Food from home: Snack time

     Looking for breakfast and merienda food can be a challenge.* As much as possible, I always look for healthy alternatives.

  Granola

     I found a granola tutorial in youtube, so out of curiosity, I wanted to try making it at home. I used coconut sugar and honey instead of brown sugar. Granola usually has raisins, but since I'm not a fan of raisins, I used dried mango and cranberries. This has been a staple, especially for breakfast with yogurt and honey for some of us: Mom, my sister Mitch, my brother in law Allan and I. It's a good thing this came out to be a big batch and gave one of my balikbayan friends Fox, which I'm pretty sure he won't find abroad (at least for this mix with dried mango).*

Polvoron

     This is a family favorite. My niece Sofia and my nephew Enzo spent the week with us so I decided to surprise them with a special treat. ;) This is a family recipe which has been around for decades. My sister Mitch was the polvoron maker before. Now this task was passed on to me and my niece Sofia. We used Klim before (If you're 30 and above, I'm sure you know this brand) but now it's Nido.

merienda -snack

balikbayan -Filipinos based abroad

Burger and sushi @ Isogi

     Mom and my sister Nicole were the ones who introduced us to Isogi, which happens to be the sister restaurant of Kai in Greenbelt. Mom was raving about their burger, so we were all excited to check it out since we were familiar with Kai. Also, this is near the house, so it makes it even more convenient, especially when we want to avoid traffic. :D

Spicy tuna tartar with cucumber

I love the creamy blend with a kick! The cucumber gives it a refreshing feel too.

Eel and avocado roll

Soft shell crab roll

Uni pasta

I got intrigued with this one but ended up enjoying it. Love the creaminess and the kick! :P

Isogi Umami Wagyu Burger

Mango shake

Refreshing... love it!

Watermelon sake

First time to have sake with fruit juice. Also refreshing.

     Just like Kai, their Japanese fusion dishes are interesting and delicious. This is now added to the family's comfort food list. Looking forward to trying their foie gras next time. ;)

Isogi
San Antonio Plaza
McKinley Road
Makati City
757-5210/0917-8921332
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Getaway @ Sonya's Garden

     A Tagaytay experience isn't complete without going to Sonya's Garden. A trip here would definitely be a unique and relaxing experience, perfect for nature lovers and for those who "want to get away from it all". Our first experience here was in the 90's with my siblings, where we also met Tita Sonya Garcia for the first time. We stayed by the Bed and Breakfast area, which seems to have a more intimate setting.

This was the flyer given (sorry for the blur and crumple texture).

The garden and flowers are just beautiful! 

Dalandan juice

The dressings and other condiments

Salad

Some mix both the Sonya's Secret Salad Dressing and Balsamic Dressing.

This is how I eat my salad. I love Sonya's Secret Salad Dressing! ^_^

Bread and dips

My favorites: Basil Pesto, Mushroom Pate, Kesong puti*

Pasta with 2 sauces cream with chicken and tomato and other condiments

I love the creamy sauce! Again... some mix both sauces.

Chocolate cake

One of the best chocolate cakes! I just wish the portion was bigger. :P

Turon and Glazed Kamote*

Tarragon tea

     The good thing about her menu is you can mix and match everything. Once you set foot here, you can kiss stress goodbye and say hello to serenity. Sonya's garden is also an ideal date place and weddings (we were told there have been many marriage proposals here) and for dog lovers (yup you can bring your dog). I hope you get a chance to meet Sonya's charming and gentle angels. ;)

Aldo

Bambina

Tetot

Sonya's Garden
Buck Estate Alfonso, Cavite
0917-5231080 / 0917-5329097
info@sonyasgarden.com
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Kesong puti -white cheese
Turon -banana spring rolls with Langka (jackfruit)
Kamote -sweet potato

Cupcake week

     This was a full week... all because of cupcakes. :D 

Plana Forma Cupcakes

     Plana Forma held an #iamathighwarrior Mixed Forma party last August 14 in their Centris, QC branch. I was asked to sponsor 30 cupcakes. I wasn't given any specifications, so thought of surprising them with assorted Vanilla and Chocolate with Buttercream frosting. For an added touch, I included fondant toppers of the things needed in a Forma class... weights, mat, ball and belt. Perhaps if I decide to do a Forma class, I'll make sure to bring my own necessities... the fondant version. :))

Red Velvet Cupcakes

     This was an order of my Auntie Butch. I made 2 big batches to be safe since some didn't look good (Yup that's how OC I am). I know Mom and my niece Sofia are happy there are rejects. ;) 

     I turns out all the hard work paid off. Thank you everyone who gave their feedback. Your appreciation and happiness mean a lot. #ProudCupcakeGirl


     Due to technical concerns, please call/text 0917-8101580, email thebandanabaker@yahoo.com.ph or message me in Facebook for orders. Thank you.

Yakitori One and Mother's Crepe and Cafe (Mazazu Crepe)

     For days, Mom has been anxious to try Yakitori One in SM Aura. We finally found free time to have lunch there. We went there early to beat the crowd. Thank goodness we came just in time because the line wasn't long. 

Seeing the grilling action will make your mouth water even more. 

     We got 2 sticks of the following... Chicken Karaage (the breaded one), Pork Butabara, Chicken & Onion Leek, Chicken Thigh, Quail Egg & Pork Wrap and rice. Everything was good and wiped it all out (yup we were that hungry). Both the chicken and pork were very tender. You can definitely taste the smoky flavor. However, I would choose the barbequed items over the breaded items. I have a feeling we'll be coming back soon.

     We were too full so we decided to walk around first. While walking, we saw a cute and attractive crepe place. This familiar crepe place turned out to be Mazazu crepe, which we discovered in Hong Kong last year through my niece, Sofia (See my previous post 2 new ice cream discoveries in Hong Kong). It was great to know there's already a branch here. ^_^

     Choices, choices, choices...

     I ended up choosing Strawberry Berry Cheesecake (besides chocolate and ice cream, strawberry and cheesecake are my other favorites). The blend of everything was just awesome! It wasn't too sweet... just right. I love the creaminess of the cheesecake! I'm excited to try their savory crepes next time.

Yakitori One
SM Aura
Bonifacio Global City
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Mother's Crepe and Cafe (Mazazu Crepe)
SM Aura
Bonifacio Global City
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Pili Cheesecake

     Hi everyone! Pili Cheesecake is now available. For orders, please call/text 0929-4582123 or email thebandanabaker@yahoo.com.ph. Please see The Bandana Baker for more details.

Food from home: Eclectic again

     I went eclectic again for this week. I believe this gives the menu some spark since there's a variety of rich and light dishes. Let me share what I did for the week...

Mentaiko pasta

     I made this several times already. This time I sauteed the mentaiko with garlic and olive oil. It's more tasty and garlic isn't overpowering. I placed a touch of soy sauce and garnished it with nori for a  Japanese touch.

Sole fillet with Salsa Verde

     I learned this from Mom (Mom is a great cook and baker... when she cooks and bakes). This is perfect if you want something light and healthy. Salsa Verde is made of Parsley, onions, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice. Not to worry... I'll be sharing the recipe soon. ;)

Katsudon

     I said this before... Katsudon is one of my favorite Japanese dishes (Please see my previous post Food from home: Japanese, Italian, Pinoy). This is definitely comfort food because it's filling and familiar. In my first attempt, I used pork chop. Although I got the taste, the pork was tough. For this one, I used the butterfly cut and it was softer. Just to be sure, I'll try using the pork from a Japanese store and perhaps it will be more soft.

Coffee jelly

     Mom and I love coffee jelly! I've already made coffee jelly a couple of times and I make sure coffee is strong (Please see my previous post Itadakimasu). This time I placed it in our gelatine containers for a change. This is great with ice cream and whipped cream but I'll save that on a special occasion. I usually eat it with evaporated milk... which is just as yummy! ^_^

Sweet Corn Popsicle

     Sweet Corn is one of my favorite ice cream flavors. It seems I'm the only one in my family that enjoys it. When I offer some to my family, they always reply "No thanks, I don't want to be corny."