Aria Hungry Yet?

Whoops, yet another post on italian cuisine! Wow, my blogger is getting to be pretty shambolic. This post is about 3 weeks old. I just never know what to post next and I apologize immensely for that. Anyway, here's an entry on my Aria experience. :)

Gorgonzola Pizza (P585.00)

(Tomato sauce, Gorgonzola cheese and Mozzarella)

A must try! One of my favourite cheese pizzas. Almost as good as my favourite four-cheese pizza at Two Seasons in Boracay. :) 

Speaking of Boracay, did you know that Aria first started there? You can find them at D'mall. 

Tagliatelle con Tartufo Asparagi e Prosciutto di Parma (P460.00)

(Homemade tagliatelle with white truffle, asparagus and parma)

A dish that falls under chef's suggestions! Yet another truffle infused meal again. Hehe. Really loved the homemade pasta and enjoyed the simplicity of its sauce but thought that it needed more parma.. Unless I just didn't distribute it properly. 

Scaloppine ai Funghi e Dragoncello (P580.00)

(Beef escalope in a creamy mushroom tarragon sauce)

If I'm not mistaken, I think this dish comes with rice although my mum requested for vegetables instead and they didn't give her a hard time so know that there's always that option. :)

Ravioli di Branzino (P370.00)

(Homemade ravioli stuffed with seafood in a tomato based sauce)

My brother wanted to order this dish under the influence of the new Spiderman film. Hence the Branzino. Haha, what a fan boy. -- It was good but it wouldn't be something he'd order again. I guess the flavour was just a tad bit mature for a 14 year-old.

Personally loved the 'See U-See Me' barrier made by one of my favourite interior designers, a fellow Filipino, Kenneth Cobonpue.

One shallow reason to why I fell in love with the iPhone instantly was for its cute cases. This one is branded Belkin. I also have one in the coral hue which I use more frequently.

Notice my mums wedges? Yup, we have exactly the same pair. You can check my look out here. 

Outfit of the day:

Ruffled top: Kamiseta - High waisted shorts: F21 - Gold chain: Bazaar -

 Gold sandals: H&M - White quilted clutch: Taipei  

We coincidentally chose on wearing purple that night which didn't really amuse me anymore because it happens quite often. My brother and I have this "unagi" bonding. 

If you're a F.R.I.E.N.D.S. buff like I am, you'd know that unagi was coined by Ross during of the episodes. It basically means: Total state of awareness.

Service was quite disappointing when we visited because it was literally a full house. I was also quite disappointed that they ran out of risotto and gnocchi. Albeit I was happy with the dish I ordered, I think I would've enjoyed something else with more flavour. Maybe next time...

 Hope you guys have a better experience than I did! Leave a comment below and let me know about it. :)

Aria

Upper Ground Level, East Superblock

Bonifacio High Street Central

7th Ave. corner 29th St. Bonifacio Global City

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

TUMBLR: http://loveandotherdrugs.tumblr.com

E-MAIL: alyssalopezarellano@gmail.com

Xiao Long Wow!

The rainy weather today was quite sporadic! It's times like these when I don't want to get out of bed and I want to stay in all day long. Perhaps catch up on a good series, get a few of my favourite snacks, snuggle into my bed, listen to the falling rain and just enjoy life as we know it. 

Instead, like every weekend.. we decide to go out and either try something new or eat at our favourite restaurants. Sundays are known to be my brothers day and today he chose Shi Lin because he was craving our favourite, Xiao Long Bao; a burst of something warm to balance of the chilly weather. 

Today, I had planned to wear this dress but just threw in the tights moments before leaving because I felt quite chilly. I love these tights because their not as opaque as a lot of the tights that are being sold here in Manila.

Outfit of the day:

Dress: UNIQLO - Accessories & Tights: Shilin Market 

Bag: Louis Vuitton - Loafers: Archaeology, Rockwell

Extremely happy that we have Shi Lin here in Manila. 

It's got to be the closest to Din Tai Fung. Our favourite Xiao Long Bao place, ever!!!

Fried Rice with Pork Chop and Egg (P195.00)

(I ordered this before and enjoyed it very much. I love dishes that have a hint of sweetness to it. So if your preferences are the same, then I suggest you try this too!)

Spicy Spare Ribs (P289.00)

Shrimp and Pork Dumpling *6 pcs* (P148.00)

Xiao Long Bao *10 pcs* (P230.00)

Also known as "soupy dumplings". Every bite into this small dumpling always manages to surprise me once the warm soup hits my tongue. So better be careful! If you've never tried this before, I suggest you do try it soon! You're missing out. Definitely a foodgasmic experience. :)

Red Bean Pao 

The perfect ending to a cozy meal. We usually get two each because three would just be too much considering we still have dessert out afterwards. 

Preparing myself for ienne's last day at the Baker's Dozen in Rockwell, I succumbed to buying a few cupcakes. :")

We were about sixth in line today in getting a table at Shi Lin. I was actually getting a bit crabby because I didn't have a proper lunch, but it was definitely worth it! Xiao Long Bao is just THAT good. 

Leave me a comment below and let me know how your Shi Lin experience goes! :)

Shi Lin

Can be found at The Podium, Powerplant and The Fort. 

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

TUMBLR: http://loveandotherdrugs.tumblr.com

E-MAIL: alyssalopezarellano@gmail.com

Ti Amo Italia!

Today while Bailey (our shih tzu) was in the groomers, we decided to have lunch at the Burgos Circle in The Fort. We were debating whether to have italian or japanese, and italian won. I'm not complaining though. If I'd have to choose, italian would have to be my favourite cuisine. 

We've eaten at Cantinetta a number of times already and though dishes don't come cheap, I'd have to say that it definitely is one of my favourite italian places. :)

We love mushrooms and are suckers for anything labeled truffle, so my mum ordered the Ravioli Al Funghi Porcini. (Ravioli stuffed with porcini mushroom with truffle oil sauce) P540.00

I've been craving risotto for quite sometime now so I ordered their Al Porcini (Mushroom Risotto) P480.00

Gnocchi, everybody's gotta love it. It's tiny but quite filling, soft to the bite and paired with creamy decadent sauces. Mhmm, just thinking about it makes me hungry! My brother beat me to it and ordered the Gnocchi Quattro Formaggi (potato gnocchi with four cheese sauce) P480.00

When I crave for something sour, I opt for Limoncello but on normal trips to Bar Dolci, I get my favourite Ferrero. :)

I love Bar Dolci, but sadly their macarons did not come up to par. They were good, but I've tasted better. I think I'll just stick to their Gelato next time.

The heat in the Philippines is sometimes just unbearable; and that is why I am rarely seen wearing pants. But this day was an absolute exception because I wanted to sport my new UNIQLO purchase. 

Just last weekend, my mum and I went to UNIQLO at the Mall Of Asia. As we were looking around, we noticed these pair of "jeggings" a.k.a. jean leggings and loved the fit so we bought them in all colours! Like I mentioned, I am never really seen wearing jeans but I think that will change slightly from now on thanks to these pair from UNIQLO. They're undeniably comfortable and versatile. Definitely one of my proudest buys! :)

Outfit of the day:

Chiffon top: Forever 21 - Jeggings: UNIQLO - Accessories: Taipei Markets - 
Bag: Louis Vuitton - Loafers: Archaeology, Rockwell

I've probably said this once or twice before, but I really did wish we had more parks in Manila!

All dishes gladly did not disappoint so if ever you do plan on visiting Cantinetta, I highly recommend you try these dishes! Their pizza and gelato are worth trying, too. So hope you guys have a wonderful italian dining experience like I did! Leave a comment below and let me know how it goes. :)

Cantinetta

Forbes Town Center, 29th StFort Bonifacio, Taguig(02) 403-5220

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

TUMBLR: http://loveandotherdrugs.tumblr.com

E-MAIL: alyssalopezarellano@gmail.com

Crazy for Peanut Butter

There's nobody I know that loves peanut butter more than my tita Pau. So just last monday on our expected bonding day, I decided to take her to Peanut Butter & Co where all their dishes consist of none other than... PEANUT BUTTER!!!

Located at the 2/F of the Regis Center, Katipunan Ave. (Right in front of Ateneo)

They also sell their own peanut butter! Must try that out next time. :)

The TriPhone buddies. :) 

I've been to PB&co. about three times perhaps but never tried ordering any of their main dishes. So I opted for the Classic Spaghetti being the pasta lover that I am. I got the whole order (P135.00) but if you can opt for the half order as well for only (P75.00).

Spaghetti with traditional meat sauce blended with PB&co. Sun-dried Tomato Peanut Butter. 

Sounds weird, right? Spaghetti and Peanut butter.. I couldn't conjure up how that would actually taste like, but I just went for it anyway. It wasn't so bad! First few bites were a bit odd, but the taste grows on you. Promise! :)

My tita ordered Combo Set 2 (P125.00) which consisted of:

Cold asian noodles, PB sandwich, and Iced tea.

The sandwich that my brother and I ordered the last time we went here. 

Elvis, The King Sandwich. 

Peanut Butter, Banana, and Bacon.

I'm a sucker for majority things bacon! So this sandwich definitely caught my attention. Plus banana with savory dishes aren't so bad. In fact, I usually eat my Adobo with slices of banana. The balance of salty and sweet are just preeminent. 

Being a pescatarian, my tita also ordered this sandwich with fish, peanut butter, and lettuce. 

White Chocolate Orange Sandwich -- how amazing does that sound?!  

A citrusy burst of mandarin orange slices coupled with the sweet blend of PB&co's creamy peanut butter and our special vanilla cream cheese filling.

Absolutely enjoyed this sandwich. Definitely ordering this the next time I go back!

After all that peanut butter.. we decided to mosey around the mall and decided to check out Coach Rio's store, Riovana. 

Looking for new athletic wear? Riovana's the place to go! They have such a wide variety of shoes from brands like Nike, Adidas, New Balance etc. They also sell compression gear, Race gels, and Cellphone cases (Otter Box).

Fell in love with these lunarlons's by Nike because its colour is just so eye-catching! Gives this electric feel to it. 

Aren't these sports bras so cute? Wanna get them in all colours. <3

Here in Riovana, not only can you try the shoe on but actually test them while running, too! The employees are really nice and accommodating so you don't have to worry.

SEBASTIAN'S ICE CREAM! Probably the only artisan ice cream place in Manila I find myself going back to. Sebastian's is always consistent and never fails to surprise me with their new flavours! 

Take this one as an example.. Green Mango & Bagoong?! Talk about being patriotic! Haha.

I felt like something oreo that night (what's new) so I ordered the Cookies 'n Cream bar coated with white chocolate. :") It was good! But it was a bit too sweet I felt the need to drink water after every other bite.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, one of my favourites and their best seller! I forgot the flavour below, I think it was some Dark Belgian Chocolate Sugar Free thing. Haha. Both paired extremely well! Albeit, I suggest you prepare a bottle of water. It's just way too sweet without, but that's just me. 

I know that majority of the food places I write about are in Makati, so I hope you north people enjoyed this entry! Hehe. 

Peanut Butter & Co.

2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan AveLoyola Heights, Quezon City
RIOVANACan also be found in High Street.

Sebastians

Can also be found in The Podium.

This entry was actually due for monday, except I've been quite busy so I apologize for not posting entries daily. 

INSTAGRAM: arellanoalyssa

TWITTER: @ArellanoAlyssa

TUMBLR: http://loveandotherdrugs.tumblr.com

E-MAIL: alyssalopezarellano@gmail.com