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Review: Cha Dao Tea Place

Published by: dementia

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There’s another milk tea place in Kapitolyo, Pasig and I decided to try it when Chatime was full of people. Parking is very limited in this branch. Fortunately, I had a driver that time so I just told him to wait for me. There were no customer when I entered which I thought was a [...]

There’s another milk tea place in Kapitolyo, Pasig and I decided to try it when Chatime was full of people.

very green counter

Parking is very limited in this branch. Fortunately, I had a driver that time so I just told him to wait for me. There were no customer when I entered which I thought was a bad sign.

Cha Dao’s menu is very limited but their milk teas are very cheap. I asked the crew what the place’s milk tea specialty is. They said their best sellers are Assam and Wintermelon. I decided to try large Assam with Egg Pudding and Pearls which only cost me a total of P95, cheaper than other competitors.

While waiting, I took photos of the small store. I found it too “green” and it doesn’t look very comfy to hang out in.

very basic

green everywhere

Since I had really low expectations of Cha Dao, I was pleasantly surprised when I tasted what I ordered. Assam is very milky and suitably sweet but the winner is their egg pudding. I think it’s one of the best tasting out there.

Cha Dao is a good and cheaper alternative take out milk tea place. I wouldn’t hang out in the shop because I find their color scheme very suffocating. Another negative is their limited parking space but for pedestrians that won’t be a problem because Cha Dao is very accessible. It’s near the entrance of Kapitolyo and it’s easy to commute to and from the shop. So I recommend this if you are tired of the long line at Chatime Pioneer or if you have a limited budget.

I just found out that they deliver. I don’t know how much the minimum for delivery is though.

Cha Dao Tea Place
Unit 2, FADI Building, #5 West Capitol Drive, Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City (Beside Cebuana Lhullier and main Kapitolyo gate)

Categories: Dementia Recommends, Reviews

I can’t get enough of Crazy Burger

Published by: dementia

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I’ll make this a really short review since I don’t have other photos of the place but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Citizen Pub’s “Crazy Burger.” I first discovered this treasure when Citizen Pub had a booth at the SuperSale Bazaar where I sold my Aromacology products. It was love at first bite! Ever since then, [...]

I’ll make this a really short review since I don’t have other photos of the place but I LOVE LOVE LOVE Citizen Pub’s “Crazy Burger.”

This is the Crazy Burger

I first discovered this treasure when Citizen Pub had a booth at the SuperSale Bazaar where I sold my Aromacology products. It was love at first bite! Ever since then, I would drag my friends to Citizen Pub to see if they’ll like it too and they do. The Crazy Burger (P180+) doesn’t come with fries but it’s good enough for 2 people. I’m an exception because I have big appetite and I can eat 1.5 Crazy Burgers.

The Crazy Burger is an inch-thick all-beef deep-fried patty with veggies and has a wasabi mayo with crab meat dressing. WASABI MAYO! CRAB MEAT! Need I say more?

Citizen Pub and Burger Bar
Citi Golf
Julia Vargas, Pasig

Categories: Cravings, Dementia Recommends

Review: Melo’s, Fine Dining At Its Best

Published by: dementia

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They say that with age comes wisdom. Twenty-Three years should make one very wise and this was proven to be true when I dined at Melo’s. The pioneer of certified US Angus beef in the Philippines has perfected the art of preparing, cuts, and cooking steak and they have the laurels to prove it. As said by Paul and Carolina Santiago-Macasaet, the husband and wife team behind Melo’s Alabang who invited me that night, Melo’s strives to provide personalized service to all their clientele. They get to know each guest and find out his dietary habits then come up with meals which suit them.

Paul and Carolina Macasaet

(more…)

Categories: Dementia Recommends, Reviews

Review: 360 Degrees Handshaken Tea

Published by: dementia

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I’m happy that a lot of my friends are milk tea addicts like me so when I went to Davao, Andrew introduced me to his favorite milk tea place. The only milk tea I tasted from 360 Degrees Handshaken Tea is their Pearl Red Milk Tea (P35). We must have gone there thrice while I [...]

I’m happy that a lot of my friends are milk tea addicts like me so when I went to Davao, Andrew introduced me to his favorite milk tea place. The only milk tea I tasted from 360 Degrees Handshaken Tea is their Pearl Red Milk Tea (P35). We must have gone there thrice while I was in Davao and I never tried any of their milk tea variants because I think the Pearl Red Milk Tea is perfect. Not only that, it’s sooooo cheap as well! (more…)

Categories: Dementia Recommends, Regional

Review: Spoon Meals at Figaro

Published by: dementia

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Several weeks ago, I was invited by Annesy del Mundo to try Figaro’s new spoon meals. It wasn’t an easy decision to accept the invite because I have relatives who own franchises of Figaro and my review might become biased. In the end, I decided to give it a try and see where it goes. [...]

I didn’t get to ask what “spoon meals” is but I’m assuming it means proper meals served in their cafe instead of the usual pastry which they offer. I got to try Chicken Thyme with Creamy Cheese Sauce (P215) and Chicken Ala King (P215).

Chicken Thyme with Creamy Cheese Sauce

I found the Chicken Thyme with Creamy Cheese Sauce better among the two. The chicken was deep fried and battered and the meal comes with buttered vegetables, rice, and a choice between iced tea or coffee. The chicken was tender and moist and the thyme gave the meal the added zing. Without the thyme, the meal would have been very bland.

Chicken Ala King

Like the Chicken Thyme with Creamy Cheese Sauce, Figaro’s Chicken Ala King comes with buttered vegetables, rice, and iced tea or coffee. The chicken ala king was creamy with a hint of sweetness which I found a bit odd but pleasant.

I don’t know about the freshness of the ingredients but I’m really hoping that the vegetables are at the very least delivered to all branches every morning. I didn’t touch the buttered vegetables when I tried the meals because I was full when I came there.

If you’ve ever eaten meals at Figaro, the two are good additions to their current lineup. At the very least, they serve as a variety to Figaro’s staple pastas which, although they are good, becomes tiring after awhile.

The new spoon meals are available in most branches already. I think franchises carry them by now.

Figaro
http://www.figarocoffee.com/

https://www.facebook.com/figarocoffeecompany

Categories: Reviews

Review: Ranchero

Published by: dementia

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On our second day of Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT), we had lunch at Ranchero. Ranchero is one of Pablo and Solita’s restaurants. The couple is well-known for their ranch and their famous meals. My first impression of Ranchero is that it is homey and cozy. I like how wood was incorporated in the very [...]

On our second day of Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT), we had lunch at Ranchero. Ranchero is one of Pablo and Solita’s restaurants. The couple is well-known for their ranch and their famous meals.

My first impression of Ranchero is that it is homey and cozy. I like how wood was incorporated in the very concrete commercial space the restaurant occupies. The restaurant itself is spacious but the huge tables and metal chairs make it hard to move around. Then again, maybe it’s because I’m big.

tree trunks framing the windows

cozy earthy interior with lots of wood and metal

So the interior design is good. How about the food? Well I can honestly say that I finally found the best baby back ribs in the Philippines…at least for now.

The Baby Back Ribs (P475) of Ranchero is very tender that the meat falls off the bone. The marinade is sweet and slightly tangy and seeps into the core of the meat. The barbeque sauce is optional because the meat is tasty enough.

Baby Back Ribs

Ranchero’s Crispy Pata (P420) was also impressive. The crew already chopped the bones for easier eating. Like the Baby Back Ribs, the pork is tender. The skin is thin and crunchy as crispy pata should be. My only gripe is they served only 1 plate of crispy pata on our table and there were probably 12 of us who had to share it. I grabbed the thigh bone and just gnawed the few remains. *sigh*

Crispy Pata

Other dishes which were served to us were Sinigang sa Miso na Dory Fish (P225), lacked “asim” for me; Garlic Chicken (P395), I found it dry; and Lumpiang Hubad (P225), it was ok but I was too distracted with the meats.

Garlic Chicken

Sinigang sa Miso

Lumpiang Hubad

The food is slightly pricier than most restaurants in Davao but the Baby Back Ribs is worth the price. Serving size per dish is good for 3 to 4 people. The staff seemed a bit lost when we were there.

Would I recommend Ranchero? Yes, I already did.

Ranchero
Metro Lifestyle Complex, Jacinto Extension corner F. Torres Street, Davao City
+6382-2220793

Categories: Dementia Recommends, Regional, Reviews

Review: Trellis ‘N Vines

Published by: dementia

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comments:

I was very lucky to be able to join Davao Food Appreciation Tour (DFAT) this year. I had no expectations of Davao food and restaurants so it felt like almost everywhere we went to was a pleasant surprise. Our first restaurant was Trellis ‘N Vines, the one along F. Torres Street, where I was shuffled [...]

Our first restaurant was Trellis ‘N Vines, the one along F. Torres Street, where I was shuffled off to immediately after being picked up from the airport. At first, I was turned off by the restaurant’s name because it reminded me of seedy bars in Manila. You know, those bars or shops with names like D’ Burger Joint, etc. When I finally saw it and saw that there were families eating, I concluded that it’s completely harmless.

We started off with Sinuglaw (P260), a purely Davao delicacy. Sinuglaw is a portmanteau of “sugba” which means to grill and “kinilaw” which means ceviche or cooked in vinegar. This dish is made of succulent tuna, grilled pork, veggies, green mango, chili, and soy sauce. I enjoyed this healthy dish which complemented the other food which were served. The grilled pork’s skin was crunchy so I munched on those a lot.

Sinuglaw

Another Trellis ‘N Vines specialty I loved is their Chicken Biryani (P215), perfectly spiced for the Filipino palate and the chicken carefully cooked. I can’t recall if basmati rice was used or if Trellis employed a local rice variety. All I remember is that I liked how their version tasted.

Chicken Biryani

The dish from this restaurant which I will never forget is their Crispy Noodles (P150). Although it is the usual crispy noodles found in Chinese restaurants, I couldn’t get enough of it. Maybe it’s because the vegetables were fresh and I didn’t find a trace of MSG but I really finished off this food to an embarrassing degree.

Crispy Noodles

The other dishes served to us that day. Either I found them okay or forgettable. I decided to just focus on the dishes I loved for all my DFAT entries or I’ll never be able to finish writing because we tried so many.

Crab 'N Corn Soup (115)

Pan-Friend Bangus with Tomato Concasse and Adobong Kangkong (P135)

Baby Back Ribs (P170)

Peanut Butter Banana Roll (P65 for 2 pcs.)

I can’t find a unifying theme to the dishes Trellis ‘N Vines serve. It’s a mish-mash of Filipino, Chinese, American, and other asian cuisine. Don’t let that get to you because once you eat, the good food will make you forgive them. Every order is good for sharing for 3 to 4 people (my guesstimate).

If you are in Davao, try the 3 dishes I recommended. I don’t really like sour tomato-based food but if you do, the Pan-Fried Bangus is also a must-try.

As for the restaurant itself, it has no frills. The dining area was clean and so were the restrooms. The staff were helpful and service was fast.

Trellis ‘N Vines
F. Torres Street, Davao City
+6382-221-5566

Categories: Dementia Recommends, Regional, Reviews

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Review: Cha Dao Tea Place

I can’t get enough of Crazy Burger

Review: Melo’s, Fine Dining At Its Best

Review: 360 Degrees Handshaken Tea

Review: Spoon Meals at Figaro

Review: Ranchero

Review: Trellis ‘N Vines

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