Posts Tagged ‘food’
food trip
What can I say… I love food. And I love taking photos of the food adventures I come across. But more often than not, i don’t bring my camera with me. Luckily, my iPhone is always in my pocket.
Of course, these weren’t all consumed in one sitting. This is a collection of some of the fare that I stuffed my face with over the course of a week or so.
[chirashi with extra uni from nihonbashi tei]
[shake unigiri from nihonbashi tei]
[bananutella ice cream from sebastian's]
[home made ensaymada, farmer's ham and some cheese]
[starbucks spam, egg and cheese on cornmeal bread]
All photos were taeken using Instagram.
mama’s table, encore
One month after my first experience, I came back to Mama’s Table for another treat. Being that it was my second time, chef Vicky Tinio-Clemente mad sure that there were no repeat dishes.
As usual, it was a feast of the senses… Amazed at her creativity and ingenious blend of flavors, I leave you to take a look at the photos (and descriptions) to get an idea of just what a scrumptious experience one lunch at Mama’s Table can be.
[an assortment of appetizers: organic chicken liver pate, artichoke spread, blue cheese spread, semi-cured tomatoes, some fruit and nuts]
[our amuse: tarte alsation -- filo base with goat cheese cream, caramelized onions, organic cherry tomato, fresh basil drizzled with olive oil]
[asparagus soup garnished with asparagus spears and parsley petals]
[our intermezzo: mushroom crustade sprinkled with parmesan cheese and parsley]
[miso-sake-maple soaked cod with shrimp & mussells on braised potato, leeks, organic cherry tomato and snow peas]
[intermezzo 2: swedish meatball topped with pickled cucumber and lingonberry preserve]
[tenderloin with red wine jus & corn, bacon, and mushroom risotto with scallions and zucchini]
[digestif: greens, watercress topped with reduced balsamic vinaigrette, strawberries and crumbled blue cheese]
[dessert: hazelnut choco & panna cotta parfait topped with mango couli & dried mango]
Mama’s Table
Last Saturday, I had the pleasure of experiencing a gastronomic spread — an eight course meal, with each dish a delightful feast of the senses. Up in the mountains, Chef Vicky Tinio-Clemente took us through a custom prepared meal over at her resto, Mama’s Table.
With each dish coming out, it became harder and harder to concentrate on the names of the dishes, even if we were given ample time in between each serving. My mind was on getting the food into my belly.
Here are a few iPhone photos from the dinner.
[Amuse Bouche with Anchovy Butter Bread]
[Porcini Cappuccino]
[Prawn Fritter w/ Mango, Cilantro and Ginger Mayo]
[Salmon Grenoblaise]
It was at this point, that I forgot to take my mental notes, completely. Dish names were forgotten… but the ingredients were not.
Interested parties can find Mama’s Table in 888a Ambuklao Rd. Baguio City or contact them via telephone: (074) 442-1794 or mobile: 0915-6438775.
Chili’s Blog Event
Chili’s has just made their delicious burgers even tastier with their exciting new line of Deluxe Big Mouth Burgers — mouth watering mounds of pure goodness, true to the quality of the Chili’s dining experience. And yesterday, we had a few bloggers on hand to try out Chili’s new offerings.
Here are a few photos from the event.
Photo of the Day [POTD]: essential
Sure, you gave me a choice. None of them were really desirable, but I had to go with one.
Jewelmer launch in Marquee Mall
Yesterday in Marquee Mall, Pampanga, Jewelmer opened its 15th boutique and launch of their new website with a celebration of beauty and Filipino craftsmanship.
Here are a few photos from the event…
Visit the official Jewelmer website for more information.
Home made Japanese Lunch
Leave it to Tita Che to come up with themed Sunday lunches… And not just ordinary meals, I’m talking about full blown smorgasbords.
Here’s a photo of yesterday’s lunch, with a lot of the dishes like the Chawanmushi, Sukiyaki, Kani Salad missing. All that’s showing here is what was right in front of me.
Texas Roadhouse Grill
Just a few hours ago, I had an extremely fulfilling meal — and I was just taking bites in between schmoozing with the bloggers and resto management.
Texas Roadhouse Grill, with the participation of Pepsi held a sumptuous event at the TRG El pueblo branch last night and offered a wide array of dishes. From soups to salads from surf to turf, and of course, the evening was capped off with a delicious bit of dessert.
The meal commenced with a Tortilla Soup: a hearty starter packed with bits of chicken, corn and ham topped with slivers of crisp and crunchy tortillas. The soup in itself is quite filling, with all of the ingredients packed into a small bowl. Those that are into the Tex-Mex taste, this is a definite must-try.
Of course, what are starters without appetizers? To satisfy the growing hunger, the bloggers were also served the Jesse James Sampler — a platter of buffalo wings and cheese fritters just to whet the appetites.
isaw time
Today, we had a bit of free time. As a small reward (for a long week) we headed over to grab some artery clogging, carcinogen filled isaw goodness.
Yehey! – Fish & Co.
Today, Yehey! in cooperation with Fish & Co. held a special blogger’s event for a few who were able to make it.
Bloggers were tasked to come up with variations on fish & Co’s hottest seller — their Fish & Chips. Grouped into four different nations (India, Malaysia, Japan and the US – Philadelphia), the bloggers set out to purchase necessary ingredients from the supermarket, rush back to the resto and plate their dishes.
We had a hard time deciding which group won, as all dishes were very uniquely prepared. But in the end, Group US – Philadelphia [comprised of Melo, Eric, Rowena, Eldelweiza and Mec] came out on top with their creation, Philly Fish Steak.
[bloggers in action]
[the creations]Thanks to everyone who made it to the event!
New Bombay
Last week, we headed over to New Bombay over in The Podium for a quick lunch.
The food was great, and the colors just added to the overall experience.
For those of you fond of Indian cuisine, this place is a definite must-try.
Here are a few photos from my mobile phone.
a taste of americana
Together with a few invited bloggers, I experienced a taste of Americana over at T.G.I.Friday’s, Bonifacio High Street. We were treated to a great meal and a bit of entertainment in celebratory anticipation for the inauguration of the United States’ 44th president.
Here are a few photos from my cell phone…
[red, white and blue all around]
[u.s. flag, Filipino beer]
[marilyn monroe]
[wonder woman]
[jonel's sago with a message]Whip up Your Own Super Bowl!
Another blogger event is coming up… and this time around, you get to try out some of the new dishes that Super Bowl of China is offering, as the Chinese resto is adding a number of gustatory delights to their already spectacular menu.
Be one of 30 bloggers that will get an invite to this flavorful event by registering here.
RSVP: Kankan Ramos or Jona Oboza at 910-6427/0917-8687438 or email superbowl@teamyehey.com
Flapjacks Greenhills
Flapjacks just recently opened their newest branch in Greenhills, right beside the Theater Mall.
As expected, the food was delish.
Share the Bo's Coffee experience
When you’re passionate about something, it shows. And I think that was evident, when president of Bo’s Coffee, Steve Benitez shared his thoughts and views on the special bean in this local coffee house.
Student bloggers gathered at the Bo’s Coffee Katipunan branch for a unique day of coffee tasting and creation (as written in my previous post).
So after Steve “shared his passion,” the main event began. Students grouped themselves together, and were given the task of creating their own drinks. Excitedly, they discussed their mixtures and combinations for their home made concoctions.
Being a coffee lover, myself, I was eagerly anticipating the results of the brainstorming. And I was not disappointed. The brews were original and very tasty. But as there will be another event coming soon, I can’t give away too many details on the coffee drinks whipped up by the four groups.
And as an added incentive to the winners, their inventions will be featured in the Bo’s coffee houses across the country for a month, with full recognition given, with the runners-up getting a week of coffee glory.
So, without writing too much more, here are a few photos from the event.
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La Maison
Last friday, I headed over to La Maison over in The Podium for a quick photoshoot, as birthday boy and Resto Manager Robi Caguiat needed a few photos for some of their new products.
A few of the photos here are the new dishes offered at the second floor of La Maison, in their new Resto / Bar, Regis.
All in all, there were 12 dishes… all of which, I got to taste.
Here are some of the results:
[creamy wine mussels]
[chef's duck liver paté]
[us beef ribs]
[chimi changga]
[meaty bounty (super barkada size)]
[southwestern chicken roll]
[spicy lambada]
[eggs norweigan]
[eggs benedict]
[steak & eggs (super power breakfast)]
[monte cristo]
[french toast]
pig-out friday!
Today was day to pig out. We had been wanting to have a bit of seafood for quite some time, so when the opportunity to hop over to the Dampa in the Ortigas Home Depot presented itself, we didn’t skip a beat.
On our plates…
- Lemon butter and Garlic Shrimps
- Three kilos of Chili Crab
- Sinigang na Salmon Belly
- Liempo
As I am writing this, I am still reeling from all the food I stuffed my face with, so pardon the lack of words… Instead, just take a quick gander at some of the photos we took with our cellphones…
[red loco roco? ...from jay's creative noggin]
[pork heaven]
[the aftermath]papa's got a brand new Bread Bag
Nestled in Ortigas Home Depot lies Bread Bag, a new eatery that brings back memories of great food, packaged in a more casual and budget friendly setting.
Backed by the tradition and quality of the old Casa Marcos, Bread Bag offers wallet friendly snacks and meals without sacrificing the taste and quality or scrimping on the quantity. Each pan de sal is a tasty treat, coming in at a hefty 50g per piece (and costs only PhP 6.00; a Baker’s Dozen [13 pieces, for those unaware of the term] goes for PhP 72.00).
But of course, the new eatery doesn’t stop at their famous pan de sal… Numerous variants of various viands are offered in either “Pan de Plato” or Sandwiches. Here’s a quick rundown of some of the items in the menu:
Pan de Plato:
- Adobo – classic stew of pork and chicken in soy sauce, garlic and vinegar.
- Menudo – pork cubes sauteéd with potatoes, carrots and raisins in tomato sauce.
- Pan ala Cubana – sauteéd ground beef with tomato sauce, onions, raisins, fried banana and a sunny side up egg.
- Roast Beef – beef brisket braised in beef stock, soy sauce, tomatoes, garlic and onions.
- Calderetea – stewed beef short ribs in tomato sauce, bell peppers, garlic and onions.
- Chicken and Mushroom – chicken thighs strips with button mushrooms and special gravy.
Sandwiches:
- Corned Beef - house-cured beef brisket sauteéd in onions, topped with scrambled eggs. Served with garlic-mayo.
- Chicken Schnitzel – pan-fried and breaded chicken thigh fillet. Served with lettuce and tomato and house gravy.
- Longganisa – pan-seared special longganisa with lettuce and tomato. Served with sweet and spicy sauce.
- Sardines – best with sweet and spicy sauce.
- Embutido – Roulade of ground pork and beef, boiled egg, pickle relish and chorizo. Served with house gravy.
- Kesong Puti with Pesto – Laguna cheese with basil pesto, tomato and balsamic vinegar syrup.
Either choice is a hearty meal in itself, as the portions are quite large and generous in portions. And both the Pan de Plato and sandwich comes with a side of tasty kamote chips and a drink.
If you’re looking for something a bit lighter, you also have the option to try the soup of the day, served in a home made bread bowl.
And if you’re wondering about the price, the meals start at Php 77.00 and only go as high as PhP 99.00, while the soup goes for PhP 33.00.
Bread Bag is located by Ortigas Home Depot, right beside Next Door restaurant and across I Love 80s.
C’ is for great Italian food
Although in plain view, C’ Italian Restaurant is one of the hidden treasures of Pampanga, unknown to many. Located just outside Clark (1210 Don Juico St., Clarkview, Malabanas, Angeles City), C’ has been frequented by socialites and celebrities alike, just to get a taste of some authentic Italian cuisine. The food is so good, that the resto was voted as the Best Restaurant for 2005 and 2006 by the Philippine Tattler. Not a bad seal of excellence…
The food does not come cheap, though. If you’re looking for Amici prices or are used to Sbarro or Pasto, don’t expect to spend the same amount of money. But as the old adage goes, “you get what you pay for.” And in C’, you will see, and ultimately, taste the difference.
The dishes here use the finest quality ingredients — from the cheese to the meats, from the bread to the fish. Everything is top drawer, super special ingredients. And the portions are generous. One of the dishes we ordered was the Pasta Roberto [see photo above], a penne dish, swimming in creamy Gorgonzola heaven, topped off with sundried tomatoes, a healthy serving of sliced chicken bits, and a chunk of rosemary bread. And I am not exaggerating when I say that every bite of of the pasta came with a piece of the viand.
However, I believe the Panizza is truly one of the reasons people will keep coming back to C’. It’s basically a a large panini in the form of pizza, with a twist… or a roll, if you will. The delectable creation is cut into long strips, which you roll and eventualy pop into your mouth. Of course, to make the experience more fulfilling, you must add the alfalfa sprouts and arugula leaves into your panizza roll. My order: the Rolls Royce: a panizza topped with shrimp, scallops, pecorino, bacon and a few other ingredients I can’t recall at the moment.
To wash things down, I also ordered one of their fruit sodas. A tasty beverage that smooths the whole meal out.
The meal was so excellent that I ordered another panizza to take home, and let other people get a taste. Of curse, before it reached its destination, I had already chowed down on a few slices. And whilst I finish this small entry, I am already planning my next visit to C’!
Contact (045) 892-4059 to make your reservations. Or you can check out their website for more info… or make an online reservation.
flapjacks
Yesterday, I went with a few Yehey! employees to check out the rations over at Flapjacks restaurant in Greenbelt. As breakfast food is my favorite daily fare, I was excited to sink my teeth into anything that was being offered. I intentionally didn’t eat anything in the morning to increase my appetite for the up coming lunch (as I had heard that the portions were huge), but nothing could have prepared me for the feast I was about to partake in.
So, upon arrival, we each ordered our meals to try (and of course photograph). Unbeknownst to us, our host Mitzi Borbon (Marketing Manager of Fish & Co. and Flapjacks) also arranged for us to try some of their best sellers (aside from what we already ordered). As you can surmise, we had a lot of food to dig into. So, verging on committing the deadly sin of gluttony, we placed our napkins on our laps and grabbed our forks and knives and dove head in.
Here are a few photos from the BIG lunch.
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[click image for larger view]I tried not to eat too much of one dish, making sure to try all of the treats laid out before us, but before long, I noticed myself going back for second and third servings of each dish, as they were all that good. But of course, I have to list my special mentions of the meal:
- Rib Eye Steak Omelette – for the sheer creativity of putting two great ingredients together — eggs and prime rib beef! … (not to mention the healthy portions of sliced bell peppers)
- Five Stack Blueberry Pancakes - five pancakes, blueberry and a little bit of butter cream. Yum yum! No syrup necessary.
- Salpicao - this traditional Spanish tapas was given a Pinoy twist with rice and egg on the side. Think of it as a “sossy” Tapsilog.
So as we slowly felt our bellies bursting while adjusting our belts, we were in for another surprise. No it wasn’t more food… or even dessert. Instead, we were invited to another food tasting a week or so from now — for Flapjacks and Fish & Co. … both in the same day. But, hey, I’m not complaining.
chow king: chao fan
“Iba ang kain pag kanin” … is how the new Chow King Chao Fan tagline goes.
And with the current rice shortage, the tagline really holds more meaning, especially for people that look for rice as a staple with every meal. Good thing for us, Chow King is currently offering their Chao Fan (literally translated as Fried Rice) at lower prices and with more tasty ingredients.
At the Yehey!-Chow King Bloggers Event held at CK Eastwood, we were given a sample of the repriced and new improved offerings. And I can honestly say that all Chow King lovers and all rice freaks are gonna go nuts over the fare.
- Pork Chao Fan goes for PhP 39 – A tasty and flavorful mixture of stir-fried rice and pork slices mixed in a special sauce of shrimp paste, sacha sauce and kangkong leaves and garnished with a sprinkling of spring onions.
- Beef Chao Fan goes for PhP 49 – Another tasty and flavorful rice mix with beef chunks mixed in with a special beef sauce, cabbage, carrot bits and sprinkled with spring onions.
- Spicy Chao Fan goes for PhP 79 – Chicken Balls and tender beef cuts are the main ingredient in this tasty fried rice mix, seasoned with hot chili garlic spices and thick sweet soya sauce, with some red and green peppers for additional flavoring and texture.
- Yang Chow goes for PhP 79 – The most popular fried rice in the bunch is a flavorful mix of chorizo bits, roasted pork asado bits, a beaten egg, some fresh and crisp vegetables and topped with generous servings of sauteéd shrimp.
Of course, you always have the option to top your rice with any of the dimsum (or anything on the Chow King menu, really) available. So head on over to the nearest Chow King to get your fix of rice. You know you’ve been cutting down… but now you can enjoy your favorite staple without the guilt.
a taste of decadence
Sweet Tooths were in for a treat as Diamond Hotel brought a Taste of Decadence to the Archaeology Wing of the Powerplant Mall in Rockwell Center in a feast of desserts.
Laid out in a wonderful spread for all attendees was a myriad of choices from cakes to pies to tarts to various other sweet treats I couldn’t even identify. The term overload soon came to mind, as I couldn’t even begin to decide which dessert to start with, let alone fit on my plate. They (DIamond Hotel) weren’t kidding when they said they boast of one of the most extensive (if not the most extensive) stand-alone dessert catering services.
So as any sensible person would do, I just dug in and chose the most appetizing treat (a feat easier said than done). And being a saccharine sucker, I found myself in heaven, popping sampler after sampler into my waiting mouth. Naturally, the sugar found its way into my system, and the sugar rush kicked in. But at this point, I was hooked. So after a few more bites, I decided to call it quits, having my fill. Plus, the fact that I could return to this dessert haven eased my thoughts for the moment.
Yes folks, for those of you that couldn’t catch this event, Diamond Hotel has established The Cake Club, a pastry paradise cum coffee shop, at the second level of the Rockwell Powerplant Mall. And to give you an idea of what you can find, here are a few of my personal faves that can be purchased when you make your first visit:
- Supermoist – Diamond Hotel’s signature moist chocolate cake made more delicious with layers of rich ganache (This is simply the best chocolate cake you will ever taste)
- Baked Cheesecake – Diamond’s classic rich cream cheese cake
- Le Royale – Dark Valrhona chocolate mousse with almond meringue and hazelnut crispy
- Green Tea Creme Brulee – the classic French dessert made extra special with a hint of Japanese Green Tea flavoring
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