Yuletide eats

What added to your waistline during the holidays? With all the Christmas parties and New Year revelry we attended and did, I'm pretty sure everyone was stuffed and gluttonous. My family spent Christmas in our hometown in Quezon so I was fortunate to just lay back and wait for Mom to finish cooking before I get to taste what she prepared. Haha! My mother, who is now 84 years old, makes really mean morcon, I tell you. She does this special beef dish only once a year, served as "queen" of our Media Noche spread, which makes it much anticipated. For this year, however, Mom made morcon in time for Christmas because we wouldn't be welcoming the New Year with them in Quezon but in Manila. As always, it was very delicious, even better that those I've tasted in some restaurants. I have yet to learn making morcon from mother, though, and I hope to do that this year. Anyway, aside from morcon, Mom also fried some chicken marinated in soy sauce and calamansi, while my brother-in-law cooked kare-kare and pancit bijon. My two daughters, on the other hand, prepared carbonara which was perfect! I'm so proud of my kids. Their carbonara was heavenly even though it was their first time preparing this pasta dish! As for me, I did the eating. Haha!  

Mom's mouthwatering morcon.

Fried soy chicken somewhat burned on the surface. Haha! Still good, though.

Delicious kare-kare by bro-in-law.

Mom's yellow rice (rice mixed with corn).

My kids' carbonara. T'was the first time they cooked this but it was perfect!

My bro-in-law makes really mean pancit bijon.

To welcome the New Year back in Manila, I prepared spaghetti and tacos while my daughters made the desserts - refrigerator cake using broas (ladyfinger), and coffee jelly. We had barbecue too but I just bought it from Andok's. I was a little bit sad because I wanted to prepare a special Media Noche spread but failed to do so because I still had to report to work on December 31 and also January 1 and thus had little time to cook. And to top this, my househelp went on vacation to her boyfriend's place in Rizal on December 30th and returned only in the afternoon of January 1. Needless to say, she was of no use at the time I needed her most. Sigh...Oh well, better luck next New Year. Hehe!

My spaghetti.

Pork barbecue from Andok's.

Tacos.

My taco. Notice the large-cut cabbage strips. Hubby cut them. Hehe..

Garlic toast by my eldest daughter.

Refrigerator cake also by my eldest daughter.

My second child's coffee jelly.

For dinner on New Year's Day, my family plus two nephews ate at Mang Inasal. It wasn't a very good idea, though, because at a little past 8 p.m., they had no more soup, no chili (very important to me and my nephew JC) and no more dessert! Aaargh! But since I came from work and we had no more time to go the mall after hearing the 7-8 p.m. mass, we settled for Mang Inasal which is the only restaurant apart from Jollibee that is near our place. Still, it was a happy occasion for the family, especially since my two nephews, the sons of my sister who passed away on this date (January 2) 11 years ago, only get to stay with us for a few days during summer and Christmas.

At Mang Inasal, Pork Sisig.

Chicken Pecho.

Dinuguan at Puto.

Fresh start, new beginnings

New year, fresh start! As 2012 was a challenging year for me, I welcome 2013 with a big smile and arms wide open. To me, it offers hope for a better life ahead career-wise and on the personal front. Oh well, 2012 was not so bad. A lot of beautiful things happened inside the home and family and while it was quite difficult in the third quarter at work, things turned brighter toward the last quarter. 

On the home front, three of the kids graduated in March - our eldest from college, the second from high school, and the youngest from kindergarten. Those were joyous occasions for me and my husband, never mind that these incurred huge expenses. Haha! Around March also, I started this blog, inspired by the numerous food blogs that I read. Doing photography (though amateurishly. Hehe!) and writing each post excite me and give me a sense of fulfillment both as an artist and a writer. Come summertime, my two sisters based in the US and Canada came home and all of us in the family save for our dad went on a weekend vacation in Legazpi, Albay. Seeing Mayon Volcano up close and personal was indeed an overwhelming and exhilarating experience, what with its majestic beauty and magnificence. We also spent two weeks in our father's hometown of San Francisco in Quezon Province, where we spent almost every single day swimming in the beach or simply walking along the seashore. I thoroughly enjoyed burying my feet on the sand, breathing in the fresh, cool air and taking pictures of the sunset by the sea. Meanwhile, December offered a different high for me as the office Christmas party presented me with an opportunity to go back to my first love and showcase a talent long buried in the hills of my personal life - dancing. When I was young, it was my dream to become a member of OctoArts or Wea Dancers so I could dance on TV. No kidding! Haha! Dancing was my life at school and elsewhere until college at UST but when when I entered the College of the Holy Spirit, went into a serious relationship and eventually finished college and got married, dancing (and choreographing) took a backseat. Until our Christmas party in the office came. Were my co-workers surprised that I could actually dance and even choreograph a dance number! Haha! I was thrilled to be dancing again. These were the highlights of my 2012.

Dusk. I took this sunset photo in our hometown in Quezon Province.

My sister's snapshot of Mayon Volcano. The file of my own shots was destroyed by virus, sadly and unfortunately.

 

And now, it's 2013. I hope to be able to dance in more occasions. Haha! Also, there are other things I hope to be able to do. I want to be able to finish and hang a painting, to do fashion design again as I did in my teenage years, to relearn playing the piano and try new recipes. As a new year resolution, I hope and will try my best to manage my time and wake up early in the mornings. More importantly, I want to have a closer relationship with God and to be able to spread His word in my own little way. 

Have a blessed, bountiful and beautiful 2013 everyone! Cheers!

Afternoon delight

When Panciteria Lido opened a branch in our office neighborhood on Visayas Ave. in Quezon City last year (as I remember, I hope I'm right), I was pleased. A new food place to go to when I get tired of canteen food, I thought. However, it took me so long before I finally set foot inside it. Last November 30, as it was a holiday, I brought my youngest son with me to work (we in the news room don't have a holiday. Hehe!) and come merienda time, we went to Panciteria Lido. It was my first time ever at any branch of this Chinese restaurant which first opened its doors to the hungry in 1936. I know that it is famous for its Pugon-Roasted Asado so this, I ordered, tucked inside a pandesal, and paired with a cup of their Siphon-Brewed Coffee. I wanted to try their pansit, too, but since I ate creamy macaroni soup cooked by a co-worker (In our office, we are provided with lunch, snacks and dinner during holidays) just before my son and I headed out, I settled for just pandesal and coffee. And I was not disappointed about this best-seller of Panciteria Lido. Both the Pandesal Asado and Siphon-Brewed Coffee brought me to gastronomic heaven on that sunny afternoon. The pieces of Asado, which taste quite close to Chinese ham, were tender and tasty, with just the right tinge of saltiness and a bit of sweetness when you pour some of its sauce into it. And my coffee? It was so good! I knew at first sip that this cup of joe is worth coming back for. Meanwhile, my son also loved the Breakfast Chinese Longanisa (which is served all day long) so much that at first bite of the sausage, he proclaimed that he wanted to come back here soon. Haha! I definitely recommend this restaurant for your merienda cena and family gatherings. They do offer, aside from Pugon-Roasted Asado, Beef Broccoli, Drunken Lechon Macau (this I want to try!), Buttered Chicken and a lot more! And before I forget mentioning, service is good, too, at least in this 
branch on Visayas Ave.

Kape at Pandesal Asado, P125.

Breakfast Chinese Longanisa, P155.

Siphon-brewed coffee.

Iced Tea, P35.

Where coffee is on the house

Where there's coffee, I'm there. But where there's free coffee, expect me to always be there. Haha! After my first time to eat at Parvati last Monday, I knew I'd be going there again whenever I'd crave for cake and coffee. You see, at Parvati in Trinoma Mall, brewed coffee is on the house when you order any dessert worth at least P100. But before I tell you what my dessert was, let me share what my friends and I had for lunch at this specialty dessert shop. By the way, three of my girlfriends in the office were my company for lunch on that working day. Lunch out is a nice excuse from work, isn't it? Hehe! Well, these were our orders:

Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Mango Dill Dressing, P200.

Chicken Potpie Pasta, P240.

Shrimp Etoufee Pasta, P230.

Mini Mango Torte, P95.

Honey Apple Iced Tea, P90.

Hot Tea, P40.

Brewed coffee

Cake gallery

Death by dessert. Haha! Lots of choices here. You can sample cake varieties, too.

Our Smoked Salmon Sandwich with Mango Dill Dressing was delish but we complained (among ourselves. hehe.) that the salmon was too small, it was just single bite-sized. The Shrimp Etoufee Pasta was yummy but lacked spiciness. When we ordered it, the server warned that it was spicy, which was why I went for it. It was flavorful, though, a bit sour and a bit sweet, and we relished it. I didn't like the Chicken Potpie Pasta, however. To me, it was like soup that ran out of broth. I ended my meal with a sweet note - the Mini Mango Torte. The crust was good; a little tough for my teeth but delicious with just the right sweetness. The mango bits and cream topping were oh-so-yummy! The brewed coffee made my Parvati experience nearly perfect. And yes, it came free although my dessert was P5 short of the P100 needed to avail of free coffee. It was one lunch date worth remembering - good food in the company of good friends.

Lunch with a bit of nostalgia

If there's one food place that reminds me so much of my happy salad days, it's Pancake House. When I was a blithe, gawky teen, my older sister, who worked at ADB where she was a champion bowler (our living room cabinet was full of her trophies), she would often tag me along to her practice at Ali Mall in Cubao, after which we would eat at Pancake House. My orders on those occasions were predictable - a taco, bacon waffle and a strawberry sundae. Yep, all those fit into my quite small a tummy (I was very thin as a child and teenager).  Haha! When I got older, however, I rarely got to eat at Pancake House. You know how it is when you always have a kid with you when you go out - you only get to eat either at McDonald's or Jollibee because that's what little rascals want. Sure, my six-year-old would sometimes agree to try new restaurants but a long negotiation would have to first test my patience. Thankfully, it was only hubby and me that went out recently and we agreed to have lunch at Pancake House in Trinoma. 
These were what we had:  

Pan Chicken Special Set, P246. (hubby's order)

Roast Beef Special Set, P273. (my order)

Strawberry ice cream, around P60. (I forgot exactly how much) per scoop

Iced tea that came with our set orders

But while I enjoyed my food, hubby didn't. His chicken was undercooked, with blood oozing from within (gross!). He called the attention of a server, who promptly retrieved his plate, and returned it after a few minutes. Now, the two chicken pieces looked smaller from being refried (not changed!) . Adding to the not-so-nice lunch was the warmth of the place. I told the server about it and he said their airconditioning wasn't functioning well. Well, obviously, it wasn't.Still, I haven't changed heart about Pancake House. I love the food there and definitely, I'll be back to have another taste of the tacos and bacon waffle that I once loved.

Late bloomer

The beauty of having grown-up kids is that once they finish school and start earning, they can treat mom to a nice meal. The downside, of course, is that it means mom is already old. Haha! Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed dinner one recent Saturday without having to pay for it myself, thanks to my eldest child. It was at Sbarro in Trinoma Mall. I know it's quite strange, even somewhat funny, but it was my first time at this Italian restaurant, even though it's been in existence in the Philippines for 20 years! I don't quite know, it just didn't appeal to me before. Truth to tell, it was Figaro that we wanted to have dinner at, but sadly, we were informed by the guard that their Trinoma store had closed last year. So second choice it was for Sbarro. However, our dinner there proved to be satisfying that I realized I was missing out on something all these years. You could say I'm a late bloomer for Sbarro but hey, better late than never. 
Anyway, my daughter and I had: 

Roasted Chicken with Spaghetti and Garlic Roll, P169.

Baked Ziti, half order, P96.

Hawaiin New York Style Pizza, P110./slice

Cheesecake, P76.

Raspberry Iced Tea, P41. and Soda, P28. 

While I didn't like the spaghetti (I'm a true-blue Filipino, I like sweet spaghetti. Haha!) and the Cheesecake very much, I loved the Baked Ziti, pizza, roasted chicken and even the garlic roll (quite oily but delish!) . My only complaint about the chicken was that it was too small a serving. One more thing I liked was that you could go for half an order of pasta here so that even if you have company, you can try different kinds of pasta and not be forced to share a full order. Sadly, however, there's no coffee here. (Why???) But I'll definitely be back to Sbarro for the yummy food that's reasonably priced. Happy weekend, everyone!

The chicken that didn't chicken out

I'm always awed by success stories. In the food business, there's a lot of these to hear. But there's a particular story which to me is as lovely as it is interesting - the story of a family cook fondly called "Manang" (an Ilocano term for an older sister), whose fried chicken she once cooked only for the family she served, is now also eaten and enjoyed by thousands of other people in the Philippines. Such is the story behind Manang's Chicken. This fast-growing fast food chain started out joining the weekend food market at Mercato Central in 2010. It proved to be such a hit that the owner decided to open their first restaurant in the Ortigas area. Today, two years later, Manang's Chicken has 10 branches around Metro Manila and more I believe, are about to open. Many foodies have sung the praises of Manang's twice-fried soy garlic chicken that I felt I shouldn't be left behind. 

And so, last week, I tagged along my youngest son to work and come merienda time, we headed to the new Wilcon City Center in Quezon City, where a Manang's Chicken branch had just opened. There, we had:

2 pcs. Chicken Cuts Meal (with drink), P149.

Fried Pancit Meal (with drink), P85.

Chips with Dip, P58.

Velvet Sundae Triple Fudge, P45.

Lemonade and Iced Tea that came with our meals.

The fried chicken was yummy and crispy; there's truth in the reviews that I've read. I have one thing to add, though. The marriage of soy and garlic was favorable but the sweetness, to us, was over-empowering that both my son and I were not able to finish one piece each. There's the sawa factor for us. For a minute there, I even wished I was having  Chickenjoy instead . I guess sweet fried chicken is just not for us.   
As for the Fried Pancit, it was good! Crunchy noodles topped with crisp slices of carrots and cabbage plus black wood ear mushroom (tenga ng daga) and just the right amount of sauce to avoid drowning the pancit. If you want to try this, make sure to eat it immediately because the noodles loose their crispiness if bathed in sauce for a long time. This happened to most of my noodles - they turned limp because it took me so long to eat as I still had to take pictures (the downside of food blogging ).  Fortunately, the strands on top were still crispy and these ones I thoroughly enjoyed. 
Meanwhile, the potato chips were delicious, especially when dipped in the cheese sauce. The slices were not thin (okay, somewhat thick) but were still crunchy. Hmmm..potatoes that are better than french fries, I should say.
However, the best thing came at the end of our meal - the dessert, you may have guessed. The Velvet Sundae Triple Fudge was a pleasant surprise. It's a two-in-one dessert - sundae on top, chocolate cake (or brownie?)  at the bottom. There are chocolate chips on top as well, adding interest and yum factor. My son couldn't agree more. He loved it too! For this dessert and to try other items on their menu, I'm likely going back to Manang's Chicken.