Paul

PAUL Boulangerie and Patisserie - SM Aura, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

Complimentary Fresh Bread

 Pain au Chocolat

Chocolat Chaud PAUL - Hot Chocolate & Milk

Ham & Cheese Croissant - Farmer's Ham, Emmental Cheese & Bechamél Sauce

 Tartine Saumon Fumé - Smoked Salmon, Tomatoes & Cucumber on Country Bread

Green Tea

  Thé Surprise = Tea + Moelleux Chocolat Slice + Macarons + Crême brûlée 

 Thé Surprise = Tea + Moelleux Chocolat Slice + Macarons + Crême brûlée 

 Eclaire Vanille - Traditional Choux Pastry with Vanilla Créme Pâtisserie Filling

The Dessert Window

PAUL Boulangerie and Patisserie is located in the beautiful new SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. I was so excited when I heard they opened a PAUL in the Philippines because I was visiting over the holidays. PAUL started back in 1889 and let's be honest, if something is around for 125 years then you know it's good. Except PAUL is that good. My cousin and I went for lunch so we got to try the food and the desserts. I was a kid in the candy store, drooling over the entire menu. I wanted to try everything, which is probably why I ordered everything. I started with the Hot Chocolate and the Pain au Chocolate. Hands down PAUL makes the best chocolate croissants in the world. After that we ordered our main course, mine was the Tartine Saumon Fumé and it was delicious. Even the salad dressing was tasty, and I don't usually pay attention to something so boring as salad. For dessert, I ordered Thé Surprise and it was ah-mazing. I couldn't decide on just one dessert so why not get three? The Moelleux chocolat cake and macarons were great and all but for me, the crême brûlée was perfection. I always have such high expectations when I order crême brûlée and PAUL's version was so creamy and not too sweet, which I loved! 

Je t'aime PAUL. Thank you for bringing back Parisian café memories.

Hungry Hound

Hungry Hound - Fort Bonifacio, Taguig, Philippines

Calamansi - Filipino Lime

Duck Fat Fries with Rosemary, Garlic & Parmesan

Braised Short Rib with Gremolata, Fine Beans and Tomato Risotto

Gremolata = lemon zest, garlic and parsley

(now we both learned something new today)

Sautéed Chicken Breast with Mashed Potatoes, Chorizo & Nut Stuffing and Fine Beans

Roasted Tomato Spaghetti with Basil, Pine Nuts and Parmesan 

The dish doesn't come with meat but I added a Chicken Breast.

Connected to Hungry Hound, Niner Ichi Nana serves some pretty unique cocktails.

A peek inside Niner Ichi Nana.

Hungry Hound is located in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig. When I think of Manila, I think of people and traffic. Surprisingly, the Fort was quiet because everyone was away on holidays. After 3 glorious hours at The Spa (look how relaxed we look, I really just woke up from my massage), we were ready to eat. My cousin took us to the The Hungry Hound, which was on my list of restaurants to try in the Philippines. The ambiance reminded me of a pub but with better food. The Duck Fat Fries were a great starter. Now when I think of Duck Fat Fries, I think of the Duck Fat Poutine from Charcut. For me, the Duck Fat Poutine is still the crème de la crème but it's kind of hard to beat duck fat, cheese and gravy. I'm Canadian, I love my poutines! Another highlight was the Braised Short Rib. Tender, fall of the bone, get in my belly kind of love. Plus the Roasted Spaghetti was simple but yet so flavorful. Definitely reminded me of my days in Italy. Thank you to my cousin and his girlfriend for taking me to the yummiest places and for being such lovely tour guides in the Philippines. I love how my cousin's girlfriend also takes photos of her food because we could be cool together. Foodies are the coolest people, you should always befriend them.

Nicholas Alexander

Nicholas Alexander - Born on November 11, 2013, on his Great Grandma's 90th Birthday.

Welcome to the world Nicholas. Tita Janey loves you to the moon and back!

Side Note: This was my second time in the delivery room and can I just say, 

I bow down, Beyonce to every female who has ever given birth. 

The Proposal ♥

Well of course Teddy would propose with Crave Cupcakes. We all know how much I love food!

Thank you to Philip, Dominic & Justin for setting everything up while we were at dinner.

Guardian Angel - A little luck from Teddy's Mom in Heaven ♥

I froze the Crave Cupcakes because they were too special to eat!

Something About Mary Grace

 Mary Grace Cafe - Greenbelt 2, Makati, Philippines

Cutest Kids Section 

 The Famous Cheese Roll 

 Ripe Mango Shake - my go to drink in the Philippines

 Pork Tocino with Eggs and Garlic Fried Rice

 Mango and Fresh Salsa

Mary Grace, located in Greenbelt 2, Makati,  is the cutest cafe. The decor, ambiance, staff and food were all just lovely. Oh and the Cheese Rolls were heaven! Make sure you order them "grilled" so the layers of cheese just melt in your mouth. Mmmm cheese, butter and sugar. Sobrang masarap that I just had to start speaking Tagalog to tell you how delicious these are. I actually flew back to Canada with a dozen Cheese Rolls in my carry-on. True story.
There really is something about Mary Grace.

Borough

 Borough - The Podium, Manila, Philippines

 After a night of watching Midget Boxing...

#itsmorefuninthePhilippines

 Popcorn Calamari - Popcorn crusted fried squid tossed with extra butter for good measure. Served with clarified chili butter.

 Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup - Grilled cheese in homemade brioche bread. Served with creamy tomato soup for dipping.

 Ever since I was a little girl, Grilled Cheese & Soup has always been my favorite comfort food.
Best part about this meal? They cut the Grilled Cheese into triangles just like my Grandma.

 Chile Chicken Burger - Homemade chicken burger topped with Monterey Jack, avocado and corn salsa.

Chocolate Chicken Wings - Baked wings coated in cocoa and cinnamon. Served with cilantro sour cream.

Borough is located in the Podium Mall in Manila. A restaurant named after the "boroughs" of New York, this place serves comfort food anytime of the day. Two items that stood out on the menu were the Popcorn Calamari and the Chocolate Chicken Wings. I thought the Popcorn Calamari would come out like KFC's Popcorn Chicken but it came out with actual popcorn. Interesting but it was good nonetheless. Oh and the Chocolate Chicken Wings were quite spicy, so if you like heat and you're the adventurous type, order away. But if you're looking for something exquisite, I would recommend the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. My Fiancee and his friends went to the Philippines last year and his Best Friend texted me just to rave about the Grilled Cheese & Tomato Soup. Trust me, a great grilled cheese can change your life.