Jarhead

While deciding over what to have for dessert, I heard someone in the near background say – “finish strong” – so I did and ordered all the available desserts half wishing they had more.  I have been obsessed with desserts in a jar for the past year (particularly cakes in a jar).  I tried baking them in the jar (then holding my breath hoping the jar doesn’t explode), baking the cake in a pan then layering...

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Hamburger Heaven

Though most often associated with fast food and caloric content that brings a tear to one’s eye, there’s so much more to hamburgers. Think about it: a hamburger is simple. It’s ground up cow between bread. Then again, a hamburger is complex. The right combination of herbs in the mix, or a touch of sauce gives endless possibilities for preparation to tempt even the snootiest food critics. The hamburger is many things;...

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Off Tangent in the Orient

“You’ll have to try the coffee braised beef hot pot. But don’t forget the buchi; it’s got Reese’s chocolate filling.” These were words alien yet familiar; the usual suspects found in a Chinese restaurant’s menu. As Chow Fun’s owner Danio Caw did his roll call of dishes each came into sharp focus, wheeled in on the Lazy Susan of my mind. The hotpot, when brought in, was a bubbling bowl of dark caramel-hued stew meant...

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Korean food - Gangnam Style

I have many dreams in life - and after watching Korean rapper's Gangnam Style music video for the seventy sixth time, I'm adding another one to the list: Being able to do Korean rapper PSY's horse-dance with a flash mob in the middle of Edsa. Because really how awesome would be to spontaneously break into synchronized fake galloping in the streets of Manila? Also, because of K-Pop fever, my hair kind of looked like...

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7107 Eats at Eastwood

Head to Quezon City this weekend if you're looking for your fair share of food fairs. (Hey, that rhymed! Sort of.) As if the debut of Mercato Centrale's new expansion in Ayala Techno Hub - the aptly named Mezza Norte night market - isn't enough, Eastwood Mall will be holding its own food festival in their outdoor plaza on Sunday. 7107 EATS by Asian Food Channel promises to be an afternoon of gastronomic galore...

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Steamy Stories at the Mind Museum

Science geeks rejoice! There's much to be giddy about with the newly opened Mind Museum. While we imagine a dimly lit gallery of brains floating in glass jars, The Fort's brand new science center is somewhat more cheerful. Spanning two vast floors and containing a plethora of exhibits, the Mind Museum brings concepts in biology, geology, physics, and chemistry to life. (The dinosaurs however stay disappointingly dead.)...

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Tuscan Raiders

Oven and Earth: Tuscano's pizza is cooked the traditional way - quickly and fiercely in a wood-fire brick oven Looking back, we solidly put the blame on Giadda for making us take a second, longer look at the heaving, bouncing - er - bounty that is Italian cuisine. Few things give us fevered dreams like the image of oven-cooked pizza, thin with a crackly crust and smothered in cheese. Hell, Ryan even went so far as...

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Yabu? Boo-Yah!

Japanese cuisine is perhaps one of the most elegant in the world. From the humble bowl of rice to the elegantly sliced perfection of the freshest sahimi, the food is a reflection of the centuries of growth and evolution of their culture. While most Japanese restaurants present a gastronomic garden (with meat, just going for the alliteration here) Yabu instead chooses to focus on one aspect of the cuisine's...

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The Times They Are A-Changin'

We know, we know. It's been a quiet past few weeks - okay months - and you're probably wondering, "Where'd they go? Are they still alive?" We've been right here all along folks. At our Pampanga food trip with Chef Jam Melchor (far right) of Villa Cafe. But caught between blogging and the demands of real life, we've opted to keep mum for the time being until we could sort out our lives. And my how we've sorted them...

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The Luck of the Irish

The J-School is on spring break, and for the most part, the weather has been gorgeous. Sundresses, fresh flowers, fresh produce---the air hums of spring. But I've been cooped up inside a building, snacking on biscuits and juice to get my sugar up while working on my master's project (ironically, which is on obesity). I can't wait to throw on a pair of shorts and running shoes and make my way through Central Park. But...

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EAT IT UP: Probiotic Pops by Sugarleaf

POP CULTURE: Beat the heat with these homemade healthy pops with flavors (left to right) like Spirulina, Baguio strawberries, and freshly-squeezed oranges. Sugarleaf owner Angelo Songco (rightmost) comes up with new flavors each week.   Bring up popsicles and I revert to my nine-year old self fussing over his Twin Popsies. These were (are - they're still around) bright orange sheets of ice the color of...

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