Food Lovers Guide to Shang Mactan, Cebu

Feast your eyes!
I literally LOVE this resort and all the YUMMY goodness it has to offer.

Magyar: Authentic Hungarian Cuisine

Whenever I hear of Hungarian food, my mind almost automatically goes on default and thinks about Hungarian sausages, probably the only Hungarian food I knew until last Thursday when I had the pleasure of eating in Magyar Hungarian Restaurant, which boasts to be the first Hungarian restaurant in the country. I arrived a little past dinner time, and the restaurant was packed with the after office dinner crowd. The restaurant was extremely easy to find and what I loved the most were the menus and the scrapbooks made by the servers of the restaurant which contained a primer on Hungarian cuisine and photos and captions of the food being served. That added a touch of effort which I very much appreciated.

Owned and managed by Vanessa Qua, with her brother on deck as executive chef, the restaurant serves up fantastic dishes which orient you on the savory dishes that are purely Hungarian and definitely something you'll be coming back over and over again...



As part of our 4-course meal, we were first served Magyar's Pureed Pumpkin Soup....





The dish had perfect consistency and it was flavorful and not bland at all. I found myself finishing the soup and cleaning out the bowl. It was that good.

The second dish was a salad dish, fresh garden vegetables served with vinaigrette sauce.



I'll be honest, I am NOT a fan of salads as much but strangely, I did enjoy this meal as it was a great palette cleanser from the creamy soup. It was an good injection of freshness.



The main course was the highlight of the meal... trust me, I love it so much! The dish was Roasted Creamy Pork Tenderloin served with Mashed Potato, Spinach and Chili Oil. It was a complete package, definitely the dish to keep on coming back for. The dish had a fusion of so many different flavors that when eaten together combined to be so amazing. Aside from that, the pork was very very tender and the creamy sauce it came with was just simple exquisite!





The meal was capped off by a generous serving of Gundel crepe drizzled with chocolate sauce. Looking at the dish, it seemed to be the perfect nightcap and basically, it reminded me of a holiday in a plate!



A bonus that was served to us (just to try) was the restaurant's crowd pleaser called LANGOS. It was basically potato bread or as I referred to it, a potato pancake but with a twist: it was served with sour cream and cheese. Imagine yourself eating a fusion of french fries and baked potato, and this dish is what you get. It definitely is another must when ordering....





I have to say, when I walked into the restaurant, I was completely clueless what to expect. Food from Hungary seemed to be such an exotic cuisine but having this meal proved that not only was it extremely relatable to the palette, it was also very delicious. This restaurant is definitely a must-try and I recommend you guys to check it out and have your own little taste of Hungary.



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Authentic 4 Course Meal for 2 at the Best Hungarian Restaurant in Manila

xx, JL

Magyar Restaurant

Unit 3, Paseo de Magallanes, Pres. Sergio Osmena Highway, Magallanes Village

Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines

(02) 8531397https://www.magyarrestaurant.com/

Comfort food at its finest: Banapple in Greenhills is love at first bite!

I love comfort food. Ask anyone, and they would say I prefer traditional home cooked, comforting, heartwarming food over the modern fusions, couture, fine dining food I've gotten used to with family dinners. Don't get me wrong, I do love my foie gras and prime rib- absolutely but on ordinary days, consider me the type of girl who will go for baked mac 'n cheese, fluffy pancakes and a sensational cup of java. That's just me.

This is why I am so happy Banapple, which for me spells COMFORT FOOD at its finest recently opened a new branch in Connecticut, Greenhills which is a place I frequent, given a lot of friends live near the area. I am loving how Connecticut Greenhills is being restored as a foodie hub with all the new establishments being set up along the strip.

Visiting any Banapple branch makes you feel like you’ve wandered into a fairy tale. The busy stretch of road becomes a woody forest, the honks and beeps of irritable drivers become birdsong, and the little restaurant in front of you is reminiscent of old Granny’s gingerbread house. There’s no witch waiting to shove you into the oven for dinner though; the ambience at Banapple is welcoming, comforting and, most of all, accepting. They do, however, have a tendency to overfeed you like dieting is the worst sin you could dare commit while alive. In Banapple you are encouraged to let it all go – all the stresses, the issues and problems of everyday life – and especially your diet.

The table reminded me of candy... SKITTLES!

They also have a cute reading corner/ nook for the kids.

When asked, GJ and Maricel Jimenez describe their typical customer as being young and affable – a modern-day Hansel and Gretel. Equally young and affable they, GJ and Maricel are the proud owners of Banapple, a hard-working married couple with two children, who consider Banapple a labor of love. It is their simple and humble wish to provide Manileños with basic comfort food to brighten their days, to cheer them up, to allow them to pursue their tasks with smiles on their faces and good nourishment in their bellies. Perhaps this modesty and unassuming pride in what they do is what keeps them young in both appearance and heart. Or perhaps it’s being constantly surrounded by the smiling faces of satisfied customers and excellent food.

I've been craving for Blueberry (boo-berry) as I pronounced it so I ordered that plus Iced Coffee. The pancakes were absolutely delicious. It was extra fluffy and the blueberry filling was just perfection!

Now look how I massacred it... I eat my pancakes stacked so its extra creamy rather than eating it by piece!

With my ultimate food coma buddy, Thons Edano aka The Man on the Street, blogger, PR magnate and eventologist! I love Thons! We had to rush out after being fed all these delicious food for fashion week's Forever 21 and For Me's show. Spot our "I'm so full, OMG, I ate carbs" face. But it was worth it!

A touch of home it is. Banapple offers the most amazing savory dishes for the hungry humans out there. At first glance the meals are slightly more expensive than average canteen fare, costing around Php180 for a dish. Yet when the meal arrives does said hungry human realize that it could have been shared, so generous are the sizes. There is also Banapple’s coffee, roasted to perfection, an ideal complement to an amazing meal. Any visit to Banapple wouldn’t be complete without sampling their amazing Banoffee Pie – or any of their other sweet tooth treats; the first bite is guaranteed to make you close your eyes and murmur in appreciation. With their food alone, you feel like you’ve entered a fairy tale as a member of the royal family, sitting down to banquet with the lords and ladies of the court, being waited upon by an attentive and cordial staff. No need to dress in your finery however; the ambience is so much like Granny’s house that it wouldn’t be surprising to see the three bears knock on the door, come to pick up some porridge on their way to the market.

Other Specialties include: (you have got to try this out- SERIOUSLY!)
Warning: Photos may induce a food coma, they're THAT good

Baked Cream Cheesy Penne

Chicken Breast Parmigiano

Hickory Smoked BBQ Ribs

And now for the dessert...
(I live by the philosophy that the whole point of having a meal is dessert!)

Apple Caramel Crumble Pie

The best seller- BANOFEE PIE is a staple Banapple favorite!

White Chocolate Truffle Berry Cheesecake

Banapple has been a loyal Quezon City citizen for the past three years, but thankfully Ortigas/ San Juan based customers may now visit the newly opened branch of Banapple at Connecticut Greenhills. More so, Makati dwellers can experience the goodness of Banapple themselves as it opened in the heart of the Central Business District – nestled in its very own greenery, inside the Ayala Triangle Gardens.

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Visit Banapple, Greenhills

at its newest branch at 47 Connecticut Street Northeast Greenhills, San Juan.

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And now for my outfit...

Vest: Zara| Tank Top: Mango | Skirt: Vintage 70's skirt from my mom| Belt: Vintage | Purse: Gucci | Shoes: Zara | Accessories: Cultus Chichi | Head dress: DIY..to be made available in Glitterati soon in SILVER, GOLD and BLACK

The theme was '70s so I literally went '70s well with a bit of a more modern twist. The skirt, literally, was owned by my mum from the Disco era and it is made of beautiful metallic chiffon with tiny dotted rainbow glitters and small silver pinstripes. (The skirt has a matching sheer off shoulder ruffled top but I thought I didn't want to go all out Studio 54 with the look) It's pleated perfectly and given maxi skirts are a big thing now, it was perfect for the one and only day I went to fashion week. I wore it with a vintage belt (also from my mom in '80s this time) with a turquoise detail that is just stunning. I paired with a top thats a little bit from my era: a black tanktop (basic) and a leather Zara vest. The highlight of the look though would again be my House of Harlow inspired DIY head piece which I have been just so addicted to lately! Hope it worked...xx

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My style gallery outfits

Visit my CHICTOPIA: http://www.chictopia.com/joannaladrido


Visit Deal Dozen, a lifestyle and deals site I am writing for,
http://www.dealdozen.com

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