Foodie Manila

Sitting quietly along the National Highway, one would mistake Pamana as one of those boutique hotels or motels where one can stop over and rest to enjoy the cool air and awesome view of the Taal Lake. A quick little getaway from the city’s hustle and bustle. Upon entering the front doors, one is pleasantly greeted by a receptionist who will sit you according to the number of people in your party.

Pamana is an Ongpauco venture, particularly Happy Ongpauco. It was apparently an old summer home which she turned into a tiny 3 floor restaurant. The food fare is similar to Barrio Fiesta, but of course more dressed up a bit.

The ambiance echoes of the spanish design with wrought iron railing along the brick staircase to the beautifully ornate little decors one can find either hung on the walls. An entire wall is covered with the old pictures of the Ongpauco family and one can see how “Tita Chit” started Barrio Fiesta. It gave a cozy little feel.

We quickly ordered a few fares as this was just a stop over on our way to Punta Fuego.

On the menu today was:

Binagoongang Bagnet

3-Way Adobo

Prawns in Aligue

Admittedly, after tasting Ilocos/Vigan Bagnet it is quite hard to find something I could compare it with. This was quite a surprise. Melding together the unique taste of bagoong with the tenderness and succulent taste of bagnet. If you are a fan of pork as well as binagoongan, this is a definite must-try.

3-Way Adobo. This was pretty unique. I was expecting a big pot of Adobo with 3 kinds of meat in it. But out came a platter which had Chicken Adobo, Adobo Flakes, and Spareribs. This was one of my favorites as I am a huge fan of Adobo.

Prawn in aligue was the surprise of the meal. The prawns were excellently cooked; tender to the bite and yet still remain juicy and firm. The aligue added the surprise kick after the initial taste of the prawns subsided. It was a seafood party to be enjoyed by your tastebuds.

The dining area overlooked the taal lake which I thought was an excellent bonus. The view was perfect. The ambiance was great. It would have been a perfect date place.

With the recent craze in Chicken Inasal slowly taking over Manila, I thought it only right to try out the closest one to my work place. I’ve never really liked Inasal because the first time I tried Chicken Inasal, it was an awful experience. The chicken was severely undercooked and the marinade as well as the taste was just awful. It reminded me of rust.

But lately I have found a renewed relationship with it. The more I eat it at certain places, the more I appreciate it. When this dish is done well, it is simply delicious. I can certainly see why it appeals to so many people. Whilst this dish could be made for guests at an elegant dinner party, it could just as easily be served at a partypoker tournament, or as part of a buffet – it’s extremely diverse. Read on to find out about my latest experience of this popular recipe…

I think at the heart of the chicken inasal experience lies in the condiments. (Aside from the marinade of course). The Chicken Bacolod at Market! Market! had one of the best tasting vinegars I’ve ever come across. I quickly mixed vinegar, soy sauce, chili, and calamansi.

We quickly ordered Paa (chicken Leg or thigh) and 2 orders of garlic rice. Judd being a seasoned customer assured me that 1 order of garlic rice would not be enough. The food came at a reasonable time. Just enough time for idle chit-chat to be exchanged.

The food was pretty good. For the price (P95 for the chicken and P15) I would have expected a bit more bigger servings. Other joints would actually offer bigger ones, but the service was great so I couldn’t really complain.

The chicken was tender inside and well-cooked this time. The skin was crispy. I never felt that the chicken was under marinated. You could taste the Inasal taste that you are paying for when you eat at that place. The garlic rice was just the right compliment to the chicken adding the correct taste to balance out the palette. I finished up the meal and felt quite satisfied actually.

So if ever you find yourself wondering where to eat at Market! Market! you may want to try Chicken Bacolod.

Chicken Bacolod is located at the 2nd floor of Market! Market! The Fort Global City Taguig

Fast Food and Japanese are not really synonymous to each other. Rare does one find a place to get quick and authentic Japanese food and yet still have the quality and finesse that comes with preparing Japanese food. Sushi King is one of those rare places. For lunch the other day, we decided to try out this restaurant we pass by so often. We wanted quick service for good food, and yet the price should remain reasonably low. (By reasonably low, I mean fast food prices!)

This was what we ordered:

• Pork Tonkatsu: For Sharing
• Ika Fry Bento Box
• Gyudon w/ Egg
• Osaka Maki

For the price you pay it is a bit reasonable. Its good for those days where you just crave Japanese food and you want it quick w/ no fuss at a cheap price then Sushi King is definitely for you. But quality wise, I’d still go to Teriyaki Boy.

Sushi King is located at 2nd Floor of Market!Market! The Fort Global City, Taguig

Kuala Lumpur by Night: The City Sleeps

It was nothing but a fling. Something more than a one night stand but not quite enough to be called acquaintances. This was my relationship with KL. It was such a short stay, but I got real intimate with the place. Thanks to Tim. That in the very short and quick 2 days, he managed to show me the potential that KL had. On our last day, we ate at Xiao Fei Yang. (It means Little Fat Kid). Upon entering the restaurant the strong scent of chili and curry in the made sure to every patron what they were getting into. We occupied 2 tables. It was our last day. I noticed that the utensils where all in plastic and wrapped in a shrink wrap plastic. I found it quite odd but did not say anything. Nic ordered in chinese. The lady who took my order for drinks also tried speaking to me in chinese. I had to say I didn’t understand (which was the only thing I know to say in mandarin) and she spoke to me in broken english. We had idle conversation. It was nice getting to know our MY counterparts. Actually I quite enjoyed the conversation.

Xiao Fei Yang

The drinks were HUGE.

Coconut Drink

Our drinks came and I was shocked at the enormity of the glasses. Watermelon shakes and Orange shakes. I ordered some coconut juice, but that was gone quickly. Xiao Fei Yang was actually a “steam boat” place. Similar to our shabu-shabu the steamboat was divided into two. One was regular soup. The other was excruciatingly spicy. I find myself drawn to the spicy. Just the smell alone made my eyes water. I dared not try it yet. But since it was my last night in KL I threw caution to the wind. I dipped my ladel and scooped out a bowl full of red awesomeness.

Steam Boat

What you put in the steamboat

Ingridients

Steam Boat

I had 3 layers of clothes on. (I like layering. I’m weird that way.) I had on my Adidas jacket, a long sleeved black shirt, and a white cotton undershirt underneath it all. The meal consisted of 3 servings or rather Nic divided it into 3 parts. After the 1st meal which was basically your typical shabu shabu with those balls of flour and some veggies. I had taken off my jacket and was mildly sweating.

2nd serving consisted of fried bean curd skin and frogs legs as well as pork and lamb. My black long sleeved shirt was still on but I was sweating profusely. People on my table started to laugh.

By the 3rd serving I looked like I just stepped out of the shower. My mouth was literally on fire and I was down to my white cotton undershirt. It was almost like eating pure chili soup. It looked like it was a mixture of water and chili oil! But I kept eating because it was so damn good. The rich flavors really brought out the best in each other. The chili made me feel so alive. Forget the lack of sleep, for this brief time, I was alive. I am not a big fan of spicy food. I like mildly spicy but I feel that spicier it gets, the flavor tends to get lost. I was mistaken. The spiciness only made the flavors taste even better. To a sensitive palette like mine, I thought the strong chilis would numb my tastebuds but on the contrary it brought out the scintillating flavors that usually are missed because one gulps down the food to quickly. I am now a convert. Place a bowl of chili near me and you see me grabbing it right away. Till our next meeting KL. I promise to be more adventurous the next time around.

Some head shots of people in my table:

Jestina Goon finally decided to join us!

David: Still the #1 Sales Guy according to MY Nuffies

Patty caught trying to steal a glimpse of something