Just when you thought they tried everything, here comes another unique restaurant for those hankering for freshly made pasta. Ravioli is smack in the middle of the Robinson’s Galleria food court (in between KFC and Greenwich). So what’s unique about it food court food? Ravioli is.

This food place does not use ready-to-boil pasta. No sir! They MAKE fresh pasta by hand using only the best ingredients available.

Ravioli has gone out of its way to get only the best chefs and kitchen staff to cook the best and freshest ravioli and spaghetti that can be possibly had at FOOD COURT prices. I was so bowled over when I tried their specialty, the Chorizo and Tomato Ravioli. One full order of this wonderfully fresh ravioli can be enjoyed for only P130.00 (US$2.71)

This is Ravioli’s bestseller and after tasting it, I realized why. Not only was it really good, it was affordable and came in large servings. I am a borne pasta lover, thus imagine my surprise when I found fresh pasta being made in the Robinson’s Galleria food court, no less!

Another favorite, Spinach and Cream Cheese ravioli.

Ham and garlic ravioli.

Cheese lovers will love this, Mushroom and Mozzarella.

Check out the prices!

Spaghetti Bolognese P78, Merienda P45
Bacon Carbonara P75, Merienda P45
Shrimp Diablo P95
Spaghetti Meatball P95
Spinach & Cream Cheese Ravioli P115
Ham & Garlic Ravioli P115
Chorizo & Tomato Ravioli P130
Mushroom & Mozzarella Ravioli P130

Merienda time is between 3-5pm.

Ravioli is a gold mine for pasta lovers who want fresh pasta at food court prices. I will certainly return to this place whenever I can.

Yes, that’s World Cafe Asia’s Bobby Chinn talked about brunch at the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center, Makati City, last June 20, 2009. It was great listening to the man talk about his humble beginnings in his usual stand-up comic style, poking fun at himself most of the time. Chinn described his uphill journey from banker to chef to TV personality. Though he was originally educated in banking and finance, Chinn faced life hardships that would help him define his goals and get to where he wants. A lot of lessons to learn from someone who has made it to the top.

Bobby Chinn mentioned that brunch is a meal often ignored by most restaurants and diners. I personally love brunch especially during weekends when there is less work and I get to wake up late. Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf does not ignore this makes it available in most of their branches. For sure, Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf at the Greenbelt 3 will make this wonderful brunch plate available to all.

The eggs on top were made with salmon on it.

The sausages are made of chicken!

To cap the meal, have the CBTL Camembert cheese cake. Real good!

I asked Bobby Chinn who his favorite chefs at Discovery Travel and Living. He mentioned he likes Nigella Lawson and Anthony Bourdain. I love them too!

Yes, your favorite Italian trattoria now serves great-tasting gelato at rock-bottom prices! Check out the menu!

The most commonly-asked question is this: what’s the difference between ice cream and gelato?

1. Gelato is churned slower than regular ice cream which results in less enveloped into mixture. Gelato only has 25 percent air compared to ice cream’s 50 percent.
2. Because of this slower churning process, gelato never freezes solid and is usually served at a slightly higher temperature compared to ice cream.
3. Gelato has more milk and less cream which is why it has less fat content than regular ice cream. Remove the milk and replace it with fruits and it becomes sorbet.
4. It’s cool to eat gelato than plain ice cream!

This is my favorite ice cream flavor, mint chocolate. It was a whole lot creamier than regular ice cream, and at price that is affordable even to students, P55.00 (US$1.15) per scoop!

Cara Mia is located along Connecticut Ave in Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila. You can’t miss it because it’s right beside an Amici Trattoria! After having some of your old Amici favorites, I highly recommend you go for some of the gelato and gelato cakes! You can call them at 724-4206 for inquiries.

Just see the pictures below and decide what you’ll buy!

My favorite of favorites, Tiramisu!

Thank goodness the old Amici favorites are still there, like the Italian sausages,

And the meatballs!

Their pastas are just as good and the servings are much larger now!

Affogato anyone?

Try the Mango Sansrival!

So your Dad’s a busy man. He’s always working, never around to help out with your homework and is always late for dinner. Don’t let his hardship go unnoticed. Get him a box of Krispy Kreme’s Classic Peanut Butter & Stripes doughnut along with his favorite brew. I particularly loved the peanut butter taste, which I surprised to know was actually Reese’s Peanut Butter, my favorite.

Grab the Classic Peanut Butter & Stripes doughnut at any Krispy Kreme outlet now!

Yes, you read it right! Unilever Food Solutions invited Chef Ming Tsai to do a cooking demo to his throngs of fans in the Philippines last April 28, 2009 at the Mall of Asia. It was just one of the many cooking demos that he did all over the Metro during Chef Ming’s short visit. He is one of the few chefs on TV to ever win an Emmy award for his cooking show “East Meets West” and I know most of us foodies have seen this show.

With his usual flair for the grand, uncompromising and the amazing, Chef Ming amazed us all with his duck recipes, meat that is just so Chinese according to him. Duck was also the meat used when he beat Chef Bobby Flay in Iron Chef. While doing the cooking demo, Chef Ming shared tales of his career during the early years, studying in France and other parts of Europe, as well as some of his challenges when he put up his restaurant Blue Ginger. Not really a wonder because he swears that he loves ginger as an ingredient.

A perfectionist in his craft, Chef Ming exercises the utmost caution amidst his passion when working in the kitchen. A trait that assures any diner that the best of his experience and expertise are poured into his every creation. Of course, Unilever’s in-house chefs will not be outdone. In between his cooking demos, Chef Joanne Limoanco also showed her brightest best, which I found to be very, very impressive. Probably because she is Filipino and that her cooking is more attuned to the Pinoy palate.

Duck by Chef Ming.

Chef Joanne’s creations.

The Ultimate Asian Cooking Showdown was indeed a wonderful experience. I asked Chef Ming what he thought about bloggers. All he said was that he was happy that information has become available to anyone with an Internet connection. Though he did admit he doesn’t browse through blogs much because he’s a very busy man, he did recognize that bloggers were lending to voice to people who did not have access to his recipes and restaurants. He’s a nice guy I think!

Just when I thought the old taste of Selecta was lost, here comes Filipino cuisine’s best and spruced up an old favorite. Chefs Gamboa, Laudico and del Rosario have collaborated to give three of most exquisite ice cream flavors available in the local market.

Personally, I’ve always preferred imported ice creams over the local ones because I’ve always found locally made ice cream to be too sweet for my taste and yet, less creamy. Not to mention, I hate strawberry.

However, this strawberry flavor by Selecta was different. I just tried it because there was some in the fridge. To my surprise, it was really good! Not too sweet and very creamy, just the way I like it!

Chef Laudico’s Chocolate Truffles and Chef Del Rosario’s Hazelnut Brownie were winners too, in my book. The Selecta Gold Series is much cheaper than imported ice creams, but the taste is just as good is not better. Not to mention, the price is more affordable.

I have personally dined at Chef Gamboa’s Cirkulo restaurant, as well as it’s sister restaurant, Milky Way. I just LOVE their food and I go back there when I can. Chef Laudico is also a wonderful chef as I have had the privilege of sampling his best at his restaurant Bistro Filipino. Enough reason for me to have a taste of their cooking through the Selecta Gold Series, which is just more accessible and affordable to have as often as I want!

I highly recommend the Gold Series by Selecta. It’s something you should stock up in your fridge. They’re Noreen’s favorite too!

Related posts:

Unilever Food Solutions launches new website at El Cirkulo

Milky Way revisited

Chef Laudico’s Bistro Filipino: An Adventure in Filipino Food

One reader once commented about the dearth of panciterias (Chinese noodle restaurants) in the city, and how malls have been hogging all the good eating places in the Metro. Well, good news for those in the Mandaluyong area as well as those willing to travel to this Tiger City. Here is one panciteria that can satisfy your hunger for authentic Chinese pancit (Chinese noodles) and other Chinese culinary wonders at really affordable prices.

See the menu? The prices are astounding. I’ve dined here more than three times and the service has always been consistently prompt. The food arrives in less than 10 minutes, whether it’s take out or dine in. It is fresh, hot and really delicious. For three people, we only spent P615.00 (US$12.58) for all that food. I love the servings because they’re larger than that of the average Chinese restaurant.

Their Yang Chow fried rice is really good and that plate you see below is supposedly good for two people and only costs P140.00 (US$3.00)

They do have parking for two cars and a really clean restroom. Surprisingly for a small place, they even have a smoking and a non-smoking area!

This is their Chami or large egg noodles, medium-size. Only P140.00 (US$3.00) and truly satisfying. They didn’t scrimp on their ingredients with this one. I love it!

Their fried chicken came as a complete surprise to me. It was tasty, juicy and cheap! For this order, I only paid P155.00 (US$3.22) which was more than enough to feed all three of us, only because there were other orders. I love the sauce!

Their beef with broccoli costs P180.00 (US$3.75) per order. Not bad! It has very few stalks and were mostly broccoli flowers. The beef was soft and tender. Together, it was a symphony I could enjoy everyday.

So for your panciteria cravings, I highly recommend Little Ongpin Panciteria, located at:

Maysilo St, near Mandaluyong City Hall
Telephone number: 387-0946

Another branch at:
100 A.T. Reyes cor Aglipay St.
Mandaluyong City
Telephone: 534-6469, 747-3565
Yes, they DELIVER!

Related post

Lee Foo Panciteria: Affordable Chinese Food in the North

I got a surprise invitation from a friend from Jollibee to an advanced screening of X-Men Origins: Wolverine, which plays to all theaters worldwide on May 1, Friday. The movie was exhilarating, fast-paced and totally entertaining. Hugh Jackman was a standout.

The movie is about the origins of the uncanny X-Men. Certain characters were explained as having important roles in the future. Some of the less known bad guys were given explanations as to why they turned out to be bad people.

In celebration of the movie, Jollibee has come up with the Wolverine Chickenjoy Bucket for only P350.00 (US$7.14). Not a bad deal for a family meal! Wolverine toys are also available for Jollibee Kids Meals!

Grappa’s Ristorante is an Italian restaurant located at the second floor of the Greenbelt 3 Mall in Makati City. Noreen and I wanted to see a movie but we decided not to see one when we passed by Grappa’s Ristorante Italiano and they had a buffet special. A dinner buffet for as low as P595.00 (US$12.14), plus 10% tax. Noreen urged me to have buffet rather than watch a movie. So what made her go for buffet other than the price? See this.

Seen here is the centerpiece of the buffet, the suckling pig, also known as the cochinillo, as the Spanish would call it. The cochinillo is Spanish (Segovia) cuisine where a very young pig is roasted until the skin is crisp and the meat, tender. Unlike the mature pig, the young pig has less fat and is much more tender and tasty. By itself, most restaurants charge above P400 (US$8.16) for a full order. This is what made me think that I was getting a good deal for the price. I can finally have all the cochinillo I can eat!

The buffet line up was not as extensive as a hotel buffet. However, the food is very good and the service, impeccable. The staff was very attentive to my needs and they answered every question I threw at them. They were very professional and I just loved the service. The food was equally stupendous. For the price, nothing beats.

The pumpkin soup was very good!

This is one of my favorites, Tuna Carpaccio. It’s thinly sliced raw tuna seasoned to taste. I particularly liked the smoky flavor of the tuna and how the taste was balanced by the bed of veggies underneath.

Grappa’s buffet is available on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays only. Do drop by Grappa’s and enjoy the good food and service. Highly recommended for buffet hunters.

Grappa’s Greenbelt 3
Tel: (632) 757 4908

So this post is late, my apologies. Dante and Zee agreed to meet me and Noreen for breakfast at the UCC or the Ueshima Coffee Company. Yes the Japanese know their coffee as much as the Italians do and they helped the lowly coffee shop evolve into a swanky Cafe Terrace located in the right side of town, the Global City, Taguig. Because I am not really a coffee drinker, I opted for their soda instead.

UCC serves some of the most filling breakfasts there is. A wonderful way to start your working day, probably better than your average power breakfast at your favorite fastfood. UCC’s breakfast menu has everything from Filipino breakfasts to international fare.

I just love UCC’s English Bangers breakfast. It’s my favorite!

Dante’s breakfast. Lots of bacon!