With time to waste, I wandered around San Antonio Plaza fronting Santuario de San Antonio in Forbes Park, Makati. I've tried the few dining outlets here and favor the drugstore and convenience store to be found within this village mall.

On the 2nd floor I found Pimbrera which is a tiny dining place -- just 2 small round tables inside. I wondered how this place can pay for its space here considering its limited capacity to accommodate diners.

Gave way to my curiosity and stepped inside. Pimbrera is obviously named after the tiered cylinders used for storing viands and other takeout food.

So, this place sells takeout food! Found kare kare, adobo, salmon sinigang, corned beef sinigang, lumpia hubad, callos, fabada, even my favorite bottled "tuyo". Now I know where to get my stuff when I'm in the area.

I have a date. A 13 year-old date. I was thinking either Cafe Breton or those humongous burgers in Burger King. But we passed Tonkatsu by Terazawa in Makati's Greenbelt 2 (someone pls tell me who he is?) and we couldn't resist.

We got hooked on tonkatsu when we tried a similar, perhaps more popular dining place. This one's katsu meals are a bit pricier and food's same same, if you know what I mean. But it's quieter, so you can eat in relative peace.

The big surprise here is they have IBERICO pork katsu for those willing to pay more. So, how about it?

We had a fairly early flight at 8:40am and arrived 10am in Dumaguete City. Too early for lunch; just right for brunch. We scanned the menu with hungry eagle's eyes and decided seafood should properly introduce us to Dumaguete.

It doesn't look much from outside, more so at this midmorning hour. But we found many vehicles parked upfront and was surprised to find many early lunch patrons inside. We claimed a table and I was lucky to get seated where I have a good view of the (Rizal) Boulevard and the bay.

I'd highly recommend their Dumaguete Express. Much like kinilaw with coconut meat and milk. Plus lechon toppings! The seafood was very fresh. So with the Steamed Lapu Lapu and Chili Crabs we ordered.

There were just 4 of us. We thought we overordered but were surprised we didn't leave a single morsel on our plates but for the rice leftover. The bill? Under P1,500 with 3 s.c. Cards ;-) Not bad!

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Home now and starting it right with good comfort food and then some. "Some" should read good provincial French cuisine. Named after Chef Mark Aubry's hometown, Champêtre also means "pastoral or "country".

Resurrected from an old favorite French boutique resto "Je Suis Gourmand", this dining place operates from the same location at the Net One Building in 26th Street at The Fort.

My old favorites like the Warm Onion Tart with Salad is no longer in the Menu but I suspect it takes little to ask Chef Mark to whip up this fav dish. The other favorites were retained: duck foie gras terrine and the lamb shanks. But today, it's a fat goose lunch for me and my friends.

Too much for only 5 of us but whatever's left of the fat goose with potato dumplings (a side dish request which must have made Chef Mark roll his eyes) was packed in 3 brown bags. A choice Spanish full-bodied wine went well with the goose. Yum!

All's well. I found no room for dessert after that heavy lunch treat but I managed to scoop a couple of spoonfuls off my friend's passionfruit sherbet.

Surely, the goose and resalso did not disappoint. My, all that carbo and protein!

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Sour broth is not exclusive to the Philippines, but our very own "sinigang" stands on its own in all its "Filipino-ness". Many of those who've left the country to work abroad invariably served their own versions of sinigang using ingredients from their new place of residence and that old reliable sachet of sinigang sour broth powder.

Yes, we all travel with our sinigang, don't we? But nothing beats home-cooked sinigang using fresh ingredients from home. And true, making sour broth (tamarind or Kamias or miso or guava) from scratch never fails to win applause.

You may wish to introduce your guests to this very Filipino dish. Vegetarians and pescatarians may choose to have fish or shrimp sinigang using guava or kamias or miso for the sour broth (I drool over the Kapampangan version served in Abe's Restaurant in Serendra or in Mall of Asia) but meat lovers would most certainly opt for the pork and/or beef sinigang in tamarind broth.

Throw in those greens like kangkong (water spinach) along with tomatoes, okra, eggplants, long peppers, radish and voila! Serve it steaming hot like it should. Yum!

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"I used to dream of owning a truffle farm in Périgord, France." --- That's me and my wishful thinking especially whenever I crave for my favorite foods.

Burgers on the go? We were on our way to the airport to catch our return flight to Manila. Plenty of time for last-minute shopping so why not eat from this resto we missed?

It smelled good inside Kri. Smelled of good coffee and bread. While waiting for our order of burger, the smell of bacon frying overwhelmed the blue cheese and the faint smell of truffle oil.

It is tempting to order more. The menu selection caters to the young crowd with discriminating tastes. The types who've outgrown McDo and Jollibee. At P240 a burger, it's cheap only by Manila standards.

It was lunchtime when we got here but absent was the lunch crowd. I suspect it's because it's Saturday and the nearby university students are sleeping off their Friday late nights. Or maybe it gets busier later in the day.

The resto is good-sized for small parties or Friday night-outs. nicely appointed interiors too. Many locals recommend this chic place. For moí, any resto that serves decent coffee earns my respect. And their homemade cookies aren't bad either!

Plus there's good squash bread (P90) to take home. Surely, foodies shouldn't miss this place and order their bestselling burger. I bet their salads and shakes are good too, but we have a plane to catch, remember?

Kri restaurant can be found along Silliman Avenue very near the SU Main Gate. It's one of Dumaguete's top food destinations and Chef Ritchie Armogenia makes sure it stays that way.

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It's a fairly new hotel off the busy city center of Dumaguete. Young people would like the vibe here while matured travelers would welcome the convenience of a wellness spa and a fairly good dining place within the 16-room hotel.

Along the more quiet section of Hibbard Avenue, this boutique hotel is easy to miss if you're not seriously looking. No worries though as it's difficult to get lost in Dumaguete ;-)

It's a short winding path towards the reception area. From here, you get a full view of the hotel facilities: a small dining area with contemporary decor, a standard room-sized bar, a tiny courtyard which includes a red water fountain and a red table where one can have breakfast al fresco.

We checked out the Wellness Spa which is near the swimming pool area. One can only hope there are no chatty guests in the pool while enjoying a massage here. There's even a chest freezer in one corner where frozen delights can be purchased. Clearly, these details add points to the hotel's charm.

The rooms are well-appointed. Not top of the line but for P2,600 a night (Premier Suite), who's complaining? Well, maybe one. The toilet and bathroom can be bigger! I also find it amusing that the Snack Bar (or Tray?) in the room has P20 Nagaraya Nuts. <3

And for a hotel this small, it has a Business Center. Small corporate affairs can be held here with the entire hotel rendered exclusive for the affair. I can even imagine an entire bridal entourage staying here till THE DAY, making it their "home".

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Like fashion, the food scene seems to have its seasons. Remember those shakes with tapioca balls? The hot pandesal and tapsilog stalls which mushroomed all around town? The gelato and yogurt craze?

The lust for the best cupcake, cronut and tea place is still ongoing. Same with the DIY , cook-in-your-face shabu shabu, design your own burger or pizza pie. And now comes DIY pancakes.

Got to admit I don't find making pancakes a tad exciting. But my teens are. They chose bananas and chocolate bits with their pancake batter.

We also ordered "tapsilog" which saved the day. Not raving about their buffalo wings nor breaded fish fingers. Hope they come up with better dishes as pancakes are not my thing. But then again, I'm NOT your typical diner.

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Timing is off. Not a good day to indulge one's porkly inclinations. TGIF but it's still some distance to reach this Southern enclave. Skipping dessert -- how can you do that? But you know what? I had one of my best guilt-free meals in a long while!

Been meaning to drive south to check out Chef Carlo's food haven housed in the extension of Commerce Building in Alabang. Dreaming of THE CHARCUTERIE BOARD filled with sinful slices of iberico..... then remembering it's a Friday 😩

Not inclined to break our abstinence, we chose our non-meat dishes. The pumpkin soup with chunks of tasty scallops, the pan-seared tuna appetizer and the mixed leaf salad were savored with every drop and morsel in between bites of freshly-baked bread.

The slow-cooked seabass and black-ink risotto are good reminders that slow-cooking has its rewards. We marveled at the freshness and subtle hints of each dish.

We inspected each and every microgreen leaf (love the chervil!) and baby cucumber comprising our organic salad topped with (sinful) chicken skin crunchies. Chef Tricia even went to our table to point out which leaf is what!

Ask me when I'm headed back and I'd say SOON. Just make it any day but Lenten Friday. Not that we didn't enjoy our guilt-free meal. Can't even say we felt deprived. And let me repeat, we didn't order desserts! Just need to do justice to the resto's name. Black Pig. Back in a heartbeat!

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The past few days I allowed the kids to decide where to have our after-school snacks. I realize these teens are fast becoming foodies themselves and so far, all their choices are good!

We ordered a Nutella Crepe for M who promptly said he still wants a Chorizo Crepe. Ok. Two crepes for our growing boy. Both were very good that we simply had to order a 3rd crepe. Nutella again. Yes, it was that good.

My foodie teenage girl ordered the Saffron Cream Rigatoni Pasta with smoked salmon (her fav) and mushroom truffle sea salt. If I weren't full from a beef steak lunch, I would have ordered a 2nd pasta dish. Really savoury and just the right portion.

For myself, Crepe Samurai was my choice. My growing boy had a taste of it and ordered one for himself after 2 crepes! You can say he had crepes for appetizer (nutella), main meal (chorizo) and dessert (mango crepe samurai). Oh well.

It's a different story of course on my 2nd visit. A power meal of burger and pasta plus an extra dish of seafoid pasta and crounds found theIr way to my table. ;-)

Tutto Domani has been in this quiet spot within the New World Hotel building fronting Greenbelt 3. It's easy to miss though unless you're like my teenage foodie who has set her mind on this kid-friendly place.

Along the street wedged between the Greenbelt 3 Mall and the hotel, you'd find it just before the Makati Avenue corner. It is along the side of Jesi Mendez Salon and a tailoring shop where a furniture shop used to be.

While waiting for your orders, allow your curiosity to try out some puzzles, brain teasers etc. Or pen in your names on the board tucked in a corner alongside many other curio items to be found here.

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