Food

Soup
Since we love classics, we'll start of with items in the regular menu. 

Mushroom (160 php)

Salads

Classic Caesar (250 php)

Pasta

Agli e Olio (200 php)

The serving size is also quite generous. 

Carbonara (250 php)

Both pasta dishes we've tried:Agli e Olio and Carbonara had a comforting blend.

Holiday Set Meals
For this Christmas, Press by Fully Booked has prepared a Holiday Group Meal Set inspired by our Filipino Nocha Buena tradition.

Arroz Valenciana

Set A (999 php) is the budget meal choice with Arroz Valenciana, Homestyle Fried Chicken and Press Iced Tea.  Because the  Arroz Valenciana had bountiful toppings (which you can see!) and the rice was so sticky and heavy, we found Set A to be an already fulfilling choice.

Homestyle Fried Chicken

The Homestyle Fried Chicken is not breaded like the fast-food ones.  Instead, it was adequately spiced and goes well with the gravy.

Lechon Belly

The perks with Set B (Php1,499) is the addition of the Lechon Belly.  For many, a Filipino celebration is not complete without this. 

Cakes & Pastries

Chocolate Cake (1250 php/whole)

Chocolate cakes are one of the most popular cake variant available in the Metro.  Till the time we've encountered Press' Chocolate Cake, we thought we've tasted all the best ones.  We've read all sorts of top lists or best chocolate cake in Manila list and none of them has mentioned Press by Fully Booked.  What a wild card!  What a hidden gem!  This Chocolate Cake is rich, bitter sweet and oh so soft and moist.  Although huge and thick, you won't hesitate to take each and every bite. 


Holiday Pastries
Like the meals, Press also has holiday pastries.

Ube Custard (650 php)

Raise your hand if you're a ube and leche flan lover!  This Ube Custard is for us!  Compared to the Chocolate Cake, the Ube cake layer is a bit dry.  Hence, the smooth and creamy leche flan give it the nice fine finish in every forkful. 

Four Seasons Cheesecake (Php1,350)

Cookie Sampler (Php440)

Bar Sampler (550 php)

and the Bar Sampler with Food for the Gods and Butterscotch.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict

Each section has a different vibe somehow...




I especially like the al fresco area.  If only it wasn't hot outside, I would definitely want to hang out here.

Food




Bricked Oven Pizza

Cafe Vio La Special (395 php)

♥ Apple Crumble Cheesecake (215php)

The Apple Crumble Cheesecake is one of the best cheesecakes I've tried.  I've always loved apple pies, I didn't think it would work so well as a cheesecake too.

♥ Ube Cheesecake (215 php)

There aren't much places that offer ube cakes in Manila so I am so glad that to find that they have one.  Being the ultimate ube fan, I instantly flew to heaven with the rich. sweet and smooth Ube Cheesecake.  

Key Lime Pie (215 php)

Fresh Fruit Shakes

Cantaloupe (175 php)

Honey Cinnamon Au Lait (145 php)

But then, I saw my sibling ordering tempting coffee drinks so I ended up ordering one too.  Being both indecisive and greedy are traits I'm not proud of but I was glad to order this.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Escaping from Manila and hanging out at a cool and colorful like Cafe Vio La with delectable cakes and drinks, sounds like an irresistible idea right?

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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Lemuria.
For this meal, we were presented with a tantalizing menu of Lemuria classics.
As an appetizer to the entire dining experience, we were given their home-made breads which are freshly prepared in-store using hand-churned butter. Among their selection are French Baguette, Walnut Loaf made with walnut, honey and molasses, and Foccaccia with sundried tomato. These are complimentary and served along any meal purchased :)

Foie Gras Trio (1,150 php)

Braised Lamb & Apricot Galette |(365 php)

Seabass (1,260 php)

Duck Leg Confit w/ Cassoulet  (1,310 php)

Beef Bourguignon (940 php)

Finishing up the main course was a serving of their Beef Bourguignon. As with all flavorful meats, this was braised and marinated for 2-3 days; Lemuria braises theirs in red wine reduction and slow cooks it for a full 8 hours. The effort is very evident with a beef that is absolutely melt in your mouth and flavorful, further complemented by the sweetness that comes with a side of shallots. This was my favorite dish for the evening.

Lemuria Cheesecake (294 php)

A sweet ending to a perfect meal, the meal ended with a dessert bearing the restaurant’s own name, the Lemuria Cheesecake. Arguably very popular, this is not just like any other cheesecake. Lemuria uses a combination of Carabao’s Milk, Goat’s Cheese, and Dulce de Leche to achieve a distinct and original cheesecake flavor that is full, creamy with a harmonious blend of dairy. Topped with their homemade strawberry compote and this dessert was just the perfect way to end the night.



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