Foodie Sunday with the Mother

My previous blog entries have been slightly off as I haven't been on an eating spree. But now that I am back in the grind, and since it was a long weekend, I have so much to share I can't even decide if I should blog about it chronologically. To put an end to my internal debate, I decided to blog about this first.

Last Sunday, I took Mom to Eastwood. It was her first time there because when we were still residents of Makati, we were too lazy to venture far off. But now that we live like 20 minutes away from there, we decided to go for it and let the oldie discover the hip and happening place that is Eastwood.

After hearing mass, our grumbling stomachs lead us to our favorite comfort food place, Cafe Via Mare and had a beautiful merienda (afternoon snacks, we Filipinos love!) at 5pm.

First on the list is this beautiful, oh-so-yummy Vigan Longganisa sandwiched between soft, warm Pan de Sal. This time Mom and I knew we both had the real deal Vigan longganisa, and we were just blown away! We had the sad, sad misfortune of eating so-called longganisa a couple of weeks back. And being true to Filipino form this dish comes with crispy kamote chips, instead of potato chips. They were a bit salty but Mom and I had fun munching on them.

Next was Mom's favorite in Via Mare, Bibingka with Salted Duck Egg and shreds of coconut. It was perfect with coffee!


After Mom's day out in Eastwood, we went to Shopwise along C-5 to buy groceries for the house. After several hours of going around that huge-ass store, we were again, famished.

At the ground floor just in front of the escalator is this hidden gem: Yang Chow Dimsum & Teahouse. It was a cheaper version of our favorite North Park restaurant. There were people outside waiting to be seated, but since it was new food haunt, Mom and I decided to try it, just for kicks.




Since it was our first time to try the place, Mom and I didn't know any better and ended up over-ordering. My goodness, be prepared for this because for 2 people this was A LOT!

Having a bad cold and even slight fever last Friday, I wanted something hot to ease the colds. So I had this delicious and piping hot Noodles with White Chicken. The broth was oozing with chicken-y delight, and the noodles cooked just right! It was heaven and perfect for the sick one!


Next on the noodle list was Seafood Pancit Canton, although there were more vegetables than actual seafood. And this was something Mom and I did not expect. This huge dish costs P180, and just look at the size of that thing! It was so generous we even had it for Monday brunch and dinner. And yes it was DELISH!

Mom also ordered Fish Fillet in Tausi Sauce. I loved this because the fish was soooo tender, and the sauce was really good with a tinge of spice. And we also had this for Monday brunch.

Unfortunately, there was a black sheep among the dishes we ordered. And this was the Shark's Fin Dimsum. Totally forgettable and I MAJOR MAJOR feel sorry I ordered the damn thing. It was dry and un-shark's fin like. I consider myself a dimsum guru, I could siomai anytime, everyday, and not get sick and tired of it. But this thing, forget it!

The shark's fin was a minor setback, but I was just so thrilled with this Yang Chow place. I'm sure a lot of people have eaten here, but new food haunts excite me! This place is totally and highly recommended! And with those 4 dishes which left us hauling our tummies all the way home, our bill totaled to P605 and some lose change. It was incredibly cheap! Great cheap, Chinese food is just AWESOME! :) And it must have been really good because at 10.30PM people were still coming in.

After a good grocery shopping spree at Shopwise, treat the family to Yang Chow why don't you! It's totally good! :)

Yang Chow Dimsum & Teahouse
Shopwise E. Rodriguez, Jr., Brgy Bagong Bayan, Quezon City
For reservations and delivery please call 470-1251 (No delivery charge)


Cafe Via Mare-Eastwood Mall
2nd Level, Eastwood Mall, E. Rodriguez Ave., Quezon City
Tel No. 709-3005, 709-3006
Visit their website or click link http://www.viamare.com.ph/

Cafe Via Mare: I Missed You!

For those who don't know, The Landmark in Makati is being renovated. One thing I hated about that renovation was that I thought they took out Via Mare, which used to be right smack in the middle of the 2nd floor, for good. It was my and Mom's go-to restaurant when we were so hungry and too lazy to either cross on over to Glorietta or go down to the food court which was at the basement.

I was already prepared to move on and start considering going to the outlet at Greenbelt 1 when suddenly, last Sunday, from out of the shoe racks and people milling around, I saw this:


I couldn't help but feel happy, overjoyed even! Mom loves their Fresh Lumpiang Ubod and super famous Bibingka with coffee. It was Via Mare staple food for her. For me, I really loved their Pork Tocino and their Pork and Chicken Adobo.

Via Mare for me will always be one of the best comfort food ever! When I'm getting sick and tired of the usuals, I find myself looking for Via Mare, specifically the one at Landmark. There's this one waiter, who by the way has been there forever, that I always look for. And although we never got his name, and he never knew ours, when we sit down and order, he gives us this knowing look that says, "Hey they're back!". Our sense of familiarity is what draws us back to this place.

Not only that, this is where we bring our balikbayan relatives to eat when they crave for Filipino food. How they've mastered several dishes is I think one of the qualities that make Via Mare what it is today. And they are managing to make it look more chic and sosyal! Good job!! :)

Thank God for the re-opening of Cafe Via Mare at Landmark. I swear I would've been totally depressed!


The Landmark @ Makati
2nd Floor, The Landmark, Ayala Center, Makati City
Telefax: 817-9720

Visit www.viamare.com.ph for catering services and other inquiries. :)