On The Tummy Spot: Tasty Dumplings Hong Ma!

I’m sure by now you guys know that I am an avid fan and Binondo food addict. There is just something comforting about delicious and well-prepared dim sums and other Chinese dishes that I just can’t resist them. It’s a lifelong love affair from eating at my Angkong’s table with the dishes he has prepared when I was still a little kid to the weekend Binondo 

forays with the mum. It’s in my blood!

And as a yearly tradition, we make sure that every Chinese New Year we are in Binondo to take part in the revelry of it all. From the dragon dances, to the red ang pao’s, busy streets, and of course the delicious food, we really try and make it in Binondo yearly. This year as with last year, we had one of our stop-overs in Tasty Dumplings along Ongpin road. Presently though they have transferred to Condesa Street which is just near the old location in Ongpin. Since we tried some of their best sellers before, we decided to try some dishes that my friend C recommended. We ordered their Meatball soup, Hong Ma, and the Silver roll bread that was best together with the Hong Ma. We just ordered these 3 because we were going to another restaurant later. 

The meatball soup was a revelation. The delicious and beautifully seasoned meatballs floating in a clear but very flavorful broth was something else. We all loved it. It was a great starter and personally I think it’s good to share since the meatballs are quite filling.

The star of our orders was the tender, soy and anise flavored (pork belly, I think) Hong Ma drenched in its own sauce with the right proportions of meat and fat. It was literally a melt-in-your-mouth tasty piece of morsel and the Silver Roll bread was the perfect foil for it.

Hong Ma

Hong Ma

The Silver Roll bread was a fried and crunchy bread on the outside with a soft and light inside. You could put pieces of Hong Ma inside the bread and eat it like a sandwich. They were absolutely perfect together. A match made in heaven if I do say so myself. 

Silver Roll

I do suggest that if you guys check out Tasty Dumplings, be sure to order the Hong Ma and the Silver Roll bread and you will be glad you did. The Silver Roll bread will also go well with the Pata Tim!

XoXo

EV

On The Tummy Spot: 2 Tasty Yabu Adventures

You are probably wondering why my title says 2 Tasty Yabu Adventures. It is quite accurate though!

After arriving from a short weekender in Bacolod last March I met Mum and Zoe in Church at PICC then after church, we proceeded to MOA where I told Mum that I will take them to a nice katsu place. I’ve wanted to get mum and little Z there for a while now and see how they like the food at Yabu so I hurriedly went off to find the new Yabu branch in MOA.

I did find it and since we were there as early as 10am, we had no problems finding a table and escaped the weekend lunch crowd which would have you waiting for 30-45 minutes to get seated at Yabu. They are that popular these days. When we got seated at our table, we were given the menus and Mum chose the Hire Katsu Set while I got the Salmon Katsu and little Z surprisingly wanted her own and she chose the Kid’s Chicken Katsu Meal.

assorted condiments

We were then given 2 big bowls of roasted black and white sesame seeds as is their ritual and I taught Mum how to grind the seeds together to release the aromatic and tasty oils for the katsu sauce. I gave mine to Z who was enjoying the whole experience.

When her kid’s chicken katsu set meal came, I was intrigued and I knew that Z would love it. There were 2 breaded chicken katsu’s that came with it and a potato croquette served together with some edamame, Japanese rice, shredded cabbage and a bowl of fruit. She loved her crispy and juicy chicken and also the croquettes. She also tried the cabbage with the Goma dressing and loved it right away.

Kid's Chicken Katsu Meal

When Mum took in her first forkful of her Hire Katsu she was amazed and commented that she rarely had pork that was very tender, juicy and cooked just right. She immediately became a fan of the shredded cabbage with the Goma dressing just as I once was when I first tried it out. She loved her Hire Katsu Meal and ate with gusto.

Hire Katsu Meal

I ordered the Salmon Katsu and was presented with 4 lovely slices of panko-breaded salmon cooked just right with a glistening pink center. Juicy and not dry, the salmon was perfect as a welcome-home meal. One thing I appreciated at their SM MOA branch is that their branch manager came up to us and asked us how our meal was and if we were delighted with their food. I am impressed with the service so far. I tried the SM Megamall and now their MOA branch and always their service never fails.

yummy Salmon Katsu Meal

My complete Salmon Katsu Meal

Now on to the 2^nd part of this entry – a few days after we ate at SM MOA, I received an email from Yabu’s marketing staff – Erika Lim. She said that they had read my first entry on Megamall and wanted me to come and try out the new dishes that they were offering. Lucky me! We then agreed to meet at MOA and I also brought Mum and Zoe since she told me to bring along others if I wanted. 

(All photos from here on after are taken from the Yabu Facebook site as I forgot my trusty camera during this time.)

Erika was very patient and informative and I love this kind of strategy that Yabu is adapting – taking a one-on-one approach to bloggers. She introduced me to their new dishes and some old ones I haven’t tried yet but also that they were introducing this new Wasabi dressing for the shredded cabbage they serve together with their katsu meals. I got intrigued and tried it first and it did not disappoint. It just had the right hint of kick from the wasabi but never overpowering. I loved it and just like with the Goma dressing I fell in foodie love. It was creamy but not super thick in the consistency. Similar to the consistency of the Goma dressing, I so love this new Wasabi dressing. It hits it right on the spot with the shredded cabbage!  

She ordered the Soft-shell crab katsu meal, the Menchi katsu meal and Menchi curry meal. My particular favorite would be the soft-shell crab which was tasty soft crab in the inside but crispy panko goodness on the outside. A winner at the table and it went so well with the ponzu-layu sauce that accompanied it. In particular, the crab legs were so crunchy and so tasty that I finished them all first.

The Mum had Menchi and she said that she liked it. It was even softer and easier to chew on than their already soft Hire or Rosu or Kurobuta pork. It is premium grade beef and pork minced together and some kind of cheese in the middle and this was an added plus. The Menchi is great for the cheese lovers. It would also be great with the kids. Something fried and cheesy always does the trick for the little ones, wouldn’t you say so?

The Menchi in medium hot Yabu curry was also great. Their curry is sweet and thick than the other curries I have had before. It just had the right amount of kick and I was told that they cooked their curries like 48 hours all together if I am not mistaken to ensure that all the spices and everything nice have simmered nicely together and incorporated all their complex flavors into one full bodied and flavorful curry to go with their delish katsus. You can choose to go really spicy, medium or light on their curries. Totally up to you!

I have to give it to you Yabu, always a pleasure to dine with you and thanks again to Erika for being our gracious host. Now I am on a mission to check out their Katsudons and see how they fare in my book of tasty treats. On a side note, Yabu's miso soup and rice are now unlimited like with their cabbage and you can also opt for some organic rice too!

I can't wait for my next Yabu meal. 

Our Annual Family Get Together – Daddy Joe & Mommy Zabeth’s Place @ CDEO

Long postponed post already so my apologies dear readers as I have been the busy bee lately.

My childhood memories were rich with family gatherings every holiday season and as the years passed and people grew up and moved away, they became less complete in attendance but the tradition has always continued to exist. Regardless, family always made it a point to meet up and celebrate another year of being family. When we were young, these gatherings were eagerly anticipated by the young set then because we knew what was coming – gifts, gifts, and more gifts for us. Aside from the gifts, there was also the abundance of delicious food. Everyone in my family loves food! No wonder!

Most of the time, we spent the celebrations in Daddy Joe’s and Mommy Zabeth’s place in Cdeo or if not then alternate Mommy Ping’s house and also our house before. I remember my childhood there full of fun with the cousins, aunts and uncles. It was a time in my childhood which is really missed because everyone was present during those times and the family was complete.

Fast forward to today, last year, me, Mama, Zoe and my sister Krizza were able to go back home to Cdeo for a wedding and we were able to join in our annual post Christmas and advance New Year celebration at Daddy Joe’s and Mommy Zabeth’s place. I was so happy because I knew what was coming. Again I will be able to savor Mommy Zabeth’s French cooking and eat all that lovely food that Mama Ping, Aunt Babie and everyone else prepared.

Our hosts were very thoughtful as they knew that several kids were coming so they prepared candies and marshmallows for the kids to eat while at the house.

Ever dazzling and also the star of our party – the trusty lechon. Always present and at the honorary center of the table. Cdeo has some very good lechon as well. The lechon de leche was just right in size with a crispy and salty skin tasting faintly of lemongrass and spices all inserted in the cavity of its belly.

Ever present was one of Mommy Zabeth’s signature dishes – the ever refreshingly tasty Shrimp Salad. She told me that it was supposed to be with basil leaves but that they did not have any fresh ones in Cdeo so she substituted with some mango salsa and it was still very lovely. Fresh, plump and juicy red shrimps tossed together with some tangy and sweet mango salsa. Perfect!

An array of beautifully smoked pink salmon with some capers, olives and lemon slices on a bed of lettuce also graced the table. The salmon was melt-in-your-mouth and thinly-sliced beautiful slivers of excellent fish. To add to the fish list, we also had some steamed dory cooked together with black & green olives with slices of red tomatoes. Tasty and flaky is what I would describe it.

We also had some fresh greens with cooked quail eggs, bacon bits, cherry tomatoes and etc.

There were also several more dishes that I was not able to document and photograph anymore since we were busy eating like the fresh and delicious “kinilaw” but at the end of the meal, I lovingly reminisce at the cake that Mommy Zabeth cooks for us every time we have parties. It reminded me of a carefree, fun and lovely childhood with all the family. The memory makes the taste all the more beautiful.

Thank you to my family for another memorable celebration! And we are blessed to have been given another year to celebrate with each other. Hopefully we have many more coming and more complete ones!

Eating My Way in Vietnam: My Foodie Explorations In Saigon Part III (Cuc Gach Quan)

Part 3 is the last installment of my Vietnam foodie chronicles and here I take you to another charmingly designed place in the heart of Ho Chi Minh’s District 1 area. Friend K told me and my friends that this restaurant had celebrity guests like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and with this I would think that they really have good food in store for us. Looking at their menu I am again amazed at how their pricing is but I have to remind myself that things were just really cheaper here in Vietnam than back home. 

The interiors and entrance of the place appeared rustic and zen-like in design because there were actually 2 ponds located inside the restaurant. Rustic and charming at the same time is what I would describe it as a whole. The restaurant was another French colonial mansion redesigned with the Vietnamese touch. They had wooden and antique furniture and fixtures and it added to the charm. Upon research I discovered that Cuc Gach Quan prides itself on preparing food that is free of preservatives and pesticides.

They had a good mix of vegetable dishes proportionate to the meat/chicken offerings in their menu. We had some fruit coolers and they looked very fun and inventive because they were served in recycled square glass bottles and the straws we had to use were actually kangkong stalks. Talk about going native! It was surprisingly fun!

Friend K ordered one of her favorites, sauteed squash blossoms and they were really light and very good. Again we ordered the fried spring rolls which we all agreed on was one of our favorite staples to order as well as a host of other dishes that I have not wisely listed down which I should have done so thereby I am just presenting to you a visual image and feast of that sumptuous lunch. The food was good and the company great! 

fish and chilies cooked in a claypot

kangkong with sauteed beef

fried Vietnamese spring rolls

Sauteed squash flowers

Eating My Way in Vietnam: My Foodie Explorations in Saigon Part II (Nga Hang Ngon)

Our first official dinner was for some Vietnamese street food but the street food that we had was one of the best meals I had so far. I and my friends had them at this restaurant called Nha Hang Ngon which was situated at 160 Pasteur St, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. It was like an open restaurant setting in an old colonial-style yellow Vietnamese house and the food was sold at the sides with different hawkers replicating typical Vietnamese street food setting. It was great! It was full of green plants which made it a cozy garden experience.

You might think that given the restaurant’s look that they were pricey but actually they were not and the food was really delish. Vietnam was colonized by the French so their food exhibits that influence – Vietnamese with a smattering of French.

It was a feast for the senses for me at least. Noisy relaxed surroundings with people clearly enjoying the food and company they were with for that night. We had a look around the different hawkers and then picking out the food we wanted to try out. We were all tempted to try out the tasty little morsels of escargot cooked with ginger and stuffed with sautéed pork of some kind. 

Stuffed Snails

Of course I also ordered my favorite fresh spring rolls with juicy and plump shrimps – Goi Cuon. It was served together with some sweet-sour vinegar concoction which they call the nuoc nam sauce sprinkled with red chilies. Sadly I was not able to get any picture of my favorite as I started on them before I remembered I had to take pictures! 

Nuoc Nam with Vietnamese rice paper wrapper and assorted fresh veggies

We also ordered the fried spring rolls and they were the winner. Dipped in some nuoc nam sauce and eaten wrapped in some crunchy lettuce leaves piled together with some Vietnamese vermicelli and fresh veggies – it was the winner hands down. We even ordered like 3 servings of it since we all could not get enough of it. 

the lovely fried spring rolls Vietnamese style!

That is not to say that the roast chicken we had was not great. It was amazing as well. Cooked with lemongrass and a few other spices, it was juicy and not at all dry and the flavor was great.

the delectable and juicy roast chicken

We also ordered some grilled pork and these were again good wrapped in all that lettuce with the vermicelli and dipped in nuoc nam or the soy bean paste sauce they were also serving. Everything seems to be “wrapped” but I did not mind it as I see it as a healthy alternative to just eating it as is – Meat! 

grilled pork

We also had some sugarcane shrimps. Shrimp patties wrapped around in sugarcane and grilled. The grilling while wrapped in the sugarcane should contribute a smoky and caramelized flavor to the shrimp patty and it did just that. It was another delicious addition to our mouth-watering dinner.

Sugarcane shrimps

Our first dinner out was simply amazing and we knew then and there that we would be back for more. My words are not enough to describe all the flavors of Vietnam in that one sitting but hopefully the pictures can also tell.

Glutinous Rice with shrimp paste

 Nha Hang Ngon is definitely a must-eat-at place in Ho Chi Minh should you find yourself wandering in this part of the world. And the best part of it, it was really good value for money!

P.S. There is still part 3. Heheheh!

XoXo

Eating My Way in Vietnam: My Foodie Explorations in Saigon Part I

Last August 2012 I went on my very first overseas trip to another country. I made it to the shores of Saigon aboard Cebu Pacific and upon the invitation of my very good sister from another mother – friend K. I safely made it in and out of that beautiful country in a week. The trip was eye-opening and just added more for my fuel to travel and travel more. 

When I had the chance to go somewhere to check out some merchandise, what grabbed my attention the most was the fact that at almost every street corner I could see mini café houses just at the side streets with small plastic chairs and tables and some recliners. From what friend K told me, drinking coffee is one of their favorite pastimes. The most famous coffee product that they patronize is I guess the Ca Phe Sua Da (Vietnamese Iced Brown Coffee) which is a combo of Vietnamese-grown dark roast coffee individually brewed using a small French drip filter, ice and condensed milk. There is no water so this coffee is strong and sweet but I think this is their most favorite one. They have it all the time. I had it all the time I was there. I liked it but I preferred to wait a while so the water from the melting ice had thinned out the silky sweetness of the milk so it ended out not too overpoweringly sweet. The brand that I think dominates their market is Highlands Coffee. It was like seeing Starbucks in every street corner in Makati. In Vietnam, I saw Highlands Coffee.

My first taste of Vietnamese was during my first night there. I had made a Vietnamese friend courtesy of friend K and my new friend saw fit to establish our new friendship by gifting me with some local Vietnamese street food fare – mixed sauteed noodles with generous portions of seafood and meat. It came from one of their favorite street stalls in one of the city districts and when I tried it out I wished that we had something like this back home. Available until midnight, the crispy fresh noodle sauteed with an array of herbs together with some shrimps and pork and sprinkled with sesame seeds and garnished with some fresh greens, this filling and spicy noodle dish is a meal in itself and it was a great introduction to Vietnamese food.

Sauteed crispy noodles with pork and shrimp

The very next day I went to friend K’s office and while waiting for her I went out to lunch by myself at a very familiar place – PHO 24 (which is also here in Manila). I decided to have some traditional Vietnamese Pho Bo which they called Pho Bo Tai, Gau, Sach, Bap Chin which had all the trimmings like fat brisket, tripe, muscle, and well done brisket as well as ordered myself a whole plateful of Vietnamese appetizers that included my all-time favorite Goi Cuon (which are the fresh spring rolls). Pho Bo for those who are not familiar is a Vietnamese soup dish which has rice noodles, a choice of chicken or beef broth, meat, and herbs. I tried the Pho 24 here in Manila and it is different from the Pho 24 in Ho Chi Minh. It tastes so much better in Vietnam but that is a given I think. The pho was so hearty and filling and made me think of cold weather, soft couches, books, and eating pho for a meal.

Pho Bo with everything on it

I had their appetizer sampler plate which had Goi Cuon (fresh spring rolls), Cha Gio (deep fried spring rolls), and some fried meat balls served together with Nuoc Nam (Vietnamese sweet vinegar which I love) and the soy bean paste dip. I love the fresh spring rolls and they are always a winner for me. Strips of pork lined together with some rice vermicelli, carrots and a plump shrimp wrapped in a Vietnamese rice paper wrap. Really so good to eat! I could have 10 of them and still want some more.

Appetizer Sampler Plate

My first take on Vietnamese cuisine was tasting good so far and I couldn't wait for the next meal so please watch out for my next post – Part II. 

XoXo

EV

P.S. I found Highlands Coffee here already in the Philippines sold at a GoNuts Doughnut stand in SM Makati.

Another Korean Lunch: Kogi Bulgogi @Lucky Chinatown Mall Binondo

I just can’t stop eating Korean although my dentist told me to lay off on the spicy and salty foods for a bit as they are unhealthy for my gummies. I did do a break but I still sneaked in some Korean food loving but just not as often as before. This time while we were in Binondo for our regular trek, the mum, sister, little Z and me decided to eat some Korean at Lucky Chinatown Mall since we decided to check out the newest mall in Binondo. As mum already loves Korean food, she was all smiles as I decided to have some Korean food for lunch.

As we entered the restaurant, we were very welcomingly ushered to our table and the wait staff was very attentive and accommodating. I decided to steel myself for a little bit of flavor difference here since from what it looks like, Kogi Bulgogi is a Korean fast food chain and not really the small out-of-the-way-Korean-restos that I frequent with the ahjussi and ahjumma smiling and saying something to me in Korean. The set up was fastfoody! They had nice interiors though and lighting was perfect for taking pictures. Hehehehe!

BANCHANS

After the wait staff took our order, we were then served some cold water and the obligatory banchans. To all those who are not so familiar with Korean food, banchans are the little side dishes that Korean restaurants give out to their customers. It is a very important part of a Korean meal and always given out freely especially their kimchi.

They gave us a total of 6 small portions of banchans but in other Korean restaurants the number could go up or down but always never below 4 in my experience. We had fried anchovies and these are cooked the same as some of us do locally – fried and added with a pinch or more of sugar to add some caramelization. Salty, crispy, fishy, and sweet is the way to describe it. We also had some sautéed tempura but they were nothing out of the ordinary for me. The sautéed bean sprouts were also ever present as was the pickled and spicy kimchi. They also gave us 2 new banchans I haven’t tried before – banana slices cooked with some sugar and a little bit caramelized and some pickled bitter gourd or better known as ampalaya.

Sauteed Tempura

Sauteed Bean Sprouts

Crispy Anchovies

Sweetened Bananas

Kimchi

Pickled Bitter Gourd

Haemul Pa Jeon

Since they had Haemul Pa Jeon (seafood pancake) in their menu, I decided to try it out so we ordered it and also their fried rice. The Haemul Pa Jeon was really good and quite filling. I felt like the seafood components together with the egg were very well cooked and the dish wasn’t tasting like just made out of eggs. But I could really feel and taste the seafood component here. It was an appetizer but it could have been an entrée. The fried rice was quite delicious. Shrimps, egg, and some chorizo adorned the serving of rice we were given and it alone could have been a meal in itself. Think of a Chowking chao fan but better.

Sundubu-Jjigae

I then ordered some soup to go along with our meal since my mom requested it. Instead of ordering the usual Doenjang-Jjigae that I love, I decided to try something different and ordered Sundubu-Jjigae which was made out of really silky and soft tofu (which literally melts in the mouth), clams, squid, and port. This stew was really delicious. Spicy but tastes of the sea. The tofu was a great addition to the wholeness of the soup.

Bibimbap

Korean Style Fried Chicken

Mom also wanted to order some Bibimbap because I introduced her to this lovely and filling dish but we were both disappointed with the bibimbap that Kogi had. The bibimbap is not their best dish and we didn’t even finish this one because it left us quite high and dry. Since the little Z was around, I ordered some Korean style fried chicken. Theirs was a different version from the usual Korean restos I frequent. They had golden crispy fried chicken and although it was different from what I was used to, this really tasted good and the little Z loved it and we also loved it. Crispy and golden on the outside and soft and juicy in the inside is how I would describe the delectable fried morsel. We also ordered another main dish – Chicken Kalbi which is marinated chicken thigh with a sprinkling of sesame seeds and served together with some lettuce leaves, ssamjang (a mix of soybean paste and some other spices), gochujang (red pepper paste), and a thick syrupy sweet substance which seemed like a honey-based sauce.

Overall our first experience with Kogi Bulgogi was good and I will certainly come back again to try out their other menu offerings but I still think that nothing beats those small Korean restos with Korean ahjummas and ahjussis.

Chicken Kalbi

Happy Korean Food Campers!!

XoXo

P.S. Expect to pay around 100++ to 500++ for each order. They also have rice toppings in their menu.