choi, choi, choi!

In the midst of my house arrest of 2 weeks due to my pregnancy, our 5th wedding anniversary is just around the corner. It's tomorrow actually. Boydee and I decide to celebrate a day in advance to avoid the Friday traffic.

I've been building up my appetite by going through one food blog to another and chanced upon this blog and I've dreamed of Choi over and over again.

I was salivating for baked lobster in cheese on noodles and I missed my favorite pigeon. I even wrote down what this blog had recommended. So, on this Thursday noon, Boydee and I, and our boys - Bric and our adopted kuya Ranger, with their yayas, went to Choi Garden.

I left my camera in the car so no pictures yet again but do check out the blog above. She has great pictures of the food in Choi.

So we ordered: honey pork asado, wintermelon soup with dried scallops and crabmeat, rich man's fried rice, one whole hong kong pigeon (which I ate all by myself!!!), the lobster with noodles, siomai, siao long pao, scrambled eggs and crab, and radish cake. We finished it all!

The lobster though wasn't as good as I expected. I am still looking for the buttery sauce we tasted in HK but the pigeon was a delight. It made the meal worth it! I was in pure heaven!!! Ranger finished 1 whole order of siomai. I never realized he was a fan of chinese cuisine til today!

On our way back, I asked our two boys if they wanted to go back to Choi Garden and both said a hearty yes!!! But all of us were too full to think of when we want to go back. As of now, the flavor of the pigeon is still fresh in my palate and my tummy is still feeling all the food. Ahhh...

Happy 5 years my Love! Thanks for being part of making my reality even so much better than my dreams! I love you forever! :)

Bric's Birthday Menu

What was supposed to have been an intimate dinner at Peking Garden in celebration of Bric's birthday turned out to be a whole family affair at home. Who would've known that Peking Garden was closed indefinitely pending investigation into the Glorietta 2 bombing a few months ago. And to think I was sooo looking forward to the Peking Duck there which I heard is the best in town. I was literally salivating over it for the two days I planned the dinner.

So, in lieu of the dinner, Boydee and I decided to hold it at home and invite the Papa clan. We got in touch with our suki, Jack, from a Japanese restaurant we frequent, to display his prowess in the mizuno table. I bought the ingredients and asked Mommy Nonie to bring Cebu lechon and torta from Vicky's from Cebu since she was arriving that day.

Just for photo op, since it was going to be a simple party, I got in touch with Helen of Blimpworks whom we discovered at Audrey's birthday party. They did a fabulous set up at the 1st birthday party of Ahia Jojo and Gladys' darling daughter last October. Elizza got her to decorate the stage too at Robyn's 1st birthday. I just wanted a picture corner to make Bric's party more alive. So, Helen offered a banner with Pooh theme, and 2 balloon standees with metallic Eeyore and Pooh and Tigger design. This was all for P5,500.

Below is the menu:
1. Rib Eye Teppanyaki
2. Grilled Gindara Teriyaki
3. Sotanghon Crab from King Crab
4. Bean Sprouts Teppanyaki
5. Cebu Lechon
6. Japanese Fried Rice

Dessert:
7. Chocolata from Sweet Bella - Quite a disappointment! It was very well reviewed but when we tried it, it wasn't anything extraordinary.
8. Strawberry Charlotte from Sweet Bella - A little too pricey this one, but my gosh! This one is definitely worth it! Even in its melted state (had to be frozen), it was still sooo good!!!

We didn't get to eat the torta anymore but I savored it the next day with tsokolate from Bohol which Mommy Nonie brought.

As for Bric's birthday cake, it was a 2 layered cake from Shoppers which cost around P4,200+. I didn't think we'd have a character-themed party since I thought Bric didn't have any favorites. But when I took him shopping at Shoppers and ordered his cake, he recognized Pooh right away and wanted to grab the stuffed toy topper. Well, at least I can say that he chose his own cake! Hehehe...

Bric loved his cake and his balloons. He didn't wanna stay away from them too long. And if he was within reach of any of those, his fast hands or feet would reach for them. Our major boo-boo was not preparing loot bags - which Annika and Seve made sure to make singil from us. Embarrassed me and Boydee couldn't tell them there were no lootbags so we told them we'd send them to their house. Up till now, we still owe them loot bags. Hehehe...

All in all, it was a pretty successful get together. Bric enjoyed his 1st year celebration; he was still active and excited even way past his early bedtime. It was well-attended by family and early on, we heard Mass and had the priest give him his birthday blessing.

Happy birthday our dear baby!

Dining in Cebu

Despite the clutter of restaurants in Manila, I still look forward to my visits in Cebu and dining in the few good restos Cebu has to offer. Traveling with Bric means I have to stay longer here so that Ama can spend bonding sessions with Bricky Boy and so that our trip especially the packing will be worth it. Packing for Bric gives packing light a new meaning. NO matter how many days we stay, be it 2 nights or 5 nights, we still have to pack like we'll stay for 5 nights because in goes the sterilizer, the 8 8-oz bottles, the can of milk, the diapers and so on and so forth. So might as well make sulit the packing.

Back to my story... Since I stay here longer than usual, I get to eat out more. Hehee...

Some notables:

Kamekichi Noodles - My ultimate new favorite!!! For the past 2 visits to Cebu, I have eaten dinner here 2 times per visit. Could've been more. I could eat here almost everyday especially since I can't find a good Japanese noodle house in Manila. Kamekichi opens everyday except Sunday from 6pm - 1am. All their noodle soups are yummy. I usually have shoyu or misu ramen, with refreshingly cool chilled tofu and their yummy gyoza!!! Ummmm..... It is located across Paseo, in the Ayala Access road.

Abuhan, a disappointment - Ever since our Tagaytay Trip with our family with Stella's family, I have been longing for the good ol' bulalo steak I would devour with my brothers in Abuhan in Kang-Irag Hotel. Last I remembered, the pochero was huge and sizzling hot and the mushroom sauce was smoking!!! It was great with suka patis and kalamansi. This time around, I brought the Dizon brotherhood and sisterhood (minus Ate and Japa, Randy and Stella) to Abuhan in IT Park. It was such a disappointment!!! The bulalo soup had a stinky smell - too meaty while the pochero steak was bland. Perhaps in an effort to provide faster service, the kitchen already boil the pocheros without any seasoning and freeze them. Upon ordering, they reheat the pochero and pour hot mushroom sauce on it while on the sizzling plate. The result, tasteless and 'cold' pochero meat with the sauce not even infiltrating the meat! Sigh... now I am at a loss as to where to get a good sizzling pochero meal. :(

Giuseppe, good as always - A lot has been written about Giuseppe. Rave reviews and authentic Italian dishes. Yummy pasta, pizza and Italian hot dishes. What more can you ask for? Giuseppe is located a few meters before the entrance of the upscale Ma. Luisa subdivision.

Matias Chicken Barbecue - While passing by a stall of Manok ni Sr. Pedro, I told Mom I missed puso and lechon manok. She then suggested buying chicken barbecue in Matias, an old favorite. Not much ambience there, Mom just bought a few sticks for take out. That's what we had for dinner last night and thank goodness, the flavors and the taste are still the same as I last remembered them. Our barbecue is different from Bacolod's. Ours are juicier and more catsupy, and we don't use much garlic. We flavor ours with soy sauce. Matias is located along AS Fortuna.

Ding Qua Qua, Harbour City Dimsum, Cebu's unique dimsum experience - Perhaps only Cebuanos can appreciate our own dimsum flavor. This is the dimsum we've grown up with ever since we were little. Only in Cebu can we find our steamed fried rice - rice sauteed in soy sauce with pork or beef toppings. Their siomai, chicken feet are flavored differently than in HKs or even in Manila; but the taste evokes just so many memories of childhood that I really can't complain. Now, they have a dimsum buffet everyday featuring the old time favorites!!! Isn't that cool! :)

More on my next post. Hopefully, with pictures :) But I forgot to bring my camera... :(

Bistro Filipino

May 8, 2007. It was the birthday of Randy and Rodney who both turned 29 at the same time! Is it also coincidence that they both really look alike? Oh ya, they're twins. Hehehe... Anyway, our youngest brothers decided to hold their on-the-day celeb at Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino in Taguig. I've long been wanting to try Chef Laudico's creations and that night was my chance.

I believe Rod and Zhar were in charge for that night and so they decided on the 6 Course Tasting Menu consisting of 12 dishes. For someone who's a first timer there, this is the way to go, although I must say, it is quite HEAVY on the wallet and a tad LIGHT on the stomach. As the heading suggests, it was a 'tasting menu'. As such, we had bits and samplers of different dishes. Below was our menu:

Trio of Appetizers: Crispy Lumpia Cone filled with chorizo, prawns and heart of palm topped with spicy sinamak sorbet; Romaine Lettuce stuffed with Rice Noodles and Smoked Milk Fish topped with Crispy Shrimp, Calamari and Palabok Sauce; Grilled Pork Liempo and Silken Tofu wrapped in Crispy Rice Paper with Spicy Garlic Vinegar Soy Glaze and Caramelized Shallots.

Soup Shooters: Free Range Chicken broth simmered in Ginger and Coconut Juice Garnished with Chicken Ravioli, Chili Leaves and Coconut Meat; Beef Nilaga Consomme garnish with Fresh Corn, Carrots and Potato Croquette stuffed with Beef and Cabbage; Adobo Shitake Mushroom Capuccino drizzled with White Truffle Oil garnished with Garlic Chips (this one's my favorite among ALL the samplers!)

Salad: Crispy Adobo Pigeon served on Warm Alugbati and Kamote Greens tossed in Balsamic Adobo Vinaigrette on Garlic Mushrooms

Fish Course: Oven Baked Chilean Sea Bass served on Lukban Noodles in Local Sea Urchin Roe with Asparagus Saute (this one's my second fave dish although the chilean sea bass they served tasted more like the alaskan codfish or the imported gindara)

Meat Course: Slow Braised Lamb Shank in Kaldereta Porcini Sauce on Roasted Capsicum stuffed with Potato and Carrot Puree; Grilled Calamansi and Pepper Spiced US Angus Rib Eye Steak with Grilled Onions served with Corn and Vegetable Saute

Dessert Sampler: Suman and Coconut Panna Cotta Cake drizzled with Latik Glaze garnished with Torched Fresh Mango; Slow Baked Tsokolate-eh in Celadon Tea Cup topped with Almond Cream; Halo-halo Shooter in Fresh Carabao Cream.

If there's one thing Bistro Filipino does not fail to do, it is to give its guests a unique dining experience. The interiors done by Chef Laudico's mother herself, are tasteful and make for good table topics. The dishes sound very intimidating but underneath it are some of our favorite comfort food like sisig, adobo, halo halo, so once you get a bite of it, there's something settling, something familiar. I must say, considering the price and the portions, one should go there with a tummy that's not entirely empty, but with eyes, nose and palate open to unique presentation, aroma and taste.

After dinner, we greeted the twins who blew the candles on the strawberry shortcake which Zhar ordered and from which we partook of thereafter.

Happy Birthday Randy and Rodney! Here's to lots of loving from your respective partners, now that you've found them! Here's to more blessings for you together and individually. Here's to a unique bond that you alone share as twins! May that bond never be broken despite time, space and distance. We love you both!!!

Chef Laudico's Bistro Filipino
Ground Floor, Net2 Building, 3rd Avenue,
Fort Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
8560634; 8560541; 0917800CHEF
www.cheflaudico.com.ph

P1,500 per person plus 10% service charge for the Tasting Menu

Dampa sa DM

Dampa Alley

April 29, 2007. During one of those nights when one of our brotherhood or sisterhood felt like eating, someone suggested Dampa. I think it was Rondic and Rodney who did the inviting so with a family that never says no to eating invitations, we all braved the distance from Quezon City to Diosdado Macapagal Avenue to go to the dampa. As such, we had to leave early and various cell phone calls were made to one vehicle to another to make sure none of us lost our way.

our 'boy' or shopping assistant

So, finally we arrive at the dampa, or wet market and chose Master Cook of Hong Kong as our dining place. The procedure in dampa is to choose a restaurant. From there, they'll ask a 'boy' or a helper to bring you to the wet market where you're supposed to buy your main ingredients for your meal. He brings with him a pail where you dump all the stuff you've bought for cooking at the resto. The marketing is the most exciting part. The wet market is relatively clean and odorless.

sea grapes or 'lato' as we call it in Cebu
great with vinegar, tomato, ginger, onion and salt

mussels or 'tahong'
yummy baked with butter, cheese, mayo and garlic
cousin Val has a delish recipe for this!

aphrodisiacs abound in dampa... hehehe....

It is fun to see all the seafood available. Walking deeper will get you to the meat department and then the fruits area. I just am not quite sure if the prices here are cheaper than in Farmer's or in other wet markets. I do know for a fact that some stall owners here supply oysters and other fresh seafood to restaurants and houses. But it's already with 'patong' because they are also just the middle men. Oysters, for instance, come from Capiz.

not exactly alive, but fresh, nonetheless

mini lobsters - catch for the day
now these are live!!!

After choosing our fresh and live ingredients, these are brought to the receiving area of the restaurant where they check what you've marketed and tell them how you want to have it cooked/prepared. Then, it's waiting time til they serve the food.

All in all, I wasn't very impressed with the way Master Cook cooked our food. I was happy with the giant shrimp (more like prawns!) tempura but all the rest were nothing great. We had crabs, oyster cake, fish sinigang (wrong choice of fish, though), steamed shrimps (oh, this was good also!), fried rice, liempo, among others.

Whether or not the dampa was worth the long ride depends on what mood I'm in. Being a shallow person who enjoys trips to the market, I'd still go back and would even bring guests there if only for the experience and the fun of actually doing the marketing myself. We just need to look for a better restaurant the next time around.

Damage: If I remember correctly, we spent around P14k for the ingredients and the cooking. Not bad considering we were 21 adults and 10 kids!

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'!