Reboot.

I've been neglecting my blog(s) for quite some time now.. Life sometimes gets in the way of blogging. But I was struck by the writing bug today so here I am once more.

A lot has happened these past few months - some bad, some sad but overall.. mostly good. So I guess that more than makes up for anything. An example of the sad, bad things - I damaged my camera during my trip in Batanes.. so I wasn't able to take photos to my heart's content. This is definitely one of the worst things to happen on a trip. *sigh* Thankfully, my camera was still salvageable though they had to replace the lens assembly. It still cost me a pretty penny to get it fixed. 

The lesson of the day: take extra care of your camera especially if you don't have a spare. XD

Food Trip: Jalapeño Cantina Mexicana, Ortigas

There's something about lazy Sunday afternoons that inspires the free spirit. No schedules, no need to run around rushing about. Just doing things that you like as soon as it hits you. It was on such an afternoon when Ian and I decided to try dining in Jalapeño, a mexican restaurant situated along Food Street in Home Depot Center, Ortigas.

Baked Jalapeño Cheese Dip - Php 150

Nacho chips

We ordered the baked jalapeño cheese dip served with nacho chips as an appetizer. Ian ordered the enchilada while I ordered the burrito. The jalapeño cheese dip was served on a hot plate and is full of cheesy goodness. Huge slices of jalapeño can be found within the dip, giving an extra kick to an otherwise ordinary dish. 

Mexican Chicken Burrito - Php 140

I find that I usually order burritos whenever I'm in a mexican restaurant and this time was no exception. The chicken burrito was served piping hot with tomato salsa and sour cream on the side. I loved the salsa - it had that fresh, tangy tomato flavor. The burrito itself though was just alright for me. It wasn't bad, I just still prefer Cantina's Grande Pollo Burrito. (Probably because the grande burrito has a lot more ingredients inside it).

Mexican Chili Beef Enchilada

Mexican Chili Beef Enchilada - Php 220

The beef enchilada was a pleasant surprise. Although it was very cheesy, the tortilla was still able to retain its texture and did not become a soggy mess. The dish wasn't spicy though (which is weird given the chili in its name) but a dash of their hot sauce did the job.

Bacardi Light Mojito Pitcher - Php 370

We also ordered a pitcher of Bacardi Light Mojito. They were considerate enough to give us a taste each of this drink because I wanted to see if I should order a glass or a pitcher. Needless to say, it was delicious. Jalapeño just became a possible venue for future mojito nights. Good food and good mojitos - perfect combination. :)

happy karriepanda :)

This place is definitely worth coming back to. Reasonable price, good food, good drinks, pleasant service and most of all, free parking. :p If you plan on sharing a pitcher (of mojito), its best to have a few drinking buddies with you. The ice would melt if you take your time drinking (It's still good but it's best served cold).

*Jalapeño Cantina Mexicana

The Food Street, Home Depot Complex

Julia Vargas Ave., Ortigas

Mon-Sun 10am-4pm, 6pm-2am

470-473474

Now Watching: Junior Master Chef Australia - Road to the Top 12

About a month ago, my friends Lyn and Cho were raving about this great cooking competition/show wherein the cooks were 12 and below (hence the Junior in the title). After a few conversations of just listening in, I thought why not check it out. After watching the first episode, I was hooked.

The show started with 5500 applicants that they narrowed down to 50 and divided into 5 groups of 10. They asked each group to cook a dish within 45 minutes depending on their theme (international food, dessert, seafood, young cooks (8-10yrs) and meat). From the 10 dishes of each heat, they pick the top 4 dishes which will make up the Top 20. 

These kids are beyond amazing. They astound me with their skills, creating dishes that I've only ever seen in fancy restaurants. Some standout dishes for me (in the Top 50) were Isabella (12) with her Ricotta Gnocchi, Sam's (11) Quatre-Quarts, Alex's (11) Le Gout de la Mer (Taste of the Sea), Siena (9) and her Lemon and Lime Curd Tart and Anthony (10) with his Garlic Prawns. I can imagine actually ordering these food!

The Top 20 then had to be winnowed down to the Top 12 contestants who will be able to actually enter and cook in the Master Chef kitchen. In the first challenge, an invention test with 2 core ingredients - chicken and vegetables - the best 6 dishes (created within 1 hour and 15 minutes) were chosen to be in the Top 12. The remaining 14 contestants then battled it out with a pressure test, duplicating a dish brought in by a guest chef, and the best 6 dishes rounded up the remaining 6 spots of the Top 12.

I really wanted to be able to taste the twin's dishes, Isabella and her Nonna's cotolette and Sofia's canneloni. They seem to be sooooo good! I wasn't surprised that they both were in the Top 6 from the first challenge.

The second challenge, the pressure test, was brought in by guest chef Callum Hann (who I believe, participated in the Masterchef competition in 2010). The 14 remaining young cooks needed to duplicate his Chocolate Croissant Pudding with Berries, Cream and Chocolate Sauce within the 1 hour time limit.

I really wanted to taste Pierre's and Lucy's (both 11) chocolate croissant pudding. Pierre's was declared to be tasting almost like Callum's while Lucy was dubbed the "Princess of Pudding" from hers. (So these must be some kick-ass puddings. :P)

The Top 12 was ultimately composed of Alex (11), Jack (12), the twins Sofia and Isabella (12), Siena (9), Sam (11), Emily (12), Cassidy (12), Pierre (12), Lucy (11), Anthony (10) and Nick (10). Coming up to the Top 12, my favorites would have to be the twins and Pierre. The twins are just awe-inspiring. They seem to be very skilled and very good at what they're doing. Pierre is just adorable - very serious in the kitchen.

This show is really addicting. And I love the dishes these kids come up. Makes me be inspired to cook and to ultimately encourage (my future) kids to cook if they so want.

Junior MasterChef Australia can be seen on StarWorld in the Philippines.

Sundays 19:15-21:05, Mondays 18:25-19:15 and 22:50-23:40, Tuesdays 11:55-12:45 and 18:25-19:15, Wednesdays 11:55-12:45 and Saturdays 12:50-13:45.

*all pictures taken as screen captures from the episodes.

Food Trip: Icheon Korean Restaurant

My friends and I were coming down from Antipolo church one Friday evening when we started to have dinner pangs (at 6pm) so we decided to stop and eat at Icheon, a Korean restaurant along Sumulong Hi-way. My friend, Cho, had eaten there before and we wanted to see if it lived up to its hype.

The outside of Icheon is nothing spectacular. Its covered parking area actually looks like a car wash lot (perhaps it used to be in its previous incarnation) but since it was beginning to rain by the time we got there, the covered parking was a huuge plus for us. 

this is where you can eat kneeling/sitting on the floor

Once we got inside, we were greeted by several enthusiastic servers with rounds of "Anyong-haseyo" meaning hello in Korean. We had the option of being seated in regular wooden chairs and tables or in the no-footwear room, where we can eat while kneeling/sitting on the floor. (I believe you also cook your own meat if you sit here - note the grill on the pic on the right).

"banchan" or korean side dishes

It wouldn't be an authentic korean dining experience without the spread of side dishes or "banchan" which we eagerly accepted. By this time, we were already ravenous to the point that we might have ordered a wee bit more than we can consume. :P (We had to take some of the seafood pancake home because we were about ready to burst when the dust finally settled.)

We ordered the Sam Gyup Sal (rashers of bacon) and Gal Bi Sal (rib finger) (both are meat that are cooked while you watch), the Haemul Pajeon (korean pancake mixed with seafood) and the Haemul Jap Chae (korean style seafoods pancit) and O-jing-ou-bokum (spicy sauteed slices of squid and assorted vegetables). Cho also ordered a Bi bim bap (rice with beef and mixed vegetables, fried egg and korean spicy sauce).

cooking the Sam Gyup Sal

seafood jap chae

seafood pancake

spicy squid - YUM!

The Sam Gyup Sal and Gal Bi Sal were served with lettuce leaves and seasonings (I believe the recommended way of eating it is to wrap the cooked meat with the lettuce and season as you'd like it with the seasonings available). The seafood japchae was a nice mixture of savory and slightly sweet. I really enjoyed it. The seafood pancake was chock full of ingredients - they didn't skimp on this dish at all. The pancake was a bit thick and when dipped in its accompanying sauce - oh so good! The real winner of the night for me was the spicy squid - it was very, very delicious! Perfect with plain rice, I ate everything that was covered in its sauce, the seafood, the vegetables, the plate (hehe, just kidding.) I liked it so much that it kind of overshadowed the other dishes for me.

Would I go back to eat here? A very loud and resounding YES! And next time, I'll be sure to bring Ian with me. :) I believe the price is consistent with other Korean restaurants in the market but for the authentic taste and the very friendly and accommodating service, i think it's worth coming back here for more.

Icheon Korean Restaurant
Along Sumulong Highway, Antipolo
(If you're coming from Marcos Hiway, turn right at Masinag Market intersection. It'll be on this stretch of road to your left.)

Food Trip: Kabisera ng Dencio's at The Fort

Wednesday night was a date night for Ian and I. At first, I wanted to eat something light and healthy but my stomach protested at this idea (My stomach wanted RICE!) so we decided to eat in Kabisera ng Dencio's. 

If you're in Bonifacio High Street and craving for Filipino food, I would definitely recommend to come and eat here. We've actually eaten here with some friends before (binged on food would be the more accurate description) so we knew coming in that we liked the food here. Up front, I would have to say that the food is not cheap here but you get what you pay for. What we had (from our previous visit and from this one) did not disappoint.

Laing (Php 280)

Boneless Chicken BBQ (Php 190)

We ordered the laing (we've already tried this before and we KNEW it was good) and the chicken bbq. Honestly, when the chicken bbq arrived, we didn't really expect it to be on skewers. I was expecting it to be more of a grilled fillet of chicken meat with bbq sauce. I was mislead by the "boneless" part of its name, but the fault lies with me. I didn't think to ask the waiters. It was just ok, nothing special. The laing more than made up for the chicken bbq because it was just as we remembered - very, very good! We ordered 2 servings of the plain rice (i think it was called pandan rice) costing Php50 each. The rice was good - the mushy, slightly sticky kind that I liked and it went very well with the laing and chicken bbq. 

alcoholic drinks galore: san mig light for ian, mojito for me

After a long hard day at work, its always nice to kick back with a cold one. Kabisera was having a 1+1 promo with their drinks (I believe they have this promo everyday starting at 4pm.) so Ian ordered a below zero San Mig Light while I ordered a mojito. :) The servers were very accomodating. They served the two beers at the same time so by the time Ian finished with the first bottle, the second one was no longer below zero. But when we asked them to exchange it, they did so with no hesitation. There are no mojitos on their drink list but when I asked if they can serve mojitos, they said they could. They just billed us for a cosmopolitan instead. The mojito also had a 1+1 promo at 160 (I think around that) but they also have bottomless mojito for around 260 (I think..) so if my hazy recollections of the prices were correct.. this would be an awesome place for a mojito night! :)

lovely lamps in Kabisera

Can I just say that I love these lamps that light up Kabisera? :) All in all, I recommend coming here to dine if you're in a big group (about 4 or more). The price and the servings would be too much for just two people (at the very least, you won't be able to taste the "specialties" because the servings are for a larger group).

Kabisera ng Dencio's (across from R.O.X.)
B3, G/F Bonifacio High Street
Taguig City, Metro Manila
(02)8565543

Food Trip: Banapple Pies and Cheesecake at Katipunan

One Monday evening, my friends and I wanted to go to Tomas Morato Ave. in order to have dinner at Uno Restaurant. However, circumstances beyond our control prevented us from doing so. And since the natives were already very hungry by 9pm, we decided to have dinner in Banapple Pies and Cheesecake along Katipunan Avenue.

To be precise, there are two branches of Banapple along this stretch of road, one in each side. So whichever direction you might be going, its always on the way. We stopped at the bigger branch (I believe its also the newer branch) of the two.

interior

decors and lamp

The decor of Banapple is quite cozy and homey with cute tables and chairs accented with baubles on shelves. And if you look closely at the ceiling lights, you'd see the banapple logo incorporated in its design (a fact which my friend Cho brought to my attention).

Migs Gallabergher

Creamy Chicken Pie

Ian ordered the Migs Gallabergher (Php 150) which is actually one of our favorite offerings in Banapple. (Personally I think its the melted cheese and gooey mozzarella combo that makes it a winner.) I wanted to try something different and I wasn't really that hungry - so I ordered the Creamy Chicken Pie (Php 100). Can I just say that I love this pie? It's very, very good! But I wasn't a fan of the potato salad that came with it. You can actually order the pie alone and it would be cheaper (I think around Php 60). So if you're not that into potato salads, just skip it and order the pie. (One of my friends liked the potato salad though, so perhaps its just a matter of taste.) 

Grandma's Corn Chowder (Php 70)

Breaded Fillet of Cream Dory (Php 160)

Savory Tuna Pie (Php 100)

I think this is the Herbed Chicken Rolls with Basil Cream Sauce (Php 160)

Hickory Smoked Barbecued Country Ribs

Salpicao Rafael (Php160)

Once my friends arrived to join Ian and I for dinner, they ordered a ton of food! Hehe. Well four friends came to join us so of course they ordered a lot. :) I wasn't able to get to taste most of their food (because, well, it's THEIR food) just a bite here and there. The Savory Tuna Pie was also good and is a good alternative to the chicken. The Hickory Smoked Barbecued Ribs were good! It was faintly reminiscent of the steak sauce that can be bought in Racks but at Php 155, I think the ribs delivered. The Salpicao Rafael was good as well, but it reminded me more of adobo than salpicao. Perhaps its because I mostly associate salpicaos with a LOT of garlic but this dish didn't have as much as I expected.

baskets of muffins

Banapple also sells muffins and cookies by the basket loads. I love muffins so I always make it a point to buy a few whenever I come by (My favorite being the orange poppy seeds muffin). The muffins cost Php 50 each. 

fangirl moment: me with Angel Aquino

While we were there, we actually saw Angel Aquino come in. I think she bought a whole cake or pie to go. So while she was waiting for her order, I asked her if I can get my picture taken with her and she agreed. :) She was a class act - very gracious and friendly. 

All in all, Banapple Pies and Cheesecakes is definitely one of my "go-to" restaurants for comfort food. Sure, some dishes are more memorable than others but overall, the good more than outweighs the bad. For the reasonable price and for the good food, I would definitely come back.

Banapple Pies and Cheesecake

206 and 225 Katipunan Ave, Blue Ridge

Quezon City, Metro Manila

(02)4382675/4392675