A few weeks ago, I was invited to the grand opening of Table Taft Boardgame Cafe.  Coincidentally, my little sister (shobe) has been inviting me to take her to Uniqube (also at University Mall) for ages so it was the perfect opportunity for a visit for both. 


My entire family is a boardgame geek.  When we were young, we have chess tournaments, monopoly days, word factory days and scrabble days at home.  And, whenever we were done with tag games at our cousins house, we'd watch TV while playing board games.  Now that we've become adults, our board games have expanded to different sorts of party and group games.  But, we rarely have the time to gather and play anymore.




Table Taft is very spacious with numerous gaming tables. 


The decor is simple but fun. 


We really appreciate that they have a board game cheat sheet to guide beginners on where they can start...


especially since they have over 150 games.


Quick Games
Little sister wanted to play more games so I let her pick quick games which she found interesting.   
 

Da Vinci Code

The Da Vinci Code (a.k.a. Coda) is a fun and easy to set up, easy to learn and easy to play game.  I suggest this for kids so they can easily learn it and quickly change the game once they beome impatient.

Battle Sheep

Battle Sheep is a simple but fun strategic game.  It has the basic concept of Go but altered in an easier and interesting way.

Tempurra

Tempurra is a combination of Exploding Kittens and Uno Cards.

Hanabi

Hanabi is a great starter cooperation game.

Retro Loonacy

While I love my own copy of Star Fluxx, I really had more fun with the easiness of Retro Loonacy.  This is a game of speed that even kids will enjoy.

Dr. Eureka

Game Master Kevin introduced us to Dr. Eureka.  We really enjoyed this.  I bet this is more fun with a group of 4.

More Complex Games

Potion Explosion

Potion Explosion is a really good game for those who want a strategic game with a bit of luck factor.  Too bad shobe just couldn't grasp the concept and found it too long to play.

Game Masters
Since I'm quite used to playing inermeddiate level board games, I can easily comprehend the concept of the game being explained.  But, shobe thought that some games were not explained sufficiently.  While we enjoyed our games. There was also time when our Game Master just left us.
Me: Kuya pwedeng Takenoko Game namin?
GM: Okay.  (Goes away)
Shobe (5 minutes later): Uhm where is he?
Me: (Busy checking my social media accounts) I don't know...
Shobe (5 minutes later): Wala na ata siya
Me: Okay kuha nalang ako ng game...

Food

Table Taft adopts an individual tab system for food orders so each person can leave anytime and settle their own bill.  They also have an entrance fee of 100 php which is consumable for the food and drinks.

Starters

Jalapeno Poppers (150 php)

Taco Fries (165 php)

Among the fries options, we loved the Taco Fries.

Cheese Beef Fries (150 php)

♥ Oversized Cheesesticks (120 php)

Shobe and I loved the Oversized Cheesesticks.

Onion Rings (110 php)

Rice Bowl

Chicken Teriyaki (160 php)

The Chicken Teriyaki offers tender chicken meat and very sweet and fragrant teriyaki sauce.

♥ Beef Salpicao (150 php)

Among the rice bowls, my top pick would be the Beef Salpicao.

Salsa Verde Fish Fillet (150 php)

Pasta

♥ Creamy Crispy Mushroom (150 php)

I liked the Creamy Crispy Mushroom because of the perfect al dente texture of the pasta.


Desserts 

Oreo Coffee Jelly (60 php)

♥ Apple Turon a la Mode (80 php)

The Apple Turon a la Mode surprised me because it was something new for me.  The mushed apple with cinnamon filling is perfect with the fried crunchy wrap.  Plus, it's quite a bargain for the price.  You can order this for sharing and everyone will be thrilled.

We found the pricing quite reasonable and convenient to visit since the place is accessible via LRT (Vito Cruz Station) too.  Table Taft is open from Monday-Saturday 10 am-10 pm.  

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Ever since I was invited by the Malabon Government to try their Malabon Food Trip Special, I have been a huge fan of Malabon's specialties.  So when I heard about Gabe's Homegrown Dishes, I was very intrigued.
 

See if you can spot Gabe's Homegrown Dishes signage

Because I am usually guided by Google Maps or Waze, I easily found Gabe's.  But if you're simply a passerby, Gabe's signage may be a bit unnoticeable.


Gabe's is found on the second floor.  It is the first establishment you'll see. 


Gabe's is a cool and comfort haven with a loft and some games and reading materials.

I can't believe they have my one of my favorite games as a student.  I used to have a lot of those Super Trump decks.  Aside from those, I even had helicopters, planes and more.

They got creative with their dining area by pairing the small wooden tables with chairs and lettered stools. 

There were also toy displays.

Seems they are Starwars fans too just like my family.


I wanted to leave a feedback but the wall is full of more hearty comments already.

Food
So let's get on with the food which I have to rave about.

Appetizers  

Pinoy Cheese Sticks (80 php)

Starting with something so familiar since my childhood: Pinoy Cheese Sticks.  This is great for sharing and the local tuhog-tuhog style makes it even more fun.

Main Entrees

♥ Lengua (250 php/good for sharing)

The Lengua is so good!  This has a bold fragrant garlic flavor that complements the creamy sauce and the very tender pork and beef tongue.   I highly recommend pouring the sauce over your rice.  Do that and I bet one cup of rice won't be enough for you.

♥ Tinumis (90 php)

At home, we cook the traditional version and Ilocano version (dinardaraan) of dinuguan.  Later on, I discovered that Pampanga has it's own version too called Tidtad Babi.   I didn't know that Malabon has its own version of dinuguan too.  The Tinumis is lighter in sour taste compared to other dinuguan I've tried.

♥ Tinumis (90 php)

And, this Tinumis is very chunky with innards.  I also liked that it wasn't soaking in oil because there it isn't dominated by fatty parts.

Noodles/Pasta

Pancit Malabon (100 php)

The Pancit Malabon is rich in ingredients but the sauce is light-tasting so it may not be enough for some.  On the bright side, the serving size is huge for the price.


Desserts

♥ Halo Halo (100 php)

What I really loved at Gabe's is their Halo Halo.  I've always felt ripped off when paying 100 bucks for mostly milk and ice at Razon's.  So I was really impressed that Gabe's Halo Halo has so many ingredients.  It even beats the pricey halo halo of Halo Halo de Iloko Balay of La Union.  And, it also beats our homemade version which until this time is the best in terms of variety!  Their homemade Ube is so fine and creamy. Their homemade Leche Flan is flawlessly smooth and melts-on-your-mouth.  The shaved ice is so crisp and crunchy just like that of Razon's.

♥ Halo Halo (100 php)

You can even share their Halo Halo because it really heavily loaded!  For the price, it's a steal.  I will definitely recommend this to be a halo-halo stop when in the area.

Beverages

♥ Lemonade (65 php)

Their affordable Lemonade is perfect for the summer!  Not only is this a nutritious thirst quencher, it goes well with any of their dishes too.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I can't think of a place like Gabe's Homegrown Dishes.  The price is so affordable and easy on the pocket.  They offer specialty dishes like no other.  The service is superb.  I'm very impressed with our server Naomi who is very familiar with the history and ingredient of this dish.  For those in the area, you should try this place!  They offer delivery within Quezon City and Eastwood City and they also offer party packages so just inquire.