Lunchtime at Sam Won Korean Barbecue

That one long strip of Aguirre Avenue at BF Homes in Paranaque is one of the reasons why this little duckie does not want to leave the South area. Along that strip are quaint restaurants of every cuisine and creativity. You know, you're driving or walking there and then this little house-revamped-into-a-restaurant just beckons at you and you think, "Hey, lemme try this!" and so you go.

My family has been there before, and it's my first time to try this having been free this Sunday. It's quite easy to miss out these restaurants and so I took a picture of the exterior too. To get here, just take Aguirre and drive out. If you're coming from El Grande side, it would be on the left. If you're coming from President's Avenue, It's on your right.

That wooden door makes you think it used to be a house with the sign smacked right on the roof. Going in, you see this set-up.

I'll tell you what the exhausts are for later. The place had Korean clientele, implying that we're about to get authentic Korean cuisine and nothing commercialized or "substituted". Our table was set, down to the chopsticks. Korean chopsticks are different from the chopsticks we use in hotels or restos. These were thinner, heavier, and made of stainless steel. If you're not used to their chopsticks, the ol' wooden chopsticks are also available. Now after we ordered, we were greeted by a round of appetizers (which are included by the way if you order there). By appetizers I don't mean like little bread sticks or chips, I'm talking these:

Variety of appetizers including the famous kimchi. OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD OMIGOD on the kimchi. Something you have to try. Okay, the round of appetizers are not bottomless, but since we wanted more of the kimchi, we ordered a second round of the kimchi (first round is free, of course, provided you order food). It wasn't too spicy and I was even eating it alone. Aside from these, we were also given cabbage slaw each.

Now okay, so what are the exhausts for? It's for the Korean barbecue. right in front of you is this device that looks like something out of a hot pot restaurant. You order your choice of Korean barbecue (beef, chicken, or pork belly). They bring it out to you, marinated but raw first because the meat would be cooked in front of you, not in oily fat but in live coals. Live coals are placed there on the grillery and an attendant grills the meat for you and even puts the meat on your plate.

The exhaust is for the smoke to go out and not on you so you get to enjoy your meal sans smoke blowing on your face or melting makeup. Oh, and they change the grilling plate if there's too much stuff sticking on the plate already and keep the coals live and fiery hot. I actually found out the right way of eating Korean barbecue. You dip it in the salt dipping sauce, put it on a piece of lettuce, then add slices of garlic and the paste and eat up. But for me, I figured the best way I enjoyed my meat was alone or with Jap Chae.

The Jap Chae is also a must-try and a steal at Php150.00 (AND THAT's a LOT! That's just my tiny plate right there where I got some Jap Chae and a slice of beef barbecue). The sticky rice is at 70 bucks per bowl, but I suggest just ordering the Jap Chae as the carb chaser.

The meal was capped off with complimentary dessert. I told you this resto knows how to pamper their clientele. Again, just like the appetizer, this is just one round.

Price ranges are about 200-500 for an order, and one order is already good for sharing. Expect to spend approximately Php500 per head if you wanna be super full. Happy Sunday!

Oh, and do try the Kimchi.

An Afternoon of Food and Art At Ricco Renzo Caffe and Galleries

When I'm shooting with Mike, food is not a luxury but a necessity. We never run out of food, whatever peg the shoot may be. I guess that when Mike dragged me to his food shoot a while ago, I could not say no. As per our conversation yesterday:

Mike: I'll see you tomorrow.

Bambi: Okay, me say yes to food.

Mike: No late.

Bambi: Sure sure.

I woke up to his SMS telling me to be there at 9:30 a.m., which was practically in 2 hours. I begged and promised to be there before lunchtime since I needed to finish some errands. So it was a hop, kick, sommersault, backflip to the place. I'm familiar with the gallery, having been there before at an event, so it was easy to find it. I'm always in the Jupiter-Reposo area since Mike lives near there. Plus, I like the location. Not too busy yet easily reachable and far away from the traffic of CBD.

Yep, I got there with this guy busy at work:

Yep, that's real food he's shooting. To prove it, I was about to lunge to it at the scent of parmesan cheese had he not whacked my head for me to come to my senses. He introduced me to the chef, Jonas Ng, who gave me an overview of the cafe. Plus chatted up with him a bit with our food preferences.

The resto is actually a quaint cafe with a very relaxed atmosphere. the interiors were very homey and not intimidating. Oh, and free WiFi too, for those with the Internet glued at the hip.

Being an artist drew me to the paintings (the ones displayed are acrylics on canvas). It was mentioned too that the place is also an art gallery, where different artists feature their works. There's also a second floor, which we were toured and this featured works of various artists. We were able to catch an art class going on and I was able to chat with two of the students as they went on with their works. Okay, art and food? Bambi is starting to like this place now.

And so on to the food. I was recommended the appetizer, the Buffalo Chicken Fillet (Php 190.00). This is their bestseller, and they use chicken thigh fillet so you don't get the mess with the wings, bones, and sauce. Spicy? Yes. Good? DEFINITELY!

Mike and I took a toss with two dishes. He chose the Fifteen-Spice Chicken Fillet (Php280.00):

So yes, that's fifteen spices rubbed onto thigh fillet (fillet meaning no bones. YAY!) with pasta pomodoro and succotash. I did get a slice of this, skin and all and it practically melted in my mouth. This was really good, not too spicy but I sure like the kick. Plus okay, that's chicken, pasta, tomatoes, and a side salad. Pretty healthy too. The serving is good enough for two, since it's quite big, but for large appetites like the both of us, one is enough. Suprisingly, I was able to finish my dish (everyone got surprised that this tiny girl eats like a worker)

Tuna Steak (Php 320.00) is one huge slab of grilled premium tuna loin steak. When Mike was shooting it, I thought it was meat or chicken until he said it was fish. It was served with caper sauce that had a bit tart and cream base and spaghetti aglio olio (olive oil + garlic) and wilted greens. There were also two slices of lemon on the side that I squeezed onto the steak. The tuna was flaky, melt-in-the-mouth, and didn't smell or leave any fishy-like flavor.

Another important point I found out was that, this restaurant has very high standards with its meals, keeping them constant all the time. Plus, the staff are aware of any food allergies (they ask the customer first). Once they find out if someone has a food allergy, they take the necessary precautions, such as assigning someone for that person, and that staff washes his or her hands and works in an isolated area in the kitchen to prevent food contamination.

Is this a place where I'll dine again? I'll definitely have this place in mind next time. Parking is relatively easy in this place, and I like the quietness of the atmosphere. Food good? Yes. Also affordable.

Ricco Renzo Caffe and Galleries is found at the G/F LRI Design Plaza 210 Nicanor Garcia St., (formerly Reposo) Bel Air II Makati City Philippines.

(Photo Credits: Food photos by Michael Yu of Mantra Photography)

Thesugarbug recommends: Razon's Halo-Halo

Me like Razon's Halo-halo not only because it's their bestseller but because of the following reasons:




1. The milk - creamy yet it didn't hurt my tummy. I love the sweetness and creaminess. It's rich but not too much
2. The ice - crushed finely. I don't get 1-cm diameter chunks that i have to chew on
3. Value for money - One Php 60.00 serving is good enough for two. I can't finish one, so we have it split. :)
4. The leche flan is to-die-for... creamy but not too sweet. It practically melts in the mouth. I could eat it just that.
5. It does not contain beans, monggo, garbanzos, or any legume. Yet, despite that it contains just saba, macapuno, nata de coco, and their leche flan, the overall taste is never, ever sacrificed.

Tip: Best shared and not taken everyday. My favorite Razon's is the one in Greenbelt here in the Metro. Also, try Razon's sisig with rice! Yummy! It's best served hot as it can get too greasy if it's too cold. I prefer eating the sisig with plain rice.

A BF Trip

Southeners who are tired of the 3 malls in our area can try trooping down BF Paranaque for quaint treats. At the strip of Aguirre Ave in BF Paranaque are strips of gourmet restaurants and commercial restaurants, snack houses, cafes, etc. Some even offer free Wi-Fi. Right now, I'm at my favorite coffee place right here in the South blogging.

First up is dinner at A Vennetto restaurant. Makati goers know this pretty Italian place at Glorietta but we at South troop over to BF for per-slice gourmet pizza and pasta to share.

Here's a vegetarian treat: olive and garlic base sauce with mushrooms:

The taste was aokay. I like the mushrooms and how it was pure simplicity. Also, it was healthy

You can have a hero sandwich too, if you're hungry and if there's some left, take it with you.

yumm! Also, in A Venetto, you can order your pizza by the slice if you want to try just one. Since I have this huge bloat issue whenever I eat too much pizza, I order my usual seafood pizza and just feast on pasta.

Coffee is none other than at BoNa coffee, where I'm blogging right now. I'm right here at the flagship store in BF, enjoying free WiFi and this baby:

This is BoNa's bestseller and this is my first time to try it, considering I've been a BoNa client for quite a while. This is Kona mocha, and the coffee they used here is Kona, which is supposedly stronger. I can feel the kick but it's not as strong, but I'll know I'll have the energy to prep up for tomorrow's shoot.

Anyway, the reason why I only tried this now is that it's forever out-of-stock. When I found out that they had it and I've heard great reviews about it, I ordered a mezzo (Php135) and I was not dissapointed. The dark chocolate shavings on top are another treat!

Apparently, I'm right here in BoNa, enjoying free WiFi and sipping my Kona Mocha. <3!

Now I know why a wholelotta bloggers love this place as well, especially the southeners!

The South does have hidden treasures, even if it's a far off place. :-)

The weekend's almost ending. Enjoy the rest of it!

The Sugar Bug Visits Pepper Lunch

Ahh... finally!

A bit late but nevertheless. When Pepper Lunch first opened here in Manila, Phoebe has been telling me to go there but I always postpone it since during that time, I was cramped up with shoots and my faculty position. Come after one shoot, I was deciding to eat there but it was bad timing because it was the annual Rockwell mid-year sale and the line was too long. I would have waited out the line but I was already seeing stars so I opted to do so on another time.

Anyway, last Saturday was Pepper Lunch day, and whaddya know... there is always a line, or crowd I must say.

So we got in line, and then someone asked us our orders and handed us this voucher thing (kind of like how fast foods are when the line is long). When we got to the counter, all we had to do was pay for the food and once we're near, someone already assigns us a seat. Systematic! I must say that the management does know how to manage huge crowds and hungry guests.

Oh, and there's a TV where you can see how the hot plate works so you know how to cook your meal. WITH SUBTITLES!

The things you do when you're bored. Heeheehee...

So once we got our orders. If you haven't paid attention to the TV, there are directions on the plate. And if you still were not able to see the directions, the Pepper Lunch staff are there to help you and give you suggestions on how to cook your meal.you have to mix it really, really really well until the flavors are all combined. The longer you mix, the more flavorful.

And add the sauce you wish (I chose honey brown sauce for my salmon pepper rice).

And voila! enjoy!

for an extra Php48.00, you could even double your meat intake. (Here's his version of double the beef pepper rice, with garlic sauce, and extra pepper!)

I must say I love the mingling of all the flavors together, how the butter mixes in with the meat, rice, and corn. The meat also melts in the mouth so you don't get tough and hard-to-chew stuff. I love the freshness of the flavor and how your meal hardly gets cold even if it's towards the end.

My comment actually speaks for itself about my overall review. Actually... I ran out of words to say...so just stare at my plate. :D

(Pepper Lunch is located at the Powerplant Mall, right across Rustan's Fresh)

Affordable Buffet at Poquito Mas

Every Friday and Saturday if I want a robust buffet that would not break the bank, I'll go to this place....

The literal translation would be "A Little More". This quaint Mexican restaurant is located at West Gate in Alabang. Since we both wanted something Mexican, we went here. The usual programmed order was a couple of fajitas. I saw the buffet platter but here's the thing, I usually associate "buffet" with "expensive and an excuse to pig out and be guilty after just to get your money's worth".

The waiter asked us, "Would you like to try the buffet?" I decided against it but when we were told it was Php 199, we were like sure! I even had to ask the waiter, what's the catch for the Php199 All-you-can eat buffet or if there are any hidden charges. He assured me there was none and just enjoyed our meal.

I think I had like double servings of mexican seafood soup, mini-burritos, cheese macaroni, enchiladas, and taco pizzas. I especially loved the chili corn, which I had mucho servings of. I asked how come the buffet was so cheap (don't expect a smorgasboard though, like hotels. It's just like 3 tables long, but all worth it since we could keep going back), and the waiter replied they usually have this only on Fridays and Saturdays.

You know what I love about this type of Mexican food? They didn't go OA with the refried beans. Although I still pick out the beans from my quesadilla and chili, I still get my Mexican fix.

And remember my tip with buffets people! JUST ORDER WATER! You can have soda anytime. Soda and fruit juices will just fill you up with sugar. So to really enjoy the buffet water is the key. :D

The beef empanada (On top of the Chili Corn) reminds me of samosas. And their enchilada had the right amount of creaminess to it. The corn is just love. I love the spice it has.

Yep, we just would love to have a little more ofthis. :)

Oh Thai!

While blog-surfing I managed to chance upon a review on Wild Ginger @ the Powerplant mall and being a Thai/Asian food fanatic I chose Wild Ginger to serve the Saturday Night dinner.







Since I came from a shoot being hungry, I wanted a "buffer" so my stomach won't be shocked so I ordered Asian Tomato Soup (Php 80.00). At first I was intrigued by how it could be "Asian" when I always associate tomato soup with Italian dishes and Minestrone but when I tasted it, it tasted like Tom Yum Soup without the shrimp and mushrooms and this was a bit thicker and spicier with a bit of cilantro in it.

Chicken Satay is always a staple and I really liked how the meat was cooked just right and the satay sauce having that distinct peanut-y taste. I just found the sauce too bitin. The chicken satay is already good for 2 so you could split the order as well. For some weird reason, rice was not in the menu but our server mentioned the variety of rice flavors available. We chose Jasmine Rice, a yellow rice with a distinct herbal taste (plain rice we could have anywhere, but jasmine yellow rice, only here). It was a huge cup and yummy on its own. But really, you eat it with the satay.

Prices are reasonable as well. Since the servings are big, you could split a meal into two so it won't be too heavy on the stomach.

Bambi's tip: Order just house water. It's bottomless, it's free, and it's a great way to make tipid. :)

Pancake House: Coming Home To An Old Favorite

Of course food blogs are meant to write about new finds and all but I'd like to write this time about an old favorite. I'm actually cool that my house is just 2 minutes away from a mini-mall with little stalls and some retail shops abound.

Tucked at the sides is an old favorite eating place of mine: Pancake House! I've been eating here since I was a kid and I always have fond memories of the extra-thick strawberry milk shake, spaghetti, and of course, their breakfast! So when I was asked to choose where again to eat, I was like, PANCAKE HOUSE!

And what do I eat? SPAGHETTI!!!!!

Despite that I've had spaghetti for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, I chose nothing but spaghetti for this dinner! For 128 bucks, I get 2 slices of garlic bread, and a plateful of a childhood favorite. MMMMM! I was supposed to take a picture of it but unfortunately, I wolfed it down before realizing that I actually forgot to take a picture of it! Oopsie... So dessert was not missed:

I couldnt decide between the waffle with the M&Ms or the banana split but figuring that I might be overstuffed with the waffle and it is dinner opted for the latter. Strawberry, Vanilla, and Chocolate ice cream. A banana sliced lengthwise and garnished with whipped cream, cherries, nuts, and chocolate syrup!!!!!!!!!!!

The camera phone does not give the picture justice but trust me... it's good.

I think one banana split isn't good enough to share because we both wolfed it in a span of less than 10 minutes.

This food blog has got me thinking that I should post workout posts as well in Baklitaan, but hey! Food = Love!

Oh you want recipes? Will share some soon!