ANGEL'S KITCHEN

A few friends of mine have been recommending this place since last year and we actually tried dining here before....... There was this one time when we couldn't get a seat at Lugang (just beside Angel's Kitchen) that we thought about trying the place out. But alas, without a reservation (and it was near 12noon) they could only manage a table for two (while we were a party of four).



Just last week, I made sure that we would get a table so I called in early for a reservation .......


While waiting for our orders, we were served some Complimentary Bread and Chicken Liver Pate.



Pate is creamy and seasoned just right...... bread is a bit too crispy for my personal taste. (but mom really enjoyed it)


Tuscan Tomato Soup



No cream in the soup, it's all tomatoes, herbs and spices (plus soup stock) Really delicious .... Enough said.


Longganisa Bolognese



The ground meat doesn't really taste like longganisa (at least not  the taste that I'm accustomed to) but overall, still an enoyable dish of  al dente pasta and flavorful harmony of olive oil plus the herbs and  spices.


Lamb Curry with Apple Raisin Chutney



The brisket was a little over so it's kinda dry and stringy. Indian  inspired curry sauce was a bit instense but should be alright if taken  with the sweetness of the apple chutney.


Atlantic Salmon in Aioli Potato Crust



Perfectly cooked salmon, mashed potatoes are a bit bland but good when you mix with the wasabi mayo.


Pinakbet Rice with Lechon Kawali & Chocolate Bagoong (Shrimp Paste)



(According to the menu, this is an award winning dish) Rice has the subtle flavor of bagoong so adding more of it  will only make it too salty. Veggies are crispy though the ampalaya are a bit too bitter. The pork is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside though was a little lacking in flavor. (guess thats where the bagoong comes into play, which by da way has very little distinct taste of chocolate)

Overall, I still think its a good dish though I'd personally skip the big slices of fried pork.


Rustic Apple Pie with Butterscotch Sauce



Not the prettiest to look at (I guess thats the rustic part of it), but overall it's still a good dessert. Apples were still semi crispy and they went really well with the sprinkling of cinnamon. Minor issue would be the top crust as its really tough to the bite.


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My Ipod touch indicates that they have wifi connection, but I didn't ask for the password.


Angel's Kitchen is located at 57 Connecticut Street, San Juan, Metro Manila  (just in between Lugang and this japanese grocery called Kombin)

NOMAMA

Tuna Spring Roll with Spicy Ponzu and Arugula (Really Like)



The  dish looks beautiful...... The type that you don't want to immediately  eat because you just want to look at it and admire the presentation.  (thank heavens for portable digicams)

It's my first time to have  raw tuna with arugula and I must say they worked quite well together.  The spicy ponzu gives a nice punch at the end and if you want more  spice, just dip in the red sauce that's in the plate. or if you want to  lessen the heat, go with the green avocado sauce.

This was my favorite dish for the evening.

Mushroom Gyoza (Semi-Like)



When  the  dish was served, we immediately asked the friendly server about  a  dipping sauce and his reply was that there was no need for one since  the  sauce is already in the dumpling. I popped one into my mouth (yes,  I  like the size of the dumpling) and immediately one gets the  strong  flavors of mushroom. (which is good because this is after all a  mushroom  dumpling)

I think my minor issue would be that the  sauce pretty  much had the same flavor as the mushroom. I personally  would have wanted  a subtle kick coming from say chilis or herbs......  another small issue  is that the dumplings are loosely sealed in that  when you try to pick  them up with a pair of chopsticks, they start to  break apart.

Nomama Ramen (Don't Like)



In  fairness to the ramen dish, I really liked the hard boiled eggs as they  are nicely cooked with the yolk still soft and creamy. Pork slices are  so-so but at least they are easy to pick up using the chopsticks.

First  issue is the broth ...... One really doesn't know which direction the  flavor profile is going. Is it pork bones? Or is it miso? I guess along  the way, the two flavors just collided themselves into oblivion. The end  result is a broth that somewhat reminds me of those Lomi dishes one  finds in Chinatown eateries. But I guess if you're a lover of Chinese  Lomi, then this one might be up your alley. (My best friend found the broth too salty)

Second issue would be the noodles itself. The  texture is pretty much like those big packs of "Cha Mi" one buys in the  local groceries or marketplace.

Third issue would be that the  ramen dish was served warm ...... we like our ramen piping hot. (I did  try out the soup before we started taking pictures)

* My friend thinks the noodles are ok but agrees with me that the broth could use an overhaul.


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NOMAMA is located along Scout Tuason corner Scout Castor in Quezon City (just a block away from Tomas Morato)

FU CHI DUMPLING

 

Been hearing good things about this place from friends and relatives for the longest time. We actually tried before to visit the place either on a Sunday or a holiday and it seems that on both occasions they were closed.

So one early weekday evening, we braved the rush hour traffic and headed over to the area to see that the fuss is all about.


Pork Stuffed Cucumber



Because of the softness of the cucumber, I thought at first that it was pork stuffed eggplant. Overall, it's nothing spectacular as I find the pork a bit under seasoned.


Adobo Tofu with Egg



Eggs were a little overcooked as the yolk already has that dry, flakey texture. Tofu, although a bit mushy was very flavorful as it probably had a lot of time to absorb the flavor from the sauce.

Speaking of sauce, Instead of the usual thicker adobo sauces, this one is more of a soupy broth. While it may look watered down, the flavor is still very much there.


Shrimp Dumpling



Ah the main reason we are here ...... And quite frankly, for a SHRIMP Dumpling, it's quite disappointing that we got very little pieces of shrimp for each Dumpling. All we tasted is pork, pork and more pork.


Clams with Oyster Sauce



Probably a little heavy handed on the oyster sauce or in seasoning as it's a bit salty for me. But I guess it should be just right if taken with some steamed rice.


Beef Noodle Soup



Beef is tender and sliced into smaller pieces so it's easy to pick up withba chopsticks. Broth is not oily but it does have that strong herby aftertaste. Noodles borders between firm and soggy.

Speaking of noodles, I asked if they make their own noodles and their answer is they buy their noodles from a supplier.


Spareribs, Bola Bola, Radish Noodle Soup



The broth tastes like what mom used to make at home, flavor is subtle and quite refreshing (if compared with the intense herby flavor from the beef noodle). Meat from the ribs are very tender, the bola bola is forgettable and noodles (much like the beef noodle) borders between being firm and being soggy.


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With the exception of the noodles and dumplings, much of what we ordered were "Turo- Turo" style which means their availability may depend on the mood of the chef/cook.


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FU CHI DUMPLING is located at 723 A-Banawe St., Brgy. St. Peter, Quezon City.

DIRECTIONS: Its somewhere between Del Monte Ave and Amoranto Ave (formerly retiro)

HONGKONG NOODLE BISTRO

Pork Siumai



Taste  of the pork is good enough though I think there is a funny aftertaste  with the skin of the siumai. While its good enough for me, it is nowhere  near the quality of some of the more popular dimsum places like  Causeway.


Xiao Long Pao (Soupy Pork Dumpling)



Soup inside the dumpling is a little thick that it comes off more as a sauce rather than a soup.


Beef Wanton Noodle Soup



Its  got a good flavor of beef, though a bit too subtle for me. (some may  even want a more beefy flavor). Well at least there is no oily  aftertaste. Noodles are really nice and firm to the bite.


Seafood Noodle Soup



Flavors  are a little subtle ...... actually too subtle that its more on the  bland side. The shrimps are quite difficult to eat as they are not  peeled yet. Noodles are firm enough but most of them are sticking to  each other. (it had me thinking, were the noodles for the seafood flavor  from a different batch??)


On a personal sidenote:

Me  thinks they stretched themselves too thin with regards to their food  offerings. If it was their intention to really showcase their noodles,  then they should concentrate more on the noodles. But if their intention  was to be just your usual "teahouse" ........ then they got a lot of  catching up to do.


Hongkong Noodle Bistro is located along N.  Amoranto St. (between Banawe and D. Tuazon). I can't remember the exact  location as I just found out about the existence of this place by  accident.

CAFE REPUBLIQ

 

Quesadilla
Beef Short Ribs "Kalbi", Fresh Cilantro, Kimchee and Cheese Mix



When the dish was served, I noticed that the skin had a significant charr and that had me worried. Not that I don't like charred quesadillas but I had a feeling that the skin has become brittle that it's going to be a messy piece of quesadilla. (in the end, i was right about the brittle part)

Brittle Quesadilla notwithstanding...... It had good flavor with the right balance between the meat and the cheese. Though I was wondering about the Kimchi and the Cilantro part as I did not taste any of it (even if it was written in the menu).


Pulled Pork Barbeque Sandwich, Horseradish Mayo and Crispy Onions



Pork was overcooked so it had that dry and flakey texture. The Mayo had very little (if none at all) of the horseradish and the onions were not crispy.


Grilled US Porkchop, Thick Cut



Nicely cooked, very tender and quite flavorful even without the use of any sauces.


Grilled US Porkchop, Shoulder Steak



When we sliced the pork, we noticed that the insides are still raw. We sent it back to the kitchen so they can grill it some more. When it came out, I was a little concerned that the meat might have dried out but thankfully it wasn't the case.

And as it turned out this was my faveorite dish for the night as they managed to make this porkchop taste like a piece of beef steak.


US Beef Potroast in Mushroom Sauce and Soft Mashed Potatoes



Definitely overcooked so it was already dry on the insides. The mushroom sauce did little to help moisten the meat.


Miso Glazed Salmon, White Rice and Steamed Vegetables



Looks like it was grilled nicely on the outside but the fish is still raw on the insides.

Not that I'm afraid of fish with a raw center (remember I love sashimi) but I forgot to ask the server if it was the intention of the chef to do so. if it was intended by the chef, then the fish is cooked just right. but if it wasn't, then what we have here is a piece of undercooked salmon.


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CAFE REPUBLIQ is located at Resorts World in Paranaque

CAFE ADRIATICO

I was with my mom and several aunties and we were supposed to just drop by for some coffee ........ but I guess the foodie in me just couldn't resist on sampling some of their food items.

Spanish Corn Soup



Imagine  having one of those "Knorr" crab and corn soups, only this is way way  better than the sachet version. The soup is not starchy so it's not  overly heavy on the stomach. Servings of the minced corn in the soup is  quite generous so you get a lot of flavor of the corn.

The added spice gives it a nice kick in the end.


Cafe Adriaticos Famous Pansit Palabok



I  like the firmess of the noodles as they are cooked al dente. The watery  sauce is good for me because it does not have that irritating flakey  texture and that the saltiness level is just right.

This for me would probably be SO FAR one of the better pansit Palabok I have tasted.


Chocolate Fondue
Served with Suman (sticky rice) and mango slices.



After  a couple of futile attempts (in other restos) in trying to look for a  genuine fondue experience, the servers here informed me that I won't be  disappointed (well as far as the fondue experience is concerned)

So  here we got a pot of melted chocolate, which I felt was a little  watered down and not as thick or creamy as I would expect it to be.  (could it be we got ourselves a pot of hot chocolate syrup?). but  nonetheless, the chocolatey flavor was there.

Dipping the suman  in the chocolate was a delightful surprise as they turned out to work  pretty well together. The mango slices were so so as the sourness from  the fruit completely overwhelmed the sweetness of the chocolate.

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Cafe Adriatico is located at the Remedios Circle, Adriatico Street, Manila City

THAI PAN

I'm not exactly certain about the street name. (will double check once I get my hands on a map). Anyway, from the Timog-Tomas Morato Rotunda, take T. Morato heading into the direction of E. Rodriguez Ave. Arriving at an intersection with Alfredo's Steakhouse to your right (this should be Dr. Lazcano, around the 6th or 7th block from the rotunda) Turn left and you should see a predominantly white establishment......



When we went there, the restaurant was somewhat new (probably on its soft opening) so there was no signboard, so just look for a facade that looks like the posted pic above. (its been several weeks since we last dined there, so I'm hoping by now they have a signboard)

And by da way, it is just beside another resto named BAGOONG CLUB (just in case you are familiar with this Filipino inspired resto)


They used up a large part of their space for dining al fresco



Couches lined up by the entrance.

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As the name of the resto suggests ....... food here is basically thai inspired.

TOM YUM TALAY
Hot & Sour Seafood Soup


My parents requested from the server for a milder version (as far as spiciness is concerned), nontheless it still has a nice kick in it that blended quite well with the sweet, tarty and salty flavor of the broth. (some of the seafoods were just a tad overcooked) 

TOM KHAA KAI
Chicken Galangal in Coconut Creme Soup

This has the same overall taste as that of the TOM YUM TALAY except the flavor of the Cocount Milk is more pronounced in this dish.

THAI PAN APPETIZER SELECTION

I actually ordered something else for our appetizer but for some strange reason the dish is not available. So the server suggested their appetizer platter. It as in its selection some chicken satay sticks, fried springrolls, fried dumplings ........


And for those that are wondering what these are ....... they are Grilled Aromatic Pork wrapped in Betel Leaves

I really have not much complaints about the selection as all of them were nicely cooked and seasoned just right. Of course I was a little puzzled as to the purpose of the Betel Leaves on the pork. I did not find any special or additional flavor in the leaves.
 

KAENG KHIAW WAAN
Green Chicken Curry

The chicken was slightly on the dry side but at least the curry sauce was there to help moisten it up. Again due to the request of my parents that they tone down the "heat" of the dish, I think I did not get the full potential of the curry. Nontheless, I still enjoyed the minor spice and would have been happy just having this curry dish with plain rice. hehehehehe

KHAO KHLUK KAPI
Fried Rice with Shrimp Paste Served with Sweet Pork and Green Mango

In short, this is everybody's favorite Bagoong Rice ...... when it was served, the components were still separated, we either had the choice of mixing them all together or let the server do it for us. While the dish looked really nice, I was disappointed because all I tasted was the predominant sourness of the green mango.

PAD THAI NOODLES


I was really impressed with the way they presented this dish ..... I mean how did they wrap the noodles in a net (i think made from eggs).


The server volunteered to mix the noodles for us.

Aside from the presentation, I was also impressed with the taste of the noodles (and thats to think I'm not really a fan of Pad Thai Noodles). it has a nice balance of saltiness, sourness and sweetness. The raw beansprouts add a nice crunchy texture. Surprisingly, this was my fave dish for that day.

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I'm not much of a dessert person, but this RED RUBIES in Sweet Iced Coconut Soup tickled my curiosity ........



The Red Rubies are (according to the server) water chestnuts, and in my opinion they tasted like crunchy KAONG (the type used in local halo halo) which is basically bland........ I'm the type that doesn't like overly sweet foodstuffs but this would be one rare occassion where I would say that the watered-down coconut soup could use a little more sweetness.

On a personal sidenote:

We couldn't finish some of the food we ordered (because it was just the 3 of us) so we asked that they wrap it up for Takehome ......it sometimes is good to see them using nice looking paper bags instead of the usual plastic ones.

 

And in case one cannot go all the way to Quezon City to try out the food, you can opt for THAI at SILK at Serendra. (same owner and same food)