Winter (Melon) in the Philippines

It's July 01, 2017 and half of the year has passed. This is not the time to reflect on all of our lost time - it's half of 2017 and you still haven't accomplished your weight goal. You still haven't laced up to run at least 10 kilometers in one go. You didn't avail of the promo Krav Maga lessons near your place because you think PHP 2,000+ a month (for 6 months) is too much wherein you'll actually learn and feel like Wonder Woman. You haven't started reading or studying for that dreaded exam and where are you now? You're xx pounds heavier, unfit, and you put the belly in belly dancing.

Well. It's not really you - it's me. I'm projecting my frustrations while it's raining peacefully and consistently here in Manila. And since I am enjoying this quiet at home right now (because my niece is taking her nap), it's like Switzerland during WW.

ANYWAY! The main point of this blog entry is to really just compare 2 kinds of winter melon tea. I have found the ready to drink variant from way back but it's just recently when we passed by the international (Asian) section in the supermarket that we found the powdered/instant one.

Presenting:

A.  Ready-to-drink Winter Melon Tea

The Tionghwa Winter Melon tea is made in the Philippines and has brown sugar mixed into it. It has 500ml (~PHP 55) and 1L (~PHP 65) variants. I get this thing whenever I see it and this is one of the reasons my mom doesn't want me to come whenever they go to the supermarket. I get it and slip it into the family cart. Leading milk tea stores offer a minimum of PHP 85 for your winter melon tea - whether it's just pure winter melon like in Gong Cha or it's mixed with black tea like in Serenitea. But you don't want to shell out a hundred bucks for something you'll down in less than 20 minutes right??

So what you can do is stock up on these winter melon babies and buy your fresh milk. Creamiest (not necessarily healthiest) brand out there for me is the Magnolia Full Cream Milk. In just 3 easy steps, you can make yourself happier than you were 3 easy steps ago!

1. Fill your glass with ice.
2. Pour yourself some winter melon. Be generous, it's only PHP 65 for 1L.
3. Pour full cream milk around 1/4 to 1/3 of your winter melon tea. Or whatever, suit to taste.

That's it!

Awww, Winter Melon and Fresh Milk on their first date.
I have shipped them ever since. Aren't they adorable??

B.  Powdered Winter Melon Tea

So I was content and really happy with my winter melon milk tea because it's so easy to prepare and all I need to think of after is to just wash my glass. However, I chanced upon this ray of sunshine and since I'm not a fan of powdered or instant anything, I saw one keyword that made me interested: STEVIA. It's a sweetener and acts as sugar substitute. And my mother is a diabetic. So this was an opportunity to introduce my winter melon tea to my mom. I got her one pack (I think this one is from Vietnam) and when I tried it out, it kind of tastes similar - it's winter melon after all! The only concern I have with this is that I can't pinpoint how much milk is needed to balance out the winter melon if I use just one sachet.

Verdict:
The ready-to-drink winter melon tea is still the reigning royal in this edition. The Cool Tea brand is good enough for diabetics or those who don't want all those sugar in their drinks. Winter melon is still the bomb for sweet fruit teas that doesn't taste weird when mixed with milk.

Hash Brown Pizza

When you love someone so much you've been all eyes and ears... The mere mention of his name sounds you off like a war alarm, the thought of him makes you smile and drool... Then you suddenly fall in love with another. This confident love-me-or-hate-me person who is so feisty and crazy, you cannot leave her side. 

But you want them both. What do you do? 

Put them together and add more friends. Bring in the plump one, the hot one, the interesting one, and the filler. 

What do you get? Hash. Brown. Pizza. Coronary risks. Obesity in the making.

Put three hash brown patties side by side on an ovenette tray and heat it till it gets cooked. Pull it out then open your Tostitos salsa jar, grate fontina and parmesan cheese, add button mushrooms, onions, top with jalapeños, and add more cheese. Then push the tray back inside and turn that knob. Thank us after 15 minutes. I think the ovenette's timer just went off.

Welcome. 

Taiwan, Not Iwan!

A lot of things happened in March and I was just not able to write about it, much less, give time to reflect on it. It was the first time I cried because of a trip. WHY? One week prior to my Taiwan trip, I was fixing my visa and I just had this fever. The kind of fever that doesn't show up in work and doesn't get read in the thermometer whether that would be digital or the mercury kind. I just felt warm and weak with that warm feeling in your eyes. Maybe it's just the summer? It was March anyway. I feel okay in the morning, then a little restless in the afternoon (I thought I was just getting lazy in the office), and by nighttime, I am down with a fever.

I just got alarmed when my mom told me that I might not pass the heat scanners in the airport if ever I proceed to Taiwan. OMG Taiwan Iwan got into my mind. I might be detained if I push it, and then I will not be released to the Philippines immediately. Horror stories filled my active and untrustworthy imagination. My dad accompanied me to the diagnostic clinic at Promenade and the doctor recommended that I take almost all the tests possible. The doctor said I was really warm but it's not showing in the thermometer. (Spoiler: I thought this was my chance to be popular, I am a carrier of a very mysterious disease. Apparently not.) Countdown to Taiwan trip? 3 warm days.

I started getting chills with fever going up to 39.9 C that Saturday. And then it was Sunday and the same thing was still happening. Countdown: 2 crying days. That was when I finally accepted I won't be able to go to Taiwan. All the work and money and expectation... Down the drain. My yaya was still hopeful while my mom was thinking of re-booking my ticket.

Then results came in Monday morning. I took the first pill and didn't experience any of my previous predicaments. I was up and about by Wednesday morning. And my flight was Wednesday night.

That was about it. :| I crammed my recuperation.

Taiwan? Success!

Taiwan is probably one of the most underrated places that Filipinos visit. It's one of the listed destinations in Cebu Pacific (read: budget airlines) and yet people are going all around the world and somehow skipping Taiwan. Ask around and people will give you, "Ano nga ba meron sa Taiwan?"

Apparently, there's a lot of things going on in Taiwan. Cheap food, night markets everywhere, cheap transportation costs (look at Japan's and you'll know what I'm talking about), friendly folks, no/cheap entrance fees, shopping (both cheap and branded finds), cherry blossoms, Taipei 101 (it's a requirement), historical memorials, crystal cabins/ see-through cable car floors, tea, milk tea, more street food, more milk tea, and national parks.

It's leveled-up Hong Kong and you'll wonder why you haven't been thinking of visiting Taiwan.
Because you should be.
And you should really do it.

Ding Tai Fung! They have vegetarian xiao long bao!

We really came to Taiwan for the PingXi lantern festival. We took the subway and one bus ride to reach this place where a lot of people lighted lanterns and watched them fly away. I had mixed feelings about this, because really, where do dead lanterns go?

It was a magical moment, even though it's not really
environment-friendly.

The Clean Plate - UP Town Center

Organic food is the new trend that is catching fire slowly but surely. Our restos now have been more diverse than ever, providing specialized dishes instead of fusions. Today we have organic dishes promoting "clean and safe" food and are GMO and pesticide-free. Okay, there is no surefire way of ensuring that what they're serving is really organic food. I guess you just have to trust their brand on that and when you find out if they're not true to their words, you can always make a social stir and lambaste them.

We have Green Pastures over at Shang now branching out to Eastwood, Earth Kitchen along White Plains, The Wholesome Table at BHS Central, and now The Clean Plate at UP Town Center. 

I have yet to try Earth Kitchen and my experience with Green Pastures was not really a good one. It was memorable but in a wrong way, so enough about that. It's making me cringe. 

The Clean Plate at UP Town is located at the 2nd Floor of the "newer" building. It does not boast a huge floor area but it adorns its place well with faux grass on the outside, new and colorful cutleries on the inside, as well as varied bottled food and other items for sale. My friend thought it was cute and annoying at the same time. I was just hungry. 

One thing you'll notice here is that their menu is very similar to Green Pastures except on the major difference: price. Green Pastures is more if not twice the price and serving size of The Clean Plate. There, with lesser price comes lesser serving but that's not an issue. It allows you to taste more of the variety in their menu and you won't leave the place with a hand on your tummy - because you're that full. You're supposed to eat healthy, not eat like a glutton. 

We ordered drinks first. I had their hibiscus drink and my friend got their lemongrass drink. Refreshing and pleasing to the eye, I still prefer Green Pastures' hibiscus+pandan mix though. They play Postmodern Jukebox in their resto, too, which gives it plus points for me. Haha.

It was a good experience but their Gulay Burger (veggie burger) doesn't taste like anything until you flood it with their sauce which made the dish fantabulous. Then came the arugula salad. It was nice, with vinaigrette, shaved parmesan, and some kesong puti. Or maybe I'm just biased with vinaigrettes and cheese combination. 

Lastly was the pasta. It had a huge river prawn, one mussel, pomodoro, chorizo, and wheat angel hair pasta. As expected, wheat pasta tastes like... wheat. :| I used to always just eat wheat pasta and even wheat pancakes. I used to describe it as lasang lupa but I've grown much more mature now and just shut up. 

Not So Green Pastures

I have been wanting to visit Green Pastures at Shang for quite some time. It's because they offer vegetarian burger that has been racking up good reviews. They also offer fresh, organic, farm-to-table food. Well, that's what they say and a lot of people are swearing by it. First and second visits didn't allow me to experience this, but on our third try we finally had the chance! Movie was at 9pm and so we had the patience to wait. Thirty minutes in and we're seated!

Ah. Such a pretty sight! That's a vegetarian burger with good ol' fries. So how was everything else?

Service was not good. They take their sweet time, but they had smiles on their faces. Okay, forgiven. No one was beyotching around. Food was not exemplary, except if being fresh means tasting like supermarket (this one's for their pan-seared swordfish), then no. No thanks. 

Worst is that when I sliced the burger in half, there was a hair embedded inside the patty. I touched it with the knife to check if it's inside the patty or it just flew there. It was dim at Green Pastures so I used my phone's flash and there it was! In all its glory. Hair. Long hair. There was even resistance when I used the knife. Someone knows her protein. My appetite rushed out of the door. We returned it and they just said they'll replace it. I said no, I don't want it anymore. I should've kept the fries though. They were good. 

I'll still be checking out this vegetarian burger soon. When I completely forgot about my organic hairburger. :(

Rustic Mornings by Isabelo and The Breakfast Thought

Breakfast places are everywhere now. 

There are different categories that cater to every one. Lavish buffets can be found at hotels while cheaper breakfast buffets are also available (Somethin' Fishy) around the corner. 

Breakfast spots usually have exemplary interiors. They offer something new, something refreshing. Maybe to set your mood in whether you come in in the morning or just want to have breakfast food any time of the day. 

The Breakfast Table at Maginhawa offers denim place mats while Milky & Sunny at Kapitolyo has pastel colored walls and cutesie decors. Pi Breakfast and Pies's interiors are more similar to the 3rd wave coffee shops with its neutral hues and finishing. Then you have Early Bird Breakfast Club which has cutesie interiors as well but their food presentation is the one people pay so much money for. Speaking of budget, Kanto Freestyle Breakfast can be found at Mandaluyong, Kapitolyo, and Eastwood. They offer cheap(er) breakfast food (I think they have the cheapest espresso-based drinks, too) but of course, don't get your hopes way too high if the price of your Eggs Benedict is less than a tall caramel macchiato. 

Then if we're talking about setting, Rustic Mornings by Isabelo at Isabelo St., Marikina City wins. The place inside is full of pretty artsy decors. There are colored bottles, sliced glass, chandeliers, and chimes made from what you thought of trash-I-can-sell-to-junk-shops. The place was set-up surprisingly nice, it reminds me of Marcia Adams at Tagaytay, but this place can be found just within Metro Manila, specifically at Marikina. The parking can be difficult but the place is really nice. They change their menu when it reaches around 5pm. It becomes Isabelo's. Just like that. Nice, right?

How could you not want to go here?

You can opt to eat outside with the scenery or inside with the blue and white decors. Breakfast places have this relaxing soft vibes in them. I wonder how I'd decorate my place if I decide to open one. 

The open area is a refreshing place to be at in the morning and late afternoon.

Pray those bottles don't fall over your head.

The food is okay. I mean it's breakfast food, there should be no complication to that! It's easier to make compared to their lunch or dinner counterparts. Bacon done 3 ways is easier than making pad thai.Well, cooking is difficult when your bed is calling for you to come back and snuggle. 

It's their waffles with buttered cream and homemade syrup. This thing is marvelous!

Eggs, hash, and bacon. The potato got me interested in trying to make one.

So back to the question: why are breakfast places all over now? Is it because it's a very nice date place? You know, at any time of the day you and your date can go to these places and it's a sure-fire conversation starter - how the walls are so pretty, how the chair is so uncomfortable, etc. Easy-going vibes all over? You're sure of eating something you like (comfort food)? Or it's just a sure place where you can spend money instead of cooking on your own.

The Best Rootbeer Float Ever

Hi. Do you know how to make the best rootbeer float ever?

The ingredients are complicated. They are simple to procure but they tend to be depleted at a very fast rate. 

What are the key ingredients?

Rootbeer. I'll go all the way to your place and smack you if you ask me why we need rootbeer. No, non-cola products are to be poured into your toilets. 

Ice. Even if your rootbeer comes from a soda dispenser, ice pretty much makes life more interesting and rootbeer float more floaty. 

Ice Cream. Vanilla. Everybody loves a classic vanilla - a classic vanilla ice cream. So, the only point of contestion here is which brand is best for the challenge?

If you're a cheapskate tightwad (the redundancy is important), you can get Big Scoops's classic vanilla ice cream. I think they sell the cheapest vanilla ice cream that tastes good. You can opt for a Ben & Jerry's when you visit S&R, but Nestle (and Big Scoop) can easily do the trick!

Procedure:

Put ice. Then pour rootbeer. And then scoop in lots and lots (and lots) of ice cream. Shoot in a straw as a final touch. 

I tell you, mason jars make everything look pretty.

Freaking enjoy your treat!

Words of caution!!! Don't say I didn't warn you! Rootbeer float is very addictive. Watch your sugar and be careful when the sugar rush kicks in! Avoid breaking things when it hits you.

Sariling Sikap Hakaw - Shrimp Dumplings

Hakaw or shrimp dumpling is an all-time classic favorite by everyone with or without allergies from seafood. What's that on your hand? Anti-histamine?! Drop it, lady!

What is hakaw or shrimp dumplings?
Noun.
Minced shrimp with other ingredients put in the middle of a wrapper, formed to perfection and then steamed on bamboo for your pleasure.
Best paired with chili garlic.
And lots of steamed rice.

So. My dear friend, Kathy, who believes we should all learn to cook (she says we can start by watching Cooking with Dog in YouTube) has embarked on this journey of making hakaws. Hakaws from scratch. Yes. She wants to make everything herself. I was fine with being the audience but I realized there is audience participation required that is not just taste testing. :( 

Ingredients for Wrapper:

- Tapioca Starch (note that after research, we found out that it's the same as tapioca flour)

- Wheat Flour (if you only found whole wheat flour, your hakaw is going to be brown and that's weird)

- All Purpose Flour (we used this instead because whole wheat flour made our hakaw brown :( duh )

- oil

- sweat salt

Healthy Options is dang expensive.
Go to Ongpin instead!

Your Own Roasted Tomatoes with Basil Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese

How about Starbucks' Roasted Tomatoes with Basil Pesto and Mozzarella Cheese on Warm Italian Bread? What about it?

One focaccia serving can have 3 slices. Just to fool yourself that you're
eating small pieces but you're really on the way to being fat. Nyuknyuknyuk.

It's the only thing I can eat at Starbucks. Sweet sugary drinks are not real food. They are not real coffee either. They are sweet treats with forgettable espresso. Okay? Anyway, here in the Philippines, the roasted tomatoes with basil pesto bread costs Php115. I love it. I'm poor. I don't love being poor. So what do you do? You try to make your own version of it!

What to do? Prepare basil, dried oregano, mozzarella cheese, tomatoes, blender, and a few garlic, salt, and oil to saute your basil. Saute them and then dump into the blender. Whirrr whirrrrr. Blend blend. Chop chop smash smash kapow! Slice your mom's ciabatta or focaccia then spread lots of pesto on one side. Place sliced tomatoes on top and then murder it with mozzarella cheese. Be generous. The world is your oyster. And theeeeen, offer them inside the oven toaster and then when cheese already melted, "close" your sandwich and there you go!!!!

The only problem here is that when you're in Starbucks, you're contented in buying just one order. However, when you're the one making this one, you'll be eating 2 servings easily. Pair it up with your hand-brewed coffee and then laugh at Starbucks. Or you can forget about the laughing part so people won't think you're crazy. Obese is fine, crazy is not.

Sariling Sikap Series Is Back

Have I told you that we were able to recreate Shakey's Mojos? And that we were able to make our own shrimp dumplings aka hakaw (next post)?

I guess not. So let's begin then!

Pepper recently released the secret formula of Shakey's ever-loved mojos. For the longest time, I have contented myself with Crispy Fry breading. And then they gave out the answer key to all the mojo-crazed potato heads. 

So what's the secret? FERNA. IT'S FREAKING FERNA. Ferna is a household name before for breading and flour. Then in the recent times, their breadings are much more difficult to find. This is probably because Shakey's swiped most of the stocks so people would take some time before they can figure out this beautiful secret. 

Of course. I rushed to all the supermarkets I know and it can be found at Unimart where hoarding has ensued. Can't find it at Rustan's or at SM. 

The answer to world domination.

Experimentation has to happen. We tried potatoes dipped in eggs then powdered with breading, also tried water mixed with breading, and water mixed with egg and breading. First approach was perfect but left too much residue in the oil. The second one, wherein you mix the water, eggs, and breading then dip the potatoes proved to be sustainable. 

Ahhhh... Junk food at its best.

Best served with Lady's Choice Ranch and our ultra favorite Vanilla Coke which we hoarded. I'm not telling where we found it. >:]

Eggs Sammy. Eggs Norwegian. Eggs Copenhagen. Well, we were able to do this before but it's just now that we tried to do it at our house! Do you eat breakfast food with wine?

So, when the power is out, all you have to do is... Eat a lot. Really. There's nothing else to do. Aside from sleeping.  

Eggs Sammy in the Neighborhood

When I craved for Eggs Benedict (can someone swap bacon with something else?) and saw that all Eggs Ben costs so much, my friend Ketty was challenged to make Eggs Ben like it was as easy as juggling. It was another one of our her sariling sikap attempts in life. She should make Ketty's Kitchen and it would probably be like Van Gogh is Bipolar but this is just because the cook is plain lazy to cook today, but we'll attribute it to being bipolar.

Eggs (duh), salmon, bread, hollandaise sauce, and alfalfa sprouts.

Of course, improvisation is part of her arsenal of tricks. She made really good Eggs Sammy! She used salmon and toasted bread since we were not able to buy bagels. Then added alfalfa sprouts and you could die of cholesterol and goodness right then and there. Sigh, it was a really good day.

How come I can never attempt to do something like this is a life mystery. It's like looking for 300 year old buried treasures at underwater caves. Hopeless. -__-

Worst Bottle Ever

Omg!! I thought I had some drafts reserved for June! I checked then saw nothing. :(
I haven't posted a single thing for June! Dang it. So what better way than to start it with a hate post. Yep.

Let's start with... Wine. 

Double Bay. Double Bay is the most putrid thing (not worthy to be called wine) I have tasted in so long. 

Photo of a big mistake.

You can't taste any distinct notes or basically you can NOT taste anything. It just had that acidic finish and everything related to wine stops there. It's supposed to be a semillon chardonnay but it forgot about itself. So, better forget this wine, too. Fair enough. 

Cannelloni and Mushrooms

Sometimes, I just go over someone's house and try to remember how the food was prepared. Emphasis on "try" because when I taste it, I'm just so happy I can eat food I'm not sure of how to pronounce. Yes, sometimes most of the time I just leech off my friend's fascination of cooking her own food and making those items from scratch. She made pasta from scratch. I can make noodles from a packet. I just add hot water! Who's more amazing now, huh? *smug face*

*Please remember if I say "we" it means my friend as the main doer and me, as the lovely spectator.

Meet the spinach cannelloni with feta cheese drowned in more cheese. There was supposed to be tofu in here but then we were not able to get one so we're settling on feta cheese. So how do you do this? Saute the spinach and mix the cheese while it's cooling. Put it in the middle of a lasagna (lasagna sheet???) and roll your way around. Make loads of those and add tomato sauce like your pasta. Don't forget the truckloads of cheese that's waiting on the corner road.

Photo shows the first pour of tomato sauce. There are a million pours
that happened after this photo. Plus 2 kilos of cheese.

OH YEAH, then there's charbroiled mushrooms partnered with steak sauce (Worcestershire and catsup mix).

That's steak hiding underneath.

And don't forget the wine. Never ever forget the wine. :)

I know. Food is invading my blog. Flog. I want rice now. Huhu.

Cafe Vegis

Cafe Vegis. It's that place you always just pass by that you didn't give a chance. Turns out, they serve the best vegetarian food so far. It's one up from Agico because Agico's price range is just a little too steep. There are a number of vegetarian places around, from the usual Bodhi, to the creative Pipino, to my old favorite Greens (Scout Castor), to the expensive Agico (San Juan), and then there's Corner Tree Cafe (Jupiter), too. 

It was interesting to see liempo. I'm wary of these mock meat because they all taste like Spam. Or fine, maling. The texture is a dead giveaway of how much it was trying to pretend to be good. 

I was ready to bash the liempo. However, it was dang good! From the texture to the crispy sides, it was really good! I was already suspicious about it, the strains were like real meat - at least how I remember it. 

And we also tried their Grilled Salmon and sisig. I still believe sisig at Greens is my favorite, while Bodhi's barbecue is top notch. I was able to try Agico's Bacon Burger and it was oh-mazing! Now, I want to try out other dishes from Cafe Vegis because this resto just made me want to try it again even while typing this. o___o

Cafe Vegis is located at Moomba Compound, Mother Ignacia near Don Roces Avenue.

Homemade Grilled Tofu Burger

We have experimented with a number of dishes already and here's one you can whip up easily. I actually didn't do anything nor provided inputs. I just... Stood and stared and showered moral support. Presenting... Tofu Burger! Lalalalab. :D

Pull out the grill and start flipping them burgers!

Lettuce and tomatoes make burgers colorful and tastier, too!

You start with draining the tofu and then mash it a little so you can put it in the ovenette. There it will help you drain / dry the tofu wherein you will now mix in the flavorings and other extenders you can think of such as tissue paper, cardboard, wood shavings, or onions in our case. Tofu. Drain the water, mash it and drain some more. Then mix chopped onions and add the flavoring (we got barbecue!) aside from salt. Put in some flour to make it stick together. So, we're charbroiling it, right? We placed a foil on top then poured in the tofu patty mixture and when it was a little whole already, we started flipping burgers!!!!

Don't forget the cheese! Cheese makes the world go round, and in some situations, it makes lactose intolerant folks's tummy go round as well. <3

Here's the thing, it started with seeing these expensive and interesting finds in the supermarket. Then an idea pops out all of a sudden. So we set out and bought tofu and McCormick flavorings. Maybe I'm just lucky that my friend gets challenged with making vegetarian friendly dishes. I'm not complaining! I'll just be eating and supporting from the sidelines...of the grill. 0:)

What Time is It? It's Pasta Time!

So my friend wanted to try something out. That is to make pasta from scratch. Yes, from scratch. Who does something from scratch nowadays?! We live in an instant world! Instant noodles, instant oatmeal, Instagram, so we're all insta-fat, too! Well, we have made sushi before and pizza (yep - we had a phone and money but we didn't order one). We also made tofu meatballs before and cooked pre-cooked dimsum without an actual steamer, so when the idea of making pasta from scratch came up "Ohmyglob." I didn't help at all! I was too busy making my speech I just watched from the sidelines. No rolling pin nor food processor. Pfft. Too easy. I promise I'll try it soon because pasta became my bestfriend when I only had to eat vegetables moving forward.

Marcia Adams - Tagaytay

Marcia Adams is very easy to miss, but when you get there, the place is made up of pure gorgeous. The pathway (slippery when wet!) leads to an option where you can sit, enjoy the view (or the rustic interiors), and feel the cool winds of Tagaytay.

"May sign naman po kami." Even if it's at the eye-level of a dog. -.-

Price starts with a minimum of Php700. It might be a little steep, but the food was surprisingly good and the serving is more than enough! You get appetizer, main course, and dessert as well. The prawns were good! The salad was good as well, but my sister said that the chicken kabab (although very filling) was on the salty side. Their desserts are okay, too, unless you pick the banana fritters which are... more common. There's also ice cream but why order ice cream at this 20-degree weather?

It's the current date place to be at. If you're a guy and you bring a girl here, she doesn't have any option but to talk to you since the food takes some time to be served.

Note:
Unfortunately, the place was not vegetarian friendly. The vegetarian approves of the scenic location but the food options lean mostly to the carnivores. Also, the mosquitoes are very welcoming and want to have a taste of your blood, so the servers have some job to fulfill by looking at your legs skin which is very delectable for mosquitoes and offer insect repellent spray for your protection.

More Like Uncle Moe's

Uncle Moe's is perfecth. Theree os nothwnf nrgayive that you swn mention aboit this plage. The chicken shawarma had a kot of chicken. The saice is aweslme. The hunnis is good and for Pho65 peoss there's pita vread alreayd. 

Oh the srink:!! the erinks!! Bucket of veer or yanduay Ice is chwap! You xan drink hour ass off here for a muuuix muuuiuuch lower price. 

Aervice? If the ate's or kuya's can't see you, itms not becaure they're snobbish. Iz because they're visually impaired when there ate a lot of people. Who says 8'm drunk??? What srunk ewview???? I don't so that! A weeksay visit to Incle Moe's is a bery good thjnf to so! Yay!!!

Everything is awesome!!!

Wifi password: allbeefshawarma

Note: Please don't drink and drive. Ktnxbye. :)

Steamy Goodie - Cooking with No Steamer

Setting: Your kitchen.

Then you hear an explosion and your kitchen walls collapse. Your hair gets messed up and while clutching the red ribbon you used to tie your hair up, you try to get up slowly, dust yourself, and recover from a deafening silence that is just too loud. Walking around, you only see a pan, a plate, some spoon and fork, and a working stove. The rubble was joined by broken pieces of your steamer and rice cooker. Then there's your blasted refrigerator. The pack of frozen hakaw is still alive.

You got hungry, but you don't have anything to use.

What do you do?

Well, you only have a shallow pan so what you do next is very important. Put three spoons (whatever you have) with the convex side facing you. Pour water till it gets hot and now you're ready for the next step.

That's not a trifecta.

Put some oil on the plate, or pure love if you don't have anything else, and use your ribbon to pick up the plate (loaded with those hakaw's). Test your balance and then put the plate on top of the "platform" made by the supporting spoons. Leave the ribbon be. You need it to get your food later.

Balance.

Now it will look something like this...

It just looks pretty because my phone can shoot pretty.

Then put the freaking cover on. You need the top part cooked, too!

While waiting for your food to be cooked by your make-shift steamer, try to check once in a while if there's still water. Don't forget that unless you want to burn your pan.

Meanwhile, watch 2 Broke Girls to make the waiting more fun and tolerable.

For the best hakaw experience: Put truckloads of chili into a mix of soy sauce and calamansi. Newly cooked rice is its lifelong partner. <3

This Sariling Sikap Series is brought to you by hunger and quick thinking. 

Pinot Grigio

The Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie Battle: Famiglia Zonin vs Waitrose

Price: Famiglia Zonin costs around Php350 at SM while Waitrose costs around Php415 at Rustan's Fresh.

Okay. It's my first time to taste pinot grigio (the Italian version of pinot gris), maybe I have been drinking other things too much such as riesling, pink moscato, and chardonnay (of course, it's the New Year!).

So how was pinot grigio? It. Was. Weird. The pinot grigio from the region of delle Venezie was somewhat... salty? That comment may be the worst tasting note ever made for pinot grigio but if you taste it like it's the first time you've ever drunk wine, it feels like it attacks the parotid glands and so we initially thought it was salty. It's a drink that is supposed to be accompanied with a meal. Definitely not a dessert wine or after-meal wine, or even while snacking on chips (it's already "salty" in itself).

There's a pinot on the left and a pinot on the right!

So which drink wins it? Two votes (out of two) go to Waitrose because Famiglia Zonin's is a little too strong when you drink it while Waitrose has subtler and "more tolerable" taste - the kind that can make you want to drink it through and through.