This restaurant is located along 7467C Bagtikan Street, San Antonio Village, Makati City. Their number is 984-7760. Now, we’re done with the particulars, let me tell you why I had to rush home and write a post about this restaurant.

They have a see-through kitchen that is squeaky clean, spic and span. That’s important for anyone dining in a restaurant. According to the owner, this restaurant has been around since May 2011, so it’s quite new. They have yet to make waves in the restaurant business, but with their food I’m sure they will be recognized. I have earmarked this place as my favorite place for Chinese food in Makati. Their signature dish is the Pork Asado.

I say this without reservation, this pork asado is way better than Panciteria Lido’s Asado. Really. Forgive the photos, I wasn’t ready to take pictures when I went there. I just passed it by when I went to Meralco to pay my electric bill. It looked promising so I went inside. I was not disappointed at all. The pork asado, baked chicken and their chicken rice (yes, Hainanese) are just some of their signature dishes. They also have roast duck which I have yet to try. However, I picked a random dish and see how their non-signature dishes fared. I also ordered their Curry Beef Camto Noodles.

This is a very large bowl, slightly bigger than the one they serve at Shinjuku Ramen. I love curry and I love ramen. Their version used beef brisket in a soup with curry and fresh, hand-pulled noodles. The first sip blew me away. It was better than the curry ramen of Shinjuku Ramen. Not salty nor overly pungent, this curry beef was true comfort food. Satisfying and delicious.

A delightful surprise was that they served cold Horlick’s! I love this drink and the last time I had a glass was in Singapore last 2009. It’s been awhile and it was great to be able to have some in Makati. Now I know where to get some if I have cravings!

When you are in the area, or on your way to pay Meralco or to the Sacred Heart church, do pass by Hongkong Roast Food Express. You will love the food.

Charlie’s Grind and Grill is one of the most well-loved food places in Pasig. Sometime in 2010, they opened a branch in Ortigas Ave, San Juan. This branch is for those who don’t want to dine in a car wash/garage. This branch is located at the Ronac Art building along Ortigas Ave, North Greenhills (image borrowed from www.solemovement.com). This is a good alternative for those who live in the area and love to dine at Charlie’s Grind and Grill.

I know this restaurant has a lot of good eats. They have burgers, all kinds of beer, pasta praised to the high heavens, et al. But I come here for one thing only; their chicken wings.

I have tried chicken wings from North to South of the Metro, here and abroad, but Charlie’s chicken wings are the best, so far. The coating you see here is not so spicy and I can always ask for atomic-spicy chicken wings if I wanted some. The service can sometimes be inconsistent depending on the time of day and how thick the lunch crowd is.  What I love most is the chicken wings (yeah I said that twice already) and the blue cheese dip.

The celery stalks are just wonderful, so are the other veggies. I love blue cheese dip because it’s pungent and salty. They also have really good deserts. I love the frozen Brazo de Mercedes. Really good! My apologies to my endocrinologist. I just had to give in this time.

This piece of chicken looks very ordinary. It comes from a restaurant called KC Chicken located at 12 Cirilo St. Isidora Hills, Brgy Holy Spirit, Quezon City. However, you must know by now that looks can be deceiving.

Two large piece of this fried chicken costs P70, each at P35 regardless of whether it’s white or dark meat. I always go for the leg-thigh combination. I think that at it’s price, this chicken is a steal.

What’s so special about it? This fried chicken is the best Korean fried chicken I have ever tried. It looks so ordinary. Much like the cheap fried chicken you see along the streets. But KC Chicken is different. It is the LECHON CEBU of fried chicken. No sauce is needed because the flavors are so locked into the chicken during the cooking process. I don’t know how they do it, and I’m not really interested.

All I know is that when you buy from them, they fry the chicken one more time and they serve it sizzling hot. No sauce. Just chicken and rice. And oh my goodness, I was so delighted when I first tasted it. The flavors will seep into your palate right away and the inside meat is so juicy like it was fried just that very moment you ordered it. Compared to Bonchon or Chicken Charlie, I’d say they now have serious competition. Only difference is the location. Bonchon and Chicken Charlie are large franchisers and have so many outlets in the Metro. The Korean guy who owns this place, just wants to fry chicken and enjoy watching football on cable TV. If you’re into no-frills fun, this is the place to be. Come here during FIFA season and you will be among friends. Fear not, the food will not burn through your pockets. At P35 apiece (US$ 0.81) I don’t think you will spend so much money for the really tasty, oh-my-god chicken.

They have other things in the menu, like noodles and stuff. Try asking for what’s not on the menu and be delightfully surprised!

In anticipation of the travels that I am planning to do this year, I stumbled on some old pictures of my trips. One particularly interesting trip was the Davao Food Tour in 09. It was fun and I really want to go back. However, I realized there were other provinces to visit and I can’t keep going to just the same place. I need to have some variety, thus in the coming months you will see posts of my travels.

Visiting provinces in the Philippines is always a good experience. Believe me, this is not marketing speak. In my experience, and I am very picky during my travels, I have not been to a provincial city I didn’t like. Foreigners and Filipinos alike must realize that there is a lot of color and dazzle to life outside Manila. Multinationals are beginning to look at Davao and Cebu to bring to do business. Cost of living is much cheaper than in Manila. Compared to other Asian destinations, Philippine provincial cities have cheaper food and lodging, yet the basics of good business can also be found. We have 5-star hotels in almost all of our major cities. Food is an eclectic mix of Asian and European tastes, you can’t complain about not having anything decent to eat, if you know where to go. The secret to enjoying the islands is to be adventurous. Try new things and stop looking for 7-11 or McDonald’s. Our water is clean, our facilities complete and our service, superb.

This grilling restaurant in Davao is the perfect example. Foreigners come here very rarely because of the way it looks on the outside. No maître d’hôtel, no sous chef, no valets. Just a bunch of ladies in t-shirts fanning the coals while you wait for your orders. It is weird how these foreigners are constantly afraid of eating unfamiliar food. That is how you will be familiar with the local cuisine, you have to try it. Luz Kinilaw is a good place to learn how to eat raw fish. Their tuna is so good and is fresh, not frozen like the ones fancy Manila restaurants serve. You will taste the difference.

The acidity of the vinegar and other spices will literally “cook” the tuna. If you are craving for something grilled, there’s chicken (native), tuna (this is their specialty) and other seafood. I liked their grilled squid.

Bottomline, you will not spend an arm and a leg for a filling and delicious meal. I ate here last 09 and I spent no more than P500 pesos, including take out. I don’t know exactly where this is in Davao city but I am 100% sure, all cab drivers know where it is.

I believe every one of us has a favorite restaurant. One that we will visit no matter how far. I, for one, have more than just one favorite restaurant. If I want to eat Korean food, I get dressed and drive a good 40 kilometers to this restaurant in Brgy Holy Spirit, Don Antonio Village, Quezon City. I love it because they serve authentic Korean food and it is also the favorite dining place of Korean nationals studying English in the school beside it. Why did I mention this? Because that is what SkewU is all about. It is your favorite kebab place and that you should visit it whenever you feel like eating Angus Kebab.

SkewU is located at 56A East Capitol Drive, Brgy Kapitolyo, Pasig (tel: 399-2863). It’s a small place with an airconditioned area and an outdoor area for the smokers. Owner Dennis says they were originally at Banchetto and they used to be a big hit with the midnight dining crowd in Ortigas. However, with the closure of Banchetto in it’s original place and move to the megatent and in other places, their regulars missed them and thought they had stopped selling the Angus Kebab. Worry not, Banchetto fans, SkewU is very much alive and serving the Kebab you love and more!

If you recognize this, then you must be a Banchetto regular! Yes this is the famous SkewU Angus Kebab meal that you’ve been looking for. It was my first time to try them last night and it was really good. I especially love the sauce. I also had some Chicken Kebab.

It’s all in the skewer. Metal skewers instead of the bamboo type that we’re used to. It makes a difference in the cooking process. Metal can stand the heat and is reusable, thus allowing the SkewU chef to cook the Kebab with more heat than if it were on a bamboo skewer. Hotter barbecues means more locked in flavor for the Kebab. True enough, SkewU’s signature Angus Kebab is both juicy and tender.

You must try this with Biryani rice, not just plain rice or garlic rice. Buryani rice is sort of India’s answer to the Paella. They cook really fragrant rice with basmati spices, meats and other goodies. SkewU’s Biryani rice is only P25 per cup (US$ 0.58). Not bad if you want seconds, or thirds.

I also ordered the Angus Tapa. This is probably one of the best tapa I have tried. They serve it in a sizzling plate. You can order it in sharing portions or in a set meal for one.

It comes with a special sauce that I really like!

When you dine at SkewU, don’t forget to order dessert. They have Pasta Crepe (Mango or Blueberry) and Melaka Tapioca (I love this one.)

They call it Pasta Crepe because they sliced the crepe into strips like Fettuccine. I like the touch!

The Melaka Tapioca is basically glorified Sago, but, oh boy, it’s magic to the taste.

This is my favorite dessert. Excuse my diabetes but I think I want this for my cheat days.

Check out their menu and prices. I think you will agree with me that this place deserves to be visited. Also be their friend on Facebook and be notified of their latest promos!

This is what was left of a wonderful lechon kawali (deep-fried pork belly) meal at Romy’s kitchen, a small canteen inside the Delarosa Carpark 1. I learn about this place when my office was still at the 27th floor of the Enterprise Center, Ayala Avenue cor Paseo De Roxas. I can’t remember who introduced me to this canteen, but when I do I shall mention that person here. Romy’s Kitchen is known to be the home of the best lechon kawali in town. I have tried others but they all pale in comparison to this. I had no intention of blogging about it so I didn’t bring a decent camera when I ate there. However, the crunch and punch of their Lechon Kawali was just to good I had to make a blog post out of it.

This is the kind of canteen that most Makati employees have probably tried already but hardly noticed how good their meal was, until it was all gone, burped and farted out. Those who do eat there probably don’t notice that they have not changed prices since 2007, if memory serves me right. A heaping saucer-full of freshly popped Lechon Kawali cost P60 per order. Each order is actually good for two people with mediocre appetites. However, upon sinking your teeth into the fat and crunchy rind, you will realize why you don’t want to share the P60 cost with even your faithful lunch buddy; you will love to just pop it in your mouth even when you have eaten all your rice. When I used to have lunch often at Romy’s Kitchen, an officemate of mine would ask me to buy her an order and she would eat it from a plastic bag like she was eating a bag of chips. No, she would not share with me so I made sure I had my own takeout.

If you work in the Makati CBD area, craving for Lechon Kawali and other delectable delights but on a very tight budget, Romy’s Kitchen is your best choice. Located on the second floor of the Delarosa Carpark 1, behind Enterprise Center building. Ask the guards if you don’t see it right away. Just make sure you are there before 12 because the lines get so long that the Conga line stretches from the food counters to the stairs on the first floor, outside the canteen. Best time to go there is 11 am. You also opt to go there after the lunch crowd has finished eating, but there won’t be too much of a choice in food when it’s past 12 pm.

It was a good dinner. The service was good, as usual in a Japanese restaurant. Nihonbashitei looks like an 80s restaurant and for no uncertain purpose. When  patrons walk into the restaurant, they will immediately notice the 1980s feel and  the warm service.  The prices are reasonable, perhaps less expensive than the neighboring restaurants along Pasay Road.

Like this really tasty roll from Nihonbashitei, I wish everyone a wonderful New Year, full of hope and good things to come. May 2012 be YOUR year and may you have A LOT on YOUR PLATE this year, a lot of love, happiness and g0od fortune.

Once in a while, I like get together with friends especially during the holidays. Problem is, we’re all a little low on cash because we are not children and we were the ones who had to give money away. It was all fun, nonetheless. So when it was time for us to meet and swap stories, we all decided that though we want to dine big, our wallets had become a whole lot smaller. Dampa sa Riverbanks, Marikina was our best alternative.

Dampa sa Riverbanks is a Mecca for those who are looking for cheap clothes, bric-a-brac and entertainment. Marikina is a fine city known for the discipline of its citizens and the low crime rate. I love coming to the Riverbanks Mall because of its character and strong penchant for all things pleasant and, yes, cheap. Marikenos are a warm and friendly people and despite its proximity to the center of business, Marikina has an old provincial feel. Food is available and is relatively cheaper than other part of the Metro. Dampa is no exception. The food in this place is cheap, tasty and fresh.

Excuse my photos, the light is not very good. I have eaten in the place three times now and I love it! The service, the food and the prices. I can’t help but harp on the prices because the food here is truly something to rave about. When I dined here with my friends, we had fish, squid, chicken, sisig and green mango with bagoong. The last one is free for everyone who eats there.

You begin by choosing from numerous stalls that have the food skewered and marinated on display.

I love the Chicken Barbecue. I always make sure I order that. Only P70 (US$ 1.63) for three pieces on a bamboo skewer.

Then I ordered Sizzling Sisig, which is made of a pig’s ears and face muscles marinated to perfection and cooked on a metal grill. The raw egg makes it even more delicious.

Then we ordered for a slab of Blue Marlin cooked in Sinigang broth. This was a bit more pricey than most of the food, P150 per slab of fish (US$ 12.30). Still it was worth every cent. When you come here, dine at Fortune Grill (the one with the blue table). Their service is wonderfully fast.

They also had this grilled stuffed squid dish but I did not take its picture because they put cheese on top of it. To me, it was not appetizing, but my friends enjoyed it anyway.

So if your budget is low and you want to eat good food, Dampa sa Riverbanks is the place for you. Here you can laugh and enjoy the evening air with friends, family and beer. Parking is a breeze at P15 flat rate. Curious about our bill? Here’s what we spent:

I highly recommend Dampa sa Riverbanks for all ages and religion. Come bring your party to Dampa!

This initiative is to support the local agriculture, ecotourism and anti-poverty efforts for people in Palawan. I’m totally supporting this effort. The devastating effects of Sendong in Mindanao is just a sample of what is to happen to us if we let mining companies destroy the environment.

There is nothing wrong with mining. We need the minerals for our gadgets and life-saving equipment. However, this movement aims to STOP MINING IN PROTECTED FORESTS. Mining companies have encouraged corruption at the highest levels of government. Local officials are the ONLY ONES benefiting from mining operations in the provinces. As it was with logging concessions, only government officials stood to gain from it all. Mining does not help the local economy.

The Nauru example

The Republic of Nauru is a small island in the Micronesian Islands. British and German corporations jointly exploited the island for their natural phosphate deposits. Supposed they had money deposited for the islanders that amounted more than a billion Australian dollars, which had disappeared because of corruption. So now, no money, no resources and still wallowing in poverty.

We cannot let that happen to us. Unscrupulous mining companies bribe their way into mining into virgin forests, old-growth, those untouched for millions of years. These forests protect us from drowning in our own shit. If we let these mining companies dig and destroy our mountains, oceans and seas, we are giving up our only chance to get of poverty.

Ecotourism and the Puerto Princesa example

Puerto Princesa’s leadership has been strong enough to resist and say No to Mining and look at how it has affected the people? Ecotourism has provided income and livelihoods for residents of Puerto Princesa and has also given it a place in the books as one of the seven wonders of the world. Being in the exclusive list will bring in more income for both the country and the residents of Puerto Princesa, who stand the gain the most from these efforts.

Let us help our fellow Filipinos out of poverty. Say No to Mining in Palawan. Let your voice be heard by signing up here.

Diabetes is no laughing matter. As a food blogger with diabetes, I’ve cracked so many jokes about sweets and how I should be sponsored by a candy factory. Most of the time, I say these things to lighten the dreadful feeling that I can never enjoy my favorite doughnut or chocolate drink and pastry ever again. Really, it is as sad as a rainy Monday morning in August.

Good thing for medical technology, there are delicious substitutes around. While I was at the Makati Medical Center watching over my uncle, I saw a booth in the lobby. They were giving away samples of a milk and chocolate drink specially designed for diabetics. I gave it a try and, ugh, it tasted like grass. Sorry, but I held no punches and told them politely, though quite bluntly, that their milk tasted like shit and I would rather die of gangrene than drink that shit everyday for the rest of my diabetic life. I guess I said it in a way that made the promo lady laugh, to which she whispered “pangit nga ho lasa, eh gamot naman po ito sa inyo (it does taste bad but it is medicine for you).” That’s the thing with medicine, it tastes like crap, but we have to take it.

So imagine my surprise when a friend of mine recommended Diabetamil. She suggested I give it a try, even gave me a couple of the Diabetamil cookies and a free taste of the milk. Wow, it was good. I was dubious at first. Medicine can’t taste THIS good. So I looked at the box and looked it up in the Internet and asked a few other diabetic friends and, true enough, it is as effective as it is tasty. I was telling my diabetic officemate about it, a few minutes ago prior to posting, and he said he buys Diabetamil all the time, especially the cookies, which he keeps a small pack all the time in case he gets hungry.

 At first there was Coke Zero, Pepsi Max, Sprite Zero and now Diabetamil milk and cookies! There’s sugar-free ice cream and sugar-free cake (Pasteleria Costa Brava makes those sugar-free caramel cakes) and now this! So when Diabeto asks his Mama for a cookie, no need to roll into the kitchen empty-handed.