Party of Three

We only have to worry about the three of us (my daughter, her father and me) for New Year's Eve dinner.

My husband asked for a sticky rice recipe from his mom over the phone and tried to do it at home hours before the celebration.

It came out a bit deformed but very palatable and heavy on the tummy.

We didn't even have the traditional round stuff or the thirteen variety of fruits.

Had some grill pork steak and barbecue.  Husband was supposed to cook his egg noodle soup however he got too tired to do it.  



Disposable cups and plates were a must since the help had her day off already and we were not looking forward to cleaning up afterwards.    It's like a regular dinner.  Just right for the regular people.  Happy new year to all.  Looking forward to more good food.

Last Morning Coffee of 2014

I woke up earlier than planned today.  My husband left me a mug with his own mix of coffee cream and sugar.  I just had to boil water.

It has always been like this for the whole year.  Since husband wakes up earlier and sometimes, leaves the house before I wake up, he leaves a mug of coffee mix for me.  He even lives a pot of water waiting to be boiled to pour in my cup.

This morning, it would be the last for the year 2014.  However, it will go on in the next year and the year after that.

He takes care of me through my cup of coffee.  

In The Fridge: Mashed Potatos And Chicken Sandwich Spread

I paid my parents a visit and since it was unannounced, there were no meal prepared for me.  It was no problem at all since their kitchen is always abundant with leftovers - both a good and a bad thing.

I saw a container of mashed potatoes and  another one with my mothers chicken mayo spread.  I heat up some of the mashed (more like chunky) potato and didn't bother with the chilled chicken spread.  

I didn't know that it would be really good.

I highly recommend it.  The potatoes don't have to be perfectly mashed because I personally know that it's hard to do just that.  

Victorino's

There are so many homes turned into restaurants around the metro.  And I've encountered one more last night.  It was the second one I've visited in the QC area (the first one was Romulo's which was years ago).

The place looked ancestral with traditional furnitures and fixtures on the inside.  However the facade was a bit on the contemporary on the outside.

Since it was our first time, we asked the waiter what was his recommendations.  And that was what we ordered.  The waiter seemed to know what were the dishes that would make us come back for another round.

I liked the Fiesta rice most of all.  It was good on its own.  The next one was the adobong baby pusit.  Crispy bagnet was a general favorite on our table.  The Poqui-poqui dish earned a good laugh with its name but we were quiet consuming the vegetable dish made of eggplant since it was really good despite the fact that I didn't like mushy things.

Poqui-Poqui

Adobong Baby Pusit

Crispy Bagnet

And their dessert choices were not something that would disappoint.  In fact it was the perfect finish.

Lemon Torte, their best seller!  I LOVE THIS!

I ordered this but I preferred the lemon torte somebody else ordered.  :)

 
Ambiance:  5 out of 5
They got the "homey place" I think they're trying to give.

Taste: 5 out of 5
I eat out to try something different from our traditional dishes.  However, I realized that I haven't tasted everything that our country has.  Thanks to this restaurant, I tasted Ilocano meals that I didn't know they had.

Service: 4 out of 5
I think they are undermanned. However, the staff did their best to accommodate people.

Cost: 4 out of 5
Price was pricey but reasonable since they were all sumptuous since they were all cooked perfectly.


Located at:
Scout Rallos Street cor. 11th Jamboree st.  Sacred Heart, Quezon City

Evil Doughnuts

A couple of months ago, I was able to try the Cliffhouse Tagaytay branch of Evil Doughnuts.  My daughter is the doughnut lover.  She could tell if doughnuts were in the area.

People are into cupcakes for the past couple of years and doughnuts have kind of lost their appeal (but not completely).  After trying out a couple of their doughnuts, I wanted to try everything they have.  They offer adventure for the tastebuds and poses the challenges for people who are not so used to a contrast of flavours.

They put citrus and salty flavors along with the sweetness of sugar or chocolates or custard.  They had a doughnut topped with potato chips!  My daughter wanted the one that contained "calamansi".

I wish they could branch out because people ought to try it at least once.  Warning though.  It is really pricey.  But in my opinion, coming up with these flavours and making them into fresh baked sweets (or sours or salties and all) deserves a higher cost.  It was a risk they are probably taking for their never-before-encountered creations.

 

Cafe Breton

It's nice to find new places near your home.  Months ago, we found out that Cafe Breton has put up a branch in Tagaytay.  It was set in a hotel / restaurant compound with the Taal Lake in full view.

Our family is a patron of this restaurant because of all the affordable savory and sweet crepes they offer.  And we are so glad that they did put it in a place where we frequently stay during weekends.

I prefer to dine out in the chairs and tables they set up outside the restaurant.  One time, I opted to sit inside.  However, it seems that there was no air conditioning.  After that, I always take the "porch" seats.

The place is really homey like all their other branches.  I think that's a big plus.  Ambiance and taste are two factors that would make customers crave for more.  And both of them are fulfilled by Cafe Breton.