Sunday, June 24, 2012

Skydreamer Dines in Cebu: Chicken and Beer in IT Park

On Father's Day, the day that my husband can finally celebrate this day with his baby, we spent it simply. Just me, Seth, my husband and my two sisters (who originally planned to spend Father's day with our dad, but due to bad weather were forced to stay in the city).

We had dinner at one of Moses' favorite chicken place - Chicken and Beer in IT Park, a Korean restaurant that doesn't serve traditional Korean dishes.

I can't remember everything that we ordered, but I can really say that the food is great! Plus, if you're dining with four people, you're better off ordering their vegetable rice for two because it serves four people!

One of the things that I don't like are the insects. There are so many small insects flying inside. I don't know why they can't manage it, other restaurants in IT Park certainly don't have the same problem.

Here are the pictures:

Vegetable Rice
Sisterettes
Korean Chicken
Fresh fruit punch
Another type of Korean chicken
Nachos with salsa

Skydreamer Eats: Hubby's Newest Dishes

If you have read my blog, you know that my husband cooks - and he cooks really well. Here are some of the dishes he prepared this month:


All meat spaghetti - hands down, this is my all time favorite spaghetti and I'm not just saying this because he's my husband. I honestly have not tasted any other spaghetti - commercial or homemade that comes close to this.

All-meat Filipino style spaghetti (the best!)

Pizza - Moses' homemade pizza made out of pita bread, tomato sauce, salami, bacon, ground pork, bell pepper, black pitted olives and mozzarella cheese is the best! I can confidently say that it's better than yellow cab pizza (and that's saying a lot because I love yellow cab).


Homemade Pizza that my lil one gobbled up!

Potato with Garlic Ranch Dressing - this is just okay for me. These are marble or baby potatoes that were boiled then deep fried. I personally prefer baked potatoes, but that's just me.


Marble Potatoes with Homemade Ranch Dressing

Buffalo Chicken - this is something that Moses cooked for me because I absolutely loved Don Henrico's chicken ala buffalo. These are slightly spicy chicken with a kind of sauce that was originally concocted in Buffalo, New York hence the name. Back when we were still dating, Moses asked Don Henrico's former manager for the recipe and he uses that all the time and tweaked it a little bit to suit our palette.


Chicken ala Buffalo


So there, these are the dishes that hubby prepared for us this month.


Skydreamer Eats: My Italian Breakfast

After my Italian dinner, I decided to make a couple of Italian dishes for breakfast. I made caprese salad and veggie pizza.

For my caprese, I used one tomato, mozarella cheese, pepper, olive oil and parsley (because I had no supply of basil).
Verdict: It was not as good as I thought it would be so I added a little bit of Deli dressing to help blend the different flavors and it did the trick! It tasted fresh, zesty and herby.

Since I was still hungry, I made "pizza" using pita bread. I topped it with tomato sauce, tomatoes, black pitted olives and mozarella cheese.
Verdict: it was, in my own opinion, perfect for me. I know my husband wouldn't have tasted it because it was too simple and had no meat. But that's exactly why I loved it. The flavors blended well together for my palette.

Here are the pictures:
Pita Bread with tomato, olives and mozzarella
Homemade Caprese

Skydreamer Dines in Cebu: La Tegola in Ayala Center Cebu

One Saturday night, we decided to check out that "li'l Italian below Starbucks." And so we went to La Tegola Cucina Italiana, albeit the many bad customer service feedback.

When we got there, I immediately felt at home. The furnishings, the ambience, the staff and the aroma of the dishes being cooked in the kitchen made the place warm and cozy. Add to that the friendly and attentive staff including the manager. Yes, I've heard too much bad rap about this place - slow and bad service, overpriced but tasteless menu - but everything was just the opposite when we went there!

First off, they gave us complimentary tomatoes with olive oil in focaccia. It was admittedly tasteless, but everything else was great - their aglio olio had the right amount of oil that made it non-greasy; their lasagna tasted of rich tomatoes; their pizza was simple but flavorful and their vesuvio used a great brand of mozzarella cheese and good quality black pitted olives.

To some people, La Tegola may be too expensive; for others, it's just fitting given the quality of food; for a few people, it's pocket change. A cheap and quick no frills Italian go-to. For me? It's just right, but that doesn't mean I'll be going back anytime soon. Yes, the price may be right but I can't afford to dine there every weekend. But if you have the moolah, I'd say do check them out.

Restaurant's manager dancing with lil Seth


They serve these tiny bruschettas complimentary


Aglio Olio (simply fab!)

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Skydreamer Dines in Cebu: Call a Cab!

Hubby and I used to eat yellow cab pizza a lot. But it came to a point when it started tasting like cardboard. So we just stopped...

But today, on a lazy Saturday afternoon, we decided to get their Manhattan Meat Lovers and New York's Finest in one 18-inch layer.

Eating it again felt soooo good! And Yellow Cab started to taste normal and great again.
New York's Finest

Friday, June 8, 2012

Skydreamer Dines in Cebu: Casa Verde

Casa Verde is one of my old favorites. In fact, when I first tried their baby back ribs in the original location, it only cost P129 then. Now, one order would cost you P208. But it's well worth the price.

One of the things I love in this restaurant is the way their dishes are named. The names of their dishes are so creative. For instance, the name of their chicken salad is Caryl's Country Salad. Their baby back ribs is named Brian's ribs.

Here are pictures of our order:

Brian's Ribs (baby back ribs)

Family: Polymer Clay

My son, Seth, recently received a lion-shaped ref magnet made out of polymer clay from my sister-in-law Agnes.

I have never heard of polymer clay up until a few days ago when my two sisters-in-law have taken interest and told me about it. When I checked online, I saw that these are non-toxic plastic that's from the same material as PVC. It's just called clay because it can be molded.

It's really interesting how many shapes can be made out of it. Sometimes, it's like looking at fondant icing except it's not edible.

Here's what Seth got:

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Skydreamer Dines in Bohol: Shiang Ma Nou

There is a Chinese Dimsum joint near K of C church that serves the most amazing pork asado and roasted turkey. If you ever need a serious Chinese fix, do try them out! I don't have any pictures because we just ordered our food to go but the food's really good!

Skydreamer Dines in Bohol: Garden Cafe

In 1984, the Bohol Foundation for the Deaf & Disabled, Inc. opened the Garden Cafe as a small snack center made of bamboo with 7 deaf employees. It has undergone many transformations from a BBQ stand, donut shop, pizza parlor, to a Filipino-Tex-Mex fusion restaurant. They also serve desserts like pumpkin pie and frozen typhoon.

I'm usually difficult to impress when it comes to restaurant interiors. Lately, it would take a good hotel restaurant to make me truly appreciate the theme/ambience or whatever the restaurant has it going. Well, this one impressed me so much and I was just amazed that I've never heard if this delightful place before.

Here are the things that impressed me:
1. The staff is composed of deaf persons so when you order, you have to call a certain number from a phone in your booth to tell them what you want. Obviously, you'll be talking to a person who CAN hear you.
2. They serve pumpkin pie! For P35 and that's with whipped cream!
3. Proceeds are used to educate deaf children in Bohol.

If you're in Tagbilaran, do check them out.

Mini pumpkin pie with whipped cream
You use this phone to order. Great idea!

Booth seats


Skydreamer Dines in Bohol: Buzzz Cafe in ICM

Buzzz Cafe in ICM is Bohol Bee Farm's mall outlet. I've heard about them for a few years already but never had the chance to dine there.

Now that I'm here, we ate lunch there. I was looking forward to their organic food, salad with flowers, and organic red rice. My younger sister even proclaimed Bee Farm as her current fave restaurant.

I ordered their honey glazed chicken and flowered salad. Hubby got their meat pasta.

The food was great but not awesome. Believe me, saying that is not easy for me - I have been looking forward to dining there for years now. The food coming up a bit short for my taste brings me no joy. Hubby enjoyed his pasta though. :)

Here are some pictures:

The salad had edible flowers!
Complimentary bread and spreads