"You have to try Ponzo's!" my best friend raved, as we found ourselves one night in Makati, looking for a place to have dinner. Never heard of Ponzo's, so I wanted a more compelling reason why we should dine there. Upon telling me that they have delicious homemade thin crust pizzas (my weakness), I gave the thumbs up and we made our way to Magallanes Village.
by Trix Deseo posted on Wednesday, September 2, 2009 in Food
I'll admit. If not for my knowledge of Agave Mexican Cantina's promo for Bottomless Margarita (ooh la la!) for only P295, I wouldn't have thought of dragging my friends along to its newest branch at SM North Edsa's Sky Garden.
It was raining furiously one afternoon, the weather incessantly uncooperative with my footwear and clothing. With my feet drenched and umbrella taking a beating, my friend and I hurried ourselves to find solace in a little tea shop in San Juan.
My parents would say lechon manok but I was too young to witness that. So, as far as I can recall—there was shawarma. I was in elementary and teeny-bopper show T.G.I.S. showed a character named Kiko (played by Red Sternberg, how can you forget) working in a shawarma stall. Everywhere you go, you can smell beef and garlic-yogurt sauce. Then, there came the pearl shakes--beverages with black, chewy tapioca balls, which everyone lined up for everyday. These shakes generated a lot of copycats and black propaganda via email. Then, there came the barrage of bread & pastries. The Pinoy breakfast staple pan de sal got an “upgrade,” oddly became sweeter (even if pan de sal literally translates to salted bread) and soon, people weren’t so discreet about bringing these bread rolls to work or school. Then, there were the melt-in-your-mouth donuts, which seriously rivaled the good old store where I get my Bavarian munchkins fix. There were also those frosted cupcakes that were reproached for having twice the price tag of a similar-sized cupcake, while most people continued to hoard, nevertheless.
Pampanga is undoubtedly a province rich in culinary delights. Why else would author-chef Anthony Bourdain visit the place for his television show? For those who have the time, a visit to Pampanga always makes a foodie entertained, and his stomach happy. For those of us in Manila, we have Butchie's Recipes run by the Narciso family.
In the midst of bleak weather, gray skies and pitter-patter of rain, Cara Mia Gelateria stands out bright and sunny at its litte corner in Greenhills. While the current temperatures dictate us to dress in layers to prepare for colder weather, this gelateria, while giving us frozen desserts, will keep everyone's smile warm with their sweet offerings.
Almost everybody loves to party. But to throw one? Now, that's a different story. Unless you've done it countless of times that you don't mind any more or you just were born to thrive in the events management industry, throwing a party can be quite tedious for most people. No, make that real tedious-- no wonder we've seen the familiar pre-party brouhaha in movies countless of times. You know, brides fighting over venues, bad food spoiling the evening, missing emcees, music gone wrong, strangers crashing the place, and all sorts of things that make the party organizer dead tired after the hysterical day.
Diet: the four letter word I dread. For someone who loves food and is always on the look out for new and good places that serve it, that word is a nightmare. Folks, I know I'm not alone in my sentiment. There's just so much delicious, mouthwatering food out there waiting for us!
by Trix Deseo posted on Thursday, August 6, 2009 in Food
When you're already on top of your game in the corporate world, already living in where most people reckon as the greener pasture, and already earning more than what's needed to make ends meet, would you come home to the Philippines?
They may be more laborious to tackle down and eat, but wings are my most favorite part of fried chicken (then skin, too, but that's altogether another experience). Aaah, to ditch the fork and knife and grab with your fingers a piece of buffalo wing, glistening in oil and sauce; to struggle with the many bones and their lever-like dexterity. There are boneless counterparts, but I still prefer the original, because I know right after picking and pulling and bending those little fried beauties, a savory reward awaits.
