District 50 Restaurant at J-Centre Mall, Cebu

Hello everyone! So, about several months ago I've been scouting again for some restaurants in Cebu that are worth mentioning and while I was at J-Centre Mall in AS Fortuna St. Mandaue City, I found this sort of retro-diner inspired restaurant called District 50.

When I entered the place, I immediately liked the theme. It has a sort of diner feel to it though they actually serve more than just burgers. What immediately caught my attention was the beetle sports car which you can actually use as your table although it can only accommodate two persons. But it's pretty cool, huh?

As you can see, they pretty much have a lot of framed pictures (of music bands, music icons, celebrities, etc) and other 50's-inpired decorations, which I find really cool and inspired. They also have booths, al fresco dining and a bar as well.

So I know you're all very excited on what we ordered so without further adieu, here it is:

Nicoise Salad (above) and Russian Egg Salad (below) for around PhP180.00 each. As you can tell from the photo, the Nicoise Salad is a mix of lettuce, tomatoes, potatoes, boiled eggs, olives, white onion rings, canned tuna and some balsamic vinegar as dressing. The Russian Egg Salad is basically just two hard boiled eggs with some peas, carrots, corn, olives and then topped with mayonnaise dressing. Both okay.

Chicken Parmesan for PhP180.00. I love love love this one! The sauce is really tomatoey which I like. But if you don't like tomatoey sauces then this might not appeal to your taste. But this is one of my favorites.

Creamy Dory with Pesto and Peas at PhP180.00. This I like too. The sauce is really tasty and complements with the creamy dory very well. Yum yum!

Smoked Paprika Beef at PhP230.00. This is one of my personal favorites! I like it's bit-of spicy taste and the beef is so tender. Really really tasty!

Chanesca (District 50's version of Puttanesca) at PhP180.00. I'm not quite a fan of this one. I was a bit disappointed that it has sardines in it. I guess that's what makes this version a different Puttanesca since the original Puttanesca recipe has anchovies instead of sardines. But I'd have to say that it does have a certain unique flavor to it, but it just didn't suit me that much. It kind of reminds me of misua with sardines, which I don't like very much...

For dessert we had Bea's Crepe and Brownie S'more each at PhP100.00. 

Bea's Crepe has ripe mangoes as filling and vanilla ice cream on top, while Brownie S'more is a chocolate brownie topped with s'mores and a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Both yummy and heavenly.

Overall I really loved my dining experience at District 50. What I really like about it is how cheap their price is and yet, as you can see from the photos, their dishes are very much like gourmet in appearance and taste.

Will definitely come back again!

For more information about District 50 or if you want to visit them yourself, here's their address and other contact information:

• Address: 2nd Floor, J Centre Mall, corner Bakilid street, AS Fortuna, 6014 Mandaue City
• Contact #: 520-6562
• Email: district_fifty@yahoo.com
• Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/District50

They are open from Mondays through Sundays from 10:00 am to 11:00 pm.  Payment options are Cash and Credit Card (Visa, AMEX, Mastercard).

Anyway, that's it for now. 'Til next post guys!

Homemade Ice Cream (Without Using an Ice Cream Maker)

That's right! I didn't use an ice cream maker to make this lovely homemade mango ice cream! And it's ridiculously easy you can actually make this with your eyes closed! Okay, partially closed. Hehehe... :-D

I actually just made this yesterday and as of now while I'm typing I'm actually enjoying a scoop. And what's more enjoyable than to share it with your friends, right? So I'm sharing it with you guys! Except that I'm only going to share with you the recipe since you do know that I can't possibly share it to you in actual, right? (Duh!)

So here's the recipe:

1. Mix & blend 1 cup (250ml) all-purpose cream, around 5 medium-sized ripe mangoes (seed & skin removed!), 5 tbsps condensed milk, and 4 tbsps sugar in a blender. Adjust sweetness/"mangoness" according to taste. Pour the mixture into a plastic container with lid and store in the freezer overnight.

And that's it! Told you, it's ridiculously easy!

But I'd have to tell you though, some teeny-tiny ice crystals did form in the ice cream but it's not a big deal really except if you really want a creamy ice cream, like the ones sold in stores. But this is ice cream enough for me and perhaps in the future when I make this again I'll work on the ice crystals. Do you have any idea/tips though? I was thinking of adding evaporated milk to it or perhaps cornstarch? Some people, when making ice candy, do put cornstarch into the mixture to give it a smooth consistency but I'm not quite sure if it's safe to eat raw cornstarch. So if you guys have any tips/ideas please feel free to comment below! And let me know if you tried this recipe! I'd love to read your comments (except for the rude ones of course, hahaha!)

Tata for now! 'Til next post :)

Firozian Indian Tea House, Cebu City, Cebu

If you're yearning for an authentic Indian cuisine here in Cebu, then you have got to try Firozian Indian Tea House.  It is a newly opened Indian restaurant located at Don Jose Avila St. (at the back of Cebu Doctors Hospital).  They've just opened last April 25 and we went there a few days after that to have my first ever taste of authentic Indian food.  Comfortable and cozy, this cute little restaurant is owned by an Indian guy named Firoz, who also happens to be the chef!

It was a great dining experience indeed!  The restaurant has the ambiance of colorful walls and curtains with low tables and chairs and throw pillows such that the customers can get to try what it's like to dine the Indian way.  Firoz actually explained to us why eating this way is better than what we normally do.  First, he said that in the old days, eating on the floor was a natural thing such that even kings enjoyed lying or sitting on the floor while eating.  The Greeks and Romans do this too. Second, eating in a lotus position (or as what we usually call the cross-legged sitting position), helps the body absorb and digest the food faster as the blood flow is concentrated in the stomach area.  It is also beneficial for the back.  Finally, the third reason is that it shows a symbolism of no hierarchy system while eating this way.  Everyone is equal, rich or poor. Pretty cool, huh?

So anyway, as I mentioned, I've never tried authentic Indian food before and I tell you, the first time I tasted it at Firozian Indian Tea House, it was love at first bite!!!  My personal favorite was the Dal Makhani.  It's a healthy Indian staple food made primarily of whole black lentils (urad) and red kidney beans (rajma).  You can eat it alone or with rice, or you can also add a little yoghurt on it for an extra kick.

Dal Makhani

Another favorite of mine is the Durum, or as what they call, "the real shawarma".  As you can see, it is indeed a shawarma and I must say, the best shawarma I ever tasted.  It's so much different from the shawarma sold in food stalls.  I guess it's because Firozian's Durum has just the right amount of sauce and spices to it.

Durum

I also like the Aloo Paratha, a popular breakfast/snack dish in India which is made of whole-wheat Indian flat bread stuffed with mashed potatoes.  You can eat it with butter/yoghurt or Lassi, also a popular Indian yoghurt-based drink made of yoghurt blended with water and some Indian spices or sugar.

Aloo Paratha

Lassi

Other snack items that we ordered were Roti (a flat bread made of stoneground wholemeal flour known as atta flour) and Samosa (fried or baked pastry stuffed with potatoes, ground meat, and other spices).  The Samosa is much like the Empanada, the only difference perhaps is the stuffing and/or how the pastry was made.

Roti

Samosa

Other main dishes that we ordered were Aloo Keema, Butter Chicken, and Chicken Masala.

Aloo Keema

Aloo Keema, also known as potato and mince curry, is actually a traditional dish of South Asia.  It is made of potatoes, ground meat, and spices.

Butter Chicken

Butter Chicken, also known as Chicken Makhani, is one of the best known Indian food (and also, another one of my favorites).

Chicken Masala

Chicken Masala is a creamy spicy chicken dish made of roasted chicken chunks (also known as tikka) in a spicy sauce called masala.

Aside from Lassi, we also had Chai (also known as Indian Tea) for our beverage.  It is a spiced milk tea served with sugar, which they had shaped in cute hearts.

Chai (Indian Tea)

What's interesting about Chai is how it is served.  I can't really describe it in words so you can just refer to the picture below, heheheh!

This is actually the traditional way of serving tea in India and Firoz told us of three reasons why it's done this way.  First is that it creates a natural foam on the surface of the tea, it mixes the tea well, and lastly, it helps cool down the tea a bit so it wouldn't be too hot while you drink it.

So of course a meal wouldn't be complete without dessert, right?  So for that we ordered Besan Laddu and Gulab Jamun.

Besan Laddu (sorry about the teeth marks! hehehe!)

Besan Laddu, also known as Indian sweet chickpea flour balls, is a popular Indian dessert made of bengal gram flour (or chickpea flour), sugar, ghee, and powdered nuts (can be almond, pistachio, etc) formed into balls.

Gulab Jamun

Gulab Jamun, also known as milk balls in sweet syrup, is another popular dessert in the Indian subcontinent made of milk solids, mostly khoya (an Indian milk product), and some flour rolled into balls and then deep fried.  It is then put into a sweet syrup flavored with different spices and natural flavors.  Looks yummy, doesn't it?

Well, that's all we ordered!  I really had a wonderful dining experience at Firozian Indian Tea House.  I can definitely say that Indian food is surely one of my cravings now!  And not to mention that their prices are so budget friendly.  Based on what we ordered, their meals range from PhP120 - 150 and their snacks and desserts range from PhP40 - 80.  Not bad, huh?

Firozian (right most), April and their lovely staff)

I've seen in their Facebook page that they still have a lot of delicious Indian food that I haven't tried yet.  I just can't wait to go back!!

Well, thanks for dropping by you guys!  Till next post!

Cul de Sac Cafe, Talamban Cebu City

Hey guys, here's another restaurant in Cebu that I'm sure you'll definitely love! Cul de Sac Cafe, a Spanish-inspired restaurant located inside Sto. Nino Village in Talamban.

The pictures I have here were actually taken about 5 months ago when I was still pregnant. (I just got the time of blogging again, was really busy with the little one!)

Anyway, I really like the place. Very cozy and romantic. If you've read about my post on 10 Dove then yes, they're just neighbors! :D Although a little bit far from each other. Cul de Sac Cafe is much closer to the village entrance. It's right at the end of Maya street (the first street to the right, see map below), where it's name was actually coined (cul de sac, which means "dead-end street").

So my hubby and I went there last February to celebrate Valentine's Day. It was the perfect place indeed --- dim-lighting, floral seat and table covers, light jazz music -- aaaahh! romance is in the air!

So I'm pretty sure you're all excited to know what we ordered and without further adieu, here it is:

For the entree, we had Veggie Salad with (Php70.00), and Shrimp Linguine Marinara (Php110.00).


For the main course, we ordered Usso Bucco (Php280.00), and Fish with Spinach (Php190.00). Both dishes tasted really really good that just thinking about it makes me wanna run back to the cafe!

Usso Bucco is like kaldereta, except that it is beef and has a creamy sauce made from coconut milk.

Orders under Meat and Seafoods come with a choice of soup & a scoop of ice cream (we had ube) :)

Okay, so I mentioned above that these pictures were taken about 5 months ago so I kinda forgot what we ordered for the soup (so sorry about that). But I think it was Pumpkin and Creamy Mushroom. Anyway, both tasted really good especially that they sprinkled it with some pepper and herbs.

I really had a great dining experience at Cul de Sac Cafe. Once my baby's big enough, I'm surely gonna go back there! Here's a picture of their facade.

So I hope you enjoyed reading my review guys! 'Til next time!



Disclaimer: This is my honest and unbiased review of Cul de Sac Cafe and I am not paid whatsoever to do this ;-)