One Sooo Pinoy Day

I was one of the two lucky winners to be part of the Sooo Pinoy Food trip with the top food bloggers in Manila (my boss included!).

Since this was something that doesn’t happen every day, I was pretty excited. Food. Wi-Fi bus. Chance to meet new friends. Adventure. Yipee!!! 

My friend and I were early at the first stop ADARNA FOOD AND CULTURE restaurant since we do not like being late. Call time was 11:15 and we arrived around 10 minutes earlier. No one was there yet aside from the organizers and the other winner and her friend. (Disclaimer: Details of each stop will be on different blog posts.)

After a few minutes of taking pictures of the oh-so-amazing antique and historic displays, the other organizers and bloggers arrived. We were formally greeted by the organizers and were treated to a nice lecture on Filipino Food by no other than Giney Villar, owner and chef behind Adarna. Here we were introduced to katmon, a good alternative to tamarind for it has a milder taste. Seafood Special, Bicol Express, Adobong Batangas, and Kesong Puti with Langka were served for lunch. We were also given a tour around the place. (It has a function room and a really cool jukebox!)

Next stop was NATHANIEL’S which was said to have really good buko pandan and puto (which is the hybrid of puto and siopao). It was unfortunate that someone took advantage of our food excitement and took the bag of one of our (uhm) tour-mates.

We have not digested the buko pandan yet when we stopped by KABIGTING’S for some halo-halo. What’s so interesting about this halo-halo is that it only has 3 ingredients. HUWAAAT? Halo-halo with just three ingredients? You call that halo-halo?—inner me talking. Why yes—stomach talking. I never thought that cream of corn, beet, and pastillas (milk included) are enough to make a good halo-halo. I was still pretty full then so I wasn’t able to finish my share. (Shucks!)

Now the adventure starts. QUIAPO was our next stop. I went there before but I didn’t remember a thing. We first went to this Halal store named NIHAYAH HALAL located at the ground floor of Hotel Noralyn. We tried Tilapiang Inaluban, Kilawin, Beef Rendang, Badak, and Atay Papar. I am not very fond of curry or anything spicy so I didn’t enjoy it that much. We walked towards our next destination MASTER HOPIA FACTORY, INC. Since it was sooooo hot inside, I did not bother checking which hopia to get. I got the regular original mongo flavored hopia. Last stop in Quiapo was EXCELENTE ham known for… well… excellent ham.

Words cannot explain how happy we all were when we got back to the bus. Hello air conditioner! J

Finally, we arrived to our last stop: CAFÉ ADRIATICO in Malate (in front of Manila Bay). The ambiance was a bit dark and made us sleepy (all that eating made it even worse). BUT we will never sleep before food! For our early dinner, we had Sinigang na Bangus sa bayabas as appetizer, sparerib adobo and (sort of) crispy pata as main course, and buko pandan for dessert.

The tour was really fun. There was just a bit of a boo boo near the end that disappointed me. But I’d rather keep it to myself.

Good job Sooo Pinoy.

In love with a pink gooey goodness

I never thought that I will fall in love with marshmallow. True, I have been fond of munching on marshmallow since I was a kid. Then I discovered CHOCOLATE FONDUE and I just can’t stop craving for marshmallows. But soon, I grew tired of this soft gooey snack and moved on to munching other evil goodness.  

Then one fateful day… I went to MUJI (for the first time here in the Philippines).

I am not very fond of the store as I find the items there ridiculously overpriced. For generic looking office/home/everything else items, people are paying way more compared to buying branded ones. Also, the color options are very limited (even for me who only acknowledges white, black, brown, blue and red as colors).

And since I am getting turned off by the price tags (though I still bought a bookend since I really really need one to organize my files), I decided to check the Muji food rack as I heard a lot of rave about it.

I got curious with the marshmallow for it looked so… fluffy and pink. Okay, perhaps the girly girl in me suddenly popped out and that what made me decide to buy it.

 Oh my marshmallow heaven goodness~~~~~ it is sooooooo good. The strawberry… uhm, jam is so good and it goes well with the fluffy chewy marshmallow. Though I find it a bit sweet, I still can’t stop myself from getting more.

And since I got addicted to it, I went back to Muji to buy another pack just to find out… THEY RAN OUT OF IT. I then bought the lemon flavor on sale (meaning it will expire soon) and a pack of strawberry mallows with strawberry cream (totally different).

I am still craving for that strawberry mallow with strawberry jam filling. Wait, how do you call it anyway?

Crispy chicken = Bon Chon

I’ve finally tried the famous twice fried chicken (Korean style of frying chicken) last Friday at Bon Chon’s SM Megamall branch.

The place was pretty small… okay, really small.

We were suckers for couches so we opted to stay at the right side of the restaurant. It was such a hassle though since I had to go around the restaurant just to go to the counter (there is no way that one can squeeze in between tables).

I ordered medium combo of soy garlic seasoned wings and legs and pickled radish and fries as side dishes (to give it a more Korean dinner feel).

Service was pretty fast for we got everything in less than 10 minutes. J

Yey, time to try the oh-so-famous chicken people were raving about.

*Slice slice bite chew chew chew*

Okay, it was really crispy, something kids will really love. But it wasn’t as good as I was expecting it to be given all the raves I read about it.

I’m not so sure if I wasn’t feeling well that day but the taste of the chicken was a bit too light for me. It needs a bit more flavor; though my mom and sister find it okay. In fact, my sister loved it.

If ever you go to Bon Chon, do order pickled radish for it goes well with the chicken. (I just ordered the fries to assure me that we won’t starve.)

Price-wise, Bon Chon's chicken isn’t that expensive since it is almost the same as KFC’s. We just find the chicken to be a bit small.

I’ll definitely go back but I’ll probably try their ala carte instead and stay near the counter to make things easier. J

Loco over Poco Deli

Who would have thought that there’s a small quaint deli shop at East Capitol Drive. I’ve been living near the area for a loooooong time and the only food places I knew were SOHO, Café Juanita, and Three Sisters (well, let’s include those sprouting restaurants that pop and poof). Then came Poco Deli.

Our Group Publisher decided to hold our Publishers lunch in this quaint store.

      

 We had cassava chips as appetizer and to appease our grumbling tummies.

Next served were two of their sausage platters, New York and German.

I prefer the New York platter for it was a bit juicier compared to German which was meatier.

Poco Deli Iced Tea. Cute color. :)

Some of us ordered tapa, seafood pasta, stew, and callos. One of their newest items was SALMON PASTA. The server just said the magic word so I ordered it.

It took them a loooooong time to serve my dish. I guess as a deli shop, they were not used to serving cooked food (since they are more known for their cold cuts). When my dish arrived, I sniffed it and well, it smelled good.

*twirl twirl twirl… slurp!*

The flavor was very rich to the point that you’ll get tired of it easily. In short, there is the suya factor. Also, the dish was too fishy (malansa) for me. The serving though was pretty generous. It was good for 2 people. If I’m not mistaken, it was around PHP250.

I read several reviews that Poco Deli’s desserts are pretty good. I’ll try that next time after ordering another set of New York sausage platter. J

Seeking for something Greek

Ever since I fell in love with Cyma, I force my family to have lunch in this Greek restaurant almost everyday and they finally gave in two weeks ago.

At first, they were quite hesitant when they saw the menu as everything sound so foreign to them. Nonetheless, they managed to find something to order—Lamb Gyro and Kotopoulo Lemonato (Greek chicken adobo). I chose baked salmon (which was quite predictable). We also ordered Spinach and Artichoke Fondue as appetizer and Skolatina as dessert.

The Spinach and Artichoke Fondue arrived first. My mom and sister liked it; though my sister was not thrilled and still finds CONNIE’S KITCHEN’s spinach and artichoke spread better.

My mom was pretty full when our orders arrived. She wasn’t able to eat the gyro but munched on the potato wedges (side dish) instead.

As for my sister, she was still pessimistic when the Kotopoulo Lemonato arrived. But she managed to eat it. She wasn’t happy though. My mom and I tried it and we find it okay. Not outstanding but good.

As for the baked salmon, IT WAS HEAVEN. My only problem with it was that the serving was a bit small to satisfy my hunger. I had to ask for some potato wedges to make me feel full.

Last was Skolatina. I do not have to share how good it was since I already did in http://gluttonshopper.blogspot.com/2011/04/greek-geek.html. My sister fell in love with it too. She had a hard time finishing it though since we were all too full. Yet, as dessert gluttons, we still forced ourselves to eat it.

Will definitely try the other dishes soon. But I’ll probably invite my friends instead. J

A recap of the Yummiest event of the year!

Yummy Eats, a cooking and eating fair was held last May 21, 2011 at the NBC Tent from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and was attended by food lovers, Yummy magazine readers, kids, and a lot more. The highlights of the event were the following:

a.)    Sampling of the handpicked concessionaires of Yummy magazine

b.)    Cooking demos of McCormick, Hunt’s and Sarangani Bay Prime Bangus

c.)     Kitchen Safety Talk by Petron Gasul and Yummy Food Business Talk headed by Nowie Potenciano of Mochiko, Pam Lim Cinco of Risa Chocolates, and JJ Yulo of Pinoy Eats World

d.)    Hunt’s school cook-off challenge participated by Institute of Culinary Arts and Food Service by Far Eastern University, College of St. Benilde, and St. Paul University, Manila

e.)    Yummy Booth where attendees can buy Yummy magazine, current and back issues, Yummy bookazines, and Yummy merchandise including Yummy pins, aprons, and bags!

Attendees had fun not only through sampling galore but they also went home with lots of new food finds and knowledge. Most were focused on listening to the talks and cooking demos as they actively participate in the discussions. They are also game in answering some questions raised by the chefs such as Chef Gigi Angkaw and Chef Nino Logarte.

The spotlight though was with the students of the cook-off as they battled it off for 2 hours to win the first ever Hunt’s School Cook-off. It started with the announcement of the theme ingredient brought by Hunt’s “Hunter”. The theme ingredient was… CHORIZO DE BILBAO.

The students were not anticipating it as they really expected that it will be pork and beans as this is the most popular product of Hunt’s. They were given 30 minutes to do menu planning and 3 minutes to do their food shopping as we have to close the pantry. Students panicked when it was down to the last 10 seconds.

 We were surprised that there was one team who used the rice cooker by ELECTROLUX differently. They used it to cook their sauce. We were also on the lookout for the plates as these were sponsored by CORELLE.

TIME’S UP! Finally, the time for the judging arrived and the students have to present their dishes to the panel of judges composed of: Ms. Marcia Gokongwei, Chef Nino Logarte, Hunter, and our very own food editor, Rachelle Santos.

All dishes were judged based on taste, creativity of the use of Hunt’s products and the theme ingredient, and plating or presentation.

After a few questions and tasting of the dishes, Institute of Culinary Arts and Food Service was announced as the winner.

This has been one successful event. Thanks to everyone who made it. We hope to see you again at Yummy Eats 2!

Kutsara, Kutsero… KABISERA.

Since we were trying to avoid the crowd last May 7 (it was PacMan’s fight the following day so we assumed that daddies WILL NOT go out on that day), we ended up in Powerplant Mall. My family was extremely choosy this time so it was hard to choose for them. Knowing that my grandmother loves Filipino dishes, we opted to go to Kabisera.

We ordered molo soup for appetizer; classic Kare-Kare, kilawing salmon (just because it’s salmon and it was one of the recommended dishes of Kabisera), and lechong kawali as main dishes; and Editha’s Way for dessert.

The first dish that arrived was the kilawing salmon. I realized that I had to finish the dish by myself since none wanted to eat it. It was… quite sour and slimy. I had a hard time finishing it. I had to dip it in soy sauce and pretend I was eating sashimi instead. Perhaps it takes some time but it turned out to be a pretty okay dish. Not great but not bad.

The next dishes that arrived were lechong kawali, kare-kare, and molo soup (so much for it being an appetizer).  

The lechong kawali was too toasted while the kare-kare was very bland. As for the molo soup, it tasted like broth soup.

We were hoping that the dessert will be better (though our drinks were pretty much like dessert already since it was TOO SWEET). We ordered Editha’s Way which looked so delicious in the menu.

We were so surprised when we found out that it was not chilled at all. It was like a fluffy mammon with some melted sugar on top with custard in the middle. It was one lukewarm dessert. My sister and I both thought that it might have been better if it was served cold.

In short, it was a pretty upsetting lunch. We should have went to The Fort instead for the chef there seemed to be doing a better job than the chef assigned in Rockwell.  

A Yummy event this May 21, 2011 at the NBC Tent!

As its 4^th year anniversary gift to its readers, Yummy magazine will hold its first ever Yummy Eats this May 21, 2011 at the NBC Tent from 10am to 6pm. Featuring concessionaires specially chosen by Yummy magazine, cooking demos by event sponsors Hunt’s, McCormick, and Sarangani Bay Prime Bangus, university cook-off by Hunt’s, Kitchen Safety Tips by Petron Gasul, and a delectable food business talk by JJ Yulo, Nowie Potenciano, and Pam Lim Cinco, Yummy Eats is the food lover’s must-go-to event!

See you all there!!!

P.S. Tickets are at PHP150 but bring a copy of the latest issue of Yummy magazine (May 2011) and get your tickets at PHP100.

P.P.S. Kids 10 years old and below get in for FREE. Yes, FREE! But it’s your call if you want to buy them tickets since NO TICKET, NO SAMPLES.

P.P.P.S. Be there early as samples are limited.

P.P.P.P.S. Check www.yummy.ph/yummyeats for the complete list of concessionaires. RESEARCH so that you know which ones to try first. J

No sugar please! Another tea story.

My mom was starting to get addicted to milk tea and since there seem to be only one in SM Megamall (one of the yogurt store infested malls), we were forced to go to BUBBLE TEA.

I was planning to order Wintermelon since it was my favorite drink in Bubble Tea but I was informed that they were no longer serving that. Boo!

I ordered Jasmine Green Tea instead and was assured that it will not be sweet (since I had too many sweets before that). My mom on the other hand ordered Royal Milk Tea. For sinkers, we had an option to have small or large pearls or combination. My mom and I both requested for combination.

We were surprised that large is not very… well, large.

The pearls were also too sticky. And my tea was TOO SWEET.

Out of all the milk tea/green tea I had, this is the one I liked the least.

Dulcinea's U-Turn

My sister and I braved the last day of the Mega Sale and ended up in Dulcinea to avoid the crowd hungry for lunch (since Dulcinea is pricier compared to other restaurants). I ordered my favorite pumpkin soup and tried their baked lasagna.

I was not surprised when the lasagna arrived before the soup which was supposed to be the appetizer. It was the same as the last time I visited the place. At least it was not dessert first.

I guess I was not reading the menu carefully. I was surprised when I cut the lasagna. They used spaghetti instead. Quite cute actually. *Twist. Bite. Chew. BLAH!* The lasagna tasted like… uh, air? It was very bland. I had to ask for parmesan cheese to add taste and it did not help that much.

 At least I still have my pumpkin soup… or so I thought. *Slurp. BLAH!* Well, I was already expecting it since the color was not right. It was yellow. Actually, it looked like dirty water. The taste of the soup was, well, bacon. When my sister asked how my soup was, I told her that I think I ordered bacon soup by mistake.

As a curious bee, I asked the manager why my soup’s yellow. He said it depends on the pumpkin they bought. I then suggested that wherever they bought their supply for the day, DON’T buy there again. I just hope that he took my suggestion in mind and didn’t think that I was one of those weirdo customers who have nothing to say but complaints.

My sale power meal

I braved the SM Megamall Mega Sale last April 30 (the last one was last October with an extremely bad experience). One thing remained the same… my lunch.

We originally planned to dine at Bon Chon but it was still “under construction” so we decided to go to Red Ribbon for that oh-so-yummy Mango Cream Pie but the place was packed. T.T

We ended up in Yoshinoya. I ordered Power Meal since I can’t resist the super low price of P140 for a complete meal (regular gyudon beef, nori soup, coffee jelly, and your choice of iced tea—green or red). True enough, I find it energizing. It was like déjà vu when started “attacking” my power meal. The nori soup was still salty yet for some reason, satisfying. The gyudon beef was still oh-so-tender and the onions were yummy. As for the coffee jelly, it made my sweet tooth smile (if my sweet tooth ever had a face). And of course the iced tea was good (the red iced tea of Yoshinoya is yummy!).

Till the next Mega Sale!