Business Ideas

Aside from Food, Glorious, Food, one of my passions is business ideation, especially start ups. Here are some of my favorite sources:

• FastCompany - Rediscovered this and loving every article. Very good design and technology features. It's Fast Company magazine's website.
  
• Springwise - Generously shares business ideas and trends happening all over the world through features of actual operational businesses.
• Cool Hunting - Shows how luxury can be done.

Aaah. Someday.

Protect the One You Love

Saw this on the website, while drooling over the cheeses of Cowgirl Creamery. I wish we had this in Manila. Makes cheese leftovers still tasty and attractive even after the nice packaging has been thrown away.

Love Bacon, Sausage, or Both?

I'm not fond of bacon nor sausage, but when presented in a certain way. How can you resist? Imagine, seeing the bacon from this:

to this:


to finally this:


Want to make some? Click here. The recipe's free. This is a project born out of a passion for barbecue. Invite me over if you get to cook this!

The Worst Can Really Bring Out the BEST

Even when the going gets tough, never give up on yourself.


Can't wait for Coke's "Open Happiness" campaign. Just like past Coke ads, I'm crossing my fingers that it will put a smile on our faces and our hearts.

Jesus, It's Chocolate?

I love Jesus and I love chocolate, but this puts that love into another level. Would you eat this?

Photo by Marilynn K. Yee/The New York Times. Read more.

Liquid Nitrogen, Anyone?

I've long been a secret fan of Ferran Adria. I have never tasted any of his cooking nor bought any of his books, but just reading about his creations is enough to make you admire, research about, and just be inspired by the guy.

Imagine using liquid nitrogen to "cook" your food. Nitrogen is usually used to make sodas and ice cream, so this is edible. But what's amazing about Ferran is using this old ingredient to do something new --- where one usually uses it to freeze, he uses it to heat (Example: One bakes a batter to make a sponge cake. In this case, Ferran freezes the batter to bake the sponge cake. Isn't it just like heating it, but in a different way?).

Check it out on YouTube at Authors@Google. Quite long, but really worth the download. The techniques show up at the 30 minute and above mark.

Writing About Food ... In Another Blog

Wrote about this place I found along Katipunan in a friend's blog. I used to contribute to this blog regularly. Just in case you want to check it out, click here. Enjoy!

An Awful Chocolate Experience : (

I have been postponing satisfying my chocolate fix for 4 days now. It was not an easy feat as people around me had to suffer and witness my rarely seen b***hy side. So I decided to end everyone's suffering (including mine!) by walking to nearby Serendra to buy some yummy Mary Grace brownies.

I don't know what came over me to make me turn my back on the Mary Grace cafe and entered Cacao instead. Since it opened, I have been inside the Cacao store (same owner as Candy Corner) for 5 times (excluding today's visit) and have never been enticed to buy any of their stuff, especially upon finding out that the store just buys the chocolates from the US and repacks them here.

Today, I decided to give them a chance.

Upon entering the store, I was greeted with the smell of manufactured chocolate that are not expired, but no longer taste the way they should taste like (Years of experience of buying chocolates in the supermarket have honed my sense of smell on this.). I chided myself for being a snob and promised myself that I will buy from them today, no matter what.

I take a look at the wide selection which did not excite me at all. I should've taken that as an omen, but I wanted to keep my promise. So, I just asked the overeager salesladies for their recommendations and their bestsellers. With much trepidation, I listened to them and got a piece of:

• Milk Chocolate Truffle
• Dark Chocolate Cherry
• Milk Chocolate Cashew Pattie
• Milk Chocolate Caramel

I paid Php200++ and walked back to the office to eat my chocolates.

I took a bite of the Dark Chocolate Cherry. I was saddened.
I took a bite of the Milk Chocolate Truffle. I was shocked.
I took a bite of the Milk Chocolate Pattie. I felt like how I felt when I receive bad news --- sick in the stomach.
I took a bite of the Milk Chocolate Caramel.

I broke down and cried. : (

I'm not kidding. You have to understand that I take my chocolates seriously. I'm not a snob who only wants dark chocolate or gourmet chocolates. I am equally happy eating the fresh Lindt truffles in Geneva as well as eating a newly delivered box of Curly Tops.

But the chocolates in Cacao were just AWFUL.

And I had to take these awful products after 4 days of suppressing my chocolate cravings.

I was in no mood to go back under the heat to return the chocolate I bought from Cacao today. I just threw them in the trash can and made a new promise to myself --- to listen to my senses, especially when there are strong signals NOT to eat chocolates.

Now I understand why the French, Spaniards, and Italians fought the chocolate battle in the European Union for years, defending what is worthy to be called chocolate. It is just too upsetting to give business to people who claim to sell chocolate, but actually sell garbage, and they just get away with it.

Sadness. : (

Cacao
Serendra, Fort Bonifacio
(You wouldn't really want to go there. Believe me. : ( )

Gaudilicious

It was my friend Chikky who couldn't stop raving about the steak in Gaudi. I got curious because it seems strange that the most delicious dish in this Spanish resto would be the steak. When I got to try it, I got hooked. I'm not too fond of steak, but this one left a lasting impression both in my tastebud memory.

Almost 5 months after, I had another chance to go to Gaudi again. This time, I was with someone who was a real steak lover. I wanted to see if this steak would impress him.

Lea, the waitress, shows us the meat sizes available. The smallest one was at 620g. Kind of heavy, but manageable. As we wait for our steak to be prepared, I tell Dex that he should try the EVOO that comes with the bread. So far, it's the best I've tried in any resto that serves it with bread. I now finally understand why Italians can eat their bread just with this, even minus my favorite Balsamic Vinegar.

Next comes the Purrusalda (Potato Leek Soup, Php140.18) that I wasn't really too keen on ordering, but Dex had to have his soup and this is what he chose.

To me, it tasted like Gerber. Hmm... I think Gerber's better.


We now moved on to 1 of the house favorites, the Surtido 8 P Calientes (Php240.18) which is a sampler of 8 kinds of their hot appetizers. Out of 8, I liked 3 of the appetizers: their version of baked tahong, the deep fried breaded mozarella, and The Fried Lumpia.


THIS WAS OH SOOOOO SOOOO DELIIIICCCCIOOOOUUUUS. I cannot believe that I would like Fried Lumpia. Fried Lumpia is something I can eat, but can never, ever love, but Gaudi's version captivated my heart and my tastebuds. Note that this was something to order again. Alone. To be enjoyed in its solitary glory. No other tummy fillers to take space in my tummy. Gaudi's Fried Lumpia (This is not the real name of the dish. I forget the real name, but just ask the waitress. They know it.) is juicy (not oily!) and very flavorful chorizo enveloped in their version of a lumpia wrapper. The chorizo is not your typical chorizo where you feel like eating longganisa. This is almost as soft as sausage. Upon biting into this, expect a very meaty taste with subdued spices that progresses into tastiness specked with just the slightest hint of fish to give your tastebuds a kick just before you swallow it. There were only 2 pieces in the sampler plate and I was so tempted to plead with Dex to part with his share. I decided otherwise. The pleasure of eating this was too much to keep to myself.

Upon tasting it, Dex says, "It's okay. It's chorizo."

Hmm...this guy must not be having the typical chorizo I get. Mental note: must ask him or his mom or his dad to give me their chorizo.

Next comes the Ensalada Gaudi (Php194.64) that Lea recommends. Hohum for me, but Dexter really really liked it! We are just not connecting tonight. He says that he likes it because it's not as sour as the other vinaigrette-laden salads he usually dislikes. On my end, I was unhappy because I found the vinaigrette too sour yet insipid. It tasted like a bland version of Almon Marina's Salad Nicoise.Now comes the reason we're here.

Gaudi's Steak. The Chuleton Villagodio (Php1,519 for 620g). Oooooh. Just too good.


The raw meat we chose was served raw and sliced on a plate together with a mounted plate with a burner underneath. You or your Lea get to cook your steak. I really like this idea for 2 reasons: (1) Dex gets to have his steak medium cooked and I get to have my rare to medium rare share without having to order separately; (2) I get to eat my steak hot, cooking it only when I am about to eat.

Having good quality, good marbling, and juiciness in a steak are givens when you order a steak. So I don't need to make those checklists for this steak. What makes this wonderful are the rock salt crystals that are laid on the cooking plate which makes contact between the meat and the salt inevitable. This results to each steak bite of delightful texture, more juiciness, and meaty goodness spiked with salt, almost the same way as the tartness of sour cream would spike up your chips. Oooh. I bite, chew a bit, savor a lot, and shiver in delight.

If you're big on condiments, Gaudi does not fail to complete your delicious steak experience. Our steak came with a siding of roasted bell pepper that provided a sweet break to the rich meaty goodness. The potato side dish also deserves mention and can probably even stand on its own. They know how to cook this one. The potato was tender and meaty and tasty! Yum!

I am very satisfied. As for Dex the steak lover, "Masarap nga 'yan. But then, steak is always good." Sigh.

*All prices are VAT-inclusive, but do add 10% for Service Charge.

Gaudi Restaurant
Serendra, McKinley Parkway
Taguig City
856-0473
They have another branch near the Greenbelt Cinema.

I Thought It Was Just Good Enough.

"Ma'am, Try our Strawberry Shortcake. Isang slice na lang yan."
"Oo nga eh. I'll think about it."
"Sige na, Ma'am. Bihira lang kami may Strawberry Shortcake kasi special 'yan."
"Kasi bihira at seasonal ang strawberry kaya bihira 'yan di ba?"
"Ay oo nga naman, Ma'am."

So goes a conversation I recently had with the vendor in Bizu Alabang Town Center. I just shake my head and laugh while the vendor sheepishly scratches his head. I order the cake together with Bizu's hot chocolate.

The Strawberry Shortcake (Php195 per slice) is the kind I like. Not too sweet on the overall taste, but the freshness of the cream and the strawberries come out. The cake is fluffier than the usual dense shortcake and it feels very light on the tummy as I slowly melt each forkful in my mouth. Good, but not oh so good that I will crave for it, but good enough.


I wash this down with Bizu's Hot Chocolate Grande (Php160). It was okay. I still think Bizu's hot chocolate is overrated. Its thick consistency is appealing, but the body that I look for in chocolate is just not there. I am not so happy with my hot chocolate, but it is good enough.

I was ready to call it a night, but Dex definitely was not. After drinking his capuccino (Php105), he calls the waiter and orders this:

Which came out looking like this (A spoonful less from each since I forgot to tell Dex I would be taking its picture after all.):

He tells me that this (Chocolate Souffle with Madagascar Vanilla Sauce at Php285 per order) is one of his favorites and, being the occasional food snob that I am, tries a spoonful with much skepticism (Prior to Dex taking a bite, the souffle was flat and looked more like a chocolate cake).


Okay. It was good enough.

I take another bite, this time with the vanilla sauce, hey, hey, this was good! This time, I couldn't get enough. I really wouldn't call this a souffle, but this wasn't just a chocolate cake either. It had the chocolate taste that I so longed for (Think back to the days when homemade chocolate cakes tasted like homemade chocolate cakes.) --- rich, bittersweet, with a nutty note. And it had a subtle crust that added chewiness to the very moist albeit underbaked cake (Lava cake comes to mind.). Just to make sure you don't get satiated, pouring in a bit of the vanilla sauce in between bites deliciously cleanses your tastebuds, preparing you to crave for the next bite.

"O, kala ko ba ayaw mo," Dex teases me.
"Did I ever say that? Can I have more?"
I got to have the last bite.
This is what I call a HAPPY ENDING. : )

*Prices are exclusive of 10% service charge.

Bizu is in Ground Level, Corte de las Palmas, Alabang Town Center. Phone numbers: +632 809-BIZU, +632 7721917, +632 7721918. Click here for the other branches.

Buying DVD can be delicious!

It was really the call of buying DVD in Makati Cinema Square and getting to eat some fresh Jap food that made me go all the way to Pasong Tamo. I knew just the perfect lunch mate to bring along --- someone who loves films, food, and is available almost all of the time ("foodie kaladkarin" comes to mind). Prior to meeting up with Migmig, I already informed him that I wanted to try out the specialized restos in Little Tokyo so he better decide if he wants sushi or noodles or some other Jap dish, but it had to be specific.

Walking to Little Tokyo, Migmig tells me that he wants noodles or curry. I try to discourage him nicely by saying that curry is usually made from paste and not made fresh. I unintentionally distract him as we exchanged asking and explaining what paste was. This banter went on as we trudged along under the sun and were led to a small place that said "Okonomi-yaki Restaurant". Migmig asks what it was and I tell him that I think it's some kind of omelette. Migmig says "Game! As long as there's meat!". Yay! No noodles or curry!

As we enter, we see Japanese-style tables on our right and a sushi bar format (No sushi here!) to our left. Migmig says, "I'm not taking off my shoes." Before I even get to ask what he's hiding in his shoes, the waitresses swiftly seat us and give us our menus.

The menu says it all.

Opening the front menu already corrected my omelette explanation. Seeing the cooks in action made me doubt if I was reading the English definition correctly (Yes, I stereotype a bit, but it's only because of my past experiences with Japanese-English translations. Migmig says, "Ang dami namang cabbage niyan. Cabbage and cabbage," then he quickly follows up with "Uy okay yan. Tara. Order na tayo!" I am distracted with reading the menu because Migmig keeps saying "Okay 'to!" "Wow! Chicken skin!" "O, what will we order na?" alternately. I decide to hold back my laughter and concentrate. I choose the okonomi-yaki with pork, squid, shrimp, and egg. Migmig goes for the Soute Scallops. "Miss, ano ang ibig sabihin ng soute?" I ask. She says, "Soute? Yung sino-saute." Wow. Deep.

Okonomiyaki (My research shows this word spelled without a dash, but the resto had a dash. It's really how you like it, I guess. : ) ) has been called Japanese pizza, but I think it really is only because of how it looks like and not how it tastes like (Can you imagine eating pizza with steamed rice?). Okonomi means "whatever you like" and yaki means to "grill".

While waiting for our orders, I try to make a joke out of the word okonomiyaki. I shouldn't have told Migmig my plan because he told me, "It took you so long, Pam. You just lost the moment." Oh well. I look around and find so many cute curios. I know I am in Japanese territory when the interiors are peppered with cute character stuff and am watching a cute Japanese kid blinking and blinking her eyes to some Japanese music. None of which have a theme, save for all of them being Japanese.









Here comes performance time.

I get hungry as I watch the cooks pour batter on the teppanyaki grill, then fill it up with cabbage, bacon, shrimp, squid, and egg. The grill smokes up and smelling the creamy fishy aroma, I knew we ordered the right thing.


The cook proceeds to cover the okonomi-yaki with a kaldero (cauldron) top, reminding me of a game show. She goes through the same procedure as she creates another okonomi-yaki, this time with yakisoba. I wish we ordered that, too, but I promised myself not to overeat. Besides, we had another order (Soute Scallops), which, when being cooked, looked pathetically miniscule beside the large okonomi-yakis. I couldn't resist ribbing Migmig. "Parang ang konti ng order mo. Hahaha!!!"

The cook proceeds to uncover the okonomi-yaki and puts it on a pan that resembles the pans used for pan pizzas.

Ah here comes the verdict.

Taste it to believe it!

The first one served was the Soute Scallop (Php258, 3 bigger than the usual scallop pieces) that did not taste pathetic at all! They were grilled and salted to tastiness. These scallops were heavy duty and oh so delicious! Chewing each morsel had to be followed with the good quality rice (Thank God, the steaming white Japanese rice was perfect!) so as not to waste the overflowing tastiness of this dish. "Mmmmmmmmm," loudly declares Miguel in the small place where just a whisper can be heard. He offers to share the third piece, but I could see the joy in his eyes when I told him that he could have it all to himself.

Next comes the okonomi-yaki. I forget the name given to our okonomi-yaki, but as previously mentioned, we ordered the one with pork, shrimp, squid, and egg (Php385) plus a generous topping of bonito shaving (+Php35). It looks huge, but the moment I put a piece in my mouth, I knew we would finish it. It reminds me of the takoyaki of Samurai balls that I loved so much, but this one had a less fishy taste and had more bite into it. Each ingredient's taste was highlighted by a sauce that tasted like A1, but was less acidic. What A1 does to steak, this sauce does to everything else in it.

The whole thing

Wanted to show the layer, but...

While I wonder if my tummy can hold more food, in comes Sharma.


I guess Migmig was thinking of the same thing because we both told her to order and we can all share. Yay! More to order. Being her gracious self, Sharma asks us what she should order instead of pushing for what she wants. Migmig encourages her to order the okonomi-yaki with yakisoba. He tries to push for the one with chicken skin, but Sharma chooses the Modern Mix which is okonomi-yaki with soba, pork, and egg (Php248). The guy who looks like the owner asks Sharma something in Japanese, but backs off and translates in English "With mayonnaise?". "Yes." Guy who looks like the owner must've thought Sharma was Japanese. Can't blame him. Sharma had the most wonderful creamy skin and a pool of light brown eyes.

Looks like spaghetti pizza!

While Sharma tells us a story which gets us all heated up ("Gusto ba niya basagin ko itong baso sa noo niya," exclaims Migmig in his jolly voice. If Migmig weren't a big guy, I'd think he was just kidding.), the Modern Mix is served. I am not a multi-tasker and I thought that I would have to finish hearing Sharma's story first before I could eat the next order. Call it a miracle, but I was able to eat the Modern Mix while still being very involved in the discussion. Yup, it was good and it didn't taste like the other order in spite of the similar ingredients, which in my books, was a good thing. I mean, how many can you order in one sitting if they all taste the same? One order may be good for the Japanese, but I'm PinoyChi in the company of friends (one of whom has an appetite that competes with mine). I must order variety. : )

Juicy little devils, aren't they?

The food was so satisfying that, for the first time, I did not mind being served fruit after a Japanese meal. It was a perfect ending to a very tasty and satisfying lunch and the refreshing chilled bottled black oolong tea (Php50).

We left the place with me thinking of when I should go there with Dex. Would tonight be too soon?

When you see this poster outside, you're in the right place.

Kagura The Okonomi-yaki Restaurant is inside Little Tokyo in Pasong Tamo, beside Makati Cinema Square (MCS). Parkin MCS, go out to the Pasong Tamo side (where the BPI ATM is), cross the road beside it, go towards the Seryna restaurant and go inside the path after it. When you get to the compound, it's almost across Niko Niko restaurant. Enjoy!

P.S. The nice pictures are from Migmig, this really talented photographer. The ordinary ones are mine. : )

Don't Be Fooled by the Boring Menu!

It has been quite some time before I was moved to write again about food. Call it overexposure to too much food. Call it taste fatigue. But last week, I call it falling in love.

I fell in love with the color of violet.
I fell in love with the master chefs who were mentors to some of the best local chefs.
I fell in love with Aubergine.

Aubergine is French for eggplant. A vegetable I so love for its flavor and versatility (Smoked eggplant, fried eggplant, sauteed eggplant, cream of eggplant, eggplant Parmigiana, eggcetera, eggcetera), but not one that moms would prescribe for their kids because they hardly have any nutritive value (as of today. Who knows what will be discovered a few years from now?).

Aubergine is a restaurant created by ISCAHM which did not open with much fanfare nor carefully crafted marketing. It promotes itself matter of factly --- a restaurant that showcases the talents of the ISCAHM masters and their wards. Still, a restaurant named as such would catch my attention any time of the day.

So onwards I volunteered to go with our Test Kitchen girls to try out the restaurant just around the corner of our office. I looked forward to what they can do with the aubergines.

Aubergines I found not, but what I tasted more than compensated for my expectations. The moment I went inside this restaurant, I knew I would be back.

I forgot to take pictures of the place, but I like its interiors which was a balance of the old and the new. Vintage, '50s nightclub, and French dining rooms come to mind as I observe my surroundings. I love how they put pizzaz in their open kitchen which did not look like your usual sanitized kitchen (Oh, but it was spic and span nonetheless.).

But let me tell you about the food.

Upon seeing the menu, I wanted to order everything, but I could only suggest. Unfortunately, none of my suggestions were included. I remind myself that this is not my occasion. I am but a volunteer to a learning event for our Test Kitchen.

I liked Aubergine more when we gave our orders. Since this was a tasting experience for us and would be charging this to the company, we had to be discriminating with our spending, but not sacrifice the reason for being there. T did the ordering and told the Captain Waiter that we were splitting all the dishes among the 4 of us (Note that most of the dishes are for single serve.). With hardly batting an eyelash, Captain Waiter even gave his suggestions on how the split the dishes so we will all be satisfied with the orders. I found this very thoughtful and professional.

While waiting for our orders, a waitress approaches us with a bread basket, asking us to choose which bread we wanted (I couldn't remember the options, but I do remember choosing the carrot bread.). I was surprised to be given just one piece instead of having the bread basket on the table, but it was not an issue because the bread was not spectacular nor was the butter, but the basil tapenade (I'm not sure if this is what they call it, but this is how I tasted it.) was quite tasty.

Now comes the Baked Oysters (Php480 for 6 satisfying pieces) which exceeded my expectations! Being an oyster lover, I never like my oysters baked because the ones other restos serve overcook the oysters to rubber and compensate by drowning the oyster morsel in cream or cheese. Aubergine rose to the challenge and offerred oysters that were succulent and warm, with the spinach, bacon, and champagne sauce pushing the delicious oysters to its maximum tastiness instead of distracting your palate to have other tastes. Oooooh.

Up next is the Wild Mushroom Froth (Php240 per order) which didn't excite me when I was reading the menu, but, lo and behold, with my first mouthful, this soup came alive, the linamnam of the mushroom teasing my tastebuds to want more and more of this concoction. I cannot believe that a mushroom soup can taste this good! By the way, did I mention that these are fresh mushroom which have not been drowned in cream? I cannot help but say, Oooooh again. Oooooh.

Pasta was served in the form of the Tagliolini (Php420). It was pasta well done, but not up to my Ooooh-ing. Maybe it doesn't help that I'm not fond of cream sauce when it comes to my pasta.

The next dish is one that I was dreading to taste just because I have tasted one sea bass too many. By now, I should have learned that Aubergine does not do things in the usual way. The Grilled Fillet of Chilean Sea Bass (Php920) was a very good catch (Oh, was that a pun? Hehe.)! You knew it was sea bass, but whoever created this dish knew how to bring out the best in this popular fish. The fish itself was flaky but very tender and, unlike most sea bass dishes, it was not dry nor did its taste separate from the other elements of the dish. Instead, the broth used was almost like the sea bass' juice, tasty, tasty, tasty, making the fish juicy, juicy, juuuuuuicccccyyyyy.

This baby packs a wollop!

And juicy it went til the French Duck Confit (Php 740). One of the reasons I hesitate ordering duck in European/Continental-style cooking is because it is never as juicy as the way duck is cooked by the Chinese. Once more, Aubergine proves me wrong as the duck was moist, tender, and of the fall-off-the-bone quality.

The sauce has to be there!

Finally, we get to the steak. I have this habit of always tasting my dishes prior to mixing it with a condiment or its accompanying sauce. For me, it's a test of good cooking. The Australian Beef Tenderloin Steak (Php1,180) was cooked medium well (I prefer my meat medium rare to rare.). It tasted how steaks taste like in fine dining restaurants, cooked in the right method, but not so tasty. I had to dip it in the green pepper sauce that accompanied it, expecting to just moisten the steak. Boy, was I in for a big surprise when bursts of flavors exploded in my mouth! The combination was nothing short of spectacular. This I find hard to describe. I sought to look for the right word that would describe meaty, fresh, tasty, rightly salted and peppered all in one? How oh how? This I pondered while repeatedly telling my officemates how wonderful the steak tasted with the sauce. My officemates probably decided to give it a try (See, the pepper sauce looked deceptively ordinary.) because I was pestering them on how good it was. I see their faces and see that they agree with me, giving themselves another forkful of steak dipped in that fab sauce. I salivate just remembering it. Ooooh.

I was so satisfied that I didn't even want dessert! Now that is a major breakthrough (On hindsight, I remember not craving for dessert when I was in the throes of Singapore cuisine ecstasy when I was in Singapore. I think if you get that much flavor, you don't need to have sweets to add to what was lacking.). We tried the cakes and pralines (Turns out, we didn't have to order the latter since we were given complimentary samples.), but it was not something to rave about.

A glance at the menu would make you think that it is expensive, but note that ordered 1 of each, sharing them for 4 healthy appetites and we came out of Aubergine full and very, very satisfied. I'd call this great value for every peso spent. I can't wait to go back to Aubergine to try out the other dishes. This time, I will spend for it. I just hope someone writes their menu better. The dish descriptions can bore you to sleep, but the food is all you need to wake every single part of your body.

Aubergine is at 32nd and 5th Building, corner 32nd Street. It's in the building across S&R, where McDonald's is. +632 856 9888. www.aubergine.ph. dine@aubergine.ph

January Faves

A new year. A new chance to discover what's yummy out there. Here's a list of current faves.



UCC's Cheesecake Hot Cocoa - I usually like my hot choco in the form of Tsokolate Eh, but UCC had me at first sip. I was planning on ordering this fave, but then the Choco Mint caught my eye. Then I remembered I dislike mint, then my eye caught this on the menu. I thought I was going to regret it. I was wrong. Dead wrong.


This is delicious! It really tastes like cheesecake, the kind that's not too sweet and hints at a bit of almond. I loved it so much that I finished it in less than 5 minutes. So much for having hot choco with good conversation. A MUST. At Php139 per cup, I wish I could take it out daily and take it to work. Now I understand why people can't seem to live without their coffee.


Balut & Penoy - I was famished by the time I was done with my groceries, but there were no hot food in sight save for Balut Express. I have forgotten how much I love balut, so I excitedly buy 2 piping hot balut, starting my delicious meal with a sip of the hot tasty liquid that one has to finish before getting into the meat. For some reason, this balut tasted different, as if it were boiled in patis (fish sauce). This gives me an idea --- to dip my balut and any egg in Datu Puti patis. Tasty!


A few nights after, I rush home from the office, hoping to catch that balut vendor I always hear traversing my street. I get home in the nick of time and order 2 pieces of balut. Mr. Balut Vendor's girlfriend pitched that I try their penoy because it was unique. "May sabaw po. Masarap at bago." I got curious.


Oh my. I was in love again! I was in cloud nine as I devoured the 2 fresh balut I bought, but I must admit to committing adultery as I fell in love simultaneously with the penoy na may sabaw. Never mind the fact that it was not the same sabaw as the balut's. I just passed it up as a misinterpretation on the girlfriend's part. This was no ordinary dry penoy. What they did was to cook the egg soft boiled so the penoy would have the consistency of jell-o. What was amazing was that there was no separation of the liquid from the solid. (Mental note: People who have not tried balut should try this first. As deliciously tasty as the balut, minus the unsightly chick and bones.) I think you would understand why I cannot post a picture of the balut here. Only my favorite photographer, Allan Tuazon, can probably shoot it appetizingly.). Balut sells at Php12. Penoy at Php10.


Goldilocks' Chocolate Sans Rival - Goldilocks' for me, never meant yummy cakes. As a kid, it was a special place for me and my lola to hang out and eat. I remember being visually attracted to their Rainbow Cake, but in my heart I knew that better cakes were out there for me.

As I grew up, Goldilocks' palabok and lumpia lost that homecooked taste, so there was no longer a reason for me to go there. I only get to try their cakes during office blowouts and children's parties, but they didn't impress me.

Until, the other night, when I had this really bad craving for sans rival. It was 930 pm and Betty's was definitely out of the way and closed. I was desperate. I remembered that a friend's mom loved the Goldilocks sans rival, and so, with much skepticism but heavy craving, I hurry to my neighborhood Goldilocks's cake shop to order a slice. Just my luck. A slice was not available, but a whole cake was. Normally, I would've ordered the whole cake. Uh uh. Horrors! Not a Goldilocks' cake! Then I hear a voice.

"Ma'am, Try our chocolate sans rival. Masarap." Well, I had to satisfy my crazy craving. I buy 2 slices. I hurry home, stash the sans rival in the freezer, wash up, and prepare my place for some eating.

It was good! Though I prefer crunchy meringue layers, I actually enjoyed the chewy layers of this cake. What was good was that the chocolate was an outer layer to the buttery sans rival. Being a commercial cake, I didn't expect the cashews to be generous, but it was sufficient to prevent that too often cloying sweetness of this dessert from happening. As I take a bite of the chocolate sans rival, I enjoy the chewy bite exploding into butter then suddenly mixed with an American chocolate taste and a touch of fresh cashew to add a slightly but yummy salty tinge to this bite. Can't wait to try their original sans rival. Yes I now eat my scathing opinions of Goldilocks, together with this cake.

Have you seen these chocolates?

My fave is the Lindt Petits Desserts Macaron. It is just too good!

HK: Dessert Before Anything Else

Blame it on missing a favorite aunt, a want to go out of the country, and a craving for Chinese food --- I decided to go to one of the yummiest parts of Asia. In my next few entries, allow me to salivate and reminisce. : )

Most friends I've eaten with know that I always have my dessert before my meals (After eating something sweet, savory and salty just taste so much better then you crave for sweet again.). And so I bring this habit with me and eat my way, Hong Kong (HK style). : )

HK is my first exposure on how delicious fruits can be as desserts. 9 years ago (I was there when Princess Di met an accident and passed away.), HK wowed me with their fresh fruit drinks a la Zagu. Now, my newfound foodie pal, Janise, introduces me to the world of HUI LAU SHAN and, once more, HK reveals another delicious way to enjoy my fruits for dessert.

It's a tough choice when you only have one stomach. Thank goodness I had companions (Hi Sacs and Janise!) who were willing to try as much as we can. We went there for 2 nights in a row just to have our fill! Here are some of the delectable delights we tried. Note their love for our Philippine mango. It was on almost everything! Feels like I'm almost home!

Rice Balls with Mango Filling - Just take a look at it. Wouldn't you want one for yourself?!?! This is visual heaven! Unfortunately, I'm not that fond of rice cakes and I prefer our good old suman with mango anytime. Still, it was an experience to open this up and allow the mango filling to ooze out beautifully.

Mango Pudding with Fruits & Mango Sorbet - Such a simple name for a more than simple dessert! Their mango pudding is dense and not overcompensated with gelatin and yet!!! when you put it into your mouth the luscious combination of mango and cream just melts in your mouth! I almost forgot about the other fruits when I ate the pudding!

Mango Pomelo Sago w/ Mango Sorbet and Coconut Cream Combo - Yes, they call it "sago". Yes, our local version is Mango Sago w/ gata. The similarity ends there. I have a reason to believe that they make their own juice from the mango and sorbet (or the very least, make their own puree) because the taste of mango freshness here is bursting! The coconut milk adds a creamy layer to the mango and the fruits on the side are just begging to be dunked in this mango soup. Oh my mango talaga! Then I remember that the pomelo is there. "Oh hi there, pomelo! You seem out of place here. " Didn't do much for this dish or maybe because the pomelo wasn't as sweet as the ones we have back here. So I just gobble up the pomelo first then go back to the real bidas in this dessert. Oooh.

Hot Papaya with Bokni (If I'm not mistaken, this is known as White Fungus) - I still have yet to learn how to order hot stuff for dessert. Thank goodness, Sacs thought of this. This dessert is soothing and yummy! The papaya slices are firm to the bite and just hints at sweetness which encourages you to gulp down some hot sweet soup and finish it off with the crunchy bokni! Since this is so delicious and light, I must warn you that you will eat a lot without knowing it!

Mango and Coconut Sorbet - Ah don't be fooled. This is not ordinary. This is GOOD!!! I think I've raved about the mango and it is now time to pay credence to the coconut (Note that I am NOT crazy about coconuts!!!). The coconut sorbet is similar to our fresh buco (young coconut) sherbet, but has a creamier, creamier texture. What I like about their coconut sorbet (and the same goes for the mango) is that the buko taste lingers instead of the milk. As I relish every spoonful, my spoon accidentally mixes up the creamy coconut with the mango sorbet. I am now introduced to another flavor and I remember the mango sago with coconut cream. Then I chew on the nata de coco which makes me salivate and I hurriedly scoop up more coconut sorbet, then the mango sorbet, then I mix them up, then I eat the nata de coco. This is neverending bliss.

Go check out Hui Lau Shan if you're in Hong Kong. It's almost in every part of HK.

Average price range from HK$20-50. Hot dishes also available, but I didn't have space for them anymore! I got my fill in Sia Iygi Street, Mongkok. If you can read Chinese, check out their original website at: http://www.hkhls.com They've opened up a branch in California, too, so here's their English name and websit: http://www.creationsdessert.com

Look what I sneaked into the office...

I could no longer stand having to keep my goodies in the wrong temperature. Nor could the pantry ref be trusted. So I brought my own. Care for a cold drink? : )

My Happy Hips (and how they became that way)

While chatting with Lolit, Jai approaches me to tell me "Tumataba ka (You're gaining weight.).". Then leaves. I look at Lolit for validation and she promptly replies, "Oo nga. Lumalaki hips mo. (I agree. Your hips are getting bigger.)"

Uh oh.

I know why. It's this new addicting habit of mine. Watching "House" every spare moment I have at home (Watching House in my house. Hahaha!!) and gorging on these recent food finds. Not wanting to have all the calories to myself, let me share my recent food finds that you can bring home and enjoy!

Pokka Green Tea - I know everyone raves over C2 nowadays, but I've been a tea drinker my whole life. I don't appreciate drinking sweet liquid with a hint of tea flavor. When iced, I want my tea robust, hinted with sweetness. Pokka hits the spot as it refreshes my palate, removing any umay from my meal. Available in most supermarkets (I get mine from Pioneer Center at below php40). Also available in peach, blueberry, and chrysanthemum flavors.

Kadum Durian - Okay. Okay. Don't get too freaked out. I can't help it if I love the buttery taste and texture of durian! Recently, I discovered another source (I'm a die hard ECJ Durian eater!) and variety in Robinson's Galleria's Supermarket. The Kadum variety is not as creamy as ECJ's but has that bite and buttery sweetness that I look for in my durian. Oh yum!

Claude 9 Taba ng Talangka (Baby Crab Fat) - Now this is utmost sinfulness. I am so addicted to this that I have it for dinner and breakfast (and, just recently, for a 3 am snack!) w/ steamed brown rice daily! Unlike most commercially available products, Claude Tayag's masterpiece does not need to be sauteed with garlic and seasoned with calamansi (Philippine lemon). Neither does it have that floury texture that screams "EXTENDER!!!" Claude's version is very tasty and you eat it as if you were eating fresh talangka without the fishy taste and the crabshells. If I'm not mistaken, instead of using starch as extender, Claude used talangka meat. Even its oil is not to be discarded because it helps make the delicious taste linger in your mouth a little longer. Surprisingly, even if I eat a lot of this, I don't experience that cholesterol rush and nurse an aching batok. Very light on the tummy, too.

At Php385 per bottle, not light on the pocket, but very very much worth it. Available in Rustan's Supermarket.

Nana Meng's Leche Flan Cassava - A year ago, someone suggested in this blog to try Nana Meng's Tsokolate Eh! (Thank you for the suggestion!). Though their hot choco is good, I was more impressed with how they introduce native snacks in a new way. And one of these is their leche flan cassava. The cassava cake is just the way I like it - chewy and not too sweet. It is deliciously complemented by a layer of creamy addicting leche flan. The combination is similar to why I get addicted to Razon's halo-halo. I like it best eaten after it's been refrigerated for 30 minutes. Go grab a pack in Nana Meng's stall in front of the Glorietta Food Court (I think they also have branches in Alabang.). I can't remember the price if it's Php90 or Php110.

M&M's M-Azing Peanut Butter Chocolate Bar - I so regret not hoarding on this stuff! While shopping for chocolates in Rustan's supermarket (Makati), I saw this and was amused by this brand's latest innovation. Not much a fan of M&Ms, I decided to buy just one bar so I am in sync with the latest chocolate innovation.

I should've strangled myself instead. This stuff is good!!! The chocolate bar is close to the chocolate in Nestle Crunch and is dotted with mini-peanut butter M&Ms/. What makes this addicting is that every bite is satisfied with the crunchy mini M&Ms followed by the just right sweetness of the melting milk chocolate then, surprise!, the delicious slightly salty peanut butter comes out, makes you salivate, and completes the experience by the combined creamy sweetness of both the peanut butter and the milk chocolate.

In this country, it WAS only available in the Rustan's Supermarket Makati Branch. It's no longer there. Php30 per bar. If you see one, please let me know. Please. Boo. Hoo. Hoo.

Mang Joe's Adobong Tuyo - I have always been a fan of bottled gourmet seafood. I'd try almost any seafood in this format. When I saw this in Tiendesitas, I was slightly curious, but didn't expect it to be different from the usual bottled tuyo.

I was wrong.

Mang Joe's Adobong Tuyo just hints at saltiness. What's impressive is the oil that tastes more like a sauce than oil. It is sweet, slightly tart, salty, and just perfect with a bowl of steaming rice. This kept my appetite at bay during the Milenyo storm when I was stuck at home with no electricity. At Php110 a bottle, definitely worth it!

McRice Beef Burger (Picture shows the chicken. Wanted so badly to eat the beef that I forgot to take a picture!) - I'm no fan of fastfood chains nor of burgers, but the McRice Beef Burger turned me into a McDonald's suki for a week! This reminds me of the rice balls the Japanese bring for their lunch baon. Try closing your eyes when you take your first bite and you'd think you were eating tender beef teriyaki enveloped and delicious sticky rice (more like sushi than rice cakes), topped with toasted sesame seeds. My only complaint is you have to eat 2 of these to declare it a full meal. Go try it!

The next time you see me, try not to look at my hips. Instead, ask me what recent yummies I've tried. I'll get the hint. : )