Cebu, beyond danggit and dried mangoes

A recent trip to Cebu was again an excuse to binge.  Cebu is one destination foodies like me will always appreciate - from the pungent danggit and squid to the chewy and irresistably sweet fresh and dried mangoes they offer, one's purse is sure to be affected with all the city has to offer.Beyond Leona's which is one bakeshop I always unfailingly visit when there, the Lechon of CNT is also another popular food item item for the taking.  Though some may find the lechon too salty, it is for me, the best Lechon ever.BAKED SCALLOPS

In this recent visit, I got the chance to visit the North WIng of SM and boy, was I very impressed, as it could really compete with malls outside the country.  It actually reminded me of some of the malls I've seen in Bangkok during a recent visit.<SINUGLAW



SIZZLING SWEET AND SPICY EGGPLANT

On the 2nd floor of this mall, I got the chance to enjoy Filipino food with my team in Chikaan, a restaurant offering among others, grilled fish and sinuglaw (inihaw na liempo (sugba) & kinilaw na tuna in one dish).  Sarap.


Pasalubong was one quick stop at Shamrock which offers otap, rosquillos, turrones and more dried mangoes.  With my Angel cake from Leonas, I found myself bringing more items back to Manila than ever before.  Oh well.

Cibo never fails

To reward ourselves after such a busy week, hubby and I had a quiet dinner (so naturally, this happened minus the kids) at Cibo in Greenbelt 5.

Hubby's favorite these days has been pasta with aglio olio or a pesto of some kind, so, as expected, this was what he ordered. I settled for the pizza - I've always preferred thin-crusted, Italian-style pizzas, and Cibo is the place to be.


Cibo's PIZZA


Differentiated from what other Italian restos offer, theirs is an oval shaped pizza that is good to share and with service that is impeccably delivered, this place will always be one of my preferred eating destinations.


Tiramisu Crunch


As I am a sucker for desserts, I couldn't decide whether to have the flourless chocolate cake or the tiramisu. I settled for the latter and was totally happy with my decision. The tiramisu crunch was generously topped with dark chocolate and with its layers giving it a crunchy texture, it provided a wonderful item to cap off our meal.

Subway & Southern Flavors in Food Choices

My sister had to make the hard decision and transfer the Subway outlet she manages in Alabang Town Center from the mall area to the food court area.  She is not alone on this.  With lease rates escalating tremendously, food entrepreneurs like her would have to make difficult business decisions these days in order to survive.

She merged her 2 sandwich shops - Southern Flavors (a mexican inspired sandwich bar) and Subway (the deli sandwich concept Americans are all too familiar with) and both can be found in the Food Choices at ATC. 

During the blessing, our kids (Jaime, Miggy & Isabel) posed as models while tirelessly going around Food Choices and of course, enjoying the food which my sister, Maricar and her team prepared.



Visit Subway and Southern Flavors sometime at the Food Choices of the Alabang Town Center for delicious and affordable meals.

Pink Kitchen 2

Over the weekend, the 2nd Pink Kitchen activity was held at the Rockwell tent in Makati, with over 50 chefs, foodies and culinary experts selling their creations during the event.  Proceeds will go to I Can Serve foundation, a breast cancer awareness group.

Our booth - before all the action - I love the picket fence effect!


It was my team's first time to participate and of course, featured items are the "hits" of the San Miguel Pure Foods Culinary Center as follows - Chicken Galantine with Figs & Nuts, Chicken stuffed with Jambalaya rice & Chorizo, Chicken Canneloni, Sausage & Peppers Pasta, Purefoods Jamon Royale.  Desserts also were extensive as mini cakes such as moist tableya chocolate cake, tres leches cake, mantekado cheesecake plus bars such as sugar free carrot bars, baklava and coffee streusel bars were offered.Of course, the event featured the quality products of San Miguel Pure Foods. 

Here's sharing with you some photos of the event.


Communal Tables provided a convenient opportunity for one to bond with co-foodies


Vegetarian Spring Rolls by San Benito Farm which hubby truly enjoyed

Food (and Beverage) that I have always liked but have Never really talked about

Just thought I'd share with you some food stuff that I have always enjoyed but really had taken for granted. Until recently, I have re-discovered and re-"enjoyed" these items that it is absolutely and unforgiveably impossible already for me to lose weight (gosh, I think I am going to lose our bet?!!).


Unagi Sushi: This is the only sushi that I like. That said, I like this because it feels like I am eating meat and not just rice rolls which to me, has no other substance whatsoever. The sweet-salty flavor, coupled with the melt in your mouth texture makes it an enjoyable experience.




Frozen Margarita: Beyond beer and hard liquor, this fancy cocktail just keeps me in the mood during night outs. Other than just bitterness, the overall cool experience (plus the fact that this one will take forever to finish), just makes it a refreshing companion while chillin' with the gang.




Pistachio Sansrival: I am a cheap thing. Bribe me with anything that is made of chewy meringue wafers and it's as if I have been hypnotized beyond my will. Sansrival has always been my favorite. While I appreciate the classic version, using pistachios will further cause my absolute abandon.




Cafe Americano: I cannot tolerate the concentrated espresso, so this for me is the best to pair with my dessert of choice at any given time. Offer me a fresh cup of Americano and you will see me giving you the sweetest smile, really.




Ice Blended Green Tea: For me, only Coffee Bean and Tea leaf makes this perfectly. I am not a fan of cold fraps and teas, but this one is an exception. Though I know that these type of preparations are loaded with calories, I have chosen to ignore how much this has. You only live once.

Discover Volare

Volare Pizza - my new favorite!

After a photo shoot in the Greenhills area, a few colleagues and I decided to check out Volare, an italian restaurant that is currently run and owned by Chef Giorgio who used to be the Chef-consultant of Amici De Don Bosco. Volare is situated in the Araneta Center and if you are like me who is from the south, this trip may pose as too far for you. I can tell you though that the trip will be worth all your effort once you discover his food.

Porcini Mushroom Risotto

I was never a fan of risotto, but after trying his porcini mushroom risotto, I am now a convert. The delicate balance of white wine and the earthiness of the mushrooms, complemented by the tanginess of the parmesan cheese makes this dish a winner. I will never look at risotto the same way again.

Seafood Pasta

The seafood pasta with clams, mussels and prawns in pomodoro sauce is beyond expectations. Using real seafood stock, the pasta is worth every peso.
Not to be missed is the rustic style, freshly-made thin crust pizza. We ordere the volare pizza with salmon, anchovies and basil. I have to tell you, I adore anchovies on pizza. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

We were all so happy with our savory dishes that we couldn't leave without trying the dessert. The tiramisu brought a wonderful finish to our meals - not too sweet, not too syrupy.

Volare's Tiramisu - perfect to cap off a meal

And with a perfect cup of Cafe Americano, what else could you ask for?

Bine-Bertdey!

Estrell's Caramel Cake

I celebrated my birthday during the last week of August. Though it fell on a weekend, I took the Friday prior to it as my celebration day with my Culinary Center team - a chance of using this day to my advantage - order food which I didn't cook and just enjoy the day amidst friends and delicious food.

Of course, the ever reliable Mrs. Manalili of Patricia's catering didn't fail me. I ordered lunch for the group - it was a busy day for all of us, simultaneous projects which cannot wait and did not allow us to go out and have lunch. The solution? Order food in! I didn't care about a theme - I just wanted to eat what I liked and craved for that day. Simple, straightforward comfort food. So I chose Shrimp Tempura, Baked Salmon, Pancit Sotanghon. She even added a bonus of Lengua Pastel and Kat of Monterey added in some pork barbecue. Surely, this was one delightful and thanksgiving feast which everyone enjoyed. Kai was also kind enough to get me Estrell's caramel cake which everyone raved about.

The celebration didn't stop there. That weekend, our family decided to stay overnight in Tagaytay. Luckily, our first day was a beautiful one, but we weren't so lucky the second day. It was drizzling and all we could do was stay indoors. On our first night though, which was another of my birthday-celebratory-meals(yup, another excuse to eat much), we chose Tootsie's which is a new restaurant in the area. The owners who's roots are from the Visayas added an Ilonggo touch to some of the dishes being served, while others have been inspired by the Spanish-influenced dishes that Chef Ed Quimson is known for.
Some of the dishes that I particularly enjoyed are the Kansi Bulalo (Beef shanks cooked in batuan-soured broth), Grilled Maliputo that is supposedly found just in Taal lake and Pancit Buko.

Kansi Bulalo - expect a huge bowl of this when you order, good enough for 5 pax

Grilled Maliputo (quite expensive, this costed us +/-Php1000)

I can't help but smile everytime I remember seeing Eric's face squirm at the idea of this dish.

Tootsie's Pancit Buko {with noodles and buko strips)

Surprisingly, we all loved it.

Sanity

I was getting crazy. After my kids got hospitalized one after another, and me being cooped up in the hospital during their confinement, I just had to take some time off in order to regain my sanity. Just this weekend, I was looking forward to a relaxed long weekend with the family, but no, we had to spend it in the hospital again. Good grief!

As soon as my son was discharged, I literally had to drag my hubby to Makati and make up for lost time. I was determined to go see what has been going on in the area, try some new restos, nourish myself until I gag, and enjoy food and dining beyond hospital food standards.

So off we went to the Greenbelt area and discovered that we have not really missed a lot since we were last there - of course there were a few additional fine dining establishments that have opened, but neither hubby and I were conditioned to grab anything fancy. We wanted comfort food, nothing contrived, nothing too artsy-fartsy - just plain, good cooking and a place that is totally unpretentious. We found ourselves in FlapJacks, a new breakfast-inspired resto of the Bistro group. Despite being there at 5 in the afternoon, we ordered the Blueberry Pancakes & hubby chose the Rib eye Omelet.

Rib Eye Steak, anyone?

Have you ever experienced salivating while looking at the graphic and well-executed menus of restaurants, and upon receiving what you ordered, your dish comes out looking differently from how it was shown on the menu? Well, I am happy to tell you that this resto did a good job in ensuring that what you see is what you get. The pancakes were superb and the omelet was generously stuffed with all its steak goodness.

Breakfast Feast: Blueberry Pancakes

A day after, work brought me to Caprisce in Metrowalk, Ortigas. Have I ever mentioned that I adore thin crust pizzas? Well, this new discovery offers a simple pizza combination called Cosa Nostra, which is your thin crust pizza topped with cheese, shrimps, onions, pepperoni and anchovies. Simply perfect, their pizza's are served in two sizes - 10 and 14 inches.

New Discovery: Pizza Cosa Nostra

Our group also ordered the Pistachio crusted Snapper and the Chicken Marsala. The sauces that went with these two dishes perfectly complemented the meats. The fish was served with a duet of pesto-cream sauce and squash puree, while the chicken with a brown Marsala-laced sauce.

Chicken Marsala

I just wished the chef stuck with using pistachio nuts as a coating of the fish rather than substituting it with another type of nut - (did he really think we wouldn't notice?)

Nut Crusted Snapper

Oh well, if there is anything that is always a challenge in food service establishments - it is consistency and truth in advertising.

Sayang.

I guess I'm not the only one who's crazy.

Multitasking

Oh it has been such a hectic, hectic couple of months. I have been running around doing what most mothers are expected of, that is, multitasking in this crazy, busy world. In between these tasks, I somehow was still able to squeeze in some "foodie time". From ice cream favorites to exotic cuisines, I got a sampling of the familiar and new, the weird and wacky, the good and well, not so good.

This Hummus was gone in a few minutes.

My team and I decided one day to go around the Quezon city area and visit what everyone has been talking about, Mr. Kabab. Reasonably priced, I adventurously sampled the kurma, kofta, kebabs, hummus and even steaks that were being offered. The naan bread dipped in the hummus did not fail me. Though I have tried better renditions of the other dishes I mentioned, I am surprised to find a lot of patrons in the store. Generally, the dishes were not too highly seasoned, thus, should one be not a fan of curries and cumin, he will surprisingly find that these dishes are easy to reckon with (and enjoy too).

After our mediterranean feast, we drove to the Trinoma Mall and went on to satisfy our craving for sweets. We tried Murtabak and discovered their crepes and stuffed pancakes with such odd combinations like mango and cheese - which didn't appeal to me at all, but like any good sport - I had to try it. Still, I am not such a fan. We had another variant which is mango and caramel, which was what I enjoyed so far.

Murtabak's crepes & pancakes

As if our blood sugars aren't high enough, we proceeded to Five Cows also in Trinoma and sampled some of their specials such as the Baked Alaska and Pizza. I like the fact that the pizza was served the artisan way, with the crust bearing an oval shape and with the perfect crisp texture and the cheese in all its "stretched" glory. Also not to be missed was the Baked alaska served in a festive ceremony, complete with a cheer which to this day I cannot fathom, oh well, I was so excited to try it that I didn't pay too much attention to the waiters.

YumYum Baked Alaska - there's drama while they're serving this.

Back in Ortigas a few days later, during our ladies' night out, us girls decided to try out Le Maison at the Podium Mall. Steaks and Ribs being their specialties, I decided to have the Beef and Pork tenderloin steaks with your choice of sides - rice, potatoes, veggies, etc. The waiters were very courteous and service was prompt. While waiting, we all enjoyed the black and white bread served with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Le Maison's Black & White bread

Steaks & Fish - a bountiful treat when dining at Le Maison

These soft buns were warmed just right to appease our hungry stomachs. I chose rice as my starch and as soon as I got my plate, I was happy to find that portions are just right. Don't you just hate it when you get humungous steak cuts and feel obliged to finish it, which, more often than not, you don't and then you feel absolutely guilty after. Anyhow, my steaks were cooked just fine. The downside, well, the rice had to be improved, as I have stated during my visit. Flavorwise, I know they can make it better.

Hooters' Philippines Burgers & Fries

Fried pickles, never had those, but during my recent visit to Hooters' Manila, I actually enjoyed munching on them dipped in a spicy cayenne mayonnaise.

Hooters' Fried Pickles - my new found friend (burp)

All these for now as I need to go and multi-task some more.

A weekend in Bangkok

My much awaited Bangkok trip with hubby and relatives finally pushed through a week ago. It was a first for all of us, visiting Bangkok that is, and it has further strengthened my love for Thai cuisine.

My love affair with Thai dishes started when we offered Thai cuisine classes at my workplace a few years back. Chariya, our Thai - chef/teacher opened our eyes (and our palates)to the unique flavors of thai food. Featuring various tastes such as sweet, sour and spicy, Thai dishes will always have a soft spot in my taste buds and together with Spanish cuisine, these two remain to be my two most favorite cuisines of the world.

One of the rooms of our 2-bedroom suite in Grand Diamond Hotel

We were billeted at the Grand diamond hotel within the Pratunam area. We all agreed that it is the best area so far, what with all the malls surrounding us and the abundance of the street food right across our hotel. To me, It was love at first sight. It was as if I was sent to food heaven, presented with all the delicious and interesting food finds - my jaw literally dropped upon seeing the wide array of Thai dishes there for the taking, both savory and sweet. From 10 to 60 Baht (Php15 to 90)you can enjoy their offerings right there by the sidewalk or take with you wrapped in styro containers.

The sweetest coconut you will ever find is right at the heart of Bangkok!

Exactly what we did for 3 days over lunch and dinner, we bought almost everything we could find. My "Servesafe" hat forgotten, at least for the duration of our stay, I bravely tasted the grills, pahd thais, halo-halo, curries, sausages, drinks and other crisp-fried seafood and nuggets found in their food carts. Be ready with the fact that the food handlers use bare hands in preparing your food. In fact, I noticed that this is not only limited to food cart peddlers, but even in restaurants and hotel establishments as well.

Various viands: I couldn't help but notice how beautifully garnished these items are; not bad for street foods

Of course, Bangkok is not just about food, shopping is just as enticing. With malls all over the place, plus, with the thousands of stores found in their weekend market Chatuchak, one is sure to find everything and more. Donned in our most comfortable shopping outfit, we walked a few blocks towards the Skytrain Rachathewi station, and took a comfortable ride to Mo Chit station which costs 40Baht (about Php60).

Colorul Batik and Thai Silk dresses and costumes are abundant and readily entice the ladies in Chatuchak

Chatuchak reminded me of Divisoria Mall, with its stores the size of the stalls found in the Divi Mall and Mall 168, but are arranged in a one-level sprawling lay-out. While there, to haggle is very much encouraged. I couldn't help but notice that the prices were much too "touristy" (meaning, a bit pricey), given that we were all so aware of the prices of some of the familiar items back home. What struck me though would be more food finds and the "carinderia" experience within the premises, during the much needed break after all that shopping.

Javanese Iced Tea fancifully poured by an Indonesian along the Chatuchak main road

Phad thai in a Chatuchak carinderia

We didn't care much about the tours the city had to offer, but we did book ourselves a half day city tour which was enough to cover three of the city temples. We saw the reclining Buddha, the Marble temple and the Solid gold Buddha. We were amazed at how intricate the temples and shrines are, but what was more amazing is the number of tourists you see in each of these destinations. I was quite saddened by the fact that I know the Philippines also have a lot to offer and yet, I don't see this much visitors there are back home. Too bad.

Nevertheless, Bangkok is a must-see place for the foodie and shopping addict in us. Though our stay was short, it was pleasantly sweet (and busy) and also provides us a reason to go back for more. Soon.