Quality Filipino Feasting

If you're looking for some Filipino food to make your stomach and palate happy while impressing your sense of sight, Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino is the place to go.

The a la cart menu is always available if you're not looking to gain a pound.  But, if you don't mind throwing in an extra workout the next day, the A La Carte All You Can is best option for feasting.  It's a "clean plate" policy, so choose wisely.

My choices for this particular evening included 8 selections.  The appetizer bites start the evening with an excellent first impression.   Smartly plated bites of classic dishes revamped in such a fresh manner.  The subsequent dishes all followed suit.   My eyes were attracted to every dish which made my stomach open up and eager to taste it all.

The menu is quite extensive which encourages me to always go back for more and to try out all of these beautifully crafted dishes.

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

If you can't see the slide show here, check out m

Hainanese Chicken Rice in Manila

When I write, "Singaporean cuisine," what dish comes to mind? One common answer is sure to be Hainanese Chicken Rice. If the chicken is cooked right, it is the most succulent poultry you can ever savor.

Wee Nam Kee brings flocks of their succulent birds over to Manila. The selections range from deliciously repeatable to a bit disappointing in taste and execution.

The disappointing selections tend to be everything but the Hainanese Chickens. I found the foods to be a bit too overcooked, dull, and oily.

But it is the chicken that keeps bringing me back. The chicken comes with chicken soup, and make sure to order the chicken rice. A complete, satisfying meal. This may not be the highest quality, but it's far better than other Hainanese Chickens you can find around Manila.

The Roasted Hainanese Chicken holds a great roasted taste, while retaining the tenderness. And the star, the Hainanese Chicken, is consistently tender, succulent, and juicy. I could eat a chicken prepared like this everyday.

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

If you can't see the slide show here, check out my Flickr album: Wee Nam Kee

Yakitori Eats in Bonifacio High Street Central

Growing up in the suburbs of the San Francisco Bay Area, a number of my favorite restaurants were up in the city, about 30 miles away. My family would drive up once or twice a week for brunches, lunches, afternoon teas, and dinners. If we really like a restaurant, we'd drive up more often.

Nanbantei of Tokyo was one of those restaurants that we more than frequented throughout the month. As soon as you enter the doors, you'd be greeted by a robust, "IRASSHAIMASE!" With the welcome, atmosphere, and servers, you'd be immediately transported to Tokyo.

The restaurant has long since been closed (and it's now called Hana Zen with new owners). And, I've missed it.

February 2012, Bonifacio High Street Central. A brand new Nanbantei of Tokyo in Manila!

The older branch in Greenbelt never appealed to me because it was tiny, old, and dingy. This new branch is much bigger and clean - the perfect place to celebrate my birthday with family. It was like a throwback celebration!

My favorite orders of the night were the shishito peppers, chicken meatballs, chicken wings and chicken skins. When the chicken skin is properly and thoroughly grilled, it's the best snack to pop in your mouth and crunch away.

While the servers and atmosphere does not compare to my memories of San Francisco, I love the space and open set up of this new branch. The grill is smartly placed behind a glass windown - to enjoy the cooking scene while not smelling like the kitchen when you leave.

The food...it's pretty darn close to what I remember. And that makes this restaurant good and repeatable.

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: Nanbantei

Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the Philippines

These Top 10s are getting harder. It's difficult to narrow down 10 and, mostly, to rank them. 1 and 2 came easy, but the rest became subjective to my favorites right now from the restaurants I dined in this year.

These are restaurants that are doing great things for the dining scene here in the Philippines. They bring us to world standards for being a culinary destination. From casual, traditional eats to modern, trendy dining.

My Top 10 Favorite Restaurants from 2011:
(The links vary from this year's entries, past years' entries, and restaurant's websites because my reviews will be posted after my travel entries.)
10. Grappa's Ristorante
9. 2nd's Restaurant
8. Chef's Table
7. Abe
6. Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice
5. Cerveseria
4. Mogu Shinsen Bar and Grill
3. Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino
2. Bale Dutung
1. People's Palace

Next Top 10s of 2011: Top 10 Favorite Restaurants in the United States

2nd's makes you want to come back for more

As Fort Bonifacio continues to develop, new restaurants are constantly popping up. One of my favorite places in the Fort is High Street - lots of shops and eateries. A great place to walk around on those rain-free days and nights.

2nd's which is located on the second floor is a great new addition to High Street. It has the atmosphere, the food, and the service. The branding and concept are smart and well-executed. If you want a twist on Filipino food, American favorites, and basically modern International cuisine, this is definitely the place to go. Go once, and you'll definitely want to go back for seconds (again, great branding and concept!).


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: 2nd's

Briefly Back in Manila

Back home in Manila between trips. That means a little eating out and a little home cooking. It also means enjoying the sights and tastes of home.

One of my favorite things about Manila is the sunsets. It's a different scene every night.

On one weekend, my best friend came in town from Hong Kong for some feel good Filipino food. And, of course, that includes the desserts! Here are a few pictures of some of the desserts we enjoyed. We visited Chef's Table for the Buko Pie Martini (where you have to order one person - it's that good). And we also enjoyed my mom's desserts at home. From one batch of plantain bananas, we enjoyed 2 different desserts. So yum.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about the food photos.

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

Japanese Cuisine - The Hot Dishes

In this past year of living here in Manila, my parents and I have found about a handful or so of restaurants that are repeatable. And when I say repeatable, I mean we go back to these restaurants once a week (People's Palace) or once every other week or so (every other restaurant we really enjoy). We totally become regulars. The atmosphere, the quality of the food, the presentation, the service, and, of course, the taste of the food are all worthy of us becoming regular customers.

One of these restaurants is Mogu. When we crave a little sushi, or sukiyaki, or even Japanese style pizza this is where we go. So for a night of hot Japanese dishes, we came here for a dinner that guaranteed good food.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read a little more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

Chef's Table at The Fort

Despite being in Asia for most of this year, I still get really homesick for the Bay Area. I miss my friends, the beers, the bars, the restaurants... So when I find restaurants where it feels like it belongs in San Francisco, all my emotions of being homesick quickly disappear.

At Chef's Table, I felt like I was back in the Bay, and yet the type of food is better here than any I've encountered in the Bay Area. Chef Bruce Lim is a food television personality on the Asian Food Channel. I'll admit - I came into his restaurant with a bias to really like him. I mean, the guy wears San Francisco Giants jerseys on his TV show. (Go Giants!! - Yes, I'll be on a World Series high for awhile.)

His food, the presentation, the atmosphere of the restaurants, and his cocktail menu are all so refreshing and contemporary. It all beautifully shows diners that Filipino food can really successfully be modernized and in a nice restaurant setting. I like his concept of the chef's table. The kitchen is completely open to see the chefs working. I loved seeing the chefs pay attention to our table and when to fire up our next courses.

As for his cocktail menu.. I've totally been missing good quality mixed drinks. I've gone to too many restaurants and bars here where the drinks are painfully watered down or simply tastes like juice. I guess you can argue that I should just order liquor straight up. But there's so much fun ordering cocktails in which the flavors contrast and balance out in each refreshing sip. And finally here at his restaurant, the cocktail menu does just that. There's so much creativity in his menu!

After our complete and satisfying dinner, we're definitely coming back to try out the rest of the menu and his cocktail list. This place can definitely shine in the metropolitan cities states. It's great to know that there are quality and fresh places like this here in Manila.

Place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

Check out my Flickr album if you can't see the slideshow here.

A Night with Ernst Loosen at Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino

After receiving another email about a wine night, we again jumped at the opportunity to dine at Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino. This time, we would get to meet the winemaker, Ernst Loosen! We first tasted Dr Loosen Wines when we ate at the Peninsula Hotal in Shanghai. We instantly fell in love with the wine, and we had high hopes for this evening.

Overall, we left more than impressed with both the food and the wines! Chef Laudico's cuisine can easily make waves, and even bring Filipino cuisine to a respected mainstream, if it were in food cities like San Francisco or Manhattan. Loosen's wines paired so well with the food! It's great to find wines that can be paired with Filipino cuisine. And, it was so great spending time and conversing with the winemaker himself. We were so impressed that we even made plans to visit his wineries in Mosel Valley in Germany.

Here are pictures of the wines and the cuisines. Place your cursor over "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Wine Pairing Night at Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino

Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino has definitely turned into one of our favorite restaurants. We received an email from their mailing list regarding a Wine Pairing Night. We jumped on the opportunity! The wines were all French, a part of the Sommelier Selection. The food was excellent, as we had a nice variety with the four course pairing menu; and the wines paired nicely with each course.

Here are pictures from our Wine Pairing Night. Don't forget, place your cursor on "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Brunch Buffet at Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino

For a weekend lunch, my parents and I went back to Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino. Each time we go, we get more and more impressed with the creations, the taste, the presentation, and the execution. In my opinion, he's like the David Chang of the Manila. He's setting the trend and inspiration for modernized Filipino cuisine, much like how Chang has been in the forefront for modernized Asian bites these days.

The brunch buffet is so generous for 788PHP. You get to order (as in a buffet, but it's made fresh to order) from the menu which puts together most of the main menu in half portions. Plus, there are silogs (Filipino breakfast that has meat or fish with rice and an egg). The portions allow you to order a lot and have a variety of plates for lunch. I can't wait to build up an appetite again and go back!

I just took a picture of the silog and the desserts I ordered. If you want to see examples of the other dishes, click on the first link in the paragraph above. Also, place your cursor above "Notes" to read more about each picture.

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Modernized Filipino Cuisine

I love it when restaurants properly sophisticate Filipino cuisine. When it is done well, Filipino food has great potential to be as mainstream as Thai and Vietnamese cuisines. In a second visit to Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino, the restaurant proved to be consistent. We even had the fortune of meeting the husband and wife chef team.


Prito Trio
Crispy Fish, Shrimps and Squid served with 3 Dipping sauces (Garlic Aoili, Pinakurat Soy Glaze and Crab Roe Cream. Definitely an appetizer to share. Tasty and full of bold seafood and acidic flavors!

Ubod Spring Roll
Crispy Lumpia Cone Filled with Chorizo, Prawns and Ubod topped with Spicy Vinegar Sorbet. Yum! Crispy on the outside and great full tastes inside. The vinegar sorbet provided great contrasts of acid and chill.

Milk Fish Souffle
Smoked Milk Fish and Keso de Bola Souffle in Whole Tomato served with Salad Greens in Paksiw Vinaigrette topped with Fried Bangus Belly. Delicate flavors of milk fish.

Trio of Soups
Prawn Sinigang Martini - Cold Prawn Sinigang Gelee poured with Hot Lemongrass Coconut Cream garnished with Seared Prawns
Paella Arroz Caldo - Saffron Rice Porridge garnished with Grilled Chicken, Squid and Chorizo
Shiitake Mushroom Cappuccino - Adobo Shiitake Mushroom Puree topped with Creamy Garlic foam drizzled with White Truffle Oil

US Angus Beef Kare-Kare
Slow Roasted US Beef Short Plate in Kare-Kare Sauce with Stuffed Banana Heart, Grilled Eggplant Chutney and Steamed Petchay. Tender beef and a tasty peanut sauce! I love the plating, too!

Binagoongan Crispy Pata
Boneless Crispy Pork with Creamy Bagoong Sauce served with Grilled Onions, Tomatoes and Asparagus with Garlic Turmeric Rice. My brother was still in town, so this was our continuation of ordering crispy pata. A solid plate of pig knuckles, but still not as good as Azuthai.

Halo Halo Napolean
Layers of Ube Tuille and Poached Native Fruits and Beans in Fresh Carabao Cream Sorbet. I love this twist on classic halo halo! The tuille layers and the carabao cream sorbet are delicious. I only wish that there were more native fruits and beans.

Deconstructed Sans Rival
Layers of Dayap Meringue and Pastry Crème on Chilled Mango Soup Splashed with Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur. The meringue was like a large, chewy French macaron. That was tasty, but the rest of the dessert was too sweet for my palate.

Wine Tasting Night Out

A family night out with a couple of my cousins called for some wine tasting. We tried out CAV in High Street in Fort Bonifacio. Food-wise, it was tasty but for the price you can go to Sala or somewhere similar. For wine tasting, this was a fun place to be!

White Wine Flight
Wild Rock "Infamous Goose," Sauvignon Blanc 2008, New Zealand
Beringer, Chenin Blanc, 2008, California
Leconfield, Chardonnay, 2007, Australia
I enjoyed the variety of grapes for this flight. Each wines were delicious with the variety of cheeses and foods that we paired them with.

Red Wine Flight
Chateau St. Jacques, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, France
Claymore Graceland, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2004, Australia
Beringer Founders Estate, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005, California
I nice horizontal taste of Cabernets. My particular favorite of the three was the French Cab.

Cheese Plate
Tete de Moine, Davao Goat Blue Cheese, Goat Cheese
A nice trio of cheeses that brought out the different tastes of the wines.

Croquetas
A nicely fried plate of croquetas. A nice portion to share with the table.

Smoked Salmon and Cream Cheese Tart
Yum! I love smoked salmon, and this execution on a tart was successful. It paired nicely with the Sauvignon Blanc and the Chardonnay.

Filipino Food around Manila

Since I've been in the Philippines, I've been trying out different Filipino restaurants in Manila. I've enjoyed dishes that I've never tried before, and of course, some of my favorite dishes.

Cochinillo
Baby lechon. It may seem so wrong because it's a baby pig, but wow, the meat is so clean tasting and so tender.

Milky Way Cafe, Makati
If you're in Makati, this is a classic restaurant to try some traditional Filipino dishes.

Pancit Molo Soup
Shrimp and pork dumplings in a clear broth. A comfort dish that makes for a good starter.

Lumpiang Ubod
Fresh lumpia. A nice light plate to share.

Pancit Luglog
With shrimpy sauce, shrimp and chicharon bits. This is one of my favorite dishes, and this place did it pretty well.

Halo Halo
A classic Filipino dessert. This is definitely one of the better halo halos that I've tried. The ube ice cream is delicious!

Abe, Fort Bonifacio
My parents took me to this place because of it's consistency. It does a great job of serving classic dishes in a nice restaurant setting.

The Beer Pairing
San Miguel Super Dry. I enjoy this beer because it resembles the taste of Japanese lagers.

Burong Mangga
Mangos soaked in salt, sugar, and water.

Bagoong
The burong mangga is eaten with bagoong to contrast the flavors.

Baby Pusit
Cooked in it's squid ink. A fun starter that was like a Spanish tapa.

Kanilaw ng Tanigue
Ceviche. I love the cut of fish because it was meaty, yet tender.

Lumpiang Ubod

Pritong Baby Hito
Crispy Hito, or catfish. Nicely fried.

Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino

Located in Fort Bonifacio, Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino is a modernized Filipino restaurant. The dishes are nicely plated, and the modernized twist is well-executed.
Bread Basket
Pan de Sal. The size was nice and mini, but it was a bit on the dry size.

Kankong Crisps
Kangkong and Kesong Puti (white cheese) fried into a dumpling. A nice start!

Ubod Spring Roll
Crispy Lumpia Cone Filled with Chorizo, Prawns and Ubod topped with Spicy Vinegar Sorbet. Another great starter! The plating was designed to let the excess oil drip out.

Shiitake Mushroom Cappuccino
Adobo Shiitake Mushroom Puree topped with Creamy Garlic foam drizzled with White Truffle Oil

Grilled Eggplant Torta
Baked Eggplant Torta with Chili Crab Meat on Mix Greens in Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

Paella Stuffed Squid
Paella Rice with Chorizo stuffed in Grilled Squid served with New Zealand and Clam Fritters in Roasted Capsicum Sauce. The fried mussels and clams had a bit too much batter, but other than that this was a successful dish. I love stuffed squid.

US Angus Beef Kare-Kare
Slow Roasted US Beef Short Plate in Kare-Kare Sauce with Stuffed Banana Heart, Grilled Eggplant Chutney. Very nice presentation and the flavors of everything are excellent. This was a great, solid dish!

Halo-Halo Napoleon
Layers of Ube Tuille and Poached Native Fruits and Beans in Fresh Carabao Cream Sorbet. The carabao sorbet was delicious! I was looking for more fruits and beans, though.

Mogu in the Fort

For as long as I can remember, my parents would always talk about this Japanese chef in the Philippines that they loved. Twenty five years later, I finally met this chef at his new restaurant in Fort Bonifacio's Serendra mall.
Mogu
Everything we ordered was delicious! It's definitely a repeatable place.

Sashimi
Uni, Mackerel, and Toro - So fresh and sweet!

Freshly Grated Wasabi

Tomato Salad
With Pesto

Miso Soup

Uni Spaghetti
Such a great creation! Mmm!

Harami Beef
Thinly sliced skirt steak. Tender and tasty!

Grilled Maitake Mushrooms

Rice topped with Edamame

Strawberry Napolean
Crispy layers with a nice custard and fresh strawberries.

Chef/Owner Seiji Kamura