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A Very Jipan Christmas on Pilar Street

Waking up at 5:00 a.m. to bring my brother to school in the morning is exhausting. :( I don't think I'm ready to take care of kids, I enjoy oversleeping way too much.

Pilar Street is on our way to work and my sister and I have been passing by, waiting for months for Jipan to finally re-open. It finally did last November! And it's is open by the time we pass by in the morning! :D

Jipan is decked out in Christmas decor!

Absolutely adorable Christmas decor.

Aside from their usual loaf breads, the mornings are usually stocked with breakfast breads. Breads topped bacon, eggs, sausage, etc., Croissants, ...lots of other bread that I can't name.

Lots of different types of bread.

Their new menu also includes sandwiches, but those aren't available until 7:30 or 8 a.m.

Our Tray!

As fans of Yakitate!! Japan when it aired, we knew we just had to try the Melon Pan. ...Well, it definitely didn't taste like melon. HAHAHA. After a bit of googling, I realized the "melon" in melon pan usually refers to it's shape. Oops.

Mmm. Bacon and Egg Pan.

They had cakes in the morning!

Cute carrot cakes.

Mango Cake. It's never too early for dessert!

As part of their Christmas menu, they had hot chocolate topped with a mini gingerbread house.

Hot Chocolate made with Belgian chocolate, Tahitian vanilla, and marshmallows.

Other mini gingerbread houses.

They also sell Gingerbread Houses! According to the lady manning the store, the gingerbread houses last about a month.

Jipan Bakery 220 Pilar St., Barangay Addition Hills Mandaluyong City (02) 718-3891

Open from 6 AM to 6 PM

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Vanilla Panna Cotta topped with Mango Gelée

Panna cotta is probably one of my favorite desserts. I love panna cotta just as much as I love mango pudding. So when I found out that panna cotta is one of the easiest desserts to make (as long as I don't have to unmold them), I knew I had to at least TRY to make it. 

My food making skills are somewhat passable at best. I can barely fry an egg without jumping away from the oil, much less make something as complicated as dessert. So you can imagine how happy I was when I realized how easy it actually was.

After googling a bit, I decided to use David Lebovitz' Perfect Panna Cotta Recipe as a guide and just tweaked it to suit my family's taste.

I had to make panna cotta a few times before finding out the ratios we were happy with. I found that using all cream was way too heavy for us, and all milk was way too light and watery tasting. My family also complained that they couldn't taste the vanilla at all. Hence, the extremely generous amount of vanilla extract in the recipe.

Place the cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on the surface to bloom the gelatin. I always do this at the start so that the gelatin has ample time to bloom while you do everything else.

Try not to bunch it all up in one area because the cold water might not reach some areas of the gelatin. Do not heat the water or the gelatin. The only reason I put it on the range is because my kitchen is small and we don't have counter space. :(

Starting to bloom :D

Combine the milk, cream and sugar into a pot and heat the mixture until the sugar melts and it's very very warm. Do not let it boil.

Turn off the heat and add in the vanilla extract.

Pour the very very warm mixture onto the bloomed gelatin and mix until the gelatin dissolves.

Cool the mixture to room temperature. I usually put it over a bowl of ice water so it will cool faster.

I wish I had a piston to fill all these cups.

Put it in the fridge for a few hours. Cling wrap to avoid dripping water!

After around 3 hours, make the mango gelée and pour it on top of the chilled panna cotta. Put it back in the fridge for another 3 hours.

Serve :D

I usually start making this at around 12 noon so that it's ready to eat by dinner time.

If I fail to evenly distribute the mango gelée I end up with a few mango-less panna cottas. I top these with a teaspoon of strawberry jam. I actually prefer the strawberry jam to the mango now.

The great thing about panna cotta (especially if you don't plan to unmold it) is that it's very very forgiving with adjustments. It can be easily tweaked the next time you make it to suit your taste.

-----

Vanilla Panna Cotta

Ingredients: 

2 Cups   Cream

2 Cups   Full Cream Milk

1/2 Cup   Sugar

1 1/2 Tbsp. Gelatine

1 Tbsp. Vanilla Extract

6 Tbsp. Cold Water

Place the cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on the surface. Let the gelatin bloom for about 5 minutes.

Combine the milk, cream and sugar into a pot and heat the mixture until the sugar melts and it's very very warm. Do not boil.

Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Pour the warm milk mixture onto the bloomed gelatin and mix until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Pour into clear glasses or verrines and chill for 3-4 hours.

-----

The process for the mango gelée is basically the same as the panna cotta. I find that if I'm not careful portioning, I can only top 3/4 of the batch.

Mango Gelée Topping

Ingredients: 

2 Cups   Mango Juice

1/4 Cup   Sugar (sometimes I add less)

3/4 Tbsp. Gelatine

3 Tbsp. Cold Water

Place the cold water in a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on the surface. Let the gelatin bloom for about 5 minutes.

Combine the juice and sugar in a pot. Heat the juice until the sugar melts and it's very very warm. Do not boil.

Pour the warm juice mixture onto the bloomed gelatin and mix until the gelatin dissolves. Cool to room temperature.

Pour on top of the chilled panna cotta and chill for 3 hours.

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Singapore Trip 2014 - Part 3: Going around with the locals

"So, where do you want to go?"

"Pretty places with yummy food!"

Our two tour guides for the day, Sam and David. Aren't they so cute? :3 Most of the photos I took on this trip had both of their behinds in it.

Our hotel was located really near an Art School, so the alleyways we walked through were full of well made graffiti.

Epal hand of Sam.

We passed this gorgeous building on our way to Haji Street. According to David, this building is sometimes called the Batman building. I can totally see why.

Sculptures of great men in the courtyard outside. Too bad we couldn't take photos inside, it was even more opulent. :D

The building is owned by a successful Chinese man. The bird is said to be facing (flying back to) his hometown.

Haji Lane. This place is so hipster. It's full of pretty buildings filled with really pretty quirky vintage things. It kind of reminds me of Cubao X or The Collective in Makati.

I should've gotten those throw pillows for mom and dad. The stores were all so pretty! The insides were very pretty as well, but almost all the stores had a "no photography" sign. :(

Tokyobike. A bike shop! All the bikes look so pretty and dainty. <3

Urghh I want one.

There were two buildings that had gorgeous graffiti/murals all over them. Is it still considered graffiti if it isn't illicitly done?

So pretty. Sadly, the street isn't that long.

Off to the Sultan Mosque a few streets away in Kampong Glam!

The Children Little Museum is on the way to the mosque.

So pretty! There was a service happening when we arrived, so we decided not to look inside.

Hot and humid :(

Aircon :)

The first thing I had to do in Chinatown was buy bakkwa (barbecued dried meat).

Mmmm. Bee Cheng Hiang, I love you.

Chinatown shops.

Tintin! I remember sitting in the Library during school breaks to read all the Tintin books I could find. I also learned that there's a Tintin Shop that just opened this year in Manila (Fully Booked BGC). :D

Chinatown Food Street! :D

So much food *_*

Sam buying us some Enak Fritters.

Tasted like a crunchier, less messy turon! :D

Early dinner at Fatty Weng Restaurant.

After sufficiently stuffing ourselves silly, we decided to walk to a shaved ice place. You know, so the dessert can melt and fill up all the empty spaces in our tummies.

Pretty pink building! :D

Mabuhay Karaoke! 

Mei Heong Yuen Dessert. So many people coming in and out of this place.

So many people inside.

Mango Pudding! I LOVE mango pudding. If there is mango pudding on the menu and I haven't tried it yet, I will order it.

Strawberry Mango Shaved Ice! Mmmm. My first time trying Taiwanese shaved ice. It's a lot softer and fluffier than I expected. Not to mention delicious.

On the way back to our hotel, I learned that people live actually live above the stores in Chinatown.

It was an exhausting but fun trip in Singapore. :D I probably gained 5 pounds with all the food I ate.

Snuck in some extra dessert when I got back to the hotel.

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Singapore Trip 2014 - Part 2: Gardens By the Bay

On day two of our Singapore trip, we work up extra early to go to Gardens by the Bay near the Marina Bay Sands.

Thank god my dad is pretty good with directions. I almost got us lost.

The Supergrove "trees" looming ahead makes the place feel like one of those fantasy sci-fi games.

They look so cool! >:D I wonder if the foliage is supposed to eventually reach the branches above.

It was a short walk from the entrance to the Flower Dome and Cloud Dome. The place was littered with mini themed gardens.

Sculpture by the ticket booths.

Inside the Flower Dome. I was definitely blown away by the sheer size of the thing. The way they organized everything was very impressive as well.

They had a temporary Persian garden exhibit! :D It looks so pretty from the entrance.

So many interesting plants. So little time.

There was also a restaurant inside the Flower Garden called Pollen. We decided not to eat there since it was way too early.

The Persian garden was gorgeous. While I feel like it was better looking from afar, I was great to see the plants up close.

One of the intricate wood borders for photo ops.

While flowers are great, the desert area was far by the most interesting.

Fish statues :D

Fat Trees :D

Cute cacti :D

Interesting mini-landscapes :D

Plump Succulents :D

And best of all, ROCK PLANTS. My poor reading comprehension skills made me think that ALL the rocks were rock plants. XD But it's just the tiny green one at the back.

Blue Eagle the King!

The first thing you see in the Cloud Dome.

You get to ride an elevator to the top and slowly climb down.

The path to the elevator is filled with interesting sculptures.

On the top walkway. Probably not the best time to remember that I'm afraid of heights.

There are educational displays between the walkway floors.

At the lowest floor, there's an exhibit and short display on global warming.

Since we ate a heavy breakfast, we had dessert at Bakerzin for lunch :D

Ooh. So excited!

Mooncake! Why are there always rabbits during mooncake season?

Mini cakes!

Crème Brûlée topped with mixed berries, pistacchio nuts, and berry sauce. My first time seeing crème brûlée garnished like this. So Pretty! 

Strawberry Shortcake. Deliciously light and fluffy :D

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Singapore Trip 2014 - Part 1

I had the chance to go to Singapore with my dad last month on a part-work-part-vacation trip. :D After checking into our hotel, we immediately set out to go get something to eat.

Dad was adamant about taking me to a very tasty xiao long bao restaurant in Ion Orchard.

The entrance the mall's MRT station is so pretty :D

Even though we got to Paradise Dynasty at around 3pm, there were still lot of people waiting for a seat. Since there were only two of us, I feel like our wait time was greatly reduced.

Xiao long bao! Mmmmm :D They were advertising different flavored xiao long bao in different pretty colors. But feeling decidedly un-adventurous and hungry, we only ordered the original xiao long bao.

Fried Rice. Delicious!

I accidentally ticked the Braised Pork Belly Noodle Soup on the order slip instead of the À la carte braised pork belly. Whoops. That's what I get for not reading things carefully.

After eating way too much, we decided to take a walk along Orchard Road to burn some of the extra food that we ate.

"DAD! STOP! Look, Mont Blanc! Waitwaitwait. I have to take a picture so I can make sister jealous!" And I totally forgot to show her this photo.

Ice Cream Sandwich! Everyone was eating this. It reminded me of a neater dirty ice cream in monay.

We stumbled across a film shoot for a TV show in Singapore. The actress (in the white shorts) had to run down Orchard Road a couple of times looking distressed.

These little promotional areas were scattered around Orchard Road. They all had an Alice in Wonderland theme! I got so sad when I saw the dates. :( I wanted to go! Why couldn't I stay in Singapore just a few days longer?

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The Lobby at The Peninsula Manila

The Peninsula Manila never fails to make me smile. It's just so impressive walking into the hotel and being greeted by high ceilings with intricate tapestries and relaxing music emanating from the white balconies. I always feel like Belle walking into the library for the first time.

I can't be the only one who feels like a princess when you walk in.

Imagine walking down those steps in a floofy dress.

The flower arrangements around the hotel are so pretty!

Iced tea. Served with syrup and calamansi.

Complimentary Bread. Mmmm. Delicious.

Spaghetti Bolognese.

Japanese Sashimi Platter. California Maki, Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sahimi, Ebi Sushi, Tamago Sushi.

Beef Salpicao.

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass with Water Spinach, Carrots, Bean Sprouts, Grilled Lemon, and Steamed Rice. This tasted like heaven. I wish I got this instead of my dad :(

I was quite surprised my mom did not get the halo-halo here since she loves it so much. (Diet? What does that mean?)

The Lobby at The Peninsula Manila The Peninsula Manila Corner of Makati and Ayala Aves.  1226 Makati City Tel. 887-2888 loc. 6759

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Shang Palace at Makati Shangri-la

I was so excited to eat here since the weddings we attend in Makati Shangri-la are usually delicious chinese lauriats. 

The interiors were pretty chinese-y, dim, and cozy. The ambiance is a lot different from EDSA Shangri-la's Summer Palace, which is very bright during the day due to all the natural light that comes in. 

Fresh Shrimp Wonton Soup with Garden Greens.

Yang Chow Fried Rice.

Vegetables with garlic.

Some sort of Noodles.

Peking duck! I love peking duck so much no matter which way it's served.

De-licious fish that tasted like it was deep fried and cooked with light gindara sauce.

Mango Pudding with a Green Apple Fish on the side. 

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Inagiku Japanese Restaurant at Makati Shangri-la

It probaby wasn't such a good idea to eat at Inagiku after eating such a heavy merienda at The Lounge, but it's hard to dissuade us kids from a Japanese restaurant. We're a bunch Japanese food gluttons.

I was so tempted to poke the fish to see if it was real or not. :<

The interiors were pretty and very cozy. There weren't a lot of people, so we were able to get a private room. 

Tekkamaki. Tuna Roll.

Various rolls that I forgot the names of. But all of them were very tasty.

Tempura Ramen.

Ebi Tempura. Shrimp Tempura.

Unagidon. Eel rice bowl. We were all extremely full by this point, but we forced ourselves to trudge along.

Cha Soba. Green Tea Soba Noodles. It was such a pleasure to see a quail egg included when this was served. For some reason, a lot of Japanese restaurants don't include an egg unless you ask for it (sometimes they charge extra).

Fried Tofu. Served a little late into the meal, but delicious all the same. Somehow, despite our earlier meal, we were able to finish all the food.

Inagiku Japanese Restaurant Makati Shangri-la Hotel Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue Makati City, 1200, Philippines Tel. 814-2580

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Holy Week Staycation at the Makati Shangri-la Hotel - The Lounge

With superb logic, a dash of ilokano kuripot-ness, and a little bit of luck, we were able to convince my mom to do a staycation this Holy Week! No braving the traffic to leave town, no buying expensive tickets for planes or buses, no tiring vacation days. Best of all, the ability to sleep away more than half the day in an air conditioned room. Of course, there was a compromise--we couldn't stay at home.

We were lucky enough to book a cheap-ish promo room at Makati Shangri-la Hotel. Far enough that the immediate surroundings were unfamiliar to us, but still close enough to avoid the traffic caused by the exodus of people leaving Manila.

The hotel was decorated with rabbits to celebrate Easter--flower rabbits, chocolate rabbits, a weird flesh colored stripper rabbit in a tie and diaper.

There were so many people checking in for a staycation. The pool was almost always full of guests.

The room was a pleasant surprise, much larger than what we anticipated given how much we paid. The king-sized bed could comfortably fit three somewhat narrow people, and the couch could pull out and fit two more.

The bed was great.

The bathroom was great.

The view was great.

After checking in, I settled into the bed to begin my lazy staycation. My sister and my mom, however, didn't seem to understand the concept of a staycation. My sister was pacing the room within ten minutes of settling in and my mom kept going in and out of the room. 

We decided to head down a couple of hours later to The Makati Lobby Lounge to grab a midday snack.

The music was relaxing and they were quite good most of the time. Needed a little more practice playing "Let It Go" though.

Complimentary Bread when you order food.

Green tea with Jasmine Flowers.

Iced tea with syrup.

Mushroom Soup.

Spaghetti.

Shangri-la Triple Decker Club Sandwich with French Fries and Garden Salad. Delicious. The serving is actually twice as much as shown. I split the order with my mom. 

Makati Lobby Lounge Makati Shangri-la Hotel Ayala Avenue cor. Makati Avenue Makati City 814-2580

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Tagaytay Day Trip - Museo Orlina and Mr. Moo's

My family really needs to go somewhere other than Tagaytay when we do out-of-town trips.

Nonetheless, the prettiness and clean air in Tagaytay never fails to relax me. On a related note, the Highlander Steakhouse is due to close for renovation starting April 23, 2014. I hope they review their menu and food while they're at it. While the service is great, the food quality has slipped a bit.

We hung out at the poolside tables after lunch to relax and order some dessert.

Halo-Halo. My mom's a sucker for Filipino desserts. it wasn't particularly hot, but who needs it to be hot to have halo-halo?

A sad scoop of vanilla ice cream in a plastic cup for Php 85.00 :( Quite disappointing in presentation considering the price. Oh well. I suppose they have a good reason for serving them in cheap plastic cups. Maybe it's because of kids who eat and run around near to the pool?

Our next stop was Museo Orlina! The museum showcases the work of Ramon Orlina, National Artist of the Philippines for Sculpture. I LOVE looking at his glass work. I dream of owning an Orlina someday, but for now broke-me can only look and appreciate.  

There is an entrance fee of about Php100.00 (cheaper for seniors and students with valid ID) and it's got an elevator for people with handicaps. The museum is divided into different floors/rooms named after his kids. You can buy some of the sculptures on display, but a lot of them, especially the ones on the higher floors, are not for sale.

I want this one so bad :<

The basement is sometimes rented out for exhibits.

On one of the higher floors, there's a pretty cool interactive screen where you can learn more about Ramon Orlina and his art. I loved watching CCTV videos of people stealing Orlinas on display in mall art galleries. Fascinating. o.o

On the way home, my sister really wanted to buy milk and yogurt from Mr. Moo.

She insists that Mr. Moo's fresh carabao (water buffalo) milk tastes different/better than the milk we buy at the supermarket. I should buy some for myself sometime.

Museo Orlina Hollywood Subdivision Road, Brgy. Tolentino East, Hollywood Subdivision, Tagaytay City (046) 413-2581 0906-434-0862

Mr. Moo's Fresh Milk & Kesong Puti along Sta. Rosa - Tagaytay Road 0922-877-4085

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Marufuku Japanese Restaurant

Lately, Marufuku has been our go-to place to bring our suppliers for some yummy Japanese food. Although, I must admit that It helps that it's pretty near our office and usually near our visitors' hotels.

I feel that some of the menu items are a little hit-and-miss (depending on your taste) but once you know what to order, it's absolutely delectable. While it's a bit pricey, the quality of the food is superb.

Tuna Sashimi. I love raw tuna.

Tekkamaki. Tuna Roll. Mmmm. Tekkamaki comes second to only negitoro maki (tuna + spring onions) on my favorite types of maki list.

Spicy Tuna Roll. We ordered three or four of this when we ate here. My brother and our Korean guest finished the plates so fast!

Various Charcoal Grilled Skewers.

Fried Tofu.

Two dishes I have no idea what of.

Cha Soba.

Ebi Tempura. The tempura at Marufuku is absolutely delicious, probably one of the best tempuras I have ever eaten. The batter is crispy and seems to have it's own distinct taste which complements the flavor of the shrimp and the tempura sauce.

Kaki Motoyaki. Hiroshima Oysters in Miso Sauce. One of their most popular dishes. My brother hated oysters before he tried this. Now he eats 2 to 3 if he can get away with it. I would suggest ordering this during their "Kampai"/Happy Hour to save money.

Marufuku Japanese Restaurant G/F The Crescent Bldg. 29 San Miguel Avenue Oranbo, Pasig Tel. 570-3989

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Throwback Thursday!

I really miss the unagi from Nezame-ya at the Fushimi Inari shrine in Japan. Melt-in-your-mouth-eel on top of crispy eel skin. Mmmm...

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Kettle Shangri-la East Wing

A while back my sister and I met up with a few of her friends to try out a (then) new restaurant in Shangri-la. She spent most of the week waxing poetic about their buttermilk fried chicken.

The menus are so cute. I've noticed that a lot of the restaurants are having clipboard menus. I guess it's because cause it's cheaper and easier to change?

Oven Roasted Squash Soup. They pour it into the bowl over a shrimp salad when they serve it to you.

Clam Chowder. Even the sourdough bread was delicious!

Corned Beef Hash with Egg, Potatoes, and Gravy.

Angus Roastbeef Hash with Egg, Potatoes, and Gravy.

Buttermilk Fried Chicken. The chicken was so juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside! It was served with honey glazed muffins/cornbread that were so good.

Coleslaw.

I think I just felt my arteries clog.

Kettle 5/F East Wing, Shangri-la Plaza Mall Shaw Boulevard, Wack Wack, Mandaluyong City (02) 654-7077

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Edition Cafe at Ortigas Home Depot

We got invited to the soft opening of Edition Cafe in Ortigas Home Depot last December. :D 

The place was small but filled with pretty modern art and small trinkets you could buy. Sadly, they're currently closed for renovation :(

Spaghetti Bolognese

Delicious Lengua (Ox Tongue)

Penne Pasta Carbonara

Steak!

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Green Pastures at the Shangri-la East Wing

Shangri-la's East Wing is a place that makes me incredibly happy. It's so pretty! Not to mention, a whole bunch of new restaurants opened up there and many of them have pretty good reviews online. I can't wait to try them all!

Last November 8, we got to try one of those restaurants: Green Pastures by Robby Goco (the CYMA Greek chef). It's pretty popular so we had to wait almost 20 minutes to get a seat.

Vertical garden! I wonder if those plants are alive.

I really love these wood and concrete interiors.

If you haven't guessed it from the name, Green Pastures is one of those organic, farm-to-table types of restaurants. After multiple failed attempts at trying to eat at Earth Kitchen in Katipunan (we always seem to go when it's closed), I finally got to see what this farm-to-table thing is all about.

Delicious Organic Melon Green Tea with Organic Honey.

Fried Mushrooms in Katipunan Ale Batter with Ranch Dressing.

Pasta Al Funghi. Organic mushroom, garlic, and creme fraiche, pecorino, fettucine.

? I was too hungry to get the name of this.

Porchetta. Roast pork with rosemary, fennel and lemon served with arugula, caramelized onion, and roasted potatoes.

Roast Organic Chicken.

I usually try to keep this blog positive, but the service we got at Green Pastures was incredibly disappointing (even without considering the price of the food) that it still bothers me a bit when I think about it.

The food took ages to arrive, and they didn't even appear soon after each other. There was a wait time of around 10-15 minutes in between dishes and we had to keep following up our order. The roast chicken came out 30 minutes after everything else was served! :( They also kept forgetting the things we asked for (water refills, tissue, parmesan). 

/rant

I guess I need to come back here when it's less busy. I still read good things about this place which makes me think our experience was (hopefully!) an aberration.

I'm praying that please please please have better service next time I eat there, because the food isn't bad.

-

Green Pastures 4/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall - East Wing Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong Tel. 654-3219

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Chef Jessie Rockwell

Definitely one of the most known restaurants in the Rockwell area, Chef Jessie's at Rockwell Club is also one i've eaten at more than once. While we don't get to eat there a lot (It's way above my regular food budget unless it's a very very special occasion), we do eat as a family there from time to time.

What I love most about this place is that the food taste and quality is still generally the same (i.e. delicious) whenever we go.

Complimentary Bread.

Escargot Bourguignonne.

Creamy Shrimp Bisque.

Salad.

Strawberry Granita.

Pan Fried Chilean Sea Bass in Mariner Sauce.

Pan Fried Goose Liver, Seared Scallops and Grilled Shiitake Mushrooms Salad in Creamy Balsamic Dressing with Parma Ham and Goat Cheese.

Grilled Tiger Prawns in Thermidor Sauce.

Crepe Samurai and Tapioca Balls topped with Mango.

Chef Jessie Rockwell G/F Rockwell Center Amorsolo Dr., Poblacion, Makati 890-6543

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Polvoron!