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| Seafood Thursdays. 5pm - 11pm P599.00 per person all-you-can-eat.
We were hoping to try something different than the seafood, however, I failed to check that Thursdays (like today) are the only days they do have seafood. (It must have been a Thursday then, when we were there last.)
To be honest, it was okay. There were several choices besides the usual. I started out with a shrimp siomai dumpling and a cup of chicken soup (Thai style). The lemon grass flavor on the soup with a liberal amount of chili - yummy. Not exactly tom yam, but a good reinterpretation of it. The siomai dumpling is very common. However, this must have been made in-house as there is a decidedly larger portion of shrimp on top.
Next round, I enjoyed the fish salad last time, so I had to have a bigger portion of it this time. Steamed fish mixed with mayonnaise and topped with raisins, celery, cheese, etc. This dish reminds me of the '70's style dish that my Mom used to served using delicious sea bass. (I am sure any other larger fish would do justice.)
A few trips to the tempura station, I was finally able to coerce the staff to plate me some freshly cooked ones (right off the fryer). Yummy, calameri a plenty. Let me have some of those, too.
Bread and Butter Pudding. Hmmm. It was not what I expected. Somehow, it was lame considering I was hoping for the butter to shine. It was eggy and not in a good way. Even the sauce (I was hoping for a rum sauce) did not cut it.
To wash it down, I just had to have it. There was sago gulamam. My best way to describe this is Italian Ice meets Philippine Ice. The ice particles are not flake-like. It has a decidedly sweet sugar water with red food coloring, tapioca pearls and Gello. I'd usually pass on anything remotely close to this (including this), however, I somehow wanted a confirmation that this drink/dessert is something I've already outgrown from back when I was 10 yrs. old.
The saving grace: unlimited San Miguel beer. Now, this alone, with tempura is worth the price. I just wished the staff behind the tempura fryer would be more generous and just lay out all the pieces on the warmer. He keeps them out of reach and not in the warmer to control the portions for when one someone does ask for more.
As it is, I am in the Philippines and this restaurant does make me feel like I am in the Philippines. No, I was not transported to some exotic world resort. | |
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| "H opia (Chinese: 好饼; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: hó-piáⁿ; literally "good pastry") is a popular Filipino bean filled pastry originally introduced by Fujianese immigrants in urban centres of the Philippines around the start of the American civil occupation. It is a widely-available inexpensive treat and a favored gift for friends and relatives."
Interesting little morsels in one inch "dice" form, I've never had before. My friend says its too sweet. Kevin says he's just not into Philippine tea cakes. There is no convincing them that these tiny cakes are good eats. After all, I myself am not sure how to improve upon its flavor. The filling of mung bean puree' mixed with some sugar is definitely on the acquired taste category. It did not taste sweet to me. I think it would be a great compliment to a hot cup of tea or a hot cup of latte'.
There were several versions of hopia at the store, however, I've tried all the rest. Somehow, I keep going for the mung bean ones, instead of the red bean versions. I, too, have my "acquired taste" . So, expect more of these morsels in the grocery cart next time. | |
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| A huge poster hanging over our table read something like "Le Vino Grandisimo...". Of course I am going to ask the waiter what it meant. And, of course, I was going to bet that he would not know, neither. Why would I even expect the waiter to know what it meant? I suppose that if you have anything in your restaurant that hangs so prominently, you would at least find out what it said. For instance, it might have said something totally oppose to your concept or menu (besides the two chefs toasting glasses of wine).
I digress.
Our visit was more of a "lets give them a try". The choices given were A Venetto or Jatujak. Since I have been to Jatujak three times now, I decided to try the former. Mind you, this time around I have an Italian American with me, who just loves good pizza. Not to say that my husband is not an expert, for he is a gourmand on pizza as well. They both should know that what a good pizza is.
Fail.
Okay, what went wrong. I'm not sure yet. I am undecided as there really was not much to mention. It was not off-putting, but it was definitely a let-me-never-go-back moment when I stood up.
We ordered the Putanesca Pizza with a family appetizer assortment. Its is interesting to note that the appetizer arrived just as our pizza was being set on the table. On the appetizer platter were four pieces of fake crabmeat sticks lamely breaded, unbelievable bland fries (could you at least make them golden brown), corn nuggets (this was actually okay) and finally, wait for it, wait for it, four fried chicken wings lazed with Asian sweet chili sauce!
As we left, we passed the halls and saw Greenwich Pizza. Should I even dare try theirs? This is the pizza of my childhood. And, even as a child, I already knew that their pizza was not pizza nor did it deserved to be called one.
The only resemblance to pizza was that it was made of a round dough with toppings.
My Italian American friend was quiet, so is my husband. Alas, it was bad and it was not something we wanted to discuss. It will forever be noted that we will never set foot in there again.
Oh Shakey's, bring me my Mojo back. | |
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| After the Christmas hiatus, FoodLabinc learned a few more lessons. Keep it simple. Keep it great.
From three types of cheesecakes, we are down to two. What a difference in reception. It was easier to have customers test out among two types and decide, than it was for three. And, if the numbers hold true, Chef Kevin's Dark Beer Cheesecake is winning a lot of praises. We only had one slice left by the end of the night. Not to say that the other type, NY-style Traditional Cheesecake with its equally outstanding lemon and ricotta flavor was not worthy of comparison. It deserved to be right next to the Dark Beer Cheesecake.
A ploy perhaps? I wonder if the customers see the dramatic distinction between the "plain" (we prefer not to use this) one versus the feathered design on the dark beer version? Certainly, the market we sell to provides ample supply of foodies. After all, this market is for foodies by foodies. And, if they want to try "plain", then they are indeed in the wrong place.
So, lesson learned.
Moving along, we do have chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal and dates cookies. Two distinctly different cookies. From the original oatmeal and raisin version, Chef Kevin decided to shake it up a bit by doing dates instead. So far, the verdict is even. Although, we did sell out of the cookies, Chef Kevin made more of the chocolate chip cookies in a 4:3 ratio.
The table is dramatically edited. I wondered for a moment if it was too sparse. I wanted it to look at lease like something is moving on the table. Maybe, not. We'll see.
Next week, we were thinking of testing a chocolate and peanut butter cheesecake. See what people think about it. I am sure mashing two good things in one could work. How the market will respond, that's what this project is all about.
After all, we are here to learn what works and what doesn't in a more reasonable environment of a weekend market. Call it being extra cautious. Since we are new to the nuances of this environment, it sure is worth the try. | |
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| We keep coming back to this restaurant. Its not good and its not bad. Somewhere along the lines of, gee, I wonder if there is something interesting to eat there today. Okay, let me now refer to this restaurant as another 'default restaurant'.
When we go grocery shop and find ourselves wondering what to buy, coming up with a grocery list and inspiration sometimes could be a chore. So, step right in, try some of the dishes. If anything resonates, aha! Then, you now have an idea on how to make a better version of this, or a similar version of that.
On this occasion, we had Dan with us for his very first Filipino meal in the Philippines. After knowing Dan for the last 11 years, I do know that his adventurous soul would not hesitate to try the familiar or the weird. Not that I would be surprise if he starts eating bitter melon (I know quite a few Filipinos themselves who would stay away from this Vit. C rich vegetable). I saw him enjoy escargo in coconut cream sauce, mussels with chili leaves, pineapple, grilled pork belly, pork adobo and eggrolls. Fairly tame, if you ask me. But, for his first day in the Philippines, he's got a whole lot more to venture upon.
We are taking him to Soderno on Saturday. That would be a place where he can try some new Filipino food. New, as in, new, even to the Filipinos. Till then, balut (or boiled 14 day old duck embryo egg) will have to wait. | |
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| Got there in time for the better parts of the meeting. As most would expect, Philippine meetings always start late. So, we intentionally dbloggid the fashionably late entrance.
Another bullshit story of when the water system will be available. Someone forgot to ask about the rest room facilities. Parking? What parking? Oh, the adjacent lot where all the construction for the newer wing of the Molito Lifestyle Center is expected to be paved soon. How soon? Not soon enough.
It was November 18, 2011 when they opened the doors for Soderno@Molito. Heralded as the latest lifestyle market in the southern part of Manila, this was to be the newest foodie enclave. Besides a few interesting finds, they did have a good turn out during the first week. Through December, supporters kept coming back, but there was a dramatic slump towards the last week of December 16 as the Christmas gift buying frenzy was at its peak.
Wait a minute. It died before the Christmas peak? Not a good sign.
So, attending this meeting, Kevin had to ask the question. "What advertising is Soderno doing besides online blogging?" There was not much of a straight answer. Not a presentation of sorts where we are spending this amount for ads or this amount for signs, or even this amount for blogging. Now, wait a minute, I should have gone up and said something. However, I was reserving my judgement as we ourselves are not quite sure what the next incarnation of Foodlab would be.
What is certain at this point is that we have a successful product in the chocolate chip cookies and oatmeal and raisin cookies. Also, we did get enough attention on our Dark Beer cheesecake, Hoisin Cheesecake and Traditional NY-style cheesecake. What is not certain is if this products in this venue would sustain our company. The answer is obviously no. The answer leans towards having to expand the market for our successful product introductions to re-sellers.
In hind-sight, we are glad that we appropriately called our business Foodlab, Inc. as we really intended for it to be an incubator kitchen with revolving products to test.
Our next test will be decided on shortly. I am hoping that reception for this would be just as good or better. | |
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| Food Terrorist. My new foodie term referring to foodies that cause an abomination on food. Denny's is a prime suspect here. Through the years, Denny's has been experimenting with their in-house inventory to find what to serve to drunk men aged 18-26. They have since done a nachos dish with whip cream, M&Ms, chocolate syrup. Also, they have had a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed with mozzarella sticks. Intentionally, or otherwise, their client base dictated that they dumb down their food to suite the drunks. Alas, they may have fooled a few of them, but for the rest of us, we declare them as Food Terrorist. | |
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| After delaying my gifting list until this afternoon, I soon realized that there are considerably more names on my list than the last few years. Marking each one off with a designated gift, I noticed a consistent foodie trend to what I was giving. Cheesecake to sister (because she has Osteoporosis), apple pie to my niece (because she absolutely loves it with vanilla ice cream), and so on. What made me pose for a moment was what foodie item to give a visiting nephew who flew all the way from NYC for the holidays? Soon, I realized that the best gift I could give him is a dinner out with Kevin and I to a really good Filipino restaurant. The kind of Filipino restaurant I would soon choose should excel at pushing Filipino cuisine beyond mundane (been there done that) fare.
Looking at a few places online, I keep going back to Kanin Club. Their crispy dinuguan (blood stew) tops my list. A quick inspection of your Facebook profile, I also noticed an overwhelming vote for the same exact dish I just mentioned. Honestly, I did not even know that it would be that popular. Our visit to this place was totally random. The menu was typical of any menu, except that I did notice the word crispy next to the name of the dish. Immediately, I ordered this to see what it was about. Don't bother asking the waiter. Just go for it. I was totally surprised at the effect of having the flavor I am used to, but the texture of crispness totally elevated the dish.
I've decided that if my nephew where to leave the Philippines after Christmas, and hold a foodie memory, if any. I would want him to know that crispy dinuguan is definitely a favorite now and for years to come.
Second place: Alba's Spanish Cuisine. However, I could not get past Alba's dead-on-arrival paella.
Third place: All-you-can-eat Seafood and more at the Diamond Hotel buffet. Really? Why did I even think that he might like that. Oh, it's because that's the only place where I've seen slipper crabs and rock lobsters.
Honorable mention: Estero in Chinatown. But, NYC's Chinatown is probably just as robust and good.
Oh well, the crispy dinuguan wins. | |
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| This is to be an errand and day off for both Kevin and I. Our first trip was to the Bureau of Immigration offices to pay for Kevin's visa extension. We got there at 8am but he was told, again, that the process would not be completed until 4PM.
While waiting for him, I had to find a parking spot and a bathroom. Oh, there's a Shell Station around the building. Walking to it, I passed this street urchin pan handling. I started to walk faster. Hmm, he's walking faster, too. Okay, now I am really gaining speed. Ah, thanks to this other guy in a business casual outfit that passed me, the street urchin finally gives up and chases after him. After all, I was wearing my flip-flops (Doc Martens), khaki shorts (Gap) and polo shirt (Levi's), and the other guy was wearing tailored pants, tailored long sleeve shirt and Italian style shoes. Aha, even the kid knows how to discriminate based on fashion. Into the Shell Station, asked for a key.
This Shell Station is almost at the corner of Gil Puyat Ave. and Pres. Roxas Blvd. It's a gorgeous spot for a gas station, I suppose as it's closest to a major intersection. The employees all proudly wore their uniforms, greeted me as I walked in. No "Mumsir" here, just a polite "Good morning, sir. Welcome to Shell." Looking around, I noticed the usual Helix Oil (in different sizes), windshield cleaners, air fresheners, and, wait a minute. What is this? A batter liquid re-fill?
Moving along, I noticed two hotdogs tumbling along in this almost new hotdog warmer. I started to look for the buns, condiments, etc. to make me one. Quickly, the receptionist jumps into action and makes me one. "Mayonaise, sir?" "How about ketchup?" "For a while, sir. Five minutes only." Five minutes? For hotdogs? What is she about to do, deep fry them? Bake hotdog buns? Hmmm.
Kevin is texting me that he is almost out the door of the Bureau. I quickly respond back that he could meet me at the Shell Gas Station out back. As he walks in, the hotdogs were handed to me on a serving platter all neatly wrapped and a side of ketchup saschet. Two of them. No relish. No mustard. Just the way I like my hotdogs.
On this three foot diameter bar height table was a neat napkin dispenser. The receptionist asked us for our drink orders. Hmm. How about an apple juice drink for me, and an orange juice drink for Kevin.
I was about to ask for our check, when I realized that this IS a gas station. We are in the convenience store. And, there are three service receptionist in neat uniforms inside this convenience store. As we walk out, I could only but mention how that experience was the best experience I've ever had in a convenience store gas station in my life. And, that it is in the Philippines!
Oh no! Here come the street urchin. He saw Kevin and is heading straight at him. Never mind that Kevin is wearing jeans and a shirt. He is also wearing Crocs. Never mind that he is walking as fast as a 340lb man can. This kid is really after him because Kevin is white.
So, to continue with our anniversary celebration, we went on to a spa. Then, lunch at Resort World close by was great. There was even an antique car show that we briefly enjoyed. A Ford Model T, an old Jaguar, an old Duke of Hazards muscle car. There were others, but it was time for us to move along.
Shopping at Mall of Asia was a breeze this time. It was a Monday after all. The usual mob of shoppers were not around on a Monday, I thought. As we turned the corner, there was a sea of people walking along. It would seem that they were not shoppers after all. They were attending the G12 seminar. It is an evangelical convention of sorts which started out from Bogota, Columbia.
Kevin ends up finding the man purse he's been looking for. Finally! A great functional piece with the right amount of space and it's in black. Much easier to match, clothes wise. I also found the casual dress shoe I've been looking for. I've always wanted a darker pair in brown but could never find the right on in the US. Yeah, most shoes nowadays are made in China. This was no exception. But then, so are the good name brands like Nike, Adidas, Cole-Haan. Yes, Cole Haan now has shoes made in China, too. Oh, and finally. We found replacement wallets. This shop even offered free bad coffee. It was even served on a ceramic plate. Ah, but then it was in a closed-cell extruded polystyrene foam.
Dinner and movie. Of course. Movie was Breaking Dawn Part 1: The Twilight Saga. And, dinner was at Yakimix. Kevin and I decided never to go back at a Yakimix after our terrible first experience with the gang last July. Here we are walking all over Mall Of Asia undecided. So, finally, as we reached the end of the mall, there was Racks with hardly anyone or Yakimix with a ton of people. I guess a ton of people couldn't all be wrong. I am mistaken. And so are the rest of them.
This location was spacious, but we were just too bored at what they had to offer. I even took a plateful of sashimi and cooked them on the grill just to be safe. LOL. The sashimi chef must have been appalled if he saw this.
As we drove home, I realized that our adopted dog, Bogart, was not going to have bones to chew on this time. Oh well, there are still lots of kibbles for him.
Happy Anniversary to us! It's been 8 years and we are loving every minute of it, sometimes. | |
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| Plugging. It's three days to when FoodLab,Inc.presents three bakers' exceptional products to the open market. It is this kind of tension that makes the uninitiated crumble. Been-there-done-that. 1992, I took a shot at owning a Subway Sandwiches Franchise before you probably even tried one. Subway, then, was barely a national franchise. After selling my franchise in March 2010, I've decided that the next venture will be something food-related. But what? FoodLab, Inc. Vision - Intelligent Foodcentricity, now. Mission - to explore a better way of providing great food at reasonable prices. Applying intelligent methods and scientifically tested procedures throughout the food chain process, allows us, the end users, a healthier food source. Sustainability as a guide, we seek to balance economics as a tool to better livelihood. Read more about Subway here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_(restaurant) | |
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alberttwa1's journal
