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The PolyHobbyist
If I would be making a list of those restaurants that I would always go back to, Cafe Mary Grace will always be on that list. Chad and I have dined here thrice already, all during special occasions, and there was never a time that we got disappointed with their food and service. Their cakes are one of the biggest reasons why we always come back. But it was never a bad idea to order their pasta and pizza because they also taste delicious.
The ambiance and interiors of the restaurant looked quite intimidating at first you'll think that the food served here will burn holes in your pockets. But to me, the prices are quite reasonable for the kind of food they fill in our tummies.
I always felt like dining at home every time we visit. Although the Gateway Cubao branch is quite small and the space is quite narrow, we always had a good time. The budget for two, based on experience, is around 1000 - 1200 pesos - the reason why we eat here only in special occasions. It's quite pricey, but I promise you, you won't get disappointed.

Our third visit was to celebrate Chad's 25th birthday. Here's what we ate:

Spanish Sardines & Olives(P320)

I've always been a fan of red sauce pastas when I was a kid. When I got older, oil-based pastas became my instant favorite! I find them healthier and more delicious. I had Cafe Mary Grace's Spanish Sardines and Olives Pasta. Chad recommended I have this because he knows how much I'm craving for it. It did not disappoint! My cravings for this pasta are fully satisfied!  The taste is not that salty, and there's a right amount of kick in the dish. It tastes like homemade pasta. Felt like home.

Smoked Salmon & Cream(P330)

The birthday boy had Smoked Salmon & Cream. I tasted it and as much as I love the pasta dish that I ate, this dish doesn't taste bad at all. I'm not a fan of Salmon but it tastes good. The cream blends with the Salmon quite well. The cream eliminates the fishy taste of the Salmon in a good way. I wasn't able to taste the caviar though. 


And now, for some dessert! The reason why I suggested such a budget if you would dine here is because I don't want you guys to miss their super yummy cakes!

Mango Bene(P198 per slice)

If you haven't heard of Cafe Mary Grace's Mango Bene before, then now's the time you should know about it. It's the best Mango Cake I have ever tasted! The mangoes are in every layer of the cake and they are always sweet! I also love the meringue which adds a different texture in the cake. You shouldn't miss this slice of heaven if you'll dine here. It's quite pricey, but you won't feel any guilt about it.

Chocolate Truffle(P170 per Slice)

If Mango Bene's my favorite cake, this one is Chad's. The cake is creamy chocolate-y but never too sweet. The chocolate cream in between those chocolate layers tasted like Cadbury chocolate for me. It just melts in your mouth! According to Cafe Mary Grace's website, it is Callebaut Truffle in between those chocolate cake layers. The cake is soft and I think it is best eaten when chilled. 


I've always wanted to order a different flavor of cake every time we dine here but we always end up with our favorites LOL.  

We always had a satisfied dining experience at Cafe Mary Grace that's why we always choose to dine here to celebrate life milestones. Belated Happy birthday, Love! 

Have you ever dined here? If not, go na!:D
Cafe Mary Grace Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Shawarma is one of the popular Middle Eastern dishes to hit the Philippines. I'm not quite surprised why since judging on its appearance, it has resemblances to our favorite staple foods like burgers. It is meat in between bread. But unlike burgers and sandwiches, the dish uses Pita bread and the sauce has a stronger middle eastern flavor. Most of the shawarma that I've tasted uses beef as their meat. I like it that way because I assume that it's tastier and stronger in flavor. But never did I expect I'd love Chicken Shawarma more. And it's only in Meshwe that I found love with Chicken Shawarma. <3

Meshwe has two branches that I know of. One in Fairview and one in Malingap. We had our Meshwe Experience in Z Compound, which is the very first food park in existence, according to an Uber driver and a person I shared a ride with. This is an al fresco food park so I suggest you bring something to keep you away from sweating in case the weather tends to be uncomfortable.
Meshwe is just located on the front left of the food park and is difficult to miss. When we went there, there are lots of customers waiting to be served their favorite Shawarma. Serving time depends on the number of customers and most of the time, there are many so be patient. The Shawarma is worth the wait, I promise.
Beef Shawarma Rice
During our first visit(we went there twice), we tried their Beef Shawarma Rice(P135). It is Beef Shawarma served with Parsley and Tomato on top of the Bukkhari Rice with Harissa(chilli pepper paste) and yogurt on the side. It's the first time that I had shawarma rice that was not overpoured with mayonnaise and hot sauce and at the same time not so oily. I love their Shawarma because it looks healthier but it does not taste bland. The meat has its middle eastern taste unlike most of the Shawarma stalls out there that is sweet. Also, the meat is lean unlike others that were fatty. Definitely choosing this over others. The Harissa is a bit spicy for me so if you're not a fan of spicy, better not put too much. The yogurt is fine but I did not put too much also. Even their rice is cooked perfectly with Middle Eastern spices. I'm not familiar of the spices though. The aroma just smells like it. 
Join the Meshwe Squad!
It was during our second visit(just weeks after because Chad really love this place), that I got to taste the Shawarma that changed my life LOL. Chad ordered Farouj Meshwe with Rice(P175) which is Roasted Chicken Leg along with same rice and sides as the Shawarma rice. The only addition is the coleslaw. We also bought Arabic Fries and softdrinks to remove the "umay" feeling just in case.
Farouj Meshwe with Rice
Everything that Chad ordered in Meshwe had one verdict: MALINAMNAM(delicious!). He loves the place so much, he returns here with or without me LOL. He said there's always that different taste that only Meshwe can offer. The roasted chicken leg has a distinct taste maybe out of the spices again. It is not dry and is well cooked.
Chicken Shawarma is love.
And nooow, for the holy grail of Meshwe for me, their Chicken Shawarma(P95). <3 I didn't have a hard time eating the dish because it is intact. The chicken inside is delicious it is even accompanied with fries inside! Despite the meat being chicken, it is not bland. I think there's also yogurt in there. It is very far from the commercially available oily and fatty Shawarma that was served in mall stalls. I just only wish they would add a little bit more of veggies to a have a more diverse taste and to take the "umay" feeling out of the picture.

Meshwe is the best Shawarma place for me as of the moment! The prices are very affordable and the servings are enough to satisfy us. Everytime I'd crave for Shawarma, Meshwe will be the place I'll visit. Don't be left out! Try their best selling Shawarma too!

Meshwe: Z Compound, 33A Malingap Street, Teachers Village, Quezon City
Meshwe Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Ever heard of an ancestral home turned restaurant? If not, then let me introduce to one in San Juan City. And it's not just an ordinary restaurant. It is a Buffet Restaurant named after one of the famous chefs in the Philippines, Chef Laudico. With his name posted on the entrance of this restaurant, I'm sure Chad and I would be up for a yummy gastronomic experience. We celebrated our 3rd anniversary here(It's Chad's idea and surprise). What would be a better #12Months12Cuisines challenge than featuring a cuisine closest to our hearts? Nothing beats Filipino cuisine when it comes to tasting a bit of home.

Basic Information

How to Get Here

Address: 387 P. Guevarra Corner Argonne Street, Addition Hills, San Juan City
Opening Hours: 1 AM to 2 PM, 5 PM to 6:30 PM, 7:30 PM to 10 PM

We took an Uber to get here because frankly, we're not very familiar with San Juan. Also, the restaurant is situated in a residential area so I advise you to use your car or take a cab instead for lesser hassle. Upon stepping foot on this establishment, we were greeted by this Spanish-styled big ancestral home which is now Chef Laudico Guevarra's.

Parking Space

You need not worry on where to park your car because they have a dedicated space for parking. They have a wide parking space. I think they also accommodate outdoor catering events based on how huge their outdoor space is.


Reservations and Price

Chad booked a reservation for us days before our anniversary and I highly recommend you do the same thing. The place is always packed with customers especially weekends. Chad booked an early dinner reservation from 5 PM to 6:30 PM. They have an event at around 7:30 PM so we had to adjust. It cost us 614.88 pesos each(P549 + 12% VAT). They only have 15 minutes holding time so be sure to be on time or your reservation will be cancelled.

The Place

The interiors of Guevarra's reminded me of my grandparents' home in Laguna. With those big windows, wooden floors and walls, and an overall Spanish vibe, the restaurant gave me an impression of dining during the Spanish Era. 
Even though this place used to be a house, turning this into a restaurant is not a bad idea at all. The place is big and spacious. It has a lot of rooms enough to accommodate around 70 - 100 people(just my guesstimate tehee). You can reserve a whole room for special occasions. I almost got lost just looking for the comfort room(It's located at the room on the right side the moment you enter the restaurant. You're welcome hihi.).
The house was renovated to be fit to be a restaurant. It is fully air conditioned. They also have these plates with signatures from famous people who dined there. Definitely not your ordinary buffet restaurant.  

Food


And now, for my always favorite part of every restaurant review, FOOD! Guevarra's is an All-Filipino Buffet Restaurant so don't expect some foreign cuisine here. I am surprised with how many dishes this restaurant prepared for us. I think it has over 50! And I bet if not all, but almost all of them tastes delicious! Too bad I don't have a big tummy to accommodate them all. 

Their buffet setup has SIX STATIONS: Appetizers, Carvings(my favorite! binalik balikan namin 'to), Hot & Grilled, Main Course, Desserts, and Beverages.  Every station has a LOT TO OFFER. I don't even know where to start. Check out each station on the photos below and you'll have an idea of what I'm talking about. I'll share my favorites in each section. 

Appetizers

The Appetizers section is full of our favorite bite-sized snacks. They have crablets, Filipino-style pizza, Calamares, crispy KangKong, bread, salad, etc. I highly recommend you try their Calamares. Calamares is one of my favorite streetfoods and Guevarra's has it! They are crispy and dipping them to their vinegar makes it taste even more delicious. We also tried their Pizza and their cheese is a bit different but tastes good. I'd love to try the crablets but the plate was empty when I came back after shooting the photos. They taste great maybe?





Carvings

Puputok ang batok mo pag nagstay ka sa Carvings Station LOL. This is my favorite station and I think now you know why. There's Lechon and Crispy Pork Belly! And...wait for it... BACON BAGNET! Yes. I didn't know such a thing exists.  Two of my favorites in one dish? What a treat! And it's a first I had from Guevarra's. The dish consists of thin slices of Bagnet. Crispy and Savory. *heart eyes*




Hot & Grilled

This Hot & Grilled Section, from the words themselves, contain grilled seafood and meat and soup. There's Chicken Barbecue, Liempo, Squid, Tapa, and others. They also have Bulalo. You can also find condiments here you could use with your carvings and appetizers. I don't have any favorite from this section. They all tasted okay for me.



Main Course

The Main Course Station consists of our favorite ulam elevated to fit the restaurant standards. And I didn't said that just because we're at Guevarra's. I said that because they are really delicious and scrumptious! They have my favorite Kare-Kare. Aside from that, they have Dinuguan, Pinakbet, and other Seafood dishes that I'm not much familiar of. Pansit and Paella is also present in their Main Course Station. Among all of them, the Angus Beef Kare-Kare will always be "The One". The meat is so soft it melts in my mouth. The sauce has the right amount of peanuts and the consistency is thick. I can't stop but get rice when I tasted their Kare-Kare.





Desserts and Beverages

I had fun shooting at their Desserts Section. They just look all so yummy! Their vibrant and chocolate-y colors just caught my eyes. And even their desserts also has a distinct Filipino touch. They have Suman, Leche Flan, Buko Pandan, Halo-Halo, sweet pastries, Biscocho, and Ice Cream. The beverages they offer consists of juices, milk tea, softdrinks and water. Their Milk Tea tastes more like Sago't Gulaman though. Their must-try desserts for me are Leche Flan, Buko Pandan, and Biscocho. Guevarra's Leche Flan is thick and creamy but not too sweet. The Biscocho came as a surprise to me. It's not the hard toasted bread I know but it tastes like a mini donut which is good by the way. I liked how it tasted. 







I had tried a Filipino Buffet Restaurant before(I won't drop names) when we attended our grandmother's birthday. I was disappointed back then. The dish containers always ran out of food and it will take a while before it's refilled. I'm glad that it never happened in Guevarra's, except for the crablets. 

Overall, we are satisfied customers of Guevarra's. And if it weren't for its location, I would have brought my family here. I wish they'll have another branch closer to Marikina. I recommend you guys bring your Balikbayan relatives or foreign visitors here if you want them to taste our own Filipino dishes. It's a treat they won't forget. ;)

Guevarra's
Address: 387 P. Guevarra Corner Argonne Street, Addition Hills, San Juan City
Budget for Two: Php 1000 to 1500 (Depending on time and day of visit)

Ratings
Food: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5
Service: 5/5

Overall: 5/5
Guevarra's Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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I rarely encounter expensive food that tastes so good, especially when I travel. Most of the time the food comes out overpriced for how it tastes. Even worst is if it doesn't taste good at all. So everytime I plan to dine in a certain restaurant and find out that the place offers expensive food, I research first. I will admit. Yes, dining in Yabu is quite expensive but on the next few sections, you'll find out that it's worth more than the money we paid. 
Rosu Katsu Set
Yabu is well-known for serving quality Katsus. Katsu is a Japanese dish which is breaded deep fried meat cutlet. In Yabu, Katsu is served in many different ways. It can be just fried, served in curry sauce(Katsu Curry) or simmered with eggs with Japanese rice(Katsudon). Aside from that, you can choose your own meat between chicken, pork, or even seafood! They also serve appetizers, desserts and other Japanese dishes like Gyudon, Tempura, and Donburi. 


Dining Area

This is not our first time to try Yabu. But both experiences were in celebration of Chad's birthday. If you want to read our first experience, click HERE. Our first Yabu experience is in SM North EDSA. This time, we tried UP Town Center. Yabu is located at the Ground Floor of UTC. It is very easy to find. Just like the Yabu branch in SM North EDSA, this one is also not that spacious. The walk way for customers is quite narrow. But as soon as we're seated, I already didn't mind. Our dining space is adequate for the two of us. I can move freely. 
I really hate dirty tables. That's why it's a plus for me that they take time to clean the tables first before taking us to our seats. Each table also has a set of condiments for your Katsu and dressings for your cabbages. I also like that the seats are soft, makes the dining experience more comfortable. Their service is also fast since we have our own dedicated server. 

Katsu Section

The first time that we dined in Yabu, I had Rosu Katsu and Chad had Curry Katsudon. Their katsu tasted great. But I think I found my food to be dry, despite the katsu's juiciness, because I enjoyed Chad's dish more, with all the egg and curry sauce that surrounded the katsu.
Curry Katsudon


So this time, we both ordered Curry Katsu sets. A Curry Katsu set contains cabbages, watermelon and pineapple slices, and miso soup. All of which are refillable including the rice. You know what that means, UNLIMITED!!
Chicken Katsu Curry (P375)
I ordered Chicken Katsu with regular Curry sauce. Yes, you can adjust the spiciness of your curry sauce. It has 3 levels: Regular, Hot, and Very Hot. I like mine to be just a regular one but it already has its mild kick that tastes really savory and strong to my taste buds. The katsu is crispy and juicy as expected from Yabu. I think I love the Chicken katsu more than pork. But the katsu tasted even more delicious when dipped in the curry sauce. And this time, I was able to enjoy the katsu more because of the curry sauce.
Rosu Katsu Curry (P400)
Chad, on the otherhand, ordered Rosu(Pork) Katsu Curry. The presentation looked quite the same. The only distinguishing factor would be the small flags with either chicken or pork printed on it. Chad loved his Katsu Curry as well. It's the best Katsu Curry for him. 
As for the sides, I'm not really a fan of how the Miso Soup tastes while Chad thinks it just tasted like a normal Miso Soup. For the fruits, I wonder where they get their fruits. They are sweet! It's the sweetest pineapple and watermelon I ever tasted. And the cabbages?? Crispy and the dressing is very delicious when mixed with the cabbages. You know what Lea says, "If you want to be happy, eat cabbages.".
Belated Happy Birthday Love!

We only paid less than 900 pesos but here's what we got:
  • Quality food with generous amount of servings
  • Fast service
  • Good ambiance and clean environment
  • unlimited sides and rice!
  • Satisfied tummies <3
The next time you're looking for a Katsu place, better bring your friends and dine in Yabu. :D
Yabu Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
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Hobby hoarding is what keeps her sane. A software engineer on weekdays and a too-many-to-mention hobbyist on weekends.

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