Xiao Long Bao: Ang Siomai na May Sabaw!

Symphony of Lights

When Driver booked the gang and their respective families for a trip to Hong Kong and Macau, she has set her mind on three things:  have Senyorito Lakwatsero and Tiyo Theo experience Halloween at Disneyland, try the theme park’s newest ride, the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars, and have a bite of authentic Xiao Long Bao! 

Uhm, sweetie, that's not the menu.

The gang took the 7:20 am Air Asia flight from Clark to HK.  Since there really wasn’t much place to eat at DMIA and airplane food was really not that appetizing, breakfast had to wait. After the two-hour flight and queuing at immigration, it was already around 1030 in the morning when we were able to get out of the airport.  Add to it another hour and a half to reach our apartment (travel time + traffic + waiting time to get in the apartment and get settled in). In short, breakfast = lunch. It was a good thing that the apartment we rented was near all sorts of restaurants. Here’s the catch, we were in a country known for its cuisine, but guess where we had our first meal?  KFC!

Yey, egg tart!

But, the meals at KFC HK are different from those served in the Philippines. For one, there is no plain rice.  They do have rice but it is topped with either chicken ala king sauce or mushroom gravy.  They don’t have fries.  Instead, they serve criss cut fries.  To the kids dismay, they don’t have spaghetti.  Chicken, for which KFC is known, is just the same except for the additional Flava Roast – not sure if it’s really roasted though.  It is like the spicy Chooks to Go!  On a positive note, we love their fixins.  Instead of brownies, they serve egg tarts which are really creamy.  Yum! Yum!  Another interesting thing that caught our attention was the use of plastic gloves.  While we Filipinos use our bare hands (after washing of course), in HK they put on plastic gloves.  Honestly, it is easier to eat finger foods with bare hands provided that one’s hand is thoroughly washed first.  Other than KFC, the other quick and familiar fixes we had were Burger King and McDonalds.   

Of course, we did not live on American fast food. We stayed in Yau Ma Tei so choices for authentic Chinese dishes were endless.  The Yau Ma Tei MTR station is a step away from the lobby of our apartment building.  Right beside the lobby is a bakeshop that sells all these yummy pastries, with egg tarts as their specialty. Walk a little more and you’ll see an HK-style carinderia.  And because of the language barrier, it was indeed a “turu-turo” experience for us.  Actually, most of the time, we had to eat “turu-turo”, meaning, wherever we had to eat, we had to point at our orders!  It was a feast for the eyes just watching people line up in these small eateries where noodles, soup and other Chinese dishes are served.  At night, we usually buy chicken feet, braised pork, dimsum, five spice pork, etc.  from the eateries around our apartment.  Another good thing about staying in an apartment instead of a hotel, we get to cook our meals when we had time.  Our grocery of choice was Wellcome since we just had to cross the street.  Because of this set-up, we were even able to cook pork sinigang and lemon butter prawns for our last day lunch.  Yaya, Driver and capitalista par excellence, El Capitan Tagie did the marketing at Wan Chai.

The mouse we are not afraid of - Mickey!

Our second day was spent at the happiest place on earth (so they say) – Disneyland!  But if you are going to Disneyland, make sure you have enough budget for food.  One rice meal w/o drinks will cost you about HKD70 0r Php350-Php420 depending on the exchange rate (don’t keep on converting, or else you won’t be able to buy anything).  For lunch, each of us had a large bowl of rice topping meal like Three Treasure (Chicken, Sausage and Egg served with steamed bokchoy), Roasted Chicken Leg (quarter size), Roasted Duck Leg, Braised Pork and a large bowl of noodles.  Don’t worry though, because the servings were huge. That was why although going around Disneyland and taking the rides were really tiring, we only got hungry past dinner time.   By the way, the theme park area may change (Tomorrowland, Fantasyland) and so as the names of the restaurants, but they still serve the same menu.

Para sa malaking gutom!

Disneyland would really bring back the child in you, there are quick bites or quick snacks everywhere.  Popcorn can be smelled in the air.  There were ice cream varieties that (we think) are exclusive to Disneyland.  But there was something that caught our attention.  In food carts that sell your typical theme park snacks, there was a turkey leg on stick!  Well, that’s something you don’t get to see everyday! 

Surprise in a little package

We got home at around 1100 pm.  Some may consider this late. But in HK, the night is still young.  Unknown to Senyorito Lakwatsero, Yaya and Driver set out to find the famed Xiao Long Bao which they found aplenty in Temple Street (again, just a few blocks from our apartment).  Xiao Long Bao or small basket dumplings or soup dumplings may look like your regular dimsum but it holds a surprise inside.  When you bite into it, there’s soup inside it. How do they do that?  The soup stock is molded into gelatine cubes before they are encased in the flour dough.  When it gets steamed, it turns into soup.  So for the unsuspecting and unfamiliar, you might just find yourself wet with dumpling soup!  Yaya and Driver were not able to catch the name of the store but according to some research, the best place to have Xioa Long Bao in Temple Street, Yau Ma Tei is at Fu Kee Delicious Food ( no matter how SPG it sounds, we're not kidding with the name).  

Jack Skellington - the Halloween Parade frontliner

Get ready for a ride of a lifetime

So in one day, Driver was able to accomplish her mission – take the kids to Disneyland for Halloween, ride the Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars and find Xiao Long Bao, ang siomai na may sabaw!

Senyorito Lakwatsero now. See him at the same spot two years ago

Our Macau food adventure is next!

You Got(cha-a) Us Hooked!

If happiness is in a cup, we want ours TALL!

If happiness is in a cup, we found ours in Gotcha-a Milk Tea!  Well, it was actually Da Nars who found it for us.

Add Gotcha-a Milk Tea on Facebook

We were intrigued with the names of their blends, Gentle Seduction, First Kiss, Burnt Passion, etc. So when Da Nars took us there, we tried several flavours until eventually falling in love with Sweet Surrender and Total Eclipse (turn around...).  Unlike the blended powder variety, Gotcha-Milk Teas are made from freshly brewed teas.  Check out the menu below to know more about their blends.

Since they need to brew the tea, you’ll have to wait for your order.  You can pass your time reading the interesting and sometimes funny posts on their Freedom Wall.  You can even make your own posts!  We tell you, it’s a fun experience. 

Freedom!

Kung bitter ka, punta na ng Gotcha-a Milk Tea and let the sweetness of the milk tea "shake away" that bitterness or let the Freedom Wall do it for you! 

We just have to do it!

Gotcha-a Milk Tea is located at Barleta St. right beside Q9 and the soon to rise clinic of Dah Dentist (promotion to the max!).  

Senyorito Lakwatsero,the Total Eclipse Grabber!

Senyorito Lakwatsero Goes to the Office!

In Laguna, there's a municipality where nature meets technological advancements, and where bright minds meet - Los Banos, LB or  Elbi.  For Senyorito Lakwatsero, this is where his office is located.  His “office”?  The vast grounds of an international research centre.  Thus, it is not surprising for Senyorito Lakwatsero, Driver, Yaya and Mayordoma to have food adventures in LB.

Coffeeshop in the rice fields?

Inside the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) is a cozy coffee shop called Beanhub.  The coffee shop caters mainly to the employees and guests of the Institute but they are also open to the public.  How good is Beanhub?  Well, for one, it has captured the discerning tastes of both the local and international staff of the Institute.  Mayordoma's bosses always tell their guests that Beanhubs's coffee is good enough  to match the famed Starbucks franchise.  Aside from coffee, they also serve pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads and pastries.  On top of the gang's list are the Kani Salad, White Cheese and Pesto Sandwich, Grilled Cheese with Vegetables, Spicy Sardines in Pesto Pasta, Mushroom Alfredo, Chicken Spaghetti, Lemon and Basil Juice, Mudslide and Blueberry Cheesecake.  The list just goes on and on.  Here's more, their price range is just a third of what other cafes charge.  Value for your money to the highest level!

But Beanhub's biggest asset is its people. CJ, Bob, Weng and the rest of the team provides a special touch to their service.  They'll even personalize the froth of your cappuccino – your name, the face of your dog, a kiss, even the initials of the training that you are attending!

If you plan to go there during lunchtime, be sure to come early because the place gets really packed.

If LA has The Grove, so does LB!

Senyorito Lakwatsero fell in love with Bonito's menu that he wouldn't let go of it.  We are not exaggerating when we tell you that he gave the waiter dagger looks when he tried getting the menu from him after we were done ordering.  He only let go of it when we were about to leave.

Bonito's is a resto-bar at the LB's version of The Grove (sa may UP Gate).  It is located at the entrance of Demarces.  If you are bringing a car with you, the able guard on duty will assist you in parking.

One of Bonito's gems is the Crunchy Calamari Salad – crunchy coated squid, salad greens, carrots, singkamas and your choice dressing.  We preferred Honey Mustard but we will try the Strawberry dressing next time.  Another hands down winner is the Batangas Kaldereta.  It will literally melt in your mouth.  But please don't be too eager to taste it because it is served steaming hot.  They also have the Elbi Burger (not sure if this is the right name but we are referring to the humungous burger) which we will try next time.  Another curious item in their menu is the Crispy Kare-Kare.  It's your typical Crispy Pata served on top of vegetable Kare-Kare.  If you don't have any health restrictions, try it!  For dessert, we tried the tiramisu but it did not go well with our taste.  Probably, amaretto and us are not meant to be together!

Over-all, Bonito's is a place we recommend for friends who would like to hang out or for quick business lunch. 

Do not judge a book if you are not a judge, er, by its cover!

Along Lopez Avenue (university avenue) is the office of a cable tv provider, nothing really special.  But tucked behind it is a place that will take you to another era.  Think Victorian especially with its brocade upholstered seats.  Madam Mamita, Senyorito's grandmama who came with the gang, was impressed with the interiors of Mio Cucina.  And boy, she is not that easy to impress!  The same theme applies to their menu, simple name marvelous taste!

After placing our orders, we were provided with their complimentary Bonete.  For those familiar with Bonete, this is the Pan de Tubo like bread you can buy in panaderias.  But Mio Cucina takes it to another level.  They serve it together with butter and a concoction of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, sometimes with Sinantulan.  It was so good that even before we were finished eating the batch that was given to us, Madam Mamita was already ordering Bonetes to go.  For appetizer, we ordered Ukoy.  Yes, Ukoy in a fancy place!  This was actually the runaway winner of the night. Unlike the typical ukoy, this one is served shaped like a square and extremely thin.  Almost, cracker-like. And it goes really well with the tangy dip that comes with it. We ordered seconds!  For our main course we had Bistek Tagalog, Kaldereta and Fish Fillet with Sweet and Sour Sauce.  The Bistek was good but can still be more tender.  The Kaldereta is tender enough that there was no need to use a knife.  It was heavenly!  We ordered the fish fillet as a filler but it was another surprise.  The fish, the sauce were fantastic!

Lesson learned, never ever judge a food by its name unless you have tried it!

Bonito's and Mio Cucina will cost you around Php1,000 – Php1,500 for a meal good for four people.  At Beanhub, you can have pasta/sandwich and drinks for under Php100.

Tonight, if Madam Mamita will not play architect (read:  drawing), we will explore one of San Pablo's newest restaurants.  This time we will go Mediterranean!

Pepper for lunch? Of course not, silly!

As usual, Senyorito Lakwatsero chose his own spot

On April Fools' Day, Senyorito Lakwatsero was reunited with his reel-life mother, Senyora Buigotti.   Because of the rarity of this occasion, add to it that Reyna Elena's birthday is just around the corner, the gang decided to go on another foodie adventure.

Where to go?

Due to soaring oil price and high toll fees, Alabang was the choice destination.

Well, guess who knows the directions?

Driver could navigate around Alabang with her eyes closed and yet for some reason she got confused where to take the turns.  Probably too excited with Senyora Buigotti's presence or it was the new constructions at ATC that made the place unfamiliar.  Thankfully, by some stroke of luck (miracle?), Mayordoma, the world's worst navigator, knew the directions.

Alabang Town Center, finally! Where to have lunch?

That's the trouble with having to many choices, it was difficult to choose.  It was made harder by the fact that the gang was already famished!  The decision went down to going to a place where meals can be served quick (but not necessarily fast food) - PEPPER LUNCH!

We forgot to ask if we can have DINNER at Pepper Lunch

No, pepper is not their main dish.  They just have stuff seasoned with pepper, even rice.   This was our restaurant of choice because service is really quick.  How quick?  Your order reaches you before it even gets cooked!  No, they won't make you eat raw food.  You actually get to cook your own choice cut of beef, chicken, pork and fish since they are served on an electromagnetic plate that is heated up to 260 degrees Celsius for a minute.  Isn't that fun?  Our food came literally, sizzling.  If you're the type who chats a lot before paying attention to your food, chances are, one side of your order will get burned before you even get the chance to turn it over.

Teriyaki Beef Pepper Rice with Egg

Food at Pepper Lunch is like adventure on a plate.  The sizzle in your food would make you wonder if it comes with a facial steam package!  As mentioned above, you get to cook your food in the consistency that you like.  You can have it rare, medium well, well done at your convenience.  But please, if it's chicken, have it cooked well done.  You can also season it with your choice of teriyaki, onion sauce, honey brown sauce and garlic soy sauce.  Of course, there will always be a dash of pepper.  Because of the electromagnetic plate, your meals are kept hot which is an advantage because you have to eat slow or else your mouth will get burned.  And eating slow makes you feel satisfied without feeling full (even if you are).  Therefore, you won't be sluggish afterwards.

We loved the food! Service was also good.  Price may seem prohibitive especially for the choice cuts.  But the usual chicken and beef at Ps300-Ps325 per meal is good already.  Try it, not just for the food but also for the experience.  Most importantly, the price was not an issue for Driver, Yaya, Mayordoma and Reyna Elena since it was Senyora Buigotti who footed the bill! Ha! Ha! Ha!

"Tayo na! Pupunta pa tayo sa S&R!"  That was Senyorito Lakwatsero.  And it was our cue to leave.  

Hi wantu ave some crepe (spoken with a french accent)!

This menu opens a world of wonders

If you are craving for crepes, there's nowhere else to go but Cafe Breton (except if you're in San Pablo, there's another place!).

After battling it out with the crowd at S&R (it was the last day of their 3-day sale) and not really buying that much, the gang decided to have merienda at Cafe Breton before heading home to Laguna.

Unlike in other restos, were crepes are just part of dessert, crepes are the main thing at Cafe Breton.  They serve both savoury and dessert crepes.  They also have a good selection of coffee.  We can't help but remember Senyora Buigotti's Boy who has a penchant for Cafe Breton's double shot espresso (wink).

Reyna Elena's Merienda Choice - Hamburcrepe

Another reason we love Cafe Breton is that you have the option to choose what you want to put in your crepe if you don't dig any of those in their selection.  This is ideal especially if you have a picky eater with you like kids.  They can choose the filling, sauce, syrups, spread, preserves, etc.  This is probably one of the reasons why majority of the guests in the cafe that afternoon were kids.

In the case of Senyorito Lakwatsero, he had crepe with veal sausage and cheese sauce.  He liked it, but the adults loved it more!  Except for Reyna Elena who had Hamburcrepe, the rest of the gang had dessert crepes with interesting names - Tarzan, Adam & Eve, La Pinay and Fantastic Pinay.  The price?  It would really depend on your choice of fillings.  Again, it really didn't matter to most of the gang since it was Birthday Girl Reyna Elena's treat! Another, "Ha! Ha! Ha!" moment.

Once again, it was Senyorito Lakwatsero who gave the cue when to go home.  He spilled the chocolate shake on him, drenching his shoes.

Kids will always be kids!  At least even for just a day, Senyorito Lakwatsero had his reel-life mother, Senyora Buigotti all to himself.  And this made Yaya very happy - day off for her!

'Till our next foodie adventure.

'Day, ihanda ang Comedor darating ang aking mga amiga!

Comedor-en-la-Kamillah

Spanish 101:

Comedor - dining room

Azotea - terraced roof

Put them together and you'll have Comedor En La Kamilla.  

Situated along Zamora St. near the San Pablo-Calamba Jeepney Terminal is an old house.  If you won't notice the sign board, you'd think that it's just a house if not a hole in the wall.  But if you take the stairs leading to the azotea, you'll discover that it is actually a restaurant (well, discovery credit goes to Mayordoma's former students).

Once you're there, you can't help but be nostalgic if you grew up in a similar house - one where the stairs to the second floor is outside,literally a few steps away from the street and you need to go through the azotea first before you get to the main door. Visiting the place was some sort of a deja vu for Yaya and Mayordoma.  Yaya even thought of Donya Victorina from Noli Me Tangere.  

But before we go any further, though the structure has a Spanish feel, it's not a Spanish restaurant.  They serve the typical fare of sizzling plate dishes with rice, sandwiches, noodles, pasta, etc.  Their food is budget friendly.  This restaurant will show that one does not have to shell out much money to enjoy good food.  Value for your money.  The five of us - Senyorito Lakwatsero, Driver, Yaya, Mayordoma and Reyna Elena - spent only Php760 for a dinner of appetizer to dessert with drinks plus additional take out order for the Winehouse Sisters (no relation to the late Amy Winehouse).  These were what we ordered:

Sweet Spaghetti with toast and Iced Tea (Php68) - For its price, we thought Senyorito Lakwatsero will be served with "Ispaketchup" but to our surprise, it was a "gourmet" tasting kid's spaghetti with a hint of rosemary

Pika Platter (Php110) - If you can't decide which appetizer you'll order, get this one. This could be filling on its own. The platter is composed of french fries, potato wedges, chicken fillet, fish fillet, kani roll with three different dips - sweet&chilly, mayo, mayo with ketchup.  Of all the dips, the sweet&chilly one was the hit.

Two orders of Pancit Chopsuey (one was to go) (Php98 each) - We originally wanted to have lomi so our meal won't be dry.  But, there was none.  So we opted for this but with the request that they make it saucy which they did.  We loved how it tastes, chinese-style.  We even ordered extra for the Winehouse Sisters.

Sizzling Sisig (Php100) - If you will look at their menu, Sizzling Sisig is served with rice, as a meal.  But you can order it ala carte indicating the "worth" you'd like to have.  In our case, we ordered "Php100 worth" which was a full sizzling plate.  The sisig did not only sizzle on the plates, it also sizzled in our mouths - hot!  But it goes well with rice.

Spicy Spareribs (Php100) -  Same as the sisig including the spiciness!

Potato Salad (Php58) - Their potato salad tends to be on the sweet side so you can have it either as an appetizer or a dessert.  We had it as dessert.

One tall carafe of Red Iced Tea (Php68) - The perfect complement to the spicy fare.

Four orders of Rice (Php15each) - Being used to rice subsidy, we found this too pricey.  On a positive note, at least it will limit our rice intake!

Madam, the owner, even gave us a complimentary salad which was a mix of red beets, apple and ingredient X.  We call it X because Madam made us identify the three components, two of which we were able to identify.  It was actually a fun exercise because we were literally analyzing what we were putting into our mouths. Alas, we still didn't get to identify the third ingredient which up to now still remains a mystery. The salad was very light and we think it would go well with vanilla ice cream.

Other  interesting items in their menu which we plan to order in our next visits would be the Budbod (rice toppings), Pancit Bathala, Pancit Bulkan and their Chocolate Cake which comes highly recommended by one of Mayordoma's former students.

Comedor En La Kamilla is a place sans of pretensions.  It's really value for your money.

'Day, paabot nga ng aking balabal, malamig dito sa azotea!