bogchinoypi

Top 5 Chatime Must-tries

2011-08-05T15:52:00.006+08:00

We’d like to think we were one of the early fans of the bubble tea craze. Chasing down branches of Serenitea when people thought we were still referring to peace and calm. So when Chatime opened in Pioneer, we weren’t in a rush.

Thanks to a lot of friendly prodding though, we trudged all the way one weekend. And have been addicted ever since! Even buying three drinks at a time (sayang yung wait e ;p). If you’ve been too timid or overwhelmed by the choices, here’s a quick guide for dipping your toe before diving right in.

Classic
ChaTime Roasted Milk Tea

If you’ve already tried Chinese style milk teas before, this hits the taste you’re familiar with.

A refreshing mix of the dark roasted tea flavor lightened by the creamy milk. Once you’ve tasted Chatime, you’ll realize what a big difference there is between the ready-to-drink, bottled variety and Chatime’s handmade serving.

Interesting but still safe
Brown Rice Green Milk Tea/Green Tea

If you enjoy the tea they give for free at Japanese restaurants, then give this a try. Who knew it would work as a cold drink? The milk addition puts some sweet into the earthy, turning this into one of the most refreshing drinks that got us through summer.

Exhilirating
TieGuanyin Tea Mousse

If you thrive on energy drinks and coffee to stimulate your senses, this tea was made for you! It literally drives you into all-neurons firing, all nerves tingling overdrive – without overwhelming your palate. That’s the danger actually, it tastes so good (try with mousse!) you’ll drink a lot of it, then before you know it you’re on full throttle the whole day. This writer was literally palpitating! But if you have the heart for it, go go go try it!

Warning though: do NOT drink at night, unless you don’t plan to go to sleep.

Fullsome
Taro Red Bean Milk Tea

If you want a fuller taste to go with the creaminess, the red bean is the perfect match for Quickly-popularized taro milk tea. Add mousse to complete this dessert drink.

Crisp and light
Grapefruit QQ

If you’re still in a summer flush and aren’t that into teas, try Chatime’s fruit drinks. Grapefruit is a more novel, still tangy, very refreshing alternative to your iced teas, orange or mango drinks. Sweet and beats the heat!

Add-ons
Don’t miss out on Chatime’s add-ons. The quality is really superior to most bubble tea places.

The pearls are fat and chewy with a tantalizing almost-chocolate taste.

Their mousse is a m-m-mmmmmust try. Don’t think thick gelatin blob congealed in the middle of a Red Ribbon cake (we love it there though), but more like a moderately heavy cream that sits delicately on top of your drink.

Their pudding is egg-y and fresh. Light in the mouth.

Haven’t tried it ourselves but a lot of fellow Chatime fans have sworn by their Grass Jelly too.

Tea you there next time!

Chatime can be found at Pioneer Center, Pasig; Robinson's Galleria Supermarket; Landmark Bridgeway, Makati; One Archers Place, Taft; SM Mall of Asia, Manila

Oh Mine Shine

2011-07-07T01:08:00.014+08:00

Loyal fans of this crisp, sweetish drink will remember its sudden, panic-inducing disappearance from exclusive retailer 7-11 around 2008. (Coincidentally around the same time as the milks-with-melamine ban. Completely coincidentally.)

Remember that time of withdrawal, I mean, slight disappointment? Well! Those trying, I mean, inconvenient times are back. Mine Shine has disappeared again! Not a drop of its 800kcal goodness in sight. (Please email me immediately should you find one. Immediately! Or if you have contact details of the importer, I'd really like to have a word, I mean, find out what's up.)

Last seen at 7-11 President's Ave one month ago

True, prior to the 2008 months-long disappearance, its supply has been patchy. But post-melamine, I mean, post-reformulation, it has been on steady supply - encouraging dependence!.. I mean confidence!

For fans who are missing it as much as I am, I've found that ChaTime's ChaTime Roasted milk tea (arguably their most populist tea flavor) a very worthy replacement. For one, it IS freshly made upon order, adding a richer, deeper tea taste. The fat chewy pearls add quite a bit of happy in your mouth too.

Of course, if you find yourself too loyal to Mine Shine, ChaTime has a looong list of non-similar flavors to choose from. Feel free to stray and sample how else milk tea can be done. (As we certainly did. Stay tuned for Bogchinoypi's ChaTime favorites in an upcoming post.)

In the meantime, lemme just check that tucked-away 7-11 branch inside that building. Not that I'm looking for anything in particular.

HELLO, 911-1111? IF THIS WERE 911 INSTEAD, I’D BE DEAD BY NOW.

2011-06-28T14:10:00.090+08:00

Hello. I’m the latest addition to Bogchinoypi’s line-up of writers. I should caution you though: I’m completely new to this, whether “blogging” in general, or writing about food. I guess I’m saying this to all the readers who frequent this site—yes, both of you—in the hopes of lowering your expectations and, therefore, inflating your opinion about this article.

For my inaugural post (and quite possibly my last post, depending on whether this blog’s "chowers that be" decide I’m too offensive or annoying to keep writing here), I decided to write about pizza. Pizza Hut, in particular. Their delivery hotline, to be even more precise. Yes, this is not about the quality of their toppings, or how crunchy or golden brown their crust is, or how their pizzas generally taste (Answer: their pizzas are pretty good; sh*t, this “food blogging” thing is easier than I thought).

Instead, I want to write—rant, really—about the spiel which their call center agents give me each and every single goddamn time I call 911-1111 to order a stupid pizza (so, for everyone who came to this blog looking for useful tips on where or what to eat, you’ve been warned about the enormous amount of your time that’s about to be wasted. Continue reading this profanity-ridden, amateurishly formatted and pitifully unfunny post at your own risk).

“Hi, I have a delivery for Mr. ____.
Wha … whaddya mean he just died?”

But before I go on, let me get this out of the way: yes, I’m aware that these call center agents are contractually obligated to give the aforesaid spiel, that they have no real choice, that they’re just doing their jobs and are simply trying to make an honest and honorable living, and that, in any case, taking someone’s order for a pizza over the phone is hardly the proper vehicle for individual expression or creativity. I know all this. So this rant isn’t directed at them personally. I don’t blame them. I blame the script which their corporate masters gave. I blame the System.

I order pizza pretty frequently. This is because of a number of factors: our family “cook”, Bing, can’t really cook for sh*t (except for her spaghetti), and I like to stay home a lot and just masturbate, er, vegetate in front of the TV. So, quite often, the arrangement that suits me is to have pizza delivered. Plus, since I always order a pizza bigger than what I can finish by myself in one sitting, there’s the added bonus of being able to eat leftover pizza on some later day, whether it’s because I have a case of the late-night munchies, or I’m simply not in the mood to tolerate whatever culinary abomination Bing conjures up for that day.

Unfortunately, however, the phone call I have to make to order a pizza is one big exercise in frustration, and it takes every single ounce of civility in me to refrain from giving in to my rage at the inane script which costs me precious moments of my life, moments which I’ll never get back (kinda like the moments you’ll never get back after reading this).

“Thank you for calling Pizza Hut Delivery.
What kind of shoes are you wearing right now sir?
And may I know your zodiac sign?”

To everyone out there who has ever ordered Pizza Hut by phone, this will probably sound a little familiar:

NOTE: What follows is a more or less accurate transcription of a typical call to Pizza Hut. All personal details are left blank to protect the identities of the persons concerned (namely, me, so nobody knows how much of an assh*le I am), the phone conversation is in italics, and my annotations are not. (Sorry, is all this already understood? Told you I’m new to this “blogging” thing).

PH: Good evening, sir, thank you for calling Pizza Hut delivery. How may I help you?

Me: Good evening. Yes, puede magpa-deliver?

PH: Yes, sir. Can I have your phone number?

Me: Yeah, it’s _______.

PH: [sound of someone typing on a computer] Oh hi, sir _________. It’s so nice to hear from you again. For how many people are you ordering?

[One quick tangent: this reminds of me of another of my pizza-related pet peeves. I absolutely hate it whenever the situations are reversed, and I ask the cashier/waiter at a pizza joint about the number of people who can be served by each of the different sizes of their pizza. Obviously, I want to know if this or that size is good for 1 person, for 2 people, and so forth. Almost every single f*cking time, however, the cashier/waiter tells me the pizza has 8 slices. Hey, dipsh*t, I know it comes in 8 f*cking slices. That means absolutely nothing to me and gives me exactly zero information. Nearly every single pizza which has ever been made in the history of civilization can be cut up into 8 f*cking slices, whether it’s as big as a car tire, or as small as Haw Flakes (Actual Opinion About Food or “AOAF” No. 1: I like Haw Flakes. They’re good). Okay, end of tangent.]

ANGEL LOCSIN BOOBS.
(Sorry, was just hoping that Google might misdirect some people to this blog, thereby increasing our readership. Besides, her nipples might look like Haw Flakes anyway. Crap, I think I just sprouted a boner.)

Anyways, as I said earlier, I always deliberately order a pizza that’s too big for me to finish alone in one sitting. That’s because I like eating leftover pizza (sometimes, even more than freshly baked ones), and because, sometimes, my brother eats the rest (yes, I still live at home, with my parents. If you think that makes me a loser nerd, well, would a loser nerd own a sweet, sweet lightsaber replica? I know, right?).

Pictured: a total badass.
Not pictured: a loser nerd.

Obviously, though, this is far too much information than I want to share with a complete stranger, and I really don’t want to unnecessarily prolong a conversation which, as far as I’m concerned, is already taking way too long.

However, if I tell the Pizza Hut guy/girl that I’m ordering for one, he/she’s going to think I’m some loser (and we’ve earlier established that I’m not) who can’t even find someone to share a pizza with. To make matters worse, if I say I’m ordering for one, without sharing my life story or philosophies about ordering pizza, and only to later disclose that I want a “family” sized pizza, he/she will also think the reason I’m some loser eating pizza at home alone is because I’m f*cking obese. And I’m not. I’ll have you know I go to the gym. Like once a month, at least.

Of course, all this could have been avoided, and I wouldn't have had to grapple with my neuroses, if they'd simply asked me what size of pizza I wanted. But nooooo, they just had to be nosy and ask how many people were going to sample their fine pizza.

Anyways, the solution to all this? I lie.

Me: Uh, for 4 people.

F*ck you, Pizza Hut, Inc. F*ck you for making me feel bad about myself that I’m eating home alone, f*ck you for making me care that someone might think I’m obese, and f*ck you for forcing me to lie.

PH: Okay, sir. What would you like to order?

Me: I’d like a family supreme pan pizza, please.

AOAF No. 2: I order supreme, and not super supreme, because I hate pineapples on pizza. I think it’s gross. (Hey, I’m getting the hang of this. Actually, let’s call it “SARF” instead of “AOAF”. Stands for “Statement Actually Related to Food”. SARF. This will catch on. I can feel it.)

PH: Okay, sir, that’s an excellent choice. I’ve tried that myself.

I know it’s an excellent choice. That’s why I ordered it. Why the hell do you feel the need to reassure me about my life choices? Did I mistakenly call Dial-a-Friend? Jesus, just a few seconds ago, you made me think I was a loser, and that I was a pig for ordering a family sized pizza, and now you want to give me affirmation?!? Stop playing with my emotions, Pizza Hut. Just stop it.

PH: Okay, sir, can I just confirm your delivery address …

One quick explanation before I continue. My family owns a small rinky-dink hospital, and it carries my surname. Let’s call it Skywalker Hospital. Since giving directions to my house can be complicated (you might, in fact, miss a turn if the shirtless drunk I normally use as a landmark decides to stand someplace else), whereas the hospital is relatively easier to locate, and since my house is accessible from the hospital, I always have all deliveries sent to the hospital’s front desk/reception area, where they’ll take care of bringing the pizza (or whatever else) to me.

PH (continuing): … okay, Mr. Skywalker, is your delivery address Skywalker Hospital, ____ Street, ________ City, at the front desk?

Me: Yes, that’s right.

PH: Are you a patient?

Oh, where do I begin?

First of all, that’s really none of your business, and it’s not really necessary for you to know that, is it? You know the delivery address, so please just have the delivery guy bring it there, ok? Pretty please?

Second, if my name and address are stored in your computer database, that means I’ve ordered before, right? And if I’m a patient, and I’ve ordered before, and during all the previous times I ordered, I gave my permanent address as a hospital, that must mean I’m really sick, right? Like really, really sick. Dying sick. And if that’s the case, why in f*ck’s name are you wasting whatever little time I have left on this earth with idle chit-chat? (And by the way, Pizza Hut—if I were dying and had few precious meals left to eat, I’d eat steak or something, not your pizzas. Which brings us to SARF No. 3: Pizza Hut supreme pizzas are good, but they’re not “deathbed good”.)

[Another tangent coming up: On that note, I’ve just come up with a scale for rating food. In ascending order of greatness:

• Semen good — You can swallow it if you’re adventurous or have kinky tastes, but most of the time, you’d rather just spit it out (not that I’ve ever done either). This does not, as some of you might have thought, mean that the food sort of smells like pancake mix.

• Bing good — Edible, but you’d rather have something else if you can help it. And not good enough that you’d knowingly pay for it. Basically, it makes you say “meh”.

• Bing spaghetti good — Pretty good; worth the price and something you’d want to come back for

• “Om nom nom nom nom nom” good — So good you just scarf it down, eat loudly, and stop talking to your dinner companions (or masturbating, as the case might be)

• Deathbed good — The highest accolade possible. As the name plainly implies, it’s so good you’d want to spend your last few moments eating this (but then again, maybe you should just masturbate one last time instead. I’m pretty sure they serve fantastic food in Heaven; on the other hand, I’m absolutely certain they won’t let you “choke the chicken” there. And even if they would, there’s not likely to be any available porn).

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the greatest rating scale ever.

(And yes, I know what you’re thinking: if “om nom nom nom nom nom” good > masturbation, and deathbed good is supposed to be > “om nom nom nom nom nom” good, then how can masturbation be > deathbed good? Because I said so, that’s how. My scale, my rules.)

End of tangent, back to my rant.]

Third, you know my name is ______ Skywalker. And the delivery address is Skywalker Hospital. The conclusion you draw from that is that I’m a patient? I suppose I’d understand if my delivery address were St. Luke’s Hospital, and I said my name was Luke Skywalker, but that’s clearly not the case here. In fact, if, for some strange reason, somebody asks you to deliver pizza to Shakey’s (or Magoo’s, incidentally one of the exceptions to the “8 slices” thing) and says his name is Mr. Shakey (or Mr. Magoo), do you ask him if he’s a customer? (Wait, come to think of it, the caller’s probably jerking you off, so, yeah, you should ask. I would. Then you should tell him to go f*ck himself. Poor example. My bad.)

“What’s that, young man? Yes, I really do want one of your pizzas.
Why? Because f*ck those square pizzas, that’s why.”

In the interests of transparency and fairness, though, let me say that, in Pizza Hut’s defense (and, yes, I realize I’m defending Pizza Hut against my own tirade), the blame for this “are you a patient?” bit can’t be placed on their script (and they obviously could not have foreseen this would happen). Plus, it happened just that one time, with a female call center agent who didn’t have enough common sense and/or was simply too intrusive. I’d like to think she was just wooed by my manly voice, that she was smitten, even over the phone, by my general, all-around Jedi bad-assery, and that I was just oozing too much pheromones and midichlorians (my apologies to the non-nerds out there; go ahead and “Google” it, if you like) for her to resist, so much so that she just had to know more about me. Or maybe she just wanted to know if she should send me flowers for my speedy recovery. Even though I’m apparently dying from some lingering disease.

Me: … No. I'm not a patient.

PH: Can I interest you in some garlic bread or chicken wings?

No comment here, except to say that although this means more time wasted, I know Pizza Hut is just taking advantage of every available opportunity to maximize its sales. I can respect that. I’m reasonable, see?

Me: No, thank you.

PH: Okay, sir. Your pizza will be delivered, hot and fresh, within 45 minutes. Thank you for calling Pizza Hut.

Of course, what I really want to say is “Look, if you had just gone straight to asking me what I f*cking wanted instead of wasting both our times, the pizza would have been here by now.” But Mama Skywalker raised me to have some manners. So I don’t say that.

Me: Thank you.

I’d like to end this post with an appeal to Pizza Hut, to its executives and big bosses. Please, Mr. Hut, change your goddamn script. It’s in our mutual best interests: we, your loyal customers, will be able to get our pizzas quicker and get back to our miserable lives sooner, and you, on the other hand, will be able to field more calls and make more sales.

Above: Pizza Hut’s head honcho (in my head, anyway).
Coincidence? I think not.

Plus, if your database has our names, numbers and delivery addresses, surely you must realize that we’ve called, and we’ve heard the spiel, at least once before. The friendly banter might be nice the first time, but it gets progressively more annoying with each succeeding call. And the bit about how we’ve made an excellent choice and that the agent has tried it himself/herself? Well, it sounds particularly trite, and comes off as being so insincere that I automatically don’t believe anything he/she says anymore. That's precisely why I instinctively reject his/her offers of garlic bread or chicken wings, out of sheer principle. So everybody loses (well, everybody except the chicken). I mean, when somebody brings their kid to Skywalker Hospital to have him circumcised, the doctors don’t say “tama po ‘yan, misis. Ako din po nagpa-tuli kasi ayokong maging supot” (in my head, Skywalker Hospital doctors always speak in Filipino).

“I’m sorry, not sure I heard you right. You’re going to do WHAT to my penis … ?!?”

“The bad news: we cut off waaaay more than we should have.
The good news: you look like a girl anyway.”

It’s just unnecessary over-sharing; a painfully transparent but woefully unsuccessful attempt to manufacture an artificial sense of personal bonding between the parties to what is merely a commercial transaction, which just ends up irritating the recipient of the unsolicited information, not only because of the patent lack of authenticity behind it, but also because he/she resents, perhaps subconsciously, the unspoken premise that the other party’s ostensibly personal assurances would somehow affect his/her own decision-making process. So what I’m saying is, yeah, it annoys the living f*ck out of us.

So please, Pizza Hut. Change your script.

And while you’re at it, maybe you can ditch the pineapples and put Haw Flakes instead.

The common cuapao in not-for-commoners Greenbelt 5

2010-09-27T13:55:00.006+08:00

A pleasantly surprising merienda option in hoity-toity GB5.

Amidst Restaurante Pia y Damaso’s baroque menu is the very earthy Cua Pao Pan De Sal. The pan de sal adds a slightly grittier texture & more salt into the over-all taste (vs the oh-so-soft & almost sweet mantou). With big chunks of pork asado, a thick serving of pickled mustasa & lots of nuts, it’s a heftier price for a heftier cuapao.

(Still, if you want a reeeaally sulit cuapao, then make the trek to Makati Cinema Square. But more on that later ;p Also, sorry for the blurry pic.)

Do you like cuapao?

Sexpress!

2010-09-22T10:03:00.010+08:00

Nope, we haven’t been trawling Makati Ave, just picking up on what racier La Salle peeps call Sinangag Express.

A beloved Taft area haunt and now with 2 branches in the South, Sinangag Express probably inspired the very first time “SOLID!” was used as a Pinoy term of approval. Like the best small gems, Sinangag Express sticks to simple favorites done well. Flaky tapa, shredded adobo, tender tocino, fried chicken, bangus.. The very first time I ate in S-Express, I knew there was something special about this place when

1) they served the –log wet rather than fried-too-long dry. Perfect for folding into your garlic rice.

And

2) every table had its own bottle of chili oil. A sure indicator that the owners know how to enjoy their –silogs!

Sure enough, every meal in Sinangag Express since has delivered on that solid Pinoy meal. Tasty, marinated cuts of meat. No scrimping on ingredients. & a few extra goodies on the side to round out the meal.

Their iced tea for example, really is quite special. Rather than go with mass-produced vended stuff, they’ve come up with their own yummy, brewed blend.

They also have chilled taho – a refreshing end to the meal. Plus the occasional yema or brownie on the counter.

If you have a large appetite, I suggest either getting extra ulam or doubling your order. At generally php65 a meal, feel free to go for 3 even. Walang problema.

What's your favorite -silog? :)

Drop in on 24-hour Sinangag Express at President's Ave. in Sucat. Near DLSU, in Better Living Subd., Pedro Gil Makati and again in BF Homes Aguirre Ave.

Tea time at Serenitea!

2009-04-30T17:44:00.007+08:00

B, who is a friend and a boss (not in that order), recommended that I check out Serenitea, since I have a thing for milk tea. So after my nearby shoot today, I headed over to J. Abad Santos (off Wilson) in San Juan try their milk tea.

At first, the options were daunting. But the girls behind the counter were very nice and explained the differences between Royal Tea (Earl Gray) and Hokkaido Tea (a bit caramel-y). I went with Royal Tea. Then they said I could select the amount of sugar I wanted in my tea. I tried 50% and they let me have a taste test first. 50% was pretty good. Not too sweet as to overpower the subtle tea flavor. But I went with 100% anyway. Haha. I think I can go for 75% next time. And despite the many options, I appreciate the precision.

The tea at Serenitea is freshly brewed, and it shows in the flavor of the milk tea. I like that I can customize the sweetness and that I can add other stuff like pearl and crystal bits. Next time, if I find myself tiring of milk tea, I will try their Grapefruit Yakult.

PS. J. Abad Santos Street seems to be a happening place. It's where one of my favorite bars, Moksha, is located. Gloria Maris is at the corner. And down the road, they have Sandy's Pizza and the new and improved Mann Hann. Worth further exploration in the future.

New picks

2009-04-25T21:26:00.004+08:00

I haven't had much time to do a proper post lately. But I have had time to eat, and here's what I've been liking -
- Charlie's in Kapitolyo - good burgers, great buffalo wings (nuclear!)
- Chiggy's jumbo liempo - what's their secret, boil, brine, and/or marinate in crack cocaine?
- BBQ Chicken - but not the Red Hot Drumsticks (while they are hot, I find them too sweet) (this is the only Korean fried chicken place I know about in Manila)
- Mamou's chicken and pork with rice and beans
- Piri piri chicken in O'Sonho's along Jupiter - I can't believe this isn't fried
- Piri piri grilled pork and clams in the Portuguese stall in the Legaspi Sunday Market (this guy's piri piri sauce is much hotter than O'Sonho's but he could do with a better grill)
- Ukkokei ramen along Pasay Road - not cheap but worth it once in a while
- French dude's sandwich stall in Salcedo Market - the homemade sausages are great
- Mini stop fried chicken

save your money

2009-04-21T17:54:00.006+08:00

Don't eat at John & Yoko at Greenbelt 5. Or at least don't order the Hollywood Tuna, basically a tuna sashimi salad drizzled with soy sesame dressing. Don't be fooled by the yummy-looking picture. The tuna is overpowered by way too much coarsely ground black pepper and the dressing is blah.

Their Dragon Roll is ohkaaay. But not great. The Beef Spinach Tamago is yummy, but not yummy enough to make up for the other two dishes.

The interiors are Cibo meets Tokyo Tokyo. Pero 'pag pumikit ka, feeling mo nasa cafeteria ka lang sa ingay ng mga tao.

So many of their waiters have blond highlights, I suspect it's an employee benefit. Or maybe they just work at salons during the day.

Overall, sayang sa pera. Mag-Omakase na lang kayo :-).

Gabby Concepcion's sister makes damn good pizza

2009-03-24T22:03:00.003+08:00

First time I tried Sandy's Pizza was at an editorial shoot some time middle of last year. I was shooting a barkada of personalities, one of which turned out to be Gabby Concepcion's sister. She served some great buffalo wings and unique, tasty pizza (I forget the flavors, sorry!) Turns out she had a pizza take out place, and they deliver.

Fast forward to last night, my brother and I were home alone. He wanted KFC, I wanted pizza but was tired of our usual Shakey's order. I remembered that pizza I had half a year ago, googled them up, and ordered for us a Garlic Chorizo pizza and buffalo wings. They were awesome. Both dishes were flavorful, and I felt the ingredients were fresh and of good quality. My only problem was that the buffalo wing's dip was an extra order, and the crust of the pizza was a bit tough to chew. I usually eat my crust, but I gave up on this one. In any case, and more importantly, everything in the middle of the pizza was awesome.

Anyway, check out Sandy's Pizza. They used to deliver in the San Juan area, but I think they've expanded their reach by now. They have a full menu and better, more appetizing photos on their Multiply site. Other flavors I want to try out are Garlic Tuyo in Olive Oil and Thai Chicken Curry pizza.

Sandy's Pizza: 721-8834, 721-8329, 467-5404 and 583-2296.

the ultimate oxymoron

2009-03-17T13:21:00.007+08:00

Vegetarian chicharon, it says on the bottom of the pack. 0% trans fat & cholesterol too. But read the fine print coz each serving has 20% of your saturated fat allowance. So it's still kinda evil. P22 at 7-eleven, probably cheaper at supermarkets. The bags are half air, half chips, pero sulit na rin. Really, really tasty.

walang karibal

2009-02-05T12:27:00.006+08:00

One of the best sans rivals in town is from out of town. From San Pablo to be exact. (Although, I hear there there's an argument to be made for Burger Machine's version). Anyway this San Pablo sans rival is a bit of a mystery. I've never bought it on my own. I don't know where to buy it. I don't know the name of the person who makes it.

I know this sans rival because my mom brings it home from her trips with her amigas. And when I had to do work in San Pablo last weekend, our team was gifted with a sans rival for each of us. I asked our host where he got it and all I got was a smile. Later that day, I asked another San Pablo person where they sell the awesome sans rival, and she said that I could get it from a certain subdivision. Without mentioning the subdivision's name, she smoothly changed the subject. Damnit.

Later I find out that, in that still unnamed subdivision, there is a nondescript house that sells the sans rival through a slit in the gate. Like illegal drugs, I suppose. Anyway, I got a clue off the packaging. This mystery sans rival can be ordered through 049-562-3620.

the mother ship

2009-01-25T22:47:00.008+08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choi!

To celebrate with our buddies in the Fil-Chi community, I want to write about one of their best contributions to our country. And I don’t mean tikoy, I mean Le Ching.

Le Ching has been talked about here in Bogchi before, but this time we’re talking about the Banawe branch. Over a week ago, I had a job to do in the area and decided to go early to finally check out where it all began. (Actually, I really don’t know what came first, the Le Chings in Greenhills, or this one on Banawe. But like the chicken or the egg argument, it’s moot and academic. Basta! Masarap!)

The Banawe branch will give you exactly what you crave for, and more. The usual combo of spareribs rice and chili garlic is incapable of failing. But in this particular branch, they have an extended menu featuring more short order choices in addition to the usual rice toppings or dimsum. I was feeling adventurous so I ordered the fried chicken. Haha. Also, the savory radish cake deserves a mention because it’s deep fried in a portable station right in the middle of the resto as opposed to being done inside the kitchen.

I probably won’t travel all the way to this part of town for my spareribs rice fix because the Greenhills branches are way closer. Unless I’m in it for the nostalgia. This particular Le Ching is actually on the corner of Banawe and Del Monte and a few blocks away from the house I grew up in. Had I known that Banawe would evolve into this Chinese food haven (aside from being an auto surplus supply haven), I would have never moved away.

Bánh mì

2009-01-24T17:35:00.006+08:00

Paté and patis. That odd couple, some cilantro, cucumber, mystery meat, mystery sauce, and soy sauce stuffed in a crusty baguette make for probably the best sandwich for under P50.

Bánh mì stalls can be found on every other corner in Saigon. The one pictured has a little compartment off to one side where the lady heats your baguette over a charcoal grill before stuffing it with magic.

Locally, I think Pho Hoa sells these sandwiches, but I don’t know if they can compare.

DO YOU DARE TO EAT?

2009-01-19T20:20:00.005+08:00

P12 at your friendly neighborhood convenience store. I love that they used actual pics and not graphics :-).

i'll be fat

2009-01-15T21:57:00.001+08:00

Fatter, to be honest. Anyway, so I tried The Baconator from Wendy's. Here's what it looked like in the ads:

And here's what was delivered:

Was I disappointed? Hell no. In this day and age, who really thinks they're going to get what they see on TV and on print. Especially when it comes to food.

Also, the Baconator was GREAT. How can you go wrong with the taste of melted cheese, greasy meat, and bacon? Bacon is awesome. There's nothing like wafer-thin, crispy fat attached to a dead and deep fried pig. In this world. You know what was really considerate and thoughtful of Wendy's to do? There was nary a superfluous, sacrilegious veggie in sight. None of that awful, sickly tomato liquid to run down your neck. No leaf of lettuce to dillute the taste. No pickle to make me gag. (I could've used some onion though.) And I washed everything down with a thirst-quenching Biggie Iced Tea. None of that sugar-free stuff.

Anyway, based on this spot on review, (which bases this on Wendy's corporate site) a Baconator, in terms of bad stuff, is the equivalent of each of the ff:

Sodium (1920 mg)

180 Pringles potato chips
132 Doritos Cooler Ranch chips

Calories (830)

10 Rolling Rock Light 12 oz bottles
4 Dodger Dogs
5 7-Eleven Cola Slurpees 12 oz
3 Chili Dogs from The Varsity in Atlanta
33 tablespoons of Oscar Mayer Bacon Bits
83 Life Saver Five Flavors candies
166 Starbucks coffees of the week 12 oz
4 Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnuts
Enough Pam No-Stick Cooking Spray to cover 138 10-inch skillets

Fat grams (51)

10 Dolly Madison Zingers
3 orders of A&W cheese fries
4 Dairy Queen banana splits
22 Oreo cookies
51 cups of Froot Loops
10 servings of KFC mashed potatoes with gravy
22 Mrs. Paul's Crunchy Fish Sticks
23 3 Musketeers funsize snacks
1 Sara Lee frozen cheesecake
6 ounces of Oscar Mayer hard salami
19 Chips Ahoy cookies
4 Jimmy Dean Pancake and Sausage on a Stick, chocolate chip flavored
68 Aunt Jemima microwaveable pancakes

A whole frozen cheesecake?! That means it's all good. But check on me in the morning.

WARNING: BRING BREATH MINTS

2009-01-10T20:36:00.016+08:00

The dishes at Santush will make your breath smell funky. So don't bring a date there, unless close na kayo. But chances are your breath will be an afterthought once you've tasted their yummy yet affordable Persian fusion food. Conveniently located in Ortigas, it's fast becoming a favorite after-gimmick pit stop. A nice, steady place to hang out 'til the wee hours of the morning.

Must tries are the Shawarma Grilled Pizza and Chicken/Beef Kebab Pizza, priced at P140 and P135 respectively.

They also have a dip platter priced at just P73, while their ox brain goes for P60.

Santush is located at 88 Meralco Ave. cor. Dona Julia Vargas St. Avenue (PRO1 AUTO GARAGE, Inc.), right before Metrowalk, and is open until 2 a.m. on Saturdays.

Photos courtesy of TMAC.

OMG Kawaii Bento!

2008-11-30T17:52:00.007+08:00

So cute, I almost didn't wanna eat it.

The doggy bento meal I tried at the recent UP Komik Kon came with two sticks of chicken yakitori and one tamagoyaki. The dog parts were made of potato curry croquettes while the mouth and eyes were made of cheese. For me, the tamagoyaki was the highlight of the meal. I suspect the croquettes would've been better if I had bothered to pop the bento in the microwave before eating. Overall, it wasn't spectacularly yummy but it was totally worth its P150 price.

If you want OMG Kawaii Bento for a party or event, call Dale at 09266715375 or email him at dale@omgkawaiibento.com

You can check out their other adorable bento meals at www.omgkawaiibento.com

*Photo above was swiped from their website. But the meals are just as cute in reality.

Out of this world

2008-04-12T23:21:00.017+08:00

We’ve been remiss.

For an almost strictly MidMetMan * dweller like me, going to Ambos Mundos is like going to another world because it’s located in, well a side street off Recto. So it was really cool that fellow food blogger, Tish, got Issa and me to accompany her to this part of the Metro.

Yep, that is a pig at the entrance of the canteen.

Ambos Mundos, according to the photocopied news clippings slipped into the menu holder, has been around for a while. It’s primarily a Filipino comfort food eatery with a heavy Spanish influence (ambos does mean both). The ground floor is an open air cantina, where you order from their long list of rice toppings, among others. Upstairs is the airconditioned dining area.

Anyway, to the meal at hand, first to arrive was my drink, Cold Milo. This is probably my next favorite drink after cold milk tea. Which makes me wonder why I just don’t buy Milo and make it myself. Still, it was great, and complete with unmelted Milo bits.

Next up were the house specialties, Paella Ambos and the morcon. Paella Ambos is Paella With Everything On It. It had crab, shrimp, oysters, clams, chicken and pork. The small order (P390) was good enough for us hungry three. While they surely didn’t scrimp on the ingredients, I think I like mine to be of the more traditional Valencia type, including the toasted underside.

Not a cause for worry, because the rest of the viand were pretty good. Can’t remember having morcon (P227) before, but this roll of beef was tasty. And while I mistook those red tubes to be hotdogs, thankfully, it was real, good sausage.

We then had inihaw na liempo and torta crabmeat sa talukap. The liempo, normal and all, was my pick. It doesn’t quite go with the whole Spanish theme, but grilled pork (and toasted fat) was pretty good with their sweet and spicy sauce. I forget the price but one order should be good enough for two or three.

I sort of arm-twisted Issa into order the torta crabmeat because my lola used to make this exact dish and I wanted to compare. I’m happy to say that the Ambos Mundos version was up for the comparison. The crabmeat was tasty, and even if it was priced at P200 per, it was one fat, stuffed crabshell.

At the end of the meal, we got the ginataan and bibingka. The ginataan wasn’t exceptional and won’t even make this story. But the bibingka was pretty good. Interesting that they mix sesame seeds with the niyog and sugar. I like my kakanins and rice cakes, and this was awesome.

Incidentally, right across Ambos Mundos is what seems to be a famous Chinese resto / panciteria – Wah Sun (formerly known as Sun Wah, seriously). Carlos Celdran’s blog says that, way back, the families of each restaurant intermarried. Interesting twist to the whole “both worlds” idea. Anyway, the product of that marriage is the fact that you can now cross order dishes from either restos.

Sounds like this makes for another great reason to head out of MidMetMan (okay, annoying).

Notes:
1. Ambos Mundos is on F. Torres St, Sta Cruz, Manila. Tel no is 733-1160.

2. We were given the heads up that parking might be difficult. We took the LRT2 line (from Gateway) and got off at the end, Recto. Get on the side of Isetan, head towards Rizal, cross it, and you’ll see F. Torres St on your left. For LRT1 line users, I think Doroteo Jose might be your stop. I think.

*Middle Metro Manila. My pauso term for the area within the triangle of the QC-San Juan border, Pasig and Makati. Also Taguig… so I guess we have to make that a rhombus

Really eating out in Malate – Super Six Grille

2008-02-25T12:02:00.003+08:00

Utterly ignorant politically, I only judge leaders by their output. And though I heard a lot of flak about Atienza, I miss what he had done in Manila. I miss being able to walk along Carriedo without jeeps bearing down on me. And I miss walking Roxas Boulevard’s nightlife, amidst the vibrant, salty throngs.

Buti na lang, Super Six Grille hasn’t been shooed away despite its spilling over Remedios sometimes.

Craving the beach but unable to get out of the city, I settled for, uh, the caress of the malagkit and briny wind off of Manila Bay. Practically broke, I dragged D into a slumming dining experience he survived naman.

If I do influence you to try Super Six Grille, push away ANY expectation of ambience. This place is unapologetically street. And not Som’s kind of street pa which is at least quiet and homey.

A and I discovered Super Six on another slumming adventure maybe 2 years ago. On a break from working in Bangkok, I wanted to find Manila’s version of Khao San (and its requisite cheap street eats). We figured Malate would have it. And it did :)

For Php20 each, you can get basics like a stick of pork or chicken bbq, as well as other choices like pork with garlic, pork liver, pig ears, chicken with onion, chicken heart, chicken gizzard and liver.

A platter of liempo is Php 50, as is bbq chicken thigh.
Three pieces of grilled chicken ass is Php 40.

What really caught my eye though was their fresh bbq ideas like tomatoes wrapped in bacon, onion leeks, grilled eggplant, grilled garlic, grilled tofu and crab sticks bbq. All also 20 bucks each. Cheap AND so yummy.

I think we ordered half of their menu and lots of sticky garlic rice. We only paid Php 300.
Plus, we got serenaded pa with “Kay sarap ng may minamahal”. Well, parang mas-masarap pag may murang pagkain ;p

Super Six Grille is right along Remedios St., in front of Socialista, Club Tekshi and Tia Maria’s. Grab a monobloc table and wait for a guy to take your orders. Or go to the grill counter and pick out your sticks ☺

dream puffs

2008-02-15T12:09:00.006+08:00

Tee Up Cream Puffs, it should read. The latest offering from Monde. Little balls of crispy pastry filled with chocolate or custard cream. Yum.

At P12 per box at 7eleven, it's really too good to be true.

Everything At Steak

2008-02-08T16:50:00.000+08:00

has been reviewed every where else. But it took me awhile to try the place out. It's along P Guevarra in San Juan. It's right at the Petron Station nearest to Wilson. It's not quite your 99 bucks steak joint. My T-bone with rice came out to be 132 bucks. But that's still not bad for what I got. And they do have P88 meals, I think.

The place tries to be a bit homey and country. But there's no disguising that it's a cheap steak joint. But what's important was that my T-bone was soft and juicy, and the gravy tasty. Ok na ko dun.

popcorn is evil

2008-02-05T11:37:00.000+08:00

When you eat a whole giant tub. Which is what I can't help doing when I come across Chef Tony's white cheddar popcorn. Don't let the eager salesfolk trick you into getting the parmesan. Medyo bitin siya sa lasa for me.

I've tried two other flavors-- caramel and white chocolate walnut (?). Pero white cheddar fan pa rin ako. Sweet, salty and extremely addictive. It says low fat and low cholesterol on the label. I really hope that's true. Consuelo de bobo y gluttono.

Stole the pic off Chef Tony's website. Hope he doesn't mind. You can look for the nearest Chef Tony's outlet here-- http://cheftonyspopcorn.com/TheBranches.html

wheee :D

2008-01-28T13:58:00.000+08:00

Relatively quicker and cheaper. Been open at the Glorietta 4 foodcourt for more than a week now. Yehey! :)

Ihaw Balot Plaza

2008-01-11T00:34:00.000+08:00

And then there’s the quintessential QC beer garden. Going to Ihaw Balot Plaza is like entering a time warp. They still have multicolored light bulbs. In-house rock ballads come from the videoke machine they’ve set up in the garden. And one time, I ordered a Coke Light, and got served what was probably the last bottled Diet Coke on earth. Serves me right for ordering a softdrink in a beer house.

A buddy of mine introduced us to this beer house/garden found along a little street between Panay and Quezon Ave. His father used to bring him and his siblings there, when they were little. Later, when my buddy married, he got his sisters together to bring them back to the place where you can find the best inihaw na pusit and chicken ass. There was also a drunken brawl at the nearby table as an added treat. (No worries, doesn’t happen that often.)

Nowadays, IBP is a brightly lit, wholesome beer garden. If you go early enough, say 6 to 9pm. Appetizers come in the form of kasoy, green mango, and bagoong, from the manang who sits by the gate (thought they've moved her indoors lately). Kasoy, sour, unripe fruit and sweet shrimp paste hardly go together. But it’s IBP, and anything goes, including your sense of what goes together.

At IBP, they have consistently excellent and simple food fare. Their grilled chicken ass is sweet, and the sizzling bulalo is tender and meaty. Their sisig is underrated. And lest you give yourself a heart attack, the inihaw na pusit is even better. Theirs is seasoned, smoked and slowly grilled to perfection. It’s not too soft, not too chewy, and always fresh. Arguably, the best pusit in town.

It’s the perfect place for the guys (with the patient, low-maintenance girlfriend or wife) to kick back and talk about the most important things in life: family, politics, and our NBA fantasy leagues.

At Ihaw Balot Plaza, you’ll find that the chicken ass good, the squid better, and the cholesterol and beer induced conversation best. I hope it stays the same for the time I bring the wife and kids over.

Going all the way (chicken ass, 1 kilo of pusit, sisig, bulalo, rice, softdrinks and beer) cost our group of 6 over 200 bucks each. Not bad, I reckon.

Ihaw Balot Plaza is along Scout Borromeo, between Panay and Mother Ignacia. Side of Tropical Hut.

Poochini’s

2008-01-07T11:01:00.000+08:00

After the extravagant spending and eating of the holidays, it’s back to work with as lean a meal allowance as possible. Can you get a good meal for, say, 50 pesos? Bogchinoypi was started to answer that question. And to find possible solutions like Poochini’s.

With a niche carved out of the Valero parking building, I expected higher prices than a jollijeep. They have seats after all. And bespoke at that – orange, with cut-out carrots like the one on their logo. Don’t expect to get your bum on any of them though, unless you come way before or well after the lunch rush hour. With only three sets of tables and its popularity because of the jollijeep prices, your best bet at lunchtime is take out.

Poochini’s set-up is carinderia-style. But rather than huge, stainless casseroles, they have food warmers. So lunch almost seems like a wedding buffet gone wild. Attendants stand behind the long table of warmers, while diners come up to the table and swarm around.

If there’s no free spot right in front of the table, stand behind someone and wait patiently. When he or she’s done, take his/her place and wait for an attendant to pay attention to you. Once one does, point out the viands you want and she’ll ladel them out for you. It’s chaos, but its organized. Typically Filipino, no?

The great thing about Poochini’s is that there’s lots to choose from. I’d say they easily have twice, even thrice the number of choices you’ll get at a Jollijeep. Just today, I counted 24 warmers of different viands on the table.

Plus, despite the jollijeep prices, their servings are more generous. And I guess because of the presentation, you’ll feel more confident about how sanitary your food is.
I usually come in for staples like their thick monggo (10 pesos), their very tasty, crunchy squid (30 pesos) or tokwa in black bean sauce (30 pesos). But officemates swear by their adobo (30 pesos), caldereta (30 pesos), pata tim (30 pesos) and sinigang (30 pesos). Biko lovers will be glad to know they always have a few slices on hand. Leche flan seems to frequently grace the table too.

They have a good range of choices for pork, beef, chicken and, important for me, veggies. Chances are, if you’re craving for a specific pinoy dish, they have it. And it’s bound to be truly satisfying too.

Poochini’s is along Valero st., along the line of Valero parking building shops like Bugong (another favorite!) and Mercury Drug. Open til 9pm, sometimes even later.

p.s. don’t forget to claim your free broth!

Dong Bei

2008-01-03T23:34:00.000+08:00

Turns out I had to be in Escolta for work today. I decided to make a food trip out of it and searched online for recommendations. Dong Bei was mentioned in several blogs as one of the stops in Ivan Man Dy's Binondo walking tour (which I would love to take one of these days).

From my meeting in Plaza Cervantes, I walked in the direction of the Binondo Church and beyond. I took my cue from Gene Gonzalez and ordered fried dumplings and dry soybean noodles. A tour group (I presume Ivan's) entered the place as I was having my meal, allowing me to shamelessly eavesdrop for a few minutes. I would have wanted to try other dishes but the servings were too large. Next time, I'll make sure to bring reinforcements.

I spent around P250 for 10 fried dumplings, a bowl of noodles, and a can of beer.

Here's to Ears

2007-12-30T14:28:00.000+08:00

Boiled pigs' ears tossed with olive oil, lemon, cilantro, and salt. Enjoyed at O' Santos, Taipa Village, Macau.

Original post (11/25/07):

I don't remember exactly when I fell in love with with the cartilage crunch of pigs' ears. What I do remember is where I had my first taste of what is now one of my favorite parts of the piggy. It was at an isawan somewhere in the kilikili of Makati. Barbecued, the ears were good - sticky and crunchy at the same time. If I were to have barbecued tenga now, I would probably head over to Countryside along Katipunan Avenue.

I also enjoy pigs' ears deep fried - aka crispy tenga. I think pretty much any of the ubiquitous grills will be able to prepare this dish competently. But I never thought I would enjoy pigs ears that weren't either fried of flamed. The pictured dish, which we tried in a small dumpling restaurant in Hongkong, contains slivers of steamed/boiled(?) pigs' ears, garlic, cucumber, and oil. Served cold, it was very simple and very good.

Let us know where you enjoy your tenga.

where to get taho by the bowl

2007-12-05T16:10:00.000+08:00

Apart from pets, bicycles, shoes, magazine back issues, PX goods and winterwear, add soy products to Cartimar's, er, varied, list of finds.

Cartimar isn't exactly a stone's throw away, but if you happen to be in the area, save some space in your tummy for a very filling bowl of taho. It's the perfect pre- or post-shopping protein fix.

You get a hefty bowl (your choice if you prefer hot or cold), and you can choose if you want it plain or with toppings. You have red bean, lotus seeds, mango, sago or peanuts as options. Plain taho is at 25pesos a bowl. ( I had mine at 4pm and was full til dinner.) Add 15 per topping.
This one's lotus seeds (aka garbanzos) and the one at the top's red bean.

I found the red bean the tastiest. Sago with syrup is classic, of course. And here, you get a finer quality and bigger serving than what you get from the manong taho. I have yet to try peanut, but I think I'll save that for when I'm craving an improbable meal of crunchy and soft.

The Tiong Hwa foodstore gets brisk business from people dropping by for their freshly bottled soy milk (it's really good, sweetened or otherwise), red bean-, peanut- or lotus-filled mochi (have yet to try this), and a wide variety of frozen specialty foods (dumplings, fish steaks, furais, chinese rice meals). And with the tables and seats inside, I'm glad they've created a clean, quiet place to take a break from walking around.

Tiong Hwa food products store is in Cartimar Shopping plaza, along the row of Japanese groceries.

Oishi Pods

2007-12-05T10:26:00.000+08:00

Geek that I am, the product name sends my mind in sci fi directions. I almost didn't buy it. But anyway, this yummy potater alternative's been hard to find, so when you see a bag, grab it!
The clean, crisp package design drew my eye. And I was pleased with the crunchy contents. Don't expect actual peas though. As the copy on the bag stays vague, I assume it's some recombined pea material instead, haha.

It's baked not fried, and fortified with vitamins. So it's an inexpensive, very tasty and somewhat healthy (on the most babaw level) snack. In a cursory comparison with other chips in the shopping bag, it did have less fats and calories and more protein. It seems a bit high on sodium though.

Still, I like it. And at 11php in MiniStop, I'm grabbing the next bag I see.

(On a sort of related note, have you been to Oishi Land? www.oishi.com.ph. There are cute games and everything! And, I didn't realize they had such a wide product line up na. What's your favorite Oishi snack?)

Good Origin

2007-11-25T19:33:00.000+08:00

According to karabau, this place has closed down. Sad siya. (updated 12/30/07)

Riding around Makati late one night, I came across Good Origin Bento along Pasay Road. It looked new and cheap - how could I resist. I ordered the niku curry soba udon, which wasn't too yummy. But then it cost only P75 so I shouldn't be complaining. Also on the menu are your usual rice toppings, gyoza, and some salads.

Good Origin Bento supposedly closes at 5am. Seems like a decent place to fill your stomach after a long night of partying, when hot and cheap *almost* make up for taste.

Along Pasay Road, between the corners of Amorsolo and Paseo de Roxas. You can't miss the huge neon sign.

Suzukin, at the corner of cheap and tasty

2007-11-19T19:21:00.000+08:00

Well actually, it's at the corner of Kamagong St. & Sampaloc st. But yes, it IS cheap and tasty, and quite filling too. So after a sulit saturday, hungry and beat, I declared I wanted cheap japanese. Noone else had an opinion, so we piled into the car and headed for San Antonio village.

As we were all too tired to read the menu off the walls, we settled for the laziest choice and also the most sulit item - the set meal. For php123, you get 2 ebi tempura pieces, tuna steak, chicken furai, tai kimiyaki (fish fillet), squid balls, pork kushiyaki, rice and miso soup. Yes, aaalll of that for 123pesos. On a little steel serving platter.

It's almost like a menu sampler. And as you can glean from this selection, you shouldn't expect anything sophisticated in Suzu Kin. Their cook's imagination stops at frying. But he does it well, haha! And it lets them deliver big on taste and value despite the small price.

Take the free miso soup, I find it tastier and more savory than a lot of the miso soups I have to pay for in other, higher-end japanese restaurants. They put little bits of fried batter to add to the tastiness. And the broth is opaque from all the miso, tofu and veggies.

Everything on the set is yummy, each in its simple, fried way. I like too the uniqueness of going through little bite size meats prepared in different ways. It's a mini buffet! For me though, the tuna steak is a stand-out. (A lighter, tuna version of bistek. Garlicky and dark with toyo, but still retaining the taste of tuna.) I just keep forgetting to order it on its own, instead of succumbing to viand polygamy. You can get tuna steak a la carte at php120. Mmm-mmm. The chicken furai is great too, juicy and memorable thanks to its dark but tangy sauce. The tai kimiyaki is tender and packed with taste.

Their menu has all the japanese fastfood basics: donburi from php109 (Oyakodon) to php129 (Gyudon), teppanyaki from php157 (squid,chicken) to php202 (shrimp), tempura (6-8 little pieces of shrimp for php155), sobas, udons, sashimis and makis. If you're a raw fish connoiseur though, I wouldn't reccomend ordering here as these really aren't their specialty.

What I appreciate most about Suzukin is that they know their target market. The average salaryman who just wants a good, no frills, inexpensive meal at the end of a tiring day. I want to commend them for turning out solid, filling meals at low prices, WITHOUT scrimping on their ingredients.
Plus, i mean, they're basically a carinderia. They serve their water in thick glasses and their food in steel plates. The staff hardly smile. They have no ambience at all. But I think they get by on inadvertent charm. Their menu's hand-pentel penned on cartolina. There are japanese-y curtains above the doorway. And they all scream "arrashaimase" when you go through the door. These make me fond of Suzu Kin - the little japanese carinderia that tries.

Going down Metropolitan ave. towards Quirino ave., turn left at Caltex. It's right on the corner - facing the dress shop and lying tangent to Metrobank. You can park along Sampaloc st., right by SuzuKin itself. At lunch, there's an old man who watches your car while you eat fried meats.

Snackaroo, yahoo!

2007-11-19T16:26:00.000+08:00

Somewhere in the lower-middle class suburban jungles of QC is a steak joint where the staff is overworked and surly, and where the tables are wet, and the utensils greasy. So, come prepared with a very good sense of humor about these things, because Snackaroo is worth the trouble.

For P130 bucks, you get an excellent t-bone slathered with wonderfully unhealthy gravy.

Photo actually shows two orders of well-done t-bone steak… I was really hungry.

Snackaroo is located on Judge Jimenez Street. Coming from T. Morato, get on Kamuning, and you'll find J. Jimenez on your right.

spreadable chocnut

2007-11-16T18:58:00.000+08:00

In an informal taste test, 3 out of 5 people found that Candyline Co. had succesfully duplicated the ChocNut taste. I guess it depends which ChocNut taste you remember - the sweet&nutty earlier formula OR the more recent too-sweet version. For me, ChocoMani captured ChocNut at its best and upped the ante by playing with the consistency. There's a good balance of the swetness and nuttiness (insert crazy joke here). You can taste each distinctly but appreciate their mingling together too. Plus, the change of texture from crumbly to buttery made a 'classic na pinagsawaan na', suddenly fresh.

At Php56 (at 7-11) for a 40gram jar, it comes to php1.40 per gram (WHO calculates cost like that?). But the experience of spooning the chocolatey peanut butter, licking it off and letting it melt in your mouth is priceless. Besides, the alternative - stuffing actual ChocNut in your pan de sal - sounds a bit weird.

On a vaguely related note, I appreciate 7-11's adding single Dole bananas by their check-out counter. Tells me they support my wanting to eat healthier. AND gives me a great idea for dessert. Anyone for ChocoMaNana?
(Wait, does that sound right?)

Kikufuji Updates

2007-11-10T15:42:00.000+08:00

Taped onto the back cover of Kikufuji's regular menu is their specials menu. It changes every couple of months and contains items that give me temporary kuripot amnesia.

Right now, I find guilty pleasure in the fresh oysters sunomono (P250+). Around four pieces of oysters off the shell are served in a vinegar bath and sprinkled with chopped spring onions. Ultimate pulutan, I think.

not another Greenhills Chinese resto review

2007-11-09T10:18:00.001+08:00

First off, shout out to YUMMY for being crazy enough to feature a delinquent blog like ours. Now we feel the pressure to keep this place up.

Anyway, back to my Greenhills-based Chinese restos. While Greenhills on weekends is such a chore, Greenhills on weekday mornings isn’t so bad. When I have the time, I make sure to work out at the gym early so that I can get a big lunch at Le Ching Too (the second one, orange interiors, not the first one, green interiors, food is the same though).

Le Ching Too is my mother’s worst resto nightmare. She questions the restaurant’s hygiene and food preparation techniques. Personally, I turn a blind eye. You do that for love.

Le Ching is best at what it does. It doesn’t have an extensive menu. And from that short menu, stick to what you know. You either get a rice topping, or noodles. A lot of people like the Beef Brisket Rice, I’m not a big fan though. I like the Chicken and Black Mushroom Rice a lot. But what I really love is their Spareribs Rice. It’s a load of tender, tasty pork ribs on top of steamed rice. Served in a steel bowl. I wonder if the steel bowl is for making me feel that eating at Le Ching is an authentic Chinese peasant/proletariat dining experience. I’m not quite sure.

When I was there last, I sort of veered off the tried and tested path. I tried their Shrimp Cheongfan. Not so good. The flour-y(?) wrap was too thick, and sort of overwhelmed the pitiful shrimp stuffings.

Next time, I’m sticking to the rice toppings. Or I’ll finally try their noodles. Like I said, I’m not a big noodle fan, but I’ve been… growing up. I saw someone order the Stewed Beef Brisket Noodles. The noodles get served with a hearty amount of brisket on top, and the soup is served separately. I’m looking forward to that.

It has to be said that a large part of Le Ching’s success are the little things that come with the food. Like their famous chili garlic. I want to know how they make it. Or at least where they make it. I want to raid the place, and steal a whole vat. That ought to give me half a lifetime’s worth of chili garlic. While I was there, there was a guy at the next table who raved that he takes his sinigang with Le Ching’s chili garlic. Weirdo. But hey, I want to know where he gets his stash. No local Chinese resto has duplicated the truly garlic-flavored Le Ching mix.

And so as not to be overpowered by the wonderfully spicy chili garlic, order their cold soya milk too. It’s not too sweet, and it retains the subtle flavor of soy, unlike the over-flavored, commercial variants.

Le Ching’s been around for years. I started eating there in high school. It’s not really a secret, given by the large lunch and dinner crowds at both Greenhills branches. But I haven’t seen anyone write about the place. Lately, at least. So I’m giving it my stamp of approval: It’s the only place where I’m happy to pay to eat out of a steel bowl.

Le Ching and Le Ching Too are both located in the basement level of Shoppesville, Greenhillls Shopping Center. Le Ching (green interiors) is across McDonalds, Le Ching Too (orange interiors) is closer to the tiangge, the row of Ricky Reyes. I hear there’s a branch at Trinoma, but I haven’t been. Dishes are large single servings, and are mostly in the P70-100 range.

pancit nanaman!

2007-11-05T15:16:00.000+08:00

On most Sundays, I avoid Greenhills like the plague. The whole shopping center may be undergoing a facelift, but the place is still an urban planning nightmare. Traffic and parking sucks on weekends, and especially now that we’re heading into the freakin’ holidays.

So I was sort of pissed that our mother wanted to eat lunch at Casa Reyes, another offshoot from the Aristocrat family of restos (by my count, there’s Alex III, Serye, and Reyes BBQ). I was hungry, in no mood to argue, and even more ticked off to find the resto full.

That turned out to be a blessing in the sky(!) because I suddenly remembered that we hadn’t eaten at Sun Moon Garden in the longest time.

Sun Moon Garden has been in Greenhills since… forever. We used to eat there almost every Sunday when our church was actually in the shopping center. And Sun Moon isn’t actually a garden. It’s really in the basement of Shoppesville, right behind the row of ID photo booths, where I used to get my ID photos done back in the pre-digital age. (Nowadays, I just shoot myself.)

Anyway, Sun Moon is known for its pancit canton and that’s because it has the best pancit canton. Ever. And that’s coming from the guy who’s not very fond of noodles and pasta. Hold on, I’m not sure if it’s actually listed as Sun Moon Pancit Canton on the menu. Basta. It’s the one with tender noodles that’s not so thin, yet not so thick (medium?). It’s got this tasty brownish sauce that’s not too gooey. Also it’s got a mound of vegetables and seafood on it. Like a lot of the Chinese dishes that have come our way, it’s a meal in itself. The small-sized order was just right for the three of us.

For nostalgia’s sake, we also ordered my favorite Fried Shrimp Balls. It was deep fried to a golden, crispy outside, nice and soft inside finish. It’s served with a more-sweet-than-sour sauce, and should be eaten with that.

Our only mistake was ordering the Deep Fried Lapu Lapu with Oyster Sauce. The fish wasn’t fresh at all. It was also an expensive mistake, being the priciest dish among our orders. We should have gone with the Oriental Sizzling Beef (something like that) that every table except ours seemed to have.

Since it's located in the basement, and because it's a Chinese resto, don’t expect much ambiance. Here’s a photo of the interiors, in all its fluorescent-lit glory.

Small-sized orders are good for three, or a hungry two, and average around P200. Except for that lame Lapu Lapu dish which set us back around 400 bucks. Sun Moon Garden is located at the basement level of Shoppesville, Greenhills Shopping Center. Tel. no 721-0856.

The Frisspoint literal hole in the wall

2007-10-17T14:54:00.000+08:00

For all its hoity-toity weekend market for expats reputation, Salcedo Village still has a humble panaderia sa kanto like any Philippine neighborhood.

Turning left into Herrera st., coming from Leviste, you may miss the piles of pan de sal peeping out the window. That would be Frisspoint, your 24-hour basic food source – pan, lugaw and Ricoa Flat Tops by the tingi. Syempre, there’s cellphone load too.

My favorite neighbors go there to fill their late-night crusty & crumbly pan de sal cravings. But as I like my pan de sal chewy & heavy, I find myself there to fill hankerings for lugaw instead.

Frisspoint’s lugaw is one of the best cheap, non-resto porridges I’ve tried – savory from chicken stock and generous with the ginger. A truly comforting and full-flavored lugaw, not some half-hearted attempt to squeeze out a quick buck from left-over rice.
Lugaw is 15pesos with a whole boiled egg, 10pesos without. Arroz Caldo is 25 with egg, 20 without. I usually go for the lugaw, as paltry chicken pieces in arroz caldo depress me.

Apart from the pan de sal and lugaw, the staples on their whiteboard menu are simple breads like monay and pan de coco. They also offer a variety of siomais for four pieces at 40pesos. At 10pesos for each average dumpling though, parang it’s not worth it. You might also chance upon their chocolate chip banana muffin. It used to be a real treat at 9pesos. But they upped the price to 18 (Hello!), suddenly making it not sulit for the size. Sayang.

This morning, they had taho. So I had a nostalgic 10peso breakfast on the go. I love panaderias sa kanto.

(The Frisspoint window peeps out of Makati Executive Tower, Herrera cor. Leviste Strts. Or the corner tangent to the Leviste KFC. Or in front of the building with a 711/Gloria Jean’s/BDO. And oh, don’t mistake it for Frisspoint restaurant.)

Mochi Mochi

2007-10-17T13:40:00.000+08:00

It doesn't look like much. But Magnolia's sesame ice cream mochi can do great things. Like cure PMS. Significantly promoting world peace.

It's made up of refreshing black sesame ice cream wrapped in translucent glutinous goo. Kaladkarin says it tastes like espasol.

It's good, really. I just can't seem to describe it appetizingly. Maybe I don't want to. Because I want it all to myself.

Magnolia Mochi is also available in ube flavor. But the sesame is much much better. P12 at Rustan's Supermarket, P15 at Mini Stop.

Yogurt Yum. Lets eat and be friends forever.

2007-07-24T21:44:00.000+08:00

That's what I would expect to read on a Korean yogurt label. Instead, it says "La Ciel." Made in the Philippines but managed by Koreans. Which still doesn't explain the European sounding brand name. But who cares. Their yogurt is unarguably yummy and creamy. 2 flavors so far--strawberry and blueberry. P100 for a 500g bottle. Bit pricy pero sulit sizewise. Thank you Sandaraland!

Available at Kang's grocery, in front of Salcedo Park, and Happy Kitchen (or something). Basta yung 24-hour Korean convenience store along the road behind Caltex J.Vargas, Ortigas. Run and catch it for happy tummy love.

Hopiaaa!

2007-06-26T15:22:00.000+08:00

Try Marby's Dice Hopia, available at Mini Stop in packs of 6 for P32 (I think). Soft, moist and filling. Heads up though, the word is spreading and isa or dalawang packs na lang usually yung naaabutan ko. Goes well with Mini Stop's Nescafe Freeze (better when not yet frozen, with a little added low fat milk) and Chow King's milk tea (without the nata de coco-esque jelly).

early morning delight

2007-03-20T13:20:00.000+08:00

I looooove hotel breakfast buffets. But not because of the fresh-from-the-oven buttery croissants, rich but fluffy omelets or endless assortment of ham and sausages. I've learned that focus is key. Especially if the company outing tour bus is leaving in 15mins.

The Marco Polo Hotel in Beijing has yummy yogurt. Rich, creamy and not funky-tasting. Alas, I don't remember what brand it was. I'm not even sure if the label was in English. But it was good enough for my roommate and I to risk lactose-intolerant repercussions in the land of squatty-potties. (By the way, the yogurt in Vietnam is also very good. At may caramel flavor! Gasp! Yummm.)

I like to embellish my yogurt with chunks of mango and honeydew melon. Then I generously sprinkle cornflakes and rice crispies, drizzle a little syrup, and dig in. Mmmmm.

Back home, I make do with Nestle's Mango Yogurt (Not the 0% fat one. Bring on the fat! In yogurt, at least.). Mini-buhos ng plain cornflakes, and solb na me.

Yamazaki

2007-03-12T13:50:00.000+08:00

Just because you appreciate fine (read: "expensive") Japanese food doesn't mean that hearty rice meals no longer hold any appeal. Just a few meters away from Seryna is Yamazaki, a grocery cum diner where you can find Japanese folks hunched over a bowl of ramen chopsticks in one hand and some manga in the other. This place is relatively cheap, fast, and quite satisfying. There's no sashimi on the menu but if you insist on ordering some, they'll source it from Kikufuji just around the corner. We've tried the gyoza, the katsu curry rice, and the saba rice - all under Php 180.00. Draft beer is pretty cheap, at around Php 30.00 a mug. And for dessert, just cross over to the grocery and get some yummy mochi ice cream balls.

Super Seryna

2007-02-12T10:16:00.000+08:00

I think I'm getting more and more picky when it comes to Japanese food. It used to be that I could eat just any old piece of raw fish. I still can, actually but I've learned to appreciate the finer stuff.

What's great about Seryna is that each piece of sashimi I've tried so far has been fresh beyond reproach. I also enjoyed the Tako-su (octopus and seaweed in vinegar), sushi platter, assorted yakimono, and the kaizen. Sitting at the sushi bar, I could see that there were many dishes that I didn't recognize, and that got me really excited. And if there's an item that you don't see on the menu, just ask for it and they'll probably whip it up. Oh, and I heard they have fresh wasabi.

Seryna is located along the outside perimeter of Little Tokyo. It's clean, nicely decorated, and a bit expensive. A meal for one can cost around Php 1,200.00. But if you go lunchtime, you can get these really filling rice or noodle meals for just Php 250.00.

Tel.: 894-3855. It's right across Plaza Fair/McDonalds.

best thing since sliced bread

2007-01-11T11:29:00.000+08:00

If a flavored potato chip got together with french bread and had a child, it would taste like Oishi's Bread Pan. Mmmmm... sarap! Comes in two flavors-- Toasted Garlic and Cheese & Onion. Seriously addicting. Also good to use in salads in lieu of croutons.

Available at 7eleven and Mini Stop at P8 for a 50g pack.

Grub Love

2006-12-12T11:07:00.000+08:00

Want relatively fancy food at not so fancy prices? Check out Grub Club, tucked away at the 2nd floor of RCBC plaza, past 7eleven and Tapa King. Good bets are the grilled porkloin, pictured below, pork/chicken cheesewraps and grilled tomato basil and cheese panini.

But what I find exceptional about this place, aside from their art directed dishes and eager-to-please crew, are their desserts. They have the moistest carrot cake in the universe! And when I'm having a bad day, nothing cheers me up faster than their moist chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. Mmmmmm... Except maybe the Devil's Food Cake at Chocolate Kiss Cafe in UP. But that's another post altogether.

Expect to spend P70-150 for meals and P50 for desserts.

Photo and logo courtesy of Grub Club manager Lee, who is straight and has a pretty girlfriend, much to the chagrin of the gay Makati yuppie community. Hehe. Peace, Lee! Please don't spike my food next time I eat there.

The Anti-Bollywood

2006-11-28T22:32:00.000+08:00

Note: This is filet minion's post. It was misfiled under my name.

Bollywood Greenbelt 3 is the newest place-to-be that depicts the gaudy but chic, brightly cheerful yet mysteriously romantic, very exotic and almost erotic-- transporting you to an entirely different country south of Asia where not even high society fear to tread despite the possibility of rubbing elbows with the "untouchables."

I think “The Guru” triggered the Bollywood fascination among non-Indians, albeit not a full-fledged Bollywood flick (meaning, not produced in Bombay and starring the hottest Bollywood stars, not Hollywood hotties Heather Graham and Marissa Tomei with some homegrown American as leading man who can still copy perfectly his ancestral sing-song accent). Ever since then, I had been awaiting in anticipation the next Bollywood movie sensation. Strangely, one would wonder what makes Bollywood films so engaging when they are all so "formulaic": 1) always with silly song and choreographed dance numbers interspersed in dialogues; 2) boy-meets-girl and once you are led to believe that the fairytale romance is blossoming, some conflict will spring forth out of nowhere (or should I say, from the river Ganges); 3) but the cheesy plot must always finish with a happy ending (where, everyone, of course, MUST erupt into song and dance for the nth time). Quite reminiscent of typical 80s pinoy flicks actually, but I never did find ours amusing. How can I love Bollywood flicks and at the same time despise anything produced by Mother Lily?!? Am I just being unfair to the likes of Romnick and Sheryl when I immediately brand any movie featuring pinoy loveteams baduy?!

I digress. I have nothing against Bollywood in GB3. I practically fell in love with the whole ambience when I first dined there. It’s just that we must never forget that India, albeit overtaking us in outsourcing and is the new Silicon Valley of Asia, is still an impoverished country, so their food, no matter how exotic it looks or smells, can never cost even 1/18 of how much it is priced in Bollywood.

So lo and behold when my eyes serendipitously gazed upon this sign while the cab I was taking detoured from traffic and took a side street near Kamagong/ Pasong Tamo. It looked like the most enticing, most bogchinoypi-able hole-in-the-wall joint! So the next day, we scoured the area for about an hour in broad daylight just to trace it, and I was not the slightest bit disappointed when we found our unicorn. I entered to check their menu, and true enough, it seemed more appetizing with a delightful array of mutton, curry, basmati, etc. I think what piqued my curiosity the most was when the boy who was guarding the place during the day said: “uh mam, sigurado kayong gusto nyo kumain dito?” "Oo, bakit naman hinde?," I replied. To which he answered, “Ah kase mam, kayo lang po ang unang pinoy na makakakain dito, wawarningan ko lang po kayo na gabi-gabi po kase [Indian] o arabo.” Move over Bollywood, welcome to Mumbai, India!

So that night we trooped to Curry Kebab Place with our P200 wine in tow (no corkage fee of course!) And true enough there were at least 20 boisterous Indians drinking who were silenced into stupor at the sight of two pinoys, one korean and one white man in their erstwhile virginal resto. I thought we were violating the exclusivity rule of their private enclave, but they happened to be very much accommodating and even offered us their leftover Johnnie Walker.

The inside is very bare, like a cafeteria but airconditioned. They asked if we wanted to stay in a separate room, but we decided to be amongst the Indians hoping to get a better rate.

The 35 peso for two big samosas were yummy! So were the aloo wadi, the various paneer dishes, and the Mutton served ten ways. The servings for sharing were reasonably sized. For P120 bucks this was a steal.

By the end of the night we were a bit tipsy and asked the men who seemed like the owners why the Bollywood MTV was on mute. Finding out that we didn’t at all mind, is what started the festivities. The next thing we knew, tables were set aside so we could bellydance the night away to the sounds of Ice, Ice Baby remixed Hindi style. Of course, we (the only ladies) were each partnered with the elderly Indians. One stout and another incredibly skeletal.

Then they started treating our white male company to beers (SMLs are dirt cheap P27), and as the night dragged on, Stout dancing partner invited us all to proceed to “the real Bollywood” (his treat) where his son is a DJ and he is part-owner. We politely declined as strutting our stuff at one venue is enough excitement for a night.

My conclusion: if you want true-blue Indian food and the whole Bollywood experience, with your own booze too boot, then go to Curry Kebab on a Friday/Saturday night. If you want to pay 12% EVAT and 10% service charge over and above the exorbitantly priced tamely-spiced but aesthetically presented Indian food, and are hopeful for the remote chance of getting your left shoulder featured in Yaparrazzi, head to Bollywood GB3.

Curry Kebab is located along Estrella Street, off Pasong Tamo and is open until at least 12 midnight. If you want your food Indian-spicy, you must specify so beforehand, as the chef graciously takes the initiative of tempering the spice for non-Indians.

Nameless Pakistani Carinderia

2006-11-08T18:20:00.000+08:00

There's this strange place along Angel Linao in Manila. It has no sign out front, no aircon, and no menu. You choose from the food items scribbled on a grungy piece of cardboard posted on the wall. Dine amongst the inebriated barangay tanods - beer costs around P25. The curry is pretty good and the chapatis are steaming hot. Kebabs come hand-rolled and unskewered.

After dinner, dessert comes in the form of videoke. Choose from English, Tagalog, and Bollywood hits and make sure you bring enough P5 coins to drop in the machine. If you're a pretty girl, bask in drunken and soulful serenade of one of tanods. The serenade really did happen, by the way.

have your cake and eat it too

2006-11-02T13:55:00.000+08:00

Check out the chocolate cake at the bakery section of Robinsons Supermarkets. It's moist and fudgy but surprisingly light. Seriously, it defies the laws of cakery! It's so light that you can eat a fourth of it and not feel sick. Well, maybe a little sick. But it's soooo worth it. Especially since a whole cake costs only P385.

Yakiniku Senri

2006-09-14T12:45:00.000+08:00

Something that always bothers me about tabletop grilling is the distinctive ulam smell that sticks to your clothes. No matter how well ventilated the dining area is, the smoke from the grill has to pass through you before diffusing into the atmosphere.

This doesn't happen at Senri, where their hi-tech tabletop grills suck the smoke as soon as fat meets fire. I woke up this morning and smelled the shirt I wore to dinner last night and any bad smell there was didn't come from the restaurant. I think it's those bentesingko sized holes that ring the interior of the grill that work the magic.

We've eaten in Senri only a few times and it's been good so far. You can't go wrong with the Karubi (beef), which I think is a safe first order. Also good is the Sangyu (pork) - it comes with lettuce, garlic, and siling pangsigang. I can't help but feel that I'm in a Korean restaurant with a Japanese feel. Karubi = Kalbi, Sangyu = Samgyupsal. Our current favorite is the Solty Tong (salty beef tongue) or its variation with Welsch green onion.

Senri also has very fresh draft beer. It's cheap, at P42 for about half a liter. The kitschy muscular mugs are kinda cool too. Just go visit to see what I mean. Oh, and for the month of September, each table gets a bottle of (Korean) Jinro soju for free. Mix it with some lemon or calamansi for a nice, refreshing drink.

The service isn't all that good though. While eager, the staff has a hard time answering questions. But this is forgivable, since they opened only last July.

Senri is along Pasay Road, across Dusit and beside some girlie bar. They're open until 1230 am, and they'll kick you out if you overstay.

Rainy Day Comfort Food

2006-07-31T18:16:00.000+08:00

This rainy Monday afternoon, our office lunch/merienda lady brought over steaming hot champorado. It wan't as chocolaty as I wanted but a P5 plateful of tuyo more than made up for what it lacked in richness. La lang. Cheap thrill for the day.

Pirate M&M's

2006-07-18T13:52:00.000+08:00

Ahoy there, chocolate lovers! M&M's released their Pirate Pearls to go with their Pirates of the Caribbean promo. The candies come in light pastel colors- baby blue, pink, yellow, and white. And if you look closely, you'll notice that instead of the usual m, sometimes you'll find a skull, ship or hook on them. Best of all, they're WHITE CHOCOLATE inside!!! Homaygad! Hoard bago maubusan!

Available at supermarkets and departments stores. I'll check kung meron sa Mini Stop and 7-eleven when I go for my Mine Shine break.

what I've been hoarding lately...

2006-07-16T22:36:00.000+08:00

Ever on the look out for cold milk tea, I was happy to find out from karabau that you could get a perfectly good bottle of milk tea from the 7-11 at the corner. It's called Mine Shine and it's the best cold milk tea I've had since Wan Chai stopped serving theirs. It's no poor substitute either.

Mine Shine seems to have gotten the perfect milk tea mix right. The milk isn't too sweet as to overpower the subtle black tea flavor.

On their nice, classy, blue bottle, they've got the label, "Finest Quality Milk Tea." I'm inclined to believe it.

P36 bucks at 711. Gilmore's 711 carries it. And so does the Mini Stop near Salcedo Park.

Grill and Beer It

2006-06-29T15:02:00.000+08:00

Aackk! Over a month since the last post!

I just don't understand why many of us, if given the choice, would prefer a bottle of San Miguel to a nice fresh mug of San Miguel Draft. Draft is meant to be consumed soon after kegging while a bottle of beer can be drunk even a couple of years after bottling. Now what does that tell us? Draft beer is fresher probably has less preservatives (I don't know if this is true and, while I'm generally curious, I am not about to do any extensive Marketman-esque research. We love you, Marketman!).

Which brings us to Yakiniku Heijyoen. First brought to the "team's" attention by filet minion, this Japanese restaurant serves free beer. I can actually end the post right here but I'll be nice and say a bit more.

On Sundays, you can drink all the draft beer you want. It's not buy one take one, or buy one take two, or buy a bucket of six for P100. It's simply order one, and another, and another, and another, and *burp* another. You don't have to pay for a single beer.

Their food menu seems to be designed with the beer drinker in mind. They have a decent selection of what I would classify as Japanese pica-pica. Each dish comes in a small bowl: uni is P50, edamame is P50, kimuchi is P50.

But the ultimate pulutan is the yakiniku. While not as good in quality as Sakura's, it is decent. I'd go with just the thinly sliced beef tongue, lightly sear it on the tabletop grill, and dip it in some lemon juice. It's cheap, at P200 per plate so if you order that and have four beers, its as if you ate for free! Have five or more beers at parang kumita ka pa!

For those who prefer bottled beer, they do serve San Miguel Pale and Light, but you'd have to pay for it. Why, oh why?

So go and get wasted at 2277 Pasong Tamo, Makati. Right beside Kikufuji. Tel. 888-2288.

The Mutant North Park In Cubao

2006-05-25T20:27:00.000+08:00

Some sort of mutant North Park sprung up in our neighborhood in last couple of months. It’s called North Park Kopi Tiam and I’ve always wanted to check it out. I finally got to do that, when I had dinner there with my dad last night.

Just in case you think that it’s just the modern-Asian architecture and interiors that makes it distinct from the other NP branches, they have a very… interesting menu. While its menu still keeps some of the usual NP mainstays like lechon macau, salted garlic squid and congee, the rest of it is mostly made up of Japanese and Korean dishes. That’s sort of interesting since aren’t the Japanese and Koreans… historical enemies? Anyway.

While waiting for my dad to get there, I started off with an asado roll and cold milk tea. You can hardly go wrong with an asado roll but theirs was huge but had a lot of air inside. I was expecting something better and honest from an old reliable like North Park. But I was even more disappointed with their cold milk tea. The best cold milk tea used to be at the Wan Chai resto along Meralco Ave, but they’ve phased that out and I’ve been searching for a replacement. So far, masarap pa yung cold milk tea ng Chowking. In hindsight, I think the cold milk tea at North Park Kopi Tiam lacked that sort of sweet syrup that goes with restos that make you mix your own iced tea. Maybe they forgot to give it, maybe I should have asked for it.

(L-R chapchee, shrimp pajion, yasai itame)

Anyway, we got the following:

Chapchee - Korean sotanghon with beef and veggies. Spicy enough, and I like the subtle sesame seasoning.
Shrimp pajion – Korean pancake with shrimps and onion leeks. A bit too sour for my tastes, but hey, it’s probably authentic Korean flavoring for all I know.
Yasai itame – Which is Japan’s version of chopsuey. The vegetables were crunchy, and I liked it that the spiciness of the dish took time to fully develop on my palate.

Those were just all to share between my dad and I. For myself, I got khalbi (a.k.a. Korean beef stew). I have this thing for sesame (flavoring, seeds, etc) so if I have that, I’m good to go. My only issue with their khalbi is that I felt it had more litid (cartilage?) than it had beef.

Another thing that makes North Park Kopi Tiam different is that they have baked good and pastries. Aside from that airy asado roll, they have bola bola and cheese cornbeef rolls too. They have cookies, brownies, banana loafs and mamons. They also have a much longer dessert menu. In fact, they have cakes. My dad and I settled on their Moist Chocolate cake, which was definitely moist, and very, very good. It’s a family thing, the sweet tooth.

Looking at the menu, it feels like North Park wanted to serve every Japanese and Korean comfort dish imaginable, and decided to come out with a coffee shop (which is what kopi tiam means, said the waitress when she had to hazard a guess). Sounds confusing? A bit. But that’s what you get when you combine food from ancient and historical enemies. I’m still slightly hung up on that.

I’ve almost forgotten to say that, at North Park Kopi Tiam, they have steak. They serve porterhouse and rib eye cuts. They also have an Angus Charbroiled Burger, which I have to remember for when it’s a burger sort of day for me.

North Park Kopi Tiam is at No. 3 C. Benitez St., Barangay Horseshoe, Cubao, QC. They deliver from 1oAM-10PM. 722-7946 and 722-7948.

Best Rockwell resto yet

2006-05-07T00:44:00.000+08:00

Well, it isn't really IN Rockwell. Just ober-da-bakod, actually. From Kalayaan, past Grilla, along the small eskinita with the iron-grilled fence separating the fancy from the not-so-fancy, you'll find SOMS-- arguably the best restaurant in the area. Oh, and it isn't really a restaurant either. More like a semi-upscale carinderia. 'Upscale' because they have waiters (and, I hear, a pretty waitress), incandescent lighting (or at least lightbulbs), and really good Thai food. How good, you ask? So good that tables are almost always full during dinnertime, and it is not uncommon to see Volvos, BMWs, and the occasional Porshe pulling up to get take-out.

Must-tries are the Thai milk tea, catfish salad and their assortment of curries. Red, if you like it hot, green, if not. I've never been a curry person. In fact, if you asked me a few years ago what my top 10 dreaded dishes/food items were, curry would be right at the top of my list. Next to durian, of course. And adobong paniki. But back to the curry at SOMS. I don't know what exactly is good about it, but if I had to hazard a guess (Naks! I've always wanted to say that.), it'd be the sauce. It's flavorful enough so that you can pour it over rice and eat it kain-karpintero style, but mild enough that you don't feel the need to use extra-strength deodorant after your meal. Also good, albeit not extraordinarily so, are the Pad Thai, spring rolls, and bagoong rice.

What makes SOMS so special, what endears it to me the most, is its prices. I took 10 of my friends there last month and our bill totaled P1020. I kid you not. With their dishes priced at P60-P80, with their perfect-for-hot-summer-nights cold milk tea, it is, hands down, my favorite restaurant of the moment.

There is also something to be said about their charming eat-along-the-road-under-naked-light-bulbs set-up. As you lean back on your monoblock chair, enjoying the cheap but yummy fare, don't worry about alikabok. Spice of life, I say. Something to be savored. Every now and then. Preferably at SOMS.

SOMS is open everyday, from 9am to 11pm. Try to go before 9pm, before they run out of milk tea.

Let's Go Sango!

2006-04-16T22:10:00.000+08:00

With the opening in the past few years of specialty burger joints like Brothers, Hotshots, Bite Club, and Wham!, not to mention the McDonald'ses, Jollibees, BKs, and Wendy'ses (did I do my possessive plurals right?), I thought this city had no more room for another burger joint. But Sango! is a welcome addition because it isn't like anything I've ever come across in Manila.

Sango! - don't forget the exclamation point - is a Japanese style burger restaurant that prides itself on cooking your food as you order. If you were to compare it to another burger chain, I think it would be pretty close to MOS Burger. The inside is bright and spotless and you can see the burger grill, with Mr. Kobayashi flipping the patties, through a glass pane. For food that's cooked as you order, the burgers are ready surprisingly fast (although it was a slow day).

Now to the food. You can get the regular "Hamburger Burger" or be adventurous and order the Master Burger in any of its variations (Double Master Burger, Triple Master Burger, with or without cheese). The difference between the Master Burger and the Hamburger Burger is the presence of chili con carne and a tomato slice in the Master. The burgers are juicy but not that special. Their French fries are excellent - big pieces, not the frozen kind. If you order a Master, you'll notice that you have some excess chili after finishing the burger. We were taught to scoop up the chili using the fries. Nice.

The real draws here are the rice burgers. They have two varieties: Kimpira and Yakiniku. The Kimpira - which is bacon, dried seaweed, and stir-fried burdock root - was just wonderful. The Yakiniku looked good too but I'm saving that for my next trip, when I'll also order their Tonkatsu and Teriyaki burgers. Their cold green tea goes well with the Asian flavors of the rice burgers and any of their milkshakes would be a good cap to the meal.

Sango!'s prices are very reasonable. From P50 for the barest burger to P148 for the Triple Master Cheeseburger.

Sango! Hamburgers
Room 5 Ground Floor Creekside Mall
Amorsolo corner Legaspi Streets
Makati City

Sango! is right beside CO-OP, a nice Japanese grocery where almost everything costs P75. It's worth a visit in its own right.

Sunday lunch at Cafe Juanita

2006-04-16T19:17:00.000+08:00

If you’re craving for the good ol’ Pinoy dining experience without the fastfood feel of Triple V, or with an ambiance that’s richer and quainter than Kamay Kainan, you might want to head over to Pasig and check out Café Juanita.

Eating in Café Juanita is just like eating at your lola’s house. The food is just as great, and the interiors are... well, just like Lola’s house. In a hyper real sort of way. The place is chockfull of old china, antique chairs, tables, cabinets, and other sorts of Filipiñana-themed clutter. And true to our national heritage, there’s also a lot of Spanish, Chinese, Americana bits and pieces scattered about. They have elaborate chandeliers made of little Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, Coke paraphernalia mounted on the walls, and kitschy little European ceramic figurines all around.

But, even if it is possible to let your mind wander just staring at all the charming clutter, you’re there for the food. I’ve only eaten there on Sundays, and that’s the only day when they prepare their sumptuous lunch buffet. You can start off with their molo soup. It looks really great, and they say it’s really delicious. I’ve never tried though because right beside it is their lechon kawali (sorry, I ate it before I took a picture). It’s cooked just right, the meat kept tender and juicy while the skin is deep fried to crispy perfection. So for my first round, it’s usually the lechon kawali, the tasty Bicol Express (gata rocks), the fried tilapia, and the nutty kare-kare.

After getting my basic food groups over and done with, I head back to their cute little round buffet table to sample the other traditional Filipino fare. They’ve got caldereta, inihaw na liempo, adobo, adobong pusit, menudo, okoy, and all the other foodstuff that any Noypi worth his/her rock salt grew up with. I sometimes feel, though, that there’s a bit of redundancy in the buffet menu, but who cares. Filipinos know that when it comes to eating, there’s no such thing as an overkill.

Anyway, personally, I try to pass on the rice on my second trip to the buffet line. Only because I firmly believe that one must always leave room for dessert. At Café Juanita, they have the usual minatamis na saging saba and DIY halo-halo with very fresh ingredients. But I usually skip those too because I like to zero in on the sweet foods of my childhood. I eat Café Juanita’s homemade (I presume) puto because it reminds me of the breakfasts I’d have as a kid in my Lola’s house. Lola would buy them off the lady who goes from house to house selling puto, kutsinta, palitaw and sapin sapin out of her banana leaf wrapped bilao. I eat their ginatan because it reminds me of the warm merienda I’d use to have when I’d come back from an afternoon of playing hard with the kids on our street.

Dining at Café Juanita not only transports you back to the time when you were five and things were good and simple. For your trip down memory lane, they feed you with all these delicious, great and timeless dishes that remind you that, really, there’s no place like home.

Cafe Juanita is at No.2 United Street corner West Capitol Street, Brgy Kapitolyo, Pasig. 632-0357.

Sunday lunch buffets go for Php 375.00++. Slightly pricey since I remember that it only used to be around 300 bucks. But it's well worth the good food and ambiance (apparently, something we pay for).

Izakaya Kikufuji

2006-04-13T14:18:00.000+08:00

You're in Kikufuji and you just ordered California Maki? Shame on you.

I'm no food snob and I like my kani-mayo-mango roll just as much as you but there are better things to order in this bustling Japanese bistro - things they don't serve in Tokyo Tokyo.

Start with some edamame (parang nilagang mani pero soya beans) and order a nama (they have some of the freshest draft beer in town). The ika wasabi is also pretty good, especially with the nama. For sashimi, forget the usual suspects. Try the nigitoro - finely chopped tuna belly mixed with onions and chives, or the aji tataki - salay-salay chopped up with ginger and chives.

Then try their beef nikomi soup - tripe and other innards boiled in a miso, ginger, and garlic broth. Make sure you pre-order some grilled stuff - yakimono. Nankotsu (chicken cartilage) and gyutan (beef tongue) are my favorites. For variety, order some grilled green chilies and mushrooms too.

Feeling sated? Don't quit now - just order a salad. The maguro daikon helps clear the palate. When you're ready, order the grilled salmon head and don't forget to suck on the gooey cheeks. Another nama will go down really well just about now. While waiting for the salmon, get some uni temaki - a nice generous scoop of sea urchin in a seaweed cone.

For more food ideas, call over your server and order what the Japanese salaryman seated at the next table just ordered. Don't point with your finger - that's rude. Be discreet and point with your lips. Oh, and order another nama while you're at it.

Izakaya Kikufuji
2277 Pasong Tamo
Makati
(just outside Little Tokyo)

The Market in Salcedo (but not the Salcedo Market)

2006-04-11T15:30:00.000+08:00

Among the things I like about Salcedo Village are the small streetside shops you can find around the area. One of these is The Market, which is a charming little place along Leviste (Alfaro) Street. It's a deli/restaurant with around six tables (half outside, half inside). They serve sandwiches, pizzas, and salads within the 130 to 200 peso range.

I've tried the Cuban (P190), a hearty sandwich with three deli meats and mozzarella; the Tuna Bagna Cauda (P135), a sandwich with tuna, egg, and olives in achovy sauce, an the Steak and Cheese sandwich (P175), which is roast beef, gruyere, and caramelized onions; and the Grilled Hungarian Sausage (P150).The salads are also ok, but not enough to fill me up. Other things that might be worth trying are the pizzas (P115-140) and the Raclette Toasts (P175).

The Market sells beer in can and wine by the bottle and will provide you with wine glasses if you ask (but you can only drink until 9 pm). They also sell deli meats and cheeses, salad greens, fruits, japanese groceries, milk, ice cream, cereals, etc.

The Market
156 L.P. Leviste Street
Makati City
Tel. 887 2993
Delivery available within the area

leche talaga...

2006-04-07T19:38:00.000+08:00

When I was five, we’d spend Sunday mornings biking inside Elliptical Circle and having brunch at Aristocrat. They had the best BLT, and I remember getting upset when, in one visit, it was out of stock. I may have been five but I knew that not having bacon, lettuce and tomato in stock was unforgivable.

Anyway, as I got older and got over my fear of orange rice, I developed a real appreciation for Aristocrat’s Pork/Boneless Chicken BBQ with Java Rice. And let’s not forget, it came with the only atchara (pickled… stuff) I ever bothered to eat.

Years and countless branch closings later, I’ve found a new reason to visit any of the two remaining Aristocrat outlets (there’s the original resto in Malate, the one in Jupiter, and another one, soon to rise, in T. Morato).

Get out! Get out now and get your hands on Aristocrat’s Mucha Leche cake.

It’s best served straight from the freezer so that eating it will be like eating leche flan and pastillas de leche in rich, creamy, soft ice cream form. I'm no expert but something tells me it's made of milk.

By the way, this is Miguel, your bogchinoypi chikiting reporter from the North.

Call 8995035 (Aristocrat Bakeshop, Jupiter St. branch) first to check if they have it in stock. P370 for the whole cake. A pittance for a cake that’s de calidad

100 Beers and more

2006-04-07T14:10:00.000+08:00

I would never pay a hundred bucks, or even 70 pesos for a bottle of San Miguel in any pretentious Makati bar when I know I could get it for less than 25 bucks in any supermarket, and it will taste exactly the same, maybe even better, kahit hindi nakatambay dun sina bestpren Tim. But I’m willing to pay the 150 pesos for freshly brewed imported Belgian beer in this place ironically called Paradise, located on the corner of the street where the lights are red and women roam to sell flesh.

This isn’t the first time I’ve gone from stingy to galante on pricey beer. Bogchief and I used to frequent Grappa’s for the Czech beer they brew, Pivo Praha. They serve banana-y wheat beer that’s very refreshing, but too much of it could make you constipated. Or in Bogchief’s case, run to the toilet every 5 mins. The best European beer fare is in Salcedo Market though: ice-cold German Oettinger, sold in 1/2 liter aluminum cans, perfect for a sunny Saturday at the park with spicy Hungarian sausage for lunch. If you want to get hammered at 12 noon, you can also try the extra strong just below 10% alcohol content beer. The after-effect is like finishing a whole bottle of wine all by yourself for 80 pesos.

Back to the 100 Beers. The ambience is pleasant but all the potential coziness is ruined by the blaring taxicab sounds. I generally like sitting by the bar, not because I like to flirt with the bartenders and coquettishly beg for an extra bowl of nuts. My God, there is this Belgian dude owner/manager behind the bar who resembles Albert Einstein, hairdo and all.

I digress again.

I would recommend for the lady drinkers, especially the morena or sige na nga Boracay-tanned ones with long hair, to bring male companions with them, lest you be subjeted to the advances of sleazy, balding white men that are on the prowl in P. Burgos.

Now to review all the 100 Beers, one by one. I wish. Since I couldn’t afford most of the bottled beers there [the picture with the fancy looking bottle costs a whopping 269 bucks!] I just tried everything on tap.

This green drink is mint beer. Drinking Listerine beer is not exactly my thing. You don’t see any green fairies after finishing a glass of this either. But if you’ve had one too many garlic pizzas for dinner, then you should have this first, cos it’s better than any breath freshener. It’s not bad. It is just strange. And the teenage mutant ninja turtle color doesn’t exactly make it seem all the more appetizing.

Then there’s Cherry beer. To cater to the ladies. It coats the bitterness of the beer and leaves a sweet tangy sensation. I am no fan of this either. I like my beer the good old fashion way, and drink it like a man, bottoms up. What’s interesting about this Cherry beer is that this is no sherry temple; no artificial flavoring added or so the owner claims. Actual cherries were brewed over a period of time with the malt.

Then there’s the least interesting coke beer, where SURPRISE! SURPRISE! Coke is added to the beer.

My personal favorite [ergo, the most value for your money, you can’t find this anywhere else in the country so go ahead and splurge 146 pesos on a glass of it] is the white beer, Hoegaarden. This is supposedly popular the world over. I can’t feign beer connoisseur-ness, why the white tinge is significant to its taste. Basta astig na puti, saka masarap sobra. Mark my word, if all draft beers tasted like this, I promise to never make fun of Tim Yap again.

Chowking chow

2006-04-03T15:47:00.000+08:00

Run, skip and hop to the Chowking branch nearest you! Try the Mongo Pao for just P15. Soft siopao bread with sweet mongo filling. Not bad at all. My favorite merienda munchie of the moment. And while you're there, samahan mo na ng Nai Cha, similar to the milk tea they have in Hong Kong, may gulaman lang. A bit pricey for me at P33 for a small glass, pero di hamak na mas sulit sa kape sa Starbucks. Oh, and unless may kasama kang marunong magHeimlich Maneuver, best to order the Nai Cha sans gulaman. It's a bit tricky sucking the jello-like morsels up the thick straw without going into a coughing fit. Mas sulit this way anyway as you'll get more milk tea for your buck.

Oh, and they've also started selling fortune cookies at P5 each. Syempre wise-old Chinese sayings yung tono nung fortunes. But if I had my way, I'd stick Inquirer Libre horoscope-type predictions in there. Waaaay funnier. Although dapat may malaking warning na-- Do not read while drinking Nai Cha (with gulaman).

Best 4-cheese pizza ever! (at least in Makati)

2006-02-19T11:29:00.000+08:00

For the best 4-cheese pizza ever, visit Timpla at the 2nd floor of Paseo Center. Quesong puti, parmesan, mozzarella and some other kind of cheese, on ultra-thin crust. It's so good and so light, you almost don't want to share it with your dining companions. It's the type of pizza where there is no hesitation when it comes to the last slice. Walang hiya-hiyaan. Unahan!

Other must-tries are the camaron mango salad, adobo-cheese-green mango spring rolls, Timpla pancit, boneless fried chicken and, I've heard, their boneless crispy pata. The desserts are also supposed to be yummy but I have yet to be able to muster enough self-control to leave room for them.

According to Google, the geniuses behind Timpla are the same ones responsible for Kulinarya and Cascada (which, incidentally, has the best BBQ prawn salad ever!). They're a husband and wife team. So imagine what the food must be like at their house! Grabe. Pwede kayang magpa-ampon? Or better yet, I wonder if, in between putting up fabulous pinoy-fusion restaurants, the couple also managed to have yummy-looking, now-aged-twentysomething kids. Hhmm...

Beer in Vietnam

2006-02-14T16:52:00.000+08:00

One of the things which we really enjoyed about Vietnam was the beer. Almost every major town/city we passed through had its home brew. Some even had two or more. Beer is cheap too, from as low as 2,000 VND to around 10,000 VND (Php 6.50 to Php 35).

Here's a picture of our beer being enjoyed on a lazy afternoon by the river in Hoi An.

The cheaper beer is called Bia Hoi (which I think means draft beer) and it is served in establishments called Bia Hoi. These Bia Hoi (the place) range from a couple of stools on the sidewalk to beer hall style places which can seat up to 500 people. In the more quaint places, Bia Hoi is served fresh from a keg without a canister of CO2. The proprietor sucks it out using a mouth-powered siphon. That's strange looking foam on my beer! Yumm.

Some even have take-home beer. One time, we went up to a Bia Hoi with an empty bottle of Coke and had it filled with beer to drink back at the hostel.

Hanoi is the home of Bia Hoi. I've heard of people having it for breakfast. To the left is a picture taken at a cheap sidewalk place in Hanoi.

I miss Vietnam.

Pick Me Up, Bring Me Down

2006-02-14T12:21:00.000+08:00

Good espresso is hard to find. I used to take it for granted until I went with my cousins to Cantinetta and had what I now think is the best espresso in Manila. My cousin says it's because Illy's office is located just behind the restaurant. That means that the Cantinetta coffee crew gets regular training.

Training, you ask? Pulling an espresso apparently is art. From the beans to the grind to the pressure to I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm happy to leave it to the experts or the coffeegeeks.

But there are some who serve espresso without the art component. You know who you are.

Let this be our first espresso review: Cantinetta - Pick me up!

Mini Stop Munchies

2006-02-11T16:12:00.000+08:00

Baka gutom lang ako or naghahanap ng silver lining to being stuck at the office on a perfectly nice Saturday but...

Medyo masarap ang Boy Bawang Chili and Cheese. And it surprisingly has less saturated fat than the garlic flavored version. Ok din yung Mr.Bean. MSG overload :).

Mini Stop's Asado siopao is also supposed to be good. Can't vouch for it myself, but my ultra-Chinese officemate highly recommends it.

For dessert, you can have chilled chocolate pudding. I forget what brand exactly. Either Kraft or Hunt's single packs. Current flavors available are chocolate and chocolate caramel. You can also have good soft-serve ice cream in big waffle cones for P14. P18 with chocolate syrup. Their Belgian chocolate flavor was really good, but alas, they've discontinued it.

Tita Cely

2006-02-03T17:42:00.001+08:00

If you're in Makati and want good old Pinoy comfort food, check out Tita Cely's Sinigang Bar at the open foodcourt of Market Market. They have really good adobo swimming in sauce na malinamnam. Perfect pang kain-karpintero.

Also try the Escargot in Coconut Milk a.k.a Ginataang Kuhol. I've always been wary of kuhol and gata in general (except in desserts), but I must admit na masarap pala yung dubious combination. At least at Tita Cely's. They give you oversized toothpicks to help you pry the mollusk out of its shell. It's great fun, I tell you. Messy too, as the kuhols tend to slip from your grip as you wrestle with them. I highly recommend ordering this on a first date. At least malalaman mo na kaagad kung OC, corny o high maintenance yung date mo.

Another reason to go to the Sinigang Bar is Tita Cely herself. She's very hands on. Like an over-eager, gracious hostess. You get an earful as she tells you what to order and how you should eat it. She even follows you to your table to make sure you get settled in okay, showing you how to arrange your tray so as not to spill anything. She's adorable. Sobrang maasikaso na by the time you leave there, feeling mo tita mo na talaga siya.

Tapos Na Ang Boksing

2006-01-08T16:24:00.000+08:00

With no time to try out new places on a regular basis, there's just no point continuing this blog. Unless, dear reader, you'd be interested in reading everyday about the fare in the Citibank cafeteria or in Top of the City. And that would just be sad. Now, I just look to wysgal for food suggestions around my area.

Weird that I post this farewell today, when I just had dimsum and Chinese seafood at Golden Fortune in Soler Street and picked-up some take-out at Assad's along U.N. avenue.

P.S. - If anyone out there wants to contribute, then maybe this thing can keep going. Anyone?

'Nam: (Food)Tour of Duty

2005-11-21T14:58:00.000+08:00

Two weeks ago, we got back from a month-long vacation in Vietnam and Cambodia. Oh, the food, the food, the beer. While most travellers arm themselves with a Lonely Planet Travel Guide, we just took LP's World Food Guide on Vietnam and arrived hungry and thirsty.

To all those who are planning a cheap vacation, this is it. Eat and drink all you want for as little as $15/day. Accommodations included! We plan to feature a few food/drink highlights at a time so stay tuned.

Min Sok Korean

2005-11-02T21:31:00.000+08:00

A new staple of ours in Makati, Min Sok serves lutong-bahay (home-cooked) Korean food in a house-turned restaurant. MDEB turned us onto this restaurant after squash one night and we unanimously agreed that it was a find. We have been back at least five times since then.

A reliable measure of authenticity is the glaring Korean-ness of the place. There's a TV showing Korean soaps/variety shows. Plus, I've never seen another pinoy in the joint.

Our favorite dish is Sam Gyeup Sal (P200) - slices of what I think is liempo (pork belly) grilled right on your table and eaten in cups of lettuce with rice and about a hundred other Korean side dishes the names of which I have no hope of remembering.

When we first looked at the menu, we were a bit disappointed because we were expecting lower prices. But this was all forgotten once we ordered, because immediately, the yummy side dishes were brought out - and they were refillable to boot. Some of the better ones are large bean sprouts (soy?), radish kimchi, cucumber kimchi, and these little squares of fishcake.

The proprietess is a swell lady. She'll teach you how to eat the dishes and what condiments to add. Sometimes, she'll even throw in a dish for free. When we were first there, we drew some mild rebukes from her for eating the condiments as appetizers.

Other highlights: We've tried two of their soups (P180) - kimchi jigae (spicy and tasty) and djang jeang jigae (less spicy and as tasty). If you're thinking that my spelling is atrocious, I'll have you know that even Koreans don't agree on how to spell their words with Roman letters. You also have to order some Soju - a rice-based whisky. A bottle of Jinro goes for P175 - a bit pricey, I know, but worth trying. If you do order it, never pour your own shot. Unless you're alone, of course. In which case, drink away.

P200 per person should fill you up. Add another P100 if having soju.

5655 Don Pedro Street corner Jacobo. Don Pedro is perpendicular to, and on the Rockwell side of Kalayaan Avenue.

Hell Month

2005-08-18T10:27:00.000+08:00

To the three readers of this blog. Please forgive us for the absence of nonsense these past few weeks. All the contributors are currently, err.. touring Africa. Please come back in October.

Wagyu Burgers

2005-06-30T00:54:00.000+08:00

Just like pizza, burgers are the perfect food. You’ve got your dairy, bread, veggies, and meat, all in one package. But a really good burger is hard to find. If you’re looking for more than a tummy-filler, don’t mess with the fast foods. The relatively new burger restaurants – Brothers, Hotshots, Bite Club, etc., are pretty good. Chili’s is a few notches higher. But, if you want to eat an honest-to-goodness, stuff your face burger (here in Manila), try to get your hands on some Wagyu patties.

Wagyu is a breed of cattle, maybe more well known as Kobe beef when raised in Kobe, Japan. You can find some Wagyu beef here in the Philippines and we were able to get our hands on some one-pound patties.

Used in burgers, these Wagyu patties can transform a so-so burger into a juicy, dripping-down-your-arm, meatfest. We tried four different kinds of burgers: the classic - with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, mustard, and provolone; the blue cheese burger – a classic with blue cheese; and Michael Schlow’s famous Schlowburger – a classic without ketchup and mustard but with a horseradish mayo sauce and crispy onions; and finally, with everything, plus bacon. Serve with French fries (frozen Frenchies are pretty good).

Take care grilling these Wagyu patties because overcooking them will just ruin everything. Err on the side of undercooking, even if you don’t usually like your beef this way. E. Coli, you say? *&%#$ it! And don’t forget to chill a few beers before preparing.

Cheesecake

2005-06-29T10:38:00.000+08:00

Good cheesecake is hard to find. I like it firm, tart, and stick-to-the-top-of-your-mouth creamy. None of that soft and jiggly gelatinous waste of stomach space that most restaurants and hotels serve. Some places that serve pretty good cheesecake are Burgoo (below P200) and Italianni's (over P200). I don't remember if Cheesecake, etc. is any good but with a name like that, it better have something yummy to offer.

But why go out to have when you can make some righteous cheesecake at home in less than 30 minutes (not including bake time). Here is a recipe for plain cheesecake which I've tweaked a bit to my own taste.

For crust: Mix together 1.5 cups crushed graham crackers, 0.25 cup melted butter, and 0.25 cup brown sugar. Press into baking dish and refrigerate while making cheesecake.

For cheesecake: Mix together two bars softened cream cheese (Magnolia is fine), 4 eggs, 1 cup white sugar, and the juice of 1 lemon. Beat until fluffy then pour into baking dish with crust. Bake for one hour at 350˚. Freeze for half a day and enjoy.

Shawarma Snack Center: Hindi lang pang Shawarma, pang ulam pa!

2005-06-22T23:11:00.000+08:00

I recall when, a few years back, shawarma stalls sprouted like mushrooms all over the city. The common wrap was fine for a budget pampalipas gutom but was more reminiscent of cafeteria food - tasted terrible and were not filling at all.

Shawarma Snack Center redeems that tainted image. As the name not so subtly implies, it is renowned for its superb shawarma that on several occasions, I literally had daydreams about it and nightmares about not being able to satisfy that craving. I think the two basic ingredients are responsible for this. In SSC, the pita could be a dish on its own. Also, unlike cafeteria shawarmas, the filling is not replete with day-old coleslaw-like veggies leaving the beef nowhere to be found. When you bite into SSC’s Shawarma you immediately taste the tenderness of the huge portions of beef. A regular shawarma costs 45 pesos and a special one (I think what makes it special is its gargantuan size) costs 60 bucks.

But don't limit yourself to just the shawarma. Everything else we've tried in this place was really good. They usually have six cooked dishes sitting in heated serving plates, carinderia style. Form the ala carte menu, the favorites are tabouleh (bulghur and parsley), a stuffed zucchini dish with some rice and herbs, and kebab with rice or bread (P160). A pretty reliable indicator of the quality of the food is the unfailing presence of middle-eastern men whenever we visit the place.

There’s a wide variety left on the menu still unexplored (including the hookah/shisa) which we never get to try since we usually get stuffed with the shawarma first. Don’t get me wrong, there is no regret here, let me just reiterate how eating their shawarma is a must. My advice is just to visit the place as often as possible, and try out new dishes all the time but I’ll bet you will never tire of their shawarma. As they confidently claim, "You can't eat just one!"

SSC is along Salas Street, in Manila. To get there from Roxas Blvd, make a right at Pedro Gil, turn left at Mabini and once you see a Happy Tours and Travel landmark, make a left on Salas and voila, SSC. It's open until the wee hours of the morning. SSC also has little shawarma stalls around the city but somehow, it just tastes better in the main restaurant. Expect to shell out P100 to P200 per person. Street parking only.

Countryside: Chicken Ass Nirvana

2005-06-18T15:24:00.000+08:00

I think I've found the place to get my chicken ass fix. At Countryside Grill, P30 will get you a skewer of five small chicken asses. Your order will come with a bowl of spicy vinegar, into which you can dump all the chicken asses. If you're really hungry, ask for a spoon and start shoveling ass into your mouth like you would breakfast cereal. You won't find the need to spit out the bones because they're small enough to chew up and swallow. If something gets stuck in your throat, don't worry, a P25 beer will dislodge it quite nicely. If you're not into chicken ass, you can also get good old pork barbecue and tenga.

Get your fix along Katipunan, on the Ateneo-bound side, just before the fly-over. Dress comfortably (shorts and flip-flops).

Mien San Noodle House

2005-06-18T14:59:00.000+08:00

Looking for noodles in the San Juan area and tired of the usual North Park / Hap Chan fare? Introduced to me by my Taiwanese friend, Mien San serves cheap and honest (Taiwanese?) food. Since you won't find the usual Cantonese dishes most Filipinos are familiar with, take the opportunity to try out new things. Start with the Tofu with Century Egg, which pairs well with fried Mantou. Get some dumplings while you're at it; they come cheap, at around P50 per eight-piece order. Don't bother looking for soy-sauce with calamansi. In Mien San, they serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce made of black vinegar and soy sauce (my best guess). And then the noodles. Either dry or with soup, the noodles go for a bit more than P100 for a large order. I usually request that the noodles be split into two or three bowls. I always get the Sour Pepper Noodle Soup or dry Spicy Cha-chang Noodles.

It's hard to spend more than P150 per person at Mien San. Find it along Ortigas, to your right when traveling from EDSA to E. Rodriguez, after crossing Santolan. It's a bit hard to spot so keep your eyes open for "Feet 'R Us" foot spa, which is right next door.

Yakimono

2005-05-26T03:07:00.000+08:00

Japanese restaurants in the Philippines commonly offer yakimono (grilled stuff) done in two different ways: plain salted or with teriyaki sauce. In my favorite Japanese restaurant, Izakaya Kikufuji, the plain salted yakimono is so intensely flavorful, you'd think they added something aside from salt. And after a bit of sleuthing, I may have stumbled upon the answer. In a Japanese store in Cartimar, where you can get Japanese ingredients for cheap, I saw a bottle of aji-shio or ajinomoto-salt. Now, I'm not accusing Kikufuji of using vetsin but when I tried out the aji-shio at home, the results were very pleasing.

We grilled some chicken wings, aspara bacon, beef sirloin, siling pangsigang, pork with leeks, and good old yakitori. Everything was seasoned with the aji-shio, or, as we now call it, magic salt, and the meats transformed from just good to bursting with flavor. That's cheating, purists will probably say. And I would agree almost every time.

Podcast Pasta

2005-05-23T17:34:00.000+08:00

I've been listening to podcasts lately. There are huge amounts of worthless, junk podcasts out there, but after listening for a while, you'll find a few that are worth downloading.

I learned this recipe from a podcast of WNYC's Leonard Lopate Show. The guest was an Italian-American chef, Mario Batali. He shared his favorite, extremely simple recipe, which I tried out with some left-over spaghetti. To make, sautee a whole onion (sliced into fine rings) in good olive oil. Add some dried chili flakes. When the onions are soft and translucent, add around one tablespoon of tomato sauce. Season with salt, add the slightly undercooked pasta, and toss for about half a minute to coat the noodles. Don't be tightfisted with the salt. The first taste I had was slightly disappointing but when I added a bit more salt, the flavor just stepped-up. And I was surprised with the depth of flavor, considering the simplicity of the dish. You can have this ready in under ten minutes - perfect for unexpected guests or a midnight food-trip. This should go well with a nice, juicy steak. I'll post a picture when I make this again.

Amici di Don Bosco: Gelato

2005-05-21T00:15:00.000+08:00

Vanilla Ice, better known as the one hit wonder rapper in the 80s and for a failed attempt at Hollywood stardom, is also a name that makes my tummy gurgle.

I’m a huge ice cream fan. The problem I have with eating too much ice cream is not the caloric intake, but the exorbitant costs for a scoop of gelato. Thankfully, I find refuge in Amici de Don Bosco which does not only have, as Bogchief reviewed, THE dirt cheapest authentic gourmet Italian pizza, but serves THE cheapest gelato as well. A hefty scoop costs only, brace yourselves - 35 pesos while a scoop of gelato at Pazzo’s is a whopping 90 bucks! That’s almost triple the price when you get your dessert fix at Powerplant or Glorietta. And in Don Bosco, you don’t have to be beg, make pa-kyut or make pa-awa effect with the scooping lady “Miss, padagdag naman, ang konti eh, sige na pleeease” 'coz like I said earlier, the scoops are huge.

There’s a wide variety of flavors as well- ranging from the fruity selection- mango, blueberry, strawberry (this is really yummy and creamy and you could really taste the fresh strawberries); to the nutty- almond, pistachio, vanilla with nuts, chocolate/ choco marble with assorted nuts, hazelnut (a personal favorite that tastes like frozen creamy Nutella/Toblerone.) If you’re lucky, you’ll still get the rum flavored ice cream which I hear is a bestseller. (When you’ve gotten there early and have tried it let me know how that tastes). Or you might have a better chance of trying this at Walter Mart on Pasay Road corner Pasong Tamo (right across the street from Don Bosco) where each cone costs only 10 pesos. Imagine, that’s just like dirty ice cream except it’s supposedly Italian!

One of my favorites is the mint with chips. It gives a good cap to your sumptuous, oily Italian meal. It also serves the purpose of masking the inevitable garlic breath from all that seasoning. And when you get home, you save on water since you no longer have to brush your teeth!
If you’re feeling a bit lavish with your dessert you should get a double scoop combination of mint and chocolate. Their chocolate is so rich. Lasa talagang tsokolate! And the hint of mint adds a twist or mellows the richness! Ang sarap sobra!

What I wouldn’t recommend are the fiordillate and vanilla flavors. They’re not bad; they’re just no Haagen Dazs. I love vanilla when it’s creamy, creamy, creamy. (Sorry for the limited vocabulary, but how do you really describe vanilla?!) So I was terribly disappointed that Don Bosco’s vanilla-based gelato tasted more like it was produced from powdered Birch Tree (it’s everybody’s milk). But hey, for 35 bucks, who’s complaining? A possible justification for this glitch is that Don Bosco is attempting to cater more to the Pinoy palate than the French’s in terms of vanilla flavor.

Finally, you can take home these decadent pleasures (around 240 bucks a gallon) and gorge yourself with ice cream while lazing on the sofa on a hot summer day and aptly grooving to Ice, Ice, Baby.

Amici di Don Bosco: Pizza

2005-05-20T22:48:00.000+08:00

For the past year, my family has religiously made the weekly trip to Don Bosco Makati. If only we attended mass each time we were there, you'd be calling me Pope Benedict by now. But I'd rather just eat their pizza, which just might be as close to authentic as you can get in Manila. It's so good that when I take a bite of the crispy/chewy crust, I can almost smell Venezian sewer water. Caffe Caruso on Reposo street might be able to compete on taste alone, but it sorely loses the price war. Each pizza at Amici costs only P240; and that includes the cafeteria-like ambience.

I think the secret to their pizza is their industrial-sized, wood-fired oven, which can probably get as hot as 750º whereas our home oven peaks at an Antarctic 450º. So if you're willing to shell out P350,000 for an identical oven, let me know how it goes. Otherwise, you can enroll in one of their pizza-making classes, where they claim you can clone their pizza using a regular home oven.

Don Bosco Makati is at the corner of Pasay Road (I refuse to call it Arnaiz Ave.) and Pasong Tamo. Do pay them a visit. I suggest the quattro formaggi and the tutti carni (pictured). If you like it spicy, bring your own chili flakes, as they're often out of peperoncino. Amici is open until 9 pm and closed on Sundays.

NY Times Dining & Wine: Tired of Being Razzed, Bronx Cheers Its Food

2005-05-19T10:32:00.000+08:00

Filet minion, a native New Yorker, insists that her hometown is the center of the universe. I don't particularly love the city, but after reading this article, I might just agree with her. I'd gladly give up my left nut for a chance to sample the food the Bronx has to offer - and this is just a short list: Albanian, Jamaican, Southern comfort food, Puerto Rican, Honduran, Kosher, Irish, regional Mexican, regional African. Also check out the slideshow.

If any of you know of any interesting ethnic restaurants, keeping in mind the criteria (cheap!), please share.

Fruit With Shaved Ice

2005-05-18T13:23:00.000+08:00

Over the past few days, the temperature has been averaging 35˚C. Here in the city, it feels much hotter. I have a technique to beat the heat. As I write this, I'm eating fresh mango with shaved ice and evaporated milk. After a couple of spoonfuls, it feels like December. I sometimes use avocado, canned sweet corn, halo-halo mix, or chico. I like it a bit sweet, so I add some unpasteurized honey or Splenda.

Chicken Ass: The Holy Grail

2005-05-17T16:16:00.000+08:00

King Arthur, and later, Indiana Jones, had less trouble finding the Holy Grail than we did in trying to get our Chicken Ass fix. Our first trip was to Inihaw Circle on Mandalyong Rotunda - out of stock. Our second trip was to JT's in the Gilmore area - we were able to order, only to find out later that they had run out. We finally hit paydirt last night, at Bacolod Sugbahan. This 4-5 table, air-conditioned restaurant is at the corner of J.P. Rizal and Pasong Tamo. The closest parking spots are along the street - up near the Santa Ana racetrack. Prices are reasonable: Paa/Petcho (P75), Pak-Pak (P52), Isol (P34), Baticolon (P34), etc.

We ordered Isol and Baticolon. Both were excellent - very tasty. What struck me about the Isol was that, although it was grilled, you would think it was fried because the skin was so crispy. Watching them grill, I noticed that the grate was just an inch and a half over the coals. I'll try cooking this at home and let you know how it goes. They say the trick is using lemongrass and ginger in your marinade and basting with annatto infused oil.

Salsa!

2005-05-16T18:35:00.000+08:00

I love themed food combos. One of my favorite groupings is salsa, chips, and cold Corona beer. Yummy! I used to make fresh, no-cook salsa. But recently, I tried boiling the tomatoes before mixing all the ingredents together. I liked how it turned out - thicker and tastier.

Boil around six large local tomatoes for around one minute and then plunge them in cold water. Peel and crush the tomatoes, then mix in around half a head of roasted garlic, cumin, salt, jalapeño (or chopped labuyo), lime or calamansi juice, one each of red and white onion, chopped cilantro (a.k.a wansoy), and around three chopped uncooked local tomatoes. Cook the mixture in a pan until the flavors blend, chill, then serve with tortilla chips. Nacho Fast sells chips (P90) which are imported but fried locally. You can also get imported Tostitos (P120) at most supermarkets. Does anyone know where I can get cheaper chips?

Banana Shake

2005-05-16T18:19:00.000+08:00

Some people say that the reason monkeys are so energetic is because of all the bananas they eat. Before a workout, the monkey in me enjoys a super-nutritious banana shake. I put in three ice cubes, a few fresh strawberries or strawberry jam, two bananas - I like them frozen for a creamy consistency, a tablespoon of raw oatmeal, and dairy/soy milk to soften everything up. Put everything in a blender and pulse to a smoothie-like consistency. If you're feeling a bit hungry, add one raw egg! To mask the eggy taste, you might want to put a bit more strawberries or a bit more jam.

배 고프니 ? (Bae Go Pu Ni? / Are you hungry? )

2005-05-15T21:55:00.000+08:00

I love Korean food and learned to cook a few dishes this weekend. My half-Korean classmate had a birthday party on Saturday. Her mother, who owns a Korean restaurant in Hong Kong, flew in and hosted a food-fest for us. I asked if I could get there early to learn how to make a few dishes. We ended up preparing Galbi-jjim (Short Rib Stew), Gimbap (Rice Wrapped in Seaweed), Japchae (Mixed Vegetables with Noodles), and Bulgogi (Barbecued Beef).

I'm not going to post the recipes here unless there are any requests. Some comments though. For a short-rib stew, the Galbi-jjim was pretty clean. Fat was trimmed off and skimmed off the top. But the flavor was all there, and the ribs were nice and tender. Gimbap is made pretty much like Japanese rolls except for the ingredients. The rice has a bit of vinegar but no sugar. For flavor, hondashi, sesame oil, and sesame seeds are mixed into the rice. For filling, we used blanched spring onions, pickled radish, Bulgogi, scrambled egg, and hotdog. Although we learned to make Bulgogi, we didn't eat it by itself. We just used it in the Japchae and the Kimbap. I ate so much and ended up feeling like a 돼지 (dwaeji / pig).

Next time, we'll learn to make Kimchi!

Free uni

2005-05-06T21:42:00.000+08:00

A few weeks ago, while at the beach, I mentioned in passing to one of the residents that I liked uni or sea urchin. He offered to jump in the sea and get some for me. I accepted, of course, and he got his goggles and went on his way. Around 30 minutes later, he came back with a net full of the black, spiny creatures. He extracted the roe by chopping the body in half and rinsing it in a bucket of seawater to get rid of the grit. Apparently, fresh water will melt the roe. Ater rinsing, the roe was spooned into a container.

It was good, though not as sweet as the kind you can get in a decent Japanese restaurant. But I'm not complaining - it was free! I'll remember to bring some light soy and wasabi next time I go the beach.

Party you, sushi me

2005-05-06T20:08:00.000+08:00

The title of this post was inspired by a catering service flyer seen in downtown Vienna.

The subject was inspired by Marketman's Seaside post. MDEB and I decided to make a trip to Seaside market to buy some sashimi. We got there at around 10:30 am and would have had trouble finding a parking space, but we got lucky and a spot opened up right in front of the Baclaran church.

Before buying anything, we walked around the whole area to get a feel for the place. Pretty much everything looked good. Aside from the wide variety of fish, we saw lobsters, crabs, prawns, octopus, eel, shellfish, and - though I'm not sure this is legal - a few live leatherback turtles. They sell uni as well but by the time we arrived, there was no more left. There was also a bit of chicken and pork, looking out of place.

We bought some tuna and salmon for sashimi. Each cost P380/kilo and we got a whole kilo of the salmon and half a kilo of the tuna. Since we had some money left, we decided to get some tuna panga as well, which cost around P160/kilo. We tried to make tawad but didn't get anywhere so I hope these prices are regular and fair. We put the fish on ice and waited until evening.

After squash, we grilled the panga and sliced the sashimi. The panga was just slightly salted, grilled, and served Japanese style, with finely grated radish, soy sauce, and calamansi. On the side, we had some Korean kimchi, which was generously supplied by my half-Korean classmate.

First the bad. The panga didn't taste fresh. Before buying it, we smelled it and didn't detect any foul or malansa odor. But when we opened the cooler later in the evening, the smell was obvious. The tuna sashimi looked and smelled good when we bought it, but when we served it, there was an off taste. Nothing like the top quality sashimi you can get at decent Japanese restaurants.

Now the good. The salmon was excellent - firm, rich, and almost sweet. It coated our mouths with a buttery sensation which was best cut by scotch with ice and water. I think we're going to do this again.

Ralph, my tuna farmer friend gave me some tips on buying tuna:

...how do you tell if tuna is fresh and good in case you have the good fortune to come across some? It should be dark pink, almost red and reflect irridescent colours. The muscle fibers should not peel apart. It should be hard to the touch above all. Firm not mushy. If the fish lying on its side flattens like a tire without enough air leave it lying and go to Burger Machine. Look at the eyes and the skin. If the eyes are grey, almost dried out and cloudy its old. If the skin has a yellow sheen and the slim is dried out, fins curled and dried, there probably isn't much point in checking any further because it hasn't been handled properly.

Off-topic: We got the Scotch (JW Red Label 750 ml.) at Wine Depot along Zuellig Loop. It was much cheaper than Rustans (P650 v. P900+). We also bought some Cooper's Dark Aussie Ale and drank it on the spot; very refreshing after the trip to Seaside. I know, it's not cheap, but we really wanted to try it.

About bogchinoypi

2005-05-06T14:59:00.001+08:00

We like to eat. Our standards are: (1) food must be cheap, (2) food must be good, (3) it must be in or near Makati, (4) food must be cheap. When I say cheap, I mean Ilocano cheap. Cleanliness is not a factor. Neither do we care about ambience. Basta busog, OK na.

Sometimes, we're lucky enough to sample some excellent but expensive food. Food should be cheap; I stand by that. But that doesn't mean we can't live it up once in a while.

11 April 2006: We were about to shut down a few months ago for lack of time to make contributions. But thanks to the infusion of new blood - Kara and Miguel - we're back up and as prolific as ever. Yehey!