Smile To Go Now Open in Mendiola Manila!

Okay I know I need to apologize since I am using pictured from my phone again since my memory card decided to get corrupted for some weird reason but just hold on to it I promise it won't happen again!

So since we are done with the apologies, I am just too tired this past few days that I have been craving milk tea. Luckily I was invited to see the opening of the latest branch of Smile To Go in Mendiola.

Although it looks small on the outside, its actually quite spacious inside and it can fit large groups of student who are studying or if you just want a place if you didn't want to go to class (don't me kids, I've been there too)

During their opening, they had a promo which is buy one take one on some of their drinks, and the whole place was packed! There were already students flowing in to go to the internet cafe that is located above Smile To Go to study and also the groups of student on the area.

One of the perks of this place is that they are open for 24 hours so its really amazing if you are in the area and you need a quiet place to study at night because that was one of my struggles when I was in college. Another thing is their prices are just fit for the budget of students since it ranges from 100 pesos to 125 pesos. Their beverage selection is also amazing since it ranges not just with the usual milk teas but also fruit teas, slush, and also Yakult based drinks.

Here are my top picks for you guys

2 Ladies Milk Tea 

This is the 2 Ladies Milk Tea which consists of milk tea with two toppings which can range from nata crystals with pearls or pudding. I was able to try the one with pudding and I would highly suggest the pudding if you want your milk tea to be a little more creamy and sweet which getting this with a different kind of pearl to give it more texture. 

Super Fresh Fruit Tea 

 If you need a refreshing pick me up The Super Fresh Fruit Tea is what I can recommend for you. It is an acquired taste but honestly the fruits like mango, calamansi, lemon, and also watermelon is quite unique that its definitely a great mood booster as well since citrus fruits can energize our body and mind. 

Oreo Cream Cheesecake Milk Tea 

 Lastly, I would be recommending the Oreo Cream Cheesecake Milk Tea if you are someone that is looking for a creamy sweet flavor that is great when you are hanging out with your friends. I have always put this kind of drink as the perfect drink to have with friends because you don't really feel that you are drinking too much and also it doesn't get watered down that much since it has been blended together.

I do hope Smile To go will open a brand near me so I can go back and try more of their drinks because three is definitely not enough haha!

For more Smile To Go check out their social media pages.

Much Love!
xx ALice

Juana's Budbod Now Available in Espana Manila

Hailing from Rizal, Budbod refers to a dish of either fried or seasoned riced sprinkled with toppings that ranges from meat and vegetables or other viand you can think of.  I have tried this before when I visited some friends in Rizal but I was surprised that Budbod is not really known in Metro Manila and luckily Juana's Budbod is bringing this amazing feast in Manila and has opened a new branch along Espana! 

Their interior is very homey and simple - just like being in the country side. There are pictures that adorn the establishment of food that they offer and they all look so delicious. 

So there is actually a way to enjoy budbod which is shown on the picture above. The coolest thing about this is you have the options to enjoy budbod with your hands! I actually love this idea because it brings us back to simple times when people won't judge you by using your hands in eating - because that is how our ancestors did it. Don't worry if you are not comfortable using your bare hands since Juana's Budbod will actually provide you with disposable plastic gloves. 

You can choose from a variety of sets they offer but personally I would say go for the Kombi-Budbod which is a mix of 2 budbod with a side of salted egg, banana and a drink. 

I picked shawarma and adobo flakes and it was awesome! And to be honest their serving was enough for me to be full which I am surprised because I love rice meals and I was amazed how big their rice portions are. So definitely go with this if you are a big eater. 

But if that is not your thing, Try out their Adobo melt but which is adobo flakes with cheese. This is actually quite big and affordable for 60 php you will get filled up with this. 

This is definitely one of my favorites - Lumpiang shanghai! They have bite sized lumpiang shanghai that tastes so good I was actually deciding to buy one of their Shanghai bucket for only 100 php to take home but I don't think it will make it home. 

One of the highlights for me was their dessert which is their Leche-ube Llanera! This is typically served frozen so better order this by the time you finish your meal because it taste so delicious. Its like an ice cream flan with ube that for sure everybody will absolutely love. 

And last but not the least I would like you to try their Iced Barako coffee which is made by order so be patient when you order this because they really take their time in perfecting this drink. 

Sa totoo lang mas matapang pa tong kape na to kesa sa ex mong di ka pinaglaban.

And yes I said it. napapahugot ako sa kape nila so dapat subukan nyo sila. 

Overall Juana's is definitely something you guys try and enjoy one of the best food experience Rizal that fortunately is in Metro Manila!

Check out Juana's Budbod on their social media pages too!

Much Love!
xx Alice 

Wings and Ribs for days at MWilliams Diner

I would admit that I didn't grow up eating ribs because my parents didn't really introduced this to me but when I first tried it from a quite known restaurant when I was 18 I was hooked. I love the tenderness of the meat and also how any kind of flavor is perfect with it! I was actually hoping there was a restaurant that offers unlimited ribs and I was in for a treat when I was invited to tag along with my HB Fam to try MWilliams Diner. 

Located in Pembo, Makati in front of OsMak (Ospital ng Makati) This small diner can seat about 20pax but its not a cramped space so if you want to have a meal with your family or friends this is actually the place to go to. 

They actually offer unlimited Ribs and Wings and also they also offer it with rice and free iced tea. A Total Package! 

Besides from the unlimited wings and ribs they also offer rice meals so if you would like to enjoy rice without overwhelming yourself get yourself a rice meal! I would definitely recommend trying the sisig and tapa because they are legit the best that I have tried so far! 

  

And you guys know me I love me some pasta and my eyes just glimmered with joy because I love pasta! I would definitely recommend all of it because they are amazing. My utmost favorite is actually the carbonara and aglio olio. I don't have to explain why because I want you to try them out too!

Their wings have 8 flavors for the unlimited and two other for only ala carte. 

Here are the flavors: 

Classic

Teriyaki

Hickory BBQ

Salted Egg

Sweet and Spicy 

Garlic Parmesan 

Soy Honey 

Classic Buffalo 

Ala Carte Only

Cheesy Garlic 

Cheesy Bacon 

For the Ribs there are currently 4 flavors available: 

BBQ

Teriyaki 

Soy Honey 

Sweet and Spicy 

And for your sweet tooth they also offer Silvanas from Dumaguete and this is actually amazing because its just the perfect way to end your unli experience with the wings and ribs by MWilliams. 

I would definitely get these next time I go here. I do hope that they would have a branch in Quezon City because Pembo is quite far from me. But I am willing to travel far for good food. 

For more information, check out MWilliams Diner on Facebook and other social media pages for more information. 

Much Love! 

xx Alice 

Affordable Japanese Gyoza with Suki Gyouza

NOTE: MY MEMORY CARD GOT CORRUPTED SO I ONLY HAVE THESE PHOTOS SO DON'T HATE ME >_<

Gyoza is probably one of the most known Japanese dishes in the world next to sushi and ramen. And there might be a lot of establishments that offer gyoza but this place me and my hungry byaheros found is I personally think is one of the best in the metro! 

And I am talking about Suki Gyouza at the Food Parade in BGC. 

This small kiosk located at the Food Parade in BGC only serves one thing - Gyoza! And I know its kind of a lame concept because why sell only gyoza right? But here is the thing though, Suki Gyouza is actually very similar to establishments in Japan in which the minimalism strategy is in full use in restaurants since there are other restaurants in Japan that offer only a limited set of food and sometimes even the number of servings!  

And its actually a good thing since if you only have one item in the menu it would be easier to get your business up because you will have more time in perfecting the flavor of your product.

Suki Gyoza did actually that and when we tried their food it reminded me of the time a family friend that is from Japan came to visit and prepared this for us one time. The way it was cooked is on point and also the flavor is just right. You can actually enjoy this with or without rice! 

The meat is quite tender and did not dry out as being the usual culprit if you don't know the proper way to prepare gyoza. The wrapping is not too thick nor too thin and didn't break up when you use chopsticks on it. 

And for as low as 65 pesos you can enjoy Gyoza! Here's the complete list of the things on their menu:

4pcs - Php 65 

6pcs - Php 85 

12pcs - Php 160 

30pcs (FROZEN) - Php 320 

Rice meals 

4pc - Php 90

6pc -Php 110 

Batta Rice - Php 30 

They currently have four branches: Ayala Clover leaf in Balintawak, Alley Streetfood Food District signatures at BGC, The Pantree in Legaspi Village and Eden Food Hall in BGC. 

Overall I am actually happy with this gyoza the only thing I hope they can do is have a branch in cubao because its quite far from my place and I hope to enjoy Suki Gyouza in a location near me because its sooo good! 

Check them out on their social media and also check them out to the branch near you. 

Much Love! 

xx Alixe

Modern Table 082 Brings out the classy side in Korean Food

NOTE: SOME OF THE FOOD DOESN'T HAVE A PICTURE IN IT BECAUSE MY MEMORY CARD GOT CORRUPTED AND I HAD TO REFORMAT IT I AM SO SORRY >0<

I love Korean food and if you haven’t noticed I like eating at different places and ways

Korean food is served and some time ago we went and tried Modern Table 082. Modern Table 082

is located at City of Dreams and serves a variety of Western and Korean dishes.

It's actually easy to find since its at the upper level of City of Dreams and

it's quite accessible with the parking area. On the outside you will be able

to see that they have a quite large and open dining area with big television

showing different sport programs ranging from the European to South Korean sport broadcasts.

It may look like a typical sports bar but don’t let the facade of this restaurant fool you because

the food is actually great. 

As I have mentioned, their menu is quite large and the prices are quite up there since it is

located in City of Dreams but it won’t leave you disappointed and the servings are quite huge.

Me and the crew were able to enjoy quite a lot from their menu and here are my top picks.

Shrimp Chicken (Php1290) 

This dish consists of spicy creamy sauce on pan fried chicken and butter grilled shrimp and

mozzarella cheese and when it is served, it will be flamed up for an added smokiness for the

meat and cheese goodness. This was actually one of the dishes that I am quite excited to

try to see if its really spicy but if you ask me it is on a very mild level and the mozzarella

topped on it gives a different dimension or flavor to the whole dish.

The chicken and shrimp were cooked to be just right and juicy. A serving of this dish

is actually perfect for 5 people so if you are a large group dining at Modern Table 082

this is definitely a great main dish to try. 

Bacon Potato Pizza (Medium Php 699 Large Php 999)

Baked Potato wedges and bacon on top this pizza is a new concept for me since it literally had

a potato wedge in the middle of each slice and it is quite basic in terms of taste but if you bite

into the potato wedge which is baked the creaminess of the potato adds a little kick in the whole

pizza. 

I like the presentation and taste and I think this is great with children because its a very simple

pizza with a potato on it which actually great since you would also be feeding them vegetables

in small ways. I am an aunt of three kids so I know the struggle of parents since the majority of

my life offline is taking care of those kiddos so maybe next time we go to there I will let them try

this. 

These kiddos are not picky eaters but they have their standards when it comes to pizza so I

think this will pass their standard. 

Gorgonzola (Medium Php 799 Large Php 1099)

This is probably the kind of pizza I will get if I am with my sister or my friends because its

light and slightly sweet since it will be served with a drizzle of honey. I liked this quite a lot

and since its thin dough doesn’t overpower the cheese that much. It might be an acquired

taste on your first bite, but trust me this is a great pizza to enjoy not just with the ladies but for

the whole family. 

The King of Cheese Pasta (Php 799)

I will admit that we picked this because it looked cute that it will be served table side and it's

quite a feat in seeing the chef mixing the pasta with the cheese. The taste is very creamy but

not overwhelming to the palate since most of the dishes that we have eaten consisted of cheese

too. And although this might be the most expensive pasta I have tried, the serving is enough for

a group so you are getting a great deal out of this dish. 

Soju Mojito (php 595) 

This is actually a drink I had and yes it is an alcoholic beverage so don’t judge me because I

really want to try this. Its actually a different take to the mojito I have tried before since the kick

of the alcohol was kind of instant since they used soju but its not going to make you drunk

immediately if you ask me. The presentation is simple but the taste is phenomenal and I think

the next time I will be at City of Dreams this will be my drink of choice. 

The drink choices at Modern Table 082 is varied to your liking.

They also serve local beers and international ones - even ones that I have never heard of.

And of course they have soju so if you want to enjoy the night with it you can get it at

Modern Table 082. 

And if alcohol is not your fancy, they also serve coffee, soda, juices and smoothies especially

if you will be with younger ones on your foodie trip here.  

Oreo and Mango Bingsu (php 599/each) 

And of course, why would I forget dessert! The only dessert I was feeling that night was

something cool and they have three variants of bingsu: Strawberry, Mango, and Oreo.

We got the Mango and Oreo thinking it was a small serving but boy were we wrong!

The serving is fit for about 2-3 person and it doesn’t skimp out on the toppings.

The Mango was sweet but not too much and the mango cubes were big and the shaved ice

along with the milk is just divine and a right way to end our feast at Modern Table 082. 

The oreo bingsu is also amazing I am surprised with it because even if the shaved iced

overpowered the oreo it tasted so good! If you will be asking if this is great for kids I would

definitely say yes to it because its chocolate taste doesn’t get watered down one bit. 

Overall, Our experience at Modern Table 082 is amazing and definitely one of the places

I will go back to in the future. I do appreciate that their staff is very attentive and one of the

coolest features they have is on every table there is a button where you can call their staff

instead of calling them out the traditional way which lessens the hassle if it's quite busy. 

Another thing I would like to add too is they have a smoking area that is well ventilated,

so to my smoker friends out there you don’t have to worry if you have to go far just to

smoke because I know the hassle of it.

Modern Table 082 is located at the Upperground Floor, City of Dreams, Paranaque City. 

Contact number: (02) 8888-0082

Facebook: Facebook.com/moderntableph

Website. www.moderntable.ph

Much Love! 

Xx Alice