cafe mary grace

The ambiance at Cafe Mary Grace,  Robinson’s Manila branch.  It was not that spacious but didn’t compromise comfortability.  We were greeted by their friendly server and was immediately assisted to our seats.

mary grace caesar salad

Mary Grace Caesar Salad, breaded chicken fillet, romaine lettuce, croutons, bacon bits and caesar dressing price at P175.00.  It was tasty but noticed the lack of dressing though.

mary grace mushroom cream

Mary Grace Mushroom Cream, linguini noodles, cream, mushroom and truffles price at P262.00.  I was informed that this is their best seller, it was creamy and pasta cooked al dente which I craved all the more.

peach iced tea

Peach Iced Tea, peach tea with peach nectar at P75.00.  I find this peach-flavored tea tasted more of wine than tea itself.

peppermint and fruits iced tea

Peppermint and fruits iced tea, blend of peppermint and fruit juice price at P75.00.  I love peppermint, and the mint dominated the drink.  Refreshing!

Overall, I give the rating of 5/5 for the service, 3/5 for the ambiance and 4/5 for the food.

Branches:

1. Level 1, Trinoma Mall Edsa cor. North Ave., Quezon City.Tel. No. 9169003 / 9169004 / 4319786.

2.  G/F Serendra Complex,  Taguig. Tel. No. 8560858 / 4319786.

3.  G/F Rockwell Business Center, Ortigas. Tel. No. 4703712.

4.  G/F, Corte De Las Palmas, Alabang Town Center. Tel. No. 3840129 / 8288476.

5.  Level 2, Eastwood Mall, Libis, Quezon City. Tel. No. 3922735.

6.  G/F, St. Lukes Hospital, Fort Global City . Tel. No. 6596929

NOTE:   If you dine at Cafe Mary Grace, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

napoli pizzeria ristorante

exterior of napoli

Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante the name of the restaurant itself entailed that it offers Italian food.  True to it’s name, there were variety of pasta and pizza to choose from.   We visited their SM the Block branch, where most of their seats were placed outside the restaurant rather than inside the restaurant.  With the number of diners,  good thing they can still accommodate us inside the restaurant where we can have our privacy.

wall designs of napoli

another wall design of napoli

Their interior wall design of the restaurant.

oil and garlic pasta with seafood

For pasta, we had Oil and Garlic Pasta with Seafood.  It was served with generous seafood, and flavorful olive oil and herbs and garlic, and comes with freshly baked garlic bread.  At the price of P210.00.  A rating of 5/5.

bacon cheeseburger pizza

For pizza, you can have it in two flavors.   We had Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza price depends on the size with choices of per slice P65.00, 10 inches for the price of P175.00, 14 inches for the price of P270.00, 16inches for the price of P345.00.   If you’re a meatlover you’ll surely enjoy this for the bacon was truly crunchy and was cooked to perfection.  A rating of 4/5.

new york pizza

And the other half of the pizza was New York Pizza at the price of per slice is P80.00, if 10 inches at the price of P205.00, if 14 inches at the price of P330.00, if 16 inches at the price of P450.00.  They used fresh bell pepper and onions and has a sweet taste for it was cooked at the right temperature.  As the picture speaks, it was full of toppings we were happy that we chose Napoli to dine.  A rating of 5/5.

Overall, I give the rating of 4/5 for the service, 3/5 for the ambiance and 5/5 for the food.

Branches:

1.  Timog, Tomas Morato Quezon City.  Tel. No.925-9224.

2.  SM City North EDSA, The Block Quezon City.  Tel. No. 442-0392.

3.  SM City Fairview, Upper Ground Floor Quirino Ave. cor. Regalado St. Greater Lagro Quezon City.  Tel. No.939-5556.

NOTE:   If you dine at Napoli Pizzeria Ristorante, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

mr. choi kitchen

Mr. Choi’s kitchen is one of the most talked about chinese restaurant that can now be easily found inside the malls.  With red walls and chinese characters on their logo, who wouldn’t think that this could be an authentic chinese restaurant.

mapo beancurd

We ordered Mapo Beancurd, with pork, and jalapeno that makes it really unforgettable.  It’s taste blends well and didn’t find it too spicy.  Great to pair with rice as viand, at a price of P190.00.  A rating of 5/5.

sweet and sour fish fillet

The Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet was crunchy, we were delighted with the right mixture of the sweet and sour sauce even my son loves it.  At the price of P260.00, a rating of 4/5.

yang chow fried rice

We find the Yang Chow Fried Rice a bit dry.   We were disappointed with our rice, it was no longer moist nor you could say that it was freshly cooked.  At the price of P190.00.  A rating of 2/5.

fried springroll

After a long wait of our food ordered, we thought an appetizer will help us go through with our hunger, we ordered Fried Springroll at the price of P75.00.   It was filled with the right amount mixture of vegetables and served with vinegar.  A rating of 4/5.

chicken fillet in special sauce

We were told that this is their best-selling recipe the Chicken fillet in special sauce.  When asked if what composed of the special sauce, we were informed that a mixture of mayo and secret spices.  The Chicken Fillet was truly delectable, although it was fried, I find it really tasty and one piece is not enough.  A rating of 5/5.

black gulaman

For beverage, we had Black Gulaman at the price of P60.00.  No scrimping on the sago and gulaman used and was satisfying and refreshing!   A rating of 5/5.

Overall, I give the rating of 4/5 for the service, 4/5 for the ambiance and 3/5 for the food.

Branches:

1.  Robinson’s Galleria 2nd level  East Wing, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave. Quezon City.  Tel. No. 638-4523.

2. Robinsons Place-Pioneer 1st Level, , EDSA cor. Pioneer Rd.Mandaluyong City.  Tel. No.687-2691.

3.  Waltermart, Ground Floor 790 Chino Roces Ave. Makati City.  Tel. No. 889-7749.

4.  Robinson’s Place-Manila 1st Level Padre Faura, M. Adriatico St., Ermita Manila.  Tel. No.522-4987.

NOTE:   If you dine at Mr. Choi’s Kitchen, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

Van Gogh is Bipolar Restaurant

To all readers, I welcome you to peer into an asylum filled with artistry and passion from the owners that I am sure everyone (once experienced) will leave you appealed and amused. And I am not just pertaining to the interiors of the place, but also the yummy food that everyone will definitely enjoy. This is one asylum I will never get tired checking myself into. I introduce to you “Van Gogh is Bipolar Restaurant”

When I got in to the place, at first I felt a little.. Err, well.. weird. A restaurant that requires you to take off your shoes? And I thought only the Japanese are the ones require you to do that. I told myself, this is a restaurant, you can’t eat barefooted. But the moment I step in, I finally understand why. Looking around at the place, the first thing that the place wants you to do is to simply relax and enjoy. The place has no waiters, thus throw the formalities out of the door. Van Gogh requires you to just be casual and cozy with everybody, the owners, and the ambience and even to the guest around you.

So time to order some food, The place is self service so to place your order, just flip over the menu and write in a piece of paper, ring the bell and just hand it over to the chef. That’s it. I for one at first really felt shy and awkward with the process so thank God for first timers like me there was Ate Ron who is always around to help.

I guess while waiting, I’ll take the time to look around the place.

Ate Ron’s Table

Van Gogh Wardrobe

Shoutouts and Calling Cards

Fancy Bubbly

I personally truly enjoyed looking at the different artworks and photographs that the owner exhibits in the place. It’s like his own personal museum of experiences and fancies. Look closely and you may some “shots” of wisdoms scattered all around his displays. I enjoyed doing a little scavenger hunt of my own over these quotable quotes made originally by the owner.

Now for some tea….

Teapots and teacups are available for everyone, choose whichever strikes your fancy. You can always go back and get as much tea as you want. There are many kinds of tea to choose from. The owner even says that drinking a certain kind of tea can help change your mood. As I Drink my tea and matching it with the ambiance it reminded me of being the Mad Hatter in Alice in Wonderland.

Dinner is Serve

Godfather (Salmon)

Godfather (Australian Beef)

This food is called Godfather I and II. Sadly I don’t remember which Godfather corresponds to the salmon and which one the Australian beef. But I assure you, both dishes are YUMMY!

A Little after dinner bubbly

A Few Notes to all foodies out there who wants to try out the place.

- The place is only open at a certain time. Check out the facebook link for details and updates of the restaurant

- The restaurant always delivers something new once in awhile. So to get updates, check out their facebook

- Forget about dressing formal for this place, as I mentioned before, be casual as in shorts and sandal casual.

- The Interior can only accommodate at least 10 guests, anything beyond that must stay/wait outside. So it may be best to make reservation to assure you a seat.

- After dinner, the owner will encourage you to “leave your mark” He’ll let you write something on his wall (No not in facebook but literally the wall) or carve something in his table.

So that’s all to talk about for now, I hope the pictures help give you a good visualization of the place. I truly recommend giving this place and experience the little asylum of van Gogh.

chocolate kiss cafe

The Chocolate Kiss Cafe in Roces Avenue, Quezon City at night.

The interior of The Chocolate Kiss Cafe Roces Avenue branch.

Another angle of the interior of The Chocolate Kiss Cafe Roces Avenue branch.

For starters, we had Nachos Overload, tortilla chips, beef chili, salsa and nacho cheese at the price of P230.00 if you want it spicy you can add Jalapeno and the price will be P240.00.  Tortilla chips was crunchy, perfect for bonding moments while you and your companion is having a chat.  Beef chili dip was a spicy, salsa used was fresh and nacho cheese has the right combination of cheese and milk it blended really well.  I give this a rating of 5/5.

Spinach Cream Dip, spinach, mushrooms and roasted peppers in cream cheese dip.  Served with butter-toasted french bread.  P190.00.  I loved their french bread it was soft, chewy and guaranteed freshly baked.   Spinach Cream Dip was tasty and the combination of cream cheese and mozzarella cheese was dominant.  My son loved this very much.   I give this a rating of 5/5.

Chicken Kiev, roulade of tender chicken breast filled with cream cheese, butter, herbs.  Served with mixed vegetables and rice.  P200.00 if with garlic mashed potatoes P220.00.  Chicken was cooked and seasoned to perfection, crunchy, and tasty.  Loved the sauce poured on top, it makes the dish creamy and not dry even they used chicken breast.   I give this a rating of 5/5.

Carbonara Supreme, spaghetti tossed with sauteed bacon, ham, and mushrooms with creamy bechamel sauce P185.00.  My all-time favorite dish…pasta!  I requested for parmesan cheese for it was a little bland when it was served, but with the right dash of cheese it was already delectable for they didn’t scrimp on ingredients used.    I give this a rating of 4/5.

They served brewed Iced Tea P65.00.  And this was the first among all brewed iced tea that a restaurant offers that I really liked the most.  For I will be in charge to blend the sweetness to the real taste of tea, definitely brewed and refreshing!  I give this a rating of 5/5.

Overall, my Chocolate Kiss Cafe experienced has been delightful and we were all satisfied with the dish ordered.  And I give the rating of 5/5 for the service, 4/5 for the ambiance and 5/5 for the food.

Branches:

1.  G/F Ang Bahay ng Alumni, R. Magsaysay St., UP Diliman Quezon City.   Tel.No. 433-3782.

2.  G/F Korben Place, 91 A. Roces Ave. cor. Sct. Tobias Quezon City.  Tel. No. 412-7876.

NOTE:   If you dine at The Chocolate Kiss Cafe, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

little asia

exterior look of the resto

One good place that serves very good asian cuisine is at Little Asia. I’ve been hearing about the tasty dishes they serve from friends and relatives and I have read about the numerous awards this restaurant have received. Little asia serves asian food mixtures of japanese, chinese, vietnamese, korean, thai etc. So armed with our digital camera we visited Little Asia at Tomas Morato for lunch to check what they have to offer.

So far, parking during lunch time was easy, dinner could have been a different story but I notice they offer valet parking service so i’m sure looking for a place to park your car will not be an issue even during dinner time.

interior

Upon entry you will be greeted by their staff. There are a couple of seats at the waiting area where you can check the menu and get your orders taken while they are preparing your seats.  Their walls are uniquely designed with paintings painted on the wall. You can also easily notice the reddish color of the wall as the color red is an appetite stimulant. They have separate areas for smoking and non-smoking as well.

japanese tofu steak

To start off, we ordered Japanese Tofu Steak, pan fried tofu with shredded chicken, mushrooms and kuchay priced at 195.  The tofu was very soft in the inside and no effort is needed to chew on eat. I personally love to eat tofu which could be one of the reasons why I enjoyed this dish. The mushrooms are very tasty and the sauce is light soy sauce.

yang chow fried rice

Yang chow fried rice had been my all time favorite. Ingredients include pork asado, shrimps, leeks, lettuce, carrots, green peas and eggs price at P225.00 good enough for 3-4 people.  This dish is very tasty and with the load of the ingredients, you can eat the fried rice alone with no viand.

boneless tilapia in honey mayo sauce

One of the bestsellers at Little Asia is the Boneless Tilapia in Honey Mayo Sauce. It is 2 pieces Fried tilapia fillets, sauteed onions and garlic with honey mayonnaise dressing price at P215.00. It has a crunchy outer layer and soft tilapia meat inside, the honey mayo sauce is very tasty. This dish is worth trying!

Cantonese Prawns

For seafood, we tried the Cantonese Prawns.  Sauteed prawns with melted cheese and cream sauce price at P355.00. The presentation is very simple yet the taste was fantastic. You can tell that the prawns are fresh through its color and taste. The prawn meat does not stick on its shell and the sauce is very tasty. Its a bit pricey for a few pieces of prawn but it is worth its value.

Some of the dishes we have tried at little asia that is Highly recommended are Korean Beef Stew, Chicken Teriyaki, Vietnamese Chicken with orange and honey, Eggplant with minced pork, Minced Chicken with Lettuce Cups and Gyoza.

little asia's bottomless iced tea

Of course, one way to enjoy good food is to complement it with a cold drink. Try Little Asia’s bottomless iced tea. They also serve fruit shakes like mango, green mango, watermelon, melon and buco.

Overall our experience at Little Asia is very good. We give the food and service  5/5 and  4/5 for the ambiance. I’m sure we will again visit Little Asia for another tasty experience.

Little Asia Branches :

1. 195-B Tomas Morato cor. Scout Fuentebella, QC   Tel No. 373-0609 / 410-4937

2. Greenhills Promenade, 2nd Level Ortigas, San Juan City Tel No. 727-5265

3. Venice Piazza at Mckinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City

NOTE:   If you dine at Little Asia, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.

chilis

chili's logo

If you like western food with huge servings, chilis is one place you should try. From fries, to tacos, to salads, to burgers, to ribs and to steaks you will definitely enjoy stuffing yourself. My first impression of chilis is that they serve spicy food, but don’t let their logo turn you down if you dont like spicy food, you can try to order something less spicy or non-spicy at all. Chili’s offer mexican-american food.

chilis

We visited chili’s branch in Tomas Morato. Before you get seated, they have a waiting area while they are preparing the vacant tables. Their staff are very friendly and courteous, and you can start looking at the menu while you are in the waiting area.  Inside the restaurant, you will feel the homey ambiance. The place is very well lighted, aircon is not too cold. There are also memorabilia hanged on the walls and on the ceiling, with cable tv shows running on the screens inside the restaurant, you can feel comfortable the moment you get seated. No problem for non-smokers since they have a separate smoking and non smoking area.

Tostada chips and salsa (bottomless)

One of my favorite appetizers in chili’s is the refillable tostada chips and salsa. The serving of this dish is overwhelming. You will love the taste of the salsa which is a bit on the spicy side made from tomato and chili. The tostada chips are very crispy. This is perfect for sharing since it is completely refillable. But just to warn you, this can bloat you easily and preventing you to eat the other dishes you ordered. Personally, I  just have a hard time restraining myself to eat this because I really love the salsa. This is Priced at   P310.00 . Great Appetizer and Best for Sharing!

Little Chicken Crispers and Fries

This is the kids version of  Chicken Crispers and Fries. I ordered this for my son since he loves to eat fries. Priced at  P160.00  . It comes with a refillable soda, iced tea or lemonade. Well the fries is crispy, but nothing so special about it, it taste like ordinary fries from known fastfood and restaurants. The chicken is coated with some breading, taste is relatively ok, texture is a bit soft inspite of being deep fried. This dish is more of the greasy side.

Half Rack Ribs

One of my favorites is the Half Rack Baby Back Ribs. Priced at  P550.00. This dish is served with your choice of sidings. Some of the choices are corn on a cob, plain rice, chilis rice, mashed potato and  french fries. The chilis rice is like java rice, it is tasty but the texture of the rice is a bit hard. As for the ribs, the meat is tender, easily loose from the bones, the barbecue sauce was even and the meat is very tasty. It is best consumed when served hot. This is highly recommended for ribs lovers. Full slab Price at P840.00

Shrimp Alfredo

Chili’s also serve different types of pasta, including white sauce. Here is the Shrimp Alfredo.  Priced at  P555.00  . Penne pasta cooked al-dente, on rich cream sauce with lots of shrimp in it, sprinkled with chili powder and served with a piece of bread. I really liked this dish, you can taste the cream sauce with a little hint of spice because of the chili powder, not too spicy though. And the shrimp is really tasty.  The serving size is just right for what you pay for. And since its cream sauce, this is another dish that can bloat you easily. This dish is Highly Recommended.

Chili’s offer bottomless soda, iced tea, lemonade and margaritas. They also have a wide selection of desserts, perfect to complement their tasty dishes.

Overall  I give 5/5 for ambiance. 4/5 for food taste and 5/5 for service. Even though it is a bit pricey, you will surely enjoy your visit at Chili’s for the food and friendly service. They also offer party packages for all occasion.

Chili’s Branches :

1. Greenbelt Mall,Ayala Centre, Legaspi Str.,Legaspi Village, Makati City Tel No. 812-0225

2. 26 Missouri Street cor Nevada, Northeast Greenhills San Juan. Tel No. 727-1143

3. Tomas Morato Ave., cor Sct. Fernandez St.,Quezon City Tel No. 372-5022/23

NOTE:   If you dine at Chili’s, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.