Fine Life On A Budget + + +

January is still the first month of 2010, right? For my first post this year, I present my alternative to Tapa King -- Rufo's Famous Tapa.

Like Tapa King, Rufo's operates 24/7, but unlike their competitor, the famous Rufo's tapa is made in their signature sauce which spells the difference. It does not look appetizing on the image, looking like it's more of a dinuguan than tapa. In my experience, though, some specialties don't register well in pictures especially if the sauce is as essential as the meat. In Rufo's version of the tapa, such is the case.

I also sampled on the fast-food joint's fried bangus which I did not really enjoy partly because I mistook it for being boneless when it isn't by their standards.

When you're looking for an alternative to Tapa King, Rufo's is the next best thing. A meal will set you back for no more than a hundred pesos as it is with other fast food joints. The branch I went to is at the corner of the intersection of San Miguel Avenue and Shaw Boulevard, right across Lourdes High School.

When I did not go on lunch break at work as scheduled (I took it an hour before log out because there was a deadline I had to beat), I took to the mall to find a dessert that would somehow end my day in a refreshing way. Believe it or not, I scoured from floor to floor for an hour and did not find any that appealed to my soul until I found Cocktales. The modern-looking dessert nook does not impose itself on the eyes. The interiors work mainly on two colors -- red and white. The lighting is subdued to highlight the real star of the venue which are various selections of fruit cocktales in remarkable combinations.

My first visit had me sampling Cocktales' Mango Bananarama (Php129), a smooth combo of bananas, mango, tapioca and rice balls. If you're looking for a healthy and delicious alternative to smoothies, I recommend this and the other fruit combos in the fruit selection. Desserts are guaranteed exquisite. I also tried the Green Apple (Php145) from the Yogurt selection.

On my second visit, I went for Jeckyll and Hyde (Php120) which is a terrific serving of wild strawberry and mellow mellon. The contrast in taste lingers in the mouth.

I certainly recommend Cocktales for healthy desserts that are a good alternative to your usual cake and ice cream.

Over one weekend, when the Manila Bay lured me to marvel at its beautiful sunset, I got the chance to have a different taste of MOA (Mall of Asia). I finally tried a Venetto Pizzeria Ristorante, that pizza parlor between two major coffee shops at the ground floor of the mall facing the grand-looking performance area.

I've tasted Venezia-style pizza and I didn't appreciate it for its authentic Italian flavor. I was young and naive. I was into Pizza Hut and Shakey's. Who could blame me?

Lately, I've become a fan of Greenwich because the establishment is championing the middle ground -- something similar to authentic for the masses. The result: it's a flavor on its own.

Enter a Venetto Pizzeria Ristorante. This maybe is the next step for me to fully massage my tastebuds for authentic pizza and pasta (I've also been to Bellini's in Cubao twice, but that's another story). Since the New England's Best pizza flavor is highly recommended by the restaurant as cited in the menu, I took a chance on it. It's ground beef, pepperoni, mushroom, onions, bell pepper and sausage. I am used to ordering extra onions for fear of being shortchanged, but I was glad I no longer did because the (8-slices for Php250) pizza was served with rich toppings. The pizza tasted bland maybe because it's supposed to taste that way. Oh, well...

In contrast, the Spaghetti a la Puttanesca that I ordered was extra salty to the taste which I loved. Some do not appreciate their pasta to taste that way, but it complemented the accompanying New England's Best pizza flavor. Priced at Php 235, the big serving (good for 2-3 people) of spaghetti is being touted by the restaurant as a healthy meal that perks up one's appetite. And it worked for me. I almost did not put down my fork. I actually used two to sustain the good momentum. It was amazing because I've always treated spaghetti like I would nibble on chocolate cake -- sporadically. The Venetto version is made with capers, black olives, quartered mushrooms, Italian plum tomatoes and anchovies with extra virgin oil.

I don't have a discriminating taste for pizza and pasta unlike some peope I know who have and who even go to lengths of outcooking friends during parties. For that matter, a Venetto Pizzeria Ristorante is also not hard to appreciate. Just check out the wall interior design that welcomes in new customers. Look closely and you'll see James Dean, Mel Gibson, Brad Pitt, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, among others, in that wall decor. Sometimes cooking and eating pizza and pasta is seriously an art. Sometimes it's simply food appreciation.

B O N U S    G L A N C E

After that early dinner, I headed to San Miguel By The Bay which is just across the mall. It's a park for those who prefer the Manila Bay wind over the air conditioning of Mall of Asia.

The first time I saw Mangan's menu, the pricing struck me as affordable. At a closer look, the prices match the size of the servings and so it is not that remarkable anymore. However, a single fast-casual diner like me enjoyed the idea of the restaurant's mini-sized servings for a matching good price because it enabled me to enjoy two viands for the price of one that's normally served hefty.

Case in point: the Ginataang Sitaw and Kalabasa (Php 70) that I ordered was a delightful match for the lechon babi (Php 100). I was also able to put into good use the Php 80 remainder of my Php 250 lunch budget for that day. Instead of just having steamed rice, I even sampled Mangan's tapa rice (Php 40).

With Php 30 more to spend, I perked up my usual glass of water drink. I went for the resto's buko shake. I just added a few more pesos to achieve that.

Being that Mangan serves delicacies native to Pampanga, I expected more local favorites in their menu. While browsing through their food sets, I was served with a free appetizer called Camote Fritters that did not disappoint.

The holiday season is upon us. Most people I know are at the mall to experience this as if there is a countdown that gathers them every weekend. As someone who manages to visit the mall almost every weekend, I know how tiring it is to cover the floors of the metro's famous multi-level malls.

This brings me to guarantee the mall-going public that the popular Pinoy snack called halo-halo is a reliable source of refreshment. Sodas, juice drinks, shakes and smoothies can be boring sometimes. I recommend Razon's halo-halo for its signature shaved ice that blends smoothly with milk, saging na saba (sun-ripened banana), macapuno and strips of leche flan with dayap rind. Seal off the experience with a glass of water. Then you're good to stroll the mall again.

Tex-Mex (Texas-Mexico) specialties, like Japan's sushi, are treats that I did not grow up eating. My mom and dad are into seafood. My brothers are into American breakfast staples such as bacon and hotdog. As author of this food tripping blog, I can't exclude the prospect of sampling food such as the nachos featured above.

The nachos I sampled is Texas Roadhouse Grill's starter specialty called Santa Fe Nachos. Priced at Php275, its crunchy nachos topped with melted mixed cheese is good for two. It was served with my choice sour cream dip which I preferred over salsa.

Texas Roadhouse Grill is frequented by its patrons for its grilled steaks and ribs & chops. The latter's pride is the half-rack Baby Back Ribs which I also sampled. It costs Php25 less than half a thousand pesos (okay, it's Php475), but it's also good for two and the meat succulence is incomparable.

The restaurant has a branch in El Pueblo, Ortigas Center, but the one I visited is in The Fort, Taguig City.

This is part 2 of my Marriott Hotel lunch buffet experience. I previously discussed about my appetizer plate in part 1.

As you can see on the image of the infinity pool area above, the 3-week old Marriott Hotel is stunning to behold. Being there is like basking under the Mediterranean sun. Not that I've been to countries along the coast of the Mediterranean sea, but the architecture shows it.

As usual, my approach to Marriott Cafe's eat-all-you-can lunch promo is that of someone on a diet. I put my morsel strategy to action for me to get a taste of everything being served. Fortunately, I was able to reach the dessert phase. I even managed to seal the sinful meal with a cup of espresso. It was odd that I even used Splenda for sugar because the meal that came before it was everything that the brand stands against.

My main course plate will disappoint you. I semi-filled it with adobong manok, lamb, string beans and bell pepper, itlog na maalat, cucumber and half a cup of rice. Since that is giving the experience injustice, I got a plate of this beef:

Marriott Cafe has a selection of thick and clear soup should you forget to include one as an appetizer. For those who love Japanese food, a sushi bar will not disappoint. For pasta lovers, the hotel cafe has trays of lasagna and ravioli.

Having selected my choices for dessert, I felt victorious. I still had room for a slice of strawberry cheesecake, a bite-size blueberry cheesecake and pandan-flavored merangue.

I'm lucky to have a foodie text brigade. By text, I mean friends who literally send you an SMS summoning a food trip. It's not one of those eat out invites which gets postponed. Whether I tag along or not, the food trip is going to happen. And this one did at the 3-week old Marriott Hotel in Pasay City one weekday.

We were lucky to find out that the hotel's lunch buffet is on 50% discount. This means that the Php1,350 rate is slashed down to just Php600 plus. It normally starts at 11:00 am and lasts until 2:00 pm. The promo is until November 30 and for weekday visits only. I suggest that you reserve a table before going because the buffet is picking up fast.

Above is my morsel plate of appetizers which I selected from the salad bar. I also took two pieces of tempura from the Japanese cuisine area and a piece of bread from the breakfast tray. I semi-filled my plate with clam, string beans, feta cheese, cold cuts, eggplant, tomatoes and potatoes, among others.

Eat-all-you-can patrons can forgive me for not optimizing the experience. I had to resort to morsel approach because I'm obviously not as big as some people. I have a small frame and it bugs down quickly (read: rest room refuge), so as not to worry about that dining mishap I didn't take what I could not eat. Besides I don't even get to finish everything, but the waiters at Marriot Cafe seem not to mind unlike other eat-all-you-can attendants at conventional restaurants.

NEXT POST: MY MAIN COURSE BUFFET PLATE

I spotted a survey result in an online poll that more than 70% of respondents prefer chicken over beef. In retrospect, I had more chicken-oriented meals than beef-oriented ones since I started this food blog. This brings me to feature some of those chicken delights that I sampled over the past two months.

I had this Lemon Chicken viand at Robinsons Galleria's Mr. Choi a week before All Saint's Day. Just how different is it from Superbowl's version? It's got a stronger lemon flavor that's for sure although the meat is not as tender.

I love the kiddie ambiance at Eskimo Bob's.  It adds a jolt to any kind of meal I order there, including the resto's Chicken Parmigiana. You won't literally view the chicken on the image above as it is layered with tomato sauce and melted cheese. I don't necessarily adore the chicken, but it goes down well with pasta and garlic rice as shown above.

I woke up seeing this home-cooked chicken meal one afternoon from a deep slumber. My mom just got back from the supermarket and this is the result of that errand. I decided to forgo dipping it on ketchup to test how the meat really tastes like.

I'm a big fan of Max's. I totally adore the resto's signature chicken meal. I can truly attest to its infectious taste and succulent meat. Sarap to the bones talaga. I once tried their Chicken Sisig but the taste wasn't as delicious. It was overwhelming halfway the dining experience.

Jollibee's new product, the Chicken BBQ, is not as bad as some critics opine. It's not as good as the advertisements seem to evoke as well. It  tastes good enough for the price only. Do not expect to be floored by its meal-based java rice which needs to be reinvented ASAP or else customers may just start requesting for plain rice. That way the Chicken BBQ will earn its merit on its own.

This home-cooked Chicken Sarciado came about because I complained to my mom how the several cans of Delicioso tomato sauce from my cousin were just being displayed in the kitchen. A few days later, I enjoyed how the sauce (Sarciado in Spanish) finally got to be used.

Kids in superhero and macabre costumes were all over the mall trick-or-treatin'. I, however, was not and decided to just treat myself to something sweet. It was when I saw Cacao, the lone chocolate stall on the bridge way of Megamall.

There were lots of products to choose from. For a not-so-chocolate lover, I was not about to zone out. All I had to do was zero in on comfort flavors so I ended up buying just a piece of a dark chocolate (Php34) and a so-called Mint Melt Away (Php37) since I fancy anything minty in taste. To secure my mint week snack, I also bought a box of the 28-piece Andes Mint Parfait Thins (a smooth blend of mint and chocolate flavors; Php165). The mint-choco product is most famous for its three-layered piece with the chocolate as top and bottom and the mint in the middle. What I bought, instead, is its inverted version wherein the mint flavor covers the two layers with the chocolate in the middle.

What I like about Cacao is its location. I'm neutral when it comes to chocolates (unlike sushi for which I have a declared aversion), so I don't mind eating a piece or two once a week. The chocolate stall is just perfect for my daily route from work and weekly mall activities.