Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Saturday 7 June 2014

Resto Review: Yoghurt House, Sagada

The Yoghurt House is one of the restaurants found on the main road of Sagada that you won't miss. They are popular for their yoghurt but we didn't ordered any because we heard from our fellow travelers that theirs were much sour.

My husband ordered Pork in Bechamel Sauce (Php 220) and Roasted Pork with Vegetable Salad (Php 200).

I commend them as their serving portions were big and their presentation was appealing and appetizing. Their vegetables were fresh and crunchy and their meat were cooked just right to be tender but their sauces were nothing extraordinary.

If you are looking forward to eating a heavy meal, we suggest the Yoghurt House given that money is not an issue. Oh! Before I forget, bring your own water as they don't serve house water.

Resto Review: Bana's Cafe

For our last day in Sagada, we decided to dine at Bana's Cafe which was popular for their coffee. It is located in the basement of a souvenir shop so it may be quite hard to find.

We ordered Banana Pancake Plate (Php 150), Longganisa Meal (Php 100) and a cup of their Cafe Mocha (Php 80).

The Banana Pancake Plate had two fluffy banana-filled pancakes, two sunny side-up eggs, slices of bacon and fresh melon slices. This plate is actually good for sharing. Their pancakes and bacon were delicious.

Their Longganisa on the other hand was huge and so tender and juicy. I love how they add slices of fresh fruit on their plate as it makes the meal complete.

Finally, I tasted their Cafe Mocha but was not that impressed. For me it was just any ordinary coffee mocha but I'm not such a fan of coffee so maybe I'm just biased.

Our experience with Bana's Cafe  was a pleasant one and we recommend dining here as they had fast service, good tasty food, big portions and a nice view too.

Yummy Diet 5 Day Package

After going through with one week of all veggie lunch and dinner, I am now venturing into a whole day diet meal service. And since I can't accommodate early morning deliveries, I took my chances on ordering 1 week of Yummy Diet meals. They deliver your meals the night before you start your diet which I was reluctant at first because of possible food spoilage. Lucky enough, no food went to waste as long as you immediately place your meals in the refrigerator once you get it. Read on to find out how my experience went...

Day 1

Breakfast: Sunny Ham & Cheese and Black Coffee
AM Snacks: Orange
Lunch: Baked Mayonnaise Fish with Steamed Red Rice
PM Snacks: Ginataang Mais Oatmeal
Dinner: Grilled Chicken with Pesto Sauce and Hot Tea

Day 1 Review:
My first day with YummyDiet was really hard. I was so stunned at how small each meal portion was compared to what I previously had with LunchBoxDiet. It took me a lot of convincing to not be tempted to eat anything else except for the ones they provided.

Anyways, my breakfast was quite indulging you won't even think that you're on a diet except for the fact that your sandwich is missing the top slice of bread. hehehe But come past 9AM my tummy already started to grumble. Even though I am not fond of oranges, I had to eat it because I was hungry but after devouring the slightly ripe orange my stomach was only half-contented.

Here come lunch time, my greatest peril of all was to see how so small my meal was. So I ate my food really slowly so as to savor every bite of it. The fish was really good by the way. And since I left my dinner at home, I opted to eat my afternoon snacks at late 5PM so that I won't get that hungry on my way home. The Ginataang Mais oatmeal was delicious, I wonder how they made it taste like that.

As I reached home past 7PM, I quickly heated my meal and prepared my hot tea. My head was already spinning and aching from hunger. My chicken was disappointingly dry - maybe I heated it too long but I did love the pesto sauce it had. And so ends my 1st day with YummyDiet, I hope I adapt to this fast because I don't like having a light and aching head while at work.


Day 2
Breakfast: Mushroom Stronganoff with Garlic Red Rice and Black Coffee
AM Snacks: Apple
Lunch: Fish and Cream Cheese Roll Ups
PM Snacks: Choco Dipped Grapes
Dinner: Chicken Marsala with Steam Red Rice and Hot Tea

Day 2 Review:
I woke up this morning happy to see that my breakfast had rice but unfortunately my viand was only mushrooms. It was tasty and juicy but was not that filling. The black coffee was actually the one that made my stomach full.

While in office, I opted to eat the grapes for my morning snack because I think the chocolate started to smell weird. It was a really bad idea to coat the grapes with chocolate - I didn't feel that it was a good combination. As for lunch, I also swapped it with my dinner meal which was the chicken marsala. Once again, their chicken was dry. Another unsatisfying lunch for me. The only treat I had out of my YummyDiet meal was the small apple which was crunchy and juicy.

Come dinner time, my head was once again spinning from hunger that I had to eat something filling so once again I broke my diet by eating out with my husband. We only had sushi, gyoza and hot tea so I did not feel that guilty for doing so.

I did ate my supposedly lunch time meal the next day in addition to my breakfast. I sure am glad I did not take the roll ups as my lunch time because it won't surely give me the energy I need for my day. It had too little tuna on it too.

Day 3

Breakfast: Bacon & Spinach Scramble with Garlic Red Rice and Black Coffee
AM Snacks: Banana
Lunch: Sauteed Pork with Lemon & Parsley and Steamed Red Rice
PM Snacks: None
Dinner: Royal Cucumber Sandwich and Hot Tea

Day 3 Review:
Yes, you read that right! There's no afternoon snack provided. =(
Fortunately my day turned out to be a busy one so my stomach didn't ask for a morning snack.

Today's breakfast was admittedly yummy but in really small portion. I just wish they gave me more of those egg scramble. As for my lunch, I was surprised to see pork on my plate but immediately got disappointed after taking my first bite into it. It was bland with just a little hint of lemon.

And once again, my battle with dinner time hunger strikes again. I didn't eat my dinner time meal again because I am already getting famished from the work and travel time from office going home that I had to grab a bite to any nearby food I see. I did ate the cucumber sandwich the next day for my breakfast and it was terrible! Just imagine, thinly sliced cucumber and cheese on a sandwich?! Oh how my husband pitied seeing me go through all these meals.


Day 4
Breakfast: Pork Tapa Breakfast Salad and Black Coffee
AM Snack: Baby Mango
Lunch: Pinoy-style Chicken Curry with Steamed Red Rice
PM Snack: Turon
Dinner: Corned Beef Pandesal and Hot Tea

Day 4 Review:
I can't believe my eyes as I open my 4th day package. Never in my entire life did I ever see a mango this small! And it's ripe too! I wonder if they own a bonsai mango tree to be able to get such a small-sized mango. Amazing! But I am not happy to only have to eat this small of a mango for my snack.

For today, I loved my breakfast. The tapa slices were tasty and the greens were fresh. The only con was the dressing, I think it was too sour. Lunch time was also a delight - even though the serving was small, I appreciate that it was flavorful and for the first time, their chicken was not that dry.

My merienda was a slightly seared turon which had a not so ripe banana on it. It was not bad but not as good either. Dinner time was also a sad meal, they provided a really small pandesal - smaller than the mango they gave for that day. And the feeling was just ordinary corn beef. The one really big off from this meal were the potato chips because all soggy and oily. =(

Day 5

Breakfast: Skillet Souffle with Greens and Black Coffee
AM Snack: Apple
Lunch: Tofu Noodle Salad with Orange-Sesame Dressing
PM Snack: Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
Dinner: Sausage, Chicken, & Vegetable Skewers and Hot Tea

Day 5 Review:
Yehey! Today is my last yummy diet meal. My breakfast for the day was good. It had greens and salsa, a small pandesal and two slices eggs. I was not able to eat my apple though because it was weirdly sticky. I washed it several times already yet the skin was still sticky so I didn't dared eat it unless it's peeled.

Lunch this time was Asian pasta and it was yummy. But once again, I hoped that it had more. Not soon enough I was already uber hungry that I had to eat the peanut butter jelly sandwiches that was only half of a sandwich portion.

I failed to eat my dinner time meal again and ate them for breakfast the next day instead. The sausages were burnt and the chicken was dry. The mashed potato was just so so.

Overall:
I would not want to go through this again. Their meal portions were absurdly small and did not give me enough energy to go through my day. My stomach was constantly grumbling and my head ached in the afternoon. Their diet meal package really made me feel that I was on a diet which urged me to eat other food aside from what they provided. Although their delivery was always on time, the quality of the food and nutrition I get from them is still what's important to me. But this is just my opinion, feel free to try it out yourself. Yummy Diet just won't work out for me.


Sunday 1 June 2014

Resto Review: Masferre Restaurant

On our last night in Sagada, we decided to dine out and bond together with our travel mates with Travel Factor. It was already quite late at night and it was also a Friday - so most of the restaurants were packed. So we chose to dine in Masferre Restaurant. It was also full so they then opened their rooms in their basement to accommodate incoming customers.

They offer American cuisine but we were really disappointed because most of the items that we wanted to order were no longer available. We then decided to just order their Bolognese Spaghetti (Php 170).

It took more than hour for them to start serving us our orders and as they placed our order in front of us - we were stunned. It didn't look anything Bolognese at all! As I started mixing the sauce into the pasta, I didn't find any traces of meat at all. Eating it just added to our disappointment because it was just plain spaghetti sauce from a pouch. It was absolutely not worth its price at all. This one's a definite FLOP.

Resto Review: Tim Ho Wan, SM Megamall

We originally wanted to try out Tim HoWan at Hong Kong but we didn't get the chance while we were there. And since I heard the news that they will be opening a branch here in the Philippines, we then awaited for its opening. Tim HoWan  is really popular so it's no wonder that there will definitely be a long queue to be able to get seated here. You need to be really patient but the wait is not that long because their service is fast but you have to have your whole party present when your name is called to be able to be seated.

As we were seated, we have already decided to order their Big 4 Heavenly Kings: Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (Php 145), Pan Fried Carrot Cake (Php 145), Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver (Php 150), and Steamed Egg Cake (Php 85). My husband also ordered several other items on the list he found interesting.

In just 10 minutes or less, our Baked Bun with BBQ Pork (Php 145) was served. It comes in three pieces and my husband immediately went ahead and took a bite not thinking that the stuffing inside was super hot. hehehe The bun was mildly sweet, crunchy on top but soft all over. It reminds me of Coffee Buns. And the filling was just divine, it was sweet and savory and I can definitely understand why this is one of their best seller and why people kept coming back for more of this.

Next came one of my husband's additional orders, their Glutinous Rice with Lotus Leaf (Php 190). The rice was really sticky and tasted like biko and the meat that goes with it was really tender and flavorful. Although not as popular as their pork buns, I would definitely recommend this if you're looking for a rice meal.

The food just kept on coming during the next minutes, I am really impressed with their fast service. I next tasted one of the heavenly kings, their Vermicelli Roll with Pig's Liver (Php 150). It was really hard to take a grip on one of these rolls with chopsticks, I had to fold them to be able to get one. The roll was soft and the pig's liver was bitter as expected but is complemented with vegetables to balance the flavor. This one is just so so for me.

I next tried another of the heavenly kings, their Pan Fried Carrot Cake (Php 145). These carrot cakes are actually made of radish not carrots - carrots are known as white radish in other places thus the name. It also had bits of chorizo. But I don't think I would be ordering this on my next visit, it was quite greasy for me.

We next tried a couple of their steamed dimsum, the Dumpling Teochew Style (Php 120) and the Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin (Php 120). The Dumpling Teochew Style tasted almost the same as their Vermicelli Roll except that it had no Pig's Liver. And their Beef Ball with Beancurd Skin was really meaty and tasty especially when you dip them in their Soy Sauce and mix it with a bit of chili sauce.

And last but not the least, as our dessert we had their Steam Egg Cake (Php 85). It was light and fluffy and tasted buttery. It was a delicious cake indeed.

Our overall experience with Tim HoWan was a delight. All our food were served hot, fast and delicious. We will definitely come back for their Pork Buns. (",)

Thursday 29 May 2014

Sexy Chef 5 day Vegetarian Package

I have managed to gain back the weight I once lost and since I don't have time to go to the gym I decided to try to lose weight through dieting.

To start off my diet, I ordered the Sexy Chef's 5 day Vegetarian Package (Php 1,500). My work schedule is very flexible so I can't accomodate deliveries made with breakfast because they are usually way to early for me - this the reason why I opted for the lunch and dinner package for now.

Day 1
Lunch: Meatless Arroz ala Cubana
I love my first day veggie lunch, it was fulfilling and yummy. My meal had a big serving of brown rice and the viand had green peas, carrots, raisin and crush tofu (I think) smothered in tomato sauce. My only complaint for this meal is that the viand's serving was not proportionate to the amount of rice.

Dinner: Vegetarian Tantanmen
It was my first time to encounter the word "Tantanmen", with a bit of googling I found out that it was a noodle soup. I like the idea that they did not mix the soup with the rest of the ingredients when they delivered it. This way noodles won't get soggy when its meal time.
As I reheated my dinner, the soup smelled of peanuts. I can't quite describe how it tasted but for me it was delicious. I just love the fried tofu included in the soup, it was so tasty.

Unfortunately, I can't really count today as my Day 1 because my husband brought me cake then we later on met with his friends and we ate and drank that night.

Day 2
Lunch: Lentil Pasta Bolognese
Awww... no rice for lunch? =(
At least it's pasta and it's in red sauce too (fave). But how can bolognese be meatless? Their bolognese sauce had a huge serving of green peas, carrots and corn plus they also provided Parmesan cheese to go with it. Once again, they separated the sauce from the pasta when delivered. I really appreciate it that my pasta is not soggy when its time for me to eat them.

Dinner: Tofu of the Sea Bunwich
Now I feel like I'm really on a diet because of this bunwich. I don't know why it is called "Tofu of the Sea" because I did not find anything seafood on it. The tofu stuffing was really flavorful - it had a sweet sour taste and had a little crunch too. I'm not sure if it was pickles or cucumber, but I loved it. The downside to this meal is that the bun was so crumbly that it became messy to eat.

Day 3
I am having several visits to the comfort room today. I am not sure if this is because of what I have been eating with Sexy Chef. I'm not even sure if this is detoxing. Anyways, I checked my weighing scale and I believe a pound or two today. Yipee!

Lunch: Veggie Mongolian Rice Bowl
I am so glad that my lunch today has rice! I just had a very long meeting and this meal is definitely what I need to kick off the tensions. My rice meal had pieces of fried tofu, pechay and bits of corn, bell pepper and shredded carrots (I think). I just love the Mongolian flavors it had.

Dinner: Tofu "Egg" Scramble Burrito
Egg? I thought I ordered vegetarian? Surprisingly, the burrito didn't have egg on it but it was actually tofu coated in curry sauce that made it look like it was egg. Cool! It had soft kidney beans, mushrooms, and green bell pepper which added a bit of crunch to it. The burrito may have looked small but it was a fulfilling meal.

Day 4

Lunch: Tofu "Fish Ball" Afritada with Brown Rice
Tofu again?! I never had this much tofu in a week! hahahaha This time the tofu looked like fish balls but has no fish in it. The tofu balls actually had mushrooms and some greens in it (don't know what really). It was yummy and the afritada sauce had just the right savory and sweet taste. Once again, it was another delicious meal for lunch.

To my fellow readers who kept reading till my day 4 because they are interested to know if this diet works, I am very sorry to disappoint you. Once again, I failed to stick to the system. Me and my husband went out tonight to watch a movie and inevitably I had to eat dinner out with him. Sorry guys... I will keep on writing this post till my day 5 just so you know the type of food they deliver but will not be posting any weight change because it won't be realistic and be unfair to Sexy Chef too.

Dinner: Asian-style Vegetarian Spaghetti (No Shrimp)
I ate Sexy Chef's Veggie Spaghetti on the 5th day as my breakfast. It still smells good after heating it but it did not taste as good. It was plain, a bit bland and did not had much on it - just the usual corn, carrots and peas. Such a disappointment =(

Day 5

Today marks my last Sexy Chef meal and since I am at home with my husband, we ate both lunch and dinner servings together over lunch time.

Lunch: Tofu Satay with Peanut Sauce, Brown Rice and Misono Vegetables
Another tofu meal - now why am I not that surprised. hehehe This time around, their tofu were on a stick and were grilled. The Misono vegetables were crunchy and tasty but tasted like it was buttered. I love their peanut sauce, it was sweet and thick almost like peanut butter.

Dinner: Oriental Fruit Salad with Hoisin Vinaigrette
Their salad had fresh mixed greens and several pieces of grapes and little oranges. The oriental sauce was delicious but I should not have put everything on the salad because soon did I realize that it was too much that my salad was swimming in it. hahahah Had a difficult time tossing the salad since the container was small.

The Verdict

Their food was mostly good except for the Asian Spaghetti. They deliver my food before lunch usually from 10AM to 11AM and I love how they were able to change my delivery address on a day notice since I wanted my Friday delivery to be at home. Their packaging may not be eco-friendly because they had several disposable packaging but I really appreciate how they separate their soups and sauces to retain the ingredients freshness.

I recommend the Sexy Chef 5 day packages for all busy people who are looking for healthy lunch and dinner meals and for those who don't mind eating too many tofu in a week. (",)

If you're interested in this program, log on to http://www.thesexychef.ph/. If you do decide to sign up, please do mention that you were referred by me (Jill Ann Lorenzo) as they can give me a rebate if I refer people. :)

Resto Review: Sagada Lemon Pie House

The Sagada Lemon Pie House is located on the very far end of the main road. It is very well known for their Lemon Pie thus the name and it is said to be the best in Sagada so we wouldn't want to leave without having to taste one.

The interiors of the log house was oh so cozy, you can find really small tables and chairs and really low tables where you'll be sitting Japanese-style. They also have the normal tables and chairs if you're joints are too sore to sit on the floor.

They don't have waiters and waitresses here so you will have to make your order at the counter. When I got their menu, I am amazed at how affordable their food are.

Since it was raining that time, I ordered a hot Mountain Milk Tea (Php 20) while my husband got their Lemon Tea (Php 15). Notice how cheap these are, not to mention their pies also starts at Php30 per slice. So if you are on a tight budget, go to Lemon Pie House!

I so love my Mountain Milk Tea, it was delicious. Their mountain tea here in Sagada is a bit different from the usual tea, it had a ginger-y taste to it that gives just the right kick. Their lemon tea was as delicious as their milk tea. They provide brown sugar for you to be able to adjust to your liking.

They are also known for their Blueberry Pies but unfortunately they ran out so we ordered everything that they had available. hahahaha We ordered a slice each of their Orange (Php 35), Lemon (Php 30) and Egg (Php 30) pie. At first look, you can't actually tell them apart. They all look the same! You just have to taste them to be able to distinguish which is which.

As we take our first bite at the lemon pie, we didn't feel any spark. The crust was ok, the lemon portion was sour and sweet with a gelatin-like consistency, and meringue on top was light and fluffy. Overall, we didn't think that the meringue helped in improving the pie's taste. We were disappointed and believed that the pie was overrated. Same comment goes to the orange pie, it only differed in flavor. But we did loved the egg pie. The egg pie was the clear winner from them three.

Even though we were disappointed, we still highly recommend this place because their drinks and pies are really affordable and ambiance is so country-style home-y that it's all worth the experience.

Sunday 25 May 2014

Resto Review: Sagada Brew

We just had our dinner at Salt & Pepper Restaurant but felt unsatisfied with our meal so we went to Sagada Brew Cafe for something sweet.

I ordered their Peppermint Chocolate (Php 100) while my husband opted for their Black Coffee Shake (Php 100).

The Peppermint Chocolate was so yummy and I love the idea that they added marshmallows which added to the drink's creaminess. A piece of peppermint leaf was added to give just the right kick of mint to it.

As for the Black Coffee Shake - there was nothing special to it. It was just black coffee with blended ice.

Sagada Brew also serves desserts. If you want to try out what they locally bake choose their cakes since the brownies and bars that are sold here came from a supermarket chain as admitted by one of their staff.

Out of all their cakes displayed that night, one caught our attention due to its surprising name or ingredients - the Peanut Butter Blueberry Butterscotch Cake (Php 150). As we tasted this cake, we can't seem to grasp the total essence of it. It really did had all the ingredients except for the butterscotch. But the peanut butter was the most powerful taste out of them all. It was not the sweet pleasant cake we were hoping for. After the experience, we finally dubbed this as the "Confused Cake" - once you try it, you'll definitely be confused. hehehehe

The Sagada Brew also offers breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their menu items may be pricier but the serving is big and the ambiance is nice - felt like chilling in Starbucks.

Resto Review: Salt & Pepper Restaurant

On our first day in Sagada, we decided to have our dinner at Salt & Pepper Restaurant. The restaurant was really hard to find because it was located on the 2nd floor of a souvenir shop along the main road. Plus their sign was really small and unnoticeable. Tip when you're Sagada, look up because some of the restaurants are located on the 2nd floor. heheheh

Anyways, I suggested this place because I read good things about them through other blogs. Most of the blogs, recommend ordering Dinakiw (Php 160) but I opted on ordering their Sinarabasab (Php 170) which was pork viand cooked in vinegar since I just love sour food. My husband ordered the Salt & Pepper Diner Plate (Php 250) which had both pork and chicken in a plate.

The Sinarabasab was really sour - at first it was appetizing but after several bites it was just too much sourness. It was served together with pickled red cabbage which was sour too and did not compliment the pork at all.

As for the Diner Plate, it had a serving of Sinarabasab and a roasted chicken. The chicken's skin was tasty but the meat didn't have any flavor to it.

Obviously, it was not that pleasant of an experience for us but we have tasted their Stir-fried Vegetables and it was really good. Their vegetables are really fresh, crispy and flavorful. This dish is definitely one reason to come back to their restaurant.

Saturday 10 May 2014

Resto Review: Strawberry Cafe, Sagada

While in Sagada, I can't help notice that there are lots of cafe and restaurants serving yoghurts. My husband's  not fond of yoghurts because he doesn't like it being a sour dessert. But one can't help but be curious about it so I just had to try at least once.

We ordered a serving of Strawberry Yoghurt (Php 70) at the Strawberry Cafe. The yoghurt itself was plain and was not that sour as expected from a yoghurt. Combining the fresh strawberry and the sweet strawberry jam on it neutralizes the yoghurt's sourness. I love it and I just wished their serving was bigger.

The Strawberry Cafe serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Their pancakes are priced at Php 100 and their meals start at Php 120.

Resto Review: Pinikpikan Haus, Sagada

The Pinikpikan Haus is located just below Alibama Inn along the main road. The Pinikpikan Haus is the official restaurant of Travel Factor where our daily breakfast and lunch are served.

On our first day at Sagada, we were served Chicken Curry for lunch. The chicken meat was really tender but the sauce was quite bland that I'm not sure if it was really curry. I only assumed it to be curry because it was yellow.

On our 2nd day, we had Longganisa  for breakfast. Their longganisa were small but were tasty.

For lunch, we were served with Daing Bangus with vegetables. Thankfully the bangus was boneless and their vegetables were fresh and cooked just right. What's weird about our meal was it came with a single piece of liempo. hehehehe

And since we were really hungry on our 2nd day, we ordered their local specialty Pinikpikan (Php 130). I was expecting its soup to taste like tinola but it was not, it has a distinct taste that I can't describe. The soup really warms up our grumbling tummies. Their pinikpikan had several chicken meat and a piece of etag. Etag is smoked and salted slab of pork meat but it was not for me, I don't like its consistency. As for the chicken meat, it was tender but tasted bitter because of the blood clot on the chicken which is normal for pinikpikans.

Pinikpikan Haus serve breakfast, lunch and dinner with meals starting at Php130 - which is the usual price of meals of restaurants found along the main road. But on the plus side, every meal here comes with unlimited mountain rice. So if you are heavy on rice then this is the place for you.