Kinalamansiang Adobo

One weekend my kids were raving for the chicken adobo ulam they love. Because of their clamor the more I wanted to impress them. So viola, I cooked a super special adobo with a PUNCH.

Lip smacking adobo!

Ingredients:
1 Kilo adobo cut chicken
6 medium size calamansi, squeezed and separate the seeds
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil
2 1/2 tbsps oyster sauce
2 garlic gloves crushed and minced
2 red onion bulbs sliced
pinch of ground pepper
7 asparagus stalks cut diagonally into halves

Procedure:

1. Rub the chicken with small amount of rock salt then wash. This will remove the lansa
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium heat.
3. Sauté the garlic until the color is light brown.
4. Put the onions, add the chicken and calamansi juice. Sauté until chicken meat is slightly cooked.
5. Add the soy sauce and pinch of ground pepper. Cover and simmer in medium heat for 1 minute. Add water mix, cover, and simmer in medium heat for 2 minutes.
6. Add the oyster sauce, mix and let it simmer in low heat for 3 minutes. Occasionally check the chicken if meat very already tender. An indication that this dish is done when the sauce has become oily.
7. If sauce is already oily add the asparagus then cover for 1 minute.

Dine at Marikina Shoe Expo

Alan’s Grill

Notice the kawali on our table. That's how they serve kare-kare

Alan’s Grill’s menu is composed of Filipino ulam ala carte and binalot dishes. They also serve barkada and pulutan meals. These may sound very ordinary because other grills have the same line-up in their menus but Allan’s Grill has something more to offer. When I say more it means more SERVINGS. The barkada and pulutan meals are even PRICED LOWER than other restaurant grills in the market. Wait there is still more…the TASTE is SUPERB! I can confidently say that it is delicious because I am the type of person who has very sensitive taste buds.

Added attraction of Alan’s Grill is that they also work as a mini art gallery for aspiring artists. Hanging on their walls are very interesting pieces and you may inquire in the restaurant if you are interested to buy a painting.

There are other interesting things you can do before or after dining at Alan’s Grill. Check out the other shops around and you will discover that Marikina Shoe Expo is out of the ordinary and uncover rare items.

And lastly Allan’s Grill serves beers that are bottle chilled, great for barkada booze!

LOCATION: Cubao Expo Gen. Romulo Ave, Araneta Center, QC. Tel.no. 913-2231
TASTE: Rapsa
SERVINGS: Madami
BUDGET: Panalo
OVERALL: Dalhin and barkada and family
TRY: Barkada meal (kare-kare and crispy pata at 499 pesos and 3652 birthday pancit)

I’ll update this blog next time so I can post pictures of the other shops I mentioned. Plus the other restaurants that are very original like Belinnis’s, Halo, and Mumbai (this one has a mini theater inside that shows indie films).

Mango Summer Salad

A salad recipe I made during one hot summer night this 2009. I recommend this to refresh your dinner.

Ingredients:
2 cups romaine lettuce cut into 1 inch strips
1 whole salad tomato remove the seeds and cut into wedges
1 whole small red onion sliced very thinly
1/2 half cucumber sliced
1 whole mango cut into cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Dressing: I used French dressing the brand is Praise about 1/4 cup
You may also use other dressing that is vinegar and oil based

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients and top it with your dressing.
2. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Then toss.
3. Leave it for about 3 to 5 minutes in the refrigerator before serving.

Pan de Amerikana

Two years ago perhaps, my Papi introduced this hidden diner’s haven to me because I was craving for a hot pandesal and choco after our tiring jogging session in Marikina Sports Complex. To make the story short we went to the place he was bragging about and then the moment I laid eyes on the restaurant I fell in love and the first pandesal bite was heavenly like it was an intimate experience between Pan de Amerikana and I.

This diner is so famous for their freshly baked pandesal sa pugon. The main ingredient is wheat and the rest of course is everything nice. Even without palaman it is so yummy. The size is bigger than the usual pandesal, approximately the length is 3 plus inches, width is 2 plus inches, and the thickness is 1 plus inches. And the price is a winner only 5.50 Php per piece which is 55.00 Php for 10 pieces! Honestly I tried the other baked sa pugon pandesals but Pan de Amerikano’s is way beyond compare with the other players.

Laki ng pandesal!

Whenever I go here it is always in the mornings and thus I have tried all the breakfast meals. They serve breakfast meals like corned beef and egg, daing na bagus and egg, cheese omelet, mushroom cheese omelet, and tapa and egg all served with one cup of garlic fried rice. They also have sandwiches and other menus for merienda and lunch meals. And again the price is a winner! The breakfast meals I mentioned are all priced for 48Php, sandwiches for 25Php, brewed coffee for 15Php only! Whata-Wow!

Breakfast...oi sino yun nakasingit?

Morning without make-up.

Aside from the pandesal and meals the whole restaurant set-up is awesome. They have a big chess, waterfalls, tree house, sungka, native artworks, windmill, Harley Davidson, Sampaguita pictures memorabilia, and other out of the ordinary stuffs. And there’s more…the restaurant is WiFi ready too! Wow what else can you ask for? Superb pandesal, good meal, reasonable price, very nice ambience, and technically connected.

From search engines here are some links about Pan de Amerikana that are worth browsing.

1. http://pandeamerikana.multiply.com
2. http://www.marikenya.com/2008/03/fun-at-the-pan-de-americana-marikinas-hidden-haven-for-diners/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/10777209@N00/408514526/

LOCATION: 92 ordonez street Concepcion, Marikina. Tel.no. 475-239)
TASTE: Rapsa
SERVINGS: (a) Pandesal – Malaki (b) Meals – Sakto lang
BUDGET: Panalo
OVERALL: Hindi kumpleto ang buhay mo pag di mo na-experience ito!

OMG! – Oh My Gulay!

I blogged this in my multiply account last July 2008 four months after my Baguio trip. Please don’t leave the summer capital without trying Oh My gulay! http://gemmaworld.multiply.com

16 July 2008
Feast on fresh Baguio veggies, indulge on dishes that are all vegetable inspired. Their lemonade is the best I guess they use honey as sweetener.

salad+pasta+lemonade = healthy

During my Baguio trip, my bro and I planned to have dinner here and we found out that the restaurant is open to serve lunch and merienda only. Why? Because (1) the building closes early and they are located on the building’s penthouse (Damn, I just forgot the name of the building, just ask about Oh My Gulay! along session road and the locals can give you direction); (2) It’s just their style, customers will enjoy dining if the sun is there because the location is perfect to see the sights of Session Road plus the fact that the restaurant is filled with unique arts and crafts that can only be appreciated with the natural rays of the sun.

There's a pond on the penthouse.

Dining table

TASTE: Rapsa
SERVINGS: Madami
BUDGET: Pasok
OVERALL: Ayos kay sosyalerang pangmasa, babalikan ko.