Monday, September 30, 2013

Coffee Time with Marks and Spencer

Expertly roasted to produce a well-balanced aromatic coffee.

Marks and Spencer is one of UK’s leading retailers, selling stylish, high quality, great value clothing and home products, as well as outstanding quality food, responsibly sourced from around 2,000 suppliers globally.


Alabang Town Center | Eastwood Mall | Gateway Mall | Glorietta 4 | Greenbelt 5 | Robinson's Galleria
Robinsons Place Manila | Rockwell Power Plant Mall | Shangri-la Plaza Mall | SM Mall of Asia | SM Megamall
SM City North Edsa | Trinoma | Abreeza Mall, Davao | Ayala Center Cebu | Lim Ket Kai Center, Cagayan De Oro
Marquee Mall | SM Pampanga | Paseo de Sta. Rosa Outlet Store | Subic Harbor Point Outlet Store | SM Lanang Premier


Special thanks to Marks and Spencer Philippines for the photograph and caption.  



Thursday, September 26, 2013

Can’t Live Without?

We Bicolanos are said to be lovers of chili. We love to eat spicy foods. We sprinkle sili to ginataang gulay – some green and some red. We call the small super hot red sili as sambalas. At home, we plant chili in the back yard. We use the leaves in tinolang manok and the green sili too.

Fried sili (O'Raileys)
Homemade condiment in a Carlo Rossi jar


We use sili in atchara and all other menus at home. In Metro Manila, the price of sili is such as spicy too. Despite that we still manage to have sili in our food. I am glad that in Metro Manila, while they may not have the world’s famous sili eating contest, they cook and fry sili like turon. Aside from that, we make our homemade condiments like sukang sawsawan with sili and bawang to like how they do with pinakurat in Mindanao.

Last week, I met a lawyer who told me that because of his love for sili, he lost his golden voice fit for singing with the band. He is a Bicolano too. Nevertheless, he still loves sili – something that I really cannot live without. 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Corals and Little Quiapo

In Metro Manila while in a restaurant, I seldom order sea shells like scallops if not for a special occasion or a celebration. Simply because those are expensive while special occasions are once in a blue moon for me. 


Empty shell decor inside Little Quiapo Restaurant in Quezon City.

I am already contented with what I see inside a restaurant that decorates its walls, corners or façade with sea shells. I like the interior design of Little Quiapo restaurant in Quezon City. Inside the restaurant is homey atmosphere. The restaurant is not so huge but a lot of people go there for lunch because of affordable food. 

It is said that Little Quiapo has established its name since 1949.

Little Quiapo Restaurant, since 1949.

When I visited Lapu Lapu City, I was stunned by the sea foods there. The sea foods that I almost feared to eat in Metro Manila for being afraid of escalating bills are abundant in Lapu Lapu City. The empty sea shell which I pictured as decoration in Little Quiapo can be eaten and is called “saang” by locals. I told myself, “this is it!” And it was not just true but more than true to be full.

Local name, "saang"
Abundant sea weeds in Lapu Lapu City

Little Quiapo restaurant is located at 90 Malakas Street, Pinyahan Quezon City. 
Phone (02) 922-4131.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Eating All You Can

Shabu-Shabu and Grill. Yes, the term is shabu-shabu. First time I heard of the word, I thought of what? Methamphetamine hydrochloride. Sounds weird but that's what I thought of really. 

Three years ago, I ate in an all-you-can restaurant and spa in Pasay City, the one with shabu-shabu. I did not enjoy the food because first and foremost, I was alone. And then, I did not know how to cook with the shabu-shabu. I just watched the buthane gas in front of me then. Instead, I just took some foods that I knew and familiar with me. While other enjoyed cooking, I just enjoyed watching them.  

I was among the not so many Filipinos who were in that spa and restaurant during that time. The rest were mostly Koreans. I thought I was the one going there alone, I saw few Koreans and Japanese too, alone. The point is, while I enjoyed the spa, I did not enjoy the food. Eating is really not so fun while being alone.

Last week, I visited another shabu-shabu and grill - now, in Quezon City. I was glad to go there not by myself but with a company of several people. I was not alone, hence I enjoyed the foods. I ate a lot, and learned what they did with the shabu-shabu. 

Tong Yang in Eton Centris, Quezon City.


Thanks to the accommodating waiters of Tong-Yang in Eton Centris. I enjoyed so much the kimchi. I ate kimchi in Malaysia before and in Japan when I went there. And last year, I ate kim-chi in Makati. Sounds funny? Yes. The minimum gap is a year before my next kimchi tasting.

Kimchi


I thought of what will I do with those raw and uncooked foods. Shall I take the cooked yang chow together with crabs without efforts of cooking? Or shall I sample with those fish bellly? Now I know what to do. Now I know how to do it. Indeed funny for an introvert like me. Maybe not introvert but frugal mom like me. (Explaining...)

What do you want to cook?

This is the difference between the Philippines and other European countries. Food is affordable anywhere. Fine dining is fun. Eat-all-you-can restaurants are cheaper. You don't have to book for a month before you can get seated for a fine dining. Just have money and you can go to a restaurant of your choice. It is indeed more fun dining in the Philippines. 

For other eat-all-you-can restaurants, you can also try Dad's with one free buffet for every group of ten and Kamay Kainan with authentic Filipino dishes.  


Peanuts and Tea

What could be a good merienda than this? Peanuts and tea.

For now, I can only drink tea. I cannot yet eat some peanuts and all those nuts as cashew and the like.

It will still take perhaps another six months before my braces get removed to enable me to chew those lovely foods again.

I missed the nuts really.

Tea and nuts.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Juice for You

Water, our body needs it. Essential fluids, our body need them. Juices, our system need them. 

There are various juices available in stores for us. In restaurants, choose your juice.
I like juices of course. I worry however the amount of sugar mixed in the juice.
Look at these variety of flavors. Do you have any idea on the amount of sugar put it?

Choose your flavor. Choose your color.
In the Philippines, the most abundant juice perhaps is famously referred to as "buko" juice. It is coconut juice abundant everywhere. Coconuts grow throughout the country making the juice freshly available all the time. 

In Quezon City Memorial Circle, it is nice to drink some buko juice after a morning or night jogging. Or after a free time strolling, you can buy it at a very affordable price as low as five pesos.

Buko juice available in Quezon City Memorial Circle.