Nasi Lemak

I miss Singapore and their local favorites. Last Sunday I took my folks to Nasi Lemak to satisfy my craving. Thank goodness that I can still enjoy authentic Singaporean dishes here in the metro.

Poh Piah - 140 Php (2 rolls)

This is the counterpart of the Filipino fresh lumpia. Shredded turnips and carrots are sauteed in garlic with chopped peanuts. Shrimps and lettuce leaves are added then rolled in an egg wrapper similar to crepes. Oyster sauce is drizzled for added flavor and design.

Nasi Goreng - 220 Php (medium)

The Malaysian fried rice or Nasi Goreng looks just like any other fried rice, but what makes it unique is the addition of fried acovies or dilis. The crunchier the anchovies, the better.

Honey Glazed Pork Spareribs - 330 Php

I've heard and read a lot of raves about the Honey Glazed Pork Spareribs. It's said to be one of the house best sellers and even if me and my folks aren't big pork eaters, I decided to give this a try to know for myself if the buzz is true or not. The verdict: right on the dot! The meat is so tender, you can slice it with a fork and with the slightest pressure. As for the flavor, the smokey-sweetness made me think I was eating premium smoked ham.

Penang Char Kway Teow - 148 Php (small)

This hodgepodge platter is one of my favorite Singaporean dishes. I have tried the Char Kway Teow in different establishments here in Manila but the one at Nasi Lemak is the best. Dare I say that it even tastes better than the one I remember eating in Singapore. It has the right mix of sweetness from the dark soy sauce, and just enough spice to add heat. The noodles are firm, and the bean sprouts are not soggy. There are generous slices of chorizo and shrimps, and to my delight, no cockles and fish/squid balls in sight (yey!)

Steamed Fish Fillet with Garlic - 240 Php

Singapore is a melting pot of races, cultures and cuisine so it's no surprise to find usual Chinese fare in the menu. The steamed fish almost melts in your mouth and had the subtle flavor or garlic, ginger and light soy sauce. A nice contrast to the richness of the Malaysian Chicken Curry.

Hailed by the restaurant patrons as the best curry in the metro, the Malaysian Chicken Curry is also another house specialty. I have yet to find out the difference, if any, with the Malaysian curry versus the Indian curry. With what I have tasted, Nasi Lemak's Malaysian curry is spicy but not burn-your-mouth-and-throat-spicy. Tender potato wedges and chicken parts swim in the thick gravy. I assume that the claypot has something to do with the fall-of-the-bones tenderness of the chicken. Even the meat from the chicken breast fell apart with a slight nudge of my fork!

Malaysian Chicken Curry - 270 Php

There were other dishes that I wanted to try such as the Hainanese chicken, chili crab, satay, and laksa. I'll reserve those for my next visit instead.

Nasi Lemak

Thompson Square

Tomas Morato, QC

JiPan

Kojiro and I have found a new favorite Japanese restaurant that's accessible, easy on the pocket and serves great-tasting dishes. We've seen it so many times before, passed by it without giving much thought and now we're wondering why we only tried it recently when it was just under our noses.

Jipan is situated at the second floor of Glorietta 4, beside a textile shop and across the G-Shock store. An odd location you might think but on the contrary, it draws the crowd especially during the peak hours. This is probably because of the "open air" seating at the mall corridors. People passing by get to see what the customers are eating. If it looks good, maybe it does taste good.

And yes it does. The owner/manager is a middle-aged Japanese woman and I guess she is the reason for the quality of the dishes as well as the noteworthy service of the limited staff. Kojiro and I have been to the place three times already in just a month!

We sampled other dishes on separate occassions but these were the only ones I got to photograph:

Mabo Tofu Don - 240 Php

The Mabo Tofu Don is made of ground pork, tofu, minced vegetables and spicy sauce on top of Japanese rice. The serving was huge! Good for 2-3 people depending how hungry you are. It had the right balance of flavors, salty-sweet-spicy which goes well with the steamed rice.

Chashu Ramen - 250 Php

After watching non-stop Naruto Shippuuden episodes, Kojiro had the craving for ramen. He ordered the Chashu Ramen and from what I can remember, he counted 12 slices of pork in it! Well the menu did describe it as having "lots of pork slices", such generous serving! The ramen had the right texture -- springy and slightly chewy, the broth was subtly flavored, and the pork slices were also tender. He liked it so much, he orders this every time.

Miso Ramen - 220 Php

The Miso Ramen was also good, with the same springy ramen and marinated chashu slices but with a miso based broth and added ingredients of Chinese cabbage, corn kernels and half of a boiled egg.

Jipan Coffeeshop and Bakery
2/F Glorietta 4
Ayala Center
Makati City

Petra and Pilar

It's been busy at work and this post unfortunately had to be set aside, but the homestyle cooked food in Petra and Pilar is too good not to talk about.

Kojiro and I have been eating dinner out together lately, and thanks to the walking distance of this high end carinderia to both my office and his condo, Petra and Pilar has been our usual spot. You might be asking "Who is Petra and Pilar?". Petra is the Ponce-Enrile matriarch while Pilar is the Castañer matriarch, two great ladies who passed their love of good food to their granddaughter Katrina Ponce-Enrile (President and CEO of the JAKA Group of Companies).

Katrina's brainchild combines Filipino/Spanish comfort food prepared by chefs, presented to the customers in a minimalist space and familiar turo-turo (point what you want) manner. So off to the counter we went and started pointing which of the viands we want. Each serving of viand is big enough for 2 persons. We were quite hungry during this visit, thus we ordered the following (pardon the grainy images from my mobile phone):

L-R: Beef Kalitiran, Tanigue in Pesto, Chicken Sinigang
(not pictured: 3 cups of rice)

Beef Mushroom Kalitiran - P150

The Beef Mushroom Kalitiran is the house bestseller. Their menu changes daily but you're sure to find this as a staple. It's like roast beef with mushroom gravy, however I cannot tell if the beef was actually roasted prior to slicing or if the slices were simmered in the gravy to cook. Regardless of the cooking method, the results are absolutely fantastic.

Tanigue in Pesto - P150

Our next viand is really just mine to finish, Tanigue in Pesto. I've said it before and I will say it again; I love pesto! The fish cutlets were cooked just right, firm but flaky. The pesto they used was flavorful but doesn't scream "BASIL!", and that's a good thing. I think this dish would have gone to the next level with some juice from a lime wedge. Though I would have wanted it less oily, overall this creation was a winner, heck I ate all of it!

Chicken Sinigang - P 170

Our meal would not be complete without some soup. The offering for that evening was Chicken Sinigang. Sinigang is a dish that has meat and vegetables in a sour broth. It can be cooked with either chicken, beef, pork, fish or shrimps. The soup is also quite flexible wherein it can be made sour by using any of the following: tamarind, kamias (balimbi), calamansi (philippine lemon), or guava. The popular choice nowadays would be the ready-to-use powdered soup base that can be bought in all supermarkets and convenience stores.

I have a sour tooth and wanted the broth to be more sour. Kojiro agrees. The cooked vegetables were separated from the meat and soup, and were only added upon ordering. Its a good way to prevent it from being over cooked and turning soggy, however exposing it to air the whole day leaves it dry. This viand being the most expensive out of the three we ate turned out to be a disappointment. Next time I'll ask the staff if it's possible to just have some of the soup without any meat or veggies.

When I found out the dessert of the day, I made sure to leave some room for it. Leche Flan Pudding, mmmmm. Leche flan is a Filipino favorite with Spanish origins. Leche literally translates to milk, but the recipe calls for more egg yolks than milk (10-12 yolks). It can be considered as a stiff custard or a firm creme brulee with caramel sauce instead of the usual shell on top. Some would say that Leche flan is tedious or expensive to prepare, thus it has been associated with celebrations and special occassions in the Philippines.

Leche Flan Pudding - P130

Petra and Pilar's version has a layer of pudding, probably bread, which is barely recognizable. It blends with the flan so well that it looks and tastes as if it's all flan you're eating. It was firm and soft, the perfect balance for the consistency. I also love that it wasn't overly sweet despite the caramel sauce. As for the serving size, it is a considerable block good to share between 2-3 persons...if you'll be sharing it at all!

Petra and Pilar
JAKA Center
2311 Exportbank Drive cor. Chino Roces Ave.
Makati City

Pesto Crusted Tofu with Cheese

I absolutely love pesto. Its so simple to make and so tasty. In my family, I'm the only who has acquired the liking for it. They find the basil flavor too overwhelming. In my opinion they're missing a lot, but on the other hand it's a good thing that they don't like it -- more pesto for me!

Looking for ways to bring more excitement to the subtle flavor of tofu, I decided to experiment and combine the two; the boldness of pesto and the mildness of tofu. It's an East-meets-West recipe, and I was pleasantly surprised with the result. I was expecting a strong herb flavor but the tofu subdued the intensity. The cheese brought the flavors together with just the right amount of salt and creamy texture.

Ingrdients:
tofu, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slabs
pesto sauce
grated or sliced quick-melt cheese

Procedure:
1. Marinate the tofu in the pesto sauce for 5 minutes.
2. Heat pan and place tofu with some of the pesto sauce coating it.
3. Pan fry one side of the tofu for 2-3 minutes.
4. Flip it to fry the the other side for another 2-3 minutes.
5. While still frying the other side, place cheese on top and let it soften a bit or completely melt based on your preference.
6. Remove from heat and serve.

Tilapia in Coconut Milk

If there's one fish that I probably won't get tired of eating, even everyday, it has got to be the Tilapia. This freshwater fish is so versatile, it can be cooked in so many ways and all would be delicious. The flavor of the tilapia is subtle which goes well with just about every imaginable spice or sauce.

Ingredients:
2 whole tilapia
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small ginger thumb, julienned
1 cup fresh coconut milk (canned veriety can be used as a substitute)
1/4 cup water
salt and pepper
(optional) 1 small bunch Chinese cabbage, chopped
(optional) 1 red or green chili pepper, chopped

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in pan.
2. Saute garlic, onions and ginger.
3. Pour coconut and water. Stir and season with salt and pepper.
4. Place the 2 tilapias in the mixture, and simmer until flesh turns opaque.
5. Add the Chinese cabbage and chili pepper.
6. Simmer for 1-2 minutes. Serve with steamed rice.

Steamed Creme Dori with Garlic

My family and I have been eating a lot of fish lately. This is because last week was Holy Week and as Catholics, our way of observance was to avoid eating meat. Also, the timing was quite convenient for me and my mom, who both had dental procedures done and still could not chew well.

Pardon the grainy image quality. This picture was taken using my handheld device and not with my usual digicam. I wanted to capture this simple yet tasty dish as soon as possible before it disappears before my eyes.

Ingredients:
Creme Dori, fish-steak cuts
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp EVOO
salt and pepper
*minced ginger is optional

Procedure:
1. Heat EVOO in pan.
2. Fry garlic (and ginger if applicable) until golden brown. Be careful not to burn it. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Season the creme dori on both sides with a little salt and pepper.
4. Arrange fish in a steamer and put the garlic (and ginger) on top.
5. Steam until the flesh turns opaque
6. Serve with cooked rice or steamed/buttered vegetables.

Veggie Spring Rolls

This is a repost of this recipe which was first featured in my other blog.

Spring Roll Filling

Ingredients:

2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
leftover chicken sausage, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped into strips
1/2 can of young corn, chopped into strips
1/2 cabbage head, chopped into strips
2 tablesppons oyster sauce
sal and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons water
*snowpeas, bell peppers and mushrooms are optional but great additions to this dish

Procedure:
1. Heat EVOO in a pan with sesame oil.

2. Brown the chopped sausage. Let the spices of the sausage come out.

3. Add the carrots and corn. Sauté for 1-2 minutes.

4. Add the cabbage.

5. Add the oyster sauce and stir to evenly distribute.

6. Pour in the water.

7. Season with salt and pepper.

8. Cover the pan for another 2-3 minutes, allowing the cabbage to soften but do not over cook.

9. Remove from heat and drain any liquids left.

To make the spring roll:

Ingredients:

spring roll wrapper
drained vegetable mixture (recipe above)
vegetable or corn oil for frying

Procedure:
1. Drain any excess liquids from the filling.

2. Scoop about 1-1/2 tablespoons of the vegetable mixture on to the wrapper.

3. Roll it firmly.

4. Heat the oil

5. Fry the rolls until golden brown. Do not over crowd your pan so as no maintain even temperature.

6. Drain excess oil from fried rolls with paper towels.

7. Serve hot as is or with dipping sauce.

To make the dipping sauce:

Ingredients:

1/4 cup vinegar

1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

dash of pepper

Procedure:

1. Mix all ingredients.

2. Pour into a dipping bowl with fried spring rolls.

Tofu in Barbecue Sauce

This is what me and my parents had for dinner earlier. It was paired with Catfish Adobo and steamed white rice. Both viands were so good, I forgot to take pictures of them before it were shoveled onto our plates.
Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tofu block, cubed
1/2 cup Mang Tomas Barbecue Sauce
2 tbsp water
1/2 tsp Lee Kum Kee Chiu Chow Chili Oil

Procedure:
1. Heat pan and melt the butter.
2. Saute the garlic until golden brown. Be careful not to burn the garlic to avoid the bitter/burnt flavor.
3. Pour the barbecue sauce and dilute it with water, depending on your preferred consistency and taste.
4. Add the chili. Lessen or add more to what is indicated in this recipe depending on how well you can handle spicy food.
5. Add the tofu cubes to the sauce.
6. Let it simmer for 5 minutes in low heat.
7. Remove from heat and serve with steamed rice.