Find Happiness at this House

Happy Monk House of Steam is one of those restaurants that I just pass by everyday. The location along Aguirre Avenue is easy to miss even if it is in between Little Quiapo and Rapide.

The interior is mostly brown and yellow, spacious even if it is small. It was a mix of wood and steel. Servers were well-trained, guiding you to bestsellers and giving accurate descriptions of the dishes.

Entrees (less than P200) may be good for two not so hungry people and dimsum orders (less than P100) are packed with meat. During our visit, we ordered noodle soups, Hainanese Chicken, Pork and Shrimp Siomai, and Kutchay Dumplings. My friends immediately thought that my family would love it there. All in all our dinner for three amounted to P720 and 3 happy stomachs!

I'll go back soon and be as happy as me in the picture again!

As the non-official mascot, I am available for appearances at birthday celebrations at Happy Monk. Thank you!

This Might Be Better Than SEx

Everyday, in and out of BF Homes, I pass by this 2 month-old establishment named I Love Pares.

I have no idea how to eat Pares but I decided to get dishes here with two of my friends. An order of Pares is P69 and Siomai is P39.

Clueless on where to start, I put calamansi on the beef and had a bit of soup, tried some of the rice, and finally the beef. Everything else went natural. Pares is Pares however way you eat it. The beef was consistently tender and the broth was just alright. The siomai may be homemade but it is a bit bland. It is best with the usual toyomansi with chili.

The friendly cashier mentioned that their other specialty, Batangas Bulalo, was not available. It was alright. I wasn't craving for a trip to Mahogany, Tagaytay that night.

The place will remind you of Sinangag Express as it is also 24 hours but the menu and size of the servings seem to offer much more value. SEx may never be replaced but this might be the best alternative to it.

Someday, someone just might create a high end Pares place and call it Pares Hilton.