By: Seven Bueno
Many people eat to live. This blog entry however is for those who live to eat...
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Copyright: antoniosbreakfast.com
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This food tripping journey begins as we head towards Breakfast at Antonio's (about 2 hours away from Manila) and try out some of the Philippines' best dishes.
Breakfast at Antonio's has been ranked 17th in Asia's best restaurants and owned by Chef Antonio 'Tonyboy' Escalante. (owner of Antonio's Group of Restaurants)
I start off with their Grande Hot Chocolate. Something to warm up the hungry tummy after going through the heavy Tagaytay traffic.
It is the Eggs Benedict which the chef recommends, however my favorite dish on their breakfast menu is their Fresh Corned Beef served with garlic rice, a couple of eggs of your choice, and sauerkraut.
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copyright: Seven Bueno
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Why favorite? It has this illusion that it is such a tiny dish, but it is apparently heavier than you expect. It is also a Filipino take on the traditional German breakfast, without loosing that international feel. (Although it tastes perfect as is, try out putting some Linguee on it. It's that sour cream looking jar that says "Tafel-Meerrettich" on it)
Eating this tasty dish needs a cooling beverage to pair up with it. I recommend their Ginger Lemongrass Cordial. It has this cold refreshing feel as you take a sip and a surprising zing as it goes down your throat, with that warm aftertaste, perfect for any time of the day. The drink is also recommended for singers, teachers, preachers, and anyone else who talks a lot...
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Copyright: Seven Bueno
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Just make sure you taste it before you put more sparkling water and the juiced ginger and lemongrass. Putting too much of either could make the tasty drink taste weird.
Next up is Lunch... From Tagaytay, we head towards the most unlikely place to find good food.
A gas station.
Hidden beneath Petron Dasmarinas Village, (yup, the gas station near the Pasay Road gate) is an Italian Pasta Deli. Va Bene, an Italian deli restaurant owned and operated by Chef Massimo Veronesi has been nominated on The Miele Guide for years 2012-2013 (a guide that has been enlisting the top 20 best restaurants in Asia for the past 5 years.) What is so special about their pasta? It's handmade!
To start off, suggest their Polipo. A scrumptious appetizer that consists of braised octopus thinly sliced, semi-dried tomatoes, olives, arugula salad, drizzled with their lemon dressing.
Next up, Ravioli. Their Lobster and Prawn Cappellaci is the bomb. It is basically pasta stuffed with lobsters and prawns, all smothered up with lobster bisque sauce.
They also have a good selection of wines to pair up their dishes.
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| copyright: tripadvisor.com |
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| copyright: Seven Bueno |
To top it all up, I would have to recommend their Strawberries a la Milena. It is a sweet dessert that consists of marinated strawberries, balsamico, black pepper, and vanilla ice cream.
From a German-American breakfast to a full on Italian lunch, let us end our food trip near home with a light Japanese dinner. Seryna is an authentic Japanese restaurant although not well known among the locals, it is visited by the Japs themselves. It is located in beside Little Tokyo in front of the entrance of Makati Cinema Square, Makati City.
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| copyright: Seven Bueno |
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| copyright: Seven Bueno |
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Start of with their Tuna Sashimi. All guaranteed fresh. Next up would be their Sukiyaki. They do have a set menu for Sukiyaki for lunch, however they have a separate order during dinner. Sukiyaki paired up with steamed Japanese rice would totally warm up the cool evening. Their dishes are really consistent with what you would taste in Japan.
Although I am thin and most people who see me don't expect me to eat as
much, life is totally different when you live to eat and taste the
flavors of the world, especially when it is this easy that you can taste
it all without even leaving the country.
