Category Archives: Asian Cuisine

Yummy Yum Cha at Tim Ho Wan

30 Thursday May 2019

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Tim Ho Wan has always prided itself in being “the world’s cheapest Michelin-star restaurant.” The term Michelin, after all, elevates any restaurant that has been awarded such an honor. Technically speaking, though, only its branches in North Point, Tai Kok, and Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong received one Michelin star each back in 2015. So far. Be that as it may, Tim Ho Wan, whichever branch you go to for dim sum, is a preferred spot for the yummiest yum cha.

Especially their heavenly Baked BBQ Pork Bun! Everybody’s favorite, of course. What with that succulently tenderest pork bathed in a sweet-savory sauce oozing out of a soft cloud of biscuity dough. What’s not to love?

Be prepared to wait for a table. There does not seem to be an hour when there is no queue for these delicious and reasonably priced yum cha.

What is the plural of lanzones?

27 Monday Aug 2018

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Lanzoneses?

Whatever it is, I look forward to enjoying this fruit come August-September, when it is in season. The provinces of Laguna, Butuan, and Cagayan de Oro and the island of Camiguin are famous for the sweetest lanzoneses. In fact, on the 3rd week of October, Camiguin holds its 4-day Lanzones Festival. Great reason to visit the island!

These ones here are from Cagayan de Oro. And they are all incredibly sweet. Not peachy-sweet, but sweet with a touch of tartness, like most Asian fruits. In my mind, I judge the sweetness of the fruit by its firm flesh that has a little give and some brown marks. For me, those marks indicate the qualities of ripeness and sweetness. It also helps when the black ants come in droves, crawling all over the bunches, and get into a sugar orgy.

Interestingly enough, sweet as it can be, it’s a good choice of snack for those with diabetes, as it can actually help improve the body’s glucose levels.

Legend has it that the word “lanzones” is derived from lason, meaning poison. There was a time, they say, when the fruits were poisonous. To make a long story short, Mother Mary put her thumbmark on the fruit to remove the poison and made it sweet, juicy, and safe to eat.

Well, any fruit with a divine blessing is definitely a fave for me. And now that it’s in season, I’m having my fill of lanzoneses…es.

WARUNG — Comfort Food of Indonesia

12 Thursday Apr 2018

Posted by in Asian Cuisine, Indonesian cuisine

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Driving down the winding East Capitol Drive at Pasig’s Kapitolyo, we came upon a lovely mid-century house in which the best home-cooked Indonesian food I have so far enjoyed in Manila is served. Warung Kapitolyo.

You’ll know you’re there when you see this intricately carved wooden doorway in front. Simply drive up (there is parking inside) and walk into the house’s warm and welcoming interiors. The high ceilings, the open-spaced set-up, the touches of traditional Indonesian embellishments… but, most of all, the friendly and genial hospitality of owners Louh Decena and Tess Doctora and their wonderful staff … all combine to make anyone feel right gladly received and at ease.

In a nutshell, Louh and her sister Tess have lived as expats in Jakarta for decades. When they returned to the Philippines, they decided to bring home with them the flavors of Indonesian cuisine that they learned to love. Louh admitted that they really knew next to nothing about running a restaurant business. In fact, Louh herself will admit that she is not a trained professional cook. What she did know was how to cook the traditional Indonesian food she and her sister had learned to love all those years. So they took a chance and, with the help of Indonesian experts, set up Warung in Kapitolyo. From fine-tuning the recipes and facilitating staff training to the design and aesthetics of the house they bought and renovated to provide that wonderfully homey Indonesian atmosphere, Warung came into being.

They make it a point, as much as possible, to use authentic Indonesian ingredients and spices, making their own sambal, saus kacang (peanut sauce), and tempeh (which is like tofu but better, tastier, and healthier). They even grow their own Indonesian chillies and herbs to ensure that the flavors are as true to the cuisine as possible. But they also bring in special Indonesian ingredients which cannot be found here, even the butter. The result is dishes which are homey, uncomplicated, and delicious Indonesian comfort food.

Warung Kapitolyo is on 83 East Capitol Drive in Pasig. It’s open from Monday to Saturday, from lunch to dinner. To make reservations, you may call 0917.534.7089. On Sundays, you can drop by their stall at the Legazpi Sunday Market in Makati and get your Indonesian food fix right there and then or to go. Warung, after all, means a stall or stand in Bahasa.

 

Araya Ramen

09 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in Asian Cuisine, Ramen and all things Japanese, Restaurants

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Araya Ramen restaurant sits unobtrusively beside the exit ramp and beneath the De la Rosa Car Park 1 in Legaspi Village in Makati. It reminds me a lot of Tokyo’s small ramen-yas in and underneath the city’s train stations, serving quick and simple but good and hearty steaming bowls of ramen for the harried workers and the time-pressed salarymen.

It’s a tiny and rather cramped space, with a long counter facing the kitchen and a few tables along the side. Not a spot for lingering around and chatting. Slurp your ramen and eat your gyoza or whatever siding you want — there are others waiting their turn for a quick and satisfying meal before heading back to work or home.

Funnily enough, according to the Urban Dictionary, araya means “A drop-dead gorgeous girl who can be ugly at times but really beautiful. She’s such a flirt, she’s a cutie, she loves to text but mostly call! She’s a cheerleader most of the time and a ninja the rest.” That’s a funny definition. I also learned that Araya means “‘wild valley’ or ‘new valley’ in eastern Japan and pronounced Aratani in western Japan.”

No idea which one applies to the name of the restaurant but Araya Ramen can be found along De la Rosa St. below the De la Rosa Car Park 1, the one nearest to Greenbelt 5. I also don’t know if they accept reservations but you can call 888-4422 to make sure.

FOOD MEMORIES : The Kapow of Cua pao

29 Friday Sep 2017

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GOOD FOOD + GOOD FRIENDS + GOOD MEMORIES = one of the best combinations to a Good Life! And somehow, an online chat with friends suddenly brought on wonderful memories of the 80s and triggered a craving for CUA PAO AT EMER’S!

EMER’S — an unpretentious and modest Chinese restaurant located at the lower ground floor of Makati Square (once called “Makati Cinema Square” but now the cinemas are gone), surrounded by the most interesting (and some pretty tacky) stores selling DVDs (although in the 80s, they were more of laser discs and VHS tapes) of films and TV series, CDs and LPs of music both obscure and popular, second-hand books and magazines at Booksale, as well as “PX” goods, firearms and ammunition, vintage furniture, even gaudy gowns and cheap imported clothes, and many many more other goods.

EMER’S, I believe, is as old as the mall itself. Makati (Cinema) Square was, way way back then in the 80s, the gang’s hangout for our weekly billiards, bowling, and beer sessions. And Emer’s was our favorite go-to place for our cua pao and pancit fix, after browsing around the shops. More than 30 years later, I still crave their cua pao, happy to relive fun memories of the wild and wacky 80s with every bite.

Cua pao — or Gua bao, as it is properly called — is the Taiwanese rendition of a pork belly sandwich. It is usually a bao or steamed bun stuffed with slices of slow-braised pork belly, tender and succulent, which are combined with stir-fried pickled mustard greens (or suan cai), wansuy (aka cilantro), and sweet ground peanuts. I read that Gua Bao literally means “tiger bites pig” because the mouth of the bun is like a tiger’s chewing on a pig. Not exactly an appetizing image, but okay.

The first time I had cua pao was at Empress (or was it Emerald) Garden in Ermita, way back in the late 70s, a stone’s throw from my office. And I fell in love with it ever since. And I discovered it at Emer’s when I transferred to an office which was just a few blocks from then-Makati Cinema Square. That delectably soft steamed bun that enfolded those delicious umami, salty, sweet, pungent, and fresh Oriental flavors, all together in an amalgam of interesting textures. What’s not to love?

The cua pao at Emer’s is still as good as I remembered, except that there seems to be less meat now. And I miss the sprigs of cilantro that comes with it. Otherwise, the flavors are there. And it satisfied my food memory craving. Plus, all the other signature dishes of the restaurant — Crab Fuyong, Garlic Chicken, Crispy Bean Curd, etc — are still just as good. But we forgot to order their famous Pata Tim! A good reason to come back the next time… and create new food memories.

The Mile Long tenants will soon be leaving the place but, thankfully, Makati Square where Emer’s is will still be around. Emer’s Food Center is at the Lower Ground Floor. For reservations, you can call 811-1833 or 843-6113.

Ramen? You sure can, Yushoken!

28 Friday Jul 2017

Posted by in Asian Cuisine, Noshes in my Neighborhood, Ramen and all things Japanese, Restaurants, Southern Spots

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Don’t ask me why but, for me, rainy days = ramen! Steaming hot and richly flavorful broth, fresh and firm noodles, comfort food happiness. And when I need a ramen fix, I go to Yushoken at the Molito Complex in Alabang.

When Yushoken Ramen burst into the scene at the height of the ramen rage a few years ago, I was ecstatic. Created in partnership between Elbert Cuenca and Ryan Cruz and working with the great Ramen Chef Champions of Japan, headed by the “ramen god” Kazuo Yamagishi, it is definitely not your run-of-the-mill ramen house. Koji Tashiro, a ramen champion and chosen heir of Yamagishi, has provided his own ramen recipes.

Yushoken claims to offer the ideal balance of broth, ramen, and toppings for the most authentic ramen experience. The Tonkotsu broth is deeply flavorful and rich with pork bone marrow and collagen, distilled from hours and hours of boiling and simmering. And the noodles are made fresh right in the restaurant every day, using water that has the right alkaline level which guarantees the perfect texture. The same goes with the wrapper for their excellent gyoza. My personal opinion — it’s the best gyoza I have ever had! Needless to say, the pork and the toppings are absolutely divine. And don’t forget to order the aji tamago (or, more precisely, ajitsuke tamago) to go with your bowl of ramen. Every little bit and ingredient that goes into each bowl of Yushoken ramen is painstakingly prepared and executed to guarantee the perfectly authentic and umami-full experience.

Without question, it lives up to its name. Yusho = champion and ken = house. It is, I’m sure you’ll agree, a house of champions!

By the way… sorry but not sorry — no take-outs, no doggie bags. The ramen MUST be experienced right here and now — fresh, at the peak of their delicious perfection.

No reservations either. Take a chance there’ll be a seat for you. It will be worth it.

Savoring Sogamiga

15 Wednesday Mar 2017

Posted by in Asian Cuisine, Noshes in my Neighborhood, Restaurants, Southern Spots

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Sogamiga means “House with Special Beef”, or so I read somewhere. It is the first of two Korean restaurants set up in Alabang, a long long time ago, at the height of the Korean migrants’ influx into the country. Darkly lit, both outside and inside, tucked in a corner just beside the perimeter fence of what is now the Molito Complex, almost as if its spot was deliberately chosen to be inconspicuous. Like a mysterious, shadowy figure in whodunnits. Or was that merely my imagination, fuelled by unsubstantiated whisperings? You see, rumor had it that it was owned by a Korean gangster boss and this was either a meeting place for his cohorts and other unsavory characters or a venue for money-laundering. Hmm. Just a rumor, mind you! It’s possibly some tale concocted by the waitresses serving us, claiming the staff were made to live in strictly guarded dorms. Or it was merely a fascinating but exaggerated story circulating among the residents. Whatever and whichever, the place had back then a mystique about it and that merely added flavor to the excellent wagyu rib-eye barbecue! What was definitely clear-as-day real was its delicious, authentic Korean food!

Today, Sogamiga stands prominent and brightly lit, both outside and inside. In fact, now, it seems almost undistinguished, ordinary, and… well, legit, so to speak. Still at that corner beside the perimeter wall. The menu has expanded from just the grilled meats to page after page of an extensive selection of classic Korean dishes. From Gun Mandu — similar to deep-fried Japanese gyoza but as large as a full empanada — to the traditional Bibimbap (rice toppings cooked in a hot stone pot) to Japchae (stir-fried sweet potato pancit). They still have, of course, the wagyu rib-eye barbecue for which they are known for.

For me, the prices are a bit high versus your typical Korean restaurant, but at least the food is authentic and delicious. Just ask the loyal Korean patrons who frequent the place. The restaurant is quite large and I have never seen it full to capacity but, just to be sure, you may call 8073008 to reserve a table or room. Sogamiga is at the back of where BMW Autozentrum is in the Molito Complex in Alabang.

The Merlion — where Singaporean cuisine roars

28 Tuesday Feb 2017

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Everyone is familiar with the merlion, that iconic representation of Singapore. It is a mythical creature with a lion’s head and the body of a fish, designed to be the logo for the Singapore Tourism Board back in the early 60s. Nothing mythical or imaginary, though, about the authenticity of the food at the Merlion’s Cuisine. It’s a Singaporean cuisine restaurant at the EVIA Mall on Daang-Hari Road in Las Piñas. Its full name seems to be Merlion’s Cuisine A Truly Singapore Restaurant. Whew, that’s a mouthful! But its spicy and delicious mouthfuls of great Singaporean dishes do not disappoint.

It was the unexpected sight of perfectly roasted ducks and chickens hanging from their window while walking beneath a faux sky in a pseudo-Venetian plaza which drew us in. We walked in to a clean and modern space — basic and nothing fancy yet tasteful, which I think reflects the owner’s food philosophy.

While waiting for our main dishes, we had Roti Prata for starters, dipped in their rich and spicy Beef Curry. Hoo, hot and tasty! Our appetites were definitely honed for more. Everything we ordered was delicious and tasted authentic, much like in the great hawker food tradition of Singapore. Especially the Laksa — they serve Chicken Laksa on weekdays and Shrimp Laksa on weekends only. It had just the right kick of spiciness and the curry-coconut soup was superb! The prices were most reasonable and the service was excellent, too. The chef/owner himself is Singaporean but that’s all I know about him. Whoever he is, I’m glad he opened this restaurant here. We are definitely coming back for more.

Merlion’s Cuisine is on the Ground Floor of Evia Lifestyle Center — a Villar-owned mall along Daang-Hari Road in Las Piñas. To reserve a table, call +63917.6289877 or +63917.7113743.

 

 

Taste your way around Asia

30 Friday Sep 2016

Posted by in Asian Cuisine, Food & Travel

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If you’ve been to Singapore, you may have heard of Makansutra — that outdoor dining area in what is called Glutton’s Bay by the Esplanade Mall of the Marina, overlooking part of the F1 “racetrack” on Raffles Avenue. It was put together and put up by Singapore’s “Guru of Grub”, K.F. Seetoh, and named after his Singapore hawker food guide book of the same name. You may have heard of him? He had a TV food show on TLC called “The Food Surprise” where he’d raid and ambush restaurants all over Asia, including the Philippines, to find the best food that these offer. At the Makansutra hawker food center, you’ll find stalls which feature both classic and new street food by select purveyors. Even Gerry’s Grill is there! But you don’t have to fly to Singapore to give it a try.

Makansutra is now in the Philippines! This famed hawker center was set up in partnership with a group of young Filipino investors, foremost of whom are our own local gurus of grub, the inimitable and affable JJ Yulo (Pinoy Eats World, Supermanly Eats) and Chef Him Uy de Baron (East Cafe in Rustan’s Makati, Nomama). It opened just this September at the 2nd floor of SM Megamall’s Building A, with about a dozen food stalls and a beverage/snack station, all in a large space that can seat as many as 500 people.

There are at least over 60 dishes to choose from. (Which is the reason why I must go back — My tummy could handle only 5 dishes at a time, haha.) Simply too many delicious hawker/street food dishes from all over Asia to sample — from Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Hong Kong and China, Thailand, and the Philippines. One visit is simply not enough. Ah Tee’s famous Oyster Omelet, Geylang’s Chicken Claypot Rice, Hong Kong Street Old Chun Kee’s delicious Salted Egg Pork, Donald & Lily’s Crispy Tofu and their Mee Siam with Prawns. And, of course, there has to be the classic Singaporean Chicken Rice, Chili Crabs, Braised Duck, Satay, Bak Kut Teh, Laksa… and so on. And I like that none of the dishes have been “Filipinized” or tweaked to suit Filipino tastes. From what I gather, they are true to their culinary roots and are as authentic as can be. All pretty reasonably priced, too!

What I know for sure? This is just the first leg of my food trip. I’m going back to Makansutra for another “tour”!

 

p.s. Thank you to RJ Celdran for sharing his Salted Egg Pork and Shiok photos.