GASTRONOMICLES 0002: MARCHE

I suddenly missed Marche Restaurant right now after walking on my way to work. Marche is a Swiss market restaurant that originated in well, Switzerland :)

Unfortunately, they only have branches in the US, Europe, Indonesia, Korea, and Singapore. I hope they finally put up a branch here in the Philippines.

My sister took us to the Marche branch in Vivo City.

Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/venue/351794

Upon entering you will be given a guest card which you have to give to the staff every time you order.

 Be sure not to lose your card because it will cost you SGD100 (around P3500) but if you are generous enough you could since it will be donated to a charity of your choice :)

What I like about the restaurant's concept is you have the liberty to choose your food and have it cooked the way you want it.

Mom checking out the salad section :)

my sister explaining to Daddy how to order :)

this hit me on the head by the way...ouch!

Swiss decors everywhere :)

They have sections for salad, for meat, for drinks, for desserts, for ice creams, and so on.

crepe with meat and veggies

Swiss rosti (grated potatoes), sausage and cream cheese sauce(?)

this Strawberry Shortcake is to die for :)

get a slab of meat too while you're munching fresh  veggies

Grab a mint in the checkout cashier on your way out :) 

For four, I think our meal ranged from SGD100-SGD200 (P3500-P7000). It's actually not bad just don't think about the forex :)

This is my favorite resto in SG now... can't wait to go back :)

GASTRONOMICLES 0001: HAPADOG

I was walking with my best friend one night at SM Sky Garden, and I noticed a new signage near Cello's :)

Turns out it's a new signature Japanese hotdog joint called HAPADOG. 

HAPADOG - adj. 1. Slang. of mixed racial heritage with partial roots in asian and/ or pacific islander ancestry.

n. 2. Slang. a person of such ancestry. {der./hawaiian: hapa haole. (half white) }

craving for something new we ordered a hapadog for our late night dinner :)

I ordered a Kokkore Dog - a hotdog wrapped in mashed potato topped with teriyaki sauce, japanese mayo, and nori flakes. If you want an extraordinary hotdog, this is it. It's a refreshing new twist to this old comfort food. Their hotdogs are also big enough for 2 (although my friend ate hers and half of mine), and served in an interesting wood tray :)

This is their version of a Chili Dog, which is also topped with nori flakes.

I also liked their french fries called, "furaidopoteto" which has like a sour cream taste.

If not for my poor health, I would eat more of their food and if not for my work the next day, I'll try their cocktails (they have a HAPA Hour! :) )

Take note that they don't have ketchup in case you are that "ketchup with anything" person. :)

PRICE RANGE: For 2, We only paid more or less P400, not bad :)
Visit their website: http://www.hapa-dog.com/

Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/venue/19228069

FOOD

Aside from the view, I travel to taste different kinds of food. I remember that I went to Macau for the egg tarts and Cebu for the lechon :) I love eating. If I can only do two things my entire life it will be painting and eating... and If I can do only one, guess what will I choose? sleeping! gotcha! :)

If you're my Facebook friend and you'll look at my albums, you'll find more food shots than my face. My family and friends are fully supportive of my "foodtography" except when we're really really hungry. Otherwise, they'll let me do a short pictorial of the food first before gobbling it up.

Anyhoo, here's some of my favorite food finds from nooks and crannies I've been to:

First on my list is definitely:

Nathaniel's Buco Pandan

Best Buko Pandan ever. nuf said :) Nathaniel's is located in Pampanga but thankfully, there is already a branch in Timog, Quezon City :)

Kanin Club's Sinangag na Sinigang :) Kanin Club has a branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens and Ayala Technohub :)

A walk down Binondo street will surely fire up your appetite. Among the many foods there, I like fried siopao the best, its not exactly fried fried, but its good :)

Strawberry Cheesecake in Bag of Beans, the best cheesecake in my life so far :)
Bag of Beans is located in Tagaytay, one branch is just near the Rotonda

Often times, I also try food that are different...

Balaw Balaw rice from Balaw Balaw in Antipolo. I think this is pink because of the Aligue...(heart attack!)

Never mind my allergies to shrimp, Cindy's Tempura is hella good. I remember my lola used to treat me to this fastfood restaurant which rivaled Jollibee back in the days. And then I used to go to Robinson's Galleria's food court to eat the heavenly dish. Unfortunately, their branches here are all closed now. Their only branch is now located in Boracay (D'Mall).

Macau egg tarts are sweeter than the Lord Stow's here in the Philippines. You can find some in the food lane in Senado Square.

Cookbook Kitchen's or CBK Strawberry shortcake overload is a dessert made for the whole family. It's so big you cannot finish it alone. CBK has a branch in Eastwood but if you want a homey feel, you can go to their main branch in Mandaluyong. visit their site here: CBK

This is actually my birthday cake from 2009. This Lemon Walnut Torte by Gervy is simply divine! you can visit the site here: Gervy's

When it comes to food, I'll go cheap as cheap as this Dokito Frito from Andok's. Actually, this is my staple meal when in Boracay. You can find an Andok's just about any street in Manila.

Pinikpikan from Cafe by The Ruins In Baguio is so good. Pinikpikan refers to an Igorot style of cooking chicken. Learn how it is done here: how to cook Pinikpikan
Of course we'll finish this entry with a dessert...

Ebai's Apple Walnut cake from Narda's in Baguio. Yup, its being sold in a handicraft shop. The store has a good breakfast place right outside, which is also convenient if you want to catch breakfast from or to Baguio after a long bus ride, since its just near Victory Liner.

I would like to share more food shots but I'll save more for future entries :)
For now, Toodles :)