Weekend Food Trip at: Quarks and Quills

I am confident to say, I know ALL the restaurants and coffee shops like the back of my hand!  For the past 2 years, I stay in Banawe every single school day for 4 hours to wait for my son in school.

My son studies at Quezon City while we live in Manila, driving him to school means it is more feasible to stay there and wait for him rather than going back home to brave the traffic. 

With 4 hours in my hands, I bring my laptop and take my work wherever I go (thank you Lord for Freelance jobs!)

Because I am also a researcher by profession, I was able to find a restaurant perfect for not only freelancers like myself but students alike!

Quarks and Quills!  

Fast FREE WIFI - CHECK!

Good coffee - CHECK!

Yummy food - CHECK!

Comfortable environment - SUPER CHECK!

They also have discounts available at Booky app but I felt a bit shy to use the discount as I stay there to use their internet connection, stay in a nice air-conditioned room, use their electricity at times to charge my laptop (nahiya ako, and they deserve the amount I pay!) 

I actually tried a lot of their dishes in the menu but for some reason, I wasn't able to take good photos because they are mostly for takeaway.

Skin-On Fries

Php95.00

These are thick-cut fries bake d until really crunchy.  I like the fact that it is baked so it isn't greasy!

Weekend Food Trip at: Mitasu Charcoal Yakiniku

It was a quiet Sunday evening when I brought my son to JP Bear (one of his favorite play area) at Banawe area.  Since his preschool is within the area and we always meet up with my parents in the same area, we kinda scoured and tried most of the restaurants.  

Thankfully, Mr. AMW passed by Mitasu Charcoal Yakiniku which is near Macao Imperial Tea and Ichiban restaurant (I think they are owned by the same group of owners as you can find all 3 menus in 1 restaurant!)

I checked the place first making sure it is Senior Citizen friendly before I gave my brother directions to meet up!  It was a packed restaurant but thankfully we didn't have to wait for long!  We got our seat at Mitasu Charcoal Yakiniku (adjacent to Ichiban Hot Pot) and sat comfortably and ordered these.

We started with Donburi (Rice Toppings) because we wanted to try each of everything!  (Ganyan ka-Foodie family ko!)

Gyudon

Php250.00

Really tasty this dish, most restaurants serve Gyudon with raw egg to give smooth texture to the dish, I was surprised Mitasu didn't have the egg but the texture of the meat and rice is still smooth and tender I don't mind I lost an egg for this! :P

Weekeend Foot Trip at: Open Table Restaurant

Every single weekend of the year (Saturdays OR Sundays), we meet up with my family for a quiet dinner just to catch up on each others' lives!  Because of that, I'm starting to let them try new restaurants as much as I can because we really love bonding over food! 

Because I am a researcher at heart, I've found a restaurant called Open Table located at Mother Ignacia, Quezon City.

This is a small restaurant wherein they can fit 2 small tables on the first floor and around 20pax max on the second floor.  I highly recommend to call the restaurant for reservation if you plan to dine in big groups!  I gave them a call earlier because my dad is on wheelchair and thankfully, we were able to get the 2 tables at the first floor because the stairs are quite steep going up for an almost 80 year old person!

I checked out their menu prior to going there but unfortunately, a lot of the dishes we wanted to try are unavailable!  We were told by the friendly staffs that they didn't have any deliveries that day which I understood because it was nearing Christmas when we dined there.

Weekend Food Trip at: Blue Rocket Cafe + Kitchen

I dine out a lot!  Not because I'm lazy to cook but that's how I bond with my parents and my parents-in-law!  Because I tend to eat out a lot especially on weekends, I am actually very aggressive in searching for new restaurants! (Hello Booky, Zomato, Munchpunch, etc...!)

When I got o my parents' place, I usually search for restaurants either Manila area or Quezon City.  One restaurant that caught my attention is called Blue Rocket Cafe + Kitchen located at Diliman QC.

Why this place?  Well, whenever I'm with my mom and dad, I want to make sure the place is not crowded, spacious enough for my dad's wheelchair and quiet enough for us to catch up!

Blue Rocket Cafe + Kitchen fits the bill!

Chicken Wings

Php195.00

You can choose between Spicy Buffalo, Salt and Pepper, Pesto Parmesan and Honey Garlic and we went for the latter because it's the safest and my parents aren't into spicy food!  This is a crunchy chicken wing that is quite flavorful and tender on the inside.

Baked Spicy Korean Chicken Rice 

Php265.00

Spicy and sweet Korean-seasoned rice topped with chicken thighs and melted cheese.  The rice itself is extremely flavorful yet spicy!  I actually enjoyed this dish so much I went for...

the exact same order on my 2nd visit.  

Weekend Food Trip at: Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe

My first Mom & Tina's experience was at their original branch but we were so busy with the shoot I didn't get to "shoot before I eat".  Fast-forward to several years after, I've decided to take my family to their QC branch just because I had a good experience dining with them.

It was a great decision to dine there during the Holidays because I felt the Holiday vibe right away upon getting our seat.

The restaurant has a very "homey" vibe which reminded me so much of "Sundays with Grandparents" kinda night!  The bakery also has a nice display of all their cupcakes, cakes and other sweets!

As much as I would love to dive into the dessert portion, we went ahead and decided for our main dishes.

But obviously, I can't say NO to coffee, so I went ahead and tried their bestselling Cafe Latte and so far, it didn't fail!

Seoul Train Korean BBQ Restaurant Review

If you follow all my "Weekend Food Trips", you'll know my favorite dish is....KOREAN!

So when my good friend is coming back for a short vacation, the "barkada" decided to meet up for dinner!  And it was perfect timing that our friend opened up a restaurant at Quezon City called Seoul Train Korean BBQ Restaurant.

Why Seoul Train?  Well, the answer is right at the photo below....the restaurant looks exactly like you're inside a train.

It was a rainy evening so we didn't get the chance to take an outside photo!  But trust me when I say, you won't miss it!  You'll see a cute Green Train with an extremely helpful and friendly guard to lead the way!

Now one thing you have to know is that, seating capacity is limited so it is always better to call in for reservations before you visit the restaurant.  We already have a reservations because we are a big group, but I was a bit early so I enjoyed the ambiance (with choochoo train sounds pa ha!)  while my son enjoys the arcade claw machine!

Weekend Food Trip: Pan-Grilled Pork Belly (New) from Pancake House

Whenever we go out on weekends, one of the most visited restaurant is Pancake House.  Especially the one at Lucky Chinatown and Quezon Avenue.  

There are just a few reasons why this is our family restaurant of choice ---

• Good food
• Cozy ambiance
• Has high chair (all restaurant owners, this is very important!)
• Child-friendly activities (Crayons!)

Last weekend, as to EVERY weekend, we visit my parents and go out to have quiet dinner.  We picked the branch at West Triangle because of the spacious location (for Kyle to run around) and because it is near my parent's home! 

The usual orders would be ---  Pancake House Fried Chicken, Spaghetti and Tacos.  But just as the menu was given to us, we spotted a new dish!  (It takes a Pancake House fan to know something is new with the menu!)

True enough, we were told this is the newest addition to the menu and all of us ordered this right away!