TAIPEI: L'idiot 里帝歐餐廳

台北市民生東路3段156號1樓
No. 156, Sec. 3, Minsheng East Road (next to Starbucks)
Hours: 11:30- 2:30PM / 5:30-10:30PM (midnight on Fridays & Saturdays)
(02) 25456966

PRICE: $$$ (approx. NT$1,500/person ~US$50/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Hail a cab
RESERVATIONS: Recommended
MENU: English & Chinese!
MUST GET: Cheese stuffed meatballs, strawberry tart

I first heard about this restaurant on TV while I was home in LA with my mom. The name, of course, made me curious. Who names their restaurant the idiot? For those of you interested, according to the Taipei Times it's named after a scene in Steve Martin's LA Story and according to the waitress I asked it's because the owner (Fudy) really enjoys French tv and it was a phrase that he heard often. Whatever it is, who cares? The food is good and that's really all that matters.



When you first sit down, they hand you a huge menu but it's no food menu. Here, they give you their drink menu before you can even look at a food menu. Their drink menu is much more extensive than their food menu. I ordered their Red (Strawberry) Mojito while Joe got their Jamaican mule. Both drinks could have been better, but I was really disappointed with mine. For a mojito, the mint flavor was really lacking. Oh well, so cocktails aren't their forte.



First, they hailed over some amuse bouches for us to sample. The first was ricotta cheese on a toasted baguette which was really tasty. I'm usually not a big fan of cheese, but it simply melted in my mouth.



Then came their ahi tuna tartare. Joe quickly devoured his thus the empty spoon in the background. I actually wish a larger helping of this was on their menu, it was much better than the other piece of tuna which you'll see below.



We ordered their roots salad with ricotta cheese. The salad was a good choice since we had so many heavy foods coming up. It was light with a vinaigrette dressing, but nothing special.



Then came the cheese stuffed meatballs which were by far the best thing I ate that night. The meat itself was tender and juicy. The cheese stuffing inside wasn't overpowering nor was the cheese melted on top. After taking a bite into one of these, I was wishing I had ordered spaghetti and meatballs.

Joe and I also split their lentil and chorizo soup which is not pictured because he started to devour it before I even had the chance to take out my camera! The soup as a whole was just alright, but I enjoyed the hefty portion of chorizo in it. (Good chorizo is hard to find in Taiwan it seems.) But in all honestly, I wouldn't order this again.



So after the meatballs, soup, and salad, I was feeling quite full and our entrees hadn't even arrived yet. We ordered their lasagna and veal ravioli with a side of rosemary potatoes. I've never been a huge fan of lasagna and their lasagna has not changed my mind. It's was just too heavy, but not even as cheesey as I was hoping! Joe, however, loved it and he is a big fan of lasagna; so order one for yourself and let me know what you think.



The veal ravioli was great, but the skin was just too much for me. There wasn't enough filling even though they were good sized raviolis. The seared tuna on top of the ravioli overpowered the taste of the veal ravioli. I think they could have and should have been two separate dishes on their own.



While the rosemary potatoes were good, I was really hoping for some mashed potatoes and I was a bit too full at this point to enjoy them. I think I had only one or two. The skin was crisp and the inside soft, but they could have done with more rosemary.



Luckily, Joe's souffle took twenty minutes to prepare so we had a chance to give our stomachs a short rest. Joe loved his souffle and said it was the best thing he ate all night. I am not a big fan of orange flavored things, so I didn't enjoy nearly as much as he did. However, for souffles it was a good souffle. I recommend this if you like orange zest.



Looking at this picture makes me really want one. The strawberries were covered in sauce which was a bit too sweet for me, although the pistachios on top did take away from some of the sweetness. I ended up scraping off some of the strawberries so I could just pick at the tart itself. The crust was delicious. It reminded me of days my cousins and I would fight over the strawberry crust from Marie Calendar's during the holidays.



And as parting favors, we received homemade lollipops! We got passion fruit and raspberry; once I try it, I'll let you know how it is.



Being in Taiwan, good food that's not Taiwanese, Thai, Japanese, and Italian is hard to come by; so I strongly recommend you come here at least once. The price may be a bit high compared to other restaurants in Taiwan, but it all just depends on what you order.

some damn really good food.

i'm currently reading this book by anthony bourdain (love him) and i just finished this story about selected restaurants in new york which inspired me to write this.



here is a compilation of the best food i've ever had (in random order):

french fries jerry's (new york, new york)
it was once located in soho, right next to j. crew and the apple store. too bad this place closed. it had amazing shoestring fries drizzled with truffle oil. i don't think i've found a place that can compare yet.

steak fogo de chao (los angeles, california)
brazilian barbecue at its finest. i chose this place because there's just so much to choose from here and they are all good. i've been to mortons and lawrys, but why settle for just one kind of meat if you can have many? the garlic infused one is my favorite.

korean bbq chosun (los angeles, california)
in all honesty, the best korean bbq i've had was in, of course, seoul. there's a place near the lotte plaza, near the two outback steakhouses that are so oddly close to each other, that has mouth-watering spicy kalbi. but since seoul is a bit out of reach for me, i always opt for chosun as a substitute and it is a damn good one. chosun is my first stop after i go back to la and my last stop when i leave la if i time it well enough. i always get their kalbi (beef short ribs), sangyapsal (like bacon), and kejang (raw spicy crab)-- always.

salad chop't (new york, new york)
i'm still thinking about this one actually, but it was the first place that came in mind. you can make your own salad or you can choose from one of their versions. i remember i used to get their steak salad whenever we ordered from here back when i worked at terry hines (my warner bros. gig).

soup au bon pain (new york, new york)
i'm sure you are shaking your head. au bon pain??? yes, au bon pain. i have always loved their tomato basil, wild mushroom bisque, and butternut squash. nothing beats their soup on a cold winter day in new york.

cuban sandwich cafe habana (new york, new york)
drizzled with the green habanero sauce. need i say more?

sushi go sushi (torrance, california)
this little hole in the wall has been better than any of the places i've been to japan (yes, i have been to tokyo and beyond) and for all you new yorkers better than yasuda and blue ribbon (i have yet to go to nobu). it's small and there's no wait. there's a small counter top, but i recommend getting their omakase even if the price can set you back. the chef places just the right amount of everything in front of you. if you don't like wasabi, he'll leave it out. if you don't like it raw, he'll even sear it for you. and he'll even tell you which pieces to dip into soy sauce (and how much to dip) and which pieces you should eat as is.

corn cafe habana (new york, new york)
anyone who has been here knows what i am talking about. even my mom's convinced and she's a corn aficionado! she doesn't even like cheese! their corn is covered in cotija cheese and chili powder with a lime slice on the side. it comes two per order at the restaurant, but you might want one order for just yourself. if you can't deal with the wait, go around the corner to get it to go where an order just comes with one corn on the cobb.

dim sum seafood restaurant in la (alhambra, california)
man, i wish i knew what the name was. i'll find out on my next trip back home (in june/july- sorry!). this place is far from traditional. there are no carts, just a menu so i hope you know the names of your favorite dishes or you're just willing to try whatever sounds good and/or whatever sounds interesting. i remember my favorite dish here was their spicy jellyfish.

peking duck peking duck house (new york, new york)
i have been to the famous one in beijing- the one that has multiple floors and pictures of mao zhe dong (the name currently escapes me), but i still like the duck in new york better. this place is the nicest, cleanest, and most expensive restaurant in new york's chinatown, but it is well worth it. the duck is cut up in front of you. the meat is juicy, the skin is crisp; but it doesn't stop there, make sure you ask them to use the bones for a soup.

pork sakagura (new york, new york)
i grew up eating this kind of pork. my mom makes a delicious one as well, but it is no where near half as succulent as the one found at sakagura. it just melts in your mouth. if you plan on going to try it out, make dinner reservations. this dish isn't served during lunch, so don't even bother going until dinnertime.

beef noodles grandpa chan's (taichung, taiwan)
my mom's beef noodles are hands down the best i have ever had, however unless you are my very good friend and happen to be in hacienda heights, chances are you will never get to try it. so in a FAR second comes grandpa chan's. the broth is good with just a hint of spiciness and the noodles are just right. the major downfall in grandpa chan's noodle in comparison to my mom's is the meat. my mom uses usda choice ribeye for hers and let's be honest what kind of restaurant would spend that much money on beef for beef noodles? grandpa chan's meat is still tender, but just not as tasty.

taiwanese food outside of taiwan ban mu yuan (irvine, california)
ban mu yuan is famous in taiwan as well, so there's no surprise that it made its way into southern california. and this place keeps to its original menu- ones just like its counterparts in taiwan. while they also have great beef noodles, the thing to get is their shien bing which is a thick beef patty wrapped inside a thin flour pancake. be careful when you eat it as the hot soup inside will get everywhere.

soondubu sokongdong (los angeles, california)
this is a small shop with a small, but good menu. it's not commercialized like bcd so it sticks to the original soondubu dishes (i.e. kimchi, seafood). there's no curry or omelet ones here, so if that's what you are into don't come here. i always get their kejang (raw crab... yes, i really love this stuff) and kimchi soondubu with pork.

chicken flor de mayo (new york, new york)
although i am one of the biggest fried chicken fans you will ever met (when i first moved to taiwan, i had fried chicken practically everyday for the first two months!), flor de mayo holds a special spot in my heart for their half roasted chicken with their house special fried rice. their chicharrones de pollo (fried chicken!) is also good, but the roasted one is the way to go. i've tasted other people's dishes while we're at flor de mayo-- everything else has been good too, but i just can't go here without eating their chicken. this place has huge portions, but stays on the cheap.

fried rice fely j's (manila, philippines)
it's kinda crazy eh? a chinese girl from la who went to school in new york and then moved to taiwan yet i write a place in the philippines? you would think there would have been a better chinese place in any one of those places, but no... fely j's hands down. this place was so good, nathan and i went here multiple times in the week we were in manila. everything here was amazing, but their sisig fried rice is a must.

pizza california pizza kitchen (everywhere)
ok, i know what you are thinking... california pizza kitchen??? yes, i love cpk. i love the different, unique pizzas they offer and i love that no matter where you have cpk you can always expect it to taste the same. my personal favorites are their bbq chicken, mushroom, and carne asada pizzas. haha, i also like their kung pao spaghetti.

wings bon chon (new york, new york)
as i said earlier, i am a big fan of fried chicken and i've had my fair share, but this korean version has been the best i have ever tasted. it's not drenched or dripping in oil. the skin is at the right crispiness. and, the best part, it's spicy. however, that's pretty much the only good thing on the menu. their sushi, noodles, and corn are things that are not to be desired, but their wings are worth the long wait.

hot dogs crif dogs (new york, new york)
i was never a big fan of hot dogs until i went to crif dogs. their bacon wrapped hot dogs leave even me wanting to go back for more. my favorites are the good morning (topped with an egg and cheese) and the spicy redneck (which has cabbage, chili, and jalapenos). it's a good lunch or late night, after club/bar snack. also, if you go through the phone booth you'll enter their "secret" lounge bar known as pdt. funny how it's not a secret though...

shabu shabu shabu shabu house (los angeles, california
my family has been going to this place for years. the food, space, and staff have remained the same, but the customers have not. the customers have doubled if not tripled throughout the years! so if you go, expect at least an hour wait unless you are really lucky. you are probably wondering what's so special about this place and how's it different from other shabu shabu joints located throughout los angeles-- it's their meat and sauce. the meat is fresh and carved on the spot. the sauce is not too sweet, not too salty. there's no one taking your table reservation at the front, so make sure when you enter to go to the right side near the rice cooker and sign your name in yourself; if not, you'll be waiting for a while...

hot pot hero tan (taichung, taiwan)
i love spicy hot pot and being in taiwan, i've had my fair share of all the big name joints but hero tan has to be my favorite. unlike most places that offer the "yin-yang" style hot pot (two soups side by side in a pot split down the middle or in a yin-yang shape), hero tan's pot has two concentric circles (in other words, a small circle in the middle of the pot). i always get their spicy broth on the outside and their duck egg and cilantro broth in the inside. although hero tan is an all you can eat place, not everything on their menu is all you can eat. for example, intestines (a personal favorite, don't cringe) can only be ordered one share per person; if you want more, you have to pay an extra NT$280 for a plate. that being said, i still think it's worth it. the broths are better than most as well as the quality of all their meats and vegetables. it may be small portions, but it is all you can eat so just order more!




okay, now i am finally done with my post. i hope that you'll try some new restaurants after reading this! any comments/suggestions, feel free to let me know.

TAIPEI: Shiyang Culture Restaurant 食養山房餐廳

台北市士林區菁山路101巷160號
No. 160, Lane 101, Jinshan Road
Hours: 12:00-3:00PM / 5:30-9:00PM
(02) 2862-0078

PRICE: $$$$ (approx. NT$1100/person ~US$37/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Drive or you can take the MRT to Shilin and hail a cab
RESERVATIONS: Needed
MENU: None.
MUST GET: Everything they give you.

So if you ever get a chance and make it out to Yangmingshan while you are in Taipei, you should definitely try this restaurant. This place definitely takes advantage of its natural surroundings. This restaurant consists of multiple one story buildings, so it takes a while to walk around the entire area. But it's a nice walk surrounded by many trees, flowers, and even some small man-made lakes. It's a bit hard to spot unless you know the area, so make sure you look for the following two pictures, a huge gate, and one of the waiters typically standing guard out front... if not, you might just pass it without realizing.

The restaurant is very elegant, despite being in the middle of the "woods." Everything is very sleek in design and the atmosphere is quite soothing. Shiyang is known for its modern Chinese cuisine. The menu is seasonal, so it's not a place I would go back to again anytime soon but its definitely worth going to at least once. Maybe when it hits wintertime, I'll find my way around here again. It's also a set menu; the only options you can choose from is vegetarian and non-vegetarian, so be open to the dishes they serve you. Everything I had tasted great. The only downfall is that the lunch and dinner menus are the same.





mango + passion fruit puree


vegetarian roll; mountain spring tofu with passion fruit, soy sauce, and wasabi; smoked salmon and potato salad


scallops in a steamed egg custard


pineapple vinegar


smelt fish, rice, and flowers wrapped in bean curd with pumpkin and broccoli on the side


an assorted sashimi and vegetables plate


chrysanthemum vinegar


fried rice cake with abalone


rice with king oyster mushrooms and prosciutto


chicken with lotus roots, lotus seeds, and bamboo soup topped with a waterlily


raspberry puree, panna cotta, papaya, and honeydew melon

The mountain spring tofu with passion fruit, soy sauce, and wasabi was by far the softest tofu I have ever tasted. Not to mention the pairing of passion fruit with soy sauce was amazing! I was also a really big fan of the bean curd with smelt fish, rice, and flowers and the fried rice cake (the abalone I gave to my mother however). I was stuffed after the assorted sashimi and vegetable platter came out, but I was still able to have multiple bowls of the soup! Apparently, for the soup the waiter is supposed to be able to open the lily so carefully that it will actually float on top of the soup, but sadly our lily decided not to cooperate.

So bottomline, for the scenery alone this restaurant is unbelievable but paired with its light and tasty dishes this restaurant has gone to the top of my lists of places people should eat at while in Taiwan. The price is nothing to what you would pay back in the States, but for Taiwan it is quite hefty but it's worth it!




***Also, so funny story... I made the reservation for my mom, my aunt, and me. When we got there, at our table sat a magazine about Taiwan for foreigners! Of course, it was the ONLY table that had this magazine. Once again, my American accent gave me away! How embarassing!

TAIPEI: Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐

台北市忠孝東路三段300號B2
B2, No. 300, Sec. 3, Zhongxiao East Road (inside SOGO)
Hours: 10:00AM-9:30PM
(02) 8772-0528

PRICE: $$$ (approx. NT$400/person ~US$15/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing
RESERVATIONS: Not taken, you have to wait
MENU: Chinese, but there are pictures!
MUST GET: Pork soup dumplings (aka xiao long bao)
WEBSITE: http://www.dintaifung.com.tw/ch/index.asp

Din Tai Fung is an institution in Taiwan. I don't know anyone that doesn't like the place. The wait may be long, but trust me it's worth it. You cannot come to Taiwan without going to this place. This place is so good and so popular that it has 42 restaurants around the world in countries like America, India, Japan, Korea, Australia, Singapore, etc.

I have always been a big fan of this place since I was young. Whenever I came to Taiwan, I always begged my parents to bring me here. We used to go to the original store, but after I discovered that there is one in Sogo this is the only one I ever go to now. There is ALWAYS a wait at this place, the usual wait is about an hour sometimes you might get lucky during the off hours and just wait about 15 to 20 minutes. However, since its in SOGO all you have to do is walk around the department store and do some shopping to kill time, they will hold your place until you get back. How convenient is that?

DTF is known for their pork soup dumplings (xiao long bao). These dumplings are by far one of my favorite Chinese dishes, so I've definitely had my fair share of them at many, many places and still DTF is my favorite. The meat is so soft and juicy and the dough on the outside is just the right thickness. It may not look like much from the pictures, but I'm craving them already just from writing this article.





You pair these soup dumplings with vinegar and ginger. For those of you who have never eaten this, don't worry they have a paper explaining how you should eat them in multiple languages!

And while, I can eat two baskets of these dumplings on my own, the other dishes at DTF are also good so I always try to make space for other things. One of the things I always get is:



This plate of veggies doesn't even have an English name. It's Chinese name is just A菜, which is A vegetable in English. It's a simple dish where the vegetables are just sauteed with garlic, but it lives such a fresh flavor in your mouth. It's also my favorite vegetable dish, which makes this restaurant even better because it always has them year round.



During this trip, I also ordered wontons because I was craving the kind from home. While they were good, they are sadly no match for the ones my mom makes. I know I may be partial, but I can't help it. I would still recommend them to those who love wontons however.



And Joe got an ordered of pork chop noodles which he devoured. I love the soup for these noodles and of course the pork chop itself. (The noodles itself is good, but to be honest I've never been one to eat much carbs. Not because I'm on some sort of diet or whatever; I've just never been a big fan of noodles, rice, or bread.)

Also, usually when I go to DTF with my parents we order their chicken soup. Joe and I didn't order it this time since both of us got soup dishes (wontons and noodles), but their chicken soup is also another one of their signature dishes so make sure you try it when you make your rounds to DTF.

TAIPEI: Pho 越粉舖

台北市信義區松高路11號B2
B2, No. 11, Songgao Road
(02) 8789-3388 ext 1919

PRICE: $$ (approx. NT$300/person ~US$10/person)
RATING: YYY (I recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Take the MRT to City Hall
RESERVATIONS: Not needed
MENU: English and Chinese!
MUST GET: Spring rolls
WEBSITE: http://www.noodlehouse.com.tw

I wouldn't say that I'm a pho-connoisseur, but I think I have had my fair share of good pho-- actually just Vietnamese food in fact. I have always eaten Vietnamese food since I could remember-- there is a local one near my parents' office that I can remember going to when I was in elementary school and we still go there. Of course, there were a few places back in New York that I would frequent with my friends (Thai Son and Pho Bang). And then there was my short stint in Vietnam for Semester at Sea where I had a wide variety of Vietnamese foods from the fancy restaurant at the Renaissance Hotel to the small hole in the wall places in random alleys. Needless to say, sometimes I have a craving for good hearty bowl of pho.

So imagine how excited I was when I saw this Pho restaurant at the B2 level of one of the Eslite buildings in the A4/A9/A11 section of Taipei. Joe saw how my eyes lit up when we saw this restaurant, so despite his craving for Western food we made our way here. The decor of this restaurant in this large food court is simple and modern. The chairs fit snugly underneath the round tables. The menus are laid flat for passerbys to see, as well as the large images of Vietnam on the walls. I was sold.


I was a big disappointed when I first looked at the menu though. Although they had a number of pho bowls to choose from, they didn't have what I wanted. I wanted the one filled with beef, tendon, and tripe, but instead all I found was beef, beef balls, curry, or shrimp. I stuck with the first option figuring it was going to be as close as I would be able to get it to my usual bowl. So I ordered that and spring rolls. Joe got a chicken leg curry with French bread.


Everyone who dines at this restaurant gets a small bowl of pickled cabbage, which I think is more of a Chinese thing than Vietnamese (correct me if I'm wrong). It was tasty, but I was anxiously awaiting my noodles.


When they came out, I noticed right away the beef wasn't raw like they normally are at restaurants I've gone to in the past. Part of the fun of eating pho is seeing the raw meat cook in the soup, but oh well it's not a big loss. Usually at Vietnamese restaurants, they give you a plate of basil, bean sprouts, lemon, and cut jalapenos to add what you like in your soup but here the basil and bean sprouts were already added with a small slice of lemon on the side. After adding lots of lemon to my soup, it finally tasted similar to what I was hoping for. The noodles were a bit thicker than usual and the beef was not as soft, but it gave me my fix.


The spring rolls, however, were right on the money. They were exactly what I was used to down to the lettuce wrap and the sauce. I devoured the plate and was still left thinking if I wanted to order one more.


Joe's chicken curry was great and the bread that accompanied it was a good touch, but curry isn't something I would order at a Vietnamese restaurant.

I would come back to this restaurant again, but I don't think I would bring Allison here if she were ever in Taiwan. =)

TAICHUNG: 8 King

台中市北區育才南街8號
No. 8, Yutsai South Street
Hours: 11 am-10:30pm
(04) 2225-9289

PRICE: $$ (approx. NT$400/person ~US$13/person)
RATING: YYYY (I strongly recommend this place!)
DIRECTIONS: Drive. =)
RESERVATIONS: Not needed
MENU: Chinese only
MUST GET: Steak with black pepper sauce, Pork Cutlet Cordon Bleu

This place is relatively new. I only discovered it about a month or so ago, but after the first time I went there I went back once a day for the next two days and I went again a few times since then. I love their decor; it feels like you stepped into a lounge bar which I guess is fitting because they also serve alcohol (wine and beer). Usually it's not crowded, but I've noticed there's a growing number of people who are dining at this place.

The meal prices aren't too expensive considering that you get a salad and dessert with your entree. The first time I went I ordered their carbonara, which is probably my favorite pasta dish at this moment. I've ordered it many times since being in Taiwan in many different restaurants and I'll have to say the carbonara at 8 King is definitely in my top 5. The second time, I ordered their steak and hot pot combo and stole a bit of Joe's steak and pork cordon bleu combo. Everything was great, but I would definitely opt for the cordon bleu the next time I order their combo. Beyond pasta and steak, they also offer a few gratin dishes where you can choose from pasta or rice. The last time I went, I ordered their Indian chicken curry gratin rice dish. I really enjoyed the flavors, minus the pieces of red pepper (capsicum) and black olives inside. I typically only enjoy roasted red peppers, so the ones I found inside my rice dish were just not soft enough and I've never been a fan of olives, but I just don't think olives and curry are a good pair.

If you come here for afternoon tea, you get a free appetizer with your drink order. The down side is that you don't get to choose which free dish you get, instead you stick your hand through a big vase that they have with rolled up paper. The paper you end up selecting will have the name of your free dish. I like the idea, but what if you don't like or can't eat the dish you chose? I got their fried cuttlefish dish the last time I went. It's similar to calamari, but instead of rings of squid you get minced cuttlefish meat. (Minced cuttlefish meat is a common alternative to calamari in Taiwan. Most restaurants serve this as opposed to what you may normally be used to back in the States.)

The tea here is usually not that sweet, so be carefully when you ask for half sugar here especially when you order green tea mixes. I've noticed that mine have come a bit too bitter than what I've been used to. The tea selection isn't as wide here as it is in most restaurants in Taiwan, but it has the regular choices like lemon and honey (no passion fruit though!).





Another time I went back to 8 king, I decided to finally try their waffles that had appealed to me since the first time I went to the restaurant. I ordered their honey green tea waffles. They weren't bad, but not as great as I had hoped. They weren't as light and fluffy as I was expecting, but in general I think that's hard to come by in Taiwan.

Overall, it's a nice place to go to if you want to meet with friends over a meal or a drink or if you just feel like taking a break and having a short moment to yourself.

The Philippines

Day One

Travel Cafe Philippines:

Philippines Mango Ice Tea

Cream of Tomato Soup in a Pandesal

Kare-kare (Oxtail in Peanut Sauce)

Renaissance Hotel:

Mango Juice

Day Two

Fely J's:

Crispy pata

pork adobo

lechon

sisig fried rice

tamarind drink

Classic Confections:

Two cookies (Oatmeal and Chocolate Chip)

Starbucks:

Tall Non-fat Hazelnut Latte

The Coffee Bean:

Regular Chai Latte

Renaissance Hotel:

Sashimi

Vietnamese Spring Rolls

Red Ribbon:

Sansrival

Day Three:

Via Mare:

Babingka with goat cheese

Babingka with salted duck egg

Crispy adobo flakes with scrambled eggs

Vigan Longganisa with eggs (sunny side up)

Crispy Tapa with eggs (sunny side up)

The Coffee Bean:

Regular Green Tea Ice Blended

Figaro (Rockwell):

Small Cafe Mocha

Kisera (The Fort):

La Oya (oxtail soup)

Chicken Asado

Kare Kareng Galung

Crab Rice

Ripe Mango Shake

Cupcake (The Fort):

Coconut Cupcake

Berries and Cream Cupcake

Vanilla Shortcake Cupcake

Hazelnut Latte

Day Four

Bizu

Filipino Breakfast (Tocino, Tapa, Bangus, Garlic Rice, and Tomato)

Mango Tea

The Coffee Bean

Regular Non-fat Chai Tea Latte

Ensaymada

Jollibee

Cheese Fries Overload

Holy shit... it's a surprise I'm not fatter.  HAHA!