Har Gao "Shrimp Dumling" (148 php)

Quarry Bay "Pork Siomai with Edamame" (158 php)

Xiao Long Bao (168 php)

Served in their traditional small steamer basket along with their pushcart these dimsums will definitely jump start your meal as you wait for your other order to arrive.

Nirvana "Crispy tofu, Fruits & Walnuts with Sesame Dressing (298 php)

Fukien Style Noodles (378 php)

Seafood Beancurd Soup (288 php)

Dragon Chef Fried Rice (298 php)

Yuen Long Pork Belly with Cuapao (458 php)

Cuapao

Emperor Wenzong (338 php)

Manchurian Calamari (288 php)

Sweet and Sour Pork (318 php)

Wanchai Pork Asado & Lechon Macau (318 php)

Red Citrus (108 php)

Green Lychee (108 php)

They have bottomless tea drinks for only 108 php.  Of course, I enjoyed it!



This dessert looks irresistible especially with the cute bunny on the center. These round glutinous rice balls covered in coconut are almost too cute to eat but then again its also compelling to eat them.

Dragon Chef is a new twist to the traditional Chinese dishes while enjoying its hip ambiance.  Most of their servings are good for sharing so I suggest you come in groups.

♥ Chicken Peperocino (215 php)

Baby Back Ribs (250 php)

Chicken Cajun ala Carbonara (190 php)

The  Chicken Cajun ala Carbonara  is not the creamy type of carbonara.  This pasta had a light cream that's spiced with cajun pepper.  It was topped with mushrooms and soft and succulent chicken bits.  It was pretty good.

♥ Arrabiata (180 php)

♥ Funghi Pizza (300) and  ♥White Pizza (250 php)

Chili Oil

Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake Solo (200 php)

The Chocolate Amaretto Cheesecake is a two-layered cheesecake covered in dark Swiss chocolate ganache and topped with chocolate chips.  It's not your ordinary cheesecake as beneath the thick and heavy cheesecake is a chocolate brownie layer that's soft and moist with a hint of amaretto.  

Cold Beverage

Red Velvet Basilico Iced Tea (40 php), Apple Basilico Cola (35 php) and Mango Cream (60 php)

The frothy Red Velvet Basilico Iced Tea reminds me of the Japanese red tea only this was more fragrant in taste and in scent.  The Apple Basilico Cola  is a low calorie option for a cola fan like Tsinoy Foodie Kurt.  It tasted like apple juice but it was more bubbly.  On the other hand, the Mango Cream is a light and refreshing mango smoothie with a vanilla essence.  

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Basilico is a hidden gem in Pasig for affordable yet Gourmet Italian-inspired dishes.  We were all shocked with their pricing.  Not only is their serving size generous, they also don't scrimp on ingredients.  In case you're wondering, they offer FREE delivery with a minimum order ranging on the location.  They also have affordable packages ranging from 250-800 php per person for bulk orders and catering.  In fact, a large percentage of Basilico's clients are corporate firms which order from them on a daily basis.

Almond Choco Banana (125 php)

We had the Almond Choco Banana served in a plate because it's easier for sharing.  When eating food with bran, I usually could tell the difference by there texture.  But, Mother's Crepe was different.  It was silky smooth, a bit moist but not soggy and mildly chewy.  I let it linger for a bit appreciating its perfect consistency in every mouthful.  The toppings are also wonderful as the chocolate sauce, sweet banana slices and crispy almonds were just match-made to blend together with the lightest whipped cream ever.  

Premium Crepe

♥ Strawberry & Banana (155 php)

The Strawberry & Banana are light and refreshing.  They use Driscoll's strawberries to assure the best quality in their strawberry so it's really sweet and huge in size.  I love Driscoll's strawberries so we buy them whenever available at SNR but they are expensive so I really appreciate Mother's Cafe & Crepes effort in sourcing them into the country just to provide the best for their customers.  I love the simple contrast of flavors between the Strawberry & Banana with the complements of the choco sauce and light whipped cream.  This is my favorite among all our orders.

Ice Crepe

♥ Caramel Strawberry Cheese Cake Soft (255 php)

If you like it heavy, the Caramel Strawberry Cheese Cake Soft is the loadful of sweet treat for you.  It has strawberries, raw milk vanilla soft serve, whipped cream and cheese cake glazed in caramel sauce.  They use Japanese cheese cake that's light and fluffy baked by Mrs. Adeline herself.  It was so delicious that my friends were asking if they sell the cake alone. =p  All together this is a meal in itself already.  

Delica Crepe

♥ Bacon Egg (130 php)

Although sandwich is healthier for the diet, I've never been a fan of the gourmet or submarine sandiwches because I find them too dry for my preference.  But, the Bacon Egg is my type of healthy meal at an affodable price too.  They use free range eggs by the way.  The eggs are wonderfully cooked using a special Japanese technology that keeps the yolk golden and creamy similar to those serve as a topping in authentic Japanese ramen.  A bite of through the soft crepe, crunchy lettuce, flavorful bacon and creamy egg is just awesome!  Although I usually find dessert crepes more enticing, this just changed my perspective.  

Soft Cream

Raw Milk Vanilla Cup 6 Oz (120 php)

If there's one food in the world I can't live without it would be Ice Cream so I certainly couldn't miss their soft server ice cream.  To appreciate the flavors of the Hokkaido milk, I opted for the Raw Milk Vanilla flavor.  This was creamier than the usual ice cream but the sweetness overwhelmed me as I was near to finishing my large cup.  I guess this is best meant to be shared but gluttony struck me. >.<

Drinks

Orange Float 16 oz. (95 php), Melon Soda Tapioca 16 oz. (85 php) and ♥ Green Tea Milk 16 oz. (95 php)

The Orange Float is orange soda with their Raw Milk Vanilla Soft Cream.  The Melon Soda Tapioca has fragrant melon taste with chewy tapioca.  While the Green Tea Milk has a clean green tea taste made creamier with milk.  I liked that it wasn't too sweet like the other commercialized ones.  

♥ Jasmine Green Tea with Cream Cheese 16 oz. (90 php) and Milk Tea 16 oz. (85 php)

The Jasmine Green Tea with Cream Cheese possess a strong tea aroma and flavor topped with delicious cream cheese and green tea powder.  Tea lovers like me will surely fall in love with this drink!  This is definitely one of the best tea drink available here in the Metro.  On the other hand, I found the Milk Tea too light for my taste.  Perhaps, those who prefer it milky will enjoy this more.  

Caramel Latte (95 php)

Mother's Crepe & Cafe serves Key Coffee, a coffee brand that's popular in Japan.  The Caramel Latte is adequate for those who prefer their coffee light and sweet. 

Tsinoy Foodies Verdict
Mother's Cafe & Crepe is an must-try food stop for delicious meals, drinks and desserts.  Variation and customization is something granted when visiting Mother's Cafe & Crepe so you'll surely get what your craving for.  Try it and I assure you that their crepes are unforgettable and will leave you wanting for more.  Since  Mother's Cafe & Crepe is found just near the SM Movie Theatres, they are the best option for  movie snacks and drinks too.

Zark's was crowded with a long line for take outs.  We watched as they prepared one burger to another without taking any breaks.  We felt so lucky that Richie got a hold of some stubs for us.  He's definitely one of the coolest foodies around!

Every table had the Jawbreaker burger on their table.  I guess no one wanted to be the wuss in the group right?  Especially when the photos of the successful challengers are posted on the wall just to intimidate you.


After we handed out our stubs, we got our Jawbreaker Burger served with fries.  The Jawbreaker Burger is the BIGGEST burger I have ever encountered.  Aside from the noticeable oozing cheese sauce, it had two spam slices, strips of bacon, three thick and heavily seasoned beef patties and veggies.  

Everyone had their own way of eating it.  We Tsinoy Foodies are very traditional.  No matter how thick the burgers are, we squeeze them tight and bite through them so we can appreciate all those grueling layers.  

Kurt's empty plate

As much as I want to conquer the challenge, I have to admit that I even failed to finish my burger.  I ate around 3/4 of it and paid 50 php for take out and gave it to the nearest beggar.  On the other hand, Kurt had proven himself worthy of being a foodie as he was able to finish his Jawbreaker Burger and french fries despite having lunch before he left home.  But, he was not able to finish it within five minutes which makes all of us failed challengers. =p

Octoboy is located at the second floor with a flashing red and yellow signage. It has a cute octopus logo that's hard to miss. 


To make sure you find it, they have a large signage by the parking lot too.

It has a casual interior with a serene Japanese influence.  It has an open kitchen so you could see the chefs prepare your dishes.  Aside from the inside, there are also tables on the outside where bands play on the weekends from 9 pm onwards.  

Food

Starter

♥  Kani Salad (165 php)

Although I love crabsticks, I'm not such a huge fan of Kani Salad because I find the mayonnaise dressing overwhelming.  But, I loved Octoboy's version of Kani Salad.  It's loaded with nori and tobiko on top of the usual ingredients like mango, cucumber and crab sticks.  What made it even more special is the vinaigrette that brings great balance to the Kani Salad.