FOOD POST: Midnight Mercato on a Friday Night

I remember the first time I laid eyes in this gastronomic place, July 2011. My eyes dazzled with excitement as I see the variety of foods being offered. Since then, I keep coming back.

Midnight Mercato is a weekend market hub that offers an assorted selection of foods. From local foods like barbeque isaw, bagnet and sisig – to international cuisine like Japanese, Korean, Mexican, and American etc. 

I believe that the concept of Midnight Mercato was inspired by nearby Asian countries like Singapore, Thailand or Hongkong since these countries offers the best food stalls lined up on streets selling food till the wee hours of the night.

Last night, my boyfriend and I decided to go here since we already miss the place. These are the things we ate. Enjoy!

Assorted meats and seafood to be grilled. We ordered Chicken Bbq for 100pesos

Super famous chicken and pork intestines, 35pesos each.

Giant Takoyaki! Unlike the ones in the mall, this has more fillings of crab and squid. 1 serving is 70pesos for 4 pieces.

Pork Steak. Tender but lacks flavor. The gravy that came with it is very good though. 100pesos each.

Fresh fruit  juice. We ordered the large ripe mango for 70pesos.

And the star of the night. Merry Moo ice cream! Homemade ice cream using fresh ingredients! 

I got the Sea Salt Caramel for 85pesos/scoop. It was divine. It is very creamy, sweet and salty. Yummers!

We also bought home some cakes and brownies. 3 for 100pesos. I chose Carrot Cake, Caramel Cake and Revel Bars! 

Some things I notice. The food stalls are less than the last time I was here (January). The tacklings (bite size tacos) are now gone. There are also less barbeque stands. Mochiko (mochi with ice cream) is also nowhere to be found.  

Well, I will still come back in this majestic food heaven. Next time I will try the Nitrous Oxide Ice Cream. Ooooh!

Our total spending for 2 is 595pesos. It is very affordable and there are just so much things to choose from. If you want to have a full course meal with appetizers, main and dessert – bring at least 600-800 pesos for 2 persons.

Happy Eating!!! 

Midnight Mercato 
34th street and 8th avenue,
(across MC Home Depot) Bonifacio Global City 

FOOD POST: Pak Restaurant and Meat Shop

Indian – Pakistani – Arabic – Middle Eastern food are sprouting like mushrooms here in the Philippines. It is becoming more popular by the second. Most of the restaurants I know that offer these dishes are a little pricey, so finding an inexpensive place is quite an achievement for me.

This small eatery is situated in Paranaque City. They serve a fusion of Pakistani, Persian and North Indian foods, all of which are Halal. Pak Restaurant is owned by a Pakistani national and his Filipina wife.

It only has 6 rectangular – wooden tables and chairs. I believe this area can only hold a maximum of around 35 persons. The place is simple and neat. It looks like a typical cafeteria.

Aside from the 'restaurant area', they also have a small corner in which they sell lentils, different flours to make roti, paratha or dosa, pickled vegetables, indian soaps and oils and a lot more. 

Their menu consists of 5 different parts - Bread, Chicken, Mutton (goat), Beef and Vegetables. They also offer Paneer and drinks like Lassi and Milk Badam.

For this afternoon, this is what I ordered. 

Paratha, 45pesos each

Paratha. I was a bit confuse with this one though. It looks, feel and taste more like a regular roti than a paratha. Paratha's should be soft, and should consists of many layers. This is is more on the dry side. Well, I think they got confused with my order.

Mutton Kebab, 80pesos

Mutton Kebab. Ground mutton mixed with different spices. This one tastes good, but dry. It is supposed to be served with rice or bread. Where is the bread?? Along with it are sliced onion, tomato and yogurt chutney. The yogurt chutney is SUPER delish! :)

Bashmati Rice, 55pesos

Bashmati Rice. I love this long grain rice. It's fragrant and fluffy. This one is cooked perfectly.

Mutton Keema, 160pesos

Mutton Keema. Minced mutton meat, cooked in aromatic spices. Usually, potatoes or peas are mixed with it but where are they???

I also ordered Milk Badam, 55pesos for 250ml. (I forgot to take a picture)

Total Bill is 440pesos for 2. 

WHAT I LOVE? The food is very affordable. Price ranges from 55-250 pesos. The food is also good (sometimes). When the owner is there, if he or his wife will cook - the food is great, but if not - then the food sucks big time.

WHAT I DON'T LIKE? Inconsistency. Maybe this is what you'll get for the price? (but that is just a lame excuse). I've been here many times, sometimes the food is superb and sometimes its not. The service is also not good. The servers are always confused - like what happened to me this day. They did serve me roti and not paratha. They also forgot the bread on the kebab. 

OVERALL:

I would still come back here even if I had experience bad service. It's not all the time though. HAHA. 

I hope the owners would change their servers. The servers don't know anything. Seriously. I actually hate them. They are ruining the business. They are not attentive, very lax. They kept chatting in the middle of the service. (Note: I was the only customer during this time, there were 4 servers and they still didn't get my orders right). Also, the main reason I keep returning in this place is because they sell mutton meat, cow's milk, bread and fresh yogurt. 

Rating: 5/10

Pak Restaurant and Meat Shop

Address: La Huerta (Muslim Community), Sucat Paranaque

Opens 10am-10pm , Monday-Sunday

Phone: 09202936016

*accepts delivery within paranaque and las pinas area*

Beauty Review: Marionnaud Slanted Eyeline and Eyebrow Double Side Brush

One of the things I’m obsessed about is my eyebrows, and I only use one tool to achieve that. My handy dandy angled brush has been with me since 2008. I actually named her KiKi (for Kilay). After 6 years, I finally repurchase the same brush. Now my old brush can take some rest! 

Thank You Kiki. You served me well. 

PRODUCT DETAILS

Marionnaud Slanted Angled Brush (N 38) is made of synthetic fibers. It help shape the eyebrows and can also be used for gel liners.

Care Instructions: Hand wash before initial use and blot dry with a paper towel. Wash frequently in lukewarm water and mild soap or shampoo. Rinse well and shape the head of the brush with your finger. Lay flat to dry.

PRODUCT DETAILS

It comes in a ziplock - type plastic packaging.

It retails for 59.75pesos.

The mid portion of the brush is made of wood. It is also where the description of the brush is written.

One side is the slanted angled brush part that you can use for your brows or for lining the eyes. The other side is a spoolie (spooly) to brush the eyebrow hair.

This is my old brush. See that the black coating is gone and showed that it is a wood underneath? The spoolie also came off already. Haha! (abused brush)

See the difference between the hair fibers? You can tell that the first one is really old because it is not thin anymore.

VERDICT

Will definitely repurchase (I already did actually). It is very durable and will really last a long time. No fall outs from the hair. You will really get the value of your money with this make up tool. 

I know there are a lot of make up brushes available in the market, but why spend $20-30 (retails 1,250pesos here in the Philippines) on a MAC 208 angled brush when you can get it for a cheaper price but still do the same job. If you are on a budget or a newbie starting a small  make up collection, this product is recommended for you. 

Disclaimer: I am not against other brand of brushes like MAC, Sigma or Real Techniques etc. I would love to own one, but right now,  I am not eager to splurge 1,500 pesos on a single brush.

*Available in Watsons and SM Department Store - beauty section.