Kawaii Musubi!

A and I were in SM Megamall when stumbled across this Spam Jam place. Hungry and exhausted from strolling around, we decided to take a quick snack here. So we browsed the menu and thought of eating something light since its almost dinner time. Everything on the menu looks so delicious. We decided to order the Musubi Spam Jam which costs 46 pesos.

The Musubi Spam consists of one spam slice, topped with some Japanese rice, and then wrapped around by seaweed paper. At first glance you would be really fascinated and be tempted to try one. We could say our money’s worth it when we took our first bite. It isn’t messy and the Japanese rice is really intact. The spam slice was cooked just right and was not that salty. I compliment the rice they used because it was very tasteful and you could eat it even if it had no spam with it. This Musubi Spam is a must try!

Authentic IMC Kavino!

Again, A and I were invited to OpenRice PH's Eat's A Date event. And nw it's in IMC Kavino somewhere in Makati. The place was really neat and authentic. Some months ago, I remember visiting the same place where the restaurant is(but we went there for karaoke). I remember wanted to try that place and now I finally got the chance.

Here are some of their food:

                 

Jasmine Delight ( P98.00 ) - It has that refreshing taste that every "tea person" loves. Though I didn't like it that much, I'd say the drink was really refreshing.

Mulberry Special ( P128.00 ) - This drink makes you wanna remember the good old days when you were a kid and you were mixing beverages you see on the dinner table. Basically, it tastes like grape juice with 7up. Quite refreshing though.

 Pan Grilled Mixed Mushroom with Garlic - It's some plain mushrooms on a sizzling plate. Nothing special about this dish but its yummy. Good for inuman sessions!

Vegetable Curry Fried Rice

                                             

               

Golden Garlic Yang Chow Fried Rice ( P248.00 ) - I didn't find time to taste this one but I bet its good!

Salted Fish Fried Rice - I like this one! Vegetable curry rice tasted good but I like this one better. It was very salty--the way I like my rice. Mmmm. Must try! :)

                           

              

 Takoyaki ( P388.00 for 4 pcs ) - Oh I'd say this is one of the best way to serve Takoyaki. I prefer this one than the old ball-shaped bites that makes you eat the whole thing in one munch. This Takoyaki lets you savor the rich flavor of cuttle fish wrapped in a special vietnamese rice paper and some veggies.  

                           

              

 Prawn with Salted Egg and Fried Kangkong - Delicious. The prawns were cooked to a perfect, crisp, juicy taste. It was then covered with salted egg and some delightful salty, thin texture. This was what made the dish good for me, the rich, flavorful, mouth-watering breading. Honestly, I havent't tasted anything this salty fine in my whole life. The sweet fried kangkong bed underneath made the dish even more wonderful.

Drunken Chicken ( 498.00 ) - Oh I really liked this dish. Even though it was cold, I can say that the chicken was really soft. Its hard finding a chicken dish this good. Each bite was very smooth and unique. The only problem I had with this dish was that the soup could have tasted better or something somehow saltier.

                 

 Chicken Buns ( P108.00 for 3 pcs ) - Mr. Tan (the owner) said this was the original version of the siopao bola-bola. I didnt know the first siopao bola-bola had only one bola-bola inside--then why would they call it bola-bola? Anyway, the meat inside was ground pork not chicken(but then again they called it chicken buns). It was good though. The veggies complemented the fine-cooked meat inside. 

                

 Veggie ala Beijing ( P 338.00 for 6 pcs ) - Guess what famous Chinese dish this is! Nah, you can't. Even I can't. It's their version of the Peking Duck! I's fried tofu wrapped with veggies and lumpia wrapper. I didn't like the taste though. And I haven't eaten Peking Duck in my whole life.

Three Cup Beef Tenderloin Cube ( P388.00 ) - Hmm. I didn't find anything special about this dish. It tasted good but I can say its just some regular teriyaki beef cubes in a sizzling plate.

King Dao Spareribs with Chinese White Wine and Mayo ( P328.00 ) - So this was what chinese spareribs taste like. Well, for me the meat was tender and soft. Every bite assures you that the meat was cooked for a long time.  The chinese white wine tasted good! It was a one of a kind sauce that you could only taste here in IMC Kavino. 

Pumpkin Puree Seafood Soup ( P100.00/cup ) - This dish was really expensive. This would be my first time to eat such a dish(and it's soup!). The good thing is tasted good! Every sip was heavenly and the soup was full of delicious seafood. Though I could not distinguish the pumpkin taste, I still recommend you try this dish.

Snow Ball ( P120.00 for 4 pcs) - The moment I took a bite on this one I felt that I was eating mochi. Everything on their menu was China-fied(and I'm not sure if that's a real word). This is the perfect example of Chinese mochi! It had a great filling which tastes like ube! Yummy!

 Coconut Taro Black Rice Sago - This dish reminds me of champorado! It looks like ginatan but it didnt taste like it. This is a dessert you must try! Great for all ages and very nutritious too! :)

              

Malayan Cake ( P108.00 for 5 pcs ) - Very soft and fluuuufyyyy! But its like puto with yellow coloring. Hahaha. Kinda disappointing.

Pizza Bonanza: Papa John's Pizza!

A and I arrived for our third Eat's a Date event by OpenRice PH. We were lucky because the event haven't started yet when we arrived. 

Food:

            Herb Parmesan Bread Sticks w/ Pizza Sauce (Php 220)

One serving gives you 6 piecces of parmesan bread sticks and a pizza dip. This bread sticks were fresh dough with a quite cheesy herb parmesan mix. The pizza dip was unique and but the taste was quite plain for me. The bread lacked some parmesan taste and it was kinda tough to eat (given that I had braces). But overall, the dip did a good job on overcoming the taste. So I give this dish a 6 for taste and another 6 for presentation (1 being highest).

           Mediterranean Seafood Lenguini (Php 220)

This is one good seafood lenguini. Though I'm not really into tasting pasta dishes but I'd say this lenguini dish will do. It had a creamy sauce and the pasta itself was cooked just right. I must say that the seafood blended well with the tomato sauce. Therefore, I give this one an 8 for taste and 8 for presentation. 

            Oriental Spice Chicken Wings (Php 249)

Oh, forgive me if Ill be biased on this one. I really like chicken more than any meat on this world. And I enjoyed what they served us. Other than that, the chicken was juicy as if it was marinated for a long time. Its tender and a little spicy. I also like the fries on the side. They call it "wedges" but still I prefer to call it, fries. Anyway, the fries/wedges were a cooked to a fine crisp. You can hear a crack on each bite. I give this dish 7 for the taste and 6 for the presentation.

            Hawaiian Delight Chicken (Php 249)

Sadly, I haven't got to try this one. But I'm sure I'd like it too if I had a bite. 

            

            Sausage Mushroom Rosa (Php 220)

This dish was good. I consider it as a mediocre dish. I can't say anything that made me remember this that well. For a pasta, it had the right taste, texture, and flavor. For the price I can say its quite reasonable. So I give this dish 6 for taste and 8 for presentation.

            Bacon and Meatballs (Php 175)

This is one of their new dishes and I recommend that everyone should try this one once it gets its place on the menu. I wouldn't call it Bacon and Meatballs, instead I'd call it "The best baked rice in Tomas Morato." The dish was very creamy and full of flavor. If I think of it, it's pepper rice with a butter and cheese mix. Besides that, it had some meat, tomatoes and mushrooms that really elevated the taste. I give this dish a whopping 9 for taste and 8 for presentation.

            Spicy Meatball Calzone (Php 175)

 This is one spicy dish. I myself couldn't last long on this dish without drinking water. Although the spicyness of this dish stings, the bread was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. This dish deserves a 7 for the taste (even though it stings!) and a 6 for presentation.

            Spicy Chicken Tropicalle Pizza (Php 595 - Large)

As you can see, it's topped with oh so much cheese. The cheese is 100% mozarella. Besides that, you'll be surprised when you taste this one. It’s like a spicy Hawaiian pizza with grilled chicken. And after three bites, you'll get to experience the spicy side of the dish. I give this dish an 8 for both taste and presentation.

                     

            Super Papa’s Pizza (Php 610 - Large)

I can only remember two things about this dish, its creamy and meaty. It had too many flavors on it but it was fine. It had anchovies, pepperoni, cheese, pizza sauce and a lot of beef—what every person in this planet wants in a pizza. I give this pizza an 8 on both taste and presentation.

            Pizza Garlic Dip

Every pizza (I think) you order in Papa John's comes with its own garlic dip. Isn't that great? What I liked about this dip is how unique it is. Garlic dip? Where on earth can you find a pizza place that serves this? For the taste, I have to let the readers know it for themselves. I'm sure they won't mind and it's all worth the effort once they try it. :)

            Pepperonsili

                       

If I'm correct, this also comes with the Pizza Garlic Dip I just mentioned. It's miniature sili bites with the seeds scraped out. The sili bites are dipped in saturated vinegar. And honestly, it isn't that too spicy. If the waiter doesn't serve this when you order a Papa John's pizza, demand for it. It's a must have! 

            Apple Pie (Php 149)

Who loves Apple Pies? You're gonna love this more than any apple pie you've ever tasted! This was my favorite dessert of that night. I like the crust and how tasty it was. The apple slices had a cinnamon breading which really hit the spot. Besides that, it had a rich, creamy vanilla ice cream on top which gave the dish full flavor. This pie deserves a 9 for taste and 8 for presentation.

Carrot Cake (Php 149)

At first, I thought it was chocolate cake. Looks can really be deceiving. The chocolate syrup on the side looked really neat. This carrot cake was moist but it tasted good. The icing was sweet so that it goes well with the carrot cake. I give this dessert an 8 for taste and 9 for presentation. 

 Ambiance:

The place was very spacious and it was quite cozy. Although at that time, it was very cold at our spot because the AC was right in front of us. Anyway, this is a good place to dine and hang out with friends. Papa John's Pizza - Tomas Morato is near the rotonda, making it a good place to meet up with friends.  It's also near some well-known bars so friends and relatives can go for a drink after having some delicious Papa John's Pizza. The place is very romantic especially at night. Couples can enjoy an overlooking view of Tomas Morato's scenic street lights.

Service:

I forgot to mention that this was the largest PJP branch. I don't now if this was the first one here in the Philippines though. Anyway, the service was good and they have live acoustic bands every Thursday Friday, and Saturday. Unfortunately, they have poor wifi service here. 

           

            

      

Feel the Aroma of Aracama!

Once again, A and I were invited to come and join OpenRice PH's Eat's A Date event. This time it was sited in Aracama in Fort Bonifacio. Along with our OpenRice buddies , Mickey and Zeti, we took off to this exclusive restaurant.  

 

A & E <3

Ambiance: The restaurant had a very classy ambiance. It was indeed high-class but for me, Filipino cuisine is not that fit for this kind of dining ambiance. The place was very elegant, inside and out. It had a high ceiling on the first floor and a very spacious area on the second floor. 

The restaurant was in touch with nature, really. The wallpapers were designed with leaves and the whole place had plants and ferns all over. The interiors are made of wood and each table had little pots with miniature plants on them. Ventilation was really good and you could sell the aroma of nature.

The place had three bars which was very amusing. There's one on the first floor and two on the second floor. It had a complete set of some of the finest wines and spirits. 

The balcony view was relaxing though. Overlooking some buildings and some grassland areas, this place is a good venue for family meetings and gatherings. 

Now let us take a look at some of their food.

Malunggay Mozzarella Dip 

For Php 195.00 you can give yourself this creamy, somehow cheesy Spinach & vitamin fortified brulee with crostinis for scooping. This dish was not bitter as you expect it to be. It was creamy though but for me I didn't taste anything special about this dish.

Fish Balls 

Now this is one dish you normally see on the streets. Aracama took it home and transformed it to one extra-ordinary dish. For Php 175.00 you get this home-made street food treat along with three dips. The fishball was soft, yummy and surprisingly, it doesn't have the stench taste of fish. It had a neutral taste and it is most encouraged you dip it in the sauces.

[1] Sweet and sour - Are you kidding me? It isn't sweet nor sour. Really.

[2] Salted vinegar - I didn't like it that much cause it taste like ordinary vinegar.

[3] Sweet soy sauce - Best dip I say. It possess that bizarre, tingling feeling most people seek in sweet sauces.

 

Manok sa Tanglad 

This is a lemongrass chicken BBQ with sweet-sour garlic dip & cucumber-cilantro ensalado. And for a reasonable price of Php 380.00 you can get this sumptuous BBq chicken. Basically, it's roasted chicken with some atsara and condiments on the side. This dish is very juicy and you can really taste lemon grass with each bite. The cucumber sauce on the other hand, goes very nicely with the dry atsara on the side. I prefer chicken more than any kind of meat in this world so this review can be a little bit biased. :)

Miso Sea Bass 

This is the chef's signature dish of Yore, grilled fillet of white miso marinated sea bass. And for the very low price of only Php 990.00, you can get this delicate dish into your tummy. The fish was very soft and it isn't too sweet nor too salty. No wonder this dish costs a lot. Every bite is was golden (literally) and you can really savor the freshness of the fish. 

 Binagoongang Baboy 

It's pork belly simmered in tomatoes, shrimp paste with green mango relish. It's not your native Filipino Binagoongang Baboy for this one has less bagoong. I noted how tender the pork was and it wasn't too greasy. The dish is planted on some kangkong leaves which added more flavor to the dish. Overall, this dish tasted really good. You can get it for a price of Php 375.00

Kalo Kalo

Negrense style fried rice in garlic achuete oil. Our Filipino dining experience at Aracama wouldn't be complete without rice! And of course, this style of fried rice really hit the spot! For Php 110.00, you this wonderful native garlic fried rice.

Dulce Gatas + Bunuelos

Oh this is the sweet caramelized gooey dulce de leche with warm fried pastries. And for Php 230.00 you get a can of Dulce Gatas along with some delicious pastries. They say the condensada was caramelized for 2 hours, making the mixture very sweet and creamy. It stands alone well without the pastries.

I recommend you do this when you order this dessert! It tastes like yema cream puffs! :)

Service: Nothing beats Filipino hospitality and Aracama does well in preserving this Filipino trait. The waiters were very accomodating and friendly. Everywhere you go, a smiling waiter awaits your order/inquiry. Also, they were all knowledgeable on the food that they serve and are ready to answer anything you ask about the food. Too bad I couldn't tweet about the place when we were there. Unfortunately, they had poor wifi service. 

The world is full of SerendipiTea

So, this is what a good day looks like. And I can't say every aspect of my day looks good, but it seemed good overall.

It started with me getting up around 6:50AM on my phone clock (this wasn't good). And I had a long long long things to do for the day. There were things to be prepared and I was not ready. So I didn't waste anytime lying comfy in my bed and I got up. Took a bath, put on a fresh t-shirt and got my trusty old Canon.

As soon as I know it, I was on the road on my way to Manila. I texted A and said my morning greetings hoping that she'd reply and stamp my day a good start. Well, I couldn't remember when she really did but the point is she did. And it made my heart skip a beat as usual.

You know why I was late? A and I were supposed to meet at EDSA Station around or before 9 in the morning. And where was I? It was already 7:30AM and still stuck in traffic. I still had a long way to go before I reach Manila. You can take Manila in 30 minutes by car, well that is if I had car. My mom really doesn't let me drive the family car outside Cavite.

Not only that I was late, I had to change to smart casual attire for the food tasting event me, A, and some college friends are going to. So it's an hour of travel to my dormitory, a few minutes to change and freshen up, and I'll be only a half-hour away from EDSA station.

Everything went quite well until I the time I left the dorm and forgot the invitations for the event. I was already waiting for the train and then it struck me. "**** asan na yung invitations???"

Where are the invitations?? This was what was going in my head in that moment when the train door was in front of me saying "I'm all open bro. Come at me". Dang. I should have not left it back in my dorm. So I made a quick sprint back to the dorm and got the effin invitations.

--

Now I was on my way to EDSA station, perspiring and exhausted of course. But it was a great relief and I texted A that I'm coming to her. She was waiting for me at the station for like 30 minutes and so. All I can say to her is that my mind was still asleep at that time.

We managed to get pass through the busy corridors of MRT and as we get down at Quezon Ave Station, Zeti And Mickey were there to meet us. Excited for the event, we jumped in the next taxi we saw and we were on our way to the venue.

--

OpenRice PH  had an event called OpenRice PH: Eat's A Date! The venue was in My SerendipiTea, a little milk tea shop on a corner street somewhere in Quezon City.  Zeti was the one who invited A to this food tasting event. Well of course, I couldn't let A go alone and have all the scrumptuous milk tea for herself only. I had to go. :)

The milk tea shop was a perfect place to sit around relax and take a few sips of their delicious milk tea. The tea shop can accomodate around 15-20 persons, perfect for small gatherings or some time together with  friends.

By the time we got here, I was thinking of a food taste test event with actual FOOD. To my surprise they were serving milk tea shots. Nevertheless, the organizers bought a platter of complementary meat slices so we wouldn't have to taste milk teas all day. Imaging that for instance.

Choose your meat! :)

I have nothing against milk tea. Actually I like milk teas and how it can merge with different fruit flavors.


" Sakto milk tea!"

Milk tea will do. Enough to keep my body and mind running on that sleepless, weary morning. I thought tea was enough to wake me up. Until this photograph of A came along. <3

Still better than coffee. Thank you for waking me up A! :)

Here are some pictures of us, before the actual event started. We couldn't resist taking pictures of us.

 

                                                       Mickey and Zeti                                             Andy and Cla

     A & E <3

My SerendipiTea served us some milk tea shots. Here's how I find their drinks:

1. SerendipiTea Milk Tea with Pearls and Pudding    

 This is their signature drink. And I must say they made a good choice. The blend of milk and tea was just right. Not that sweet and not that tea-ish. I like its simplicity. As for the pearls and pudding. Its alright. I don't have any thing to say about it. 

2. Royal Milk Tea

     

Nah. It had a tea-ish taste which was stronger that SerendipiTea Milk Tea. I would recommend this for those who love the overwhelming taste of tea rather than the milk. The tea used tastes great though, I just didn't want too much tea in the mix.

3. Oreo Milk Tea

     

What can I say? Its like cereal. No offense but I really didn't taste the oreos in the milk tea. I thought the oreos was just there to give decoration. If it had beene mixed with the drink it would have been better.

4. Dark Chocolate Milk Tea with Peppermint

     Perfect! I loved this drink! From the moment I tasted it, it became my top favorite. I could say the dark chocolate itself taste great alone. But then they added peppermint to the mix which made the drink so unbearable to the senses.

5. Wintermelon Milk Tea

After I tasted this, I still couldn't stop thinking about Milk Tea Shot #4. Fortunately I made it through and made myself a conclusion. This drink is too damn sweet, but i like it! Just not as good as dark choco peppermint.

6. Taro Milk Tea

     The taste of ube was here. But still, I couldn't distinguish it a taro drink. For me lacks taste and perfection in texture. Its still a bit slimy.

7. Dark Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cheese

     This is a great drink, I tell you. The top of the shot contains the rocksalt and cheese which really intensifies the taste buds once you take a sip. I suggest you drink this without straw so you can feel the intensity of its drink. Its a bit sweet and with a kick of rocksalt.

8. Lychee Fruit Tea

     Like I said earlier, I love it how fruits blend in with milk teas. This was unsurprisingly good. I knew it from the moment I saw the drink placed in front of me, this would make a good drink for me. It's refreshing taste and  mouth-watering abilities can really make you hyper!

9. Cranberry Fruit Tea

     All I can say from this drink is that it very strong. If you happen to eat cranberries, you would love this drink for one sip from it can make you imagine you're like eating the real fruit itself. 

10. Mango Yakult

      This drink is a good balance of Lactobacillus casei Shirota and carbohydrates. You have Mango and you have Yakult. The taste was really good and I almost made this top of my list. The mango used had enough sweetness to blend with Yakult.

11. Caramel Macchiato with Coffee Jelly

     Oh I forgot to take a picture of it. Anyway, just read and I'll let you taste it with your mind :)) This drink had a strong coffee taste. One sip and you can know how much coffee was used in the mix. I see this drink suitable for people who loves the strong taste and aroma of coffee in the morning. 

And here's how I rated my milk tea shots!

 Ohh. Looks like someone made a pyramid of milk tea shots. Peppermint rules! :)

The owners of My Serendipitea were really accommodating and friendly! :D They even gave us complementary drinks just so their milk tea would sink in more. I got my self a Green Tea 

What I really like about this place is the ambiance. Though it was quite small and only a few people could fit inside, it was a great place to stay and hang out. Cool place you got here, My SerendipiTea. *thumbs up* :)

Thank you for Ms. Angela and Ms. Iris for inviting us to this lovely event. I recommend everyone to go and visit this place. :) I would also like to thank OpenRice PH for organizaing this event. Cheers! :)

 I am definitely going back to this place!

Woohoo! Giveaways! Kind-hearted owners! :)

“Shallow men believe in luck or in circumstance.

 Strong men believe in cause and effect. 

I believe in serendipity.”