Paradise Dynasty At The Podium

If you want an authentic but not overly priced Chinese food then Paradise Dynasty is must try! The newly opened second branch is located at The Podium (first branch at S Maison). At first I was intimidated to enter the restaurant, first because of the location and next the place looks classy and premium. However I was a bit shocked by how their pricing is! I must say the price is just right and cheaper than other Chinese restaurants I've been to. They have Singaporean chefs also so everything is just authentic and perfection.

Inside are lots of tables and guest enjoying all their offerings. There are also 2 private rooms you can reserve if you have intimate events, or meetings. The restaurant is always jam packed with diners during lunch and dinner time so make sure you get in early so you can get a table.


Now let's look at their food!

SPECIAL DYNASTY XIAO LONG BAO (P388)

We started with their Specialty Dynasty Xiao Long Bao and what makes this better than others is you get more inside, the non oily and clear broth, thin skin and more meat! We have the original flavor and the assorted one. I especially like the Crab Roe (orange one) and garlic (gray) and by the way the colors are extracted from natural ingredients.

SIGNATURE ORIGINAL XIAO LONG BAO (P188 6PCS, P298 10PCS)

PAN-FRIED PORK DUMPLING (3PCS)

Be careful when eating this since it has a bit of juice inside but I must say it's one of the dumplings I enjoyed!

PORK DUMPLING WITH HOT CHILI VINAIGRETTE (P168)

Their pork dumplings are also to die for! I enjoyed the Pork Dumpling in Hot Chili Vinaigrette. The ingredients are well balanced because you can taste the harmonious mix of them plus it has the right amount of spiciness.

LETTUCE ROLL WITH HOMEMADE SESAME SAUCE (P288)

CHILLED BABY SPINACH WITH VERMICELLI

This one I enjoyed mostly since it's like a "pancit" but with more veggies. For our friends who are vegetarian you will enjoy this.

STEAMED GLUTINOUS RICE STUFFED IN RED DATES (P238)

They say this is good for cleansing the palate, for me you can enjoy this as a dessert!

CHILLED TOFU WITH CENTURY EGG

An enjoyable dish to start off the hot meals!

CHILLED JELLYFISH AND SEAFOOD IN VINAIGRETTE

What I was surprised the most is their Chilled Jellyfish and Seafood in Vinaigrette! It was my first time to eat the delicacy and I must say I was afraid to try it tho I know it won't sting at all haha! The texture is tolerable, it's like a crunchier "gulaman" plus it does not smell nor taste fishy at all.

CRISPY-FRIED CRYSTAL PRAWN TOSSED WITH SALTED EGG YOLK

If I can choose a favorite here, this is the one! The prawns are so darn delicious and every bite is heavenly. At first you won't expect how strong the egg yolk breading is but it works and it's the perfect ingredient!

STIR-FRIED SHREDDED PORK IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE SERVED WITH CHINESE CREPES (P388)

They serve it separately and you have to take a piece of the meat and 1 crepe and roll it inside. It's taste good as well.

LA MIAN WITH SCALLION (P200)

I enjoyed this a lot, since I love noodles and the scallions made everything put together and perfect!

STIR-FRIED FRENCH BEAN WITH MINCED PORK (P238)

RADISH PASTRY (P138)

If your problem is eating radish or any veggie for the kids, then you should try it! Every layer of the pastry is intricately done to cover what's inside. The radish inside surprisingly doesn't taste like radish at all! I'm sure you will enjoy this.

CHARCOAL CUSTARD LAVA BUN

This is a new dish and for now it's only available at The Podium branch. The charcoal bun is very soft and sweet but inside is a nice surprise! The custard lava has a salted egg yolk that is magic in your mouth.

STIR-FRIED BEEF WITH SCALLION

Again another favorite! The meat is just tender and the sauce is perfection!

POACHED SLICED FISH IN SZECHUAN CHILI OIL (P788)

If you've done the spicy noodle challenge, that's nothing compared to this! They have different levels of spiciness depending on your preference but let me say even the mildest of them all is still super spicy! It makes your mouth all numb but all the ingredients are delicious especially the poached sliced fish.

SCRAMBLED EGG WHITE WITH FISH AND CONPOY (P328)

To cool off from the spicy soup, this is the perfect dish. It has scrambled egg whites, fish and conpoy.

PAN-FRIED PUMPKIN PASTRY (P138)

For the dessert you can enjoy their pumpkin pastry, although it doesn't have a hint of taste of pumpkin it has a "tikoy" like consistency you'll enjoy.

PAN-FRIED PANCAKE WITH RED BEAN PASTE (P168)

WATER CHESTNUT DRINK (P80 cold/hot)

They also served two specialty drinks, Water Chestnut drink and Homemade Barley Water. I prefer the Water Chestnut one since it's sweeter and caters to my palate.

If you're dining out with the family, this is a place you must try!

Paradise Dynasty

2/F The Podium, Mandaluyong

Operating hours:

Mon - Sun 10am to 3pm, 6pm to 10pm

Facebook: @paradisedynastyph

OVERALL:

Food - Perfect, the best Xiao Long Bao I've tried

Price - Compared to other Chinese Restaurant theirs is a bit cheaper

Serving - Generous

Ambiance - Great for families, office mates or either any intimate events

Parking - The mall has a parking area.

Lots of love

Alyssa ♥

European Cafe in the Metro | Il Pittore Cafe

In today's time where themed cafes are prevalent, people tend to find the cafe that suits them best, their needs and preference. For the coffee lovers there are a lot to choose from, for the young and colorful people there are rainbow themed cafes, for the kpop fans there korean cafes, for the photography enthusiasts there's photography cafes, but for the artists there's Il Pittore Cafe.

Before we tour around the cafe let me share with you the little background. Il Pittore Cafe started as a photography studio namely Kiaroscuro House of Art and Photography (the play of lights) until they ventured into catering the needs (food) of some clients while having their photos taken. So Il Pittore is an Italian word for "the artist" or "the painter" which in this case is the owner! The cafe is the perfect embodiment of art and dine. So now let's have a look!

Il Pittore Cafe is a European themed cafe located at Unit D 63 Maginhawa Street U.P Village, it's a little bit hard to find since the cafe is inside a building but your landmark is BPI. The First look at the cafe you will toured a little bit around Europe with their Murals. You will see more of Paris, because who doesn't want to go there?! As I said before the owner is a painter and he's the one painting all over the walls of the cafe, this is a cool idea to show who the owner is and what Il Pittore Cafe is made of.

Time to take that #ootd shot! You can take pictures in all the corners of this cafe!

Here you can chose to dine alfresco or inside the cafe, either way is the best because you'll be surrounded with lots of art, your eyes will also be full!

Since this is an art cafe, they have prepared a bunch of art materials you can borrow. They even have small games or toys to keep you entertained while waiting, but if you're shy to pick some of the materials don't worry they prepared coloring materials per table! Now is the time to show your coloring skills.

Some of the works are also displayed on a wall upon entrance, so every corner of this cafe is covered with art!

Since not a lot of people know the artists, this is a way to share with them through inspired murals, the type of painting and and the painter. Going inside feels like dining inside a museum! You can also see a little black notebook where you can write or doodle anything. It's free for everyone.

They also host workshops, for kids and adults! Just check their facebook page for schedules.

Every corner is full of different artworks and it may look a little crowded but it works and it makes you feel cozy. The cafe has 2 floors, if you want to have an intimate lunch or dinner then you can opt to dine upstairs.

The second floor looks like a photography exhibit since the walls are displayed with the owner's landscape shots.

They also have a black notebook in the second floor just in case :)

If you may ask what makes Il Pittore stand out among other art cafes is that they accept events, prenup, birthdays, intimate gatherings, meetings, and this February they will have proposals! It's because the place is quiet and private, it's ambiance is great and the place is unique! You can inquire in their facebook page.

So now let's go to the food! They have pasta, pizza, shakes, sandwiches and main courses.

CHOCO BANANA SMOOTHIE (P105)

If you're a fan of choco banana then this will make you happy! You can taste the strong flavor of the banana mixed with a smooth chocolate shake. However for the price I think they can still go down.

*RECOMMENDED

BANOFEE SMORES (P145)

I'm not a fan of this drink although I enjoyed the toppings! The marshmallow and pretzel made it for me :)

ARRABIATTA (P235)

This dish consists of squid, shrimp and fish! If you like seafood pasta then this is your bet. They say it has a bit of spicyness to it however I did not taste any at all, but if you prefer it to be really spicy they can bump it up for you.

*RECOMMENDED

BUTTER CHICKEN (P185)

You can never take out chicken in our order! Their butter chicken batter is really good! I like how the batter is not that thick and you can still enjoy the chicken meat. The plate is already good for sharing so I agree with the price.

*RECOMMENDED

You can really do a lot of activities in the cafe, you can draw, paint, color, take photoshoots and interact with the owners since they are always present. This February drop by their cafe as they have a large mural outside where you can take photos and celebrate Valentines! You can dine alfresco and feel like your in Europe.

OVERALL:
Food - The food is not the main attraction here but it's not that bad and I really like the Arrabiatta and Buttered Chicken.
Price - You may think it's a little bit pricey but because of all that you see inside and the experience, it's all good.
Serving - You just get the right amount of what you paid for.
Ambiance - This is the winner in all categories. You get the whole package!
Parking - This is the only down side since we had a little bit of hard time looking for, first the place, and second a parking area. So make sure you don't bring a car para di hassle.

Il Pittore Cafe
Unit D 63 Maginhawa Street UP Village

Operating Hours:
Tue - Sun 4pm to 11pm
CLOSED on Mondays (open for reservation and early dine-in)

Facebook: @IlPittoreCafe
Instagram: @ilpittorecafe

Lots of love
Alyssa ♥

#SayItWithPizzaHut This February

February, as we all know, is the love month and couples find ways on how to show their affection and love to their partners. There are a lot of ways to spend time with them and a lot of ideas of what you can give them, and so Pizza Hut thought of helping us with a unique and cute idea on what to give this Valentines day!

This February, Pizza Hut is offering limited-edition of Pizza hut Valentine's box from personal, regular or large pan pizzas, but before Pizza Hut held a mini calligraphy workshop for us and gave the opportunity to be the first people to doodle and write on our very own pizza boxes and send them out to our special someone!

Pizza hut invited Paola Esteron to help us with the Calligraphy workshop. I felt the pressure since after learning the basics, we're gonna write our messages on the box using calligraphy! But it was a fun and new experience, plus I got to learn something I'm frustrated at :D

We were given the materials for our calligraphy workshop, I must admit this is hard and fun at the same time.

Kuya Harvard's hands trying to do some calligraphy!

Don't be fooled, I didn't do this! :D

These are the pizza boxes where you can get creative with your greetings! Write, doodle, or design your own personal message on the box. You can also write them on greeting cards if you prefer, but writing on the box for me is better. Whatever message you put, this gift is bound to be one of the greatest you can give and anyone can get.

Select from Pizza Hut's signature pan pizzas. Be extra cheesy with the Cheesy Lava Mozza Crunch, go all out with a Super Supreme loaded with an abundance of toppings or a Bacon Margherita topped with only the finest ingredients to show someone you fancy them! This is not just for couples or crushes but you can send them as well to your parents, relatives or just about anyone!

If you want it to be more artistic you should drop by Pizza Hut branches at SM Mall of Asia, 2nd Level SM North Edsa, Gateway Mall, Upper Ground Floor SM Megamall, or SM Manila on February 10 and 11, 4pm to 8pm. Guests who purchase a large pan pizza from these stores within the time can get a calligraphy artist to write their dedications with flair on Pizza Hut's limited-edition boxes for free!

Show some love this Valentines season and #SayItWithPizzaHut. Don't forget to tag @pizzahutphils and use the hashtag when you post it on social media!

Find a Hut near you to get the Pizza Hut Valentines Box and choose from the delicious pizza offerings by logging on to www.pizzahut.com.ph

Lots of love

Alyssa ♥

Jollibee's Tuna Pie is Finally Back!

Jollibee's Tuna Pie is finally back in stores nationwide!

The BEST merienda you can bite into today, or maybe everyday! It's chunky tuna flakes, peppery sauce, cheese, and vegetables enveloped in a golden crispy crust is finally making it's way back into our hearts. You can enjoy this for only 45 pesos (solo serving), 59 pesos (with drink), 89 pesos (with the Jolly Crispy Fries, or 130 pesos for the trio pack!

I know you want to! So punta na sa pinaka malapit na Jollibee sa inyo!