Overload

Okay, I am now hooked on yogurt.  I feel the craving to get myself a cup whenever I see a yogurt store.  And this newly opened one at Bluewave Mall in Marquinton, Marikina is my latest discovery, Berry Yummy.

This one is different though because it is self-service.  You will ask for a cup of your choice which you fill up with yogurt from a dispenser.

Don't get excited though, like I was, when you see the "Php 16.00/oz" sign.  What you pay for in the end will depend on how much stuff you put in your cup.  The price though already includes the toppings unlike in most yogurt store where you pay separately for each that you choose.

In my case, I practically poured in every available fruit such as lychee, cherry, apple, kiwi and nuts such as almond, hazelnut, cashew, etc.  I got too excited that when it was time to weigh my concoction, it was a whooping 9 ounces for Php 144.00.

Oh well, it was great, far better that Golden Spoon's for the same amount, more sour than Boy Yogurt, so I am not complaining.

Parilla

With the onslaught of fast food chains offering chicken inasal, it would take a lot to make me eat in one.  It is like the shawarma of the nineties, there's one in every corner and there are always way too many people anywhere you go.


About a year ago though, I came across this one restaurant in Marikina that serves inasal, among many things, BACOLOD CHICKEN PARILLA.


It is just a stride away from the C&P mall and Saint Scholastica's in Marikina.  It intrigued me that somebody would actually want to compete head on with bigger and more established food chains such as Jollibee, McDonald's and Chowking which enjoy economies of scale, in a largely residential area.  One day, a very good friend invited me to a dinner at Parilla and vouched that the inasal is good.  And she was right.  I have been back to the place several times, bringing with me a new friend every single time.  So far, our favorites are the inasal (of course) and the pinakbet, which even my picky friend MDC fell for.

Another good thing about the place is the vibe.  It feels that you are actually eating somewhere in that famous city in Negros Occidental, which you don't get in the usual run-of-the-mill inasalan.

Ate

To the second best girl in my life...

To my big sister who had to put up with me growing up...

To the woman who once fell but showed that resilience, faith and love can make one whole again...

To my one and only one-of-a-kind beautiful Ate, Happy Birthday!  I love you and we terribly miss you.

We shall see you again soon.

Wanting

Luyong is one of the most famous Filipino-Chinese cuisine restaurants in Marikina.  So when my Australian balik-bayan buddy MDC asked me for another food trip in Marikina, I thought it's best to bring him there having missed native food for three months.

Luyong has gone from a simple and modestly sized eatery into this big establishment that has a restaurant at the ground floor and a function hall at the second floor.  I even remember that at one time, the second floor was sort of a bar, but it did not quite look like it still is when we went there.  Anyway, I prefer the old structure as it felt more homey than what it is today.  It now looks more of a mess hall than a restaurant: bare though clean with only two chinese lanterns at the cashier counter to adorn the entire place.

Although it is known for the different pancits, we decided to have rice and three viands; Chopsuey, Tofu with Lechon Kawali and Beef in Oyster Sauce.  Unfortunately, the waiter, for some reason, failed to place our beef order.

Chopsuey

Tofu with Lechon Kawali

The problem: the two dishes looked almost identical.  Even the sauce tasted similar if not for the flavor the black beans brought into the tofu-lechon dish.  The serving size is good though for the price.  We cleaned our plates dry, maybe because of just plain starvation, but as MDC put it, "I'm full but not filled".


So to make up for it, I brought him to my new favorite place, Boy Yogurt, and had him try medium cup with banana, apple and cashew nut toppings.  Although for him it was more sundae than yogurt, he loved it anyway and would absolutely be back for more.

Boy

Because of my frequent food trips with PDG, she has successfully converted me into a yogurt lover.  And because of that, I have finally found the most opportune time to check out this one hole-in-the-wall yogurt store along Lilac Street in SSS Village, Marikina, Boy Yogurt!

Along Lilac Street, I would always see this yogurt store going to and from the office.  Most of the time, there would be cars and people lined up in front, so I figured that it must be selling really good yogurt.  So when Nanay dropped by my office from her trip to Laguna so we could go home together, I decided to finally try out Boy Yogurt with Nanay who also loves sweets.  

She had one medium cup with apple and cashew nuts toppings:

And I had one with banana and almond nuts:

We were pleasantly surprised that it was actually very good at very affordable prices.  At 40 per medium cup plus 5 for fresh fruit and 10 for nuts toppings, I enjoyed this by a mile more than what I had at Golden Spoon in Libis which cost me 145.  Although the yogurt itself is not as sour and as smooth as it should be, it is still an enjoyable treat I would definitely go back for.