Kanin Club

After a mass one sunny Sunday morning, we headed to Kanin Club in WestGate, Alabang. We usually eat out for lunch every Sunday so my brother suggested this place.

The place is just small, pretty much half of a basketball court in size but there's a second floor. The first thing that you'll notice upon entering are these...
Paintings by Filipino artists (I suppose), stained glass, native handicrafts and there is even native music being played to complete that Filipino vibe. That staircase by the way leads to the second floor. Nice ambiance overall, though it is almost claustrophobic but anyway... the food... ah yes, the food...
Their vegetable curry was a hit! I was a bit worried that the vegetables will be too soft but it turned out just fine, I liked it a lot! I also love their "Sinigang na Baboy sa Miso". (Pork in Miso Soup) The soup was rich and not too strong. The meat was also tender, I had no difficulty scraping all the goodness off the bone.

Ordering Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and Pork) was not really part of the plan. You see, why would you order something that you can eat elsewhere? I mean, we went here to try different stuff we don't usually get to eat at home but something tells me this dish is special so I went ahead and ordered one. Then it came in a deep bowl, it usually has a dipping sauce comprised of soy sauce and other stuff but this came with none so I asked the waiter for some but he told me it is already IN the sauce. I dug deeper and yeah, hidden under this mountain of crispiness is a spring of delectable sauce! I mixed everything up with a spoon and 3 words - "OMG!". Okay, three letters. Haha! Very delicious!
I got excited with their brown rice, I immediately ordered it when I saw it on the menu. It is said that 2 cups of this is equal to 1 cup of rice so if I'll be eating a lot getting this would be a wise choice.

They offer bottomless iced teas. My family ordered the regular one but I opted for the green tea. They are refreshingly good!
That one on top is a very interesting dish. They call it "Sinangag na Sinigang". Two methods of cooking - "sinangag" and "sinigang". Think about it this way - a sinigang dish that is stir fried. Some of the veggies like the lettuce and okra were lightly battered and fried so they were crispy which reminded me of crispy kangkong. There is also a pork cutlet and it was soft and chewy.

Below is Seafood Karekare! Squid, shellfish, veggies and an unidentifiable sea critter make up this orgy of goodness! It looked too oily for me but it didn't taste like and I assume they used healthy oils. It came with bagoong or fish paste but you don't really need it, trust me.
Above is Pad Thai. I had my first Pad Thai a few days before going here and I like it a lot so I ordered a plate for the whole family to try! This stir-fry is Thailand's most famous noodle dish. It contains cooked rice noodles, tofu, shrimp, crushed peanuts, nam pla, bean sprouts, garlic, chiles and eggs. Unfortunately, it's not their cup of tea so I ate most of it.

And finally, Crispy Dinuguan! This, I have to say is the star of the day! Imagine - lechong macau in pork's blood coupled with spices. Ah! This is heaven! I liked it a lot! You could really hear the crunch and the pork's blood is flavorful!

We had a lot of fun here @ Kanin Club. A lot of dishes were unexpectedly good! We will definitely go back here! The only thing we didn't like is their slow service. We waited for almost 45 minutes! It's worth the wait but mom is unhappy. Just look at her face. Haha!
Kanin Club, Westgate Mall

Commercial Ctr., FAI Admin Bldg., Alabang

Muntinlupa City, Metro Manila

Philippines

(02) 771-1400

Seafood Ball Stew with Eggs & Noodles

Seafood Ball Stew with Eggs and Noodles.... well that's how I would call it. Fish balls, Squid balls and Kikiam were stir-fried with onions, tomatoes and garlic. Then simmered in tomato sauce.

I added raisins too. And being the crazy chef that I am, I also added a pack of instant noodles and hard boiled eggs. Though it looks really odd, it's great with rice! Not to mention all the lycopene you need for a day.

Call me insane, but this stuff is good!

Summer at Batangas

Destination: Munting Buhangin Beach Resort, Nasugbu, Batangas

It's a looong ride but the thrills brought by sight-seeing is worth it. We stopped over Tagaytay for a quick lunch on these rent-a-table place. We had roasted chicken and liempo while enjoying the breath-taking view of Taal Lake. Taal Lake is the 3rd largest lake in the Philippines and it serves as the throne for Taal Volcano a not-so-active volcano situated in an island which is called Volcano Island.
After almost 3 hours of travel time and a gruesome downhill trek, we finally made it! It's not white sand though, but the water is nice! Not too salty even though it's salt water.
And on our way home, the next day, we grabbed some of the best fruits of summer!

English Breakfast

After being exposed to English Culture for almost 2 months, I was inspired to fix myself an English breakfast. A typical English breakfast consists of an assortment of eggs, toast, bacon, mushroom, beans, sausages and sometimes served with black pudding (a type of sausage made from pig's blood). Just fry them all, butter your toast and serve in a large platter with coffee.

I don't have all the ingredient I need to make this so all I can do is to make something as close as possible.

I stir-fried chopped button mushrooms and onions, then caramelized them with sugar. I made french toast and almost turn it into a grilled cheese sandwich. Lastly, I mixed corned beef and boiled potatoes with a little flour and eggs, shaped into patties and pan-fried them.

I just added beans and there you go! I forgot the fried eggs, but this looked good enough, ye?

Clay Pot Ramyun

I'm loving spicy food! Today, I had Clay Pot Ramyun. Ramyun is Korean Ramen by the way. I bought this one together with the Neoguri noodles from 7eleven. I only placed half of the chili powder packet because I want to add kimchi. I don't want to burn my tongue so it's better to be safe than sorry.
I saw some left-over tempuras and pork spring rolls so I tossed them in the boiling saucepan. I love the sound while it boils and the smell is nice, too!
Oh, and just to share, since I've been talking about kimchi for quite some time now...
Fish Spring rolls and kimchi served on yellow rice, FTW!

Neoguri

After a stressful day at work, I always visit a nearby 7eleven convenience store. Every time I do, I kept looking at one shelf to another endlessly because I can't decide what to eat until I realize people are giving me weird looks. So after 5 minutes of going around, I decided to grab a pack of instant noodles and this particular pack is begging me to pick him up.

I see it's an Udon type of Ramen (and I see kamaboko slices) but the "Nong Shim" and korean characters part made me confused if this is Japanese or Korean noodles.

Btw, just to share, Koreans are everywhere around my neighborhood! It's either they are here on vacation or enrolled in a nearby English Language learning center. Anyway, I hate it when they talk to each other so loud as if they don't really care since locals can't understand what they are talking about. The bigger the group - the louder! I swear!

It's actually cool because there is a bonito flake included in the package where you have to boil it first with water before adding the noodles. It's just a little bit disappointing because it's not what I expected it to be.

Just look at what I have compared to what is pictured above but it's okay, it tasted good with a little bit of kimchi. I swear, I'm getting addicted to kimchi. Well, on to the next instant noodle pack!

Hallaca, Empanada and Arepa

I love meeting friends online! I have a Venezuelan friend, his name is Luis, and we were talking about - food! (Whatelse would I be interested in? XD) So every time I make friends with another person from a different country, I always ask: "What's the famous food there?". So here you go:

Hallaca (Hayaca)

Although it resembles our native suman, hallaca is not made of sticky rice. Instead, it is made with cornmeal dough. The traditional hallaca is made by extending a plantain leaf, greasing it with a spoonful of annatto-colored cooking oil and spreading on it a round portion of corn dough (roughly 30 cm), which is then sprinkled with various fillings. The filling is basically a mixture of various meats, raisin and olives then bound in strings withing plantain leaves then boiled. Hallaca dates back to history when Spanish colonizers throw leftover food during Christmas to slaves, then slaves collect them and reassembles them thus giving birth to this awesome delicacy. Which is also the reason why Venezuelans traditionally eat this at Christmas.

Empanada
I was baffled when I found out that in the list of Empanada making countries from wikipedia, the Philippines and Indonesia are the only Asian countries. The rest are Latin and Hispanic countries. Well anyway, Empanada ocame from Spain and since Spain colonized several other countries, a lot of variations were born.

Venezuelan empanadas, like the hallaca use corn flour based dough and are deep fried. The stuffing varies according to region; most common are the cheese and ground beef or chicken empanadas. Other types use fish, "caraotas" or black beans, oyster, clams and other types of seafood popular in the coastal areas, especially in Margarita Island.

Arepa

Arepa is another bread made from... guess what... thats right - corn! Corn is really a big thing in Venezuela. It can be grilled, baked or fried, can be eaten on its own or with various fillings. Making the dough requires a lot of hard work! The traditional, labor-intensive method requires the maize (mais) grains to be soaked, then peeled and ground in a large mortar known as a pilón. The pounding removes the pericarp and the seed germ, as only the cotyledons of the maize seed are used to make the dough. The resulting mixture, known as mortared maize, or maíz pilado, was normally sold as dry grain to be boiled and ground into dough. But we don't want to go through all that, won't we? Good thing pre-cooked cornmeal is available today!

Look on the bright side, flour- You're famous in Asia!

The arepa is split after cooking, and filled with ingredients such as cheese or deli meats. although the latter term is not commonly used today. An arepa can also be dressed with toppings such as cheese and eaten open-faced. Venezuelans prepare arepas depending on personal taste or preference and the region in which they are made.

Venezuelan food really interests me, they tell so much about the country's culture and history. This will definitely be in my to-try-before-I-die-list! Special thanks to Luis, my Venezuelan friend!

image sources:
buencomer.com.ve
www.panoramio.com/photo/6658605
http://fuentejuncal.org/
http://foodinhouston.blogspot.com/2009/08/venezuelan-empanadas.html
http://faerys-kitchen.blogspot.com/2009/04/venezuelan-empanadas.html
http://blog.cookingwithtraderjoes.com/2009/06/04/street-food-in-venezuela.aspx
http://www.latinmenu.com/tag/empanadas/
http://www.venezuelareport.com/?paged=2
http://epicurejenn.wordpress.com/2009/09/10/venezuelan-arepa-bar-caracas/
http://www.theyoungandhungry.com/1237478767/caracas-arepa-bar/

Menudo with Kimchi

I really hate anything spicy. I don't like the burning sensation in my mouth because it makes me uncomfortable. But you know what, I think I am getting the hang of it. Since I tried making my own kimchi sandwich, I always find myself looking for ways to make something with kimchi.

Mom had to go somewhere so I took over the kitchen. *Evil grin* A big mistake, mama, a big mistake. The ingredients were already prepared and she was about to cook Menudo when a man, talking through a speaker box asked for urgent back-up. Btw, for those who are not familiar with Menudo... it is a stew dish of diced pork, chicken, sausage, potatoes, carrots, peas, and tomato sauce usually eaten with rice on the side. Not everything mentioned should be present, just as long as any meat, carrots and potatoes are cooked in tomato sauce, you can drop the technicality.

Saute garlic and onion then add pork cut into cubes. let them brown a little then add water and let it boil.

Froth starts to appear once it boils, just scoop them out with a spatula. Add tomato sauce, ketchup, a pinch of salt and pepper, and a little sugar. Let it simmer a bit then toss in your diced carrots, potatoes and green or red (or both) bell peppers cut into strips.

As an added twist to the traditional Menudo, I added a can of corned tuna, button mushrooms and murdered a bottle of kimchi.

You know it's already cooked if the veggies are already soft. And as usual... delicious!

Reinvented Yakisoba

I was scanning my folders and I ran across old pics I never had the chance to upload on my old blog here. Well anyway, it's worth sharing.
I purchased a pack of authentic yakisoba noodles and even though I am missing a lot on some ingredients, I made use of what is available... and in this case - Chinese Fried Tofu and Garlic Sausage.

Yakisoba is often considered as "junk food" in Japan because of it's grease content (Bah! Wait till they see pansit ni Aling Nena!) It literally translates to "fried buckwheat noodles" and is originally from China and a lot of variations can be found in several Asian countries. It's basically vegetables, stir-fried with noodles and sauce is added.

So here's what I did:
Those tofu were already fried when packed, so I don't really have to fry them for a long time. The garlic sausage went well with the noodles, too. Delicious!

Nasi Lemak

My Malaysian friend and I were talking about breakfast this morning and he said he just ate Nasi Lemak. I was like - "What the hell is that?". Good thing I was able to see it with the help of a "once a college project" innovation called Google.

Photo from wikipedia.

I was amazed when I saw the photo, it reminded me of our local tapsilog. Nasi Lemak is a dish sold in several South East Asian countries like Brunei, Singapore, Southern Thailand and is considered as a national dish in Malaysia. My friend referred to it as "coconut rice" because rice is soaked in coconut milk, then the mixture is steamed.

Pretty much like the different "cousins" of tapsilog, it's a rice meal and basically from what I have read so far from the internet, anything could be paired along with the rice as long as it has roasted peanuts, slices of cucumber and anchovies. The dish could also be served in wraps.

Take that, burrito!

I'll be on the look out for this dish. Oh well, maybe I'll just follow this recipe if I can't find an authentic Malaysian restaurant.

Kimchi Sandwich!

I was scanning the fridge, and I was thinking of a meat-free breakfast (excluding eggs). So I made an omelet and boiled a large potato.

That's stir fried lettuce with onions and garlic. I also added a tablespoon of oyster sauce and a pinch of sugar. Did you know that potatoes are best eaten with their skin on? You just have to wash them well.

I was hesitant if I should open this bottle of kimchi since I hate anything spicy but my curiosity took over and I ended up with a Kimchi sandwich!

Lucky me, this particular brand is not so hot! You should try this! Very flavorful!

Corned Beef v.s. Corned Tuna

Move over corned beef, here comes corned tuna! Corned tuna is widely promoted here in the Philippines as an alternative to corned beef. If you check google for "corned tuna", it's likely that you will get results from the Philippines. In Yahoo! Answers, some people (obviously outside of the Philippines) are not even familiar with the term "corned beef" (see "other answers"). Which brings me to a conclusion that this phenomena started in the Philippines considering that google corrected me when I asked who invented corned tuna. So anyway...

So What's the Difference?
Brands like this, claim that corned tuna has the same taste of corned beef but has all the benefits of canned tuna which includes - Omega 3 DHA which is good for the heart, low in cholesterol and high in protein. With the wide campaign of corned tuna brands as a healthy alternative, (not to mention Derek Ramsey) more and more people are trying it out!

Even for Corned Tuna, sex sells...

And the list gets longer...

So is it the end for corned beef? Not quite! Argentina corned beef came up with a vengeance.

It's so true, it doesn't taste like corned beef I have tried it myself. If they do, then there must be something in it that makes the taste similar because tuna will never taste like beef on its own. The feud will never end, both had the word "corned" but that doesn't mean there should only be one. Corned beef is delicious and so is corned tuna... but I don't like the fact that corned tuna is marketed as "I taste like corned beef". Why not just embrace the natural taste of tuna?

Mikuru Random Cooking: Cabbage Omelet

I cook my own food most of the time and grabbing whatever I see in the fridge is fun! So here are the stars for today:

Cabbage, eggs, a large onion and cloves of garlic and an edible plate.

Note that I didn't boil the cabbage, I stir fried it right away with the onion and garlic and added a few oyster sauce. I saw leftover meats so I decided to add them up to add flavor, so I added bits of grilled pork. Let it cook for a while and mix in the eggs and stir everything then let it set and I topped everything with grated cheese and pizza sauce.

The grilled pork chops and oyster sauce gave it a barbecue kick while the cheese and sweet sauce gave it a pizza twist! Delish!

House Blessing

I was checking on my folder and I realized I haven't shared our house blessing party. Our house was renovated a few months back so we had friends and family over and had lunch party. Here are some of what was served:
Fish fillet topped with peppers, swimming in some sort of soy soup. An all-time favorite - liempo. It was really good. The only thing that I hate about it is it's too oily. Baked mac, buko pandan salad, and I can't remember what that is... I think it's pork.

It was a simple gathering at our garden area. Where am I, you ask? I was busy trying out different cocktails at the bar. Oh, I love the bar! Always open! ^^

Mikuru Random Cooking: Sardine Spaghetti

I was hungry so I took a visit to our pantry and rounded up ingredients that could possibly go well together and I came up with this bunch:
An opened spaghetti pasta, sardines in tomato sauce, instant carbonara sauce, tomato sauce, spicy mustard and left-over fish hotdogs. They are just begging to be cooked. So do you know what time it is? It's - MIKURU RANDOM COOKING TIME! Uhuh, no recipes to follow, random ingredients, just pure cretivity and a little bit of insanity, haha.

So I placed the fish hotdogs in my ever-faithful oven, separated the sardines from its tomato sauce. I squeezed the sauce out, I don't know why but I just felt like doing it and cooked the pasta as per label.

Chop some onions and garlic, saute and mix in the sauces... let them simmer for a bit and add the drained pasta. Mix again to coat evenly and top it off with the fish hotdogs...

Although it really looked ordinary, it's delicious, I swear! It surprised me...really.

Can't Get Over Pizza

I usually crave for pizza, but instead of ordering, I made my own. Good thing there are a lot of instant ingredients available to cut your preparation time in half! So I sliced up a few hotdogs, onions, garlic and green peppers.

I preheated the pizza crusts so it will be a little bit crunchy.

It turned out really nice and the pizza sauces were flavorful. I had a lot of left over pizza sauce so the next day I experimented on pork tonkatsu... I made it into a pizza! I just added bits of spam on top of the cheese. It was good! I ate it over a bowl of rice.

Saisaki, Kamayan and Dads

The power of three... and I'm not referring to 3 sisters living a life of endless demon banishing related activities, I'm talking about three restos where you can eat all you can for just less than 600 php! It's a great bargain actually, considering there is a wide range of food selection - from Japanese to Filipino to European and American cuisine!
It's like a food bazaar! Everywhere you look there are stations serving a certain kind of cuisine. It's like a festival of delicious food!
On top is the ramen station where you can order ramen, cold Japanese nodles, sukiyaki, etc. Ingredients are laid out in front of you, just tell the chef what you want and how you want it then he'll prepare it for you. There is also a grilling station where Japanese style skewered meats and salmon (and corn, too) are displayed, just grab a plate and put in everything you want and they will grill it for you... or if you don't want to wait, there are already-grilled meats on a platter.
On top, there's the fried rice and next to it are different kinds of tempura (pork, chicken, crab, shrimp and vegetables). The sushi is a blockbuster, when I went to that station, a lot of people are just grabbing what they see so I ended up with that pick. We had sukiyaki, ramen and they also have kimchee. I also love their tofu topped with crab stick, it's so delicious!
So there's my plate, I got a lot of gyoza, fancy sushi and for dessert, I got a lot of creampuffs, blueberry squares, some random unidentified sweets and chocolate coated apples and mallows via chocolate fountain.
You can create your own nachos or taco salad at that area and on the left are several custards and candied coconuts for dessert, those are cakes served in small squares, they also have pudding and on its left is the salad bar. Fruit, potato, macaroni, veggie... you name it, it's there! Several ingredients are also available so you can customize your salad the way you want it.
Those are french breads with fancy spreads and they even have an oven toaster! And there is the roasted chicken and ham station, the chef carves out a slice or two then just stretch out your plate.
And for the win, there is also a bibingka station where a chef cooks bibingka on the spot! It's really fun to watch him. He even posed when I took a picture. There are a lot of Filipino rice cakes and jellies in this station.
They also have a pasta section. Different kinds of pasta and sauces are up for grabs... I was wondering though why this station is empty. And to complete the fun atmosphere, there's a band!

It's a long stretch of food! I believe I only tried 20% of what's being served there. I am planning to go back. This is definitely a place where you get value for your money! The food is great, too!

2nd Level, Glorietta 3 Ayala Center, Makati

Telephone nos.

(02) 892-8897
(02) 892-8908 to 09