Shoot First Eat Later

Dinner at Lu Restaurant in Rockwell

Ever since I saw heart-2-heart’s post on Lu I knew I had to try it. So when my friends wanted to get together I immediately suggested Lu. None of them have tried it either.

I liked the restaurant’s clean and modern look unfortunately the ambient temperature was terribly warm when we ate there last April 8, 2010. Either they lacked air-conditioners or one was busted. It’s good they brought out an electric fan near our table. Another thing we didn’t like was the awful acoustics. We could barely hear each other since the whole place reverberated with voices and noise.

Temperature and acoustics aside the most important thing is the food. Lu serves Mediterranean cuisine leaning more towards Moroccan flavors. The server suggested the next two dishes for our appetizers. There were 8 of us and let me tell you these two little dishes were definitely not enough.

The chorizo cheese dip was actually very tasty but don’t let the picture fool you. The brown dish was about 6″ in diameter and the tiny tortillas were about 3″ wide. We had to split the tortillas in half so everyone could try it. Well it was our fault for ordering only one.

queso fundido con chorizo P325

The spring rolls were just average. Good but nothing out of this world.

crispy prawn & shiitake spring rolls P275

vinegar dips for the spring roll

We decided to eat family style and shared all the dishes among 8 of us so everyone got to try everything.

I’m not much of a steak eater but in my opinion this dish was just average. When it came to our table the fries and steak were cold. We complained and they immediately replaced it or heated it up. I wonder why there was cheese on only one steak? Why not both?

Mexican steak frites P675

I really liked the oxtail and short ribs. They were both fall-off-the-bone tender and the sauce was aggressively flavored and perfect with the al dente pasta.

zesty oxtail & short rib braise w/ handmade saffron pappardelle P360

I normally like just lamb chops and not lamb shanks which are usually cooked with a red wine sauce. But I really loved their lamb shank with yogurt sauce. It was mild yet flavorful. It was also amazingly tender.

unhurriedly steamed lamb shank w/ minted yogurt and vermicelli rice P720

I thought the pork chop was huge but since it was so good I think it’s just right for one. The chop was so thick but they managed to cook it perfectly. The flavor penetrated all the way through the bone. Janet suspected it was brined before cooking. I just wasn’t a big fan of the strong achuete sauce. I was happy to eat the pork plain.

ultimate pork chop w/ orange-achuete sauce P595

The biggest hit with everyone was the truffled mac n’ cheese. The dish was the same size as the cheese and chorizo appetizer. We all got only a spoonful each. As soon as it came out we all started sniffing the fragrant aroma from the truffle oil. When I finally ate my spoonful of mac I immediately groaned. The flavor from the 5 cheeses were a mix of salty, nutty, creamy and just sinfully delicious. The truffle flavor was mild but noticeable. We ordered another one right away. The second order was less creamy but nevertheless yummy.

truffled mac n’ cheese P450

You can pass on this ordinary pasta dish. You could get better tasting pasta elsewhere. Stick to the mac n’ cheese and the other meat dishes. I want to go back to try their other dishes and another round of mac n’ cheese.

creamy basil bechamel, asparagus & zucchini on whole wheat linguini P325

We didn’t have dessert because the choices seemed pricey and we suspected they were tiny too. So we went next door for some ice cream and yogurt. Watch out for that on the next post.

Lu menu

Lu restaurant

G/F Joya Bldg., Joya Drive, Rockwell

Makati City, Metro Manila

telephone: 403-3991

Dinner at Delicious Kitchen Part 2

I was so enamored with the wonton in double boiled chicken soup the last time we ate in Delicious Kitchen I knew I had to eat it one more time before leaving Hong Kong. On our last night in Hong Kong we went back to Delicious Kitchen to have my wonton fix and try out other dishes.

This time I ordered the wonton in plain soup. The soup was the same kind used in their noodle soup dishes. It was ok but nowhere as good as the double boiled chicken soup. Sure it costs almost double but it was worth it.

wonton in soup HK$38

veggie rice

I didn’t try the eel but I was told it was good albeit a bit oily.

stir fried sliced eel w/ chives HK$65

I discovered another new favorite dish. I simply loved the soft, tasty Japanese tofu with 3 kinds of mushroom. I ate more than half of this dish without rice. It didn’t need any rice. It was perfect on its own.

3 kinds of mushroom w/ Japanese beancurd HK$59

I remember liking Shanghai noodles from eating at other Shanghai restaurants like Wu Kong so I decided to try their version. The spareribs were the same pork ribs we ordered the last time. Delicious Kitchen’s Shanghai noodles were hard and not very appetizing. We didn’t finish this dish. It was a fail.

Shanghai noodles w/ spareribs HK$48

Mashed red bean pancake is one of my favorite Chinese desserts and I was pleased to see it on the menu for only HK$20. Unfortunately it didn’t live up to my expectations. It was too crispy and the filling lacked sweetness. My ideal red bean pancake is soft with the edges just slightly crisp with a thick red bean filling that oozes out when you bite the pancake. That can be found at Spring Deer.

mashed red bean pancake HK$20

menu
cold platter/delicate dishes/soup,
soup/rice w/ veggetables/noodles in soup
braised noodles/bean curd/meat, seafood/sauteed delicate dishes
fried noodles/nian guo/fried rice/desserts/beverages, combos
set menus (English), set menus (Chinese)

Delicious Kitchen

G/F 20-20A Ashley Road

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

telephone: +852-2314-4868, 2314-2468

Shop B, G/F, 9-11 Cleveland Street,

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

telephone: +852-2577-7720, 2577-8350

Lunch at House of Jasmine

House of Jasmine was recommended to me by my buddy, Arlene. She told me about it last December but it was only last April that I remembered to try it. I’ve seen this restaurant a lot of times since it’s on the same level as my favorite store, Muji in Harbour City. I always thought it was an expensive restaurant since it looked so classy and elegant. It was actually quite affordable. House of Jasmine is part of the Maxim group of restaurants.

This was one of the most beautiful and elegant Chinese restaurants I’ve ever eaten in in Hong Kong.

What sets this restaurant apart is their outdoor dining area with the view of Hong Kong’s famous harbour.

You can see a cruise ship docked and awaiting a fresh batch of passengers.

Peanuts and pickled vegetables are always present in Chinese restaurants in Hong Kong. Did you know these are not free? As a matter of fact these cost HK$16. I wonder if I can say “no, we don’t want any peanuts?” If you find a small dish of chili sauce on your table be assured that has a price tag too. Sneaky huh?

peanuts & pickled veggies

Their dim sum comes a close third to my number one and number two favorite dim sum restaurants in Tsim Sha Tsui. What this restaurant excelled in was plating and food presentation. While other restaurants served dim sum in bamboo baskets or plain small plates, House of Jasmine went out of the box with unique platters and vessels that enhanced our dining pleasure.

They plated the baked pastries together. Both of the crusts were light and very crisp. The fillings were both very flavorful too.

golden turnip & yunnan ham puff pastry HK$33
barbecued pork pastry HK$30

top: turnip puff pastry
bottom: barbecued pork pastry

This was their version of Hainanese chicken. Good but a bit expensive for such a small portion.

conpoy poached chicken HK$68

fried shrimp dumpling HK$30

The rice was yummy but not fabulous. I just liked the presentation a lot.

chicken & mushroom rice in bamboo steamer HK$20

ham sui kok or deep fried sticky dumplings filled w/
dried shrimp & minced pork HK$18

Fried turnip cake is one of my favorite dim sum dishes. This one was a bit spicy from the X. O. sauce. Don’t you love the mini wok?

fried turnip cake w/ x.o. sauce HK$34

Have you ever seen soup served in a mini tea pot and cup? Too cute!

double boiled chicken & wolfberry soup
in purple clay cup HK$38/person

There were so many scrumptious looking Asian and Western desserts to choose from. I ended up with this refreshing mango sago with pomelo. The small brown square on the plate was super duper yummy coffee jelly.

chilled sago cream w/ mango puree & pomelo HK$25

We will definitely go back and try their main dishes. Specially those shown in the pictures below. I want to sit outside in December when the weather is nice and cool. Nice view, good food and cool weather. What more can I ask for?

I took pictures of the beautiful food presentation in their menu. It should give you an idea on their a la carte menu. They all look wonderful.

House of Jasmine menu
tea, beverages, winter delights, starters, bbq, soup,
shark’s fin & bird’s nest, abalone & dried seafood,
poultry & meat, seafood, vegetable, tofu, rice & noodle, dim sum

sets:
lobster & shark’s fin, abalone & shark’s fin, yashihama abalone,
lunch set, for 2 & 4

dimsum:
small/med/large & sweets, bbq/congee/rice/noodle,
signature/healthy/tofu, more than dimsum/steamed flour roll

House of Jasmine

Shop 401, Level 4 Ocean Centre,

Harbour City, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kownloon

telephone: +852-2992-0232

Dinner at Sweet Dynasty

This was my first time to go to the new location of Sweet Dynasty. It used to occupy a smaller space down the road. The decor was very basic except for the rosewood furniture.

Now the restaurant is a two-storey modern and gold wonder.

We went there on a Sunday night and the huge second floor was full.

We weren’t very hungry so we ordered mostly dim sum. I was still obsessed with wonton so I ordered a plain wonton soup. The wonton and soup was just ordinary. Nothing like the fabulous wonton at Delicious Kitchen. Even the wonton at Cafe de Coral was better.

wonton soup HK$40

I love a restaurant that serves dim sum the whole day. Too bad Sweet Dynasty’s dim sum was bad. The noodle roll was too soft and mushy and there was very little beef and maybe 2 strands of mushroom.

steamed beef & enoki mushroom noodle roll HK$28

The bean curd roll wasn’t crisp at all and it was very, very greasy. That happens when the oil isn’t hot enough. For dim sum that tastes 100x better go to Chuk Yuen or Pak Loh.

fried bean curd roll HK$23

boiled pork liver & kidney HK$60

sauce for the livers & kidney

I give them a plus for presentation. A little dry ice makes anything look dramatic and appetizing.

red beans w/ grass jelly HK$28

At least the mango pudding was excellent.

mango pudding HK$20

I don’t know if I’ll go back to Sweet Dynasty again. We were quite disappointed overall. Maybe we ordered the wrong thing? I’d rather go to Hang Fa Lau for food and dessert. Another place for great desserts is Honeymoon Dessert.

Sweet Dynasty (menu)

Ground Floor, No. 100

Canton Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

telephone: +852-2199-7799, 2199-7788

Cafe de Coral April 2010

Every time we go to Hong Kong we make it a point to eat in Cafe de Coral at least once. Each time we go there they have a new specials menu so it’s always something to look forward to.

This was the menu last April 2010.

Last April the specialty that caught my eye was the Norwegian salmon & seafood rice in porcini & cream sauce. Doesn’t it look good? Cafe de Coral always has some Western style food in their menu which is a good thing for the tourists.

baked Norwegian salmon & seafood rice in
porcini & cream sauce HK$37

The sauce was very good but there was only a couple of thin strips of salmon and other seafood like squid and mussels. Beneath the inadequate layer of sauce and seafood was egg fried rice.

squid

I left half of the rice behind since there wasn’t enough seafood and sauce to eat it with. Cafe de Coral is a boon for rice eaters. They are very generous with rice.

I was still thinking about the awesome double boiled chicken soup with wonton from Delicious Kitchen so we decided to order Cafe de Coral’s version and see how it compares. It wasn’t bad at all but it couldn’t compare to the soup from Delicious Kitchen which cost double.

chicken w/ wanton in pot HK$38

The double boiled soup tasted even better. The soup and the chicken came in a set with rice and a drink and cost only HK$40.

deep boiled soup

The soy sauce chicken was very, very good.

soy sauce chicken w/ huizhou preserved vegetables

As usual Cafe de Coral didn’t disappoint us. For the low price the food is more than I expect. When in Hong Kong give Cafe de Coral a try. Don’t forget to order their hot milk tea it’s the best!

Dinner at Delicious Kitchen Part 1

Thank goodness for people handing out fliers or else we would never have known there was a newly opened branch of Delicious Kitchen in Tsim Sha Tsui. The only branch they ever had was in Causeway Bay in Hong Kong. I’ve only eaten there once a few years ago so I don’t remember it very well. All I know is Delicious Kitchen is a favorite restaurant for Filipino tourists.

preserved salted mustard greens

As we neared the restaurant a guy stood in the entrance and called out “pai kut choi fan (pork rib with veggie rice) popular for over 30 years.” He said it over and over again until we finished dinner. Naturally we had to order it since he said it was their number 1 specialty. The pork rib was actually a large piece of fried pork chop draped over a bowl of hot steaming rice with bok choy. The pork was super tender and juicy but a tad too sweet for my taste. I wish it weren’t as sweet and it would have been perfect. So far the best pork chop for me was the one I had at DinTaiFung in Singapore. This was a close second though.

pork rib w/ veggie rice HK$38

steamed rice w/ bok choy

The cold chicken in wine sauce was very good. The chicken soaked up the strong flavor of wine making it taste quite exotic.

chicken in wine sauce HK$55

We loved the whole fried fish topped with a sweet and sour sauce and pine nuts. The fish was very, very crispy although the sauce was a bit on the sour side. This was a great deal! In other restaurants this dish easily costs double.

yellow fish w/ pine nuts HK$68

The double boiled chicken soup with wonton was my favorite dish of all. The soup had a deep and intense chicken flavor from boiling the chicken for a long time.

double boiled chicken soup w/ wonton in casserole HK$65

I also loved the wonton which looked more like dumplings. The skin was very al dente and the filling was super delicious. No wonder since it had pieces of salty ham in it. There were 6 wontons in the casserole. Because of these dumplings we went back to Delicious Kitchen a second time. Watch out for what we ordered the next time.

Delicious Kitchen indeed serves delicious food at a very affordable price. There is so much more to the restaurant than their pork chop w/ veggie rice. There so many other things in the menu that I can’t wait to try.

Delicious Kitchen

G/F 20-20A Ashley Road

Tsim Sha Tsui, Kowloon

telephone: +852-2314-4868, 2314-2468

Shop B, G/F, 9-11 Cleveland Street,

Causeway Bay, Hong Kong

telephone: +852-2577-7720, 2577-8350.

iPad cases and accessories in Manila

I finally got my iPad 32gb wifi two weeks ago from Deb who brought it home from San Francisco. It wouldn’t have been possible if not for the patience and resourcefulness of Jeanne who bought it for me. She went to Apple’s Union Square store at the exact time a new delivery arrived. Thanks Jeanne and Deb for my iPad!

Being an early adopter means having to be creative with accessories. There weren’t any iPad screen protectors, cases or bags available in Manila yet. It’s a good thing my friend Tisay who’s based in Hong Kong bought me a non-glare, fingerprint proof screen protector and this red semi-hard plastic case in Sham Shui Po. I love this kind of case which is also the type I use on my iPhone. It’s harder than a silicone case and it offers a good non-slip grip while being thin and light. The only thing I didn’t like is the hole in the back for the Apple logo but I can live with that.

plastic protector HK$40

The case is translucent and flexible enough to slip on the iPad.

It has cut outs for all the ports and switches.

For further protection I bought this memory foam 10″ netbook sleeve from cd-r king and it cost only P180. Even with my red plastic case the sleeve was a perfect fit. This sleeve also came in black and blue depending on the availability in the store. My fingers’ indentation on the memory foam disappeared after a few seconds. This is an amazing value for the protection it gives to my iPad. With this sleeve on I can just put my iPad in my shoulder bag or hand carry luggage without worries.

memory foam sleeve from cd-r king P180 or US$4

Other sleeve options available in cd-r king.

There are other 10 inch sleeves available in cd-r king based on their web site but good luck finding them.

I was in Ali Mall in Cubao last week to get my plane ticket from Philippine Airlines. While waiting for my number to be called I walked around the nicely renovated mall to look for possible iPad cases or bags. I found a great bag in an unlikely store, Clipper. Clipper carries all sorts of knick knacks for kids, tweens and teens. It’s a treasure trove of goodies and gifts for this age group.

I bought this black neoprene bag with handles and a pocket for the charger and other stuff.

neoprene case from Clipper P799.75 or US$18

The fit is a bit roomier than the red sleeve from cd-r king.

What’s nice about this bag is you can hide the handles by stuffing them in the pockets in the front and back thus turning it into a sleeve.

The pocket can be accessed from the side zippers or from the velcro top in the middle.

Clipper also had this denier fabric case which is also perfect for the iPad.

fabric case from Clipper P499.75 or US$11

There’s a pocket in the back.

It has a short handle and comes in 4 colors and sells for P499.75.

A few steps from Clipper is Halo Mobile Clothing which sells cases for cellphones, laptops and gadgets.

They had these nice 10″ neoprene sleeves that were a snug fit for my iPad. I had to wiggle my iPad and do some pulling and stretching but it fit well too. I prefer sleeves with zipper with quicker access and storage.

neoprene sleeves from Halo P250 or US$6

They had several cases for 10 inch netbooks too. I didn’t try each one because the sales ladies were already giving me the eye for taking pictures.

red bumpy case P445 or US$10

red bag P795 or US$18

I found this adjustable book rest in National Bookstore in Ali Mall. It’s made of steel and promises to be rust proof and it’s dirt cheap at P83.

adjustable book rest from National Bookstore P83 or US$1.85

Reading a book on my iPad while on the book rest was great.

in portrait mode

in landscape mode

Red isn’t my favorite color but all these accessories looked good in red that’s why I ended up with an all red iPad look. In case you haven’t guessed my favorite color is orange.

I also bought this portable laptop desk at cd-r king for P580. It’s perfect for using with my laptop and iPad. The height and angle of the desk are adjustable.

portable laptop/iPad desk P580 or US$13

I love my iPad! I use it mainly for reading books but surfing and checking email on it is awesome. I don’t regret buying it. I plan to bring it when I travel instead of my heavy macbook pro.

Clipper branches

Ali Mall, Gateway, Farmers Plaza, Market Market, Greenbelt , Trinoma, SM San Lazaro, Festival Supermall, Alabang Town Center

telephone: 635-9911

Halo branches

Dim Sum Lunch at Pak Loh Chiu Chow Restaurant

We liked the food and ambiance at Pak Loh Chiu Chow restaurant so much the last time we were there we knew we had to go back. Last holy week we went to Hong Kong and had our first lunch there and ordered from their dim sum menu. Before our favorite restaurant for dim sum was Chuk Yuen Seafood restaurant. But after eating the dim sum at Pak Loh we have a new favorite.

Chuk Yuen serves very good and consistent quality dim sum. We never had anything bad there but the dim sum at Pak Loh is on a different level. Everything we ordered was simply exquisite. The flavors were all perfect and spot on. Nothing was greasy and all the dishes were cooked with perfect timing.

pan fried buns stuffed w/ pork & vegetables HK$30

I don’t like siomai and was expecting dumplings instead but these were the best siomai or siu mai I’ve ever eaten.

dumplings w/ pork & abalone HK$38

glutinous rice in lotus leaf wrap HK$30

This was a medium bowl of soup good for 2 to share. The fish balls, fish cake and fresh fish were generous.

fish balls & sliced fish in soup HK$48

Normally kale or other seasonal vegetables are served simply poached with a side of oyster sauce. Here it was topped with sauteed assorted fresh mushrooms. I loved this dish!

assorted mushroom w/ kale HK$48

This chicken dish wasn’t part of the dim sum menu but it’s a specialty of Chiu Chow cuisine and my all time favorite dish since I was a child. I’d be happy to eat just this chicken and a bowl of rice. I don’t know what chinjew sauce is made of but it’s a bit salty and simply yummy. The green veggies were fried to a crisp and was perfect dipped in the sauce. Everyone must try this dish. Must, must, must!

sauteed chicken w/ chinjew sauce HK$88

The dessert is another Chiu Chow specialty. The brown filling was peanut paste while the black was sesame paste. Another must order when in a Chiu Chow restaurant.

steamed sweet crystal dumpling HK$38

Traditionally super strong and bitter tea is served at the beginning and end of every meal in a Chiu Chow restaurant. Here they even had fancy tea cup holders.

tie guan yin tea

dim sum menu

The dim sum in Pak Loh Chiu Chow was not cheap but it was definitely worth it. You get what you pay for and more. It was probably at par with the three Michelin stars restaurant, Lung King Heen which costs much, much more.

Pak Loh Chiu Chow restaurant

Shop 313, K11 mall

18 Hanoi Road, Tsim Sha Tsui

telephone: +852 2723 6828

Pal food on economy Mla-Hkg-Mla

I’ve written about how good the food was on Philippine Airlines (PAL) over and over again. But that was on business class so maybe I was biased. Last Holy Week we took the last flight on economy and I wanted to prove once and for all if the food was also good behind the curtains.

There was no printed menu, no fancy silverware and only a choice of chicken adobo or sweet and sour fish. I was pleasantly surprised to see dessert was from Bizu, one of my favorite cake shops.

I picked the safer choice, chicken adobo. The adobo made with coconut milk so it was very, very flavorful. I loved it! The rice was a bit hard though.

The dessert was bread pudding with raisins. It wasn’t my favorite but it was quite edible.

bread pudding

On the trip back to Manila the food was again chicken. This time chicken afritada or boneless chicken cooked with tomato sauce and spices. Again it was quite good and satisfying. Dessert was banana cake which was much better than the bread pudding. It was very moist and yummy.

chicken afritada

There I’ve proven it. Food on Pal on any class is good!

Dinner at Tao Yuan

Marie Ann or Tisay as we call her treated our big group for her birthday at Tao Yuan. We’ve all heard a lot about Tao Yuan so even if it was far it was go, go, go!
We went there on a week night and there wasn’t an empty seat in the two-story restaurant.

absolutely happy

Several blogs have lauded this as the best Hainanese chicken in Manila. It was indeed good but not the best for me. I liked the one at Century seafood better. Choi Garden also has pretty good Hainanese chicken and their chicken rice is to die for.

Hainanese chicken P880/ whole P438/half

sauces for Hainanese chicken

The cereal prawns was one of their bestsellers but I didn’t like it at all. It was sooooo greasy and the cereal didn’t really add anything to the prawns except oil. I prefer the prawns with salted egg from Gloria Maris much more.

cereal prawns P150/pc

The soup was very, very tasty. It was clear and light.

dried scallop & fresh mushroom soup P780

Tao Yuan special seafood fried rice P480/medium

My favorite dish of the night was this huge fried lapu lapu topped with shredded mangoes, onions and red pepper. It was an unusual combination that just worked. The fish was fried to a crisp and the sweet mangoes were a delightful contrast to it.

mango lapu lapu P1,500