"i ❤ tea" is hearty

The Milk Tea craze hit Manila pretty hard. Chances are, each mall here has at least one tea shop in operation. Boy, it feels like a long time since I once wished for a Cha Time to open in the Cubao area. (FYI: There's already one in Gateway Mall and another one set to open its "doors" in the Ali Mall/SM Bridgeway.) When it rains, it pours!

My great discovery of the week is a newly opened, café-type tea shop called "i ❤ tea" in Farmer's Plaza. They just started operations sometime last week, and there are still balloon arrangements by the window.

Just my two cents: I'm aware that Farmer's Plaza does not generally bring to mind the image of people merrily sipping away on tea while chatting with friends. Yes, the mall is more of an MRT hub than a pasyal (leisure) site, especially when you have the surrounding Gateway, SM, Ali Mall that appear much more trendy. One might wonder how this establishment plans to attack the right market for their Php90+ drinks, when the location calls for budget prices. --But I'll expound on that later.

I was essentially drawn into the store by their launch promotion: All tea-based drinks are at 50%-off until August 15. Php50 for a large cup is a steal, since that's the standard price of the cheapest milk teas in town anyway.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] It's great to know that they have a professional system for customized drink orders[/caption]

Got Black Sugar Milk Tea with HanTian (Brown Sugar) Jelly, which I think was DELICIOUS. I'm one for sago (black pearls), but if there's HanTian Jelly around, then I'd rather have that. --The only other place I know that has this particular topping is Cobo Milk Tea at Tomas Morato. And the milk has no distinct aftertaste like in Cha Time.

For those who want to try Black Sugar, I suggest you get it at 50% sweetness or less. They use a black sugar syrup for this one, so reducing the sweetness means reducing the flavoring, but 50% is completely flavorful and veteran milk tea drinkers will still find it too sweet.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] The packaging is cute[/caption]

As for interiors, the place has a pop Taiwan kind of design: Glittery glass walls, colorful decor, and comfy chairs. We decided to stay and finish the drinks there because the chairs were relaxing.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] Nice place to chill[/caption]

Frankly, my only puzzlement has to do with the location. Those who haven't been to the Cubao area in a while will be surprised to know that it is undergoing a makeover: Araneta Coliseum is being revamped to have a sleek glass facade, though I honestly think they're better off just fashioning a new coliseum from scratch; SM Cubao is good as new; Ali Mall is almost there, save for some old wings that need attention; and Farmer's is following suit. The part of this mall that connects to the MRT looks fine. But there is still the matter of who this shop is trying to market their product to.

Farmer's looks its best now, but the stores that are open there (including the tiangge stalls at the top floor) are still geared towards budget shoppers. So once the tea prices go back to normal after Aug. 15, I wonder if Farmer's regulars will still be willing to patronize this.

The biggest upside, location-wise, is that the shop is the first thing you see when you take the escalator up from the back exit of the MRT. Foot traffic is great. So I guess only time will tell if the choice of venue pays off.

I will definitely be coming back to try their other flavors. The menu looks extensive, though they only offer drinks. And the service staff are very attentive and enthusiastic. The launch promo is the best way to generate buzz, and I daresay it worked. :)

i ❤ tea (actually read as "I love tea") is in Farmer's Plaza, Cubao,  Q.C.

 

Update 08/04/12: Came back yesterday and saw that they had Flavored Shaved Ice on the Menu. i ❤ tea most closely resembles Cobo, so Cubao-based fans don't have to trek to Tomas Morato for their Shaved Ice fix. Also, they have Taro Milk Tea available, but it's not written on the old version menu.

The KFC Cheese Top Burger

KFC Philippines' Streetwise Cheese Top Burger has been out in the market for a month or so. It's a controversial product for very silly reasons. And if you're not from around here or if you haven't seen the commercials, the name alone will strike you as unusual. Thus, even Jimmy Kimmel had something to say about it:

 



 

For the record, it's called "streetwise" because it's part of a set of menu items being marketed as KFC Phils.' on-a-budget range. Food items/meals are priced at around Php50.00  (roughly $1.25), so it typically attracts students and office workers.

It looks bad, admittedly, but I wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt. Based on my experience, this particular fast food restaurant has a pretty stable menu. (I'd recommend the Kung Pao Chicken Rice Bowl and their Spaghetti.) And after all, half of the things I like now sounded outlandish, initially.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] The Actual[/caption]

My Cheese Top Burger came from the Trinoma branch. To be honest, Kimmel's video made it look more appetizing. At least his version had gooey cheese on top. My cheese slice looked limp and dry. In general, it didn't look appetizing.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] The inside was no better[/caption]

Forgive me for posting a photo of my bitten burger, but that's what the chicken fillet looked like. If you ask me, it would've tasted much better had the cheese been on the inside. The chicken fillet had this greasy aftertaste that the mayo couldn't hide, and it tastes different from the fried chicken you get in the bucket. With the cheese being dry from being heated atop the bun, it couldn't even give off any creaminess.

I am sorry to say that this burger is definitely at the bottom of my KFC list. Food that looks funny can sometimes be saved by flavor, but that's not the case here.

 

The Bake Buddy Cookie S'mores Experiment

I haven't really done many kitchen experiments on this blog as of yet, since I always get excited to bake that I tend to forget to document the process. It feels like a hassle sometimes to have to set up the camera (even with me just using my mobile phone cam) with all the settings to toggle with, in addition to keeping the ingredients aligned while you fiddle to get the money shot. But I wanted to do something nice today, so I tried my hand at a simple cookie mix.

What I had lying around the house was a container of Bake Buddy Cookie S'mores mix. Bake Buddy is a company that's been making it's rounds at bazaars and selling cans of cookie mixes and ready-made cookies. Mine happened to be the Cookie S'mores.

Here' s a photo of the original container with all the ingredients inside:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="353"] Cookie S'mores![/caption]

The concept is attractive, wouldn't you say? It's a time-saver if you don't have to haul your butt to the grocery store to gather  ingredients. If you're not much of a regular baker, you drastically reduce the risk of having a stock of too many ingredients at home that'll end up stale and expired.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="346"] Layers of Ingredients[/caption]

All the dry ingredients are inside the nifty package, so you only need to have 2-3 wet ingredients at hand. I'm seeing/guessing the inside contains all-purpose flour, baking soda, brown sugar, salt, chocolate chips, and small marshmallows. The lid has instructions pasted on and calls for some butter, an egg, and some vanilla.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] "The Literature"[/caption]

The mise en place is simple and can be done in 2 bowls, since the instructions basically state that you dump everything in, once the wet ingredients have been mixed properly. But I decided to separate everything for the sake of showing the step-by-step. You'll also need a mixer, eggbeater, or whisk. --I'll explain why later.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="559"] Mise en place: Baking tray lined with silpat or parchment, butter, egg, vanilla, 2 bowls (1 big, 1 small), and your spatula[/caption]

The big bowl is for the dough, while the small container is for the marshmallows. You'll need to take them out first, or they'll get battered with all the mixing.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="432"] Scoop out the mallows![/caption]

The lid says to mix all the wet ingredients, but I wouldn't advise anyone to use the butter as is. From experience, fresh-from-the-fridge butter is too hard and will not incorporate well (if at all) with the other wet ingredients. You have to melt the butter, so that you could whisk everything together smoothly.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="360"] Melt the butter over a low fire[/caption]

Since this is a kitchen experiment, I decided to soften the butter only slightly in order to show the effect of using it cold.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Butter still has solids[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Vanilla extract[/caption]

I attacked it with an electric beater, which resulted in a lumpy mixture that does not look appetizing. Then I added the rest of the container's contents in one go.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Chips and Lumps[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Pre-Dough[/caption]

This is the part where you get rid of the whisk or egg beater and start working the dough with a scraper or spatula. I would even suggest you get your hands "dirty" to produce a fine dough with no lumps of flour or sugar. Using your hands on the dough will also help soften up the butter if you initially had it in lumps.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Mixed using my spatula[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Refined "handy" work[/caption]

And while the recipe suggests making 2 trays of cookies, I preferred 1 tray of big, chewy cookies. Using an electronic scale, I measured out 40 grams each  (more or less) of dough before shaping them into balls with an ice cream scoop and a spoon. I got a dozen 40-gram dough balls out of it.

Finally, you top them off with the marshmallows and bake them in the oven at 190C (350F). I went with 13-14 minutes instead of the suggested 8-12, since my product was larger yet I wanted it to come out very chewy.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479"] Before[/caption]

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="479"] After[/caption]

The result was a little on the flat side. --Perhaps it lacks baking soda, or the leavener in the can wasn't so active anymore. But I got the soft, chewy cookies I so desired. Flavor-wise, they were good. I'm a sucker for the melted brown sugar in a chocolate chip cookie, though this one came off as a little too sweet what with the marshmallows and chocolate chips fighting for attention.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="480"] Mission Accomplished[/caption]

A can of mix in this flavor comes to around Php350. I love the novelty of it, though that same Php350 will get you more of the same ingredients in the grocery if you don't mind making the trip. That said, I find it more of a gift item than something to get for yourself to do at home.

French Bread

Bread is one of those everyday things that still amazes me. It's a simple but effective solution to hunger for the rich and the poor alike. Just about any person you meet on the street can tell you something about what kind of bread they prefer and how it tastes.

As of now, I'm not yet sure if I would like to specialize in bread making, since I don't have enough experience to definitively say that this is or isn't what I'm meant to do. But I am trying my hand out in small ways. The experience is both exciting and relaxing.

My first attempt at making the legendary white bread (i.e. the baguette) at home waspfft. I have to say that doing it in basic pastry class spawned more desirable results. Perhaps it's because we used fresh yeast in school or maybe it had to do with the proofing cabinet, but I'm not afraid to try and try again at home until I get something that is closer to what I produced before.

Here's a peek at what my dough experiment looked like:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] The soft dough shaped after initial proofing stage[/caption]

From this photo it looks like a chubbier version of the popular mantou sticks. Silly comparison, isn't it?

For those who aren't into bread making, you'd be surprised to know that a good baguette requires very little ingredients. You'd need: Bread flour, water, salt, and yeast. That's it. It's a revelation to bakers that drives home the point of having good quality ingredients in your pantry and a solid knowledge of baking technique on the brain. --It also helps to have a durable stand mixer with hook attachment in your kitchen.

This is the finished product:

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] A cheesy first attempt[/caption]

Here goes my assessment...

My ingredients are okay. I've been using active dry yeast that has been preserved in the freezer, but I'd like to try fresh yeast. The biggest downside, however, is the perishability of it.

The technique requires a fair bit of kneading. Admittedly, having a Kitchenaid is a game-changer. It cuts the effort in half, but the machine evidently labors even if it's a small batch of bread. Hand-kneading the dough, even for a short time, still helps to get a sense of how elastic it has become.

My shaping and dividing was a little off. I simply divided the dough into 4 at the time, but 50g each would've done the trick better. It looked so small at first, but the final proofing doubled the size. What came out was something too thick for my liking.

As for the final proofing, my batch could've used much more time. My makeshift proofing cabinet was my oven with the heat turned off. I left it for about 30 minutes, but I think my makeshift cabinet isn't warm and moist enough of an environment and I would probably leave it for an hour next time. The short proofing time resulted in a dense bread. The air pockets were small, much like the pseudo-french bread that can be found in some shops.

Here's to attempt number 2.

And a Good Day to You, Too! -CONTEST TIME!

Hi Guys!

For those of you who are planning to go to Digital Photographer Philippines’ 6th Anniversary (May 26, 2012, Saturday, Bonifacio High Street, Taguig City, PHILIPPINES), we’d like to announce a Twitter contest where you can win some surprises.

1. You must be following @officialDPP on Twitter.

2. You must register here:  (Prize winners will be informed via the info they supplied in the contest registration form, so double check that it’s legit.)

3. Contest starts Wednesday, 10am, on May 23, 2012 and ends on 12pm (noon) of Friday, May 25, 2012.

4. Winners will be announced Friday, and prize pick-up will be at the #DPPVI event itself.

5. Finally, tweet why you shouldn’t miss #DPPVI. Don’t forget to include @officialDPP and #DPPVI to your tweet! Best answer wins.

My Kitchenaid

It all started in Guam... --No, scratch that, because it started waaaay before Guam.

For years, I've been using a decade/s-old egg beater that my mom got when she was a newlywed. I wouldn't think of dissing this old model, since it's got me through all my at-home baking escapades and pastry class practice exams. But it has gone through the wear and tear and a few hard lumps of butter. The unit has a huge crack down the bottom, but still works well. But it was decided that the time has come for a new gadget.

My grandmother, who acts mostly as judge, jury, and executioner when it comes to my cooking, promised last year that she would get me a Kitchenaid as a gift. I was so psyched at first, but became terribly sad to find out that Kitchenaid Philippines only has a limited selection of models to choose from. I had seen 6-quart bowls on the US website and was enthralled.

So when I went to Macy's while vacationing in Guam, I made sure to have a look at the models they had. Sure enough, there were the 6-quart bowl stand mixers right in front of me. The salesperson even told me that they would be having a sale, but only starting later that week when I was set to leave. I wanted to take my chances and asked if they had any in-stock, but was told that it would have to be shipped in and the wait-time took 2 weeks. Bummed out, I gave up on it for the moment.

The amazing part of this story happened while I was sitting on a bench outside Macy's waiting for the Lamlam Tours shuttle that would take us to a different part of the city. I happened to turn my phone's wifi on to check for FB messages and there was a redirect to the Macy's website. There, in big, bold letters, was an announcement for a big sale on kitchen items. The catch: Sale price was only applicable to online purchases.

 



 

Taking my chances, I immediately e-mailed my mom's good friend who's in San Francisco and asked if she could have it stored and we would pick it up and bring it home when we make the Holy Week trip there in a month. She gamely agreed and placed the order.

Let me just say that bringing big appliances in from the US is something of a logistical nightmare if you don't plan to have it shipped directly to Manila. It literally brought me to tears at one point because everyone kept telling me how bad an idea it was. Luckily, my Dad already thought the whole thing through and suggested we pick it up from San Francisco, have it shipped to our exit point, Los Angeles, to save us the effort of lugging it around with us the entire trip. Fabulous idea.

And so, after all the stress, the Kitchenaid has now found its way to its new home.

#DPPVI

To anyone who's wondered what's been keeping me busy these days, the answer is simple:



I have been interning at Bella Luce Publications. If you've read the many posts and pieces I have written, it will become clear to you that the world of creative (and not-so-creative) writing has a place in my heart.

Now back to the internship.

I basically do work for all 3 magazines of the company, namely Olive, Lonely Planet, and Digital Photographer Philippines.

And so, call it a shameless plug if you must, I am inviting you all to this event that we have been working on:



There's going to be some lectures conducted by top photographers in the country, some live shoots for practice, and an exciting raffle.

Come one, come all. :)

Visit DPP's official Twitter and Facebook for more details.