Singapore Food Trip

In December 2006, I had my first trip abroad. It was a business trip to Singapore.  I have a number of friends there so it was really nice to see them again.   In one of my meet-ups, my friend treated me in a carinderia style restaurant but it was one of the best Sing food I tasted!

Taichung, Taiwan Food Trip

A major, major project brought bibi and me to Taichung, Taiwan in September 2011.  And we are very happy to share that we came back home with positive results.  We stayed there for quite sometime so we were able to explore the food scene (on a tight budget). To put things in perspective, Taiwan is China country. Taichung is around 3 hours from Taipei, the capital of Taiwan.  Taichung is not as cosmpolitan as Taipei but not very provincial. If I were to compare it to a Philippine city, it would be Davao. Having said that, we expected to eat authentic Chinese food with provincial flavor. Note that we ate most at the time at neighborhood food places and not any fancy restaurants (although we can't help but get our fast food fix once in a while).  To our surprise, the taste of the food there is far from the typical Chinese food that we have in the Philippines. One word comes to mind - bland. And they really love serving vegetables! Chicken there is very expensive like the simple fried chicken leg quarter (no rice) - one piece costs NT$60 or around Php90. A simple fried tilapia costs NT$150, around Php225. Don't get me wrong but I know it is best not to convert and compare currencies when travelling abroad but since we are on a limited budget, I can't help it! So our Taichung food trip was really a challenging one. Just imagine our joy everytime we are able to eat something that satisfied our palate. Here are the pics of our must try dishes! 

Saved by McDo! Our first meal upon arriving in Taichung.

Assorted boiled "dumplings" from 7-11

Favorite buy at the local grocery - giant mango!

One of the few malasa noodles available with mapait na iced tea (@All Day Cafe) 

Don't know what kind of prawns these are but they are very tasty! (@Fengjia Night Market)

Steamed dumpling with a little sabaw inside- delicious! (@ friendly street vendor)

Siopao (@ friendly street vendor)

Cold noodles with peanut sauce (@ friendly street vendor)

Duck Noodle Soup (@ friendly street vendor - as in sa sobrang mabenta to, ang dami-dami nilang whole ducks na nasa freezer)

Peking Duck with 3 Vegetable Side Dishes (@ "Smiling Manong Carinderia")

Milk Tea - forgot the flavor (@Koi Cafe, Fengjia Night Market)

Egg tarts! (@KFC)

Rice Burger (@Laya Burger)

Nameless Resto (You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food, Makati)

The friends of Bibi who brought us to Ba Noi's introduced us to a new place somewhere in the heart of residential Makati.  We called it the Nameless Resto because it has no signage that one can easily get lost if you do not have a guide.  It is a restaurant specializing in Hunan (Spicy!) Chinese cuisine.  The menu is in Chinese so you just have to point at the pictures to order.  

Is it worth the trip?  If you like very spicy and oily food, this place is for you.  The only dish I did like is the steamed vegetable dumpling.  

You Jie Xiao Chao Chinese Food

6404 Camia Street, Guadalupe Viejo, Makati City

(near the Barangay Hall of Guadalupe Viejo)

Mesa (Greenbelt 5)

A place to eat Filipino food with a twist! 


The first time I ate here I was with my team for our monthly team lunch.  We always try to eat at a new place to make our team lunch exciting.  We were not disappointed :)

Hito Flakes on a Spoon
Crispy pulled catfish with mango salad

Crispy Boneless

Served with four sauces

Laing 2 Ways
Taro leaves, pork, shrimp paste and coconut cream, topped with adobo flakes, serve original and crispy

Baked Scallops with Garlic Butter
Scallops on a half shell with garlic butter compound

Crispchon (before)

Crispchon (after) 

Mesa, Greenbelt 5
G/F Greenblet 5, Legaspi St. Legaspi Vill.
Makati City, Metro Manila
Philippines

HotRocks (Libis)

Bibi discovered this place when he went to Club 650 for a badminton game.  It seems after every badminton game, he and his gang troop to this place to replenish the calories they just lost.  Of course, he just has to bring me here :) 


Great food at reasonable prices is what one can find in HotRocks.  And if you want to eat the classic grilled innards with less worry, this is the place to be.  The steaks and the grilled Tuguegarao longganisa are really delicious too – too bad I do not have pictures.  Lastly, the dessert – the Jar of Monkey is a sweet ending to a sumptuous feast.  

The plates on the wall are filled with messages written by celebrities. Very entertaining to read while waiting for our orders. 

HotRocks

Club 650 E. Rodriguez, Jr. Avenue, Libis, Quezon City

Ba Noi's (Makati)

If you are craving for authentic Vietnamese food, Ba Noi's is the place to be! Two of Bibi's friends (who are now a couple!) brought us to this place.  It was just newly opened at that time.  We loved the food so much that we go here at least twice a month (when we were still Makati-based).  During those  times, we even got coupons for a free dish for our next visit.  This just made us frequent the place more!

Among our favorite orders are the Pho Bo (beef noodle soup) and Bo Lu Lac (stir-fried spiced beef served with fried basil and chilies on the side).  Here are the other must-try dishes:

Goi Buoi Tom Thit
Sweet pomelo and shrimp tossed in calamansi-sesame dressing surrounded by lobster cracker

Goi Cuon

Pork, shrimp and vermicelli attractively rolled in rice paper served with their famous peanut sauce

Ga Nuong

Grilled chicken in rich lemongrass marinade 

Ba Noi's, Greenbelt Mansions

G/F Greenbelt Mansions, Perea St., Legaspi Vill.

Makati City, Metro Manila

Philippines    

Kuting's Kitchen: French Toast with Caramelized Banana

Given my current condition, my cooking (mis)adventures will be put on hold.  Good thing our Yaya Emily is a very good cook so the execution of the featured recipes will be done by her.  The first of her many cooking challenges:

French Toast with Caramelized Banana
[source: easy everyday meals from the best of Good Housekeeping] 

In a saucepan, caramelize ½ cup sugar until light brown. Lower the heat and add 4tbsp of Magnolia Gold Butter.  Cook until bubbly. Add in 4 slices of banana.  Stir in ½ cup fruit juice (pineapple, orange or apple) and simmer until thick.  Set aside.  In a bowl, beat 2 eggs, 1/3 cup milk, dash of salt and ¼ tsp cinnamon.  Heat 2 tbsp Magnolia Gold Butter in a pan.  Dip 4 slices of bread in egg mixture.  Pan-fry until golden brown.  Serve topped with caramelized banana.  

Note:  Yaya Emily used muscovado sugar.  Instead of fruit juice, she used blended mango sauce (leftover from the mango crepe).  As for the bread, she used sliced "parasyon", one of the best-selling bread from my Nanay's bakery, "Masang Caviteno".

Verdict: Yum, yum.