Monday, December 27, 2010

2010 Christmas with the Absolute Cousins

We have all grown-up now. Not so long ago, we were still playing games (as in real contest - question and answer portion, and dance/sing-offs). We were being giddy and competitive just to get the prizes and ang bao. But now that we're all (almost) of legal age, all we do together is eat, DRINK, tell stories of our girlfriends and boyfriends (or the lack of one) and our escapades (oh, and work..), and reminisce on those days when we were little.

We were almost complete last 24th; except for Tippi, who's in Hong Kong with her fiance; Achie Denise, who has her shift that night; and Achie Cheryll, who's living in the U.S. Nonetheless, we had fun with each other, and of course, we enjoyed the great food, which can never go wrong, thanks to our lolas, Mimi and Ima Ned.

P.S. We super miss Auntie Nancy too!!! :(

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The Boys - Justin, Me, Adi and Jason

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The Girls - Tin, Luj and Gretch + AJ

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My cuz Luj brought some dessert, which I helped cook. It's made of fried mangoes and cream cheese in lumpia wrapper rolled in cinnamon and sugar. It's made of love, I tell you. I must recreate this soon! :P

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Free! Rare Leather Starbucks 2011 Planner Contest

Ever since, I wanted to run a contest on my blog, but I have yet to talk to possible sponsors, who would be willing and generous enough to agree to this. Maybe it’s time to do it; a way of saying thank you, to YOU, my readers and friends, who have been with me in this gastronomic and scenic blog-journey, for my 3 years this coming January 2011. I have been blessed with a lot of awesomeness with this blog, and it has been really a wonderful experience for me and my close friends, who have been with me in my adventures. There is still a lot of work to be done.

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For now, my uncle, Martin Gomez, has been generous enough to provide 2 of these unique Starbucks planners as prizes to a contest he is sponsoring. These RARE Starbucks holiday planners cannot be found in the Philippines, because it is issued in Malaysia; plus, it's already out of stock there. I would say it is better because of a lot of reasons, but I'll let the photos do the talking.

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Now, if you are wondering how can you win this awesome rare planner, all you have to do is answer one of the two (or both) questions below in a blogpost, use the URL SHORTENER he created, and get a chance to win these awesome Starbucks 2011 planners.

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WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO QUALIFY:
1. Answer one question (1 Starbucks planner as prize per question) as a blogpost in any of your blog/s (blogspot, wordpress, facebook, multiply, etc);
2. Link this contest in any part of your blogpost;
3. Use the xvr.in URL shortener to shorten the URL of your blogpost;
4. Promote the xvr.in URL shortener in the most creative way possible (must be referenced or talked about in your blogpost);
5. Post the shortened URL as a comment in this contest blogpost.

Q # 1: How did the true spirit of Christmas come alive in your Christmas?
Q # 2: How do u plan to plan your 2011 with a planner?

Criteria for Judging:
75% - Content (How you answered the question)
25% - Promote the xvr.in URL shortener in the most creative way possible. (Must be referenced in your blog post)

Deadline of this contest is on December 31st, 11:59pm. | FYI: One blog post per question, per person. So a person can join once per question. :) Thanks!

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Bordeaux’ Wine Flights – A great way to taste wines

Besides the great food Bordeaux has yet to be known for (now you all know), they have a great selection of wines, from light to bodied, from white to red. They specialized in wines that can be paired with food, and those, which can be enjoyed as is.

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For the first timers, who do not know which kind of wine would fit their liking, the Wine Flights are a good place to start. Bordeaux offers its customers with the Red Wine Flights and the White Wine Flights, which is basically three different glasses of different kinds of wines which varies in taste.

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The White Wine Flights include a glass of Rive Haute Colombard Sauvignon, a lively white wine. Nose characterized by acacia and honeysuckle notes. Ripe citrus fruit such as pineapple and lime in the mouth accompanied by refreshing acidity; a glass of Colombelle, which has fresh and intense aromas, with floral and exotic fruit notes. It’s round on the palate, accompanied by flavors of ripe fruit, pineapple and white peach, giving a smooth and tasty balance. It has a citrus finish; and lastly a glass of Yvves Borie Chardonnay, which is characterized by mingling aromas and taste of peaches, grapefruit and honey dew melon.

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The Red Wine Flights include a glass of Rive Haute Merlot Tannat, which is garnet red in color, with generous aromas of blackcurrant, plum and hint of licorice. It’s round and silky in the mouth with a fresh and fruity finish; a glass of Discipulus Syrah, which is fragrant, lively, with fresh fruity aroma on the nose. It’s floral and spicy, with a solid structure anchoring it all. It’s an easy-going and adoptable wine; and lastly a glass of Yves Borie Sabernet Sauvignon, which is a medium bodied, fruity wine with spicy notes on the palate finished by elegant tannins.

The best has yet to come - DOT, Food and Friends

There have been a lot of things that happened in the past week, and my life in the Department of Tourism. This post is sort of a photo dump of those significant moments in my past week (mostly). First was the confirmation of Secretary Lim by the powerful Commission on Appointments, which was held in the Senate of the Philippines. I was asked to cover and take down notes of his interviews. He was confirmed. Thankfully :)

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We had an after-confirmation meryenda at Luk Foo across the Duty Free, care of its general manager, Michael Kho. With us were representatives from the tourism industry, DOT officials, family and some friends of the Secretary.

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I had to post this photo because I instantly feel in love with it. I had more than 5 glasses of this during the meryenda! :)) It's French. It's sparkling. But it's half the price, which is good. This bottle is the Barton & Gustier Depuis 1725 Sparkling Rose Dry Cuvée Reservée which is priced at $15.50 in the Duty Free.

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The food (dimsum) which was served to us. We had lechon skin wrap, siomai, hakaw, pansit and an eggplant-shrimp dumpling which was so surprisingly tasty. Everyone was happy after eating :)

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The night after, I went a Christmas party held at Ginzadon at Resorts World in Pasay with Lasallians who adopted me as part of their barkada or group already <3 The food wasn't that good (it was also really expensive), but what is important is the company, which I can say is one of the best! :) I grew and fell in love with this group of lovely people whom I now call as close friends. :) Cheers IMG_1799

We had Salmon Sashimi, Tuna Sushi, and Korean Bimbimbap. It was way expensive. The Salmon was good, the Tuna Sushi was okay. The Bimbimbap wasn't good. Sadly.

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Last but not the least, I was surprised to see two of my favorite people visiting me some time ago (I forgot when this was taken, but I am sure it was last week) in my office. Sheena works for TIEZA, she works in the same building, only her office is in the 6th floor. Yuri works in RMAF, which is at some few streets near my office. Great to have wonderful people near you. Positive energy, good vibes! HUGS!

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Monday, December 20, 2010

Manila's Signature Dishes 2010: Terraces at 5th

Terraces at 5th, a Breakfast at Tiffany’s inspired restaurant, located at G/F Greenbelt 5 offers customers with hearty classic favorite home-cooked dishes that will reward your palate with flavors that will make you smile. Chef Cheryl Pineda warmly greeted us and hurried off to the kitchen to prepare her featured dish, the Roast Angus Beef Belly set.

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We were served the Vegetable Fritata, a light vegetable-quiche-omelette inspired dish, which didn’t taste anything like vegetable. This is actually a good dish for the kids because the vegetables are hidden, and they won’t notice a thing.

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Next up was the Pumpkin Veloute, a pumpkin and carrot soup with Mantecado ice cream, crushed walnuts, popcorn sprouts, which was the best ever pumpkin soup we have ever tried. Maybe it’s the ice cream, maybe it’s the combination of the pumpkin and carrots, but whatever it is, it’s a winner in our book. This is a must try.

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Before the main dish, we were also served Terraces’ CCY Salad, which is made of Prosciutto-wrapped mixed greens and rocket leaves with tomatoes, slices of oranges and Italian buffala cheese in honey-mustard dressing. It was a light, not too sweet, balanced salad, which you will enjoy.

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And for the main course, was the namesake of the set, the Roast Angus Beef Belly in Mushroom Ragu sauce. This dish was cooked in a wild mushroom sauce which made the taste a little bit earthy, but nonetheless, really yummy. The beef was so tender, caused by hours of cooking and mixing well with the sauce and other ingredients. It came with baked vegetables and potatoes on the side. Of course, it came with the Casillero del Diablo red wine, which made it more satisfying.

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For dessert, we were served the Honeyed Panna Cotta. I’ve tasted several panna cotta desserts, and this was a little bit different, maybe because of the honey. It was too sweet for me; the honey didn’t really work well because I associate it with something I drink for my throat. The base panna cotta was still great.

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Terraces at the 5th often changes its menu every 3-6 months. Although such is the case, you can still order your favorite dishes. You just have to request it from the chef, who’ll be more than willing and glad to do it for you.

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Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

Shi Lin at the Podium

Right now, there are a lot of Xiao Long Bao stores opening in Manila. There's Suzhou for one, and Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao, and now, there's Shi Lin restaurant in the 3rd level of The Podium in Pasig.

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We visited a few days after it opened. They say it's one of the version of the famous Din Dai Fung of Taiwan, but I have yet to try it there. It's now a growing trend to have a see-through kitchen where you can observe how they prepare your food.

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Of course, we had to try their Xiao Long Bao, to compare with all others we've tried. We loved it. I say it's one of the best, in you just consider the taste. It's not as big as the ones served in Suzhou, but a crate has 6 pcs in it. Suzhou's shredded ginger and Chinese black vinegar, the one you dip your Xiao Long Bao in, is still the best in my opinion.

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We also got their version of Shrimp and Pork Dumpling, which is equally good. You could taste a good combination of shrimp and pork. Next time I would love to try their Shrimp and Pork Shaomai, which I heard tastes better.

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Another dish we ordered was the Noodles with Spicy Sesame & Peanut Sauce. Although I would say that the dish was a lot smaller than we expected (because the serving size is only good for one) the overall taste is great. The noodles were cooked a bit on the al dente side, and the flavors of the spicy sesame and peanut sauce is just fantastic! I tried mixing it with the rice, and it was just insanely yummy.

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The last dish we got was the Drunken Chicken. It was my first time to be able to sample a cold dry chicken dish served with soup. It was a little bit odd for my taste, but with soy and chili, I guess it worked for me.

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We also tried out their Passion Berry Iced Tea (right) and their Green Mistique Iced Tea (left). I love the latter one, which is what I had :)

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Friday, December 17, 2010

2010 Redesigned Philippine Banknotes and Coins

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) or the Central Bank of the Philippines released yesterday the newly redesigned legal tender banknotes. All of our existing, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1,000 peso denominations will carry these new look:


The new banknotes carry the seal of the Republic of the Philippines and the new logo of the Central Bank. It's the first set of paper money printed with President Aquino's signature on it. Notably, you can see on the other side of the paper money a specific Philippine destination or scenery and a specific Philippine fauna featured in every denomination.

For a numismatist (someone who collects coins and money) like me, this is a great opportunity to enrich my collection. The newly designed set of our country's money not only holds a lot of information promoting Philippines, our destinations, and our wonders, but also, it tells the story of our people. I can't wait to get hold of the new money. Just in time for Christmas...maybe someone can give me one of each? :))


Photo credit from here and here.

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Bordeaux at The Fort’s Burgos Circle for Manila's Signature Dishes 2010

We were in for a treat. I was very excited to visit Bordeaux Wine Bar and Restaurant at Burgos Circle at The Fort. Since it opened almost a year now, I wanted to go there and have a taste of the wines they offer. I have this fascination, or a growing desire to know more, about wines, specifically the red variety.

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Upon arriving at Bordeaux, which was located at the Burgos Circle at The Fort, or Fort Bonifacio Global City, we were met by Chef Edward Narvaez, and his partner Enrique de Castro. They were very warm and gracious in entertaining us.

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That night, Chef Edward prepared for us the Boeuf Bourguignon Set, which consisted of the Boeuf Bourguignon, Gambas ala Rochelle with Pannacotta. On top of the set, Chef Ed prepared another dish, which is the Beef Tenderloin with Triple Sauce (not included in the set). Of course, the set is paired with a Casillero del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon. I would prefer it to be paired with Bordeaux’ white, or in this case, red wine flights (see Bordeaux’ Wine Flights blog post for this)

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The Boeuf Bourguignon was the star of the night, of course, not including the wines Bordeaux has. It was cooked well, the sauce was tasty, and the beef was tender. It was served on top of pasta noodles, with vegetables on the side. The combination was not normal but it worked really well for this dish. This is something I would never get tired of ordering. I love this set!

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The Gambas ala Rochelle didn’t disappoint, the shrimp dish was flavorful and the shrimp were cooked well. I would prefer for it to be spicier. The Pannacotta was prepared really well. This is, probably, one of the best pannacotta dishes I have ever tried. The presentation looks good as well; it came with a dash of chocolate and strawberry syrup with caramelized sugar on top. Two people can share this dish.

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I wish Bordeaux was closer to home, this way, I can easily go there and enjoy this set and, of course, their great selection of wines.

---
Unilever Foodsolutions (UFS), being the preferred foodservice business partners among restaurateurs, felt the need to acknowledge notable restaurants who are developing Manila as a culinary city. They have partnerered with select restaurants within the metropolis in coming up with signature dishes. UFS has synergized with these restaurants, both through dish development and promotion campaign for these signature dishes, in achieving one common goal: coming up with a different culinary experiences that provide value for money and culinary memories for diners.

If you're a restaurateur (or an aspiring one) and in need of help in coming with your signature dish, call (632) 588-8855 or email at foodsolutions.philippines@unilever.com.

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