Namanama

It was a so-so day and since I arrived at my destination earlier than expected, I decided to re-visit one of my favorite eating places: NamaNama.

I think I already ate here like a year ago or less but I can remember this place well because they've got good ramen and very affordable at that :)

NamaNama

Location: Eastwood City, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao.

Look for the Cybermall. It's just at the end of the whole strip starting from Citibank.

This one's on the 3rd floor.

And there I was again at this small place. I actually wonder why there's not much people in this place but I'd think it's prolly the location. You'd actually have to know it exists so you'd go to it and if the mall's closed, it's closed too unlike the others that stay open late.

Anyways, that also means it's good time for me to focus on checking the food rather than the girls :P

Well, ain't that a cute background?

Well maybe you won't agree, but for me, it's Japanese-y enough for me (yeah, they look like Filipinos, fine). Also if you've noticed, they've got these weird chairs with holes on it. It's modern funky but I personally don't like in a practical sense.

Namanama actually comes from the combined names of the owner's (Leslie Yao) children: Nathan and Matti. They opened April 2009 in Eastwood. Leslie also owns Zuppa Cafe, the one just beside Namanama. Obviously, apart from the name, it's a Japanese-Asian fusion food place with mostly staples and some reinvented ones. Mostly rice plates but there are some noodle dishes as well.

And as mentioned, this place got very affordable prices :) And believe me, when you see their servings, you'd say "Whoah? Really? This much for that only?". But of course, you'd also say, the catch may be the taste. That's what we'll see then...

I remember ordering a seafood ramen back then and although I really wanted to get that again, my urge to try something else won. So I went and ordered this...

Name: Chicken Teriyaki Ramen (regular size)

Price: 95php

It's bigger in real-life :)

Oh if you noticed, it says regular. It would prolly take 1 and a half of a normal person (not my appetite in short) to finish this. So if you took the large one, there's prolly about 2-3 persons for that size. I'm just trying to describe serving size hehe.

But to be honest, this one isn't as good as the seafood ramen.

So the serving size is big: soup, noodles and the chicken part itself. No problems there.

The noodles firmness is good, not soggy and very tasty.

The chicken itself is (boneless thankfully) soft, slightly spicy (due to the loads of pepper) but inconveniently un-cut. While it looks cool that there's a big serving, it's a hassle that you'd have to cut the chicken so you can actually eat it. And I don't really taste the teriyaki much. :( 

Which now brings us to the soup: plain spicy, all peppery soup. It's fine prolly for peeps like me who likes pepper in soup but it's just...too much I guess. Don't get me wrong, it's not that awful but it ain't appetizing either.

So this one I'd say is a partial fail.

Name: Asian Grilled Pork Belly

Price: 135php

Asian grilled pork belly

And yes, I did order 2 dishes. Not because the ramen wasn't so good. I did order two because I was thinking it would take me a while to return here with all my backlog food stuff and whatnot haha.

So this one, also with big servings, was the one to win the night for me.

The pork was really thin and crispy and you can taste the marinate all over it. The grill was perfectly done to lock in the juices and sauce especially in the fatty parts. You don't even need a knife to cut the meat which is wonderful and you can actually eat all of it except that small piece of bone. It has this salty, slightly burnt taste with a small hint of garlic.

The laksa rice had a slight hint of spice and was pretty good too. It wasn't strong enough to overpower the pork's taste which is good because most of the time, in other places, it's the reverse. I didn't really get to use the chili and calamansi because there was no need to :)

Funnily enough, a good 10 minutes after I started eating, a bunch of people came in and looked at what I was eating and ordered the same. :)

I think I am going back soon hahaha.

~2GBTG!

Bob's of Bacolod Part 2

And so on this day, my boss had problems. So he wanted to release some pressure and eat somewhere. As mentioned before, Bob's is just near the office and since I had a very good experience from last time, I suggested to eat there. :)

Bob's from Bacolod

(please see: First Blog about Bob's)

So this time, I decided to try something else of course...

Name: Steak and Eggs

Price: 195php

Steak and Eggs

The steak was cooked medium so the meat is just right. I actually want it medium rare but my boss got it cooked medium. It's almost well done but still has a lil raw-ness in it. :) Anyways, the meat was practically lean all over and was very juicy. Actually I have a hard time describing meat like these as I feel like their tastes depend on how well done they are and what part was cooked. In any case, nothing really different here compared to other steaks. The size is worth it for the price although it is expensive (which is normal for steaks).

Name: Baby Back Ribs with Onion Rings (Daily Special version)

Price: 135php

Baby Back Ribs with Onion Rings

Well, I'm not really a fan of baby back ribs or ribs in general as I think it's not worth paying for the bone and they're usually expensive but I tried this because this is their value meal version. It's usually priced at 300+php but since this has a smaller serving size, the price is reduced too. But what I just realized is that the bone is actually what sets ribs apart from boneless meat dishes in terms of taste.

For one, you can't apply different done-ness on ribs because it's hard to even the cooking for meat stuck on bones. But on another note, the bones actually make sure that the flavor is retained regardless of the way it's cooked. So if you wonder why some people (or dogs for that matter) love lickin' em good on the bones, it's due to that...but I may be wrong hahaha.

So the ribs has this special marinate all over it. It's sweet and very mildly spicy. Not the typical BBQ sauce but you'd like it nevertheless. Meat is not tough at all and separates from the bone quite easily. And to my surprise, I actually got more meat than bone on this serving. :) Of course, I also licked the bone clean hehe and it was well worth it.

So really, as you can see, I've been to Bob's twice. It's value for money for the specials but if you have a lil extra cash, go ahead and buy the biggies. They're worth it too. :)

Till next time!

~2GBTG!

Bob's of Bacolod Part 1

One of my close friends has been working in the Makati area ever since.

Usually when I want to go out, I do mass texting in impromptu and check if anyone's available. When it's this friend who replies, I usually ignore it or say I can't meet up in his area. Why? Because I work in Ortigas and it's too much of a hassle to go there and go home afterwards.

Anyways, since I now work in almost the same area as he does, I invited him to meet up. Just near our office, there's this fairly new place that's all bright clear. I've been doing some practice shots during my lunch and outside office hours so I've been curious on this place for quite some time. So I suggested to my friend to eat there...

Bob's of Bacolod

(http://bobsbacolod.com)

Bob's of Bacolod

Location: G/F One Palanca Land Bldg., Dela Rosa St., Makati City

How to get there:

If you're from North, take a bus going to LRT/Ayala then ask the driver to drop you off Insular. From there, take the underpass going to the direction of the VGP center (this is the building across Starbuck's front NOT the one opposite Jollibee). Once on the other side, go to the corner to the left of the exit you came out of then continue down the sidewalk beside the overpass. You can see Bob's nearby and just across the street.

If you're from South, well, get a bus that goes to Ayala, go down at VGP center, go straight to the corner near the underpass' exit and continue on the sidewalk as described above.

Bob's is actually a name of a famous American burger back then. And Bob's from Bacolod actually started as a burger place in it's starting days. The server said the reason they did burgers instead of the expected inasal was because of the same reason: it's just common in Bacolod. After a while, they ventured into expanding their menu and built a branch in Magallanes then eventually at Dela Rosa, near Enterprise, at Makati. Interesting actually :)

The food is actually pricey and just by looking at the place, you'd know this ain't no fastfood...

Daily Specials

Nice lighting :)

 ...but later I'd discover it ain't bad at all and it was worth it in the end.

So I asked the waiter what their specialty was and he said the ones under the grilled section were the ones I'm looking for. So when I checked they had baby back-ribs, sate babe and grilled chicken among others. I then asked what Sate Babe meant and...I honestly forgot what he said hehe. I'll ask again on my next visit. But that was the one I tried.

Name: Sate Babe

Price: 145php

Sate Babe

The sate babe... well, I just looked at the oozing peanut sauce on it and I already knew, it would be a winner. Good thing it was :) First off, the peanut sauce was just so good. Like the peanut sauce I tried in Fu Yoh, this one was authentic. Sweet and salty, just right. Secondly, the peanut sauce was just so good. Wait did I just say that again? Haha. Anways, the serving size is big. Usually BBQ's or satays in other places have either little chunks, more fat or just a couple of pieces. But as you can see, that's four large chunks of all-meat. Tender, juicy and definitely not hotdog :p The meat is very chewy, the fiber isn't tough and it's obvious that the marinate seeped in well inside the meat (I tried eating a part without the sauce and it was very tasty).

It's definitely the peanut sauce

Name: Lechon Macau

Price: 225php

Lechon Macau

So the lechon macau looks like...lechon kawali. It doesn't look like the typical Chinese lechon macau that I know of. So does it taste like lechon kawali? I'd say pretty much yes but better in terms of usual serving size, the meat and the sauce. The meat is crunchy all the way through, meaning not just the fat but also the meat itself. And it's not over-fried as even after a while, it doesn't become tough to eat. And the sauce by the way, isn't generic. It's their own gravy. It's a bit sweet and lil salty then a hint of spicy (all small stuff huh?).

Crispy goodness :)

As I said, the prices of the above meals are pretty high but if you have the budget and are near the area, I'd highly recommend the place. Definitely worth the buck :)

For the next pictures, I just got so tempted to look (and almost eat) the cakes. They all look yummy but I had to settle at just looking :)

 

That's it! Maybe I'll get to try one of these cakes one of these days. :)

Until next time!

~2GBTG

Pares House and Arkin's Specialty Foods

And so the adventure continues :)

Before I was planning to go home, I remembered that I had a friend of mine who works in Eastwood needed someone to talk to. So texted her and asked her if she wanted to eat somewhere. Although initially we thought we could eat at Eastwood, I asked her if she'd want something different. She agreed and we both decided to eat at Marikina :)

I was craving for pares that night so I suggested to eat at a new pares place near our municipal hall. It was odd because the new place was formerly also a pares place. It looked different so I thought it would probably be different (or so I thought) as the previous one just tasted okay but nothing special.

Pares House

Location: Shoe Ave., Marikina City

How to get there:

If coming from Pasig, take a jeep going to Marikina/Palengke or Stoplight. You'll pass-by at Shoe Ave. and look out for an orange tricycle waiting line. It's on the same block as the Ministop. Just tell the driver to drop you off at Munisipyo and it's nearby.

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to Marikina (SSS or Parang) and tell the driver to drop you off at the Sports Center. You should be somewhere near the founatain and a big structure with a clock at the top. From there, walk towards your right to where there's lines of jeepneys waiting. Continue walking until you reach 7-11. Continue past that and you should see Ministop. The place is 2 stores past it.

Anyways, so we tried their 2 specialties: their mami and of course, the pares.

Name: Beef Mami

Price: 66php

Beef Mami

Well, we were both disappointed. Yummy as the pictures look (not so much the pares though) they don't taste as much. The mami was mostly tasteless. I had to put fish sauce so it would have enough for my palate to recognize. Eventhough the noodles were firm and the meat was tender, it still sucks.

Name: Beef Pares

Price: 75php

Beef Pares

The pares on the other hand, well, was typical. It just tasted like a normal beef stew without the vegetables (I mean the usual beef stew I eat has veggies). The garlic bits on the fried rice was even overcooked. :(

Soooo... whaddya think happened?

Seeing I just wasted money on nothing, I felt I needed to redeem myself and save my friend from further depression. And just across that same place, I saw a fairly new place I had been curious of ever since...

Arkin's Specialty Foods

 

 

Arkin's Specialty Foods

Location: Shoe Ave., Marikina City

How to get there: 

Just follow the same as the Pares House instructions above. This is just across the Pares House.

It's a small place and had medium lit lights but you'd already know it was really meant for those who'd like to drink or probably have their food smelled by passers-by. We went in and asked the golden question: "What's your specialty?". As if the readable print on the logo was enough, we really had to hear it from them hoping to catch inconsistency with their staff. But they didn't fail us. They confirmed that their bestseller had to be the "sinigang sa miso". It didn't matter which fish head it was although they claim the lapu-lapu is better. I'm not a fan of the said fish so I opted for the strangely cheaper salmon head. I asked my friend what she liked and she said if we can try the sizzling tunay belly. Usually I don't order the same type of food (e.g. beef, pork, seafood, veggie, etc.) because I like variety but since I wanted to cheer my friend up, I agreed to it...which I didn't regret afterwards. 

Name: Sinigang sa Miso (Salmon)

Price: 80php

Sinigang sa Miso (Salmon Head)

First they served some miso soup and it tasted really good. After 15-20 mins, they served the sinigang sa miso then the sizzling tuna belly.

Sinigang served in the ceramic casserole

As you can see, the sinigang was served in a floral ceramic casserole which gave it a home-cooked feel. Taking off the glass cover releases the good-smelling steam and made sure the dish was cooked fresh and hot. I then checked the fish's meat to see how well it was cooked...

The salmon meat

...it's not really a good shot but I tried haha. Anyways, the meat was pale pinkish and was well-cooked. It didn't crumble at contact with the fork nor did it felt recently thawed from the freezer. I then checked the veggies. They weren't mushy and were still crunchy when eaten. It had okra, raddish, pechay, ginger, pansigang na sili and of course, miso.

Miso soup and veggies

The soup was partially thick and was especially sour which already meant it was SOLD for me :) It had no oily taste because of the large ginger slices in the soup. And since it was kept hot, it was able to absorb all the flavors of the fish and veggies which is what good and authentic sinigang is. :) Yum yum.

The salmon meat was also good. One, as mentioned, was cooked well and second because there was a lot to eat to begin with.

Name: Sizzling Tuna Belly

Price: 160php

Sizzling Tuna Belly

I was expecting the tuna belly to be ordinary but the one I immediately noticed was that it had a large serving compared to the usual (e.g. Dencio's, Congo Grille) and for it's price, I'd say that alone was worth it. But of course I had to check the taste. As you can see, the meat is also well-cooked and though the onions and tomatoes didn't really add anything significant, they were a welcome freshness for taste. The belly was soft and meaty and tasty to the last bite. Heck, even the fish skin was tempting to eat. :) The hint of garlic was there which I liked.

And so what almost became a bad eating day turned out to be better due to trying that one across the street.

~2GBTG!

Starting Over...

after sooo long

I get to finally do food blogging again :)

wow... feels good actually

this time, with a new trusty camera :) yay!

whew... feels like i'm getting a restart on everything

so that also means... even though I've been food blogging for years

i'll put them in the past and turn a leaf for a new one

hence... THIS blog :)

and speaking of restarts

i get to blog with a good one or should i say, FOUR...

yes, FOUR new places you should try out (or not)

not bad for an opener huh?

so without further due....

on the day of hearts, after a very long walk in the middle of everywhere

i decided to eat

so you'd say... "uh-huh. you don't have a date and you decided to eat. so what?"

well guess what... so what to you too! :P

kidding aside

i decided to get my camera a spin on the food photography so i was craving for something new (as i always do) or if not new, something i knew was worth destroying my diet (i'm food blogging and i'm on a diet...go figure)

so a magic carpet brought me to a whole new world

and boy am I so lucky it brought me there...

Food Junction

Food Junction at Eastwood

Location: Eastwood, Libis, QC

How to get there:

If coming from Cubao, take a jeep that goes to IPI or De Castro.

If coming from Ortigas, take a jeep that goes to De Castro or Jenny's. Go down at IPI then take a jeep that goes to Cubao.

Once at Eastwood, go over at the old Citywalk until you get to Stackers, take a right going to Blue Onion and ride the escalator there. The place is just at the top.

The place is new, in fact, it was so new that we went there, it was grand opening :)

It looks like a high-end cafeteria with lots of high-end looking food spots. It's got a modern style of white and clean lines and curves, not too fancy. Place is evenly lighted and still tidy. The stairs not too steep and there's actually just 3 sets of them so navigation is pretty easy. The stalls are evenly placed although I'd say one of the shops below has got the center and I find it the most strategic.

Anyways, on to the food. :)

The first I tried was...

D' Original Didi's Manok

(Didi's Manok in Facebook)

Didi's Manok

I actually love this place's logo. It's very cartoony and large so you'd really notice it.

And the reason I tried this first was because of the recent boom of chicken places nowadays. I was trying to find out if there really is a unique or standout chicken among these (I've found some actually).

Grilled Chicken

So when I looked at their chicken, I already thought, "Uh, is this another one of those inasal chicken again?"...

...but at least they did have other offerings like lechon kawali, lumpiang shanghai and of course, pansit.

The Budget Menu

I always check the prices first because I'm the type of guy who only eats what he can afford and finds out if it was really worth it or not. For Didi's, it was the typical price of the inasal places today, ranging from 50php to roughly 120php at most. They do sell pansit sa bilao (360php to 610php) at whole/half servings of chicken (120php to 210php)for take-out.

Name: Busog A1

Price: 55php

Busog Meal A1

So what I ordered was BA1, which consists of chicken, atchara, soup and a small iced tea.

Looks normal huh? Well, it is. That also means it's another fail in my quest for a better chicken. :(

The chicken is just like all the other chicken you taste there. It's NOT inasal take note, the manager told me it was just grilled chicken. And so it was. I do have to say, it was tasty. The actual chicken was pretty small but the rice serving was bigger than the rest I've tried. The chicken meat was a lil tough. The atchara was typical. I loved the soup though. It had real chicken stock in it and I think a small mix of egg? It was very tasty.

So I wasn't happy obviously...

Not really worth the buck for me :(

The second I tried was...

Fu Yoh

(Fu Yoh in Facebook)

Fu Yoh

Fu Yoh is actually owned by 7 people. They're a group of friends who decided to setup a food place of their own. One of them have explained to me that Fu Yoh means a couple of things combined. "Fu" in Chinese means wealth. And in this case, having a wealth of different cultures of food. "Fu Yoh" is actually a Malay expression that translates to "Oh my God". So as a whole, when you experience their food, you are given the feeling that "This is really good!". I'd have to agree with that. :)

"Our food place offers Singaporean/Chinese fusion dishes and a hint of Indian", says Delbert, one of the owners. They only got a few on the menu but they're good ones. The Asian staples are there: satay, curry, char siu and of course, roti. And I didn't regret trying this one because they may not have a lot to offer, but what they do, they cook it good. :)

Fu Yoh's menu

Their prices are really good if I may say. Only the chicken rice (and the roti overload) went a lil over a 100php which fits the typical Filipino wallet. Their budget stuff are all under 60php which is for peeps like me hehe.

Oh and by the way, this the place I was talking about that had a strategic location. I was the only one at the mezzanine at the center. It had the easiest access for everyone.

Name: Pork and Chicken Satay

Price: 25php/stick for a total of 100php (4 sticks)

Chicken Satay (top), Pork Satay (bottom)

I was actually with a friend that night who ordered at Fu Yoh. My friend got the chicken rice (which I forgot to take a picture of) and the satay. I actually tried both meals hehe.

The satay was good. The meat wasn't tough and easily gets chewed off the stick. They were both tasty by themselves although in my opinion, the pork tasted better because the chicken was a bit dry. But what makes this satay stand out was the peanut sauce. Their peanut sauce just had the right thickness and it was so peanut-ty! It even had bits of peanuts for added texture. It was just right salty and tasted like authentic, grounded and mixed peanuts instead of just processed dips or those who put peanut butter for extenders. Oh, the satay also had ensalada which I found odd because instead of your usual small amount of vinegar and some onions, this one had cucumber, onions, chili floating on a cup of vinegar. I liked the mix I almost drank it haha.

Name: Chicken Rice

Price: 120php

Chicken Rice

The chicken rice was also good. Not for the typical Filipino palate though. The chicken wasn't too tasty not that it was meant to be because as far as I know, their steamed chicken is really cooked that way. Once you mix their nicely ground ginger/garlic paste with the hot white rice and chicken, then you really get to enjoy it.

Was their food worth the price? The satay definitely. The chicken rice might be pricey for the thrifty type but the serving size is filling.


The third I tried was...

Kalbi

(Kalbi in Facebook)

Kalbi

Talk about modern, this place really feels like modern Korean cuisine to me. It didn't look like typical Korean places like Kaya or the Chinese-Korean resto near GMA 7(which is sadly closed) and it felt more like an American burger place.

Kalbi is owned by Andy and Jerome, cousins who are actually Chinese.

Jerome (left), Andy (right) - chef and owners

Jerome said that Kalbi (or galbi) is a Korean dish made of grilled BBQ short ribs. Also if you noticed, the small print under Kalbi says "Korean to go" so that means they serve fast and easy packages.

The head chef and also owner Andy told me their best seller was their burritos and recommended I try their Bulgogi one. And so I did. It took just 10mins for them to finish my meal, not bad at all. :)

Name: Bulgogi Burrito

Price: 140php

Bulgogi Burrito

Now, do take note, I am a monster of gastronomic proportions. I eat a lot and I'm a big guy. But THIS really stuffed me. As you can see, this monster burrito is even cut in two. And just one of these halves is very filling. Heck I even think, if you split the burrito in three, you'd all be happy with the size.

Closer view of the burrito

The burrito is chock full of: Korean beef, onions, lettuce, kimchi rice, some sauces and cheese all stuffed in a slightly thick pita wrap.

Now there's no easy way to eat this thing as it's big. So you either unwrap it and it eat it with a spoon/fork or you can just eat it as it is (which I'd highly recommend of course). I ate the first half (you'll know why I said it this way later), so the veggies add a crunch at the first layer then you can easily taste the juicy and tender BBQ beef sandwiched by a layer of rice mixed with oozing cheese. Want me to try that again? :) But really, it was jsut oozing with juicy flavors all over. And what's good is when you start chewing, the pita makes sure the experience stays intact to the last chow. After finishing the first half, I was already satisfied.

But how can I pass for another of half of this burrito? I can't. I pretty sure you can't too haha. What made the second half unique was that somehow, most of the kimchi flavor was on it. I was surprised that the second half actually a different experience because of that kick it made on the whole thing. After that, I was really satisfied.

What I especially loved was how the melted cheese compliments the whole thing with it's hint of saltiness and how it promotes contrast with the strong flavors of both the meat and kimchi rice.

Same as Fu Yoh, you'd probably think it's pricey but believe me, it's definitely worth it. Or you may want to share it with someone else :)

The fourth one I tried (yes, the last one but certainly not the least)...

Cafe Terya

Cafe Terya

So the name's catchy for me, why? Because it's Filipino. :)

This one I had time to chat and socialize with the people working there.

Me: "Ano'ng bestseller nyo?"

All 3 Girl Employees: "Lahat po"

Me: (laughs) "Ah, mahirap naman ata yun. Di ko kayang tikman lahat yan."

All 3 Girl Employees: (laughs too)

Cashier: "Sir, pwede ninyo i-try ung Sinanglay, Binagoongan, ung Chicken, BBQ..."

Me: (interruptingly) "Wait lang, eh sinabi mo din lahat ng nasa menu eh" (laughs)

All 3 Girls Employees: (laughs too)

Me: "O sige, ano na lang madalas na na-order sa inyo so far?"

The cashier was talking when I realized, I saw a very familiar word... bagnet.
Me: "Teka, yung kare-kare nyo, bagnet ang ginagamit nyo?"
Cashier: "Yes, sir."
Me: "Yan na lang ittry ko. Mahilig ako sa bagnet."

Then out of nowhere, a pretty lady comes up and asks "How can I help you sir?"
This beautiful lass is actually Joan, one of the 2 owners of Cafe Terya. As you can see, both of them already look friendly and believe me, they are more so in person :)

Joanne (left), Jovi (right) - owners

So we had a lil chat and I told her that I do food-blogging. And she kindly responded to my questions. Joan's food industry exposure goes way back and if you're familiar with the famous Mr. Biggs' Inasal in Laguna (check: A taste of Mr. Bigg's in Laguna (Phil Star article) ) then that's where it dates back. Their love for food and sharing it for the Filipino taste to savor is a family business, as she puts it. I guess that's where all this variety of Filipino dishes in their menu came from.

The Cafe Terya menu

So I said to her, I actually decided on getting the Kare-kare Meal so I can see if it lives up to the authentic Ilocano bagnet as I've always known it (I come from an Ilocano and Bulakeño descent).

Name: Kare-kare Meal

Price: 98php

The bagnet

The kare-kare as a whole, is kind of unique as they separated the sauce and veggies from the bagnet. This preserves the crunchiness of the meat. It is, of course, served with bagoong.

The bagnet is cut thinly, which is not typical, even for local versions of this dish. Usually it's served with thick slices or chopped like your inihaw na liempo. But since it's cut like so, cooking it to make it crunchy makes it easier. And that's what I liked about it most because I usually like my meat that way. To be honest, it's not exactly the same bagnet I've known but it is definitely closer to it than it would be to the lechon kawali that most know of. The meat's easy to chew and it's not too salty.

The kare-kare sauce

As you can see, they did a good job on keeping the veggies fresh. And the best proof of this is because it's still crunchy when I ate it. It had sitao, pechay, onions, eggplant and if I remember the name right, banana stalks (I'll confirm this :) ). The peanut sauce was not too thick and was a bit more oily than usual. The good side of this is it goes really well with the rice and all.

The bagoong

And of course, the bagoong. I liked their bagoong because it's not drenched in oil and it wasn't too sweet like the ones I usually get from restos. Plus it had chili so what more can I ask for? :)

I have to say this isn't my usual kare-kare and I'm happy that I did try it because I love good surprises hehe.

But you know what, Joan was kind enough to let me try another dish: rellenong sili. She said it was on the house so why would I turn it down? :) But I was so full trying all the dishes I had room for only one.

Rellenong sili

This is actually an oversized sili stuffed with tuna (I'll have to confirm this), onions and some spices. It's drizzled with cheese on top. I'm actually a bit confused as what actually made this spicy: the actual vegetable or the ingredients in it. But I liked it nonetheless.

As with the other two favorites I have above, I recommend Cafe Terya as well. :)

Overall, that experience was really fun and I may be doing it again but not soon as I need to burn the gained calories over that feast. :)

Hope you all liked my first "re-post"

Keep following for more!

~2GBTG!