If It Looks Good, Eat It!

The CABALEN Trinoma Experience

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:27:49 +0000

I’ve always liked Kapampangan food. I never had bad things to say about any Kapampangan restaurants until recently, during the TriNoMa Blogger Food Tour. I cannot speak for the other bloggers who were in my group, but I will speak based on my own experience. I have been working for a service industry for more than three years now and I know that customers should be treated well, if not that well, at least they must be treated with some dignity and respect.

Inside the Cabalen branch at TriNoMa, I felt like my dignity was trampled upon by no less than their manager named Anne. At least that’s what she told me she was. The blogger food tour was supposed to be fun and the participants were expected to learn more about the restaurants, their food and the whole dining experience. So I was expecting that all the partner establishments of the tour were gonna treat us well. I did not want special treatment, all I wanted was decent treatment.

In most of the establishments that we went to during the tour, the managers and staff welcomed us with smiles on their faces and they were very accommodating. I noticed that some of them went the extra mile just so we would feel special (and probably write good stuff about them). And yes, if you treat us well and we truly, honestly love what you offer, we will write good stuff about you.

But we will not write good stuff about Cabalen. The experience was so bad I wanted to make a scene. However, thanks to the previous restaurants we’ve visited, my stomach was no longer grumbling and the bugnuting bakla in me decided to keep cool.

I have never been treated so badly in an establishment the way I was treated, by no less than the manager, in Cabalen. Here’s what transpired based on my own recollection:

When we went in, we were welcomed by an almost-empty restaurant with no wait staff nor other staff i sight. I saw a woman at a table on a corner with what seemed like tons of paperwork. She saw me and the other bloggers I was with but she stayed put until I called her attention with a courteous smile and a friendly “hi.”. When the woman finally approached me, I told her courteously that we were there for the Blogger Food Tour.

She gave me a look and replied with a very dismissive “ok.” She proceeded to the buffet table full of what seemed like very delectable dishes. I knew they were good since I have dined at Cabalen (not the TriNoMa branch) on more than one occasion in my lifetime. In a very unfriendly tone, the woman quipped: “You can only taste 3 dishes: kare-kare, lechon and sisig.” I told her that was fine with me and initially thought that she was leading me to the area where all the three dishes were placed. But to my dismay, I only recognized the kare-kare and didn’t see the lechon nor the sisig anywhere near it. I politely asked her where the lechon and sisig were and she led me to the corner close to the kitchen door.

Noticing that she was quite beleaguered (or should I say bewildered?), I tried engaging her in conversation. My experience working with bar and restaurant owners and staff has taught me that sometimes, even if you are the customer, it is okay to make the first move and start something. I wanted to know more about the store and the food they served us. I wanted her to tell me, like how the other managers of the other establishments told me, why their food is the best and why they have been in business for a long time.

But she didn’t. Instead, I felt an air of arrogance, as if she was telling me that she was too important to be bothered by people who were there just for the free food. I let it pass. Strike two, I said to myself. I asked for her name , and she said it was Ann (or Anne?). I told her I presumed she was the manager to which she replied in the affirmative. I thought that was the end of it and that strike three wouldn’t come.

But no! She did a third strike. The only people who knew that only three dishes were part of the blogger food tour were I and some of the bloggers who went in together with me. Those who came in after we have started eating were not welcomed nor given an orientation about the dishes. There were numerous dishes on display at the buffet table, so it was natural for someone to try out the things that look the most appealing to them. I overheard her talking rudely to some of the bloggers, saying that only three dishes were part of the tour. Some of those who have already gotten items not part of the three had to put the food back onto the serving plates. The others, after some discussion, were allowed to consume the food they have already put on their plates.

This may seem very trivial but I was really offended by how I and the others were treated. I felt like I was dirt. I felt like a beggar being shooed away and told that beggars can’t be choosers. I am not a beggar as I’m sure the other bloggers aren’t. i know some of them are students and some of them are professionals. I will not use a personal attack on her even if she treated my person so badly. I felt really low. Parang tinapakan at inginudngod sa putik ang aking pagkatao. I wanted to confront her but I did not want to make a scene. Such unprofessional behavior should never be displayed in front of customers. We may have eaten for free, but that does not give her the right to treat us the way she did.

After consuming the minimal amount of food on my plate, I headed to La Maison where I was treated in a completely different way. Ann should learn a lesson or two from the management of La Maison who were very welcoming, accommodating and professional. They engaged us in conversation and made sure we enjoyed not only the food but the whole experience of dining with them. it was at that point when I wanted to go back to Cabalen and offer to pay for what we consumed — free or not.

But my other self reminded me to just keep it cool and let it go. Besides, I can always blog about it!

May this serve as a lesson for those working in the service industry: That no matter what type of customers you have, that even if they are dining for free, and even if they do not look as if they are able to pay for the food or cannot afford your food, treat them with respect and never trample on their dignity. I hope that Ann learns a lesson from this and I hope her superiors will give her proper coaching and train her well. I am not calling for a boycott of the establishment and it is not my intention to get her fired. All I want is for her to learn her lesson and gain more professional experience in her capacity as a manager.

But above it all, I just want to be treated with respect. Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

[LinkLove will be updated every so often]

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Verdana and The Food Secrets of the South

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:24:14 +0000

lifetd from Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

I was invited recently to “discover the secrets of the south.” I got curious as to what secrets these were and what they meant by “South,” so I said yes and filed a day off from work since the trip was on a Friday. I found out later on that we were gonna visit Community Innovations, Inc.’s Ayala Verdana Homes Mamplasan¹.

So that was it? That’s the secret of the south? Apparently not. It was a food tour of sorts, hosted by Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz. Onboard a big tourist bus, bloggers and members of the media were treated to a delightful and gastronomic adventure!

Our Awesome Planet’s Anton Diaz with son Aidan

We started with breakfast and a tour of Verdana Homes, which is being marketed as Ayala’s Gateway to the Fine Southern Lifestyle. The gated community reminded me so much of Agrestic (Weeds) and Wysteria Lane (Desperate Housewives). The village is so posh and fabulous! It is a walkable, intimate community that has lots with an average size of 200 sqm. When I looked around, the houses were so beautiful that I immediately thought of purchasing a lot and build my own house there. Then again, I don’t have that much money and by the time I save up enough for down payment, the prices would have already soared through the roof. I heard that now is the best time to invest there since the prices are still low. In three to four year’s time, when Nuvali (a rising metropolitan community in Laguna) is built, the rates at Verdana Homes would also go up.

I would so love to live in a community like that with all the amenities that I can only dream of having easy access to â€” a grand clubhouse (for partying with gay old friends!), adult and kiddie swimming pools, baskteball court (to ogle at hot neighbors), covered badminton courts (for playing with my chica friends), biking and jogging trails, and a multi-purpose skating rink (for my kids to learn at, then move on to become world-class figure skaters!). The place actually offers a lot more but I will not bore you with those details. Let’s move on with the tour.

We actually went on what was dubbed as “The Verdana Gateway Tour,” which revealed to us destinations that make living the South both stimulating and soothing. From Verdana, we headed to our first stop, Ilog Maria Honey Bee Farm in Silang Cavite.

After tasting vintage honey, learning about bees (and the birds too), and buying products made of honey, we then headed off to our next stop, a food stop!

We had lunch at an authentic Vietnamese restaurant called Bawai’s (by authentic I mean REALLY AUTHENTIC since the chef is Vietnamese). Bawai’s serves a healthy mix of traditional and fusion Vietnamese cooking suited to the Filipino palate.

After feasting on Pho Bo, Fresh Shrimp Spring Rolls, Shrimp on Sugar Cane, other Vietnamese delights, we walked a few meters from Bawai’s to get our desserts from another well-kept secret of the south: Chateau Hestia.

Chataeu Hestia is a Bed & Breakfast owned and operated by Austrian Johannes Zehethofer. He served us desserts which were so heavenly: Panna Cotta, Homemade Ferrero Rocher Ice Cream, Chocolate Mousse with Red Wine. We also got a taste of their own wines â€” Limocello! and Vin d’ Orange.

With our tummies full and some of our heads buzzing from the kick of Limoncello (I downed three shots), we all headed back to our bus and departed for Mendez, Tagaytay to discover yet another secret: Yoki’s Farm.

Yoki’s Farm was an unexpected surprise. Who would think that inside a Lettuce Hydroponics Farm is a collection of antique treasures from all over the world? Seeing a hydroponics farm of lettuces was great, alright. But seeing the humongous Buddha statue was just too awesome! The collection of antiques was so magnificent! I wonder how much all of those cost…

Even if we were still full from what we ate at the previous secret spot, we were treated to a Saging Con Lanka Con Hielo Merienda onsite.

We then headed to the T-House (short for Tranquility House) to get a taste of the famous Mang Rudy’s Puto. We also got a tour of the whole Bed & Breakfast cum Boutique Hotel cum Spa Center cum restaurant.

We were then off to our last stop: dinner at Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Yes, another food stop. I was still and knew that my tummy could no longer take more food, but when we got to Kanin Club and saw what they had to offer, I used mind over matter so I would get that Kanin Club experience that Anton was talking about.

Kanin Club served us a lot of food! Different variants of rice (aligue rice, tinapa rice, and others), Crispy Dinuguan (yes!), Crispy Liempo, Sinigang na Tadyang ng Baka, Seafood Kare-kare, and other high-blood-inducing-yet-so-worth-eating dishes! I gave up in the middle of the meal, stopped eating, and went out for a smoke. When I went back in, they were already serving dessert. I knew I was gonna turn it down but when I saw what it was, I called on the dessert gods to help me regain my composure and provide me with enough energy to eat Turon a la Mode. No, their turon was no ordinary turon. It had ingredients like macapuno, monggo, langka, ube and bananas. Now, who would turn that down, right?

I’ve joined a lot of food tours before and I can say that this one is the best ever! Thank you to Anton Diaz of Our Awesome Planet for sharing his secrets in the South, and thank you to Ayala Verdana Homes Mamplasan for making us discover that the south is indeed a great place to experience a fine lifestyle!

More photos at my Flickr Set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ajkenji/sets/72157604995876865/

Community Innovations is Ayala Land’s standard-bearer for innovation in residential living. It builds balanced, harmonious communities where the living experience enhances the lifestyle aspirations of its customers. For inquiries, you may call them at +63 2 848 5100 (Metro Manila) or 1-800-10-848-5100 (Outside Metro Manila). Verdana Homes Showroom is located at the 2nd level of Alabang Town Center ↩

7-Eleven’s Big Bite Match Hotdog Eating Contest

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 01:06:49 +0000

If there’s one passion that Filipinos are known for, it’s food! We love to cook and we most definitely love to eat! And eat with gusto at that – whatever type of food it is, we eat it! Another thing that Filipinos love is a good challenge. Combine good food and good challenge and you get…

7-Eleven’s Big Bite Match Hotdog Eating Contest!

7-Eleven Philippines (which is celebrating its 25th year of being the largest convenience chain store in the Philippines) recently unveiled a competitive battlefield for Filipinos. This gastronomic competition is one of the biggest and widest of its kind ever assembled in the country to date! This, my friends, is what you call competitive eating!

The contest is open to all 7-Eleven Filipino patrons. Here are the details:

Interested parties (aka Filipino eating machines) can join by going to a 7-Eleven outlet and avail of the Big Bite Pack from now until August 15.
Each Big Bite pack contains five hotdog sandwiches (the variants/flavors are the participants’ choice) and one Big Gulp.
Participants must finish all five sandwiches in the shortest possible time. A timekeeper will be onsite to keep track of each participant’s total time.
At the signal of the timekeeper, the participant may start eating. Putting dressing (mayonnaise or catsup) on their hotdog sandwiches is allowed.
Participants may consume the hotdog sandwiches however they want: breaking the sandwich into pieces, separating the buns from the hotdog, dunking the sandwich into the Big Gulp, flattening it, or whatever strategy they think will help them consume the hotdogs faster.
The fastest eaters from 7-Eleven outlets nationwide will compete in a grand culminating event where only one will be proclaimed champion.
The grand champion will receive a whopping P500,000.00 cash!

Wanna see a sample of how it’s done? Take a look at this video of one of the world’s best competitive eaters, Tom “Goose” Gilbert:

Champion competitive eater Tom “Goose” Gilbert demonstrates competitive eating at the launch of 7-Eleven Philippines’ Big Bite Match Hotdog Eating Contest! In this demo, he consumed 10 hotdog sandwiches in just 3 minutes and 23 seconds! (3:23). Beat that Pinoys!

So, kaya mo ba to? Kumain ka na, nabusog ka na rin, nagka-P500,000 ka pa! Tara na, 7-Eleven na!

7-Eleven is celebrating its 25th year of being the largest convenience store chain in the Philippines. For inquiries about franchising, please contact the Customer Hotline at 724-10-31 or the Mobile Hotline at 0920-945-2036. Big Bite ® Match is the biggest competitive eating event in the Philippines visit www.eatingmachinesphilippines.com/ for more information.

RedBox and the Beers of the World

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 20:21:00 +0000

lifted from Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

Yes, I wanted to swallow, but i was forced to spit it. I’m talking about beer. Red Box recently had their Beer Appreciation Night where bloggers and the media were treated to a night overflowing with, well, BEER! The beer-tasting was held on a weeknight,which meant that I had to go to work and I couldn’t drink any alcoholic drink. So as much as I wanted to swallow the alcoholic liquid, I had to fight the temptation and spit it out. Better safe than sorry.

I’m a Red Box regular and I have to admit that I used to bitch about their limited choices of beer products (read: they did not have my beer brand Miller MGD). But now, I don’t think I will ever bitch again. Red Box, the karaoke place that always has something new up their sleeves, started singing to the tune of Global Karaoke Entertainment and is now offering a selection of international beers.

There is an ongoing trend in the market for international beers. Filipinos are now much more discerning when it comes to beer. And Red Box is keeping up with this trend by continuing to reinvent its rosters of beers. And during the Beer Appreciation Night, I got to taste some of the international beers that they carry:

Budweiser (USA) – Very specific flavor balance

Leffe Blond (Ireland) – Medium-bodied, lightly-peated malt with a slightly sweet smokiness

Cerveza Negra (Philippines) – Dark Lager

Heineken (Germany) – light Pilsner with full-flavor and a soft and pleasant aftertaste

Becks (Germany) – Smoky, wheaty flavor and a touch of bitterness that finishes clearly
(One of my personal favorites)

Kirin Beer (Japan) – wot, barley malt, premium hops, smooth finish and no bitter aftertaste
(My Favorite!)

Hoegarden (Belgium) – Coriander-flavored beer
(One of my personal favorites! And not just because of the name!)

Stella Artois (Belgium) – bottom-fermented pilsner lager
(another one of my favorites!)

And beer isn’t fun without pulutan, right? Red Box believes that Good Beer deserves Good Food so they are also offering the perfect food matches to their beers! Here’s a list of their beer choices and their respective food pairs:

Heineken – German Gottingen Sausages (Sausages grilled and sliced, flavored with some aromatic herbs and spices)
Budweiser - Buffalo Chicken Wings (Marinated big chicken wings with spicy chili sauce and baked to perfection)
Kirin – Fish and Chips (Fish and chips marinated and breaded using Japanese breadcrumbs and served with malt vinegar or tartar sauce)
Hoegarden – Baked Mussels (Mussels baked with spinach and cheese on top of it)
Stella Artois – BLT (Crispy bacon, lettuce and salad tomato in one sandwich)
Beck’s – Crispy Pata (Crispy pata simmered and cooked till tender and fried)

Whenever I’m left with only two choices (as in most bars and restaurants) â€“ San Mig Light or Pale Pilsen â€“ I’d choose Pale. I know it’s very butch and is quite unsophisticated, but I seriously abhor the taste of Light. So knowing that Red Box has expanded their beer selection and each beer paired with its perfect food match makes me a happy camper. Can’t wait for my next Red Box Karaoke experience.

And yes, I will definitely swallow!

Experience a different level of Karaoke high only at Red Box with branches in Greenbelt 3 and Trinoma. For more information and inquiries, call 757-6188 or visit www.redbox.com.ph

My Just Desserts

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:18:27 +0000

lifted from Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

Free Dessert? Sure would love that! My friends know that I’m such a sucker for desserts. And it would be heaven if I had like one table full of desserts for me. And I’d like to thank TriNoMa and Yehey.com for inviting me to the Dessert Haven: Overflowing Dessert Choices! I knew that I was gonna have a great time and I was gonna have a sugar rush so I filed for a vacation leave from work on that day.

And sugar high I was! There was dessert after dessert after dessert… And yes, I got my just desserts!

I got to sample (for free) desserts of different shapes, sizes and levels of sweetness! Apparently, those desserts were part of TriNoMa’s Free Dessert Promo. For every single-receipt purchase at any 3rd and 4th level TriNoma Park restaurant, you are entitled to a free dessert. The last leg of this promo will be on March 13 to 16 during mall hours at TriNoMa.

Wanna see what you’re gonna get? Check out the slideshow below or view the photos at my Flickr account.

Pepper Lunch is Pepper Lunch

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 20:13:58 +0000

lifted from Bakla Ako, May Reklamo?

Pepper Lunch is Pepper Lunch, just like Anna Dizon is Anna Dizon. Then again, I’m compelled to disagree with myself and say that Pepper Lunch is more than just Anna Dizon. I’m not making sense am I? If one does not need to explain further why Anna Dizon is Anna Dizon, one has to explain why Pepper Lunch is Pepper Lunch. Then again, photos and words just won’t do Pepper Lunch justice as you really have to taste the food and get your own Pepper Lunch experience. Just writing this entry makes me hungry already.

Yesterday afternoon, at the Chowking Halo-Halo event, I learned that Jayvee and Phoebe were going to have dinner at PL. So my assuming self did not bat an eyelash and volunteered to tag along. After all, I have been itching to eat at PL ever since Chuvaness started posting about PL on her blog.

It seemed like there was a foodie conference when we got to Pepper Lunch. Foodies (the real ones, I’m just a pseudo-foodie!) in attendance were Jayvee, Phoebe, Juned, Sophie, Didi and Fran.

I just had to have my photo taken with the now-famous Julian!

I got the Shimofuri Pepper Steak. Mahalia Mendez, but deadmalyn kase I knew that it was gonna be so worth it. This is the sosyal fast food!

My and Phoebe’s Bill:

I ordered the Shimofuri Steak which was so worth it. The Shimofuri is very tender and juicy and the flavor is a delight to my taste buds, which are used to pagkain mahirap (chos!).

Shimofuri Steak, P635.00 (with drink and rice)

We also got to taste their desserts (Vanilla Crepe Cake, Molten Milk Chocolate, Kuromitsu Soft Ice Cream) and this one is my favorite!

Molten Milk Chocolate (P120.00)
This is so sinfully delicious.

I was impressed not only with the food but also with the service. Even if they had a lot customers, it did not take forever to get our food served. I haven’t even finished setting up my foodie instruments (aka point and shoot Verzio cam, pen, notebook, and taste buds) and the food already arrived. Talk about fast food! Fast sosyal food!

Everything about Pepper Lunch is so great, even the smell it leaves on your clothes!

(Click here to view their menu or join the Pepper Lunch Facebook group)

July 13 is International Krispy Kreme Day!

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 16:05:27 +0000

July 13 is a big day for donut lovers the whole world over as Krispy Kreme, makers of premium-quality sweet treats, celebrates its 72nd Anniversary. Krispy Kreme has been in the business for six dozen years and Krispy Kreme fans and loyal customers have a lot to look forward to on Monday, July 13 including a special promotion to be announced on that day.

Troop to your local participating Krispy Kreme Philippines store and you will get a FREE Original Glazed doughnut with any purchase! But wait, there’s more! You can also join the Philippines “Friends of Krispy Kreme” via http://www.krispykreme.com.ph to find out first about other exciting promotions.

So go and spread this good news to your family and friends!

Kuvi: Mindanao Civet Coffee

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 21:15:15 +0000

Kuvi is Mindanao Civet Coffee that comes only from the finest ripe, organically grown, coffee cherries of Mindanao’s forests. The world’s rarest and best tasting coffee revered for its luscious chocolatey taste. Isn’t now the time to taste the ultimate brew?

People’s organic products support farming communities. These are produced observing fair trade principles and environmentally friendly practices. Buy their products, support livelihoods, improve well being and inspire the maintenance of a balanced ecology.

Meticulously picked and gulped by nocturnal palm civets (called alamid or musang in the Philippines) that freely roam the forests, the cherry pulp gets digested but the bean remains intact. The beans undergo chemical processing in the civet’s digestive system and are eventually excreted whole, appearing undigested.

During the coffee season (November – March), farmers collect civet droppings and extract the beans by carefully washing and cleaning them before drying.

After drying, the farmers bring the clean beans to MinLand Foundation. MinLand subjects the beans to quality control measures and testing like size sorting, moisture content evaluation and random physical checks for consistency and authenticity. MinLand then washes and dries the beans further.

When the beans are dry enough, the outer covering of the bean is physically removed. Beans are roasted and packed thereafter. The coffee finally undergoes disinfection through Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation to destroy pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, mold, and mildew.

Kuvi is strong and naturally sweet when roasted. It gives off a sweet chocolatey aroma that rouses the senses.

The coffee concoction has a fine, smooth and clean taste and is perfect for high power meetings or to simply jumpstart your day. Enjoy it black and pure.

Kuvi also provides a dignified livelihood for Mindanao rural communities and promotes healthy ecosystem.

PhP 1,000/bottle + Shipping ORDER NOW! (For order inquiries, email kuvi@baklaako.com or text 0908 7568674

Learn more about KUVI here:
www.moveonphil.org
www.minland.ph
http://minland.multiply.com

Technorati Tags: civet coffee, kape musang, civet poop, mindanao land, philippine coffee, kape alamid

Win ASUS EEE PCs from Bo’s Coffee

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 21:43:36 +0000

Bo’s Coffee and Asus Philippines are raffling off five Asus EEE PCs! How do you win?

Every P200.00 purhcase at Bo’s Coffee will earn you one raffle ticket. The promo period ends on May 31, 2009. Five Asus EEE PC S101H are up for grabs!

What is an Asus EEE PC S101H? From Dilismedia:

It is light weight making it ideal for easy traveling.

It can work with up to 5 hours with ASUS exclusive Super Hybrid Engine which greatly enhances its energy efficiency. Eee PC™ S101H provides comfortable computing with 10.2 LED backlight display and 92% full size keyboard.

And its extra 10GB Eee Storage service and build-in WiFi 802.11n makes sharing easy.

So go ahead, have your coffee and get a PC!

Looking for a Bo’s Coffee near you? Click here to locate Bo’s Coffee branches.

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf Offers Double and Pure Double Chocolate!

AJ of BaklaAko.com — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 07:05:00 +0000

Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf makes the holiday season more fun and tasty with their new offerings:Â Double Chocolate Ice Blended, Hot Double Chocolate, and Pure Double Chocolate Ice Blended.

While I’m more of a coffee person (and more of a Tea Latte – African Sunrise Tea Latte to be more precise), I’d definitely try these out!

And besides, they have an ongoing promo where you get a planner and donate to a charitable organization!Â Details at myGanda Ako!

The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is located at TriNoMa, SM The Block, Gateway, Ortigas Park, Paseo Center, Bonifacio High Street, Mall of Asia, Convergys Ayala Avenue, Salcedo Village, Alabang Town Center, Rockwell, Robinson’s Ermita, Grreenhills Promenade, Robinson’s Galleria, Eastwood, Tomas Morato and 2 more branches in Cebu. Visit their website at http://www.coffeebean.com.ph