Tasteritos

Coffee House Beanery, Iloilo

2011-06-26T02:42:00.001+07:00

Say hello to my new favourite coffee place in Iloilo!

This is the Coffee House Beanery, a really small coffee shop near Robinson’s. I’ve seriously never heard of this place before and as you can see from the pictures, it seems nobody goes there. I found out about this place when I was going home from Robinson’s about a month ago and went by a route I don’t usually take. Maybe people don’t know about Coffee House ‘coz it’s really hard to notice unless you’re passing right by it.

So that is the cappuccino frost. It’s basically blended cappuccino with a bit of cinnamon. At first it was very creamy and right at the end there’s a sort of bite of the coffee.

This one was delicious! It’s called berryccino frost and it’s basically strawberry and cappuccino. What I loved about this is that even though the strawberry flavour was very prominent, its sweetness was very equally balanced out by the strong coffee flavour. I don’t like how sweet other fruity coffee beverages are, so this one is like perfection for me.
We also tried out their chocolate bonbons and they were delicious! They also serve salads, sandwiches and other pastries.
So, if I were you, I’d visit Coffee House Beanery ASAP!
Later tater!
Patricia

The Coffee Bean, Manila

2011-06-26T02:41:00.002+07:00

For our followers who live in Manila!

Mooon Cafe, Iloilo

2011-06-26T02:40:00.002+07:00

So for some time now my sister (the girl in blue) and I have been planning to go to Mooon Cafe, which is this new-ish Mexican-inspired restaurant in downtown Iloilo. All this time I thought that the name is Moon, like any other normal person, but it has three O’s, which I forgot to ask about.
Anyhoo, as you can see from the first picture, the interior is very festive. I couldn’t stop gushing about how colourful the place is. And I swear on my life, I didn’t even enhance that picture (nor any of the pictures in this article). Now on to the food!

So I ordered the chimichanga ’coz on the menu it was indicated that it was a best-seller and it had a chili icon, which meant that it’s spicy. After living for years in Indonesia and becoming used to spicy food, I am often disappointed with how things labelled ‘spicy’ in the Philippines often turn out to be not spicy. Such was the case with this chimichanga (I feel so misled. *tears*). Not only was it not spicy—even after I put heaps of Tabasco—, it was salty. The best thing about it was the tortilla, which isn’t really a good thing to say. Oh and the abundance of cheese.

Next, we have the burrito pescada, which my sister ordered.

Inside the tortilla is fried fish fillet, some vegetables and it’s topped with lots of cheese. It’s accompanied with tomato and pepper salsa (left) and onion, tomato and herb salsa (right). And it was really good. We highly recommend this one.
Anyways, after we ordered, we noticed that virtually every table in the restaurant had this…punch-like thing. So we asked the waitress what it was and she said that it was their best-selling sun coolers, or something like that. She said that it was basically orange and mango juice, with fruit bits. It sounds delicious and we were a little annoyed we didn’t order it lol, but we’ll definitely order it next time.

I loved basically everything about Mooon, from their food to the atmosphere, except towards the end of our meal I was disappointed by their service. I had ordered bottomless iced tea, and I had asked a waitress to refill my iced tea. After nearly 15 minutes of wondering where the hell was my refill, I saw the very same waitress outside of the cafe, going home. O_O I understand that probably her shift was over, but it was irresponsible of her not to bring me my order before she left. Or at the very least, asked someone else to do it. That pissed me off a lot.
But other than that waitress, our trip to Mooon was very satisfactory. If you’re in Iloilo and like Mexican food, visit Mooon ASAP!
Later tater!
Patricia

Kopi Roti, Iloilo

2011-06-26T02:39:00.004+07:00

My sister and I were in Kopi Roti some weeks ago, mostly because we always crave for anything Indonesian. Well, Kopi Roti is Malay lol, but Malay is as close as we can get to Indonesian here in Iloilo (as far as I know).
So this is the kopi, which is basically (and literally) coffee. According to the Kopi Roti website, their coffee beans are roasted with the traditional Hainanese style, and that they brew their coffee with sweet milk, following Singaporean tradition.

This is the kopi bun, which is their house specialty. It’s bread with coffee-flavoured crust and the filling is sweet and butter-y. It reminds me of Rotiboy (which I miss and love so much), but not as delicious. It’s still good, though.

And this is I think iced chocolate, that my sister ordered. It tasted like…iced chocolate. LOL

Okay that was all! Later tater!
Patricia

Izakaya Den, Melbourne

2011-06-26T02:39:00.000+07:00

Izakaya Den. A restaurant which, at the first mention of its name, received a fine indicator from a curious foodie: “It sounds wonderfully homey and Japanese,” she says.
The place was disguised in a basement of a building. Led down by a flight of stairs, its discovery wouldn’t have been found if you didn’t know what to look for. In my case, I knew what I was looking for, and still thought Google Map was playing tricks on me.
I knew, as I went down the stairs, that it was going to be a good place hidden in the corner of Russell and Little Collins St. past the black drapes and you’ll step in into what feels like you’re in the central fashionable side of japan.
The restaurant was overflowing with gents and ladies in formal attires. It was Wednesday night, and while lounging to wait for a table for one, I took in the view and could already sum it up in two words: after-work hangout, indeed.

The place and music gave a relaxed atmosphere, a backdrop to agile waiters and waitresses serving crowds of men and women immersed in good laughs and chats.
I was then ushered to the bar area, which extends down the narrow rectangular space. It’s a good spot to watch the chef create delightful food and drinks in font of you. a warm hand towel then perched on the high table to cleanse the hands, another Japanese culture incorporated into a western setting.
I pick my selections out from the A3-sized menu scrolls and decided to have a glass of sake shicisakura and sakata coated prawn with citrus mayonnaise for the night.
The portion was clearly disappointing. I was looking for a dinner plate only to find three fairly fat prawns rested on a small plate. It’s a place where you find delectable Western-style Japanese appetizers to keep the conversation going, I discovered.

The taste tells its been prepared with skill and care. Not amazing, but good. The prawns were crisp and tender, just with the right thickness of crumbs, and served with citrus mayonnaise (awesome mayonnaise by the way) it satisfied the tongue if not the stomach.
And as for the drink, there’s nothing special I can say, with a blend of melon and fresh aftertaste. But anyone who craves for a warm or cool sake will love their sake collection. Not to mention their stacks of Australian and Japanese wine and beers decorating the wall.
Coupled with decent food and drinks, its a nice spot to loosen up in the evening. You’ll be lucky to leave the place with a simple chorus of courtesy and a polite question of “Where are you going?”
Venisa (Guest Reviewer)
Thanks Venisa! For more information on Izakaya Den, visit their website here.

Avocado Juice Recipe

2011-06-26T02:38:00.000+07:00

Avocado juice is a drink that’s very Asian, but still loved anywhere around the world. And very easy to make as well!
This serves three people.
Ingredients:
1 avocado
2 glasses of milk
3 tablespoons of sugar
Condensed chocolate milk

Directions:
Put the cut-out avocado into the blender.
Add the milk and sugar.
Blend (SO EASY!)
You can add more sugar and milk as needed.
In the serving glass, pour the condensed chocolate milk, and then add the blended avocado juice.
Serve!

Indita

Baileys Espresso Recipe

2011-06-26T02:37:00.001+07:00

Maybe the weather’s hot, maybe your friends are coming, or maybe you just want to drink - this beverage is perfect for every occasion!
This serves up to 4 people
Ingredients:
1 pint of Haagen Dazs’ coffee ice cream
1 glass of milk
2 shots of Baileys
1 shot of Kahlua

Directions:
Put all of the ingredients in a blender until everything is mixed.
Serve! (HAHA that was easy!)

Optional: You can also add whipped cream on top
Indita

Cleo’s Portico at the Franklin Institute, Philadephia

2011-06-26T02:36:00.002+07:00

There was a Cleopatra exhibition at the Franklin Institute Museum when I was in Philly. I’m not sure whether it’s still on. It was amazing. Anyway, the museum decided to make a temporary cafe just outside of the exhibition on the second floor in accordance to the special showcase. The cafe was called Cleo’s Portico, and everything in it was sort of Egyptian and Cleopatra-inspired. My aunt and I had the hummus with bread and ice cream with berries.
There was nothing special about this place, it was just nice and simple. The restaurant was temporary anyway. So I’m just posting the pictures. Nothing else. Enjoy!

Indita

Jakey’s Amish Barbeque, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

2011-06-26T02:35:00.000+07:00

Jakey’s was just a random restaurant my aunt and I stumbled into while we were hungry in Lancaster. I had the Steak BBQ and my aunt had the Boc Boi. Boc Boi. LOL.

This was the BBQ Steak. What I like about it the most is the bread. Oh my god. The bread was just a little crispy on the outside and soooo soft on the inside. It still had flour on the outer part, which I love. Because it gives the recently-baked feeling. Mmm. The sliced meat was so tender and the sauce was delicious! I think the liquid-y brown-y was just a normal barbecue sauce. But the combination of everything was nice.

The Boc Boi.
Let me explain the background of the name first. This will totally make you laugh! So the Amish people were derived from different countries like Germany and the Netherlands, so they have a little accent. Boc Boi is basically chicken pot pie, and the Amish people pronounce it “boc boi” instead of “pot pie” because of the accent. I laughed so hard when I heard this, I cried.
So the Boc Boi. HAHAHAH. Okay focus… Focus… It just sounds so funny! Anyway, the boc boi was FULL of carbohydrates. The soupey part was super-mashed-watery potatoes, and then it had even more potatoes that were cut out in cubes, and then the bread on the side. Wow. Other than those, it had carrots and chicken. I guess this kind of food is good for the Amish since they do all those hard labor. This has all the energy they need to work throughout the day. But for my aunt and I, this will just make us fat. LOL.
So I guess that’s it bic boi.
Indita

Philly Cheese Steak, Philadephia

2011-06-26T02:34:00.004+07:00

I’m seriously not surprised to see lots of HEALTHY people in the state of Pennsylvania, because the food is delicious! And they were EVERYWHERE!
Philly’s proudest creation (I guess - I mean, it should be!) is the Philly Cheese Steak.
Cheese steak is basically Philly’s local it food. I had one at the Reading Terminal Market, which is an indoor market place with lots of foods and goodies. Good goodies. Hehehe

This food was delicious! It had (apart from the beef and cheese) lettuce, tomato, mayo, and pickles. It was a little drier than I expected, because the beef was cooked at a really high temperature. It was not greasy at all. I’m not sure if they make it this way everywhere, but I would actually prefer it to have it more juicy. I like juicy. Juicy is good.
So there it was. The Philly Cheese Steak. I’d give it a 2.5 out of 5, just because it was not juicy enough. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me. I mean, most people should like it because it is a local treasure. The cheese steak would not be famous if it wasn’t liked. LOL. So whenever you are in Philly, you should still try it out.
Indita

Scrapple, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

2011-06-26T02:34:00.000+07:00

My tour guide told me that you’re officially in Lancaster after you try out Scrapple. I did try Scrapple. And so I can officially say that I have been to Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Tee hee :D
Scrapple is basically pig carcass. I am not kidding you. I swear. But it’s good. I swear (again).

I love this so much that I actually had 2 of these every morning for 4 days straight! And FYI, I stayed in Lancaster for 4 days.
So the pig carcass is basically cut into rectangles, fried and then traditionally served with maple syrup - that’s the gold-watery stuff. Some people like to have it with tomato ketchup, but I love mixing savory and sweet food, so I prefer the traditional way.
I know… I know… PIG CARCASS! But seriously, you guys should really try this one out. It’s really delicious. I mean, a lot of people from different parts of the world eat frogs, fried (and/or live) insects, and other stuff that might seem disgusting. But if you just suck it up and try it out, you might actually like it :)
Indita

FourAteFive, Sydney

2011-06-26T02:33:00.002+07:00

Recently voted by TimeOut Sydney as the best Cafe of 2010, I decided to give FourAteFive a try. It is located in Surry Hills, an area which i LOVE, so prepare for the bias review (just kidding). They serve sandwiches and salads and snacks, so don’t come here expecting real food (although the portions are big enough to fill an empty stomach anyway). I ordered the poached chicken salad with beetroot and cottage cheese , because I am not a big fan of sandwiches (I know. hwhattt). A friend of mine, though, ordered the highly recommended pulled pork sandwich.

The chicken salad was very good, fresh, and it really didn’t feel like I was eating a salad. The chicken was plenty, and I love the sweetness of the beetroot with the slight bitterness of the arugula. It looks pretty too ;D
The pulled pork sandwich was …amaysin. I usually don’t like sandwiches, but a bite of this made me go O_O . The pork meat was really tender, and the sourdough was not too hard, nor too soft.

Food: Really good for a light meal, after all it is a cafe
Place: Very cozy, perfect for hanging out!
Price: Reasonable. We paid about $15 for each meal, and left really full
Overall: Overall, it’s a very good cafe, however, I wouldn’t recommend you go here solely for the food. Unless you’re a sandwich person. 3 out of 5.

Cheerios,
Dodilia

Shoo-Fly Pie, Lancaster, Pennsylvania

2011-06-26T02:32:00.001+07:00

Why Shoo-Fly, you ask? Well this was created WAAAY back when the Amish first set foot in America. As told by my aunt. A long time ago, there were these German groups who practiced a certain way of life. they noticed that the community that they were living in were developing, which they did not like. So they decided to move to America to practice their lifestyle. The Amish people made the pie out of necessity because they do not have fridge or any electronics to preserve food. Shoo-Fly pie can stay edible without being refrigerated, but because they’re really sweet, they attract flies. So people have to “shoo” the flies off the pies. Hence, SHOO-FLY PIE!!

The Chocolate Shoo-Fly Pie. Honestly, I wasn’t able to taste the chocolate at all. It was just sweet. But good. Just good. Too sweet. But good.

Now this one was MAGIC! It’s the Pecan Shoo-Fly Pie. OMG. It was sweet, pecan-y, a little crunchy, and heavenly. I definitely tasted a lot of caramel and a little cinnamon. Maybe apple? Not sure.
Well, over all, I like this pie. Too sweet though. I would not even eat this on a monthly basis. But this is my first time being in an Amish Town area, so I’m all good!
Indita

Isabella’s Restaurant, New York

2011-06-11T07:46:00.003+07:00

I’m not sure whether having a location just across Shake Shack is strategic, but Isabella’s Restaurant is definitely worth the try! As usual, I didn’t actually plan to come here, but then my aunt said that, based on her research, the restaurant is good. So instead of going to Shake Shack (I know I know), we went here.
Atmosphere, service, and food were ALL good! I loved it.

I had one of the day’s special menu, which was pasta with green beans, tomatoes, shrimp, prosciutto, and some other stuff (look at the pic!). It was so good - I really can’t explain any further. Basically it was fresh and full of flavors. You know how healthy foods usually taste kind of bland? Yea, this one was not.

This was the dessert. Key Lime Pie. Look. At. The. Picture. There’s nothing more to say.
My experience at Isabella’s restaurant was really nice. My parents are coming in a few weeks and I’ll definitely bring them here. I hope I dream of the Key Lime Pie tonight *drools
Indita

Magnolia Bakery, New York

2011-06-11T07:46:00.001+07:00

Finally! This is, so far, the best cupcake place in NYC! I went here with my aunt, who is visiting from Indonesia - hence the trip to Magnolia.
When I came in, I noticed that they served several cupcake-sized cheesecakes, which looked better than the normal cupcakes, so my aunt and I had those instead. I had the Red Velvet Cheesecake, while my aunt had the Cinnamon Crumb Cake.

The Red Velvet Cheesecake was really nice! But I do especially like the oreo crumbs on the bottom and the creamy cream and chocolate bits on top better than the actual cheesecake. The cake part of the cake (lol) is really gooey, which is in a good way, but the taste itself is kind of odd. I would order this again in the future, but I’d rather try something else.

The Cinnamon Crumb Cake was extraordinarily delicious! I’m sad that I only had a bite. I recall that it was a little cheesy, cinnamon-y (obviously), and nutty.
I’ll definitely post some more foodpr0n pics of the cupcakes from Magnolia if ever I come back (FAT FAT CHANCE!), so visit Tasteritos as much as possible!
Indita

Dulgies, Iloilo

2011-06-11T07:45:00.001+07:00

You know, I had trouble writing about this place. Not because this place sucks or anything. On the contrary, the food we had here was so good I wanted to skip past the introductory write-up and go right to the pictures. Ok, I’ll go right to the pictures!

Okay so this was the Blueberry Cheesecake (only P85.00) which my sister ordered. It was really good, but this kind of cheesecake is really standard. So…yeah. But it’s good, though.

YES. I ordered the Cookie Caramel Cheesecake (only P65.00) and OH. MY. GOD. This one was superb. It was SOOO delicious. Instead of describing the cheesecake, I thought I would show you instead. So, dear readers, I present to you:
The Anatomy of a DULGIES Cookie Caramel Cheesecake

I think my favourite part of the cheesecake was the base. It was very crunchy and it just didn’t taste like your regular graham cracker base. But practically everything about this cheesecake was delicious.
Anyways, other than desserts, Dulgies also serves pasta and sandwiches, so I’m going to try those the next time I go (and I’ll definitely try the other cakes, too). Oh! I almost forgot. We bought a Chocolate Chip Cookie (P48.00) for the road, and it was good, but there wasn’t really anything special about it.
Dulgies can be found across SM Delgado, beside BPI and…I can’t remember. I think it was Ted’s. :D If ever you’re in Iloilo, my suggestion, go to Dulgies ASAP.
Later tater!
Patricia

Charm Thai, New York

2011-06-11T07:44:00.003+07:00

I didn’t expect to write on this, because it was only a delivery food, but it turned out to be really good!
I was craving for some good duck. Not just any duck. GOOD duck. And what better place to find the good duck than a Thai restaurant? Since I was too lazy to go to an actual restaurant (and the thought of eating there alone), I decided to get a Thai delivery. I didn’t expect it to be good, but I thought whatever, I’m hungry and damn it I want duck!
I looked up Thai delivery at Google Maps and found one called Charm Thai, just two blocks away from my apartment. Then I thought, prospect’s good, because close proximity means faster delivery and more freshly-out-of-the-pan meal. So I called. And had the food. And it was good.
I had Duck Panang Curry and Thai Iced Tea.

In details, the duck was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, which was perfect! It had vegetables, as shown in the picture, but not as much as I expected. The curry sauce was watery enough. I like it mixed with rice.

I love Thai Iced Teas! It’s one of the best drinks in the world, I swear! This one tasted like a typical Thai Iced Tea, but since it was a Thai Iced Tea, it was wonderful. I should have ordered more……… :(
Indita

Mad Cow, Sydney

2011-06-11T07:44:00.001+07:00

Remember how I said I was going to continue the hunt for the perfect steak in Sydney? If Mad Cow doesn’t serve the perfect steak, then I don’t even know. I ordered the Wagyu steak with bearnaise sauce, and broccolini and french fries with herbs as sides.

The reason I ordered this particular type of steak is because the portion is just right for me (200 g), instead of the other variations of meat that are 400g ++ . Maybe it’s because the wagyu meat is rich enough that people aren’t able to consume large amounts of it.

Upon receiving our meals, the waitress advised us to cut against the fibers of the meat, that way the taste would be more prominent. I don’t know if that really made any difference, but the steak was very good. Better than the one in Jean Claude’s . Yes it was.
We ordered the Chocolate Lava Cake for dessert and it wasn’t anything special. Mostly because they served it with nougat-flavored ice cream. I am not a big fan of them peanuts.

Food: Delicious steak. Perfect portion.
Place: Located in one of the hidden alleyways of George St. , very exclusive
Price: About $30 for a steak, if I’m not mistaken. Pretty good, huh?
Overall: I give it a 4 out of 5, I’ve only positive reviews for the steak, so I don’t want to mislead people by ranking it higher in account of the other dishes.

PS. Yes, very bad lighting. Apologies.
Cheerios,
Dodilia

Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken, Manila

2011-06-11T07:43:00.001+07:00

I have been living in Manila for almost 2 years now and this was the first time I even heard of this restaurant. But believe me when I say I totally regret not exploring SM Annex more!
Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken, located in the upper floors of SM Annex, is said to be famous for it’s Portugese style chicken. Not having eaten anything Portugese before, I really couldn’t tell. But I know it was one of the best chicken I’ve ever had.
I dunno whether this is obvious in my previous reviews, but one of the best things about food for me is texture. Food must not only taste good, it should feel good in your mouth too.

Peri Peri’s chicken is exactly that: smooth, smokey and I swear, it’s so soft that even without chewing, it’ll slide down your throat nice and easy. And as if it’s not tastey enough with it’s smokeyness, gravy is available riiiiggghhtttt next to the rice.
I ordered a Combo C which included 1 extra side dish of your choice to go with the chicken (which was Mild Spicy, by the way, cause I wanted extra flavors). The side dishes ranged from Coleslaw salad, Tortilla wraps, to soup and more! I had the coleslaw, though I’m not really sure if I regret having it (since the mayonnaise was so rich I was feeling sort of nauseated after I finished eating everything).

Now I bet you’re thinking a chicken that good is probably served in small portions. Well, I thought that too. Only to be proved that Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken had generous servings! And that is not an understatement! I was so full I could hardly breathe by the time I was done with everything.
OK. About the price… I’m sorry to say that I forgot. Or it was more like, I didn’t really care what the price was. The chicken was worth it!
So if you’re ever craving chicken, or if you’re ever in SM North Edsa, drop by the SM Annex and look for this restaurant! I totally recommend it!
:D,
Bea

Bouchon Bakery, New York

2011-06-11T07:29:00.003+07:00

A friend of mine recommended me to try out the cakes at Bouchon Bakery a long time ago. Of course, I forgot to go there, but only until I found a picture of macaroons from Bouchon on Tumblr. And so it reminded me. And I went to the place. I tried the food. And it was… HEAVENLY! *cue heavenly music here*
I brought home three macaroons (just the typical flavors; chocolate, vanilla, and pistachio), one chocolate almond croissant, and a strawberry panna cotta.

I was in love with the chocolate almond croissant from the moment I bit it. It was love at first bite. Oh my god. The chocolate melted in my mouth, which was then followed by the crunchiness of the croissant. The pastry was extra crisp because it was coated with sugar and sprinkled with sliced almonds, which made it even better.

The strawberry panna cotta came out messy, so I apologize for the weird picture. Basically, it had layers of strawberry jam, vanilla panna cotta, a thin plain vanilla cake, strawberry jelly, and crumbs on the top. It was good. The jam was quite thick, which made the dessert very sweet, but then the creamy-ness of the panna cotta made it all better. I also like the fact that there was the cake layer, because it was unusual, but in a good way.

The macaroons. What I love the most with the macaroons from Bouchon Bakery is the filling. The filling was really buttery! And THICK! I know they seem quite thin from the picture, but that is only because the macaroons were so wide. The pistachio and vanilla tasted almost the same, the only difference is that the pistachio had a nutty scent. The chocolate was very chocolatey, especially the filling. I like it when food have strong flavors, that’s why I prefer gelatos over ice creams. So basically I like the chocolate macaroon the most.
People should go and try Bouchon Bakery. I went to the one at Time Warner building. Even though they are quite expensive (all these cost $20.63), it was definitely worth it!
Indita

Carlito’s and T’Grillhaus, Iloilo

2011-06-11T07:29:00.001+07:00

I don’t understand the concept of this…twin restaurant. It’s like…two different restaurants occupying the same building (Carlito’s is the indoor space and T’Grillhaus is more al fresco) and also having the same menu. It’s like the same restaurant, but not quite? It confuzzles me.
Ok, to be frank, this post has been sitting in the Drafts for probably two weeks already because I just could not be bothered to write about this place. My experience in this restaurant was completely…meh. I can’t be bothered to come back to this place…
…if it weren’t for their BURGER. Oh. my. God.

This is called the Teresa Burger and it is just amazing. It’s only P120.00! (Between $2-3) Anyways, my brother ordered it, and we didn’t know it was going to be one of those giant burgers again like in Perri Todd’s. What’s with those giant burgers anyway? It makes me wonder if regular burgers in America really are that big (because most of the time, these giant burgers are being called ‘All-American Burger’). Somebody explain that to me.
Anyways, oh this burger. Other than the regular burger-y stuff like the patty and the lettuce and tomato and what not, this burger had bacon bits, mushroom and this super amazeballs sauce that…Oh my god. I mean…god. Ok, if there was a way I could marry this burger…well, I wouldn’t marry it, but I’d still take it out on the town and give it the time of its life.
We ordered a whole lot of other stuff, too, but they were completely abysmal. My dad ordered lechon kawali (which I could only describe as some kind of local porkchop) but the serving was so damn tiny. Let’s just say it wasn’t going to feed a full-grown man. My mom and older brother ordered some sort of grilled chicken barbecue and I guess it was meh. My sister and I both ordered chicken teriyaki. It’s safe to say that, because it didn’t taste at all like teriyaki, it was the worst teriyaki I’ve ever had in my entire life.
So if you go to this restaurant (either of the two), the safest choice would be to order one of their burgers. Not only is it really affordable, it’s amazingly delicious. But the ambience of the restaurant and its interior are also really nice and comfortable, so I guess you could go there for those, too. Just make sure you don’t go on a night when there is live entertainment. The acoustic guy whatever was annoyingly loud and I like having decent conversation over a meal.
Later tater!

Fix St. James, Sydney

2011-06-11T07:28:00.002+07:00

Our first restaurant review in Sydney! I’m so excited! Anyway, trusting my FOOLPROOF guide to everything holy, Timeout , I went on a mission and tried …the *supposedly* best steak in Sydney in Fix St. James…
…Only to be disappointed to find that they were not serving the particular Wagyu steak that’s been so highly regarded, because Fix’s menu changes almost daily *sigh* . Alas, we decided to have the T-Bone, trout, and roast chicken with smashed peas.

The highlight of the day was of course the trout (LOOK AT IT!), served with egg’n’taters salad. What I love most is how Chef Sam Bennett manages to serve a dish with food that complements each other so well. The roast with peas was another delicious dish, although the picture did not do it justice at all.

The T-Bone, on the other hand, was juicy, tender, but lacks a certain fatty element. It still deserves a praise, then again I would not necessarily call it the BEST steak in Sydney. The hunt continues.

Food: Excellent! But I somehow expected more of the steak.
Place: Very cozy. None of that high-class, foux-y atmosphere
Price: About $30 a dish. If you want to go all out, order the set menu for only $39!
Overall: I’ll give it a 3.5 out of 5 , many would argue with me on this. But yknow, taste differs, and all that crap.

Cheerios,
Dodilia

Coconut Bliss - Mint Galactica

2011-06-11T07:27:00.001+07:00

Another one of my product reviews!
I made a review on Coconut Bliss, specifically on their Vanilla Island flavor, a few months ago. It was so good that I decided to try its other flavors. This one is called Mint Galactica.

Mint Galactica is basically like Vanilla Island, but minty (obviously) and with chocolate shavings. In case you have not read the Vanilla Dream article, Coconut Bliss’ ice creams are basically made of coconut, and they’re all healthy and natural. So it’s good for snacks - you don’t have to feel too bad eating ice cream.

At first it was weird to have the coconut flavor, because it’s just unusual to have coconut mixed with mint and chocolate. However, the ice cream is quite creamy, so the coconut is very subtle. So, you’ll get used to it after a while.
I think so far this is my favorite Coconut Bliss flavor. I’ve only tried 3 of their flavors in total, and they are Mint Galactica, Vanilla Island, and Naked Coconut. I might have tried the chocolate one, which name I cannot find on their website. I’m not sure.
If there are flavors that I think are good, I will definitely make a review on it!
Ciao,
Indita
P.S.: Click here to view Coconut Bliss’ web!

Beard Papa’s Mochi Ice Cream, New York

2011-06-11T07:26:00.002+07:00

Presenting Beard Papa’s Mochi Ice Cream, as promised!

The ones on the picture are Tiramisu and Lychee Mochis. I’ve also tried the Chocolate, Coffee, and Green Tea Mochis, and everything was amazing!
The ice cream is inside the mochi, and it’s totally frozen, which I like, because there’s nothing worse than melted ice cream! The mochi covering was chewy and thin enough, which I like too. I basically liked everything about this. Haha.
I have to say, the one that made the most impact was the Lychee Mochi, because it was delicately nice and sweet. The flavor of the lychee was very natural to me. I think I will order only this one for the rest of my life.
Indita

Mr. Curry, Jakarta

2011-06-11T07:26:00.000+07:00

So remember that time I went to Curry House 38 and I wrote in the post that I was gonna visit the newly opened Mr. Curry? I finally did. The restaurant was packed, as it was under the popular restaurant group Ismaya (the folks that brought you Kitchenette!).
My cousin ordered the Seafood Curry Risotto. I know, I know, it sounds like overkill. It doesn’t look very appetizing either. However, let me quote you on what my cousin Sesa said, word by word : “the dish was lovely, eloquently put, quaintly presented, and masterfully made” O_o I tasted the dish too and it really WAS good! I can’t imagine eating a whole bowl full of it, though. It has a very rich taste. Sesa also ordered the Clam Chowder (not pictured), which.. is not very chowder-y at all. It’s more like.. clam-flavored broth. Steer away from this dish, at all costs.

I ordered the Chicken Katsu Curry (as always), served with Original curry sauce, with a spiciness level of Hot. I must say the katsu was very good: crispy and juicy, but the curry broth itself isn’t as flavorful as that in Curry House 38. Plus, they don’t have a lot of options for their katsu curry dishes either.

The menu mainly focuses on things like Curry Risotto, Curry Pasta, etc. I also ordered the Mango Lassi. It was.. mango lassi. Tastes the same everywhere.

Food: Meh. Unless you wanna go for weird curry-based dishes such as curry pasta :S
Place: Quite comfortable, brightly lit, good atmosphere
Price: I really didn’t pay attention cos my aunt was treating us, but approx. Rp. 100, 000 per pax.
Overall: I’ll give it a 2 out of 5, the food isn’t THAT bad, it’s just that I expected (a lot) more from it.

Cheerios,
Dodilia

Halo-halo!

2011-06-11T07:24:00.001+07:00

This is, to my reckoning, the Philippines’ most widely recognised dessert (thanks to ChowKing branches all over the world). This, my friends, is called halo-halo. ‘Halo’ in Tagalog means ‘mix’ so basically halo-halo means something like…a mixture? Wow I am bad at this. Erm so anyways, halo-halo isn’t anything fancy, really. It’s just shaved ice topped with milk and a wide variety of fruits and beans, sometimes with cornflakes as well. But it is just so good, especially during the summer. Like this summer, there was a whole week I went to ChowKing everyday just to eat halo-halo.

By the way, ChowKing is a Chinese fast food restaurant from the Philippines and their halo-halo is one of the best in the entire country. Their halo-halo is consistently mind-blowingly delicious and has never once disappointed me. So what makes a ChowKing halo-halo? Or, specifically, what makes a ChowKing halo-halo that I can remember? :D

shaved ice
milk
sugar (I’m not actually sure if ChowKing uses milk and sugar or if they use already sweetened milk, but in other places, they serve the sugar separately. I actually like that because you can control how sweet your halo-halo would be.)
ice cream (The ice cream is actually not part of the halo-halo. You order it separately as an additional topping.)
leche flan (also known as flan or créme caramel)
ube (Purple yam. This is my favourite topping!)
pinipig (Sort of like…rice flakes?)
mung beans
kidney beans
kaong (sugar palm fruit)
garbanzos
jack fruit
banana
nata de coco

Would you look at that, I just gave you a recipe. Anyways, halo-halo is similar to Malaysia’s ais kacang, Indonesia’s es cendol, Korea’s patbingsu, Japan’s kakigori and Vietnam’s che sam bo luong. Anyways, you eat halo-halo by “halo-ing” all the ingredients. Just…get in there and mix everything together. But the way I eat it is first I eat the flan, then I mix everything together BUT the ice cream. That’s how I roll.
As far as I know, ChowKing has branches in the USA, the Middle East and Indonesia. So if you live in these countries/areas, uh, just ask around if there’s a ChowKing near you. (But I am sure that there are several ChowKing branches in California, just not sure about the East Coast.)
So, there you go! Later tater! :D
Patricia
P.S. This has been a ChowKing appreciation post. LOL
P.P.S. Oh and thanks to my Tito Sam for ‘sponsoring’ this article. Hahaha :D
NOTE: hollvn reblogged this and corrected me regarding the che sam bo luong:

Sam bo luong is the sea weed & lotus seed mixed drink. Halo-halo is more similar to che ba mau, which contains mung bean, kidney bean, jelly, shaved ice, and coconut milk.

Thanks, hollvn!

Bistro Baron, Jakarta

2011-06-11T07:23:00.000+07:00

At first I didn’t want to review this place just because it’s one of those new Jakartan places where everybody knows and has seemed to try. But the food was so good, I couldn’t resist. Bistro Baron takes place (teehee) in the midst of high-end designer boutiques in the Plaza Indonesia mall located in Central Jakarta. The way they occupy this space is interesting, because you would normally find such form of a restaurant outdoors. It’s hard to explain.. And I didn’t snap a picture of its interior, so I’ll link you to their Facebook picture, here.

I was in a rush to get here, and in a rush to get out (my little sister was getting cranky because it was late), hence the only dish that I tried was the Duck Confit (my father and sister finished eating before I managed to get out of Jakarta’s hell traffic). I opted to have it with mashed potatoes rather than the Rosti. When doing this, BE DETERMINED. The waiter will tell you twice that changing the potato dish isn’t possible, but I love my mashed potatoes and this particular one is worth the dirty look you get from the waiter.The dish was excellent. The duck: crispy on the outside, and juicy and fatty on the inside, the sauce complements that fatti-ness well without being too overpowering, and the mashed potatoes are by far the best I have ever tried in this city. The best. I would come here again JUST for the mashed potatoes.Again, the photo did not do justice at all for this dish, because I didn’t plan on reviewing this restaurant, so I snapped a picture AFTER I gorged down half of the dish.

It’s a new restaurant, and I guess I can excuse the somewhat incompetence of the service. Plus, in the end, I did get my mashed potatoes. I wonder how many times I’ve said ‘mashed potatoes’ in this post.The price was sort of how you expect the price to be. We ordered 4 dishes, and it came up to about Rp.680,000 : an average of …*calculating* Rp.170,000 per pax, including drinks and tax. It is expensive, but it’s a French bistro, I wouldn’t expect it to be cheap (I’ve got to try Java Bleu’s new Cikini place though, for affordable French bistro food). Mind you, the dishes we ordered were like.. roasted chicken, duck confit, striploin steak: the usuals. This one beef ribs dish reached up to Rp.925,000 a plate!

Food: I only tried one dish, but according to that one dish, the food was excellent. The mashed potatoes is a MUST try. Please.
Place: The interior is cute, although somewhat stuffy. Very original, though.
Price: As I said, about Rp.170, 000 per pax on average. Again, it depends on the dish you order.
Overall: A good 4 out of 5, and all because of the food.

Brasserie Les Halles, New York

2010-07-08T10:27:00.010+07:00

Yep! This is it! Anthony Bourdain's restaurant. I actually only found out that it's Chef Bourdain's restaurant AFTER I ate here. But, Bourdain or no Bourdain, the place is still EXCELLENT!

Brasserie Les Halles is a French restaurant and bar. It has a range of menu from Onion Soup to Blood Sausage, which I had.

You may not know, but I really enjoy ordering something that is quite weird. I know that Blood Sausage is not THAT weird to many people, but I do tend to have interest in ordering something that people would think taste odd. For instance, I went to this Italian restaurant one night with friends and decided to order strawberry spaghetti, which turned out to be good! But anyway, the reason behind this whole story is I just want to tell you that I'm going to order more of these odd meals, just to add more flavor to Tasteritos. Hahaha.

So the odd thing that I ordered this time was the Blood Sausage. For those who do not know, Blood Sausage is not actually 100% blood; its content includes the meat on which the blood was retrieved, some herbs or any type of ingredients to add flavor, and, of course, blood. So the outcome of the food is basically, at least for me, kind of like dry meat that tastes sort of creamy. Blood sausage is very fulfilling. I have had this meal (from different restaurants) several times and during both times I actually gagged right after. But I still love it. I don't know if I will order blood sausage again in the future, because they pretty much taste the same, but maybe after a couple of months I will start ordering again. We'll see.

I also had the fois gras, which was good, as usual. I don't want to comment too much on this one because it basically tasted like any other fois gras. Well, the side was actually quite interesting. The food had apples with cinnamon as a side, which is quite unusual. Since fois gras is very creamy and buttery, people tend to serve it with something that is sort of sweet and a little sour, like cranberries. But this time, the fois gras was mixed with something that is sweet and quite caramel-y. It was a good combination though. However, I'd rather have it with cranberries.

For the dessert, I had profiteroles. I loved it! It tasted like normal profiteroles, but I love anything sweet and cold, so what can I say? I just loved it!

Overall, the place was good. I would definitely come here again. Not as often as Fatty Crab though. But still. Haha.

Indita

Fatty Crab, New York

2010-07-05T03:28:00.011+07:00

I don't even know where to start. I mean, this place. Wow. I still don't know where to start. Hahaha.

Fatty Crab is a Malaysian-inspired restaurant, with a twist of the western culture. Malaysia itself is bordered with many countries, which include Indonesia and Thailand. Because of this, a lot of the Malaysian culture is inspired by some of these countries. Since Malaysia and Indonesia are very similar in culture, the food that they have is pretty much the same. The way the restaurant serves its food is also very authentically Asian, where all meals are put in the middle so that people can share and taste each one.

I came here with my guardian and a friend. We had been planning to go to here for such a long time, but never got the time to actually do it. So after we finally found a date, we starved ourselves so that we were able to eat a lot. And we did eat a lot. A LOT.

Let's move on to the meals.

For starters, I had Fatty Sliders, Steamed Pork Buns, Duck and Chicken Liver Satay, and Chicken Satay.

Fatty Sliders are basically mini burgers, with minced pork and beef burger. This was just a typical burger dish, but it was quite spicy, which made it a little different from other burgers. That's all I have to say.

The Steamed Pork Buns were definitely better than the Fatty Sliders. The buns were chewy. I'm not sure what type of bread they use, but its basically white, sort of gluten-y. The pork was really good; sort of sweet and spicy. It also had lettuce.

Duck and Chicken Liver Satay. WOW. The best one I had! I am really into animal organs, and I had not been eating this kind of food ever since I got to US, so I was so excited to have this. The liver, especially the duck's, was SOOOO tender. Like fois gras. But since it was not fois gras, it was way smaller.

Chicken Satay was GOOD. I think the satay was braised. So it was covered with flour, and so it seems as if the chicken was fried, but it wasn't crispy enough. So, braised.

For main course, I had Fatty Duck, Nasi Lemak, Char Kway Teow, and Nasi Goreng.

Fatty Duck was amazing! It was coated with flour and braised to medium. The meat was so tender and juicy.

The Nasi Lemak was good, but not what I expected it to be. I thought that it would have more ingredients, but since all the meals were westernized, I guess the chef decided to add fewer ingredients to lessen the flavor combination. But as I said, it was good.

Char Kway Teow is a type of noodle that's kind of wide, a little wider than a fettuccine. This was mixed with shrimp, squid, and some other seafood. The Kway Teow (pronounced kwea-tee-au) was very similar to the ones that I usually have in Indonesia, so I loved it!

I did not try the Nasi Goreng (Nasi Goreng is fried rice), but my friend did and she did not like it. Apparently it had raisins, which she thought was weird to have with such a savory food. The raisins made the dish too sweet for her taste. My guardian, who is also Indonesian, said that it was a weird combination too.

So, as you can see, we ate a lot. I actually had minor stomach cramps after the dinner. It was all worth it though. I would definitely bring my friends here!

Indita

Kutsinta!

2010-06-23T21:01:00.000+07:00

It took me oh so long to write about this. So anyways this here is a Filipino delicacy called kutsinta. It's basically a brown rice cake, usually topped/covered in shredded coconut. And it's delicious! Well, usually, kutsinta is a hit-and-miss sort of food. Sometimes it's good, sometimes it's bland, sometimes it plain sucks. But this one was just...I don't know. I think this is the best kutsinta I've ever had.

As you can see, it's sort of sticky. The rice cake is sweet, and coupled with the not-so-sweetness of the coconut, it's just...perfect! They balance each other juuust right.

This kutsinta was made by my aunt. One package of the kutsinta costs P25.00 (more or less around $0.50!), and it's so so so worth it! If you're in Iloilo and you want to buy from her, just email us (likipediaplusz@gmail.com) for more information. She also makes other stuff but this kutsinta is extremely highly recommended.

I would like to thank my dad for the pictures. :D

Later tater!

Kitchenette, Jakarta

2010-06-15T07:06:00.000+07:00

Hi ! This place was recommended to me by our friend Tantya, who has just recently told me that it serves a delicious, mood-changing galette dish. A galette is a buckwheat-crepe, usually served savory, instead of sweet. This particular one was from a restaurant called Kitchenette, in Plaza Indonesia (again. So many new restaurants in this place), which specializes in crepes.

I was recommended the Edouard galette: with mushrooms, salad greens, mozarella, and turkey ham as the filling, so I ordered that, whilst my aunt ordered this other galette with a sunny-side up and mini burgers on it (I forgot the name of that one). We also ordered salad as appetizers! Egg Salad (pictured on the left) and Tabbouleh with bits of couscous (right). They were okay.

Now moving on to the galettes, I KNOW the one with the egg looks far more appetizing, but I was pleasantly surprised that my dish tasted better. By far. The Egg galette (is what we will refer to it), tasted dry and sort of bland. The Edouard, however, had the perfect amount of mushrooms and cheese, and most importantly: the sauce. I don't know what sauce they used, it sort of tasted like mayonnaise, but not as rich. I think that in this case the sauce made all the difference. I finished the sauce about halfway-through, but I didn't ask for some more, because I was already full anyway and didn't end up finishing it.

The only thing that I sort of felt iffy about is the fact that they used buckwheat flour for the savory crepes (hence galettes); and I don't like buckwheat flour in my pastry.

I also highly recommend the Old-Fashioned Lemonade to have as a drink, it's really good!

Food: Better than average. The highlight of the day was the lemonade, though.
Place: Comfortable, rustic, but really crowded. Reservations are recommended.
Price: Rather expensive. Prepare to spend up to Rp. 150, 000 per person (or more if you order more)
Overall: A 2.77 out of 5.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Dulcinea, SM City, Iloilo

2010-06-13T22:43:00.000+07:00

Dulcinea is a Manila-based, Spanish-inspired restaurant. We had just come from lunch somewhere else so we only had desserts at Dulcinea. First off, the churros.

The churros come with a chocolate dip. I liked that it was light and fluffy, but it was just a little too salty for my taste. There was also an aftertaste that I couldn't quite make out. The chocolate dip wasn't too sweet either, so all in all the chocolate-dipped churros were more savoury than sweet. (An order of a plate of churros is P75.00, so that's P15.00 apiece. The dip is complimentary.)

Look at that. This is the cream puff. It looks completely delicious, doesn't it? But this one hurt my throat. It was TOO sweet! The custard inside was delicious and possibly perfect, but together with the caramelised sugar glaze, it was just too much sweetness. I woke up with a sore throat because of this. (P32.00)

Out of the three, this was the best! This is the eclair. The chocolate was, I guess, of the dark variety, and its bittersweetness was just perfect. The custard was the same custard in the cream puff, which is good because I love this custard. I recommend this one! (P32.00)

Later tater!

Icebreaker Scrambles, Manila

2010-06-12T21:22:00.003+07:00

OK! I’m finally posting again. Huff. Yeah, it’s about time.

Anyways… Despite the fact that it was cloudy and it was going to rain today, it was still friggin’ hot! So what I did was buy myself some Icebreaker Scrambles!

Icebreaker Scrambles can be found in SM North Edsa, Manila. Two stalls of ‘em actually. And that’s only in SM North Edsa!

Anyways, there was a line in the Icebreaker Scrambles booth in the basement every time I pass it, so I lined up (I’ve always been curious…).

(Uh.. Crappy pictures ahead, featuring my thumb..)

Positive:

It wasn’t as sweet as I thought it would be! That was a plus cos too-sweet food make me sick in a very short time, not giving me a chance to savor any at all. I ordered mine with extra milk, crispies and marshmallows because I wanted to have it in it’s best.

It really didn’t disappoint! I mean, it’s not the best, but this was still good! My choice to put the milk (which was in powder form, by the way), crispies and marshmallows as toppings definitely made it better! But what I loved most when eating it were the different textures in my mouth!

The shaved ice, though I think it’s more like milkshake, was really soft and fluffy, and as if it wasn’t… fluffy enough, I had tiny marshmallows, which complimented it even more. There were tiny bits of cracked ice in it too which, with the rice crispies cereal and the powdered milk, gave the dessert a crunchy and sorta-rough texture. I think that’s good cos a balance between rough and smooth was made and it became even more enjoyable.

Negatives:

I did say it wasn’t the best, but that’s only cos I think the milkshake-like shaved ice could’ve lasted longer before it turned into pink soup. I know it’s probably the heat, but that was too bad.

Haha. An even bigger concern for me actually, is that the people who served it served it all sticky… and I dont know about you, but, as a customer, I dont like it when my paper cup is sticky.

…That’s just.. annoying. And they didn’t even give me tissue for it..

OK! Before this review turns into a rant, I’d recommend Icebreaker Scrambles on a hot sunny day any time! And only upto Php. 25 maximum! That’s a pretty good deal, don’t you think?

Curry House 38, Jakarta

2010-06-09T20:34:00.000+07:00

Hi Taster..inos? Anyway, I visited Plaza Indonesia last night and decided to go to its 'food court', Food Kulture, as I was really intent on trying the new Curry House 38 booth. Curry House 38 is under the same establishment as the renowned Ramen Sanpachi 38, hence Curry House has a few Ramen choices as well.

I ordered the Beef Katsu Curry with an extra Fried Croquette (not pictured). I am a Japanese curry FREAK so I was especially excited about this. You can also decide the level of spiciness you want with the curry (1-5 levels). I went with level 2, and it proved to be just right. You can tell that the broth was not a result of store-bought curry blocks, it tasted more ..home-y, with shredded chicken pieces incorporated in it (you can barely see them though, they are shredded to near oblivion). It was very delicious, and the spiciness complimented the taste very well. The beef katsu was crispy and well-seasoned, however, I think that the portion is too large, even though I ordered it in Regular, not Large. The croquette tasted nicer than the beef katsu, or maybe I just ordered too much of the katsu. Compared to places like Sushi Tei and En Dining, Curry House 38 is by far the better curry dish, but as for the katsu, nothing can compare to Katsu Sei in Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia. I should try the OTHER new curry place, Mr. Curry, in Grand Indonesia. Will do, will do.

Food: Very delicious curry broth, but the katsu can be better.
Place: You would NOT expect this from a food court. Very modern, yet cozy.
Price: That whole meal, with green tea, came up to a total of Rp. 150, 000 . I've always noticed that Japanese curry is a bit on the expensive side.
Overall: A 3.88 out of 5.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Nang Palang's Buko Pie

2010-06-09T11:38:00.001+07:00

So for a while now there's been this vendor lady that roams around selling pies, and we finally decided to buy a box a few days ago. No, this isn't a random woman who sells random pies. This is a random woman selling Nang Palang's Pies. :)

Nang Palang's is actually quite well-known, at least as far as I know. People drive all the way to Oton (a town here in Iloilo) just to buy their buko (coconut) pie. They have other sorts of pie, too, but I guess this one is their bestseller. I prefer Nang Palang's over other buko pies because...it's just better! It's not too sweet and it has more actual coconut 'meat'.

One box has ten pies, and the whole box costs only P120. Their store is located in Brgy. Trapiche, Oton and if you're planning to go there, it's easy enough to ask around for directions because Nang Palang's is quite famous. :) If you want to call ahead, their number is (033) 336-0954.

Later tater!

Chicken Stir Fry

2010-06-05T16:43:00.000+07:00

I got this recipe from my sister, and I don't where she got it from, maybe from my mom or through her own experimentation. Anyways, I decided to do this for lunch today because I felt like it. With my poor memory, I had to improvise because I could not for the life of me remember what my sister had said exactly.

CHICKEN STIR FRY Difficulty: Easy Peasy | Serves up to 5 people

2 chicken breast fillet
oyster sauce
3 small chili peppers
1 white/yellow onion
ground pepper (optional)
oil

Let's cook!

Cut the chicken breasts (as small as you want; I cut them into 'bite-size' pieces), the chili peppers and the white onion (into strips).
Saute half of the onion strips until they caramelise. By the way, I felt like using butter instead of oil, so if you like substitute your oil with half a stick of butter. I preferred using butter because it gives the chicken a bit more flavour.
When the onion strips have caramelised, put in the chicken breast pieces, 3 chili peppers and about 3 tbsp. of the oyster sauce. I also added a bit of pepper to give it some extra spice, but you don't have to do this because with the chili peppers alone the stir fry is already spicy.
When the chicken is almost cooked, put in the rest of the onion strips. I like to add the onion strips at the last minute so they're still kind of crunchy when you eat them. If you don't roll with crunchy onion strips and like them ~~soggy~~ soft, then just saute all of the onion strips at the beginning.
You're done!

Wow that was just ridiculously easy. Like I've said before, I cook by taste, so if you feel you would like more oyster sauce or pepper, then oyster sauce and pepper away!

Later tater!

P.S. Ooh just wanna remind you guys that we're now re-publishing all our articles at our Tumblr account. So if you're on Tumblr, you know where to find us. :)

Luna & Larry's Coconut Bliss

2010-06-02T03:06:00.004+07:00

It's summertime in NY. Sort of. So I've been trying out a lot of ice creams, gelatos, and anything else cool. BRR.

I was introduced to this ice cream by my vegetarian friend, and it's important to mention that she's vegetarian because... I don't know. LOL. Anyway, I tried it and it was love at first bite! The ice cream was quite creamy, with, of course, a hint of coconut.

There are no coconut shavings or bits in the ice cream, which is okay for me. I mean, I wouldn't mind either way. My vegetarian friend prefers it with the actual coconut in the food, but I don't care.

What's so special about this ice cream is that it's organic and the taste is not too overpowering. I believe that if the flavor of the ice cream is too strong, it might as well be a gelato, because if not, then the taste would be artificial, which is not healthy. I also felt healthy eating this because it's all non-dairy and stuff. So I didn't feel like I was committing any crime to my body. LOL.

This dessert is such a nice way to get yourself cool in the summer, because you would wanna show off your body during the hot weather, and eating this is not going to affect your weight as much as the normal ice creams. Well, as long as you don't have too much of it!

So, I guess that's it. See you!

Indita

Brgr, New York

2010-05-30T20:24:00.008+07:00

May this place be better than Shake Shack? Maybe. Maybe.

I have been to Brgr three times. My first experience was just okay; I didn't think I was going to review it because the burger was just moderate. I guess I just ordered the wrong burger. The second time, however, was good. :D

Okay. As usual. Background.

Brgr is not just any burger bar. The cows that they use for the meat are grass-fed, so the meat's all healthy and organic and stuff. This fact is why I got interested in the place.

The meal.

I ordered the Blue Sky Burger (yea they have those kind of names) and it's called that way because it has blue cheese in it. Yes. BLUE CHEESE! I LOVE BLUE CHEESE! I didn't know that there was going to be blue cheese inside, so it was a good surprise. The meat tasted really nice. And I guess you can tell the difference a little bit? It's slightly drier than Shake Shack (only if you really pay attention, and ONLY the meat). The whole burger itself was really oily, but in a good way. As you can see from the picture, the oil was dripping quite heavily. I don't know if it's just me, but I just cannot seem to eat this thing neatly! So if ever you want to impress a girl or guy (a.k.a. first date), don't come here. Unless you're an expert in clean burger-eating.

On the sides, I had onion hay.

This was good. So it's not onion rings because it's thinner, and that is why I like it. I don't like onion rings because the taste of the onion is too significant (HAHAHA I know, I know, why would I order onion rings in the first place if I don't like the taste of onion?) but this one is fine. It's a really good complement to any burger dish. I love this. The only bad thing is that the portion is too big, so I ended up not eating the whole thing. Which is such a waste. Well, I could have brought it home, but then it wouldn't be as crispy. So.

Anyway, that's it. I'm still looking for other good places to try. If you have any suggestions, just email us at likipediaplusz@gmail.com

Indita

Grom, New York

2010-05-28T11:45:00.004+07:00

This is the BEST ice cream place I've been to in New York. OH. MY. GOD. AMAZING!

So Grom is an Italian gelato bar that serves organic-based gelatos. What I love about this place is that everything is natural, so you an really taste the originality of the flavors. I have tried their almond, chocolate, hazelnut, and espresso gelatos, but the one that was most memorable was the espresso. Yes. Definitely.

So here is the picture.

That's the espresso gelato with cream on top. The cream is also all natural and stuff.

The flavor.

The flavor is TO DIE FOR! Seriously, I've never tried an espresso gelato that actually tastes like espresso. Like, most gelatos and ice creams have artificial flavors, but since this one is very natural, the taste becomes stronger. I loved it!

For the last 3 days, I went to this place EVERY SINGLE DAY! I think I should go here again at least once before I start my summer classes.

Okay that's it for now.

Indita

Bistro Baron, Jakarta, Indonesia

2010-05-25T20:40:00.001+07:00

At first I didn't want to review this place just because it's one of those new Jakartan places where everybody knows and has seemed to try. But the food was so good, I couldn't resist. Bistro Baron takes place (teehee) in the midst of high-end designer boutiques in the Plaza Indonesia mall located in Central Jakarta. The way they occupy this space is interesting, because you would normally find such form of a restaurant outdoors. It's hard to explain.. And I didn't snap a picture of its interior, so I'll link you to their Facebook picture, here.

I was in a rush to get here, and in a rush to get out (my little sister was getting cranky because it was late), hence the only dish that I tried was the Duck Confit (my father and sister finished eating before I managed to get out of Jakarta's hell traffic). I opted to have it with mashed potatoes rather than the Rosti. When doing this, BE DETERMINED. The waiter will tell you twice that changing the potato dish isn't possible, but I love my mashed potatoes and this particular one is worth the dirty look you get from the waiter.

The dish was excellent. The duck: crispy on the outside, and juicy and fatty on the inside, the sauce complements that fatti-ness well without being too overpowering, and the mashed potatoes are by far the best I have ever tried in this city. The best. I would come here again JUST for the mashed potatoes.

Again, the photo did not do justice at all for this dish, because I didn't plan on reviewing this restaurant, so I snapped a picture AFTER I gorged down half of the dish.

It's a new restaurant, and I guess I can excuse the somewhat incompetence of the service. Plus, in the end, I did get my mashed potatoes. I wonder how many times I've said 'mashed potatoes' in this post.

The price was sort of how you expect the price to be. We ordered 4 dishes, and it came up to about Rp.680,000 : an average of ...*calculating* Rp.170,000 per pax, including drinks and tax. It is expensive, but it's a French bistro, I wouldn't expect it to be cheap (I've got to try Java Bleu's new Cikini place though, for affordable French bistro food). Mind you, the dishes we ordered were like.. roasted chicken, duck confit, striploin steak: the usuals. This one beef ribs dish reached up to Rp.925,000 a plate!

Food: I only tried one dish, but according to that one dish, the food was excellent. The mashed potatoes is a MUST try. Please.

Place: The interior is cute, although somewhat stuffy. Very original, though.

Price: As I said, about Rp.170, 000 per pax on average. Again, it depends on the dish you order.

Overall: A good 4 out of 5, and all because of the food.

Perri Todd's, Iloilo

2010-05-18T14:23:00.001+07:00

Hi guys! I've been away due to some..er..unfortunate circumstances, but that doesn't mean I was being idle. :)

So last May 10th, 2010 was actually a really important day here in the Philippines. We were having what was probably one of the most controversial elections ever. Or at least to my recollection LOL. Anyways, I wasn't able to register to vote last year (yeah, I know, I've been kicking myself for it), but I went and accompanied my older brother anyways. It was actually a huge sacrifice on my part (in my humble opinion :D) because it was really hot that day (like almost every day this summer), but I saw this as an opportunity to take some pictures.

So when we got to the place where my brother was voting, he didn't find his name among the list of registered voters, which, apparently, is an error that occurs a lot during elections. Some minutes wasted later (he went to the Voters' Assistance Booth that failed to assist him in any way), we decided to leave. It so happened that neither of us had had breakfast, and city-wide famous Perri Todd's was just across the street. So we had impromptu lunch. :)

Perri Todd's is synonymous with "giant burgers as big as your face" (but they also serve other stuff like pasta). We decided to share one of the crazy huge burgers between us. And you know what, I ended up eating only 1/6 of the thing! (Yes, I calculated.) Here, to give you an idea of how big the burgers are, here's a picture of two customers in the restaurant, sharing a burger as well.

Yeah, that's just one burger. So anyways, I let my brother order and he got the Regular Grilled Burger. I'm going to describe it layer by layer, starting from the bottom. Here we go! So first there was the grilled hamburger bun, then some kind of barbecue sauce that had a bit of mayonnaise on it, then the really fat burger patty (I think it's just local beef, but I'm not really sure, though), then there was a different kind of sauce on top of the patty (this one a bit more pasty and textured), then green tomatoes and onions and finally the top bun.

What did I think of it? Honestly, I thought that it was overpriced. Yes, the burger was only P100, which is basically a bargain, but I say this because it was relatively tasteless. I gotta say, though, that the two different kinds of sauces were really delicious, so I think they should have had more sauce for more flavour. Much-needed flavour. What I really liked about Perri Todd's though was their service. I was seriously surprised when they delivered our order under ten minutes. O_O Seriously! It was really fast. And it wasn't just our table, too. And to think they had a lot of customers that day because of the elections. Anyways, in hindsight, I think to fully review the quality of food at Perri Todd's, I should have ordered other food as well. But I will most definitely go back there soon. Oh, and even if I sound really not enthusiastic about Perri Todd's, that shouldn't hinder you from going there. The restaurant is really great and I probably just didn't order the right thing. Not to mention, it's only a few minutes away from my house, a great convenience. :)

Later tater!

Serendipity, New York

2010-05-15T01:29:00.007+07:00

This trip wasn't actually planned. I was searching through the internet to look for a nice and cheap luggage and then I found a store at Lexington Avenue. My roomie was craving for something cold and sweet and so we decided to go to Serendipity. It was a Thursday afternoon, so the place wasn't full at all! I was so happy! I mean, the fact that I only waited for 5 minutes compared to last time when I had to wait for 2 hours was... MAGICAL!

Anyway, I knew what to order and I knew that it was going to be big, so I only had it. Yes. It. The FRRROZEN HOT CHOCOLATE!

Yes. There it was. The IT thing to have in Serendipity.

It was 8.50 a gigantic cup, and my roomie and I had one each. I had the sensation of wanting to throw up after the 8th gulp, but then I got over it.

It was AMAZING. MAGICAL. *insert another good word here*. I mean, look at it, the chocolate was spilling over to the plate! But it was okay, cos it made it even more appetizing!

Okay... Okay... I will talk about the taste (As if you can't imagine it yourself from looking at the pictures)... The taste was obviously chocolatey. It wasn't literally hot and cold. It's actually hot chocolate, blended with ice, and then with ENORMOUS amount (I know that amount is supposed to be for numbers, but I can't think of another word) of cream. And you know how I love cream. But in case you don't. Well. I LOVE CREAM.

So that was it. My trip to Serendipity. I hope you enjoyed it!

Indita

ps: Sorry for the bad quality pics. As I have told you before, I wasn't planning on going here. But if I do come here again, I'll bring my camera and replace the pics!

Pi Tim, Glodok, Jakarta

2010-05-09T02:00:00.002+07:00

Pi' Tim is an Indonesian-Chinese dish, found in Jakarta's very own Chinatown (a.k.a. Glodok), made out of Pi'O. Or PI-O. I really have no idea how to spell it. Pi O itself is none other than tortoise, the REAL chicken of the sea. I've always wanted to try tortoise meat (and by 'always' i mean since last week) because according to what I've heard, tortoise meat is delicious. So I head out to Glodok at 8 a.m. on a Saturday morning (to avoid the heat), sat on a chair in a Pi O vendor, and ate some Pi O. Well, some Pi Tim, that is. Pi Tim is a dish of tortoise meat soup--although it looks more like a broth-- usually eaten with a bowl of rice. I ate it with porridge instead.

The look of it was VERY discouraging: a bowl of clear soup, a shizload of parsley, an orange peel?, and gooey tortoise-y 'meat' (30% of the content looks like innards-slash-fatty bits). I man-ed up and tried ...tortoise meat. Which tasted like chicken. And I am NOT one of those people who thinks that every single thing tastes like chicken. I am not. But this REALLY tastes like the white meat of a chicken! I tried the gooey bit, and it tasted like nothing but gooey bits. The soup, however was really delicious. I don't know if it's the parsley, or the orange peel, or the tortoise flavor, but it was delicious. Slightly disappointed with Pi O, I decided to try some boiled tortoise eggs. Now boiled tortoise eggs look yucky but taste really good. They taste like.. regular chicken eggs on crack. It tastes more protein-ated (?) and eggy, it has a softer texture, and it's just... good. Very good.

Now if you ask me what the name of this particular Pi Tim vendor is, I don't know. What I know is that it is the cleaner-looking and more popular vendor than the rest. Next stop: tortoise meat satay.

Food: The Pi O isn't very flavorful, but the dish itself was good.

Place: Just how you imagine a food vendor to be. NO CATS :D (at least when we were there)

Price: We ordered some otak otak (fish cakes) to accompany the soup. Rp. 50, 000 for 5 pieces. This is a ripoff. Otherwise, pretty reasonable. Rp. 35, 000 for a Pi Tim with rice.

Overall: A 2.5 out of 5. I would come here again for the eggs, eaten with Pi Tim broth.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Ibu Made, Underground Secret Dining, Jakarta

2010-05-06T04:36:00.002+07:00

No, it's not the name of a restaurant, this really is a secret dining experience that you do underground (not really, but.. figurative thoughts, people. figurative). Anyhoo, an establishment called Azanaya does this. Azanaya is comprised of two people, both with the sole purpose of bringing awareness to Indonesian food culture, through a first-hand basis. Each month, Azanaya holds a secret meeting, joining a limited amount of clients (50 people per event, max) to experience the best of authentic Indonesian food. What makes it so secret is that you don't get notified of the venue (which ranges from art houses, to ACTUAL houses), until at least two days before the event, the "underground" part is the fact that, for newcomers like me, you don't get to know WHO you're dining with or even what kind of food you're about to eat. Very exciting.

I was lucky to have booked a space before it got full, so then I got up early (12 p.m. on a Sunday? abomination) and set off to perform my task ^^ . This month's venue was in one of the mysterious alleyways of JELAMBAR *cue alien music*, in a small warung next to a Balinese temple (or pura). Ibu Made owns, cooks, and serves this warung (almost) every Sunday, as Balinese dance and music lessons are held in the temple. What makes this event interesting and unique, is that this is not your typical Balinese cuisine (bebek betutu, babi guling, etc), but it is the cuisine of Singaraja, the northernmost area in Bali. Instead, we were served lepet (glutinous rice cakes with sweetened banana), Balinese urap (string beans with shredded coconut), rambanan (shredded chicken with five spices), baked fish with candlenut broth, and Ibu Made's own notorious chili mixture.

Although I found the food to be quite monotonous ('I thought Balinese food was supposed to be EXTRA spicy??'), the atmosphere and authenticity definitely make up for it. Maybe Singaraja food did not do justice for my palate, but it's still interesting to have tasted it, and have been given the opportunity to familiarize with it. I'm not saying it's AWFUL, it was actually good! Just not what I expected it to be. When they said 'Live Music' on the details description, I thought they were gonna have some dodgy local band playing soppy songs, but I then found out that the live music was *nonstop!* gamelan playing by two Balinese-dressed men! I thought that this was reason enough to make me not want to go home. The location itself was very zen, amidst the hustle and bustle of an arguably busy district. Balinese food, gamelan playing in the background, view of a Balinese temple, and green surroundings, what more can you ask for?

I would LOVE to be able to go to another USD meeting next month (if I haven't yet left the city T_T ). The people are very welcoming and friendly, too.

Please, if you're not doing anything on Sunday mornings and live in the Daan Mogot or Jelambar area, give Ibu Made a visit (she doesn't open her warung on every first Sunday, though).

Ibu Made Padma,

Jl. Indraloka Raya No. 19 (Pura Bali) Jakarta 11460 Tel : +62 21 564 8954

Food: Good, but I could do well with a wee bit more flavour :)

Place: The ambience was perfect. I am, however, tremendously scared of cats (I know, how did I survive 19 years in Jakarta?)

Price: I paid the Azanaya price, i.e. not directly to Ibu Made, but the price itself was fitting: Rp. 148, 000 per pax.

Overall: 3.5 out of 5

Cheerios!

Tatany72, New York

2010-05-03T01:43:00.009+07:00

So why the 72? Well, Tatany72 is located on the 72nd street (sort of). Actually, Tatany72 is located on 2nd avenue, but in between 71st and 72nd street (or was it 73rd?) but kind of closer to the 72nd street. So, I guess, hence the "72".

Anyway, I actually have been to this restaurant three times. The first time was a few months ago (waaay before Tasteritos had started), so I didn't write anything about the place. Second time, I took pictures, but I forgot to make the review. The third time, which was yesterday (it's the 2nd of May here in New York), I took the trip seriously. So here goes...

I ordered Katsu-Don and I got a free miso soup as the appetizer. Here's the miso:

The miso tasted like normal miso. Smooth and warm and nice.

The Katsu DON! HAHAHAH I don't know why I did that! I guess it's fun to emphasize the don. *DON DON DOOON*

As you can see, the "Don" is very egg-y. This is because it's a mixture of pork katsu and egg. I think that at first (I guess because of the egg) the food was too watery. But then after a while it grew into me. I mixed the rice and the watery part a little and then put a little bit of chili powder, and then it was fine. The pork was okay. Kind of dry. But I like it that way because the rice was already watery.

Ok here are some pics from my 2nd trip:

This is tofu. It was a a little crispy and the sauce was a little sweet. I love it! This and a small bowl of miso would probably be nice for a light breakfast in the winter.

This is the... Green beans? Yes I think so. I LOVE THIS! Every time I go to a Japanese restaurant I HAVE to order this. It's essential. It's like eating sushi without the sauce. As you probably know, it has salt all over the skin. Which I love to nibble on. Hmmm... I think I might buy one box of this in that store on the other side of the campus. Later.

This is the salad. It has a mixture of different types of seaweeds, and some... Yea I don't know. I guess if you know you can see it on the picture. I'm sorry guys, I don't know a lot of vegetable names.

So that was my trip to Tatany72. This is absolutely the go to place for lunch for the Upper East Siders in NYC, so if you happen to be in the Upper East Side, and are hungry, during lunch hour, come to this place right here!

Indita

Lindt Cafe, Melbourne

2010-05-02T03:27:00.002+07:00

You probably want to call my visit to Lindt Café as an impulsive one. I was walking along Collins Street, kind of celebrating the one-day break from university, when I saw the tall Roman building across the road. My belly immediately led my feet. As soon as I entered the building, the cake displays behind the glass counter were enough temptations to order a far-from-diet dessert.

I waited on the line to get a table—I’ve been told that there is always a line for dine-in. Ten minutes passed and I was led by a waiter to a table in the corner. I opened the menu to see a range of beverages, breakfast, lunch, and ultimately, the desserts list—it rules two pages of the menu. All the names sound classic and delicious.

Not wishing to choose a wrong one, I asked the waiter’s suggestion for their favourite cake. The first cake he pointed out on the menu was:

Velour.

Chocolate cheesecake created through the smooth blend of Excellence 70% & the finest cream cheese, on a freshly baked biscuit base.

I was giddy to order that, until unfortunately, he said that’s the only cake they ran out of.

So I went for the second cake in line:

Celebration du Chocolat.

Layers of dark chocolate cake & fine milk chocolate mousse, encased by a chocolate ganache & ribbons of dark & milk chocolate.

While waiting for my cake to arrive, the orders of the next table were already delivered to a couple. Two crisp white pots of tea on a tray, each with a tea cup next to it, and one caught my smelling sense despite of the cold I’m having. It is green tea that wafted under my nose. (Pardon the bias here—I just love green tea.) The fact that I could smell it, from my table, already tells you (green-tea lovers) how promising it is.

Then finally, my cake was served after agonizing minutes of impatience.

Honestly, the first look quite upset me. It doesn’t look anything near to appetizing. A strawberry or two at the side would have been nicer. And when it comes to food, don’t we all judge by its cover?

But wait until you scoop a spoonful of it.

The celebrated Celebration du Chocolat

It’s am-uh-zing. The sumptuous richness of the chocolate resisted me from feeling nauseous until the last spoonful. The dark chocolate is delicately balanced with milk chocolate layers, and topped by ganache, the flavor is simply perfect. The texture is firm and smooth on the tongue, yet not too soft that it does not crumble as soon as you cut it. It is one of those cakes you can finish within minutes if you love chocolate just enough. I relished it until the last bit. And already I know what to order for my next visit.

Lindt chocolat café

271 collins street, Melbourne

www.lindt.com.au

Venisa, Guest Reviewer

Gnosis Chocolate - Immune Boost

2010-04-29T00:30:00.006+07:00

Another of our Juicy Naam review! You know I was thinking, since most of our viewers are in Indonesia and Philippines, I might bring home some Gnosis Chocolates and sell them there. If you are interested in purchasing, please email us at likipediaplusz@gmail.com . I am planning to go back to Indonesia in the middle of December. And by the way, Sojabean will be there as well, so you Filipino viewers can get the chocolates from her. Details will come probably around October or November.

Okay one more thing before we start. I actually just discovered that Juicy Naam has a "department" for chocolates, which has its own website. If you want to check it out, just click here --> http://www.gnosischocolate.com . If you want to check out Juicy Naam's website, it's --> http://www.thejuicynaam.com

I actually bought three new Juicy Naam chocolates, but I don't want to make another Juicy Naam review overload, so I decided to review just one (the others are not so special anyway). But just to let you know, the other two were Vanilla Hazelnut and Coconut Almond.

Okay, the Immune Boost. This is actually a limited edition chocolate, so that's why I decided to write on it.

The first bite was interesting. The taste of persimmons was very apparent. And also the after taste of ginger. I can feel the crunch of pecan, and sometimes something sweet. Haha. I can't really tell what the "something sweet" is (I'm eating it right now) because it tastes like brown sugar, but it doesn't say in the ingredients list. Must be one of those seeds then. Maybe.

So basically this chocolate has lot's of ingredients, hence the crazy flavors. The ones that I did not mention are enchinacea (what?), chaga (whut?), cinnamon, pau d'arco (whoot??), cat's claw, burdock, fennel pollen, and pumpkin seed. Basically the things I do not know about! Personally, I don't really like this, because I don't like ginger (actually, it's not ginger, it's ginseng), but I know that a lot of people like it, so.

This is limited edition because it's allergy season in New York (and any other season-changing countries in the world), so a lot of people are getting sick. The ingredients are supposedly good to make you stay "vibrant and healthy through the 'cold & flu' months!".

Indita

Shake Shack, New York

2010-04-25T01:57:00.013+07:00

OMG I'M SO EXCITED!!!! AALALLALALALALLAALLALA!!

So I was really hungry and really angry (it rhymes!) cos I was really hungry (AGAIN! LOL), and based on popular demand (and what I mean by popular demand is Dodilia, who has been pestering me to go to this place) I decided to go to *music* SHSHSHSHSHSHAKE SHACK!

Shake Shack has several locations in Manhattan, and I went to the one in the Upper West Side - 77th and Columbus.

When I got there I gasped, cos the line was friggin' LONG! Like, people were actually queuing outside of the building! AROUND THE BLOCK! Unlike what happened to me at Serendipity (if you want to know what happened, check out my review on Dylan's Candy Bar fudges), I decided to stay and bear the torture. Thankfully, Dodilia and I texted throughout the process, so I didn't feel so alone :D

After about 30 minutes of insane waiting, I finally got in! I was recommended to try out the Shack Burger and custard, so I ordered those.

The waiting process was really cute. This is basically why they call themselves Shake Shack. So after I ordered, I was given this device. Basically, when the order's done and ready to be picked up, the device thing will "shake" (or simply vibrate), and you go to the pick up counter and get the food. So with logic an deductive reasoning, that's where the name Shake Shack comes from!

Ok the food. THE FOOD.

The burger (double Shack Burger) OMG. The first bite made me smile. SMILE! It was the juicy-est burger I have ever tasted! The bun was really soft and the beef was TENDER. It wasn't too tender like wagyu burger (I hate wagyu burger by the way - too soft); it was PERFECT! And the grease... Just look at the picture!

The custard (vanilla) was AMAZING! Ok let's start with texture. The texture was soft and dense, in a nice way. It's really hard to explain. Like, it's dense that if you flip the cup it wont fall (like Diary Queen), but a little denser than that, but it was soft. The density didn't make me wanna puke because there was no after taste. Like, you know whenever you eat cream or ice cream there's this creamy after taste? This one doesn't have any! So when you eat it, it tastes like cream, and then after you swallow it, it feels like you just had a gulp of fresh water! That's what makes it not puke-making. LOL. It was sooooo great.

So yea, that was my GREAT experience at Shake Shack. I hope you guys can visit this place if you decide to go to New York. It was worth the wait. Seriously.

That's enough for now. I will review some more stuff this week, so please be updated!

Indita

Hampton Chutney Co.

2010-04-22T00:57:00.004+07:00

It was mildly raining in Manhattan that day, so while I wait for it to stop and my friend to come, I decided to go to Hampton Chutney Co. (Or just Hampton Chutney, lol), at 82nd and Amsterdam.

I got introduced to this place by my guardian (not the chef nor the yogi, the Italian). It was love at first bite!

Hampton Chutney basically sells Indian food, but only the wrapped ones, I think. They have dossas, uttapams, sandwiches, and some cakes. I guess they're sort of a fast food but healthy restaurant. Their concept is kind of like a fast food restaurant too, because we're supposed to order at the cashier, put our names with the orders, and once they're done they would shout our names out and deliver the food to us. FUN!

In case you don't know what dossas and uttapams are, I'm gonna give you a short info right here. Dossa is (I got this from the menu) light, crispy, sour-dough made from rice and lentils. The dossa will be filled with a food combination. Uttapams is the same rice-lentil batter made into an open-faced pancake topped with any food combination.

I ordered the dossa with curry chutney chicken, spinach, and balsamic roasted onions, with mango and peanut (YAYAYAYAY!) chutneys, and together with a cup of mango lassi. The total was 17 something dollars.

I like this thing with the peanut chutney more because the mango was too sour for the combination. The dossa and filling itself was full of flavor already, so together with the mango chutney, it was too much. There were little pieces of plain dossas on my tray and that mixed with the mango chutney was REALLY GOOD. You can see from the picture (sorry for the quality, I forgot to bring my camera that day so I used my phone) that the food looks really big, but it wasn't actually a lot. It was fulfilling, but not so much that you wanna barf. Basically just a little over fulfilling, but not reaching I-can't-walk-because-I'm-too-full. Yea...

I would totally bring my friends and family here if they visit NY, cos the food and the concept is just interesting. I don't see a lot of Indian wrapped food around, so it's quite unique.

What else? The mango lassi was just like a normal mango lassi. I think a little more sour than what I usually have, but was okay. I would order it again just because I love mangoes :D

I guess that's it. See you next time!!

Indita

Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy, Diversion Road, Iloilo

2010-04-21T19:03:00.003+07:00

So my cousin and I were on another one of our impromptu late night ventures. We decided to go to the 24-hour McDonald's because it was the nearest place to get some grub that was still open (that was around 10 PM, I think. Things get quiet real early here in Iloilo...). However, there were so many people we decided to go somewhere else. Problem is, we didn't know where to go. So we randomly got on a jeepney and finally decided to go to the Boardwalk (or Riverside Boardwalk, apparently), which is a row of restaurants side by side right by the Iloilo River. I didn't really want to go there because we always go there. Luckily, I remembered the new Ted's Cafe along Diversion Road, so we decided to go there.

It's the most sophisticated place to eat batchoy now! LOL. This branch is basically the 'café version' of the usual diner/eatery Ted's is known to have. It's not that different though, because basically the menu is the same. The exterior changed drastically, though, and so did the ambience. I quite like it.

OK, on to the more important thing, the food. Ted's is famous for batchoy, which is basically a noodle soup that has heaps and heaps of extra ingredients/toppings like pork organs, vegetables, crushed chicharon or pork cracklings, chicken and beef. It's supposed to have been first made in Lapaz, Iloilo, and that's why it's usually referred to as 'Lapaz batchoy', which also makes this a true Ilonggo dish. Batchoy is also usually eaten with pandesal which is basically this round bread and puto which is a steamed rice cake. When I was eating this I totally forgot to order pandesal, which I prefer over puto.

I really don't understand what it is about batchoy that makes it so good, but it is. I have it on good authority :) that Ilonggos who have been away from Iloilo for a long time list batchoy as the top dish to eat when they get back to Iloilo. There's really nothing like batchoy, especially when it's Ted's Oldtimer Lapaz Batchoy.

That's the interior. On the right corner is the Ted's batchoy counter, and beside it is Dulgies. I was actually surprised to see Dulgies, which is a restaurant in downtown Iloilo that's well-known for pastries and desserts. I think this branch of Dulgies only sells desserts and not their meals. I didn't really find out further about Dulgies since I was there for the batchoy, so I'll write about Dulgies some other time.

Anyways, if ever you're in Iloilo, be sure to eat some Ted's batchoy. I can honestly say it's a crime if you don't. :) There are branches of Ted's all over Iloilo, but I suggest going to this branch because it's different from all the other branches. This is on Diversion Road, right beside Uncle Tom's and Ramboy's. LOL it's funny how they all have guys' names: Ted, Tom, Ramboy. Funny...

Later tater!

Cakes&Co, Jakarta

2010-04-20T16:10:00.000+07:00

I can so vividly recall my first encounter with Cakes&Co cookies. It was at my grandparents' house, a place where snacks are always present, hence, my rummaging of jars of chocolates, candy bars, and cookies. The packaging enticed me because the cookies were stored in a glass jar, with a bow tied around the lid, along with the beautiful writing of a brand name and a list of ingredients written on it. Not many cookie jars in Jakarta have this kind of appearance. It was the Cereal Cookies that I tried first. I was genuinely (and delightfully) surprised by what I found! The cookies have the perfect consistency (not too crumbly, not too fudgey), size (I'm not a big fan of those big, flat cookies), and of course taste. The key ingredient that made all the difference here is the fleur de sel, or sea salt, which gives the cookies a perfect hint of saltiness. At this point maybe you have noticed that we here at Tasteritos like a little bit of salt in our chocolates (i.e. Juicy Naam!). Aside from the salt, all the other ingredients were of the top quality!

So since then started my semi-obsession with Cakes&Co, so it was very much of a dismay when I found out that they were not sold in stores, they were only available pre-ordered! NOOOOOOO! Plus, the fact that they are SO expensive. It's crazy. I did end up buying the Chocolate Cookies, though, not because they reduced their price (Rp. 190, 000 for a small jar of cookies!), but because they have decided to sell their cookies at a little Brown Tree store in Miniapolis, Plaza Indonesia. I guess it's just easier for people to act out of impulsiveness when we don't have to pre-order expensive cookies through the internet.

Anyhoo, I do realize that the price is somewhat justifiable judging from the list of ingredients, but really, if I were to be given more time to think before purchasing, I would not have bought them cookies. Otherwise, I can safely say that these are the BEST cookies I have ever tasted in Jakarta so far.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

PS. Visit their website!

PPS. Sorry for not attaching pictures of the cookies! I actually photo'd them, but the quality isn't good :( I will update it when I have taken a better photo

Blue Print Cleanse - Tasting Flight

2010-04-16T08:39:00.005+07:00

I was hanging out at my guardian's place the other day (Not the chef, the yogi. I told you I have a lot of guardians! :D) and she was trying out this new cleansing diet product called Blue Print Cleanse or BPC.

BPC is a company that provides cleansing drinks and food (mostly drinks) that cleanse the body (duh!). Depending on the type of diet that you choose, the drinks vary. The company can even send the food/drinks packages to you every few days, according to what you need. So basically most of BPC's diets consist of liquids only, but some have a mixture of liquids and raw food.

The package that I got was the Tasting Flight. It has 3 types of drinks.

The first one is a mixture of filtered water, lemon juice, agave nectar, and cayenne pepper. It was REALLY GOOD. I think this is the diet that Beyonce did, called the Lemon Detox Diet. A lot of people have tried the Lemon Detox Diet, and I heard that it works really good. But this one is different, because it's not just the lemon juice, but also some other drinks. So let's see the other ones.

The second one is a mixture of pineapple juice, green apple juice, and mint. It was just okay. Not too memorable. Actually, not memorable at all! LOL. I forgot how this one tasted. Moving on.

The third one is my favorite :D So I'm really excited! LOL. Anyway, this is a mixture of raw cashews (nut!!), filtered water, agave nectar, vanilla beans, and cinnamon. I LOVE THIS! The flavor's nutty and watery; kind of like homemade soy milk, and slightly creamy at the end (CREAM!!).

For the Tasting Flight package, they would give you 12 bottles of a mix of the 3 drinks, and that would be your dietary consumption for 3 days. You will start off with the lemon juice as breakfast, and then throughout the day (If you get hungry. Which you will. Obviously) you will drink the pineapple juice. For dinner, you will drink the cashew juice.

Personally, I don't think I would try the liquid only diet, only because I love food too much (this excuse is good enough, lol) and it's hard for me to resist food temptations! I would probably try the liquid and raw food diet, because I'm not that weak. I mean, I was a vegetarian for 3 months!! So, that one should be okay.. We'll see. If I do try that one out, I will definitely write about it on a day-to-day basis.

Indita

Taho!

2010-04-11T05:01:00.003+07:00

So every Filipino knows what that is. Or, almost every Filipino. Uh, anyways, so that thing is called TAHO. There is a specific way of saying it. It's not taho like...Lake Tahoe. It's more like...ok, it's more like if you were in the middle of a sentence and you get cut off. Like you were gonna say "Tahomygod" but in the middle of saying it somebody punches you in the stomach. Try it out! Say "Tahomygod" but abruptly stop at 'o'. YOU GOT IT! If I had paid attention when we discussed the IPA in class, I would've explained this better. :)

Moving on. So taho is actually street food here in the Philippines. You only get it from street vendors that roam around, usually in the mornings. Some street vendors sell it in the afternoons and nights as well, but the taho isn't hot anymore, unlike in the mornings, when it's still fresh.

Taho is composed of only three things: the tofu, which is made to resemble something like custard; the syrup, which is caramelised brown sugar; and the sago or the pearls, which you can see at the top. Since it has tofu, you could say it's healthy. But then it's also equal parts sugar, so it's not that healthy then.

Anyways, as I mentioned, taho is traditionally sold by a street vendor. He has these two large metal containers, one containing the tofu and the other the syrup (the pearls are kept in a compartment somewhere). He goes around and yells 'TAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!' and there's actually a specific way of shouting it, I kid you not! There is always a rise in the pitch towards the 'OOOOOO!'. In fact, I think there's a distinct way each taho vendor shouts it. Also, the taho vendor usually sells it in plastic cups and provides a straw, as you can see in the picture. Each cup of taho usually costs P10, but it may vary in different regions here. You can also provide your own cup and the vendor will price it accordingly.

It's actually really fun whenever you buy taho. At least, in my experience it is. There's always the wait for the taho vendor, where you keep your ears peeled so you won't miss the 'TAHOOOOOOOO!'. Then, when you hear it, you scramble to get outside so you won't miss the vendor. Sometimes, if you want taho really badly (it happens!) and you missed the vendor, well, you're gonna have some chasing to do. I think buying taho is such an event. :)

I'm not really sure how taho originated, but probably from Chinese traders centuries ago.

OK, so how does taho actually taste? Well, the tofu is, for the most part, flavourless. You know, in that flavourless-tofu kind of way. And of course the syrup is sweet. And the pearls are there to add texture or something, I don't know. So all in all, I guess it's sweet with a bit of a flavourless-tofu taste. I'm doing a bad job of describing taho, because it actually tastes good. :)

So that's it. You learned a lot of interesting things today! If you're ever in the Philippines, make sure to have taho!

Later tater!

Jean Claude's Bistro, Beirut

2010-04-07T18:16:00.001+07:00

The last and definitely BEST restaurant I have tried in my Best Restaurants in Beirut (so far) list is … I don't even know how to describe it. I am so honored to have been given the opportunity of eating here (exaggeration). I am also very excited to review this because it has been very shy of publication, although by that gives a sort-of exclusive feel to it. Chez Jean Claude Bistro Francaise, is the name. Jean Claude himself is a family friend and a tailor, who has converted one (very beautiful) house in Achrafiye- Beirut, to a tailor workshop, a bistro, and a home. Now my uncle has been raving about this restaurant, saying that ever since eating in the bistro, he has never been able "to eat a steak without comparing it to Jean Claude's".

The location could be the most beautiful in the whole of Beirut (it's not really, you know how I overreact), nestled in the surprisingly calm streets in the middle of Achrafiye (which is a very busy district), it sits 6 tables, 4 in the library, and 2 on the terrace, with the workshop overlooking to it. We opted for the terrace tables. Jean Claude and his wife who have been living in Paris most of their lives, have opened this restaurant out of a passion, hence not seeing the need to overly publicize, and choosing to have a limited, but loyal, clientele. It's one of those restaurants where they don't have a menu, and so the waiter just reads aloud Today's Menu, which typically consists of 5 appetizers, 5 main courses, and endless ice cream flavors as dessert (WILL get to that later).

I ordered the white asparagus dressed in mustard sauce for the appetizer, but took a picture of my uncle's iceberg lettuce (also dressed in mustard) instead. Just thought it looks more vibrant and exciting. he he. Delicious appetizers, I found myself surprisingly liking this alien type of food called.. "salad" O_O shocking.

For the main course I of course did not want to miss the steak, so I ordered the beef steak, served with black pepper sauce and fried potato chunks. It was really good. If it isn't the best steak I've ever had, I don't know what is (although this little place in Bali comes to mind). I usually order it medium-rare, which so many restaurants can't do right, but this was RIGHT. I was reluctant to finish it. I also tasted my aunt's ravioli, which was also very delicious. I honestly don't know how else to describe the food, aside from it being really really good. I feel like I'm not doing it any justice T_T

Now the desserts. They had banana tart, almond tart, strawberry tart, chocolate tart, baba au rhum, and like.. hundreds of ice cream flavors. I ordered the banana tart with vanilla ice cream (a very boring and regrettable choice of ice cream flavor). From what I have heard, the ice creams are ordered from a wholesale ice cream store in Beirut, called Oslo. Anyway, I tried (aside from vanilla) the Creme Brulee ice cream (SO VERY GOOD), the white chocolate ice cream (okay-ish), and the best is the.. wait for it… TURKISH DELIGHT ICE CREAM. YES IT'S HAPPENING. it has these chunks of turkish delight, with a slightly rosy flavor. OMGGG *sigh* what I hate is that I cant find none of that turkish delight shizz in Jakarta ~~>o<~~

*sigh* this has been a very long post. SUMMARY

Food : the best. I even liked the desserts.

Place: REALLY pretty

Price : *sigh* a fitting cost for the food. That's all I'll say (i.e. expensive. very)

Overall: could this be a.. 5 out of 5? I don't.. know.. leave me some comments.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Crispy Calamari with an Indonesian Twist

2010-04-07T08:37:00.009+07:00

So I have a chef as one of my many guardians in New York (I have even more! A couple in DC, 1 who lives in Florida, and 1 in Chicago). I stayed at his place in Staten Island for Easter Break. And so upon my request, he made me his signature fried calamari dish.

Here's the picture

The cooking process is really simple.

1. Chop the squids into 'O' shapes
2. Marinate with lemon to make them tender
3. Dip and coat them in a mixture of flour, eggs, and a pinch of black pepper
4. Deep-fry and set aside until cool
5. In a different pan, heat two tablespoons of sweet soy sauce, in medium heat until it bubbles
6. Put in chopped peppers
7. Lower the heat, and then put in the plain calamaris and pinolli nuts
8. After 1 minute, turn off the heat and serve!
9. EAT!

The thing that makes this dish really Indonesian is the sweet soy sauce (or kecap manis). People tend to mix fried calamari with tomato sauce (like the one in my The Ivy review) or thousand island sauce, but this one is different, which is why I decided to put it up on Tasteritos.

The overall taste is sweet, with a little bit of spicy-ness. The nuts definitely add more crunch, which is good, cos I love nuts and crunchy stuff :D I usually eat this with rice, to kind of neutralize the whole mixture of different flavors, and the end result is HEAVEN!

I hope you guys can try this one out.

Have fun!!

Indita

Dylan's Candy Bar, New York

2010-04-06T04:35:00.003+07:00

Let me first brag about what happened. So I was really excited about trying out the spaghetti ice (eis) at this restaurant on 55th and 5th. But after a long walk in the rain, I found out that the restaurant was CLOSED! I was so pissed off!! So then I thought hard and decided to go to Serendipity as a buffer, but when I got there, there were 15 people in front of me, and the waiter told the 1st person in line that he had to wait for 1 hour to get a seat. So I was like, no way I'm gonna wait that long for my turn! At this point I almost gave up.. But then I passed by Dylan's Candy Bar. I almost didn't go in because I knew that it sells commercial stuff, and it would be useless to review. But I went in anyway, and found out that they sell original Dylan's Candy Bar sweets. I decided to try out the fudges.

So I bought this 6 for the price of 4 package. The fudges I picked are the ones in the picture:

AREN'T THEY CUTE?! Anyway, the one on the upper left is Rocky Road, then Blueberry Cheesecake, and then the Cinnamon Cake. The one on the bottom left is Peanut Butter, then the Cookies and Cream, and then the Coffee.

So let's start!

Rocky Road was really chocolatey. I might be biased, but I loved this one because I LOVE Rocky Road ice cream. Peanut + chocolate is HEAVEN. And especially mixed with marshmallows! So, I do not recommend this to people who don't like chocolates, but, well, just give it a try. Cos it's rocky road!

My friend (Joey Bunny) said that the Blueberry Cheesecake tasted like saltwater taffy. Now I've never tried saltwater taffy, so I can't comment on that. For me the cheese was really light. Too light actually - I can't really taste the cheese :S The blueberry was kind of like candy, and too sweet. Overall, it was okay, but I wouldn't buy it again.

The Cinnamon Coffee Cake was interesting. It had bits of cake, which kind of neutralizes the sweetness of the fudge. This was one of my favorites, cos it wasn't too sweet, and the taste was great.

Peanut Butter.... *drools* Did I mention that I LOVE peanuts?! This one was really really peanut buttery. Not too sweet. Not too salty. And you can definitely taste the chocolate (yes, it has chocolate in it), but not too much.

The Cookies and Cream was sweet and soft and salty. When I had this, it was salty at first, and then it got sweet. So the salt is obviously from the cookies. And overall it was just okay. I mean, it's cookies and cream. A typical common flavor. I would buy this again only because it's cookies and cream.

Cappuccino tasted like... Well, cappuccino. It also smelled like cappuccino. It has two layers of coffee (inside) and chocolate (the coating). The coffee was great, but then the chocolate was too sweet, which kind of ruins the whole taste. And then it got bitter... From the coffee... This was actually interesting! LOL (I'm actually lol-ing). But I think I would prefer this without the chocolate.

So that's it! I would like to thank JoeyBunny and my guardian, Tante Yanti, for helping me review the fudges. You guys were really helpful. We should do this more often!

Indita

Racines, Beirut

2010-04-05T19:01:00.002+07:00

Next restaurant on my Best Beiruti Restaurants (so far) list is a French establishment called Racines. What strike me most about this restaurant is its decoration, which was really beautiful. Apparently, it was once an Arabic restaurant, converted to French. So the interior is Arabic, but the food itself is French. I didn't get to take pictures of the interior, the lighting was not sufficient, and I detest taking photos with flash ^^ . Although the food and service was very well done, I notice this from Lebanese people, is that they are a tad bit show-off-y with their French-speaking abilities. The waiters, despite us clarifying that we are unable to speak French, continue to speak it anyway, which gets annoying after a while (same goes for sales clerks, shop owners, etc).

Anyhoo let's disregard this fact because we're not here to review service, but to review food. THE FOOOD. What we got before they served our appetizers, were one of those free pre-appetizer snacks, which i LOVE, cos it's so unexpected!!! god, i love restaurants that serve pre-appetizer stuff. We got a "pomme de terre et poulet" (see how annoying that is?) which is mashed potato with chicken, served in a cute little shot glass. teehee. and i LOVE mashed potato. it's my favorite side dish OF ALL TIME. I'm getting excited cos I love reminiscing about food. I ordered the Frog Legs as an appetizer, cooked with (lots of) garlic, lemon juice, and some herbs. What I love about frog legs is that they can be crunchy from the outside, but SO tender in the inside, just like fish, but juicier. VERY DELICIOUS. (controlling excitement level). For the main course I ordered King Prawns with mashed potato (he he). Also really good, served with arabic salad drenched (and I mean swimming) in olive oil. And I wonder why I gained 2 Kgs over the last 10 days. I'm not even gonna mention desserts, cos I wouldn't rave about it unless it's exceptionally delicious, and this one isn't (for me. I DISLIKE DESSERTS).

SUMMARY TIME

Food : VERY good. and the presentation is really well done.

Place: the interior is nice. Classic without being over the top.

Price : I'm beginning to lose faith in the idea of saving money while in Beirut. pricey food T_T

Overall: a good 4.25 out of 5. or maybe I'll give it a 4.55. 4.55 sounds right. I hate rounding off.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

UPDATE! the pre-appetizer stuff is apparently called AMUSE-BOUCHE (i've always wondered what that word meant). anyhoo. amuse bouche. hihi. bouche.

La Plage, Beirut

2010-04-05T01:13:00.002+07:00

So, as you have probably read in my last post, I have been in Beirut, Lebanon, this past week or so, and have had plenty of time (and support from my food-loving family) to do food reviews, and so set out to go to Beirut's finest. In the 10 days that I have been in Beirut, I went to a total of 12 restaurants, gaining 2 Kgs in the process. The cost of living happy. Anyway, almost all the restaurants were very well above average in terms of the food, but I have decided to pick out the 3 best, as to not bore you with incessant Beirut-food mediocrity.

The first on the list is a Lebanese seafood restaurant called La Plage. Overlooking the sea, this was a perfect setting for a delicious seafood experience. We ordered the standard Lebanese Mezze for starters, hummus (pic attached), bread, the likes. And for the main course, we opted for the classic Lebanese seafood dish, deep-fried Sultan Ibrahim fish, which I think is known as the Red Mullet fish in English. The bite-sized fish were fried to crisp perfection, served with deep-fried pita bread. VERY delicious. Following the Sultan Ibrahim fish, we were served a very big fish slowly oven-baked inside excessive amounts of rock salt, which appears to be its only seasoning. Now, I'm not sure what this fish is called, what I know is that it's a big-ass fish. We ate it with olive oil, and Lebanese-style 'salsa' (and of course they got rid of all the salt before serving it to us).

I did realize that the main course meals were very light, basically composing of two fish dishes, and some pita bread. But in the case of Lebanese food, the mezze itself is enough to have filled your stomach, and more. We had desserts, too. The one shown is the Lebanese milk-ice cream (i think), which I did not particularly enjoy. I would have to remind you that I am not a big fan of desserts, anyway.

Oh, and I've decided to put a summary at the end of each entry :) so here goes:

Food : top-notch, particularly the Sultan Ibrahim fish

Place: swanky, especially in the summer when the beach club is open

Price : be prepared to spend

Overall: a definite 3.5 out of 5 (would have been better if it were not for the desserts. Then again, I'm biased)

Cheerios,

Dodilia

More of The Juicy Naam Chocolates

2010-04-02T08:00:00.013+07:00

I went to this store on 63rd and 2nd called Health Nut. So it obviously sells healthy stuff. It was such a heavenly place for someone hungry (I was hungry) cos you wont feel guilty eating stuff from the store, because you know that they're healthy anyway. Like, you somehow get to think that you won't get fat. Lol.

So I bought Juicy Naam's chocolates - Cashew Goji Berry, Almond Fig Spice, and Fleur de Sel.

Just to give a short background on Juicy Naam chocolates, they are basically made out of everything organic. Juicy Naam itself is a company that promotes healthy lifestyle; they sell supplements, snacks, food, and they even have yoga classes in New York and also juice bars. Back to the chocolates, they are made out of handmade raw vegan chocolate and the sweetness is from oil, because they are free of refined sugar, cholesterol, gluten, diary, and soy (everything is written on the boxes, which are all recycled!).

On with the review...

Cashew Goji Berry

The cashew is subtle, because the goji berries dominate the whole flavor of the chocolate. I can definitely feel the crunch of the nut, but the taste is very fruity from the gojis. The chocolate itself is quite sweet compared to the others.

Almond Fig Spice

Now this one is really fruity! It has currants, chewy figs, and cranberries, which obviously create the tinge-y sweet taste. I can definitely smell the cinnamon. And the almond is almost non-existent. They didn't chop off the almonds, so they come in whole.

Fleur de Sel

I have to say, this is the most interesting chocolate I've ever had! I guess fleur de sel means that it contains salt? Because it's salty! It says on the box that the chocolate is flourished with Pink Himalayan Salt. Some people love this (hint: Joey Bunny), but for me it's just too weird. Um, I really don't know... I guess I would be too biased to make further review, but this is basically what I think of it.

So that's it! I think these were the only Juicy Naam chocolates available in the store (at least the ones I haven't tried before), but if I do find some more, I will make more reviews on them.

Indita

Scoozi/Sooshi, Beirut

2010-03-27T17:59:00.000+07:00

I'm in Beirut right now, for those of you geographically-deprived and have no idea where Beirut is, it's in the middle-eastern country Lebanon. No, it's not one of those veil-y, terrorist-y middle-eastern countries -_________- anyway. The first restaurant I went to was in ABC mall located in Achrafieh (hope I got the spelling right), called Scoozi/Sooshi. The concept looks interesting, as it serves both Italian and Japanese food, my two favorite kinds of food. The Japanese proved to be VERY disappointing. So far I have never encountered a genuinely good Japanese restaurant in Beirut (SUGGESTIONS???), and this was..hmm…. So as most Japanese restos are, this one had a conveyer belt lining with sushis, so I started grabbing some plates of highly mediocre sushi (plain california roll, salmon-egg california roll, crunchy CALIFORNIA FREAKIN ROLL). After two plates of sushi, the waiter approached my dad (cos I can't speak arabic) and told him that if I want to have some sushi, I need to order it instead of just taking the plates from the conveyer belt…. O_O speechless. Slightly confused, I decided to give the Italian a chance. Ordered the cannelloni. It was good, very cheesy, LOOKS appetizing. Anyway I feel sort of useless posting a review of a so-so restaurant, but I did realize that asian food is not very popular here in Beirut, and I wonder why, while in the neighboring Dubai many Japanese master chefs have opened their restaurants. I DID go to another Japanese restaurant here in Beirut, called Ya-Bani, it was very fouxy, the place looks amazing, really, you had to go into an elevator underground to get into the restaurant. The food: highly meh. So I guess this entry was more of a rant than a review. I hope Beirut can bring more asian food into their choice of cuisine. Oh and any suggestions of good restos in Beirut will be more than welcome!

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Le Roi de Fruits

2010-03-26T09:01:00.009+07:00

The durian is kinda like Miley Cyrus. No, I'm not insinuating that Miley reeks, but maybe she does, I wouldn't know. What they have in common, is when they're around, they seep into your head and mess you up. Like when Miley is on TV, her voice crawls out of the TV and oozes into my head and screws my brain up for the next few minutes or so. Durian, when it's at least 10 metres away from you, has the same effect. With its smell, not its voice. Have you ever seen talking durian?

WARNING: I'm writing this in a sleep-deprived state. Indita has just read this and she says I seem too "mad" in this article, but I'm really not! Actually, this is the most candid I've ever been on Tasteritos. So, while you are reading this, please, envision smileys all around you. Here, I'll start. :)

Why is it that most people think that durian is repulsive? Personally, I love durian. That's another thing with durian. There's no grey area with that fruit. It's either you hate it, or you love it. I kinda feel sorry for it, I think it might be bipolar. All I know is that durian is one macho fruit. Because everything about it is strong! It smells strong, it tastes strong, it even has badass, macho spikes all over it. You gotta be macho to carry around that sort of baggage. *a badass smiley*

I went over to my buddy Wikipedia and here are some things I found interesting enough:

The name durian comes from the Malay word duri (thorn) together with the suffix -an (for building a noun in Malay). Yeah.

Some people regard the durian as fragrant; others find the aroma overpowering and offensive. The smell evokes reactions from deep appreciation to intense disgust. - See? No grey areas.

The odour has led to the fruit's banishment from certain hotels and public transportation in southeast Asia. - What? Seriously? Man those hotels and public transportations are such drama queens. It's not that bad. Although it does remind me of this thing (oooh anecdote time). Years ago, when I was still living in Jakarta, my family wanted to eat some durian. Except for my dad. *dundunDUUUN* My dad hates durian with a passion I don't understand. So, of course, he was against the whole durian-eating-extravaganza, and kicked us out of the house. Nah, he just made us stay outside the house (front door locked, mind you, as if that would keep the fumes at bay) until we finished eating durian. But my dad also hates the smell of incense, so, nobody pay attention to him, he's a bit strange. I am his child, after all. *smiley*

Originally, I had posted that I wasn't going to put a picture of a durian here because Tasteritos doesn't own any pictures of durian, and that we fear the 'copyright infringement' thing LOL. However, I have decided to post a picture with proper credits because...I feel like it. *wheee*

picture taken from deviantArt

Here's my last point: the durian is called the 'king of fruits'. If that isn't badass, I don't know what is! *smiley of badassness once more*

So, guys, I really would like to know what you think about durian. Are you a fan? Are you not a fan? Is there a Facebook page for durian that I could become a fan of? These are just some of the questions that plague me.

Later tater!

P.S. There is a durian Facebook page!

P.P.S. Did the smiley attack help? B754NUDSJTQY

FuRaiBo

2010-03-25T09:34:00.013+07:00

One last review on my food venture in LA! Sorry for the late post. I've been very busy lately; last week I had my spring break, so it was easy for me to update stuff quickly. But since school has started, I need to prioritize my homework and assignments :)

Anyway, on with the review.

FuRaiBo is a Japanese grill restaurant. So, they don't serve sushis and sashimis. FuRaiBo is a franchised restaurant, but this is the only one in LA. It is located at Sawtelle Boulevard.

The first meal I tried was the fried sandwich. It had vegetables and cheese in it. If you pay attention, you can see the melted cheese in between those breads. I'm not sure whether they were actually breads, though, because they were really soft; they might even be tofu! But the breads (yes, I will regard them as bread) were slightly more chewy than tofu, so I'm not sure.

This was the grilled beef tongue... I kind of forgot what it was before, because the picture doesn't make it look memorable (it kind of looks like beef teriyaki in the photo) but then my friend reminded me that it was the tongue, and so I recalled the memory of eating it :) The beef tongue was good; it tasted like soft beef. I know you guys might be disgusted by what it is, but since I come from Indonesia, a place where people eat lots of beef tongues, it was totally normal for me to eat this kind of thing. Compared to other beef tongues, this was quite plain. I guess since the restaurant is serving this dish in United States, customers might already think of it as something exotic, so FuRaiBo doesn't have to try harder to make it more interesting. Moving on...

Now this one was great! It's the grilled gindara. The meat of the gindara fish was so tender that it just melted on your tongue! And same as Dodilia, I also don't usually like fish, but this one was GOOD! The meat was as soft as butter............... :)

So just to give you a heads up, I am going to venture around Manhattan this weekend. I might check out this restaurant on 55th and 5th, which serves Spaghetti Ice. Sojabean calls it Spaghetti eis, but I'd rather call it Ice Spaghetti, or Icetti :D Basically it's ice cream that is served like a spaghetti, with berry sauce that represents the tomato sauce. So please keep yourself updated with Tasteritos' latest reviews!

Indita

Singapore Food Venture! Vol II

2010-03-22T14:57:00.002+07:00

Another noteworthy restaurant I went to in Singapore was a Japanese restaurant: Akashi. This is actually a long-standing restaurant, but they just recently opened a new branch in Paragon mall. Located on the basement floor along with the other restaurants and supermarket, Akashi serves (extraordinarily) good food, without the pretentious set-up. I've noticed that good Japanese restaurants nowadays are either unnecessarily expensive, or fusion-ized so much that it reaches oblivion. Akashi is neither of those. I ordered the sashimi set, which was REALLY good, but the dish worth mentioning most is the Gindara (Codfish) Teriyaki Set. I don't usually like codfish, so I was pleasantly surprised to find it so delicious! The meat is so tender, it almost feels like you're eating.. well, I can't compare it to anything else, really. JUST SO GOOD. This particular dish isn't in the menu, so you just have to ask the waiter about it (I was told of this dish by a friend). I left happy :)

The next day I went to a restaurant I actually planned on going to before I arrived in Singapore, it's called Banana Leaf Apolo, it's located in Little India, and it has REALLY good indian food. I usually don't have the chance to explore indian food more, because Jakarta doesn't really have a wide selection of good indian restaurants. huff. When we arrived, we saw lots of tourists and expatriates dining here, and the restaurant has (I just found out) been featured in the Travel channel. Cool. So the concept: in banana-leaf restaurants, dishes are put in the middle to share (sort of like a chinese restaurant), but instead of using a plate or bowl to place your rice, you have a banana leaf. The food was very spicy, as indian food generally are, but I didn't really notice the variations of seasonings used in the food that I ordered. I later concluded that it's because none of us really quite understood indian food, so the food combination that we ordered were not complimentary of each other. The dish that stood out the most though, was the fish head curry, with the head as big as a.. VERY BIG FISH HEAD. I managed to balls up and eat one fish eye. It tasted like… fat and barf and goo rolled into an eyeball. Not a good experience. sigh. I have yet to master the art of indian …uh.. eating.

Anyway, so that's the end of my Singapore food venture-ing :( be sure to check out these restaurants next time you visit Singapore!

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Singapore Food Venture! Vol. I

2010-03-21T19:31:00.002+07:00

So I was in Singapore a few days ago with the sole purpose of FOOD VENTURE-ing in my mind (sort of). The first place I tried was in the new ION mall located in Orchard Rd. This was not really a restaurant, more like a food court, or as they call it, Food Opera, located on the lowest floor of the mall. Here, you can have various hawker-style local foods without actually going to hawker food stalls. Convenient. I ordered the Singaporean Laksa, thick rice noodles drenched in a light curry broth, served with all kinds of seafood. It cost me 5 Singaporean $$ and was the BEST laksa ever! Granted, I haven't really tasted that much laksa in my life, but I don't really have to in order to know that it's good :D If ever you go to Singapore, I highly recommend having a taste of the Singaporean Laksa. If you wanna have an authentic, street-food laksa though, go to Newton's Circus at night, where they serve many local foods.

Next up is a restaurant I stumbled upon by accident, cos we (my family and I) were hungry and all the other restaurants around were full (it was dinnertime). It was again in ION mall, this time on the topmost floor (oh if you happen to be there, also check out their bookstore Prologue, lots of book choices, without the dizzyingly complicated structure of Takashimaya's Kinokuya). A restaurant called Nautilus Project. The place was actually really COOL (slightly fouxy though), you could sort of see the outside of the mall… ok it's REALLY hard to explain, just check it out. They serve seafood primarily, but I didn't order the dish with seafood in it. I ordered the potato gnocchi with oxtail meat and the meat was so delicious! It was so fatty that I can just poke it and it breaks. DROOOOOOOL.

Another delicious dish was the Duck Thai Curry. The curry itself is similar to the Indonesian gulai, just more runny, and added with lychee fruits, so slightly sweet. The duck was very tender and they served it with steamed rice. All in all, I give it a good 4/5 stars. whee.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

The Ivy, Los Angeles

2010-03-20T03:03:00.009+07:00

I went to the very famous the Ivy restaurant when I was in LA. This restaurant is famous for having many celebrities coming, so it was really fun! I didn't see any celebrities here though...

The dish I ordered was the oyster; there were 6 of them, for 12 dollars, which is quite reasonable, since oysters are usually quite expensive and this is quite a high-end restaurant.

The oysters taste like your average oyster, cos they're just oysters. lol. The red stuff right there is the sauce; it was a mix of tomato paste and a little heat. It was kind of sweet as well. I think the sauce was nice when combined with the oysters, but it was nice combined with the calamaris as well! The picture's below:

The calamaris were delicious! The crispiness was perfect, and the meat wasn't very chewy, which I liked. Because a lot of restaurants serve very chewy calamaris that you cannot really bite them off, but this one was not that chewy, so it was good.

I also tried my friend's ravioli. It was lobster ravioli with tomato and cheese dressing. The picture's below:

I loved it as well! I think this ravioli kind of tastes like the lobster ravioli in a restaurant called Seraffina, which is kind of scattered around in NYC, which I will review in the future if I get to go there again. So basically the insides of the ravioli is very light and not cheesy at all. The sauce was a little salty and the tomato was very apparent. The cheese on top made it all perfect!

Indita

Paulette

2010-03-19T02:37:00.010+07:00

So all of my friends know that I LOVE macaroons, so they brought me to this cute little place called Paulette in LA. It is located in cross street of Beverly Drive and Charleville in Beverly Hills.

Paulette serves all kinds of macaroon flavors; from coffee to rose to earl gray tea. The ones that I ordered were the almond and earl gray tea flavors.

At first bite, the snacks taste like your average macaroon, but then as you much in you will start to taste the unique flavors. The almond (the pink one) tastes like the almond desserts you get in those authentic Chinese restaurants (NOT FAST FOOD CHINESE!), which is really good. I have tried a lot of almond-flavored macaroons, but this one tasted really different because the flavor is really distinct, so I would rate this 9 out of 10. The earl gray tea (the green one, obviously) macaroon was just okay. I was not able to taste the tea-y flavor, but I guess it's because tea does not have any strong flavor, especially when mixed with sugar (and believe me, there was a lot of sugar in this macaroon!), but I can definitely smell the tea from the macaroon.

You can buy the macaroons individually or in boxes of 12s. I believe the price was about a dollar each, but slightly cheaper in total for the dozen package. The packaging for the dozen was also cute, and nice enough to be given as a present.

Indita

Chicken Kyo-Chon

2010-03-19T02:23:00.010+07:00

THIS PLACE SERVES THE BEST CHICKEN WINGS EVER!!!! And I mean seriously! I think everyone should eat here at least once before they die.

Ok so here are the pictures:

The ones that I ordered were the originals. So they tasted garlic-y, VERY garlick-y. And they are salty as well. The skin is a little more crispy, and I think there is a tinge of sweetness too.

The best way to eat KyoChon is with rice. The rice kind of neutralizes the saltiness of the chicken. Not that the chicken is too salty, but when mixed with rice, the chicken tastes complete :)

I ate here with 3 other people, who were all hungry, and we ate a total of 50 chicken with 1 bowl of rice per person. Our total was around 60 dollars. I think it was quite okay, since it was REALLY delicious! I mean, I would eat here at least once a week. So please try if you get the chance :)

Indita

Coffee Smoothie

2010-03-18T16:09:00.004+07:00

Hi! I made this smoothie ages ago, but I wanted everybody to post first before I post again. That's why I have a hard time remembering the recipe exactly. (You remember I have bad memory, right?) I'll try my best to remember. :D

COFFEE SMOOTHIE Difficulty: Effortlessly Easy | Serves up to 3 glasses

a blender!
2 trays of ice cubes (I've learned that crushed ice is not good for smoothies. It 'dissolves' too fast, so your smoothie is gonna end up like...juice, and not a smoothie.)
your everyday instant coffee - I used 2 packets of Nescafé's Sweet N Creamy flavour
2 cups of milk
sugar
other extra stuff you want to flavour your smoothie with (vanilla, cinnamon, etc.)
1/2 cup of chocolate sprinkles

I put in the 2 cups of milk first, then added the first tray of ice cubes (that's about 12 ice cubes). It always helps to have something liquid with your ice when blending coz I think it makes it easier for the blender to 'destroy' the ice. Um, what did I do next? So I put in the milk, one of the trays of ice cubes, the 2 packs of coffee (I chose the Sweet N Creamy flavour because...well, it's Sweet N Creamy...?) and the 1/2 cup of chocolate sprinkles. Lemme explain about the sprinkles. I wanted to have those chocolate bits in my smoothie, and I only had chocolate sprinkles at home, so I used those. Gah, let's put this in point form since this way it seems like a mess. :D

Put the 2 cups of milk, 1 tray of ice cubes, 2 packets of coffee and 1/2 cup of chocolate sprinkles in the blender. Blend. *wheee*
When the ice is pretty 'destroyed', put in the other tray of ice cubes. I didn't put all ice cubes in at the same time so the blender won't have a hard time 'destroying' the ice. Also, add in your extra flavouring stuff like the vanilla or the cinnamon. I wanted to put cinnamon but we were out of cinnamon in the house. And I forgot to put in the vanilla. Anyways, blend.
Taste your smoothie and if it's not sweet enough, add two spoonfuls o' sugar. (Makes the medicine go down?) Since my coffee was already sweet, two spoonfuls is more than enough. You can add more if it suits you. Blend.
Pour into glasses.

Personally, I'm not that crazy about whipped cream, so I didn't really think about putting whipped cream. I didn't have whipped cream on hand anyways so...But yes, you can definitely add whipped cream if you want. It makes the coffee smoothie prettier as well.

Later tater!

Urth Caffé, Melrose Ave., Los Angeles

2010-03-16T13:43:00.009+07:00

So this place is famous for its boba. Boba is that black pearly jelly that people usually mix in drinks (the pictures are below), and it's really good when you just feel like chewing stuff while drinking your cold drinks.

Ok, let's start with the name of the cafe itself. Apparently, in Welsh, urth means earth, and caffe means coffee. So this name was chosen because the restaurant serves food and beverages that are organic, so everything chosen are really fresh and serves to the health of the customers.

On with the drinks. So I only ordered drinks because the drinks are the ones Urth Caffe is famous for. The food is basically... Typical? I mean, they're good, but I guess you can find food like this anywhere else. The drinks that I ordered were Organic Blended Green Tea Boba, which was $4.75, and Divine Spice Chai Boba on Ice, which was 3.75.

The drink above was the Chai. It was okay... It tasted like tea with milk, and that was it. I wouldn't order it again... Maybe it's because it was on ice. My friend recommended me to order the blended one, but I forgot it ask that to the waiter, so, my bad :(

The one below here was REALLY REALLY GOOD! I would definitely come back again to get this drink. This was the Green Tea, and yes, it was blended. The taste was like a typical Starbucks green tea with creamy flavor. The boba gave a little distinct taste to it, kind of like, unsweetened tea? Yes. I would definitely recommend this drink to people who love cream flavors.

Indita

Curry House, Sawtelle Blvd, Los Angeles

2010-03-16T13:27:00.009+07:00

This spring break I went to LA to try out food and anything else delectable. The first place I went to was Curry House in the Sawtelle Boulevard in Los Angeles, and the dish I ordered was Rice Curry with Fried Shrimp and Onion Rings.

The shrimp by itself was quite good, and mixing it with the curry makes it, obviously, more flavorful, but sadly I would rather have it by its own. The onion ring was kind of okay... Just okay... I was kind of disappointed by the meal, but then I wondered why my friends recommended me this place. So I decided to try my friends' food, and theirs were much better, and I mean MUCH. I guess I just ordered the wrong one...

Just so you know, the ones that my friends ordered were Rice Curry with Pork Katsu and Croquette (which is extra delicious when you eat it with the curry sauce!)

Indita

Beef Teriyaki Broccoli

2010-03-14T01:11:00.002+07:00

Difficulty: medium | Serves up to 5 people

Ingredients:

500 g beef fillet strips
one small onion, sliced
one broccoli flower, chopped into little florettes
1/3 cup of soy sauce (I used Kikkoman Soy Sauce)
1/2 teaspoon of ginger powder
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
2 tablespoons of corn starch
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
water
cooking oil

Directions:

mix corn starch with garlic powder and 2 tablespoons of water until it becomes a paste
toss the beef into the paste
heat cooking oil in a wok and pan-fry the beef until desired doneness (I recommend you do this until the beef is slightly browned and tender)
remove beef from the pan, and stir-fry onion and broccoli for about 5 minutes
mix the soy sauce, ginger powder, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of water into the rest of the corn starch mixture
re-add the beef into the wok with the vegetables, and pour in the soy sauce mixture
stir-fry for another 2 minutes
serve over rice

This recipe was requested by a friend of ours, Sentanu. The Tasteritos Team had quite a hard time looking for an easy and delicious beef teriyaki recipe, but we managed to find one. I.. lost the link T_T sorry! I WILL find it and link it to you guys ASAP.

Click on pics to enlarge

Anyway, I bought all the ingredients in Jakarta and it only cost me a total of Rp. 172, 000,- which is an equivalent of about USD 17 (i think. someone correct me on this :P ).

It turned out delicious, I just wish I had left the beef to fry a little longer cos mine was abit tough (I highly recommend you taste for tenderness while the beef stir-fries).

A good start for someone who can't even turn on the stove =D

Thanks again Sentanu for suggesting this recipe! Don't forget to comment!

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Huize van Wely, Jakarta

2010-03-13T23:28:00.005+07:00

I went to Huize van Wely today out of sheer curiosity, cos my dad, sister, and I were getting hungry and are bored of the other restaurants in Pacific Place. Huize van Wely itself is already pretty well known (especially for its desserts) and yes I know our notification earlier stated that we would much prefer going to obscure restaurants, but it's just so.. beautiful... *sigh*

I was abit doubtful about whether or not they serve real food, cos all of the displays were of desserts, but we found out that they do. Huize van Wely is actually technically a dutch restaurant, but we didn't order any of the dutch-y food. My sister and I ordered pasta, and my dad ordered the wagyu burger, but he gulped it all down before I had the chance to take pictures -_-

(Click on the pics to enlarge) Spicy Prawn Pasta

Organic Chicken Pasta

The food looked pretty but tasted mediocre. *sigh* This is why I need you people to suggest to me some legit good restaurants :D

Anyway, you know that feeling, when you feel like your tummy is full but you're still not satisfied? That's what i felt when I left Huize van Wely. Plus it's expensive. Oh, but the desserts are good :D I highly recommend the desserts.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

P.S. sorry about the low-quality lighting on the last picture, they didn't actually allow me to take photos of the food on display, so I had to do it quick, didn't have time to tweak my camera settings. hee.

Updates!

2010-03-12T23:17:00.001+07:00

Hi guys! Wow, we are so grateful for the attention our blog has received. We never thought people would be this interested! So, thank you so much you guys! We truly appreciate it. A few pointers:

We have provided an 'about' page, which I realise doesn't really explain much. So sometime next week we'll put up individual 'mini-bio' pages so you can get to know us better. And you are more than welcome to ask us about anything.

Also, we realise the majority of our readers are friends and family, and yes, it is much easier to request or suggest stuff by texting us or messaging us on BBM or MSN,etc., but right now we are actually having trouble keeping track of your requests/suggestions. So it would be better if you guys can email or tweet us instead. You may also write on the Tasteritos page on Facebook.

We're gonna take a moment to explain our objective: We realised that most of the food blogs out there talk about fancy, difficult recipes with ingredients that aren't common in most places or are ridiculously expensive. So we hope to be the alternative to those fancy (or fouxy as we at Tasteritos say) recipes, and show that if we can do it, you can too.

As a side note, we pronounce fouxy as foo-wee :)

Regarding restaurant suggestions. We appreciate suggestions for unknown/hidden/undiscovered places more than places that are known to the general population. Meaning, your suggestion for us to review Starbucks will most probably be not entertained. Also, we are all students so we might not be able to go to fouxy restaurants. However, we really appreciate getting feedback from our readers.

You are very much encouraged to comment on our posts. At the end of each article there is a link or a comment box and you can post there. This lets us know what you guys think and if there's something we can improve on to help us with our future posts. Basically, we love communicating with our readers. We're big fans of interaction.

Also, I am very excited to announce that we might have some blog contributors from other cities in the future. Basically, Tasteritos might be expanding!

Here's how to write to us:

EMAIL us at: likipediaplusz@gmail.com

TWEET us at: @Tasteritos

BECOME A FAN (if you haven't) on our Facebook page (there's a box there on the right sidebar)

Well, I've already written an epic. In the future, I promise not to write as long as this.

Later tater!

-Patricia

Bali Catering Company, Bali

2010-03-11T09:57:00.005+07:00

I was in Bali a few months ago and I fell in love with this cafe called Bali Catering Company. Everything about it is amazing. Let the pictures speak for themselves.

(Click on the pics to enlarge) the sign outside

That's my mom. LOL (Hi mummy if you're reading this)

and for the pièce de résistance, my personal favourite, the Blueberry Danish

and yes, they are as good as they look

So BCCO is like..a cafe/bakery/gourmet shop/catering company and is the best thing that ever happened to Bali(in my opinion LOL). The prices of the products are very reasonable. Why? Because the food is good enough to be worth any price. They also sell sorbet. You can also buy all sortsa fancy (or 'fouxy' as we at Tasteritos say) stuff there like foie gras and...others. I can't remember. You should know I've got the worst memory in the world.

On a side note, I wouldn't encourage buying foie gras because there's a horror story behind its production. Geese or ducks are force-fed so they will be fattened. I've seen it on a PETA DVD, a pipe being shoved down a goose's throat, pumping it with corn. So, please, don't buy foie gras if you can help it. If you can't, too bad.

Anyhoo, they also have a website, so check that out for contact info. So if you're ever in Bali, don't miss out on BCCO!

Later tater! That's my new 'catchphrase' ever since my mashed potato extravaganza :D

Mashed Potatoes with Broccoli

2010-03-09T17:26:00.017+07:00

A few days ago I was really dying to have some mashed potatoes that, for the first time in my life, I wanted to make some! If you've known me a long time, you will know that I don't cook ever. EVER. Even my mom was happy to hear that I was even interested to cook in the first place. (Hi mummy, if you're reading this) I wish I could explain just how amazing it is that I want to cook, but we don't have time for that.

MASHED POTATOES with BROCCOLI Difficulty: Easy | Serves up to 6 people

2 pounds of potatoes (if you can find Russets or Yukon golds, get those as they are best for mashed potatoes)
1 head of broccoli
milk
cream
cheddar cheese (I got the Quickmelt variety)
black pepper
salt
unsalted butter

The problem with me is that I don't follow measurements well. I'm such a rebel. LOL. Okay kidding aside, I looked for recipes online and this is what most of them said:

1 cup of milk or cream (or you could go half and half)
3 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 cups of shredded cheese

Click on the pics to enlarge

The cheese isn't actually in most recipes. I just felt like cheese. Okay let's cook! :D

Skin the potatoes and halve them. Place them in a large pot of salted water (water just enough to cover all the potatoes) and boil them on high heat. While they're boiling, you can dice your broccoli. I only used half of the broccoli head, which I later on regretted because there wasn't enough, because I actually like broccoli. :) So if you like broccoli, dice up the whole broccoli head. Or more if you want, it's up to you.

Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to low and leave for about 10 minutes or until the potatoes are soft (check their softness by poking them with a fork). I wanted my potatoes extra soft so I left them cooking for 20 minutes after boiling. Anyways, after 10 minutes or when the potatoes are soft enough, remove the pot from the stove and drain them. Then place the potatoes in the pot again and return to the heat. While heating, stir the potatoes constantly for 2 to 3 minutes to dehydrate the taters. LOL I'm gonna call 'em taters from now on. Okay so make sure the taters don't burn. After 2 to 3 minutes, remove the taters from the heat. Now for the fun part!

Using a hand masher (or a fork if you want), mash the taters. Mix in the milk (or cream or half and half), butter, black pepper and cheese. Ok, so while I was mashing the taters, I realised that I completely forgot the broccoli! Stupid right? So I boiled the broccoli and added them into the mix. In hindsight, it was good that I mixed in the broccoli later because by then the taters were good and mashed, and if I had put the broccoli in earlier, they would've been good and mashed, too. Anyways so mash the taters, mix in everything. Like I said, I don't do well with measurements. I just taste, and if there's something missing, I add it in. I wish I didn't "taste" too much though, coz when I was done, I was too full already. *sigh*

So, there you go! Mashed potatoes with broccoli and cheese! Do you have any idea how proud I am of myself?? I'm a cooking virgin...NO MORE. :D

Pan-Ya, Jakarta

2010-03-09T15:03:00.007+07:00

Click on the pics to enlarge

I was doing my regular mall-rounds in fX in Jakarta when i stumbled upon this really awesome-smelling bakery on the 3rd floor. Enticed by the smell, I decided to give it a visit. I've previously heard about this bakery recommended to me by a friend anyway. After scanning through the choices of bread, I went with the cheese-mayonnaise bread: a combination of the two best things in life. I'll let the photographs do the talking.

Pan-Ya is originated from the Okayama region of Japan, and is available in many countries aside from Indonesia. I heard that there's a Pan-Ya bakery in New York, too (gotta double-check with Indita regarding that).

Anyway, I wanted to keep this post short. If you feel like venturing more into the world of bakery-chains, take a break from BreadTalk and try Pan-Ya instead.

Cheerios,

Dodilia

Chocolate Kiss Cafe, Manila

2010-03-09T07:48:00.006+07:00

Hello! This is my first post so hope you guys enjoy it!

This morning, my aunt took me to breakfast this morning because we left earlier than usual. She took me to the Bahay ng Alumni (House of Alumni) here in UP Diliman because there was a cafe there that served breakfast.

It was 7:35 in the morning (Philippine time) and it took a while for the waiters to notice us but when they did, they quickly whipped out the menus for my aunt and me. The first thing that caught my eye was the French Toast. And that was what I ordered.

It took approximately 20 minutes for them to bring me my french toast. Ok, here I'll divide my entry into 2: Positives and Negatives.

Positives:

I liked the simple presentation: 3 slices of the french toast, the syrup in a separate container and one of those butter-in-a-packets (I'm not really sure what you call those.. hehe). The presentation, in my humble opinion, showed just how we, as the customers, could adjust just how sweet or buttery we want our french toast to be. I liked how the cook considered our preferences when they were making this.

From the plate, I could totally smell the cinnamon on the toast! Just the mention of Cinnamon in anything to me is already a plus. So wasting no more time, i immediately opened the butter packet and spread it on the toast. As a lover of toast, i especially love it when the butter quickly melts as it is being spread on the toast. It just means the toast is.. toasty. LOL.

The taste of the French Toast was sweet, milky and warm. And, given the choice whether to dip only the tip of each slice or to drench it completely in syrup, I could make have it sweet just how I want it.

Negatives:

I like toast. Not because I've had it every recess in elementary, middle school and high school, no. I generally like toast. But I don't particularly like wholewheat bread; too grainy for me. And that was what the French Toast was made of.

I didn't like the fact that the toast was a little bit... limp. I like my toast sturdy :D But maybe the toast was limp because of the ingredients of the French toast. Though maybe I'd prefer it if they could find a balance between the limpness and the firmness of the toast. Haha Am I making sense at all? Like.. Maybe they could make it firm on the edges and soft in the middle. I dunno. But yeah...

It was also too bad I couldn't taste the cinnamon as strongly as I could smell it. I think it would've been better if the Cinnamon was a prominent flavor too. Or if there was a balance between the Cinnamon and the Milk they used... Yeaaahhh.. that would've been goooooodddd. Haha.

So in conclusion, I generally liked it. The sweetness and the milkyness sort of compensated the whole "limp" thing. The French Toast is also at a reasonable price of Php. 120! It's not too bad, right?

If any of you readers are living here in Diliman or Manila, or better yet, are studying in UP Diliman, I suggest you give the Chocolate Kiss Cafe a try. They serve breakfast from 7 am to 10 am! Or maybe you could go there at noon when they serve lunch. It'd be nice to stay in an Air-Conditioned cafe rather than be outside in the scorching heat.

If any of you have questions or other comments, please do!! They'd be totally appreciated!

:D,
Bea

AcaiApple Granola - Nature's Path

2010-03-09T06:36:00.008+07:00

A few weeks ago, I went to spend the weekend at East Hampton with a family. It was one of the most exciting trips I've had ever since I got to New York. There, not only I saw some of the most awesome houses ever, I also discovered Nature's Path.

Click on the pics to enlarge

I was sitting alone in the kitchen and I gazed through all the cereal boxes on the cabinet. One particular box caught my attention, because the color was really nice; reddish purple, I guess? So when I grabbed it, I noticed that it was almost finished, meaning that the family really liked this one - more reason for me to try it!

So the version that I tried was the Acai Apple Granola, which contained pomegranate and, obviously, acai apple. The fruits add sweet flavor to the cereal. I can definitely taste the apple and the pomegranate seed. This part of the cereal is the strongest, because you can definitely taste the fruit throughout, as you munch and swallow it. The granola tastes... It basically reminds me of seeds and nuts... Which is good, because I like crunchy stuff :) Oh, and it contains oatmeal as well.

At first I ate the cereal with fat free milk, and it was okay... You know how fat free milk tastes; watery. And then the second time I tried it, I mixed the cereal with 1% reduced fat milk, and it was definitely better! The milk gave a slightly creamy flavor, and mixed with the seedy taste, it was HEAVEN!

This cereal is very healthy because everything in it is organic. As I told you in my previous post, I am on a diet, and so I'm really trying to buy all these healthy stuff. Nature's Path contains no synthetic pesticides, no synthetic herbicides, no artificial preservatives or additives, and no genetically engineered seed or ingredients.

So I hope you can try this one yourself. Please comment if you have any extra opinions about it!

Indita

Auntie Anne's, SM City Iloilo

2010-03-08T17:01:00.010+07:00

Hi guys. I really wanted to post an entry so I really hauled my ass out of the house so I can go eat some food and take pictures. The Philippines is experiencing El Niño right now, so it's too hot to go anywhere. But anything for our readers. :) I decided to go to the mall, figuring anywhere else would fry my brains.

I don't know how I ended up in Auntie Anne's, but the moment I got to SM City I went straight there. Maybe my subconscious was in the mood for pretzels. Either way, I didn't regret it. I've never eaten Auntie Anne's before coz I'm not really a pretzel person. Scanning the menu, I went for the safest choice: Cinnamon Sugar Pretzels. Because I love cinnamon. :) It costs P55.00.

Click on the pics to enlarge

So that's the pretzel unopened. Here it is in all its glory:

Maybe it doesn't look as yummy as it tastes. Hand-rolled soft pretzels, doused in cinnamon and sugar. And when I say doused I mean drenched. Except cinnamon and sugar are dry...

But anyways, yeah there's just cinnamon and sugar everywhere. It gets kinda messy when you're eating it. When it was warm it was still really crunchy. The problem is, it cools way too quickly so the crunchiness sorta disappears, too. And the smell? The smell is divine. It's filling, too. I felt full after a few bites. Too full, actually, I had a hard time finishing it.

So the positive aspects of the Auntie Anne's Cinnamon Sugar Pretzel are: it's delicious and it smells good. The negative aspect is that it's too messy to eat. Other than that, though, I see no reason why anybody shouldn't eat this.

It looks seriously delicious. I think I'm getting hungry again. Anyways, if you live in Iloilo I'm sure you know where Auntie Anne's is. If not, it's in the Upper Ground Floor of SM City Iloilo, near People are People and Greenwich.

The Juicy Naam - Gnosis Chocolate

2010-03-08T01:48:00.015+07:00

Click on the pics to enlarge

So I was at a yoga place in Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hungry after an "intense" vinyasa, I decided to try this quite random chocolate on display. The Juicy Naam's Gnosis Chocolate is apparently a naturally made chocolate, created with all the organic raw ingredients and natural sugar from oil? Yes, oil. Very interesting. Since I was, and STILL AM, on a diet, I decided to try this very interesting chocolate, and it was GOOD!

The chocolate tastes a little like dark chocolate, but less strong on the bitter part. You can definitely sense a hint of sourness, and the creamy, chocolate-y after taste. It has little bits of mulberries and goji berries, which gives a fruity taste to it.

You can definitely tell the difference between the Gnosis Chocolate and other commercial chocolates. But I won't complain that much because I know this snack is healthy, and I don't feel guilty eating it!

The cost is very pricey for a medium-sized chocolate; $10 to be exact. May be quite reasonable for such a nutritious meal... I'm not sure...

I think people should, at least, try this thing once. It might be good for "innocent" last night snacks.

Indita

Basara, Jakarta

2010-03-08T01:06:00.001+07:00

So it was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, and I felt like having some decent sukiyaki. I did a bit of a research, as I most usually do when I'm looking for a place to eat, and stumbled upon Basara, a Japanese restaurant apparently renowned for the number of Japanese visitors, so I decided to treat myself to it (well, my mom treated me to it … it was my birthday T_T ).

This embarrassed me slightly, but entering the place was somewhat of a difficulty for me. It had two entrances, both looking like a secret gateway to some underground society (that or one of those posh, new-age toilets), but anyway we managed to get in. We were greeted by a receptionist and directed towards our table--we opted for the partitioned table. You can tell that it's a popular hangout spot for Japanese businessmen having after-work drinks, cos upon seating the receptionist asked me which company my party was from -_-

It was noisy, as drunken people are, and we didn't regret sitting in the partitioned area. The menu was written in Japanese, with an Indonesian translation below them, instead of the other way around. We ordered the sashimi set for the starters, and of course, the sukiyaki.

I won't go into a winding discussion about the sashimi cos it was nice. Not great, just nice. The sukiyaki proved to be a disappointment. The meat was excellent (we picked the Kobe variation), but the broth was too sweet. I initially figured that you can't really go wrong with a sukiyaki, but apparently, you can. Maybe it's how the Japanese like it, judging from the number of Japanese customers there, but I don't.

I've heard that they have great.. uh.. everything- else - on - the -menu, though, just don't go for the sukiyaki.

it's a pricey establishment, but I didn't find it worth the money. If you are interested, be prepared to spend up to Rp. one million if you're going for an extravagant feast or for the omakase, and about Rp. 300, 000 for the a la carte menu, excluding sake.

Basara is located at the Ground Floor of Jl. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 61-62, and it opens for lunch and dinner everyday.

Contact it: (021) 520 1233 Reservations are recommended

Cheerios.

PS. again about the pictures. sorry ><

Kedai Disto, Jakarta

2010-03-08T01:04:00.002+07:00

Upon the start of this blog, I thought it would be just fitting to write about one of --if not the-- favorite food of mine in Jakarta. It is located in one of those small alleyways scattered around Cipete, a corner to be exact, a small establishment by the name of Kedai Disto. Now at hindsight, Kedai Disto very much lives up to its name, a kedai, literally a hut, although it more resembles a warung than anything else. If you have lived in this city for a while, you would think better than to judge food from its venue.

It is as I have mentioned, a small warung, stuffy, if anything, sits about 20 people at most. When it takes you one and a half hour to get your food you would wonder where all the orders came from.

Anyhoo, the food.

Their specialty is the Grilled Ikan Patin, some sort of freshwater catfish, and their Tempe Penyet. There are two kinds of Ikan Patin that can be served in Disto: regular, or filleted. I personally prefer the regular kind, it's something about the experience of having to pick the bones out. Their method of cooking is to grill them on an open fire, smothered with some sweet soy sauce. The meat is as tender as it can be, and if you do order the non-filleted, you will find the juiciest, fattiest, grilled fish you have ever tasted. The fillet just lacks the fatty bits, in my opinion.

Accompany that with some tempe penyet, which is, I must warn you, very very spicy. The tempe is of course penyet-ed: mushed, to a blob of little soy beans, cooked with a healthy serving of hot green chilies.

The price for a very satisfying dinner of a whole ikan patin, rice, and tempe penyet? I would say no more than Rp. 60,000 , give or take, including drinks.

If you do decide to stop by Kedai Disto, it's at Jl. Cipete Raya, right across Dapur Sunda. Make sure you don't come on Mondays (cos they're closed on Mondays), and come after about 6.30 PM (cos they're closed before that hour).

Cheerios.

PS. sorry for the lack of pictures, most often i gorge food down before having the chance to take pictures, but I will post some as soon as I have em.