Happy Birthday, Japa!!!

April 26, 2007. For Japa's 3-th birthday, he invited the family to Coral Garden. When he texted, I was pretty excited since although we don't frequent Coral Garden as much as we do Omakase, it is still one of those restaurants where you're assured of well-prepared home-cooked Chinese food and therefore, a full and satisfied tummy afterwards.

Originally located in Banawe, "Asia's Kitchen Goddess since 1978", opened a branch in Libis to serve their growing market. Their menu is good for dine-in, take out, delivery or can be served in a party platter. That night, Japa ordered from their a la carte menu.

Dizons and Gavinos eating heartily at CG's dishes

I would personally go back for their almond jelly drink - white almond-flavored diced jelly with syrup and crushed ice. Yummy! When our families arrived, the dishes started coming in! Fiesta time!!!

Coral Crab, Steamed Fresh Garoupa,
Grean, Leafy Kangkong and Smokin' Sizzling Spare ribs

We had sweet corn with crab meat soup, crab fooyong - a favorite of Boydee-we had to call for seconds and thirds, yang chow fried rice, salted fish fried rice, steamed lapu lapu taiwan style, crab a la coral - crab cooked in wine and its own crab fat, kangkong with garlic and Coral bihon - crispy bihon with seafood sauce on the side.

All made up for one hearty birthday blow-out dinner courtesy of our lovable, endearing, funny, witty, fitness and health-conscious brother, Japa. :)

Happy, happy birthday Japs! We love you!!!

Coral Garden
184-B E. Rodriguez, Jr. (aka C5)
Bagumbayan, Quezon City
(between Starbucks and BMW)
Tel: 636-3781
Open: 11:30AM-11:00PM Daily

96 Banawe Street,
Quezon City
(in front of Children's Memorial Hospital)
Tel: 712-1078 or 711-0255
Open: 10:30AM - 10:00PM Daily

Total Bill: Damage to Japa's wallet :)

Hello and Goodbye

April 15, 2007. Mommy Shalene had just arrived from the States, I think, and Bric and I were off to Cebu the next day. So, it was Hello to Mom and Goodbye to me. Actually, that was just our family's excuse to prepare something more special than the usual Melinda cooking. Hehehe...

So, our chefs in the family showed off their talents and we had an impromptu 'sosy' dinner.

Chilean seabass on a bed of mushroom risotto

Rondic prepared the mushroom risotto. The rice seemed overcooked that's why it was a tad too sticky but the taste was oh so delish! The thing with risotto though is it's just so filling. Just a little already leaves your tummy feeling heavy. Still, I carbo-loaded because of this!

The Chilean sea bass was oven roasted with bacon and diced walnuts. Or was it? Hmmm... I can't seem to remember. Seasoned by Rod and Zhar, it was good but unevenly cooked because of our oven. Some of the fillets were also tasting of freezer burn because it had been there since last January. Imagine four months! :) Hehehe....

Zharmagne cooked a little lamb, little lamb, little lamb

The roasted lamb rack was prepared by Zhar. All that was missing was the mint jelly sauce. Otherwise, it was yummy as I remembered it.

Slow turbo cooked iberian chicken by Melinda

Not to be outdone was our cook, Melinda, with her version of Iberian Chicken. Turbo cooked slowly and seasoned with herbs and spices, a bite of the chicken gives you that rich, aromatic taste but leaves you feeling guilty because, typical of Melinda's cooking, so much oil was used to cook it. Still, a little of everything is good. ;-)

Robyn: Daddy, can I have a bite?

The meal was complemented with Cabernet Sauvignon, and capped off with chocolate chip cookie a la mode.

A toast to our chefs Rondic and Zhar!

Mmmmm... what a way to welcome our beloved Mother! Hmmm... til the next 'welcome party'!