Experiencing Full-Blood Wagyu MB9+ for the First Time at The Pig & Palm Cebu

Experiencing Full-Blood Wagyu MB9+ for the First Time at The Pig & Palm Cebu

Monday, May 29, 2023

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We all have that one dining experience that just raised the bar so high we're not even sure if something else could easily top it.

Recently for me it was this meal at The Pig & Palm. Though I am not very into steaks, I've had my fair taste in different places in the past and I thought those were amazing - I mean they're still good, as much as I can remember them to be. So when we thought of trying out the full blood Australian wagyu steaks, I didn't know what to expect. I thought that it was like any other great steak, just a bit more expensive. So naive of me, I know.

Service

The Pig & Palm is a well-known restaurant in Cebu City by Michelin star chef Jason Atherton. I have only heard praises about it ever since and I am glad to say that it is very well-deserved.

I wanted to make a reservation so I first sent a message to their Facebook page but I thought I'd just call them to make sure in case the page was not monitored. The lady on the phone was very professional and very friendly. It took me no more than three minutes to get it all sorted out. The page did reply a bit later and even though I told them I already made the call, they still checked and confirmed my reservation which I thought was really nice of them to do so. 

The amazing service this place has extends from their phone call to the dine-in experience. Everyone was super nice and made us feel really special.

One thing that I'd like to mention is that unlike most restaurants here in the city, The Pig & Palm brings over their POS system to your table instead of bringing your card over to their checkout area. 

Now, let's talk about what we had...

The Food

Prosciutto & Manchego Cheese Croquettes, Saffron Aioli. 

These croquettes are nothing like I've ever had before. These little tiny pieces burst of flavour that each bite is so heavenly it's almost unreal. I am so sorry my inability to professionally explain what any of these taste like may never give them justice.

Australian full blood wagyu rib eye MB9+. 

There's only two other dishes that I've tried that took me straight to food heaven and this just toppled over them really fast. I think this will only change until I get the chance to try out the Japanese wagyu but for now, The Pig & Palm's Full Blood Wagyu Rib Eye is surely my absolute favourite steak so far. It's just sad that this is not something I can casually have on a whim - however, I'm still so so happy that I get to experience this at least once.

The steak is cooked and seasoned just right and it does melt in your mouth. It made me forget how the other steaks tasted before it - I know it's dramatic but there's no other way around it. This is worth every single cent.

Mango Float Souffle, Crushed Grahams, Mango Sorbet. 

My initial thoughts were...if they were going to attempt to level up a well-loved dessert of mine, they might as well go all the way. And they sure did. This is the mother of all mango floats in my humble opinion. So I did have to sink the mango sorbet into the middle of the souffle before drenching with some cream. This was perfect - the sweetness did not overpower any other amazing flavours in this dessert. And I couldn't think of a better way to end this magical meal. 

Menu

In conclusion...

I just wished I was filthy rich that I could head to The Pig & Palm at any time I want because everything about the restaurant is worth it. You don't walk away with regrets because from the service to the quality of the food, the attention to detail is superb and it is worth the price you pay.

I would confidently consider this the best restaurant I have tried in the city. 

Location:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepigandpalm

Disclaimer: As you can tell by my not so poetic description of the food that I am not a food critic/expert nor have I ever claimed to be one. This is out of personal experience. Your experience and preferences may differ from mine. This review is not written with the intention to harm any individual, group or business.

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More Than Just Halo Halo...What Else is in Razon's by Glenn at SM Seaside?

More Than Just Halo Halo...What Else is in Razon's by Glenn at SM Seaside?

Wednesday, May 24, 2023

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This may be an unpopular opinion, but growing up, halo halo is one of the few Filipino desserts that I don't like. I still ate it especially when it's free (because why not) though I very rarely spend my own money or go out of my way to have one. 

Most halo halos are just too much going on for me. 

Except for Razon's. I believe the main reason why I liked their halo-halo is also the reason why there are those who don't prefer it. And that is because it's simple. Unlike most Filipino halo-halos with a variety of contrasting flavours, Razon's plays itself on the edge of complementing flavours.

We recently found the Razon's by Glenn at SM Seaside so we wondered if there's more to the place than great halo-halo. Let's take a look at a couple more dishes.

Palabok Overload Fiesta (Php 165)

I liked this one, it may be at par with the Jollibee Palabok with its edge being that this tastes more homemade than the Jollibee one. It's good enough, but not so great. I didn't find anything special about it. Now this may be only because I'm not so big on veggies but I did not like the presence of the lettuce here - it stuck out like a sore thumb. Overall though, this was a good snack and just the right amount of serving.

Roast beef (Php 239) 

Doesn't look much...does it? Actually, this was really tasty and the beef was tender. The sauce is also well-made. It's just that it looks underwhelming and the serving was really very small. 

Mais Macapuno Special (Php 145)

If you think that their halo-halo is very straightforward, then the mais macapuno special might change your mind. It is as straightforward as it can get - a sweet, creamy blend of mais and macapuno. Don't fret though because this honestly is a really great dessert. I don't think this really passes as a halo-halo variant (don't come for me please) but it does not mean it is not good on its own. 

Halo-halo Special (Php 135)

Ever since I had my first Razon's halo-halo way back, I realised that this was the only way that I like my halo-halo. It was good then and still really good now. 

Cheesy Melt Bibingkamon (Php 50)

I had this as a take away order. I didn't know whether it would be a bibingka that taste like mamon or a mamon that tastes like bibingka - it's actually half and half. It has the slight taste and texture of bibingka but has the density of a mamon...and I don't think I like it. I like bibingka, but I am not a mamon girl so the texture didn't sit right with me. It's tasty though and I think the cheesy melt really did add some magic to it.

In conclusion...

I will forever sing praises to Razon's Halo Halo and I surely will keep coming back for it. With that being said, I think that would only be the reason that I would come back unless I am really hungry at the same time that I am craving for the halo-halo. The food was not bad and the service here was really great. The place is quite cozy as well. However, I didn't fell in love with the food enough to say that I would want to have them again.

Location: 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/razonsbyglenncebu

Disclaimer: As you can tell by my not so poetic description of the food that I am not a food critic/expert nor have I ever claimed to be one. This is out of personal experience. Your experience and preferences may differ from mine. This review is not written with the intention to harm any individual, group or business.

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After The Hype: Is Tim Ho Wan in SM Seaside Still Any Good?

After The Hype: Is Tim Ho Wan in SM Seaside Still Any Good?

Sunday, May 21, 2023

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Ah, the wonder that was Tim Ho Wan when it opened a few years ago. I remember there wasn’t a day when no one talks about it and there wasn’t a long queue for their dine in - at all hours. I was able to try it when it was fairly new, but it was after almost an hour of waiting and by then I really didn’t have any happiness left to enjoy the meal. I am aware that is a very first world problem and sounds very ungrateful considering there are people starving to death but I am just trying to say it as it is.

Just recently, we went to Tim Ho Wan and since it’s been so long, I cannot remember how the food was like so this definitely felt like the first time.

In case you didn't know, Tim Ho Wan, originally from Hong Kong, is known to be the world's cheapest Michelin star restaurant. It has branches in 12 countries. In the Philippines alone, they have eight branches. 

Ambiance

There’s not much unique aspects for the ambiance. It certainly has the elements of a dimsum restaurant, but definitely less cramped up than its more affordable folks which is one thing that makes being there feel more premium…or expensive.

Service

The service wasn’t too bad. The food took around 15 minutes and except for a couple of their staff, those who waited on us were very warm and welcoming.

Food

Yang chow fried rice with pork chop 

This tasted so much like the fried rice and pork chop that I had in Din Tai Fung. The pork chop was tender and very juicy. It really tasted close to authentic dimsum. The fried rice was not special, but I did like how it wasn’t salty because it complemented the other dishes really well.

Pork dumplings

I didn’t know that something as common as dumplings a.k.a. siomai could be elevated to something this good. Unlike other siomais that are too salty or too bland that it’s super dependent on its chili sauce, this siomai was soooo good on its own. It really played out the natural flavours well without the saltiness. 

Beef balls

Well, I know this does not look very appetising but trust me when I say this was also very divine. As a matter of fact, I didn’t have any sauce with both steamed dishes but I still enjoyed every single bite of it. This is very rare because I love myself a good chili sauce but this does not need any more though I also have a feeling a good sauce would take it way beyond.

Baked pork buns

I saved the best for last because I was still hung up on it even hours after I had it. I now understand why this is so well loved by many people. It’s the best pork bun that I have ever tried…ever. This does taste best warm. Every single part of it is perfection. The dough is very thin but also extremely tasty and the filling (oh dear) is so satisfying. It is different from how Filipino pork buns regularly taste like but that uniqueness sets it so far apart from the rest.

Menu

In conclusion…

Years after the hype, Tim Ho Wan is still a place for really great dimsum. The price is obviously higher than other dimsum places, but it’s worth it. In this place, you don’t have to have too many to feel satisfied. It is more of a quality than a quantity place. I think the place is great for those who are craving dimsum but want the more elevated dining experience. 

Will I go back? For the sake of even just the pork buns alone, I will 100%.

Location:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TimHoWanPH

Disclaimer: As you can tell by my not so poetic description of the food that I am not a food critic/expert nor have I ever claimed to be one. This is out of personal experience. Your experience and preferences may differ from mine. This review is not written with the intention to harm any individual, group or business.

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Is "It Ends With Us" a Bad Book?! I Had to Find Out for Myself (W/ SPOILERS)

Is "It Ends With Us" a Bad Book?! I Had to Find Out for Myself (W/ SPOILERS)

Saturday, May 13, 2023

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Trigger Warning: The book and this review contains themes relating to domestic abu$3. Please proceed with caution or skip this post altogether.

I don't usually decide not to read an author's works because of who he/she is, but I do have limits on certain beliefs. A few months ago, I read and heard about controversies surrounding the author and I decided I didn't want to read any more of her works - I have read Reminders of Him before I got to that point and I did not find anything problematic about it. 

However, just a couple days ago, I had a good look at my Audible library again and found that I did purchase the audiobook for one of her most controversial works. I honestly think I got it out of the hype in the past and just forgot that it was in my library. Audible has changed their return policy so it was too late for me to return it and I didn't just want to put it to waste so I went ahead and listened to it.

But before anything else...

A little disclaimer. This review is scary for me to write knowing how much loved the author is by her fans that there have been attacks to those who have very publicly expressed their dislike for the book. I have decided to temporarily pause all of my preconceived notions about the author simply because I did not want to waste an expensive audiobook. With that, I am writing this review with the same outlook as all other books. If there are thoughts that you do not agree with and you feel the need to defend the author, please just don't. There's no point so let's not waste each other's energy. We all like different things and I have my own preferences as you do have yours. Most importantly, I am not a victim of D.A. but I have known and witnessed it happen to other people. However, I know I still would not be able to fully emphatise with the victims and for that I am truly sorry.

Now let's get on to what I think.

Did the book romanticise DA?

One of the most common comment that I came across on the internet was that the book romanticised DA. While Lily's mother did not do anything about her husband's actions and Lily forgave her own husband more often than one would like, I honestly did not see much romantisation of DA in the book. What I did saw was a reality that many abu$3d women go through specifically the thought process that they have to take when deciding whether or not to walk away. I do understand that giving second chances to abu$!ve behaviour is never right and it is much easier to say when you are not in that situation, but as much as it hurts to admit - it does happen. Some would say it's because of love, others were just too dependent on their husbands to even take a step back or others would not want their children to grow up in a broken home. I did try to listen with the intent of spotting this romantisation, but I did not see much of it other than the many second chances given to the abu$3rs.

What was the reading experience like?

I did not know until the end of the book (author's note) that this was largely based on the author's own experience with her biological father. Reading the book did at times did not feel that it was fictional. I thought that it was just the lack of art in its writing. There were so many lines that sounded like the lines from books like Twilight or 50 Shades - NO, that is not a compliment. Oddly enough, it was not the abu$!ve situations that I found off-putting. It was the other things like the weird (ehm illegal) age differences, Lily's hypocrisy that she will never sleep with Ryle and just simply the names in the book. My, oh my, the names were weird in this one. I never thought the name Ryle was weird until I heard it a thousand times in an audiobook. There were also odd scenarios that were in the book but I felt like they didn't add any value being there. One specific character/scene I could recall was the one with Lily's roommate. It was wasted minutes on that one.

I did not get any chance to visualise anything on this book - not the rooms, not the situations, not their characters because the book did not describe anything to me. It told a story, albeit not a very good one, but it failed in many ways to help me connect anything on it.

It was not a boring read, it just was not anything significant.

Is it a bad book?

I wouldn't call it a bad book but it also does not come close to being good either. I am pretty much generous with my ★★ for this and that is mainly because I was not in misery listening to it. It was also not shallow. It was not a bad book, but all it gave was a very soft blow of a story that will make you feel sorry for the characters just enough. The characters themselves are quite tolerable.

I think it is safe to say that I don't get much of the hype around this book. I don't understand how it got there. I do hope the fans do not come hard on me for this one, but even without all the controversies, I still don't think this was a good one.

Will I read the second book?

Nope. I was curious enough to Google whether Atlas and Lily ended up together, but not curious enough to put myself through an entire novel again. 

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