Shoot First Eat Later

Buffet at Marriott Cafe

Another hotel another buffet. I’m not a big fan of buffets but I was eager to see Resort World and Marriott Hotel.

As far as I know this is the only buffet in Manila that had free iced tea and 4 kinds too. There was the St. Patrick’s iced tea which was green and too sweet, strawberry mango, regular and the cranberry mint iced tea which I drank. It was the least sweet yet I needed to add a glass of ice to it. I liked the flavor though.

4 kinds of iced tea

I loved their salad bar.

There was also several kinds of prepared salads.

Cashew, pecans, almonds and pine nuts

smoked salmon, salami, pork loin

assorted cheese & dried fruits

pizza

cold seafood

lechon

roast beef

Pomeroy mustard, horseradish, mint jelly, I understand. But what is atchara doing next to the roast meats?

porkloin & US topblade

Entrees were simply labeled as vegetable, chicken, pork and fish.

entrees

Mongolian bbq

garlic pesto bread

sushi, shrimp, fish and vegetable tempura

Chinese roasted meats

dim sum, soup, noodle soup

grilled food

dessert

There were lots and lots of dessert.

gelato, fresh juice bar, halo halo, fruits

These are my plates. Some dim sum, pizza, bread, cheese and nuts.

Large romaine lettuce with pecans, figs, corn and marinated mushrooms. Fish, sweet potato and shrimp tempura.

More fish tempura and some Mongolian bbq which was too salty because I had the rice reduced at the last minute.

Most of the sweets I tried were pretty good. The best was the small glass on the left which was a light and yummy coconut pana cotta.

I tried some gelato – coconut, Maracaibo chocolate and Palawan honey and nuts.

The Maracaibo chocolate gelato blew me away. The flavor was unique and intense. It tasted like potent chocolate liqueur. The best chocolate gelato ever!

maracaibo chocolate gelato

Finally a really nice and modern hotel bathroom. The design was very similar to the one in Elements mall in Hong Kong.

The buffet was pretty good. They didn’t have as many choices as in other hotels but for me that was a plus. I believe in less choices but better quality. My only gripe was the lousy coffee.

Marriott Cafe
Lunch
Monday to Saturday – P1,550.00 net
Sunday – P1,750.00 net

Dinner
Sunday – Thursday P1,550.00 net
Saturday – Ocean Surf buffet P1,750.00 net

Kids 5 and below eat for free
6-12 years old pay half price

Marriott Cafe
Manila Marriott Hotel
No. 10 Newport Boulevard,Newport City Complex, Pasay City · Manila, 1309 Philippines
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
telephone: +632-988-9990

Lunch at Jasmine, New World Hotel

I had always wanted to try Jasmine the new Chinese restaurant at the New World Hotel in Makati. When I got the invitation from my friend to eat lunch at Jasmine on a holiday Monday last October I enthusiastically said yes.

There were 6 adults for lunch and we ordered mostly dim sum, soup, 1 entree and fried rice. I loved everything we ate. The others didn’t love it as much as I did. Either I was very hungry or I was just easy to please since dim sum is comfort food for me.

vegetable dumplings w/ bamboo pith and celery P200

The xiao long bao was very good although a bit too salty and definitely more expensive than other local restaurants.

xiao long bao P 225

Do you see any oil glistening on the fried bean curd sheet? There was none! That was very unusual and I applaud them for that.

crispy bean curd sheet roll w/ assorted vegetables P300

They really do a great job with fried food. In other restaurants I have to blot fried dim sum of excess oil. The ham sui kok was so crisp it almost seemed delicate even for a dense and sticky rice dumpling.

fried glutinous dumplings or ham sui kok P180 (3 pcs.)

The cold chicken appetizer was one of my favorites. The sauce was very peanutty with slight sweet and spicy. The execution was even better than the ones I’ve eaten in Hong Kong.

chilled shredded chicken w/ sesame & peanut sauce P280

BBQ pork puffs are my most favorite thing to order in dim sum. I though the ones at Lili at the Hyatt Hotel were good but these were even better. The crust was super light and flaky and the filling was moist and sweet.

My friend complained that the one she ate tasted a bit soapy. I tried it and it did taste a bit soapy but I’ve tasted soapier ones in Hong Kong. I wonder why this dish had the tendency to taste like soap even in the swankiest restaurants. Maybe of an ingredient they used? Soapy or not I still loved it. Told you I was easy to please.

baked barbecued pork puffs w/ sesame seeds P200 (3 pcs)

The jelly fish had too much sesame oil. Too bad since it was tasty.

century egg w/ sour ginger P200

The soup was what drove our bill up at P340 per bowl but it was worth every peso. The flavor was intense yet sublime and highlighted with dried scallops. It tasted like chicken liqueur instead of soup. Delish!

double boiled chicken soup w/ wintermelon & conpoy P340/bowl

This was one of the best beef dishes I’ve ever eaten. Tender cubes of beef that were salty at first bite then a mild heat explodes in your mouth only to be tamed with a piece of sweet, crunchy walnut.

beef tenderloin w/ sweet walnuts in x.o. sauce P760 (small)

Look at the picture. Again no shimmering oil. Despite the lack of oil the fried rice was fabulous. Tender grains of white rice filled with abundant fresh seafood bound together with healthy egg white and topped with fragrant conpoy or dried scallops and pine nuts. Next to Century Seafood’s fried rice this is tops in my list.

fried rice w/ seafood, egg white, crispy conpoy & pine nuts P720 (small)

Sorry but I don’t rave over veggies. Well except for this.

taiwan pechay in fish broth P420

chilled mango cream w/ pomelo P300/bowl

I didn’t even want to try this but they forced me to. It was surprisingly good. Think muscovado flavored gelatin.

chilled sugar cane cake w/ water chesnuts & osmanthus P130

The mochi filled with chocolate was just ok for me.

glutinous dumpling stuffed w/ chocolate & tossed w/ fine peanuts P160

I really, really liked the food in Jasmine except it was a bit too expensive. Our bill amounted to over P1,000 per head and we didn’t even order any seafood or fancy dishes. It was pretty expensive and we haven’t gone back again. But if anyone wants to invite me to eat there I will never, ever say no.

Jasmine Menu

Jasmine

New World Makati City, Manila Hotel
Esperanza Street corner Makati Avenue, Ayala Center,
Makati City 1228, Philippines
telephone: +63 2 811 6888

Who is Mikey Bustos?

The first time I heard of Mikey Bustos was through his video which spread like wildfire through Facebook. Today another of his videos showed up on my Facebook wall and it made me laugh giving me a break from all the heartbreaking videos I’ve been watching on CNN about Japan’s sad tragedy.

I knew Mikey was a very funny Filipino-Canadian but what surprised me was that he’s also a very good singer. He even placed 7th on Canadian Idol season one. Check out his new album.

Let me share with you the videos that made me smile. If you’re Filipino you will definitely agree with these videos. If you’re not Filipino then watch these to get an insight on us Filipinos. 😀

This is the first video that I saw. It’s about the Filipino accent.

This is the video that made me decide to make an entry about Mikey Bustos. It’s about how Filipinos eat with spoon and fork instead of the usual fork and knife. It’s funny but true.

exponential naks ;p

For more of Mikey’s videos click here. I think somebody should bring Mikey Bustos to Manila for some shows.

Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt

The only good thing about my birthday dinner at Cantinetta last September was dessert after at Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt.

Before I even tried Golden Spoon I already heard from some friends that it didn’t taste like yogurt, it wasn’t tart, etc. When I tried it I loved it! For me it was like eating really good, creamy guilt-free soft ice cream rather than frozen yogurt. I really can’t believe it’s fat free.

Every time I go to Golden Spoon I try several flavors but there’s only one flavor for me. It’s Belgian chocolate. I love the real chocolate flavor which satisfies my desire for something sweet, cold, chocolate and not fattening. The last time I was on a diet a kiddie cup of Belgian chocolate was my guilty pleasure.

They have a lot of regular and guilt free toppings but I always eat my Belgian chocolate froyo plain. That buttered pecan topping looks so sinful and decadent.

I always buy a kiddie size which costs P85. But for the best deal, I buy a quart for P499 and keep it in my freezer. The great thing about it is the texture and consistency remains the same as the day I bought it. And a quart yields so much more than two large cups that you get at the store. This way I can get my Golden Spoon fix any time I want.

Golden Spoon Frozen Yogurt
Ground Level, The Podium
18 ADB Ave., Ortigas Center
Mandaluyong, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: 910-5093

Golden Spoon Philippines Facebook

Dinner at Cantinetta

Cantinetta has been around for quite a while in Makati. I only got the chance to try it last September when we went to their Podium branch to celebrate my birthday.

There were very few people that night.

We were off to a good start. The complimentary bread was warm and crisp and the liver pate was yummy.

The asparagus soup was light yet creamy and had a very strong flavor.

asparagus soup P270

The picture doesn’t do justice to the dish. It was the best dish we had that night. The mushroom ravioli was al dente and there was a generous amount of mushrooms. The touch of truffle oil finished the pasta with a wonderful aroma. It was expensive but definitely worth it.

ravioli al funghi porcini P480

The vongole or pasta with clam sauce was very bland and disappointing. There wasn’t much clams nor sauce. I couldn’t help compare it with Amici’s version which I loved and was cheaper too.

vongole pasta P380

I wanted a simple pasta so I ordered one of my favorites, pasta with garlic, oil and red pepper flakes. The waiter offered to add sausages for free so why not? Not even the sausages could save this flat dish. Again I compare it to Amici’s aglio olio which I always order when I eat there. In Amici the pasta is robust, spicy and delicious.

aglio olio e pepperoncino P320

The fish was a bit firm but the flavors were pretty good. The fish baked in foil at Bellini’s is much more superior.

lapu-lapu al cartoccio P800

I’m sorry to say the pizza wasn’t to my liking. The crust was too thick and not crunchy at all.

It didn’t turn out to be a very happy birthday celebration. If you want good affordable Italian food you’re better off at Amici. For a more expensive and even better Italian fare go to La Nuova Pasteleria in Makati.

Cantinetta
Ground Floor, The Podium, ADB Avenue Pasig City
telephone: 477-2522

Dinner at Omakase

Last November 2 of my college friends who shared the same birthday treated us for their birthday. Sorry guys it was an all girls night out.

It’s funny but I pass by Omakase in Greenhills every single day on the way to work but it was my first time to eat there.

Tes and I passed by the ground floor entrance.

The main dining area was upstairs. Cute wall panels.

I was surprised how big and nice the place looked.

Birthday celebrants Tes and Len Len did all the ordering. I didn’t really know what was in the sushi but when I ate it I was blown away by the taste and texture. I later found out the sushi was made with ebi (shrimp) tempura, kani, ebiko (tobiko/fish roe), crispy salmon skin and topped with unagi (eel). It was crazy good. I want to go back and eat a whole order by myself.

jurassic maki P285

I wish my friends ordered something less boring than this.

California maki P160

I don’t eat raw fish but I tried this raw tuna salad with a spicy dressing. It was actually very good and addicting. I really like the crunchy tenkatsu (fried tempura better) topping. It added a nice texture to the soft tuna.

spicy tuna salad P180

The seared layer of the tuna was very hard while the raw layer was very soft. It was quite spicy too.

tuna tataki P180

The tofu steak was a piece of soft tofu wrapped with a thin slice of beef and served with a light soy based sauce. I couldn’t understand how they managed to transform a really, really thin slice of beef into a tough and leathery object. What a waste of beef! The tofu tasted better naked.

tofu steak

The bento box had your average Japanese casual fare of chicken teriyaki, fried seafood, fried rice and California rolls. Really ordinary.

chicken teriyaki bento box

I’m not really a big fan of shrimp tempura. I prefer fish and veggies tempura. I tried a piece and found it crisp but with a bit of oily after taste.

ebi tempura 8 pieces P405

Unlike other Japanese restaurants their version of kakiage had finer strips of sweet potatoes, carrots and other veggies. This made it crunchier and lighter.

kakiage P140

While my three friends seemed perfectly fine without any beef on the table I wasn’t. They asked me if I wanted to order something else and I chose the unique Omakase Fries.

Basically it was their take on beef nachos. Instead of tortilla chips they used oily, soggy fries. But if your pour cheese sauce on anything it will taste great. It was a pretty tasty treat. The beef cubes were tender and the mango salsa added a nice sweet and spicy kick to the salty, yummy cheese sauce.

Omakase fries P240

birthday girls Tes and Len Len, Rizette and me

Right next to our table was Chris who just treated me the night before at Borough. That night she treated her high school buddies Luga and Chinggay who happened to be my cousin. Chris had better friends since they gave her a birthday cake.

They gave us a big slice which we gave to our own birthday girls. Happy birthday my friends! Sorry for the delay of this post. Better late than never, right?

Addendum: 4/26/12
Since I posted this I’ve eaten at Omakase many, many times again. I’ve discovered my most favorite dish, their spicy seafood crepe made with raw tuna, squid, kani with a spicy mayo dressing. I’ve also ordered this for take-out even more times. It has served as my lunch with a big serving of lettuce. I’ve even taken it to a potluck party. I love, love, love this dish.

seafood crepe

Omakase
Connecticut Arcade, Greenhills Shopping Complex
San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
telephone: 470-9807

Broccoli Slaw

The first time I tried broccoli slaw was in Virginia last July when my cousin La made it for dinner. I never thought I would enjoy eating raw broccoli but I did.

In the USA making broccoli slaw took no more 5 minutes. You simply buy a bag of pre-washed broccoli slaw and a jar of coleslaw dressing and mix it all together.

In Manila there was no such thing as packaged broccoli slaw. The only packaged veggies we had were arugula mix or Caesar salad mix. I wanted to serve it for my birthday dinner last September so I had to do it the hard way.

This is how big the broccoli in Manila gets. Really puny compared to the huge broccoli heads in the USA.

Broccoli slaw is made from the stalk which we don’t normally use. Slice off the tough outer layer carefully.

I used the grater blade of my food processor to shred the stalk and florets. If you don’t have a food processor you can use a mandoline or a hand held grater with the biggest holes to grate the broccoli stalks. Or you can simply chop it.

The packaged broccoli slaw didn’t include florets but I decided to add it for more texture and crunch. I also threw in a couple of carrots for color.

I added dried cranberries, dried mangoes, dried figs and toasted sliced almonds. You don’t have to add any of these but I can assure you it tastes better with it. You can use any nuts or fruits you want. You can even add a grated apple.

I placed the bowl of dry ingredients and the container of dressing in the refrigerator separately. I poured the cold dressing into the slaw mixture an hour before it was to be served for the dressing to be absorbed by the slaw and the broccoli will remain crisp.

It was the first time for all my guests to try broccoli slaw and they loved it. Try this recipe for yourself. You will not regret the hard work.

Feel free to adjust the quantity of each ingredient to your liking.

Broccoli Slaw (adapted from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe)
makes 6 cups

5 small heads broccoli (2 big heads)
2 carrots
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup dried mangoes
1/4 cup dried figs
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
3/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted on a dry pan til lightly browned

Wash broccoli well and drain to dry. Remove the tough outer layer of the stalk. Separate the florets into smaller pieces. Cut the broccoli stalk and florets into smaller pieces and shred in a food processor with the grater disk attached. In a large bowl, combine the shredded broccoli, carrots, dried fruits, red onion, and almonds.

Prepare the buttermilk dressing. Pour the dressing over the broccoli mixture and stir to combine. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if needed. Allow to sit for 30 minutes to an hour so the flavors can blend.

Options:
You can also add grated apples, celery, toasted walnuts, raisins for another variation.
Pineapple tidbits, grape halves, mango cubes or orange segments should be good too.

Buttermilk Dressing
1 cup buttermilk (add 1 tablespoon of lemon or vinegar to 1 cup of fresh milk and shake well, the mixture will thicken)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoon sugar
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
salt and pepper to taste

Whisk all the ingredients in bowl or large measuring cup. Add salt and black pepper. Pour the dressing over the broccoli and toss it well.

Levain Bakery

You are looking at a picture of the best cookie I’ve ever eaten.

Last July 2010 I was in New York for 2 days only. It was way too short and we tried to cram in as many restaurants as we could. On our last day we had lunch at Jin Fong in Chinatown. After lunch we were supposed to go back to New Jersey to get our car parked at my cousin Virgil’s house then drive to Baltimore to attend my niece Lucy’s party.

In the car Virgil asked me if I was able to go to all the places on my list. I told him almost all except Levain Bakery. He immediately turned the car around and insisted on taking me 5 miles in the opposite direction just to fulfill my wish. Thank goodness it was a Sunday and New York traffic was light. What a great cousin!!!

I was surprised to see how small the space in the basement was. I was also amused to see an all female staff in shorts churning out the most fragrant delicacies.

They had several products but I only had eyes for the cookies. I’ve read so much about these cookies from magazines, blogs and tv shows that I couldn’t wait to try them.

I bought one each of the chocolate chip walnut and dark chocolate chip cookies and two pieces of the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies since I love peanut butter.

my cousin Virgil

This was the only picture I took of the cookies that’s why I haven’t posted this entry. I enjoyed eating all the cookies so much that I didn’t even think to take any pictures of my stash.

It’s a good thing my friend Tisay went to New York a few months ago and bought me some cookies. The cookies traveled from New York to Hong Kong and remained tightly wrapped in the freezer until it arrived in Manila almost a month later.

The cookies remained in my freezer waiting for a special occasion before I ate it. That’s how I am with precious food. I can patiently wait for the right time before eating it. So on the eve on my ‘really serious’ diet I got two cookies out of the freezer, took pictures of them and ate it.

You can see that the giant cookie weighed 5 1/4 oz or 149 grams. That was one big cookie. It was really worth $4 a cookie.

The cookies from the freezer were still very good. It was a bit crumbly but still very fresh. From the first time I ate the cookies in New York to the ones I ate in Manila I was amazed how the consistency of the cookie was the same from the edges to the thick middle. I expected a crisper edge and a softer middle.

The regular chocolate chip cookie with walnuts was so buttery and filled with an abundant quantity of soft walnuts. The dark chocolate chip was the ultimate in chocolate goodness.

But my favorite was the dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookie. Not too crisp, not cakey, very fudgy and studded with lots of real peanut butter chips that tasted like drops of Jif peanut butter and not like those artificial tasting chips others use. It was like eating a Reese’s peanut butter cup only better.

dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies

Forget cupcakes. I live for cookies specially the ones from Levain Bakery. Be sure to include a visit to Levain Bakery if go to New York and don’t forget to buy me six dark chocolate peanut butter chip cookies please.

Levain Bakery
167 W 74th St # A, New York, NY 10023, USA
telephone: 212-874-6080

Army Navy Burger + Burrito

Last October Army Navy Burger + Burrito opened right across the building where my store was. I was so excited to try it. Since my favorite fast food burger, Hotshots closed their branch in the same street I didn’t have any place nearby to get my burger fix.

Army Navy and Yellow Cab pizza are owned by the same company. That explained their sharing of a glass wall and outside dining area.

Just like your typical fast food joint you had to order and pay at the counter and wait for your food to be served. And wait we did, for a looong time. That could also mean that the food was cooked upon ordering which was a good thing.

The picture looked so good I had to order it.

The cheese steak was sooooo much better than Charlie‘s version. The thin slices of steak were highly visible and the cheese sauce was just the right quantity and not drowning the beef. My only complaint was the beef was extremely salty. I also didn’t like the margarine on the bread. Other than that it was a good and filling sandwich.

starving sailor sandwich – steak P225

The cheese quesadilla was very, very bland. They should have used a stronger flavor cheese like cheddar or a blend of cheddar and mozzarella.

cheese quesadilla P85

The onion rings were nice and crisp.

onion rings P60

I really hoped I would like the burger. All I wanted was a pure beef burger without any extenders. Just beef, salt and pepper.

Army Navy burger P135

Unfortunately this wasn’t my type of burger. It did taste better than Charlie’s and you will like it if you like Filipino style burgers like Jollibee’s.

So far my favorite burrito is from Mexicali. I hoped this would be another one.

carnitas (pork) burrito P155

The burrito was actually good even with all that rice and little pork. The Spanish rice was very flavorful so I didn’t mind. The roast pork had a nice grilled flavor but it was too fatty. I wish the flour tortilla was thinner and drier. It became a bit too mushy for my taste.

The burrito came with bland salsa and some totally flavorless, unidentifiable white sauce.

My office mates and I haven’t been back since that one time. Maybe it’s time to try it again? I’m still on the fence on that.

Army Navy Burger + BurritoGround Level, Strata 2000 Bldg.,
F. Ortigas Jr. Rd., Ortigas Center, Pasig Cit
telephone: 570-8181

Lunch at A Taste of L.A. Cafe

It was Db’s turn to treat Rochelle and me for her birthday and she chose to have lunch at A Taste of L.A. I was surprised to learn that it was still open. The last time I ate there was in the late 90s.

When DB suggested A Taste of L.A. I had my doubts then I thought it shouldn’t be too bad since it managed to stay open for 16 years in a fickle restaurant market such as Manila where some restaurants don’t even last for a year.

Bloggers and diners usually race to try new restaurants but it’s also good to return to restaurants like A Taste of L.A. that has been open since 1995. I remember their fabulous chocolate marquis cake more than anything.

The main entrance of the restaurant was on A. Roces Avenue.

They had several seating areas in this converted house. Another plus is the restaurant remains open the whole day unlike other restaurants that close at 2:00 and reopen at 6:00 pm.

We sat downstairs where it was brighter and better for my pictures.

The lower floor can be accessed from Scout Castor street directly. I prefer this entrance since it had a larger parking area.

my bffs Rochelle and Db (both skinny and in white)

Vietnamese crab & mushroom spring roll P330

We really liked the compact, stuffed spring rolls specially when wrapped in lettuce and topped with a Thai basil leaf.

Pappa al pomodoro is Italian tomato and bread soup or in this case tomato water and that’s putting it nicely. When I tasted Db’s soup I immediately said it tasted like “pinaghugasan ng kamatis” or the water used to rinse tomatoes. Avoid this soup at all cost.

pappa al pomodoro P220

On the other hand Rochelle’s French onion soup was very good specially the thick layer of emmental and Gruyére cheeses.

French onion soup P310

The salmon belly fries were really crunchy and delicious when paired with the tart calamansi dip.

salmon belly fries w/ citron pepper dip P330

Fresh, briny baked oysters with vinegar sauce. Yum!

roasted oysters P330

Db’s prawns thermidore was quite expensive for two pieces but it was really sinfully good. She gave me a small piece to try and I wanted to finish the whole dish. The prawns were covered with a thick creamy sauce and topped with a thick Gruyére cheese crust.

prawns thermidor P520

Rochelle and I shared the ultra, ultra thin crust lamb pizza with chunks of feta cheese, olives, rosemary and mint leaves.

ultra thin garlic lamb pizza P460 + 40 for ultra thin crust

This was my kind of pizza. The lamb was tender and the pizza was bursting with flavor from all the herbs and spices. The crust was so thin it could barely hold the heavy toppings. I will definitely order this again but maybe with the medium thin crust next time.

The African date cake was similar to food for the gods. Good but too expensive for the size. I was extremely disappointed that the chocolate marquis and most of the cakes were sold out.

African date cake w/ cinnamon ice cream P280

Just by looking at the picture you can tell that the hot chocolate was more milk than chocolate. Pass.

hot chocolate

This was the last place I would expect to find a bibingka that rivaled my beloved Via Mare bibingka. This was a lighter and more buttery version yet it had the dense, slightly sticky texture that I loved. It was loaded with pieces of salted egg.

old fashioned bibingka P170

Just like any restaurant A Taste of L.A. had it’s hits and misses. The hits were very, very good and the misses were really bad. I’m happy that I rediscovered this old favorite in Quezon City. I actually enjoyed their food more than the newer restaurants in the area. The prices are a bit on the high side though. But I would definitely go back again to try other items from their extensive menu.

A Taste of L.A. menu
oysters & small plates, soup & salad,
fondue, main course & taste of Pinoy, prime cuts & pasta
wood fired pizza, desserts

A Taste of L.A. Cafe
171 A. Roces Ave. cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City
telephone: 374-2461, 415-7911