Eating way too well on a beach vacation

Amun Ini Resort & Spa has it all. And by “has it all” I mean they have that pristine private beach, five star resort service, AND five star quality food!

The main focus of all my travels, and for this blog, is my food focused adventures.

Usually on beach vacations, I worry that I shouldn’t eat too much. I may love food, but I gotta take pictures in my bikini! Let me tell you, it’s an on-going battle every day and every trip to eat well while staying healthy and in shape (Check out my Healthy at Home recipes to see how I balance eating well and eating healthy).

After one meal of a mere soup and salad (a delicious soup and salad, no less), I indulged on the menus’ carbs, fatty proteins, and sweets. And, wow, was it worth it and memorable. I’m still salivating over the tempura sweetbreads, beef cheeks, uni risotto, and coconut griddle cakes!

If you can't see the slideshow here, check out my Flickr album: Bohol Food

Brunch at Stormies in Hong Kong

Planning for a weekend lunch in Hong Kong almost naturally implies dim sum or brunch. When I'm meeting up with my best friend who is native to Hong Kong, that always means brunch.

Because my flight back home to Manila was in a few hours, I opted not to go to SoHo and stay closer to my hotel. 100+ floors below the Ritz is Elements Mall with many excellent restaurant choices.

Since the rains had yet to descend, we preferred to dine al fresco at Stormies. Of the 8 restaurants on that outdoor section, they had the most appealing brunch/lunch special - 2 courses & coffee/tea for 98 HKD (just over 12 USD).

Along with a couple of spicy Bloody Marys, this was a most delightful setting and meal for a quiet brunch with a longtime friend.

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If you can't see the slide show, check out my Flickr album: Stormies HK

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!).


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The slide show here runs on Flash. If you can't see it, check out my Flickr album: 2nd's

Tasting the Hype at Benu

New restaurants constantly pop up in San Francisco. Each year, a handful or less of these restaurants make it to the top lists for food critics and food lovers. For the past year, the one restaurant that keeps trending is Chef Corey Lee's Benu.

Corey Lee made his name as the chef de cuisine at Thomas Keller's French Laundry. Prior to the opening of Benu until even today, the restaurant has been dubbed The SF Restaurant to go to.

Benu creates original Asian and Modern American inspired dishes that delights and surprises. At a place like Benu, the best way to dive in to this cuisine is with the extensive tasting menu. Don't let the cost scare you. $180 is quite a deal for 18+ courses packed with quality of ingredients, artistry, and superb chefs' touches. $10 per course for all that's put into it!

The beverage pairing price maybe be intimidating, too, but again, it's such a deal for 10 high quality beverages. Plus, it's like a lesson per pour. You get to enjoy the wine, the pairing, and the information about the pour from the sommeliers.

Finalizing the brilliant tasting experience is the friendly staff. I was worried that the reception might be snooty and stiff. It's totally the opposite. They are so friendly, welcoming, and humorous. The service matches the atmosphere and the food - five star. Attentive and detailed.


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

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.

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

Truffle Degustation Dinner at Red

Every now and then, Red at Makati Shangri-La has special tasting menus for certain occasions or for certain ingredients.

Recently, Red had a special Truffle menu for a limited time. Degustation and a la carte truffle selections. For a little splurge, we tried the 8 course degustation menu. Each course had black truffles shaved on top of it. Some had truffles cooked into the dish. For the most part, the truffles worked really well with each of the dishes. They maintained an earthy taste, while not overpowering.

The entire meal had a total of 14 grams of black summer truffles. If we had this meal in the states, or almost anywhere not in the Philippines, it would have been well over $100 per person. Here, it was $85. $85 for 8 courses with truffles. Pretty good for all that you get.

Overall, the meal was enjoyable as it always has been. Whenever there are menu changes, it's nice going back to Red to see what else they can create.

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

A La Carte Dining at Circles Event Cafe

Now that I'm back home in Manila, I've been in the mood to visit restaurants that are old favorites, and to discover new favorites. For this week's Monday, Wednesday, Friday entries, I'm revisiting a few restaurants from the Makati Shangri-la Hotel. Every time I'm in town, I frequent the restaurants in the Shangri-la because of their proximity and because they use quality ingredients.

First up this week, Circles Event Cafe. This is the international buffet for the hotel. They also have themes for certain nights. Wednesday nights are Filipino Nights, with a great Filipino spread and some cultural music and dance.

Coming from the U.S., we always face some jetlag for the first few to several days. That also means our eating times are all messed up. So a hotel cafe is a great place to enjoy all day dining. Instead of indulging in the buffet, we ordered a la carte off the menu.

The menu items can be hit and miss. We learn from the "misses" like the pizza and avoid them on our next visits. It's the "hits" like the pancit, and the hotel atmosphere, that encourage us to keep coming back.

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

A Spontaneous Dinner at Home

Even though we go to the grocery at least once a week for proteins and produce, we don't plan out what we'll have for dinner every night of the week. Dinner is made depending on cravings, whether it's for seafood, meats, etc. And whether it's the mood to stay in or go out.

For this particularly night, we opened the refrigerator and had a choice between fish soup or rack of lamb. It's been too long since I've had a good cut of lamb. With risotto in the pantry, we had our dinner set!

Roasted rack of lamb, saffron risotto with lima beans, and sauteed mustard greens. Pretty great for a spontaneous menu for dinner at home.

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

Lord Jim's at the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok

For a very special occasion dinner, my family and I dined at Lord Jim's in the Mandarin Oriental. It is the hotel's seafood restaurant. The indoor setting is pleasant and filled with seafood, both live and ready to be cooked, as you enter.

I love the slow pacing of special occasion restaurants. You get to enjoy your food at your own pace and enjoy your company throughout the meal. It's also great with the chef provides extra treats, like an amuse bouche and palate cleanser. It makes for a more enjoyable and special night.

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

At Least the Wine was Great..

Since I started drinking wines with my mom, I always look for food pairings to enhance both the wine and the food. Here in Manila we've gone to a few food and wine pairing events. Our first event, the food was good but the wine wasn't memorable. In our second event, the wine and the food were excellent. In our most recent event, the wine was delicious but, wow, the food was such a fail!

After tasting a Grant Burge port, my parents and I started tasting his other wines. All have been excellent so far. So when we heard that the winemaker himself, Grant Burge, was going to be here in Manila, we excitedly went to his dinner. The food was catered at the Old Manila restaurant in the Peninsula Hotel. A nice restaurant in a nice hotel - should be a good food night, too, right? Not at all. The restaurant was just the setting, while the food was all banquet food using frozen quality food. Plus, the servers and the managers kept defending the food thinking we didn't know what we were talking about. Salmon should not be watery, crumbly, and horrible like it was. I love salmon - when it's fresh and edible.

The night was only great because the wines were all so delicious, and I ended up drinking on a half empty stomach.

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

Afternoon Tea Nostalgia

One of my all-time favorite food memories as a child was my monthly visit with my mom up to San Francisco for afternoon tea at the Rotunda in Neiman Marcus in Union Square. Eating by the window to see all of Union Square was such a treat! I loved the whole occasion of dressing up for the day and eating a fancy, girly meal with just my mom. The mini sandwiches and mini desserts were so much fun, too!

So every time I get the opportunity to have an afternoon tea, I always look back at those memories fondly. I also place that as my benchmark of what a good afternoon tea (in terms of atmosphere, setting, and food) should be like.

For a local afternoon tea, my parents and I visited the Makati Shangri-La. The atmosphere and setting of the Lobby Lounge is beautiful. The live orchestra, the tall windows, and the high ceiling makes for a pleasant surrounding. The food is decent, but nothing like my memories from San Francisco.

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

Beef (Cheeks) Stew

Whether I'm in a city that is filled with great restaurants or a city that has only a handful of good restaurants, eating at home always produces some of the most memorable meals. On one particular night, we made use of some Wagyu Beef Cheeks and braised and stewed it. Then, we whipped up a couple of potato recipes. I also stirred together our homemade Caesar Salad for some of that vegetable balance. Lastly, paired the meal with a couple (or few) glasses of quality Cab. What a dinner!

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

Restaurant Week, Stop #2: Sala Bistro

Reviewing the menus for Restaurant Week, we decided to try out Sala Bistro next. We have enjoyed our visits to this restaurant, so we knew the meal would be satisfactory. For the most part, the meal was pretty good, but overall the flavors of the meal lacked basic seasonings. I will go back to this restaurant in the future, though, because they have a fun menu selection with some really tasty offerings.

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

Food and Wine Night at Red

There were many times in college and post-college when my friends and I would go out just to celebrate life - an appreciation for just being here. This was one of those nights out, and this time with my parents. We accepted an email invitation to wine and dine again at Red.

The wine pairing came from Wolf Blass, a south Australian winemaker. Honestly, I wasn't too impressed with the selection of wines for the night...They were either flat, tight, or simply just fell short of what good wines should taste like. It lacked those smooth and full bouquet notes. So much so, I completely forgot to take the pictures of the wines after two glasses.

I still enjoyed eating at Red, despite the mediocre tasting wines and that not all the foods were up to par. I definitely want to go back again to try out more of their a la carte menu.

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Unfortunately, this slideshow doesn't appear on Google Buzz/Reader (Click here) or on iPhones (Adobe...Check back when you're at a laptop or desktop)

Red at Shangri-La Makati

To celebration my cousin's birthday, we dined at Red at Shangri-La Makati. I ate there when it first opened, and it was an enjoyable experience. The atmosphere is beautiful (with a red and white color theme) and the landscaped view is gorgeous (and I'm not just saying that because my uncle design it).

When I was still in the states last year, my brother and my sister-in-law had their wedding reception here. Wow, if only every wedding reception could have the food they did...I saw the pictures from the reception, and I was excited to finally taste some of what they had served, like the Braised Beef Cheeks.

After my second visit, which was years after the first one, I was pleased that the consistency of the food and service has remained excellent. I look forward to my next dining experience there!

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Unfortunately, this slideshow doesn't appear on Google Buzz/Reader (Click here) or on iPhones (Adobe...Check back when you're at a laptop or desktop)

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.

Anniversary Celebration

My parents' anniversary! When it comes to celebrations in our family, we eat! Actually, when I put it that way, it seems like every day is a celebration. So for extra special days we step it up and eat even more.

Prior to our meal, we visited the Manila Cathedral. This is the only Basilica in the Philippines. If you're in Manila, this is definitely a notable tourist stop.

Tivoli
Located in the Mandarin Oriental. We came here for lunch, and I would recommend this place for lunch. They offer a great "Business Lunch" special in which you have an appetizer buffet, an entree, and dessert.

The Appetizer Buffet
A nice selection of salads, cold cuts, sushi, and more. The highlights for me were the oysters and jamon. I think I got my money's worth with these two items. Yum!

Potted Foie Gras
With seafood and lobster foam. This was an entree, which also could have been an appetizer if served with toasted thinly sliced bread.

Salmon with Fresh Green and White Asparagus
A delicate dish that accentuates the flavors of the salmon and the asparagus. I love white asparagus!

Baked Banana Pouch
A nice ending to the meal. I love the crunch of the phyllo dough with the warm banana filling.

Sala
After enjoying Sala Bistro (see post below), we decided to try out Sala. What a great meal! If you're hungry, definitely go for the tasting menu. It's an incredible bargain, especially compared to tasting menus in San Francisco or Manhattan.

The Table Setting
I was kind of overwhelmed as to why they put all the utensils on our table after we ordered. I prefer changing utensils after each dish and not having it all on the table like this.

Amuse Bouche
Parmesan-Pesto Crostini

A Salad of Spice Crusted Tuna and Romesco Sauce
With Crispy Baby Squid, Rocket and Charred Lemon Juice. A nice small starter plate. The presentation was modern and the execution of the dish succeeded.

Ravioli of Portabella Mushrooms, Ricotta, and Thyme
With Parmesan and White Truffle
Wow! The winner of the meal and of the day. I could have a whole plate of these raviolis in truffle sauce. The portabella taste is bold and complements the truffle sauce so well.

Crispy Fried Lobster Tail
On a Truffled Cauliflower Risotto and Bisque Sauce. We asked to have this substitution from the A La Carte Menu. The tasting menu included a grouper fillet, but since we were celebrating we wanted to taste the lobster tail. We made a great choice. Everything on the plate was so tasty.

Braised Kurobuta Pork Cheeks
With Bell Pepper and Potato Hash, Seared Scallops, and Clams. A generous portion for the main meat dish. Another delicious plate.

Warm Chocolate Fondant
Topped with Peanut Butter Ice Cream. A solid warm chocolate cake that successfully oozed out in the middle.

Sala Bistro

Located in Greenbelt 3, Sala Bistro is also owned by the same owner as People's Palace. The cuisine presents modern bistro style dishes. Overall, I enjoyed all the dishes and the restaurant. The menu has many choices that encourage you to come back.

 

The Bistro Mezze
Lamb Koftas and Tsatsiki, Courgette Fritters, Tabouleh, Hummus, Baba Ghanoush, Imam Bayildi, and Pizza Bianca.
A great mediterranean plate to share as a starter. It's typically served with pita, but they ran out and substituted it with pizza bianca.

Artichoke, Spinach and Three Cheese Dip
A generous and creamy bowl of warm dip. Another great starter to share.

Macaroni, Bacon, and Cheese
A great plate of mac n' cheese! These definitely is up there with some of the better orders I have had. Creamy, cheese, and full of flavor.

Fish and Chips
Nicely fried and a good cut of white fish.

Chicken, Leek, and Bacon Pot Pie
A nice take on pot pie. The crust was separately baked and laid on the creamy chicken filling before served. It was nice and flaky! A satisfying order of chicken pot pie.

Ice Cream Sampler
Rum 'n' Raisin, Honeycomb, Banana Caramel
A fun presentation!

Crispy Pata!

In the same building as Milky Way Cafe are two other restaurants from the same owners. In one week, we visited all three. They all have one thing in common: amazing crispy pata (deep fried pork knuckles)! If you're in the Philippines, you have to enjoy an order of crispy pata every once in awhile.

Azuthai
We finally ventured away from our favorite Thai restaurant, People's Palace, to try out a new place. Overall, it did not compare to People's. Everything was good, but not great. However, we do have a reason to return - the crispy pata! Wow.

Crispy Prawn Spring Rolls
With Sweet Spicy Dipping Sauce. Nice presentation, but the crispiness was not there because the wrapper was too thick.

Stir-Fried Water Spinach
With Garlic.

Red Curry with Roast Duck
With Tomatoes and Pineapple with a side of White Rice. This was a pretty decent bowl of curry. The flavor of the duck and red curry was distinct.

Baby Crispy Pata with Two Thai Sauces
The crispiness of the skin! The tenderness of the meat! Wow, great stuff.

Bagoong Fried Rice
Rice stir fried with bagoong. It comes deconstructed with toppings: fried egg, onions, pork, and mangoes. I love this take on fried rice. It's full of flavor and goes so well with the food.

Pad Thai
A classic Thai order. Whenever I go to a new Thai restaurant, I always try to order Pad Thai. It's my test to see if the restaurant is good or not. This was pretty decent, but nothing exciting. It could have used more chili paste sauce, but I like the larger width of the noodles.

Cirkulo
Of the three restaurants, Cirkulo is the most "fine dining." The cuisine is International. Overall, it was a nice experience and worth a trip back, especially to try out more things on their menu like their cochinillo.

Amuse Bouche
Mini Bruschetta.

Boquerones
White anchovies, olive oil, garlic, and capers. The anchovies were pretty small and skinny, but the flavor was good.

Croquetas
Jamon serrano and chicken filled béchamel croquettes. Nicely fried for a decent order of croquetas.

Espinicas
Baby spinach, tomato concassé, crisp pork cracklings, sherry vinaigrette. A tasty sweet, sour dressing. I love a salad that's paired with chicharones.

Spaghettini Palermitano
Anchovy, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, olive oil, pine nuts.

Baby Crispy Pata with Garlic Potatoes
Yum! Another well done order of crispy pata! This time it came with lechon sauce. The garlic potatoes were basically home fries, which I really enjoyed.

Thai-Style Halo Halo
We were originally going to order Halo Halo from Milky Way, but the waitress recommended to try Azuthai's Thai Halo Halo. It's basically Filipino Halo Halo, but with coconut milk instead of evaporated milk.