Binge Session at Kanin Club

It has been an insanely busy week for our catering business; and so, I am deeply mortified by my lack of posts this month.  My only excuse is that we had to cater to close to 5,000 people in a span of 5 days.  What few days I've had after that hectic week has been spent hibernating... and working some more.  Boo.  We were all operating on 2 to 4 hours of sleep per day but somehow we managed to pull through til the end.  So workaholics that we are, we scheduled a meeting with Anj, a consultant of ours and a very good friend of mine, last Saturday, which was just a day after our said hellish week.

I don't know how I managed to get myself out of bed, but I had enough of my wits about me to bring all the necessary paperwork for our meeting and my trusty camera.  It was supposed to be a simple meeting over lunch at Kanin Club.  I had no plans of blogging about what we were about to eat since all my energy was focused on staying awake.  It was a good thing that I'd developed a habit, akin to a muscle reflex, of taking pictures of everything I eat because our lunch at Kanin Club turned out to be not so ordinary after all.

I managed to drag my bleary-eyed self to Technohub 15 minutes past our agreed time.  Yuri was late too by association.  Teehee.  My bad.  He was ready an hour before we were supposed to leave as always.  Lucky for me, our other business partner and Anj had a hard time getting out of bed too so it ended up that we all got there at almost the same time.

Our team was in a celebratory mood, and since we had Anj with us as well, we decided to reward ourselves by ordering A LOT of food.

Among us, Anj was the only one who had eaten there before.  She enthusiastically recommended that we try one of her fave dishes, which was the Sinigang rice.

Sinangag na Sinigang Php 179.00

I wasn't sure what I was expecting but it certainly didn't look like anything I had imagined.  The crispy kankong (water spinach) topping, the "sinigang risotto", and the pork liempo slices wrapped around the rice had my interest piqued and I was excited to try it.  This deconstructed dish is an interesting take on pork sinigang and you can definitely pick out all the key flavors.  The rice was cooked in the sinigang broth with an extra helping of tomatoes, so the tartness and full-bodied taste of the soup was definitely there.  The portion size  was more than enough for three, but Anj and I needed no help in wolfing this plate down.

Yuri wanted to stay away from meat, so he picked out the Stuffed Squid.
 

Stuffed Squid Php 224.00

It was definitely a sight to behold.  It looked so pretty on the plate.  The squid was tender enough and the batter was crunchy.  The sweet sauce had hints of oyster sauce in it.  The menu says the squid was stuffed with chives but I'm pretty sure it was some sort of spinach.  I just wish the stuffing had some sort of flavor to it instead of it just being plainly blanched.  The dish would've been phenomenal if they did something special to the stuffing.

Itsi Bitsi Php 224.00

We were trying to sort of erm eat "healthy" so we decided to order one veggie dish.  We went for the Itsi Bitsi just because the name was quirky.  It was described in their menu as "It's sitaw, bitsuelas, and sigarilyas sauteed with beef.", hence the name.  They get plus points for trying to be funny, and they got us to order the dish anyway so that counts for something.  The vegetables were rolled in cornstarch and then deep-fried before it was cooked with the beef.  It was simply seasoned but really tasty. 

Binukadkad na Tilapia Php 246.00

You can never go wrong tilapia.  This dish is always a hit.  Deep-fried butterflied tilapia served with soy sauce.  It was fried perfectly.  I could've literally eaten the whole thing bones and all.

Now this is what the Kanin Club is known for.  Dinuguan a.k.a pork blood stew is a truly unique and exotic Filipino dish.  Kanin Club has somehow made dinuguan friendlier and more accessible to people who'd usually cringe at the thought of eating dinuguan.  The blood sauce part is non-negotiable of course, but instead of using offals, they've decided to use choice cuts of pork cooked chicharon-style.  It was a lovely surprise!  You'd never guess it underneath all that sauce.  I'm ashamed to admit that I have been unable to conquer my squemishness for dinuguan ever since I watched my lola cook it from scratch when I was a kid.  But I've been told that many people have ventured to eat dinuguan for the first time at Kanin Club and loved it.  So I gave it my best shot.

Crispy Dinuguan Php 261.00

More than anything, it's the visual of the thick dark blood gravy that psyches me out the most.  I had to close my eyes, like the big baby that I am, before taking a bite.  Once I was past the visual hurdle,  I could properly appreciate the crunchy chicharon together with the slightly tart sauce.  Yep this was my first bite of dinuguan in a loooooong time and it wasn't so bad was as delicious as any bowl of dinuguan could be. LOL.  So, if you're sampling this dish for the first time, then I must insist that you try it here.

To say that we reached a milestone in our business is gross understatement.  That's the most we've catered to  EVER.  So that pig out session at Kanin club was well-deserved.  :-)  I'm crossing my fingers and hoping we have more stressful weeks like those!



Address:  U.P. AyalaLand Technohub, Commonwealth Ave., Quezon City, Metro Manila
Tel. No. : (02) 332-5978
Other Branches:  Ayala Triangle Gardens, Makati
                              Westgate Center, Alabang
                              Paseo de Sta. Rosa, Laguna


~Mich :)

Couponmania: Sakae Sushi!

About two months ago, I managed to eavesdrop on my friend's conversation on Twitter. I saw the words "coupon", "sushi", and "eat-all-you-can" being thrown around and I was resolved... nay determined, to find a way to get in on the action. Thank God the coupon deal, which was from Cash Cash Pinoy, was for a one hour eat-all-you-can sushi buffet for six.  I lucked out!  Plus they really were looking for additional people to go with them so my timing was perfect.   

So finally, we all met last Saturday at Sakae Sushi at the SM North Annex for our epic erm merienda (?) sushi buffet.  You see, we were only allowed to use the coupon during their off peak hours so we reserved a table for 3:30 PM.  We had been dying to redeem the coupon as soon as it was purchased online, but somehow work and other things got in the way.  We had been dreaming and talking about this sushi smorgasborg for months so you can imagine how excited we were last Saturday!

The coupon was worth Php 1,500.00, so it only cost us Php 250.00 each.  Our one hour time limit started as soon as we sat.  Our assigned server told us the rules as soon as we were ushered into our booth.  She told us that all the sushi/items placed on the conveyor belt were fair game, except for the bottled juices which would cost us extra.  We also got a bowl of miso soup each and a choice of bottomless hot or cold green tea.  The coupon was really too good to be true!  As soon as we were given the go signal I felt my adrenaline pumping.  I've always had a bit of a competitive streak in me so I was determined to get the most out of this buffet within the time limit given to us.

It took a while for us to come up with a game plan.  The whirring sound of the conveyor belt together with the assortment of colorful plates marching past our table was hypnotic.  I could've easily gotten lost in it.  But we had a running clock so we quickly started picking out plates that caught our eye.  Half of the fun was in grabbing the plates.  And grab we did. 


Here were some of my fave picks that day.  There was a wide assortment of nigiri sushi (hand-formed sushi rice with a seafood type topping over it) with toppings such as salmon, tuna, shrimp, blue marlin, and (weirdly enough) octopus.  They also had the typical maki sushi (rolled sushi with nori).  There were also a few non-shushi items on the conveyor belt like, sauteed pepper chicken, chicken roll with asparagus and cheese, tofu steak, and tempura crabsticks as seen above.  We prolly ate close to 55 plates of sushi between  us six!  That's 100++ pieces of sushi. LOL.  *high fives all around*

Our first 30 minutes!

Whatever Sakae Sushi lacked in quality, we made up for in quantity.  They made sure that their sushi rolls had extra thick layers of rice in it so the proportions were a bit off.  Hey from a business point of view I completely understand why they did this.  Rice fills you up really fast and if you get customers like us everyday it would be quite hard to make a decent profit.  During our last 15 minutes, our server asked us if there was a specific item or items we'd like the kitchen to put out on the conveyor belt.  We didn't know this was possible!  If I had known earlier, I would've been stuffing myself with salmon nigiri the whole time.  I quickly asked for a few more salmon nigiris and true enough, they immediately put out three plates of it on the conveyor belt.   I promptly ate two.  At this point, I was stuffed up to my head in sushi.

If we go by the per-plate-prices of their sushi, to say that we got our money's worth is a huge understatement.

Yuri and I had to walk around the mall five times to get our tummies settled.  Yep that was dinner for us.  I definitely won't be eating any sort of sushi for at least a month.  But if I do feel like going on a sushi binge, I now know where to go.  Sakae Sushi may not have the best sushi out there but we got it for a steal and we definitely had a blast!

Happy tummies. :)

I'm not sure when they'll release coupons again, but their All Day Sushi Buffet rates aren't half bad:

• Adults Php 399.00 / head
• Kids Php 199.00 / head

***This includes miso soup and a choice of bottomless hot or cold green tea.  No service charge.  Surcharges will be imposed on food wastage.



Address: UG/F SM City North EDSA Annex, North Ave. cor. EDSA, Quezon City
Tel. #: (02) 332-9139
Hours: 10:00 AM to 9:00 PM daily

Blissful Lunch at Felicity

It's true what they say that you don't really see what's right in front of you.  It took a few friends to point out a perfectly good restaurant that was literally a 5-minute drive from our house.  In fact, it was sitting right on top of the bike shop we regularly go to for tune-ups.  Well how about that.

I remember looking up one time while my bike was getting fixed and wondering what Felicity was.  I thought it was only a dessert place so I just shrugged it off.  I almost missed out! 

So finally, the date was set and we went there for lunch with a bunch of friends.  I really didn't know what to expect.  I wasn't anticipating to be wowed that's for sure.

We had to go up a flight of stairs to get to the restaurant. 

We stepped into the restaurant and I was pleasantly surprised!  I was an instant fan of the interior and feel of the place.  It was fabulously shabby chic!  It took my a while to get my order in since I was too busy looking at the details of the place.  By this time, I knew for certain that I was in for an interesting meal.

It's a quaint and tidy operation that can seat approximately 20-25 people.  Their kitchen isn't entirely closed off so as soon as you line up and get your order punched in at the counter, you hear that wonderful sizzle and aroma of yummy food being painstakingly prepared.

The food was delivered in the same order they were placed, so mine came last since I was happily distracted by everything around me.  

Sicilian Tomato Pasta Php 160.00

First up, was the Sicilian Tomato Pasta.  Simple and hearty.  The plating was so pretty and neat with the twirled pasta sitting on top of the sauteed tomatoes.  You could immediately tell that the pasta was perfectly al dente just be looking at it.

Saucy Tomato Hungarian Sausage Php 175.00

This dish looked like it had a good bang for the buck.  You definitely can't go wrong with this order.  Quality hungarian sausage topped with sauteed tomatoes and then garnished with fresh basil leaves.

Pasta Kai-Vigan Php 160.00

Next up was Yuri's Pasta Kai-Vigan.  They took the Vigan longganisa stuffing, sauteed it with garlic, and then tossed the pasta with it.  I had one or two bites of this and I loved it!  I have Kapampangan roots so I usually prefer my longganisa sweet.  Yuri only eats Vigan longganisa so I've been learning to appreciate the other side of the spectrum.  This dish needed no appreciation though, it just captivates and reels you in with each bite. Mmmmm.

Dreamy Carbonara Php 170.00

 If you're looking for really filling pasta, this would be it.  They used heavy cream, mixed in with mushrooms and bacon that are part and parcel of Filipino-style carbonara.  Ku still had a slight hangover from the drinking we did the night before this.  It probably wasn't the wisest dish to order in that state. *teehee*

Now for the main event (at least in my opinion)!  I asked the staff for a recommendation and they immediately mentioned this dish.  Parmesan Crusted Garlic Shrimp.  Hey, every word sounded good to me so I went for it.  Shrimp is way up there in my list of favorite ingredients.  Allergies never stopped me from enjoying my seafood so I was really looking forward to this.  I also opted to try their corn rice instead of the plain one to get the full experience.

Parmesan Crusted Garlic Shrimp Php 280.00

Leave it to me to order the 2nd most expensive item on the menu!  But it was oh so worth it.  10 pieces of medium-sized shrimp cooked and seasoned beautifully.  It was creamy and had hints of garlic and parmesan.  Thankfully they didn't smother it in the sauce as I'd expected.  The corn rice tasted like garlic rice except that it had corn kernels and shredded carrots in it.  It went really well with my shrimp.  The only thing is, my buttered veggies had corn in it too so maybe next time I'd stick with plain rice instead.

The recipes here are simple and hearty but their edge lies in there execution, which was flawless.  They were definitely undertrained in terms of service but the food more than made up for it.  Everything was cooked really well.  It sits in the happy median.  The food is not over nor under cooked.  It's quite refreshing to eat food at their right textures and flavors especially at this price point.    The bread was the biggest surprise.  Usually pasta comes with uninspired bread that's just, well, bleh.  Their bread almost stole the show.  It was creamy, crumbly, and moist and all sorts of yummy!  Seriously.  Everyone wanted to order another side of bread.

Funnily enough, Felicity is owned by Mr. Jasper De Leon, who used to be Yuri's teacher back in high school.  What a coincidence indeed.

A few of our friends opted to end the meal with a dessert.

Slice of Blueberry Cheesecake Php 110.00

They had a slice of blueberry cheesecake which was light and smooth.  I on the other hand was perfectly happy with my last bite of shrimp.

Felicity is obviously one of QC's best kept secrets.  This place is definitely worth checking out!




Address: Don Matias Ave. Corner Holy Spirit Drive, Quezon City

Central American Fare at Cocina Juan

Maginhawa street still has a few tricks left up it's sleeve.  I'm a true believer now. This week's discovery, and an amazing one at that, was Cocina Juan.  You could pass by Maginhawa St. a dozen times and not see it.  The signage and facade of this artsy restaurant is concealed behind tons of foliage.  Good thing they had parols and Christmas lights to sort of hint at really curious passersby (and you'd have to be REALLY curious like me) that there's something more behind all those vines and leaves.

Yuri and I met up with my three lovely cousins on this particular foodie escapade.  They're equally as obsessed about food as we are.  We wouldn't be related otherwise.  We'd usually meet up to chat and hang out.  I share an unusually close bond with my cousins.  They're like the sisters I never had.  It used to be, that we'd have a family reunion on my Dad's side of the family every Sunday at my lolo's house.  It was a sprawling house with a huge garden, a pond (that we've all fallen into at one point or another) with a solitary turtle, and a big Kalachuchi tree in the front yard that has suffered 2 generations' worth of abuse (from tree-climbing, hide and seek, and all sorts of weird games we'd come up with).  My dad has 9 other siblings and 7 of them  have kids.  So every Sunday was a riot!  It was a big playground where everyone could do as they pleased.  Our moms were happily distracted with their manicures, pedicures, and their chismis, so we kids basically had free rein to do whatever.  Sadly, these past few years, our reunions have become less frequent, hence the birth of our "cousins-night-out".   We'd set a dinner date once in a while to catch up with each other's lives. 

Last Thursday night was one of those nights.  Yuri and I had a list of other places that we wanted to try out but our plans quickly changed when we accidentally stumbled upon Cocina Juan.  I had Yuri turn the car around at least three times just to get a clear look at the facade of Cocina Juan.

Cocina Juan clearly belongs to a really cool laid-back artist with a flair for good food.  Well I was close.  Apparently this quaint resto also doubles as an art gallery featuring local artists.

The dim lighting, mish mish of paintings (some even unfinished ones on the floor), and the haphazardly-placed accent decor, framed their unique Nicaraguan-Mexican dishes perfectly.  The whole restaurant, for both their indoor and outdoor seating, can only seat a maximum of 32 people at a time.  Luckily, we were able to get a table inside.  They've also got free wifi which Yuri was really happy about.

Yuri started it off with some Nachos (with Chili con Carne and Salsa Cruda) so that we could munch on something while we waited for my cousins.

Nachos with Chili con Carne & Salsa Cruda Php 170.00

When our server brought it over to our table, we were a bit taken aback.  The portion size took us by surprise.  It was more than enough for the four of us and it took us the whole night to eat our way through it.  It was definitely, a good omen of things to come.

Patty and I decided to split a plate of Cerdo Castillo Chimichurri since the Nachos had us a bit wary of the size of their dishes.

Cerdo Castillo Chimichurri "Pork Ribs" Php 249.00

Our server told us that this was their bestseller.  Totally understandable.  Baby back ribs grilled perfectly.  It was expertly charred, tender, and juicy especially when slathered with that wonderful chimichurri sauce.  Yum-my.  The pork ribs were definitely good enough for two, but you might need to order an extra side with it.

Yuri felt like showing off and ordered a Chicken Adobo Burrito all for himself.

Chicken Adobo Burrito Php 159.00

I swear, this burrito was bigger than Ristra's.  Quite a feat I must say.  It was loaded with adobo rice, chicken adobo strips, corn, lettuce, refried beans, sour cream, and cheese.

Churrasco de Nicaragua Php 359.00

Another brave soul was Ate CB.  She went for the Churrasco de Nicaragua.  Holy moly batman!  Her dish came out in a serving platter and not a plate.  It was just a lot to take in at first.

The name of her dish refers to the technique of cooking meat on skewers.  Her plate had chicken, beef, and sausage skewers, gallo de pinto rice, chimichurri sauce, corn, potatoes, and an ensalada.  Boggles the mind.  Haha.  She finished the whole thing though!  A proud moment that's for sure. :)

Ate Isa had the heartiest dish in my opinion.  Their Enchidas were creamy and light.  It just gets tastier and yummier with each bite.

I might've had a bite, or two, or three. Harhar.  It's layers of tortilla with a mixture of chicken or beef, frijoles, cream, and cheese in between served in a baking dish.

Turns out that Ate CB knows the owner of Cocina Juan, Thomas Adviento.  She used to work with him and he popped by our table to say hello.  If I remember correctly, I was told that he lived in Latin America for a while, hence Cocina Juan's uncommon cuisine.  He gave us a complimentary salad which was refreshing and really tasty.

Fresh Greens Salad "Ensalada"

It was mostly shredded lettuce and sliced cucumbers tossed in a light vinaigrette.  Thanks Tom!  It was good way to end our heavy meal. 

Almost all of their dishes are good for sharing, which makes this a good place for meeting friends or dining out with family.  Also, the portion sizes and the quality of their food is unparalleled in the area considering their prices.  It's a steal really!

I now have my go-to Latin American resto.  How 'bout that? :)


Address: 100 Maginhawa St., UP Teacher's Village, Quezon City

Caffeine Trip at The Real Thing

Coke, Sarsi, Royal Tru-Orange, Sprite, and Eight O'Clock star in this wacky diner's unique theme and menu.

Welcome to The Real Thing.  Yes, that is their name, and no this diner isn't owned by Coca-Cola Bottlers Philippines Inc. despite the obvious branding and the Coca-Cola merchandise littered all over the place.  What it is, is a tribute to all things Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola is near and dear to every Filipino's heart.  Who didn't grow up buying Coca-Cola in a plastic bag from the nearest sari-sari store?  In every sort of Filipino family reunion, party, and fiesta, Coca-Cola is and will always be the drink of choice.  NOT Pepsi.  By the time Pepsi arrived in the Philippines, we were already way too addicted and hooked on Coca-Cola's sugary sweetness.

Aside from Coca-Cola, The Real Thing diner also features other local beverages like Sarsi (then owned by RFM), Royal Tru-Orange (originally introduced by San Miguel Brewery), and Eight O' Clock fruit juice which has been enjoyed by Filipino families since the 1980s.

My parents used to drop me off at my grandparents' house on days when they had to work overtime or when they had business trips to go to.  We'd always have freshly baked monay and a glass of cold Eight O' Clock orange juice for merienda.  I was taught by my lolo and lola to quickly dunk the monay in my glass of orange juice before biting into it.  I know it sounds weird, but it really goes well together plus it totally takes me back to my carefree childhood years.   

The lively red and white color scheme draws your eye to every corner of this eclectic diner.  I couldn't stop looking at all the little details they put into the place, from the Coca-Cola memorabilia (which I heard came from one of the owner's personal collection) down to the lights and wall fixtures that were made to resemble fizz bubbles.  They've even got piped-in music of classic Coca-Cola jingles and a flat screen TV in one corner playing those old Coca-Cola commercials.  A well-executed concept if I may say so myself.  You definitely get what the place is about.  They went all out on this Coca-Cola theme.

Their food is no exception.  I had such a fun time choosing from the menu!  The menu completely embraces the theme; from the drinks (of course!) down to the main courses.  You absolutely cannot pass up on their non-alcoholic mixed drinks!

Can-shaped beverage menu.

 We tried their bestseller: The Cinnamon Snifter.

Cinnamon Snifter Php 99.00

Coke, Sarsi, cinnamon, and vanilla ice cream.  I kind of panicked when I saw the ultra generous sprinkling of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream.  I like cinnamon when there are only hints of it in my drink and/or food, otherwise it completely ruins my dining experience.  Well, guess what?  Cinnamon apparently complements Coke and Sarsi surprisingly well.  They balanced each other out beautifully, with the right blend of the signature sugary sweetness of Coke, the root beer taste of Sarsi, the creaminess of the ice cream, and the pleasant aromatic taste of cinnamon.  So yeah, I learned something new.  This Cinnamon Snifter is a must try!

Since it was just Yuri and I, we had to skip the appetizers and go straight to the main courses.  Their portion sizes are close to American sizes so the appetizer part just wasn't gonna happen.

I decided to go for their bestselling dish, which is the Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs.

Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs Php 399.00

It's a bit pricey, but again, their portions are quite huge.  I'd say this dish could be good enough for two people (maybe?) depending on their appetite.  However, if your appetite is anything like mine, then you'd better ask whoever's dining with you to order their own dish.  I ain't sharin'!  Haha.  Yuri knows the drill.  LOL.

As far as diner food goes, this dish was really good.  The meat was tender and flaky, veggies weren't overcooked, and they used real potatoes in my mashed potatoes.  The ribs are meant to be smothered in their signature Coca-Cola BBQ sauce because they concentrated all the flavor there.  Without the sauce, the meat is quite bland and devoid of seasoning especially towards the middle.  I guess they really wanted to highlight their BBQ sauce, which is really tasty by the way!  You do get those distinct, reduced-down, Coca-Cola flavors in the sauce.

Yuri loooooves his fish and chips so his was an easy choice.

Sarsi Fish n' Chips Php 249.00

Sarsi Fish n' Chips!  Also a crowd favorite at the Real Thing Diner according to our server.  I might've liked his dish better than mine.  The texture of the Sarsi-battered fish and the criss cut fries were spot on.  Nice and crisp!

The best part of this dish would have to be the Sarsi Root Beer dipping sauce.  It MADE the dish.  I'm not a big fan of mayo-based dipping sauces, but this one was phenomenal.  The sauce takes the fish from okayyy to nomnomnomnom!  You can definitely taste the Sarsi in the dip, and like the Coca-Cola Baby Back Ribs, the fish is meant to be eaten with the dip because it would be a tad bland otherwise.


They've been open for four months now.  I hope they stand the test of time since most themed restaurants end up with really short life spans.  We'll see how this one does.

I'd really recommend trying out this place at least once.  It's perfect for a casual lunch or dinner out.  The other interesting dishes to try would be the Sarsi Wings (Php 199.00), Coca-Cola BBQ Burger (Php 249.00), and the Eight O' Clock Apple Green Tea Dory (Php 259.00),   We all know what diner fare's all about.  No one ever mentions the world "healthy" or "heart-friendly" at places like these, so expect greasy caffeinated food at its best. :-)



Address:  2/F, IL Terazzo Mall, 305 Tomas Morato Ave Cor. Scout Madrinan St., QC.
Phone #:  (+63 2)352-4320

Italian Night at Friuli Trattoria

Ok maybe it wasn't completely Italian.  Filipino Italian fusion was more like it, but hey, bottomline is it was pretty darn memorable.

Yuri decided to take me out last night to make up for our supposed Valentine's date.  He was finally feeling well enough to drive.  Granted, we had to narrow down our choices to someplace near (since he's not a 100% yet) and as always *I know I sound like a broken record*, somewhere affordable.  Harhar.  In my defense, it hasn't been two weeks since I paid that nasty hospital bill (ulk), AND I just bought a laptop the other day.

Quick story: At the hospital, I had such a migraine after settling our charges.  I looked so pale after paying.  My aunt (also his doctor) told me I looked worse than Yuri and she had to ask me if I needed to be wheeled out of the hospital. LOL.  Not that I have any regrets about Yuri's hospitalization or anything like that, oh no no no please don't misunderstand.  It was, after all, money well spent.  He was in the best of hands.  I'd do anything to make Yuri well.  I just get a really bad migraine right after shelling out huge amounts of money.  I'm chalking it up to a reflexive physiological reaction.  I've no control over it.   I dunno, I guess I'm just weird that way.  Both my mom and Yuri get such a kick out of it.  Meanies. 

Anywayyy all I'm trying to say is that, at least for the time being, it's absolutely essential that we go to value-for-money restaurants for my health and well-being.

Maginhawa St. at Teacher's Village is just the place for that.  It's a veritable haven for foodies on a budget.  It's really near UP Diliman (my beloved alma mater).  That immediately clues you in on the price points of most of the establishments there.  They've got Mexican, Italian, Persian, American, Filipino, and fusion cuisine options lined up along the stretch of this residential-turned-commercial street.

We were in the mood for Italian so we decided to try Friuli Trattoria.  It's been there for as long as I can remember. I just never stopped to have a look.

Friuli Trattoria

It's a tidy two-floor operation with orange-hued walls and checkered tablecloths.  Despite the lack of decor, it still had a cozy feel to it.  Dining here might be "roughing it" for some people, what with the monoblock chairs, low ceiling, and poorly printed menus, but I liked the whole experience.  I really did.  I think of it as a kitchy Italian cafeteria. 

Now it's time to talk about the food.  Lemme tell you THIS made our night.

Toasted Ravioli Php 125.00

Toasted Ravioli!  It really tasted more like a Mexican dish than an Italian one but that didn't matter because it was DELICIOUS.  I like a dish that has a nice contrast of textures and flavors; both crisp and chewy, tangy and sweet.  It's six pieces of deep fried ravioli filled with chili beef, cheese, veggies, and then generously sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  It's served with a side of rich tomato sauce.  These raviolis taste great even without the sauce!

Carbonara Php 120.00

The Carbonara was the low point of the evening.  The spaghetti was al dente, the cream sauce was fine (done Pinoy style since real Italian Carbonara has no cream in it), but the honey-cured bacon bits killed it.  It was getting progressively sweeter with each bite.  I heard that their Spaghetti Meatsauce Pasta is pretty good so maybe you guys should just stick to that.

Tre Formaggi Php 169.00

The Tre Formaggi a.k.a. Three Cheese Pizza is also a must try.  It has mozzarella, cheddar, and blue cheese in it along with a healthy spattering of dried Italian herbs.  Given the size and the ingredients used, it's quite incredible for the price.  The blue cheese really stands out with each bite.
 

Mentos candies for dessert.

 Look at those prices!  Boggles the mind.  I don't know of any Italian restaurant or fastfood that can offer the same taste level and quality of food as Fruili Trattoria at this price range.  Plus, their service was really efficient and the food came out in less than 15 minutes.

We were really planning on sampling some of their desserts too, but by the end of the meal, we were just too full to continue on.  We're saving those desserts for next time.

Yep you read right.  We're definitely going back, especially for those Toasted Raviolis.  Mmmmm.  :-)