Sentosa Singaporean Chinese Restaurant Tomas Morato: Thumbs Up!

It's my birthday! :) After days of thinking where to treat my family, I finally decided on Sentosa in Tomas Morato. This was my second time here and I must say my first and second time didn't disappoint at all.

I love their interior! It's modern, well-lit and perfect for family dinners. Servers were quite friendly as well.

While waiting for our orders, we were given complimentary peanuts that we couldn't get enough of. It's refillable, so you don't have to worry about keeping yourself occupied. The best thing about it is it's free!

On to our orders! We had Roti Canai (Php110) in Curry Sauce. This appetizer somehow reminded me of the one in Banana Leaf but this one's more firm and crunchy. The sauce was perfect with the bread! For the price, it was very reasonable as this was already good for 4-5 people.

For dimsum, we ordered Pork Siomai and Shrimp Dumpling (Php85/4pcs), both of which tasted just okay and you can do without. I suggest trying out their more special dishes when you visit.

I was never a fan of Yang Chow, so I decided to get Fried Rice with Salted Fish and Chicken (Php200). I would say this was the perfect alternative to those who want to try something other than the usual. This was good for about 4-5 people.

We also had Pineapple Fried Rice (Php220) which unfortunately I wasn't able to take a photo of (It's the yellow one at the top part of the menu). Hands down, I would choose Salted Fish over this because the Pineapple Rice was just too sweet for my taste and did not mesh well with the other dishes we ordered.

My favorite dish of the night - Singaporean Hookien Noodles (Php240)! This dish was such a pleasant surprise because it may look like your ordinary noodles but it's not. The mix of prawns, pork and vegetables was delicious! It was so good that I want to learn how to make this myself!

I never really liked Sweet and Sour Pork (Php240) but ordered it because my younger brother loves it. I actually found it just okay.

One of the few vegetables I eat is asparagus, and to my delight, I saw one vegetable dish that had it: Sauteed Asparagus with Scallops in Thai Chili Paste. The asparagus was very crunchy and tasted really good with the scallops and the sauce!

My mom loves fish. The one I ordered was Catfish with Shrimp Paste (Php240). The fish was really good and the use of bagoong as the sauce was really unique. You could also opt to use the normal soy sauce if you find this too peculiar for your taste (but I recommend you try this out!).

Lastly, we ordered their Singaporean Cereal Prawns (Php395/5pcs). I've been in love with Cereal Prawns ever since I tried the ones from No Signboard Seafood Restaurant in Singapore. Sentosa's version is definitely one of the must-orders when you visit them. The dish had a generous serving of cereal that you find yourself cleaning up the plate even after the prawns are gone!

Hurrah for desserts! We tried out their Bandung Rose Milk Tea with Tapioca Pearl (Php90) and Chrysanthemum Iced Tea (Php85). For those who are fans of flower drinks, the Rose Milk Tea is definitely worth a try! The Chrysanthemum Iced Tea, on the other hand, was truly refreshing and relaxing.

And because it was my birthday.. I got FREE dessert! They gave me Gula Melaka (Php85), which was Malay for sago pudding with palm sugar and one of the most popular Malaysian desserts. It was sooooo sweet, too sweet that I ended up giving it to my little brother who was more than happy to finish it.

I'm definitely coming back. Thumbs up for Sentosa! :)

☆☆☆☆ (4/5)

Sentosa Singaporean Chinese Restaurant
Thompson Square, Tomas Morato St., Quezon City

Mann Hann Kafei Mezza

Ever since Mann Hann Kafei opened a branch in the Mezza condo building right across SM Centerpoint, I've been going there at least once every month since it's just 5 minutes away from our house by car. Honestly, before it opened, this restaurant has lost its share of space inside my mind. I can't even remember when and where I last ate here (and I sometimes even confuse it with Mongkok). Thanks to Mezza and this "scaled" down Kafei version of Mann Hann, they have gained one loyal customer! Woot woot!



During my most recent visit yesterday with my sister, I found out that they're already serving free tofu/egg/asparagus soup before every meal. For a free soup, it's actually very filling and I commend them for making the effort to actually serve decent soup, not just the free plain soup you get everyday. And it keeps your mind away from the time it takes for them to cook your order. :p



So far, this has become my 1st favorite (I have 2 favorites actually) - Spicy Spareribs with Rice (Php135)! It's a bit oily, but once you get to taste and dip it in the vinegar, it's yummy and not too fatty (since it's somehow offset by the vinegar). And it comes with a ton of rice!



Now, my 2nd favorite (previously my 1st but got demoted to 2nd place when I tasted the Spicy Spareribs) - Beef Stew with Rice! I'm in love with beef in general that's why this is part of my list. And I love that it comes with edible vegetables (with edible, I mean that when you eat it, the vegetable taste is not too overpowering) and a ton of rice for only Php150! In my opinion, if you're in the mood for spice and fried food to lighten your day, go for my first pick! The Beef Stew is a bit "relaxed and home-cooked" in taste and perfect if you're not really looking for something to really perk up your taste buds.



The best way to end a meal - dessert! So far, I've tried their Chilled Taho and Red Bean Taho. I guarantee you that you'll have a renewed love for taho once you taste theirs. First of all, I prefer taho chilled and sweet, and if you're not into either of those.. you should still try this out! Hahaha! My sister and I love it! Your Php50 is gonna be worth it.

Maki Place by Manosa

My family loves Chinese food, especially my dad. He has always liked Manosa. I, however, never did because I felt that the restaurant needed more than a facelift. Last Sunday, he suggested having lunch there. I wasn't excited about it at all, but he said that this was a new place and we ought to try it. Oh well, no choice.



I was actually surprised when I saw the restaurant - Maki Place by Manosa. It's not THE Manosa in my mind (maybe because it's just a "by" and not really "the").



It was a casual Chinese dining place with a modern setting. The oriental red and yellow theme coupled with modern design gave the place a new feel.



As the name suggests, their specialty was Maki [Php115]. It didn't disappoint at all. The meat was good as it was soft, tasty, and sweet.







The kikiam, siomai [Php45/2pcs] and chami [Php205] were all good, and were reasonably priced.



The kiampong, however, was merely so-so [Php40]. Other Chinese restaurants in the metro could have offered better.



Last but not the least was the Beef Brisket Noodles [Php115] I ordered. Even though the appearance lacked appeal, the taste was definitely above par. Among all the dishes ordered, this was the most special tasting. The noodle soup was very flavorful and rich, definitely a must-try even though it took around 30 minutes or so to prepare.

If you're looking for simple Chinese dining at an affordable price, then you definitely should make Maki Place a part of that list.

☆☆☆☆ (4/5)

Maki Place by Manosa
GF Sekai Center Ortigas Avenue

Eat Well Delicious Kitchen Soft Opening in Manila

Our Amici dinner plans immediately turned into Eat Well Delicious Kitchen once we saw this name flashing right above Pancake House in Greenhills. Because of my friend's suggestion, I tried this restaurant famous for its yummy porkchop topped over vegetable rice when I went to Hong Kong last 2009 and it didn't disappoint at all.



My cousin, having an innate love of Chinese food, felt glorious upon going in. Today was actually their soft opening, and it was lucky of us to have seen the restaurant sign!



My cousin was starved, so he ordered 4 dishes just for the 2 of us! Spinach soup, Deep-fried Pork Chop with Vegetable Rice, Steamed Pork and Shrimp Siomai, and Steamed Fish.



The Spinach Soup was good, though the serving was really small, just good for 1-2. I'm usually used to having this soup in big servings good for around 6.



The Deep-Fried Pork Chop wasn't something special [Php188], it wasn't something I'll miss having. The serving was good for 2-3, that's why we didn't manage to finish it. :o



The dimsum was your typical Chinese restaurant siomai, but a bit pricey for the size and taste [Php105/4pcs].



The Steamed Fish, I would say, wasn't that good at all. The fish was not sweet to taste, and it would have been better if the slices were cut a bit smaller.



The restaurant aesthetics were modern Chinese, tinged with maroons and browns. The place was wide, and everyone had ample space to eat.



I also loved the modern oriental touch of the lights. :)



The service was good, everyone was attentive to the customers, who happened to keep coming in! In general, food could have used some improvement, but for a soft opening, I would say Delicious Kitchen was a hit.

Eat Well Delicious Kitchen
Missouri St. corner Connecticut St.
Greenhills, San Juan
(02) 722-8518