Gastronomix 101

Baguio series Pt 5: Baguio street foods

2009-06-06T11:12:00.000-07:00

Getting hungry can strike anytime, anywhere. Well, if I am on a holiday and my hunger button got tapped, I'd go and hound the streets for sample of the local streetfoods.

Taking a bite of the streetfood of the place that I visit has become an important part of my holiday plan. This is important for me because it mirrors out a reflection of the place's culture, specially culinary ones.

Here are some of my streetfood experience in the City of Pines.

Below are three of my favorite streetfood that I had in Baguio; the strawberry taho, home-made strawberry ice cream and roasted buttered corn

The strawberry taho is just plain taho but, instead of caramelized arnibal, what the Baguio folks did was put fresh strawberries cooked in sweet syrup into the taho as its sweetener. A fruity and healthy option than the plain sugar sweetener.

Meanwhile, when we visited the vast, sprawling strawberry fields of the La Trinidad valley, I was introduced into this local home-made sorbetes ( I prefer not to call this dirty ice cream since for me, I find the term quite demeaning) made from fresh strawberries harvested right from their backyards, which is, the strawberry fields! :) Fresh, cool and affordable, the ice cream provided a cooling relief from the warm weather of the valley.

Roasted buttered sweet corn was next. I am not a fan of corn on a cob for the reason that my dental jackets might be torn from my teeth, but when I sampled the corn my little brother bought from Mines View, oh I was so enticed to buy myself one. I don't know what did they put on with their butter which they use to coat their corn but it was so yummy. Forget the dental jackets for the mean time, that's all that I can say. :)

Cheers folks!

Baguio series Pt 4: Chocolate de Batirol

2009-05-31T10:29:00.000-07:00

Baguio weather is very perfect for a relaxing and slow day savored with a hot cup of beverage. While we were there, my family and I looked for a perfect place to have a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate.

While strolling around Camp John Hay to look for a coffee store, the road brought us into this simple, cozy place known as the Chocolate De Batirol.

Chocolate de Batirol serves home-made hot chocolate drink which is made directly from their heirloom batirol. Batirol is the pitcher-like container that is used in making (or dissolving) hot cocoa tablets which are made from ground cacao beans.

I tried their cold drinks instead of their hot chocolates. The cold drinks are mostly cold versions of their hot beverages. I had the Baguio Classic which is the chocolate shake version of their famed, specialty hot chocolate drink, the Traditional Blend. The Baguio Classic (above) is a simple chocolate drink made from their home-made grounded cacao beans and topped with whipped cream and choco chips. I had this because the time I went to the place is right after a paintball game. I was dead-tired that time and I needed something to cool myself after a tiring game. The drink is perfect. I love its cold, bittersweet taste that came gushing down my palate.

Choosing the Cinnamon Swirl is also a good choice for those folks who choose to have their drinks to be spiced. This is the Baguio Classic but served with a hint of cinnamon for a kick. I tried this too and it is also a great and refreshing drink.

And before I forget, they also sell bottled chocolate paste which you can dilute with hot water so you won't miss their specialty beverages when you're away from Baguio already. Very nice!

Cheers!

Chocolate De Batirol
Igorot Garden, Gate 2
Camp John Hay,
Baguio City, Benguet

Baguio series Pt 3: Star Cafe

2009-05-31T10:21:00.001-07:00

Like Cavite City’s iconic restaurant Chefoo, Baguio City also have their own version, the Star Café.
This place in Session Road serves Chinese cuisine to Baguio patrons and tourists (like us) as well for many generations. I think this is an institution in Baguio already since they are still open 70+ years already after they first opened in 1940. They also have their own bakery inside were patrons can have a warm cup of coffee with warm pandesal for their merienda.

I hardly recall that we ate here eons ago but my mom and dad always builds this place up to us. She said that we frequented this place whenever we visited Baguio when we were still kids, circa 1986 which is our last visit to Baguio.

We had a taste of their Pata Tim, Sweet Sour Pork, Chopsuey, Shrimp Foo Yung, Shanghai Fried Rice, Wintermelon soup and the seaweed/century egg platter when we ate here 23 years after we last ate here.

I love their Pata Tim, Sweet Sour Pork and the Chopsuey and the Shrimp Foo Yung.
They tasted really well. Among all of them, I love Chopsuey the most. A perfect blend of stir-fried and not overdone veggies and savory sauce, the chopsuey partnered well with my cup of Shanghai Rice.

Pictures below are the following: Wintermelon soup, Seaweed Century Egg, Shrimp Fooyung, Shanghai Rice, Chopsuey, Pata Tim and Sweet Sour Pork.

Though, I somehow find the seaweed a little bland. I think they can still spice it up a little bit with some chili oil to give it a kick.

Another thing is their wintermelon soup. When we ordered this one, I was expecting that I would be sipping a hot and thick egg-y soup but instead, what we got is just a hot clear soup with diced wintermelon and some meat. I don’t know if that is their version but I still prefer the thick soup typical of the Chinese restaurants.

That’s it! Enjoy guys! Happy chow!

Cheers!

Star Café
Session Road, Baguio City

Baguio series Pt 2: Cafe by the Ruins

2009-05-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

One Friday lunch in Baguio, after a glimpse and souvenir hunting in Mines View Park, we went straight to have lunch in Café by the Ruins.

Mom saw an article about this place and promised that once we were in Baguio, she’ll make it a point to have a lunch/dinner here for us to check out the place.

Well, I can say that this place is really fantastic. It is set in old ruins of the residence of the first governor of Benguet, Phelps Whitmarsh Jr. It was destroyed during the last great war by the American forces in hot pursuit of retreating Japanese forces that holed themselves in the mountains of Benguet.

After the war, the place was bought by Teodoro Arvisu who is also one of the founding father of the city.

Postwar generations saw the opening of the cafe as a haven for artists by Cristine, the great grand daughter of Teodoro.

The place is cozy, and adorned with artwork as how it was intended to be opened. It is not airconditioned and for some reason, I felt that it has an art museum ambiance.

I had a serving of their Tita Susie’s Crispy Tapa. This is uber good, I love it! Their TapSi rendition came with a generous portion of deep-fried beef tapa shreds and with a side dish of unhusked organic mountain rice and a slaw of chopped tomatoes and onions over a bed of lettuce. The tapa is crispy and went well with a spoonful of rice, slaw and vinegar. Though no egg was served, their TapSi still satisfied my hunger.

For dessert, we had a sharing of the Pain au Chocolat. This treat is a pastry which is made of multiple layers of bread hugging a chocolate fudge in the center. The fudge is killer, very sinful but also delicious.

For the whole meal, I was also sipping a mug of their Chocolate de Agua which is a hot chocolate drink with a hint of cinnamon. It’s a perfect beverage for a hearty filling meal that I had in Café by the Ruins.

Their Pinikpikan is also good. It has a little gingery taste which is the taste that my tastebuds prefer.

I had a perfect and filling meal at this place and promised myself that I will revisit this when I set foot on Baguio again.

Kudos for the great food, warm service and very informative menu! :)

Cheers!

Cafe by the Ruins

25 Chuntug Street,

Baguio City

074 442-4010 / 074 446-4010

cafebytheruins@gmail.com

Baguio series Pt 1: Forest House Baguio

2009-05-31T10:01:00.000-07:00

A cool and comfy place for intimate moments with your special someone or a nostalgic get together with your friends, Forest House offers the ambience adequate for these special occasions. Set on a hillside, adorned with homey decors and infused with a homey atmosphere, the place is so warm and cozy. It gave me an image of a warm log cabin.

Try to reserve slot if you are going here for a meal. They’ll book you since the place gets full easily because a lot of patrons dine here.
Going here on a dinner, I asked the attendant about their specialty and he pointed out the Salpicao dishes. Heeding his advice, I then asked for their specialty dish, the Beef Salpicao. The dish comes in two kinds, one is made from the local beef cuts and the other is from the Australian Grain-fed beef. Of course, the latter came with a higher price tag. I got the grain fed since it is only seldom that I am in Baguio and I'll settle for the best. The salpicao cutlets that I had were sautéed in garlic over olive oil. It’s soft and tender to the bite. The garlic rice that came with it is also great. It reminded me of the sinangag cooked at our home. Very filling meal. You’ll get what you paid for.

I also had a bite of my brother Paeng’s Lamb Riviera. This is a lamb chop dish that, for me, tasted like steak! It has no after taste so characteristic of lamb dishes. Perfect! I promised myself that I would order this when we go back here in Baguio his Christmas. I still drool at the memory of the taste of this dish. Ohh yum yum!
Of course, I would not let this meal pass without trying one of their soups. I am a soup person and I love having soup together with my meal. The weather is also perfect for a warm bowl of soup. I had their Bouillabaise soup. The soup is fine and it’s served on a carved bread bowl. About the soup, I think they should just add some ‘meat’ on it like some seafood or any other substitutes to give the soup some texture.

I really had a great and wonderful experience dining here in Forest House.

Forest House
16 Loakan Rd.,
Baguio City
074 447 0459 and 074 304 4553
http://www.foresthousebaguio.com/

Shawarma after dark: Jacob's Shawarma

2009-05-31T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hungry after the long day? I remember myself hounding the street on my way home after the shift to check on any place that I can have my midnight chow. Well, you might want to consider heading to Ortigas CBD to try this fantastic Turkish Doner Kebab from Jacob's Shawarma. As recommended by my friend Cha, we, our office buddies wheeled straight here after our shift ended one weekday night. The place is just simple. It is easy to find and vividly decorated with Turkish mementos (i.e. Turkish food and a gigantic wall map of Turkey).

We all had a serving of their specialty, the Doner Kebab which is also called the Shawarma. The meat inside is made of chicken instead of the usual lamb or beef. What surprises me about their shawarma is that I was able to eat it without the garlic sauce. This is unique since we are all fond of shawarma with garlic sauce which is usually made of yoghurt or mayonnaise which are then spiced-up with crushed garlic. Here in Jacob's, the shawarma is flavored already by itself and it comes with an accompanying lemon slices which you can choose to squeeze on your sandwich to give it a twist. Another thing which surprised me is the size of the sandwich. The sandwich is almost 12 inches long good enough for 2 people to share and just priced for 120Php. The pita bread that they use is also good since the dough itself is already infused with yoghurt giving it a soft, and chewy bite. When you choose to go this place, I suggest that you shouldn't ask easily for your sandwich to be spicy because if you ask for it, its gonna be way way spicy. Try to ask for a mild sandwich and just kick it up with their chilli red pepper sauce. This way, you can easily control the level of the sandwich's hotness.

Anyone a fan of yoghurt? You can also try their homemade Turkish drink to quench the thirst of your meal. The Turkish drink is just a plain yoghurt which you can choose to flavor with either sugar, to make it sweet or salt to make it salty. Great thing is, they have their yoghurt freshly made in their store.

Last is their dessert, the Baklava. Baklava is a Mediterranean dessert which consists of phyllo pastry flavored with a sweet syrup, nuts usually pistacchios and almonds and spiced with cinnamon, cloves and garlic.

Though a bit pricey since one piece is 50Php, the dessert is still worth trying if you want to have a try of Turkish cuisine.

Jacob's Shawarma is located at 115 Unit AIC Grande Tower, Sapphire Road, Ortigas center or you can also call 7065699 for inquiries.

Oh and before I forget, good thing is they are open 24 hours! So hop-in to your camels and ride your way to this hidden Mediterranean place.

Enjoy!

Indian By Nature

2009-05-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

While most of us here are crazy over the 'Jai Ho' fever that has gripped Manila after the sucessful release of the Slumdog Millionaire and also due to the Pussycat Doll's single, I was crazy over this newly opened Indian restaurant, Indian by Nature.

Indian By Nature serves authentic Indian dishes. They opened along Jupiter Ave., Makati. The place is cozy and dim and staffed by friendly and warm people. This place transforms into a bar after 11pm more of like how the Temple Bar functions in Greenbelt. I have tasted their dishes and I find it delicious and authentic.

I have tried their Chicken Tikka, Roghan Josh, basket of Chapatti and Naan and a glass of cool and refreshing Mango Lassi.

Their Chicken Tikka are one of my favorites. The chicken skewers are so tender that they actually break/melt in your mouth. The spice and hotness are just right. The dish comes with a slaw of sliced onions and cabbage and a 'yin/yang' saucer of tamarind and cilantro chutney.

The Roghan Josh is also good. Though, it has a bit stronger flavor than what I had in Swagat and New Bombay.

The bread basket is perfectly served. The bread are warm and soft. Perfect to be eaten with the Indian dishes that I had.

Indian By Nature Restaurant and Bar
136-138 2F Jupiter Place,
Jupiter St.,
Bel Air, Makati City
02 484 9628

Shawarma Snack Center

2009-05-04T20:08:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old Multply blog dated August '07.

Alladin???Not!!!

Well, our magic carpet took us into this hidden joint in the heart of Ermita. If you are not familiar with this or haven’t heard about this place, I’m pretty sure you wouldn’t easily notice this place.

Last weekend, we dropped a visit to this hidden shawarma joint in Ermita which serves delicious but cheap mid-east food. Actually, this is the third time that my girlfriend and I went here to have a good mideast chow.

Let’s take a look at the resto.

First of all, the place is simply called SSC or in its lengthened form, Shawarma Snack Center. As you go inside this one, you will notice a cozy place complete with glass tables and sofa sets enough for you to relax and unwind will having your chow. The place is owned by a Jordanian couple. I learned that the husband is the Jordanian while his wife is the Filipina. I noticed this when I asked the waiter about the owner since the place has a portrait of the late King Hussein of Jordan and the current His Majesty King Abdullah II.There is also a huge Jordanian flag draping in the staircase of the resto. The original resto is situated just across the street. It is quite smaller but they serve the same food. We chose to visit the annex since it's more spacious and well airconditioned.The menu of the resto is so diverse. They offer a wide array of different mid-east dishes from kebab to shawarma to lahem and baqlawa desserts. When we went here, we always order their specialty which are the kebab and of course, the shawarma.

First of all, the shawarma is a pita sandwich roll stuffed with chopped tomatoes, onions plus a choice of beef, chicken or lamb. No pork option since muslims consider it as non-halal food hehe! This food is endemic from the region of Persia(modern-day Iran) up to North Africa and coming back to Turkey and Greece. Greeks call their shawarma, GYROS. Their shawarma was served very good! It passed my expectations since the balance between the onions and tomatoes versus the meat is right. Their chef didn’t use the tomatoes and onions as extenders so that they can minimize their meat serving. The meat portion is so generous you can feel the meat chunk in every bite. Their meat is roasted to perfection. It has the right balance of spices and the meat is not dry but juicy and sumptuous. The pita bread toasted right also since it is not burnt. You may opt to eat the shawarma by itself since it is so tasty and delicious but for those people who are searching for a spicy twist, you may add the garlic mayo sauce or the blended red chili sauce. Their garlic sauce also tastes good. It is perfect for garnishing any mid east dishes that the resto offers. To have a more spicy twist, you can opt to spread some red chili paste to your sandwich. However, I would suggest that you might want to try to have a combination of these two sauces since it really damn tastes good! Filipinos would say ‘….may sipa…’.

Next stop, the kebab. Like the shawarma, the kebab is served and eaten from Persia up to Greece and Turkey. A kebab is a meat dish that is seasoned with spices, skewered then roasted in an open grill. This may come in a ground meat or a beef chunk serving. Here in SSC, the kebab is served in three sticks but they serve it un-skewered already. The kebab dish comes with the usual roasted whole tomatoes and red onion. It also comes with a condiment of chopped tomatoes, onions, cucumber and lettuce seasoned with pepper. The dish is delicious since they have it roasted to perfection. In all the three times that we paid visit to this place, I haven’t seen a burnt kebab or a portion of it that is burnt. The meat is not dry but juicy. The spice blend is also good. It is not bland nor too much spicy. As a patron, you may opt to choose varieties of the kebab. You can choose from the ground beef kebab, to Shish kebab to chicken tikka kebab(spiced chicken breast) to prawn and seafood kebab.If you want to try a sampler, I suggest that you order the mix platter kebab. This consists of a ground beef kebab, beef tenderloin chunk kebab and chicken tikka kebab.You may eat the kebab with its complimentary Pita bread or you can order a rice if you’re a rice person. You can also eat the kebab by itself since it is so tasty but you can always try it with my personal favorite of mixed garlic mayo and red chili.

For beverages, we ordered our favorite of watermelon shake. The watermelon shake is generously served with a good amount of blended watermelon. The drink is not like an ‘ice-with-a-hint-o-watermelon’ but like a ‘watermelon-with-a-hint-of-ice’. This is the perfect topper to my mid-east dinner.

Shisha or water pipe is also available here. The joint offers a shisha section where you can order a shisha. I haven’t tried the shisha so I cannot provide a feedback about it.The joint also offers a carpeted area with pillows where you can unwind and relax while eating your Arabic mezze or dinner or simply puffing your shisha while chatting with your folks. When we went there, there were a few Arabs who were lounging in the carpet and eating their baqlawa(mid-east cream puff).

Overall, the dinner costs us less than 500 Php. Pretty cheap but damn sure that the food is very delicious. This is also an authentic place since most of its patrons are mid-eastern folks. If you’re lucky, you can have a free taste of their delicatessen. During one of our visits, we were fortunate to have a free sample of their pickled olives. The pickled olives taste like ‘KIMCHIed olive’. I think it is marinated in olive oil with red chili. They might come as a good condiment to eat with your meal or you can have it like a ‘pika-pika’ or an appetizer. Next time, I pray that we can have a free sample of the Baqlawa so I can compare it with the other restaurants that serve it. I plan to come back to this place more often to try their other different dishes.

So what are you waiting for, hop-in to your camel and have a ride towards this oasis of good mid-eastern chow.

Shawarma Snack Center is located at R. Salas Street, Ermita, Manila

Assad Cafe

2009-05-04T19:53:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old post in the Multply dated September '07.

Namaste!

Venturing into the "Little India" of Manila opens door to a very wide array of food selections.

If you are craving for an authentic Indian food around the Metro, well you should drop this place a visit.

There is a small South Asian cafeteria named Assad which is just in front of Unilever Philippines. The joint is also just beside the Khalsa Diwan, the Sikh Temple of Manila. We ate at Assad Cafe twice already and we always come out smiling and satisfied. It is just a simple cafe, more of like a school canteen with vinyl coated tables and cushioned chairs. the ambience is good, you wouldn't think that they serve authentic south asian food. The cafe is owned by a Pakistani national who also owns the Assad Mini-Mart.

Now let's get started with the 'meat and potatoes' of this blog, the food.

The food here is so diverse and they offer a wide array of choices. They have meat dishes as well as vegetarian meal. You'll also be surprised that they have the typical filipino cafeteria food, the lumpia and the pancits (surprisingly, they also sell it by the bilao). They have 2 sets of menu, one is the Indian choices, which we took and the other is the normal cafeteria food. The Indian selection even have a separate sections for vegetarian meals.After setting our eyes at the Indian menu, we finally had our choices; Chicken Vindaloo, Beef Korma and Paneer Matar. First entree, the Chicken Vindaloo.

Vindaloo is a Goan way of cooking meat. It is originally a pork dish. It was introduced by the Portuguese merchants/settlers in Goa in the 15th century, if I am not mistaken. It is a way of cooking in heavy red wine and garlic, thus 'Vinha d'Alho' (from "vinha" wine and "alho" garlic in Portuguese). It was modified by the South Asians by seasoning it with heavy spices. Assad serves its Chicken Vindaloo in a platter, It is a 2-piece chicken meal which comes with a choice of rice of or a chapatti. The meal comes in a heavy, sauce-based viand. The spice is just right, tickling to the taste buds. We asked the waiter to zest up our vindaloo and make it spicy since we already tried the medium variant before. Believe me, you should try it out. Anyone up for a spicy chicken dish should try this out. It is quite similar with the Filipinized Chicken Curry only this is more leaning towards the Indian tastebuds rather than the pinoy's palate. This meal comes with a single piece of chapatti but it can be shared by two people since, 'sauce pa lang, ulam na!!!' ('the sauce is already a meal!).

Next is the Beef Korma. Beef Korma is a Mughlai dish which originated from the Mogul Empire's kitchen. This is usually a beef, chicken or a mutton dish since pork is forbidden for muslims. The Korma is a yoghurt-based viand flavored with spices and sometimes, nuts.Assad's version is based from yoghurt, coco milk and a blend of 'secret spices' ( the waiter didn't disclose the spice composition, too bad hehe!) Assad offers their beef korma with a choice of rice or chapatti. We chose the chapatti in lieu of the rice to make our meal more authentic. The meal looks like a meat stew, more of like a mechado in a Filipino Kitchen though it is way spicy. Assad's Beef Korma has a very distinct taste due to the presence of Star Anise, a very strong spice. The taste of the spice sets itself distinct from the other Indian meals that we have tried, like the vindaloo and the different curries. This meal comes with a single piece of chapatti but it can be shared by two people since this is also, 'sauce pa lang, ulam na!!!' ('the sauce is already a meal!).

Last is the Paneer Matar. This is one of my favorites. Paneer Matar is a vegetarian dish made from curry gravy, green peas and the Paneer. Paneer is the most common Indian form of cheese. It is an unaged, acid-set, non-melting farmer cheese that is similar to acid-set fresh mozzarella and queso blanco, except that it does not have salt added, much like hoop cheese. Its texture is like tofu since it is white, and like feta cheese among its cheese brethrens.The Assad's version is one that belongs to the Mughlai way of preparing Paneer, which is cutting it into cubes and letting it simmer in curries together with the peas and other vegetbles. Since it is a vegetarian meal,the Paneer Matar is a very healthy, protein-rich food. We had our meal extra spicy so we can get that 'kick' in the palate. The chef made our meal with the right amount of spices. I kept on telling my girlfriend that if we had chosen rice instead of the chapatti, I could have two to three cups of it to eat it with the Paneer Matar. See how tasty it is? Assad offers their Paneer Matar in generous portions. It is good for two persons but they don't come with a choice of rice or chapatti so we had to order an additional serving of Nan bread. They also serve samosas but we are so full by this time that we will just try it some other visit.

All of these three meals for just around 400 Php for two people?Not a bad bargain for a filling and uber delicious and authentic Indian food. So saddle-on to your elephant and explore the Indian subcontinent just around UN Avenue. We plan to go back here and try their chicken tandoori and the biryani meals. I would recommend that you should try this cafe out. I know Indian food requires a very adsjusting palate due to its rich and diverse spices but believe me, adventures opens door for you and sometimes gives you a very good and unique experience.

Happy chow!

Assad Cafe is located in Midtown Executive Homes, U.N. Ave., Paco, Manila. tel. no. 2-526-1349 and 2-526-5034.

Chariya: A hole-in-a-wall Thai karinderya

2009-05-04T04:44:00.000-07:00

Driving along Reposo St. in Makati brought us to this hole-in-a-wall Thai place named Chariya.
A few nights ago, my friend Venice and I were driving our way to his flat when we happen to see this Thai restaurant.

I stopped, lowered my windows and took a mental picture of the place and promised that I will try this restaurant. Well, last night my girlfriend and I were able to try it. We haven't had Thai food in a while after Sala Thai closed down a few months back so our excitement to have Thai dinner is a bit high.

Chariya has been serving Thai dishes for almost 8 months now.
I was surprised to know that the owners of Chariya are related to the owners of Som's Noodle house.

I haven't tried to eat at Som's yet but after I ate at Chariya, I already have an idea of what Som's has to offer.

We were able to try their Tom Yum Shrimp, Crispy Catfish Salad, Chicken Red Curry and the Cha Yen or the Thai iced tea.

The Tom Yum Shrimp is fine. They have 3 pieces of big, meaty shrimps. Though it has a little improvement to make. I find it too sour. They also should try to add a little coconut milk to the soup to make it not too watery.

Same goes for the Catfish Salad. It has a more soury taste and still lacks the sweet spicy taste that I think it should have. They can also try to add peanuts in the salad garnish.

About the their Red Curry, it's the best dish that we ordered together with the refreshing Thai Iced Tea. I find it delicious and perfect. Just the right hotness of the dried red chillies mixed with the curry. Perfect to be eaten with a cup of steamed rice.

Thai iced tea

Chariya Thai Kitchen is at 1776 N. Garcia (Reposo) St., Makati City

An Abe Fiesta

2009-05-01T08:36:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old Multiply blog dated July '08.

An Abe Fiesta

Some say that Filipinos do not have a ‘royal cuisine’ unlike our Asian cousins like the Thais, Koreans, Indians, and the Chinese, but for me, I would say that an authentic Filipino cuisine is the one found up north, in the distant plains of Pampanga, which I’ve dubbed the ‘Kitchen of the Philippines’.
Time has revealed that when you see a Filipino restaurant, chances are you would find that some of the menu does have a hint of Pampanga. Cabalen, Kamayan, Mangan all do have some of their dishes trace their roots to a Kapampangan kitchen.

Well, I am glad on the new addition to the line of Pinoy restaurants that serves delicious Filipino food.

Let me introduce you to Abe.

Abe is a Kapampangan word which means ‘friend’.
Abe, who is owned by Larry Cruz, caters Filipino cuisine, specifically from a Kapampangan kitchen.
He named Abe after his dad, E. Aguilar Cruz.
Abe belongs to the famed LJC Restaurant Group, a well-renowned restaurant group who also owns CafeAdriatico, Café Havana, Bollywood and Fely Js Kitchen which he named after his mom.
Since, it belongs to the LJC group, you will find other best-selling entrée items which came from Abe’s sister restaurants.

Having a meal in Abe is very relaxing and gastronomically-satisfying for me.
I love the ambiance and usage of soft lights. There are window blinds that can be lowered whenever you get blinded by the daytime glare outside. Attentive servers always stand ready to serve you. There are also displays of family pictures of Larry Cruz’ clan along the perimeter wall of the place. Even though the atmosphere can go upbeat due to many diners, the atmosphere is still very cool and cozy. Definitely, it’s a good place to have a good Pinoy meal.

The menu is very descriptive. It’s quite difficult to choose from all of the entrees since all of them look mouth-watering.

For our lunch we ordered, Sinuteng na Baby Squid, Crispy Tadyang, Pastel de Lengua and Tamarind Shake plus bowls and bowls and bowls of steamed rice. Believe me, we ate like it’s a fiesta!

Sinuteng na Baby Squid came in as our appetizer. Sinuteng, a Pinoy ( I think it’s a Capampangan) word that is the corruption of the word ‘sauté’ is a dish made of baby squids sautéed in squid ink, olive oil and garlic plus a hint of red chilli. This is supposed to be an appetizer but a typical Pinoy can survive on this as his viand topped on his rice. The seafood dish tastes well. No fishy aftertaste and not too oily. The squid also are not ‘makunat’ or tough and they are perfect to be eaten as is.

Crispy Tadyang was served next. The Crispy Tadyang is a deep-fried marinated beef ribs. This is cooked in a way a crispy pata is cooked. The meat is very flavorful, crispy and not tough. This dish comes with a cup of vinegar-based dipping sauce plus a side dish of their homemade atchara (julienne papaya marinated in a concoction of vinegar, sugar, peppers and ginger). For me, it is perfect if eaten with their atchara and of course a bowl of rice. A perfect ‘pampabata’! The dish can also serve as a good pulutan. The serving is quite big that is why it can be shared by 2-3 people. You can also share it so as to distribute the guilt of eating a pampabata dish, just kidding!

Pastel De Lengua was the choice of my girlfriend. I am no fan of lengua but when I tasted Abe’s version, I love it! I love it because it tasted in between the usual Lengua that my lolo cooks and the Callos. The meat chunks are served generously. Plus there are also slices of chorizo bilbao and vegetables that accompany the meat chunks. One comment though, the pastry is missing but nevertheless the meal itself is good. The sauce can already serve as a viand if you top it on rice since it is very flavorful.

Unlimited bowl of steamed rice which is constantly refilled by the attendants is offered here. During our visit their, I consumed around 3 servings of rice for the reason that the food is superb.
Tamarind Shake was ordered as our refreshment. You might be wondering, or some might frown at the idea of a tamarind shake but let me share to you how it tastes like. Tamarind shake taste like a tamarind candy that was put into a blender then served chilled with crushed ice. Now this is good! I like it since its sweet-tangy flavor neutralizes the oily after taste of the Crispy Tadyang. It also provided me with a good cooling effect from the blistering tropical heat during our visit.

Other specialties that they offer includes, Paco Fern and Tomato Salad, Spicy Sisig Pampanga, Kare-Kare, Bamboo Rice, Binukadkad na Tilapia and many more. They also have Chinoy dishes a la Ongpin-style like White Chicken.

Abe’s service is very good and fast. Our attendant, Eds, was very helpful in assisting us and providing us a vivid description of their dishes. This helped us to have an idea on what to order. The fare is quite an upbeat but they will definitely make you feel your money’s worth. Abe is really an ‘Abe’ to keep.

One suggestion is that they need to restructure their comfort room since it is a bit tight and a person who is more than 5’7” will have his head bumped against the ceiling.
I suggest that if you want to go there, try to make it at least 1130AM for lunch or 530PM for dinner if you want to have a good seat since it gets full on meal times or better yet, drop them a call for a reservation if you’re into a date or other important celebrations.

Overall, I am recommending this place to everyone. Abe is a great place to dine in. We will definitely come back to this place to try their Kare-Kare (our neighboring table ordered it and it looks delicious), Sisig and their Bamboo Rice.

See you there, Abe!

Abe Restaurant
Ground Level
Serendra Piazza
Mc Kinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
Phone Number: 856-0526

FIVE STARS for Manos Greek Taverna

2009-04-30T23:09:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old Multiply blog dated June '08.

Well, it has been awhile since I last wrote about my food trips. Here's an update...

Greek culture and heritage permeates to us since millennia ago, but what drives me nuts about them is (no! not Democracy! hehe!) the colorful and vivid Hellenic cuisine.
Tucked between the sprawling slopes of the Tagaytay highlands is a place which is a home to a very authentic Greek food. If you want to turn Greek, drive upland and experience Greek food a la Manos' way.

Welcome to Manos' Greek Taverna.

Manos' Greek Taverna is owned by Manos Sapountzakis, a Greek national who is currently married to a Filipina wife and residing here in the Philippines. The Taverna's facade is sure enough to catch your attention when you’re driving around the City of Tagaytay. It's blue and white-painted facade with huge window panes adorned with wine bottles and with draping curtains sure reminds you of the wonderful Hellenic culture. Oh, and I forgot, the interior are festooned with Greek deco, like bottles of wines and Greek spirits, Ouzo, Raki and Metaxa, plus pictures of Greek beaches along the Aegean and Ionian Sea and other tourist spots. Orthodox Church's iconography is also exhibited in the resto. The grill can also be viewed by the customers since it is just located outside the restaurant, believe me, the aroma of grilled meats is enough to make your mouth water. During our visit, there were several pork chops and lamb chops that are being grilled there. The aroma is very strong and it prompted me to watch our orders being cooked. Greek Music is also in the air unlike in Cyma where pop music is being aired. In spite of the ambience's Greek-infused atmosphere, Manos did not forget to show gratitude to his wife's home country. He opted to display a Greek Flag side by side a Philippine flag inside the Taverna. Overall, I would say that a place really looks like a Greek house. The place is a hit since it's jam-packed when we dropped it a visit. Next time I go for a visit there, I'll place a call for a reservation.
What surprises me is that, all the while we were there, Manos does everything in his resto. From being a cook, waiter, attendant, busboy up into being a parking boy (yes, you're right, he helps in arranging the parked cars in front of his resto) he really exhibits the trait of being a very warm restaurant owner. His warm reception would really make you feel that you are a guest at his abode.

Now, let's go to where the meat and potatoes are, the food.

Greek Cuisine boasts a multitude of flavors. From vegetables to meat, you can choose from wide selections of gastronomic treats that the cuisine offer. Greek cooking revels on Olive oil. Olive oil is very essential in Greek cooking. Sometimes Greeks use it as a base or marinades for their grilled items, they also use it as a dipping for breads.
But, what surprised me is that, Cretans sometimes drink olive oil straight-up! (yes, like shooters!)

As a starter, we ordered for a serving of Dolmades, Greek bread, Tzatziki, Saganaki and Gyros.
Dolmades is a Greek dish that is made of stuffed grapevine leaves. The stuffing in Manos' is done with rice pilaf and spice mixture.
Dolmades is eaten with a yoghurt dipping sauce but it is also good if eaten as is. The serving is very tasty and light-tasting since it is not a meat-based dish.

Our Greek Bread then came in with a cup of Tzatziki dipping sauce. Manos' bake their bread fresh everyday that is why it is very fresh, soft and warm. To give you an idea, the taste and texture of Mano's Greek Bread is similar to Italliani's Tuscan Bread.
We ate the bread with a dipping of Tzatziki, a yoghurt-based dipping sauce with cucumbers and lime juice plus seasoned with peppers, garlic and olive oil. It is typically a Greek Meze or appetizer but it can also be utilized as a sauce for Gyros or other grilled items such as Souvlaki. The tzatziki tastes good, neither to garlicy nor bland. What I like on Manos' version is the balance between spiciness and tanginess.

Shrimp Saganaki is the next meze that we ordered. Saganaki is a cheese-based dish usually eaten with bread.
Manos' serves their saganaki with pieces of shrimps which are immeresed in a cheese-tomato based sauce. The taste is very delicious, more of like a pasta sauce. For me, it is not just a meze, but already a meal if eaten with a serving of Greek, Pita bread or a plate of pasta. I was just wondering why the presentation in Cyma is quite different from the Saganaki that we had. Perhaps it is because Cyma’s version is just plain, flaming cheese with the absence of shrimps unlike in Manos’. Nevertheless, Shrimp Saganaki tastes good! A pinoy can already have it as a viand.

Gyros was served as the next meze (yes, you're right, gyros are listed under the appetizer section and not under the meals section).
Gyros (which means 'to rotate') are a type of Greek sandwiches which is a close cousin of the Mid-Eastern/Turkish Shawarma. It is made up of slices of roasted meat. Roasted meat can come in beef, chicken or lamb which is grilled in a vertical rotisserie. When the meat is already roasted, it is then carved and chopped. After carving the grilled portions, it is placed on pita bread then garnished with tomatoes and onions, sometimes chopped cucumbers are added. Finally, the stuffing is seasoned with tzatziki and then rolled-up to be eaten.
We just ordered one Gyros and it ended up on my dad's hands. Manos' gyros is a real treat since the meat slices are very generous and tasty and the sandwich is not mostly made up of onions and tomatoes. The same Tzatziki is used as the sauce for the gyros. We all loved the gyros especially my dad who ate most of it. I will definitely go back to Manos' for a serving of this dish.

Moussaka was ordered by my mom. Moussaka is an eggplant-based dish, stuffed with minced meat and smothered in tomato sauce and cheese. What we had was a serving not too heavy on the sauce, hence no feeling of eating a heavy and rich meal. The dish is very good since you can taste the mixture of spices, cheese, tomatoes, eggplants and meat that were used. They all blended well and created a gastronomic orchestra. I am no fan of eggplant, but I loved the moussaka that we had due to its very good taste.

What I ordered is the Beftekia. Beftekia is a beef-patty dish. It is served with rice, vegetables and fried potatoes.
In Manos', the Beftekia burger is a mixture of minced meat, milk, eggs, French bread and spices. It is then grilled over charcoal and then served right off the grill. Before eating, one can opt to squeeze calamansi in lieu of lime/lemon. It is best eaten immediately so one can still savor the meat's flavor and juiciness. The beftekia patties taste good and juicy, though it would have a distinct taste due to the mixture of the meat and spices but nevertheless, the patties taste good.

Grilled Lambshoulder was ordered by my dad. The Lambshoulder came in 3 pieces and he shared it with my brother.
The meat is marinated in olive oil and spices before being grilled to perfection. I had it tasted and the marinade tastes very well. It has a peppery/citrusy flavor which perfectly combined with the meat's taste. The lamb's distinct strong aftertaste is not present in the dish that is why my dad liked it so much.

Grilled Porkchops were served to my brother. The lambshoulder and the porkchops almost have the same marinade so they both taste very similar, spicy with a tanginess of a citrus flavor. The pork is not fatty and the portion is very generous. Two thick chops come in on one order. The meat's texture is not tough which is very good. Both the lambshoulder and the porkchops are served with rice, vegetables and fried potatoes. I will also have this dish when I drop Manos’ a visit sometime soon.

Baklava was then served to top our lunch. Baklava is a sweet, rich pastry made from layers of phyllo dough. It is then stuffed with a mixture of chopped pistachios and other nuts then smothered with rich and sweet syrup. The syrup that was served with us was flavored with cinnamon. I have seen other servings of Baklava but what I like the most in Manos' is its neither heavy nor too sweet taste. The syrup was so good; in fact my brother scraped the plate for him to savor the dessert up to the last bit. An order contains just a single serving, more of like in the shape of a small empanada. It is somehow different from other restaurants that serve baklava, like in Pasha, where it is served in pieces. However, for me, that single serving is enough for at least three people.
Well, that’s it for now, after 2 hours of eating our family lunch then ended with a simultaneous 'BURP!' and a cheer of 'OPAAA!!!'. A testimony for it to be featured in the book 'Manila's Best Kept Restaurants'.

Oh and I almost forgot since I revel mostly on the food, the service is fast and friendly and the fare is not too pricey! One dish is about 200 Php, not bad for an authentic Greek experience isn’t?

Go and grab the experience! :)

Manos’ Greek Taverna is located at Calamba Rd, Olivarez, San Jose, Tagaytay City.
È: 0916 429 8358 / 0916 609 0701
É: 046 413 4591
™: manosclub05@yahoo.gr

Citrocello Lemon Liqueur

2009-04-30T23:05:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old Multiply blog

I love vodka especially now, during the cold nights of the rainy season. I love it plain or mixed into a concoction with other beverages.
Now, let me introduce you to new, spiced-up vodka.

Citrocello Lemon Liqueur is a marriage of vodka and organic lemon peelings together with syrup.
They are carefully mixed together to derive the balanced flavor of the vodka, syrup and the citrus fruit.
The 'marriage' tastes really good, not on the bitter side nor soury.
The drink is so light and cool. You can opt to drink it anytime of the day like lunch, afternoon chill-down in the garden or dinner!
I already dreamt of having a glass of it while having a pasta meal, ooohhh!!! (*wink wink*).

No 'hagod' (burning feeling in the throat), no awful aftertaste, just simply a sweet, lemony taste down your palate.

Truly a gastronomic orchestra!

These are my 2 cents on the liqueur.

Many thanks to Citrocello!

Catch the Citrocello booth at the Legaspi Market every Sunday morning.

Cheers!

For orders, contact:

Nel

Citrocello Lemon Liqueur
Telephone Number: +632 840 0193
Mobile Number: +63 917 846 1135

Gigi La Crepe

2009-04-28T06:08:00.000-07:00

*reposted from my old Multiply blog.

Bonjour!

Crepe has been already a big part of the Filipino gastronomic culture.
It is usually eaten as a dessert, sometimes breakfast or as a merienda.
I usually have a serving of crepe at the Cafe Breton.

But nowadays, I do have it by way of Gigi La Crepe.

Gigi La Crepe is a Crepe/Galette stall that serves wide varieties of French Galette and Crepe.
It is through them that I was also introduced to the Galette.
Galette is a distant cousin of the Crepe. Their differences are their flavours and their composition.
Galette is more into the savoury flavour (sausage, meats, anchovies etc.) as opposed to the Crepe which is more of into the sweet and fruity taste spectrum.

As per its composition, the Crepe is made of wheat flour while the Galette is made from buckwheat flour.
I love the way they make their crepe.
It is just simple, simple presentation but still bursting with flavor.
I had a serving of their banana and Nutella crepe and it's uber good!

The crepe has the right texture between soft and chewy which is why I love it. :)
My dad also loved the Sausage Galette (called the Galette Paisan if I am not mistaken?).

Master Gigi, as I prefer to call him (the owner) never fails to serve his tasty Galette or Crepe together with his hilarious showman antics.
He is very warm, amusing and very very entertaining. :)

Merci Merci!

You can catch him and his bright yellow cart during weekends on the Salcedo and Legaspi Markets.

Gigi La Crepe
Landline: +632 729 7783
Mobile: +63 926 879-5980
+63 926 599-8756

Sango Master Burger

2009-04-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

*blog reposted from my Multiply site.

Ever tried a 'japanese burger'? Nothing sounds catchy ayt? But once you get a bite of this yummy beef patties, you might have second thoughts about the concept of a 'Japanese Burger'. Well, this burger is from Sango Burger. It is a small burger joint in the Creekside Mall in Amorsolo St., Makati City. This is more of like a typical fastfood where you go to the counter, place your order, pay and then wait.

However, they are different from Brother's Burger-type since they stand unique. For me, I can't compare the two since they have very different presentations. Sango Burgers makes their burger more of like a home-made burger, one that your mom would cook for you for your snack during recess times. :) yummy!

When I went there with my girlfriend, I personally loved their Master Burger. It is just a simple burger but with a twist; they have no ketchup and mustard, instead it is flavored with their very own unique meat sauce. More of like a chili con carne but with hint of a japanese taste. :D This is good! you must try it! The burger also has lots ( I mean lots and lots!) of onions. I am very particular with burgers with onions since they add more flavor to the sandwich. :) The combination of the onions and their signature meat sauce creates a taste which i have never before tasted in a burger.

Partnering your meal is their french fries, believe it or not, their fries are like the NY Fries, thick and fried with their skin on thats why they taste good. They only come with a ketchup unlike in the NY Fries which comes wiht a choice of two kinds of dips.

To quench the thirst, try their shakes. I ordered the melon milkshake and was surprised to see it in green instead of orange like the typical melon shake.

Overall, I can share with you that I would still come back to this joint to try their rice burgers (yes the one that mcdonalds showcased a year ago) and their yakiniku and teriyaki burgers. Uniquely isn't it? hehe! Well, lets just say its the Japanese way of spicing up ordinary foods. :)

Burger prices range from 89 Php up to 145 Php. A complete meal will cost you around 200Php per head (inclusive of drinks, fries and a burger).

Sango! The Burger Master is at the Ground Floor, Creek Side Mall, Amorsolo St. corner Legaspi Village, Makati City (Beside Pharaoh). You can also phone in your orders in advance, or have your food delivered. (Telephone: 830-0391)

Shrimp Salad from Wah Yuen restaurant

2009-04-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

*an old blog post reposted from my Multiply account

It is my first time to see and eat this kind of salad from a Chinese Resto named Wah Yuen in downtown Ermita.

The Shrimp Salad is a Chinese dish wherein fried shrimp pop-corns are served together with fruits, more of like a fruit cocktail selection with shrimps.

What surprised me is that, the dish is served hot. Yes, it looks like a fruit salad but it is steaming hot. Just imagine eating a microwave-heated fruit salad with shrimps.

Very unique dish!

Nevertheless, I love it! I ate it together with my sweet and sour pork and yangchow fried rice.
You can also ask the chef to serve it cold, wherein the shrimps are steamed.

Now I am getting hungry here in the office already!

Toshia!

Wah Yuen Restaurant

Adriatico St.,

Ermita, Manila (adjacent to Robinson's Place Adriatico Wing)

Japanese dinner @ Oishinbo

2009-04-20T18:55:00.000-07:00

I already lost track how often I've visited Little Tokyo for a choice of authentic Japanese food. Last Black Saturday, we dropped a visit to Little Tokyo again as we introduce atsie Michelle (my gf's older sis) to the place.

Loitering in the courtyard we finally made a decision were to dine. We chose Oishinbo.

Oishinbo specializes in yakitori, teppanyaki, sushi and sashimi. I am excited to try their yakitori dishes since I am not that fond of sashimi.

We tried their Butabara which is a dish of skewered pork belly and just seasoned with salt. It comes with its own tare sauce for you to dip it if you wish. The skewers are chunky and 'siksik' that is why they are great. Though a bit pricey since the pricetag comes per stick and they are bit smaller compared t0 the Pinoy barbecue, they are still worth trying.

Another wonderful dish that we were lucky to order is their Gyu Niku Teppanyaki. When I eat at japanese restaurants, I usually don't prefer teppanyaki dishes since for me they just taste like steaks which were cut into small cubes then stir-fried with veggies like cabbage and bean sprouts. But I had a different one here. Oishinbo's teppanyaki tasted so great. It tasted well that after we finished the plate, we got the drippings and mixed that with our rice because the teppanyaki tastes so good. The meat cubes are so tender.

You may also try their luscious and meaty Ebi Tempura, their Wakame Salad and their Sake Sashimi.

ebi tempura

wakame salad

sake (salmon) sashimi

Cheers!

Oishinbo

Little Tokyo

Chino Roces Ave. ,

Makati, Metro Manila

Enjoying the summer with a Rose Sherbet from Indian Gourmet

2009-04-20T17:59:00.000-07:00

It's raining lately...... but summer is still with us. :)

To quench the hot summer heat, I tried the Rose Sherbet from the Indian Gourmet.

A drink originating from the kitchens of the Mughal empire, it has become the empire's official 'wine' since alcohol consumption is forbidden for the Muslims Mughal empire.

A mixture of extracts of Rose, Spinach, Mint, Watermelon and Carrot mixed together to form a concoction of an authentic Indian beverage perfect for this hot summer. Perfect! It will cool down your body since it also has ayurvedic properties.

Though, I wish that they serve this on crushed ice so it would be more cool and refreshing.

Best eaten with their Roti and a serving of the Chicken Do Pyaza since the spicy taste of the curry battles the cooling effect of the sherbet. :)

Also available is the Sandalwood Sherbet made from a base of orange extracts.

Thanks a ton to Abhra for the warm chat and cool drinks!:)

Indian Gourmet / Art of Spice

Legaspi Market

09173003042 / 09209036256

artspice@gmail.com

Home-cooked Chabacano dish: Bacalao

2009-04-09T22:54:00.000-07:00

I am happy that mama cooked the Bacalao today. :) It has been a family tradition to cook the Bacalao during Good Friday ever since my lola was still with us. This is practiced as a substitute meal in lieu of meat since meat is not to be consumed during Good Friday.

Bacalao is a traditional Chabacano Lenten dish which is made of salted cod, cooked in tomato sauce; sauteed in garlic, onion and tomatoes in olive oil then seasoned with bay leaf, pepper, and bell peppers. It used to be salted cod but due to its expensive price tag and the scarcity of cod in tropical waters, the salted cod's local substitute is the salted 'labahita' which is I think is the tropical cousin of the codfish. As most of Caviteno families cook this dish, Good Friday is sometimes referred to as the 'Bacalao Festival'. :)

While the dish is being cooked, I talked to mama and ate annie and asked them how it is cooked. Well, the cooking portion looked simple but the cleaning portion is quite tedious and messy.

Before cooking, the salted cod or bacalao is soaked in water overnight to soften and cleanse the meat and dissolve the remaining 'lansa'. Then, the morning after, the bacalao is then taken out of the water and shredded-off from the fish bone.

Ma went to sautee in olive oil a mixture of garlic, onions and chopped tomatoes.

While sauteeing, Ma extracted a dyed water from the anatto(achuete) seeds. This will contribute to the reddish-orage hue of the dish.

The dyed water was then poured over the saute mix and she let it simmer. She said that it should be able to 'magmantika' or most of the water should be evaporated and just leave the dyed olive oil in the pan.

When it's done, she poured the bacalao meat in the pan and started mixing it.

Next came the bell peppers, potatoes and garbanzos.

Just mix it evenly and then it's ready to be served.

Our family opts to add the garbanzo but other households have their own versions using cabbage instead. Other families may have their version a little 'masabaw' while some dish are drier. The Chabacano Bacalao is similar to the Spanish dish Bacalao Vizcaina.This dish is like the adobo, since no two families have the same version of Bacalao.

I know that it's Lent and it's supposed to be a time of sacrifice and abstinence but I can't help to comeback for more serving of this dish since this is one of my favourite dish and it's only cooked during Lent. :)

I really enjoyed it with a cup of steamed rice plus a tall glass of ice-cold sago gulaman. :)

Happy Easter guys!

Bacalhau a Bras for Lent

2009-04-09T09:35:00.000-07:00

We don't often see restaurants that serve Portuguese cuisine here in Metro Manila. So far, when I'm asked about Portuguese food, the image of Portuguese Sardines (sardines canned in olive oil and seasoned with chillies, bayleaf and pepper) comes to my mind. I really haven't tried a real Portuguese food.I also have the notion that Portuguese dishes are somewhat close to Spanish cooking since the two are neighbors.

Well, last weekend, I was glad to see Lisboa Portuguese Cuisine in the busy Legaspi Market. Browsing their menu, I was immediately struck with what I want to try. I want their Bacalhau dishes. Bacalhau is a type of salted, sundried codfish, similar to the Filipino daing. I was strucked with their Bacalhau dishes since, during the Lenten week, we Cavitenos also cook a local variety of Bacalhau which we call simply as the 'Bacalao'. However, our local dish is dyed reddish-orange due to the liberal use of the anatto seeds and our dish has its roots from the Spanish influence via the Fort San Felipe in the old Cavite city.

Lisboa offers three kinds of Bacalhau dishes: the Pasteis Bacalhau, which is the Bacalhau fish cakes; the Arroz de Bacalhau, which is the Bacalhau Risotto with garlic onions and tomatoes; and the Bacalhau A Bras, which is what I had. Striking a conversation with the owners, I was surprised to hear that there are many many ways to prepare and cook the Bacalhau. It seems that is delicacy is one of the staples of a Portuguese kitchen.

Bacalhau A Bras is a dish made from shredded Bacalhau, fried strips of potatoes and egg which are then sauteed in olive oil and lightly seasoned with salt and pepper. It is served with a cup of rice as a siding.I find the Bacalhau A Bras a delicious dish. It has light flavor and not too oily and 'malansa'. It's really a great and filling Portuguese lunch.

Lisboa also offers other Portuguese delicacies like meat dishes such as Frango Pire-Pires, Carne De Porco Alentejana; seafoods such as Camaron Grelhado, Ameijoas Bulhao Pato; and desserts like the world-famous custard tart, Pasteis de Nata.

Finally, I got to have a real Portuguese food here in Manila. :)
Thanks a ton Mr. Mario and Ms. Arlyn of Lisboa! :)

Cheers!

Lisboa Portuguese Cuisine

Authentic Taste of Portuguese Cuisine

Salcedo Market / Legaspi Market

09175238205

Sincerity Restaurant: Fried Chicken Galore!

2009-03-29T09:01:00.000-07:00

My family has been searching for this restaurant for several years already ever since my uncle read a mouth-watering article about their fried chicken in the Sunday's daily. As a gastronomic nomad, my mom asked me to go to Binondo to look and search for Sincerity for my uncle.

After countless driving in the main roads and one-way or two-way side streets, we finally found Sincerity Restaurant last week. This hole-in-a-wall place is tucked in the tight and busy Yuchengco St.. Parking can be a challenge here but don't fret since there is a small pay parking lot a few stores beside the rastaurant. It was also just in time that our friend Frannywanny also wrote a post about her experiences with Sincerity. I guess, that kept our appetite burn fiercer for their prized treat, their fried chicken. And then off we went to Sincerity after a tiring week passed by.

When we got here, the place was jampacked with diners. Children and adults all enjoyed the Chinese dishes that Sincerity's kitchen churned out. We waited to be seated upstairs since the place downstairs was already packed full. As we waited, we already ordered our lunch which consisted of the whole order Sincerity Fried Chicken, a bowl Duck Misua Soup, and 2 cups of Kiampong.

The Sincerity Fried Chicken that I had here tasted great. My hungry tastebuds somehow picks up a taste that there is a predominant Chinese spice that was used here, my inkling is that, it can be the 'Five-Spice' mix. I am used in eating fried chicken with several cups of rice since I am a 'rice monster' but the chicken was also good to be eaten even as just a finger food. I had a 'papak' galore!

The warm bowl of Duck Misua was served next. It's a Misua soup with a single duck leg on it. It was my first time to taste a misua soup flavored with duck meat since what we do at home is only Misua soup, flavored with dried, salted shrimp(hebi), tiny slices of pork and garnished with patola. The soup tasted well. My girlfriend, Kat tasted that it has a tiny hint of 'xibut' or 'sibut' which is what they call the traditional Chinese herb mix. This is something new for me.

Their Kiampong is a winner. A very delicious rice dish. Kiampong is a rice dish, cooked in a soy-based boil and garnished with chicken, nuts and spring onions. It is quite similar to Machang, only though the Machang is quite thicker and stickier. Kat and I told each other that we will also come back for it. I've only tasted a Kiampong from my Fil-Chinese friend in the office and as I say, Sincerity's Kiampong matched well with the taste of the Kiampong that my friend gave me. Perfect! Kat said that it was just like the home-cooked Kiampong that they had.

What made it more into a happy and filling meal is the easy price of the lunch fare.

The menu is very easy on the wallet. :)

I'd also like give special thanks to Frannywanny for her well-written Sincerity experiences. :)

Cheers!

Sincerity Restaurant

497 Yuchengco (Nueva) St.,

Binondo, Manila(02)241 9990 (02)241 9972

Philly lunch @ Elbert's Cheesesteak

2009-03-29T07:03:00.000-07:00

Craving for a CheeseSteak sandiwich? I really miss those philly sandwiches that my mom and aunt made us when we had a loooooong drive for a weekend vacation. Memories of those philly sandwiches topped with onions, cheese and bellpeppers It's been quite sometime that my folks prepared this sandwich at our home. Then, two weeks ago, we saw Elbert's CheeseSteak Sandwiches in Powerplant Mall. This cheesesteak store is the 'brother' of the famous steakhouse in downtown Makati.

When my girlfriend and I visited this one for our lunch last week, the one that I ordered is the American Cheesesteak. It is their 'basic' cheesesteak which comes with a chunky portion of thinly-sliced steak on a bread bun and topped with caramelized onions and melted cheddar cheese. Oooh! I still fondly recall the savory smell and flavor of the sandwich! :D Very vivid memories since the steak will be cooked in an iron griddle right in front of you.

Well, I want to share this with you. At first I thought that the sandwich that I had was just small, 'bitin' and quite pricey (around 300+Php for just the sandwich) but when I finished it, I felt so full. The sandwich was such a filling meal. The steak tastes real good and it was a tender bite. The sandwich's roll was also fresh and soft. It's an option to add 80Php to make your meal into a sort of a 'value meal' by the addition of a glass of soda and their fries, which is also good. It's quite close to In-N-Out 's fries.

I just hope that they can offer an option of extra toppings if you want to spike up your sandwich like added cheese, more onions etc.

Well this cheesesteak store definitely made my long-time crave for cheesesteak waaaayyy satisfied. :)

We finished our meal with a smiling tummy and a happy..'burp'. :)

Cheers!

Elbert's Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Lower Basement Powerplant Mall,

Makati City

Explorin' Sichuan at Sze-Chuan House

2009-03-24T22:01:00.001-07:00

Chinese food in Manila are heavily influence by Cantonese cooking by way of HongKong. These involves dimsum, roasting, braising, frying, slow-cooked hot pots, rich and flavorful sauces and
savory stews.

However, I also love to try other Chinese dishes like those of the Sze-chuan cuisine.

Sze-chuan or Sichuan cooking are known for their spicy dishes. Quite a robust flavor! They are very liberal in their use of chillies and pepper. Stir-frying is the most common form of cooking a Sze-chuan dish. Images of a sizzling wok with veggies and meat over a high-flame plays on my mind whenever I think of Sze-Chuan dishes.

If you want Sze-Chuan dishes, try to drop a visit to the Sze-Chuan House along Roxas Blvd. Yup, the name sounds very flat and ordinary, and not eye-catching for me. It has been there for
the longest time (since late 70s) but it did not attract my attention until recently. I always pass by this restaurant when I was still in college but it didn't caught my attention for the misconception that it's just an ordinary Chinese restaurant serving the typical Chinese dishes. But when we dropped this place a visit last weekend, we were surprised to see that their menu boasts different varieties of Sze-Chuan dishes along with other Chinese dishes.

Oh and I almost forgot, their ambiance also reminds me of those old Chinese restaurants (laminated woodworks, linen tables, incandescent lamps) that we used to visit when we were still young.

We ordered a serving of the KungPao Frog Legs and the Double-Cooked Pork for our lunch.

KungPao Frog legs is a traditional Sze-chuan dish made of stir-fried frog legs cooked with a sweet spicy sauce seasoned with sundried chillies, sliced leeks and garnished with peanuts. A few years back, I already tried the KungPao Chicken that's why we tried the frog legs variety. I am no big fan of frog legs due to the distinct unique flavor of its meat but the dish do taste good. It's not my favorite dish but I can go along with it. My girlfriend loved the dish that she ate a big portion of the frog legs.

The other trademark Sichuan dish of Double-cooked Pork was served next. The Double- Cooked Pork has a long history in Sichuan cooking. I like it better than the frog legs. The dish came in generous portion of pork bacon cuts (not the bacon cold cuts) seasoned with spices(predominantly chillies) and garnished with sliced bell peppers and onions. This stir-fried dish tasted great. They're a bit spicy and salty.

Their Yangchow rice is just ordinary, though it tasted more of like a 'Filipinized' Yangchow rice.

What lies next for us when we go back here are their Dandan Noodles and their rendition of the Mapo Doufu. Another trademark Sze-chuan dishes.

When you visit this place, try to look for the menu items with red exclamation marks as these are the traditional Sze-Chuan dishes. The more the exclamations get, the spicier and hotter it gets. :)

Cheers!

Sze-Chuan House

Aloha Hotel

2150 Roxas Blvd. cor. Quirino Ave.,

Malate, Manila

02 526-8088 ; 02 525-4192

Suzhou's Xiao Long Bao

2009-03-22T10:29:00.000-07:00

We were craving for a dimsum meal last night and we headed straight to Binondo. We drove through the side streets and searched for Suzhou Dimsum.

Suzhou's specialty is the Xiao Long Bao. This is a dumpling filled with meat, kuchay, spices and a spoonful of hot broth.

Suzhou's version have a meatball that tastes with a hint of ginger inside the dumpling which is further enhanced by the flavor of the vinegar dip with julienned ginger. These are great! This is the second time that I tasted Xiao Long Bao and I'd say that this is better then the first one that I tried. I think this is the the perfect Xiao Long Bao for me. Suzhou also offers frozen Xiao Long Bao and other dimsum for take away.

Their Steamed Soy Beef and Tofu Seafood Soup are also great. I love the Tofu soup since it is not that too rich and heavy. It's midway between rich versus a clear broth. It is also infused with a lot of squid and shrimp. Light and warm! Perfect to savor down your palate along with an ice-cold bottle of Tsingtao beer.

Enjoy!

Suzhou Dimsum
Gandara St. (Padilla St.), Binondo, Manila

Warm delicious and quick chow from the heart of Binondo

2009-03-07T19:01:00.000-08:00

Well, I can say that this post is a part of my 'Noodle Series'. Kidding aside, I have tried another version of Chinese noodles in Binondo. This is when I paid a visit to Masuki.

Masuki (originally Ma Mon Luk) is a Chinese eatery which specializes in noodle soups or 'mami'. We had a breakfast date here this week and I was introduced to their Asado Mami. The Asado Mami is a serving of noodles in chicken broth and topped with chopped spring onions and slices of pork asado. Now, this is the part which is different. Before you eat, you will be offered a small cup of asado sauce for you to use as a siding. You can use it as a dipping sauce for your asado slices or you can pour some of it to the soup broth. I chose the latter. I poured some asado sauce to the soup to give it a more balanced flavor. Their mami is different since the chewy noodles are white-ish and not yellowish.

Well that's it! A warm, delicious and filling Chinese noodle breakfast from Masuki! :)

Masuki Mami Restaurant

931 Benavides St.,

Binondo, Manila

244-07-45, 243-2674

a homey and a laid back lunch @ Mary Grace Cafe

2009-03-06T01:07:00.000-08:00

My mom is very fond of this cafe in Piazza Serendra and so our family decided to tag along for a weekend lunch. I had an appetizer of their Cheese Roll and a plate of the the Spicy Lemon Scampi pasta.

I love the Cheese Roll! It's so soft and contains generouse amount of cheese inside. A very tasty treat! I prefer to have it grilled since the dough is warmed-up and the cheese is soft.

Their Spicy Lemon Scampi pasta is also great. It's a pasta topped with big pan-seared shrimps. The pasta is flavored with a n olive oil-based sauce flavored with chillies, lemon and garlic.

Then I topped off the meal with a glass of ice-cold apple cinnamon iced tea.

I also love the ambience and the service of the cafe. The ambience is very homey and cozy and gave me a relaxing athmosphere. They also feature cute table designs wherein notes from customers are posted on the dinner tables. The crew are uber friendly and attentive.

Now, I know why my mom always frequents this cafe whenever she is in Serendra.

Mary Grace Cafe

Piazza Serendra,

Bonifacio Global City,

Taguig, Metro Manila

856-0308

Shinjuku Ramen house

2009-03-06T00:20:00.000-08:00

Last week, I had a terrible toothache and I preferred a soft diet since I can't chew that much. I was craving for foods that are easy to gulp down without the need for great munching. I met my girlfriend for a lunch date and we headed for a quick lunch at Shinjuku Ramen House in Makati Ave. As a big fan of Ramen dishes, I am very eager to eat despite the toothache. This is already my third time to visit Shinjuku and I have delicious memories of this ramen-ya.

For lunch and for the benefit of my aching tooth, we had a serving of Miso Ramen, Gyoza and Chahan fried rice.

The Miso Ramen is good. It came in a big bowl with ramen noodles topped with bean sprouts and mushrooms immersed in a Shiromiso (white miso) broth. The shiromiso broth was not very strong but just have enough flavor. The broth is very light and easy to munch down with. The Miso Ramen does not have an extraordinary taste but I love this type of ramen with its light, plain and tangy taste. To give it a kick, one can choose to sprinkle the chillied rayu oil to make it spicier. We just shared one regular order of this Ramen since we were afraid that we might not finish an individual serving.

Another dish that we shared is the Gyoza. Shinjuku is proud of their gyoza as one of their bestselling dishes on their menu. Their Gyoza was a big and chunky dumpling flavored with a strong garlic flavor, which I certainly love for a gyoza. It's also perfect to be dipped in its own tare sauce.

The Chahan fried rice is just ordinary. Nothing special about it but it also taste good. We just ordered it as a 'filler' if ever we went 'bitin' in our lunch.

We'll be back here to try their Tsuke-Men ramen.

Enjoy!

Shinjuku Ramen House

Makati Ave., Makati City

890-6106, 890-6107

The legacy of Chefoo

2009-02-11T22:14:00.000-08:00

Growing up and living in Cavite City is a collection of vivid and colorful memories and experiences that I will cherish and be proud of as a Caviteno. There's the unique Chabacano language; the Tamales peanut paste cooked during the Todos Los Santos and Yuletide season; the Bacalao which is a staple meal during Lent; the 'quesillo' or commonly called 'kesong puti'; the townsfolk's untarnished devotion to the city's patroness, the Nuestra Senora dela Soledad de Porta Vaga; and many more. One of the many cultural images of my hometown that people always look back and always go back to is the Chefoo restaurant.

Chefoo, as it is colloquialy called has the full name of New Chefoo Restaurant. Chefoo started in 1945 as a small pansiteria which serves pansit and fried chicken. It is owned and operated by a Filipino-Chinese family who has served and continuously serve the people of Cavite City for more than half a decade already. When I was young, I used to think of Chefoo as a plain Chinese restaurant, just it. But when I grew up, I realized that it is not just plain Chinese restaurant because they also serve Filipino and American dishes as well. It's more of a melting-pot restaurant for Chinese, Filipino and American dishes. One of the reason I thought was, they serve American dishes maybe because of the proximity of the US Naval bases in Sangley Point to the restaurant.

One of the distinct trait of Chefoo is the menu are predominantly Chinese cuisine-infused, but majority of them have Spanish nametags; example are: Gallina Frita, Menudencia con Kasuy, Comida China, Camaron Rebosado, Dorado con Jamon, Escabeche, Pescado con Tokwa y Tausi to name just a few. As you can see, the retaurant has flourished and infused the different cultures that have thrived and prospered in Cavite City over the past centuries.

My personal favorites here are the Hototay soup, Crab Fooyoong and their Sweet and Sour Pork.

I love the light and clear broth of the Hototay soup. It's a light soup infused with vegetables, shrimps, pork strips, ginger, and raw egg which will cook in the broth as you stir it. It's a great soup for lunch or dinner.

The Crab Fooyoong is also great. It is a simple egg omelette infused with onions and crab meat (not imitation crab meat) and smothered with its own special savory sauce.

The dish that I love the most here is the Sweet and Sour Pork. Their version has a sauce which is brownish than reddish in hue and it is slightly different from the other sweet and sour dishes that I had. The dish has a perfact balance between sweetness and tanginess and the pork nuggets are not too tough or 'makunat'. They all go well with the Shanghai Rice that we used to order.

Their fried chickens are also one of my favorites: both the Gallina Frita and the Fried Chicken. The Gallina Frita is a version of fried chicken that is cooked like that of the Chinese-style fried chicken. Devoid of crispy batter, they are marinated in a soy-based solution, seasoned with spices and then fried to perfection. Another is the plain Fried Chicken. This Fried Chicken is more of the American-style. It is coated in a seasoned batter and then deep-fried. What I love about this dish is the crispiness and the chicken's delicious batter coating. What's perfect for me is devouring both of these chicken dishes with a banana ketchup on the side.

One of the unique specialty of Chefoo is the Pansit Tostado. It is a peculiar item for those people not familiar with it. Basically, this is a noodle dish, similar to Pansit Guisado but served with crispy, toasted noodles on top.
It is not just plain toasted noodles like the Chinese Birthday noodles but it looks more like a one big toasted noodle cookie which was carefully toasted at the bottom of the wok.

My memories of Chefoo includes family reunions and other occasions celebrated here. As you can see, it is a very verstile place for events. I think the one that I haven't done here yet are drinking sessions.

Try this out when you have the chance to visit Cavite City.

Oh, and before I forget, do not forget to have a sip of their home-made Iced tea to accompany your meal. It's very good!

New Chefoo Restaurant

945 P.Burgos Avenue,

San Roque, Cavite City

Japanese 'Torta' experience

2009-02-04T04:09:00.000-08:00

After my Hana Takoyaki experience, we then tried it's neighboring izakaya, the Kagura. Kagura's specialty is the Okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki is a compound word which derives from two words; ''Okonomi" which means" to one's liking" and "yaki" which means "to grill". It is a popular teppan-fried, batter-based dish. It is served throughout Japan but it is extremely popular in the Kansai region. Okonomiyaki is made from a batter of egg, water, cabbage and flour then grilled in a teppan griddle with an assortment of stuffings like meat, seafood and vegetables. When cooked, it is then brushed with a sweet spicy Okonomi sauce (a brownish sauce similar to Worcestershire sauce), Kewpie mayonnaise and finally dusted with Katsuboshi and Aonori flakes. Okonomiyaki is also commonly called as the "Japanese pancake".

Kagura's Okonomiyaki is cooked right in front of the customer. They have a bar-style arrangement where customers are seated right in fornt of the teppan grills. I find this as a very good style since the customers (specially first timers) can have a first-hand view of how the Okoniyaki is prepared. Aside from that, they also have 3-4 tables where diners can have a privacy. Kagura prepares the okonomiyaki a la 'Kansai-style', which means they grill the
batter together with the stuffings over the hot teppan grill.

We chose to order the Okonomiyaki-mix since it is our first time and that posed as the
one with a little bit of everything. The dish boasted generous amounts of cabbage, pork,
shrimps and squid. It is not over-brushed with the mayonnaise and okonomi sauce that is why it doesn't have a very rich and no 'umay' taste. Well, for me, its more comparable to the Pinoy
'torta' than a pancake since it involves savoury ingredients instead of sweet stuffings like in
pancakes.

Okonomiyaki-mix is a very tasty meal on itself. I think it is a meal on itself since I saw that
several Japanese patrons are eating their okonomiyaki on its own devoid of a cup of gohan.
We chowed our Okonomiyaki-mix with a side dish of their Yakisoba and several rounds of complimentary of Mugi Cha.

The staff is warm and very entertaining. You can have converstions with them as they cook
your order. You can also see that the owner is a huge fan of Hanshin Tigers baseball team
of Japan. Aside from baseball mementos, this cozy restaurant is also adorned with different
Noh masks.

We'll be coming back here to try their other okonomiyaki and their Hanshin Ika as recommended by one of the staff.

Gochisosama Deshita!

Kagura
Little Tokyo,
2277 Chino Roces formerly Pasong Tamo St.,
Makati City
(632) 894-3856

goin' dumplings @ Dong Bei

2009-02-03T10:30:00.000-08:00

Dumplings are quite gaining notoriety over Metro Manila recently. Apart from their cheaper prices, they are easier to chow and they are usually marketed together with stir fried noodles and a glass of cold drink. If you are into the dumpling craze, try to visit Dong Bei Dumpling in Binondo.

Dong Bei means 'North East' in Chinese. As said, this type of dumpling originated from Northeastern China. Dong Bei serves authentic Chinese dumplings. Their dumplings can be chosen from the following varieties; pure minced pork or minced pork mixed with chopped kuchay all wrapped in their home made dumpling wrapper.

For your own choice, you can have it steamed or fried. We chose to have the steamed dumpling than the fried since it is less sinful (just kidding!). Their dumpling comes with a dipping sauce made from a concoction of local vingar, soy sauce and minced garlic. For those with spicy tongues, you can ask for their home made chilli oil to make your dipping sauce a bit hotter.

Simple as it may seem, their dumpling is very juicy and tasty. The wrapper is not too soggy nor too chewy after it was cooked. It was steamed perfectly and it suited my palate. A very light and delicious meal to end my day. While dining, you can also view how they make their dumplings.

As the dumplings are a light meal to the tummy, so is it's price tag. It comes for only 100 bucks per 10 piece order.

You can also try their xiao long pao (soup dumpling). This is quite similar to the dumplings mentioned above but with more broth inside the wrap.

Another optional add-on is the Xinjiang Beef which is a savory beef dish made from tenderloin cuts seasoned with spices and sesame oil then served with chopped cucumber.

Both of these meals are great complements to your dumpling meal.

Check it out!

Dong Bei Dumpling

Yuchengco St. (coming from Binondo Church Ongpin St., turn LEFT at Yuchengco St.)

Binondo, Manila

kama kama kamameshi

2009-02-03T08:37:00.001-08:00

"Kamameshi" which directly translates to "kettle rice", is a traditional Japanese rice dish cooked in an iron pot. The rice is cooked with your choice of other savoury ingredients like meat, seafood and assorted vegetables. They are then cooked together in a special sauce and served in its iron pot held by a wooden holderWhat we've had was the Gomoku Kamameshi. Gomoku Kamameshi is the Kamameshi variant with assorted ingredients. Since this is our first time to try Kamameshi, we tried this since it has a little bit of everything among the choices. The Kamameshi was given to us contained in its iron pot with its wooden holder. The dish contained generous amount of japanese short-grain rice smothered with meat and vegetables. It had ground pork, together with julienned carrots and string beans and slices of flavorful shiitake mushrooms. The rice is brownish in color, probably because of the sauce where it was cooked with. I guess the sauce is a soy-based mixture with a hint of mirin and dashi, which are a staple of japanese cooking. At the bottom of the pot is the burnt rice or the "tutong" since the iron pot was cooked directly over fire. The "tutong" tasted well and we compared it to the tutong in the Spanish Paella. After this, we dubbed the Kamameshi as the "Japanese Paella".

The rice dish' flavor is good. It is not too strong in flavor and I find it light and smooth. Japanese Yakimeshi or Chahan fried rice dishes has a much stronger flavor than Kamameshi. For me, I can consume the Kamameshi on its own, devoid of other viands.

We chowed down our Gomoku Kamameshi with a serving of Misoshiru (Miso soup), Tempura, Yakitori and the Backdraft roll. Our Kamameshi encounter is a new and wonderful addition to our Japanese dining experience.
Kamameshi and other delectable Japanese dishes are available at the New Kamameshi House.

Gochisosama Deshita!

New Kamameshi House

Japanese Cuisine
Zobel Roxas, Ave.
Singalong, Manila
02 524 22219

Takoyaki experience

2009-02-03T08:21:00.000-08:00

When I was a kid, I used to see a stall in Landmark where the vendor would pour a batter into a hot iron plate with small 'dimples' (i call it that way back then) and put pieces of octopus on it. It will then be cooked and served with a reddish sweet spicy sauce topped with a brownish, fishy powder. It is then packed in a rectangular styro box to be consumed by the customer. This is where I got introduced to Takoyaki.

Takoyaki is a popular Japanese food made with a batter, tempura scraps or tenkasu, a chunk of octopus, Kewpie mayonnaise, katsuoboshi, aonori bits and topped with okonomi sauce, . As named, Takoyaki means 'baked/fried octopus'; 'tako' which is octopus and 'yaki' which means to bake or grill. Takoyaki is a popular street food or snack food.

Right now, I've always come back to my favorite takoyaki stall in Makati. It is the takoyaki stall in Little Tokyo. It's right in front of Hana and is manned by a Japanese named Takumi who hails from Osaka which is the hometown ofTakoyaki. I always go back to his stall since this is the best takoyaki that I have tasted. Over the course of several servings, I've managed to strike some conversations with him and he shared to me his method of cooking his takoyaki. Takumi cooks his takoyaki in the usual way but with a difference. The difference is on his use of the beni shoga or the red pickled ginger. I haven't seen a takoyaki stall here that does the same way of cooking like him. When he cooks his takoyaki, he sprinkles bits of chopped beni shoga into the batter. For me this makes the difference. It has a more 'well-rounded' taste since the ginger has added another balancing flavor to the dish apart from the 'seafood' taste made by the diced octopus and the katsuoboshi powder. His verion of okonomi sauce also suits my taste. This is the most authentic and best-tasting takoyaki that I have tried. It's already great to be eaten on its own but I wouldn't hesitate to have it wolfed-down with a cup of gohan.

The takoyaki is sold in a 6-ball serving for 100Php.

Try it!

HANA RESTAURANT

Little Tokyo, Makati City

Telephone: +63 2 339 3855

Turning Sumo Wrestler @ Sekitori

2008-12-27T09:39:00.000-08:00

Sekitori is our third installment in our Little Tokyo Trip (first is Hana then second is Urameshi-Ya). Sekitori means a rank in Sumo Wrestling professional division: makuuchi and juryo .

Owned by Masakazu Seto, a retired sumo wrestler himself, Sekitori is a Japanese restaurant that specializes the Sumo Wrestler's Stew or Cyanko(chanko).

The stew comes in a big hotpot of different meat, seafood and veggies cooked in a choice among the following broths:
a. Sekitori Cyanko (chicken broth)
b. Miso Cyanko (Miso broth)

c. Kimuchi Cyanko (Kimchi broth; spiced-up version)

As beginners, we opt to choose the Sekitori broth. We were then surprised the moment that the cast iron hot pot was served since we only ordered the Ozeki(medium) portion, the one good for 2-3 persons. I think what they meant was 2-3 sumo wrestlers can enjoy the dish! Hehe! Kidding aside, the cast iron pot was so big and together with it, the meat and vegetables were so plenty. There were pork belly strips, chicken meat, shrimps, fish, fried and soft tofu, mushrooms, crab(not imitation crabmeat!) and tons(yes, I mean tons!) of veggies like cabbage, beansprouts, leeks and lettuce. I think 4 people can still share and enjoy this Japanese dish.

The mixture of meat, seafood and vegetable pieces are then dunked into the hotpot and left to boil for a few minutes.The attendant was attentive to guide us about the dish and was kind enough to cook the dish for us.
The broth is very light and refreshing. I think all the flavors of those dunked into the pot blended well together. The broth is somehow similar to the Chinese Hototay soup but minus the ginger and the egg.
The meat/vegetable pieces is then ready to be picked up when it is already cooked and tender. It is then dipped in a daikon oroshi sauce and then eaten with rice. The daikon oroshi sauce is great. At first, when the hot pot was not yet ready, I was not fond of the sauce's taste since it is somehow soury/pickle-like taste but when I ate it with the dish, it was a blast! The strong pickle-like flavor balanced the stew's light flavor. At your own discretion, you can also choose to put ground sesame seeds and chilli powder to spice-up your sauce.

Though a bit pricey for 980Php for one Ozeki serving of hotpot, I think 4 person can still share on the dish since the serving is huge. Also available is the Yokozuna (large) serving which caters to 5 persons.

This is my first time to try a hot pot dish, Japanese style and I'll be coming back for another Sumo meal. :)

Gochisosama deshita!

Sekitori Japanese Restaurant

Little Tokyo

Chino Roces Avenue,

Makati City

02 894 3876

seto@bnft.co.jp

click here for more photos.

Noodles! Noodles! Noodles!

2008-12-25T09:50:00.000-08:00

I love noodles, all sorts of noodles from the Western-inspired pastas into the Eastern-inspired sobas/ramen or the, Chinese stir-fried noodles.

Chinese wok-fried or stir-fried noodles are now rampant around the metropolis. They can be found in the train stations, malls, or just about almost everywhere in the street. They are usually sold 25-30 Php an order and usually topped with your choice of siomai or dumplings.I love to eat stir-fried noodles since they are lightweight, not messy and they're quick to chow.

However, I think I found the best stir-fried noodles in town that satisfied my palate.

Meet Manvy Foods.

Manvy Foods is a noodles stall in Legaspi Market that offers stir-fried noodles.

What's the catch? They make their own noodles by themselves! Yes, their noodles are home-made. Once you are in their stall, you can sometimes catch the owner making their noodles.

Oh I forgot, the noodles that they use are made from veggies! Healthy option! What comes with their noodles also surprised me. Big chunks of shrimps and generous cuts of squid! To top it off, smother the noodles with their own concoction of sauces ranging from soy-based sauces to peanut sauce. You can also ask them if you want your noodles to be boiled instead of stir-fried, but I recommend that you try the stir-fried. :)

Also available are dumplings or a purely vegetarian choice of noodle toppings.

The noodles are affordable for a pricetag of 90Php per order of the Seafood or Dumpling while 80Php for the vegetarian.

Manvy Foods

Legaspi Market

(02) 254-74040917-8487012 or 0920-9212675

Urameshi Ya - Yakiniku experience

2008-12-13T17:25:00.000-08:00

Next stop after the Hana experience last week, it's yakiniku time at Urameshi-Ya.

Yakiniku is a Japanese dish that means 'grilled meat'. At first look, what makes Urameshi-Ya unique is its theme. It's motif is more of into the 'funeral/cemetery' type. Its layout, according to the attendant are inspired by Japanese funeral customs like the making use of sotoba as decos.

As first timers, we asked the attendants what are the best sellers. At first, she offered us theTarafuku Set but we declined on it since it contained beef tongue which I am not a fan of. We instead ordered the Tokujyou-Karubi (beef slices) and the Buta Bara (seasoned pork slices).

left: Tokujyou-Karubi

left: Buta Bara

A plate of yakiniku comes in generous servings complete with sides of a slice of lemon, lettuce and leeks. The beef were so tender and tasty while the pork was not tough as well. A dipping sauce is provided for the barbecues. They all went well with a bowl of Japanese rice and an ice cold Coca-Cola. This experience was a lot different from the japanese barbecues (i.e yakitori) in commercialized japanese restaurants. This yakiniku is somewhat similar to the Bulgogi dish of the Koreans but they do taste uniquely.Urameshi-Ya also offer pork and beef intestines as well as vegetables for you to grill.

What I also love here is their table setting where you get to grill your own barbecues in your table. The ambience is perfect and well lit. I like their lighting and wooden appearance. They also have a good ventilation system so no fumes or smoke from the grill lingers inside the restaurant. The staff are also very warm.

We had a great and yummy Japanese Barbecue experience in Urameshi, though it is a bit pricy compared other Japanese restos.

We ended the night with a hearty "burp!".

Take note, Urameshi-Ya is only open at 5PM to 1PM.

Urameshi-Ya

Inside Little Tokyo

Chino Roces Ave., beside Makati Cinema Square

02 813 2210

Open @ 5PM-1AM

Indian Gourmet's ROGAN JOSH

2008-12-08T03:46:00.000-08:00

As described on my previous posts, I love Indian Cuisine. I love their curries, mutton dishes, biryani rice dishes, stews and their flat breads. If you are into Indian food or would like to explore the cuisine, I would like to share my experience in the Indian Gourmet stall in the Legaspi Market. Indian Gourmet is a stall that sells specialty Indian Dishes that are all home made.

It's been several times already that we went to Indian Gourmet and this is only the time that I had a try of their meals since before, I was already full by the time I passed by their stall that's why I only managed to order their specialty beverages. What I tried here is their rendition of the Rogan Josh (Php 340). Rogan Josh is one of my favorite Indian dishes ever since I started to try the cuisine. Rogan Josh is a mutton dish or stew that is cooked in clarified butter (ghee) and then seasoned with spices under intense heat. The meal can come with steamed rice or their Roti bread. I chose the Roti bread to accompany my breakfast meal since I want to have the 'authenticity' of an Indian meal.

Indian Gourmet balanced the spices right in their Rogan Josh. It's not too spicy nor not too bland. It doesnt have the aftertaste/scent associated with mutton (lamb or goat). Though, I havent' asked the owners/chef Abhra or Ria about the prevalent spices, the spices' mixture is perfect. I love the blend of the spices in my taste buds after a scoopful of the Rogan Josh with their home made Roti bread.

This is an excellent Indian dish. I would recommend this to my friend and would come back to the Indian Gourmet for another serving.

To top off the meal, we ordered the homemade strawberry lassi to quench our thirst in the December morning. This lassi is also a must try specialty.

Thanks to the owners Abhra and Ria for a warm conversation accompanying the delicious dish!

Indian Gourmet also offers Vegetarian dishes like Popadums, Dal Makhni, Mutter Mushroom, Shahi Paneer. Meat and Chicken dish like Chicken Do Pyaza. Chutney varieties like Mango and Tomato Chutney plus the sides Basmati Rice or Roti Paratha. For the drinks, also available are chai tea-latte, masala lassi and the mango honey lassi.

Cheers!

Indian Gourmet

Indian, Middle Eastern & North African Cuisine

artspice@gmail.com 09173003042 / 09209036256

All New Rextaurant of Comedy by Rex Navarette

2008-12-01T04:23:00.000-08:00

This show was soooo funny! Rex Navarette didn't change. He is still the funny guy who cracks jokes on the typical Pinoy culture both here and the abroad(in the US specifically). New jokes, new lines and new impressions, it was really a night full of laughter and fun. I really love the way he makes an impression of his mom. :)

I also want to thank Mike Unson for a funny opening skit!:) I love his MRT drivers' impressions. You've hit it right man!

What I can just comment on the show is that it already started 30 minutes late and Rex' stint was only an hour. I was kind of 'bitin' also but nevertheless, it was so funny.

Great show Rex! :)

Hats off to you guys.

The Last Fight of Philippines' Unsung Heroes

2008-11-27T00:30:00.000-08:00

"...Ayaw ko ng apoy.." was the line of Mang Ruben before his dying breath in 'Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street'.

When I first saw the ad poster of the play 'Mga Gerilya ng Powell Street', it struck me and something drove me into watching it. Well aside from the fact that I am a World War II junkie, I have a soft spot for wartime veterans since some of my old folks were wartime veterans that is why I have that urge to watch this play.

The story revolves around the plight of the Filipino WW2 guerillas in the US who are lobbying for the Equity Bill that will grant them equal benefits with their American counterparts. As seniors waiting for their 'long distance call from Heaven', this Equity Bill will then grant them bigger pensions, including funeral benefits which in turn will grant their ultimate dream to be buried intact in their Motherland and not as a cremated being stuffed in what they call 'garapon ng bagoong'. The play portrays how they were just granted US citizenship but still denied the full privileges and benefits of American wartime veterans.

The show was very well balanced in a way that the comical part is well contrasted by the sadder events like their longing for their native country, their unfortunate stints with abusive relatives in the US and their ongoing fight for what is rightfully theirs . The play presented the veterans' issue more of as an awareness campaign rather than presenting it with an anti-american theme.Like what my girlfriend said, there are points in the plot where we are touched and on the verge of crying upon learning how the Pinoy veterans are coping with their 'last war' in the US.

On the lighter side, what I loved about the play is that they hit the older men's humor like the way they laugh, act, think,reason out, eye for younger women and how they curse; believe me, they exactly portrayed the manner how my lolos say the 'P' word! Each of the guerillas presented a unique character. From a bachelor DOM into a well-disciplined Major up to a loving father, the characters were able to touch the audiences' hearts with their comical and heartbreaking lines.

The play was very excellent. Hats off!If I have the chance, I will definitely watch it again.

Watch it at the Tanghalang Huseng Batute, Cultural Center of the Philippines from November 7-30 2008 3pm and 8pm showtimes. Tickets available at CCP and TicketWorld.

Sala Thai Cuisine

2008-09-19T02:07:00.000-07:00

Sawatdee Krap!!!

When I was young, my family used to eat at several Thai restaurants here in Manila. This is where me and my brothers got introduced to the Thai cuisine. I love Thai cuisine because, of all the cuisines that I have tried, I think Thai food provides me with a multitude and wide selection of flavours to tickle my taste buds.
They have sweet, sour, spicy and salty flavours from which you can choose from. But sadly, after sometime, all those Thai restaurants that we used to visit when we were young closed down one by one. It's been sometime that we had Thai food since we had difficulty looking for restaurants that serve Thai cuisine.

Until one day, I managed to pass-by J Nakpil St. in Malate, Manila and saw Sala Thai.

It then gave me hope after that first spoonful of Tom Yum Kung was lifted to my maw, a light bulb popped-up in my head and I thought, "This is it!!! Thai food is back in town!!!”

Sala Thai Restaurant is a casual dining restaurant that serves authentic Thai dishes at affordable prices. Its authenticity is demonstrated in the spices that the dishes use. As shared by the staff and the owner, the spices that are used are imported from Thailand. The chefs are Thai that is why it also helped maintain the traditions of the Thai cuisine.

We often visit Sala Thai restaurant. Let me share to you some of our top picks here.

For the soups, their Tom Yum Kung (hot sour prawn soup) is excellent since they are well-balanced in the flavours between spicy and sour.
The soup's color is not pale unlike in other Thai restaurants.
It's the closest Tom Yum that I tasted at par with the ones that I had in Bangkok. The ingredients, especially the shrimps and mushrooms are served generously. They're not 'bitin' nor 'tipid'. We always go for a serving of Tom Yum Kung when we are dining here. You can also try the Tom Yum Gai (chicken) or Tom Yum Talai (seafood) version.

Another soup, the Tom Kha Gai is also great.

Tom Kha Gai is a chicken soup cooked in coconut milk and galangal. They serve the soup with plenty of chicken chunks, together with galangal and mushrooms. What's great here is that, their version of Tom Kha Gai is not watery. This is great since you can fully savor the soup's body and flavour.

For the salad, Yam Pla Duk Fu, the catfish-mango salad is truly a winner. Before I've tried the Sala Thai's version, I was not a fan of the catfish salad, but after I tasted it there, I already became a fan of it! Out of all the dishes here, this is my personal favorite. Yam Pla Duk Fu is a Thai sour salad made from deep-fried shredded catfish meat, topped with a Thai dressing made from sliced green mangoes, onions, fish sauce, a hint of sugar, roasted peanuts, chopped 'siling-labuyo', sun-dried Thai chillies and garnished with chopped green onions. Now, you might be cringing from the thought of the chillies? No, this dish is not uber spicy. The different flavours present here blends together harmoniously. This is an example of what I was saying in terms of the multitude of flavours that Thai Cuisine have. It is good to be eaten as a plain salad or it's also good to be eaten as a viand with rice.

Som Tam is also another type of Thai salad which can be tried by folks who are into spicy salad. This is a salad made from grated papaya which are pounded on mortar and pestle. The salad's dressing is made from fish sauce, chillies, onions, tomatoes, peanuts, dried shrimp and palm sugar. This is a bit spicier compared to the catfish salad.
I had this for the first time in Bangkok but when I tasted Sala Thai's version it's comparable to the one that I had in Bangkok.

For viands, we love their Pandan Chicken, Beef in Holy Basil, Beef in Red Curry, Pork in Red Chilli Paste and Stir-fried Chicken in Ginger.

Pandan Chicken is a favorite viand here. This is somehow common as some Pinoys might think, since they're only deep-fried marinated chicken wrapped in pandan leaves with sweet-chilli as the dipping sauce, as simple as that. But, what's good about them are their sizes, the chicken here are not puny, they are served chunkier and bigger compared to the other pandan chickens that I had.

Beef in Holy Basil is also good. A savoury, stir-fried dish made from beef with Thai holy basil. A very aromatic dish. The Thai holy basil provided its very distinct flavour.

Beef in Red Curry is a beef dish cooked in red curry. This dish is a bit spicy since it is cooked in red curry and peppercorns. The dish also comes with vegetables. It's good to be eaten with rice.

Another good viand is the Pork in Red Chilli Paste. It's a pork dish made with generous amounts of red chilli paste. This dish is a bit saucy or 'masarsa' compared to the beef in basil and beef on red curry. It’s appearance resembles the Filipino Kare-kare, though, it's a bit spicier!

Stir-fry Chicken with Ginger is recommended for ginger lovers. This tasty dish is made from chicken meat stir-fried in slices of ginger, young corn and sitaw. I love the fragrant, gingery smell of this dish. It’s very savoury since the aroma of the ginger will tickle your palate. The spice level of this dish is different to the curry dishes that are available.

What's the common good point of their viand is that, they don't drown the viand with extenders.
When you order a dish, it's sure that it has a lot chicken, beef, pork or seafood.

Let's go to the rice and noodles.

Khao Phad Gai is a good choice from the fried rice varieties. It's fried rice with diced chicken meat, chopped onions and tomatoes and garnished with spring onions. From its taste, I can taste that somehow it is also seasoned with a hint of thai fish sauce. A great tasting fried rice. I am a certified 'rice monster' that is why I love this dish and would prefer this to accompany my meal in Sala Thai.

You can also opt to have their Phad Thai as a replacement for rice.
Phad Thai is a noodle dish made from rice noodles pan-fried with egg, bean sprouts, tofu, chicken or seafood. It is then seasoned with fish sauce, sugar, lime juice and peanuts to add its distinct flavour.
I am not a fan of Phad Thai since I would prefer a serving of rice to accompany my meal but I must say that their Phad Thai is a great substitute for rice. It is very flavourful and the noodles are cooked just right, not too soggy.

For the drinks and refreshment, Cha Yen or Thai Iced Tea is the perfect refreshment for a meal in Sala Thai. The blend of the tea, condensed milk and ice is a great way to cool down the palate after a spoonful of a flavourful meal.
I 'm still waiting for them to serve Thai beers like Singha, Chang, or Leo beers.

For dessert, Thai Tako is available here. Tako is a traditional Thai dessert which is made from tapioca balls topped with coconut milk paste. It is then wrapped in pandan leaves and presented like mini-cupcakes.

Traditional Thai condiments are almost complete here. They have, chopped dried red chillies, vinegar and chopped green chillies, chopped peanuts and sugar to quench the maw if a spicy food is consumed. I love this since in Bangkok, every table in an eatery have these condiments. The place is very Thai!!!

The place's ambience is clean and casual. It's decorated with some Thai ornaments like a
mini-statue in Wai pose and a portrait of HM King Bhumibol and HM Queen Sirikit of Thailand.
The service is fast, clean and the attendants are very attentive.

Price of the meal is not expensive. It is very affordable.
You can get more from what you have paid for.

Since the place is situated beside Philippine Womens University, Sala Thai also serve rice meals.
These are the usual Thai stir-fried beef, pork or chicken in holy basil leaves.
A good, quick chow for someone with a tummy-on-a-run.

Well, these are the reason why we keep on coming back for a meal in Sala Thai.
Hehe! I cannot help but say, 'Im Mak Mak' ('Im very full' in Thai) to Mr. Boon Ma, the chefs and the staff when we met them.

That's all folks!

Cheers! Kap Kun Krap! ('Thanks' in Thai).

*With the Thai chefs

Contact:

SALA THAI Cuisine

866 J. Nakpil St.
Malate, Manila
Tel. 522-4694, 521-6683

Arya Persian Dinner

2008-09-16T22:48:00.000-07:00

We tried Arya Persian Restaurant and I want to share you our dinner experience.

Arya came from the word 'Aryan' which represents the people from which the Persians or Iranians have descended from. It's owned by Mr. Shin Karami who hails from Shiraz, Iran.

Okay, let's go to where the 'meat and potatoes' are, the food. For starters, I love their Arya Dip Platter.It's a meze consisting of a sampler of tzatziki, motabal, mirza ghasemi and hummus.They are very good appetizers if you eat it with their breads. It's also good if you savour it on its own since it is very tasty. What caught my attention is the Mirza Ghasemi since this is something new for me. Mirza Ghasemi is a meze dish which is made of smoked eggplants, tomatoes and garlic.Very good, it's more of like a Persian version of the mousakka minus the meat and the bechamel sauce.

For the meal, we ordered the Makhus.

Makhus is a platter consists of skewers of Koobideh and Shish Kabab.

Koobideh is a Persian dish consisting of ground meat, seasoned with Persian spices then mixed with chopped onions and parsley. The meat is then molded on a skewer and then grilled. I love their version of the Koobideh. The meat is not dry but still juicy when it gets to your plate.The flavours of the persian spice and the onion/parsley mixture went well together. None of them overpowered the flavour of each other.

The Shish Kabab is also a winner. The difference of the Shish Kabab with the Koobideh is that, the Shish Kabab are made of tenderloin chunks instead of ground meat.The shish kabab of Arya looks like it is seasoned with saffron since it has a yellowish hue.This is great since the meat is not tough nor overcooked. It still retained its juiciness and chunkiness after it was grilled not unlike other shish kababs which turns out dry after grilling.

One testimony of the kababs' juiciness is that, after we finished the platter, we still took out some pita bread and wiped off the kabab's drippings in the platter. yummy!!!!

The dish also came with grilled, plump tomatoes which are also great side dishes for the kebab dish.This is a 'must try' dish. I will come back to Arya for this Persian culinary treat.

For the bread, we ordered the Pita bread and the Naan. I would not elaborate more on the Pita bread since it is somehow common to middle-eastern restaurants here in the Metro.I would like to share my experience with their Persian Bread or Naan.

Arya's Naan is different than other Naan that I have tried.It is soft and chewy unlike the others which is more dry and flaky similar already to the Pita or Chapatti flat breadArya's Naan consistency is more of like a pancake without milk. I managed to have a conversation with Mr Shin Karami, the proprietor of the Arya restaurant and he taught me that Pita is more of Arabic bread than Persian. I love it so much that I even ordered another serving for me to take home and have it for breakfast.Surprisingly, they are still soft and chewy eventhough I left it in the fridge overnight before breakfast.

Their garlic sauce is also great. It's not watery. For me, it tasted different from other garlic sauces of the other restaurants that I have tried.Arya has a unique flavour to their garlic sauce. It has a hint of a little bit of sweetness. I love it!The flavour literally bursts in your maw when you try it.It's good on everything, the meat dish, chicken, lamb or even just plain bread!Arya sells it in their Greenhills branch for Php150 on ketchup-sized bottles.I'll buy a bottle of it and I might use it as a sauce for other meat dish.I think it's also good as a salad dressing.

Staff is very nice and accomodating.Deco is perfect, very Persian ambience.Price is not that high since they have big servings.I would try to visit their Greenhills branch since it is much bigger than the Robinson's Place branch.

Kudos to Mr. Shin Karami for a very warm entertainment and for the nice chat.
I'll go back and drop Arya a visit again sometime soon to try their other offerings...

Ciao!

*for more photos, click the ff. URL*

http://gomz24.multiply.com/photos/album/84

Contact:

Arya Persian Restaurant

(Greenhills Branch)

Unit L-9Promenade Mall,Ortigas Ave,Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila

(Robinson's Place Ermita Branch)

2nd level Midtown Wing,Robinson's Place,Pedro Gil St.,Ermita, Manila

727-5062 or 9944879