Sweet Treats: New Bombay's Lassi and Fog City and Carmen's Best Specialty Ice Creams

For this post I'm grouping together serendipitous finds for those who have a sweet tooth like me. Many times I have an item in mind when I go to a restaurant and end up being smitten with another. 

I've visited New Bombay a couple of times, and I fell in love with its lovely lassi concoctions. Lassi is a popular yogurt-based drink from India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. 

The refreshing mango lassi is creamy and not too sweet, and tart as yogurts go. 

The almond lassi, on the other hand, is refreshing, tart, and sweet.

Focaccia Italian Restaurant at A. Venue Mall, Makati sells the Fog City Creamery Artisan Ice Cream line. I tried the Rocky Road and it was melt in your mouth creamy. In the picture it looks frozen stiff, but trust me it's silky. It is the best rocky road I ever had.

Kitchen 1B at Gamboa Street Makati carries Carmen's Best Ice Cream. We ordered the salted caramel ice cream and it was salty, sweet, and caramelly in one spoonful.

Boracay: All Things Savory

This is my second entry on my recent restaurant run in Boracay. You can check my earlier entry on the sweet stuff here. For my non-food posts, you can go here, here, and here. 

1. Smoke's Pork Kao Pad

The kao pad (Thai fried rice) also comes in chicken but since my default fast-food meat is poultry, I went for pork. This is one savory and flavorful dish from the 24-hour restaurant. Imagine rice flavored with either (I'm guessing here) shrimp or fish paste, topped with strips of fried egg and ripening mango, the sweet and sour of which contrasts beautifully with the fried pork and rice.

Smoke Restaurant

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-6014 

2. Aria Cucina Italiana's Marinara Pasta

Just divine. I went to other tony and/or hyped restaurants, and I ended up disappointed, but not here in Aria. I've never been partial to tomato-based sauces, but this one is light and delicate, making me want for more. I had to slow down to savor the dish--the squid and shrimp were so fresh, and came out sweet. This is one of the better pastas I tasted and I don't mind paying more for this.

Aria Cucina Italiana

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-6223

3. Dos Mestizos

I came for a mojito, but lingered after ordering their excellent chorizo tapa. Their home-made Spanish sausages were to die for--very flavorful and garlicky that I wanted rice to go with the tapa. Perfect with the complimentary bread and the accompanying potatoes. By the way, the tomato and onion dip of the complimentary bread  was so good.

Dos Mestizos

Remedios Street, Sitio Manggayad

Malay, Aklan

(+036) 288-5786

4. Real Coffee and Tea Cafe's Marty's Chicken Omelette with Pesto

For those with hefty appetites, this generous dish is just right to jump-start the day--it was delicious and creamy. Just be sure that your omelette include pesto, as it went well with the egos and tomatoes. This was heaven on a plate. For my post on the cafe's calamansi muffins, go here. 

Real Coffee and Tea Cafe
Sea World, Station 2
Balabag, Boracay
(+036) 288-5340

5. Manana Mexican Cuisine's Pollo Taco

The restaurant's chicken soft taco was a winner, despite the unsatisfactory service--the waiter who served me not only look bored, but he seems to prefer attending to foreigners. You can read the rest of the unfortunate incident here. If you don't mind extra heat, the chopped tomato and spicy sauces were quite potent. 

6. Bite Club Burger's Burgerella with Wasabi Mayo and Teriyaki Sauce

This is one hefty burger, truly a a meal in itself. This was my first meal in Boracay in my recent visit. It was juicy, beefy, and laden with mozarella, with the wasabi providing a nice kick.

Bite Club Burger

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay 

(+036) 288-5947

7. True Food Indian Cuisine's Lamb Rogan and Naan Bread 

The soft, chewy bread was perfect with the aromatic, spicy, oh-so-tender lamb. I love sopping the sauce with the bread. The spice level slowly builds up to a satisfying end. 

True Food Indian Cuisine
Station 2, Boracay
(+036) 288-5947

Boracay: All Things Sweet, and the Best Mojito I Had

Last month I spent Christmas in the country's go-to island, Boracay, where what I did was eat and get soused, but not necessarily always at the same time (for more of my Bora trip, go here, here, and here). Unlike my Singapore trip where I made no plans, this time I made a list of where to eat. Halfway through my three-day trip I was wishing I grew another stomach, a problem I'm just happy to have. Instead of writing individual reviews I grouped what I ate into savory and sweet. Here's a list of things exemplary and sweet in Bora. 

1. Zuzuni's Mati Chocolate Sin 

I'm guessing the resto named this dessert after the Greek holiday resort. This is excellent choco lava with vanilla ice cream, perfect for cooling down under the tropical sun. It came well-recommended, and now I know why. This must try is not overly sweet, which is always good in my book. Bite into the mint for extra freshness. 

Zuzuni Restaurant

Station 1, Boracay

(+036) 288-4477

2. Lemoni Cafe's Mango Madness 

I've always been partial to cheesecake, and so Lemoni's best-selling mango madness is a no-brainer. It was so good--refreshing, creamy and light, the tartness playing well with the sweet crust. It was a well-balanced confection, the flavors melding nicely together. I came for the lemon muffins (they ran out), but this was a good substitute. 

Lemoni Cafe

D'Mall, Station 2, Boracay

(+036) 288-6781

3. Jonah's Banana Choco Peanut and Banana Mango Shakes 

Jonah's Fruit Shake is an institution in Bora, just like Real Coffee. The avocado shake came up on many online recommendations, but in my three or so treks to the restaurant, it's either they ran out or the avocados were still in transit. In it's place I ordered the banana mango shake--refreshing, creamy, and tart, perfect for the sweltering heat-- and the banana choco peanut, which is is to die for. It's like Chocnut  in a shake, but done well. 

Jonah's Fruit Shake

Station 1, Boracay

Mojito Recommendation

Whenever I'm on vacation, my cocktail of choice is either margaritas or mojitos. I love the mojitos of Discovery Shores--it was sweet and tangy, with just the right mix of alcohol and mint. I went there during happy hour, and it was a miracle I was able to find my way back to the hotel. Order the classic mojito--the watermelon variant wasn't as good enough. 

Discovery Shores
Station 1, Boracay
(+036) 288 4500

If you have no sense of direction like me, you can start at D'Mall, centrally located along White Beach at Station 2, your left towards the beach, and hit the restos until you reach the other end at Station 1: Lemoni Cafe-Zuzuni-Jonah's-Discovery Shores. Happy eating!