Kung Hei Fat Choi at Eat Well

This was actually my Mother's grand idea. It was Chinese New Year (February 3) and she wanted us to have a simple Chinese dinner to usher in the year of the metal rabbit. We had other choices like Lutong Macau in Jupiter, but since they weren't picking up (reservations were a must during that time) we decided to go for a restaurant who actually answered calls.

We ended up eating at Eat Well Delicious Kitchen this time at The Fort. No regrets here, I've been missing their Xiao Long Bao every since we ate it at there Greenhills branch. It was love at first bite. I remember fellow blogger, Smarla, hunting down the best Xiao Long Bao in town and I just had to recommend this to her. Hope she was able to have a taste! :)

This was our Kung Hei Fat Choi feast:

Of course, we had the beloved Xiao Long Bao.


If before we only had 4 pieces, this time we had 8 lovely pieces. It was served piping hot, and you have to gingerly sip on the broth inside the dimsum. Even if it cooled down, the wrapper did not harden. Great things really come in small packages! Love it!! :)

I ordered this: Fried Porkchop with Vegetable Rice.

Again, this was love at first bite. Crispy on the outside, but super tender and juicy on the inside. Definitely a meat lover's wet dream! Totally recommended!

Since Mom's old school cool, she just had to have PANCIT or Noodles since it was a piyesta (fiesta). We ordered their Birthday Noodles.


Although their sauce was a bit bland, it was really good. They had very generous portions of the noodles and their sahog. They had liver, lots of vegetables and I'm not really sure if those orange ones were quail eggs. We had to take this home because we couldn't finish it anymore!

It was a great way to celebrate Kung Hei Fat Choi. Although we're not Chinese in any way whatsoever, it's nice to celebrate it with them. Mom and I love Chinese food, so it was also a chance to pig out on it.

Oh and by the way, there are a lot NET buildings, Eat Well is in Net Quad Building near St. Luke's Medical Center and HSBC. Mom and I sort of got lost, we had to walk and ask around. So don't get confused.


Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen
Unit C, Ground Floor, Net Quad Building,
4th Avenue cor 30th St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City
Tel. No. 856-9408

Links to other Chinese restaurants in the Metro:
Eat Well! Delicious Kitchen - Greenhills
Mongkok - Rockwell
Super Bowl of China
Yakimix - Mall of Asia
Yang Chow Dimsum and Tea House

Ilocos Tour Part 6: Foodie Finds

No trip will ever be complete without me finding the usual food fare. I knew I was in really good company during this trip up north, because these 2 girls sure knew how to eat and EAT WELL! :) Perfect foodie buddies, Kim and Milds are!

So if in Vigan, Ilocos Norte, besides the let's-go-back-in-time tour, one MUST go on a food trip in this historic city. I didn't realize Vigan had so much food haunts. Here are some recommended places to go.

LOS MAJITOS STREET DINING

Owned by Sheila Medina, this caught our attention as we made our way to the Vigan Cathedral to hear Mass. The street dining concept was really cool, since it was really cold out while we were there, plus you get to dine within the old walls of the stone houses. It also had a really cozy feel to it, and I think that's what attracted not only local tourists, but foreigners as well.


And what a meal we had in this place! Since we knew nothing in the restaurant, we were supposed to order Ilocano delicacies by the plate. But the really servers tipped us on getting this HUGE PLATTER (think BOODLE FEAST) of everything Ilocano - bagnet, Vigan longganisa,pinakbet, and KBL (kamatis, bagoong and lasuna). Lasuna is a kind of onion found in Ilocos. THIS WAS HEAVEN!!! MUST EAT WHEN IN VIGAN FOLKS!!


We also drank in this spot, the cool winds made it perfect for binge drinking. But as we were drinking, the peaceful Vigan night was shattered by a small riot. It was so cool to watch the whole scene unfold right in front of your eyes! It was like a movie scene where the bad guys wreak havoc and the police come to break it up. If only we understood Ilocano, it would've been so much better.


I'd also like to thank the staff of Los Majitos. They were very accommodating and when the riot broke up they asked us if we wanted to transfer inside the restaurant. Great food with great service warrants a really good blog entry! :) Sheila, if you get to read this, congrats! Great restaurant, I miss it already!!

LILONG AND LILANG'S COFFEE SHOP

We got to here during our calesa trip, and our driver Kuya Richard brought us to the Hidden Garden to have a look around and to eat.

The restaurant had very simple set-up but was prettified by the wood ornaments, the Christmas lights and of course the plants all around it. It made the place really cool even if it was right smack in the middle of the day.



Here, we got to try their Sisig and Pork Sinigang. It was good, but let me tell yoou one thing, we were starving. They say when you're starving everything tastes good. But really, it was good. I just wish that their Sinigang had more meat in it.



LEILA'S CAFE

Found right beside Los Majitos is this quaint coffee shop called Leila's Cafe. Being a caffeine I just had to have my daily dose of caffeine.

The interiors were very comfortable, way MORE comfortable than Starbucks or Coffee Bean. It looked like a house's living room.

I decided to take a seat outside, and have my Caffe Latte which was only P50 (a little over USD1). Amazing! It was strong just the way I like my coffee. Although I would've liked it in a much bigger cup.


They also serve tea, just take a look at the board for other stuff you might like. It's a perfect place to unwind after a long, tiring tour of Vigan.

Just to let everyone know: Everything that we ate in our trip was BELOW P600 (more or less USD15). We didn't scrimp on our food alright, it's just that food in Vigan is cheap. CHEAP BUT REALLY GOOD! Your historical tour could also be a foodie tour!

This was one remarkable trip. Since this was my first MAJOR trip this 2011 I think it will become a benchmark for all my upcoming trips. So I know deep down in my gut, it'll keep getting better and better! :D

Other links to our Vigan tour:
Part 1: Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte
Part 2: Cordillera Inn, Night Shots and Empanada
Part 3: Crisologo and SyQuia Museums
Part 4: Bantay Bell Tower and St. Augustine Parish Church
Part 5: Baluarte and Hidden Garden

Bird Watching @ Candaba Wetlands

Sorry for the absence, it's been pretty crazy here at work. Projects came and went last week so there really wasn't any time left for blogging. So anyway, let me tell you guys how my Saturday turned out.

THE BFF's and I all went to Candaba, Pampanga for the Ibon-Ebun Festival. Trency texted us a week ago about the festivities, I think she wanted us to go cultural this time because the last time we all went out-of-town was to go beach bumming for my birthday and to follow our craving for bulalo.

We were supposed to go really early in the morning so we could see the street dancing and other celebrations for the festival. Unfortunately, Trency's midterm was pushed to Saturday at 11.30AM. Leaving us with no choice but to leave at around 1PM.

The trip was relatively easy, since I made sure we already had directions on how to get there. The only thing was that the roads were all just one lane on both directions. And since this was provincial Philippines, tricycles made the trip SLOWER. It was frustrating to drive, there was hardly any chance to overtake! So just a tip for those who plan on driving to Candaba, BE PREPARED FOR THIS! It can be a real test of patience.

Finding the Bird Sanctuary isn't hard, just follow the signs just like this one. Or don't be afraid to ask the locals. It's a popular place, so they know it very well.


When we got to the Bird Sanctuary, we were welcomed by tour guides who told us we were late for the festivities. Since it was late in the afternoon (it was 4PM when we got there) he wasn't sure if we'd be able to see the birds flying around the swamp. So we just took a chance and went for it. We paid P150 each for the tour and you get to use their binoculars.

Talking to our tour guide, Kuya John Joseph, we found out that the 72-hectare Bird Sanctuary is owned by Candaba's mayor, Jerry Pelayo. He said it used to be a fish farm, but when the birds started coming in, he transformed it into a sanctuary where bird enthusiasts can come and take a look at the birds. As of now, there are 56 different kinds of bird species that come to Candaba. He says that birds start coming in late November, and stay around until late February.

The Mayor is also very strict, no one can shoot birds and no one can capture birds to sell in Manila or to take home as pets. Kuya John Joseph told us there were people who captured birds stuffed them in cages and were already on their way to Manila. Fortunately they got caught and the birds were set free.

We started our walk around the 72-hectares. It was a nice walk since it wasn't too sunny and there was a constant light breeze. We stopped once in a while to take a look at the birds through our binoculars. Since we had puny cameras, we weren't able to take shots of the birds flying all over the swamp. But they were BEAUTIFUL!! It wasn't my first time to go bird watching, had a chance at Villa Escudero over at Tiaong, Quezon. And I must say, it takes a lot of patience, a lot of walking around, and super bionic eyes to spot the birds. To the untrained eye, the birds all looked the same.

Since we couldn't take pictures of the birds, I just took shots of us walking around and of the place. The swamp was actually beautiful and so full of life. It was a perfect day for bird watching AND PHOTOGRAPHY, so we were all very lucky!




Oh and by the way, you guys see those bamboo "walls"? Kuya John Joseph said that it used to enclose the whole area and photographers would set-up their equipment through those "windows". But typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng, destroyed most of the walls. So when they were about to put the walls back up, someone suggested not to rebuild it because the birds might feel enclosed and trapped. The open space makes them feel more free to roam around the area.

At the end of an almost 2-hour walkathon around the swamp, we were able to see about 10 or so bird species. Some of the species we saw were a Kingfisher, Terns, Egrets, Common Moorhen, purple and gray Herons, Bitterns, and the very rare Black Bittern. It was so cool! :)

Try bird watching with your friends. I didn't really expect to enjoy it, but when you're with the BFFs...it's just so hard not to have fun while at it!



Here are directions to get to the Candaba Wetlands Bird Sanctuary:
1. Go to NLEX and exit at PULILAN. Just to remind you guys that the roads are narrow so be careful!
2. When you see a Jollibee and a Robinson's Supermarket, make a left at the intersection. That goes to Baliuag, Bulacan. You'll pass by SM City Baliuag.
3. Just go straight on that road, you'll see a flyover. Go UNDER the flyover and make a LEFT. Just go straight and after a while you see the arch that says PAMPANGA.
4. Just go straight towards Candaba, and watch out for BARANGAY BAGONG PARI. When you the a short bridge and a basketball court at the left side, turn RIGHT at the corner. It's right after that small bridge. Afterwards you'll start seeing the signs that will lead you to the Bird Sanctuary.

If getting lost, you may also contact John at 0917-4397650. The staff of the Bird Sanctuary are all very accommodating and super friendly, so do not hesitate to give them a call.

Hit and Miss at Dulcinea

Before anything else, let me first enthrall you all with a short story. My grandmother is a very snooty cook. She was very particular with all the ingredients, as in EVERYTHING! But she gets snootier than ever especially when it comes to cooking Spanish delicacies. Her father and grandmother were pure Spanish so she grew up eating AUTHENTIC Spanish food. And when we (her precious grandkids) came into the picture, we were able to have authentic Spanish food at home. We'd have lengua, caldereta and callos for lunch and dinner like it was the easiest thing to whip up in a kitchen.

And so this leads me to say that when my Mother and I decided to eat Spanish food at Dulcinea, all I could say was I was really disappointed. Can't really blame them for being not so spot on with their Spanish fare. But if they promote their restaurant as a place to have a feel of Espanya, well they better do a much better job.

Mom and I ordered the usual Spanish dishes. Mom's very fond of callos (she makes great callos by the way), so she ordered one for herself.

Number one, when you say you have callos on your menu and it states it has twalya (ox tripe) MAKE SURE IT ACTUALLY HAS OX TRIPE. It had like 2 pieces of ox tripe, and that is like THE essence of a callos dish.

Number two, use real tomato sauce base. I get how we Filipinos LOVE and would actually die for sweet stuff in everything that we eat. But since this is supposedly a touch of Espanya, it's not really supposed to be that way. The callos tasted like spaghetti sauce. I was sort of looking for that slight twang in the sauce, Mom and my Lola makes them a bit maasim at home.

Number three, make sure your meat is tender. My lola was very particular with this when she used to cook stuff for us. The meat was ALWAYS, ALWAYS tender. UGH!

As for me, I ordered their lengua.

This is WAY better than what Mom had. Their lengua was pretty tender, and the sauce very tasty. It's actually cool how they give you mashed potatoes as side dish, although it's not a Spanish thing. The sauce really went well with the mashed potato and I enjoyed picking on it (since I don't eat rice). I think this can pass.

For dessert, Mom and I ordered what made Dulcinea really famous: Churros Con Chocolate.

I give this a two-thumbs up! Mom said Dulcinea has already perfected the art of making churros, and I couldn't agree more. The churros was crispy, although it has to be said that it was a bit oily for my taste (maybe they should mop it up a bit before serving). The chocolate was semi-sweet and long after we've downed the churros, I found myself getting the spoon and finishing the entire thing. Delicious! This was a definite HIT!

I'm sorry to Dulcinea if I have to bash their Spanish feel. But hey, maybe you guys need to learn a thing or two about Spanish cuisine. If I were to come back to Dulcinea, it would be for the churros ALONE and nothing else.

Ugh...now I miss my Lola! :(


Dulcinea Greenbelt 1
G/F, Greenbelt 1,
Paseo de Roxas cor. Legaspi St.,
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. No. 817-7074

Mother-Daughter QT @ Banana Leaf

Mom had been really, really stressed the past couple of weeks. She was working on a project on a souvenir program for a glee club's upcoming anniversary benefit concert, so she had been writing non-stop and coordinating stuff with the people in-charge.

So when she finally had the chance to breath, she told she wanted to just go out and have a nice dinner with me. So on a nice Wednesday night, Mom and I met up in Greenbelt 3 to look around for a nice place to eat.

Our quest for a nice dinner took us to Banana Leaf, a Thai restaurant in Greenbelt 5. I've eaten here a couple of times before, and have really nothing against the food. But of course nothing beats the real-deal Thai food in another restaurant in Rockwell.

We were both hungry so we sorta ordered a lot. So we had the usual star of any Thai meal - Pad Thai (Thai Style).

It was semi-hot, although I would've preferred it to be a bit high up there on the spice level. It was freshly cooked, and the hotness went really well with the slight twang of the calamansi.

We also ordered my favorite, Deep Fried Pandan Chicken.

It's always fun unwrapping the chicken from underneath those woven pandan leaves. Plus those leaves always gave the chicken this great aroma making it even more enticing to the palate. The chicken meat was soft and cooked just right. It was perfect just the way it is you don't need to dip in the sauce that comes with it.

New to our usual Thai fare was the Thai Style Marinated Pork.

Just a little note, when they say Thai style it's a bit spicy. But since I've been sort of accustomed to really SPICY food, I was slightly disappointed with their spice level. But this pork dish was good, meat was easy to cut-up into tiny pieces because of its tenderness. And they must have really taken a lot of time in the marinating process because the meat was tasty - it must have sopped up the marinate. A must try!

And since my Mom's a vegetable fanatic we had the Stir Fried Chinese Kangkong with Sambal Sauce.

This dish was also a bit spicy, but not that much. It wasn't too salty either. Since Mom has officially joined the hypertensive club last year, she really couldn't eat salty food. But this one was particularly okay since they did a good job in not making it too salty. Whatever that sambal sauce is, it's really good! Totally recommended for those who can't live without veggies on the table!

For dessert we had the Sticky Rice with Mango.

This was a total FAILURE because we remembered it wasn't the season for mangoes. So when this arrived I took the first dibs to check on the mango, and true enough it was as sour as sour could be! But the sticky rice was good (hahaha!), not too sweet. Although the one at SOMS is better. I don't know why, maybe because of the milk they use. The milk they use at SOMS is tastier than the one in Banana Leaf.

Since we were there around dinnertime, the place was packed with yuppies and other families having dinner. But Banana Leaf's seems to have gotten the right groove because they were able to serve our orders (and the others') in a jiff! Good job!

Oh and even saw an officemate in the next table! Hello, Steph! :) She's the girl busy eating at the right-side. :p



Banana Leaf
2/F Greenbelt 3
Ayala Center, Makati City
Tel. No. 729-3333
Website: http://www.bananaleaf.com.ph