Back in 2 Weeks!

Brb, readers! I'm currently back in the states and piling up more updates. I'll be back here posting in two weeks. In the meantime, check out my Facebook and Twitter pages for daily mobile pictures of my travel eats.

Home Made Sake Steamed Chicken

It's dinner time again! This time, I used a recipe that I've been wanting to cook for awhile now.

Sake Steamed Chicken
(FYI, it's a NY Times recipe if you're keeping count of your 20 articles per month)

I was so curious about this tender, tender chicken that the author wrote about. I've only steamed a fish before, which is a delicious way to eat fish. I've eaten boiled chicken, and so I was curious how steamed chicken could be even better.

This is a great recipe. The chicken came out very tender and very moist. The rest period after the steaming is really important. It brings the juices together and stays in the chicken.

The original recipe had only a sliight sake taste. Non-existent if you didn't know about the sake. My adjustment that I want to try next time is to marinate the chicken for a bit in the sake, and then steam it in water. I can't wait to try this again!

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Steamed Chicken

Home Made Porcini Risotto

Dinner time! When it comes to cooking dinner at home for my family, I have a few recipes saved for when I'm in the mood to cook. But most of the time, dinner is created after I peak through the pantry, fridge, and freezer. I love cooking with whatever is left. It's a fun challenge and I try to figure out the possible tastes in my head and how everything can come together.

So after a stroll through the kitchen, I found we had arborio rice in the freezer and dried porcinis in the pantry. It's mushroom risotto for dinner!

After stirring in the last cup of broth, I finished the risotto with a little slab of butter to bring it all together. (A little tip I learned from watching Mario Batali on TV.)

And to intensify the mushroom taste, after pouring and stirring in one cup of white wine, I tend poured in the mushroom juice which I used to hydrate the dried mushrooms. Wow, it had an excellent bold porcini taste!

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Risotto

More Neighborhood Dining: Japanese at Tsumura

Salcedo Village is a great neighborhood for all these nice neighborhood places. After having brunch, we drove by another neighborhood restaurant that caught my dad's eye. It was a Japanese place on the second floor of a corporate building. How did it catch my dad's eye? The window was lined with sake bottles.

When you enter Tsumura, you know it's going to be a pretty good place. It was filled with more Japanese clientele than Filipinos. True enough, the food and service was excellent. My one complaint - hair in the uni. Eww! And in my favorite item. The sushi chefs were all men with short hair, and the hair in the uni was a long strand. So perhaps it came from the sourcing of the uni. The waitress was nice enough to compensate for the mishap. I really want to go back here because the food was enjoyable. I hope the second time around the same thing won't happen. If so, there definitely won't be a third time.


Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Tsumura

Brunch in Salcedo Village

There are some mornings when I wake up, and I'm just craving for brunch. That mix of sweet and savory can deliciously fill you up until dinner. After a brief online search of "brunch" in "Makati" I found a quaint little neighborhood restaurant in Salcedo Village.

Apartment 1B is located on the ground floor of a neighborhood condo. It's a small 2 story restaurant. The decor reminded me of homey afternoon tea houses in the states. For the complete brunch feel, we ordered a savory dish (Eggs Benedict) and a sweet dish (Belgian Waffles). If you're in the area, or if you're in the mood for a neighborhood restaurant with a continental spread, this is a good place to try out.


Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Apartment 1B

Home Style Thai Cooking

When it comes to Thai food here in Manila, we typically go to our favorite restaurant, People's Palace. I love the atmosphere, the service, and the consistency of the food. It's always a great meal.

But every once in a while, I want something different. So in search of that, we tried out Benjarong. The Thai restaurant of the Dusit Thani Hotel, a Thai hotel. The chef is a Thai lady who specializes in Royal Thai home style cuisine.

We have another go-to place for Thai food! The food is excellent, authentic, and comforting. From appetizers to desserts, the dishes make you feel like you're back in Bangkok.

For an added plus, go there on the last Saturday of the month. Your whole bill with be 30% off thanks to Earth Hour!


Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Benjarong

Dim Sum at Edsa Shangri-La's Summer Palace

Since I arrive here in Manila last year, I've been in search of a Hong Kong quality dim sum restaurant. My next restaurant in the search: Summer Palace at Edsa Shangri-La.

Overall, it was just ookay. I don't think I would go back, though. I'd rather go back to Shang Palace at Makati Shangri-La where the atmosphere was more pleasant.

The atmosphere here was..for lack of a better description.. very gold and traditional dim sum setting Chinese. I know, I know, we're in a Chinese restaurant. But when you pay a high price for Chinese cuisine, the atmosphere is usually more modernized. I hope for a certain level of classiness with it comes to the decor. Here, it was a bit over done and kinda tacky. It just didn't satisfy my personal preferences.

The food was actually not bad at all.. it was about average. For my expectations though, it just wasn't outstanding. Plus, I totally got that heavy, oily, starchy feeling that you typically get after an average Chinese meal. At high quality places, you typically don't get that because of better ingredients and better chefs.

So after trying a handful or so of the highest rated ones here, I find myself resigned that there might not be a quality dim sum place here. Whenever I'll crave really good dim sum, I'll just have to wait for my next trip to Hong Kong.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Summer Palace

Classics at Prince Albert Rotisserie

Prince Albert Rotisserie has been in the Manila restaurant scene for years. The hotel restaurant (located in the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati) continues to serve classic cuisine. And the reason it has lasted this many years... the service and food brings calls you back.

The atmosphere, food, and service is all traditional and classic. It's what you'd expect from this kind of old school dining.

While not all the food is spectacular, there are certain dishes that are so good and so classic. I, for one, cannot wait to go back and have more of that rack of lamb.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Prince Albert

Grappa's for Italian, and a Good Beer List

Grappa's in Greenbelt is not a new restaurant, but it is newly renovated with a change of ownership. It's now directly tied to the original Grappa's in Hong Kong. Change is good! Grappa's is now one of my go-to restaurants in Greenbelt.

Great food, great wine list, and a great beer list. They have west coast brewsand IPAs! Whenever I see good beer on menu, I have to order at least one..or two.

Overall, the pastas are nicely al dente and the appetizers are memorable. The service is excellent and they remember their repeat customers. The prices are definitely high. You really have to appreciate the quality of the cooking and the dining experience. It's whole experience that encourages me to keep coming back.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Grappas

Tapas at Cerveseria

Spanish food has always been one of my favorite cuisines. After traveling through Spain years ago, Spanish cuisine became my favorite cuisine. Years later, it still is. It's such comfort food while exciting to the palate.

When I saw this new restaurant about to open in Greenbelt, the name and the cuisine had me curious to try it out at soon as it opened. Cerveseria. That just makes me think of beer and Spanish food. Two of my all time favorite things.

Overall, it's a fun restaurant with pretty great tapas. The portions are just right, and the larger plates are also manageable for the whole table. The flavors are authentically Spanish, too.

We also ordered a pitcher of Sangria. Like most cocktails in this country, it was really weak for me. The waiter was generous offered to pour more red wine, and that did the trick. A tasty sangria after that. I'm definitely going back for more.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Cerveseria

Shabuway in Manila

Back in the Bay Area, one of my favorite local eats was Shabuway. When I moved to Manila last year, I found out they were opening a branch inside Greenbelt 5. A taste of home in my new home!

So how does it compare? In terms of atmosphere, it's definitely more modern because of the use of induction burners. Also, there is less bar space and more tables. The culture here caters to bigger parties.. and in general, I notice customers don't really eat at the bar. (I loove eating at the bar, so whenever I have to chance to do that anywhere I definitely prefer that seating. You get faster service from the bartenders and you get your drinks on the spot.) The one aspect that I miss from the Shabuway in Mountain View is the televisions along the wall showing ESPN highlights. Again, it's another cultural dining change to cater to the local customers.

As for the food, it definitely is consistent with the Shabuway in the Bay Area. Overtime, I hope they get more marbled Kobe style cuts. And, I hope they get their liquor license so I can enjoy the meal with beer and sake.

Place your cursor above "Notes" below to read the captions for each photo.

The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: Shabuway Manila