Recipe for Dry Flat Noodles in Squid Ink Soup

I have always been fascinated with pasta in squid ink or black ink sauce. Whenever a restaurant has this on their menu, I make it a point to try it. Most of the time I'm satisfied with this pasta variety.

One weekend, while thinking of something new to serve for lunch, I thought of making something using black ink or squid ink. I was tempted to experiment and try pasta in squid ink but I felt that it won't be original because there are quite a number of restaurants serving that already. That's when I decided to try to make a Ramen like dish using squid ink.

My experiment turned out okay so I'm sharing with you my very own recipe of Dry Flat Noodles in Squid Ink Soup

Ingredients:
 500 g        small squid
 150 g        dry flat noodles
 250 g        lettuce
                  garlic
                  onion
                  spring onions
                  salt and pepper

Procedure:
1. Saute crushed garlic and minced onion.
2. Add squid. Leave it in the pan for 2 - 3 minutes to allow it to release the  black ink.
3. When the black ink is boiling and the squid has shrunk, add two to three cups water. Let it boil for a few minutes.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste. Go easy on the salt coz squid can be a little bit salty on its own.
5. Add the noodles. When the noodles is almost cooked, add the lettuce. Let it boil for under a minute.
6. Serve the noodles topped with spring onions and roasted garlic.

Note: You can also use big squid. However, you may want to remove the squid when you do step 3. Set the squid aside and cut to form rings. Just the squid rings back again when you reach step 6.

Koreans -- Where do they buy their pasalubong (Take-home treats)?

That there are many Koreans in the Philippines is already given. We all know that. Perhaps they outnumber all the other nationalities in the country. Maybe their number is even greater than the number of other tourists combined. Some of them come here to see the beautiful places like Vigan in the North and Boracay in the South. Others stay here to study in good Universities like the University of the Philippines and La Salle. Others just come here to study English believing that Filipinos are good teachers of that language. Still others come here to do business. But I've also learned that some Koreans actually come here with intentions of staying for good. Some of them intend to make the Philippines as their retirement place. Nice thought, right?

We Filipinos like to bring pasalubong or take-home presents to our family and friends whenever we come home from trips. Do Koreans do the same? In my observation, some of them are like us. Some of them also bring pasalubong. I saw some Koreans buying bags of Chicacorn when I was in Vigan. By the volume of what they were buying, I assumed they were for pasalubong. I also saw Koreans buying key chains in Boracay. In Laguna, I saw some buying buko pie although I doubt if they are going to bring those pies home to Korea. Perhaps they'll just give it as pasalubong to friends who were left in Manila and were not able to join them.

But do Koreans who do not go out of Manila buy pasalubong as well? They do as I saw in SM Mall of Asia. I saw Koreans buying volumes of pasalubong in a stall near the skating rink called Michelle's Putong Ube.

Michelle's Homemade Putong Ube

There was a long line of Koreans buying bags of goodies that I assume are delicacies not available in Korea (duh? haha). The delicacies they sell in Michelle's are good -- export quality I should say. We won't be shamed if tourists like these Koreans present them as pasalubong to their family and friends. However, for many of us locals, their delicacies are a bit pricey. But judging from the long line I saw, these Korean tourists probably didn't mind.

Long line of Koreans buying pasalubong

Take that Stress Out with a Spa Visit and Buffet Meal

Working 8 hours a day, 5 times a week can really be draining and stressful. You give your all to your work thus your energy is zapped come Friday. So the best response to this is to relax. And two of the best ways to relax is to go to a spa for that much needed pampering or to have a really good meal in an eat-all-you-can restaurant.

There are a lot of spas you can visit. Some of them would cost a fortune (which could make you even more stressed) but there are also others that are affordable. There are also lots of eat-all-you-can (buffet)  restaurants around. Some are expensive while others are cheap.

If you can't decide whether to go a spa or to a buffet restaurant, don't worry. There is a spa in town that also offers buffet meals. This spa is none other than Wensha. It has a branch in Timog (near Quezon Ave) and Pasay (across the World Trade Center).

Wensha's body massage costs P 780. That price includes use of the jacuzzi, steam room, sauna and showers. And yes, that also includes the buffet meal (more on this later). You can even sleep in the massage room after your massage. You can stay inside the spa for a maximum of 8 hours.

The buffet usually consists of siomai, siopao, a fish meal (fish fillet in lemon sauce, with tausi or hot and spicy), a pork meal, vegetables, chicken (fried or afritada), noodles, soup and rice.

I've noticed that the chefs in Wensha like the lemon sauce a lot. They usually have something in lemon sauce on their buffet table -- fish fillet in lemon sauce, pork in lemon sauce and chicken in lemon sauce. I think lemon sauce is best for fish. Of the three, its the one that I liked.

Their siomai is okay but I think it's similar to the ones you could buy from those canteen or mall carts. Their siomai is far from what you can have in good Chinese restaurants. I have not tried their siopao yet.

I like their noodles (pancit). Instead of pork, they usually put beef. The first time I saw their noodles I didn't try it because it looked dry. But it's good the lady ahead of me actually "showed" me it's not. She got from the bottom of chafing dish. That's where the sauce (and oil) is.

Aside from these ready to eat dishes, they also have shabu-shabu. They have a long line of ingredients for this do-it-yourself meal. I had tried this only once but that was already too long ago I can't remember anymore how it really tasted. What I do remember is that I didn't like what I cooked until I made the soup spicy. At first I thought what I cooked was bland. Most of the ingredients you can put in look good but don't be tempted to get a lot because you'll be  asked to pay P 300 for leftovers. The reason why I do not eat their shabu-shabu anymore is because I usually go alone. I'm too conscious I might cook more than what I could eat so I  just forget about the whole thing altogether. You see it's weird to cook just a little shabu-shabu. I don't know exactly why but it feels awkward cooking soup just for yourself. Anyway, if you go with friends, shabu-shabu is good especially if you want to stay long in the dining area to chat.

They serve bottomless (unlimited) drinks -- orange juice and red iced tea. I was told that they also now have soft ice cream.

This is a spa to begin with so may I say a few words about their spa services?

When you enter the spa you would need to register or pay at the reception counter. After paying, you will receive your electronic locker key and then you'll be asked to go one side where you'll deposit your shoes and get your prescribed rubber slippers. When you enter the locker area, the attendants will give you your robe and two towels. Before, they just give you robe and a towel. That's because back then you can use several towels per visit. But probably because of laundry expenses they've cut down towel use to two per customer per visit. Actually there's a sign saying that even before but I guess nobody minded it so they had to think of a way to really implement it.

You can choose to stay in the wet area first before getting your massage. The wet area is clean. Probably it's because you can't wear your slippers (yes, the one they gave) inside the wet area. You have to go in barefoot. The jacuzzi is big and inviting but if you're a little shy or conservative, you'd probably think twice before taking a dip because the jacuzzi has the big video wall as its backdrop.

I've never been a fan of their steam room because it is way too hot for me. It could get suffocating inside, actually. I like the sauna more.

The massage is most of the time good. Probably 80% of time, I've been satisfied. I've had a masseur or two who are not good  but it general, their masseurs are fine.

So, are you tired and stressed? If you want to relax this weekend after working so hard, I say try Wensha.

Maple - A New Fancy Restaurant to Try in Mandaluyong

A good friend of mine celebrated her birthday recently. We didn't get the chance to really celebrate on that day so we decided to meet up a few weeks after instead. She invited us to dinner in a relatively new restaurant at the relatively new wing of Shangri-la Mall along EDSA, Mandaluyong. The restaurant is called Maple.

It was my first time to go to that part of Shangri-la and it was my first time to eat at that restaurant. When she said we were eating there I  got really excited. I didn't have any idea about the place so I was really looking forward to eating there.

Another friend and I met up earlier than the actual "call time" so we had the chance to go around the new wing first. After a few minutes of malling, we decided to go to Maple. The birthday girl wasn't there yet but she said we could already order. We know nothing about the place so we opted to wait for her. But since we were hungry, we ordered Fiesta Chips and Dips. When it arrived, it was a total disappointment. The chips are "hard" and definitely not crispy. It's worth Php 360. I felt it was overpriced.

Fiesta Chips and Dips

When the birthday girl arrived, she ordered Caesar Salad, Maple Glazed Chicken Wings, Drippin Baby Back  Ribs, Prime Rib Tapa, fish tacos and Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower.

The waiting time was not very long. They served the food just a few minutes after we placed our order. The food came even ahead of another friend lol.

The salad came out first. I liked it because the vegetables were fresh and crisp. I  think even those who are not so into vegetables will appreciate it. They gave us just a small amount of dressing so I thought it wouldn't be enough. Well, it wasn't enough but I  didn't mind because the Romain, even without a lot of dressing was good enough for me.

Caesar Salad

The Maple Glazed Chicken Wings came next. It was okay. There's nothing really amazing about the chicken but it wasn't bad as well.

Maple Glazed Chicken Wings

The Prime Rib Tapa is something I will probably have again the next time I visit the place. The meat is tender you wouldn't really need to use the knife given. Well, that's an exaggeration but what I'd like to say is that the meat is really tender you wouldn't have difficulty chewing. It was perfectly marinated. However, it has very small fat. I like the fatty portion, you see.

Prime Rib Tapa

Maple's Drippin Baby Back Ribs is also something I would recommend. Juicy and tender -- that's perhaps the best way to describe it. And compared to baby back ribs served in other restaurants, the one served there at Maple is reasonably priced.  

Maple's Drippin Baby Back  Ribs

What came as a real surprise for me was the Fish Tacos. It's not your ordinary tacos not only because it's fish but because the 'shell' or crust is like pita bread -- flour tortillas. The salsa-ish mixture that you put with the fish when you wrap is flavorful. It's something I really liked even if at first I was hesitant because I saw an herb that I do not like. It's good the smell of that herb was masked so I had the courage to try -- I would have regretted it if I hadn't.

Fish Tacos

The Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower of course came last. It was a pity, really. It tasted so good and yummy but we were already full so we were not able to finish the whole tower. It was a great injustice to the pancakes.

Blueberry and Cream Cheese Pancake Tower

After dinner we decided to go to the main mall. Though we were full, we still had dessert. I think it's more for us to have the chance to talk more than to really eat something sweet. Hmmmmm......

Papa John's Pizza All You Can 2013

Papa John's Pizza All You Can is back. For only P 225 you get the chance to eat as many slices of pizza as you want and can. Last year, I tried this Papa John's Pizza All You Can promo and I think I had 7 slices. If I remember it right, they serves four flavors. I'm sure they served Hawaiian and Pepperoni but I don't remember the other two. 

This year's Papa John's Pizza All You Can is good for all Tuesdays of July, from 5 to 9 pm. Again, it's just for P 225. This comes with a regular glass of soda.

If you want to read my post about last year's promo, you may click here.

How to Prevent Yourself from Getting too Hungry while Attending Wedding Celebrations

Four Sisters and a Wedding is now showing in local cinemas. I heard there are long lines at the cinemas which is a bit expected because you have 5 popular lead stars who have their legions of fans. Angel Locsin would probably have the most but I'm sure the others are not far behind. However, the buzz about the movie is not as strong as that of other Star Cinema films like No Other Woman and It Takes a Man and a Woman.

Anyway, what's a movie doing again in a food blog? Actually, this entry is about weddings. Yeah! Weddings!

Suffering from hunger is part and parcel of weddings. You see, the time indicated in wedding invitations is actually an hour earlier than the actual start of the wedding rites. You're a good guest so you arrive on time (or perhaps even  earlier) so you'd have to wait for at least an hour before you get to hear the wedding rites. Then of course, wedding rites usually last an hour (some religions have longer) so that means another hour of waiting. Then there is pictorial. If you're lucky this would just last for like 30 minutes. Then you still have to travel to the venue of the wedding reception (time depends on how far the place is from the church --or wherever the the rites is done -- and the traffic situation). Then you'd have to sit for another hour waiting for the bride and the groom to arrive. You see, they are still out having another set of pictorials (for the SDE or same day edit video presentation or other stuff). You think that when they arrive you can already eat! Well, think again. There are still traditions that have to be accomplished -- throwing of bouquet and garter which takes so long because single guests like to play hide and seek, cutting of the cake, first dance, second dance, last dance, nth dance, etc. Then when the emcee declares that dinner is served, you can't still go running to the buffet table because you  still have to wait for your table nuember to be called. Once your number is called, you still have to go to the table of the bride and groom to have your picture taken with them.

When you finally get to the buffet table, you're already too tired to even enjoy what's presented in front of you. So what now? Here are some tips to prevent your hunger from going to levels that could rival that of the people in some African regions.

1. I am almost tempted to say go to the wedding late. But that of course is not good. I'd still say you should follow what is written in the invitation. But bring with you crackers or biscuits and a small bottle of mineral water. A small pack of biscuits (something that could easily fit your purse or your breast pocket) will do the trick.

2. Have a heavy snacks before going to the wedding. This could be a problem, though, for those whose dress or suit is already too tight. If this is the case, then just go back to option 1. You wouldn't want to look like you've gained 10 overnight, do you?

3. Bring a piece of candy. This will help abate hunger. Coffee candy would be good because it help prevent you from being too hungry and sleepy at the same time.

4. When you reach the reception venue, look for the cocktails table. When you see that they serve cocktails, it should be an indication to you that they are anticipating delays so go grab a few bites. Again. Few. Bites. Don't make yourself look as if you've not eaten in days by eating too much. Even if they just serve chips and nuts, have some. That would help.

5.  If there are no cocktails, ask the waiters for a glass of water. This will surely help.

Any of these will help you from getting too hungry. But should you still come to the point that you're feeling really, really, really hungry when you reach the buffet table , stop yourself from getting a lot of food. Trust me, you will not be able to finish them all. Get a cupful of soup, a small plate of greens -- salad -- and just enough of the other food.

How did I start this post again? Oh....Four Sisters and a Wedding!

Man of Steel at Giligan's

I watched Man of Steel the other day at IMAX, SM Mall of Asia. I've been wanting to watch Man of Steel after hearing/reading good reviews about it but I never had the time to so when somebody invited me and I was free, I said yes right away. I was really excited. Besides, I haven't been to IMAX in a long while.

The movie was good. It didn't disappoint. The reviews I read were right. It was really entertaining. The visuals were really awesome. They looked believable. It is  also interesting to note that the present Superman showed more 'emotions' than the previous Supermen (does the rule apply here or should it be Supermans since it's a proper name anyway?).

The supporting cast were good. I must say, however, that I thought Diane Lane was Sharon Stone made to look old. I don't know why so please don't ask me.

Anyway, what I want to really tell you in this blog is that we ate at Giligan's after watching Man of Steel. This is a food blog, right? Haha

We chose Giligan's because we were 5 and somebody told us that they have 'group orders' that are affordable. Their group orders are divided into two. The F group and the S group. The F group (F1, F2, F3, etc.) is good for four hence the F label and the S group (S1, S2, S3, etc.) is good for six. Since we were 5, we ordered from the S group -- we had S3.

S3 has fried squid heads with sweet and spicy dip, fried pork liempo, sinigang na baboy, beef steak with bean sprouts, lumpiang shanghai, 2 big plates of steamed rice and 6 glasses of iced tea. The serving of the different viands aren't big but since there are several kinds, all of us had enough (or at least I think all of us had). We were only 5 so I don't think it could really serve 6.

The sinigang is what I likes most. I am not really fond of sinigang na baboy but I liked theirs. I also liked the fried squid heads. The shanghai is okay -- it was fried just right. The liempo was also okay but nothing really outstanding. The steak tastes like the ordinary carinderia variety. I'm not saying it was bad. It's just that there is nothing really special about it.

For P 835 (P 139 for a group of six), I think it's a good deal provided that not all of you are men who are big eaters.

If  you have needs like the Man of Steel, I think this package isn't enough --  even if you eat it alone. Wait a minute, I just realized, I didn't see Superman eating anything in the movie. Did he eat in the past versions?