31 January 2015

Enjoy Hearty Meals at Chelsea Kitchen



If you frequent Mega Fashion Hall at SM Megamall, you would probably be familiar with Chelsea Kitchen. Located near the entrance of the Mega Fashion Hall fronting EDSA, it is one of the first few places that would catch your attention upon entering the mall. You could actually even see the place from the MRT if you happen to pass by Shaw and Ortigas lol. Anyway, I was able to try out some of Chelsea Kitchen's best sellers a few days ago with my blogger friends and I couldn't wait to share to you my wonderful experience!


What sets Chelsea Kitchen apart from other restaurants in the area is that the restaurant is literally open to the public. Even their kitchen is very bare that you could see how your food is being prepared. Nevertheless, it is one place where you could sit back and relax after a long day of shopping. It could even be a place where boyfriends or husbands could wait while their loved ones are shopping around the mall. :p


As regards Chelsea Kitchen's menu, it is a combination of the bestsellers from other members of the Raintree Restaurant group, such as Stella, Grand Cafe Chelsea, and Mr. Jones, among others. Upon hearing this, I immediately expected a lot from Chelsea Kitchen and I could say that I was definitely not disappointed. Anyway, here are some of the dishes that I was able to try at Chelsea Kitchen:

Mushroom "Chicharon" - P195

This mushroom chicharon is definitely one of my favorites! I know some people who won't eat mushroom and this could be a nice way to make them eat their veggies lol. Anyway, it comes with basil pesto aioli and spiced vinegar dip. But I like this one better on its own.

Truffled Spinach Cream Dip in a Bread Bowl - P250

Honestly, this dip would be good on its own as a soup. After the tortilla chips were gone, all I wanted to do is grab a spoon and eat the dip like a soup. The consistency of the dip is very creamy, not necessarily thick, but just perfect to pair it with the chips. 

Chili Lime Chicken and Chorizo Nachos - P295

I am not really a fan of nachos but this one is very good. It has feta crumble, grilled corn, fresh cilantro, and salsa salad. What I like most about this one is how plentiful the toppings are. Most nachos sold in stalls and restaurants seem to be lacking ingredients and this one is honestly a hearty dish.

The CK Chicken Salad - P250

The CK Chicken Salad is a combination of char-grilled Asian pesto chicken, peanut plum dressing, fresh basil, cilantro, mint, and Asian slaw. Upon serving, one of the staff of Chelsea Kitchen will assist the customer in tossing the salad as part of their presentation. Personally, I liked this salad a lot. I usually don't get satisfied with eating just a salad. But I feel like it is something that I could eat for lunch or dinner and wouldn't feel hungry after. Probably because of the generous amount of chicken that the salad has.

Meat Parts Pizza - P350
Super Garlic Cream Pizza  - P250

Pizzas served at Chelsea Kitchen are stone-fired. The dough is made everyday so everything is served really fresh. The crust of the pizza is somewhat thick but the body itself isn't. Nevertheless, it is not that thin that the toppings would fall of the pizza. Between the two that was served, my favorite is the Meat Parts variant. Definitely sinfully good!

Smoked Tinapa Agli Olio - P320 

I am not a fan of Agli Olio as well as I am more inclined to pesto or cream based pastas. But I liked the Smoked Tinapa Agli Olio very much! I like how plain the base of the pasta is as a contrast to the strong flavor of the tinapa. Anyway, this one contains angel hair, fresh basil, wild arugula, pepperoncini, cherry tomatoes, and herb crumbs.

Truffled Mushroom Cream and Bacon Spaghetti - P320

This one's a winner! I just love anything with bacon in it. And with the truffled mushroom cream, this pasta is a perfect combination of both ingredients. I am just curious though if the flavor would be enhanced if another type of pasta would be used for this dish. But definitely, this is one dish that I would have again at Chelsea Kitchen.

US Roast Beef and Gravy - P495

Again, another favorite! I even had a second serving of this dish because it's so good. The beef is very tender and literally melts in your mouth. With it is a generous serving of gravy which, let me tell you, would make you ask for another serving of rice. Though I think this dish is ideally for two to three people, I could finish it all by myself. I find it quite expensive, but I think it is worth the price!

Fried Chicken Parmigiana - P320, Herb Rice Pilaf - P80

For some reason, anything that is paired with cheese instantly becomes a hit! This is probably why the Fried Chicken Parmigiana is something that my blogger friends and I all loved. This fried chicken dish contains herb crumbs and smothered in white sauce and melted mozzarella. I find this dish as something that kids would love. A little different from the typical fried chicken, but something that would still be irresistible to them.

Triple Decker Club Melt - P320

Chelsea Kitchen likewise carries sandwiches which I think are perfect for merienda. Their servings are good for sharing though (unless you're exhausted from roaming around the mall). Anyway, what we had is a Triple Decker Club Melt which contains grilled pesto chicken, farmer's ham, egg salad, american cheddar, romaine, tomatoes, and pesto aioli. This is served with house-made fresh cut fries. This one's definitely filling as the bread is quite thick and the contents itself are very generous.

Donut Holes - P195

And just when I though I had no more space left in my tummy, these adorable looking donut holes came out of the kitchen. These are dulce de leche filled and served with warm chocolate dip. Well, you could drizzle the dip over the donut but I guess the better option is to just let it swim in the dip for a while before finally eating it. By the way, they likewise have cakes which are displayed near the counter if you opt a sweeter type of dessert.

Chelsea Waffles: Salted Caramel and Bacon - P220

Definitely one of the oddest combinations that I have heard, but it works really well! It's a really great mix of salty and sweet flavors. And as I have said, I am a fan of bacon so this one is also a winner for me. But seriously, I cannot still figure out how they cooked the bacon in such way that it would remain flat yet crispy. 


Cafe Dulce De Leche - P160, Cappuccino Smile - P145

Having coffee after a really great meal is one of my favorite things to do. I had Iced Cafe Dulce de Leche but I found it too sweet for my taste. Aside from coffee, Chelsea Kitchen also has diner style milkshakes, malts and floats, and other crafted refreshments. I was able to try their Banana Cream Pie Milkshake and I loved it!


As I see it, Chelsea Kitchen is a place where you could drop by before heading home after a long day of shopping with your family or friends. As I have said on my Instagram post, everything seem to be so healthy even with the ones with tons of bacon on it. It is probably because of how the food was prepared and how fresh the ingredients are. Personally, the price range of their dishes isn't really student friendly. I'd have to bring my mom with me the next time I visit lol. But in Chelsea Kitchen, you get what you pay for - hearty meals with generous serving and prepared using only the freshest ingredients.

Thank you Chelsea Kitchen and Aldous for having me! :)

Chelsea Kitchen
Ground Floor SM Mega Fashion Hall, 
Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City 

Visit Chelsea Kitchen's social media accounts for more info:
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/raintreechelseakitchen
Twitter - https://twitter.com/raintreechelsea
Website - http://www.raintreerestaurants.com

XO, Mish


19 January 2015

Belle De Jour / BDJ Power Planner 2015



I already got myself a planner for the year but there's no stopping me from getting the Belle de Jour Power Planner 2015. Just like last year, the deal is my sister will keep the planner while I get the Lifestyle Card and some of the coupons that I like. This planner is definitely worth every peso because I was able to save a lot from the free CBTL upsize I get from the card.

This year, I got the Belle de Jour Power Planner in Smythesewn. For the past two years, I got the Spiral version and the Exclusive Grey Leather version. This one costs P538 with free provincial shipping. Best thing is that there are several payment options. I opted to pay with PayPal for this one.

Cover of the BDJ Power Planner Smythsewn

Anyway, here are some of the features of the new BDJ Power Planner:

Info part
Goals!
BDJ Checklist 2015

Most of the parts of the BDJ Planner were maintained such as the BDJ Checklist, Health Plan, Cash Flow and Bills Tracker. However, there were several new ones that were incorporated in the new BDJ Power Planner 2015 such as the Ikigai, BDJ Box Challenge, Rules of Photography, among others.

Ikigai
Health Plan
BDJ Box Challenge
Rules of Photography

Personally, I like how the daily planner has a checklist although what I do is put items for school on the larger part and items for blogging on the checklist part. It helps me organize both without mixing them up or forgetting an item.

Monthly view
Weekly view
Bills Tracker

The best part about the BDJ Power Planner 2015 is that the coupons are now placed in a separate booklet. It's such a hassle how thick previous BDJ Planners were because of numerous coupons placed inside.  This time, they placed the coupons in a separate booklet to make the planner itself compact. I love how there are new shops and establishments that BDJ has paired up with such as 360 Fitness Club and Fitness First.

BDJ Lifestyle Card
Coupon tracker
Coupons!

Among the versions BDJ has come up with, I definitely like the Exclusive Leather Grey version the most. I am personally not a fan of the cover designs BDJ has come up with. I like simple ones and the grey version definitely suits my taste. Nevertheless, I am getting this planner for next year again.

What planner did you get for 2015? :)

XO, Mish