Thai Heaven

It was the proverbial dinner date place for hubby and I whenever we would be in Glorietta, Makati. Obviously, It wasn't about the ambiance - with its small, cramped, brown interior- no, no, no - it was everything about the food.

Thai food junkies that we are, Dusit Thani, I assume is popular. It is forever packed. I have never gone there without ever hoping that the couple by the corner would just finally sip their Tom Yum quick, so we could have their post and soon enough, enjoy our favorite soup.

A recent visit at Dusit Thani brought me back to heaven. We ordered my ultimate favorite, Paad Thai, the Thai's version of sweet and sour flat rice noodles. When here, you have a choice of topping it with chicken or prawns. We asked for the former. The noodles were perfectly seasoned and you are given a set of other toppings from chilis to ground peanuts to further enhance the product. And no, there is no food styling involved here. Expect your food to come in the simplest way - as if the chef just poured it straight from the wok and that's it. No garnishes whatsoever.

I almost always assume that if a Thai place is really good with the way they make their curries, then all the rest follows. Given that you can never scrimp on ingredients when you make curry - (I swear, you will really know, and taste!), I decided to give their Seafood Green Curry a try. Chunks and strips of squid, shrimps and squid balls with bits and pieces of Thai basil and chilis swim in a pool of curry sauce. The sauce, though runny by my standards, is actually flavorful. More rice please.

Fishcakes were also part of the menu and this one tops the list. It is our first time to try this and were not disappointed. Four patties arrived and were served with a sweet, spicy tomato-garlic sauce with chopped cilantro. The patties had the texture similar to squid balls. The patties had the flavor of fish, wansoy and leeks combined and it absolutely worked.

Our meal ended with a nice, creamy glass of my favorite drink, rich and fragrant Thai Iced tea. No need for dessert after this one.

Kulinarya Antipolo

I've always known Antipolo to be the pilgrimage capital of the Philippines, or the place where one would bring his new vehicle for priests to bless. As a child, my family would visit the place once a year to pay homage to the Shrine of Good Voyage and attend the 7AM Mass. Afterwards, we would go around the food booths selling various suman, "kalamay" (sticky brown flat rice cakes) and roasted cashew nuts to bring home as pasalubongs.

Admittedly, I didn't expect much from this Kulinarya Antipolo tour. I pretty much depended on the recommendations of our food and travel guide Anton Diaz for the sites to visit. While this tour had more stops compared to our previous tours, it was a wonderfully balanced tour of food and art appreciation.

Rizal Dairy Farms

First stop was Rizal Dairy Farms of Jackie Hassig Alleje. Her organic farming methods and artisan style of production sets her milk, yoghurt and cheese products apart from the rest. Her products are mainly for the food service market though due to public demand, she has decided to offer her regular products in a few retail establishments such as Salcedo Market in Makati and Market, Market! at Fort Bonifacio.

Vieux Chalet

Next stop was Vieux Chalet which is found at Taktak Road, Antipolo City and is a small quaint place that is perfect for quiet dinners.


The place is right beside a bed and breakfast complete with Spa services which you may avail of. Chef Florence, a rather young chef and charming at that, served us her Swiss specialties, among them, my favorite which is the Osso Buco and their Homestyle Smoked Ham.

Casa Santa

After a rich and bountiful brunch, next stop was Casa Santa. Here, almost 3000 pieces of various Santa inspired items are on display. The house was converted to a sort of Santa Museum and is open to the public for a minimal entrance fee. Take all the pictures that you want while there.

Crescent Moon Cafe
Grab all the ceramics plates, pots and vases) you want at the Crescent Moon Cafe where you will also find Lanelle Abueva's Pottery. They sell ceramic creations by the kilo. I was able to get a couple of teapots for the price of one!

Benji Reyes' Home

For wood furniture aficionados, Benji Reyes' home is a showcase of sorts. His house is a fantastic representation of the Filipino artists' version of the finest wood furnitures and functional Pinoy architecture.

Dumalaon Bakery

Antipolo is also known for the Dumalaon Bakery. This is your not-so-typical neighborhood bakery as it sells sweet dough breads shaped into crabs, turtles, alligators and the famous Lechon. At Php10 per, one would think twice about eating the bread since it is just too pretty to be consumed.

Laya Private Dining


The final leg of our trip was a 5-course dinner at the Laya Private dining place run by young couple Irene and Ricky. This place boasts of a fantastic view of city lights and the cuisine is a mix of modern Pinoy and Asian fusion.

Find the time to visit Antipolo sometime. There is truly more that this place has to offer.

Spiced, Battered & Fried

When I see the word "fusion" in an establishment's name or tagline, I somehow try to keep as far away from it as possible.

However, as they say, when in Rome, eat the way the Romas do.

I was in Cebu recently and decided to give Spice Fusion a try. This one came well recommended by no less than Chef Rosemarie Lim, Cebu's Culinary expert and owner of Caro and Marie culinary school.

Spice Fusion serves Asian Cuisine and most likely, you will your favorite dishes from Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia in their menu offerings.

Chef Rose's referral did not fail us. We only ordered three items on the menu as portions are good to share; Radish cake, Battered Prawns and Char Kwey Teow.



Char Kwey Teow

These flat rice noodles came perfectly seasoned with bits and pieces of tofu, shrimps, leeks and bean sprouts and was delicately fragrant with just the right amount of sesame oil. Unlike what I have tried in some restos before, this one's neither too oily nor too salty.

Radish Cake

Perhaps the best radish cake I have ever tasted. It was crunchy outside and moist inside. I could detect a mixture of dried shrimps, carrots and dried mushrooms in each and every bite. This was served with a sauce made of sweet chili, oyster and hoisin.

Battered Shrimps

This ain't your usual "buttered" shrimps that is served skin on and swimming in sweet buttery sauce. This one's coated with a batter made with flour, cornstarch and egg then sprinkled with sesame seeds prior to deep frying. The shrimps are served skewered with crisp spinach fritters (ukoy). Delish!

You will find Spice Fusion at the North Wing of SM Cebu.