Quarantine Favorite: The Ordinary Sip's White Fungus Dessert

One of the best things we can do for ourselves during this global pandemic is to strengthen our immune system. We could do so by exercising or eating the right food. The first option is becoming too difficult for me when I enter my 9th month of pregnancy, so I try my best to eat nutritious food for me and my baby, Sam. And I'm so happy to discover a delectable treat that not only tastes so good but packed with health benefits perfect for expectant moms like me. 

Hello, The Ordinary Sip.

The Ordinary Sip is the newest brainchild of the talented girls behind Nacho Macho MNL. This time around, they came up with a not so usual dessert that R and I love. 

Celebrating Mooncake Festival the Traditional Way with Eng Bee Tin

Mooncake season is here! With beautifully designed Chinese baked treats in countless shelves in the market, the only other thing that excites me is the annual dice game. Known in Manila as Mooncake Festival and more aptly called Mid-Autumn Festival in China, this tradition can be traced all the way back during the Qing Dynasty in 1600. It has been said that this celebration is to give good luck to scholars for their exams hence the game being known as zhuang yuan bo bing. It eventually evolved throughout the years and we now veer away from mooncakes as prizes and give out snacks or money instead. But Eng Bee Tin had the wonderful idea to bring back tradition. 

Hello, Eng Bee Tin and The Great Buddha Cafe. 

Eng Bee Tin has been around for over a decade now having started in 1912. Its name has been closely related to hopia and tikoy that others actually use the brand name when referring to these Chinese favorites.

First Bite: Bánh Nǎm

I love how Manila is turning into a melting pot of various cuisines. The city that used to be dominated by American fast food joints and Filipino eateries is now a thing of the past. Fast forward to present, we have all kinds of dishes from different countries with some we still could not even pronounce correctly. One of my favorites lately is this delightful sandwich popular in Vietnam. Yes, I’m talking about banh mi. And recently, I discovered this shop that sells really good ones. 

Hello, Bánh Nǎm.

This Vietnamese shop offers two of the yummiest things Vietnam has to offer and it is serious in providing the best kind.  

Love at First Bite: Asakusa Home of Tempura

I have been dying to visit this tempura place at The Grove for months but it gets cancelled every single time. I blame the lazy weekend bug! There was one time though when we finally braved the Saturday traffic and we were greeted by… a closed sign. I heard my heart break and my tummy whine the moment I saw the glass door signage. But the Year of the Monkey seems to be my year as when R and I visited The Grove during Chinese New Year for dinner, the place I have been eying for months was open. OPEN! *insert creepy mega giant smile here*

Hello, Asakusa! 

The foodie in me found it so surreal that I finally managed to get inside the “home of tempura”. It was a long wait and I hope that it won’t disappoint.

Famished, we ordered Salmon Salad (PHP208), Emperor Tempura Set (PHP578) and Gyudon (PHP288). For beverage, we settled with the complimentary house tea.    

Service was quick as it was not even past the 5 minute mark when the salmon salad was served.

I loved it! The fresh salmon cuts drizzled with what seemed to be teriyaki sauce went really well with the crisp veggies and tempura flakes. The contrast between the soft and crunchy textures was delightful as well. Though flavor was a tad strong as appetizer, it was still a great starter!

Gyudon was served next and we were perplexed with its appearance. It did not look like the gyudon we know. The meat looked a bit too dark. Tastewise, the flavor was overpowering. It was too sweet for gyudon.