I've always been different.  I've always preferred unique cafes than mainstream ones.  So when Blocleaf opened in our neighbourhood, I just had to check out this quaint little cafe at Hop Inn Hotel Malate.  

Upon visiting, I instantly felt that it is my kind of neighbourhood cafe.  

Drinks

♥ Matcha Latte (140 php)

When I couldn't read or write at home, this would be my ideal place and the Matcha Latte as my drink.

Food

Snacks

Longganisa Pasta (190 php)

For a prolonged stay, they also have food dishes.

Longganisa Pasta (190 php)

While they call it snacks, I find it as fulfilling as full meal.  

♥ Eggplant Parmigiana in Brioche (190 php)

I liked the creativity they put in the Eggplant Parmigiana in Brioche.  It was handy, convenient and fun to eat.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If your looking for a quaint little neighborhood coffee shop, check out Blocleaf Cafe.  I love how they are able to maximize the space well.  Price is at par with other coffee shops.  I hear they are also famous for their Ube Cake.  I hope to catch its availability on my next visit.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating		Blocleaf Cafe Menu
Ambiance	★★★★	Menu
Taste	★★★
Service	★★★
Price	★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended

Blocleaf Cafe
Business Address	1850 M. H. Del Pilar St, Malate, Manila, Metro Manila
Business Hours	8am-9pm
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge
Budget/Person	150-500
Free WiFi	No
Contact
Other

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Mesa opens its 43rd branch in SM Mall of Asia and finally, I get to dine at Mesa for the very first time.  

Yes, it's quite ironic that with 43 branches, I only have this chance to dine at Mesa.

So let me share what I've missed all this time.

Food

Appetizer

Tawilis with Mangga on a Spoon (155 php)

I've always loved Tawilis.  Although I love it cooked simply in fried form, I couldn't help but appreciate the Tawilis with Mangga on a Spoon.

Salad

♥ Shrimp Tofu Salad (290 php)

I promise you, once you pop a piece of the Shrimp Tofu Salad, you will feel instantaneous joy from its light, soft and refreshing sensation gives to your mouth.  I honestly wanted to finish all this for myself.  

Meat and Poultry

Inihaw Sampler (890 php)

A perfect dish to share with companions is the Inihaw Sampler.

Crispchon

♥ One Whole (4,995 php)

We Filipinos love Lechon, and more so for the Crispchon which is a counterpart of the conchinillo.  We also appreciate showmanship and this is where Mesa excelled.  Look at the extent of preparation they go through just to please their diners.  It is served in three ways.

First, is in wraps just like the peking duck.  The unique twist is that they use pandan crepes.

Second, tossed in garlic.

Third, tossed in garlic and chili.  I liked this better than plain garlic because the spicy kick blended better with the fats and oil.

River Shrimp (Swahe)

♥ On the Rocks (300 php)

A must order at Mesa is the River Shrimps On the Rocks.   Aside from the fun cooking experience, the fresh shrimps really tasted sweeter  with this method.

Seasonal Products

Sauteed with Olive Oil and Garlic (180 php/100 grams)

Aside from its many selections, Mesa also serves fresh seasonal seafood.

Apahap (Seabass)

♥ Salt Crusted (110 php/100 grams)

The Salt Crusted Apahap is another exquisite dish to try at Mesa.  In fact, this is the only the second time I've had a salt crusted fish.  I don't think I'll ever get tired of the appreciating the tedious baking process and the serving presentation of this dish.

♥ Salt Crusted (110 php/100 grams)

After removing the salt crust, the Salt Crusted Apahap is then carefully sliced.

♥ Salt Crusted (110 php/100 grams)

After that, it is deboned so it's easy to eat like a fillet.

Rice

Tinapa Rice (180 php)

The Tinapa Rice did not appeal to me anymore since the Tawilis with Mangga on a Spoon already stole the limelight for dried fish dish.

Desserts

♥ Crispy Leche Flan (75 php)

Whenever at home and at the office, everyone would go crazy whenever there is a leche flan.  But, I never was that big of a fan.  Yet, when I tried the Crispy Leche Flan, I couldn't help myself to have more and more of it.  We had to order another one of it  because we all felt the same!

Beverages

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Mesa certainly offers a one of a kind Filipino dining experience.  Its service and performance to impress diners is unlike any other.  I am not surprised if it comes up with more branches in the future.

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating		Mesa Menu
Ambiance	★★★★	N/A
Taste	★★★★
Service	★★★★
Price	★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended

Mesa SM Mall of Asia
Business Address	Ground Floor, North Wing, SM Mall of Asia, Mall of Asia Complex (MOA), Pasay City, Metro Manila
Business Hours	10am-10pm (mall hours)
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	10%
Budget/Person	350-800
Free WiFi	No
Contact	(02) 759-2271
Other

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The last stop of our #LJCxZomatoFoodCrawl is Fely J's.

Being a servant of justice, I actually did my best to pace myself for the entire food crawl so I could appreciate the dishes of Fely J's as much as the prior two stops.   But, to tell the truth, my energy and excitement has waned a bit.  Yet, to my surprise, I still ended up enjoying Fely J's offering.

Food

Salads

Thai Shrimps and Pomelo (299 php)

I've always had the Thai Shrimps and Pomelo as an appetizer.  I discovered that it is great to have it in between as well.  It was light and refreshing for the palate.

Soups

Utan Ilonggo (295 php)

Utan Ilonggo is a basic vegetable dish in Western Visayas.  I really liked it!  You can taste the natural sweetness from all the vegetables and the shrimp too!  Recently, I've tried a similar dish at our office which was called "Laswa".  I hope someone can clarify the distinction between the two.  

Main Courses

Tilapia with Sweet Plum Sauce (450 php)

With prejudice to the tilapia, I never had a second thought in trying out the Tilapia with Sweet Plum Sauce because I knew LJC knows how to prepare this fish well.  As expected, it did not disappoint!

♥ Lengua Rendang (485 php)

I rarely encounter a rendang dish.  To my fascination, I was more than eager because I have never tried one with lengua.  This Lengua Rendang is my now my favorite dish at Fely J's.  

Binagoongang Baboy (355 php)

Crab Corner

♥  Fely J's Temple Crab (190 php/100g)

Having an aunt who loves crabs, I have tasted a LOT of crab dishes!  I always thought that Chinese restaurants served crabs the best.  Yet, I've been stunningly won over by Fely J's Temple Crab.

Rice

Sisig Fried Rice (295 php)

With the Sisig Fried Rice, nothing can stop you from fully indulging Fely J's delectable dishes.

Desserts

♥ Snowy Mango (195 php)

Save room for dessert as the Snowy Mango is the perfect meal ender especially for mango lovers like me.  I liked the idea of this treat!  It's fun to enjoy as you eat it like halo-halo.  

Cassava Bibingka with Buko (150 php)

I love cassava delicacies, I also enjoyed the Cassava Bibingka with Buko.

Drinks

What a great way to cap of the day.  I was glad we had Fely J's!  I wouldn't want to miss the dining experience as well as a bonding time with foodie friends.

Fely J's
Branches	Uptown Place Mall Second Floor, Uptown Place Mall, 36th Street Corner 9th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila Greenbelt 5 Level 2, Greenbelt 5, Ayala Center, Greenbelt, Makati City, Metro Manila
Business Hours	11am-10pm (mall hours)
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	10%
Budget/Person	500-800
Free WiFi	Yes

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When I booked a flight to Siam Reap for a solo trip, my family was surprised why there.  I said why not?  It was amazingly cheap!  Soon, my best friend joined in but none of us prepared an itinerary because we were both busy with work.  We ended up relying on Tripadvisor and other online tips which led us to Pub Street.  It was only on our last day that I took my time to explore and discovered Moul Chheng-Heang along Taphul Road.

I invited my friend but it was not chic enough for him.  He decided to dine elsewhere.  While dining, I got to talk to tourists near my table.

The place is downright simple but its always packed with people even without a Tripadvisor Sticker or rating which restaurants in Pubstreet boast of.

Food
When you see restaurant signs or menu with "Khmer", you'd think that "Khmer" cuisine is the same as "Cambodian" cuisine but its not.   But the two cuisine are different in a way that one is broader than the other.  Khmer is more specific to the indigenous dishes.  Cambodian carries with it influences from China, India, Myanmar, Vietnam, Thailand and France.

♥ Tom Yum Seafood (2.50 USD)

I saw every table ordering soup served in this Tom Yum Hot Pot.  

♥ Tom Yum Seafood (2.50 USD)

To be honest, I have been searching all over Manila for a good Tom Yum.  But, I have never felt satisfied.  Once I tried Moul Chheng-Heang's version, I instantly acknowledged that it is by far the best Tom Yum Seafood I have ever tasted!  I think the secret is in its ingredients.  It even has the Fingerrooot which is called k'cheay in Cambodia or ខ្ជាយ in Khmer.

♥ Fried Frog with Green Peppers (2.50 USD)

While we often use Dried Black Peppers in the Philippines, I have never encountered Fresh Green Peppers or Kampot before.  In Cambodia, they use it a lot in generous amounts!  Based on my research, both peppercorns come from the same plant.  But, the process is different.  Perhaps pepper farms there are more accessible so they can get them fresh from the market.  Anyway, the Fried Frog with Green Peppers beats all Chinese frog dishes I've tried here in Manila!  I don't think its just because of the pepper but in the cooking preparation as well.  The frog meat tastes clean and fragrant and tender and juicy as well.

Like in the Philippines every meal is served with rice.  Since I ordered two dishes, I was supposed to have two bowls of rice.  But, told them I'd only have one.  The rice is similar here too!

♥ Fresh Mango Shake (0.50 USD)

You can find fresh fruit shakes in every street in Siam Reap for a standard rate of 1 USD so I found this Fresh Mango Shake  at 0.50 USD a bargain!  I bought one during my meal and one to go.  I saw other customers doing that too!

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Had I discovered Moul Chheng-Heang as soon as I landed in Siam Reap, I would have eaten here more often and tried more of their dishes.  This place made my Siam Reap trip quite memorable.  In Siam Reap, even food stalls offer free WiFi.  The WiFi here is also fast and reliable. 

Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating		Moul Chheng Heang Menu
Ambiance	★★★	Fried Dishes | Fried Dishes 2 | Fried Dishes 3 |  Fried Dishes 4 |  Fried Dishes 5 | Fried Dishes 6 | Fried Dishes 8 | Curry 1 | Curry 2 | Amok | Frog | Soup 1 | Soup 2 | Fruits | Bread | Soup 3 | Soup 4 | Fried Chicken | Fried Chicken 2 | Amok Chicken | Noodle Soup | Fried Fish | Curry Tofu | French Fried Chicken  Shrimp | Vegetable | Vegetable 2 |  Fruit Salad | Fried Rice | | Coffee |
Taste	★★★★★
Service	★★★
Price	★★★★
♥=Favorites or Recommended

Moul Chheng Heang
Business Address	No. 412, Group 7 | Taphul Village, Sangkat Svay Dangkum,  Opposite Salina Hotel, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Business Hours	10am-9pm
Payment Options	Cash
Service Charge	10%
Budget/Person	50-200
Free WiFi	Yes
Contact	+855 12 841 558
Other

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