Rockwell, Manila

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Originally, the Banana Leaf Curry House, It was reformatted and rebranded into the Banana Leaf Asian Cafe'. It is the place to go for moderate priced but authentic Pan Asian cuisine – a mix of Indian, Indonesian, Malaysian, Vetnamese, Singaporean, Thai and Chinese. It is a franchise of Banana Leaf Curry House Limited in Hongkong.

As you enter this place, you'll be wondering to see square-shaped banana leaves on the tables. Now the question is..are we going to eat our food on these leaves or are they used as placemats? I thought that the leaves are used as place mats but my guess was wrong. But then, you may still opt to use a plate. Just request it though.

Checking out the menu is a feast to the senses as almost all of the dishes are visually represented. A dizzying selection if I may add. This gives you a dilemma on what to order..but then, you may want to order any of their specialties or best-sellers.

Favorite Dish: roti canai (P68) with curry sauce (P30). It is a flat bread similar to Naan Bread of India, It originated in Singapore and Malaysia. Aside from the Roti Canai, they also have other toasts and breads, and even sandwiches such as the Thai Burger (PhP 108), really spicy!. Also on the menu are various Asian salads, appetizers and snacks like the Indian Vegetable Samosas (PhP 108) which is a deep-fried triangular pastry filled with vegetables and yoghurt.

Especially good are the soups with a meat or seafood and where you are given a choice of making it a savory-hot laksa or a plain old soup. And you get a choice too of the noodles - thickly sliced rice noodles or the equally filling egg noodles. And their serving was huge (just P128 for beef satay soup), good enough for two hungry people!, Malayan Curry (PhP 168) which is served with the meat of your choice and Hainanese Chicken. You may also choose from their selection of steamed rice, baked rice and fried rice dishes but my favorite is their Version of the Quintissensial Thai Noodle, the Pad Thai (168 Pesos) whic was not that spicy!

they also have various south east asian drinks like Tarik Iced tea (pulled milk tea) of Malaysia and Singapore, Thai Iced Tea or Cha Yen (Black tea with condensed milk), Hong kong Pearl Milk Tea, Pandan tea, Lemongrass Tea, etc at 50 pesos plus a selection of Asian Beers Beside San Miguel like the Tsingtao Beer of China, Chang Beer of Thailand, Tiger Beer of Singapore at 98 pesos each!

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Pho 24 here in the Philippines has no Vietnamese Leche Flan and Yogurt, Jasmine Tea, ice cream and there is small servings of vegetables for the pho noodles. Pho 24 in Vietnam has no rice toppings, vietnamese maja blanca and dumplings.

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Dulcinea was established in the Philippines in 1963. The first shop was set in Ermita, Manila. In the late 1980's, Dulcinea moved to Makati, taking a spot beside the legendary Rizal Theater. Then it moved to Greenbelt Mall in July 1989, making Dulcinea's popularity soar. Suddenly it became the yuppie hangout; a meeting place for Churros con Chocolate and a site for foodfests for those with leisure at their fingertips. The menu expanded to include more Spanish specialties for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Presently, Dulcinea has 10 branches in Metro Manila. Outlets are located in Greenbelt 1, Robinsons Galleria, SM Megamall, Ayala Alabang, Tomas Morato, Glorietta 4, Robinsons Place Manila, SM City Manila, The Powerplant Mall and Greenhills Theater Mall. Dulcinea continues to create its known Spanish sweets and pastries and also offers hot meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner and a delicatessen stocked with Spanish Sausages.

Favorite Dish: Chorizo Bilbao, Chorizo Pamplona, Jamon Serrano, and Sobrasada. Famous Spanish Sylte Churros Con Chocolate at 80 Pesos, Spaghetti Lasagna at 125 Pesos, Original Spanish Mallorca Ensaimada (not the local philippine kind) at 150 pesos, Calamares Fritos at 125 Pesos, Bacalao Ala Vizcaina (Cod Fish) at 555 Pesos, Lengua Financiera at 280 pesos and a Lot More!

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One of the quintessential Vietnamese dishes, pho (noodle soup), contains all the kinds of ingredients a health-conscious person requires – fresh, natural, well-balanced and delicious. Even though the restaurant's style is consistent with traditional Vietnamese pho shops, everything at Pho 24 appears luxurious and delicate. The colourful ceramic patterns on the bowls match the complex dish they contain, and the smell instantly makes you hungry.

Pho noodles began >100 years ago when ingenious cooks in Nam Dinh City near Hanoi, satisfied the gastronomic desires of Vietnamese and French residents by inventing the dish using local ingredients (e.g., rice noodles) and adding du boeuf for a bit of foreign extravagance. (Before the French occupation, cows in Vietnam were farm help) At its birth, pho was basically just boiled beef, noodles and broth. Inventive cooks then developed the raw beef version (pho bo tai) and chicken pho (pho ga), and during wartime when beef was scarce, they made pork pho (pho lon), plus There are other variations that exist,

In 1954, Vietnam was split in two. To avoid communism, many northerners migrated southward, bringing their pho culture with them. In democratic South Vietnam, pho made a brash turn away from its conservative northern traditions. It was embellished with more of everything -- meat, noodles and broth. The practice of garnishing pho with bean sprouts, ngo gai (thorny cilantro), hung que (Thai/Asian basil) and lime was introduced. Diners also started adding tuong (bean sauce/hoisin sauce) directly to their bowls. This freewheeling, adulterated incarnation reflected the southern Vietnamese penchant for eating wildly complicated food and lots of it.

Then, as now, northern pho purists reacted with horror, decrying the loss of authenticity. Though philosophically liberating, tinkering with the sacred broth was an affront to strict northern cooks, whose pride and reputation rested in crafting a well-balanced bowl. (Pho Bac-North Vietnamese Style, Pho Hua- South Vietnamese Style)

Favorite Dish: Pho 24 boasts 24 ingredients and choice beef, which has simmered for 24 hours to enhance its full and rich flavour. The 24 spices of Pho 24 include water, meat, marrowbone, salt, pepper, sugar, fish sauce, onions, shallots, spring onions, cinnamon, anise, ginger, cloves, coriander, radishes, lemons, chilli, saw tooth coriander, coriander, sweet basil, bean sprouts, chilli sauce and black soya sauce.Pho 24 boasts 24 ingredients and choice beef, which has simmered for 24 hours to enhance its full and rich flavour. It was founded in Sai Gon in 2003 by Dr. Ly Qui Trung, a Viet Kheiu (Overseas Vietnamese).

The restaurant offers nine kinds of beef pho: regular beef noodle soup, and then the soup with muscle, with well-done brisket, with well-done flank, with fat brisket, with tripe, with soft tendon, with well-done flank and fat brisket, and with well-done flank and tripe. Two special versions are PHỞ BÒ TÁI. NẠM, GẦU, GÂN, SÁCH, CHÍNH (beef noodle soup with well-done flank, fat brisket, soft tendon and tri) at 138 Pesos or PHỞ GÀ TRỨNG NON (chicken noodle soup with baby eggs) at 13 pesos., Pho Ga (Chicken) is at 99 pesos and the extra large bowls start at 158 pesos.

Drinks like softdrinks start at 40 pesos, Cafe Sua Dua at 45 pesos, Iced tea at 45 pesos. Rice Toppings starts at 158 pesos.

Pho 24 here in the Philippines has no Vietnamese Leche Flan and Yogurt, Jasmine Tea and there is small servings of vegetables. Pho 24 in Vietnam has no rice toppings, vietnamese maja blanca, dumplings.

Food : spanish pinoy
Ambience : relaxing quiet spanish feel
Environment / : clean and fresh
Sorroundings

Favorite Dish: 1) Spicy Tuyo Flakes : TO DIE FOR!!!!

- Tuyo is a salted fish with olive oil..
- served with one cup of garlic rice and scramble egg plus big slices of tomatoes
on the side


2) Bagnet Salad : the angels from heaven must have cooked it!
- Bagnet is pork meat marinated to taste and crispy fried
- served in a bed of green salad and tomatoes with bagoong dressing


3) Rockefella Oysters
- Fresh oysters cooked very lightly (almost just dipped into boiling water)
and garnished w/ a little arlic sauce...

4) Bibingka
local rice cake with butter, salted egg and kesong puti... LOVE IT!

Drinks:

1) Spanish Hot Chocolalte : rich choco and creamy hot drink...
-made from tablet chocolates ; authentic chocolate tablets

2) Sago Gulaman - sago and gulaman ..sweet drink that would ok for desert as well..