All about good food…. hopefully

October 26, 2009

Old Chinatown Kopitiam – Quezon City

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Quezon City — gourmandtales @ 9:59 am

Address: 86 Maria Clara St. Sto Domingo Quezon City

Tel No: 415-1145, Operating hours from 11am to 11pm

Parking- Street Parking

This placed open last year and it was packing in customers that you have to line up if you want to eat here. It has been featured in famous food blogs already. This is my turn to feature this resto.

Place is quite cramp. Wish they would transfer to a place that’s bigger. They serve Chinese and Asian food.  Service was average. Nothing outstanding.

Black and white gulaman(P48)-SP_A1154 grass jelly with almond. One of my favorite drinks

 Kway teow(228)- SP_A1155SP_A1156 full of ingredients like prawns, sliced beef, sliced pork asado. This was good, a little oily but very good. The noodles were cooked just right

Pan fried crispy tofu (P178)- SP_A1158described as stuffed with Chinese sausage. It tasted more like radish cake than tofu, I was expecting it to be silky soft with sausage slices in between. But the sausage was minced and incorporated to the tofu.

 Kopi Spareribs(188)- SP_A1159 this was pretty good, the spareribs were tender and the sauce was something new.  The coffee aroma and flavor was indeed there.  Made into a sweet and slightly salty sauce. It coats the spareribs lightly but perfectly.

Hainanese Rice-(45)SP_A1157 the color was more evident than the taste. I would not order this again..
Will certainly be back to try the other dishesSP_A1153

September 27, 2009

Daifu Noodle House – Banawe St. Quezon City

Filed under: Asian, Banawe, Family servings, Quezon City, Taiwanese — gourmandtales @ 12:26 pm

Address:  886-B Banawe St., QC

 Tel no: 4122846
Parking Available in front of the restaurant
Banawe has a number of Taiwanese theme restaurants like Feng Wei Wei, Ersao, Tasty Dumplings and this place.

who doesn’t love a noodle house? Especially when it is raining, a bowl of hot noodle soup is the perfect meal

Beef Noodle Soup-Photo-0003 using those thick Taiwanese noodles, that resembles Japanese Udon, the broth was excellent and soothing, the beef was tender and give you hints of its marinade which I presume to be soy sauce, star anise, 5 spice powder. It didn’t over power the noodles.

Braised beef-Photo-0006 same as the ones used for the noodle toppings.  Tender and cooked well

Fried dumplings-  Photo-0001served with sweet and sour sauce, the fiiliing is primarily made from pork, the wrapper was beautifully crispy and was not oily at all. The filling tasted good.

Siomai-Photo-0002 big in size, but not big in taste

Orange Spareribs- Photo-0005 forgettable, tasted like orange concentrate on fried ribs

Chicken something—Photo-0004forgot the name, it was said to be one of their best sellers, don’t know why, didn’t taste too great

Kiampong Photo-0007– not a good version, MAKI haus has a better version of this dish

Come here for the noodles. But not for their short orders. They have a new line of dessert which looked interesting. Might give it a try nest time.Photo-0008

September 2, 2009

Banawe Chronicles – Coco Asian Cafe and Bistro

Filed under: Asian, Banawe, Family servings, Fusion, Quezon City — gourmandtales @ 12:38 pm

This is be a series of restaurant in the Banawe area. :)

Address:  989 Banawe Avenue, Barangay Manresa Quezon City (just at the back of starbucks coffee)

Tel No. 364-2281

Parking: lots of spaces available

This restaurant has been open for more than a year now and the food has maintain its quality. There were rumors that it was going to close, good thing it didnt.

THe menu spans the whole continent of asia, Representing popular dishes from all over the region.

Lumpiang Shanghai-SP_A1877 this was just ordinary,nothing really great. Serving size was quite smalli

Fried Vietnamese rolls- SP_A1876better than the lumpiang shanghai, filed with vermicelli noodles, mushrooms, ground meat  etc. It uses rice paper so if not fried properly, tends to get a little oily, however they did it well as it wasn’t oily

Fried Catfish Salad-SP_A2386 good version of the dish, the dressing was excellent blend of sour, salty and sweet tones.

Tinumok- SP_A2388another ordinary filipino dish.

Pad Thai- SP_A2391this was good, not as oily as those serve in thai restaurants here

Fried prawns  in shredded sweet potato- SP_A2392it came out like the plate was on fire, am not really a sweet potato fan. The prawn was big and plump.

Humba-SP_A2387 this was very very good, pork was cooked till it was very tender, sliced so as it was not difficult to eat. The sauce was just sweet without going overboard.

Gambas- SP_A2389shrimps were perfectly cooked. Veering way from the traditional gambas, they used diced tomatoes to this dish making it more taste like an italian dish than a spanish dish.

Fried Tilapia- SP_A1879copying the dish from Recipes, they use a larger tilapia though and they friend it beautifully, keeping it moist inside

Seafood Basket-SP_A1881 assorted seafood cooked in a thick coconut cream sauce. Then served on top of a fried potato basket. The sauce was a winner in taste.

Korean beef stew- SP_A1882instead of using short ribs, they used brisket. At first I thought it was going to be a tough. But I was mistaken as it was very soft and tender. The sauce was also reduced and thicken which gave the dish more UMPH and flavor

This is one of the restaurant which has the right concept,  dishing out good dishes..except for some misses, however, the location is not really at a prime spot.SP_A1874

June 18, 2009

Asian Twist – N.S. Amoranto, Quezon City

Filed under: Asian, Fusion, Quezon City — gourmandtales @ 11:26 am

THis is the newest restaurant in this area, near Banawe Quezon City.  Specializing in Asian Fusion cuisine.. or so they say.

Located in N.S. Amoranto St or better known as Retiro. It has very nice signage.  Place was very brightly lit. Consist of 2 floors. Service is a little slow and expect little mistakes from the staff so be sure to let then repeat what you order to lessen the confusion

On the Table

Seafood Bibimbap- DSC00145DSC00146 i ordered the seafood cream bibimbap but this was the one served, i didnt have it changed anymore. Anyway, it was served in a traditional sotne bowl to keep the food hot and cook the egg. It has lots of seafood. the shrimps were plump and crunchy. My only rant here is that, their bibimbap then to be on the dry side, but still good.

Jane’s Pajeon- DSC00147 Jane is suppose to be one of the owners of this resto, and having a dish named after the owner , i guess it really worth a try.  THe pajeon as you can see here is pan fried to a delightful golden brown crisp, which i different on what we usually get in korean restaurants. It is very tasty, and i love the crunch. Problem is it tends to be oily

VEggie and tofu tempura- DSC00149DSC00150there was a typo in the menu, saying they serve eggplant in this dish. However, there were no eggplant see, just the usual Kakiage and tofu. Fried to crispy perfecttion. A nice appetizer

Mango something shake(forgot the name)- DSC00143Mango with calamansi syurp. Its a mango shake with a twist indeed. A wonderful thirst quencher

Banapple shake- DSC00144 another shake, very very good. light and refreshing.

I didnt like how they didnt follow the order of how food is supposed to be served, you know…. appetizers before the main dish… THe first dish to arrive was the Bibimbap. Then the appetizers were served seperately. They should try serving sppetizers the same time and main dishes after appetizers.. I think that would be just right, however, food is very affordable and serving size more than adequate. TRy it:)

June 12, 2009

Mien San Noodle House – Granada St. San Juan

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Comfort Food, Greenhills — gourmandtales @ 9:50 am

Address:

36 Villa Ortigas II, Granada St.,
Quezon

Tel no: (63 2) 724-8388

Parking – limited slots available in front

THis noodle house has been there for more than 10 years already. And you can see this fact base on their signage..which still has their own 6 digit tel no, the interiors which are really outdated.

I ate here once when they initially opened. like it, but never had the chance to eat here till now. Plsce still looked the same . No significant changes.

Pork and Casbbage dumplings- mien-02mien-08Freshly cooked, served hot. Filling was substansial, tasted great. no fatty extenders. great with the dipping saucesmien-01

Shrimp and Chives Dumplings-mien-06mien-07 i was surpirsed by the contents of these dumplings. You can see the whole shrimp, and not the chopped shrimps we use to find in other places here. Very very good. Has this pan fried. the pork variant we had it steamed.

Beef tendon Noodles- mien-03 the noodles unlike the noodle houses we are used to, like north park, ling nam etc etc.. are fat just like a japanese udon. These noodle are of the taiwanese kind, which you can also find when you order noodles in Ersao. its chewy and very filing. Beef was very tender and the broth very flavorful.

Seafood Chami-mien-05 one of the dishes that is popular in this resto. Chani.. meaning pan-fried.  this dish can be a bit oily… but otherwise it was very good. It was loaded with seafood and veggies, the noodles were cooked just right.

Overall, the place still maintain its quality in regard to their food even after all these years. the place really needs a facelift though, but i guess with people still flocking to this noodle house till late in the evening, i think the owners and the customers are happy.  So i guess, why cant something that aint broke right??  to those who havent try this place.. come and enjoy their food.

May 6, 2009

Mastercook – Dampa, Macapagal Ave.

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Family servings, Pasay City, Seafood — gourmandtales @ 6:24 am

Dampa – the name has been synonymous to fresh seafooseafood

Initially started in Sucat paranaque,  later on expanding to aplaces like Ortigas, Libis, and one of the lastest is the one is Macapagal Ave. Which I think right now is the more famous one.

Mastercook is one of the newest places where you can have your shopping goodies cooked. Here, unlike in other restos you cannot let them but the ingredients for you. You have to buy it for yourself.

Its a very busy place, located at the back of the complex, near the parking area.

Serive is a little slow, they lack waiters to be able to accomodate the number of people they serve.

On the Table

Prawn Tempura -sp_a3339 This is what i love ordering because you get real prawns.. well, depends on what you but. hehe.

Prawn with Sotanghon-sp_a3334sp_a33351 it was a good hing that they slice the prawn on the body to make it easier to eat with utensils. THe seasoning was indeed perfect, best eaten when hot cause it can get clumpy when it is cold

Crab rice- sp_a3337imagine tasting the essence of crab in every rice morsel. Fantastic idea, excellent blend of seasoning and spices

Crab w Ginger and Onion-sp_a3336 another excellent dish, thoug as an after thought i think it was a mistake ordering this coz the rice was already flavored by the crab. Nevertheless it was fantastic, Crab was cooked perfectly. I would order the salt and pepper crab as i see it quickly devoured on the other tables.

Like i said earlier, if not for the not too fast service, this place really is great. Would still recommend it.photo-0013

March 21, 2009

Luk Food Hot Pot – Quezon City

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Family servings, Quezon City — gourmandtales @ 1:44 pm

Located in the same complex as PureGold  Erodriguez. I think this is the first Luk Foo Hot Pot.

THe place is bustling with people, like the Luk Foo Cantonese Kitchen beside it, WE wanted to try their hotpot and see how they fare against veterans like Gloria Maris and Green Maris

Place was well lit, service was fast, efficient. You can also order from the Cantonese Kitchen. Yipee!!!

On the table

Different Condiments for making a saucesp_a3121sp_a3122- there are 6 different condiuments that you have to mix and match then the 7th element is he sweet savory soy sauce mixture that you add to the condiments sp_a3123to make your sauce.

Soup- sp_a3124you can order plain broth, Sate or split soup meaning half is plain half is sate

Hot pot set for 4- sp_a3126sp_a3127this comes with an wide array of ingredient, seafood, different balls, fish cakes, and another plate of veggies, tofu, noodles, etc..

Imported beef and Lamb Slices-sp_a3128 love it!!

Birthday noodlessp_a3129- nothing great

Fish fillet with butter and cheese saucesp_a3131- one of my fave luk foo dishes

Soup with the different meats and veggiessp_a3130 waiting to be cooked and devoured

THis is my favorite.. the Prawn ballsp_a3132, fresh minced prawns. very little extenders.

THis place can give Gloria Maris and Green Maris a run for their money.  Good food, affordable.

March 18, 2009

Little Asia – Quezon City

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Greenhills, Quezon City — gourmandtales @ 12:59 pm

Address: 195-B Tomas Morato Quezon City, Metro Manila

TEl No:(02) 373-0609

Parking: Valet Available

One of the better restaurants in the TOmas Morato Area, By Better i mean, not the ordinary and still serving good food until today. This place has been open for more than 5 years already. AS the name connote, Little asia serves food from different parts of asia, and a meal here can make you explore the region using your tongue.

On the table

Vietnamese Spring Rolls -asia-01 165- assorted ingredients wrapped in rice paper then  deep fried. I like the crispiness of the wrapper, it has a different texture from the usual lumpia wrapper we are used to. THe filling was made from ground meat and veggies. THe vinegar dip suited the rolls beautifully

Minced meat wrapped in Lettuce leaves- asiaanother great dish, the freshness of the lettuce still crispy and not soggy catching each and every morsels of meat. THe meat cooked with hoisin sauce was delicious

Fish Fillet with Tausa-asia-021 Tausa is like black bean but has a more grainy and less salty taste. The fish was cooked just right, still tender and flaky.

Emperor Fried Rice P165-asia-03 THis restaurant for me serves the best tasting fried rice. Rice palang ulam na. ITs so tasty that you can eat the rice alone. really really yummy

Salt and Pepper Spareribs P185- asia-04this was okay, nothing special here

Korean Beef Stew P285-asia-05 great version, the beef was tender, the sauce was very very good,

Beef Rolls P285-asia-061 i used to remember the beef they used was super soft, this time the beef was not as soft as i would like it to be.

Mapo Tofu 155-asia-07 silken tofu, and i mean silken, soft, melts in you mouth tofu, the sauce huggin each tofu, mixing spicy, a little sweet and salty tones, great with a cup of plain rice

Vietnamese Sagot Gulaman 80asia-08- this was so-so, i just love the colors.. reminding me of Christmas

Great meal. This place never fails to satisfy an empty stomach:)

March 9, 2009

Savory Chicken – lots of branches

Filed under: Asian, Chinese, Comfort Food, Malls — gourmandtales @ 12:42 pm

Initially Opened in 1950, first branch being the one is Escolta, which by the way is still opened, i though this retaurant will only have a couple of branched by the end of this decade, but lo and behold, i was surprise to see a lot of branches opening, especially in the SM malls.  For me, its a good thing, i was sick and tired of eating at the usual suspects when i go to SM. Now there is another option.

Shrimp puff 260-sa-05sa-11 i first saw this dish on the website of Lori Baltazar, She described it so beautifully that i am ashamed to described it myself.  I orderd this dish bec of Lori and i didnt regret it,. It was good, the Shrimp was cooked just right, the breading was puffy but still light and not oily.

Lumpiang Shanghai 135 -sa-06 16 pices of ground pork mixed with minced veggies, wrapped in a lumpia skin. I like the fact that the lumpia wrapper was thick, it was just right, the meat inside didnt have too much extenders.

Lomi 180- sa-02Classic thick noodles, swimming in a dark brown sauce loaded with differetn ingredients topped with fried garlic and shallots. This is one of the Chinese comfort food, served piping hot, good to fight any disease. hehe, i have yet to try Lomi places in Batangas, they say its delicious and cheap

Spinach Seafood Soup 160sa-03- this was ordinary, nothing great.

Kangkong w Lechon Kawali 195sa-10- braised Kangkong.. still green and fresh, cooked just right to maintain its colot and texture/ THe lechon kawali has just the right amount of fat intermingled with the meat. THe skin was crispy

Shanghai Fried Rice 140- sa-04 nothing unsual here, fairly done

Savory Chicken 1 whole 320sa-08sa-09- the star of the show. Cooked perfectly, juicy and succulent. one of my favorite Chicken here in Manila, the other one being Country Chicken. Can be eaten alone or with its special brown sauce.

Good thing they are opening in different malls, now there is an option to eat great Chicken and you dont have to travel all the way to Escolta. One thing i dont like is that they charge for the extra chicken sauce.

One last question, does doing this really kill the bacteria off the eating utensils?sa-01

February 28, 2009

1521 restaurant – Shaw Blvd; Mandaluyong City

Filed under: Asian, Filipino, Fine Dining, Mandaluyong City — gourmandtales @ 8:24 am

Address: 547 Shaw Boulevard, Brgy. Wack-Wack, Mandaluyong City

Tel. Nos. 794.0433; 0917.8606678; 0906.4904712

Capacity: 40 pax

Parking: Available in front of the restaurant

A lot of people have been trying to make ways to globalize Filipino cuisine. Its really a hard endevour if your gonna ask me. This restaurant tries its best to showcase filipino cuisine at its finest.

Place looks great, clean and nice smelling. Not a lot of people were eating that night. WEll, for one the location is not at a prime spot. Its along a busy road in Mandaluyong and if you drive fast and look straight, you will definitely miss this place. Located near Pan de pugon and Mr Poon. THe menu have cathy names of the different dishes, but upon inspection, its more of an asian fusion rather than purely modern pinoy cooking.

On the Table

No-See Sisig Stuffed crisp empanaditas filled with crunchy minced pork and liver pate served with sinamak and cream cheese and sweet chili sauce P200-sp_a3014 this little things were nicely done, i love the stuffing, could have used more though, the empanada dough has just the right thickness, crunchy and chewy at the same time/ THe sauce… very tiny amounts of cream cheese to be contributory to taste, the sinamak was very good.
Anyhow na Liempo Lean, perfectly seasoned, bacon-cut grilled pork belly with a beautiful side salad of reg eggs, tomatoes, onions and a touch of crushed pork cracklings P230sp_a3016- Layers upon layers of fat and meat, deep fried perfectly, crispy outside, still juicy and moist inside. if u noticed there is a sail made from bacon.. yummy…
Tom Yum InasalGrilled chicken teriyaki in reduced Tom Yum soup with mustasa. P230sp_a3015- this is more asian fusion than modern pinoy cooking, however i like this dish. Boneless Chicken Thigh.. soaked in ginger, sugar and other spices then grilled beautifully, the sauce was really strong flavors of tom yum…the combiination was terrific.
Shrimp Popcorns-  Battered, crunchy shrimps with a sweet chili sauce P230sp_a3013- this was my least favorite dish, batter too thick, shrimps overcooked. dressing was obviously coming from a bottle.

Pipino-mint Cooler- P60-sp_a3012 refreshingly different. :)

This place is worth trying, there are other dishes that would make me wanna come back and try. sp_a3017

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