Shoot First Eat Later

Delize by Jill Sandique

I came home from work one day and was told there were two cakes in the refrigerator that arrived for me. When I saw that the cakes were from Jill Sandique I almost fainted with joy.

I was so excited and was already trying to decide which to try first, the chocolate concorde or the pistachio sans rival.

I knew who Jill Sandique was since I’ve watched her on tv when she guested on Heny Sison’s now defunct cooking show. I’ve seen her cakes on almost all the lists of best cakes and desserts in Manila.

The sad thing was I’ve never tried any of her cakes that’s why seeing these two cakes made me quiver with excitement until I remembered that these were for that night’s HS reunion party and my friend Lani just dropped them off at my house for me to bring it to the party.

So with deep sadness in my heart and belly I just took pictures of the lovely, lovely cakes. I did try the chocolate meringue rolls on top of the Chocolate Concorde cake. I was surprised with how chocolatey it was. It was chewy and not too sweet. I really, really wanted to poke my finger and take a big swipe of the cake and cover the hole with the chocolate rolls. I bet no one would notice.
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Chocolate Concorde Cake P920

Sans Rival is one of my favorite cakes and I’m always on the look out for better ones to add to my list.

Pistachio Sans Rival P950

After dinner that night I finally got to try the cakes. The pistachio sans rival wasn’t as crunchy as I liked but Lani assured me that it was usually crunchy. Maybe it melted in traffic on the way to the party. I did like the flavors of the pistachio and it wasn’t too sweet.

On the other hand the Chocolate Concorde was as yummy as I imagined. The meringue layers were chewy and the chocolate mousse was rich, dark and very, very sinful. I took home a good portion of the cake and enjoyed it with coffee for a few days.

Delize by Jill Sandique
No. 33 Sunrise Drive, Cubao Q.C.
Telephone: 721-7022, 497-8811
Mobile: 0922-8262673

Sunday Lunch at Torch Restaurant

Another Sunday and this time we went to Torch in Greenhills. I’ve read mixed reviews and I wanted to judge the food myself.

Torch is located at the side of Home Studio in busy Connecticut St. in Greenhills. This residential street is now becoming a restaurant row thus all the traffic.

We were there on the day Filipino boxer Donaire beat Montiel and the game was on tv in the restaurant and everybody was watching and cheering. Maybe the waiters were watching too that’s why the service was so bad. More on that later.

The nice thing about Torch restaurant is they have something for everyone. They have sushi, pizza, burgers and even steak. Normally I don’t care for restaurants which have no specific cuisine. How can a restaurant be good in all types of food? Surprisingly Torch pulls it off with some room for improvement.

Peppermill signature roll P399.95

I really liked their signature roll filled with soft shelled crab and salmon skin and topped with kani (faux crabmeat) and spicy mango sauce. I didn’t really taste much of the crab or the salmon skin but it added crunch to the sweet and spicy roll. My only complaint was the rice was very mushy. For sushi the most important is getting the right texture and flavor for the rice. Too bad since I loved the overflowing topping.

In contrast the Cowboy Roll had very little U.S. Angus beef and shitake mushroom. All I could taste was mushy rice and the sesame sauce.

cowboy roll P389.95

The Cowboy Roll was dipped in tempura batter, fried then sliced. I didn’t enjoy this roll at all.

Their pizza was fabulous! The crust was amazingly thin and it remained crunchy despite the weight of all the steak, mozarella and cream cheese. You must order their pizzas!

Philly Cheese steak pizza P349.95

The chicken yakitori was a nice complete meal by itself. The chicken pieces were tender but a bit bland. The fried rice was good but again the rice was mushy.

chicken yakitori P384.95

Jason’s ribs were very tender and flavorful.

jabañero babyback ribs P484.95

I wasn’t able to try the steak but Christine said it was just ok.

salpicao medallion P449.95

I wasn’t impressed with the truffle fries. It smelled like truffles but I didn’t taste any truffle flavor on the potatoes or the dip. The dip was good and tasted of mushrooms but it wasn’t enough to save the soggy, oily fries.

truffle fries P234.95

Young Andrew’s chicken fingers were bland.

chicken fingers P294.95

There was a malfunction with their decor. The leaves kept falling on Jason.

For a restaurant that has been open for a few months their menus were in terrible shape. Most of the menus were even missing pages while some had double pages. All the menus were partially torn and the edges looked like it was fed into a shredder and pulled back.

The food came out one at a time with several minutes interval in between. Some in our group have finished with their meals while others have yet to eat. The popcorn shrimp that the waiter enthusiastically recommended never arrived. The U.S. Angus steak roll was on the bill but it too never came out. I think they didn’t have enough waiters that day and the place was filled to capacity. Maybe because the restaurant was relatively new, maybe it was because of the boxing match on tv. Whatever the reason, the service was spotty but that could easily be improved.

I would stick with their sushi and pizza and skip the others. And for those two dishes I would go back and brave whatever service I get.

Torch Restaurant’s menu
starters, sandwiches & burgers, pork & beef,
lamb, chicken & seafood, Italian fusion, Japanese fusion,
desserts

Torch Restaurant
Home Studio Building,
63 Connecticut Street, Greenhills, San Juan, Philippines.
Telephone: +632-477-3771, +632-502-0000

Dinner at Feng Wei Wee

This is the best fried rice I’ve ever eaten.

I never got the chance to eat at Feng Wei Wee when it was turo-turo (literally point-point) style. They used to have a variety of ready cooked dishes for you to choose from.

I’m happy that they renovated and is now a full-pledged restaurant.

I never liked whole dumplings that are fried. I much prefer the type where only the bottom of the dumpling is fried like with Japanese gyoza or Chinese potstickers. But these weren’t bad at all. It wasn’t greasy and the filling was tasty.

fried dumplings P120 (8 pieces)

For me the best bihon or vermicelli is one with stewed pork leg either homemade or from the can. And so far other than our cook’s bihon the best is from Mann Hann.

Taiwan bihon P200

The steamed pork was simple and ok.

steamed pork P140

The oysters were fresh and plump but there was a flavor that I couldn’t place that I didn’t like. It tasted like cumin or curry powder or something like that. It was a bit off for this dish.

sizzling oyster tausi P230

I did like the fried egg on the sizzling plate.

While eating the other dishes we couldn’t help but compare them to Lugang Cafe or Mann Hann but when the fried rice arrived and I ate my first spoonful all comparisons ended.

The rice was perfectly season, the grains were fluffy and not too soft or too hard and the Taiwan sausage added a little bit of sweetness. The rice they used came from Taiwan. Maybe that’s why it was so good. I forgot all the other viands and just ate the fried rice. It was that heavenly. An order is good for 3-4 people or 2 really hungry rice lovers.

Taiwan fried rice P250

The 3 cups chicken was a disappointment and a far, far cry from the Lugang Cafe’s delicious version.

3 cups chicken P250

sauteed green mustard P180

The mushroom soup was unique and pretty good.

steamed herb mushroom soup P380

The lapu lapu was fresh but just a tad overcooked and gummy. But not bad for a small restaurant. I’ve tasted much worse from some big, famous Chinese restaurants in Manila.

steamed live fish (lapu lapu)

For dessert I ordered a glass of milk tea w/ sagu (tapioca or sago) since the manager assured me it was their bestseller.

milk tea w/ sagu P100

I looked like a goldfish with all my effort trying to drink the tea when I looked at the end of my straw to see all the sago stuck.

The sago was a congealed mess! When I finally got to taste the milk tea I found it too sweet and barely any tea taste.

The manager changed my order and promised to make the tea stronger and less sweet. Alas it was still mostly sweet milk. I can’t wait for Gong Cha to open in Mall of Asia soon so everyone can try what really good and authentic milk tea tastes like.

Overall the food wasn’t that great but the prices were really very reasonable. But you MUST go try the Taiwan fried rice! Maybe they have other dishes that will taste better. I will definitely go back for the fried rice again and again and again. I hope they cook it consistently or else I might read negative comments soon.

Feng Wei Wee menu
appetizer, main dish, soup & vegetables, clay pot (sizzling)/rice,
dessert, noodles & snacks

Feng Wei Wee Taiwan Cuisine
Unit 2 Madison Square Wilson
229 Wilson St. Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila
telephone: 723-2039, 571-8955

82 Banawe St. cor. Samat St. Quezon City
telephone: 731-3112, 412-5435

Sunday Lunch at Mangetsu Japanese Fusion Restaurant

We wanted a change from our usual Sunday lunch at Choi Garden so I suggested Mangetsu, a Japanese restaurant in Makati Creekside Mall that I saw from Rica’s blog and as recommended by my friend Arlene.

Mangetsu was right beside Sango burger. The last time I ate at what used to be called Mile Long arcade was sometime in the 80s when Mongolian barbecue was the craze.

There was no seating on the ground floor of this small restaurant. Upon entering you turn left and walk a few steps to the stairs.

This was quite a narrow staircase. We sat at the mezzanine level which was accessed from the first landing on the stairs. You can see the opening on the right. The main dining area was at the top of the stairs.

There was really no ambiance. The ceiling was very low and it was super dark. Our table for ten was lighted by only 3 pieces of halogen lights. I had to use flash for the picture below. It was really, really a huge challenge to shoot all the food pictures without flash.

From our table we had a view of the kitchen. We were intrigued by what was cooking in that big stock pot.

Ewww not my idea of a clean restaurant kitchen.

After seeing the kitchen, the restaurant and the super thick menu with small pictures of food at high prices I already had my doubts if the food was going to be good.

The free cold barley drink was very good and tasty unlike the watered down versions in other Japanese restaurants.

cold barley drink

This was what was cooking on the big pot above. Slow cooked pork belly on top of rice. It came with a bowl of salad. The meat was tender but it wasn’t very tasty. I think all the flavor went to the stock.

chasyu bowl set meal P253

Anthony did all the ordering and was he confused. There were 36 pages of the menu with 4 items per page or 144 items. We thought the servings were small so Anthony ordered almost 2 of everything. Imagine our shock when the servings were all normal sized.

potato salad P150

Simple canned tuna and eggs with Japanese mayonnaise and bonito flakes. Not bad but quite ordinary.

tuna omelet P275

We loved the small crunchy pieces of fried chicken. I really liked the different flavors of salt too.

Japanese fried chicken w/ 3 salts (sansho salt, green tea salt & black pepper salt) P330

Both fried rice were simple but very flavorful. Sarah, who’s Japanese, said the flavors were very authentic.

egg & leeks fried rice P195

seaweed fried rice P225

deep fried tofu P185

My favorite was the unique Japanese cheese and leeks pizza. It was a cross between Chinese onion cake and Italian thin crust pizza. Really, really yummy!

cheese & leeks pizza P115

green vegetables P115

This stew was basically a rich beef broth with generous amount of melt-in-your-mouth beef with “litid” or ligament.

salt stewed fibrous meat P345

The beef was a bit rare for our taste but the sauce was citrusy and potent.

beef steak w/ ponzu butter sauce P650

We liked the thin and tender beef slices better.

beef slices w/ teriyaki sauce P345

The kids shared a bowl of ramen. They said it was just average.

shoyu ramen P350

Despite all the initial negative impressions we had, we finished what we could, took home lots of left-overs and just loved the food. There were so many different things to order that for the first time we didn’t order the usual tempura or sushi in a Japanese restaurant. We were already thinking when we could go back again. Two thumbs up!!!

Mangetsu’s menu (all 36 pages!)

Mangetsu Japanese Fusion Restaurant
Makati Creekside Mall. Amorsolo corner V.A. Rufino
Legaspi Village, Makati (this branch is now closed)
telephone: 894-1553

New Location
38 Jupiter Street, Bel-Air, Makati
telephone: 478-3292

Dinner at Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood

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When Jin and Franny, two of Manila’s popular food bloggers suggested we meet I immediately agreed and the ideas on where to eat was our biggest dilemma.

I suggested Myron’s since I have never eaten there and they can accomodate my diet requirements. Yes, a food blogger on a diet. This was actually the first time to eat out since I started my diet.

So after a few weeks of correspondence on Facebook we finally met on Wednesday night at Rockwell’s Power Plant Mall.

The snow white girl is Jin of Jin Loves to Eat. If you’ve seen her blog and her pictures I can vouch she is really, really white and her skin is flawless. I hate her! 😀

The girl with the big smile is Franny of Franny Wanny. Yes she is as friendly as she looks. We both graduated from the same high school although a decade or more apart. I can’t believe I admitted that! She’s the more senior blogger among us with 4 years under her belt while Jin and my blog’s are a mere 2 years old.

Jin and Fran shared the soup, steak and sidings. I was so happy they didn’t order paella or burgers, that would have made me weep with envy.

prawn bisque P160

Fran and Jin weren’t sure they could finish this entire steak but they did.

The President P2,010

I couldn’t resist taking a teeny weeny bite of the charred steak. Oh my, it was so flavorful and very juicy.

Jin wanted her steak medium rare while Franny preferred it medium well. The chef did a good job of splitting the steak lengthwise and cooking it accordingly. Jin commented that she wished it was a little more rare but I didn’t see her complaining as she demolished her share. Well they both did.

It was amusing to see my dinner companions taking pictures too. Usually I’m the only one taking pictures with everyone else glaring impatiently at me waiting for their chance to eat.

Even though these ladies were younger than me we never ran out of things to talk about. From the moment they sat down it was non-stop chatting for 3 hours. I really had a good time sharing stories about food blogging and listening with envy when Fran told us about all the freebies she has received. Hmm why haven’t Jin and I gotten anything?

Jin and Fran

I was surprised that they didn’t finish one bowl of ‘famous’ Myron’s rice with bits of beef. They told me it was hard and dry.

Myron’s rice

Fran said the creamed spinach was yummy.

creamed spinach P120

I asked the waiter to tell the chef the weight of my steak and veggies and to prepare it simply and without any sauce. They gave me a lean rib eye steak which was a tad over done but still very good. I didn’t feel deprived. I was very, very full by the time I finished. It was a bit costly but I was just happy to eat out again. But if I weren’t on a diet I would have ordered the Deadly Rib Eye Sisig with Bone Marrow and Rice.

my diet steak dinner – rib eye steak w/ bok choy & fresh shitake mushrooms P800

I did envy Jin’s cafe mocha since I can’t drink coffee after 2:00 pm or else I’d stay awake the whole night.

mocha java

Until our next meal ladies!

Myron’s menu
starters/oysters/salad, soup & steak, ribs & platter, burgers & sandwiches
seafood/paella/house specialties, pasta, desserts/coffee/tea, wine

Myron’s Steaks Ribs & Seafood
Power Plant Mall, Rockwell Center
Lopez Drive, Barangay Poblacion
Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: (63 2) 728-5555, (63 2) 728-9898

Fran’s blog on our dinner.

Dessert at La Crêperie

This is what we ate for dessert after lunch at Uncle Cheffy. Yes it’s as good as it looks.

I’ve never eaten at La Crêperie before and since I love crepes it was an easy decision for our dessert place.

The waiter enthusiastically encouraged me to order the double chocolate fudge brownie crêpe. And so I did!

Yup that’s a slice of brownie in the middle of a chocolate crêpe.

Just a brownie inside. No cream, sauce or anything else.

The presentation was lovely. The crêpe was topped with La Creperie’s homemade chocolate sauce and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

The crêpe was very rich but surprisingly not too sweet. The brownie was chewy on the outside and soft and fudgy on the inside. It tasted more like a chocolate lava cake wrapped with a crêpe. It was simple, decadent and oh so delicious.

double chocolate fudge brownie crêpe P225

They carried TWG tea which came from Singapore. The waiter recommended the Silver Moon tea and brought the huge tin of loose leaf tea for us to smell. It smelled really fruity.

TWG’s website describes the tea as “A TWG blend of green teas is accented with a grand berry and vanilla bouquet, suave, with just a hint of spice. A tea for that special moment.”

Even though the tea was made with a green tea base I found it very light. I’m used to a stronger brew of green tea like those served in Japanese restaurants. But it was good together with the sinfully rich crêpe.

Silver Moon tea, small pot P145

I wish we ate lunch here instead. There were several savory crêpes that caught my eye.

Based on how good the dessert crêpe was I can’t wait to go back to try their savory crêpes as well as other sweet crepes specifically the salted caramel crepe

La Creperie
2/L Eastwood Mall Veranda
E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.
Bagumbayan, Libis
Quezon City, Metro Manila
telephone: 709-2446

Lunch at Uncle Cheffy

My balikbayan aunt decided that our day of shopping and eating be at Eastwood Mall. Since I haven’t shopped there in several years I was excited to go.

Before hitting the stores we decided to fortify ourselves with lunch. After looking at several restaurants’ menus we chose to have a simple and light panizza at Uncle Cheffy.

The first time I tried panizza was at C’ Italian Dining in Pampanga and I loved it. We ordered the seafood lovers panizza with salmon, shrimp, clams, squid, herbs, onion and 3 cheese. Included was a small quantity of microgreens, salsa and alfalfa sprouts which we had to ration carefully.

seafood lovers panizza P425

There was salmon? Hmm I didn’t taste or see any. It must have missed my slice. There was lots of very tender squid though. The panizza wasn’t very crisp even though it was very thin. It was quite bland so we asked for some anchovies which greatly improved the taste. I haven’t tried Yellow Cab’s panizza but my aunt said it was much better than this.

This is how you eat panizza. Take a long slice of pizza and top it with lettuce, salsa and alfalfa sprouts and roll it up. It’s like pizza and a tortilla wrap in one.

Our tummies were full but we felt something was missing. You should see what we had for dessert. Check for that post in a couple of days!!

Uncle Cheffy’s menu
panizza, appetizers & salad, specialties, platters, grill, desserts

Eastwood Mall Veranda
Eastwood Ave. & Orchard Road, Bagumbayan
Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: (632) 383-7215

California Crunch Cassava Chips

I received an email if I wanted to try a new product in the Philippine market, California Crunch cassava chips. I immediately said yes! I love chips and if I could find a healthier option to potato chips than the dreaded baked potato chips then bring them on.

I’ve tried Arico cassava chips, a brand from the USA, and I liked it. I’ve also tried other brands which I didn’t like. California Crunch, just like Arico (now named Crisproot) is made in Indonesia and is available in two flavors, barbecue and sour cream and onion.

It’s not exactly low calorie since I can finish the whole 120 gram bag in one sitting but at least it is 30% lower in fat and has twice the fiber. Even after eating a whole bag there isn’t a single trace of oil on my fingers.

Of the two flavors my favorite is the barbecue.

Even if the color is a bright orange I’m simply addicted to the taste. At first bite you taste a sweet flavor which turns into a slow heat that tingles the tongue. It’s really amazing how they achieved this complex flavor. I would choose this over regular potato chips any day since there is no potato chip I’ve tried with a similar taste.

The sour cream variant is good too but not as exciting as the barbecue. If you can’t stand a little heat then this one is for you.

The taste and texture of cassava chips will never beat potato chips for the most basic reason that it contains less starch. That’s what make potato chips so delicious. But for a healthier alternative that will make you forget potato chips for a while California Crunch cassava chips is definitely the one to try.

California Crunch cassava chips is currently available at SM Supermarkets and Hypermart for P44.50 each. Hopefully it will be available in other supermarkets soon.

California Crunch Facebook

Lunch at Cerchio

It was only fitting that I eat at Cerchio with Jane and Mila since I was with them too when I ate at Romulo Cafe, the sister restaurant of Cerchio.

While Romulo Cafe served Filipino food Cerchio was a mish mash of Filipino, Asian and Mediterranean cuisine.

Ivy Almario did a wonderful job converting this house into a chic and modern restaurant.

The use of pvc pipes dipped in paint and stamped on charcoal colored walls was creative and fun.

More ‘pipe stamping’ on the exterior walls.

The 2nd floor looked like a cool lounge.

I loved the lighting behind fabric covered sliding doors. I bet this looked fabulous at night.

This must be a popular place for drinks at night.

patio dining

function room

Back on the ground floor is the infamous common bathroom. I didn’t encounter any guys when I used it. 😀

common bathroom

A wall made of pvc pipes was behind our table.

pvc pipes wall

This simple wrap made with cold chicken, vegetables, mandarin orange and hoisin sauce was very refreshing. Perfect meal during a warm summer day.

Peking style chicken tortilla wrap P225

I really liked the clear flavorful soup made with grilled chicken, squash, chorizo sausage and plantain bananas. The basil really amped up the flavor of the soup.

grilled chicken w/ chorizo & saba soup P90

The baked crispy pata (pork leg) was surprisingly crisp although not as crispy at the fried version. But for a sinful dish with less guilt and cholesterol it was good enough for me not to miss the fried version. Yes the 3 of us finished this entire chunk of pork love.

baked crispy pata w/ 3 sauces P650

I didn’t like any of the 3 sauces that came with the crispy pata. One was too sweet, the other too spicy and the last too salty.

honey cilantro, oyster chili & crispy pata sauce

With so many fish dishes on the menu we took a chance with the crispy hito or catfish. It was a good decision. The fish fingers were so good they tasted like chicken. The signature sauce was yummy too. We actually used that sauce for our crispy pata too.

crispy catfish w/ burong dalag & Cerchio’s signature sauce P280

My friend Rochelle texted me that I should order the grilled squid. She was right! The squid was perfectly cooked and tender. The rice was a bit dry but tasty.

grilled stuffed squid w/ squid ink rice P350

I don’t even remember what this cake was called. Obviously it didn’t leave an impact.

We finished all the food save for two chicken wraps. I’ve read other opinions on other blogs, some negative some positive. I guess it depends on what you order. We were lucky that everything we ordered was good.

me, Jane and Mila

Cerchio’s menu
appetizers, soup/salads/veggies/meat, seafood/pasta, new items, drinks

Cerchio
76 Scout Limbaga, Quezon City
telephone: 355-0998/351-5279

Lunch at Gotti’s

I’m very easy to invite to eat out. Just send me a text and I’ll be there. That’s what my high school friends did. They were kind enough to treat me for their birthday. Who am I to say no?

There are so many restaurants in SM Megamall’s atrium that I haven’t tried so I was happy that we ate at one of them.

Both soups were surprisingly good with a strong presence of herbs that intensified the flavor.

cream of mushroom soup P90

cream of pumpkin soup P90

We all liked the spicy, succulent shrimp. We had to ask for extra foccacia to sop up all the yummy sauce.

gambino gamberi – spicy shrimp P220

The pastas weren’t as al dente as I liked. The sauces were just satisfactory. They lacked oomph.

pasta a la vodka P150

garlic shrimp pasta P198

I really liked the thin, crispy crust. The sausages didn’t fare as well. It had a funky, porky smell that turned me off. They were quite generous with the toppings though.

triple sausage pizza P320

The seafood pizza with white sauce was quite bland. It was a good concept but poorly executed.

seafood bianca pizza P360

The food wasn’t too bad but for much better pasta and pizza I prefer Amici one level below. That’s where we went for coffee and dessert after.

Thanks for the treat Marilou and Mila!

Gotti’s menu

Gotti’s
4th level Mega Atrium, SM Megamall
telephone: 634-0348