Though we've been finding ourselves in the constant race against the clock, it is still important to take a break from chaos once in awhile.  Thus, on a typical Thursday, I took the chance to candidly invite my sisters for a quick lunch at the Public Eatery - where the neighborhood meets to gather over good food.

Hanging Truffled Chicken Shish Kebab (550 php)

Public Eatery stands as a bustling and vibrant food hub, reminiscent of a bustling subway station's concourse. Here, people converge to engage in lively chatter and indulge in the masterfully crafted creations conceptualized by celebrated chefs. Just like each subway train leads to a different adventure, each and every one of the 16 food and beverage station offers its own unique culinary experience.

 

 

We had a fun experience navigating through the different Public Eatery stations : 1) Seafood and Oyster Bar (SOB), 2) FRNK, 3) Samyan Thai Street Food, 4)Konbini Karaage, 5) New York Cubao, 6) Bad Bird, 7) Ono Poke, 8) Anyhow,  9) Tsukemen, 10) Bookoh, 11) Morse Coffee,  12) Ok, Bob,  13) Thomson Road, 14) Le Chon, 15) The Bev Bar and 16) Merry Moo.

 

We're happy to share some of what we've tried! (Check our IG for more!)

 1) Seafood and Oyster Bar (SOB)

Seafood and Oyster Bar (SOB) which started out as a cart concept in Public Eatery is now a full-scale bar.  It serves Aklan Oysters in various innovative forms.  We got to try the Oyster Kinilaw with Pani Puri (400 php) and it really left a lasting impression upon us.   The delicately crisp pani puri truly elevated the kinilaw oyster experience. It added texture to the sweet and succulent fresh oysters, bathed in sinamak and adorned with cucumber and peppers.

 

2) FRNK

FRNK milk bar has always been one of our top comfort drink considerations.  It definitely deserves the hype and followings for living up to its literal name - frank and honest.  It offers guilt-free drinks and baked goods that's made of authentic plant-based ingredients such as teas sources from Morihan - Japan's largest Uji Maccha exporter and raw fruit honey.  The drinks are also customizable for your dairy-free, gluten-free and vegan-friendly preference.  

This FRNK branch is special because its the first one to offer coffee-based drinks.  We highly recommend the Kyoto (Dirty Maccha) Latte (230 php).

3) Samyan Thai Street Food

♥ Crab Pad Thai (720 php)

Samyan Thai Street Food is owned by Chef ThiTid Tassanakajohn, the culinary master behind Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 champion and Michellin-Starred Le Du Bangkok.  Certainly the Crab Pad Thai topped with generous crab meat is a must-try!

 

4) Konbini Karaage

Konbini Karaage offers Karaage (189 php) and Kokokke in take out boxes.  You can spice them up with your mix of powder (such as yuzu salt, cheese powder, shichimi togarashi) and sauces (which include curry, hickory bbq dip and cheese).

 

5) New York Cubao

With New York Cubao, celebrity chef, restaurateur, best-selling cookbook author Chef Myke “Tatung” Sarthou takes you on a new experience - American breakfast meals infused with down-home Filipino influence.  

♥ KFC or Kwek-Kwek Fried Chicken  (335 php)

Take a look at this KFC in crisp orangey batter served with Tokneneng garlic rice, pickled vegetables and two (2) kinds of sauces.

 

6) Bad Bird

Chicken Tenders (390 php)

Bad Bird menu has expanded since we last time we tried it.

Bad Bird's Fish & Chips (450 php)

As an alternative to chicken, you can try the Bad Bird's Fish & Chips which is a huge slab of battered cobbler fish served with fries and tartar sauce.

 

7) Ono Poke

We're so thrilled that Ono Poke opened another branch.  

♥ Spicy Tuna Crunch Bowl (420 php)

Our long-time poke craving was satisfied by this Spicy Tuna Crunch Bowl. 

 

8) Anyhow

Boneless Chicken (350 php)

Anyhow let's you enjoy your choice of meat, grilled in the way you like it with your choice of staple and sides.

9) 10 by Tsukemen

♥ Roku Kushiyaki Platter (945 php)

10 by Tsukemen's Roku Kushiyaki Platter with six (6) assorted sticks of our best-selling Kushiyaki: 1) Baby Tako & Bonito, 2) Beef & Truffle, 3) Salmon & Mentaiko, 4) Yakitori & Miso, 5) Kakuni & Leeks and 6) Sausage & Cheese is a must order for your get together.  

10) Bookoh

Bookoh introduces a new and fresher take on buko shakes.

 

Ube Cococnut Milk (205 php)

Tried the Ube Cococnut Milk with creamy coconut milk, pearls and nata de coco.

11) Morse Coffee

♥ Dirty Chai Latte (220 php)

No matter how stuffed we were, we still had to grab a cup of the instgrammable Dirty Chai Latte which is a combination of signature Morse blend and organic blue chai.   Morse Coffee is owned by Mike Holaschke of Making It Happen Vlog.

 

12) Ok Bob

Ok Bob is a Middle Eastern concept by Chefs Decker Gokioco and Jorge Mendez.  We had the  Hanging Truffled Chicken Shish Kebab (550 php) which had a presentation and flavor that won us over.

 

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A few weeks ago, I was invited to try Xilaimen Seafood Restaurant, a newly opened restaurant in Robinson's Magnolia with fellow bloggers.  Believe it or not, this is my first time to be invited at a Chinese restaurant so I'm quite ecstatic.

Since I was in the area, I  took the chance to try their dishes as well as reconnect with other bloggers. 

Stepping in, gave me the familiar Chinese restaurant feel.


There's an open kitchen where you can see roasts hanged. 


There are also aquariums to showcase the live seafoods available.

As live seafoods are seasonal in price, they have a price list where you can see how much per 100 gram.

Food

Roast & Soy Specialties

Cold Cuts Combination: Seaweeds with Century Egg, Soy Tofu, Pork and Lechon Macau (370 php)

We occupied a large table where dishes were served lauriat style.  The Cold Cuts Combination had Seaweeds with Century Egg, Soy Tofu, Pork Cuts and Lechon Macau.  Aside from the
Seaweeds with Century Egg and Pork Cuts, the other items are not the typical ones I'd expect from a cold cut platter.  They were pretty good.  But, if I were in the company of my family and old relatives, I think its best to ask first what are available and maybe w can substitute some for healthier options.


Soup

♥ Mixed Seafood with Polonchay Soup (290 php)

The Mixed Seafood with Polonchay Soup is very good.  An order is already good for sharing.  

Prawns and Shrimps

♥ Pan Fried Prawns with Salted Egg (390 php)

The Pan Fried Prawns with Salted Egg is my favorite!  Actually most of the dishes with egg or salted egg yolk is my favorite!  This was perfectly crispy that no tinee-winee bit was spared from me.  I noticed all the bloggers I was with removed the prawn shells though.  I wonder why...

Live Seafoods (Seasonal Price): Lapu-Lapu

♥ Fried Lapu-Lapu in Egg White

I've been accustomed to steamed fish.  I'm glad I got to try something new and delicious like the Fried Lapu-Lapu in Egg White. 


Live Seafoods (Seasonal Price): Crabs

Sauteed Crab in Hotpot with Extra Sotanghon (+50 php)

The Sauteed Crab in Hotpot with Extra Sotanghon brings out the delectable crab flavors that we love excellently.

Live Seafoods (Seasonal Price): Elephant Shell

♥ Elephant Shell with Broccoli Flower in XO sauce

The Elephant Shell with Broccoli Flower in XO sauce is simple yet delightfully healthy.

Live Seafoods (Seasonal Price): Frog Legs

♥ Spicy Frog Legs

The Spicy Frog Legs is another favorite of mine.  I'm so lucky that my companions are not as much of a fan as I am so I took on this poor little creatures and finished them all.

Rice

Yang Chow Fried Rice (220 php)

Dimsum

♥ Buchi Cake

Buchi Cake

We always order buchi whenever available.  This is my first time to encounter a buchi cake.  I loved it!  It was a cake made of my favorite fried mantou and filled with bean paste.

Beverages

Fresh Fruit Shake Mango (95 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I'm quite satisfied with our dinner at Xilaimen Seafood Restaurant.  I find their quality good for value considering their fresh ingredients, large serving size and reasonable pricing.  I can bring the family here when in the area.

I've always wanted to try Argentine Cuisine so I've been bugging the family for quite sometime to try Gaucho Cocina y Vinos Argentino.  Finally, they gave in.

We've been to Robinson's Magnolia before but never noticed their conspicuous facade.  It has small sign above with no visibility of the inside.

So when they opened the door for us, we were all stunned by its interiors. 

Upon entering, we noticed that the chiller was filled with meat.  The fire pit is occupied as well.  When we passed by after our dinner, the chiller had less meat and the fire pit was empty.

Food
We had no idea what their serving size was.  We just realized we may have over ordered when the dishes all arrived at the same time and filled our round wooden table.

Salads/Ensaladas

Ensalada Casera (290 php)

The family just couldn't survived without veggies so we ordered the Ensalada Casera.  It had mixed greens, poached organic egg, criola and Italian vinegrette.  We loved this!  It was quite a refreshing accompaniment for our meaty orders.

Slow-Roasted from the Fire Pit / El Pozo De Fuego (comes with Chimichurri Sauce, Organic Pickled Eggplant, Organic Pickled Zucchini, Organic Pickled Onions and unlimited steamed or garlic rice) 

♥ Cochino a la Cruz (760 php), ♥ Falda a la Cruz (330 php) and ♥ Cordero Entero a la Cruz (890 php)

Our meal is focused on their specialty Slow-Roasted from the Fire Pit so all of them are cooked the same way but differ in the kind of meat. The Cochino a la Cruz is native free range suckling pig, the Falda a la Cruz is beef and the Cordero Entero a la Cruz is australian riased young lamb. All of them are equally savory and delicious!  But, the texture varies.  As to which is the best is only a matter of preference. 

Chimichurri Sauce, Organic Pickled Eggplant, Organic Pickled Zucchini, Organic Pickled Onions

The Chimichurri Sauce, Organic Pickled Eggplant, Organic Pickled Zucchini, Organic Pickled Onions are really useful in making the meats from becoming overwhelmingly savory.  I really liked the Chimichurri Sauce which has finely chopped parsley, oregano, onion, garlic, chilli pepper flakes, olive oil and lemon.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
We all loved our meaty dining experience at Gaucho Cocina y Vinos Argentino.  I'm glad that we had a great first time experience with Argentine Cuisine.  I'm quite pleased that even my non-carnivorous family was able to appreciate the dishes here. 

I'll admit, I had the impression that healthy food is often expensive, boring, inconvenient and inaccessible.  But, Zigla! Fresh, Healthy and Organic seems to solve all that!  It's an affordable and healthy fast food located at the Zuellig Building in the busy district in Makati.  They also have a branch in Robinson's Magnolia Food Court which I seem to have missed during my visit. 


I've been a foodie since birth.  But, am I a health-conscious foodie?  Honestly, not until I recently encountered so many skin allergies sprouting about which made me conscious of what I eat.  My family became really disappointed when I've become quite a picky eater.  But, I'm actually glad I got a bit unwell because it awakened me to a healthy lifestyle.  I promise you, if you eat healthy food, you'll certainly feel the impact to your body in a holistic way including your energy and mood.

At Zigla!, you don't only get to see the ingredients of the food you'll order with their transparent packaging, they also list down the ingredients and nutritional information (such as the calroies, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, carbs, fiber, sugar and protein) per product on their menu.  They also list down significant attributes such as "Gluten-Free", "Sugar-Free" and "High-Fiber" which are very helpful!

They have a farm in Batagas so they guarantee that their food items are made from grass-fed beef, free-range chicken and farm-fresh organic produce.

Food

Salads (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free and High-Fiber)

♥ Korean Beef Salad (215 php)

The Korean Beef Salad has the following listed ingredients: Grass-fed Beef, romaine lettuce, goji berries, pumpkin seeds, red bell pepper, corn, nori and Oriental dressing.

♥ Korean Beef Salad (215 php)

As you can see with the Korean Beef Salad, they don't scrimp on the ingredients.  The oriental dressing is surprisingly very sweet and flavorful so I'm guessing it's stevia sweetened.  The korean beef was so tender.  The romaine lettuce and bell peppers were really crunchy.  The pumkin seeds, goji berries, corn, nori and sesame were excellent complements too.

Tuna Mediterranean Salad (199 php)

The Tuna Mediterranean Salad has the following listed ingredients: tuna, romaine lettuce, pumpkin seeds, white cheese, tomatoes, red bell pepper, olives, egg, croutons and citrus dressing.  I'm actually curious on what the croutons are made of and how they manage to made that Gluten-Free.  This is a lighter option than the Korean Beef Salad.

Brown Rice Meals (Gluten-Free, Sugar-Free and High-Fiber)

Roast Beef & Mushroom with Brown Rice (225 php)

The Roast Beef & Mushroom with Brown Rice has the following listed ingredients: grass-fed beef, high-fiber, brown rice, gravy and mushrooms.

Roast Beef & Mushroom with Brown Rice (225 php)

Wow!  The Roast Beef & Mushroom with Brown Rice is so good that it will totally erase all you negative connotation of a healthy food.

♥ Fish Tausi with Brown Rice (145 php)

I'm quite impressed that despite the affordable pricing, the Fish Tausi with Brown Rice makes use of the healthy cobbler fish. 

♥ Fish Tausi with Brown Rice (145 php)

The texture of the fish is superb!  It goes well with the tasty black bean sauce, onions, leeks and red bell pepper.

Wraps (Sugar-Free and High-Fiber)
The Wraps are convenient on-the-go options.

Beefy Cheesesteak Wrap (135 php)

The Beefy Cheesesteak Wrap has the following listed ingredients: grass-fed beef, high-fiber oil tortilla (first time to try this!), romaine lettuce, bell pepper, onions, cheddar cheese, low fat mayo and barbecue sauce.

Beefy Cheesesteak Wrap (135 php)

The high-fiber oil tortilla is not as soft as other tortilla's I've tried but it's okay.  I enjoyed this very much!  The meat was savory and tender.  The sauce is dominantly cheese and mayo that I could hardly distinguish the barbecue sauce.

♥ Buffalo Chicken Wrap (145 php)

An equal contender to the Beefy Cheesesteak Wrap is the Buffalo Chicken Wrap.  It has free-range chicken, high-fiber olive oil tortilla, romaine lettuce, cheddar cheese, low fat mayo and buffalo sauce.  I found this easier to munch because the chicken were cut in cubes and were very soft but very tasty as they are covered in buffalo sauce.  

Sandwiches

♥ Herbed Chicken Sandwich (135 php)

Although I'm not fond of sandwiches, I really enjoyed the Herbed Chicken.  It has a high-fiber wheat loaf, herbed spread, free-range chicken.
 

♥ Herbed Chicken Sandwich (135 php)

I like how the ingredients were evenly spread throughout the sandwich.  The herbed spread was so aromatic and flavorful!  To my surprise, this Herbed Chicken Sandwich is actually a hefty meal in itself.


Drinks

Zuper Juice

Roselle Bignay Soda (150 php) and ♥ Green Juice (135 php)

The Natural Fruit Soda is probably the healthiest soda I've ever encountered.  The Roselle Bignay Soda is a carbonated drink with rich roselle flower flavor, probiotic inoculant, soluble fiber, stevia and unrefined cane sugar.

The Fresh Detox Juice selections were however more to my liking. 

The  Green Juice has kale, parsley, apple, celery and lemon.  I bet if I don't tell you what's in it, you'd never guess you're having veggies!

Orange Juice (99 php)

The Orange Juice has a safer flavor which no one could resist especially the kids.  It has orange, carrots,  celery and lemon.

♥ Yellow Juice (170 php)

The Yellow Juice is my favorite!  It has pineapple, apple, celery, lemon and ginger.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Overall, I'm very impressed with Zigla! Fresh, Healthy and Organic.  Their pricing and quality are beyond my expectations!  I just wish that they' have more branches so people like me can conveniently avail of it as often as we can.  It's certainly my kind of fast food.  I hope we can have more of this kind of fast food in the future.