Sensei Sushi - BF Homes

The kids are staying with us this holiday season. Yay, for me! I'm on full mommy mode. Sometimes though, I'd like to take a break and eat out. The kids love to eat out as well. I'll post some of our past forays here once I've unearthed some of the photos on my iPhone.

Anyway, last week's victim was Sensei Sushi, a relatively new hole-in-wall sushi place along Aguirre avenue in BF. The menu is written in a blackboard. I assume it changes based on what's fresh and available in the market.

We tried a variety of rolls and some appetizers. We ordered the spicy Tuna Roll, which was quite good, my nephew Jayjay liked it.

We also ordered the Cali Roll with Prawn Popcorn on top, your regular California roll topped with prawn tempura bites. Ashley wasn't too fond of this. For her, a California Roll should look like the "traditional" one. I kinda liked this version though. A bit heavy and is a meal in itself.

I also ordered the Fried Oysters, which I really liked. It was light and the sauce was quite good too.

The kids love Prawn Tempura, they usually finish, between themselves, ten to twelve pieces. Assuming that the tempura would be good, I ordered two immediately, total of ten pieces. Lo and behold, the tempura was served with the heads attached! Yikes, the kids weren't too happy about this. The batter wasn't very good as well (I could taste a bit of cornmeal in it) and it was too oily . They barely touched the tempura that we ordered, we had to take them home and give them to the housekeepers.

Hubby wasn't too pleased with his Grilled Steak as well. He was expecting a slab of meat, not a dainty serving of sukiyaki cuts! The steak was very disappointing since it was one of the most expensive things on the menu. I tasted it, sorry to say, but the meat wasn't even the best quality.

 Anyway, Sensei Sushi is a hit-and-miss kind of place. The rolls and the oysters were pretty good, worth coming back to. The other stuff that we ordered were complete bust and a bit "unusual".

Not sure though if I can persuade Hubby nor the kids to give Sensei Sushi another try.

Agave, Mexican Cantina - SM Southmall

Hubby, kids ang moi felt cabin fever yesterday. We decided to try a new restaurant in SM Southmall called, Agave, Mexican Cantina.

My nephew is quite adventurous with food and would try anything once. He's the only nine-year old boy I know who loves stinky kimchi, Bulgogi and appreciates a very spicy bowl of Tom Yum.

Anyway, we tried Agave yesterday. All of us were eager to add a new restaurant to our "roster" of places that we've tried. The kids would often make lambing to eat out at least once whenever they are staying with us.

We ordered chicken flautas, chimichanga (which would have been good, if it weren't too damn oily), shrimp quesadilla (hardly any cheese). However, the strawberry-mango margarita was delicious.

We weren't too happy with the food, taste-wise. They seem to scrimp on cheese and sour cream. It's a good thing though that kids eat for free on weekends. Otherwise the whole thing would have been a complete bust.

The kids ordered chicken fingers and Mexican pizza with grilled chicken. Only Ashley finished her meal.

Overall, Agave, I think, is more suited as a drinking place with friends, due to its variety of margaritas, mojitos and such. If I remember correctly, some of the alcoholic beverages are bottomless.

Simple Joys

Oh, the joy of eating ice cream.

My niece Ashley sure knows how to appreciate a simple chocolate cone.

It's the little things that make my day so wonderful.

Christmas 2012

From our family to yours.....

Merry Christmas!

Dessert Date with Hubby

Hubby and I snuck out if the house after the kids fell asleep. My pamankins are staying with us this holiday season. Mommy and daddy mode for Hubby and me, which we really enjoy.

We went to Le Petit Cherie in Molito, Alabang for some dessert.

I ordered Ile Flotante, which is a collection of three pieces of merengue "islands" floating on creme anglaise. The creme anglaise wasn't too sweet, which I liked.

Hubby ordered the Le petit Cherie, large macaron de Paris cookies with Chantilly cream filling. He liked the macaron, the Chantilly cream was a bit too sweet. The presentation was quite nice as well. A chocolate illustration of the Eiffel is carefully drawn beside the macaron.

There is an extensive library on the second floor which allows for hours of reading. The book selection is also good and offers a variety of subjects.

A live pianist and opera singer were present when we arrived. I personally would just prefer to have just the piano to allow free flowing conversations with the diners.

Overall, we would go back to Le Petit Cheri. The restaurant serves not only French desserts but French savory dishes and a variety of crepes, which we would try next time.

Parteeee

Just got back from our company's Christmas party. Our theme for this year was "spoiled rotten".

My costume was (ghetto/poor) gossip girl.

Early

Slept early. Woke up early. Too early.

Nooninoooninooo.....

Counting sheeps.

That never works, by the way.

Learned a new word today

"Fatkini" - a bikini for curvaceous women.

A "bikini" only looks good on thin women. A little bit if bulge makes a sorry picture. Sad but true.

Hmmm... I wonder what do you call a bikini for normal girls? Neither too thin, nor too thick. You know, the average 80% of the women population all over the world?

Winding Down

Finally winding down after a long day. I have a fever that just won't break. I hope a good night's rest will make me feel better.

Goodnight!

Long Day

It's a specially long day today. It's one of those days where nothing ever goes right.

Is it tomorrow yet?

Galbijim - success!

My galbijim came out delicious. I need to probably cook it in a pressure cooker next time, to speed up the cooking process and to make the beef extra tender.

The recipe can be found at maangchi.com

I doubled the sauce recipe because I was not sure if it was enough to tenderize the meat on a stovetop. I would strongly suggest it if you are making this.

Those are the changes that I will use next time.

I think the leftover Galbijim would be excellent when shredded and added to fried rice.

Pardon the picture, my troop was very hungry and was getting impatient.

Galbijim

Tenderizing meat for Galbijim. Will add vegetables later for the finishing touch. Wish me luck!

Full House Take 2

I admit, I've become such a Korean Drama addict. specially now that I've been to Korea, my desire to watch has increased, as long as they are not dubbed in Tagalog, which completely kills the joy of watching, at least in my own personal opinion.

Anyway, I have been watching Full House Take 2 for the past few weeks. I eagerly await its weekly episodes. I think I like the lead actor, No Min Woo, funny hair and all. The series has been very engaging, not overly dramatic and heavy, there were cheesy but cute moments too (admit it, you've chased your significant other around the house at least once for a tickling session).

And now it ends. I love happy endings, don't you? :)

Kimchi

Yummmmy! Stinky kimchi from Korea.

Brought straight from Seoul. I love it.

A Deal

I just made a deal with my stubborn Hubby.

Hubby wasn't too thrilled when he went to Seoul. He's been there twice, both on very hectic business trips. Both times he stayed near Coex in the Gangnam area and wasn't able to explore anywhere else.

So, I said. "Let's go back together once, for a real vacation, no business. If you don't like it by then, we will never go back again"

He reluctantly agreed, because deep down he knows, that in the end, I always get my way.

So, white Christmas next year or spring?

Cutie Pie

I found this cute little thing at Face Shop in Myeongdong, Seoul. It's a perfume stick packaged in such a cute way. It kinda reminds me of my niece Ashley, too.

It has a mild sweet fragrance that can only be smelled when someone leaned over to whisper something or kiss.

Annyeonghaseyo .....

Wow, I again neglected to update this blog. So many things have happened this year. I recently came from a company trip in Seoul. Which I really enjoyed and I can't wait to come back and explore some more. I almost booked two flights to Seoul yesterday,  for Christmas next year.

I havent updated my blog because I needed to purchase additional storage for my Picasa album, so that I can upload pictures here. I finally jumped the gun and purchased it. I tried to put it off, hoping that it was just a glitch that I have consumed all my free storage. I'm stingy that way.

Now, I can blog using my iPhone, where ever I am, as long as I have internet access.

In My Closet

Been having fun dressing up lately. These are my two favorite pieces. F21 nude blouse and my nautical t-shirt dress from Cotton On. Can't afford the high end stuff yet, but having fun with these affordable pieces nonetheless :-)

I would love to buy this someday, without feeling guilty after purchasing it.

Yabu, best Katsu in Manila?

Finally, Yabu! I've been wanting to dine at Yabu for the longest time. I have heard so many good reviews about it. Hubby, me, Jayjay and Ashley braved the C5 traffic to drive to Megamall to finally try Yabu. (When did Megamall have a building C?!)

We were not disappointed. It is by far, the best katsu I've had (well, I haven't been to Japan, so there's really no comparison). Much better than Hong Kong airport's Saboten, in my opinion. Although, many would probably disagree with me.

We love to grind our own sesame seeds for the sauce. It really makes a huge difference in taste and texture.

The katsu that we ordered were crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and fried perfectly, not oily at all. All meals are served with unlimited cabbage salad and rice. How perfect for the Pinoy diner.

Yabu is so worth the wait, the drive and money spent. Will definitely go back to Yabu. I hope they open a branch in Makati or Alabang soon. **hint** **hint**

Tapella in Greenbelt

Another date night with Hubby! Our date nights come few and far between because of our opposing work schedules. I really cherish the times that we do manage to go out, eat and have a date.

We tried Tapella at Greenbelt 5. Tapella is a Spanish restaurant that serves tapas, various Spanish cuisine and they have an al fresco bar beside one of the gardens in Greenbelt. I often see expats dining there. We chose to eat at Tapella because it was quiet, intimate and I heard the food was good.

Hubby and I tried the Flauta Cammembert, Cammembert cheese with caramelized onions inside a warm crusty baguette. I was surprised with the bread because it was crusty outside but soft inside, obviously freshly baked.

Hubby ordered Flauta de Anchoa. Anchovies and tomatoes inside a crusty baguette. Simple, yet surprisingly delicious.

We also had the Mediterranean Salad with green and black olives, feta cheese, anchovies and various greens in a simple vinaigrette of olive oil and lemon (I think).

For our main course, although I was already very full, we had the Paella Manchego. Typical paella, cooked with broccoli, asparagus, shrimps, chicken and topped with grated Manchego cheese. The paella was a bit light, not too over powering, Hubby loved it.

Date night. I should insist having one at least weekly, 'no?

Nautical Theme

I was browsing through Pinterest earlier, and saw the picture on the left and realized I'm kinda wearing the same outfit. Ha ha ha.

Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe in MOA

Finally, some shopping time for me. Oh, blessed three hours of self indulgence! I managed to coerce Hubby to drive me to Mall of Asia (MOA) last Saturday to shop for some wardrobe basics. I normally don't like to go to Mall of Asia, since that mall is SO crowded and chaotic but, it's the only mall (currently) that houses all my favorite clothing stores in one roof. I unleashed Hubby so that he can have his own selfish indulgences while I shop in peace. Nothing deflates my shopping spirit than  an irritable husband following me around while trying out clothes and shoes.

Anyway, after a fruitful three hours of shopping and trying on clothes, Hubby  and I finally had dinner, just the two of us, at Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe. The restaurant is situated right beside the IMAX theater, so it's quite easy to find.

The menu consists of some typical Hong Kong hawker fares like noodles, dim sum, Hong Kong style spaghetti, curries and such. The menu really reminded us of our various food adventures in Hong Kong.

I ordered the Prawn and Egg Horfun, which was smoky, with thick flat noodles, prawns cooked perfectly and a sauce that was quite nice, not too salty.  I am surprised that Xin Wang actually captured the taste of Hong Kong!

Hubby had the Braised Udon Soup. He liked everything about it, except the kind of noodle used, he preferred to have the thin noodles. The broth has anise in it, which is quite typical of noodles soups in Hong Kong.

Hubby also had two kinds of dimsum - Hargao (or Hakaw, shrimp dumplings) and the Steamed Pork Spare Ribs. Both were good and better than King Bee's. I only managed to eat one each since Hubby ate them all. The broth from the spare ribs were quite nice and would be good as a sauce for rice. How typical Pinoy, 'no? :-)

Hubby Loves them ice drinks and desserts. He ordered the Mango Snow Ice and Lychee Ice Blended Drink. He loves them both because they're sweet, cold and quite refreshing. The Lychee Ice Blended drink was served in a carafe, yes, for one serving, which I think was quite generous, although Hubby managed to down it by himself. I only managed to try the Mango Snow Ice made with  shaved ice, with milk, mango syrup, mango bits topped with a scoop of ice cream because I think, even with Hubby's huge appetite, the serving was more than enough for two people.

When we arrived at Xin Wang Cafe, there was a waiting line and the place was packed, so be sure to come early if you want to eat there on a weekend. The food is good and authentic. We suspect that the chef might be a Hong Kee or trained by a Hong Kong chef. The price of the food is very very reasonable and worth every centavo, in my own opinion. Would you believe we spent under a P1,000 for all of that food? Tip included!  Our waiter was nice too, and very attentive. 

 Xin Wang Hong Kong Cafe is worth coming back to.

Weight Loss Simulator

I tried this weight loss stimulator at http://api.modelmydiet.com/eywomen and see how it went. I plugged in my weight (I added a few pounds, just to be sure that I am not deluding myself). I also typed in my goal weight, which is 100 lbs (my weight in senior college, I can dream, can't I?).

I can't look at my college pictures anymore, I just get depressed.

Anyway, here's what I came up on my simulator:

For a 38-year old broad, I may not be such a super fattie after all.

Mom's Chocolate Icing

My mom says that she used to bake from scratch when I was young. Hmmmm, I have a different recollection of her version of "baking from scratch". My first memories of baking a cake, was when my mom opened a box of cake mix. But then again, I give her the benefit of the doubt since the toddler in question (me), was probably too young to remember the "baking from scratch" bit.

Anyway, I did remember though that she used to make icing from scratch. That, I am hundred percent certain. Because during my teen years, I decided to try making it on my own with disastrous results. I realized in hindsight what went wrong and made adjustments. Mostly, I just needed to be patient and not hurry too much when making this.

So now, twenty years later, I am doing my Mom's chocolate icing, from memory. Yes, memory. Because my Mom, bless her, does not write any of her recipes down. I didn't write mine either and decided to "eyeball" it, like the way my mom made it, with a few modern touches. We didn't have a non-stick pan nor a heat-proof spatula when I was young. I remember my mom used only regular steel wok, yes, the cheap ones from the palengke. The icing always turned out well, regardless of the crude equipment used.

Mom's Chocolate Icing

1 can of Evaporated milk
3/4 to 1 cup Dutch Process Cocoa
3/4 to 1 cup powdered sugar (Mom used regular granulated sugar)
2-4 tablespoons of salted butter (I may have used more, hee hee)

1. In a glass bowl, mix the evaporated milk, cocoa and powdered sugar until everything is well dissolved. If you have any lumps, pass the whole thing in sieve, once or twice, until you get a smooth, lump-free mixture.

2. Pour the mixture in a non-stick skillet. Using low-medium heat, cook the mixture slowly. This is very important, keep it on LOW-MEDIUM heat and stir the icing constantly in a circular motion using a HEAT-PROOF spatula. Don't forget to scrape the bottom and the sides of the pan as you cook the icing. Do no leave the icing unattended!

3. After about five minutes, add a tablespoon or two of butter and continue mixing until the mixture is reduced and have a spreading consistency. Keep the heat on LOW-MEDIUM. Again, never leave your icing unattended!

4. Add the rest of the butter, mixing constantly, two minutes before you turn it off.

5. Let cool slightly before spreading on cakes or cupcakes.

It takes a bit of effort and is much more labor intensive but it's soooo worth it.

Posting via iPhone

I've been posting some blog entries via iPhone lately. I've downloaded the Blogger app so that I can blog on mobile.

I am unable to post pictures though because apparently my Picasa album is already at its capacity.

I didn't realize I had a Picasa album until I logged on using my gmail account! The people at Google are kinda sneaky at way.

Anyway, upon my research, it seems that I have to upgrade my Picasa storage to 20mb so that I can attach pictures to posts made using my iPhone. Posts with pictures using a laptop or desktop are ok even without "upgrading" my Picasa.

Hmmm, sneaky sneaky Google.

Fast Asleep

It's now 10:00 pm. The three punks are staying with us for the weekend. All three and Hubby are fast asleep and snoring the night away. Me, still wide awake.

After I've tucked every one to bed, read bedtime stories, assured them monsters are just a figment of their imagination, kissed them, professed my undying motherly love and rubbed their backs until they fell asleep, who's gonna put me to bed now?

I am so tempted to call a massage therapist right about now.

So Proud of My Babies

Jayjay and Ashley. I call them my babies. Because I can't have any of my own. So, I'm claiming them as my own.

They always spend weekends with us. when I got home last night. Ashley excitedly told me.

"Ninang! We have something for you."

I'm so proud of my Jayjay. He's got the Good Citizen Award for the month of August. He always gets this because he's really obedient and considerate of other students. He gave his medal to me. I felt like a real mommy.

Ashley also jumped two levels in Kumon. We enrolled her a couple of months ago. I was amazed by the improvement. She made this addition tree in school and gave it to me. Excitedly asking me if she answered them all correctly.

I love them so much. I'm so blessed to have them in my life.

Feeling Minty

I'm loving this necklace that I got from Forever21. It took me two visits to finally purchase it ('coz I'm stingy that way, he he he). I'm not much into accessories because I simply cannot put them together fashionably like most people.

The silver bangles, I've had for more than 15 years. Hubby gave them to me from a business trip in Pakistan. They have recently been unearthed from my jewelry box and I paired them with a mint bangle from Forever21 as well.

Honestly, I've worn the necklace like ten times already since I bought it weeks ago.

Anyway, just a random post.

Hubby's Birthday Grub

I've been sick for the past week. Such bad timing because Hubby celebrated his birthday and I wasn't able to cook nor bake anything nice. Fortunately though, my housekeeper is very reliable and can duplicate some of my recipes. I chose very simple and easy, family tested recipes to serve last Sunday. We had some steamed crabs, pancit molo, fried shrimps, baby back ribs. My housekeeper likes to decorate the food with "found objects" in the crisper.

I normally like to make salads and bake cakes personally but my body wasn't too keen on the idea.

Our two nieces, Jessica and Ashley, and I, did manage to bake some sugar cookies from a cookie dough that I had frozen a couple of weeks ago, so we did have some freshly baked goodies.

Belated happy birthday, Hubby! You are the love of my life. You make me happy.

Oatmeal

This morning:

Hubby: "Why are you wearing pants? Are you sick?!"

My thought balloon:

"Yes, I was vomiting last night, you were in the bathroom with me! I used up a whole roll of tissue blowing my nose this morning!"

What I said instead:

"Do I look frumpy?"

Hubby sensing my prickly mood, he said instead .....

Hubby: "What shoes are you wearing with that?"

I showed him.

"Nah, you don't look frumpy. Just so............"

I will wear really comfy oatmeal ensemble anytime I want to. Thank you very much.

Hello World

Well, hello world, dear readers, if I had any left. It's been an amazing, exciting and interesting few months since I have done some serious blogging.

I've been to some amazing places, restaurants and been practicing my mommy skills on my two adorable pamankins, Jayjay and Ashley, who have found a weekend home with Hubby and me. Our world revolves around those two punks during the weekends. I, personally, am loving it. Hubby, to my utter surprise, took the "daddy" role quite seriously and is enjoying himself immensely. We're always looking forward to spending time with those two. I feel like they came from my own womb, that's how much I love them. Instant weekend kids. Wow! Since we can't have any kids (I'm trying to be realistic here, since I'll be forty next year), I guess this is the next best thing, right? No late night feeding, no stretch marks, no changing of dirty diapers. I think I got a pretty good deal. One of 'em even looks like me! :-)

Anyway, change of topic, I'm addicted to Pinterest too, that's why I haven't blogged for quite some time. I spend whatever free time I have browsing through recipes (some I have made, the three layer brownies WERE the bomb!) and browsing through shoes, clothes and make-up. Yes, make-up. I started wearing  a little make-up recently. Now, I can't go out without my face being spackled with BB cream. Seriously, I can't face the world without it. I realized I probably scared small children with my raccoon eyes prior. Sheesh, those poor kids.

I kinda miss my kitchen too. I haven't baked as much as I used to. I have so many recipes archived in my "to bake" files and even more savory recipes on "to cook" files, for those future "fabulous parties" that we will host (I have so many ideas swimming in my head, that I want to try out).  I also have to re-train my housekeeper with new recipes to revamp our daily menu. Ok, seriously, I gotta get my culinary life back on track.

Good luck with that.

Tito Chef Restaurant

Well, hello there! I'm kinda back, not from the dead but, from some sort of "mommyhood". The two punks are always with us on weekends and I am loving the sound of laughter (and sometimes bickering) of little children at home. I've also been in a state of catatonia (errr laziness) on weekdays.

Anyway, I made a lot of food these past few months and I baked a ton. Sorry, I haven't shared them with you lately. I am so behind my food and baking posts. I'm not sure if I should even post them.

I'm just making a quick one today regarding my date night with Hubby last night. Such a rare occasion nowadays. We managed to go home at the same time last night and decided to have dinner at a newly opened restaurant in BF/Tahanan area called Tito Chef. The parking seems to be always full so I guess the food must be good.

For starters we tried the Calamari with Kimchi Mayonnaise. I must say though, despite the "exotic" sounding name, the dish is quite ordinary but not bad. I probably won't be ordering this again, the batter for the calamari was too salty and spicy.

I also tried the Spinach and Raclette Souffle. I really liked the Raclette Sauce. Very nice, well rounded and not too salty (nor smelly).

Hubby ordered the Ox Tongue Bordelaise. The ox tongue was fork tender and the sauce was quite good too. The serving was generous and presented well.

I ordered the Bleu Cheese Alfredo. It was ok, a little on the bland side. It would have been much nicer if more bleu cheese was added. The mushrooms were delicious though.

For dessert, Hubby and I shared a Macha Praline Torte. We both liked this cake. Tito Chef, as far as I have experienced, is the only one serving this type of cake. The cake also has many layers of flavor, all subtle and not overwhelming, which i think is quite important after such a heavy meal.