Seafood Galore at A La Peche Aux Moules

One late Saturday afternoon, a restaurant along rue des Marronniers called à la pêche aux moules served as our pit stop. Eateries in France usually close shop after lunch and resume for supper. At around three past noon (lunch was a tad bit delayed), it was one of the few restaurants still open for business.

This restaurant is situated at the ground floor of an apartment building just like most, if not all, restaurants in Place Bellecour. The cobblestone path along rue des Marronniers adds to the restaurant's very French ambiance. À la pêche aux moules is named after the traditional French song of the same name (Video below. Have a listen, it's catchy!), which means 'fishing for mussels' in English. They serve mostly seafood, their specialty being mussels of course. 

 A la pêche aux moules is catchy!

As always, meals in France means you get bread in a basket. I've actually grown to love the French baguette, which is what most restaurants serve before your main order. Theirs was a little different from the usual breads served in most restaurants, it was slightly tougher and was sprinkled with sesame seeds which gave it a stronger flavor. 

I <3 French bread

My companion opted to get the three course menu, which is also typical in most restaurants here in France. You get an appetizer, main course, and dessert for a fairly reasonable price. This combination includes the Welcome Salad for the appetizer, Tuna Steak a l'ancienne as the main course, and the St. Marcellin as the last part of the meal.

3-course menu (€15.90)

St. Marcellin, which he initially thought was dessert, is a kind of cheese that's considered to be one of the best cheeses from around these parts apparently. It smelled horrible. Is there any truth to what they say that the fouler the smell, the better the cheese? This particular one is definitely an acquired taste.

I forgot to mention that there were sturdy buckets decorated the tables around us, with most guests having one bucket of mussels of different flavors to themselves. I wasn't sure if my stomach could handle a bucketful of mussels so I had the safer French fish and chips called Half cooked salmon escalope and a creme brulee for dessert. 

Half cooked salmon escalope (€12.90) + Creme Brulee (€5+/-)

I was pretty happy with my choice because the salmon was tender and tasty (I had some doubts because of it being only half cooked, but it worked well) and the side of fries was just what I needed (fries are happy nomz, shh). The creme brulee was sweet, light and perfectly crispy on top (but a little pricey).

Next time, I'm gonna brave it and try the bucket of mussels. Wish me luck! 

P.S.

The melody is now stuck in my head.

A La Peche Aux Moules
Location: 2 Rue des Marronniers, 69002 Lyon
Contact Info: +33 4 78 92 94 24

2, Rue des Marronniers , 69002 Lyon

We're back in business, folks!

Lately, whenever I come visit this blog, it feels like forever since the last post. Time seems to go by quicker lately and what little time I have left of my day, I spend catching up with the people I love back home. Sheesh, enough with the sap already. 

Another thing that's taking forever is the development of the new BaconTunaMelt (click this to see how bare it is). There hasn't been much progress, I'm almost desperate. So, because it looks like the launch will be pushed back towards the end of the year, we'll be tickling your tummies once again on this little old blog (there's so much to tell you guys about!). 

BaconTunaMelt: Spreading nomz on the web since 2010

 BaconTunaMelt is back in business, folks! (although we never really left) ^_~

Download The BaconTunaMelt Android App!

Hello cute ladies and gents (you're all cute in my eyes)! How are you all on this fine July morning? Everyone doing okay? In Lyon, it's been an unusually chilly summer month with a few thunderstorms here and there. The new blog is still under development after almost a month (I'll get to it eventually!).

BaconTunaMelt on Android

Anyhoots, what I came here to talk about is the newest development for loyal readers (-3 people). BaconTunaMelt is now available for Android users! Yup, there exists a BaconTunaMelt Android app. Cleverly named BaconTunaMelt on Android (what? I couldn't think of a good name for it), the app shows you the latest updates on the blog. 

Touch the star to add a post to favorites!

Besides the post updates, you can also tag a post as a favorite (and keep the article for future reading) and also share a post on Facebook, Plurk, Twitter, Google+, Reddit, and slew of other sharing sites.

Change settings to your personal preference. :)

You also have options for display, updates, notifications, backup, etc. In the meantime, it's not available on the official Android Market (I found out I needed to pay them $25 bucks for it, so no go) but you can still download it here and install it on your Android phones or tablets.

Here's how:

BaconTunaMelt on Android APK

1. Scan this QR code with your basic Barcode scanner and it will direct you to download the BaconTunaMelt APK (you can also click the link if you're viewing this howto on your mobile or if you want to download it on your computer).

Open browser -> Save

2. Save the file and install (if you don't have an installer, download one like Easy Installer, it's free!).

Install -> Open

And last but not the least,
3. Add a shortcut of the BaconTunaMelt on Android app to your home screen and start getting nomz updates on your phone!

Look for the BaconTunaMelt logo! :)

*If you're having problems with the installation, tell us and we'll walk you through it. :P

Groupon Mania in Manila! (Part 3)

Before launching the new site, we have a couple of last hurrahs left on this one. For now, we'll talk about groupons (again). Since late last year, we've featured some of the more popular ones on this blog (read part 1 here and part 2 here). Since then, groupon sites have come a long way. 

Besides new sites popping up every once in a while, the newest trend in the groupon market is aggregators. Someone came up with the excellent idea of collating all the great deals from all the different groupon sites out there making life much easier for us deal mongers users. 

Here are BaconTunaMelt's newest deal finds on the wide world of the Intarwebz-

1. CityPoynt
Link: http://www.citypoynt.com/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/citypoynt

As I understand it, CityPoynt has been around offering good deal after good deal for a while now. But I've only been aware of them a month or so ago when they offered a deal that I couldn't resist. I signed up as soon as I could and have kept checking back for more.

Their web design and simple and quite easy to navigate, which I personally think is an important factor in any site that involves online purchase.

2. Dealies.ph
Link: http://www.dealies.ph/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dealies-Philippines/168056773245812

Dealies.ph is one of those groupon site aggregators I was talking about earlier in this post. It features deals from various groupon sites in Manila and lists them down in one handy page. The people behind Dealies.ph are from Berlin, Germany but be assured that the deals listed on their page are legitimately offered in our motherland.

 
3. Pilipinas Best Buys
Link: http://pilipinasbestbuys.com/
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/PBestBuys

Pilipinas Best Buys is one of the newer groupon sites I've stumbled upon. The site looks friendly with a very local flavor to it and they're currently offering a roundtrip airfare ticket from Manila to New York at 50% off. It looks to be a great deal to me, even after reading the fine print (and that's saying something). PBB is a groupon site worth checking out.

4. All Deals Asia
Link: http://www.alldealsasia.com/deals/philippines
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002273548970

All Deals Asia is another groupon site aggregator featuring deals from different Manila groupon sites. I haven't tried buying form them yet but they have a cute Sherlock Holmes-y icon that I've grown fond of (I'm shallow liek that). They also feature deals from Singapore, Hongkong, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia which can be easily filtered out and could be useful (for frequent Asia travelers).

And there you have it, that's my groupon haul for the day. I hope you guys find them useful (please do tell us your groupon stories in the comments). Also, please watch out for the launch of the new BaconTunaMelt site. Soon, I promise!

Not an Update

Gaiz, I'm really sorry there have been no updates lately. My excuse is that I'm currently developing a whole new BaconTunaMelt look, to be hosted on a paid server. I thought to save the new posts for when the layout is done. But so far, check out what I've got- http://bacontunamelt.info/ (this is the temporary address while under construction). So basically, I got nothing yet.

I'm hopeless at Wordpress blog customization. it's taking longer than I thought it would and I'm kind of stuck in a rut. Any kind designers who want to help me out? I already have something in mind, but I don't know how to implement it. I will pay you with endless gratitude (okay, I'll toss in some cash). 

In the meantime, check out the photos on our Flickr page. We'll be updating that with new nompics in a short while. And please watch out for the new site!

Mama Caroni Three Course Menu Lyonnaise

Bonjour everybody! It's a cool Saturday here in Lyon and I just got back from a day of window shopping. There's some sort of event going on this weekend (I'm guessing it has something to do with the LGBT, because of the number of rainbow flags out and about) and the streets and subways are packed. 

I also got the chance to visit the Asian store for the first time and got myself a bottle of Mama Sita Barbecue Sauce and some Haw Flakes (YES!). But I'm getting ahead of myself, that story will be reserved for later. Right now, I want to tell you all about last Saturday's first venture to try the gastronomic delights that this city has to offer (it is known as the gastronomic capital of France). So sit back, relax, and have a cup of coffee (yes, this will be long).

French-Italian fusion at Mama Caroni

Picking a place to eat at in this country can be tricky because my limited knowledge of their language might lead me to order frog legs or something equally disgusting. At least I can tell the meats apart- 'poulet' for chicken, 'boeuf' for beef, 'porc' for pork, 'thon' for tuna, and 'saumon' for salmon. 

Everywhere in the always packed Place Bellecour, there are many bouchons to choose from along the main streets. Many look like your typical trendy restaurant with floor to ceiling glass windows and fancy logos. Although  people there probably speak more English, I wanted to try something with an authentic feel. And the perfect place is the quaint alley called rue des Marroniers.

Rue des Marronniers

Near the mainstream Place Bellecour, rue des Marronniers is a street lined with smallish restaurants from left to right, all of them with menu chalkboards outside, written in French of course. Deciding on which one was a dilemma because all of them looked interesting (and also because I couldn't understand much). Eventually, the quaint Mama Caroni won me over with its tan walls, bright red highlights, and a kindly server to usher you in.

Mama Caroni is a French-Italian restaurant with a menu that includes specialties from both countries. Because it was my first time in an actual bouchon (I've been living on fastfood, as usual), I knew I had to try the traditional local order- the three course Menu Lyonnaise.

Salade Lyonnaise

Starting things off was the traditional Salade Lyonnaise. In a huge salad plate was a colorful mess of greens, mixed in with nearly an equal portion of bacon (zomg!), some buttered croutons, drizzled with olive oil and a splash of wine vinegar and Dijon mustard and then topped off with a poached egg. It was amazing, with no exaggeration. All the flavors blended together beautifully and each bite was just delightful.

I was full after the salad alone but there were more to go. The main course was served next, it was a choice between Onglet de boeuf poele, sauce echalote, pates fraiches maison or Andouillette sauce moutarde, pommes sautees. I recognized 'boeuf' to be beef and had absolutely no idea what an 'andouillete' was so I picked the beef.

Onglet de Boeuf Poele

With a name like Onglet de Boeuf, you'd think that it would be a typical steak with a side of mashed potatoes. Apparently, onglet de boeuf poele sauce echalote, pates fraiches maison translated to English is beef steak with shallot sauce on fresh house pasta (or something close). Boy, was I surprised when it arrived. 

Suprise #1- I wasn't expecting it to be served with pasta. Surprise #2- because I requested the meat to be cooked well-done, I didn't expect spurts of red ooze coming out from the meat when I sliced it. The pasta, I could live with, but the red juice was a bit of a turn off. Good thing the server was kind enough to humor my request to have it cooked a little bit more. The beef was tender and juicy but the sauce had a slightly pungent flavor that didn't sit well with me.

Desserts, anyone?

Last but not the least is dessert. Part of Mama Caroni's €15 worth Menu Lyonnaise is a choice between the tiramisu or fraise (fresh strawberries) and I just had to try the popular Italian dessert. 

It. was. so. good. Served in a cute little jar, this version is different from the typical tiramisu. It had no lady fingers but it had hints of marscarpone cheese mixed in espresso, a little liquor, and topped with a very generous amount of whipped cream and then dusted with some chocolate powder (or it could've been coffee actually). It was perfect end to a good meal. 

Besides the bloody beef, I enjoyed myself enough with the big serving of the fabulous salad and the best dessert I've had so far. Mama Caroni's Menu Lyonnaise gets two thumbs up and a big burp from me.

Mama Caroni
Location: 9 rue Marronniers, 69002 Lyon

9 Rue des Marronniers , 69002 Lyon

Contact info: 04 72 41 88 78
Map:

9 Rue des Marronniers , 69002 Lyon

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Dear Croissant

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. I thought I should tell you before I go on. 

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. When having a sandwich, I put on a thick layer of spread the and use as little bread as possible, preferrably on a 1:1 ratio. 

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. When having a burger, I throw away one of the two buns before proceeding to eat it.

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. On pizzas, I only get thin crust ones. If they don't have it, I don't eat pizza.

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. But that was before I met you. Or actually, before I lived in a country where you're available in all shapes, sizes, and flavors in all patisseries.

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. But the many layers of thin dough fused together by a healthy amount of butter ends up in a flaky, delicious puff pastry that is impossible to resist.

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. But you're so tasty and irrestable, even to the pickiest of bread eaters. 

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. But when I get a waft of the aroma of a freshly baked you through the open doors of the nearest boulangerie, all resolve to keep a diet is nixed. 

Dear croissant, I'm not very fond of breads. But I love you, like I've never loved a bread before.

Is the Green Lantern Doughnut any good?

Combining the love for sweets and superheroes, our friends over at Comicology celebrated National Doughnut Day (late) with half a dozen of Krispy Kreme's newest offering, The Green Lantern Kreme Doughnut. 

Because I cannot try it myself, I satiate my cravings with Mr. Comicology's delicious account of this special fried treat.

Green Lantern Doughnuts (p264/half dozen; p370/dozen)

Comicology says: This is one of those very rare instances where comic book geekery and food meet to create a GEEK FOODIE FUSION. And with that comes the very first cross post between Comicology: The Study of Awesome and BaconTunaMelt. Huzzah!

I, for one, love the marketing being put behind the Green Lantern movie. It’s a hell of a lot less traditional than mere TV spots and blogger events. (Yes, I’m just bitter no one asks me to come to the party anymore.) They’ve got a Green Lantern logo in the park at Glorietta. Scattered among the trees there are little green paper lanterns that just look spectacular at night. Another one of their efforts is the Green Lantern donut by Krispy Kreme. I just had to give this bad boy a try.

Wanna know if the Green Lantern Doughnut is any good? Click this link to read the full doughnut review on Comicology. If you're a fan of Green Lantern or doughnuts or desserts, you should definitely check it out.

Green Lantern Krispy Kreme Doughnut

This morning, I woke up to an image link of this fantastically sweet treat. The puppy-daddy, who is a huge fan of anything comic book related, showed me this odd-looking doughnut. (Also, I have been ordered made to memorize the Green Lantern oath.)

The Green Lantern Kreme Doughut

In time for the movie, Krispy Kreme's latest offering is a Green Lantern Kreme Doughnut. Krispy Kreme's newest sugar creation is made of rich chocolate dough iced with chocolate made with Hershey's Milk Chocolate, powdered with sugar and topped with green (lantern) jelly. Sound good?

Hello there, Mr. Reynolds. *waggles eyebrows*

Hurry then, and head to the nearest Krispy Kreme branch and go get some. Green Lantern will be showing in cinemas starting June 16.

And here is the Green Lantern oath (because memorizing this was a requirement, not an option): "In brightest day, in blackest night, no evil shall escape my sight. Let those who worship evil's might, beware my power.. Green Lantern's light!"

Guess what happens to peaches when left in the fridge for too long?

Remember from a few posts back when I rambled on (and on) about the tropical fruit basket I received for my birthday? Thing is, it was a huge fruit basket with more than a dozen fruits (including an entire pineapple) and there's just one me.

Although I tried to consume as much as I could, a bunch of fruits were relegated to the furthest corner of the fridge. And that bunch included the peaches. Today, I was cleaning out the fridge when I saw this-

This needs a lolcaption. Halpz?

This, boys and girls, is what happens to peaches when left in the fridge for far too long. They attempt to grow an afro. 

 

I actually had goosebumps when I took a closer look. It looked like it was about to bust a move at anytime. Seriously, what the heck is that? These four peaches were all in one container and left in the fridge all at the same time. And why did it grow on just one?

Pink Mornings with Kelloggs Hello Kitty Loops

Who doesn't know this cute kitty cat with the pink bow (or red) and a yellow button nose? I think all little girls (or at least those within my age range) went through a phase when a trip to a Sanrio store was the highlight of the week. I personally had a thing for Kerokeropi but for most girls, Hello Kitty was their Sanrio favorite.

I've always wondered why she didn't have a mouth.

Girls (and guys who like pink), guess what I found while doing the groceries one fine Saturday afternoon? (or, you know, just scroll down to find out)

PINK CEREAL!

This happy bowl of pink cereal is from a box of Kellogg's Limited Edition Hello Kitty Loops. These  breakfast crunchies taste like the regular Froot Loops, the only difference being that they're pink (and oh so girly). A big box costs less than two hundred pesos and that should be enough to last you at least ten full bowls of the pink stuff.

Limited edition Kellogg's Hello Kitty Loops (€2.95 or Php183.5)

They're not exactly collector's item, but if you're a fan, you're gonna love this! I'm not even a big fan but waking up and pouring pink Hello Kitty cereal cheers me up in the morning.

McDonalds of the World: Royal Bacon in France

Bonsoir everybody! The day is about to close on this side of the world and I thought to start writing about this little fastfood chain that I visited recently. McDonald's! Here on BaconTunaMelt, we have the series called McDonald's of the World and I'm already living in France, of course I wouldn't pass up the opportunity to feature their nomz.

McDonald's of the World: France

Quite honestly, it was one of the first few places I looked for (seeing a McDonald's in a strange place oddly comforts me). It wasn't until I first had to venture my way around the city to open a bank account until I finally found one, specifically in Bellecour.  

Bellecour is one of the more popular destinations in Lyon, France. In the heart of the city, this square is one of the busiest. Right in the middle of it is the statue of King Louis XIV (a tourist destination) and near the area are landmarks such as the Hotel de Ville and is considered a mecca for shopping with a long stretch of filled with stores of all kind (including Louis Vuitton and Cartier).

McDonald's at Place Bellecour

Right above one of the exits of the Metro (Bellecour station) is a McDonald's. I actually kind of got lost getting there, heading in the opposite direction towards the Poste Principale (the main post office) instead of the commercial area and had to backtrack (here, walking shoes is a must, if you like your feet) to find it. It was such a relief when I found it, because I was feeling kind of down (you would too if you had to eat my cooking) and McDonald's nomz, wherever it is, is comfort food.

Inside, it was almost like your typical McDonald's restaurant. The place smells like fries, the familiar yellow M logo, and the crew in fastfood uniform (caps too!). Everything, of course, was in French, including the menu. Also noticeably different, is that in every counter, there's a self-service machine to pay via debit card. Cool!

Maxi Best Of Royal Bacon (€6.90 or about Php423)

It took me a while to order because I couldn't understand much of what was on the menu, but when I saw the words "royal" and "bacon" all in one line, I knew I had to get it. The lady behind the counter couldn't understand much English but I kind of figured out how to order the meal and upgrade the fries and drink while at it (the ugrade cost €0.50) and order a dessert, all for take out.

Look at that patty!

Sadly, the dessert, supposedly chocolate mousse, got lost in translation. Or something. I ordered and paid for it but it wasn't in the bag (I forgot to check until I was home). No matter, I had with me a burger that seriously smelled like home (I dunno, it might be the grease). The Royal Bacon is a one layer burger with a wide beef patty and some bacon strips sandwiched between very thin burger buns.

To the very hungry me (I walked several kilometers only on breakfast nomz), it tasted really, really good. The beef was not as greasy as I was expecting it to be (surprisingly), and thick enough for me to actually taste the flavor of meat and the hint of bacon (the thin buns helped too). The fries were cold by the time I got home but their special sauce (something like an herbed mayonnaise) made up for it. Except for the fact that ordering can be a bit of a challenge if you can't speak the language, I give McDonald's in France two thumbs up. 

(Click here to read the other posts on the McDonald's of the World series)

McDonald's of the World

1st post: McArabia in Abu Dhabi

2nd post: Twisty Pasta in Hongkong
3rd post: Samurai Burger in Bangkok

4th post: Shrimp EuroKnallers in the Netherlands

Guest Post: Epic Boracay Lambchops

For the first BaconTunaMelt guest post, we are honored to have as our first guest writer, blogger extraordinaire and overall awesome person (he told me to say that), Mr. Comicology. Read his review of the nomz from Epic restaurant in Boracay (where he was last weekend, enjoying the sun, the sand, and the beach while I toil away in the cold here in France ^_~). 

This dude likes corn.

And I now (temporarily) hand over the blogging reigns to that guy in picture (I'm now having doubts about this decision.).

~

Check it out, folks. Comicology is taking over the nom channel for one day. Do not worry, we will not fill this page with too much fucking profanity. We'll keep it clean.

Anyway, here's a little bit of a backgrounder for you guys. I was at Boracay last weekend, along with Hannah Villasis, Ferdz Decena, Dodge Ronquillo (who wanted to make man-love to me) and Patricia Hizon to test out SMART's latest innovation, Smart Evolution LTE. More on that on Comicology soon.

Besides the gorgeous beach, the amazing LTE speeds and the overpriced EVERYTHING, one of the best things to experience in Boracay is the food. The thing with that place is that it's gotten mind-bogglingly commercialized, and businesses need a way to stand out and leave a mark. Most restaurants do that by offering unique ambiance and some kick ass food but I had no idea what was in store for me.

And so this is Christmas...

One of the classier places to eat at would be this restaurant called "Epic." When I heard reservations were made to eat at "Epic," I had envisioned myself dining atop a mountain, riding a brontosaurus, using a broadsword as a plate, while being waited on by flying mermaids. Alas, this was not the case. However, it is interesting to note that Epic (or epic if you're into branding) is conveniently located right at the mouth of D'Mall, very close to the beach.

Because they like to keep things chill in Boracay, the place had huge doors that weren't closed. Therefore, there was no air conditioning. That's part of the charm of the place, though, as it is with the entire island. I bet a fancy schmancy restaurant with air conditioning wouldn't do as well.

Upon entering the place, you'd see that everything's fixed up like you were to dine like royalty. This is especially true when you see their prices, and you'd think only royalty could afford to eat there. Then again, this is Boracay we're talking about -everything is overpriced.

Epic table napkin is... epic!

That tasty little number on the plate is what Epic epically calls "Lamb Chops." I forget the exact price but it's in the P700-P850 range. Basically, the order is composed of two lamb chops, some mashed potatoes and slightly grilled veggies. At first, I thought "Holy shit, that price is insane" but then I took a bite.

Don't use the veggies as a size reference. Those vegetables were the size of Shaq's fingers

As I slid the magnificently grilled slither of lamb into my skeptical mouth, I finally realized why they called this place "epic."

Trivia: the word "succulent" was coined only after someone tasted Epic's lamb because the world needed a new word to describe just how fucking good it was. That brontosaurus daydream sequence I described to you a few paragraphs ago? That was SHIT compared to the actual taste of the lamb chops. The meat was juicy and moist and tender; and all that weird lamb-taste that some people don't like was gone completely. You seriously have not lived until you've tasted their lamb chops. Accompanying the meat is the sauce, which tasted like a balsamic vinegar mixture. Sure, it coulda used some more mint, but I guess that's my eighty-peso-steak low brow taste talking.

As a side dish, the mashed potaters went incredibly perfect with the chops. It was expertly seasoned, as it wasn't too salty or anything. With the right consistency and flavor, the taste just hit the spot. It also played a vital role in keeping the lamb chops standing up, and that's gotta count for something, right?

I couldn't get enough of the veggies, man. Sweet, crisp and super fresh - not to mention they were Shaq finger sized. All veggie side dishes have got to prepared like that to make the world a better place.

Okay, so there you go. If you happen to find yourself at Boracay and you've got some extra change on you, and you want to fucking experience life, make your way to Epic. You won't regret it.

Epic Boracay
Location: Beach front D'Mall, Boracay
Contact info: (036) 288-1466 / (036) 288-1477 
Other info: Epic Boracay Website;  Epic Boracay Official Facebook Page

Oh, but before I go and hand over this blog back to the former management, I have a message for you.

Never forget...

A Tropical Birthday in Lyon

If you've read my last couple of posts, you'd have read all about me (kinna) moaning about being homesick and all that dramz. Last May 14, I celebrated my birthday alone for the first time in my life. It wasn't bad though, I spent the day doing chores and later on, Skype-ing with my family back home (they threw a party for me without me, hee).

This is me, pretending to blow out the pretend candles on my
(yummy Contis' sansrival) birthday cake from 6,719 miles away

At around four in the afternoon on my time, someone rang the doorbell and I got a delivery! It was gift from a cute boy back home. I knew it was coming, because he told me to watch for it. When he told me he got me something, I immediately guessed it to be flowers, because it's probably the easiest thing to have delivered to a different continent. Surprise, surprise, instead of flowers, I got a fruit basket!

The very picturesque fruit basket!

Too surprised to receive a very heavy tropical fruit basket, I took it from the delivery boy, closed the door, and forgot to tip him (whoops!). The fruit basket gave off a faint tropical scent (sorta reminding me of home) and the vivid colors of the tropical fruits brightened up my tiny little room (more than flowers would have had, I think).

In the basket, there was a huge pineapple, a very heavy melon, some apples, kiwis, and a handful of picture perfect strawberries. And although I've lived in a very tropical country for most of my life, there were some fruits in the tropical fruit basket that I hadn't seen or tried before (shame on me!). Actually, even with the help of Google, it took me a while before I figured out what they were.

It came with a handwritten note that said- "For best enjoy!"

Persimmon Peach (thanks to JP Hays)

The picture on the top left of the photo below is a persimmon peach, I think (correct me if I'm wrong) JP Hays says. If I had to name it based on looks alone, I'd call it a tomapple It's about the size of a small tomato and shaped like an apple. It's skin is thicker than tomato skin and is a kind of pink-yellow (does that make sense?).

To eat, you just bite into the soft skin like you would an apple. Oddly enough, the fruit lived up to its looks. It's rougher than a tomato, but softer than an apple. It's not as sweet as an apple, but also not as sour as a tomato. Like a hybrid!

Raspberry Blackberry (thanks to JP Hays)

That's the one on the right of the persimmon peach. Yes, I know what a raspberry blackberry looks like but I honestly haven't seen one or tasted one that's not preserved before I got this. It kina looks like a tiny bunch of grapes but the taste is much stronger, the flavor is almost bitter with the purple globes bursting juice in your mouth.

From top-left clockwise: persimmon, raspberry, (giant) mango, and passion fruit

Mango

Below the raspberry is a mango. Nothing new, right? Nuh uh. If you go back the the main fruit basket photo, the mangoes are the two large pinkish-yellowish blobs flanking the strawberries. It was very weird to see mangoes of that color and shape, I didn't even know it was a mango at first glance. It also didn't taste quite as sweet or as juicy as the mangoes back home.

Passionfruit

Ahh the passionfruit. Its looks are perplexing, with its dry outer shell a dull brownish color and wrinkled like a prune. It took me a couple of days of guessing (and Google-ing) before I even attempted to open it. And when I did, boy, was I surprised. Inside the sad looking cover was a bright yellow goopy mess. Its seeds, not unlike papaya seeds, are coated in phlegmy yellow passionfruit pus juice that smelled somewhere between a ripe mango and a langka.

To eat it, you simply spoon out some and put it in your mouth, seeds included. The flavor is most surprising. Seeing the sad and wrinkly exterior, you don't really expect the fruit to be a jolting citrus party in your mouth.

~

The rest of the fruits in the basket are your typical tropical fruits. Except they forgot to add in bananas (been hankering for good ones for the past week, to no avail). Getting a tropical fruit basket on my birthday was a really nice surprise. In a county not even remotely close to the tropics, it was a small bit of home.

Lunch and Life in a Box

Salut, BaconTunaMelt readers (if there's any left)! I've been in France for a couple of weeks now and although I still long for home, I think I'm slowly adjusting to life here. One of the many adjustments, besides living alone in a tiny hotel room, that I had to deal with is having to worry about what to eat on a daily basis.

First night in Lyon (this picture has no correlation to nomz whatsoever)

I'm not one to spend my time cooking because I've been used to having cheap but good eats readily available in every corner of Manila at any time of the day (also, my cooking abilities are fairly limited, see example). Back home, for lunch, I would usually just get lunch from the cafeteria lady in the office pantry, or buy a quick (and heartstopping) meal from one of the restaurants downstairs.

I can't really do that here. Well, I guess I can too, but there are only two restaurants near(-ish) the current office which sell mostly sandwiches and being the Filipino that I am, I crave for rice and other usual Pinoy fare so I've opted to cook my own lunch (egad!). These are (currently) my Top 3 insta-meals:

French meets Pinoy- Chicken cordon bleu and steaming white rice

1. Chicken Cordon Bleu with Rice

Luckily for me, France makes life easy enough for kitchen noobs cooking for one. The groceries are stocked with nomz fresh and prepacked in small containers, sometimes individual ones.

My first ever packed lunch is a chunk of premade Chicken Cordon Bleu and a serving of steaming white rice (yes, they sell bigas here!). All I did was fry the frozen chicken with a tablespoon of oil in low heat and I had me a delicious first meal. It's not the healthiest but it was good enough for a first try.

I call it Seven Minute Tomato Twisty Pasta

2. Seven Minute Tomato Twisty Pasta

Another one of my easy cook meals is this pasta dish I call Five Minute Tomato Twisty Pasta. I just boil up some water with a dash of salt and grab a handful of pasta and wait for 5 minutes for it to cook. Then I scoop out a couple spoons of bottled Napolitaine pasta sauce (bought from the grocery), sprinkle it with (store bought) grated cheese and within minutes, the dish is good to go. Really good if you're about to be late for work.

Beef BBQ Burger and Taters

3. Beef BBQ Burger

I came across these individually wrapped frozen beef patties all ready for cooking in the grocery last week. From this angle, you can't see how thick the burger is. But I tell you, it's thick, juicy, and delicious. I wanted to grill it, but I don't have a griller. So I sprinkled it with some salt on both sides and fried it the good, old fashioned and greasy way. The potatoes are also prepacked and just needed a little butter, salt, and some steaming. After squeezing a generous amount of barbecue sauce on top of the meat, it's a full, heavy and hearty meal.

These three lunches in a box are not exactly gourmet cooking, but they're good, fun to make, easy on the pocket, and it works for people useless in the kitchen (a.k.a. me). Who knows, now that I've gone through the basic cooking, maybe next week I'll attempt (and succeed!) at complicated dishes!

And although I still miss my mom's kare kare, I am getting used to lunch and life in a box in France.

The KLM Inflight Long-Haul Menu

Salut! It's my first weekend in France and I'm homesick. Honestly, I didn't think I'd be this lonely on my first week alone. So now I'm writing to you guys, because writing for BaconTunaMelt makes me feel like I'm talking to a friend back home (aww, dramz).

So far away from home

For the longest time, I've been wanting to feature inflight menus. Airplane nomz usually get much flak for being unappetizing, bland, and just plain gross but from personal experience, long-haul flight menus have actually gotten pretty good. When I found out I'd be flying from the Philippines to Amsterdam via KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, an airline I haven't tried before, I was extremely eager to write all about the nomz.

When I settled into my seat, the first thing I looked for was the menu of the food to be served throughout the flight. There was none. It was a bit of a let down, I wanted to show you guys photos of the (kind of) fancy menu they tuck inside your chair pocket. Other airlines usually have fancy names for what they'll be serving and it makes you look forward to the flight.

Roasted almonds and Fanta Orange

Anyway, as soon as the pilot turned off the seatbelt sign, the flight attendants started handing out these little packets of roasted almonds and your choice of a drink. Nuts are always a good choice for a snack, healthier than chips or other preprocessed snack. These particular ones were great, a good precurser for the main course. My Fanta Orange drink on the other hand, tasted like those giant medicine tablets that fizzle in water.

The lunch trayAf

A few hours later was lunch. Like in any other airline, you choose your food by picking the meat. In this case, the choice was between fish and chicken. I wasn't too hungry so I picked the lighter meat. The main dish came in a sealed container with the fish on once side, the rice in the middle, and steamed vegetables on the right side.

One of the great things about inflight nomz is that they're so compact. Besides the main dish, the meal also comes with a side dish of grilled vegetables, dessert, crackers, and butter, your utensils, and a drink all in one neat tray. I understand why some people might not enjoy having everything in a small space but I like it, it satisfies my inner OC-ness. ^_~

Here's a quick rundown- the fish was okay, the grilled vegetables were great, and the orange mousse (the one on the upper right hand side of the tray) was fabulous. I'm gonna have to try and make that sometime.

Pinoy snack

For the second snack, we were asked to choose between ice cream or a sandwich. Being a child (at heart), I picked the ice cream and was pleasantly surprised that it was Mango Royale, a flavor near and dear to my heart. Made and packaged locally too, I checked.

Last meal

The last meal came an hour before landing. This time, there was just one dish served to everyone (except those with allergies)- chicken on pasta with red sauce. Thirteen hours in flight doing nothing but watch movies, read a book, and wallow in homesickness took a toll and I wasn't in the mood to eat aything (or do anything for that matter) so I opted to skip the main meal and pick at the side dish and dessert.

What I thought to be salty pancit turned out to be some kind of sour noodle dish with cold shrimps on top. The dessert was your typical fare of assorted fruits which weren't bad. I brought home the main dish and it's been in my fridge for about five days now, sealed and untouched (anyone else think it's time to throw it out?).

Throughout the flight, snacks were free and available in every division of the aircraft. Overall, KLM nomz were meh. They weren't bad, nor were they exceptionally good, plus they don't deliver the extras that other airlines do.