Mr. Churros: the newest premium Churros place in Quezon City

         Churros has become a wildly popular dessert item these days. True enough, the owners of Mr. Churros have capitalized on this new fad by opening up a branch at Tomas Morato, Quezon City. One of them actually lived in the U.S. and learned to master the art of making this wonderful dessert. He even made innovations of this dish by serving it as a cake or even with ice cream.

          As a dessert lover, I naturally never passed up with this wonderful opportunity. Hence, I went with Aldous and the gang to the place.

           The story in pictures:

We went to their first day in the venue.

One word to describe their dessert

The counter

They also serve coffee.

The artistic menu wall.

Their ice cream churros.

The deep frying machine for the dough.

One of the owners cooking churros.

Their promotional flyers.

          Their basic plain churros at Php 60 pesos for 5 piece and Php 80 pesos for 8 pieces. I especially loved the fact that it wasn't dripping with oil. It was also served hot because it was prepared in the spot. Add to that the tasty dark chocolate dip and you have a dessert that you'd love any day, anytime. The owners also take pride in the fact that they only use premium and fresh ingredients to create really cheap churros. Imagine that size of churros for Php 60 pesos?! Wow! Who wouldn't want to eat 20 of those in one sitting? The dip comes with an additional 20 pesos.

The counter.

Ah this magnificent beauty is the Blueberry churros cheesecake. It comes for Php 700 for an entire cake. Since I'm such a huge blueberry fan, I spent no time devouring it. For the first time in my life, I found that churros and cake do come together naturally. The hot churros complements the icy cake, while the blueberry topping serves as the taste dip in lieu of the chocolate sauce. The cake was prepared using only the finest ingredients such as blueberry sauce and cream cheese.

I can finish that cake in one sitting haha.

Another shot of the plain churros.

We were on our way to finishing the cake.

One more shot.

For a sweetness overload, you can try the Classic Churros with Cinnamon Sugar. It usually served without the sauce because the sugar already provides much of the sweetness. Call that a lure for sweet tooths!

For someone who wants their churros with a lot of chocolate, he can try the Oreo Churros. At 120 pesos, this dish was lovingly topped with crushed Oreos. Lots and lots of it. The dip is made out of cheesecake, in contrast to the plain choco dip for their classic chrurros. I loved this.

Bacon churros come in 5 pieces for 95 pesos. This tastes more like a viand compared to the other desserts. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it because of the copious amounts of bacon spread at the top of the dish.

For someone who wants their churros with a lot going on, he can try the Smores Churro ala Mode. At 165 pesos, this dish has the toppings of crush graham crackers, peanuts, marshmallows, nuts and chocolate syrup. This will truly make one satiated due to the sheer amount of toppings.

the Churro crust serves as the base for the build your own churros. Customers can choose toppings from their menu.

We had the build your own churro bowl. This delightful overload of ice cream, cheesecake, blueberry, nuts, and caramel syrup was enough to satisfy my ice cream cravings for the day. Add to that the milky taste brought by the cheesecake and blue berry, and you definitely have something that rivals the churros cake. The thing about this dish is that you can choose the toppings you want. 

We truly had a great time here!

Mr. Churros is located at F7 Rallos, Sct. Rallos, Quezon City! Their FB page is at https://www.facebook.com/Mr-Churros-571666032988683/

Agape Pastries and Tartines: a taste of lovely food at Chimes Square, Quezon City

        As one of the lucky recipients of Aldous' generosity, I was treated to a warm and pleasant meal at Agape, a restaurant in Chimes Square, Q.C, along Congressional Avenue Extension. The place has a warm and vibrant atmosphere that is perfect for holding conversations, studying, or  for sipping the plain old cup of tea. Add to that the fact that it  serves some of the more exquisite dishes in the area. 

      According to the owner, she used the Greek word for highest form of love in light of the experiences she had with her family in times of trouble. There, she learned a lot about this kind of love. She was so inspired by her experience that she made it a point to turn it into a venture that expresses her gratefulness. I truly was impressed with what she had to convey. The place truly sums up this entire story and turns it into an inviting atmosphere for people who want a very cozy environment. The owner told us that the place was made with handcrafted materials by her workers. She ingeniously thought about the design and the materials that were to be put in the restaurant. She also conceptualized the menu to express an array of dishes with sumptuous tastes.

          My experience went like this:

We first took a tour of the place and its well-lit and vibrant ambiance.

Another shot of the counter.

They have a wide selection of pastries perfect for almost every occasion.

Their bread display.

The counter.

Here is a shot of the rustic dining area.

The decor.

These are all handcrafted by the owner's workmen.

The all-wood staircase

Our cozy dining area

The handcrafted chandelier

We then tried a handful of the dishes: 

We first tasted the pita bread with spinach dip. The bread was a bit thin but the dip was really tasty. I loved the fact that the dip had a creamy and consistent texture.

The Spicy Prawn With Papaya Salad comes with prawns, chopped papaya, peanuts, tossed greens, and a tangy vinaigrette. I especially loved its mildly spicy taste coupled with the robust flavor of the greens. At 150 pesos, it's good for sharing.

If the salad, on its own, is pretty appetizing, how much more will the next dishes fare?

The main course menu.

The beverage menu.

As for the pizza, we had the Dan McCune Panizza at Php 375. It's cut in a way that makes it rollable with the veggies. You can really eat it while rolled up. I do love the fact that the pizza wasn't too oily. Also, the mixture of ingredients was just right for my taste buds.

Gamberi Panizza (Php 340). This dish is their basic pizza flavor. Note the abundance of greens and olives for that healthy feel.

Another shot.

The Smoked Salmon BLT Tartines. Fish lovers will definitely have a field day in savoring this dish. The bread is made out of rye topped with greens, smoked salmon, and a vinaigrette. This truly is a filling sandwich with a lot of healthy ingredients as well. (Php 395)

A close up of that magnificent dish!

For those who want their fish dishes much more YOLO, they can get the Beer Battered Fish Tartines. At Php 250 pesos, these are the perfect embodiment of a man's favorites: fried food, beer and lots of fat. I enjoyed this more than the BLT. 

For drinks, I had this mildly sweet mango remedy (a moniker for fruit shakes) The taste was enough to remedy my thirst, though.  It costs 120 Php.

The Seared Salmon with Pineapple salsa. This Valentine's Special dish comes in pan seared fish and a sweet Pineapple sauce. I like the fact that this meal can truly be expressive of the warm, homey ambiance Agape claims to present. 

My personal favorite is the Sardines in Oil Pasta. The oily and tangy flavor of anchovies coupled with Olive oil, pasta, and garlic bread truly made my day special. The dish was also expressive of an oily concoction that I usually love.

As for dessert, we had Creme Brulee Tarts, Chocolava Tarts, and Bonbons which come at 40, 50, and 25 pesos per piece. I personally prefer the creme brulee for its creamy and milky consistency and texture.

I'd truly come back for more next time. Agape is located at 1F, Chimes Square, Congressional Extension, Quezon City. Their FB page is https://www.facebook.com/agapepastriesandtartines

Todd English Food House: a taste of sumptuous international flavors

        To celebrate Aldous' birthday, we hung out at the posh SM Aura in BGC. We had a taste of the delectable offerings of Todd English Food Hall, an upscale dining area situated in the top floor of the mall. The restaurant is actually owned by the same group that operates the esteemed Tim Ho Wan Chinese restaurant and the Mesa Fusion Cuisine chain of restaurants. This place was just opened this year and has been garnering a lot of attention from the media, the dining public, and the local food scene. Being privileged to try out this place, I certainly was excited! The place has truly been known for its unique play on international flavors and favorites.

           In the restaurant, our blogger group had a taste of their wide array of dishes, including:

Frito Miso. This fried squid delight was not too oily, actually. It was very crispy and a bit sweet. The squid was fresh and tasty! The garlic mayo sauce made the dish even more flavorful.

Simple Salad. The standard fresh vegetable dish for those who want things basic. It's a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, corn, vinaigrette, and olive oil.

Spinach Salad. Made from Spanish Spinach or Alugbati, this healthy dish is a veritable concoction of wellness. The slightly bitter taste of the spinach leaves was complemented by the sweet and juicy tomatoes, oranges, cranberries, and friend onion rings.

Tuna Tartare. This sashimi dish was complemented by steamed shrimp. Seafood lovers will surely have a blast with this one.

Brooklyn Meatball Spaghetti. The huge meatballs coupled with angel hair pasta was a force to be reckoned with. The sheer size of the meatballs and its cheesy fillings can make anyone full in an instant. Add to that the crisp tomato sauce and you definitely have something good for the belly.

Seafood Diablo Orzo. This seafood pasta delight was composed of their special tomato sauce garnished in olive oil cooked with shrimps, squid, scallops with the cheesy risotto. Seafood lovers would surely have a blast with this dish.

Miso Glaze Salmon. This seafood delight is composed of a pan seared salmon topped with salad for those who want their dishes health conscious. I especially loved the fish for tasting very fresh and light. 

Wagyu Fried Rice. As a meat lover, my bias for steak has always been very heavy. Imaging my delight when I found out that the meat was made out of pure Wagyu beef cut into small strips and topped on fried rice. It's definitely a high end take on that simple beef tapa I usually eat.

Steak and Marrow. The steak goodness never ends. This U.S. Hanger steak was cooked to perfection. Add to that a thick slice of bone marrow that's surely delightful for fat lovers. I surely had a great time savoring the fat and tasting the soft, delicious, meat.

TE Pork Chop. This huge chunk of pork chops really made my heart melt. Add to that the demi glace sauce and the great cooking. I really ate my heart out as I devoured this dish.

Lamb Chops. As a lamb lover, this dish is a welcome addition to the array. The baked meat was drizzled with mint sauce and cream. This reminded me of the lamb dishes I tasted in Malaysia. However, this dish really took the cake. I love the cooking and its flavorful taste.

The birthday boy! Well, I didn't ask him about his age, though!

Agnolotti Veal. More fatty goodness came with this dish. The creamy sauce and tender fat made me want to ask for more.

Truffle Fungi Pizza. For some carb vegetable goodness. This pizza was a thick and hot slab of premium truffles. This was truly for those with discerning taste.

As for dessert, we had:

The Bomb! The white chocolate dome  was drizzled with sinfully delightful chocolate sauce. Believe it or not, the cake had a graham, ice cream, and espresso cream filling. Talk about a small dome that packs quite a punch!

Betty White. This more conservative tiramisu cake topped with grahams and gelato is for those who want a more traditional approach to their dessert. Plain white and simple.

OMG. Yes it's the name of this dessert. This chocolate overload is composed of lava cake, cereal crumble and chocolate gelato. The bittersweet chocolatey taste is the true embodiment of cacao goodness.

Todd English Food Hall is located at the 5th level SM Aura, Skypark, Taguig. You can visit their FB page at https://www.facebook.com/Todd-English-Food-Hall-Manila-446633605469010.