Casamigos Cantina at Conception Dos, Marikina

Casamigos Cantina is a Mexican themed restaurant situated in Marikina. Since its inception last year, it started to gain a following in the surrounding areas and places such as Pasig and Antipolo. According to the owners, the restaurant was conceptualized from their desire to run their own business. One of the partners crafted the menu from his extensive culinary experience aboard a cruise line. 

Their menu included:

The Macho Platter at Php 699 was their flagship group dish. It was a hefty combination of Nachos, Pork Ribs, Spicy Sausage, and Quesadillas. It can easily feed a group of 4. The ribs were adequately cooked with a sweet barbecue sauce. The sausage was well done and tender. The quesadillas were scanty yet delicious. Lastly, the nachos had an excellent packing of toppings. 

We also had a few rounds of Mojitos at Php 145. It was quite sweet with a minty touch. 

The crocodile sisig was their unique twist on the dish. It was quite expensive at 345 Php; but the flavor was exquisite. It was tender and juicy. Plus, the meat tasted like a cleaner version of beef. 

The Fish Taco at Php 185 was composed of delectable fried dory a top a mix of vegetables, mexican rice, and crispy taco shells. I must say that the ingredients were mixed into a good dish.

Chicken Chimichangas were at Php 165. It was a helping of Mexican rice, chicken strips, and vegetables inside a crispy wrapper. I only lament the fact that there was not enough chicken inside. That aside, the rice had good, tangy flavor. It even blended well with the cheese.

The Blue Sky was a cocktail made with Blue Curacao, Vodka, and Lemon Juice. It had a pretty sharp flavor, though.

Casamigos is located at 1 Cherry Corner Olive Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City.

Special thanks to China of Zomato for the invite.

Red Ginger: City of Dreams' Southeast Asian Delicacies under one roof

Red Ginger is City of Dreams Southeast Asian-themed restaurant. It has a vibe and feel for the region's flavors and palates. I'm not so keen on this cuisine, but the food was still pretty excellent.

The interiors had lots and lots of wood. 

Some of their dishes included:

Popiah. This was a fried roll composed of braised duck in thick sauce and wrapped in iceberg lettuce/ It came with a chili sauce for dips. The duck was pretty tasty.

The Singaporean Crispy Grouper was composed of a huge grouper fish deep fried with breading then garnished with onions, garlic, peppercorns, and chili sauce. Every bite was filled with a lot of fresh taste. 

The Baby Squid in Lemongrass and Lime Soy was a conservative helping of baby squid cutlets garnished with egg and a tangy lime soy sauce. It wasn't so remarkable; but I must say that the squid was fresh. 

The Grill Platter was composed of a sample of their best viands, such as the Glazed Pork Belly, the Angus Beef Satay, and the Salmon Fillet with Red Curry and Thai Basil. The Satay had a herb-y and tangy flavor. The salmon was tender and brimming with juice. The pork belly was pretty sweet.

The Salt and Pepper Tofu was composed of deep fried tofu with garlic, shallots, and black pepper. It had a buttery flavor due to the abundance of butter in the recipe.

The Nasi Goreng Jakarta was the restaurant's flagship dish. It was 45% of their daily sales. It was a simple yet elegant mix of shrimp paste fried rice, chicken satay, egg, crackers, and pickled vegetables. It was the ultimate accompaniment to their magnificent viands.

Our dessert was started by the Chocolate Caramel Custard. It was a round of chocolate pudding atop jackfruit puree. I'm not a lover of jackfruit; but I must say that the chocolate pudding was excellent. It just didn't match well with the jackfruit puree, though.

The iced avocado condensada was heavenly. It was their version of our halo-halo, except that avocado was used thoroughly. It also came with coco jelly, red bean, mango, and pinipig.

The Peanut was a ball of peanuts, vanilla ice cream, lime meringue, and salted caramel peanut butter rolled into a huge ball with a heavy peanut taste. 

Red Ginger is located at Upper Ground Floor, City of Dreams Manila, Aseana Boulevard Corner Macapagal Avenue, Entertainment City, Parañaque City. 

Special thanks to Miss China for the invite. 

Eat n' Meet Restaurant Marikina: Steak galore at affordable prices

Our visit to Eat N' Meet Marikina was filled with an abundance of steak. From their most humble selections to their finest ones, every meal was served with their best effort. Apart from their steak, they had other dishes that catered to my appetite. 

The interiors were a bit homey and rustic, typical for Marikina restaurants. However, these were also spacious and well-lit. The food was mainly composed of meat; hence it was suited more for the younger crowd and families who want steak.

Some of their favorites were: 

The T-Bone steak at Php 189 was part of their sizzling plates. The price was just right for some of this medium well meat. It was firm, tender, and fatty to an excellent degree. 

This was their on the rocks steak. At a much higher, but relatively cheap price, we were able to try their steaks which were cooked on the spot. The stone was first heated then served to the guests. This was akin to the ones used in high end Japanese steak diners. 

Some of their on the rocks variants were the Australian Ribeye at Php 349, the USDA Angus Ribeye Steak at Php 499, and the U.S. Porterhouse at Php 425. I enjoyed the Australian for its soft, flavorful taste.

The U.S. Porterhouse being cooked. 

The Pasta Negra at Php 185 was made with real squid ink. It made my lips a bit black when I ate some; but the taste was top notch. It was the right combination of saltiness and sweetness.

The Pork BBQ Ribs at Php 199 was a huge platter of pork ribs glazed in barbecue sauce. I twas amazingly sweet.

This one was the Pinoy Ribeye at Php 219. It was a perfect substitute for those who want freshly cooked yet affordable steak. 

The interiors had a lot of signages and Americana decor.

The Lemon Yakult was a sour addition to the meaty meal.

Lots of Americana signage.

The quaint exterior.

We then tried their lemonades and iced teas. 

For seafood lovers, they had the pinaputok na bangus. This was fresh milkfish cooked on their heated stone plate. The meat was tender and juicy as well.

The raw Australian steak to be prepared for cooking.

The porterhouse at Php 199 was a budget alternative for families and diners.

The nachos at Php 245 was excellent for groups who want a heavy snack. It was composed of tortill chips topped with steak bits, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese dip. 

Eat N' Meet is located at 90 Katipunan Street, Concepcion Dos, Marikina City. You can go there for your steak fix! I truly never had a dull moment during my experience. 

Special thanks to Miss China of Zomato for the awesome invite.

 

Rib City: Pork Ribs Galore in Maginhawa

Rib City is one of the more discreet yet long-time Ribs places in Maginhawa. Their main dishes have become quite famous for its sizes and reasonable prices. I wanted to try out for myself these specialties which have made them famous. Hence, when the magnificent Aldous Calubad invited me, I lost no time in agreeing to the date.

The dynamte sticks were an explosive starter to the meal. These were composed of deep fried chili peppers encased in crispy fried breading. Every bite was filled with a spicy and peppery flavor. I devoured a stick without a damn about the spiciness.

The Not Just Nachos was truly more than nachos. It had an overload of salsa, premium ground beef, olives, cheese sauce, tomatoes, and jalapeno. Our entire group had a hard time finishing it due to its sheer quantity. Tastewise, it was quite excellent. 

After the overwhelming Nachos, we had their Ribs platter. It was able to serve all 8 of us with ease. It came with 4 sides. These were the mashed 'tato, cajun coleslaw, garlic mushroom, and the potato salad. The ribs were top notch. The meat was made out of pork and were easy to remove from the bones. The sweet barbecue sauce was also a plus.

They even served us thin fries and and pesto pasta to heighten our appreciation for the food.

I had their signature strawberry shortcake milkshake. It had a cake-y taste and a creamy top. The strawberry was also quite present in the shake.

We even got a huge serving of their Them Wings, their specialty chicken wings dish. Every bite was truly crisp. Mixing it with their hot gravy made me want more. I was able to devour 3 of those easily.

 They have this new promo wherein Ribs, Tempura, Wings, and side dishes are eat-all-you-can for only Php 458.

The Queso de Bola Cheesecake had a strong cheesy smell. The strong cheesy taste was also present with every bite.

White Brownie a la Mode was something I preferred more. It had the right mix of ice cream and brownies for a delectable dessert experience.

Rib City offers an exciting experience for those who love pork ribs and chicken. Their sides are also remarkable. So what are you waiting for, visit now! Rib City is located at 63 Maginhawa Street, Diliman, Quezon City at the back of BPI.

Titto's Latin BBQ and Brew: a go-to place for Mexican lovers in Kapitolyo

Titto's is one of the newest Mexican restaurants in Kapitolyo. It boasts of a chic two storey structure, fully-air conditioned and brand-new. Our visit had us tasting more than 10 dishes from their menu set.  This restaurant has been becoming popular for its tangy dishes and excellent ambiance.

The outside had an imposing facade. Perfect for those who were unfamiliar with the place.

They even have a wall motif depicting pop culture icons in Latin American countries.

The owners got the inspiration for the name from their status as "Titos of Manila." The owners had extensive culinary training; and they used Mexican cuisine owing to their love for such food.

The second floor dining area had these semi private cabanas which were great for dates and rendezvous.'

The smoking area in the second floor had a wall motif too.

Titto's Salad - P275. This was a combination of the quintessential lettuce, feta cheese, tomatoes, and shrimp. However, the owners added fried potatoes, alfalfa, and other seasonings to create their own unique blend.

Nacho el Gigante - P375. This was the perfect pulutan. Half a kilo of nachos with an overload of cheddar cheese dip and ground beef on top. Add to that sour cream and guacamole for more of that garlic herb flavor.

Sisig Tacos- P135 The fatty blend of Sisig, egg, and pita bread was something I appreciated for its simple yet explosive taste. 

Baja Fish - P135 This one was for seafood lovers. It had a lot of vegetables and fried fish.

Dos Tipos Calamares - P260 Squid ink was mixed in the calamares breading to produce that distinct black color. The calamares was crispy enough; while the squid ink didn't give any weird flavor.

Pollo Pizzadilla - P295 This was a cross between a pizza and a quesadilla. This was a carb overload; however I appreciated the delightful mix of sour cream and pesto.

Elote - P195 This was roasted corn dipped in spice powder. It made for good pulutan.

Lomo Saltado - P365 This was grilled premium beef with salty potato strings on top. This was by far, their creme de la creme. Every bite was perfect with their gravy. 

Arroz Negra (m) - P495 This was their seafood variant paella complete with short-grained rice dipped in squid ink. The mix was an excellent representation of seafood flavors coming from mussels, shrimp, and squid. 

Paella de Carne (m) - P395 This was the meaty variant of their paella. The chorizo topping was, in my opinion, the tastiest one to ever grace this dish. It had a spicy and peppery flavor.

Pollo Asado - P340 A huge serving of roast chicken with corn sidings and an olive oil sauce. I savored every bite of the well-cooked meat.

Steak Burritto - P245 This was a half-foot long burrito with hot steak chunks and cheese for filling. It came with sweet potato chips. I liked the filling for being quite tasty. The sour cream accentuated the flavor further.

Pineapple Ginger - P95 The mix of strong fruity tastes made the drink more appropriate as a chaser for alcohol.

The desserts were top of the line. 

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake - P190 This was one of their best desserts. The cheese blended seamlessly with the cream to create a memorable experience.

Frozen Brazo de Mercedes - P190 This was akin to ice cream due to the thickness and consistency of the lower portion.

Titto's Ube Churros - P210. While a bit lackluster, this dessert was nonetheless quite tasty due to the abundance of caramel sauce and cream toppings.

Titto's has truly made itself into a formidable Mexican place in Kapitolyo. You can visit it at 16 East Capitol Drive, Kapitolyo, Pasig City.