Tootsie's Homemade Specialties: Favorite Filipino Restaurant (Tagayatay Cavite)
Tagaytay, Cavite, Philippines
It was a chilly Christmas night when the family found Tootsie's Homemade Specialties.
Entering Tootsie's felt just like visiting a relatives home. It's facade doesn't look at all like a restaurant. It felt like a warm and welcoming house.
As we entered, the place echoed with a chorus hymn as the choir of nuns sang Christmas carols.
The table setting is simple and cute.
Food
Pasta/Pancit
For staple, we ordered the Pancit BukOh! This is our first time to try a coconut infused pancit so we were really intrigued by this.
We absolutely loved the presentation. At first glace, you'd think it's just coconut. But if you mix it, you'll see that it's a pancit dish. This is so good. The coconut and the pancit combination is amazing!
Home Specialties
My mom cooks Kadyos at home in Ilocano style because that's where she grew up. But, Tootsie's Sus Kadyos is cooked Ilonggo style so it is new for us. This is a chunky soup with lots of pork bits. A must try!
The highlight of our meal is the Inihaw na Maliputo. It is a bit expensive but I swear it's so heavenly! I'd go to Tagaytay just for this alone.
Sweet Toots
Tootsie's is really impressive because even their desserts are innovative. The Turon Halo-Halo is delicious!
The Ube Palitaw is equally good.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I always believed that dining is experiential. Our dining experience at Tootsie's is so good that as I'm writing this, I can once again feel the warm nostalgic joy I felt when I dined there with the family. I definitely want to go back and try more of their offerings.
Entering Tootsie's felt just like visiting a relatives home. It's facade doesn't look at all like a restaurant. It felt like a warm and welcoming house.
As we entered, the place echoed with a chorus hymn as the choir of nuns sang Christmas carols.
Food
Pasta/Pancit
Pancit BukOh! (187 php) |
Pancit BukOh! (187 php) |
Home Specialties
Sus Kadyos (340 php) |
Inihaw na Maliputo (190 php/100 grams) |
Sweet Toots
Turon Halo-Halo (128 php) |
Ube Palitaw (105 php) |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I always believed that dining is experiential. Our dining experience at Tootsie's is so good that as I'm writing this, I can once again feel the warm nostalgic joy I felt when I dined there with the family. I definitely want to go back and try more of their offerings.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Tootsie's Homemade Specialties Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | Menu 1 | Menu 2 | Menu 3 | Menu 4 | Menu 5 | Menu 6 | Menu 7 | |
Taste | ★★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Our fourth stop for our Experience the Northern Bite is one that I'm sure the family would love. Fook Yuen takes pride in having the best crabs since 1988. In our family, crabs are considered to be one of the celebratory dishes. It's as special as lechon, steak and lobster that is usually present during occasions. So naturally, I have a positive inclining towards crabs that got me all excited when I saw their sign board.
That lady with the huge DSLR lens is Jill of thefoodscout.net. I don't think I've shared this yet. Back when I was in college, there was a talk about blogging and Jill was the speaker in food blogging. I got inspired so much that I started my blog right after.
Most Chinese restaurants I've been to that serve crabs are more upscale. Believe it or not, for me a place like this is more comfortable to eat some crabs. It reminds me of home. And, home is where I really get my hands dirty without any restraints.
Crabs
When it comes to crabs, I prefer it cookd simply either steamed, boiled or fried. I don't usually go for saucy ones. But the Fook Yuen Crabs is unlike the other sauced crabs I've tried! The creaminess and sweet coconut milk blend is so addictive. The crabs are cooked with precision too. We've been told that their crabs are freshly delivered live everyday. I also discovered that farm-raised crabs are tasteless so their crabs are sustainably caught fresh from the sea.
Of course, if you want to taste crab meat at it's finest, you can't go wrong with the classic Fried Crab with Salt and Pepper.
Shellfish
The Oyster Omellete is chunked and loaded with oysters. This is a good oyster omelette. But sad to say, the crabs were the star of the show.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Fook Yuen is the place to go if you're craving for crabs. Chinese-style cooked crabs are among the best out there.
That lady with the huge DSLR lens is Jill of thefoodscout.net. I don't think I've shared this yet. Back when I was in college, there was a talk about blogging and Jill was the speaker in food blogging. I got inspired so much that I started my blog right after.
Most Chinese restaurants I've been to that serve crabs are more upscale. Believe it or not, for me a place like this is more comfortable to eat some crabs. It reminds me of home. And, home is where I really get my hands dirty without any restraints.
Crabs
♥ Fook Yuen Crabs (Seasonal Price) |
When it comes to crabs, I prefer it cookd simply either steamed, boiled or fried. I don't usually go for saucy ones. But the Fook Yuen Crabs is unlike the other sauced crabs I've tried! The creaminess and sweet coconut milk blend is so addictive. The crabs are cooked with precision too. We've been told that their crabs are freshly delivered live everyday. I also discovered that farm-raised crabs are tasteless so their crabs are sustainably caught fresh from the sea.
♥ Fried Crab with Salt and Pepper (Seasonal Price) |
Shellfish
Oyster Omelette (200 php) |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Fook Yuen is the place to go if you're craving for crabs. Chinese-style cooked crabs are among the best out there.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Fook Yuen Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | N/A |
Taste | ★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Fook Yuen | |
Business Address | 558 Banawe St, Santa Mesa Heights, Quezon City, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 9am-9pm |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 300-800 |
Free WiFi | No |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (02) 711-3057 |
Other |
Last December, I was invited to take part in the Blogger Roadtaste by Balai Pandesal.
Since I was in the area for my Christmas Shopping tasks, I decided to give it a try. Although I've passed the Dela Rosa Car Park before, this somehow escaped my attention.
They had a lot of pastry options displayed.
You can have them dine in or take out.
I must admit, I have been drawn into the expensive Queso de Bola Ensaymadas. But upon trying their Cheddar Ensaymada and Ham and Cheese Bun, I fell in love with this classic all over.
I'm not a fan of the sugary kind of raisin bread. But if it's your type, give their Baguio Raisin Bread a try. It's so soft and the price is very reasonable.
If you like pinoy-style pizza, which has a dough base that isn't chewy but has a defining crispy like biscuit to it and a slightly sweet tomato sauce, you'll enjoy the 18" Super Meaty Pizza.
They have two kinds of Pandesal and Pandesalitas: Sweet and Salty. I prefer the latter. I also liked their Soya Milk.
What I love most in Balai Pandesal is their whole-wheat selections. The family tries to be health conscious and opts for whole wheat ones when as much as possible. We've been buying whole wheat pastries for decades and we have whole them every single day so believe me we've tried a lot of brands and variants over the years. So far, Balai Pandesal has the softest and smoothest whole-wheat bread I've tried.
Since I was in the area for my Christmas Shopping tasks, I decided to give it a try. Although I've passed the Dela Rosa Car Park before, this somehow escaped my attention.
They had a lot of pastry options displayed.
You can have them dine in or take out.
Cheddar Ensaymada (40 php) and Ham & Cheese Bun (39 php) |
I must admit, I have been drawn into the expensive Queso de Bola Ensaymadas. But upon trying their Cheddar Ensaymada and Ham and Cheese Bun, I fell in love with this classic all over.
Baguio Raisin Bread |
18" Super Meaty Pizza (79 php) |
Pandesal (7 php/each), Pandesalitas (3.50 php) and Soya Milk (37 php) |
Balai Wheat Bread (75 php/whole) and Wheat Pandesal (36 php/pack of 6) |
Goto Monster: Goto and More by the Streetside (P. Ocampo Ext. Makati)
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
It was a drizzling afternoon when I arrived at Goto Monster near the corner of Prima Vera St. And Pablo Ocampo Extension.
It was easy to spot as tricycles are stationed there. It is open air so you can just drop in to dine. See those folding table? At night, crowds build up so they set those up by the street.
Because inside, they only have a long and big red wooden table.
There is a rack inviting challengers to their Man vs Food. For 750 php, you have to finish their monster bowl of goto special equivalent to 10 of their regular bowls kn 45 minutes to win. Only 1 man has won this challenge as he finished in 44 minutes. I wanted to try their challenge but their selections tempted me more. By the glass, you can see printed graphics of iconic people in a cartoonish Goto Monster-fied way. We found that quite amusing.
And, right next to the red table is their kitchen so you're food is delivered hot and fresh (as they cook them from scratch).
Food
Look at this beauty. The Fresh Tofu Topped With Onion Leeks, Crispy Dilis and Ginger Sesame Sauce is a good source of protein and the taste is so refreshing to the palette. I loved this! I can tell my tofu-loving friends will adore this as well. This isn't on their menu so I guess it's like a secret menu?
The
Fresh Sping Rolls are my favorite. I am really impressed at how they
were able to innovate this with a Filipino touch. Together with the main ingredient are either bean sprouts (when available) or mustasa leaves, mint leaves and cucumber. I liked the Bagnet Fresh Spring Roll the most because it's a savory centerpiece among the light tasting fresh vegetables.
The Mushroom Fresh Spring Roll is light tasting. But, together with their three sauces, it is delicious! Don't feel guilty with using their sauces as they are made of olive oil.
The Talong Fresh Spring Roll is filled with their talong chips. This is actually pretty good. I highly recommend this for vegetarians.
The Goto Special is their lugaw with ox tripe, toasted garlic, onion leeks, tinapa flakes and creamy duck salted egg. Unlike other lugaw, their blend is healthy and vegan. It only makes use of tumeric and ginger. The serving portion is hefty so I think the price is reasonable although it is more expensive than the usual goto.
Among their goto selections, the Bagnet Special is the most popular one. I was surprised that many of my friends knew about this when they saw my instagram post. This is a must try! They make their own bagnet which is cool right? And, it's pleasurably crunchy to bite too. This is a must try!
The Chikcharon Special is their lugaw topped with their chickcharon. Among the four, I liked this the least. But, my companions liked this so it's just a matter of preference.
My favorite goto is the Shitake Mushroom Special. This is the first time I've tried a goto with shitake mushroom and I'm an immediate fan. I used to be crazy for the burgers with shitake mushroom. But, believe me I'd trade those for this anytime of the day. I just couldn't stop until there was nothing left on my bowl.
Side Order
The Tokwa + Chickcharon is a great combination. On its own, I found the chickcharon too salty so eating it with tofu, rice or goto tones it down a bit.
I forgot to take a photo of the Tokwa + Talong Chips because probably that was the first one to be emptied. It is a really good finger food. Nakakaaddict!
Can't get enough of their bagnet? Order more by having the Tokwa + Bagnet as add-on.
Mushroom lovers the Tokwa + Mushroom is a tempting choice right?
Happy Endings
When dining at Goto Monster, always leave room for dessert. All their desserts are drool-worthy! It's difficult to decide which one to go for so you'll have to have more. Starting off with my favorite which is the Bibingka Waffle ala mode. Sometimes, they use Vanilla Ice Cream. But, since I love Ube, I appreciated the Ube ice cream more. I cannot put into words how amazing this treat is! I'm not even a fan of waffles and I fell so much in love with this.
The Banana Chocnut Special ala mode is a combination that brings me back to my childhood memories. I used to eat peanut butter and banana sandwich as a kid. This is even better!
Goto Monster is quite famous for the Champorado Special ala mode. This is trully one of a kind. The chocolate is rich and bitter-sweet just like the tablea cocoa. The chocolate waffles with the crispy dilis, vanilla ice cream, rice crispies and chocolate syrup is so heavenly!
Sweet Happy Endings
Goto Monster even makes their own ice cream. My favorite is the Leche Flan Ice Cream. It's chilled and yet, the creaminess is fantastic! Chocoholic and kids will surely enjoy the Banana Chocnut Ice Cream. The Bibingka Special Ice Cream didn't click much for me because I felt that the dessicated coconut didn't harmonize well with the bibingka-based cream.
Drinks
The Iced Pineapple Kalamansi + Fresh Herb is one of the best healthy drinks I've tried. It was rejuvenating, refreshing and not too sweet. This beats most of the more luxurious restaurant drinks I've had.
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Goto Monster is one awesome discovery. It's offers comforting food you'd gladly have often. And, they're open 24 hours so cravings can be satisfied anytime. Next time, I want to take on their Man vs Food Challenge.
It was easy to spot as tricycles are stationed there. It is open air so you can just drop in to dine. See those folding table? At night, crowds build up so they set those up by the street.
Because inside, they only have a long and big red wooden table.
There is a rack inviting challengers to their Man vs Food. For 750 php, you have to finish their monster bowl of goto special equivalent to 10 of their regular bowls kn 45 minutes to win. Only 1 man has won this challenge as he finished in 44 minutes. I wanted to try their challenge but their selections tempted me more. By the glass, you can see printed graphics of iconic people in a cartoonish Goto Monster-fied way. We found that quite amusing.
And, right next to the red table is their kitchen so you're food is delivered hot and fresh (as they cook them from scratch).
Fresh Tofu Topped With Onion Leeks, Crispy Dilis and Ginger Sesame Sauce (150 php) |
Bagnet Fresh Spring Roll (120 php) |
Mushroom Fresh Spring Roll (120 php) |
Talong Fresh Spring Roll (120php) |
The Talong Fresh Spring Roll is filled with their talong chips. This is actually pretty good. I highly recommend this for vegetarians.
Goto Special (95 php) |
Bagnet Special (95 php) |
Chikcharon Special (95 php) |
Shitake Mushroom Special (95 php) |
Side Order
Tokwa + Chickcharon (95 php) |
I forgot to take a photo of the Tokwa + Talong Chips because probably that was the first one to be emptied. It is a really good finger food. Nakakaaddict!
Tokwa + Bagnet (95 php) |
Tokwa + Mushroom (95 php) |
Happy Endings
Bibingka Waffle ala mode (135 php) |
When dining at Goto Monster, always leave room for dessert. All their desserts are drool-worthy! It's difficult to decide which one to go for so you'll have to have more. Starting off with my favorite which is the Bibingka Waffle ala mode. Sometimes, they use Vanilla Ice Cream. But, since I love Ube, I appreciated the Ube ice cream more. I cannot put into words how amazing this treat is! I'm not even a fan of waffles and I fell so much in love with this.
Banana Chocnut Special ala mode (135 php) |
The Banana Chocnut Special ala mode is a combination that brings me back to my childhood memories. I used to eat peanut butter and banana sandwich as a kid. This is even better!
Champorado Special ala mode (135 php) |
Sweet Happy Endings
Banana Chocnut Ice Cream (50 php), Bibingka Special Ice Cream (50 php) and Leche Flan Ice Cream (50 php) |
Iced Pineapple Kalamansi + Fresh Herb (75 php) |
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Goto Monster is one awesome discovery. It's offers comforting food you'd gladly have often. And, they're open 24 hours so cravings can be satisfied anytime. Next time, I want to take on their Man vs Food Challenge.
Tsinoy Foodies Review Rating | Goto Monster Menu | |
Ambiance | ★★★ | Menu |
Taste | ★★★★ | |
Service | ★★★ | |
Price | ★★★ | |
♥=Favorites or Recommended |
Goto Monster | |
Business Address | 245 Ocampo Steet cor. Primo Rivera Street, Makati, Metro Manila |
Business Hours | 24 hours |
Payment Options | Cash |
Service Charge | 10% |
Budget/Person | 100-300 |
Free WiFi | No |
Unlocked Foursquare Perks | None |
Contact | (0916) 300-2600 |
Other | Facebook Fan Page |
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