If you love nomz, this is the place for you

What exactly is findyourfeast.com?

Find Your Feast is an engaged and interactive food blog portal and community intended to showcase a variety of the newest and the not-so-new, the popular and the underrated, the classy and even the tacky haunts where you can simply find the most delightfully tasteful treats in and out of the metro, and of course, lest we forget the best recipes you can cook-up in your own kitchen. In a nutshell it is the new one-stop-shop for all of  your gastronomic cravings and MORE. It’s a website for foodies, by foodies.

What are you waiting for? Whether you’d like to share your latest nomfinds, read about a restaurant, or simply talk about yummy nomz with likeminded people from all over the country, Find Your Feast is the foodie community for you!

Clicky details:

Find Your Feast Official Website /Find Your Feast Official Facebook Page

And I mean that literally. I’ve taken to baking chewy chocolate chip walnut cookies when my sweet tooth acts up. The cookies are something Cookie Monster will gobble up in seconds. My only problem is that they only stay chewy for a short while. The day after baking, they’re tougher than what most human teeth can handle. For actual bakers out there (I’m only faking it), how do you keep your cookies chewy?

And to celebrate, they’re offering a buy one take one promo on their fantabulous burgers. WOOT?! Yup, you read it right. On January 13, you can head on over to their Makati branch at PDCP building and avail of the Awesome Twosome promo. Get two burgers for the price of one! Details below-

Don’t pass up on this great deal! Line up and get our Wagyu burger fix on January 13, 2012 at Malcolm’s Burger in Makati!

Two more things. One, Malcolm’s Burger has just opened a new branch at Pearl Plaza along Pearl Drive in front of UA&P. And two, you can check out Malcolm’s Burger’s menu here and here.

For more info, check out the the official Malcolm’s Burger Facebook page and Twitter account.

Ladies and gents, I would like to present to you the first foreign guest post on BaconTunaMelt. Mr. J P Hays kindly offered to add another notch to our McDonald’s of the World belt, featuring the good ole US of A. Read on as he tells us about the mouth-watering and artery-clogging selection from the fast food capital of the world (there’s no denying it).

*content and all photo credits go to Mr. Hays.

BTM's note: This reminds me of the old McDonald's over at BF Paranaque.

BTM's note: That's the stuff, America.

It’s a very different sandwich, compared to anything else they offer. The patty has a pretty good flavor, much better than the frozen rib patties you buy at the store over here. The sauce, on the other hand, is mild, and doesn’t have too much flavor. The onions give the whole thing a fresh taste with a good, onion-y bite, and the pickles give a nice tartness to finish things off. It’s good, but the sauce ruins it for me. After finishing off the McRib and eating some of the fries, I decide to tackle the sweet tea. [BTM's note: I would kill an ant for this tea.]

BTM's note: Onions, YEAH! Ribs, EFFING YEAH!

Back home in Manila where this holiday is celebrated more than any other, besides ringing bells, singing children, and everyone being merrier and brighter than usual, I bet the parols are lit, hundreds of pigs are ready to become lechon, tables are set up for several rounds of mahjong or bingo all over town, all adding up to the festive mood.

Parol! Photo credits at the bottom of the post.

For Pinoys, there’s nothing like Christmas in Manila. Why? Here we list a three (very) good reasons.

3. Simbang Gabi

This tradition has been around for as long as I can remember. It’s a 9-day novena that starts on the 16th of December and ends on Christmas eve. Hordes of Pinoys come flocking to church at ungodly hours (usually at 3am) to pay tribute to the birth of Jesus.

Photo credits at the bottom of the post.

Food stalls are usually set up outside churches, serving bibingka fresh off the oven, puto bumbong (I’m salivating just thinking about this glutinous, purple, buttery source of sinful but oh-so-worth-it happiness), puto, kutsinta, pancit, and many other delicious Pinoy nomz. Besides the mass, the Simbang Gabi has also become a way for people to come together and have a chance to bond over food and cheer.

2. Noche Buena

Christmas usually starts with everybody attending the Misa de Gallo or Christmas eve mass. After which, the whole family gathers to welcome Christmas with bountiful nomz and drink (and presents!), better known as the Noche Buena. This tradition is adopted from the Spanish culture but we do it our way, of course.

The Christmas table is usually laden out with different dishes, the centerpiece usually a lechon (roasted pig) surrounded by bowls of pancit, kare kare, menudo, mechado and a slew of other Pinoy specialties. After stuffing ourselves full come the presents and general merry-making (and more nomming).

And the top reason why there’s nothing like Christmas in Manila (or at least, according to me)?

1. Simply because it’s home.

And you know, corny as it may sound, home is where the heart is. Wherever you are, more than what you do, the success of any celebration depends on the people you’re with. And what better way to spend it than to be in the company of family, friends, and loved ones nomming more than you should, playing bingo or scrabble, talking until your throat is raw, and laughing to your heart’s content on Christmas day? (and then nomming some more)

Photo credits at the bottom of the post

So, I just wanted to greet you guys a maagang maligayang Pasko!

Photo credits here, here, here, and here.

Thanks to Lianne of BuhayKuneho who kindly attended the launch of the fourth season for us a few weeks ago, we get an up close and personal look at how the Sarap At Home cast get it done. Here’s an excerpt-

GMA News TV (Channel 11 on your tv) has launched the newest season of Sarap at Home, an innovative show that combines the appeal of a fun sitcom and a cooking demo. Aired daily, it is one of the most successful Pinoy food-oriented shows, and is now on its fourth season.

Click on this to read the full review on BuhayKuneho.

Besides the quirky Sam Oh who is the main host (who says cooking can’t be fashionable?), the awesome Ramon Bautista, the hunky Fabio Ide (doesn’t that name just scream hot?), and the very pretty Jackie Rice make up a fun and quirky cooking show cast.

A hole-in-the-wall resto serving Persian nomz

After sweating it out playing badminton one weekend, Bim‘s sister brought us to World Class Persian Kabab to regain all the calories we burned off have a filling dinner. They serve authentic biryani, homous, kabab, shawarma, pita bread, and they even have ox brain and ox tongue among other Persian dishes. Their menu is similar to that of Andanita Taj’s in Tagaytay, the difference is that they’re closer to home.

Pita bread (p10), Chicken Biryani (p130) with curry sauce and a side salad, Beef Shawarma with Rice (p85), Fruit shakes (p45)

Everything was fantastic. I won’t elaborate on each one because they’re all good down to the fruity fruit shakes. It’s all the goodness of Persian nomz at very reasonable prices! They’ve become so popular that they now have a couple more branches, I heard that one of them is along Tomas Morato in Quezon City (you lucky Northerners).

Just because Persia is now no longer doesn’t mean the cuisine goes with it. Quick question: If Persia is now Iran, then why don’t we call the nomz Iranian? No matter the reason, this Persian resto near that badminton place is a hole-in-the-wall diner that I’m glad to have found.

World Class Persian Kabab
Location: Pioneer St., Mandaluyong (near Metro Badminton)
Map:

View Larger Map

Yes, ladies like her also daydream with a nuninuninoo, albeit in fancy script.

Sadly, this isn’t a recipe post, it’s more of a mom-please-cook-this-for-me-when-I-come-home-post. This begukang babi I’ve been daydreaming about is the Kapampangan version of binagoongang baboy, or in English, pork with shrimp paste (the combo might sound weird to non Pinoys, but it’s nommy, I swear.).

It looks like this-

Homemade Begukang Babi

Unlike most binagoongan dishes in Manila, the Kapampangan version is more orange than pink, slightly sweeter, and is usually served with either sliced mangoes or bananas on the side. My Manila friends usually think it weird when they first see orange binagoongan with bananas or mangoes on white rice but as soon as they take their first bite, they wonder why they haven’t been doing it all along.

*Photo of lady nuninuninoo-ing and pink background ganked from the Internet, credits to original owners. We just tweaked it to our liking. ^^,

Rome is even more beautiful at night. (Clockwise from top-left: St. Peter's Basilica, Bernini's Fountain of Four Rivers, Castel Sant'Angelo)

The city is gorgeous during daytime, but it is magnificent at night. Thanks to Father Par,  the very welcoming, kind, and jovial head of the Augustinian order in Rome, our small group had an extra special tour of the city at night. He took us to the places we otherwise wouldn’t have been able to find while dishing out information about them that very few people know of (Did you know that they marked the spot in the Vatican where Pope John Paul II was shot with a piece of porphyry rock?).

The Old Bridge Gelateria is where Rome's men of cloth get their gelato fix. And us too.

Part of the very special night tour of the city, Father Par also brought us to the BESTEST gelateria in town- the Old Bridge Gelateria.  Located near the Vatican walls, this little gelateria has become a frequent stop for many Rome residents, including religious folk. When we got there, it was amusing to see a group gathered outside the small stall, getting their gelato fix, just like we were about to.

BEST GELATO EVER!

My camera battery was nearly out of juice by the time we got our ice cream cups (the day was spent taking snaps of everything!) but I knew I had to take a photo of the best gelato ever. This cup of melt-in-your-mouth pistachio and double dark chocolate gelato from Old Bridge Gelateria is the best I’ve ever had, bar none. It’s creamy without being too rich, it’s soft without being too sloshy, it’s tasty without being too sweet. It was really, really, really good. If you’re planning a trip to Rome any time soon, you have to find your way to this place. Having a nightcap of gelato ice cream from the Old Bridge Gelateria was the perfect end to our Rome trip.

For taking us around the city, sharing insider information, introducing us to the best gelato ever, and for your kindness-Thank you, Father Par!

Second order of business is the topic for this post. Like the title suggests, it’s another notch up the McDonald’s of the World belt. Anyhoots, I notice that the entries in this series drone on and on. We’ll try to keep this one short.

When you’re in Rome, you don’t just do as the Romans do, you also do as the tourists in Rome do. Which means you’ll have to visit this part of the city (refer to the pictures please). Between the iconic Trevi Fountain and the magnificent Pantheon are little sidestreets lined with restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, and tourists. It’s where we found the McDonald’s along Via Delle Muratte. It’s difficult to miss as there a handful of posters pointing you to which direction to head to for burgers.

Seems like this American fastfood is a hit in Rome.

There were restaurants aplenty around the area, most were near empty at lunch while McDonald’s was as packed and as busy as it could be. The lines were long and perhaps they were stressed but the crew wasn’t as friendly or helpful as you’d expect. They get the job done somehow and I got an order of the 1955 Burger half an hour and some yelling later (I forgot to mention that you pretty much need to shout to be heard).

This is the McDonald’s 1955 Burger-

McDonald's 1955 Burger

It’s a mighty fine-looking burger composed of 100% pure beef patty, some bacon, good old tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and onions. But wait, that’s what they say. Here’s the actual McDonald’s 1955 Burger-

The actual McDonald's 1955 Burger

The patty was dry, the garnishings a mess, and I don’t know where the bacon went. It looks like they halfheartedly threw parts of a burger in the box. The burger actually didn’t taste bad, but I was expecting a burger at least resembling the one in the adverts. Suffice it to say, after a long morning of walking, getting this for lunch was a big disappointment. The only consolation was the Pistachio McFlurry for dessert.

That is all I have to say about McDonald’s in Rome. Please don’t let that deter you from visiting the city, it’s wonderful. But if you have a craving for a McDonald’s burger, try to wait until the crowds thin out, maybe you’ll have better luck than I did.