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A New Food Craze: Cebu’s Lechon Belly (All Meat, No Bones!)
When people say Cebu, the very first thing that comes to mind would be the delicious and mouth-watering lechon (roasted pig) that the island is known for. I would really agree with this statement as I know for a fact that friends and family here in Manila pay to have their lechon shipped over here. I had 1 shipped just recently myself for my Papa and Lolo’s birthday from Rico’s lechon..jpg)
People in Cebu have been enthusiastic about lechon belly also. Imagine – all belly meat and no bones. It gives value for money as well seeing that you can now have more meat with the price you are paying although it is much more expensive than the regular lechon but near enough so you can say that it’s definitely better. My fraternity brother, Brother B, was the one who introduced me to the sinful and oily-smacking lip experience that is the lechon belly meat. They had a branch in Parkmall near the airport so after I got off from my MNL-CEB flight; we agreed to meet there for a hearty lunch! And a hearty lunch we had!
Brother B ordered their 2 variants for me to try – the spicy and non-spicy one. In this arena, I’d say they are both good. But as I have a preference for spicy stuff, I definitely loved the spicy one more. The skin was tastefully crispy and crunchy and flavored with so many aromatics that it definitely did not need a Mang Tomas sarsa nor a soy sauce and vinegar combo dipping sauce. It was so good on its own already. It had just the right amount of salt and aromatics in there with lemongrass being a definite presence and the super red chilies as well.
The Lechon belly just had the right percentage of fat for its meat and the meat was not tough but really tender. And for that lunch, I ruined my “no rice” policy. I mean Lechon deserves rice to go with it. Anything less would be sacrilege! Of course the rice would have to be the signature “PUSO”. Rice wrapped around coconut leaves. I think I ate 2 big ones.After that we went to one of their take-out stalls were I was lucky enough to see 2 whole Lechon bellies still to be sliced. They were a tempting sight to look at. Just think about all that Lechon meat goodness together with that crispy skin. Talking about this has made my mouth water and I want another taste. I want another bite of that crispy, kind of salty skin with the tender meat together with the juicy fats. Ah! Lechon, you make me crazy! A big shout-out to Brother B for introducing me to this sinful delight.
This is really a must-try when one is in Cebu. You’d be crazy to miss it!
Somebody send me one!!! 🙂XoXo -
On the Buffet Table: Manila Pavilion’s Lunch Buffet
Before Sister T headed off to the land of milk and honey, we had a sumptuous lunch buffet at Seasons (the restaurant in Manila Pavilion). She got some vouchers from Ensogo so we decided to have a post Christmas date and have lunch together at the hotel. She got a good deal from Ensogo. Groupon’s are the in-thing nowadays. She invited her friend but they were late so we proceeded to fill ourselves up with whatever we could find.
We were there early because we got some feedback that if you were late, you did not get the prized stuff. So we were like 3rd in line to get inside the restaurant. I also spied a couple of other diners bringing the Ensogo voucher. Giddyup! We got our reserved table and immediately proceeded to the appetizer station where we first ogled all the displayed food! We had some oysters, mussels, salmon terrine and chicken lollipops. There were a lot more but I couldn’t take better pictures so you’ll have to contend with my phone pics. A beautifully presented tuna ceviche with some Japanese mayo was there and we partook of it in small portions. We preferred to share so we can taste a little of everything.
Assorted sushi, sashimi, calamari and Japanese foods were also on display but I didn’t really focus on these because they were quite filling. I prefer to have the meat only and in fact ate no rice during the buffet hours. Eating rice will affect your capacity so I’ve learned that it is best to just eat no rice if you’re having a buffet. We also had some blanched squid with sesame sauce. It was okay and the squid was not rubbery at all.
There was a Chinese portion of the buffet but I decided that I can eat all I want over in Binondo so I skipped this portion and just tried out their asado to compare. Nothing really jumped out of me from those but I so far loved my oysters and the salmon terrine. Very refreshing.
We then proceeded to the sort of “market” section where you can ask them to cook any kind of meat for you in the manner you want. There was quite a long line so I just told the server to give me 2 pieces of salmon steak and have it cooked medium. They overcooked our salmons which was a bit disappointing but it still tasted good and they had a lemon butter sauce prepared to go with it but I found that the simple combination of soy sauce and vinegar was also great. We had a lot of those salmon steaks. The sister and I literally stuffed ourselves with them. Hey, salmon is a bit expensive so we ate our fill.
The buffet was good for us. We were able to eat around 3 plates between the 2 of us I think but there was not so much carbs in them. Purely they were protein. Because we felt so stuffed, I decided to grab a little cheese platter and I piled it with assorted cheeses, dried fruits and an assortment of nuts. They helped to ease the full filing and we actually finished around 3 little plates of it. Love the cheeses and the dried fruits and nuts that went along were a perfect match.
It was a good buffet and I loved eating their salmon and the cheeses but it wasn’t a really great one. I look forward to a buffet much like Spiral’s where they serve lamb shanks, Peking ducks, prime ribs, lobsters, foie gras and so much more. But it was a good one! Thanks Sister T!
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A Mini Christmas Pre-Dinner @ Witchy Crazy Mommy’s House
Things have been really hectic lately and so busy that it has taken me a while to get this posted. Blame it on the post Holiday stress. Hopefully I’ve gotten my bearings back and will post more regularly since I do have a lot to write about. I mean, we just finished with the Holiday season and I don’t have much to show for it where my posts are concerned. Forgive me dear readers and friends.Usually we have an annual get together Christmas event with good friends and for last year (2011), our venue or always have been our venue is Witchy Crazy Mommy’s house. I can’t wait to get there because I know I’ll be surprised and excited to come to her house because I can’t wait to see what she has whipped up. Although we do potluck, she has always something extra special. We love you JHO!!So, no surprise when I got to her house to find that she outdid herself this time. She made us some tiny mini canapés to start with. She served us with her Salmon Belly and Dill Canapés. Lovely little mini toasted bread slathered with a creamy salmon belly spread loaded with tomatoes, basil and olives. A perfect start. She arranged them in a tray tower so plus points for presentation I’d say! Super effort, super YUM as well!
Then, I came upon this bowl all colored in black. I suspected there was squid somewhere under that murky coloring and I wasn’t wrong. It was Adobong Liempo in Squid Ink. How luxurious can you get. For those of you who can’t imagine it, you should try it. It’s something new on my taste buds. I never realized they’d go so well together. There’s that creaminess in the squid ink but it didn’t overpower or overwhelm the adobong liempo. Really delish!
Next was the Roasted Bell Pepper Meatballs. Big meaty meatballs topped with melting cheese. Super meaty and cheesy! This dish is for kids. And we did have kids during that party, so they were not forgotten in the menu choices. This dish tends to be a bit heavy though and I wanted to have room for more so I only ate about a half and the other half I gave to my sister. Happy sharing!
And for the piece de resistance! Seafood paella galore. I say galore because when you see it, there is a cornucopia of ingredients on top of the dish for everyone to see. Great dish Jho! You should be selling this. Meaty crabs, juicy prawns, steamed mussels and a variety of other ingredients cooked together with rice and prepared the Jho way. This was a meal in itself. You have your protein, carbs and veggies all into one. I stuffed myself with Jho’s paella. It was that good. You should open a paella store Jho. This was a sure winner.
To finish everything off, we had a great big ice cream cake courtesy of DQ. Honestly, it was great but after a few spoonfuls I feared I’d get tonsillitis because it was also super sweet. A big ice cream cake! All in all I had a great time with good friends and some new ones and the lovely pre-Christmas spread that Jho prepared for us. Thanks mommy!
XoXo -
On The Tummy Spot: My Cebu Zubuchon Experience
I have been hearing rave reviews about MarketManila’s Zubuchon that I decided to check it out on a Cebu trip I recently had. I asked my friend A to guide me through Zubuchon’s menu items and introduce me properly to what Anthony Bourdain has tagged as one of his greatest food finds. Being a foodie, of course I was looking forward to the experience.Friend A decided to bring me to their Mango Avenue branch. When I got inside the restaurant, it was cozy and comforting and I was looking forward to the lunch ahead of me.
I had not eaten any breakfast and just had coffee because I was so looking forward to this much awaited lechon experience with Zubuchon. I am a fan of CNT although there are times that their lechons tend to be a bit salty but otherwise I am well satisfied with the taste so I wondered what makes Zubuchon different and why does it stand out. Also, being from Cdeo, I have had my share of really tasty and yummy lechons and when I compare it with the lechons I have had here in Metro Manila, nothing comes close. I have been very disappointed so far with the taste and quality of the lechons here in Luzon because they tend to be bland and just not tasty at all.
I was waiting for friend A to arrive so I ordered myself a glass of mango juice. Nothing fantastic, just your regular mango juice but it was made from real mango fruits and was not made out of a concentrate.
A few minutes later, friend A arrived and we proceeded to ordering our lechon lunch. Of course we got ourselves Zubuchon and we had ½ kilo between the both of us. No judgement please! 😉 The lechon had hints of rosemary and the meat was not bland but tasty. It was not also too salty. Just right! The skin was really really deliciously crispy and I think that my lechon cravings were satisfied with this Zubuchon foray but I’d like to try them again to see if they were consistent with their lechon and also because I miss lechon again!
We also ordered the pickled vegetables sampler on the side. 3 varieties of pickled vegetables: pickled raddish, atsara and pickled mangoes all served in little square bowls. These were great and a perfect foil to the Zubuchon. It cut through all the fats!
Of course I also had to have the Lechon dinuguan. Pig’s intestines in pig’s blood topped with some crispy chicharon, a green chili and sprinkles of green onions. A taste I so missed.
Friend A also ordered a Kamias shake and this one was a winner. A bit tangy and sour and sweet! I wish I had ordered it!
I plan to try their other offerings when I get to Cebu again one of these days. Definitely one visit is not enough! Also, if you’re dining on a budget, they offer lechon meals as well.Happy Lechon Craving! Hahahah!XoXo -
Ding Qua Qua: On Another Cebu Visit
I actually came from Cebu a few months back, it was around July and I was there for a surprise yet welcome addition for the completion of one of the items on my bucket list. Thank you to all who made this possible. I was anticipating the trip already and dreaming of all the good stuff that I will soon be eating! I can’t help but be crazy for food. This is one of my major addictions. Food in all forms, kinds, cuisines and etc.. I am not really picky and would consider myself as an adventurous foodie because I have no qualms with trying the odd and unexpected. Truth be told, I have tasted bat meat and a few other things which I consider exotic. I am that passionate about it. So here I was, face to face with Cebu again. The place of good and inexpensive food and I couldn’t wait to frequent a few of my old haunts just to get a taste of yesterdays!One of those that was on my “To Eat” list was dimsum and steamed rice in Cebu. Although I am a Binondo goer and I always have access to all the dimsums I want, there is one item that I can’t seem to find in Binondo or Manila for that matter, they are the Steamed Rice in the dimsum places of Cebu. This steamed, savory goodness always makes my mouth water just by thinking of how they would taste once I get my hands on them. Loosely packed steamed rice doused with a special gravy and bits and pieces of soft pork with some vegetables. The gravy does it for this food item. I can’t find any type of gravy elsewhere to match the taste of what Ding Qua Qua has to offer. There are also other dimsum places with steamed rice but Ding Qua Qua is the favorite along with that dimsum place in Ayala – the name of which I forgot!
Alongside my steamed rice order, I also got some steamed siomai and some stuffed prawns. They were as delicious as I remembered them. The stuffed prawns were meaty and shrimpy (if there is such a word). I could taste the bits and pieces of shrimp along with the stuffing. The sweet and sour sauce was the perfect foil for this along with some ginger sauce!
I also got some steamed siomai and they tasted more or less the ones that always have in Binondo but there is that distinct taste of which only Ding Qua’s siomai have.
Again, I would say that the star of this lunch feast was really the steamed rice. I have been craving for that particular food item for a long time now and I finally satisfied my tummy but then again that was way back in July and it is now October. I miss it again!!!XoXo -
Saturday Visit To Mercato Centrale
Since I was already too full from the morning exploit in Saturday Salcedo Market, I could not anymore eat a bite when we next went to take a look at Mercato Centrale. They did have a variety of food offered and I just went straight to have a sample of Merry Moo Ice Cream in Earl Grey flavor. I just couldn’t help it. 🙂My pictures will have to tell the story for this time around since I was not really tasting or eating anything already at this point in the day. Enjoy! Next time, I will be back to explore Mercato through mouth and more importantly try the Bagnet Sandwich which I hear is really good.
XoXoEV -
A Visit to the Saturday Salcedo Market
When I first heard of the Saturday Salcedo Market, I think it was way back a few years ago when it first made its debut into the food list of people in the Metro. It instantly became a hit because aside from the variety of food being offered; sometimes you can actually get the actual owners of these food brands behind the makeshift counters and trying to make small talk with you about their products/food items. This is one of the things that I particularly like because it somehow makes you a bit close to the food that you are eating and knowing a little bit of history and knowledge regarding that delicious bite of food that you are about to chomp down on. Also, their location was great. Right smack in the park greens where you can enjoy your food finds on the stone benches or right on the grass like a picnic.
Over the years, it has evolved and more and more stall owners are joining and now you can have fresh seafood items being sold there as well. Those gigantic and for sure really delicious tiger prawns and others.
The food choices now include the more exotic fare to the international ones ranging from the fried frog legs of Pampanga to the more international crepes from a French guy and those delightful German sausages which can more than fill your empty stomach. Truth be told, venturing on your own into the market might be interesting but being with friends make it even more so because with friends you can share food finds and thereby taste and experience more gastronomic delights and of course, food is always better when shared with friends! 😉 Also one important note, the serving portions in the Saturday market are most of the time good for sharing so please bring a friend or two.One such Saturday in June, me and a few food loving friends went to the Salcedo market in the morning to experience and sample the delights they had to offer. Here in this post are various food stuffs we have tried and seen.Passing by the right side of the market, I saw incredibly mouth watering pastries and I even saw a delicious looking pecan pie but alas I was not able to try this out as I was already so full from the savory dishes that I did not have room for dessert already.
Right next to the pecan pie were these absolutely delightful French macaroons!
On to the other stalls, I saw mounds and mounds of paella, with different variations. From the regular paella valenciana to the more interesting paella negra which was sinfully and blackishly delish.
There were also little yummy Japanese pancakes which can have fillings ranging from choco chips, cream cheese, bacon and other goodies.
I even got a glimpse of freshly made takoyaki balls which I wanted to try and compare to the ones that I had tasted in Little Tokyo but again, I wasn’t able to try them out. For sure next time, I will pop one in my mouth.
We also had some tequila-infused pasta and some finger-lickin good grilled ribs which were really meaty and so wonderfully savory.
As always, it was a good, tummy filling experience I will not so soon forget since after the Salcedo Market, we also did a trip to Mercato Centrale…Now that’s for the next post already.Do take some time to explore the gustatory delights of the Saturday Salcedo Market and have a leisurely lunch at the park. While you’re at it, you can also add some of your favorite greens to your herb garden as well because I saw a vendor selling potted herbs and some other wonderful spices and flavorings for the cook in you.As I said, enjoying the Saturday Salcedo Market is always better with good food-loving friends around!
Enjoy!XoXo -
My Foodie Experiments: Beef Short Ribs (galbijjim or kalbi jim)
My apologies for the long absence everyone! A lot of things seem to be happening at once that somehow I am backlogged with all the entries I should be posting here.
Well, I had another Korean cooking experiment this time with beef short ribs. I got my ribs from Monterey as I think that no other meat shop offers quality cuts unless of course you have your neighborhood butcher that you can request specific cuts from. The recipe is again from my favorite Korean cooking site – Maangchi.
Hope you guys enjoy making this one. Just be sure that you make it ahead of time because you need to get the short ribs really soft to be able to enjoy the meat.Ingredients:
2 lbs (about 1 kg) of beef short ribs, water, cooking wine, soy sauce, black pepper, brown sugar, garlic, green onion, onion, sesame oil, carrots, radish, shiitake mushrooms, and mulyeot (corn syrup).
Soak 5 shiitake mushrooms in warm water for about 4-6 hours. Soak short ribs in cold water in a large bowl for at least 30 minutes and change the water a few times. Boil water in a large pot. Put in the short ribs. Boil for 5-10 minutes. Take out the ribs from the boiling water and wash them with cold water to remove unnecessary fat or floating bubbles. Throw away the boiling water and clean the pot. Place the clean beef short ribs in the pot.Prepare a bowl to make seasoned water by mixing 2 cups of water, 4 tablespoons soy sauce, 8 cloves of minced garlic), ½ sliced onion, 1 tablespoon rice wine, and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Add it to the short ribs in the pot. Boil it over medium heat for 20 minutes. While it boils, you can prepare the other ingredients:
Cut carrot and radish into 5 cm-size cubes and round the edges to make several balls (the size of the balls should be like ping pong balls). Cut the soaked shiitake mushrooms into bite size.
*tip: You can add several skinned chestnuts and gingko nuts.
Open the lid of the pot and add all ingredients (carrot, radish, shiitake mushrooms) to the pot. Let it simmer for about 1 hour over low heat. *tip: Stir the ribs and other ingredients with a wooden spoon from time to time. Pour the liquid from the bottom of the pot over top of the meat.
Open the lid and check if the meat is cooked fully. Use your chopstick to poke the meat. When it is smoothly going through the meat, the meat is tender enough. Add 2 tablespoons of moolyeot (corn syrup), 1 tablespoon sesame oil, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and heat it up over high heat. Mix it well until liquid evaporates. Transfer galbijjim to a platter before serving.
NOTE: I did use splashes more of sesame oil because I really love how it lends an authentic taste to the dish. I also made some adjustments on the seasoning depending on how you like it. So please, indulge yourself. The shiitake mushrooms really tasted good in this dish. Sort of like a meat extender.
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Foodie Event: Yummy Eats @ the NBC tent Fort Bonifacio
Last May 21, my foodie friend and fellow blogger Witchy Crazy Mommy scored us free tickets to Yummy Magazine’s foodie event – Yummy Eats at the NBC tent Fort Bonifacio in Taguig. We were both very excited for this as it is a foodie lover’s event. I prepared my big bag, for what I assumed are going to be full of stuff I might want to purchase later on, my trusty camera Stassy and lots of anticipation for a great event.
We arrived during lunch time and we could already see this FIC truck giving out free yogurt ice cream to all participants. When we claimed our tickets, we had to get ourselves stamped and then they explained that for every booth we visited, we should get stamped and avail of the free samples of products they were promoting. The tent was air-conditioned so it was very comfortable and we started snapping away. 😉
Actually we went the wrong way because we started in the desserts side when we should have started on the savory side but anyway, we still enjoyed ourselves. Apart from flitting and eating our way through the many savory and sweet morsels, a cooking demonstration was also taking place at the center stage. After the demo, there was even a cook-off participated in by various cooking schools in the metro. We didn’t pay much attention to them as we were busy going through the various food stalls.We had our favorites and as my friend Witchy Crazy Mommy would say, those foods that make you unconsciously clap your hands without you ever noticing that you were clapping. Those AHA! moments…There was the caramel and roasted macadamia nut frozen meringue pie from “Tina’s Pie Outlet” which was to say really delicious and it is a meringue pie which made it light and goes together well with the heavy caramel. It was something that you can eat lots of without ever feeling guilty at all.
Next stop was this vegetarian restaurant aptly named “Pipino”. They served this all-veggie lasagna which was so creamy, cheesy and tasted even better than your regular mac and cheese which made me wonder if indeed there was no meat in there or regular cheese but the owner assured us that it was really made without meat and meat products. Go figure how they made it so delicious. You’d be thinking why you are not vegan with this dish.
I also saw some very visually stimulating and yummy treats from “Little Ms. OC’s kitchen”. I tried out the little chocolate chip cookies and they were so chewy and chocolatey that I picked up more than one. Hahaahahha! I couldn’t help it, they were so good. I also saw from her stand the very interesting Angry Birds cupcakes as well as some characters from Plants vs. Zombies! What a riot! They were so nice to look at, I would be afraid to eat them up.
Moving on, I enjoyed some homemade ice cream with funky flavors from “Merrymoo”. We tried out 2 of their flavors: caramel & salt and earl grey ice cream. Earl grey ice cream really tasted like earl grey and had the same calming effect but this was now in ice cream form. This would be really good under the hot sun. I have a special place in my heart for any kind of food that incorporates both the sweet and salty so the caramel & salt flavored ice cream was to my liking. I will be looking for them again in Mercato Centrale.
We also got to sample some really juicy and delicious lechon. I always think that Manila lechon is not as tasty as Cebu lechon. I can’t help it because I lived in Cebu for a while and got used to CNT’s very flavorful roasted lechon. But surprisingly the lechon company which originated from Negros actually sort of bears some resemblance to CNT and was delicious. It didn’t need any sarsa anymore.
I also got to try this Taiwanese chicken franchise called “Big Daddy’s Chicken”. It was really nice and flavorful that I simply have to find them in MOA. Luckily I got their flyer. Oh they are by the way open to franchising.
And then, I spotted Chef Bruce Lim – the host and chef of Studio 23’s Chef’s table show. I used to watch him then and boy he is one tall guy. Of course, I had to have my picture taken with him. I couldn’t resist. He was also there with his foodie stand as well as enjoying the event. We went through many more stalls but not all were really good but most of them were.
We finished off by buying really wonderfully decorated sugar cookies and had some free Starbucks coffee to stuff our stomachs more. We didn’t have lunch but with the amount of food we ate, it would tide us over until dinner. We were that full. I also got my other friend CB to come with her cute nephew and budding foodie also, Darren.
Cheers Yummy! Congratulations on your event and many more to come.XoXo -
On The Tummy Spot: Turk’s Shawarma
I have never been much of a Shawarma fan. Sometimes I enjoy eating it if it’s really good but most of the time I shy away from it because I don’t want the messy eating involved. You know that icky feeling when the sauce trickles down to your hands and you have to wipe your chin off because some sauce got stuck or even better, if you have long hair and they accidentally get stuck in it. So, basically I really wouldn’t say I am a big fan of SHAWARMA.It was one of those typical afternoons when me and the family were hanging out in MOA that we passed by all these stalls in the foodcourt. There was a White Hat yogurt which I really love and beside it was this unassuming stall selling Shawarma. They had an all meat one and one with vegetables and you can have it either large or regular I think. Anyway, the brother and I wanted to try it out because it was fast and easy and very nearby where we sat down to rest after all the endless walking associated with MOA. We had the regular sized one with vegetables because we didn’t know how it would taste and we’d just split it between the 2 of us.
The first bite was super delish. It was really good with the creamy sauce and super tasty meat that was just cooked right inside the hot pita bread. I couldn’t wait to eat it again. The vegetables were a wonderful foil to all the meatiness. I just couldn’t believe it; I actually found a shawarma that I want to eat over and over again. After that we went on to order 2 more. It was that delicious.
Next time, I had my friend Ansot with me. I wanted to introduce her to the shawarma but she actually did try it already when she was here in Manila vacationing with relatives and we were of the same opinion. The meat is really tasty and cooked just right. Not much oiliness here. Their sauce also makes a difference. It was tangy, creamy and cheesy at the same time. We both had the all-meat one and we agreed it was great. It’s not your regular resto fare nor is it the fastfood grub but just plain street food if I might say. Turk’s shawarma is really good and this is coming from a non-shawarma loving individual like me. They don’t have any fancy space or resto, they just have this little stall where you can get your shawarma fix and they usually have a long line of people waiting to be served.
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exploring food forever! among other things…
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