BEST THING I EVER ATE (Work in Progress)

SALTED FISH FRIED RICE - Zong - the right saltiness and a glorious blend of flavor without upstaging the main event.  It is  low carb diet's nemesis on the loose .

KARE-KARE - Been around the Philippines and back ... noboby can top my Mom's Kare Kare ! Meat almost melting in my mouth ... with a peanut sauce that no one can beat for its taste and goodness . To Aling Gloria ... your the best! This is one of the many reasons why we always come home every weekend.

GRILLED TUNA BELLY
Ang Pulo, Autocamp
Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City

Grilling while you wait and drinking your Sub Zero. Moist and not charred. No put-ons just plain tuna goodness. In combi with vinegar, garlic and capsicum frutescens (siling labuyo) ... Eat by section as it falls off the main meat. Good for 2 drinking buddies.



FAMILY PLATTER - Jamaican Grill
Carlrose Bldg, 288 Pale San Vitores Road
Tumon, Guam
(1-671) 647 3000/ 4000
Email: mailto:mtumon@jamaicangrill.com



The Jerk - BBQ Family Platter $36.95 offers a palatable introduction to the medley of sweet, aromatic, spices that comprise the blend called "jerk seasoning". These spices are primarily chillies, cloves, thyme, cinnamon, ginger, garlic, allspice, and onions, which can be made into a wet paste or rubbed on the surface in its dry form.

The Boston Beach Ribs are succulent - the meat almost falling off the bone, the Kingston BBQ Jerk Chicken is cooked just right and the fish doesn't have the fishy taste. The Fresh Fruit Salad is a refreshing blend of fruits which is not commonly eaten with ribs. I'm a condiments girl but this time ... I'm contented with the taste. The "orange rice" doesn't try to take the center stage of the whole meal ... a very good support of the hearty meal. The fruit juice that comes with the platter is good as well.


KARAAGE (Fried Chicken)- Fuji Ichiban
Pale San Vitores Road
Across Acanta Mall
Tumon, Guam
1-671-647-4555

This chicken dish (Karaage)is superb priced at $4.75. And this won't be complete without the Chahan (fried rice). Simple batter and can stand on its own without gravy. This is a must try.




FISH AND CHIPS - Starfish
Molsworth St.,
Wellington New Zealand

By far, the best fish and chips to-go . Placed inside a brown bag , the fish and chips are crispy and not too oily . Comes with tartar sauce.



Nasi Lemak ( Food Junction, Malaysia ) national dish of Malaysia. This comes as a platter of food wrapped in banana leaf, with cucumber slices, small dried anchovies (ikan bilis), roasted peanuts, hard boiled egg, and hot spicy sauce (sambal) at its core. Rice is soaked in coconut cream and steamed. My fave! Delish!




CYMA CHOPPED SALAD - Cyma
G/F, Greenbelt 2, Ayala , Makati City
729-4387

The House Salad - mixed greens, sundried tomato, peaches, walnuts, parmesan and bleu cheese w/ vinaigrette. A healthy option priced at P320


PIZZA MARGHERITA - Piadina
Glorietta, Makati City

This is best Pizza Margherita without pretensions. Simple mozzarella, tomato and basil in a crust that makes the difference. No chili flakes for Piadina but Passion Oil. For only 180 per pizza ... you can't get that taste and price anywhere else.




PIZZA PANIZZA - C' Italian
Don Juico Ave., Angeles City , Pampanga

Chef is Chris Locher whose pizza is one of the best I have tried . It is a rectangular pizza w/ alfalfa sprouts and arugula leaves w/ cheese or slices of seafood or meat that you have to roll on your own to enjoy the taste.




PINAKBET PIZZA - Herencia
Paoay, Ilocos Norte

Thin crust pizza concocted by Sammy Blas w/ a mix of veggies found on a regular pinakbet like eggplant, tomato,okra and longanisa with fish bagoong as pizza sauce. Mozzarella cheese finishes the gastronomic delight Divine! With the historic Paoay Church on the background ... this is life!



Quattro Formaggio Pizza
Gumbo, The Block, SM City North EDSA
There is something about the crust ... not too salty.



Four Leaves – this is the leading bakery chain in Singapore. Mini World – wide range of mini pastries and buns – YUM-O! My favourite is their version of pigs in a blanket.





YELLOW CURRY (Beef, Pork, Chicken, Shrimp)- Som's Noodle House
Branch 1: Alger St., Poblacion, Makati City
Branch 2: Rotonda, Mandaluyong City

The best for me is the shrimp, their beef is not tender almost needs fighting to tear it using your teeth. I'm not a big fan of curry - but this one ... I'd order each time I'd go there. It is subtle and creamy w/o being too thick. Php: 150.00



SIZZLING BEEF - SR Thai Cuisine
965 P. Noval St., Sampaloc
Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines
Phone Number: (63 2) 734-5443

Simple and tastes very good. Beef was marinated in Thai spices and served in a sizzling plate with a piece of tomato and 2 string beans. This is served with a generous serving of rice already. Php: 70.00


PAD THAI - Delice by Nicole Cruz
Private Caterer - contact me if needed

I'm biased ... this is the best I've tasted. A dish of stir-fried rice noodles with eggs, fish sauce, tamarind juice, red chilli pepper, plus any combination of bean sprouts, shrimp, chicken, or tofu, garnished with crushed peanuts, coriander and lime, the juice of which can be added along with Thai condiments. Pad Thai is one of Thailand's national dishes.



Curry laksa (Pondok , Rasapura Masters, Marina Bay Sands Singapore ) - (in many places referred to simply as “laksa”) is a coconut-based curry soup. The main ingredients for most versions of curry laksa include tofu puffs, fish sticks, shrimp and cockles. Laksa is commonly served with a spoonful of sambal chilli paste and garnished with Vietnamese coriander, or laksa leaf. Yum-O!



BAKED OYSTER - Via Mare
Shangri-La Mall - 632-0350
Greenbelt
Serendra
Alabang

And true to its namesake, Via Mare, which means 'by the sea' ... one of their best dishes is the the Baked Oyster, whose five dishes are baked in five styles of modern cuisine. But you can order combination platter to taste all of them

1. Oyster in Dubbary Toppings ( cauliflower w/ creamy cheese sauce )
2. Oyster w/ Mushroom Ragout (combination of shiitake, champignon and oyster mushrooms with chopped tomatoes and herbs )
3. Oyster Boursin ( With 3 cheese blend, garlic and herbs )
4. Oyster Parmesan (With garlic butter and Parmesan cheese) * best of the 5
5. Oysters Rockefeller ( With spinach, bacon and 3 cheese blend )

It can be eaten as is . Some wants it eaten w/ hot sauce and liquid seasoning while others eat it w/ freshly sliced parmesan cheese and chili flakes. Best taken w/ Sub Zero San Mig Light with a good dose of very witty conversation to boot. It is a good relaxing conclusion to a toxic day ... it makes me wonder , what makes it an aphrodisiac . Some says it's the zinc ... my answer? it's the visual impact of the oyster :) It is highly suggestive of better things to do at night than talk.




LECHON (suckling Pig ) - Alejos from Cebu City

Crunchy ... soft meat ... no need for sauce




Sinful Chocolate Cake - Ala Creme
Angeles City

Sinfully delicious chocolate cake w/ you-can't-get-enough-of-walnuts mix . Delish!


UST Dirty IceCream owned by JR (pronounced as Gee-R) - roving around UST Grounds
Espana, Manila

IN chocolate, cookies n cream and cheese flavors, this icecream stand has been an iconic figure in the UST Grounds for 37 years now. He can go to your party and serve his icecream ,,, just let him know a day or two.


Macadamia Nut Ice Cream - Haagen Dasz
Glorietta
Shangri-La Mall, 1st Floor

In vanilla ice cream ... this literally melts in your mouth without hiding behind the sugar ... pure and simple ... mixed with macadamia nuts. Premiumly priced at Php 175 per scoop ... this is not your ordinary everyday treat... but a palate luxury.







BEST CHOCOLATES ... my NUTTY obssessions

1. Whittaker's White Macadamia - 1896 New Zealand ( introduced to me in NZ) The name says it all ...



2. Kirkland's Macadamia Nut Clusters - from the US - decadent sweet-and-salty combinations. Fine-quality macadamia nuts from Hawaii are lightly dusted with sugar and salt, covered in soft, creamy caramel to form clusters and then enrobed in chocolate( introduced by Dr. Rino Sobrepena )




3. Ritter Sport's White Whole Hazelnut and Whole Hazelnuts - Germany - the hazelnut is Turkish, Crunchy and Perfect!






4. Reese's Peanut Butter Cups - by Hershey's ... you can't go wrong w/ Peanut Butter ... the goodness of creamy REESE'S peanut butter covered in delicious milk chocolate.




5. Almond Joy - almonds and coconuts ... divine . It's a candy bar manufactured by Hershey's. It consists of a coconut-based center topped with an almond and enrobed in a layer of milk chocolate.( introduced by Essie Elwick )



6. Peanut Butter M & Ms (Introduced by Essie Elwick ) ... looking for something different under the shell?




7. Ferrero Rocher - is a spherical chocolate sweet made by Italian chocolatier Ferrero SpA, the producer of Tic Tac and Nutella. The chocolates consist of a whole roasted hazelnut encased in a thin wafer shell filled with hazelnut cream and covered in milk chocolate and chopped hazelnuts and walnuts. Rocher actually comes from French and means "rock".




Ferrero Raffaello – a half almond, surrounded by meringue and milk cream, encased in coconut wafer coated with coconut flakes ... yum yum yum




8. Beryl's Panned Chocolate (Almond Milk Chocolate) - Beryl's
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Individual bites of heaven ... need i say more



9. Reese’s Nutrageous Candy Bar (Hershey's Store, Singapore ) is made with chocolate and loaded with crunchy roasted peanuts, smooth rich caramel and the distinctive taste of REESE’S peanut butter





This is revealing what makes me happy and is a part of what I am now, knowing what I want and standing up for it. This is my journey to the delights of the tongue and the palate . The trip which added additional fat deposits to my love handles ( as if it needs more ). This is a continuing saga of my love affair with food , loving each moment, enjoying every bite. An almost sensual experience of taste and texture. Bon Appetit!