised :)

Waterfront Davao

At the heart of Davao city lies The Waterfront Insular Hotel that is adjacent to the famous Samal Island. It was my first time to visit the place and check out the food. Here are a few photos.

Since it is a resort, the lobby area and the restaurant are open air spaces.

The food on the menu that we tried out. Prices ranged from 200php to 1000php. If you noticed, it's mostly pizza because the restaurant was an Italian and pizza and pastas were their specialities. Taste was so so, very traditional when it comes to ingredients but I love the pizza crusts that were thinly created. Must be proud, their chefs were Filipinos.

The famous Mango Shake, to which the Philippines is known for.

The area is surrounded by coconut trees which should be because it is fronting the sea, the name Waterfront literally applies to this hotel. It is very different from their branch in Cebu. Waterfront Cebu is more elegant and the restaurants are far more creative when it comes to services and food presentations. 

If you're curious as to how The Waterfront Cebu looks like, check this: 

http://www.waterfronthotels.com.ph/waterfront/waterfront-cebu-city-hotels-casino/