Shoot First Eat Later

Michelle’s Sana Banana Chips

I never ate banana chips because I knew they were thick, hard and sweet. Then a friend gave me a big bag of banana chips from Michelle’s, the same maker of my favorite putong ube.

350 grams pouch P70

500 grams bag P80

These banana chips are thin, crisp and lightly glazed. They are wonderful and totally different from my memories of how banana chips tasted. These are very addicting and aren’t too sweet. They’re a perfect gift for friends and family in other countries. If you don’t live in Manila be sure to ask anyone you know going to the Philippines to get you a bag or 2 or 3. I guarantee you’ll love it.

Michelle’s Homemade Golden Sana Banana Chips

24 Libertad St. Mandaluyong City, Philippines

telephone: 531-2539 or 0917-UBE PUTO

OUTLETS:

Tiendesitas, Julia Vargas Ortigas Corner C5
V-mall, Greenhills
2nd Level Market Market Mall, Taguig City
Granada (Gilmore), Quezon City
Katipunan Rd. White Plains, Quezon City
SM Mall of Asia
SM The Block North Edsa

In the USA, Sana Banana Chips are available at:

Arko Foods International
1425 E Colorado St, Glendale, CA 91205
telephone: (818) 242-5921

Seafood City Supermarket
locations

Island Pacific Supermarkets
locations

Lunch at Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches

In spite of our crazy schedule today, Elisa and I trooped to Rockwell just to eat at Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches. We had to redeem our miserable lunch the other day at Charlie’s Grind and Grill. We wanted to compare Elbert’s cheesesteak against Charlie’s.

menu on the wall

cute espresso maker!

catsup, mayo and mustard

I loved it that you can watch your sandwich being cooked. We were so happy so to see so much meat!

The steak was assaulted with way too much pepper for my taste. Next time I’ll tell the cook to go easy on the pepper.

Thinly sliced steak with salt and pepper cooked on a grill. With good quality beef you don’t need anything else. What could be simpler and yummier than that? I can’t wait for their burgers. I hope it gets the same simple treatment.

Mine is the one with American cheese. Next time I’ll order it plain. The beef was so good it didn’t need cheese at all.

I’ve read on several blogs that the main complaint about Elbert’s is the price. Their 5″ hoagie is filled with 300 grams of beef and costs P210 without cheese and P240 with cheese. That’s over half a pound or 10.5 ounces. As you can see from the sandwich it’s stuffed. I also loved they used wheat bread for the hoagie. Even then I just ate one side of the bread to enjoy the beef more.

Charlie’s sells their small sandwich for P220 and it’s filled with mostly vegetables and a tiny amount of steak. So how can you compare that? It’s only P20 difference and a world apart in taste and satisfaction.

Hoagie steak sandwich (with onions) P210

hoagie pre-tomato

American cheesesteak hoagie P240

Still not the best fries for me but it’s not bad at all. It was hot, freshly cooked, not greasy and crisp.

As you can tell by this picture I was too excited to try the sandwich. I could barely take a decent picture. This was the last picture I took until we were done.

We loved the sandwiches. We were able to hold the sandwich and eat it. Unlike Charlie’s where it was swimming in cheese sauce you needed a fork and knife to eat it. The steak was perfectly cooked and was very juicy. This IS a steak sandwich!

what leftovers?

Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches (closed)

Level P1, Power Plant Mall,

Rockwell Drive Makati

telephone: 381-2450

The Difference between Westerners and Asians

Found this in my inbox.

To group all races of Asians as one is to overgeneralize. Asian races are more diverse than the Caucasians, i.e. Indians differ from the Chinese in most respects.

Key: Blue –> Westerners Red –> Asians

(1) Opinion

Westerners: Talk to the point

Asians: Talk around the circle, especially if opinions are different

(2) Way of Life

Westerners: individualism, think of himself or herself.

Asians: enjoy gathering with family and friends, solving their problems, and know each other’s business.

(3) Punctuality

Westerners: on time.

Asians: in time.

(4) Contacts

Westerners: Contact to related person only.

Asians: Contact everyone everywhere, business very successful.

(5) Anger

Westerners: Show that I am angry.

Asians: I am angry, but still smiling… (Beware!)

(6) Queue when Waiting

Westerners: Queuing in an orderly manner.

Asians: Queuing?! What’s that?

(7) Sundays on the Road

Westerners: Enjoy weekend relaxing peacefully.

Asians: Enjoy weekend in crowded places, like going to the mall.

(8) Party

Westerners: Only gather with their own group.

Asians: All focus on the one activity that is hosted by the CEO.

(9) In the restaurant

Westerners: Talk softly and gently in the restaurant.

Asians: Talk and laugh loudly like they own the restaurant.

(10) Travelling

Westerners: Love sightseeing and enjoy the scenery.

Asians: Taking picture is the most important; scenery is just for the background.

(11) Handling of Problems

Westerners: Take any steps to solve the problems.

Asians: Try to avoid conflicts, and if can, don’t leave any trail.

(12) Three meals a day

Westerners: Good meal for once a day is sufficed.

Asians: At least 3 good meals a day.

(13) Transportation

Westerners: Before drove cars, now cycling for environmental protection.

Asians: Before no money and rode a bike, now got money and drive a car.

(14) Elderly in day-to-day life

Westerners: When old, there is snoopy for companionship.

Asians: When old, guarantee will not be lonely, as long as willing to babysit grandkids.

(15) Moods and Weather

Westerners: The logic is: rain is pain.

Asians: More rain, more prosperity

(16) The Boss

Westerners: The boss is part of the team.

Asians: The boss is a fierce god.

(17) What’s Trendy

Westerners: Eat healthy Asian cuisine.

Asians: Eat expensive Western cuisine.

(18) The Child

Westerners: The kid is going to be independent and make his/her own living.

Asians: Slog whole life for the kids, the centre of your life.

True or not?

Uncle George Gourmet Bread

After Lartizan,where I buy my favorite sourdough rye bread, Uncle George Gourmet Bread is my next favorite bread source. I don’t buy it often because it’s not readily available in the supermarkets I frequent. I have to go to Greenhills Shopping Center tiangge’s (bargain center) food section to buy it.

They also have a permanent kiosk (now closed) at Pioneer Center supermarket . I like going to this supermarket since it’s near my office and the parking is free and very spacious. They have everything I need and more and their prices are very reasonable.

They have a wide variety of heart healthy wheat and multi-grain bread. I’ve tried the walnut wheat loaf and multi-grain wheat. I like them both.

walnut wheat loaf P95
whole wheat multigrain P85

hi-fiber loaf P85
whole wheat loaf P75

whole wheat pandesal P75
egg pandesal P75

Then there’s the gourmet bread selection made up sweet and savory breads.

banana walnut P90
bacon & mushroom melt P90
country raisin loaf P85

They also have Hershey’s Choco Monkey bread but it was out of stock when I took these pictures. That saleslady said that was one of their bestsellers.

walnut cinnamon ring P95
sugar free walnut cinnamon ring P115

black forest loaf P140

Hong Kong polo bread P90

ciabatta P45
blueberry cream cheese loaf P115

cheese loaf P90
Japanese loaf P70

The cranberry rye bread is new so I bought that. I love rye bread and I’m always on the look out for that since I’ve never eaten New York style rye bread in Manila. The ones I’ve tried from French Baker barely taste of rye. I like it strong and flavorful.

cranberry rye bread P95
walnut cranbery w/ cream cheese P100

My favorite bread is the honey wheat bushman bread. It’s just like the bread they serve at Outback steak house. It has a light sweetness that makes this bread perfect for sweet or savory fillings. It’s even better lightly toasted.

garlic bread P35
honey wheat bushman bread P85
cheese herb foccacia P45

The cranberry rye bread didn’t taste like rye at all but i didn’t mind. It was hearty, nutty and chewy.

Some ideas for fillings perfect for this bread:
1. deli ham, brie and thin apple slices
2. chicken salad or tuna salad
3. thinly sliced turkey, mayo and cheese
4. ham and cheese

cranberry rye bread

Some ideas for fillings perfect for honey wheat bushman bread:
1. pb&j
2. cream cheese and orange marmalade
3. grilled chicken pesto
4. roast beef and cheddar cheese
5. spicy sardines in olive oil (Trust me, I had this for lunch.)

honey wheat bushman bread
w/ peanut butter

Greenhills Shopping Center (tiangge food section)

Ortigas Ave., San Juan,
Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: 721-0572

Salcedo Saturday Market

Tordesillas Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City

Open from 7am-2pm

Lung Center Sunday Market

Diliman, Quezon City

Open from 6 am to 1 pm

SM Makati

Lunch at Charlie’s Grind and Grill

I’ve read about Charlie’s Grind and Grill from several food blogs. They all raved about the Angus burger and cheese steak sandwich. So have a lot of people in forums. I decided to finally try it this afternoon after some grocery shopping at Pioneer Center Supermarket which was nearby.

Charlie’s is located right beside a car wash.

I arrived at 2:45 pm that’s why the place wasn’t crowded.

You order from the counter and the food will be brought to your table.

They had a small indoor dining area where it was cool. I decided to sit outside to take advantage of the natural lighting for my pictures.

Angus burger w/ fries P170

I transferred the fries to another basket. I seldom meet fries I don’t like. Unfortunately this is one of them. The fries were very oily and a bit rancid. The smell of old oil was very pronounced. The fries tasted like they were re-fried because after a few minutes the fries were rock hard and still oily.

As I’ve written before in my Sango and Hotshots posts, I like my burger made of just ground beef and spices. That’s all. I don’t like any extenders like eggs, etc in my beef patty. I want to taste a solid piece of ground beef that’s firm and juicy and hopefully should taste like steak if the quality of meat is good. Since this was an Angus burger I really had high expectations.

I never eat the top bun in a burger because it distracts the taste of the beef patty. As soon as my fork and knife touched the patty I became worried. It was so soft. When I took a bite all my fears came true. The burger was mushy and reeked of eggs and extenders.

At one point I even asked the server if the meat was raw. She took a look at this piece and she said it was really like that. It had the texture of undercooked beef. If you were to pick up Charlie’s burger patty (without the bread) in your hands it will definitely break into half.

When Elisa arrived I made her taste the burger. As soon as she tasted it she exclaimed, “Jollibee’s burgers tastes better than this!” She couldn’t believe it too since all her friends also claimed Charlie’s burger to be the best. Elisa loves Chili’s burgers. That’s our next stop in my burger quest.

Elisa’s son liked the patty though. He ate it all.

remains of my burger

Elisa and her son shared a small cheese steak sandwich.

Fili sized cheese steaks P220

The cheese steak was marginally better than the burger. Since I didn’t like peppers and onions I decided to try the beef. The problem was I couldn’t find the beef! The sandwich was literally 80% vegetables with tiny bits of beef. I finally managed to find a small piece of beef and tasted it. It was ok. Just ok. The sauce wasn’t very cheezy either. It tasted more like salty, yellow sauce.

where’s the beef?

This was what we left behind. Elisa and I were truly disappointed. I can’t wait to try Elbert’s Cheesesteak Sandwiches to compare it. This is just our opinions. Everyone has their own taste. What do you think of Charlie’s food?

Charlie’s Grind and Grill16 East Kapitolyo Drive, Pasig City
telephone: 635-4857

Emirates Airbus 380 pictures

These pictures of Emirates new Airbus 380 leaves me speechless!

From Friday, the Emirates Airline’s first class passengers on board the new superjumbo A380 Airbus will be able to indulge in ‘shower spas’. But they will be limited to a five-minute dousing to ensure that all 14 first class passengers can enjoy the luxury. For a mere £4,737 first class passengers will be able to enjoy a five-minute shower during a flight between Heathrow and Dubai. But on the delicate matter of potentially intimate and amorous encounters, the airline is swift to point out that each shower has been designed to accommodate just one person at a time: ‘They are designed for single usage’ said a spokesman. First class also boasts 14 flat-bed, massage-equipped ‘Private Suites’ which include remote controlled doors, a work desk, an electrically controlled mini-bar and the most advanced in-flight entertainment system available to travellers. The plane will have to take on board an additional 500kg of water, an increase of some 25 percent – adding to fuel. [link]

Economy still looks the same 😦

Food looks awesome!

Dinner at Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

I recently had a mini reunion with some HS classmates. We decided to have dinner at Yedang Korean BBQ restaurant which my friend Len Len highly recommended. Another friend Tisay also said it was good.

This is what Yedang looks like from the fly-over. It’s where Minggoy’s and Brother’s Burger used to be. It’s near Metrowalk on Meralco Avenue.

Sorry for the blurred pictures. I have to learn to be still. I was probably shaking with excitement for the meal to come.

An indication of whether a foreign restaurant is good is if their local countrymen patronize it. The place was filled with Koreans. The restaurant is also owned and operated by Koreans. So it must be good and authentic.

Each table had its own grill cooktop and exhaust which can be pulled down for maximum suction of the smoke. We just loved this exhaust. We didn’t leave smelling of barbecue.

After ordering, someone places a container of hot charcoal in the grill’s belly. No electric grill here. That’s what makes the food taste more earthy and smokey.

An assortment of cold appetizers are brought out. I loved the sweet dried anchovies, fish cakes and sweet peanuts.

We also ordered some dishes that don’t need to be grilled. Everything was good and reasonably priced. Next time I want to try the Pajon seafood pancake and mushroom w/ beef in casserole.

kimchi pot stew w/ rice P200

spicy pan fried squid w/ vegetables P300

beef short ribs soup [sic] w/ rice P200

noodles with chop suey (Japchae) P300

Now to the main event -the barbecued meats. I prefer the marinated meats better. The Kalbi beef ribs and dak-Kui chicken were spectacular. I didn’t care so much for the roast pork belly which didn’t have any taste until you dipped it in one of the 3 sauces provided. The beef ribs and chicken didn’t need any sauce at all.

Someone is assigned to cook your food and serve it to you. So all you have to do is concentrate on stuffing all the delicious food in your mouth.

roast pork belly (Samgyupsal) P240

grill chicken (dak-Kui) P250

grill sweet beef ribs (Kalbi) P300

The beef short ribs were sliced thinly around the bone. After the beef was placed on the grill the cook unrolled the beef. When it was done she cut the beef into small pieces and placed them on a small plate. She continued to cook the bone until done. There was precious meat still left on the bone which I gladly liberated.

The cook said these were mint leaves. I’ve never seen such big mint leaves before. According to Len Len these are shisho leaves which are a member of the mint family. They are also known as purple mint or Japanese basil. The Koreans call it deulkkae or tŭlkkae.

shiso leaf

You take a mint leaf and top it with some meat, rice and sauce then roll it and eat. The leaf brought an unusual and fantastic flavor to the meat. It’s not really minty but more like Thai basil with a hint of mint. Whatever the leaf was I loved it! It’s the best way to eat the Kalbi.

The plastic bottle on the table below contained pandan water. It had a natural sweetness to the the water. It was very refreshing. Whenever I took a sip I imagined I was eating buko pandan salad.

Every inch of the table was filled with food and we finished it all. The price was very reasonable considering we ordered 2 of each dish. Our total bill was P500 per head and that included softdrinks and beer. I’m definitely going back. So classmates, anyone up for part 2? Roll call in the comments section 🙂

Yedang Menu
grill meats 1, 2, meat dishes, soups & stews 1, 2, drinks

Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

88 Meralco Ave., Pasig City

telephone: 636-1461

Pantry Favorites – Bottled Tuyo

I’m starting a series called Pantry Favorites. These are my favorite Filipino products that I always keep in stock in my pantry. Today it’s San Sebastian’s Dried Herring (Tuyo) with garlic in olive oil.

Herring fish is salted and dried under the sun that’s why it’s called Tuyo (dried) in Filipino. Tuyo is then fried then bottled and filled with garlic and olive oil. This is a very convenient way of buying tuyo. You don’t have to bother with frying the fish and the strong smell that goes with it.

I like San Sebastian’s tuyo because it’s not very salty. It’s also firm yet tender. There is no fishy after taste. I’ve only seen this brand in Metro Gaisano supermarket, Pioneer Center supermarket and some kiosks in Market! Market!

P 95 a bottle

There are several ways of eating tuyo but the most common is to eat it for breakfast with Sinangag (garlic fried rice) and fried egg.

Sinangag or Garlic Fried Rice
Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp rock salt
1 cup rice, hot or cold
1 tablespoon Olive or Canola oil

Procedure:
1. Sprinkle rock salt on the garlic cloves. Use a knife and mash the salt into the garlic cloves.

2. Chop the garlic finely.

bamboo chopping board

3. Add oil to the teflon pan. If you use a regular pan you will need more oil.

4. Sauté the garlic until lightly browned. Be careful not to burn the garlic.

5. Add the rice and cook until the rice is thoroughly heated. Add salt to taste. Transfer to a plate and serve. Serves 1.

Rice is commonly eaten for breakfast in the Philippines. Tuyo is just one of the more popular viands for breakfast.

typical Filipino breakfast

Other ways of eating bottled tuyo:
1. Spread crackers or toasted baguette with olive oil and top with tuyo flakes.
2. Add finely chopped tuyo to Spaghetti al Olio for a subtle kick in flavor.
3. If you don’t have anchovies you can substitute it with tuyo.

San Sebastian products

Pioneer Center Supermarket

8006 Pioneer St., cor.

United St. Pasig City

telephone: 637-7033

Metro Gaisano Supermarket

Market! Market!

Basement Level

26th St. cor. C5,

Bonifacio Global City

Taguig Metro Manila

telephone: 818-6642

In search for the best Sapin Sapin

Sapin sapin (steamed coconut layer pudding) is made from glutinous rice or rice flour, coconut milk, ube (purple yam), cassava, and food coloring. Doing entries on Filipino desserts this week made me realize that most of our native desserts are rice based like puto, kutsinta and bibingka.

Sapin Sapin is a complex dessert with several layers and sections. Eaten together it’s a play of flavors and textures in the mouth. The hardest decision to make is what colors you want to eat.

The trick is to get a little of each color in one slice. Each color tastes different. The red layer is the stickiest and has a slight aniseed flavor. The yellow layer is soft and creamy. The white layer is made of layers of all the colors. That’s toasted crispy coconut on top.

The purple layer is made with ube or purple yam. It’s creamy with a thicker consistency. It has a unique flavor. At the tip is glutinous rice which is cooked with coconut milk and sugar. It tastes like sweet sticky rice similar to Thai sticky rice dessert with mangoes. The topping on this slice is called latik which is the byproduct of cooking coconut milk until it becomes oil and further cooking it until these soft, chewy brown crumbs are formed.

The white solid section in the picture below is cassava. It’s my favorite part in the sapin sapin. It’s made from grated cassava (a root crop) and coconut milk.

My favorite sapin sapin is from Dolor’s Kakanin. I’m glad their products are now available in SM malls and Landmark Trinoma. They have several other products but I only buy their sapin sapin which is the best.

old box

new box

Dolor’s Kakanin

Quezon City

telephone: 927-4453

cellphone: 0922-8835667

Sucat

telephone: 823-0806

cellphone: 0922-8835668

Malabon

telephone: 281-2739

Gov. Pascual

telephone: 282-5355

SM SUPERMARKET WEEKEND BAZAAR:

Fairview: 0922-8835669

Megamall: 0922-8773367

Makati : 0922-8299667

Bibingka & Pastillas

Bibingka is another favorite Filipino treat made from rice. It’s somehow related to puto but it’s very different in taste and texture. It’s made with galapong, glutinous rice soaked in water then ground with the water to form the batter.

The batter is poured into a mold lined with banana leaves and baked in a special oven like this.

Several brands of mini bibingka have sprouted around town but my favorite is Waray-Waray Bibingkahan which I buy in Market Market. The special bibingka has slices of salted duck egg in it.

I like their bibingka because it’s rich and spongy in texture unlike the others which simply taste like pancake. The size is just right for a quick snack or an after dinner dessert.

box of 8 minus 1 special bibingka

The instructions on the box says microwave for 8 seconds but from my experience if it comes from the refrigerator you’ll need to zap it for at least 20-30 seconds. It keeps as long as a week in the refrigerator but I honestly doubt this will not be devoured as soon as you bring it home.

Right across the bibingkahan kiosk is J & C where you can buy the best pastillas and lengua de gato.

Pastillas de Leche (milk candy) is made from milk and sugar that is boiled until thick. The resulting paste is then rolled into small logs, rolled in sugar and wrapped in paper.

One of the best pastillas is Iya’s jumbo pastillas. Iya’s pastillas are very soft and fresh when you buy it. If you want to extend it’s life you can put them in the freezer. Just let it thaw or you can even toast it for a few seconds to get a crisp exterior and a soft creamy interior.

24 pieces of pastillas for P 280

Sitting beside the pastillas in a yellow box is a container of lengua de gato or cat’s tongue. Lengua de gato are simply cookies made of butter, sugar, flour and eggs. Not all lengua de gato are equal. Some use inferior butter or even margarine which results in thick and hard cookies. These lengua de gatos use very good butter which you can taste in every bite. They are thin and very crisp. I stay away from these because once I start I can’t stop eating them.

lengua de gato P 320/tub

Waray-Waray Bibingkahan
Market! Market!
26th St. cor. C5
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
telephone: 807-9459

other branches:
SM Southmall , Las Pinas City
Festival Supermall, Muntinlupa City
Landmark, Trinoma, Quezon City

Iya’s Jumbo Pastillas
J&C Fruits Stall
#18 Market! Market!
26th St. cor. C5
Bonifacio Global City
Taguig, Metro Manila
telephone: 729-0325