Bon Appetea FAIL!

My milk tea addiction probably won't be going away anytime soon. A couple of months ago, I stumbled upon a promo for large-sized milk tea on sale at P35 (formerly P70). I couldn't pass it up, since milk tea places usually offer pretty decent versions of their "original flavor", despite the sometimes absurd fruit teas they come up with (worst case scenario). Yet again, this deal was brokered by a coupon site.

The excitement of the moment had me buying 6 coupons (using my account and M's) in total. Never mind that, in order to pay for the coupons in cash, we had to ride around in taxis which brought an additional P100+ to the overall expense. --So much for saving a buck.

I read from the terms and conditions for my coupons that the Bon Appetea stand has 2 branches: Ortigas and Parañaque. Ortigas it is, then. Strata 2000 Building to be exact. Thank goodness for another friend, S, who lives very close by. The three of us trekked to said building yesterday afternoon where, on the ground floor to one side of the area, is the food court filled with various stalls.

The Bon Appetea Facebook page boasted of a wide range of flavors that looked very promising. Their bestsellers include Nirvana (Assam black tea and wintermelon) and _____________. Hell, it looked like it could kick Serenitea's butt to the curb. But when we proceeded to give our orders, that's when the trouble started.

S wanted to order the Peach milk tea, but they were out. He settled on the Morrocan Nights (jasmine tea and mint) instead. M wanted the Creme Brulee, but they were all out of caramel anything, which is an ingredient for about half of their milk tea items on the menu. He went for Taro. No dice. Then he settled on________. My turn came and I wanted Creme Brulee or Melange, which were also out.  This prompted me to say to the vendor, "Kuya naman eh. Lahat na lang wala." ("Mister, everything's out!") The man looked blank, so I just ordered a Morrocan Nights as well.

Taste-wise, it's okay. Some people don't like mint, as it reminds them of toothpaste. But the combination of  jasmine and mint seem to work. It's unique.

 

 

"Don't let other people define your worth. "

-Diane Gollon

Hello, Baked Cheesecake!

Throughout the years, my cousins, Marianne and Elaine, have been my foremost guides to what food with quality should be like. Sure, it feels like it could get over-the-top sometimes, but they have a very straightforward vision of what quality without compromise is.

They used to diss the instant, no-bake cheesecake my parents would buy from the grocery, but with good reason. Since I've tasted real cheesecake, I'm not going back to the gelatin-based kind. In fact, I want to go as far as to experiment with different kinds of cheese. That stemmed from a trip to Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and a friend's impulse to try the Camembert Cheese Tart with Dark Cherry Filling. From the first bite, my friend Z and I went crazy over it. (Don't think they still serve it. I haven't seen it in a while.)

A couple of months ago, Dad got discount coupons for blueberry cheesecake (his favorite) at a certain dessert shop. The original price of said cheesecake was so expensive! And when we took it home, I was dismayed to find out that it was so obviously the gelatin kind because it melted all over the place. I immediately pointed out that the gelatin cheesecake was highly overpriced, and challenged myself to make a baked cheesecake that would, at least, come closer to being worthy of the insane price.

My recipe source was quite close to home. I basically used what I learned in school to create...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Good 'ol baked cheesecake."][/caption]

The sides are a mess, as I have yet to figure out how to line the pan properly. I would say that it was successful enough on the first try. However, there is room for improvement when it comes to finding the creamier cream cheese. The same goes for the butter I use, for I made the mistake of grabbing the only thing that was there --margarine. Yuck!

What I liked about the recipe, though, was that the outcome was firm enough to hold up on its own. For that alone, I wouldn't mind slow cooking it in a bain marie for over an hour.

I am already plotting my 2nd shot at making this cheesecake. Also, next up for me is the traditional Black Forest Cake... I wonder where I can score some decently priced black cherries.

So here's to 2012 and, soon, more attempts on the dessert front.

This is Canton! part 2

*See the 1st part of the series here.

**Entries in this series are going to be photo-heavy...

Continuation of Day 1: Out and About

In any foreign country I've been, it's always fun to walk off in some random direction and see what the street vendors are selling. My parents found a man on the sidewalk with kamote (sweet potato) on a previous trip and started buying like crazy. They would bring it home for pasalubong to our equally appreciative relatives back in Manila.

I understand what they're going on about. The kamote is prepared in a very straightforward manner: roasted in a big, covered container. They don't season it or anything. But the outcome is very tender and sweet, a lot like rustic mashed potatoes.

A word of warning though: Be wary of the way goods like these are priced. Some vendors use a different set of scales (like the one the man is tinkering with on the photo below) and they move about quickly. That and the language barrier can create some confusion on the total bill.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="576" caption="Sweet Potato Man"][/caption]

One of my favorite street foods in Canton are the lamb skewers (estimated price at RMB3-4/Php20+). They come in long or short bamboo skewers and very slightly resemble the appearance of our own isaw. (Note: The tastes of isaw and lamb bbq are two entirely separate things.) I first tried it in Tianjin and fell in love with the very tasty, slightly crispy morsels. The meat is seasoned with a spice powder that I've wondered about for such a long time. Upon my close inspection, I successfully identified cumin as a crucial component to the fantastic taste.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Lamb Barbecue Stand"][/caption]

Next stop was Shangxia Jiu. It's similar to Korea's Myeong Dong in that it is a stretch of street devoted to all manners of shops. You can easily spend the entire afternoon exploring all the retailers, and it is a delight for foodies because every couple of steps will lead you to a food vendor.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Shangxia Jiu"][/caption]

On the bangketa (sidewalk) shopping front, we found lots of salesmen (like the one in the photo below) peddling dried fruits and nuts from a kariton (cart). There's apricots, red/white raisins, walnuts, almonds, etc. The vendors give free taste of the product and I have to say that they are nice and fresh, and the prices are good. I don't use legumes so much in baking because it's much more expensive to get them in Manila. Needless to say, we started hoarding almonds, raisins, and dried kiwis.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Bangketa Vendors"][/caption]

Have I mentioned that Guangzhou is a haven for exotic foods? Some of the best-tasting Chinese food in the world come from the Cantonese. I've seen my fair share of scorpions impaled on barbecue sticks, but have been too afraid to try. And even though one might not be an extremist foodie, there is always something to eat for even the not-so-adventurous.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="One of the Many Food Shops: A store that sells various parts of chicken."][/caption]

For example, dinner comprised of  "the old favorites". These are dishes that can be found at any tea house or Chinese restaurant back home. We ate here... (Sorry, I don't have the English translation for the name of this resto.)

We had:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Roasted Pork (Asado)"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Shrimp that came with..."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="...a baby Shrimp with claws!"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Fried Rice"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Beef Ho Fan"][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="and Fish on a Bed of Broccoli"][/caption]

Everything was good and high quality. I cannot stress enough that all the food I ate on this trip was fresh and executed very well by the cooks. It doesn't even matter if it's from a restaurant or street food.

But I have to mention that restaurants in China have a tendency of serving rice later on into the meal. As in, all the viands have already been laid out and you are still waiting on the rice. So you either request that the rice come out first, or you have to wait for it before you start eating.

After our meal, we rushed to the pier for the Pearl River Cruise. This is a must-do for first-timers in Canton. You get to go on a scenic tour of the city at night and see a series of bridges lit with different colored lights. The experience is so serene.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="View from the Ship's Deck"][/caption]

The cruise also offers a buffet, but we got on the last trip for the evening. By then, they only served tea.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="City Lights"][/caption]

Halfway through the ride, we got up on the roof deck to take pictures with the view as the backdrop.

Then it was time to go back to sign out for the night.

To be continued and...

Happy New Year!

This is Canton! part 1

*Entries in this series are going to be photo-heavy...

Upon Arrival:

My recent trip to Guangzhou wasn't the first time I've wandered to this part of China, but I'd come back in a heartbeat because it's a good place to be. Though not as metropolitan as Beijing or Shanghai, Guangzhou has its own level of hustle and bustle that is comparable to Cebu: Lively, but not so hectic.

The first few times I went to China, the weather was chilly. We had 17-20°C, which was already too cold for my sensitive-skinned mother and grandmother. This time, though, it was pretty much only 1-2°C lower than Manila. It was hot! And the only redeeming value was that it wasn't humid, so I didn't have to suffer through sticky sweat. I had to wonder why a lot of the folks there wore jackets and long sleeves.

We arrived late at night and rode a bus from the airport to a sort of town square that was a 5-minute taxi ride to our hotel. After getting settled in, we were ready for a decent meal. (For "dinner", I simply had a cheese roll and some mineral water on the plane. There was no time to get food at the airport, since we were running late already.) There was a choice between 24-hour McDonald's and a modern-design Chinese restaurant that closed late.

Of course, the Chinese restaurant won. They had so many items on the menu, it made my head spin. We ended up ordering congee (granny), noodles (parents), and black pepper steak with rice (my favorite!). However, photos aren't available because, believe it or not, the restaurant does not allow it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Town Square at night. Also the drop-off point of the airport shuttle."][/caption]

After the meal, it was a walk back to the hotel and some well-deserved sleep.

~!~

Day 1:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="View from our window at Grand Continental Service Apartment"][/caption]

Can I just say that I love the modern interiors at the Grand Continental. The windows are huge, and we had a view of the Pearl River off to the side. It was also very nice that they had a microwave oven and induction cooker. But they didn't have any cookware stored in the room. Maybe you have to rent it?

We pretty much slept in and had to rush downstairs to make it to breakfast before the buffet closed. Did I mention how fabulous the interior design is?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Dining Room for the Breakfast Buffet"][/caption]

I must admit that we have this embarrassing travel habit of making the most of the breakfast buffet. It gets us through all the way to lunch, and the energy-boost is much needed when there's a lot of walking involved.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="My Breakfast. Round 1. "][/caption]

As you can see, I literally have a full plate. Pancakes, chicken nuggets, lamb barbecue (more on that later), a slice of ham, a roll of fried toast with yam filling and sesame seed coating, chocolate cereals, some tea, and a glass of milk. The milk and the tea were later mixed to form a poorly-made milk tea.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Round 2"][/caption]

Then there came the 2nd plate, with its sausage and "banana fritters". The latter is a cute and banana-shaped snack. It's breaded outside, but the inside is a gooey, yellow, banana-flavored tikoy (glutinous rice cake). I can imagine this being sold warm and in skewers. Yummy.

One hearty breakfast and a window shopping session later, I found my favorite snack turo-turo stand. It's a simple booth where different forms of noodles and rice bowls are sold until noon, and then replaced with stockpots of desserts and snacks priced at RMB3+ (Php21.00)  by early afternoon. The nice lady (the one on the left of the photo below) was amused by my snapping photos of the soups and her scooping. Touristy me...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="558" caption="Chinese Snack Stand"][/caption]

My old discovery was the warm black sesame soup. I can only describe the roasted, crushed seeds as sweet and addictive. I always have to have that. And this stall makes such a delicious bowl. I have bought the powdered instant versions of this soup from groceries so that I could hoard it back home, but it's just not the same.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Black Sesame Soup"][/caption]

Grandma preferred to have what we call lay-yah bok-nee in Fukien. It's snow fungus stewed with pears. The flavor was mild and reminded me of a tonic, rather than syrupy like what the restaurants here in Manila serve. Also, the usual bok-nee I get to try contain red dates and goji berries, so this was a departure.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Snow Fungus. Slices of pear are floating on top."][/caption]

Mother had the Guilinggao (turtle jelly). This dessert dates dates waaaay back to the time when those who prepared this had to get some powdered shell of turtle. These days though, most vendors have backed off of using actual turtle product. At first glance, it is easy to mistake this for grass jelly in syrup. But the flavor is a little on the bitter side, offset by the sweetness of the syrup. That particular bowl wasn't too bitter for me, as I've eaten more potent mixtures when I was younger. And to think I was steeling myself for the ocean of bitter...

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Turtle Jelly"][/caption]

I get nostalgic for these things. It's a shame that we don't really get to prepare any of it at home, save for the bok-nee, which has to be special-requested from our old cook who, luckily, indulges my little whims. It is my goal to learn how to make these, if only to fuel my nostalgic trips down memory lane.

To Be Continued...

Apologies are in Order

The goal of this blog was for me to write foodie stuff on a weekly basis as a personal writing exercise. Though the glory of being a professional blogger is tempting for a beginner such as myself, it is a must to remember that, more than anything, this has to remain my own little personal exercise. I do this for myself (my satisfaction, my joy), first and foremost.

However, when the motivation is quite self-centered, there is a tendency for things to get lax when one is not "in the mood". I've neglected it for one month because of my silly sem break. The last few weeks were a flurry of activity that had me whisked off from one place to the next. And now I am back to home base, the dust settling and I find myself overwhelmed with all the things I want to write, but don't even know how to begin.

For those who have been reading this blog: I am truly sorry for being inconsistent. I chide myself, knowing that my readers (I, myself, being the original audience in mind) deserve a certain level of discipline, come rain or shine.

My next entry is being written right now. It's an adventure. Join me.

                                                                                                                                      XO,

                                                                                                                                               Marielle

999 is a 168

Title seems like a lot of numbers, right?... If you haven't heard of 999 or 168, don't worry. It's not some Matrix-like computer code. Both are actually malls that specialize in tiangge stalls and whole sale goods. And if you want to get a really good shopping spree in, you'd probably be stuck in just 1 mall for the whole afternoon because of the sheer number of small shops there.

What appeals to me with these malls, in addition to the shopping opportunities, are their food courts! It's not your typical fast food offerings up there, which makes the experience quite refreshing. There are a multitude of Chinese vendors in the area, so it doesn't come as a surprise that there is also a lot of Chinese food around.

We went upstairs (999's 3rd floor) for a quick restroom stop, but ended up staying for an afternoon snack instead. Mom was instantly enamored by the turo-turo (cafeteria-style) viands. While I was drawn to the Tracolla milk tea stand.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="540" caption="Tracolla"][/caption]

Prices range from P25-P70-ish. They have a selection of milk teas, shakes, and teas. Sugar levels are adjustable, and you have the option of getting a hot or cold drink. The milk tea already comes with sago (black tapioca pearls). They also have Buko Pandan Shake that I would like to sample next time.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Drink Sizes"][/caption]

I asked to try a small cup of their Original flavor because the man said that that is their bestseller, while my aunt got herself a Green Tea milk tea without sugar.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Our Drinks (mine is on the right side)"][/caption]

My Verdict: I found the milk tea too milky, but there was a hint of caramel flavor that I liked. The sweetness, though at 100%, was not too sweet. The tapioca pearls formed a cluster at the bottom of the cup, so I only got to eat them after I finished my drink. My aunt's drink was more potently flavored, especially without the sugar. Next time, I'd try the Buko Pandan.

Next up was HK 88 dessert. This was one of the first establishments I immediately noticed upon alighting from the escalator. I, right away, knew that I wanted to try the desserts there.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="HK Dessert: Exciting!"][/caption]

Compared to the other food shops in the area, the menu items are a bit pricey. You can already get a meal at P60 from another stall. But what you get here is a unique dessert that, from what I've seen, is authentic. Take E1, for example: "Black Pearl Sago Dessert with Mango, Grapefruit & Sago". I didn't try it out yesterday, but from the looks of it, it's similar to the yummy mango-sago "soup" with grapefruit pulp that I once had in Makati New World Hotel's Jasmine Restaurant.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="800" caption="The Dessert Menu"][/caption]

The salesperson recommended E4, which is Mango with Black Glutinous Rice at P100. I was unsure about it at first, since it looked like mushed azuki beans so I imagined something sticky/gooey/mushy. But I ordered it, telling myself to keep an open mind and try it out because of my search for the authentic.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Mango with Black Glutinous rice"][/caption]

Turns out, I made the right decision. The cold dessert contains kernels of corn, a splash of cream, and a sliced cheek of mango. I was trying to find the closest thing in my mind that could be comparable to this. At first, I came up with guinataan (a traditional Filipino mirienda item that contains tapioca pearls, coconut milk, corn, taro, and glutinous rice balls; the name literally translates to "applied coconut milk to"), though without the gata (coconut milk). Basically, my aunt had a laugh and told me that there was no sense in comparing it to guinataan without the star ingredient.

The next thing we came up with was the champorado (another Filipino favorite for breakfast or mirienda that consists of glutinous rice, sugar, and tablea chocolate; it's like Filipino porridge). This was more accurate, because of the rice and the texture of the dessert.

I liked it because I found a pretty good balance to the flavors. It's not too sweet. The cream is a great contranst to the glutinous rice, but I wouldn't mix the whole thing up before eating. What I would do is take a bit of cream with the rice and a small bite of mango. The rice is in there whole, not mushy, which makes for good textures. Unfortunately, mango isn't in season, so it was really tart. Meh, what do you expect?

I'd have to save up P120 for the Mango Soup, but I'm definitely coming back for more. :)

P.S. On the way home, at the Recto LRT station, I discovered fried potato balls flavored with curry. It looks rumpled because it had to survive take-out in a flimsy sheet of cling wrap. It's a P39 potato ball burger innovation, but a double carb-fest too (bread + potato - meat). And the taste is so-so. The main flavoring is curry powder (typical, heavy on the turmeric stuff). Though I like that, at least, something new can be found in train stations that tend to have the most generic stuff (e.g. siomai and donut stands).

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Curry Potato Burger"][/caption]

A Simple Word of Thanks

The Credits :)

Special thanks goes to my cousin, Marianne, for providing me with the ultra-useful camera phone that's been a constant companion to this blog.

I am thankful to my perpetual foodie companion, M, who is always helping me discover good places with affordable grub: the majority of the content of this blog.

A thank you also to mom and dad, who are not afraid to travel far for a nice meal.

Merry Moo @ Mercato Centrale

Some things you ought to know:

First of all, I always call it Mercato Centrale because I often wind up there during the day time. I have no stamina to stay awake at 10+ pm and roam around the Fort so far away from home.

Second, the Merry Moo stall has always got me checking it out for new and unique flavors. From the first time I saw it, my interest was piqued by the Earl Grey ice cream. But I had to restrain myself at the time because the budget was a bit on the low side, and a cup of said ice cream would have set me back around P70-80. (You have to budget it out, if you want to try many things at Mercato).

Finally, I usually rely on the kindness of family and M for me to get a cup of their ice cream. Dad let me try the Strawberry Basil, which I can only describe as "herby" and what you would imagine gourmet to be like (read: kitchen experiments that may not be for mainstream consumption). Mind you, it tastes good but is considerably far from what the grocery ice cream brands have to offer.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Earl Grey Tea, Strawberry Basil, and Milo."][/caption]

On M's birthday, he treated me to lunch at Mercato with a dessert of Merry Moo's Sea Salt + Caramel Ice Cream. It blew my mind. (I have a severe soft spot for the salty-sweet, hence my liking of Holy Kettle Corn's original flavor.) The caramel in the ice cream, though sweet, wasn't the toffee kind, but was on the dark caramel side. --Something that I always prefer to toffee. I like that subtle bitterness that cuts into, what would have been, a sea of saccharine, sticky, tonsilitis-inducing sweetness (ick!).

The base of the dessert was rich and creamy enough. Not Haagen-Dazs level, but good. It melts a bit fast but I wouldn't blame them for it, since their freezers go through the open-close motions a lot from the free tastes and orders they accommodate.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Salted Caramel Ice Cream is the Shizzz."] [/caption]

Positive Points: They are developing gourmet ice cream for those who are into the whole thing. It's not just the branded type. They really bank on the unique flavors of the product. I like that they take it easy with a stall. You really have to test if the market is receptive to this type of product before you launch into a hardcore boutique.

Low Points: For the foodie on a budget, it may seem a bit pricey, but I get that the flavors available to us are at a premium. (Some gelato stands are even more expensive.)

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Sea Salt + Caramel, Pop Rocks & Marshmallow, and Candied Bacon."][/caption]

Also got to try their Candied Bacon flavor. For some reason, it reminded me of chorizo. And no, I don't like chorizo. I have to say, though, that it didn't taste gross. Again, a fair play on the salty and the sweet. --I half-expected it to be a mostly savory ice cream (sort of like sticking huge amounts of maple bacon into a blender and adding cream). But it wasn't.

Those looking for an unconventional dessert at Mercato should stop by. I find that their ice cream flavors are a good example of tanggal-umay. Plus, their Sea Salt Caramel is my new favorite. :)

Dinner at FEU Makati's LOOP

I am supremely thankful that a lot of trendy places are deciding to promote themselves via coupon sites, because it really feels like I've been afforded the privilege of really good food that I wouldn't usually be able to try out. No exception is FEU Makati's cooking school's resto, LOOP.

Coming from a culinary school myself, I know that that sort of restaurant tends to be a very good learning ground for students in both front-of-the-house and back-of-the-house operations. And for those who are really into the hospitality industry, the experiences there can be fun or you can have some entertaining stories to tell about the things you've gone through there.

Finding the building itself was a challenge for us, since we do not often wander deep into the Makati area. We had to ask for directions from the security guard of a nearby building who pointed us in the correct general direction. Once I found the sign that said FEU, we knew we were in the right place. But out of the whole building, the actual restaurant is in one, almost negligible, corner (read: sulok). The low, intimate lighting makes it harder to find, especially at night.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420" caption="Outside sign. Very modern logo. Nice."][/caption]

The reservation we had was for near closing time, so we pretty much had the place all to ourselves, which is fine because we really got the feel of the intimate setting. The ambiance is quite good. They have a glass-less show kitchen, which is really a must for culinary school restaurants.

Our coupons were for some Australian Meltique™ Strip Loins (part of their steak promotion), soup, and some chocolate desserts at the end.

First, we were served with the bread plate. Personally, I thought it was a fantastic way to start off dinner. Those look like regular slices of French bread, but if you have the sense to drizzle on a bit of the provided olive oil (or whatever the heck oil it was) and sprinkle some salt, it becomes such a delight. I will not apologize for waxing poetic. Those who appreciate the subtle harmony of flavors will know how far a bit of oil and salt can go. The big granules of salt bring out the sweetness of the oil.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Bread Plate w/ Olive Oil and what appears to be Sea Salt."][/caption]

Mom was too afraid to try it out. She did not relish the idea of stuffing "oily, salty" bread down her throat. I tried to explain, but to no avail. Pffft. Her loss.

That was followed with onion soup, which lacked the cheesy bread on top. Other than that, it was quite good. Though the plating is fairly simple, the seasoning was fine.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Onion Soup. Mom preferred to dip her bread there."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Close up of the soup."][/caption]

We ordered some drinks... All rated good on my book. The signature drink is interesting. It has a name like Sakura or Cherry Blossom or something. Fruity, sweet....

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="LOOP's signature drink with house iced tea in the background."][/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360" caption="Dad's Beer."][/caption]

Up next was the main attraction: Steak!... Let me just say that the ingredients really do contribute to a huge part of how a dish will come out. After all, what use is the best chef in the world if you get a bad piece of steak?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Steak with veg and potatoes. Not pictured here is the gravy boat."][/caption]

But I will be quick to add that the chef also did a fantastic job. They kept it simple, but everything was so flavorful. The steak was tender, tender, tender. And I have to admit that it is still amazingly tender and juicy despite the fact that I ordered it medium-well. (It's a compromise I have to make when dining with my parents. They always go for well-done for long term gastrointestinal health. --Hay nako!-- But I am also willing to meet halfway.) Still tender, by the way, after my parents ordered it well-done.

The green circle around the plate is basically parsley juice. It disappears once you have the gravy on, but works as a nice design for the plate. Mashed potato was done properly enough that it didn't require being smothered with gravy, though I still put a bit of the sauce because that's just who I am. Veg is also cooked well (thouroughly, but not soggy).

Though the serving size isn't in steakhouse portions, I found myself pleasantly full afterwards, with room to spare for some dessert.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640" caption="Chocolate Symphony. I give it a solid "Bravo!""][/caption]

The Chocolate Symphony, though tiny (a bit bigger than a serving of baklava), has the desired impact. It caps off the meal very well. This is to say that the food served in that set was not light on the flavors, but complemented each other nicely. Made with valhrona chocolate, this dessert melts in your mouth in a "warm and fuzzy feeling" way. The sweetness doesn't kill the chocolate. And in my opinion, the serving size is just right: It satisfies you, but makes you want more.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560" caption="Pear Frangipane Tart with Bleu Cheese Crumble and Ice Cream"][/caption]

At my request, we ordered the Pear Frangipane Tart as I have been intrigued by frangipane for a while now. The idea of fragrant ground almonds on a tart gives me high expectations. Perhaps it will taste like macarons...

It was my first time to try frangipane and, frankly, I was disillusioned. I couldn't really taste the almonds that much. It was all crust. The poached pear was fine, and so was the ice cream. The bleu cheese crumble is reminiscent of a compact helping of cream cheese in terms of texture. However, I found the pastry too big if you decide to eat each scoop with a bit of pear, ice cream, and crumble. If that is how all frangipane tarts are, then they are not my cup of tea.

Overall, though, the food is definitely something to come back for. The careful preparation is obvious here. On our way out, my mom did not forget to compliment the chef on the cooking. And I agree with her perfectly.

LOOP Creative Dining
cor. Sen Gil Puyat Ave.,
(Buendia) and Malugay St., Makati
*Near RCBC and The Columns Condominium

Chocolate Milk Made Easy

Being a member of productive society requires me to be up early in the mornings and struggle my way through the rest of the day, energy-wise. I try not to take coffee, as it seems to have the worst effect on my ulcer. So I survive on flavored milk drinks and the occasional glass of juice to get me up and about. --Mind you, I know it's an awful habit to rely on sugar to keep me active, and I stay away from energy drinks at all costs.

The obvious (practical?) chocolate milk option would be Milo or Ovaltine, but I have had a bad experience with Milo. I prefer cold drinks and I use milk to dilute instead of water. The trouble is that Milo does not seem to dissolve in cold anything very well. All you get are globs of powder floating around pathetically in the cold water/milk.

I was terribly happy to discover Belle France Chocolate Milk Powder in Shopwise. Originally, it was Nesquik that I wanted to buy, but S&R sold it in such a big container at around P400+. Too much of a commitment for me. And it was still expensive in SM and Shopwise.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="480" caption="I actually thought it was Nesquik at first glance."][/caption]

The sunny yellow packaging is similar in color to Nesquik's but comes in 450g for around P140. 3 tablespoons of the powder goes into a glass of cold milk, then stirred for 10 seconds and you have yourself some cooperative chocolate milk. I love it! Mind you, it's not the kind of chocolate milk where you get a the effect of smooth light brown liquid (like if you had used Hershey's chocolate syrup to do the job). The milk is pigmented with some flecks of the choco powder, but isn't globby and goes down smooth as a powder mixture gets.

When I'm in a big hurry, I pour some milk down a reusable water container and shake it up with some of the Belle France powder. That's breakfast for a stressed-out culinary student. :p

Save with Me

Most of my recent food trips are owed to coupon sites that save us a lot of money and give us the chance to dine in really cool places. For the budget-savvy eater, it is now a must.

Please accept my invite to Ensogo (click the link please! :p), a site that we've been using a lot. I find a lot of affordable deals featured here.

Thanks, dear readers. I'll be updating you on my food adventures soon. :)

Manang's Chicken, Ortigas

The nice thing about hitching rides with friends is that, where they drop you off, there is a possibility for the discovery of new places to eat. Today, it was in Ortigas. --a short walk away from Robinson's Galleria. The new place to eat: Manang's Chicken.

The size of the establishment is quite small. The entrance is narrow and located beside a 7/11. It's a modest dining place that has okay air conditioning and popping colors painted on the wall. Right beside the entrance is the single counter, which has the potential to block up the entrance when there are a lot of customers ordering.

Technically, this isn't all that new for me. I've tried Manang's at Mercato Centrale twice already. Heck, the last time I was there was only Sunday. But it's always the order of wings that I get (6 pcs for P144. That's 3 WHOLE wing pieces, in actuality). It was time to try something else, of course.

Their Cheezy Spaghetti (P49) caught my eye (naturally!), while M ordered the 2-piece original sauce chicken with rice (P124) plus an additional serving of original sauce (P10). Considering that not so many people were eating there right then, the wait time was a bit long. Around 10 minutes. And when I tasted the spaghetti, I didn't find it particularly memorable. It wasn't quite the sweet Filipino-style spaghetti that has become traditional, so I'm not entirely sure where to place it. Let's just say that I'd stick to the chicken with mild sauce. --Which I did, by the way, order after finishing my spaghetti because I wasn't so satisfied with it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="Manang's Cheezy Spaghetti gets a noncommittal "Meh"."][/caption]

The mild sauce is such a winner, because that's where the play of sweet and spicy comes in. The chicken itself (I got breast part) is just ok. For such a fleshy part, it's not very juicy, but the breading is crispy. Basically, the sauce does 75% of the work. I suggest to get the wings instead, because the ratio of sauce-to-crispy is just right. You get the maximum flavor and texture there.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480" caption="2-piece Chicken w/ Original Sauce (M's)"][/caption]

I noticed that, even if you choose to dine-in, they still serve the food in styrofoam containers. Plastic utensils and all. I'm quite against the excessive use of styro, so I'm not exactly a fan of their practice. But I understand that the size of their kitchen is small and does not seem to have a big washing facility.

Eating there, I felt as though the establishment seemed to lose a bit of its shine. I don't know if it's because they're becoming mass produced or maybe Mercato's aura contributes something exotic to it. Sometimes, a business becomes successful because the products are so rare (which makes it refreshing). I'm hoping that the quality of their food won't change, though I've seen it happen so many times.

Globe Complicates Things

Here’s an update on my quest for a new phone:

I hate Globe right now. I stopped by their SM Megamall branch and saw on one of the fancy touchscreen TVs that the Galaxy Mini was being offered. -- Hey! I didn’t even notice that, since the Libis branch was almost closing when I inquired.

There I was, diligently waiting in line to have my questions answered. My turn came, and I asked the representative if I could use up my Globe Loyalty Points (I have 3 or 4 years on me). She checked my account and informed me that it wouldn't be possible, even if I used the points to get a discount and pay the remainder in cash. According to her, the only way for me to get it is if I upgrade my plan from the P499/month to a P999/month.

Now why in the hell would I have to do that? I was already willing to pay the rest in cash! That's already an instant asset for them. The Samsung shop offers it cheaper, so if Globe won't even give me the benefits then might as well buy the phone where it has a lower price.

What bullshit.

Furthermore, I'm not loving the phones on display there. It's all Blackberry and iPhone and Samsung Galaxy. But whatever happened to the more inexpensive models?... I honestly don't get it. Have you completely abandoned your other customers? It seems just a little bit elitist is what I'm saying. And obviously, loyalty apparently stands for very little with this company.

Upgrading

I am dreaming of buying a new phone. --“Dreaming” being the objective word, since I don’t have the means at present. So I am merely window shopping, looking for phones with the specs and price that suit my interests.

Inevitably, the time comes that a person will want to have an upgrade of gadgets. This could either be a good or bad thing. I’ve seen some people change expensive phones yearly, and yet I’ve also seen people who’ve had their phones for over 6 years. After announcing that I was thinking of getting a new phone, I was immediately asked by Dad to explain why I wanted one again after only 2 years of using my current phone. My reason was depreciation. Mind you, I’m not saying that my phone is already fully depreciated after only 2 years. But I have certainly made that phone a lifeline of sorts. That’s why I started to think about the way gadgets depreciate.

I figure that there are 2 types of depreciation to a piece of technology: first, you have the physical depreciation; and second, you have the outdating of your gadget.

Physical depreciation would pertain to the daily wear and tear that your piece of equipment will experience. We’re talking about all the nasty things that you could accidentally do to your phone like dropping it on the floor, wearing out the keypad from usage, cracking the screen (this really happened to me when I put a heavy book in my bag and forgot that I had a phone right underneath), getting it wet, etc. There is always the option to bring the phone in for repair. But sometimes, the repair is just as good as buying a new phone. When I tried to get my Nokia’s case replaced because of cracks and peeling paint, the Nokia person told me that it would cost around P9,000. Never mind…

Outdating is the one that usually precedes physical depreciation as the reason for changing equipment. While you’re in the market trying to buy a reasonably priced gizmo, you already know that the upgrade is available but only to a more expensive product. There’s the matter of which camera resolution is better, what the better platform with the most apps downloadable, does it have wifi, etc.

Personally, my reasons are both physical depreciation and outdating. I have 2 phones at present: one for my Globe sim and the other for my Sun sim. (I do have a dual sim phone, but I believe I was scammed by the official repair center. It was a nightmare. The phone is not usable, despite it being brand new.) The Globe phone is a really old 6610. The firmware is from Nov 2004. I don’t even remember how long I’ve had this, but I know that I was using it when I was still in high school. Yeah, that’s over 4 years already. It’s basically being held together by tape and one of the keys on the keypad is missing. But I have to say that it works well enough for call and text function, though the memory is a bitch.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="250" caption="My Nokia 6610. I won't even try to post the picture of the one I actually have."][/caption]

My Sun phone is still new. It’s an E90, which was a gift from my dear cousin. Unfortunately, this is the phone that’s attached to my hip, so you can expect all the mayhem to happen to this one. I’ve had to pay P500 to get all my data erased because of a stupid virus, but I cannot pay P9,000 to get it to look new again. That defies logic, heartbreaking as it is.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Nokia E90. If you ask me, it's man's best friend next to their pet dog."][/caption]

This phone has been used on various trips while I’m on roaming. It’s what takes fabulous profile pictures for FB and decent food pictures for http://marielleong.wordpress.com. I use it to cram the hell out of tests (lecture powerpoint presentations) via its Quickoffice app. I even use it to write future blog entries. Basically, what I’m saying is that this phone’s been to hell and back. I wouldn’t know what to do without it because it’s been the best rebound phone. Ever.

Yes, there is such a thing as a rebound phone. I once had a beautiful Motorola Q8 (my first qwerty), a high school graduation gift from my parents. It didn’t have wifi, but I used it like how I use the E90 now and it ran on Windows Mobile (a-ma-zing). Basically, my world revolved around it. And there was an untoward incident in school (at the same time where other students’ stuff started going missing as well) where I, stupidly, left it on a desk with my 6610 when I went to the bathroom. When I remembered to retrieve it, the thief left only the 6610 behind. I don’t know if that asshole had a sense of humor or pitied me enough that he/she/it left me with 1 phone to use. But you have no idea how many times I have wished harm on that person and his loved ones whenever I remember. I can’t say I’m entirely over it, because I’d probably punch that person in the face if I only know who was behind it.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="219" caption="Moto Q8. I went through the 5 stages of grief on this one."][/caption]

Sorry. I know it seems so wicked of me. But you have to know that I am a person who tries to keep away from any sort of confrontation. However, it doesn’t sit well with me if a person sneaks around and tries to mess with me or my stuff. Those are unforgivable offences.

Both phones have certainly been used to their full capacity, but I have to admit that they are still working okay. The logic, though, is that by the time I get the funds together for a new phone, I can set the 6610 down for semi-retirement.

I don’t believe that you should wait for one phone to die before you get a new one. You should have room to back-up the data on each phone before they refuse to even power on.

I wanted to study all possible resources, so I went to Globe to ask if my rewards points would get me anywhere. Let me just ask: Whatever happened to nice “loyalty gifts” from globe??? Back then, if you were a member for 3 or 4 years, you’d get a top-of-the-line phone. Now, 3-4 years is nothing but a rebate. The phone they offered for free seemed like an entry level qwerty. (At any rate, it did not adhere to my specifications.) And, get this, it wasn’t even in stock! You could get an iPhone, but you’d have to pay an additional P20,000+.

With that said, I have considered saving up for an iPhone because, to me, it’s the most awesome phone I can think of. But seeing as the price tag is hefty beyond words and I am a humble commuter, I would never be able to travel and not feel too frightened all the time. It’s been 3 years since my Moto Q got stolen, and I’m still not completely over it. What more for a P30,000 phone?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="358" caption="iPhone 4. The Ultimate. A Distant Dream."][/caption]

So far, what I plan to buy is a Samsung Galaxi Mini. It's perhaps my idea of the cheaper alternative to an iPhone, costing only a fraction of a price (P6,990). I had a look at the apps available on the Android platform and saw that I could get whatsapp (wifi chat, functions like yahoo messenger) and Quickoffice. I'm not much of a gamer, but I am an extreme texter; so the Swipe feature (slide-texting without needing to lift your finger) looks good.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="330" caption="Samsung Galaxy Mini. Yes, this could definitely be it."][/caption]

I'm still up to the challenge of testing other phones and seeing if they can surpass my value-for-money perception of the Galaxy Mini. Can't wait to have something to review...

By the way, I did literally dream of buying phone last night. That’s what spurred me to write this entry today.