Chinese Home Cooking on a Lazy Sunday

What is a lazy Sunday?

It's when one wakes up just in time for lunch followed by a good thirty minutes of aimlessly wandering around the house and later on, finding herself heading back to bed for nap time.

After a series of weekends with very tight schedules, I woke up today with no agenda or plans in mind. So far, what I've done today was to read the sunday paper, read up on more information about our upcoming trip and laze around the house as I watch my sister and mom leave for the mall.

I love Lazy Sundays though. This is when we get to enjoy Mom's cooking which is normally her own version of well-loved Chinese dishes. On Lazy Sundays, we get to eat crabs, prawns and all of those fresh catch from the market. However, whenever mom gets too lazy to cook on this day, we rely on this particular neighborhood restaurant to serve us their best-sellers.

A couple of years back, Paul and I would have to travel all the way to Binondo whenever we crave for Duck Misua (for him) and Oyster Cake (for me). We would brave the traffic, maneuver our way in getting a good parking spot and take a short walk before we reach our food mecca called Sincerity Cafe & Restaurant.

Today, we don't have to travel that far anymore. Just a couple of blocks away from our respective homes, a new Sincerity branch opens. Called Wu Xiang House of Chicken, this tiny food spot offers most of Sincerity's well-loved specialties. From the Sincerity Fried Chicken (Php. 150 half/300 whole), to my favorite Oyster Cake to Paul's favorite Duck Tong Kee Misua Soup (Ah-Ma-Misua) (Php. 120), it's all here at San Juan City!

Ask a Chinoy where's the best fried chicken place and most likely you'll get another answer aside from KFC. Sincerity has been one of those must-try places in Binondo if you want to try really good fried chicken. It's crunchy on the outside and perfectly tender inside. Put some extra care on your first bite though at it is served piping hot. I guess what makes this chicken addicting is their secret batter and marinade that creates a different taste that will make you go back for more.

Growing up, we never got around to trying oysters and clams as my parents are not really big fans of it. Thus, for 21 years, our definition of seafood mainly consists of fish, shrimp, lobsters, scallops and squid.

Luckily, Paul opened up a whole new world of seafood eating for me -- bringing me to Sincerity one weekday lunch, he ordered a huge plate of Oyster Cake and asked me to try a small piece. I did as told and I was hooked! Since then, it has always been part of my order list wherever we go.

After all, what is there not to like about Sincerity's Oyster Cake (Php. 120 small/180 large)? Served on a huge round plate, this oyster cake looks like your typical egg omelette but is literally bursting with a generous serving of oysters and topped with onion leeks. It is best eaten with ketchup and a cup of Sincerity Fried Rice.

Dining at Sincerity is just like enjoying Mom's cooking. Its simple home-style Chinese cooking will make you want to come back again and again.

Wu Xiang: House of Chicken is located at 213-A Ibanez st. cor J. Abad Santos (behind the old Home Cable office), Little Baguio, San Juan. Call 722-5438 / 727-1390 for inquiries or delivery.

1521: rediscover Filipino cuisine

It was a Friday evening and Paul, who was able to get off from work early, asked me out for dinner. Of course, I agreed and began racking my brains for a new restaurant that we can check out. Finally, it hit me! Now's the chance to introduce one of my newest food discoveries to Paul -- 1521!

Since it was also a payday Friday, I had to be extra cautious in choosing our dinner destination to avoid getting stuck in terrible traffic. Luckily, my chosen restaurant was not that far from my office. I somehow sensed Paul's immediate apprehension since the place was empty when we arrived. I guess, we were pretty early for the Friday dinner crowd.

Knowing that it was my second visit to the restaurant, Paul just told me to surprise him and so I did!

A table of discoveries

1521, as we were told, was the year the Philippines was discovered by Magellan and his troops. Thus, this restaurant wants its diners to rediscover the beauty of the Filipino cuisine. Don't expect to see traditional dishes here. What they have to offer are dishes that have been recreated using local ingredients but given a unique twist and flavor in every bite.

Paul loves Banana Chips and so I chose the Bad Banana Chips (Php. 70) for our appetizer. I also remembered my brief chat with Tanke, the owner of the restaurant, who highly recommends their version of this Pinoy munchies.

The verdict? My dear fiance loved it to bits (pun intended)! I personally liked the garlicky taste of the usually sweet banana chips. It's so good we were actually planning on ordering another bowl.

After cleaning our bowl of Bad Banana Chips sparkling clean, then came our main order. A huge deep dish filled with veggies and meat with that oh-so-mouthwatering peanut sauce was served in front of us. Presenting the Grilled Kare Kare Thai-Keko (Php. 330) -- as the menu perfectly describes it: "it's your classic tripe and beef peanut stew with a thai twist!"

Paul and I enjoyed our Bangkok trip and this dish definitely brought back all the wonderful travelling memories. Served with bagoong rice and strips of green mangoes, this is another winning order that surely won our heart.

As the usual Kare-kare normally has a lot of peanut sauce, 1521's version just has the right amout of peanut sate sauce drizzled on top of a generous serving of veggies and really tender meat. The bagoong rice completed the Thai feel of the dish which also was a perfect match to the sauce and the smokey flavor of the beef. Needless to say, we once again cleaned out another platter.

Our dinner was simple yet very filling. I'm so happy that Paul enjoyed 1521 as much as I did. Finally, he understood why I couldn't stop raving about it since I first tried it a couple of months ago.

We are already scheduling our next visit, this time, I'll let him try the Tom Yum Inasal, Munggo ng Mayaman and the Potchero ni Tankeko.

1521 is located along Shaw Boulevard (beside Mr. Poon), Mandaluyong. For reservations, contact them at 794-0433

discovering SereniTEA

Who would have thought that located just a couple of blocks away from my home is a place where one can enjoy a cup of freshly brewed customized tea?

This is one reason why I LOVE my neighborhood.

One of Metro Manila's smallest cities, San Juan, is quickly growing to be an ideal residential area due to its proximity to other key cities in the metro, a lot of food and shopping options and various places where its residents can unwind after a crazy day at work.

After a hearty seafood dinner last Friday, Paul and I wanted to hang out at a quiet place where we can talk and relax before heading home. Since, we didn't really feel like having coffee nor do we have enough room for dessert, I suddenly remembered a meeting that I had earlier that day when a colleague enthusiastically shared with us her newest discovery called Serenitea.

She told us that it's a cozy tea shop that serves really good freshly brewed teas. However, for those who wants the sweeter version, they also have milk teas and tea lattes available. I also mentioned that you can customized your tea here. After choosing your type of drink, you will then be asked to choose your preferred sugar level. When in doubt, just ask the server to give you a sample for you to gauge how sweet you would like your drink to be.

I was impressed with their long list of drinks! In fact, I really had a hard time choosing. Should I get the milk tea? or maybe I should take the healthy path and go for a freshly brewed tea? Healthy won once again and so I got the Gyokuro Genmaicha (Green Tea) (Php. 55 -- Hot, Php. 65 -- Cold) which is one of my favorite type of tea.

Before steeping my tea, my friendly server handed me a small taster cup and asked me if 25% sugar is ok for my taste. I took a slow sip and I really liked my tea! I gave her my approval and joined Paul who got us a small table by the door.

Unlike other tea houses which gives a very Japanese Zen feel, this one feels more Chinese as accentuated by the wooden frames with Chinese proverbs on the wall. They also have a community board with photos of their regular clients and a neat looking menu board on top of the counter. What they need is a WiFi connection and students and professionals can definitely spend the entire afternoon or evening here.

Finally, my drink, which was served on a tall plastic cup, has arrived. I took a sip and savored the taste of toasted rice and green tea which is the unique characteristic of Genmaicha.

SereniTEA is definitely a must-visit for all tea lovers out there. On my next visit, I'm trying the Strawberry Milk Tea together with their snacks such as the Pepper Tofu and Chicken Chops. YUM!

SereniTEA is located along J. Abad Santos cor V. Cruz, San Juan City. You may contact them at 3794166 for more inquiries.

Driving directions: Coming from Wilson, turn right upon seeing Alex III/Gloria Maris. Go straight, SereniTEA is right in front of Mann Hann.

Red Mango has finally landed...

...in Manila!

The brand that has converted a lot of frozen yogurt fans in LA, New York, Seoul, Bangkok and Singapore is finally here in Manila to join in the fun!

Since I've been going around town in search for the best yogurt in the market, I've narrowed down my list to Yoh-gurt Froz and Cold Spoon.

Visiting the new Eastwood Mall for the first time was truly a pleasure. My sister, who acted as my tour guide, led me to its restaurant row on the second floor. Quietly tuck at the corner was a small cozy store with a huge door and a bright round signage at the side. I held my breath as I read the name of the store. Red Mango, it said. Without any hesitation, I pushed the door open and walked in. I can't believe it's finally here and it's open to the public!

Surveying its menu, I still ended up with my favorite -- a small cup of original yogurt (Php. 80) with fresh strawberries (Php. 20) and kiwis (Php. 20). I watch as the girl behind the counter prepared my cup of yogurt with excitement. I can't wait to dig in!

I noticed that the serving of their toppings in Red Mango isn't as generous compared to its friendly competitors. I even had to sweet talk the server to add a lil bit more because my cup really looked bare with just a teaspoonful of kiwi and strawberries.

The Verdict


Red Mango's yogurt is a winner! Although, I still love my two favorite yogurt places mentioned earlier, this definitely has landed at the third spot as my top yogurt picks in town. It has the just-right tangy flavor of the yogurt which perfectly complemented my fresh fruit toppings.

However, what I really like about Red Mango is the fact that they have more food and drink offerings such as mouthwatering waffles (Php. 85), green tea latte and frozen yogurt blenders (Php. 125).

It's a place where I can imagine hanging out with Paul or my dearest girlfriends over a cup of frozen yogurt and perhaps a plate of waffles and smoothies.

Red Mango is located at the 2nd floor, Central Park Veranda of the Eastwood Mall (between A Different Bookstore and Thousand Cranes Shabu Shabu). They also have kiosks in Trinoma and SM Megamall.

Yin and Yang of Taste

I've mentioned in a previous entry how much I enjoy those rare lunch out moments with colleagues. Since my current work location is situated beside a not-so-complete mall and to get to one would require hailing a cab or driving a car, this somehow limits us to choose from whatever is available in the building or somewhere within walking distance.

Thus, upon the invitation of a colleague who is planning to fill up her beauty loot in Bonifacio Highstreet, I immediately accepted her offer to join her for lunch at The Stock Market.

I've been hearing a lot of mixed feedbacks about Del Monte's newest restaurant. Good and bad this made me even more excited to try it out myself.

Browsing the menu, we first noted that it was a bit pricey (Price ranges from Php. 200++ to Php. 500++). I also wanted to play safe so we asked the server for his recommendations.

Since I wanted to just have a light lunch, I chose the Cream of Porcini Mushroom soup with Truffle Oil (Php. 260) and the Stock Market Fresh Harvest Salad with Pineapple Vinaigrette (Php. 240).

Over chitchats and laughters, our orders arrived shortly. I was so excited to try the soup because I love truffle oil and seeing the oil splashed on top of my creamy soup made it even more inviting for me to scoop in.

I love chewing the tiny bits of mushroom however I find the soup a tad too salty for my taste. In fact, I had to ask my colleague for a couple of crostinis which I added into my soup to somehow lessen the saltiness of it. Looks like the chef was having a grand time with the salt shaker. Eventually, I was able to finished my soup together with a full glass of water.

Thankfully, my salad was served right after. From the salty soup, I moved on to my tangy Pineapple salad which got a perfect score for presentation. Even my colleagues were impressed! Imagine, crispy lettuce served on a pineapple bowl topped with seedless red grapes, pineapple chunks, apple strips, nuts and generously drizzled with pineapple vinaigrette. I'd say, this salad is best enjoyed at the farm with the cool wind blowing and the feel of soft grass beneath your feet.

I got my wish for wanting a light lunch but for the price, I felt like I should have just settled for a piece of roast chicken, bread and steamed veggies elsewhere. My total bill was exactly Php. 500 + tax, which I find a bit too much considering that all I got was a bowl of soup and a plate of salad. Hmm..

After sharing my insights with my boss, he told me to give it another try and perhaps to just skip the soup and salad and to just get one of their meaty best-sellers. I guess he's right... with that, I'd say, "I Shall Return."

The Stock Market is located at the Bonifacio Highstreet, Taguig.

Warning: Hot Crepe, Cold Crepe

Here's a classic story about how service can vary depending on the situation or your customers:

Last Saturday, I was fortunate enough to be invited to the media launch of the newest branch of Crepes & Cream at The Atrium of SM Megamall. I was excited to attend this event as I love crepes and I used to frequent their Podium branch a couple of years back.

I entered the store and immediately smelled the scent of cooking crepes. The aroma just made my stomach grumble and my mouth to water. Finally, it was my turn to place my order and I got a Kani Mango Crepe (Php. 135) because I found out that they add ebiko in it which is perfect since I'm still on my sushi craving phase.

I watched the girl effortlessly prepared my crepe that it got me wondering if it's really that easy to prepare. Here's what she did:

First, she poured the batter into the hot skillet pan

Next, she spread the batter around and smoothen out the sides

Afterwards, she added the remaining ingredients (Kani sticks, Lettuce, Mangoes, Ebiko and Mayonnaise)
She waited for the crepe to cook for a few more seconds and folded it up into a triangle.

Tadah! My Kani Mango Crepe is ready!
I love my chosen crepe because it reminds me of my favorite California Maki. The sweet mangoes are so refreshing and I enjoyed the tiny Ebiko in every bite!

After finishing our savory crepe, we were told to choose a dessert crepe. Oh, I don't think I can take another bite but I happily obliged.

Choosing the sweet crepes was an easier task as I already know what I'm getting. I love strawberries and now that it's still available in the market, I grab any chance that I could have to order it. I chose the Crazy for Strawberries Crepe (Php. 145). This has a scoop of Strawberry Ice Cream with a generous serving of fresh strawberries and a drizzle of Strawberry syrup. You can say it was definitely Strawberry overdose!

My first Crepes & Cream experience was delightful and I was so happy and excited to bring Paul there soon.

The Next Day

After the event, we were given a gift certificate that we can use on our next visit to the store. Yesterday, I brought this with me because I wanted to bring Paul and let him try the crepes too. We entered the store and the girl who prepared my crepe immediately recognized me. She said hello but it was another server who was assigned to prepare my crepe.

I ordered the Kani Mango Crepe for my sister while Paul just got a Strawberry Ice Cream because we had a very filling lunch. I stood by the counter ready to watch the girl prepare my sister's crepe. The store wasn't that busy but it took the girl more than 5 minutes to get started. I even have to ask her if it would take a long time before my order would be ready.

Finally she began with the preparation, she poured the batter and quickly smoothened it out. She added in the ingredients but failed to add in the ebiko. I asked her how come there's no ebiko and she told me that it's out of stock. When I voiced my disappointment to the supervisor, Crys, the server went to the refrigerator and came back with a small container filled with orange ebikos. Ok, so she even have to lie probably hoping that she can get away with it. I was really getting so disappointment considering that I had a wonderful time just the day before. I couldn't help but ask her how come she told me they ran out of ebikos when they still have it. She didn't answer and just ignored me.

As if this is not bad enough, she handed me the crepe with an irritated look on her face and when I reminded her that I'm getting it as a take out, she pouted even more and roughly grab the take out box from the side counter. If only she would just apologize for the poor service and remedy the situation right away. The supervisor, who has witness the whole thing just stood there and continued chatting with one of the girls.

I'm not really the type who would create a scene over a poor service but rest assured, I will stay as far away from the store from now on. This experience got me thinking which service was real -- was it the one that we, bloggers, had yesterday or the one that I just had this afternoon.

Craving for Sushi?

Once in a while, a girl craves from something delicious and whenever she craves for this it is definitely a must and NOT an option to make sure this gets fulfilled.

Just recently, I was really craving for sushi -- oh, I dream of slices of mouthwatering salmon sashimi, the brightest orange ebiko (fish roe) and a huge platter of assorted mini makis. Paul, being the sweetest boyfriend that he is, agreed to drive all the way to Quezon City just to satisfy my sushi craving.

Just a word of caution though, when it comes to sushi and eating raw food items, be sure to dine only in reputable restaurants. This is to avoid getting unexpected stomach illnesses or worst, food poisoning.

For us, the best sushi can be found in Omakase. We used to be regular customers of their Libis branch and were delighted to find out that they just recently moved to a bigger and better location in Il Terrazzo in Tomas Morato, Quezon City.

Regulars of Omakase will be surprised and delighted with the new interiors of the restaurant. Contrary to the previous Zen-feel that we have grown used to, the new branch sports a modern Japanese interior that has more seating capacity.

Il Terrazzo is a big commercial establishment that houses a number of new restaurants and a supermarket at the basement. Parking is pretty easy because of the numerous spaces available inside and outside the complex. The restaurant was packed on a Thursday evening but luckily we were able to have a table right away.

We wanted to keep our dinner light so we skipped the donburis and focused more on their sushi offerings and appetizers. Here's a look at what's on our table:

Spicy Tuna Salad (Php. 215)
This is one of our favorite dishes whenever we dine at Omakase. We love it so much that we have influenced quite a number of friends and family members to get this whenever they go to the restaurant. I love the fresh diced tuna sashimi over a bed of lettuce, drizzled with spicy Japanese dressing and topped with tempura flakes, ebiko and spring onions. If you are not a fan of spicy dishes, need not worry because believe me, it's manageable.

GDR platter (Php.575)
This platter is perfect for those who can't decide what to get. Since we love Omakase's Dynamite Roll which is a roll-up eel tempura maki topped with bits of spicy salmon on top, we also wanted to try their other sushi offerings. The Golden Blossom is similar to the well-loved California Maki but it has sliced avocado and shrimp tempura inside. The photogenic Rising Sun, on the other hand, has crabstick and cucumber inside and topped with a thin slices of raw tuna, salmon and avocado.

My sushi craving has been fulfilled and I left the restaurant with a happy smile on my face.

The new Omakase is located at the Ground Floor of Il Terrazzo, Tomas Morato, Quezon City.