When in Boracay, eat local: Zuzuni's Mati Chocolate Sin

I've passed by Zuzuni so many times whenever I'm in Boracay but never bothered to check the place out. Located in Station 2 near Havaianas, this place has always caught my eye mostly because of the all white facade and bright interiors plus the promise of authentic Greek food.

Jake and I finally checked the place out last May to try their desserts. I always associate Greek desserts with flour-less chocolate cakes and Zuzuni's Mati Chocolate Sin was no exception. Lo and behold: 

They bake the cake upon ordering and you get this warm, straight from the oven, rich Valrhona cake served with Vanilla ice cream. Valrhona chocolate is my favorite kind on a cake and I loved the richness of this dish. Priced at P250 for a personal-sized cake, I felt it could have been a bit bigger for sharing. Offhand, it was a bit gooey on the inside and I had hoped for a smoother feel but this is a must-try for any chocolate lover on the island.

Since it was mid-afternoon on a hot, summer day, I was itching for a cold latte. They recommended their namesake cappuccino, the Zuzuni Freddo Cappuccino (at only Php 90!) which was a Mediterranean specialty. Basically, it's sweetened, chilled espresso topped with frothy milk. I loved the rich dark golden brown color and it was strong enough to keep me going for the rest of the day (and night). 

Desserts and coffee by the beach always make me a happy girl! Also, just found out that the restaurant is part of the Zuzuni Boutique hotel, which can be pretty cool if they also have Greek-inspired rooms ala Manos Greek Taverna Hotel in Tagaytay. Check out their website below!

Zuzuni
Station 1, Boracay
+63 36 288 4477

Opa! Greek fix at Greeka Kouzina

If Jake and I had our way, we would always eat at Cyma whenever we crave Greek cuisine. However, as we are mostly broke these days, we tend to search for alternative Greek restaurants with food at par with Cyma. Lo and behold, Greeka Kouzina opened in Little Baguio. This place is not hard to miss: it's just right around the bend in P. Guevarra coming from San Juan if you're going to Wilson.

We ate here before getting wind of the, ahem, "issue". Overall, the place was nice for dates and affordable. We both noticed the similarity of some dishes to Cyma's menu but chalked it up to being the usual, generic fare for Greek cuisine. Hey, we ain't Greek cuisine experts!

For starters, we ordered the usual: hummus! I prefer Cyma's for the taste. This was too bland for me. I liked how they were very generous with the pita bread!

We went there for lunch so the place was light and airy. My only beef with the place is that the tables are too close together. As in, the couple at the other table seemed to be eavesdropping on us because I was throwing a mini-tantrum fit when Jake refused to take my picture. Yes.

The Greeka baby back ribs was the highlight of our date! It was perfectly done in a fall-off-the-ribs tender quality. The sauce was perfect, too! I had no idea that this was standard Greek food. Is it? It was huge enough for the two of us at just P500 bucks. Solb!

We also ordered the Spanakorizo rice with spinach, mint and dill herbs, and a generous amount feta cheese. For someone on a perpetual half-rice diet, I am DYING to recreate this dish at home. Or rather, ask my mom to recreate it for me. I can eat this thing with no ulam!

If I can't have kebabs, then I always go for a Moussaka when going Greek. This was nicely done with a generous heaping of cheesy bechamel on top of the beef and eggplant. Again, the Spanakorizo rice was the perfect companion to lessen the umay factor.

The verdict? This is a recommended date place if it weren't for the originality issue surrounding the menu. We might eat here again if given the chance since it's accessible from Jake's and way cheaper than Cyma. Right, boyfriend? Haha!

Greeka Kouzina

285 P. Guevarra St.

San Juan

Tagaytay's secret Santorini

When we went to Tagaytay for our workshop, we had no idea that we would be checking in at its secret version of Santorini. We purchased two overnight vouchers for Manos Greek Tavern Hotel good for nine people, and we were not disappointed!

I have been reading about Manos Greek Taverna restaurant famed for the authentic Greek cuisine cooked by Manos Sapountzakis and his wife Estrella. Their charming bed and breakfast branch is located in front of Our Lady of Lourdes Church along the Tagaytay road and you can immediately see the love and effort they've invested to make the place charming and homey.

There are only three suites being offered to guests aptly named Santorini, Crete, and Mykonos. They are strategically located in a cliff overlooking the lake and woods below. It's the perfect setting to breathe in the fresh Tagaytay air and just lounge outside the room while gazing at the lake.

There's a long flight of stone stairs from the main reception to reach the suites below. Another flight of stairs will take you to their restaurant with the charming exposed white stone walls and rustic decor. I have never been to Greece but this place makes you feel as if you're in the Santorini countryside (fron what I've gathered from obsessing over Greece in pictures). Their refreshing homemade yoghurt shake only adds to the illusion.

Each suite comes with a king-sized bed, pull-out couch, toilet and bath, and a garden terrace with an awesome view of Taal. I especially love the little details in the furnishings, such as these door knobs and exposed tree bark as part of the "tv stand".

My favorite suite would be the Santorini suite mainly for the glass walls with an unobstructed view of Taal. It's also on the very edge of the cliff surrounded by trees below so no one can see you from the outside--it feels like you're in a secret paradise.

And imagine waking up to this view every morning, priceless.

Definitely worth another visit!!!

Oh, and a Tagaytay trip ain't complete without swinging by Ilog Maria's. Here's my loot for that day:

Pizzas, pastries, and pigging out...a week before bikini season

I've done nothing but eat my heart out these past two weeks. I should know better, I'm hitting the beach in a week and if I want to look like a babe in my bikini I should stop eating like a fool. I'm going on a crash diet tomorrow. For now, here are the culprits of my bulging tummy:

Finally tried Papa John's with Jake to satisfy our curiosity. The verdict? We would still go to Yellowcab for our pizza fix but we fell in love with Papa John's cheese bread and their heart-attack inducing butter sauce. So nom nom. Pizza was yummy but so so for the hype, ditto with their pasta which we thought was a bit overpriced. The serving was barely good enough for both of us. I have no idea where our hunt for the next yummiest pizza would take us but we're definitely not eating again at Papa John's by choice.

I've been spending too many cheat days with mom lately. These are the highlights of our days flitting around Maniluuh:

Ahhh, banana chocolate muffin with the crumbiest muffin top at Blenz Coffee. We were looking for a place to hang out while waiting for my sister wrap up her internship interview. We parked at a building along Salcedo street and decided to get cappuccinos and pastries here. I loved the breezy atmosphere of the place since it's tucked in a busy corner.

We also discovered Go Greek!--a Greek-inspired fast-food chain at Glorietta 4's food court. Jake and I are avid lovers of Cyma whenever we're in the mood for Greek food. Go Greek is the waaaaay cheaper version of Cyma. Even their Greek salad tastes just like Cyma's, ditto with the chicken kebabs. I called Jake right away to tell him about the good news, we finally have a place to get our Greek fix whenever we're too broke for Cyma.

My mother with the sweet tooth cannot stop raving about Kitchen's Best. We found it while looking for a Starbucks while my sister made us wait for her along Pasong Tamo extension. It's located in a bustling blind corner along Pasong Tamo, near the Yamaha building. The whole compound has a lot of interesting shops, they even have a spa and hotel for dogs! Anyhoots, Kitchen's Best has one of the yummiest banoffee pies I've tasted. The place has a romantic ambiance but I was a bit turned off when they asked me not to take photos since they don't allow it for diners. Huh. I managed to sneak in a few stolen shots, hee.

And finally, Deja Vu crepe at Cafe Breton. Mom has been nagging me to take her to La Creperie but since they don't have a branch at Trinoma, we decided to get crepes here instead. Nothing beats a fresh cup of brewed coffee with an oozing crepe. Sigh. I need to gather my wits and start working out like crazy. All this food talk is making me hungry again.

1000+++ calories and worth it!

Jake and I splurged on our cheat day for last Friday's date night and it was worth every calorie!!! Major regrets the morning after, though.

We were trying to save up so instead of getting our Greek food fix at Cyma, we ate at Cafe Mediterranean where it's just as yummy. We ate at Podium so we pretty much had the whole place to ourselves. 

Here's me doing the brat face because I wanted to order falafels and hummus for starters but Jake only wanted the hummus:

Hahaha! The hummus was yummy yummy. We also got Chicken Kebabs and beef something for Jake, Moussaka? I forgot. All I know is I'm craving for some right now. I am sooo hungry I'm willing to call it another cheat day.

Jake enjoying the hummus with some extra pita bread.

Nomnomnom. That is one huge chili!

But the real highlight of our night was Sebastian's Chilly Burger and Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough ice cream. I swear, this is worth breaking mu diet for 'cause it's sooo yummy! Let me explain what a chilly burger is: imagine two cookies filled with ice cream, usually with a fudge or caramel filling in the center, and rolled in either cocoa, chocolate chips, or nuts. Now how can anyone resist that? I keep coming back for more, this must be my third chilly burger ever since I started my diet hee. 

Different Chilly Burgers nomnomnom.

My favorite--Fudge Truffleburger. Two chocolate chip cookies filled with vanilla ice cream and a fudge filling, then rolled in cocoa.

Even the chocolate chip cookie dough was so nomnomnom. We got both--it's cheat day after all! Everything was so yummy that I'm dying to try these other flavors next:

Ooooh, I cannot wait for our next cheat day :|

wearing Pink boyfriend top/dress from Rico Salandanan, Forever21 headband, Dorothy Perkins gladiators, Nine West silver studded bag.