There’s nothing like the thrill of stumbling upon a random roadside eatery that serves great food, especially one that uses US Angus Beef for their tapa. 

The words “US Angus Beef Tapa” plastered on an outdoor signage caught my eye while I was gazing out of the car window. We were on our way back to the office, famished and tired, when those words hit me – US Angus Beef Tapa. The words reverberated in my mind, alluring me with images of moist and tender meat, softening my willpower.

“Take a U-turn!”, I shrieked seconds after we passed by Tapsilog Centrale, giving in to my cravings. After all, it’s not every day you find US Angus Beef outside a fancy restaurant setting. And that day is definitely not the day to miss it.

The sign that makes you stop and take a U-turn

Across Tapsilog Centrale: Alfred’s Motor Works Car Restoration

Nestled in an unassuming spot in front of a car restoration shop along the busy street of Kamuning, Tapsilog Centrale is a humble open air roadside eatery adorned with red chairs and red plaid tablecloth. It’s the perfect spot when you’re simply hankering for good food without the fuss of dressing up. You can pop in there in your casual clothes, heck even in your pambahay deck. Good thing since I was sporting that haggard after-meeting look that day.

Despite Tapsilog Centrale’s simple interiors, its menu carries premium food items such as their advertised US Angus Beef Tapa, Hungarian sausages, Schublig sausages, Sans rival, and Mango Brazo de Mercedes, all within the price range of Php125-200. Not bad, eh? Come ordering time, the idea of desserts lingered in my mind for awhile, but I later returned to my main objective: I was there for that dish that made made me look twice, their US Angus Beef Tapa.

Our Tapa orders were cooked on the long table fronting the customers. Though food preparation was made public, the cooking demonstration was not much of a show. No kitchen flipping tricks here and there. I don’t take this against them at all. For me, it is but a testament to the pride that Tapsilog Centrale has in the simplicity of their food, relying heavily on the quality of their ingredients. After all, if you use US Angus Beef for your tapa, window dressing is unnecessary. It can stand on its own.

What’s great about Angus meat is that it develops better marbling or greater amount of intramuscular fat as compared to other types of cattle meat. Greater marbling is generally agreed to improve flavor, moisture, and tenderness of the meat. Not all Angus beef are the same though. Those stamped with the “Certified US Angus Beef” brand passed stringent quality specifications of age, color, marbling and tenderness, ensuring product integrity. Tapsilog Centrale showcases this certification on their signage.

They cook your food right in front of you!

Original US Angus Beef Tapa (Tapsilog) – Php125

True to the promise of quality, the tapa was incredibly juicy and tender requiring barely any chewing on my part. That’s a huge plus on my book since I usually shy away from beef given the rarity of the tender type.

Condiments are uncalled for with this dish. The tapa simply elicited superior flavor that dipping it in vinegar would be sacrilegious. If there’s any fault to this dish, the egg honestly felt a little rubbery but next to the US Angus Beef Tapa, that’s negligible.

Would I go back to Tapsilog Centrale? In a heartbeat. In as much as I love dining in restaurants, finding hole-in-wall gems brings much more satisfaction. Most especially if that hole-in-the-wall serves US Angus Beef Tapa!

The post Tapsilog Centrale Karinderia and their US Angus Beef Tapa appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

More “work food” choices in Tomas Morato, finally. 

A food blogger working near Tomas Morato – a dream come true, right? Well, I cannot afford to splurge on food every single day. Though Tomas Morato Avenue is brimming with ever changing restaurants, value for money food options are scarce. Finding meals priced at Php150 or below in the area is quite a challenge so repeating food within the week often happens to me.

Manang’s Chicken is one of my go-to restaurants for a regular workday lunch. I eat there so often that it has appeared on my Instagram and my blog on quite a number of occasions. It was a breath of fresh air then when I received an invitation to taste the new menu additions of Manang’s Chicken. Going beyond their signature double deep fried chicken with soy garlic sauce, they have expanded their menu to include side dishes, desserts, and more rice meal options.

Manang’s Chicken New Menu Items: Garlic Pork Meal, Chips and Dip, Side Dishes (Php29 each), Red Velvet Sunday

Valentine Special Dessert – Red Velvet Sundae

So on my lunch break, I took RJ with me for a complete meal at Manang’s Chicken: Chips and Dip for appetizer, Garlic Pork, Coleslaw and Buttered Corn as side dishes, and Red Velvet Sundae for dessert.

Garlic Pork Meal (Php109)

A closer look at the Garlic Pork

Main highlights were their Garlic Pork Meal, a welcome alternative to my staple chicken order, and their addictive Chips and Dip. Manang’s Chicken’s Garlic Pork is lightly breaded and deep fried until crispy. My pork slab seemed to be deep fried a tad too long since it came out a tough, but the toasted garlic and crumbs topping still provided the nice crunch and flavor in the end. A little less time in the deep fryer and I would definitely go back for this dish.

Chips and Dip (Regular w/ 1 dip – Php39; Large w/ 2 dips – Php64)

Dip choices: Creamy Cheese, Garlic Mayo, Spicy Ketchup

The Chips and Dip though were faultless, the embodiment of the word “craving”. Snack addict behavioral pattern dictates that I would soon have episodes of sneaking out of the office for a handful of these golden tongues of potatoes. These chips are not only made from real potatoes, they are also sliced to perfection for that priceless crunch. Oh music to my ears! A choice of any of the three dips: creamy cheese, garlic mayo, and spicy ketchup, are served alongside these chips. They go best with the Garlic Mayo in my opinion.

After our food tasting, I’m pretty sure my social media will have photos of Manang’s Chicken again but this time around, it’ll always have those gosh darn Chips and Dip on the side.

The post Expanding my Lunch Food Options with Manang’s Chicken appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

If you are a Nigella or an Anthony Bourdain fan, then it’s a must for you to watch this new competitive reality TV cooking show, The Taste.

“Smarla, there’s a food show on Lifestyle Network that’s similar to The Voice but for food!” RJ shares with me during one of our late night conversations, narrating to me some scenes from the show.

RJ and I share a passionate love for cooking shows. Though we cannot taste the food like some of my friends point out (when they say it’s useless to watch competitive cooking shows), we simply love immersing ourselves in food: restaurants, cooking, baking, markets, food books, cookbooks… as long as it’s food related, we’re game. Cooking TV shows are no different. We could easily consume the whole day engrossed in food shows. We snack on them like peanuts. So as soon as our phone call ended, I turned to Youtube to watch the trailer of The Taste:

It’s blind taste testing at its best and cooks are judged solely on one spoon. They have to make sure the flavors and their respective proportions are represented in that one fateful spoon.

The spoons that will determine everything

The Taste Judges/Mentors

The first two episodes of the season focused on the blind taste test audition where the judges build their own “Kitchen” groups of four cooks namely: Ludo’s Kitchen, Nigella’s Kitchen, Malarkey’s Kitchen and Anthony’s Kitchen. Nigella and Anthony are both popular food authors and tv personalities starring in their own food shows, Nigella Feasts and No Reservations respectively. Ludo, on the other hand, is a French chef who started his culinary training while he was still an adolescent, eventually opening his very own restaurant named, Ludobites. The final judge, Brian Malarkey, was a Top Chef: Miami Season 3 contestant who was inspired to cook by his grandmother. He was voted Best Chef in San Diego in 2007 while working as the Executive Chef in Oceanaire Seafood Room.

Kitchen Groups of 4 Cooks

After the audition, the rest of the episodes follow a very simple format:

• 1st Round – Group Challenge 
• 2nd Round – Individual Challenge

1st Round – Team Challenge

She’s Filipino!

1st Round – Guest Judge for the Team Challenge

The 1st round is judged blind by a guest judge to allow the four mentors to cook together with their teams using the ingredients thoughtfully picked out by the four mentors for their teams. Only one spoon will represent each team, giving the winning cook immunity for the Individual Challenge.

The four mentors take on a different role as judges in the 2nd round where they will each pick their favorite dish (a gold star) and their worst dish (a red star). Since the spoons are judged blind, the mentors may even pick their own team member’s food as the worst dish. Two or three chefs with the worst dishes are then sent home until the competition boils down to The Final 4. This formulaic format goes on from episode 3 onwards, which can get a bit tiresome at times, but the judges’ bantering and the contestants’ creativity with food make up for it.

The Taste premiered in the Philippines last April 15, 2013. If you want to watch The Taste on TV, catch it every Monday night at 10pm on Lifestyle Network.

The post ABC’s The Taste Airing on Lifestyle Network appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

No, I’m not out to buy cellphone load. I’m in this karinderia to grab some gourmet breakfast with RJ.

I guess even Elmo’s eating here today

You didn’t misread anything. This random roadside eatery (karinderia) really serves gourmet breakfast all day!

Its unassuming facade provides quite a challenge in locating it but the entire neighborhood seems to be in the know with regards to Kanto Freestyle Breakfast. After all, this place easily gets packed at night as tables and chairs creep into the street to accomodate the burgeoning number of diners. Yes, it’s that popular.

RJ and I arrive sometime between lunch and dinner on a Sunday, miraculously slipping in as the karinderia‘s only customers – well for the first fifteen minutes, that is! This little lead time gives us ample time anyway to stop ourselves from ordering the entire menu. I swear, their menu’s food photographs are winking at us, slaying our inhibitions and making us vulnerable to their charms. Why must they all look so good? Must.resist.ordering.too.much.food. Must.stay.strong.

Mixed Berry Pancakes (Php90)

Transporting me back to happy childhood breakfasts

Utilizing our willpowers to their maximum level, we each place an order and agree to share just one dessert, their Mixed Berry Pancakes, which winds up as our appetizer, arriving first on our table. The sun’s scorching heat lends a hand in spreading the butter, quickly melting it on top of the fluffy pancakes, blending into the luscious thick maple syrup, blueberry and strawberry jams, resulting into an interplay of soft and velvety textures with the right balance of acidity and sweetness. It’s comfortingly nostalgic like childhood memories of Sunday morning cartoons, hitting me right in my happy spot.

Batangas Beef Tapa served with two eggs, garlic rice, and tomato pesto (Php90)

Someone’s really happy with his food

Kanto Eggs Benedict (Php90)

This childhood excitement further escalates as I catch a glimpse of my Kanto Eggs Benedict: poached eggs resting on top of salty bacon and slathered with creamy Hollandaise sauce. Since it’s Kanto style, english muffins are replaced with white bread. Not a fan of the bread choice but the sight of runny golden yolks from the knife’s slither triggers even more endorphins. Perfectly poached eggs for Php90, folks. Now that’s something. RJ’s Batangas Beef Tapa is moist and tender but its the side tomato pesto that deserves much praise.

Bacon and Eggs Pancake (Php90)

After the last slice of my Eggs Benedict, images of the menu’s food photos take over me and an insatiable craving for another dish emerges. Giving in to my desire, I shyly look up at RJ in attempt to communicate this burning feeling. His eyes meet mine and without any words, we call in for another round of pancakes, this time with bacon and eggs on the side. Those food photos definitely win this round against our willpowers, but you know what, I’m glad they did. Those fluffy pancakes do not disappoint, leaving our starch-filled bellies with much content.

Before leaving the place, RJ and I make a promise to make a return trip. Kanto Freestyle Breakfast, after all, is the embodiment of RJ and I’s idea of a perfect food trip: affordable but comfortingly good food set against in a relaxed atmosphere. Most definitely, we’ll be back for even more gourmet breakfast really soon. I can’t wait.

The post Kanto Freestyle Breakfast: The All Day Gourmet Breakfast Karinderia appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

Fellow Speculoos fans, there’s another reason to bombard your Instagram with even more Cookie Butter posts – we’ve found another source of even more jars of this pure awesome! And it’s just in Katipunan. 

I first encountered this soul gratifying spread when a friend dangled a jar of Speculoos spread before us at the lunch table, “Guys, you HAVE to try this. You will LOVE this! Grab a spoon.” My friends and I took turns dipping into this mysterious jar, curious to see what’s all the fuss about. Within seconds, we were zoning out into our own spheres, satisfyingly consuming spoonfuls of Speculoos Cookie Butter like happy cats licking their paws. Damn, it’s good. Really good.

My first encounter, a love at first sight, or taste in this situation

Though peanut buttery brown, the Speculoos Cookie Butter’s flavor is distinct, a mixture of caramel and gingerbread cookies reminiscent of the good old campfire staple, graham crackers. It’s silky yet slight gooey at the same time with a bit of crunch from the crushed Speculoos spiced biscuits. There’s a hint of cinnamon, some nuttiness, and a lot of brown sugar but it’s surprisingly not too sweet. I literally ate spoonful after spoonful of this spread without drinking any water! By the way, Go Nuts Donuts is now serving Cookie Butter doughnuts and they’re amazing.

“Where did you get this???”, I asked with much urgency midway through my first spoonful of Cookie Butter. I had to know. It’s of utmost importance to me to learn how to obtain another jar. This spread cannot go to waste. It badly needs a spot in my baking cabinet.

“Just go to The Food Bin along Katipunan Extension. It’s located behind Wham! Burgers.” He divulged this information after first luring me to just buy off the jar from him. Haha. Upon disclosure, a trip to The Food Bin automatically went to my weekend agenda!

Literally right behind Wham Burger

When looking for The Food Bin, don’t trust those maps you see online even the one on Foursquare. It will only confuse you. Trust me, I would know. Simply go up the flyover from Katipunan Avenue towards Katipunan extension and look for Wham! Burgers on your right side. Park your car infront of Wham! Burgers and walk through the alley on the right. There you will see a two storey blue building like the one on the photo above. Go through the bike shop on the first floor and follow the staircase, which will lead you to the Speculoos Cookie Butter gold mine!

The Speculoos Gold Mine in Quezon City (Php450/jar)

Shelves and shelves of Cookie Butter and even more jars hidden away in boxes!

The Food Bin carries two of its variants: regular and crunchy. I personally prefer the crunchy type for that additional oomph in texture. The owners share with me that customers go in there and hoard boxes and boxes of Speculoos. Wow that’s a new level of addiction right there! So before you run out of Speculoos, make sure to grab yourself at least one jar. You won’t regret it, I swear.

There are, of course, other sources of Speculoos Cookie Butter like Blue Kitchen and Milky Way, but The Food Bin also carries spices, seasoning, cheeses, meats, and ice cream, which might fuel your inner cook.

Inside The Food Bin

A nice rub for meat!

Feeling Chinese?

If there’s a cook-off in your household, I would definitely pay The Food Bin a visit and grab one of those Trader Joe’s spices or some Panda Express sauces if you’re going Chinese.

Or if you’re looking to impress some guests, their Japanese steaks, pork ribs, or artisan cheeses might do the trick. As for me, I happily grabbed a can of Ghirardelli Premium Hot Cocoa and a jar of Speculoos Crunchy Cookie Butter. I could already imagine myself sipping my hot chocolate in the morning while eating my hearty pancakes slapped with cookie butter. Yuuum!

If you’re planning to hoard jars of Speculoos or you’re just itching to try new food, check out The Food Bin along Katipunan extension. Their wide array of selection will drive you insane. Crazy enough to flood your Instagram with even more food photos!

The post The Speculoos Cookie Butter Craze and The Food Bin appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

Warning: Contains Smarla’s thoughts on turning 25. High probability for cheesiness.

Days leading up to my birthday, I found myself caught in an unending spiral of self reflection and self doubt.

The array of questions, I did not mind. It’s the wave of emotions that accompanied them that I did not welcome. This must be what they coin as Quarter Life Crisis? Ugh, I’m such a cliché!

Living in my illusory world of “I’m still a fresh grad”, I felt I had all the time in the world to spare. Just go out, have fun, and explore! Now that I’m 25, 4 years after college, I find myself wide-eyed in another world called reality. Reality strikes hard as the unnerving thought of settling down and having my own family lurks in the periphery. Aaaack, can somebody hit the brakes? I never expected turning 25 would leave such a stinging life marker!

In the midst of my Quarter Life Crisis (so cliché, I hate it), I found myself wallowing and wondering what I have done with my post-college life. Did I make the right decisions? What if I didn’t take the road less traveled; would life be frostier, Robert Frost? “I should be farther along now…”, I thought to myself.

Engulfed in my frustrations, I woke up one day with a burning desire to simply drop everything and start fresh. Paint on a new canvas! Start 25 with a bang! But an unexpected shift of perspective came about over a fastfood breakfast with a friend in the middle of the busy streets of Manila. Of all places! Maybe, just maybe, there’s so much more to be grateful for than to be frustrated about.

My 25th birthday was shortly followed by my brief Makati girl stint. I enrolled in a 3 day class in Makati, forcing me to couch surf at a friend’s place for its duration. Those three days gave me a much needed break from work and a sweet taste of independence. Feeling like a stranger in the business district, I became heavily reliant on coffee shops where I found myself swimming in my thoughts.

Reaching this age, I honestly haven’t quite figured out yet how I want to be defined or as my friend calls it “finding your groove.” I am only starting to grasp the concept of prioritizing after years of playing jack of all trades, dabbling into everything I could get my hands on. I thought I could do all of them at the same time until I was constantly falling asleep from sheer exhaustion. It’s time I have laser-like focus and commit myself to one thing. It’s time to carve out my niche.

Dosed with ounces of caffeine running through my veins, I realized that dropping everything right now is not an option. Starting fresh in this case is just a disguise for running away. I must confront my frustrations head on and stop letting life make my decisions for me. Wow, all these reflections from drinking coffee? I should probably have more cups in a day.

Now I’m back to regular programming at work and at home but with a renewed sense of vigor. Sometimes we do not need to take drastic changes to answer or attempt to answer the lingering questions. Sometimes all it takes is a fresh perspective.

So it’s still the road less traveled for me from this point forward but this time with a laser-like focus and a take charge attitude.

—

For those who are 25 and up, where were you when you were 25? For those in their early 20s, are you also going through Quarter Life Crisis? Share your stories in the comments section below.

The post The Quarter Life and Reflections in Some Coffee Shop appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

After a year since my first visit, I’m back at one of my favorite coffee shops in the Metro, Subspace Coffee House. This time around I’m here on a Girls’ Night Out.

It’s been awhile since I’ve been on a night out with these girls. Still remember our Tomas Morato escapade: Celsius Cuisine, Ariake, Fleur De Lys, Banapple?

I texted these girls out of the blue with a plea to have a “detox” session. You see, my workplace is 95% guys and in as much as I love them, I think I’ve reached my tipping point. Too much green jokes and testosterone music on a daily basis! I found myself yearning (yes, yearning!) for more girls in my life! I terribly need to balance the scale. So stereotype as it sounds, we went on a manicure & pedicure session after work and filled the night with nothing but girly topics. Finally, just what I needed!

Manicure and Pedicure Session at Luxe Lounge, Robinsons Galleria

Capping off the night, I introduced the girls to my favorite Korean coffee shop, Subspace Coffee House. I don’t know what it is about Korean coffee shops, but they have their way of working into my heart. Remember I was gushing about Cafe Noriter back then? I simply adore the artsy love they pour into their coffee spaces. Subspace Coffee House is no exception.

Eva!

Wall-e!

Peppered with toys and quirky showpiece items, this coffee house is brimming with youthfulness; though the soft glow of their lamps and the impeccable interior styling add much sophistication. With such eye for detail, it’s no surprise that the coffee shop’s owners are also the same furniture designers behind Space Encounters. Notice the eye-catching chair art installation on the ceiling!

Chair art installation at Subspace Coffee House’s ceiling

The place provides a taste of Seoul’s coffee shop culture with its endless K-pop background music and very distinct shop personality. Yes, Seoul is very serious about their coffee. They even have a cafe filled with cats!

Ortigas’ Subspace Coffee House fuses together elements of outer space, geekery, vintage, and K-Pop icons, into one quaint cafe that invites long hours of lounging around. The girls and I do take our sweet time, acclimating to the relaxed atmosphere, taking photographs of the place (very photogenic if I must say), and catching up on each other’s lives. The perfect venue for our night out!

<3

Les Miserables!

Food is also a good reason to hang out in Subspace Coffee House. Their glass display boasts of a wide selection of pastries to choose from. Though in both visits, I’ve only ordered their specialty drink, their Sweet Purple Potato (Kamote) Latte. I know it sounds alien to mix kamote with coffee in the Philippines but it’s apparently common in Seoul. Peanut Butter Latte is another house special, which my friend, Robbie, tried on our first visit.

Sweet Purple Potato Latte was our choice of drink for the night. Cold for me and Chel, their hot version for Kiwee. Opt for their hot drinks if I may suggest. Not only do they seemingly taste better, they also sport adorable latte art that’ll tug your heartstrings. Kiwee’s drink had a cat on it! Took awhile for her to have the heart to ruin the cat art latte. Oh darn you pretty beverage!

These pastries tempt my soul too much with their luscious looks and buttery finish!

Cold Sweet Purple Potato Latte (Php155)

Kiwee and her Sweet Purple Potato Kitten

The night rolled on as our stories kept flowing and our drinks slowly inched their way to the bottom of our cups. With high spirits, we later bid farewell to our official Girls’ Night Out when one of the boyfriends arrived. The girls and I promised each other to make this a regular thing before parting. Let’s see how that goes but I’m grateful with how the girl date turned out.

Thank you Subspace Coffee House for housing us! This won’t definitely be the last. Thank you also to Chel and Kiwee for a night of girlyness. Now I feel recharged and ready to go back to my guy-centric workplace, haha!

The post Girls’ Night Out at Subspace Coffee House appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

Getting paid to eat and travel is one the best jobs in the world.

I can’t help but feel so envious each time I watch an episode of Anthony Bourdain’s No Boundaries and Adam Richman’s Man vs. Food. But I can’t do those monstrous eating challenges, haha!

I don’t know, I must have been hit with a brick of wanderlust on my head. After graduating, I find myself floating in my dreams of traveling, getting lost, and immersing myself in different cultures and new experiences. I’m particularly intrigued by my own country. I just want to embark on a non-stop road trip to every province in the Philippines!

At the Largest Catholic Church in Asia

On top of the largest Catholic Church in Asia!

You see, I’ve always been the sheltered kid. Home, school, org work – you get the picture. Despite living in the same country for more than 20 years (damn, I’m old!), I feel I’m missing out. There’s so much to learn, so much to discover, so much reason to fall in love and keep on falling in love with the country I grew up in.

So last year, when the opportunity came to start a travel group that espouses art, culture, and history, I said yes in a heartbeat. And that’s how our baby, Culture Shock PH, was born.

Tonyo, our wide-eyed travelling tarsier

We still have a long way to go but I love how Culture Shock PH has brought me closer to people who are as eager and as hungry as I am to learn more about the Philippines. It’s such a blessing to find myself at awe at every ocular. That’s exactly how I felt when we traveled to Taal Heritage Town.

I don’t know if it’s just me and my sheltered ways, but I never knew that such a romantic town in Taal existed! When you say Taal, only images of Tagaytay, the volcano, and the lake, come to mind. That’s pretty much it. But Taal Heritage Town is such a spirited place, drumming to its own beat. The whole town is practically a living museum! How come I missed out on this town for 20+ years of my life?

Travelling with Osep of Culture Shock PH

Hidden escape door!

The architecture of Taal Heritage Town is simply astonishing. It takes me back to different point in time, back to the charm of the old Spanish days. Unlike other provinces, the heritage homes aren’t limited to a single stretch of road. They’re everywhere and in pristine condition! Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but they’re well preserved and maintained – a positive reflection of the value that the locals hold for their culture and heritage!

But when it comes to travelling, I connect most with the place when I partake of their food. I know that sounds like a lame excuse for this food blogger to eat even more, but really, food reveals so much about the province’s geography and the memories of the locals. I believe that behind every dish is a weave stories of communion and love waiting to be unraveled. Sharing a meal with the locals provides a glimpse of that.

Sumang Taal

In Taal Heritage Town, breakfasts are kept light with a cup of brewed coffee or tsokolate ah and Sumang Taal. Their suman needs no addition of sugar with its inherent sweetness. They say it is mixed for several hours to achieve the perfect consistency and taste. An alternative to the breakfast soft pandesal, their Bonete bread is fluffy and milky inside but concealed by a crusty, golden exterior. Sorry die hard pandesal fans, but Taal’s Bonete bread won me over. Absolutely heavenly with coffee!

Bonete Bread

As a special request, Taal Empanada was also served for breakfast. This common local market sighting is a deep fried pocket-shaped pie stuffed with ground pork, vegetables, and vermicelli noodles. Not too oily, the crust is soft and buttery, already delectable on its own!

Empanadang Taal

For lunch, you can never go wrong with the Adobong Dilaw + Tawilis + Tapang Taal combination when in Taal Heritage Town. Their Adobo is soaked in turmeric, dyeing the meat golden, differentiating it from the usual soy sauce and vinegar-based adobo. The turmeric gives their adobong dilaw this slightly gingery-bitter and peppery aftertaste.

Adobong Dilaw

Their Tawilis and Tapang Taal look unassuming yet their flavors linger in the deepest recesses of my memory even weeks after our tours. Tawilis is a small freshwater fish found only in Taal lake, most sought after for its delicate flavor. Deep fried to crispiness, tawilis resembles a texture like that of tuyo yet with a milkier flavor and a quieter salty note. Their Tapang Taal, on the other hand, is a play of sweet and salty with a kick of acidity. It is pork marinated overnight in soy sauce, garlic, pepper, and calamansi. No wonder it packs much flavor! In my opinion, it’s the best pasalubong to bring home to whet your after-tour cravings.

Tawilis

Tapang Taal

I love how Culture Shock PH gives me a taste of Anthony Bourdain’s travelling-hosting gig. Best job ever, haha. But seriously, I just feel so blessed to guide for Culture Shock PH and “infect” people with this wanderlust and thirst for Philippine culture. Unlike other travels I’ve done before, our tours inspire me so much since they don’t just end with stunning photographs (but that’s a plus too, of course!). Our tours always open my eyes to an even deeper knowledge and appreciation of our own culture. Now I find myself immersed in Philippine culture books and websites and I just love it!

Hope I can share this addiction with you guys. If you’re interested to join our tours, feel free to check out our Travel Calendar at http://cultureshockph.wordpress.com/calendar.

The post Wanderlust and a Hungry Tummy at Taal Heritage Town, Batangas appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

I’ve been thinking a lot about you.

I’ve talked to RJ about the possibility of closing you down since I can’t seem to find the time to update you as much as I want to. I’m busy with work, busy with Culture Shock PH, etc. However, during a talk with another friend about MIA friends, I realized that it’s not about not having enough time. Yes, there are definitely busy days or hell even busy weeks! The thing is I can be eternally busy if I choose to be. Or I can just make a decision to make time.

Why have I been ignoring you?

Probably because you expose parts of me that I later realize needs improvement: writing, food photography, photo editing, knowledge about food, SEO stuff (I have no clue!), web design, internet security, etc. I’m not an expert in any of these fields and this blog exposes that.

I’ve also been caving in to peer pressure. Just because I have you, food blog, a handful of my friends think I’ve eaten everywhere and that I know everything there is to know about food. Yes, the pressures of, “Diba food blogger ka tapos hindi mo alam?” and “Oh, e food blogger ka diba, ikaw mag-order!” The thing is I don’t know everything. I am greatly in love with food and my experiences have helped me build some food knowledge but there’s so much more for me to discover.

There’s also the pressure of standing out from all of the other food blogs. How are you, food blog, different from the rest? Or are you even different? How can I leave an “impact” (woah I am Atenean!) to the world or okay, maybe just the Philippines for starters, through you? Is that even possible?

After going through the motions and wrestling with all of these emotions and pressures, I just stopped and said, screw that! This blog is not all about that. This is my blog. This blog is my life and food journey with RJ.

The very real reason why I created you, blog, is because I wanted to document my own “How I Met” story with RJ through food experiences. Very Ted Mosby, I know! I am a sucker for Ted Mosby moments.

Other bloggers have raised this concern with me, “Are you sure with what you’re doing? You might end up closing your blog in the future. Just so you know, you and RJ still have a long way to go.” Yes, that’s an absolutely valid point. I shall take that into consideration. But I’m knowingly and willingly laying down all of my cards on the table, because for some reason, there’s this quiet sense of certainty with RJ. To avoid this post turning extremely cheesy, I will just leave it to that. After all, really, who knows? Only time will tell. For the mean time, allow me to capture and share our food memories through you, blog.

I still have a long way to go about building skills to back you up, blog, but I guess you will be a reflection of my journey too in writing, food photography, etc. Long journey ahead but I’m excited that you will be able to document that.

Blog, I will not close you down. I will write again. Still, that doesn’t make me an expert in everything there is to know about food. But friends, if you let me, I am willing to journey with you in discovering new food concepts, trying out new dishes, and simply falling in love with food over and over again. I never claimed to be an expert and perhaps I’ll never be. There’s always too much more to know and learn. Right, Socrates?

At the end of the day, I am just a person who’s madly in love with food (and RJ) and this blog is my our story.

“Anything less than mad, passionate, extraordinary love is a waste of time. There are too many mediocre things in life to deal with and love shouldn’t be one of them.”

- Tiffany DeBartolo

―

Love,

Smarla

The post Hello Blog (A Love Letter to My Blog) appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.

My friend texts me out of the blue raving about a new Fish & Chips place which she absolutely adores. She tells me they’re the BEST Fish & Chips she’s ever had.

“SMAR! I seriously have to recommend to you a new food place. It’s called ‘Chuck’s Grub.’ There’s a newly opened branch in the SM North EDSA Skydome. British-style fish and chips yung specialty nila. Really good!”

This friend rarely texts me about food. We talk about food and huskies nonstop when we’re together but text, no. Chuck’s Grub must be that amazing to merit RAVING texts from her. I can almost imagine her happily skipping while texting me. I couldn’t shake off the thought of Chuck’s Grub for days so I finally dragged my friend Garon with me to SM North EDSA mall.

I’m no Fish & Chips fan since I shy away from deep fried foods in general (except the Shrimp Popcorn from Henry’s Grille!) but the fish selection made me think twice: Cream Dory, White River Cobbler, Snapper and Halibut. I’m no fish expert so I just decided to try them all by ordering The Full Monty, a four piece sampler of all fish and chips.

Expect a bit of waiting time since the Fish & Chips are served dripping hot from the fryer. Don’t go here when you’re extremely famished like what happened to us!

2 orders of The Full Monty (Php280 each) + drinks

Chuck’s Grub is the first traditional beer battered Fish & Chips shop in the Philippines, a venture of the husband and wife team of Isha Andaya-Valles and Chef Enrique Valles. Their Fish and Chips are served on paper cones, a tribute to the newspaper cone packaging used in UK. Looks like a great snack to bring to the cinema!

A closer look at The Fully Monty

Staying true to its British origins, every piece of fish is generously seasoned with ground salt and pepper, finally topped off with lemon chunks for squeezing. Too hot to handle initially, the first bite sounded very promising with the nice crunch that went with it, shortly followed by the fish’s tender caress. The Dory fish was easy to detect since it’s commonly used in our kitchen, but I wish the other pieces were labeled for food appreciation purposes.

Dissecting the Beer Battered Fish

The initial bliss from the crunchy-tender experience slowly wore off as the oil began to take over. Dissecting each piece, I felt the ratio of the fish to the batter was a little off. The batter was too thick, therefore overwhelming the tongue with that oily feeling after just two pieces of fish. I tried to take a few more bites from the third piece but at that point, I could only taste the oil. I decided to bring home the rest of the meal with me for sharing with RJ.

Agreeing with me on the batter ratio, my friend Garon calls their Fish & Chips “stoner food”. I had to search online to find out what he meant: “A food whose taste that, when consumed while stoned, is considered by the stoned individual to represent the pinnacle of gastronomic delights.” (Source: Urban Dictionary) I’m not too sure about that but Chuck’s Grub’s Fish & Chips, I’d imagine, would go well with beer. Great thing they also have a great selection of imported beer to go with their British-style food.

So is Chuck’s Grub the best Fish & Chips place in Metro Manila? Hmm… not yet. But since this branch just opened last October 2012, it might be worth a revisit. Next time around I’d order beer with their Fish & Chips. Hopefully by then, their batter-to-fish ratio would allow me to consume beyond 2 pieces.

The post Chuck’s Grub: The Best Fish and Chips? appeared first on Everyday Sweet Notes.