chowking - a second serving

in my previous post about chowking i wrote about their spicy wanton noodle soup....i wrote that last tuesday.....yesterday (friday) i went to chowking to have dinner....i ordered spicy wanton noodle soup again......guess what....the girl at the counter told me that that is no longer available....what???.....she said you can just add chili sauce....i said isn't that what you do in the first place?.....i wrote about doing this in that previous blog about chowking....she said they use a diffrent kind chili sauce for their spicy noodles....that i didn't know....anyway, when i tried it i said the girl was correct...they did use a different sauce before....what they used before was better....sigh.....are they going to remove everything i like from their menu?....what am i gonna order next time.....hmmmm........how about their congee.....i'll try that next time.....then i'll let you know....

anyway try observe the difference between the two pictures below....the first one is the original flavor...i already added the chili saue and it still looks pale....i actually made a mistake here....i have already added soy sauce before i took the pic.....the regular flavor with chili added looks paler than this....now the picture at the bottom is the spicy version

fit 'n right.....is it the right drink to keep you fit?

yeah...i know....this blogsite is supposed to be about food...but you need to drink after eating, right?...so allow me to say something about fit 'n right (pineapple)....

fit 'n right is from del monte...like all other del monte products, fit 'n right is good....fit 'n right pineapple juice tastes great...it tastes like real pineapple....well, according the product label, it contains real fruit juice so prabably that's why it tastes like the real thing....however, you could also tell that it has 'other' ingredients like sweeteners and possibly preservatives as well....though i like the taste, i still prefer their canned pineapple juice...it's 'pure-r'.....but the advantage of the fit 'n right variety is that it has l-carnitine that helps burn fat....okay...i copied that from th label....they say this is good for people who are trying to lose weight....but we all know that fo it t become more effective you still need to exercise and have proper diet....

according to the label it has 100 calories per serving and a 330 ml bottle is equivalent to 1 serving....it has 15m g sodium....90mg potassium and 26g carbohydrates (all from sugar)

a bottle can provide you 100% vit c, 20% vitamin b1, 20% b6 and 20% b12....

it contains 300mg l-carnitine per serving....

anyway, these numbers make dizzy....what is important is i like the drink.....hmmm.....maybe i should stop writing now and get a bottle again.....what do you think?......

chicken inasal....chicken inato.....grilled chicken....chicken barbeque....take your pick

grilled chicken....chicken barbeque....chicken inasal....chicken inato....roast chicken....

this way (or should it be these ways) of cooking is very popular now....in fact, there is one restaurant becoming very, very popular lately....this restaurant not only cooks chicken inasal well but they also have unlimited serving of rice....there is also one 'take-out' chicken barbeque stand which is also gaining popularity...it became popular probably because of its good taste....if was further boosted by the endorsement of a filipina theater actress known worldwide....hey...wait...why am i not giving out names here?....why is this a blind item...there is no reason to....so let me name the stores and the actress.....the first one is mang inasal.....the secod one is chooks to go....and the actress is THE lea salonga.....anyway....

though i like both i still can't help but miss some of the originals....are they still around?....so to answer this question i tried to look for the ones i remember from of old....

te first one that i tried to look for was chicken bacolod....the one with the green signage...i used to eat at their store near glorietta (park square?) but it is no longer there....after asking a few friends i was reminded that there is a chicken bacolod resto near shopwise makati....it used to be at the corner where it is easily seen but unfortunately its original location is now occupied by chowking....they have now a small stall at the other end...there location is one you would easily miss....anyway, i went there and ordered pecho and garlic rice....i am happy to say that they were still able to maintain the taste that i used to love....their chicken is soft and juicy...cooked just enough such that it is not 'charred' or with 'fresh' blood inside.....before, the chicken was hard to remove from the stick...fortunately, they have devised a way such that with a few  twists and pulls (using fork, of course) you can already remove the chicken from the stick....the garlic was also good....it has enough garlic for the rice to really taste 'garlicky'...let me explain this...there are other restos that served garlic rice which does not have any garlic taste whatsoever...so i really appreciate it that their rice taste like how garlic rice should....oh, before i forget, let me also discuss the 'dip' or the sawsawan....they have soy sauce, vinegar, chili pepper and calamansi...these are not mixed...you have the freedom to mix them according to your liking....their vinegar is great...it tastes good because it has ginger, garlic and chili pepper....chicken bacolod was able to make a perfect blend...i really love it...the only thing that i do not like with my 'reunion' with the place was that the chicken appeared smaller....oh, and the soy sauce bottle was no covered....

next time ill try the others....like baliwag chicken perhaps.....

chowking - the 24 hour king

i had dinner last night at chowking with some friends...when we take late dinners chowking is our default place to go to....alhtough there are already various fast food chains operating 24 hours a day, we feel that nothing can still beat the original....

last night i had spicy wanton noodle soup and pork chao fan....

their spicy wanton noodle soup is really, really spicy...in fact i would like to suggest that they change its name to super, super spicy wanton noodle soup....i mean it is really, really spicy...ow have i said that already....well, i'll say it again...it is really, really spicy....you would already know it is spicy as soon as you open the cover  of the bowl....the spicy scent (if there is such  a thing) penetrates the nostrils like a strong perfume would....or like how stinking garbage would....oh, erase that.....who wants to imagine decomposing trash while discussing food.....anyway, after a few sips of the soup you wold already perspire as if you've finished a 5-km run or spent an hour on the treadmill....for those who are not fond of spicy food you can have it in 'regular' serving....and for those who prefer the soup with just a tinge of chili you can order the 'regular' and just ask for free chili sauce....this way you can control the level of 'spicy-ness'....you can have wanton noodle soup for only PhP 49....

spicy wanton noodle soup...if you get the regular versin the soup is clear...

the pork chao fan is not a favorite of mine....i prefer chorizo chao fan which was oringinaly part of their 'value kings' or what many fondly calls '49ers'....unfortunately, it is no longer available...they removed it from their menu along with the rest of the '49ers'....but anyway, the pork chao fan is also okay....it is not as flavorful as the chorizo variety but if you add soy sauce or chili sauce on it the taste improves a lot....you can get a big serving of it for only PhP 39....

pork chao fan...a bit pale looking

one of my friends oredered orange chicken....i can say it is good....the slight orange taste makes the chicken more exciting......however it is a bit too sweet for me.....for those who like sweet preparations this is definitely the one for you.....i didn't get the price though.....it is difficult to remember coz you can have it alone or as part of 'combos'......

orange chicken

another friend ordered halo-halo for dessert....to those who do not know what 'halo-halo' is, it is a dessert composed of crushed iced mixed with a vierty of fruits and an assortment of sweet and colorful toppings....milk is added but they usually put just a little....but no worries....you can ask for extra milk for free....aside from the free extra serving of milk, i recommend chowking halo-halo because they are really generous with the toppings....

fun size halo-halo in a bigger bowl

the chowking branch we usually go to is the one along taft cor pedro gil street in manila....the crew there are great....even the store managers are wonderful people.....

before, chowking has this reputation that they serve food late (remember the line 'eh kasi niluluto'.....this is an attempt to explain why they take a long time to prepare orders).....since it became part of jollibee group their service has tremendously improved.....

mcdonald's....8-mcdo....chicken mcnuggets please....

since i wrote a piece about jollibee, i felt like i is but write to write a piece about mcdonal's as well....so here it goes....last saturday we went to caylabne resort in cavite....on our way we decided to drop by a gasoline station along south luzon express way (slex) to have lunch....(side note: i love going to gas stations along the  express way)....we found a parking space in front of mcdonald's so we decided to have our lunch there....i ordered chicken mcnuggets and berry mcflurry...

i always order chicken mcnuggets at mcdonald's so i really don't want to say a lot about it....i mean i've seen it in all its forms....crunchy, soggy, well-done, over-cooked, dry, juicy, etc...etc....etc....it is basically something i know i like so i order it always....my default order.....nothing is also new about the sauce....i always get barbeque sauce....i don't even remember the other option....anyway the sauce is great but it is always not enough....and you cannot get extra for for free....

i sampled their berry mcflurry since froyo is the in thing now...i thought it would taste (and look) something like that one you find at KFC....unfortunately i was mistaken....it didn't look great....it tasted okay though....but if you are not a fun of 'textured' dessert then this is not for you....it has a generous serving of crushed graham.....the berry is 'burried' deep in the cup finding it is close to impossible....oh and did i say that they just added a pinch of it.....

overall, the slex mcdonald's experience was okay....i will probably eat that berry mcflurry again but not anytime soon....it is not something i will crave for, surely.....but the nuggets.....don't ask.....oooopppppppsssss...where's my phoone.....i wanna order chicken mcnuggets now.......................dialing 8-mcdo....cicken mcnuggets please.....and extra barbeque sauce......hmmmm.....don't forget the tissue please......

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jollibee sausage and egg pandesal...yum yum breakfast

jollibee...yes i'm writing about jollibee...don't ask me....i also do not know why....everybody knows that everbody knows jollibee...i do not know of a person who has not, at least once in his or her life, eaten something from jollibee...chicken joy, spaghetti, sundae, chicken barbeque, palabok fiesta, yum (with or without cheese), sausage and egg pandesal....sausage and egg pandesal????????????......yup, that was my reaction when i heard about jollibee's sausage and egg pandesal a couple of months ago....i love pandesal....i love it more with sausage and egg, not to mention coffee....okay.....i love pandesal with sausage, egg and coffee....i was wondering why on will i still go to jollibee just to eat pandesal with sausage and egg when i can make one at home...i was thinking i could eat 5 at home instead of just 1 if i go to jollibee....just to check if there is really any reason why i need to go to jollibee for this easy to make breakfast, i went to a jollibee store one fine sunday morning....i ordered one and was surprised, pleasantly if i may add, at its price...you can get one for only PhP 35....with that amount i could probably only have 3 (small sandwiches) and not 5 at home....add PhP 10 and you can already have that cup of brewed coffee....

the sausage and egg pandesal may look small to some but wait till you eat it....it is filling....mind you, i eat a lot so to say that one small looking sandwich is filling is really something to ponder about....the pandesal really tastes like authentic pandesal...you see i had apprehensions at the beginning...i was thinking that maybe the bread will taste different from the pandesal i buy in the small bakery near our place...good thing i was proven wrong....the sausage is tasty, really...it looks like their burger patty and not the usual hotdog-shaped variety....i think its grilled so it isn't oily....good for those on a strrict diet...whatever that means.....the egg, ah, well, ah...all eggs taste the same....i can't describe it...it's scrambled....that's all i can say....i didn't ask if you can have it cooked another way like sunny side up perhaps...i'll try to ask that next time....

overall, for pHp 45, sausage and egg pandesal is highly recommended....every time i get the chance to eat breakfast at jollibee that is what i order....yum, yum....

kfc barbeque rods - a new way of eating fried chicken

the barbeque rods is one of kentucky fried chicken's newest product...it is actually a welcome addition...it presents you with an alternative way of eating fried chicken....it is essentially just fried chicken except that the nuggets or chicken fillets are presented on barbeque sticks....the kfc bbq rods are great in the sense that the fillets are crispy on the outside and yet tender on the inside....they are coated by some kind of breading that does not have the usual 'flour-ry' taste to it....the sauce is also great...sweet, sour, spicy...right blend...

i can say that i like the kfc bbq rods....in fact in my last five visits, that is what i ordered....i higly recommend it to parents whose children eat nothing but fried chicken....welll, as i said it is still fried chicken but with a certain twist...giving them something 'new' may open their eyes into trying other stuff...

the only problem i see with the bbq rods is the price...for PhP 75 you get a cup of java rice and two bbq rods...one rod has 3 or 4 fillets...the fillets aren't big...i think PhP 75 is too much for two bbq rods....if you are really hungry or just a natural big-eater, two rods is definitely not going to be enough...you would need three and that would cost you PhP 95

Vicentico's Grill and Restaurant

I was in Cabanatuan last weekend for an evaluation activity. Just like in my previous visits, my friends and I had dinner at Vicentico's Grill and Restaurant. I keep on coming back to that restaurant primarily because of the ambiance. I also like the food (which i'll talk about later) but its really the overall appeal of the place that draws me to the place. You can have 'al fesco dining' at Vicentico's. The place is cool so you'll really be comfortable. Unfortunately, I found out that they renovated the place. The area for al fresco dining looks smaller now. I do not know if the space really got smaller but that's what i felt last Saturday night. You see, they added a 'function room' that looks like an old Spanish house. It was supposed to be nice because Spanish houses usually have large windows to allow fresh air to get in but in this function room, what seems to be open windows aren't really open. They are covered with glass. Why? Because the room is 'aircon', as we Filipinos fondly call rooms with 'airconditioning' systems. The place still looks nice but it has somehow lost some of the things that made it really charming in the past. But at the end of the day, all i ca say is i still like the place...

Now on to the food. Here are my favorites.

Gising gising

Gising gising is like chopseuy that is made hot and spicy. The sauce of their gising gising is thick. It is good to be mixed with steamed rice. The gising gising also has lots of squid slices.

Adobong Pusit

Their adobong pusit is great. It is not very 'black' like how you would expect in a regular homemade adobong pusit but it still has that rich taste. It is not really spicy so there's no problem even if you order it with gising gising. The only thing that I do not like with their adobong pusit is that the serving is not so big. I believe if food is as good as this, serving should be big.

Seafood Kare kare

Their seafood kare kare is also 'to die for'. It has lots of shrimps, squid slices and crabs. It is not like the usual seafood kare kare you will commonly find in 'food courts' in Manila where only a few pieces of these seafood s can be found. Sometimes, they even substitute 'squid balls' for squid.

We also ordered crispy pata but i didn't get to take pictures. One serving of crispy pata can already serve about 6 to 7 people (with everybody satisfied). The skin is cripy. Really. Uhmm...Yum yum...I was so excited with it I totally forgot about taking snapshots.

They serve halo-halo, fruit juices and 'bottomless' iced tea.

Overall, the experience was fun. Even if the place lost some of its appeal (at least for me), it is still worth visiting.

Oh, before I forget, the place has wifi connection.....no password needed.

paotsin

dinner in style.....

i had dinner last night at the food court of sm manila....i was there with friends to watch eclipse....my friends was craving for fried siomai with chili sauce....we went to the food court but there's no stall selling fried siomai so we headed to the long stretch of stalls in front of the supermarket cashiers....

we headed to stall called paotsin....

i love their food....looking at the long line in front of paotsin i can safely conclude many others like paotsin too....paotsin was right next to another dimsum store which has only about 2 or 3 people waiting in line...go figure...

anyway i ordered shark's fin with hainanese rice...plus an extra order of friend pork wanton....shark's fin is my all time favorite....whenever im in sm i make it a point to drop by paotsin to eat shark's fin...that's whether im hungry or not....the hainanese rice is green....kinda weird at first glance....but it tastes good.....another 'interesting' thing about paotsin is the color of their container...they use purple styro....and purple 'spork or sfork' (spoon/fork)...don't worry, they use white tissue....

the chili sauce is usuall okay but last night i sort of felt that it was not as 'hot' as i want it to be....this was the first time i had shark's fin for takeout.....i should have asked for extra chili before we left the store...

i didn't get pictures...actually, i was so hungry i forgot about taking pictures....next time....

red mango - a hit froyo in town

do you like yogurt?
i didn't grow up liking yogurt...... it was not really popular in our home town when i was growing up.... it is probably not even popular now...anyway, two sundays ago, my friends and i went to red mango at the mall of asia.... when we arrived there, i knew at once that i am going to enjoy the trip....the place has a lively ambiance.....once you enter you'll see right away their tag line "treat yourself well".... interesting....

they have two flavors of yogurt to choose from....one is what they call original and the other is green tea...

original flavor

green tea flavor

then you'll choose the size you want...they have , well, small, medium and large...

i got green tea, medium

then you can choose from their wide array of toppings....

they have crushed grahams...banana nut crunch, crushed chocolate, fruity pebbles....

they also have melon, pomelo, grapes, pineapple, orange, banana, cheesecake, sliced almonds, kiwi, dezato mochi balls, plus a lot more....

you can have one topping, two toppings or three toppings...or probably even more...i had three...i had kiwi, sliced almonds and dezato mochi balls....

the yogurt, as expected is a bit sour...the green tea is more sour than the original flavor...

i think i chose the right toppings....the kiwi is sour...it blended well with the yogurt....the sliced almonds provided the texture....and the dezato mochi balls (some kind of japanese rice cake) was a good neutralizer...

but red mango is not just about yogurt...they also have waffles...there's blueberries n' cream and banana almond...

blueberries n' cream

the price is rather reasonable...you can get a medium sized green tea yogurt for only 120 pesos...the small size is 85 pesos and the large size is 155...for sharing with your loved ones you can get the family size for only 225 pesos...the original flavor is five pesos cheaper...

for the toppings

1 - 20 pesos

2 - 30 pesos

4 - 40 pesos

my friends enjoying their yogurt and waffles

at the  back of these girls, there are bean bags where you can relax with your friends...it's a pity a group of youngsters were already there when we arrived...next time....

i recommend that you try this place...again, ambiance is good, people aren't the noisy (at least when we were there) and of course the food is........well........great....the only thing missing is wifi....you can pickup the malls wifi services but the signal is not that good...

i can't wait to go back there...im gonna try original with mango, crushed graham and kiwi....