Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Spatzle Euro Market Cafe

The East Wing of Shangri-la Mall has been getting busier in the last few weeks, with more dining and shopping options opening up. One of the recent additions to this wing, is the Spatzle Euro Market Cafe.

Spätzle (pronounced: shpet-sluh) is the German's version of the Italian pasta. Spätzle are a traditional German dumpling or noodle that is first boiled in water or broth then pan fried in butter and served as a side dish.

It is obvious from the restaurant's interiors, logo, and even the condiments holder that a lot of thought have been put into the design process.  The restaurant is located in a corner spot on the 5th level,  where the new east wing and the old wing meet. 


 I love the look of this table, where all the cutlery and other table essentials are kept.

Even the cutlery stand blends in with the design concept.
 

 A thoughtful addition of hand saniter spray for every table.

We were served a small bowl of chips while waiting for our orders to arrive.

We decided to order the Tarte Flambe Provence (P295) for appetizer.  It is  a thin dough topped with mixed salad greens, roasted mushrooms, cucumbers, feta cheese and cherry tomatoes.  I personally did not find it impressive, and not even the feta cheese could save it.


C ordered the Potato and Mushroom Chowder (P220). It is a chunky soup that blended small babay potatoes with seasonal mushrooms resulting in a bowl that is full of earthy flavors.

The Spatz House Salad (P180) combines mixed greens with cheese spatzle, green apples and grilled sausages in honey-orange dressing.

Pork Schnitzel on Spatzle(P330), crisp, punded pork loin on a bed of spatzle served with sauerkraut.

Spatz Fried Chicken with Paprika Gravy (P315) is breaded chicken served on top of a bed fries. I thought the breading was too thick, but my kids loved it.

Spatzle Gnocchi Vongole wasn't on the standard menu, but was highlighted on their special menu board. Vongole has that special place in my tummy, so I decided to give it a try.  While not bad, it definitely could improve some more.

Grilled Sausage Roesti is served with Sunny Side Eggs (P320) Roesti is a traditional Swiss dish of fried grated potatoes, a little like a hash browns.  This is the li'l man's order, which he didn't finish.  I thought he just didn't like the roesti, but turns out he didn't like the sausage, as well (which is saying a lot because this guy lives for sausages!).  


Homemade Italian Meatballs (P298) served on top of roesti with marinara sauce.  This is the Phenomenal Papa's order, and he said it was good.  The meatballs are huge and tasty.

They also have a kiddie menu, but my kids don't have kiddie appetites anymore.:)

We also tried their flavored water, which was nicely presented in a mason jar.  It had hints of dalandan, cucumber and mint.  I regularly serve flavored water at home, and you can view my DIY post on how to make your own flavored water here.



Spatzle just opened, and the kitchen is clearly overwhelmed with the number of diners. Although we were not impressed with the food during our visit, we are still willing come back at a later date to see if the kitchen is able to transition and adjust.

Spätzle Euro Market Café
5th floor, East Wing
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, Mandaluyong City.



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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Saturdate Agenda { 1-on-1 With The Li'l Man and 10a Alabama Arts & Crafts Fair }


I am getting into this part of my life where my kids have started having their own activities, apart from each other. Gone are the days when I could just herd the pack into one playdate or kiddie party, and relax as I chat away with the other moms. Now, as I drop off one kid in a swim meet, I go rushing to bring the another one to a party. This is the way it is going to be especially now that I have two tweeners and one teenager. I know their social calendar is going to get more busy in the years to come.

But for now, it is enough that I still have the li'l man to keep me company. If you follow me in Instagram (IG handle: phenomenalmama), you must've seen the photo below already. I really have to cherish and take advantage of this time when he still willingly goes with me - and holds my hand! In a few years, I might not be so lucky anymore.

Monday, July 22, 2013

What's In My Cart: My Own Meat Shop

For homemakers, grocery shopping is an inescapable routine that you either enjoy or treat as a burden. It is a mixture of both for me. I love it when I can do my grocery shopping in a relaxed pace, and I have time to look at the new products on the market. But most of the time, I am actually in a rush, just breezing through each aisle and grabbing the essentials.

But where I do my grocery-shopping is not usually the place where I buy my meat, not unless when I do the groceries at S&R.  One of the places I go to for my meat is My Own Meat Shop located along Panay Ave. I love this place because it does not look like a meat shop. Look!

Friday, July 19, 2013

Draft Gastropub

The Phenomenal Papa finally got his way and the entire family ate lunch at Draft Gastropub several Sundays ago. He always wanted to try the draft beers at Draft, so when we found ourselves in Powerplant with no specific agenda, we all gave in to his request.  Draft is more popular to the night-time crowd; but at my age, I think I'm way past tolerating the smoke, the noise and the crowd.  So lunch time is the perfect time to visit for us since we just want to enjoy the beer and their food.


Friday, July 12, 2013

Back to regular programming... after taking a {spiritual} break!

With school having started for all of my kids a month ago, it's now back to regular programming as far as my schedule is concerned.  I was looking forward all summer to when school starts, but now that it has, I find myself actually missing their noisy squabbles, the peals of laughter from harmless teasings, the seemingly endless "mom, I'm hungry!."  

I must admit that the house is now boring in its stillness.  There are moments in the morning when the silence seem to shout at me, and my first instinct is to look for my two younger ones; suspicious that they are again in cahoots. They have formed in my mind a long-running history correlating their suspicious silence with mischief and mayhem: cutting a siblings hair haphazardly just for the fun of it; hanging themselves from the window blinds, and putting a small hole in the ceiling because of it; rough-playing inside the closet, and breaking the closet rod... there are so many others that cause me to force myself to a spiritual break, less I say something hurtful.

A spiritual break is similar to the "time-outs" we give our kids when they were toddlers whenever they disobeyed; the difference is, with a spiritual break, the time-out is being enforced on the one actually doing the disciplining. I purse my lips and say a short prayer for the Holy Spirit to control what comes out of my mouth. I need to physically close my lips this way, otherwise I let out a slew of words that are hurtful to my kids' feelings.  There are times when I am not as spirit-filled, and all I can manage is to count from 1-10. But even so, it really helps control the damaging words which comes out of my mouth in anger.
via

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Blanca de China Lifestyle Spa

If you are often in San Juan, chances are you've seen this all-white structure as it stands out among the establishments lining P. Guevarra because of its stark white interiors which can be viewed through its wide glass walls. It's the home of Blanca de China, a new lifestyle spa which offers services for face, nails and body.

The place is immaculately decorated in white; which makes the place look so chic, calming and sanitary.  Here I am sitting on this fancy chair in the receiving as I fill-up the client info sheet. 
 


Friday, July 5, 2013

Saturdate Agenda {Beauty Session & Shoe Shopping}

Saturday was all about catching up with a longtime good friend, Donna. When I got an invite to have an Estee Lauder make-over, I invited her to go with me since it's been months since we last went out. She just gave birth two months ago, and I figured this lady needs a well-deserved break from mommy duties and breastfeeding, even for just a few hours.
When we were both still single, we used to go out for shopping and nail spa dates frequently. But when I got married, and mommy responsibilities slowly began to overtake my life, we would just meet up for a quick lunch near her office. It is such a treat to spend time with this girl not only because we've been good friends since high school, but also because she brings truth to the verse: As iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens the countenance of his friend. (Proverbs 27:17)

Monday, July 1, 2013

Guevarra's

Earlier last month, one of the mooncake moms, the youngest among us, celebrated her birthday and so we all met at Chef Laudico Guevarra's to celebrate it with her. 
Happy Birthday to you!
It is always a fun meet-up when I see this group of friends because other than being moms, our life choices are so varied that the table conversation always springs up interesting topics. There we are all moms to our kids; and while a few of us choose to be dedicated full-time homemakers, there are a few who are working a 9-5 job, and yet another who have found her passion in zumba that she is now good enough to be a zumba instructor.