Appetizer

Smoked Salmon Dip (390 php)

Creamy Tomato Soup (195 php/bowl)

Chorizo Puttanesca (725 php)

Salmone Alffumicato (780 php/grande)

Italian Seafood Rice (395 php)

Surprising to find the Italian Seafood Rice to be my top pick!  Just look at the generous amount of seafood!  I especially appreciated the scallops.

Pizza

Salami and Bleu Cheese Pizza (525 php)

I absolutely loved the Salami and Bleu Cheese Pizza!  I usually pass up on salami as cold cuts selection but I enjoyed it on Amici's pizza.

Secret Menu

Ube Cake and Ube Gelato (195 php)

Who would have thought that double Ube work?  The Ube Cake (135 php) and Ube Gelato Scoop (95 php) eaten together ala mode style works wonderfully!  Order them both as a secret menu and save 35 php!

Dulce De Leche (95 php)

Vanilla (95 php)

Ube (95 php)

So there you go!  The secret is out!  Hope you get to try it.  Happy with the other new offerings as well.  I'm definitely coming back so expect some of that on my IG feeds and post.

For many years now, Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes has consistently drawn massive influx of diners at their Ayala Triangle Gardens branch.  Many friends as well as my little sister has recommended it as a must try.  And so finally on one fine evening, we did.



The interiors are cute with a doll house type of motif.  The colors used are light and bright.


There is a cake display by the counter. 


Pastries are also sold.



There's a candle light on each heavy cement round table. 

Food

♥ Super Caesar Salad (140 php)

The Super Caesar Salad was very good.  It has everything you are looking for in a good caesar salad.  For the price, it's quite a steal.

Grandma's Corn Chowder (80 php)

The Grandma's Corn Chowder was not very warm when served.  It has bacon bits, potatoes and corn.  It was quite disappointing because it was thick but not as smooth and creamy as I'd hope.  It was also tad to salty for my taste. 

Entrees (served with seasoned garlic rice)

Banapple Beef & Sausage Stew (195 php)

The Banapple Beef & Sausage Stew appeared and tasted like it was pre-heated.  Again, it was not very warm and the thick stew was too salty and peppery for my liking.  On the bright side, the meat cubes and sausage slices were tender.

Pasta

♥ Lasagna Roll-Ups (180 php)

The Lasagna Roll-Ups was delicious!  Aside from being cooked al dente, its zesty, herby and cheesy flavors are festive for the taste buds.

 

Herbed-Chicken Rolls in Basil Cream Sauce (185 php)

The Herbed-Chicken Rolls in Basil Cream Sauce reminded me of the classic Cordon Bleu.  The basil cream sauce was nice.  It complemented the chicken fillet meat, cheese and ham.  But, it failed to deliver a crunchy thick breading.
 

♥ Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs (185 php)

The Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs is the best one among our orders.  Not only did it have the right blend, it was also very tender.


Cakes

Classic Pecan Pie (105 php)

The Classic Pecan Pie was too sweet for us.  In fact, we didn't finish it.  It has a heavy gooey syrup-y texture. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Honestly, I'm not that impressed with Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes to wait in line for it.   I just don't find any of it rave or crave worthy.  I wonder if I ordered the wrong dishes or it's because I'm not fond of heavy and thick sauces that are over-seasoned.  I'll probably only have their meals for price consideration.  The serving portion is huge for the affordable price they are offered. 

Last month, I hanged out with some friends at A-gantea Ayala Triangle Gardens.  As it was celebrating its anniversary, they offered FREE upsize and a chance to win prices with their dice game. 

I'm so happy I got to see Teabo =D  He even has a girl friend. =)

They have an outdoor area.

But, the counter is inside sharing the space with Bread Talk.

They offer cozy seating and FREE WiFi which makes it an ideal hang out or meeting place for tourists, professionals, workers, students and more!

Drinks
A-gantea is derived from agan which means "sweet and refreshing after-taste".  It is different from others because it is made from high quality alpine leaves.  Let me share with you the drinks I've tried.

Recommendations

Roselle Honey Tea with Aiyu Jelly M (80 php)

It's not my first time with Roselle tea so I was more intrigued with what Aiyu Jelly is.  Agantea is the only milk tea shop I've encountered that offers it.  It is also called "ice jelly" in Singapore and it is made from seeds of various figs.  I loved it!  The Roselle Honey Tea has a very flavorful beverage with a concentrated sourness like that of a prune juice with sweetness from the honey.  I personally found it a bit too sweet for my taste but there's no sweetness level for this drink.

Fruit Tea

My little sisters are avid fans of A-gantea's Fruit Tea selection.  They consider this selections as A-gantea's specialty and I'm inclined to agree.

♥ Mango Green Tea with Agar Jelly M (80 php)

The Mango Green Tea with Agar Jelly is a must try!  This is refreshing drink is so blissful with its sweet and tangy notes with mini agar bits that are fun to chew.

Milk Tea

Bubble Milk Tea with Pearls M (85 php)

The Bubble Milk Tea with Pearls are for those who prefer a light tea taste and milkier drink.

A-Gan Milk Black Tea with Herbal Jelly M (95 php)

The A-Gan Milk Black Tea with Herbal Jelly is more flavorful than the Bubble Tea.  The Herbal Jelly also known as Grass Jelly has a nice consistency.  I used to prefer this before I tried the Aiyu Jelly.

♥ Red Bean Matcha M (90 php)

The Red Bean Matcha is a rich Matcha drink with crushed or semi-mushed red beans.  I recommend this for matcha lovers like me.  I like the crushed red beans idea too cause I'm a bit lazy in chewing haha! XD

Since we usually buy for take home, I'd like to note that they also have a great packaging for take out. =D 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
A-gantea offers high quality alpine milk tea and especially Fruit Teas!  They have a lot of variants so I've sure you'll find one that soothes your taste.  I really like their Fruit Tea selections and Aiyu Jelly.  Next time, I'll try their Taro Bits for toppings cause I just realized I've never tried that before.  We'll definitely keep coming back for A-gantea.  They have affordable pricing, friendly staff, cozy ambiance and FREE WiFi too.

Last Christmas, the family went to watch Ayala Triangle's Symphony of Lights.  Since we were already there, we took it as a chance to try out some of the restaurants we haven't tried before.  While some of the establishments there we only half occupied, we decided join the waiting line to dine at MoMo! Cafe. 


After around 30 minutes, we were called in and led to the mezzanine area.  It's yellow dim lights gave-off a warm and cozy ambiance.  It's stylish mirrors hanged on its vertically printed walls gave it a unique artsy impression.


Food

Big Bowl Salad

♥ The MoMo! Gourmet (295 php)

We decided to start our meal with a big bowl of healthy salad.  We ordered The MoMo! Gourmet trusting that it would be their best offering since it had their name on it and its also marked as recommended in their menu.  Upon first bite, all of us agreed that it is one of the best salads we've tried!  The MoMo! Gourmet had roasted garlic, shitake mushrooms, candied walnuts, fresh white cheese, arugula mixed greens, sliced oranges, hard boiled egg and a delicious raspberry-balsamic vinegrette. 

Homemade Soup
NOTE: The photos of the soups below are only half serving since I wanted to try them all. =)

Soup of the Day (Sausage Soup) (150 php)

The Soup of the Day is a savory Sausage Soup.  It was my first time to try this tomato based broth with diced sausage and it was pretty good.  

Tuscan Onion Soup (150 php)

The  Tuscan Onion Soup is a delicious creamy soup with generous amount of onion bits served with bread topped with a thick layer of mozzarella cheese. 
 

♥ Wild Mushroom Truffle Cappucino (175 php)

The best soup I've tried for that night was the Wild Mushroom Truffle Cappucino.  It's frothy cappuccino followed by the rich wild mushroom truffle is a superb experience.  This has definitely upped my expectations from mushroom soups. 

Jumbo Platters (Great for Sharing)

♥ Slow Roasted Herb U.S. Roast Beef Fingers (495 php)

They really mean it when they say "Jumbo".  The Slow Roasted Herb U.S. Roast Beef Fingers was served in a huge platter.  The Slow Roasted Herb U.S. Roast Beef Fingers was topped with garlic confit and creamy "au jus" and fried onion rings.  It was also served with a small cup of buttered corn.  The roast beef fingers were so soft and it was quite tasty with its herby flavors and creamy "au jus" sauce. 

House Specialties (Great for Sharing)

Creamy Crabby Seafood "Casserole" & Rice (395 php)

I'm not a fan of casserole dishes but I enjoyed their Creamy Crabby Seafood "Casserole" & Rice.  It was neither too cheesy nor creamy for my taste.  It had bits of crab meat, mixed seafood, double smoked bacon chunks, MoMo special seafood cream, corn, peas, carrots and hollandaise.  I enjoyed it more with a pinch of lemon.

♥ Old Fashioned Beer Battered Fish & Chips (395 php)

Although I don't drink beer, I'm a fan of beer battered fish & chips.  Their version of Old Fashioned Beer Battered Fish & Chips has made it on my list of bests for its juiciness, tenderness and flakiness.
But, the lack of crunchiness of its crust makes it fall slightly behind the ones offered by Garage 88 Bar and Diners and Chuck's Grub's.  

♥ Steak Rubbed Roast Chicken (395 php)

The Steak Rubbed Roast Chicken is also one of my favorites for the night.  It is a plate served with two pcs. of steak rubbed roast chicken leg quarter with party rice, roasted organic vegetable chicken jus and grilled corn kernels.  The roasted chicken skin was just exploding with flavors and the chicken meat was oozing with its flavorful juices. 

Coffee, Tea and More

Decaf Cappucino (120 php)

My brother ordered the Decaf Cappucino and claimed that the flavor wasn't strong enough to meet his preference.

Iced Cappucino (110 php)

I ordered the Iced Cappucino which came in a tall glass filled with ice.  It was probably the worst Iced Cappucino I've ever had in my life.  It was too bland and watered down.

♥ The MoMo! Coffee (150 php)

Compared to the other coffee that left us with disappointment, The MoMo! Coffee was miraculously good.  (Note to self to order only this coffee variant when dining at MoMo! Cafe)  The MoMo! Coffee is brewed illy coffee, topped with whipped cream chocolate syrup and chocnut bits. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
MoMo! Cafe is a awesome place to hang out when at the Ayala Triangle Gardens.  No wonder many would rather wait just to dine there.  Their food is served in generous proportions with the freshest ingredients.  They really mean it when they say "Great for Sharing"  so if you want to try those options, bring some company.  The service is excellent too.  Despite being seated at the mezzanine area, our waiter was very prompt to attend to our needs even if that means he had to go up and down the stairs frequently.  

Because the first planned cake (see previous entry) was not enough for us, we decided to go Banapple at Ayala Triangle to purchase my second birthday cake.  Banapple is already popular after being featured in a lot of TV shows, magazines and news papers.




Banapple offers a cute and homey ambiance.  It is bright and cozy.


The outdoor of Banapple reminds me of a garden dinner with candle lights too.


My little sister swears by the Banoffie Pie and it is Banapple's specialty so we purchase one whole Banoffie Pie.  

♥ Banoffie Pie Whole (720 php)

The Banoffie Pie was delicious!  Everything blended well together.  I've tried Banoffee Pies from ther cakeshops before and always found it too sweet.  It's the first time, I truly appreciated a Banoffie Pie.  


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict