One spontaneous Wednesday night, all the buses going down South were so full it was almost Vito Cruz when we found a decent bus. Tiring as it was, walking along Taft Avenue in a nippy night brings to mind memories of good ol’ place to hang out.

As the bell tolled 6:30pm the next day, we found an easier route to Taft, gather our colleagues as we went giddy to Café Noriter, our new playground.

And playground it was, as the Korean translation of the word. It’s not really a playground where kids play. It’s a classroom setting where creative juices come to play!

What’s fun about Café Noriter was that we get to express ourselves and how can you be not compelled?

cafe noriter review taft

How can you not when this table comes with blank paper cups to pour our thoughts on?

cafe noriter decors



How can we stare blankly into space where nothing in between is blank?

cafe noriter coffee shop

This is a haven where vandalism isn't a crime.

My Lemon iced tea (Php 90) (not that much of a coffee lover given the time of the day) and Tuna Sandwich (Php 110) were just all complementary. Next time, I'll try their frappes :)

cafe noriter tambayan


cafe noriter tuna sandwhich

I didn't enjoy the food but the ambiance was so conducive to laughter and banter!


Café Noriter is located at:


2746 Reyes Bldg., 
Estrada St. (at Taft Ave.)
Parallel to Tapa King
I'm not a rice lover, but for those who are, Kanin Club surely is a haven.

Spoiler alert: We haven't tried any of their specialty rice but who says we can't go back to try again? Besides, they have this relatively new branch in Westgate, Alabang. Hurraaaah!

Kanin Club is distinctly Filipino: from the wooden doors, stained glasses, colorful paintings everywhere to wooden tables with Capiz shells. The ambiance inside is a mixture of homey feeling with something modern about it. 

Unmistakably too, they serve Filipino dish with a twist. 

kanin club westgate crispy dinuguan

This is their Crispy Dinuguan (Php 274). Until upon looking at it, I can't still figure out why it's called crispy. Only when I've tasted  it's crunchiness did it dawned on me why. It's chicharon-goodness beneath! Perfect with the tangy dinuguan sauce. Heart-stopping!

kanin club westgate kare kare

Hello there Kare-Kare (Php 376)! The thing with me eating Kare-Kare, though weird it is, I don't eat it with bagoong. I approve of Kare-Kares which are tasty as is. And here, I got what I wished for. A light, hearty and creamy Kare-Kare! Yum!

kanin club westgate beef callos

Went a bit Spanishy with Beef Callos (Php 430) here. The sauce is good, you can even take it home, boil your own spaghetti noodle and devour. 

Just beware though when eating in Kanin Club. On the menu are yummy tasting innocent angels, but watch out, these goodness can be treacherous devils to the heart!


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Rating: 4.5


Kanin Club is located at:


Westgate, Alabang-Zapote Rd
Alabang, Muntinlupa
This is probably the peg of Movie Stars Cafe in Seaside Blvd, Mall of Asia Complex. I find the concept really creative: you eat their choice buffet while being entertained by the stars themselves. They dance around you, they pose for pictures beside you and there are also statues all about the place. It's like a one big movie house where movie characters come alive.


The entertainment side is really something to clap about from the costumes to the production number itself. In fact days after, 'we are the cartoon heeroes-oh-oh-oh' kept ringing in my head.



movie stars cafe sm moa pasay review
For when you look up, you will see. There's so many memorabilias to see around and the most amazing of them all? Their little Harry Potter collection almost stashed near the entrance. At first (although I don't have the pictures) we realized Fawkes in the corner. Then Hermoine's Time Turner, the Mirror of Erised, and the Goblet of Fire all seated in one place! Amazing finds for Harry Potter fans!
In terms of the food, there's 2 kinds of buffets to choose from:
  • 6:00- 9:00pm- Dinner Dino Buffet (a hamburger and sandwich buffet)
[which includes: various kinds of sausages from bratwurst and wiener, beef hotdogs, cheeses, patties, chili con carne, cheese sauce, salad selection, roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, french fries, mixed veggies, beef tenderloin steak, fish & chips, assorted fruits ans pastries. Drinks not included]
  • 10:00- 2:00pm- Midnight Dino Buffet
[which includes: pica-pica foods from crispy crablets served with sweet chili sauce, buffalo chicken wings, chicken liver romaki, an assortment of sushi and sashimi, fried calamari, jalapeno poppers, cream cheese poppers, cheddar poppers, grilled mixed sausage, fish finger with tartar sauce, flavored potato chips, assorted coated french fries, chili sausages, beef salpicao, vegetable sticks, assorted dimsum and dumplings, Hungarian meat balls, on the spot Tempura Station, on the spot Sisig Station. Bottomless drinks such as local, draft beers, cocktails, juice and soda also await those who dare pass their T-Rex gastronomical territory. :) ]

We tried the Dinner Dino Buffet. It's a bit cheaper and convenient (in terms of time) but if you have the luxury of time and a decent ride home, might as well take the Midnight Dino Buffet. There's more food selection that will surely make your tummy bulge. But no regrets for the Dino Buffet. Because after we partied at UNO!


      movie stars cafe food movie stars dinner dino buffet


movie stars cafe food selectionmovie stars cafe wedges

movie stars cafe food 1
(Clockwise: fish and chips (onion rings), mixed vegetables and the DIY burger)

For entertainment value, clap clap clap! For food, well let's just say that it's just icing on the cake.


Click to add a blog post for Movie Stars Cafe on Zomato  
Rating: 3


Movie Stars Cafe is located at:

Seaside Blvd., 
SM Mall of Asia, 
Pasay, Metro Manila