Chef Robert Twisted Banawe

Banawe, Quezon City is known for the flock of Chinese restaurants, and yet in this small place at the corner of Linaw Street, there's one man who braved to bring the whole world to his kitchen. His menu offers good choice of food coming from every direction of the map, Asian: Korean Beef Stew, Thai Green Chicken Curry; Italian:  Seafood Marina, Lasagna; American: Morning Pancakes, Beef Burgers;--- and here's Pinoy Beef Tapa with egg, Pork Tocino with egg, Daing na Bangus; and he doesn't just serve ulams, he also serves desserts. There's Coconut Mango cheese cake which I think is his signature dessert (I haven't heard of a cheese cake like this, but I wasn't able to try it because I wasn't available), and a number of really deliciously sounding ones--- High Rise Mango Banana, Devil's Fork, to name a few.

Unfortunately the space is small (only 22 pax capacity).

But cozy and clean, yep not your Chinese resto clean, this is really clean.

For starter: Calamari PhP125.00

Crispy breading, soft calamari not chewy-chewy just right

(sign of freshness and not over cooked or microwaved)

The food is always served hot, that's one important thing. First served was the appetizer Calamari and the Salad rolls in Kani and Mango.

Salad rolls in Kani and Mango PhP155.00

Crispy fresh and the aroma of the mango cubes and dressing spells perfectly summer!

The carrots and cucumber are chosen and chopped well, crispy means it's fresh. The dish is perfect for the summer, it's light, it's healthy and refreshing though it's not cold liquid--- but you get the feel.

Pork Cutlet in Mushroom Gravy PhP135.00

Speaking of hot, this is hawt! Look at that smokey, smokey dish--- this one received the most mocking from mi familia de matatakaw, because of the gravy--- they call it Jollibee, but I call it home-cook style. This is one dish that you cook at home, and it takes effort (well, if you're a lazy cook, to cook this), so if you're craving for a home-style breaded pork cutlet with mushroom gravy, just order one at Chef Robert's. Just so you know, I don't eat pork really, but this dish is definitely one to have a second, third, forth... try with my visits.

Korean Beef Stew REG PhP185.00 BIG PhP355.00

I wasn't able to taste this one, my mom ordered it. She said it wasn't quite that spicy as that of the one they have tried, but it's perfect for the Filipino taste.

Seafood Marinara Spaghetti PhP145.00

This one I definitely have to ask--- chef Robert could you plate this one again, placing the sauce on top of the cooked tahong and other seafood killed the presentation. Of course you have to show that 5 tahong on top, 3 shrimps and some little shrimps, and kani crabs, yes yes?! it's part of the wowing factor, you know. But with everything, it's just a Marinara, in spaghetti pasta--- not Linguine.

Fish Fillet (Breaded?!Cream Dory) in Hollandaise Sauce REG PhP135.00 BIG PhP260.00

This is a usual dish at home, I particularly didn't like the breading--- it's dredged in flour--- I like it breaded with Japanese bread crumbs. The Hollandaise had formed bits, not so perfect. Good thing it was cream dory--- you'll never go wrong with cream dory. Oh, one thing, I paired it with Thai Green Chicken Curry's curry, it's perfect--- that's another dish LOL--- Breaded Cream Dory in Thai Green Curry?!

Two Way Pork Steak Tagalog REG PhP185.00 BIG PhP355.00

I don't know why it was called Two Way, I guess I have to find out next time. My dad ordered this for the second time (he was the one who introduced the resto to us, it's his second time), I don't know why he loved it, I didn't get to taste it, but mom noticed that it was on clear or light soy sauce unlike that of the Pinoy style Steak Tagalog, with dark dark toyo.

Thai Green Chicken Curry REG PhP155.00 BIG PhP295.00

Creamy, rich in flavor, not too spicy it's definitely a rice partner. If you're having the REG serving make sure to have extra rice or a companion to share it with.

And for the finale, High Rise Mango Banana PhP135.00. Simple sweet.

Genius use of molo wrapper instead of puff pastry.

Chef Robert Tan with my mom at Chef Robert.

All-in the experience was great! Price are very reasonable, that I came, or we came to realize which explains the ingredients being like for crab--- instead of real meat, he used Kani, and while for the gravy he used powdered (if I am not mistaken)--- it's all homey, LOL.

*Did you know that Chef Robert is already 27 years old, LOL. He doesn't look like 20 at all. LOL.

Update:
From chef Robert:
Thank you for the Resto Review. Sorry I don't know how to comment in your blog since it's asking for a profile. Oh btw, we have a dining area in the 2nd floor and a balcony as smoking area.

Valentine's and New Year at Ying-Ying Tea House

Chinese New Year at Chinatown Binondo, ManilaYou'll never go wrong with Chinese food--- never go bankrupt, never go out of taste, it's just the best. With the recent Chinese New Year falling on the same day as Valentine's, it was weird but funny to see couples celebrating, the supposed to be intimate, quiet time, in an opposite atmosphere, chaotic and really noisy--- Chinese restaurant, more so restaurants in Binondo--- on the day that is most noisy. 

Ying Ying servers running like roadrunners.

Originally it is served in fours, but we were in a hurry to take the bite.

Siomai: Pork Shrimp are just the best, tasty even without the soy sauce, chili and calamansi. Served juicy hot in the dimsum steamers. You can taste both the shrimp and the pork, there's no overpowering taste, after every bite there's still the feel of freshness, or rather refreshing not to heavy to digest.

Taro puffs are the best dimsum ever invented and serve at Ying Ying.

Crunchy puff outside with perfect taro stuffing inside, plus if sauced out with Hoisin 海鮮, it will elevate to something divine. I don't know what's in that Hoisin sauce but it is the perfect pair for taro puff. *Hoisin mean seafood, but it is said that it doesn't even contain fish. Weird.

Cold Cuts of Asado, Seaweed, Chicken, Century Egg.

These cold cuts are also refreshing, but I am no fan of the chicken because of its little bones. Their Asado are just the juiciest (Ying Ying and Wai Ying have the best Asado in Binondo). I don't eat century eggs, even before Richmond told us not to, because China stopped its production due to some health reasons.

All in all Ying Ying is one of the best Chinese restaurants to serve authentic Chinese food, that you can only find in Binondo.
PS. The billing was only around PhP400.00+ and we also had Nido soup plus one Nai Cha.
Ying Ying Tea House233 to 235 Dasmarinas Street, corner E.T. Yuchengco ext.Street.Binondo, ManilaTelephone: 387 2797, 710 3856, 241 6323Open daily 7am to 2am

Hungry for Tuna

I can eat this everyday, and without even going to General Santos to get fresh tunas, I can just open a can of Century tuna on vegetable oil. This is one of my comfort food, well, as they say it is rich in Omega 3, and *is good for the heart, maybe that's the reason that I feel refreshed whenever I eat tuna (right after eating I go straight to ***) my anxiety gone and I feel calm.

What I do is, I drain the vegetable oil in the pan, put in the onions, leave it a few, and then add in the Queensland butter or sometime I use Blue Bonnet butter also. Wait for the butter to melt, and then place the tuna chunks in. Use the spatula to flakes the chunks. You can add in parmesan cheese if you want to add saltyness, or cheddar cheese for a gooey effect and added flavor, but remember not to over cook the cheese too much, and the tuna--- canned tuna are already cooked.

It will look like this, but then after a few minutes, water will vapor and it will look a little dry, don't let it, because you need it like that to place in an egg (or two if you want). Make sure you won't break the yolk.

Mix the white carefully with a spoon or a spatula with the rest of the tuna, but leave the yolk to cook (I have a thing for yolks).

Then after the yolk is cooked, place it in your plate, you can choose to pair it with plain rice or garlic rice. I love garlic-y rice, so I place in butter (of course it's Blue Bonnet again or Queensland) and garlic in the same pan, place the rice and mix it all together.

You can also add in fresh tomato, and asparagus, before putting in the egg. Makes it more richer, but then those two are not available the time I craved, so this is all I've got.

Hope you like it, my family doesn't like it before, I am the only one who can eat this dish, but now they recreated the recipe and replaced tuna with cream dory. LOL

Oyster Cake

This is the first time I've had Oyster Cake, and I think this will be the last of it. Or not. But this first time experience really sucked. I don't know if it should taste that way or what. At first bite, it has a little salty taste, and then few more bites digged--- Blah, it's a bit bitter, and tasted like unfresh, really stinky thing, I don't know how to explain. I don't know how *Americans can eat this dish and still be 'people that eats most number of oysters'.

Family Birthdays | Preparing Filipino Foods

It has been a custom in the Philippines to prepare dinner for the whole clan, when someone is celebrating a birthday. Relatives would be joining the celebrant in his place, other brings something, but most of the time they just bring their appetite.

If it's family members, usually you give them "take outs", so you don't have to place all the food on the table, you can serve it like these:

Then, if it is already going empty you can just refill it, to avoid having spoiled food. There are staple dishes on dinners like these; we have the Pancit Malabon (because we live in Malabon,either from Nanay's or Ida's and the other one--- Pancit Malabon Restos), and the Kakanins, like the Sapinsapin, Ube Halaya, Garbansos (it's either from Dolor's or the next kakanin store, but they are relatives so I guess the secret ingredients are just the same), the Kare-kare, Lengua Pastel, Seafood dishes like steamed Hipon (Shrimp), steamed fish, Adobong Pusit, (two were not available that night), Lumpiang Shanghai or sariwa (Lumpiang Sariwa was present; popular among the oldies) and then there is the famous fried chicken among the kids--- and kids at heart.

This is Pancit Malabon *as we all know Pancit (Hokkien term pian i sit, which means something conviniently cooked fast) dish came originally from the Chinese, but have been adopted to local cuisine, infusing available local ingredients and sealing with the local taste, having been colonially occupied several times I'm sure the Pancit Malabon, have many influences.

And then here is the Lumpiang Sariwa, or Fresh Spring Rolls, it is called fresh because it is not fried, and served fresh, it is a light dish, with mixture of fresh lettuce, ubod, chicken strips, and some crushed peanuts--- again it's originally from Chinese. The dish is popular among Southeast Asians, because of the wave of Chinese from Fujian, it is called lun pia 潤餅(run bing) in Hokkien language.

Here comes the fried chicken, *did you know that more that half of all chicken entrees ordered in restaurants are for fried chicken? And yet again, China (China, China!!!) has the biggest population (not of people, only) of chicken with 3.6 billion, but they're not the chicken capital of the world--- it's Gainesville, Georgia, where there is a law that states, that they can use fork to eat chicken (yeah, atleast it is not prohibited to eat chicken).

Shrimp, that are steamed are the best, because after, if you have leftovers like these--- you can toss them in a pan with garlic and butter, already cooked up and then you have the buttered garlic shrimp. Yummy!

Okay this is Lengua Pastel, I don't eat this, it's yuck, it's pig's tongue. SO I don't have any info about this. It looks like it's yummy but it is not, the tongue is slimmy.

This is the popular Kare-kare (pardon my picture, I forgot to take the photo before getting for my plate, but the veggies are usually overflowing, and the sauce is thick) known in English as Ox Tail Stew, it is best paired with steamed rice and Bagoong or shrimp paste. The best Kare-kare is tasty, not too sweet and not too salty, perfect blended peanut butter (the peanut butter consistency of the spread is different from that of the one mixed in Kare-kare, but the spread will do), and grounded rice, creamy. Tasty but not complete without the bagoong.

This is the product of all cuisines mixed into local masterpieces--- it's a party! All party or dinners of families here are topped with kareoke--- Happy Birthday Uncle Noel Ariel "Bebot"!

That's me, my aunt, my shobe and cousin.

Aquaknox: The Aqua Adventure

*Did you know that seafood allergy is the most common food allergy in adults and sixth most prevalent in young children? It is caused by an allergy-causing protien called tropomyosins, that can result to few reactions, but the most severe would be anaphylaxis. Of those who experience anaphylaxis, 1% may die as a result.

LOL. I am not scaring you. Just read the stats. Read it and don't be scared. It is said that the best remedy is---avoidance, but can you help it if the food are like these:

Natasha’s King Prawns with Mangoes at PhP300.00

(with organic greens, red onions, mangoes, and lemon garlic dressing)

A mini baguette, topped with shrimp. (not my order)

Hai Phong Wok Calamari (with green onions and bell pepper) at PhP190.00

"Ca Kho To" Salmon Steaks in Caramel Fish Sauce

(With green onion and coriander) at PhP380.00

Prawns in Coconut Milk at PhP390.00

(sautéed with lemongrass, broccoli, pepper, and coconut milk)

All I can say is that it's all yummy and worth the try (just bring your meds if you do want to eat those).

Read my review for the food at our unclanker's site. Thanks!

New Bomb-ay!

New Bombay's Indian ambiance completes your dining experience

New Bombay is a restaurant in Makati that serves you aunthentic Indian food, without you needing to fly to India to experience their scorchingly spicy dishes, set in a great ambiance, with Filipino hospitability.

Chicken Garlic Kebab; PhP190.00

Naan; PhP75.00

Chicken kebab, had the tender-est chicken part, maybe it's because it was baked. But from what I have read the kebabs are usually pounded, so maybe that's the reason behind the softness of the meat. It had a nice chill-y sweet flavor, that complimented the sauce I requested from the boss (visit unclank.com for the whole story). *Did you know that many have claimed to be the origin of this dish? We have Greek kebabs, Chelow for Persians and the Indian Kebab, which are few of the most popular. Other variants would be the Turkish shawarma and shish. Kebab means fried in Persia, and not grilled.

It has a very nice color in person

(pardon me for using camera phone, this was a spontaneous dine out)

The other dish, Chicken Butter Curry, had the same tender meat, but this one is a lot spicier, you have to order a lot of rice, plus that yummy Lassi, but beware it's yogurt so prepare for tissues. Lol.