Phat Wong

I called in for a reservation for three for Saturday, 12:30 pm. I was really looking forward to eating here because it is Chef Manuel's restaurant; he of the Lolo Dad's fame. I also had two discount coupons so what have I got to lose? When we got there, the lady couldn't find my reservation. Not to worry, there were a lot of empty tables and so we were seated immediately.

Deep Fried Shiitake Mushroom Rolls at Php 170. As you can see, the rolls were a bit burnt and so there was a bitter aftertaste.

Asian Caesar Salad with Pork Bagnet and Chili Croutons at Php 230. I loved this dish. Everything was done right. From the perfect dressing which coated each and every salad leaf to the crispy bagnets and the bread slices which had a hint of chili on it. See how even the hard boiled egg was perfectly cooked? Wow, this dish rocked.

Phad Thai Omelet at Php 240. This was served with some chili paste and fish sauce. You really have to add these to appreciate the dish. Otherwise, it lacks flavor. This dish was just ok. It doesn't taste authentic Thai though.

Banh Mi Roll at Php 125. Banh Mi normally comes in a baguette and so this was quite a surprise. This roll contained pork, ham, chicken liver pate with cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro and pickled carrots rolled in a tortilla. This makes a nice, light lunch dish. The tortilla was served crisp and warm. Yes, I could have this everyday.

I just wish that restaurants remember the small details. All our dishes were placed on the center of the table but we were not provided with serving spoons and forks. We constantly had to ask for refills of our water. There were only eleven guests seated in five tables when we ate there but service was so horrendous. What a shame because the food was quite good. So, we decided to move to Chocolatier for dessert.

Phat Wong
LRI Bldg
Nicanor Garcia St.
Belair II

Kiwi Pork with Coconut Cream Sauce

Kiwi Pork with Coconut Cream Sauce

Via: http://www.zespri.com/zespri-recipes/mains/kiwi-pork.html

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

·         ½ teaspoon crushed cardamom seeds

·         1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon grass

·         500 g (1 lb) pork fillet (or 4 pork medallions)

·         1 tablespoon oil

·         1 tablespoon Thai curry paste (red or green)

·         1 small can (165 ml / 5½ oz) coconut cream

·         2 – 3 ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit, peeled and sliced

·         Cooked rice, to serve (optional)

Directions

1. Rub the seeds, lemon grass and ginger over pork and leave to marinate, covered, for an hour at room temperature 
2. Heat a large frying pan, add the oil and sear the pork on both sides. Turn the heat drown and continue cooking pork for 10 minutes or until cooked in the centre. Remove from the pan and keep warm 
3. Add the Thai curry paste to the same pan. Sizzle to release fragrant aromas. Stir in the coconut cream adding a splash of water if it seems too thick. Return the pork to the pan and simmer for a few minutes 
4. Place the pork on some hot rice. Add slices of ZESPRI® GREEN Kiwifruit and pour the hot sauce over the top

My notes:

This was a cinch to cook. I used 1 tbsp of red curry paste but it wasn't spicy at all. The Kiwi was a refreshing add-on to the dish.

Focaccia Restaurant

We finally made our way to Focaccia Restaurant to use our discount coupon which I've had for about 2 months. At 2 p.m. on a Sunday, we were the only ones in the restaurant. Thus, service was impeccable. While waiting for our orders, we were given a free basket of warm focaccia bread with a balsamic dip ala Italianni's. We asked for a refill and it was given to us pronto.

For starters, we had the Portobello Friti at Php 230. This is fried portobello mushrooms served with marinara sauce. I liked the crunch and then the tenderness of the mushroom that just melts in your mouth.

Canneloni con Ragu at Php 380. We were told that this dish was good for 1-2 persons but it was more than enough for the three of us. There were five cannelonis stuffed with beef and spinach and baked in bechamel sauce. This dish was just ok. I didn't really care for the texture of the beef. I expected it to melt in my mouth just like the Canneloni at Trio Restaurant at the Fort but it just couldn't compare.

Finally, the reason why I bought the discount coupon. I really wanted to try their pizza roll which is touted to be just as good as the panizza in Pampanga. We ordered the Tartufo al Funghi (familia) at Php399. This also comes in a small order at half the size. The pizza was topped with portobello, button mushroom, shiitake and cheese sauce drizzled with truffle oil. It is served with alfalfa sprouts and arugula which you put on top of the slice before rolling it up.  It is sliced like a ruler.

This is what my pizza looked like after I rolled it up. Since we're not heavy eaters, we had to take home half of the pizza. Lesson learned. Next time, we will order the small serving. Anyway, it was just as good heated up at home when I served it for dinner.

When I asked for the bill, I ended up paying an additional 20 pesos over the cost of the discount coupon of 500 pesos after service charge and taxes were added to the bill.

I wish they will offer their discount coupons again. I would love to try their Spinach and Artichoke dip to see how it compares to the Spinach dip at Cibo's. In the meantime, I still have coupons for Chef Manuel's restaurant, Chatime and Max Brenner. Yum, yum, yum...

Focaccia Restaurant
G/F, A-Venue Mall
Makati Avenue

Chicken in Roasted Coconut and Yellow Ginger Sauce

Chef Myke Tatung’s Chicken in Roasted Coconut and Yellow Ginger Sauce

Via: http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/30027/someone%E2%80%99s-in-the-kitchen-with-grandma

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (adobo cut)

2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 large onions minced

2 cloves garlic minced

3 stalks lemongrass (chopped finely)

2 tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 tbsp grated fresh luyang dilaw (turmeric)

1 tbsp bagoong (shrimp paste)

4 siling pang-sigang (finger chili) cut diagonally

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

2 cups roasted coconut cream

8 pcs okra cut diagonally

1 tbsp brown sugar (optional)

Patis (fish sauce) and black pepper to taste

Roasted coconut cream:

Prepare 2 grated coconuts and spread evenly over a cookie sheet. Bake in an oven at 380 degrees for 10 to 15 minutes until it develops a golden brown crust.  Allow to cool, add one cup of water and squeeze out cream. Set aside at least 2 cups.

Procedure:

1. Heat up a casserole and sauté garlic, onions, ginger, lemongrass, turmeric and bagoong and mix into a pasty consistency.

2. Add chicken and pour chicken stock and season with patis, sugar and pepper, cook till reduced to half.

3. Add roasted coconut cream, and allow to simmer for 30 to 40 minutes under low fire or until chicken is tender. Add okra and chilies on the last 3 minutes of cooking. Serve with toasted coconut on top.

My Notes:

I only used 1 grated coconut and roasted it in the turbo oven for 12 minutes. I then added a cup of water and was able to squeeze out about 1 1/2 cups of cream which was more than enough. I didn't have frersh turmeric and so I used 1 tsp of powdered turmeric. Sugar in this recipe just adds calories which you can do without. Adding the okra and chilies in the last 3 minutes of cooking was perfect because the okra still had that crunch and the chilies  did not have enough time to give heat to the dish. I liked biting into the crunch of the chili to add spice to the dish.

Chuck's Deli

I've heard a lot of good things about Chuck's Deli which prompted me to buy the discount coupons when it was offered recently online. I wasn't sure though if my son would agree to a sandwich Sunday brunch since he always wants a heavy Sunday lunch but wonder of wonders he agreed to try it out.

Faking duck half slab at 195 pesos. This is roast pork ala Peking duck. I thought that my son would absolutely love this because he is such a fan of Peking duck but he said that this was just ok.

Chuckatsu half slab at 295 pesos. This is chicken katsu with bacon. I actually enjoyed this sandwich except that I was thinking of all the calories that I had to burn in eating this deep fried chicken katsu sandwich.

The Pilgrim whole slab at 590 pesos. My family loves roast turkey with all the trimmings and so there was no way we would not like this. As a matter of fact, we love this. Think slices of white and brown turkey meat with stuffing, cranberry and gravy in a roll that had a nice crunch when you bite into it. This went well with the large onion rings on the side.

How I wish I bought more discount coupons. My son already asked me when we could return for more of the turkey sandwich. If you don't like turkey, you might find this sandwich quite bland. But my family rates turkey up there with roast beef and so not having to wait for Thanksgiving to have turkey is a Godsend. Oh, and those extra onion rings that we ordered at 75 pesos was just as good with the spicy sauce as a dip. Crunch, crunch, crunch. Munch, munch, munch. It's a no brainer.

Chuck's Deli
Ground level
Eastwood Mall

Sauteed Spinach

Sauteed Spinach
Ingredients:
1 t olive oil
3 garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1/2 t salt
1 T sesame seeds
1 tsp sesame oil
1 t oyster sauce
1/8 cube chicken boullion
2 t Sherry wine
Spinach, leaves removed from the stem

Procedure:
Toast sesame seeds. Remove and set aside. Heat olive oil in the skillet. Add sliced garlic until golden brown. Add chicken boullion. Add oyster sauce and sherry wine. Add spinach leaves, salt and sesame oil. Saute to coat the leaves but make sure that the spinach is still springy and not wilted to the max.

Salpicao on a bed of Sauteed Spinach

Salpicao
Ingredients:
2 T olive oil
1 bulb garlic less 3 cloves, sliced thinly (use the 3 cloves for the sauteed spinach)
tenderloin beef, cubed (I used 350g for 3 persons)
1/2 t Emeril's Essence (see recipe in Emeril's Drunken Shrimp)
1 T Lea and Perrins
2 tsp Knorr seasoning
2 T butter

Procedure:
Rub Emeril's Essence into the beef cubes. Add Lea & Perrins and Knorr seasoning. Set aside.
Heat olive oil in skillet. Add sliced garlic until brown. Remove from skillet, season with salt and pepper and set aside.
Reduce oil to 1 T and set aside the rest in a small bowl for the spinach. Saute beef. Add the leftover marinade from the beef. Cook to desired wellness. Remove beef to serving platter. Add 2 T butter to remaining sauce in skillet. Pour over beef. Top with garlic slivers.

Serve over sauteed spinach.