Delight My Appetite

Dessert Time at Cara Mia Gelateria

admin — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:09:33 +0000

Because we were in the mood for desserts, which seldom happens to me, we went to a place where our small family’s sweet cravings would all be met, Cara Mia Gelateria. We had two cups of gelato ice cream, one slice of cake and one ensaimada.

No-Sugar Added Strawberry Cup and No-Sugar Added Cioccolato Cup, Php85.00 each
I wanted the less sinful dessert, so my choice was the No-Sugar Added Strawberry gelato ice cream. I also bought a cup of the No-Sugar Added Cioccolato gelato ice cream for our young man who’s very fond of ice cream, by the way. Both cups had just the right amount of sweetness we needed to satisfy our sugar cravings, and because they’re gelato, they’re healthier than the normal ice cream, so I was content.

Pistaccio Cioccolato, Php95.00 per slice
Hubby ordered a slice of one of Cara Mia’s bestselling cakes, the Pistaccio Cioccolato. It’s a chocolate-flavored chiffon cake with pistachio filling topped with deep dark chocolate. It’s fluffy, moist and chocolatey but not too sweet. I highly recommend this to people like me who don’t want overly sweet stuff.

Ensaimada, Php60.00 per piece
After his No-Sugar Added Strawberry gelato ice cream, he still wanted to eat more, and he wolfed down half of the Ensaimada we bought for our helper. He said it’s yummy. That’s what my son always says when he finds something that he likes.

Our dessert time turned out great because everyone was happy.

Cara Mia Gelateria
West Lane, Level 2
Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City

Early Dinner at Modern Shanghai

admin — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 22:34:02 +0000

While traversing the Veranda Bayside of SM Mall of Asia last Sunday, an elegant-looking Chinese restaurant called Modern Shanghai caught our eye. That is where the three of us (hubby, me and son) had our early dinner consisting of the following: Pan-fried Shanghai Pork Buns, Signature Shanghai Fried Noodles and Shandong Style Shredded Chicken.

Pan-fried Shanghai Pork Buns, Php148.00
I didn’t expect that our son would enjoy these Pan-fried Shanghai Pork Buns, but he did. He devoured two pieces of these minus the spring onions. As the name suggests, these are Shanghai Pork Buns that are pan-fried, making the bottom part golden brown which gives an added crunch to every bite.

Signature Shanghai Fried Noodles, Php258.00
Signature Shanghai Fried Noodles are Shanghai-style noodles stir-fried with pork cutlets and veggies (bok choy and wombok) in dark soy sauce. This was really good, but the taste was a bit overpowering.

Shandong Style Shredded Chicken, Php358.00
I found this Shandong Style Shredded Chicken a bit bland at first, but its taste became more apparent after a few bites. It was delicious in a subtle kind of way.

Shanghai Lily, Php118.00
Shanghai Lily is Modern China’s signature drink. This cold beverage is a mix of lychee, grapefruit honey, mango juice, chrysanthemum tea and Sprite with fresh mint. I wanted to try this seeing that the price was quite affordable. It was not too sweet, it was refreshing, and the taste of its ingredients nicely complemented each other. I liked this!

We finished everything on our plates, and because we ordered just the right amount of food and the right combination of food, we left Modern Shanghai satisfied but not so full and heavy.

Modern Shanghai
2nd Level, Veranda Bayside
Telephone No.: (02) 551-1110
SM Mall of Asia

Tapa Lugaw from Tapa King

admin — Thu, 13 Jun 2013 00:55:48 +0000

After 13 hours of fasting, I was finally able to go to Tapa King inside Makati Medical Center for my breakfast last Monday. I had to undergo visual perimetry test and lipid profile test before my first meal of the day can be had, but it was also almost time for my doctor’s appointment, so I had to choose a no-fuss breakfast to get there on time. Tapa Lugaw sounded nice and looked easy to eat, so it was the one I ordered.

Tapa Lugaw, Php45.00
I thought Tapa Lugaw was a different kind of congee with Tapa King’s famous tapa (cured beef) as its main ingredient. I looked for bits of tapa in my congee, but I didn’t find any, so I asked one of the food servers near my table if their Tapa Lugaw has tapa. He said it has none. Tapa Lugaw is actually Tapa King’s version of goto (congee with beef tripe). Tee-hee, I guess I was expecting too much!

Anyway, I still enjoyed my brekkie because the beef tripe was tender and flavorful, and the congee was seasoned just right (no need for patis or fish sauce), but I still would like to have my goto drizzled with some calamansi. That is something I failed to ask, or should that be served automatically?

Chicken McNuggets: The Little Boy’s Favorite McDonald’s Treat

admin — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:20:41 +0000

Our little boy is extremely fond of McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets. Whenever we visit McDonald’s, he never fails to order this. This is what he had for his afternoon snack when we went to McDonald’s Greenhills a few days ago. When I asked him what he likes about Chicken McNuggets, he said: “They’re crunchy, and they’re yummy!” He also enjoys dipping his Chicken McNuggets in the sweet and tasty Classic McNuggets Sauce.

4-pc Chicken McNuggets (Happy Meal), Php99.00
He can finish two orders of these Chicken McNuggets in a jiffy! We always order the Happy Meal Chicken McNuggets because of the free toy. My son loves Happy Meal toys, too. Look!

His latest Happy Meal Toys: Voov Trucks
What are your kids’ favorite treats from McDonald’s?

Lecheng Lechon at Mezza Norte

admin — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 01:14:01 +0000

A certified pork lover like my husband will not say no to a scrumptious serving of Cebu-style lechon. During our second visit to Mezza Norte last May 11, he made sure he won’t miss ordering from Lecheng Lechon. He had been eyeing it for the longest time!

Lechon Paksiw with Rice from Lecheng Lechon, Php100.00
This Lechon Paksiw from Lecheng Lechon met hubby’s expectations. Savory tender lechon in sweet and tangy pork liver sauce satisfied his pork craving that day.

Lecheng Lechon is owned by Filip Sabio. He started at Mezza Norte. His best seller is the Cebu Lechon.

Monde Nissin Stick Wafer (Strawberry Flavor)

admin — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 10:00:17 +0000

This is my little boy’s current favorite snack: Nissin Stick Wafer Strawberry Flavor by Monde. He discovered it a month ago while we were doing our weekly grocery shopping. He tried it, and he liked it! There are 10 packs of stick wafer inside, and each pack has 5 wafer sticks.

Monde Nissin Stick Wafer Strawberry Flavor, Php43.50
What my son really likes about it is the strawberry-flavored paste inside the stick wafer. When the wafer doesn’t have that, which happens sometimes, he doesn’t like eating the stick wafer anymore.

If left uncontrolled, he would be able to finish more than 5 packs of Monde Nissin Stick Wafer Strawberry Flavor in one sitting, but of course, I wouldn’t allow that, because I’m also controlling his daily sugar intake.

Do your kids like Monde Nissin Stick Wafer Strawberry Flavor, too?

Our Moshi-Koshi Noodle Boss Lunch

admin — Fri, 31 May 2013 06:31:54 +0000

It was our first time to eat at Moshi-Koshi Noodle Boss last Saturday. It’s a newly opened Japanese restaurant located on the 4th level of Robinsons Galleria. Moshi comes from the Japanese expression “moshi-moshi” which means “hello,” while koshi means “aldente noodles.”

What’s special about this restaurant according to our food server is that the noodles they use are made fresh, in-store, every day. Of course, we had to try their noodles, so we ordered Shio Butter Corn together with two donburi dishes (a.k.a. rice bowl dishes).

Oyakodon, Php160.00
My order was Oyakodon, a bowl of rice topped with simmered chicken and egg. There were three things I liked about this. First, my Oyakodon was served hot. Second, there was a generous serving of chicken and rice. Third, it tasted great. I loved it!

Katsudon, Php180.00
This was hubby’s order. Katsudon is a Japanese rice bowl topped with deep-fried pork cutlets, egg and onions. He liked it, too.

Shio Butter Corn, Php210.00
This was simple but flavorful, and the noodles were chewy but tender. Shio Butter Corn is salt-based clear broth with pork, Taiwan pechay, naruto (fish cake), nori (seaweed), butter and corn. All three of us (hubby, me and our son) enjoyed this!

Because we were satisfied with our first dining experience at Moshi-Koshi Noodle Boss, we’ll surely come back for more.

Moshi-Koshi Noodle Boss
4th Level, West Wing, Robinsons Galleria
Quezon City

Mercato Centrale Goes to Pampanga This June!

admin — Thu, 30 May 2013 07:00:07 +0000

The Mercato Centrale Group, the events team behind Metro Manila’s most happening night weekend markets, like Midnight Mercato in Bonifacio Global City, Cucina Andare in Glorietta Park Makati, Mezza Norte in Trinoma and Levante in Eastwood, is bringing its newest food market Cocina Centrale to the culinary center of the Philippines – Angeles City, Pampanga. The best of Pampanga will meet the best of Manila in this exciting culinary showdown!

Cocina Centrale will have its grand launch on June 29, Saturday, at the Marquee Park of Ayala’s Marquee Mall in Angeles City Pampanga. It will be open every Friday and Saturday starting July 5 from 4pm to 3am.

Interested food vendors who want to join Cocina Centrale may call (+63917)8401152 or (+632)8120102 or email admin@mercatocentrale.ph. You may also visit www.facebook.com/cocinacentrale.

Dinner Time at The Aristocrat Restaurant

admin — Mon, 27 May 2013 10:59:11 +0000

We were at Diamond Hotel last weekend for hubby’s company summer outing. Hotel food is expensive, so we decided to have dinner instead at the nearby Aristocrat Restaurant. We ordered Bulalo, 3-pc. Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice, Pork Adobo, Black Forest Cake, Macaroons and Aristocrat Iced Tea.

Bulalo, Php460.00
Hubby is a meat lover by nature, so I wasn’t surprised that he ordered this Bulalo, ox shin and bone marrow with veggies in beef broth. We liked that it was served hot and that the meat was tender. I would have enjoyed this more, however, if it was served with chili soy-lemon dipping sauce.

3-pc. Chicken Barbecue with Java Rice, Php195.00
The Aristocrat is famous for its Chicken Barbecue, so it’s a must to order this. This is marinated chicken grilled on a skewer and served with Java rice, Java sauce and atchara. As you can see, this chicken barbecue was grilled to perfection; it wasn’t charred or undercooked. The chicken was moist, and the marinade was delicious! They didn’t give us Java sauce, though, so that was something I missed.

Pork Adobo, Php250.00
This was actually my favorite! Pork Adobo is pork chunks simmered in vinegar, soy sauce and spices. You could really taste the savory goodness of adobo in every bite. I really loved this!

Black Forest Cake, Php195.00
The little boy requested for this Black Forest Cake. It’s a 3-layered choco sponge cake with whipped cream filling and icing topped with chocolate curls and cherries. He and his Dad ate most of this. I only had a spoonful of this cake plus a slice of cherry.

Macaroons, Php38.00
I missed eating macaroons, so when I saw these, I made sure I’d buy a pack. Macaroons are sweet preparations made of shredded coconut and condensed milk. I only ate one macaroon, however, because I found it a bit too sweet. I’d like to try their Ensaimada Malolos next time.

Aristocrat Iced Tea, Php70.00
This foamy Aristocrat Iced Tea is a must-try, too. It was refreshingly good!

I must admit, I ate more than my usual that night simply because I couldn’t resist the tempting treats on our table. We shouldn’t have ordered a lot! Lol!

The Aristocrat Restaurant
432 San Andres Street
Malate, Manila
Tel. Nos.: (02) 524-7671 to 80

Our All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum Experience at Li Li

admin — Fri, 24 May 2013 09:46:12 +0000

We (hubby, me and son) went to Li Li last Saturday to try their all-you-can-eat dim sum offer. Li Li is the award-winning signature Chinese restaurant of Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila that offers delectable dim sum and authentic Cantonese cuisine prepared by Hong Kong Master Chef Andy Chan. It is located on the 5th floor of Hyatt Hotel and can seat 200 people.

Li Li has a dining area (divided into upper and lower sections), a living room and five private rooms. Li Li is open for lunch and dinner from 12:00 noon to 10:00 pm every Mondays to Saturdays and from 11:30 am to 10:00 pm every Sundays.

Upper and lower sections of Li Li
Harmoniously blending Chinese and European influences, Li Li’s architectural and interior design, developed by Florida- and Hong Kong-based Bilkey Llinas Design, is tasteful, elegant and modern. Li Li’s exquisite furniture, antique pieces, books, works of art and decorative artefacts were all furnished by Art Internationale Asia.

All-You-Can-Eat Dim Sum

From Monday to Saturday, 12:00 noon to 3:00 pm, Li Li offers an all-you-can-eat dim sum for just PHP888 nett per person. First, we were given a menu with a list of culinary delights. We had to indicate in this menu how many pieces of each item we would like to have.

Seafood Dim Sum

We tried three seafood dim sums from Li Li. Everything was served hot because they were all freshly cooked.

Clockwise: Deep-fried Ocean Prawn Encased with Crabstick, Steamed Fresh Scallops Dumpling and Steamed Crab Meat Dumpling, Black Mushroom
Hubby enjoyed the crunchy Deep-fried Ocean Prawn Encased with Crabstick dipped in sweet-and-sour sauce, while I preferred the steamed dumplings. I actually couldn’t decide which of the two dumplings (Steamed Fresh Scallops Dumpling and Steamed Crab Meat Dumpling) I like better because both were delicious!

All-Time Favorites

Clockwise: Pan-fried Spinach Dumpling with Shrimp, Hargao, Siomai, Deep-fried Bean Curd Sheet Rolls with Shrimps
The popular adage “Don’t judge the book by its cover” applied perfectly to these Pan-fried Spinach Dumplings with Shrimp. They were simple-looking yet bursting with flavor. The Hargao (Steamed Shrimp Dumplings) and the Siomai were equally tasty. Our son’s favorites, though, were the Deep-fried Bean Curd Sheet Rolls with Shrimps. They were crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. We ordered three more pieces of these for him.

Clockwise: Steamed Spare Ribs with Red Dates, Deep-fried Taro Dumplings with Chicken, Baked Barbecued Pastry Puff
The Steamed Spare Ribs with Red Dates were tender and savory, the Deep-fried Taro Dumplings with Chicken were yummy, and the Baked Barbecued Pastry Puff was delightful. We loved these!

Main Dishes

Clockwise: Honey Roasted Barbecue Pork, Braised Noodle with Shredded Abalone Mushroom, Stir-fried Cabbage in Garlic, Congee with Sliced Fish
The crisp Stir-fried Cabbage in Garlic nicely complemented the irresistibly soft and sweet Honey Roasted Barbecue Pork. We also gave our thumbs up to the Braised Noodle with Shredded Abalone Mushroom; because it was lightly-flavored, it didn’t clash with the other foods we’re eating. By this time, I was already full, but I still tried their Congee with Sliced Fish, and I was glad I did. It was well-seasoned, and it had the right amount of fish meat which made this rice dish more appetizing.

Dessert

Chilled Mango Sago with Pomelo
We would have wanted to skip dessert, but we wouldn’t be able to complete our review if we did that. We chose to have their Chilled Mango Sago with Pomelo because hubby and I love mangoes. It was the perfect way to end our hearty meal.

Our table laden with sumptuous dim sum goodies
All in all, we were able to try 15 of the 28 items listed on the menu because that’s all our tummies could accommodate. We all went home with satisfied bellies.

Sunday Yum Cha at Li Li

Sunday Yum Cha is also available at Li Li from 11:30 am until 3:00 pm. For only PHP1,650 nett per person, family and friends can indulge in a wide selection of dim sum and other scrumptious Cantonese offerings with traditional Chinese desserts free-flowing iced tea, soft drinks and local beer every Sunday.

Li Li’s Private Rooms

Li Li has five private rooms that can accommodate up to 20 guests. These private rooms (Wine Cellar, Library, Drawing Room, Fei Fei and Bai Ling) are ideal for group functions or dinner parties.

Wine Cellar

Clockwise: Library, Drawing Room, Fei Fei, Bai Ling

Who Is Li Li?

Li Li is not a fictional character. She was born into a rich Chinese family and belonged to the elite class. Inspired by her many travels and exposure to the finer things in life, Li Li wanted to create a place where she could entertain her friends with Cantonese home-style cooking. Her restaurant, therefore, was based on her life experiences from her childhood in Hong Kong to her adult adventures traveling around Europe. The China pieces, glass and silver, Chinese and European wares in the restaurant is part of Li Li’s collection which she has acquired through the years.

A Delightful Treat to My Readers from Li Li

This Guava Iced Tea is Li Li’s signature drink which costs Php300.00. If you mention my blog’s name Delight My Appetite upon reservation to Li Li’s all-you-can-eat dim sum and Sunday yum cha, you will get this refreshing drink for free. This offer is valid until the end of June.

For inquiries or reservations, Call the Food and Beverage Reservations Centre on +63 245 1234 or email cath.mn@hyatt.com.

Li Li
5th Floor, Hyatt Hotel and Casino Manila
1588 Pedro Gil cor. M.H. Del Pilar
Manila City
Telephone Nos.: (02) 245-1234; (02) 247-1235
Email: manila.casino@hyatt.com
Website: http://manila.casino.hyatt.com