8 Spices Thai Cuisine

I was out with my siblings and my cousin for lunch and we were having a hard time deciding where to eat. We couldn't agree on Japanese, American, or even Italian food so we decided to eat somewhere we haven't tried yet. 8 Spices was just on the second floor and it wasn't crowded so we agreed to give it a try. 

Phad Thai with Egg (P240)

The first thing that we ordered was the Pad Thai -- the seemingly staple Thai food that everyone orders. It was good and tasty. The serving was also big so it was perfect for sharing.

Crispy Fish with Mango Salad (Yam Pla Ploo) (P385)

Green Mango and Tamarind Sauce that goes with the Crispy Fish

This is still my favorite Thai dish. The catfish is very light, airy, and crisp but still flavorful. The tangy bite of the green mango with the sweetness of the tamarind sauce gives depth to this dish that makes it really interesting and addictive. The combination is excellent. I highly recommend this dish.

Pomelo Salad (Yam Som-O) (P285)

My mom loves having pomelo salad and so I've tasted a couple of versions of this salad. I have to say though, I've had better. I'm not a big fan of the combination of coconut milk with pomelo. I personally think it tastes a bit off. This salad is too bland for my taste. It's nothing special.

Sauteed Morning Glory with Crispy Pork (Phak Boong Fai Daeng Moo Krob) (P310)

The pork tastes just like lechon kawali. It's not salty at all and it remained moist, which I liked. The sauteed morning glory was a nice balance to this dish. It's tasty but again, it wasn't too salty.

Stir-fried Spicy Chicken with Basil Leaves 1/2 (Gkai Thod Kapao) (P380)

This was an interesting dish for me. The chicken itself is not that spicy. If you're not used to eating really spicy food, I suggest avoiding the chopped chili garnished on top. The fried basil leaves gives sweetness to this dish and makes it even more flavorful. This wasn't my favorite but it was pleasing.

Bagoong Fried Rice (Khao Krook Gapi) (P275)

The bagoong fried rice is worth a try. Not to worry, the saltiness is just right without sacrificing the taste of the shrimp paste.

Thai Pork Spareribs with Garlic (See Kong Mroo Thod Kratiam) (P315)

The pork spareribs itself was good. I liked that it was still moist inside even though it was roasted. The one thing that I didn't really like was the sauce. It kind of reminded me of the local homemade barbecue marinade of banana ketchup with soy sauce.

The place is spacious enough. There is even a private room on the right side of the establishment that can be used for parties or meetings.

8 Spices Thai Cuisine

Il Terrazzo Mall

2nd Level, Lower Ground Level, 

35 Tomas Morato Avenue cor. Scout Madrinan St.,

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 332-1896

Cyma Lunch

After getting stuffed from our breakfast Cravings, my friends and I decided to head to the nearest Cyma restaurant, which is in Eastwood, Libis. We decided to have lunch really late and didn't order so much because we were still full from the buffet. 

Tonnos Salata (P460 to share)

This is my favorite salad from Cyma. I always have to have this whenever I dine here. Every ingredient in this salad is well-seasoned, filling, and very fresh. I especially love the seared tuna slices on top and the homemade sardines.

Chicken Gyro (P160) with Greek Roasted Potatoes add-on (P130)

They have pretty reasonable prices for their gyros. It's very good plus the pita bread is really stuffed with meat, as seen above. I also love their Greek roasted potatoes, which are perfectly cooked, chunky, and left with their tasty skin on.

Cyma Lamb Chops Shoulder Loin Chop with either rice stuffed pepper or Greek roasted potatoes (P460)

This is an interesting meal for me. I love lamb. It's one of my favorite dishes since I was a kid. They did a wonderful job here it because it was perfectly cooked. What makes it interesting is that the skin was light and crispy and reminded me so much of the peking duck skin!

Cyma will always leave me satisfied. Even though I obviously have my favorite meals here, I always make it a point to try something new in the menu. We were supposed to order the new panna cotta - four tiny mounds of panna cotta each with a different fruit topping. Too bad they ran out. The table next to us literally got the last batch.

Cyma Greek Taverna

New Eastwood Mall

E. Rodriguez Jr., Avenue (C-5) Bagumbayan,

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 709-1955

Cravings Breakfast

Last August, my friends and I decided to wake up early and have breakfast together for a change. We decided to give Morning Cravings a try. For P188, you get to choose a platter among seven choices (East Coast, Continental Breakfast, West Coast, European Comfort, Manila's Best, Visayan Choice, Ilocandia's Plate) plus you get to enjoy a breakfast bar with unlimited bread, eggs, cereals, congee, coffee, and hot chocolate.

Omelette

If you want eggs, just go to the buffet counter and tell them how you want your eggs to be done. My friend chose the classic omelette with cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, peppers, ham, and herbs. It's actually good.

Continental Breakfast P188

East Coast (P188)

I didn't like the sauteed mushrooms and tomatoes because, well, it didn't taste like it was sauteed. It actually didn't taste like it was cooked at all. It was like the mushrooms and tomatoes were chopped then served immediately. The sausage was just okay. There was nothing special about it. I liked the hash brown. The potatoes taste really fresh and I would like to think they are made fresh daily. The bacon was the best part in this platter. For me, this is how bacon should be cooked. Long strips of perfectly crisp meat without an overpowering saltiness to it.

Ilocandia's Plate (P188)

Sliced Baguette with (L-R) Spicy Pineapple Jam, Pineapple Jam, Orange Marmalade with Butter, Herbed Butter

Surprisingly, my favorite spread would have to be the spicy pineapple jam. I'm not a fan of pineapple unless it's fresh or it's canned but this marmalade is pretty good. It's not too spicy at all. It has a subtle hint of spiciness that rounds out the sweetness and tanginess of the pineapple.

(Clockwise from Upper L: Cereal bar, main breakfast bar, coffee and omelette station, bread station)

(Clockwise from Upper L: Rich hot cocoa, lobby, C2 area beside the stairs, Cravings area)

I'm very particular with my hot chocolate drink. I like it thick, not so creamy, not too smooth, and not too sweet. So far, I have only tasted the perfect hot cocoa drink in one restaurant, which is The Chocolate Kiss inside UP Diliman. Craving's hot cocoa comes in second. I like how thick and rich it is.

Overall, the platter meals are so-so. In short, you get what you pay for! What makes it really worth spending for is the unlimited breakfast bar that comes with it. This Morning Cravings promo is valid from 7am to 10am daily.

Cravings Center

287 Katipunan Avenue,

Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines

(63 2) 426-6681 to 87