halfwhiteboy

The Kermit Manila exterior. We discovered Kermit Manila by chance while driving around Poblacion in Makati, looking for a place to eat at past ten in the evening. Turns out it's the same Kermit from Siargao that's known for serving great pizza. Kermit wasn't around yet when I first—and last—visited the island in 2002 although I've heard of them at least. So seeing them in Poblacion was a welcome surprise, and I was more than eager to give the restaurant a try.

Spätzle looks pretty welcoming. We stumbled upon Spätzle Euro Market Cafe in one of our recent trips to Shangri-la Plaza in Mandaluyong. The place looked welcoming and the menu seemed fine, so we went in. Interiors and ambiance The restaurant is a very contemporary-looking one with its abundant use of the color black and then wood, the latter coming in a light varnish as seen in the walls, beams, and shelves, and in a sort of distressed fashion as applied to the tables, chairs, and crates.

The entrance to Senju. A couple of weeks ago I had the chance to try Senju at Edsa Shangri-la . As a restaurant housed under a five-star hotel like Shang, it's unsurprisingly expensive, which all the more heightens my expectations. Here's how it fared. Interiors and ambiance Even before you step in, there's no doubting that this is a Japanese restaurant - clean lines, ambient lighting, and lots of wood and bamboo. A short, polished, black, concrete pathway leads guests into the restaurant. It's lined with polished dark pebbles and sake barrels for added feels.

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.

The writings on the wall. After some disappointing dining experiences at San Juan, La Union , it was such a relief to stumble upon something relatively good. Here's a rundown of our experience at Mexican restaurant  Olas Banditos .

Disappointing experience at Surf Shack. I don't know if San Juan, La Union is just taking the laid-back vibe very, very seriously but here I am again with another disappointing restaurant. After a not-so-pleasant time at Flotsam & Jetsam's restaurant , we were met with a similar--if not worse--experience at Surf Shack .

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...

Tempting, isn't it? It was my first time trying the famous Aleng Taleng's Halo-Halo in the town of Pagsanjan, Laguna but apparently I had no idea just how popular it is. To say that the place was packed when we arrived at half past three in the afternoon is probably an understatement. It was chaotic! Normally I would have bailed out when faced with a long wait at a restaurant but we thought, since we were already there and it's not everyday that we get to drive to Pagsanjan, we might as well brave the storm.

Countryside feels with Ted's Kitchen in Sta. Cruz, Laguna. So we spent two nights at Ted's Bed and Breakfast in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, which we called our base as we ventured out into nearby towns like Pagsanjan for food and Luisiana for its waterfalls . The B&B, however, is just an expanded venture as Ted's is, first and foremost, a restaurant. Design and ambiance Ted's Kitchen evokes some countryside feels with its design--from its signage, to the wall shingles, and down to the distressed door and furniture. Inside, the shabby chic aesthetic is also carried out in its walls, which are lovingly decorated with all sorts of random paraphernalia.

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.

To drive all the way to Quezon City from Makati is a big deal for me, let alone to try out a restaurant there. But sometime during the Christmas holidays, I purposely did just that. Tucked away in a nice, quiet spot of Scout Lozano, LōLa Cafe+Bar isn't anything new. It's been around for several years now, an old house that's been converted into a restaurant. I know it's been quite a while since trying it but I felt I still had to write about it, so here goes.

I recently chanced upon Kitchen 1B in Makati's Legazpi Village, which, apparently has been in existence for more than two years now. Part of the Apartment 1B chain of restaurants, this one appeals to the health-conscious lot with organic and supposedly healthier dishes.

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.

If you're looking for a nice Valentine dinner with your special someone but don't want to break the bank, might I suggest the Manila Pavilion Hotel for you? I mean, it's not dirt-cheap but it's very reasonable if you want to impress. With The Taste of Romance: A Valentine's Dinner Buffet at Seasons Restaurant , you and your partner are sure to get your fill of good food (including this month's featured offer, Tri-Color Ravioli stuffed with truffle cream cheese and quail eggs ), with live entertainment from Willy and Maely Ann San Juan--all in a classy hotel setting. Ladies also get a sweet gift and a glass of sparkling wine to cap off the evening. All these for only Php 1,200 nett.

Come in! A brasserie is definitely French although it has of course already evolved the world over. Case in point: a Chinese brasserie, which TuanTuan touts itself as. TuanTuan Chinese Brasserie offers Hong Kong comfort food in a French-inspired setting. Part of a restaurant chain, the Power Plant Mall restaurant in Rockwell is their fourth branch in the Philippines. I've first tried it in November last year and have been there at least two more times since. Interiors and ambiance The restaurant is designed as a single brightly lit space where everything and everyone are in full view all at once. That said, I wish the layout was thought out better, like maybe throw in a couple of partitions here and there. But hey, it serves its purpose as a place where people dine; just not ideal for dates and stuff.

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.

A mere six months or so since kicking it off at SM North EDSA's The Block, Gringo , a local restaurant serving Latin American cuisine, has already opened its third branch in Makati City. Located along C. Palanca St. close to the corner of Dela Rosa St., Gringo is the latest addition to the growing list of food joints in Legazpi Village. So far I've been there thrice already as of this writing. Interiors and ambiance Characterized by bare concrete, a partly exposed ceiling painted in black, metal screens, glass, galvanized iron, and plastic plants, I'd say Gringo's interiors are a cross between rustic and industrial. There's also some wood, bricks, and ceramic tiles thrown into the mix. It's not exactly homey but the informal setting makes it a place that's welcoming rather than intimidating.

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 .