Malaysian-Thai Dinner on a Banana Leaf

no plates... just banana leaves!

It was already about closing time when I reached Trinoma. Shops were already closing I didn't get there soon enough to find a pair of shoes that I was supposed to wear to a wedding the following day, thus we decided to just get something to eat. Since most of the shops inside were already closing, we headed to the fourth level where most restos and food bars are located. We scouted the area and saw Banana Leaf. I remember eating there one lunch about  years ago. It was where we celebrated his graduation day. I remember that the food tasted great but we haven't been able to return to any of its branches since.

Pad Thai-Banana Leaf style tastes more like char kuey chow

at first I thought it was all shreds... Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb

 Food Ordered: Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb and Pad Thai-Banana Leaf Style; Iced Malaysian Tarik and Iced Milk Tea Hong Kong Style for the drinks

Location: Banana Leaf, Trinoma

Cost: P238 Black Curry Lamb; P188 Pad Thai; drinks P68 each

while waiting

She says...

The food here tastes great. The wok fried black curry lamb (what a really lengthy name for a dish!) is really flavorful. It is mildly spicy that makes it really acceptable for those people who wants their food spiced but not flaming hot. The shreds that coated the lamb, presumably grated coconut added a pleasant texture to the dish. The pad thai noodles banana leaf style ('coz they also have a pad thai-thai style) tasted more like the char kuey chow we had in Genting Highlands in Malaysia.  The flat rice noodles was cooked just enough so that it ain't sloppy. Soy sauce was predominant in this dish while the bean sprouts added a juicy, crunchy texture. Eating them all in a banana leaf makes dining here extraordinary and pleasant. The Malaysia Tarik complemented the dishes that we had. It has that sweet creamy taste resembling a caramel toffee. 

She rates: 4/5 Wok Fried Black Curry Lamb; 3.5/5 Pad Thai-Banana Leaf Style; 3.5/5 Malaysia Tarik

 

taller tarik, stouter HK style iced milk teas

He says...

I've always liked Banana Leaf restaurant since the first time I ate there some years back. This visit is very special because we probably ordered their best foods yet!

The Pad Thai noodles reminded mo my favorite noodles back when I went to Malaysia, only tastier. This noodle had mo ingredients than before.

The lamb dish was excellent! It had a spicy flavor which I favor (rhyme!). Too bad we were a bit full then or I would have eaten them all there.

He rates: 5/5 for everything!

An Afternoon Tea Party

a cup of hot Moroccan Mint Tea Latte

It's been raining hard all day, but despite that, we had to do a lot of errands that involved travelling from end to end across cities. To start with, we had a scheduled client appointment that very morning which got eventually cancelled due to "Typhoon Kabayan." Afterwards, we had to process are license renewal at PRC. Even though it was raining hard, we decided to go to PRC since we felt that the lines won't be long this time. (Most of the time, when you get there at 8am, the waiting line is tremendously long!) Indeed we were right. In just an hour, we both finished the renewal process despite having to go to and from across the street for the needed photocopy and paste.

We then headed to Trinoma as I needed to attend a meeting with my partners. since we got there early, we decided to sip some tea. (At least that's what I thought.) Anyway, we headed to Coffee Bean and I ordered a regular-sized vanilla tea latte and a Moroccan mint latte along with a chocolate chip cookie. I thought he wanted it hot since it's been cold all day only to find out he wanted the iced tea variant. He couldn't do anything though thus he just had to make do and wait for the cup of hot tea to cool down.

a cup of hot Vanilla Tea Latte

Location: Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Trinoma, Quezon City

Food Ordered: Vanilla Tea Latte, Moroccan Mint Latte, Chocolate Chip Cookie

alost forgot to take a photo of the cookie!

She says...

I always like hot tea.I find them really calming. I especially like sipping on hot tea after a really heavy meal.   But I usually drink tea with just sugar or honey added. This is the first time I've actually tried drinking a tea latte. Since moroccan mint is my favorite tea variant, I opted to drink that one although I did try to taste the vanilla tea latte. The moroccan mint had a bolder and richer taste. I like it better thatn the vanilla tea latte since the latter was more milky in taste. The chocolate chip cookie on the other hand was nice. It wasn't oily and it just had the right texture, not too soft, not too hard either. The sweetness was also mild. I liked it.

She rates... 3.5/5 Vanila Tea latte,  4/5 Moroccan Mint Latte, 4/5 Chocolate Chip Cookies

in a really serious "work more" (DO NOT DISTURB)

Hawaiian Mid-afternoon Snack-out

doesn't look like a resto from afar...

We were out to meet someone at UP Ayala Techno-Hub when we spotted this interestingly blue colored store that lie amidst all the different restos that forms a semi circle food hub. From afar, it didn't look anything like a resto. Compared to the rest of the food shoppes in the area, this one looked surprisingly lonely.... Had it not been for the poster with an ice cream on it, one would really think that it was an outlet store selling surfing gears.

Anyhow, we went inside and saw that it was indeed quiet. Just one man was seated in one of it's tables. We proceeded to order at the counter. It's like a fast-food chain, you place your order, pay at the counter, then after a while, your name will be called to pick up the goodies from the counter. We tried out their "best seller" wipe out burger and had cheese added to it. We also tried out their phat fries, which notably had fatter potato slices compared to most fries. For our drinks, she had a north shore pine iced tea, while he had the regular lemon iced tea.

burger to wipe out your hunger, 1/3lb beef patty!

Location: Hawaii's North Shore, UP-Ayala Techno-Hub
Food Ordered and Cost: Wipe Out Burger 1/3 lb patty-P165, add-on Cheddar Cheese-P15, Phat Fries-P60, North Shore Pine Tea (regular)-P60, Lemon Tea (large)-P50
Total Cost:P350

dining on a surfboard!

She says...

I like the ambiance of the place. They play soft but not sleepy kind of music. The surf board tables were really cute! As for the burger, it was really juicy. The patty was soft and tender. It was not like some other burger which have very rubbery and rigid patties. I also like the dressing that they placed on the burger, it had an adequate mix of sweetness, sourness, and yumminess. I also like how they sliced up the veggie into bits and pieces as it's often annoying when the lettuce just comes off when you bite off a burger.

The fries on the other hand was alright. It was not so crunchy but it wasn't flabby either. But like any other fries, it felt really fat-loaded.

The pine tea was interesting. It was not your usually iced tea. It had a hint of raspberry and a bit minty, just a little. Most importantly, it just had the right amount of sweetness.

Oh, I also received a freebie, a vanilla ice cream twirl since our bill had exceeded P180. Despite the rainy and cold weather, I enjoyed it so much. It actually had nothing fancy on it. It was just plain vanilla ice cream, but sometimes simple flavors, as long as they are full, can really make our palates happy.

She rates: 3.5/5 Wipe Out Burger, 3.5/5 Phat Fries, 4/5 Pine Tea, 4/5 Vanilla Iced Cream

pine or lemon?

phat or fat?

He says....

When I first saw their sign, I thought "What the heck? Hawaiian theme is sooo late 80s!" I went inside expecting some native-ish decor and hawaiian shirts and skirts but I was surprised that by Hawaiian they actually meant surfboards. They had surfboards for table.

Fancy.

This is a new food shop so we ordered their best selling stuff which is the burger. Amusing thing about their burger is that aside from the typical burger ingredients, you can add ingredients to them depending on your taste. We added cheese.

There were a few customers in the place so I expected their food to suck. They didn't. The burger, although not as dense and thick as the other burgers of its price range, was very delicious.

We also had their phat fries. They're thickly cut fries served with tomato. We ordered two. It was that good.

I don't know why there were so few people there. Maybe because it was raining really hard that day.

He rates...

4/5

A Really Confusing Dinner

this place I think, used to be a car repair shop

ChickBoy is not a boy who has a lot of chicks (girls) or neither is it a half boy and half chick (again, girl). This is actually the name of the restaurant. They rode on the name's loaded meaning to probably try to jump start their business' notoriety and therefore it's popularity.

We've been passing by this restaurant for quite sometime now since it's very close to our home. We just never really got to going in because of 1) the parking is always full, 2) restaurants that use puns are usually cheap and disgusting, and 3) the restaurant was formerly a car repair shop (if I remember correctly). This time we got a parking (sort of) and I was feeling curious.

Their specialties are chicken (Chick) and pig or baboy (Boy) in Filipino but they also have seafoods and vegetables. This restaurant also offers liquor which suggests that this is a sort of hangout place for drinkers on a Friday night.

For this visit we tried their Lechon meal, calamares fritos, eggplant and, the ever present, iced tea.

not so 'fatty' lechon bits

Location: ChickBoy, Timog Ave., Quezon City

Food Ordered and Cost: Lechon Meal P99, Calamares Fritos P150, 

Eggplant P25, Iced Tea (bottomless) P35

He says...

side-street calamares tastes even better :( 

I was a bit panicked when ordering because there was so many food and Anne was already pressuring me to pick an order so I ended up choosing the calamares fritos. The calameres itself was cooked well and the quality of the squid was excellent because it didn't feel like I was eating rubber but calamares is usually complimented by its sauce. This wasn't. We were given mayonnaise for dip. It's disgusting.

The lechon on the other hand was great! It tasted like it came from a freshly roasted pig unlike most grilled or roasted pork meat I've tasted so far. It was well matched by the sauce -- a semi-sticky mix of I-don't-know-what-but-I-like-it. It's the best lechon I've tasted ever and I regret not ordering two of this.

I did't taste the eggplant because it didn't look inviting so only Anne ate it (also because it was her order). The iced tea was very regular and no different from the ones you can make at home with ready to mix iced tea.

He rates: 5/5 lechon; 2/5 calamares; 3/5 iced tea.

he says this tastes like 'sock soup', I beg to disagree

She says...

I like how fast they served the orders. It was really amazing. If you're so hungry I guess this is the place for you. Apart from that I think they do offer unlimited rice (something which we didn't avail as "we're on a diet").

As for the food we ordered, the lechon was really yummy. I like how flavorful the roasted pork meat tasted. It also had an easy to chew-on consistency which is a major plus factor. I initially thought I would need a vinegar-garlic-salt combo for the dip but then when I tried out their sticky and clear looking sauce, it was perfect! It had the right amount of vinegar and condiments that truly made the lechon even more yummy.

pure sugar iced tea, no need for dessert!

The other food we ordered we really disappointing though. The calamari was soft, crunch and easy to chew but it merely tasted like fried flour. Even with the mayo siding, the taste did not improve.

The eggplant with bagoong on the side was alright. I looked boiled but it appeared oily. They didn't use fresh eggplant. I know this because the eggplant's texture was really rubbery.... really awful.

The free soup on the other hand was tasty. It was just a simple meat broth that reminded me of the soup my mom prepares when I'm sick.

Lastly, I really don't like their iced tea. It's so sweet. It had too much sugar in it.

She rates:  5/5 lechon, 2/5 eggplant ,  1/5 calamari,  2.5/5 iced tea

Alain's Exploits: The Tea Republic

Waiting is a tedious task. It's unproductive and mind-numbingly boring. I've never been a fan of waiting (just ask Anne) so when I  went to an interview, I went very early. I was presented with the problem of how to ease my mind while waiting for the set schedule. Then just like a lightbulb lighting up in old cartoons, I was presented with a counter-action plan of my own: Eat!

I was quite lucky since I was waiting at the Enterprise Bldg Tower 2 in Makati, which is home to several  cafes and restos. I spotted The Tea Republic, a place I rarely go to.

*Looks at lower right* Perfect!

The place itself is cozy. The lighting and the decor matches the furnitures, the wall and the floor. The chairs are comfortable and the place is airconditioned. There is WiFi if you have a WiFi capable device (smartphones, tablets, netbooks, notebooks, etc). If you're waiting for your date, this place will be your Nirvana.

Classy Almost.. foreign.

This was early in the morning (around 8AM) so I opted for their breakfast sets. Being in Makati, which is probably the biggest business center in the Philippines and where a lot of foreigners are, I tried some of the American Breakfast meal. It is made up of waffles, bacon and egg. I partnered that with iced tea (not American but still foreign).

If you weren't hungry before, you're hungry now.

It's no wonder this combo is very popular in the US and in many restaurants pretending to be from the US. The combination itself is excellent. The sweet sweet fat from the bacon compliments the egg's taste and coupled with the oil absorbing properties of the waffles, you enjoy the trio with no problem.

This is probably also because the bacon and waffles they used were of top quality. I'm a fan of bacon and I'm not afraid to admit it. Anne doesn't like me liking it but I do and I know when a bacon is very good or very cheap. The waffles had a slightly sweet taste which you can enhance with the honey, although, overdosing it with honey is not recommended because it will taste weird (I tried it).

A close up: Are you hungry now?

I have to say this is the best American breakfast I've tasted EVER.

Ratings:

Place: 4.5/5

Food: 5/5

Drink: 4/5

An Evening in Muang Thai

half serving of pad thai noodles @Muang Thai

Just finished a session of Aikido at the Philippine Heart Center dojo and we were so hungry. We thought of eating in the nearby concessionaires like Jollibee and Chow King but felt we needed something new, something different on our palates. Thus just a few strides behind Philippine Heart Center, along Malakas St. I think, we found a resto, Muang Thai, that looks like a cute house. It's just close to McDonald's (which is currently on renovation) and just right beside Pancake House. They serve authentic Thai cuisine as well as sell embellishments that bear Thai influence like pots and serving bowls as well as other goodies. 

We ordered half binagoongan rice, half pad thai noodles (yes, although not stated in their menu, they do allow you to order just half-a-serving), and grilled pork. We also had house iced tea for their drink.

half serving of binagoongan rice @Muang Thai

grilled pork on a hot plate @Muang Thai

Location: Muang Thai, Malakas St.

Food Ordered: 1/2 Pad Thai Noodles, 1/2 Binagoongan Rice, Grilled Pork, 2 Bottomless Iced Tea

Cost: Total of P508 (Can't give you a breakdown, my apologies)

in my favorite corner spot...

She says...

I loved Pad Thai noodles. The texture of the noodles was just right, 'al dente' perhaps. It was really flavorful and had a certain nutty taste owing to the crushed peanuts that topped the the noodles. The binagoongan rice was just as yummy. It was topped with caramelized pork, strips of green mango, and strips of egg omelet. The different textures and tastes was just perfectly in harmony with each other. The grilled pork on the other hand tasted like any other marinated pork, however, when we poured the sauce over the pork, which was served in a sizzling pan, there was a significant difference in taste, a bit sweet, a bit salty, and truly meaty taste. The iced tea on the other hand was just your normal sweet cold iced tea.

third refill...

What I like about the place on the other hand was its homey feel. It was like an old house with tables and chair made of hard wood (seats were not cushioned). The large water fountain on the side added a relaxing feeing to the total ambience of the place. The people there were pleasant and most of all, they give additional discount to PHC employees!

She rates: Pad Thai: 5/5, Binagoongan Rice: 4.5/5, Grilled pork: 4.5/5, Iced Tea: 3/5, Place: 4/5, Service: 4/5

He says...

I love this place. The food is very compatible with my taste and yet so unique in its own way. The Pad Thai noodles was especially delicious. I cannot recommend it enough. It is one of the most delicious pasta-like food stuff out there, even better than our own pancits.

The Grilled Pork was also delicious if you mix it with their vinegar mix. Without the vinegar it tastes just like an average steak but with it, it becomes the most delicious.

He rates: 5/5 for the food. 3/5 for the iced tea.

A Burger to Crave For

Crave Burger Combo 1

We were in BGC to settle some things at a condo and do some clean up when we got hungry. Not much options there but we did saw a small stall right behind the corner, Crave Burgers. We ordered their classic combo meal which contains a burger, skinny fries, and a red iced tea or blue lemonade of your choice. We had the drinks upsized for P10 additional. The offered free delivery service with no extra charge since our unit was nearby.

the burger @Crave

the skinny fries @Crave

Location: Crave Burger, Bonifacio Global City

Food Ordered: Combo 1= single patty crave burger, skinny fries, red iced tea

Cost: P190 (additional P10 for upsizing the drinks to 16 oz.)

She says...

The burger was huge. It had to be, since this is quite expensive for a  burger. The beef patty  was grilled, didn't experience dripping oil as I ate it although some parts were not well done. It was flavorful and the lettuce and tomatoes were fresh. The didn't put mayo or anything on it but you have the option to  add them to your liking. Included in their pack was 3 small cups, one containing mayo, the other ketchup, and the last one had mustard. The skinny fries were large slices of fried potato pieces. Real potato, that is. It wasn't oily either. The red iced tea went well with the burger. The meal was really heavy on the tummy, it made me so sleepy after consuming the meal.

She rate: 4/5

He says...

This thing is humongous! Being a person raised on local burgers, I'm still amazed by how big some burgers can be. This is probably due to its American origin -- they are huge people. Crave burger is one of the big ones I've seen locally and we just ordered the single patty version.

The burger was tasty enough. The people at Crave Burgers are kind enough to give us different types of sauce unlike they typical, ketchup from other stores. I suppose that's to be expected if the burger costs that much. You can choose which sauces suit your taste or you do it pinoy way and just put it all there. Eating the burger with the fries was great. It adds that much needed saltiness to the burger.

My order came with red tea. It was delicious and with just the right sweetness but it wasn't on the level of a certain "japanese" unlimited rice fastfood shop.

He rates: 4/5