Shoot First Eat Later

Cebu’s Original Boneless Lechon Belly

I’m one of those weirdos who don’t like lechon (suckling pig). Whenever there’s lechon at a party I just take a piece or two of lechon skin and pray that it’s crispy otherwise I won’t even eat that. I don’t bother taking the meat unless it’s transformed into paksiw na lechon. I just find the meat bland and boring.

Last year when I went to Cebu I asked my readers on Facebook where they suggest I eat in Cebu. Most of the replies were lechon stores since that’s the most popular delicacy in Cebu. Naturally I didn’t go to any since I don’t like lechon.

Last May when Molly, one of my favorite readers, found out I was in Cebu she wrote to me and suggested I try boneless lechon belly. She and her good friend Jing hooked me up with Niko Gochan-Hernaez of Cebu’s Original Lechon Belly. To be honest I went because I was so touched by their efforts and wasn’t expecting anything.

My friend Vivian, another non-lechon eater, and I went to the Parkmall branch. They didn’t have an actual restaurant but a stall with outdoor seating.

Here’s Niko the nephew of the owner and inventor of the famous boneless lechon and Gay, the branch manager. Niko is holding a whole lechon belly that weighs around 4 kilos and cost P1,800-1,960 and perfect for taking home to Manila.

I was excited to see the blistered skin that promised to be crispy.

The meat part didn’t look that interesting.

The menu was quite simple and straightforward. Order the lechon by weight and as many puso (hanging rice wrapped and steamed in coconut leaves) as you can eat.

I guess this was a typical order for the diners, some lechon and lots of rice. Our order was the opposite. 2 plates of lechon and just 4 puso.

This is puso or the famous hanging rice of Cebu. They pronounce it with the accent of the second syllable, pu-só.

I begged Niko not to prepare so much since “I don’t really like lechon.” Those were the famous last words I uttered as soon as I took a bite of the super crunchy flavorful skin. I couldn’t believe how moist, tender as tasty the meat was. The flavors of the secret blends of herbs and spices really permeated through all parts of the meat. The part of the pork nearest the center was the saltiest and tastiest.

1/4 kilo of original boneless lechon belly

Trying the spicy lechon was another story. I’ve never, ever raved about pork before so read on. With my first bite I fell into pork lust. Yes it was spicy but combined with a depth of different flavors like lemongrass, ginger, garlic and many more that we couldn’t guess. There was also barely any fat underneath the super crispy skin. I’m usually so anal about scraping that off.

Each bite brought a gush of ooohhs and aaahhs from Vivian and me. For two non-lechon eaters we almost wiped out both plates. They had a choice of three vinegar based dipping sauces that were totally not needed.

1/4 kilo of spicy boneless lechon belly

Just look at all those spices. Be careful when you eat this since some parts were much spicier than the others. I don’t have a very high tolerance for spice and this was just perfect for me. It had enough heat to give my taste buds a kick but I didn’t need to chase it down with water.

I didn’t really like the semi-sticky rice and only ate half despite the spiciness of the lechon. I can just imagine if I had garlic rice instead. I would be much happier.

More than two weeks after this spectacular meal Vivian and I still dream about it. I was already planning when I will order a whole lechon belly to treat my friends. They can deliver to the airport in Manila just for a fee of P500.

Imagine my happiness when I saw the announcement on their Facebook page that they are opening their first Manila branch on May 25, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at the SaveMore Market Food Area in Festival Mall in Alabang. I just hope they cook it here so the skin will be as crispy as the one I ate in Cebu. I’ll see you all there!!!!

Cebu’s Original Boneless Lechon Belly
Parkmall branch
168 Ouano Avenue, Mandaue Reclamation Area, Mandaue City, Cebu, Philippines
other branches
website
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Tapas at Ibiza Beach Club, Mövenpick Hotel Mactan

My first dinner in Cebu was in Ibiza Beach Club at Mövenpick Hotel Mactan. I was told we were having tapas and that’s always a good thing.

A short stroll from the hotel lobby to the end of this lighted walkway was Ibiza Beach Club, my favorite place in the entire hotel.

Ibiza Beach Club is an outdoor lounge, bar and restaurant with a really cool design and excellent use of lighting.

They had a foreign DJ spinning chill-out music. If it wasn’t warm and humid I would have stayed there all night with an icy cold alcoholic cocktail.

Yes, there was a hot tub in the middle of the lounge. How cool is that?

The best feature of the club were these trampoline nets on the edge of the deck. Imagine lying down on it and gazing at the stars while listening to music.

While the DJ took his break dancers performed Korean hits like “Nobody But You” and “Gangnam Style.” Cheesy but the guests and foreigners were delighted.

Right next to the lounge was the restaurant.

Too bad they don’t open during the day. Since the restaurant was in the middle of the water the views would have been great.

We were given my favorite gluten-free cheese bread called Pao de Queijo. This airy bread is made of cassava flour and Parmesan cheese. Their version wasn’t as light as others I’ve tried but I loved the intense cheese flavors. There was no scrimping of cheese here. I could easily have eaten a dozen but had to stop myself before I got too full to eat dinner. Darn, I forgot to bring a zip baggie.

pao de queijo

The owner of the hotel is Manny Osmeña the same guy behind the line of internationally awarded wines under the label Manny O.

Manny O Agapitos Rosé wine

marinated mushrooms P320

I liked the salad made with marinated shiitake mushrooms but my friends found it a bit too sour.

My favorite was the simple slice of baguette drizzled with truffle oil and topped with chorizo and a fried quail egg.

chorizo & eggs P320

It looks simple but the chorizo was one of the tastiest I’ve ever eaten. It had the perfect blend of salty and spicy that I really enjoyed. I could easily have eaten all four slices but then my friends would be left with none.

It may seem ordinary but the strong spices used on the burger paired with the mild and cooling tzatziki was a good match.

Greek Kofta P340

As much as I love all foie gras I wasn’t too happy with this since it was served cold. I loved the roasted figs though.

Mediterranean foie gras P420

My friend Vivian doesn’t eat lamb but she loved these tender and very flavorful lamb skewers as much as I did. The lamb was so good on it’s own it didn’t even need any of the delicious dipping sauce.

grilled lamb skewers P320

salt cod nuggets P360

Dish after dish came out and everything was good!!!

spikey shau-mai P320

I didn’t think I would like the deep fried pork meatballs wrapped in crunchy bits but I did.

Hands down these churros were the best I’ve ever eaten in the Philippines. Dough seasoned inside and out and fried to a crunch while remaining soft inside. I wish the chocolate dip was darker and richer but my friends liked it as it was. I ate my churros sans dip and it was yummy!!!!

churros con chocolate P380

I tried some of the espresso ice cream and I loved the dark, rich coffee flavor. I wish I had a scoop too. Check out all their lovely ice cream creations here.

Mövenpick espresso croquant ice cream

My second favorite place in the hotel was this restroom right beside the lounge.

It was air-conditioned and a lovely respite from the heat outside. I loved the strong lemongrass fragrance from the oil warmer on the floor.

Nice right?

I would never have expected to find such good tapas in a hotel in Cebu. It was even better than some of the restaurants in Manila. Do yourself a favor and try it when you’re in Cebu.

Ibiza Beach Club menu

Ibiza Beach Club
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu
Punta Engano Mactan Island
6015 Cebu Philippines
telephone:+63 32 492 7777
E-mail:Resort.Cebu@moevenpick.com
website
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Newly Renovated Mövenpick Hotel Mactan Island Cebu

While I stayed in Shangri-La Mactan during my recent trip to Cebu I went to Mövenpick Hotel next door every night to visit my friends who were billeted there.

The hotel recently underwent a renovation spearheaded by designers Manny Samson, Cynthia and Ivy Almario, Fred and Butch Valdes. Click here to see what it looked like before.

Now the hotel looked hip, fresh and young. Check out the registration area below. No staid marble countertops here!

Just off the main lobby is a nice area where you can relax or play pool, foosball or chess.

One of my favorite features of this hotel was the amazing lighting they did on the property. Don’t you just love the pool and the lighted chairs inside the pool and on the garden?

This was the executive lounge where you can have breakfast and snacks.

I really like these private rooms that overlook the lobby.

This was the view from the executive lounge balcony tables.

Their cocktails looked really appetizing.

I love the bathroom fixtures in the lounge.

The next day I went back and took more pictures of the hotel and the rooms.

Do you like the pool better during the day or night? I loved the vibe at night.

This is the ‘common’ bathroom next to the lobby. Yes that’s a sink in the middle.

Stick you hand in the middle and the water comes out. It was great to look at but a little hard to use.

Penthouse Suite

The penthouse suite had two bedrooms.

1 Bedroom Suite

I always prefer hotel rooms with a separate shower stall.

The brand of their toiletries is Chopard and come in a box ready to take home! Hee hee. I don’t know how often they refill this. I was told that they sell this box in the gift shop for P1,400 a set!!!

Deluxe Room Twin Beds

Deluxe Ocean Front Room 1 king bed

Two Bedroom Suite

In the center of the lobby was this copper Venus espresso machine by Victoria Aduino.

As a special treat the son of the owner of the hotel, a former barista in Sydney, Australia, prepared a flat white coffee just fore me.

I wasn’t kidding when I told him it tasted just like the wonderful coffees I had in my recent trip to Melbourne. Naturally they use Mövenpick coffee beans and I got a small piece of Mövenpick chocolate too. All that’s missing is Mövenpick ice cream!!!

After taking a full tour of the hotel and the rooms I can’t wait to stay at Mövenpick Hote next time I go to Cebu. Check back for my posts on my SPECTACULAR meals in the hotel. I really couldn’t believe how good the food was. Just another reason for me to go back.

Mövenpick Resort & Spa Cebu
Punta Engano Mactan Island
6015 Cebu Philippines
telephone:+63 32 492 7777
E-mail:Resort.Cebu@moevenpick.com
website
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Breakfast Buffet at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa

The only time I have a heavy breakfast is when I stay in a hotel and my stay comes with a buffet. I must say the breakfast spread of Shangri-La Mactan was pretty darn good.
Continue reading “Breakfast Buffet at Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort & Spa”

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa

A couple of weeks ago I received a text from my friend who was on vacation, “Want to come to Cebu?” Within in a few hours of her text I booked my flight and flew off the next day. If that wasn’t impulsive I don’t know what is.

Cebu City is only 1 hour and 15 minutes away from Manila by plane. Such a short trip I should really go to there more often. I was lucky to be billeted at Shangri-La Mactan. The last time I stayed there was more than a decade ago for a business convention.

This was the smile that greeted me when I entered the hotel. It was such a treat for me that I can only imagine the reaction of all the foreign tourists.

Everywhere I go around the hotel I was greeted with sincere smiles and greetings from the hotel staff. From these helpful ladies in blue at the lobby to the housekeeping staff and even the maintenance people, I was bombarded with smiles.

The hotel hasn’t changed much but I was happy that it was well maintained and didn’t look dated. My room was smaller than one at Shangri-La Boracay. The bed and pillows were really comfortable. The room air-con was really cold which I loved.

I heard that if you stay at the Ocean Wing the toiletries were L’ Occitane instead of the house brand shown here.

They had a really big and nice pool which was perfect for all ages.

On the way to the beach….

After leaving my bags in the room I headed for the beach for my late lunch.

iced coffee P185

The chicken shawarma was surprisingly good as were the crisp fries.

Breeze chicken shawarma P475

This was my view while eating.

We spent most of our time at the observation deck.

I loved just chilling at the small hut. I get the view, sounds of the water and breezy wind without getting dark from the sun. Unbelievable but I got strong wifi signal all the way there.

ocean wing hotel

Kids of all ages will never get bored here. I wasn’t surprised to see some kids who’d rather sit in front of a pc than go swimming.

I visited the Ocean Club lounge at the top level of the Ocean Wing hotel.

From the lounge you can see the Mövenpick Hotel.

That’s Mövenpick Hotel’s Ibiza Beach Club which I will feature soon.

From the top of the Ocean Wing I got this great picture of the resort.

Thank you Shangri-La for planting so many, many, many trees. As usual Shangri-La didn’t disappoint. As beautiful as the property was, it was their very well trained friendly staff that made my short stay very enjoyable.

Shangri-La’s Mactan Resort and Spa
Punta Engano Road, Lapu-Lapu, Cebu, 6015, Philippines
telephone: (63 32) 231 0288
website
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Yellow Chicken Festival at Wee Nam Kee, Glorietta 2

My friends and I recently went to Wee Nam Kee in Glorietta 2 just to try their imported yellow chicken used in their famous Hainanese chicken. The last time I ate at Wee Nam Kee was when they just opened their first branch in Manila in 2010. Now they have 6 branches already.

I love the interiors of this branch. They had 2 function rooms good for 60 guests.

My friends tried out their drinks and the cucumber lime fizz got the highest praise.

mango mint smoothie P105 & cucumber lime fizz P120

I love barley in my soup but barley in a sweet drink takes getting used to.

iced barley juice P55

Hailed as the Wagyu, Kobe, and Kurobuta of chicken because of its premium quality, this top-grade meat is prized for its extraordinary juiciness, flavor, and tenderness. The Yellow Chicken owes its color and additional fat content to a secret composed primarily of corn, which makes the meat more succulent.

yellow chicken vs. local chicken

dark soy sauce, pounded ginger & chili sauce

Personally I liked the roasted version more. The chicken was plump, tender and very flavorful. With a generous topping of pounded ginger and dark soy sauce I can easily finish all of this.

steamed & roasted chicken combo (medium good for 3-4 pax) P488

The rice was a little dry but I didn’t mind since it wasn’t greasy. It still had the chicken flavor from rendered chicken fat.

Wee Nam Kee chicken rice P40 per cup

If you like Singaporean chili crab but don’t want to go through the mess of eating with your hands then try the clams which used exactly the same yummy sauce. I found the default sauce to be not spicy at all. If you like more heat like me be sure to ask them to make it spicier.

fried clams in spicy sauce

The fried mantou was perfect for dipping into the sauce. I guarantee you will mop up every last bit of the sauce.

fried mantou

Their mantou had an extra crispy bottom which I really liked.

sambal kang kong P199

I was really curious how Marmite, a very salty spread made from yeast extract, would taste like on cooked food. The tender pork tasted just like it’s sweet and sour cousin. I couldn’t discern any Marmite flavor. Kids would like this dish a lot.

Marmite pork ribs P270

You know when you’re in a Chinese restaurant and you can’t decide between mango sago or mango pudding for dessert? Well with this genius dessert you get both at once.

mango sago pudding P185

The bottom layer was a smooth and rich panna cotta, the middle layer was a tapioca pudding and the top was a mango gelée. The texture and flavor was wonderful. I just hated that I had to share with three people. Next time I want one just for me.

The concept of using roti for dessert was a good one specially when topped with sautéed saba bananas, peanuts and milk tea sauce. I just wish the roti was softer and chewier rather than fried to a crisp.

warm roti with milk tea sauce P115

Thanks for lunch Linfred. Di Kim, my friends and I enjoyed our meal with much gusto. I hope you weren’t too shocked by our appetites.

Diners who want to sample this exquisite delicacy can indulge in delicious servings of Yellow Chicken for a limited time only from May 1 to June 30. This imported treat will only be served up in two branches, specifically Serendra at Bonifacio Global City and Glorietta 2 in Makati.

Wee Nam Kee Manila menu

Wee Nam Kee
Glorietta 2, Ayala Center, Makati
telephone: 478-8477

Serendra, McKinley Parkway, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig
telephone: 822-7095

website
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VASK Modern Tapas & Gastronomic Cuisine

Last year I went to Spain and had the best meals in San Sebastian. From our extravagant lunch at Michelin Starred Akelaŕe to pintxos bar hopping I loved it all. When I found out that Chef J. Luis Gonzalez of Vask had his culinary roots in San Sebastian I couldn’t wait to try his creations.

Just like in Spain the pintxos (tapas) were placed on top on the bar counter.

The dining area was much smaller than I expected.

Chef J. Luis has worked at some of the world’s best restaurants. El Bulli (now defunct), El Celler de Can Roca (#1 restaurant in the world), and, two San Sebastian based restaurants which we really wanted to try but lacked time, Mugaritz (#4) and Arzak (#8).

Chef J Luis Gonzalez

Rochelle treated Elisa and me for her birthday. What a generous friend!!!

We all loved their signature cocktail made with basil and pepper infused rum, triple sec, apple liqueur and cider. It was sweet, spicy -yes hot spicy- and very refreshing. It’s definitely whetted our appetite. They had several unique cocktails that appealed to me.

✔ ✔ ✔ Vask cocktail P250

We tried one each of their bite sized bread based pintxos. My favorites were the jamon, salmon and tuna. I would have enjoyed these more except that some of the bread were stale and hard while others were nice and crisp.
✔ pintxos P95 each

Another hit was the free chorizo and potato soup. The soup was a bit spicy and the chorizo deliciously salty. I would order a regular size soup if they ever decide to add this to the menu permanently.

✔ ✔✔ chorizo potato soup

The otherwise ordinary salad was saved by the perfectly cooked and seasoned shrimp. The simple flavors brought out the freshness and natural goodness of the shrimp. Simple and amazing.

✔ ✔ Santander salad P395

There was nothing simple about this salad topped with foie gras chips and slices of jamon. Everything in this salad was perfect in my opinion. The jamon was smokey, mellow yet flavorful and soft. It was even better than some of the jamon I ate in Spain.

✔ ✔ ✔ jamon salad P495

The smoked octopus was highly recommended by our server. Check out the smoke trapped under the glass dome. There was mixed opinions about the octopus. I personally liked the super tender octopus with an earthy, smoked flavor. Rochelle preferred the Japanese style of octopus better.

✔ ✔ pulpo a la Gallega P475

Our unanimous favorite was the foie gras mousse balls atop mango slices. I believe this dish is what VASK is all about and it’s something you won’t find in any other restaurant in Manila. Despite it’s light and airy texture the flavor was 100% foie gras. If you love foie gras go ahead and be greedy and eat a whole plate by yourself. I guarantee the these five tiny balls will bring you pure delight.

✔ ✔ ✔ foie gras on mango toast P695

The next three dishes were considered main course entrees yet they were like tapas in quantity so we shared it too.

The piquillo peppers stuffed with salted cod was the only dish I didn’t like.

✖ pimientos rellenos de bakalao P450

The bakalao or salted cod was mashed into a paste like substance and stuffed inside the soft peppers. I never cared for peppers and wasn’t too fond of the texture and the overall taste of the filling.

Cooking chicken or meat using the sous vide process calls for putting the meat in an air tight vacuum sealed plastic bag and immersed in a low temperature water bath and cooked for a long time. This ensures a juicier and full flavored meat. This chicken breast was very tender but not as moist as I expected. The flavor was quite good but we found ourselves looking for some dipping sauce.

✔ pollo en pepitoria P385

Intense, intense, intense!!! No wimpy squid ink flavor here. One bite of the risotto will have your senses reeling in bewilderment, joy and amazement. The salty and briny rice was just perfect with the perfectly cooked succulent scallops. To add more happiness were the small Parmesan crisps tucked in between the scallops. This is another dish I recommend you NOT share with anybody.

✔ ✔ ✔ scallops & black ink risotto P545

Because of a small incident, one of the owners, Jean Fernando of the blog Trip or Treats treated us to her favorite desserts. I must say all the desserts were home runs. You won’t go wrong with any of these.

Make champorado without chocolate and add lots of milk, cinnamon and a scoop of caramel ice cream and that’s what you have here.

✔ ✔ arroz con leche P210

I still don’t get how they made these wedges of fried milk coated with a generous amount of cinnamon and served with a sauce of softened chocolate rum ice cream. Think decadent French toast but without any bread.

✔ ✔ leche frita P210

As much as I liked the two previous desserts my love, devotion and loyalty remains with chocolate. Their version of the lava cake is unlike any other. Super dark probably 72% chocolate was used and no ingredient was scrimped to make me sigh, groan and smile ridiculously. The sauce of melted vanilla orange ice cream just put the warm dessert over the top.

✔ ✔ ✔ hot chocolate cake P210

Yes, it’s not cheap but quality comes at a price. Not that I know what I like at Vask I shall return for a meal of foie gras balls, squid ink risotto and hot chocolate cake. That’s my kind of meal – varying colors of brown and black. And no sharing this time!!! Oh I forgot – a glass or two of Vask cocktails too please.

pintxos bar menu

cocktail menu

Note: Vask is in an office building called Clipp Center so there’s lots and lots of free parking at night.

✖ skip it
✔ not bad
✔ ✔ do order
✔ ✔ ✔ MUST order

VASK Modern Tapas & Gastronomic Cuisine
5th Floor, Clipp Center
11th Avenue corner 39th Street,
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines
cellphone: 0915-507-7047
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Dinner at Zarzuela, Shangri-La Plaza East Mall

My friend Aida told me to try the newly opened Filipino restaurant, Zarzuela at Shangri-La Plaza’s east wing. The owners, Juan and Trina Imperial were my batch mates in college.

Only a few stores and restaurants are open in the east wing. The new mall looked really nice and shiny.

The chicken skin was thin and crispy. I enjoyed it more with a dash of salt.

✔ ✔ chicken skin P249

I really loved the crunchy and well seasoned fried pork belly served with a trio of condiments. I normally remove the layer of fat from pork belly but since I couldn’t see it I just pretended it wasn’t there and enjoyed it.

✔ ✔ ✔ fountain of youth P199

The addition of three different condiments was a nice touch to the pork not that it needed it. It was already good as it was but with a touch of bagoong dip it was heavenly. Their bagoong was neither too salty nor too sweet.

bagoong dip, tomato vinaigrette, green mango

Crab and shrimp made into little cakes served with a calamansi hollandaise is their take on American crab cakes. Not bad at all!

✔ ✔ crab & shrimp relleno P499

Everyone loved the bangus belly braised in olive oil and brandy. Think bottled sardines but the gourmet version. The flavors had depth and a little spice from the chilies made this dish perfect with garlic rice.

✔ ✔ ✔ Spanish Style Bangus Belly Sardines P319

Filipinos just love pork. Pork cooked any way. I’m more selective in the pork dishes I like and binagoongan is one of my favorites. Zarzuela’s version is now on the top of my list of best binagoongan. Lean pieces of pork fried until crisp and doused with good bagoong. This is definitely a MUST order.

✔ ✔ ✔ krispy binagoongan P359

I didn’t give this dish a rating because of my two friends commented that the gabi leaves made their throats itchy. Otherwise the taste was quite good.

pinangat P229

This kare kare is the menu of their other restaurant Savor in Rockwell. This is the only dish that I truly didn’t like. It lacked flavor and basically any taste. Forget about the peanutty flavor I always look for in kare kare. One of my friends even commented that the sauce tasted like instant mix. I hope they improve this dish.

✖ Savor kare kare P429

The Savor maruya was an excellent concept. Fried battered bananas topped shreds of langka (jackfruit), vanilla ice cream, dulce de leche and chocolate sauces. I didn’t taste any langka but that’s not what bugged me. It was a really good dessert except that the bananas tasted oily. Thankfully the oil wasn’t rancid. It was just fried wrong. I would have given this dessert three checks if not for that.

✔ Savor maruya P129

Since the maruya didn’t satisfy the sweet tooth of six women I asked the waiter which dessert he recommended. He said the mango sans rival. I’m very, very picky about sans rival so I asked him, “Are you sure it’s crunchy? Really crunchy?” “Yes, ma’am I’ve very sure.” As soon as I sliced the cake into six even slices with nary a fallen crumb I got scared. A bite confirmed my suspicion. The sans rival was as soft a slice of chiffon cake. The waiter apologized and took it out of our bill.

✖ mango sans rival P129

✔ premium barako coffee P69

Zarzuela menu (click to enlarge)

appetizer, noodles, soup

pork, seafood

chicken, beef

vegetables, rice

Zarzuela has some excellent dishes that I would go back for. I just hope they improve their desserts. Do give it a try and let me know about your experience.

✖ skip it
✔ not bad
✔ ✔ do order
✔ ✔ ✔ MUST order

Zarzuela : A Play of Filipino Flavors
Level 6, Shangri-la Plaza East Wing,
Shaw Boulevard cor. EDSA, Mandaluyong City
cellphone: 0919-9613476

Steveston Pizza

PIZZA!!! I told you I was craving for pizza. Don’t worry this is my last pizza post for a while. I think I’m cured of my pizza cravings (cross my fingers).

I bet you’ve passed by this small, unassuming storefront along Tomas Morato without realizing Steveston Pizza is a popular and widely acclaimed branch from Richmond, B.C. I wouldn’t have stopped if Foursquare and Foodspotting didn’t suggest it to me when I was looking for pizza in the Quezon City area.

Steveston Pizza shared the same building with these establishments.

The kitchen and pizza oven was right at the entrance.

They used imported disposable tableware which I hoped was biodegradable.

There were many, many pizzas I wanted to order. I wanted a pizza with healthier toppings so my choices were Margarite Zero, Black or Japanese. Their menu was a very abbreviated version of the Canadian menu but I think they chose well for Manila’s taste. Would you try their C pizza for P1,299? All the pizzas come in one size only.

Steveston Pizza Manila Menu (click to enlarge)

The pizza dough was rolled using this machine.

I chose the Black pizza which had a blend of honey glazed chicken breast, fig, gorgonzola & mascarpone mousse, walnuts and arugula julienne. I wasn’t too excited to have chicken on my pizza but the rest of the ingredients really piqued my curiosity since I’ve never encountered those ingredients in pizzas in Manila.

The first layer was a smear of tomato sauce which was topped with a generous quantity of cubed chicken breast. On the 1st picture on the right you can see the container of fig, gorgonzola & mascarpone mousse. After adding lots of mozzarella cheese a drizzle of honey was added. The pizza was then baked and topped with freshly toasted walnuts and arugula. A tiny ball of bocconcini (mozzarella ball) in the center completed the Black pizza.

12″ Black Pizza P649

I wasn’t blown away when I took my first bite. The chicken was very bland but I really liked the crust. It wasn’t too thin or too thick and it was very crunchy. I actually finished the whole slice without leaving the edge of the crust which I always do. It was until my third slice of pizza that I tasted the fig, gorgonzola & mascarpone mousse. That was really, really good but I wish there was more of it.

A big plus was the almost oil free pizza. I didn’t have to use a napkin to blot the top or bottom of the pizza. I hardly even needed a napkin to wipe my hands after. Maybe my choice of toppings was boring but overall I liked their pizza and will definitely try the other combinations again.

I managed to eat 4 slices of the 12” pizza before I gave up and had it boxed to go. Guess what? The flavors seemed to age the next day and it tasted much better. The chicken had more flavor and the cheese was tastier. I ate almost the whole pizza myself in two days and I encountered the fig, gorgonzola & mascarpone mousse only twice. That depressed me.

Any other pizzas I should try? I was planning to try Brooklyn Pizza along Tomas Morato but I chose Steveston Pizza first.

Steveston Pizza
Tomas Morato cor. Scout de Guia, Quezon City
telephone: 921-9898
website (Canada)
Facebook

Sandy’s Pizza

I have food cravings and it happens in phases. First it was sushi. I must have eaten sushi two to three times a week until I can’t even look at sushi. Next was nachos. My latest obsession is pizza.

I haven’t eaten pizza in a while and I wanted it delivered so my favorite pizzas from Nolita or My Kitchen was out. My best option was Sandy’s Pizza which I haven’t eaten in many years.

I chose 3 ‘healthier’ toppings instead of my all-time favorite pepperoni pizza.

14″ Sandy’s Sampler P550 – white pizza, Margherita, spicy tuna

The spicy tuna wasn’t on their menu but I saw it on their Facebook page so I ordered it. I really liked the combination of spicy tuna flakes, olives and peppers. They should make put it permanently on their menu.

What I initially didn’t like was the crust which was a tad to thick for me. It wasn’t crunchy at all. I wasn’t even going to blog about it. I changed my mind the next day when I toasted the leftover pizza and it became crunchy and I suddenly loved it.

spicy tuna pizza

I’ve always liked their Margherita pizza due to the pesto they add.

Margherita pizza

My least favorite was the white pizza which had mozzarella, parmesan and kesong puti cheeses. It wasn’t bad at all but I’m just not a ‘cheese pizza person’. I would add garlic and anchovies to the 3 cheese pizza and that would be delish!

white pizza

Sandy’s Pizza is a very good next day pizza. I ate a couple of slices for lunch and dinner and loved it.

Sandy’s pizza menu (photo from Sandy’s Pizza’s Facebook page)

Sandy’s pizza
Delivery: Call 721-8334 / 721-8329
Delivery Areas:
They deliver to San Juan, Mandaluyong, Pasig, Ortigas, Marikina, Katipunan, QC, Cubao, Sta. Mesa, Sta. Ana, Makati, and the Fort
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