Diary of a Food Lover

Hullo and goodbye

2010-04-02T18:33:00.001-07:00

Dear all,

Things have been really crazy lately. Sooo many changes that I find myself in a new phase of my life now--a phase that is quite different from where I was when I started Street but Sweet and Diary of a Food Lover. I've thus decided to say goodbye to these two blogs, and have started a new one to reflect my new life and all the new, wonderful adventures that will be coming my way.

There'll still be stories of my day-to-day life, plus restaurant and food posts. It's essentially my two old blogs rolled into one. So, come follow me on my new blog, Here, Tishie Tishie!

Thanks for all your support and comments over the years! Now click here!

Brekkie!

2010-03-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

I love breakfast! If I had the willpower to get my arse out of bed early every morning, I could so get creative in the kitchen. (Since I don't, my husband generally has to eat stuff from a can...stuff which I lovingly heat, of course.)

This morning though, I kind of wanted to make something a little more special...

Pseudo Eggs Benedict

Ingredients:

Whole-wheat bread
Eggs
Ham, finely sliced
Quick-melt cheese, grated
Ground pepper (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350F. (Approximation only. My oven isn't exactly a bastion of accuracy.)
2. Make a hole in the center of one slice of bread. Lightly butter and place on a baking sheet.
3. Break egg into hole.
4. Surround hole with sliced ham and grated cheese.
5. Bake for 5 to 10 minutes, or until eggs are done.
6. Remove from oven and sprinkle with ground pepper, if desired.

Pair with orange juice and end the meal with some fruit. A great way to start the day!

My Yummy Valentine

2010-02-18T08:10:00.000-08:00

Seriously, if you're getting married and haven't decided on a caterer yet, I highly recommend our dear caterer, Kaye Cunanan. Not only does she have such chi-chi setups and yummy food (not drenched in the usual peanut sauce like other caterers...), she also has some sweet extras. Like our Valentine date!

Table for two: chocolate brown table cloth, baby blue napkins, Tiffany chairs; other tables had baby blue table cloths and chocolate brown napkins

She invited past clients to feast on a dinner buffet at Blue Leaf--and H and I really arranged our sched so we could make it to dinner. The pictures will do the talking...

It's the Pinoy version of that Italian tomato-and-cheese appetizer. It had kesong puti. I also got a bit of arugula with sun-dried tomatoes.

Prichon with different sauces--hoisin, garlic mayo, honey mustard, and a couple more

Carrot rice (yum!) with chicken, prawns topped with mangoes and coconut milk, lapu-lapu topped with ratatouille (served at our wedding), lamb kofta with couscous

The dessert table looked divine. The thing about Kaye's desserts is that they're not like hotel desserts. And that's a good thing!

Too bad my tummy could only accommodate the chocolate souffle with vanilla sauce, banoffee cup, and strawberry panna cota.

What a yummy Valentine date it was! And did I mention that it was absolutely free?

Restaurant Row: The Piazza

2010-02-15T03:25:00.000-08:00

There’s a fairly new restaurant complex at McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, and it hasn’t yet been invaded by the hoards that flock to Serendra and High Street. Called The Piazza, it’s got this a semi-circular structure lined with restaurants and a sprinkling of other establishments (e.g., a nail salon and a day care center), surrounding this courtyard-like space in the center.

The space, I imagine, will be used for events in the future; on the night I was there, there was a fortune-telling event. A bunch of shops are still closed, but there are already a number of open restos, including my friends' pick for the night, Tokyo Café.

Don't expect it to be really Japanese, because it isn't as Japanese as its name suggests. No maki or sushi, but there’s salad, pizza, pasta, and sandwiches, a few with a bit of a Japanese twist. Some of my friends declared that it was one of their favorites at the Mall of Asia. Among the many, many things we ordered...

Sausage Pizza

Seafood Mix Fry

I think this was the Pescatore

Some sort of chicken stuffed with cheese

…the ones I enjoyed most were the Mango Chicken Salad (the dressing rocked!)…

…and the Creamy Ebiko Pasta. Yum. It was seafood pasta in a creamy, slightly orange-tinged sauce that tasted like it had some roe in it.

If Japanese fusion isn’t your kind of thing, there are other restaurants that are already open at The Piazza:

Carlo’s Pizza
Old Vine
Little Asia
Stackers Burger Café
Reyes Barbecue
Kusé
KFC

For dessert or coffee, head on over to:

Yo Swirl (for frozen yogurt)
Sol Gelato
Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf
Figaro

Soon to open:

Ristra’s Mex Grill
Harry’s Bar
McDonald’s
My Thai Kitchen
Pho Hoa
Dencio’s

It’d be nice to go there now while it’s still fairly easy to get tables.

22 Prime: High on Wagyu

2010-01-24T18:18:00.000-08:00

For H's birthday, we found ourselves on the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites for some steak. I had heard that 22 Prime, voted Best Steak Restaurant 2008 by SPOT.ph readers, served some pretty good AND reasonably priced steak.

Sadly, my phone (where I kept my notes) was stolen before I could blog, so I just have pictures and a few, er, "sound bites" to offer. If you'd like to see actual prices though, you can view them here.

We started off with complimentary bread sticks which came with three different dips.

One was tomato-ey, one was mustard-y (if I remember right), and one was lemon-y. Note the nice view in the background.

Then we had our appetizers: Chef Rick's Cheese Bread, which I've heard good things about. It's broiled sun-dried tomato bread with four kinds of cheese. Kind of flaky, pleasantly oily, and I am totally craving for it. Right. Now.

And then before our steak was served, we were asked to choose our weapons. The waiter opened a wood-and-glass case with a flourish to show us their selection of steak knives...

And then, we attacked! H got the Melbourne rib eye. He asked for medium, but it was kind of bordering on well done. It was alright. All steaks served with your choice of two kinds of sauce on the side.

Meanwhile, I chose the wagyu medallions...

We ate our meat with potato gratin and spinach gratin.

I barely touched the side dishes because a) I was full from all the bread, and b) I was too busy enjoying the juiciness and glorious, glorious fat of my melt-in-your-mouth wagyu!

Good. Grief. Now I'm craving for THAT.

Considering we had appetizers and side dishes and both had good-quality steak, I'd say a bill of a little over a grand per person ain't bad. Our total bill was what you'd pay at some other places for one good steak!

Sigh. My husband should have his birthday every month.

22 Prime is located at 22/F Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For reservations, call tel. (02) 719-6808/719-8888.

Van Gogh Is Bipolar: Happy Food

2010-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

"We're going to Van Gogh Is Bipolar."

I asked my co-worker, Kaye, to repeat what she just said because it didn't sound like a proper sentence. After talking for a bit more, we cleared up the confusion and I found out that Van Gogh Is Bipolar is actually the name of a cafe located along Maginhawa Street in Quezon City.

I researched a bit and I found out that the place is owned and run by Jetro, who is bipolar himself. I made plans on a Friday to have dinner there, tried to make a reservation (for me, Mike, Cheng, and Miguel), but was told that the only available table was outside. Well. For a seemingly obscure place, it sure was popular!

Once you get there, Jetro will be sure to attend to you and give you a little orientation. He told us that the place was his home during the day, and that the food he served was the stuff he cooked for himself to keep from getting depressed--there are explanations in the menu about almost every item, saying how it's supposed to help boost your mood.

The cafe is located in this apartment complex-type place, right beside Blacksoup. The inside has three little dining nooks, including this cozy corner:

You're free to doodle on the red graffiti wall! There's even a desk where you can carve and scrape stuff.

The dark room/bathroom. Interesting photos (including nudes) are plastered all around the cafe.

The dishes are all named after bipolar people: Sting, Jim Carey, Pres. Clinton, Robert Downey Jr., to name a few. Who knew, right? Jetro talked us into getting the Courtney Love Drink of the Day (P75). "It's a surprise!" he told us. But he later revealed that it had lemongrass, melon, and mint, among other things. I reeeally liked this drink, absolutely refreshing! I think Cheng ordered one of the FruiTEA MinTEAs (in the Erlenmeyer flask, below), which is served with wild Palawan honey.

The tea is caffeine-free and is supposed to help relieve stress. I didn't get to try Cheng's hot drink though, because I was perfectly happy with my cold concoction.

While waiting for our food and during comfortable lulls in conversation, we would watch Across the Universe, which was being screened on the wall near Blacksoup. There was this charming, artsy, hippie vibe to the place, much like Cubao X of yesteryear. It had a different kind of energy from typical restaurants. I kind of felt like I wasn't in my element, like I wasn't cool enough for the place! Oh well. I was there for the food, and for what I (rightly) figured was an interesting experience.

After a bit of a wait (while there are a few waiters, Jetro is generally host, cook, and server, so do be patient), my Pres. Roosevelt's Meal (P225) arrived. It's grilled Norwegian salmon belly served with black mountain rice.

Black mountain rice, Jetro explained, is a rare kind of rice grown dry. I think it's cooked with a bit of olive oil and, perhaps, soy sauce because it was very moist and flavorful. The fish (lurve salmon!) was really soft and tender. According to the menu, cold-water fish, like salmon, is an excellent source of omega-3, which helps one maintain a happy-positive vibe. Miguel, who's not a big salmon eater, still had a few bites while waiting for his order, the Pres. Lincoln's Meal (P899 for the "lovers" serving), which he shared with me. (And P.S. Don't be misled by the serving. What we have is strictly platonic!)

It had two cups of that yummy rice, more salmon, lamb, and chicken wings. Mike and Cheng's platter had the surprise dish of the day (tilapia), but ours did not. Sadness. We figured maybe they ran out--it was a busy, busy Friday night at Van Gogh!

While Miguel is not a salmon fan, I am not a lamb fan. There's something about the way it coats my tongue that I don't like. But this time I gave it a chance. While it still had that innate lamb gaminess, I (unexpectedly) liked it. Maybe the benefits of lamb kicked in--since it's a grass-eating animal, it's a healthier source of protein than chemically fed animals. (Chemicals = bad for your mood) Or maybe I've just realized that it's a close cousin of steak. And this girl loves steak!

There are a lot more interesting things on the menu, as you can see from here. I so would have wanted to try Mel Gibson's Darkest Sin (P125)--a shot of vodka with dark chocolate, walnuts, almonds, and wild honey--but we headed to Pino for dessert. One reason to go back. (As if I needed much convincing.) During their screening of The September Issue, perhaps?

Van Gogh Is Bipolar is located at 154 Maginhawa St., Sikatuna Village, Quezon City. Call (02) 394-0188 or text 0922-8243051/0922-8243052 for reservations.

Happy Birthday to Me!

2010-01-02T07:58:00.000-08:00

For my milestone birthday, I spent a whole week celebrating with people I love, stuffing myself silly with food that I love. Amid all the cooking and entertaining and eating at my regular haunts, I wanted to do something a little special, so we headed out to a place I've been wanting to visit for months now.

This is Laya, a Balinese-style house-turned-cozy restaurant in the hills of Antipolo. Owner Irene, who was so accommodating and who very pleasantly responded to all my texts in the days leading to our visit, revealed: "It used to be my family's rest house. But it didn't make sense because we live just five minutes away!"

It's a weekend dining place which is by reservation only, and which serves a multi-course meal for a reasonable price. For P650, we got a five-course meal plus bottomless pandan iced tea and coffee or basil tea to cap our dinner. They don't serve wine, but there's no corkage so feel free to bring a bottle!

Last weekend's dinner was made up of classic dishes with a playful, modern, Asian twist. We started off with Spiced Tuna Tartare on Crispy Wontons.

Irene told us that there were two ways of eating it: 1) Mix it all up, crushing the wontons, or 2) eat them like nachos. I attempted method number 2 at first, but after I bit into a wonton, the rest of it fell under the weight of the tartare (which kind of tasted like chopped-up sashimi). I loved how that bit of wasabi dressing on the side added a little kick.

Next up: Thai Tomato Basil Soup with Shrimp Dumpling and Cilantro Foam.

The dumpling was just a tad dry, but the soup was quite nice--the perfect way to warm us as we were chilled by the January air.

We then moved onto the Asian Caesar Salad Sticks with Ginger Aioli.

Again, Irene said that this deconstructed salad could be eaten in two ways: 1) Mixing it up like a regular salad, with the dressing poured over, or 2) Dipping each salad component into the ginger aioli--a method that Irene described as "funner." Ahh, a place that encourages you to play with your food! And since I'm all about the fun, guess which method I opted for?

After getting through three courses, I was already reaching "comfortably full" levels. We were then served our main course. You could choose between two courses. H picked the Red Curry Glazed Pork Loin Roast with Roasted Onions and Saffron Cashew Rice Pilaf.

Sounds like a mouthful. I can't really describe it since I just got all of two bites. Just think of it as yummy ham with yummy sauce on yummy rice.

I got the Hoisin Baked Norwegian Salmon with Soba Noodles and Shiitake Mushrooms and Sesame Scallion Salad.

I'm a salmon fan, so I did like this dish. The noodles were good, but I did wish that there was less sauce.

For dessert ("Ahh, the last course!" sighed my expanded belly): Bananas in Thai Coconut Pancake with Mantecado Ice Cream and Latik Sauce.

The crepe-like pancake deviates from the usual fried lumpia wrapper. The ice cream offsets the strong flavor of the latik. And since ice cream is possibly the Greatest Invention Known to Man, I happily gobbled up H's share (bless him and his minor lactose intolerance!).

But what I thought was the last course in fact...wasn't. Irene, having heard that it was my birthday, gave me a sweet surprise:

Awwww. Fruit skewers with a side of spicy chocolate sauce for dipping. (It tasted like it had some chili powder in there.)

After all that food, I needed to take a bit of a walk, so I took a look around. Laya has a pool, a wooden swing, and a cozy little cabana.

Imagine lounging with a cup of hot tea or tsokolate-eh! Divine.

Such a lovely, relaxing place! (Must thank Miguel for telling me about it a few months back!) Irene says that the plan is to turn it into a bed and breakfast. For now, it's a really cool chill spot for a romantic date or an intimate dinner. They accept weekday reservations for at least 15 people, and can close the place for private functions on weekends for a group of at least 20. For me, it was the perfect end to a week that celebrated my big 3-0, summing up some of the things that make me happy: good food, good vibes, wonderful company. I would be incredibly fortunate if the rest of my years were filled with all these.

Laya is located at Sierra Madre St., Grand Heights Subdivision, Antipolo. Check out their website at layapersonaldining.multiply.com. For inquiries and reservations, email layapersonaldining@gmail.com, or call or text 0917-8464322.

Moshi Moshi, Mochi!

2009-12-27T06:30:00.000-08:00

Because I didn't have the time to shop for super personalized gifts this year, I got most people the gift of calories:

I know, it seems highly tamad to get a one-size-fits-all gift, but I took comfort in the thought that most people were bound to fall in love at first bite with these mochi.

Mochi are Japanese treats made of glutinous rice. The first time I had mochi was in Los Angeles some eight years ago, and they had an ice cream center. These babies from Dezato have a surprising filling: chocolate!

The box with a dozen bite-size mochi balls (P195) contains four different flavors: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, white chocolate with walnuts, and white chocolate with green tea. (Unfortunately, their chocolate and peanut butter mochi--sounds heavenly!--isn't included in the box, so I've never had it.) Now I've never tried authentic mochi from Japan, but I must say that these Dezato ones are love. When you bite into one, you are first met with the jelly-like, slightly sticky rice. Then your teeth sink into the rich truffle center. The rice nicely offsets the sweetness of the chocolate. Such a wonderful balance of flavors and textures!

A couple of comments I've gotten from my gift recipients:

"At first I was sharing it with my family, then I realized how yummy it was so I kept it for myself!"

"My mom gave me one. ONE. By the next morning, it was all gone."

Christmas is supposed to be the season of giving--but you really can't be faulted for being a bit selfish when it comes to these teeny treats!

Visit the Dezato Cafe at 100 Hemady St., New Manila, Quezon City. Contact them through (02) 727-1229. Check out their website: http://dezato.multiply.com. They've also got mochi ice cream, and serve pasta and other filling dishes.

What's Orange and White and Sweet All Over?

2009-12-05T22:20:00.000-08:00

Lookie lookie what I found at the supermarket: Orange M&M's!

True chocoholics would probably scoff at these little crunchy discs, but I am unabashedly an M&M fan. I'd choose a pack over a tumbler of popcorn while watching a movie. I was quite delighted to find that they had come up with this new, limited-edition flavor.

They come in just white and orange candy coatings, and they seem to taste sweeter than the regular version. I much prefer the original ones (no peanuts, please) or, even better, dark M&M's--but really, when did I ever say no to chocolate in any form?

White Is the Color of Sin

2009-11-27T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's weird how we associate the color white with goodness, when some truly evil things come in white packages.

At a shoot for another mag, I got cupcakes and some cake to style a couple of setups. Some wonderful home bakers supplied us with these so-good-they're-bad treats (all white, as I requested):

The lovely Dessert Fairy, Karla Hernandez, provided us with equally lovely cupcakes.

Pretty cupcakes in full bloom

She can do colorful icing, but for this shoot, she stuck with white, and even tweaked her cake recipe to come up with the whitest cake possible. Since I needed them for a floral setup, I requested that the frosting be made to look like flowers or just a simple swirl. She gave me both. As I looked into one box, I admired the lovely toppers, before she even pointed out that she created different "blooms." She actually rattled off real flowers as she pointed to each cupcake, so I'm kind of convinced that she moonlights as a florist.

Karla lived in the US for a while, and so was used to US ingredients. When she got back to the Philippines, she was aghast to find that the quality of the ingredients here is rather...different, to say the least. She has experimented with many different brands (she's still on a quest to find the perfect non-gritty confectioner's sugar, but she's found some she could live with), so you can be sure that you're getting quality stuff.

Gay Vazquez sent us a macadamia sansrival that the Yummy Magazine managing ed was raving about.

You'll go nuts over this update on the sansrival.

Our photog had his eye on this cake in between setups, and when we finally gave him the go-signal to chow down, I could hear him praising the almighty.

Gay describes this cake as "four layers of wafer mixed with nuts and frosted with rich and pure buttercream frosting that is melting in your mouth and topped with chunky macadamia big enough for the eyes to see and the mouth to feel. Gets better the longer it stays in the freezer." It is very very sweet, but the nuts--being so large--temper this sweetness.

And the last in this three-dessert feast is the tres leches by Karen's Kitchen.

Mapapa-"leche!" ka sa sarap!

Karen is known for producing cakes that have made it onto some "10 (or 20) best" lists that have been well-circulated on the net. The tres leches is made by soaking the cake in three different kinds of milk. The center is all gooey and milky, encased in a surprisingly soft and not at all soggy cake. These are all surrounded by a thin layer of smooth icing and topped with big white chocolate shavings. I can only have small slices at a time due to its richness. But I could certainly have several slices staggered throughout the day!

Of course, after we shoot, we eat. Just another reason I love my job.

Contact The Dessert Fairy through 0928-5241166 or email dessertfairy@mac.com. You can also check out her stuff at dessertfairymagic.com.

Get your own 7 x 11 macadamia sansrival for P900 (kasuy sansrival is P650). Call Gay Vazquez through 0917-3010615 or (02) 631-0125.

Come face to face with sin itself by ordering a tres leches cake for someone's birthday...or no occasion at all. Contact Karen's Kitchen through 0917-5394986 or (02) 898-2280. See more of her goodies at karenskitchen.com.ph.

Pino: Playful Pinoy Food

2009-11-15T04:02:00.000-08:00

I'd been wanting to try an absolutely sinful dessert: a deep-fried chocolate bar which, I was told, was available at Pino Resto Bar. Deep-fried chocolate bars are nothing new; I first heard about Snickers bars dipped in batter being one of the most unhealthy snacks available in the US, and read about Scotland's notorious deep-fried Mars bars. Fortunately (or unfortunately), this shamelessly rich creation has made it onto our shores.

Doodle art on one wall.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. The menu shows some Filipino favorites used in inventive ways. Some Pino standbys are bagnet (used in kare-kare, for example) and sisig (on...wait for it...carbonara!). H and I started off with one of their newer offerings: mini sisig tacos. At P185, I thought it was a bit pricey for an appetizer at a neighborhood cafe--that's more than an entree at Banapple! But when it was set down in front us, I understood why.

There were eight little tacos in all, filling enough for two! Each little shell was stuffed with sisig, lettuce, salsa, aioli, and cheese. Extra yummy with the surprisingly spicy Jufran hot sauce!

Next up, our entrees. H opted for the red wine adobong tadyang (P210), described as "adobo-style short ribs slow cooked in red wine, served with steamed rice and mango salsa." The ribs were fairly tender, and the adobo was a bit unusual in that it had a very strong flavor of anise.

I was craving for something crispy, so I went for the bagnet and tofu stack-o with mushroom rice (P225).

The bagnet and tofu stack-o is Pino's version of tokwa't baboy, with the soy sauce and vinegar served on the side; the bagnet thus maintains its crunchiness. The bagnet, in thin strips, didn't come close to the divine ones we had in Ilocos, but they hit the spot. The rice was very flavorful, with shitake mushrooms dotting it here and there.

The food might seem a bit expensive, but I think they're reasonable given the servings. I barely had room for the grand finale, but I sucked it up in the name of research (riiight). I ordered what I had gone there for: the chunky choco tempura (P125).

It's a chocolate wafer bar covered in tempura batter and deep fried. As if that weren't bad enough, it's served with some vanilla ice cream and some strawberry syrup! Once you slice into the bar, the melted chocolate oozes out of the tempura coating. There's a play of textures, with the light batter, sticky melted chocolate, and crunchy wafer bar, and the warmth is tempered by the cool ice cream. It's the very definition of evil. I didn't finish it out of guilt.

Now I have to run every day for the rest of the week.

Pino Resto Bar is located at 122 Maginhawa St., Teachers Village, Quezon City. Contact them through (02) 441-1773. Open daily from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm onwards.

Recipe: Easy Tuna Pasta with White Sauce

2009-11-01T04:18:00.000-08:00

The sauce is a bit runny, but the husband loves it as is. "I can eat this every week!" he declared after tasting it. If you prefer a thicker sauce, however, just add a bit of flour. Measurements are approximations--the fantastic thing about cooking is you can adjust according to your taste!

Ingredients:

300g spaghetti noodles, cooked according to package directions
1 can tuna (I use the solid one in vegetable oil)
1 can evaporated milk
2 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground pepper (I use black, but white pepper would disappear into the sauce, if that's what you want)
White wine (optional)
Grated cheese

1. Saute tuna in its own oil. Set aside.
2. In a saucepan, mix milk, butter, ground pepper, and wine.
3. Once butter is melted, add tuna.
4. Pour over spaghetti noodles and top with cheese.

Serves 3 to 4.

Recipe: Creamy Baked Chicken and Rice

2009-10-21T18:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm starting a whole new category of posts. Since I got hitched, I've been more inclined (or forced to) experiment in the kitchen. I'll be posting mostly easy recipes since I don't have the mad skillz to back up anything Top Chef-esque as of yet.

I'm starting off with a chicken recipe from the back of a Campbell's soup can, which I tweaked given availability of ingredients and personal preference.

Ingredients:
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup water
1/3 cup white wine (I just added this; we had some leftover white wine)
1/4 tsp Savory spice (it was supposed to be paprika, but our spice rack didn't have any paprika. Sigh. Next time.)
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 cup brown rice (it's supposed to be long-grain white rice, but this is a brown-rice household)
4 chicken breast fillets

1. Preheat oven to 475F.
2. In a baking dish, mix together soup, water, wine, Savory, and pepper.
3. Top with chicken fillets.
4. Sprinkle chicken with additional Savory and pepper.
5. Cover and bake for 45 minutes or until rice is cooked and chicken is done.

It's so easy! And my husband loved it!

Win a (Food) Trip to Hong Kong!

2009-10-13T01:28:00.000-07:00

How would you like to win...

free airfare to Hong Kong
accommodations for three days and two nights
a one-day pass to the 2009 Hong Kong Food and Wine Festival

...for you and a friend? Interested? Read about it here.

Charlie's: Beef-eater's Delight

2009-10-11T07:46:00.000-07:00

Yes, yes, I've been majorly delinquent. But I'm trying to make up for it with a rather, er, meaty post. (And, if good intentions lead to actual writing, more regular posts.)

H and I have moved into our new neighborhood, which is wonderfully (or dangerously) close to a favorite among burger lovers: Charlie's.

It's a nondescript joint right beside a car wash, so you can have your car cleaned up, and wolf down one of their specialties while you're at it. Behold, the Angus Burger (P150):

With fries, it's P175.

It's a packed patty of really flavorful, deliciously salty beef, topped with melted cheese, tomatoes, onions, and lettuce. If you're feeling particularly hungry--and extravagant--you can get this baby with portobello mushrooms for P350.

Other stuff on the menu: the Philly Cheesesteak, a long bun stuffed with sliced-up beef, green peppers, and a generous amount of cheese sauce. On my first visit, it was more pepper than meat though. I'm told the Buffalo Wings (P150 for half a dozen) are also a bestseller. Evidence of this was that it wasn't available on this particular visit. But that's OK--it's an excuse for yet another visit!

Charlie's Grind and Grill is located at 16 East Capitol Drive, Bgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City.

What I Did with the Last P70 in My Wallet

2009-04-22T04:16:00.001-07:00

...bought a medium Royal Milk Tea at Bubble Tea!

It was one of them days. It was supposedly pay day but, sadly, our moolah hadn't come in. I was surviving on a rapidly dwindling P150. By 6:00 pm, I needed something to tide me over until dinner a couple of hours later (to be paid for, thankfully, by H). All I had left was a P50 bill and a P20 bill to keep it company. Walked around Megamall and decided to head to one of my BFF's favorite places.

To some, Bubble Tea might seem like an odd place to go to on a budget. Sure, I could've gotten something more substantial at the food court, but at that moment, I was craving for something cold and, well, (mostly) liquid. Figured a serving of bubble tea was filling enough. For the uninitiated, bubble tea is tea with milk and sago (bubbles). My pick tastes a lot like chai. Other interesting milk-based drinks: taro milk tea, Japanese green milk tea, jasmine milk tea, coconut milk tea, and chocolate milk tea. They've also got milkshakes, served with bubbles and topped with ice cream

Since it calls itself a "Tokyo milk tea place," it also serves some Japanese eats; rice and noodle soups range from P145 (for the gyoza udon) to P195 (for the seafood teppan). They've also got a few pasta, pizza, and burger offerings on their menu.

I didn't have enough cash for food, so will have to go back and try 'em some other time. But I did check my coin pouch and found P10--enough for extra bubbles. Yay!

Bubble Tea is located on the lower ground floor of SM Megamall Bldg. A, Mandaluyong City.

Tisha Eats New York: Just Desserts

2009-03-18T07:46:00.000-07:00

What better way to end my New York series of posts than with glorious dessert?

Cupcake Cafe
*18 West 18th St. (between 5th and 6th Aves.), NYC
*545 9th Ave. (between 40th and 41st Sts.), NYC
www.cupcakecafe-nyc.com

I was hankering for a cupcake, and figured New York had to have some pretty good cupcake places. (An In Style article said a pre-Tom Cruise Katie Holmes christened one in her neighborhood her favorite. Couldn't figure out where it was though.) There was Magnolia Bakery, of course, of Sex and the City fame. (It, in fact, had a long line snaking outside the store when I swung by with friends days later.) But I guess I wanted something a little more low key.

King used his kick-ass Google phone to find a nearby cupcake place, and we found ourselves in cozy little Cupcake Cafe. In the display cases were showcased cupcakes bedecked with flowers. We chose a trio of flavors: vanilla icing on vanilla, chocolate icing on chocolate, and maple icing on walnut. Each small cupcake was $2.50. King was particularly taken with the maple on walnut one. I--well, I'm a chocolate girl.

The Bread Factory Cafe

470 7th Ave. (35th St.), NYC
www.breadfactorycafe.com

My relatives and I popped in one night as we were walking to the train. It was pretty chilly and we needed a place to warm up. The bright lights and the yummy-looking goodies set out were enticing, so we walked in. We ordered a chocolate cake and a huge cookie, and hot chocolate to heat up our near-frozen tropical blood.

Serendipity 3
225 East 60th St. (between 2nd and 3rd Aves.), NYC
www.serendipity3.com

Anyone familiar with the John Cusack starrer would certainly be familiar with this cafe. (Hmm...I didn't even know it had a "3" at the end of it.) Motts and I were lucky enough to get a table without waiting as we walked in on a weekday afternoon. My friends and I swung by early one evening and found a line with a three- or four-hour wait! Insane!

The place is probably what Madame Auring's house would look like, made kitschier by the added Christmas decor. Since this post is devoted to dessert, I'll skip talking about the Hot Springs Wings I ordered, and go straight to the, er, sweet of the matter.

Motts ordered--get this--Celestial Carrot Cake ($8), pictured above. And to this, I said, "We're in Serendipity, and you ordered...carrot cake?" In all fairness, it was pretty awesome carrot cake.

I got the must-order, which is Frrrrozen Hot Chocolate. In terms of size, there is plenty to go around. But in terms of flavor...I guess I expected more. I didn't really get much of the "frozen" or the" hot." It was actually a lot like Milo, except that it was $8.50.

Talk about supersize!

Roxy Delicatessen
1565 Broadway (between 46th and 47th Sts.), NYC

It's supposedly a legendary cheesecake place on Broadway. When Amar and I went, there weren't a lot of people, possibly because everyone was still in the theaters. I imagine tourists flock to the place after catching a show.

There's a whole bunch of cheesecakes on offer. If I remember right, the waiter commended me on my choice:

Raspberry Hazelnut Chocolate Chunk! It was probably one of the most evil things on the menu. Just looking at it is enough to make you gain a couple of pounds. It was incredibly sweet, and at $9.95, something I probably won't try again. But hey, thanks Amar!

I tried looking for a gelato place that a friend referred, but I think gelato and ice cream places are on hiatus when winter rolls around! It's alright, though, as my next planned trip back would take place in the warmer months. It's a major hassle packing cold-weather clothes!

And so ends my New York food sojourn. My stay was way too short, my budget way too small for this city filled with great eats. But it's one of the reasons--aside from friends and family--that made me declare that, indeed, I shall return.

Tisha Eats New York: Fancy Shmancy

2009-03-17T07:53:00.000-07:00

I didn't really eat at super fancy restos, but a couple of friends treated me to some pretty great places that would have been beyond my budget. It's been a while so the memory's a bit hazy...

Turkish Kitchen
386 3rd Ave., New York City
www.turkishkitchen.com

I met up with my "brother" Amar on a street corner near his office. One cool thing that happened while I was waiting was that someone asked me for directions, and I knew exactly where to point! It was cool because 1) I was beginning to get the whole Manhattan grid thing, and 2) I looked like a New Yorker. Haha.

If I remember right, these were the zucchini pancakes

Some things we ate, although I can't really remember what these are anymore, except for the appetizer above...

I was told later on that Amar was disappointed in my appetite, and frankly, so was I! I just didn't have my game stomach on the whole trip since I didn't have any physical activity (aside from walking block upon block).

Bryant Park Grill
Bryant Park
Between 40th and 42nd Sts., New York City
www.bryantpark.org/amenities/dining.php

The interiors. It was too cold for outdoor dining, but we did get a nice, cozy booth

One of the highlights of my trip: meeting up with one of my fabulous friends, Mutya. Aside from going to dance class with me, she also sweetly made reservations at Bryant Park Grill, where we encountered Tim Gunn...or at least, someone who looked like him: our waiter Raymond!

You should see him with glasses. And hear him talk! So Tim!

Here, we had seafood as Motts isn't a carnivore (and I figured I needed to get something other than beef for a change). :

What looks like calamari salad (again, my memory fails me!)

Pan-roasted salmon fillet with spaghetti squash, roasted potatoes, and burgundy butter sauce ($25.75)

Grilled mahi-mahi served with spinach, potato croquettes, and puttanesca ($27)

For dessert: Bananas for bananas--banana slices with brioche, salty peanut ice cream--which, interestingly, tasted a lot like Chocnut! Yum!--and fudge (naturally!)

Sure, the food was great, but the best thing about these meals? The company.

Tisha Eats New York: The Tale of the $32 Burger

2009-01-21T02:22:00.000-08:00

If a picture could paint a thousand words, then this could fill a thousand stomachs...

But before we get into the, eherm, meat of the matter (sorry, couldn't resist), a little backgrounder.

King had this idea of trying to get standby tickets to Conan, but our first and second attempts were a bust. (The second was, to be more accurate, a near-attempt, as I had decided earlier on that Ethan Hawke wasn't worth getting up at 6:00 am for.) My tour guide was feeling bad that none of our plans seemed to be pushing through, so he decided to treat me to lunch at db Bistro Moderne. I will forever be grateful that none of our earlier plans worked out; otherwise, I would've missed out on one of my best NYC experiences!

The place is one of chef Daniel Boulud's seven award-winning restos, and luckily, it was where one of King's sisters worked. King generously shelled out over $60 (plus tip!) for two entrees--but with these, we got three complimentary appetizers and four free desserts! The dish that I was raring to try was the famed Original db Burger--a whopping $32 burger that King told me about the day before. But I'm getting ahead of myself. First, take a look at the appetizers we were served, on the house!

Cucumber cups with goat cheese. These tiny things were very refreshing.

I'm not sure exactly what this was, but I think it had escargot in it. I loved how it was perfectly salty. Me likey sodium!

When King's sister-- a chef at the resto--asked what we were given, she gave him a horrified look when he replied, "'Yung parang embotido!" King, konting culture naman. Haha. (In fairness, we were both clueless! 'Til now, I have no idea what it was!)

And then, it was time for the main attraction:

The Original db Burger, a sirloin burger filled with braised short ribs, foie gras, and black truffle, served on a parmesan bun and with fries on the side. Good grief. The waiter set it down in front of me, and I was staring at it, speechless, for about half a minute. The maitre d' walked by and voiced out exactly what I was thinking: "How do you eat it?" he began. "With your hands!" he finished, holding out his hands in a crushing motion for emphasis. I looked at him, then looked back at that monster of a burger, unconvinced.

I ended up using a knife and fork. but even then it was a bit of a challenge devouring that hunk of meat. I love showing people this photo because it always elicits a reaction (often along the lines of, "OMG!"). Looking at it now, I wonder if they used an entire calf to make it.

I don't think I'll ever have that burger again--not because it wasn't good, because it really was. I am happy enough that I at least got to experience it once. But coming from a developing country, I would feel far too guilty to blow that much a second time (whether it's my money or someone else's!) for a burger. (And if we're talking decadence, there's that $150 burger with 20g of shaved black truffles!)

Oh, we also had this...

Crispy Duck Confit ($33), which had wild mushrooms, broccoli rale, sweet and sour duck jus. In true hating-kapatid fashion, King and I each ate half of the two entrees. The memorable meal ended on a sweet note. Or, rather, four sweet notes (alas, I didn't get to take a picture of the basket of little lemon-y pastries):

I think one is pumpkin pie, in keeping with the holiday spirit as it was Thanksgiving that week. The one on the left had my name all over it. That thing had a chocolate, peanut butter, and marshmallow layer, a bit of toffee sauce, and berry sorbet. The Eurhythmics must've had this in mind or in mouth when they sang, "Sweet dreams are made of this..."

I barely even touched this pretty selection because I was so damn full. Macaroons, chocolates, nougat...how I wish I could go back to finish what I left behind!

When I thought about what I would eat in NY, I imagined hot dogs, burgers--you know, American food. I never imagined I would have American food with a French twist, or that I would even have the chance to eat not just a famous $32 burger, but a lot of absolutely delicious extras along with it. And for that, I am incredibly thankful to King, his sister, Chef Mimi, and all the gracious people at db Bistro Moderne. This is, by far, one of my most memorable food trips ever!

db Bistro Moderne
55 West 44th St., NYC 10036
http://www.danielnyc.com/dbbistro.html

Tisha Eats New York: Junk in My Trunk

2009-01-14T05:56:00.000-08:00

A friend who used to live in the US once told me that there, he could only manage one quarter-pounder, while he would need two at the local Golden Arches to feel as full. So if there was any place in the world to get my burger fill, America was it! Land of the free, home of the brave, and begetter of the whole Supersize-Me movement.

I had a total of four awesome burgers during my trip: one from Major's, one which I have dubbed The Most Expensive Burger I'll Probably Ever Have (in an upcoming post), and two from good, ol'-fashioned fast food joints.

Shake Shack
SE corner of Madison Square Park, near Madison Ave. and E. 23rd St., NYC
(212) 889-6600
www.shakeshacknyc.com

It was a tad cold that day

Trusty tour guide/now native New Yorker/rakstar King introduced me to Shake Shack, a burger and shake kiosk located within Madison Square Park. The line was enough to tell me that the burger was definitely in demand. The shake, though incredibly tempting, would have to wait 'til my next visit as it was freezing that day. (My tropical blood still hadn't gotten used to the biting cold. See thick-ass coat in the photo above!)

I got me the ShackBurger, which was made of freshly ground beef, and which came with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, and Shack sauce--and they certainly didn't scrimp on any of the ingredients! If there were any burger, among all the burgers I've had over the years (and I've had a lot), that could be a contender for The Unhealthiest Burger Ever, this would've been it. And when it comes to burgers, the unhealthier, the better! That thing was perhaps the oiliest burger I've had in my life.

Unfortunately, the outdoor heating system was still under construction, so King and I sat on the park benches, me shivering as I bit into that sucker. As we sat there, we spied the fattest squirrel I have ever seen, munching on a french fry! Ahh, squirrel cannot live on nuts alone. That little critter must feast daily on Shake Shack junk.

Note: They have a thing called the Pooch-Ini--as far as I can tell, it's a shake for dogs!

Five Guys
319 Washington St., Hoboken, NJ 07030
(212) 683-3273
www.fiveguys.com

Gooey! Mmmm. Slightly squished from the walk home...

The great thing about my bro's place is that he lives right near Washington Street, which is home to lots of interesting little stores and restos. Among the establishments on this street is Five Guys, which, my brother told me, has been voted the best burger in, like, the country. It'll set you back about six bucks BUT you could load it with any (or all!) of the toppings for free!

It was a pretty damn good burger, made more enjoyable by a hefty serving of their yummy cajun fries.

Gray's Papaya
539 Eighth Ave. at 37th St., NYC (plus two other locations)

My friends outside the hotdog joint

A junk food post won't be complete without a little something on an item that is so New York: the mighty hot dog. On our "movie tour" of NYC, my friends and I decided to swing by Gray's Papaya, made popular by that Matthew Perry starrer, Fools Rush In (among lots of other movies). While we passed on the papaya shakes, we wolfed down the uber-cheap hotdogs (served by a kabayan!): a little over $3 or $4 and you get the recession special--two hotdogs and a drink!

I miss this hotdog

These aren't fat hotdogs; they're actually pretty skinny, but are longer than average. But these things are awesome! In my opinion, they taste exactly the way a hotdog should taste.

In general, it's hard to get out of the mindset of converting from dollars to pesos, so in a Pinoy's head, the prices might seem a bit steep, especially for fast-food stuff. But once you get out of that way of thinking, and once you bite into those burgers, those 'dogs, you'll realize that given the quality of the stuff, you are so getting your money's worth.

Tisha Eats New York: Casual Dining

2008-12-31T04:26:00.000-08:00

I ate quite a bit in New York (and Hoboken), and my trusty Levi's jeans can attest to that--I can barely get 'em past my bum! Damn. But anyway, I decided to divide my entries into categories, so today we're starting off with casual dining. These are the super laidback places we went to, the kind of places where you don't really need to get all dressed up, and with reasonably priced eats.

Turning Point
1420 Frank Sinatra Dr. Hoboken, NJ 07030
(201) 222-3797
www.theturningpoint.biz

Traditional Eggs: Two farm-fresh eggs cooked any way you want and served with country potatoes and a toasted English muffin ($4.95); you can add sausage, ham, or bacon for an additional $2.50

I realized recently that I have a thing for brunch. You don't have to get up too early for it, plus it gives you an excuse to overeat--you're eating two meals, after all! (It is a nightmare meal for any sensible diet, though. The whole five-small-meals-a-day thing goes right out the window.)

Given my Brunch Love, I was really happy that my brother took us (meaning me, my cousin Ate Udes/Lorie, and Boston U nephew Gedo) to Turning Point, a really lovely breakfast/brunch/lunch place right along the Hudson. Hoboken itself is such a nice neighborhood, and Turning Point seems to be located at a prime spot, with a fantastic view of the Manhattan skyline. If I lived in Hoboken, I would be at Turning Point every weekend, I swear.

I ordered the Berry Delicious and Cream ($8.50)--an absolutely heavenly blueberry-infused waffle topped with homemade whipped cream and sliced strawberries. It was served with strawberry sauce and blueberry sauce...but I asked for a side of chocolate sauce. Sweet!

This baby elicited a lot of oohs and ahhs in Multiply and Facebook!

My nephew ordered the Big Daddy Omelette. This thing was no joke--a six-egg omelette loaded with Virginia ham, smoked bacon, chorizo, and fresh mozzarella. I learned that a half dozen eggs is Gedo's normal daily intake. "It's good cholesterol!" he insisted.

This (over)loaded omelette will set you back a little over seven bucks, I think (sans tax)

Ayhan's Shish Kebab
1504 Old Country Rd., Westbury, NY (516) 222-8000

I'm not sure exactly which branch we went to, but I tacked on the Westbury address! The one where we ate was a mall-based resto, and it was packed. There was a really long line snaking around the resto--all people waiting to partake of the $10 Mediterranean buffet! Yup, that's right, a $10 buffet--and that includes a drink. Plus our server, Jamal, was incredibly attentive. He was constantly checking up on us, which totally amazed us given that there were so many other people he had to take care of. I'm guessing Kuya Vic gave him a hefty tip.

Major's Steak House
Branches in Woodbury and East Meadow, NY

"What is it with Filipinos and steak?" asked Kuya Vic.

"Umm...I think it's just our family and steak," I theorized.

Meeeeat

Yep, my mother's side is just full of carnivores. We ended up eating at Major's twice, on two separate occasions (I'm just not sure if the branches listed are the ones we went to!). Too bad my appetite crashed while I was abroad (no disc = small appetite), so I couldn't fully enjoy all the meat set before me.

On the first visit, I had a 12-oz steak served with potatoes while my cousins had the 24-oz version. My brother had a 12-oz steak as well...and a side order of burger. Hahaha. We also ordered some pretty tasty wings. On our second visit, Kuya Vic got the seared tuna (yummy!), and for the second time, we ordered the apple crisp a la mode. "Good choice!" said our waiter.

Tip: If you're not a fan of too-salty stuff, steer clear of the creamed spinach.

Hagi
Off Times Square, near Hawaiian Tropic, NYC

The skewers were about $1.50 to $3 a stick. Note: The chicken skin one is better on paper--it's not like fried chicken skin, and I don't even know why we were expecting it to be! But all the others were good.

My brother might kill me for including his "secret sushi place" in this list. You know how you like keeping some of your favorite things to yourself coz, well, it's cooler that way? Like how you're possessive about a still-unknown band before they go all commercial. I guess that's how he feels about Hagi. (Hey, at least I didn't include the complete address!)

Prices are really reasonable, by New York standards. And my brother believes, like other foodies do, that the mark of a good Japanese resto is when you see Japanese people eating there. Measured by this standard, Hagi passes with flying colors.

The menu item that my bro was most excited to have us try was the five-dollar beer cocktail. It's beer mixed with different flavors of juice. Pretty good, and rather strong! I couldn't finish mine. Allergies + jet lag = a really bad idea!

Diced steak, $7.50

Worth noting is the miso soup, which was just $1.50--comparable to Manila prices! We also ordered a really freaky yaki udon ($9). It had these stringy little things on it that were squirming when the dish was served--it's like the whole shebang, delicious as it was, had worms on it! Gak! My family and I just kept laughing in between eyews. Haha.

We had such a filling meal for such an affordable price. (Although my relatives took care of paying, bless them!) "Panalo, di ba?" my brother kept saying.

The Diner
44 9th Ave. at W 14th, NYC
(212) 627-2230
www.thedinernyc.com

Spinach and artichoke dip by candlelight

My brother wanted us to pay Samantha Jones's neighborhood a visit, so on our way to Long Island one night, we stopped by the meatpacking district for dinner. The area's uber-trendy, so to say that it's hard to get a table is an understatement. Every resto we called on our way there had a two- to three-hour wait--and it was a weeknight! There was the Spice Market (really nice, one of my bro's faves), Pastis, and Vento--all with hordes of people waiting, waiting, waiting.

We ended up going to the only place that wasn't packed. In fact, it was a pretty slow night for them: The Diner. After all, if you were going to the meatpacking district, all dressed up, why would you go to a diner, right? (Insert eye-roll here.) While I had a hard time walking because of my twisted ankle, I heard one woman complain as she struggled across the cobblestoned streets in her sky-high heels: "Ugh! They should pave these roads!"

A little odd that we had a candlelit dinner at a diner...I guess they're kind of trying to blend in with the rest of the district? Would've been cooler, I think, if they were all lit up like a regular diner, just to make it so blatantly different from other spots--a haven from other more pretentious establishments!

I wasn't that hungry so all I had was spinach and artichoke dip. Really good. And that, plus my brother's burger cost about half or a third of what our dinner would have cost in all those other see-and-be-seen places.

It was interesting being in the meatpacking district, and it probably would've been cool...if only it weren't "too cool," if you get me. SATC has either kept it alive or ruined it.

Grotta Azzurra
177 Mulberry St., NYC
(212) 925-8775
www.grottaazzurrany.com

"More cheese, please!" OK, so we love steak, and we love cheese!

My brother took us to this busy resto in Little Italy mainly because they offer a $9.50 prex fixe lunch--you get to pick one pasta and one entree. While I opted to have risotto, they of course picked the pasta and--what else?--steak! "Where else can you get steak for $9.50?" said Big Brother.

They didn't get the steak right the first time, and my cousin wasn't pleased...so they replaced it with an all-new steak. Can we get that kind of service here, please?

The other attraction in this joint is the Wine Cellar which, unfortunately, was booked for a private function that day. We instead got a table in the main dining area, brightened by the sunshine streaming through the windows.

Marra's (Downtown Glen Cove)
1 School St., Glen Cove, NY www.marrasonline.com

Not your typical pasta: My lobster ravioli with saffron cream sauce

On what Kuya Vic dubbed my "last supper," we went to Marra's, a casual Italian resto in downtown Glen Cove. While the food was pretty good, the highlight was just cam-whoring with my family! Sigh, I miss them so.

Kuya Vic's choice: Pasta with chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, broccoli, garlic, and oil

In fact, I miss New York. But eating out in a foreign land reminded me that restaurant hopping could be such an adventure--one that I can have right here at home!

Supermarket Therapy

2008-10-22T02:56:00.000-07:00

I am starting to love going to the supermarket.

When I was a kid, grocery shopping meant going to Unimart and helping my mom--she (or my brother) pushed one cart, I pushed another, until both were brimming with our provisions for the next couple of weeks. There were negotiations over which junk food to stock up on (my brother preferred the barbecue variety; I, the cheese), and requests for treats like Chips Ahoy (I miss the striped ones). My mom had a system down pat, so if I were to meander onto other aisles, I simply had to estimate how long it had been and figure out which section she would be in by then.

Later on, grocery-shopping duties were passed onto the household help, who would run to nearby stores when the need would arise. Until now, it is rare for my mother to go on a one-time-big-time shopping trip. (I just realized that I miss it so.) And until recently, my own trips to the supermarket were more out of necessity, but I'm beginning to see it as a therapeutic activity, at once soothing and stimulating.

Last week, early one morning after working out, I headed to a supermarket, which was already open at 9:00 am. The staff was still in a very good mood, not having had to face irate customers yet. They cheerily greeted me good morning. I loved the near-solitude offered by shopping at this time, before the mad mall hours ushered in more people. Outside, it was raining; if I didn't have to head to work, I would've loved to shop for more stuff, head home, and bake something to stave off the damp chill brought about by the storm. I would enjoy my warm cookies or brownies or cake in front of the TV. What a perfect day that would be!

Today, I popped into the supermarket to stock up on sandwich fillings. I had already bought a pack of whole-wheat ciabatta bread, waiting to be stuffed and grilled. I loaded my basket with eggplants, zucchini, and tomatoes--these I plan to brush with olive oil before roasting, and spread with some pesto-mayo. As I walked past the other veggies, something special caught my eye--portabello mushrooms! Huge portabello mushrooms! At a local supermarket!

A chef-friend told me before that I could try my luck at looking for these shrooms at Santi's (no such luck) or Salcedo Market (no time--I was in a hurry, and it was a weekday). So seeing these beauties sitting inconspicuously on the chiller was a very pleasant surprise. And beside it: baby portabello mushrooms, fresh white button mushrooms, Swiss brown mushrooms...oh, be still my heart! Images of stuffed mushrooms danced in my head. (I thought of the cream cheese, the tomatoes, the herbs...) Goodbye, canned mushrooms!

Alas, I consulted the calendar in my memory and saw no foreseeable time for me to make and enjoy stuffed mushrooms at home. My sched in the coming weeks is just impossible. Nearly took a page from Terence Howard there ("Next time, baby!"). As I made my way to the cheese section, my mouth watered at the sight of Brie. And then I saw the Swiss cheese and imagined it mixed with the brown mushrooms, pressed between two pieces of crusty bread. Oh my.

I wandered by the freezer section, with every intention of getting some cold cuts when I was greeted by the sight of some pretty smoked salmon. Eureka! I need to get more fish in my diet anyway. So I grabbed a pack, and picked up some Australian cream cheese to go with it. I was enjoying myself a little too much. So much for my budget.

It was then that I realized that supermarkets have become another happy place for me (next to the beach, the spa, and Pancake House). I look at items lying innocently on shelves and imagine the different ways I could enjoy them--by themselves, between bread slices, sprinkled on top of something else, baked, fried, roasted. Aisles and aisles, shelf upon shelf of food, waiting to be sampled, mixed together, experimented with. The supermarket: It may not look all that sexy, but in that place of stark fluorescent lights lies discovery, adventure, and possibility. And that is always exciting.

Photo from here.

Gluttony in Quezon

2008-09-26T03:13:00.000-07:00

For mumsy's birthday, she and her friends decided to take a road trip to Tiaong, Quezon to have lunch at Ugu Bigyan's Potter's Garden. I decided to tag along upon hearing that, with just P500, I could feast on...

...all these!

A rundown of what we ate: (left to right, top to bottom row)

Corn soup, made with fresh corn and not canned Del Monte!
Pako (?) salad--at first, I thought they said "taco" salad. But this one is made with ferns!
Puso ng saging. I really, really liked this dish. It's banana hearts cooked in gata (coconut milk) and mixed with onions. I didn't think I would enjoy it as much as I did!
Fish with mango salsa. Good.
Some sort of tahong dish. Also good.
Calamares. I think these were nicely done. None of those haphazardly fried squid rings--each one was perfectly coated in a light and crispy batter.
Curried shrimp. Possibly my favorite. It's a toss-up between this and the puso ng saging!
Ribs. Yummm. The inside was a little bland, but the outside was very flavorful, sweet. And since I'm a meat lover, I had a lot of this.
Ginatan. Dessert was tapioca balls and gabi in coconut milk. We tried to figure out what else was mixed into it--like arnibal and pandan. There was something different about it. I'm not into gabi, but I did wipe out all the gata.

And these were all prepared by Ugu himself. Ugu is a potter whose pretty ceramics can be found in such places as Aman Pulo, I've read. (All the dishes are served on Ugu originals.) I first got introduced to his work when I spotted an interesting bench with leaf inlay at a house shoot a couple of years ago. Leaves and fish are kind of an Ugu trademark.

If I'm not mistaken, this is Ugu's house, found on the property.

The meals are served in open-air kubos surrounded by lush greenery. Walkways lead to a gift shop selling Ugu items like plates and wind chimes--so you get your fill of Pinoy food and Pinoy craftsmanship! Our favorite find: a calamansi spoon. It's a flat, ceramic spoon with holes in it, so that it could catch calamansi seeds as you squeeze! Plus, it's one of the cheapest items in the store, retailing at P120.

The tree in the middle of everything; the kubo at left is where the eating happens.

Cute product: Calamansi spoons

The Potter's Garden is part of Viaje del Sol, a route with interesting stopovers in Laguna, Batangas, and Quezon. Read more about it here.

If you'd like to have lunch at the garden, you'll have to make reservations. There's a minimum required number of people though.

Call mobile 0917-5605708 for inquiries.

For the Love of Kebab

2008-08-17T09:56:00.001-07:00

People who know me (and my appetite) know that I love meat. I can't imagine giving up beef, no matter how many cute cows you throw in my path. (Sorry.) And whenever I get an attack of the meat-munchies at ungodly hours, I head to a kebab place. The following are my regular haunts:

Mr. Kabab
West Ave., Quezon City

Most people mistakenly call it "Mr. Kebab," (I used to call it that myself) but as you could see from its huge sign, it's got an A, not an E. (Who knew?) My teammates and I have been hanging out here a lot lately, for reasons unknown. I've asked them to hang at Ababu, but they still insist on journeying all the way to West Ave. (bigger than the old one along Quezon Ave.).

I've gone to Mr. Kabab before midnight, at 2:00 am, and at 4:30 am...and the busiest time is actually 4:30! There was a long line of people coming straight from their gimmicks at this time, and I patiently waited for a big enough table (as my companions slept in the car!).

I normally order the Special Chelo Kabab--two pieces of longganisa-shaped beef on a serving of buttered rice. It comes with two grilled tomatoes, and is about P120. (The Chelo Kabab, which has just one kabab, is about P95.) My friends recommend their Shawarma Plate as well.

Note: It's vegan-friendly; if I remember right, they've got a vegetarian menu.

Persiana
126 Pioneer St., Mandaluyong

From the outside, this place looks pricey--it's not like those other kebab places because, well, it's air-conditioned and has non-Monoblock furniture. But it's actually pretty reasonably priced.

I normally order two beef kebabs and rice, plus a side order of grilled tomatoes and onions. Their keema's good, and so is their chicken tandoori. If you're made to choose your rice, ask for the buttered one--the other types have fancy, intriguing names, but essentially aren't really anything special.

Note: They've got other Mediterranean offerings like pizza and pasta.

Ababu
Xavierville Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City

H and I used to go to Ababu back when it was still in Teachers' Village. This year, they moved to a new location in Xavierville, but essentially kept the same old Monoblock chairs and tables! They raised their prices though--they used to have P7 iced tea in a small plastic cup. Now it's P30 for bottomless iced tea--still not bad. I used to get a full meal for less than P100, but now the prices are comparable with Mr. Kabab and Persiana.

I can't remember what I order here, but I'm guessing it's also chelo kebab! I looove their buttered rice, and their sauce is really tasty.

H normally gets a side order of keema. The Ababu version is just swimming in oil...

...which isn't really a bad thing. Hey, we don't do this every night anyway. Live a little, right?

Note: Among the three, I think Ababu would have to be my favorite. It's not quite as commercialized as Mr. Kabab yet. And any place with bottomless iced tea gets my vote. Plus, I love the goatee-d happy face on their store sign!

Full Moon

2008-08-04T20:42:00.000-07:00

For bi-anniv this year, H surprised me by taking me to Bulan, a converted Filipino-colonial mansion, tucked away in Little Baguio. The resto was relatively empty when we were there, save for a table with owner Marlene Aguilar and friends. As such, the servers were incredibly attentive, something H and I really appreciate whenever we dine out.

Bulan (which means "moon" in...another Pinoy dialect, not quite sure which, sorry) serves European/continental cuisine amid a setting of ornate wood furniture and impressive art. We decided on a set meal (P1,145): Mushroom Soup, Roma, and homemade gelato for dessert. We also ordered a pasta dish called Crystal's Flambe (P450).

The waiter asked if we would like to split the soup--very considerate of him, I thought. And I was delighted when they served our soup bowls:

Both of us got this little bowl with this pretty, puffed-up pastry. So charming! The soup had five different mushrooms blended in cream. Because of this, the waiter asked if we would like to change our pasta dish; the chef was concerned that we would have mushroom overload, but I stood by my choice.

The Roma was grilled orange-flavored filet mignon in marsala sauce, and served with zucchini and tomatoes in olive oil. While it was satisfactory, I wouldn't go so far as to agreeing that it was indeed the Best Steak out there (as proclaimed by a sign outside the resto). Good, but not the best I've ever had (Gulliver's comes to mind).

The pasta dish was linguini with three kinds of mushrooms blended with blue cheese, sprinkled with herbs, and with sour cream. Ordinarily, I am a big fan of the white sauce, but the chef was right--there can be too much of a good thing. Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy this dish. I just feel that I would have appreciated it even more had I not had the mushroom soup beforehand.

H decided to let me have the dessert. We couldn't quite figure out if the waiter was saying "Caribbean Mocha" or "Arabian Mocha," but it's one of those.

It's mocha ice cream with a heavy dose of cinnamon. Interesting and quite tasty, something worth trying if you're feeling a tad adventurous.

Want to impress your honey? Bulan may be a good place to take her--it's a little hard to find, so you'll give off that vibe that you're in the know when it comes to restos. Its hidden location alone can be enough to make your date a bit more intimate.

Bulan is located at #3 Gen. de Jesus St. (near J. Abad Santos St.), Little Baguio, San Juan; tel. (02) 725-8496

Everything I Ate in Bangkok

2008-07-29T07:52:00.000-07:00

OK, not everything.

But anyway, I think the reason it took me so long to post was I figured I needed to write extensively on each dish. But I think for this particular post, I could let the pictures do the talking.

Bangkok has so many food options--practically every meal we ate was totally satisfying. Even after eating about four or five times a day, there were still so many other places left to try. And the best part? I actually lost weight. Haha. It was all that walking!

So anyway, seeing the pictures won't nearly be as enjoyable as actually feasting on what's in them. But I hope this gives you an idea of just how awesome Bangkok is as a food destination.

Jim Thompson Cafe

H and I met up with my cousin, Kuya Roji, and his family. They took us to the Jim Thompson House, which has an in-house cafe. A few of the things we ordered:

Pomelo Salad. This was, by far, the best part of the meal. It was positively delicious! There were recipe books for sale at the gift shop, and I was sorely tempted to buy one just for this.

Pineapple Rice

Green Curry Chicken...or something like that

Curry Rice

Evil dessert. Note the truffles on top! Drool.

Roadhouse BBQ
942/1-4 Thanon Rama IV, at Surawong

We took the train to Patpong and did a walk-through before deciding that we would rather eat and get a couple of drinks. Again, our tastebuds were experiencing Thai Food Fatigue, so when we chanced upon Roadhouse BBQ, we immediately went in. It was actually included in our trusty TimeOut guide book, so we were fairly confident we would get a good meal. The tome described it as such: "A monster three-storey venue, distinct from the city's other pus for its US character, barbecue food and smokery." It recommended the buffalo wings, so we ordered accordingly...

The big-ass menu

Buffalo wings. Yum!

A big-ass burger

Food Courts

Bangkok is Mall Country, so we spent a lot of time in shopping centers. I was in awe of their food courts, with their dizzying array of choices, and high-tech payment methods. (You get a card, sort of like Time Zone, and that's what you use to pay. You can refund if you don't use up the whole amount.) A chicken rice meal would set you back about THB60. Not bad.

Seen one, seen 'em-mall? In Bangkok, that ain't so. I think this was from Siam Paragon--their food court has big aquariums with live fishies!

Ahh, this was when we were needed something other than Thai food. There's only so much Pad Thai and curry you could ingest!

This, and the dish above, was what H and I had as our "first dinner" one day. Halfway through it, my cousin called asking if we wanted to have dinner. We said yes, of course. Haha. A second dinner? Bring it on!

One of our last meals. Another food court. We wanted to get something "native"...

...hence, the Pandan Chicken...

...and Pad Thai

I don't even remember what this is. I think it was duck.

Greyhound Cafe
2nd Floor, Emporium, Sukhumvit Soi 24

This is where we went to satisfy our hobbit-like appetites. We met up with my relatives for a second dinner at Greyhound Cafe, which is sort of like Bangkok's version of Cibo. It's run by the fashion store of the same name, and offers Thai and fusion dishes. One of my relatives' favorites.

The chic, minimalist interiors

Lasagna Salad. Good!

I think these were some sort of crablets... I can't really remember, but I'm inclined to say it was good. I don't think I had anything I didn't like.

Interesting: Squid-ink Pasta

More pasta, with white sauce and seafood

Chatuchak Weekend Market

Crazy, chaotic, huge--brace yourself for Chatuchak Weekend Market. You will need lots of sustenance to go through the thousands of stalls! We decided to stop by one of the roadside eateries (like our carinderia) for an early lunch. The food was totally value for money. And this was as close to street food as we got to try while we were there.

Chicken and curry rice

No idea what this is, but it hit the spot!

On our temple tour, we also stopped by Rub Ar Roon Cafe (310-312 Maharaj Road, Pra Nakorn) which, sadly, didn't allow pictures to be taken within the cafe. It's located on one of the oldest streets in Bangkok; the row of shophouses were said to be built in the fifth reign (King Rama V). I had the Khao Gai Ob (grilled chicken marinated in a milk, garlic, and coriander root sauce, and served with fried rice, THB80)--and, like everything else we ate, it left me feeling full and utterly content.

To travel, to eat...ahh, this is the good life!

The Aliens Have Landed...in Starbucks!

2008-07-28T04:13:00.000-07:00

Photo by Marie

Bangkok Food Trip: Ice Cream!

2008-05-13T07:51:00.000-07:00

"I scream, you scream, we all scream for Bangkok, Thailand ice cream..."

OK, it's a bit of a stretch but I couldn't help myself. Inspired by a post by Franco, I wanted to devour as much ice cream as I could on my trip to Bangkok. Normally, ice cream wouldn't come to mind when the topic is Bangkok--pandan chicken, pad thai, chili, sure--but ice cream?

Thing is, there are just sooo many ice cream options in Bangkok (just like there are sooo many Italian restos---on our street alone, there must have been around ten!). Must be the climate. I had to stop myself from going all seven-deadly-sins and decided to avoid the gluttony. Limiting myself still meant ice cream every day, of course.

The first one I tried came at the end of our meal at the Jim Thompson Cafe. It was fried ice cream. Looked really pretty, but the core was melted so it could've been better.

I loved the rest of the food at the cafe though--will rave about it in a succeeding post!

I was on the hunt for iberry (which came highly recommended by Franco), but my Bangkok-based relatives gave me a puzzled look because they didn't think it was particularly special. (My niece's favorite: Cream & Fudge, their version of Cold Rock. Alas, there were not enough days and not enough space in my tummy to accommodate her suggestion.) I was just intrigued when Franco said there was a Horlicks flavor. I did find iberry at the fantastic Siam Paragon food hall, but they didn't have Horlicks that day.

I proceeded to window shop and finally decided to try some gelato from one of the many other ice cream/gelato options instead. I thus ordered three scoops from Felice: strawberry, white chocolate, and mint.

I particularly enjoyed the strawberry--it tasted incredibly fresh, instead of tasting like fake strawberries! H, surprisingly, enjoyed the white chocolate, which wasn't cloyingly sweet. The mint was pretty refreshing.

As we were walking along Ploenchit Road, we came across Amaltery at the Urban Kitchen, Erawan Bangkok. The cool thing about the place is that there are alcohol-infused flavors! I don't drink much (mostly because I'm allergic), but I really wanted to try it. They had a dizzying array of flavors from A to Z (as in "A.T.V."--almond, toffee, liqueur, vodka--to "Zombie"--rum, apricot brandy). I decided to get the cookie set, made up of two homemade chocolate-chip cookies with fat slabs of B-52 (brandy, Baileys, and Kahlua) ice cream.

The cookies were OK--I would've preferred 'em chewy instead of slightly crunchy. The brownies were alright. The ice cream, on the other hand--I was convinced that it didn't contain just 5% alcohol. Gumuguhit! Haha. If all ice cream were like this, I think H would have this cool treat a bit more often!

I came across iberry again at Emporium and this time found the Horlicks flavor. I kind of expected it to be a bit...more brown. I was surprised that it had a yellowish tint. The taste didn't disappoint though--it was very flavorful!

Right after buying my cup of iberry, I saw Gelate and its heavenly display. I was kicking myself for having low EQ and rushing to buy iberry when I could've had me some of this gorgeous-looking gelato. Sigh.

My last taste of ice cream in Bangkok came by way of a brand called New Zealand Natural. I'm not sure if that's the exact name--I was saving the napkin, which had a description and all. Unfortunately, I got the sniffles and needed some tissue, and it was the only one in my bag... Anyhoo, the chocolate was so rich, and I super enjoyed every bite.

Even after trying all these during my trip (too short, way too short), there were still so many brands waiting to be tasted. On my next trip, for sure!

Ilocos Food Trip

2008-05-07T20:25:00.000-07:00

Aside from getting a taste of the famous soft biscocho during our Ilocos Norte trip, H and I stuffed ourselves with one of the most evil food inventions known to man--bagnet!

Paired with the KBL (a siding of tomatoes, onions, and bagoong), we just couldn't get enough of the stuff!

I think we ordered this three times in three days at our little hotel, Palazzo de Laoag. It was particularly delicious the first night; the fat--glorious, sinful, artery-clogging--was perfectly cooked, the skin incredibly crispy. Mmmm...I've got a hankering for something heart-attack-inducing right about now.

Ilocos is likewise known for its pinakbet, so even though I'm not big on the Pinoy veggies, I still shared an order with H.

Framed newspaper clippings at Palazzo proclaim that the hotel has the best pinakbet, like, ever, but I haven't eaten enough of the dish in my lifetime to gauge if it was true. I did, however, enjoy eating pinakbet in an unusual form...

Pizza! We tagged along as the hotel owner went to Paoay for lunch, and had the famous Pinakbet Pizza at Cafe Herencia, right across Paoay Church. While you're there, you might want to try their Dinuguan Pizza as well!

Soft Biscocho: A Treat from Ilocos Norte

2008-04-09T07:25:00.000-07:00

En route to Bangui, Ilocos Norte, our travel companions (most of whom were from Ilocos) insisted that we stop over at the "biscocho-han." Said biscocho-han was actually Pasuquin Bakery, "famous maker of the delicious biscocho, pride of the north."

Sheryl, our unofficial tour guide, told us that the soft biscocho is so popular that the bakery even exports it to Hawaii! (My theory is that the Marcoses missed the stuff so much while they were in Spam-land that they started shipping 'em over.) The little buns come by the dozen in a plastic bag, with pairs stuck together. Each bag costs P55. They're a lot like pan de sal--the softest kind, the kind with no burnt portions on the crust! The main difference is that there's a hint of anise when you bite into it.

Our travel companions bought packets of Cheez Wiz to go with their soft biscocho. H and I were content with munching on our palaman-less bread, until one of the girls said, "Sana bumili tayo ng Nutella!" This was greeted with murmurs of approval, and an excited yelp (courtesy of your friendly neighborhood food lover). I couldn't wait to get home to Manila so that I could try her suggestion!

Two nights later, I was back home, and immediately unpacked my remaining biscocho. I deliberately saved a couple of pieces so that I could try the inspired Nutella suggestion. Instead of Nutella, though, I used Nusica (which tastes a lot like Nutella, but is about P50 cheaper). I followed the Ilocanos' instructions:

Step 1: Take one soft biscocho.
Step 2: Unroll.
Step 3: Spread with desired palaman.
Step 4: Roll. Enjoy!

I love soft pan de sal, and I looove hazelnut spread, so this was a welcome and utterly evil midnight snack.

Sigh. I've said it before, and I'll say it again: My name is Tisha, and I am a bad carb addict.

Pasuquin Bakery is located in Pasuquin, Ilocos Norte--I'm pretty sure you could ask any local and they'd know where it is; tel. (077) 775-0198

Jake's Steaks: For Hardcore Carnivores

2008-03-27T08:56:00.000-07:00

Quick (but filling) post: I don't know if you could tell from the photo, but this steak was huge! It's the T-Bone Mega at Jake's Steaks. My friend and I split it, sobrang sulit for just P175! The regular one is P130. Another friend had the grilled marlin, and it tasted great with all the calamansi.

On the same row of restos is a tapa place that sells tapsilog, longsilog, tocilog for just P39. There's also a Di Marks in the area, so I'd say this row is a good place for food tripping!

Jake's Steaks is located at 589 Wack-Wack Road, Mandaluyong City.

Davao Food Trip

2008-03-22T06:55:00.001-07:00

We got quite a few resto recommendations from our friends in Davao. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to try them all. We would've liked to try the P99 buffet at Kuya Ed's and Greenhills, the Roadhouse Steakhouse at SM City, and the pizza place at the smaller Gaisano, but we just didn't have enough time. Besides, our gracious hosts grabbed every opportunity to stuff us silly, so I wasn't quite so inclined to gorge at every meal.

Some of the places we did get to visit were...

Dencio's Kamayan

If I'm not mistaken, Dencio's Kamayan is located at the highest point of Davao City, offering an awesome view...

With fellow travelers Issa and Kath

The resto is not affiliated with the Manila Dencio's, but it's similar in that it serves Pinoy dishes, grilled items, and pulutan favorites like sisig.

Nanay Bebeng
Marfori Subdv., Davao City

I just googled this address so I'm not sure if it's accurate. This place was just a few blocks from Chateau Veronica (Araullo St.), the apartelle where we stayed (good rates!).

We went there for dinner and there was no a la carte menu, just a buffet at a reasonable price of P248. They've got different kinds of kare-kare (seen below), oily but super crunchy crispy kangkong, and bottomless melon juice--absolutely refreshing given the rather warm Davao weather.

Kare-kare variants

Coffee at Yellow Hauz
V. Mapa St., Davao City

We noticed that a lot of places in Davao have "haus" in their names--just like our second home, Yellow Hauz. This coffee shop was just walking distance from our place, so we must've gone there at least three times to avail of their free wireless internet.

Prices are cheaper than typical Manila coffee shops, so I kept ordering iced tea and various juices, and even got my daily dose of milk (here, I had steamed strawberry milk. Yum). They've also got real food, like pasta for less than P100, and sweets.

Miguel's cheeseburger--was a little dry

Spaghetti was quite good

The brownie I was dying to try (but I couldn't)--Miguel had a lot of this. It looked incredibly moist and fudgy; my watered down pink juice is seen in back

Blugre Coffee
*Landco Building, Pryce Business Park, J. P. Laurel Ave., Davao City
*Matina Town Square, MacArthur Ave., Davao City
*SM City Davao
Owned by Gatchi and Larcy Gatchalian, Blugre (pronounced "blue-gray") is famous for its durian coffee--a great way for durian virgins to get a taste of the fruit.

Gatchi and Larcy originally owned a clothing store called Blugre. They eventually shifted to the coffee shop business, retaining the name that people down south were already familiar with. Larcy, who loves to cook, developed the recipes in the cafe herself. Among them were the pastas and desserts we tried.

Penne pasta with sausage, one of the pricier things on the menu, about P165

Tuna pesto--good, but I'm biased towards our homemade version!

Hungarian sausage--mildly spicy, just the way I like it. Reminded me of Old Swiss Inn, where I first started eating non-Vienna-type sausages!

Chicken enchilada--cheesy! Mmmm

The famous durian coffee--I am not big on the coffee, but this is coffee I can drink. The mix of durian and coffee is very pleasant. It kind of tastes like candy

Dessert--I'm not sure what this was. But it looked mighty fine. They also had this really tempting chocolate pudding-type treat served in a small cup; you can order it a la mode!

Blugre is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Paradise Island

"Best to have breakfast there at around 6:30, then head back to the city by 9:30," we were told by the locals, over and over again. "Stay any later than that and you'll regret it."

We didn't leave the city quite so early, but we were on the island by 8:00 am. We were warned about the scorching Davao sun, and were prepared to shell out some moolah for sun block. But the day we had time to go to Paradise Island was also the rare day that Davao was cloudy and pretty cool--we couldn't stay longer than a few minutes in the cold water.

We could've stayed all day, but the plan was to have breakfast there, so...

No beach trip is complete without a mango shake (it ain't true that if you've tried one, you've tried 'em all! This one was rockin'! Slightly milky. Obviously, I like milk)

Tapa--each ulam costs about P150, more or less, but it's good for two

The danggit was salty, but I liked it

Obviously, someone was playing with her food...

Durian wasn't in season so we didn't get to try it, but we did bring home a box of pomelo and mangosteen.

The thing about Davao is they've got an array of different food offerings--it's not just all grilled seafood or whatever. Near our place alone, we noted a sandwich place, a steak place, a Chinese food place. Gatchi pointed out that Davao is a family-friendly city; I might add that it's also foodie-friendly!

Impromptu Market Day

2008-03-09T08:19:00.000-07:00

Got to check out the Lung Center Sunday Market--it wasn't what I expected at all! I didn't think it was going to be that big, and that crowded at 7:00 in the morning! It was stalls and stalls of fresh fruits and veggies, and lots of ready-to-eat goodies, like grilled bangus stuffed with onions and tomatoes (for P100), traditional bibingka (which my mom really liked), and smoked ham (bought me half a kilo). It's really got a palengke feel to it, with its unpaved walkways and good-natured tinderas charming you to sample their goods ("Bili na, ma'am! Baka maubusan kayo niyan...")--I kind of had this look of wide-eyed wonder as I don't often find myself in wet markets. (I know, tsk tsk me.) One difference between this and a regular wet market though was that there were tables set up all over, so that early risers could have their breakfast there. I wish I could have stayed to eat but 1) I had to go somewhere else, and 2) there were hardly any free tables.

Later that morning, I went to the Legaspi Sunday Market on a whim.

In contrast to the Lung Center Market, this one had significantly less people (no crowds jostling against you), and the majority of the stalls were selling cooked food. The people were also mostly chi-chi Makati residents, and there was none of the buzz or energy of the Lung Center version. Instead, there was this sort of sleepy Sunday vibe, like this part of Manila was just starting to wake up.

I was so hungry, and had a hard time deciding among the many types of cuisine on offer: There was a Spanish food stall selling some tempting paella, another stall with Indian food, a crepe stall manned by what seemed to be an actual Frenchman, a mommy selling homemade chili, a table groaning with sweet things--all these were sold beside non-edibles like slippers, art work, and table runners.

I decided to go for the quarter-pound burger, because it really did look like a quarter pounder (as opposed to the fast-food variety, which probably weighs a quarter of a pound with the bun included).

I've had better, but at that point I was so famished that it did its job.

Will go back with the girls--it's a great place to have brunch on a lazy weekend.

P.S. I have never been to the Salcedo Market. In my head, I picture it to be a really cool place with a boho vibe, offering unique food items you can't get anywhere else. But a friend says that it's overrated. Hmmm...got no plans for this weekend yet, so I might just swing by.

To get to the Lung Center Sunday Market, go through the Lung Center of the Philippines gate along Quezon Ave., Quezon City.

The Legaspi Sunday Market is located at the Legaspi carpark, Makati.

Our Own Private Chef

2008-02-24T05:41:00.000-08:00

I first heard about Chef Maj Lazatin from Miguel, who shot her for Yummy. He was raving about her risotto--I'm a sucker for good Italian food plus I figured H would appreciate having a private chef prepare a meal for us, so I decided to hire her for our post-V Day date.

Chef Maj is still pretty young, probably about H's age. She studied at the Apicius Cooking School in Florence for about a year--in other words, she got to live the life I can only dream of! It was a bit tough trying to contact her at first, but I finally got to speak with her, and she agreed to do a dinner for two.

The first menu she sent me was all seafood--H is allergic to shrimp and crab and some fish, so I asked if we could just stick to the stuff she prepared for the mag. An allergy attack would've totally killed the romance! After some logistical problems (plan A: the chef's house, but that didn't work out; plan B: the rooftop of our condo, but it was too windy; plan C: Marie's dining room; but we eventually ended up with plan D: a complete stranger's house! It was owned by one of the chef's partners, whom I met just that day! Can you say "dyahe"? But she insisted, so...), we finally settled on a place and feasted on...

Zuppa di Zucca - Pureed pumpkin soup with croutons and pancetta with a drizzle of truffle oil. I loved, loved, loved this soup! Truffle oil really makes anything taste extra special--I am still dreaming about that pasta that we had at Il Pirata. I just couldn't get enough of this velvety soup. At my house, our helper always gives H more soup than she gives me, and I always jokingly complain about it. That night, H complained that it looked like I got more than he did. "It's payback!" I laughed as I chowed down on another delightful spoonful.

Insalata with Two Kinds of Mushroom - Mixed greens topped with sauteed Portabello and button mushrooms dressed with blueberry vinaigrette. The best part about this salad was the crispy parmesan hiding under the mixed greens. I was thankful there wasn't any arugula in there, but I still couldn't finish my greens. H gamely polished 'em off for me.

Prima Piatti: Risotto con Vino Rosso, Pera, Gorgonzola e' Manzo - Arborio risotto with gorgonzola cheese and pear cooked in red wine and serve with grilled beef tenderloin. Our beef was a bit overdone--we asked for medium, but it seemed almost well done to us. But the risotto--ahh, the risotto! The last risotto we had before Chef Maj's was at a resto in Tagaytay, which H proclaimed was "the most expensive lugaw ever"! This version could not be mistaken for lugaw--H appreciates anything cooked in wine, and there was a great interplay of textures as I heaped a spoonful into my mouth--the risotto contrasting nicely with the pear bits. The taste of the gorgonzola echoed all the way into my nose! Sounds strange, but I really appreciated the intense flavor of the cheese.

Buko Sorbet - Our menu said "lemon sorbet," but instead we got one with strips of buko. A great palate cleanser, to prepare us for our second main course.

Secondi Piatti: Pesce con Mandorle e' Prezzemolo - Pan-seared cobbler fillet with toasted almonds and parsely, served with fried zucchini flower. At this point, H and I were bursting at the seams. We wanted to split one dish (true enough, we ended up eating just half, and the fish fillet wasn't even that big). I have this habit of sniffing food (I must be committing some dining faux pas...), and I got a whiff of a strongly nutty scent. As I bit into the fish, the taste of almonds just exploded in my mouth. The zucchini flower was nice and crispy. Both the fish and the zucchini flower were a bit oily, but delicious nonetheless. If it were the only course we had that night, I would've polished it off.

Dolci: Panna Cotta con Fragola - Double-cooked cream with pureed strawberries. While my all-time favorite panna cotta remains to be the one Gourmet's whipped up for a shoot two years ago, Chef Maj's was also pretty good. Creamy things tend to be nakakasawa, but this surprisingly wasn't. Perhaps it was due to the somewhat tangy flavor of the pureed strawberries--rather than placing sliced strawberries on top of the panna cotta, Chef Maj poured a smooth layer of the pureed fruit over the cream.

All in all, a wonderful experience! The chef was so pleasant, plus she even threw in some red wine for free (H had three glasses; I stopped at one because allergic me started getting rashes. Tsk tsk). She left me with the fantasy of hiring a full-time private chef in the future. Of course, if that happens, I'll also need to hire a full-time personal trainer!

Contact Chef Maj Lazatin through mobile 0917-8233101 or landline (02) 810-3101

Me Want Cookiiieeee

2008-01-29T05:51:00.000-08:00

Will you look at that? A perfectly chewy, gooey, fudgy chocolate crinkle. I've been eating Hungrypac chocolate crinkles for a while now, but it's the first time I had enough left to take a picture of. They've also got these chocolate cakes that look really simple but absolutely divine--the chocolate frosting just drips off the sides. Haven't tried it, but I imagine it tastes a bit like those el cheapo (and muy delicioso) chocolate cakes from that Shell station in Magallanes.

Hungrypac proudly proclaims that they've got "The Best Chocolate Crinkles & Cakes." I dunno about that--I haven't tried enough crinkles to say if this is true. But they have certainly got my vote. They're the kind of crinkles I aim for when I bake (which doesn't happen too often now, given my packed sched).

Cookiiieeeee. Num num num num num.*

*Blog imitation of Cookie Monster

Hungrypac is available at Glorietta 4, Alabang Town Center, Ash Creek Center (Madison St. corner Ortigas Ave.), SM City Manila, SM Mall of Asia, SM North Edsa, and TriNoma

Chocolate Oblivion and More at Swanky GB5

2008-01-20T08:45:00.000-08:00

Lots of people are thrilled that Baba Ibazeta-Benedicto has opened her Classic Confections flagship store at swanky new Greenbelt 5. I got to try her Nono's Chocolate Oblivion some months ago, when Yummy Magazine was working on their dessert special. People were raving about this cake, although honestly, it's not a personal favorite. Let's chalk it up to personal preference--I think I like my cakes a tad sweeter and with much less stuff to distract from the chocolate. But hey, this baby wasn't voted a Yummy favorite and one of the top ten desserts in Manila (by Food Magazine) for nothin' so it's worth checking out.

The famous Chocolate Oblivion (P145 for an individual serving, P895 for a regular cake) has two layers of chocolate cake, dark chocolate cream filling, walnut praline bits, and cocoa powder. It's a nice play of different textures--the chocolate cream is smooth, the praline bits crunchy, and the layer of cocoa powder coats your tongue.

I just got stuff for takeout since H and I had just had stuffed ourselves at dinner and were raring to head home to sleep. (Kain-tulog! This is the life! Haha.) Besides, there weren't any free tables--Classic Confections has quite a following. I decided to get me a Calamansi Bar--needed something to wipe out the after-dinner umay, and since I love a good Lemon Square, this treat appealed to me. It was OK--I wished there were a thicker layer of the calamansi topping though. If I could find a Lemon Square or Calamansi Bar with 1/4 crust and 3/4 lemon/calamansi topping, I'd be in heaven!

Calamansi Bar (P180/doz, P345/2 doz): shortbread crust topped with calamansi filling and dusted with powdered sugar

They had a lot of other yummy-looking treats and I wished I could've tried all of them. (For blogging purposes. I swear.) There was a banana cream pie, a rum cake, a lemon torte (ooh!), a mocha sansrival. In the Yummy interview, Baba said she was particularly proud of her cheesecake, so that should be interesting. She's also got cookies, and I'm eager to get me some of her almond crunch (toffee candy made with whole roasted almonds and semi-sweet chocolate). I'm guessing they taste like those Almod Rocha-type bits that I buy from Christmas bazaars. A lot of the stuff comes in pretty packaging, too, so they would make great gifts.

GB5 looks like another eating destination, albeit a sosy one, what with all the newly opened restos. No matter where you choose to have lunch or dinner, you're most likely going to end up at Classic Confections for a sugar rush to cap the meal.

Classic Confections, 2/F Greenbelt 5, Makati City; tel. (02) 746-2773, 490-7896; mobile 0917-5245892; URL classicconfections.net

The Dark Side

2007-12-11T05:06:00.000-08:00

Dark chocolate seems to be one of the trends this year (right up there with banoffee pie and cupcakes), with dark versions of the classics popping up everywhere--Hershey's Kisses, Nestle Crunch (which I luuurve, by the way!), and even M&Ms!

I'm guessing this has been out in the market for some time now, but last Saturday was the first time I saw it! The purple packaging caught my eye ("Oooh! Purple! Purrrty!") and when I saw the label saying "dark" I just let out a gasp. It was genius to put two of my favorite things together. H, who generally isn't a sweets kind of guy, much preferred it over regular M&Ms, so yes, there is a difference.

I wonder how dark it really is though. My taste buds have grown accustomed to really bitter chocolate (around 80 or even 90% cacao!), and these "dark" versions still taste quite sweet to me. Not that I'm complaining. I ate the whole damn bag, all 230 calories. (It wouldn't have been a big deal if only I hadn't just eaten a big meal and had a big buffet meal coming up later in the day!)

And can I just say, ang landi nung green M&M sa packaging! Love her!

Mambobola

2007-11-15T02:28:00.000-08:00

Miss Zsa-Zsa might be "sawang-sawa na" of pambobola, but I just can't seem to get enough!

When I was still working in Makati (miss the neighborhood, not the everyday traffic!), our default lunch place was Margarita Fores's Cafe Bola in Greenbelt. Whether it was someone's last day, a day when we got sick of baon/caf food/fast food junk, or a day when we had a few extra bucks, we would almost always head on over to this resto. Well, OK, it was either Bola or everybody's favorite, Pancake House!

At Bola, I first fell in love with a dish my best friend introduced me to: pasta with dulong in cream sauce. The curious mix of those tiny, salty fish and cream always got me thinking about a possible rebellion in my stomach, but it never got in the way of my enjoyment of the dish. There was that one day when I veered away from the usual and got a sandwich, possibly the only time I was less than satisfied at the resto. (It was just too small for my too-big appetite.)

And then, a discovery. Wanting to try what the resto was named after, I decided to order their carambola--a mix of three different kinds of meatballs: beef, chicken, and seafood (you could order three of a kind, if you please). You pair these babies with either rice or pasta, then choose your sauce. There's tomato sauce, parmesan and ham, a spicy curry sauce, mushroom and gravy (I think, but it's only for rice), and, most intriguing of all, sour cream and paprika.

Hmph, bolero! My carambola pasta in sour cream and paprika. I like both the chicken and the beef meatballs; the seafood one is on the dry side, but the sauce more than makes up for that!

I got me my sour cream and paprika carambola on pasta and my, oh my, I haven't looked back since then! As my hips would tell you, I am a big fan of the cream sauce. The first thing that greets your tongue is the milky sauce, just bursting with surprises--when it reaches the back of your mouth, you get a wonderful, tangy explosion which keeps you from getting umay. I thought my taste buds would get tired of the dish after a few bites, but after polishing off a bowl, I always seem to want more.

It turned out, the creamy dulong was just puppy love. This was the real thing. Like any good bolero, it teases you mercilessly--and you can't help but come back for more. Luckily, QC-based me has easy access to the branch in Araneta. But even if I had to fight my way through Makati traffic just for this, I would.

H wanted to have what I was having but I got him to try something else (because after finding The Dish, I had stopped trying other stuff on the menu!). The parmesan and ham sauce was OK, pretty much what you'd expect. But we're convinced that we've already found the best thing on the menu.

Boracay Food Trip

2007-11-04T18:48:00.000-08:00

In the land of bikinis, no pigging out is probably cardinal rule no. 1. But hey--when it comes to rules governing food, my high school barkada and I are all about breaking them!

On our trip to beautiful Boracay, we ate our way through the island. Of course, four days isn't nearly enough to experience all the yummy treats this paradise has to offer, especially since we seemed to keep going back to our old favorite haunts. One of my personal favorites is Jonah's, known for their fruit shakes. I used to be a fan of Jony's, but I've determined that they're kind of pricier. And cheaper is always good, so Jonah's has found a special place in my heart (and stomach).

It's kind of a tradition for me to spend some alone time, normally early morning (which, in Boracay, is any time before 10:00 am!), at Jonah's, sipping a mango shake while feasting on a piping hot mango crepe for breakfast. I had to break with tradition this time around as 1) we got free breakfast at the hotel, and 2) I couldn't drag my ass out of bed early enough. It was a vacation, after all.

I opted to have my dual-mango treat midday instead:

I also got me a yummy choco-banana shake a couple of times. (The Jony's version has vanilla in it, but I ask them to make it with just chocolate. It's around P90 though, which is around P20-30 more than a Jonah's shake!)

We spent a lot of time at my best friend Patching's favorite place: Real Coffee. Her favorite fix is the iced choco (shown here with Patching and a serving of French toast, P90)--it's not just plain old iced Milo (which I totally have nothing against, because I love Milo whether as a drink or by itself!), but more of good old-fashioned Tsokolate Eh with ice! Yum!

I had me the Jack-a-Lean Omelette (P190), a smaller version of the Jack's Omelette (which is made with three eggs in stead of two)--it's got tuna, onions, tomatoes, cheese, and pesto. Mmmm.

The omelette is served with toast, practically soaked in butter.

We also got boxes of Real Coffee's bestselling calamansi cupcakes (P35/piece) as pasalubong for our loved ones back home. Some of those babies didn't make it out of Boracay...blame it on our late-night hunger pangs! They kind of taste like lemon squares in a heavy muffin form. I could feel my mouth watering thinking about the delicious mix of sweet and sour!

Speaking of late-night hunger pangs, our dessert for two (!) nights was taken at the crepe place called St. Michel, located at D' Mall. Les ordered the Great Heart (mango-filled crepe topped with vanilla ice cream), while Ching got the Golden Heart (filled with mangoes and peaches...although I might have gotten the names mixed up). I opted for the Nutella crepe (P125, big enough for two) as I was longing for the thick, sticky chocolate spread.

Another cure for the after-gimik munchies is the choribuger, available at many a food stall along the beach. For P40, you can get yourself some freshly grilled chopped chorizo (sweet, spicy, or both) in a burger bun.

Gobs attacks a choribuger at 4:00 am.

These food stalls also sell longga-burgers and hotdogs to quell any carnivore's craving. But if food stalls aren't your thing, head on over to Hawaiian BBQ (it also has a branch in Tagaytay, within Boutique Bed and Breakfast) for their tender Baby Back Ribs (P560 for a big serving. Three of us shared...but then we had crepes afterwards so I guess this is good for two). I had mine with a side order of vegetable skewers (P100 for four sticks).

If you're feeling particularly extravagant and are up for a big, meaty meal, order a Z Burger from Zuzuni. It's a burger with huge slab of meat and a thick slice of Feta cheese, with a tag price of about P300.

For specific cuisines, Boracay has much to offer: there's True Food for Indian food (although I've gotten mixed reviews), Isla Baila for Pinoy food, the Steakhouse for (duh) steaks, and Aria for Italian food, like the Putanesca and the Margarita Pizza below:

This pizza's got a delightfully thin crust.

Enjoy 'em all with a glass of frozen iced tea. Sip, savor, and repeat after me: Ahh, this is the life!

High and Low, but Equally Satisfying

2007-09-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

Yes, I've been remiss in my food-blogging duties. So let me just make this a two-for-one entry to make up for lost time.

I finally got to eat at SOMS, that Thai carinderia I've been hearing about for ages. Located in Rockwell gilid, the place is a roadside eatery with tables set up on either side of the street. I enjoyed the Tom Yam--I imagine it's what sinigang tastes like. I've never really been a fan of sinigang, but figured that if it had the same sour, comforting quality, I should give it one more shot! I also liked the spring rolls, which probably aren't anything out of the ordinary--but I suppose I was so hungry that night that they tasted like heaven! We also ordered the catfish salad and shrimp in curry (if I remember right). Yum yum. Sadly, they had run out of the milk tea.

(From top) Spring rolls, catfish salad, shrimp with curry

On the other end of the price spectrum is Chelsea. Well, OK, it actually isn't as pricey as a bunch of other restos in Serendra, but it's still a leap from SOMS! The servings are huge though, so you can split with a friend. They've got pasta and sandwiches and a bunch of filling entrees. I got to try the Four-layer Toblerone Cake on another visit. All I can say is...OMG.

Inspired by the trendy Chelsea district in New York, the resto is a great place to hang. With high ceilings, picture windows, and dainty little chandeliers, it's stylish, airy, and comfortable...if you're lucky enough to get a seat! The place is normally packed, especially on weekends.

(Top) rich and filling pasta (carbonara, if memory serves me right); (bottom) salmon sandwich with potato wedges

The Best Puto Ever

2007-09-24T23:36:00.000-07:00

"Iba talaga dito sa Marikina!"

That's what we say whenever we have shoots in Marikina, not just because we're amazed at how clean the streets are, but because two of our most memorable shoot meals were in Marikina. We never expect to be fed, but it's always a treat when the homeowners are just so hospitable.

The most recent memorable Marikina meal was yesterday's--definitely one for the books! We feasted on a bilao of the famous Aling Remy's puto.

I must've had about 20 of these! They're so moist, and the cheese is just perfect. We were eating them like chips! (I also had some pancit, and the best damn chicken inasal I've ever tried--it was cooked by the homeowner, a native of Bacolod.)

I told my mom about our gluttony and about these starchy little wonders, and she said, "'Yun ba 'yung pula?" Even she knew about them as a friend from Marikina would bring puto to their get-togethers. Aling Remy, panalo ka!

Aling Remy's Puto, tel. (02) 950-4867, mobile 0916-3191811; look for Yolly

Secret Spot

2007-07-26T08:32:00.000-07:00

I won a bet with H (ha!) and chose to have dinner at Cookbook Kitchen. It's this quaint restaurant hidden in a quiet neighborhood in Mandaluyong. It's a cozy place that's perfect for some quality time with your honey. The yellow lighting and the mural (based on Van Gogh's The Cafe Terrace on the Place du Forum at Night) give the place a slightly dreamy quality, whisking you away to a charming French cafe tucked away in an unassuming side street.

If I remember right, none of the main dishes are over P250 or P300. I had eaten there before and was raring to go back for the parmesan-crusted white fish--baked fish that melts in your mouth. Aaaah! It's served with rice, although I think it would be phenomenal with creamed spinach (a side dish that, unfortunately, isn't served anywhere in this country as far as I know).

H chose the chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, served with some pesto sauce. It was pretty good, but I tend not to order anything with pesto in it since we always seem to have homemade pesto (we whip up a mean tuna pesto pasta--slightly spicy. Yum).

For dessert: something I had been dreaming about for weeks--the Strawberry Shortcake Overload! Strawberry shortcake holds a special place in my heart--to me it means a special occasion. When I was a kid (this was back in the 80s), we celebrated my lolo's birthday with a towering one from Sugarhouse. It looked so huge to me then, and even now, when I see that pic of my lolo and lola smiling in front of his yet-to-be-sliced cake, I still think it's massive.

The Cookbook Kitchen version is made of white cake topped with cured strawberries, ice cream, and surrounded with whipped cream. Good grief. It's a dessert after my own heart. When the waitress set it down on our table, H and I just stared at it for a few seconds.

H: That's good enough for five.
T: Really? I think I could finish it on my own.
H: Now that's scary.

Cookbook Kitchen is located at #8 Socorro Fernandez cor. Luna Mencias St., Mandaluyong (near Shaw Blvd.). For reservations or directions (it's a bit hard to find), call (02) 724-3595.

Of Pirates and Pasta

2007-06-06T21:38:00.001-07:00

Avast ye mateys! Arrrrr...gotta brush up on me pirate lingo before I's even attempts to write this entry!

For our bi-anniv (has it been a year since we ate at Fig and Olive?), H decided to take me to Il Pirata, an Italian place in Eastwood, Libis. I was skeptical at first, asking, "Who would name a restaurant Il Pirata? If you were in Italy, would you eat at a place called 'Ang Pirata'?" But he said that a few people had recommended it, and since it was Italian anyway, I gave in.

On bi-anniv day, I asked some friends about it, and they volunteered, "Maybe he meant L'operata?"I was thinking H might have gotten the name wrong. Then, as we walked across the Eastwood courtyard, I spied a great, grand ship in the distance. Aye, it was our destination. He wasn't kidding. "If they say, 'Ahoy, mateys!' I'm getting out of here," I joked, as we approached the entrance.

We were greeted with a polite "Good evening" and escorted to our table. The place was decked out to look like the interior of a pirate ship, and I began to realize what this place was about: It was simply supposed to be great fun! It tickled me pink (how very un-pirate-like), when what I supposed was the chef, a biggish Italian man, stepped out of the kitchen wearing, not a toque, but a pirate's bandana!

We assumed that the dude at left was the owner, and the one on the right was the chef.

H had eaten a late snack which spoiled his appetite, so no steaks for us that night. We decided to try their pastas. The tomato-based tagliatelle with lobster came highly recommended, but neither of us were in the mood for it. Our waitress suggested the Tagliatelle al Funghi e Tartufo (P340). "Parang Fetuccine Alfredo po," she offered. I didn't feel like having a typical Fetuccine Alfredo, but she prodded me in that direction, so I took her word for it and gave in. H, in an adventurous mood, decided to order something neither of us had ever had: hare! Penne al Sugo di Lepre (P495) to be precise.

As we waited for our orders, we were served bread with a saucer of some tomato spread. Yum. We took in the surroundings--gilded chairs with a skull on the backrest, yellow lighting (save for the white lights illuminating the selection of desserts), that kind of thing.

After a short wait, we were served the Tagliatelle al Funghi e Tartufo. It was homemade tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms, truffle oil (created by soaking truffles in olive oil. Ooooh!), and mascarpone cheese (a yummy triple-cream cheese. Drooool!). Neither of us could stop raving about it. It didn't even come close to any Fetuccine Alfredo I've ever tried! My tastebuds are tingling just thinking about it.

Next up came the hare. I was so worried that they would place a whole hare in front of me, ears and all, and I wouldn't be able to eat it! (Chicken, beef, pork, fish--I'm used to seeing and eating these things, but a bunny rabbit's close cousin? Yikes.) Thankfully, it was shredded into little bits and inconspicuously mixed into the penne. It was mixed with onions, wine, funghi (mushrooms), and parmesan cheese. We got a kick out of seeing the server sprinkle parmesan cheese using an electric grater!

So how was the hare? "It kind of tastes like corned beef," commented H. Although both dishes were cream-based, each one had a distinct flavor. The Tagliatelle was richer, and the Penne dish, thanks to the hare I suppose, had a saltier taste. The great thing about both dishes was that they seemed to be made using good-quality ingredients.

For dessert, I had the After Eight gelato cake (P160)--mint gelato sandwiched between chocolate gelato, and drizzled with chocolate syrup. I didn't think I could finish a whole slice all by myself.

...I was wrong. (Who was I kidding?) In my excitement, I forgot to have a pic taken til after I had nearly polished the whole plate off.

All in all, it was a very relaxed, fun, and delicious dining experience! So all ye land lubbers, get thee to this resto for some high-sea fun. It'll, uh, shiver yer timbers!

Il Pirata is located within Eastwood City in Libis.

Post-Nightcap Binging

2007-05-30T21:04:00.000-07:00

When H and I want to indulge in some late-night binging--and when he's in the mood to drive--we head on over to Mr. Kabab. It's one step above a roadside-carinderia; I'm guessing it's evolved over the years, after this after-inuman hotspot gained popularity simply through word of mouth (even my Makati and IS friends travel all the way to QC for it).

I can't possibly expound on every item on the menu because each time we're there, we always end up getting the same thing: Chelokebab. For about P85, you get two sausage-like pieces of meat, some margarine melting into the hot rice it rests on, and two grilled tomatoes. On our last visit, H, a tomato fan, got an extra order of the succulent fruit. By the end of it, he had eaten four whole tomatoes!

It's not a tambay place. In fact, I just found out that they actually don't have beer on the menu. I guess they just want people to get in, have their fill, and get out--there is, after all, a constant flow of people filling their tables. Even at around 2:00 or so in the morning, you'll find the equivalent of a lunch-time crowd--customers who get an attack of the munchies after a night of drinking.

Cheers! Enjoying our Mountain Dew. I hardly drink softdrinks , but I give in when I'm here.

Mr. Kabab is located on the corner of Quezon Ave. and West Ave. Tip: Dress down! (Note H in all his pambahay glory. Haha.)

Goin' Bananas (and Apples)

2007-05-09T03:22:00.000-07:00

Ahh, finally! A new post! Been incredibly busy, so I have a backlog of about three or four resto writeups, but hey, this is a start!

There's a new food/coffee joint along Katipunan, right where City Jam used to be. It's called Banapple and I've been there about four times in the last three weeks. Haha. It's owned by a friend of mine (Maricel Jimenez, together with husband GJ), but even without the connection, I'd still keep going back.

(Top) Banapple is now open! (Above) The interior. These photos courtesy of GJ Jimenez.

The name is a play on the cafe's two bestsellers: the Banoffee Pie and the Apple Caramel Crumble. The Banoffee Pie (P480/whole, P65/slice) has been a favorite for a while now. Even before the cafe opened, my family would order it from Maricel, who supplied (and still supplies) cakes, pies, and pastries to places as far as Baguio! (The Baguio peeps actually pick up the goodies from Manila--an indication of how yummy her stuff is!) It's got a graham-cracker base, a banana and caramel filling, and a topping of whipped cream and chocolate shavings. If you've got a major sweet tooth, this is definitely the pie for you!

The Apple Caramel Crumble (P560/whole, P75/slice) is Maricel's crusty take on apple pie. Other Banapple goodies to try: Snicker Fudge Cheesecake, Cadbury Gold Oreo Cheesecake, Strawberry Cheesecake (unlike other cheesecakes, this one has no umay factor!)...the list goes on and on! Add P30 and you can get any of the pies or cakes a la mode! Mmmm. I couldn't get enough of the huge chocolate chip cookie, served warm and topped with vanilla ice cream. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Aside from cakes, pies, and pastries, Banapple also offers meals. Try the dory with rice (P145--I've had it three times, I think--and each time I polished off the generous serving of rice). The tapa (P120) is on the sweet side, and it comes with these creamy scrambled eggs. "People don't order extra rice," Maricel tells me, "but they order extra eggs. Each serving has two eggs, so they end up eating four eggs!" There are also pasta dishes, sandwiches, and savory pies. All entrees are just P85 to P150. Plus they've got coffee, specially blended for Banapple. All in all, a great, inexpensive place to hang out with friends!

(Top to bottom) The tapa served with lots of rice and delicious eggs; one of my favorites: the dory, also with a hefty serving of rice and some carrots; banoffee pie!

Banapple is located along Katipunan (across Kopi Roti). It's open every day from 7:30 a.m. 'til about 11:00 p.m.

Peri-peri Reasonable

2007-04-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Had dinner at Peri-Peri Chicken at Promenade in Greenhills. Was surprised at how reasonably priced their chicken was, considering the place was a casual-dining resto (there are waiters and servers so you don't have to fall in line to order). A 1/4 piece of chicken with two side dishes was only P145! That's even cheaper than Kenny Rogers, where you have to queue.

The resto's claim to fame is the peri-peri, which is actually African bird's eye chili, so this place is definitely for lovers of spicy food. It's the kind of spicy that you feel in your throat instead of in your mouth. You get to choose between "mild" and "hot" (H and I tried both), and you're given two bottles of the house sauce to adjust the taste as you please. The chicken is roasted over a spit fire, so you can bet it's healthier than your run-of-the-mill fast-food fried chicken.

(From top) My "peri mild" chicken served with corn and carrots as well as mashed potatoes; H's "peri hot" chicken (but it's bearable)--another side dish we ordered was the tortilla wrappers (or what looked like 'em--a hint of the basket they were served in can be seen) with salsa; bottles of the hot and mild sauces--the mild one actually seems more flavorful.

They've also got this prawn pasta that I didn't get to try, but which is supposedly one of their bestsellers. There were other tempting things on the menu, but I wanted to taste the stuff the resto was named after.

It's a good place to hang with friends when you wanna meet up without having to spend a bundle. And as you exit, the servers will see you off with a "Thank you peri-peri much!"

Real-time Blogging: Lunch in Tagaytay

2007-04-04T23:52:00.000-07:00

A cameraless me is currently at Restaurant Verbena in Tagaytay, enjoying the tail-end of lunch. It's a bit pricey, but the service is great. (And mumsy's paying. Hehe.)

We had the chicken duo, which, as the name suggests, is chicken cooked two ways: one grilled, one a braised leg "ballotine" with an aromatic "jus roti" (P390). No idea what that means, but mumsy and I split it. The braised one had a somewhat sweet sauce which tasted a bit like raisins. We chose the pureed potatoes over the rice pilaf or roasted potatoes. We also split the crabmeat and grilled corn ravioli (P360), which had this basil sauce--sort of like creamy pesto. Both were quite filling. But since we decided to stay around a while to take advantage of the wifi, we ordered the panna cotta (P220) to finish things off. They lied--it's not good for two. It's in fact good for three! It's three domes of panna cotta, one drizzled with raspberry sauce, one with oranges and a sugary sauce, and one with crushed nuts on top--it tasted like it was mixed with crushed toffee or caramelized sugar. The raspberry one's interesting--it's got black peppers on it so it's got a bit of a spicy after-taste.

It's a nice place to visit, if you've got a bit of extra cash. (The stuff we ordered are actually at the lower end of the entree spectrum.) It's got comfortable chairs (try to get a table outside) and a good view of Taal.

I'm realizing one thing I like about Tagaytay is that you don't run out of good places to eat at. Man, I'm full.

Restaurant Verbena is located within Discovery Country Suites Tagaytay, 300 Calamba Road, San Jose, Tagaytay City, tel. (046) 413-4567.

A New Fave Resto

2007-04-01T20:07:00.000-07:00

I lost a stupid bet with H, so I had to treat him to dinner. We'd been planning to hang out at Serendra, so I decided to treat him to Conti's, which is probably the cheapest resto you could find in the area.

We had never eaten there before; all I knew about Conti's was that 1) they made a mean mango tart, which I attacked when Tita Grace brought it to one party, 2) they seemed to have a great selection of desserts (cakes and pastries are their specialty), and 3) my mom would order stuff from there when she'd have some pot-luck party. It's actually been around in Parañaque for about a decade, but it's only in recent years that us QC folks gained access to it via its Greenhills branch.

We decided to have an early dinner on Sunday, but at 6:00 pm there was already a queue! So we had our names listed and headed to A Different Bookstore to kill time. It didn't take long before we had our own table (though there were probably five or six other groups on the list), so yay!

Mental lapse: I wasn't able to take pics, forgetting that H actually had a high-tech phone. (Since my phone got stolen, I'd forgotten that cameras actually came with phones. Haha.) But anyway...

H ordered the roast beef over mashed potatoes, while I opted for the chicken marsala with potato salad. Both were less than P200. And I'm totally ravin' about the chicken marsala! It's pieces of chicken breast and mushrooms cooked in this white sauce with marsala wine. Divine! I actually looked forward to every bite, and each one was still as surprising as the last. It's rare that I would get that excited over eating something--I wanted to just gobble everything up, but at the same time, I had to restrain myself because I wanted the experience to last forever! I just didn't expect it to be that good, and was kind of sad when we polished the last bits off my plate. (H loved it as well. Give him anything cooked with wine and he'll sing praises.)

The roast beef was quite tender, but the serving was too little for my carnivore. (I learned that he's actually gained about 20lbs since we got together. I wonder if I had anything to do with it.) Our mouths watered upon seeing the baked salmon served to a table nearby, so he made up his mind to order it after finishing his roast beef. The baked salmon, about P250 more or less, is one of the bestsellers. On top, it had melted cheese and hints of garlic--sort of like what you'd put on baked tahong. And the best part was H paid for it. Hehe.

There are loads of other stuff on the menu--paella, lengua, Pinoy favorites, I think even pasta. He was too full for dessert and, sadly, I was still off the pastries, so all I could do was look longingly as the bestselling mango bravo was served to others. It's this HUGE slab of frozen cake for only P85! We were actually surprised at how reasonably priced the desserts (and everything else) were. I'm guessing this is one of the main reasons that the resto had a queue! It's found a place in my list of favorite restos, so I am definitely going back! In fact, I can't wait til my next birthday (a good nine months away) just so I'd have a reason to take my family there!

Note: The Serendra branch has gotten a lot of smack, supposedly because of bad service. But the servers were attentive and we got our meals promptly. It took a while for us to get our bill though, but after that good meal, it was no big deal. I dunno if they've improved or if we were lucky.

Conti's has branches at Shops at Serendra, the Fort Global City, Taguig; 61 President Quirino Ave., BF Homes Commercial Center, Parañaque (tel. 850-5852); and 53 Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan (tel. 744-4184).

A Yummy New Title

2007-03-28T23:51:00.000-07:00

Summit Media has released its latest title: YUMMY Magazine! It's a new food mag stuffed with over 40 recipes. The second issue is out now, and includes easy stuff you can make using bananas, simple iced tea treats, and even a feature on elusive food blogger Marketman. Also read about going on a Binondo food trip, and so much more!

The mag is perfect for those who are on-the-go, as recipes are simple, easy to follow, and with ingredients that are readily available at supermarkets--no fancy, impossible-to-find condiments here! It's available at newsstands, bookstores, supermarkets, and wherever else magazines are sold, and it's only P95!

P.S.
Check out Yummy Ideas--guess who wrote and styled a few pages for the April issue?:)

Chai for Cheap

2007-03-26T02:27:00.001-07:00

I am not big on the coffee (which is weird, considering both my parents--my mom especially--are coffee chuggers), but I do enjoy a good cup of tea. It's too bad Struan and Tang didn't last long enough for me to appreciate it--the market wasn't ready for it yet. (And the name only held some significance after I read Tai-Pan!) It's only in recent years that I discovered how much I actually liked tea.

My liking turned into something deeper when Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf invited us over for an afternoon of tea-tasting about a year ago. I fell for the Moroccan Mint latte, which is Addie's drink of choice. It actually tastes like mint chocolate in liquid form. Ahhh. I also discovered the wonders of Chai (a cinnamon-tinged tea similar to an Indian-style one I tried before). I'd go back and forth between these two, as well as a cup of Hot Vanilla and the occasional non-coffee frap, whenever I visit CBTL.

Alas, the nearest CBTL branch is in Strata, which is a good walk away. A while back, though, I discovered a great, cheap substitute--Tea Square! It may not have that coffee-shop ambiance, as it's a little stall normally found in food courts, but it's perfect for people on the go. Whenever I'm pulling out from stores in Shang or Glorietta, I make sure to drop by. My top two picks: Four Red Berries (it tastes a lot like CBTL's Swedish Berries, and it's only P35!) and the Honey Vanilla Milk Chai (only P55!). You get to decide if you want your tea hot or iced.

Chai isn't for everyone though. "You're not gonna like it," I warned H, as he asked to have some of my iced Honey Vanilla Milk Chai. "You know me so well," he sputtered after taking a small sip. But Tea Square has got a number of other interesting flavors to choose from, Cranberry Green Tea and Milk Chocolate Chai among them--and they all cost either P35 or P55! I'll drink to that!

Gluttony with a Side Order of Salsa

2007-03-02T03:08:00.000-08:00

For our post-V-Day date this year, H and I headed to Mandarin Oriental for their poolside buffet barbecue. I first read about at uber-popular Dessert Comes First, and was taken by the fact that a) it was all you can eat, and b) there was a salsa band playing. The selling point for H, of course, was the free-flowing beer.

H shows his approval.

So we had to move our date a couple of times, and since this Barbecue by the Poolside shindig only happened on Wednesdays, we agreed to go on Feb 28. Good thing we didn't push it back further--found out that that was the last night Mandarin was having it.

The poolside buffet is a scaled-down version of the Paseo Uno one--there's a salad bar, rice, baked potatoes, and lotsa barbecued offerings: chicken, beef, pork, lamb, red snapper, lapu-lapu, and different kinds of sausages. H feasted on the lamb and sausages (and I don't know how many rounds of beer...). He loooved the mustard--it had this wasabi kick that literally brought me to tears! Not being a lamb person, I opted to stuff myself with other goodies, such as the chicken and red snapper. My favorites were the beef (which a roving waiter sliced onto a waiting plate on our table)--I drowned it in black pepper sauce (essentially yummy runny gravy with whole peppercorns mixed in)--and the lapu-lapu, which I smothered in creamy lemon-butter sauce (dare I say the best I've tried so far?).

(From top) The chef at the barbie; the waiter gives me beef, Brazilian style; the ice cream bar.

Dessert wasn't anything to sing about, especially since I had to stay away from the ice cream bar. Oh well. I don't know if it's just me but I normally don't enjoy pastries and cakes at hotels. I usually just pile some pudding onto my plate and I'm good to go.

The aftermath.

We spent the rest of the evening bobbing our heads to the salsa music--the singer was quite a performer, I loved it!--watching the DIs try to persuade people to dance with them, and rubbing our bellies contentedly. There were candles and flowers, the usual elements of a V-Day date. But more than these and the free-flowing beer, what made the night truly sexy was the free-flowing conversation.

Too bad I had to go back to work!

The Mother of All Fast Food Restos

2007-02-05T22:22:00.000-08:00

So there's a new kid on the fast food resto block. Called Uncle John's, it's best described as Jollibee-meets-Greenwich-meets-Chowking. I'm guessing "John" is Big John, the head of the family that has probably gotten into every imaginable industry.

It officially opened on Feb 1, but, lucky us, we got a taste of things to come the day before the opening--at 50% off! A brilliant strategy, I might add, as the place was packed with discount-hungry patrons--of course generating curiosity in the passing crowd. Got me the P100 buffalo wings which, on that day, were a mere P50. Aaaah! And I was thrilled that there was finally a place in the mall that sold chicken without rice or any other carb-y companion. I did opt for extra fries though.

I must say, even at full price (which I paid today, buffalo-wing whore that I am), the meal is really worth it. The wings are quite large, the sauce a bit tangy, and the accompanying dip this savory, creamy, onion-y concoction. I had one piece with my baon (yes, I am that uncool. Haha)--a salad of greens, mangoes, walnuts, cream cheese, and homemade al verde dressing--and it was a perfect lunch. Had to stop myself from eating the second wing, which I'm saving for dinner. (OK, so Don Hen still tops my list, but this is the cheaper, geographically more convenient alternative.)

Enough of this Ode to Buffalo Wings! Uncle John's has also got:

Pasta (the cheapest being plain red sauce at just P45, the priciest at P80 for Hungarian Sausage, and the in-betweens at P75: Meatball Spaghetti, Putanesca, etc.)
Pizza (P240 for the cheapest 14" one and P480 for the priciest 18" one) in the following variants: Cheese and Garlic, Ham and Cheese, Hawaiian, Pepperoni, Four Cheese, Italian Sausage
Burgers (I'm sure I had my glasses on, but could a regular burger really be P25?! The big burger--which, I'm told, has a burger patty weighing in at a quarter of a pound--is P85. Burger Value Meals run from P65 to P110.)
Rice Toppings
Dimsum
Noodle Soup
Congee
Lauriat Value Meals (Sweet and Sour is P110, Shanghai is P95)
And, of course, C2!

And the reason I was able to write all this down was that service (though offered with a smile) still ain't as quick as in regular fast foods, so I had time to whip out my notebook. If they fix this little kink in their system, they really could give Mr. Tan Caktiong a run for his money!

Haven't tried anything else on the menu, but there's supposedly a press event within the month. Maybe I could get a decent photo then as well. And more of those buffalo wings...

Uncle John's is located at Level 3, Robinsons Gallera, EDSA, QC.

My Favorite Food Mag

2007-01-23T21:42:00.000-08:00

Not that I read a lot of food magazines, but this one's got me hooked! It's called Every Day with Rachael Ray, and it was launched last year--and was even cited as one of the best new mags of the year!

I first stumbled upon it at a salon, and I actually didn't want to leave after my treatment was over because I wanted to keep reading! I found a couple of back issues at newsstands, and had a few brought over from the US by visiting friends/relatives. I just love that it's super laidback and fun and so not snooty--I mean, in what other food mag do you see little boxes with "Hey You!" to point out a bit of trivia or offer a helpful tip?

I am aware that not everyone's a big fan of Rachael Ray's--she can be a bit, er, vociferous, I know. But trust me on this--even non-fans of her show (such as myself--although I did pick up a yummy seven-minute meal when I caught it before) will appreciate this mag! I love that it has recipes for kid- and pet-friendly meals, unpretentious and very easy-to-read articles, and stuff like "Burger of the Month." Yum-O!

Cover photo from the mag's website.

I Know It Was a Steak Place...

2007-01-23T21:14:00.000-08:00

...but I can't help raving about Steak MD's banana split pie! Yum!

It's got a crushed-Oreo crust, a layer of frozen bananas, a mound of strawberry ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, and a cherry for good measure. I don't eat cherries (haha. Behave!), but I sure enjoyed everything else! Plus, it's only P75! (Hmmm, this is actually pretty easy to make at home...) The dude at the next table committed two of the seven deadly sins in one go--gluttony and envy! After polishing off two (yes, two) orders of steak, he asked the waitress for what I was having. Haha.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get to the meat of the matter! Steak MD's this small, super casual place (as in no aircon, so I prefer going in the evening when the air's a bit cooler) along Tomas Morato. For steak lovers out there, you don't have to shell out a grand to get your meaty fix--Steak MD offers T-Bone and Porterhouse steaks from P150 to less than P300 a pop! After choosing a cut of meat, you get to dictate which rub you want--you can choose from:

Rub Ko 'To - the "house blend," a secret mix of herbs and spices
Build Me Up Butter Rub - need I say more?
Ang Cha-Rub - a sweet and spicy blend
Atomic Rub - a hot, hot, hot rub
Heart Rub - a garlicky rub

And it comes with a small bowl of bulalo-ish soup to start you off. (And Queen of Clumsy that I am, I spilled it all over my jeans! Bah.) A note though: I got the Rub Ko 'To over the small T-Bone, and the gravy was already poured all over the steak. Would've preferred to have it on the side--best to mention this to your server if you prefer the same. Still, the steak was satisfactory, and H's Porterhouse was especially tender. It's what you'd call bang for your buck!

Aside from steaks, the place also offers chicken and sisig. But where's the fun in that?

Steak MD is located at Creekside Square, Tomas Morato, Quezon City; tel. 448-7114.

Viva Italia!

2007-01-02T03:06:00.000-08:00

To celebrate my birthday, I had three (count 'em, three!) birthday dinners. Every morning, I'd wake up still feeling full from the night before, but still, I'd eat my way through the day. That's what the holidays are for, eh? Thankfully, my clothes still pretty much fit (a bit of a surprise actually), but I know that I can't keep this up. Starting today, I'm saying bye-bye to eating with reckless abandon, so I'm left to savor the memory of my holiday meals.

The first birthday dinner I had was the night before my actual birthday. My barkada decided to have our post-Christmas get-together on my birthday itself, so H and I had to celebrate beforehand. We finally visited Bellini's, a resto I've been dying to try for ages. Located within Marikina Shoe Expo in my 'hood, good ol' Cubao, the Italian resto is run by Roberto Bellini--a true-blue Italian who was once a paparazzo (for real!)--and his wife, Ma. Luisa. Roberto was present at the resto that evening, and I found it quite charming that 1) he made sure that our orders were already taken, and 2) he went up to the in-house musician, fondly patted his shoulder, and suddenly joined him in song (Put Your Head on My Shoulder).

There was something comforting about Bellini's. There were murals on the walls and on the ceiling, and faux vegetables hanging from the wooden pillars--it was cozy, kitschy, and unpretentious, and I loved it!

Since we were newbies, we asked the waiter what he would recommend, and I thank him no end for suggesting the Ravioli (spinach ham) truffle cream. It. Was. Divine. I'd go back to this place over and over again just for this, and for P250, I know that I can!

H ordered the Filetto al pepe, which was grilled tenderloin steak in pepper sauce (P350), served with a siding of potatoes. It was a bit raw, according to H, but he says this added to the flavor and made it more tender. (For the record, I liked it!) His final word: "Sarap!"

Gluttons that we are, we also split a pizza, opting for the Bellini's Special (P250 for the small one, which is about 12 inches in diameter). It had cucumbers, eggplants, and even hotdogs on a very thin, crisp crust. Instead of hot sauce, we were given some olive oil mixed with chili, and it did make the pizza more flavorful.

For dessert, I had wanted the Tartufo negro. According to the menu, it mimics the look of the truffle, made of chocolate gelato with crunchy chips and red cherry at the core. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately), it wasn't available, so I had me the panna cotta. (Not a big coffee fan, so tiramisu wasn't that enticing--although the best damn tiramisu I ever tried was a Sara Lee type from a supermarket in Milan!) Sitting innocently on a plate with no trimmings, it didn't look impressive, but once I took a bite, I was in heaven! I actually said, "Kinikilig ako sa sarap!" because really, I felt chills up and down my spine, something that rarely happens when I eat. There were no strawberries or mangoes or anything--just this rich, creamy concoction lying in a pool of sweet syrup. It's not often that I fall this hard for something that doesn't have any chocolate in it!

I really did enjoy that evening. The music was good (H tried to copy the singer since they had similar raspy voices), the conversation was great, and the food was delightful. It must be what the Italians mean when they sing "That's amore!"

Bellini's is located at the Marikina Shoe Expo (at the Araneta Center area), Cubao, Quezon City. It's open daily from 10 am to 10 pm. Call (02) 913-2550 for reservations.

Just Like Lolo Used to Make

2006-12-21T22:22:00.000-08:00

For our anniversary, H surprised me by taking me to Lolo Dad's, which apparently has quite a reputation. Aside from having terrific food, it also has one of the priciest menus around (entrees for about P1,000 up). You've been warned: This place is not for the faint of heart, er, wallet.

On the inside front cover of the menu, you'll find the story behind the resto's name. A 10-year-old girl narrates that, when she was younger, she would call her grandfather "Lolo." But then she would hear her parents call him "Dad," and so she started taking after them. Told to call him "Lolo," she would get confused, saying, "Lolo...Dad...Lolo..." so in the end, she decided to call him "Lolo Dad." The resto itself is the grandfather's old house and the menu supposedly features some of his favorite dishes .

I apologize in advance for what is potentially a vague post; I, unfortunately, wasn't able to take notes that night, and was so excited to eat that I forgot to take a pic of our appetizers! But I did remember to take a pic of one of the highlights of the meal:

Before our entrees were served, we were given sorbets* in little teapots--the kid at the next table marveled at the streams of smoke courtesy of the dry ice hidden inside the pot. The sorbet served its purpose, cleansing our palates for the next dish.

I ordered halibut served on a bed of open wild mushroom ravioli. I took a bite, fully expecting my teeth to sink into some tender fish, but was surprised by the nata-de-coco-like consistency. I later realized that my fork had landed on some scallops!

I'm not a big seafood person, but this is something I enjoyed.

H, of course, ordered meat, but neither of us could remember exactly what it was. Most likely sirloin...One must give props to this place for presentation though.

We didn't get any dessert, planning instead to go to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf (my coffee place of choice since, well, I don't drink coffee and they've got a wide selection of teas), but in the car, we both realized we were stuffed and instead headed home.

So, the verdict. I think it's a resto that's worth visiting at least once. (I've heard wonderful things about the foie gras.) But Zucchini's remains to be my favorite resto!

*Sorbet (or sherbet) is mainly frozen fruit puree. Unlike ice cream, it contains no milk.

Lola Dad's is located at 899 President Quirino Ave., Malate, Manila. You can contact them through (02) 524-2295.

The Krispy Kreme Experience

2006-11-28T00:27:00.000-08:00

Get your waistlines ready...Krispy Kreme is in Manila!

I never really understood what all the fuss was about. I tried a Krispy Kreme doughnut in the US before and didn't find it particularly special. Yesterday, I found myself in the first Philippine Krispy Kreme store, where one of the crew members lovingly handed me an original glazed doughnut, fresh from the conveyor belt. It was still very warm, and the sugar enveloping it glistened under the fluorescents. I bit into it and...it was one of the few times that I actually felt something just mmmelt in my mouth!

Hello, fat ass! The Krispy Kreme "Doughnut Theater" features a conveyor belt of glistening glazed doughnuts.

Our first taste of the Original Glazed. Nothing beats the classics!

We were given little Krispy Kreme hats and taken on a tour of the kitchen, where all the magic happens. Inside, there was Anson (sure hope I got his name right), a trainer from the US. He was goofily teaching us tourists how to expertly dip the doughnuts into chocolate and candy sprinkles. So there I was in my gloves and hat, looking like (as Coni pointed out) a 1960s stewardess. I learned that I had to perfectly line my fingers around the perimeter of the doughnut; otherwise, the chocolate won't be even. Then after dipping, I had to lift it off the churning chocolate and let the excess chocolate drip off. Then I had to turn it inwards, outwards, then up, I guess to keep the chocolate from running down the sides. "So it's all in the wrist," I said to Anson. "Exactly!" he exclaimed. Looking on was Dan from North Carolina, who told me that they've been here for about a week, and that the hospitality has just been fabulous.

Learning the fine art of dipping with funny guy, Anson.

Back in the store, the crew was constantly asking what we wanted--OMG, unlimited doughnuts! You have to check your diet and your fitness conscience at the door because there's no room for either of them in Doughnut Heaven. I was pretty satisfied with my Original Glazed, but we heard good things about the New York Cheesecake. Coni sampled one and, I must say, it was quite good. It's this whole doughnut with a bit of cream and some crumbly bits of crust on top; inside it's got this mild-tasting cream cheese. If the sweetness of a glazed doughnut overwhelms you, this might be the one for you.

Ahh, those famous boxes, often seen in the hands of balikbayans at the airport.

Before leaving, we were given two boxes of doughnuts each! One had all original glazed, the other had their other flavors (they have about 13 in all--lemon-filled, which was also pretty good; strawberry-filled with powdered sugar on top; the classic chocolate topped; the interesting sour cream; the evil evil glazed chocolate...). I brought a few home more than 12 hours later, not expecting them to retain their consistency. My dad had one as a midnight snack; he popped the original glazed one into the microwave. After biting into it, he remarked, "Natutunaw pala 'to?"

Pick a flavor, any flavor.

I'm sure the press kit has got much better photos, but unfortunately, I don't have it on me now. Will upload them soon. Krispy Kreme is located along Bonifacio High Street at the Fort. Original Glazed is P30; flavored ones are P38 each. You save if you buy 'em by the dozen. It opens at 8:30 am on November 30--and if you're the first customer, you get a year's supply of doughnuts!

Prom Night

2006-11-23T19:10:00.000-08:00

Dragged H along to a Romance Revival Ball at Makati Shang, convincing him by saying that, at the very least, it was a free meal. Haha. Mabuhay ang mga PG!

The good thing about having a table for two right in the center of the room was that we were served first! Things started off with Terrine* of Wild Mushrooms, Bitter Greens, Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Reduction. The terrine had the consistency of hard jell-o; the greens came in a ring of this delicious hard cheese. (Being the cheese whore that I am, I absolutely loved it!)

Next was the soup: Artichoke Cream with Julienne Prosciutto, Pimiento Grissini. This dinner was 2-of-2 so far! Broth soups are healthier, I know, but I can never resist a good creamy soup. And this one had bits of ham! Mmmmm. The soup had a bit of zing to it, like it had some pimiento mixed in. The pimiento grissini was just a fancy breadstick.

The main course, thankfully, was fish, so I could kid myself into thinking that it was healthy: Basil Spiced Seabass with White Truffle Risotto, Pan Seared Garlic Eggplant, Compote of Oven Dried Tomatoes (what is it with this menu and its missing hyphens?). The fish was tender and the risotto was delightful, although it was really heavy and I couldn't finish the dish. I did try to spoon all the white truffle sauce off the plate though.

For dessert, we had a really fudgy Flourless Chocolate Cake wrapped in White Chocolate and with Strawberry Coulis. There was also a bit of whipped cream on the side and some fresh strawberries. Mmmm.

There were also some special pralines on a little plate. I liked the dark chocolate ones; the other kind took some getting used to--it had some sort of coffee filling, and since I don't really like coffee, the first bite was a bit surprising.

We were served white and red wine, as well as champagne. And, yay, I didn't get an allergy attack that night!

*According to Wikipedia, a terrine is an earthenware cooking dish with a tightly fitting lid; it also refers to food prepared in the container, mainly brawn and pates.

A Taste of India

2006-11-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

Went to an event a couple of months back wherein the Indian-inspired setup was called "A Taj of India." Didn't wanna plagiarize so...

Anyway, for no reason, the family decided to get together (sans Carlos, who's livin' it up in Boston), and brother Iggy chose Prince of Jaipur* in Eastwood. So yeah, imagine my parents in a resto with purple walls, fuchsia seats (which I, wearing a fuchsia top, disappeared into), and a sound system blaring DMX's Party Up. Sitting by the window, we had an excellent view of those bright-colored dudes pretending to be statues and scaring the crap out of passers-by.

H and I shared a couple of vegetable samosas** (P120 for two pieces, if I'm not mistaken). Their version was different from samosas I've tried in the past, most recently in cooking class (ooh, haven't posted about that)--the resto's seemed baked, with a crust that resembled that of empanaditas, and the potato stuffing was chopped into tiny cubes. I personally prefer my samosas fried and with a somewhat mashed potato stuffing.

We then moved on to our bowl of Chicken Vindaloo (about P300 I think...although it seems that the branch at the Fort sells it at a higher price). It's similar to chicken curry, served with potatoes and spicy gravy. The bowl may look tiny but the chicken pieces are boneless so you get lots of meat. Be warned though--if you're not into spicy, this ain't the dish for you. Instead of rice, we had us some plain naan,*** and an additional order of garlic and cheese naan (yum!), about P100 or so.

We also had a taste of my parents' lamb dish. I didn't get the name, but I heard my parents talking to the waiter and saying that they wanted "lamb na parang kaldereta." Haha. I am not a big lamb fan, there's something about the texture that I don't like, but the sauce was able to mask that a bit. We had it with some plain chapati, another type of roti (bread) which was thinner than the naan.

Iggy and his wife, Rita, shared a bowl of Murgh Mahkani or butter chicken. Pretty good. I noticed that all the dishes were swimming in lots of sauce--the Margh Mahkani had one of butter, tomatoes, and spices.

(Sorry, no pics! I was busy taking pics of my darling five-month-old nephew, who preferred to munch on his own hand.)

Being a big fan of Indian food, I quite liked Prince of Jaipur. But it really ain't for people who don't like spicy dishes--I actually saw beads of sweat forming on the men's foreheads while we were eating!

*Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan state, India. Built of pink stucco in imitation of sandstone, it's also popularly known as the Pink City. It was founded in 1728 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II.

**Normally a triangular dumpling with a potato, onion, and pea stuffing.

***Flat bread normally made of wheat, cooked in a tandoor (cylindrical clay oven) or cast-iron frying pan. Great for dipping! We used it to polish off our Vindaloo sauce.

Old House, New Life: In-Yo

2006-10-31T03:44:00.000-08:00

In-Yo's a relatively new old-house-turned-resto serving "fusion cuisine." It'd make for a great date place--romantic and cozy, nothing too fancy, but not too casual; not food-court-budget level but not anniversary level (when people are "expected" to splurge) either. The house/resto is set back some meters from the gate, leaving some parking space out front. The resto itself occupies two floors; the area on the second floor (where we stayed) must have been a bedroom once.

It's been so long that I can't quite remember what we ordered and I seem to have misplaced my notes--as far as I can recall, I had gindara with some honey sauce and it was pretty good--sweet and tender. H had salpicao, good but nothing spectacular. The place is interesting though in that they often change their menu, we were told. So drop in every few weeks or so to see what's new.

From top: In-Yo at night...OK, so it looks a bit like a haunted house in this picture, but it's actually quite pretty. There are vines dripping from a big tree bedecked with lights (that is, if it held up against Milenyo); water runs under a little bridge you have to cross to get to the entrance. Gindara on a bed of mashed potatoes (they kinda look like little footprints, don't they?). Salpicao served with rice and fried egg.

In-Yo is located at 66 Esteban Abada Street, Loyola Heights, Quezon City. Contact them through (02) 426-0301 or 0920-9607202.

P.S. I heard Cafe Xocolat also opened in the area, also in an old converted house. Maybe head over there for dessert afterwards--a fondue for two, perhaps?

Meeting Forrest Gump

2006-10-10T09:11:00.000-07:00

Forrest, Forrest Gump (as my friend would say, Bubba Gump's version of Ronald McDonald) was in Manila recently as the local Bubba Gump launched their new offerings. We got to meet the man who said that he had "a bad haircut and no girlfriend." Haha.

My first and only time at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. prior to that was a couple of years ago, when my clan (mom, tita, cousins, in-laws, nephews, and nieces) and I were checked in at New World Hotel for New Year's Eve. We heard mass at the Greenbelt chapel before heading off to Bubba Gump--this was one of those New Year's Eve family things that I fondly remember. Hadn't been back since then because my constant eating companion, H, is unfortunately allergic to shrimp. (They do serve non-shrimp stuff though, but I guess I thought what's the point of going to Bubba Gump if you can't have their specialty, right?)

The resto has some new stuff on their menu, which we got to sample:

Shakin' Shrimp Cocktail (left) - Chilled shrimp, cilantro, tomatoes, onion, avocado, and habanero all shook up in a martini shaker (or whatever it is you call those silver shaker things--btw, won a plastic Bubba Gump one when I correctly answered what Forrest's boat was called) and served with homemade tortilla chips. Shrimper's Heaven (right) - Three different kinds of shrimp: coconut shrimp, fried shrimp, and hush pups served with dipping sauces (I liked the pinkish one) and fries.

Tropical Pasta Salad - Available only in the Philippines! It's an Asian-inspired chilled pasta with sweet vinaigrette dressing and bits of mandarin orange (available with or without shrimp).

"...Of Course We Have Scampi!" (left) - Tender shrimp sauteed with capers in lemon garlic butter, served on linguini. "I'm Stuffed" Shrimp (right) - Large shrimp stuffed with crab, baked in garlic butter, and topped with Monterey Jack cheese. It's served with Jasmine rice.

We also got to try one of their bestsellers: Dixie Style Baby Back Ribs, which are slow-roasted ribs served with fries--kept me from going into shrimp overload. And they were mighty tender! The meat slid right off the bones. Sadly, we didn't get to try their desserts, which include:

Alabama Mud Pie - Cool layers of chocolate and vanilla ice cream with chunks of Snickers topped with caramel and chocolate syrup, and smothered with chunky peanuts.

Sparklin' Apple Cobbler - A new dessert: warm apple cobbler topped with whipped cream and some special sauce.

So, yeah, I discovered that Bubba was right--there are so many ways you can cook shrimp!

Photos courtesy of Bubba Gump. The Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. is located on the 2nd level of Greenbelt 3, Ayala Center Makati. Call (02) 757-5154 for inquiries.

Delayed Gratification

2006-09-27T04:08:00.002-07:00

Cupcakes by Sonja is now open at Stores at Serendra, The Fort. We got to meet the lovely owner herself, and she mentioned that they would be introducing new flavors regularly. When we went, they had strawberries and cream (the priciest at P75 a pop), carrot, chocolate surprise, flourless, red velvet (looked very interesting), and vanilla (the cheapest at a little over P40). It's such a charming store, so girly, and when you buy the cupcakes, they're put in this cutesy Tiffany box-colored box. It's the kind of store you would imagine in a little Gilmore Girls-esque neighborhood in the US. Lots of people were dropping by, and I heard a foreigner mention that she had a place in Boracay, and that she was "inspired" by the store. Hmmm, cupcakes in Boracay. An interesting concept. (While we're on the topic of Bora, today I missed the sinful mango crepe at Jonah's, my default Bora breakfast. Aaaah). The other stores/restos in the area weren't open yet, but Cafe Xocolat is opening a branch next door. Mmmm. I will be dragging my girl friends to this area in the near future.

Inside Cupcakes by Sonja. Pretty!

After three days of craving, I was finally able to get a hold of those cupcakes I had a hankering for. The ones I got to eat during the shoot were actually more moist and (it must be said) more deelish, but the ones I bought still didn't disappoint. The chocolate surprise was terrific!

From top: Carrot cupcakes; flourless chocolate cupcakes; our selections:
chocolate surprise, strawberries and cream, and vanilla; at long last!

Posts to come (sorry, I've been such a delinquent): Sebastian's ice cream (gourmet ice cream!), En-Snow (the weirdest thing I've ever tried drinking), and In-Yo (a new place along Esteban Abada near Katipunan).

Killer Cupcakes

2006-09-19T23:38:00.000-07:00

Since yesterday, I've had a major craving for these strawberry shortcake cupcakes I ate at a shoot. (Who knew I could eat three cupcakes in one go? Could've eaten more but I was trying to be "disciplined." Riiight.) Our stylist got them from Cupcakes by Sonja Bakery, which will have its soft opening tomorrow at the retail area of Serendra (The Fort Global City). They're terrific on their own--moist cupcakes with uber-yummy strawberry filling and topped with whipped cream icing (can you say "drool"?)--but the stylist topped them with Hershey's Kissables, and ooh-la-la, they were just heavenly! (If you're a fan of chocolate-dipped strawberries, you would love it!) I tried my darndest to get H to buy me some yesterday, but my pa-cute powers didn't work as he wasn't in the area. (He got me a substitute though--a yummy blueberry muffin.) Come hell or high water, I will be at that opening tomorrow.

Photo by Ocs Alvarez. I would kill for these right now.

Brekkie in Tagaytay

2006-09-05T10:24:00.000-07:00

It's 1:30 in the morning and I have an early shoot, but figured it was about time that I posted. This'll be short and sweet. After a night in Tagaytay, H and I decided to have breakfast at Breakfast at Antonio's (not to be confused with just plain Antonio's--Breakfast at Antonio's is for walk-ins and, duh, their specialty is breakfast. Hehe. Antonio's serves lunch and dinner, but a reservation is required). It's one of those places with a view of Taal Lake. Service could have been better, but I did like the food. H ordered the Roesti, which is Swiss crisp potato pancake supposedly served with panini (he was given some other kind of bread though). I asked him to get the one with chorizo, onions, Swiss cheese, and eggs over easy (P295), since I'm a bit of a chorizo fan. I ordered their cheese French toast. It was raisin bread dipped in vanilla cream and cinnamon egg batter, served with hot apple compote and whipped cream. It was P240, but we paid an extra P85 for the slightly overdone bacon. I really liked the French toast. Had me some fresh orange juice, and H had brewed coffee (he says it's quite good). By mid-afternoon, I was still stuffed!

Up until college, I would generally skip breakfast since I was always rushing in the morning (ask the Philo teacher who almost dropped me from his class because of my perpetual tardiness). I think it was only when I started working that I discovered the joys of a big, unhurried meal in the morning. (It was my delaying tactic, er, warm-up at my old office, to prepare me for a day of harassment.) Having breakfast at Breakfast at Antonio's was a treat because it was different from my typical cereal or fast-food morning meal. Plus having the first meal of the day with H is a great way to start the day!

(Top) The Roesti; (bottom) cheese French toast with bacon.

Peking It

2006-08-23T20:13:00.000-07:00

We had a little despedida for my brother, Carlos, at Red Table, a Chinese resto. My other brother, Iggy, chose the place--not surprising since he's a big fan of Chinese food. What we had was different from our usual Chinese orders (of course the salt-and-pepper spare ribs are a mainstay)--shrimp salad (I was surprised to find that it was hot--I expected it to be a cold salad with the fruits and mayo, but it worked), steamed shrimp dumplings on a bed of kangkong, and a bunch of other things H couldn't touch! The highlight was the Peking duck, served three ways: first, the scrumptious skin in lumpia wrappers; second, dipped in salt and pepper and fried; third, minced, on a bed of crsipy white noodles and served with lettuce leaves. For dessert, we had delicious buchi, and mango soup with little bits of sago (liked it! Kinda like mango Zagu sans the ice). Sorry, twas on Mumsy and Iggy so have no idea how much everything was.

Photo shows the salt-and-pepper Peking duck and the minced Peking duck. Red Table is located in El Pueblo, Ortigas Center.

First Attempt

2006-08-18T05:44:00.000-07:00

None of the stylists could go to the Entertaining section shoot,* and although I was a little worried, in hindsight it might have been a good thing. (I say that now that the ed in chief has seen it and has said she loves it.) It forced me to try my hand at food styling, something I see myself doing in the future. (First I have to learn how to cook--which I'll be doing starting September. Yay!)

Shoot was for our October issue, theme was "fright night." Our props stylist was Genie Ranada and photog was Ocs Alvarez (no relation!), who both did a super job. A sampling of stuff:

The overall food shot (which wasn't used in the layout): nachos, fish and chips,
and dark chocolate bits topped with orange marmalade and rum.

Fish and chips with honey-mustard dressing. Genie fashioned fish-and-chip

packets out of black-and-white printouts of classic movie monsters. I lined 'em

with wax paper to prevent the oil from seeping through. I like how

the bucket of popcorn casts a creepy shadow.

Ocs was able to snap a photo right when the rootbeer float overflowed. Woohoo!
At the back is another glass with fake ice-cream (making it was another first for me!).
The drink is supposed to be spiked rootbeer float--mix 1.5 liters of rootbeer with 2 cups
of vanilla-flavored rum. Pour into glasses and top with vanilla ice cream. Good for 6-8.

*Special thanks to MFG and Dondi for allowing us to use their home theater as a shoot location!

Mmmmbuffalo!

2006-08-14T19:00:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for buffalo wings* so any place that's built just for them is fine by me! Tried out Flaming Wings along Katipunan (beside Bento Box/World Topps). Their wings come in different varieties (we had original and barbecue), and they have a bunch of different dips too (we got the classic bleu cheese and the more adventurous wasabi mayo). Pretty reasonably priced--P69 for two wings (four pieces), P10 per dip. My all-time favorite buffalo wings remain to be Don Hen's (they're huge and tangy!), but I'm sure to go back to this place when I've got a non-Don Hen budget. Hehe.

H says they have really good coffee. They've also got pasta and dessert (apple pie a la mode, vanilla milkshake, etc., though I was too full to try any) and side dishes. Tip: Try their creamy mashed potatoes! P35 for a huge, delicious serving topped with crunchy potato strips. I didn't even need gravy with mine.

*No, Jessica, they're not made of buffalo. Buffalo wings got their name from Buffalo, NY where they originated. They're unbreaded pieces of chicken wings, deep fried and typically coated in cayenne-pepper sauce, white vinegar, butter, salt, and garlic.

(Left) The barbecue-flavored wings with wasabi-mayo dip; (right) mashed p!

The 10 Weirdest Food

2006-07-28T04:37:00.000-07:00

Caught this show on Discovery Travel and Living called World's Best. Last night's show was about the 10 weirdest food in the world. I saw a flash of our balut at the beginning, so I decided to watch just to see how high it ranked. The final list:

10. Pan-fried dung beetle (and we all know what they feast on...)*
9. Rattlesnake steak (deep-fried)
8. Chocolate-covered scorpion (from England, would you believe?)*
7. Frog's leg porridge (even plain fried frog's legs I can't eat--sidebar: When I was little, we were served frog's legs and my bros told me that if I ate them, I'd feel them jumping in my stomach! I've never been able to touch them since.)
6. Rotten shark (there's supposedly an overwhelming smell of urine)
5. Grasshoppers (they even come in spring rolls!)*
4. Rocky Mountain Oysters (a.k.a. bull's testicles)
3. Deer Penis Soup (some people eat this instead of taking the magic blue pill...)
2. Red and white worms (the kind you see in your tequila bottle)
1. Balut!

*There were experts (e.g., nutritionists) on the show who just praised all the insects because of their high protein, low fat content.

Yes, the mighty balut made it to number one. I've actually witnessed a foreigner cry as she tried to eat one. Maybe balut was just part of my experience growing up (used to eat it a lot when I was a kid, blissfully unaware of what it was), but I don't get what all the fuss is about--people eat fully grown ducks after all. Personally, deer penis soup would've been at the top of my list!

Bohol Food Trip

2006-07-25T22:19:00.000-07:00

On our trip to Bohol, H and I decided that money was going to be no object when it came to food. Well, not really, but it was a far cry from our chori-burger and Andok's diet in Boracay! So we checked our fitness conscience at the airport and rubbed our hands at the prospect of rubbing our round bellies after each meal.

The first night, H was drawn to Cafe Vida (am I inventing?) along Alona Beach because of a sign that said "TUNA SASHIMI." The magic words. Even on the beach, the boy craves for Japanese food. One order was P250,but it was worth it considering we got about 20 pieces. We also ordered chicken barbecue and pork barbecue (whose marinade surely had some ketchup mixed in). Nothing extraordinary, but they hit the spot.

Next morning, we decided to stay "home," and dined at the Bohol Divers Resort resto. Outside, the painted sign on the wall says "European Cuisine." The menu had all of two Euro offerings: pork cordon bleu and schnitzel* (as in "Cream-colored ponies and crisp apple strudels, doorbells and sleigh bells and schnitzel and noodles..." Sing with me now, "Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings/These are a few of my favorite things!").

*It's a traditional Austrian dish. The resort's version was basically pork dipped in bread crumbs.

It was breakfast after all, so I went for the Filipino breakfast (chicken tocino, danggit, fried egg, and garlic rice), and Hamil ordered the Pinoy breakfast (longganisa, fish, egg, and rice). That chicken tocino was pretty good. I normally try to have something different every day, but I couldn't resist having it again the following morning.

The sunny-side-up egg was runny, just the way I like it!
The chicken tocino reminds me of a lechon head.

After seeing the Chocolate Hills, the tarsiers, the Loboc River, and the Sandugo monument, we headed to the Bohol Bee Farm for lunch. Their menu was quite extensive (they have a whole bunch of organic salads), but we decided to go for stuff on their posted menu (below). The organic salad comes with flowers (!). On our farm tour, we learned that as long as bees can gather nectar from a flower, it can be eaten. Of course, there's a difference between can be eaten and should be eaten...

The food was OK, but I loved their honey products! We sampled a bunch of spreads: honey and cheese, honey and pesto, honey and mango, honey and chocolate. The chocolate one looks good on paper, but let's just say it isn't one of their bestsellers. It's interesting though. I got addicted to the honey and cheese spread and bought a small container (P70) for home. I'm regretting not stocking up on it.

A sampling of stuff from their menu.

A few of the products in their little store. They also sell camote bread, corn muffins,
chocolate muffins...so the store smells like a bakeshop. Yum.

We got free camote bread served with three of their spreads: honey-pesto,
honey-cheese (a winner!), and honey-mango. They're all quite good.

The organic salad comes with your regular greens and some not-so-regular flowers!
Yes, I ate that yellow one in the middle, and the bougainvillea too! It was...an experience.
It's served with--what else--honey-mustard dressing.

H got the curried pasta with chicken.

I had the honey-glazed chicken, served with brown rice and more of those flowers.

Another thing I fell in love with was their homemade mango ice cream. It was a huge serving, and I thought I wouldn't be able to finish it. Yeah, right! Even if I had been told to stop eating, I wouldn't have been able to. Ice cream is one of my weaknesses and this one had loads of these delightful little mango chunks. Though the ice cream had some ice crystals in it, it was still very creamy and tasted like it had a bit of queso mixed in. The other available flavor when we were there was jackfruit, but I'm not big on the langka. If I were to go back to Bohol, it wouldn't be for the beach or anything--it'd be for that honey-cheese spread and the ice cream!

Two of my favorite things: H and ice cream!:) H is drinking

corn-flavored coffee. Yeah, apparently there is such a thing.

Happy girl enjoying her drool-worthy homemade ice cream.

That night, we had dinner at one of the ihawans along the beach. We feasted on grilled red snapper, a thick juicy barbecued pork chop, and some fried rice. Later, with our drinks (had me my first pinacolada. Not for me) we had us a couple of sticks of pork barbecue.

I realized that one reason people still get stressed when they're on vacation (budget, itinerary, etc.) is maybe because they don't eat well. I think part of the reason I really enjoyed this trip, in spite of the weather and all, is because I was well fed. I may have gone back to Manila a couple of pounds heavier, but I truly felt like I had just gone on vacation.

Pizza and Pasta in One

2006-07-10T08:09:00.000-07:00

Has it been nearly a month? It's partly 'coz I've been taking a Doreen Fernandez School of Writing approach--if you ain't got anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. Not that I've tried horrible restos in the past month, but nothing spectacular. I did come across an interesting concoction at Pizza Hut Bistro--carbonara pizza! It's not on the usual Pizza Hut menu, you can only get it at the Bistro. It's got bechamel sauce,* ham, bacon, and cheese. Like I often say, everything is better with cheeeeeese.

*Bechamel sauce, in a nutshell, is white sauce. For more info, click here.

Another Date Place

2006-06-13T19:48:00.000-07:00

Having invented a special occasion, H and I decided to try out Fig and Olive, a Spanish Mediterranean restaurant and bar (139 H.V. dela Costa, Makati). And finally, I took pictures! They're not that great though since I just used my celphone...

We started off with--what else?--hummus,* and some warm pita bread. I'd never before had hummus this smooth! Moved on to my main course, the beef kebab with couscous** (above). And while I'm a big fan of Mr. Kebab, I must say that this was da bomb! Haha. The meat is served on skewers with red and green bell peppers (which I don't eat and normally pick off my pizza), with some pita bread on the side.

*Hummus is a soft smooth savoury food made from crushed chickpeas, oil, and lemon juice. You generally eat it as some kind of spread for pita bread.
**Couscous is originally from North Africa. I think traditionally it's got crushed wheat, meat, and vegetables. The Fig and Olive version is made of what seemed like tiny grains of rice, tomatoes, and probably a bit of cilantro and lemon.

As is our custom, halfway through our dishes, we traded plates. H had the garlic rosemary marinated grilled chicken (above). It's deliciously garlicky, so much so that you'd just keep eating, not worrying about the bad breath factor. Might not be a good idea for a first date though...but since H and I have been together for years, Boy Bawang breath isn't really an issue! The chicken sits on a bed of lumpy (in a good way!) mashed potatoes and perfectly buttered veggies.

And for dessert, we had the layered creme brulee (above); instead of resting in a traditional white bowl, the creme brulee comes stacked on thin biscuits which taste a lot like crunchy ice cream cones. There's some syrup in there (kind of like jackfruit, but it surprisingly adds to it), and it's surrounded by diced mangoes.

The resto's a relatively good date place, not sappy romantic, good enough for special occasions but still laidback enough to keep you from having this stiff formal air. The menu's divided into a Spanish menu (paella, callos, etc.) and, well, everything else. The main courses would cost, on average, about P400 each. And since we were there on a weeknight, the place wasn't packed, and the waiters were very attentive.

P.S. We always seem to end up seated beside people who just keep going on and on (see previous post about Zucchini's)...and this time it was two guys with incredibly loud voices, like they were talking in a crowded bar.

Stuffed, Spanish Style

2006-05-31T05:28:00.000-07:00

Been meaning to go to the Recto area to try this hole-in-the-wall Spanish resto called Ambos Mundos, which Jeryc (a.k.a. Gail) recommended. Haven't had the time, but I did get my fill of Spanish food yesterday at Splendido Taal. Had an event where we were fed a degustacion meal. We arrived a bit late and didn't quite get what "degustacion" meant, but at the end of it I figured it meant indigestion. We were stuffed!

From what I could gather, "degustacion" is a "tasting" meal, wherein you are given small portions of all these dishes to try. Doesn't sound so intimidating until you read the menu and find out that they'll be serving 17 courses! They were divided into seven sets, plus dessert:

First set
Batido de Sardinas (whipped cheee and Spanish sardines) -- excellent! I loved loved loved it! It was this pâté served with thin and crunchy pieces of bread.
Lacon (cooked boiled leg of ham dusted with Spanish paprika)

Second set
Pescado al Penalti (pan-fried fillet of white fish on mashed potato with chicken broth garlic and parsley)
Alcachofas Infanta Leonor (artichokes heart sauteed with garlic and chorizo)

Third set (Didn't get to try this though, so in reality we had "only" 15 courses)
Croquettas de Bacalao (fresh milk balls of salted cod viscaina style)
Gambas de la Esquina (sauteed shrimp with tamarind butter and basil)

Fourth set
Tigres Mijelleones (baked stuffed mussels sauteed with chorizo shrimp and crab fat)
Chorizo Splendido (pan-fried homemade chorizo)

Fifth set
Gambas de chef (sauteed shrimps with garlic and parsley) -- Issa liked this.
Callos de la Abuela (ox tail and ox tripe stew cooked the old-fashioned way) -- Coni liked this.

Sixth set
Sopa Seca (dried garlic soup baked eith egg yolk)
Ensalada de Pescado Dona Cecile (fish, apple, and pineapple salad)

Seventh set
Cuchinillo Frito (roasted marinated suckling pig) -- Chopped up the traditional Spanish way--using the edge of a plate! Then our host and the chef said a traditional Spanish saying (beginning with "Salud") before breaking the plate.
Paella ala Cristina (Spanish rice dish with seafood and meat)

Desserts
Tocino del Cielo (very rich egg yolk custard with caramel sauce) -- yum!
Biscocho de Naranja (traditional orange cake with candied orange peel)
Decadent Chocolate Cake (very rich and moist flourless chocolate cake with butterscotch sauce) -- Very rich and moist indeed!

After the meal, there was a raffle, and then we moved to another part of the clubhouse for...merienda! There were empanaditas which I didn't try, and Migas con Chocolate which looked mouth-watering. It looked like bread soaked in a bowl of chocolate soup, so I was expecting something like churros. Put a spoonful in my mouth and discovered it had meat in it! That was...interesting. I think it would've been better if the chocolate had been bitter or if it had been that Mexican chili kind. But it was really sweet chocolate, and the meat tasted like chorizo. And since we weren't warned, it was a bit...surprising.

All in all, one of my most memorable meals. But I won't be going to Ambos Mundos anytime soon!

Ate all of this for lunch! Had to skip dinner that night. Really.
Pics courtesy of Issa. Last pic is of the meat camouflaged in chocolate!

Sisiiiiig!

2006-05-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

You have got to try the awesome sisig rice at Jay-J's Chicken Inasal! The place is a swanky-looking resto that's actually an inuman-type place, open 24 hours. The chicken's ok, nothing extraordinary, but the rice is something else!

Found out about the place when we dropped Issa off there one night. A few days later, H and I were driving around looking for a place to eat. We were supposed to go to Hot Rocks but couldn't quite figure out how to get there (I've only been to the one along Libis), so we decided to give Jay-J's a try. Since it was a Sunday (our I'll-start-my-diet-tomorrow day), we threw all thoughts of healthy eating out the window and ordered the sisig rice which, according to the waiter, was good for two to three people. I'm not much of a rice person, but the two of us wiped that plate clean.

The following week, the Torta Gang got together to say goodbye to Gail. We decided to have the despedida/press con at Jay-J's, mostly because it was much nearer than Aysee's and Dannylicious. And I was just raving about the rice. Didn't get a picture of it (just imagine crunchy sisig mixed with rice, served with scrambled eggs on top). I did, however, get a picture of the P40 bibingka that six of us shared...

More than Spaghetti

2006-05-18T19:38:00.000-07:00

Recently discovered a new dessert offering at the Old Spaghetti House (TOSH): Creme Brulee! It comes in three different flavors in three little cups served on a rectangular platter. (And since I never seem to have my camera with me, I just downloaded a copy of their dessert menu from their website.) There's regular, citrus, and chocolate. I couldn't really tell the difference between the regular and citrus, but they were both standard--with a thin layer of hardened sugar that you have to crack with your spoon before you can get to the creamy custard below. Pretty good. The chocolate was rich--a bowl full o' fudge with a sprinkling of confectioner's sugar. And the best part? The whole shebang is less than P100! So worth it! I had it alongside the Mudpie, which is a smaller, cheaper version of Friday's mudpie: a square cake made of mocha ice cream in some chocolate sauce, topped with crushed chocolate cookies and drizzled with caramel. There's also a lovely surprise waiting in the ice cream--small, chewy bits of toffee. Be careful though--the unsuspecting might chip a tooth or find a crown coming loose if they take overeager bites into the hidden bits of candy. P.S. This treat is only P90! Panalo!

TOSH also offers other desserts (which I ignored because I zoned in on the Creme Brulee and Mudpie) including rich, yummy cheesecake and spaghetti ice cream. Before you start gagging, it's just vanilla ice cream shaped like spaghetti noodles! The "sauce" changes depending on what topping you get. If you order it with "meatballs," you get some Maltesers on top. Brilliant.

TOSH has branches along Katipunan, Paseo de Roxas (one on the Legaspi side and another behind Paseo Uno), Leon Guinto cor. Capt. Ticong (also in Makati), Amethyst Drive, Madison Square, Sgt. Esguerra, Congressional, Libis, Banawe, and Sumulong Highway.

Mixing It Up

2006-04-26T18:03:00.000-07:00

I've never been a big fan of halo-halo; I've always thought of myself as a mais-con-yelo type of gal, but I've found halo-halo that I actually enjoy eating: Razon's.

For those who aren't in the know, halo-halo is a Filipino dessert or merienda (snack)--"halo" means "mix," and the repetition makes the name even more Pinoy (think "anu-ano," "libo-libo," and names like "Jing-jing" and "Jun-jun"). It normally has sweet preserved beans, macapuno, langka, pinipig, ube, sweetened saba, and leche flan, all mixed with crushed ice and milk. "Special" versions come with a scoop of ice cream on top.

I had tried the Razon's halo-halo before (there's one in City Golf along Julia Vargas, one at the food court in Galleria, and I'm sure a bunch of others in other malls all over the metropolis), but it seemed like the thing to do in Pampanga--to visit the place where it all started. So on our way back to Manila from Bataan, the barkada stopped over at Razon's in Gua-gua where, according to Claud, the halo-halo is P15 cheaper than in Manila.

Strictly speaking, the Razon's version isn't really halo-halo. It's stripped down to the bare minimum--the good stuff, in my opinion--and doesn't have that festive mix of color, seen through the tall clear glass. All it's got are the macapuno, sweetened saba, and two slices of leche flan on top of all that crushed ice and milk. (It was too late when I learned that you could actually order extra leche flan.) A lot of people rave about this version and, although I'm not obsessed with it like some are ("Oooh! Razon's!"), I could understand why--I guess many others like me prefer not to confuse their tastebuds with an overload of flavors and textures. So while I usually politely decline offers of halo-halo, I wouldn't say no to a serving of Razon's.

"Damn, baby, all I need is just a li'l bit..."

2006-04-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

Mumsy and I stopped by Paseo de Sta. Rosa on our way home from Tagaytay. Were walking towards Pancake House when we spotted Poquito Mas (which, I guess means "a little bit more"). We figured we might as well eat in a place that we couldn't find in Manila. (Note: Found out recently that Poquito Mas has a branch in Alabang.)

The Splatino (Spanish, Latin, Filipino) restaurant closely resembles the kind of house (or, at least one of 'em!) that I would someday like to have. It's all decked out in Mediterranean style--just when I thought I could live with something minimalist, I was suddenly reminded of how much I love those colorful Spanish tiles and wrought-iron railings. Oh well.

There were so many things that seemed yummy on the menu, and the prices were pretty reasonable--not cheap, but since I was dining with mumsy, it was no object! (Shame on working girl me.) We ordered the blue bacon salad and the starter sampler. Portion-wise, they were perfect for the two of us, with enough room left over for dessert. More on that later.

The starter sampler was a platter full of their appetizers: onion rings, fried Mexican wonton-type things (sorry, didn't get the exact name), and buffalo wings. It comes with three sauces: what seemed like a subtle mayonnaise for the onion rings, salsa for the wontons, and something that tasted a lot like blue cheese for the buffalo wings. The onion rings weren't as crunchy as I'd hoped, but tasty nonetheless. The Mexican wontons were stuffed with ground beef and were good enough. I'm a sucker for buffalo wings--these were perfectly spicy, although it could've had a tad less sauce.

The blue bacon salad was different from the salads that I've been having lately. It had the usual greens, tender bacon (not the crunchy bottled version!), and onion rings! More accurately, onion strips cooked like onion rings--coated in batter and fried--and sprinkled on top of the salad. There was just enough blue cheese dressing to lightly coat--not overwhelm--the greens. That salad gets an A in my book!

Afterwards, I checked out their cake display. They had a bunch of tempting tiny cakes (if they had pies, "cutie pie" would've been so accurate!)--each good enough for one. Mumsy got one of the bestsellers, the chocolate cheesecake. Didn't get to try it though. I had the blueberry cheesecake. Pretty normal, but it definitely hit the spot!

And the best part of the evening? The conversation.

The next time I'm in the area, I'll be sure to drag whoever I'm with to this resto. I'm actually raring to go to Alabang just so I could sample the other stuff on their menu.

CPK's New Stuff

2006-04-06T03:36:00.000-07:00

As if I didn't have enough reasons to love this job, was invited to lunch (together with the other magazines) by California Pizza Kitchen to try out their new stuff. A rundown of their "new palate-teasers":

Clam Chowder - It's their current bestselling soup. Didn't get to try it though.
Thai Crunch Salad - To start things off: shredded Napa cabbage, chilled grilled chicken breast, julienne cucumbers, edamame (I think these are those little Japanese snacks that resemble peas), crispy wontons, peanuts, cilantro, julienne carrots, red cabbage, and scallions tossed together with a lime-cilantro dressing, crispy rice sticks, and Thai peanut dressing.
Chipotle Chicken Pizza - It's got fire-roasted mild chilies, chipotle sauce, and Mozzarella and Enchilado cheeses. In the center, it's got a mound of roasted corn and black bean salsa, cilantro, and lime cream sauce.

Fast fact: Chipotles are smoke-dried chile/jalapeno peppers used in Mexican cooking.

Milan Pizza - Dee-lish! It's a Neopolitan pizza (if I'm not mistaken, meaning it's got a thin, crunchy crust) topped with grilled Italian sausage, sweet wild mushrooms (I think they're Portabello. Or maybe I'm inventing!), caramelized onions, and Fontina and Mozzarella cheeses. It's also got fresh basil and Parmesan cheese. It's a bit pricey though (supposedly because of the mushrooms)--around P700 for about 14 inches.
Shanghai Garlic Noodles - Didn't get to try it, but the QA officer says it's sort of like their version of the Pancit Canton. It's Chinese noodles wok-stirred in a garlic-ginger saice with snow peas, Shitake mushrooms, mild onions, red and yellow peppers, broccoli, and scallions. I think there's a bit of shrimp in there too.
Szechuan Orange Chicken Lettuce Wraps - If you've got a thing for spicy food, you might want to try this: crispy chicken wok seared with Shitake mushrooms, water chestnuts, carrots, and green onions, served on a bed of crispy rice noodles and some Szechuan orange sauce. The lettuce is served on a separate plate, so you have to put it together yourself. Warning: not to be eaten on first dates, kinda messy!
Avocado Club Eggrolls - A winner! This was my favorite among the bunch. Crispy wontons stuffed with fresh avocado, chicken, tomato, Monterey Jack Cheese, applewood smoked bacon. It's served with ranchito sauce and herb ranch dressing. Mmmm. If you were to try just one thing, let this be it! Well, this or the Milan Pizza.

CPK's got branches at Glorietta 3, Alabang Town Center, Shangri-La Mall, Tomas Morato, and Promenade.

(Left) My favorite! The Avocado Club Eggrolls. (Right) The very Mexican
Chipotle Chicken Pizza. Photos courtesy of CPK.

Oh Torta!

2006-03-30T03:19:00.000-08:00

Tortaaaah! (Photo courtesy of Heidi)

As part of our Wow Philippines heritage tour of Cebu (see other blog), we stopped over in Argao at Alex Kafe, a "300-year-old cafe and house." Here, we were served a native delicacy called torta, which one is supposed to eat (or wash down with) a cuppa hot tsokolate.

And so there it was, in the middle of the table, looking innocent and, dare I say, even enticing. As the Queen of PR said, it did look like ensaymada--spongy, buttery bread sprinkled with cheese and sugar. There were even a few raisins. Gino, hungry from a whole morning in the skies and on the road, immediately picked up his fork and dug in. An entire side of the torta crumbled before our very eyes, as soon as the fork made contact. That should've served as a warning. Gino took the first bite, and his look said it all--twas a mixture of pain and nausea. We were half-expecting the Wow Mali crew to reveal themselves at that moment.

Torta is supposedly made of lard that was used to cook...something else. (In Gino's words, "It tastes like it was cooked with lard made in 1859!") What that something was is debatable. While the Queen of PR warned us that it tasted like adobo, Gwyn said it tasted more like the lard was used to cook bagnet. Close. But that doesn't explain the aged factor. Perhaps it was used to cook bagnet 10 times over. During the town fiesta. Three years ago.

We all knew we had to take one for the team, so with quivering forks, we each took dainty little slices. The others were fortunate enough to be able to drown their little snacks in tsokolate. I, on the other hand, had to make do with spooning heaps of sugar onto it. Gino tried to erase the offensive taste with the jackfruit biscuits on hand (which, ordinarily, wouldn't be so enticing. But given the scenario...).

And so the torta found its way into every punchline, anecdote, and nightmare throughout the entire trip. Over lunch (fresh from our close encounter of the torta kind), the manager Em asked us, "So you went to Alex Kafe? Did you try the torta?" Kaye and I nodded meekly. "Ang sarap no?" she said enthusiastically--it was the kind of tone I normally reserve for chocolate. And she wasn't kidding! I blinked and asked Kaye about her prawns. To be polite, I asked Em, in as normal a voice as possible, "Er, do you also serve torta here?" To which she apologetically replied, "Yes...but it's not as good as the one you ate."

Yikes.

Apparently, it's a source of Cebuano pride. During one of our discussions, we concurred that it was probably an acquired taste. As the Manilenos' loud complaints about torta sailed through the pavilion air, I feared that the Sumilon people would have their revenge by serving us torta on the last day. Come Monday lunch time, we held our breath as the waiters made their way to our table, placing our dessert plates in front of us: banana fritters. And there was a collective "Phew!" (On a side note, those fritters were delicious! Bananas dipped in some sort of batter, fried, coated with sugar, and served with a side of some creamy sauce. Mmmm. Too bad we had to wolf it down as we were in danger of missing our flight.)

Wanting to share the torta experience with our co-workers back home (because, really, words can only convey so much), we checked the stores at the Mactan International Airport. Alas, none of them carried torta, and probably for good reason. If we're any indication, hindi siya mabenta! Still, I thank the torta for somehow bringing the group closer together--the episode was probably akin to a near-death experience, where people who come out alive automatically form some sort of bond.

I exaggerate. If you do find yourself in Cebu, you might still want to try it, just for the experience. But you've been warned.

Sweet Friday...Having Cake and Eating Two!

2006-03-19T18:00:00.000-08:00

Friday was an evil evil day because, apart from the fact that I ate meat (and lots of it!), I ended up eating two different kinds of rich, sinful cake.

Had a home shoot in Salcedo Village and the homeowner had a major sweet tooth (and yet, was still so skinny. Life is not fair). She introduced us to Aritstocrat's best-kept secret--the Mucha Leche. It's P300 for the whole cake, and it isn't sold by the slice; I discovered why after our hostess sliced into it. It's a deliciously milky cake (covered in white chocolate shavings) that's so incredibly moist that it practically melts once it's sliced into. I'm drooling just thinking about it.

Next, she served what she called "the best homemade chocolate chip cookie." It's a P65 cookie from the Westin Philippine Plaza. Couldn't have a bite but once Miguel snapped off a bit, the cookie released a potent smell of chocolate. I looked at it and saw that the inside was 5% cookie dough and 95% chocolate chip goo. Aaah.

That evening, at Joseph's surprise party, I couldn't get enough of this cake from Cuerva's. Or perhaps it was a mango cream pie. It was about 12 or 14 inches in diameter and only about an inch-and-a-half high. It had a fairly thin crust--which meant oodles of cream--and had loads of little round pieces of ripe mango on top. I was stationed right beside it, and it took quite a bit of willpower to keep myself from constantly opening the box and helping myself. (And just to illustrate how yummy it was, I ended up eating about three slices--and I was holding myself back already! They were small slices, I swear!)

To ease my conscience, let's just say that this was all in the name of research... for this blog, and for the sake of future potluck parties, when I have absolutely no time to make that triple chocolate bundt cake. Excuses, excuses.

Cooking classes - help please

2006-03-15T18:46:00.000-08:00

Friends, if anyone knows of good basic cooking classes--aside from CCA, which is quite pricey even for short courses--that Hamil and I could attend, please leave a message. I'm looking for something hands-on. Thanks a lot!:)

Dining with Tita Ming

2006-03-10T08:19:00.000-08:00

Had a shoot at Ming's Garden Center & Coffee Shop in Silang today and I got to meet Tita Ming Ramos. (For the record, I couldn't call her "Tita"! Haha. I called her "Ma'am" when she was around...) Had lunch at the coffee shop and, since it's a Friday of Lent, I had me some of the fish fillet with tartare sauce. Sauce was pretty good, would've preferred it if the fish were a tad saltier. Issa had the pan-fried daing na bangus, and it looked pretty good. Miguel had the Korean beef, Mang Paeng had tapsilog, and Marlon had lechon kawali. Come to think of it, all of their orders looked tasty...or maybe twas 'coz I couldn't have meat today. Human nature to want what you can't have I suppose.

Afterwards, Miguel, Issa, and Tita Ming had halo-halo. They each had a half serving, which comes in a bowl instead of a tall glass. Pretty huge, and it made me wonder how big a full serving was. I had the mango float, and it was yummy, with loads of mangoes, unlike many a mango float I've tried which are normally 80% cream. Issa's hot chocolate smelled heavenly. Would've loved to have a cup.

Nice place to visit. And Tita Ming is a lovely woman; she seemed simple and down-to-earth. Mang Paeng will be going back for some plants. I'll tell my mom to check it out one time when she plays golf in the area.

Food: 3 out of 5
Price: 3 out of 5 (probably around P200/person)
Ambience: 4 out of 5
Service: 4 out of 5