Black Velvet Cake by Conti's

Chocolate and Cheese. These are big words for most foodies I know. Rarely do I encounter someone who does not have penchant for these two. Most probably, chocolate and cheese are included in every foodies list of their own Ultimate Comfort Food. And as one of the foodies I am talking about, I couldn’t help but rave about Conti’s Black Velvet Cake.

This cake is pretty much straightforward with no pretension of surprises like almonds, nuts, or honey combs. It is not as popular as Mango Bravo, not as chocolaty as Choco Overload Cake, and not as complicated as Viennese Mocha Torte, but the beauty of Conti’s Black Velvet Cake lies with its simplicity.



With its black and white, spider web design, It may not be one of the most delectable looking cake among Conti’s line of scrumptious cakes to date, but when it comes to taste, you can never go wrong with it.



Layers of moist chocolate sponge cake and thick cream cheese filling drizzled with caramel on top and chocolate sprinkles on the side. Every mouthful will give you a velvety feel of cream cheese against the delicate texture of sponge cake.

If you want chocolate and cheese on your cake without any other contrasting elements, then this cake will surely satisfy you. Conti’s Black Velvet Cake mini is 395php, while the mile high size is 950php.



You can visit Conti's website at http://www.contis.ph/


*credits to Ern Raymundo

Shabu-Shabu at David's Tea House

Shabu-Shabu, a Japanese variant of hot pot, traditionally made with thin slices of beef submerged into a pot of hot broth together with variants of vegetables is one dish that many Filipinos love to enjoy. Nowadays, Shabu-Shabu is not only limited to beef since modern preparation already includes pork, chicken, duck, fish, and other seafood. One thing that made Shabu-Shabu special is that it is a healthy dish anyone can indulge in.

One of the Restaurants that I go to for my Shabu-Shabu fix is David’s Tea House in Tomas Morato. This restaurant serves authentic Chinese (HongKong) food in an ambiance of a modern Chinese restaurant. Although they are famous for their noodles, dimsums, and congees, their Shabu-Shabu, I must say is also worth the try.


Not only do they serve delicious Shabu-Shabu, but unlike any other restaurant, theirs is more affordable. Their Set A which is good for 2-3 person is only 650php, while their Set B for 4-5 person is 950php only.

Aside from its affordability, I love how generous their servings have always been. Upon ordering, you will be given a list of the ingredients that you would like to include in your Shabu-Shabu. And with the choices they have, you can always adjust your hotpot set to your personal liking.

Usually, I choose U.S. Angus Fat Beef and U.S. Baby Fat Beef for the fresh meat. For the seafood, I normally go for fresh oyster, sliced squid, and fish fillet.

Since they don’t have Shrimp on their seafood options, I always include Shrimp Balls or Fresh Shrimp Dumplings alongside Fish Cake on their Specialty option. As for the noodle and vegetable options, well, it depends on my cravings for that particular day.

Personally, although I love the peanut buttery taste of their Satay Soup, I always opt for the Combination Soup Base which consists of Satay and Simple Soup. Both are tasty but with added condiments, they are surefire savory than usual.

If you want to have a Shabu-Shabu dining experience, or if you are simply craving for it, David’s Tea House Hotpot Set / Shabu-Shabu can surely satisfy your taste without burning a hole in your pocket. It is best enjoyed after a drinking session with your friends since it is one good way of nursing a hang over, or you can also savor this delectable dish with the whole family. Either way, it is one way of sharing a scrumptious meal that is interactive and fun, not to mention customized depending on one’s own liking.

David's Tea HouseTomas Morato Branch
#68 CTTM Square Timog Ave.
Tel.: (02) 441-1491

*credits to Ern Raymundo

Yedylicious Won a Foodie Book!

You see that Foodie Blog Roll Widget at the sidebar?

That got me this...

Tada!

Hank Cardello’s Stuffed

Foodie Blog Roll, a food blogging network created by The Leftover Queen, has always been one of my favorite blogging communities for foodies. True to their tagline, "helping bloggers continue playing with their food and blogging about it" they serves as a central network community for food bloggers all over the world to interact with each other for the love of food and written words.



Fortunately, by joining one of their weekly contests, I was able to grab myself a copy of this wonderful book, signed by the author himself, which I can add to my growing foodie books collection. Being passionate about food and books, this is one great reward for voicing out an opinion about food policies.

So, to Foodie Blog Roll Community, a warm thank you :)

Chicken Pork Adobo in Coconut Milk

Just recently, my mom asked me to start packing my things in preparation for the proverbial move that was about to happen. I am not happy with the idea of leaving. But nevertheless, the day will come when I have to pick up the last piece of my belongings and leave.

Nobody said that it was easy to leave ones comfort zone. It is not easy to tweak something familiar to explore unchartered territory. Yes, it is not easy, but it is possible. Change is good. After all, there is the gift of adaptability, the only way to deal with the greatest cliché and irony that the ‘only constant thing in this world is change’. But it doesn’t mean that you won’t have to look back where you were rooted. Because sometimes, if you have a firm grasp of where a certain thing comes from, change is just a development. The process of crossing the line from something plain and simple to the possibility of holding on to new things which are intricate yet, beautiful.

I guess that applies to everything we hold on dear to our hearts. From lovers to possessions to ideas down to the things as simple as the first dish you have learned to cook. Adobo, a well-loved Filipino dish, simply comprises of three main ingredients which are meat, soy sauce, and vinegar then it’s good to go. But changes led to its development. Now, almost every household, if not all, have their own versions of it.Chicken Pork Adobo in Coconut Milk
Ingredients:

Chicken
Pork
Olive oil
Onion
Garlic
Bay Leaves
Pepper Corn
Soy Sauce
Vinegar
Coconut Milk
Fried Potatoes
Dried Italian Herbs

Procedure:

1. Sauté garlic and onions in olive oil, then add the meat until brown.
2. Toast in pepper corn and bay leaves.
3. Add in soy sauce, vinegar, and water then simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add in Coconut Milk then simmer for another 20 minutes or until meat is tender.
5. Add in cut Fried Potatoes and sprinkle some dried Italian Herbs before serving.

Yes, we can hold on to the usual fare of meat, soy sauce, and vinegar, but wouldn’t it be nice to add some ingredients to further enhance the dish? The flavors we have loved our whole lives can be altered, for the better. The good thing about Adobo and life is that you can always experiment, you can always change.

Truth be told, change is downright scary. But who knows, outside my own life’s recipe, the taste can become more fulfilling.


*credits to Ern Raymundo

Cheese Puffs by Conti's

As a food enthusiast, one weird thing about me is that whenever I am sad, I cook. But I rarely eat it. Not because it is laden with a contagious saddening potion that can poison anyone but because it gives me comfort knowing that I am making someone else happy through the food I cooked. On the other hand, whenever I am happy, I eat.

For some, sadness means running to the nearest store at an ungodly hour of the morning to grab whichever comfort food is available, for me, it's the other way around. That is why I have my own list of my Happy Food. Food that I crave for whenever I am overwhelmed with happiness. Originally, I intended to write down my list here but later on decided that each deserve its respective post. So for now, let me give you one of the food included on the list that makes me a happy foodie.

Contis has always been known for their pastries, cakes, and other delectable food. Most of their cakes I adore, but this little creation called Cheese Puffs never fails to illuminate the Little Miss Sunshine in me.

My month-long hiatus prior to posting food reviews again was a spiral of emotional events. The death of a loved one, quitting a job, finding a new job, loosing friends, gaining new ones, challenges, and trials. Despite all of these things, in the end, what is important is that there is always a blessing. There always is a reason to be happy.



Life is full of surprises, just like this notoriously delicious Cheese Puffs. It looked like an ordinary pastry to me the first time I bought a piece for 25php. It was crispy and sweet with a hint of cheesy taste, so I thought that it was all there is and nothing more. But then I was surprised that after a couple of bites, the hot cream cheese filling oozed out, and then I was forever hooked.

Life is tough. Bite on it. Who knows, there might be a surprise waiting along the way, then comes your happiness.

How about you? What's your happy food these days?
*Credit to Ern Raymundo for revisions and inspiration

Nasi Lemak, Singapore Food Republic

If you have been reading my blog for quite a while now, you would know that I am not a big fan of spicy food. It has always been me and my sweet tooth until Manila Boy himself, Spanky and the owner of Nasi Lemak, Mr. HK Tan, a true blooded Singaporean who fell in love with our country invited us, food bloggers to an afternoon of unforgettable foodie feast.

Not being able to find even a single decent Singaporean Restaurant here in the Philippines is one reason why Mr. HK Tan decided to put up one instead, and so the birth of Nasi Lemak, Singaporean Food Republic. His goal of having Filipinos experience an authentic Singaporean cuisine is one good reason to take a step further after stopping by your usual Krispy Kreme fix, since Nasi Lemak is just right beside it, every time you’re in Galleria.

That afternoon, before feasting on scrumptious meals and after having our Malaysian Coffee , Mr. HK had a brief demonstration on how to prepare a Sambal Blachan, a salty paste which resembles to our very own Bagoong, and is used in most of Singaporean, Indonesian, and Malaysian dishes. After trying out the Sambal Blachan accompanied by the equally tasty Papadum, the feast began.

These are some of Nasi Lemak’s specialties that we had.


Singapore Laksa 200php
It was my first time to taste the most famous noodle dish in Singapore and I fell in love with it. The spicy thickness of the broth, the flavorful chicken and the rice noodles are perfect combination. Days after the food feast, I find myself still craving for Laksa.



Kueh Pai Ti (3pcs) 120php, (5pcs) 180php
Noted as the most ordered appetizer in their menu, this fried rolled veggies fried and wrapped in wanton wrapper topped with fresh shrimp is served with sweet chili sauce that further magnify the freshness of the dish.




Malaysian Sambal Fish 160php
Do not be deceived by this ordinary-looking fried fish because aside from its tasty meat, it is stuffed with flavorful Sambal Blachan on the inside, giving it a distinct taste one would surely remember.



Malaysian Chicken Curry 300php
Chicken curry has always been on the top of my favorite viand, and Nasi Lemak’s has take it a notch further. By far the best Chicken Curry I have tasted.

Sweet and Sour Fish Fillet 245php
The classic Sweet and Sour that everybody loves.

Beef Rendang 360php
This is my favorite of all the dishes we were served. Everyone was already feasting on the other dish while I was still savoring on the goodness of Beef Rendang. Tender Chunky Beef with thick spicy sauce is best paired with steamed rice in my opinion.

Fried Salted Squid 200php
Tender Squid in flavorful and crunchy batter. I would love to have this with a mug of beer.

Fish Head Curry 390php
One of the stellar among the dishes. The Maya-Maya fish is flavorful in itself, so what can we expect if it was cooked in equally delectable curry sauce?

Penang Char Kway Teow 200php
Nasi Lemak’s best selling noodle dish, packed with flavorful veggies, sliced beef, and shrimp.

Stir-Fried Kangkong with Sambal Blachan 158php
Exotic dish of Chinese Kang-Kong stir-fried in Sambal Blachan.

Ayam Panggang Javanese BBQ Chicken
Mouth watering Chicken BBQ, its meat is very tasty and tender, you would instantly distinguishe its difference from your normal Chicken BBQ. This is one of the two new additions to the menu.

Singapore BBQ Stingray
Barbecued Stingray flap made tastier with chili sambal. Another new exotic addition to Nasi Lemak’s menu.

Crispy Baby Squid
Sweet and spicy, crispy squid, another one which made me craves for an ice cold beer.

Sambal Fried Rice 200php
Just like the usual Nasi Goreng, only it has a mix of Sambal Blachan for added spiciness and flavor.

After this afternoon of spicy food feast, I could say that I am suddenly a convert. Nasi Lemak can adjust the spiciness of their food to their customer’s preference and I think that is ne good thing about it. Also, their belief in serving food without Monosodium glutamate is another thing. So if you are in search of an authentic Singaporean/Malaysian/Indonesian Restaurant, you couldn’t go wrong with Nasi Lemak.

Thanks to Mr. HK Tan and Spanky for the invite!

Photo credit to Glenn Dalisay and some revisions to Ern Raymundo

Nasi Lemak

(Beside Krispy Kreme)
Unit 2354, Level 2, East Lane
Robinsons Galleria
Edsa corner Ortigas Ave,
Quezon City
For Deliver: 5718988