Enfakid A+: Milk disguised as Books

Technically, milk is food after all.

And I came across a particular milk brand that packaged theirs pretty well - Enfakid A+.
In the parenting section of Fully Booked, I came across a couple of moms holding these books. And because I was curious, I searched the book shelves as well. And what I saw was so cute! Look!

They disguised Enfakid A+ as books that help your child have better brain development because that's precisely what they want to say: that they help in better brain development as well.

Nice :)

Pampanga Feast: Cs Italian Restaurant

For some it was a grueling 12 rounds of presentations, for some it was simply a grueling work week, for some still it was an excuse to pig out. But whatever our reasons were, there was no stopping me and my officemates from eating our way across Angeles, Pampanga.

First stop is the Tatler-awarded Italian restaurant C'. Unimpressive facade under the 11:30 am sun, it would be a fault to judge it by just that.

Inside, it's Italy. There are brick walls, warm lighting, wine racks and paintings. I could feel that this place was going to cost me half of my Pampanga Feast money. Which I wouldn't mind if it was worth it.

And it was. We started with 2 types of Panizza.

The first is called the Don Carmelo and is very thin pizza topped with chorizo, anchovies and peccorino cheese. It is as salty as it sounds but is adequately tempered once rolled with the accompanying arugula and alfalfa sprouts.

ANGSARAAAAAP! Every bite was an invitation to roll more and more panizzas so you could eat more and more.

The second panizza was the slightly healthier Primavera. Still paper thin and still loaded with yummy melted cheese, the health I'm claiming comes from the roasted bell peppers, mushrooms and artichokes that sit gloriously on top of it.

Less salty than the Don Carmelo, it still is better eaten with the aragula and alfalfa.

And is pizza rolls were not filling enough, we also ordered a Risotto Rustico. A melt in your mouth risotto made of rice reduced in what seems to be a chicken broth topped with chicken tenders, artichokes, snow peas and cheese.

It was a very comforting dish. I'd love to eat this on a cold rainy day while nursing colds (sans the officemate's face of course).

The last dish we had in C was not a dessert but a pasta - because what is Italian without pasta?

We ordered a Penne Roberto, which is penne pasta cooked in cream, chicken tenders, sundried tomatoes and roasted garlic. Best savory dessert ever!

But we also needed real dessert - the sweet kind.

And so the trip continued...

Perhaps it's time for a quest: Our Awesome Planet's Best Burger

After my Army Navy entry, I found myself jonesing still for burgers.

And so, as I browsed the blogs I love frequenting, I chanced upon this:
The Battle of The Best Burgers.

It's Our Awesome Planet's contenders for best burger in Manila. And although I am familiar with quite a few, the beef-eater in me couldn't accept that I have yet to bite into all.

And so. I am wondering if I should go on my very own burger quest. To taste at least everything on the aforementioned list and maybe discover more on my own.

What do you think belly? Should we do this?

Meat My Soft Spot: Army Navy

I have a soft spot for burgers (my belly, to be precise). I have eaten quite a few and Army Navy's classic quarter pound burger, remains as one of the more memorable.

Last night, I decided that the memory needed rekindling. And so off I went to the Army Navy branch in Dela Rosa and ordered the Classic Burger with sauteed onions and cheese. The boyfriend got a Chicken Burrito. And we decided to split an order of Freedom Fries.


My burger arrived with bacon and cheese instead of onions and cheese, we had it replaced but my burger instead came back with sauteed onions, cheese AND bacon. Perhaps it was their way for thanking me for my honesty (bacon costs more than onions)? Or perhaps they really were giving bacon away, I will never know.

But I do know that it did make my burger a tad more greasy, a tad more salty and thus a tad more perfect. I loved every messy, oily bite.

The Freedom Fries were shoestring thin and crispy and covered in KFC-Fries type batter that gave it an orange color and a peppery taste. Too bad though that the oil they used was probably a bit burnt because the fries had an aftertaste.

The boyfriend's chicken burrito was large, meaty and flavorful. I confess to only having a bite, but it was enough to taste all the flavors. I especially like the bean paste and the saltiness of the rice.

I walked out of that restaurant with my soft spot twice as big (my trainer will kill me) and my memories very much alive.

Ah, beef. How lovely you taste in between buns.

Army Navy, Solaris One Dela Rosa St. Makati (near Makati Med)

Oriental Sunday: Shi Lin

My love for Chinese food runs deep in my blood - my mom made sure of it.
We are the type of family who spends weekends shunning a menu and picking everything attractive in a dimsum cart, we are the family who goes to Baguio and eats almost daily at the old Chinese restaurant along Session Road instead of pigging out on strawberry jam, we are the family who can tell which fried rice comes from which resto with just 1 spoonful. We love it all - from Chowking to Binondo.

That's why when the boyfriend asked me where I wanted to eat after we were done window shopping at the Podium, I immediately answered Shi Lin.

Shi Lin is relatively new and has garnered some great reviews on several blogs. Their biggest draw is the now fashionable "shao long bao" - bite-sized meat dumplings that have soup inside the dumpling skin.

The restuarant's version was pretty good - the soup is hot, the meat is tender and the skin is sufficiently thin. They're not the best that I've had but for the price point, I'd say it's worth an order.

What I did love are the Spicy Shrimp Dumplings. Basically, 6 dumplings, filled to bursting with shrimp and pork, served swimming in a spicy broth-like sauce. Each bite packs a wallop of flavor and you just can't help but dribble the excess sauce on your rice.

Not that the fried rice needed any more flavor. Another of my Shi Lin faves is their shrimp and pork rice. It is very similar to the famous Yang Chow fried rice but with less vegetables. What I like about it is that it is very eggy. I looooove eggs on my rice and this is very simply yolk heaven.

I was so enamored with it, that I admit, I forgot to take a picture. :p

But! I did take a picture of the boyfriend's fried porkchop with rice. A steal at 189 pesos. It has the same eggy rice underneath and the porkchop is well-cooked, flavorful and has strong taste similarities to kikiam.

Shi Lin is worth the visit. And very deserving of this - another good blog review.

*Shi Lin is located at the 3rd floor of Podium mall

Excitement!

It's Friday! And I am planning my restaurant itineraries for the weekend.
Do I try the new night food market at the Fort? Do I go to Binondo and eat siomai?
Do I try every salad on Spot.ph's Top Salads list? Do I go to Maginhawa St. and revisit Tomato Kick and I Heart Froyo? Do indulge in some Sonoma Chicken from Kitch Cafe in Makati?


I am salivating!

Happy weekend everyone! Happy eating!

Belated Happy New Year! : Crave Burger

Belated. That is exactly what has happened to this food blog.
I have been remiss with my writing duties despite the fact that I haven't missed a meal.
With the great deal I have tasted in the last 3 months, this blog should already be overflowing.

So, this entry marks my first official resolution for 2011: To update this blog weekly.

And I will start fulfilling this resolution with a review of Crave Burger.



I was driving home when I passed through White Plains and saw Crave.
I've been seeing it for quite some time now but never really felt compelled to try it (it could be because everywhere there seems to be a new burger joint) and that lack of compulsion was increased by the lack of parking (on hindsight though, a filled parking area should have enticed me.)

But it was 30 mins to 10, and it was nearing closing time so there were no other cars and no other customers - just me and my desire to do something fun before going home.

I ordered their simplest Crave Burger meal which consisted of a burger, fries and blue lemonade.

The burger I got had perfectly toasted buns and a meat patty so soft there seemed to be no need to chew on it. It was very filling and very tasty although I have to admit that I wanted a little more bite.



The fries were perfect - hot, slightly crispy, salted. I have to commend the staff for still serving me freshly-cooked fries despite the fact that it was minutes before they could run off to their own lives. I fully appreciated the extra effort.

For the service and my desire to sample their fish and fries meal, I'd definitely come back to Crave. And maybe this time I'll bring some friends with me.






Crave Burger
White Plains
Katipunan

Beach Dreaming: Smoke Boracay D'mall

It has been almost a month since I've felt sand ooze through the in-betweens of my toes and on this Sunday afternoon, I cannot help but miss it. I am in my usual short skirt and slippers and I feel that I am more suited sitting on a damp sarong than on this dry coffee house couch.

But since I do not have the luxury to hop on the next ro-ro or plane out of the city, I will instead post a long overdue review of Smoke, a restaurant in Boracay known for serving affordable and delicious home-cooked meals.

It was my second night in Bora with the best friend and we were meeting up with my Bora-living friend, N, (don't you just envy her?) for dinner and some drinks. She suggested we meet up at Smoke.




We arrived earlier than N did and because I have no patience whatsoever, I started ordering up a storm.

First up, was a Beef with Ampalaya (bitter gourd) rice bowl. Now, before those noses start curling, I implore you to give this veggie a chance. Ampalaya cooked well is actually quite divine and is not as bitter as you imagine at all.


And this, was well-cooked ampalaya. It melded well with the oyster sauce and balanced the saltiness of the beef. It was my favorite dish that night.



I also ordered a serving of the Lechon Kawali. It was served with rice and a bowlful of lechon sauce. It was served hot off the stove, almost burning off my greedy tongue. It was crispy and it took me forever to convince myself not to eat the fat.



Lastly, I ordered the Beef Salpicao Rice Bowl. Described as spicy, it was not as hot as I expected it to be. If you like your salpicao with a strong olive oil and soy sauce taste, then this isn't really the salpicao for you. Smoke's version is garlicky and has a thicker sauce than usual. It works well as a rice topping.




When N and her boyfriend saw what I had ordered I think they thought I was slightly insane. I'm pretty sure my best friend did (as she was vocal about her concerns for my mental health). But it's hard not to get carried away with meals that only cost around 120 each. Besides, it's Boracay and a vacation. It called for a bit of excess.


I miss the beach.

Birthday Dinner! : Lorenzo's Way Greenbelt 5

Birthdays are the perfect excuse to be overfed. And on this, my 26th, everyone I knew seemed to have the single minded goal of of making me gain 24 pounds in 24 hours.

I had my fill of La Grotta (I forgot to take pics :P), Amber's birthday spaghetti, Greenwich Overloaded pizzas and ,of course, Goldilock's mocha cake.




The boyfriend capped my day full of eating with a night filled with eating still.
He whisked me off to Lorenzo's Way.



The birthday feast started with an order of Paneer Makhani. Listed under the Vegetables section and touted as the restaurant's Vegetarian's Choice, you would think that this dish would be the bastion of healthy. Not so. Made with fried cheese blocks in tomato curry sauce and served with rotti, Paneer Makhani is definitely a lip-smacking good dish but it will do nothing for bikini body aspirations. Thank God I have none. (Well, not at this moment. :P)




Up next was the unapologetically sinful Knock Out Knuckles. It's your favorite crispy pata (deep-fried pork leg) amped up with garlic and chili oil. Each bite was a medley of crunch, tenderness and water-grabbing spice. We ordered garlic rice to go with it. And although, I commend the flavors of the restaurant's garlic rice, it was a bit too much to be paired with something deep fried. We should have stuck with plain.



This heady heart-racing meal was capped off with a glass each of wine. The boyfriend says it's Chilean. I couldn't really tell the difference or discuss its notes and tannins and whatnot but I did know it was the perfect end to a very perfect, very filling meal. Yey! I love birthdays!

I deserve a spanking

I am aware that it has been almost a month since I have updated my blog.

And it is not as if I've stopped stuffing my face or camwhoring...my face. I have just been to busy (naks!) to type up a decent entry.

I have made it my mission though to use my weekend to finally bring this blog up to speed. Especially since I need to clear up my digicam's memory to snap up new food pics.

So excuse me while I do that, and let me leave you with these parting words:


TWISTER FRIES ARE BAAAAAAAACK!!!!!





*image from sixthseal.com

What Weighs 500 pounds and flies? : Buffalo Wings and Things Ortigas Home Depot

I have a thing for people who have a thing for buffalo wings.

The best friend loves her wings with a siding of fries. She orders them mild and eats it with her fingers. Her favorite way to wash it down is with a tall, cold glass of Vodka 7. The vodka must be Absolut Kurant of course.

The boyfriend on the other hand, loves his wings extra spicy. And although he loves fries with a passion, rice seems to be his carbohydrate of choice when taming these flaming pieces of meat. He then chases it all down with ice cold beer.

That brings us to one of our favorite places for wings - Buffalo Wings and Things at the Ortigas Home Depot.






The wings here are perfection. I've visited on a rainy night, a balmy night, an afternoon, a crowded weekend, a laid back Monday and yet the wings remain consistently big, juicy, crunchy, tasty, and filling. The sauce is salty and tangy and will cling on to your lips like a kiss. And depending on the variant you order, things can get pretty hot pretty fast.




But as brave as me and my boyfriend claim to be, we have yet to gamble on an order of their Nuclear and Armageddon wings. For now at least, we settle for the delicious and nasty burn of their Firehouse Classic, preferably a pound of it.
(I wonder, has anyone been brave enough to try either of the above? How was it?)




Right up there with the chicken is my favorite NY Dirty Rice or what I call Burrito Rice. It is the perfect chaser for every crunchy bite of your wing.


Buffalo Wings and Things have other things on their menu. Like hotdog sandwiches and quesadillas. But they supremely pale in comparison to the specialty. They are, as the restaurant name itself implies, mere things. Garnishes to the Buffalo king.




What weighs 500 pounds and flies? In awhile, me. I'm flying off to Ortigas right now in fact. HAPPY FRIDAY!

Worth the Wait: Krazy Garlic Greenbelt 5

I have waited for Krazy Garlic to open the day I saw the boarded walls in Greenbelt 5 bannering its imminent coming. Whenever I got the chance, I'd peek to see if it were finally open.

On the day I found out that it was in fact open, I was a pauper. My wallet was hooked up on life support as it painfully held on to the promise of sweldo day. The kind and wise thing to do of course was to let my wallet fully recover but I am not really known for my self-control. So, cruelly I suppose, I kidnapped the boyfriend and the already ailing wallet for a weekend feast.








There is one thing that should be said early:
The food is not as garlicky as I imagined.

I guess for those wary that Krazy Garlic may be overwhelming, this will assuage their fears. For those like me who expect clove mountains everywhere - it's a bit of a let down. But only momentarily.

Because once you get past the fact that vampires may be able to live through this restaurant's dishes...you realize that you are in the presence of really good, really hefty food.

For our lunch, we ordered garlic bread, Hara Kiri Fried Rice, and their Grilled Porkchops.

The garlic bread is basically toasted french bread that was drenched in butter and topped with chopped garlic. And though I loved the crunch of the bread, I could have done with less butter.




The Hara Kiri, on the other hand, was lovely. The rice was hot and there were so many bits and pieces in it that it was basically an entree. I loved how each spoonful would have octopus and bacon and chili in it. Yum!



The Grilled Porkchops were also a great choice. Each slab was big and meaty and devoid of unnecessary fat. And the chops' glaze gave it a sweet-salty-garlicky kick. I loved the roasted whole garlic that came with the dish, allowing me to kind of ice my meat with self-mashed garlic cloves. The pork on the rice was perfect sinful happiness.





And the best thing about this belly busting meal? We were lucky enough to dine on the day their VP for Operations, Mr. Bob Santos, was around. Because for some weird and inexplicable (yet totally welcome) reason, he gave us free dessert!


He recommended the apple tart ala mode which he claimed to be his favorite and of course, the boyfriend and I very readily agreed to give it a taste.




The apples on the tart were aptly tart and it played with the cinnamon well. It reminds me of warm cider. The apples were a lovely contrast to the cold, sweet, and milky vanilla ice cream it was served with. The loveliest part of the dish though, was the base. I loved the flaky bread and its nutty undertones. It gave the dessert its needed solidity. It's a dessert I would've gladly paid for.


Overall, Krazy Garlic was definitely worth the wait and worth the wallet-suicidal-mission visit.

Next time, I'm trying the Crema Catalana. I'm quite curious to find out how creme brulee with garlic tastes like.