RATⒺD

Enjoying life one bite at a time

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Because we were in the area 😎 Review on Bondi & Burke coming up soon 😁

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After picking me up from Manila, ATD and I drove back to Makati in the hope of eating something hearty. We got to Makati at almost 10:00 (we left Manila at past 7pm) and found that out usual haunts are already closed. Good thing Catch was still accepting diners, otherwise, we would have ended up at a fastfood joint 😅 We ordered Air-flown Oysters, Catch Pasta, and Citrus Glazed Mahi-Mahi. RAT says: Off the bat, this place is quite pricey. The entrées cost between Php400-Php700, so, I naturally have high expectations from this place. Having just gone to Tasmania, where the oysters are BOMB! These oysters are not bad at all. They are plump and silky and has that sweet taste of the sea 😍 The pasta and mahi-mahi have much to be desired for. They're just meh for me. Nothing special in terms of the sauce or glaze 😒 ATD's verdict: 1. Air-Flown Oysters Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Once is enough 👍🏼 2. Catch Pasta Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price:⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Try something else 👎🏼 3. Citrus Glazed Mahi-Mahi Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Try something else 👎🏼 -- Catch is located at Ground Floor, V Corporate Center, 125 L. P. Leviste Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City

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It was a rainy pre-special holiday night and we figured we'd rather grab something to eat than be stuck in traffic hungry. Initially we wanted to eat at this Chinese resto, but, we opted for Maill of Asia since it was closer. The first resto we came across while walking the huge mall was Sarsà. We have eaten at this place in Makati, so we knew what to order 😁 (can you say creatures if habit) We got the Batchoy Special, Kansipanada, and Sizzling Kansi. RAT says: I have loved the Batchoy ever since I tried it at the defunct Cafè Batwan. The noodles is firm and according to ATD, fresh (being Ilonggo, he prides himself with having has this peculiar taste buds that detect "fresh batchoy noodles") and the broth is really bursting with umami flavor. This is a must in my book 👍🏼 The kansi panada and sizzling kansi are both my favorite. Kansi is an Ilonggo dish which is somewhat a cross between bulalo and sinigang. Don't be fooled by the tiny appearance of the Kansipanada, it's packed with beef presumably braised in kansi soup. This a perfect merienda for those who are in the middle of not being hungry and starving 😅😁 I'm on a rice haitus, but, because we had Sizzling Kansi, I broke my resolve. I love this dish 😍 The serving is generous and the beef was tender and flavorful. Downside, there isn't that much gravy. I would want more of that kansi gravy to mix with my rice next time I visit 😁 ATD's verdict: a. Batchoy Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Price:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Extra Serving 👌🏼 b. Sizzling Kansi Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Extra Serving 👌🏼 c. Kansi Panada Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price:⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Try something else 👎🏼 -- Sarsà is located at 2/f Mall of Asia

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On the day before her 29th, Jamie and I decided to indulge ourselves. After our pamper sesh, we thought of eating out at Rambla. Unfortunately, they don't serve mains before 6pm (we went there around 4pm). Disappointed, we just trooped to Dean and Deluca for lunch. We ordered Organic Basil Tomato Soup and Crab Cake for appetizer, Pasta E Pomodoro with meatballs and Parma Pizza for mains. For dessert, we ordered a personal size Strawberry Shortcake. For our appetizer, the tomato soup was creamy without being heavy, however, we found it a tad bit sweet. The crab cake on the other hand was really good. There were actual crab meat on the patty which was perfectly seasoned. The cake was golden brown and crispy on the outside and all sorts of soft on the inside. The downside of this crab cake, it's price. It was pretty expensive 😱 The pasta was al dente, however the sauce was similarly a bit sweet. The meatballs were a hit. Jamie and I both loved it, so much so that we thought we should have ordered the meatball appetizer 👍🏼 The pizza was also good primarily because of the dough. The dough had the right amount of firmness and chewyness (if there is such a word). Anything on this dough would have been a hit 👍🏼 The strawberry shortcake on the other hand lent the perfect end to out meal. It was light and airy, and had the right amount of sweetness. I am guessing that the cake itself was soaked in milk like in a tres leches cake because it was a bit milky. I love this dessert 🍰🍓 Overall, the food is good but the price is prohibitive. For two people we spent almost Php4,000. That's too much, I think. -- Dean and Deluca is located at Ground Floor, Edades Tower And Garden Villas, Amorsolo Corner Waterfront Drive, Rockwell, Makati City

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As a takeaway from our Tagaytay trip, Dikki and I bought jams from Antonio's What I like about the strawberry pine nut jam is the texture the pine nuts give to the jam. Now, my pleasant surprise is the Banana Macadamia Jam which reminds me of minatamis na saging na saba. I feel like this jam will work well on a halo-halo 😁 All in all, you can tell, I had an awesome breakfast with these on my toast 👍🏼 -- You can buy these jams at Breakfast at Antonio’s is located along E. Aguinaldo Highway (Tagaytay-Nagsugbu Highway), Barangay Bagong Tubig, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines

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What better way to end a girlbonding day than with good coffee and yum dessert at Breakfast at Antonio’s

We ordered the Chocolate Truffle Cheesecake and Apple Pie ala Mode to go with our lattes.

The latte is very robust and has a nice rich aroma. I’m not a fan of acidic fruity coffee, so finding out that Antonio’s blend is more robust (which is perf!) made the whole afternoon.

On to the dessert. I loved the apple pie because it had chunks of apples in them, and the seasoning is not over powering. I also love that there is a bit of tartness in the pie. 🙌🏼

The cheesecake on the otherhand is a bit too sweet for me, but, it was silky and works well with the coffee ☕️

-- Breakfast at Antonio’s is located along E. Aguinaldo Highway (Tagaytay-Nagsugbu Highway), Barangay Bagong Tubig, Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines

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What better way to spend Buhay Tambay than with a roadtrip to Balay Dako 😎

Dikki and I caught-up over Piniritong Sugpo at Sarsang Itlog na Pula (deep-fried prawns with salted egg sauce) and Liempo (grilled pork belly) while enjoying this view of Taal Lake.

I found the prawns very tasty. The creamy salted-egg sauce lent the right amount of umami to the prawns. The prawns were not as fresh (read: does not taste sweet) but, it was still good. The serving size is good for 2 people. Anything more than that would leave the diners unsatisfied.

The liempo was tender, but, underwhelming. Nothing spectacular.

Other items on their menu that I’m keen on trying are Sizzling Bulalo Na Baka (braised beed shank smothered in mushroom sauce and served on a cast iron plate), Batchoy, and Pansit.

Overall though, I want to come back to this place 😎

-- Balay Dako is located atTagaytay-Nagsugbu Highway, 4120 Tagaytay City, Cavite, Philippines (Besides Leslie’s and Max’s across Magallanes Square in Tagaytay)

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We were walking around Launceston looking for a place to eat when we chanced upon this swanky place. When we got there, we were asked if we had a reservation. We did not. But seeing as there were not many diners, and there was still time, they accommodated us. The price is really steep so we simply ordered two appetizers: a dozen freshly shucked Pacific Oyster and Lemongrass and Gin cured Petuna ocean trout. The oysters were plump, creamy, and sweet. Noting beats fresh oysters drizzled with a bit of lemon to start a meal 🙌🏼 The trout, which is from Petuna, a local Tassie company, is boasted as the steak of the sea. And it did not disappoint. The fish was beautifully marbled and cooked just right to allow the sweet taste of the sea to permeate the flesh of the fish 🐟 For the pièce de résistance: grass fed 40-day aged ribeye on the bone cooked medium rare 🐮 I am at a loss for words. The meat was cooked to perfection and was tender and flavorful. It was perfectly complimented by the truffle bearnaise sauce and the side of potato galette and dijon cream and chives. At first I thought two slabs of ribeye for 5 people will not be enough - but, I forgot just how heavy eating meat is. I just had maybe 3 slices and I was full. I especially enjoyed this meal 😁 This place is a definite must visit when you're in Tassie 🇦🇺😎 -- Black Cow is located at 70 George St., Launceston, Tasmania

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For dinner, my whole Aussie family decided to eat at Grill'd. Diners here are given a wide variety of burgers to choose from. EJ decided to choose the lamb burger, which he found very good. I got the Crispy Bacon & Cheese, a safe lean burger 😅 In addition to our burgers, we ordered sides of chips (a.k.a. fries), zucchini, and sweet potato, which were perfectly seasoned and goes well with the burger. For the burger itself, the meat was juicy and grilled to perfection. The salad and relish together with the cheese, and bacon perfectly complimented the burger. What made me love this order more is the size. It was just the right size, not to small, that leaves you wanting for another serving, not ginormous that you can't finish it - it was just right 👍🏼 One downside of this dish is the way you eat it. It's too big to bite into, but, too casual to use a knife and fork. I suppose this will not be a first date place 😅😁 Other than that, I enjoyed my dinner 😎🇦🇺 --- Grill'd is located at 585 High Street, Penrith, NSW

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On our first day here at Sydney, we trooped to this churro shop while waiting for dinner. Initially, I just ordered the Original Spanish Hot Chocolate. But, when I got my mug, I was surprised to see just how rich and thick it was. It's literally melted dark chocolate. It's like chocolate heaven. Rich, creamy, and thick. I couldn't possibly drink this thing on its own. So, I got churros. RAT says: The churros were perfectly fried and tasty, on its own, I would eat it - paired with the Spanish Hot Chocolate, it's amaaazing! ❤️👍🏼 EJ says🤓 (our guest reviewer and all around foodie): The chocolate is very good, it was rich and not too sweet. You can actually drink it (he finished his mug of steaming hot chocolate 😅) I think this is better than La Lola's. However, La Lola's churros are tastier than San Churro's. 😁 --- San Churro is located at Shop 118a, Westfield Penrith Plaza, Riley Street Penrith, New South Wales 2750

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When you binge watch DareDevil from 6:00 am until 4:00 pm, you're bound to feel bleh. 😳 That's why we found ourselves at Zaifu for dinner. Initially, ATD just wanted tuna sashimi. But, being the "adult," I told him to get something to fill-in his tummy, so he opted for the Beef Yakiniku Bento Box. I just got potato salad for appetizer and Chirashi Regular. RAT says: The Bento Box was a good choice because it had rice plus a variety of sides. I tried the sautéed monggo sprouts and found it well seasoned and served as a tastes enhancer to the beef yakiniku, which I found to be bland.😐 The potato salad was not the one I expected from a Japanese resto. It lacked the creamy umami combo of a potato salad. The one I liked best is from Hanakazu 👌🏼 In addition to that, the serving is tiny, like a couple of spoonfuls 😒 The Chirashi Regular was likewise underwhelming. I was expecting sushi rice that is sticky and goes well with fresh seafood. Sadly, this was just blah. The tuna sashimi was ok, it wasn't as fresh as I had hoped for. It wasn't the kind that melts in your mouth and brings with it a sweet salty taste of the sea. 😐 ATD's Verdict: 1. Potato Salad Taste: ⭐️ Price: ⭐️ Recommendation: Try something else 👎🏼 2. Tuna Sashimi Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Once is enough 👍🏼 3. Beef Yakiniku Bento Box Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Once is enough 👍🏼 -- Zaifu is located at the Lower Ground Floor, Power Plant Mall, Rockwell, Makati City

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Before ending our day, I wanted to grab coffee (because ATD gets sleepy driving home), so we headed to Wildflour Cafè- Legaspi Village Branch, one of the few restos open at 11:00 pm, to get our fix. When we got there, I ordered brewed coffee ☕️ for ATD and Strawberry Milkshake for myself 🍓 RAT say: Aside from the limited selection of Farmacy Milkshake (you get to pick from Vanilla, Chocolate, and Strawberry), the quantity is also different. While at Farmacy, you get one tall glass and half of the mixing metal cup's worth of milkshake, at Wildflour, you only get this glass. The taste is almost the same, save for the whipped cream, which I'm not a fan of. Overall, I'd rather visit Farmacy than get the milkshake from here 😅 ATD's Verdict: 1. Brewed Coffee: Taste: ⭐️⭐️ (too acidic for ATD) Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Once is enough 👍🏼 2. Strawberry Milkshake Taste: ⭐️⭐️ Price: ⭐️⭐️ Recommendation: Once is enough 👍🏼 -- Wildflour Cafè is located at 111 Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

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Abè

Lunch time and ATD happened to be in my area so we decided to drive out to eat.

Abè is a Fiipino restaurant showcasing Kapampangan delicacies. The best homecook for me is my Lola Poleng 👍🏼 My mom credits her innate cooking skills to her Kapampangan roots😁

That being said, naturally, I have high expectations from Kapampangan restos such as Abè. I have been here a number of times, and each time, I was left satisfied. However, this visit was disappointing. Maybe we didn’t order the right stuff?

We got:

a. Shrimp Halabos, which is basically steamed suaje

b. Kilayen Baboy, a kapampangan dish made from minced pork lungs, chopped pork meat and liver, stewed in vinegar with spices and aromatics.

c. Halo-Halo Scramble, a mash-up of the traditional halo-halo with chunky bits of crushed ice

RAT says:

I didn’t like the Halabos. 😕  The shrimp was overcooked and it was not fresh. 😟 You can really taste good shrimps when they are just steamed. Good suaje are supposed to be easy to peal, just yank the tail and you get the entire shell out of the shrimp, and sweet. My benchmark for this would be the suaje from President Restaurant at Chinatown. Now that is some good fresh shrimps. Sadly, we didn’t get that from this dish.

ATD’s verdict:

a. Shrimp Halabos

Taste: ⭐️⭐️

Price:⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Try something else 👎  

b. Kilayen Baboy

Taste: ⭐️⭐️

Price:⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Try something else  👎

c. Halo-Halo Scramble

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Price:⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Once is enough  👍

—

Abè is located at Serendra, 26th StFort Bonifacio, Taguig(02) 856-0526

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Kusina ni Enrique Pinoy Kalsiks

ATD has been raving about the gambas from this restaurant for a while now and he thought I would love it too. I am a shrimp monster. I can eat shrimps all day eeerday so naturally, I was stoked!

Aside from the Gambas, we also ordered Inihaw na Pusit Lumot (Grilled Squid) and Inihaw na Gindara (Grilled Gindara to go with our garlic rice (not in photo).

RAT says:

a. Gambas

When I saw the Gambas, I was a bit hesitant  because of the presence of the green chilis. I cannot take spicy food (actually, I can tolerate spicy Thai food, but that’s just about it 😅). Also, the shrimps look shrimpy. They’re small and pale, which tells me that these might be bland. But, you know what they say about books and covers - these shrimps were actually bomb digs! 👍 👊  I love the garlicky taste of the shrimps, and even on their own, the taste permeates the flesh of the shrimp. 

b. Grilled Pusit Lumot

I have been a pusit (squid) fan since I was a kid, but sadly, we don’t eat those as much because ATD doesn’t like it. ☹️  He says big squids are rubbery, so no squid for him (and me). However, this grilled delight was not chewy at all. 😁  It was firm and flavorful. You know that sweet burnt-ish taste when you eat grilled food, well, that’s how this squid taste like. A mixture of sweet, salty, and burt-ish with a kick. This dish is perfectly complimented by the pickled kangkong (water spinach) served as a side. 👌

c. Grilled Gindara

The Gindara was really good, though I would have preferred a thicker cut since we were served about maybe 1/8th of an inch (not good with estimates). 😅Nonetheless, the fish was delicate, translucent, and flaky that I would love another order. 😬

Our pleasant surprise for this meal was the garlic rice. It was so fragrant and soft, and tasty. We finished it and would have asked for another helping if not for our already full bellies.

--

ATD’s Verdict:

1. Gambas

Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price: ⭐⭐⭐

Recommendation: ⓔxtra Order 👌

2. Grilled Pusit Lumot

Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Price: ⭐⭐⭐

Recommendation: ⓔxtra Order 👌

3. Grilled Gindara

Taste: ⭐⭐⭐

Price: ⭐⭐⭐

Recommendation: Once is enough 👍

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Kusina ni Enrique Pinoy Klasiks is located at B1, Century City Mall, Kalayaan Avenue,Poblacion, Makati City  02 5193928

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Bèbè Rouge

We were early for the 2:30pm mass at the Shrine of the Sacred Heart so we decided to hang-out at this little quaint coffee shop. 

We haven’t had lunch yet, but, we didn’t want to eat something heavy, so we just shared a plate of Pasta Bolognese in addition to the following:

a. Iced Wiena Coffee 

b. Strawberry Shortcake

c. Dark Chocolate Cake

RAT says:

I am a creature of habit. Having been to this place before, I knew I wanted to get the strawberry shortcake. I remember loving this cake and expected to get soft clouds of chiffon with whipped cream icing and fresh strawberries. I was not disappointed. 😍

When we visited the shop, it was right smack in the middle of an oppressive summer day  (read: 1pm) so I suggested that we take our Wiena Coffee over ice. BIG MISTAKE. 

Wiena Coffee is traditionally served hot with whipped cream on top. But because I wanted it over ice we were left with clumps of whipped cream that refused to blend-in with the coffee. Ugh.  😒

I tasted ATD’s chocolate cake, which was likewise soft and fluffy with just the right amount of bitter dark chocolate. 😊  Although it was yum, as a matter of personal preference, I will stick with my strawberry shortcake. 😉

The pasta was meh. Nothing special about it. I suggest you stick with the pastries. 😅

---

ATD’s Verdict:

a. Wienna Coffee

Taste: ⭐️⭐️

Price: ⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Once is enough  👍

b. Dark Chocolate Cake

Taste: ⭐️⭐️

Price: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Once is enough  👍

c. Paste Bolognese

Taste: ⭐️

Price: ⭐️

Recommendation: Try something else  👎

--

Bèbè Rouge is located at 7602 Sacred Heart Street Corner Metropolitan Avenue, San Antonio, Makati City  02 2469069 ext:101

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Balboa Restaurant

We don’t have much photos from this place because first we were very hungry, and second, the food was blah anyway (such a shame too because I loved the interiors and the menu sounded very promising)

For this meal, we ordered the following:

a. Roasted shrimp and garlic with a slice of garlic bread

b. Chicken tenders

c. Italian Sausage and tenderloin steak with a side of pasta aglio olio 

d. Osso Buco with saffron risotto

RAT says:

I found the food a bit bland (and this is coming from someone who has a low salt threshold). If you were eating the roasted shrimp without the oil, it would have tasted like nothing, not even like fresh suaje 😦  Don’t even get me started with the chicken tenders, which tasted like fake friend chicken strips coated with flour. Again, without the tartar sauce, this chicken is a disaster. 😰

For the Osso Buco, I found it underwhelming. It reminded me of a slightly tangy mechado. Supposedly this is one of their signature dishes, however, it fell flat for me. The sauce was ok and the meat was tender, but somehow, it did not work. The saffron risotto was overcooked and mushy. Guess it was left in the pot for far too long. 😨

ATD’s Verdict:

1. Roasted shrimp and garlic with a slice of garlic bread

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Price: ⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Once is enough  👍

2. Italian Sausage and tenderloin steak with a side of pasta aglio olio 

Taste: ⭐️

Price: ⭐️

Recommendation: Try something else  👎

3. Osso Buco with saffron risotto

Taste: ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Price: ⭐️⭐️

Recommendation: Once is enough  👍

---

Balboa Restaurant is located at 4/F Shangri-la Plaza Mall, East Wing, Shaw Blvd cor EDSAWack Wack, Mandaluyong [phone]

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Hello!

Hello, Friends!

Welcome to our first collaboration.

First things first, we would like to introduce ourselves, we are Reiz (RAT) and Adan (ATD). We are lawyers by profession and foodie by habit (actually, that’s more of me - RAT). 

We came up with RATⓔD as a result of my constant request for ATD’s comment on what we eat so I can include his insights on my blog (you can check out what I have written over the past years here 😁 ) 

Growing-up my fondest memories of my family are centered on food. My family loves to eat. Naturally, when ATD and I got together, he had to jump in on the fun. Unfortunately, ATD has a more hard to please palate. He is more “value for money” centric whereas, I’m all for taste.

So, after 5 years, we decided to put-up this blog to formalize our food reviews and recommendations 🙌   Though, from time to time, we will also feature places we have been if only to spice things up.

Being a man of few words, ATD will provide his “verdict” (creatively called: ATD’s Verdict) while I provide a brief description of the food as well as my take on the dish. 

ATD’s rating system will be as follows:

Taste: maximum of 5 stars ⭐️ 

Please bear in mind that he is from Pilar, Capiz. As such, his standard for fish and all sorts of seafood is exceptionally high. 

Price: maximum of 5 stars ⭐️ 

This is where his value for money attitude will kick-in. His perennial comment to some of the dishes we have tried is: “It’s too expensive for what it is” 🙄

Recommendation: We have devised a neat ranking system of:

ⓔxtra Order👌 - which means he really loved the dish and would want you to try it too

Once is enough🏼👍 🏼- which means it’s good to try but he’s not too keen on ordering it again.

Try something else 👎 - he didn’t like it. It’s a waste of your money and calories for the day. 

We hope you will find our tips helpful. If you want to ask us questions, or just say hi, please drop us a line.

xo RAT