Tag: Top Picks

Kung Pao Pasta in a Snap

In the Sichuan Province where this dish supposedly originated, Kung Pao Chicken is usually eaten with rice.  I like it either way, mixed with pasta or over rice.  I first came across Kung Pao Chicken absurdly in the US, Panda Express most likely but many of the Chinese restaurants would have it on their menu.  In fact, even the place just across our apartment, where we always order take out, have it.  Since then, it has become one of my favorites and when I came back to the Philippines some 20 years ago, I found out that it was practically unknown then.  So I soon forgot about it until a few years ago when it finally caught on here.  Some establishments (CPK, I think and recently KFC) came out with their own version, introducing it as a pasta dish even – to my delight.

The sauce has soy sauce, vinegar, rice wine, sesame oil, garlic, chili and sugar, making the dish sweet, sour, salty and spicy.  While I love the dish, I never attempted making it at home until recently.  If you have all the ingredients (which could be a handful) it is a relatively undemanding dish (with a lot of flavor to boot) that’s made even easier with this.

Have it over rice or with pasta, up to you.  I am all for cooking from scratch but some days really calls for a meal in a snap.  This is a great pick for a stressful day – I just followed the recipe at the back of the pack.  Experimenting is for another day as I can imagine it absolutely wonderful with shrimps and rice.

Chicken Kung Pao

What you’ll need:

  • 225g Clara Ole Kung Pao-style Pasta Sauce
  • 250g pasta of your choice
  • 150g chicken breast, cubed
  • Peanuts, salted or unsalted, with or without garlic
  • Spring onions (optional)
  • Salt to taste

Here’s what to do:

  • Sauté chicken in oil.  Season with salt.
  • Add in peanuts and cook for a few minutes.
  • Pour in the Kung Pao sauce and cook until heated through.
  • Toss in pasta and the spring onions.

Yes, that simple and very flavorful too.

*Note:  I only made half of the recipe.

Posted on by Jenn 3

Vivere Azure: An Oasis of Calm

Every now and then this good friend of mine and I would spend a weekend together… just the two us.  So one weekend in September, having just emerged from a harrowing few weeks, my friend S wanted to veg-out somewhere away from the metro.  Being a good friend and someone who hardly pass up a chance to any kind of adventure (kaladkarinin in filipino hee hee!   :-D), I agreed to keep her company.  At the recommendation of a mutual friend, we booked ourselves a room at Vivere Azure.

A refuge, I call it, just 2-1/2 hours away from Manila, this premier deluxe resort is found in the sloping hills of Anilao, an excellent dive location thriving with divers and tourists alike.

Reception Area

The unassuming entryway from the road, as with many of the resorts in Anilao, does not do justice to the place but once inside the gate, we were transported to an oasis of calm.  It seemed like we had the whole place to ourselves.  Warmly welcomed by very gracious staff complete with a welcome drink, we were ushered to our room.

Clockwise:  Inside, the balcony, the beach just a few steps away from our room, the view

The Cobalt Room albeit a bit snug was well appointed and very comfortable.  We oohed and we aahed over our room and the splendid view it afforded us.

The Presidential Suite

The bar

Then we oohed and ahhed some more as we walked through the entire resort.  I liked it that the resort even had a sandy beach to speak of (a rarity in Anilao) and that our room was just a few steps away from it.

The rate per head (P6,500) is inclusive of 5 meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner plus 2 snacks.

The cozy dining area overlooking the sea was where they serve lunch and dinner.  The breakfast area was a different area closer to our rooms and the beach.

Our lunch was pretty impressive and satisfying – a good sign that we will be enjoying our meals here (and we were not disappointed).  After lunch we decided to enjoy the pool, which was not quite “infinity” but close enough.

A great way to enjoy the view and the sunset

The pool and the loungers were extremely de-stressing; I was in slumber land as soon as my head hit the lounge.

The following morning, I decided to go snorkeling.  They supposedly have a beautiful house reef.  For Anilao standards, it could be better.  I think Dive ‘n Trek has a better house reef.  But overall, I was pretty impressed and for a non-diver, I think the reef was acceptable.  The thing that totally won me over though was the pampering – impeccable service, I tell ya!  It’s like having a very discreet butler at your beck and call.

I frequent Anilao but hardly splurge on a resort as my main goal always was to go diving.  Not this time.  Our goal was to do nothing.  Besides, S is not a diver and Azure, although can arrange dive trips through their affiliate dive centers, is technically not a dive resort.

Our farewell snack — turon à la mode (fried banana roll)

That September weekend, I got acquainted  to a whole new Anilao.  So was it worth the splurge?  I say yes but don’t take me word for it, go book yourself a room.   😀

Getting There:

Other Useful Info:

Km. 108 Barangay Aguada, San Teodoro, Anilao, Mabini, Batangas
Contact Nos.:  (632)771-777 or +63917-843-0912
Email:  info@viveresuites.com
 

Posted on by Jenn 4

Beijing Good Eats

I love Chinese food.  I think I blogged about it once before but I will say it again… I love Chinese food.  What excited me no end about visiting China was the opportunity to have real authentic Chinese food.  And interesting Chinese food, we definitely had.   Most of our meals were marvelous but I failed to ask our guide what and where they were so I leave you with 2 (of the best I’ve had on this trip) well-known restaurants that had left a lasting impression.

Ya Wang Roast Duck Restaurant

Peking Duck.  Absolutely my family’s favorite since I can remember.  And since we’re in Beijing, how could we not partake of what they consider their national dish?  And so to Ya Wang (Duck King) we went.  Whilst Quanjude and Dadong are favorites among tourists, we opted to go to a less famous but better (in my family’s opinion) tasting roast duck.

Ya Wang’s version did away with the fat and oiliness but kept the main feature of soft and crispy skin that melts in your mouth.  They say that they make sure that the ducks they serve are not too fat by growing their own ducks.  Also, the skin when carved into thin slivers has some meat on it, unlike the other establishments where they separate the skin from the meat. But it’s to each his own and I like it with some meat.

Crispy duck skin, duck meat, cucumber, scallions then topped with hoisin sauce…

Regardless, Peking Duck is a definite must try when in Beijing and Ya Wang is perhaps one of the best places to remember it by.

Xiao Nan Guo

…is a famous chain from Shanghai that found its way to Beijing and Hong Kong.  A renowned restaurant serving Shanghai dishes.  Yes that’s right!  Nothing wrong with that, right?  This wonderful restaurant is modern and elegant featuring a blend of Eastern and Western details.  The food, traditional, served in a way that is more contemporary.  The owner along with her sister started a six-table restaurant in Shanghai 23 years ago beside a restaurant called Da Nan Guo (Big Southern Country) so they named theirs Small Southern Country –Xiao Nan Guo.  Today, this small southern country restaurant is not so small anymore with 7 branches in Shanghai alone, with several in Hong Kong and Beijing.  Some of my favorites:

A lotus root appetizer

Hong Shao Rou (Red braised pork)

Szechuan styled fried chicken with chilies

Beijing, I found out could be a (Chinese) food lover’s happiness.  And if you feel that you have had too much…

Head over to Ten Fu tea.  They have a wide selection of different kinds of quality tea. Definitely a haven for tea lovers.

Useful Information:

Ya Wang
77 Jiangning Lu,
near Fengyang Lu
Phone: +86 10 6271 1717
Xiao Nan Guo
2/F Jinbao Tower
89 Jinbao Jie, Dongcheng Center
Phone:  +86 10 8622-1717
Ten Fu’s Tea
150 Wangfujing Street,
Dongcheng, Beijing
Phone: +86 10 6527 1888

 

Posted on by Jenn 7

Xiao Long Bao: Dumpling of all Dumplings

Credits:  Quickpage by Joanne aka 2girlsand poodle from the You Are Awesome Kit.  Alpha by Scrapmatters.com Life Little Surprises kit.

If you haven’t heard of Xiao Long Bao, it’s about time that you do.  You absolutely must try this at least once in your life. This delectable steamed soup dumpling is named after the small bamboo basket it is steamed in.  Inside the dumpling are pockets of minced meat and gelatinized broth made of chicken, pork or cured ham.  When steamed, the gelatin melts inside the dumpling and the soup bursts into deliciousness in your mouth.

Best with vinegar and ginger slivers

The graceful way I eat this is to bite a small hole into the dumpling and sip out the juice before taking the whole dumpling.  A word of caution… wait a few minutes to cool the dumpling before devouring though – the last thing you want is to ruin the whole experience by burning yourself.

My first encounter with this Shanghainese specialty was in 1991, in Taiwan – the very first branch of Din Tai Fung, I recently learned.   And for a very long time, I could only dream of it.  It took me 10 long years to feast on these babies again, this time in Shanghai.  It took perhaps another 5 years for Xiao Long Bao to make its way to the Philippines.  Eat Well is a favorite and very recently, Crystal Jade opened its doors in Greenhills supposedly offering excellent xiao long baos.  The long line turned me off so I have yet to judge for myself.

Din Tai Fung. Singapore. Packed!

Recently however, I came full circle when a few months ago in Beijing and more recently in Singapore, I saw myself in Din Tai Fung for a treat of my favorite dumpling (and more).  Din Tai Fung has become known for their delectable dumplings for decades and opened up franchises in many Asian countries but sadly not in the Philippines (yet).  I saw that they’ve expanded their dumplings to more than just their signature Xiao Long Bao.  They now have chicken, fish and even a vegetarian dumpling.

Though I was a bit disappointed with the vegetarian dumplings, their signature dish remains to be my favorite and

Clockwise:  Cucumber appetizer, Fried Pork Chops on fried rice, Almond Jelly on crushed ice, xiao long bao with vinegar and ginger slivers.

I so totally enjoyed their pork chops and almond jelly dessert.  So really even if XLB made them what they are today, it isn’t just all about dumplings at Din Tai Fung. If you find yourself in a neighborhood with  Din Tai Fung near you, don’t hesitate at all.  Click here to see where they are around the globe.

Where to get XLB in the Philippines:

Eat Well Delicious Kitchen (sounds tacky but they really serve up delicious meals)

At The Fort
Unit C, Ground Floor, Net Quad Building,
30th-31st St., Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
For Reservation and Pickup only: +632 856-9408
At Greenhills
Missouri St. cor. Connecticut St., Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: +632 722-8518

 

Crystal Jade
Unit 117-121 (near Haagen Dazs and Goodwill Bookstore)
V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center
Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila

Phone Number: +632 570-6910, 570-6912

 

Posted on by Jenn 4

Beijing Acrobats

Credits:  LivE S4S Stitched Page Overlay, TW Lesson 2 paper, Laurie’s Ornament, KPertiet Storyboard Negatives.

China’s acrobatics are world-renowned and deservedly popular among Beijing’s visitors.  Young students that demonstrate extreme flexibility, dexterity and balance that boggle the mind perform today’s acrobatic shows.  If you have enough time, might as well witness a show.  Expect to “ooh” and “ahh” during the entire show as the young performers show off stunts such as: plate spinning, unicycling, juggling, Chinese yo-yo, etc.

Snippets from the show:

Where to watch:

Chao Yang Theater

Wansheng Theater

Tiandi Theater

 

Posted on by Jenn 3

The Binondo “Wok”ing Tour

Possibly, no definitely the best way to see Manila “on foot” as their leaflet suggests and I completely agree.  It’s literally experiencing Binondo or Chinatown one bite at a time.

I am of Chinese descent but I don’t really know my way around Chinatown.  My parents would occasionally take us there for lunch or dinner when we were growing up but really, I am clueless as to their whereabouts.

An “old-time” favorite of the family

Binondo is like a maze, although the street names are all very familiar, I have no sense of where they are in relation to each other.  Leave me there and I am helpless.

I grew up with home cooked Chinese food.  Not the stuff that you eat in “Cantonese-style” Chinese restaurants in the metro, but simple home cooked meals that really is more everyday stuff to me than “Chinese”.

So taking this tour was somewhat nostalgic and enlightening.  We journeyed through old and new adventures.  There were food that I grew up with and there are those I encountered for the first time.  The places we walked through were likewise familiar, yet unfamiliar.

Binondo Today and Yesterday

Ivan showing the group a “grandma” slipper that is almost in the brink of deletion.

Our gracious host, Ivan Man Dy met us at the Binondo Church located across the Plaza Calderon dela Barca along Quentin Paredes St.

It is today a well-known landmark in Chinatown.  Because the saint once served there as an altar boy, it is also known as Minor Basilica of St. Lorenzo Ruiz.

At the Plaza across the church, we talked briefly about how the early Hokkien (Fookien) immigrants arrived from Fujian province in China during the Spanish rule and the time when Binondo was the main center of business and finance in Manila with mainly the Chinese, Chinese mestizos, and Spanish Filipinos anchoring the bustling banking and financial community many decades ago.

Today, the community is still vibrant as ever and continues to keep alive its heritage.

Café Mezzanine

After a brief reminder of our history, we walked over to a café above Eng Bee Tin where we were served a bowl of “kiampung”, which literally translates to salty rice.

This rice dish is a mixture of pork, chicken, dried shrimps, mushrooms and peanuts mixed together in soy sauce and topped with caramelized and spring onions – a simple dish that reminded me of my childhood, my grandmother, actually.  Opened and run by a group of volunteer firemen headed by Gerry Chua, all of its proceeds go to the Binondo and Paco Volunteer Fire Search and Rescue Brigade.  So if you find yourself in the area, head on to Café Mezzanine and eat up a storm, every bite you take is a contribution to a noble cause.  Located at the corner of Ongpin and Yuchengco (former Nueva St) Sts., it opens its doors at 7am and closes at 10pm.

Dong Bei Restaurant

Fried Kutchay Pancake

We then walked over to a hole in a wall that serves perhaps the best dumplings in town.

At the storefront (as you enter) there will be someone making fresh dumplings by hand for everyone to see.

Owned by new immigrants Ivan calls “bagong salta” (new arrivals) from Northern China, they serve prominent dishes from that region.

Heavenly with the sauce!

The steamed Kutchay dumpling is a blend of minced pork, kutchay and fresh shrimps – juicy pork dumpling flavored with kutchay and fresh crisp shrimp adding another dimension to the taste of the dumpling.  This is truly a wonderful blend of flavors and is heavenly with the soy-vinegar sauce.   I loved it so much, I bought some frozen ones to savor more of it at home.  Heard that they also make a mean dish of hand-made noodle with Soybean sauce.  Must get myself back there to try it.

Fried Siopao

Another favorite and a first for me is fried siopao from a small take-out stall along Benevidez St. Yes folks, this siopao is not steamed but pan-fried.  This might be the best tasting siopao I had ever tasted in my life.  Not the typical asado filling, this is more like bola-bola siopao but much more tastier.   Definitely a must-try.

Aside from the siopao, I also bought to munch some sugar sprinkled bicho-bicho (Chinese crullers).  This was a favorite and truly a blast from my past!

There’s more and best to experience it first hand.  The Big Binondo Food Wok.  Go book a tour today.  And oh… make sure you’re hungry.

Posted on by Jenn 4

Maa Shee Saw Yo (Delicious!)

Credits:  Kitschy Digitals – You Are Awesome Kit Plain and Yellow Houndstooth papers; JSprague Awesome Scallop tag

Twenty years ago, Korea to me meant underground shopping where overruns of well-known brands abound.

Itaewon

Today, these so-called underground shops albeit scarce still exists but no longer rule my interest.  More than lovely sceneries (which I only discovered on this trip), it’s the cuisine that got me fired up.  Korean food ranked high on my list of favorites ever since I stepped foot on their soil some twenty years ago.  The proliferation of Korean restos in my neck of the woods nurtured that fondness.  Lucky for us, we had great Korean hosts and night after night, we were treated with authentic Korean cuisine and more. And contrary to some reports, Koreans are very courteous people.   🙂

Some of my favorite dishes came to life and once again, I got to taste it from its source.

Bibimbap

Rice, meat, vegetables, an egg and chili paste.  Mixed together and I’m in heaven.  What I love best about this is the crusty rice at the bottom.  So better make sure that it is served in a hot stone bowl.

Chapchae

Usually served as a side dish in Korea but I can have it as a main dish anytime.  It can truly make my day.

Galbi Gui

The first time I tried this was in a small restaurant in Itaewon and I’ve never looked back.  A must have in every Korean dinners.  It is short ribs marinated in Korean Soy Sauce, garlic and sugar and then grilled, usually at the table.   Typically served with lettuce, which is used to wrap the beef in.  The hot bean paste called ssamjang sealed the deal for me.

Kimchi

Funny how I sometimes crave for this when it wasn’t love at first taste…  nope, not at all!  It actually took a while for me to even like this stuff.  But what is Korean food without kimchi?

A Colorful Platter of 9 ingredients in Thin Crepe

This was interesting and a first encounter.  The platter came with thinly sliced fresh and pickled vegetables and mushrooms.  Gather a few of each and wrap with the crepe.  Maa shee saw yo!

It was a great trip to Korea even if it was actually work (and a bit of play).  The food capped it all, as usual.

Posted on by Jenn 3

A Museum of Art and Nature

A short ride from the Baguio City center along Km 6, Asin Road stands a modern white building that is BenCab’s Museum.  A 4-hectare project of the National Artist for Visual Arts, Benedicto Reyes Cabrera, more popularly known as BenCab.

The Master of contemporary Philippine Arts traces his beginnings in Mabini where he painted and ran an art gallery with his elder brother Salvador Cabrera.  He then moved to London, gotten married to a British writer and eventually established for himself a name of international recognition.  When his marriage ended, he relocated to Baguio in 1988 and along with other artists formed the Baguio Arts Guild.  BenCab being a tenacious admirer and collector of Cordillera Arts also formed his own group of artists when he established the Tam-awan Village, an art center that promotes Cordillera traditions.

So it is to no surprise that aside from the BenCab Gallery, which presents a range of his works of different periods, sizes and styles,

the museum also houses a Cordillera Gallery displaying a collection of tribal artifacts and indigenous crafts of the northern Luzon highlanders.

It also showcases artworks by contemporary Filipino artists – Cesar Legaspi, Anita Magsaysay-Ho, Fernando Zobel, Arturo Luz, Ed Borlongan to name a few.  A collection he accumulated through the years.

Aside from promoting art, a major part of its mission is to preserve, protect, and conserve its natural surroundings.  And how?

The museum commands a breathtaking view of the adjacent organic garden, its surrounding mountains and the South China Sea on the horizon.  Other sections of the estate features large ponds for ducks and a thatched-roof gazebo erected on a center island.

Café Sabel, serving cordillera coffee, tea and some food, is on the ground floor and overlooks all these.  Truly a remarkable man’s gift to a community he joined more than a decade ago.

A museum that is worth a visit opens its doors from Tuesday to Sunday, 9am-6pm.  Admission fee is P100 per head.

Posted on by Jenn 10

Similan Diving

Clockwise:  Me all set to go, MV Koon, a friend about to do the giant stride.

I could hear someone enthusiastically banging his tank and I instantly knew there was something major up ahead.  I examined my surroundings and there it was, gracefully gliding through the great expanse of the sea, coming toward our direction.  Yes, this was what we came here for.  And suddenly the exhaustion vanished.  A sense of calm never fails to envelop me whenever I encounter this gentle giant gliding through, perhaps enjoying the attention too.

Strong currents hit us when we reached Ko Bon Pinnacle from the blue.  It pays to be fit because just reaching the Pinnacle is a work-out all its own.  This near vertical slope is where manta rays are frequently spotted playing.  There are a couple of cleaning stations on the reef and manta sightings are almost guaranteed.

This occurrence will continue until the next day, in different dive sites, mostly in the northern part of Similan.  It was awesome and is always a privilege being with them in their domain.

The Similan Islands was declared a national park in 1982 and is rated top ten among the world’s dive destinations.  The impressive boulder formation also continues below the surface with diverse landscapes of canyons, boulders, coral gardens, caves and walls.  It is also home to an amazing variety of marine life.

The southern coast consists of those smaller islands (described on previous posts) that are numbered from one through nine and is balanced by the larger northern islands of Ko Bon for its beautiful piece of landscape, Ko Tachai with her attractive sandy beach above and plateaus beneath with probably the most colorful coral gardens in the park.  Richelieu, the 3rd island of the south was also a highlight of our dive trip.

A relatively small dive site and a bit too crowded with divers all vying to see the huge extent of marine life in the area. Whale Sharks are usually sighted during the months of April and May but for some reason, they elude me once more.  And so my pursuit of that elusive butandings continues.

Here’s some underwater snapshots to take pleasure in:

Huge Batfish

Cuttlefish

Yellow fusilier

Harlequin Shrimp

Lionfish

Moray eel

Octopus

Puffer fish

Seahorse

Shrimps

This is either a squid or another octopus

Tomato Clownfish

Us, posing for the cam during a safety stop.

*  All photos courtesy of R. Formoso of Subaquatic Scuba.


Posted on by Jenn 15

Island No. 8

The tide was getting high and the swell stronger.  As we were wading to the shore, I got caught in one big swell and almost lost my camera to it.   😮  Whew!  Gotta get that underwater casing soon.

Climbing those boulders would have been easy if I had worn my aqua socks, but instead I wore slippers and it keeps slipping off my feet so I went barefoot.

Chris, our divemaster went barefoot — he seemed fine!

Thought it would be a walk in the park but the boulders were rough (at least to my delicate soles   :-)) and hot from the sun.  I felt like I was walking on hot coals.  Seriously.  The soles of my feet hurt for 2 days, I think I got a 1st degree burn from it.   😯   It was all worth it though.

The gorgeousness of the entire island made it seemed all right.

A word of caution:  it can get a bit unnerving once you reach the top especially if you have a fear of heights like moi!  I made sure I stayed out of the edge… unlike my two friends here:

I tell you, it really is best to stay away from the edge! 😛

It looked inviting from our dive boat, the wonderful granite rock formation intrigued us no end.  It was a no-brainer, we had to take time off from our dive and head to this bay called island No. 8, also known as Donald Duck Bay, The Boulders and Shoe Bay (Ao Guerk in Thai).

All describing this prominent large boulder that seemingly stands upside down unsteadily balancing on its tip.  It could resemble the cartoon character or a boot, depending on which angle you see it from.  Our angle resembles neither – so I call it “The Boulders”. Going back to our dive boat though, we caught a glimpse of Donald but the water was splashing so much, I dared not take out my camera or I’d surely lose it this time.   😕

It is said that the rocks were formed around 65 million years ago from hot magma and polished to its actual shape today by the weather and the sea.

The picturesque bay is where the National Park office is located and is a favorite anchorage of the live-aboards.  And why not?

Scenic Sunday

Posted on by Jenn 9