Knock, knock Apartment 1B

     I was happy when my sister, mom and I decided to have lunch in Apartment 1B. In my past experiences, I've only eaten there for dessert. Last month was my first time to have breakfast there and it was great! The Eggs Benedict is one of the best, a friend says they're the best in town. For dessert, I highly recommend Crepe Cake. Thank goodness I finally get to experience their food.

Chicken Quesadilla

-Comes with salsa and sour cream. The salsa gave it a refreshing taste.

Baked Samosas

-Filo pastry filled with mushrooms, spinach and cheese. This was surprisingly good.

Corn Chowder

-A creamy and tasty soup with corn and bacon bits.

Grilled Blue Marlin

-Tasted fresh, no "fishy" taste. It was great with the pesto pasta and grilled vegetables.

Spaghetti Vongole

-Simple, fresh and tasty. Love the blend of the clams, parsley and tomatoes.

     I was pleased with the whole package... the home-y ambiance, the polite and accommodating staff, the large portions and delicious food... This is definitely comforting. I would definitely come back. I look forward to trying their other specialties in the future.

Apartment 1B

Salcedo Village:

Unit 1B, Ground floor One Lafayette Square

132 L.P. Leviste Corner Sendeno Street

Salcedo Village, Makati City 

843-4075, 703-5494, 0920-8554560

apartment_1b@yahoo.com

Rockwell:

Unit 101E Ground floor One Rockwell

East Tower, 1 Rockwell Drive

Rockwell Center, Makati City

869-3530, 0927-6008373, 0919-8226267

apartment1b.rockwell@yahoo.com

Annyong Haseyo Sariwon!

     Korean food is always something I look forward to. I love how it's healthy and yummy. Korean food is mostly grilled meat and vegetables. Last Monday was one of those days when I learned we were having dinner in Sariwon. We heard and read so much positive feedback about the Korean Barbeque place so all the more we were curious and excited. 

Their house salad

Their condiments including Kimchi, a spicy Korean staple made of cabbage, radish, pepper.

Deungsim Bulgogi 
(marinated beef strips)

Deungsim Bulgogi comes with noodles and broth which is served after all the beef is cooked.

Dak Bulgogi
(the chicken version)

Dak Bulgogi is eaten wrapped with lettuce and dipped in the sauce.

Dolsot Bibimbap

(mixed rice with vegetables and chili paste)

Haemul Pajeon

-An omelet or pancake like dish with oyster, squid and leeks

Galbi
(Beef short ribs)

Barley tea

-Tastes like corn. This is said to be good for digestion.

Sikhye

-This is their dessert. A sweet drink made of rice and malt.

  

     We were impressed with the facilities of the place and the accommodating and friendly staff. Im usually someone who's not shy giving my feedback, whether good or bad. When we were leaving, I informed the receptionist everything was good. It just so happens the managers or owners were nearby and heard my comment. They smiled. I told them "The food was good." 

Sariwon Korean Barbeque

Bonifacio High Street Central

7th Ave. corner 29th Street

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig

621-3205, 0922-5352446

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SariwonPhilippines

Bruschetta with a twist

     Looking for healthy snacks can be challenging. After looking at several recipes, I found something very familiar, which is the Bruschetta. Bruschetta is an Italian appetizer or snack that consists of baguette, tomato, basil and olive oil. The bread is rubbed with a garlic clove. However, ingredients may vary. Some recipes have oregano, capers, lemon juice, Parmesan cheese, etc. In our version, we added a twist as recommended by Mom. Here are the ingredients...

The twist: Lemon Zest

Ingredients:

6 riped tomatoes (cubed)

2 sliced baguettes  

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

chopped basil

3 cloves garlic (1 whole clove and 2 cloves chopped)

1/4 red onion (chopped)

salt

pepper

1/2 tsp Lemon zest 

Procedure:

Combine tomatoes, onions, garlic, basil, lemon zest, salt, pepper, balsamic vinegar, olive oil...

and mix.

I made an alternative requested by Mom. I didn't include onions and garlic here.

After mixing...

Place over baguette and serve.

     I usually toast the baguette before placing the tomato mixture. The lemon zest gives it a refreshing feel. This is great if you're looking for a light and healthy snack. 

Superb Santis

     Tagaytay is one of my favorite places. I love the cool weather, the breathtaking view of Taal and the scrumptious food. Yesterday was one of those days we took the 1 1/2 hour drive and went to one of our favorite restaurants, Santis. This is both a deli and cafe specializing in European food.

     You will see the deli upon entering. Dining areas are in the sides and behind the shop.

Love the bread and butter here. Let me share some highly recommended dishes:

Clam Chowder

-Like the way it should be... hot and creamy. This gave a nice feel in the stomach. 

Mushroom Toast
-This is Mom's favorite. The creamy-ness with the mushrooms gave a perfect blend.

Caesar Salad

-The dressing was creamy but just right. Lettuce greens are crunchy. The garlic bread was just as yummy.

Roesti potatoes

-One of the best Roesti. We love this!

Bratwurst
-The sausage itself was yummy. This is even extra yummy with the sauce and onions. A perfect match with Roesti potatoes.

Rib-eye

-It was tender and tasty... just wonderful! Another perfect match with Roesti.

Grilled Salmon Fillet

-It was great with dill. I wish the portion was bigger since it's light. This is good to eat if you're on a diet.

Pan fried Halibut

-This tasted fresh and light. Just like the Salmon, I wish the portion was bigger. Also good to eat if you're on a diet.

Santis Silang

Km. 52, Buho

Silang, Cavite

(046) 414-2337
Fax: (046) 414-1694

Website: http://www.santis-deli.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SantisDelicatessen
*This is near Pink Sisters.

Kit Kat Fanatic

     "Have a break. Have a Kit Kat." Who can forget this catchy line of the chocolate covered wafers in wrapped in red foil? Nowadays, more Kit Kat flavors are available in the market besides the dark and white chocolate. In the local market, these come in 4 flavors: Dark, White, Mint and Orange. Among the 4, I'll go for the classics, Dark and White. I used the latter once as topping for my Green Tea cupcakes.

     We discovered other Kit Kat flavors from Japan. The sweetness is just right, flavors are awesome, so as a result... they're worth the calories. 

Green Tea
-We discovered this one in our Japan trip last 2009. Mom and I were looking at a gift shop in the airport when I saw this in stock. Out of curiosity, I bought this and loved every bite. It was like heaven.

Sakura Green Tea

-At first I thought it was weird to have a flavor of a flower. I was pleasantly surprised. It has a hint of flavoring which tastes like vanilla. Thanks to my sister, Nicole for sharing this. 

Blueberry Cheesecake

-It's close to eating the real thing. Again, thanks to my sister, Nicole.

     We always requested these if anyone from the family went to Japan. To our dismay, these flavors aren't available in Manila... or so we thought. Thank goodness, we learned these flavors are available in one of our favorite Japanese stores, Konbini in Greenhills. Delivery is every Tuesday and Friday. Other Japanese flavors available are Strawberry, Dark Chocolate, Blueberry and Wasabi. I would suggest to call first just to be sure. Enjoy!

Konbini Store

57 Connecticut St.

Northeast Greenhills, San Juan

722-4263

Cool it with milk tea

     I recall those days when Zagu, Orbitz and Quickly were the trend. I would see the long lines in malls and think they must be good that it's worth the wait. Now that numerous coffee houses came, it's now the turn of milk teas to be discovered. This is definitely something to look forward to, a way to cool down in the hot and humid weather. I'm proud to say I'm one of those excited trying these out. Ironic as it sounds, I never enjoyed tea based drinks when I get my milk tea fix... or not so milk tea, but go for chocolate, coffee or taro based drink instead. Here's a list of the milk teas I can recommend...

Happy Lemon

Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cream Cheese

Cocoa with Rock Salt and Cream Cheese

A chocolate milk drink with liquid cream cheese and cocoa powder topping. Rock salt was just a little. This reminds of me of this chocolate milk Mom used to buy during the 80's that came in a plastic bag. My niece, Sofia says this tastes like Milo. 

Lemon Yakult

An ice blended drink with Yakult and a hint of Lemon. Being a Yakult lover, I wish they would add more Yakult. As a result, I found it refreshing.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HappyLemonPh

Chatime

Left: My sister, Mitch's order, Pearl Milk Tea
Right: My order, Taro Milk Tea

This is given upon ordering.

Taro Milk Tea 

A thick and milky taro drink. I always request with pearls. For some reason, Taro flavored drinks have this candy or vanilla taste... which I find really yummy!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chatimephils


Quickly
Taro Ice
Ice blended Taro milk with a choice of sago, nata or pudding. This was my first Taro drink and loved it since then.

Coffee Ice
This is ice blended Coffee. A good alternative to a Frappucino.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quicklyphilippines

*Chatime photos by Mitch Carlos