Shoot First Eat Later

Dinner at Hai Shin Lou

When you want to treat a big group of friends who have big appetites the best and most economical place is a Chinese restaurant. That’s what Jenny did for her birthday treat last January.

In the USA friends treat the birthday celebrant, in the Philippines the celebrant takes on the expensive burden of treating all her friends and family. Whew!

This was only my 3rd time to eat at Hai Shin Lou so I was quite excited to try new flavors and dishes.

I swear we didn’t talk about what to wear. Wearing black just happens a lot.

Deb chose the menu since she was a regular diner at Hai Shin Lou.

Hai Shin Lou set dinner menu

Instead of the usual peanuts they had addicting fried wonton skins.

fried wonton

Our dinner started with unusual and ultra yummy appetizers.

deep fried squid Peking style

stir fried seafood with egg white

I’ve never had shrimp cake like this in other Chinese restaurants. It was already good on it’s own but when when eaten with sesame caramelized walnuts it was even better. It was a really unusual pairing but it worked.

crispy minced shrimp cake with Taiwan pechay & sweet walnuts

Simple but very rich tasting chicken broth.

double boiled chicken soup with bamboo pith & dried scallops

Here’s the birthday girl smiling at the Peking duck.

To maximize the Peking duck Deb had it cooked 3 ways. The first way was the traditional duck meat in wrapper with leeks and hoisin sauce.

Peking duck

The second way was minced duck meat extended with water chestnuts. Iceberg lettuce cups are used as the wrapper this time.

minced duck with lettuce

After all the meat and skin from the Peking duck was utilized the remaining duck bones were fried and seasoned. There was still some meat left on the bones and the parts near the bones were the tastiest.

fried duck bones

stir fried asparagus & cuttlefish with French beans

steamed lapu lapu

I loved the fried sea mantis which tasted just like lobster.

peppercorn sea mantis

Tao Miao or pea shoots are seasonal veggies that come from Hong Kong. They are usually just sautéed with garlic. Topping it with a sauce made with dried scallops was outrageously good.

Hong Kong tao miao with dried scallops

braised e-fu noodles

The red tikoy from Hong Kong was yummy.

tikoy

mango sago with pomelo

Another terrific dinner with the amigas!!!

Hai Shin Lou Seafood King Restaurant
810 Arnaiz Ave., (Formerly Pasay Rd.) San Lorenzo Village,
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: 892-5148 / 752-7433 / 813-8491

website
Facebook

Dinner at Toro Restaurant and Bar

It was the almost the last day of 2011 and the holiday rush was over and we wanted to get together. We also wanted to celebrate our friend’s birthday.
Tisay suggested we eat at Toro a Japanese-Mexican fusion restaurant in Bonifacio Global City.

The place was empty when we got there at 8:40 pm but we were told that all the tables were reserved. We promised to eat fast and they eventually gave us a table. It must have been for a late, very late party.

There were only a few of us who were in town for dinner that night.

We were blessed with Mitch’s presence who came all the way from Florida.

This is Pat, the birthday girl.

I was happy to see they have bastardized sushi that I love so much. This roll was stuffed with salmon, spicy mayo, jalapeño and deep fried. It was just spicy enough for me and so, so, so yummy!!! More spicy salmon mixture topped the fried rolls for extra dimension and flavor.

volcano roll P390

The spicy seafood salad was quite delicious too but I prefer the seafood crepe of Omakase since it has more dimension and texture.

spicy seafood salad P230

Our server suggested this soft taco which was essentially filled with the spicy seafood mixture above. I liked it without the tortilla wrapper better but this is the fusion part of the menu.

spicy seafood taco P330

I liked their version of the California maki using a fried ebi tempura in the roll.

California maki P250

I forgot what this was but basically their sushi were quite decent.

When I saw the words creamy spicy rock shrimp in the menu I was so excited I ordered it right away. I was so happy that my favorites from Morimoto and Nobu were finally in Manila. But to my huge disappointment it was nowhere near it’s namesakes. This was simply shrimp tempura drizzled with spicy dressing. It wouldn’t have been too bad except the tempura was all thick batter. I still dream of finding the same shrimp dish in Manila soon.

creamy spicy tempura rock shrimp P340

Toro had an extensive list on tapas on their menu and this is what our server highly suggested. It tasted like an ordinary taco to me, nothing fusion about it.

mini tacos served two ways P320

taco sauces

Now this dish was unique – braised short ribs dipped in batter and fried. It just proves once again that anything fried is delicious. The beef was very flavorful but some parts were just plain tough. I wish they braised the beef longer.

miso braisesd short rib tempura P420

Not the best age dashi tofu but not too bad.

age dashi tofu P340

They gave our birthday girl this beautiful dessert. Sweet fruit in an orange cup topped with ice cream.

Overall the food was just average. Maybe there were other special dishes we should have tried but based on the ones we ate I would still go to Omakase for better value.

Toro’s menú
soups & salads, tapas
baskets, main dishes, rice bowls, makis
makis, tacos, chimichurri skewers & gourmet sandwiches
desserts, dessert shots & degustation

Toro Restaurant & Bar
Unit 6, Ground Floor One McKinley Place,
4th Avenue between 25th and 26th street
(Located behind Mini Cooper showroom)
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila
Philippines
Phone: (02) 846-9681
Mobile: 0917-555-TORO (8676)
Email: info@dinetoro.com
Operating Hours: 7 Days a Week 11:30am-3pm, 6pm-12am

Dim Sum at Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant

If you’ve been following my blog for a while you will know that Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant is my favorite place for dim sum in Hong Kong.

It’s the first place we eat at when we arrive in Hong Kong and it’s the last meal we have before going to the airport. You can search my blog for all the posts on Chuk Yuen.

Each time we go to Chuk Yuen they have new offering in their dim sum menu depending on the season. Last December they had my favorite Chinese sausage in a bun. They normally have this during cold weather months only.

The sausage or lap cheong is fatty but the flavor is the best. It’s salty with just a tinge of sweetness. One bun contained pork sausage while other one used duck sausage which I love.

Chinese sausage ‘lap cheong’ bun HK$19

This plate of bok choy was my only concession to my diet. It was pretty good too!

bok choy

I don’t know why my mom loves these pan fried rice rolls since there’s nothing inside the rolls. You just dip them in a combination of hoisin and peanut sauce. I prefer the steamed rice rolls filled with barbecued pork or beef and mushroom.

fried rice rolls

This was another new dumpling on their menu.

steamed shrimp & pea shoot dumpling HK$22

Pea shoots or tao (dow) miao is a delicious vegetable not always available. I could taste the delicate flavors of the pea shoots in this dumpling. Excellent combination!

I need meat and I was curious what Kobe veal bones tasted like. It was darn good with bits of seared fat on the edges and lean meat near the bone. There wasn’t much in one order but I didn’t regret ordering this. A little guilty pleasure for an otherwise healthy lunch.

pan fried Kobe veal bones HK$25

Chuk Yuen’s dim sum menu

Chuk Yuen Seafood Restaurant
Basement, Hong Kong Pacific centre
28 Hankow Road, Tsim Sha Tsui
Hong Kong
telephone: +852-2722-0633

Coffee in Hong Kong

More coffee love from Hong Kong!! All these shots save for 1 were taken with my iPhone 4S’ camera. I didn’t want to lug around my camera while shopping so using the iPhone was just perfect when I felt like having coffee in the middle of the day.

One day I didn’t feel like eating ‘real lunch’ so I went to the Starbucks at iSquare mall for a cup of Komodo Dragon brewed coffee and a beef curry pie. The pie was just ok. I think the food choices in Manila’s Starbucks is so much better and varied.

beef curry pie

Isn’t their coppery mirrored ceiling awesome?

Look who else is enjoying Starbucks?

I normally drink hot coffee but when the weather outside is hot I want my coffee ice cold and Pokka Cafe is where to get it. We don’t have this brand in Manila but it’s another popular Japanese coffee chain that also serves pretty good food.

Pokka Coffee – Hokkaido Coffee Rocky HK$47

It was strong and I added a splash of their heavenly cream.

The best thing about this iced coffee is the coffee cubes they use. This way the coffee doesn’t get diluted and another bonus is you can keep adding cream and drinking good iced coffee.

I’ve also tried Pokka’s hot coffee. Pretty cup eh?

Pokka special blend coffee

Back to iSquare is another Japanese coffee chain called Cafe Key West.

Cafe Key West Sumiyaki Coffee HK$38

They use Key coffee which you can find in Manila’s Yumemiya Japanese Cafe. I liked their presentation too.

I have yet to try the this Italian store in Elements Mall called Caffe’ 1882 but I’ve tried their Caffe Vergano 1182 espresso in Eataly in New York.

I don’t know the origins of Cowboy Seven but I thought I’d give it a try when I was at The One mall. By the way that mall had so many coffee shops.

Cowboy Seven coffee

It was relatively cheaper at HK$24 but nothing really special for me to go back a second time.

I still prefer my faithful standby, uber cheap and strong coffee at Cafe de Coral. I took this picture at their branch at Harbour City around 3:00 pm. While everyone around me was slurping noodle soup or eating chicken wings for their afternoon tea I was drinking my HK$8 coffee. Yuuummm.

Cafe de Coral coffee

I have to confess. I’m not a big coffee spender. I just like trying different coffee. Most days (if not almost everyday) you will find me at HSBC Premiere Centers where I get free coffee.

All their branches have different brands of super automatic coffee machines like Jura, Saeco and Tiger. Each machine made different tasting coffee. I usually get double espresso shots topped with a cappuccino. I found the best tasting coffee at their Carnarvon branch in TST.

HSBC Premiere HK coffee

If you like buying coffee making parapharnelia like me I found the place which had the most Hario products which are mostly used in the coffee shops in the USA. All these are available at AEON MaxValu Prime supermarket at the LG2 of The One mall.

Hario drippers

Hario V60 plastic dripper $299

Hario V60 Coffee Server HK$135

They also have siphons, French press, moka pots and electric moka pots.

coffee makers

I’ve been eyeing that Hario Buono kettle below but at HK$499 it’s too expensive for an ordinary kettle with the perfect spout for pouring water into a drip coffee filter. I’ll stick to my French press for now.

Lunch at Grissini, Grand Hyatt Hotel Hong Kong

Grissini at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Wanchai has the BEST Sunday lunch buffet in my opinion. If you are in Hong Kong for just a few days and want to splurge on one good meal then I suggest you book early for a precious seat at their popular Sunday lunch buffet.

Unfortunately we were there for a weekday pre-Christmas lunch with good friends who flew in from Manila and Houston.

The normally beautiful view of the Hong Kong harbour now looked like this.

Grissini means breadstick in Italian and these are the best I’ve ever eaten. My no carb diet was quickly forgotten as I scarf down at least 2 (that I’m admitting to) warm, light and super crunchy breadsticks.

breadsticks

They are even better with a soak in top quality extra virgin olive oil and super thick, super expensive and super sweet balsamic vinegar. This is the only place in Hong Kong that I’ve found that serves this.

I found a small bottle of this balsamic vinegar in the supermarket sold for HK$900!! This is the good stuff so be sure to ask for lots of it. I even dip fresh strawberries in this vinegar and it heightened the sweetness and flavor of the strawberry.

lunch menu

All of us chose either the two course set lunch for HK$358 or three courses for HK$420. I will list the individual price of each course so you will see it’s much cheaper to order the set course.

mozarella & tomato salad with basil & oregano HK$200

I actually had the two course set starting with the veal and of course dessert. The veal was tender but the taste was just ok. Nothing that deserved the price. But then we were paying for the ambiance too :D.

veal escalopes with Marsala and broccoli rabe HK$280

The dessert fared better but still wasn’t to die for.

dark chocolate & espresso petit pot with fresh berries HK$100

Others chose the limencello tart which was good too but I felt it lacked more lemony zing for my taste.

limoncello tart HK$100

I wish the chocolate truffles were made with dark chocolate instead. Imagine there was about 8 pieces left on the table since no one wanted to eat milk chocolate. What a shame to leave those behind. I really loved the white chewy, nutty cookies though.

petit fours

At least the coffee was strong and good.

I’d rather pay more to eat at Grissini on Sunday. Their weekday fare isn’t really that great in my opinion. Well it was a nice lunch among friends with endless stories and laughter. That was the most important thing.

coffee (at least HK$50)

Grand Hyatt Hong Kong
1 Harbour Road,
Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China
Tel: +852 2588 1234

Hours:
Monday to Friday
Lunch – 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm
Dinner – 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm
Saturday
Dinner – 6:30 pm to 10:30 pm
Closed for lunch
Sunday Feast – 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm
Dinner – 7:00 pm to 10:30 pm

Holly Brown Coffee

I’m so happy that coffee love is spreading out in Hong Kong.

Holly Brown Coffee is a relatively new chain that has opened several branches in the city.

They also have gelato and some quick meals like waffles and pasta.

They also sell expensive blends of coffee.

I was shocked to learn that these prices were for a CUP of coffee. For HK$280 you can buy a bottle of Kopi Luwak beans in Manila.

specialty coffee menu

If you want to impress a date bring them to Holly Brown where you can have 2 cups of coffee and snacks for HK$1,000.

Holly Brown Coffee menu

Since I didn’t have a date to pay for my coffee I got a cup of espresso macchiato for HK$26. It was strong and chocolatey. I was happy I found great coffee in Hong Kong. But then there’s Cafe de Coral where I often get my afternoon coffee fix for HK$10. Both have a place in my heart.

espresso macchiato

Holly Brown Coffee
K11 Mall
G19, Ground Floor,18 Hanoi Road,
Tsim Sha Tsui Kowloon
telephone: (852) 3122 4016

Opening hours:
Monday to Sunday
10:00am to 11:00pm

Philippine Airlines Food Mnl-Hkg-Mnl December 2011

I have a long backlog of posts with trips to Tagaytay, Cebu, Taipei, Hong Kong and Boracay. I decided to tackle them in order even though it’s delayed. This starts a series on my trip to Hong Kong last December 2011.

breakfast menu

I like that PAL offers local breads during their flights. It’s a nice introduction to foreigners. I managed to resist the ensaymada only because it looked different from the AWESOME ensaymada I had on a previous flight.

pan de sal and ensaymada

The menu said Brie and Edam but I got both Brie which I didn’t mind since it was good with the dried fruits specially the yummy dried mangoes which seemed homemade since it wasn’t as sweet as the commercial ones. It was also very thick and quite moist.

dried mango, dates, carrot, cucumber with Brie and Edam cheese

For breakfast I always choose the tried and tested bangus with adobo butter but I wanted to something different so I ordered the mushroom omelette even though I don’t like eggs. It was indeed soft and creamy but I wish there were more mushrooms inside.

The chicken burger was a bit firm but it was very flavorful. All in all a pretty healthy meal.

creamy mushroom omelette w/ chicken herbed patty

I found the seller of these delicious dried mango dipped in dark Belgian chocolate when I was in Cebu. Each piece cost P20 and I didn’t buy any since I knew I couldn’t stop at eating one piece.

Cebu Best Mango Chocolate

lunch menu

I read somewhere that ordering fish in an airplane is not a good idea but in Philippine Airlines I never get disappointed with their fish entrées.

I couldn’t believe the generous wedge of cheese and thick slices of ham for starters. It made the perfect sandwich with the whole grain roll from the bread basket. I wrapped up the sandwich and took it home with me. Hee hee… It was a yummy afternoon snack.

proscuitto cotto with cheese

The fish was perfectly cooked and flaky. I tried not to eat the creamy fattening sauce but it kept getting in the way. How can I resist the delicious but light coconut flavor? I didn’t taste the mango though.

steamed fish in mango coconut cream sauce

Wow!! The almond pudding tasted just like panna cotta. It was to die for!!!

almond pudding with lychee & mandarin orange

As usual the food was excellent. I love PAL’s food.

Herb’s Best Healthy Pantry

A few months ago I received an email from Herb’s Best International founder Fannie Guanzon inviting me to dinner at her home.

This is Fannie, my gracious and beautiful host for dinner.

Herb’s Best Fannie Guanzon

Founded in 2004 by Ms. Fannie Guanzon, it started out by partnering with a poor farming community in Nueva Vizcaya (a province North of Manila) producing noodles. The raw materials used in making the noodles were primarily indigenous ingredients, Moringa taking the lead. The founder’s developing passion for Moringa led to extensive research, product development and innovation and thereafter, the manufacture of Moringa pure powder and tea and Moringa and other herbs-infused products.
from Herb’s Best Facebook page

Herb’s Best Healthy Pantry products

Fannie welcomed me to her beautiful apartment.

She even had a talented guy who did the flower arrangement and table settings that night. I was surprised to be the only guest that night. The other guests were her very close friends who were all so ‘kalog‘ and fun to talk with that I felt like I’ve know them for a while.

Fannie had Chef Ogie Reloj of Cafe Bonifacio at The Podium do all the cooking that night. (My review of Cafe Bonifacio coming soon). Chef Ogie is known as Manila’s roti king and he showed us how to make roti from scratch.

roti making by Chef Ogie Reloj

I wasn’t supposed to eat carbs but I couldn’t help myself since I love roti and this roti was fabulous. It was thin, light, crisp and not oily at all. The curry sauce that accompanied it was made Herb’s Best Sinigang Mix and other ingredients. It had a unique flavor that was perfect with the roti.

roti with curry sauce made with Herb’s Best Sinigang Mix

I’m not a big fan of eggplant but this salad made with diced eggplant, boiled saba (plantain), cilantro, salted egg and dressed with pinakurat (spiced coconut vinegar), olive oil and garlic was sheer genius! The soft eggplant and meaty saba, both mild flavored ingredients splashed with an aggressive dressing was an explosion in the mouth.

Eggplant salad with salted egg

I loved Chef Ogie’s award winning creamy salted egg dressing with Herb’s Best Ginisa mix on the salad greens with grapes, fresh blueberries, roasted cashew and yellow bell peppers. Pinoy fusion at it’s best.

Salad with salted egg dressing

Chef Ogie made a marinade using Herb’s Best Ginisa mix, lemongrass, keffir lime leaves, anatto and turmeric for the chicken.

Chicken Inasal with Herb’s Best Ginisa Mix

If the chef decides to open his own inasal restaurant he’ll definitely give the chicken chains a run for their money. Even though the chicken was marinated for less than an hour the grilled chicken was so tasty and fragrant. You could taste the tangy flavors all the way to the bone. This was definitely one of my favorites during dinner.

Chicken Inasal

The sinigang (sour soup) was made with Herb’s Best Sinigang mix which was free from msg and made with a tamarind base and 21 fruit and 15 vegetable extractives making it super healthy and convenient. The taste was just the right amount of sour and savory. The salmon belly was marinated in ginger juice that’s why there wasn’t any fishy taste.

Herb’s Best Salmon Belly Sinigang

I was already beyond full when the pasta came out. One bite and I was floored. Herb’s Best Amori pasta is made with oven-dried vegetables. The pasta tasted like fresh pasta and had the most amazing bite to it. The dried pasta takes only 3 minutes to boil just like fresh pasta. The sauce fresh shrimp, clams and cilantro was utterly divine. This was my favorite dish!!!

Herb’s Best Amori pasta with seafood

Chef Ogie (seated) with Fannie and her lovely friends made dinner so much fun that night. Good food and good company made for a perfect evening.

Herb’s Best Healthy Pantry prooducts

A box of Amori pasta contained 4 individually packed single serving portion of pasta. This is perfect for dieters who are watching their portions. Since the pasta contains vegetables it will make you full without feeling bloated. When you’ve tried this pasta write to me and let me know how much you love it.

Herb’s Best Amori Pasta

The great thing about the products of Herb’s Best International is each and every product is made with only natural ingredients that are packed with Moringa and other super healthy ingredients like fruits and vegetables that are beneficial to everyone in the family. This is specially good for kids who are picky eaters. They will never know that their food has veggies and fruits.

Read more about their products here and at their Facebook page.

Herb’s Best Healthy Pantry products are available at:
RUSTAN’S
Ayala Alabang
Corinthian
Forbes
Glorietta
Greenbelt
Katipunan
Magallanes
Rockwell
Shangri-La

SHOPWISE
Antipolo
Commonwealth
Cubao
Festival Mall
Libis
Makati
Manila
San Pedro
Sucat
Cebu

ROBINSON’S SUPERMARKET
BF Ruins
Pioneer
Metro East
Ermita
Batangas
Dasmariñas
Imus
Tagaytay
Nuvali
Mandalagan
Fuente
Davao
Davao Abreeza
Cagayan de Oro
Galleria
Laoag
Cebu Banilad
Nepo Dagupan
Dumaguete
Tacloban

LANDMARK Makati & Trinoma

Sta. Lucia Phase 1& Phase 3

South Supermarket Alabang & Sta. Rosa

Unimart
Makati Supermart
Cash & Carry

Pioneer Supermarket
Sugar Leaf Greenhills
Sugar Leaf Makati
500 Shaw Kiddie Club

NCCC Supermarket Davao
EchoStores

Dieting while on vacation

I’ve received a few emails from some Cohen dieters who are going to the USA for a vacation and asking how I managed my diet. Here are some of my tips for all those who are traveling and are on a diet.

In the US fast foods get a big flack for serving fattening and unhealthy food. I did manage to find healthy options in a few places. The first picture was a Chick-n-Strips salad I bought from Chik-fil-A which serves nuggets and strips made from real chicken and not chopped up chicken and fillers formed into chicken shapes like in some other chains.

I know I should have ordered their chargrilled chicken garden salad instead but I was feeling rebellious but I only ate 1 chicken strip and all the veggies with just a little berry balsamic vinaigrette.

The last time I ate at Chipotle I ordered their tacos which was 3 tacos in one order. This time I ordered the salad and skipped the corn salsa, sour cream and guacamole and just topped the lettuce with barbacoa beef and tomato salsa. I should have passed on the cheese too but it was my treat. I ate only half of the beef.

Chipotle’s salad with barbacoa

I had this salad in the food court of a mall. The dressing was made of yogurt.

Grill Kabob’s beef shawarma salad

Here are some of my favorite healthy meals in the US and Hong Kong.

Bouillabaisse from Whole Foods Market

Baked sea bass from Whole Foods Market

Salads from Lemonade

I also like ordering steak frites but I have the fries substituted with salad. Naturally I removed the butter on this steak I had at Bouchon Bistro.

One of my go-to places for good salads in Hong Kong is Istanbul Express and Ebeneezer. Middle Eastern restaurants have plenty of healthy options as long as you don’t go overboard with their yummy sauces. The salad was simply dressed with olive oil, lemon juice and pepper.

Istanbul Express’ salad with chicken donner

Tips for dieting while traveling:
1. Always request french fries or potato side dishes be replaced with a salad. All the restaurants I’ve eaten at gladly did this.

2. When ordering a salad always ask for the salad dressing on the side and use vinaigrette only. The one time I forgot to do this my salad was drowning in dressing. That’s where all the calories are, in the dressing.

3. If you can’t weigh you food just practice portion control. More or less you know the size of protein you can eat.

4. Say no to junk food. That includes chips, ice cream, processed food, soda and sweets.

5. No fried food. Also avoid food with too much sauce. The simpler the preparation the better.

I hope these simple tips help you maintain your diet while on vacation. I must confess I did gain 5 lbs after one month in the US. It’s because of all the cookies I ate everyday and the ocassional dessert, cornbread and scones. Try to be better than me avoid these temptations all together.

Cathay Pacific Economy Meal – LAX to MNL

The food on the flight back to Manila brought back me back to reality and portion control.

lunch menu

After the disastrous and depressing Low Fat/Low Cholesterol Meal (LFML) I ordered on my flight from Manila to San Francisco I stuck with the regular meal option on the return flight.

The food wasn’t bad at all. I loved the shrimp with orzo salad which was very light and refreshing. I ate the chicken with the orzo which was rice shaped pasta. Still carbs but what the heck. And yes, I ate the ice cream. 😀

chicken with soya sauce, steamed rice, shiitake mushrooms &
spring onions

dinner menu

The chicken, what little there was, was quite palatable. The carrot swede mash was sweet and savory and very interesting.

chicken with tomato herb sauce, rosemary potatoes, carrot swede mash

I skipped dessert since I don’t like red beans.

red bean mousse cake

Throughout the flight there were snacks like mini sandwiches, instant noodles, Pop Pan green onion crackers (yum!), macadamia nut shortbread cookies and Tim Tam cookies.

When I arrived in Hong Kong airport I bought a snack.