My Food Trips

2nd time

2012-01-13T06:01:00.000-08:00

2nd's at The Fort is a restaurant on the second floor of a building at The Fort. I like this place for two reasons. It's ambiance and the food. I like that the place stays true to what they deem is good food, and did not attempt to stick to a theme. The first time we went there I ordered the Smoked Caprese Tower- a salad. I liked it, but I was enamored by my friend V's order- the Beef Ribs Adobo.

On our second visit last weekend, this is what I ordered.

Beef Ribs Adobo (P545)

It's not cheap for it's size. I also think that only two people can share this dish, with a good large cup of rice. I wish though the rice was brown ( they served a cup of pristine white jasmine rice).

Adobo is a quintessential Filipino dish of pork or chicken, or both- cooked in soy sauce and vinegar. Good adobo takes some time to cook so that the meat is tender. This one was made with beef ribs, tender and succulent-although I must say, not quite healthy. Could beat a steak dish. Highly recommended.

A Splash of Red for Good Luck

2012-01-10T01:56:00.000-08:00

I don't really do luck and all that, but in keeping with the New Year, tradition and all things sweet and nice, I am posting this vibrant red Coca-cola thingamajig to greet everyone a sweet and sparkling Happy New Year!

Happy New 2012, everyone!

May the good Lord bless and keep us all as we usher in the new year. ;)

Konnichiwa!:D

2011-12-05T07:14:00.002-08:00

Hello! We were to two countries in the last four months, and no, I wan't able to update. M was there for work, and I got to tag along! Lucky me. I must say that I have fallen in love with the "Land of the Rising Sun." It is so enchanting, I understand now why some people gush about this lovely country.M was excited to see Fuji-san, while I was thrilled to be witnessing the koyo (fall season).

We got both wishes and more!:)

On our first night, we went to this ramen bar, just a block away from our hotel along Prince Dori. It was a tiny and busy place, with only bar stools for chairs. It was a ramen BAR, but of course! The staff who assisted us outside the outlet didn't understand much English, but did understood that 1. we were hungry 2. we wanted to try good Japanese food. She suggested we order the bestseller on the list ( heaven knows how we understood it was the bestseller!oh, i remember the nodding and the thumbs up sign! :D)

thick, al dente ramen

Shio-based Ramen, with cured pork, leeks and an egg.

YUM! First meal in Japan was a hit!

The next morning, M had to attend a conference, and I had to look for breakfast on my own. Of course, I mustered enough courage to ask the front desk where the nearest McDonald's was! Good thing it was only two blocks away! Yey!

 The McGriddle

- mapled flavored pancake sandwich with an egg, bacon and cheese.

Divine!

I walked around Chiyoda-ku, exploring the Walking Map provided by the hotel of nearby tourist spots. By 3 p.m., I took my lunch fro the nearby Family Mart and had some convenience store ramen. Awful. Never again!

Good thing I bought this chocolate mallow cookie

to erase the memory of that ramen.

That evening, M had dinner with the delegates, so I explored the nearby fastfood joints.

Iwamoto-q's Tempura Bento meal.

I loved the freshness of the shrimp and the fluffy rice.

After dinner, I went to Family Mart for some dessert.

Azuki Mochi

and the Blueberry yogurt by Meiji.

This was my lunch the next day, I just got some

Onigiri (rice balls) at Family Mart. I got one stuffed

with fish roe. Slimy but yum. I must say, I love rice balls!

Later on, it rained harder. I was invited by M's boss to join the dinner for later.

Embarrasing as it was to join the delegates, I gratefully obliged.

Dinner was at Shiba Tofu-ya Ukai, a Zagat-rated tofu specialty restaurant.

Fancy.

Sake

Candied yams

Pan fried Tofu with a teriyaki-like sauce.

Sashimi

Soft tofu in soya milk. Slightly salted. The odd one among them.

Grilled salmon

I wasn't able to finish the whole set. All good, but everyone got busy with activities.

The next day, we plotted to have breakfast at Tsukiji, but I failed to see

that it was closed on Sundays. Duh.

We were so hungry, we got into a Family Mart along the area and got these for me.

Warm lemon tea and a doughnut. The Japanese love their sweets :)

Speaking of sweets, we entered Hama-rikyu Gardens since it was a stone's throw away from Tsukiji Fish Market. Inside was a lovely tea gazebo, and we tried their tea special of green matcha and sweets for a traditional tea ceremony.

Lunch was at Sushi no Midori Sohonten. Will post pics at the latter portion, when I took them on the second visit. Yes, that good :)

At dinner time, after hopping from one train to another, and experiencing the lovely Shibuya area, we had dinner near Hachiko station. We ate at this simple ramen bar. I had a chicken noodle soup, and M had curry. The Japanese LOVE curry, we learned.

This beautiful bento dish was what we had for lunch during the Mount Fuji tour. It was a delight to the senses, this array. Almost everything in Japan was beautiful. Even my lunch! Awww.

M and I experienced the lights at Ginza and had some more

dessert and tea at a nearby Starbucks. :P

Hello, Green Tea Latte!

Now, here is the the Sushi No Midori meal that we had on our last night in Tokyo. Thanks to various Japan blogsites, we were able to try this delectable feast!

Oishi!:D

Egg custard soup. Me thinks this was made for the gods!

It was an egg custard soup with tiny pieces of shrimp that had settled at the bottom.

So good!

Various sushi rolls

The popular Ponzu

- teriyaki marinated eel over a rice ball. Nom nom.

Yum.

I was especially entertained by this lovely handful of rustic toothpicks.

The lovely end to a lovely meal-Tiramisu.

Arigato gozaimasu, Japan!

Until we meet again.

Island Paradise

2011-09-10T09:46:00.000-07:00

We were whisked to Boracay last month for M's office outing. We were so excited for the beach and the food!

Because there were meals provided by the hotel where stayed in, we didn't have to food trip all the time. For those times we could though, we tried our best to have the stuff I've been reading in other blogs.

For our first stop, we had lunch at Manana Restaurant, a Mexican restaurant that I read at Dessert Comes First and Our Awesome Planet which serves the most wonderful burritos. It was packed full when we arrived, and we had to wait for a table outside. Well, we waited by the beach so it wasn't so bad. :) Anyways, I must agree (and the husband heartily agrees), that the food was awesome!

M ordered this super good Avocado Shake.Perfect for the beach breeze!

Burritos

Hard-shell Tacos

The Burritos and Tacos were delicious! The tortillas were obviously freshly made, so it was all gooey and sticky with the cheese and the filling. Yuum. The Tacos were just as good. Save for the corn grits, everything was perfect! Our first meal in the island was a success. No picture of us two in the resto though, so boo!

The next meals were all sponsored by the office, so we had meals at the hotel. Our next food trip was for an afternoon snack the next day- a very long walk to JOnah's at Station 1 for the infamous milkshakes! M had a Mango Milk and I,

a Mango Lemon

This photo was taken with the Instagram. That's my smile and my hand :)

In the evening, we had dinner at The Sandbar so we could also watch the Fire or Poi Dancers. Food was okay. But the burger we had at Nigi Nigi Noo Noo was yuuuuum! Fat, juicy, old-fashioned burgers, they were only P180! Soooo good!

We weren't able to get our hands on some of Real Coffee's Calamansi cupcakes.

Maybe next time. And I will definitely make sure that I will make it my first stop.

Have a nice Sunday!:)

Food Porn

2011-08-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

I was checking out clothing (for a change! :P) on Team Manila, and I found this amazing food video on their blog by Rick Mereki. Food porn at its best= lovely shots +gorgeous hunk!

Click on this link! Enjoy :)

Garlic and all things nice :)

2011-08-12T10:31:00.000-07:00

I almost always cook with garlic. Save for desserts, and maybe soup, I can't imagine food without it. The onion may be forgotten, but never this white bulb.

We were in the Pasay area at lunch time, and hunted for good food at the gigantic (at least, for my feet) SM Mall of Asia. Facing the bay, we headed in Abe's for some Filipino fare and rice.

And true enough, my garlic-loving heart was happy here. M ordered a seafood dish and I ordered meat. Was hungry!

Sinuteng Baby Squid

Squid cooked in olive oil and garlic, they were really tender and melted in the mouth like some seafood custard. Sigh.

Mutton Lamb Adobo

This is really flavorful and tender. Cooked to perfection, I had noticed only a hint of gamey aroma, a pleasant one at that. M loves goat meat. Maybe someday I will try this at home. And maybe, just maybe I will be successful.

All these and glorious, white, steaming rice.

So good! Abe's. I miss you :)

Sour Trip

2011-08-11T03:35:00.000-07:00

Discovered at Food Court of the SM Hypermart Pasig is this Philippine

favorite combination of sour green mangoes and bagoong ( a fermented shrimp paste).

Dubbed as the Mango-ong, it is clean and crisp at P20.

Mango-ong

Now, I can have a sidewalk style sliced manggang hilaw, and not be afraid of germs. Yipee!

Of Brick Walls and Pasta Trios

2011-07-29T10:24:00.000-07:00

My Mom and I like two other things other than food-- and those are hardwood and bricks. This place we went to last night was a lovely, rustic and romantic Italian restaurant called L'Opera Ristorante Italiano at The Fort Strip, with walls warmed up by bricks. I was staring at the brick arches and walls from the loft, and I forgot to take a photo. Imagine that.

But I did not forget the grub. M was in the mood for splurging on a Friday night.

Minestra con Granchi

This was his soup- the Minestra con Granchi or simply Crab Soup in a tomato base. He liked it, and I could see big chunks of crabmeat on top of the soup.

Please forgive me for the mobile phone shots. I ran out of batteries. Sigh.

This photo doesn't do justice to my Minestrone Soup. It was so good. Earthy.

It was enough to fill me up. But the night was young.

Trittico della Casa

And because this was an Italian restaurant, I thought it was necessary to order pasta. We ordered the Trittico della Casa, a special selection of three pastas of our choice. So, the merry pinpointing began, where we ordered one from each category (Vegetable, Meat, Fish and Seafood).

They were good, but I am not going to do that again. It was excessive and not right. We couldn't enjoy each flavor on its own. Not again. But among the three, what stood out was the strong and pungent Penne Funghi Porcini ( under the Vegetable category, leftmost)). The sauce consisted of a thick and creamy Porcini mushroom cream sauce. Good. The other two flavors were the basic Ragu Toscano ( Meat sauce) and the Vongole Bianco (Seafood). They were good too.

Tagliata di Manzo con Fegato D’oca in Salsa Tartufata con Spinaci e Asparagus

But this one stole the show. Steak, medium well. Split into two.

Melts in the mouth. Salty, buttery. Enough said.

I only wish my camera was fully charged.

Their service is also good. Highly attentive waiters. :D

Bon appetit!

Hearty Eating

2011-02-18T00:39:00.000-08:00

I did not intend to make this a Valentine post.

But what do you do when you've eaten a heart-shaped burger? Yes, you take a picture and show it off! Haha :D

M and I were out yesterday. I tagged along his work, and had a yummy meal after! We dropped by Serendra on our way home and felt like trying this burger place we've so wanted to try for so long.

When we arrived at Murray & D'Vine Bar and Restaurant, we saw that the burgers were heart shaped for the season. Cute! After 10 minutes, our burgers arrived. This is his burger-

Spicy Burger with Bleu Cheese (P390).

The beef was too spicy for me. But I think the bleu cheese added

that much need sharp texture in the patty.

Big burger, at least for me.

I had the Sampler Slider.(P348)

I could have gotten any flavor from the menu to mix up among the 3 sandwiches.

Instead, I got two Veggie burgers, and one beef burger.

The veggie patties were made of corn and carrots shreds.

It's got good flavor. A little spicy. But I kept staring at the corn.

Hmmm.

It was a heart-y meal.

Happy Friday!

Decadence on the Day of Hearts

2011-02-15T18:47:00.000-08:00

How was your Valentine's Day? M and I had the usual celebration. I prepared a bacon breakfast for him, which is an essential ingredient for most special day celebrations at our home. I made a cute cut-out heart greeting for him, too. He was nursing a flu, and had to work too. But he did come home early so we could get a table at one of our favorite restos to date- the Blackwood Bistro. Blackwood Bistro is located at the Venice Piazza in McKinley Hill, Taguig City. We were also lucky to dine al fresco, with outdoor entertainment provided by the mall showcasing an Opera Night for the evening. Lovely.

But yes, we've dined at Blackwood Bistro before, and we were pleasantly surprised that their dishes were delicious! To date, we've sampled five dishes, and all were good- kudos to the Buffalo Crab Claws (of which I wasn't able to take a picture of,boo!).

For this evening, we ordered the following---

Crab and Mango Salad

This lovely salad was filled with generous amounts of greens,

mangoes, strawberries, and lumps of crab meat. Yes, fresh juicy crab meat.

Baked Oysters

M's favorite appetizer, and this dish doesn't disappoint.

The oyster meat was large and juicy and smothered with a cheese-butter sauce.

Braised Lamb Shanks

Tender and earthy lamb shanks,

most probably slow cooked in a rich sauce

and accompanied by some roasted garlic, caramelized onions

and mashed potatoes.

Now for the piece de resistance. M ordered some dessert, and while he was poring through the dessert menu, the waiter suddenly bursts out and convincingly entices us to order their Valentine offering of Foie Gras, which was not on the menu. I hesitate, and the waiter continues on about it being so rich and sweet and good, and that the dish came with a glass of wine. We both looked at him, then we looked at each other, and let him get us some of that Foie Gras. While waiting, M and I were puzzled how Foie Gras can be dessert. Giggling, we had to confirm with each other that foie gras was liver. But yes, we both agreed that we were "seduced" by the waiter to try it. After a while, this arrives,

Foie Gras

Yes it was rich, and sensuous, if I may say so.

The soft goose liver was seared in butter. It came with a piece of toast, dressed with a blueberry compote, chocolate sauce and clotted cream.

The calories!

Oh, but this dish was playing on a different level. We were eating food for the gods, so to speak.

It was so decadent, I just couldn't resist staring at it.

We are never the same. :D

But yes, we just had dinner outside for Valentine's Day. I am just so glad I am able to spend this day with my love.

Later on he hands me a large, long box.

He gave me flowers.

Thanks babe.

Hope you had a wonderful Valentine's day, too!

Loco Moco

2011-02-08T05:33:00.001-08:00

I was so crazy with Zynga games, that I neglected blogging for awhile. Well, partly the reason for neglect. The games were so much fun, particularly Cafe World, but it took so much of my time. I have since let go of Cafe World, and have limited my gaming time to a much lower level. :D However, in one of M and I's food trips, we chanced upon this dish from Tokyo Cafe at The Venice Piazza, McKinley Hill which is one of the dishes in Cafe World. It really struck our fancy, so we ordered it. Presenting, the---

Loco Moco!

According to Wikipedia, the Loco Moco is a popular native Hawaiian dish of white rice, beef patty, an egg and brown gravy. It tastes almost like Jollibee's Burger Steak but with an egg on top. I think this meal would be good for brunch.

It's crazy to see it for real. Fun!

Happy eating!

Shopping

2010-09-30T02:00:00.000-07:00

My favorite form of shopping is at the grocery. :D It is where I am most relaxed. At other shopping areas, I can be quite tense... almost always afraid to make the wrong choices. But at the grocery-wow! I can be quite thorough and at the same time relaxed. :D

So anyway, I chanced upon Mr. Marketman and was inspired by his post on buying produce. I used to buy at Waltermart when we were still living at Pasong Tamo, until I discovered Landmark. I loved the wider selection, and cheaper products there. I still prefer this grocery for their vegetables and fruits. However- since we moved to Taguig, I frequent Market Market more. I have yet to compare the prices of the produce from here and the other groceries.

So, inspired by Marketman's post, the top 10 produce on my list would be:

1. Bananas

2. Garlic

3. Lettuce

4. Cucumber

5. Tomatoes

6. Ampalaya (Bitter gourd)

7. Apples

8. Carrots

9. Ginger

10. Sweet Peas

So, this is weekly top 10 produce. Sometimes, I sneak in some really good grapes or citrus or strawberries, or whatever is fresh and in season. For meat, I usually buy some ground lean beef and pork steak cuts and some good fish fillet if I can't find any other fresh fish. For the good-but-bad-stuff, I buy some corned beef or hotdogs for breakfast. For healthy breakfast fare staples, I try to stock up on organic eggs and rolled oats. I've learned to like the taste of organic eggs, although they do have a slightly game-y aftertaste. As for oatmeal, I never liked it any other way but the old-fashioned rolled oats type. Also, I buy only the 2kilo bags of organic rice which can last for 2 weeks, so I get a fresh bag every 2 weeks.

And that's what usually fills up the grocery cart. :) What's yours?

High Heat

2010-09-20T00:58:00.000-07:00

Not all good eats should be cooked slowly. :P

Sometimes, quick, high heat is best. And some people should listen! Hehe

Trying to Eat Healthy

2010-09-02T03:46:00.001-07:00

The past few months, I've been trying to eat healthy. I've been skipping a lot of canned goods and noodles, as well as cookies. Lately, I see myself wolfing down the bad stuff. I blame the weather, stress, whatever. All bad stuff.

The good news is that I was able to take a couple of shots of my good food stuff. This should keep me inspired.

I love fresh ampalaya (bitter gourd). My Mommy forced me to eat them raw when I was a kid, and it seems that this notorious vegetable has crept its way into my heart. I especially love it sliced thinly and tossed with fresh tomatoes, onions and seasoned with vinegar, salt and pepper. It's such a palate cleanser. Refreshing and very, very healthy.

The ampalaya is packed with loads of iron, and the tomatoes are full of vitamin C. It's a powerful combination of vitamins. Cheap, too.

I got lucky with this bunch.

They were the freshest that I've gotten in my three years stay in the metro.

I tossed in some fresh, cubed cucumbers too. Yumm.

I also tried to substitute some good ol' gulaman as dessert. It's not so bad, but they are not as sweet. The good thing about gulaman is, they're made of seaweed, and not of crushed bones of whatever animal. Yes. Check out the labels of your favorite jellies, and Google them.

I used some red gulaman and poured in some strawberry Kool-Aid.

A good ratio to use would be 3 cups of water to 1 bar of gulaman. This should get it firm and jiggley.

I should try other flavors.

What's your healthy food? :)

Rain

2010-07-19T21:52:00.000-07:00

I love the rainy season. The clouds and the gloomy sky does something to my mood.

I reminisce.

And daydream a lot too.

When the rain starts to fall,

either I fall asleep clutching a book

I make something creative.

I look at the plants and imagine.. what sort of life lives in there. And all such weirdness.

I make myself a cup of hot tea or chocolate, and maybe grab a sweet or two.

And continue to imagine some more.

Bibingka

2010-07-18T03:27:00.000-07:00

Mark and I went out with his friends one Saturday night. It's been so long since we went out on a Saturday night with friends. We were to meet at Greenbelt, and found ourselves seated at Ebun after finding out Kitchen was packed full.

This was our chance to try this Kapampangan restaurant. Due to being famished, we weren't able to take photos of the food we ordered. We had Chicharon Bulaklak, Bicol Express, and the others ordered other stuff. The food was okay. Service was a bit slow, especially since the places wasn't really busy.

What blew our minds was dessert. There was only one order left of their Puto Bumbong, so we all shared on one Puto Bumbong and one Bibingka. 9 hungry mouths plus two quivering rice cakes. It was a massacre all right. Especially so since this Bibingka was----

Buttery, creamy, salty, sweet

There was so much butter in this thing. It was creamy and soft, and the top was crusty and toasted. There was cheddar cheese and slivers of salted eggs. Yumm. Perfect with coffee. Not the best I've tasted, but good enough. I should get me some Bibingkinitan soon.

A Culinary Vacation

2010-07-05T03:10:00.000-07:00

We wanted a vacation so bad, but the budget didn't permit us. So, when we had a little something last month, we planned to go somewhere. Still not enough for a full-blown vacation, and Mark being wary of flying during the rainy season-- we settled for a feast in Tagaytay to nowhere else but-- Antonio's!

We've heard of their great steaks long before. But last month, we saw a great feature on the Philippine Star of Antonio's by Paolo Lorenzana- and we saw this scrumptious photo of one of their dishes. So Mark took me there on the holiday last week, while the new President was taking his oath. :)

The path going there reminded me of Sonya's Garden- a winding, wildflower-strewn little road. I love these flowery paths. A big black wrought iron gate greets as we enter Antonio's. There were quite a number of cars parked that day. We found a spot just beside the gate, and parked right there.

We still had to take a 2 meter hike to the door. The door! Oooh! I love those big wooden doors. Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of it alone. Sigh. I was too excited to think!

As we entered the bungalow, we were met by ancient photos hung on a gallery- showcasing the family's heritage. The place smelled of dew and wooden antiques---heavenly!!! I grew up on those heavy wooden furniture- so their smell brings back memories. We were seated by the Koi pond and the big balcony, where we saw other diners on the lower level. The floor was made of black graphic machuka tiles. Lovely. White walls. High ceilings, garden and black wood. High on class and romance. Nothing too fancy. Just really classy. Clean lines are still the best design.

Wait- I'm supposed to talk about food! Hehe. The maitre d' was a very nice lady who gave us the best seat and treated us perfectly. She gave us several menus, and the husband ordered the dish we came here for-- Roasted Bone Marrow with Parsley Salad and Onion Marmalade . We came prepared-- or so we thought.

The next person who attended to us, was the waiter in charge of our table. He had to explain to us that they served the entree in sets. And we thought we could order ala carte- to his (and ours too ) seeming consternation! Obviously, we didn't look like the ones on the other table, since Mark didn't really inform me we were going that particular day (We wore plain shirts and jeans, and yes, it was another one of his surprises.).

Anyways, we continued to order and were really excited for the appetizer. And because we ordered the set meals, we got this on our table first-

Parmesan roll.

I forgot the exact name of the bread. I know there was Parmesan on it so I will christen it- the Parmesan roll! This is the first bread that the husband liked. He says - "all bread are the same". I protest, of course. This time- I won. :)

And then came the much awaited appetizer---

Roasted Bone Marrow with Parley Salad and Onion Marmalade

And this is the way to eat it.

Verdict: Husband liked it, I was disappointed. I expected more from this dish. I expected the bone marrows to be in their plain, salty, creamy essence. What dominated in this dish were the capers on top. Lots of capers. And the menu says parsley salad. No mention whatsoever of capers. I like capers, but in small quantities, and not to overwhelm that special thing called- bone marrow. The dish was accompanied by toasted and dry slices of baguette, and a serving of the onion marmalade. The onion marmalade was quite nice.

I wiped the remaining fat off the marrow with the remaining Parmesan roll.

It tasted much better.

Next up, was the House Salad-

This is described as -

Fresh Mesclun Salad from the Garden, Bleu d'Auvergne Crumble,

Glazed Walnuts, Dried Cranberries with Raspberry Vinaigrette.

I loved the walnuts. Mark loved the blue cheese.

Like the House Salad at Sonya's Garden, this salad also had a lot of bitter varieties. I don't know if these are much healthier than the milder ones, but they had a lot of it. A little off-putting, really. I liked the Walnuts though, and the Cranberries and Raspberry Vinaigrette. Husband likes the cheese. It was a very strong cheese, almost goat-like in taste. But when I googled the Bleu d'Auvergene, they say it comes from cow's milk.

Tomato and Capsicum Soup

Very strong and pimiento-ey, with a pleasant milk froth on top.

This is one of those times when I am thankful we don't like the same things.

I gave him my share. Everyone's happy. :D

While waiting for the entree, I spied this lovely lamp. I want one.

This is Mark's pick-

Barbecue Lamb Cutlets with Garlic Risoni.

And because he's married to me, I got to sample this dish too! Hehe.

It's so good! The cutlets were cooked just right. Juicy and almost well done.

The Garlic Risoni surprised me. I thought it was rice at first since I wasn't able to read about it on the menu, but this was actually rice shaped pasta! So cute. It was smothered in a light but creamy sauce.

Good one, babe!

I had this-

Grilled Chilean Sea Bass on Truffle Mashed Potato

I also liked this! It was a very tender, fat and creamy sea bass,

plus the potatoes had bacon bits.

Yum! Happy.

All the heartache I felt over the appetizer and the soup almost vanished at this time. The main dishes were really good! And when when they reminded us of the dessert, I was all giddy! Great. We had some tarragon tea while waiting. The tea was too strong though. It could have been steeped too long.

There were like 5 dessert choices. And here are the winners--

Dulce de Leche Cheesecake

Mark is happy with this.

The dense cheesecake is covered in thick and smooth caramel which oozed with every spoonful.

Decadent!

Assorted Berries with Creamed Chantilly

I had this because I'm such a sucker for berries. I am so happy that this had blueberries, strawberries and one special raspberry tucked in the middle of the sponge cake and whipped cream.

This is really much like a berry trifle. Lip-smacking.

Thanks you Lord for this visit, it was a lovely trip and, we hope to be back to try that suckling pig. :)

Someday again. :)

Have a blessed day, everyone!

Hilagang Kanluran

2010-01-21T23:25:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year, all!

I'm starting off the year with our recent road trip to the north east of Luzon--- Cagayan Valley! This isn't technically our first road trip for the year. We went up to the mountains on the first day of the year to check out the much buzzed about Zip Zone in Dahilayan, Manolo Fortich Bukidnon. We had some Grilled Chicken Steak at the Cowboy Grill, but I wasn't able to take pics. It was good though :)

So, back to this post. Mark had to attend a hearing in Buguey, Cagayan Valley which is just "next door" to Aparri. We were psyched to be able to drive that far, so we packed our bags and drove away...

On the way up, we saw some major fast food establishments along the highways, which just means that business is good in these areas. There weren't too many fast food joints in Region 1, so Region 2 got me excited... I wasn't going to get hungry!Yey!

We stayed at Tuguegarao City, and went food tripping as soon as we arrived! :P First stop, dinner at Kainang Pilipino. We initially wanted to go to Kusina Cagayana but they were closed that evening. The place had an old feel, but not Ilocos old. Just 1980's old, with garish green paint on the walls. Not very appetizing. I started ordering signature Ilocano dishes like:

Dinengdeng

I like this dish. Mark agrees too. It's very much like Pinakbet, only it's not oily. There isn't any visible bagoong, but the watery sauce is highly flavored with non- red bagoong. Yum!

Truth is, I've been wondering how this dish tasted ever since my cousin, who's mother hails from Tuguegarao, was craving it.

Halabos na Hipon

Mark's order and the restaurant's Catch of the Day.

It was good, but I was distracted by the Dinengdeng. :P

Nilagang Baka, compliments from the restaurant.

I love freebies, and I really liked their Nilaga :) Perfect for tired bums.

Dinakdakan

Another Ilocano specialty, which resembled a non-sizzling Sisig.

It's fried pork and slathered with lemon and onion sauce.

I'm not a big fan of it, but Mark really liked it. :) So there.

This was one of Tuguegarao's nicest restaurants, and for that plus our drinks--our bill totalled P600plus. Not cheap, but the food was good.

I was doing a lot of Googling the night before we drove off, and found this blog, the name of which I wasn't able to write down. Boo. I'm sorry.But I was able to write down it's contents. He recommended Dock's Panciteria for breakfast, and for the best Pancit Batil Patung in the city. We drove to Pengue Highway for breakfast (since our hotel didn't include breakfast in our accomodation), to search for Dock's (pronounced as "doks"). Being the maarte that I am ( now i admit, regrettably!), I wasn't too keen to eat there when I saw the place. Mark didn't want to force me to eat there either, so we went to the next best place, as recommended by Anton of Our AwesomePlanet in his blog. We searched for Gretchen's, and found it in a cramped corner of Magallanes Street.

Pancit Batil Patung @ Gretchen's

This is Tuguegarao's specialty noodle dish. Almost every corner in Tuguegaro pays homage to this dish, as panciterias abound everywhere! The egg noodles are topped ("patong") with vegetables, eggs and meat. At Gretchen's, they have the Pancit Batil Patung and the Gretchen's Special. The latter is topped with beef, and the former is topped with carabeef. We ordered both. Each order is P60-P70, and they were very generous with their serving.

The pancit is accompanied by an egg soup- which was very creamy and salty.

Good, especially on a cold day, but too salty.

We had a long day after that, as we checked out the Callao caves, drove off to Aparri to check on Mark's work, after which we drove off to Port Irene in Santa Ana. We arrived in Tuguegarao in time for dinner, and headed straight off to Kusina Cagayana, and ordered the following:

Pinoy Salad

This was composed of steamed leafy greens such as talbos ng kamote, seaweed, spinach, pickled papaya (atchara), tomatoes and onions. It had a dressing of Bagoong.

Verdict: WE LIKE!

Pancit Malabon

They highly recommended Pancit Malabon on their menu.

Which was weird, but we still tried it. It was good. We also ordered

some Bulalo Soup, which I didn't really like. Just don't order it.

For our last meal in Tuguegarao, we ate at Michelle- the hotel's restaurant. We ordered some of their signature garlic longganisa, and garlic fan that I am--- was happy enough :P

Along the highway, we could see men planting rice. Charming.

Plus, while cruising through the winding Dalton Pass, we saw some vegetable vendors with these adorable greens--- fresh talbos ng kamote. These are so good steamed in the pan. They have a crisp and nutty flavor.And at P10 for the whole bunch, these are awesome!!

And now, for the piece de resistance, G&B's Buko Pie. This is one specialty Nueva Vizcaya should be very proud of. This is, for me, the BEST buko pie. Let me show you why...

At P135 for 3 boxes

Oooh, look at that. Not soggy.

Barely an inch thick, the filling is only two or three layers high

and glued together by sweet milk. Sweet!

Even my Mark likes this. And he's not a buko pie fan.

There's just so much to see and so much to eat in this region. I can't wait to discover more beautiful and yummy things, Philippines! Dios Mabbalos :)

Cheers!

2009-12-23T09:12:00.000-08:00

Happy Holidays everyone! See you next year! God bless you all!

Sweet Season Ahead

2009-12-02T19:52:00.000-08:00

It's December once again. The time for lots of eating in excess of all yummies unhealthy and scrumptious, loaded with sugars and carbohydrates. For somebody like me, I have no idea how to get the willpower to avoid all these wonderful things. It's going to be a big pain to avoid them since I HAVE to go on a diet. Bummer.

Oh well. I can imagine all the fruitcake, brownies, cakes, kakanins (steamed rice cakes), and cookies. Ah, cookies. I am quite particular about cookies. I like the thought of having those home baked kinds but they always come off too oily. That is why, I am rarely tempted to buy those homemade cookies made by people I know. Chewing those oily morsels just irritates me. But I hardly throw away my food, so I end up eating the whole thing anyways. Not even if they say, those were of the thin and crispy variety. Some sludge always sticks to my palate. That is why, when it comes to cookies, I always go for the commercial kind. I'm sure they're not less healthy. But they taste like they do, so I prefer them. Aside from my local brand, I utterly love Jacobs Oatmeal Cookies!

Jacob's Oatmeal Cookies

They're really crunchy, NOT oily, yummy, and full of oatmeal.You will have a lot of oatmeal in every bite! Love, love it!

And if someday, some home baker claims to make something like this,you can bet I will get myself some. But I guess not for a very long time.Until then, these will be oatmeal cookie royalty for me.

On a Clear Day

2009-11-08T20:58:00.000-08:00

Right after the storm whipped the Metro, M and I together with his friend Raymund, drove up to the mountains to visit the lovely Taal Lake in where else, but- Tagaytay! It was Raymund's first time to go, and it was a pleasure to bring him there. And like the rest of the people who were also there, we knew we had scored a jackpot- "to be at the right place, at the right time."

The skies were clear, the birds were hovering above, and the lake was spectacular. Of course my trusty ol' point-and-shoot wasn't able to capture it's magnificence at that time. But my baby and I tried hard. Yes, we did :)

Wonderful.

We stayed at Carlo's Pizza for a snack and for the view. We weren't quite expecting the pizza to be good, but it was! At least, at that time, it was. So I would really recommend this place if you want to get a good view of the lake. And since we were up there already, I asked M to bring us to Sonya's Garden. Raymund- for the sights, and me-- for the yummy Cheese Hopia :)

CHEESE HOPIA

I loooove their Cheese Hopia. At P70 a pack (forgot to count how many, sorry!), it is a good deal. Although I am very sad to say, I tasted more cheddar this time than the previous Parmesan. :(

The surprise on this particular trip were the scones! We scored some scones at the same price for a pack.

SCONES

These were flaky, buttery, almond-y, with a hint of spice, and crusted with sugar.

HEART.HEART. LOVE. LOVE :)

From the center of the Philippines, with love.

2009-11-04T23:21:00.001-08:00

It would have been our first time away from each other. Husband was scheduled for a road trip to Boac, Marinduque. He was going with an associate and would be away for a two days. That would have been the first time he'd leave me alone at home. But as destiny would have it, I was able to join him on this trip. It was the night before when we knew I could go, when I searched frantically on the net for Boac tourist spots.

I found one that really interested me- the Luzon Datum. I was so excited to realize that Marinduque holds the geodetic center of the Philippines. And this is verified by a marker placed on the very spot! So cool.

But sadly, when we were trying to find the way to the marker-- a local told us the spot was on a mountain, and we had to hike up there. We had barely enough time to do any hiking after their work was done and before the barge was about to leave. So we settled for one of the must-see's---The Boac Cathedral,

Might I say that this structure was splendidly preserved and maintained. The interiors are still shiny and clean. Wonderful, wonderful piece of heritage. But before we left, I had to make sure to get some of their delicacy- Arrowroot cookies!

They have different varieties of arrowroot cookies- they have the regular flavor which is heart-shaped, sugar-free varieties, and ones mixed with oatmeal, pinipig or cinnamon. But I still think the best ones are the heart-shaped ones. There's more butter and sugar in it. Yummy!

Arrowroot cookie (no, it's not a rock. hehe)

Aaaah, the province. Nothing's quite like it :)

Still Foodtripping

2009-11-03T08:20:00.000-08:00

Yes, I have still been food tripping. But haven't been posting. Bad me. But I do miss this. Yes, I do. Every single day. And I will start again this month, on my birth month! It's November again, a month shy of my favorite December. Surely, no one should refuse me on my birth month, right?:P

I will try to post all the other stuff I've taken, cram it all in--- like I do when I'm in a hurry for breakfast. No chewing necessary. Kidding! Chew your food well.

See ya. :)

Burger in Japanese

2009-06-04T00:08:00.000-07:00

I first read about Sango at Our Awesome Planet. It didn't interest me as much as when I saw the place itself, on our way home. It was near our building! That got me searching for Anton's post once again and realized we had to try it!

Sango is a Japanese themed fastfood restaurant with burgers as its specialty. It is tucked right at the ground floor of the Creek Side Mall in Legaspi Village, which is a stone's throw away from the famed Little Tokyo. I wasn't able to bring my camera, but good thing our mobile phones are rightfully equipped. I used Mark's phone in this post.

There were a lot to choose from the menu which was highly similar to a regular burger joint. except that there were Japanese subtitles in it, and Japanese variations. There were also a handful of salads and pastas on the menu, and colorful shakes and slushies. We ordered their bestsellers- The Sango Master Cheeseburger and the Yakiniku Rice Burger.

The furnitures are so simple, almost Zen like in theme. There were Japanese posters and magazines all around, including posters of their bestsellers which I really really liked. In one corner, was a bulletin board full of printouts of blogs featuring their restaurant. Cool! :) Everything was nice but the smell. The whole place smelled of pungent food, in an enclosed and tightly air-conditioned space. Not very good ventilation.

Now let's go back to the food:

I lost my receipt, so I'll be relying on good ol' Munch Punch for the rates.
This is the Sango Master Cheese Burger at P128.
Not bad. Actually good. The fries were also yummy.

This is the Yakiniku Rice Burger at P109. I admit, I thought this would be another expensive version of something I had eaten before in the country's top fastfood joint.
But I am happy to inform you that it was not. The rice patties were sticky and good, the lettuce fresh, and the soft, thin strips of beef in teriyaki sauce... good, good, good!

Burp. Reasonably priced, double burp :)

No Joy

2009-05-22T22:50:00.000-07:00

It's been a week since the incident. I have been thinking a lot on whether to write or not to write about this. But in this age of viruses and health scares, we all have to be vigilant about what and where we eat.

It was last week when I went out to pay some bills. I was going to meet a friend for the afternoon and I had promised to make her some pasta. I went to the grocery of SM Makati to buy some ingredients. Seeing it was lunch time, and I was getting hungry, I decided to eat over at their Food Court at the basement. The nearest taxi stand was right in front of SM, so I deemed it logical to eat nearby. I ordered a chicken meal in a popular fast food chain, since I wanted to go the safe route to food.

But as I opened my drumstick hungrily, with my fork and spoon, I noticed bloody parts near the bone. Because I have been countlessly reminded by my mother never to eat bloody chicken, I had to do something about it. I went back to the counter to have it checked and replaced. The counter personnel then reported the matter to their supervisor. The supervisor then told me, that the chicken was really like that because it was still "young", so it was never going to be really white and opaque. I continued to point out to them that I just couldn't eat chicken this way, since it was unhealthy...and that "I was afraid of diseases." I emphasized the last word rather clearly, that she had to shake her head and insisted that their food was safe, but they just couldn't replace it. They offered to have it cooked again, so I agreed. After a few minutes, the very same chicken piece was returned to me, opaque and cooked through.

Talk about customer service, health and hygiene. I guess not all food trips are happy. But like all trips, we should be always be alert and careful.

Hay, I should have grabbed myself a tomato.

Banzai!

2009-05-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

If we're really hungry, and we want to eat Japanese food at a more affordable budget, the next best place would Teriyaki Boy. :)

I heard that Teriyaki Boy just opened in CdO at SM City Cagayan de Oro. A friend asked me if the place is any good. So this post is for you, my beloved Kagay-anons ;) It has a menu of Japanese and fusion cuisine. I like the modern interiors and the hip design of the place. It's fastfood Japanese cuisine, with a not-so-fastfood price. Everytime we go there, Mark and I always share a bowl of Gyu Yakiniku Udon, and another order of something else :)

On this particular visit, we ordered our regular ....

Gyu Yakiniku Don (P275)

There's a lot of rice and meat in that bowl. The beef strips are tasty and tender.
Make sure you stir the egg immediately upon serving.
The egg gives a lot of difference!:)

I can actually eat the whole thing, but I'd be really, really full after.
So we share and order something else.

We also had the Yakisoba,

Yakisoba

It was okay. Not our favorite.
I'd rather you order the Teriyaki Chicken Don or the Fish Fillet that's really really tender!;) Mark also likes this green covered sushi.I think they call it Firecracker Sushi.

This post makes me wanna go banzai to the ref.
And to CdO, enjoy!

Hope you had a lovely weekend, everyone!

Seeing Seryna Again

2009-05-12T04:46:00.000-07:00

On Mark's birthday, he wanted to eat at Seryna. But because it was also Mother's Day at that time, we weren't able to get a table. Hence the week after, when his sister came over to Manila, we tried our luck again, and lucky we were!

We wanted to try their set meals or Gozen at P320 per set...

Sister-in-law got the Tonkatsu Gozen or the breaded pork set

Mark is a seafood fan, so he got the Kaisen Gozen, an assortment of sashimi.
There was a lot going on in there. It was truly a feast.

While I, an averred beef lover, got the Sukiyaki Gozen....

Yumminess!

there was even some miso soup to warm the tummy.

and of course, japanese rice is always a winner!

I was quite surprised with the potato salad side dish.
I didn't know this would be part of a regular japanese meal,
but it was truly yummy!
Cold and tasty!

Excuse me, but I was quite amused with the rest room.
I guess, it is essential for a good restaurant to have an equally enjoyable restroom.

Have a good week ahead!

That Sizzling Day in Laguna

2009-04-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

On that sizzling 36 degree summer day, we were in the beautiful province of Laguna. Mark had to work in Calamba. When he was done, he wanted to take the other route back to Manila, where we would exit in Antipolo.

At around lunch time, we passed by this lovely restaurant at the Kalayaan Highway called Exotik Restaurant.

There's a corner by the entrance where native sweets and pasalubong are sold.
I saw some yummy pastillas but wasn't able to buy, because they were a little expensive.

There was a lot of greenery and landscaping. The place looks like a mini resort, except that the the pools are not made for dipping. The place was divided by several covered areas filling the irregular landscape. There was the main restaurant, while the other "huts" served to provide customers who wants some privacy for special events. It was a pretty big place.

At the entrance of the main restaurant,
framed clippings of photos and articles of the place are displayed.
Nice :)

I also loved that it was quite cool inside the restaurant,
which served to protect us from the super heat at that time.

Mark went straight to this page - where the "exotic" menu could be found. He ordered some stingray in spicy sauce. I ordered the Guinataang Pako. I've heard so much about Pako or Fern being made into salads. Knowing Pako was on the menu, excited me so much, I had to order it.

Plus, this can of soda spelled - relief from the heat!!!

I really liked the Guinataang Pako. It tasted somewhat like mini kangkong/cooked lato.
The gata or coconut milk was light and tasty. Yummy!

The Stingray had some vegetables infused with the spicy red sauce: some celery, carrots and tomatoes. I don't think it worked quite well. We were imagining something else for the stingray.

We were full, nonetheless. Yummy food from Laguna!

The place is a nice respite from the urbanscape. Lovely place :)

check out related post on www.ourawesome planet.com :)

Going South

2009-04-15T08:27:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to Calamba, Laguna. Again. Our second trip in less than a month. There's another trip tomorrow but I'm not so sure if I want to go. It was so hoooot today - the digital car thermometer registered at 36 degrees Celsius! It was crazy. So far, the highest temperature we've experienced inside the car was driving around the metro at 34 degrees. Today, at the Kalayaan area after Pagsanjan.... it was a crazy 36 degrees!

Anyway, I wasn't able to post our food trip in the previous Calamba trip. We asked a good friend of mine who studied in UPLB their popular food haunts, and he was able to suggest a couple of places. But as soon as we turned to the outskirts of Calamba from the South Superhighway, we were so hungry we decided to go for RSM Lutong Bahay. I googled it and it was given an award by the DOT. Excited, we rushed in from the parking lot to escape the high noon heat.

Mark has eaten there before, so he knew what to order already. I looked around, and it had an old Filipiniana-slash-fastfood feel. There was a glass showcase along the cashier, so we could do turo-turo. But I did like the little wooden touches.

Our rice was Binalot style. Now, I don't really like Binalot. The food becomes all mooshy and jumbled inside. But....

.... this one turned out right!

The steaming rice was still molded and the tomatoes and eggs were still firm.
Looked freshly made :)

But RSM Lutong Bahay's piece de resistance is their Bulalo! Bulalo is a beef broth soup with vegetables and beef meat and marrow bones. I was so excited because I really like Bulalo. This one did not disappoint! It was meaty, full of flavor... and there was no visible "SEBO", which is the one thing that stops me from eating a lot of it. The broth was clear but full of flavor! I really liked it :)

And knowing Mark, he ordered some Sizzling Pusit, and I got us some vegetables via some Chopsuey. They were all good, except that I could taste the "umami".

It was a good lunch, and if I want some Bulalo... I now know where to get me some!:)

What's wrong with this picture?

2009-04-05T20:21:00.000-07:00

Mark and I stopped over a popular fast food chain after walking a few blocks from his office. It was a sweltering summer evening, and a good serving of vanilla sundae was just right. While having our ice cream, we spotted something different:

tee hee!

Summer is here!

2009-03-18T02:44:00.000-07:00

After the long cold spell a couple of months ago... we now have the sun peeking brightly at us all day. Too bright, actually. I know a glass of water is all that we need to cool us off... but it's so much more fun with ice cream!

And for that... I love almost every flavor! I like it in a glass, while I scoop out every little bit with my spoon.

Just like this.....

Selecta's Coffee Crumble

Just give me this, every now and then, and I'll be a good girl.

Promise :)

Heading North for Chinese

2009-03-06T00:08:00.001-08:00

You know when someone suggests we eat chinese, we immediately sense this person is really hungry. Anyone in the Philippines knows that instant meal satisfaction would mean lots of rice, and some good ol Chinese food. In CdO, we would normally head to Mandarin Restaurant for some good Chinese food. Here in the metro, I believe its equivalent would be North Park. We go to North Park when we're craving their garlic squid, and some of that Yang Chow Fried Rice.

On this particular evening, our good friend Eric, treated us to dinner for a post birthday bash. With his sister in tow, all four of us were seeingly undecided on where to go. Mark, who had been apparently craving for Yang Chow Fried Rice, drove us to the nearest North Park in Pasig.

Now, at North Park, we usually order these:

Garlic Squid
Tender morsels of deep fried squid in garlic oil

Yang Chow Fried Rice
This is my husband's favorite.
I am not particulary fond of it, but when it's there I eat enough.
I like that it has lots of stuff in it, but I have tasted better somewhere else.

Next stop is the Crispy Noodles something.
I forgot the full name. It was my first time to try it, and I actually liked it.
It was nicely presented, and I think we'll try this again sometime. :)

Crispy Noodles
The waiter mixes the crispy noodles in the thick, hot sauce.

Tada!

It has loads of mushrooms, and squid. I really think it's worth a try :)

Thanks Eric for the lovely meal!

No Rival Sans Rival

2009-02-20T02:13:00.000-08:00

I've heard a lot of stories saying that high school life is the best time of one's teenage life. But I beg to disagree, because I had the most fun in college. I had the most fun because I was able to spend more time exploring the world - even if I had to be home before dinner.

I developed a new set of friends composed of old friends from high school, and their new friends, and classmates from college. With them I got exposed to eating out, extra-curricular meetings, volunteerism, student politics, and of course, boys. I learned a lot from them, since they were more adventurous. I usually stayed on the sidelines, absorbing as much information as I could. With them, I learned how to control my temper, to deal with different kinds of people, and to discern what I want in life. I guess you can say I'm a late bloomer, since they practically knew all of these way before I did, or so I think. :)

During the holidays, I met with only two of our original group of around 10 girls. The others have since gone to greener pastures. We update ourselves via the online social networking sites most of the time, but nothing beats sitting down together for a meal. :)

We had dinner at Bigby's Restaurant at the Rosario Arcade, then proceeded to nearby Candy's Cafe for dessert. We shared a slice of the Almond Sans Rival, along with our cups of hot beverage. I think this was one of the best desserts I've tasted so far.

Almond Sans Rival

You know what they say,
there's nothing like girlfriends to make your day :)

The First Date

2009-02-14T05:35:00.001-08:00

Happy Heart's Day everyone!

In light of this romantic (or romanticized :D) day, I am reminded of this very special cafe in CdO where were had our first dinner date. Mark wanted to treat me for my birthday. He made me choose between Vienna Kaffeehaus and another place. I picked this place from the other one he mentioned, because it was near my school, and because the place is cozy but not cheesy. Hehe.

It was a fun first dinner date. It helped that the place exuded a cool ambiance, and really good food. Vienna Kaffeehaus is another Cebu original, and they serve a Viennese-slash-German inspired menu , such as different kinds of sausages, pastries and coffee.

However last Christmas, my high school girlfriends- Grace and Janice, and I decided to spend our annual year-ender date at Vienna. I'm so glad they liked the place as much as I did. We had a fun time talking and eating!

And every time I go there, I never fail to order the house specialty- The Hungarian Sausage ...

The Hungarian Sausage, with coleslaw and a choice of a side dishes.
You may choose between rice, noodles, or mashed potatoes. I chose the latter. There isn't so much for every serving, but the price is not expensive either.

Gracie ordered this- a Cheese Sausage.
It wasn't as spicy as the Hungarian, and it's I think she liked it!

For desserts, we ordered three different kinds of pastries. My favorite is the Blueberry Cheesecake, but it wasn't available that evening. Their cheesecake is so intense and dense, just
the way that I like it. I ordered the plain cheesecake instead, Gracie had their chocolate cake, and Janice had the brazo mercedes.

This is their Moist Chocolate cake. It was so dense and intense!
I just love the heaviness of the chocolate.

This is The Cheesecake. So plain-looking, but so heavy in flavor. The cheese base is not cloyingly sweet, or light creamy, but was actually sharp and intense, with a tad hint of saltiness. I like it very much, although some fruit sauce would have balanced out the cheese.

Doesn't this array make your heart beat a wee bit faster? Hehe.
They have other lovely pastries too, and I quite remember that their Cafe Au Lait is really good.
The coziness this place exudes reminds me of that eventful first date,
which has lead me to where I am now
---wonderfully married. :)

I hope you all enjoy celebrating this season of love.

God loves us more than we'll ever know,
and we just have to share all of that love!:)

Steak it in CdO

2009-02-09T18:10:00.000-08:00

I love beef, in every form- as burgers, steak, stew, stroganoff, as bolognese sauce for pasta, roasted... or even bulalo ( yum!). Beef satisfies me like no other meat can.

Once, I read in a magazine, that certain foods work best for a specific blood type. I was greatly interested ( and enthusiastic!) to find out that blood type O people need beef for their systems to work at its best. I don't know if this study or theory still holds true... but I find that I am most satisfied with my meal when there's some beef in it! So there goes my excuse for not going vegetarian :) Hehe.

In hometown Cdo, the best steak house is Countryside Steakhouse and is located on the second floor of the Rosario Arcade in LKK Center. The place is nicely done in a Western Cowboy theme, and filled with big wood furnitures. This is also the site of many of our special family celebrations. Some say that the beef they serve are not as tender as the ones served before by Del Monte, but on this particular evening with my family, we had a juicy, yummy steakfest! :)

Whenever we order the steak prime cuts, the meat is accompanied with an appetizer tray of bread, soup, side salad of greens and a choice between potatoes or rice. I forgot though if corn is one of the choices.

Here is their signature placemat. It sure pays to know the part you're eating. :) Hehe

Chicken Squash Soup

This is the salad that came with the steak, with a thousand island dressing.

The mashed potatoes is a dense cup of velvety spuds. Yumm.

Sizzling Sirloin with the gravy

Without the gravy, it still looks yummy. And the veggies are fresh!

CdO Love.

My Favorite Filipino Restaurant

2009-02-01T00:57:00.000-08:00

This is the one of the best Filipino restaurants in Cagayan de Oro. Located at the Limketkai Center, Cafe Laguna is actually a Cebu original.

The restaurant boasts of fine Filipino furnishings, with brick posts and wooden furniture. I love their lamps (forgot to take a photo! argh). The place is packed during the weekends, and I think they could use more space to accommodate those busy days.

There's so much Filipino fare to choose from, but on this particular day with my in-laws we ordered the following:

Baked Scallops
Simply delicious. Soft scallops and toasted cheese with green onions.

Crispy Beef Tadyang
This is a pile of crispy, flavorful beefy goodness.

Pinakbet

I forgot the name of this dish- Laguna Express?
It's got shrimps with string beans and cooked in spicy coconut cream. :)

Sinigang na Hipon.

The shrimps in CdO are fresh, so the soup was good :)

Fish Fillet
Fresh fish fillet cooked just right.:)

Together with Mark's family, we shared this food with Mark's best friend Adonis and his new wife Rose. My family eat here a lot too. But my Mom's favorite is the Fresh Lumpia, which she says is just how she likes it- lots of ubod , homemade lumpia wrapper, and lots of ground peanuts. Together with yummy lumpia like that we also have this ......

TADAAH!

Puto Bumbong

This is by far, the best, yummiest puto bumbong that I've tried. I have tasted puto bumbong here in Manila, but I still like this version better- BEST!

The ground, sticky rice is chewy and sweet,
and the freshly grated coconut matches the salty butter melting on it very well.

Happy Lunching everyone!:)

Who doesn't like chocolate?

2009-01-26T21:43:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday, Mark and I went to Paranaque upon the invitation of his cousins who excitedly prepared a surprise birthday party for their father. Well, apart from the tears shed by the very happy celebrant (it was so sweet. really), this was one of the highlights of the event- a three-tiered moist chocolate cake infused with Kahlua. whew!

The cake was so beckoning, everybody were waiting with bated breath as to when it would be served. Hehe.

The best part is this-
the whole thing was moist chocolate cake
TO THE CORE!
So unlike commercial grade cakes where the core is empty or made of styrofoam.
And if you are a lover of all things chocolate, then you will definitely like this creation.

The lady who baked this cake is Mark's cousin, Sophia Medel-
and she also bakes other yummy goodies. Do check out her site at Indulgence by Sophia .

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

2009-01-22T06:54:00.001-08:00

... or Kung Hei Fat Choi or however else you greet Happy New Year in Chinese. :) And because of this, I am posting our latest Chinese food venture. This is not so recent though.

We ate at Luk Yuen after a grueling half day drive from Baguio last December. And because we loved our Chinese soup adventure in the City of Pines (hmmm, on second thought.. I should post that too! Next time!), we wanted to be comforted by some hot, soothing chinese soup after our drive.

Luk Yuen was the nearest one from home, a 5 minute drive to the Magallanes Subdivision food arcade. It was a big place. The food was okay. But for soup, we only ordered Corn Soup.

Pork Siomai P100

Steamed Shrimp Dimsum P90

Spareribs/Chicken Feet P140
Mark liked it. Hehe. Men.

This was my order- fried fish fillets with black bean sauce.
Surprisingly better than I expected. :)

The food, and place was alright. Chinese food is so ingrained in the Filipino system so much so that it has become easy for us to like. Although personally, I've tried better.

A Happy Breakfast Treat

2009-01-19T21:24:00.000-08:00

First off, Happy New Year blogging world!

I know it's a late greeting, the first month of the year is almost ending (well, not yet really!). When Gracie asked where my posts have gone... I told her I've been doing people picture posts a lot lately, so my food posts had to wait a while.

But even then, I haven't stopped with my food trips.. oh no, definitely not. The past holiday season should have all of us binge-ing against our doctor's orders. And I'm pretty sure everyone's resolutions are to diet and lose weight. Haha! Good luck to all of us!

Kidding aside, before we went home to Cdo, Mark and I met up with his favorite cousin Lennie who is now based in Australia. She came home for the holidays and when we met up with her in the morning, she treated us to a hearty breakfast at Flapjacks.

Flapjacks is this brightly lit relatively new restaurant in the Greenbelt 2 strip, right beside Italianni's. Their space is not really very big, but the service was okay. I will not be able to post the prices or the exact names of each dish, because I was not able to get the receipt/journal . I can tell you though that the food was good. It's worth another try.

Further, I would also like to say that I am featuring breakfast fare for my first post of the year- it being the first meal of every day. Enjoy the shots and see you around!

Everything was good, but I really recommend their French Toast.
I so loved it!:)

Happy Holidays!

2008-12-23T17:41:00.000-08:00

I am now in my hometown - Cagayan de Oro City. We are happy to be home!

Tonight is going to be Christmas Eve and everyone is in a rush. Everyone's so busy attending to family celebrations, and I'm sure a lot of food trips are involved. This season always brings the best in everybody, everyone's so happy and generous. I wish everyone all of this and most of all- the blessings that come with this joyous occasion, a happy remembering of the birth of the Saviour Jesus Christ.

More than all the happy foodtripping (but of course!), may our celebrations reflect the real reason for the season.

Happy Holidays, everyone! See you next year!:)

My Favorite Steak Restaurant

2008-12-11T11:00:00.000-08:00

Set atop Greenbelt 3 and overlooking the Greenbelt compound, we have found our favorite steak restaurant. Not only that, we love its location and its view... plus the Spanish mosaics on the wall.
Gaudi for me, is one of the best restaurants in town. Not only is their steak the yummiest, and their paella the best (well at least until I get to taste Senor Alba's), their service is really great!
Simply put, we just love Gaudi!!

We first had our Gaudi experience around 2 years ago. Since then, we've been just salivating over the thought of their Chuleton Villagodio- hands down my favorite steak dish. On this particular evening, we shared these treasures with Mark's Papa and sister. Let me show you what I'm talking about.

This is their bread- a big basketful of goodness.

Plato de Ibericos (P415.00)
The appetizer, an assortment of tapas and cheese.

Some buttered potatoes

Roasted pimientoes

Aaaaaah...
The Arros con Marisco (P700)!
This blurry picture contains mouthfuls of yummy saffron flavored rice. So much better than other paellas in town (again, until I try Senor Alba's).

Here comes the piece de resistance.. tadaah!
Blurry pictures (I was shaking with excitement, sorry!) of The Chuleton Villagodio.

Chuleton de Villagodio (P2597/1.06)
Perfect cuts of super tender Angus Beef , sprinkled with coarse sea salt, ....

... and grilled on a stone plate set on top of a tiny gas burner.

The blurry pictures doesn't stop me from remembering
how mouthwatering this experience was!

The Chuleton Villagodio is an experience worth having, albeit a very expensive one.
The order is charged per kilogram and there are different cuts of the meat. The servers will kindly show you a plateful of the raw version before they pre-cook it , so you can choose which ones you prefer (then you can have a chance of ordering the smaller, and maybe less expensive cuts, yay!).

And because Mark's sister was with us, it seemed fitting to order dessert with her around!
We wanted to try all their desserts, so we ordered the ....

Detodunpocu- a dessert sampler. What a big load of sweetness!

Oh, hello there my lovely choux!

The Chocolate mousse was also good!

Diet Dessert

2008-12-08T20:14:00.001-08:00

The holidays are coming, and you know what that means.... FOOD! Lots of it!;)

How to keep shape while enjoying all the edible delights is a struggle for me, especially since I've been hankering for blueberry cheesecakes for weeks. It started with staying at coffee shops, and there being nothing more interesting there than the smooth cheesecakes on display. So, whenever my Mark and I have the chance to rest our weary feet in a coffee shop, we order a slice of a cheesecake.

At the Robinson's Place in Ermita, we chanced upon the Sugar Free Blueberry Cheesecake at Cheesecake, Etc.

It was creamy, and speckled with blueberry bits, with a lot of blueberry glaze on top. It wasn't sweet enough for me (since it was sugar free, duh!), so I can't say it's my favorite. I did like the lime glaze on the side, and I think it balanced off the creamy cheese.

Hmmm... to more Blueberry cheesecake adventures!

A Little Formal at Aubergine

2008-12-05T00:28:00.001-08:00

My Mark and I went out for dinner one week night, this time with his mother, where we chanced upon Aubergine at The Fort.

We were a little intimidated by its classy interiors, but food is food! We just wanted to eat good food, and felt better after thinking that. We were first seated at a table near the kitchen glass windows, where we could see the action. But alas, the chairs were too soft and were too low for the table so it didn't make for a very comfortable eating position. So I bade goodbye to the good kitchen view, where we saw the pristine white chef's uniforms together with ISCAHM students, and the stainless steel counters. Sigh for the view :) But it was indeed better to eat at the second table, which was situated right beside the floor-to- ceiling glass-covered wine chiller, another sight to behold.

I dare say the food we ordered for the evening was good. Expensive, but good. I loved the tableware and service was mainly good. Let us get on to the most important part... the food! We had the following:

Tuna Tartare
This one was compliments from the chef,
since my Mark ordered one of the evening's Chef's specials.
All three of us had a serving of the tuna tartare. The tuna was soft and fresh. It was a lovely start.

There was yummy bread (although I wasn't able to take a picture of it),
which was accompanied by a duo of fresh butter and a pesto cream sauce.
The latter was really creamy.

Mark likes oysters a lot, and cheese a lot...
so he ordered these Baked Oysters (P480).
I liked them. They were good!
I actually prefer my oysters grilled with lots of garlic...
but the cheese they placed here were not too much,
and complemented the spinach leaves inside it.
My mouth is watering now, just by remembering it!

Grilled Fillet of Chilean Sea Bass (P980)
This was my order. I wanted something different from the usual steak, and ordered this nice, and creamy fish dish. MunchPunch provides a menu for Aubergine, and the menu describes the sauce accompanying this as tomato fondue and boullabaise broth. The mashed potatoes were also incorporated in the broth... so what may seem as a light dish.. was actually quite heavy!

Chef's Special
This is one of the three Chef's specials for the evening, which the waitress offered
to us on a blackboard menu. Hehe. I couldn't quite remember the dish's exact description but I remember it having some Wagyu steak, Prawns and Foie gras. The foie gras, my husband enjoyed very much. It was creamy and well cooked, but not dry. It didn't have any bitter liver taste and was actually quite sweet. He's a fan now of their Foie gras, which I read somewhere is actually one of Aubergine's specialties! Yum!

My mother-in-law ordered this yummy Angus Beef Rib Eye.
It was good and well.... I love beef!
So I wish I ordered this too.
But I luckily got a bite of it! Thanks Ma!:)

They also served us a complimentary dessert from their Patisserie.. a trio of macarons in lemon, cherry and chocolate flavors. I think they need to improve on their macarons though. I've tasted Bizu's and I really love their macarons.

So there.. we were in la la land for an hour or so, eating lovely food in a lovely setting. The interiors were very classy, and the location is not that easy to access, as it is located at the 2nd floor of the 32nd&5th building at the Fort Bonifacio in Taguig City. Most of the people there were foreign businessmen, so I suggest you dress properly in going there to avoid the discomfort I felt when I was there! Hehe.

Thanks Ma! Hehe.

Thanks!

2008-11-25T20:22:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been very regular in updating my precious blog lately. I can enumerate a lot of excuses ( blah, blah , blah), but I know it won't make sense. I am deeply grateful though for the friends I have made through this medium, and for those who appreciate my little contribution to the worldwide web. ;)

And now, maybe it's time to post the little gifts I got , called awards... on my blog!

These two lovely awards are from my long time friend, and one of the best writer and artist in the world ( wooohoo!)- Grace of My Li'l Spot of Sunshine . This is the first one-

I'd like to share this award with Eric of Ang Peregrino , Mikky of My Finds, Dra. Gita of My Little Space, and to Leslie of The Hungry Housewife! Yey!

The second award is still from Gracie, and is a lovely scroll which I'd like to pass on to my friend, Mai of Palandong!

And the third award is from Mikky of My Finds, who is so generous with comments, and for posting lovely finds on her blog... thank you!

I'd like to share this award to my friends- Gracie, and Eric! You guys rock!;)

I Just Wanted Cream Puffs

2008-11-25T19:50:00.000-08:00

One day, I asked my Mark, if he could get me some cream puffs from Dulcinea. I was craving for a puff. And as far as I know, Dulcinea has the most accessible better puffs in Makati. But when Mark came home, he presented me with a box of other Dulcinea goodies.

It was very sweet of him, but alas, I am not a fan of the other pastries. Not to mention that they weren't fresh and were even a little soggy. Only the cream puffs proved to be any good. There were only two puffs in the box, so we each had one. ;)

I hope Amici makes cream puffs more regularly. :)

A Birthday Treat in CdO

2008-11-18T05:29:00.000-08:00

My brother's birthday treat, that is. Mine is a couple of days ahead of him, which I spent 30,000 feet in the sky for four hours, since our plane couldn't land on the foggy Lumbia Airport. Our plane got diverted back to Manila, and we had to rebook it for the next day. Oh well. At least we got to attend the wedding we were supposed to attend, and my brother's birthday.

We went to Candy's, a modern gourmet restaurant located at the Rosario Arcade of Limketkai Center in Cagayan de Oro City. Candy's has been around for a long time, for its pastries, bread and expensive dishes. But now, it has become more accessible to the younger set since it expanded it menu, and included pizzas and cocktails. Their pizzas have thin crust and are great!

But, on my brother's birthday, we ordered the following:

This is a vegetable panini. I forgot it's exact name, but I do remember it tasting so good! In between the beautiful striped wheat toasts, was a whole lot of pesto sauce, tomatoes and I think also some eggplant in it. My Mommy ordered this, and I think she made an excellent choice for lunch.

Look at all that cheese!

This was my order, supposedly a shrimp pasta in aglio and some scallops topping it. I forgot the name again, but it was okay. I think it tasted better when I added more parmesan. It was a little too light for me.

This is my husband's Gamberetti pasta. It was supposedly full of shrimps, but there were more stewed tomatoes in it, which totally overpowered the shrimps. My Mark didn't like it at all ( and upon tasting it, he's right).

The Tartufo

The Tartufo is a delectable ball of ice cream and chocolate cake, studded with nuts, and drizzled with white chocolate. A fun treat! One order best serves four people.

Fun!

My weekend stay may have been a little to short, but I am thankful I got to savor my hometown's breeze as I enter the third decade of my life.

Thank you Lord for blessings such as these!

Jelly going Peachy

2008-11-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

I snapped this photo in a birthday celebration of my husband's friend. There was a lot of food, and this dessert became a refreshing end to an oily glutton fest.

I've had almond jelly before, and they were always boring. I apologize to all almond jelly fans, but it really is boring. I don't know its health benefits so I cannot be obliged to eat it if I had a better choice.

But this one was different. Almond Jelly with Peaches! The Peaches served a very nice complement to the very light almond jelly. I have no idea how this was made, but I assume they used the following, and mixed them all together nicely:

1. Canned Peaches
2. Almond Jelly powder
3. Milk and Sugar

It looks pretty simple and easy to do. What do you think?

Amici Again

2008-10-30T19:17:00.000-07:00

It's always a happy eating experience at Amici! For this particular Friday, our friends Joan and Aldrie were nearby and were craving for Amici's pizza and gelato. We were so glad we didn't eat there the night before.

With two friends to share dinner with, we got to sample two pasta dishes and one pizza. Three dishes may seem sad for two men and two women with hearty appetites, but you know how the carbs puff up inside the tummy afterwards.

We ordered the following:

The Montanara (P180)
The vegetable pasta looked very interesting with the creamy tomato sauce. It was good, but not as good as the next pasta dish....

This one was a winner- The Salmone with Penne Pasta (P195). It seemed ordinary, but the salmon made the tomato sauce really yummy with the cheese. Very seductive pasta.

The Shrimp Pesto Genovese (P310)

Well, aside from the Salmone, this one was the regular champion. We always order this pizza whenever we go to Amici. The thin, crisp, wood-baked dough is not swimming in oil nor tomato sauce. It had just the right amount of shrimps and pesto. Yumminess.

Pistachio and Blueberry

And because Joan was with me to indulge in gelato, we ordered these treats. The shocking green one was Pistachio, while I suggested she order my favorite Blueberry.

Loved it all!:)

Cupcakes Sighted

2008-10-24T06:01:00.000-07:00

I got my wish! I was craving for pretty cupcakes a few months ago, but all I could find were those online based homebakers who'd sell only one flavor for a dozen or less. No assorted ones or per piece buys. I don't have anyone else yet to share these sweets in the house, other than my husband. And to order at least 6 or 12 pieces would be too much and too expensive, not to mention unhealthy (hehe).

So, I was pleasantly surprised to find this stall at the Glorietta food court. I read about Frostings before in a very popular blog, but I thought these were to be found only within the Rustan's premises. It was very nice to see the stall at the Foodcourt looking so pretty like this,

Aren't they so pretty?

There were many flavors at different prices. Their cheapest cupcake was tagged at P35. Not cheap, but not that bad. Each cupcake is served in a pretty little dome for take-out. We tried the Lemon Meringue (P35).

Lemon Meringue

The cake base was very light like chiffon, but dense enough to hold the yummy frosting on top. The frosting was toasted meringue, and I liked it. It was a little too sweet for me, especially with the red raspberry shaped milk chocolate (or was it fondant?) on top, but it was okay. I haven't tried the other flavors yet. Maybe next time I'll try the Ube cupcake ;)

Classy Eats

2008-10-17T00:17:00.000-07:00

Located at Greenbelt 5 in Makati City, Chateau 1771 oozes with classiness. What do I mean by that? Although it had a country American theme all around ( which is really supposed to be a more laid-back and homey style), they set-up the place like a French restaurant. Very formal and organized.

We went there at noon, which made for a very bright and happy atmosphere inside the dining area.

There were a lot of bright and colorful prints all around.
A lot of yellows and pinks, browns and whites.
Pretty. ;)

While waiting for our orders, they served us bread for appetizers:

Bread

We also ordered the Eggless Caesar Salad (P320). It was very light and tasty. The lacking creamy sauce was not sorely missed, because the anchovies and cheese made very good substitutes.

Eggless Caesar Salad

And because my Mark loves appetizers, we ordered the Beef Bracciole (P380). The beef was so tender and tasty. These are actually tender beef strips rolled in mozarella cheese. It literally melted in our mouths! Each bite was filled with earthy herb goodness and cheese. I have never tasted anything like this before.

Beef Bracciole

Next stop, was the Butterfly Prawns (P480). These were also good :)

Butterfly Prawns

Last stop, the Grilled Salmon (P580). Yummy fish. The dark sauce really distracted me at first, but it tasted good. It was also accompanied by a side dish of mashed potatoes and ratatouille.

Grilled Salmon

And the silky, thick mashed potatoes

The place is pretty, the food great, and the service- good too. They offered to divide the salad for three, when they saw we ordered only one salad for three people. Very thoughtful. I hope to be back :)

Post Script: They charge for service , plus VAT and local taxes. So be prepared to bring extra.

My Green Tea in Cream

2008-10-14T16:26:00.001-07:00

Between coffee or tea, I choose tea. I love tea so much, that I named my first blog after my favorite tea. So every time I go to gourmet coffee shops, I always end up ordering tea based drinks. At the most famous coffee shop in the world, I always order this-

Green Tea Frapuccino

I like it so much, because it is so creamy and refreshing!
I'm not so sure though if this is based on brewed green tea or
matcha powder, but it sure is yummy!

One morning, while Mark and I were waiting near the airport- we got ourselves an oatmeal cookie at the counter...

It was crumbly, loaded with walnuts and chocolate chips. Yum.

Great snacks :)

Power Breakfast

2008-10-10T12:30:00.000-07:00

After our usual Saturday walk/jog, my Mark wanted to splurge on Italianni's for breakfast. He was gushing over their breakfast sets and the orange juice. The magic words for me were "orange juice. " ;)

So off we went in our jogging gear... at Italianni's Greenbelt 3. I think we were the first customers of the day, and it was nice to have the place all to ourselves.

Orange Juice
Nothing really special about this. In fact, it was a little sour. Must be from a concentrate.
We ordered The Eggs Benedict with Adobo, and the Filipino breakfast set.

The Filipino breakfast set
- omelet, garlic rice, corned beef, longganisa and watermelon wedges..whew!

The fruit dessert of the Filipino Breakfast set

Longganisa- good!

Now, for the eggs benedict with adobo flakes

This is a super eggy-dish!

cheesy, buttery fatty. hehe

This was a yummy dish, but it was too big and eggy for one person. Definitely not a breakfast for those who are conscious of their cholesterol and salt intake. I also think that service needed a little more warmth and improvement, after the price that we paid for this meal.

I think we needed to do more jogging after this .... ;)

Home Baked from Cebu

2008-10-08T20:17:00.000-07:00

My father-in-law brought us some pasalubong from Cebu City- a bagful of goodies from Homebakers- a specialty bakeshop in Cebu City. I wasn't able to take pictures of the other goodies, but we got yummy mini Brazo de Mercedes which they call Merceditas, Tiramisu cups, and the following- a chocolate chiffon cake and mini Pecan pies.

I loooove the Pecan pies. They were so yummy. The crust was flaky and tasty, and the pecan filling, gooey and chewy.

mini pecan pie

Chocolate Chiffon Cake

Good-ah

I like the chocolate cake because it was so chocolate-y , soft and sweet.
It had a slight, sugary texture which was very much
like the chocolate malt drink - Milo. Yummy.

Good eats from Cebu City!

Spanish Style

2008-10-03T22:58:00.001-07:00

One rainy evening, we met up with Mark's Pa at Mandaluyong again for dinner. We took shelter at The Podium, and found ourselves browsing again through their restaurants. After having a round-about of the three (or four) floors, we finally settled on this restaurant of old located at the ground floor- Casa Armas. I heard that it is best known for their Paellas, and I was excited to try one.

I loved the old-style, white distressed walls, the red bricks, and the Spanish shields scattered all around.

We ordered the following goodies:

Gambas Atillo (P365)

I liked this one.
The sweet little cajueula brought loads of charm, but took up a lot of space.
I loved that it had loads of garlic on it. Yum.

Beef Salpicao ( P445)

I love beef and again, it was loaded with garlic so I loved it!
The beef was tender but gave us enough muscle to chew on.

Bacalao Vizcaina (P510)

A fish stew with loads of tomato sauce and red peppers. A lot like sardines.
I had envisioned a less saucy dish. This one was too saucy, lacked fish meat in ratio with the sauce, and well, basically lacked a little something. A little kick perhaps?

If you want to try this dish, you can find canned versions of this,
by different manufacturers in the imported or canned goods section of your local grocery.

Paella Negra (P975)

The main dish. Known for their paellas, we wanted to try something more special than the regular Valenciana. Hence, we ordered the Negra- a squid-ink based paella with seafood. It was filled with green beans, carrots, squid, mussels and some chicken.

I didn't really like it. I think it was a little undercooked, as I like my paella with a teeny bit of crust at the bottom, with the sauce thickened and plumping up the rice kernels. This one was a bit watery or wet, and was a little sourish. We find that adding a little of the Gambas garlic oil made it better.

Service was not so good that evening. I think they were under manned at that night. The cook was so bothered by the waiters, she wanted to serve the food to us herself! Kudos to her. :)

Now... for "wallet talk". The place is pricey, and they charge for service. But they weren't snooty at all. Just undermanned.

Mom and Tina's

2008-09-30T12:00:00.000-07:00

Mom and Tina's is a lovely cafe specializing in home-baked goodies.Their first outlet is at Pasig City, right across the SM Hypermart.

It has been featured a lot in t.v. shows, magazines, and blogs. And I was really excited to see that they have now set up shop here in Makati. They have a lovely corner cafe at Perea Street corner de La Rosa St. in Makati. The place is always full. the reason? Perfect location, lovely ambiance... and super yummy food. I have yet to try their main dishes... but their cupcakes are DIVINE.

I first tried their cupcakes when my sweet husband, brought home a couple of muffins in flavors- Pecan Chocolate, and Cranberry Orange . I liked the former better.

One Sunday, we decided to give the place a try. Mark ordered the Brazo de Mercedes and I tried out the Carrot cupcake (P35).

All I can say is- "I finally found the cupcakes I've been dreaming of!" Hehe. Their cupcakes are devoid of all the frou-frou that all the fad cupcakes have now. Their flavors are really more classic. But they have a lovely color, perfect taste and moistness that left me dreaming while eating them. The generous frosting is the classic meringue frosting of old, that I've been hankering for the longest time. I am not a buttercream frosting fan, so that also explains my partiality to their frosting.

As for the Brazo de Mercedes, it was so good- I likened it to my favorite Goldilocks Brazo de Mercedes. There was no eggy taste or smell, just good ol' custard that's been sweetened to perfection.

Brazo de Mercedes

Light and fluffy

To the last bit...

Carrot Cupcake

It's pretty

Very dense

Walnut-ty

Moist

And I ate it all!:)

The service was good, the servers are friendly and polite... I wish they stay this way always!

Dampa sa Libis

2008-09-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

This is the one place where, whenever my husband wants to indulge on some crabs, we go to eat fresh seafood. I forgot how much we spent on the food... but I think ... it's more expensive than we expected it to be..

We got our catch from the wet market, which is located just behind the restaurant. The wet market was chockful of shrimps, prawns, oysters, fishes and crabs! We buy per weight, and then there's a fee for the cooking. I wasn't able to take pics for fear I'd drop the camera on the wet floor. Hehe. Ang arte.

After paying for the crabs and the fish, we waited in the restaurant area- a large, brightly lit, airconditioned seating area, and very colorful accents. Beware though during rush hours, like 11 to 12 noon, so many people go there to eat, and waiting can seem like forever!

Chili Crab

I love the garlicky, sweetish sauce

Grilled Pampano

I wish I had it cooked some other way.

There are advertisements outside of the restaurant area suggesting different dishes. I suggest you have your food cooked the same way as the ads... I think it's their specialty. ;)

Enjoy the crabs!

Thanks Ang Peregrino!

2008-09-25T20:30:00.000-07:00

Ang Peregrino, a highly informative and very cool website about Life, has posted a very lovely, and very generous blog post under the segment Ang Peregrino Recommends.

I am deeply touched, Ang Peregrino! To more Food Trips!:)

shalum ;)

Coffee at the Bag of Beans

2008-09-24T19:15:00.000-07:00

After a lot of picture-taking at Sonya's Garden, we hied off to the just-as-popular Bag of Beans. Catchy name for a place, huh? I've also heard so much about their coffee and pies. This place is also located at the Buck Estate, and just along the highway. It is so much more accessible.

The bakeshop is just along the highway and features a lot of breads, cinnamon rolls, and a quaintly named Dundee Cake, which really looks more like a fruitcake. I settled for the Steak & Mushroom Pie (P105) for take-out.

The Coffee Shop is located a few feet below the highway ...meaning, we had to climb down a paved stairway. It rained that afternoon, so we didn't get to experience having the coffee in the garden. There were bird cages all around, and a Parrot that squawks every time someone enters the dining area.

The dining area also had an all-white theme, with some old Filipino wood trimmings. I liked it , although the place lackked soothing music. The deafening silence was broken by a few humming of next-table conversations. Going back to the decor, this place was much more masculine looking than Sonya's and was devoid of a lot of frilly stuff. Three pieces of fresh, yellow Chrysanthemums adorned our white linen topped table.

Mark ordered the House Blend Coffee (P95), Eric and Jessica both had cups of White Mocha ( P85), while I had my English Breakfast Tea (P60). For our sweet tooth, we shared a slice of their Blueberry Topped Cheesecake at (P125).

The Cheesecake was sweet, and complemented the coffee well. It was a bit sugary and soft for me, but it was a yummy cake still, with two layers of crust and cream cheese. The blueberry toppings were seemingly homemade :)

House Blend

My English Breakfast Tea coming to be...

White Mocha

Blueberry Topped Cheesecake

"All is fair in love and war..."... Hehe

And this, is not going to be our last! Until next time, highlands!

A Double Date at Sonya's Garden

2008-09-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

It was a double date up to Tagaytay together with Eric and his girlfriend, Jessica. It was Mark and I's first time to go to Sonya's Garden, and we were so excited. I had read so much about this mysterious woman's heavenly garden and last Saturday, I finally got to see it for myself.

It was almost a two hour ride to her place. It was a weekend, but it seemed that a lot of people decided to go up to the mountains too! Save for the traffic and some repairs at the SLEX, it was a a smooth ride.

Oh, but as soon as we stepped in.. we were in love! The dining area had an ethereal feel all over, with white, embroidered linens covering the tables, white draperies all over the ceiling, fresh flowers and greens all over the place! There was a garden on one side of the dining area, and a "rain" wall. Everything was meticulously crafted to produce the whole ethereal effect!

It was a good thing that Eric had reserved a table for us because, the place was packed! At P610 per head, we had the following yummies ( please forgive the pictures)...

I love the embroideries, and the heavenly dalandan juice!

Greens and the mix-ins- melons, pineapples,
board nuts, mangoes, eggs, parmesan cheese

oh, and turnips too!

Pineapple

Chopped Eggs

The really fresh lettuce, with edible rose petals

I love their Sesame Bread!

The spreads: Pesto, Liver Spread, Tuna and Kesong Puti ( I think),
Feta Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes

The bread was good in itself, but with the spreads, it became extra special. I love the Pesto and Feta Cheese spreads :)

The Pasta, Two Kinds of Sauces, and your choice of mix-ins

White Sauce, Red Sauce

Mushrooms

Ratatouille

Deep Fried Salmon

It was a very heavy meal, the greens were lovely, but the pasta was really heavy! The pasta sauces were not that impressive. I love their mushroom and ratatouille though. :)

And for that, we were so thankful for the tarragon tea which was served after the pasta meal. It was a cup of hot water, infused with the tarragon leave's essence.

Tarragon Tea

For dessert, they served us the following:

Deep, Dark Chocolate Cake

Banana rolls with Nangka ( or the local Turon)

Sweetened Camotes

The chocolate cake was not sweet at all! It was dense but not cloyingly sweet. The sweet part burst into the native desserts. I love their turon, and the candied sweet potatoes (sweetened camotes). I was so full, but I simply had to get a second serving of the turon! I must say... the native desserts overshadowed the chocolate cake!:)

There were a lot of food served. And guess what, everything was eat-all-you can! In fact, we can always have a round two, of any part of the meal, if anybody wanted to...so cool!

But more than that.. the experience of Sonya's Garden is not to be missed. It was a lovely, romantic interlude to the busy metro life!

The Blueberries

2008-09-16T15:00:00.000-07:00

This is the first time I've eaten fresh blueberries. The ones I've tasted before were the cooked ones. I got them at a Binondo sidewalk vendor.

Blueberries are best with fresh cream... but with vanilla ice cream, I think they're much yummier! Remembering a Martha Stewart recipe on Bluberry Peach Cobbler, I added a Peach slice for color.. and I must say, it tasted better- My Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberries and A Peach.

A Twist on the Classic Filipino Taste

2008-09-16T09:50:00.000-07:00

C2 Classic Cuisine is conveniently located right in the heart of the new Pedro Gil Wing of Robinson's Place Manila. They serve mainly Filipino dishes with a modern twist, and a few other Asian fusion cuisine.

My Papa likes the Arroz Caldo ( P120) a hefty serving of this garlic heavy, chicken and rice porridge. It's super comfort food!

Arroz Caldo

Feeling a little adventurous... I tried the Veggie Tempeh Wrap (P140 ). It was spicy! I liked it but it was a little too spicy for me.

Veggie Tempeh Wrap

Milk dip

Veggie Tempeh Wrap-heavy with onions and,
ginger and vermicelli

Mark ordered the Crispy Pata (P475 ). It was well made. Tasty and crispy! I think though it should have been ordered by at least four people (there were only three of us at that time).

For dessert, we ordered The Bibingka Souffle (P145 ). I was highly intrigued by it. It was yummy at first bite... but it was too creamy for me. This one's heavy on the quezo de bola cheese, eggs and milk.

Bibingka Souffle

After breaking it..

Service was okay. We really like it here!

Chocolate at the Coffee Bean

2008-09-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

In the mood for some chocolate cake, we looked for some at the MOA (Mall of Asia) one balmy afternoon. After walking for hours, we finally settled into Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Their MOA branch is one of those facing the bay, so I think it's a good place to hang out.

We ordered a slice of the Blackout Chocolate Cake (P105.00). It was so dark and chocolatey, yet light and feathery. Yummy. The requisite caramel filling is so thin and light, and did not overpower the cake like it does with other chocolate fudge cakes. Lovely cake.

We also got a regular frozen Green Tea with whipped cream (P155.00) for me and a Mudslide (P175.00) for Mark. I like his Mudslide better.

I enjoyed the quiet, coffee shop date with the hubby. I hope we do this again. Hehe.

Tagged

2008-09-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

I've been tagged by Mikky of My Finds to post 6 Quirky Things I Do. I know I have a lot of that, but writing them down seemed really hard. Hehe. Here they are!

1. Some of my friends, including my husband, find this quirkiness utterly weird- I like to stick a handful of fries in between my Mcdonald's cheeseburger. I just like doing it that way.

2. I wash my face with facial wash after I take a shower. Hehe. I am trying to do something about that now.

3. I know this is not so quirky with the food blogging world, but the great majority find that taking a photo of the food we eat is really quirky (I know, I know).

4. I prefer my ampalaya raw.

5. I am painfully shy... but when I get comfortable.. I can't stop talking.

6. Unless it's been blow-dried (and that's very rare), I can't do without tying my hair.

Hmmm. ..I had fun! Thanks Mikky! Now, it's your turn, Gracie!

Almuchow

2008-09-04T10:30:00.000-07:00

I haven't really been to Chowking for sometime, since the sanitation rumor spread. I used to frequent this place a lot for the Beef Motong Soup and the Sweet&Sour Pork meals. But, when Mark and I went to Intramuros for a morning jog, we simply had no other fastfood breakfast place to go but this. This is the one nearest the Cathedral and the main park.

We had the Chinese Ham Almuchow (P70) and Mark had the King's Special Almuchow (P99). We had to add P19 pesos each for our drinks- Mark had a cup of coffee and I had a cup of hot Naicha (Milk Tea). It was a showery Monday morning, and we needed to have our hot drinks.

Chinese Ham Almuchow

King's Special Almuchow

The verdict: The meals were still good. I like the ham, although I wasn't too excited for the fried rice. I was not able to taste test the Naicha , and quickly put some sugar when the cup was served with a bowl of sugar on the side. Result? Disastrous! The Naicha was already sweet, so adding extra sugar simply made it almost inedible ( well, unless you want to drink liquified candied milk tea!). Tsk, so in case you want to try the Naicha.. keep the sugar bowl away from you!

As for it's cleanliness... let me say, aside from the fact they should replace worn out coffee mugs, I'd rather try Chowking again in another branch.

Peanut Butter Cookie Nostalgia

2008-09-03T19:39:00.000-07:00

I got hold of a pack at the grocery store as I was laying down my stuff on the counter. One green, glossy pack said hello to me (Hehe!).

Presto Peanut Butter Creams. I used to have them a lot when I was much younger. They still have the same peanut butter aroma, same yummy taste, and those lovely ridges that I so enjoyed looking at before I would munch at them. I was in such a good mood that I subjected them to a photo shoot. :)

Smile, pretty cookies...smile!

munch.

Our Fiesta at Ilustrado

2008-09-02T17:35:00.000-07:00

Three Kagay-anons in Manila missing Cagayan de Oro (that's me, my husband and our friend Eric ), dined together to celebrate the town fiesta. We decided to go to Ilustrado Restaurant, located at the Intramuros last Friday night. We were actually enticed to try the place, because of Eric's high recommendation of the Sampaguita Ice Cream.

I was initially hesistant of the place, because I read somewhere that the place preferred reservations, and I figured a place like that would be too expensive. In fact, when Queen Sophia of Spain visited the Philippines, she was tendered a dinner there by the former President Fidel Ramos and his wife.

Since there were three of us, we figured the damage (on our wallets) wouldn't be as bad. So off we went to the walled city.

The restaurant is located along Calle Real de Palacio. There's a vertical sign on the left side of the street with the name Ilustrado in red and black. A little path will lead you to the restaurant. The place echoes the whole of Intramuros- of antique Spanish furniture and design. I love the smell of old wood and old houses. There are tables and chairs for those who want to eat al fresco. We went inside the main dining room. The place looks old and rich. I dare say though, it wouldn't hurt to renovate some things in the dining room.

When we went in, we were surprised there was nobody else dining there at 8 in the evening. It felt eerie. It didn't help either that the waiter wasn't so smiling. Ilustrado, eh? A waitress came in next to take our order and she wasn't so nice either. Maybe we just had gotten used to eating in nice places with smiling waitresses.

They served us bread ( 2 pieces each person). One was a slice of a baguette and the other a soft bread roll with raisins. Good bread. The liver pate was alright.

Bread

Liver Pate and Butter

The boys ordered the appetizer- Calf's Brain Meuniere . It was lightly fried, and the soft brain can still be tasted in the middle. It was done medium well, actually. I would have preferred it a little more cooked, as the exterior was really flavorful with the lemon butter and caper sauce. The boys liked the soft, juicy interiors though, Hehe.

Calf's Brain

Cross section of the Calf's Brain

For the main course, we ordered the Paella Ilustrado(P600+) . I think it was a signature dish, and is meant for sharing. I think it was alright. I've tasted better a better Paella. Mention must be made also of the crab claws. It was observed that the crab meat was dry and not fresh, and we had to have it cracked open in the kitchen, upon request.

Paella Ilustrado

Now, for the piece de resistance... the Sampaguita Ice Cream (P90) . It was a small scoop in a margarita glass, but it was all one ever needed. Such a lovely, lovely ice cream. It tasted strongly of sampaguitas. My mind was floating while eating it. It's the perfect dessert for a date! If one was going to propose to a girl... I think you'd get a yes if you make her have this dessert first before you pop the question! Hehe

Sampaguita Ice Cream

For all that it's worth, the experience sucked because of the service. There was a careless manner in the way they handled us. Hmmmm. Even when they had to dish out the appetizer plates and replace them with dinner plates, there was seriously a careless manner about them. Please allow me to be honest, it was supposed to be a fine dining experience. I guess they are used to Ilustrados (a.k.a. foreigners or bigger "a"'s) as customers, who came in a little after the appetizers. Or maybe it was just another bad day. Lady luck...where are you?

Do go for the Sampaguita Ice Cream. It's worth the wait.

Another dessert saves the evening!!

To be Jolli

2008-09-01T02:58:00.000-07:00

I grabbed one of the Ice Craze desserts of Jollibee one day, while waiting for Mark to fetch me.

I got an Ube Keso (P39), and I am amazed that it's good! So much cheddar, ube and pinipig in that cup of ice. Luscious! I am surprised it's not all ice underneath that ice cream.

So much stuff under that soft served-ice cream!

Ube Keso

Kabisera

2008-09-01T00:22:00.001-07:00

It was a rainy afternoon in Taguig. Knowing that the traffic would eat up dinner time, we decided to take Mark's mother at The Fort. We proceeded to Kabisera at the Fort, as it was highly recommended by blogs and featured in some articles of the daily broadsheets. Kabisera is the high-end version of the well-loved Dencio's Restaurants.

We ordered the Kilawing Salmon (P295) - salmon fillets cooked kinilaw or kilawin way- in vinegar. It was interesting to taste the predominantly Western fish Salmon served the native way. I would have loved it had they used "sweeter" vinegar, and maybe some fresh lime. I wasn't able to take a picture though. Sorry. We also had Molo Iloilo (P140) for our soup.

For our rice, we ordered the highly recommended Adobong Pusit Rice sa Buho(P195). We were very excited to try this dish. We love rice soaked in squid ink. Sadly, the dish didn't meet our expectations. We expected it would be cooked inside the bambo casing. But the rice didn't taste like it did, nor feel like it did. It wasn't as tasty or as sticky as expected. I guess the Buho is for serving purposes only.

Adobong Pusit Rice sa Buho

We also ordered the Sari-Saring Sinugba (P495)- a medley of grilled meat. The Tuna belly was not fresh. Sorry. Good thing the barbeque fared better.

Sari-saring Sinugba

Ah, the Pinakbet Salad (P95). I will not apologize to say that this is probably one of the worst Pinakbets I have tasted. I don't mind as much if the mixture is not that good, or it lacked seasonings... but I do mind when the dish served is NOT FRESH. Vegetables are very obvious when they are not fresh. We are hurt to be served something like this. I can still smell the not fresh bagoong, okra, talong and kalabasa. I think it was pre-cooked for a couple of days or more. It must have been a bad day at the kitchen.

Pinakbet Salad

It is a blessing that they have desserts... and we had the Sin-turon (P120)- a heavenly version of the turon. Such a lovely version. The bananas, langka and taro are wrapped in a very a thin lumpia wrapper, tied in the middle like a pouch with a Pandan leaf and deep-fried to golden perfection. I am so glad that we ordered this, or else..everything would have been such a waste of hard-earned money.

Sin-turon

Aren't we all glad for desserts? ;)

Yumminess

2008-08-26T21:03:00.000-07:00

I'm supposed to post a dessert feature after the Cafe Med blog. Oh well..

How can I ever forget this ice cream? One of the best surprises I got in the world of food. You see, I've always been wary of gelato stalls. The colors seem too bright, I figure there would be too much sugar, coloring or maybe even artificial food flavors.

Located at the Second Floor of the WalterMart building in Pasong Tamo, Amici de Don Bosco has a dessert stall and a gelato freezer. I love Amici's pizza and cream puffs, but their gelato is a real winner. I can really taste freshness in them- fresh cream, fresh fruits... aaaah...yumminess!

We got a Mango Jubilee (P50) for Mark because he loves mango ice cream. The Mango Jubilee has mango gelato as its base flavor and is incorporated with different berries and fruits. Mark can only put his one thumb up, after tasting it because the other hand was holding the cup. Hehe.

As for me, I got a Blueberry (P50) gelato, because I love blueberries. The ice cream base is vanilla infused with blueberries, and then the whole pack is scattered with ripe blueberries. I don't know if the blueberries were cooked, because if they were, it wasn't mushy at all. It seemed like the berries were fresh when they got mixed in with the ice cream.

The best! It's like having fresh berries and cream! My mind is entranced still even after having them. Sigh :) I am in love!

A Taste of China

2008-08-25T11:20:00.000-07:00

Because we cannot afford to go to Beijing for the Olympics, we did the next best thing to enjoying a full China sensory experience ... we headed off to Chinatown in Binondo, Manila!

It wasn't easy to look for parking. From Makati, we found the President's Tea House after two hours! The streets were narrow, crowded, and impossible to park in, without getting goosebumps! After parking some blocks away, we hired a pedicab to get us to The President's Tea House.

Salazar Street

We were so hungry, I fear we ordered too much! And because we wanted to have something quick so badly, we got some dumplings before getting to the main dishes. We ordered Hakao Prawns (P75.00) and Spareribs Dimsum (P60). I love their dimsum! The Hakao Prawns were so moist and fresh. And the Spareribs, tender and tasty. Perfect!

Hakao Prawns

Spareribs

The Dimsum Cart

For the main course, we ordered three dishes. First came the Fried Frog's Legs (P260) . I had never eaten frogs' legs before, until this day! I swore I would never eat frogs, but then again... never say never! If I hadn't known they were Frogs' Legs, I would have been the first to stick my fork in them. They were golden crispy and loaded with garlic. After a little hesistation, I bit into one and liked it! It did taste like chicken-with the tinest chicken bones. Had they deboned these, I would never have guessed the difference. Well, I guess there's always a first time.

Fried Frogs' Legs

Next came in my choice-the Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Tausi Sauce (P280). Steamed Lapu-lapu is my personal favorite! And although I am not a big fan of Tausi sauce (black bean sauce), I liked it. I would have liked the fish to be more moist, but it was alright. :)

Steamed Lapu-Lapu with Tausi Sauce

The rice came a little late. I have no idea if this is distinctly Chinese, but we Filipinos want the rice served ahead! So we had to follow up our rice order with the waiter. The Yangchow Fried Rice (P180) was alright. It was a big serving, and would have served four under normal circumstances :) Hehe!

Yangchow Fried Rice

For the main dish, we ordered Peking Duck in Two Ways (P800). They separated the skin from the meat. They served the very crispy duck skin first over deep-fried cracklings, steamed molo wrapper, and vegetable sticks. I guess you have to eat those together. I can only assume, coz we were stunned to see that much food. Next came in the Duck meat - chopped and fried with potatoes and served over crispy vermicelli. It was so good.

Peking Duck 2 Ways

The Vegetable Sticks accompanying the Peking Duck

Peking Duck meat chopped and fried with potatoes
over crispy vermicelli

Duck meat wrapped in crispy Iceberg lettuce

Crispy Duck Skin

Molo wrap over duck skin

It was a feast! We'd love to go back again someday. Until then, I have to excercise the duck cholesterol away!