OMG Kawaii Bento!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ihaw Balot Plaza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

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

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

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

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.