Food Coma Adventures

We've nearly approached the halfway mark of 2017, and I realized that I hadn't blogged here in almost six months. For those who may have thought that I simply lost interest in cooking, eating out, or reviewing anything food-related, fret not; my Instagram still sees a lot of foodie action, and recently, I co-wrote an article on spot.ph with my brother.

Anyway, since almost half the year is over, I decided to do something different. Instead of your typical restaurant/dish review or cooking how-to, I decided to compile a list of Metro Manila food trends from late 2016 to early 2017. This list is purely based on my own personal observation and experiences, so it may or may not be relatable to all.

With this said, let's get started. (Why do I sound like a vlogger?)

1) Cheese Overload

From pasta cooked in cheese, to cheese scraping, to restaurants devoted to the pure love of cheese, and the invasion of Japanese cheese tarts, cheeseaholics — like yours truly! — can satisfy their cheese cravings pretty much anywhere.

From Lava, to Kumori, to Pablo's Cheese Tarts, Manila is experiencing quite the invasion.

What's better than pasta with cheese? Pasta cooked in cheese!
Parmigiano in Molito, Alabang, is one of those restaurants that offers this.

2) More Health-Conscious Eating

On the flip side, there are more restaurants that offer healthier alternatives to their dishes, and more people have generally shifted to a healthier way of eating. From diet meal plans, to vegan versions of dishes, to DIY breakfasts, to farm-to-table organic fare, there are more options nowadays for the health junkie.

DIY your own healthy breakfast with mixed fruits and chia seeds.

Earth Kitchen, with branches along White Plains and in BGC, serves only farm-to-table organic dishes. Most of their menu items can also be translated into vegetarian and vegan counterparts.

3) The Rise of Food Parks

Almost everywhere you turn, you will see a food park; if it hasn't been operational for several weeks now, then there's a new one under construction. Despite the erratic weather we have (it's either unbearably hot or raining), people mysteriously flock over to these food parks for the social experience that it is, for the social media mileage they may get out of their posts, and, of course, for the variety of food that they can choose from.

A recent food park that I went to is called The Truck Park, located along Mayor Gil Fernando Avenue in Marikina. From grilled dishes, to Mexican favorites, to American comfort food, to sausage sandwiches, this food park (like many others) caters to a wide range of diners and foodies.

4) For Brunching #TitasOfManila

Brunch has become a trend in itself the last few years, and many restaurants have adapted to this. Offering hearty meals for that brunching window, titas-at-heart now have many Instagram-worthy restaurants and dishes to choose from.

Meeting your fellow titas at 9am? You don't need to go out of town to do so. Restaurants like Rustic Mornings in Marikina have that ambiance any tita would love, with brunch fare to satisfy your palate as you and your beshies chitchat for hours.

5) The Poke that outlasted Pokémon

That interactive game may have lasted for only a few months, but thanks to Hawaiians, poke bowls have found their place in Manileños' hearts these past few months. And of course they would. Combining sushi, which many of us love, with a heaping bowl of sticky rice, resulting in an explosion of textures and flavor? It's perfection.

Salmon or tuna is usually the star of each bowl. Sushi Nori is one such restaurant that serves a variety of poke bowls.

If I were to add a few more (though I don't have pictures for them), they would be:

• Artisanal coffee shops
• Salted egg potato chips (and permutations of it, i.e. salted egg fried chicken)
• Ube as an emerging global flavor (move over, green tea!)

Any other food trends that you may have noticed? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Friday, everyone!

One thing that I still have to work on is my diet.

While I make sure to exercise at least three to four times a week and I've gotten pretty good at controlling my portions, I could use some improvement in what I eat, specifically.

Now I'd passed by this particular restaurant along White Plains a few times, and since my mom wanted a lunch date with her favorite (?) daughter, she suggested that we go there.

"It's healthy! But you'll like it!" she said, excitedly. She had been there for a previous engagement and hoped that I would enjoy the food as much as she did.

Among the lush greens along White Plains's strip of botanical gardens, you will come across this box-like structure. Earth Kitchen looks like it crashed onto the botanical gardens and decided to inhabit that patch of land.

The interiors are just as organic as the ingredients and produce that the restaurant makes use of.

My mom studying the menu, which also goes with the theme: no fuss, just plain text, held together by a clipboard.

Plants hanging everywhere and a lime green ceiling, coupled with some geometric artworks on the walls, make the place friendlier and less intimidating (for non-vegans/vegetarians like myself, to be specific).

This was what we ordered for starters: Tempura Salad (PhP 290). With ebi and fish tempura, organically-produced greens, and a roasted sesame dressing. I liked the dressing a whole lot; it had a kick of acidity which wasn't too overpowering because it was balanced out with some sweetness.

I wanted some mango juice, since it was such a hot day. Important to note that Earth Kitchen only serves mango juice in pitchers (PhP 270), so if you want just a glass-sized portion, you're better off with a mango yoghurt shake (PhP 110).

Mom suggested that we try this: Braised Pork Belly Soft Tacos (PhP 250). With cucumber, peanuts, cilantro, and a lime hoisin sauce. Light, fragrant, and a good balance of flavors. This screamed "ASIAN!"; a cross between Vietnamese and Thai.

And of course, we just had to have pasta. We ordered their Mushroom Ravioli (PhP 370). With our native kesong puti, shiitake mushrooms, button mushrooms, silky mushrooms, and organic egg. When this plate of pasta was lowered onto our table, the aroma was divine. The creaminess of the pasta was heavily-flavored with that distinct taste of mushrooms, but not too much that one would feel overwhelmed after two bites (which is sometimes the case with cream-based pasta dishes).

Unfortunately, neither of us had space in our tummies for dessert after sharing all of these, but if I could order one more thing, I'd love to have tried their Goat's Cheese Frozen Cheesecake (PhP 220).