Custom Built Pizza - Project Pie

Custom building your pizza is an interesting concept of Project Pie. I saw their branch at Blue Wave in Macapagal Ave near SM MoA and have not had the chance to visit due because of distance. Glad that they have a new branch at the new Park Square, Makati. Now, I get to build my own pizza at Php285.

 The process is similar to Subway Sandwich where the food attendant will prepare the pizza for you as you select your ingredients.. This pizza is 8" round thin crust and you will have your base ingredients but you get to add any  toppings you like. You get to choose either white / olive oil and red sauce.

We tried #5 Mozzarella, ricotta, gorgonzola, parmesan,fresh chopped basil, garlic and cracked black pepper as our base. Then we chose additional toppings - feta chees, jalapenos, black olives, green bell pepper.
Baking was about 7minutes.

The pizza is good for 1 if you're a big eater.

We also ordered classic caesar salad @Php165- which is good for 1

 Soda and del Monte juices are unlimited @ Php65 and you can change flavor as you wish.

They also have imported beer @Php150 and cabernet sauvignon chardonnay @Php250. Nope, we did not order any spirits.

By the way, you have to clear your table after eating and they have 2 big trash bins.

If you're a pizza lover then Project Pie is worth trying as snack.

Cost per head Php300-400

Katsudon Craze - Ginza Bairin , Glorietta 2

 Aside from the war of ramen-ya , there is also a battle of tonkatsu.

The first tonkatsu restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, Japan was established back in 1927 . It is well know for its delicious fried pork cutlets and the special sauce that goes with it.

Now Ginza Bairin has come to the Philippines. First branch is located at Glorietta 2 with entrance at the Palm drive side by side with Wee Nam Kee and  Coffee Bean.

This is our second time at Ginza Bairin. It was good that this Saturday lunch time date was not overcrowded anymore. As soon as we were seated, we ordered our salad and set meal.

I ordered Kanikama Mango Salad @Php180.

 The salad was refreshing. It has shredded kani, cabbage, fish roe and mango slices and some dressing.
It was very light.

We got the Menchi Katsu Cheese Curry set @Php380.00

 

Curry was light and not overpowering. The katsu has melted cheese in between. 

Also, got the Rosu Katsu set meal @Php345

The Rosu Katsu set meal came with miso soup, rice, pickle, unlimited fresh cabbage salad and slice teeny weeny fruits. The pork cutlet was tender and not oily.

I found out that there are 3 ways to eat your tonkatsu - dip the katsu in Ginza special sauce or season it with ground sesame seed and pink himalaya salt or with some spicy mustard. I chose none. What I did was mix the specia sauce with the ground sesame seed and dip my katsu. I may get a stare from the chef by doing this !

There is an on going promo when we had our lunch. This is free scoop of ice cream. You can get it after you take a photo of a dish , posting it in social network and hashtagging #ginzabairinph and showing it the food attendant after posting.

I did not order a regular dessert as I already got my free scoop of vanilla ice cream.

I really like the unlimited fresh cabbage salad, unlimited sesame dressing . The staff were cheerful and attentive. Bill out was quick.

Budget per person Php500-600
 Location:
Ground Floor Glorietta 2 (entrance along Palm Drive), Ayala Center, Makati City
Contact: +632 553-7350
Operating Hours:
Monday to Friday 10:00am to 11:00pm
Saturday to Sunday 10:00am to 12:00mn
Facebook: Ginza Bairin PH

Ramen Craze - Ippudo

Another famous ramen-ya has opened in SM Megamall last Sept. After a month my husband and I were able to try Ippudo. Am pretty sure that there will be long line as we arrived at lunch time 1215pm to be exact.  I can see that in my estimate we were between 35th and 40th in line. As the staff wrote down my name, we were ready to wait for an hour. Luckily, it seemed that table for two is much faster to get than those people who were more than 3. So in about 15 minutes we got our table !!

The staff led us to our table. We ordered two different ramen - Akamaru Shin Aji and Shiromaru tomago- and Goma Q

GomaQ- fresh Japanese cucumber @Php140. This dish is refreshing with mild sesame oil dressing.

 Shiromaru tomago combination @Php405. This has a lighter soup base ; it's creamy and not salty. The tomago is a side order. Noodle is al dente.

 Akamaru Shin-aji @Php390. - Soup is thicker and a bit spicy. Pork slice is very tender and has that distinct flavor. Served with al dente noodles.

Remember, upon getting your ramen, sip first the soup for you to taste the nice flavor and texture . The soup temperature is just right to the taste bud.

Overall, our food experience is very good. The staff are cheerful, service is quick and even the bill out is fast.

Location: SM Megamall 3rd Flr Fashion Hall
Contact number: +632 470-1837
Open Daily 10.00am to 10.00pm
Website: www.ippudoph.com

Simply Thai

Aside from Japanese food, I also like Thai food. I like the flavor of herbs and chili.

Simply Thai , located at ground floor of Greenbelt 5, offers uniquely prepared Thai food. The restaurant has earned a Tripadvisor badge and you can see it at the front door.

I like the ambiance of the restaurant. It has high ceiling with very nice hanging lighting. They have couch with rectangular soft pillows, wallpaper with garden prints and the toilet is clean.

We ordered the all time favorite tom yum kum. The serving is small and good for only one person. It's rather expensive at Php170. We asked for medium spicy soup and it was just right for us. The soup has so many flavour but we like the tangines, the taste of lemon grass and kaffir leaves.

We also ordered prawn curry (Php430). It came in a small steel pan with fire underneath to keep it warm. The curry was not overpowering , the shrimps were fresh and the sauce delicious.

We added cinnamon pork spare ribs ( Php320.00) . The meat was tender and delicious. I recommend this dish.

We paired our dish with pork rice (Php290.00). The serving was good for 3 persons and we were only 2 ! We could have ordered plain jasmine rice. But anyway. It was also good, it has pieces of pork and it was not salty.

As for dessert, Takhoo Sakhoo (Php200) is a must . It's made of tapioca topped with coconut milk and water chestnut. It's presented in its usual square leaf on top of a ceramic soup spoon. I like the presentation and cant help but take photo of it.

Overall, it was a nice lunch but quite expensive. Average Php750 per head.

Tim Ho Wan

Finally tried the most talked about michelin star dim sum. Unlike others who have waited for 2 hours just to be seated, we were lucky to be in the first 20 customers coz we arrived 30 minutes before opening time on a weekday.


The baked pork bun was indeed delicious. It's crisp and soft and the filling wasnt overpowering with anise flavor.

We also tried their siomai Php150, prawn dumpling Php160, spinach dumpling Php120 , spring roll with egg white Php120, and glutinous rice with lotus leaf Php190. They are all yummy.

For dessert, we got the tonic medlar & osmanthus cake (Php90) which i did not have an idea what it was. It turned out to be a jelly cake with some seeds and flowerettes and it was delicious. According to wikipedia,  sweet osmanthus (gin-mokusei) is a favorite garden shrub in Japan. Its small white flowers appear in short-stalked clusters in late autumn. It has an intense sweet fragrance. A variant with deep golden flowers

Food items were reasonably priced . It's a light but filling lunch and you will leave the place with a happy tummy. Will definitely go back

 go check it out at SM Megamall. another branch will soon open in Glorietta

National Art Gallery

In our travel to other countries, we always see to it that we visit their museums. One can see the other countries' culture carefully preserved and commemorated. It is really fascinating to see art works of great artists, artefacts, fossils and other archeological finds.

Here in Manila , we do have our very own  National Art Gallery. It is located on a separate building at Padre Burgos Street. The National Art Gallery is one of the two divisions of the National Museum. It is in the Gallery where you will find art pieces - paintings, sculptures, relics.

 The right wing of the gallery housed Gallery I (Luis I. Ablaza Hall). It has on display colonial Philippine religious arts, carved wooden saints .

Gallery II or the FCCP Hall has on display various paintings depicting the Basi Revolt of Ilocos. The 14 paintings done by Esteban Villanueva of Vigan, Ilocos Sur were declared as national cultural treasure. The Basi revolt was the uprising of people in Ilocos  against Spanish colonial rule that would raise the tariff and restrictions of their famous sugar case wine called basi.

 Gallery IX showcased the works of Fernando Amorsolo, Botong Francisco, Vicente Manansala, Jose Joya among others.

The old Senate session hall has been preserved inside the Gallery.

 Notice the art decor on the ceiling.

Saving the best for last:

The magnificent, larger than life painting of Juan Luna - the famous award winning Spoliarium can be seen at the ground floor of the gallery. A sculpture of a muse made of reinforced concrete stands on the hallway before entering the area where only two paintings are displayed. This muse or Diwata was made by Guillermo E. Tolentino.

After passing the muse, you will behold the Spoliarium. I have goosebumps when I saw it for the first time as if I see a part of history come to life. I only saw the Spoliarium in text books back in my elementary school days. And when it was in front of me, I was almost teary eyed to see such beauty and history.

 The oil painting measuring 4.22meters x 7.675meters is considered to be the biggest painting in the Philippines. It was painted in 1884 by Juan Luna as an entry to the Madrid Art Exposition. It won for him his first gold medal. The painting is visibly chained for security reasons.


I am dwarfed by this painting.

Sharing the hall is another painting done by Felix Resureccion Hidalgo. Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas al Populacho (Christian Virgins Presented to the Populace) received one of the 14 silver medals at the Madrid Art Exposition. This painting faces the Spoliarium.

I would like to go back when the other galleries are completed.

Please do visit the National Art Gallery and have a glimpse of our  culture and art.

Open on Tuesday-Sunday 10am to 5pm.
Entrance is free on Sundays.

Their website http://www.nationalmuseum.gov.ph/nationalmuseumbeta/Museums%20and%20Branches/National1.html#g1