Is there more to good food than just satisfying appetites and filing up our newsfeeds with tons of food photos? That’s probably the question that went into the mind of the founders behind Martin Place Social in Arya Plaza, BGC because Martin Place Social is not just a restaurant;


Martin Place Social is an integrated restaurant and training institute run by Ausphin International Institute as a live kitchen for the Institution’s students. Like American Bounty run by the Culinary Institute of America, Martin Social Place is the experimental training ground for Ausphin’s promising students in culinary arts and restaurant management

But serving a higher purpose is not enough to attract diners to a restaurant—after all, most of us place a lot of weight on how much we love the food and the dining experience when choosing a restaurant. Leveraging on their Australian background, the guys behind Martin Place Social created a restaurant that embodies the Modern Australian dining experience and is inspired by the eclectic cafes in Sydney and Melbourne.

You may be wondering what Modern Australian cuisine would taste like, I certainly was, and the invitation to sample some of Martin Place Social’s food was a good chance to finally know what Modern Australian cuisine is!

Drinks
The evening started off with a round of drinks—a typical Aussie custom, who knew?  I had a glass of Cold Brew Negroni, others had a glass of what seemed like lemonade. ( Unfortunately, they did not have a menu for their cocktails so I can’t say for certain what the second drink was or what the prices are—sorry about that!)

Food

Secret Fish Taco (over fried soft taco) (320 php)

Secret Fish Taco (in hard taco shell) (320 php)

We were told that the fish used depended on what was available in market and changed from time to time depending on what fish was available that day. The secret sauce; however, remained a secret but gave the fish a nice burst of sweetness and sourness.

Mountain Pork Belly Salad (480 php)

Macy's Cheesecake (280 php)

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Everything seems fast-paced except for the stressful heavy traffic.  In the busy business district of Makati, I found refuge for comfort at After All Bar & Grill.

My young apprentice has been having financial, family and health problems so  I thought I could bring him here to chill out a bit. 

He shared that it was his first time ever to stop by the City of Makati.  He has passed through Makati but never actually visited it. 

After All has a bar but...

that's not really what we went after.  My apprentice is a musician.  Even at his teenage years, he plays in a church band and earns a living as a guitar tutor.  After All lets guests play if they want to.  I tried to encourage my young trainee but he was too shy.

Food
So, we just got on with the food.

Mains

Filipino Fiesta

♥ Crunchy Pork Sisig (280 php)

We started off with their After All's best-seller: Crunchy Pork Sisig.  We loved this!  He even had extra rice just for this!


Tapas

♥ Romanian Deviled Squid (210 php)

I found the Romanian Deviled Squid really interesting.  And, it was cooked perfectly tender too!

♥ Glazed Balls of Fire (210 php)

My favorite for the night is actually and surprisingly the Glazed Balls of Fire.  The buffalo sauce complemented the tender and succulent meat balls well.

Beef Salpicao (330 php)

Now, steak lovers will surely be delighted with their Wagyu Beef Salpicao.

Crispy Shrimps (250 php)

The Crispy Shrimps is a superb beer match.

Calamares Fritos (240 php)

And, last but not the least of our order is the Filipino favorite Calamares Fritos.

Drinks


Rum

 

Calibre (150 php)

For drinks, we tried the Calibre which is Cuban libre infused with lime and sugar.  It was pretty smooth. 


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
The pricing and food quality at After All Bar & Grill has exceeded my expectation.  Being located at SM Jazz which is a highly commercial and prominent area, I expected it to be more pricey.  I also loved the ambiance with great music.  The only thing that didn't satisfy me was the service.  Albeit having a few customers, we found it difficult to call the attention of the servers.  And when I told the server that the dish was a bit rare, he didn't say anything and just went away.

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

My friend Sumi lives far north (from Malabon!) so when she had an agenda in Manila, I invited her to chill at Cafe Travel.

Cafe Travel is a Korean Cafe located at the second floor of Archer's Nook (in front of De Lasalle University Manila). 

Upon entering, we saw the counter with a cake chiller.

The cakes are supplied by Angel N' Kiss which the family have tried in Blue Bay Walk before and disliked.  But it looks so appealing, so how can we resist right?

The cute room-like atmosphere actually reminded me of the SHP Bibimbap nearby.


But, this one has a second level and the air-conditioning is really cool.

They adopt a shoes off policy.


Because of the personal room system, every group had their own agenda.

There are plug available so many did their school group projects there together.  I even saw a couple having a movie marathon on their laptop.  You can stay there as long as you want.  But, there's a minimum of 1 drink per person.

Food
The white clean table made it very photogenic to snap shot our orders.  Unfortunately when I returned with the family, the tables have been full of permanent marker vandalism and tables had stickers of "Do not vandalize" so it wasn't as pleasing to shoot anymore.

Travel Special

Travel Mocha (180 php)

I got the Travel Mocha.  Although I'd prefer it to be less sweet, the strength of the coffee is just right for me.

Beverage

Green Tea Latte (155 php)

Sumi had the Green Tea Latte.  It was very milky but the matcha taste was still evident.

Cake

New York Cheese Cake Plain (190 php)

The New York Cheese Cake Plain was too rich and dense for us that we found it difficult to finish.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
If you're in for food and drink presentation coupled with the cute ambiance, Cafe Travel is worth a visit.  However when the family visited, it just didn't feel as magical to me with all the vandalism.  Their drinks have somehow degraded for me too.  They are now too creamed and sweet.