Pipino Vegetarian Food by Pino, Malingap Street (Part 1 of 2)

A few weeks ago, a couple of friends and I visited Pipino Vegetarian Food by Pino at Malingap street. While we’re concerned with eating healthfully in moderation, we’re nowhere near a vegetarian state of mind. So when we decided to try Pipino, it was met with excitement and apprehension.

The place is located on top of its less restrictive sister restaurant, Pino. When we arrived at the place, we were still faced with the choice to go veggie or not. We chose the former — and soon regretted it.

Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee, Tomas Morato

SCHOOLDAYS can be very tiring for my son, so we have made it part of our routine to go out for a quick snack after I pick him up from school, before we head home. And by snack I mean a full meal: meat, carbohydrates, dessert, and a drink.

One such establishment that we recently visited is Kitchen of Cakes and Coffee (KoCCo) in Tomas Morato, Quezon City, which is a cozy little tea-and-dessert nook. We’ve been visiting the place for drinks and pastries to go since 2010. One of my absolute favorites from their offerings is the sylvannas (crispy-chewy meringue biscuits wrapped in buttercream frosting and rolled in cake crumbs) that came in several flavors — classic vanilla, strawberry, mocha, and green tea, to name a few, but discontinued their sale sometime last year. I’m also sold on their rosebud tea.

So without my old-time favorite on the menu, what else could I have?

North Park Noodle House, Cubao

A few days before Christmas, my son and I ventured into North Park Noodle House in Araneta Cubao, because he had a massive craving for congee.

Upon entering the establishment, the first thing I noticed was the cheerful ‘Ni Hao’ greeting from the guard and the waitstaff. Now this greeting may be rote, and many of us may take it for granted, but this is something that matters to me.

Little things like friendly, courteous gestures from service staff can instantly brighten the customer’s experience, even if he ends up disliking the product.

Our server promptly seated us and took our order, and I was immediately taken by her cheery disposition. (Too bad I forgot her name, but if anyone from the North Park management is reading this, she’s one of the servers on duty last December 23, 2012, at around 6pm).