RBT (REAL BREWED TEA) GUANGZHOU

Adjacent to Carrefour is a restaurant named RBT, which stands for Real Brewed Tea. After our shopping extravaganza, we popped over for a nice filling lunch at this place. I would say, visiting to RBT was one of the best and decent meals we've ever had during our stay. Finding a good restaurant in Guangzhou can be a challenge especially if you are "On-Your-Own" exploring.

RBT was founded in 1994, introducing the Taiwanese style tea and snacks to Hong Kong, and extended to China, Canada, Australia, Malaysia, Philippines and Indonesia in the past 10 years. Today, RBT has evolved into a recognized modern tea operation.



They have several dishes that are clearly a fusion of modern east and west. One superb feature of RBT, they do a couple of set menus, which we opted to try. Our meal has an appetizing mix of healthy and tasty dishes. The set menu basically has a cup of rice, your choice of viand, and comes with side dishes such as egg, vegetable and soup.

set menu

Both of our meals were delicious. I maybe somewhat biased since I was already craving and salivating at the idea of having a good "rice meal". (During our 3 days stay in Guangzhou, we always end up having our meal at McDonalds, KFC and some noodle houses. Please take note these establishments does not offer rice meals.)

To quench our thirst we tried two of their many varieties of drinks. The beverages are pretty interesting; they blended the Oriental teas with the western way of drinking by adding milk and sugar, and healthy ingredients such as healthy jelly, pearl sago, nata de coco and malt for a savory twist.


Other specialties include milky and frothy teas, cool iced drinks, milk shakes, and healthy yogurt to fruit teas with flavors ranging from lychee to cookies n'cream.


Overall, this is a quiet teahouse with an elegant blend of contemporary design and decor. It has a tasty mid-range and mid-price meal that provides daily necessity for tea lovers, a place to relax in a comfortable environment or just chat with friends.


Related Links:
About Guangzhou
Dong Fang Hotel (Accommodation)
Beijing Lu (Shopping)
Shangxiajiu (Shopping)
The First Tunnel of Guangzhou (Shopping)
Marriot Hotel (Accommodation)
Yide Lu (Shopping)
Onelink International Plaza (Shopping)
Carrefour (Shopping)
Leather Market (Shopping)

LONG JOHN SILVERS

Afterwards, we had lunch at Long John Silvers, a United States-based fastfood restaurant that specializes in seafood and fish and chips. It is named after the fictional pirate Long John Silver from the Robert Louis Stevenson book Treasure Island.

The restaurant also serve chicken dishes in a variety of styles - fried batter fillets, grilled and wraps. So, we opted for Hot Grilled Entry 2 with grilled cajun chicken on rice with 1 side dish (S$5), and Classic Batter Dipped Combo 1, which consists of 2 chicken & fries with softdrink (S$ 3.90). Both were just okay though.

(Hot Grilled Entry 2)
(Classic Batter Dipped Combo 1)

As soon as we gobbled down our food to have enough energy, we immediately went to Mustafa Centre.

VIVO CITY: THE CHICKEN RICE SHOP

For dinner, we headed to The Chicken Rice Shop, a chicken rice, fast food and Halal family chain restaurant from Malaysia. They serve traditionally prepared steamed, roasted, honey barbecued or braised chicken as its signature products.

Our dishes came out not too long after we ordered it. As soon the food promptly placed on our table, we both digged into the Roast Chicken and Braised Chicken, served with a bowl of rice, ipoh bean sprouts and soup of the day (S$ 4.99 per order). The chicken was surprisingly tasty and it came with a dipping condiments.


The restaurant also features more than 25 other local favorites such as Hainanese Curry Chicken, Spicy Mixed Vegetables, Stuffed Fish Balls and Hong Kong Beef Stew just to mention a few.


Address:
THE CHICKEN RICE SHOP
#B2-37, Vivo City,
HarbourFront Walk #01-01,
Singapore
Tel. / Fax: (02-) 6376 9388

VIVO CITY: CEDELE CAFE

Afterwards, I dropped by at Cedele and grabbed some chocolate chip muffins, banana walnut muffin and 2-berry muffin sold at S$ 2.70 per piece (around Php83.00 each). It was good but a bit expensive though.

This bakery cafe offers traditional decent loafs, muffins, pastries & pies, cookie crunch, cakes and many others. They're also known for all their food served free of trans fat.

They have 11 branches across Singapore.

Address:
CEDELE BAKERY COFFEE
VIVO CITY
1 HarbourFront Walk
#01-23 Vivo City
Singapore
Tel. (65) 6275 9950
Fax (65) 6275 9951

JOSEPHINE RESTAURANT

Hubby and I arrived quite late in Tagaytay City, it was around 2:00 pm. Since we were very hungry, we proceeded directly to Josephine Restaurant .

We have been here several times and we always have a great lunch. I really like this place, which definitely lives up to its name by offering the tradition of serving the finest Philippine cuisine and fresh seafood the way Lolas (Grandma) used to make them.

The restaurant offers a comfortable setting, and is the perfect place to spend time with family and friends. Diners will feel right at home in the casual upscale atmosphere. The area is spaciously designed with main dining room, bar, private room and a large patio with a superb view of the Taal Volcano and the surroundings.



We ordered steamed rice (Php 60.00), calamares pritos (Php 220.00), pork sisig (Php 220.00), sinigang baboy (Php 240.00), and sorbeturon (Php 90.00) for dessert. The food was excellent. The dessert was very appealing and was the highlight of my lunch. We were very relaxed, comfortable and dawdling while we savored the food. For drinks we had Cucumber Cooler (Php 80.00) and Josephines Ice Tea (Php 70.00). Ten percent service charge are not yet included.

Cucumber Cooler and Josephines Ice Tea

After we had our lunch, we walked around for a bit and I took photos swiftly before we headed to T-House.


Aside from a la carte, they also offer:
Breakfast Buffet Weekends: (Rates as of January 2008)
-P255.00+ per person
-clean plate price
-no sharing, no leftovers
-P510.00+ per person, regular price

Lunch Buffet Weekends:
-P320.00+ per person
-clean plate price
-no sharing, no leftovers
-P620.00+ per person, regular price

Visited on: December 1, 2007 for Lunch
Price : I lost my receipt
Number in party: 2

Address:
Josephine Restaurant
Kilometer 58,
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo highway,
Tagaytay City

Opening Hours:
7AM - 10PM, Sunday to Thursday
7AM - 11PM, Friday and Saturday

GUMBO RESTAURANT

More than a month ago, we celebrated hubby's birthday at Gumbo Restaurant in SM Mall of Asia. We came in on a Sunday lunch and waited for 5 minutes before we had our seat. When we entered the room, the first thing that caught my attention was some staff wearing different colorful facemasks and hats in Mardi Gras style. We were led and seated in the middle of the indoor dining room. (If you have the choice, you may stay at their most scenic space and breezy patio overlooking the bay. Or if you want more private, you may choose at their French Quarter.)

As soon as we were seated, our server immediately brought the on-the-house bread and dip. We plowed through the light and crispy bread bit by bit while waiting for our order.



For main course, we ordered Pork Chop Petite (P225.00) and Pork Chop Grande (P425.00), served with two choices of side dishes (french fries, mashed potato, rice, mixed vegetables and coleslaw). The meal was over the top bold flavored fare with gargantuan serving sizes. For dessert, we tried Minnesota Mud Pie (P245.00) , a square block chilled of ice cream with chocolate cookie crust like. For drinks, we had Blue Banana (P135.00), Cookies 'n Cream (P135.00), bottomless iced tea (P70.00) and Coke (P55.00).

Pork Chop Petite
Pork Chop Grande
Minnesota Mud Pie
Blue Banana & Cookies 'n Cream

While savoring our food, there were some servers who would loudly and gleefully sang happy birthday to several guests. It was a lively and fun atmosphere. I wasn't able to inform them about my hubby's birthday. But it's okay, knowing my husband, he will surely choose not to make a scene.

I found the waiters very attentive and always ready to serve and ask any needs we may have. I would probably say, this is a restaurant that certainly offers convivial service.

It was another gluttonous meal that Ailah, Aya, JP, hubby and I, thoroughly enjoyed and we definitely made the right decision to visit here.

POD 5 KTV Bar and Restaurant

Aside from dining those feted eating places, we also had a great time when we visited POD 5 KTV Bar and Restaurant located at Banilad Town Center. It was another way for us to enjoy and having fun while we were in Cebu.

The interior decoration was contemporary and the ambiance was pretty nice. It had a futuristic theme with plenty of white shades and round angles.



The room that we had was equipped with a regular size TV with adequate sound system. The song selections were quite good and up-to-date. The hourly rate for private room was consumable for food and drinks.

(iced tea and banana shake)

The KTV also offered their "Live!" promo, where we can record our live performances on CD for Php 249.00 only, but we politely declined the offer.



For those who are not into singing and, who just want to chill out, relax and share good conversations with friends over good food and drinks, they also have an open-space reception area to hang out.

(open-space area)

Address:
POD 5 KTV Bar and Restaurant
Banilad Town Center
Cebu City, Philippines
Sunday to Thursday: 5:00 pm- 12:00 am
Friday and Saturday: 5:00 pm - 2:00 am

Lemon Grass Restaurant

Lemon Grass serves the best and exciting mix of Vietnamese and Thai style food. The interiors are nice, simple yet classy. The pastel quality of green color has a cool, relaxing and calming effect. The striking waitresses look elegant in their Vietnamese attire, which reminds me of the women in Saigon when we visited in 2004.

Everything we had was really quite good. They were all very tasty and well presented. The delicious grilled meat was subtly flavored while the other entree had a real spicy kick.

(steamed rice uniquely wrapped in banana leaves)
(grilled meat)
(the entree w/ spicy flavor)

We wanted to try their famed healthy Citrus and Herb Fresh Lemonade Juice but I knew we can't finish the huge pitcher of juice ourserselves. So, hubby and I quenched our thirst for another healthful beverages - iced tea and fresh fruit shake. It was a very satisfying meal that only cost us Php 644.00.

(Citrus and Herb Fresh Lemonade Juice)
(iced tea and fresh fruit shake)

This restaurant is definitely worth a visit for good food, cheery ambiance, plus Thai and Vietnamese food has to be among the healthiest on the planet.


Address: Lemon Grass
Ayala Food and Entertainment Center
Ayala Center, Cebu City, Philippines
Tel. (63-32) 233-8601

(photo credit: eats my choice)

Sunburst Fried Chicken

If you ask where is the best tasting Fried Chicken in Cebu? Most Cebuanos would probably say it's Sunburst Fried Chicken.

This eating-place existed for more than a decade as far as I can remember. During our trip we had the opportunity to have our decent meal experience at this place. We ordered the set meal, which came in portion sizes that were just right - a cup of rice, 2 pieces of fried chicken, 3 slices of fried potatoes and some veggies. For this meal, you can still have room for your dessert. The food was just average and the service was merely okay.



Here's a little more about Sunburst... It is said that "the restaurant was founded in 1971 under the name of A&C Chicken and Pizza House with initially 4 tables to 10 tables then to 25 tables under its new name, Sunburst Fried Chicken. Today, it has 10 franchised outlets located in Cebu, Tacloban, Cagayan de Oro City, Pagadian and Dipolog City with the original restaurant in Iligan City as the only remaining company owned restaurant". (source: ccci cebu business)

Chika-an sa Cebu Restaurant

We had another Filipino gastronomic experience at Chika-an sa Cebu, an affordable fine dining restaurant. It is located just in front of Cebu Northwinds Hotel.

The trendy restaurant makes the place more inviting. It had a modern Filipino decor with soft and warm lighting. The restaurant can get a little noisy if it is full, but I like the friendly and informal atmosphere.

(lampshade in off-white trimmed in chocolate brown)

Superb selection of dishes were available, including an extensive range of pork, beef, chicken, fish & seafood dishes. We sampled their crispy pata (deep fried pork leg) and nilagang baka (boiled beef). Again, hubby ordered his all time favorite sisig and baked scallops. The foods were served in hearty portions and the flavors were bold. They also serve an eat-all-you-can rice.

(Crispy pata with atchara / Deep Fried Pork Leg)
(Nilagang Baka / Boiled Beef)
(Sisig)
(Baked Scallops)

For those wanting prepared meals, live local crabs are sold per 100 grams and they will cook it for you. Also to be enjoyed is the Original Mandaue Bibingka, their signature native delicacy or you may try Banana and Nangka Toron with Latik.

The price was a bit expensive compared to Golden Cowrie but it was worth it.

The restaurant has wide parking space.

Address:
Chika-an sa Cebu Restaurant
Salinas Drive, Lahug
Cebu City, Philippines
Tel (63-32) 233-0350 / 233-0358
Open: (Lunch- 11:30 am to 2:00 pm / Dinner- 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm)

Golden Cowrie Restaurant

I'm glad my hubby introduced me to Golden Cowrie Restaurant. I would say this place is perfect for those who really crave for a truly gastronomic experience. It is really a feast and a great value for money! This outlet has rapidly gained popularity as it offers a superb selection of delectable choices of Filipino culinary delights.

The restaurant décor might be described as 'native chic". It is designed on a traditional Filipino theme. The ambiance of this place is very nice and warm. Inside is airconditioned with alfresco setting.

(open-air setting)
(inside the restaurant)
(the ceiling)

We experienced dining pleasure and while savoring appetizing dishes like baked scallops, sinigang na baboy (pork in sour broth), sisig and inihaw na isda (grilled fish).

(banana leaf as a plate)
(baked scallops)
(sinigang na baboy)
(sisig)
(grilled fish)

And what's more interesting rice is served limitless. You just have to call and ask for a scoop of rice of the lady servers carrying around a "cross-body sling bucket" filled with rice. Very unique!



Iced Tea and Mango juice quaff our thirst.

All in all, we paid the bill not more than Php 600.00.

Just a reminder... loads of locals, office workers and professionals come here for a hearty meal.

We will always make Golden Cowrie a regular place to eat when we are in Cebu City. Highly Recommended!


Address:
Golden Cowrie Native Restaurant
Salinas Drive, Lahug
Cebu City, Philippines
Phone: (32)233-4243
Cuisine: Filipino
Open: Lunch- 10:00 am to 2:00 pm / Dinner- 6:00 pm to 9:45 pm

Mini Cakes from Breadtalk

For a week I craved this rich, moist, sweet, soft and delicious foodstuff - CAKE. Hubby satisfied my cravings when he brought me several of these mini-cakes from Bread Talk. Hmmm, this is one of the reason why I can't seem to slim down. (sigh) And here are the pictures of the sinfully scrumptious, toothsome, delectable tiny culprits that are haunting my weight and waistline! :) You be the Judge!

(Original Black Forest Mini Cake P68.00 - My fave!)

(Green Tea Garden Mini Cake P68.00)

(Absolutely Mocha P60.00)