The Wholesome Table Estancia Branch introduces healthy bowls and new dishes

The Wholesome Table Estancia

When Bianca Araneta-Elizalde decided put up The WholesomeTable several years back, she only had one thing in mind: to introduce the Filipino palate to healthy yet deliciously good food (she does this by incorporating organic nutritious superfoods) to become more enticing and exciting. She had no idea it would revolutionize the way diners regard and appreciate healthy and nutritious organic food. Thus, the restaurant was born out of her desire to nourish and restore the body's healthy state in order to optimize wellness and good health. 

Bianca Araneta-Elizalde, The Wholesome Table's owner

The Wholesome Table was such a hit that a few years after they opened their first branch at the Bonifacio High Street, they had opened two more branches, one in Salcedo, Makati while the other one is at Estancia Mall in Pasig City. 

COCA Restaurant Review at SM Aura: Experiencing The Art of Ojiya

To be perfectly honest, I’m a really huge fan of hot pot. I could still recall that as a kid I loved observing how the simmering pot would be split into two—spicy broth for the oldies and clear soup for us kids and for those who aren’t into anything spicy. We would fill the broth with watercress, sliced beef, pork, squid balls, fish balls, tofu and taro.  So when I received an invitation recently to review another must-try hotpot restaurant, I immediately agreed. After all, it’s been a long time since I’ve had a hot pot, I think the last one was with a Korean restaurant in Quezon City. I got really excited to try COCA Restaurant for the first time. 

Located at the top level of Skypark at the SM Aura Premiere in Bonifacio Global City, COCA’s known not only for their delicious hot pot but they really have good a la carte offerings as well. I had no regrets braving the traffic I had encountered from my place in Quezon City to BGC that weekday morning. The Buffalo Bites was so, so good. Tender yet flavourful crispy chicken in bite sizes. I was initially reminded of my nephew’s favourite Korean chicken, but I actually like COCA’s better—crispy chicken with a tangy glaze that offered a mellow kind of sweetness.

Live Life Vegetarian Restaurant Food Review in Makati: Discovering the wonders of healthy and delicious vegan meals

Owner Ms. Sylvia Cancio took a leap of faith when she transformed a portion of space from their family business into a small but cozy restaurant. But it turned out to a worthy risk. Now it’s charming yet still some sort of secret because it’s partly hidden at the back of her building (but hey, now if you’re reading this, I’m sharing with you this little gem), frequented by groups of friends and families with healthy appetites yet they choose healthy meals over fast foods.  People obviously enjoy Live Life Vegetarian Restaurant. Not only because of it’s cozy ambiance, but their buffet spread of Italian, Filipino and Asian inspired dishes that are all surprisingly good.  The best part? Everything’s affordable! 

Vegetarian Spaghetti Pomodoro

Bellysima by Mercato Centrale at Glorietta 5: Healthy Weekend Market

We’ve recently checked out BELLYSIMA @ GLORIETTA 5 last June 12. It is from the same people behind that brought us the successful Mercato Centrale and we were thrilled to find out that it will now be a regular weekend market! Find all sorts of unique and delicious market finds in one place, some of their vendor partners which include:

Comida Chefs Gallery Café Kamias Road Review: Ilocano-fusion Hole-in-the-wall Snack Bar

It may seem a bit odd for some people to combine an art gallery together with an intimate dining set up. But for some reason, it perfectly jived—and such was the case at Comida Chefs. Located at the second floor of Caballete Art Gallery, along that bustling Kamias Road in Quezon City, Comida Chefs is a brainchild of renowned fashion designer Danny Dela Cuesta, who had traveled around the world and studied a culinary course in Europe. He used to have a restaurant in Lucky Plaza mall in Singapore which served a fusion of Singaporean + Filipino cuisines, but he decided to come home to the Philippines and open up a catering business and a small dining area that serves Ilocano-fusion. This is his specialization as he’s a regional cuisine developer. He first opened up Comida Ilocandia along Timog but he had to close it down when an opportunity to partner with an art gallery opened because such is the trend now. Thus, Comida Chefs was born.

Fantastic Fern Healthy Salad Recipe

In the cool upland areas of Quezon, such as Lucban, you'll find pako, or fern, growing wild on the mountainside. Only the new sprouts are edible and should therefor be the only ones harvested, but in many local markets, pako is sold along with hard stems to make the purchase seem as though you're getting more value for your money. Because Pako grows wild and thus doesn't contain remnants of pesticide, it's a big hit among organic aficionados. The new sprout is shaped like the end of a violin stem, hence, in English it's called a fiddlehead fern. 

The new sprouts of pako form the main ingredient of a local salad that's tossed with tomatoes, and sometimes, with salted eggs and kesong puti (white carabao milk cheese). You can top this with any dressing, but the Filipino way is to use a vinaigrette mix of vinegar, salt, pepper and a little sugar. 

For a smoky twist, try grilling the kesong puti and sprinkle over tinapa (smoked fish) flakes. Squeeze some dalandan (sweet orange)into the dressing. The tinapang galunggong or smoked blue mackarel scad makes nicer flakes and add subtle flavor into the dish.