Bread + Butter: Philippines

After a week of being in Nagcarlan, you'd think the delicious eats would have slowed down after. Nope. It was heartbreaking for me to leave my family behind. As we packed up our bags aand headed back towards Manila. I love them very much. One of the downsides of living so far away from them, it's always that waiting to return. It would be a two hours trek north. possibly longer as once we hit the main city pockets of traffic begin to pop up. On the way back, we made a lunch stop at one of the road site stops.

My mom, aunt and one of my cousin's wanted Jollibee...again. This time I chose a different place to eat. I love Jollibee, but I needed to change it up a little. So I stopped in Chow King along with my other cousin.

I orger their new orange chicken lauriat. Which has orange falvored chicken. Shrimp crackers, Crispy noodles, a sesame ball (buchi) and a mound of rice. I's have to say a was a little disappointed at how little orange chicken I got. I got more rice and noodles that that actual advertised item. Hmph. Oh well. I was hungry.

Manila

It like a whole other world compared to being in the province. Being back in the city, you're hurrled into the hustle and bustle of the life down here. You've got to keep moving. Mountains have become tall buildings and sky scrapers. Bridges ans freeways covered with the midday traffic. Car horns honking. People still walking at their own pace. You get used to it after while.

In the city of Mandaluyong is where I remember spending some years as a small child. Several place I used to know still exist at their original locations. Again the image of the old meeting the new is in full force.

The SM Megamall -- Yes, it is called the Megamall. It is also on the list of largest malls in the world. If I remember correctly, it's ranked #7. That makes two for the Philippines. The size of maybe three football fields, five levels high. It's really one of those places you'd have to see for your eyes. But let's just say I spent many MANY hours here during my second week. Actually, that pretty much what I did. I went mall hopping at the many they have there.

One thing you'll have many choices in is all the food choices in the malls. Here's some of the many eats I had at the malls while I was there. We decide on Amici at the Megamall on our first night back in Manila. It's a little fast food Italian place. A lot of places do deliver.

My favorite soda aside from Dr Pepper. It's somewhat resembles rootbeer in taste. Sooooo good. Almost makes me want to make a rootbeer float sometimes.

Pizza Margharita. I wanted the veggie pizza, but I guess they ran out for the night. Grrrr... It's cool though. The margharita pizza was still good. Fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil on a thin pizza crust. After a nice meal...we watched a Filipino movie.

Orchard Road (SM Megamall)-- Chinese in dish selection

Seafood Crispy Noodle

The broth tasted very much like egg drop soup. The noodles were nice and crispy.

World Chicken (Trinoma) -- Can you guess what they serve? As if the name didn't give it away.

Grilled chicken, fried plantains, Garlic fried rice.

You choose your sides first, then the cook places a nice hefty slice of chicken on your plate and then you choose from the 4 sauce selection. I chose teriyaki. It was nice to have some fried plantains.

Bibinginitan

A little food stall that sells mini bibinka (baked rice cake) --

Bibingka is one Filipino treat you must have.

Personal sized portions baked in banana leaf. I'm tell you cooking with banana leaf is awesome. It gives the dish a nice flavor. If you haven't used it before, I recommended backing or cooking with banana leaf.

Soft baked goodness with cheese, clarified butter and sugar on top. Yum!!!

Of course, we have to have it with some Razon's Famous Halo-Halo. We went to the one at the food court at the Megamall. See... I told you I spent way too much time at the mall! For those of you who don't know my last name is Razon. I've always wondered if I'm related to them in some form or other. Haha... wouldn't that be funny. Either way...the halo-halo is awesome.

A couple slices of leche flan on top of some fluffy shaved ice and evaporated milk. The mix-ins for this is buko (coconut) and sweet potato. Soooooo good!!! Perfect for those summer days. Took me a while to actually mix the whole thing together, but it was worth it.

The empty glasses

One of the nights, my mom and I had dinner with a couple of relatives from my dad's side of the family that I still keep in contact with. We decided on Krocodile cafe at the Shangri-La Mall.

they bring out some kropek (shrimp crackers) to start. I munch on these for a while.

kare-kare gulay

Stew in peanut sauce with veggies

roasted chicken served with some kropek

Chicharon bulaklak

aka chicharon bituka. Deep fried pork intestines. Served with some kropek and vinegar.

Pandan Jelly

Pandan Jelly with coconut milk and sago (tapioca pearls) and rice crispies

Turon a la mode

Plantains with jack fruits wrapped in eggroll wrapped deep fried and coated in oil. My aunt ordered this one while the rest of us ordered the pandan jelly. By the time this arrived at our table we had all finished out dessert for the night.

Cafe Via Mare (at Rockwell)

I went here with my cousin during one of our last nights here. Again spent at the mall.

My mom orders the sun-dried beef tapa with omelette. Served with come atchara, garlic fried rice and vinegar. It actually tastes like beef jerky...almost.

I order the crab omlette with a fried spring roll. I was nice to havesome kind of crab dish for once. I do love my seafood. Served with from fried rice and sweet and sour sauce for the spring roll.

We order a side of mixed oysters combo. I had one of the spinach and cheese. i think that's what it was and one of the slightly spicy oyster.

Tokwa at Baboy

Tofu and pork. The pork pieces are cooked like the bistek and tossed with some slightly crisp tofu. Yummy!!! I ate up the tofu in this dish. uto Bumbong

Puto Bombong

You can't see I well from the photo above, but it's purple in color.It's a steamed rice treat. This along with biibingka would be something you'd have during Christmas time. My cousin decides to order it as a take home dessert. Topped with lots of cheese coconut and sometimes sugar. A nice mix of sweet and savory and a little crunch. Yum yum!

Can you feel it? One more foodventure post left. :( I miss it so much. Heck...I miss going to the malls down there, even though I'm not much of a mall person to begin with. Come back tomorrow for the finale in the week long series. :)

There were a couple days when we stayed at the house and had meals there. Dishes cooked by my aunt. She even cooked a dish with one of my favorite veggies. The eggplant.

Sinigang and Crispy Pata

Crispy Pata with fried Tilapia

I ate several whole tilapia of these during my trip. These were still literally wriggling 1/2 hour before being cooked. It's that fresh.

Deep Fried Lechon

Eggplant Bistek (My Fav of all the dishes!!)

The eggplant is marinated like its beef counterpart and sauteed.

Chicken Sopas

Think chicken noodle soup

Ampalaya

made with bittermelon, eggs, onions

Cream of mushroom soup

Sinigang na buto buto (Sour soup with pork bones)

We did a little grilling, too.

Grilled spare ribs

Grilled Blue Marlin

We even helped celebrate one of the Grandma's 92nd birthday.

Tagalog Menudo (Filipino version of menudo) Kilawin (you can compare it to ceviche) ANe lumpiang shanghai

Kilawin is simiar to a type of ceviche. Marinated in vinegar or calaminsi juice with onions, garlic, tomato, ginger, and peppers.

Pancit canton sotanghon (a mix of the fat noodles with thing rice noodles)
There was also fried chicken and fried tilapia.

Snacking on some homemade banana sweet banana chips

Inipit from Eurobake. Someone had dropped off a box of these. It's sponge cake with a dulce de leche filling. It's sweet, but not too sweet.

One of the special treats I was able to have was some fresh buko straight from the tree while visiting my uncle property in another part of the province.

It doesn't get any fresher than that.

It takes a little skill to crack one those open

I wish I had a straw, so that I don't look like I drooled on myself.

Meat inside.

The improvised spoon you eat the buko meat with. Made from the buko shell

All gone. -- Yes. I ate one whole my myself.

Must not forget to mention that my breakfasts during those days consisted of freshly backed pandesal from a little bakeshop down the street with some butter, spam, strawberry jam, or by itself.

Filipino Breakfast of Champions!!!

Must not forget to mention the large amounts of cocacola I consumed while I was there. I guess the same would go for Coke Lite (Diet coke), Coke Zero, Pepsi Mex, and ice tea.

One of the restaurants we ate at in Nagcarlan was near the Municiple Hall called Ralphjoy's. This was where we'd have our final family dinner as well before heading into Manila.