Pig Out Sessions!

Wednesdate at Uncle Cheffy

2013-05-15T06:48:00.000-07:00

I've been working near SM Mall of Asia for almost 2 years now that I've seen how the corporate towers have developed over time. I've been to the Two E-Com center but never really thought of going to the 4th floor where some restaurants have been operating for several months now, last ~~night~~ week I'm glad I finally took the time to peek in.

Prawn and Pomelo Salad (Medium) 295.00PHP. I ordered this thinking this would have a strong flavor profile. Which was the total opposite, the vinaigrette provided a very subtle flavor to the salad, just a few sprinkles of salt and pepper and it actually works for us.

Tom Yang Soup (Junior) 120.00PHP. Served very hot and the sour just the way I like it.

Uncle Cheffy Steak (Junior) 595.00PHP. Batch has tummy issues with raw food so we asked for the steak to be well done. I loved that the meat is very flavorful and not at all tough. The gravy could be improved though.

Choco Roulade 150.00PHP. Batch's dessert for the night, it was a feast for the eyes and tummy indeed!

Cheffy Cheesecake 120.00PHP. This had a wonderful melt in your mouth consistency with just the right amount of sweetness that I felt it was a sin to indulge in, but hey I work everyday, I think I deserve cheat days like this. :)

Customer service is awesome, we didn't even have to ask for our glasses to be refilled, they gave us extra chairs for my laptop and Batch's stuff to put on and most of all the waiting staff are very polite and efficient. Good food, cozy and accessible location and wonderful service, how can we not go back? I'm eyeing their pizza and pasta selection for next time!

Uncle Cheffy

Location:

Uncle Cheffy

Eastwood Mall

2/F Eastwood Mall, Veranda, Eastwood Ave

Bagumbayan, Quezon City

(02) 383-7215

Uncle Cheffy

Fort Bonifacio

Forbes Town Center, Rizal Drive

Fort Bonifacio, Taguig

(02) 659-8030

Uncle Cheffy

Lucky Chinatown Mall

3/F Lucky Chinatown Mall, Reina Regente St cor Dela Reina

Binondo, Manila

(02) 708-9576

Uncle Cheffy

Centris Walk

5A Eton Centris Walk, EDSA cor Quezon Ave

Pinyahan, Quezon City

(02) 376-0051

Uncle Cheffy

Ali Mall

Ali Mall, P Tuazon Blvd

Cubao, Quezon City

(02) 709-4104 to 05

Uncle Cheffy

Ortigas Center

2/F Wynsum Corporate Plaza, Ruby Rd

San Antonio, Pasig

(02) 696-6958

Uncle Cheffy

E-Com

4/F Two E-Com Bldg., Mall of Asia Complex, Ocean Dr

Manila Bay Reclamation Area, Pasay

(02) 478-0584

Uncle Cheffy

Nuvali

Santa Rosa, Laguna

(049) 502-5968

Uncle Cheffy

Greenfield District

Greenfield District, Mayflower St

Highway Hills, Mandaluyong

(02) 925-1488

Website: Uncle Cheffy Facebook Page

Estimated Budget: ~P300.00-P500.00/meal

Payment Methods: Cash, Credit Card

Business Hours: M, T, W, Th, F, Sa, Su: 11:00AM - 11:00PM (E-Com Branch, other branches may differ)

Your pig out buddy,
Madz

Crispy Chicken Soft Tacos

2013-05-02T05:54:00.001-07:00

Ever since I started living alone I find myself frequently browsing cooking and recipe websites to see if I could whip up something new, you never know when you'll stumble on something so devilishly wonderful. Case in point, remember the no-cook refrigerator oatmeal post? I liked it so much that it's now breakfast staple of mine!

Crispy Chicken Soft Tacos

Ingredients:

1lb chicken fillet
Chicken breading mix
1 dozen whole wheat tortillas or 6pcs whole wheat pita pockets
Olive oil
Cabbage
Onion
Tomato
Dressing or sauce of your choice
Salt, pepper or other seasoning

Method:

1) Thinly slice cabbage. Dice the tomato and onion. Put in a small serving bowl.

2) Heat the tortillas (optional) *Errr, I forgot to heat mine!*

3) Cook the chicken. Dip the chicken fillet into the prepared breading mix. Heat a large stick-free skillet to medium high heat. Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil to the skillet. Place chicken on skillet. Cooking time depends on the thickness of the fillets. Do not overcook the chicken. Remove from pan when done to a separate plate.

4) Assemble. This is the fun part, go crazy on your portions but make sure you have a little bit of everything. Drizzle your preferred dressing.

Yield: Serves four.

I made a "small" mistake and I'm gonna let you in on my dirty little secret, I accidentally bought pita pockets and didn't realize it until I was eating the tacos pictured above. So that's why they looked rather thick! I could've used 1 pita pocket for 2 servings. >.< Hahaha, oh well I guess no harm done!

You can experiment and grill the chicken instead of frying. You can even use fish fillets if you feel like it. Wonder what recipe I'll try ~~butchering~~ making next? Any suggestions? I'd love to hear them! See you on my next pig out session. :)

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

Appetite Magazine x Megaworld Lifestyle Malls Present Gourmet Masterpieces: Food, Fashion & Art

2013-04-22T07:22:00.001-07:00

Once in a while the universe hands you something that's bigger than what you expected and you can only wonder and marvel how in the world did it happen, that's the very same feeling I got when I got invited to the Gourmet Masterpieces event. I was very intimidated to say the least, though I'm not the one to pass up from something that sounds exciting as this, and right now I'm pretty glad I grabbed the opportunity.

Each painting recreated wonderfully through gourmet dishes by participating restaurants/companies and couture gowns and dresses made by renowned designers. Can it get better than that? :)

Greek Nachos by Robby Goco from Cyma, inspired by a Greece themed painting. Kindly forgive me if I took focus more on the food part, this is my blog's niche after all. :P

C2 Mango vita drink by Cravings/ CCA, inspired by a bright floral painting by Bunny Griffeth. This summer themed drink is a combination of ripe mango, cucumber and carrots. I actually wish I had a glass in hand right now!

Nacho Keema by The Kebab Factory. A wonderful medley of chicken keema, garnished with onions, tomatoes, green chilis and cilantro.

Almond fish gelatin by King Chef, inspired by a painting of a school of koi swimming in a lotus pond. This interpretation is literally, literal but it's just too cute for words! I went back to this several times just to stare at it.

Yummy Philippine flag interpretation from Eastwood Richmonde Hotel. The Philippine flag really came into life vibrantly, with the combination of our local desserts, maja blanca, puto and pastillas. I was able to nibble on the blue pastillas and it was pretty addicting!

Impression Foie Gras from Impressions. Inspired by the cheerful greens and yellows and a spring landscape painting, this was the best dish of the night in terms of spot on interpretation. Made of braised veal sweet bread, topped with pan fried duck liver and risotto with parsley cream sauce. I had several helpings of this little babies just because it was so melt in your mouth fantastic!

Country Fried Chicken Steak from Murray's New Orleans, inspired by the stark reds and yellows of Cabojo's streetscape. I wasn't able to sample this but from the looks of it, this is my kind of comfort food on a really rough and long day.

Give me S'mores from J.Cuppacakes, inspired by a heartwarming painting of a loving mother breast feeding her child. I had a sampler of this and I must say that the delectable combination of chocolate almond brownie and burnt marshmallow frosting is superb.

Crisostomo brings Van Gogh's Picasso painting into life with their Halo-Halo interpretation. This pinoy favorite is made even more special with ube halaya, kaong, macapuno, gulaman, korn kernels, sweetened bananas and many more special ingredients, generously topped with grated cheese for that perfect contrast of salty and sweet.

Cancun Margarita from Agave Mexican Cantina. Perfect for a poolside drink or for frolicking in the beaches. My friend Yumi, tried this and though it looks pretty innocent it can pack quite a punch. :)

Double Decker Cake. inspired by a tattoo design by Chef Micheal Lopez of Cafe Maxims. Expect a wonderful symphony of soft, and crunchy textures with each bite, I wished I had more of these!

Red Crab's Gambas Ala Remedios inspired by Ang Kiukok's Fisherman with Catch. A plateful of minced shrimps, gambas, garlic, onions, bell peppers rightly seasoned with oyster sauce, tomato sauce and sweet chili sauce. Can it get more mouth-watering than that?

Deep Fried Lapu Lapu Xi Yan style dish from Passion, inspired by a Yin Yang fish painting.

A bird's eye view of The Plaza in Newport Mall, post event. It was really an unusual night for me, but so much fun nevertheless. Can I tell you a little secret? Until now I'm still having foie gras filled dreams! See you on my next pig out session! :)

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

The Overnight, No~Cook Refrigerator Rolled Oatmeal Project: Apple Cinnamon & Mango Vanilla

2013-04-11T09:47:00.000-07:00

I love healthy eating, but with the somehow limited choices I imposed on myself I was getting pretty fed up of munching on salads ever so often. I'm really glad I stumbled onto this recipe from The Yummy Life, because I have more healthy breakfast alternative choices at hand!

The apple cinnamon refrigerator oatmeal. This one's the bomb! It actually resembles one of my comfort foods, Dole's apple cinnamon crisp, but way better because it's freshly made and has no preservatives. The original recipe used apple sauce and chia seeds, but I couldn't find chia seeds at the moment so I skipped that (chia seeds are apparently pricey here!) and substituted freshly diced apples for the apple sauce. :)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup diced apples

Directions:
Combine the rolled oats, milk, yogurt, cinnamon, apples and honey. Mix well, refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Best served chilled.

The mango vanilla refrigerator oatmeal. Not to be out-shined by the apple cinnamon variant, the mango vanilla hits the spot and is even a nice snack option during scorching hot, summer days. The original recipe called for almond extract but I opted for vanilla and again, no chia seeds. I'm trying to gauge if I should buy from Healthy Options or from a distributor I found through Facebook.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup uncooked old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 cup skim milk
1/4 cup yogurt
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 cup diced mango

Directions:
Combine the oats, milk, yogurt, vanilla extract, mangoes and honey.Mix well and refrigerate overnight or up to 2 days. Best served chilled.

There are still a lot of variants I can create, imagination's my limit! I would have created at least 3 variants but I only bought 2 jars. I'm actually looking for glass mason jars, so if you have an idea please do tell me where! I'd love to stock up on those.

Next variants to try would be the banana cocoa refrigerator oatmeal and maybe any berry type refrigerator oatmeal. Initially I thought one serving isn't enough for me, but surprisingly it's very filling. I'm so looking forward to my breakfast for tomorrow! See you on my next pig out sessions!

Your pig out buddy,
Madz

The Salad Project: Kani Mango Salad + Black Bean Salad

2013-04-01T08:09:00.000-07:00

Me and Japanese cuisine, it's a love story that has been going on and going strong for years, but ever since I have been opting for healthier food choices, it's a given that I can't go on my usual sushi roll *sobs*. I could easily go on a sushi detox, but to stay away from kani mango salad? That's a different story.

I lessen the amount of Japanese mayo I squirt into my salad each time I make a serving, I mean it would defy the whole purpose of eating a salad in the first place, but hey I'm just human! Japanese mayo happens to be my kryptonite. I use it anywhere and everywhere specially when I used to be overweight. Don't worry, I've learn to control my intake now. *pats self on the back*

What a funny looking salad, wouldn't you agree? It's called Black Bean Salad. I got the recipe from Simply Recipes and it turned out to be pretty much addicting that I gobbled up a big tub of this within 2-3 days. *Please don't judge me*

It's been quite enjoyable experimenting and trying out new recipes, even if I confine myself to the salad section at the moment. Do you have some tried and tested salad recipes you'd like to share? I would love to try them out! See you on my next pig out session! :)

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

Friday Night Pig Out at Watami

2013-03-18T08:45:00.001-07:00

I was supposed to be blogging about Yabu House of Katsu today, but we were just so tired and grumpy last Friday night that after being in the waiting queue for around half an hour (or more), we gave up our reservation and made a bee line to Watami because we wanted our Japanese food fix and it wouldn't hurt to try some place new (at least to us!).

Tonpeiyaki

275.00 PHP or 6.76 USD

I initially wanted to order their okonomiyaki but changed my mind since the staff highly recommended that their tonpeiyaki is so much better. Their tonpeiyaki is really a feast for the eyes! I love how fluffy, creamy and rich the omelette tasted. The addition of pork, cheese and cabbage adds interesting textures and makes this dish a hit for me. I could have this sans the pork for breakfast! :)

Salmon and Flying Fish Roe in Stone Pot

275.00 PHP or 6.76 USD

I love Salmon and I love fish roe, so when I found them together in one interesting dish, I just couldn't pass up the chance to try it right away. My friend and I ended up ordering the same dish, hahaha!

The presentation is very appealing. I spent about a few good minutes taking pictures from every possible angle before finally mixing my order and got the bottom part burnt, but who doesn't love tutong anyway? :) I'm telling you right now that the stone pot it comes in is extremely hot and if you're famished you wouldn't be able to eat this right away.

Sadly, this dish needs more flavor or an extra kick. We just requested for more of the sauce to pour and mix in the rice dish and added I added a hefty sprinkling of chili powder for more character.

Halfway through our meal, one of the staff approached us and politely inquired our verdict about our orders, so I was honest enough to tell them that the salmon dish could be improved. We also noticed that every table had a feedback card. I love it that Watami values customer comments so I do hope they improve the Salmon and Flying Fish Roe in Stone Pot dish soon, I think it has great possibilities. See you on my next pig out session. :)

Watami Japanese Casual Restaurant

Locations:

SM Mall Of Asia
Level 2, Entertainment Mall,
North Veranda, SM Mall of Asia
(02)5117572

GLORIETTA
G/F, The New Glorietta Mall,
Ayala Center, Makati City
(02)8080475

Website: Watami on Facebook

Estimated Budget: 200.00 PHP and above

Payment Methods:Cash/Credit Card

Business Hours:

Monday - Thursday from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Friday - Sunday from 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

The Salad Project

2013-03-11T06:01:00.000-07:00

I have always loved eating my veggies (except bitter gourd) ever since I was a kid, and it's a good thing I still do, now that I'm an adult. Nowadays, people can easily fall and stick into the bad habit of unhealthy eating. I do know how hard it is to succumb to your hot fudge sundae craving, or your weekly milk tea fix, or a serving of those crisp golden fries or even letting your guard fall down for those sinful donuts you keep on seeing everyday on your way to work. I should know, I work near SM Mall of Asia. Imagine the temptations I fight everyday. *shudders*

These past weeks, I have fallen into the pattern of making different salad recipes for each day or every other day of the week. I just wanted to make sure that I'm eating something healthy everyday despite giving in to some of my unhealthy cravings every now and then. It's actually been fun experimenting! I've been Googling for other recipes and right now I'm excited to try making my own version of black bean salad and make my all time favorite, kani mango salad again!

Geez, I think I need more pretty plates for plating and blogging purposes, don't you agree? Haha, don't worry I'm on it! So, what have you guys been doing and eating to keep healthy lately? If you have other scrumptious salad recipes please do share! Until the next pig out sessions!

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

A Spoonful of Heaven at Swensen's

2013-03-05T07:51:00.000-08:00

Strawberry Chocolate Lava

250.00 PHP or around 6.13 USD

Hello world! I feel like I'm feeling a bit lost here. I've been on blogging hiatus since early 2012 and have updated this blog sporadically, with non food related posts mostly, but I just want to say that I'm back! When Swensen's invites me (an inactive and delinquent food blogger!), who am I to say no? So I said YES. :)

First up is their Strawberry Choco Lava. I love how the sweetness of the chocolate lava cake is complemented by the tartness of the fresh strawberry slices, strawberry syrup and strawberry ice cream! Try getting a little bit of everything on your spoon for that wonderful medley of flavor and texture.

Strawberry Crepe

250.00 PHP or around 6.13 USD

Among the 2 desserts I tried, I fell in love with this one. What can I say? I am obviously a crepe fanatic! I didn't felt as guilty gobbling this up since there's banana and strawberry slices. The cold fudge was a revelation. It had that delicately sweet taste that leaves you sneaking for a few more spoonfuls.

I'd say one order of the Strawberry Chocolate Lava or Strawberry Crepe is good enough for two people already, so it would be nice to bring a date or a good friend to relish any of these desserts, just don't end up eating more than your share or you might end up having a bad date! I kid, I kid! If however, you are a certified sweet tooth then by all means, order one of each and no sharing allowed. :)

Apologies for the rusty photography skills, I also think I might need a new camera soon, but hey one thing at a time right? Now that I am back, it doesn't mean I am willing to get fat and overweight again, things have changed and this time around, I will only blog if I have something new or interesting to share and not pig out because I have to blog. Moderation is the key!

I honestly might be tempted to swing by Swensen's in the future, specially since it's near my office. At first glance their offerings seem a little bit on the pricey side, but based on my experience, you really get what you pay for. See you on my next pig out sessions. :)

Swensen's

Location:

SM Mall of Asia (Ground Floor South Wing-Near SM Department Store)

Eastwood Mall (2nd Floor Veranda)

Website: http://twitter.com/SwensensPH

Estimated Budget: 200.00 PHP and above

Payment Methods: Cash, not sure if credit card is accepted

Business Hours: Monday - Sunday from 10:00 AM - 10:00 PM

Your pig out buddy,

Madz

Drunken Garlic Shrimps a la Madz

2013-01-17T10:46:00.001-08:00

Truth be told I miss blogging, terribly. So this is my way of saying a quick hello and yes I'm still alive and kicking post. :)

I had been craving for shrimps for quite a few weeks now, and this week I gave in. Instead of using any liquor though, I used Sprite soda. These shrimps are not really drunk at all hahaha, but they tasted so good! I guess that's it for now, I'll just peek in again from time to time. Thanks for stopping by!

Cheers,