A&D Eats Roundup: Cafe Sansó and Kafé Batwan by Sarsá

Last month, I got to finally try Kafé Batwan and went back to Cafe Sansó for the second time.

Kafé Batwan by Sarsá

Lunched at Kafé Batwan with some mommies to learn more about Study Buddy (which I will tell you about in another post). I've heard good reviews about the place and I was excited to try the food!

For starters, we had:

Inasal Tofu with rocket and spinach, topped with prawns, pomelos, grilled tomatoes and ginamos vinagrette, Php295

Ensaladang Espinida with grilled tomatoes, kesong puti, pili nuts, crispy crablets and mango salted egg dressing, Php295

Crispy Tawilis with Shaved Queso de Bola, Php220, which was so good!

Trio of Pinoy Spreads with Biscocho Pandesal, Php250. The three spreads were Monggo Labuyo, Salted Egg Labuyo, and Tahong Ginamos. 

Grilled Sugarcane Porkchop with Kamote Mash, Php350

Inasal Petso With Soy Sinamak and Batwan Achara, Php225. This was tasty! There's also Inasal Paa if you don't like eating chicken breast.

Madrid Fusion Super Batchoy, Php450. 12-hour soup stock, kurobota charsiou, soft-boiled egg and tuna skin. It's like batchoy na ramen style! BOS was envious because of this. Heehee! He's originally from Visayas and he always says there's no batchoy in Manila. I should let him try this!

Chocnut Turon, Php195

Everything was good and I would like to take BOS here and hear all about his negative comments heehee! I know you're reading this. Tama ba ako? Haha!

Kafé Batwan by Sarsá

GF, Joya Tower, 28 Puaza Drive, Rockwell Center, Makati, 1201

Phone: (02) 625 5166

Instagram: @kafebatwan

Cafe Sansó

Met with my high school barkada for a post-Christmas get together last December and while choosing what restaurant to eat in, I suggested Cafe Sansó because San Juan was our middle ground. Everything was good the first time I ate here but got a bit disappointed this time around. :( But I'm still sharing what we had!

First one to arrive! And while waiting for the others to come, I ordered pasta for the kids and tried one of their sandwiches.

I ordered their best-selling Francesinha, Php350. Rye bread with layers of Jamon Serrano, chipolata sausage, sauteed wild mushroom with chive cream cheese. The whole sandwich was covered with melted mozzarella and asiago cheese in spiced beer tomato sauce. Served with potato wedges.

The kids had the Tartuffo Linguini, Php395. Linguini coated in truffle-infused cream sauce. Topped with Jamon Serrano and parmesan slivers.

And when my friends finally came, we ordered more food.

Ensalada Mixta y Gambas, Php340. Mixed mesclun medley and arugula dressed in balsamic vinaigrette. Served with flambeed prawns and candied walnuts

Churrasco Pork Belly, Php370, served with sauteed haricot verts and rosemary-infused marbled potatoes. It's not as tasty as it looks. The veggies were tastier pa.

Paella Valenciana. I had this before but it was good the first time around, the second time, not so much. I don't know why. :(

Cafe Sansó

32 V Cruz St. Little Baguio, San Juan

(0922) 894-6144

Facebook: Cafe Sansó
Instagram: @cafesanso

A&D Eats: Casa Roces, Malacańan Complex, Manila

A few weeks back, BOS, the kids and I had lunch at Casa Roces, an ancestral house turned into a Filipino-Spanish Restaurant tucked inside Malacańan Complex. BOS being a fan of paella, it's one of the reasons why he wanted to eat at Casa Roces.

Photo from Casa Roces Facebook Page

Casa Roces was the last old house standing in the area and it was where National Artist for Literature Alejandro lived. It has been uninhabited for fifteen years before the Roces cousins approached the Cravings Group to create the menu.

Loved the old world feel of the house, every nook of Casa Roces is interesting and very picturesque. I love old houses and the charm that comes with it.

If it wasn't so hot outside, it would be nice to dine al fresco at their patio.

We ordered our food right away and the waiting game begins! Waiting time was around 15 minutes.

And as always, we ordered too much. Haha! But it was okay because the food was superb plus we got to take home leftovers and I didn't have to cook dinner! Heehee!

Sopa Molo Castiliana (Php115), rich garlic soup with deep-fried pork dumplings, poached egg and parsley. Something to keep our tummies warm.

Truffle Mushroom Purée (Php230), thick and creamy soup made from a trio of fresh mushrooms drizzled with truffle oil.

BOS had the New York Striploin Steak (Php765), striploin grilled to perfection topped with melted blue cheese on a bed of braised local greens and sweet potato puree. This was just okay, good thing the paella made up for it.

I had the Lengua in Mushroom-Sauce (Php450), tender slices of braised ox tongue in tomato base with mushrooms and olives which was so good! Yum! I was so used to having lengua with rice (haha!), this was a different take from it (for me. At mas soshal kasi with mashed potato heehee!) and I loved it.

Kids had the Fettuccine with Blue Cheese and Roasted Mushrooms (Php205), blue cheese and sliced mushrooms on top of creamy fettuccine. I didn't want to order this at first because there's blue cheese but this was good and the kids surprisingly loved it too!

This was the star of our lunch, what BOS came to Casa Roces for: The 

Paella Valenciana (Php565) .Classic Valenciana-style paella with chicken, pork, clams, mussels with chorizo and hard boiled egg toppings. Pasado kay BOS, happy ako! :)

Casa Roces also offers coffee and desserts but we didn't get to try them anymore because we were so full. But we will definitely go back, try their desserts and their Callos, Paelle Negra... and a lot more!

Their cakes looks good! BOS, let's go back this weekend!

If you are looking for a new restaurant to try this weekend and wouldn't mind a drive to Manila, try Casa Roces! Definitely a change from your usual weekend trips to the mall. Fill your hungry tummies with authentic Spanish buffet for only Php699++ per person!

Casa Roces

#1153 JP Laurel St. Cor Aguado St., 1005 San Miguel, Manila, Philippines

Facebook: Casa Roces

Twitter: @casa_roces

Instagram: #casaroces

For reservation:

488-1929, 0917-5509743

reservations@casaroces.com

A&D Eats Roundup: Toby's Estate, Mom & Tina's, Cafe Sansó

AwI feel like I'm always hungry and keeping photos of food in my camera roll on my phone is not helping but it also reminds me I haven't written about them yet! Heehee!

This one is long overdue! I've been wanting to write about what I ate in Toby's Estate for so long but didn't have the time then forgot all about it until now. Michelle, Jackie and I had lunch at Toby's Estate in Ortigas before we went to our class in Global Academy last May.

2, 6, and 18. Picture muna while waiting!

It's a nice place to hang out, it can be your mobile office for the day or a place where you can have team meetings.

Food is good but price is on the higher side (or baka kuripot lang ako hahaha).

I had the Dutch Eggs (Php325) and Flat White (php150). I love eggs and bacon and bread so this was a winner for me!

Jackie had the Smoked Salmon And Greens (Php325).

And Michelle had the Patty Melt (Php450).

It was a good lunch over good chika with the moms and the fashion blogger momma Jackie couldn't resist the white brick wall. Heehee! Nag mini fashion shoot kami for Jackie's OOTD outside Toby's heehee!

Medyo na-late lang naman kami sa Global Academy class namin heehee!

Toby's Estate

V Corporate Center, LP Leviste St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

Robinsons Cybergate Beta Building, Ruby Road, Ortigas, Pasig City

Twitter: @tobyestatePH

Instagram: @tobyestatePH

I met some of my college friends last month at Mom & Tina's to discuss our supposedly Baguio trip with friends turned into a Sio Family vacation na lang because our plans didn't push thru! Haha! 

It's the only restaurant we found that opens at 7AM.

It was early in the morning that the place was still empty. Nice to know that there's a restaurant that opens this early in the morning!

We had a breakfast planning sesh over Mom and Tina's and we all ordered the same thing. 

U.S. Beef Tapa (Php250) and Cafe Latte (Php95) (I had two cups, by the way) to go with it. Honestly, it was okay but I had better tapa.

Next time maybe I should try their pastries naman. :)

Mom and Tina's

Facebook: Mom & Tina's Bakery Cafe

Branches:

• 58 Sgt. Esguerra Ave. South Triangle Quezon City

• FRDC Bldg. 106 E.Rodriguez Jr. Ave. Pasig City

• 2nd Floor. Regis Bldg, Katipunan Ave.Quezon City

• Unit 14 Tropical Palms Condominium, 103 Delarosa St. cor. Perea St., Legaspi Village Makati 

Contact Numbers:

(02) 914-0833 - Pasig

(02) 332-3080 - South Triangle

(02) 840-4299 - Makati

(02) 990-2875 - Katipunan

And here's a new restaurant in San Juan where Chevrolet hosted lunch (I can't wait to test drive a Chevy Trailblazer next weekend!) for us. It's near the Rustan's Supermarket. Cafe Sansó is beside Fundacion Sansó/Museo Sansó, where the works of Juvenal Sansó's are displayed. We have yet to visit the museum though. BOS, tara? But for now, let me tell you about the lovely lunch we had.

Ensalada Mixta Y Gambas (Php340)

Jamon Serrano, Melon and Mango Salad (Php295)

This Calamari Fritta (Php280) is yummy! I love squid and you'd know how good a calamari is if you can't stop eating it!

Paella a la Catalonia (Php600)

I am not a callos person but this Callos a la Madrillena (Php290) is an exception. So good with rice heehee!

This Salpicao was so good!!! It's a must-try at Cafe Sanso but I can't find it on their menu online.

This Paella was not on their menu also but it was also good with that melted cheese on top. Now I'm hungry!

I have to say I loved everything we had at Cafe Sansó. The paella at salpicao were winners. I want to go back to try their sandwiches naman!

Cafe Sansó

32 V. Cruz, Little Baguio, San Juan City

Facebook: Cafe Sansó