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[OK na Food Trip] Happi Hen

Posted by Obi Macapuno on 9/23/2014
Intro:
Nasa panulukan ito ng Aguirre Street at yung kanto ng Presentation of the Child Jesus Church sa BF Homes, tapat ng Starbucks sa Phase 3. Kaya minsang tinamad kami lumayo pa para maghanap ng makakainan after ng mass one Sunday, tumawid lang kami para dito na lang magpalipas-gutom.

food photos

Food:
  • Asado Pork and Lechon Macau (Combi Meal)
  • Hainanese and Lechon Macau (Combi Meal)
  • Beancurd Roll
  • Pork and Shrimp Siomai
  • Taiwan Petchay
  • Roti Prata

The combi meals are combinations of two of their menu mainstays served with rice, soup, konting kropek, at iced tea. Matabang yung soup, tulad ng most free soups in similar hole-in-the-walls. Ironically, di namin type yung hainanese chicken nila (and K is a hainanese chicken fan) dahil dry at kulang sa luya ang lasa. Matabang. Supposedly, yun ang specialty.

asado pork and lechon macau

Yung asado pork masarap sana. Manamis namis. Kaso bahagyang lumalaban sa kagat. May pagka-kunat. Yung lechon macau pa ang patok dahil crunchy. Lechon kawali talaga ang dating. Can't go wrong with that.

Bumawi sila sa dimsum. Yung beancurd roll sobrang ganda ng pagka steam. Juicy at malasa yung tofu at lahok nito sa loob. Parang kumakain kami ng dimsum na may karneng sahog kahit dapat wala. Pero baka nga meron naman? Regardless, basta masarap. Patok din sa amin yung pork and shrimp siomai. Malaki yung servings at jampacked yung laman sa loob. Parang puro at walang extenders.

pork and shrimp dimsum + beancurd roll

Hindi ko alam kung ano difference ng Taiwan Petchay sa bok choy pero parang pareho lang ang tingin ko. In any case, nalulugian ako dito kasi sa halagang P65 per plate, parang ilang hibla lang ng petchay ang sinilbi sa amin. Nilagyan lang ng konting timpla ng oyster sauce.

taiwan petchay

Yung roti prata is served with condensed milk at curry sauce. Dalawang malaking roti per serving so sulit. Paborito namin ito ni K from sa mga ibang restaurant na napuntahan namin na meron neto. Happi Hen's tasted the same. Parepareho lang naman ata ang lasa ng roti anyway.

roti prata

Damage:
The combi meals are at P150 a piece and that's as complete a meal you can get. May drinks pa. Additional dimsum costs from P65 to P80. Frankly, I'll just go for a plate of dimsum and extra rice. Sobrang mura lang lalabas nun. Masarap pa.

Nasi goreng as alternative to plain rice looks interesting to try next time, kaso pang maramihan ang serving at P170 per plate.

menu slash placemat

Feedback:
Very unassuming yung lugar. Walang pagpupumilit magka-theme ang interiors. It's plainly a place to have a quick meal and that's it. Kung wala nga yung malaking signboard nila sa harap, parang extension lang sila ng bahay na kadikit nito.

Maliit yung floor area kaya on a busy day pwedeng maging jampacked dito. Dinner nung pumunta kami at after a Sunday mass pa so expected namin madaming kumakain, pero wala naman masyado. Tama lang.

dining area

May menu sa entrance. Dun mas maganda pumili ng kakainin kasi may pictures ng mga pwede ma-order, kesa dun sa papel na menu na dumodobol as placemat. Halos alas-otso pa lang ng gabi pero madami nang wala sa menu, tulad ng gulaman at hakaw. Saklap.

Walang initiative yung mga nagsisilbi kaya kailangang hingiin ang karamihan ng kelangan namin (e.g. yung menu na papel, tubig, sawsawan, kalamansi). Low expectations naman kami so oks lang.

Nag-order kami ng soy chicken at lechon macau combi, pero hainanese chicken ang binigay sa amin. Hindi ko na pinapalitan dahil gutom na ako. Hindi tuloy namin natikman yung soy chicken nila.


hainanese chicken and lechon macau

Etcetera:
This is going to be on our list of go-to places kung gusto namin ng quick gutom fix around BF Homes. Don't expect too much on their service though and stick with the dimsum.

Ratings:
4.5 out of 7




[obi.Sept.7]


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[Lego Love Team] Selfie

Posted by Obi Macapuno on 9/16/2014
"Selfie"

Location: Home
Camera: Samsung Galaxy S4
Date Taken: September 14, 2014


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[OK na Food Trip] LZM Restaurant (Silang)

Posted by Obi Macapuno on 9/15/2014
Ang Pasakalye:
Galing kami sa fiesta ng Mendez at pauwi na ng Manila ng maisipan namin mag-dinner na lang along the way. It's when we were looking for where to eat that made us remember LZM's bulalo and that they have a branch in Silang, along Aguinaldo Highway (nakakain na kami dati ni K dun sa kanilang restaurant sa Tagaytay). Time to know kung consistent ang luto ng bulalo between branches!

With help from Google (and Daddy Ben), natunton naman namin agad kung nasaan yung resto nila sa Silang (which I heard is the original branch).

lutong bahay specialties

Ang Chicha:

  • Boneless Bangus
  • Bulalo
  • Iced Tea

Walang kupas ang bulalo! Mainit. Madaming gulay at sahog. Madaming laman yung beef kahit malalaki ang parts ng buto-buto! Higit sa lahat, madami pa din ang servings. Pwede pa humirit ng sabaw refill. Same experience as the Tagaytay branch's version. Consistent!

bulalomnomnom!

Malaki pa din yung boneless bangus. Around anim na tao ata kaming nag hati-hati dito pero may natira pa din. Ganun kalaki! Sobrang malasa. No need isawsaw sa toyo. Truly, ito ang kabalik-balik dito.

bangus asus!

Ang Damage sa Wallet:
P380 yung bangus at P400 yung bulalo. Pero sa dalawang yan, anim kaming nabusog at may natira pang konti sa ulam. Ganun kadami, kaya sulit na sulit.

The other dishes goes for P200 to P300, pero wala kaming nasubukan sa mga ito. We stick with their specialty. For sure though, madami ang servings to justify the cost. Nasilip ko kasi sa kabilang lamesa yung servings ng kare-kare.

menu

Ang Hirit:
Lumang bahay ang datingan ng itsura ng branch na ito kaya kami nahirapan maghanap (kahit dapat madali lang dahil nasa tabi mismo ng main road). Parang hindi kasi ito resto sa kalumaan, kapag tinignan from sa labas. May malaking puno na nakaharang sa tabi ng entrance at ang pinaka-palatandaan lang ay ang old school na aluminum signboard na nakalagay sa labas na may nakasulat na LZM Restaurant.

Itsurang bahay din ang loob, na nilagyan ng madaming lamesang kahoy. Medyo malinis naman kumpara sa relative age ng istraktura. May mga pictures sa dingding ng mga personalidad na nakakain na dito. Yung iba yata ay family pictures ng may-ari kasi either hindi ko kilala yung mga nasa litrato or parang 80's yung panahon ng kuha.

old photos on the wall

Madami-dami ang kumakain nung nandun kami, given na masyado pang maaga for dinner (maga-alas sais pa lang ng hapon). Sikat ang LZM sa area na ito at ilang beses na din silang na-feature sa mga TV shows na tumutukoy sa mga good spots to eat around the Tagaytay area kaya hindi na din nakakapagtaka.

Mabilis magsilbi yung mga staff at mababait. Hindi kami nag hintay ng matagal sa order namin.

sa loob

Ang Buod:
Kelangan naman masubukan yung ibang putahe. Definitely, may next time ulit!

Mas okay kumain dito kung madami dahil pang maramihan ang servings.

panoramic

Ang Hatol:
6.5 out of 7




[obi.January]


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[OK na Food Trip] Empanada Nation

Posted by Obi Macapuno on 9/10/2014
Panangrugi (Intro):
The family went out of our way para dayuhin ito. Nasa bandang gitna ito ng Makati Med at Buendia, malapit dun sa estero na may iskwater's area na nasunog recently lang. Si Sponklong (bunso namin) ang may suggestion na dito kumain. Mukang interesting naman.

aprub

Makan (Food):

  • Igado
  • Ilocos Dinuguan
  • Bagnet
  • Pinakbet
  • Special Empanada

may bawas na igado

Paborito ko ang igado at sandamakmak na variants na nito ang natikman ko here in the Metro and in Ilocos mismo. At masasabi ko na competitive ang version ng Empanda Nation among the good ones. Andun yung hints ng tamis at anghang ng medyo malapot na sauce. Madaming sahog na pork pero kulang lang ng lamang-loob. Konti lang ang atay at halos wala kaming makaing isaw. Dun lang medyo alanganin.

crispy dinuguan

Coagulated blood over isaw at bagnet. This summed up their Ilokano version of dinuguan. Ang sarap! First time namin masubukan ito. Bagay na bagay yung tamis-pait ng tuyong dugo sa crispiness ng deep-fried isaw at bagnet. Madami yung servings ng isaw at bagnet. Parang naging toppings na nga lang yung tuyong dugo.

insta-kill bagnet

Nothing extraordinary sa bagnet nila. Typical deep-fried crunchy and heart-stopping bagnet. Underwhelming lang yung servings. Mga tatlo hanggang apat na normal-sized na hiwa lang sa halagang halos P100.

pinakbet

Di ako mahilig sa pinakbet pero muka namang nag-enjoy si K and the rest of the family with our order. Tinikman ko lang yung ibang gulay (kalabasa at sitaw) at tama naman ang luto. Wala ding aftertaste ng pakla ng ampalaya yung sabaw. So good na ito para sa akin. 

ilokos empanada

Nasarapan kami sa empanada nila. Manipis yung crust at crispy. Authentic Ilocos longganisa ang gamit na sahog at hindi madamot ang servings. Ang sarap na combo nito sa Ilocos suka nila. Frankly though, meron kaming alam na mabibilhan ng Ilokano empanada sa QC na mas masarap at mas mura. Ang point namin, hindi empanada ang kahabol-habol sa resto na ito despite what their name seems to claim.

Special mention yung sabaw nila dahil may lasa kahit papano. Hindi katulad ng most fastfood free soup na parang pinakuluang tubig lang na nilagyan ng broth cubes. In short, matabang.

Kantidad (Price):
The dishes cost about P130 at yung empanada ay around P90.

Sobrang mura na ito para sa quality ng pagkain nila pati na din sa passable dining experience, in general.

the place

Masarita (Comment):
Di maganda yung environment sa labas. May mga iskwater na nakatambay kaya panay ang silip ko sa oto namin. Mahirap na. Sana may security guard sila.

Sa loob, walang problema. Malinis at maayos ang paligid. May konting effort para magka-rural ambiance to depict the Ilocos region environs. Special mention ang toilet nila dahil umi-interior design ang datingan. May pagpapahalaga sa kubeta.

Fastfood dito. Pay as you order. Magaling yung nasa kahera dahil nakuha niya ng tama lahat ng order namin kahit madami kaming binili (pang siyam na tao).

O + K + Ilokano Food

Dadduma (Others):
Pwedeng araw-arawin kumain dito, if you have the blood pressure for it. LOL.

Tungpalna (Verdict):
6 out of 7




[obi.July.11]


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[OK na Food Trip] Larcy's Cupcakery Cafe

Posted by Obi Macapuno on 9/01/2014
Firstly, the Intro:
Larcy's has been making a buzz in BF Homes since the onset of the cupcake cafe boom and even before we moved around the area several months back. Bonus na katapat nito yung vet clinic kung saan namin pinapa-groom yung askal namin. So while Eww is on her dog spa, sa Larcy's kami tumatambay ni K.

larcy's logo

Secondly, the Chicha:

  • Banana Cream Cheese (cupcake)
  • Chocolate Salted Caramel (cupcake)
  • Baconutella Sandwich
  • Frozen Hot Nutella

not so salted caramel

The cupcakes are not as moist as we like it pero masarap pa din naman (what's not to like with sweets anyway?). Hindi namin ramdam yung saltiness nung salted caramel. Supposedly, ang purpose ng asin ay para mas mabuksan yung taste buds ng dila para mas ma-enjoy yung tamis nung chocolate. That did not happen. It tasted just plain sweet up to the last bite.

banana cream cheese

Yung banana cream cheese ay banana cake na nilagyan ng cream cheese (doh!) and it tasted exactly like that. Again, sans the moistness. Based on these two cupcakes, wala pa kaming paborito so far and frankly, mas may gusto pa kaming cupcake sa Sonja's. We should try their other flavors.

bacon + nutella

Yung baconutella sandwich ay bagong produkto lang nila. It's something that you can do at home really but since it's BACON, why not! Bacon bits and nutella rolled together on a pancake sandwich. I actually like this more than the cupcakes. LOL.

Frozen Hot Nutella

It's weird that this is called frozen and hot at the same time. Ang explanation dyan siguro ay lasa siyang hot chocolate drink (na may Nutella) pero served frozen topped with whip cream na may chocolate powder. Nasarapan naman kami. It's a Nutella drink after all. Ang cute pa nung mug na pinaglalagyan nito. Parang garapon.

Thirdly, the Price:
Cupcakes go for P70 to P90. Ka-presyo ito ng mga nagsulputang cupcake places around the metro. Syempre ang espesyal sa Larcy's ay meron silang sariling cafe, unlike most which are just mall kiosks.

Sandwiches sell for around P180. They also have rice meals for around P200 but I don't see the need to try them. You go here for meryenda o mag-himagas (kung may word mang ganun).

The chocolate drinks cost about P170. Parang malaking Starbucks na din.

Mahal, in general, but that's the cost of wanting to take selfies on a chic place.

squint enough for the prices

Fourthly, the Other Comments:
The place is really cute in a girly way. Shabby chic ang general theme ng interior design so I can imagine girls swooning over how good the vibes of the place is for them. I can go as far as saying na sila ang nagpauso ng ganitong theme (girly chic) sa mga cupcakery na nagsulputan na parang kabute around the metro. Sa kanila ko kasi unang nakita yung ganung decors for a cupcake cafe. I could be wrong, of course.

so girly

So far, kapag pumupunta kami, walang masyadong customers (around 3-4PM on a weekend) kaya tahimik. However, I can imagine it can get really noisy on a crowded day. Medyo magkakadikit kasi yung mga lamesa. Hindi pa namin nasusubukan na tignan yung second floor nila. It has a balcony and function rooms.

Lastly, a Summary:
It's a fancy tambay place, if just for a change from the usual coffee hangouts.

Rating:
4.5 out of 7




[obi.April]


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