Entries Tagged 'Appetizer' ↓
November 14th, 2013 — Appetizer, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Fusion, New Brews, Western
December is fast approaching and mom’s are surely already thinking of what to prepare this Christmas season and for upcoming parties and family gatherings at home. Clara Ole already knows this and came prepared for the rescue.
Clara Ole Pasta Sauces
The joy of preparing meals can easily turn into a nightmare when moms are pressed on time or when ingredients fall short from what she needs. This is the area where Clara Ole does it best – easy to prepare meals and ready-to-use products.
Wide range of Clara Ole Products
Pasta Sauces
Pasta dishes is one of the most in demand creations during the Christmas season; and you don’t have to settle with the usual spaghetti and pasta you have in every celebrations throughout the year.
With Clara Ole‘s wide range if versatile pasta sauces, you’ve got more options and something new to surprise your family with. Mommys can choose to go international with the “Italian style” or stick to a safe formula with the “Sweet Style.” For those a bit sophisticated, “Three Cheese” may do the trick while the “Filipino Style” may tickle the loyalists.
Pancake Syrups
Old stocks of Clara Ole products in our kitchen cabinet
Breakfasts and mornings could be made sweeter with Clara Ole’s Pancake Syrup, a fit partner for, well, pancakes. 😛 They can choose from Original, Maple, Cinnamon, or Truly Fruity. For those watching their blood glucose levels, Clara Ole Maple Syrup is sugar-free! While the chocolate lovers, they can have the Classic Choco and Choco-Nut Syrup.
Marinades & Dressings
Lunch meals can be made tastier with marinades. One of which is Clara Ole’s Original Barbeque Marinade which is best for grilled meat such as pork or chicken. Other variants include the honey mustard, hickory, Korean barbeque, tapa, and tocino marinades.
On a diet with salads? Make it more interesting with Clara Ole Dips n’ Dressing variants Thousand Island, Caesar, Honey Mustard, and Ranch and Asian. It goes well a dips for fish & chips, or buffalo wings as well.
Clara Ole Strawberry Jan
All the above-mentioned sauces and recipes are actually the turf of my wife. NomNom Club‘s personal favorite from Clara Ole are the jams (Blueberry Jam in particular) which we use in the morning for breakfast. Contrary to the usual Filipino customs or having rice even in the morning, we are closer to the American tradition of having breads with jams in the morning.
October 29th, 2013 — Appetizer, Beverage, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Fusion, Greenbelt 3, New Brews, Restaurants
If you fell in love with the old ‘Smokin’ Hot BarBQ‘ restaurant in Greenbelt 3, then you would too with the new ‘Siklab‘. Bistro Group led ‘Siklab‘Â Pinoy Favorites basically just had a name change to better reflect the Filipino cuisine they serve. The menu and location of the new restaurant remains the same.
Basil Lemondae
Upon Siklab’s invitation, we got to try some Filipino favorites off their menu last week, including familiar desserts with a twist. 😛
Starters
For starters, we had the Crispy Bacon Belly (P255) and the Kuhol sa Gata (P225). The former is a sumptuous set of bacon-cut pork belly fried to a crisp with atsara on the side. Although it’s a bit pricey, it was a sumptuous crispy treat true to its name.
The latter was even better with golden snails simmered in coconut milk with green curry, chopped chillies, and lemongrass.
Crispy Bacon Belly (P255)
Kuhol sa Gata (P225)
Main Dishes
With starters setting the bar high, the main menu was at par.
Surprisingly, one of my favorites that night was the usual 2pc. BarBQ Chicken (P235) leg and thigh parts which were 6-hours marinated in their BarBQ sauce fhouse blend producing a sweet-tangy taste. Other sets of 4pcs costs P 455 ; 6pcs – P680; 8pcs – P895.
Another top favorite that night was the Pork BarBQ skeweres (top photo). These are pork bbq skewers marinated in their house BarBBQ sauce and grilled (about P120+ per skewer).
This was followed by the Binagoongang Liempo (P325) which was a chunkier version of the Crispy Bacon Belly above. The Binagoongang Liempo (crispy pork belly) rests on a bed of eggplant sauteed in homemade shrimp paste.
2pc. BarBQ Chicken (P235)
Binagoongang Liempo (P325)
Although I’m cutting down on rice-intake recently, who can resist the Sisig Rice (P245) which came albeit belatedly. It’s a  stir-fry of pork sisig and rice topped with scrambled egg and pork cracklings.
For the veggie-lovers, the Pinakbet (P175) is a must try combining squash, eggplant, string beans, and bittermelon sauteed in shrimp paste with some  pork skin crackling.
Pinakbet (P175)
Veggie Fruit Blast (P110)
Siklab Beverage
It’s worth noting how much I loved the Veggie Fruit Blast (P110) beverage I had. It’s a combination of celery, watermelon, apple, and orange. Classified under the ‘healthy drinks‘ category in the menu, this comes highly recommended by NomNom.
The Cucumber Breeze is also good which is a combination of  pineapple, cucumber and orange. The Basil Lemonade was ordinary though.
Filipino Desserts
Filipinos are known for their delightfully sweet desserts, almost deadly for the diabetic actually. Anyhow, we had the Biko and Turon 2.0; no it’s not Android’s latest OS.
The ‘Biko‘ (P155) is a chunk of visually appealing sticky rice served with chocolate soil and white latik on the side. it is meant to be poured on top and spread.
Biko (P155)
Turon 2.0 (P 235)
The Turon 2.0 looks like pinoy sorbetes on cone. Actually, underneath the ube ice cream is a surprise of Filipino flavors from the combination of banana, langka, and macapuno held together by caramelized cones. A serving consists of 5 cones. It’s a bit expensive at P 235 but worth a try before it becomes Turon 3.0 in the next incarnation.
I’ll surely be back in Siklab wanting to try more Filipino dishes such as Aligue Rice tossed with crab fat, Ginataang Kalabasa at Sitaw, Pinaputok na Tilapia, Pork Belly Adobo, Stuffed Laing with taro leaves stuffed with ground pork and dried alamang. For dessert, the Buco Lychee Sherbet shall not escape.
It was a great Filipino dinner at Siklab in Greenbelt. If you’re craving for some Filipino dishes in Makati, Siklab Pinoy Favorties will not disappoint you.
October 13th, 2013 — Appetizer, Bacolod, Casual, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Negros, Restaurants, Vegetarain, Where To Eat
Not more than 2 months ago, wifey and I went to Bacolod in Negros Occidental for a farm tour around the province upon the invitation of the Department of Agriculture‘s Agricultural Training Institute (ATI).
Mango-topped Salad for appetizers
We stayed at May’s Organic Garden in Bacolod where we spent four days and three nights. It was the bloggers’ official accommodation this part of town. It is a mini organic farm in itself with some vegetation and a number of organic pigs. It is also like a mini resort complete with amenities for small functions and accommodations. It is in fact known for being one of the best wedding reception venue in Bacolod.
Whenever, we are not out in the filed for a farm tour, May’s Organic Garden was our home. Here is a series of  photos from one of our meals:
The healthy Red Rice!
Molo Soup for a hot start
Kilawin Salad
Kalabasa (Pumpkin) Soup alternative
Kaldereta for the main dish!
This! (whose name I forgot) 😛
Traditional Pansit with lots of veggies on top!
Mango and Biko for Dessert (panghimagas)Â
It’s my healthy plate! 😛
They know that we are going to be in a lot of organic farm tours so they melowed-down the “organic” theme from the dishes they served us. It was more of a homey-type of Filipino provincial dishes with a hint of organic food, just so to stay in theme. 😛
Although I was not able to try its famous nilasing na hipon and sweet “kamote” (sweet potato) dessert,  it was all good food and comfortable stay at May’s Organic Garden in Bacolod!
September 23rd, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Beverage, Cravings, Dessert, New Brews, Promos / Events
My first food truck experience was with Cucina Andare months ago. But when I heard about the then upcoming first food truck park in the Philippines, I was even more excited as this new trend of mobile food catering from the Philippine Food Truck Association at Capitol Commons (front of Kapitolyo in Pasig City) was exclusive to food trucks alone.
Capotil Commons Park Map
I recently had a food escapade in the nearby Kapitolyo restaurant food scene. But food trucks just give you a different experience as you hop from one truck to another with only a few footsteps. Placing your order can also be done in a jiffy.
Food Truck Food Picks
So wifey and I visited the venue on it’s opening day more than a week ago and here’s our top four food picks (not in any order):
* Big Bite Avenue’s Longga Burger & De Luxe Fries
When I asked for Big Bite Avenue‘s (top photo) bestsellers, they said that their burgers were good. I was a bit more adventurous that day so I was looking for something different. The Longga Burger in the menu caught my eye and they said it was a good choice as well. So I had one and a mini serving of the De Luxe Fries (mini-P50;large-P100).
The fries was done first so wifey and I munched on it while waiting for the longganisa burger. Not expecting much from the fries, we were actually caught by surprise on how good it was. But more than the fries, it was the toppoings composed of cheese sauce, ground beef, aioli sauce, diced onion and tomatoes which made it a hit to our taste.
The Longganisa Burger
De Luxe Fries
The longganisa burger (P110 mini) eventually came and we were not disappointed. The longganisa patty in between sesame buns was huge unlike fastfood burgers nowadays where the buns outsize the patties big time. It was topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, and BBQ and aioli sauce.
* Broosy’s Sisig Taco and Ramen
Apparently, the name Food Truck by Broosy is based from the celebrity chef behind the truck – Chef Bruce Lim. The menu is quite interesting actually for a Japanese food truck. They had sisig rice, tacos, and ramen.
Wifey and I were not too sure what to order so I decided to have the Sisig Taco while she craved for some ramen.
With options for pulled-pork, fish, and chicken, I believe my choice of sisig was the best. And I thought sisig was best only with rice or beer. It turns out using soft tacos is a good idea as well. With 4 handy pieces, it is priced at P120. A bit hefty for the size but well worth the taste.
Chef Broosy
Sisig Tacos
For those looking for a complete meal, Chef Broosy has a promo called Rainy Day Special at P120 on all tacos and rice toppings inclusive of drink.
The ramen was also very good at only P180 for both regular and spicy (petite P100).
* Hungry Rover’s Fireballs & Chips
We met someone familiar – the experiential food truck called Hungry Rover where about 8 customers can actually fit and dine in the truck complete with tables and chairs. It’s more of a mini bus for me than a truck. 😛 We first encountered them months ago at Cucina Andare which immediately became one of our favorite.
This time around, they hit it again by continually updating their menu. I tried one of their new stuff – the ‘Fireballs & Chips‘ at Php200. It consisted of meatballs and nacho chips brazen with chili-garlic cheese sauce and salsa on top.
Hungry Rover Food Truck
Fireballs & Chips by Hungry Rover
The nacho chips were average but it was the meatballs which made this a winner.
I am also looking forward to trying their new Turkey Pepper Cheese Steak (P170) and Manila Cheese Steak (P170) in my next visits.
* Great Burger’s Bacon Cheese Burger with Crinkle Fries
This was actually the last one I visited among the food trucks. I was already full from all that I ate that night but I’m glad I pushed myself into trying this one further.
I ordered their Bacon Cheese Burger (P160) with crinkle fries (P40). The order might take a while but it’s all worth the wait with their juicy patty and flavorful sauces. The natural-cut fries was also superb in itself even without the cream and condiments.
GReat Burger Truck
Bacon Cheese Burger + Crinkle Fries
I highly recommend both the burger and the fries and is looking forward to try their Original Flavor burger (P140) and the Fire Fries (P100) next time around.
Other Food Trucks: Mio Gelati, Shawarma Bros, and More
Make sure to end your truck meals in bliss with desserts – specifically gelato – from Mio Gelati starting at P80 per small cup (P150 big cup) to as much as P200 for the Premium+Alcoholic flavors.
The Ferrero variant I got was P100 for the small cup since its a premium flavor. Mio Gelati’s best-seller – the dark chocolate.variant – was very good as well.
Mio Gelati Gelato
It was also my first time to try the Amazing Cones. These are bite-size pizza in a cone with classic flavors at only P50 while the special flavors are at P60.
Amazing Cones
Start with their classic Pizza Burger flavor with flamed-grilled beef, mushrooms, cheese sauce, and mozarella cheese. Then follow it up with the new “All Meat” special flavor with Italian sausage, salami, ham, beef, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese.
Other food trucks include the Shawarma Bros, the Cheese Steak Shop, Truck Bun, and Ser Chef’s. Among these, I was only able to try a wrap from Shawarma Bros which was ok. I tried to order from Ser Chef’s food truck but they run out of rice for their meals. I returned and checked at least 3 times that night from 8pm-9:15pm to no avail.
Food Truck Park @ Capitol Commons
Capitol Commons
The Food Truck Park at Capitol Commons (10-hectare mixed-use development) is the newest residential and lifestyle destination from real estate developer Ortigas & Company who is behind Greenhills Shopping Center and Tiendesitas.
The Capitol Commons Park is located at Meralco Avenue corner Shaw Boulevard, Pasig City. The Food Truck Park is open to the public every Tuesday to Friday from 4pm to 10pm upto as late as 12mn on Fridays.
You can bring your mats to the Food Truck Park in Capitol Commons Park as there are spacious green pastures to share.
Food Truck Park Schedule
The food fest started more than a week ago and will continue for the whole month. Get updates about the Food Truck Park through their Facebook page and the Capitol Commons Facebook page. You may also call #foodtruckparkph at 401.3332.
September 10th, 2013 — Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Bonifacio Global City, Casual, Coffee Shops, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Fusion, Mandaluyong, New Brews, Restaurants, Shangri-La Mall, Steakhouse, Sweet Shops, Taguig, Western, Where To Eat
26th Bistro CBT
More commonly known as ‘CBTL’, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf turns 50 this 2013 with an extraordinary celebration. Going beyond being the pioneer of the original ice blended drinks and the first to offer tea lattes, CBTL recently unveiled its latest unique dining concept by the name “26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leafâ€.
Dipping its fingers into the full-service restaurant industry, CBTL intends to deliver ‘#everydayextraordinary’ dining experiences to its customers through its everyday meals that are of high quality while maintaining affordable prices.
Salmon Fishcake
The #EverydayExtraordinary Dinner
This is exactly what we experienced last week when NomNom Club was invited together with a long table full of food writers and bloggers. We got to try taste-sized servings of some of the best of what their menu has to offer, from soup to dessert.
Salmon Fishcakes with Greens
We started with a medium-sized salad plate of Salmon Fishcakes with Greens (P345). The basic mixed greens was complemented well with the balsamic vinaigrette while the pan-fried Norwegian salmon cakes with smoked paprika aioli beside it was cooked just right.
I started the meal right as it turned out later on that this was my favorite dish of the night.
Salmon Fishcakes with Greens
Wild Mushroom Soup
The appetizer was followed by a good serving of Wild Mushroom soup (P225). I’m not so much a fan of mushroom soups but this one was good. It’s flavorful concoction was due to the fact that it was a combination of button, portobello, and shiitake mushrooms. The latter dominated the taste.
Wild Mushroom Soup
Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine
The entrees was started by the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine (P395) which is a white sauce-based linguine pasta served with seared tiger prawns and shiitake mushrooms. I love prawns and needless to say, the dish was gone in a dash.
Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala
From light to heavy, the second dish – Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala (P475) – will fill your craving for meat as the pan-roasted steak was fork-tender. Completing the dish was potato gratin and marsala sauce on the side.
Hanging Tender Steak with Potato Gratin & Marsala
Chocolate Lava a la Mode
Chocolate Lava a la Mode
With the series of good food, my expectations for my well-anticipated dessert/s was high. Sadly, similar to another food blogger across the table, it fell short as we expected the Chocolate Lava a la Mode (P235) to be more moist with some actual ‘chocolate lava’ at the center.
Nonetheless, the chocolate cake was generally ‘ok,’ The others had the apple crumble a la mode.
Breakfast. Lunch, Dinner, and Snacks
The 26th St. Bistro by The CBTL caters to the whole day foodie from breakfast to lunch and dinner, including in between snacks and coffee. The restaurant is brimming with yuppies and executives from surrounding buildings and offices around Bonifacio Global City (BGC).
Pepper being added to the Tiger Prawn & Shiitake Mushroom Linguine
For breakfast, I’d like to try the following soon: Toblerone Pancakes with Salted Caramel and Peach Stuffed French Toast, savory Steak & Eggs and Smoked Salmon Florentine, and the Tapsilog-inspired Filipino breakfast served with U.S. Angus Beef Tapa and Baked Pesto Tomato.
The lunch and dinner menu has a selection of light and heavy salads, soups, pastas and entrees including Spinach and Blue Cheese Farfalle, Slow Roasted Braised Beef Short Ribs, and Lamb Chops with Ratatouille and Rosemary Marble Potatoes.
They also have an expanded range of sandwiches including the vegetarian option Portobello Mushroom Ciabatta.
For desserts, I look forward to trying the Pannacotta Sampler paired with a cup of hot African Sunrise tea, the decadent Turtle Pie, Apple Crumble ala mode, and any of the Chicago–Blueberry–Toblerone–Triple Decker family of cheesecakes in my next visit.
Of course they also serve the signature CBTL coffee and tea beverages plus imported wines and beers.
The 26th St. Bistro distinguishes itself from the usual Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf branches with its larger and more comfortable dining area, as expected from a full-service restaurant. The ambiance is also upscale while maintaining the relaxed atmosphere.
#EverydayExtraordinary @ 26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
26th St. Bistro by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf
26th St. corner 5th Avenue
Bonifacio Global City
Twitter/Instagram: @CBTLph
Everyday Extraordinary Colors of the CBTL
Join their tagline and share your #everydayextraordinary experience in Facebook, Twitter or Instagram whenever you visit the 26th Street Bistro. They also have a branch for those in the Ortigas business district at the East Wing, 5th Level of the Shangri-La Plaza Mall.
August 27th, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Fine Dining, Hotels, Manila, Promos / Events, Restaurants, Western, Where To Eat
Chef Christopher Gallaga
If an all-American buffet sound good to you, then you should waste no time in trooping down to Diamond Hotel at the heart of Manila City.
Continue reading →
August 23rd, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Bar/Grills, Beverage, Bonifacio Global City, Bonifacio High Street, Casual, Chinese, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Filipino, Foodie Information, Indonesian, Kapitolyo, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Malaysian, New Brews, Nomnom Loves, Pasig, Pizza / Pasta, Promos / Events, Restaurants, Singapore, Steakhouse, Tagaytay, Taguig, Where To Eat
I had lived within the vicinity of Kapitolyo in Pasig for a year or two sometime between 2001 to 2004. It was already a foodie haven back then. Home-based food establishments can be found left and right and I used to have a simple dinner in a street corner restaurant called Cafe Juanita.
Spam Sandwich Waflle
Ten years later, surrounding towns have  developed such as the nearby community of Avida Towers Centera along Reliance Street. A stone’s throw away from the Kapitolyo food streets, Avida Towers Centera is a residential condominium located at the corner of EDSA, Reliance, and Mayflower Streets.
Kapitolyo Food Tour
Last weekend, a day before the recent typhoon Maring devastated parts of Metro Manila, we had a day of food tripping around Kapitolyo together with some guys from Avida Land. I immediately noticed that there were a lot of new food establishments, with some replacing even formerly non-food establishments.
Milky & Sunny
First stop was Milky & Sunny for our breakfast. With interiors in the theme of baby-blue and white, it really sets you in the mood for the morning sunshine. Milky & Sunny had just opened in October of 2011 and I’m loving their fluffy soft waffles and tasty-toasty french toast.
Milky & Sunny in Kapitolyo Pasig
I ordered the Choco Hazelnut French Toast (P150) and Spam Sandwich Specials (P150). The others ordered the famous Breakfast Platters which is a big plate consisting of a choice of three from bacon, hotdog, sausage, spam, and corned beef. Then add a choice of bagel, toast, waffle, or pancake. And finally, take a choice of scrambled egg or sunny side up. The big plate also includes hash potatoes.
Although I found the combination of their Spam and egg in the ‘Spam Sandwich‘ a bit too salty together, the Choco Hazelnut french toast was a good one and is worth coming back to.
Chocolate Hazelnut French Toast
Since it would be crazy to immediately jump to Poco Deli for lunch, we found it a perfect time to check out the model units of the nearby Avida Towers Centera. Check out my photos of Avida Centera here.
Poco Deli Kapitolyo
Poco Deli
Giant sausages, bacon rice, and bacon slabs were the celebrities for lunch.
It was raining different kinds of sausages in our table inside Poco Deli. It gave me flashbacks of the movie “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” which I watched recently through ClickPlay app.
Anyhow, our group made sure we ordered different entrees so we can try out as much. I ordered Mom’s Pot Roast (P320) while the rest had a German Sausage Platter/sampler, Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice, and Beef Stew, among others.
Although my order didn’t came through, I told the waiter that it was ok since I had enough from tasting all the entrees around me and was satisfied.
Blackout Chocolate Cake (lower left); Italian Sausage with Cheese (right), White Mountain Cake (upper left), Citrus Delight (upper right)
The German sausage platter is a good idea to share in a group of 3 to have some guide on what to order next. Bacon lovers should try the Bacon Slab with Bacon Rice (P320) [TOP PHOTO]. For a change, have your bacon in chunks. I had high expectation from the bacon rice. But it turned out to be a simple cup of rice with generous sprinkles of bacon bits on top. I think it’s ok, I just expected a lot.
Although that was a  let down, you should not miss the Citrus Delight (120). A bit citrus-y and sweet, it was ultimately refreshing. Make sure to press on the orange slices and stir well so you get maximum pulp bits with every sip.  Pizza, pasta, cold cuts, cheeses, and gourmet sandwiches are the other options.
The desserts were also a killer. The Blackout Chocolate Cake(P155) is aptly named and will get all praises from chocolate lovers, most probabaly. If you are not, the other cake behind is tamer – the White Mountain Cake (P150).
Poco Deli has another branch in Ayala Triangle Gardens, or so their poster says. Checking that out is something I look forward to.
Charlie’s Grind & Grill
Charlie’s Grind and Grill
Natural-Cut French Fries
Straight from lunch, we headed to the next for merienda [snacks] (yes you read that right). That’s what we did all day – eat; this is a food tour after all.
Store design wise, don’t expect much from Charlie’s. It is beside a car wash station which I think also belongs to the owner. That says it all. But believe it or not, their menu board consists of Black Angus Burgers, Wagyu CheeseBurgers, natural-cut french fries, and related burger variants with a commanding price of P200 up for each burger.
But what caught my fancy most was something I saw for the first time in all the burger joints I’ve been to – the San Miguel Beer Burger. I knew at that moment that I’m not going to leave this place without trying that Beer Burger.
And so I did.
San Miguel Beer Burger
Wagyu Cheeseburger with Mushroom
10 minutes later, it came as served by a rowdy-looking but courteous waiter. Even before you take a bite, you can smell the hint of beer right from the aroma. I uncovered the top bun first and a slew of seemingly sauteed onion and mushroom greeted me. This was followed by the bacon, the meat patty resting on a huge fresh onion and the usual burger conspirators.
I had a bite, turned my tongue upside down and back. Aside from the burger patty, I can taste a hint of beer even with the onion and mushrooms. This was confirmed by the server. It had griddle mushrooms, bacon baked onions, cheddar cheese, mayo, Â SMB BBQ Sauce , and the toasted beer bun.
At P350, it is not cheap but worth the experience and having the right to say “I have tried a San Miguel Beer Burger“. It tasted good too! 🙂
Needless to say, I didn’t have to eat dinner that night.
Avida Towers Center 2-Bedroom Model Unit
Avida Towers Centera
In a similar way, the lifestyle being offered by the Avida Towers Centera to its future residents are filled with dynamic activities and food scene such as the Core @ Centera for the fitness and sports buff, the Hub @ Centera for the techie, the Peak @ Centera for a magnificent views of the cityscape; the Serenity Park @ Centera for the peace seeker, and the Shops @ Centera for the city dweller. Know more about Avida condominiums via www.avidaland.com and www.facebook.com/AvidaLandCorp, or call (+632) 848 5200 (within Metro Manila) and 1-800-10 848 5200 (outside Metro Manila).
And that was my fattening Kapitolyo Food Trip last weekend. The following days of being stuck at home, care of typhoon Maring, didn’t help in burning all the calories I gained. 🙂
Milky & Sunny Pancakes
Kidding aside, it was great to discover these new foodie spots in nearby the residential area of Avida Towers Centera and the Kapitolyo food scene.
This. is. life.
August 5th, 2013 — Affairs, Appetizer, Banawe, Casual, Chinese, Cravings, Cuisine, Dessert, Lucky Chinatown Mall, Manila, Promos / Events, Quezon City, Restaurants, Where To Eat
An anniversary is a great milestone in the Chinese culture; from an individual’s birthday to a couple’s wedding anniversary. We witnessed several weeks ago, June 2013 to be exact, the 1st anniversary of King Chef Seafood Restaurant in a festive Chinese tradition in their Lucky Chinatown Mall branch at the 2nd floor.
King Chef Lucky Chinatown Mall
We first got a taste of King Chef‘s dishes in its Banawe branch where it all started a year ago. So it was a delight to join them again  in this momentous event.
Parade of Waiters
Although lunch started a bit late at past 12 noon, it was worth the wait. The program emcee opened the ceremonies with a prayer and a game to perk up the crowd. This was immediately followed by the parade of waiters serving the traditional dumplings in Seafood Spinach Soup.
It was welcomed with eagerness by the guests’ hungry stomachs and was wiped-out in a minute or two in each table seated with 10-12 guests.
King Chef Seafood Restaurant “Pan-To” Tables
Dumplings in Seafood Spinach SoupÂ
Another traditional dish served was the Assorted Cold Cuts Combination for appetizers. Chunks of chicken, pork, and duck were carefully placed about the plate section with seaweeds and century egg slices at the center.
The first main dish that came about was the Deep-fried Suahe with Salted Egg. Deep fried in Chinese style, the shrimp was cooked just right and not too salty.
King Chef Chinese Tea in an exquisitely designed tea pot
Assorted Cold Cuts Combination
Deep-fried Suahe with Salted Egg
It was shortly followed by the colorful stir-fried Kung Pao Chicken.
But what I liked most about the entree was the fried spareribs. It’s called the Fried Spareribs with Eight Spices. I guess it’s the latter which lent it the burst of flavors from aroma to the meat. Best of all, the meat was tender which most spareribs dishes fail at.
Stir-fried Kung Pao Chicken
Fried Spareribs with Eight Spices
King Chef Restaurant Anniversary
Sadly I had to miss the subsequent dishes such as the Stuffed Eggplant in Japanese Sauce, Fried King Fish in Mango Sauce, Typhoon Shelter Crabs, and the Birthday Noodles. The desserts Almond Fish Gelatin and Mango Balls missed me as well.
This was because I had to leave earlier than the rest at a little past 2pm due to a prior commitment. It was a great Chinese lunch nonetheless and we wish King Chef Seafood Restaurant more years to add to their success!