Whenever my relatives celebrate birthdays, more often than not, we are bound to try a buffet place.  This time they invited us to try Food Club.

Food Club is located at Blue Bay Walk.  The family likes it there because there's a lot of parking space.

I don't think you'll ever need reservations at Food Club.  I think they have more space than it can ever be occupied.

Food


Cooked Food
In terms of buffet choices, they have a lot!  There are many cooked dishes of international cuisine.  They also have dedicated stations for other food types.

Bread Station
I bet you can't try all their selection in one seating.

Salad Station
They have healthy options...

Appetizer Station

as well as not so healthy options such as Cold Cuts and Cheese.

Kiddie Station
There's also a kiddie station with kid friendly choices like Hotdog on a Stick and Marbles Potatoes.

Sushi and Sashimi Station
We were happy that they have Salmon Sashimi.  But as you can see,  it is not so fresh.

Miso Ramen Station
There's a Miso Ramen Station.  I like that it is served in small miso bowls so it isn't very heavy.

Grilling Station
There's also a Grilling Station with marinated meats, skewers and fresh seafood.
Fried Station
Forget about the other fried items, everyone kept coming back for the Shrimp Tempura.  Well, it was nothing special.  But, it runs out fast and they refill it quick too.  

Carving Station
For the price, I must say this item is a steal or perhaps... you get what you pay for.

Chinese Station

To our elderly Tsinoys delight, the most expansive cuisine at Food Club is Chinese Cuisine.   They even offer 2-way Duck which I indulged on.

Dimsum Station

Xiao Long Bao

In fairness to them, they are the only buffet I've been to that offers Xiao Long Bao as one of their special dishes.  But, it is the saddest one I've tried.  Can you tell just by the looks?

There are more dimsum choices... all of which could use some improvement. 

Pasta

Hot Pot Station

♥ Garlic Crabs

If there's one item that we would love Food Club for, it would be their Garlic Crabs!  Look at the size!  My aunt would be happy just eating this alone.

Dessert Station

Candy Buffet

There are lots of cakes.  Nothing really stood out for me.

Fruits

Because the cakes didn't suit to our  liking, we decided to go for the healthier option - Fruits.

Drinks
 They have lots of drink selections.  I highly suggest their Fresh Fruit Shakes.


And, end your meal with their Coffee.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Food Club doesn't offer selections that will leave a lasting impression.  But for the price, you get Roast Beef, Crabs, Xiao Long Bao, Tempura, Coffee and Fresh Fruit Shakes, that's tough to beat.

Tip: They offer discounts if you're an alumni of DLSU and UST because they say that the owner is an alumini.

There are times when we eat for convenience and there are times when we eat for exploration.  My visit to Bistro United is for the latter.  And, let me tell you I have come to the right place - if not the best place!  Have you tried tilapia ice cream?  Well, if not you have too!  There's also so many other intriguing items on the menu that I just have to share!

Since I wasn't familiar with the area, finding this was a bit of a challenge for me.  Next time, I will search and mark for D Strip instead. 

Love the tiles!

But, I'm so glad I found it!  It was well-decorated and very spacious.

Food
The food is as top-notch as its interiors.

Starters

Smoked Fish Pockets (125 php)

Starting of with the Smoked Fish Pockets.  The triangular taco-shelled finger food delivers an initial crunchy sensation before unleashing the mellow salty, savory and succulent shredded smoked fish filling.
 

♥ Nacho Poppers (105 php)

I think the saying "once you pop, you can't stop" applies to the Nacho Poppers.  The combination of the salsa with the mango is amazing!

Soup & Salad

Crispy Ubod Salad (125 php)

If you want a healthy dish that's offers a fun crunchy experience, then definitely go for the Crispy Ubod Salad.  Love the texture of the components as well the taste of the dressing!

Pasta

Bagnet Ravioli (245 php)

I really admire how bold Bistro United got when they innovated the Bagnet Ravioli.  But, I somehow missed the crunchy skin of the bagnet which I loved that was underplayed in this.


Mains

♥ The Amazing Roast Beef (415 php)

The Round Table's Buffet is famous for The Amazing Roast Beef.  I'm so glad that they've decided to offer this ala carte in Bistro United.  This is truly amazing!!!

♥ Adobo Sa Mangga (395 php)

If you ask me what is the one dish I would pick at Bistro United, then definitely it is the Adobo Sa Mangga.  Can you believe that this doesn't have any soy sauce?  Instead, it has mango puree and bagoong?  I've never encountered something so interesting and balanced at the same time.

♥ Dalandan Chicken with Ube Rice (245 php)

I'm really biased towards Ube.  Since my childhood, I could not resist ordering Ube food products and dishes upon discovering their availability.  So naturally, I liked the Dalandan Chicken with Ube Rice.  Although I have to admit, if the Ube flavor is stronger, I would have loved it even more.

♥ Porchetta Kare-Kare (245 php)

The Porchetta Kare-Kare is another must try!  I'm not recommending it for the porchetta alone but also for the rich delicious sauce.


All Day Breakfast

Arroz Caldo Overload (155 php)

While the Arroz Caldo Overload did not appeal as intriguing as the other dishes, it gave me a nice nostalgic comforting feeling.

Burgers

♥ Spiced Salmon Burger (340 php)

The Spiced Salmon Burger is delicious!  I still prefer Slice's Salmon Burger but this comes so close.  I'd settle for this anytime of the day.

♥ Roast Beef Po-Boy (330 php)

If you prefer sandwiches or need a to go meal, the Roast Beef Po-Boy is a great alternative to the The Amazing Roast Beef.

Fried Chicken Sandwich (255 php)

Look at the beautiful egg!  That is what makes eating this Fried Chicken Sandwich a challenge if you're a neat freak.  But, totally worth it.


Dessert

Banana Fritters with Salted Yema

When you're used to eating our local favorite "turon", the Banana Fritters with Salted Yema could take a while before you're taste buds could get used too.  But indeed, the crunchy, mushy, salty and sweet combination works well.

Double Baked Brownies

The Double Baked Brownies is moist and fudgy at the same time. 

Gold Medal Carrot Cake

My companions enjoyed the Gold Medal Carrot Cake.  Since I'm not much of a sweet eater, I found this too sweet for me.

♥ Tilapia Ice Cream

Don't ever dine at Bistro United without having to try their Tilapia Ice Cream.  It is really good!  I actually bought a pint of this for 275 php.  It's such a great welcome treat for house guests.  All of them seemed quite pleased with the new and interesting experience. 


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Tsinoy Foodies highly recommends Bistro United for an amazingly unique dining experience.  Seriously, this place deserves more buzz with its genius menu items!  Plus, the ambiance and service is superb too. 

Our family has a lot of foodie moments.  But, cute foodie moments are quite rare.  Our dining experience at Vanilla Cupcakery is one of those.


Vanilla Cupcakery has a very enticing facade and interior for the ladies. 


I don't think my brother would really choose it as a place to eat.  But, our excited dazzling eyes must have stopped him from hesitating. 

Somehow the ambiance made me recall our childhood day of playing barbie dolls and paper dolls. 
They have matching fancy gift boxes for take outs.  I noticed that many would simply drop by to make a takeout purchase.

There's a chiller filled with beautiful cupcakes. 

Seeing the ensaymada cupcake is the last piece, we reserved it and paid for it even before our dinner meal.  We also ordered the Tiramisu Cupcake together with our dinner.


Taking photographs and munching on the made waiting for our other orders pleasurable.  

Food

Starters

Garlic and Spinach Dip (150 php)

We were all very impressed with the Garlic and Spinach Dip.  The Spinach Dip is one of the best one we've had.

Soup

Potato Leek Soup (165 php)

Since they didn't have any other soup available, we had the Potato and Leek Soup.  It is very warm and soothing to the tummy.  It had the right blend too.

Pasta

Herbed Bacon Carbonara (245 php)

Creamy Penne Pasta (245 php)

Since we're prefer red sauce, we appreciated the Creamy Penne Pasta more than the Herbed Bacon Carbonara. 

Main

Chicken Parmigiana (265 php)

The Chicken Parmigiana is the most fulfilling among all our orders.  Look at that gorgeous cheese!

Salisbury Steak (265 php)

The Salisbury Steak is fried egg with burnt burger pattie underneath.  We were disappointed with this.

Beef Salpicao (295 php)

The Beef Salpicao is tasty and tender.  We loved how evident the garlic essence is here. 

Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy (295 php)

The Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy is one of their best sellers.  I have to agree with the majority that this is indeed a great choice.

Cupcakes

♥ Vanilla Signature Ensaymada Cupcake (75 php)

We had to wait 20 minutes for the Vanilla Signature Ensaymada Cupcake since they sold the last piece to someone else.  My hunch is they had to get this from the other nearby branch so it took a while.  This was served warm with a semi-melted cheese.  I liked it but it didn't pass the family's standards.

Tiramisu (75 php)

Drinks

Hot Cappuccino (115 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
The cute interiors of Vanilla Cupcakery is really inviting.  Hanging out here will bring a pleasurable experience.  I think cupcake prices are reasonable but meals and drinks are slightly more expensive.