…because we love to eat
Hey everyone!
My name is Ryan and since I wasn’t able to before, I’d like to take this moment to say “Hello and Welcome to the site!” I hope you’ll enjoy our content as much as we enjoyed putting them together. We have a whole lot of posts waiting to be published, and a whole lot more waiting to be written. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy the kainpinoy.com experience!
I remember the first time I ate takoyaki. It was my cousin who introduced me to “samurai balls,” a nickname that unfortunately stuck for this Japanese dumpling. Watching the lady behind the counter expertly flick the takoyaki on the takoyakiki (takoyaki pan, you perv) was mesmerizing, and my first bite unto the smooshy round dumpling was unforgettable. It was very hot and the inside a bit slimy. What the hell is this thing?
Over the years though, I developed a liking for takoyaki. Made with octopus (tako), batter, pickled ginger and shrimp, and topped with fried bonito flakes, aonori (green dried seaweed), mayonnaise and takoyaki sauce, this octopus ball is certainly different from the fish balls, squid balls and chicken balls we’re used to.
Unfortunately, in Manila you’re pretty much left with no choice if you’re craving for Takoyaki. It’s either buying takoyaki from Samurai Foods or not eat takoyaki at all. There must have been a growing takoyaki following in the Philippines because a couple of takoyaki kioks have sprouted in Manila. One of these was Japsy’s Takoyaki.
A huge takoyaki craving and curiosity to try this new stall prompted me, Ryan and Yue to each order a 3-piece tray of takoyaki. We weren’t really expecting much, but we were pleasantly surprised. Well, me and Yue anyway. Ryan found their sauce too sour, while Yue (who’s Japanese and has been living in the Philippines for several years) exclaims that it was indeed good. She further elaborates that though the sauce wasn’t perfect, the takoyaki itself tasted great. As for me, I’m happy to get my takoyaki fix; Japsy’s Takoyaki was definitely much better than the other takoyaki stall.
Japsy’s Takoyaki Express can be found outside the Plaza Fair entrance of the Makati Cinema Square. It’s right across Yamazaki, the Japanese supermarket in Little Tokyo. The 3-piece takoyaki costs Php 22, while the 5-pieces costs Php 35 and the 12-pieces costs Php 70.
As a kid I was fascinated with bentos since I first saw one on Japan Video Topics. If you are unfamiliar about Japan Video Topics, it’s a mini-program wherein they showcase things of interest about Japan and it’s culture such as tourist spots, festivals,technology, food, etc. These are shown on a daily basis during odd hours on state-owned TV stations.
Recently, I found a renewed fascination for bentos, due in part to Kaoko’s creations. I’ve been trying to find the right opportunity to make a bento, and that opportunity presented itself when Nina suggested we have a picnic at the La Mesa Eco Park in Quezon City. I thought about what I was going to bring. It had to be something easy to prepare, something that we definitely like to eat because we would be sharing, and something Filipino. And adobo definitely is all three! So I decided to bring an adobo bento to our trip to the park. I paired it up with brown rice and a siding of fried eggplant, diced tomatoes and bagoong (sautéed shrimp paste).
Adobo has been synonymous to Pinoy food for as long as I can remember. If you asked someone to name a Filipino dish, chances are the answer you’ll get is “adobo”. Ask a fellow Pinoy or foreigners who have Filipino friends and contacts, and most of the time, that is going to be the answer. I don’t know why, but it just seems to be the case.
This is so easy to cook. I used pork belly cut into cubes, and started by sautéing it in oil with chopped garlic and onions. I sautéed it until all the pink is gone and before adding a tablespoon of oyster sauce. Next, I poured in the soy sauce which I allowed to simmer before adding in the cane vinegar. I brought it to a boil, lowered the flame, and allowed it to simmer until the sauce has reduced and thickened, and the meat is tender. I continued to simmer it on low heat until most of the sauce has been absorbed by the meat, and the fat has been rendered. I then allowed the pork meat to fry a little bit in the fat before taking it off the flame.
While I waited for the adobo to cook, I worked on my side dishes. I fried slices of eggplant, diced some tomatoes and scooped out some bagoong from the jar.
After the food has cooled slightly, I proceeded to put the bento together. Since I don’t have bento boxes, I used some disposable microwavable plastic containers which we already had. I used three containers in all, and to give it a more Filipino feel, I lined the containers with banana leaves. For garnishes, I used a tomato peel rosette for the adobo, and some banana leaves cut like bento grass for the rice.
This is KainPinoy.com’s first time to join the Lasang Pinoy challenge. Thank you Ajay for hosting this round!
Summer in the Philippines is both an anticipated and dreaded season. Holidays, out of town trips and beach escapades are among the first thing that comes to mind when summer is mentioned, coupled with a surge of excitement of what’s to come. On the otherhand summer also means one thing: swealtering heat.
People living in this part of the world do whatever they can to cope with the heat. One of the more popular options is to indulge in snacks or desserts made with shaved ice. Japan has its Kakigori, Korea has it Bingsu, and China has Baobing or Chhoah-peng. Our South East Asian neighbors likewise have their own shaved ice snack: Singapore and Malaysia’s Ice kachang, and Thailand’s Nam Kang Sai. We in the Philippines, of course, have our Halo-halo.
Halo-halo gets its name from the mix of ingredients that make up this cool snack. Each halo-halo is different; it can have as little as three ingredients, or as much as 12. Ingredients for a halo-halo can either be one (or all!) of the following: minatamis na saging (sweetened bananas), kamote (sweet potatoes), mais (corn), kaong, nata de coco, macapuno, beans, pinipig, sago (tapioca), gulaman (jelly), ube, leche flan, sugar, evaporated milk, ice cream, and of course, shaved ice.
Personally, I’m happy with just the bananas, gulaman, sago, pinipig, ube and leche flan. Oh, and with two scoops of sugar, please. How do you like your halo-halo?
Halo-halo is available in most Filipino restaurants. Halo-halo stalls usually pop up in the neighborhood during summer. A glass of halo-halo can range from Php15 to Php80, depending on where you’re buying.
My apologies for the previous posting of this entry. This was originally scheduled to be published last Monday, but for some reason, WordPress didn’t publish it. Then when it was published, I find out that the rest of the entry has disappeared. Here’s the complete entry.
I wouldn’t have discovered Dong Bei if I hadn’t joined Ivan Man Dy’s Big Binondo Food Wok. Tucked in one of Binondo’s not-so-busy streets, you wouldn’t really think to venture into this area, thinking the restaurant serving the best dumplings in Chinatown can be found here.
Dong Bei restaurant, unlike most Chinese restaurants who mainly serve Cantonese dishes, specialize in Northern Chinese cuisine. Customers come in for their specialty: fresh handmade dumplings. The dumplings are made right then and their by their crew. Though they also freeze dumplings for storage, the dumplings served are cooked fresh.
Eric, my travel buddy for this mini Manila re-discovery trip, and I shared a mixed plate of pork and kutchay (chives) dumplings. The dumplings are served with a sauce made with soy sauce (?), vinegar and chopped garlic, with chilli on the side. Not the typical soysauce + kalamansi sauce we’re used to, but their sauce was good and matched their dumpling very well.
Halfways through our plate, we realize that Dong Bei also make their own fresh “handiwork” noodles. Intrigued, we decided to try the noodles. Calling a server, we asked for their bestseller. She recommends Soy Bean Sauce, which she said is “like spaghetti.” We took her word and placed our order.
As the server said, the sauce is served on the side along with long strips of cucumbers. What an odd combination, I thought. But it has been a pretty hot day; the cool cucumbers would be great to eat. After a round of photos, we quickly mixed the noodles with the sauce and cucumbers and took out first taste. It was great! Somehow, the combination of the noodles, the cucumber and the pork cooked with soy bean worked really well together. I’m definitely ordering this again when I come back to Dong Bei.
A plate of 14 pieces of dumplings and the bowl of handiwork noodles costs Php 100. Ice cold cans of cola costs Php 25 each. Our bill amounted to Php 250. At Php 125, this has been a pretty great meal.
Dong Bei Restaurant
642 Yuchengco St (formerly Nueva)
Binondo, Manila
From the Binondo Church, walk along Ongpin street (where the big purple fire trucks are). Turn left at the first corner and cross the intersection. Dong Bei is at your right.
I’ve been feeling under the weather the past weeks. While waiting for the Delusional Chef to show up, I decided to have brunch at the Landmark’s foodcourt. I wandered around, not really craving for anything. But I was hungry and I’m pressed for time, so I needed to decide right away. I came upon an old favorite, and I instantly know what I wanted: fried chicken.
Growing up, fried chicken has always been a treat of sorts. I can’t recall my mother cooking fried chicken for everyday meals, so the only times I was able to eat fried chicken was during children parties or trips to the fast food. Fried chicken, though fairly straightforward, have different variations. There’s the fried chicken that’s been marinated in soy sauce and kalamansi and fried sans breading. Another variant is the fried chicken that’s been dipped in store bought breading mix (hence only the skin has flavor). There’s also Jollibee’s Chicken Joy, Max’s Fried Chicken and of course, Kentucky Fried Chicken.
KFC’s fried chicken has a distinct flavor that leaves you wondering what Colonel Sanders put in his batter. Unlike other fried chicken, the skin on this Original Recipe chicken is soft and tender, and absolutely bursting with flavor (and oil). The meat underneath is equally succulent. Though your mental calorie meter is going through the roof as you bite into your chicken leg, the way your eyes roll to the heavens betray the pleasure you get from the taste of this delectable treat. Paired of with an equally flavorful gravy, Kentucy Fried Chicken is the perfect comfort food to bring some light into an otherwise dreary week.
Let’s start off with a little trivia I learned at the event: Tea is the 2nd most consumed beverage, next to water, world wide. And here I thought it was beer!
Moving on.
Cupping is the term used for what a tea taster does as he evaluates the tea. And at the Tea Appreciation Seminar, we got to sample some of Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s house blends.
The first tea that was served was the Genmaicha Tea, which is a blend of high-quality Sencha tea and partially toasted rice. I got a whiff of the aroma before I took a sip, and it did smell faintly of toasted rice. As I sipped the tea, I noticed how light the tea tasted, and how the flavor of the toasted rice gave it a wonderful finish.
Next to be served was the Fancy Formosa Dragon Oolong which is a medium bodied tea, with a subtle floral aroma and a flavored with a hint of peach. Now this is an instant favorite of mine, simply because it is peach-flavored. I love anything peach-flavored!
A light-bodied tea, the Apricot Ceylon was the third to be served. I liked this one as well because of its fruity flavor and aroma, which is think is a bit stronger than the Fancy Formosa Dragon Oolong. (Even though it is lighter.)
If you want spice, then the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s Chai is the tea for you. This full-bodied tea is a special blend of Black Tea, cinnamon, cloves and other spices. These give an exotic aroma and spicy taste to this flavorful tea.
Saving the best for last, our host introduced us to the latest addition to The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s roster of house blends– the African Sunrise. This definitely takes the cake–or should i say “tea”?-! A Coffee Bean original blend, it has a very smooth body, complimented with a wonderful flavor and aroma. This is definitely the best tasting tea I had ever had! It has never been released anywhere in the world, and will be first sampled here in the Philippines this June.
The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf invited bloggers for a night with tea connoisseur and Master Tea Blender David DeCandia for a session on tea appreciation.
Unless you count iced tea, tea drinking hasn’t caught on the same way coffee did with the influx of coffee shops all over the Philippines. Tea, however, is starting to get its following. Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Marketing Director Paolo del Rosario seized this opportunity to introduce Filipinos to the different range of flavors that tea has to offer.
Teaching bloggers how to properly slurp the tea, Mr. DeCandia proceeded to introduce five different teas for tasting: the Genmaicha Green, a toasty brew with a sweetness provided by rice; the Fancy Formosa Dragon Oolong with a subtle floral aroma and a hint of peach; the Apricot Ceylon, a light tea with the fruity flavor of apricot; the Chai, the full bodied spicy tea, which has long been the favorite of many tea drinkers, and; the African Sunrise, a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf exclusive, which will be available in the Philippine starting June 2008.
Some photos from the Tea Appreciation Seminar:
David DeCandia teaching the finer points of slurping tea
Lining up the get the first taste of the Genmaicha Green
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf invites you to Share and Inspire others with your Passion. Upload photos, videos, audio and essay of your most memorable experiences at The Bean and join My Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf Story. If your story is their cup of tea, you might just become the winner of a trip to Hollywood, Los Angeles for 4 days and 3 nights with accommodations and pocket money. Log on to whatsyourcoffeebeanandtealeafstory.com for details.
My mom went to the supermarket the other day after a visit to the dentist’s clinic. She brought this treat home:
Tira mi su is a popular Italian dessert that means “pick me up” in English. It is made up of sponge biscuits or stale cake dipped in a mixture of coffee and rum, topped with a mixture of mascarpone’ cheese, egg yolks, cream and sugar, and then crowned with a dusting of cocoa.
The sampler has four variants– the original tira mi su, chocolate, white chocolate, and caramel. With three slices of each variant, there’s plenty to go around!
I’ve tried all four, and I liked all of them. It’s safe to say that I wasn’t disappointed. Well except for the size of the portion. It was a bit to small for me, but then again I do like my cake slices big! Other than that, it was pure heaven! The mascarpone’ layer was not too sweet, very smooth and very creamy!
Eli’s Tira mi su Sampler and Cheesecakes are available at Robinson’s Supermarket and Makro outlets. You can also order online at www.elicheesecake.com.
I’ve been wondering what to write for my first food post for kainpinoy when I found out that Creamline Ice Cream was being sold in a nearby sari-sari store.
What’s so special about Creamline Ice Cream, you ask? I have to admit that it started out as a joke, our fascination with this ice cream. We tried it, and we found out that it wasn’t so bad. As their website proudly proclaims, their ice cream is creamier than the other local brands. They also have a variety of flavors that other local brands don’t. So far, the two Creamline Premium Cream Cups that I’ve tried are Tiramisu and Choco Mud Pie.
The big question now is, where to buy Creamline Ice Cream? We first tried Creamline in Batangas, and we’ve been wondering since then where to buy them in Metro Manila. Luckily enough, while I was asking my sister to be on the lookout for the Creamline logo in Quiapo, my niece interrupted to say that the sari-sari store sells Creamline. Hallelujah! Their website isn’t really helpful as to where to buy their products. However, their website announced that there’s a Creamline kiosk inside Virramall in Greenhills.
Creamline Premium Cream Cups are sold between Php 18 – 25 each.
