Rediscovering Filipino Cuisine with Kusê

this is the first of two parts to the fabulous belly busting pre-Valentine feast we bloggers were treated to at Old Vine and Kusê located at the Venice Piazza Mall at McKinley Hill, Taguig.

There's really no substitute to honest to goodness Filipino food. Last week, I was among several bloggers treated to an early Valentines feast by owner Larry Cortez and by nights end, I was stuffed beyond belief! I was so full I had to pass on two of the dishes they had served us, the classic Bulalo and inihaw na liempo (grilled pork belly). It smelled so good and I really wanted to eat more but there was no way I could. And that's a lot coming from me!

My favorite dish for the evening was the Fried Pla-pla with burong mustasa, balo-balo, escabeche and tomato salsa. I don't really know what escabeche is but I definitely LOVE balo-balo which is a (if I'm not mistaken) Kapampangan delicacy. It is a concoction made of fermented rice and generally has a very unpleasant smell. The one we had in Kusê, however, was not very stinky. It was perfect with the salsa and the fried fish. At first I though the fish was Tilapia and was surprised at how big it was! This dish costs Php 295.00 and for me, is worth every peso, seriously!

 It also complemented their best-selling Garlic Dulong rice nicely.A bowl of this yummy fried rice costs Php 95.00 and is good for sharing.

An interesting dish I sampled that night was the Paco Salad sa Laguna (Php 165.00), which is served with kesong puti and red eggs. Paco is, as I understand it, a kind of plant that thrives in the cool climate of Laguna.

For dessert, Kusê offers an different but definitely delicious sapin-sapin.

Overall, I would rate my dining experience at Kusê as excellent :-) An added bonus to dining at Kusê is that it is adjoined to Old Vine, so if you are craving for a more international flavor, you can just walk on over and order from that menu too.Watch out for my Old Vine review!

Healthier Options at TGI Fridays: Shanghai Chicken Salad

One of my favorite dining places has always been TGI Fridays. Albeit on the more pricey side for everyday, going to Fridays is always is a pleasurable dining experience. However, since I have been trying to work on having a healthier diet lately, I had to think twice about what I would order from their menu. My standard favorite has always been the Chicken Fingers, which are hand battered chicken tenders, fried to a golden brown and served with a honey mustard dipping sauce. It is served partnered with a plate of fries just the way I like it: thick with the skin on. While the chicken tenders may sound relatively heathy, I think the fried part plus the side dish of fries takes away whatever healthy features it may have. So today I decided to get the Friday's Shanghai Chicken Salad (Php 440.00).

I know ordering salads can often be a trap because not all salads are technically "healthy". While the greens may be good, the add-ons plus the dressing can be heavily laden with calories. Take for example a Ceasar's Salad. Salad, but lots of calories! The Shanghai Chicken Salad, on the other hand, seemed to be better choice given what it has on it.

The Shanghai Chicken Salad is a mix of Romaine lettuce, diced tomatoes, Mandarin Oranges, chilled fire grilled chicken strips tossed lightly with a yummy cilantro lime dressing. The dressing is oil based as compared to other dressings which are creamier or more on the mayo side. I opted to have the dressing on the side so I can cut down on extra calories, which I did by using only half of the dressing served. I love this salad a lot because it has a nice balance between sweet and tangy. It's a refreshing and light salad, with just enough protein to make it filling and satisfying

The only downside is that their lunch size serving is no longer on the menu.While I finished the entire salad (after about three hours!), it's a little on the expensive side for an ordinary lunch date on your own. 

Sun, Sand and a Minute Maid: Instant Refreshment!

When Noemi of Pinoy Food and Other Cuisine posed the question about how you can best enjoy Minute Maid, I thought long and hard about it. It would be great on a picnic, as she so aptly wrote in her blog. It would make a fabulous punch with some chopped fruits for a little soiree. It could also be a fun drink for a tea party for little girls to enjoy! A Minute Maid Pulpy Orange drink could also be enjoyed after a long, hard days work or as a picker-upper when your mood starts to droop. It would be great to fight off colds and as a soothing and refreshing quencher when you are feeling feverish as the icy cool juice slides down your hot throat. There definitely are so many ways to enjoy Minute Maid but for me, the best way is to take a half-frozen bottle of Minute Maid Pulpy Orange (or Mango Orange if you prefer) down to the beach for some well-deserved R&R.

With a Minute Maid on hand, I get to cool down after lounging in the sun and soaking up the beauty of nature! It's fresh taste and pulpy bits helps quench my thirst plus keeps my well hydrated. What's great about Minute Maid Pulpy Orange is that it's flavor is as close to nature as you can get. It doesn't have that fake orange-y taste at all. The pulp bits are plump and juicy and in abundance throughout the entire bottle.
 

There's something, in my opinion, very primal about sitting in the sand. It's kinda like going to the very core of my soul. The Minute Maid I am drinking is kind of like that, I'd like to think. It's like going back to the very core of nature. Why? Because of the freshly squeezed taste of that natural orange goodness plus all the refreshing and juicy pulpy bits. Every gulp is definitely cools you down, inside and out! That's how I best enjoy my Minute Maid Pulpy Orange!

I Got Sango-ed!

I've read many a Plurk, Tweet and status message about how people are craving for Sango burgers but I never really had a chance to try it because it's kinda hard to access. There are only a few branches and those were only in the malls I never really frequented. However, this morning after work at Shangri-La mall, I was walking towards Starbucks when I saw in the corner of my eye the newly opened Sango restaurant. I wasted no time getting Sango-ed!

I asked the waitress what the Sango specialty was and she said it was the Sango Master Burger (Php 125.00) and the Yakiniku Rice Burger (Php 125.00). It was hard to decide what to try today because both looked good, and they've both been given positive reviews by people I know. For some reason, despite my strong craving for a good burger, I ordered the Yakiniku Rice Burger. 

I was slightly disappointed with my choice, not because it wasn't good, but because I had not satisfied the burger craving! Nonetheless, the Yakiniku Rice Burger was good and very filling. The meat was tender and had just the right amount of fat that I like when I eat beef. It was also very flavorful: sweet and slightly salty but not not overwhelming. The rice was not as sticky as I wanted it, but had the typical Japanese rice quality to it.

Over all my first Sango experience was a pleasant one. The waitress was accommodating and took the time explaining the differences between their specialties. Despite having this for take-out, my burger was still pretty good even after the forty-five minute car ride. It smelled so good it took every ounce of effort on my part not to eat it while stuck in traffic!!!


Sango The Burger Master can be found at the following locations:
Rockwell Power Plant Mall, 1st Level, Makati City
Creekside Mall, Ground Floor, Amorsolo cor Herrera Sts., Makati City
Alabang South Supermarket, Alabang Zapote Road
Shangri-La Plaza Mall, 6th Level (near the Cineplex), EDSA cor. Shaw Blvd., Mandaluyong City

Ensuring Clean Tablecloths with Cheap Tumble Dryers

If there is one thing I cannot stand, it's seeing crumby food stains in my tablecloth. While this cannot be avoided, I always tell my companions that we should all take responsibility for ourselves and clean up after we eat. Some suggestions I've made are as follows:

1. Pick of the dropped food item with a paper table napkin or paper towel as soon as it happens.
2. If sauces or dips spill, wipe with a dampened paper towel asap.
3. Use one of the plastic placemats we have so we can avoid the hassle of having to clean up the table cloth after every meal.

To be fair, when it's daily dining, we are able to keep this in check most of the time. However, during parties or our weekly family day, there always seems to be some kinda mishap. I know it's difficult to wash and dry our tablecloths since we have a large 12-seater table so I promised to check out some Cheap Tumble Dryers to make cleaning up easier and quicker for all.