Hometown Cha Cha Cha

Happy New Year! It’s 2022 and I’m looking forward to more amazing Kdramas this year.  

I’m a big Kdrama fan and in 2021 I’ve watched 51 dramas released in 2021 and 6 from previous years (I’ve still got loads of oldies I’ve yet to watch).  I’m personally not a big fan of love stories, I would prefer crime, suspense, action, mystery, comedy, etc.  But once in while a really good love story comes along like, Her Private Life in 2019, Crash Landing on You in 2020, and Hometown Cha Cha Cha in 2021, and they become part of my most favorite dramas of all time.  I actually liked Vincenzo as well, but I think I would’ve liked it more if I didn’t watch The Fiery Priest, which I really loved. I find the two dramas a bit similar (having the same writer) and the female lead it almost like a copy of Lee Honey’s character.

What made those three dramas the best for me is because of the oh so natural chemistry of the lead couples.  I totally adore Kim Jae Wook and Park Min Young (Her Private Life), Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin (CLOY), and Kim Seon Ho and Shin Min Ah (Homcha), in their roles and how they portray their characters.  

With Homcha, not only the leads but everyone has a story to tell.  It’s such a healing drama that I thought I’d write down memorable dialogues from the drama as a keepsake for me to remember them even after years go by.  Some have precious lessons to learn from, some are sweet, and some are just cute or simply funny. :) 

I’ve watched Homcha twice during it’s run and planned to binge watch it again, but didn’t get to until now.

1.1. Hong Banjang:  You must be mistaken.  I didn’t retrieve your shoe.  Your shoe just floated onto my board.  This shiny object suddenly appeared in front of me. (I like this line because it feels like Dusik talking about Hyejin and not the shoe.)

1.2.  Dusik: Look at the foreigners, they call their father-in-law “Tom”, mother-in-law “Mary”.

2.1.  Opening narration by Hyejin: We all have moments we regret in life.  Nevertheless, we can never turn back the clock.

2.2. Hyejin: Don’t take my photos.  I value my portrait rights.

       Dusik: Don’t worry.  I have high standard when it comes to my models.

2.3. Hyejin:  Living in the past when one’s present is in shambles. That’s only what cowards do.

       Miseon:  I feel bad though.  I feel bad for those whose hopes are left behind in the past.  One’s unfulfilled dreams tend to hold a place in the heart.

2.4.  Dusik:  You think you’re better than everyone.  Being smart, you got good grades and become a dentist.  Your life must’ve been smooth.  Not always, of course, but all you hit were simple speed bumps.  Getting over those small bumps, you thought that willpower could get you anywhere.

        Hyejin:  I shouldn’t have to hear this from you.

        Dusik:  Why not?  You freely judge other people’s lives, but are offended when you’re being assessed?  Look here, doctor.  It seems like you’re mistaken.

        

2.5.  Dusik:  Life isn’t so fair for all of us.  Some spend their whole lives on unpaved roads, while some run at full speed only to reach the edge of a cliff.

2.6.  Dusik:  Your shoes always cause trouble. (Hyejin slipped because of her shoes while Dusik is helping her climb up.)

3.1.  Hyejin:  Do you know what it means to be a good parent?  It’s staying healthy for a long time.

3.2.  Hyejin:  Toothaches are truly a pity.  It doesn’t show, so no one but yourself knows how painful it is.

3.3.  Dusik:  Open the fuse box. (Where Dusik left Hyejin’s missing shoe.)

4.1.  Hyejin:  It’s sad how your birthday gets erased after you die and only the day you died remains.

4.2.  Dusik:  It’s so hot.  (The ice in the ice bucket melted, like showing their cold facade melting.)

5.1.  Hyejin (drunk):  Dusikie oppa, I even learned pole dancing. 😆

5.2.  Ji PD:  It’s okay to get lost or take the long route every now and then.  Every time that happened, life took me on an interesting ride.

5.3.  Dusik:  Money and success aren’t the only valuable things in life.  Happiness, self-contentment, world peace, love…  Anyway, life isn’t a mathematical equation.  It doesn’t have a clear answer.  There’s no right answer either.  You’re just given a problem, and it’s up to you how you solve it.

5.4.  Dusik:  You’re bound to meet unexpected situations in life.  Even if you use an umbrella, you’ll end up getting drenched.  Just put your hands up and welcome the rain. (Hyejin finally remembered their kiss.)

6.1.  Dusik:  For two people of the opposite sex to become good friends, we must be able to move past a biological crisis.

6.2.  Dusik:  Don’t be childish and draw imaginary lines.  Let me borrow your eraser and copy your homework once in a while.

7.1.  Lalalalalalalalala-laundry day. 🥰

7.2.  Ji PD:  Good pitchers don’t always throw the ball as hard as they can.  Sometimes, they save their energy and control their power so that they can throw at full speed at a crucial moment.

7.3.  Dusik:  Don’t go.  Don’t leave me behind.  Don’t go.

        Hyejin:  I won’t.  I’m not going anywhere.

8.1.  Dusik:  If a good wave comes along, you ride it and slide off it gently.  Whether the waves are vicious or stagnant, accept it as is.

8.2.  Hyejin:  It’s sad when you’re sick alone.  Everyone knows that.  Why don’t you?

9.1.  Dusik:  You’re right.  I’m Ms. Dentist— I mean, Hyejin’s boyfriend. 😊

9.2.  Dusik:  Hyejin received tons of love growing up.  If not, she wouldn’t be able to give others so much love.

9.3.  Dusik:  She’s (Hyejin) a warmhearted person.  So I… truly hope that she’ll find someone good that she deserves.

        Hyejin Appa:  And that… could be you.

10.1.  Hyejin:  Those what-ifs are pointless.  There are too many variables in this world and they’re beyond our control.

10.2.  Hyejin:  Peeling these (crabs) are a true hassle.  It takes a lot of love to do this for someone else.

10.3.  Gamri Halmoni:  Dusik-ah, life may seem long, but it really isn’t.  Throw away unnecessary thoughts and be honest with yourself.

*The best confession scene!!!*

10.4.  Hyejin:  Hong Banjang!  I couldn’t wait until tomorrow to say this.  I like you.  I have feelings for you.  I’m one of those people who plan every second of their lives according to a lifespan of 99 years.  I don’t like people crossing the line or crossing it myself.  And I’m fond of expensive shoes.  I guess I’m your complete opposite.  It’s the same with our blood types and personalities.  I bet we’re not compatible in any aspect.  We’re probably as different as penguins that eat krill and polar bears that feed on sea lions.  But to hell with all of that… because I like you.

           Don’t say anything.  I’m not asking anything from you.  I… My feelings for you keep inflating mu heart, and it could burst at any second.  I can’t help it anymore.

           Dusik:  I… I can’t… deny it anymore either.

           *First kiss*

10.5.  Dusik Harabeoji:  I won’t ask for much, so please grant this old man’s wish.  When Dusik ends up all alone, please send him someone so that he won’t be lonely.  Please send him someone who will be good for him.

11.1.  Dusik:  I like you.  You told me your feelings for me so honestly.  I should give you a proper reply.  I also have feelings for you.  That’s what happened.  No.  I couldn’t help it.

11.2.  Dusik:  Does it mean you haven’t given him an answer?  Why not?  Re you having second thoughts now that you have to dump him?

          Hyejin:  It’s not like that.  Are you jealous?

          Dusik:  Jealous?  That’s absurd.  I’m talking about the basic etiquette you need to keep when someone confesses their feelings to you.  If someone serves the ball, you have to hit it back, not dodge.  To call it in or out, you meed to give him a straight answer.

          Hyejin:  Then what about you?  Why didn’t you do anything if you had known it all along?  Perhaps, you didn’t care if he’d ask me out.

          Dusik:  Back then, I didn’t know I liked you this much.

          Hyejin:  So, exactly how mich do you like me?

          Dusik:  Well… Quite a bit.  I’m sure you won’t be disappointed by the amount.

          Hyejin:  Gosh, I was expecting a lovey-dovey answer.  What kind of vague answer is that?

          Dusik:  Well, it’s… as big as Lake Baikal.

11.3.  Hyejin:  I didn’t know you liked me this much.

          Dusik:  Just hang up.

          Hyejin:  Seriously?

          Dusik:  No. (OMG! The sweetest Ani ever!!! 😍)

*The most mature rejection scene.*

11.4.  Hyejin:  I had feelings for you too.  I knew you had feelings for me too, but I feigned ignorance.  I wasn’t confident it’d work because I felt like you had seen me at my lowest.  I’ve always regretted not being true to my feelings back then.  So I’d like to be honest this time around.  I’m sorry, Sunbae.  There’s someone I like.

          Ji PD:  I’m relieved.  You didn’t hesitate like we did in the past.  You mustered up the courage to tell me honestly, so I’m relieved.  But you see, that wasn’t your lowest.  You may have lived off sausages and worn out ragged shoes, but you still radiated.  You worked hard everyday of your life and tried not to lose yourself no matter what.  And I loved you for that.  I’m truly honored that someone like you… is my first love, Hyejin-ah.

         Hyejin:  Likewise. (They are each other’s first love~)

*Best bromance!*

11.5.  Ji PD:  Be good to her (Hyejin).  Make her laugh a lot and treat her to good food.  I’m a simple guy.  I don’t like complicated things.  I don’t like weighing things when it comes to people.  It gives me a headache.  I like her.  But I think I’m pretty fond of you too.  I hated studying trigonometric functions back in school.  Love triangles aren’t for me.

         Dusik:  I don’t hate you either.  You just require a lot of care.  You’re not too bad.

    

         Ji PD:  Stop smiling.  You’ll grow on me.

         Dusik:  This is how I normally look.  I don’t get why people say that.

11.6.  Dusik:  I lived for 34 years without you, but each day seems to last forever since I met you.  Yoon Hyejin, what’s your deal?  What have you done to me?

          Hyejin:  Say it again.

          Dusik:  Say what?

          Hyejin:  My name.

          Dusik:  Hyejin-ah.  Yoon Hyejin.

          Hyejin:  I’ve heard people call my name millions of times.  But it sounds unfamiliar now.  As if I’ve got a new name.

*Cute love*

12.1.  Miseon:  So what do you think my buying one for you now means?

          Eunchol:  Well… I have no idea.

          Rotisserie Ajushi:  How dense can he be?  You’re frustrated too, aren’t you?  He’s so dense. (LOL 😆) 

*The pain*

12.2.  Yeongguk:  I mean Hwajeong’s mother had passed away around that time.  I felt bad that she was all alone, and that’s how…. All I’m saying is that there’s not much to marriage.  There’s nothing special about it.  It doesn’t have some pgrand meaning.  It’s… It’s just boring.

          Hwajeong:  I’ve told you numerous times.  I clearly told you not to take them off inside-out.  And not to throw them everywhere around the house.  How many times must I tell you this?  I’m not your maid, you know.

12.3.  Dusik:  Hyejin-ah.  You don’t have to worry about how I view your actions.  You brought yourself a gift with the money you worked hard to earn, so why worry about what I think?  I’m not fazed at all, so do whatever it is you want.

          

12.4.  Hyejin:  Out of everything that exists in this world, I like you the most.

          Dusik:  In that case, I should be the one to say this first.  Yoon Hyejin, Saranghae.

          Hyejin:  Me too.  Hong Dusik, Saranghae.

          *Kiss ❤️*

13.1.  Dusik:  I chose to live my own life instead of being led by someone else.  Change your view on life just a bit, and this lifestyle will bring you joy.  You only live once, and I already have everything that I need.  A comfortable bed I’ll be sleeping in tonight, a sturdy surfboard, and the love of my life.

13.2.  Hyejin:  My parents gave their all to have me in this world, so I must do my best to find happiness.

14.1.  Hwajeong:  Dr. Yoon, what may be easy for one person can be something difficult for another.

          Ever since he was a kid, he was so mature.  He only learned how to hold himself back, so he doesn’t know how to open up to people.  For a long time, he hasn’t had anyone that he could share his pain with.  I believe that you can be his rock, someone he opens up to.

14.2.  Chohui:  How is liking someone an illness?

          Hyejin:  I recommend that you bravely dig it out rather than keep your pain hidden.

*Best friend*

14.3.  Ji PD:  I don’t know what you’re holding, but just lay all your cards on the table.  Relationships aren’t a poker game where you bluff and make bets.  Just be honest.  Show her what kind of person you are.  Let her decide how she feels about it.

14.4.  Gamri Halmoni:  Eat a lot of good food and be happy.  Seeing you happy will make me happy and also make Dr. Yoon happy.  I’m sure everyone in Gongjin thinks the same way.

         Dusik:  Halmoni, am I allowed to do that?

         Gamri Halmoni:  Yes, of course.  You deserve it.  I know these past years haven’t been easy for you.  Don’t worry about other things now, and only think about yourself.

*Best boy*

15.1.  Ijun:  I’m so happy that I can’t stop crying.  But I didn’t want you to see me cry because you’d be heartbroken.

          To tell the truth, even if it wasn’t my birthday or I didn’t win a school award, I wanted to eat together as a family.  I’ve always wanted us to live under the same roof.

*Best girlfriend*

15.2.  Hyejin:  You can cry of you want.  It must’ve been so hard for you.  You must’ve hidden the pain deep down.  You’ve been holding onto such a burden.  You can be sad when you’re with me.  You can show me your pain.

16.1.  Gamri Halmoni:  Dusik-ah, people should live among other people.  Life may seem like a burden to you at times, but if you choose to be among others, just like you did for me, someone will carry you on their back.

*Best proposal*

16.2.  Hyejin:  The crashing waves of that day… brought us to this moment right here, just like these shoes came back to me.  I’d love it if our shoes, were always side by side at the door together.  So that neither would be lonely.  Chief Hong.  Will you marry me?

          Dusik:  Two pairs of shoes by the door, two toothbrushes in the bathroom, and two aprons in the kitchen.  Everything will be in pairs.  In a house where we keep those, will you enjoy today, tomorrow, and all of your time… with me?

16.3.  Hyejin:  I’ll be at the front of the boat making sure you have a clear path.

          Dusik:  The sea won’t always be this gentle though.  We will be met with wind and waves.  And even typhoons will come our way.

          Hyejin:  So what if we get soaked in rain?  Who cares if the wind blows a bit… when we’re in the same boat?

          *Lala-lala-lalala-lala romantic sunday~💕*

Pazzo Rollio

Pazzo Rollio in Robinson's Magnolia is a pleasant surprise to me. I didn't expect much when we went there, it's a small space near the cinema. But the food turned out nice and we were very full when we left the place.

What we ordered:

1. Pesto salad - my advice is not to order anything with pesto here, they overdo the pesto and the dish become bitter. Other than that, the greens are fresh and the ingredients are good.

2. Chicken Wings - served with potato wedges in barbeque sauce. The wings re a bit small but the taste is nice.

3. Fellini's Capellini (P195) - pesto pasta with shrimps. Again, avoid the pesto, it's too much. 

4. De Niro's Classic Bolognese (P210) - you just can't go wrong with bolognese, it's tasty and meaty.

The best part are the pizzas :)

5. Big Bang Supreme (P400) - with bacon, ham, pepperoni, mushroom and cheese sauce, everything we love in a pizza, yum! ;-)

6. Forrest's Fave (P400) - with shrimp, salami, tomato, chili, cheese. Also very good, I love that it's not oily at all. :)

I would want to return again and try their other pizzas. 

Makansutra

I miss Singapore food so when I heard that a new Singapore Hawker is opening in Megamall, I just have to try. It's called Makansutra located at Megamall building A, beside Yellow Cab and Burger King. I understand that they're still new so the staff are not yet used to the number of people coming so the service is a bit off, the food not cooked as I hope for but I still hope they can improve in the future.

Here's what we ordered:

1. Bah Kut Teh (P300) served with rice and side of boiled peanuts. - My parents liked it because the ribs are cooked well so they're tender.

2. Oyster Omelette (P320) - it's too salty!!! I think the cook accidentallt poured a spoonful of salt in our omelette, we can't eat it without rice.

3. Black Carrot Cake - it's not bad, but Wan Chai's Radish Cake in XO sauce is so much better.

4. Fried Hokkien Prawn Noodles (P270) - I liked it, a little soggy but tasty.

5. Fried Rice - this one is also good. I still like sambal fried rice better but too bad they don't have it there.

6. Chopsuey (P320) - I don't really like vegetables a lot, and this didn't make me like it ang better.

7. Lemon Chicken (P420) - this one is good, the chicken is coated well and crispy.

I wanted to try their claypot chicken but we got there too early, it's only available starting at 12noon. The Roti Prata is not available, I'm not sure why. And they don't have my favorite Char Quay Teow, they do have duck quay teow though, but I didn't get to try. I'm not sure if I'll be going back, maybe if I crave for Singapore food again, and hopefully they've improved by then.

Wee Nam Kee

Eating out again, it's the weekend afterall. ^^ Today we chose Wee Nam Kee because it's the last day of their Chicken Rice promo, order one Personal Set for the regular price of P175 and get the second order for only P50. You can order the chicken roasted or white, we ordered both roasted.

Roasted Chicken Rice Personal Set (P175) - Hainanese rice tasted authentic so that's good but the chicken serving is small. I'm not sure if they ordered smaller chickens for the promo or their chicken is usually that small.

Salted Egg Chinese Style Fried Chicken (P295) - the taste is okay but I'm missing the crunch from the fried chicken. I love salted egg dishes, mostly because of the crunchy salted egg coating. Wee Nam Kee made the salted egg more like a sauce instead of using it as a batter for frying.

Sauteed Beef Fillet with Broccoli in Oyster Sauce (P295) - the broccoli is crunchy and the beef is sliced thinly to avoid being chewy.

Hot Plate Seafood Combination (P305) - the sauce is delicious, it's sweet and just the right spicy. But there seems to be so much onions and tomatoes instead of more seafoods.

Spicy Sambal Rice Noodles (P295) - this one's a disappoinment. There's nothing sambal about it at all, not spicy and not tasty.

Spinach (P210) - you can order this cooked in garlic or oyster sauce. My dad chose garlic so it came out with crunchy garlic on top. The spinach is cooked just right, not over or under.

Wee Nam Kees's food is not bad at all. It's not as good as what you get from Singapore but i'm willing to eat there over and over again. My real issue is the servings, they're too small for the price. The dishes that came out big are full of extenders like big chunks of tomatoes or tofu.

Crisostomo

It's the weekend and we are going to S&R for some grocery shopping, so we thought we'd grab a bite on the way and the closest place is Blue Bay Walk. We picked Crisostomo since it had been a while since we ate in a Filipino restaurant, and we're glad we did because we all enjoyed our meal. =)

What we ordered: 

Don Rafael, their classic crispy pata (P695) - well crispy pata is my brother's favorite, he always orders it whenever he can.^^ Crisostomo's crispy pata is expensive, but it's good so I can forgive the price. The meat is tender and the skin, very crispy.

Manok ng Diablo, hot and spicy fried chicken (P325 half) - we ordered this because my brother is craving for something spicy. It comes with prawn crackers and pineapple sauce. It's not bad but it's also nothing so special. Definitely way too expensive for the price.

Simon, seafood Kare-Kare (P495) - the kare-kare have shrimps, mussels, fish, and vegetables. The sauce is good with crunchy peanuts, the bagoong is a bit sweet which adds more flavor. But the problem is the fish, it's too fishy, I don't know if it's not fresh or if it was not cooked well to take out the fishiness of the seafood.

Sinang con Laing (P225) - the laing is creamy which my mom liked. And it's tasty as well so the carnivore me did try it out a bit and enjoyed it. ^^

Tinapa and Salted Egg Rice (P265) - we're choosing between bagoong rice or tinapa rice but chose tinapa since the kare-kare has bagoong already and my parents can't eat too much salty dishes. It's not too tasty which is just good because so we can eat it with the dishes we ordered.

Moist Chocolate with Yema Cake (P175 slice) - with our sweet tooth, we always have room for dessert. ^^ True to it's name, the cake is very moist and we loved it. It might be too sweet for some but I love sweet so it's just perfect for me. =)

Ramen Nagi

Ramen Nagi in Robinson's Magnolia used to be always full when they first opened, now not very much. They still serve good ramen, people might just want something new.

We ordered 3 ramens, Original King (Butao), Red King (Akao), and Green King (Midorio). Butao is Nagi's original broth, white rich broth that is very tasty. Midorio is the same broth with olive oil and basil topped with parmesan cheese, it gives a slight pesto taste. Akao has red spicy broth, just seeing that broth screams hot! It has garlic, chili oil, cayenne, with minced pork to add more flavor.

All their ramen comes with pork on top, with your choice if shoulder or belly meat. You also get to choose how the softness of the noodles, spiciness, green onion or cabbage topping, how much garlic, special sauce, etc. you want with your ramen.

We also ordered Chicken Karage, very crunchy breaded fried chicken with cabbage and mayo sides. Their gyoza is meaty but I think lacking in taste. Mom and Dad both had rice toppings, Chasu Rice and Spicy Karage Rice, both delicious.

The Food Club

It's Mother's Day! Well, it was when we ate at The Food Club. ^^  Everywhere else was fully booked so we took our chance and maybe get a seat if we're early, and we did, but not without hardship. =S

The first time we tried The Food Club was when it was still in their soft opening, they didn't impress me then, and they still didn't impress me now. My first complain is the way they handle their walk-ins. While every other buffet restaurant lists down names of walk-ins as they come, I wonder why Food Club won't do that?! It's a systematic way that can make the lives of their guests so much easier.  When they finally open, they can just call the names from the list and the guests can dine in peace.  Food Club insists on not using a list and just let the guests line up as they come, as if that works?! I really wish they get to their senses and learn from other more successful buffet restaurants. Ok, enough ranting, lol!

Aside from that bad start, I'll have to say, their food is actually good. The crabs are fresh and refilled all the time, which is what I always look for in buffets. ^^ For appetizers, they have a salad bar and cheese and bread bar, and soups. They offer different cuisines for the main course, starting with Asian food, for Filipino, sinigang, fish skin chicharon, etc. Their Chinese line has chopsuey, birthday noodles, dimsum, noodle soup, etc. Japanese cuisine has sushi, sashimi, tempura, gyoza (this is so good!), etc., and they also have Thai and Vietnamese food.

The Western dishes includes their steak, Italian pasta and pizza, Mexican tacos and nachos (I love the beef and cheese topping for the nachos), and many other dishes with salmon, chicken, pork, beef, fish, etc.  And the desserts, I have a sweet tooth so I never skip desserts, LOL! =P I love their ice cream flavors, dark chocolate, pistachio, coffee almond, yum!!! 

I did enjoy my meal, but unless they fix the system their doing now, they will always be my last choice when picking a buffet.

Mad for Pizza

My brother really likes pizza and since he's driving, he gets to choose where we'll eat today, and he chose Mad for Pizza.  Aside from the food which is not so bad at all, the service is excellent. =)

The first food that was served is their house salad, it's very simple and not the as good as CPK's.  Then the drinks, I ordered salted caramel, my mom ordered strawberry mango iced tea, and my dad and bro ordered iced tea which are all nice.

The main courses are next, first is the spaghetti bolognese.  It's meaty and saucy but you have to mix it to your own taste, like us, we added more peppers and hot sauce to bring out the flavor, it's a little bland if not.  Then my brother's own creation super cheesy and meaty pizza, love it! ^^ 

We also ordered 2 dishes with rice, one is angus beef belly which is really soft and well cooked, I just hope it's a little less fatty.  And another is chicken crispers that comes with fries or rice, and mustard sauce.

The Legend Hong Kong Seafood Restaurant

My brother suggested The Legend for our sunday lunch, to my mom's delight since it's Chinese food, her favorite. =)

The first dish to come out is Crab Meat Pumpkin Soup, it's not thick as the usual pumpkin soup but nice.  And I like the the crab meat are actually visible unlike other soups.  But my dad didn't like it much because of the initial dried shrimp taste that will eventually disappear as you eat.

Next is the Seafood Noodles in Superior Sauce.  The ingredients are scallop, squid/cattlefish, and halaan, it's not great but it's not bad too.  Then the compulsary vegetable dish for my dad, we ordered Polonchay in garlic.

Then came the Angus Beef Tenderloin in Pepper Sauce that came served in sizzling plate.  The beef is well cooked and the sauce is tasty. =) One of the dishes that we always order is fish fillet, this time we chose one in Singapore style sauce.  It's fish fillet fried then cooked in sweet chili sauce, it's very good as well.

And finally, this one is a "pahabol" because my mom likes taro a lot, we ordered Fried Taro Basket with Shimp and Pork.  I really liked the taro, very well fried and tastes good with the toppings.  But for the price, I expected a little bit more shrimps.

Over all, the food are good because it has the authentic Chinese food taste, not the usual vetsin taste we get from most restaurants lately.  The service is very good as well, servers are nice and attentive.  And plus points for the yummy peanuts glazed with sesame seeds, my brother can't get enough of it. =P

Zao Vietnamese Bistro

We decided to look around the new wing of Promenade Greenhills for a place to eat.  Then we saw this Vietnamese restaurant and thought of trying it out.  It's our first time to eat in Zao Vietnamese Bistro but I'm sorry to say we're disappointed with the food.  Everything we ordered are a bit too salty for our taste.

First we ordered is Zao Satay Platter, it has 6 sticks of grilled specialties, chicken, pork, and shrimp, 2 of each kind. This is not so bad but the serving is too small, and the seasoning for the chicken is a bit salty.  Next is Zao Pho, it has beef slices, meat balls, and rice noodles in soup.  Again it's not so bad but then, the soup is also salty.

For the main we ordered Saigon Fried Rice, Curried Chicken, and Shaking Beef.  The rice they used for the fried rice is too dry so it tasted undercooked.  The curried chiken is ok but has too much sauce.  The shaking beef is cooked medium rare so it's a bit chewy.  

They have very small servings for the price so I didn't find it's worth the money at all.  Over all, I don't think we'll be going back again to try their other dishes.

La Fiesta - Largest Filipino Buffet

A new buffet has opened in SM by the bay MOA, it's called La Fiesta.  The name is fitting since they serve Filipino dishes in abundance just like in a real fiesta. =)

We tried out their saturday lunch and it's quite good and value for money.  For only P550.00 (P750.00 for weekend dinners and Sunday lunch) we got to eat to our heart's content.  They have so many varieties of food that I didn't even got to try everything I wanted like their balut and isaw. ^^

Their buffet is divided into seafood (mostly grilled fish), street foods (like isaw, bituka, tenga, etc.), roasts (lechon de leche, lechon manok, spareribs, shawarma, etc.), cooked food or "ulam" (dinuguan, crispy pata, kaldereta, pochero, paella, lasagna, pizza, etc.), soup (bulalo, tinola, etc.) appetizers (all kinds of chicharon, arrozcaldo, salads, etc.), drinks (gulaman, buko, tamarind,etc.), and desserts (halo-halo, kakanin, pastillas, sorbetes, etc.).

About the food, I'll just comment on those I ate, and that's not few, lol!  The star of their buffet is the lechon de leche, I'm not a big fan of lechon so me saying it's not bad is actually saying a lot already.  You don't really need the sauce for the lechon because it gets too salty.  My personal favorite is their buttered crabs, so yummy!!!  I'm looking forward to the shrimps as well but too bad, they said they didn't have any deliveries that day.  So the pretty nice "shrimp and mushroom" dish ended up being just mushroom but still nice.

The shawarma is good and the lasagna and pizza as well.  They have 4 kinds of sisig, I ordered bangus and it's very good. =) I didn't like the any of the fish dishes, even the tuna and maya maya.  Their baked tahong is not the best, and the ginataang kuhol still tastes like sand. =( The grilled ribs is too tough, same with the crispy pata.  Since I ate so much heart attack foods already, I got some veggies to make me feel better (LOL!) so I got some very nice chopsuey.  I didn't try any of the soup anymore because I'm too full already and I still have dessert! =P

I always leave room for dessert and I'm happy with theirs.  I had halo-halo, sorbetes, and the yummy leche flan! ^^ I would love to go back again because it's really money well spent. ;-)

Mu Noodle Bar

For our sunday family lunch out today, we chose Mu Noodle Bar in San Juan.  We've been looking for this restaurant since my bestfriend recommended it but we can't find it before.  This time we finally did! =)

Only the 3 of us today and we eah ordered noodle soup.  Mine is beef noodles in soy, my dad ordered char siu pork in soy, and my mom ordered beef curry noodle.  Each noodle is served in hot stone pot which keeps the soup hot while you eat.  It's pretty good and very filling since the bowl is quite big.

We also ordered radish cake which I really like, it's similar to Wan Chai's radish cake in XO sauce from the Binondo branch since the Wan Chai in Banawe doesn't cook as good as in Binondo.  And one final dish we ordered is oyster cake.  It's not that great, Mien San and Shang Tzu makes better oyster cakes.  As for the serving, only the noodles are in big serving, the side dishes are all very small.  All in all, I'll give it a pass and would still go there to eat sometimes.

Banapple - Dark Chocolate Tiramisu Cheesecake

We had lunch today at Banapple, it's the place we go to when we don't want to have chinese dishes, but can't think of any other place we want to go. ^^

We ordered chicken breast parmigiano, herbed chicken roll with basil, baked creamy cheesy penne, and cheese and mushroom pie with potato salad.  The cheesy penne and chicken parmigiano are two of our all time favorites. =)

Before leaving, my brother wanted to bring home a cheesecake so we picked the dark chocolate tiramisu cheesecake, just because it sounded yummy lol! ^^  Well, it sure is yummy and super chocolatey!  But since it's cheesecake, having just a little is the best, having too much will spoil the yumminess.  Even if it's super chocolatey, it's not too sweet and the coffee taste of the cheesecake adds to the unique flavor.

Omurice

My Korean entertainment blog was taken down today.  After numerous warnings, I was expecting it to happen sooner or later, but it's still sad. =(.  I have more time now on my hands now, so I thought I'd invite my brother to cook so our mom can rest a bit today. =)

We tried to make our own version of omurice, the Japanese dish for omelet rice.  We used corned beef and bacon Spam as ingredients for the fried rice.  Turned out pretty good, even our parents liked it! ^^

Cronuts~

The instant popularity of cronuts in New York by Chef Dominique Ansel brought about different versions of the pastry by many other pastry chefs around the world.  This croissant-doughnut pastry has been featured in TV Shows and seen with hollywood celebrities.

So the Philippines wouldn't want to be left behind which is why different bakeshops around the metro are offering their own versions of the pastry as well.  Because of it's popularity, getting hold of this new pastry is quite a challenge.  One has to call for reservation if you want to get at least a box (6pcs.) of them and they also has a set time for pick-up.

There are different pastry shops that I heard are making good versions of this pastry.  Just to feed my curiosity, I went ahead and asked a friend to include a box for me when she was ordering 2 boxes for her family from Dolcelatte.  A box of croughnuts costs 660.00 pesos and they come in different flavors.  The flavors I got are Nutty Nutella, Custard Creamcheese, Blueberry Creamcheese, Peanut Butter Crisp, Chocolate Caramel, and Chocolate Macaroon.  

It tastes better than a doughnut because it's not as sweet and this can cover for a light meal since it's bread, so it's pretty heavy for a snack.  The croissant is crispy on top and bottom and chewy in the middle.  My favorite flavors are the nutty nutella and chocolate caramel because I have a sweet tooth ^^.  The custard is a bit bland for my taste and I usually like blueberry cheese flavors but the cheese on this one is a bit short in flavor.  The peanut butter is okay and those who loves dark chocolates would like the chocolate macaroons because the chocolate is a bit bitter.

My friend asked me if it's worth it, I say, the pastry is delicious, and I'd surely not turn it down when somebody offers me one ^^.  But if I have to call up for a reservation, set aside a particular time to pick it up, brave the traffic just to get there in time, go trough all these hassle just to get my cronuts, I'd say "No, thanks". =)

New Post! ^^

I just thought I'll visit my blog again after a year of non-posting.  I'm hoping I'll be able to post more this year, but it's actually the middle of the year already. =S  I'm here with new hope that more posts will come up in the days to come. =)


Cheers! ^^

Ddeokbokki (Spicy Rice Cakes)

It had been a while since I cooked Korean dishes so when I checked on the chili paste I bought before, the expiration date is coming near. I'm going to waste another ingredient because I'm too lazy to cook. =S So I thought I'll give it a go, thank God for long weekends! ^^

When I looked at the dishes I posted here, I didn't find any entry for ddeokbokki but I'm pretty sure I had cooked that before. So I cooked it again today to get a picture and be able to post it here, keke. =P

Ddeokbokki is one if the most popular street foods in Korea. It's very spicy which is why it's not a favorite in our house. My family don't like spicy foods. =( I think Koreans like it because it's cold in their country and the spiciness can help keep them warm. I remember when we went on a vacation to Korea before, my brother got all sweaty in the middle if winter while eating ddeokbokki, LOL! =P

Carrot Cupcakes ^^

It has been a loooooooong time since I last baked. Even this time, it's not planned but I just thought I need to use the stuff I bought a long time ago before it rot, lol! XD

Months ago, I came across the muffin pan that I've been wanting to buy for a long time. It just so happen that I'm filling in on the minimum purchase of my card to get my membership fee waived to I finally bought it! =)

I also bought cinnamon powder a couple of months back because I was supposed to bake coffee buns as requested by my brother. But then I saw a coffee bun shop while walking around the mall and I just bought some home. =P Then my mom saw a nice container that comes with the flour, so I said she better buy it, I can use the flour when I bake some cookies. Then my aunt gave my mom a pack of walnuts that she haven't eaten for a long time. We also bought carrots and apple for vegetable juice.

So there, I got everything I need without actually intending to, keke. ^^ So I thought, this is a message for me to bake carrot cupcakes and it's my first time. =) I got the recipe from here >> Carrot Muffin Recipe.

Kimchi Jjigae (Kimchi Stew)

Haven't cook Korean dishes for a long time so I tried it again. This time it's Kimchi Jjigae, one of our favorite food when me and my friends go to Korea. It's not perfect because the kimchi I bought is the bottled one from the supermarket, not the best one there is. =S But my mom and dad ate it and the only complaint is it's too hot so I guess it's ok, keke... ^^

Doenjang Jjigae (Soybean Paste Stew)

Yes, another jjigae and this time it's not as spicy as Kimchi Jjigae or Boodae Jjigae because it's stew made from soybean paste. It's still a bit spicy since Korean taste is always spicy but it's better for my parents since they don't eat a lot of spicy food.

What to cook next? =)