Good Burgers.
Greenhills branch. One Kennedy Place, Annapolis cor Ortigas.
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"
Where to get ice cream before it melts
By Margaux Salcedo
Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 17:20:00 05/04/2009
CAN you believe how hot it is? Now I understand why tips on what to do to avoid heatstroke (put ice under your kili-kili, among other tips) made the evening news.
With global warming becoming global heating, we might as well die—or avoid dying—while enjoying that universally loved, historically popular treat: ice cream. And it might as well happen in a hip joint called the Ice Cream Bar.
Located in the posh area of Rockwell (Joya building, outside the mall), the “bar” has equally cool interiors. Hot orange tiles line the ice cream “bar” or stand, as it is, while red stools are what you sit on. You can lazily make your selection from a menu handed by a waiter or you can go to the counter and select which scoop to seize by the color that catches your desire. Mirrors hang on the wall with scribbles of the different unique flavors of Fruits in Ice Cream, the brand that Ice Cream Bar carries. And if your eyes happen to wander, you might even catch their quote for the day: “Wake up happy, laugh out loud, hum a tune, whisper a prayer, and savor a memory. Life is like a scoop of ice cream. Enjoy it before it melts.” Cheesy, but cute enough.
On a hurried Monday, I discovered that they not only serve ice cream but real meals as well. Mostly pastas and sandwiches (don’t expect rice and adobo) but they are pretty good! I have tried their tomato basil pesto, which is basic for sure, but it does not lack in taste. I especially cherish their chili franks, which does not scrimp on the beans and overflows with cheese. It gave me memories of carnival rides and American amusement parks. Then, for those who care to disillusion themselves with healthy orders, they have a chunky chicken sandwich that tastes like a chunky chicken salad placed in a hamburger bun. The chicken is massively chunky and creamy.
Of course, on any other day the order must be ice cream. I have always enjoyed FIC because it is creamy yet light, not nakakaumay (you don’t easily tire of it). The ice cream selections here are just so. But since you are already at the Bar, you might as well go for a layered baby. The banana caramel crunch is deliriously sweet. It’s vanilla and butterscotch ice cream, but what makes it stand out is the caramel butterscotch syrup, which is in a league of its own. The Grasshopper Mint Chip is the perfect summer ice cream. It’s the classic Double Dutch, along with scoops of Chocomint and Pistachio ice cream. Nothing like mint, chocolate, and pistachio all in one glass! To add even more oomph to the flavors, cashew nuts are mixed in. The great thing about this is that the ice creams stand out; they are not drowned by the chocolate syrup. They know who the star of the show is.
In fact the syrups here must be applauded for their consistency. Not only the chocolate syrup for the Grasshopper but also the strawberry syrup for the yogurt. It is thick. I guess that is why for the classic yogurt, for which you can choose your add-ons, the strawberry syrup (if that is your choice) is given measuredly (not overflowing).
If you are not one to binge, don’t worry, FIC offers 20 flavors of scoopables to choose from. From vanilla, cappuccino, and rocky road classics to Filipino flavors ube, mango, and macapuno to more unique FIC creations such as raspberry rapture, cranberry, and black sesame. Or for those still hoping to two-piece it this summer, there are “lite” flavors too: from our favorite Mixed Berries to newbie Apple Pie.
Am I an FIC fan? Absolutely. It’s priced by reality (not like the P200/scoop imported brands) yet good enough to escape reality. So this summer, I think I will heed their quote board’s advice and enjoy life and ice cream before it melts. Give or take a pack of ice under my kili-kili!
The Ice Cream Bar. Joya Tower, Rockwell Center. theicecreambar@yahoo.com. Tel. 403-0891.
Beware of pizza here. Not good. It's the cheese. Too light. And the tomato sauce. Too sweet.
PS .My dry martini was yellow. Word.
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"
Of course these observations are all from memory because unfortunately Goldee and I are on the GM diet and could only eat beef and vegetables today.
More about the GM diet later ...
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"
Today 5th day GM diet only meat and tomatoes can't wait til its over
"Sent via BlackBerry from Smart"
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MANILA, Philippines -- What is life? Is it supposed to be laden with profundity that we need a Bible to guide us through it? Or is it the simple act of getting by from day to day, with our intellect complicating it all? Do we really need to eat the Bread of Life or do we need to... just eat? Is there a recipe for heaven or is there no secret to it at all? Pardon the discourse—it’s Easter morning as I write. So let me take my halo (?!) off and write about its edible homograph, the halo-halo, in the spirit of the summer season. Halo-halo is, for the benefit of foreigners, “a snack of mixed sweetened fruits and beans topped by shaved or crushed ice, and ice cream or milk” (Doreen Fernandez, Tikim, c. 1994). Others define it as “the best version of shaved ice dessert in the world” (Margaux Salcedo, no book to her name, b. 1976). Shaved ice is a popular dessert in most Asian countries. Japan has something called Kakigori or shaved ice with flavored syrup. Koreans have Bingsu, which is shaved ice topped with sweetened red beans, fruits and soybean powder. Bangkok boasts of Thai Shaved Ice, whose ingredients include black sticky rice, chestnuts,sweetened taro and red beans. We have the Halo-Halo. Admittedly not a halo-halo aficionado, my first stop for research was the most obvious to the eye: Chow King. Made ever so attractive by their media campaign, the real thing, I was happy to find, does not disappoint. The multitude of ingredients promised by the billboard is delivered. It has sweet banana, garbanzos (chickpeas), yellow and red beans, ube (purple yam), macapuno, pinipig (rice crisps), langka (jackfruit) nata de coco (coconut gel), sago (tapioca), kaong, red jelly, leche flan (custard), kundol, bean paste and kamote (sweet potato). Whew! And you know what, you do get to taste them all, spoonful after spoonful, even if you’re eating out of plastic. Amazing fastfood! Then I went to the opposite extreme of the mass-based version: the halo-halo of The Peninsula Manila. They call it the Halo Halo Harana. Serenading you from a gigantic bowl, this halo-halo was described by Time Magazine in 2006 as the Best Legal High in Asia. Here is how they justified it: “This psychedelic eyeball-popper comprises egg-yolk custard, chickpeas, sweetened kidney beans, colored gelatin, red, green and white sugar palm, nata de coco, purple-yam preserve, sago in syrup, jackfruit, macapuno (a rare variety of creamy coconut), purple yam ice cream, toasted rice crisps, about an inch of evaporated milk and—with emphatic excess—sugar. Its arrival, in a dramatically oversized balloon glass, heralds the start of a gustatory event that you’ll be recalling for days.” This “best legal high” costs over 400 big ones, so anyone who actually pays for this is probably actually high. (Chow King’s cost only P54 for a small glass without ice cream, P70 for a small glass with ice cream; and P114 at most for a fiesta glass with two scoops of ice cream.) In fact, save for the size (it is really ginormous) and the Pen lobby ambience (still the best), there isn’t much to be too high about. The ube is not even halaya, and you can tell; the leche flan has an unattractive sweetness to it, if that’s even possible; and the ice appears to be crushed, not shaved ... just like the ice of Chow King’s! This made me conclude against my initial prejudice that a halo-halo is a halo-halo is a halo-halo, wherever you order it. Apparently, some are better than others! I realized this when I tasted the halo-halo of Little Quiapo. Little Quiapo was my turning point in halo-halo appreciation. Here, the ice was thinner than the initial two I had tried. The special was also served in a parfait glass instead of in a bowl. I really liked this because, weird or not, there’s a happy giddiness that comes with using that long-stemmed spoon and watching it drill through the ice to dig up the come-what-may that a halo-halo holds at the bottom of the glass. Then, like finding various treasures, at the end of each spoon-drill you are exhilarated by what you find once it’s deposited in your mouth.. First treasure, kaong; second treasure, langka, and so on. Giddy, giddy, giddy. It also dawned on me that the quality of ice is essential to impressive halo-halo (as it is with impressive engagement rings!). When ice is shaved, not crushed, it gently melts on your tongue rather than burning it with its freeze. Then you are able to concentrate on the “mix-mix” flavors instead of being bothered with overcoming the ice rocks. The finalists for best shaved ice, however, are Icebergs and Razon’s. And sorry, Pampanga, but I must award the Best Shaved Ice award to Icebergs. At the onset, at the first dunk of your spoon into their Halo Halo Parfait, you instantly see how fine their ice is. They are not amiss with their “mix” either: The ube and leche flan are compact in flavor; they add corn and peaches, which are not usual ingredients; and top this with cornflakes instead of pinipig. Very enjoyable. Now Razon’s has earned the reputation of having one of the best halo-halo in the country. But one has to argue: Is this really halo-halo? Because Razon’s only has bananas, which they describe as “sun-ripened saging na saba,” macapuno and leche flan. Can you call it halo-halo without them red-beans and kaong? Perhaps they should just call it halo, not halo-halo, if only half of the mix is there. Moral of the story: Some halo-halo are indeed better than others. And as taught in the Bible, the only way to get a piece of heaven, is to do things right. Cleanse your soul and shave your ice! And lastly, even if Danny Mercado is amazing to listen to (he plays at The Pen), you really need not pay much to have a taste of heaven. You can find it in Little Quiapo! The Peninsula Manila, Ayala Avenue corner Makati Avenue, Ayala Center, Makati City, 8872888 Razon’s branches: One Kennedy Place, Club Filipino Avenue, Greenhills, San Juan, 726-8727. Market Market Fiesta Open Air, Taguig City, 899-7841. Unit 2, 46 Banawe corner Maria Clara Streets, Sta. Mesa Heights, Quezon City, 410-0000. SM Mall of Asia, 2/F Entertainment Mall, Icebergs branches: Metrowalk, 687-5920. Robinsons Place Manila Food Court, 536-7997. SM City North Edsa, 1/F Main Bldg. 929-4543. SM Cubao Food Court, 913-8020. SM Mall of Asia, 1/F South Wing, 556-0762. Timog Avenue, 374-3831. Trinoma Mall, 1/F, 901-3988. |
Some people like to moo but others are fine with a baa baa baa!
Recipe for Lamb Osso Buco here.
Happy Easter!
ASIA'S BEST 3
Originally uploaded by margauxlicious.
(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)
Li Li
Shang Palace
Le Souffle at Fernando's
Lolo Dad's Cafe
Museum Cafe
Pepato
Abe
Cafe Via Mare
Chef Laudico Bistro Filipino
La Cocina de Tita Moning
Sentro 1771
Aubergine
Bizu Bistro
Chateau 1771
Prince Albert Rotisserie
Apartment 1B
Heat
The Fireplace
Bellini's
Italliani's
Sugi
Casa Armas Tapas Bar
El Cirkulo
Elbert's Steak Room
Old Swiss Inn
People's Palace
Antonio's Fine Dining
Highland's Steakhouse
Kanin Club
Sonya's Garden
ps. ang pag-pronounce pala ng Miele ay 'mee-luh' - parang Mila's lechon pero mas matigas ng konti - kala ko kasi dati 'meel' (as in 'my last meal') or myel - pero meeluh/meela pala. fyi ;-)
Asia's Best
Originally uploaded by margauxlicious.
The Miele Guide was launched last October 31 at the Grand Hyatt in Singapore. It was a very elegant black tie gala with 350 of Asia's best chefs and restaurateurs in attendance.
Aun Koh, known in our world as chubbyhubby, who created the guide with his wife Tan Su-Lyn (the beloved S), gave a speech to welcome the guests and explain the guide. He was quick to say that the guide may be controversial but as long as people are talking about it, at least we are moving in the direction of making the globe appreciate Asian food and restaurants better.
I was initially seated next to Indonesians but when I spotted Rolando Laudico and wife Jackie I moved tables - I was needing to speak some Filipino again, after a day of speaking in English to other members of the press from other countries (naubos English ko!) haha. It was a wonderful surprise to see so many Filipinos in attendance.
I did not know who the Ate team (comprised of the amazing team of Aun and Su, Pauline, Cheryl, Priscilla, and Chloe) had invited because the "winners" were a "secret" - but it was amazing to see three tables of the Philippines' best. At the table that I moved to were Rolando and Jackie Laudico, Sonya (of Sonya's Garden), Jessie Sincioco, Marivic Diaz-Lim (yay Apartment 1B!), and the wife of Larry Cruz. At another table were Tonyboy Escalante, Vicky Rose Pacheco and Elbert Cuenca. And yet another table, Margarita Fores. I thought Mariela of Kanin Club would be there because I had found out before flying to Singapore that she was going as well but I didn't see her that night, boo hoo.
Of course, being so Pinoy, we had to get a "class picture" taken. So before dessert, because Marivic was flying to the US right after dinner, we all stood up, went to another side of the room and stuffed one guy with all our cameras to take picture after picture of this picture posted here. Turns out the guy is Tonyboy Escalante's brother and a mayor in Negros!
We were so noisy - or maybe I was too conscious - that the emcee had to say, "Will everyone please return to their seats as we are to now continue the program..." Jahe!
As usual, the ever-enthusiastic Pinoys.
Speaking of enthusiastic, the emcee read the Top 25 backwards. When it got to number 11 I think the Filipino chefs were already getting nervous that maybe none of our restaurants made it. The restaurants that were called received polite applause from the audience. But when Antonio's was called - there were cheers (as in "Woohoo!") from the crowd. I think it was also a way to say 'whew!' as much as it was 'woohoo'! I was seated across Mario Miranda of Miele the next day (he's Portugese) and he said, "Wasn't that such a breath of fresh air, when after it was so silent, when Antonio's was called, there were all these cheers?" Natawa na lang ako.
Afterwards, while he was getting congratulations, Tonyboy whispered, "Naku, pressure na naman 'to" But Chef Jessie Sincioco was so gracious and said, "No, he deserves it." And Rolando Laudico added, "As long as he sticks to what he's doing, he'll be ok."
Others who made the list whom I did not see at the gala were Ariel Manuel's Lolo Dads and J Gamboa's Tsukiji and El Cirkulo. The biggest surprise for me was that the list also included Italiannis. It must be the spinach artichoke formaggio!
While dinner was being served, as we browsed through the guide and saw that Iggy's made number one, Chef Laudico called Iggy's and made reservations for the next night. Funny enough, when we got to Iggys, we also saw the Chateau Group and Tonyboy Escalante - guess we all had the same idea!
Anyway, I was just so happy that Singaporeans and other nationalities are now becoming more exposed to the Filipino restaurant scene. If only for that I am grateful to Aun and Su and the Ate team.
Singapore has been very aggressive in making their food one of the highlights of Singapore as a destination. We can do that for the Philippines too - if the guide is right.
I was also very inspired the following day after talking to Mario Miranda - because he actually visits the Philippines every three months and says that the Philippines has very good Spanish food and that the best egg tarts outside of old Portugal that he has tried was in Manila! By some old lady who had a little kiosk in Shang Plaza - but the kiosk has closed - and it's not Lord Stowe's - so now I have to find out who this old lady is - and if she's still alive to try some of those tarts! Any leads, anyone?
Coming from a gathering with a crowd that is just so passionate about food - well, I felt humbled and excited at the same time to explore different cuisines more. These are really exciting times for the food industry and food lovers. And it's just been heaps of fun to be a part of this :-)
*This post is dedicated to franco of tableforthreeplease.blogspot.com :-)
VERDENA
Originally uploaded by margauxlicious.
I am relaxing right now in lovely Tagaytay, bonding with Badiday, a weekday escape from the shitload of politics and culture of crass corruption happening in Manic Manila. We decided to try the Discovery Suites. I swear there's a moomoo in this place. Last night, I dreamt that there was a ghost named Peter who said "Yes, you are in Room 13 on October 13." (And I remember convincing myself that there's no moomoo because it was already October 14 last night.) And then he moved closer and closer to my bed and was about to poke my eyes. Meanwhile I was trying to say "I believe in God" but couldn't say "God" - it just wouldn't come out of my mouth! Then eventually shouted out "Jesus" in place of "God". It must've been one helluva nightmare because Dr. Bad said he actually heard me shout out "I believe in God"while I was asleep ...freeeeeakyyyyy!!!!!
Anyway, after I professed my faith, Peter the Ghost decided to leave me alone. So I had a good night's rest and a better morning's breakfast!
The breakfast menu here's pretty good. Bad had the Verbena Corned Beef, "sauteed piping hot" in this hotpot here.
I had a French Toast "stuffed with nutella and strawberry preserves." Margaux to waiter: "Stuffed?"
Waiter: "Yes ma'am."
Margaux: "Pa'no yon, parang sinandwich?"
Waiter: "May nutela at strawberry ma'am tapos finrench toast."
Ok .......
It was a strawberry and nutella sandwich.
Loved how it was Frenched, though. That sprinkling of sugar and butter, its being so rich, is just heavenly. But this one was so rich, a half sandwich (which, really, if you think about it, is an entire piece of bread) was enough. PS - couldn't taste the nutella too well, too much of the strawberry preserves.
For lunch, I had the Roasted Prawns and Scallops. What impressed me with this was the Carrot Risotto that came with it. It was so creamy. They also drizzle some sweet sherry vinegar on it, which beautifully accents the piece.
Now, at 3:20 p.m., I'm enjoying a cosmopolitan on their veranda while enjoying the afternoon writing away.
Love. Life. (Away from the messy politics of Manila, of course.)
Verbena. Country Suites, Discovery, Tagaytay.
413 4567. 683 8383. www.discoverycountrysuites.com.
IMG_0360
Originally uploaded by margauxlicious.
This is what I feasted on for lunch in Tagbilaran (was there end of September). Nothing like the province for the freshest, juiciest, largest, meatiest seafoods. Paired with fresh buko juice. Pork took a backseat. Heaven.
Dr. Bad treated me to a dose of raclette the other day at Old Swiss Inn.
Hadn't had this in a while and just enjoyed it. Loved it with the pickles and onions that came with it. Unfortunately, half of this I put aside while I enjoyed my thick French Onion soup (Swiss Inn has that unique onion soup where the broth is a little more dense in texture). By the time I got back to it, it was cold and not as sticky-gooey-enjoyable.
I still love the atmosphere of Swiss Inn. It's still a great place for friends to get together for a good fondue (at around a grand for a bowl, for a group of five, the P200 each should make it worth it). You can hear each other talk; the place is spacious enough. The waiters' attentiveness will vary depending on the time of day. But at any time, there's wi-fi, so it's also a good place to hang out alone (except it can get pricey dining there by your lonesome).
Old Swiss Inn. The Olympia, Makati Ave., Makati City. 818 0098
The Chocolate Chip Cookie has been a major part of my life.
In high school, I used to boast that I could finish a whole column of Chips Ahoy in one sitting, while reading a good book. I especially loved it when dipped in milk. I was a Chips Ahoy addict. This was in the early '90s.
Then Mrs. Fields opened its flagship store in Greenbelt 1. But my college allowance couldn't afford the expensive, P40 a piece (or so) cookie. I would then con my sister Goldee to use up her allowance instead (she's always been better than me at budgeting) to purchase that one cookie (semi-sweet is what I liked).
And then Goldee learned to bake.
Goldee is my older sister. I call her Ate. She lived in Canada for 7 months in 2003 and, because she lived away from our maid-dependent culture, learned to whip up meals on her own. When she got back and saw that my mom and I had started Nana Meng Tsokolate, Goldee revealed that she wanted to open a bakery shop. (Really, it's because secretly I'm her IDOL - it's an open secret that she really wants to be me ... Once she even wrote in her diary, "I want to be just like my Ate ...". )
Kidding aside, Goldee has since experimented with pastries in the kitchen - and done a really good job. I've tried her chocolate cheesecake, her carrot cake, chocolate mousse. But of all the complicated cakes she's made (Wednesday morning before Tagaytay pot luck gimmick: "oh my gooood, yung carrot cake, hindi umalsaaaaaa!!!!!" - but it tasted good nonetheless), I think she's still best with cookies.
We've figured out that the secret to her cookies is hand mixing the dough. (Her cookies are chewy soft.) After pastry school she started using a Kitchen Aid and I complained that her cookies didn't taste the same. So she went back to hand mixing - and the good cookies are back! (Don't know the scientific explanation for that one.)
One time, in 2004, we had a really big fight. Then she baked these cookies and I was banned from so much as touching them. Evil!
To me, chocolate chip cookies (especially those by my sister!) ... one of the best inventions in the world!
