Saturday Salcedo Market Day =)

My mom, ate linda and I wanted to go to Salcedo Market in Makati for so long but we just haven't gotten to it. After seeing it get featured on TV, it seemed pretty nice so I finally said I'll wake up early Sat morning and invite them to go to the market. And we weren't disappointed.. it was much more than we expected.

The Salcedo Market is only open every SATURDAY which is situated at the JAIME C. VELASQUEZ CARPARK which is on the corner of Tordesillas St. and Toledo St. You can't miss the stream of people, many white tents and the road jampacked with parked cars. They actually converted the carpark into a market. For parking, there are nearby parking areas nearby or if you're early or lucky, you can park on the side of the road.

The market is filled with a variety of options ---- fresh vegetables, crabs, herbs to authentic cooked food (ie. italian, indian, spanish, filipino, vietnamese, etc.). The Saturday Salcedo market is actually much bigger than the Sunday Legazpi market. Although I did see some familiar concessionaires from the Legazpi market who are also participating in the Salcedo market. What's interesting is that there are actually grocery shopping carts (precious few) that's available so you can be sure that people who go here actually buy a lot. The picture below is actually our second round of purchases already.

My mom bought chicken empanadas at Something Different which she liked a lot. For me, it was ok and has a simple taste. Nothing beats Red Ribbon chicken empanada for me :)

I saw this stall selling roti prata, roti naan, pita bread, etc. I actually liked roti prata because of its light, thin bread consistency and its sweet taste complemented with a curry-looking dip (but its pleasantly not curry tasting) which is really yummy. Each bread package costs only P50. It's value for money given the size and quality of the bread plus the yummy dip :)

I got to buy japanese pancake and is pleasantly surprised with several flavors to choose from. Of course I tried the hazelnut choco filling which is really good. Not only is the filling good but the pancake itself is light, soft and fluffy. I can't wait to try the other flavors. Plus it's so cheap at just P12, you already have a filling snack.

I was also able to find authentic thai iced tea which I like but found it a bit pricey at P70 for a 12oz cup.

Then, I happen to pass by another stall selling thai iced tea which is of the same quality but only at P40 for 12oz cup also. Better if you buy from the hiphop guys. :)

The girl at the real Cuban sandwich stall was so nice to give me a P20 discount for the Cuban sandwich (its original price is P120). It was interesting as it was filled with thinly sliced parma ham, pickles, roastbeef and mustard in a long tasty bread.

We got to buy lots of fruits --- chico, avocado, langka, atis. We ate them at home and so far all of them are sweet.

Ate linda bought puto filled in leaves but wasn't that tasty as expected.

I'm definitely going back to the Saturday Salcedo Market!

P.S.

For dog lovers, unfortunately we can't bring our beloved dogs with us. Good thing I didn't bring my cute sophie.

My First Run!

I finally got to run in my first ever run in fort which was sponsored by Globe. It was really fun and motivating to see a lot of people who enjoy running. Aside from scuba and golf, I've found another love and what's great is it's not that expensive :)

I finished the 3km in about 32 minutes which is not half bad considering I didn't go with my "true full speed" yet. I got my race results from Globe site which was tracked via a chip (real techie, it's so cool :) The detail into the result was more than I expected. I can't wait to go on the Kenny night run on Aug 15 which will use the same technology and compare results. The difference though is I'll now be running 5km instead of 3km which I know I'm ready for.

My Top Restaurants in Metro Manila - By Cuisine!

My family loves eating out and I also like discovering new nice places to eat that I can recommend to my family. For now, I'll share you with you my list of top restaurants in Metro Manila (well, for me that is! :) I'll make write-ups and share pics on these places as I go back to them.

Not in order of priority (yet!)

JAPANESE

1. Tsukiji - yummy yakiniku and one-of-a-kind kani salad

2. Sakura Yakiniku - cook your own yakiniku with a special sweet soy dipping sauce

3. Nihonbashitei - katsu ju (don set), tamago, futomaki, gyoza, kani salad, etc (everything is just really good and authentic!)

4. Kagura - mouth-watering okonomiyaki (jap pizza topped with sauteed jap noodles on top)

5. Misato - Gyudon

6. Bubble Tea - authentic jap milk tea (i like almond the best) and chicken doria

7. Kimono Ken - Gyudon

8. Kamirori - Gyudon

9. Ran Ramen Tei - Okonomiyaki, Gyoza

10. Shinjuku - Kanitama (crab omelette with savory sauce)

11. John and Yoko

12. Hana - authentic takoyaki

13. Sizzling Pepper Steak

14. Yaku

CHINESE

1. Emerald Garden - garlic and onion lobster, fried crab, sharksfin soup (too many to enumerate!)

2. Hap Chan - 2 way of fresh lapu-lapu (steamed & soup), salt and pepper squid, etc

3. Jade Palace - Nido Soup! Asado siopao

4. Luk Yuen - authentic chinese bolabola congee, asado siopao, taro puff, king dao

5. Tian-Tian - shabu shabu

6. Mini-Shabu-Shabu

7. Eat Well

8. Jade Palace

ITALIAN

1. Cibo

2. Cafe Puccini

3. Pasto

4. Tratorria

5. California Pizza Kitchen

6. Yellow Cab

7. Sbarro

8. Carlo's Pizza

GREEK/MEDITERRENEAN

1. Cyma

2. Hosseins

3. Persiana

4. Uncle Moe's

STEAKHOUSE

1. Mamou

2. Melo's

3. Santi's

4. Outback

AMERICAN

1. Tony Romas

2. Fridays

SPANISH

1. Casa Armas

2. Alba

KOREAN

1. Korean Garden Restaurant

2. Kaya

FILIPINO

1. Dencio's

2. Ken Afford

3. Ineng's

4. Tapa King

5. Rufo's

6. Serye

7. Jay Jay's

8. Kanin Club

THAI

1. Som's

2. My Thai

BURGER PLACE

1. Brother's Burger

2. Wham Burger

3. Hotshots

SPECIALTY RESTOS

1. Aubergine

2. Portico

3. Conti's

4. Chelsea

If you think there are other good restos for me to try. Do let me know. I'm game to try out new taste, new foodie experience :)

Baguio Roadtrip - Part 3

Aside from the usual trip to Good Shepherd at Mines' View Park to buy warm ube and other delish items, another first experience that was a special treat was the STRAWBERRY TAHO - same great tasting taho and pearls but with strawberry syrup and tidbits. Honestly, it lacked the pizzazz you get from the traditional taho with its sweet dark syrup ("arnibal"). Replacing the "arnibal" syrup was strawberry syrup which tastes similar to diluted strawberry jam. I'd still go for the traditional taho any day. BUT of course, you can only try strawberry taho in Baguio so I'd recommend to try this regional exclusive treat, especially since it only costs P15 per plastic cup.

Baguio Roadtrip - Part 2

We also went to Camp John Hay where we dropped by CHOCO-LATE DE BATIROL for a hot mug of native chocolate which you can drink traditional or mixed with other flavors like almond essence, kahlua, etc. We also ate crispy and sweet turon with our hot choco drinks. Just right to warm us up during the cool Baguio afternoon.

It's a nice place to chill and just chat with friends. Place has a rustic outdoor charm to it. It's definitely a must-go-place in Baguio. :)

Baguio Roadtrip - Part 1

I went up to baguio with my closest friends after a looong time and it was really fun because it was full of firsts!

First, once we got to cool Baguio, we went straight to BALAJADIA RESTAURANT in SLAUGHTERHOUSE for lunch - mind you, it's just a term of the place where it's near the area where pigs/cows are butchered and sold in a market.

Not really familiar on the directions but you can ask around and look for barangay sto. nino slaughterhouse.

Balajadia serves simple and affordable Filipino dishes. We ordered bulalo,bistek, tenga ng baboy and inihaw na liempo (meat overload!) plus rice and softdrinks. We also had complimentary hot bulalo soup while we waited for our food.

We spent around P500 which was good for 5 persons. Overall, the meal is reminiscent of a simple yet filling, home-cooked meal.

Legazpi Sunday Market - Feast for the eyes and the stomach

After recently learning about the unique Legazpi market in Makati city which only assembles every Sunday, I just had to see for myself if it was really worth the buzz about its different gastronomic offerings. So, I woke up on this lazy Sunday morning to check it out.

Where is it located? The Legazpi Sunday Market is located at Makati City along V.A. Rufino St. (formerly Herrera st.). From Ayala, turn left to V.A. Rufino St. and then turn lef

t at the next street. On your right is the Legazpi Sunday market which is set up of big tents in an open parking lot. 

The Legazpi Sunday Market Experience

When I finally got there, I was impressed with its size and variety. Almost 2/3 of the market was composed of varied and unique cuisines and treats that's one-of-a-kind and not available elsewhere.

Cuisines (food below doesn't capture everything that's being sold. Just what I remember :)

1. Mediterennean - shawarma, hummus & pita, baklava

2. Italian - eggplant lasagna, freshly baked pizza, crepes

3. Spanish - Paella, Chorizo

4. Portuguese - Bacalao

5. Filipino - BBQ, Inihaw, Kakanin 

6. Chinese - Sauteed Brocolli & Mushroom

7. Indonesian - Nasi Goreng

8. Japanese - Takoyaki, Sushi

9. Korean - Chap Chae

10. Malaysian - Satay

11. American - Grilled quarter or half pounders

12. English - Beef & Mushroom pie, chicken pie, vegetable pie

Not sure if I got all the cuisine in but Legazpi Sunday Market is a food haven for those looking for a real gastronomic adventure.

Here are some of the foodies I bought:

I ate Takoyaki - looks like squid balls but its made up flour and vegetables with octopus inside and topped with sauce and mayo. I bought 5 pcs at P40 which was really value for money. Wished though that they used the actual Japenese takoyaki sauce that I loved.

Baklava sold here is REALLY GOOD. It's finely chopped nuts with sweet and succulent sauce generously coming out from the flaky crust. There are 3 baklava options: walnut, pistachio and hazelnut. Each piece costs P30 but you can buy a small pack containing 8 pcs for just P150. 

 

I also tried their Spinach & Feta cheese quiche at P75. The flaky crust was good but it rather lacked the taste I was hoping for. *ate this at home already*

The mango frozen yogurt was rich and tasty which I bought at P65 was good but I found it a bit pricey. Tried the other flavors ---- chocolate, banana, passion fruit -- but I liked mango the best. Too bad the vanilla got sold out already.

Last item that we bought was the chicken pie costing P50. It had a generous filling of chicken and mushroom filled in a flaky crust. I really don't have a benchmark for the pie as it's my first time to eat such food but overall it was OKAY. Too bad the beef and mushroom pie was already sold out. Maybe next time. :) *ate this at home already*

Aside from the food, there are also other unique and one-of-a-kind items being sold in the market:

paintings

bags

personalized jewelry

personalized cards

handicrafts

clothes

spa essentials

organic vegetables

THE VERDICT

Overall, it was a phenomenal gastronomic delight. I wasn't able to try a lot of the food items which I wanted to try like Tong's coffee, Arroz ala cubana because I was so full already. But what's good is that there's always NEXT SUNDAY. :)

Authentic Japanese Okonomiyaki - Kagura, Little Tokyo

I'm a self-confessed Jap food addict. I'm 100% Pinoy and love our local cuisine but ever since my lips touched Japanese food my love and passion for it is like no other. And not only with its food but also its culture, history and entertainment has also captured my heart.

And one jap delicacy that has been a mystery to me for soooo long is okonomiyaki. First time I

 heard of this unique jap foodie is from the anime (jap cartoon) Ranma 1/2 which I had watched with my sis and bro when we were younger. One of the characters, Ukyo, is an Okonomiyaki chef and it looked so good being grilled on the teppan grill which made me curious to no end.

Okonomiyaki is a savoury japanese pancake or it's even sometimes called japanese pizza. It's a mix of chopped cabbage, flour, seasoning and varied top

pings of your choice (bacon, shrimp, squid, cheese, etc.) which is formed into a round shape. What makes this dish complete is the dark sweet sauce generously applied on it and garnished with jap mayo.

I was only able to try this yummy treat late last year in a couple of jap restos in Metro Manila but nowhere was it this GOOD. And I found this delectable jap delicacy at KAGURA. 

Where is it located? It's situated inside Little Tokyo which is in Makati city. Little Tokyo is a mix of specialized japanese restaurants offering 

authentic japanese food. It's right across Makati Cinema Square and the entrance of Little Tokyo is marked with a small Torii arch and once you enter it brings you to a small path reminiscent of Tokyo. As you walk the short pathway, it will bring you to a small quadrangle where the jap restos are. Kagura is the second restaurant on the right side and is marked with a big poster of an okonomiyaki on its window.

THE KAGURA EXPERIENCE

Eating at Kagura today was indeed a special treat. I went there with Errol to have breakfast at 10AM but unfortunately we went there not knowing what time it opens and when we got there we found out it only opens at 1130AM but Cheng, sister of the owner of this precious jap find was very accommodating and told us that we can come back at 11am to eat. The hour's wait was well worth the wait. We got seated into a Japanese style wooden table and seats with pillows around it and we had to remove our shoes. It's the best way to eat jap food! :)

There was a lot of options in choosing the okonomiyaki to try. Kagura has 2 kinds of okonomiyaki: (1) Osaka style and (2) Hiroshima style. The difference between the two is that the Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki has the top half layer made up of japanese noodles cooked and grilled while the Osaka style Okonomiyaki is made up of the vegetables and other toppings without the noodles.

The Hiroshima okonomiyaki is exactly what I've been looking for and it's only with Kagura that I was able to eat it and every bite was just SHEER JOY. We ordered the Modern Okonomiyaki which was a combination of all the great stuff (shrimp, squid, bacon, cheese) and I ordered an additional topping of dried bonito flakes to make the perfect okonomiyaki.

Our okonomiyaki was served on a round grill placed on a wooden slat. It was sliced into 6 pieces. It costs P380 for the okonomiyaki and P40 for the additional dried bonito flakes (fish). It was very filling and definitely money well worth spent to experience an authentic japanese okonomiyaki right here in the heart of Metro Manila.

The food experience was not only great but the atmosphere and the people working at Kagura made it complete. Everyone was very friendly and helpful, especially Cheng. We were also given complimentary Japanese tea which was also really good if you like drinking tea. Not only that, we were also given a pleasant surprise which was a dessert of sliced apples.

THE VERDICT

I give Kagura 2 thumbs up for food, service and the authentic japanese experience. It's a must-try for every Jap lover and those who are into trying new and unique food. Kagura climbs into my top Japanese restaurants.

So if you're looking for authentic Japanese okonomiyaki, you better order and eat it at Kagura's! I'm definitely coming back for more! =)

ohayo mina! =) (hi everyone!)

This is my first time to blog.

I never thought I would imagine myself doing this and thought it was just a waste of time and felt funny in sharing your innermost thoughts (for some i guess) like an online diary that can be read by others or your friends. BUT after reading through specialized blogs on food, events, travels.. i thought "WOW, now this is COOL." 

I love to travel and eat and I just felt the insane urge to share my favorite restaurants and my travel exploits.

Why restos? There's so much good food and uhm.. err... bad as well.. but it's good to weed out the good ones and share it with everyone so you don't waste time looking for the good ones. I'd like to think I have good taste in food (though my dad will say I don't). 

Why travel? It's to share the cool places to go and things you can try there. Plus, I hope I'll be able to find OC travellers like me in fixing their itineraries and budget which I try to get bit and pieces over the net and cross-check info, etc. hehe =)

That's about it so I hope you'll enjoy my foodie and travel exploits which I'll be blogging on soon.