Dimsum Food Tripping at King Bee

After a trip to the dentist and few errands today, Hubby and I made a beeline to King Bee Chinese Restaurant at Daang Hari, Alabang for some good yet affordable dimsum.

Bird's Eye Siomai with shrimps, carrots and just a tini tiny sprinkling of onion leaves. This is my favorite.

Chicken Feet stewed in a mild chili sauce. One of my favorites as well. There is a Fear Factor element with the way it looks, but it's really good.

Shrimp Hakaw. Hubby's favorite. Yummy!

Pork Siomai. A staple in any dimsum feast, at least in Manila.

Sea King Roll, fillet of fish (cream dory?), with shitake mushrooms, kani wrapped in steamed pechay leaves. Delicious as well and very filling.

Tao Pey or bean curd roll. ground pork with some shredded lettuce and sotanghon (although ours didn't have any, not sure if they forgot or what). This Tao Pey is very filling. Best shared by three.

Pigging out on dimsum at King Bee with Hubby is so much fun. I'm so full. I had to walk the dogs to burn off some of the calories.

Now, time to sleep it off. Ha ha ha!

Dinner Date with Hubby

The past few weeks have been craaazy busy to say the least. Between preparations for the Ad Congress trip and parade details, upcoming company trip, preparation for the company Christmas party, some personal stuff, home care, pet care, husband care. I'm so exhausted!

When I arrived home from our Cam Sur trip, poor Hubby, he wanted to go out and have lunch but I was just so exhausted, I only managed to take a quick bath, an even quicker lunch at then off to bed and woke up in the evening just in time to hear mass.

Anyway, both Hubby and I needed time together, to make up for the lost weekend when I was away. We chose to dine at Mona Lisa again, we like it there because the food is quite good and the place is quiet and intimate.

We ordered some simple dishes. I like the Caprese Salad, made with buffalo mozzarella, plum tomatoes and fresh basil leaves, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Hubby has Spaghetti con Polpettin, spaghetti with meatballs, which was also good.

I had my favorite Arancino Siciliano, deep fried brown rice balls with mozzarella cheese inside, placed atop their home made tomato sauce.

For dessert, we had some strawberry yoghurt at Fruitti Froyo. Mine had slivered almonds and a few pieces of mochi in it. Yum! Hubby had the works, gummy bears, nuts, chocolate chips and other sugary stuff that he hid under all that yoghurt.

What a great way to end a very busy and nerve-wracking weekend. Thanks Hubby for being my date!

Super Late Lunch at Cyma

Ok, I've been out of the hospital for almost two weeks now. Yet, I still find myself being poked, prodded and examined by doctors. I have one more test to go and one more ultrasound and then hopefully, it will put an answer to whatever ails me. Fortunately, looks like nothing serious.

Anyway, after being put on impromptu fasting for six hours to get a blood test, I was extremely irritable and hungry come 3:00 p.m. I was desperately craving for some good food. Cyma is my fuel of choice. I ordered the Mozzarella - Saganaki (flaming cheese) since I just loveeeeet to bits. Some salad, and my favorite Cyma dish, the Swordfish Souvlaki. Halfway through the Saganaki, I was already full but still greedy from being deprived of food for six hours. Ha ha ha.







Cyma, the absolute sosyal comfort food. Go ahead, indulge, I know you want to :-)

Cyma, Alabang Town Center

Last Saturday, hubby and I spent the whole day in bed (it’s not what you think!!!). We’ve been catching up on sleep and spent most of the afternoon spending quality time in dreamland. I didn’t think it was humanly possible to sleep that long, but we did it. We only woke up for a quick breakfast and a quick lunch. Come dinner time, we couldn’t see straight, ha ha ha. When I counted, we slept for almost 16 hours total.

Hubby and I had a late dinner date at Cyma, in Alabang Town Center. Cyma is one of my favorite restaurants. The first time we had a meal at Cyma's was in Boracay. I am glad that they branched out here in Manila and had set shop in Alabang, just a few minutes drive from where we live. In case you were wondering, no, we don’t live in Ayala Alabang……… yet! ha ha ha

Since we couldn’t see straight from hunger and burned all our energy snoring away, we ordered a LOT of food. The waiters were wondering if we had company coming.

I love the Saganaki, a flaming cheese dish. Saganaki uses a traditional Greek cheese called Kefalograviera. The cheese is placed in a sizzling plate and then flambed. A healthy greeting of “Opa!” from the waiters usually come with every order, but hubby said no “opa” please. The Saganaki was so good, a bit salty but good nonetheless.





For appetizers, we had the Pikilia, Mezedes Combination, a sampling of Tzatziki (greek yoghurt, cucumber and garlic), Melitzanosalata (freshly roasted eggplant, tomatoes, garlic, lemon and olive oil), Hummus (chickpea, tahini and garlic dip) and Taramosalata (a Greek caviar of salted fish roe). I liked the hummus the best. Although, the taramosalata in the middle (the pink one) was nice too. The sampler is served with 16 wedges of whole-wheat pita bread.



We also ordered a new entry in the salad menu, the Tonnos Salata, coriander crusted seared ahi tuna with mixed greens, feta cheese, onions, roasted bell peppers, green beans and a few other things. I particularly didn’t like this one. The tuna was too big and a bit overwhelming. Bite-sized sushi-grade tuna would have made it more appetizing. The herb dressing also didn’t compliment the tuna and was a bit malansa (fishy) instead of fresh-tasting, like sushi on a salad. The Salad itself was nice and tangy, the serving huge. Despite the nice greens, I don’t recommend this salad at all. The Caesar’s Salad or the Greek Salad is a much better choice.



Hubby ordered a Gyro of pork and beef, with tomatoes, tzatsiki and vegetables wrapped in whole-wheat pita bread. I remember they used to wrap this using a thin white pita bread, which is much more appetizing and not too heavy. Hubby finished only half of this (surprise, surprise). The filling was still good though. Ladies, if you are on a date, this may not be the daintiest thing on the menu.



I ordered the Roka Pasta, sauteed arugula and spaghetti with olive oil, pine nuts, grated parmesan cheese and fresh tomatoes. I wasn’t able to eat this at all since I was too stuffed and didn’t have the space in my tummy. I ended up eating it the following day. It was good too and could be easily duplicated at home.



For dessert, we had the dessert sampler called a Glyka Sampler, which has the Greek yoghurt called Yia Ourti Me Meli with mountain honey and pistachio nuts, I liked this, but hubby said it was too sour and not fit for dessert (when it was served like an ice cream when we dined in Cyma previously, he was singing a different tune, he he he). The dessert sampler also comes with Galakto Boureko, creamy semolina custard in phyllo pastry with orange and lemon zest syrup, much like a Brazo de Mercedes but lighter, less sweet and zestier. Hubby and I liked this dessert. Next, they had the Ryzo Galo, traditional creamy rice pudding with a sprinkling of cinnamon. This is my second favorite of the four. My favorite of course is the Baklava, layered phyllo with walnuts and orange heavy syrup. Cyma Alabang’s version is much thicker than what we usually order in Boracay but it was equally nice, but less makunat.



Despite the Tonnos Salata, I still recommend Cyma, whenever you are in ATC (Alabang Town Center). Great eats and great service.

Red Kimono/Painted Red in Westgate Alabang

After a long drive from Subic, hubby and I were contemplating where to have dinner. We decided to eat close to home instead of finding a restaurant somewhere in the North Luzon highway.

Our choice was at the Red Kimono Japanese Cuisine in Westgate Alabang. We've always been intrigued with the restaurant but never managed to eat there until last night. The place looks swanky and hubby dropped me off to check the menu before making a commitment. I liked the selection and I gave a thumbs up to hubby while he proceeded to park the car.

The interior was designed using red, black and white, very modern. The menu consisted of two types of cuisine. The first one is Japanese, called Red KImono (the name of the restaurant) and the second menu is American, called Painted Red. I like that, more choices. Hubby of course stuck with the Japanese menu.



It was rainy evening, hubby wanted some soup so he ordered the miso soup to start with. The miso soup is pretty typical, nothing fancy.



Red Kimono also offers Wasabi Oyster Tempura, and we ordered that immediately upon seeing it in the menu. Crispy fried oysters in a Japanese dipping sauce of mayo, Kikkoman and maybe a hint of sesamwe oil (?). The dipping sauce was a little bit sweet. I like this dish, hubby on the other hand, would like to have more wasabi in the batter. Well, the menu did say Wasabi Oyster Tempura but there was hardly any wasabi in the batter. I liked it anyway but I see hubby's point.



I also ordered from the Painted Red Menu (American). I had the Artichoke and Spinach Fondue although technically it's not a fondue since the dip is baked as opposed to being in a fondue pot. The Spinach and Cheese fondue was served with nachos and garlic bread. I liked this dish very much and would probably order it again. It smells funny because of the cheeses (sorry, I forgot to ask what kinds were used and Painted Red did not mention it in their menu).



I also had the Mediterranean Salad with feta cheese, tomatoes, walnuts, red cabbages, assorted salad greens, olives and dill with a white balsamic dressing. I've never heard of white balsamic but it tasted like white wine vinegar to me. I thought balsamic vinegars were dark and syrupy. Anyway, the salad wasn't a hit with hubby because of the fresh dill. I am more neutral. I don't hate it but it's not my favorite either.



Hubby also had his Prawn Tempura, which got a very negative review from hubby because the batter was tasteless according to him. I didn't have any because I already wiped out the cheese fondue and was very full.



For some novelty, hubby ordered the Green Tea Tempura Ice Cream. It's green tea ice cream, dipped in a tempura batter and quickly deep fried to have that outer crust. This also got a fail mark from hubby because of the bland taste of the batter and the ice cream.



I'm not actually crossing Red Kimono off my list yet because I did like their fondue (very much) and I would like to try their Maki dishes next time.

Sango Burger Master

My blog is so out of whack. I'm catching up on posting recipes, restaurants and food out of order. Please bear with me. I think it's the side effect of the anesthesia. He he he :-)

Anyway, prior to my operation, hubby took me to Sango Burger Master in their newly opened branch in South Supermarket in West Gate Alabang. I've had this burger before but hubby hasn't, so we gave it a try.

The place is simple yet comfy enough, for a burger joint. Obviously from the interior and background music videos, there is a Japane-theme going on. Although I would never have imagined the Japanese making burgers.



Anyway, I like this origami frog sitting on the window sill overlooking their kitchen, which was clean when we came (the minute obsessive compulsive gene in me was very pleased about that, he he he).



Their burgers are good. Hubby and I both ordered the the Master Burger with Cheese which is a single patty burger. All their burgers come with a tomatoes and meat sauce, sort of like a less sloppy version of sloppy joe. You pay a bit extra for the lettuce. I'm not much of a burger fan but, so far, this is my favorite burger. Juicy, tasty and not too overpowering and very filling. You won't feel hungry for a few hours after eating one. It's quite messy to eat, best eaten with somebody you're already comfortable with :-)



Of course burgers won't be complete without some greasy fries. I like their fries because they're made from real potatoes :-)



Hubby and I ordered their Salad with Japanese Vegetables. The "japanese vegetables" are just carrots and green peppers sauteed in a sweet and salty sauce (similar to a tempura sauce). I didn't like this very much.



Hubby finished off his meal with a huge cone of vanilla ice cream. Sorry, he ate it all before I could take a picture :-)

Overall, I would recommend this restaurant. They have other Japanese dishes on the menu like Tempura, Gyudon, Tendon and such if you're companions are not in the mood for a burger. They're a little pricey for a burger joint but I think for the burgers, they're well worth it. For the salad, nah, skip it. Expect to pay around P500+ for two, including salad, drinks and an ice cream cone (P19).

If you have a big appetite, order the Master Double Cheese Burger (double patty). For us ladies, the single patty is more than enough :-)

In case you're interested, I took a picture of their burger menu.

Kanin Club

Kanin Club. Rice Club.

A carbohydrate addict's nirvana :-)

I had dinner with my brother and his wife last night at this popular restaurant located at West Gate, Alabang. I've heard such nice reviews about their food and they were even featured at a local TV show. Everytime we pass by there, the place is full. Fortunately, a table was available last night.

For starters, we had Green Mango Salad with Thai dressing. Strips of green mangoes dressed with lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, it also has peanuts, onions and cilantro. I love this dish. Very refreshing. I vow to duplicate this dish at home (sans the onions) for hubby. I'm sure he'll love it. Hubby's currently in HK for a business trip :-(



For our main "courses", we ordered two kinds or rice (yeah, two kinds). The first one and the most popular is called The Fully Loaded, it has a lot of goodies mixed into it like sausages, eggs, green peas, shrimps etc.



We also ordered the Aligue Rice, rice with crab fat :-) I know, artery clogger. My official excuse is, my companios are five years younger than me, this order is for them...yeah, right!



Both were good but the fully loaded was extra special :-)

We also ordered Binagoongang Baboy (fried pork with shrimp paste), which is crispy outside and tender inside with the just the perfect "timpla" for it's sauce, not too sweet, not too salty. My little bro's favorite there, understandably. I will definitely order this again.



The Binukadkad na Tilapia is just fried tilapia, presented like a flower. Hence, the binukadkad name. How can you go wrong with fried fish, right?



Upon order, each table is given three kinds of dipping sauces. Vinegar with garlic, soy sauce with onions and garlic and chili oil. Typical dipping sauces here in the Philippines.



I recommend Kanin Club for all the gluttons out there. The price is reasonable, service is so so but the food is great.

Kanin na!

The Old Spaghetti House, Festival Mall

Hubby and I love Italian food. Last Friday, I wasn't feeling a bit under the weather, to cheer me up, hubby treated me to a simple Italian meal at The Old Spaghetti House in Festival Mall. It's not the same as the franchise in Hong Kong, in case you're wondering.

For starters, we ordered the Asian Chicken Salad with Mangoes and Orange Dressing. Pretty unusual and it's a new dish on their menu. We were game to try it. The salad was served with Romaine hearts, chicken chunks, mangoes, candied orange peel and of course the orange lime honey dressing. The salad itself was served the right temperature, the dressing was way too sweet and way too tart. Something's missing in the dressing (I'm guessing ...salt or fish sauce?). Also, sprigs of cilantro would have greatly improved it's overall taste. Just a suggestion.



For our main courses, I ordered Gambasetti. Spaghetti noodles with shrimps, bell peppers in a spicy tomato sauce base. It was good, I liked it. Personally, if I would make it at home, I would hold off on the chili flakes a bit so that hubby can eat it too.



Hubby ordered the Bolognese, which he liked as well. He often orders the "safe" stuff. He's not very adventurous when it comes to food.



For dessert, hubby had the Spaghetti Ice Cream Pomodoro. Yeah, sounds funky, right? It's actually vanilla ice cream extruded through a sieve, making long thin strands of ice cream. Hence, The "spaghetti" reference. The "pomodoro" is actually strawberry jam. Any ice cream dessert is often always a hit with hubby.



I had the creme brulee royale. A trio of chocolate, citrus and mocha creme brulee. The citrus was way too sour, the chocolate was way too rich and the mocha was just fine. I obviously liked the mocha the best. I'll stick to ice cream next time.



The Old Spaghetti House is a hit and miss type of restaurant. So far, we liked their pasta and ice cream. Maybe we can try their pizzas next time.