Shoot First Eat Later

Sencha Tea from Chatime

The first time I tried Chatime was when they opened their first branch at Pioneer Center where I usually do my groceries. I ordered the Chatime Roasted milk tea since it was the first item on their menu and their bestseller.

You may have read my entry for my favorite milk tea and know that I like my tea (and coffee) to be strong and the taste of the tea should not be overwhelmed by the milk. Well I was quite disappointed with the roasted milk tea even when I had the cream powder reduced by half there was barely any tea taste.

So it was a long time before I gave Chatime another chance. This time I wanted to try a cold tea without any milk. I ordered the Sencha tea which is green tea.

At first I was disappointed to see the guy tear open a paper pouch to make my drink. I thought it was just instant powder until he poured it into this contraption and proceeded to make the drink with a huge espresso machine for tea. This was the first time I’ve seen such a machine just for tea. At first I thought there was too much ice and he even added more ice after the drink was made.

Wow oh wow!! The sencha tea was really, really, really strong and I loved it!!! Of course I added 2 sachets of Halo sweetener to it. Now I know why they added so much ice. It was really yummy and so refreshing. If you want a no calorie drink with a big dose of caffeine then this is the drink for you. I now have a favorite drink at Chatime.

ps. I used my iPhone 4s for all the pictures.

Chatime
8006 Pioneer street corner United street, Pasig City

Facebook page

Cha Dao Tea Place

Unless you’re living under a rock you surely noticed the milk tea craze in Manila. There seems to be a new brand opening another milk tea store every week in every corner.

Why is Manila so much into food trends? Do you remember when the hottest thing in town was shawarma? Then it was lechon manok and frozen sago drinks. Recently it’s frozen yogurt and now the king of food trends is milk tea.

I don’t usually go around trying each and every brand that opens but since the people behind Cha Dao Tea Place so kindly sent me 4 gift certificates to try their product so I went to the nearest branch one day before the certificates expired.

Cha Dao was tucked into the ground floor of a building along a busy street in Kapitolyo, Pasig. It was quite close to Pioneer Center supermarket where I do my grocery shopping.

Ready made brewed teas were in clear containers.

Aside from 4 glasses of tea which I took out and gave to my staff to try I was also allowed to pick a bag of chips. The choices were cassava, potato and taro which was out of stock.

The girl said the potato was the best seller but I chose the healthier cassava. Oh my goodness it was so good!!! Thin, crisp and well seasoned. I kept munching until almost half the bag was gone. I had to ask for some tape to seal it and stop me from finishing the whole bag.

cassava chips

Based on the suggestion of the girl behind the counter I ordered their bestsellers – Assam, Wintermelon and my usual milk tea favorite, Green Tea with little milk and no sugar. I just add my favorite Halo sweetener which is the only artificial sweetener without any after taste. It’s a local product that I can only buy at Pioneer Center supermarket.

I asked for a small sample of each tea so I can try it. The Assam and Wintermelon milk teas were virtually indistinguishable and quite weak for me. My staff liked them though. My Green Tea was quite weak too until they added more brewed tea to it and it was quite pleasant.

My favorite was actually the Cha Yen which was made with red tea, vanilla, cinnamon and milk. It was their version of Thai milk tea. It had the most character and unusually good flavor. Strangely my staff didn’t like it that much. I guess we had different tastes.

Cha Yen and Green Tea milk teas

Cha Dao’s menu

With all the brands of milk teas in the market, local brands have their work cut out trying to compete with international brands that come from Taiwan. My suggestion is to try the one that’s most convenient to you and find a drink that you like. Every one has different tastes and no one can say which brand will remain victorious in the end. So drink as much milk tea as you want while they remain open. But beware with all the milk and sugar these milk teas can pack a lot of calories just like your favorite coffee or sago concoctions.

Cha Dao Tea Place
Unit 2, FADI Building,
#5 West Capitol Drive,
Brgy. Kapitolyo, Pasig City
(Beside Cebuana Lhullier and main Kapitolyo gate)
telephone: 738-8719 / 0905-2236041

Lunch with Fran & Jin at Le Bistro Vert Sustainable Foods

Our friendship started with the mutual admiration of each others blogs and by leaving comments on blog posts. Maybe another reason is that we’re all of Chinese ancestry or simply it’s just that we all love food.

Our first meeting was dinner at Myron’s where I was happy to treat Fran and Jin since I was the most senior (ok, ok oldest). Jin felt the need to reciprocate so our next dinner was at Tourné.

This time it was Fran’s turn to treat us Le Bistro Vert.

I first went to Fraser Place, a serviced apartment in Makati. The guard showed me that the restaurant was actually outside and can be reached via a separate staircase.

Fran brought her hubby, Paul who I had a chance to meet again at a food photography class.

Fran, Paul and Jin (oops I forgot to change my camera settings)

Fran ordered pandan iced tea which she said didn’t really taste like pandan and was quite bland.

Pandan Iced Tea

The free sweet potato chips were a nice touch. They even gave us a free refill after my friends demolished the first serving.

Sweet Potato Chips

I was a good girl this lunch. I consulted with the manager on the weight and preparation of the dishes for my Cohen diet. She was kind enough to inform the kitchen on the specific weights I needed for my salad and chicken dish and they followed it.

The beef was sweet and reminded me of tapa. There was really a very small amount of beef maybe a tablespoon worth. I didn’t bother putting dressing on my simple salad.

Asian Beef and Mango Salad P295

My main course was actually an appetizer but it was the only thing I can eat and that isn’t so far off my Cohen diet requirements. The pieces of chicken breast were simply sautéed with a delicious garlic sauce and topped with fried basil which I really liked.

Chicken Salpicado P295

This is what my lunch plate looked like when I combined the salad and chicken salpicado. I was quite satisfied and full with my meal.

my lunch plate

Le Bistro Vert espouses locavorism, a growing trend in the United States. Locavorism simply means using sustainable foods or food ground locally and responsibly. To learn more about Le Bistro Vert mission to spread healthy eating click here.

The rest were shared by my friends. More a more detailed account on what these dishes taste like check out Frannywanny’s post on our lunch.

LBV Signature Salad P295
Poached Organic Egg, Local Greens, Home Made Bacon,
Goat Cheese and Bistro Vinaigrette

Le Bistro Vert Caesar P240
Salted Egg, Tinapa & Queso de Bola

I tried a small piece of the fish cake and found it too salty.

Thai Style Fish Cakes P250
Watermelon Relish, Sweet Tamarind Dip

Fran gushed over the pasta.

White Oriental Mushroom Linguini P350
Truffle Essense, Fried Herbs

I almost ordered this for my main course but the portion was too big for my requirements. I tried it though and again found the fish too salty otherwise it tasted good.

Palawan Cashew & Herb Crusted Sole Fillet P375
Edamame Puree, Burnt Lemon Butter Sauce

Everyone liked the thick yet tender and juicy pork chop. It’s one of their bestsellers.

Inch Thick Grilled Pork Chop P350
Mango Tapioca Salsa, Garlic Bok Choy

The pork chop was cooked well done and yet it remained tender.

I wasn’t that good a girl after all since I couldn’t resist trying dessert. The words Valrhona with sans rival just shuts off all good reason in my mind. I had instant memory loss that I was on a diet and this was a big no no. Well, it was worth the guilt. It was soooooo good!!! Even though the meringue layers weren’t crunchy I loved the rich, dark chocolate buttercream and glaze.

Valrhona sans Rival

I really had high expectations with the coffee since the proprietors are famous for their association with local coffee. They even sold several blends of coffee beans in the store. Alas the coffee was very mild and quite disappointing.

I hope to have more meals with Fran and Jin soon!!! There’s nothing better than eating with food bloggers. You can take your time taking pictures of the food and nobody complains. It’s also fun analyzing the food and of course giving critiques, good or bad.

Le Bistro Vert’s menu

Le Bistro Vert Sustainable Foods
Streetside Fraser Place Tower
Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City
telephone: 403.1841
email: lebistro.frsr@gmail.com

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Lunch at Nomama

I have a couple of friends from Ateneo that I keep in touch with at least three times a year, usually on our birthdays. But this year Jane was unusually busy with her new career as an interior designer so we combined our birthday treats into one lunch instead.

I don’t get a chance to eat in Quezon City much and it’s mostly when I go out with these two ladies. I chose Nomama since I’ve been reading about it in several blogs.

I really liked the minimal interiors. It felt very “New York” to me.

The wash basin was made of thick metal.

I love gyoza and mushroom so ordering this variant was an easy choice. I was quite disappointed that it wasn’t hot when it arrived and it tasted quite greasy. I didn’t taste much mushroom in the filling instead I tasted something mushy. When I asked the waiter what else was inside the filling he said it was peas.

mushroom gyoza P125

The tofu fries were just ok. I wish it were more aggressively spiced. It was quite bland although it did come with a dipping sauce.

tofu fries 110

I was really excited to order the fried squash blossoms stuffed with prawn mousse and pork and sprinkled with lime salt. Even though this was off limits on my diet I wanted to try it. One bite and I had to spit it out. The filling was very malansa or fishy. I had to return the dish. Chef Him came to our table to apologize and explained that old filling was inadvertantly mixed in with the new batch of filling. Too bad.

squash blossom tempura 230

The pork belly teriyaki came out covered in plastic wrap. The waiter told us to wait for one minute before opening it. I guess that’s why it’s called “twice cooked”. Good gimmick.

twice cooked pork belly teriyaki 410

I must say it looked lovely.

twice cooked pork belly teriyaki

I’m not allowed to eat pork on my diet my but I just had to try it (for the sake of my blog – yeah right ;p). Some pieces of pork were more tender than the others but the flavor was very good. The skin was still crisp and had the most flavor and little fat underneath.

The beef was tender and the sauce tasted rich but I wasn’t really blown away by this dish. I didn’t taste any curry either. I think I had really high expectations.

curry short ribs with roasted kobacha 540

We didn’t plan to order a seemingly ordinary dish like roast chicken but the waiter said it was one of their bestsellers. I’m glad we did since it was our favorite dish that lunch. The flavors were just wonderful and the chicken breast remained very moist and soft. There was bok choy and mushroom under the chicken which I highly appreciated.

The best part of this dish was the mashed potato & squash mixture. It was sweet and salty and just perfect together with the chicken. There were so many different flavors from the chicken, sauce, veggies and mash but they all complemented each other. Really outstanding, Chef!

roasted chicken with ponzu cream P330

My requisite veggie dish. It was my first time to try zucchini even though it’s allowed in the Cohen diet. I can’t say I’ll be eating it again soon. Although Jane said she loves zucchini. I really have to learn to appreciate it more.

teppanyaki vegetables 280

chef Him Uy de Baron

The chef sent us free dessert to make up for the squash blossom tempura. We didn’t like it very much. It lacked chocolate taste and I didn’t like the weird texture that was a cross between a dense bread pudding and mousse. The salted caramel sauce was exquisite though.

I really wanted to try their famous kit kat bar but we were already too full. I wonder why they didn’t send us their specialty instead.

flourless chocolate cake

with Jane and Mila

I really liked their “American” style menu with only a few choices instead of menus that go on and on with several confusing pages. Most ‘good’ restaurants in the US just have a single page menu that are constantly updated depending on the food that are in season.

Nomama menu

My friends didn’t want to order ramen maybe they because they knew I can’t eat carbs. But if I can I really want to try the ox tongue and chili tofu ramen. Next time I plan to try their steak which my friend Jin said is spectacular.

Nomama
G/F FSS Bldg 2, Scout Tuason cor Scout Castor St.,
Quezon City, Philippines
telephone: 542-2558
cellphone: 0917-522-8272

email: nomama.ramen@gmail.com

Nomama on Facebook

Dinner at Aomori

I tagged along with my cousin Stanley for dinner with his HS friends. We were supposed to eat in another restaurant in Northeast Square but it was closed on Sundays. I chose to eat at Aomori instead and I’m glad we ended up there.

Aomori is a Japanese style cafe that also sells a lot of Japanese merchandise and bread.

They had so many kinds of bread from individual stuffed bread to bigger packs.

If only I could eat bread I would definitely buy the whole wheat w/ cranberry & walnut and the rye loaf with squash seeds.

We didn’t get to try their macarons. I wonder if they’re any good?

They had an open kitchen. A really open kitchen without any glass partition to the dining room. I don’t know if it’s still the same way now but my friends were really bothered with the smell and smoke reaching the dining area.

They had cute containers for our bags.

You can buy all kind of instant coffee and creamer with the brand Key Coffee from Japan.

Key coffee

They also had ground coffee and coffee in sachet that you can buy per piece.

spaghetti, tomato sauce, etc.

Stanley bought a couple of bags of lobster chips and he loved it. I found the taste too strong though.

lobster, crab, shrimp chips

coffee sugar, cups, grinder, pot

If you are interested in the coffee maker used by Lugang Cafe you can buy it here for P18,500. It’s being sold in this site for $319.95 AUD.

Belgium Royal 4C Cafe Balance Syphon Coffee Maker P18,500

I chose two kinds of stuffed loaf bread for their appetizers. They kindly heated it up and served it with coffee honey butter. Everyone said the bread was very good. Every night starting 6:00 pm the breads go on sale at 30% off.

pork floss bread with coffee honey butter 95

pork asado bread 95

While looking for the phone number of Aomori I found out it has the same owner as Yumemiya Japanese Cafe. While I was disappointed with Yumemiya’s policy of not allowing any food substitution in their sets, I was very happy with Aomori allowing me to change my rice and roasted veggies to a salad instead.

They gave me a big serving of Aomori salad which was an mostly green salad. It had green apple slices, kiwi slices, hard boiled eggs, onions, pine nuts and a delicious mild, creamy pesto dressing. I really enjoyed this salad very much!

Aomori salad

The food choices in the menu weren’t really Japanese but they were cooked and served with a Japanese style. The serving was small but just right for my diet. The beef was super tender and garlicky.

beef salpicao P258

Set meals included a small serving of pumpkin soup and Aomori salad.

pumpkin soup & small Aomori salad

The roasted chicken was served with super healthy 18 grain rice, Aomori coleslaw and a fried egg. H said it was good and but it was too much for him to finish. I think two people can share this set.

half roasted chicken P398

Stanley liked his beef tenderloin too.

Asian beef tenderloin with mushrooms P398

Timmy said the chicken bulgogi-wich was good but nothing great unlike the chicken teriyaki and eggplant sandwich of UCC which he thought was more unforgettable.

chicken bulgogi-wich P248

Deb was disappointed with the burger which was a typical Japanese tasting burger. I tried a small piece and I didn’t like the flavor either. It was too tasty and over spiced. I prefer an American style burger seasoned with only salt and pepper.

grilled burger wafflewich P288

cappuccino P118

I ordered a drip coffee and watched them make it using the pour over method currently all the rage in San Francisco’s popular coffee shops. Americans have discovered how good coffee is made using a dripper with filter. Hot water is poured slowly in a circular direction using a special pot with a long spout to control the flow of water.

pour over coffee using Japanese equipment

The coffee was indeed very good. Special Japanese sugar crystals was served along with a cookie which I gave to Deb.

Key coffee P109

pic c/o Deb

I liked the food in Aomori better than Yumemiya. They had more choices than just pizza and pasta. The food here seems healthier too. And I’m sure you will be tempted by all their bread variety. I know I was.

Aomori’s menu

Aomori
Basement, 47 Northeast Square Building
Connecticut Street, Greenhills,
San Juan City, 1503 Manila, Philippines
telephone: 724-1952
hours: 9:00 am – 10:00 pm

My Birthday Celebrations at Lugang Cafe

Last September I celebrated my birthday. Last September I ate at Lugang Cafe three times. Why? I wanted my friends to try the new dishes as well as my favorites at Lugang Cafe.

The first time was lunch with my Ateneo buddies. Only Len Len had previously eaten at Lugang. It was Tes and Rizette’s first time. Rizette just came from a vacation in China and still had a Chinese food hangover so I hoped she would like the food I ordered.

All three times I ordered my all-time favorite dishes in Lugang Cafe. Everyone loved these. I urge you to order this. You really must!!!

beef w/ Chinese crullers P290, xiao long bao P188,
Taiwanese stewed minced pork P180

This dish is going to be a new favorite. Soft fish cakes with golden mushroom in tasty broth.

enoki mushroom (new dish) P420

If you don’t mind eating dory fish then you will like this dish. Fried fish fillet and tofu in a rich, garlicky sauce.

spicy garlic fish fillet in clay pot P320

I needed my green veggies so I ordered this simple but well cooked spinach.

sautéed spinach P250

The sago pudding tasted just like panna cotta. Really delicious!

mango sago pudding P140

Ordering shaved ice for dessert is a must when dining at Lugang.

mango shaved ice P160

We were intrigued with the new tea and coffee machines so we tried one of each.

Lugang Cafe’s new tea & coffee menu

This coffee gadget worked like a syphon. When the water is hot it transfers to the ground coffee to steep for a few seconds then it goes back to the container.

traditional Arabian coffee (new) P220

Considering how fast the coffee steeped the end product was pretty strong and full bodied. It made for two full cups of coffee only. We asked for more water and repeated the brewing so we were able to stretch the coffee to three cups. It still tasted good!

Belgium Royal 4C Cafe Balance Syphon Coffee Maker
I’ve never seen fructose served with coffee before. I didn’t use it though.

We did the same for the fruit tea. We brewed it twice too. It was fruity and quite yummy.

fruit tea (new) P220

Part two was dinner with my bffs Rochelle, Db, Chris and Ariel who came all the way from San Francisco just for my birthday. Well it happened to be his mom’s birthday too.

Since Db was a vegetarian I had to order food she can eat.

vegetarian dumplings with truffle oil (new) P248

I was surprised at how good this meatless dumpling was. The filling was made with carrots, spinach and tofu. Although I didn’t taste the truffle oil it was still very tasty. Even non-vegetarians will enjoy these dumplings.

Of ALL the new dishes this tofu is our favorite. The tofu wasn’t just plain tofu. It tasted like egg custard mixed with tofu. The abalone sauce was just like the one served with abalone. The owner told me that it takes them hours to cook the sauce that’s why this dish is quite expensive. You MUST try this!

tofu with mushroom in abalone sauce (new) P480

Tauso is fried crispy soy beans. This dish is commonly found in Chinese restaurants and now Lugang has it too. This classic dish was very well cooked.

steamed lapu lapu with crispy tauso (new) – market price

Because of a misunderstanding with the order taker (her fault) we ended up with two green beans dishes. I’m not particularly fond of green beans but both dishes were simply awesome.

These string beans were fried dry and a little crisp. It didn’t have any sauce but it was surprisingly flavorful when mixed with the minced pork.

stir fried string beans with minced pork P280

This version was strangely fabulous too. The salted egg added an unusual twist and taste to the green beans. Not your usual pairing but it worked.

green beans with salted egg 220

Db brought an assortment of little cakes from Cake2Go.

I tried a teeny weenie bite of each one and like the turtle pie the best. It wasn’t too sweet and it was very chocolatey.

moccachino, angel gabriel mousse, turtle pie

A funny break from overstuffing ourselves.

The third time was actually lunch with a friend who came from Sydney, Australia. This time we tried a single serving of lionhead meatball soup. The giant pork meatball was really tender and the soup was very rich and flavorful.

lionhead meatball soup 180

A cheaper option to the lapu lapu is to order dory fish fillet with crispy tauso.

steamed fish fillet with crispy tauso P380

I finally got to see the 3rd floor and rooftop of Lugang Cafe. The mural was different from the dragon mural on the 2nd floor.

The outdoor rooftop dining was really nice and cozy. Too bad our weather is hot otherwise I would love to have coffee and dessert here.

As usual the food in Lugang Cafe never fails to impress me and my guests. Some people tell me that the food there is nothing great. I always reply, “it’s a matter of ordering the right dishes.” Like any restaurant not all dishes are good and if you happen to order one of those then you will definitely not appreciate Lugang Cafe. After trying many of their dishes I only order old and new favorites that’s why we are always satisfied.

This post is the reason I barely lost any weight in September. Bad, bad, bad for my diet. 😀

My other entries on Lugang Cafe here and here.

Lugang Cafe
116 Connecticut St.
Northeast Greenhills, San Juan
Metro Manila
telephone: 721-9100, 570-9011

Panasonic G3 Camera at Salcedo Market

I was tickled pink when a representative from Pixel Pro‘s marketing department wrote to me if I could review the Panasonic G3 and GF3 system cameras. I’ve always dreamed of being a gadget blogger since I just love all sorts of gadgets and cameras. I told them I was just an amateur shoot and pointer and they didn’t mind at all.

I guess they picked me because I’m a die hard Panasonic camera user. I actually started this blog because of the Panasonic LX3 I bought in 2009. I bought that camera based only on the rave reviews I read in several local forums. My first pictures were taken in hotel restaurants in Hong Kong and I wanted to share them with friends and family in the USA so I started a food blog.

At that time I didn’t know anything about composition, aperture, white balance or cropping. All I did was set the camera to IA and point and shoot.

My next camera was the Panasonic G1 which I on my trip to Perth, Australia. I loved the viewfinder and flip out screen. The only problem was I found it too heavy.

When I saw the GF1 I immediately sold my GH1 and was immensely happy with it for more than a year. My pictures improved and the burden on my shoulders lightened.

A few months ago my friend lent me his Panasonic GF3 and I took this picture to compare the size with my LX3 and GF1. After this shot I sold my GF1 and bought the GF3 which I’m using to this day.

I was curious about the Panasonic G3 since it was the successor to my G1. This is the sample unit Pixel Pro sent to me.

I was so surprised at how small it was. It was about the same size as the GF1. It also has a flip out lcd screen and an electronic viewfinder.

I took it for a test shoot at Salcedo market. Can you believe it was my first time to visit this Saturday market? It was hot and really sunny and the electronic viewfinder came in really handy. If I used my GF3 I wouldn’t have been able to see anything on the lcd screen.

huge fresh prawns

male and female crab

There were so many stalls selling mouthwatering cooked food. Everything looked so good!

Simply Pie

Something Different sells the yummiest chicken pastel pies and chicken empanadas. They’re one of my favorites.

They also had soft rolls filled with chicken, tuna or roast beef.

Something Different Chicken Empanda

There were lots of fresh fruit vendors in the market. This stall had freshly peeled langka which is one of my favorite fruits.

langka or jackfruit

chestnuts roasting on an open fire

Chloroplyll’s wheat grass and kefir

This was the first time I saw fresh dates.

fresh dates

tropical fruits

corndogs

There were also servewares sold.

wood wares

Oh my, the bread selections were just awesome.

Romdane Bakery

Uncle George bread

These ensaimadas were huge!

Medina’s Pampanggo ensaimada

I like these healthy cookies and bars.

My Goodness baked goodies

gourmet polvoron

I just had to include this picture since these two guys gamely posed for me.

budbud kabog

The Panasonic G3 was just as good as all the Panasonic system cameras I’ve used. The pictures were sharp and the controls were easy to navigate. If I wasn’t so intent on having the smallest and lightest micro 4/3 camera I would have bought this. It has a flip out screen, electronic viewfinder and a hot shoe – things my small GF3 don’t have.

PANASONIC LUMIX G3 w/ 14-42MM
SRP: P40, 500 (discounts for cash buyers)
Available in: Black, Brown, White, Red

PANASONIC LUMIX GF3 w/ 14-42MMSRP: P36, 990
Available in: Black, Brown, Pink, White, Red
Pixel Pro branches:
Pixel Pro Mega Mall
4th Floor, Mega Bldg. B, Cyberzone Area
(02) 470-3903

Pixel Pro Greenhills
3rd Floor, V Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
(02) 726-9387/ 584-5356

Pixel Pro Cebu
Ground Floor, Park Mall Cebu,
(032) 420-9155

Website: http://www.pixelpro-online.com
Facebook: Pixel Pro
Twitter: pixelproinc

Starbucks 2012 Planner and New Holiday Treats

Starbucks sent me my very own Starbucks 2012 bamboo planner yesterday. Thanks Starbucks!! It’s my very first Starbucks planner ever.

They sent it to my store and I was so excited to take pictures I just used my new iPhone 4s and got these nice and super clear shots. I just love the camera of the iPhone 4s.

The pouch was made with a soft, natural fabric. It’s big enough to fit the planner and your wallet and cellphone too.

I was surprised at how thick the recycled paper was. Really high quality paper.

The attached stretch placeholder is a very nice and handy addition.

The planner came with 9 coupons that you can use year round in any Starbucks store in the Philippines. The first coupon can be redeemed in February 2012 and one for every month after.

The following pictures were all supplied by Starbucks.

Christmas at Starbucks will never be complete without the Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee Philippines Planner. Customers await this time of the year for the return of their favorite Starbucks Christmas products and to start collecting stickers to redeem a Starbucks planner. Now on its 9th year, and for the first time, this year’s planner will be available in five unique covers (Poplar, Bamboo, Cherry, Spruce, and Oak).

A customer can avail of a Starbucks Christmas traditions planner promo card starting November 3, 2011 and collect stickers from November 3, 2011 to January 8, 2012. One sticker is awarded for each Starbucks beverage purchase.

A customer now has two options in collecting stickers to redeem one (1) Limited Edition Starbucks Coffee 2012 Planner.

Option 1: nine (9) Christmas beverages plus eight (8) core beverages except bottled drinks = 17 stickers

Option 2: 23 core beverages except bottled drinks = 23 stickers

This holiday season Starbucks Philippines is bringing back seasonal favorites as well as Christmas food items. Click on any image to enlarge and drool.

Everything looks so tempting. I have to resist all of these every time I go to Starbucks to get my bold coffee fix of the day.

I’m not resisting any of these. I will definitely be buying one of each.

Basic Food Photography Class at 50 Feasts Food Photography School

I just spent the best weekend studying basic food photography. And yes I shot and co-styled this picture.

50 Feasts is a new food photography school room run by Mylene Chung. I loved the casual setting of the class. All six students sat in a couch and chairs in the living room and watched the presentation on tv. It was a quick paced presentation that was never boring.

Mylene thought of everything even providing us with notebooks and pens for note taking.

What I really appreciated in this class was 80% of it was actual hands on picture taking. That’s the fastest and surest way of learning and remembering everything. Our first lesson was about harnessing natural lighting to your advantage. We had to shoot several subjects using side and back lighting. We also learnt to shoot from different angles.

Time went by so fast and we had to stop for lunch. I expected fast food and was surprised with a home cooked meal by Dwight, the other half of 50 Feasts and PhotoKitchen. That’s roast pork at the back and crispy pork skin in front. On the second day we were served Dwight’s creation of cheesy pumpkin pasta and herb lemon chicken. I wish I could have eaten Dwight’s food since everything looked so good. But being on a diet I brought my own Cohen meals.

We learned how to shoot and style food in vertical and horizontal formats.

One of the most important things I learned in this class is how to shoot in manual mode and how to use my tripod. I have a love-hate relationship with my tripod. As a result I almost never use it. Now I will bring it out of my drawer and use it more.

We all took pictures of the same subjects and Mylene would go around and let us know how we can improve the picture by adjusting exposure, white balance and the angle among other things.

At the end of the day we viewed everyone’s pictures and took turn giving critiques on them. It was fascinating how everyone’s pictures came out so different. This was also one of my favorite parts of the class. Seeing the other pictures really taught me a lot. My classmates were really, really talented!

On Sunday, the second day, Mylene told us we had to style our own pictures by choosing from the props she laid out on the table.

My partner in this class was Paul, the hubby of Frannywanny. I must say Paul and I make a good team. Don’t you think so? Our first assignment was bagels. We came up with this styling. What do you think of it?

I was quite happy with our efforts until I saw the imaginative prop stylings of my classmates. I still loved our efforts though.

Our second assignment was to use mini pancakes and style them into an appetizing breakfast lay-out.

I really, really love prop styling. It was fun putting things together. We started with a plate and slowly piled up the other components until we came up with this. We had to keep looking at our camera screen to see how the arrangement looked. Seeing things with your eyes and looking at them through the camera are really different.

The last assignment for the day was shooting fake ice cream. It looked so real doesn’t it?

At the end of the 2 day class we were given a certificate of completion and this mini book (designed by Dwight) summarizing everything we learned. To give you a perspective on how small and cute it was, the handout was on top of my iMac. This picture was taken by my iPhone 4s. Isn’t the camera fab?

Whether you’re a blogger, food lover, amateur photographer or wannabe food stylist/photographer I suggest you take this class. All you need is a dslr camera and a burning desire to learn and I guarantee you will enjoy this class and learn things that will put you on your way to a new career. Watch out for new competition, Mylene!! 😀

Mylene and Dwight, thank you for opening a food photography school in Manila and thank you for giving me this opportunity to learn. I hope my blog and future pictures do justice to what you’ve taught me.

Click here to see the other pictures taken by my classmates.

Note: I used my ‘little’ Panasonic GF3 micro 4/3 camera which isn’t really a ‘real’ dslr camera and I was able to take these pictures. Not bad if I may say so.

For class schedules click here. My previous entry on 50 Feasts here.

Disclosure: I took this class gratis.

50 Feasts on Facebook and website.

50 Feasts & PhotoKitchen
Unit 19 Lumier Realty Building
285 P Guevarra St, San Juan City
Metro Manila, Philippines

telephone: 723-7630, 985-4808
cellphone: 0917-853-6215
email: contact@50feasts.com

Office hours:
11:00am to 5:00pm
Wednesday to Sunday

Dinner at Café 1771

Last September my good friend Dibie treated us to dinner in celebration of her birthday. She told me we were going to eat at Café 1771 in El Pueblo. My first reaction was, “Chateau 1771 is still open?”

Ironically the last time I ate at Chateau 1771 was with Dibie and Rochelle some time in the early 90s. I haven’t eaten at El Pueblo either since my favorite Tequila Joe closed.

Chateau 1771 has been renovated and reopened as Café 1771, a more casual restaurant serving the same borderless cuisine of Chef Vicky Pacheco.

The restaurant was divided into 3 different dining areas. At the entrance is the area called Whimsy and it was a bright and light coffee shop perfect to have dessert and coffee.

There was a refrigerated cake display as well as several baked goods you can take home.

I wanted to take home this jar of brownies.

To the left is the Lounge which looked like a library in an elegant home. I really loved the interiors done by Ivy Almario. The third area was the Winebar on the second floor which we didn’t get to see.

The only thorn among the roses is my friend Ariel who came from San Francisco just to celebrate Dibie’s and my birthdays. But he really came for his mom’s birthday and it happened to be in September too so lucky us.

We were served free hot popcorn for starters. I think that’s a great alternative to the usual bread and butter. Healthier and more fun too.

popcorn

The last time we ate at Chateau 1771 we also ordered raclette since it’s our favorite. Who doesn’t love hot, stinky, melted cheese? The smell was enough to trigger good memories of eating raclette. Memories was all I tasted since it was a no-no on my diet.

raclette P330

Three out of five people at the table oohed and aahed over the tender pork ears sautéed with garlic and chili flakes.

pig’s ears pepperoncino P250

I really liked the simple salad with chicken breast strips, caramelized walnuts and lightly dressed with green apple vinaigrette.

walnut chicken salad P380

This salad was even yummier. Roasted portobello mushroom, provolone cheese, arugula and orange balsamic vinaigrette. I didn’t taste any arugula though. The server said they ran out.

salad mirabeau P440

My diet choice was the Spanish paprika chicken. It came with tomato rice but I had it changed to a side salad. There two generous pieces of chicken breast and I only ate one. I removed the skin and gave it to Ariel who said it was very, very good. I believe him because even without the skin the chicken breast was very flavorful and tender.

Spanish paprika chicken P460

Rochelle loves breakfast and she was happy that she was able to order the smoked salmon eggs benedict for dinner. She loved it but found the hollandaise sauce too rich after finishing everything.

smoked salmon eggs benedict P420

The fish wasn’t photogenic but Ariel said it was very good too. Boneless sandbass fillets cooked with patis-mansi, tomatoes, shallots and leeks steamed inside a foil tent. The fish was served with white rice.

fish in a tent P480

Dibie, the birthday girl, doesn’t eat meat so she ordered this sinfully looking vegetable lasagna. I wish I could try the lasagna layered with eggplant, zucchini, onions, peppers and slathered with garlic-parmesan béchamel sauce and napolitaine sauce. It was a big serving and she was only able to eat half of it.

vegetable lasagna P400

Chris had the “Chateau 1771 classic” pasta chorizo.

pasta chorizo P390

Everyone was already full with their own meals when the pizza came out. I did try some mozzarella cheese and all I can say is, “mmmmmm.”

holy cow pizza P300

Isn’t their battery operated pepper mill and ceramic salt cellar cute?

salt & pepper

We chose to share only one dessert and I’m happy to say we chose the right one. The rich Valrhona dark chocolate cake was frozen and crumbly but it was delightfully bitter and the crunchy crust was a great contrast. Yes I cheated and I loved it!!

rose noir cake P250

I had their brewed coffee and I wasn’t too happy with it. I found it quite weak. Rochelle was also disappointed with this cafe au chocolat. She found it to light and the chocolate too sweet. It looked nice though.

cafe au chocolat P170

Overall dinner was a big success. Everyone was happy with their meals. I was just surprised that the bill came to a little over P5,000 and we didn’t order any drinks except for tea and coffee. That made an average check of P1,000 per head.

A few days ago I brought my balikbayan aunt and uncle to have lunch here.

We started with the fried squash flowers stuffed with anchovy and kesong puti. It was very, very good. I could have eaten the entire dish myself. The batter was light and crisp and it didn’t taste oily. The stuffing was creamy and tasty without being salty. There was sweet chili sauce in the bottom but in my opinion it didn’t really need it.

fried squash flowers P280

My uncle had the walnut chicken salad and I had the Spanish paprika chicken and salad mirabeau again.

My aunt had this big salmon cheeseburger.

salmon cheeseburger P410

Her comment was, “you really taste the salmon.” It was all salmon indeed and not a whole load of fillers. It was worth the price.

My uncle who was also on a diet and didn’t even finish his salad was so excited to order dessert. And he just adored the famous coffee pie. I liked the chocolate cashew crust more than the filling which I wish had a more intense coffee flavor. I prefer the rose noire cake.

coffee pie P185

Café 1771 Breakfast Menu (click to enlarge)

Café 1771 Menu

Café 1771
El Pueblo Real de Manila
ADB Avenue cor. Julia Vargas Avenue,
Ortigas Center, Pasig City,
telephone: 631- 7340

Hours:
Mondays to Saturdays: 7:00am to 10:00 pm
Sundays: 7:00 am to 3:00 pm