ICE CREAM + MACARON = Chez Karine

If there is one thing I love more than myself in this world (besides family of course!) it would be ice cream. Nothing makes me feel happier and more contented than a good ice cream on my spoon be it Haagen-Dazs or a mamang sorbetero's dirty ice cream.

I feel like I have been eating ice cream all my life, not sure if my mom craved ice cream when I was in her tummy, but this is what we have in common.

We/I find ice creams hard to resist, but I found it harder to resist this.

ICE CREAM + MACARON

SALTED CARAMEL ICE CREAM MACARON
P70

For starters I have never eaten a macaron (macaron macaron not this ice cream macaron) before this, so I had no idea what it tasted like. I've always thought that macaron and macaroons were one and the same (and I thought it both was made with coconut, apparently not!).

After a few articles on the internet, I wished that I knew this way back when. When my little eyes were closed back then and I hear the word macaron a few things go rushing through my head like :

• "Why the h are they so expensive!?"
• "Is it made of gold!?"
• "What's the fuzz all about??"

I cannot see myself paying that much for these little things. (Even if I like to spend my money on the most non sense thing I see)

Hey hey hey!! Look what I've got
If you think this photo looked silly, it was actually sillier in person
Looked and felt like I was high but the not jail-able kind of high.

Apparently, the only thing that would make me jump the barrier was the word ICE CREAM. If this is what they have started with, I would have been into it long before!

At first bite, I loved it. I wanted to take a lot home and being the "usisyosa" kid that I am, I did ask if I can but sadly there was no way (for now).

(Please let it be temporary!-avftl)

I think it is because the ice cream would met into the softie macaron shell that I cannot take this home and also of course after melting in, the quality won't be the same anymore.

I was curious how long they have been operating and I was told that they have a branch in Serendra long before this one. Since I don't spend much time in Serendra, I didn't know of Chez Karine back then because the only thing in my mind when I go there is to go to Sonja's (when it was not everywhere). Too bad I've never noticed it before and thank God they opened up their 2nd branch in Sm Megamall's Mega Fashion Hall.

See all these pretty little monsters! Who knew they are packed with love and mushiness!

Since I loved their ice cream macaron, I decided to take a leap of faith and buy a box of their most eye catching flavors.

They had a ton of flavor to choose from but my favorite was their

RED VELVET MACARON!!

(Stay tuned for the post about it)

I have no idea when this red velvet madness will stop, but I am still totally into it.

CARAMEL FLEUR DE SEL
P130

I think it was a wrong move that I ordered this drink together with my ice cream macaron. Don't get me wrong it was great! But the flavor was understated because of the sweetness of the ice cream and macaron.
Or I should have drank this first before my ice cream.

Aside from their lovely macarons, they had other little baked goods like

• Strawberry Jammies for P85
• Salted Toffee for P85
• Chocolate Sable P95 or P315
• Blueberry Cream Cheese Pudding P110
• Hokkaido Cupcakes for P70

You might think that the ice cream macaron stops at the SALTED CARAMEL, but no. THERE IS MORE!

STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM MACARON
P70

I seriously wasn't contented with one. It was tiny for my standards.

Chez Karine, please make me a giant ICE CREAM MACARON. I'ld even pay sa much as P300 for just one! Lol (I am serious).

It was awkward- a short and fat moment. The ice cream was fat, but the macaron was short. So when I bit into it, the guts moved to the other end. It was as if it was telling me not to eat it. Too bad brotha!

There were actually 4 flavors. Another one is this STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM MACARON! It was a little sour for my buds, but it was good. How can ice cream ever be bad?!

Goodies on the go, can you guess what's inside?

Newly opened Chez Karine branch in the ground floor of Sm Megamall's Mega Fashion Hall. I totally love their interior design. Macarons with umbrella!? How cute is that!

I love the window seats they had. It's a great place to sit and relax while watching other people stroll by. Kind of therapeutic in a way. You won't even notice how fast the time flies by.

It can end here but NO, there is another flavor you must hear of.

I had 2 flavors (some would be contented with one, but I am not them), I had to have more! I had to try their DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM MACARON. I cannot let the moment pass. I cannot leave the place hungry for more (but I did because I cannot bring them home. aww ). The dark chocolate was the Michael Jordan of macarons! Whoever came up with this. You are brilliant!

DARK CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM MACARON
P70

SAY CHEESE FOR TAKE 3

There would have been a take 4 photo, but I wasn't so sure about the VANILLA BEAN. I love vanilla ice cream, but not so sure about the beans. There is something about beans. That I leave up to bean lovers to try.

I am not so sure if people would be spending P70 for a piece of this in this economy, but still I'ld say it is a must try!! Especially the SALTED CARAMEL.

It is perfect for the summer's hot weather. Just make sure you CONSUME IT IMMEDIATELY, I don't think it can tolerate the deteriorating weather outside or if I happen to see you I just might snag it out of your hands. Haha!

If you get to try any of it, tell me how you feel about it, was it good or not? :)

CHEZ KARINE PASTRIES MENU
*photo taken from their facebook page

CHEZ KARINE - DRINKS MENU
*photo taken from their facebook page

Branches :

• Serendra (near Sonja's)
• Sm Megamall Mega Fashion Hall : Ground floor

Don't forget to check out their :

• Website : www.chezkarine.com/
• Facebook page : Chez Karine Bakery
• Instagram : @chezkarine
• Twitter : @chezkarine

MACARON NG MASAYANG BAKASYON!

Vikings Luxury Buffet : Now Open in SM Megamall's Mega Fashion Hall!

BEER early in the morning?!

Of course not! Or is it.... Well, it is not, it just apple and cinnamon juice :) But when I first saw it, totally thought it was beer!

I just can't believe how fast Vikings is expanding. To me it just feels like they have just opened their 1st branch in the Mall of Asia and now they are now on their 5th branch!

How time flies so fast. Happy high five to them alright! 

• SM Mall of Asia
• SM Marikina
• SM North Edsa
• SM Megamall
• SM Lanang

I have been to their mother branch in MOA a couple of times and the experience was truly CAPTIVATING each and every time. I loved how grandeur the place is, very Viking of them. There were tons of food, drinks and desserts to choose from.

They have beautiful presentations, beautiful interiors.

I remember a few years back, my friends and I would always celebrate my birthdays in Saisaki, but not anymore.

For me their lunch rate of P688 and dinner rate of P888 is totally worth it! Beats spending a thousand bucks for buffet that is just as good.

Like a true Viking. They do live it large and make it large. They have over 200 dishes freshly prepared everyday, especially for you and 500 other people (max capacity).

They have a ton of DIY- design it yourself counters which I totally enjoyed from the simplest to the most complex ones. You'll see it in a few photos down..

Let us start off with the fresh catch of the day.

Fishies!! We all know that when the fish isn't fresh anymore, there would be an irritating smell tingling inside your nose and we all know that it just goes down hill from there.. But here at Vikings, there is no foul smell because everything is fresh down to the sausages!

Look! They even have fresh Oysters and Clams and a friendly reminder for us because they do care about their customers.

They even have fresh fishies kissing! Hihihi So sweet <3

Here starts the DIY's I was talking about.

DESIGN IT YOURSELF- SALAD BAR

I love to start my meals with a good salad, but sometimes I skip it because it makes me 

DESIGN IT YOURSELF - PIZZA

I love a good buffet place but what won me over is their ever growing DIY's -DESIGN IT YOURSELF! From pizza, pasta, shabu-shabu, Mongolian barbecue, crepe station, yogurt bar, etc

It is a dream come true. Feels like I've got my own personal chef. Isn't that every foodie's dream?!

DESIGN IT YOURSELF - PASTA

DESIGN IT YOURSELF - SHABU-SHABU

DESIGN IT YOURSELF - MONGOLIAN BARBECUE

Grab yourself a bowl of Sukiyaki! Definitely don't miss this one. Ask by the Mongolian Barbecue Station. They will serve you hot and fresh on your table.

DESIGN IT YOURSELF - CREPE STATION

This may be silly to some, but this is actually my favorite! If only I can have it TO-GO!

Now that I've covered the DIY sections, we now move onto the prepared dishes.

Let us start off with one of their finer creations for me.. The international cuisine section.. When I was there, it felt like I was else where.. The dishes were some of the things I wouldn't normally order in a regular restaurant, just because I am not sure if I would like it or not, where if the later is what would happen.. It would be a complete waste. But here I can just have a piece and figure out if I like it or not. Which is a great thing.

It is a great place to expand your food preference because they will always surprise you with something new.

There are tons of potential favorites like their :

LAMB KOURMA

• Lamb kourma 
• Seared St. Peter's fish in lemon, capers and pepper corn sauce
• Beef steak in Madagascar sauce 
• Clams, mussels, oysters and crabs in Louisiana sauce, etc

SEARED ST. PETER'S FISH IN LEMON, CAPERS AND PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Since they were made with love, of course they were good! Dishes are change up at least after a week and so on and so forth because they are in business the whole year round, it would definitely be a bummer if they have a stagnant menu, right?!

It only means that you can be totally excited again when you come back!

Next favorite is their MEAT CARVING STATION and guess who I am with! THE PICKIEST EATER! Guess what he is having??

I definitely loved their lamb! It may sound cruel to some, but lamb is actually pretty good, especially if the chef knows what he is doing.

I may not be a fan of lechon, but "Oh yes! They do have Bellychon"!!! They also have turkey and Angus beef!

Because they were good. Richie had to have some more!

They do have everything. They have Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Spanish, American, Italian, Filipino food!

I am Chinese, but I feel no bias towards Chinese food. But for the record, they do serve great Chinese food. Wish they would serve xiao long bao's! Haha

Just take a look at this Lapu-Lapu fish. Ain't she a beauty? She is very fresh and tasty! At least I think it's a she.

Cold Cuts Section

ROASTED CHICKEN

My 3rd favorite part. The Japanese section. I don't know why but I have a weakness for sushi, sashimi, or just anything from a Japanese cuisine! 

Just no live things please.

Their CHAWAN MUSHI is definitely a must try even if it is just egg.

Why eat egg at a fancy place? Because it is my life's simple joys and it is down right good.

It might be crazy but when I went to Taiwan a few years back, it was one of the things that I really loved and miss.

Even at a fancy Japanese restaurant I would still order a plate of TAMAGO (which they have), just because (and the fact that I can't make it myself HAHA!).

It may seem like I am drinking again but I just had to, it was in a tea cup!

It is hard to eat without having something to push it down with right?

This HONEY DEW that The Pickiest Eater is having is truly a delight! It is sweet without killing your plate combo.

They don't have this out in the open, ask for it in their drinks bar.

They also have a bunch of other things to drink like an ice cold Milo (had a full glass of it), four season juice (had a glass of it), tea, iced tea, soft drinks, coffee or WINE (but with extra pay).

After eating, you can have all the coffee you want to help you stay awake. Don't eat and sleep!

Their coffee maker had a weird UFO glow. Dun dun dun dun!! Which is totally cool and awesome.

Up next is a little of the Spanish dishes that they had.

It is always a pleasure to have lunch with the world's most amazing people!

But wait.. There is more!

I am a bread person. I love eating all sorts of pastries and they have tons for you to choose from.

But what made me happy is their bread toaster. The one you can press down and eject (like a boss), not like the everyday normal person's home toaster. The pastry section sits by the pizza and pasta section.

You won't miss it because the bread-y goodness will be calling you out.

Since I am talking about pastries, I thought "Why not throw in these lovely donuts!?"

They look too good to be eaten, but just like Homer Simpson, I can't resist them!

I don't know if it is humanly possible to eat one of each of them. There was just so many to choose from! Good thing lunch starts at 11 am to 2:30 pm! and dinner starts at 5:30 to 10 pm! Talk about eating like there is no tomorrow!

Don't forget to check out their dessert fridge, it's got sago't gulaman, RED VELVET, panna cotta, etc..

If you aren't in the mood for foreign desserts, they do have a couple Proudly Pinoy desserts.

Some people like my mom can't live without fruits, good thing Vikings has a good spread of fresh fruits to choose from.

FRESH FRUITS

If you like cheese and if you are totally impressed and head over heels by Spiral's CHEESE ROOM, you would not be so happy here. But still they do have a pretty decent cheese selection for cheese-lovers. Just don't expect a room dedicated to it, more of just a tray of cheese.

When my life gets tough, sometimes all I need is a good bowl of fool's gold.

By that I mean ONION RINGS!! I am crazy for a good onion ring and a whooping dip. I know it is deep fried and it is so crazy oily, but who cares. Sometimes all we need in life is good grease food.

Here they have the all American grub! Chicken fingers, potato wedges, chicken lollipop and my personal favorite "onion rings"!

Totally wished there were some curly fries too Haha!

At Vikings, your special occasion is their special occasion! They have a birthday promo where celebrants eat for free!

Let us not forget the future bums of the world, kidding! The fresh grads deserve to have a hearty meal with their loved ones after all their hard work "to stay away from the world's distraction". And where else to celebrate but here at Vikings!

They also have WEDDING ANNIVERSARY promos (but it is limited for now to their SM Marikina and SM Lanang branch).

And let us not forget about our lolo's and lola's a.k.a. "the Seniors", but it doesn't start from the age of 60. Promo starts at the age of 75 and above.

We definitely don't qualify for all those thing, but thank Ms. Raquel for inviting us!

With my favorite person in the world! "Mr. Pickiest Eater!"

This post is already crazy long, but I cannot leave this part out just because I totally enjoyed my stay here because I felt like I was breaking the ultimate law. NO EATING IN A MUSEUM. It was totally how I felt like I was at Vikings SM Megamall.

I must say that their interior is truly a masterpiece!

Art in unexpected places are the best ones. Like this piece, it sits in the middle of the table.

Or the criss cross table in the photo below. But there are tons more scattered all over the place.

Everything is a masterpiece right down to the chairs! Even the boring black chit book is colorful in Vikings!

Take your sweet time and enjoy every piece of art in the new Vikings branch in Sm Megamall!

I can't believe that there are so many people lined (or should I say seated) up outside for dinner time! These early birds will surely get the early worm.. food! I meant to say food!

 

Easter is the perfect time to go check out Vikings Sm Megamall! We can all eat meat again yey!!!! ^^,

Branches : 

• Mall of Asia : Building B, by the bay

(846-3888 ; 846-4888; 846-5888) (0917-565-3888; 0923-730-3888)

• Sm City Marikina : 2nd floor

(570-3888; 570-4888; 570-5888) (0917-876-6888; 0919-999-3888)

• Sm North Edsa : 4th floor, the block

(376-3888; 376-4888; 376-5888) (0917-554-3888; 0917-895-4888)

• Sm Lanang Premier (Davao) : Ground floor, Fountain Court

• Sm Mega Mall : 4th floor, Mega Fashion Hall, Bldg. D

(656-3888; 656-4888; 656-5888) (0917-824-1888; 0932-816-3888)

Website : Vikings

Twitter : @vikingsbuffet

Instagram : @vikingsluxurybuffet