At that juncture, I did not know anything about Cafe Havana except for two things: (1) it serve Cuban fusion dishes (2) the name reminds me of the Latin Pop song "Havana" by Camila Cabello.



Food brings people together.

Work
In my field of work, I would always be on one of the two adversarial sides. With my workmates, we all have our own cublicles and own tasks.  But once there's food everyone would gather in the pantry and the room will be filled with warmth and laughter.  

Family
Ever since we were young, we were taught to cooperate with each other so we can enjoy a meal together.  My mom is the best marketer.  My youngest sister does the ingredient preparation such as cleaning, cutting and peeling.  My older brother and second younger sister does the cooking.  My  first younger sister does the dish washing and I do the drying.  Apart from daily meals, there are also special meals during occasions shared with all our relatives.

Food Styled by John Bunag

#LJCxZomatoFoodCrawl A flatlay with many different dishes combined together is akin to a foodie event like a food crawl is also like it.  In this food crawl, the LJC group, zomato and fellow foodies gathered together.  The foodie community is the friendliest community.  Even when we just met, everyone will get along and talk with other over food or about food.  Everyone will lend a hand and respect one another's skills.  Usually, in events like this, I am just a bystander awed and inspired by everyone.  This food styling is done by the great John Bunag.  I couldn't do the flatlay as well as they do though so I just shot this as I see it.  

Food
Now that you know the meaning of food for me, ready to dig in Cafe Havana's Cuban Fusion dishes?  Cafe Havana is not just for a chill out place at night.  It's a great place for lunch outs too!

Fun Fact
Because it's my first time to try Cuban cuisine, I couldn't resist digging into some facts.  Interesting enough although Cuba is 15,625 km away from the Philippines, they share a lot of things in common.

Did you know that:

• Both of them were colonized by Spaniards for a long period.  Cuba became part of the Spanish Colony in 1492 until 1898 when the United States took over as the victor of the Spanish–American War.   On the other hand, the Philippines became part of the Spanish Colony in 1521 until June 12, 1898 when the United States took over as the victor of the Spanish–American War. 
• Both of them have a tropical climate.
• Both of them have a cuisine influenced by Spanish and Chinese dishes.

Sopas

Sopa de Frijoles Negros (175 php)

I don't know what black beauty means but this reminded me about a discussion with my work mates a few days back when we were talking about the new female staff.  One of my colleagues said, "I like her beauty.  She is not very beautiful but she looks more beautiful the more you get to see her.".  This Sopa de Frijoles Negros made of black beans has that appeal to the taste buds.  At first sip, it will give you an impression but you aren't sure if you like it.  Then, as you sip more... it grows on you and fall in love with it more and more.

Platos Principales

♥ Caribbean Style Salmon with Mango Mambo Salsa (635 php)

♥ Spare Ribs Habanera (605 php)

I really liked the Spare Ribs Habanera with guava sauce.  I liked it because I don't get to have guava sauce that often.

Caribbean Shrimp Curry (450 php)

Chuletas de Pollo con Arroz Mejicano (465 php)

Pizza Cubana

♥ Doble Cara (545 php)

Ordering the Doble Cara means you get to choose two kinds of pizza.  I don't really know why someone would pass that chance so I dare say it is the best option.  We got the Jamon Serrano and Quatro Quezo.  The pizza is oven cooked so I like the texture and flavor.  Everyone fell in love with the Quatro Quezo!

Postres

♥ Guyaba Pie (165 php)

Pudin de Pan Habanero (160 php)

The Pudin de Pan Habanero  is a Cuban-styled bread pudding.  This is really good!


So that concludes our second stop for our Cafe Havana #LJCxZomatoFoodCrawl.  It was satisfying for my tummy and my epicuriosity.  

For decades, we've grown to love Racks for living up to its promise of delivering the best ribs in town.  Then surprise surprise, a new cooler and younger brother called Rackshack comes along. 

Like all younger brothers, there's a bigger pressure of living up to the expectations set by its older brother. 

With a brighter and hipper vibe and long tables allowing for social eating, it bears no influence of its older brother.

Aside from the name, I bet you couldn't tell just by the looks of the place right?


To properly differ from its good and stable older brother, it also offers booze to heighten the social and dining experience. 

Food

Ridiculously Good Appetizers

♥ Ridiculous Nachos (365 php)

Being born after an older brother, Rackshack sure knows that sharing is caring!  It offers appetizers that are fun to enjoy with company like the Ridiculous Nachos...

Onion Strings (135 php)

Onion Strings...

Skinny Fries (95 php)

and Skinny Fries.

Street Corn Salad (195 php)

Its salad isn't as grand but it is more affordable than what Racks has to offer.

Pork Ribs in Hoisin Sauce (Sampler Only)

Rackshack offers 5 sauces: Mother Sauce (signature house blend), Spicy Mother Sauce, Hoisin Sauce, Carolina Gold (mustard base) and Kansas Sauce (sweet and spicy).  I

♥ Creole Garlic Shrimp (Sampler Only)

 I enjoyed the Creole Garlic Shrimp.

Crack Fried Chicken (Half 345 php)

If I recall correctly, Racks also has an item similar to the Crack Fried Chicken.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
So that's what you can expect from Racks cooler and younger brother Rackshack.  Should we welcome it with open arms and love it just like its older brother?   Hmm... I wouldn't want to spoil it so I'll be honest with my opinion that it has yet to convince many that it can deliver consistently like Racks was able to.  But price-wise, it is a bit cheaper.

It has already been six years since I first tried Zark's Burgers at their pioneer branch.  Zark's has gone a long way since then.

Would you believe that from a hole in a wall it has around 20 branches now?  I can now enjoy it even at malls like the last time I was in SM Megamall. 

Food
We love Zark's and we love its American burger concept.  But, at the back of our minds, we secretly wish that it would be a bit closer to our Filipino preference like having some rice dishes.

Asian Curry (149 php)

So I'm very happy to try Zark's new signature burger steaks.  I wasn't expecting much but when the the Asian Curry was served, I was impressed.  Look!  So bongga!  Based on visual presentation, this matches Japanese curry shop items that are worth twice as much.  How about the taste?  Hmm... For the price, not bad!  A bit on the salty than peppery though. 

♥ Garlic Mushroom (149 php)

If you ask me what's my favorite?  Its the Garlic Mushroom!  This is comfort food at its finest!  Yum yum!!!

♥ Chipotle BBQ (149 php)

Second runner up is the Chipotle BBQ.  I love the sweet and flavorful blend that makes me want to indulge into this with more rice!  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Zark's has done a great job with their Signature Burger Steaks!  I find this a bang for the buck choice with a generous serving of rice and sauce to complement the burger steak.  I especially appreciate it being cooked fresh upon order.  I will definitely order these again when I'm in the area.  The service at Zark's is superb as well considering it doesn't even have a service charge.

Tip: Tomorrow May 28, 2018 is Zark's Jawbreaker Day! 

Having a heavy craving for meat that needs to be satisfied, I somehow ended up at Fat Daddy's Smokehouse in UP Town Center Katipunan.

It's been a long time since I've gone back to UP Town Center and it was so much different from my last visit.


I initially intended to explore more of it.  But, the menu at Fat Daddy's is so extensive that my dining experience was already more than satisfying.


Fat Daddy's occupied a huge portion of area space at UP Town Center.  It has a nice western vibe.


The displays are cute.  They also sell merchandise in case you're interested.

Food

Starters

♥ Hot Pork Poppers (175 php)

Before you proceed to the heavy course, Fat Daddy's recommends you to have some starters first.

♥ Crispy Fried Pickles (185 php)

I also recommend that you don't skip this part because their starters are really good and fun to munch with your companions while waiting.

♥ Fried Chitlins (185 php)

 I can't keep my hands of these Fried Chitlins!  It's so addictive you'll forget about guilt. =p

Set Meals

♥ Smoked Pork Ribs, ♥ Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Pulled Pork, Smoked Hotlinks and Smoked Chicken BBQ with coleslaw, pickles on the side an our choice of side: Mashed Potatoes

I think we got to  try every meat dish and sides on the menu.  My top picks are: Smoked Pork Ribs, Smoked Beef Brisket, Smoked Chicken BBQ and Mashed Potatoes.

Sides

♥ Hot Mess (170 php)

I really love the Hot Mess.  The texture of the mashed potato is comfortingly smooth and the savory flavor complements it well.
 

♥ Mac and Cheese (170 php)

The Mac and Cheese is also one of the best I've had!  

Desserts

♥ Pecan Pie (250 php)

I know it is a difficult thing to do but definitely save room for desserts!  This Pecan Pie is the best pecan pie ever!!!

Peach Cobbler (250 php)

The Peach Cobbler is a bit sweeter than the Pecan Pie.  

♥ Bacon Smore's Dip (250 php)

If you're with a group, a must order is the Bacon Smore's Dip.  It comes with a chocolate lava inside.

Drinks

♥ Lemonade (150 php)

To refresh and cleanse your palate, the Lemonade is a great choice.  Although if you're saving, I think you should just skip this because the price is not reasonable.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Overall, Fat Daddy's is the place to go to when you're craving for smokey and savory meat!  Better bring your food squad because its best to share so you can try all their variants and see which fits your liking like we did.  I think the only thing that will hinder students from frequently revisiting this place is the pricing.  It is a bit beyond a student's staple allowance.