HOLY COW!!!!!

What I Ordered.....




My Fizzy Drink.....




Tabasco, Anyone?




The Decor.....









Every once in a while, I crave to eat steak. There is something about the smell of newly charred, succulent meat with mushroom gravy that makes my appetite going and my mouth water. And for all you steak lovers out there, I think to have your meat cooked medium rare is the best way to cook a steak. The meat retains its juices and is not dry. Yummy!

So I just had to give in to my craving one day after attending a private function. I was so hungry that to take pictures of the food I ordered was just an after thought, an exercise I suddenly remembered doing before I devoured my steak since I brought my camera with me. The best part was also having a thick slab of battered and fried cream dory to go with my steak. It was so satisfying. Burp!

PIZZA DONE MY WAY....

Thin crust pizzas are my favorite. This kind of pie enables me to savor the flavors of the pizza toppings.Shakey's Pizza is the place I go to whenever I have a craving for thin crust pizzas.

I recently discovered another place to go to for thin crusted pies, and that is at Handuraw Pizza along Xavierville Avenue. I find their prices a bit cheaper than Shakey's and offer more flavors. Too bad though that the owners have not opened a branch at the southern portion of Manila that is near the place I live.

So, I tried doing my own pizza. using those large flour tortillas as the crust. The next thing I did was prepare my own pizza sauce which is actually marinara sauce that I use for spaghetti. I then used ground beef, bell pepper, store bought mozarella cheese and pepperoni as my pizza toppings. The verdict? Yum! But I have to replace the ground beef for something less oily (fatty) in the future. I so wish that I have a brick oven! It did not take that long for the pizza to cook though.

Oh, lighting for the shot was done via flash placed on top of pizza and fired using my Flashwaves radio trigger.

FOOD TRIPPING OF A DIFFERENT KIND.....

An Order Of Japanese Siomai.....


















Simple Jasmine Tea.....









Fruit Salad For Dessert.....









Right after a NAYON club meeting, I usually ride along with Lian or Bless from Intramuros and disembark in front of the Burger King outlet at Welcome Rotonda. I do this if I feel the need to empty my bladder or if I am hungry. Otherwise, I get off at Plaza Lawton which is were I take the ride, aircon bus or FX taxis going to Las Pinas.

I wasn't really hungry when I asked that I be dropped off at BK. I had my creative vibe going. So as soon as I stepped out of Lian's car and waved her goodbye, I walked towards the Chinese restaurant across BK and decided to take photographs of what I would eat. And one of the kinds of food that I love to eat in a Chinese restaurant are dimsum, particularly Japanese siomai if the establishment has it.

There used to be an outlet of Gloria Maris near our place. Among its line up of dimsum, it is their Japanese siomai that I love the most. Yes, this is where it all started. I'd order a cup of rice and an order of this dimsum and my tummy is happy. What is not to love? A mixture of ground pork is seasoned and crab stick is added then wrapped in nori paper then steamed to perfection! Sadly, the restaurant closed down. I guess the owners incurred losses as the restaurant occupied a big space but seemed to attract less customers. And I would not find my Japanese siomai again, unless I go to the other branches of Gloria Maris.

I can't recall the name of this restaurant. I don't even bother to read the painted sign on its doors. All I know is this is where I saw a reincarnation of my favorite dimsum. I was surprised to even see a familiar face, that of the head chef. He was the one who actually manned the defunct Gloria Maris kitchen. Once I saw him, I knew that the dishes that I once enjoyed at Gloria Maris will be the same ones that I shall taste in this new restaurant. And because the place is not a branch of the famous restaurant, the prices are way cheaper than before.

I ordered for Japanese siomai and a dessert of mixed fruit salad. Even if I wasn't really that hungry, I still had a great time. The dimsum still has the same taste and texture just as I remembered it. What got me going were the pictures I took of the food I ordered. Don't get me wrong, the food was delicious as ever. But for this visit I wanted to take photos of the food. This is a food trip that is not about food tasting, rather it is all about food as eye candy. This is, as far as I know, a different food trip.

OUT OF THE BLUE.....

The Buffet Table.....






Lechon de Leche.....






Lechon Liempo/Kawali.....






Restaurant Promos.....






Eat All You Can Price List.....







A few days ago, my brother and I talked about what to do when the day of my natal day comes. As usual, the customary cooking of pansit or spaghetti to symbolize long life comes to mind. So I asked him, "Spaghetti or pansit? He didn't answer and left me to contemplate about the question by my lonesome. I'm more into Italian food so I went to check the pantry for the ingredients for whatever sauce I planned to cook.

He comes back after a few minutes and asks me if I know of any restaurants that offers "eat all you can" promos and that will not burn a hole in our pockets. I told him about eating at Kamayan Restaurant which is rather a good restaurant that offers what he sought. My colleagues in PGH and I would go to Kamayan at Padre Faura to celebrate any special occasion during my time at that hospital. He asked about the type of food being offered, I told him what to expect. Then he asks me pointblank, "Can we eat there?"

The day came and we went around dinner time. The restaurant was still closed when we arrived, which was the ideal time since the food on the buffet table will be freshly cooked. He seemed fascinated to find some food items that we used to eat before but rarely these days. A menu item called ginataang kuhol or escargot caught his eye. He also liked the lechon de leche.

I almost forgot to take pictures, not necessarily of the food, rather of the restaurant. Rarely do we go out so this evening was something I quietly cherished.

THE RETURN OF THE CHEFS.....

An Ongoing Competition At The Professional Level.....






Chef Bruce Lim As He Prepares His Workstation.....






Preparing His First Dish.....






About To Lay It On The Table.....






Preparing The Second Dish.....






The First Dish.....






The Second Dish.....





As far as I can recall, I have always loved eating good food, a certified foodie. And good food to me does not necessarily mean steaks, although I love a good steak and all those posh entrees at Michelin star restaurants. Hmmm Michelin star? Does Manila actually have one? Going back, good food can be as simple as tuyo with champorado or even the typical burgers and fries from any of the fast food chains that the city has. And the locale of these places range from the malls to the neighborhood hole in the wall eateries.

But part of eating is also knowing how to cook good food since dining out can burn a hole in one's pocket most of the time. Hence I always try to remember the flavors in a certain dish that I really love, allowing me to come up with a version close to what I experienced in a restaurant before whenever I cook.

Both of my parents are good cooks. And my mother always made me prepare the ingredients as I helped her cook when I was younger. Talk about junior master chef, that was me. As I grew up, my mother would ask me every now and then to cook the family meal. My travels overseas have broaden my palate that whenever I cook a dish nowadays, my mom would comment para akong kumakain sa restaurant.

This love for food has also led me to the world of cooking shows. Stephen Yan's Wok With Yan was the first cooking show that I have ever watched. He obviously specialized in Chinese cooking and his easy demeanor, wit (which can be viewed as embroidered sayings on his apron) and charm made me follow his show as it aired weekly. The BBC in London has a lifestyle channel and it airs cooking shows most of the time. I now am a fan of Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay as a result of my exposure to this channel.

Here in the Philippines, Nora Daza and Sylvia Reynoso-Gala are the women who used to have their own cooking shows. Heny Sison soon starred in her own show and then other up and coming cooks and chefs followed. Some of Daza's and Reynoso-Gala's children got in the act too. It just proves that cooking is hereditary and also a way for parents and children to bond together.

A yearly event that showcased the talents of our local and also international chefs titled "Chefs on Parade" was soon started. From the adverts being shown on television, it mentioned that the event "was back". What was not clear to me was the year when this event was scrapped and just how many years was it not held. It did mention though that the event was 35 years old.

I checked the event out on its last day as I wanted to get into one of the free lectures on food photography. To my shock, the seminar area was packed full! I then decided to roam around the exhibit hall to see the other activities. Indeed, the hospitality business is thriving. Gone were the days when being a cook was considered a job which equals that of a housemaid in rank. Cooks are now called "chefs" and many seem to view this occupation as glamorous! I was able to check out a free cooking demo by Chef Bruce Lim, he of "Tablescapes" his cooking show at Studio 23. I didn't line up to taste his dishes though, as I had to go check the stalls selling some wares. But based from the photos I took of the dishes, it looks appetizing enough.

People might get curious and ask me the names and recipes for the two entrees. I do have the names and the recipe for each dish but as of this writing, I can't find it. I shall update this blog and post the recipes once I find it, Sorry! My bad!