Happy Foodies

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dg9b7jSIXlGUSvJSNyErADXcx6U-G5JBLlwflx3RnkuVbvzpersP1VwPzZuIoSz0mZx6f5BDOhu300SyRPsg6qaSwHKbUqZJMSi_Dt-Nu3KFM5HJRfZ0LEivgF0qMSg3MCmuV2Zi8iIwCQpEUmjuKy8Mrs9rf7ISoJlG2aGLlick-oT8oDdFvCnf9uI/s1600/the-farmaccist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Dg9b7jSIXlGUSvJSNyErADXcx6U-G5JBLlwflx3RnkuVbvzpersP1VwPzZuIoSz0mZx6f5BDOhu300SyRPsg6qaSwHKbUqZJMSi_Dt-Nu3KFM5HJRfZ0LEivgF0qMSg3MCmuV2Zi8iIwCQpEUmjuKy8Mrs9rf7ISoJlG2aGLlick-oT8oDdFvCnf9uI/s16000/the-farmaccist.jpg"></a></div><br><div><br></div> <p></p>“We are driven by the knowledge that food is medicine. Beyond just food, we serve nourishment.” This is one of the core values of <b>The Farmassist,</b> a new restaurant in Pasig. Don’t be misled by the name; although it may sound like a pharmacy, they serve affordable plant-based meals. In 2024, Happy Foodies will start featuring establishments and products that promote vegan, vegetarian, plant-based, and healthy food, beginning with this neighborhood find in Pasig.<p></p>

<div style="text-align: center;" class="alignwide"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvL1qVb3ozYsJKvt8z0QsRvXz-YTGAIaGCl-NKv9TrnU5HWg7n1HVr8f1-yauXQFV13e17G0rWw-_COa-4vmUYegVlFhTUZBS7zq8ftLgBiFK5sA9M9kLMbrIKD44O_I-QEsoZck2KfyDKKI-gf7H9M743bh2kw-u1lc1lJkdKEQqhUUQmZUdCDX3Phw/s1280/bantai.jpg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAvL1qVb3ozYsJKvt8z0QsRvXz-YTGAIaGCl-NKv9TrnU5HWg7n1HVr8f1-yauXQFV13e17G0rWw-_COa-4vmUYegVlFhTUZBS7zq8ftLgBiFK5sA9M9kLMbrIKD44O_I-QEsoZck2KfyDKKI-gf7H9M743bh2kw-u1lc1lJkdKEQqhUUQmZUdCDX3Phw/w640-h480/bantai.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><div><br></div> <p>Whenever I visit a new location, I always make it a point to try the local cafes before I go for the commercial ones when I yearn for coffee. It’s always interesting to see the local culture and flavor in small and homegrown cafes. I used to shift back and forth to Manggahan in Pasig since I rented a place there before. And just in the neighborhood, right across the street where I stay, is <b>Bantai Coffee</b>. A cozy little cafe on the 2nd floor of a building is filled with charm, nostalgia, and good coffee.</p>

<div class="alignwide"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX8BBf448rDtCd8mW9wzC0AOVZXMNYu55_ePlIKSt4DH48GKiSmwau0uNlyjAMfs2VnAywp2mFVg9wAqk4tEbupweT4qN-FElGbj7gl5WRLOrf-pTaNQF76Uj7qbCke49sDKI9GJFcCtWHQPoxvH6TjOgVgW_WBFXw0PS9AhlE97D_7yUohIYP74JpxE/s1280/brewed.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX8BBf448rDtCd8mW9wzC0AOVZXMNYu55_ePlIKSt4DH48GKiSmwau0uNlyjAMfs2VnAywp2mFVg9wAqk4tEbupweT4qN-FElGbj7gl5WRLOrf-pTaNQF76Uj7qbCke49sDKI9GJFcCtWHQPoxvH6TjOgVgW_WBFXw0PS9AhlE97D_7yUohIYP74JpxE/s16000/brewed.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p>Being a coffee lover and cafe enthusiast, it’s funny how <strong>Brewed Specialty Coffee</strong> in Pasig has gone under my radar for months since it opened. It’s a short three kilometer bike ride from our house. It’s located in a commercial center along C. Raymundo where I frequently bike. It took a fellow coffee aficionado’s recommendation to check this place out. And glad I did as it’s a wonderful cafe to add to Pasig’s burgeoning coffee scene.</p>

<div class="alignwide"><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMtwsouKp-dKLKVGI1vCXdGe1nwzHCfg3SUuxYkNpEq7Jg2sBnJv6WWUV9iLvKRcuq8LUyhm03niXfLSo54zaqMzWPxJFjcrj5j6pekB01v3eX2CDIFAS8gXoZ4j-2Ten0iGCcD5yNRrzwht5W4XC4xOo86R06qRCBlH34QKVcOJB2Lq1s-1F7Gm9M8I/s1280/yani-cafe.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMtwsouKp-dKLKVGI1vCXdGe1nwzHCfg3SUuxYkNpEq7Jg2sBnJv6WWUV9iLvKRcuq8LUyhm03niXfLSo54zaqMzWPxJFjcrj5j6pekB01v3eX2CDIFAS8gXoZ4j-2Ten0iGCcD5yNRrzwht5W4XC4xOo86R06qRCBlH34QKVcOJB2Lq1s-1F7Gm9M8I/s16000/yani-cafe.jpg"></a></div></div></div> <p>I didn't notice the sign on the building facade nor saw any on the stairs and hallway leading to the second floor (why no signs of the nice bird logo I wondered) but the spacious area fronting the Office Warehouse store could only be it. I'm rarely in the Pasig area but if I find myself here, Yani Café could be as good as any reason to do so.</p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB10u1Oq6Gwhbyrw5h17inZv1_4hA6OTWSGfHpCyDIA-9sJam1KM-jbbmtotViUKT_ZxHSyEUmDcZSDeKj_RD45NVtPfsXU6WyeNZ_BUbk47O4p5GGplPrYzfn64jQaAfqL1PxFXqCKvqCAGYQjm76y0ohE3Rtxy-xcK5okvCOah0HhIHegIlaecg6as/s1280/buffalo-swing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEB10u1Oq6Gwhbyrw5h17inZv1_4hA6OTWSGfHpCyDIA-9sJam1KM-jbbmtotViUKT_ZxHSyEUmDcZSDeKj_RD45NVtPfsXU6WyeNZ_BUbk47O4p5GGplPrYzfn64jQaAfqL1PxFXqCKvqCAGYQjm76y0ohE3Rtxy-xcK5okvCOah0HhIHegIlaecg6as/s16000/buffalo-swing.jpg"></a></div><br>It's always nice to discover non-commercial establishments run by young entrepreneurs hoping to make it big in the food business. One such establishment in the heart of Pasig is <strong>Buffalo Swing</strong>. This family-ran hole-in-the-wall resto has been serving excellent buffalo wings and more for more than two years already. Enjoyed mostly by nearby residences like the Riverfront and offices in Ortigas, people who knew about <strong>Buffalo Swing</strong> may have kept the existence of this wonderful little resto to enjoy it for themselves. But something this good would likely be known in the foodie world eventually. Join happyfoodies with guest foodie Jen as we sample their house specialties.<p></p>

<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ05IY0r_b1CjQHE3qD33O4lHXOv3bENSIWJhaH7szY9iKk5icZhAd0bynUctW3l56KgY0iDAD_ZvaxeiJgcun80FpnOk6OPgfKrpMTTIafdMS8u-FJK8axc6KGbZSyy_23TknazRH83Ug8OQlOwC8p9e5l0WwdlnMDzTiN1EOi3u9S6W-Se85I8L9slg/s1280/poco-deli.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ05IY0r_b1CjQHE3qD33O4lHXOv3bENSIWJhaH7szY9iKk5icZhAd0bynUctW3l56KgY0iDAD_ZvaxeiJgcun80FpnOk6OPgfKrpMTTIafdMS8u-FJK8axc6KGbZSyy_23TknazRH83Ug8OQlOwC8p9e5l0WwdlnMDzTiN1EOi3u9S6W-Se85I8L9slg/s16000/poco-deli.jpg"></a></div><br>I will never look at bacon the same way again. While I love my thin, crisp and crunchy bacon, the savory thick slabs of cooked bacon at <strong>Poco Deli</strong> changed my cholesterol-charged preference. The Bacon Slab (Php 320), coupled with bacon rice (bits of bacon on rice) and sunny side-up egg on top have a really intense flavor that I was at a loss for words to describe it.  It's just pure enjoyment with every bite. I tell you, Poco Deli is a haven for bacon lovers and it is found on this artisan sausage deli in Kapitolyo, Pasig. But the fun doesn't stop there as we tried their other offerings begging to steal your attention.<p></p>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ironwulf/6689113857/"><img alt="Lia's famous Avocado Cake" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6689113857_6a5d5bb540_z.jpg"></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Lia's famous Avocado Cake (P670 - whole/ P85 - slice)</figcaption></figure> <p>Avocado is one of my favourite fruits and being a sucker for desserts, the combination of the fruit with a cake can be lethal. Strolling along with a fellow foodie friend in the streets of Kapitolyo, Pasig, which is fast becoming a food hub with a lot of new dining options popping up, we discovered <strong>Lia’s Cakes in Season</strong>. Lia’s is one of the old dining establishments in the area (it's been there since 2004) known for its signature <strong>Avocado Cakes</strong>.</p>

<figure class="wp-block-image alignnone"><img alt="" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2550/4116959731_731a03014f_o.jpg"><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Fireplace's Angus Prime Chilled Ribeye Steak</figcaption></figure> <p>Majority of Filipinos are still meat eaters. We love a good and flavorful steak. And those looking for a more exquisite kind of meat would be glad to know that Manila isn’t short of restaurants serving high grade steaks. We only have to choose the dining experience to match with that sumptuous food. Here we steaked-out three restaurants offering some of the best-tasting steaks in Manila.</p>