When it comes to Spanish cuisine, Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Restaurante has already established its name industry.  Thus, the family aware of its consistent quality has come back for another revisit.


It is located in Greenbelt 2 beside Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar.  Upon entry, we were welcomed and ushered to seats.  It has a very serene feel despite being packed for that Saturday night.
I wonder how many bottles of wines are stored on their wall display. 

Food

Complimentary Bread Basket

Upon being seated, we made our usual orders and soon a Complimentary Bread Basket was laid before us served with olive oil.  The warm bread is pleasing and filling to the tummy.

Tapas (Appetizers)

♥ Gambas Al Ajillo (365 php)

The Gambas Al Ajillo is my favorite.  It is drenched in smooth and buttery olive oil with loads of garlic bits. 

Tapa (250 php)

The Tapa is slighty oily but pleasantly flavorful and tender.  It has lots of white onion rings that adds a complementing crunch and spice to the cured meat.  You can lessen the oiliness by dipping it on the vinegar.  My mom loves this dish. 


Sopas (Soup)

♥ Sopa de Ajo (195 php)

We're genuinely garlic lovers so the Sopa de Ajo is another favorite!


Ensaladas

Ensalada Del Cesar (310 php)

The Ensalada Del Cesar is our.default order for greens.  

Arros y Pasta (Rice and Pasta

♥ Paella Valenciana Half (695 php)

The Paella Valenciana is saffron-and-tomato-spiced Spanish bomba rice topped with pork, chicken, mussels, shrimps, chorizo, egg, bell peppers, peas and beans.  I'm very impressed with this one!  This definitely deserves to be on my best list when it comes to paella valenciana.
 

Paella Negra Half (635 php)

The Paella Negra is a good rendition too.  But, I prefer the PaellaValenciana over it.


Postres

♥ Curros Con Chocolate (150 php)

In terms of the texture of the churros, their Curros Con Chocolate is the best one I've had so far.  It was crispy, light as a feather and not oily at all.  The chocolate dip is good too.  The consistency was neither too thick or diluted and the flavor was rich and bitter-sweet.



Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm very pleased with the food quality and service of Casa Armas Tapas Bar Y Resturante as always.  If you're looking for a good place for Spanish dining, Casa Armas should be on the top of your list as proven by its years of recognition.

Last month, I was invited to sample Italianni's new breakfast menu fare.  I've tried Italianni's many times before but never knew they had a breakfast menu.  I was really impressed.  Thus, I'm adding it on my list of breakfast options.  These are served daily from 7 am to 10:30 am in Italianni's Bonifacio High Street and Greenbelt 2.

Food
So here are the items that I was able to try.

Puff Pastries 
I'd typically go for omelettes than puff pastries but not this time!  I especially loved Italianni's puff pastries because they are lightly buttered, crusty, flaky and filled with a pouched egg.  Gorgeous golden yellow yolk erupts from the pastry upon slicing it.

Prosciutto and Dill Potatoes

The Prosciutto and Dill Potatoes has sliced dill potatoes, cherry tomatoes and prosciutto ham in a creamy sauce served with toasted bread and sunny side up.

 

♥ Chicken Caesar

 All hail Chicken Caesar!  I've always enjoyed a nice caesar salad.  But, that is nothing compared to the Chicken Caesar with grilled chicken cubes, fresh romaine lettuce and parmesan cheese.  It is also served with toasted bread and sunny side up.
 

♥ Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese

My favorite among the Puff Pastry selections is the Smoked Salmon & Cream Cheese.  It is
topped with smoked salmon and dill cream cheese swimming on a pool of hollandaise sauce.  Words are not enough to describe the stupefying sensation I had upon indulging this! It also had the toasted bread and sunny side up on the side.

Omelletes

Italianni's Omelette

 The Italianni's Omelette is a very savory, manly and meaty option.  It is a  bolognaise, Italian sausage and chorizo with cheddar and Parmesan wrapped in a mustard omelet.  It is served with a salad and your choice between: Dill Potatoes or French Toast.

 

Mushroom and Bacon Omelette

The Mushroom and Bacon Omelette is for the bacon fanatics.  It has applewood smoked bacon, shiitake mushrooms, and creamy mozzarella cheese.  Choose French Toast for the sides.  It's really good! 

♥ Smoked Salmon Omelette

The Smoked Salmon Omelette is similar to the Puff Pastry version.  It's just as good.  But, since I love eggs, I'd prefer the Puff Pastry one.

The Japanese craze tandem Katsu and Ramen still continuous!  Although I've tried a number of Ramen shops already, I still fall short with my Katsu experience so I finally paid a timely visit at Tonkatsu by Terazawa.

Tonkatsu by Terazawa is located in Greenbelt 2.  It replaced the closed down Ma Maison which is also a Bistro Group concept.  The interiors changed into a most traditional Japanese feel.


These pigs are cute.


They also have an outdoor area for smokers and sake drinkers.

Food
Each table has a complete set of condiments.  There's two choices of dressing for your unlimited cabbage.

The name on the pot matches the label on the sauce container.   

Tonjiru

All sets are served with refillable shredded cabbage, Tonjiru (miso soup with pork) and your choice of Japanese rice or brown rice.

The Tonjiru which is a brown miso soup is delicious!  I think I had three refills of this. 


Kurobuta Rosu Katsu

♥ Tokusen Kurobuta Rosu Katsu Set (595 php)

The Tokusen Kurobuta Rosu Katsu Set is premium deep fried black pork loin set.  It makes use of pork meat from black hogs with layer of fats. 

♥ Tokusen Kurobuta Rosu Katsu Set (595 php)

It's slightly more tender than the normal variant.  It's slightly pinkish too. 

Kakifurai (Deep Fried Oyster)

Oyster Set - Deep Fried Oysters 5 pcs. (525 php)

The Oyster Set is a set of 5 pcs. deep fried oysters.

Deep Fried Oysters

Upon first bite, I fell in love with the Deep Fried Oysters.  But, after awhile it gets a bit difficult to finish because of the overwhelming flavor.

Nagoyashi Meshi Miso Katsu (Deep Fried Pork Katsu Nagoya Style)

♥ Negi Miso Rosu Katsu Set (445 php)

The family loved the Negi Miso Rosu Katsu Set which is rosu katsu with leeks and served with
with sweet miso sauce. 

♥ Negi Miso Rosu Katsu Set (445 php)

The Rosulooks similar to the Kurobuta Rosu but in terms of texture is slightly tougher.  The difference is not so much though.


Iroiro Katsu (Assorted Katsu)

♥ Oyster, Prawn & White Fish Set (490 php)

Rather than ordering the Oyster Set, I highly recommend you go for the Oyster, Prawn & White Fish Set.  It has 1 pc. oyster, 1 pc prawn and 1 pc white fresh.  It's more fun to eat with the variety.

White Fish

Everything is good especially the flaky White Fish.
 
Okonomi Katsu (Variety Katsu)

Homemade Katsu Curry Set (435 php)

The Homemade Katsu Curry Set is katsu served with a bowl of Japanese curry.  If you love Japanese curry like I do, you'll enjoy this!

Dessert

♥ Frozen Green Tea (155 php)

I'm glad they retained the Frozen Green Tea from Ma Maison because this is my favorite!  We simply can't have enough of this!  (We ordered one for each!)
 


Other Katsu Reviews
Ginza Bairin
Katsu Cafe
Kimukatsu
Maisen 
Saboten
Tampopo たんぽぽ 
Yabu 1 | Yabu 2

Other Bistro Group Restaurant Reviews
Bulgogi Brothers
Italianni's Restaurant
Krazy Garlic
Ma Maison (closed)
Modern Shanghai
SikLab Filipino Favorites
Village Tavern
Watami 1 | Watami 2

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Tonkatsu by Terazawa offers katsu sets that are strategically priced similar to its competitors.  For the rosu and non-pork items, I have to say it's one of the best but I couldn't say the same for the Kurobuta.  I think they have best refillable Tonjiru (miso soup with pork) though.  And, its good that they have a brown rice option. As I've notice from Bistro Group restaurant, it shares some items with other concepts and I like that.

The family is quite fond of Mexican cuisine so we dine at every Mexican restaurant we encounter.  A few months ago, we spotted Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar at Greenbelt 2.  It was on the outside or street-side portion so you it is not noticeable.

I find it quite odd that they have their sign inside and not outside the store.

It has a huge space which makes it a great party area with a wide dance floor.  It is equipped with  a sound system, disco ball and colored lights.  The voluminous party photos plastered on its red walls insinuated that its a wild party place perhaps on late hours or private events.  The interior appears like an American retro 70's diner than a Mexican Grill Bar to me though. 

They have a downright simple pay as you order system.  The menu board says it all in steps too.

Step 1: Choose your main course (all priced at 295 php)

• Tacos
• Burrito
• Burrito Bowl
• Salad

 Step 2: Choose your meat or filling:

• Steak
• Chicken
• Carnitas
• Picadillo
• Veggies

Step 3: Choose your extras

• Mexican Rice
• Chili
• Nacho Grande
• Chips & Queso
• Tortilla Soup

Step 4: Choose your drinks

Hot Sauce Library

The have a cool Hot Sauce Library.  Although it is extensive, I wished they were categorized to spiciness level so I could easily decide on which to try.

Salsa Bar

The Salsa Bar had chipotle, tomatillo, pico de gallo, jalapeños and fresh limes.  Unfortunately, the jalapeños was empty but there's the chiptotle made from its dried form.  I feasted on the tomatillo and pico de gallo which was delicious!

Food

♥ Tortilla Soup (160 php)

This is the best Tortilla Soup I have ever tried!  We had to order one for each because no one wanted to share.  It had a stupendously tasty broth with diced herbs and vegetables, chunks of chicken, topped with tortilla chips, pico de gallo and grated cheddar and Monterey Jack chees.  It has a mild spicy kick to it.

♥ Chicken Tacos (295 php)

An order of the Chicken Tacos is composed of 3 pieces and a salsa.  It is a hearty taco made with soft flour tortilla shells, cheese, pico de gallo, salsa, lettuce, sour cream and chicken strips.  We loved this! 

♥ Carnitas Burrito (295 php)

The heaviest of the options is the Carnitas Burrito.  It has refried beans, guacamole, Mexican rice, black beans, cheese, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, lettuce and carnitas (roasted pulled pork).  The carnitas was tender!

♥ Picadillo Burrito Bowl (295 php)

It's my first time to try a Burrito Bowl so thrilled that they offered one.  The Picadillo Burrito Bowl is a stainless steel bowlful of Mexican Rice, cheese, refried beans, black beans, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream and picadillo (spicy ground beef).  This is so good that I didn't mind getting down and dirty like a hungry chihuahua to enjoy this.

♥ Chicken Salad (295 php)

The Chicken Salad is an fiesty stainless steel bowlful of fresh lettuce topped with guacamole, cheese, chili con carne, pico de gallo, salsa, sour cream, corn kernels and chicken cubes.  This is surprisingly overwhelmingly  good for a healthy Mexican dish.

These are the hot sauces I tried along the way.  All of them were not enough to make me surrender.  Anyone know which is the hottest hot sauce in their library?

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Chihuahua Mexican Grill and Margarita Bar is on top of our list when it comes to authentic Mexican cuisine.  I usually find it difficult to finish a Mexican meal but this one got as all wanting for more.  We didn't feel the heaviness in the meal at all.  We were instead allured by the fresh and bold flavors of every ingredient.  Not to mention, their price is really affordable!

Sure, frozen yogurt isn't the newest food trend in town.  But, I sure love it still.  A month ago, I was invited by a fellow travel bloggers to chill out at Qoola Yogurt + Fruit Greenbelt 2.  I actually have a travel blog which I've is quite dormant for the past few months.   I wanted to get to meet them and find some sort of inspiration to write again so I went.  

My little sisters often frequent the place for Agantea but it was a first time for me.

Qoola Yogurt + Fruit is a premium frozen yogurt bar originating in Vancouver, Canada.
I've tried various frozen yogurt brands before, but this is my first time witness a "self serve" style of ordering.  (I was quite shy so I didn't get to make one)

The first step is to swirl yogurt onto you're cup.  You can choose among two of their flavors: original and peach mango.  The cup looks bigger than it looks because it has an inner layer.  But, that's actually good so you won't overspend. 

Toppings
Then, top you yogurt with their wide variety of toppings.
As indicated with its name, they offer fruit toppings.

The more popular toppings for kids are the chocolate, cookies and candies.  They have nuts too.

For the final step, place your cup on the weighting scale and pay.  The price is fixed at 68 per 100 grams but calculating and speculating the price of your order is a bit tricky unless you're a frequent customer I guess.

They have a bight and cozy dining area located at the second floor.  They offer FREE Wifi too and if that doesn't work out for you the default Ayala Wifi is accessible too.

So here are my friend's creations...

♥ Plain
I really like the nice, clean, tarty taste of their plain yogurt.  It's one of the best in my book.

You can top your yogurt with fruits.  I actually liked this one the most.  It's simple and healthy too! 

I could spot sparkle in the eyes of my friend's daughter as she held onto this one.  I could see why.  Doesn't this remind you of candy land?

This is a nut-lovers creation.  As a fellow nut-lover to another, I'd say this is a brilliant idea!

Peach Mango
They change the flavors offered so you'll always have something to look forward to on your visit.  The It's actually my first time to try a Peach Mango yogurt.  Well, it was good but I'd sill prefer the plain one over this.  Perhaps, because I didn't find the lightly sweetened peach and sour mango to be a good complement for the tartiness.




You could see we had a lot of fun making more creative and extravagant variations.  =)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict 
Qoola Yogurt + Fruit is an awesome place to chill out with friends.  I'd definitely want to go back and try making a plain yogurt creation.  As with the self-serve types of yogurt, it is a bit pricey though so keep that in mind.  This is also a great place to bring your kids.  I bet they will enjoy this type compared to the conventional ones.  So, why not let them have a bit fun right?