My Favorites at Rockwell’s Ultimate Taste Test

 

 

I knew she was going to be there, Pam of Run Around Girl.

Like me, she is always present where food is present. I see her at the Powerplant weekend Baker’s Fair, at Mercato, at Rustan’s Supermarket, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera.

But unlike me, she is able to maintain her sexiness through all that eating.

Life’s a bitch.

 

Just look at that. Who’s eating fries and who’s drinking water only???
Tee hee hee. Check out Pam’s Ultimate Taste Test top picks here.

 

And here are my favorite vendors and their products:

 

The Fruit Garden

Pierre’s Lychee Berry Jam tastes like luxury

 

 

Eat My GF, as in Garlic Fries. So witty, right? And so addicting!

 

 

Hong Kong Roast

Their Hainanese Chicken is quite tasty

 

 

Tina’s Pie Outlet

Tina’s Callos Pie is love

 

 

Chef C’s Paella de Andaluz

Super duper flavorful. Give me more, give me more!

 

 

Gourmet Keso by Gawad Kalinga

The chevre with cashew and truffle oil salt is just amazing

 

 

Merry Moo

Pistachio + Mango = WOW

 

 

“Jin, I know you love my milk, so this is for you,” 
Paco of Carmen’s Best Ice Cream whispered to my ear and handed me
a cup of his Holly’s chocolate milk

Yes, Paco, I love your milk, I love your Malted Milk Ice Cream, too.

 

 

Cousins who love to eat: Diane, Florence, Nikko, Me and Jamie

 

Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Our Awesome Planet Diaz and their adopted son Spanky!
Looking forward to next year’s event!

Champagne Room ♥ ♥ ♥

 

 

Published on Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section, October 9, 2011

 

Champagne Room

I’ve never really been the loud, rough and noisy type of girl. But as I step into the pretty dining area of the revamped Champagne Room, I suddenly feel the need to lower down my voice, bat my lashes, and whisper like how the English ladies do at an afternoon tea party.

 

 

I feel so feminine, so delicate, so prim and proper. Maybe it is the pale yellows, the crystal palm trees, or the dainty floral prints… I really don’t know.

But for the first time in many, many years, I feel like a true lady.

And the true lady orders some dinner instead of afternoon tea.

 

Breads with liver pate and French butter

 

We start the fete with Burgundy Snails baked in their own shell with herb-shallot butter. Each escargot is an explosion of herby and garlicky goodness.

 

Burgundy Snails

 

The Pan-fried Goose Liver and Apple Mille-Feuille on Cider Syrup is silky, buttery and fatty. It is meat that wants to become butter. It is all you ever want in foie gras. And the apples, sweet and tangy, soft and crunchy, are excitingly delicious it’s like there’s a party going on in my mouth.

 

Pan-fried Goose Liver and Apple Mille-Feuille

 

For our entrees, the Roasted Rack of Lamb crusted in mixed spices on savory eggplant confit, rosemary-shallot sauce, gratin potato is tasty and gamey the way I like it, although just a tad overcooked. I want my meat medium rare; they give it to me medium well. I know I should have batted my eyelashes and whispered to the chef, but when a true lady is truly starving, she truly does not have the patience to wait.

 

Roasted Rack of Lamb

 

We also order the healthier and more womanish Oven-baked Chilean Sea Bass on mushroom-potato ragout, lobster-tomato-herb vinaigrette. The fish is seasoned well and cooked to a perfect doneness.

 

Oven-baked Chilean Sea Bass

 

And a true lady must practice strict discipline and self-control and not let herself go wild when the gentlemen’s prime ribs are being carved tableside only an arm’s length away.

 

 

Some gentlemen attack the slabs of Prime Rib immediately.

 

 

Some have them quickly grilled at high heat on each side to bring out the beautiful flavors. The huge cuts of meat are tender, beefy, juicy, tasty. And they smell like the most amazing thing in the universe.

 

 

Next time I’ll order like a gentleman.

 

We end the sumptuous meal with Banana Flambé which our server prepares by the table. The bananas are soft and delicious and swimming in a butter-sugar-rum sauce that is very, very sweet. I wish there was coconut ice cream to cut through the sweetness.

 

Banana Flambé

 

The Crepes Suzette cooked in orange-lemon butter sauce, flamed in Cointreau and served with vanilla ice cream doesn’t look like much, but we know not to judge a book by its cover. And this dessert is a wonderful book. The crepes are soft and thin, the sauce sweet and tangy, and the vanilla ice cream gives an exciting hot-cold contrast.

 

Crepes Suzette

 

And as if that is not yet indulgent enough, our server brings out the petit fours. It is such a delight to know that Champagne Room understands that a true lady can never have enough chocolates.

 

Petit Fours

 

The ladies of the night, Mom and moi

 

The Champagne Room is located at the Ground floor of Manila’s grand dame, The Manila Hotel, One Rizal Park, Manila. For reservations, you may call (02)527-0011 or visit www.manila-hotel.com.ph. The restaurant is open daily for lunch at 12nn to 3pm and dinner at 7pm to 11pm.

La Regalade ♥ ♥

 

 

Published on Manila Bulletin Lifestyle Section, October 2, 2011

 

La Regalade’s Chef de Terry

I still dream about the Mixed Mushroom Tartine at La Regalade.

I think about it more than I think about men. Not that I think about men a lot. Really, I don’t. But anyways…

Isn’t it amazing how simple dishes made with love and care can make a whole world of difference in our lives? It is actually just a bunch of mushrooms on top of a toast, but at La Regalade, Chef Luis de Terry (yes, the hunkababe is now running the show!) prepared it with so much TLC that the “bunch of mushrooms on top of a toast” tasted like supernatural earthy beings on the crustiest, chewiest bed of dough. As I devoured my piece slowly, taking in every flavor, every texture, I imagined Chef Luis spreading grain mustard over the grilled sourdough ever so gently, carefully piling on pieces of cepes, oyster mushrooms, button mushrooms and shiitake, perhaps even singing to it as he blanketed the shrooms with generous shavings of Grana Padano, then finishing it off with drizzles of a beautiful balsamic cream that was rich, tangy and sexy. I imagined he would also be smiling at it a lot, and occasionally, when no one else is looking, plant sweet little butterfly kisses on the tartine. Ayayay… no wonder so delicious!

 

Mixed Mushroom Tartine

 

The Kesong Puti and Tomato Tartine had layers of sautéed tomato slices, grated farmhouse kesong puti, oregano pistou, and topped with micro arugula and Italian prosciutto. FYI, Chef Luis melted the kesong puti before adding all that. I know you know just how lethal melted cheese can be.

 

Kesong Puti and Tomato Tartine

 

Even the side of French Fries was done with love. He fried the hand-cut potatoes once, twice, and thrice to form that perfect crisp crust and yet retain the soft starchy innards. At the last fry he tossed the spuds with kosher salt, parsley and Pimentón de la Vera Picante to keep things colorful and exciting.

 

French Fries

 

He treated those French snails with much adulation. Both Escargots a la Bourguignonne and Escargots al'Harissa were plump, juicy and full of flavor. The indecent way I attacked that last piece of bread – nibbling, biting, dipping, double-dipping, swallowing – I blame it all on the delicious suckers. And wait till I tell you about the mussels and clams. The shellfishes were so fresh and the stock so tasty I did a lot of shameless, outrageous licking and sucking on my palms and fingers. But you must excuse me. Enjoyment of excellent food has to be pornographic.

 

Escargot

 

Mussels

 

Baby Clams

 

We had a few salads before we the mains. The Caesar Salad came with Jambon de Pays and oven-crisped Salchichón Ibérico dressed in La Regalade’s very own anchovy dressing, the Salade Paysanne a bed of mixed greens topped with bacon lardons, poached organic egg and tossed in a walnut-dijon dressing.

 

Caesar Salad

 

Salade Paysanne

 

Patrick breaking the egg, and Mannix getting very eggcited. Hihihi!

 

Nicoise Salad

 

Everyone started raving about the Duck Confit so I knew even before my first bite that Chef Luis had perfected the two elements that make the perfect “duck cooked in duck fat” dish – the crispy tasty skin, and the tender tasty meat. He thoughtfully paired it with a dijon and pommery mustard sauce to cut through all that fatty goodness. Oh help me God.

 

Duck Confit

 

I liked how simple and honest the Citrus Sole Meuniere tasted with some orange juice, lemon juice, cider vinegar, a good sprinkling of toasted almonds and parsley with just a bit of butter (okay, maybe lots and lots of butter but still!)

 

Citrus Sole Meuniere

 

The Beef Bourguignon was tasty, although I thought it could use just a little more time on the stove.

 

Beef Bourguignon

 

Chef Chris enjoying the side of pasta

 

My favorite entrée was the Spice Roasted Lamb Shank rubbed with ginger, garlic, honey, bird-eye chili, cilantro, coriander and cumin, and then poured over with honeyed vinegar with mint just seconds before serving. It was fall-off-the-bone tender I almost fell off my chair. Aye, the things Chef Luis’ love could do to me.

 

Spice Roasted Lamb Shank

 

Desserts were Strawberry Apple Pudding and Gingered Chocolate Mousse in Pistachio Tuille. I believe even without saying, you must already know which one I liked best.

 

Strawberry Apple Pudding

 

Gingered Chocolate Mousse in Pistachio Tuille

 

I washed all the sweets down with this cup of coffee

 

Of course, Auntie Babyruth had take home goodies for all of us – my favorite
Little Miss OC’s Ghirardelli Chocolate Chip Cookies with Pink Himalayan Salt.
WEEEEEE!!!!!!! It’s the ultimate chocolate chip cookie, I tell you.

 

And because I am the luckiest one, I get this one and only bag of Reese’s Toblerone cookies homemade by Patrick himself. Each baby is a bundle of pure peanut butter joy.

 

The food and camera whores

 

 

La Regalade is located at 820 Arnaiz Avenue, Makati City, Metro Manila. For reservations, please call (02) 750-2104.