Month: May 2019

By: Dottie Ann Bayang

Tourists and food enthusiasts will never get tired of Japan, Korea, and Singapore, but Asia has so much more places to offer that are being overlooked. Thinking about visiting Asian during your next vacation? Here are five underrated Asian destinations and their exquisite cuisines.

Taiwan

It’s hard to believe how underrated Taiwan actually is; there are many articles that describe just how this country is one of the most overlooked Eastern Asian destinations. Though its reputation does not match that of Japan, Korea, and the like, its cuisine is one of the best in Asia, if not the whole world.

When visiting Taiwan, chances are you’ll probably be visiting Taipei. Dive right into the origin, ambiance, and culture of the Taiwanese people by visiting their night markets after a long day of visiting attractions. A popular site for both tourists and locals is the Raohe St. Night Market. Enjoy pork feet noodle string (finger licking braised pork knuckle), beef noodle soup, herbal stew of ribs, and even bubble tea!

Shilin Night Market is also a great spot that offers not only a wide variety of food, but of games, clothing, trinkets, and more. Among the various options of food, some standouts are delicacies such as stinky tofu, pork pepper buns (marinated pork mixed with chopped green onions and black pepper wrapped in thin dough sealed and sprinkled with sesame seeds), and grilled mochi.

Taipei is not the only city with remarkable night markets; if you’re in Taichung city, head on over to Feng Chia Night Market, the largest night market among Taiwan night markets. Try the Feng Chia Four-in-One (mixture of jelly fig, tapioca pearls, Kumquat and lemon juice) and other exotic treats and delights.

Vietnam

Their cuisine is enjoyed in many places around the world, but the country of origin may not be enjoyed as much. Don’t settle for your local Pho place and go for the real thing instead in this Southeastern Asian must-see. You will certainly get so much more from the real thing made by authentic Vietnamese cooks and found in authentic restaurants found in Hanoi than from anywhere else.

Something that you can get from Hanoi that is hard to find anywhere else is a place where you can eat and learn; by joining the right food tour, you will be able to visit Backstreet Academy, one of the most hidden street food places with a great cooking class. With ingredients that you can find and purchase in local markets that you will pass by beforehand, you will be able to make Bun Cha (noodle and pork dish with dip sauce) and fried spring rolls that are made Hanoi-style. Your teacher may even treat you to various local desserts, and if that’s not enough for you, you will find more delicacies during the rest of your tour such as Bo Pia (rice paper crepe, sugar, coconut, and sesame), more spring rolls, and Pho bo (beef noodle). If cooking meals yourself is not your thing, then just head on over to Bun Cha Dac Kim.

If you want to take a break from the pork in Bun Cha, Vietnam also has a variety of fish noodles for you to enjoy. Enjoy Cha Ca (mud fish noodle completed with a hot plate) mixed with peanuts, mint, coriander and fish sauce and rice noodles in Cha Ca Thang Long and Bun Ca (fish noodles) that will surprise you in Bún cá Sâm Cây Si.

Of course, you can’t go wrong with classic Pho. For Pho like no other, look no further than 49 Bat Dan Street. Don’t let the long lines discourage you from trying their perfect beef, noodles, and soup. This will raise the standards you may have and eating at home may not be quite the same after a taste of their Pho.

Cambodia

Part of this Southeastern Asian country’s heritage may have disappeared in the seventies, and it may not have cuisines that are globalized like the Indians, Vietnamese, or even the Thai, but the Khmer people (a.k.a. Cambodian Natives), are currently redefining what it means to be Cambodian through their revolutionary blend of regional and European influences which are mostly found in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh.

If you want to experience these blended delicacies, Malis Restaurant Phnom Penh is the place to go to. Unlike other restaurants, this fancy family restaurant allows you to immerse yourself in the local vibes. It advertises living Cambodian cuisine that features Malis’s Samlor Khmer (noodle soup with fish gravy and lemongrass), bor bor (congee), and Kuy Teav Malis (prawn and pork noodle soup) for breakfast, and Takeo sausages (based on a recipe from Takeo Province) and Kep crab with Kampot peppercorns for lunch and dinner. These meals are made according to traditional recipes and this fancy family restaurant allows you to immerse yourself in the local vibes.

For a wider variety of delicacies, then try Friends the Restaurant and their tapas-style sharing menu that offers not only Khmer flavours, but European and Middle Eastern ones as well. A favorite treat known as the Phnom Penh Iced Tea (tamarind juice mixed with five different spirits) can be found in this establishment.

If the sophisticated dishes are not for you, then head on over to Romdeng Restaurant Phnom Penh. The menu of this restaurant will take you on an adventure as it offers tarantula, silkworms, and crickets. It also offers classic Khmer meals for the not-so-daring, but it would be a shame to miss out on these unique treats. Just pick the right dipping sauce, and take a picture of your unconventional meal to catch the attention of your social media followers.

Laos

Another Southeastern Asian destination that may not be very well-known for its food, but that doesn’t mean it has nothing to offer. The delicacies Laos has to offer is one of the many surprises this country has to offer. Though it is very reminiscent of Thai cuisine, it still has its own spin on things that makes Lao cuisine something truly special.

Your food journey begins in Luang Prabang, the capital of the province of the same name. Start with the local dishes of the Pullman Hotel Restaurant such as Tom Kem (caramelized pork), Galanga (fish stir fried in garlic), Soupark (spicy steamed vegetables), and Ping kai (grilled chicken or pork marinated with lemongrass and ginger herb).

When you’re ready to experiment a bit more, proceed to the streets immediately for a tour of some street treats. Search for dishes such as Orlam (pork with vegetable and mushroom broth with spice and chilli wood), Panin (grilled fish with lemongrass), Laos Khao Soi (spicy rice noodle dish with pork), and even coconut cake.

For an entirely different experience, head on over to the Laos Buffalo Dairy . It was founded by two Australians since the locals of Laos had no dairy at all before despite owning many buffaloes for their meat. Not only will you get to fawn over the buffaloes,  but you will enjoy the onsite restaurant that serves donuts, mozzarella, yogurt, ice cream, and more!

Sri Lanka

You may mistake the cuisine of this hidden gem that can be found in the Southern part of Asia to be Indian, but make no mistake. With different flavors and spices, new taste sensations are produced for you to try and enjoy. Eating in Sri Lanka is truly a joy.

This hidden gem is actually filled with hidden gems itself. An example of this is Chooti Restaurant found in Sigiriya. The family that runs this restaurant serves typical home-cooked delights such as vegetable kothu (chopped up roti), different spices and vegetables, and more.

There is also a place in Colombo that doesn’t quite have a name, rather it is defined by its delicious street food. Dine on some hoppers and egg hoppers that you most probably won’t find anywhere else.

Get involved and immerse yourself in the culture of Sri Lanka by taking cooking lessons and learning different Sri Lankan dishes and recipes. Ella Spice Garden found in Ella not only serves dinner, but offers a three-hour class where you can learn how to make the dishes you love in the comforts of your own home. Learn about various spices and make different curries and accompaniments such as coconut sambol, rice and papadums. The best thing is that once the class is over, you can eat what you have made.

Sushi and samgyupsal are most definitely not going anywhere, so what are you waiting for? Mix and switch up your travel plans today with these five Asian countries. Hope to see you there!

As we live in our modern lives, we are privileged to have almost unlimited access to anything. It makes it possible for anyone to learn new things. With that being said, what better hobby there is to learn than cooking? Who doesn’t love learning how to cook and being able to feed not just yourself, but to your loved ones too? Not only do you learn how to cook, you also get entertained by the visuals and aesthetics of their cooking videos. A lot of channels like these exist on YouTube.

Famous channels like Food Wishes or Tasty have their own creative ways and techniques in teaching their viewers how to make the recipes they create. Food Wishes’ style is focused on teaching basic meals but with their unique take. It has 2.9+ million subscribers! One of their popular uploads was “Inside-out Grilled Cheese Sandwich” video with 9.7+ million views! Who doesn’t want creamy cheese on the inside and crispy cheese on the outside of their sandwich? It’s genius! (and fattening). But still genius. Perfect for those (like myself) cheese lovers out there who can’t have too much cheese.

On the other hand, Tasty has a similar style. Basic meals, but creates more than one dish in one video. So this gives their 14+ million viewers more options just by watching a single video. It cuts time for those who are in a rush and just want to cook something for a short period of time without sacrificing the creativeness and deliciousness of the dish! They also do food challenges like hiding a mysterious ingredient in a dish or making insanely spicy dishes. This channel has lost to offer and is suited for different types of viewers. One of their fun videos is “10 Creamy & Satisfying Pasta Dishes” with 3.7+ million views!

Food Wishes and Tasty are just a few from the numerous creative food channels on YouTube, and a lot of them aren’t even famous or hyped enough.

Byron Talbott

Byron is a young adult chef that is just passionate for cooking and has a fun and creative way of showing it to his 1.4+ million viewers (including myself). He cooks, bakes, and even teaches proper knife skills! (and MORE!). He goes back and forth with creating modern and complex dishes like his “The Cookie Cup” video (1.7+ million views) to simplified dishes such as his “Crispy Eggs” video (2.4+ million views), and both viewed by millions of people. I subscribed to Byron years ago and he has never changed his style of cooking, it only became better. There is something about Byron’s aesthetic in cooking that makes you want to watch his videos and even attempt to try out his recipes. This guy definitely needs more fans like I am!

and lastly….

Kdeb Cooking

This channel is run by a young kid (too young to cook delicious-looking dishes). His style is cooking very exotic foods! From snail, to duck heart, pig’s kidney, and the like! (he also cooks with normal ingredients haha) It’s not everyone’s cup of tea if you would hear it the first time, but just by seeing him cook, reminds me of how every Filipino mom cooks. It’s very heart-warming and entertaining to see his way of cooking. It’s something very different and I believe uniqueness is very important in the food industry. I love his style, especially how he cooks outdoors! One of my first couple of videos I’ve watched from his channel were the “Easy Crispy Pork Belly Cooking” and “Delicious Duck Heart Boiling in Pineapple“. Truly, an enjoyable content he has (a fan indeed!). Plus, a very inspiring young chef! Considering that he’s still a kid, tells us that he has a long way to go and that anyone could fulfill their passion in life anytime.

Channels like Byron Talbott and Kdeb Cooking deserve more hype and love because these channels really stay true to their style of cooking. And as viewers we have to appreciate the hard work, time, and effort that these channels do for the their viewers while fulfilling their dreams. It is our job to also help them become more known so that more people will appreciate their own delicious recipes and styles of cooking.

Start supporting them by watching and liking their videos; and subscribing to their channels:

Kdeb Cooking https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC49jksLkSkmetiZv2p7uYNg

Byron Talbott https://www.youtube.com/user/ByronTalbott

Have you ever stare at the menu for too long while deciding on what coffee to get? 
Here's a list on what you need to know about the common types of coffee.
-Magada, Phoebe-

1.Espresso

Espresso is typically a rich, concentrated beverage. If you are a fan of rich and stronger flavor of coffee this is for you. It has a higher content of caffeine than any other coffee that is why it is recommended to gulp it rather than sipping on it

2. Macchiato

“Macchiato” is an Italian word meaning staining the coffee. It basically staining the espresso with froth and milk crema. The milk would calm the harshness of the espresso coffee.

3. Latte

Latte means “coffee and milk” it a very milky coffee which consist of thick layer of steamed milk and a little bit of foam.

4. Cappuccino

Cappuccino means “little hood” which contains 1/3 deep layer of milk foam, 1/3 milk, and 1/3 espresso. They are traditionally serve in ceramic, and a proper cappuccino has a chocolate sprinkle on top.

5. Cafe Mocha

Mocha 2/3 of steamed milk, one part of espresso, and one part of chocolate syrup or powder. This type of coffee is usually sweet which is good to those who can’t drink stronger flavor of coffee.

6. Cold Brew

The method in making the cold brew is by soaking the grounds in cold or room-temperature water for 12 to 24 hours. The filtered final product is diluted with two or three parts hot or cold water and milk or dairy substitute to one part coffee. It basically contains less acid and caffeine than a regular coffee, that is why it is good to consume to those who are experiencing heart burn, hyperacidity, and palpitation.

Nowadays, more and more people are becoming health conscious and some decided to become vegans or vegetarians. From working out 3 to 4 times a week, to having a healthy diet. Being vegan isn’t easy, especially when you are to eat in restaurants because you have to check each ingredient in a dish you are to order. Also, there are time where vegans and vegetarians missed the taste of the food we usually eat from our childhood up to this day. Well, good news! because in this blog I will be sharing you vegan food and restaurants that serve food that is 100% plant based and guiltless.

Daniel’s Choice is a vegan restaurant based in Bacoor, Cavite, that is known in the vegan community with their best-seller meaty (meatless) spaghetti and burgers. They also have sisig, fried chicken, isaw, lechon kawali, and other filipino dish that are purely made of vegetables. It is a dream come true for vegans and vegetarians to have their hands on these food and satisfy their taste buds. Here are some of the food in their menu!

Tasti Health Buffet serves vegetarian food although there are vegan options too. It is located in Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay, Cavite. They serve different kinds of cuisines that their customers would surely enjoy eating. There are many options to choose from! Japenese, Chinese, Mexican, and more! Desserts too are safe to eat and you wouldn’t have to worry about the dairy.

Sentro Botaniko Eco-Farm is a vegetarian cafe located in 217 Buck Estate Rd, Brgy. Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite. They serve coffee, tea, and meals in a rustic, countryside environment built mostly from recycled, pre-owned and natural materials. Their ingredients are mainly from their own farm. Many of their dishes are vegan, apart from the chili cheese sticks, puto pao, sisig, and shahi paneer. They also sold some bottled products like pickled vegetables, condiments, and sauces.

This is also a great place to buy organic ingredients for salads and other recipes you wish to make.

For food enthusiast out there trying to find an affordable, delicious and instagrammable food in Tagaytay. Entrada is your one stop restaurant for your favorite home dishes, pastas, pizza and desserts. Moreover, the place also offers alcohols, great for reunions and casual talks.

First time I ate, it made me inflate. I looked upon my fate and the second time I ate, it was also great.

Neil Joshua Pangilinan

Entrada’s Famous Bulalo

Nothing beats the famous Bulalo that Tagaytay is known for. The combination of soft luscious meat and hot salty soup is what anyone can crave for. Entrada offers this for 250 pesos which are good for 6-8 persons. But be careful because it is high in cholesterol even it is satisfyingly delicious.

Sizzling Sisig

One of our favorite Filipino dish of all is sisig and it will keep you seeking for more! The combination of green and red peppers in this dish will surely make your salivas drip. This dish by Entrada costs 180 pesos good for 3-5 person which comes in a sizzling plate. You can also ask for eggs if you wish to in order to add flavor to the dish.

Entrada’s Sinigang sa Miso

If you are looking for the sour packed variety of food, their Sinigang sa Miso is the way to go. Combinations of different fresh vegetables in this dish will make you sip the soup like crazy. Coming at 200 pesos, this top of the class dish is good for friends of 4-6 persons. Not bad for a 200 peso dish.

Entrada’s Authentic Home-Made Bagnet

The north has made its way to Entrada with their famour bagnet. Served with a special sauce and full of crispiness, their bagnet will make your tastebuds swell and I can tell it. With a price tag of 300 pesos, their bagnet is one of the best I tasted so far and it is good for 5-6 persons. A must try when you visit this resto!

La Fiesta: Largest Filipino Buffet is a buffet concept located at the SM Mall of Asia Complex just beside the MOA Eye.

As we all know, Filipinos like to eat different varieties of food which give great deals in our stomach.

When buying something to eat, we do not like it being limited in one seat. Being in La Fiesta restaurant solves the problem since they are know as the largest Filipino buffet in Mall of Asia and by that, customers are able to choose several varieties of dishes/foods for a great price deal. The costs just differ depending on the time of the day customers are going to eat.

The interior of this buffet restaurant gives a “Wow” factor when we step-in on this Buffet Restaurant and also it is very classy as if you are eating in a 5 star hotel. You can really feel the ambiance of the Filipino Theme in this Restaurant.

(See for more image below)
(Photos are not mine. ctto)

Last but not the least, La Fiesta also prepared a mini live show for the customers. Everyone is serenaded by the acoustic band that plays different kinds of music. They even accept song requests from the audience such as Buwan by Juan Carlos and everyone get along with the band.

(Photo Below showed the Performance of the Acoustic Band. ctto)

It was a great opportunity to try the wide selection of Filipino and foreign foods/drinks in this Buffet Restaurant. We really liked the ambiance of La Fiesta. Really recommend for those people who like to eat different varieties of food which give great deals in their stomach.

Food trip shouldn’t be a burden if you want to try different types of foods whether you are with your family, friends or even just alone. So here are the top 3 budget friendly places that you must try when you go to Tagaytay:

Craving and searching for an authentic Japanese food? Your long search is over! Just right in, Silang Bayan, Cavite wherein you can find

KOJIRO SNACK & FOODHOUSE

This restaurant serves a variety of authentic Japanese snacks that can definitely satisfy your cravings. Their dishes are from the recipes of the owner which is a japanese named Seigo “Kojiro” Sasaki. Through this, they made their dishes satisfyingly delicious that you can taste the taste of Japan with a friendly budget.

Starting off with their most famous signature dish, Koroke — this is made up of potato, breaded, fried and topped with a tomato sauce and mayonnaise and for final topping some garnish. A lot of their customers fell in love with the taste it offers to you the moment that you savored the flavor. This became famous not just because of its taste but also because of its being uncommon to all the Japanese restaurants that we have here in the Philippines. We commonly know takoyaki but not koroke. It is worth 12 pesos per piece only.

                                                                  Next, is their signature ramen that can be served from 3 different amount of spiciness, which are regular just a plain ramen if you’re not into spicy at all and just want to taste and eat some warm Japanese ramen, while for others who ate not really into spicy but wants some spice they’ve got some mild spicy ramen for you and for the adventurers and tough the spicy one is perfect for you. That is worth 120 pesos only!

	Photo taken by: Katherine Mae Bautista:  Mild Spicy Ramen

I just featured two (2) of their signature dishes but I also tried their shawarma, cold champorado, and special coffee jelly as well but so far from what I have tried that I truly enjoyed and will recommend for everyone to try are the two foods that I featured! But they still got a lot on their menu, that is surely flavorful and worth trying for as well.

(see for the photo below for their menu list)

They are open during Sunday to Friday from 12pm to 7 pm and is closed every Saturday. You can visit their facebook page for more: https://www.facebook.com/KojiroKoroke/.

Searching for a place to eat an authentic Bulalo dish that you don’t want to miss when you go to Tagaytay? But budget is the problem or searching for a great taste and quality of bulalo? That’ not a problem any more because I recommend to you

Tito Bee’s Eatery

This restaurant is famous among tourist, locals, especially to cyclers. This is located beside the Bells and Whistles along the Mahogany road.  This Restaurant started from a small eatery until they expanded and recently open their new store.

 Wherein in through this jump up to a newer and bigger place, they serve better to their customers maintaining a low priced with high quality of food. You can enjoy the tasty flavor of warm soup, tender meat and crispy vegetables in you Bulalo with the price of 400 pesos and just add rice that cost 20 pesos and you are all set!

If you want something crispy, fresh and flavorful fish, you can have and enjoy their crispy tawilis with the price of 150 pesos that is already good for 5-6 person.

Aside form their famous dishes, Tito Bee’s eatery also serves a lot of choices for you. From beef, to pork, to sea foods, to vegetables, to chicken whether you like it with sarsa, grilled, fried, a little warm soup, marinated and many more that will truly satisfy your cravings for Filipino foods in a friendly price. You can check their facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tito-Bees-Eatery/653794591448227

After a heavy meal wherein, you just want to chill and grab a cold drink and rest and have a chat time with your friends while enjoying your quality time then here is a great place for you that is just around Tagaytay

DOUGHKNEAD CAFÉ

This Café is just located near the City Market of Tagaytay along the Tagaytay-Sta.Rosa Road that offers a friendly price of beverages and foods that you can enjoy along together in their cozy and pretty café interior.

In this café you can enjoy your favorite milktea drink in very friendly price along side with your favorite pastry that compliments the drink very well.

Sick and tired of your common coffee shop and want to try something new in a cheaper price then Dough Knead Café is perfect for you, it is the coffee shop that you’ve been searching for. For a cheaper price but a high quality and flavorful drink,  you’ve got your favorite Frappuccino already

These two are just samples from their menu.

But if you are more into hot beverages, they’ve got some teas and coffee that can offer to you as well.

These are just some from their menu.

There are also drinks for you if you are not into drinks with caffeine this drink are perfect for you. But these are not just that, these are just samples from what they got for you, if you go and visit their café.

And if you are looking for something that will compliment you drink, hey, don’t go anywhere because they have it as well just like our favorite macaroons, doughnut or even pasta. This is available in their menu

You can go and check their Facebook page for more information: https://www.facebook.com/doughkneadcafe/

So, what are you waiting for, go and visit Silang-Tagaytay and try these budget friendly restaurants to suffice you craving and enjoy you stroll with a full stomach while enjoying the view of Taal Volcano.  These are just some of the must try budget friendly restaurants for you!

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I take all the credits for all the owners of the photos that I have used to their respective owners. Just for educational purposes.

When I was young, I got really fond of eating sweets which became one of the reasons why I am chubby today. One day, my mom and I got hungry and we were wondering what to eat, also considering the hot weather here. We happened to passed by an Amira’s Buco Tart store and decided to order one Buco Tart box. While we were on our way home, I tasted one and WOW it was so delicious! The tart is made of buco, condensed milk, dough, butter, sugar and flour. Maybe you’re wondering why do I have an idea of its ingredients, well simply because I also know how to bake! As a student who has a background in baking, I can say that the Amira’s Buco Tart is a bomb! Every bite counts so you should really savor each and every bite in the pie. It is also affordable that is why it is very recommended to many. If I were to rate it, I can say that it is 9/10.

If you love milkteas and hanging out with friends or with your love ones and your looking for something new and different, Bon Appetea is definitely what ypu are looking for. It is one of the most known Milktea shop here in the Philippines. They come into different variety of foods and drinks.