halfwhiteboy

For once I'm not writing about fragrances or posting about my outfits, and it's all because of this very elegant-looking cake called Cherries Jubilee , which we've been enjoying at home since Valentine's last week. It's a limited offering from Monique Cakes , who's also responsible for the delectable Helen's Guava Cake .

Guava is probably the last flavor I would think of when it comes to cakes. I mean, we're so used to the usual suspects of chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, mango, and what-have-you but what the heck, someone is making guava cake!  Recently my wife stumbled upon M Artisanal Cakes (or  Monique Cakes PH ) on Instagram and we immediately zeroed in on Helen's Guava Cake . Its mint green color sure makes for an eye-catching choice, not to mention the eight slices of fresh guava atop it. The cake loosely mimics the actual fruit with its green exterior that reveals a lovely pink color inside. Unlike the fruit, though, the cake is seedless. 😁

Box of 4 of Wildflour's cremadettes. I haven't dined out since COVID-19 went on full pandemic mode back in March last year but thankfully food delivery services have stepped up to the plate. Just recently I came across these cremadettes from Wildflour Bakery + Cafe . Curious, I gave them a try.

Chef Sau's Vuco Fye. I need to post something apart from fragrances since it's all I've been writing about lately. Without any travel or any drive for OOTDs, I guess food would sound good. And of course it's food via delivery. Last June (yes, it's been 2 months), we sunk our teeth on two different pies from Chef Sau Del Rosario after maybe a week of waiting since placing our order. Yes, it's not some ready-made goodie you can just have delivered to you on a whim, as everything is pre-ordered. We got his versions of the classic buko pie and egg pie, which he playfully calls Vuco Fye and Heg Fye , respectively.

If there's anything this pandemic has done to our household, it's that it has expanded our knowledge of all things delivery—from groceries, cat food, to wet market goods and pasabuys , you name it. It also allowed us to try stuff that are new to us from the comfort of our home. One of these is Panaderya Toyo , which takes the bakery concept to a whole new level. And price point.

Cuatro Cups. Too pretty to eat, you think? Ah, the things you see on Instagram, plus the joys of delivery. We recently tried out Pasteleria Manila , a home-based bakery business by Ces Lopez that sells cakes, cookies, pastries, and other baked goods. It has a curious backstory, having started out as a fundraising activity for her kids. Lopez innovated on the classic Brazo de Mercedes and turned it into something a little more convenient to eat by way of brazo bars . She later came up with other products and the rest, as they say, is history.

McDo PH's Flavors of Japan. It's a known fact that Japan is a special market for McDonald's, and the fast food giant has several items on their menu that are only available in the Land of the Rising Sun. Good thing, however, as McDonald's Philippines has brought Japan a little closer to us Filipinos by way of their " Flavors of Japan " special, which just became available to the public yesterday.

Inside Felix Restaurant at Greenbelt 5. Felix Restaurant is a casual dining restaurant at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City. Been here a few times and here's a roundup of my experiences so far. Interiors and ambiance Four plain, circular chandeliers hang from the restaurant's high ceiling, providing warm, ambient light to the space. The walls are painted white, with some dark brown accents. This color scheme seamlessly extends throughout the cushioned wooden chairs and marble-top tables, interrupted only by the bright blue couch-style seating lining up its walls. Nice touch actually.

Just one of the many pretty spaces at Charito by Bag of Beans. Bag of Beans restaurants are aplenty in Tagaytay, and opening another one may feel a tad too much already. But no, as their fifth one offers something different--at least in terms of design. Named after its owner, Charito by Bag of Beans attempts to "level up" its already templated formula by going a little upscale. Had the chance to try this two year-old resto, and here's a rundown of our experience.

Vina Trang's bun thit nuong . Apart from Hanoi's charming Old Quarter and that glorious Ha Long Bay cruise experience, one of the things I love about Vietnam is the food. That perennial clean taste and consistent use of vegetables in nearly every dish is something I can't seem to get enough of. Oh, that walking food tour we had last year was just absolutely great! We do have a few Vietnamese restaurants here in Metro Manila but I haven't come across anything that really floored me. And then we stumbled upon Vina Trang in Century City Mall in Makati.

Vieux Chalet's festive but homey interiors. It's been around since 1984 but I honestly have never heard of this restaurant before. Nonetheless I'm thankful that Kwittiegirl stumbled upon it while searching for a place to eat on our way back to Manila one night. Vieux Chalet Swiss Restaurant in Antipolo, Rizal proved to be an awesome discovery that we immediately went back the following week. Here's a rundown of our experience, a review, if you may. Design and ambiance With an unmistakable homey feel to it, Vieux Chalet was a house after all, a rustic cabin-type abode surrounded by trees and all sorts of ornamental plants. The colorfully painted concrete flooring that greets guests upon entering the gate immediately lends some cheer. There's outdoor seating but which don't serve any dining purpose at all. There are a couple of rabbits on one side and a pair of hamsters right by the short staircase. And oh, they have a chow-chow who just wants to be le...

A sampling of KAYU's modern fusion cuisine. Lechon would probably be top of mind for many people when visiting Cebu , and no one can fault them because the place certainly has the best-tasting lechon (roast pig) in the country. Be it in Talisay, Carcar, or dining in at the Vito Selma-designed Rico's Lechon Acacia branch, lechon will always be a pleasure. But Cebu is more than that, and there are a lot of noteworthy restaurants to try in the city, restaurants with no lechon on the menu. On my last trip there we tried KAYU: Kitchen + Bar  at 32 Sanson by Rockwell. Here's a rundown of my experience.

Part of the so-called "full tour" of the Bojo River cruise , The Farmhouse in Aloguinsan is a small-scale organic farm where we were served our snacks. Its couple of hundred square-meter area is mainly devoted to growing vegetables, a few livestock, and some fish.

You may or may not have heard of Makansutra Hawkers in SM Megamall. The fact that I found myself there is quite unusual, what with me considering every other place outside Makati "out of town." It's essentially a food court but one that's dedicated to a host of different Asian street food. Makansutra may oft be mistaken for Singaporean food because it's based in Singapore but it's not as it also has stalls featuring dishes from Hong Kong, Malacca, and more. Interiors The food court itself sports a lively design with walls of bare concrete, sections of flooring from scrap wood (or at least they make it appear that way), sheets of corrugated plastic for ceiling, and a variety of designs for seating, made from a mix of metal tubing, iron drums, wood, and what-have-you. It sure has a hip vibe going on.

I suddenly had this craving for Tokyo Milk Cheese Factory cookies. We first chanced upon their pop-up store at Greenbelt 5 late last year and instantly fell in love. The cookies--buttery soft with a light crunch and a rich and creamy filling sandwiched in between--are pure heaven. They remind me of a similar product from Pablo months prior.

I love food (who doesn't?) but I'm not one who goes out of my way just to try a new happening place or resto, so finding myself in Kapitolyo Gastro Park in Pasig City is something unexpected of me. We happened to be in the area for something else and when we looked for a place to have dinner, we chanced upon this gem of a food-tripper's haunt.

No, this ain't pizza. It's been a few months now since this new restaurant opened near our office. So far I've paid them a few visits already and I guess it's high time to write about Crepe Amélie .

It's no secret that the Poblacion area of Makati is fast becoming a foodie's haven, what with the steadily growing number of food haunts in this part of the city. While most of these restaurants are concentrated around the Burgos area, we're starting to see establishments spill over onto nearby locales. One of these is Mando's Wing Shack , which popped up on a rather quiet residential area near the Makati City Hall. Because it's very near our place, I've been here three times already, so I decided to write about it.

The Korean zombie flick Train to Busan has been making a lot of noise lately. Add to that the fact that a considerable number of Filipinos are also hooked on K-Drama and K-Pop, it can't be denied that the Korean influence on this country is expanding. Not that I'm complaining because I love Korean ice cream and  bingsu . So thank you for that. All this just reminded me of this cafe at Century City Mall that I chanced upon last July. It's called  Deété Espresso - Organic Cafe , a Korean chain (please don't ask me how it's pronounced).

What a pretty dish, don't you think? After all, we also eat with our eyes. Seasons , the Manila Pavilion Hotel 's flagship lifestyle restaurant, has just clicked the 'Refresh' button on its menu for a festive selection of international a la carte dishes starting at Php 280 nett. For a hotel restaurant, let alone a 4-star one, that certainly is a reasonable price to pay. Even the buffet breakfast will only cost you Php 600 nett! The result is a streamlined menu that's not overwhelming, as it has just about the right number of options available to the diner yet still offering enough variety from appetizers, noodles, mains, desserts, and even a few select Filipino dishes. Think succulent carvings and grilled items, gourmet sandwiches, even burgers and pizza. Even the kids have their own corner in the menu, so diners young and old alike are in for a truly rewarding dining experience. At the heart of this reinvigoration is the hotel's executive chef  Giovan...