It's been awhile since I've discovered a new joint so I was all in to check out Eleven.8 Cafe, Bar and Restaurant upon invite. 
 
Eleven.8 Cafe, Bar and Restaurant is located at the ground floor of Pacific Global Hospitality Institute (PGHI) Hotel.  One of the co-owners is a chef and instructor so I was really looking forward to the food.  According to the owners, they aim to be a cafe, breakfast place, meeting place venue, chill place at night and even a cooking lecture venue.

The place is very simple and laid back.

Food
We were served the typical bar chows.  Frankly, my expectation were not met.  Even by the simple color of these fries, I  could tell they used re-used oil.





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I really have nothing much to say about the food.  The meat did not have anything spectacular in terms of taste but at least they were tender.  I feel the execution wasn't as ironed out as it should be.  The pasta was overcooked and soggy.

Drinks

But, the drinks were a hit!
 
I'd say the it was worth the trip just for the drinks.  
 
All the blends were smooth and addictive!
 
Both ladies and gentlemen will enjoy all their selections.
 
Yes, I'd recommend having some of their drinks while listening to a few gigs on a weekend night.

Eleven.8 Cafe, Bar and Restaurant Menu
Appetizers | Burgers | Salad | Sandwich |
Must Try | Tilapia Recipe | Vegetable | Pasta |
Dessert | Extra

A few weeks ago, I was invited over to Le Petit Souffle for a brunch with Quaker Oats Philippines.

My family is quite loyal to the Quaker brand.  In fact, every Sunday morning is our oatmeal morning day.  We cook our old fashioned oats and add some powdered milk and honey before serving.  For the past decades, that is the only way I know how to eat oatmeal.

Joyce Pring, Wil Dasovich, Patti Grandidge and Lauren Young

But to my surprise, there's an easier, more convenient and fun way with overnight oats. 

I have to agree with Quaker's Marketing Manager for Nutrition Anne Remulla-Canda that "A lot of people actually think that oatmeal is hard to prepare..."


But with my discover of overnight oats, as shared by Quaker’s own Quaker Overnight Breakfast Club led by Joyce Pring, Wil Dasovich, Patti Grandidge and Lauren Young, I can now have oatmeal more often during the week.


Although you can make your own mix and match...

Check out my creation which I shared on IG.
 
But if you're not willing to risk, you can try these #QuakerOvernightBreakfastClub tried and tested Overnight Oat Recipes.


I recommend the S'Mores Overnight Oats and Mango Overnight Oats for the kids.



 While adults would enjoy the Carrot Cake Overnight Oats and Berry Overnight Oats more.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.   While, a brunch like these at Le Petit Souffle would be my ideal choice. 












I feel that Quaker Overnight Breakfast Club Overnight Oats are just as good.  And, we can easily make them at home too.  I can't wait to make more of it!  

A few weeks ago, I was invited to try Little Owls new menu.  It was introduced as the latest addition to Lola Group of Companies.  Although I have not tried any of their restaurants, I have heard a lot of raves about them from my foodie friends so I decided it was worth the travel from south to north.


Unlike most establishments in the area, it had a huge parking space which can cater to around 9 cars. 

Unless you prefer al fresco, I don't see any reason why you would not want to enjoy its cozy indoor interiors.

The place looks so spacious, clean and refreshing. 

There is also a function room or extended dining area on the second floor where we had our brunch.

Food

Salmon Benedict

Eggs Benedict is actually one of my favorite choices for breakfast or brunch so I was glad that they offered a Salmon Benedict.  This version has definitely passed my standards in terms of presentation, quality ingredients and serving portion.

Soups, Salads & Sandwiches

Caesar Salad (285 php)

Another classic healthy option is the Caesar Salad.  If you're less adventurous and want some greens, then go for this.  It's best to eat it upon serving so you can enjoy the romaines natural crispiness.

All Day Brunch Plates

Thick Cut Bacon Steaks (365 php)

While it was mentioned in the menu that the All Day Brunch Plates are good for sharing, I am certain that I can finish a plateful of their Thick Cut Bacon Steaks on my own.  I bet the men would be wishing more than me for more meat cuts.  It is that delicious but short on portions.

Pancakes & Waffles

♥ Fluffy Banana Pancake (220 php)

If there is one item I'd come back for at Little Owl Cafe, it would be the Fluffy Banana Pancake.  The fluffy and bouncy pancakes reminded me of Japanese cheesecakes.  I fell in love with it upon first bite.  

Pasta

Bolognese

So we thought the Bolognese was their Wild Mushroom Pasta because it had mushrooms.  I liked the sweet and tangy blend the tomato sauce. 


Toasts

Mushroom Tartine

The Mushroom Tartine is a must try for mushroom lovers like me.  But, it would have been even better if the cuts where smaller and equally distributed.  Also, some parts didn't have pesto sauce on it.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (220 php)

I do understand that they were still under soft opening phase during our visit but I can't help but feel disappointed still that the first Grilled Cheese Sandwich is so cheesy like the one on my photo while the second one is so thin that I can't barely recognize the 2 kinds of cheese.

Chicken Waffle Burger

The chicken is crunchy on the outside and so juicy on the inside.  However with the heavy and chewy waffle, the flavor of the chicken isn't as evident.  The coleslaw is a great complement for both the chicken and waffle but it wasn't enough.

Fish N' Chips

They use dory fish for their Fish N' Chips which I'm not a fan of.  My table mates seemed to enjoy this though.


Tarts
I wasn't able to take a photo of their ♥ Chocolate Tart (120 php) because it was gone in an instant.  I really loved how rich and bitter sweet it was.

Since I was invited and it was their soft opening phase, I will reserve my verdict for now.   To be honest, the 30 minute or so serving interval in between the dishes could have influenced my thoughts on the food and overall brunch experience.  To date, it was the longest brunch I have ever experienced (literally sat down from 11 am to past 3 pm).  For now, all I can say is the ambiance is superb but it comes with a steep price than if you would prefer having breakfast at the neighboring fast food restaurant.

The grand finale for our weekend staycation at Edsa Shangri-La is our breakfast buffet at the Heat.  It's been a while since I had a breakfast buffet so I had no expectations.

After our 6 am morning swim, we packed our bags and headed down to the Heat.   By the entrance they had a board with Breakfast Hourly Forecast for both Saturday and Sunday.

• 6 - 7 am: Light
• 7 - 8 am: Busy
• 8 - 11 am: Very Busy

Since we arrived around 8 am, there was already a line but it moved quickly and we got ushered to our seats in around 15 minutes.  Since I have never dined at the Heat before, even for lunch or dinner, I was pleasantly surprised at how extensive the buffet spread was. 

Bread Station
They have all the breakfast items you can think of.  They have Plain Oatmeal, Gluten Free Bread, Bread and Butter Pudding...

Mini Pancakes, Waffles, French Toast

And an extensive selection of pastries

which includes Croissants, Danish Pastries, Muffins, Rolls and Canapes.

My Pastry Plate

Cereal Station

They have all kinds of cereal selections: Corn Flakes, Cheerios, KoKo Crunch, Raisin Bran, Fiber One and my favorite Rice Krispies.

Yogurt Station
I'm a huge fan of yogurt and that is the reason why I enjoyed Sofitel's Yogurt Station. But unlike where the yogurt variants are flavored, here they have unsweetened yogurt where you can add toppings to bring in more flavors and this makes them healthier.  They have Plain Muesli, Plain Yogurt and Flavored Muesli.  

Honey and Preserved Fruits Selection

They have different kinds of honey and preserved fruit selections. And since I wanted to try them, I decided to add some as toppings for my Plain Yogurt.

My Plain Yogurt with Figs and Orange

Since fresh fruits didn't appeal to me, I added preserved figs and orange to my yogurt instead.

Cold Cuts Station

In addition to the usual breakfast staples, they have a lot more!  They have Cold Cuts with my favorite Smoked Salmon, Salami, Bologna, Ham and condiments.

My Cold Cuts and Cheese Plate

Omelette Stations

There are many like me who are fond of having Omelette for breakfast so I was quite glad that they have two stations for it.  I ordered my Smoked Salmon and Capers Omelette from the chef right here.
 
Salad Station

I always try to have as much greens as I can. 

My Salad Plate

So here's to my early plate of colorful and detoxifying Salad with Thousand Island Dressing.

Sushi Station

They have an assortments of Sushi and Makis available.  I'm told that only the Sashimi are not available for breakfast.

Our Maki Plate

By this point, I was already stuffed so shobe and I shared a plateful of Maki.
 

Salmon and Tuna Sushi

We also had a single piece each of their Salmon and Tuna Sushi.

Noodle Station 
I just couldn't resist the Noodle Station.


There were so many toppings to choose from.
 

My Beef and Mushroom Ramen

I really loved my flavorful Beef and Mushroom Ramen.

Congee Station

Plain Congee, Beef Congee and Champorado

Between Beef Ramen and Beef Congee, hands down the Beef Ramen is better.

Dimsum Station

Mantao and Pork Siomai

Indian Station
I was excited to see that they had Indian selections too like Idli and Sambar.
 

Indian Dosa

My Indian Plate

Shobe and I shared the Indian Dosa.  We liked the Indian Dosa but so heavy because it is filled with mashed sweet potato.  The rest of the dishes were bleh. =(

American Station

The American Station has the famous ham and bacon.
 

and a lot of other choices.
 

My American Plate

Filipino Station

The Filipino Station had Bibingka Latik, Suman Cassava, Maja Blanca, Sapin Sapin, Suman...
 

Bibingka

and Bibingka.  I'm glad they have native Filipino delicacies but it's not as awesome as Cafe Ilang-Ilang's.
 

Mini Taho Station

I was so thrilled to see that they have a Mini Taho Station because it's been a long time since I had one.  (I always wake up late...)  When I showed this to shobe when we went back to our room, she was so regretful she missed this.  



Fruit Station



Beverage Station

Aside from specialty teas found in each station like the Tarik Tea in the Indian Station and the Salabat from the Filipino Station, they also have a beverage bar for Fruit Juice.
 

The Fruit Juice is not fresh.  The Hot Chocolate tastes like Milo and not Tablea which I'd hope.  Best choice for us was the ♥ Brewed Coffee.
 

There's also Hot Tea Selections and Nespresso which you could bring out because they have cups with covers.  Shobe was so excited to bring a cup to our room.  She is a coffee addict!


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict


Overall, this is one of the best breakfast buffets I've had.  Heat's superb international cuisine breakfast buffet spread is tough to beat.  We really felt that the room rate is worth it because of their breakfast buffet.

P.S. Thank you so much Shobe for treating me to for this food feast and staycation to de-stress.  I hope someday I can be as disciplined and productive as you! ;)  But, for now I'm just the biggest eater. =))