Food Trip at Midnight Mercato

If there’s Mercato Centrale weekend market, there’s also Midnight Mercato that opens from 10:00 am to 3:00 am every Friday and Saturday at The Fort. No confusion, though, because they’re from the same organizer and operate at the same venue. While Mercato Centrale boasts mainly of its organic and healthy offerings, Midnight Mercato serves the city dwellers with its plethora of food items that you can eat right there and then. Or to go.



Last Saturday was Midnight Mercato night for us. We found the venue at the corner of 9th Street and 30th Avenue at Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.





With no unoccupied tables on sight, we had no choice but to take our freshly-bought food home. It turned out to be a blessing because we were able to share our food with more people.

Below are the Midnight Mercato food items we partook of that night (errr, early morning pala):

Manang’s Chicken

The blogs I read about Midnight Mercato prior to our food trip weren’t lying. Manang’s Chicken was really delicious! Basically, it’s double deep-fried chicken coated with Manang’s secret soy sauce (with original, mild spicy or spicy variants) and sprinkled with fresh sesame seed.





The fiancée even commented it tasted better than Bonchon’s. No wonder they had one of the longest customer queues at Midnight Mercato. If you’re visiting Midnight Mercato anytime soon, never leave without trying this chicken!



Sumoyaki Takoyaki

I’m not so sure of the name, but it’s everyone’s favorite takoyaki they’re selling. These takoyaki balls were sold at P70 per four pieces. Unlike the authentic takoyaki in Japan, it had no real octopus inside but crabstick. Still, it was yummy and we liked it.



Bibimbap Rice

We bought this from the stall that sold various Spanish paella rice dishes. The Bibimbap rice looked like it didn’t belong to the group but we tried it anyway because we missed the awesome Bibimbap at Kaya Restaurant. We were disappointed! The Bibimbap rice we got tasted awful. The rice grains were also undercooked and the entire rice mixture was watery (must be due to the cucumber and other veggie bits!). Its only saving grace was the sunny side-up egg on top. But anybody can never go wrong with eggs, right? At P75 per serving, I think it’s a waste of money.




this paella rice tasted way batter than the Bibimbap!

Token Cakes

We got four different cakes: carrot, mango, chocolate and cookies and cream. They were sold for P100 per two cakes. Cheap, isn’t it? I had low expectations with the cakes. Suprisingly, they were good! I particularly liked the carrot cake because it had complete ingredients (walnuts, dried fruits, etc.), the right sweetness and the cream frosting was light but yummy.





Merry Moo Special Ice Cream (Food for the Gods flavor)

I really enjoyed my Food for the Gods ice cream. This butterscotch-flavored ice cream was light, sweet and creamy, just like how ice cream should be. I asked the seller if I could taste their bestsellers (Early Grey Tea and Salt Caramel flavors) but I liked my first choice better so that’s what I bought.







Our food trip at Midnight Mercato was a success. It made me forget I was on a diet, but I’m not complaining. Everything we took home was delicious, save for the terrible Bibimbap rice.

Here are more Midnight Mercato photos:







If you’re bringing a car, parking is P30. While entering the premises, we saw several people eating inside or on the back of their cars. Some were even munching on their snacks while sitting on the sidewalk. Midnight Mercato seems to be a hit. I hope it remains so for a long time.


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Lunch at Café Platito (The Cliffhouse, Tagaytay)

During our recent Tagaytay weekend, I made sure we checked out The Cliffhouse, Tagaytay. It’s one of the best places to visit in the city if you wanna get a good view of the famous Taal Lake. These days, the Cliffhouse serves as a tourist attraction in itself with its beautiful garden landscape and row of restaurants. We went here on a Saturday noon, took a lot of photos and settled for lunch at Café Platito, the first restaurant that caught our attention.



Café Platito sat beside The Inn (the only hotel in the complex) and was right across Café Breton. It was a quaint little dining place with very limited items on its menu. There were a few tables provided for al fresco dining and a few more at the indoor dining area that seemed to double as a souvenir shop.



The fiancé had their Boneless Bonoan Bangus meal (P218) while I settled for their American Beef Burger meal, P198. For drinks, I had a pink lemonade while the fiancé got a regular Coke aside from his complimentary orange juice (for his Bangus meal).



To be honest, I found their food servings quite small. Even the drinks looked kid-size. And to think their prices are on the steep side. Sadly, the taste didn’t make up for these shortcomings.


pink lemonade, P75


orange juice (complimentary)

My burger was nothing special: two small beef patty with cheese, mustard and ketchup on a ciabatta bread. I liked the use of ciabatta bread (for added texture) but didn’t like the fact that the burger was only made tasty by the mustard and the ketchup. The fries that went with it weren’t even crispy to begin with. At P198, I thought it was overpriced and definitely not a good deal.





The fiancé’s Bangus meal had three sunny-side up eggs (for cholesterol overload?), garlic rice and two pieces of daing na bangus. I tried the fish and it was okay, tasty and went well with the rice if I may add. I also ate one of the sunny side-up eggs just so the fiancée won’t have a cholesterol overload. Haha. Again, at P218, I thought it didn’t offer good value to our money.



Sorry, but Café Platito didn’t live up to our expectations. It was a good thing they had polite servers that were easy to deal with. Had it not for them and the nice ambience, our dining experience would’ve been terrible.



I might dine again at Café Platito to find out if they would improve for the better, but not anytime soon.

Cafe Platito
The Cliffhouse Complex
Gen. Emilio Aguinaldo Highway
Tagaytay City


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Foodie Find: FelyMar's Bibingka

I've heard about FelyMar's Bibingka from the blogs I frequent. It seems people are raving about it because of four things: authenticity, good taste, affordability and all-year round availability (bibingkas or rice flour cakes are normally sold only during the Christmas season). One random Saturday, I finally came across the famous FelyMar's Bibingka when I saw my dentist whose clinic was within walking distance from LRT-Tayuman Station.


a bag-full of yumminess!

It was around 5:00 p.m. and yet it looked like the store had just opened. The place was packed with people, some are already eating bibingka on makeshift tables and chairs while others are patiently waiting for their bibingka to cook. I joined the crowd and bought two FelyMar's special bibingka at P40 each. I left the store with my late afternoon snack in two minutes. I bet the ones waiting were buying the super special bibingka (bigger and pricier at P80 each!) that FelyMar's staff cook only upon order.



When I got to the fiancee's house, I immediately shared the bibingka with him and his sister A. One bite and I knew why FelyMar's Bibingka is considered to be one of the best bibingkas in the metro!






It was really bursting with flavors: sweet, buttery, nutty, cheesy and salty all at the same time! I also liked it that FelyMar's Bibingka was generous with the cheese and salted egg as I could really taste and see big chunks of these two ingredients in their bibingkas. At just P40 each, I thought this was really a good deal!



The bibingkas had soft, fluffy and slightly sticky texture, too. It helped that we ate them while they were still hot. A few minutes had passed and the bibingkas were gone. Straight to our tummies, off they went. Haha.

Now I know where to go whenever I'm craving for the authentic and delicious bibingka of my childhood, even when it's not Christmas season here in Manila. Yay, what a great foodie discovery!


I lilly,lilly, like it...haha

FelyMar's Bibingka
(beside LRT-Tayuman Station)
J.P. Rizal Avenue
Tayuman, Manila


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Tagaytay Food Trip: Mushroomburger

Our recent Tagaytay weekend spent in a beautiful and serene place called Las Ventanas wouldn’t have been complete without a visit to Mushroomburger Tagaytay. We found this fast food place that serves the blog-famous mushroom burgers filled with diners on a late Sunday morning. Of course, I had to order a mushroom burger! A mushroom sandwich, actually, which I’d found out later, contained no beef patty but 100% mushroom filling.


the signage outside the restaurant


inside scene


personalized tissue holder

You dine at Mushroomburger just like how you dine in most fast food restos. You queue up and wait for your turn at the counter. You tell the girl at the counter what you want and you are given a number right after. You then wait for the food to be served on your table.

Mushroomburger's space in Tagaytay was pretty big. It had a separate room that serves as a dining area, too. The place was a little dusty and humid during our visit but it couldn't be helped since it was fronting a busy national road and relied only on ceiling fans for ventilation.


more dining spaces

While waiting for our order, I saw some framed photos of various species of mushrooms (all edible I supposed!) and the famed mushroom burger in its full glory.


mushrooms everywhere


the star of the restaurant

I just loved my burger as it tasted so fresh and healthy! Basically, it had oyster mushrooms, mayo and some tomato and cucumber slices on a warm bun. Each bite was filled with the earthy and juicy flavors of the mushrooms. At one point, the meaty texture of the mushrooms even made me believe that I was eating real meat patty! The cucumber slices, pickle and mayo provided the needed crunch and sweet-tangy flavor to the sandwich to complete the burger experience. It was so good I'm sure my vegetarian friends would love it.


my mushroom sandwich was yummy!


what's inside


these mushrooms sure look like chicken chunks!


anatomy of a mushroom sandwich

I partnered my burger with a plate of Pinoy-style spaghetti. The pasta was a bit soggy and the sauce quite watery but the overall taste was okay. It reminded me of Tropical Hut’s version.



The fiancé, on the other hand, ordered a rice meal and he got this:



I tasted his beef patty (mixed with mushrooms, I guessed) and it was delish, too.

We were surprised to learn the food items at Mushroomburger Tagaytay were very affordable. Their burgers were priced at less than P100 each. The drinks were under P50 per glass.


glimpse of the menu board

I had a Sago Gulaman drink while the fiancée had regular Coke.


gulaman, anyone?

All in all, our bill amounted only to just P268. A good deal, if you ask me.


what a cheap but delicious lunch it was!

Mushroomburger is a bit far from Tagaytay Junction but if you’d like to taste delicious mushroom burgers from where it originated, then a trip has to be scheduled pronto. Just drive straight the Tagaytay-Nasugbu Road and soon you’ll see the big Mushroomburger signage on your left. The place has free parking and lots of parking spaces so feel free to bring your car.


'till my next visit, Mushroomburger!

If you don't feel like driving all the way to Tagaytay for this, Mushroomburger has branches at West Avenue and Katipunan, Quezon City.

Mushroomburger Tagaytay
Brgy. Kaybagal, Tagaytay City

(+6346) 413-1330



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The New KFC Zinger Double Down

Those who missed the appetizingly overwhelming KFC Double Down during its limited release this year don't have any reasons to fret. KFC has recently launched the new KFC Zinger Double Down. It's KFC Double Down with a twist! From the original chicken fillets, it now has the hot and crispy zinger chicken fillets!

KFC was thoughtful enough to send me my very own KFC Zinger Double Down Thursday last week (October 28) complete with the drama of a KFC delivery boy donning a fireman's outfit!

I wanted to show some pictures but unfortunately, my sister accidentally deleted them while sorting out photos from our DSLR. Anyway, the delivery coincided the debut of the sandwich at all KFC stores in the Philippines. What a delightful morning it was! The sandwich served as my breakfast before going to work. Yum!


KFC Zinger Double Down up-close

KFC Zinger Double Down is huge. Imagine two hot and crispy chicken fillets with bacon strips, cheese and mayo in between. I closed my eyes and forgot about the calories while enjoying each bite. As expected, the chicken was oh-so-KFC-licious and I could really taste its spicy flavor. With two chicken pieces in one sandwich, it was double the heat, but I managed it well. I was so proud of myself. Haha.

A visit to KFC-Mall of Asia the next day informed me that KFC Zinger Double Down is priced at P120 (ala carte) and P150 (with drinks and fries). Still very affordable, if you ask me.


KFC-MOA menu board

If I could have it my way, I'll ask KFC to toast the bacon strips to bring out its rich, full flavor. And next time I'll consume one, I'll experiment a bit by eating it with rice! I'm pretty sure it's gonna be a complete and satisfying meal for me. :)




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