A Celebration of Love: Your Table Awaits at O'kafe This Valentine's Day

Love is in the air, and whether you're swooning with a soulmate, cherishing fond moments with long-time friends, or simply celebrating in the warmth of self-love, O'kafe is setting the scene for a truly unforgettable Valentine's Day dinner on February 14 and 15, 2024. Come join "A Celebration of Love," an exquisite culinary experience designed to ignite your senses and warm your heart.

Savor a Menu Crafted for Connection:

O'kafe has crafted a full-course dinner from heart-warming appetizers to the exquisite main course and topped it off with sweet desserts, enjoyed with a glass of wine to savor the entire meal, designed to spark conversation and create lasting memories.

Beyond the Plate:

The ambiance at O'kafe this Valentine's sets the mood for an intimate and magical evening. Soft lights, elegant décor, and impeccable service will add a touch of sophistication to your celebration.

More Than Just Romance:

Love comes in many forms, and O'kafe welcomes everyone to experience this delightful evening! Whether you're celebrating with your significant other, or a group of friends, or cherishing some quality "me-time," "A Celebration of Love" is for you.

Make Your Reservation Today:

Dinner starts at 6pm on February 14 and 15, 2024. Price starts at ₱1,299/person.
Tables are filling up fast, so don't miss out on this unique opportunity to create unforgettable Valentine's Day memories. Reserve your table by calling 09052718226/09692843695 or online by visiting the 
O'kafe by OLOPSC on Facebook. 

O'kafe is located at General Ordoñez St., Concepcion, Marikina City.

ThrowbackThursday: Pan De Amerikana in Marikina

Pan De Amerikana along Gen. Ordonez St. (formerly Molave St.) in Marikina

Circa 2009 photos

Check out my previous review on Pan de Amerikana here. 

Hap Chan Tea House Now Open

newly opened Hap Chan restaurant, Oct. 2010

A new branch of the popular Chinese restaurant chain Hap Chan opens in Marikina.  The new branch, which opened last October is located at the ground floor of the newly built Sunrise Building along Gil Fernando Ave.

Hap Chan started out as a small tea house in Manila and served only mami, lugao and dimsum.  In 1999, Hap Chan began to expand and franchise its restaurant chain.  Now it offers a wide

Sunrise Bldg under construction Sept. 2010

 range of popular Chinese cuisine such as spare ribs with tausi sauce, seafood hotpot, birthday noodles, mixed meat noodles, yang chow fried rice, shrimp dumpling, shark's fin dumpling, hakaw, sauted beef with broccoli flower, suckling pig cold cut, roast pigeon, braised crab with ginger and onion, shrimp balls, swahe, steamed lapu-lapu with soy sauce, steamed egg with dry scallop, patatim, lechon kawali and many more.

Hap Chan Marikina City branch is located at the ground floor of the Sunrise Building along Gil Fernando Ave. near Banco de Oro. Parking is available in front of the building.

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Lydia's Lechon Marikina Adds New Wing

Lydia's Lechon along Marcos Highway is famous for take-out due to its convenient location along the highway. People are bound to pass it along their way home to Marikina and Antipolo.

They do have a dine-in area though it is very small and usually full.

Recently though, they have expanded and took over the additional space facing the other side of Burger King. This new area can accommodate more customers and includes convenient parking in front of the new wing.

Lydia's Lechon also offers delivery services as they call it "LechOn Delivery". You can place your order by calling them at 682-8927 and 646-0871. For more information, visit their official website at http://lydias-lechon.com

Bikini Challenge at Tamamangs

Tamamang's Grill and Restaurant presents Bikini Challenge '09.
The event will be hosted by Jhay Pimentel and Arnel K., and will also feature Precious and the Alpharat Band. Entrance fee is P150.

Tamamang's Grill and Restaurant is located along Gil Fernando Ave. near RCBC bank and Saint John the Baptist of Marikina Hospital.

20 Inch Pizzas at Planet Pizza

There's a new pizza place in Marikina and it's offering what they call "the biggest, tastiest, best pizza in the planet".  Of course that's a real bold statement for a new pizzeria.  But their tagline is apt with their name, "Chef Gavin's Planet Pizza".

I've known the other popular pizza parlors like Shakeys, Pizza Hut, Dominos, Sbarro and Yellow Cab to have 18" sized pizzas as their biggest size.  Well, Planet Pizza goes 2 inches longer by offering a whopping 20" pizza.  

A couple of the flavors they offer are ham and cheese, hawaian tropic, bacon, pepperoni classic, italian beef, cheese galaxy, bacon and cheese explosion, pepperoni and ham surprise and triple treat.  The also have their special planet supreme pizza which includes italian beef, ham, pepperoni, bacon, pineapple, mozza cheese, cheddar cheese, parmessan cheese, mushrooms, bell pepper, black olives and onions.  Now that's a lot of toppings.  I bet you'll get a huge dose of each topping covering such a huge pizza.

Aside from pizzas, they also offer soft and crispy tacos, spaghetti with meatballs, nachos, french fries and american cheese fries, carbonara supreme and onion rings.   I found their dessert to be witty carrying the name of Vanilla Ice (with ice cream). 

They're open from 10am til 10pm and offer free delivery anywhere within Marikina.  They're located at Unit A8, Marikina East Center, Gil Fernando Ave., San Roque, Marikina City. You can reach them at 703-4948

Farewell To Old Stores, Hello To New Ones

Bluewave Marikina bids farewell to Superbowl, which recently closed their restaurant last May 17, 2009.   Superbowl, which used to occupy the ground floor between Starbucks and Shakeys, posted their farewell notice to the public thanking the people for their support and to visit their other branches.  

In contrast, some new stores in Marikina will be opening very soon.  

At the Marikina Riverbanks Center, soon to open are Asian Citident Medical and Dental Supply Store, Hehers Merchandising,  & Reli Tours and Travel Agency.  

Burger King is now open at the ground floor of SM City Marikina.  And the newest pizza parlor along Gil Fernando Ave. is Chef Gavin's Planet Pizza which boasts of their huge 20 inch pizzas.

Be sure to check out the new stores and restaurants in Marikina.

Pan de Amerikana, So Much More Than A Bakery

When you hear of "Pan de Amerikana", you'll guess that it's a bakery.  Well that's true.  But their main branch in Marikina is so much more than just a bakery.  It's a cozy restaurant too.  My high school classmate's brother is one of the owners of this unique establishment.

First off, the pandesal alone is one big reason why people buy here on a daily basis.  They tag their pandesal as 1950's pandesal.  They bake their own wheat pandesal and the size is enormous for it's very affordable price of P4.00 per piece.   It's best eaten hot which they always have a fresh new batch newly baked from their chimney-like cement oven... just the way bread was baked in the olden days.

I'd suggest you'd buy your take-out pandesal after dining for a whole Pan de Amerikana experience.   The restaurant is semi self-service.   You order your food at the entrance where the counter is, proceed inside and find a place to seat, and they'll serve it in a few minutes.

While you're waiting, you can play.  Yes , play!  The uniqueness of this restaurant is that chess enthusiasts will go gaga over this restaurant.  All the tables have chessboards imprinted and embedded on every table and chess pieces are available at the front where you can play a friendly game of chess at the convenience in your own table.   Would you like to add difficulty to your game ?  A lifesize chess board can be found at the far end of the restaurant.    These huge pieces require you to physically pick each one up when moving them.  There's a huge stop clock at the side too.  If you want a wider perspective, there's an elevated platform you could get up on to see the entire chess board.    They also have some wooden sungka gamesets and darts if you'd like to play alone.

The place is also reminiscent of a tranquil sanctuary with a pond full of fishes, a bridge, memorabilia, a gorgeous landscape, lots of beautiful and hanging plants, miniature windmills, a transparent waterfall wall and a balcony for children to play and see the exterior as if the restaurant were a fortress.   There's also a stage with a huge flatscreen TV and extra huge high-powered fans for proper ventilation.   The entire restaurant also offers free wifi.

On one side of the main interior are pictures of Filipino celebrities of the '60's and '70's with some "then and now" pictures of them side by side.    A display board at the entrance shows pictures of several famous people who have visited Pan de Amerikana.  There are also a lot of vintage statues and antiques scattered throughout the restaurant.   

The food on their menu is mostly Filipino with the myriad variations of the "log" family (tapsilog, longsilog etc).  They also have eat all you can buffets during certain days of the week.   Of course, you can order fresh pandesal with filling straight from their oven.   They also offer some "kakanins" like palitao and kutsinta.

Overall, this place is a must see and visit Marikina attraction.   The ambiance is one that will take your mind off the busy metro and relax and unwind feeling the calmness of the restaurants surroundings.   

You can have breakfast as early as 6am.  As for dinner though, you better go early since they close at 6pm.    Pan de Amerikana is located at 92 Ordonez St.  You can reach them at 475-2398 or 0917 530-8824 or visit their website at http://pandeamerikana.multiply.com/

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Krung Thai - Thai Cuisine in Marikina

I didn't know there was a Thai restraurant in Marikina till some friends told me about it.  What's even worse is that I've been passing through the street where it's located for the past 13 years whenever I get down from a jeep and walk towards the tricycle stands heading home.  So, me together with my blogger friends finally got to try it out. 

Krung Thai is a small Thai restaurant located in the heart of Bayan, Sta Elena in Marikina City.  It's at the corner of a building where part of the palengke meat and fruit section is but it does not in any way look like it's beside a market.   They recently celebrated their 13th anniversary last Feb 19, 2009.  How could I have lived in Marikina and not known this place for 13 years ?

We went there in the evening to have dinner.  While we were there, families came in to dine and suddenly filled the place.  

Despite its small area, the interior is decorated reminiscent of Thai culture from the paintings on the walls and lamps to the tablecloth.  Their menu is a combination of Thai and mixed foods.  Most of their dishes include combination of vegetables like beef in oyster sauce, sweet and sour fish, catfish with mango salad, Thai Panang chicken curry, spicy squid salad, and fried mixed vegetables with pork or bagoong rice.  We had spring rolls as our appetizer then proceeded to order pork satay and pad thai.   Pork satay was served in a set of 5 sticks while pad thai was a huge serving of noodles with shrimps.  We also tried their Thai style iced tea which was a very tall glass which contents may had been equivalent to 2 regular glasses.  Our friends ordered a heap of crab rice and soup which was good for sharing.  

I'm not into Thai nor spicy food but it was worth trying out something that escaped my eyes all these years.

Their generous servings are moderately priced so spending much is not a problem.  If you'd like to sample Thai food at an afforable price, try Krung Thai.  

Krung Thai is open from 9am-9pm daily and is located at the Marikina Public Market M Cruz corner W.C. Paz, Sta Elena Marikina City.  You can also reach them at telephone numbers 646-2005 or 681-7696 and mobile at 0927 792-0587.

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Tapsi ni Vivian Official Launch Today

While along Marcos Highway earlier, I saw a huge searchlight in the sky. I wasn't sure where it came from. Then after making the u-turn along Marcos and heading to Gil Fernando, I finally saw where the searchlight was originating from... the 2nd floor of the new building where Tapsi ni Vivian is situated.

It's their official launch today (even if it was softlaunched last month). They're celebrating from 5pm up to 3am the next day. Being a 24 hour restaurant, it's not unusual. There were lots of cars parked there and it looked like there was a disco or party going on at the top floor.

Due to limited parking space, if you do happen to pass by Tapsi ni Vivian and spot a vacant parking space, don't even have 2nd thoughts about dining. That's your chance to sample and taste the fine bulalo and tapsi they have.

Bon Apetit !

Madison Avenue

Just across Pan de Amerikana bakery in Marikina Heights is a new restaurant called Madison Avenue. It has nothing to do with where its located cause it's along Gen. Ordonez St. This cozy restaurant recently opened in January 2009 and serves from 7am to 10pm.  Entering the restuarant, you'd have the impression that it's an enclosed area due to the grills on each side and the huge hut-like top,  but it's actually an open-air area.   The chandelier lighting, figurines and decorations make the place a homey one, as if you were just beside a mansion's veranda.

There are some nipa huts at the back and a 2nd floor for functions.  Also, when you enter, there is an enclosed sqare room which seems to cater to after-meals as the cookie jar and a ref with some desserts were situated. 

Their food groups comprise of breakfast favorites (tocilog, tapsilog,  longsilog and daingsilog), tasty sandwiches (chicken sandwich and grilled cheese sandwich), pastas (baked macaroni, chicken fusille and carbonara), sizzling specials (sizzling porkchop, taningue, bangus, tilapia and devilled hotdogs), merienda (pancit bihon, canton, guisado) and grilled dishes (pork bbq, chicken bbq and grilled liempo).

I ordered the sizzling porkchop which includes a cup of rice, soup and softdrinks.  As the name suggested, my order was served in a sizzling plate with beans and grazy poured over the porkchop.  The serving is just enough to satisfy an empty stomach.  The bottled softdrink though is served in a 240ml bottle, so you may need additional drinks if you're the thirsty type.  The dishes are moderately priced so it won't be costly to try any entree on the menu.

Overall, I find the place cozy and gives you the feeling of dining at home, but a much bigger home.  

Try it out when you pass by Marikina Heights.

Tapsi Ni Vivian Relocates to Bigger Lot

If you're familiar with the infamous Marikina restaurant Tapsi Ni Vivian, it has moved from its original location along Gil Fernando Ave. to a new building across and a few lots further along the same road. 

Tapsi Ni Vivian is now situated at HDR Building and sporting a new look with a bigger area. They officially helf their Grand Opening last January 15, 2009.

D' Original Tapsi Ni Vivian has been serving their special tasty tapa and bulalo since 1984. You can visit them any time of the day since they are open 24 hours.

Tapsi Ni Vivian At Bulaluhan is located at 32 Gil Fernando Avenue with telephone numbers 645-0125.