Restaurant Review: Bizu Patisserie

 Cybele and I were checking out the newly opened Greenbelt 5 and decided we wanted a snack. Well a snack for us would mean something sweet. Since we were already in Greenbelt 5, we decided on Bizu Patisserie. Bizu Patisserie is located beside Gloria Maris and it is in front of the area where New World Hotel is. 

Upon entering Bizu Patisserie, I immediately liked the interior design. It was colorful and bright. The ambience was perfect for a catching up session with one of my best girl buds. We decided to get a cake slice each and some macarons. Upon checking out the cakes, we realized it would take us forever to pick something. The cakes on display all looked scrumptious. 

But we finally decided on the following:

Cybele picked Amour. This is a Valrhona orange chocolate mousse in between layers of crème brulee and brownie. It was really good. But a tad too sweet for my tastebuds. The cake slice is Php185.

I, on the other hand, picked out the Mango Chiboust. One of their bestsellers, I loved the fresh mangoes that went so well with their French-style cheesecake. The cake slice was also Php185. 

After savoring the cake, I decided I to try some Macarons de Paris. Apparently they are one of the bestsellers of Bizu. I was not disappointed. They are small but each bite melts in your mouth. And you can really taste the different flavors in each type of macaron. They come in various flavors, namely Caramel, Raspberry, Blueberry, Mango, Lemon, Rose, Coffee, Vanilla, Chocolate, Pistachio, Cherry Chocolate. I forgot how much they cost per piece. But if you would get a Box of 8, it would be Php265. A box of 14 would Php455 and a box of 28 would be Php895. I could not decide on which one to get so I got one of each.

My personal favorites: Caramel, Lemon and Pistachio. (especially the Lemon. You can really taste the lemon)

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Pros: The ambience is a perfect place for dates, get togethers and for desserts with the family. The cakes looks great and taste even better. The service is fantastic. Waiters are there by your side almost immediately.

Cons: Some of the cakes can be a bit too rich. So if you are not the type who loves sweet that much or you are someone who might need San Diego dental inlays  ,it might be best you share a slice with another person. 

Rating:  4.5 out of 5!!

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Bizu Patisserie and Bistro is located at the Ground Floor of Greenbelt 2.  For orders, you can call them up at 757 476. They also have another branch at the Promenade, Greenhills. 

For Bizu Patisserie and Cafe, there is one at Glorietta 4, 3rd level and another one at Alabang Town Center, Ground floor.

Bon Appetit!

A picture holds a thousand words…

My friends graduating and me having a lot more free time on my hands has got me to think a lot about my college life. As I look back on the decisions I have made and the things I have experienced, feelings of sadness and remorse and regrets have surfaced. Being  slightly nostalgic, I started going through friends’ multiply sites and my own hard drive checking out old pictures taken during different times in my college life. All the pictures make me reminisce those times I have spent with my close friends who have made my college life so special and memorable for me. Each picture brings me back to that particular moment reminding me of what actually happened and how I felt. Those pictures remind me of how much I have changed as a person and how great it felt to have my friends beside me as I matured and learned more things about life. Checking out the pictures, I was amazed at how my friends have changed both physically, mentally and emotionally. Some friends changed a lot physically and became more good looking. Some friends, like me, put on weight but nonetheless still look good (again like me haha). Some never changed physically but matured greatly. Looking more at the pictures made me feel a pang of sadness because as people have graduated, all our paths have changed. I might still be in school but in another semester, I will be doing something for myself. Another good friend will be migrating abroad, while another friend might be publishing a book. Others are still trying to find themselves, while others are already busy looking for jobs in sales and finance. Some are entering the world of marketing as there have been many new ways of marketing products. Others are also trying out the IT world.  There is a part of me that is extremely happy for them as they will be finding their place in the real world. There is a part of me that is jealous like hell that I am not experiencing the same thing. And there is that part of me that is scared that we will drift apart. Granted that we were bound to do different things, a part of me is scared that I would lose my friends and I would lose that place in their lives that I once held.

It seems like it was only yesterday when I entered the Ateneo and started trying to understand the system worked. It seems like only yesterday that I met my different friends for the first time. It seems like only yesterday when we crammed for thesis. It seems like only yesterday when many tears were shed because of the stress from school coupled by stress brought about by personal problems. It seems like only yesterday when we were running in Intramuros to take pictures required for a class.

But then I guess it is really like that. All good things must come to an end to be able to pave the way for new and better things to come. And I am certain that great things are in store for my friends who are each brilliant in their way. For now, I will just pore over old pictures and think of the thousand words that would remind me of the great people and the memories that will be forever embedded in my heart and mind. 

Cherished memories…

I recently went out of town with a couple of friends. Going out of town is something I have not done in a long time (save for the times I go with my family). Going out of town and just hanging out with friends is a luxury I did not have during the past 4 years of my life at the Ateneo. Don’t get me wrong. I love my school and I love what I do. But somehow my friends and I are always so busy with schoolwork that we cannot seem to find the time to go out of town and just relax. So now that everyone has graduated (well almost everyone. Yours truly has a semester to go), we decided to get out of town before people start looking for jobs.

Going on that trip reminded me of so many memories I shared with different people throughout my college life. All memories will remain with me as I am about to leave this part of my life (I can’t wait to finish!)

But some memories will remain more salient than others. I started thinking about the more special memories I shared with very special people throughout my college life and this is the list I came up with. (Note:The people I tag are part of this list)

My Top 25 Memories of College

     1. Dancing under the stars at the field in between Dela Costa and Soc Sci Building. God bless the soul of the person who brought stereo speakers. Also I miss my Regcom family.

     2. Getting your nails done with me because I was feeling really down.

     3.  Pretending to be Baywatch lifeguards and running along the beach. We must have looked really stupid. And Banana Boat-ing and Beach-ing under strong rain= AWESOME!

     4. Taking power naps with me at the sleeping room during our internship. I loved those satin sheets.

     5. Drinking at your house and pole dancing in your garden. 

     6. Watching you struggle to open the door of the driver’s seat to find out that the car was not yours. (The color of the car was the same so you are excused)    

     7. Meeting you after school to drink those yummy but cheap teas at Frio Mixx Cubao. I felt so bad when they closed down. 

     8. Calling Maam Minda to find out that my appeal for probation was approved. Many thanks for all the votes of confidence. Those kept me sane. 

     9. Foot jobs! (your fetish, not mine)

    10. Hanging out in the smocket

    11. San Fran Coffee. I miss those baristas, ’specially Rannie. Wonder where they all are. I also miss the driving there almost everyday. And that same note, THESIS (one hell of a memory). When I say hell, I meant both figuratively and literally. We aced cramming! 

    12. Dotph (nuff said) oh and TMB.

    13. Sexual innuendos and green jokes

    14. 4 companies in one presentation

    15. Lunches, dinners, breakfasts, snacks. Hell basically food at your house. 

    16. You being there when my dad had his heart attack

    17.You guys being there for me the night I broke up with my boyfriend

    18. Walking with you guys after Community Night and seeing a pig outside someone’s house. And finding out the next day that it was not a pet but rather food for the day.

     19. Building houses

    20. Rushing to an early morning class with you twice a week. I am so proud of your driving. You improved right before my very eyes.  

     21. Falling down in front of MVP. Then you helping me up but falling down right beside me instead. And two gentlemen who laughed at us instead of helping us up. 

     22. El Pueblo (It will forever make its mark on me for various reasons.)

     23. Studying and sleeping in the library.

     24. Standing in front of your nearly towed away car along Meralco Ave. (that was much more fun than the place we were headed)

     25.Oh and Palito’s class!

Looking back, there were many things I wished I didn’t do or things I wished I did better. But I would probably not be the person I am now if I had not gone through some of the shit I went through. Having said that, I am so happy that I experienced some of my shit with the wonderful people I will always hold dear. 

I know I have already said it before, but

 Congratulations to the Batch 2009 of Ateneo.

I am so proud of you guys. Many thanks for all the wonderful moments. 

Ok so enough of the sappy stuff. The next round of drinks should be on you guys who will be working before I do*evil grin* hihi!

As the truck says

INUMAN!!! (translates: DRINKS!!)

Restaurant Review: Cookbook kitchen

One of my favorite pasttimes would be traveling. One aspect of traveling that I love is the many different kinds of food. I especially love trying out food at hard to find places that a few people know about. But since I cannot go to restaurants in San Diego, I decided to just look for some place to eat in Metro Manila.  While surfing the net, I came across this review about this restaurant, The Cookbook Kitchen.

The reviews were pretty good and the prices seemed reasonable. So Cybele and I decided to go there one Saturday to try the food out. 

Upon checking the address, it turned out that Cookbook Kitchen is near my house. It is located at. If you are coming from Edsa, you go along Shaw Boulevard and turn right at  Torres St. which is right before Nissan Shaw. Go to the end of Torres St and make a left at Araullo St. After which, look for Soccoro Fernandez St. We actually had a rather difficult time looking for the place because it is smacked in the middle of a residential area. But people seem to be familiar with the restaurant because we were able to ask for help with directions easily.

When we got there, we were surprised with the exterior design of the place. It looked so homey and cozy even from the outside. The decors outside gave it that very homey feeling. It was as if I was entering my own house.  Once we entered, we were greeted with an even nicer surprise. The walls were covered with replicas of famous paintings such as those done by Van Gogh. 

The tables had cute vases that seemed to have bits of stained glass glued to them. 

So enough about the the decor and interior design. On to the important stuff. Upon getting the menu, we were happy with the collection of the food. 

*pictures courtesy of the Cookbook Kitchen Multiply site

After looking at the menu and flipping it back and forth, I finally decided on the Parmesan Crusted White Fish, which is apparently one of their best sellers. If you are the type to like rich foods, the Parmesan fish was exquisite. The fish melted in my mouth. It was very cheesy and I could taste all the herbs being used in it. The rice that came along with the fish went perfectly with the cheesy fish as it balanced out the richness of the fish and cheese.      

Cybele, on the other hand, got FIsh with Orange sauce. I am not too sure as to what the entire name was. I couldn’t seem to find it on the menu.  If you are not the type to like rich foods, this would be perfect for you. The orange fish is slightly sweet and it melts in your mouth as well. (Sorry but was not able to get a picture of her fish)

For dessert, we had one of their best sellers. KItten’s Scarlet Cake. This red velvet cake is moist and bursting with flavor. However I found it a tad too sweet. Cybele, on the other hand, loved it to bits. 

Pros: The presentation of the food is good. The food is very flavorful. You can really taste the ingredients being used and you know that they don’t scrimp on ingredients.  The price is reasonable. Lastly its location makes it a perfect date place! It is not noisy and crowded like other places. 

Cons: Some of their food can be quite rich. It makes you full easily. So it is best to share a dish with someone else. Lastly if you want to go in for lunch, make sure you go in around 12 or 1 because they close at 2pm and open again at 5pm-10pm for dinner. 

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

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For more details, you can contact them at  7243595 or 3815935

Exact address is 8 Socorro Fernandez Street, Mandaluyong City 1550

Reservations are necessary as space is quite limited. 

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