Lord Stow's Bakery

I love the egg tarts of Lord Stow's Bakery. There are only a few branches here in the Philippines so buying these heavenly egg tarts is always a treat for me every time I go to Mall of Asia.

There are other yummy treats from this store but I always go for the egg tarts! :)

Sol Gelato

I was able to try out Sol Gelato for dessert when my family went to The Piazza at Mckinley Hills, Fort Bonifacio. The ice cream store was small but had great interiors. I specifically loved the floor to ceiling painting (or picture) of the Grand Canal placed on the wall. The ceiling looked like that of Las Vegas' The Venetian -- it was sky blue with painted clouds on it. I actually forgot about it until I saw the store's online website.

For their ice cream (or gelato), you can choose piccolo, grande or cone. You can choose 2-3 flavors of ice cream and if you're not sure what to order, you can have a free taste first. My personal favorite is Mascarpone Cheese.

Sol Gelato

Wall at the right side of the store with the picture of the Grand Canal

Different ice cream flavors to choose from

Kainan sa Dalampasigan

My family ate at Kainan sa Dalampasigan last month when we went on a vacation at Nusugbu, Batangas. We decided to eat there before we checked-in at Canyon Cove Resort.

My brother suggested to eat at Kainan sa Dalampasigan and it was actually my first time to hear about it. I later found out that the place is a bit popular among the locals and it has been featured in several magazines already.

Kainan sa Dalampasigan

Okay..for my first impression...I actually thought it was a small restaurant since from the outside, you can only see the gate and driveway and there were several cars parked along the street. I soon realized that there was ample space for parking at the back and the place was big enough to entertain 150 guests.

I think that what made the place unique was that it seemed that the restaurant was built amidst a garden full of tropical plants. I especially loved the driveway full of hanging vines.





The restaurant was like a big hall with a high ceiling and furnished with wooden chairs and tables. Once we entered the place, we were greeted by a small man-made falls surrounded by tropical plants and orchids. The place didn't have any air conditioner but surprisingly the place was cool and airy.

Man-made falls surrounded by plants

The restaurant was full when we got there. It was lunchtime and there was also a birthday party at the other end of the restaurant. Unlike other restaurants, there wasn't anyone to usher us in. We just had to find an empty table by ourselves. It took awhile for someone to clean our table and get our orders. And then we had to wait for about 20-30 minutes for our food. Since it was the only decent restaurant in the area and there were no fastfood restaurants nearby, we really had to patiently wait. Besides, we were also curious if their food was good.

The place served the typical Filipino dishes. In my opinion, there was nothing exceptional with the food. Although my brother liked the Tanigue Steak (which according to him was the retaurant's bestseller!). We ordered the Bilao sa Dalampasigan - which was a platter of different kinds of viand like grilled pork and fish, buttered shrimp, baked mussels and ensaladang mangga (a combination of sliced green mango, tomatoes and onions with shrimp paste)

Bilao sa Dalampasigan

.
My final verdict: I still recommend the place. It's interesting and unique. If you're looking for a cozy restaurant in Nusugbu which serves home-cooked Filipino dishes, the Kainan sa Dalampasigan should be in your list.