Pho Hoa - Mall of Asia

I am not an adventurer when it comes to food. If there's an option, I would prefer the safe and familiar taste of spices and sauces. That's the reason why I don't try just about anything. But my boyfriend (marvin) happens to be a fan of almost every type of food (I would want to mention them but I think I'll end up with a long list). I have a long list of first time food I've tried - thanks to him, including learning how to use Chopsticks!

After some time, I guess I learned how to appreciate the food he loves. He surely considers my sensitive taste and cravings just like I consider and appreciate his. And to you, who have delicate palate too, Pho Hoa maybe something unusual.

This is not the first time I've dined in this Vietnamese Restaurant, but since my sis has this blog - I thought of sharing with you.. how safe I order. :)

try phohoa.ph for their menu

his order:

Pho Nam, Chin, Gan, Bo Bien

Flank, Brisket, Tendon and Meat Balls

their soups come with

bean sprouts, lemon, mint leaves and hoisin sauce

you can either mix the sauce in the soup bowl or it can serve as your dip

my order:

Com Tom Rim

Chili Shrimp with Rice

our side:

Veggieroll with pork and Vermicelli Roll

I think they have the largest chili sauce around...

beside the sauce is one of the best fresh iced tea i've tried

I guess it's still alright to try anything outside of your comfort zone. In relation to food at least, I recommend that you talk to your server before ordering just in case you have certain preferences.

What have you tried that you find unusual?

-mayang-

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Rai Rai Ken

I love soups. Wherever I dine or wherever I go I will most likely ask for their soup of the day, or I will closely look at the menu if there are delicious noodles, or soups - or just about anything na me sabaw.

Maybe about a month ago I was able to watch a featured HBO movie entitled Ramen Girl. This is a story of an American woman who got stranded in Japan because of her boyfriend, who later sought proper training to be a Ramen Chef (typing this makes me really hungry). But unlike her, I think I'll just eat Ramen and not try to cook one anytime soon.

Hence, our trip to Rai Rai Ken - Ramen and Sushi Bar.

ah, the classic Miso Soup

Kani Salad - vegetables, mayo and crab sticks

This is the best tasting kani salad I've had so far.

Steamed Gyoza - just like dumplings.

Beef Yakiniku Ramen - this is so yummy.

Beef was probably grilled before it was added to the soup.

3-kind Bento Box - with Yakiniku Beef, Seafood, mixed vegetables and a cup of rice.

Rai Rai Ken was definitely worth a try.

- mayang -

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FTF: Crustasia Shangrila Mall (Buffet)

Dinner with my friends at Crustacia Shangrila Mall. Their dinner buffet is 395.00 pesos per person which includes the appetizer, soup, salads and desserts. Sarap ng alimango. Their service is very good too. ^_^



Happy Food Trip Friday!

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FTF: Shik Do Rak (A Koren Restaurant in downtown L.A.)

Hi! Happy Friday! ^_^

I would like to share the pictures I have with my friend Aileen in L.A. California. This is the second time I ate shabu-shabu style and the first time I appreciated the taste of Kim Chi.
Kim Chi is pickled dishes made of vegetables with varied seasonings. Its most common is the spicy baechu (cabbage) variety. Kim Chi is Korea's most common side dish.
Those freshly thawed and thinly cut beef were cooked on hot pans. Side Dish are the Kim Chi and rice wrappers (those white sheets like Molo wrappers). Ubos ang Kim Chi. ^_^
Happy Food Trip Friday!

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Ginataang Papaya with Shrimp

Hey friends! We have a new contributor in the house! Yipeee!
I have been too busy these past days and I have not been able to post some updates in my food blog so I asked the helped of my sister-bestfriend Mae, who is also a foodie. Two heads are better than one ika nga. We hope you would enjoy your stay here and be able to get some delectable foodie insights. We hope na mas magutom namen kayu... heee heee! Cheers to her first post here! Thanks sis! ^_^ -reyane

*******
My father is a native Bicolano. He is truly skilled and great in cooking menu's with 'gata'. And as his daughter, I've tasted countless meals served in it.

Last night, he cooked papaya in gata with shrimp. I'm supposedly controlling my food intake but I failed 'again' last night. boooo. The food was just soooooooo creamy - truly truly fulfilling. I then took my camera and snapped away before it went dead. Then I interviewed my father on how he cooked this.


Ingredients:
Coconut Milk - papa just buys grated coconut and he'll be the one to squeeze the milk out of it.
1 kilo of green papaya - sliced
1/2 kilo of shrimp (alternatives: pork, chicken, fish)
garlic and onion
green chili (optional)
salt and pepper to taste


Cooking Instructions:

1. In a pan, pour coconut milk. Add chopped garlic and onion. Bring to a boil.
2. Add shrimp (or any other alternatives)
   
3. When shrimp is nearly cooked, add papaya, then chili
   
4. Add salt and pepper to taste
   
5. Once completely cooked, you may add the rest of your coconut milk for additional creaminess
   

I realized there are so many food recipes you can make out of 'gata'.
What's your favourite one?

- mae -

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Yellow Cab: Pizza and Chili Wings

Yellow Cab Manhattan Meatlovers Pizza shared by me and Hon. Another favorite from Yellow Cab, Chili Wings!!!

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Lugaw with Lomo

Recently, my hubby/cook went aboard his ship na to work. So nowadays, medyu wala na akong kasamang magdinner sa labas o mag food trip. Whenever I come home late at night, I just buy Lugaw with Lomo from the nearest carinderia. Diet ang eksena ko for now. hahaha. By the way, Lomo ay yung malambot na karne ng baka o baboy. Tinatawag din itong Tenderloin in english. Di kasi ako kumakain ng goto na may libro at tuwalya ng baka.

Hon, Parang lugaw na walang patis, I am nothing without you....ahihihi... sobrang cheesy!

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Red Crab Greenbelt Experience

Last June, my college girlfriends and I met up after a long time of not seeing each other. Mae that time just got back from a training from Cincinatti, USA and Lucky had to formally announce to the girls of her coming January wedding. A lot of catching up and chikahan the whole night.
The food we ordered are just simple compared to the Boodle Feasts my family usually orders in Blackbeard, a sister restaurant of Red Crab.

At Red Crab, we ordered Paella, Grilled Chicken and Shrimp Miswa Soup. The girls opted for buko juice while I ordered the Green Mango Shake. Note to self: I need to try their Crab Menu next time. ^_^

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FTF: A Taste of Tapa King

Happy Friday!

Last week, while we we're searching for the best computer rigg that we could find, we found ourselves lost in Glorietta. Beside Anson's there was this new resto named Tapa King. We tried their tapa and I wonder if they are the same as what Rufo's have.
Here are the pics.

These are what we ordered. Crispy Liempo, Tapa and Adobong KangKong
Beef Tapa, Egg, Atsara and Fried Rice
Crispy Liempo...

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FTF: Food Trip Shabu Shabu Style in LA

Today I wanna share the pictures of the Food Trip I experienced when I visited my high school friend Aileen in LA. She was so generous to share with me a tour of Los Angeles in 2 days that I have been there. I met her friends too. On the first night of my stay, she and her friends treat me in a Shabu shabu style restaurant which I forgot the name. This is the first time I experienced having the food cooked in front of me and eating it straight. At first I was skeptical since I was afraid I might spill the hot soup in front of me, but in the end, it was such a fun experience. I would love to visit LA again someday and meet them again.

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FTF: Pork Menudo

My hubby's version of menudo below is short of peas. Menudo, in the Philippines, is a dish made of garlic, onions, diced pork chops, pork liver, diced potato, diced carrots, green bell peppers, soy sauce and tomato sauce, and seasoned with salt and pepper while it is cooked. Filipino menudo will usually contain tripe though common variants will include chickpeas, red peppers and raisins.

Menudo Ingredients:
1/2 kilo pork (cut into small chunks)
1/4 kilo pork liver (cut into small cubes)
5 pieces chorizo Bilbao (also cut in small pieces)
4 potatoes (peeled, cut in small cubes, fried)
1 green and 1 red bell pepper (diced)
1 cup chickpeas
1/4 cup raisins
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup pork or chicken stock
2 teaspoons of patis (fish sauce)
3 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon atsuete oil (optional)
3 tomatoes (diced)
1 small head of garlic (minced)
1 medium size onion (diced)

Menudo Cooking Instructions:
In a pan or wok, heat cooking oil and atsuete oil.
Saute garlic, onion. Then add the pork, liver, chorizo de Bilabo, tomatoes, bell pepper, paprika, patis and the stock.
Cover and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes or until the pork is tender.
Add the chickpeas, potatoes and raisins. Boil of another 2 minutes.
Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve hot with white rice.

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Pinakbet - an Ilocano Dish

Although we are not Ilocano, we love eating vegetable dishes. My hubby and I both have passion for cooking. He cooked Pinakbet the other day and below is the best picture I took of it.
Pinakbet or pakbet is a popular Ilocano dish, from the northern regions of the Philippines, although it has become popular throughout the archipelago. The word is the contracted form of the Ilocano word "pinakebbet", meaning shrunk or shrivelled. The original Ilocano pinakbet uses bagoong, of fermented monamon or other fish, while further south, bagoong alamang is used. The basic vegetables used in this dish include native bitter melon, eggplant, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers , parda and winged beans. A Tagalog version usually includes calabaza. Most of these vegetables are easily accessible, and are grown in backyards and gardens of most Ilocano households. As its name suggests, it is usually cooked until almost dry and shrivelled and the flavors of the vegetables are emphasized and accentuated by bagoong (fermented shrimp fry). In some cases, lechon, chicharon, or other meats (most commonly pork) are added. It is considered a very healthy dish, and convenient in relation to the harsh and rugged, yet fruitful Northern and Ilocos regions of the Philippines.

These are the ingredients needed for a Pinakbet.

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Omelette - Ham, Cheese and Mushroom

I was inspired by Mommy Jeng's omelette that is why I tried to serve it today at breakfast. My only frustration is my presentation is not that beautiful. I had a hard time hauling the omelette out of the pan without it breaking. Anyways, here is my version on this recipe.
Omelette - Ham, Cheese and Mushroom
3 cloves of garlic
1 sliced onion
1 small can of sliced Mushrooms
4 pcs Ham cut into squares
half cheese cut into cubes
3 eggs beaten
Canola Oil
salt and Basil leaves
Sautee the garlic and onions, ham, mushroom and cheese. Put some small pinch of salt to taste and toss in the beaten eggs. Let it fry. Get it out of the pan and sprinkle some basil leaves.

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FTF: Food Trip Feast @ Mann Hann

I had the experience of another Chinese Resto. My colleagues and I agreed to walk a few steps and have dinner at Mann Hann - a Chinese Resto in Megamall. We had to wait for 20 minutes before we we're able to get a seat since there are a lot of people.
These are what we ordered. Sweet and Sour FishBeef BrocolliCalamares - which I personally recommend. They are so crispy and crunchy.
Pork Lechonand 2 bowls of Yang Chow Rice with Coke in Cans. Would you believe with all these feast we only paid PhP250.00 / pax? We we're six and sobrang busog talaga. Sulit!

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Le Ching @ Greenhills - a Resto for Fine Chinese Food

Last Saturday, we went to Le Ching, a restaurant located in Greenhills. This place is usually crowded but since we arrived 4pm na, wala kami masyadong kaagaw sa upuan ^_^.
Binabalik balikan ko talaga dito yung SpareRibs Rice nila and Steamed Tofu. Hindi sila madamot sa rice... ahaha... at kakaiba yung pag kakaluto nila sa steamed tofu. Sawsaw sa toyo with chili and calamansi, heaven!


They also have beef wanton noodle soup.

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