Thursday, August 20, 2015

Restaurants I miss

As I was having enjoying a sticky bun from Cinnabon recently, I suddenly remembered Saint Cinnamon, a similar shop that I frequented many, many years ago. I don't think it's present in Manila anymore although a quick search online indicates that there is one in Glorietta 2, Megamall, and . I know there was a Saint Cinnamon in these places before but they all closed; I don't know if these online entries are outdated or if Saint Cinnamon has reopened so I think I will be checking out for myself some time soon as I do miss their cinnamon rolls.

Remembering Saint Cinnamon made me start thinking about all the other restaurants that aren't present in Manila anymore. Here's a quick list of some places I miss:

Sukho Thai
This was one of the first Thai restaurants in Manila. My family would sometimes go to Megamall just to have a meal here. This was where I first discovered and enjoyed Pad Thai, Chicken Pandan, and Bagoong Rice. The food was also relatively affordable and the portion sizes were good. There are a lot of Thai restaurants in Manila now but Sukho Thai still ranks as my favorite in terms of flavor and price range.

Full House
Back when I was in college, my friends and I would occasionally head to Full House along Katipunan to enjoy their Chicken Crepe. Obviously it was a bit more expensive than canteen food in school but compared to other restaurants, it was quite affordable, especially when you consider the quality of the food. I've had a lot of savory crepe dishes since, especially from Cafe Breton, but I haven't found a place that serves Chicken Crepe since.

Country Waffles
This was another family favorite. My family and I have always been fans of breakfast food and Country Waffles had a whole lot of dishes to offer. I always felt like a kid in a candy store when I would go here because there were so many options that appealed to me. We would usually visit the branch along Annapolis but there was another one in Glorietta. There are a lot of other similar restaurants scattered over Manila now so my cravings for breakfast food can easily be addressed but I do miss Country Waffles.

Dean St. Cafe
I visited that place a couple of times and I enjoyed what I had. I don't know if this place closed because it wasn't as lucrative or if the owners decided to close it for other reasons but this coffee place does predate Starbucks' presence in Manila. And back then, people still weren't that keen on spending a lot of money on expensive coffee.

Au Bon Pain
There was an Au Bon Pain near the place that I worked. I would sometimes get sandwiches there (not very frequently though) but what I did quite enjoy from this place was their Blueberry Danish.

Other restaurants that I miss: Adarna and Mr. Jones.

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