I know what you are thinking, “its been awhile” and I admit it has. Work has drastically increased and my diagnosed illness has been working overtime with my mood swings in a very non productive way. I think I might go back to my meds again. But anyhow, I’m in Malaysia again! I am finding myself frequenting this country more and more and falling in love with it more and more. Last time I was here I featured some dishes from Yut Kee, Bee Chiang Hee, The Loaf, and much much more. But I think I lacked out some of the more interesting places. I can ramble on and on about Nasi Lemak, Chicken Chop, Maggi Mee, Mee Goreng, etc. but ever wondered what Malaysian home cooking was? I mean as a Filipino looking in I wonder now, is our home cooking quite different from the usual restaurants we frequent. I mean with such great food places all over Kuala Lumpur, one would never think about home cooking! But I was very fortunate that my boss, who just got engaged btw you’ve probably seen his meme proposal on 9gag, had someone prepare a home cooked meal for us. Thanks Tim.

I’ve always had this fantastical idea that nasi lemak, and the different gorengs if not rendangs are normal staple food for Malaysians at home. I was quite surprised! It wasn’t too far off from regular Filipino home cooked meals! No specific names but you generally get the idea.

Oddly enough though, I quickly noticed the differences in terms of palettes of the two countries. As Filipinos we tend to lean on the salty and/or sweet. Veering away from the spicy and or umami tastes.

We started off with what looked like a pork cutlet fried in batter. It somewhat resembled a chicken fried steak minus the gravy.

I noticed that the Filipino Palette of mine quickly determined that it kinda lacked taste. But as I chewed on I realized it was just right. You could still taste the pork. We filipinos tend to drown the taste of the meat in the batter. Too much Salt I think! I kept resisting the urge to grab some of the condiments and appreciate the taste in all its originality. I was glad I did.

I next tried what looked like minced potatoes, carrots and beef with sotanghon or glass noodles. It reminded me of a chinese dish which you either eat with hoisen sauce on a lettuce or a wrap. This was a good dish. By this time I have gotten a hold of my salty palette a vowed to make my dishes less salty in the future.

I’ve seen this dish before and was eager to try the local version. It was stir fried spinach with garlic and chili padi. Ok this is where the difference was quite obvious. Filipino version would have been really garlick-y and the taste quite bland, Malaysian verison was really spicy. (nothing I couldn’t take but spicy nonetheless)

Last but not the least was what tasted like a cross between adobo and beef steak and humba and completely not sweet. I couldn’t quite pin point what exactly the taste was but it caught me completely off guard. I dug into the dish thinking “ah here’s something I’m quite familiar with” and got completely perplexed! I actually enjoyed it again not too salty.

I really enjoyed my simple dinner with Tim and quickly cleared my plate. I hope to be able to taste more Malaysian home cooking soon!

One of my most favorite meals in Singapore does not come from some high end restaurant. (I’ve had my share trust me!) But rather it was a quick 5-10 mins walk from my hotel at Little India located at the corner of Jalan Besar and Kitchener Road. This institution of a place was barely even noticable. It didn’t have the lighted sign or you would barely miss the restaurant. It was one of the places you HAD TO KNOW where in order to find it. But I tell you the trip was well worth it. Whether after a long tiring day at work, or an all night drinking spree the food here just hit the spot everytime.Let me tell you about my experience.

I was first taken here by my colleagues after a particularly long day in the office. After the first bite I knew I was in love.

Literally a little hole-in-the-wall, it didn’t have fancy chairs, nor did it have a menu. All it had was a queue for a food cart where the choices were all laid out. It’s called scissor cut, precisely because they cut whatever you order into bite sizes using a pair of scissors.

The ordering system was simple enough. Each viand had a price, and you kept piling it on to a plate of rice after which they would scoop curry and some other sauce unto the entire plate and pile.

It wasn’t pretty. But the taste more than made up for its looks. For this trip, I chose, Fish Cakes, Cabbage, Chicken Wing, Egg, Pork Chop baked and Pork Chop Fried. Total Bill? $5 (around Php 150) Taste, priceless.

There was something quite special about it. The Tender meats, on top of the rice swimming in curry. It just had all the different flavors going on both mild and quite strong and they all just melded together in a beautiful curry symphony singing praises to my tastebuds all the way to my tummy. I couldn’t get enough. If I wasn’t so darned full, I would have another plate, and another, and another… Oh I could go on for days. One of the true little secrets of Singapore, you don’t see a lot of foreigners lining up for a plate of this gooey goodness. You had to be a local. I think I have a little bit of Singapore already in me. The little Singaporean in me is happier just a little bit everytime I eat this kind of food.

This has got to be a tradition from now on. I tell you, one of my best meals in Singapore.

I like traveling. I travel a lot for Food. The main problem I always have is carrying everything, all my gear when I travel. I’d always end up with 3-4 bags. A laptop bag which contains my laptop, iPad, earphones, chargers, card readers, and other electronics. Another bag for my clothes. Another bag for my tripod, and finally a bag for my camera. This is such a pain because I only check in my tripod and clothes bag in the plane and have to handcarry both my laptop and camera bag. That’s why I’ve been eyeing this crumpler bag for a loooooong time already. The 8-million dollar home was very very appealing. It fit my 3 lenses, a flash, my chargers, and my 13″ Macbook! Just in time for my trip!

My favorite feature? Its waterproof! I know my gear is always safe from the weather when I walk around with this! I like also how it fits ALL my gear. It doesn’t even look like a camera bag or laptop bag so I’m pretty confident lugging it around.  Retailing for around Php 6,900 you can get one at the different Crumpler Stores in the Manila. (Greenhills, Bonifacio High St, and Greenbelt)

I’m really protective of my gear. I’m always anxious when I lug my gear around because I don’t want it to get damaged. I like how everything snugly fits and nothing is moving around in transit!

So lets play what’s in my bag!

Nikon D70s

Sb600

2 prime lenses

18-55 kit lens

Tokina 12-24 f/4

Olympus EP-1

Micro 4/3s Kit lens 14-42

Macbook 13″ and Charger

Blackberry Charger

Ipad charger

Seinheisser CX-300

iPad (I managed to stick it somewhere there!)

This is one bag that’s really worth it weight in money! Just in time for my trip to Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam!
See you guys soon!

*Thanks to Digital Walker and Crumpler Philippines

I’m on a quest.

A quest to fullfil at least one out of town trip per month this entire year.

The reason for this new found love for adventure and travel stems from the fact that I don’t get out as often as I would please. And what is life without a little bit of travel and liesure to go along with the trials and tribulations of daily life right? If you notice my blog entries, you would subtly see where I was these past few months from Bacolod to Nagsasa, to Coron Palawan, and now Sagada Mountain Province.

I’ve had Sagada on my list of places to visit since forever and I was a bit hesitant in joining the tour organized by Tracey Santiago of Traveltales Inc. (email me on how to get in touch with her for other tours!) primarily because I had reservations about the place. But then if not now, when? I jumped right in with both feet!

In the spirit of full disclosure and everything, I must say that the 13-14 hour bus ride was quite an ordeal. If you can overcome this tiny little inconvenience then Sagada is going to be well worth it.

First on the list, the famous (or infamous, depending on how you see it) Balut Egg.

Ok ok, I admit this is not a local delicacy native only to Sagada. But with the chilly weather contrasting the warm soup and hearty “meat” it might just be the next best thing. This is scattered throughout the bus stops and is a great substitute for a quick meal especially if you’ve got toilet issues!

You must definitely go Cave Spelunking or at least explore some of the cave systems in Sagada. These caves are full of rich history and traditions one would literally immerse oneself in the beliefs of the past and allow oneself to get engulfed in the folklore and traditions as your tour guide tells tales and stories of the people of the old. Ask the tour guide the reasons for the Lizards on the coffins, the order of the coffins, and of course the darkest places of the cave.

After some educational trivia from the very very interesting guide Raffy, we started trekking towards where we would enter to start our spelunking adventure! One note though, I would advise that all visitors to keep some sort of silence or at least to uphold some sort of respect and courtesy at these sacred places. It may be a tourist spot, but for our ancestors and highland brothers and sisters, this is a place of great reverence.

We started our decent down. Always at the back of my head was “whatever comes down, must go back up again!” (This was Ms. Beng’s mantra!)

Deeper into the Earth we went.

I started to see the point where the light could no longer pierce the gaping darkness that was the cave we were to explore.

We started to prepare.

At this point, I decided to just enjoy the experience and every so often snap photos inside the cave. It was quite difficult traversing the different formations, but I’m sure you guys could do it!

I know some of you might have questions to assail your anxieties if you could do this or not. So if you do have questions please leave them at the comments section below and I will try my best to answer them!

#3 thing to do in Sagada would be to HIKE!

Yes, yes, I understand one’s apprehension to hiking, especially from a food bloggers POV, but trust me some of the best times I had in Sagada were during my hikes. The hike to Bomo-ok Falls, Lumiang Cave, and Sumaging Caves allow you to really appreciate the beauty around you. It helps that the weather was crisp and the air was sweet with pine trees. Nothing can replicate pine tree smell, not even those tiny green trees that hang on cars. (Ok that was a joke for those of you who are to serious with life!)

The #4 thing to do in Sagada would be to visit the Ganduyun Museum. But keep track though, its not always open. Cristina, a self confessed Igorot woman, tells the tales of her ancestors and culture in very good english as well. From the pots, to the handbags, to the hunting patterns and the reason why everything is black, one would walk away feeling satisfied and a little bit more knowledgable that where you stand is very very rich in culture.

#5 must do in Sagada would be to eat the local delicacies. Etag, Pinkpikan, freshly baked wheat bread with local jams of strawberry and mulberry and blueberries, omelettes the size of half a place filled with the freshest veggies you could find, yes this is how we ate in Sagada.

Just for the uninitiated (and just so you won’t have to google), Etag is basically cured pork in those tiny little clay jars sealed with beeswax. It tasted a little like salty ham. Pinikpikan on the other hand is “battered” chicken. Basically the chicken is “massaged” to death. This supposedly increases blood flow throughout its body and makes the chicken meat tastier. Freshly baked wheat bread or chocolate bread in the morning with Sagada coffee and different jams and butter was just the perfect way to start the day.

#6 (but who’s counting eh?)

Hike to Bomod-ok Falls and swim!

You literally go through the rice terraces towards the bottom of the amplitheater. But what’s interesting during the 1 1/2 hour hike down was the people you encounter. The road is usually good for only one person and the old ladies and men who use this pathway on a daily basis are quite interesting.

The reward? Refreshing dip at the base of the falls.

#7 must do at Sagada, visit the Angelican church and knock on heaven.

There is a saying that if you knock somewhere inside the church, your wish is sent straight up to heaven.

#8 thing that you must do in Sagada is watch the sunset at Lake Danom.

Beautiful setting. Beautiful sunset. Simply breathtaking. Make sure you wait for the Magic Light though.

#9 thing you must do is visit Sagada weaving. Watch the locals use old -school looms in weaving some of the finest kinds of cloths around. Make sure you ask permission first before you start snapping photos. Some locals do not appreciate being photographed!

Last thing you must do when in Sagada is watch the sun rise at Kiltepan Tower.

It was quite sad that the fog and clouds were really thick that we couldn’t see the sun rise but the view was spectacular. A sea of clouds and a feeling of serenity and grandeur was simply sublime.

What a perfect way to end this post. Next time you are in Sagada always remember, Take Nothing but Photos, Leave Nothing but Footprints, and Kill nothing but Time.

I recently celebrated my 25th birthday and I thought why not celebrate it with something different this year. I was watching Dinner:Impossible at that time and enter this crazy thought of camping out in one of the hidden coves of Zambales for the weekend.

I rallied the troops, and we were off for an adventure to “rough it out” for a few days. Tents, grills, firewood, and other camping gear, by 11pm we were off and ready to the great unknown. Although we were roughing it out, being a foodie and all, in no way was I roughing out the food. A few days before, I went to the market and bought us our supplies. I prepared the menu, while the others prepared for the adventure.

I gave much thought to what I was going to prepare given that we were going to be “grilling” everything. I didn’t want just “regular” grilled porkchops or pork belly, or regular bbq. This was after all to come out in Foodie Manila. After much thought and consultation, I came up with the following menu:

Day 1

• Breakfast: Hotdogs and Rice
• Lunch: Grilled Rib-eye Steak in Pepper Marinade
• Dinner: Steamed Dory in Lime and Wansuy

Day 2

• Breakfast: Hotdogs and Eggs
• Lunch: Pork BBQ in Honey and Bourbon Glaze

See my make shift grill? The tinder used were dried leaves and lighted using a lighter. (Thanks to Judd who smokes!) It was fairly easy to get the fire going. I’ve always loved grilled hotdogs. They taste WAY better than ordinary pan fried ones. I really don’t know why though, I really must do some research.

The rice was cooked to perfection by Erika as well. She used the finger method. (No I don’t know how to do it either. I just use equal parts water and rice.)

The steaks turned out really well. The meat was tender and flavorful. I realize now the value of defrosting naturally. I did my research and this is somehow because of the water crystals and are frozen inside the ligaments of the meat not damaging the tenderness of the meat as well. I don’t know the whole truth to this and might do more research. *nerd mode on*

The highlight of my trip was the dory. I was quite hesitant to actually prepare this because I’ve never prepared it prior to the trip. But it turned out quite well. One tip though, would be to remove some of the layers of the foil to make the fish cook faster. I made a mistake with this and it took really long to get the fish cooked just right.

The BBQ sadly was spoiled by Day 2 or 3 I can’t remember. I guess the toll of the heat as well as not having access to a cold storage place were the culprits.

I’ve actually thought about doing this again. Gourmet dining and camping. It was quite an experience. I love cooking in this setting. The taste and flavors so raw and flavorful I’d love to go back with a different menu and an ice chest.

and my favorite:

Sorry for the photodump but FoodieManila’s adventure for 2011 begins!

After I got rained out of my trip to the ruins, I decided to take a sip at Bacolod’s local coffee shop called Kuppa. It claims to have been brewing coffee ages, and their tagline says it all. “behind every cup of coffee is 55 years of experience” I love how they put it. I quickly entered and sat in one of the empty tables. And since the rain quickly dissipated as quickly as it started people wanted to get their warm fix in. I looked at the menu and they had A LOT of choices. These people knew their coffee.

I picked 2 drinks to try out. Richard settled for the Iced Berry Nut Coffee. I didn’t take a sip as I wanted to drink something warm.

I ordered the Classis Hot Chocolate and the Banana and Mocha Latte. I wanted something classic as well as something different and I got both.

First to come out was the Hot Chocolate.

The Hot chocolate was not as thick as I had expected. It was quite smooth going down with no solid particles that usually comes with tablea chocolate.

It was a good start to my selection of drinks and I was excited to try out the banana and mocha latte.

The latte came in a tall slender mug which was something different already. There was foam art on the froth and I could smell the banana already.

I think the banana component was banana extract or banana syrup but then again I could be wrong. I liked the sweetness the banana offered contrasting the mocha flavors. Over-all it was a delightful experience.

Bacolod is known for its Inasal and Piaya, but to the well-researched traveler, one would also know that Bacolod is the sugar capital of the Philippines. Due to its relatively flat terrain, wide acres of planting land, and relatively peaceful weather conditions, Bacolod is ideal for the sugar crops that is actually its main product. But all this hullaballoo about sugar is nothing until one realizes that Bacolod is a dessert-lovers paradise. With UBER cheap cakes but really really awesome quality, Bacolod is a definite must-visit for anyone who loves cakes and anything sweet. Pendy’s is definitely one of THE places to drop by when in Bacolod.

Pendys is located along Lacson St or the main thoroughfare of Bacolod City. With its glowing lights, Pendys is a well known spot for its desserts and a good breakfast. I was here for a few things. The legendary Napoleones, Moon Cake, and Dulce de Leche.

First to arrive was the Moon Cake.

The cake was soft and fluffy. This was a good trait for a sponge cake. The top layer consisted of sweet egg-based custard and actually complimented the texture of the sponge cake or chiffon cake underneath. It was quite different and the egg custard was masterfully done. It was both creamy and a bit gelatinous at the same time.

I eagerly anticipated the Napoleones. I have heard great things about this pastry and after Julia Roberts ordered it at Eat, Pray, Love, I knew I had to go for it here at Bacolod.

Napoleon Pastry or Napoleones is basically Pastry Puff dough with custard in between. The original version called Milles Feuilles, is basically the same thing only with whipped cream top. In Bacolod they make their napoleones with a frosted sugar top.

This was by far the best dessert I’ve had in Bacolod. The custard was just right. It wasn’t too sweet so as to make the entire ordeal quite frightenly close to diabetes-causing, but it complimented the roughness of the pastry puff with its rather smooth texture. The Frosted icing on top gave just the right amount of sweetness that I could savor each bite. It reminded me of a harder krispy kreme but I felt less guilty with every bite.

I was feeling the effects of having too much sugar as my head started to buzz with sugar overload. I decided to pass on dulce de leche. I’ve also heard great things about this and actually saw a pair of dudes come in and order just dulce de leche and spoons. Till we meet again Pendys.

Just a few kilometers from the main city, located at the neighboring town of Silay, is one of Bacolod’s oldest bake shops. El Ideal (pronounced as El Idyal) it still stands at the original site where it grew its fame. Famous for both is lumpia and Guapple Pie, this was the perfect resting spot after visiting Victoria’s Milling and The Church of the Angry Christ.

I’ve heard of this famous Guapple Pie and was instantly curious to try it when I got to Bacolod. But since El Ideal was located at an nearby town I had to wait for us to go there.

After a busy day of battling the elements and traversing around Negros Occidental, we finally took rest at El Ideal Bakery. Just a stone’s throw away was another landmark of Negros which was Balay Negrense, one of Negros’ old houses. (They have quite a few.)

We quickly ordered the Guapple Pie and Lumpia for merienda. Since this was a food trip, we knew we would be eating again in a matter of hours, or dare I say minutes, so we only ordered one slice. The place was quaint and rustic. It reminded me of simpler times. Only this time, it was airconditioned already!

The Guapple pie was exactly how it sounds. Layers of Guava and Apple all baked into a pie. They sprinkle a little bit of cinnamon and top with a pie crust and you’ve got the Guapple pie. It was something unique and I’ve never actually tasted anything quite like it.

The Lumpia was indeed a surprise. Having just ran out, the man behind the counter went in to get a fresh new batch. He handed me two rolls of wax paper with what resembled to be lumpia inside. I trotted off to my table and slowly unwrapped one for the obligatory pictorial and proceeded to bite into the other.

The Lumpia was cold. It was really meant to be eaten cold! After biting into the heart of palm filling I was surprised to taste some egg and egg it was! That was something new. I quickly devoured my entire serving. It was refreshing because it was so cold. Then off we went to another foodie adventure in Bacolod! I recommend at least trying El Ideal when you visit Bacolod. If not for the history and tradition, at least come for the Guapple.

My Bacolod trip was not necessarily all about the old resto in Bacolod. Just as long as they had good food, I was there. I asked Kittet, who was recently over at Bacolod, for a nice place to eat and she recommended Pepe’s. Located at the Plaza Sorrento along Lacson, Pepe is both a bar and resto that the locals frequent both for partying and the food.

Kisses recommended that we get the ribs as well as the beef salpicao and true enough, that is what we ordered. The order took around 20 minutes to arrive.

On a huge white plate, the salpicao arrived.

The Salpicao sauce was awesome. It hinted of the garlic and beef well. Too bad the beef tips were a bit tough to chew, otherwise this dish would have been perfect. For Php 140, it was well worth it!

The ribs came out next.

It wasn’t really the rib part but looked more like a pork chop. We concluded that it must have been the end part of the rib.

We ordered Rice pilaf with it. This was a really good dish. Not your ordinary bbq sauce type of glaze. It was somewhat of a cross between bbq and inasal. It was really really good. I recommend that you go to Pepe’s just for this. For Php 160 it was well worth it.

Pepe’s Bar and Resto

2/F Plaza Sorrento

Lacson Street, Bacolod City

Philippines

With the recent rise in popularity of Chicken Inasal in Manila, I decided to take a trip down to Bacolod and find the real roots of this foodie phenomena taking the metro by storm. With outlets like J.T. Manukan, Mang Inasal, and a few more setting up shop, I wanted to know what Chicken Inasal was suppose to taste like, and booked a flight to Bacolod. This was the ultimate Chicken Inasal Taste test.

Manokan Country is located just off the main highway which cuts Bacolod City in half. Adjacently located near the local SM Department store, the milieu of chicken inasal places under one roof was daunting at first. I knew we had to pick the right one. We decided to relegate our decision to an educated guess. Nena’s Beth III had the biggest store, even having some tables reserved, and at 11:30AM was quite full already.

With its gaudy yellow tarpaulin type cover and its blue chairs we settled into our corner and quickly surveyed what the locals were having. I noticed a huge plate of oysters, and quickly decided to order on one plate. Oysters, you see in Manila are quite expensive. At maybe a dozen shells, you have to pay upwards of Php 250+.

The oysters came first.

A huge plate of maybe 25-30 osyters, already shucked and boiled, lay waiting on our table. After the obligatory pictorial session, I was more than ready to dive in.

Shell after shell I peeled it off, slurping every last piece of the shellfish. You could taste the freshness of the oysters as it had the saltiness of the seawater and freshness of the shellfish. Richard on the other hand decided to sprinkle some calamansi over the osyters before gobbling up his fair share.

And before you know it, the entire plate was finished. We checked the price for these plates of shellfish goodness. We were astounded. At P35 pesos per huge plate, it was definitely a steal. We quickly ordered a second plate. This was THE find of trip. I went Oyster crazy.

But man cannot live on oysters alone. (or can he?) I placed my order of a Pa-a (Leg part of the chicken) and Isol (chicken butt) with a side of garlic rice. Within minutes of placing the order, the food was ready. This was no frills service, quick and efficient and I love it.

The chicken was so flavorful and so rich in taste that every bite seemed to be marinated individually. If in the Inasal places in manila they tend to over marinate the chicken to compensate for the lack of taste, they have perfected this art in Bacolod. Everything else pales in comparison. The closest being JT’s Manukan already, but that still comes up short.

The food was quickly devoured and before you knew it, everything was gone. I wanted to eat more. I wanted to order another set of oysters, another stick of chicken butt and chicken leg a few cups more of rice. But I was in a midst of a food battle with Bacolod. I had to pace myself. I promised myself I would be back before I had to go to Manila, and true enough my last meal came from here.

I know I’ll be back again Bacolod. Just be patient.