Review: food trip in Katipunan Avenue

I normally don't venture out to the Katipunan Avenue area because I feel that the place is too far away from my normal route. One day, though, Anna and I was waiting for the sudden rain to stop when we chanced to see two restaurants on the ground level of the FBR Building, which is right across the Ateneo de Manila University Loyola Heights campus; these restaurants caught my attention because they reminded me of the restaurants peppering Lopez Avenue in Los Banos (the approach to the University of the Philippines Los Banos).

One thing I learned while eating lunch at the Paranara Korean Restaurant was that Korean cuisine need not be expensive. My previous visits to Sariwon and to Bulgogi Brothers have made this impression on me. Apparently, I was wrong. The prices of the food at Paranara were relatively student-friendly... but still expensive by Los Banos standards, I think. Or do I need to reorient myself with Los Banos dining costs?

Right after eating lunch, we spied a pink and blue restaurant right across Paranara. It reminded Anna and me of our visit to Vanilla Cupcake Bakery so we thought eating at another pastel-colored restaurant would be a good idea. It was.

Picket Fence Milk and Ice Cream Bar serves Australian ice cream. While I think that an ice cream is an ice cream regardless of its origin, I think that Picket Fence's presentation made the difference. For instance, the rainbow-colored ice cream I chose is vanilla-flavored and called "Rabo Rainbow". I would never have thought that this ice cream tastes like vanilla! The other ice cream I chose had a more typical name: "Topher Toffee", which tells exactly what to expect: creme caramel-like creaminess and mild sweetness. The ice cream is served in transparent sundae ice cream glasses. Water, on the other hand, is served in those faceted light blue glass cups.

For ice cream, the price (per scoop) was a bit steep for my everyday consumption but it is really worth it. It's something I'd want to go back to again and again if I were looking for an ice cream fix and willing to pay a meal's equivalent for a scoop. For students living in the Katipunan area, the price may be standard... Once again, I probably need to recalibrate my Los Banos campus dining budget.

Overall, the Katipunan Avenue food trip was a success. I'm looking forward to my next visit to the area. Katipunan is known as a restaurant row, after all. Another food adventure awaits.