RECIPE: Chef Fern Aracama's Malunggay & Cheese Dip

Last November 23, Chef Fernando "Fern" Aracama did a cooking demo at the Maya Kitchen entitled- Memories of Holidays Past. He graciously shared his recipes and I am in turn sharing it with my readers as an early Christmas treat. The recipes he shared are good for our Noche Buena table.

His Malunggay & Cheese Dip recipe is not only easy to make but is very healthy also. I'm sure even kids will love this.


photo courtesy of Maya Kitchen 

Beaujolais Wine Dinner

"Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things in the world that has been brought to the greatest perfection, and it offers a greater range for enjoyment and appreciation than, possibly, any other purely sensory thing." - Ernest Hemingway


Beaujolais Wines: Saint Amour, Moulin-A-Vent, Morgon and Brouilly

Secret Foodies Tour Invades Tuscany at McKinley Hill

The Challenge:                To sample select dishes from 8 restaurants
The Challengers:             Food enthusiasts a.k.a.  Foodies
The Event:                      Secret Foodies Tour
The Prize:                       An awesome afternoon of food & wine

Tuscany at McKinley Hill is Megaworld Lifestyle Mall's newest dining haven, is giving everyone a chance to discover Tuscany's best kept secrets through mouth-watering degustation tour open to the public on November 30, December 7, 14, 21 and 28, 2013 from 2-5pm. The tour will be personally hosted by RJ Ledesma and Anton Diaz. 

Chef Arnold's Incredible Pizza

I've noticed a new pizza place along N.Domingo in San Juan a few months back but I didn't realize how good the pizza tasted until OpenricePH invited me and some openricers to join the fun last Wednesday night.

Wild Wild Mushroom Pizza. This is the best! I love the taste of the different mushrooms plus the fact that the crust is freshly made. It would've been nicer if they used mozzarella cheese but then, the price would be higher. As it is, a 12-inch costs P170 only. Imagine that.


Soiree Beaujolais 2013

Every 3rd Thursday of November, Soiree Beaujolais is being celebrated in the Beaujolais Region of France with pomp and circumstance. This is to mark the "new" wine from the region. And last November 21, the Manila Hotel Tent City was witness to the French way of merriment that lasted till the wee hours of the morning.

Organized by the French Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, it has upheld the Beaujolais tradition for twenty-two years in the country.


Manila Hotel's Tent City was transformed into the Streets of Paris that includes the iconic Eiffel Tower.


It literally rained wine that night. I mean, everyone had a glass or two or three. ;)


And aside from the merriment, the night also highlighted the French community's support to Typhoon Yolanda's victims by giving the night's proceeds to DSWD ..





Of course, the famous French macarons are included in the dessert. I love the mint flavored macarons! :)



FOOD FINDS: Yamato Bakery's Croughnuts

Several months back, we've witnessed the croughnuts (cronuts) craze and everyone just can't seem to have enough of them. I wrote about my first croughnut experience here and that was like ages ago.

And because daughter and I happen to have dinner somewhere near Yamato Bakery along Jupiter (not the planet) Street in Makati, I told her we need to check the croughnuts nearby.

There are about 4 to 5 croughnut selections that night but we just bought one each. Mine's the green tea (of course) and daughter got the vanilla.

Green Tea Croughnuts, P130. I can't say its love at first bite and what really comes to mind was flavored "bicho-bicho." Hahaha. But the green tea on top tasted good however, the green tea filling was just too much for me to enjoy the croughnut. I needed to scrape some off.


NEW RESTO ALERT: 100 Revolving Restaurant

This restaurant is barely six months old but knowing that Chef Jessie Sincioco of the famed Le Souffle, Top of The Citi, and The Rockwell Club is at the helm, then there's no denying of having a superb dining experience here. And of course, not to be missed is the 360 degree revolving view of the City which makes a complete circle in approximately 90 minutes. I bet even the kids will love the awesome view of the city. Aside from the city view, you can also have a full circle view of the different areas of the restaurant from the main entrance, bar, kitchen and dining area. To date, this is the only revolving restaurant in the country although there used to be a revolving restaurant in Quiapo, Manila decades ago. If you happen to know SM Clearance Outlet, simply look up and you'll see where the revolving restaurant used to be. I'm not really sure if its moving like the 100 Revolving Restaurant of Chef Jessie but I'm pretty sure that it had a splendid 360 degree view of the city when tall buildings were just a handful.

At night, we were told by Chef Jessie that the restaurant has been a popular place for romantic proposals and several private functions.


Hong Kong Wine & Dine Festival 2013

Held annually for the past four years in Kowloon, the 5th one which was held this year at the scenic Victoria Harbor has a bigger area to usher in more guests for the event. Wine lovers, connoisseurs or even the newly initiated like me had fun exploring the different wine zones: the Everyday Wine Zone, Party Wine Zone, Discovery Zone, Country Pavilion, Riedel Grand Tasting Pavilion and the A-Lister Zone.


Touchdown At Johnny Chow

This is where I had my pre-midnight dinner upon arriving from Hong Kong early this month. Really a no-brainer since I'm craving for chinese food and RICE (I felt deprived when I was in Hong Kong). And look at the interiors- I was able to appreciate it this time since there's only 3 tables occupied and that includes us (with hubby and daughter).


Waiting time was not that long since the restaurant was practically empty. But then, its almost midnight and almost everyone's at the cemetery or enjoying an out-of-town trip.


Lechon Macau. This is Johnny Chow's bestseller. The meat was very tender and flavorful, and the skin- crunchy! Daughter said she can eat the whole order herself. The yellow things in the middle are fried pineapples. I guess we all know that pineapple can lower blood pressure. ;)


Johnny Chow's Fried Rice. This is their version of the Yang Chow. I'm not really into fried rice except when its Salted Fish Fried Rice but this is good. A meal by itself. Generous serving also. Good for 2-3 pax.


EVENT: 2013 Soiree Beaujolais

This coming November 21, join us as we celebrate the Soiree Beaujolais (Wine & Food Festival) presented by the French Chamber of Commerce. Be ready to be mesmerized and transported into the streets of Grand Paris at the Tent City of Manila Hotel.


For more details, please email: events@leclub-fcc.org or call (632) 8139005.

Ramendate At Ikkoryu Fukuoka

It is not always that daughter craves for ramen. She is much more of a burger and steak lover but tonight was an exception. Hubby happened to have a meeting somewhere in Shang Plaza and we volunteered to join him for dinner- haha. Also, daughter has been singing ramen, ramen, ramen for quite some time now so I guess we have an excuse to dine at Ikkoryu Fukuoka. So after checking the shops for shoes, shoes, and shoes (someone is shoe-crazy lately), we ended up at Ikkoryu. Luckily, we were third on the list so we didn't get to wait that long for our bowl of ramen.


PROMO: Thanksgiving At Hyatt Regency Hotel & Casino Manila

Hyatt Regency Hotel in Manila invites everyone to its Thanksgiving celebration on November 28 and partake of the specially prepared Thanksgiving Menu at The Market Cafe.


For inquiries and reservations please call: +632-2478666 ext. 7291.


Brunch At Outback Glorietta

Just last week, about two days before my trip to Hong Kong, I met up with C and J in Glorietta for a brunch get-together. Also, J recently celebrated her 18th birthday so this is a special brunch for us.

I can't remember the last time I ate at Outback but I'm pretty sure that it was at the Glorietta branch also.


We were the first ones inside since the restaurant just opened its door for the day. I wanted to sit near the window but was voted against it because the sunlight might ruin our photos. Haha.


Ceasar Salad with Spicy Shrimps. I love the romaine lettuce and the dressing and the slivers of cheese. Perfect blend! The shrimp was not too spicy, thankfully and it tasted good with the salad.


Seafood Pasta. No need to rave about this. I just love seafood. ;)


Buffalo Wings. I almost didn't eat this because I've already eaten more than my usual amount of chicken but I can't resist especially when C and J mentioned that it was delicious. So I had about three helpings of chicken wings and a stick of celery. And my friends were right because the chicken was indeed delicioso. The chicken's hint of spiciness will make you crave for more bite instead of asking for water. Amazing!


Dark Bread. So good with the chicken and the salad that we asked for an extra serving. This comes free, by the way. Crunchy on the outside and chewy inside. Alas, the second one that was given to us stayed too long in the oven and tasted burnt. :(


That's J with her molten chocolate cake ala mode. Happy 18th Birthday !!! Cheers !!!


And that's us- looking full already even if we haven't touched our food yet. ;)


The Great Hong Kong Food Adventure Day 1

I just arrived from Hong Kong last weekend to attend the American Express Wine & Dine Festival which opened last October 31. I was part of the VIP group lead by OpenRice Hong Kong that got to explore the venue before it officially open its door to the public. It was really a surreal experience and I am still excited and very much thankful that I got to be a part of the very first OpenRice International Event with winners coming in from China, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Taiwan, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and of course- The Philippines.