A few weeks ago, I was invited to the grand opening of Pezzo Pizza in our neighboring mall: Robinson's Place Manila.

Due to the tremendous summer heat, I've been wallowing at home.  And, something as fun and tempting as Pezzo Pizza was exactly what I needed to get me up and excited.  

Pezzo Pizza originated in in November 2012 in Ion Orchard, Singapore and has quickly expanded to other Asian countries such as Malaysia, China, Myanmar, Brunei, Indonesia and now it's here in the Philippines.  As you can see from it's pizza tray, they sell pizza by the slice.  And, their pricing scheme is for 1, 3 and 6 (whole) slices.  The one in Robinson's Place Manila is just a take out counter but they will be opening 4 more branches within this year and some of those will have a dine in.

They make use of imported ingredients.  They freshly pan-bake their pizzas so the fragrance is really tempting for passebys.  Did I mention that their pizzas are thick but pillow-soft? 


Each Pezzo Pizza is filled with toppings.  And, their blend is distinguishable from other brands.


They only have 1 size for their whole pizza and that is a standard of 14 inch.  Their pizza selection is divided into two series: Carnival and Gala which only matter if you order 1 slice because the pricing is different.  The Carnival series is slightly cheaper.  But if you order, 3 and 6 slices the prices are the same for both series.

During the opening we got to try some of their offerings!  Although I wanted to try them all, I just couldn't because their pizza slices are thick, big and topping-filled.  Luckily, I won myself a whole pizza by spinning the wheel. 

Carnival Series

Cheesy Cheese (89 php)

The Cheesy Cheese is like a five-cheese pizza with Mozzarella, Cheddar, Edam, Parmesan and Feta Cheese.

Hola Hawaiian (89 php)

The Hola Hawaiian is topped with Turkey Ham, Bacon, Sweet Pineapples topped with Cheddar & Mozzarella Cheese.

♥ Very Veggie (89 php)

I really liked the Very Veggie with Onions, Mushrooms, Green Peppers, Sweet Pineapples & Diced Tomatoes.  It delivered a sweet and zesty combination with a light and refreshing tone.
 

♥ Big Daddy (89 php)

Meat lovers will definitely fall in love with the Big Daddy with Minced Beef, Turkey Ham, Italian Sausages, Four Cheese...
 

♥ Big Daddy (89 php)

with a dash of sweet and peppery BBQ Sauce. 

Gala Series

Chicken Delight (110 php)

The Chicken Delight has Breast of Chicken strips, Onions, Mushrooms & Turkey Bacon

♥ Fisherman’s Favourite (110 php)

What really caught my attention was the Fisherman’s Favourite with Tuna Chunks, Shrimps, Spinach, Onions, Red Pepper, Tomatoes, Oregano & Basil topped with Mozzarella Cheese.  I failed to try this so I'll definitely order this next!

Update (May 5, 2016): The family ordered this and it was so good! This is now my new found fave!

Meat Munchers (110 php)

The Meat Munchers is a heavy meal by itself with Ground Beef, Beef Salami, Beef Pepperoni, Turkey Ham, Beef Bacon and Italian Sausages.

♥ Mexican Mania (110 php)

Being a spicy lover, I really liked the Mexican Mania with Minced Beef, Red Onion, Tomatoes, Jalapenos, Herbs, Mozzarella Cheese topped with Chili Sauce.

♥ Supremo (110 php)

The Supremo is another one from the Gala Series that I'd recommend.  It has Turkey Ham, Beef Salami, Beef Pepperoni, Onions, Green Peppers, Mushrooms, Black Olives & Turkey Bacon

Limited Edition

♥ Chicken Satay

Every different country has a limited edition for a certain period of time.  We got to try the Chicken Satay which is really amazing!  The sweet peanuty sauce complements the chicken satay as well as the cheese well.  

Update (May 5, 2016): Got to try the ♥ Hot Chick and it's now my spicy fave!

Compared to their Asian branches, I noticed that the pricing here in the Philippines is way cheaper so let's take advantage!  I can't wait to try more of their offerings.  I hope they bring some of their interesting flavors like Sambal Ikan Bilis, Chicken Rendang and Singa Laksa here too.  If you want to try more of their variants, get the 6 flavors in a pan.

Tip (Opening Promo): Plus 50% off on your next whole pizza until May 15, 2016.

Wow!  Time sure passed by swiftly and high school memories seemed further and further away in the past.  My close friend has returned back from Toronto after finishing her second undergraduate degree there.  And, my close group of friends (three of us out of four) decided to go for a little high school reunion in East Cafe.


Makati seemed to be the middle ground for us and East Cafe was quite conspicuous so it offered us the privacy and comfort we wanted.  If there is one common denominator we had back then, it was that we were all introverts.  Throughout my school years, my teachers remarks on my report card would indicate me being soft-spoken as a concern.

I always wondered what it felt like to see old friends you haven't seen for a very long time.  That night, didn't feel any different for me as any other time we hanged out during our childhood.  Conservations began and didn't seem to want to end.  It was a fun chit chat over our lives and the news about our school mates.   I hope we can have another get together before my close friend decides to leave the country to pursue her love life.  I wish for her the best.

Food

East Style Maki

♥ Super Salmon Maki (320 php)

Even though my girlfriends and I are timid and shy, we all spoke up to order at least one kind of maki.  The Super Salmon Maki had an enticing menu photo so we chose this.  We made the right choice!  I loved this!  Good thing my girlfriends were petite eaters so I ate most of this. =p

Starters

♥ Malaysian Style Chicken Sate (165 php)

I chose the Malaysian Style Chicken Sate.  This is sumptous and moist.  This is one of the best rendition I've tried.

Mains

♥ Grilled Salmon in Banana Leaf (465 php)

We wanted to have some fish as we were all health-conscious.  The Grilled Salmon in Banana Leaf had a description that appeared to be enticing for us as so we went for it.  It is salmon fillet with red curry, coconut milk and lime dressing.  I loved this too and ate most of it.

Chicken and Mushroom in Lettuce Cups (250 php)

The Chicken and Mushroom in Lettuce Cups is a bit too salty for our taste.  The soy sauce depicted by the menu as light is is quite bold and strong for us.
 
Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
With great food and company, East Cafe has definitely left me a lasting good impression.  If you're looking for a serene place in the Glorietta area, I recommend this place.

I've always loved Singaporean cuisine but it's rarely available even in Manila.  It's a good thing that Rasa Pura has opened in Baguio City so that residents of the North Luzon Province can now experience authentic Singaporean dining.

Rasa Pura's kitchen is headed by a Singaporean master chef and makes use of imported spices from Singapore so you can be assured that of the authenticity in their dishes.  

They offer a superb fine dining ambiance which is elegant and spacious.

They have the typical round tables with lazy Susan for lauriat style dining and also square tables for smaller groups.  The Baguio Food Tour 2014 (#BFT2014) dined lauriat style so we chose the big round table.  This was actually our last stop on our trip and it was the one that my companions loved the most.

Food

Cold Dish Platter

Singapore Assorted Platter (1,200 php)

For starters, we had the Singapore Assorted Platter.  This is similar to the typical Chinese Cold Cuts Platter.  It has Century Egg, Kikiam, Singapore Prawns Salad, Asado and Egg Foo Yong.  

Soup

♥ Seafood Tofu Soup

The Seafood Tofu Soup is something new for me.  It's a clear soup that's very flavorful due to its abundant ingredients.

♥ Seafood Tofu Soup

It has beef strips, tofu and all sorts of seafood.

Vegetable

Kangkong in Spicy Singapore Shrimp Paste (350 php/Large)

The Kangkong in Spicy Singapore Shrimp Paste is crunchy kangkong in sambal belacan which is a combination of chili paste and shrimp paste. 


Fish

Steamed Pampano in Tausi Sauce

One of my favorite local fishes is Pampano.  But, I've never thought of it as an alternative for expensive fish variants.  This Steamed Pampano in Tausi Sauce is delicious because of the nice clean taste of the Pampano complemented by the tausi sauce and loads of fried garlic.


Shrimp

♥ Cereal Prawns

The Cereal Prawns is so good that we didn't spare any bit of this!  It was perfectly crunchy that you wouldn't want to spare even a tiny part of its shell.
 

♥ Singapore Chili Crab

I have always been a lazy crab eater.  I usually skip or ignore shelled crab dishes.  But, this Singapore Chili Crab is definitely one of the best I've ever tried!  I just couldn't stop myself from indulging this huge platter till its empty.

 

Mantao

I've always loved Mantao (fried buns).  I ate this with the sauce of the Singapore Chili Crab.  Yummy!


Meat

♥ Singapore Famous Satay (Pork BBQ) (40 php/stick)

No doubt, the Singapore Famous Satay (Pork BBQ) was well-loved by all of us.  Everyone was praising how tender and tasty it was.  This is also one of the best satay I've had.


Chicken
 

Authentic Singapore Hainanese Chicken (600 php/whole)

The Authentic Singapore Hainanese Chicken is one of the most popular Singaporean dishes.  This version is pretty good.

Authentic Singapore Hainanese ChickenSauces

Rice & Noodles 

Simgapore Fried Hockkien Mee (300 php/Large)

The Simgapore Fried Hockkien Mee is mixture of yellow noodles and thick rice vermicelli with egg, prawns, squid, pork and chives. 


Beverage

♥ Singapore Ginger Milk Tea (70 php)

I've tried Singapore Pull Tea before but never tried one with ginger.  The Singapore Ginger Milk Tea is really good!


Other Reviews in Baguio City

• Alfoncito's Place 
• Cafe by The Ruins
• Eurotel (Eat-All-You-Can Breakfast) 
• Good Taste Cafe and Restaurant
• Ketchup Community 
• Le Chef (Eat-All-You-Can Breakfast) 
• Mr. Kimbob 
• O' Mai Khan 
• Oh My Gulay!
• Pizza Volante 
• Sage 
• Tam-awan Cafe 
• Tradisyon by Azalea (Eat-all-you-can Breakfast Buffet) 
• Vizco's Restaurant and Cafe

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Rasa Pura is a must stop for authentic Singaporean dishes in Bagiuo City.  The price is a bit steep but that's because you're guaranteed the best authentic Singaporean fine dining experience with the finest quality and cooked by a Singaporean master chef.  I suggest you dine in groups as serving sizes are intended for that. 

It was around 2 years ago when we first visited Jatujak at SM Mall of Asia, one of the rare Thai restaurants that are located around the mall.  Since then, whenever we felt like eating Thai food, we kept coming back.


Jatujak is pronounced as cha-tu-chak which is the largest weekend market in Thailand.  Jatujak has a casual interior look with Thai displays and prints.


Food (*Sorry for the crappy photo taken via mobile phone)


Starters

Sampler Appetizer (198 php)

The Sampler Appetizer contains the Tod Mun Goong (fried fish cakes), Pho Pia (fried spring rolls with glass noodles, minced pork and mushroom and Pho Pia Sod (vegetarian fresh spring rolls).  I find the Pho Pia Sod similar to those of the Vietnamese.  I enjoy them both though.


Salads

♥ Yam Som O (pomelo and prawn salad) (210 php)

The Yam Som O (pomelo and prawn salad) is really delicious!  In terms of flavor, the natural sweetness of the prawns and thetanginess of the pomelo slices brings perfect balance in taste.  It also gives a comfortable sensation when the citrus juice of the pomelo contrasts against the oil-based dressing.


Soups

♥ Tom Yum All Shrimps Large (255 php)

Sate Chicken (175 php)

Pla Mug Kratiem Prig Thai (Squid with garlic, cilantro and pepper) (220 php)

Kao Kluk Gapi (Bagoong Rice) (165 php)

Kao Niew Mauang (Sticky rice with mango) (85 php)

Tako (Tapioca in pandan cups) (80 php)

♥ Thai Ice Coffee (75 php)

Thai Green Tea (85 php)

Fresh Watermelon Fruit Shake (85 php)

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Jatujak is an affordable Thai restaurant serving dishes of authentic Thai flavors.   Since it is located in a mall, it is very convenient to visit before or after shopping.  It offers a wide range of Thai selections from beverage to desserts.