Grilled Lambchops

Lambchops are easy to cook like grilling porkchops. The only thing you have to add is rosemary. To create a marinade for a pound of chops, make a garlic paste by grinding a few garlic cloves in a mortar, then put in a mixing bowl and add a half cup of wine vinegar, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/2 tspn. of salt and pepper, rosemary, a teaspoon of grey poupon and a few drops of olive oil.


Marinade overnight for the meat to seal in the mixture. Grill the chops 2-1/2 minutes each side for medium rare, 4 minutes for well done. Serve with a mint jelly on the side and rice pilaf or with potatoes.

Surf & Turf at Marriot's Buffet

The Marriot at Resorts World, boasts of their wide selection of antipasti, entrees and desserts that line a number of buffet tables. Among the international foods offered are Italian, Japanese, Continental, Chinese and Filipino dishes. Aside from that, they offer a variety of seafood ranging from fresh oysters ordered to whatever style you want: raw, baked with cheese or steamed; stone crabs, shrimps and a variety of fish served either as sashimi, baked or sauteed in butter or terriaki style. There is a salad bar consisting of a variety of greens and Italian style pasta with vegetables or just plain steamed.


But my favorite is their roast prime of beef cooked to perfection, medium rare but you have the option to have it well done on the grill and offer a choice of mushroom or peppercorn gravy. Alongside you may choose potato wedges, paella or white rice to go with your roast beef.


The dessert table consists of more than a dozen items from chocolate gnash to a variety of cheese cakes to assorted fruits with different fruit sauces to ponder.


Truly their buffet is a mixture of fun and flair which reminded me of my buffet trips to Vegas! 

Hai Shin Lou

Frequented by Taipan Henry Sy, Hai Shin Lou, located at 810 Pasay Road boasts of the freshest seafood and vegetables you can't find elsewhere. But the most popular item in their menu is the roast Peking Duck with its succulent crispy skin. Even in their vegetable dish, they use fresh mushrooms instead of dried ones. If you are bringing kids to this place, you have to have their sweet and sour pork, one of the best I've tasted. Other favorite seafood items are steamed lapu lapu (grouper) and eel with blackbeans. This is one restaurant you must try!

Crispy Pata (Pigs Trotters)

Next to roast pig, crispy pata may be the next favorite Filipino dish because of its crispiness and delicious tender meat. This is an easy recipe to follow and the secret to maintaining its crispiness depends on the time between boiling and frying the trotters. Here's the recipe:


Ingredients:
  1 pig's trotter about a kilo (pata)
  1 tspn. salt
  4 to 5 cups vegetable oil
  2 star anise


Sauce:
  1/2 cup sugar cane vinegar
  2 tablespoons soy sauce
  1/2 tspn. sugar
  1 small capsicum (sili labuyo)
  dash of black pepper


In a deep pot place the pata and fill it up with water up to the level of the meat. Add a teaspoon of salt and the star anises and bring to a boil for 45 minutes and set aside to cool. Keep refrigerated overnight.


In a deep pot or a wok, heat the oil up to about 340 degrees. Using a pin, punch holes all around the skin. Deep fry the pata until the skin turns to a golden brown color and texture similar to crispy pork rind. Punch the skin with a sharp knife to test its crispiness. Set aside to drain and place on a serving dish.


For the sauce, in a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients and if you want to add some crushed garlic, you may do so for added flavor. This dish goes well with Kare-kare...enjoy!

Oxtail Stew with Peanut Gravy (Kare Kare)

A favorite dish among Kapampangans (from the province of Pampanga), this menu is eaten with a shrimp paste condiment to add flavor and a bit of saltiness to your tastebuds. This recipe takes a bit of time to prepare but simple enough for everyone to follow. Here goes:


Ingredients:
  1 kilo chopped oxtail
  1 kilo chopped pork hocks (pata)
  2 to 3 tablespoons peanut butter
  1 tspn of paprika or vegetable oil cooked in achuete
  1/4 kilo string beans
  1/2 kilo Taiwan baby cabbage (pechay)
  4 pieces of Japanese eggplant, sliced
  1/2 cup Japanese rice
  5 cloves of garlic
  2 tablespoons of fish sauce
  
In a pot, bring to a boil the oxtail and reduce to low heat and simmer for four hours. Heat a frying pan with no oil and toast the Japanese rice until brown. Set aside to cool and ground in a coffee grinder. 


After simmering for 2 hours, mix in the ground up toasted rice, the chopped pork hocks, the achuete oil or paprika and simmer for the remaining 2 hours. In the last remaining 15 minutes, add the peanut butter and mix until the sauce thickens, add some fish sauce to taste then set aside. In another pot, boil the vegetables until tender and add a dash of salt.


Arrange the vegetables and stew in a 3 inch bowl and serve with some shrimp paste condiment. Enjoy!

Pork Chop with Cinnamon Apples

A perfect combination...porkchop and apples! Typically, in America, apple sauce is used by pureeing cooked apples in a blender and used as a condiment. In my recipe, I sliced the apples to make it like a filling for an apple pie. Here's my simple recipe:


Porkchop Marinade
  1 tablespoon soy sauce
  2 cloves chopped garlic
  1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  Pinch of salt & pepper
 


Cinnamon Apples
  1 whole red delicious apple, sliced 1/4" thick
  4 tablespoons of sugar
  1/2 tspn. cinnamon
  1 cup water


Marinade the porkchop and set aside for at least  a couple of hours. Cook the apples until you get a sauce reduction with the consistency of an apple pie filling, then empty the pan by placing the apples in a fridge to cool for at least an hour. Using the same pan for the apples, fry the porkchop in 1/3 cup of oil. Cook for 4 minutes each side in high heat then season with salt and pepper.


You can either stack the porkchop on a bed of rice or sauteed potatoes or a combination and lay the cinnamon apples on top of the meat for presentation. Bona petit!

Hawaian Adobo Ribs with Fried Rice

Adobo is the Filipino national dish and can be found in almost every province in the country. Every province has it's own recipe version, some cooked with coconut milk, others with paprika. In Hawaii, where there is a large concentration of Filipinos, have their own version cooked with pineapple juice instead of just water and here it is:
    1 kilo pork spare ribs (chopped 3 to 4 inches length)
    1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
    1/2 cup soy sauce
    3 cloves of garlic
    12 ounces pineapple juice (sweetened)
    2 bay leaves
    1 slice of ginger
    3 slices bacon

Brown the spare ribs in a deep pan with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. After 3 minutes add the diced bacon, chopped garlic and after 3 minutes put the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil for another 10 minutes. Simmer in low heat for 30 minutes.

Strain the liquid and toast the ribs in the pan by setting the heat to high. Pour in some liquid (about 3/4 cup) every 3 minutes or until the juice reduces. This process is called toasting the meat so that all the meat shavings that sticks on the pan will blend and thicken with the sauce. Set aside to cool and serve!

Here's the recipe for the fried rice:
   2 cups of cooked rice
   1 stick of Chinese sausage (6 inches in length)  chopped
   1 medium sized Spanish onion sliced thinly
   3 cloves finely chopped garlic
   4 tblspns of soy sauce
   1 egg beaten
   1/2 tspn sesame oil
   1/2 cup of sliced lettuce or Chinese cabbage


Saute the sausages for 1 minute then add the onions, sesame oil, garlic, sliced lettuce or Chinese cabbage and egg. Once the egg is cooked, add the rice and while stirring, add the soy sauce until it all blends with the rice. Set aside and sprinkle some chopped onion stalks before serving.
     
     
   



   

The Unsinkable Kimpura

Located at the Greenhills shopping center, Kimpura is probably the oldest restaurant in that area since the center was established. In the Philippines, Kimpura is synonymous to the famous Benihana established in the U.S. that started in the 70's. Their steaks range from America's famous Angus beef to Kobe's famous Wagyu beef cooked in front of the patrons on a flat griddle. They also have a variety of seafoods from shrimp, to salmon to lobster which they cook individually or match as a surf and turf meal. And they have a variety of sauces depending on the type of steak or 
seafood you order. Kimpura also has sushi bars and dining tables for customers wanting to order the traditional ala cart meals but the steaks and seafood is what they're known for. A typical Angus steak would cost about Ph1,000 and a surf and turf, Ph1,400 which is just enough for 2 people. They have private rooms for family or business gatherings for 6 to 10 people. Kimpura is one of my favorite steakhouses and I would recommend this for those who want to have a foodie experience of their life!

Pho Hoa with a Twist

After having visited Puerto Princesa, I set out in search of that delicious Vietnamese noodle soup in the Metro Manila area. The only authentic soup I can find is at Pho Hoa, a Vietnamese franchise from the U.S. where most of their ingredients (noodles and hot sauce) are imported from California. Their soup is different from the one I had at Bona's Chou Long, a Vietnamese roadside noodle shop on Manalo Street in Puerto Princesa. But after a few experiments, I hit it right on the mark. When I ordered the  sliced beef flank soup, I requested that they use the beef stew broth, the one with a dash of paprika. I still remember Bona's soup were a bit sweet and spicy so I asked the waitress to hand me a teaspoon of sugar and about a spoonful of their hot sauce all stirred into the soup. Since their broth was not cooked with lemongrass, I just added a dash of lemon along with a few springs of basil and lo and behold...a duplicate of the Bona's Chou Long! So if you desire to get that authentic Bona's flavour, try it...the only downside is that Bona's Chou Long serves French baguette sandwiches while Pho Hoa has an assortment of authentic Vietnamese rolls and other Vietnamese-Chinese style rice dishes. Pho Hoa's advantage lie in the quality of their noodles and hot sauce which they import from the States and their beef balls from Puerto Princesa! In summing up, you can get a great Ph35 Bona's style Vietnamese soup flavor at Pho Hoa with quality ingredients for Ph200...but hey, it's worth it!!! Bona's Petit!

Sambo Kojin...a Korean feast!

 Triple V's latest addition is an all you can eat Korean feast for Ph495. Located at their flagship on EDSA just past Connecticut in Mandaluyong, Sambo Kojin boasts of a wide selection of Korean appetizers from sushi to kimchi and an array of cooked dishes like, sukiyaki, Korean spare ribs and stew, tempuras, chap chae, katsudon. They also have raw meats and seafood for you to cook on your table consisting of shrimp, calamares, yakitories, bulgogi beef, pork and chicken. On your table is a tray consisting of 6 different sauces for you to try and also some kimchi and other appetizers like spinach, sweet potatoes and dried and spicy fish fingerlings. 

The restaurant is on the second floor above the Kamayan and Dad's restaurant but the place has no elevator access for the handicap. But for the price I would recommend the quality of the food and great service.
 

Hai Kang...a family affair

Shark's fin soup

Dungenous Crabs

Peking Duck

Peking Duck wrap

It seems like I can't get enough of Chinese food but it just so happened this past month came with friend & family gatherings... and a great way for most Filipino families to celebrate is by having a "laureate" (8-10 course) dinner at a restaurant. 

Situated along Wilson Street at Greenhills, San Juan, is Hai Kang Seafood Restaurant (formerly Harbor City), which caters to small family gatherings. The restaurant is laid out having both sides of the place lined with private rooms with a round table which can accommodate a family of 10 to 16. The rooms are separated by accordion type dividers that can be opened and linked together for groups of more than 16. And for large banquets, they have the main dining area that can fit 200 to 300 people. 

Steamed grouper

Roasting platter

Hai Kang

Shrimp with leeks and cream sauce

Hai Kang offers a wide selection of set menus ranging from Ph6T to Ph18T depending on the number of seating per table. Their specialities range from roastings to fresh fish and shellfish.Truly this place is for family affairs! Hai Kang is located at the corner of Wilson St. Don Miguel Streets just past the Greenhills West gate.

Lugang...A Sampling of Different Chinese Regional Cooking

Located at Connecticut Street in Greenhills, Lugang offers a variety of Chinese regional cooking from Taiwan, Canton, Sechwan, Hunan and HongKong. The restaurant boasts of its modern eclectic interior of glass and stainless steel while maintaining an Asian flair by adding bamboo and an open kitchen at the back with a display of their roasting specialties. Almost a year old, Lugang still maintains a full house during lunch and dinner so I recommend that you call in for reservations. 

  

 Some of their specialites are Hainanese Chicken, Beef with Cruddles (Chinese crispy sliced donut), Imelda Spicy Fish head, Siao Long Pao (Cantonese soup filled buns) and not to mention their roastings of pork Macao, chicken and duck. Their menu comes with pictures for customers to select.

Prices range from 150 to 450 pesos on their dimsum and roastings and 350 to 600 on their main items which are good for 2 to 3 persons. Reservation is a must and I suggest having a driver because their parking lot in front easily fills up!

El Nido's treasures

The bountiful seafood you can find at the public market for 1/4th the savings you'll get from dining out at restaurants!

Crabs sold at the market for Ph120 a kilo

El Nido town

Grilled Lapulapu

El Nido, situated at the upper most tip on the island of Palawan, not only offers the beauty of its landscape but also the richness of the sea. The beach area is about 1/3 the size of Boracay and the town itself is right behind the beachfront. We stayed at a hotel 3 km. from the town for three nights drinking wine and dining on hotel food but on the fourth night, we found a house for rent at the beachfront at El Nido town.We found a treasure at the public market buying nothing but seafood and had everything cooked by the housekeeper for around 1/4th the cost of dining out. At the public market, the cost of 1 kilo of grouper (Lapulapu) was Ph70, Crabs for Ph180 a kilo, prawns for Ph120 a kilo, clams for Ph20 a kilo and squid for Ph60 a kilo and assorted vegies for Ph30 a kilo. For the next 3 days we were feasting on grilled seafood and vegies. On some occasions, we would hang out on bars drinking San Miguel beer for Ph190 a bucket of 5 bottles and buying some munchies. Among the bars and restos we visited were  Seaslugs where they serve 6 inch burgers and great pizzas, and Marber's which offers German and Filipino food and serves the best Pinacoladas!

Seaslug's 6-inch burger

On the way back to Puerto Princesa, we found another gem of a place... a roadside Vietnamese noodle house named Bona's Chao Long that serves authentic noodle soup and French baguette sandwiches for Ph35 each. The place is situated along Manalo street in Puerto Princesa. Inspite of what we had to endure, traveling in a van for 6 hours from Puerto Princesa to El Nido, the beauty of the landscape and the wonderful fresh seafood was worth the hassle! I would recommend that you visit this paradise!

Bona's authentic Vietnamese Beef Chou Long

Seafood Spaghetti (Spaghetti con Frutti di Mare)

A ten minute seafood dish that's easy to prepare and the basic ingredient in every Italian pasta dish is bacon or pancetta as they call it in Italy. 


You need to cook the spaghetti in boiling water for 8 minutes with half a teaspoon of salt and set aside. In a pan, add 2 tablespoons of regular olive oil and add 3 to 4 slices of chopped bacon. Halfway before turning brown, add about 5 to 6 cloves of chopped garlic. When the bacon starts to brown, add slices of calamari and peeled shrimps (you may add the heads and take them out later). After a minute, put in a pound of baby clams and add a cup of white wine.


When the clams open, up bring the heat down to simmer, add a half cup of tomato sauce, some chopped basil leaves and parsley and stir. Then add the spaghetti while stirring and after a minute, turn the heat off and pour some extra virgin olive oil. Place on a platter and serve!


Note: You may add slices of fish, some mussels or lobster meat along with the mentioned seafood ingredients to make it more elaborate.

Garlic Chinese Spinach (Polonchay) with Century Eggs

This simple recipe can be cooked in less than 10 minutes. You can purchase the Chinese spinach (polonchay) and Century eggs at any oriental food store and you can add vegetables of your choice if you want.


You will need a can of chicken stock heated in a pan with a few drops of sesame oil and at least 5 cloves of peeled garlic. Bring to a boil and mix the polonchay in the pan and cover for a minute. Chop 2 century eggs into 3/4 of an inch sizes as shown in the photo and place in the pan along with 2 eggs, beaten and stir. Add some fish sauce or salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Tung Lo Wan's...roasting specialties from Hongkong

Formerly Red Prawn, Tung Lo Wan (Chinese translation for Causeway Bay) boast of their new specialties created by their roasting chef imported from Hongkong. Their menus consist of white chicken with ginger sauce, roast pork Macao style which are to die for, roasted chicken with its hot garlic and mustard sauce, roast pigeon and succulent pork barbecue. I can say their roastings are a must try because I have visited the place many a times and I kept craving for more!


Aside from their newly added roastings, they still serve their favorite seafood entrees consisting of steamed crabs, steamed sweet shrimps, steamed live sea bass/grouper/king fish, and black eel. Not to forget their famous Buddha soup and chicken rice made from drippings of the steamed white chicken.


They still have their famous Special and Seafood Lomi soup which I've been ordering for a couple of years now and I must say their consistency and taste is up to par.


The restaurant is located in San Juan on Wilson Street corner of Guevara across Santis Deli. This place is a must try considering their roastings are above par from their competition around the Greenhills and San Juan area!