Restaurants: Mooon Cafe

Located at the heart of the Ayala Mall in Cebu City, Philippines, Mooon Cafe (Yes, with three O's) offers Mexican-Filipino dishes that would make you go "OOOh-la-la." Their menu consists of classic Mexican cuisines and refined Filipino dishes served by waiters and waitresses dressed up in traditional Mexican clothing. The ambiance is inviting, with orange lights surrounding the restaurant and large dining sets for those with big appetites. In addition, you get what you pay for: the quality of the food you're paying for is worth every coin you'll spend.

Please click the image to see full image

You have to be early though, because if not, you'll end up getting stuck in a long line other customers wanting to go to the Mooon.

* Price: A
* Serving: Medium
* Food: A
* Ambiance: A
* Service: B+ (the place gets too crowded sometimes)

Manila Restaurants: Hooters

Yes, the ever-famous restaurant chain in the US is now in the Philippines! Hooters, made popular by their exceptionally "voluptuous" waitresses, opened last 2008 at the SM Mall of Asia at the edge of Manila bay. It created a lot of buzz among the locals, especially the males who want a sneak peek of the scantily-clad waitstaff, called "Hooters Girls". A few weeks ago, me and my friends got curious and tried it out! Below are a few snapshots of what Hooters - SM MoA is like.

According to Wiki,

A Hooters Girl (informally, "Hooter Girl" is commonly used) is a waitress employed by the Hooters restaurant chain. The girls are recognizable by their uniform of a white tank top with the "Hootie the Owl" logo and the location name on the front paired with the famously short orange runner's shorts.

Indeed, their girls looked darn sexy with that uniform on. All of them had long, straight hair with itsy bitsy waistlines and extremely round boobies. With their super short shorts and tiny tank tops on, Hooters is indeed a haven for male testosterone overload.

Aside from the staff, Hooters is also about FOOD. Their menu consists mainly of hamburgers, sandwiches, steaks, appetizers, entrees, and their ever-famous chicken wings. They also serve alcoholic drinks in their liquor bar. And if you want to remember your Hooters experience, you can also purchase exclusive Hooters shirts and various souvenirs.

Our Hooters experience was absolutely F-U-N! We got to see the Hooters Girls dance to the tune of YMCA, and perform hoola-hoop tricks in front of the mostly-male audience. Their service was also top-class, with each Hooter girl ever-ready to cater to their customer's needs wearing a warm smile. We even took a couple of pictures with them (I think these girls are already used to getting their pictures taken!).

I wasn't too crazy about the food, though. I thought it was overpriced and bland -- just like any other American restaurant there is. The price didn't really justify the taste and texture of the food. I guess you're paying for the over-all Hooters experience (the girls, the ambiance, the name), and not really for the food. I'd say I won't be coming back here for a long time, unless absolutely necessary. :)

Here's my rating of Hooters - SM Mall of Asia:

• Price: Each meal costs around Php499 - Php1000
• Serving: Medium
• Food: B
  
• Ambiance: A
• Service: A

If you're lucky with your finances this month, then you should visit Hooters at the SM Mall of Asia. If not, there's always a next time.

Manila Restaurants: Gumbo

Gumbo is a stew or soup originating in Louisiana which is popular across the Gulf Coast of the United States and into the U.S. South. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat and/or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable "holy trinity" of celery, bell peppers and onion. The soup is traditionally served over rice.

- Gumbo Wikipedia

At least that's what Wiki has to say. But here in Manila, Gumbo is actually redefined into something else. It's A Taste of New Orleans in Manila, where you can experience not only its wonderful cuisine, but also the amazing ambiance of Jazz, French, and Mardi Gras combined.

Gumbo is the only restaurant in Manila that takes pride in serving the famous New Orleans' Cajun and Creole cooking. Their menu offers an assortment of interesting dishes cooked the cajun or creole way such as the jambalaya, smoked sausages, shrimp and oysters. More than that, the large servings of their dishes make it ideal for sharing for groups and families. And the price is just right, too.

Moreover, Gumbo gives its guests a meal to remember because of the restaurant's overall ambiance and their wonderful service. The cozy, old fashioned furniture gives you the feeling of nostalgia. The energy of the music and the ornaments displayed are vibrant enough to keep you interested and looking forward to what more they can offer. Their polite and eager to help crew are there to make sure you get the best of what they have to offer. And it's not just the smile on their faces, but the fact that they want to make sure you get what you truly deserve.

Overall, Gumbo is a must visit! Try their branch at the SM Mall of Asia where you have a scenic view of the Manila Bay.

Here's my rating of Gumbo:

• Price: Each meal costs around Php200 - Php400
• Serving: Large
• Food: YUMMY! (Must Try: Seafood Jambalaya)
  
• Ambiance: A
• Service: A

Manila Restaurants: Curry Curry House

Just recently SM Megamall has renovated a section of their mall to make way for the posh place now know as the Mega Atrium. It is located at the center of SM Megamall A and B, 2nd floor up to the 5th floor. Most shops here are those from The Podium, and the restaurants are a bit classier than the usual.

There, we discovered the Curry Curry House. It's a Japanese restaurant specializing in -- yep, you guessed it -- Curry. The interior is similar to any other Japanese restaurant, with wallpapers of some Japanese figure like a ninja, or samurai, or a woman dressed in a kimono, or the like. But the food is totally different.

They serve their food in a special curry sauce, which is terribly addicting but can be too "curry-ful" after one cup of rice. Oh yeah, their rice is also unlimited. More than that, each meal only costs Php 100 - 200 per rice meal, and that's not a bad price at all considering the size of their servings. It's one of those restaurants where you really get a good value for your money.

But then again, you can never get too much curry in a week. I'd say, I'll have curry once a month, but I can't have it more than once in a week. It'll be too much for me. But that's just me. :)

For more information about this restaurant, you may contact them at: (63 2) 631-8470
Or you may visit them at:

3rd Level
SM Megamall Atrium
SM Megamall
EDSA cor. Julia Vargas Avenue
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila

Also just a few reminders:
- Budget range is Php 200.00 and below per meal
- Credit Card payment not allowed YET
- Eat-all-you-can Rice

Restaurants: Allan's Talabahan

You can't leave the province of Iloilo if you haven't visited this place yet. Not only do they serve absolutely delicious and mouth-watering talaba, they sell it at a cheap price too!

Welcome to Allan's Talabahan in Oton, Iloilo City. They serve the biggest and juiciest oysters in town.

Here, you'll find that you just can't get enough of those oysters. You can also add other grilled dishes to complete your meal. They have the uber-tasty, grilled pantat (or hito in Tagalog, catfish in English). I don't know where they get their fish, but I'm grateful because the fish they serve is meaty and tasty to the bone. They also have the classic grilled liempo, chicken, BBQ, and other seafoods. You can never go wrong with the food they serve.

And more than that, you get super value for your money! The small bucket of talaba (oysters) only cost Php25.00. Beat that! And their oysters are HUGE! Here in Manila, you'll get it at around Php100.00 already. Imagine this: there were 7 of us, we ordered 7 buckets of talaba, 5 orders of liempo, 4 orders of pantat, 7 bottles of softdrinks. But we only paid a total of around Php800.00. Hah!

Allan's Talabahan is a bit far from the city proper, but I promise you, a few minutes of travel isn't enough for the satisfaction you'll get.

Nothing But Desserts

At the heart of Iloilo's sizzling night life is a shop where you can get all the sweets your teeth are craving for. After a night of partying, drinking, karaoke-ing, and food tripping, the perfect way to end the night is simply by having a taste of desserts at Nothing But Desserts.

They offer mousses, cakes, and trifles. All their desserts are prepared intricately and delicately, as if they were wonderful pieces of art. From chocolates to caramel, to coffee, to fruity cakes, they have it all. Prices for their cakes-in-a-glass (I like to call it this way because most of their signature cakes are served in a small glass) are at a standard Php110.00 -- Not bad for a fully-loaded sweet experience. They also have square cakes that range from Php 500.00 ++.

Nothing But Desserts is located at The Avenue, Smallville, Iloilo City. Oh I do hope they'll open one here in Manila real soon! If you happen to visit Iloilo, you MUST visit this place. =)

Manila Coffee Shop: Bo's Cafe

Bo's Coffee Club is a nice coffee shop. It really is, and they serve great coffee as well. But after my experience with them a few weeks ago, I don't think I'll ever step into one of their shops deliberately on my own, not unless I don't have any choice.

You see, after drinking their Cookies 'n Cream iced drink (I forgot what it was called, equivalent of Starbucks' Frappuccino), a few bites of their Lemon Tarte and Bo's Coffee Cheesecake, I had this terrible (Note: T-E-R-R-I-B-L-E) stomachache. Ugh.

The drink was okay. The cheesecake was... well, not what you'd expect but the taste was tolerable. The Lemon Tarte? Avoid it if you can. The lime didn't match well with the sweet icing and the after-taste is something you'd rather forget.

Bo's Coffee Club has shops usually in malls like Glorietta, Robinson's Galleria, The Block. It also has kiosks in some office buildings. For more information on their store locations, please visit: http://www.boscoffeeclub.com.

Manila Restaurants: Cascada

Cascada is The Classic Cheap Choice.

If you're near Greenbelt area and you're looking for a formal, fine-dining restaurant but on a budget, then you have to visit Cascada located at the 2nd floor of Greenbelt 3, Makati. Cascada offers a wide array of your classic dishes garnished with modern flavors from all over the world: from pasta, to salads, to rice dishes, to steaks. Plus, you get the fine-dining ambiance that's usually felt only at hotels or high-end restaurants. And the good news? It's not as pricey! Price range for a simple meal (without drinks) is at Php 250 - 500. Not bad, right? Especially when the food is great.

Oh and don't forget to get dessert! Try their chocolate fondue!

Manila Restaurants: Cocorama

Cocorama - a cute, retro restaurant at the 6th floor of Shangri-La Mall EDSA (corner Shaw Blvd, Edsa). It has an interesting ambiance: disco balls inside the restaurant, a Wolks-Vagen mini-bus as serving as the counter, and a burst of orange, yellow and pink lining its walls. It kind of reminds you of the hippie days.

The food looks terribly delicious if you check out their menu. Plus, it's quite affordable: Prices range from Php 100 - 200 per meal. Also service is terrific because you are greeting with smiling face and a very accommodating crew.

However, what you see isn't what you get. The Php 175 - pancake with custard filling meal has pancakes that are smaller than expected (it's the same as the circumference of a Wendie's biggie Cup). The filling also isn't that great. As for their steak sandwich, the bread they used probably wasn't fresh because it was so chewy. In the end, you'll end up eating the steak and leave the bread untouched.

Cocorama is a great place to visit if you want to be reminded of the hippie days, or if you want to try something new and groovy. Just don't expect much from the food. It probably won't make your priority list of restaurants.