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.

spiral

It had been an eventful day for us, for we had the privilege to dine at the most sought out buffet in Manila at the Spiral by Sofitel Philippine Plaza Manila located at CCP Complex Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

Upon entrance we were enthralled by the spiral staircase paired with the spiral steel design, underneath that spiral steel design was a mini fountain that gave the interior of the dining area a different ambiance.  It’s as if serenity is what the ambiance entails.

A very serene place to dine, space is not an issue, for the dining area was huge and spacious.  Your choice where will you be seated as long as you make an early reservation or if the area is available.  May it be by the window where al fresco area, children’s play area and swimming pool are viewable, or you may opt to be near their different cuisines section such as the Korean cuisine wherein round tables were available, or by the Japanese cuisine section, or beside the mini-fountain at the center of the dining area.

seafood section

other side of seafood section

Their seafood section has shrimp, oysters, mussels and crabs all unlimited.  I was amazed as how each seafood were presented.  You can eat it cold or you can request for it to be baked or cooked with your choice of garnish.  I had my shrimps sauteed in butter and garlic, and ask them to fry the crab.  Shrimps were still delectable in it’s form even I have it sauteed again, but the crabs were disappointing.  I was excited that I can eat only the crab pincer but was disappointed that the meat became too dry.

wine and cheese section

Start of what they call the Mediterranean Cuisine Section.  Choices of different wine, cheese, dip and different whole wheat biscuits were available in this section.

salad section

Part of Mediterranean Cuisine Section are different approach to  salad.  You can have it the create-your-own-salad, or you can choose among the prepared one such as the combination of  Pomelo Orange Cranberries Salad, i find the combination bitter to my taste.  Their  Shrimp Orange Salad is a great tasting combination, for shrimp used was fresh and the orange was sweet and juicy, and there’s a  whole lot more of choices that I haven’t got the chance to take note of.

bread section

Another part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section was the different kinds of bread, pizza, and pasta.  You can ask their chef to cook you a pasta according to your preference of ingredients and sauce to use.  It was exciting but warn you carbo load can bloat you immediately.  I have tasted their cheese pizza it was delectable.  I thought it would taste bland for theirs was thin crust, but to my amazement it was tasty and flavorful.

mediterranean food section

Another part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section was the paella,  and chicken shawarma station.  Paella was okay but was not something that you would crave for again, while Chicken Shawarma was something!  I thought it will be just a typical taste of shawarma, but it was not!  Chicken was very tasty it has been marinated way before it was placed at the shawarma machine.

cold japanese

cold japanese

In Spiral, their Cold Japanese was part of the Mediterranean Section.  I noticed number of guests were in line for this section, and surprisingly, Chefs assigned managed this station to be well-stocked.

japanese food section

Now, their Hot Japanese Cuisine Section was separated from the Cold Japanese for the latter was part of the Mediterranean Cuisine Section.   This section carried the ever-famous Prawn Tempura, Yakisoba, Miso Soup, Lapu-lapu fillet on a sticky rice, mini scallops and a whole lot more!  It was really too many dishes to mention.  I like the freshness of every dishes served.

indian cuisine section

international cuisine section

International Cuisine Section was the home for their Prime Ribs, and Roasted Chicken that’s really worth visiting.

chinese cuisine section

Chinese Cuisine Section, where the famous mango-sago dessert was a hit! It was refreshing!  Dimsum, Noodles, Beef, Fish all cooked in chinese style was superb.

korean cuisine section

Their Korean Cuisine Section was where the Peking Duck stationed.  It was juicy but the skin of the Peking Duck was not crunchy as it should be anymore.

pastries and sweets

They’ve got tons and tons of pastries and sweets to name a few were Sugar-free strawberry panna cotta, sugar-free chocolate panna cotta, creme brulee, mocha brulee and other pastries that one couldn’t imagine that they can eat and taste it here all in Spiral.

fruit, chocolate fountain

Some fruit in season were available such as Dragon Fruit, Mangosteen, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Mango, Star Apple and Orange.   White and Dark Chocolate Fountain were also available where some skewered fruit and marshmallows were already prepared.

crepes, churros, cookies, halo-halo

Crepes with your choice of fruit and toppings , Baked Cookies, Churros, and Halo-halo were all in these section.  I can vouch for the crepes that it was good but was only disappointed as how it was prepared.  It was not as perfect as I have expected.  Baked cookies were on a bland side, Churros as expected was oily but delectable partnered with melted chocolate.   Halo-halo was still a hit eversince I have visited Spiral up until now.

ice cream

What’s a dessert without Ice Cream in tow?  Their Pistachos was superb! And has been the most favorite of the guests.  You can have as many scoops as you want with your choice of toppings of cereal, choco chips, and/or grated almonds.

For the price of P1927.00 net of tax and service charge per head,  if you don’t have their Accor Advantage Plus card or for the price of P1927.00 for two persons if with mentioned membership card.  There was a complimentary coffee and tea for the said amount.

All in all it was a very hearty meal.  I give 5/5 for the ambiance, 4/5 for the service, 4/5 for the price and 5/5 for the food.

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

cibo

cibo Trinoma Mall

Another great place for pasta and dessert is Cibo. Recently we visited cibo at Trinoma Mall in Quezon City. They manage to improve the interior this time, they placed couch on the side and they have a satellite resto inside the mall proper as well. However the food you order at the satellite resto will be delivered from the main resto. The inside of the resto is very well lighted, cozy, and the temperature is just perfect, fit for a wonderful date. Sitted on a comfortable couch, I can’t wait to grab a menu to place my order.

spinaci zola

For appetizer, we ordered Spinaci zola:  spinach, gorgonzola in foccacia bread. Price: P218.00 Wow, the spinach dip is very very good! It taste a little sour, a bit like sourcream. And the foccacia bread is freshly prepared, crunchy outside and soft in the inside. My 2 year old son loves it. I give this dish a 5/5.

linguine alla ghiotta

For the main course, we ordered Linguine alla ghiotta, it has mushrooms, slab of bacon in cream sauce. Price for single serve P298.00, for sharing P520.00. This dish is the counterpart of carbonara for other restaurants that offer pasta.  However, the cream for alla ghiotta is a bit lighter than the typical carbonara. Just a suggestion, if you like a thicker sauce, you might want to ask for some extra fresh parmesan cheese. This dish is served with a piece of foccacia bread. Another 5/5 for this dish.

farfalle alla veneziana

Another pasta dish  is the Farfalle alla veneziana. Its a bowtie pasta with sauteed seafood in cream sauce with parsley. Price if single serve P258.00, for sharing P455.00.  This dish is a bit similar to alla ghiotta, however seafood is the main ingredient. Just a suggestion, request to use fettucine or linguine for the pasta instead of the bowtie because the  bowtie pasta does not absorb the cream sauce which make it dry to the taste. I give this dish 3/5.

rigatoni all alfonso

Rigatoni all alfonso has shrimps, chives, stewed tomatoes, cream and chili peppers.  P325 for single serve and P573 for sharing.  It is creamy and the pasta is really al dente!  You can’t wait to taste it’s every bite.  At first, I thought that the combination of stewed tomatoes and cream will make it taste like baked ziti, but then it’s all a different story.  I give this 5/5.

penne al telefono

I have read a lot of recommendations of this menu, that’s why I really can’t leave Cibo without tasting the most recommended dish.  Penne Al Telefono cooked with stewed tomatoes, mozzarella, white cheese, basil and cream P315 for single serve and P550 for sharing.  This is truly a winner among all others in my opinion.  I have never tasted a pasta with a simple recipe without even seafood nor meat but truly tasted pasta cooked by chefs!  I can taste every ingredients of this dish and I can say there’s  no scrimping here!  I give this 5/5.

praga

Praga, their version of pizza with mozzarella, smoked cooked ham and mushrooms at the price of  P353.00.  I don’t like this that much, I find the dough hard for me to chew it.  Wasn’t able to taste the topping used, the dough seems overpowering the taste of the toppings.  I give this 3/5.

R

torta di ricotta

For dessert, we had  Torta di ricotta, salsa di caramello. Its a cheesecake with caramelized glaze Price is P168.00. You can taste the richness of the cheesecake. The cake is very soft, and crunchy outside.  This is different from any other cheesecake shop,  for this crumbles instead of sticks to the utensils used.  I give this dish a 4/5.

cafe mocca freddo

And of course, whats a good meal without an ice cold drink. I ordered a  Caffe mocca freddo it’s an iced chocolate drink Price at P98.00, if decaf P108.00. It tastes a lot like Mocha Frappucino of a very well known coffee shop, minus the sweetness. Yeah believe it or not, it’s an iced chocolate drink but is not too sweet. I will surely order this again if I get a chance to visit cibo next time around. Two thumbs up! 5/5

te freddo with mint syrup

My wife had a Te freddo with mint syrup Price  at P80.00.  This is a mint iced tea. I got a chance to taste this and wow! it is like the aftermath of eating a mint candy, or should I say just finished brushing my teeth. You should try this as well. 5/5 for the taste and presentation.

uvanera

Uvanera, red grape fruit shake price at P110.00.  Never tasted grape fruit shake this good!  Not that sweet and so refreshing.  Fruit shake is highly recommended in this restaurant for they never scrimp on the ingredients used.  I  give this 5/5.

pompelmo

Pompelmo, pomelo shake price at P110.00.  I was expecting this to tastes like grapefruit when it comes to bitterness and sourness but then it surprised me to know it was not that bitter!  There’s a hint of sourness alright but sweetness dominates the tastes so why worry to sip and sip? It is pomelo fruit shake and yet i’m confused why it’s tasted like not pomelo.  Confusing right? Might as well give it a try when you visit this resto.  I give this 5/5.

avocado shake

Finally I ordered a glass of Avocado shake for my son. He wont stop drinking it so I was curious how it tastes like. I tried some of it, and it’s a rich fruit shake, not like the fruit shake offered by other restaurants which is full of ice and sugar, this one is rich in avocado, just not recommended for those with cholesterol problems. another 5/5.

Overall, I give Cibo a 4/5 for the ambiance, food and serving size. The price is a bit pricey, but in my opinion it compensates the quality of the food they offer.

Cibo Branches :

1.  2/F Corte delas Palmas ATC, Alabang-Zapote Rd. Muntinlupa City.  Tel. No. 842-7285

2.  Greenhills Shopping Center Promenade, Missouri St., Ortigas Ave. San Juan. Tel. No. 727-3359

3.  2nd Floor Greenbelt 5, Legaspi St., Legaspi Village Makati City.  Tel. No. 758-2426

4.  Trinoma, EDSA cor. North Ave. Quezon City.  Tel. No. 916-7165

5.  Glorietta 4, Ayala Ave. cor. Pasay Rd., Ayala Center Makati City.  Tel. No. 892-3963

6.  Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao Quezon City.  Tel. No. 913-2426

7.  Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center Hidalgo cor. Estrella St. Makati City.  Tel. No. 898-0366

8.  EDSA Shangri-la Mall, EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd. Mandaluyong City.  Tel. No. 631-7753

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

california pizza kitchen

california pizza kitchen

Being a fan of pizza and pasta, my family and I recently visited California Pizza Kitchen or CPK at Shang-rila Mall at Mandaluyong City. I’ve been to different branches of CPK already (Trinoma Mall Quezon City which came from Tomas Morato, Greenhills San Juan. and Glorietta in Makati) but i like the Shang-rila branch best because i find it very spacious. CPK has been around in the Philippines for some period of time already. The name speaks for itself, they serve Pizza’s and Pasta with appetizers like salads and spring rolls and pastries for dessert. Not much change was made to their menu except for some new added dishes with filipino twist. 

I find the restaurant very clean and spacious. Carpeted flooring with a very good lighting and cold aircon, the place is very suitable for a romantic date or a family dine out. Upon seeing the restaurant, it brings you a level of prestige and a feeling of fine dining.

california pizza kitchen kitchen ambiance

To start our meal, we had a Chinese Chicken Salad for appetizer. It is composed of chopped lettuce, carrots, chunks of chicken, sesame seeds, chopped onion grass and some chinese sauce. It is also mixed with some crunchy fried chopped noodle. Wow, this dish is really an appetizer, you can truly taste the sweetness of the sauce. The chopped vegetables are prepared in a way that is really crunchy and tasty, vegetables used are really fresh, however the chicken pieces are too thick, making it dry and hard for oldtimers to eat them.  Size Choices: Half - P265.00, Whole - P 395.00.

chinese chicken salad

For Soup, we had Clam Chowder. I like the texture of the soup being very creamy, with some potato cubes in it. By tasting the soup, you can say that real clams have been used for the broth as it leaves that distinct clam taste on your tongue. You’ll get the feeling that you want more after finishing a bowl.  Serving Choices of Bowl for the price of P295.00 or Cup for the price of P145.00.

clam chowder

For the main dish, we had a Fettucine in Garlic Cream Sauce with Chicken. Another variation for this dish is to include Shrimps instead of chicken. You can also get this dish in plain pasta with no chicken and shrimp. I really love this dish because of the taste of garlic. Pasta is cooked Al-dente and the size of the chicken chunk is just right. The dish is really creamy and tasty, best of all it is not too oily. The serving size is just right since taking too much of this dish will bloat you easily due to heavy cream.  Serving Choices:  Whole for the price of P365.00, Half for the price of P225.00.

 If you want it with chicken- whole P445.00, half - P265.00, with shrimp- whole  P675.00, half - P375.00, or with sauteed mushrooms - whole  P445.00, half - P275.00.

fettuccine with garlic cream sauce

Finally we had a Adobo Chicken Pizza.  Based on its name,  this dish is inspired by the filipino dish Chicken Adobo.  The taste of this pizza is overwhelming. It is indeed adobo in pizza format. You can taste the sweetness and sourrness of the adobo sauce just right to the taste replacing the typical tomato sauce for the ordinary pizza while retaining the mozarella cheese keeping the nature of a good pizza. You can also feel the crunchy onions and bell pepper and the good smell of whole black pepper with every taste. Making you want to order another one to take home.

adobo chicken pizza

For drinks, we had a bottomless ice tea, lemon and raspberry flavor. I’m telling you, the ice tea was so good especially the lemon flavor, you won’t stop filling yourself with it.

The crew was great and the Manager was very accomodating. Over-all, I give 5/5 for this restaurant specially for this branch, for the food, the service and the place. 2 Thumbs up for CPK Shang-rila.

California Pizza Kitchen (Philippines) branches:

1. 2/F  Shangri-la Plaza Mall, Edsa cor. Shaw Blvdo Mandaluyong City Tel. No. 6877841 / 42

2. 2/F  Alabang Town Center Activity Center, Alabang-Zapote Road Muntinlupa City  Tel. No. 8505771

3.  3rd Level Trinoma Mall Edsa cor. North Ave. Quezon City  Tel. No. 9013881

4.    G/F Promenade, Missouri st.  Greenhills Shopping Center San Juan, Metro Manila Tel. No. 7257377

5.  1/F Glorietta 3, Ayala Ave. cor. Pasay Road, Ayala Center Makati City  Tel. No. 8672116

6.  Greenbelt 5, Makati City Tel. No. 4017160

NOTE:   If you dine at California Pizza Kitchen, please let them know that you saw the review from MetroRestoReview.com.