Chateau Hestia Take 2

If you know hubby, you would assume that we went out looking for ice cream. After our meal at Bawai, surprisingly, hubby was still hungry and we decided to eat across the street at Chateau Hestia.

Hubby happens to love the Ferrero Ice cream there. That's the first thing that he ordered even without looking at the menu.



Hubby also saw the special of the day which was Shrimp and Avocado Salad and promptly ordered that as well. This was just a few minutes from our meal at Bawai's :-) The shrimp and avocado salad was dressed in mayonnaise and paprika. Hubby liked this also but would like to order the dressing on the side next time. He felt that it had too much.



I had the cheese platter again sans the liver pate. I love cheese!



The lady chef recognized me and mentioned about reading my blog. Yikes! I gave mixed reviews last time :-)

Anyway, one thing I love the most about the place is that they give great service and everyone there is very friendly, makes you feel right at home. There's even a chaise where you can take a nap.

Oh yeah, the eggplant dipping sauce for the fresh herbed bread is great too :-)

Bawai's Vietnamese Kusina

Hubby and I went on a food trip last weekend in Tagaytay. Our first stop was Bawaii's Vietnamese Kusina. We've tried going there before but they're always full, even if you reserve days ahead, lunch time is always busy. We chanced it by going there unannounced at 2:00 p.m. We lucked out and got a table.



Hubby's not a fan of Vietnamese cuisine but was game to try this with me. Our first order was a salad called Goi Thit Tom, mixed vegetables of turnips, carrots, cucumbers, mangoes, chopped peanuts with shrimps and pork strips on a lime, honey and fish sauce dressing. The salad was very good, refreshing with just the right balance of sweet, sour and salty. I would defenitely order this again or at least duplicate it at home. I've made the dressing multiple times at home.



We also ordered the spring rolls or Goy Cuon, fresh spring rolls (using rice paper) with shrimps, noodles, herbs and dipped in a crunchy peanut sauce. Yummy and a welcome burst of freshness in your mouth :-)



Hubby and I shared the Bung Bo Hue, vermiccelli with beef and pork knuckle soup. This is abit spicy but good nonetheless. The fresh herbs added to it make it extra special. I love the bean sprouts with it, so unexpected in a soup (well, at least here in Manila). I've had similar dishes in Thailand and I loved it.



For dessert, we had the Vietnamese Sapin-sapin. Sticky rice cakes generously poured with warm coconut cream and sprinkled with peanuts. Light yet yummy!



We washed it all down with an equally yummy Pandan Iced tea. The green syrup that you see below the glass is what flavors it. Simple syrup infused with a pandan leaf while boiling. Well, at least that how I think they made it :-)



After all that, hubby was still hungry for....
(see the next post, he he he)

Alba Restaurant

Hubby and I just had dinner at Alba Restaurant. It's been a while since we dined out since we have opposing work schedules. We chose to dine in Alba Restaurant. They opened a new branch in Westgate, Alabang. Alba Restaurant specializes in Spanish cuisine and their sign says that they've been around since 1952. I've heard of them of course, but only got the chance to dine there just now.







We ordered some really nice selection from the menu. To start with, we had Queso Ahumado (smoked cheese) which hubby and I really really liked. The cheese is very mild and yummy, and the salsa that they serve with it is a little bit sweet but still tangy. I personally prefer without the salsa. I probably could eat the whole thing because the cheese is sliced paper thin. Eating cheese nowadays remind me of our trip to Smelly Cheese in Hunter Valley, Australia. Oh my the cheeses there are so delighful. Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.



Anyway, I digress...We also had Almondigas de Vaca (beef meatballs). We like this dish as well. The beef is tender and the sauce is a garlicky and a bit salty, very nice for dipping bread. The dish kinda reminds me of my mom's meatballs in misua, they taste very similar but without the noodles :-)



Hubby and I split the Ensalada de Caesar. I like this picture that hubby took :-)



For the main course, we ordered the Paella Valenciana. A paella dish with seafood, chicken and chorizo. The serving is good for three people so we had plenty of left over. The paella was good, but Amalia's (in BF) is better. As I was writing this, it just hit me that Alba's specialty is the Callos and we didn't order it. Oh well, we'll save that for next time.



For dessert, hubby and I split the canonigo this was good also. I have a really fantastic recipe for this and a ultra heavenly sauce made with egg yolks and milk. Yum! I serve mine usually with mango balls on the side. I'll post the recipe when I get the chance to bake it again.

Heaven & Eggs

My best friend and I had another impromptu get together tonight. We met at our usual meeting place in Glorietta and decided to eat at Heaven & Eggs which we both haven't tried yet. I'm just glad that we're not eating pasta again! :-) He he he.



The restaurant used to have country style decor with doilies, wood furniture and maybe somebody's grandma in the background, he he he. They have since revamped the place for a more hip look. The interiors are a bit darker, with mirrors, murals, love settees in dark colors, dark wooden tables and chairs. They offer mostly breakfast fare (eggs), but have ribs and steaks on the menu. They do have very creative names for their dishes. The BFF and I ordered:

Head Bangers Tapa Omelet. Tapa Omelet with kesong puti served with garlic fried rice and atchara. BFF seemed to like this.



I ordered the Girls Gone Wild (very fitting for me, dontcha think?, he he he). It's a vegetarian omelet with asparagus, mushrooms and mozzarella cheese served with french bread and shoestring potatoes. I actually prefer to have some whole wheat bread or "tasty" instead of the crusty bread that they served.



For dessert I had the Tres Leches Cake. This is a nice cake, a little too sweet, best shared with someone. BFF said that it looked very feminine.



She had the Moonwalker (in honor of Michael Jackson). Brownies topped with ice cream, caramel and chocolate sauces. BFF said that she got the macho dessert because it looked so dark and imposing :-)



Heaven & Eggs' food and service may not be outstanding, but the menu is varied and reasonably priced. It is a great place for meeting friends. Finishing an entire meal will take at least a couple of hours because the servings are very generous. Neither one of us were able to finish what we ordered.