P at 23

P: Celebrated my birthday last week by treating my family and D to a dinner in Cookbook Kitchen (at the original branch in mandaluyong). The restaurant features delicious, simple and homey food with large servings. I don't think anybody could finish what they ordered. It's an ideal place for a nice, quiet date although it fills up quite fast.

Onion-glazed twin chops
D: I ordered this dish without realizing how massive the chops would be.
I was only able to tuck away one slab but I really loved the tanginess of the juices combined with the sweetness of the onions. The meat was also well-cooked and was easy to cut.
What I didn't like so much was their rice. It was clumpy and mushy and I really could not stand the texture.

 

 Parmesan crusted fish

D: I had this when during a prior visit and it's definitely a best-seller for a reason. The dish is so flavorful and creamy and it's excellent with the lemon. 

P: This is the petite version! Talk about generous servings, it could easily feed two. The fish melts in your mouth and fills it with cheesy, creamy goodness.

 Lamb chops with fennel-oregano sauce
P: Didn't get to try much this much as it was my brother's but from a couple of bites I could tell it was cooked really well. Some places get their lamb wrong by burning it or making it tough but Cookbook's was soft and juicy all the way through.

Pineapple-soy Glazed Ribs
P: This one was my order. It reminded me of patatim, which I'm reasonably fond of. The meat was tender and the sauce was sweet and thick. The pineapple chunks were a plus as well. I was hesitant at first to try them but they turned out sweet and not at all sour.

 Strawberry shortcake
D: You must be wondering where the cake is. Well, underneath the rubble of ice cream is a bit of chiffon cake. Although this needed a little more bread, I super love this dessert! Mounds of ice cream, frozen strawberries, and whipped cream? Yes, please!
P: I was a little disturbed at how agitated D was getting while anticipating this dessert. I have to say it's worth the hype, if you like sweets and ice cream, of course. I'd like a little more cake to balance the ice cream as they really went well together. And I'd rather have my strawberries a little less frozen. Aside from that though, you've got a delightfully sinful treat.

FASHION

 

P: Sorry for the silly face haha.

Bespoke french cuff shirt, H&M trousers, vintage Oscar de la Renta tie

P: I like the barely-there stripes of the button down. Nice and subdued to frame the star of the outfit, the red, vintage tie from the closet of D's dad. I found the the single monogram at the bottom to be quite striking. You don't find many of that these days. Same goes for the increasingly wide bars. Great find!

D: Wearing an old Topshop dress paired with a pearl collar necklace. Every time I wear this, people always think it's part of the top/dress I have on. I think it adds a bit of sass to an outfit.

Might have gone overly saccharine with the floral + colors + pearls so I was hoping black suede (though in the form of a mary-jane) would temper it. 

Oh and this is one of the Looking for Lola satchels we sold at the bazaar.
We have a few more up for grabs! Let me know if you want one. :)