Category Archives: Foodie

We went to Terry’s for lunch 🙂

Previous Entry:  Terry’s March 29, 2009 

Crujente de Jabugo from the Tapas Festival.  Order is by piece 🙂 

I tried the Mister Crunchy as it is a new dish and in their specials 

Yummy desserts!! 

You can order more picatostes to dunk in the hot chocolate 

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Every once in a while, something cool happens in Makati. Recently, a capacity crowd attended the inauguration of Chihuahua Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar, a Tex-Mex joint located in the heart of the city’s burgeoning nightlife district.

Topping the guest list were US Ambassador Harry Thomas, Mexican Ambassador Dr. Tomas Calvillo Unna, and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay Jr., who together cut the ribbon in an avalanche of flash photography, cheers, and toasts.

Why all the hoopla? Isn’t this another in a long string of Mexican restaurants that have recently opened all around the Metro? 

The minute you set foot in Chihuahua, it becomes immediately apparent that this restaurant is something else. 

First thing you notice is the restaurant’s modern, yet open and inviting interior.  The loud Mexican music puts a grin on your face as you walk up to the counter to order. 

The aroma of fresh cilantro, cumin, and grilled meats start activating your salivary glands, while you check out their simple, easy-to-read menu.

Next, you’re compelled to choose your main dish (tacos, burrito, burrito bowl, or salad) and your choice of beautifully seasoned meats (steak, chicken, pork carnitas, or grilled veggies), each priced at P295. Their generous servings make it obvious they don’t skimp on the meat.

Now, on to your side dish: Mexican rice, chili, Nacho Grande, chips & queso, or tortilla soup.  Their Nacho Grande’s got everything your heart could possibly desire: tortilla chips, queso, chili, guacamole, pico de gallo, salsa, cheddar cheese, sour cream, and jalapenos.  Warning though, their chili is Texas-style: 5-alarm! And their queso is addictive.

Last, is the drink. Chihuahua is already famous for their frozen margarita, known to their already-loyal followers as the Chihuarita, which they claim to be the best in the city – made with 100% Mexican tequila and pure lime juice (no sugar added).  “This is the way we drink our margaritas back in Texas,” says General Manager Elian Habayeb, who grew up in Houston (the world capital of Tex-Mex cuisine) and lived in Mexico for several years while working for cement giant CEMEX.  “We like to call our Chihuaritas ‘happy juice’,” says Habayeb with a wink.

  “We’re also quietly introducing the Michelada – Mexico’s #1 beer-based drink, made with beer on ice, Tabasco, Worcestershire Sauce, Knorr and a twist of lime,” adds Habayeb, “plus we’ve got beer on tap, and a remarkable selection of imported beers and sodas.”

Mouth-watering food in-hand, you’ll definitely want to stop by the salsa bar to compliment your order with some fresh-daily Chipotle, Tomatillo, and Habanero salsas.

Just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, you’re then invited to sample from their growing but already impressive collection of rare hot sauces gathered from all over the world – known simply as The Sauce Library.

“This is the best food in the world!” says owner Ines Cabarrus, who is neither a stranger to Mexican food nor to the restaurant scene.  After graduating from Holy Cross College outside of Boston, she joined a Jesuit volunteer program teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) to Mexican and Latin American immigrants in Chicago and immersed herself in the culture and cuisine.  She currently manages her family’s award-winning Japanese restaurant Sugi at Greenbelt 2, and was a 5-year faculty member of Enderun Colleges teaching the Wine & Beverage Management and Service courses to this country’s future restaurant industry leaders.

Habayeb and Cabarrus have authored the bestselling coffee-table book Manila’s Best Kept Restaurant Secrets, and organize the annual MBKRS Awards – considered the ‘Oscars’ of Manila’s restaurant scene.  In addition, they write the weekly lifestyle column MUSIC & WINE in the Manila Standard Today, and host the social event-turned radio show MUSIC & WINE on 106.7 Dream FM, now airing on www.musicandwineradio.com

“When I first moved to Manila, I noticed there weren’t any decent Mexican restaurants. After waiting patiently for 10 years, Ines and I decided, together with [Restaurant Manager] Miguel Villanueva, to do something about it,” says Habayeb.

Why Chihuahua? Well, there’s a Mexican expression “Ay Chihuahua!” that has several meanings like “that’s great!” and “this chili pepper’s really spicy!”. The restaurant is also aptly named after Chihuahua, the Mexican state bordering Texas, where El Paso and Juarez are situated.  Then there’s “Chuy” (pronounced ‘Choo-ee’) the Chihuahua – a shifty-looking dog with a sombrero and a long Mexican moustache who serves as the restaurant’s mascot.

“We’re both excited and proud to serve up the most authentic Tex-Mex cuisine this country has ever experienced,” says Cabarrus. “Manila’s not gonna know what hit it!”

You can find Elian, Ines, Miguel,

Chuy, and the rest of the crew every day at Chihuahua, 7838 Makati Ave. across A Venue mall, open till 3am nightly.

Chihuaphone: 0916-373-7308.  Chihuaritas are 2 for 1 till 3 every Monday IF you know the password. (hint: find it at www.facebook.com/chihuahuamexicangrill).

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For all the chocolate lovers out there, you have to try these delicious chocolates from Italy.  Vincent Aldanese, husband of my friend, Rhoda, brings them in and now sells them at Shangri-la Plaza Mall.  My favorite is the Ovincini and the Milk chocolate with Caramel praline 

CHOCOLATE ORIGINS:   PADOVA, ITALY

The province of Padova, or Padua in English, is located in Italy’s breathtaking, culturally opulent Veneto region. It is a treasure trove of medieval and renaissance art and architecture and is a haven for masterpieces by legendary artists like Giotto, Donatello and Mantegna. The picturesque province located in Italy’s northern region finds it center in Padova city, home of one of the oldest universities in Europe and known to be the final resting place of St. Anthony, the Catholic patron saint of lost and found objects. Padova  is famously dotted with small, welcoming little towns –  the charming municipality of Villa del Conte being one of its brightest shining stars.

OUR HERITAGE

Ours is a story that spans three generations. The making of this confectionary masterpiece started with the hands of Nazzareno Cattapan whose pioneering spirit and passion for creating only the finest cioccolato gave birth to a thriving craft. For us at Villa Del Conte, chocolate is not just a resplendent dessert but also an edible art form.

It is in the idyllic rural locale of Villa Del Conte in Padova, Italy where we create our artisanal chocolates. Much like an heirloom, each recipe is passed on from father to son. Nazzareno bequeathed the cioccolato legacy to his son, Orfeo Celestino who in turn, also passed it on to his. Today, at the helm of the operations is the third-generation cioccolato connoisseur Enrico Cattapan.

For 75 years now, we have been making traditional fine chocolates handcrafted by our artisans in our factory in Italy. With decades of experience in our craft, we make sure that premium ingredients go into each cioccolatini so that every bite is seeping with sumptuous flavors that only authentic, first-grade chocolates can offer.

The cacao beans used in making our cioccolatini are handpicked to ensure that only the beans of the highest standards are used in making our artisanal creations. Each piece passes through our unique process, which we perfected throughout the years. We believe that aside from our age-old practices, premium-quality cacao is the foundation of great chocolate. What’s more, our cacao ratios in our chocolates are always high, ensuring the quality and intense taste of our delicious treats.

OUR OFFERINGS

Make your mouth water with our offering of decadent artisanal chocolates. There are several sumptuous cioccolatini in our repertoire:

Praline Balls:

Milk chocolate with Cacao cream filling

Milk chocolate with Caramel cream filling

Milk chocolate with Hazelnut cream filling and Cereals

Dark chocolate with Coffee cream filling

Dark chocolate with Macadamia cream filling

Dark chocolate with Hazelnut cream filling

Dark chocolate with Hazelnut cream filling and Cereals

Praline Sticks:

Milk chocolate with Strawberry cream filling

Milk chocolate with Banana cream filling

Dark chocolate with Mint cream filling

Dark chocolate with Orange cream filling

Ovicini– Sugar-coated dark chocolate eggs with hazelnut cream filling

Gianduja– Special chocolate with Hazelnut paste and Whole Hazenuts

CUSTOM CHOCOLATES

Make our chocolates your own with our exclusive customizable molds and packaging choices.  Ideal for corporate giveaways, weddings and other special occasions, these customized chocolates will allow you to add a personal touch to your sweet treats.

SEASONAL OFFERINGS 

Delight in our specially crafted chocolates and limited-edition packaging created to commemorate the most festive of holidays and occasions. Our scrumptious seasonal collections are perfect to be given away as gifts and to be shared with friends and family.

OUR PACKAGING

Take home a charming piece of small-town Italy with our striking packaging. Designed to impart an authentic feel of the warm Italian lifestyle, our packaging features a picturesque shot of Padova’s town square. It is here in this piazza that one can glimpse the true pulse of the Italian way of life. 

OUR TEAM

Our well-trained Villa del Conte team is firmly committed to providing you with excellent customer service.  It is our promise to make your cioccolato experience a rewarding and enjoyable one.  

OUR STORE

Allow us to transport you to Villa del Conte in Padova Italy. Everything about our stores- from the carefully aged bricks to the antique copper pots and hand- forged wrought iron frames- invoke the warm, homey, rustic feel of rural Italy.

CONTACT US Visit our store at the 3^rd level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall. Reach us at:Website: www.villadelcontecioccolato.com. Email: info@villadelcontecioccolato.com  Telephone: 621-2101 or 893-2575 Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Villa-Del-Conte/208401809195513 Twitter: www.twitter.com/VilladelConte

The pleasure of tasting traditional, authentic Italian chocolates; the pleasure of being able to choose from a vast selection of rich flavours and exciting tastes; the pleasure of communicating friendship, love and affection; the pleasure of sharing a bite and sharing a moment- these are the pleasures that our products bring.

We at Villa del Conte invite you to delight in life’s little pleasures. Indulge and enjoy!

A nice article by Chuvaness in the Philippine Star

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Heart2Heart just loves this place!! They have been opened for a year already and this is my first time to try it and I loved it! This was one of the first restaurants to open in Burgos Circle

Beautiful Paintings by Carlos Rocha – this one was commissioned for the restaurant and the others around the place are for sale

Chateau Tanunda Exclusively available at L’Entrecote

Upstairs seating

Chef Martin Kaspar, owner and Chef, was with us the whole time and he is such a nice man!  He answers all our questions whether food related or anything we want to ask him 🙂  

Chef Martin is Swiss from the German part of Switzerland, but he cooks following the French side of Switzerland 🙂 He used to be the Chef of Stars of Giorgio and L’Olivier in 6750.  And now he opened up his own place and at the same time he teaches in Enderun twice a week.

Chef explained to us that when the restaurant opened, they were serving only the L’Entrecote menu,  but later on had to add more things in the menu as customers were looking for other choices

I am coming back to try the Kitayama beef from Bukidnon!

Geneva Fondue Bites!  LOVE THIS!! I really requested for this because I was so curious to try it!  Heart2heart Loves cheese!!  Chef said he changes his menu once in awhile and he will be changing this in two months!!! So hurry before he changes this!! I am coming back and will tell him not to remove it from the menu!  🙂

Here it is inside! YUMMY!!

Pissaladiere – My first time to also try this.  It’s a swiss pizza which uses puff pastry as the crust.  The real Pissaladiere does not use tomato and cheese, so this one had sweet onions, anchovies and olives!  LOVE IT!!!!

Another Pissaladiere  this time more traditional since it had tomato

Pissaladiere with Tomato Confit and Camembert – YUMMY ALSO!!!!

Foie Gras with Apricot Sauce and Melba Toast – YUMMY!!! I am telling you everything was YUMMY!  ( YUMMY My type ! ) Make sure to scrape the apricot and the freshly ground pepper

Fine Flat Noodles in Tomato Chili sauce with Lapu Lapu – wow, the Lapu Lapu was really fresh! YUM!

Fine Flat noodles in Spinach Cream Sauce with Lobster -Everything fresh!! That is what Chef always tells us – everything he makes and serves is FRESHLY MADE!

This is the main dish of the restaurant.  Chef really is trying to promote L’Entrecote which originated from Geneva.   It means Sirloin.  I think it is such a good deal to have this dish which comes with salad and the magic word “unlimited” french fries 🙂 and you add a little more to get wine and dessert!

The salad dressing is the recipe of Chef’s mother which he learned from her.  He said that she is smiling all the way from Switzerland 🙂 

YUMMY!!!  The steak is cooked and grilled using lava rocks.  This is really good for one person since it is a 10 oz sirloin steak, but maybe if you have appetizers and other things before this, you can share this.  

CLOSE UP! 🙂

My favorite is the SECRET HERB BUTTER SAUCE!  Chef said he is the only one who knows the recipe.  He said there are 18 ingredients in this sauce!! WOW!!  Chef specified that the herbs are chopped by hand and not blendered.  I asked for more and he brought out some more!!!! YUMMY!!!!!

Also yummy with unlimited  fries!! we wiped the plate with the fries to not waste the butter sauce 🙂

Chef Martin also prepares all the desserts 

L’Entrecotes Raspberry and Walnut Iced Vacherin 

Crepes Suzette with Vanilla Ice Cream 

New dessert not on the menu yet and no name yet – but randomly Chef called it L’Entrecote Tower 🙂 

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