The Foodinista: Taguig

Gorda, Uptown Parade (Fil-Mex Cuisine) Review

Tuesday, May 16, 2017

Lechon Tacos

Gorda is a Filipino-Mexican Cuisine Resto-Pub that offers a wide range of comfort food & unique alcoholic beverage situated in Uptown Parade, Taguig. I've never tried Fil-Mex Cuisine before cause i'm not a huge fan of Mexican food but I said YES to this invite when I was invited by EJ (@ilovetoeatph) of Team Kaladkarin cause I knew that this will be another new food-venture for me.

Gorda is a family owned restaurant which took the restaurant's name as a tribute to their Mom.

In Spanish term Gorda means Fat Lady but in urban calling it's like "Bae".

Gorda Uptown Parade

Gorda has a rustic chill urban vibe which makes it a perfect place for lazy late night drinking session with the Barkada. It reminds me of underground bars in New York. I like how they incorporated dark-colored bricked walls & sassy graffiti which gave the place a very cozy feeling. This is also a good pre-game place cause their alcoholic drinks are pretty affordable! It's just beside Valkyrie so this is a good pre-game spot! They also play good music during late hours!

Inside Gorda

Lechon Tacos - Cebu Lechon, Liver Pate, Ensalada (P200)

When someone says Mexican Food I look for Tacos and this Lechon Tacos is the perfect dish that emphasizes the Filipino-Mexican fusion. The chopped Lechon bits went well with other toppings and I liked how the chicharon added a crispy texture making it more enjoyable to eat. I think the Mayo added was too much which can be easily adjusted.

Lechon Tacos

Calamari - Squid Frito, Local Spiced Dust, Homemade Crema, Pinakurat (P380)

I can say this was DEFINITELY MY FAVORITE among all the dish that were served during the night. It's not your ordinary Calamari fried in circles rather presented in chopped form with less flour and breading. I though it was Dori and not a squid at first cause it was freakin' tender it almost melts in the mouth. I liked it better dipped in homemade crema than the pinakurat or spiced vinegar.

MUST TRY FOR ME!

Calamari

Mama's Nachos - Spiced Beef Estofado, Trio Local Keso Sauce, Ensalada, Jalapeno Atchara (P400 Half; P600 Full)

Can you believe that this serving is only HALF? This is the perfect Nacho to share with families & friends. The half serving is already good for 4 to 5 people already and seem to be best to be paired with Beer! Chef Jessica showed us the container for the Full one is and that can be good for 7-8 people already. They didn't scrimp on the ingredients and added freakin' loads of cheese which made it delicious. Loved it! Okay na okay pang pulutan!

Mama's Nachos

Bell Pepper Relleno - Spiced Estofado Black Beans, Corn Inasal, Trio Local Keso Melt (P300)
Now this! I am not a fan of Jalapeno Poppers or anything with Bell Peppers cause they have a very distinct taste that I am not fond of. What makes this great is that the taste and quantity of the Cheese over-powered the Bell-Pepper that it neaturalized the strong bell-pepper taste which made it 'edible' for me. LOL! I surprisingly was able to enjoy it. What a good appetizer by the way!

Bell Pepper Relleno

Tapa Burritto (Deconstruct) - Carne Asado, Huevo, Ensalada, Garlic Cilantro Arroz (P350)

Deconstructed Burrito - FANCY Huh! The serving is big, one bowl is good for 2 people already. I really like how the Tapa tasted, the meat is tender and well-seasoned ; considering i'm a TAPSILOG fan this is a good one! I just hope that the rice will have more cilantro mixed in it to make the 'cilantro rice' more appetizing to eat. I like the rice of the Pollo Inasal Skillet Better than this.

Pollo Inasal Skillet - Mexican Spiced Marinated Chicken Inasal, Cilantro Sinangag, Roasted Pimiento & Onion, Homemade Crema (P450)

I wasn't able to take a photo of this cause I was in a hurry to dig in. LOL. This is a crowd favorite cause it was just simply delicious! The chicken is skewed in a huge stick making it look like a Kebab. I though it was a Kebab at first but it's placed in a huge rectangular shaped plate this can also be good for 2 people already. I LOVE how the savouriness of the chicken went well with the Cilantro Fried Rice, the chicken was so tender too and was cooked perfectly. What a perfect combo! I will definitely go back for this.

Tapa Burrito

Gorda's Avocado Pie - Condensada, Butter Graham Crust, Kalamansi Crema Whip (P250)
Oooh! I've never tried Avocado Pies before so when this came out I got so excited. I love Avocados and I think the custard became too bitter because of the Avocado, I recommend this to be sweetened just a tiny bit more. The Kalamansi Whipped Cream was pretty interesting too that all of us thought it was Lemon Curd cause of how sour it tasted. Good thing its sourness contrasted the sweetness and bitterness of the pie. I am not exactly sure what were the crispy sweet bits on top, it looks like sweetened fried bananas but it sure saved this dessert and added that kick I was looking for.

Avocado Pie

Bar

Horchata Morena - Homemade Roasted Grains, Whiskey, Rum (P320)
Horchata Morena is one of the drinks I will definitely recommend to anyone whether you are a alcoholic drinker or not. Liquido Maestro (@liquidomestro) is behind this genius creation and I must say he made me set my standards higher in defining a 'good' horchata. I've never tried one before and what makes this stand out would be the distinct pandan taste, creamy smooth texture that makes it drinkable. It's a great lady drink for people like me who don't drink often. This is something I will keep coming back for!

Horchata Morena

It was a really fun first with Gorda. The servers were friendly and the customer service is great. The ambiance is perfect, I now have my own version of NY Pub in Taguig Area! <3

BGC

Paper Moon Cafe, Uptown Place Mall BGC

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Paper Moon Matcha Mille Crepe

Exquisite Papermoon Mille Crepe Meets Matcha Heaven!

I have been craving to taste this famous Matcha Mille Crepe for a long time now. It's been being raved a lot by foodie friends so after the quick rendezvous at Morganfield's I dragged my newly found friend Norman to have our dessert here.

Paper Moon Cafe is located at the 2nd Floor of Uptown Mall. The store can cater up to 20 people or less. The ambiance is cozy and is a good place to have chit-chats and spend afternoon siesta.

Paper Moon Cafe

It's a no brainer that I will be ordering their Matcha Mille Crepe cause it's the talk of the town lately I knew I just had to try it!

Subtly sweet, creamy and fine green tea powder infused in every delicate paper-thin layer of no less than 20 crepes, topped with pure matcha. The Matcha Mille Crepe is priced P225 per slice and P2000 for the whole order.

First impression: It looks pretty, delicate and fancy. It didn't taste bad but it didn't taste so good to be worth the hype at all and it's quite costly.

Matcha Mille Crepe P225 / Slice

I'm a fan of anything with Matcha so I was really looking for the strong Matcha taste but then I got upset cause I was only able to taste it a little on the powder. Maybe because it was so light and creamy and the only distinct taste would be the cream. I appreciate it being subtle and light but I was looking for MORE. It didn't give me the Matcha sparks I was looking for.

Anyway, I still liked it but I didn't love it. I may come back for it but only if I need something light for a dessert.

To add to that my friend Norman tried the Checkered Cake which is P250 per slice. It's a vanilla chocolate chiffon cake covered with a chocolate ganache in checkered style. Honestly, we were both disappointed with this cake. Probably because we're both not fan of chiffon cakes and it tasted quite blunt. I tlooked fancy but that's it! It's moist but I really can't find the exact words to describe how it tasted cause it was so light and airy.

Checkered Cake P225 / Slice

Overall, I can say this is a not so good first experience with Papermoon Cafe cause I was expecting it would be so extravagant due to the hype it's getting. Maybe I should try their Chocolate Mille Crepe instead next time which is another favourite by many?

SPECIAL NOTE: I just realized this might be a good cafe for the adults/ elderly/ Titas of Manila/ and the like because the cake is not too sweet which tastes good paired with coffee or tea, one can definitely eat 1 whole slice of it without feeling too much!

Will I go back regardless how my first experience went? Maybe, yes. I would probably try other flavours which might suit my palate better. :)

Macarons

BGC Desserts

FARMACY: Ice Cream & Soda Fountain

Thursday, May 26, 2016

Farmacy

My boyfriend and I have been hunting for a good dessert place in BGC after dining from a Pizza Parlor in Uptown Mall. Upon searching, we saw a lot of good reviews about Farmacy and decided to pay a visit to satisfy our sweet cravings!

The sophisticated vibe welcomed me upon entering the store; kind of 50's diner nostalgia.

Neon lights, milk shakes in tall glass, bar stools and counters, muted tone & colors and warm light bulbs definitely sets the mood. I just love the whole idea of this ice cream parlor! It feels like I've been brought to a different time; a period in history.

Behind the bar is a medicine cabinet with random flasks and lab tools. Antique wooden cabinets and ceiling fans gave emphasis to the vintage look.

They say that soda fountains were originated from alcohol prohibition era when alcoholic beverages would be hidden in ice creams.

Farmacy Ice Cream Cones

Faramacy Interior

On the menu are composed of not just the things kids will love but adults will definitely also be delighted to have. Ice Cream, Waffle Cones, Sodas, Milkshakes, Floats, Banana Splits and everything you can probably see in dessert heaven is here! They offer free taste on the ice creams so you can pick the best ones you like and give it a try; Aside from that they also have few munchies on the menu like burgers and coffee that you can indulge in. According to other blogs - everything here is naturally made and the ingredients were really made from fresh fruits.

I love how their menu even blended on the whole concept. The prices of their desserts weren't as expensive as compared to other Concept Ice Cream Parlors. The quality is over the top: ice cream made from all natural ingredients, the huge variety of flavors, the ambiance, the quality of desserts - I felt like I was paying less than what I am actually getting.

I also have to point out that their customer service is very good. I remember their servers were constantly filling up our glasses with water every time it gets empty.

They were warm and always smile too; only comment was serving time was really slow.

The blue-ish and pink-ish hues surrounding the whole store was a pure dream and nostalgia.

Farmacy

Farmacy Menu

For starters, we ordered their classic Banana Split which was just simply good. I love how it tasted so sweet yet so fun to eat. Reminded me of good memories: childhood, fun days with my playmates, holidays, and everything that makes me flutter. The whipped cream has a subtle taste and the caramel syrup blended well with the ice cream. I'm not a sweet tooth but believe me when I say I was able to indulge all of it!

Banana Split P230.00

Their sodas were also amazing. It was my first time to try Fruit Sodas - a.k.a. Soda Juice and was surprised how it tasted. The Strawberry Soda was a little too sweet [kinda reminds me of powdered strawberry drinks] that's why I preferred the Soda Calamansi because of the sourness which added a little kick to the drink. I bet the kids would love the Strawberry Soda though, definitely for the sweet tooths!