1919 Grand Cafe: Eating Fancy in Binondo Chinatown

It's been a while since I've blogged about my fave foods, but ever since we've tried this new restaurant near our place, I thought why not just post this right there? So here we have 1919 Grand Cafe:

Situated on what used to be the dilapidated El Hogar, it now stands like a glowing beacon amidst a dark street.

Once inside though, don't expect your regular Chinese restaurant filled with round tables, nope it's not called Grand for no reason. (Other than it's pricey meals, but we'll get to that later...)

Walk-ins are welcome, but it's still probably best to make a reservation, especially if you want the best view of the place.

2nd floors are the best!

The place is mostly filled with pictures of old manila

Interiors aside, I'm sure you just got this far just to know if the "fancy is worth the shmancy" (like, is the food even great???) Well to start with the drinks, there's not much in terms of choices, so we started with the good 'ole kalamansi juice. Then it's time for the soup ('cuz it feels criminal not to try some soup in a place like this), where we ordered Vegetable Pumpkin Soup.

Don't mind the floaty tendrils there...

Maybe I expected something "homey" like the one in Mary Grace, but there really is no such thing as homey in a place so fancy. In a word, the soup was "watery". Bland. Blah. Good thing there's such a thing as appetizers, 'cuz that's the only thing that tickled my appetite for the duration of the evening.

Delisioso!

You know how they call these dimsums...?

Probably just call them dim-yums!

No words for these delicious delights, though I wish I just ordered a cup (and a half?) of rice and saved myself from the trouble of the main dish.

Baked Beef Caldereta

Like I said, I should have just gorged myself on the appetizers since this main dish didn't deserve the limelight, or maybe I'm just not a fan of caldereta in every sense of the dish. Though I still needed some carbs so I opted to order some fries. Yep a side of fries in an otherwise "shmancy" set-up; could use a bit of work for the ranch dip, but the fries in itself taste great!

My kind of ranch dip? Try Cafe Aquatica's Potato Chips here in Binondo...

You know how the saying goes to "always leave room for dessert"? At this point, I was passed the point of caring.

Counterclockwise: Oreo cheescake, Blueberry cheescake, Red velvet

It's sad how the "desserts" left me feeling "stressed"; the blueberry was the tolerable of the 3, but its graham base tasted a little "burnt". Don't get me started on the other two 'cuz they weren't even remotely sweet, and in my opinion, desserts should be brimming with sugar!

Overall, my experience at the Grand Cafe was chill. Just chill 'cuz the ambiance of the place is really great (love the background music), provides you a sense of privacy (especially if you choose the 2nd floor tables), and it's also great for groups (if you're into conference meetings and stuff, they have rooms for that). Just be ready to spend a couple of grand for your meals, but don't expect the food to be grand.

Holiday Blowout!

Happy New Year everyone! Yes I know, it's been at least 2 months since I last blogged and I'm still in that "holiday break hangover", even though school just about started yesterday. But still, my blog haunts me with this feeling of abandonment, and so I'm back.

Though honestly, I'm not in the mood as of this moment, I'd rather share my humble holiday meal during this last Christmas. I'm sure you've all got a "table-full" more than this but nothing ever beats my grandma's special spaghetti!

It's special... :3

Oh, and don't forget another favorite dish of mine, lechon kawali! It's actually just roasted pork chopped into this tiny bits of goodness, but it's definitely a bestseller during the holiday season.

Chop! Chop! XD

So at least you've now got an idea what my holidays were filled with... Food! :D

Toothy Tarts!

Now after having experienced two sets of long "weekends" due to conveniently placed holidays and an unexpected barrage of rainfall, I know honestly feel stagnant due to lack of anything better to do. 

Yes I'm sure I'll probably start looking forward to the next long weekend once the assignments come piling up, but for now, I urgently need something to keep my blood pumping before it too, turns stagnant.

So what better way to turn to but sweets! Yep, a little dose of sugar rush can't probably hurt, so why not share a few of my favorite pastries:

Cassava Tarts! ;D

It's a local delicacy which I find fulfilling for one's appetite even after just one piece, since it leaves you with a feeling of fullness. So it's a really great snack if one's on a limited amount of sweets.

Buko Tarts! XD

Yummy especially when freshly baked! These delicacies are mostly bought in Tagaytay, specifically Amira's Buco Tart Haus. I'm all the way for this fruity tart!

Blueberry CheeseTarts! @.@

Another delicacy I had the pleasure of tasting from Amira's Buco Tart Haus. (...they've sure got alot of different tarts there...) It's what you would consider a miniature version of your usual Blueberry Cheesecake, but that doesn't make it any less tastier. In fact, one box wasn't even enough for me!

Soup for the Rain!

As I type this for my blog, it continues to rain outside. It's cold, and I can't help but want something warm, preferably some warm noodle soup. This takes me back to some of my fave foods, yes today is a Tuesday after all, which means it's Fave Food Day.

When it comes to noodle soups, I prefer to eat them in Asian restaurants since I seem to like the taste of whatever "special" spice they put in them, especially these ones who have managed to tingle my seemingly insatiable appetite:

I'm sure there's more in there... O.o

Mixed Balls with a combination of Thick Rice Noodles that I ordered in a Thai resto called Jatujak, and I found this dish really satisfying for my hungry tummy at that time.

This'll leave your mouth steaming... :P

Fish Balls with Rice Noodles I had at Oody's which I found was kind of "addicting" in flavor since it was really spicy, along with it's lemony-sour taste that comes along with it. So yeah, if I hadn't ended up full just after the first serving, I would have had another one!

Can't help but stare... @.@

Last but not the least is my favorite Seafood Noodle dish, which I always order at a Vietnamese resto called Pho Hoa, and yes, I always order the "Large-sized" bowl being served! Definitely in need of this right now!

They're Yummy Checkered Sweets!

School has now started, but we are all still in our "adjustment" stages when it comes to getting our heads out of the comfy clouds of "Cloud 9", and start getting ourselves functioning properly and ready for a cold splash of reality.

If only there was a way to stall time; to halt the impending crash of DOOM! (... a.k.a reality... -__-") However, no matter how we mope and complain, we can do nothing of the situation. Unless of course, we busy ourselves by eating. Yes, eating. Now that's something I wouldn't disagree on doing. So how about I introduce you to WAFFLES!

Fatty Caramel Goodness!!! Heaven! @.@

I know some people aren't exactly fond of those "sugary squares" but hey, they do their job well in satisfying my sweet tooth.

Choco-filled w/ a Dash of Peanut Butter! YumYum! XD

For the "carb-conscious" folks out there though, there's always the healthier side of the waffle. Though they often lack the tingly feeling of sugar rush that I usually feel whenever I eat one. Bummer...

Banana and Chips w/ a Glaze of "Unsweetened" Syrup? :P

In the end, all is fair in love and faves. No matter how I love the taste of the first two waffles, they're unfortunately "not big enough", making the last waffle, a bit "too much". Well, I guess that's what they call smart marketing! XD

The Summer Cheese Meltdown

It's summer, and it's REALLY hot here in the Philippines during this season. So to forget that hot, sweaty feeling we all get during times like these, here's a little something to "sweeten" your day:

It gets to you... doesn't it? @.@

I just thought of posting this after a few weeks of "blogger laziness", and combined with taking summer classes at my college; I think this is a cool (... or sweet?) way to recharge. 

So my tip for this summer: If you can't afford going to those expensive beaches and resorts, why not go to the nearest mall and just sit there and absorb the coolness! (P.S. Don't forget the Cheesecake! ;P)

Brain Freeze: Helps the Brain "Cool Down"

Here I am again, on the second day of regular classes... Boy do I miss my two week vacation, where did it all go anyway??? Well, I can't do anything about it now, gotta study, study and study more. Now that I remember, Midterms are  going to be held next week! Gosh! No wonder my professors seem busier than usual... Ugh! Now I REALLY have to study more, more, more! Someone help me! I NEED brain juice!!! Must have something... *gets hit in the head by something... cold?* What the?! Who threw that?! This thing should be.... wait... this is....!!!

TADA!!!! :D

Milk Shake!!! *drinks the whole glass in one gulp, straw and all... BURP!* Ehehehe... Sorry for that, got carried away that's all. Anyway, I should better get back to my studying. Happy Fave Foods Day to my DOM followers!!! ^_^

Brown Never Tasted This Good!

Happy New Year everyone! I hope you're all doing fine this morning and not spending time at the hospital because of a minor "casualty" (...if losing a finger is considered minor anyway...). So let's not talk about blood and gore any further since today we will focus on FOOD! Yes food, you heard right, boy has it been that long since I blogged about my fave foods? You guys must think I'm being starved by my mom huh? Well no worries, I'll try blogging every Tuesday about my "very" healthy eating lifestyle! Can you guess what fave food I'm going to share with you today?

BROWNIES!!! Yey!!! XD

Yum, yum, yum! Delicioso! Out of all the brownies out there, I think this is the best Walnut Swirl flavored brownie I have ever tasted! (not that I've gone out of my way to taste "other" Walnut Swirls though.... :P) Still, when I say delicious, I mean DELICIOUS! Here, try some!

I know you want some.... :3

Well, if you don't want some brownies, I think I'll help myself. Once again, Happy New Year guys! Now to open my box of brownies and...

GAH! Someone bit into my brownies!!! O.O

How Grandma's Beef Stew Saved the Day

Howdy ya'll! So here I am after weeks of suffering from a very serious illness, it's what you'd call "Writer's Block". Seriously, it's very serious. In my case, I experienced tossing and turning while trying really hard to think of what to write and coming up with nothing. Since I came up with nothing, I'd end up drooling and lazing around on my bed. Oh! I should also probably tell you about the final exams I was forced to experience last week. Oh the horror! Yeah, being a Freshman in college really gets you down sometimes, but hey, there's still something that every college student looks forward to. Sembreak! Woohoo! 

So I guess you've probably understood why I'm back here in "Daydream Land". After studying hard for those 'crazy' exams, boy am I glad to come out alive. However, if we're all excited for the sembreak, let's see how excited we can still be after the final grades are given. So yeah, I'll be getting my grades tomorrow and I'm very confident I'll be passing all those 'freaky' subjects. Now I'm left with 3 whole weeks of utter boredom, unless of course I find something utterly exciting to do, which leads me back to my long-forgotten blog.

So let's get straight to the point here, what am I going to blog about today? *insert drumroll* My Favorite Foods!!! (utter boredom is definitely not good for me...) Anyway, I guess I'll make Tuesday, "Fave Food Day" in my blog sched, sounds good? Well you haven't seen anything yet!

I'll mostly be featuring my grandma's cooking, since my mom doesn't really like cooking things much these days. So today, I'll be featuring my grandma's "Beef Stew", yummy! Just so you know though, I'm not really the type of girl you lingers inside the kitchen just to watch my grandma cook, so I'll just be pointing out the main ingredients she put and my point of view on the dish. So here it is: Radish, Stringbeans (trust me, I don't have a clue why she put those there...), Potatoes (yummy, yum!), and of course the Beef. All in all, I've got nothing against my grandma's cooking, it always tastes great. Although I do think she overdid it in the beef part, honestly, they were in HUGE chunks! But still, without grandma's cooking, I wouldn't have anything to blog about; so you gotta love grandma's beef stew!

The Beef Stew that Saved the Day!