Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Chef Robert

I've seen a lot of restaurants popping up nowadays with the Chef's name which I think is a very good idea because it does not only identify the Chef, but it just proves that the food served are of best quality for Chefs to be confident enough to put up their name!

Here's another Food Tripping post for Manila's Signature Dishes 2010

Chef Robert restaurant is located at the strip of restaurants at Banawe Street.  Since we usually pass by the area on our way home, we're always on a hunt for good restaurants within the area, we haven't seen Chef Robert until recently and it wasn't a surprise to know the restaurant just started its operations July of 2009.  The owner Chef Robert Tan is a graduate of business and found his calling for cooking and went to Singapore for his culinary degree at The Global Chef Academy.

At first glance, the restaurant looks like a cafe place but once you check out their menu, you know that you can never judge the book by its cover!  The restaurant serves Asian dishes ranging from Curry to Korean Beef Stew to Filipino Beef Tapa!  I call this variation at one stop!  The 2-storey restaurant can accommodate approximately 30 people on the first floor and around 20 something on the second floor.  Though the place is small, it doesn't look crowded at all!  Probably because of it's tastefully designed interiors with mirrored walls! 

Caesar Salad

with home made Caesar Dressing

With Chef Robert's Caesar Salad you won't go wrong as the salad includes everything you want in a salad!  Fresh green vegetables, slices of egg, crunchy bacon bits and Caesar dressing tossed just right with all the ingredients!

Lengua ala Pobre with Casillero del Diablo

According to Chef Robert: "This was just added to the menu earlier this year.  This recipe was developed as a result of a request by one of our regular guest.  Ox tongue cooked in long hours to make it tender My team and I made this dish very tasty so everyone can enjoy eating such delicacy"

I love mushrooms!  And this dish definitely had me covered with the mushroom department!  The ox tongue was actually hidden under the mushrooms and sauce!  I am a fan of sauce-y dishes so I enjoyed this with half cup of rice!  Bits of crunchy garlic gave a nice texture to a very tasty dish!  Definitely taste like home made cooking!

A closer look on Ox Tongue Strips 

Blueberry Panna Cota

I have to admit, I am not a fan of blueberries, you will only see me take a bite of blueberries once they are on top of cheesecake!  When Blueberry Panna Cota was served, I had a good stare at it for 5 minutes before I've decided to dig in.  It did not give me much of an impression at first bite, but as I dug in to another spoonful, I am starting to taste the milky taste of the creamy Panna Cota perfectly complimented by the Blueberries on top!  The dessert actually tastes like Blueberry Cheesecake with a lighter tummy-feel!  I am glad this was served to me for the night!  I believe Mango Panna Cota are also available at Chef Robert!

 The perfect marriage of Blueberries and Panna Cota

Overall, it was a wonderful experience at Chef Robert.  The servers are very attentive with your needs!  After a nice chat with Chef Robert, I will definitely go back to the restaurant to taste their other bestselling dishes!

Dish prices includes VAT and no service charge.  The restaurant accepts cash and credit card transactions.  Ample parking space within the area and best of all?  FREE WIFI!

They have dessert specials by the way during nighttime!

Chef Robert

847 Banawe Street, 

Corner Linaw Street, Q.C.

Tel. no: (632) 740-9330, (632) 413-0674

Opens Mondays-Sundays 7:00am-10:00pm

I look up to entrepreneurs who follow their dreams at a young age, and Chef Robert Tan is no exception!
Have you tried this dining in this restaurant?
What's your favorite dish?

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city.  They have partnered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes.  UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.  

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Metro Cuisines

Living far from work, we usually dine out before we head home because it's just too late to cook!  There are days we long for home-style cooking and I'm glad there's a restaurant conveniently located along Amoranto St. (formerly Retiro) called Metro Cuisines.  To the Weekend Food Tripping readers out there, I've dined in this restaurant June of this year and I'm quite happy the restaurant is part of Manila's Signature Dishes 2010.

Metro Cuisines

Metro Cuisines started September 24, 2009.  A restaurant inspired by a family member, that's why it's not surprising to see the restaurant attracting a lot of family gatherings!

The size of the restaurant is a bit small serving approximately 20-25 customers at the same time.  I was able to have a quick chat with the owner Chef Marco Tan and I was told the restaurant's mostly packed and there's a lot of take out orders and catering services.  With regards tot he menu, they try to add up approximately 5 new dishes quarterly giving customers new dining pleasure each time to go back.

Here's what we had for the night...

Metro Iced Tea

The Metro Iced Tea has always been my favorite iced tea ever since I've dined in here.  The extra kick of calamansi (local lemon) refreshes me after a long day at work!

 

Soup of the Day (Spinach Soup)

The soup varies daily.  I am glad we were served with authentic Spinach Soup because I want to steer clear on cream based soup that day!  To vegetable-phobic out there, Spinach soup isn't as scary as it sounds, there won't be any distinct spinach taste and the blend of spinach, egg and ginger reminded me a lot of my mom's cooking!  If you're not a fan of ginger, this may be  a bit overwhelming for you but to those who wants to have a relaxing feel, this is the best ginger is good for the throat!

The consistency of the soup is leaning on the "clear soup" type and there are tiny bits of shrimps.

Mushroom Aioli with French Bread

Uncut button mushrooms cooked with roasted garlic and olive oil.  It's not as spicy as the color implies!  Paprika was used to make the dish looks a bit reddish.  This dish is a good appetizer for mushroom lovers!  I am glad the chef added a tiny bit of cayenne pepper to spice up the dish!  I can request for a spicier version but I am sharing this dish with Mr. AMW who perspires a lot with spicy dishes, can't be selfish!

Bake Herb Salmon Set

served with Casillero Del Diablo

According to Chef Marco Tan, the owner of Metro Cuisines: "It's a family recipe. One of our grandmother's famous dishes which we all grew up to love and this was usually served in all family gatherings.  When we open up Metro Cuisines, we asked our Chef to recreate the dish because we missed it so much.  Chef Archie was able to recreate it perfectly and we've decided to incorporate it in our  menu..."

Herb salmon served with fresh tomatoes, Caesar sauce and a lot of herbs and spices on top of the fish baked in perfection.

I actually like the crunchy texture of herbs and spices combined inside your mouth with the freshness of the salmon!  I have to quote Mr. AMW "The crunchy part tastes like sisig" *laughs*  The 2 types of sauces all together gave a nice contrast that even I can't explain!

Panna Cotta

A perfect dessert after a healthy meal!  Panna Cotta is an Italian dessert Filipinos love as I've seen restaurants offering this nowadays.  The texture of Metro Cuisines' Panna Cotta is smooth and the blend of cream, milk and sugar tastes just right.  Not too sweet! It was served chilled.

2 layers of milk and chocolate milk gelatin+cream like texture with chocolate syrup on top reminded me of how it feels like to be a kid again.

Metro Cuisines
Sundays to Thursdays 7:00am-10:00pm

Fridays and Saturdays: 7:00am to 11:00pm

Unit 1C 410 N. S. Amoranto St. (formerly Retiro)

Quezon City

Tel. no: (632) 731-1062

Great customer service not only to us but even on guests coming in.  I can see that the owner is very hands-on in making sure to serve the customers' needs.  They also serve buffet dinner for only Php250.00 (approx $4.00) Mondays-Wednesdays-Fridays but you have to call them for reservations as they're always packed.

Have you tried Metro Cuisines?
Any favorite dish from there?

Keep smilin'
Stay happy!

 Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city.  They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes.  UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.  

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com. 

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: BluFish Contemporary Coastal Cooking by Red Crab

Me and Mr. AMW visited BluFish right after a whole day of makeup gigs.  I was looking forward for a very fulfilling and relaxing dinner before I call it a day.  We arrived at the restaurant an hour earlier than dinner time, I think it was around 6:00pm at that moment and we were able to take a shot of the unique ambiance.  

The "feel" of the restaurant is very important for us when we talk about dining experiences.  We prefer restaurant ambiance that's quiet, comfortable and not over the top.  I am not into bright lights against my eyes as I chow down my food!  BluFish passed my "ambiance" standard as I comfortably looked around the place while I wait for my food.

Pans hanging on top of us are quite unique against the blue colored graffiti walls which reminded me of Little Mermaid's "Under the Sea". 

I have a little secret to share, when it comes to dining, me and Mr. AMW always have this issue of ordering!  We just can't make up our minds and we tend to ask the waiter on each dish and its ingredients or how it was cooked.  I am very happy to announce as I flip on the pages of their new menu, each dishes were photographed and labeled!  Yay for stress-free ordering!

For the said day, we did not stress out on what to eat as we had the chance to try on....

BluFish Contemporary Coastal Cooking by Red Crab
Manila's Signature Dishes 2010 Set

Iced Tea

I cannot comment much on the iced tea as they tastes similar to a lot of restaurants I've tried!  I personally do not have sweet tooth so I prefer adding more ice or cold water on iced tea!  I can seriously hear my friend complaining how she dislikes my "unsweetened" drinks!  :P

Mediterranean Salad

I prefer salad that's quite refreshing to taste rather than heavy on the tummy!  I like to enjoy my main dish and Vinaigrette is definitely my choice of dressing.  Olives, Grapes, Tomatoes and Cheese were tossed together with fresh lettuce.  There's a tiny hint of wine on the dressing but it must be just our imagination!  I must be too tired and wonky!  *laughs*

I have to add that the cheese is quite unique as compared to other restaurants I've tried, it was very soft in texture, imagine hardened tofu!  I actually like it that the cheese did not overpower the taste of the whole salad!

Pepper Spiced Tenderloin Tips (PSTT!!!)

When I see the word "Pepper" in any dish, I try to steer clear and run to the opposite side.  I am not a fan of peppered anything!  With the PSTT served at BluFish, I like how I can still taste the tenderloin tips and the tiny hint of pepper complimented it.  I have to say, I chewed down on the onions and pepper too!  This is my favorite dish of the night!

Moroccan Sea Bass with Vegetable Couscous

I was told by Leo Vergara, Marketing Manager of The Red Crab Group of Restaurant, that the Sea bass served in this restaurant are all cultured to manage the high demand of the said fish!  This meal can be served baked or steamed and tonight, it was served steamed.

The Sea bass served in this meal tastes fresh and none of the hint of bitterness especially on the belly part!   I have to admit, it was a bit 'new' for my taste bud but after several tries, I am getting used to the taste of vegetable couscous together with the natural flavor of  fresh sea bass.  It was a first for me to try couscous with eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, onion, pepper mixed with all the right herbs and spices!

Couscous" is considered in between the family of pasta and rice.  Its texture, taste and look leans to the "rice" family more in my opinion!

How did we find the dish?  Embarrassingly, here's what happened to the poor Sea bass at the end of the night!

Here's how the restaurant looks at 6:00pm ...

And here's how BluFish looks outside around 7:30pm.  The place was starting to get busy and I'm glad we went there early! 

BluFish

Contemporary Coastal Cooking by Red Crab

Ground Floor, Eastwood Mall Veranda,

Eastwood City, Libis Quezon City

Tel. no: (632) 900-0886

We did have attentive servers that night, but I don't count the services done to us but I've looked around on how they serve other customers beside us, waiters are quite knowledgeable with their dishes and I've realized that most customers dining in here knew what they want the moment they stepped in the restaurant!  Saw a lot of crab dishes!  

Credit card and cash payment accepted.  

Thanks Mr. Leo Vergara for accommodating us with all the dish explanations and stories amidst the super busy night!  Thanks to UFS for making this possible and Nuffnang for helping me out with the dinner schedules!

Have you tried BluFish at Eastwood Mall Libis?
What's your favorite dish there?  

Keep smilin'

Stay happy!

Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city.  They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes.  UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.  

 

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

AMW Reviews: "Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream"

I have so many requests on the new Maybelline BB Cream.  To be honest, I have it in my stash for quite some time, well, gazillion years to be exact,  but I just cannot put it to test.  Why?   Well, the shade just doesn't seem right on me! After constant requests from dear readers, I've finally used this and found ways to really use this outside the comfort of my home!  

"Malakas kayo sa akin!" (Indirect translation: You guys are super important to me and I'll try to do my best in helping you guys out) <--- hmm, that seems way longer than expected!  *lol*

Finally, my thoughts on one of the most inexpensive BB Cream to date....

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals 

Instant Skin Perfecting BB Cream

Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream says ---

The Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB cream moisturizes, protects your skin from harmful UVA and UVB with its SPF26 PA++ sun protection. It has an oil-free formula and relies on 8 minerals to rejuvenate the skin.

AMW says ---

Pros

• Simple yet effective packaging!  Best BB cream packaging is the squeezy-type tube as you can squeeze out product until the last drop!

• No weird smell.
• Very inexpensive!
• Gives light to medium coverage
• Great in covering redness or skin discoloration.
• Gives a slight "Brightening" effect.
• Controls the oil especially on the sides of my nose!
• For matte lovers out there, this BB cream gives a nice matte finish!

Cons

• Lacks the range of shades we all want.
• A bit watery in texture which makes it a bit messy if you accidentally squeezed a lot!

• Does not have as many functions as other BB creams in the market but what the heck? This is super inexpensive!
• Not moisturizing enough especially for dryer skin individuals like myself. (click photo to enlarge to see dry spots, note that I did not moisturize just for the sake of review)

 

• Will create "white cast" on photos if applied too much! (so be very careful!)

• Not readily available for our non-Asian countries friends!

Overall

For someone who wants to try BB cream minus the hefty price and to some, the long wait of online shopping, this is a good product to start with.  A good BB Cream if you are looking for light coverage and covers facial redness!  I find this works best on Normal and Oily skin!  Dry skin like myself can still use this but it pays to moisturize the skin first prior to BB cream application!

Tips

• Separate moisturizer is needed prior to this BB cream application if your skin tends to get dry.
• If you think Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB cream works for you but only the shade is not right for you, I suggest you practice on piling up a thin layer onto face and layer with a powder foundation to "correct" the shade. (Use lighter foundation if the BB cream is too dark on you, use darker foundation if the BB cream is too light on you)

 

• Carefully squeeze a tiny amount of product to start with.
• Use clean fingers and warm up the BB cream on your hand before you apply it on your face.

• You can choose to use a stippling brush if you don't want to over apply!
• Do not panic if you look grayish right after application, wait a couple of minutes by doing other stuffs (ex. drying your hair, washing your butt..LOL)  and come right back and apply your preferred liquid/cream/powder foundation! (Photo below shown the BB cream blending much better to my skin color).

• Cleanse your face at the end of the day with a good makeup remover because this can stay onto your skin!

Will I repurchase?

I find it a bit too tedious for me to always try to match the shade on my skin with a foundation!  I would recommend this to other people though!

To whom do I recommend this to?
For people with normal to oily skin!  Of course, if your skin color fits the BB cream shade, lucky you!

Where to purchase and how much?
At local Maybelline counters for Php299.00 (approx $6.95). 

The amount of Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream 

I've used for my entire face

Before and After photo applying nothing but Maybelline Clear Smooth Minerals BB Cream.  As seen on photos below, it evens out my skin tone and creates a very matte finish.  It looks a bit lighter in person but I have ways to darken the shade of the BB cream.

I dusted my whole face with MAC Mineralized SkinFinish Natural in Dark, using very light hand strokes!  Be careful to even out the whole face!

I want to make myself look a bit more 3-dimensional in this photo, using the same MAC's Mineralized SkinFinish Natural in Dark, I used it as blush for a nicer cheekbones!

*Note: Sorry for the very tired look on photos above, did this after a long day at work! :)

I hope my review is still useful, I know a lot of you have purchased this, do let me know how much you like/dislike this!

By the way, Maybelline have their year end 30% sale!  I am not sure if this BB Cream is included, but do check out the counters and see if you can score great deals!

Happy Shopping!
Keep smilin'

Stay happy!