Fine Dining at Cafe Ilustrado, Intramuros City, Manila

I had another opportunity to visit my most favourite city in Manila: the walled city of Intramuros. (Actually, as a back story, I had the fortune of getting lost going to Intramuros, and drove through the famous towns of Binondo and Quiapo)

I went around with a foreign friend named Patty, and it was great that because I went on the Carlos Celdran Intramuros tour, I had a lot of material to work with. We went on a kalesa tour (something that I did with my university friends during the vacation - we are random and geeky like that), but for some reason the kalesa man took us to a different route which allowed me to see parts of the city.

Manila Cathedral, which Patty said looks a lot like churches in Madrid.

The original site of Ateneo de Manila =)

The sign reads: Here once stood the Ateneo de Manila. Founded in 1817 as Escuela Pia de Manila. ... Exclusive ownership given to Jesuits in 1901. Gutted by fire in 1932. Grade school rebuilt in Intramuros while rest of the campus moved to ermita, Manila. Destroyed during World war II. Moved to Loyola Hights, Quezon City in 1962

Ateneo was a school dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena, the goddess of philosophy and mathematics (Ateneo's strongest suits remains to be liberal arts and math). They called the school Atheneum, and since it was controlled by the Spanish Jesuits, it became Ateneo.

Some significant place involving Douglas MacArthur. They turned this as one of the areas for Manila Golf.

I love how they maintain the manicured lawn of Fort Santiago. It feels great to just sit on one of the benches and think quietly.

On our way out of Fort Santiago, some students from UST accosted me to answer their tourism survey. When I handed back the completed copy, they asked: So why do you travel to Intramuros?

I come here to eat.

I took Patty to the best place I knew (thus far), but haven't tried - the Fine Dining in Ilustrado Restaurant. I tried the cafe portion a few weeks back. I just love the interiors of the place - it made me reimagine Old Spanish Manila.

Seafood paella for Php 750. I loved this one. I forked through more than half the dish, and had to restrain myself, and I don't even like white rice! Truly a specialty of the house.

Ilustrado Restaurant

744 General Luna Street

Intramuros, Manila

Tel: 632 527 3674

Sancho's Churreria Manila in Maginhawa Street

It was one of those days where schedules were not in sync and so I ended up having a quiet lunch along Maginhawa Street. I love how my good friend and talented photographer Didang always has good things to say about the area, and it is rather unfortunate that I am discovering the great places in the area only recently, considering I spent my memorable university years in the nearby Ateneo.

Maginhawa street cuts across 4 major baranggays of Quezon City - Sikatuna, East and West Teacher's Village, and UP Village. Maginhawa hosts a mushrooms of restaurants and bars where students, professionals, intellectuals and artists mingle and enjoy affordable, delicious food.

Another good friend and entrepreneur Dustin suggested that I try out Sancho's along Maginhawa. He mentioned Sikatuna village, which sounded far to me (I was so wrong!) and it was during a random passing through Maginhawa with a ravenous stomach that I saw Sancho in a happy accident. I went in and ordered my favourite Spanish dish.

I mentioned earlier that they are positioning Maginhawa as an up and coming art district of Manila. It is common to see restaurants featuring for saleable of have vibrant creations features on their walls.

Beef Salpicao for Php 170. I can't say if this is great, because I've always loved Salpicao. I made it one time. Very easy to cook but it is made and broken by the marinade.

Sancho Churreria Manila

122 Maginhawa Street

Teacher's Village

Diliman, Quezon City

Ilustrado Restaurant in Intramuros

Hats off to restauranteurs who are consistent with the Old Spanish theme. I dine in beautifully themed restaurants even just to pay tribute to their design.

Ilustrado Restaurant maintained its Grand Staircase, stone garden, windows covered by Capiz shells, history snippets and even the darling kalesa wheels that now function as the chandelier.

In the Philippines, the Ilustrado pertained to middle-class native born intellectuals (essentially, Filipinos, regardless if they were born of Spanish descent) who were molded by Spanish liberal and European nationalist ideas. They advocated for legal equality until the death of the Jose Rizal prompted them to band together with revolutionists. The US policies in the Philippines reinforced the dominant position of the Ilustrados in society, when friar estates were mandated to be sold to Ilustrados as well as government positions offered to them.

Contrary to the European environment that influenced the Ilustrados, the restaurant served simple Filipino food with a touch of flair on some selected items.

Pandesal with sardines, kesong puti and tuna

Home-made sampaguita ice cream for Php 90. It's an acquired taste, but I like it!

Home-made ginger ice cream for Php 90. I loved this! Burned my throat just right. My friends stayed away from it, though. Recommended for individuals who can take boiled ginger without flinching.

Toffee cake for Php 80

Ilustrado Restaurant

744 General Luna Street

Intramuros, Manila

Tel: 632 527 3674

Dabbling with Salpicao

I always thought that cooking Salpicao involved an intricate preparation of beef, but turned out it was just about frying it. The game changer was the marinade, the cut, and the sauce that you cooked the beef in.

Ingredients:

1. beef

2. oyster sauce

3. pineapple juice

Cafe Uno, Tomas Morato

My mom had enthusiastically talked about Uno's salad for so long and they brought my there for my birthday. The salad was worth the chatter! Some of the stuff we had:

Summer Salad of Arugula, tomatoes and Fresh Local Mozzarella for Php 260

Avocado, Orange and Walnut Salad Tossed with an Asian Creamy Viniagrette for Php 260

Southern Friend Chicken Breast fillet with Tarragon and Black Pepper butter for Php 340

Farmed catfish stuffed with spinach and feta, baked with roasted garlic cream for Php 360

Cafe Uno

195-C Tomas Morato Ave. cor. Scout Funtabella St.,

Quezon City, Metro Manila,

Philippines

Tel: 632 374 0774

Restaurant Pia Y Damaso at Greenbelt 5

One of the best decisions I made this week was to go back to Damaso for dinner. It's one of my favourite restaurants in Manila, if only for their creative food titles and homey ambiance - cause I think food is ordinarily yummy Filipino, but overall presentation makes my feel like the food is extra delicious! =)

Had dinner with my brother, and later with Marion, which gave me the (evil) excuse to taste more of their food!

Tubig ni Maria Clara (Maria Clara's water): fresh cucumber juice, ginger and citrus water for Php 300

Pumpkin wonton ravioli: stuffed wonton with roasted pumpkin and garlic sauteed in browned butter with toasted walnuts for Php 175

Chunky beef soup with fried onions: caramelized onions, beef short ribs, carrots and water chestnuts with crisp french fried onion rings for Php 300

I forgot! Essentially this is crispy chicken skin. Bad! =P

Shortribs rioja: beef shortribs braised in red wine, celery, onions, carrots, tomatoes, shitake mushrooms, fresh bay leaves with rosemary potatoes for Php 450

Binagoonan with okra: braised stew of pork with homemade fermented shrimp paste "alamang bagoong" and tomatoes for Php 300

Bibingka waffle: with Malagos goat's cheese, quezo de bola, salted egg and coco jam for Php 150

Ensaimada quezo de bola with tsokolate Php 150

Reminds me of Mary Grace Ensaymada (Hi Raffy!)

We had to ask the waiter how to eat this. This is the way!

Restaurante Pia Y Damaso

Greenbelt 5, Greenbelt,

Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St.,

Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, PH

Tel: 632 729 5511

Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant, Vivo City

For Anton's weekend in Manila, Charles and I took him to Serenity Spanish Bar and Restaurant.

Below was the selection of Anton's tapas.

Gambas al Ajillo (SGD 12) - sauteed tiger prawns with garlic and olive oil

Chicken tortillas (SGD 15) - a bit bland, but maybe I am used to the cheesy type

Coca de recapte con chorizo (SGD 9) - home made flat bread with chorizo and paprika. This was great but I think I really got used to the smaller but meatier portions of the chorizos from Barcinos in Manila, or even the chorizos from Vigan.

Charles chose for us the Paella Valenciana (SGD 40 - contained saffron, chicken, Spanish chorizo, tiger prawns, squid, half shell mussels, rice). While the ingredients were well cooked, we felt that the rice mix was on the verge of being risotto-like and instead of the relatively drier, bottom-tutong ones that we were used to. Or maybe Kamameshi and Casa Armas' chewy bottom rice just spoiled me in the past and there really are simply different ways to serve it? Nonetheless, I would still recommend this.

Serenity Spanish Bar & Restaurant

1 HarbourFront Walk

#01-98/99 VivoCity

Singapore

Tel: 65 6376 8185

Restaurant Pia Y Damaso at Greenbelt 5

The siops dessert took us to Damaso upon Bianca's recommendation.

de espanadana quezo de bola cheesecake (Php 220) - baked cheesecake with santol, prunes and dried figs

Ibarra's Kiss at Php 160 - Hazelnutchocolate torten with dark chocolate mousse, caramel cheese and candied orange confit

brazo ni dona vicki - chewy meringue roulade with fresh butter curd at Php 100

We also had Sisa's dementia (php 160) - truffle cake iwth white chocolate almond pastille, dark chocolate mouse and ganache. That was my favorite but i wasn't able to take a picture of it.

Restaurante Pia Y Damaso

Greenbelt 5, Greenbelt,

Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St.,

Ayala Center, Makati, Metro Manila, PH

Tel: 632 729 5511

Food Festival in Clark Quay

Clark, Wen, Michelle and I had dinner in the Clark Quay Food Festival. Although I've tasted most of the food they featured, the Festival merits a post because I've never had so much delish food for just SGD 12 (we shared the food we bought, but still!)

Tapas Tree Paella for SGD 8/plate

Nasi Lemak with Iklan Bilis for SGD 6

Grilled chicken with coconut and spices for SGD 2 per stick

Casuarina Plain prata for 4 SGD

King Satay Chicken Satay for SGD 4

Chen Fu Ji crab bun for 2 SGD each

Stay clean!

Special mention to non Filipino dude

who spoke to us in Filipino to sell the Satay!

We had our yummeh Hokkaido ice cream by the steps by the river overlooking the party lights of Clark Quay

Winner discovery: caramel sea salt and tiramisu