Oysters and Ribs :)

New Orleans Bourbon Street Steaks & Oysters,Newport Mall

2/F Newport Mall, Resorts World Manila

Pasay City, Metro Manila

Philippines

Just had a blast watching the movie "Lockout" at the amazing Newport Mall Cinema. <3 

And since I was all filled up with the complementary popcorn and soda, contemplating on what to have for dinner was hard to do at such time. ^^ Fortunately, the ample time walking around the grand mall in Resorts World was able to help me rule in and rule out restos before finally deciding to try out New Orleans. We had to take about 3 complete strolls of the 2nd and 3rd floors before my tummy got starved.

It was as posh a place as most of those seen in Newport. The brightest mix of colors was splashed all over the place giving it a ragged feel of outside streets. The one who waited on us was accommodating and enthusiastic enough to assist us in deciding which to select from their lovely menu.

I was thinking "light" and "healthy", so I decided to try out their bestseller salad, the NOLA caesar salad. It was as good as any caesar so I think I know why it sells best :)

NOLA Caesar Salad P350

Since their steaks and baby back ribs were too heavy (and costly), we decided to have one of their French Quarter Classics, which the waiter highly recommended. True enough, the Barbecued Beef Ribs served with pilaf rice was an amazing blend of smoke and charred meat. The serving was generous enough to be shared by two.

Barbecued Beef Ribs P695

And of course, dinner at New Orleans would not be complete without trying out their delectable oysters. There was a good set of choices from Rockefeller to Chili Garlic. As for me, the cheesy person that I am, I opted to try out their Oysters Formaggio. It was a grand serving of oysters baked to their best and topped with liberal amount of cheese :) Who wouldn't want that?

Oysters Formaggio P345

My first time at New Orleans Bourbon Street Steaks and Oysters was indeed satisfying. It wasn't cheap but I had good returns :) I did not have to go home disappointed at all.

Shawarma Snack Center

I have fallen in love with Persian food, that I have to admit! That is why Kebab and Shawarma have always been part of my "foodie trip" list almost every weekend. The first ever shawarma I fell in love with was Pita Stop's located at the foodcourt in Rob Place, Ermita...Since then, regular cravings for that peculiar taste led me to discover a lot of foodie Mediterranean finds!

Then years later, I was introduced to the wonders of Kebab! :) a dish that would definitely delight any shawarma lover! Coz yep, this meal is served...WITH RICE :) chunks of meat and less veggies too.

The most famous Kebab place I know of so far is Mr. Kabab's @ Tomas Morato. However, since my boyfriend and I are too busy being the medical students that we are, finding the nearest Kebab resto became an ultimate task. And then voila! The SSC (Shawarma Snack Center) located in Adriatico just a walk away from the UP Campus and RPR Manila came into our knowing!

It's a bit challenging to get reviews from the net. However some bloggers mentioned it to be affordy and yummy. Some say they serve Halal food. Actually, when we visited the place...it felt like and looked Mediterranean enough. True enough, customers were also mostly Arabs, Persians, et al.

There are two separate buildings, a small one across the bigger more grotesque resto. We chose to enter the bigger resto. The waiters were Filipino but I think they did not have the habit of "wearing a happy face"... they didn't make me feel "at home" at all. Waitresses looked...tired (?) and wore the annoying "poker face" maybe because we were...Filipino? *wth*

So we were served these 3 triangular deep fried thingies stuffed with spices and beans and a lot more which I do not know of (tastes Arabic). However I can compare the taste to that of pizza flautas+empanada! :) Lemme see: 3/5 stars.

Then we were also given dates. I never knew what dates tasted like until then...and I realized I didn't like it. :)) gave it a try and it was fun though. Nothing lost, it was complimentary anyway. I'd give it 2/5 stars.

Sweet Dates

I read in one blog that SSC had this delectable watermelon shake..so I got one to try. And indeed! I was not disappointed at all. :) It was served fresh from the juicer and it was sweet in a not-so-artifical way. Five out of Five stars!

Watermelon Shake

Of course, we would not leave the place without trying out their most bragged about shawarma and kebab! We had the beef kebab and the lamb shawarma! :) Both were absolutely tasty. There was a certain aftertaste though, that which when you get the food into your mouth, you become sure the food is Arabic :) It was "tasty" in a  good way though. Both 5/5!

Shawarma

Kebab

WE spent around P500-600 all in all and I think it was still reasonable :) A must-try for those who are too lazy to travel to Morato for a plate of a good kebab and shawarma. ♥

Cyma for Lunch

Well, I've been hearing and seeing a lot of posts about Cyma since last June so I told myself I had to try it out soon by hook or by crook!

The reviews and pictures were all-so-good, in fact sounded too good to be true. Browsed through their menu on Munchpunch and viewed the price lists for budget planning (very expensive indeed!).

I kept a list of those which i had to try out based on the most frequently mentioned and commended in blog reviews. Well here's my take of Cyma and some of the dishes i ordered for that day. 

First, I ordered the Spinach Artichoke. I later found out that artichoke was a sort of Mediterranean herb. The dish came with pita bread and some buttered bread. It was a heavenly combination, definitely! The herb-y aftertaste and the starchy bread went well together. 

Spinach Artichoke, around P250-P300 (forgetful me)

Then next we had the Roka Salata salad. The dried tomatoes and candied walnuts were fantastic with the greens and the vinaigrette...however, I think the dried tomatoes tasted too sweet i had to pick them out of my salad during my last few bites.

Roka Salata P330

Up next is what I think was the "STAR of the Greek meal! Yep, indeed Cyma is not a disappointment when it comes to their famous gyros! My boyfriend and I had pork and beef gyros and it was a "spell heaven" dining experience... It was the most luscious serving of meat, veggies, and that special sauce! I loved adding chili to it! 10 thumbs up!!!!

Mixed Meat Gyros P200 (sulit!)

Unfortunately, this last dish is considered one of Cyma's speciaties...and the thing is...i didn't like a bite of it at all. It looked absolutely yummy and rich but I guess the Bechamel sauce was something my palate can't appreciate. This, I think, is one overrated dish on other blog reviews (or I guess it was just me). I was like eating leche flan with ground beef and a red orange sauce that was NOT tomato sauce. Haha. I honestly did not adore it. Obviously.

Moussaka P250

We spent around P1370 for four dishes. I think it was a bit pricey for 2 people! :) The combination of Gyros and Salad or Gyros and Artichoke will satisfy the bellies of 2. The VAT and service charge were what made the bill costly.

I think I'd eat in Cyma again...just to give it another chance to impress me...I suppose I have to explore their other specialties as well before I could find my Cyma-perfect meal :)