TIKIM: CHAIKOFI (MALL OF ASIA)

You'd know quirky when you see this place. There's just something so surreal about the concept of CHAIKOFI, one of the first restaurants to open here at SM Mall of Asia. An Filipino original concept with a European twist, CHAIKOFI owes its character from having Filipino and Dutch owners.

Look Ma, flying kettles! The unsual shape of the couches add to the flair.

Nice foodshots on the menu. Very inviting.

A nice touch by every table. Sadly, it's plastic.

Threesome coolsome. Don't know what soup to order? Try this order of Soup Sampler (Php 85). There are 3 demitasse cups of mushroom, pumpkin and tomato soups.

The usual salad. Nothing mind blowing.

This sandwich (Php 95) is filled with kani strips with wasabi mayo with oregano and rosemary.

The chicken was fried with green tea (Php 175) although honestly we don't taste the difference.

Overall, the service was ho-hum (the crew made sure they were nowhere in sight) and the food was nothing extraordinary. Was it the place that made for sensory overload? Or was it the '90s song Bring It Back that made for a groovey time here? Maybe. Too bad the restaurant is now closed, hah! We wouldn't want to venture a guess as to why this happened. Oh well, until our next TIKIM adventure!!!

TIKIM: SANCTUARIO CAFE & ART GALLERY, TAGAYTAY

Most people go to Tagaytay simply to take in the majestic view of the Taal Lake and that of the volcano itself. Other than that, unless your wallets are bursting with cash, there isn't much else to do other than visit the de regieur destinations like the Pink Sisters or other nearby convents and stock up on the ho-hum pasalubong regulars like cookies made out of communion hosts, ubeng halaya or what not. Surely, there must be a medium price range place where one can unwind before going back to the metro.

Enter Sanctuario Cafe and Art Gallery.

A three-floor affair with an unassuming facade (there's a Korean KTV beside it for good measure), one enters a different world the moment one steps into Sanctuario. The red walls are so inviting with several Balinese and Filipino artifacts spread all over the place like it were a home and yet not quite so. One can go up a winding staircase and get a kick out of the view (but we're already tired of that, remember?).

Downstairs, in the basement, there are more dining spaces which you can reserve ahead of your visit (if you come with a large group). There's a rather cozy nook by the window for lovers and close friends. In this level, it's the yellow-colored wall that warms the tired and weary soul. There's also a piano you can play if you wish to show off your talents. Otherwise, just stick to your trusty camera and spare everyone else the trouble of having to haul you back to the dining table.

3rd floor view. Breathtaking as always!

Start healthy! Seared salmon and greens.

Heaven on earth. Tomatoes on the pizza were sun-ripened to perfection.

Tawilis. Said to be found only in the lake surrounding Taal Volcano.

One can also try their famous raisin bread and pair it with smoked bangus pate. Not to be missed is Sanctuario's Pasta bulalo (P300) - beef marrow served osso bucco style with cream on linguine. Finish it all off with coffee or tea! Yummy!

On your way out, you may want to pick up a bottle of two of bottled tawilis and bangus (milkfish) to brag about to friends and family. Sanctuario Cafe and Art Gallery is located at the Tagaytay Rotonda (near 7-Eleven). Contact Sanctuario at +63 46 4130637, or at mobile +63 917 5404799.

Our comments:
Service: May take some time if there are only few service crews on duty. It is so pitiful to see them going up and down three floors that one is tempted to help by getting your orders yourself from the kitchen.
Food: Many food blogs have mixed reviews. If you choose well, perhaps you'd end up the winner at the end of the day. The best thing to do would be to ask the crew what items are most popular among visitors. You may also want to try out things that are peculiar to Tagaytay - or this restaurant. Fried tawilis would be a safe choice, for example.
Price: Not cheap, not very expensive either. A group of 3 can share and still get billed around P600-P1,000 depending on your order choices (and appetites). If you can do a better version of certain item at home, skip it. Be wise.

Disclaimer:
We do not know the owners personally. We just read other blogs or get info from the grapevine and go at will. Personal monies were spent on these visits.

TIKIM: WHAT'S COOKING ALONG PASCOR DRIVE?

I’ve been with SPi for almost three years now and I’ve never really given the food stalls along Pascor Drive much thought until I had the craving for something fried during a graveyard shift. Dreading the idea of having to eat the cyclic hotdog-and-egg breakfast at the concessionaire, I mustered the courage to venture into the darkness one quiet morning. I chanced upon one stall – MJ Canteen, methinks, with the tag line “Filipino Favorites” – already up and about.

In one corner, something fishy was cooking. Indeed it was fish and a really huge one at that. I was told it was called torsillo and it smelled really good. I believe it will metamorphose as sarciado later for which it will be sold for php 25 per order. I also espied a new batch of pakbet (Php 15) about to be displayed. I could write my name on the glass of the display cabinet, where the moisture from the hot viands has formed nice circles.

Even before I could say lactobacillishirotastrain, breakfast was served in no time. The breaded pork chop (Php 15) was very tender and the coating just right – not too thick to mislead you as to its real size. The rice was moist, warm and generous (Php 5). The Ma-Ling slices are strangely bigger (sliced from the round top instead of the usual rectangular blocks) and cheaper (Php 10.00). Other choices include pork adobo, giniling with potatoes in tomato sauce, and fried eggplant.

This is the typical Pinoy turo-turo (literally “point-point”). You point to the server what you like and it is quickly served to you and to the hungry masses converging upon these stalls. Workers from nearby courier companies surrounding SPi form the bulk of breakfast regulars.

Hot coffee and pan de sal – the latter delivered regularly and on the dot, the former preferably with evaporada – are perennial favorites. For those whose tummies need more pampering, there is always pansit bihon to go with the bread.

Observing all these, I often wonder who the philosopher Henry David Thoreau meant when he wrote, ”The mass of men live lives of quiet desperation.” but a combination of food, conversations about life and hard-working people at 4 in the morning makes you realize that it’s worth coming here, that you really belong. After all, Thoreau advocated simple living. People make their own prisons, he argued. Others choose to break free. Who says we have to spend so much on basic needs such as a filling breakfast?

You do not have to have an I.Q. of a fire hydrant to know that dining here is so much economical; although there really is a need for caution. To begin with, you may want to stick to soda or at the very least bring your own drinking water. Otherwise, the glasses are clean and the utensils are kept submerged in hot water. If it bothers you to be served food on plastic plates, I pity you.

So, why bother paying the stalls a visit? The idea really boils down to this: people on a tight budget will never have to run out of options ever again. Remember…“that man is richest whose pleasures are the cheapest.”

Comments welcome at spiwritersguild@yahoo.com.ph

TIKIM: COOKBOOK KITCHEN

Along the streets of Socorro Fernandez, intersecting Torres St. in Mandaluyong, you will find a cozy restaurant called the Cookbook Kitchen. I found this place with the help of my friend, Cielo, whose tita owns the place. The semblance of a local painter’s version of Vincent Van Gogh‘s Café Terrace at Night complements the well-ventilated and well-lit room. Capacity is at 40 to 50 seats, ideal for intimate gatherings for family and friends. It’s also good for a warm get-together with significant others and colleagues.

The Cookbook Kitchen offers delectable Italian cuisine just right to the Filipino taste. Not only does it cater to our native tongue but also to our thriving budget. Appetizers range from Php 88.00 to Php 100.00 with pasta dishes amounting between Php 180.00 to Php 220.00. They also have rice meals for heavy eaters – chicken, sausage, pork and fish dishes priced from Php 180.00 to Php 260.00. Desserts are also offered for those with the sweet tooth, from ice-cream to cakes.

Must try is the Parmesan-crusted White Fish at Php 240.00, which is good for two. The fish is very tasty as it is served on an oven-baked dish plate complemented by the steamed rice.

What is also nice about the place is the service provided by the staff who are always smiling and welcoming. You can also get a free palm reading when Cookbook Kitchen is not that busy. Just ask for one of the staff, Teta, who can give you her own interpretations of your fate or luck.

Dessert samplers: To die for

So next time you visit Mandaluyong or if you are craving for Italian food, go visit Cookbook Kitchen. They are open from Mondays to Sundays, 10 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 10 pm. Enjoy the food because I sure did!

Our rating (5/5):
3.5 for Taste
3 for Ambiance
3.5 for Customer Service
_________

Deng Perez is HDI's Quality Management Manager.

TIKIM: FOOD AND RESTO REVIEW

TASTE ASIA (SM Mall of Asia Parking Lot)

Most people we know haven't even heard of this place. It is so hidden you wouldn't even expect to find it on the first try (but then again, the Mall of Asia is just humongous, to say the least) so when we had the chance to check it out, here's what we found out:

From Indian to Japanese...

Filipino to Thai, there are a lot of food choices here at Taste Asia!

Beers! Beers! Beers! Buy 5 of San Miguel Light, get 1 free!

Smoke = fat-rich foods = fun! (No, we hate being judgemental.)

Diners from offices come here for a filling dinner without minding the cars passing by and the often humid weather. Who cares? Uwian na rin naman.

This sizzling pork is really tender, and the sauce is very tasty.

The sizzling squid could have been good because it was fresh but that's exactly why it isn't good either - it was still fresh! Sometimes, the rush to meet piling orders lead to half-cooked food. Be careful. You may want to send this back to the kitchen.

The killer bulaklak - Chicharong bulaklak. Really, really good! Goes well with ordinary white vinegar.


Our Rating (Perfect score of 5/5):
How Taste Asia fared:
4 forks for food (Tasty; save for half-cooked squid, everything was okay)
4 rounds of applause for ambience (Warm and humid most nights)
5 rounds of applause for service (There are serves who will help you bring your trays to your table & there's a beer counter!)
2 thumbs down for cleanliness (A server gave us a cup of ice using her hands to scoop the ice out of a box. Another time, we caught a staff mixing the sisig behind a counter while seated on the floor.)

5 rounds of applause for price. Cheap and affordable. There's no airconditioner cost to pay for, that's why. Two people can only spend around Php 400 for a lot of stuff.

By the way, here's a tip. Don't embarrass yourselves by getting lost and go ask a guard for directions. At any rate, just go inside the SM Hypermarket and head towards the Parking Lot exit. It's there. Enjoy!

TIKIM: THE BED SCENE (MALL OF ASIA)

Nothing beats going out with friends and treating yourselves to a good dinner sometimes. Call it a reward of sorts, but the idea really is to get yourself a break from all that work (or whatever is left of it) and splurge on a good meal!

We recently checked out the newly opened Mall of Asia (claimed to be the largest mall in SEA, the 3rd in Asia) and found ourselves drawn to this place which is awashed in cool blue.

Welcome to the bed scene. Yes, that's what it's called. the bed scene is a restaurant-cum-bar located at the back of the mall facing the sea, hence that all-blue concept to give you a feeling of being under water. This is further supported by nicely located aquariums and light effects on the ceiling that mimics moving water.

The food choices are, more or less, something you'd also see in other restaurants but here, they've already simplified things by grouping certain entrees into set meals (or what we normally call in fastfoods as "combos"). There are about 4 set meals to choose from ranging from php 300++ (a salad, the main course, dessert) to something less than Php 200 (salad OR dessert, main course).

As usual, the rule in eating in never-been-tried-before places is to order the basic stuff. If they win in this basic test, then it's worth coming back for the complicated ones and the house specialties.

How is it related to the bed bar in Malate? The similarity in the font style is uncanny.

Nice, comfy pillows to lean or rest your tired feet on.

Light effects on the ceiling mimics underwater current

Be prepared to kick your shoes off and sit comfortably on huge, wide blue couches! Total relaxation while having dinner has never been this good.

The Linguine Vongole is okay. Not quite impressive because the linguine is overcooked and appears limp. The sauce is very light though, and the serving is enough to make you feel full but not overfed.

The goood ol' liempo updated! Rather enjoyable if it weren't a bit tough. Maybe the bed scene should learn to cook only when orders come in. If anything, this piece was very tasty and the presentation was very nice and sharp.

Overall, the experience was okay, but not something you'd really want to do over and over. The best thing perhaps would be to try the other things on the menu and see what other surprises can this place spring on us.

WG Rating (Perfect score of 5/5):

How the the bed scene fared:
3 forks for food
5 rounds of applause for ambience
5 rounds of applause for service (great satin pajamas except that satin doesn't look good on the male servers).