Peace & Happiness

During MLK when most people don't have work, I went to the office to do some implementations and data analysis. Luckily the team have PEACE and HAPPINESS or Chinese for the night.

I came easily full after eating 2 pieces per dumpling/dimsum and their refreshing chicken noodle salad.

I really love the chicken noodle salad (the sesame oil... yum), the XiaoLongBao, and the Kutchay Pork Dumpling... those are my best picks...



My ratings:
FOOD Price: 8/10
FOOD Quality: 7/10

By the way

PEACE AND HAPPINESS（老北京） dumplings and dim sums are all-handmade using only the pure, nature and healthy ingredients without any preservatives and artificial coloring. Our traditional way of cooking gives our food that unique and satisfying taste.         

老北京水饺及所有面食全部是手工制作。我们坚持使用健康的天然食材，不含任何防腐剂或色素。馅料的独特调配方式使口感自然、纯正。

Store Address: G08 Makati Cityland Tower 3

 We  Deliver:  4255700      09153741974

As per their site: http://laobeijing.webs.com/ here is a copy of their menu...

Like them here: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peace-and-Happiness-Dumpling-House/393468204072360?fref=ts 

So Japanese on a Sunday Evening - Little Tokyo Escapade

If you want to try some Japanese food and really feel like you are in Japan, you can easily find one here in the metro.

My cosplay friends (Rhose Anne and Ghecel) decided to have our dinner in Pasong Tamo (Chino Roces Ave.), Makati City just how many step away from Makati Cinema Square, a Japanese cuisine dinner in Little Tokyo, a garden restaurant.

How to get to Little Tokyo?

From Edsa Makati

v   Take a bus ride going to LRT Taft or a jeepney going to Washington and go down near Export Bank (Landmarks: McDo, Caltex Gasoline Station, Export Bank Tower, Burgandy Bldg.) (Transpo Fee BUS: Php 12.00  || Jeepney: Php 7.50)

v   Along Chino Roces Ave., take a jeepney going to Mantrade. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called torii.

From LRT Taft

v   Take a bus ride going to LRT AYALA or a jeepney going to GUADALUPE/AYALA signage and go down near Export Bank (Landmarks: McDo, Caltex Gasoline Station, Export Bank Tower, Burgandy Bldg.) (Transpo Fee BUS: Php 12.00  || Jeepney: Php 7.50)

v   Along Chino Roces Ave., take a jeepney going to Mantrade. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called torii.

From Mantrade MRT Station

v   Take a jeepney going PRC/Pasong Tamo signage. (Transpo Fee: Php 7.50)

v   Go down at Makati Cinema Square and look for the Little Tokyo arc, these are Japanese arch or gate which are traditional called tori.

What to Expect?

Food: Because this is a group of Japanese restaurants, you will get nothing more than mostly authentic tasting Japanese cuisine.

Food Quality: 9

Food Worth: 8

Food Serving: 10

I scored those 9, 8, and 10 because the food is really great and the prices are right for the taste, quality, and quantity. Serving is really perfect because we left the place satisfied and full.

Note: 10 is the highest rating on this. J

People: Most of the customers in the area are Japanese but most of the servers, restaurant people, and some other customers are locals or Pinoys. You will see some foreigners as well like, Koreans, Americans, French, and the likes. Just like anybody who likes or loves Japanese cuisine.

Place: If you are watching Rurouni Kenshin or you watched Rurouni Kenshin 2^nd movie, you will get that feeling as you go inside the Garden Restaurant. Got the feel of entering an alley to a dojo. Isn’t it cool!

Language: Just like the people who commonly visits the place, Japanese will be heard and so as Filipino and English and other languages.

What did we have?

Hana

Takoyaki – as one of the most common snack in Japan (kinda like meatballs but not beef or pork). Takoyaki in Hana are cheap and heavy-yummy. For the record it has real octupos.

Serving: 1-2 person (6 pcs.)

Price: Php 140.00 – 160.00 (or more, I forgot where the receipt is and I have not taken a picture of it)

Kagura

Kagura is a restaurant that serves okonomi-yaki with Japanese tables setting and a baseball fan owner.

They are open from Tuesday - Sunday from 11:30 AM - 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM - 10:30 PM. Take note of the last order time to prevent from being hassled.

Okonomi-yaki – we had their okonomi special with beek, pork, and squid in it. It was so delicious.

Serving: good for 2-4 persons if you’re not voracious (peace! J)

Price: Php 370.00

Omusoba – had a plate of fried noodles. It’s a soba with oyster sauce it think if my taste bud is not mistaken.

Serving: good for 2-3 persons if you’re going to have some okonomiyaki too and takoyaki but if you are only having soba then this is good for 1.

Price: Php 260.00

Ebi Tempura – which is a must try as well. It is deep-friend battered shrimp

Serving: good for 1-2 persons (4-5 pcs.)

Price: Php 410.00

Reishu – Japanese saki (rice wine) which was served chilled. I think it’s better than soju and it taste more of lambanog but lighter.

Serving: 9 shots glasses

Price: Php 450.00/bottle

There are only 3 of us so we enjoyed our meals and drink. We still have about 2 orders of takoyaki’s left and we have Rhose take it home for her family.

Buko in English Coconut

After a long hike in Mt. Talamitam there is nothing good but to quench your thirst with anything that is cold and refreshing.

Gladly Kuya Rene, our guide, took as on a different route where we can actually buy some fresh coconut (Kuya Marcelino have harvested it earlier for those who wanted to buy some).

Picture muna sabi ni Rhose... (para san kaya ung bamboo?)

Ready... Set... INOM... This is the right way to drink Coco Juice from Coco Fruit.

The coco juice was rich but not too sweet and it was so refreshing, we ate the meat afterwards. :)

Heto na kami... Tuka! Tuka! Tuka!

Add caption

Charap, Charap, Charaptor Weekend!

I got swamped with work and I was unable to update my blog but here’s good one to fill your tummy up on weekends! Weekends are your cheat day! <drolling!>

I would like to start off sharing a Saturday after-shift food trip with my colleagues while I wait for my download to finish for a virtual machine I’m building for a client. Anyway, it was really a worthy P290 meat-all-you-can Saturday Lunch! Yes, you read it right! We ate Php 290.00 Yakiniku-all-you-can at Charaptor. Ang Charap talaga! I was with Lori, Golds, Norman, Neil, Boriz, and Maiah and enjoyed 2 tables of griller and plenty of meat on our plate. Their weekdays were priced below Php 400, 390 to be exact! <sabi nga nila swak na swak sa bulsa, mabubusog ka talaga, at masarap pa!>

Charaptor have various marinated meat you can select from. So Vegan and Vegetarians, you might want to skip this MEATscapade. They have Pork, Beef, Squid, Shrimp, Squid balls or Chicken balls, Fish, Gizzards (not Lizzards), and chicken. They also serve rice both white and fried. Plus are the side dish and refillable drinks <di na sila nagsi-server ang side dish>. They have coleslaw as side dish that day and it was really good. Drinks were served in pitchers which we got pineapple, orange, and iced tea.

               

Charaptor is located at 9752 Kamagong Corner Aranga Street, San Antonio, Makati City. It’s right in front of a gasoline station near a bank. Or if you see the Kamagong cor Sampaloc street, it’s the crossroad near the gasoline station.

You can reach them at 02 5423425 or +63 9275335243

You can check them at https://www.facebook.com/CharaptorBBQ

Kainan na!

Cheesy-Stuffed Burger

Let’s Make a Sandwich – Episode 5

Everyone loves burger, it may be a simply pan friend patty, grilled, or gourmet. I prefer something that will give twist on how you prepare your burger.

Let’s cook some oozing cheese out of your patty burger. Not the way it was ordinarily prepared but it tasted like your ordinary cheese burger.

Ingredients:

1 ¼ lb. ground beef (you can also use pork)

Salt

Pepper

1 small bulb onion (finely chopped or minced)

1 small carrot (finely chopped or minced)

2 parts garlic (crushed and finely chopped)

1 – 2 eggs

Quick melt Cheese 

2 – 4 pcs. Of bun

4 lettuce leaves

2 Tomato (sliced)

Direction:

1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl except the cheese.
2. Form patties out of the mixture.
3. Take about table spoon full of cheese and stuff it in your patty. (you can also sandwich the cheese between 2 patties)
4. Fry until meat is cooked (watch out as the cheese might ooze out and might get burnt)
5. Pan toast your bun at your liking.
6. Place some lettuce, then your patty (apply mayonnaise if you wanted), and some sliced tomatoes.

You can now dig into your burger and enjoy the burst of stuffed cheese in every bite.

Enjoy and have a great - fun - cooking time!

Hotdog-Cheese-Mayo (with or without Catsup) Sandwich

Let’s Make a Sandwich – Episode 4

Most of us loves hotdog sandwich either from a hotdog stand or from a well-known delicatessen. But making your own hotdog sandwich can be a little more fun. Let’s see how we can make one:

Ingredients:

1-2 regular size hotdog of your choice (boiled or fried)

2-3 tbsp. of grated cheese

1-2 tbsp. of mayonnaise

1-2 tsp. of catsup (optional)

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Mix all ingredients evenly: grated cheese, mayonnaise, catsup, and a pinch of salt and pepper to taste.
2. Slice hotdogs in half.
3. Lay a slice of bread on your table and spread you cheese-mayo-catsup mixture.
4. Place hotdogs on top.
5. Put another cheese-mayo-catsup mixture on top of the hotdogs.
6. Atop it with another bread.
7. Press lightly and cut it in diagonal.

Another way to prepare it is:

Directions:

1. Slice your hotdogs into smaller cubes.
2. Mix all ingredients evenly.
3. Dash salt and pepper to taste.
4. Spread evenly on a slice of bread and atop it with another bread
5. Slightly press your sandwich and cut it diagonally

Easy yet deliciously yummy!

Enjoy every bite!

Deluxe Peanut Butter and Jam with Fresh Fruit Sandwich

Let’s Make a Sandwich – Episode 3

All kids were fund of making their Peanut Butter – Jam Sandwich. It’s easy to prepare, no cook, and most of all it’s easy to find at your nearest supermarket or grocery store.  Let’s not wait for long check out the recipe below:

Ingredients:

4 slices of bread

1 – 1 ½ tbsp. Peanut Butter

1 – 1 ½ tbsp. Blueberry Jam or Strawberry Jam

1 – 1 ½ tbsp. Orange Marmalade or Pineapple Jam

1 Banana sliced (optional)

1-2 tbsp. raisins (optional)

 

Directions:

1. Lay a slice of bread on your plate and spread blueberry jam or strawberry jam until you fill the edges.
2. Layer your sliced fresh fruits over.
3. Lay another slice of bread on top of the first bread and spread your peanut butter like what you did on the jam.
4. Sprinkle raisins on top of the peanut butter spread.
5. Lay your 3^rd slice of bread and spread orange marmalade or pineapple jam on it.
6. Atop it with sliced fresh fruits again.
7. Place the last piece of bread on top.
8. Press your sandwich slightly, close your eyes, and take a big bite to enjoy.

You can put 2 different fruits on the other layer or you can just have the spreads per layer. You can also select other jam that best suits your taste to satisfy to cravings.

Happy Spreading!

Food Trip @ Ilocandia...

Whenever you visit a new place you should try the local cuisine. So let's see what we have tried during our Ilocandia trip:

The Infamous Bagnet and Vigan Longanisa (try Rafael's at Nuestra Dela Paz, Batac):

Empanada Especial (we tasted the one at Pagudpud Plaza):

I'll try to get the recipe for you guys and hopefully we can do it in our own kitchens!

Easy Tuna Sandwich...

Let’s Make Some Sandwiches - Episode 2

Sandwiches are easy to make. Get 2 loaves of bread then a spread in between; you now have a good yummy sandwich ready to eat.

Here’s a recipe on how to make an Easy Tuna Sandwich:

Ingredients:

2-6 slices Rye or wheat bread

2 – 4 Tbsps.  Mayonnaise

1 Tuna Flakes in Oil (get the regular can and if you want some kick you can get the SPICY Tuna)

1 small bulb onion minced or finely diced (Optional)

Salt and Pepper

Lettuce and Tomato (Optional)

1-2 hard boiled and mashed eggs (Optional)

Directions:

1. Mix evenly the following ingredients: Mayonnaise, Tuna, and Minched Onion.
2. Add salt and pepper to taste.
3. To make it like the commercial sandwich – add the mashed hard boiled eggs into the mixture evenly.
4. Spread Egg-Mayo mixture evenly in your slice bread.
5. Put another slice of bread on top.
6. Add some lettuce and sliced tomatoes to add color and for fibers
7. Slightly press and cut sandwich in diagonal.

The simpler, the better, and the easier you can prepare your meal in a dash.

Enjoy your Easy Tuna Sandwich any time of the day.

Happy mixing and munching!

Goody Egg-Mayo Sandwich

Let’s Make Some Sandwiches - Episode 1

Sandwiches are easy to make. Get 2 loaves of bread then a spread in between; you now have a good yummy sandwich ready to eat.

Here’s an easy recipe on how to make an Egg-Mayo Sandwich:

Ingredients:

2 loaves of bread

For the SPREAD:

2 – 4 Tbsps.  Mayonnaise

2 – 3 Eggs (Hard Boiled and Chopped Finely or Mashed)

1 small bulb onion (Minced or finely diced)

Salt and Pepper

For Plating:

1         Tomato (thinly sliced)

1 – 2 Romaine lettuce leaves

Directions:

1. Mix evenly the following ingredients: Mayonnaise, Egg, and Minced Onion
2. Add Salt and Pepper to taste
3. Spread Egg-Mayo mixture evenly in your slice bread.
4. Put a layer of Romaine Lettuce and slices of tomato on top of the Egg-Mayo mixture.
5. Put another slice of bread on top.
6. Slightly press and cut sandwich in diagonal.

Enjoy your Egg-Mayo sandwich with fresh juice on the side or coffee if you like.

Happy cooking!

Philippine Adobo Recipe

A meal that all Filipinos are known to which people of all ages love combination of salty, sour, and sometimes sweet flavors that makes you salivate, the ADOBO. Most kids wanted its sauce poured over white rice while most adults love the dried version and of course pork thick fat.

TRIVIA:

Do you know that ADOBO is not a Filipino word? In fact adobo came from Spanish word means marinade, sauce, or seasoning. Filipino Adobo though is different from Spanish Adobo as it is cooked indigenously by stewing meat in vinegar and soy sauce.

Some Adobo were cooked with sauce and some with dried sauce.

Some Adobo were cooked with soy sauce or the regular adobo and some were mixed with salt which we call adobong puti. Adobong puti is best for those kids who suffers from G6PD deficiency.

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 lbs. of Chicken parts or Pork belly

½ cup vinegar

½ cup soy sauce

4-6 cloves of garlic (crushed)

1 tsp. black peppers (whole)

2-3 bay leaves

a pinch or 2 of sugar to taste

DIRECTIONS:

1. Combine vinegar, soy sauce, and sugar
2. Place Chicken or Pork in a large pot and put all ingredients include the vinegar and soy sauce mixture
3. Cover and marinate meat for 1-3 hours (Optional)
4. Cook mixture until it boils
5. Lower heat, cover pot, and  let it simmer for 30 minutes and stir occasionally
6. Uncover pot and simmer until sauce is reduced and thickens
7. Check meat if tender then serve Adobe with rice

     Happy Cooking!

Enjoying Mong Kok's Noodles

Lissa and I just got back to our hotel. We enjoyed strolling along Mong Kok's busy street. We watched some performances and those amazing photographers. 

Lissa watching 2 singers (a male and a female duet a Chinese song) under G2000 sign in Mong Kok, Hong Kong

A photographer directing his subjects or customers for a photo shoot!

After a long walk and buying (it's more of haggling) stuff for our colleagues. Lissa and I decided to have our dinner at New Forrest where we ate the following dishes:

Dinner's READY! DIG IN!

Lissa:

Lissa's first Mong Kok meal... Yum!

She had a baked creamy and cheesy pork rice with a cold authentic lemon ice tea on the side.

Mine:

I said spicy and it was really spicy! Yey! Yummy as well, the soup is really good!

I had a spicy Hong Kong noodles with breaded pork chop and an Iced Coffee.

Our meals totaled 100HKD. We are trying to save as much we are under budget... :)

I'll keep you posted guys!

A Cup of Coffee to Share…

I have this very distinct taste about my coffee. I want my coffee to taste coffee in my mouth not any type of sweetener. I don’t go for any commercial coffee that serves sugar drink with pinch of coffee if you know what I mean. The balance of earthy taste from the coffee bean and its eccentric aroma is what I’m looking for. As I always say to my friends and colleagues, “a coffee drink will never be a coffee drink without the basic ingredient in it which is the coffee not sugar or cream”.

A taste of staple coffee slowly drip filtered on ice while the sweetened milk awaits to embrace the bitterness.

One thing that my co-workers know about me is that I love COFFEE. I know it is bad to drink too much but I have as much 10 cups per night. Because of that I even got a Blood Coffee award or should I say Coffee Smelling Piss Prince <aromatic… eww! Hahaha> I always need to start my shift with a cup and the day will just flow as it is. I always tell my friends, especially Lissa, my buddy, about how coffee makes my nerves calm too. Yup! You read it right, it makes me calm. I don’t know, do I have things all in wrong way about coffee? Should I get myself tested?

I think you already know where this article is going to. Yes, it’s listing down coffee drinks on top of my list.

Topping all is just coffee or coffee with sugar.  What else should I be listing on top but the very basic coffee mix. I like it brewed and a little bit darker. Varieties of brewed coffee I like are the following: Kape Alamid or Kopi Luwak or commonly known as the civet coffee, Kape Barako or commonly known as Baraco coffe a member of the Coffea Liberica,Vietnamese Espresso, Italian Dark Roast, Yukon Organic blend, and Sumatra Dark Roast. You can have a bag of ground beans and prepare it with either your coffee maker at home or any coffee drip filter. You can get your Kape Alamid from certified coffee brewers like Alamid Café Express in Bonifacio Global Heights for Php 295.00 a cup or visit any Alamid Coffee shops around Tagaytay. Kape Barako is best to drink in cold breezy morning of Tagaytay and Batangas as you drink it with the locals. You can get abount ¼ kilo ground Baraco beans in ShopWise stores for a cheaper price <Yey! Kape all you want!>. Some of the brewed coffees on my list were gifts from my friends Ria, Paul, and others which have their distinct tastes and aroma.

Seconding on my top spot is the Vietnamese iced dark roast coffee on sweetened milk which called Cà Phê Sữa Dá or Cà Phê Nâu Dá (in English its iced brown coffee also similar with Café Cubano or cafecito). What best about this staple coffee drink is its simplicity in preparation and the balance of sweetness, creaminess, and bitterness of dark roast coffee. Also, this drink is something you can find anywhere in Vietnam from the coffee shops, restaurants, and along the hawkers or street vendors. Another think I like about Cà Phê Sữa Dá is the presentation. Coffee Highlands, one of the most popular coffee shops in Ho Chi Minh serves their Cà Phê Sữa Dá in a clear glass with 2-3 spoonful of condensed milk on ice and a coffee drip filter that allows the ground dark roast coffee’s flavour mixed with hot water and it slowly drips and combines to the other ingredient. Another thing why you would like this coffee drink is because of the cost. It is priced at ₫20,000-30,000. <funny thing about their money with a symbol ₫, it is called Dong hehehe. It was used since May 3, 1978 which was formerly known as Hào then it was Xu.>. You might say that this is too expensive for a coffee drink but it’s not. Try to convert.

Next on my top lists is the Caramel Macchiato, which I always get from The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (CBTL) as hot with ice on the side. Why do I order that way? And why not have it iced instead? I can give you 2 reasons. First is due to the taste. I don’t want my coffee to taste blunt due to melted ice. Second reason is you are getting ½ parts more than what you paid for <Isn’t it wise? LOLz>. You can go with the regular 2 shots or spike it up if wanted stronger coffee blend. You can have with breve in replacement of your regular milk too. Just ask it over the counter, if they don’t have breve then you can ask for half and half.

Another café latte type drink that I indulge was Starbucks’ Asian Dulce Latte which I wanted venti size with additional shots. You know how Starbucks make their coffee.  Asian Dulce Latte stayed for over month which start last May of 2013. It is another type of Caramel Macchiato but without the caramel. It was a switch from Caramel to an Asian Dulce, a mixture of milk or cream and sweetener.

I will end my list as of the moment and will give you additional if I got some new stuff coming. I’ll be in Macau and Hong Kong this September with friends and hopefully I can have new coffee blend specifically brewed from those countries. Maybe I can have some cups from Terra Coffee House, or Margaret’s Café e Nata, or CuppaCoffee.

I’ll you know ‘till next time. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, just let me know and I’m hoping to give you what you are looking for. Ciao for now!