Chef Robert presents his new creation this

Yuletide Season! A perfect Gift for

Christmas!

6″ Coconut and Mango Cheesecake Php 395

6″ Blueberry Cheesecake Php 395

I remember when my friend Katherine asked me if I eat Pares and I said “no” right away. As far as I know Pares is a street food where it was prepared in a manner that will definitely upset my stomach.

For me, the last thing that I would do is pay for something that will ruin my tummy.

Katherine gave me an evil grin and asked me to eat with her before we go to our place of destination that day.  After a short while, I found myself in-line with other customers in a Pares store, which Katherine told me, offers the best and cleanest Pares in the country—Jonas.

It has been over a year since Katherine dragged me to Jonas and I still keep on coming back, especially now that they have a branch at SM [San Lazaro] which is near my place.

Pares is served with fried rice, beef stew and soup. I find the beef very tender though it is a bit salty, but to address the problem, I always ask for extra soup and it never fails to neutralize the taste.

The soup is really light, just plain beef broth which is responsible (I guess) for tenderizing the beef for the stew. It really helps if one finds the beef stew to be too salty to their liking.

The fried rice that Jonas offers is something they have already perfected to make. It’s not as greasy as the usual fried rice and it is best served when topped with lots of fried minced garlic and fresh spring onions. So don’t forget to ask your server for an extra!

I find Jonas’ Pares appealing and really fulfilling, however I find it pricey. I don’t know if it’s just me but I noticed that everytime I get myself a Pares, the serving becomes lesser and lesser than the last one I had a day or two ago. Too bad for something I really enjoy eating.

I hope they can do something about it because I know I am not the only one whining. After all, they have to live by their company motto which goes “Fast Food Restaurant with a Conscience”.

I was born in Manila and stayed here until I was in the fourth grade. During my elementary days, I kept waiting for summer to come because it would mean that I could spend vacation in our home in Cavite.

From our home, I can see a fantastic farm setting complete with the carabaos on procession when clock strikes 5 in the afternoon. I also remember that there used to be ‘rolling stores’ sort of caravan, only with carabaos as their means to get around. They sell native products, from brooms to mats to yantok baby walkers.

What I like most about vacationing in Cavite is it’s fresh air (back then) and my grandma’s cooking. I really enjoyed all of her meals.

But I hate it when they ask me to sleep after lunch because of this typical rural folklore that little children need to sleep in the afternoons to grow taller and faster. I would always pretend to be asleep until my grandma wouldn’t see from the kitchen that I sneak out of the bedroom.

But whenever she catches me, she won’t ask me go back to sleep but would prepare some merienda (afternoon snack) which is usually composed of a staple pandesal (reheated from our breakfast) and salty red eggs, or sometimes, my favorite plain, sugared donuts.

Yes, Krispy Kreme’s original glazed doughnut is to die for but this is the real thing.

Nowadays, we have loads of selection of donuts.

Dunkin Donuts is available almost all over the country or the popular Krispy Kreme. But nothing beats the local rubbery and sugar-laden donut that local bakery offers.

I was surprised when I saw some bakery here in Manila still makes this simple yet memorable donut, which brings back a LOT of my childhood memories.

I bought some of the sweet babies and while eating them, I suddenly wished I could also have my grandma’s homemade choco where I dip it, let it soak for a second or two and finally dunk it in my mouth.

Oh, I can only drool at the thought of it.

Today, we meet not for work but because we will dine at the famous Sincerity Cafe and Restaurant.

Earlier in the office, Punch ( my Boss and the Birthday Boy) invited me to accompany them in Binondo as he will be celebratinghis twentieth-something birthday there. He also wanted me to try the oyster cake. I got so intrigued about it upon hearing the name, so I said “okay, I’ll give i a try”.

On the way to Sincerity, we meet up with some of or officemates as well as our former colleague Mommy Shiela, who is fresh from India. This is the first time I’ll be checking Sincerity and I really don’t expect as much as one would expect from a restaurant named Presidents that can be found in Binondo too (which by the way I would be visiting sometime soon).

I entered this simple cafe and wondered what’s up for me. Mommy Shiela took charge of ordering food and I was amazed that she ordered a total of ten dishes for all of us:

Duck Noodle Soup Php 100

I don’t really like eating any duck delicacies not because I love Donald Duck so much but because when I was a kid my grandfather asked me to try it and my tummy starts to ache and I was down for a week. This soup is not pleasing to the eye unlike other soups I’ve had in the past, just check its color. There’s nothing special about this soup – tastes like normal chicken soup with misua. Nonetheless, one can note the tenderness of the duck.

Kiampong Special Php 35

I was expecting that we will order my favorite Yangchow rice but my hopes were gone when they ordered Kiampong. Afte4 having spoonful of it, I CAN’T STOP myself from splurging. The brown rice was not at all sticky like the normal Kiampong I have tried. Well then, I think I can forget about my Yangchow whenever I drop by Sincerity.

Ngo Hiong Php 50 per piece

Ngo Hiong is somewhat like then kikiam which we have come to know, only, it is not your ordinary favorite fishbolan’s kikiam. This one is fried to perfection and is served with atchara. That’s one wondeful imx of taste and texture.

Chopsuey Php 180

I am a BIG fan of Chopsuey. This one is my favorite among the batch since it was served with vegetables with superlative freshness and not overcooked. I just hope that they plan on using larger and fresh prawns and not hibi.

Beef Broccoli Php 200

This one is another favorite. The veggies were not overly cooked, plus, a very generous serving of broccoli  would please any fan of leafy greens like yours truly.

Special Ma Chang

This is the famous rice dish that a Chinese restaurant can offer. Though it doesn’t smell that nice, I tried this one and was able to find out that it has some chicken, pork and mushroom which is noticeably bitter.

Fried Oyster Cake Php 180

When Punch told me that we’ll eat Oyster cake I thought ‘gross’ – I was thinking of a normal chiffon cake with icing and all, topped with oyster meat. But as gross as that would get, my imagination fails me. The oyster cake was cooked like an omelet. Expect it to be a bit gooey. It tastes like a normal oyster minus the vinegar that usual comes with it.

Sincerity Chicken Php 300

I think I almost ate 6 out of the 10 pieces of this lightly buttered fried chicken with crispy skin on the outside and tender meat on the inside. It is indeed the best fried chicken in Binondo. So far.

Sate Pork Chami Php 90 & Sate Beef Chami Php 110

These two dishes were the least-favorited among the others on the table as they were almost left untouched. They were pepared the same wa except for the pork and beef toppings. I did not like the Chami because it tastes like a chemically-laden noodles, like you are eating some noodles plus a cough syrup.

With all the dishes we ordered (and got us stuffed), I have been for sure amazed. It took them less than 20 minutes to be able to serve all ten dishes on our table. The staff has also been really friendly and accommodating. And the best part, they offer free house tea to help us digest all that good food.

My good friend Robert Tan, and owner of this new restaurant, told me that they serve cheesecake with coconut milk (gata), so I hurriedly stumbled upon this place to try this dessert which I’m such a big, big fan of. I love everything cheese cake, and adding some coconut milk to flare up the flavor would be a great idea, I thought.

It is hard getting there if you don’t know the vicinity of the place or will just commute. (Thanks to Robert, by the way, who was kind enough to send a sketch of the place.)

Here’s how you can get to Chef Robert:
From UST I rode an FX going to Banawe, then crossed the street going to McDonald’s. I rode a jeep and dropped off at Sogo, when you see this famous landmark, you’ll know you’re near Chef Robert.

An adorable and oversize fur ball slash stuffed bear welcomed us to this homey place. The place is a bit small which made the ambiance very cozy.

I checked the menu and my God, I really want to try everything on it. But of course I only have a room for some specials so here’s what I tried:

Soup: Pumpkin Soup

Pumpkin Soup Php 35

I really enjoyed this one, every spoonful of this creamy soup brings back my childhood memory. As a kid, my grandmother prepared pumpkin soup for me because she knows that this is the only vegetable that I’d eat without whining! Beware, this pumpkin soup has some weed in it that gives me an instant high — I’m talking about thyme, brother.

Appetizer: Wasabi Prawns

Wasabi Prawns Php 165

This one got into my list because I’m also a fan of shrimp. When it was served, I thought, “Wow, this must be a cousin of my dear tempura”. The prawns are lightly covered with butter and is really fresh, I tried the wasabi sauce that comes with it and it tasted like chewing on cough lozenges, or strepsils, minus the cough syrup taste, of course. Why? Because as I dunk the golden prawns in the tangy wasabi dip, it kind of soothes and clears my breathing.

Entree: Thai Green Chicken Curry and Yellow Fish Curry

Thai Green Curry Php 145

The serving of both is really generous. The Thai green curry has loads of juicy chicken fillet with slices of egg plant in a bowl of green curry, while the Yellow fish curry will load you with juicy dory fillet with fancy cut potatoes and carrots, all of these suspended in a bowl of thick, yellow curry.

I thought that it’s a bit salty but when i tried the curry with the rice that is served with it, it neutralized the saltiness, revealed the real curry flavor, then spice came kicking in.

Yellow Fish Curry Php 145

Dessert: Coconut and Mango Cheese Cake

For the finale, I ordered this interesting cheesecake. Imagine cheesecake with coconut milk, such a fusion for a well-known dessert, the cheese cake is moist, however I find the mango topping a bit dry. I can taste the creamy goodness of the coconut milk in every bite. I do recommend people to try this one.

Coconut Milk and Mango Cheese Cake Php 125

With the exceptional customer service, wonderful food, and free Wi-Fi, I will definitely come back to Chef Robert hungry for more!

Chef Robert
Unit D 847, Banawe St cor Linaw St Quezon City
+6327409330
http://www.facebook.com/chef.robert.banawe

-Current Promotion-

The Chef Robert Frequency Card

-  for every Php 200 purchase, client receives 1 point which entitles them to a freebie.  Promo Ends:  November 30, 2009

Soup It Up

-  add Php 35 and get a soup of the day for every salad, pasta and main course you ordered.

Tea Chilin

-  add Php 25 and get a glass of ice tea for every salad, pasta and main course you ordered.

Caffeine Addict

-  add Php 5 and get a refill of your Cafe Americano order.

But today is a different thing. People are going gaga over the typhoon and as witty as I am, I know road congestion will not hinder my travel today.

I packed a weekend’s worth of things and rode a bus at Lawton. On my way to Cavite, I asked my mom if she and my beloved grandma were at home. She sent me an sms telling that they’re at home and asked for a cake as pasalubong. Well, this is new for me since my mom and I are not that close, but I’m closer with my Nanay Apeng.

I said alright, and she specified that she wants a slice of White Forest, the new red ribbon cake.

I went to red ribbon after I got off the bus. The service crew were really nice and accommodating which is very unusual here in Red Ribbon Imus. I am not gonna bore you guys with experience I had here last Christmas (I might just create a separate post for it). Anyways. So I bought the big White Forest cake for my mom and palabok for my grandma, Then finally headed home.

When I got home, I went directly to the kitchen, opened the box, and took some pictures of the cake. My mom saw me taking pictures and asked why. I smirked and said that I just need it for some thingamajiggy online. She then asked my cousins to grab their plates and dig in.

I took a slice and carefully dissected each part of it like a frog, like I’m from some Biology class way back. White Forest is like a brother from a white mother of the usual Red Ribbon favorite which is the Black Forest. Teehee. I really enjoyed the softness of the chiffon cake, but my taste buds were overwhelmed by the sweetness of the white icing, cream and the white chocolate shredding. It’s really sweet, and when I say it’s really sweet, I mean REALLY SWEET.

I think a cup of coffee will complement this cake’s sweetness. As for the cherries, well, my grandma ate it all

After experiencing Red Ribbon’s White Forest, I think I’ll shy away from any sweets for a week.
However, as I type, I am now craving for my all-time favorite from Red Ribbon, Tiramisu Meltdown

As lots of people know, Salcedo Market can be considered as one of the most expensive markets in the country. I tried my best not to go there as every corner of the market I know I’ll find something that I want. from turkish baclava, wagyu burgers, sausages, grilled stuff and what have you.

After the clock tick 7:00am, I went directly to the officer’s corners and waited for them. its raining crazy that Saturday morning but it didn’t stop us from going to the market.

First we gave Ali, our minisotan friend, a brief background of the market. I bought some dinuguan and binagoong baboy for all of us to share. they bought some okoy, pork BBQ, talong and lechon cebu.

Amazingly Ali tried my binagoongan and dinuguan and told me she likes it. The okoy was superb and she also admired the lechon cebu.

After finishing our big breakfast we went back to the office. In the office I was told by one of my officemate that teary-eyed Aly said that she almost feels at home.

I was smiling when I heard that. It really feels great when you know you were able to make someone feel at home when she is a plane ride away from her home.

I went to a nearby fruit-stand to get some. Unfortunately the mango that I’m craving for is long gone as the vendor told me it’s not in season. I hurried to a local grocery as I know they have it all year long.

I was able to get a handful of mangoes when I saw this nice pork belly smiling at me. Since my craving for the day comes with a bagoong, I thought it would be nice if I’m gonna cook some binagoongan and have the mangoes as my sidings.

I asked Matt to cook it and I’ll just give him the instruction.  So here’s the ingredient as well as the procedure.

1 kilo pork belly, cubed

2 tablespoons oil

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 onion, finely chopped

4 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup shrimp paste

1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 cup coconut cream salt and pepper

First, boil some water and add the cubed pork belly and let it boil for 15 minutes. While waiting prepare the bagoong.

Sautee the garlic and onions then add the tomatoes. Add the bagoong when the tomato has softened.

Combine the pork belly with some of the water used in boiling it and bagoong in a wok, let is simmer for a minute or two. Add some vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Once the pork is fork tender add the coconut milk and let it simmer for 5 minutes.

VoiLa!

Here’s a picture of Spicy and Creamy Binagoongan Baboy with Green Mangoes.

Sorry if the picture sucks, Im still rusty in the food presentation department.

Vernacular Vernacular

Baboy – Filipino term for pork

Bagoong – Filipino term for shrimp paste

I asked my grandmother about it, and after 3 long hours of storytelling I was able to trace my Ilocano bloodline. I really wanted to know more about my Ilocano bloodline. On a very undesirable event, which is the passing of one of my grandfather’s cousin, I was able to get in touch with some of my Ilocano relatives. And I am amused of how big our family is.

During the wake, I asked one on my newly acquainted aunts to give me a brief background of the clan. And she welcomed it. I learned that our clan is really big, learning that my grandfather’s father, Julian, got 3 wives and more than a dozen kids. It is really overwhelming since our family has a “one kid per family” ratio. I also learned that being an Ilocano you must be good at cooking and she also mentioned that all of them know how to cook. After my chit chat with my aunt we were called for lunch.

Wow, the lunch was such a feast, with lots of Ilocano dishes prepared like pinakbet, diningding, bagnet, igado and other dishes not known to me. Unfortunately, I don’t know how to cook these dishes because my grandmother is the one who cooks for us, and I never really learned to cook even after several attempts. I only know 2 things in the kitchen, frying and heating left over foods (with the aid of the microwave), I don’t even know how to do a sunny side up egg.

Enough with my family history and let’s start talking about this somewhat new street food in the UST area.

I kept on seeing lots of small food stalls near the UST area with a banner that says “Ilokos Empanada”. Hmmm. Ilokos Empanada? Yup, that’s right. I’m a pastry digger and empanada is one of my favorite snacks, but knowing that there is another variety of my beloved empanada made me a bit curious, so I tried one.

Well this empanada is very much different from the usual ground beef or chicken empanada that I know. The filling is a mixture of green papaya, mongo beans, bean sprouts, egg and my favorite, vigan longganisa. The empanada was made with unusual dough, which is evidently different from the usual empanada. It is thin, it’s crispy and it’s orange in color. I asked the lady vendor about the dough they use and if they use something to give it its color. The lady smiled and told me that they use achuete for the coloring and rice flour so that it will be crispy once they fry it. She offered me ketchup and vinegar to complement my empanada and I chose the latter because vinegar would go along with the vigan longganisa stuffed in the empanada. It’s almost a complete meal.

Well for P30, it’s a good buy since it is heavy thus fills you up fast, and savoring the vigan longganisa along with other playful ingredients is indeed worth it.

McDonald’s plain muffin is just a muffin toasted to perfection with a dash of butter to flavor. They serve it with a packet of strawberry jam which I really adore. Every bite of this beauty bring chills into my spine.

Now, going back to the story, after the mass, I went to McDonalds and tried to enter the place but it was jam packed so I decide to hit the one in Gov. Forbes. Thank God, there are only a few people there.

I went to the cashier and ordered big breakfast with rice and hot chocolate, I then asked for my plain muffin. After asking for a plain muffin the crew gave me an odd stare then said they don’t have it anymore. I thought I was not hearing him correctly so I asked again. He again told me that they don’t sell it anymore. I got a bit disappointed and thought this guy is new.

I have been eating plain muffin for eons of years and now he is telling that they don’t have it. Darn. They can’t just let go of that product in one snap of a finger. I then asked the manager for it. To my dismay he told me that McDonalds doesn’t offer it anymore. With a poker face I took my big breakfast and started to splurge.

I was almost done with my big breakfast when I saw a couple across the other end enjoying their big breakfast with muffin!

Furiously, I dialed a friend from McDonalds head office and told her about the crew and the muffin and the couple. I was then told that McDonalds removed some of their ala carte menu. I accepted my friend’s explanation.

What McDonalds did is a business decision but for me it’s a bit unfair. Why can’t a customer buy ala carte muffin whey they still serve it on their menu? Why do I still need to buy a big breakfast for 85 pesos when all I want is a plain muffin that only costs 25 pesos?

With the economy on decline, I think I’ll just buy pandesal and make my own strawberry jam. I only wish that I can imitate McDonalds muffin and strawberry jam or better yet they’ll bring back the ala carte muffin.