Adobo Connection - SM City Calamba branch

28 October 2012

Me and GF has a staycation at GF's Sister's home in Batangas. From our home, we went to SM City Calamba to have lunch, mall tour and to visit Rizal Shrine in Calamba.

We rode a bus to SM City Calamba. Sadly, traffic routing in that area forced our bus driver to unload us at the back of the mall thus we made along walk. We then entrusted our luggage and stuff at the package counter so that we will not drag it along our tour. We then met her sister and her sister's kids at the food court. After a short malling, we went to Adobo Connection.

Her sister recommended this place for it was the latest food joint of the mall. Truly indeed, we are not the only one who have the same idea. The place is an SRO (standing room only). We waited a bit long. A group of students fortunately was done and gave us a long table good for us five before our meals came.

We had these:

Mama's Sweet Adobo (chicken)

Kuya Fried Adobo (mix)

Adobo sa Gata (chicken; spicy)

Kare Kare

These meals are good for a solo eater but we managed to share it so that we can have a taste of all variants.

Outro: Thank you Ate Don for this treat.

Verdict:

Food = 5/5
Ambiance = typical for a fast food place
Price = 5/5 - budget saving

Pros : yummy
Cons : SRO is a good sign that they serve good meals but please wait to be seated.

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot A580 in
Adobo Connection
SM City Calamba,
Calamba City, Laguna, Philippines
last 28 of October 2012

Isdaan Floating Resto-Fun Park Part One : the Food

29 October 2012

Isdaan Floating Resto-Fun Park

National Highway, Calauan, Laguna

My GF and I went to her sister's home in Sto. Tomas, Batangas to visit her and her kids plus a quick tour in Laguna-Batangas Area. As part of the Itinerary we went to Isdaan Resto-Fun Park in Calauan, Laguna for lunch after our short stops in San Pablo and Nagcarlan towns (also in Laguna)

Quick facts:

* Isdaan Floating Resto-Fun Park is claimed by others to be located in Bay(,Laguna) but its NOT. It's Politically under the town of Calauan just right after Bay.

*  Isdaan Floating Resto-Fun Park is under and managed by Bario Fiesta group of companies, which includes: Bakahan at Manukan; Bario Fiesta; and Singing Cooks and Waiters. Thus the place have four (4) restos in one.

* The First Isadaan Resto-Fun Park is located in Gerona, Tarlac and soon they will open a new branch in Talavera, Nueva Ecija

For the first part, I'll share to you what we ordered. As I mentioned, the place is like having four restos in one place thus the menu is so big and its hard to choose for all of them are a bit pricey but deliciously good.

GF and her sister placed the order as I roam around with her sister's two kids and cousin for a picture taking. Here's what they had ordered and as early as now, I'll tell you that all are so good.

Every fiesta have rice so since we are a total of 6 pax we had two "Bagong Saing sa Kaldero". Each Kaldero is good for 2-3 pax. See that spoon? It's not a normal serving spoon, its just a simple table spoon we used as a serving spoon. Thats how small the pot is.

Bagong Saing sa Kaldero

Pros: Nothing beats a newly cooked rice strait for the pot. Much cheaper than ordering individually cupped rice.

Cons : Each pot have burned  rice and they are a big waste and it affects the taste. We had about more than a cup of burned rice.

What I do love about their "sisters" tag team, they ordered a dish per food group:

For Appetizers and Salad we had "Enseladang Talong" and "Tinadtad na Mangga"

Enseladang Talong

Tinadtad na Mangga

For the pork we had two: "Inihaw na Spareribs" and "Lechon Kawali"

Inihaw na Spareribs

Lechon Kawali

Then as for our soup and chicken we had "Tinolang Manok". GF's Sister said that while we are all away -for our picture taking - they served the Tinola incased in a bamboo tube - Kapangpangans call it "binulo" - then poured in this bowl.

Tinolang Manok

Pro: Serving it in Binulo style makes it more "pinoy".

Con: They used a bit ripe papaya thus it dosen't taste like good'old Tinola.

Lastly to quench our thirst -from our travel, from the sunny heat and as we say "panulak", we had three pitchers of Ice Tea.

Ice Tea Pitcher

Over all Pros: They are all good and Tasty

Over all Cons: for a big guy like me, their serving as somehow not big enough for me. If you share it, you'll all get a bit.

Verdict:

Ambiance = 6/5 you'l be transported to another place like Bali or Thailand.

Food Taste = 5/5 except for the tinola which is 4/5.

Budget = 3/5 its abit high priced compared to its serving.

Service = 6/5 they are so honest, courteous and friendly.

To get there:

*by Bus: Ride a bus en route to Sta. Cruz, Laguna and they will drop you off on site.

*by Private: Right turn after SLEX / ATeX Calamba Exit's roundabout to Sta. Cruz, Laguna just right after Bay-Calauan Boarder (SLEX-Calamba-Los Banos-Bay-Calauan)

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot A580 in
Isdaan Floating Resto-Fun Park
National Highway, Calauan, Laguna, Philippines
last 29th of October 2012

Cheesecake Gallery Demo Class at Heny Sison Culinary School

17 October 2012

I attended a demo class for Cheesecake Gallery by Chef Heny Sison. I admit I'm not into cheesecake as to me into chocolate cakes. I took this class because, one, many cafe clients wanted to have cheesecakes as snacks with coffee or as a dessert. Secondly, this class became my filler to a class that was cancelled.

Chef Heny Sison demonstrated and taught us to create these yummy cheesecakes:

Piña Colada Cheesecake

White Chocolate Chunck Macadamia Nut Cheesecake

New York Cheesecake

Cappuccino Cheesecake

Pastillas de Leche Caramel Cheesecake

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot A580 in
Heny Sison Culinary School
#33 Boni Serano, Quezon City, Metro Manila
LKK drive, Cagayan de Oro City, Misamis Oriental, Philippines
last 17th of October 2012

White Wine and Blue Cheese

I admit this is my first time to have a "white wine and blue cheese". My usual is red wine (sangria) and cheddar cheese - yes! during a religious rite.

Greetings here in Cagayan de Oro. Im here for a short stay to be with myGF as we celebrate the feast of St. Augustine and to offer thanks giving as we are blessed to have four (4) years as BF-GF.

Upon my arrival, GF and her parents fetch me at the airport and then went to have dinner as GF's aunts are here too. after that bountiful dinner - which I'll blog soon - we went to a Wine Bar the "La Vetta". Google said "la vetta" means "the peak".

For this session, our host treats us with "the beach house" which is a Sauvignon Blanc and a Blue Cheese.

At first, I not into wine thus I haven't tamed its taste then here comes the blue cheese which is my very first time to eat. Rumors are right blue cheese is really "out of the ordinary". Taste it and you'll know what I mean.

PS : Thanks GF's aunt for letting me have this kind of "first" experience.

entered as and entry to:

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot SX130is in
La Vetta
Rosario Crescent, Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City
Misamis Oriental, Philippines
last 23rd of August 2012

Max's 4Sharing Meals : Sinigang

Another way to enjoy summer.

We Filipinos love food but not just food, we love sharing food with love ones. Max's Restaurant whipped this "4 Sharing Meals" perfect for a group of four. 4 sharing Meal consist of : 4 cups of rice; 4 glasses of ice tea - you can upgrade this for bottomless or to Pepsi; 1 serving bowl of sinigang - a choice of pork, prawns, salmon head or bangus belly; and 1 whole regular Max's fried chicken.

Sinigang na Baboy

Max's Fried Chicken (regular whole)

This promo will run from 15th of April until 10th of June 2012. BUT WAIT there's more!!!

During the promo period, Max's is giving away a total of 32 iPhone 4S. YES! that is four iPhone 4S every week for eight weeks. To join, simply save the receipt and look for the OR # on top, visit http://www.maxschicken.com/4sharing/ then fill out the online form.

So, what you are waiting for? Go now to any Max's Restaurant nationwide and have a good time with your love ones and enjoy the 4Sharing meals. Who knows, that would also give you an iPhone 4S. This promo is also good for dine-in, take-out and online delivery.

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot SX130is in
Max' Restaurant
Scout Tuason, Quezon City, Philippines
last 13th of April 2012

Puto Maya, Moron and Binake

27 August 2011
Cagayan de Oro City,
Misamis Oriental, Philippines


Kagay-an Festival fever was high. Many merchants bargaining their trade including these native deli and my good host shared these to me so that I can taste the life Kagay-anons have.

Upon seeing these gifts I immediately mixed Milo and so little of hot water to have a simple choco syrup. You'll see why in a bit but first, here's the serving platter.

The green triangle (a) is "Puto Maya" whole grain glutinous rice cooked in coconut milk. Some makers use two different kinds/colored glutinous rice to achieve that two-toned effect. It taste like biko but puto maya is not that sweet thus its best with choco syrup. Sadly, we don't have choco tablea for this thus we used Milo instead.

If Puto Maya is whole grain, "Moron" (b) is ground. The white crust is made of ground glutinous rice with coconut milk and the brown core is just the same plus cocoa. It also have peanuts inside so be careful. It can stand without the choco syrup but its more fun if it is chocolatey :D

Lastly, and this is my favorite among the three is the "Binake" (c). Its made of (ground and) mashed corn grains cooked with coconut milk. It's like eating corn and milk - mais con yelo without the ice. =)) I also like the packaging, they used corn husk thus its golden yellow.

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot A580 in
Cagayan de Oro City
Misamis Oriental, Philippines
last 27th of August 2011

my 33rd Birthday (3rd of 3 entries)

Family Lunch @ Chic-Boy part 2

27 November 2011
Chic-boy
Fairview, Quezon City

Intro:

Part 1 of the Chic-boy Family Lunch is here

On this last part of my birthday series,im sharing to you our Veggies and Dessert orders. But before i move on, i cant help but sharing my views regarding the viral photos of the so called "chic-boy scandal". that said view will be featured lastly on this post.

My sisters ordered these colorful and yummy dishes. If in case you havent seen the second part (the meat dishes) of this series, heres the link. As I said, ill feature on this post the Veggies and Desserts. My younger sister is into veggies thus we have lots of it for this occasion.

Main Entry:

(Spicy) Gising-Gising. Its like chop-suey with a spicy kick. At first i thought its not that spicy but the sauce and the chopped chili kick my throat thus my though was wrong.

Pansit Canton. Birthdays will never be complete with noddles. besides, our mother loves pansit. She can skip rice for pansit.

the most trending and most controversial (as of today) chic-boy dish is this. Kangkong sa Bawang. as its looks, we somehow guessed that Its chopped steam kangkong then sauteed and topped with garlic bits. as we are eating this, we are asking our baby sister to ask their chef on how they did this dish. its not overcooked, its crispy green, slightly oily but it's OK, it sauteed and the toasted garlic bits on top complements the texture and flavor.

as for desserts, we had:

Turones con leche. a strip of plantain banana wrapped in lumpia wrapper served with milk sauce dip.

and leche flan.

Overall, the veggies are all not overcooked, the colors are still vibrant and crispy fresh. That is why i really dont get the logic is to why someone or some entity is ruining the "kangkong sa bawang" dish. My views on the controversy is below the credits.

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Photo herein is captured using
Canon Powershot A580 in
Chic-boy
Pearl Drive cor Commonwealth Ave.,
Quezon City, Philippines
last 27th of November 2011

I guess i have the right to share my views about the controversy since i was had that dish and i can tell that the controversial photo is fabricated. here are some of my observations on why i find it fabricated.

1) the kangkong, both stalk and leaves, are chopped into an average of 1cm in length but "pillar" is inches in length. So i guess if the kangkong is mishandled, "pillar" should be chopped too, but its not, its whole.

2) the fabricated photo has a hint of sauce on it (on the right side of "pillar". but the original dish doesn't have a sauce.

3) "pillar" is more thicker than the kangkong and i do believe its not the typical pest of kangkong. I havent seen such kind of pest in kangkong. snails (kuhol) are to me the pest of kangkong.

4) since "pillar" is bigger than the kangkong, it should have been seen and removed by the crew immediately. The crew will not intentionally leave it behind for it will only put their jobs in jeopardy.

5) I have many more views but it not yet that organized. But I guess, both parties are settling this issue in judicial court.

6) Fabricated or not, we should not judge the whole company by/from a certain branch's fault.

7) lastly since i have these views, i am still "team chic-boy".