Glutton on a Budget | Perhaps Another Philippine Food Blog

3rd place, 10th Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award (2012)

2012-05-31T20:51:00.001+08:00

My family and friends always get a kick out of seeing my name or face on newsprint or glossies. My parents, especially, would see to it that a copy of the issue is kept safe in their homes. It is not a common occurrence, after all, because I am not a regular contributor to any of the local titles, and the trade publication I work for does not publish the names of its copy editors in any of the magazines' print, electronic, Web and iPad app versions.

Today is no different as Philippine Daily Inquirer publishes Micky Fenix’s article announcing the 2012 winners of the Doreen Gamboa Fernandez Food Writing Award with my name--spelled correctly!--and photo. Granted, my essay “Perfecting Leche Flan” didn’t win top prize, but placing third already is a huge honor and makes me happier than a 5-year-old toting a bag of candies. I am truly lucky to win anything on my first writing competition, and perhaps I will join more contests in the future.

To make things even more special, the DGF Food Writing Award is celebrating its 10th year and DGF's 10th death anniversary with a book to be launched in September. “Savor the Word” will compile all of the winning essays in the competition’s decade-long run. This year’s winners--the three placers and two honorable mentions--will fill the last chapter, which is to aptly cover panghimagas or dessert.

The awarding ceremony for this year's winners will be held together with the book launch. That means I have several months to keep in my excitement. I. Can't. Wait.

2012 has been very generous to me so far. A series of fortunate events, indeed, and so I'm taking very good care of my luck, grateful for everything, hoping to sustain it for as long as I can.

I know Doreen Fernandez's life and work will continue to inspire writers and food lovers to keep Filipino cuisine and culture's fire burning for many decades to come. Congratulations to all the winners!

(Read the full PDI article here.)

C' Italian Dining, Pampanga - Rolling panizza with my homies

2012-05-21T21:04:00.003+08:00

Good friends are hard to find, and best friends come very rarely. But I believe you also get only one chance to make lifelong friends.

Timing is everything when it comes to finding people with whom you'd share a mix of kinship, history, limitless understanding and lots of laughter. They will be the low-maintenance sisters you'd love hanging out with no matter the conditions. They will be the ones who would know your deepest darkest secrets and will protect them with their lives. They will see you at your ugliest but will never judge. They will be the angels and demons who make everything bearable, and you'll find them in high school. I did. And although we don't see each other as often as we did back then, nothing is lost in-between those moments when we actually do.

No, I'm not being cheesy. The panizza we had at C' Italian Dining could've been cheesier. We had a rare late lunch there a while ago. The pack was missing one because she was busy with noble things, and so we did a noble thing as well: we ate for her. We ate like hungry lionesses who couldn't wait to drag the hunt back to the den.

C' Italian is difficult to get to for Manila folks. It's along one of the inner streets of Angeles, Pampanga, which is about 1.5 hours away by car from Quezon City. You'd also have to bear passing by several girly bars on the way.

We arrived late--very late--for lunch. On the road, we moved our reservation, but there were only three tables occupied when we arrived so it didn't matter. We chose a table tucked in a corner to feign privacy and immediately ordered food.

Panizza? Of course!

Veggies? Of course, not!

Ceasar salad? Oh, come on.

Pumpkin soup? Sounds good.

Mozzarella sticks? Sure.

Just two sticks for this price? No effin' way.

Risotto? Pasta? Cool.

The complementary bread and pesto-olive oil dip were very much appreciated. Those and the small bowl of soup we all shared warmed up our stomachs well for the feast that came soon after.

The panizza was incredible, as expected. Each order of panizza at C' Italian comes with a hefty bowl of arugula and alfalfa leaves.

For the uninitiated, panizza is a type of pizza with a very, very thin crust. The crust is crispy but not brittle. It is pliant enough to roll easily but still gives off a crunch in every bite. Don't be scared to generously top arugula and alfalfa leaves on your slice. (Or should I say strip?) Next, gently roll over the panizza to wrap the greens as if you're rolling lumpia or sushi or cigar or, uh, nevermind.

You'd love it, I swear. The panizza roll, I mean. Take a huge bite. Nibble on it. Or pop the whole thing in your mouth if you can. Whatever rocks your boat. What we got a kick out of is DIY-ing our way to our food while catching up on good old gossip.

The panizza will set you back more than Php 500 each, but the price is worth the serving size, the experience and the gustatory journey.

Another notable was the Risotto con Frutti di Mare. I couldn't savor it enough. How fragile and subtle the fattened rice grains carried the flavors! I can probably finish the bowl on my own, but that wouldn't be wise. With a price tag of over Php 700, it's better to share.

C' Italian's prices are steep, without a doubt, which is quite sad because I would love to experience the food as often as possible. But there is a problem of access. Geographically and financially, C' Italian is not very accessible, and so most of us pay a visit on special occasions.

And an occasion such as welcoming a friend back home for a quick visit, with all of us spending some time together like before, is always special. It definitely called for C' Italian.

With fuller stomachs, soothed souls and bigger smiles, we left C' Italian to drop by a nearby mall and drive back to Manila for, what else, dinner!

Eating is nourishment, in more ways than one. And nothing is more satisfying than the nourishment you get by eating with kindred spirits.

Lugaw, Goto or Arroz Caldo (Filipino Rice Porridge or Congee)

2012-05-15T20:13:00.001+08:00

In Western media, New Year's Eve is always portrayed as the holiday to celebrate with the grandest of festivities, if not wild abandon. A party ensues leading to the synchronous countdown, making the anticipation more extravagant than the split-second main event. Yet there is undeniable magic -- an electricity that flows through the crowd, through TV screens, through your veins -- while numbers are chanted in unison. And the longer it takes, the stronger everyone is pulled to each other. We see it happen in the movies, in books, in real people's experiences. They end up finding themselves closer to the next person, then they touch, then look, and the magnet simply continues to pull.

This is not the New Year's Eve I grew up with, definitely nothing like it in my Philippine childhood. Perhaps mine was noisier, with hours, and sometimes even days, of booming firecrackers, the height of which cancels out any other sound before and after midnight, resulting in trash-covered streets, smoke-filled lungs and the blackest of nostrils. Sinturon ni Hudas, Bawang and Super Lolo were the stars of the night, to the delight of drunk merrymakers. One the next day, however, we would count the many annihilated fingers with whatever was left, to the dismay of the sober and the young. Even toes weren't spared.

This kind of toxic and dangerous revelry has faded through the years, leaving us with toned down fireworks and noisemakers. Yet that general mood, which only arises at this occasion, still lives on. This compelling intensity comes from the rare moment that millions of people become one. Our attention is centered on one thing, making us all part of a civilization whose existence and enormity everybody forgets during the other 364 days. And so we scream our lungs out and rip our faces with smiles, drunk in the disbelief that we are part of a whole. The phantasm of life overwhelms us as the years eclipse, although it's just another midnight, just another change in dates. But it is only on this night when reality grows too big for human understanding, causing emotions to overflow more with every glass of wine.

After all the grand celebration, the jumping-my-ass-off-while-shaking-the-coins-in-my-polka-dot-pockets, and the inhalation of the fumes of fountains, fireworks and sparklers, we would feast on food prepared the whole day of the 31st. The first thing I would get is a bowl of piping hot arroz caldo, cooked in an intentionally enormous amount so that we can also eat it for breakfast in a few hours.

Perfect food for sick days, arroz caldo literally translates to "rice hot". So I guess "piping hot arroz caldo" is redundant. But do not be confused with the terminology. Arroz caldo is the rice porridge with chicken. If it is with beef tripe, then it is called "goto". If it is plain rice porridge, then it should answer to "lugaw". Sometimes, a hard-boiled egg is added for more love. All these go well with a pinch of our own small yet powerful citrus--the calamansi. To amp up this gastronomic experience, bowls are often topped with chopped spring onions, toasted garlic and, everyone's favorite, crushed chicharon (pork rind cracklings).

How to cook lugaw, goto or arroz caldo

For us Filipinos, cooking lugaw or any variation thereof shouldn't be difficult. It's just like our traditional way of cooking rice, only with too much water.

In a thick stock pot or saingan (caldero), sauté the garlic, onion and ginger. Add in the pieces of chicken (for arroz caldo) or tripe (for goto) then patis (fish sauce) for flavor. Wait for a few minutes until the meat cooks a little. If you are using chicken, you'd want the meat to turn white, which is an indicator that it has mildly cooked. Pour in the chicken stock and uncooked regular or sticky rice. If you don't feel like preparing chicken stock, water with chicken broth cubes is fine. That's cheating, of course.

While the rice is being cooked over low or medium fire, keep on stirring for 45 to 60 minutes or until it becomes glutinous but not liquefied. You can still adjust the taste with patis, black pepper or water.

For plain steamed rice, the ratio of rice to water is usually 1:1. For lugaw, goto and arroz caldo, it's good to bring that ratio to about 1:5. You can add water later on depending on your preferred consistency.

I like my rice porridge dense and not soupy, just like my New Year's Eves--packed with emotions without turning bloody.

Pat-Pat's Kansi (Ilonggo Bulalo or Beef Shank with Marrow soup)

2012-04-27T18:52:00.000+08:00

While filming for the Manila episode of Saran ja Meri-Tuulin Metropolit (see Behind the scenes with Finland TV and Manila in Finland. Finland in Manila.), we made a few stops to nourish ourselves. One of our lunches turned out to be a quick lesson in Iloilo cuisine, thanks to Ms. Ana who suggested the restuarant.

Pat Pat's Kansi in Makati City is home to, well, kansi, which is the Ilonggo version of bulalo. Kansi is like bulalo in every sense, except that it's sour.

Let that blow your mind for a while, sinigang fanatics. Yes, kansi would be the child of sinigang and bulalo if they ever make sour and fatty love together. One gives the bone marrow, the other the pinch of sourness. The result: a freak that is so right.

Pat Pat's Kansi's dining area is open, with a roof and a few walls. There is no door coming from the driveway, similar to your neighborhood carinderia, tapsilogan or pares house. The back of the restaurant looks like the back of a residence.

Immediately upon entering, we ordered single-serving bowls of kansi. Each arrived containing a huge cut of bone with overflowing marrow.
Look at that. Isn't it a beauty?

Bulalo is already a well-loved beef soup in the Philippines. We Filipinos do not only enjoy sipping the hot broth but also tapping out the marrow with a spoon. We like the marrow full and bulging, smooth and creamy. It is more melt-in-your-mouth than a handful of M&M's on a hot day. There is nothing better than knowing you're eating something so rich, it can be sinful.

The soup is meant to be slurped as soon as served and in-between bites. The rice is meant to be swimming in it, and you're meant to be in that very non-air-conditioned surrounding to make the experience more excruciatingly divine as you sweat more profusely than you hope to. It's okay. You're good. Nobody's looking.
To amp up the protein, order the very familiar sisig. It has a saltiness that complements the kansi. I prefer my sisig crispier, but I didn't mind Pat Pat's Kansi's version at all.
Ms. Ann urged us to try the lumpiang ubod. It is not your typical lumpia, she claimed. It is dry and does not come with sauce. It doesn't need any. There is a slight sweetness that, even on a full stomach, makes it a welcome end to a satisfying meal. It reminded me of a similar lumpia we order from a family friend. It has the same wrapper, comes in the same size, tastes similarly and doesn't need sauce as well. I wonder if we get from one supplier.

The lunch was quick, but aside from a gastronomic feast, I also gained new knowledge. I didn't have any idea Iloilo had its own take on the bulalo, even more, that a sour bulalo exists. Genius.

Pat Pat's Kansi is located at 8809 Sampaloc Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City.

(After this visit, I noticed an empty unit along Visayas Avenue in Quezon City with a Pat Pat's Kansi signage. It looked old and dirty, with graffiti in front. I should've known about it when it was still operational. Come back?)

Bellissimo Bellevue!

2012-04-24T16:17:00.000+08:00

Here's something that came in the mail. If you're looking to have an Italian experience or sample Italian cuisine in one go, the Italian Food Festival at The Bellevue Manila might be something you'd want to check out. I haven't been to the hotel nor have I tried any of their restaurants because I loiter in the northern part of the metro, but I've been hearing well of their fine dining Chinese restaurant Phoenix Court from friends, although this festival will of course be at The Bellevue Manila's all-day buffet restaurant Café d’Asie.

Press release from The Bellevue Manila:

There’s more to great Italian dining than pasta, pizza and panini! Let The Bellevue, the best 5-star hotel in the Southern Metro, take you closer to the sprawling wineries and quintessential cities of Italy for an authentic Italian dining at its main dining outlet Café d’Asie. Experience a soulful gastronomic journey around Italy and discover the cultural flavors of each of its 20 regions for an Italian Food Festival dubbed “I Love Italy” from April 26 to 30. The Bellevue’s Italian chef Tonino Ianocceli shall titillate your taste buds with a live cooking station and mouth-watering buffet of specialties.

Savor the richness of flavors from its northern region in Lombardy through its creamy risotto and the irresistible array of pizzas coming from its southern region as far as Sicilia. Indulge in a bed of succulent antipasti from prosciutto di parma, carpaccio, panacetta, to smoked salmon and cold seafoods. Take pleasure in a serving of insalata rich with fresh greens, herbs and dressings; a wide array of famous formaggio from the cheese capital of Piemonte. Get acquainted with its traditional meat dishes comprising of beef (bue), pork (miale), chicken (pollo), lamb (agnello), veal (vitello) as well as an array of pastas in a various shapes, colors, and blends. And surrender to sweet endings with heavenly dolce de frutta such as panna cotta, creambrulee, cioccolato, gelato, tiramisu.

For just P1, 390nett, you can avail of this special lunch and dinner buffet that go along with a free glass of red wine. Bon appétit! For inquiries, call 771-8181, 09178718181 or 09188718181.

Ukokkei Ramen Ron, Makati City

2012-04-22T20:29:00.000+08:00

My friends and I were just discussing ramen a couple of nights ago. They have diverse ramen house favorites, and all feel strongly about their picks. One swears by Ukokkei Ramen Ron, while the others shoot him down. I couldn't pit my choice of "best ramen" in Manila because I have yet to try some of their suggestions. They have different takes on Ukokkei Ramen Ron, as varied as the spelling of "Ukokkei" you'd find online. Where to put the extra "k"? Although I can't tell yet which ramen is on top of the game, I do have an opinion regarding Ukokkei Ramen Ron. Simply put, it's the ramen that you crave for the next day. I know I did.
Ukokkei Ramen Ron serves serious, highly seasoned and extremely filling ramen. If that's the fix you want, then this is the ramen house for you. It is where bold bowls await your huge appetite and tenacious taste buds. A weak palate stands no chance.

When I had an appointment near Ukokkei Ramen Ron recently, it was an opportune time to eat there since I don't frequent the area. I made sure my business ended by 6:00 p.m. to give us first dibs on a bowl of Tan Tan Men.

Supposedly, Ukokkei Ramen Ron serves 10 bowls only of Tan Tan Men every night from 6:00 p.m. It's sort of a "secret" ramen because you can't find it on the menu. But it might as well be on it because, through word of mouth and blogs such as this, a lot of people already know Tan Tan Men exists.
Tan Tan Men is not your usual miso ramen, to say the least. Its broth is not clear, unlike the regular miso, shio and shoyu variants we're more familiar with. It is thicker and has a nutty flavor given off by the ground sesame paste. A reddish hue permeates, which is your cue to brace yourself for a spicy bowl. I would say, it's not that hot. C even added hot sauce to it. But we do love our chilies. If your tolerance for spicy food is lower than average, then it's better to take caution.

Instead of meat slices, which are typical of ramen, Tan Tan Men comes with ground pork that turns the broth slightly greasier than usual, although I just learned from a friend that oil is added to the bowls before serving so you can just ask them not to. Because you can't easily consume the meat with the noodles using chopsticks, it's more convenient to eat the meat with a soup spoon. That's ramen gods' clever way of forcing you to enjoy the broth more, especially if you're like me who tends to get carried away with the noodles. And you really should enjoy it. The broth is too intense to ignore, anyway. It won't let you. I still can't determine what dish Tan Tan Men's flavors remind me of. I guess I would just have to dive back in until I do.
The miso ramen, which I got with pork, tells you what savory is all about. Despite how special Tan Tan Men is, I still prefer Ukokkei Ramen Ron's regular miso. Tan Tan Men is simply too special that I couldn't get myself to eat a lot of it. But just the same, the bold flavors of the miso make you think nothing less than blood, sweat and tears went into the soup, as if it had been stewing for years under the watchful eyes of celibate monks. Did somebody say umami?
Of course, Ukokkei Ramen Ron hires no monks, as far as I know, but there is he who they call the "ramen nazi" after Seinfeld's Soup Nazi because of his obsession with the perfect bowl. Some people fear him, but he looked awfully nice to me, focused but bearing a half-smile. He's the chef in charge. As with the other men in the kitchen, you'll see him with a white towelette (Good Morning towel, perhaps?), and if I'm not mistaken, he's the only bald guy there. I doubt that he's a monk, though. As for his strict house rules they talk about, I have not experienced them. The servers were all smiles, very nice and had deep knowledge of the food. I was also able to take pictures out in the open with no hassle. And no flash, too, of course. Not only does using flash make the food look ugly, it also disturbs other customers. And I'll be the first person in the room to complain about unruly kids or families acting as if they were still in their homes. If this "ramen nazi" is called so because he wants his customers to be considerate of each other and makes sure my food is of top quality all the time, then he doesn't fit the bill. No "nazi" can be this genuine and competent.

Ukokkei Ramen Ron's miso doesn't taste like your typical miso, either, definitely not like the miso soups you order on the side at mainstream Japanese restaurants. This miso doesn't have the same lightness and is so infused with intense flavors that it'll redefine your knowledge of miso.
If you think there is no way to elevate this ramen experience further, go order Japanese eggs to prove yourself wrong. I'm always a sucker for eggs. And these almost soft-boiled eggs, which taste as if dipped in liquor, are the perfect addition to ramen. Dunk them in or just take a bite separately.

Intense. That's the one word to describe Ukokkei Ramen Ron. It is nothing short of intense, and I guess that shows how intense the ramen master is too when it comes to his bowls. The broths full, and the noodles are not soggy. I wasn't able to finish mine, only because I was too full to take another sip or bite. I regret snacking that afternoon. And I regretted it even more the next day when all I can think of was that bowl of miso I so craved for.
I guess I should also order a shoyu bowl. And I'm looking forward to trying out Kara Miso Negi Level 5, which is the highest heat level Ukokkei Ramen Ron offers. We're always up for a heat challenge. And maybe next time, I'll reach the chicken on my own, without C's help.

Ukokkei Ramen Ron in Makati City is located at Upper G/F, Tesoro Building, 822 Arnaiz Avenue (Pasay Road). On Sundays, it is only open until lunch.

Anyone who has been at Ukokkei Ramen Ron has an unforgettable ramen story. What's yours? Is Ukokkei Ramen Ron your favorite too?

Manila in Finland. Finland in Manila.

2012-04-10T19:59:00.001+08:00

"The Philippines is better served raw.

Crazy, beauty and all."

Sara la Fountain curious about the balut.

Hi! How was your extra long weekend? Mine was heaven, only it was hot as hell. I'm pretty surprised by how many of you were still online checking blogs! For some of you who didn't visit the blog at all, I posted tips on what to do in Manila during the Holy Week. The Holy Week is now over, but these suggestions would still be useful when you have some free time. On Easter, I published an apt post about the infamous balut in the Philippines. I'm hoping it'll show balut in a different but honest light.

I was offline during most of the break, watching TV series, eating and sleeping. I got to tidy up a bit around the house but much less than I hoped for, although merely clearing a couple of boxes and bringing out the full-length mirror already made a huge difference. I could use more long weekends like that.

Anyway, back to business. Remember my Behind the scenes with Finland TV post, where I told you about this show "Saran ja Meri-Tuulin Metropolit" (Sara and Meri-Tuuli Metropolises) that filmed an episode in the Philippines earlier this year? They finally aired it last April 5! Thanks to a kind anonymous commenter for breaking the news.

While I still don't have a digital copy of the episode--I'm not even sure if I'll have one because only the local team promised me that--you can stream and watch the whole thing on this page: http://www.ruutu.fi/video?vt=video_episode&vid=373786.

It's a bit difficult to load and will not do so on Google Chrome. The video streaming requires a hi-speed internet connection, and it has ads (toilet breaks!). They got my surname wrong, and there's no English subtitle for the Finnish dialogue. No matter, all these are worth seeing the episode for. It's always awesome to know a foreign country is getting to know yours. And C and I had major laughs watching me on it.

Laughing the nerves away

Being an unprepared, unscripted reality TV food guide virgin, I know I look quite clumsy on the show (And seriously untelegenic! How to project on camera?), but my whole heart was into it. Of course, pre-drafted questions would've been useful to save me from thinking on the spot and dish out value-rich answers. My brain doesn't work much when my nerves are taking over. Their editing is great, though. A lot of things had to be omitted due to time constraints, I guess. I just hope I, along with the other "local hosts", was able to give Finland a taste of Manila.

With that being said, let me give you a taste of the episode with these screenshots. I don't know if they mentioned Glutton on a Budget at all. But in addition to me, the show also featured Wild Country Motors, Team Manila, Chef's Table, a rice paddy and the farmers, the beach and a beachfront resort, and Light & Space Contemporary, which I find to be a pretty wicked art gallery and look forward to visiting soon. The Finland team booked us all with the help of the Manila team they hired. We didn't have to audition nor had much input in the story line, but it was my idea to go to Quiapo for the street food, and I'm psyched they went along with it.

Let's give our country and our culture more exposure, shall we? We don't need to show them just the good. Definitely, not just the bad. We can also let them know about the ugly. The Philippines is better served raw. Crazy, beauty and all.

They couldn't get enough of the jeep!

Meri-Tuuli Lindström loving the chili vinegar dip for the kwek kwek and tokneneng.

Can you spot C doing his own filming?

I look like a well-behaved child.

Munching on biko.

Dunno what I was saying. But I'm sure it's leading to good bye.

So what do you think about the episode? Will them Finns start flying to the Philippines in droves?

Balut (Fertilized Duck Egg)

2012-04-08T16:23:00.001+08:00

Much has been said about balut. People say it's the epitome of exotic food, the proof that Filipino cuisine is disgusting, the embodiment of everything wrong with immoral, backward and uncivilized humanity.

Many have passed judgment. Others have puked in their mouths. But we can't ignore the fact that some have fallen in love or hold no opinion at all. Are they crazy to nonchalantly crave for boiled duck fetuses? Are they utterly morbid, prowling the streets for vendors of death? Are they sadists, who extract pure pleasure from innocent ducklings' grief?

What if the answer is none of the above? Preposterous? Perhaps they're regular sane people who happen to have tried balut and found it pretty awesome. After all, at the end of the day, it's just food, right? Maybe.

There have been few who bravely tried to cast light on the perceived edible monster. Fewer still were successful. Is balut really a hapless victim of skewed minds and taste buds?

From the get-go, balut looks like any other egg, an off-white spherical embryo. You see it sold by street vendors all around the Philippines carrying basketfuls cradled in cotton fabric to keep the heat in. It's typically packaged in pouches made out of newspaper and eaten plain or with a seasoning of salt. Others prefer the punch of vinegar and chilies.

It's a duck egg fertilized through unnatural incubation for ideally 17 days then boiled. You therefore get the usual hard-boiled egg, only soupy, has this white cartilagelike mass called bato (stone) and bears a baby duck. Bonus!
It is cracked open on the rounder end. Just give it a good bang on a hard surface such as a table or a wall, no need to tap with a spoon like a snooty socialite. Then slowly peel off the shell to reveal a membrane covering the magic waiting inside.

Ever carefully, take off the top of that membrane. I say carefully because there is the soup that can easily trickle down your hand. If it does, then you'll miss the, arguably, best part of balut.

Sprinkle a bit of salt or just slurp plain and straight up. It's among the most flavorful yet subtle broth nature can give you. Every drop counts so slurp well. Just imagine holding a delicate jigger in the shape of an egg. Bottoms up!

A familiar edible will then welcome you into the strange, encouraging you to peel off the shell some more. The hard-boiled egg yolk is the comfortable appetizer after the savory broth. The only difference would be the seeming presence of veins. The yolk does not look as clean nor yellow as the chicken's, but it's still the same gooey custard you know and probably love.
For the main event, you can either scoop the whole thing out to take a bite or eat it off the shell. If incubated just long enough, the duckling shouldn't be too hairy, and the bones are just hard enough for a good crunch. If the duckling looks as if it could've already gone to law school, brandishing a deadly beak and wearing a thick coat of hair like a shih tzu, then merely ignore the old fella. Others would still eat it, but all would probably agree that it wasn't the ideal.

To cap off your journey into what you thought was an abyss, nibble on the bato. It is not really as hard as stone. Again, when incubated just long enough, the white solid would have nice texture and rigidity for a fun chew. If you're lucky, you might even get a bit of soup waiting for you at the bottom of the shell, leaving you with the last taste that will keep you coming back for more.
Balut is perhaps a misunderstood egg whose reputation precedes it by continents. Could it be no stranger than eating chicken eggs, which would've hatched into life themselves if not harvested? Could it be no more gruesome than killing cows and pigs for their wonderful meat, picking flowers for their beauty or plucking fruits and vegetables for their freshness? Could it be no more cruel than eating raw tuna and sea urchin? Could balut simply be a mini protein-rich 4-course meal in a shell?

We all learned from the Ugly Duckling, didn't we?

Happy Easter!

5 ways to have an awesome staycation in Manila this Holy Week

2012-04-05T09:12:00.000+08:00

You had a late night, pushing your body just because you know the alarm won't go off early the next morning. It was a night of celebration, capping off months of pencil pushing and heavy lifting with no respite. Finally you're getting a break. And not just any break, but an extra long weekend, something that you so deserve. So you stayed up late and woke up late. You're not getting out of bed for anything. And it suddenly dawns on you. You have five days off from deadlines, proposals and reports. You will not hear from demanding bosses, chatty co-workers and unreliable subordinates. In fact, you will not hear from anyone and anything. There is nothing you have to do. Now what?

Today is the start of the 5-day break we've all been waiting for. I'm sure you miss long weekends as much as I do. I may be the opposite of a GMA fangirl, but I'm definitely all for holiday economics.

If you’re like me, preferring to stay in and embrace Manila whenever the flock flees to scorching hot beaches or slightly cooler climates, then you’d find these tips useful. They’re not for observing Lent. Rather, they’re for making the most out of your days off no matter what your faith is, if you have any. I mean, if we can’t have more of these holidays, might as well use them to our greatest advantage.

How to have an awesome staycation

1. Have a feast

Gather 'round your family and/or friends. Host the banquet or go potluck. We Filipinos do everything over food. It's how we strengthen bonds with each other and get to know strangers.

My friends and I have an annual potluck get-together every Good Friday. All kinds of food and drinks are available to offer an option to those who observe certain restrictions. To others, this is the one occasion for throwing all restrictions out the window. The common ground is to see it as a celebration of sorts—friendship, life, love and chance.

Family-wise, I greet Easter sunrise with Father and Not-So-Little Man. This year, we plan to make breakfast a little more special.

Having a feast would be an awesome annual event. Regardless of your spiritual beliefs, it’s great to be part of a tradition, whether you’re only following it or pioneering one. Do something that you would always do every Holy Week, be it having a picnic, trying out a new sport or getting a haircut.

What’s your tradition during Holy Week that brings you closer to the people in your life, or maybe to yourself?

2. Clean

That doesn’t sound so great, I know. But it’s much better in practice.

When your environment is dirty and cluttered, so will be your mind. And what we want to get out of any staycation is tranquility and rejuvenation. So let peace start in your home. Or maybe just in your room. Closet? Okay, fine, on your bed. Baby steps.

3. Read

Pick up that book you’ve been putting off for months because you claim you’re too busy. Now is the opportune time to flip through those pages. When you get lost in your choice of literature, you won’t notice the sinful summer solstice you’re baking in. You’ll keep your sanity, and come out of your staycation with new knowledge and experience, and another book off your list.

If you’re not big on books or ebooks, you can collate articles you’ve found online and use any reader or print them out. I do this a lot. The few really good mid-length ones, I print out for easier, more enjoyable reading. I have a thing for text on paper. I plan to bind them all someday.

4. Socialize

You’re not alone. There are likeminded individuals also on staycation. Touch base with friends who are also in the city. Without the pressure of school or work, you won’t be in a hurry and will have all the time in the world to catch up, hang out, stare at each other and remind yourselves what this thing called friendship is all about.

I check with my closest friends if they’re free and set a date, during which we can make up for lost time over a couple of beers. Although we don’t see each other every day or for months, it’s nice to know that changes nothing.

5. Discover a place

Visit a place in Manila you’ve never been to before or you haven’t gone to in a loooong time. The longer, the better.

Off the top of my head, the places I would most definitely want to see again are Children’s Park, Parks & Wildlife and the Planetarium. The places I would want to check out are Light & Space Contemporary and The Mind Museum.

Where do you think is the best place to see in Manila? Is there any part of the metro you’ve never explored?

These are just a few things you can do for the next five days. Perhaps you already have a to-do list. What are your plans? Any suggestions how to make this staycation better?

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss

2012-03-28T15:05:00.000+08:00

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss opened a couple of months ago at the tail-end of the ramen craze in Manila, but that doesn't mean we have stopped eating ramen. With the hype settling down, our ramen choices have just become smarter, and only the strong houses remain on top of the game.

C and I first visited Moshi Koshi after the frenzy that surrounded its opening. Expecting a bigger space, I was surprised at how minimalist and small it really was inside. But small does not equate to crowded. The dining layout was well-planned, with tables and chairs providing enough room to sit and eat comfortably. White dominated the area with touches of wood. While that may sound like a traditional Japanese vibe, Moshi Koshi is as casual and modern as a ramen house could be.

Koshi, as you would learn from the paper table mats, is "that sweet state of a noodle that is tender and chewy, firm but not hard, with resistance to the bite". In words more familiar to us, koshi means al dente. Pretty gutsy for a noodle house to put that in its name. Mix that with "noodle boss" and you'd have high expectations upon hearing the name alone.

As soon as you enter Moshi Koshi, you will be greeted by a large menu on the wall. You can hang out there and order right at the counter beside it. If you need more time, just grab one of the menu printouts and think your choices through at a table. You would still have to order and pay at the counter yourself.

Whenever you're at a ramen house, it's a no-brainer to order the miso ramen, and so we did.

Miso is not my favorite soup. In fact, rarely do I finish a bowl of miso soup even at esteemed restaurants. One by one, however, I am discovering places offering miso soup that agrees with me. Moshi Koshi's Miso Ramen (Php 220) is not on top of my list, but I don't shy away from it either. While the broth tasted too porky for my style, I cleaned out my first bowl like it was nobody's business.

Next on the list were Soba Tempura (Php 160) and Shio Butter Corn Ramen (Php 195). Between the two, I liked the former more because it is less familiar. Shio Butter Corn Ramen reminded me too much of Maggi instant noodles during my childhood. That is not to say Moshi Koshi's freshly made noodles are similar to instant noodles. There is a huge difference in texture alone, yet the light salt-based soup and curly ramen were just too close to home.

The soba, although supposedly the thin noodle, seemed thick to me yet very al dente. I enjoyed it. Even without the tempura, I couldn't get enough of the noodles. But let's talk about the tempura for a while. The prawns weren't much of a prawn. They were small and buried in too thick a breading that half of the time, I was eating breading. Is it because of the cost, or perhaps the delivery that day wasn't as usual?

I didn't finish the broth. There was nothing wrong with it. I was just too full already. I liked this broth better than the shio as well.

On two visits, our noodle soups were accompanied with an order of gyoza (Php 80). It's the perfect protein addition and breaker if you simply want to reset your palate. The wrapper opens easily to the bite but does not break between the chopsticks. It is not stuffed to the brim, so also not challenging to manage. I can bite off half of the gyoza and put the other half down for later consumption.

They say there's a new noodle boss in town. I say, if it were a competition, Moshi Koshi isn't fooling around. It's definitely not high-end but has more of laid-back approach to ramen. Nonetheless, in four out of four bowls, the quality of the noodles was beyond reproach, which is as expected since the noodles are made in-store. You can even watch through the glass window the machine flattening and cutting the noodles. Be careful, though. It's hypnotic.

Now add that to reasonable prices and surprisingly filling servings, and Moshi Koshi has instantly become one of the restaurants I would always consider eating at. I can't wait to try their rice dishes and the yakisoba. I'll let you know when I do.

Moshi Koshi Noodle Boss is located along Shaw Boulevard in Mandaluyong City. Yes, on the other side of EDSA from SM Megamall and Shangri-la Mall. Coming from EDSA and Star Mall, you can see it on your right across the street from Pure Gold and beside Red Ribbon.

Where do you go for a quick ramen fix? Is Moshi Koshi on top of your list?

Caramia's Mocha Straciatella gelato

2012-03-26T06:21:00.000+08:00

Hi there! How was your weekend? Yeah, mine's over too.

I know, I know. We all want it to be longer than it was. But we really can't do anything about it. At least not yet. So instead of sulking on a Monday because it's, well, Monday, let's start the week right, shall we?

Here, have a Mocha Straciatella gelato from Caramia.

I haven't tried all the flavors, but this is my favorite so far. And I just absolutely love sugar and waffle cones.

Monday sucks because we treat it like a Monday. Why don't we make it a Friday instead? That way, we'll have two!

Have a great week everyone!

P.S. Caramia's scoop of gelato goes for P75 if you have it to-go. If not, you'll have to pay the standard service charge. I know, right? On top of that, crew at the Ayala Triangle Gardens isn't the friendliest of them all. So just grab and go as quickly as you can.

Red Ribbon's Pork Empanada (stuffed pastry)

2012-03-21T21:48:00.001+08:00

Update (May 18, 2012): Red Ribbon has phased out its Pork Empanada, to my deep sadness. But Chicken Empanada is still available.

Of all the painful and pleasurable things that Spain brought to our country, it was only in food that they didn't sin against any of us, perhaps unintentionally. It's no secret that I love my paellas, sautes and garlic, but among the baked goods, pork empanada is one of my favorites. Sadly, I rarely get to eat empanada because it's difficult to come across one that I like.

Okay, that's just half true. Years ago when I first tried Red Ribbon's pork empanada, I instantly fell in love with it. The only problem is, at P23 per piece, I find it expensive for its size. I would have to consume at least three before I get within the vicinity of digestively satisfied. That amounts to almost P70 already.
But why am I complaining? I don't know how to make delicious empanada such as Red Ribbon's. For now, I should just shut up and burn some cash.

Before I shut up, though, let me tell you a thing or two about Red Ribbon's pork empanada.

The bread is tender and not crumbly at all because the empanada is baked. Very tasty, too, on its own. There is a slight sweetness that makes the pastry more scrumptious. The shell is also thick enough to carry the ground pork filling and at the same time complement the fiesta of flavors that await your bite inside.
And when you do take that bite, you don’t need to explore too far to reach the meat, no need to ingest half of the bread before finding the treasure. It lives up to the name “stuffed pastry”. Hurrah! It also doesn’t cheat its way to your stomach. The filling really is meat--no excessive fat, beans or vegetables.

I should learn how to make empanada. But first, I should buy an oven. I like fried empanada, too, especially Ilocos empanada, but the baked one like Red Ribbon's is more my type. In fact, I eat Ilocos empanada with rice and not as a snack.
While waiting for my oven or, more accurately, the budget for my oven, I shall browse the Internet for pork empanada recipes. Hopefully, by experimenting with a few, I will arrive at the empanada that is absolutely to die for. How awesome would that be?

Do you have an empanada recipe to share? Where do you get the best empanada?

Why I dropped out of the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger Search

2012-03-15T18:38:00.000+08:00

Some of you have noticed that I posted an entry last year titled Sooo Me. Sooo Pinoy. to join the Sooo Pinoy Ultimate Food Blogger Search. Yes, I sent it in, and I was lucky to be in the Top 20 to qualify for Round 2. I was of course ecstatic, but I chose not to go through with it. And for those asking why, here are a couple of reasons:

1) I find that the contest could've been more organized and better planned right from the beginning.

2) Although I saw the list of Round 1 winning entries Sooo Pinoy posted on its Facebook page a few days before the deadline for Round 2, I didn't receive an official email notification, which I deemed necessary and was what the post indicated as well, together with the set of instructions for Round 2.

I did not "officially" withdraw from the contest. I just didn't join Round 2, which required the top 20 bloggers to visit a restaurant from a given list and write an in-depth entry about it.

The contest is full of good intentions, and it is a serious logistics nightmare to organize a 101-restaurant tour around the Philippines. It will be great for Filipino cuisine and an equally great experience for anyone who would become the "ultimate food blogger". That is my only loss for not going through with it: I can no longer have the chance to be The Winner.

To console my principled self and with my newfound commitment to be educated about Filipino food, I am set to explore on my own. It will not be as hyped up, large-scale and exciting or perhaps hectic as being the entitled blogger, but it will be enjoyable and enlightening for myself despite the much limited budget and restricted access. I believe in every word I wrote in my entry, and doing it was inspiring.

That said, good luck to the bloggers who are still in the running! I'm actually looking forward to the first "official" blog post.

Healthy dinner FAIL

2012-03-08T20:40:00.000+08:00

Whenever I'm too tired, lazy or busy to cook dinner, which has often been the case lately, I buy food before going home. Although I have tons of choices that I would love to explore, I need to eat healthily when I'm dining with Mother because of her high cholesterol.

I heard Starbucks has supposedly good gourmet sandwiches. I tried something with tuna and dill in it, and I didn't like, but I went ahead and tried Starbucks again. I got Mother the Greek chicken wrapped in pita bread, while I indulged in the Vigan Longaniza, Egg and Mozzarella on Whole Wheat Pandesal.

Trust to me to add some kind of greasy, meaty perverse twist to "eating healthily".

I hate wheat bread. But in a sandwich like this, I don't know why Starbucks even bothered! Anything with longganisa, egg and cheese definitely goes the opposite direction of what wheat is trying to achieve. True enough, with how much I was tripping on the three, I didn't even notice I was eating whole wheat. I was tripping not because the flavors were awesome but because I found the combination whack. The longganisa could in fact use a lot of punch.

The egg is scrambled, while the longganisa is sliced flat so don't worry about it being messy or complicated. It's a bit filling. Good enough for a light dinner before going to bed, I guess. To some, it may be pricey for a sandwich at Php 110, especially since it's not packing serious meat. I can get a Brothers Burger with that in my wallet.

If you're wondering, Mother liked the chicken wrap, although it looked so small and sad to me.

There's a thrill in trying out dubious healthy food. I'm pretty adventurous so I'm gonna dive in again. What sandwich would you recommend I buy at Starbucks? Are there really good ones?

Guess how many ramen bowls were consumed in 2011

2012-03-06T10:25:00.000+08:00

If you were alive last year, I'm sure you noticed this crazy obsession with ramen among Manila dwellers, which isn't so bad because it gave birth to a lot of ramen choices, and ramen houses are now continuously improving their bowls to best others. Any friendly competition leaves us, the customers, winners.

Have you tried to imagine how many bowls of ramen we consumed last year? 100,000, perhaps? Or maybe a million? What about the world's consumption? Ah, there we gotta think big.

The people at Hack College made an infographic to show us just how much the world loved ramen in 2011. I wonder how many were eaten by Filipinos.

For the record, I love Nissin.

Created by: Hack College

Rachel Bilson for Magnum by Karl Lagerfeld

2012-03-05T12:49:00.000+08:00

Hello?! Rachel Bilson as endorser?

Karl Largerfeld as director?

Top male model Baptiste Giabiconi as co-star? And three short films at that?

Talk about sozy! Why wasn't Magnum ice cream launched here with the same extravagance? Okay, we don't have anybody near the likes of these three, but a bongga TVC would do.

Check out the three videos below.

Magnum ice cream bars now in the Philippines!

2012-03-04T01:37:00.002+08:00

I had to claim my prize as soon as I finished my exam in graduate school, which was one of the reasons I kept myself from blogging this week. What better prize to claim than the newest frozen dessert in the country?

You guessed it, I got myself some Magnum ice cream bars!

From what I know, it just launched last Monday. I haven't really tried any Magnum ice cream bar before, so when I learned that they're now available in the Philippines, I just had to get my hands on some. I heard it was really good. As it turns out, for an ice cream bar, "good" is an understatement.
A couple of nights ago, I had to do a grocery run and decided to grab a couple of Magnum ice cream bars. I almost thought they weren't available at Landmark 'coz of the absence of posters and the like. I had to do some hunting, especially since I'm not familiar with the ice cream section.

All right, the cat's out of the bag. I'm not big on ice cream. Don't judge.
When I found the Magnum bars in the Selecta freezer, I dug around for flavor options but only found two: Classic and Almond. I think they only brought three flavors into the country. The third one is the elusive Truffle. I kinda feel bad because I'm crazy about dark chocolate and can't wait to try the Magnum Dark variant. But because I also don't like almonds (Don't judge!), I got the Classic for me and the Almond for C. I got another Classic for Mother.

At first bite, Magnum Classic was heaven. The Belgian chocolate coating was a clear winner. It melts smoothly in your mouth and isn't too sweet. It's as if I was actually eating a chocolate bar on a stick. It's rich and very creamy. To me, it tasted like Meiji chocolate, which I absolutely adore. Sometimes, the texture resembles Hershey's but definitely not as sweet. Perhaps more of the dark version.

The chocolate coating was thick, which was good not only because we can never get enough chocolate but also because it keeps the shell from crumbling whenever you bite. It held up until my very last, which is saying a lot given how clumsy I am.
You know how they always describe ice cream to be silky? We hear it all the time that it no longer registers. "Silky ice cream" no longer means anything, and so we don't care anymore. Well, you better start caring again. Them people at Unilever aren't kidding when they say the vanilla bean ice cream in Magnum is silky. Yes, it's like silk. Have you tried feeling silk fabric with the back of your hand? Go ahead, try it now. Then take a bite off a Magnum ice cream bar. Uh-huh, silky. And the bar itself is thick, too. The whole thing is around 70g, says the wrapper.

Another thing I loved about my Magnum experience is, it brought me back to a time in my childhood when I got hooked on Pinipig Crunch. I was so crazy about it that I would buy one everyday from the Magnolia store in our school.

Texture- and flavor-wise, Magnum Classic wins. How about Magnum Almond?
I didn't try it, but according to C, the chocolate is not as rich as the coating in the Classic variant. It's milkier, and if you look at the picture, you can see the huge difference in color. It's very obvious in real life. The almonds weren't whole but generously sprinkled around the ice cream bar, and very crunchy and flavorful still. In the end, he also prefers the simpler Magnum Classic.

But I have another secret. A few days ago, before I bought from the grocery store, I already ate a Magnum ice cream bar. I rounded up some girls, who I got interested in Magnum, and ran to the nearest 7-Eleven. We didn't find the Truffle there as well. Upon inquiry, the attendant said they had Truffle bars that morning but already ran out. The next delivery will be the week after. Magnum ice cream bars must be a hit in our area because the on the following day, I visited the same branch and they were gone!

Maybe in a few days I'll get to try Magnum Truffle, but what I'm really longing for is Magnum Dark. Please, please, please, Unilever Philippines, bring in Magnum Dark soon.
If you buy at the supermarket, Magnum ice cream bars go for Php 50, which, according to my cashier, was pricey for an ice cream bar. Judging from her hand gesture, she was comparing the price with pint size ice cream's. I can't tell since I don't buy any. As expected, it's even more expensive from 7-Eleven at Php 60 apiece. I didn't mind. The ice cream bar was well worth it.

I have an issue with the wooden stick that holds it up, though. The wooden taste is so strong that I almost don't want to consume my ice cream entirely. But I don't have the heart to throw the stick away with Belgian chocolate and some ice cream still attached to it. What a dilemma! I really hate the taste of the stick :(

To those wondering if Magnum is imported, yes, it is. Don't be confused by the Selecta logo. While Selecta did start out as a 100% Filipino brand, Unilever, an international company, now co-owns it with the local RFM Corp. You'll see the same logo under the Wall's brand in the UK. Magnum ice cream is a Unilever product, and has been around for years but was only launched in the Philippines this week and in the US last year.

But, does it really matter? Imported or not. Good food is good food.

My 2012 food trend predictions

2012-02-23T16:54:00.000+08:00

I received an e-mail from a college student conducting a survey on what will be the top food trend in 2012. It made me think. While I am not presumptuous enough to think that my predictions will 100% come true, I can’t deny myself such an interesting topic. I never really thought about food trends before. In fact, I despise them. But now that I have subjected myself to some thinking, it’s kinda fun. So let me play Nostradamus for a few minutes. Okay fine, Manang Bola.

In general, I think food in 2012 will be real, fresh and our own. There will be nothing half-baked, nothing trying to be something else, nothing ill-fitting. It’ll be all about bold flavors, comfort food and authentic cuisines. Just the way I like it.

Love our own

Filipino food is the answer I gave the girl who emailed me, although she wanted me to be more specific, which I couldn’t. It is the first thing I thought of, and it applies to me. I am committed to learn and share more about Filipino food.

So, I dare declare it: we’re going local - local produce, local ingredients, local recipes and even local techniques. We’re going back to our roots, and I believe this will be true for other countries as well. Perhaps we will also dig deeper into regional cuisines, bringing out obscure specialties that many haven’t even heard of. We will be more curious about each place’s history through food.

Battle of the Asians

We have numerous Korean restaurants as it is, but more have been opening recently. Now that Filipinos have this newfound courage when it comes to trying out unfamiliar food, it’s bringing them to kimchi, bulgogi, jjampong, wraps and rolls, and grilled meats. Regular readers would be aware of my penchant for Korean cuisine so, yeah, I’ll be one happy camper if this goes on.

But there is a quiet yet strong rise of Singaporean restaurants as well. I love Hainanese Chicken, laksa and cereal prawns myself. It will be pretty interesting to see which cuisine will outpace the other.

Seize the niche

Beyond cutting down to just one cuisine, restaurants will go even more specialized. We have seen the start of this last year with the growth of establishments focusing on ramen, katsu, burgers, chicken wings, milk teas and the like. Restaurants offering a modern twist to the usual fare will get more attention than fusion or 101-cuisines-in-1 eateries.

Heat up the stove

With modernity and technological advancements comes the desire to touch base, which is also part of the logic behind the rise of the local cuisine. Aside from that, wanting something basic will make home cooking more popular. Dishes will be mostly simple, raw and made from fresh ingredients, but there will be some experiments on family recipes and staple Filipino foods.

Home cooking may also extend to entrepreneurial efforts and backyard restaurants as people try to make money from their cooking or pursue passions that previously warranted millions in capital and a large team of employees. Now, they will only need to cook or bake when you place an order, or open their homes to diners who are after food quality, the coziness of eating at “home”, and the novelty and slight perversion of being in somebody else’s.

Another offshoot of home cooking will be family meals, but eating together may also bring families to eat out. This sends us back to Filipino cuisine since our dishes are best for sharing. We do family-style dinners like no other. Aside from that, banquets and self-service buffets will naturally continue their progress.

Exciting exotics

Innards and other cuts of the usual suspects will be explored more. In addition, other animals will be eaten with less trepidation as Filipinos become more adventurous and curious. (To PETA’s dismay?) Yey, meat!

Make way for milk and eggs

Inhibitions and fears will die down just enough for us to enjoy more cakes, breads, pastries and sandwiches. (I myself have been eating a lot of sandwiches and pancakes lately.) Yes, the dough will rise, although I think I’m saying this because it is what I want to happen more than it is what I think might happen. Who cares, as long as we get to buy our cakes and eat them too, right? Milk and eggs, rich creams and cheeses, and comfort food all the way.

This guessing game is quite amusing, isn’t it? So, what do you think will we be seeing and eating a lot of in 2012?

The Works Bistro, Il Terrazo

2012-02-19T15:57:00.001+08:00

The Works Bistro was a pleasant surprise. C and I saw this restaurant on its opening day but didn't think twice about changing our dinner plans. When we couldn't decide where to eat the next time, we agreed to give The Works Bistro a try.
My expectations were low because: one, it's unknown and empty; two, it didn't look like a restaurant; and three, it didn't look like a bistro. The interior design was kind of ambivalent, although you can see that they gave special attention to their chairs with the W backs. There's a lounge-type sofa area, a bar at the back and a few touches of zen. The menu even looked ravaged, which was confusing because it just opened recently to my knowledge. But there's a QR code on the cover, which was pretty cool.

In trying to get a taste of their fare, C and I picked one pasta, one rice dish and a burger.
I chose the Parmigiano Fish Fillet at Php 175. I was blown away by how perfectly the fish was cooked. I hope that is always the case. The meat was al dente and juicy, and almost melted in my mouth. The crust was crispy and not broken. The sauce was savory, although I prefer it to be toned down a bit so as not to kill the fillet's flavor.
The 1/4 corn on a cob was sweet and well-seasoned. Would a whole cob be too much? How about half? I had to ration my corn well to last the whole meal. It would also be better if they had the option to serve it with shredded corn.

I'm undecided about the rice. It took me a while to appreciate it, but there's something lacking that I can't quite put my finger on. The texture? The flavor? As for the veggies, never mind. You can't really expect much from breaded and fried vegetables. I would have preferred crispy, blanched ones.
C's pasta, the Bolognese Classico at Php 188, was also not bad at all. The serving can probably be shared by two girls who don't eat a lot, or perhaps people who just want to sample the menu, but I have to say it is not intended for sharing. C ate the whole thing by himself. It's filling, but half of it isn't. One thing I noticed about their sauces is, they're really made to suit stereotypical Filipino taste. They are sweet. Rich, yes, but sweet, as if you're ready for an impromptu kiddie party.
I liked The Works Burger. It's big, comfortably juicy and just salty enough that you wouldn't tire of it. The patty isn't the very dense and packed type, but the consistency is not offensive. The buns were soft, too. I'm partial to really white and soft bread.

The burger came with potato sidings, which I'm always a sucker for. However, the leafy vegetable was kind of weird. Do you just stuff the whole leaf in your mouth after you take a bite of the burger? Despite the confusion, we ate it, 'coz it seemed fresh, and I like the dip. All these at Php 165 is pretty budget-friendly.

The small staff was quite sensitive to their customers' needs. Or in my case, wants. When we got there, they were playing music and showing The Proposal on a huge TV but on mute. I've never seen the film so I was curious and asking C about it. They probably saw me watching the screen 'coz they stopped playing music and turned up the sound on the TV. I got to watch the film 'til we left.

The Works Bistro is on the 2nd floor of Il Terrazo along Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Behind the scenes with Finland TV

2012-02-15T14:18:00.001+08:00

A new Finland-based food, travel and lifestyle show came to Manila to feature the country, and I was lucky enough to be part of their filming! Standing in as the local food host, we spent an afternoon in Quiapo to try out the street food offering and talk a little bit about Filipino food, the cuisine's history and our culture.

The show is titled Saran ja Meri-Tuulin Metropolit, which directly translates to Metropolises of Sara and Meri-Tuuli. The series features one city or country each episode, just as how shows we are more familiar with such as Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations and Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods are formatted.

The people

The two hosts are celebrities in their own right in Europe. Sara La Fountain is a famous chef and TV personality, among others. Meri-Tuuli Lindström is a media personality and also a food lover. Together, they are two crazy girls exploring the world and having fun while at it. They were very warm to me and initiated a chit-chat right away for us to get to know each other and for me to be comfortable with them.

The Finnish and local crewmen were really nice and helpful that I was able to shrug off my nervousness. The Finnish director was always pleasant, and our own production manager, Ms. Ana, was a superwoman! She and her team, which includes her husband, made sure we're well taken care of. A shout out also to the local director Minco Fabregas, who arranged a small meet-and-greet with the local production team before the shoot.

It just kind of fell on my lap, but the whole filming was a fun experience, and I'm glad I made the right decision of going through with it. I can't wait to see the final episode. I hope it turns out well. I want them to have a great impression of the Philippines. If the Finnish crew's enthusiastic reception of Manila is any indication, then I think we're off to a good start. They absolutely loved the sun, the heat, our complex but rich cuisine, and all things that are so new to them, including the beach and the tall buildings!

I ♥ PH

Doing the show made me appreciate our country even more. We are an insane lot, and there are so many ills in our society that we are farther than far from being the ideal place to live in, but underneath all the evils and the chaos, there is an irresistible charm that no living person can turn his back on. I can proudly say I love the Philippines, and I was not embarrassed for one second of any eyesore or foul smell they encountered. What's important is we continue to improve ourselves and go through life's challenges with a sweet smile.

The only thing I was embarrassed of was the fact that Filipino cuisine isn't widely covered in this blog. I have so much to say about it, but very little has been posted. That will change from now on.

I also realized how much I truly love to talk about food! I knew this before but I guess doing the show was a solid affirmation 'coz it was the first time I ever talked about it in length, really explaining and introducing foods that we are too familiar with. I never had to take around foreigners to acquaint them with Filipino food, and it was a pleasant experience to do so. There are so many things to tell them about what we eat and the great restaurants we have regardless of cuisine, but I simply couldn't do it in a day! And I'm sure it'll be cut down to 10 minutes, maybe? Consider it a teaser then.

The show

Speaking of teasers, while we're all waiting for the show, check out the teaser to their Tel Aviv episode on Vimeo. You'd be amazed at how beautifully it was made. Of course it's in Finnish, and an English subtitle would help, but the images are more than enough to blow you away.

(Update: Embedding of the video has been disabled. Please watch Saran ja Meri-Tuulin metropolit (Teaser) from KOMIA Helsinki on Vimeo.)

They have a blog, www.metropolit.fi, which is also in Finnish. But you can easily have the page translated to English via Google translate.

If you are based in Finland, please please give me news when the show starts airing. Record the Manila episode if you may 'coz I don't know when I'll get a copy, and perhaps let us know how it was received there.

Bagnet (Twice-Fried Pork) & Alex III's Pinakbet sa Bagnet

2012-02-13T08:06:00.000+08:00

I commonly go to Alex III for the chicken barbecue. That also goes for Aristocrat and Serye, of course.

On this particular visit, although I still did order a two-piece bone-in chicken barbecue, C got something else. And, boy, am I so glad that he did.

It was my first time to try Alex III's Pinakbet sa Bagnet. Normally, I don't go for Filipino food with a twist. I like my Pinoy dishes raw, authentic and home-cooked. But the Pinakbet sa Bagnet was a revelation.

You might think, duh, of course it'll work. How can you go wrong with bagnet? And pinakbet? And bagoong?

Believe me, I've eaten so many wrong things in my life that I know you can still go wrong with attempts like this. One of my fears while waiting for the Pinakbet sa Bagnet to come out from the kitchen was that the bagnet might get soggy when paired with a sauce dish.

Oh, but this pairing was perfect. The marriage of these two Ilokano dishes was simply divine, more divine than most real marriages of late.

For one, the bagnet was still pretty solid and crispy. Huge chunks of it were generously included that I still got to eat at least three pieces for lunch the next day. By then, the flavors only grew more intense, as the sauce of the pinakbet was rich with bagoong yet the saltiness wasn't off-putting. In fact, some might want it even saltier.

To understand what the fuss is all about, I guess you would first have to understand the two dishes on their own.

How to cook bagnet

Bagnet is the famous twice-fried crispy pork belly or liempo from Ilocos, a region in the north. No one in his right mind does not go crazy over bagnet, which is made special because of how it is cooked. The pork belly is boiled first to cook and soften the meat. It is then drained, cooled and refrigerated. When ready to cook (again), it is deep fried in low heat for up to one hour. It is then cooled, chopped into chunks and deep fried the second time in the same oil, just reheated, for 10-15 minutes before serving. This is how perfectly blistered skin and a deep brown color around the pork are achieved. Eating the crispy, toasted outer meat is the best part of having bagnet, next to the to-die-for skin, of course.

What is pinakbet

Pinakbet has its own charm. This vegetable stew, although normally served with bits of pork, is a popular accompaniment to meat dishes throughout the country. Its secret weapon is the bagoong alamang (shrimp paste) that makes the sauce. Add that to the various flavors and textures that the different vegetables create then you get a dish that guarantees an interesting meal. The typical vegetables used include bitter melon, okra, string beans and eggplant.

There you have it. Two great dishes from the Philippines working hand in hand to elevate your eating experience.

Food blogging tips

2012-02-12T00:07:00.001+08:00

I have blogged about the talk I gave at UP Diliman's ACLE 2012 food blogging seminar organized by PAFT-Alpha. As promised, I'm posting food blogging tips here as well. Just the gist of my presentation, titled Bite. Chew. Swallow. A slice of food blogging from Glutton on a Budget.

The whole talk revolved around the think-learn-act approach, which I believe should always be the game plan when taking on a task or a challenge.

Want a bite?

- Know why you want to get into food blogging. Remember, that whatever direction you intend the blog to take, be it strictly a personal food blog or down the problogging route, you have to love it first and foremost. That's the only good reason to get into it.

- You should set boundaries and extravagant goals. I say boundaries because there are some things we can live with, and some things we cannot. Just make sure you can live with yourself. As for extravagant goals, these will drive you to great heights. Be the barometer and never do anything half-baked.

Don't wing it. Chew it.

- HTML, CSS, SEO, basic writing principles and photography are just a few of what you should brush up on to be an effective blogger. Arm yourself. Read up. Acquire skills. Hone your talents. Practice. Never stop learning.

Swallow it up.

- Eat like you would normally do. Eat like a regular customer.

- Content is god, so make each post count. Be personal, truthful and independent, as how a blogger should be.

- Show respect. Respect other people's privacy, and save some for yourself. Be civil on your blog. Don't abuse the voice it gives you. It may be your blog, but you should still show some class and always respect other people.

- Last but not the least, get a life. The point of having a blog is to share your experiences. That requires having experiences to share. So get out there and live your life.

And as a reminder to everyone: in anything that you do, always be genuine, kick ass and have fun!

The Evolution of Food on Television

2012-01-27T15:57:00.000+08:00

Food shows on TV are huge now, as in HUGE, and they've come a long way since their conception. Want to know how food shows started and evolved into the incredibly powerful industry that it is now? Want to find out who's getting how much, and what creds they actually have under their belts? Who's dominating this sinfully delicious and addicting grub enterprise?

Here's a very interesting infographic, which I stumbled across on Foodbeast. Menuism published it back in March 2011, so the food TV atmosphere may be different now, especially when it comes to celebrity chefs' and food show hosts' appearance fees.

Won't you just love to join their roster one of these days? But before that happens, you've got to be an expert chef from a top culinary school and with numerous restaurants, right? Wrong. At least, not necessarily. I was surprised to learn that Rachel Ray's only culinary background is growing up in a restaurant family. She had no formal culinary training nor a restaurant. So, yeah, she's pretty much a full-time TV personality now, much like Anthony Bourdain.

I'm curious how much Buddy Valastro has made on Cake Boss. Was it last year that the bakery expanded its operations to having a cake factory? I hope that goes well and doesn't change the show nor the family. I like watching them.

I'm a big Anthony Bourdain and Jamie Oliver fan. I'd rather be just a bit rich but with solid credibility and positive influence than have the largest and wealthiest empire of all but not really do anything worthwhile or respectable.

I wonder if I can get to that by simply being crazily in love with food. Well, all you need is love, my dear!

Wai Ying - A favorite Binondo restaurant

2012-01-26T20:24:00.002+08:00

Hakaw

Still not over Chinese New Year? Me too! So let me take this time to tell you about a family favorite Chinese restaurant in Binondo: Wai Ying.

Why Wai Ying of all the good and authentic Chinese restaurants in Binondo? I mean, for Christ's sake, it's Binondo, right? To be honest, I don't know. But we've been going there since I can remember, and it feels so familiar and comfortable despite the narrow layout and few tables. Of course, the food is excellent. It's a huge bonus that the service is good too. Servers and managers/owners are always friendly and helpful. Very customer-oriented, I must say.

C and I went there recently when we dropped off my camera in Hidalgo to be fixed. (Crossing my fingers!) Although we were actually having late lunch, the place was packed. We had to be squeezed into another pair's space. We shared the table for four people throughout the meal. It was the manager's idea, but I'm glad the two customers accommodated us.

Shrimp Chong Fan

I knew what to get right away. Beef mami is always my choice of poison. And hakaw. But being at Wai Ying, I simply cannot pass up on Shrimp Chong Fan. I love the sweet, asado-like sauce, and the super soft rice noodle sheets that envelope the shrimps. I know it's similar to hakaw, but who cares? This is something I cannot resist. It arrived before any of our other dishes and didn't stay long at our table. Although I would've preferred to eat the Shrimp Chong Fan with some rice, we were too hungry to hold back.

The beef mami is still the same beef mami, more or less. But to be honest, the soup that day wasn't at its best.

Roasted goose

What's new to my taste was the roasted goose. Wai Ying ran out of ducks so they were offering geese instead, for which we had to add around Php 20 for the rice meal. So, how did the goose taste? Let me put it this way: When alive, ducks look cuter but geese look more sophisticated. That's about the same as their flavor. In my taste buds' opinion, duck meat seems to be softer, greasier and a bit gamier than goose meat.

All these birds, including chicken, have white meat and red meat. Although I prefer red chicken meat, I liked white goose meat more. Still, the skin with a sheet of rich fat brings together a melange of flavors and textures that carries you to fowl heaven.

Beef mami

Wai Ying has two branches on Benavidez Street in Binondo, Manila. I heard that they have a new branch on the 3rd floor of the original 168 mall nearby.

Tikoy or Nian Gao for the Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T06:29:00.000+08:00

Kung Hei Fat Choi! Kiong Hee Huat Tsai! Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Did I cover everything? No matter what Chinese language you speak, and even if you don't, I just want to greet everyone a happy and prosperous Year of the Dragon!

And because it's Chinese New Year, we should of course have some tikoy, right? I absolutely love tikoy or nian gao in Chinese. In case you've been living under a rock where there's no hint of China, tikoy is a glutinous rice cake. It is often dipped in beaten egg then fried, which is how I like it. How do you prepare yours?
They say the glutinous rice cake is prepared and offered to the Kitched God to get its mouth stuck shut. That way, the Kitchen God won't be able to say bad things about the family to the Jade Emperor. Another version believes the glutinous rice cake helps win the Kitchen God's favor so it will only have sweet things to say about the family to the Jade Emperor. One version I heard says the glutinous rice cake is given away by one family for their bad luck to stick to the cake and go away. Which one is true, I don't know. And I don't care, as long as I get to eat my tikoy. I just enjoy chewing into its pasty sweetness.

There are many nian gao variants, but I think the tikoy that is popular here in the Philippines is similar to the sweet version from Guangdong province.

Have you gotten your tikoy fix yet?