RaiRai Ken - Gaisano Grand Mall

Mactan has had a Rai-Rai Ken for the longest time, but they close after 2pm only to open at 5pm and they don't have proper airconditioning.  At least not the few times we were there.  So it was nice to see Gaisano Grand Mall open with a Rairai Ken branch.  And we just had to try it out.

Bummer.  Their airconditioning was not working too when we got there.  They said that they relied on the mall's airconditioning which conked out the day before.  And they had no fans. But that didn't stop us from ordering their Ramen.  My absolute fave.  Rairai Ken, I think, has the best ramen in Cebu, barring those expensive authentic Japanese places where you're forced to take off your shoes and squat like an Indian to eat.

This ramen is far from Japengo's version, which tastes like overcooked instant noodles.  Dining at Rairai Ken is always a pleasure and for somebody who has a picky eater as a wife Japanese food is a rare treat.

 This tofu soup came in free with the wife's order.  We forgot to take pictures of what she had out of sheer heat and hunger.  But she said it was good as well.

Rairai Ken is quite pricey, where a good meal for two people could easily run up P500 to around P700, but it's worth it.  In fact, it was so good that the wife was terribly inspired that upon arriving home, she worked on origami geishas

and raped the kokeshi dolls.

Just kidding.

Rairai Ken had cool lanterns and great interiors too.

Now if they could only work on their airconditioning!

This post was written by A.

Brewpoint Mactan

For years, Mactan Island has been getting the short end of the stick.  While Cebu has been getting a bulk of the region's development, Mactan in particular languished.  The Island does not have a single cinema with the closure of Gaisano Mactan's cineplex.  For a while there good coffee was nowhere to be found on Mactan, unless you count McDonald's brewed coffee (which is too acidic for me).

Enter Brewpoint.  One of the three coffeeshops I know in the island, and the only one worth being tagged as a coffeeshop and not having to contend with Caucasian habitues looking for a good time.  Having a tagline like "Making Mactan Island better one cup at a time" might seem lofty, but all it takes is a visit to know that they're working on it.

First disappointment was their lack of food.  I first found out about Brewpoint from Facebook where there were shots of pasta and cakes.  When we got there, I was told that they still are not serving food at the moment.  We came back after a quick lunch at Dimsum Break and got these for dessert:

I had the Mint Mocha, and the wifey's first comment was, "Where's the whipped cream?"

The whipped cream less concoction was good, however it could have really used the whipped cream not just for the aesthetics, but for added taste.

The wifey and the kid shared the Chocolate Cookie Blast:

This one, was yummy. :) It was really rich and the flavor stays with you hours after you've left.  

You should really try their champagne rose cake:

The kid really liked this one.  We also did. Champagne rose is one of a kind, and it was good. To-die-for even.

But probably the best thing about Brewpoint is that they provide you with a cozy place to hang around especially on a lazy and HOT Saturday afternoon.  It was this hot outside:

But inside it was really comfortable.  So much so that it was a perfect for some mother-and-daughter tete-a-tete.

I heard that they also have Wi-fi, but I was laptop-less during the visit so I couldn't check.

Brewpoint is at the ground floor of the GMC Arcade, two doors down from Dimsum and two doors up Rose Pharmacy.  GMC Arcade is across the old PUJ Terminal.

This post was written by A.

Hmmmn.... That Was Yummy!

Lately, Greenwich has been coming out with great food to expand their already good selection of pizzas, chicken and other foodstuff. 

The latest, I think, is Crusty Breaded Porkloin.  This one came with rice and fries.  I really loved it. All for P131 (delivery price). That came with a regular coke.

You can see a photo here.

Greenwich also added three new pasta dishes: 

3-Cheese & Sausage Macaroni

Bacon Chicken Carbonara

and Meatball Spaghetti (as opposed to the old spaghetti that they had)

I had the 3-Cheese with my delivery and it was ok.  Their Premium Lasagna Pasta Supreme still reigns as their best pasta dish.

Greenwich Delivery serves all areas of Cebu, Mandaue and Lapu-lapu.  Call 254-1000.  Be ready to repeat yourself after every other sentence, and be very patient when you give out your phone number, they tend to make you repeat it 10 times before getting it right.

Visit Greenwich's site to see their new food selection.

This post was written by A.