Bubbles

The punks decided to play with bubbles outside after having dessert at Cafe Breton. I filmed the tail end of their playtime. Ashley was already coughing from running and jumping.

There's also a nerd talking in the background. He he he.

Mona Lisa Italian Restaurant in Alabang

It was the day after Hubby's birthday. We drove to a nearby Italian restaurant called Mona Lisa, located in Alabang. Hubby's been there before, to wine and dine some expats who are visiting. For me, it's my first time to go.

Since it's just a few minutes' drive from our place, we decided to try it out together.

Hubby ordered Shrimp and Pomelo Salad (can you see a pattern here?, ha ha ha). I took a taste of the dressing but I didn't like it.

I ordered the Arancino Siciliano, fried  brown rice balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese over tomato sauce.   I loved this dish. The brown rice was crispy on the outside but still moist inside. I would definitely order this again.

I also ordered Pollo Pizzimenti, fettuccini in a creamy mushroom sauce with mushrooms, asparagus, broccolli and chicken pieces. The dishes at Mona Lisa are quite big and often can be shared by two or three people. My order of Pollo Pizzimenti was too much after a heavy appetizer. The sauce was good though but I prefer it without the chicken.

Hubby had the Mona Lisa pizza, with pepperoni, mushrooms and bell peppers. I didn't get to taste this since I was too full already. Hubby fished half of the pizza, yes, by himself.

We has so much leftovers, we took them home and ate them for dinner.

 I would definitely go back to Mona Lisa for the Arancino Siciliano. I really enjoyed eating that.

Belated happy birthday to the love of my life, Hubby :-)

Songkran in BF

I know I've been slacking with my blog lately. I'm just so busy.... watching things on Youtube. Ha ha ha. Romantic comedies are just so addicting to watch.

Anyway, there's a Thai restaurant in BF called Songkran, located along Aguirre Avenue. There are just so many restaurants and bistros popping inside BF nowadays, sometimes I get confused which ones to try first.

We tried eating at Songkran a few weeks ago ( I think). I was browsing through the photos on my iPhone and realized that I haven't blogged about this restaurant yet.  Lowdown though, Songkran's food is not so bad, but it's not authentic. If you've been to Thailand, you'll know what I mean. 

For starters we had the fresh spring roll. I liked this dish, quite refreshing to eat.

We also tried the pomelo and shrimp salad. The dressing's a bit too sweet but otherwise, the pomelos were really fresh and juicy. The plate's pretty cute too.

I had the Pad Thai, which is my favorite Thai dish. The one from Songkran was ok but lacked something. The best Pad Thai that I tasted was at a food stall at the floating market in Thailand. I don't think that it was prepared at the most sanitary conditions though. Luckily, I flew back home safe and sound.

Hubby had the beef soup, which I suspect had an instant soup base. We wouldn't order this again.

A lot of people dine at Songkran due to its affordability, accessibility and overall good service. 

Sesame Crusted Tuna with Soy Ginger Garlic Dressing

I wanted to make something simple and healthy tonight. I also wanted it to be  not your ordinary run of the mill quick fix dinner.

I bought a piece of sushi grade tuna at the supermarket earlier and used that for this simple recipe:

Sesame Crusted Tuna with Soy Ginger Sauce

1 piece sushi grade tuna
Sesame seeds
Olive Oil
Salad greens

Dressing (approximate only):
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2-3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2-3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1  teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (optional)

Procedure:
1. Coat tuna with sesame seeds.
2. Fry tuna in olive oil for a few minutes, just until the sesame seeds are toasted. Middle of tuna should still be pink.
3. Remove from heat and let rest for a few minutes before slicing.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk all the salad dressing ingredients and toss the salad greens with it.
5. Arrange salad in a plate and top with the tuna, drizzle extra dressing on top.

Eating a messy burger at Sango

Don't you have one of those days that you must simply sink your teeth into a juicy and messy burger?

My partner in sinful food indulges, Hubby, picked me up from work yesterday and we just had to give in. Low salt, low fat diet be damned!

Master Chili Cheese Burger at Sango Burger. Messy. Delicious.

Max Brenner

After our really delightful dinner at Bulgogi Brothers, the BFF and I make our way to Max Brenner in Greenbelt. We like to go there after dinner because the place usually is less crowded. Hence, more conducive to conversation.

The BFF and I shared one white chocolate creme brulee, which I liked paired with a cup of cappuccino.

BFF had a cup of hot chocolate with lots of marshmallows served in a hug mug.

Bulgogi Brothers in Greenbelt

The BFF and I met last night for our usual dinner date. We agreed to meet in Greenbelt and try out a new restaurant. As we were walking and scouting for new restos to try, we chanced upon Bulgogi Brothers, who happen to be on "soft opening".

Me, in my typical manner, went in and requested for a table for two. We were seated in a nice table at the corner and we were informed that it was VIP night and it was the restaurant's maiden operation. Guests, were by invitation only. Yikes! We had no idea (well, they did seat us). As we were gesturing to leave, they encouraged us to stay and try the VIP menu.

Wow, boy, did we get a VIP treatment!

As we were seated, the waiters served us with complimentary appetizers of sweet potatoes, corn on the cob and boiled quail eggs and bottomless cups of cold corn tea.

Another trio of appetizers were set on out table which consisted of Spinach Salad in a sweet, spicy and tangy dressing, eggplant salad and steamed greens.

I LOVE the Spinach Salad. It was absolutely delicious. Refreshing yet tangy and spicy at the same time. It's a wonderful explosion for your taste buds. I will definitely order this again.

Don't you just love Korean food and their side dishes? :-)

For our next dish, we were served a huge, I mean huge, plate of Sogogi Nangchae. Grilled beef with fresh salad. It was beautifully presented. The beef was very tender and seasoned perfectly. The salad dressing was more on the sweet side but it compliments the beef, the greens and the tomatoes really well. The Sogogi Nangchae is a meal in itself. Another winner on the menu.

For the main dish, our server grilled Gwang Yang Style Bulgogi, right our table. The beef was so fresh and tender. I know it might sound funny to you, but the taste was a bit milky and so melt-in-your-mouth good. Gwang Yang, is a province in the South part of Korea and their Bulgogi is cooked differently than traditional Bulgogi. The beef is sliced differently. Looking at the raw beef slices prior to cooking, I could tell that particular care was taken to prepare the meat. I wish I knew the secret so that I could duplicate it at home.

We also tried the Kimchi Jigae, which is a Kimchi Stew. I'm not really sure how to describe this, but to have a Filipino reference, it's like Kimchi sinigang. Spicy yet sour at the same time. The stew has some rice cakes in it (like gnocchi). The taste is pleasant over all.

The BFF and I had a really fantastic time at Bulgogi Brothers. The food and service were really excellent and I can't wait to go back and try the other items on their menu.

 Kamsahamnida Bulgogi Brothers! :-)

Pampering at Home

Lazy Saturday. Just finished having a manicure and pedicure at home.

Life is bliss.

Cheater's Baby Back Ribs

I made this super easy baby back ribs last weekend. It's ridiculously easy to prepare and I cheated a lot by using bottled barbecue sauce. I was contemplating on making my own from scratch but there were just too many ingredients (that would probably sit unused in my pantry). So, here's my shortcut version (that doesn't taste like a short cut version, promise!). Make sure that you are using good quality baby back ribs. I like buying my meat from S&R.

Barbecued Baby Back Ribs



Ingredients:
Baby Back Ribs
Sea salt
Pepper
Bottled Barbecue Sauce of your choice (I used Hunt's Honey Hickory Barbecue Sauce)

Procedure:
1. Clean the baby back ribs by removing the first layer of "filament" or "litid" found right below the bones. This is a very important step and should not be skipped. This will make your ribs more tender. It was frustrating at first but once you find the "sweet spot", the filament just peels off quickly.
2. Sprinkle with freshly cracked salt and pepper.
3. Wrap the ribs in foil. Make sure that the packet is completely sealed.
4. Bake at 375 for two hours.
5. Take the ribs out of the oven and let cool slightly.
6. Grill over hot coals and brush with barbecue sauce right before you take it out.

Best eaten with your hands.

Enjoy!