I laughed out loud when a friend said Pepper Lunch only serves lunches. Mind you, he wasn't joking at all. Of course that's not true. Pepper Lunch serves sizzling steaks, pepper rice and a lot more during store hours daily at Powerplant Mall in Rockwell. Last Sunday night, Edwin, Albie and I dropped by the said mall to do some early Christmas shopping. When it was dinner time, I dragged Albie and Edwin to the Japanese-styled steakhouse that has been getting so much buzz in the blogosphere these days.
When we got to the restaurant, we saw several people queuing to the counter. Hmm, I thought it meant something. Is the food worthy of raving about? Minutes later, we saw it for ourselves. Here are what we ordered:
Beef Pepper Rice, P235. Edwin said it tasted good. I tried a spoonful from his plate and I confirmed he was telling the truth. The beef was juicy and the pepper rice tasted heavenly. I particularly loved the aroma of the pepper corn.
Curry Beef Pepper Rice, P255. This was what I ordered. My meal was oozing with curry goodness. I love curry so I tried this one. I excitedly mixed everything on my hot plate as instructed. I added some soy garlic for more flavor. On my first spoonful, I wasn't disappointed. The curry may be a bit strong for other people but I liked it as it was. My meal was flavorful to the last bite. The pepper rice that came with it was generous so I got so stuffed after. Great. I'll worry about the extra pounds later.
Chicken Pepper Rice, P235. Albie chose the chicken so we got to try three different items on the extensive menu. She said her meal was yummy. We believed her.
Spicy Tuna Salad, P99. Pepper Lunch use semi-dried tuna for this one. The salad came in a plastic cup. I sampled it and I loved the dressing. I'm not sure what it was though. It tasted like Caesar's.
Pepper Lunch meals are served on a very hot plate. This is how they do it in Singapore where Pepper Lunch originated. Surrounding the plate is a folded paper with written instructions on how you can best enjoy your meal.
my plate after mixing everything
Our bill amounted to P725. A complete meal at Pepper Lunch ranges from P235 to P700. Prices here are VAT inclusive and have NO service charge. (sigh of relief)
with Edwin
Overall, our Pepper Lunch experience was awesome. It was our first time and we never regretted dining there. It was a bit pricey for me, but at least I got what I paid for. The service was fast and the ambiance cozy. (I think this is perfect for a lunch or dinner with friends.)
I'm sure Edwin and Albie will both agree if I say that this won't be our last visit to Pepper Lunch. :)
with Albie
Pepper Lunch Rockwell
Unit 041, The Concourse
Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati
Contact No. : +632 895-6185
Store hours:
Monday to Thursday 11 am to 9 pm
Friday 11 am to 10 pm
Saturday 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday 10 am to 9 pm
Pepper Lunch Shangri-La Plaza
Garden Court Lower Basement
Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
The Pepper Lunch franchise in the Philippines is owned by Cecile Zamora Van Straten. She's a designer and columnist for the Philippine Star. She's a blogger, too.
When we got to the restaurant, we saw several people queuing to the counter. Hmm, I thought it meant something. Is the food worthy of raving about? Minutes later, we saw it for ourselves. Here are what we ordered:
Beef Pepper Rice, P235. Edwin said it tasted good. I tried a spoonful from his plate and I confirmed he was telling the truth. The beef was juicy and the pepper rice tasted heavenly. I particularly loved the aroma of the pepper corn.
Curry Beef Pepper Rice, P255. This was what I ordered. My meal was oozing with curry goodness. I love curry so I tried this one. I excitedly mixed everything on my hot plate as instructed. I added some soy garlic for more flavor. On my first spoonful, I wasn't disappointed. The curry may be a bit strong for other people but I liked it as it was. My meal was flavorful to the last bite. The pepper rice that came with it was generous so I got so stuffed after. Great. I'll worry about the extra pounds later.
Chicken Pepper Rice, P235. Albie chose the chicken so we got to try three different items on the extensive menu. She said her meal was yummy. We believed her.
Spicy Tuna Salad, P99. Pepper Lunch use semi-dried tuna for this one. The salad came in a plastic cup. I sampled it and I loved the dressing. I'm not sure what it was though. It tasted like Caesar's.
Pepper Lunch meals are served on a very hot plate. This is how they do it in Singapore where Pepper Lunch originated. Surrounding the plate is a folded paper with written instructions on how you can best enjoy your meal.
Our bill amounted to P725. A complete meal at Pepper Lunch ranges from P235 to P700. Prices here are VAT inclusive and have NO service charge. (sigh of relief)
Overall, our Pepper Lunch experience was awesome. It was our first time and we never regretted dining there. It was a bit pricey for me, but at least I got what I paid for. The service was fast and the ambiance cozy. (I think this is perfect for a lunch or dinner with friends.)
I'm sure Edwin and Albie will both agree if I say that this won't be our last visit to Pepper Lunch. :)
Pepper Lunch Rockwell
Unit 041, The Concourse
Power Plant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati
Contact No. : +632 895-6185
Store hours:
Monday to Thursday 11 am to 9 pm
Friday 11 am to 10 pm
Saturday 10 am to 10 pm
Sunday 10 am to 9 pm
Pepper Lunch Shangri-La Plaza
Garden Court Lower Basement
Shangri-La Plaza Mall
Ortigas Center, Pasig City
The Pepper Lunch franchise in the Philippines is owned by Cecile Zamora Van Straten. She's a designer and columnist for the Philippine Star. She's a blogger, too.
Who doesn't eat Chinese food? I only know of a few people who are not fascinated with Chinese cuisine. Here in Manila, Chinese restaurants abound. These establishments have their own distinct flavor that satisfies the palate and even get the nods of people with discriminating taste. One that I particularly like is Super Bowl of China, one of the very few restaurants in the metro that serve authentic Chinese cuisine with a modern twist. My Super Bowl experience last night was truly fun and memorable. Read more to know why...
Super Bowl of China-Trinoma Branch, in partnership with Yehey.com, opened their doors to bloggers last night and treated them to a sumptous feast oozing with Chinese flavors. I was one of the lucky bloggers to register and got confirmed for this event so you could imagine how excited I was. I arrived tad late, though. It was a good thing I reached the venue just in time when the program started.
First, we were given a tour of the kitchen where Chef Roy and Chef Mike (both Chinese) discussed a bit about the works in the kitchen, from the rationale behind fast cooking using intense fire to how a special chopsuey is cooked.
The bloggers were divided in batches and while one batch was on tour, the remaining bloggers were given bowls to design. I was with the company of blogger friends Monique, Audrey, Mee-I and Abbie. I saw familiar faces like Ada, Jonel, Carl, Edward and others whose names escape my memory now (will update this part soon).
Photo courtesy of Ada
Mee-I and me
Apparently, there was a little contest (best bowl design) and the winners were announced on the latter part of the event. I never imagined that my bowl would be chosen as one of the three winners! I got a Harry Potter VCD set and a VCD bag as prize. Yipee!
before and after
Photo courtesy of Ada
Photo courtesy of Ada
Photo courtesy of Laszlo
Now on to the feast. It came in the form of several dishes served on our table one after another. Everything was a gastronomic delight in its own right, particularly the seafood chopsuey, the crispy Mandarin chicken, the lechon Macau and the tao sa pao. These are the four new additions to Super Bowl's already exciting menu. I'm not that good at describing how delicious the food were so I'll just give you some snapshots of what the bloggers had for dinner:
dimsum combination platter
Yang Chow
sweet and sour pork
seafood chopsuey
Lechon Macau
crispy Mandarin chicken
tao sa pao
We got so full after the dinner I had difficulty standing up. And as if the feast weren't enough, each blogger took home a loot bag containing two boxes of Christmas ham.
All this would have not been possible if not for Super Bowl of China-Trinoma Branch and Yehey.com. Once again, thank you so much!!! :)
Super Bowl of China-Trinoma Branch, in partnership with Yehey.com, opened their doors to bloggers last night and treated them to a sumptous feast oozing with Chinese flavors. I was one of the lucky bloggers to register and got confirmed for this event so you could imagine how excited I was. I arrived tad late, though. It was a good thing I reached the venue just in time when the program started.
First, we were given a tour of the kitchen where Chef Roy and Chef Mike (both Chinese) discussed a bit about the works in the kitchen, from the rationale behind fast cooking using intense fire to how a special chopsuey is cooked.
The bloggers were divided in batches and while one batch was on tour, the remaining bloggers were given bowls to design. I was with the company of blogger friends Monique, Audrey, Mee-I and Abbie. I saw familiar faces like Ada, Jonel, Carl, Edward and others whose names escape my memory now (will update this part soon).
Apparently, there was a little contest (best bowl design) and the winners were announced on the latter part of the event. I never imagined that my bowl would be chosen as one of the three winners! I got a Harry Potter VCD set and a VCD bag as prize. Yipee!
Now on to the feast. It came in the form of several dishes served on our table one after another. Everything was a gastronomic delight in its own right, particularly the seafood chopsuey, the crispy Mandarin chicken, the lechon Macau and the tao sa pao. These are the four new additions to Super Bowl's already exciting menu. I'm not that good at describing how delicious the food were so I'll just give you some snapshots of what the bloggers had for dinner:
We got so full after the dinner I had difficulty standing up. And as if the feast weren't enough, each blogger took home a loot bag containing two boxes of Christmas ham.
All this would have not been possible if not for Super Bowl of China-Trinoma Branch and Yehey.com. Once again, thank you so much!!! :)
Don Henrico's is the place to be when you're craving for "pizza, pasta and more." Truly, this casual dining restaurant has gone on to become a Pinoy favorite the past years. Here, not only are the food delicious and come in big servings but the prices are also reasonable. Recently, it has launched an eat-all-you-can promo for P328 per head which is just the price of a regular appetizer at a high-end restaurant. A steal? Find out after the jump.
I learned about the buffet promo by accident. We went to Robinsons Place-Ermita to go malling and as we passed through Pedro Gil Street, I saw the eat-all-you-can poster in front of Don Henrico's-Malate Branch. I remember whenever I go to Baguio City, I always take time to visit Don Henrico's-Session Road Branch. I simply love their combo meals that are super sulit (worth the money).
The buffet promo stuck inside my head that when it was time to have dinner, I asked Edwin to go there. I was so insistent to try the buffet promo that to make him go with me, I promised to pay the bill.
The buffet table at Don Henrico's was filled with Italian, American and Mexican goodness. You are to mix and match everything and eat to your heart's content. There were four kinds of pasta with three different sauces (white, red and pesto), a salad bar with all the basic ingredients, nachos, quesadillas, onion rings, potato wedges and of course, pizza and chicken. What a great way to ruin one's diet! Diet is not in my vocabulary these days so I made sure to get everything I wanted to sample.
When availing of a buffet promo in a restaurant, make sure that you come early to sample everything on the set. The buffet at Don Henrico's opens from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday. The poster said it's for a limited time only so make sure not to miss this one especially if you like the restaurant.
When eating at restaurant buffets, make sure to position yourself near the buffet table. Just kidding. Well, it's just that I have noticed most restaurants tend to delay refilling dishes (strategy or poor service?) so it's better that you're a few feet away to get the dish you want once the much-anticipated refill has landed the buffet table.
Also, don't forget that all-important drink to aid your digestion. During our dinner, we just added P50 each to get ourselves bottomless drinks. Iced tea for Edwin and iced green tea for me. The crew at Don Henrico's were efficient in refilling our drinks. Funny but the idea that they were just doing that to make people feel full faster suddenly crossed my mind (the pessimist in me struck again!). But then, maybe they were just being attentive to customers' needs.
We went to the buffet table twice. We ate a lot. Seriously. We left the restaurant stuffed and satisfied. Given that, I think the eat-all-you-can promo at Don Henrico's is a steal. :)
The buffet promo is available at three Don Henrico's branches: Malate, West Avenue and Sta. Lucia every Tuesday and Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00p.m.
Don Henrico's - Malate Branch
#574 Pedro Gil St., Malate, Manila (across Robinsons Place Manila - Pedro Gil entrance)
(+632) 524-9134 / 524-9141 DL
Don Henrico's - West Avenue Branch
West Avenue cor. Examiner St., Quezon City
(+632) 371-7171 / 372-7272 / 372-3777 DL
Don Henrico's - Sta. Lucia Branch
The Brick Road, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Cainta, Rizal
(+632) 681-5242 / 682-7095 DL
Don Henrico’s Pizza Foods Corporation
Unit 901 Manila Luxury Condominium
Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center
Pasig City
(+632) 633-9066 / 637-3537 / 637-7630 to 31 TL
I learned about the buffet promo by accident. We went to Robinsons Place-Ermita to go malling and as we passed through Pedro Gil Street, I saw the eat-all-you-can poster in front of Don Henrico's-Malate Branch. I remember whenever I go to Baguio City, I always take time to visit Don Henrico's-Session Road Branch. I simply love their combo meals that are super sulit (worth the money).
The buffet promo stuck inside my head that when it was time to have dinner, I asked Edwin to go there. I was so insistent to try the buffet promo that to make him go with me, I promised to pay the bill.
The buffet table at Don Henrico's was filled with Italian, American and Mexican goodness. You are to mix and match everything and eat to your heart's content. There were four kinds of pasta with three different sauces (white, red and pesto), a salad bar with all the basic ingredients, nachos, quesadillas, onion rings, potato wedges and of course, pizza and chicken. What a great way to ruin one's diet! Diet is not in my vocabulary these days so I made sure to get everything I wanted to sample.
When availing of a buffet promo in a restaurant, make sure that you come early to sample everything on the set. The buffet at Don Henrico's opens from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. every Tuesday and Saturday. The poster said it's for a limited time only so make sure not to miss this one especially if you like the restaurant.
When eating at restaurant buffets, make sure to position yourself near the buffet table. Just kidding. Well, it's just that I have noticed most restaurants tend to delay refilling dishes (strategy or poor service?) so it's better that you're a few feet away to get the dish you want once the much-anticipated refill has landed the buffet table.
Also, don't forget that all-important drink to aid your digestion. During our dinner, we just added P50 each to get ourselves bottomless drinks. Iced tea for Edwin and iced green tea for me. The crew at Don Henrico's were efficient in refilling our drinks. Funny but the idea that they were just doing that to make people feel full faster suddenly crossed my mind (the pessimist in me struck again!). But then, maybe they were just being attentive to customers' needs.
We went to the buffet table twice. We ate a lot. Seriously. We left the restaurant stuffed and satisfied. Given that, I think the eat-all-you-can promo at Don Henrico's is a steal. :)
The buffet promo is available at three Don Henrico's branches: Malate, West Avenue and Sta. Lucia every Tuesday and Saturday from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00p.m.
Don Henrico's - Malate Branch
#574 Pedro Gil St., Malate, Manila (across Robinsons Place Manila - Pedro Gil entrance)
(+632) 524-9134 / 524-9141 DL
Don Henrico's - West Avenue Branch
West Avenue cor. Examiner St., Quezon City
(+632) 371-7171 / 372-7272 / 372-3777 DL
Don Henrico's - Sta. Lucia Branch
The Brick Road, Sta. Lucia East Grand Mall, Cainta, Rizal
(+632) 681-5242 / 682-7095 DL
Don Henrico’s Pizza Foods Corporation
Unit 901 Manila Luxury Condominium
Pearl Drive, Ortigas Center
Pasig City
(+632) 633-9066 / 637-3537 / 637-7630 to 31 TL
It was one chilly night in Cebu City. My friends and I have just taken a nice stroll of the city. Everyone was hungry already so we decided to have dinner at this nice bar and restaurant called Mr. A. It is situated on top of a hill which gives it a commanding view of the city and the nearby islands.
The restaurant has indoor and al fresco dining area. It's cozy and neat. There are no elaborate decorations that adorn the place, just some pieces of furniture and Tivoli lights that add glow to the usual starry night. There are also karaoke machines strategically set up to feed the desire of the "singer" in every Cebuano (or Filipino for that matter).
When we got there, several tables were already occupied by a mix crowd. According to our friend Chivs, the diners are usually composed of families, couples and Koreans who keep coming back to the place for the ambiance and the food. And that during Valentine Season, the place is always full house.
Speaking of food, below are some of the dishes we partook of:
Pork Sisig with Cheese and Egg. This all-time Pinoy favorite was delicious and had the right crunchiness. The cheese and the egg added flavor to this dish. Just perfect!
Beef Pochero. This was our soup, it had just the right saltiness and flavor. The beef was tender and juicy. I'm not a soup lover so I just ate most of the meat and vegetables. Lol.
Lumpiang Shanghai. I didn't like this that much. It was bland for my taste. It was dry and I felt there was something amiss. I ate just a piece.
Sotanghon Guisado. I'm not a big fan of pancit of any kind so I skipped this dish. They said it was good, though. It was flavorful and the glass noodles were nicely done.
Calamares. One of my favorites. I think I ate half of this plate. The breaded squid rings were crunchy and delicious.
As a restaurant, Mr. A serves Filipino and Chinese cuisine. As a bar, it serves alcoholic beverages and pulutan (appetizers). Whether you want to eat a decent meal or have a happy time with friends over beers, the restaurant can satisfy your cravings.
Food prices at Mr. A are quite reasonable. Allot P300 ($6.52) per head. Each order of a particular dish is good for three to four persons. When dining as a group, it is best to get several dishes and share everything. That was what we did that night.
So far, this is one of the best Cebu restaurants in which I have dined. The service is quite slow and the crew is not so attentive but the food makes up for it. This restaurant is definitely worth a second visit. Take it from me.
Mr. A Bar & Restaurant
Sitio Maasmum, Busay
Lahug, Cebu City
(032) 232-5200
Currency Exchange Used: $1 = P46
The restaurant has indoor and al fresco dining area. It's cozy and neat. There are no elaborate decorations that adorn the place, just some pieces of furniture and Tivoli lights that add glow to the usual starry night. There are also karaoke machines strategically set up to feed the desire of the "singer" in every Cebuano (or Filipino for that matter).
When we got there, several tables were already occupied by a mix crowd. According to our friend Chivs, the diners are usually composed of families, couples and Koreans who keep coming back to the place for the ambiance and the food. And that during Valentine Season, the place is always full house.
Speaking of food, below are some of the dishes we partook of:
Pork Sisig with Cheese and Egg. This all-time Pinoy favorite was delicious and had the right crunchiness. The cheese and the egg added flavor to this dish. Just perfect!
Beef Pochero. This was our soup, it had just the right saltiness and flavor. The beef was tender and juicy. I'm not a soup lover so I just ate most of the meat and vegetables. Lol.
Lumpiang Shanghai. I didn't like this that much. It was bland for my taste. It was dry and I felt there was something amiss. I ate just a piece.
Sotanghon Guisado. I'm not a big fan of pancit of any kind so I skipped this dish. They said it was good, though. It was flavorful and the glass noodles were nicely done.
Calamares. One of my favorites. I think I ate half of this plate. The breaded squid rings were crunchy and delicious.
As a restaurant, Mr. A serves Filipino and Chinese cuisine. As a bar, it serves alcoholic beverages and pulutan (appetizers). Whether you want to eat a decent meal or have a happy time with friends over beers, the restaurant can satisfy your cravings.
Food prices at Mr. A are quite reasonable. Allot P300 ($6.52) per head. Each order of a particular dish is good for three to four persons. When dining as a group, it is best to get several dishes and share everything. That was what we did that night.
So far, this is one of the best Cebu restaurants in which I have dined. The service is quite slow and the crew is not so attentive but the food makes up for it. This restaurant is definitely worth a second visit. Take it from me.
Mr. A Bar & Restaurant
Sitio Maasmum, Busay
Lahug, Cebu City
(032) 232-5200
Currency Exchange Used: $1 = P46
TGI Friday's is one of the very few established American restaurants in the country today. You won't believe it but I have yet to dine there. Just a while ago, I got an e-mail from Halohalo.ph spreading some promo. You just have to answer a brief insurance quiz to get a chance to win TGI Friday's giftcards worth P1,000 each.
You guessed it right, I gave it a shot. If you're into online contests and promo offers like I do, see the promo HERE.
Good luck!
Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org
You guessed it right, I gave it a shot. If you're into online contests and promo offers like I do, see the promo HERE.
Good luck!
Photo Credit: http://en.wikipedia.org
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MY OTHER BLOGS
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Budget Shopping Galore
Foodiestation
My Life Adventure in Photos
World Buzz Today
Budget Shopping Galore
Foodiestation
My Life Adventure in Photos