:: foodtrip ::

eat my gf

2011-12-29T20:28:00.004+08:00

eat my gf is the creative name of this new food booth at the food choices. it means garlic fries. it had good reviews from the UTT (ultimate taste test) so i was keen on trying it.

i was so disappointed. the fries are the typical frozen ones...mcdo's even better! and the garlic, basil and parsley didn't give that much flavor. ok, i have high standards on garlic fries after trying out hooters', their garlic fries were awesome and this is no where near that. you pay for what you get i guess.

eat my gf

food choices

glorietta

kl: snowflake

2011-12-28T22:48:00.004+08:00

feels like im on a blogging marathon. i've just realized i have too much backlog. anyhoo, here's snowflake. a taiwanese dessert chain. very "hot" in kl, there's always a long line. most of my friends are not impressed. i am not overly obsessed compared to milkteas but because i like bilo bilo i enjoy snowflake.

i thought this was the bestseller but now it seems like a different flavor. the bestseller doesn't have the sago it has grass jelly instead with the ice at the bottom unlike this one. i like those white/orange taro balls...not a fan of the sweet potato, this one is served with milk/cream which you pour on top. and viola you have taiwanese dessert.

p.s. i checked the website and this is the taro balls series.

snowflake

pavilion, bukit bintang

katsu treat at yabu

2011-12-28T11:53:00.005+08:00

i've read several reviews on the famous katsu resto, saboten, which unfortunately i have not yet tried. i'd have to settle for similar places until i get to singapore or hongkong or better yet japan for it.

on 11.11.11 yabu opened in megamall. it has a similar concept. basically, a restaurant that specializes in katsu, deep fried breaded pork, fish/seafood or chicken. so i told myself i had to try it. here's the famous sesame seeds which you need to grind before mixing with the tonkatsu sauce.

my mixed seafood katsu with hire - pork seafood and veggies. served with bottomless shredded cabbage with either sesame dressing or ponzu.

there are two types of tonkatsu, hire which is tenderloin and rosu which has a small amount of fat. i was apprehensive about the hire but i thought wrong, it was extremely tender that one would think it has fat in it. it is indeed a healthier alternative. the mixed seafood is made up of dory, scallop and ebi. my first plate was a miss, the dory was uncooked in the middle. they replaced my entire plate except for the rice, which meant i had a free refill of the miso soup and an additional eggplant tempura because i've finished mine already :D.

the hire was love, it was very tender. the seafood seemed to be fresh but somehow after the meal i felt itchy which means one of the items wasn't really fresh. i also found the katsu a bit oily like it was cooked at a wrong temperature and if you notice the darker color it kinda hinted that they used a relatively old cooking oil. i'd have to say that they need to ensure the quality of their katsus, after all that's basically what they serve.

it's still a must dining experience and i like that they have great service and also their japanese rice is yummy :D.

yabu
2nd floor sm megamall atrium

buenisimo by cafe ysabel

2011-12-27T09:27:00.008+08:00

this is a long overdue post. i thought i already wrote one for this. was at eastwood mall and had nothing in mind so we opted for buenisimo by cafe ysabel. here's what we got.

freebie bread - warm flat bread with soft pillowy insides served with a yellowish oil which ain't nothing like piadina's chilli oil instead has a sweet flavor...maybe pesto would have been better.

crispy pork belly (forgot the actual name) the belly was perfectly crisp but it just had too much fat. i think they should ensure they serve leaner liempo. the rice was a bit oily too which increased the cloying effect of this dish.

bbq ribs (forgot the official name too) as if we weren't thinking straight. we also ordered another pork dish. the ribs were tender but there was something lacking with the flavors which i couldn't figure out what.

dalandan shake - had to post this because c and i both agree that this was the saving grace of our meal ...perfect consistency and it was just oozing with dalandan flavor.

buenisimo

eastwood mall, libis

empire deli

2011-12-27T09:21:00.005+08:00

just wanted to share this photo of empire deli's 50/50 which my friends love...unfortunately i'm not a fan. i misunderstood the whole concept, 50/50 means half beef and half bacon i thought the bacon is served separately think wendy's bacon mushroom melt and not part of the patty. second, i am not a huge bbq sauce lover which the burger is served with. not in the picture is a sunny side up egg which i had on the side. if you love bacon in your burger, bbq sauce and onion rings then maybe this one is for you.

empire deli

venice piazza

mckinley, bgc

mr jones has been feeding me again

2011-12-26T22:54:00.006+08:00

since i got back to manila i've already eaten twice at mr jones, and that for me is a record since i only eat at the same resto if there is no option or i really really love the food :D. anyway here's the other stuff i tried.

tapa overload which my friend raved about...i like the seasoning on the tapa but the meat is a bit chewy for me and that's the only downside of this dish.

dory and crab thermidor??? not sure this wasn't really mine but i tried it. i was just impressed they used brown rice and that scores points because i love brown rice :).

cheech and chong - among the dishes i have eaten here including the two dogs in a bed this was the winner. i liked the tender chunks of beef in the sauce and it was aptly seasoned to give you that mexican flavor and the cheese sauce made it more yummy. i appreciated the hotdog more now because i noticed that it has a good snap. what might have been disappointing are the nachos, they weren't crunchy and i'm not sure if it was the sauce/steam that made them less crispy but somehow they made the dish off. maybe they can just remove the fries and put nachos instead and serve it with additional salsa.

also got to try the truffled mac and cheese which was also good but i think the peas are really unnecessary :).

mr jones

greenbelt 5

happy cream puff

2011-12-26T15:24:00.005+08:00

i love cream puffs. i have learned about happy cream puff years ago but only got the chance to try them recently. some say it's better than puff mommy which i highly recommend.

so while on an errand i came across their branch in legaspi village and knew i had to get me some. i got the caramel cream puff, the most common cream puff in manila. the verdict? i did not become a fan. the caramel topping was not sweet so that was the only upside. but the choux pastry was too light and crunchy inside. i like it crunchy on the outside but soft and pillowy in the inside. and even though i can see the vanilla beans specks on the cream filling and the consistency was well done i didn't find any wow factor on the flavor. i expected it to be bursting with vanilla instead the flavor was subtle.

so i still love puff mommy which unfortunately stopped selling their yummy products so i'd have to find another cream puff that i will love.

happy cream puff

www.happycreampuff.com

shanghai restaurant @ the marriott

2011-12-14T19:33:00.008+08:00

another set of free meal vouchers because of my frequent flyer miles (i miss flying badly). anyway, due to the circumstances i was compelled to use it at the shanghai restaurant of the marriott in kl. here's the dimsum feast my friends and i had.

a cucumber slaw of some sort that was refreshing.

beancurd sheets stuffed with mushroom and meat (yeah i forgot if it was pork or chicken) liked this.

fish maw soup- don't even ask what fish maw is hehehe...spongy texture not a fan.

xiao long bao - not really spectacular it was so so so...my favorite is still dragon-i's yes i find it better than din tai fung :D

some dumplings, nice thin skin...obviously freshly made.

some savory pastries liked it too.

chee cheong fun - rice roll stuffed with shrimps liked it.

more carbs! hehehe by this time we were all stuffed...these are the lotus wrapped sticky rice. i didn't like it.

i don't see the point of pan frying siopao it didn't add anything to the dimsum it just made it oily.

forgettable noodles...yuck!

the star of the meal, black sesame glutinous balls in ginger soup. loved the black sesame stuffing it was the right texture of grainy and not mushy with ample amount of sugar and the ginger soup was mildly seasoned. we have been trying tong yuen (not sure about the name) every time we get a chance but the one from shanghai restaurant is still the best.

shanghai restuarant

marriott kl

bukit bintang

las vegas: pf chang's

2011-11-19T18:42:00.011+08:00

my friend mentioned about pf chang's and it got me curious. so i listed it on my must try list. luckily they have happy hour which makes several menu items affordable, check their website to see the offerings.

here's what i got.

condiments first, i was told that the best way to enjoy these are to mix them all up in a separate vessel. one is a soy based sauce with some herbs, the red one looks like sriracha which is chili sauce and the yellow one looks like mustard. i followed the instructions, actually the wait staff did it for me :).

got the lettuce wrap, pf chang's is famous for this chicken lettuce wrap. very nice iceberg lettuce, i believe i got around 5-6 pieces of whole crisp lettuce. for the filling it's chicken very flavorful with some crispy vermicelli.

my perfectly wrapped lettuce roll with one bite, see how perfect it was no spills whatsoever hehe. for me, the chicken filling is flavorful enough that you don't need to put any sauce, but i still poured some because i wanted the kick from the chilli sauce.

egg rolls, these were huge maybe 5-6 inches long. i have always been so intrigued about egg rolls which i always hear on tv shows or movies. so finally i get to try them. oh well, they're basically spring rolls but with a thicker wrapper. it was just filled with cabbage and carrots and finely minced pork which i couldn't even recognize. it was bland for me and i wasn't keen on sweet and sour sauce that came with it.

my entire meal was below 20USD including a raspberry iced tea, i should have probably just ordered wine though. for the americans, i guess pf chang's offer novelty and a more upscale setting for chinese/asian cuisine compared to a typical chinese take out. but with the dishes i tried i wasn't really impressed. i reckon other dishes would be the same like the dumplings ( i overheard a canada based chinese actually criticizing their dimsum because it was not up to par). but with the happy hour prices and with a nice ambiance i couldn't complain. it was still a refreshing meal for me and would prefer it over the dinner i had at canter's deli later on that evening (yeah i got extremely hungry after walking back and forth the strip). and knowing how huge the servings are in the us, my meal would have fed two people so it was worth it. plus, i got two fortune cookies and i loved what were written on them :).

pf chang's

miracle mile shops/planet hollywood

las vegas blvd.

breakfast at the wynn

2011-11-11T16:36:00.008+08:00

buffets are huge in vegas, so of course i wouldn't let it pass. the wynn's buffet is one of the best if not the best. the breakfast buffet costs around 22USD including taxes if i'm not mistaken. it is actually cheap, it even includes free coffee and juice which you just order from the wait staff. so yes, it is definitely worth it!

here's what i tried.

top left clockwise: country biscuit with gravy - i love country biscuits and i love gravy this is only common in the us so gotta grab the opportunity, i found the biscuit doughy the combination was too heavy for me.

virginia ham - it was real ham!!! meaning sliced off a huge pork leg and got some mustard to go with it...it was perfect!

pork apple sausage with roasted potatoes - the sausage is good i actually didn't taste any hint of apple or maybe i was too preoccupied savoring the entire meal. i am a sucker for savory breakfast treats so i couldn't gear away from the ham and sausage.

top left clockwise: english muffins with salmon topped with eggs benedict - oh what a disappointment. the salmon was real salmon or maybe gravlax but it wasn't smoked salmon. i wanted smoked salmon so bad i was disappointed.

cheese blintz - loved it!!! i love cheese...creamy cheese so it was just a joy.

wholemeal pancakes? - not really sure it looks like wholemeal right? first time to try one since healthier pancakes are still not common on this side of the world. the pancake was nice it has a crust and has this "sweet" flavor compared to the typical pancake which you can taste the dough/bread.

artichokes - i also love artichokes so got myself some.

top left clockwise: chicken sausage - as i've said i love savory breakfast items so i couldn't resist.

smoked salmon - because i was craving for one. ok, i have been spoiled by salmon and smoked salmon here in kl. they are glorious, this ones are not up to par.

strawberry and peaches with creme fraiche - it's fruit/dessert time and i love strawberries plus p said they're sweet so i have got to get some.

some people might think i have wasted a great opportunity for this buffet, but seriously i was so stuffed. i have no regrets with this meal. i have tried unique items that i haven't had before. the quality of the food is superb. there are so many other offerings at the buffet but because of time and eating capacity we couldn't savor all.

according to some tips i've read, some people who want to save up usually get into the buffet before the next "time slot" meaning if breakfast ends at 11:00AM, they get in a little before 11 so they'll get charged breakfast rates and they will be able to catch the lunch buffet already. of course, breakfast is the cheapest and dinner is the most expensive. if you happen to be in vegas and wants to try a buffet, the wynn's buffet is a sure bet.

the buffet

wynn las vegas

las vegas blvd.

the much awaited meal at mesa

2011-11-04T15:38:00.012+08:00

my celebrity chef crush is bobby flay, i dunno why - rocco dispirito is far better looking but i still favor bobby. as such, i had to make sure i dine at mesa grill. i opted to go for lunch because they don't require reservations during lunch time and dining alone at night is lonesome :(

here's my freebie bread basket. now this is what i'm talking about, freshly made muffin and warm breads. the muffin is apparently bobby's famous yellow and blue corn muffin, i had to research on it to find out what chili was used, it was jalapeno but there were other herbs and spices in it. the texture was light and crumbly, it was really good :D.

here's what i got. spicy chicken with sweet potato hash and poached egg with green chile hollandaise. this dish was packed with a lot of flavors it was a party for my taste buds and the hollandaise was so perfect it was creamy but not overly rich and it just made the eggs so much better. however, it wasn't what i expected. i thought the chicken was separated from the hash but it turns out they were combined which i didn't fancy. sad to say, i had to pick on my food and eat the chicken because there's just too much sweet potato i can take.

i wasn't completely happy with my meal, more like underwhelmed. but i guess i just have to choose a better dish next time.

mesa grill

caesar's palace

las vegas blvd.

wolfgang's meatloaf

2011-11-02T18:22:00.010+08:00

celebrity chef restos are all over vegas. i like wolfgang puck so it was a must to dine at one of his restos. i opted for spago at the caesar's palace. i chose it because it's near my hotel, plus they have the cafe menu which offers more affordable meals.

when i went into the resto i wasn't that hungry and had a hard time choosing the dish i want, considering i have been perusing their online menu for weeks prior to my trip, in retrospect i think i should have opted for the kobe burger which had good reviews. but i didn't want to eat a burger in any of the celeb chef restos.

here's some freebies...some bread and a crispy watchamacallit....the bread was cold. come on wolfgang, i didn't expect this, i was so disappointed.

the olive oil, balsamic, parmesan dip at lombardi's made an impression so when i tried just plain olive oil and salt it was dismal for me, plus can i just say again that the bread was cold.

ordered some lemon/lime frizz which was forgettable, should have saved may 6 USD on this or better yet i should have just ordered coke if they had one.

so i finally decided to get the meatloaf. it was good, i dunno how they made it in such a way it had this canned/luncheon meat/spam texture. i've never had real meatloaf and i've always thought the texture would be like when you bake ground beef more like a burger, but it wasn't. i was actually pleased, the flavors were right on, the pancetta didn't have that overpowering taste. the potato mash was just right for me, it wasn't rich and creamy. the onion rings were perfect, except for one ring...it wasn't fully coated :(. but they were freshly made with just the right amount of breading.

i forgot how much exactly my meal was, but as far as i can remember it was less than 30USD. unfortunately, i wasn't impressed, though i can say i've eaten at spago and be proud of it, the meal was nothing to rave about. but most likely, if i'd ordered a proper entree or something else, i could've been impressed. well maybe next time.

spago

caesar's palace

las vegas blvd.

the best pho i have ever had

2011-10-19T11:18:00.014+08:00

so this was my last dinner with p, since she's only able to spend a couple of days with me and not the entire trip. anyway, we both had the same thing in mind. we want asian!!! i dunno what's with american/western food in the us but somehow it feels so cloying and i always end up eating more asian fare which is so ironic.

we were supposed to go to noodle asia at the venetian but it was under renovation. tao, which is a bar and restaurant was already full. we just kept on walking thinking on where to eat, i was about to give up and settle for cajun which i deem would be more bearable compared to regular western fare and we were supposed to get our cajun fix in one of emeril lagasse's restaurants. then i opened my mini guidebook went directly to the back where all the restaurants are listed and noticed that there's one more restaurant which is asian! woohoo!

so we found zine, tucked in the corner of the casino floor in the palazzo. we settled in, ordered some spring rolls for appetizers to fill our grumbling tummies while waiting for our pho. and yes, we both ordered the same thing. so funny, how p and i agree on almost the same kinds of food.

this was my satay, tendon and oxtail pho. oh yeah, i don't think this can be found anywhere else. pho is usually served with a clear broth. this one is satay flavored...think barbecued skewers with that flavorful peanut sauce dip, it's not a thick soup but it is aptly flavored. we couldn't finish the noodles but just filled ourselves with the soft tendons and tender oxtail. i know some of you might be squirming right now, but if you love tendons and oxtail and satay or kare-kare then this dish is for you. the herbs bring that freshness that i love about a bowl of pho. if i'm not mistaken this bowl costs about 20USD. a pretty steep price especially if you come from the other side of the world but definitely a must try...i'll have this again when i visit vegas, hopefully.

p.s. this is not just the best pho i have ever had, but the best meal i had in vegas...oh gheez i can't believe i said that especially with celeb chef resto reviews coming up

zine

the palazzo

las vegas blvd.

i dreamt of cannolis

2011-10-18T20:34:00.005+08:00

i have always been interested on cannolis. it's a tubelike pastry that has been fried and filled with ricotta or mascarpone well i don't know which cheese it is traditionally made of but basically it's crispy pastry filled with cheese, so who wouldn't love that???

when i realized i was going to the us, i searched for places where i can get it. because of the italian theme of the hotels/resorts in vegas, it wouldn't be difficult to find an italian resto or bakeshop which sells it. read about tintoretto at the venetian, so when we were there my friend and i grabbed desserts before heading back to our hotel.

that's my cannoli, i think it cost me around 6USD. well i wasn't impressed. i believe there are better ones out there i just have to keep on looking. the pastry shell wasn't that fresh, i hate candied fruits and unfortunately their version has it and i was surprised they drizzled chocolate sauce on top of it when it should just be dusted with sugar. anyway, i hope to try other ones in italy or new york or wherever there's an italian community so i can find the cannoli i am looking for.

tintoretto bakery

the venetian

las vegas blvd.

las vegas: taqueria canonita

2011-10-14T18:08:00.008+08:00

canonita is a mexican resto in the venetian right by the grand canal. it was a perfect place to have lunch, we could see the the gondolas pass by and hear the gondoliers sing italian songs at the mouth of the canal which is at one end of the resto.

here's what we got.

Pork A La Talla (Guajillo seared Pork Tenderloin, Pecan Succotash, blackened Serrano Skillet Bread and Apricot relish) - loved the serrano bread and the succotash was very refreshing both had great flavors

Santa Rosa Barbacoa de Puerco (Marinated pork slowly roasted in a banana leaf, served cilantro rice, black beans and chipotle barbecue sauce) - the pork was so tender, but unfortunately the flavors doesn't that much have oomph as the other dish

note: got the names and description from the website, prices are also stated there

taqueria canonita

grand canal shoppe level

the venetian

las vegas blvd.

las vegas: lombardi's

2011-10-12T15:09:00.010+08:00

i went to las vegas last month, and here's my first foodie experience there. flew into vegas on a saturday night and after checking in, my friend and i decided to have dinner. our hotel had a free shuttle and it was going to the miracle mile shops. whenever i go on vacay, i always do my assignment of finding out the restos i wanna try out. in miracle mile, my options were pf chang's and pink's hotdogs. unfortunately, there's a 1.5 hr wait in pf changs and we were already famished that i don't have enough will to look for pink's. so we ended up in lombardi's.

it's an italian restaurant in miracle mile shops and we just opted for it. here's what we got.

complimentary bread and dip - i liked this one, there's an addition of parmesan and chilli flakes with the usual balsamic and olive oil dip

warm crusty bread with red wine for my friend and white wine for me...i wanted something sweet.

greek salad with grilled chicken - i actually ordered grilled shrimp but i didn't complain and the chicken was a bit dry :(

i forgot what fish this was but it was good. i'm sorry i forgot the actually dishes and the prices but i believe our total damage was around 70USD including tip.

lombardi's

miracle mile shops

planet hollywood, las vegas

24/7 at the borough

2011-10-11T22:50:00.004+08:00

i have always wanted to try the borough and when i saw vouchers i knew i had to buy them. i decided to have breakfast here as soon as i flew into manila. so straight from the airport we went to podium.

i was disappointed to find out that they only serve breakfasts items in the morning. but i asked if i could have the cheese injected portobello pita pocket and luckily they obliged. it was good, really good but unfortunately i forgot to take a picture!!!

here's my mom's omelette. nothing extraordinary...she didn't finish it it was too huge and it was too rich for her.

my dad's steak and eggs, it was a disappointment. why? can you see that it isn't a steak? it's sliced up beef and this doesn't compare to mr jones which my dad appreciated.

though i was happy with my pita pocket, my parents weren't happy with their meals so it was a major downer. because i hate it when people dining with me don't enjoy their food. plus, we saw small cockroaches crawling over our table. we reported it to the wait staff and i hope they did something about it. the dark atmosphere in the resto makes me wonder how clean it really is.

borough

the podium

kl: a german fare

2011-10-10T21:38:00.003+08:00

my cousin and a friend were both in kl for a visit. they just wanted western which is so much cheaper in kl compared in sg, i was clueless and been wanting to try weissbrau.

steak with spaetzle and sauerkraut

steak with rosti and veggies

i forgot! this was mine...after some googling i realized this is stroganoff...not even german!

the spaetzle we all liked, rosti is the potato pancake, how can you go wrong with that? the meats are tough. yes the steaks are not that great according to my friends and cousin who all ordered it. my stroganoff wasn't tender as well :(.

dined here a different time and we had the german pizza and sausages and pork knuckles which are far better than the food we had on my first outing. so i guess stick to the sausages and pizza and you will be fine and don't forget some hoegaarden.

weissbrau

pavilion, bukit bintang

kl: the living room at westin

2011-10-10T21:25:00.009+08:00

the support team lead from the uk was on vacation in kl and i was asked to organize a team lunch, the best and most sulit buffet is at the shang and we've been there several times so i wanted to try something new. tried the westin hotel's buffet.

appetizers - melon with cheese on top, fennel with dressing, chicken and peppers salad, veggie terrine (i liked this) and some chicken coldcut

grilled lamb, spring roll, carbonara, salmon and mussel...nothing extraordinary

fried shrimp with a special sauce - yummy! i forgot what the other one is, i think it's oxtail curry it was also good, the meat was tender.

i love bread pudding i got a huge serving :D, the vanilla sauce has visible vanilla beans, a mocha/cappuccino mousse of some sort and pistacchio ice cream - i should stop getting pistacchio i don't like it.

the living room

westin hotel

bukit bintang, kl

little pantry

2011-06-25T22:32:00.006+08:00

the little pantry is a cutesy resto with well uniformed female wait staff in an all pink dress. the interiors has a garden feel with picket fences and some outdoor umbrellas as dining tables. i don't know how to describe it but it's an inviting place especially for girls.we frequent this place because it's relatively near our office. here's a compilation of meals i had.

one of the tables inside the resto.

the dory lunch set served with soup, iced tea and dessert. still a favorite despite the under done disaster the last time i ordered it. this is also in the ala carte menu.

chicken chop

fall off the bones lamb shank is yummy.

seafood pasta

food is good but lacks consistency. we usually order the same items and when they come out we would end up with different garnishes. i ordered the seafood pasta twice and each time, it came out differently prepared. and i really hope they beef up their service because it's a bit slow. but despite these misses we still frequent the place. so you'd be the judge on whether this place is indeed worthy of revisits.

the little pantry
ioi mall
ldp hi-way

- posted using blogpress from my iPhone

kl: makanan laut lau heong

2011-06-19T16:20:00.007+08:00

one pinoy food that can be had in malaysia is crispy pata. you can get it in some chinese or german restos. we usually frequent new paris in pj when we crave for one but this resto is a new discovery.

bitter gourd with egg - unlike the pinoy version this doesn't have onions and tomatoes. thinly sliced with no bitter taste (yes we love ampalaya and now we keep ordering it in any resto we go to).

crispy pork knuckle with a peanut based sauce (half serving). this is the unique thing about this resto they serve the pork with the sauce. i don't like the sauce much because it's a bit sweet but the skin is crispy and pork is tender. (found a similar resto that serves pork knuckles the same way and we like their sauce much better because it's more savory).

curry fish head - i have always wanted to try curry fish head but i have no one to share it with because it's always a huge serving. the curry is very mild so non-curry lovers can try this one. fish head is boney, but we've learned you can request a different part of the fish.

chicken wings - crispy fried chicken wings that has this unique flavor, i read in one blog that the flavor is from fermented bean curd. stinky tofu stinks but tastes good so i guess it translates to this dish as well.

can't remember the prices of the dishes except for the half pork knuckle which was only 20RM. as far as i can remember our bill was below 80RM that includes the drinks and rice.

makanan laut lau heong

43A-0-9 Jalan 3/48A

Bandar Baru Sentul, KL

at the jalan pahang roundabout

take the exit toward tawakal hospital

make a left at the intersection after the shell gas station

go straight after the traffic light in just a couple

of meters make a right to a one way narrow street.

the resto will be on the right

sg: pizzeria mozza

2011-06-12T16:30:00.009+08:00

pizzeria mozza, is one of mario batali's restos at the marina bay sands. i believe that this is the most affordable celebrity resto at the marina bay sands. i just read so many good reviews that i knew i had to try it.

table setting was casual. the cutleries and serviette are in the envelope. i didn't like my seat though because the spotlight was pointing straight to my face.

freebie crisps served in paperbag. the crisps have strong flavors of cheese and herbs.

mozza caprese - not your typical insalata caprese. this one uses very soft mozzarella, topped with pesto and roasted tomatoes. i loved this. all the flavors work together.

meatballs - forgot the exact name. spicy meatballs which i really liked, the toasted garlic bread on top was perfectly seasoned.

funghi pizza - a variety of mushrooms that gave this pizza a burst of earthly flavors. nice crunchy dough which i really liked.

closer look at the pizza, it was actually ~~huge~~ substantive, good for two people to share.

first, you have to make reservations. the place is packed. we arrived there 10 minutes earlier and we were told that we were early, as such, no seats are available. we had to stroll around first and then they called us up minutes later. the service was great, the wait staff was very attentive of course some were pinoys similar to ps cafe. they set your expectation on food delivery a bit longer like the pizza but food comes relatively quick.

i would definitely come back. hopefully, with a much bigger appetite, there's roasted bone marrow to try or i might opt for the more expensive osteria mozza which has a different menu and just across the reception area.

pizzeria mozza

marina bay sands, singapore
here's their full menu

sg: ps cafe

2011-06-12T16:12:00.009+08:00

i had no plans when i went to sg except to try wee nam kee, happy lemon and pizzeria mozza. random thought came into mind, i wanted truffle fries. we searched the web and found ps cafe. this is supposed to be a relatively popular resto with branches all over singapore. we decided to have brunch there.

i liked the ambiance of the place. it was rainy that morning, thus the gloomy outdoors. i liked the flower on our table and look at those sugar cubes.

closer look you have some spices in there too.

the truffle fries - i shouldn't be disappointed in a sense that i knew it was not homecut fries and probably just the frozen ones. what disappointed me was all i could taste is parmesan contrary to the reviews i've read. this really needs more flavor...more parsley perhaps and more truffle!!! i did not find any hints of truffle on these fries.

i forgot what this one is, i think this is the ps big bacon and eggs. we split the serving into two because this was huge! soft eggs, well seasoned mushrooms, spicy chorizo but a not so crispy bacon. the only downer were the bacon and the bread, i found it a bit chewy.

we had illy coffee to go with these. it was an opulent lazy brunch on a rainy saturday morning. but it felt perfect. service was great, the ambience was nice. we loved the house water which was served with all sorts of fruits and veggies (yeah i saw a slice of carrot in the pitcher) it gave the plain water some nice flavors mine has strong hints of strawberry which i loved.

ps cafe

palais, orchard road

http://www.pscafe.sg/

sg: wee nam kee

2011-06-12T15:56:00.004+08:00

ok i have too much backlog and honestly i am getting lazy. i'll do quickie posts and should prevent a lot of segue on this singapore series. when wee nam kee opened in manila, i said to myself i ought to try it. and what better place than singapore right? when i got to singapore we went straight to wee nam kee.

pardon the photos, i think my LX5 did good justice considering i did not use a flash and we were seated on the farthest table from the store by the road, thus no light - i could barely see what we were eating.

steamed chicken - we wanted to get the roasted one because according to reviews it was better than the steamed but they have ran out. actually, i prefer steamed compared to roasted i just hate it when it's not well cooked though. anyway, we got the breast part so everything was well cooked. what amazed me was how tender it was, i hate the breast part because it's too dry. but this one was so perfect it has a melt in your mouth texture. for the chicken rice itself, not that flavorful actually. i now know what other people are talking about.

cereal prawns - i don't think i've actually tried cereal prawns so i wanted to try this. i have no point of comparison but i like it. not oily and yet has this buttery flavor - planta galore!

i'll try to update this with the prices since this was my welcome to sg dinner sponsored by H =).

wee nam kee
novena ville
thomson road, singapore

sg: tako and matcha

2011-06-12T15:23:00.006+08:00

been hooked on takoyaki lately. in kl, you can have ebi or unagi too but i haven't tried those. went to sg last weekend & i needed a light meal. opted for takoyaki, this one is crispy on the outside but dense and gooey in the inside. i am not sure about the gooey texture i think i prefer a lighter batter. this was actually 4 pcs hehe already ate one before i took a photo.

of course i've got to try happy lemon. got the green tea with rock salt and cheese. there's too much ice and i don't like the flowery green tea. i'll try other flavors next time but i really like the cheese :).

ion orchard
orchard road, singapore

- posted using blogpress from my iPhone

cherries and berries

2011-06-12T15:03:00.003+08:00

just wanted to show what i got from the supermarket earlier.

kl: sunday roast at the ritz

2011-05-02T18:57:00.010+08:00

the sunday roast is an english tradition for sunday lunches made up of roasted meat, potatoes and other sidings. i forgot how i came across the ritz carlton sunday roast. but from the reviews i have read, i was immediately lured. glad that i have foodie friends willing to spend 160RM for this treat. anyway, here are the food items i had - the same things that made me want to go to this roast buffet to begin with.

echire butter, claimed to be one of this best in france. why does it look like lard/shortening. i mean, is great butter supposed to be liked that? not creamy and flavorful but looks like a well whipped milk fats? i was not impressed.

some appetizers (top center - clockwise) seedless grape in cream cheese rolled into toasted almonds - i like; pumpkin tartlet with mushrooms - forgettable; roasted mushrooms, peppers, zucchini - flavorful, i like; dunno what to call the piece of meat with a mustard sauce of some sort - so so; whole smoked norwegian salmon covered with dill is heart.

fin de claire oysters from france. hmmm...i'm torn on this one. it has this thin texture which i like not the thick gooey kind that we are used to. but it's too salty, it's like tasting the sea literally. i am not sure whether freshness got something to do with it. i mean, if you eat it in france once it's harvested whether the flavors would be different. still, i can say i ate oysters from france hehe.

freshly prepared caesar's salad. tossed in a parmesan cheese wheel with whole anchovies, freshly shaved cheese and garlic slivers??? well the reviews mentioned that this caesar salad has truffle in it which made me really excited. and when i requested for one, i didn't see any truffles :(. nothing spectacular, the fresh cheese didn't even made a difference. the dressing was definitely freshly made but not enough to keep me excited.

after i took a picture of my salad, i pushed it on the side and filled it with other items. our table was so tiny it was overly crowded even the towel "plates" we had to get rid of. i got a shrimp and half a lobster which were fresh. also tried salmon and octopus sashimi just so i can put the tricolor caviar on my plate hehe and some pickled ginger which i love.

and for the mains, there's a menu actually. you can choose between the beef, lamb and salmon. of course it wouldn't be a roast without one.for me, it's cooked just right, i am squirmish with "rare" steak still. it's too pink to be medium well though...i dunno i am not much of an expert when it comes to steak but i like mine medium well all the time.

you get to choose between several sauces like mustard and horseradish plus 3 types of gravy. i had the rosemary jus i think. i forgot. there's no mashed or baked potato, the yorkshire pudding is so dense which i reckon should not be the case. and there's was only some roasted veggies. the thickness of the beef , i don't even think is substantive. based on the blogs i have read, they only have one roast which is supposed to serve only 18 people so if the guests are more than that...do they ran out of it or they stretch the meat and give thinner slices?

i'd rather get the steak at suzy's corner if it will just boil down to this. oh my this was supposed to be the star of the meal and it wasn't impressive. the roasted beef and yorkshire at the marriott was more worthy i mean you get unlimited servings! and that buffet costs less than 100RM.

good thing the desserts weren't a disappointment. they made good pastries. i was just sad that the creme brulee isn't big and has been put in that lonely spoon, the small amount i think made it "overcooked". the cream puffs were the best, it has a nice custard in it - and of course because it has caramel the puffs were part of the croquembouche. the picture above is a totally different cake but with a cream puff too.

anyway, it was an ok meal. it doesn't have an extensive selection when it comes to the buffet but it's complete. i didn't get to eat anything from the cheese section because i was too full. but reviews said the quality of the choices makes up for the relatively smaller selection of food items, i think not. basically, i'd rather have a degustation or full course meal in a restaurant.

ritz - carlton

jalan imbi, kuala lumpur

lunch at marriott cafe

2011-04-23T20:59:00.008+08:00

a long overdue post, this actually took place end of last year during my christmas vacation. i have freebie lunch vouchers at the marriott and good thing buffets are covered as well. so let's start shall we.

had a hyperacidity attack upon arrival, so warmed my tummy with some miso soup. i love the seaweeds, but nothing really special.

started with some dimsum...the pork ribs were a bit tough not the melt in your mouth pork spare ribs i'm used to. the hakao is just alright, wish the shrimps were bigger and the wrapper thinner. but they were freshly made so it was ok.

because of my tummy issue i already started with the main. the roast beef was good really good, you see how brown - "done" the beef is but it's still tender. asked my dad why he didn't get some, he said it looked dry but i told him otherwise, so he asked me to get him 3 slices!!! i was so ashamed with the staff counter who probably thought it was mine. some mashed potato, not as creamy as people would prefer but for me less creamy means less fat so it's ok. my first yorkshire pudding, i have no idea how it should taste like but i prefer this one than the one at the ritz (next post). got some veggies and garlic grilled fish too.

and surprisingly i was not yet full so i had room for these. nothing extraordinary but the asohos tempura was freshly cooked. the fried rice is also ok. the baked mussels is with bechamel, so typical of hotel buffets in manila and far from our favorite baked mussels with lotsa cheese.

oh, i still have room! hahaha. so i took some greens and a cucumber salad. i liked that station very much, they have a variety of mixed salads to choose from, and of course you can also make your own. one of my buffet staples - smoked salmon was good.

ok the dessert station was a bit of a disappointment, very few selections and they aren't as great as i hoped them to be. nothing can really go wrong with the creme brulee but the rest of this plate was dismal.

overall, it was a good buffet. it has a wide range of cuisines. probably the only miss were the desserts. the marriott is a newly built hotel, the driveway of the lobby has ample space, not as cramped as the older hotels in manila so i find it more convenient. if you end up in that area, you could give this a try.

marriott hotel

newport blvd

newport city complex, pasay

across the naia terminal 3

estrel's caramel cake

2011-03-19T11:07:00.003+08:00

estrel's is supposed to be the pioneer for caramel cakes. a month before the holidays i asked my mom to make arrangements to get a cake for us on christmas day. talk about my obsessesion with food.

so the day came, we got the cake on the 24th. i picked up the cake with my tita. she was the one who got off the car. she said the bakeshop smelled so nice and they showed her the cake before closing the box. but then i was surprised that someone carried the cake for her. talk about paranoia! they didn't want the cake to be messed up. then we tried putting it at the back seat but the guy said it's not enough. so the option? my tita had it on her lap. the efforts just not to ruin a cake.

it looks so pretty and very apt for the holiday season. everyone loved it, i was amused that my younger cousins wanted the flower icing hehe. so how does this fair against costa brava? taste wise i think it's just the same. texture wise, i think costa's was more fluffy. it seems that estrel's was more grainy??? but in retrospect, i ate the costa brava cake the same day i bought it. while for estrel's i had it 2 days after. the box of estrel's states that it has to be consumed on the same day. maybe that has an effect on the quality of the cake. so i guess i couldn't really make a direct comparison right now. i have to eat an estrel's on the same day. don't ask me why i didn't eat on the same day...i really wanted to and let's just say my dad gave me a stern look when i said i am slicing it up.

estrel's caramel cakes

sct tobias cor sct limbaga

quezon city

estrel's website

serenitea

2011-02-27T21:59:00.006+08:00

being a tea lover, i have always been interested with serenitea which i've read a lot of reviews of. so during my last vacay, i made sure i tried it.

i was so intrigued that you can choose the sugar percentage and the sinkers. i got myself a 75% sugar drink which is not sweet enough for me and my favorite pearls.

i got myself the hokkaido, which is supposed to have this caramel flavor....not! i can taste the flavoring...i dunno how to describe it but in my mind it's like gata. it's this certain flavor i taste whenever i try food/drinks that have artificial flavoring. this is how my tea tasted like it didn't taste like milk tea with real caramel, i was so disappointed.

aside from the teas, they also have snacks. basically all peppered items which i deem is very taiwanese. taiwanese snacks/dishes are usually fried and then dusted with a powder flavoring. we got the corn, tofu and chicken. the chicken was really tender. all of them i enjoyed but would have hoped that they are evenly seasoned. because the items were just dusted, some parts are too salty while some parts are bland.

my verdict? well i will not go out of my way just to get a drink from this place...maybe if i get an insatiable craving for any of the peppered stuff i'll go there but really i don't understand what the hype is all about.

serenitea

n. roxas cor banawe

(coming from quezon ave, it's on the right)

quezon city.

mamou-mia!!!

2011-02-19T17:48:00.008+08:00

i have read so many great reviews about mamou's steak. one day i saw a post and can't help myself but salivate over the enticing piece of red meat glistening with fat and olive oil.

i knew that it is a must for me as soon as i get home. finally got a chance to go with t who volunteered over fb that she will go with me. so here's our glorious lunch.

freebie bread - i only tried the brown one. it was soft, dense and has that molasses flavor which made it a perfect starter for this meal.

steak!!! i believe this was ribeye, oh i totally forgot what we ordered i was such on a high that time. you can see the juices of the freshly cut steak and the salt and pepper on top. plain and simple but really good.

for the sides, we chose creamed spinach nothing spectacular felt like eating laing but has a different flavor hehe. steak rice, has small cubes of steak and most probably cooked in the pan of steak with all the drippings.

well i've read good reviews of the truffle pasta, very simple and yet flavorful.

it was a wonderful lunch. i wouldn't mind going back and eating the same stuff again, well maybe different sides next time. on top of this we had mimosas for drinks...definitely a guilty pleasure. the entire meal set us back 3000PHP but i guess that's because of the mimosas which shot the bill up but i have no regrets with this meal.

mamou

serendra

bgc, taguig

a taste of little asia

2011-02-14T23:27:00.011+08:00

my friend is obsessed with this place, he's a regular - i reckon a very important patron of this establishment hehe. i forgot the specific names of these dishes i also don't have the prices but all affordable within the 200-300PHP price range. and i'm making this short and simple...everything tasted great...a lovely dinner indeed.

lengua con champignon - nah that's not the name but it's lengua with mushroom sauce so technically the name i wrote is correct. tender lengua...one of my favorite pinoy dishes

hot prawn salad - one of little asia's signature dishes...yummy huge prawns

spicy squid in coconut milk - my friends loved this, totally obsessed with it...for me it's ok. good but not something i'll crave for.

fried rice - forgot what type but it's good!

crispy chicken??? half of the original serving since we already took a dive on this traditional chinese fried chicken

cheesy fish fillet??? yummy too...we also got free chamae??? basically stir fried noodles it was also good but i forgot to take a picture. thanks to jolman for this lovely dinner =).

little asia

the piazza

mckinley hill

trying out cafe juanita

2011-02-08T20:45:00.011+08:00

the longer i've been living away from manila, the more i lean towards filipino food fare when i'm home. so when h and i decided to meet up for lunch, we just had to try cafe juanita. opted for the pasig branch because it's the "original" but it's not the original spot anymore since they relocated a couple of meters away.

knowing h, i knew that we'll be getting this.

just straight forward chicharon bulaklak on a bed of crispy vermicelli.

was craving for sisig and because we love tofu we ordered this. two types of sisig on a block of tofu...uhhhm forgettable!

two-way pork adobo? something like that. supposed to be a bestseller i've read a couple of reviews of this dish. but it didn't impress me as well. i don't know what's the crispy thingy on top is made out of...you have any thoughts? i really want a garlicky and well browned adobo.

in an attempt to be healthy we ordered this, crispy catfish with ampalaya. it was good except for the saltiness, it was salty for both of us i dunno if it's just because we've been used to MY/SG seasonings that tend to lean towards the bland side but this one was salty. other than that, it was good. the catfish may look like the adobo garnish...not sure though if they're the same but the adobo garnish has black specks of some sort.

thankfully, dessert was a saving grace to this meal.

gooey and warm cassava cake topped with grated cheese...it was love!!!

of course nothing beats my favorite pinoy dessert, leche flan is love. this was smooth and simply perfect. loved it.

if not for the desserts, it would have been a disappointing meal. i don't know if we just ordered the wrong dishes but at 1800PHP for all of the above plus 2 rice and 2 drinks i wasn't completely sold.

cafe juanita

19 west capitol drive

bo. capitolyo, pasig

lunch at restaurant 101

2011-02-04T23:38:00.012+08:00

since c works at enderun, we decided to have lunch there. it's a proper restaurant because the students "work" there as well. i guess to prep them for the real resto world.

table napkins are embroidered.

i like the flowers...are these paper roses or carnations?

they have a lunch prix fixe which is 3-4 course meal that costs around 500-600PHP, i forgot already. but i didn't fancy the entree for the day so i opted for the ala carte.

we got freebie bread. freshly baked i reckon, it was really warm and toasty. but it's not readily served though, if you want second helpings you'd have to ask the wait staff for it. but they have a variety of breads too, they don't serve the same thing over and over again.

i was still in my watercress high since i've tried those yummy watercress fritters in cameron highlands so i ordered watercress soup. light, very flavorful i liked it. (200++ PHP)

for my main, i ordered duck breast with plum jus? (800++ PHP) i forgot what the sauce was. well cooked, tender duck meat without any gamey taste. the duck came with a potato gratin which i wasn't really a fan of, the cheese yielded too much oil. i imagined a simple gratin of thin potatoes with minimal cream/eggs/cheese just to bind everything together.

c, on the other hand ordered porkchop (600++PHP) i was like staring at her because i wouldn't order pork chops and pay that much. the australian pork chop was a double porkchop, though you can just see one bone it was as thick as a double pork chop. and can i just say this, it was soooooo good! the pork was done well, only a tinge of pink color and yet it was so tender. the mashed potato was smooth and creamy and yet it doesn't have the rich flavor from butter or cream which was perfect so you'll not get umay and the apricot sauce was nice.

i'd have to say that the food was great. i'm not sure if it's considered fine dining, but it's a good restaurant in terms of price, you'd get value for your money. except for the miss in the breads, i like the food and service. i'd probably come back to visit c when i'm in manila and try out the other dishes.

restaurant 101

enderun college

mckinley hill, fort bonifaciao

sonya's garden

2011-01-27T19:22:00.013+08:00

i'd like to think that sonya's is a tagaytay institution of some sort. it's one of those tagaytay destinations that i have never been to. so it was really a must for me during my last tagaytay trip.

sonya's doesn't really have a menu, by default you are served with a bottomless full course meal. if i'm not mistaken it's now pegged at PHP~~680~~ 610 per person.

first you are served with a do it yourself salad.

sonya's creamy dressing and other condiments. a "vinaigrette" is also available. i deem it's a balsamic based dressing but also has a thick consistency not similar to the vinegar-olive oil dressings i'm used to.

a bowl of greens, egg, cucumber, jicama, mangoes, melon, nuts and pineapple. all refillable upon request.

my creation.

freshly baked bread - soft and warm. several spreads - tomato, basil and olive oil (checca?); pesto; kesong puti (white cheese); an olive tapanade of some sort and an anchovy based spread. i only liked the checca, pesto and cheese. again all refillable.

pasta with all the condiments, refillable as well. linguine with 2 sauces one is creamy chicken mango? i forgot if it has mangoes and the other one is sundried tomato based sauce. condiments include mushrooms, capers, ratatouille and fried salmon belly.

thought the tomato based sauce and the salmon belly were a perfect match. the sauce was sweet...it was like eating sarciado well my family's version of sarciado is a tad sweet. there was no tart or salty hints from the "sundried tomato" based sauce. the salmon belly was overcooked and tasteless as well.

the creamy chicken pasta was no winner as well. it was just normal pasta nothing special.

they served several desserts.

a moist chocolate cake that is not too sweet. it's good but i am not really a choco fan to begin with.

turon!!! my favorite filipino snack. spring rolls stuffed with bananas and has caramelized sugar as a coating. i like the small serving sizes would have been perfect if it had jackfruit inside too.

sweetened sweet potato...kinda redundant. wouldn't have noticed this until this lady i am not sure if she's sonya or a supervisor advised us to eat it with the mint leaves. and yes, they were really good....surprisingly good. desserts were served with tarragon tea, while the rest of the meal was served with dalandan juice.

was it worth it? it's difficult to answer. i honestly wanted to be impressed and be blown out of my mind with the dishes since it always get great reviews. but i was really disappointed especially with the pasta. i think the pasta broke the deal. but the ambiance and the entire dining experience was really pleasurable. i liked the dining area...i dunno how to describe it...indoor garden dining with a kitschy feel of some sort. the dining experience i guess is what you pay for. it is still a must for me.

sonya's garden

buck estate

alfonso cavite

www.sonyasgarden.com

a trip to old manila

2011-01-15T00:27:00.009+08:00

my first dinner as soon as i arrived in manila. it felt like the amazing race...naia to qc to makati and talk about brain rewiring for left hand drive since it's right hand drive in kl.

anyway, here's the food me and my friends shared in old manila. the service was great but the food was really not something to rave about. our bill was around 8k for all these dishes (1 serving for each only) and we didn't even have any drinks.

freebie bread

complimentary amuse bouche - foie gras terrine of some sort to tickle the tastebuds

a salad - i forgot the name and it was forgettable as well.

lobster bisque with chopped fresh salmon - it tasted like the sea...too seafoody (i know it's not a word) it was huge probably enough for 2-3 persons.

a bitter and sour calamansi sorbet to cleanse the palate (freebie too)

pan fried seabass - it was like frying my own seabass at home...b and i were disappointed

surf and turf - c and g's favorite dish to order. the filet mignon was cooked right - medium well as i prefer it. it was moist and tender.

rack of lamb - also cooked perfectly. tender without the gamey after taste.

the quality of the dishes were good but there really was no wow factor...oops there was one thing i really loved though the fries that came with the surf and turf. crispy handcut fries, but that's about it. i was really sad to part ways with my moolah because of this dinner.

old manila

manila peninsula hotel

ayala ave. cor. makati ave.

ikea food hall

2010-11-21T19:24:00.010+08:00

i have been obsessed with ikea since i was young. moving to kl gave me the thrill of going there. i was intrigued when i found out at that they have a food hall as well and i knew i had to try it.

got myself a baked salmon. well it's not overly great but it's good enough. it's very european in a sense that there are not much flavors or spices. it's alright i forgot how much this was since i've taken this ages ago.

but being a swede company, shouldn't one try swedish meatballs too? my friend and i both wanted the salmon so we got it but we also wanted to try the meatballs so we decided to share the smallest serving. the meatball was dry and doesn't have much flavor. it's so so.

honestly, food wasn't impressive. i wonder why people line up - the food hall is always packed with people. maybe just hungry shoppers who want to get a quick fix. however, ikea in malaysia is adjacent to a mall with lots of restos to choose from. all i can say is, it's really not to die for but trying it out wouldn't hurt as well.

ikea

ikano power center

petaling jaya, malaysia

brunch @ the 6750

2010-11-13T18:55:00.015+08:00

so i was back in manila, and h&b were too. decided to meet up and wanted to have a marvelous lunch together, i had a couple of candidates but lolo dad's was the winner.

they have a lunch special at 800PHP (plus 10% service charge) and it includes the antipasto buffet (380PHP) we opted to get the entire set because we thought the antipasto would not suffice. boy we thought wrong.

so here's my first plate.

clockwise (foie gras and grissini, some turnip-carrot salad, prosciutto, scallop ceviche, smoked salmon with dill sauce, arthichokes and mushroom, squid and mussel with their own ceviche type dressing)

everything was delish, i couldn't believe it. with just my first plate, i knew that lolo dad's really keeps up with its reputation. we loved the foie gras i shared this small vessel with my friends because it was simply too rich perfectly paired with the crunchy grissini. and we also love the carrot - turnip salad.

second plate, some flat pastry dunno what it's called and a pastry cup which reminds me of the chicken ala king i used to eat when i was younger. the next item was actually a pie looking grilled layers of chicken, zucchini, eggplants and pimiento it was really good. some baby potatoes and goat's cheese with a fresh herb (i'm bad with herbs i'm not sure what this was) mild but with just the right sharpness..loved it.

was so intrigued by this antipasto that we had to try it. the dropper is balsamic vinegar, i loved this one, i hope i'll find out what this cheese was it's a blue hard cheese. the other one is feta with pimiento also good but the hard cheese really just hits a spot.

for the rest of the meal, we started of with soup of the day which is cream of mushroom, nothing spectacular except for the frothy cappuccino effect.

there's 3 choices of pizza, we got the creamed smoked salmon and the salami and prosciutto. oh the smoked salmon was love and you can see how thin and flaky the crust is but the toppings didn't over power it at all.

for pasta there's also 3 choices, we opted for tomato and mushrooms and garlic and anchovy. well for these ones nothing was really spectacular. actually the aglio y olio was too salty for me like the anchovy used was a bad brand or something and didn't have that garlicky taste.

just so you know, we all ordered one serving of the dishes above. by the time we were having pasta we couldn't finish them. then we asked the server if they could pack them for us. then we found out that the set lunch was also a buffet. then we looked into the menu and saw "limitless dishes" which means we can order any food item as much as we want but of course just like any other buffet you cannot take home your leftovers.

but because h and i were already eyeing the pig trotters with crispy intestines we had to order the entrees, so we ordered, two mains as well - the trotters and callos.

the callos was really nice, i actually liked the chorizo, it was tender and rightly seasoned. the callos has the right amount of sauce with perfectly tender tripe.

crispy intestines - you can only get back in manila so we were happy with it. the trotters had this grilled/flamed flavor which gave a nice touch to the dish.

for dessert, there's also 3 choices. when we ordered them, the server decided to give us all the 3 treats since they are small servings so we agreed. basil cheesecake which i didn't like, well for me basil is just meant to be savory. how i wish they just served it plain cheesecake which would have been perfect. profiteroles...liked them i love puff pastries and the chocolate mousse tarlet was just fine. i am not a fan of chocolate.

overall, it was a good meal. personally, i'd opt for the antipasto buffet because they have enough items to fill me up. i'd love to come back and have a feast with my friends again.

lolo dad's brasserie

6750 bldg

ayala avenue, makati

birthday dinner at the establishment

2010-10-23T15:57:00.008+08:00

i guess my last trip back home was timely because some of my favorite people celebrated their birthdays during that time. it never fails that i get to try a new place with b whenever i come home. i was thinking of sala but the birthday girl wanted something else so we eventually thought of the establishment.

me thinks the reviews we read were pretty outdated. nothing really popped out the menu so we took a jab at their omakase - a degustation without an actual list of dishes and you are basically at the chef's mercy...hoping he/she will not screw it up. we got the 6 course menu at only 900PHP.

a lil bit of fun is a watermelon and lychee based mocktail, was apprehensive about this when we saw mustard on the menu and then the waiter said there's really no mustard. so how funny is that?

first appetizer is a seared tuna with sauce and ebikko on top. the sauce was nice, but i wonder why the tuna was stringy. i've never had seared tuna before but when you see it on tv it doesn't look stringy. the edges are cooked a bit with the center still pink/reddish this one ain't like that. i wonder whether this is low grade tuna...good thing it doesn't have a fishy taste.

second appetizer is salmon sashimi, this one doesn't have that seared/slighly cooked effect. plain raw salmon with wasabi ebikko and another sauce with some relish of some sort. so so, sashimi ain't that mouth watering that it has this melt in your mouth texture just like the ones i get here in kl.

tomato soup, nothing extraordinary. deem that it's all canned tomatoes and topped with some basil which gave it that "fresh" factor. and you know what's weird? our friend came late so she was behind us and her tomato soup was served with cream on top. how inconsistent is that?

salad with grilled goat cheese on top - ok this one we liked. it wasn't extraordinary but there were really no complaints on this one. straight forward salad of mesclun greens with a balsamic dressing and goat cheese on top.

our entree - pasta! yup we were looking at each when we saw this served. like totally in disbelief that for entree they will serve pasta. and the worst thing is there's nothing in it. a sliver of cheese and roasted almonds on top and that was it. i tasted a hint of orange like some orange peel but that was it. not even a huge prawn on top or other ingredients. like what the hell? couldn't it be atleast a small piece of chicken?

for dessert, a small sliver of moist chocolate cake with cream. now that i'm writing this, it reminds me of the no bake brownies i used to make.

do i really have to cap it all up? well ok i understand it was just 900php for 6 courses so what do we expect? but, it's the establishment! at the fort where people who can pay dine and eat at. we were really disappointed. the sad thing is, the chef approached us after our dinner and we didn't say a word. i am not used to this kind of encounter and i cannot be brutally honest when it comes to this. if the dishes are under seasoned or maybe if there was a bug in my dish then i would complain. but how can one explicitly point out the misses in this meal? and can you see the inconsistency in this meal? two jap dishes, italian soup and salad, unknown pasta dish and a generic dessert. well if the chef gets to read this, i apologize for not being honest but i will not apologize for this not so good review because it was simply the truth.

btw - the best thing we had was a platter of blue corn chips we ordered. it was the only thing we enjoyed =).

the establishment

bonifacio global city

taguig, metro manila

birthday treat @ kebab factory

2010-10-17T23:14:00.014+08:00

for my tita's birthday lunch, she asked me if i wanted to try kebab factory. i've read a couple of posts on this so i was keen to try it as well. also wanted to see the new megamall atrium.

got served with two sauces. these are refillable, but you can't have the entire squeeze bottle - good way to prevent people from practically drinking the sauces. i've read that the sauces were good. actually, i don't find anything extraordinary about them. the garlic sauce wasn't garlicky enough and the hot sauce was basically a spicy white sauce - no distinct flavors whatsoever.

we ordered two types of naan, plain and garlic. i liked them both. i liked that the naan is thin and got charred/crunchy a bit. this is a typical malaysian fare and i'd have to say it's one of the best i've tried comparable to suzy's which i deems offers the best mamak naan by far.

the birthday girl only wanted to try one dish - malai kofta, it's vegetarian kofta (i reckon she's just 95% vegetarian - surrounded by meat loving people i don't think she can ever go back to being 100% and i love tempting her with food...ssssshhhh). the kofta was nice, i don't like bean/legume based vegetarian stuff such as this but since this was accompanied by other meat dishes i was pretty happy about it. i also liked the curry used with this - not too strong but really flavorful. wonder what type of curry this was.

we also got fish coriander curry - i'm unsure whether there were curry spices in it because the coriander overpowered all other spices if there were any. it has a refreshing flavor but would have wanted the sauce to be thicker and a more fleshy white fish like maya-maya would have been apt or wouldn't it be a sin to use seabass with this? hehe i think it would be perfect =).

we want meat!!!! so we asked the wait staff which is a nice meat dish and he/she said the shish kebab - it's a bestseller. it was a disappointment, the lamb has that gamey taste and it was freaking tough, difficult to chew. tita s and i regretted this, we should have ordered the keema instead.

the meal doesn't end here, we also ordered chicken tandoori. i was not too excited about this since i can get it anytime here in kl, but this one was different. it was so juicy and perfectly cooked. i really liked this one. btw, the picture shows half a serving already, i forgot to take a picture before we devoured it.

and for dessert, we got gulab jammun. i've been meaning to try this. it's an indian milk dumpling soaked in syrup. it tastes/feels like very fine mamon shaped like a ball and dipped in syrup. i like.

overall it was a good meal, all hits except for the shish kebab. it's reasonably priced if you consider the location and ambiance. a good place to get a basic indian fix.

the kebab factory

2/f sm megamall atrium

mandaluyong, metro manila

my first stop at the old vine

2010-10-11T11:39:00.010+08:00

been reading a lot about old vine and since it's on the way home from the airport, i decided to have merienda at the eastwood mall branch.

wanted something light and healthy so we ordered salads. here's the caesar salad, very plain to me they didn't even use romaine it was just iceberg lettuce. it was just ok.

i so wanted to try the tessie tomas salad, and it didn't fail me. it was love - they use a special dressing, put slivers of cheese i reckon parmesan, grilled shrimp and what i loved about this was the smoked salmon. i really liked this salad.

also got the lasagna, it was nicely flavored but we felt like there's too much beef. i like my lasagna with the right balance of pasta and beef but this one has a very thin layer of pasta and was all beef so you'll get that "umay" feeling plus it was too oily dunno if it came from the meat sauce or also because of the cheese.

i specifically wanted to put this at the last section, i've read that these breads are usually free but we only got this because we ordered soup. i wonder what's the real deal with these bonnet looking breads is it still free or not or whether it becomes complimentary at certain time during the day. it was warm and soft though.

the service was great, one of the places i've had great service, too bad there was a fly at our table which was pretty bothersome. will definitely be back because of tessie tomas =).

old vine grille
eastwood mall
libis, qc

kl: marriott's hotel buka puasa buffet

2010-10-08T18:59:00.014+08:00

this is a long overdue post. i'm sure you guys are familiar with the ramadan season, when muslims fast the entire day and can only eat during a certain period relative to the sunrise/sunset. anyway, it's very common here to have buffets for the buka puasa (if you search the internet it means open feast but my muslim friends say it means more like break the fast). this is my first time to try one - marriott's buffet was a completely malaysian fare.

our table was next to the pool, the tents were set up as food stalls.

the booth beside our table has one whole roasted lamb.

our table at the foreground all have glasses of ais syrup a common malaysian drink has a hint of bandung (rose) - don't like!

satay - grilled lamb and chicken with peanut sauce and sliced cucumber, chicken murtabak which is like a thin pancake stuffed with chicken and onions and mee goreng (stir fried noodles).

sup ekkor - oxtail soup got lots of herbs very flavorful but not spicy.

roasted lamb, nasi kerbau (blue rice which got colored by a specific herb/flower), beef rendang, veggies and stir fried shrimps.

jicama, corn and ham salad, various keropok (crackers) squid, fish and veggie flavors.

unknown fried ball was stuffed with savory items i had to spit it out :D, sweetened banana more like minatamis na saging but this one has sago the bananas are tough i want them gooey and one of my favorite desserts - bread pudding with flan at the bottom served with vanilla sauce.

ais kacang - the malaysian version of halo halo.

it was a good spread but felt overstuffed with malay treats, and knowing these can be had at cheap prices outside made me feel it's not that worth it. it is one of the cheapest buka puasa buffets though at 75RM++ but maybe next time i'll try a western buka puasa.

marriott hotel

jalan bukit bintang

kuala lumpur

kl: harrod's

2010-10-07T20:10:00.009+08:00

harrod's might be famous for opulent shopping but it's also famous for food. the food hall of harrod's in london is known for good food, unfortunately i haven't eaten there. in kl, there's a store and resto in klcc where the petronas towers are, i haven't found the time to try their roast and yorkshire pudding though. at KLIA, there's harrod's too and i've always wanted to try it. i've flewn back to manila a couple times this year and only during my recent flyback was i able to try it - the place is always full.

so here's my "english breakfast".

this is a set which costs 25RM (350PHP), you get tea or coffee, a glass of orange juice and a scone with clotted cream and jam. this was timely because i was craving for scones and clotted cream. you can see the dinnerware with the famous logo and notice the tea leaf strainer. yeah, it was an expensive breakfast but you're paying for the name and simply having a set like this with the matching dinnerware was just so opulent and very english hahaha.

harrod's

KLIA

good food

2010-09-26T23:02:00.002+08:00

just a quick thought. i always believed that other than the cooking skills of the person preparing the food, ingredients count. it counts a lot, i remember before when my colleagues in company x are so amazed with my tuna sandwich. they keep asking me for the recipe, i simply said tuna, pickle relish and mayo. somehow they cannot replicate it. why? because they use different brands.

i love simple food. i don't mix in elaborate herbs to flavor my dishes, that's why i won't know what tarragon or sage tastes like. it makes me enjoy eating out more because i get amazed with the complexity of the flavors. anyway, moving back to what i wanted to say. i simply believe that if you get the best ingredients you can come up with the best dishes.

so please don't compromise especially if you can afford to buy the better brands because they make a difference =).

kl: daorae

2010-09-20T11:46:00.012+08:00

daorae is a korean resto chain in kl. we saw a new branch open up in sri petaling above the toyota showroom across the shell gas station so we decided to have dinner there.

here's what we got. starting with the freebie appetizers or banchan.

got a variety of banchan that circled the grill, there's even a chawan mushi like dish at the upper left of the picture. my favorite was the seaweed that was pickled or more like kimchi but instead of cabbage they used seaweed.

another freebie is the panjeon or korean pancake. i think we ordered too much that's why we got this.

for the bbq we got the pork modum which in retrospect i find bloody expensive at 70RM. it's a combination of various cuts of pork.

but my favorite bbq is the gal bi sal, marinated beef ribs it was so tender and flavorful. i only have the cooked version already. this one was priced at 55RM, hmm another expensive dish come to think of it.

of course these came with the lettuce and the soybean paste and sesame oil.

other than these we got individual dishes as well hehee...hey i was dining with guys!

dolsot bibimbap at 19RM, this wasn't mine so i cannot comment. but looks good.

my favorite kimchi chigae (RM17), kimchi soup with tofu, vermicelli and streaky pork. love love this. finally found a good one here in kl.

now that i've looked back on the bill, it's definitely an expensive place. i'm used to eating at the korean restos in kl's korean town and the prices there are more affordable. only the kimchi chigae can make me go back to this place or if someone else is footing the bill ;).

daorae

jalan radin anum, sri petaling

kuala lumpur

(above the toyota showroom,

across the shell gas station)

kl: de foodland

2010-09-08T21:32:00.012+08:00

my friends love this particular cheesy crab dish and they always crave for it. i've been here for more than a year and only recently was i able to try the place. all i can say is, it is indeed two thumbs up and better than restoran king crab.

salted egg bitter gourd - we love ampalaya, we love salted egg...love love this dish. this tops my ampalaya dish list next to the ampalaya salad our maid used to make for me which was uber perfect.

tofu with pork - one of the dishes we always order anywhere. my friend was actually thinking about this block of tofu topped with pork, i had to remind him it was from another resto we eat at.

steamed mantou - my first time to try it. basically just like siopao bread but more firm and dense. a healthier alternative compared to the fried ones. i thank r for ordering this - less calories!

cheesy crab!!!! cheesy, creamy and spicy perfect perfect perfect! love love this dish. no wonder they always crave for this.

the food was great, no misses on this outing. i forgot the prices already but if i'm not mistaken all these plus 3 drinks costs roughly around 90RM. not bad eh? the meal would have fed 4 people we had leftovers :( . i thank ovi maps for leading us to the right way. though we generally knew where we were going, we missed several turns, got lost somewhere in kepong and the handy dandy ovi maps lead us to the right place!!!

de foodland seafood restaurant

bandar sri mejalara, kuala lumpur

http://www.defoodland.com/

people's palace

2010-09-05T20:33:00.012+08:00

i love thai food but somehow i never got the chance to dine at people's palace which is the best thai resto according to mbkrs. and yes, i still have a list based on the mbkrs winners a couple of years back. so let's see how this famous resto fares.

some drinks. first one is pandan, the next one i forgot. nice presentation for some pricey drinks well it's so typical that restos charge a heap for their drinks especially my pandan juice...i can make this at home! yeah yeah i am paying for the ambiance and service too.

speaking of service...i like that they have bag hooks which customers can use.

moving on. here's our chow. prawn and pomelo coconut salad. huge fresh prawns, refreshing pomelo with roasted coconut which went well together.

prawn cakes - packed with prawns but can you see the color...it's not golden, they used old cooking oil :(

phad thai - my thai staple. it's good. i love the chilli peppers and chopped peanuts, i like the presentation - bean sprouts adding height to the dish.

the dishes were priced at around 300PHP plus or minus. the servings weren't really big. for groups i would recommend soms. for reliable thai fare at affordable prices i still remain loyal to muang thai. simply put, people's palace is a high end thai resto which you could never go wrong with.

p.s. the place is packed all the time...dunno if it was just because it's friday night. make reservations.

people's palace

greenbelt 3

dining @ uncle cheffy's

2010-09-04T17:14:00.015+08:00

my dinners were not driven by a list but more of logistics. had to meet up with c and the most convenient place for us would be eastwood. it was also a chance to check out the new eastwood mall and of course the restos. i've read a couple of reviews about several restos there but i opted for uncle cheffy.

so here's what we got.

panizza - first time to eat one. i forgot what flavor we ordered but this one has anchovies which had the right amount to give some punch to a very cheesy pizza. came with chopped tomatoes, alfalfa sprouts and arugula. not a fan of rocket but i loved the alfalfa sprouts.

1kg baby back ribs - yup that's what the menu says. i was a bit apprehensive ordering this but they said it was just the bones and of course 2 persons cannot really finish it. meat falling off the bones with some greens on the side and marble potatoes. liked this one too...i also like the sauces that came with it especially the pesto looking sauce which i think was made of parsley.

it was a nice meal, not really mind blowing but i think they were fairly priced. i forgot the prices the pizza was around 300++ and the ribs 500++ the meal would have been perfect for even four people.

uncle cheffy

eastwood mall

libis, qc

hopping on the goose station

2010-08-17T11:55:00.020+08:00

b and i love sampling menus and since i'm back we ought to have one. there were two options and we chose the goose station by rob pengson and sunshine puey. it's not in the greater fort area it's better to go to the W building via kalayaan but whichever suits you would be fine. there's no outside parking but they have allotted slots in the basement, you just have to ask manong guard.

we opted for the signature menu at 2500 PHP which is an 8 course meal if i'm not mistaken. we split everything. here's our table setting...liked the red glasses which provide contrast with the white linens.

complimentary bread and butter - found it sad actually. lonely sliced piece of bread with butter served on a nice capiz dish.

foie cone - thin barquillos like cone stuffed with foie gras...not for the non foie gras lover

potato glass, truffle puff and savory macaron - for some amuse bouche my palate wasn't really amused.

caviar surprise - alaskan king crab in white asparagus flan with prawn jelly topped with caviar. the caviar gave a nice salty contrast to the creamy subtle flan....surprisingly they all worked together but too big for one person to finish.

eggs benedict - poached egg, hollandaise foam, truffle oil and bacon tuile. wished there was more tuile hehehe but also another so so dish...nothing really popped in my mouth. maybe it was a dish to cleanse the palate after the salty caviar surprise...but really nothing exciting.

beet garden - beets, orange, micro greens. the jelly beet roll and those two macaron looking beets are stuffed with a cream cheese filling which i loved because i love cream cheese...but other than that this dish didn't really amuse me.

foie gras terrine - topped with unagi which provided a nice contrast. wish there's more brioche because this was one is a bit too heavy. it's like eating chunks of foie gras.

fideua negra - squid ink fideos with roasted scallop and some aioli. unique dish nothing i've tried but still didn't give me an impression.

24 hour steak - short rib, truffle mashed potatoes with crisp onions. finally! something to rave about, the steak was perfectly cooked and the sides just pulled the entire dish together.

yogurt foam with granola mint and berries - liked this one, the yogurt wasn't too tart and simply because i am not a choco lover =).

chocolate candy bar - nice and rich chocolatey bar...perfect for the chocolate lovers.

after these we got another freebie macaron - it was a sweet and savory macaron if my memory serves me right.

so i guess, with what i've written you pretty much know what i think about this place. maybe it's just me because i've read good reviews of the place but this one doesn't make the cut. by far, aubergine still tops my list. i didn't have any ooooohs or aaaaaahs like my aubergine meal which simply tells me that the food isn't as awesome as i hoped for. there's an express set with is 5 course meal, which is consequently cheaper and i reckon is perfect for one person since the serving sizes are not huge.

the goose station

w building

the fort, global city

dining with mr jones

2010-08-15T17:27:00.007+08:00

first culinary stop during my stay in manila, straight from the airport i had to sample mr jones' offerings. was thinking of getting the tapa overload and the superman burger with the hopes that my dad will be lured by these items to help me finish them, but then he said he wanted something light...oh no!!!

anyhoo here are the items we got...

blueberry granola shake (something like that) PHP250 the drink with the lowest calories i reckon, among the caloric shakes and malts...i so love this but you shouldn't finish it alone otherwise you will be full.

mr jones garden salad (PHP350) greens, walnuts, shaved cheese, eggs, a yummy crouton of some sort among many others and a red wine dressing (well i think it's red wine based since it's reddish but could be just balsamic too) healthy, light and yummy.

steak and eggs (PHP525) my tito ordered this, wow super heavy if you look at it. fluffy scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, steak with portobello mushrooms and this rich buttery sauce which i dunno what. loved them all but not really a fan of the steak though tender i deem it wasn't a good cut...i'm very critical with steak nowadays.

two dogs in a bed (PHP220) decided to get this instead because i also want something light. high grade dogs and flavored fries...nothing really to rave about though.

i would still have to try the tapa, the burger and the french toasts...i just need to make sure the ones i'm dining with are up for the challenge. the place is a bit cramped if you ask me and i didn't like the fact that there was a huge fly hanging around at the middle of our meal since we dined outside. anyway, the food is good...the outdoor seating i'm not really a fan of.

mr. jones

greenbelt 5

pj: westlake dimsum buffet

2010-08-07T23:24:00.010+08:00

was browsing through my daily dose of promotions when i saw that westlake offers RM48 for a dimsum buffet. i've read the reviews and i've not read anything bad so i dragged along tfc (pinoy officemates) to try out the buffet.

basically, the buffet has 2 parts, the dimsum menu which you order ala carte - yup everything is freshly made for you. and of course a couple of tables for appetizers, entrees and desserts.

so here's what i got.

buttered prawns, mango-crab salad and seabass??? i forgot the one at the back but it was a fish dish. everything was nice the salad was refreshing perfect for eating in between the fish and prawns. and then i saw this shooter, how could i resist??? the baby octopus shooter was nice, the jellyfish at the bottom was also good.

was lucky to chance upon the roasted duck that was freshly carved and brought out from the kitchen...tender and succulent, i really love duck - only when it's made well.

and the following items are the dimsum we ordered, which we all shared.

fried dumplings

fried scallops wrapped in bean curd me thinks...loved this one

raddish/carrot cake forgot which one with floss...totally forgettable

chee cheong fan...smooth, thin rice wrapper with stuffing which i forgot what...mildly seasoned it was nice too.

siew mai (yes siomai!) pinoy dimsum staple

hargau (yes hakao!) another pinoy dimsum staple :)

with some seafood items from the menu which are part of the buffet still.

seafood and bean curd dish

sweet and sour fish

salt and pepper shrimps

another shrimp dish...we were expecting another salt and pepper shrimp since we ordered again when the first batch ran out....but they gave us this and twas so "shrimpy" i think they used a bad batch of shrimps for this one.

egg tarts

for my desserts.

ginger flan or something like that...i love similar types of desserts - flan, creme brulee, panna cotta, i hope you get the picture. this one is smooth and silky but the ginger doesn't really suit my palate.

green tea custard/panna cotta topped with strawberry...i love green tea, i love strawberries so i picked this one. nothing spectacular though. basically just something sweet to end a very flavorful meal.

it was a good meal, despite some misses. overall, i was happy about it. however i was disappointed to find out that drinks are not included even tea, as far as i can remember it was clearly stated in the ad that drinks are included. so it ended up roughly 60rm for each person, which made me reconsider whether it is worth it. anyway, my friend paid using his amex and lo and behold we got 50% off woot woot. the food wasn't a disappointment but maybe you should bring a bigger appetite to make it worth your ringgit.

westlake chinese restaurant
sunway hotel resort and spa

pj: william's mamak

2010-07-11T22:41:00.015+08:00

mamaks are basically food stalls that serve daily food fare in malaysia like teh tarik, roti canai, mee goreng, nasi goreng, etc. but william's is different, they serve western cuisine and traditional food fare served with a twist like naan with mozzarella cheese.

my friend has been raving about this that one night we decided to go. it's not in kl but in pj (petaling jaya) adjacent to kl. william's opens at 6pm onwards, usually mamak stalls are open 24 hrs. so off we go, the place was packed all the road side tables were full but we managed to find a spot. there's just several blackboards where you can see the menu and that's it. so here's what we got.

ribena lychee for drinks. this is famous here so we tried it, the mug is huge this is for two people. we actually saw them putting one can of lychee in one mug, that's how huge this was.

for pasta we got two choices.

seafood with olive oil pasta - very huge serving with lotsa seafood. not a true aglio y oglio if you know what i mean. do you see the sauce in this? too much liquid. surprisingly the arugula i very hate is not too peppery in this one so i liked it. nothing to rave about this is so so.

penne arrabiata special - we couldn't really understand the waiter so we just said yes. i wanted a true blue arrabiata that night...canned tomatoes...fresh basil..pepperoncino and here's what we got. a penne that doesn't have ridges and probably is a generic brand that's why it lacks the "bite", the sauce tastes like the tomato sos here which is the bottled ketchup, the pepperoncino was replaced by bell pepper but served with huge meatballs and beef milanese. totally dismal. i think we were just forced to it eat because it was such a waste.

the only saving grace to this meal was the mozzarella naan which was love. unfortunately i forgot to take a picture of that. the servings are huge no doubt about that perfect for groups and i could totally see why this is a favorite after gimik hangout. probably at around 3am after going to the bars people would want food other than the typical mamak fare and william's would definitely give you other options. but for an italian craving...i would never go back to this place. yes, the servings are huge but the price is similar to other fine dining italian restos and you'd get better quality so why sacrifice that. still an interesting place to eat at. i'd go back for the ginormous ribena lychee and some mozzarella naan.

william's

ss 26/9

taman mayang, petaling jaya

at the back of the shoplots across the kelana kaya lrt station

kl: pappa rich

2010-06-20T10:42:00.008+08:00

oh gheez it's been a long time since i blogged. i've been pretty busy =). i decided to write a post on pappa rich, my current favorite kopi tiam. kopi tiams are basically coffee shops that serve local fare other than coffee and toasted bread. so here's the stuff i've eaten recently not in one visit of course.

teh ais with coffee jelly - signs of western influences i guess. teh ais is cold teh tarik (milk tea) and now they offer it with coffee jelly...yummy

char kway teow - a staple food item, flat rice noodles with cockles, prawns, bean sprouts and garlic chives. i like this version compared to the hawker ones. well it's just because this one looks clean and fresh but of course it doesn't have the bbq/charcoal flavor which a good ckt should have. compared to madam kwan's this one is better because it's less oily but the noodles are a bit overcooked. madam kwan's on the other hand, have more ingredients.

pappa rich chicken chop - chicken chops are famous here served fried with sides of fries or in this case fried rice and egg. finally decided to try this because my friend kept saying this is close to jollibee's chicken joy. well it sorta was except for the peppery gravy.

the number one kopi tiam in kl is old town, famous for their white coffee and their kaya toast. i thought i already blogged about it but apparently i haven't. i'll make one soon, i hope. anyway, people are saying that pappa rich is gaining popularity and i guess it's because the menu is more extensive than good ol' old town but i guess it really depends on what you're craving for. for pinoys in kl, try the chicken chop when craving for chicken joy. for pinoys visiting kl, if you don't have time for hawker fare and the long line at madam kwan's is not worth the wait then you might opt to get your ckt at pappa rich.

pappa rich

the gardens, midvalley

http://www.papparich.com.my/

kl: xenri d'river terrace

2010-05-21T21:59:00.022+08:00

i honestly thought i have no more pics to upload. i haven't been eating at new places and pretty much lazy to take photos anymore...i wonder why? anyway, i just realized i still have a couple more and might be taking more photos soon.

was stumped thinking where we will have our team dinner. yes, i'm the expat and my team lead asked me to find the place. well i've eaten at more places than most of the locals have so i have built a reputation at the office. after much scouring in the net, my teammate found xenri d' river terrace which is just a couple of minutes away from the office - the reason this place was chosen. they serve fresh seafood flown in from japan. the place was nice especially the private dining areas. you have to cross a kois pond to reach the dinig area.

yeap, they have a kois pond in between dining rooms. as seen in the pic above. anyway, here's what we got.

edamame for appetizers...not really a fan. boss's wife ordered this :).

spider roll??? this one has softshell crab.

don't know which roll but has tempura inside if i'm not mistaken with avocado on top.

the sushi boat...the wait staff decided on this. don't be deceived this occupied our entire table and to think that in a group of 8 only 5 will eat. lots of sashimi, some fish roe, and my first time to try uni which was not really bad.

seaweed tempura for my vegetarian teammate.

mixed tempura for the rest of us.

baked oysters with mayo??? yeah don't they know about bechamel...seriously even white pizza here uses mayo.

MY boss's favorite...UK boss was initially grossed out but after trying it...he just fell in love with it too. he finished it off hehe...unagi is heart....really heart.

seafood udon - the UK boss liked this one too.

some scallops that was simmering above a charcoal filled mini burner.

sizzling tofu for my vegetarian teammate, didn't try this one they said it was good too.

everything was delish so i will not comment on each food item anymore. since there was too much sashimi, the leftovers were turned into tempura. it was really nice that they can be flexible with that. our bill came up around 1200RM if i'm not mistaken and that's around 17K PHP we got sake but that's only 200RM.

xenri d' river terrace

wisma elken (across pearl point)

jalan klang lama

kuala lumpur

kl: lemon garden cafe

2010-04-29T12:58:00.012+08:00

my friends have been raving about shangri-la's buffet. consequently, i found time to go on this food outing. to summarize, i think manila buffets are much better. but there are two good things about the lemon garden buffet, first are the seafoods -huge oysters lots of shrimps but our favorite was really the salmon sashimi. high grade sashimi if you ask me. melts in your mouth it was really a winner. second are the desserts. well i don't think shangri-la ever goes wrong with their desserts they have huge driscoll strawberries which unfortunately ran out when i was about to get them. if you look at my dessert photo i stole one huge strawberry from one of the cakes hehe. i forgot how much this was maybe 90RM (roughly 1300PHP), malaysia wise it's still good value for money but as i've said, manila buffets are more worth it.

assorted dimsum

seafood and sushi

seafoods and sashimi

papadom and paneer

cheese and nuts craving satiated ;) requested for honey it was love...and see more salmon on the side hehe

strawberry thingy

passionfruit pannacotta

choco fountain and tiramisu with a stolen strawberry

pretty disappointed with the amount of food i ate...not as gluttonous i wanted to be hehe. it was a good meal saved me merienda and dinner =).

lemon garden cafe

shangri-la kuala lumpur

good food @ aubergine

2010-03-20T19:17:00.002+08:00

i know that i have been mostly ranting about food i've had back in manila lately. i hope you guys don't take it against me. i have not been having wow moments which is quite frustrating for me. but aubergine has saved me from this gastronomic slump.

so here's the best meal i've had in ages.

some freebies first, whipped butter and olive tapanade. we got 3 bread choices potato, multi grain and i forgot the other one but there was three =) the pic is potato bread.

the amuse bouche, grilled blue marlin with a mango salsa (i think) definitely did its job of awakening my tastebuds. smoky and fresh blue marlin with the refreshing mango salsa . a good way to start the meal.

crabmeat salad with pineapple and cilantro served on thinly sliced wagyu beef top blade and bouillabaisse espuma accompanied by petit leave salad tossed in balsamic dressing

the wagyu was topnotch…this is what i call love. i didn't even get bothered that it was raw. it just melts in your mouth and it doesn't even taste like raw meat it was really love. the crabmeat salad tasted like embutido stuffed in this weird gelatin roll which i found a bit off for this ensemble. the espuma started out to be alright oozing with crab flavor but eventually got too fishy/crabby so we didn't finish it off.

frothy fennel-apple cream, scented with red curry, accompanied by crispy scallop-spinach wonton

this is what dining outside is all about. a melange of flavors that burst in your mouth that you cannot figure out the spices and ingredients used. i love the soup but the downside was, it was too rich. too rich you can feel it going through your throat. but still, i never really complained since i loved the flavors. the wonton i thought was some cheese stuffed wonton, didn't realize it was scallop until i reviewed the menu but it was a nice touch.

pan seared french duck foie gras on truffled potato mousseline with port wine glaze and raspberry

if the wagyu was love this was love love. the foie gras was nicely seared, it was just a melt in your mouth experience and everything just went well together. putting everything in one bite simply makes it a very unforgettable foie gras experience.

cranberry-aloe sherbet

something to cleanse the palate. the cranberry was too sour and the aloe was too flowery. i liked the presentation very much though.

grilled chilean seabass with calamari-olive and basil ragout on tagliatelle pasta in minestrone veloute

b and i love seabass and we've had our misses on this favorite fish of ours, but this was a hit. the fish was fresh and was well cooked. the downside? there was no wow factor. it was too plain. maybe because i've gotten so impressed with everything else that came before it. the flavors were very mild all i can think about was a piece of seabass topped on a bed of tagliatelle with white sauce and lots of carrots. i couldn't even remember if there was a ragout and if there was where was the calamari-olive flavor which i couldn't recall.

anyway, good thing we ordered another entree which was a special for the night.

mustard-thyme crusted rack of lamb on basil polenta, ratatouile and black olive jus

i love the lamb, it was nicely cooked. pinkish in color, very tender without the gamey after taste. the polenta was also love though i don't think it was basil infused but definitely very flavorful. this was the best entree, too bad it didn't go with the tasting menu =) well it costs almost the same as the tasting menu so you'd think you're really getting more out of it.

for dessert, white chocolate fondue cake served in warm forest berry froth and yoghurt ice cream.

i love berries but this was too much for me, maybe it didn't help that it was hot as well. the cake was fresh out of the oven meaning piping hot and then you add a warm froth the two hot elements simply overpowered the ice cream. maybe if they just made it like a berry coulis or something that is cool it would have been much better.

the degustation costs PHP1950++ and the lamb entree was PHP1450++. the question is, was it worth it? it's a definite YES! it was worth it. i have been experiencing a gastronomic drought that i thought i could never be amazed with food anymore. this meal brought my faith back to good eats. definitely at the top of my resto list now. i heart aubergine.

p.s. the tasting menu was shared by two people…some of the items they split into two while some have to be shared.

32nd and 5th building
5th ave cor 32nd st.
fort bonifacio, taguig

momo cafe @ eastwood mall

2010-03-18T12:13:00.005+08:00

i was rerouted to eastwood because of some schedule changes and going back to makati for mr jones is just impractical and possibly toxic so i decided to eat at momo cafe which is owned by the same group. i guess mr. jones have to wait for a wee bit longer.

freebie toasts with cheese pimiento...i love this.

seafood pasta with pesto and tomato sauce...i forgot the exact name. this was ok. i was not craving for this so i couldn't rave much about it.

baby back ribs? i forgot again sorry guys but this is one of their bestsellers. smoky tender ribs served with grilled corn, rice and onion rings...really liked this dish. and it's a good value for money around 350PHP i think.

overall it was a good meal. like this more now, than the relatively upscale chelsea, maybe because of the good food at reasonable prices...fine i'd have to consider the location too. but the new eastwood mall gives a great a ambiance too.

momo cafe

eastwood mall, libis

golden spoon froyo

2010-03-10T18:15:00.004+08:00

i am of course gonna try out as much froyo as i can in manila to see which is the best...though tutti frutti is in the list i haven't been there because there are kl branches so maybe i could try the ones here. anyway, golden spoon is the latest froyo in town. it's another korean chain as far as i know, just correct me if i'm wrong.

the unique thing about golden spoon is that their froyo comes in several flavors not just the plain one. you can get a sample to taste the different flavors. i read about cake batter so i wanted to try it first. ummm, nothing spectacular it's just like vanilla flavored "froyo". so i opted to get the original flavor and then had some butter pecan toppings

umm nothing spectacular really, cost me PHP 150 something i think for the small size. the yogurt is not smooth at all and doesn't have the creamy yogurt taste. i'd have to say that it's kinda overrated. i'd have white hat or red mango anytime.

golden spoon

shangri-la mall

seoul bbq in libis

2010-03-07T16:54:00.009+08:00

i've read so many great reviews about seoul bbq and years after, i finally got the chance to try it. we first got the usual banchan...several appetizers which i didn't find that appealing...maybe i was really not into korean that day (sorry guys i feel like my recent posts are all sounding like misses). liked the fishcakes and zucchini but the kimchi was icy, yes seems to have been frozen totally eiwww.

koreano for me still serves the best banchan. ordered my korean staple, samgyupsal. grilled pork belly with lettuce. pretty much similar to koreano's version. served in a sizzling plate with onions and garlic, i'd have to say that woori jib's version is still my favorite.

got my japchae. this one is far better than woori jib's simply because it was piping hot. but both almost tastes the same and have the same amount of serving.

as far as i can remember, i read somewhere that they serve good beef stew so i ordered it. maybe it's just a matter of preference but i liked the thicker stew of chosun even if kalbi jiim is supposed to have a light sauce. also, i found it not flavorful enough and i also like more tendons =).

prices are affordable, same price range as other restos around 200-400PHP (sorry i lost the receipt again). i would prefer dining at a less commercialized resto like woori jib or koreano. somehow i find their flavors more appealing to my palate but if you're craving for korean food and find yourself in the libis area then seoul bbq is a potent choice.

seoul bbq

e. rodriguez, libis

chelsea at serendra

2010-03-07T16:06:00.007+08:00

used to love this place but somehow i found the food unimpressive or maybe it was just not a good day for my palate.

5 cheese macaroni...didn't really taste the 5 cheese but i liked the crispy bacon bits.

roasted prawn and prosciutto pizza, still love the thin crust but i find the mozzarella overpowering the main toppings

chelsea

serendra

fort bonifacio global city

mesa

2010-02-21T14:04:00.014+08:00

i'm getting lazy blogging about food, i might result to photoblogs soon. here's a dinner i had at mesa. filipino dishes with a twist. to be honest, i was not impressed at all. we all loved the sizzling tofu but it seems like the rest was mediocre. friendly prices for its location at GB5 if i remember correctly not a dish went beyond 300PHP if it did it fell into the lower 300 plus range. no exact prices for this one, i think i lost it back in manila.

duck confit with basil fried rice? something like that. i know it has duck and basil.

laing friend rice

bistek bangus belly

sweet and spicy seafoods? apologies i really forgot the names. maybe because it was a forgettable dinner.

sizzling tofu

ostrich salpicao, chose this because of its novelty. true enough the reviews are right, ostrich meat is quite tough. go for the traditional salpicao or better yet wagyu salpicao.

as i've said prices are affordable, food ain't that mind blowing. if you'd want an affordable resto to eat at GB5 i would recommend john and yoko or good ol' reliable chilli's.

mesa

greenbelt 5

a chinese new year and valentines date with the king

2010-02-14T23:28:00.019+08:00

some friends were visiting from manila, we went to hat yai, thailand over the weekend and came back today. after our foodtrips in thailand we were bound for a great chinese new year and valentines feast at restoran king crab. here's what we got. nothing to rant about everything was superb and very much affordable so just feast your eyes.

four veggie belacan - string beans, lima beans, eggplants and winged beans stir fried with belacan a shrimp-chilli paste (17RM)

squid with salted egg, standard squid dish in malaysia. great with their green chilli sauce it was such a perfect pair (RM20)

mantou, fried bread (RM4) perfect accompaniment for certain crab dishes so you can soak it up with the yummy sauces.

hot sour chilli crab (RM61), more like sweet and sour, you know those bottled squid balls sauces, tastes similar to that but a couple of notches higher because it's freshly made and has egg too...similar to singaporean chilli crab but not really.

creamy butter crab (RM61) yes got 2 crab dishes and there were only four of us. this was my favorite, creamy and cheesy and everything nice. the curry leaves gave a nice kick and as the dish cooled down the spiciness starts to settle in making it a super yummy dish.

the place was busy and packed but good thing service was quite fast and i don't think quality was sacrificed. could be a must try when you visit malaysia. just take the kelana jaya line and you'll be led to it, do take note that they have broken time. opens up only during lunch hours and dinner time.

restoran king crab

103-105 jalan ss2/2

taman mewah jaya, petaling jaya

(across the kelana jaya lrt station)

breakfast at spiral

2010-02-14T12:55:00.011+08:00

got a freebie stay at sofitel and of course what made me excited was the chance to finally eat at spiral. so here's what i had for breakfast during 2009's year end.

needed some high dosage of caffeine so i opted for brewed coffee. each guest gets to have a coffee press for their coffee. they change it when you request for a hotter cup of java. nice touch isn't it? we also got ourselves a bread basket, which i think is a total waste since the breads are also available on the floor and too much of them gets uneaten anyway. forgot to take a picture of that though.

my first plate got dimsum and soup. dimsum was so so so...not even at par with the ones i had at le meridien. liked the soup though you can choose veggies and seafoods and other stuff, a choice of broth and can opt to have noodles as well. had a tom yum broth. i liked it.

my so called continental plate...maybe it's pinoy-american plate hehe. had tapa which was nice, longganisa and sausage were ok, bacon was crispy and my traditional pepper-mushroom-cheese omelette (i always get this at hotel breakfasts) a croissant which was not flaky at all and some veggie sticks.

was craving for nuts, cheese and grapes but there were no grapes i had to settle for a pancake instead hehe. loved the pecans i only liked one of the cheeses here and i forgot which one i think it was the second one from the left...creamy and sharp and doesn't have that bitter taste. as for the pancakes...it's like pillsbury and i hate pillsbury...it has this crumbly texture aargh! i'd rather have mcdo or jollibee pancakes anytime.

vanilla yogurt with peaches and pecans which was mostly consumed by my mom...she can't whip herself up with a nice bowl of yogurt ;).

fruit platter nicely made by one the wait staff for my mom, isn't my mom a darling? hehehe naah the wait staff asked her if she wanted anything so she requested for fruit platters (yes with an s, for my mom and tita) and they happily brought two of these at our table.

for a free breakfast spread at a hotel, this was definitely a good bonus. wide array of cuisines, they even had indian and italian which i didn't try. i liked the unique items like several selection of cheeses and nuts or maybe because i was just craving for them and freshly made yogurt. but if i had to cough out more than a thousand to get this breakfast, i'd rather not. the food wasn't superb. you expect hotel grade quality in the breads, breakfast items like the pancakes and even the dimsum was lousy. it wasn't as extraordinary as i thought it would be. maybe i'd have to try lunch or dinner to see how it really fares against the other buffets in town.

p.s. our room was great though, had hermes for toiletries and a huge lcd tv. loved it!

spiral

sofitel hotel

ccp complex, manila

charlie's grind and grill

2010-02-09T19:50:00.007+08:00

been wanting to go to charlie's and finally made the time to go there. good american/western food is always welcome especially when you've been eating everything asian.

first, black angus burger. nothing special if you ask me, i barely remember it so i reckon it was just ordinary. the fries were nice though.

philly cheesteak, this one i loved. flavorful and tender beef slices, i could probably finish one whole by myself.

buffalo wings, it was ok nothing to really rave about. liked the blue cheese dip.

we came in past lunch time already around 1pm i think and service was terrible. yes it was so slow, we had to wait for i don't how long but it took a long time and we had to follow up several times considering we could see a lot of burgers being prepared and i felt like despite the place being full, the orders were still manageable. if i was in restaurant city i'll be having my thumbs down. parking is also difficult. would i go out of my way to come back? maybe not. it was just too much of a hassle for burgers, sandwiches and buffalo wings you can get else where.

charlie's grind and grill

east kapitolyo drive, pasig city

my japanese comfort food: teriyaki boy

2010-02-04T13:22:00.004+08:00

had a couple of quick errands at the mall and i couldn't decide on where to eat and then i saw one of my favorite casual dining places. nice interiors, definitely a different teriyaki boy than what i'm used to. i'm not sure if the other branches have had overhauls or this one was an exception being a fairly new branch at the new sm annex which i love btw except for the crazy escalator layout...too tiring lah!

ebi tempura - crunchy and freshly made...a tad oily but still a treat.

during my last visit they have a new menu of special rolls well not a unique fare since we've been used to all these types of rolls in other restos. this is the dynamite roll...wow...really a dynamite eventually had to scrape off the rice and just ate the tuna pieces which is what i actually paid for anyway.

take out your white hat

2010-02-04T12:43:00.003+08:00

finally, after years i get to try white hat. made an extra effort to get these since i am in a mission the find the best froyo in town...well it's subjective right? but for me this is the best i've tried by far. creamy and smooth with the right blend of sweetness and tartness...still reminds you that you are eating yogurt in a creamy goodie way. got mine with mochi and strawberries...two of my favorite things. loved it.

keeping it cool at red mango

2010-01-18T12:09:00.007+08:00

tired with all the window shopping i decided to take a break. the red mango at greenbelt 3 has a very nice location. you can sit outside on comfy couches overlooking greenbelt, it was a perfect afternoon with the cool breeze that was relaxing for a tiresome shopper like me.

fancy curvy white bowls and small stainless steel flat spoons are probably the trademarks of this froyo chain. i was looking forward to a nice bowl of froyo with my favorite strawberries...until my jaw dropped at the counter when i heard that they don't have strawberries. so i verified, you don't have strawberries now or you really don't have strawberries? they don't have strawberries!!! how can that be possible???

i found myself clueless because strawberry is the first thing that comes to my mind on about almost everything. so i opted for grapes because earlier that day i was craving for grapes to match my cheeses and nuts at sofitel but there was none. i asked them what would be perfect to pair with grapes and they said blueberries...eh??? canned blueberries is all they have and i really think it was not a perfect match. so i just decided to just get the fresh looking watermelon. the toppings were fresh and the froyo has a smooth texture. there's enough tartness in the froyo but somehow i find it too light. it wasn't as creamy as the ones i've had in other places. i reckon that for those who don't like yogurt that much, this would be the perfect froyo. smooth and very light - less creamy and less tart. but for me, i honestly don't like how light it was. i would rather choose the more tart but heavier/creamier californiaberry. well i still have one more froyo place to check so watch out on what my verdict is on that one.

red mango

greenbelt 3

trinoma

eastwood

kanin club

2010-01-14T18:57:00.007+08:00

i can probably say that this is the best meal i've had back in manila. always wanted to eat at kanin club but it's way down south, good thing they opened a branch at the ayala technohub...how convenient! here's the stuff we got.

sinigang na sinangag or sinangag na sinigang, this dish really confuses me, i can't remember which is which. basically fried rice which is based on sinigang a filipino sour soup dish. there are pork belly slices underneath the tower of crispy kangkong. i loved this dish!!!!

crispy dinuguan, crispy pork pieces cooked in blood stew. another sure winner! perfect with plain rice, yes you need plain rice to appreciate this more.

binukadkad na tilapia, a not so unique dish. you can find a similar dish in other restos and i think others to this better. a very straight forward way of preparing tilapia butterflied and then deep fried so you can't go wrong with this as well if you want a fried fish dish.

the meal was great, had them with good friends so nothing can go better than that. i cannot list down the prices coz i didn't pay for it ;). but they are definitely affordable, i don't think a dish went beyond PHP300. good and affordable filipino food with a twist.

kanin club

ayala technohub, qc

westgate mall

sta. rosa

agave mexican cantina

2010-01-10T10:30:00.004+08:00

before everything else, i would like to greet everyone a belated happy new year =). here's to an amazing and abundant year ahead of us.

i was on holidays in manila for two weeks and boy it felt good to be back. well it's good that i can gear away from all my household chores and happy that someone else is doing my laundry and ironing ;). as soon as i landed i had myself a palabok-chicken joy meal, i had to pass on jolly spaghetti this time around. a couple of hours later, i started ticking off my must try list.

first stop was agave. read a lot of good reviews and since i have been craving for mexican food this was the perfect choice. the nearest to me was at the sky garden at sm north edsa. here are the items we got.

queso fundido (PHP 300++) supposed to be a mexican version of a spinach artichoke dip. this one has melted cheese, chorizo, spinach and artichoke with grilled bread, fried flour tortilla and corn chips. i was pretty disappointed with this. the artichoke was chewy, the cheese doesn't have the silky melted texture i was thinking similar to chilli's skillet queso. if you check out the online menu the platter has blue corn chips which i didn't get. i liked the grilled flavor of the bread but somehow something was off the oil didn't look that appealing considering it just looks like plain vegetable oil doused over the bread...think minola basted on your bread...aaack!

do you still remember miggy's? they serve good chimichagas which is my mom's favorite. however, it was far from agave's chimichanga (PHP300++). agave's version is rolled and it was not plain meat inside, loads of rice if you ask me. it was mexican rice with chicken pieces and that was it. i didn't even notice the cheese. though i liked the crisp tortilla and the salsa and sour cream on top. i really wish it had more chicken inside. if you remember miggy's their chimichangas are stuffed with cheese, corn and chicken as plain as that. you'd really be stuffed with all the protein. and not being a rice lover this added to my displeasure.

not only was i disappointed with the dishes, which probably were just misses but the service was uber slow. and this was around a time that only 3-4 tables were occupied. the meal wasn't that bad but i really expected more. maybe my orders were just misses. anyway, i would still try it again but maybe at a different branch.

agave mexican cantina

sky garden sm north

penang: eden seafood village

2009-12-09T14:57:00.009+08:00

went to batu ferringhi in penang, which is their famous beach area. for more local fare we initially decided to eat at long beach food center. upon arrival we realized it was too crowded and smelly, not good for freshly bathe tourists who plan to go to hard rock afterwards.

so i've decided to eat at eden seafood village, which i've read reviews and recommendations of. eden village is like a dampa restaurant. the prices of the dishes are based on the weight of the seafood, particularly fish and shellfish. other food items have fixed prices. so here are the stuff we got.

steamed red tilapia (1.15kg @ 51.75 RM), honestly, we got this one because it was the cheapest hehe. we knew we'd burn more money afterwards so we were a bit cautious on how much we're gonna order. you can never really go wrong with a simple steamed fish unless the seafood is not fresh. this one is definitely fresh, it was jumping out of the basket when the aunti took it from the tank.

baked white prawn (RM52.50) - what could go wrong with with some cheesy baked shrimps? however, wish that the shrimps were more meaty.

squid dry chilli (RM32) - a common method of cooking is with dried chilli, loads of them. this one is peppery and buttery. really good and perfect with rice. the squid was really tender.

beancurd claypot with minced chicken (RM20) - i'd rather call this mapo tofu because it tastes and looks like it. i was expecting the real beancurd claypot. this was good we all loved it, being tofu lovers that we are. but it was kinda oily.

hand pulled noodles in xo sauce (RM20) - a recommendation since it's supposed to be a special. however, i find nothing special about this. the noodles are not springy nearly soggy, so i don't know how this one is hand pulled. they didn't scrimped on the ingredients though so that's a plus. the flavor, nothing really spectacular very low key. but this was a huge plate/serving of noodles.

overall, it was great meal. no misses or utterly disappointing dish. costs roughly 40RM per person. i reckon this is relatively expensive for malaysia prices. but this is a touristy place with cultural shows during dinner time which we were able to see, not that it was impressive. but still food was good, the place might need to get renovations to be more updated.

eden seafood village

batu ferringhi

penang, malaysia

penang: tho yuen

2009-12-06T16:00:00.010+08:00

was able to spend a long weekend in penang last week. i am not sure if they call penang the food capital of malaysia. but everyone would just rave about penang food. they said you get the best of every malaysian dish in penang well maybe not all especially when it comes to bak kut teh which is best had in klang and the cendol best had in melaka.

anyway, we arrived in penang after lunch time so consequently we were starving. i've got my penang lonely planet guide and had the must try places already tagged. decided to eat at tho yuen, a chinese resto which is walking distance from the place we were staying at.

here's the food we got.

dumpling soup, the auntie decided for us, she even decided how many pieces we get. it's not like they have a fixed size for orders i guess. the stuffing the traditional pork stuffing i know - with water chestnuts. perfect for our grumbling tummies.

roasted chicken - initially wanted steamed chicken but they ran out of it. flavorful, tender and perfectly cooked.

crispy noodles - they've got a variety of noodles. we opted for this. it was good. the noodles are thin, crispy and flavorful. better devour this immediately when served so you can appreciate the crispy texture.

all of these plus rice and chinese tea costs around 72RM, shared among 7 people (yeah the servings were huge) it was a good meal. ok, maybe because we were hungry. but really, the place was packed at 2PM. can you believe that? anyway, you might consider this when out in penang.

tho yuen

jalan campbell

penang

miele guide

2009-12-01T22:32:00.002+08:00

let's see how i fare based on the miele guide.

Malaysia's Top 5 restaurants 2009/2010:

Sage Restaurant & Wine Bar, Kuala Lumpur - should probably try this place when i go shopping
Senses Restaurant, Kuala Lumpur
Neroteca, Kuala Lumpur - i'll eat here when i get the panini craving next door to my friend's place
Frangipani Restaurant & Bar, Kuala Lumpur
El Cerdo, Kuala Lumpur - eaten here

Philippines Top 5 restaurants 2009/2010:

Antonio's, Cavite (No. 17 in Asia's Top 20) - not impressed
Aubergine, Manila (No. 18 in Asia's Top 20) - on my list of must try
Mamou, Manila - steak anyone?
Abe, Manila - eaten here
Sala Restaurant, Manila - i'd be fine with sala bistro

kl: sushi zanmai

2009-12-01T22:07:00.013+08:00

fruit of my japanese craving....a trip to the gardens to eat at another japanese resto which i've read good reviews of. as far as i know, sushi zanmai is also managed by the group who owns rakuzen, so i was pretty complacent with this place.

we got chuka wakame, seasoned seaweed (RM3.80), has this refreshing flavor of the sea slightly salty with a hint of sesame which was just perfect.

sanshoku hana salmon (RM9.80) got great reviews. salmon with shrimp roe, wasabi flying fish roe and black caviar. what can i say? the salmon was extremely fresh. had this melt in your mouth texture.

softshell crab maki (RM6) is softshell crab becoming a japanese staple for me? i really don't know. this one has skinny crabs hehe i'm sure that's not the proper word to describe it. given the choice i would choose sugi anytime, but for the price? i think it's worth it.

as if these rolls were not enough, we got the stamina roll (RM12.8) too. omelette sushi roll topped with eel. unagi i heart. another jap staple for me. this one is so filling and so worth your buck.

for more carbs =), we also got yakisoba. topped with bonito shavings, i also liked this one. probably the best yakisoba i've tried by far. the small serving goes for RM8.80.

and of course i had to pair these up with a great drink. if i remember it correctly this is a honeydew green tea shake =)

good food, great ambiance...no wonder you'd often see a long queue outside.

sushi zanmai
midvalley the gardens
kuala lumpur

kl: super noodle house

2009-11-30T19:31:00.012+08:00

this resto is listed in malaysia's best eats. hard to miss since it's at the entrance of sungei wang, one of the famous malls in kl. what i love about this place aside from the great dimsum is, hongkong chili garlic oil. in other words it's the pinas version of chilli garlic oil. i've mentioned a couple of times already that they serve an asado like sauce and hot sauce for their dimsum here in malaysia which is not really apt if you ask me.

anyway, i'll just post the pictures of my previous eats as well as my friends's eats. prices of the noodles range from 7-10RM while the dimsum is around 5RM, pretty pricey for malaysian standards but same prices in pinas. i have no picture for the super yummy siu pao but they really have one of the nicest char siu pork buns i've tried. moist and soft that i could gobble 2-3 buns and for me that's a record because i don't like asado siopao.

dumpling soup

congee topped with fried bread

roasted pork noodle

hargau/hakao - a dimsum staple

crystal vegetable and pork dumpling - something like that...my friends say this is better than the siumai. haven't tried the siumai but i like this one too.

chicken feet another staple, the last time i ordered it, it wasn't as tender and as falling off the bones as it should be.

friend taro with chicken - do not order this! nuf' said.

i usually eat at this place during off hours like an early lunch at 11 am or a snack at 5pm. during those times i get great quality dimsum, all hot and all available. last time i've eaten there during lunch hour, the dimsum is cooked by batch and you have limited choices on which ever is left/available. i recommend this for pinoys working here in kl. but for those who live in manila, you can get great dimsum in a lot of our chinese restos there except for the charsiu bun of course, i have yet to find a chinese resto in manila that serves a similar siopao other than kowloon. and of course, i don't think there's a roasted pork with dry noodles noodles in manila...as far as i can remember ;).

super noodle house

at the entrance of sungei wang

jalan sultan ismail cor bukit bintang

kl: woo pin fish head noodle

2009-11-24T10:51:00.006+08:00

fish head noodle is a unique food fare and woo pin is famous for it. when i got invited to eat there i immediately said yes. they have two kinds of noodles one is fish paste which we were told is basically similar to homemade fish balls and of course fish head which is pretty much pieces of fish head.

this one has a milky flavorful broth. it was delicious, no fishy taste because the fish was fried, the serving was huge but the only downside was the the fish was bony. other than that it was really good. i forgot how much this was around 6-7RM i think.

woo pin fish head noodles @ ho a one steam boat restaurant

jalan 1/109F, taman danau desa

kuala lumpur

hours: 730am-1000pm (closed on mondays)

kl: el cerdo

2009-11-22T13:03:00.010+08:00

finally got the chance to eat at el cerdo after a lot of rescheduling. this place is famous for its cochinillo (roasted suckling pig) so after hearing mass we went to the nearby changkat bukit bintang to get ourselves a pork feast.

for appetizers we got jamon serrano with rock melon and salad (RM38).

though melon and ham is a famous combination this is the first time i was able to try it. it was really good. the jamon serrano was perfect - lightly salty and doesn't have that gamey taste which contrasted with the sweet melon. however, i would have wanted the melon to be more firm to give a contrast of textures as well.

we also got mixed appetizers (big one is 56RM). the picture is just half of the big serving.

had a lot of coldcuts, 1 pate, 1 rillete and some veggies, served with bread. i wished the bread was more crusty. the round jelly like thing in the foregound is the least favorite =).

for the mains, we got paella (RM88), they have several versions - vegetarian, seafood, and the regular i think.it's a good paella, the rice was cooked well and flavors were just right.

also got oxtail stew (RM48) served with a bowl of pasta. presentation of the pasta looked lonely (pasta at the background). i think they should reconsider the presentation. strong robust flavors, the oxtail was tender but as i've said the flavors are just a bit too strong.

the roasted pork ribs with mango chutney (RM49) was a favorite. wasn't as tender as it should be but it was acceptable, and everyone loved the buttery mashed potato which i actually didn't try.

and of course how can i leave out the star of the meal, we got one whole cochinillo at RM 219. fresh out of the oven, the server had us do the traditional cutting wherein a boy and a girl can make a wish and cut through the pig using the plate. after which, they break the plates in a bucket.

the pig was crispy and tender, it was really good. it came with a brown gravy, which i thought wasn't that apt. i dunno, maybe because of the richness of the pig, the sauce would be something that could probably counteract it...maybe a chutney of some sort or a more tart sauce. anyway, it was a good meal. the service was ok, we even got benches to put our bags on. however, we found the over bearing wait staff a bit off, we liked that they would make suggestions or would think about when to bring out the food, but having insisted on not serving the food immediately until the entire party arrived was a bit of a turn off. still we loved the food so that was a bit forgiven. all of these fed 9 people and there were a lot of excess, i reckon 1-2 additional persons would have just made it enough for everyone.

45 changkat bukit bintang

kuala lumpur

el cerdo

kl: xi men ting

2009-11-20T19:54:00.005+08:00

i'm pretty scarred with little taiwan so i'm a bit wary with taiwanese restos. but i am always up for an adventure and i am getting pretty tired with esquire and nam heong so i decided to try xi men ting the newest resto at endah parade, closest establishment from my place.

my love for noodles never cease so the yang chun noodles (RM7.90) definitely caught my attention. i like dry noodles, meaning no broth/soup so i'm happy that it comes with that option. noodles topped with sauteed ground pork that is very flavorful and some bouncy meatballs. love this dish! sometimes it just becomes inconsistent with the veggie, typically served with bakchoy but there are instances wherein they put lettuce which i don't like - like the one in the pic below.

and for my side dish, i got braised intestines (RM5). yeah, whenever i get that isaw craving i can just result to braised intestines. i also love this one. flavorful and very tender intestines.

this place has also converted into liking the sweet flowery teas too which is perfect after eating the uric acid cholesterol laden intestines =).

xi men ting
endah parade
sri petaling,kl

kl: the ship

2009-11-17T20:49:00.007+08:00

if you ask me, the ship seems to be a tourist trap of some sort. really lame restaurant with a facade like a ship and the interiors is totally lame as well. if not only for my friend who vouched that they serve decent steak, i wouldn't dine in this place.

got some freebie bread, which i decided not to post. think bread that can be had in your local bakery slightly warm with butter.

got myself a ribeye steak (RM48) which comes with a salad, you get to choose the dressing. i opted for french i think. either the dressing was too old or was bottled dressing dunno which, nothing special not even decent if you ask me. came in a small bowl actually the picture just makes it look bigger.

my steak had a couple of side dishes, brocolli, tomato, corn and baked potato of which you will be asked what topping you want and i said everything hehe...sour cream, bacon bits and spring onions.

nothing remarkable, i now even think it is pricey. i haven't really had steak in restos except for myron's which i reckon is far much better i wouldn't mind the couple of extra bucks for a better steak. there are other offerings like the minute steak (RM30), a lot cheaper and probably more worth your ringgit.

the ship

bukit bintang

jalan sultan ismail

check out their site for other branches

the ship

kl: yogurt boyz

2009-11-06T22:42:00.005+08:00

thank god for that impromptu dinner because we discovered yogurt boyz. i have been looking for froyo in kl ever since i got here. kept searching in the internet and failed to find one. the pink neon signs of yogurt boyz caught our attention. so we said, we're gonna get dessert there.

this is my best kl food find by far and the best froyo i have ever tasted. the froyo is creamy with a hint of tartness, just enough to remind you that it's still yogurt. the picture above is a large serving which i forgot how much, i usually order the regular size, original flavor with one topping which costs roughly 50-55 pesos. the syrup is free, you can choose between strawberry or chocolate. so among the 3 yogurt places i have tried, yoh-gurt froz, yogurbud and californiaberry, this one beats them all. affordable and yet so delish, the serving might be smaller than the ones in manila, but i think it's just right.

anyway, i have yet to try red mango, white hat and tutti frutti in megamall. i wonder when pinkberry will come over to manila. by the end of 2009, i ought to declare which is the best froyo for me hehe.

we've discovered yogurt boyz a couple of months ago, since then i found out that there's a lot of froyo places in sunway mall. which is totally inaccessible from my place, good thing yogurt boyz is uber close to my place.

yogurt boyz

jalan radin

sri petaling, kuala lumpur