Coleen's Recipes: Sinampalukang Manok

I think I've mentioned it a couple times before that I really, really love soups, especially sinigang.  I learned this recipe more than a decade ago from my aunt and I've considered it as one of my specialties ever since.  This version has been modified according to my taste so beware. :)

Coleen's Recipes: Sinigang na Sardines

It's been a while since I last posted a recipe on my blog.  I guess I was a bit overwhelmed with all the good food, beauty products and new places that have been popping up the past 2-3 years that I completely forgot about posting my own recipes (or maybe I wish to keep them secret haha).  Anyway, tonight will be different.  I've been sick the past week (since Monday, if you constantly read my blog).  I was bedridden for about three days, including New Year's Eve AND day.  I was able to walk around a bit today but I still tire easily.  Since it was only Nan, the kids, and me tonight, she didn't cook anymore.  But I was craving for some sinigang – something hot and sour to relax my tired body (and soul).  So the kids had some chicken sopas from lunch, while I decided to hit the kitchen and concoct something for myself.

I originally planned on opening a can of fried sardines and cooking sinigang soup for dinner.  But as I was rummaging through our fridge, looking for some vegetables I could add to the soup, I got tired.  I don't eat sardines straight from the can.  I always have them sautéed in garlic and onions before eating them but my body was not ready to get tired just yet.  I had to think fast.  I want hot sinigang soup and I want to try this hot and spicy fried sardines but my body is telling me to just lie down.  What to do?  What to do?  

Bam.  Why don't you cook Sinigang na Sardinas (Sardines Sinigang)?  

Old School Finds: Vinyl x Batchoy

Wake up call at 7 in the morning? Check.

Friend actually arrives at 7:30 in the morning? Check.

LTO sends us on a complete wild goose chase? Check.

Ending up a winner after all the (mis)adventures of the morning? DOUBLE CHECK.

One of my law school friends asked me to accompany her as she ran some errands yesterday.  After a couple of (mis)adventures along the way, she asked me if I could still accompany her to Cubao Expo to look for some vinyl discs for her new turntable.  I didn't have any plans so I decided to come with even if I wouldn't really find anything interesting in the shop.

Surprisingly, I did find something in the store that caught my attention.  The Vinyl Dump, a vinyl records store located in the middle of Cubao Expo, was home to a hundred and more vinyl records.  This is what my friend came here for but what caught my eye was that the same store offered La Paz Batchoy for sale.  Yup, an old records store selling original la paz batchoy for only P45.  Since I wasn't feeling well, I decided to give it a try because 1) hot soup is good for a sick person, and 2) I wouldn't have anything to do for the next hour or so (while my dear friend searches every nook and cranny of that store for something she might like).

La Paz Batchoy

P45 (regular)

Daily Digest: Wooden Spoon's Pancit Lang Lang

The past two weeks have been really stressful so food became our best friend. On the last day of midterms week, we decided to have merienda (mid-afternoon snack) in Wooden Spoon because I told my friend Pearl that I wanted pancit. Traditional pancit with the works. She suggested Wooden Spoon's afternoon menu because she swears their pancit (lang lang) is good.

Pancit Lang Lang

P175

I thought the noodles were a bit too overcooked because it looked and felt too soft. Whether or not it was overcooked became irrelevant because once I took a forkful of the pancit, the texture of the noodles mixed with the crisp adobo flakes on top and the poppy shrimp was just perfect! Add a squeeze of calamansi and you have the perfect afternoon snack post-exam. I had no complaints because she was right. It was good. Really good.

Price: P175

5 out of 5 for Wooden Spoon's Pancit Lang Lang

Wooden Spoon

Basement Level Powerplant Mall

Rockwell Center, Makati City

Daily Digest: More Adobo Flakes

Last week, I stayed up for 17 hours studying for our first ever midterm exam this semester. I was able to leave the coffee shop at around 2:30 AM but not without getting something on my way home. I know it was too late to eat a rice meal but knowing me, I would still grab something with rice over a sandwich or some snack. Since Army Navy was beside the coffee shop I just left, I decided to finally try one of their new breakfast items: Adobo Flakes.

I read good reviews about it but I'm very particular when it comes to certain types of food like sinigang and this -- adobo, so I was a bit hesitant. I eventually gave in and thankfully, I liked their version.

Army Navy's Adobo Flakes

P165

It tasted like adobo (not too salty, not too sour, and definitely not like beef pares), it was crisp (just how adobo flakes should be -- ALWAYS), and it came with garlic rice, sunny side up egg, and atsara. Forgive me for the photo. I was really hungry I couldn't wait to try it. This is one of the few adobos out there that I really liked, and for P165, this was definitely worth it.

Price: P165

5 out of 5 for Army Navy's Adobo Flakes

Army Navy

G/F Crossroads Building,

32nd Street, Bonifacio Global City

Daily Digest: For the Love of Soup

The rainy season is the perfect weather for everything hot. Hot chocolate, champorado, soup, you name it. The recent class suspension brought my blockmate and I to Wooden Spoon in Powerplant Mall. We were supposed to have a pre-agreed lunch but because of the weather, and me insisting that we have soup the day before, eventually led us to this: Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas (Guava).

Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas

P275

Guavas are supposed to taste a bit sour, right? Well, that's what we actually expected given that sinigang is supposed to be sour. However, (I think) the guavas they used in making this dish were a bit overripe already because the soup tasted so sweet! In the words of my friend Pearl, "Para kang kumain ng candy!" (It's like eating candy.) 

The only good thing about this dish was that it had generous slices of tender beef and vegetables. Too bad we weren't able to enjoy the hot soup. :( It was unbearably sweet. We already added fish sauce with crushed red chilies but it just couldn't overcome the sweetness.

Price: P275

1 out of 5 for Wooden Spoon's Beef Sinigang sa Bayabas

Wooden Spoon
Basement Level Powerplant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati City

Daily Digest: For the Love of Adobo

Today's exams were suspended because of the typhoon. More study time? Yes. But first lunch. 

My blockmate, Pearl, and I agreed to have dinner at Wooden Spoon after today's supposed exam. But since it was suspended, we decided to have early lunch before hitting the books. She's been craving adobo flakes that's why we ended up in Wooden Spoon. 

The Adobo Flakes was great! Shredded and crisp, this is how it should always be. The only different thing about Wooden Spoon's version is that it came with a really garlicky mayo sauce. One would would expect the typical soy-vinegar adobo sauce on the side but nope. Wooden Spoon serves their adobo flakes with this creamy and really garlicky mayo sauce (which was surprisingly amazing too). I've already mentioned that I prefer the traditional version of dishes, but this is one dish with a twist I'm willing to come back for too.

Price Range: P150/person

5 out of 5 for Wooden Spoon's Adobo Flakes

Wooden Spoon
Basement Level Powerplant Mall
Rockwell Center, Makati City

Daily Digest: For the Love of Rice

This is my first "digest" for my Quickie Series. Our first midterm exam this semester was torts. We pretty much had the whole weekend to study for it but at that time, it still felt like the weekend wasn't enough. I had been awake for 17 hours last Saturday, and yet, the reviewing still wasn't over. I decided to study somewhere near our apartment the following day so I went to Century City Mall. 

I decided to have lunch first so I can just camp out in the coffeeshop afterwards. Most of the restaurants that fit my budget at that time were the same restaurants we had in Rockwell (Banana Leaf, Rustan's Marketplace). Big no. I was eventually left with two choices: Burger King, which had a chicken with rice meal, or Isla Cafe, a "stall" which serves Filipino food though a bit more pricey than Burger King. In the end, I decided to go for Isla Cafe since I can get a fried chicken meal almost anywhere I go. I just made a compromise and chose the more inexpensive dish that still had rice.

Cafe Isla

Basement Level, Century City Mall

(near Rustan's Supermarket)

The Arroz Caldo was a steal at P130. It had the works (well, except for the chicaron)! Hardboiled egg, spring onions, toasted garlic, and a twist -- chicken inasal strips instead of the usual boiled chicken. Cafe Isla was also very generous with the calamansi. People who know me know that I love, love, love calamansi! I need at least five pieces to add to my palabok or arroz caldo, and they very much complied with my request when I asked for more.

Serving-wise, I approve. It wasn't the usual regular-sized bowl but it wasn't too big too. It felt like the serving was made especially for me! Not too big, not too small. As for the taste, the chicken inasal strips did add more flavor and twist to the dish but I prefer the traditional version. I'm not saying it wasn't good, it was delicious. I really just prefer the classic version (and this is coming from someone who, as mentioned, prefers the more traditional version of dishes.)

Would I try it again? Definitely. I won't add some fish sauce next time though. The flavor of the inasal strips is enough to cover the "touch of saltiness" part of the dish.

Price Range: P50 to P225/person

5 out of 5 for Isla Cafe's Hacienda Style Arroz Caldo

Isla Cafe (Robinson's Magnolia Branch Facebook Page, but it's the same company)
Lower Ground Floor
Century City Mall,
Makati City

Daily Digest: Poor Man's Fish

I will always, always, always love fried galunggong. Especially if paired with hot sinigang soup and soy-calamansi-chili sauce. I usually get to eat this only when I go home to my momma's house but thankfully, a restaurant finally decided to include this oh-so-delicious fish in their menu!

Coco Hut just opened a store in Bonifacio Stopover and they serve this delicious fish all day, everyday! They also have other Filipino dishes and their famous fried chicken on their menu but if you know me, you know I'd pick the fish in a snap.

Poor Man's Fish

P175

The best part about this meal is that it comes with some kind of squash mash. It sounds icky, yes, but it goes well with the crisp fried fish and the soy-calamansi-chili sauce. It may not be hot soup, but it's the closest I could get to hot soup and a side of veggies.

This is a MUST TRY, believe me.

Price: P175

5 out of 5 for Coco Hut's Poor Man's Fish

Coco Hut Fried Chicken & Fish
2/F Bonifacio Stopover
Rizal Drive corner 31st Street,
Bonifacio Global City

Open 24 hours.

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Where Do Broken Hearts Go Ba Talaga?

I went to Sagada to clear my head, breathe some fresh air and maybe some sanity back into my system. I expected it to be less of a vacation and more of a Let-Me-Find-Myself trip but the place was too amazing to not be noticed. Here are a few places we visited during our 1-day stay up in the mountains.

Day 3 of 3: The Last Stop -- Kainan sa Dalampasigan

Before we went back to civilization, Gus and I made sure our vacation was worth more than the expense. We dropped by the famous Kainan Sa Dalampasigan for a late lunch to check out why this restaurant is the most talked about in Nasugbu.

Kainan sa Dalampasigan is along R. Martinez St. It's easy to miss unless you really are looking for the place. If you're coming from Manila-Tagaytay, the street will be on your left side. The restaurant is also on the left side of the street, just a few houses away from the corner where you turned.

You can't miss the entrance to the restaurant. It looks like an enchanted garden with greens hanging above the driveway, and trees and plants along the sides. But, cars give and take as they enter and exit the restaurant compound because the driveway is not wide enough for two cars. 

Josephine Restaurant: Before and After

Tagaytay is our go-to/quick vacation spot whenever we feel very stressed and toxic. Last year, Gus and I decided we needed a break from our heavy workloads and a trip out of town was the solution. I was craving for some juicy, crunchy crispy pata and hot bulalo at the same time, so we knew Tagaytay was the place to go.

Based on our quick research, Josephine is the most frequented bulaluhan in Tagaytay City. I know there are more famous bulalo houses in Tagaytay, but given the time that we had, Josephine's was the #1 most recommended by people we knew. So we drove all the way to Tagaytay just to grab a hot bowl of bulalo.

Unfortunately, when we got there, they didn't have bulalo anymore. It was understandable, given that we got there at around 9 PM already, but still disappointing. We decided to order the closest thing to bulalo we could have: Beef Nilaga.

It wasn't bulalo, but their beef nilaga still made the trip worthwhile. The soup was served hot, with generous portions of both beef and vegetables. The serving was big enough for four people to share. Aside from the beef nilaga, we also ordered crispy pata.

Their crispy pata (Crispy Pork Knuckles) was good! The skin was really crisp, and the meat, soft and juicy. It was flavorful inside out. Plus, their soy-vinegar dip was done right, it complemented the pata well. 

So, we might not have gotten what we went there for, but it was still a really good meal. Josephine does live up to its reputation -- excellent Filipino food. We enjoyed our meal so much that we decided to have dinner there again, this time, during our anniversary weekend. For our Josephine Experience Part 2, read ahead. :)

A Big No-No for Balikbayans (and regular Pinoys)

A few days ago, we brought our yaya and driver to Cabalen Trinoma for an early Christmas treat. They are very simple people who don't really indulge so we thought a dinner buffet would surprise them. Since it was just a few weeks before Christmas, we had to wait in line for a while since the place was packed. But for P298 only, we thought this would be worth it.

NOT.

Backlog 1: Adobo Connection

When I was still working in Makati, I discovered this small, literally hole-in-the-wall restaurant behind our office building. It was inside a parking lot along de la Rosa. I got so tired of the usual office cafeteria food so I decided to walk along de la Rosa in hopes of finding other restaurants where I could buy food. And that's when I saw Adobo Connection.

I know this restaurant isn't really unknown. I've seen it in malls before but I've never really bothered to check it out. This time, something caught my attention. They had adobo rice for only P39! I thought it was a good deal so I tried it. Was I surprised! I got a really big serving of delicious adobo rice topped with garlic and sliced scrambled eggs in a microwavable plastic container! Yup, I loved the packaging too. 

And because I really enjoyed the first one, I decided to bring Gus there since I wanted to try a lot of their dishes.

We had their Kuya's Mixed Adobo, which was the traditional salty adobo made of chicken and pork. The portions were good enough for two so we just ordered an extra cup of rice.

Kuya's Mixed Adobo

Wake Up! Part 2

Another recent discovery was Tapsilog Avenue along Xavierville Avenue. Two weeks ago, Gus and I went to Ababu for a late night snack (yes, we usually eat rice for snack), and we saw this new tapsilog place beside. Since we went all the way to Katipunan from Ortigas just to eat at Ababu, I decided we could try the tapsilog place another time. And so we finally did!

The place was a little hole-in-the-wall. Nothing special. Tables and benches made of wood, an inside and outside area, a small restroom and don't count on parking. There's only enough space for one car in front of the place. But of course, we didn't go there to see/appreciate the place. We went there to try the food.

The place offered different kinds of silog. -silogs are famous breakfast meals in the Philippines. It's a meal with one kind of meat or processed food product, sinangag (fried rice), and egg (itlog). For P45, you can try the ever famous Filipino breakfast tapsilog -- tapa, sinangag, and itlog. Or if you're not a salty type of person, you can try their tocilog (tocino or cured sweet pork), hotsilog (hotdog), porksilog (porkchop), and all the other silogs you can think of. Yes, all kinds of silogs for P45 only. 

Tapsilog

P45

Best Friends Pares and Mami House

It's been a while since my last update. I've a lot of entries waiting to be published, but I just don't have the time to finish all of them yet. Fortunately, I've some time to finish one today. 

A few months back, Gus and I decided to try this "pares" house along Aurora Blvd. It looks like your typical pares house -- simple tables and chairs, open air, fancy/colorful designs, and tiled floors. If you haven't seen other pares houses, you might think this is just a fancier eatery, or sidewalk restaurant. But don't let it's cutesy, or simple exterior fool you. Best Friends Pares House offers delicious, inexpensive meals fit for a king! 

Gus ordered the Beef Pares Meal, which came with a bowl of soup, two pieces of siomai, and UNLIMITED rice. All for the very low price of P89.

Beef Pares with UNLIMITED Rice

I ordered their Lechon Kawali Meal, which also came with a bowl of soup, a side dish of chopsuey, and a big cup of rice. As you can see in the photo below, their chopsuey serving was good enough for one more meal, not just as a side dish. Their serving of rice was also bigger than your usual cup of rice. All this for just P89 too.

Lechon Kawali Meal with Chopsuey

Best Friends Pares and Mami House prides itself in serving clean, delicious, and affordable meals, which, in our opinion, they succeeded in doing so. The food was delicious, we had everything we needed and wanted in a meal -- a bowl of hot soup, vegetables, more rice, and the assurance that what we were eating was clean food. For those midnight cravings, or spontaneous dates, drop by Best Friends Pares and Mami House for a delicious and affordable meal. They are located along Aurora Blvd. just a few block away from the Anonas LRT Station. They are open 24 hours. 

Price Range: P50-100/person

5 out of 5 for Best Friends Pares and Mami House

Best Friends Pares and Mami House
972 CDO 
Aurora Blvd. Quezon City
Phone Number: (63 2) 912 8957; 912 9614

Contact details courtesy of: http://bestfriendsparesandcateringservices.com/branches.php 

something new: Chicken Deli

Image courtesy of google.com -- Click photo to get to source

Hello, friends! If ever you're tired of the same old, same old inasal places you see everywhere, then do stop by this new inasal place we discovered in Quezon City! Yes, I am promoting this new inasal place because 1) I really want to help them advertise their restaurant because I enjoyed my first dining experience with them; and 2) they really have good food and service worth sharing with others! :) It's called Chicken Deli, and its specialty include the finest from Bacolod -- Chicken Inasal. Apart from the Star of the Restaurant, Chicken Deli also offers other specialty dishes like batchoy, sisig, and kare-kare.

What makes this inasal place different from the rest? For one, this is the first inasal place I've gone to which offers its specialty inasal in an alternative flavor -- spicy. I know the pioneer inasal restaurants have started to offer its patrons the spicy version of inasal, but I've noticed that they only offer the spicy version on certain chicken parts. In Chicken Deli, you can choose to have your pechopak (breast + wing) or your paa (leg + thigh) part, all spiced up just by adding P5 on top of your desired meal's price. Apart from their spicy version of the inasal, this new inasal restaurant also offers unlimited bowls of rice, and soup, at no extra cost. I know the unlimited rice is nothing new to most of us, but their unlimited soup is. For a change, I wasn't afraid to ask the waiter for seconds and thirds of their hot and flavorful broth soup. And, to top off the good meal, Chicken Deli really has good service. You don't have to raise your hand and call an attendant's attention, or wait forever, just to get your second serving of rice or soup. The attendants come to you and offer!

Don't worry, this place may offer something new to its diners, but rest assured, all the elements of an inasal dinner is kept preserved. The vinegar, soy sauce, and chicken oil bottles one would usually find in any inasal place, are available on each table. The inasal meals come with calamansi and chili too. And of course, the main course is grilled to perfection.

So if you're tired of the same old, same old, visit Chicken Deli at SM Annex, and try their inasal for yourself. It's as affordable as the other inasal places we've tried, maybe even cheaper. For P99, you can enjoy a big piece of inasal chicken with unlimited rice and soup, plus, you get to taste the difference. :)

Price Range: P99-129/person

5 out of 5 for Chicken Deli

Chicken Deli

3/L SM Annex

EDSA, Quezon City, Philippines