Foodie Manila

There’s always an excitement towards discovering a hidden gem. This is the kind that would make you go “a-ha!” upon stumbling upon a good thing that’s not quite known to the public yet. Such was the case when we were invited by the Frazzled Cook for dinner one quiet Saturday evening. I have been noticing this quaint, cozy looking restaurant along Luna Mencias street in Mandaluyong.

From the outside, you’ll see a dark iron gate with a garden filled with giant pots. Walking inside the restaurant, you’ll be greeted by 27 Japanese money cats waving as if they’re welcoming you in.

Jude Mancuyas: Head Chef

The Frazzled Cook’s menu consists of a number of comfort dishes. This is to match with its laid back ambiance, I guess. It was a special evening and we were served with dishes that were specially prepared by Chef Jude Mancuyas who’s the head chef and co-owner of this restaurant.

First came the Pizza Caprese which is Frazzled Cook’s homemade pizza topped with kesong puti, tomatoes and basil. It’s your Pinoy-version of everyone’s favorite Pizza Margherita. What made this pizza different is the addition of the garlic oil that one has to put a couple of drops of on their slice of pizza before taking a bite. Every bite was simply bursting with all the flavors coming from the garlic oil, tomatoes and the salty Kesong Puti.

Herbed Chicken Salad

After the pizza came the Herbed Chicken Salad. This was a hit especially with the girls who enjoyed the mix of roasted chicken marinade and rubbed with the freshest herbs and crunchy lettuce and our local mangoes. It was very refreshing and a perfect way to start the meal.

Sizzling Squid

Next was the Sizzling Squid which was very fragrant and I simply loved how tender the squid was. No need to struggle in every bite here.

Paella Negra

Among the entrees served that evening, I really enjoyed digging into the Paella Negra. I love paella and what I love most is the kind that has a thin layer of burnt rice (tutong) underneath. I can’t help but smile as I take in one spoonful after the other. Muy Delicioso!

Seafood Paella

For those who would like another alternative to their Paella, there’s the classic Paella Seafood which is loaded with the freshest catch from the sea.

Tenderloin Nuggets

Another crowd-favorite was the Tenderloin Nuggets with Mashed Potato on Flat Bread. This is perfect for the meat lovers who will enjoy a really tender piece of tenderloin steak topped with button mushrooms in every bite.

Pancake Ala Mode

Dinner was filling and truly satisfying. We were all so happy with the generous serving and interesting dishes served to us that evening, we were surprised that the Frazzled Cook was not yet done. Out came the Pancake ala Mode which was so good that even those who were already full just had to give in for just one more bite. We enjoyed the fluffy buttermilk pancakes with soft vanilla ice cream. What a perfect way to cap our meal!

It was a very relaxing evening as we enjoyed each other’s company. The food was truly comforting, not at all intimidating and the place is definitely one that I will definitely go back to.

Meat Lovers Pizza

Food Bloggers!

Rosemary Chicken

Refreshing Iced Tea

The Frazzled Cook

#916 Luna Mencias Street Barangay Additional Hills, Mandaluyong City

Open from Tuesday-Sunday

I rushed in expecting half eaten plates of food already consumed by my fellow food bloggers. Mind you, they were all prompt, and here I am rushing in through the front door with bags and stands hanging from my neck, sweating like nobody’s business as the owner explained the first thing to be served.

Yes yes, I was late.

It was very unprofessional and I really felt bad that they had to wait for me for 30 minutes or more. I vowed to take the best pictures of my life that night.

As I came barging in, I saw what looked like a silver bowl with smoke coming out of it. It was either super cold or super hot; either way it was cool seeing actual smoke coming out. Since I still had to set up and prepare the gear for the shoot, I quickly ignored whatever it was Johann was saying.

It was my turn. He quickly scooped up with his metal spoon whatever it was inside the smoking bowl. (Now the spoon was smoking too. I gathered from the frost forming on the metal spoon that it was cold.) He quickly gave instructions of popping it into my mouth quickly as the ridiculously cold pieces would burn my hand if I don’t and as he was saying this he started emptying the contents into my opened palms.

I popped them into my mouth and started blowing the smoke out.

It was damn cold.

I suddenly exclaim: “Oh its popcorn!” Everyone laughs. I popped something into my mouth, smoking and not knowing if it was extremely cold or hot, without knowing what it really was.

Appetizer

This set the mood for tonight. Johann was very eloquent and entertaining as he explained the finer things of the dining experience. For me the flavors itself were both a symphony of uniqueness and yet familiarity. For starters, the appetizer served was a medley of crab and vegetables all rolled or rather dipped in a batter. It was a blend of uniqueness and yet somehow I felt like I have had it for years.

Zenses Beer

The beer they served was no ordinary fare as well. It hinted of a fruity combination along with the bitterness of the beer. It was refreshing to say the least. Had I not been on my lenten promise and sacrifice, I would have drank the entire glass. But a few sips was fine to give me enough stimuli to at least write something worth reading.

Tomato Soup

Tomato Soup was up next. Johann mentioned that with this particular soup, one would need to have to eat it quickly. I pondered over this sentence as what soup needs to be slurped down quickly? Soup is usually sopped up slowly, savoring the flavors of each spoonful as one prepares one’s self for the main entrees.

The soup came.

It was this big tomato resting on a bed of breadcrumbs.

It baffled me and yet somehow intrigued me. (which somehow started to be the theme for the night!)

He quickly took a knife to it and started cutting the Tomato. As he slowly and carefully cut the tomato in half, like a skilled surgeon take a scalpel to a precarious place of your body, he explained that soup was actually COLD soup.

Tomato Soup

The soup was quite something different. It tasted like salsa (from mexican origin) with a hint of spicyness. The texture of the breadcrumbs combined with the rich and thick tomato soup was just a medley of taste and texture that only one can hope for every now and then.

Tomato Soup

As the dinner progressed, we started talking about the good ol’ blogging days. I couldn’t actually relate since I was confined to my own little blogging world and was not really active in the blogging scene till recently. The kitchen apparently cranked up the service as they started out churning dish after dish. I barely even had time to sit down and take a bite of something when another dish would coming out and be placed on the photo table. Being Filipino, the obligatory rice was there. The rice was nothing out of the ordinary chinese or japanese fried rice. It had its own twist to it but having different meats but generally it wouldn’t stand out among bowls and bowls of fried rice.

Fried Rice

Johann then announced that a dish called Dragon’s Breath Chicken was going to next. Suspending all pre-conceptions, I quickly inferred that most likely the dish would be spicy or hot at least and I was right. Mixing both spicyness and flavor this dish oozed of hotness as with every bite a glass of water was to be consumed. WARNING: If you do not like spicy food you will not like this at all.

Dragon's Breath Chicken

I was having a grand time just dining with friends at Zenses and shooting the food. The place oozed of sophistication and yet still had that cozy feel that screamed intimacy. The subtle tones of the light which lightly whispered yellow, green, and blue and the background music through the entire thing was just perfect. I thought it could not get any better than this.

That was, until they rolled out the last entree for the night.

The piste-de-resistance of the evening was the Ribs in Strawberry glaze. Now I’m the kind of guy who likes his ribs barbequed and smoked. Baked would already be stretching it and well, no other sauce is right except good ol’ hickory barbeque sauce. But this dish was something else. The aroma already screamed the fruity nature of the glaze. The meat was succulent enough to still taste the rib taste that one craves for, and the strawberry glaze just took away the saltiness of the meat. This was the winner for me that night. It screamed the entire theme of familiarity, yet unique.

Ribs in Strawberry Glaze

Ribs in Strawberry Glaze

It was so good I had to post 2 pictures of it to do it justice.

I had originally decided on creating a separate post for the dessert but somehow I felt that they all deserved to be in one post. The entire experience was what was needed and not just parts of it at a time. So here goes.

Every restaurant has its USP. (Unique Selling Proposition) Zenses was the medley of flavors it brought to the table and it did so with class and style. At the end of any meal, usually waiters would ask whether one wanted coffee or tea. Johann asked us or rather suggested we have coffee. Naturally we agreed. (Him being the host and all) He quickly got out one those silver bowls again and started rapidly freezing coffee cream into the concoction.

Rapid Freezing of Coffee

Rapidly Frozen Coffee

Letting it sit for a few seconds, he then scooped it out and served it to us on a normal cup for coffee. It had a meringue consistency to it. Literally, one had to knock your spoon to crack it and chip it so that you could scoop a portion into your mouth. What was interesting was, you barely felt it going down. It felt like air basically. One would not know the term “melts in your mouth” until you have tried this.

Frozen Coffee

Dessert was fantastic. I thought that capped off the experience and dinner quite wonderfully. I was just about ready to pack up my stuff when martini glasses were brought out. I thought “Great, alcohol and I don’t drink!” (At least not anymore!) I had preconceived notions about dessert. It would most likely be icecream. I quickly asked if it was ice cream and indeed it was. He then asked me if I had instant ice cream already. I was confused. (As with most of the night) He also mentioned that the flavor was Bacon and Egg topped with Rice Krispies. Basically bacon, egg, and rice was the theme. I had my apprehensions, primarily because I am lactose intolerant, but since it was a flavor I’ve never heard of, prepared in way that I’ve never encountered before how could I say no?

Bacon and Egg Icecream

Bacon and Egg Ice Cream

Bacon and Egg Ice Cream

It was a great night out with friends. Good food, great experience everything seemed to be going my way. I loved the ice cream. (I haven’t had one in quite some time) I even risked a tummy rumbling for it. Over-all it was an impressive taste. If you want to impresses a date or a client definitely bring them to Zenses. The service and preparation of the food alone will get you talking more than usual.

I’ve heard the term Molecular Gastronmist from Heny Sison over the weekend and was pondering what exactly does that entail. I understood the individual components of the term, yet somehow in my mind have trouble putting 2 and 2 together. Last night at Zenses, I finally understood what it meant. Although some maybe turned off by the complex flavors it offers, my palette delighted in something very different, very unique, and yet still harmoniously beautiful. If ever I decide to start dating again and find a woman who I think is worth spending time with, definitely Zenses would be the place.

Zenses is located on the first floor of A Venue along Makati ave. But then they are moving to Greenbelt real soon!

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