Shoot First Eat Later

Pico Sands Hotel and Spa

New in Hamilo Coast is the Pico Sands Hotel and Spa. We were lucky to get a tour of the rooms.Continue reading “Pico Sands Hotel and Spa”

How time flies! It’s was time again for our annual trip to Hamilo Coast. We started going in 2008 when it was so new that we had to use tents and there weren’t any amenities yet. In 2009 the beach club was built and I started blogging. Last year I was amazed how much the whole resort has grown.

Here’s my group of HS friends. Lots of other families and kids who are now grown up were also with us.

The first order of the day was a scrumptious buffet lunch at the ballroom. This year the spread was all Filipino food. As usual the food was excellent.

These trio of spreads are a staple year after year and they are as good as the first time I tried them.

garlic cheese, tinapa and chicken liver spreads

Their Filipino salads were everybody’s favorites.

green mango salad

pako salad

salted egg and tomato salad

tinapa or smoked fish

salad bar

salad dressings

garlic rice

pinakbet, monggo, kare kare, pancit luglog and penne carbonara

lechon kawali

halo halo bar

fresh fruits

I was happy with my diet meal of grilled chicken breast and salad. I cheated a little by getting some of the yummy spreads.

My dessert was super sweet mango and not so sweet melon.

After lunch we went to the Beach Club.

A new boutique, Kultura, has opened right at the lobby of the Beach Club.

There are now many water activities available.

kayak

speed boat, banana boat

I finally got some pictures of the Sun Coral Cafe where a lunch buffet was served.

Around 4:00 pm we all met back at the ballroom for afternoon merienda (snack time, the most important 4th or 5th meal for Filipinos). In case you’re wondering I had coffee.

assorted sandwiches

baked macaroni

biko suman

On Friday I will feature the Pico Sands Hotel in Hamilo Coast.

Hamilo Coast

SM Investments Corporation

10th Floor, One E-Com Center Sunset Drive,

Mall of Asia Complex Pasay City, 1300

Sales office number: +632 858 0333

Showroom numbers: +632 819 1673 and +632 819 1675

Mobile: +63917 842 6456

US Toll Free: +18669788020 and +18669787650

Lunch at Old Vine Grille, Eastwood Mall

I love getting together with my college buddies. I just wish we could see each other more often than just when we treat each other for our birthdays.

It was Rizette’s turn to treat us and she chose the Old Vine in Eastwood Mall. I haven’t eaten there and it was my first time to go to Eastwood Mall. My dinner at Choi Palace didn’t count since I didn’t get to see anything but the Chinese restaurant.

Old Vine billed itself as serving Mediterranean inspired cuisine but based on the food we ordered it seemed like plain ol’ American food. Everyone’s favorite was the hearty salad named after a popular comedian in the Philippines. The salad which could easily be a main course had grilled prawns, marinated salmon, grilled shiitake mushroom, mesclun salad and dressed with a creamy balsamic dressing.

Tessie Tomas salad P680 (large)

I found the fish and chips basket to be a very good deal. At only P250 there was quite a generous serving of fried fish and potato wedges. My friends polished it off.

fish and chips basket P250

My friends found the tenderloin steak to be tender but too salty. The pasta wasn’t al dente. This definitely didn’t fare well and the left-overs went into a doggy bag.

steak and pasta P595

Tes didn’t think there was enough food so she ordered half a roast chicken. She said it was just ok and a lot better than the steak and pasta. So she didn’t regret her additional order.

half roasted chicken P320

For my diet meal I ordered a plain sirloin steak without gravy. It was a good thing there was gravy because the steak was absolutely tasteless. Even though I wasnt allowed to eat gravy I just had to eat it or else I would have been very, very sad. The beef was a little tough but at least it was lean.

They were kind enough to give me a plain salad instead of the usual sidings that came with the steak. The problem was the balsamic vinegar I asked for instead of their pre-made vinaigrette. I’ve never tried balsamic vinegar that wasn’t sour and had no taste at all. I wonder what brand it was.

steak and salad

me, Rizette, Len Len and Tes

Old Vine is part of a group of restaurants that include Uncle Cheffy, Beurre Blanc, Old Quarter and Kuse.

Old Vine’s menu
(click to enlarge)

Old Vine Grille
Unit 119, Level 1, Eastwood Mall,
Eastwood City Cyberpark, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.
telephone: 706-5573

Dinner at Kao-Chi Restaurant

Ok enough of the diet food. I still eat out but much less and I bring my pocket scale with me. My cousin Benjie and his daughter Li-An were home for a vacation and Rochelle and I wanted to treat them to dinner.

My cousin lives in Taipei and he was the one who picked us up from the airport and took us around the city. If you’re going to Taipei he can do the same for you. Click here for Benjie’s contact info.

We ate in a relatively new restaurant in N.S. Amoranto St. (formerly Retiro), a popular food street in Quezon City. The last time I ate in that area was in 2009 at Asian Twist which was on the same street. It was Benjie’s choice since he lived near this area and we wanted it to be more convenient for him. Surprisingly it was a quick and easy drive from Greenhills on a week night. Definitely faster than going to Makati.

Surprisingly nice, red and modern Chinese interiors.

They also had private function rooms.

I found it quirky that a young girl chose this drink. She liked it a lot.

blueberry yogurt P110

Since I couldn’t have pork nor carbs on my diet I didn’t try any of the dim sum. I’ll just report on my friends comments. Rochelle who is a xiao long bao addict said it was just ok and a far cry from her favorite from Lugang Cafe.

xiao long bao P138/6 pcs.

They called it fried xiao long bao but it’s more popularly known as jian bao or fried pork bun. The bottom was actually golden brown. I cut one in half and noticed that the dough was thick and there was very little pork filling unlike the best jian bao I’ve ever eaten at Raohe night market in Taipei.

fried xiao long bao P188/6 pcs.

The dumplings fared better than the xiao long bao. They were gone in an instant.

hand made pork dumplings P138/10 pcs.

fried pork dumplings P138/6 pcs.

My friend DB who’s a vegetarian ordered this. If you’re wondering what rice cake tastes like? Think palitaw without the sugar and a firmer consistency.

stir fried potherb mustard with rice cake P238

The kids loved the noodles. Well so did Rochelle.

fried noodles P238

And this is what I ate. When I eat in a Chinese restaurant I usually end up with white chicken or Hainanese chicken since it’s steamed and it doesn’t have soy sauce. I was surprised that this chicken was refrigerator cold. And it was very, very bland. As in it didn’t have any chicken flavor anymore. It was served with a sweetish soy based sauce. My friends said the chicken was good when dipped with the sauce. But since I can’t have sauce I had to eat tasteless chicken. Really depressing.

white chicken P376/ 1/2 chicken

I also ate this yummy spinach. The tricky thing about eating out while on the Cohen diet is weighing the food. I’m supposed to weigh my food before cooking. The weight of food specially veggies change after cooking. So I just had to approximate the weight of what I ate.

stir fried spinach with garlic P238

I wonder what the 8 delicacies were.

spinach with 8 delicacies P120

I also had some of the delicious mushrooms. Just a little since it had soy sauce. Cheating!

assorted mushroom with broccoli P338

I couldn’t resist trying (cheating) a piece of the tofu. It was sooooo good!!! I want a whole order of this when my diet is over.

fermented tofu with special sauce P238

Rochelle loves hot dessert so she ordered this.

stuffed tang yuan with osmanthus sweet soup P138

It’s sticky just like mochi and made with glutinous rice flour and stuffed with black sesame paste and boiled in a sweet broth.

Benjie’s daughter Li-An

The food was very reasonably priced. We spent P2,800 for 5 adults and 2 kids. The food was pretty good overall. This is another reason to eat at N.S. Amoranto more often.

Kao-Chi’s menu

Kao-Chi Restaurant
109 N.S. Amoranto St. (formerly Retiro) Quezon City

telephone: 410-7788, 410-7799

Cohen Lifestyle Meals – Beef & Chicken

Next to portion control the most important thing on the Cohen Lifestyle diet is eating protein with vegetables for all meals.

The first picture is my version of taco salad. Chop lean beef and season with chili powder, cumin, salt &amp; pepper. Stir fry and put on top of salad greens.

I like using fresh herbs to marinade my food. For beef I use rosemary or thyme.

tenderloin beef strips with bok choy

To give you an idea of the portion of food I eat, I use a Corelle 8-3/4″ Luncheon Plate. Using a small plate will fool your eyes that you’re eating more. That’s a diet tip I often read about and I chose to follow it so my meals won’t look too depressing.

sirloin beef, garlic, and bok choy

For the ultimate indulgence I went to Santi’s and had US Angus prime rib sliced into sukiyaki cut. I trimmed all the visible fat from the beef. I can’t tell you how buttery soft and flavorful the beef is. Since I’m eating such controlled portions I deserve good quality food right?

With beef this good all it really needs is salt and pepper. Stir fry quickly. Don’t overcook. For veggies I sautéed some shimeji mushroom in the same pan I used to cook the beef.

sukiyaki beef with shimeji mushroom

For this Japanese inspired beef dish I blanched the enoki or golden mushroom in boiling water for a minute. Then get a piece of sukiyaki beef that has been seasoned with salt, pepper &amp; garlic powder and place a good amount of blanched mushroom on the beef and roll tightly. Pan fry until beef is cooked.

beef and enoki mushroom roll

I love burgers and even before my diet I always eat it with only one side of the bun and without any cheese so eating it the Cohen way wasn’t hard for me. In fact it’s my favorite meal. The secret was switching the type of veggies with my burger. I also used Angus beef from Santi’s to make the burgers which I cook for precisely two minutes on a George Foreman grill.

Sautéed mushroom slices topped my burger and served with a green salad with chopped tomatoes and cucumber. My usual dressing is either white balsamic or Modena balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper and a drop of olive oil.

burger w/ mushroom and salad

I was inspired from my dinner at Orris in Los Angeles to make grilled romaine lettuce. It was very easy and so delicious. Clean and dry the romaine lettuce. Do not separate the leaves. Do not cut the hard bottom of the leaves so they will stay together. Spray some olive oil on the leaves and season with salt and pepper. Grill for a minute or until the outer leaves are lightly charred. I used a George Forman grill that’s why both sides were evenly cooked. You can use a grill pan too. Salad dressing is optional.

If you’re not on a diet top the grilled romaine with shaved Parmesan cheese and dress it with your favorite vinaigrette.

burger with grilled romaine lettuce

Even a burger with bok choy and mushroom is yummy. For my burgers all I do is form the ground beef into patties and liberally put salt and pepper on the outside of the patty. More info here.

burger with bok choy

In this diet only chicken or turkey breast without skin is allowed. It’s a good thing I love chicken breast. I heard others can’t stand chicken breast so they skip chicken all together. They’re missing a lot of good meals.

I made my own Cohen style pesto by combining fresh basil leaves with fresh garlic, salt and pepper and a little oil just for to moisten the mixture. I marinated the chicken breast with the pesto and grilled it. I served it with mango cubes and butter lettuce.

grilled chicken pesto salad

My favorite herb to use with chicken is fresh tarragon. I simply love the bold flavor it brings to bland chicken. Just add chopped tarragon to the chicken breast, season it and grill or pan fry. You can even add low fat mayonnaise to the chicken to make chicken salad. Chopped apple or mango would also taste great with this salad.

If you’re not on a diet give your regular chicken salad a twist by adding chopped fresh tarragon to the mayonnaise dressing. Add some seedless grape halves or pineapple chunks and sliced almonds for a twist.

chicken tarragon salad

This is my version of Cohen Hainanese chicken. I simply cooked the chicken and made a sauce of finely grated ginger with just a little hot oil. You can also steam seasoned chicken breast and serve with the grated ginger mixture. Really good!

Hainanese chicken with bok choy

chicken with spinach

Marinade chicken cubes with some curry powder and sauté quickly.

chicken curry

In Unimart I buy “chicken mushroom”. It’s a large and long piece of white mushroom. I sautéed the mushroom with chicken and topped it with basil leaves. Add the basil only when the chicken and mushroom are already cooked. Remove from heat immediately after adding the basil. You can also use Thai basil.

chicken and mushroom with basil

The most filling meal for me is this chicken and vegetable soup. Add 1 to 1/2 cup water to chicken breast that has been cut into small pieces. Add bok choy, tomatoes, chicken mushroom (what you see floating on the soup) and simmer until you have really flavorful soup. Don’t forget to season with salt and pepper. This makes a big bowl of soup. Perfect for rainy weather or when you’re feeling hungry.

chicken and vegetable soup

I hope this series on Cohen meals inspired those on the same diet and also those who are thinking of shedding a few pounds. It’s really all about healthy eating and eliminating white flour and sugar from the diet. For a while anyway. After I lose all my weight I plan to eat some bread and cookies but in a controlled amount. It’s a lifestyle change to keep the weight off.

More Cohen Recipes:
Breakfast
Seafood & Vegetarian

Santi’s Delicatessen
The Promenade Bldg., 198 Wilson Street Corner
P. Guevarra, San Juan City
telephone: 381-2926; 381-2934

San Antonio Plaza Arcade, Forbes Park
Makati City, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: 894-1293

Cohen Lifestyle Philippines

Suite 1006 Medical Plaza Makati (Across Makati Medical Center)
Amorsolo cor Dela Rosa Sts. Legazpi Village, Makati City
Manila, Philippines 1223
telephone: +63(2) 502.1090
mobile: +63 (917) 89.COHEN
(0917) 892.6436

Office Hours
M – W, F 8:30am -5:30pm
Thur 1:00pm – 7:30pm
Sat 8:30am -12:00pm

Cohen Lifestyle Seafood & Vegetarian Meals

My cousins and friends will surely gasp on the title alone. They know I seldom order seafood or veggies when we eat out. My favorite food to order pre-diet was pasta. I was your typical carb lover.

The good thing about the Cohen Lifestyle diet was it forced me to eat seafood and veggies and now I actually enjoy it. The food we can eat on this diet is limited and so are the spices. It takes a lot of thinking and planning of my weekly menu so I won’t get bored and tired of the food.

These pictures are just guides for those on the same diet. Please follow your allowed food portion when you cook these recipes.

SHRIMP
Before I would eat shrimp only if it was tempura or fried or the occasional gambas. Now I love it with a green salad, mango and tomatoes just like the first picture. I spritz some balsamic vinegar with a drop of olive oil for my dressing.

Sauté some shrimp with garlic and season with your desired spices. I paired it with a mixture of bok choy and cauliflower. Presentation helps too. I’m so blessed with a cook with a flair for plating.

shrimp and veggies

In this dish bok choy was sautéed with shrimp and crabmeat. Obviously bok choy has become my favorite veggie next to romaine lettuce and arugula.

shrimp, crabmeat and bok choy stir fry

CRAB
Once a week I have my favorite crab cakes either with a salad or bok choy. To make this simply add a teaspoon of diet mayonnaise, 2 crackers crushed, lemon juice, salt & pepper to crabmeat. Form into patties and pan fry. I don’t miss the regular greasy crab cakes.

crab cakes

Simply sauté veggies with crabmeat.

crabmeat and bok choy

SQUID
Stuff the squid with chopped tomatoes, onions and grill or steam. Slice when cooked. Another variation which I love even more is to add chopped mushroom to the tomato mixture.

stuffed squid

Slice squid and sauté with garlic and add a dash of chili powder if desired.

garlic squid and bok choy

FISH
I’m not very fond of canned tuna unless it’s swimming in mayonnaise. But I eat it once in a while. Mix tuna flakes with apple cubes and flavor with some lemon juice and pepper. Pile on top of lettuce and enjoy this hearty meal.

tuna salad

I really dislike cauliflower but I tried to eat it this way. Steam the cauliflower until tender.

Mash with a fork and season.

Add tuna flakes and form into a patty and pan fry.

Needless to say I only made this recipe once. It wasn’t bad but I just don’t like the taste of cauliflower. Even when mashed.

tuna and cauliflower

Place the fish on parchment paper or aluminum foil, top with tomatoes, onions and mushroom or veggies of your choice. Fold the paper well and steam. Unbelievably yummy!

fish in parchment paper

Asparagus is another veggie I’m not too keen on. So this was a one time dish too.

fish and asparagus

Pan searing is my favorite way of cooking fish. Season the fish with fresh dill or thyme, salt & pepper then place in a hot pan. Do not flip until you see the top of the fish is almost white. Then flip the fish and cook for just a few minutes more.

pan seared sole fish

I got the idea for this dish from a recipe of Martha Stewart. Spray some olive oil on a baking dish put the fish, mushroom and tomato. Spray some more oil on top of the fish and veggies. Season and bake for ten minutes or until the fish is cooked.

baked tilapia with mushroom and tomato

VEGETARIAN
Initially I thought a purely vegetarian meal would leave me hungry. I was surprised that I was just as full without any meat or seafood.

I have a salad made with romaine lettuce, arugula, tomatoes, mushroom and feta cheese every Saturday lunch. It’s really, really good.

I tried making a Cohen style pizza. In the first bowl is lightly sautéed shimeji mushroom, arugula and chopped tomatoes (or any toppings you like). Surprisingly mozzarella cheese is allowed on this diet but I rarely have it. For the base of the crust I used 2 crispbreads (Wasa brand).

Pile all the veggies on the crispbread.

Place it on a tray and top with all your allowed mozzarella cheese. I used a toaster oven to make this.

Bake until the cheese melts. It was actually good and very filling but I’d rather eat my crackers separately rather than use it with a meal that’s why I’ve only made this once.

Cohen style pizza

I pressed a square of tofu in between paper towels and a heavy weight on top to release excess moisture. I coated the tofu with chili powder, salt and pepper and pan fried it until golden brown.

Next I sautéed some mushrooms and topped it on the tofu steak. It’s good but somehow I miss the Japanese restaurant style where the tofu is breaded with panko and deep fried.

tofu steak with mushroom sauce

I’m happy to report that after 5 months on this diet my blood pressure has gone down, my acid reflux has disappeared and I’ve lost lots of weight. So eating the same food over and over again for a few months is not a big thing when the benefits outweigh the sacrifice.

Meat and chicken dishes on Monday.

More Cohen Recipes:

Breakfast

Beef & Chicken

Cohen Lifestyle Philippines
Suite 1006 Medical Plaza Makati (Across Makati Medical Center)
Amorsolo cor Dela Rosa Sts. Legazpi Village, Makati City
Manila, Philippines 1223
telephone: +63(2) 502.1090
mobile: +63 (917) 89.COHEN
(0917) 892.6436

Office Hours
M – W, F 8:30am -5:30pm
Thur 1:00pm – 7:30pm
Sat 8:30am -12:00pm

Cohen Lifestyle Breakfast Meals

As many of my regular readers know by now, I’m a food blogger on a diet. Specifically the Cohen Lifestyle diet.

I’m almost halfway through and I’ve lost a substantial amount of weight through healthy eating. The hardest part of this diet when I started was breakfast. Before this diet my favorite breakfast was a hard roll from Chef Philippe slathered with marmalade or peanut butter or both. Or I would a have one of Bread Talk’s yummy bread like pork floss or the ham and cheese roll. Once in a blue moon I swipe some left over garlic rice and tapa from my store’s production line. If I felt like eating healthy I’d make some muesli or have some yogurt with cereal and dried fruit.

What I never ever ate was eggs because I simply hate eggs. In a normal year eating 3 eggs was about average. With the Cohen diet one of the breakfast options was 1 egg with your choice of allowed vegetables. Thus I tried to get creative and forced myself to eat eggs.

So here are some of my breakfast meals. The first picture is scrambled eggs with shimeji mushrooms. Most of my breakfast involved eggs and mushroom just because I don’t like many of the other allowed vegetables on the diet. If you will make these recipes just follow your food allowance.

Poached egg with baby bella mushrooms sautéed in a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

poached egg and mushroom

I use a small George Foreman grill to grill the mushroom. I found this griller to be invaluable in cooking most of my meals from beef, burgers, chicken breast to seafood. Everything comes out perfectly done and very moist.

Poached egg and grilled baby bella mushroom

A very hot pan with a spray of oil makes gives the egg a toasted bottom while the yolk remains soft. It’s just the way I like it.

Diced mushrooms with a fried egg

Boil the water, drop in the egg and cover the pot and let the egg sit in for 4 minutes with the fire off. That’s how I did the soft boiled egg.

4 minute egg w/ mushroom

Mince mushrooms, season with salt and pepper and some fresh herbs and sauté. Break the top of the egg and fill with the duxelle.

soft boiled egg and duxelle

One of my readers, Andrea, suggested this mushroom frittata. Sauté sliced mushrooms then add in a beaten egg. When the egg has set flip over to cook until the egg has set.

mushroom frittata

Add a little water to the egg for creamier and fluffier scrambled eggs. If you’re not on a diet add some milk or even cream or half and half.

scrambled egg with mushroom

I needed a break from eggs and came up with this. Low fat ricotta or cottage cheese mixed with homemade pesto (fresh basil with a little olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper) and stuffed into baby bella mushrooms and baked in the toaster oven for a few minutes. These were really, really yummy. I got this idea from this forum. These would also make good appetizers for a dinner party.

ricotta and pesto stuffed baby bella mushroom

With my tomato allowance I made some chunky tomato sauce with fresh basil garlic and topped it on a poached egg. It’s my take on huevos rancheros.

tomato sauce on a egg

One meal I used to make was sautéed spinach with mushroom and topped with grated mozzarella cheese. I let it cook in the pan until the cheese melted and some crust formed on the pan. The best part of this was the crunchy cheese that I scraped from the bottom of the pan which you can see in the picture. It was very indulgent and tasted just like pizza without the crust.

spinach, mushroom and mozzarella cheese

Mash some steamed cauliflower and top with grated mozzarella cheese. Microwave until cheese melts. I really don’t like cauliflower so I never made this again.

mashed cauliflower with mozzarella cheese

I had to stop eating eggs. I couldn’t stand to eat another egg. So I made some egg free breakfast food. These were good alternatives but I’d rather eat them for lunch or dinner.

Tuna burger made with canned tuna in water mixed with 1 tsp. low fat mayonnaise, 1 or 2 crackers crushed and seasoned salt and pepper. Form all ingredients into a patty and pan fry in a little oil. I added some bok choy to complete it. This is a very filling breakfast.

tuna burger

Fresh crab meat sautéed with bok choy and mushroom.

crab and bok choy sauté

Shrimp sautéed with tomatoes and mushroom and seasoned with some paprika or chili powder.

shrimp sauté

After several months of egg and non-egg breakfast I now eat my favorite 98% fat free plain yogurt with either a mango, a fresh peach which is in season now or orange segments. I’m so happy that super sweet peaches from China are now available locally. Eating this everyday makes me happy and full until lunch 5 hours later.

I also have an espresso or a tall brewed coffee from Starbucks everyday. Thanks to my HSBC receipts I just discovered how delicious Starbucks’ Kenya and Sumatra coffees are.

I hope these meals help those who are in the Cohen diet. If you’re not on this diet then eating breakfast this way may help you lose a few pounds. Portion control is a big key factor. I still miss eating bread though.

For those doing the same diet what are your favorite breakfast meals? Give me your suggestions to get me out of this rut.

More Cohen Recipes:

Seafood and Vegetarian

Beef and Chicken

Office Hours
M – W, F 8:30am -5:30pm
Thur 1:00pm – 7:30pm
Sat 8:30am -12:00pm

Dinner at Apartment 1B Gourmet Comfort Food

Our friend Tisay treated us for her birthday at Apartment 1B in Makati.

Apartment 1B has been around for at least 5 years and it’s one of the restaurants that serves consistently good food. In a very fickle restaurant market being open this long with a relatively unchanged menu is a big feat.

It was a Saturday night and considering the location of Apartment 1B which was in a totally dead area in Makati on weekends the restaurant was full.

The food was good, the portions just right and it was really tummy filling comfort food.

buffalo wings

baked samosas – mushrooms, spinach and cheese P290

A couple of friends split two main courses to share. This was half an order of baby back ribs. The good thing about splitting an order is you still get a good portion of sidings. That’s a good tip to remember when eating out. Let the kitchen split a dish for you instead of just sharing it on the table. The restaurant will never let a dish look bare and pathetic so they put sidings on both plates so the order will look nice.

baby back ribs – half rack P460, whole P920

crabcakes – lump crabmeat, shoestring potatoes, mustard sauce & salad greens P330

My skinny friend Jenny loves their pork chops and managed to down this big serving with an extra bowl of rice.

grilled pork chops – homemade apple sauce, mashed potatoes P490

spaghetti vongole – P370

Rochelle said the turkey burger was a bit dry but the addition gruyere cheese and cranberry made it delectable.

turkey burger – ground turkey breast, gruyere cheese, alfalfa sprouts & cranberry P480

Chris tried to copy me by dispensing with the buns but she was still hungry so she ended up eating one of Rochelle’s buns.

beef burger with Swiss cheese, mushrooms & onions – P460

I was very happy that the kitchen accommodated my request for a Cohen approved meal. They gave me a big salad in exchange for fries and buns. Apartment 1B serves one of the better burgers in Manila. It’s all beef without extenders just the way I like it.

beef burger with salad – P360

Apartment 1B’s breakfast menu

Aprartment 1B’s menu

Apartment 1B Gourmet Comfort Food
One Lafayette Square
132 L.P. Leviste Corner Sedeno St.
Salcedo Village, Makati City 1227
telephone: 843-4075

Rooms at The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

After lunch at Tosca we took a tour of the hotel rooms of The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong.

I love looking at swanky hotel rooms since that’s the only chance I’ll get to see them and dream about staying in one.

I didn’t know that in new hotels you just swipe your key to enter. No need to enter your key the wrong way ever again.

Deluxe Room – HK$3,688 or US$472 (I got the prices online. Prices will differ due to availability)

The room was a bit compact but it was very well appointed.

I loved the super duper expensive onyx countertop. It was even lighted underneath.

Is that a mirror in the shower?

In other hotels only the suites get a Nespresso machine. In this hotel all the rooms get one. I really like those cups.

This room was ready for occupancy since the fruits and truffles were out.

There was a bench seat to enjoy the view. Too bad it was a foggy day.

Junior Suite – HK$6,000

Now this room was more to my liking. It was so much more spacious.

Nice mirror! Imagine seeing all your cellulite in three angles.

A telescope in a hotel room is definitely novel idea!

Premier Suite = HK$9,000

The first tv was in the living room/office.

The bedroom was in another room.

The second tv was in the bedroom.

The bathroom is similar to the one above. Here’s a better look at the lighted onyx countertop.

The toilet can also be accessed from the office.

I hope you enjoyed the 2 cent tour of The Ritz-Cartlon’s rooms! Click here to reserve your room.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
International Commerce Centre
1 Austin Road West Kowloon, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2263 2263 Fax: (852) 2263 2260

Lunch at Tosca, Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong

If you’ve been following this blog then you will know that I was in Hong Kong last April and I was on a diet. I wasn’t planning on eating out at all but when our friends invited us to try out an Italian restaurant in the newest and tallest hotel in the world how can I resist.

The only other time I ate out was Easter Sunday lunch at my favorite restaurant Grissini. Well it was a special occasion right?

When you enter the building from the street level it’s actually the 9th floor already. There was a small pastry shop to the right called Pastry Gems.
seating for Pastry Gems at the arrival lobby

The staff by the elevator were quite strict on checking for everyone’s reservations before they were allowed to ride the high speed elevator. We rode straight to the 103rd floor where the hotel lobby was located. The 312 room hotel occupied the 102nd floor to the 118th floor of the building.

registration at the 103rd floor

From the hotel lobby we took the escalator down to the 102nd floor where three restaurants, Tosca, Tin Lung Heen & The Lounge and Bar, were located.

The Lounge and Bar was located in between the two restaurants.

wine storage

leading to Tosca

open kitchen of Tosca

Tosca serves cuisine from Southern Italy.

Tosca’s lunch set menu

The hardest thing for me in this diet was not eating bread. I can easily give up rice but I miss bread so much. Thankfully the choices weren’t very tempting. I did try some crispy papadum. The bread was good when hot but turned tough and chewy when cold. Thank you, thank you!

Even though I knew I was going to cheat on my diet I still tried my best to order food allowed on my diet. For starters I chose the thinly sliced beef sirloin bresaola or aged air-dried salted beef. It tasted just like salami but without all the fat.

Beef Sirloin Bresaola and Seasonal Vegetables

Everyone who had the fish consomme complained that it was horrible and it had a strong fishy smell. I tasted it and it was indeed bland and tasted like it was made from boiled shellfish shells instead of fish.

Red Cunard Consomme w/ Baby Vegetables

This pasta dish wasn’t on the menu but when our host requested a simple spaghetti bolognese the chef outdid himself and produced this spectacularly sublime spaghetti with Wagyu beef. They should make it a regular item.
Spaghetti with Wagyu Beef

My friend really loved her simple spaghetti. The fresh ingredients and super al dente pasta were delish!

Spaghetti Chitara Style w/ Cherry Tomatoes & Parmesan

My mom said the ravioli was positively divine and very buttery.

Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli w/ Mandarin Mustard & Walnuts Sauce

The beef was very tender that you don’t need a knife to cut it.
Braised Beef Cheeks, Parma Ham & Peas

I requested for more veggies with my main course and they gave me a large plate of raddichio. Definitely a big change from the usual romaine and arugula I eat in Manila.

Raddichio & Goat Cheese Salad

I ordered the breaded veal chop for lunch. I was allowed veal and I’ve never had it in Manila so this was a treat and a cheat because of the breading. It tasted a bit oily but with a good squeeze of lemon juice and a dash of salt I was a happy, happy cheater.
Breaded Veal Chop

Since I can’t have dessert I enjoyed my rich, strong coffee instead. This was one of the better hotel coffees I’ve had.

Everyone said the desserts were just ok. Whew! I wasn’t missing much then.
Caramel & Pineapple Tart with Hazelnut Gelato

Tosca Tiramisu

The petit fours were really, really tempting. I almost caved in. Almost.
Petit Fours

Too bad it was a cloudy day and we couldn’t enjoy the view of the harbour.

It wasn’t the best tasting food but I was glad to see the hotel and experience dining at Tosca.

After lunch we looked at the different rooms in the hotel. I will post the pictures on Friday. By the time we left the hotel at 3:00 pm there was a long line that snaked around half of the arrival lobby. I found out that people were queuing to get into The Chocolate Library at the 103rd floor for chocolate afternoon tea. Wow! I have to try that as soon as my diet is over.

The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong
International Commerce Centre
1 Austin Road West Kowloon, Hong Kong
Phone: (852) 2263 2263 Fax: (852) 2263 2260