My 15 Best Meals of 2010 ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Ten more minutes and the year is over.

Reminiscing about my most unforgettable meals of 2010…

15. Joe’s Stone Crab, Miami

14. Jesse Restaurant, Shanghai

13. Inagiku, Manila

12. Balthazar, New York

11. One-ThirtyOne, Hong Kong

10. Antonio’s, Tagaytay

9. The Goose Station, Manila

8. 老于头 Lao Yu Tou, Harbin

7. 神龍舫 Shen Long Fang, Taizhou

6. Iggy’s, Singapore

5. Mitsui, Taipei

4. Kieak Sharks Fin, Bangkok

3. Jaan, Singapore

2. Shaw’s Crab House, Chicago

1. Girl and the Goat, Chicago

HAPPY NEW YEAR, FOODIES OF THE WORLD!!!

Lugang Café ♥

 

There is a Lugang craze going on in the Philippines, but because I live far, far down south, I’ve never gotten the chance or the urge to drive all the way to Greenhills to try the Shanghainese franchise. That is, until now. Thanks to Auntie Beth, I can finally say I am “in” again.

 

Xiao Long Bao – yes to the skin, yes to the soup, but no to the filling which is completely tasteless

 

Minced Pork in Spicy Peanut Sauce over Noodles – again, another boring, flavorless dish.
The sauce is nutty but not spicy.

 

Three-Cup Chicken – too sweet!

 

Taiwanese Omelette with Preserved Turnip Bits – this is one of my favorite Taiwanese dishes, I ate this almost everyday in Taipei from age 3-7, and 21-26.
Lugang’s version is just okay, not bad but lacks that oomph factor.

 

Fish Head Steamed with Pickled Red Pepper – now this is the one dish I’d come back for.
The fish head is perfectly cooked and the sweetness of the peppers complements the
delicate flavors. Just be warned that this dish is HUGE!

 

Cantonese-Style Milk Tea – love the bitterness but still this doesn’t come close to the
real deal HK milk tea.

 

謝謝, Auntie Beth!

 

Lugang Café: 116 Connecticut Street, Northeast Greenhills, San Juan, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel: +632-721-9100, +632-570-9011

Clawdaddy ♥ ♥

 

“Did you just burp?”

“Uh huh,” I reply timidly, my cheeks starting to burn.

He rolls down the car window to let out the garlic-stained air.

“Please, God,” I pray silently, “Make the earth open up and swallow me now!”

Oh, Maritess, I curse you. It’s all your fault!

 

Crab Maritess – sautéed in olive oil, white wine, garlic and chilies
I finish heaps and heaps of the garlic bits, that’s why! Crab is plump, yummy and juicy.

 

Creole Crispy Shrimps – golden fried shrimps with spice rub and cocktail sauce
Crunchy and tasty. Great with ice cold beer, except I don’t drink beer.

 

Oysters Rockefeller – baked with spinach, bacon, cream and parmesan cheese
Too much cream, too little of everything else. Not a fan.

 

Clawmommy. With killer garlic breath. Eew.

 

Clawdaddy: Level 6, Shangri-la Plaza Mall, EDSA corner Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel: +632-636-5679

Sweet Endings at The Soriano Residence

One of my favorite places to raid in the world is my Auntie Baby’s home. While all of the houses out there have a pantry, the Soriano residence, on the other hand, is a pantry with living spaces for people.

 

Food, food, food! Everywhere you look!

 

Since I just came from Riley’s christening and a 2-piece-chicken-java-rice-kare-kare-dinuguan-pinakbet lunch at Alex III, today’s raid will be an all-dessert raid.

Happy 1st birthday, Riley! Congrats to the proud parents, Richard and Sherelle!

 

And the attack begins.

Gigi Gaerlan Custaroon Poppers

 

Mister & Missus Ice Cream - Matcha Made in Heaven (green tea and red bean),
and Smooth Criminal (peanut butter and jelly). There’s also the Malts in Your Mouth (malted milk) but it’s so good Felisse gives me a small teaspoonful only so sorry, no photo!

 

Dezato Mochi Ice Cream (Thank you, Hans and Kathy, on behalf of Auntie Baby! Hihihi!)

 

Pandesal with White Truffle Honey

 

Chocolates, chocolates, chocolates!!!

 

Of course, the furry Soriano siblings get their treat, too

 

It’s a zoo in here! Still missing a few more chihuahuas, a Siberian husky, a couple hedgehogs, and a giant turtle!

Borough at The Podium ♥

 

We rarely get together nowadays.

We used to be carefree college students at UA&P, seeing each other everyday and taking it for granted, too. Now Wendy is a supermom, juggling work and her notyetoneyearold, basketballplayergonnabe baby Royce (we just know it!), and Jodie is already the Program Director of the Master of Science in Management and Bachelor of Science in Business Administration major in Management at our alma mater (can you believe she kept the news from us? We had to find out from another friend!) Congratulations, Wends and Jods!

As for me, I am still a bum. 

Before the year ends, we manage to take some time off our busy schedules (yeah I’m busy, too, shut up) to lunch and catch up.

 

The Program Director, The Bum, and The Supermom

 

We order 3 dishes to share.

Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli – stuffed with roasted garlic and mashed pumpkin, sprinkled with walnuts, cranberries and basil puree. I always admire creativity in food,
but I have to say, this is some weird-funky-tasting stuff.

 

Sole Amandine – the lemon, fried capers and sliced almonds make the otherwise boring
sole fish come alive.

 

NY Philly Cheesesteak – love the fries-in-little-brown-bag presentation and the New York subway map (I miss the city already), but sandwich is really nothing special.

 

I read good things about their BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich and Banana Amaretto French Toast. Guess I’ll have to go back soon.

 

Borough: Ground Floor, The Podium Mall, 12 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Mandaluyong City, Philippines. Tel: +632-5708906

Just Thai Ӫ

 

Just Thai.

Just Forget It.

 

Pad Thai 
What pad thai??? This is super soggy noodles tossed in bottled sweet chili sauce.

 

Crispy Fillet of Fresh Tilapia with Sweet Chili and Tamarind Sauce 
Too oily, batter too thick. The whole thing tastes like last week’s oil.

 

Bagoong Rice 
Seriously, I think the chef forgot to put the shrimp paste in. 

 

Chicken in Green Curry
Ok lah. Chicken is tender and I like the spicy kick. Mediocre at best.

 

Thai Iced Tea
Little tea, little milk, lots and lots of sugar and water. Fail.

 

Obviously, we skip dessert.

 

Mother and daughters, before dinner shot.
Don’t think you’d wanna see the after dinner shot.

 

Just Thai: Forbes Town Road, Burgos Circle, Global City, Taguig City, Metro Manila, Philippines. Tel: +632-403-8718

L’Entrecote ♥

 

OMG. My stomach. It’s killing me.

It hurts from too much laughter. Please, Heidi, stop!

Heidi, until now she is still a clown, making jokes about our high school batchmates (ya, batch ‘96, she’s mean like that) and unforgivingly making fun of our younger, dorkier selves (ya, because we’re silly like that).

I realize I haven’t laughed like this in ages. Really, girls, we should do this more often.

 

But next time we’ll set dinner at 6pm so we can actually start eating by 9

 

Mixed Green Salad Tossed in House Dressing with Walnuts
The veggies are fresh and crisp, but I wish for less oil and a sweeter vinaigrette.

 

Our Steaks. Heidi, WAIT!!!!!
Medium (blue flag) for the impatient child, medium rare (red flag) for me,
and medium well (yellow flag) for Sheryl, Jen and Helen

 

US Choice Entrecote Steak with Special Secret Herb Butter Sauce and Fries
My medium rare steak is soft BUT chewy. Their medium well steaks, I hear, are hard AND chewy. 20 ingredients make up the special secret sauce (whoa!!!) which I think is good, but not mind-blowing. Love the fries.

 

Fillet of Perch in Beer Batter with Sauce Remoulade and Fries
Diane disapproves and leaves half untouched.

 

Please, do yourselves a favor and skip dessert here. Go have ice cream at Bar Dolci.

 

Chocolate Mousse
According to Helen, this is a fail.

 

Crepes Suzette with Vanilla Ice Cream
Crepe too thick, sauce too artificial.

 

Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce
Zzzzzzzzz…..

 

L'Entrecote's Rasperry and Walnut Iced Vacherin Cake
Nobody likes this but me. It’s actually not great, but it’s the best among the four.

 

So grand to know some things never change.

Helen, Jen, Sheryl, Me, Heidi, Diane, Minette

 

L’Entrecote: Unit A, Bellagio 2, Forbes Town Center, Burgos Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City, Philippines. Tel: +632-856-4858