There are only a few places in the Metro where you can grab some falafel.  So I was so excited for the grand opening of Falafel Yo! Israeli Falafel & Salad Bar.


Falafel Yo is located at the 4th floor of Greenbelt 3 making it the ideal pre-movie meal or movie snack.

Falafel Yo! aims to preserve traditional recipes passed down from generation to generation.

After paying at the counter, you will be given this thing so you can be buzzed when you're falafel is ready.

Tip: If you're very picky with ingredients, kindly advise the cashier to buzz you before preparation so you can instruct them on what to put in.

Don't worry about the Roasted Green Chili, they put it on top so you can just remove it.

So here's my falafel ready to go.

If you don't go to the counter before preparation, you're falafel will be waiting for you by the counter like this.  I actually ordered two: 1 Falafel and 1 Falafelito.

♥ Falafel Yo! (159 php)

Falafel Yo! made me dig deeper into falafels because this is the first time I've heard of Israeli falafel.  Sure, I've had falafels before but I had no idea that each country in the Middle East has its own take on how to cook it just like the shawarma.  In fact, it has been considered as the national dish of Egypt, Palestine and Israel.

♥ Falafelito (99 php) and ♥ Falafel Yo! (159 php)

Fun Fact: Did you know that in Egypt, they use Fava Beans on their falafel?  On the other hand, most middle eastern countries like Israel use Chickpeas.

The Falafelito only has 3 falafel balls and occupies only half of the pita bread.  You can have this for snack.  While with the Falafel Yo! has 6 falafel balls.  This is a meal in itself.  

I want to try the Falafel Beast with beef next time.

♥ Falafel Yo! (159 php)

Wow to my surprise, the Falafel Yo! is really heavy!  But, it was so good I couldn't help but finish it to the last bite.  What I like about their sandwiches is that they have Fried Eggplant, Homemade Hummus, Sumac (pickled onions), Roasted Green Chillies, Sour Cabbage, Coleslaw Salad, Chopped Salad and Tunisian Salad.  And, they also have a 2 kinds of special dips: amba - sour yellow sauce, made of mango, cumin and tumeric and tahini - mix of sesame seeds, coriander and parsley.

Beverages

Lemongrass Juice Large (105 php)

I found the Lemongrass Juice to be a bit too sweet for me.  The sweetness together with the lemongrass bits made it a bit difficult to gulp down the throat.  Perhaps, more ice would have improved the balance of this drink.


Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
I don't think you can grab a superb Israeli falafel other than Falafel Yo!  I'll definitely come back for more.  And I'm sure that if  I'm watching a movie at Greenbelt 3, this will be my choice for meal or snack.  Can't wait for their other branches!

A family friend suggested that we try their family favorite shawarma so he brought us to Nepo Mall in Angeles City Pampanga and led us to a stall named Passport Foods.

Crowds seem to gather to buy from it.  Customers come and go non-stop.  They have only 3 food items: Beef Lebanon Shawarma w/ cheese, Chicken Lebanon Shawarma w/ cheese and Samosa.  We wanted to try everything but only the Beef Lebanon Shawarma is available.


We watched as the staff prepared our Beef Lebanon Shawarma.  Instead of rolling the shawarma with the meat inside, they cut the pita and use the pockets to place the ingredients.

♥ Beef Lebanon Shawarma (59 php)

So here it is!  Indeed, the Beef Lebanon Shawarma is good.  It is distinct in taste I guess because of their special sauce.  The meat is chunky and seasoned enough. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Passport Foods Lebanon Shawarma is an interesting shawarma to try for shawarma fans out there.  If you're in Pampanga, check it out!

My foodie companions have nothing but praise when they found out that Eat Fresh Hongkong Street Food was part of our itinerary.  Naturally, I was also intrigued.

It's easy to spot them with their big sign.  There are also parking slots available.  Although I don't think they'd suffice during peak hours.

I really love their turo-turo concept.  You can simple point to what you want to order and they can cook it right away.

There are many options to choose from even innards...

You can just grab your sticks and go so you can enjoy it like the usual street foods...

or opt to dine in since they have more dishes to offer.

Food

Hongkong Street Food on Stick

Lobster Balls (38 php/2 pcs.)

For the Hongkong Street Food on Stick, you can choose between fried or dipped in curry sauce.  We chose the former.  But on my next visit, I'll definitely try the one with curry sauce.  The Lobster Balls are just okay.  Good enough to fill the tummy but not spectacular that I'd want more of it.

Breaded Scallop (40 php/3 pcs.)

The Breaded Scallop is very affordable.  It's even cheaper than an order of Chicken Nuggets from Mc Do right?  Taste-wise, it's the usual fried snack.

Fried Stuffed Tofu (50 php/2 pcs.)

The Fried Stuffed Tofu is a fulfilling dish.  I think this is a bang for the buck order compared to the rest.

Fresh Fruit Shakes

Fresh Strawberry Shake (85 php) and Fresh Kiwi Shake (85 php)

Theirs Fresh Fruit Shakes looked really delicious.  However, all of us found it too sweet for our taste.  Even my friends who are cola addicts found this too sweet!  What a waste of the fresh strawberries when they overloaded it with sweeteners.

Cloverleaf Balintawak Complex will be built 15-minutes away from Banawe

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
My expectations were too high for their street foods and fruit shakes.  I felt like I just got what I paid for.  But, because they are very cheap, I still recommend trying it out just for the experience.  Next time, I'll go for their real meals.

MARINA Oyster Seafood Grill in Rockwell has recently launched a promo: Halo-Halo and Sorbetes All You Can for 149 php!


 It will soon be launched in other stores too.  But, the pilot store in Kalayaan Ave near Rockwell.



The promo is available everyday from 2 pm to 6 pm until July 24, 2014.  Of course, I took the bait!


They have huge jars filled with sweetened toppings such as: Langka, Gulaman, Banana (minatamis na saging), Sweet potato, Nata De Coco, Ube, Sago, Cream Corn, Beans, Whole Corn, Red Sago and Buko Strips. 
 
They also have smooth and creamy leche flan.

 And, crispy pinipig. 

 For sobetero, they have ube, avodabo and cheese.  All of them have real chunks on them. 

Here's my first halo-halo creation!

And, this is the second one!  I've always look for two things in a halo-halo: 1. It should have finely crushed ice 2. I love the toppings.  Since they have both, I'm very pleased with my 149 php!

My family will be back to try this soon!

Because of the good weather, we Tsinoy Foodies decided to enjoy the fresh air by walking from our hotel at House of Big Brother to Bona's Chao Long Haus.

Soon, we reached Bona's Chao Long Haus with tricycles parked on its front .  It looks like a typical carinderia.  The place was well-ventilated with fans.  It has a counter were you pay and order.  It has wooden tables and plastic chairs.  Lots of local dine in their most comfortable clothes.  Its simplicity depicts a Vietnamese street food like experience. 

Food

Noodles

♥ Buto-Buto Noodles with SBS Special (60 php)

We ordered their best selling Buto-Buto Noodles with SBS Special.  The sbs stands for sabaw ng beef stew (broth of the beef stew).  The pork meat was tender and the noodles had a nice texture.  The broth was very tasty that we didn't mind having out mouth all red and dirty.  For the price, who could complain right?  We just can't help but notice how sinfully oily this is as compared to the usual Vietnamese pho we've tried. 

It is served with fresh beans sprouts and calamansi.

French Bread

♥ French Bread with Pork Meat Special (30 php)

During the French colonization in Vietnam, they introduced the sandwich was referred to as Banh mi.  I've never tried a Banh mi in any Vietnamese restaurant in Manila before so why not in Puerto Princesa palawan right?  We chose to try the French Bread with Pork Meat Special.

♥ French Bread with Pork Meat Special (30 php)

It has a red and yellow sauce with pork meat with fats in it. 

♥ French Bread with Pork Meat Special (30 php)

It was very delicious!  The french bread was crunchy and soft just the way I like it.  The meat was tender and the fats almost melts on your mouth.

♥ Yakult Shake (30 php)

The small glass of Yakult Shake was the best we've ever had and for a very good price too.

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Bona's Chao Long Haus is a must Vietnamese stop at Puerto Princesa Palawan!  Since its 24 hours, make time to drop by anytime.  Their food is cheap and delicious!