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The season of Christmas has started...
It's Ma-Oli Ang Pasko once again!
Stay-tuned for upcoming prizes/surprises from Oliboy's Adventures...
It's Ma-Oli Ang Pasko once again!Stay-tuned for upcoming prizes/surprises from Oliboy's Adventures...
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Monday, November 02, 2009
Faux Asian Food
November 1, 2009
Makansutra Asian Food Village
Manila Ocean Park, Manila
5 words: Nothing beats the real thing.
Even after reading mixed reviews on Makansutra, we still decided to give it a try. Frankly, all that hype was for nothing. The only thing good about the experience was the ambiance/design of the place and the pricing.
Having been to Singapore and Malaysia, we decided to try out their specialties:
Teh Tarik - is literally "pulled tea" and I first sampled it when I was in Malaysia. We went to the country's "Little India" to try it in one of those side-street stalls. It was really nice , the tea was strong enough and the combination with the condensed milk was heavenly! What I loved about teh tarik was the frothy texture of the end product which was a result of the pulling process. In Makansutra however, the tea was a bit weak. At least, the mixture was prepared as authentically as possible.
Chicken Rice - the best is a close call between Singapore's and Hong Kong's... Makansutra's, on the other hand, is just so-so. Nothing really special. The only part of the meal that stood out was the rice itself. It was really flavorful and fragrant. That's it!
Ba Kut Teh - didn't taste AT ALL like original Ba Kut Teh. Can you imagine the free soup they give away in mall food courts when you order a sizzling meal? Like that, but worse! I even thought during the meal that they used the same soup base for all their soups here in the "food village".
Chicken Satay - the satay was very tasty but the curry was a bit too runny. We all were unanimous that this was the best dish on our table that night.
Nasi Lemak - was just ok and really far from it's authenticity. The chicken wing was really skinny and the meal looked really unappetizing. Mixing tiny samples of all the ingredients into one spoonful was really good though. It made you experience all the contrasting flavors in the dish in one bite. Individually nothing special but surprisingly nice combined.
Roti Prata - was not at all flat. In fact, it was quite thick. Not really a plus to a dish like this since roti requires the pancakes to be flat and flaky. The curry sauce was also a too runny and lacked the strong curry flavor.
Char Kway Teow - was (pardon the term) a poorman's version of the dish. All the classic ingredients were there but the dish tasted really different from what I had in Malaysia. This one tasted a bit too structured. A bit too "by-the-book". It was stir-fried noodles! When you eat it, the flavors should be all bonded together in one whole mess. This was the magic of true Char Kway Teow. Makansutra's version tasted like sweet soy sauce and it seemed like each ingredient had a world of it's own.
We also sampled some of the Thai cuisine, which was a huge mistake:
Tom Yum Soup - soup base was like the Ba Kut Teh but with a sour and fishy twist. Ordering this was a big waste of money.
Pad Thai - there are better Pad Thais out there than this one. Don't bother with this...
Come to think of it, Makansutra was not a complete waste of time... It was not a complete loss... Being disappointed with their dishes made me realize that I have indeed tried the best during my visits to Singapore and Malaysia. Thus, It is pointless to try it anywhere else...
Makansutra Asian Food Village
Manila Ocean Park, Manila
5 words: Nothing beats the real thing.
Even after reading mixed reviews on Makansutra, we still decided to give it a try. Frankly, all that hype was for nothing. The only thing good about the experience was the ambiance/design of the place and the pricing.
Having been to Singapore and Malaysia, we decided to try out their specialties:
Teh Tarik - is literally "pulled tea" and I first sampled it when I was in Malaysia. We went to the country's "Little India" to try it in one of those side-street stalls. It was really nice , the tea was strong enough and the combination with the condensed milk was heavenly! What I loved about teh tarik was the frothy texture of the end product which was a result of the pulling process. In Makansutra however, the tea was a bit weak. At least, the mixture was prepared as authentically as possible.
Chicken Rice - the best is a close call between Singapore's and Hong Kong's... Makansutra's, on the other hand, is just so-so. Nothing really special. The only part of the meal that stood out was the rice itself. It was really flavorful and fragrant. That's it!
Ba Kut Teh - didn't taste AT ALL like original Ba Kut Teh. Can you imagine the free soup they give away in mall food courts when you order a sizzling meal? Like that, but worse! I even thought during the meal that they used the same soup base for all their soups here in the "food village".
Chicken Satay - the satay was very tasty but the curry was a bit too runny. We all were unanimous that this was the best dish on our table that night.
Nasi Lemak - was just ok and really far from it's authenticity. The chicken wing was really skinny and the meal looked really unappetizing. Mixing tiny samples of all the ingredients into one spoonful was really good though. It made you experience all the contrasting flavors in the dish in one bite. Individually nothing special but surprisingly nice combined.
Roti Prata - was not at all flat. In fact, it was quite thick. Not really a plus to a dish like this since roti requires the pancakes to be flat and flaky. The curry sauce was also a too runny and lacked the strong curry flavor.
Char Kway Teow - was (pardon the term) a poorman's version of the dish. All the classic ingredients were there but the dish tasted really different from what I had in Malaysia. This one tasted a bit too structured. A bit too "by-the-book". It was stir-fried noodles! When you eat it, the flavors should be all bonded together in one whole mess. This was the magic of true Char Kway Teow. Makansutra's version tasted like sweet soy sauce and it seemed like each ingredient had a world of it's own.We also sampled some of the Thai cuisine, which was a huge mistake:
Tom Yum Soup - soup base was like the Ba Kut Teh but with a sour and fishy twist. Ordering this was a big waste of money.
Pad Thai - there are better Pad Thais out there than this one. Don't bother with this...Come to think of it, Makansutra was not a complete waste of time... It was not a complete loss... Being disappointed with their dishes made me realize that I have indeed tried the best during my visits to Singapore and Malaysia. Thus, It is pointless to try it anywhere else...
Saturday, October 24, 2009
Macau Series: Egg Tart
October 24, 2009
Streets Of Macau
(Adjacent to the A-Ma Temple)
Streets Of Macau
(Adjacent to the A-Ma Temple)
When in Macau, you have to sample their famous
Egg Tarts
It's the best you'll ever taste,
I promise.
Egg TartsIt's the best you'll ever taste,
I promise.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Hong Kong Series: Hotpot Dinner
October 23, 2009
He Xing Hotpot (Woosung Street)
Jordan, Hong Kong
This is the favorite hotpot place of our family whenever we would go to Hong Kong. They serve one of the best geoduck sashimi/hotpot in town. 10 of us once ate HKD 3,000 worth of food from this restaurant in one sitting.
The last time we were in Hong Kong, we thought this restaurant had closed down but they told us that they were closed for operations once a week in order to cut costs. Hotpots are usually at their peak during the cold seasons so during the summer, this was how they would lower operating expenses.
We just got off the plane and met with one of my dad's oldest friends so we decided to have a light dinner. The ingredients of our hotpot night were as follows:
Biggest (damn) oyster I've ever seen - This was even bigger than the one we had in Tuen Mun! And I thought the oyster we had then was huge. This time, a piece almost occupied half of the plate. Crazy! I wonder if I'd see an even more gigantic oyster the next time I'm back in Hong Kong.
Lamb - Dad doesn't eat beef so he opted for lamb. Equally as good so I can't complain.
Tofu - For (healthy) protein, we decided on the tofu. It was very good with the soup we had. It added a different dimension to the soup which was in itself already flavorful.
Geoduck Sashimi - The geoduck's snout. It can be eaten raw and dipping it in Kikoman (with Wasabi, of course) or it can be ever so slightly blanched in the boiling hotpot. Eating is raw makes you taste all the natural flavor of the geoduck but blanching it in the hotpot makes it cook al dente. Any which way you prefer, it's still one of the best exotic delicacies found in Hong Kong.
Geoduck Hotpot - Innards of the geoduck that can be found inside the shell. This has too be cooked to kill of any bacteria consumed by the creature. It is almost the same in consistency with the roe of the scallop. The meat is sweet and very tender.
Hotpots are always great, not entirely 100% because of the place, but because of good company. And for a foodie like me, good food + good company is always gonna be a good experience that you will never forget.
He Xing Hotpot (Woosung Street)
Jordan, Hong Kong
This is the favorite hotpot place of our family whenever we would go to Hong Kong. They serve one of the best geoduck sashimi/hotpot in town. 10 of us once ate HKD 3,000 worth of food from this restaurant in one sitting.
The last time we were in Hong Kong, we thought this restaurant had closed down but they told us that they were closed for operations once a week in order to cut costs. Hotpots are usually at their peak during the cold seasons so during the summer, this was how they would lower operating expenses.
We just got off the plane and met with one of my dad's oldest friends so we decided to have a light dinner. The ingredients of our hotpot night were as follows:
Biggest (damn) oyster I've ever seen - This was even bigger than the one we had in Tuen Mun! And I thought the oyster we had then was huge. This time, a piece almost occupied half of the plate. Crazy! I wonder if I'd see an even more gigantic oyster the next time I'm back in Hong Kong.
Lamb - Dad doesn't eat beef so he opted for lamb. Equally as good so I can't complain.
Tofu - For (healthy) protein, we decided on the tofu. It was very good with the soup we had. It added a different dimension to the soup which was in itself already flavorful.
Geoduck Sashimi - The geoduck's snout. It can be eaten raw and dipping it in Kikoman (with Wasabi, of course) or it can be ever so slightly blanched in the boiling hotpot. Eating is raw makes you taste all the natural flavor of the geoduck but blanching it in the hotpot makes it cook al dente. Any which way you prefer, it's still one of the best exotic delicacies found in Hong Kong.
Geoduck Hotpot - Innards of the geoduck that can be found inside the shell. This has too be cooked to kill of any bacteria consumed by the creature. It is almost the same in consistency with the roe of the scallop. The meat is sweet and very tender.Hotpots are always great, not entirely 100% because of the place, but because of good company. And for a foodie like me, good food + good company is always gonna be a good experience that you will never forget.
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Typhoon Ondoy
September 26, 2009
Philippines
Worst flooding in years here in the Philippines.And it's just signal number 1... the lowest...
Now in the state of calamity.
Mom and my sister are stuck in Marikina City... one of the most flooded cities right at this very moment of posting...
I blame people, I blame us... nature is getting her revenge!
I blame the government... drainage system here is the worst! It hasn't changed in years! It just got worse!
Sad thing is, I can't do anything but wait for the aftermath and try to help in any way I can.
Hopefully, we learn something from this tragedy... Hopefully, we start caring about the environment... Hopefully, we get our drainages fixed... Hopefully...
Thursday, September 24, 2009
My Ass' Split Second Of Fame
Source: http://www.gmanews.tv/story/172728/clearing-the-coast-a-born-to-be-wild-special-coverage
“Clearing the Coast" (A Born to be Wild special coverage)
Episode on September 23, 2009
Wednesday night, after Saksi
Each year in September, groups of people flock to the shores for a common purpose. Wearing shorts and wetsuits and carrying bags and tongs, they head out to the beach – not to swim or sunbathe – but to clean up the coast.
It’s coastal clean up month once again and the “wild boys" are off to another mission. This time, three adventurers hit the eco-trail. Doc Ferds Recio and Kiko Rustia are joined by non-other than fellow “wild man" Romi Garduce for an all-out clean-up of the ocean. Deployed to different coastal areas, they take part in making the seas a little bit cleaner, and a little bit safer for its residents.
They also trace the roots of the coastal problem and investigate the different sources of pollution in the water. What they find are shocking and challenging realities which will continue to threaten our seas long after each clean-up is done.
Don’t miss this special episode of Born to be Wild airing on Wednesday after Saksi!
“Clearing the Coast" (A Born to be Wild special coverage)
Episode on September 23, 2009
Wednesday night, after Saksi
Each year in September, groups of people flock to the shores for a common purpose. Wearing shorts and wetsuits and carrying bags and tongs, they head out to the beach – not to swim or sunbathe – but to clean up the coast.
It’s coastal clean up month once again and the “wild boys" are off to another mission. This time, three adventurers hit the eco-trail. Doc Ferds Recio and Kiko Rustia are joined by non-other than fellow “wild man" Romi Garduce for an all-out clean-up of the ocean. Deployed to different coastal areas, they take part in making the seas a little bit cleaner, and a little bit safer for its residents.
They also trace the roots of the coastal problem and investigate the different sources of pollution in the water. What they find are shocking and challenging realities which will continue to threaten our seas long after each clean-up is done.
Don’t miss this special episode of Born to be Wild airing on Wednesday after Saksi!
From the GMA Channel 7 program Born To Be Wild: Clearing The Coast Episode
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