Nothing Beats SEx on a Rainy Morning - A Sinangag Express Review

When the boyfriend asked me to go with him to get his new monitor from a store somewhere at BF Parañaque, I asked him if he knew where to find it. And when he said it was right next to Sinangag Express along Aguirre Street, I perked up right away. The thought of a warm sinangag meal on a rainy morning always cheers me up.

Sinangag Express, naughtily nicknamed SEx, is a commercialized tapsilogan with branches at select locations in different cities. There are two branches just in BF- the one along President's Avenue and the one we went to, along Aguirre Street.

The Menu

The dining area was dimly lit, which was fine because we were there in the morning when there was light outside. They also had no airconditioning, but the place was cool because it just rained and there was a light breeze. But the tables and chairs were nice and solid and didn't feel like a typical fast food joint.

For lunch, we ordered the classic Tapsilog (p60) and the mouth-watering Special Pares (p75). Let's start off with the-

Tapsilog

The classic Tapsi

Tapa + sinangag + itlog = a classic combination that will forever be a favorite. SEx's tapsilog is a delicious set, their tapa is nicely seasoned, the rice is soft and garlicky and the serving size is pretty good (bigger than Tapa King's). And it only costs 60 pesos a meal! Rating: 5/5

Special Pares

Special Pares (p75)

Enticed by the huge streamers outside with blown-up pictures, I ordered the Special Pares without looking at other menu choices. There was a pretty big bowl of soft sinangag rice topped with fried chopped garlic and onion that came with a smaller bowl of minced beef. The rice was good, soft and garlicky, just like sinangag should be.

The beef was soft but it was too stringy, I was expecting it to be served in chunks just like regular pares. It was also too sweet and a tad too oily and it didn't have that sesame seed-y taste that I associate with pares. Perhaps it was because I expecting it to taste differently that I didn't like the dish so much. Rating: 3.5/5

All in all, it was still a nice visit at Sinangag Express. Good food, cheap prices, big servings, friendly staff, clean environment. Sums up to a pretty good dining experience for me.

Budget Meals - Big Daddy's (BIG) Chicken

If you're in Greenhills Shopping Center and you get some major hunger pangs but you have just a hundred pesos left in your pocket, I suggest you look for Big Daddy's Chicken for a cheap and satisfying big meal.

This was my situation last weekend after window-shopping at Greenhills tiangges. I was looking for a place to grab a quick dinner when their sign, the brightly lit orange logo that had 'CHICKEN' in huge block letters, easily caught my attention.

Taking a quick look at their menu assured me that this was a place well within budget, so I promptly got a tray and decided on what to order.

Big Daddy's Chicken's sign says HELLO! EAT HERE!

Big Daddy's Chicken serves huge slabs of chicken (or pork) chops coated in crispy golden breading together with rice and soup. As a twist, you can choose one of these as flavoring for your chicken- spicy, lemon, nori or plum (yes, the fruit).

I like my food with a bit of a kick, so I decided to get the spicy flavored chicken with rice and soup (p85). I was debating with myself whether to try out the plum flavoring (just because it sounded so weird) but in the end I stuck with spicy.

Perfectly spicy!

The first thing you notice when you get your plate is the giant slab of chicken chop. From the picture's angle, it doesn't look too big but trust me, it is. The chicken is fried to a golden crisp and I liked the spicy chili powder they used (reminds me of the chili flavoring from Ersao- another fast food joint I want to revisit).

See that big chicken slab?

Here's a picture of a different meal- the original chicken with pasta (p90). The pasta wasn't anything special, it's your typical spaghetti noodles in creamy white sauce. While the unflavored chicken was also good, I still prefer the spicy flavored one.

All in all, it was a yummy and very filling meal for less than one hundred pesos. Sulit!

The idea for Big Daddy's Chicken came from Taiwan's famous street food called Ji Pai. These are huge pieces of fried breaded chicken chops that can be bought from food carts along the streets for cheap. It turns out that the ones from Taiwan are even bigger, looky-

Taiwan's famous Ji Pai are insanely huge.

Delightful Desserts at Caramia Gelateria

Instead of going for the usual coffee to cap off the night last Saturday, we decided to get some gelato ice cream from Caramia Gelateria inside Amici Restaurant along Tomas Morato. We made our way along the restaurant-lined street which was busy as usual, bustling with cars and people at quite a late hour, finding Amici near the landmark circle of scouts.

Happy counters at Caramia Gelateria

Caramia Gelateria, which is the gelato ice cream shop inside Amici, is always, always a joy to visit. Their walls are brightly colored, their cake and gelato ice cream displays make the place feel like a happy little party, and their staff always have ready smiles. You can't help but be cheered up no matter how gloomy you are.

Here's what we got:

Guiltless classic-

The classic pistachio gelato ice cream

This is a classic favorite. Pistachio flavored gooey, yummy gelato ice cream (p65 a scoop). It was of course, delicious. Did you know that gelato ice cream has a lower fat and sugar content than regular ice cream? This means less guilt and more ice cream!

Ice cream cake-

Cara Mia's Banana Blast

This looked so good on the display that we just had to try it. It looked very pink and brown to me, so it was kind of unusual that it was called Banana Blast (p95).

It turns out that this ice cream cake is made of chocolate, strawbery, and banana gelato topped with strawbery and chocolate syrup. It's a gelato banana split! I liked the combination of the 3 flavors, and the zing that the syrup gives. It took a good long while to finish this one, savoring each bite takes some time.

~

It's always a good experience every time I visit Caramia Gelateria. Besides gelato ice cream, their gelato cakes are also delicious, affordable AND healthier than regular ice cream cakes! ^_~ You can check out the price list and descriptions on the Caramia website. Next birthday party I'm going to, I'm bringing one of these!

Get a Free Whopper Jr. at Burger King!

The promo has been running for a couple months already, but this is a heads up, just in case you hadn't heard of it yet. From April 30, 2010 to April 29, 2011, Burger King will be giving away a FREE Whopper Jr. every time you get a Whopper Jr. Combo Meal and upgrade your meal to large fries and large drink.

The combo meal costs 130 pesos and the meal upgrade is an additional 40 pesos. A total of 170 pesos for two Whopper Jrs, 1 large fries and 1 (very) large drink. That's a meal good for two right there. Great deal!

GB3's Kitchen is Totally Underrated

On date night, after walking around Greenbelt 1, 2 and 3 and checking out all the restaurant menus, my date and I settled on an old favorite. We found ourselves settling in for a nice evening at Kitchen in Greenbelt 3.

The table setting and the service water bottle.

That's their service water bottle on the left, laced with mint (I'm not so sure if they're actually mint) leaves. On the right is the table setting, with unusually large utensils. I spent a good amount of time arranging and rearranging the assortment of table knick knacks for photos while waiting for our order.

For starters-

Breadwinner

The breadwinner includes four pieces of lightly toasted bread and assorted dips. I'm not familiar with their fancy names, so I'll just attempt to describe them. The red dip is tomato based with clumps of tomato and some seasoning in it. The green one had the texture of pesto, it looked like crushed basil leaves with herbs in oil. The mustard colored one is mushrooms in oil. And lastly, the yellow one is grated cheese. The serving size was on the small side but it tasted good. Rating: 3.5/5

Main course-

Undercover

My date ordered the Undercover. This is basically chicken pandan with pandan rice and sweet chili sauce to taste. It was total pandan overload because he paired it up with bottomless pandan iced tea. Good value, huge serving size, great texture, fantastic taste. His rating: 5 out of frickin' flippin' 5!

Ribbit

I ordered what they call the Ribbit. From the name, you'd think it'd be frogs but the dish is actually deep-fried pork ribs seasoned in garlic, salt and pepper with pandan rice and a side of mixed vegetables. The serving was so large that I had to take half of it home, but it tasted so heart-stoppingly good. I paired it up with mint iced tea which was a bit on the sweet side rather than minty. The meal was delicious, but it was kind of unhealthy. My rating: 4.5 of 5.

Dessert-

And no meal would be complete without dessert, and because we were full, we decided to share. We ordered what they call Going Bananas.

Going Bananas and the uniquely presented bill

The description on the menu which read something like- bananas packed in graham cracker crusts topped with a swirl of cream -sounded promising. When it arrived, it looked like it would be super sweet, like those cakes you can get at coffee shops. It was a delightful surprise to find out that the middle part is actually (very) chilled bananas with no cream or sugar, but the graham cracker crusts were enough to sweeten it. It wasn't expensive too, about 80 pesos an order. Rating: 5/5

~

If I were to choose one word to describe Kitchen over at Greenbelt 3, that word would be 'subtle'. From their logo, the simple letter 'K', to their minimalist gray restaurant interior, to their friendly but never overbearing staff, to the tasty but not overpowering flavors of their food. But make no mistakes, subtle doesn't mean Kitchen is dull, bland or boring. Quite the opposite, actually. I can honestly say that Kitchen is one of the better restaurants (and affordable too!) I've been to, ever.

Meals are about 200-300 peseos per person, but these are huge meals, and each plate is good for sharing. They have great service, good ambiance, fantastic food, large servings and reasonable prices.

Total Rating: 4.75 of 5

Best restaurant reviewed as of yet, at a reasonable price. Great nomz!

*again, I am sorry for the very grainy photos, used my phone's camera. I always don't have the good camera with me when I go to places worth taking pictures of. -_-;

Iloilo Treats – Barquillos, Biscocho, and Bañadas

While I have never been to Iloilo, it has already etched a place for itself in my heart because of its well-known pasalubong goodies- biscocho and barquillos.

A friend who shall remain nameless (clue: her name starts with an 'M' and ends with 'arie') recently came back from a trip to Iloilo and gave me a bagful of lovely Iloilo treats from Biscocho Haus.

Here they are: Iloilo's well-known biscocho, barquillos, and bañadas

Oldies but goodies-

Biscocho is what Iloilo is most known for, and Biscocho Haus makes the best of them. For those of you who have not tried biscochos yet, that's a shame, these biscuits taste like toasted bread smothered with butter and topped with sugar, only crunchier and tastier. I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but I can finish nearly an entire pack in one sitting.

Another treat that they're known for is the barquillos (this is my mom's favorite). Sure, you can buy a pack off the rack at your nearest grocery store or ice cream shop. But they wouldn't be as good as Biscocho Haus' barquillos, nope. These barquillos are wafery (they melt in your mouth), they're just the right kind of sweet (they're perfect), and they're great with (pistachio) ice cream. I tell you, they're fantastic.

Something new-

Bañadas- giant pacencias

This time around, my friend whose name starts with an 'M' and ends with 'arie' added a new treat- Biscocho Haus' bañadas. I was halfway through the package before I remembered to take pictures (they were delicious~) They're like pacencia biscuits, only lighter, crunchier and five times the size. That part of my heart that belongs to Iloilo has just become bigger, I have added this to my favorites list.

When I set foot in Iloilo someday, expect me to be bringing back home boxes of all of these yummy treats.

Chicken-All-You-Want at Max's Restaurant!

Max's is celebrating it's 65th anniversary and there will be a month-long chicken fiesta! Starting June 17 up to July 17, Max's Restaurant will be offering a Chicken-All-You-Can promo. For only 165 pesos, you can avail of this fantabulous anniversary offering and eat all the chicken that you want and can!

I've always been a fan of Max's best-selling chicken and this, for me, is an awesome way to celebrate 65 years! Thank you, Max's!

Dude on the poster is kinna cute. Anyone know who he is?

Terms and Conditions:
1. Chicken will be served in quarter pieces, and parts will be based on availability.
2. Add P39.00 for bottomless Pepsi Softdrink.
3. Promo period is from June 17 - July 17, 2010 and from 6 PM to 10 PM only.
4. Promo valid for dine in only. Not available for take-out, delivery and bulk orders.
5. Cannot be combined with other offers. No sharing. No Leftover. Chicken will be served after each piece has been consumed.

Source: Manila Life

Bulla Fruit 'n Yogurt Popsicle is Refreshingly Healthy

You know how yogurt ice cream has been the fad last year? Along with fun runs, yogurt ice cream gained a lot of popularity last year within a short period of time and this resulted to a number of yogurt ice cream shops sprouting in many corners of the Metro. And I've been on this we-love-yogurt-ice-cream bandwagon for a while now (The White Hat being my favorite). Generally, I like the tangy taste of yogurt, be it a drink, creamy, or the frozen kind.

It was this box that caught my eye.

Last weekend, I had just arrived at Podium and was in the mood for something cool and refreshing. This box sitting atop a shelf at Dippin' Dots caught my eye. Actually, the detail in the green circle that reads "97% Fat Free" caught my eye. Upon further inspection, the box also claims that these yogurt popsicles were made with real fruit and have no artificial colors or flavors. Healthy fun food! I hurriedly got one.

The yummy Bulla Fruit 'N Yogurt Strawberry popsicle.

Boy, am I glad I did. It was soooo goood! It had that tangy taste that I look for in yogurt, the flavor of the fruit (strawberry in this case) was clearly evident but not overpowering, it's 97% fat free with no artificial colors and flavors, it didn't melt as quickly as soft-serve yogurt ice cream, and best of all, you can get this for just Php50 a pop!

Orchard Road - A Little Bit of Singapore in Manila

Last Saturday, we were at Megamall come dinner-time looking for a place to eat when we chanced upon this recently opened fast-food style eatery called Orchard Road. I had just gone to a trip to Singapore and was on a spicy oriental food hangover and this restaurant, bearing the name of Singapore's most famous main road, caught my attention in an instant. The place was packed at 7 in the evening so we decided come back when the crowd had thinned a bit.

Orchard Road in Manila

A couple hours later, we came back to find the restaurant a little less busy so we decided to order and get settled in. It was a different kind of ordering system that welcomed us at the entrance, you get a slip of paper with their menu on it and a pencil. You can go around the kitchen area, which is right at the entrance and check out how the food is being cooked and how it actually looks like compared to the ones in picture. And then you tick the checkbox on the menu items that you wish to order.

The kitchen- right dab smack in the middle of the main dining area

Their kitchen is up front and center, with glass panels that almost make it look like a large aquarium minus the water. Actually, this kind of kitchen transparency is a good idea I think, you hear many horror stories of what really happens behind kitchen doors. With this kind of setup, you and everybody else see what's going on in there. The dining area reminds me of the elegant food court at Ion Mall along the actual Orchard Road in Singapore.

Now let's get on with big scoop here- the food. Obviously, with a name like Orchard Road, they serve dishes that are bestsellers in Singapore. And there were so many tasty-looking orders to choose from, it was difficult to order just enough- we wanted to try them all.

What we ended up ordering-

Main course orders:

For the main course we had: (clockwise from top-left) Hainanese Chicken, Laksa, Chicken Satay, and Chicken Curry

• Hainanese Chicken- steamed chicken seasoned with ginger, salt and pepper. I didn't get to try this one, but my date liked this dish best compared to everything else. He says the texture of the chicken was good, firm and tender. Rating: 4.5/5
  


• Chicken Curry- this was an order good for two, it was a bowl filled with several pieces of tender chicken in rich and tasty curry sauce with just enough spice. This was my favorite. Rating: 4.5/5
  


• Laksa- spicy coconut-based noodle soup that's a popular dish in Singapore. Tasted exactly like the Laksa I had in SG, which is a good thing. Rating: 5/5
  


• Chicken Satay- 4 sticks of barbecued skewered chicken fillets; also pretty tasty and the order was bigger than what I expected. Rating: 4/5

Side orders:

Popiang and Ice Kachang

• Popiang- this was sort of like the Filipino lumpiang ubod. Chopped vegetables in a soft wrapper flavored by a sweet peanuty sauce topped with chopped nuts. Rating: 2.5/5
  


• Shrimp Dumpling- hakaw, is what they call it in Chinese restaurants. Steamed shrimp wrapped in a translucent and gooey dumpling wrapper. Pretty good. Rating: 4.5/5
  


• Ice Kachang- if we Pinoys have the halo-halo for dessert, they have this. Soft crushed ice drizzled with brightly colored syrup and syrupy corn with coconut milk (gata), gelatine (gulaman) and sugar palm (kaong) as the base. Rating: 3.5/5 (Nothing beats our halo-halo!)

Drinks:

Bandung and Milo Dinosaur

• Bandung- a prettily colored Malaysian drink made of milk and rose cordial syrup. It's an acquired taste, is what I can say. It reminded us of the Pinoy street cooler, scramble. Rating: 3/5
  


• Milo Dinosaur- this happy drink is very Filipino. Creamy iced Milo topped with more Milo powder. That just says everything. Rating: 5/5
  

We ordered a bit too much for just two people, but the food and the ambience was that good that it made us want to fatten ourselves up s'more.

Main dishes cost about Php120-Php200 per order, which I think is a pretty reasonable price range considering the serving size and food quality. The staff were also very nice and helpul throughout the entire process, our orders arrived without delay, requests were handled with smiles and prompt service, the food tasted great and the dishes were a nice change from the usual.

Overall rating: 4/5

All in all, it was a fun dining experience. Good nomz! (^_~)d

*sorry for the grainy photos, I hadn't brought a proper camera and used the cellphone's cam instead

http://i50.tinypic.com/33mua8m.jpg

Big, and I mean BIG, Breakfast - Double Breakfast EggMc Big Mac

This, ladies and gentlemen, is what its creators call the Double Breakfast EggMc Big Mac. It looks sinful but damn, I seriously want a piece of that.

Will I live past forty if I eat this on a regular basis? Probably not

Guess what's in it. No? I'll tell you anyway. This baby has (from bottom up) an Egg McMuffin, Mac Sauce (don't know what that is), Sausage Patty, Scrambled Eggs, Pancake, Hotcake Syrup (yes, you read it right), Hashbrown, Pancake, more Hotcake Syrup, Sausage Patty, Mac Sauce again, and lastly, another Egg McMuffin.

Wow.

~Info and images from TopCultured

Cookie Monster's Step-by-step Guide to Omnomnoming

Whoddaknown that it all started from that lovable cookie-loving ball of fur from Sesame Street? Watch the video of Cookie Monster's step-by-step guide.

Step 1: (VERY important!) Look at cookie.
Step 2: Identify cookie.
Step 3: Smell cookie.
Step 4: Omnomnom cookie!

So that's how you properly nom a cookie. (^_~)d

McDonald’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Coca Cola Glasses - Sexy and Cute

My pretty 4 piece.

These glasses are my excuses for having too much McDonald's for the past few days. For a mere Php25.00, you can get one of these limited edition 2010 FIFA World Cup Coca Cola glasses in the color of your choice when you order any McDonald's Value Meal. That's a pretty good deal, I'd say.

A few seasons ago, McDonald's already released glasses of a similar mold, but the difference with these new ones is that they have the 2010 FIFA World Cup logo on one side and the Coca Cola logo on the other. See?

This batch comes in six cute colors and have a curved design that makes the glass sexy to look at but easy to hold. Someone told me the promo will end on June 15, that's only a few days from now. I'd be having more fastfood this week to complete the set, just two more for me!

This Is Why You're Fat - DELETED!

Just found out that the blog This Is Why You're Fat has been removed from the Intarwebz recently.

Too bad, this was where I used to go to make me feel bad about myself and my eating habits. And it worked too. Pictures like this left me in awe and at the same time made me want to puke.

Now THAT's a burger!

It was good while it lasted.

Northern Sweets – Tita’s Special Silvanas

My maternal ancestry originates from Pampanga. And although my mother and her brothers and sisters were born and raised in Manila, we still have relatives who live on that side of the country. In fact, on family reunions and gatherings, I often find myself lost in a babble of Kapampangan, barely understanding the gist of everyone's stories. I only know a handful Kapampangan words like matudtud (sleep), me keni (come here), mangan (eat), and most of the lines from the song Atin Ko Pung Singsing (I Have A Ring). What? That was the first piano piece I learned to play.

Anyway, it is because of this that we find ourselves spending time up north once in a while. For as long as I can remember, no matter how late, we would always stop by the delicacy store called Tita's before heading home from Pampanga. And it would always be a treat. The shop is designed like a mini grocery, with sections for meat products, pastries, candy, preserves and you push a trolley around to haul your loot. They would have fatless tocino, skinless longganisa, turones de kasoy, sansrival, taba ng talangka among others. All lovely. But of all their specialties, my absolute favorite would be Tita's Special Silvanas.

My mom recently went to visit some relatives and brought me this as pasalubong. Silvanas, for me, are best eaten cold and crunchy with a tall glass of milk on a rainy day. Tita's Silvanas are the best silvanas on the face of this earth! No contest. I say they're the best, because they simply are. These bite-sized silvanas are light to eat and not as sweet as the ones that can be bought commercially in the city.

What's unusual about them is that they're kept refrigerated, but they're crunchy, but also creamy inside, and melts in your mouth. It's weird, but it works. I can't even begin to guess how to make them, but maybe it's because I'm such a kitchen noob. Tried searching for recipes and how-to's online too, but no such luck. My friend said something about blowtorching but she can't be serious, can she?

Tita's oh-so-yummy silvanas!

Almost there!

Sucha greedy little kitty cute. :P

Pitstop of an Online Foodie – MunchPunch

Here's a scenario. You're stuck at your workdesk and your friends email you for a near-impromptu dinner/get-together in two hours and put you in charge of picking the place. What do you do? IM online friends and ask them for suggestions? Open up Google and search for "recommended restaurants in Makati"? Email your friends that you're busy and they should decide and just tell you where to meet?

I used to do all those (the last one most often) until I found out about MunchPunch.

What is MunchPunch?

MunchPunch is a nifty little site that has in its database details of most restaurants in the Metro. And it doesn't just list them, they have all the information you need. From the address, the contact number, reviews from fellow foodies, the menu and prices, this site has got it all.

Search and filter options for MunchPunch

You can even search for restaurants by location, by mall, or by cuisine. I often use the by mall search because there are just so many restaurants in one mall these days (MOA, I'm looking at you) that I lose track of them even if I've been there already. Another great feature is the Promos section where they list current restaurant promotions, discounts and freebies. I'm a discount junkie and this feature just gives me the happies. A new feature of the site that I haven't tried yet is ordering online. I bet it'll be useful for when you and your office buddies need a quick merienda break.

Details and menu prices for World Chicken at GB1

I've used MunchPunch for preparing small gatherings, get-togethers, and even simple dinners. With restaurant details posted on one location online, I can easily call up the restaurants for bookings and reservations, compare prices of different restaurants, pick out orders from the menu selection, get the best deals with restaurant promos, all that in one stop.

Now when my friends set up dinner dates, I get to pick the place. ^_~

Sammich Love – Cibo’s Sardine Panini

Because sandwiches are made from heaven, I thought that the first review just had to be a sandwich. I love sandwiches to bits because they're quite easy to prepare, pack, and nom. Look Ma, no utensils! They're a full meal that you can bring around and scarf pretty much anywhere.

I luckily ordered Cibo's Sardine Panini on on a dinner date with a girl friend that I hadn't seen in a long time. Amidst catching up and laughing about old crushes and past booboos was the discovery of this fantastic creation.

Cibo's Sardine Panini

• The Bread: Lightly toasted ciabatta that crunches quite nicely when you sink your teeth into it. The bread alone would give this sandwich an above average rating. Ciabatta is always a good choice.

• The In-between: Lightly spiced Spanish sardines cut up into neat slices. (These yummies are also fantastic with steaming white rice.) The fish was flavorful and it was spicy enough to give the sandwich a kick. Some sammiches have too little filling that it becomes bread with flavoring, while others have too much that gunk fall out while you eat it. This sandwich had just enough lettuce, tomatoes and olives to round it up nicely. Not too much, not too little, not too spicy, and not too bland.

• The Extras: It came with a small side dish of light potato chips that give your tastebuds a nice break when things get too spicy. And you know how packed sardines have fish bones that are edible but have that weird taste? This sandwich had none of that, plus points for taking the effort to remove those. Lastly, they had little containers of salt and mayonnaise to adjust the taste to your liking, a nice touch IMO.

The bread was toasted to a perfect crisp, the sardine filling had just the right amount of spice and the potato chips side was a perfect complement to the dish. Together with with an equally delightful glass of grape shake, this was a meal that made this writer's tummy gurgle happily and contentedly.

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5. Will definitely be coming back for more! (^_~)d

NOMZ!

Hi guys! This blog was created to have a place to jot down various food finds from anywhere and everywhere. Voracious appetites like ours have to be whetted constantly to keep us happy. Happy nomming! :P