Something Different: Dairy Queen

Last nite of the Manila Trip in September...we decided to go and check out the progress on the CONDO high rise in Eastwoods City... we were caught in such heavy rain that we decided to weather it out and enjoy some desserts --being that was COLD & WET, we opted for ICE CREAM - naturally!!! Hahahahahaha....

Our choice was Dairy Queen.... something different for the family as they have never had it before.... Haagen Daaz is much more available in Shopping Malls in Manila... though I know of this place growing up in the Bay Area (California, USA), I did not get to have it again till I went to Vancouver to visit David, who was studying at the Culinary School at the time.... his rented home happens to be walking distance to a Dairy Queen.... and no matter where we are headed, we seems to be walking by it... so enticing but alas, always too crowded and busy... We did manage to enjoy it a couple of times though... once while suffering through the long lines... and another time in LANGLEY with Larraine and Jill (With David in photo above)... such a sweet treat and very much lining up for!!!

So during this last trip in Manila, it was such a pleasant surprise finding one at GATEWAY Mall, in the Cubao Area... needless to say, we immediately went up to the counter and ordered a couple of BLIZZARDS -- just as good as we remember it... So I made it a point to take the whole family to try it out.... and it worked out well as the last nite before heading back to Taiwan, after checking up on the progress of the EASTWOODS Condos, I was able to take everyone for Blizzards at the DAIRY QUEEN branch there... so everyone got to try something different and became Dairy Queen converts instantly...

And a bit more INFO according to WIKI:
"Dairy Queen, often abbreviated to DQ, is a international chain of ice cream and fast food restaurants. Its first location was founded in 1938 by John McCullough and since 1940 it has used a franchise system to expand its operations globally. Its largest franchisee is the Texas Dairy Queen Operating Council which runs the majority of DQ locations in the state of Texas.

Dairy Queen International is the parent company of Dairy Queen. In the US it operates under the American Dairy Queen title. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway. At the end of its fiscal year 2006, Dairy Queen reported over 5,600 stores in more than a dozen countries; about 4,600 of its stores (or approximately 85%) were located within the United States."

Burger, Burger, & Burjer???

...and they say AMERICA has more BURGER joints!!! During last month's visit in Manila -- we came to realize that The Philippines comes close in being the second Burger capital in the world.... sooo many Burger Joints to choose from, ranging from dives to upper class joints... and that is not counting TGIF, WENDY's, Burger King, McDonalds & The Philippines' answer to McDo, Jollibee -- the latter two btw, can be found not just in every mall in The Philippines but a lot of busy street corners as well....This trip though, we opted to check out a few other places.... off the beaten, tried, path, as one would say.... with the first being Burger Machine... now these joints are practically everywhere there are a lot of foot traffic... mostly where there are blue collar worker... they look like little buses that was turned into an eatery.... and true to their clientle, the menu is simple and really, really cheap... of course, the actual burger leaves a lot to be desired...

2nd stop was quite an improvement, Belgian Fries... not sure really why this is the joint's name as their most famous products are burgers called, SLAMMER... the Burgers are quite tasty and packs a punch in the cheese department... they are also a good size so most would opt to get 2 to satisfy the hunger.... Price is Moderate... I would definitely recommend this one and for sure, will go back to again and again... I only know of the one at Greenhills.... really worth trying out....

Another disappointing stop was Ben's Burjer, a new joint recently opened on Libertad Street...walking distance from our CONDO.... the name alone should have tipped us off... when I asked the cashier why is it called Burjer (thinking that they might have just spelled it wrong, she simply replied: "just to be different..." It was different alright.... different as in hardly edible and price on the high side...

There are other places to try am sure... ace even insists we need to go to the all you can eat burgers in 1 hr for one price... or the one where yo ahve to down a big sized burger in a matters of seconds, and you get your money back... LOLs, my stomach is hurting just thinking about them.... For now this is all my stomach could handle... and the one thing we have decided on is that - nothing still beats the YUMMY taste of the YUM Burgers from Jollibee...

Angel's Kitchen - Manila, Philippines

Have you ever read a REVIEW about a movie or a restaurant; get excited by it to see or try; then be soooo disappointed??? Sadly, that is just how our LUNCH EXPERIENCE turned out to be with Angel's Kitchen...

The FOOD magazine review talks of fusion and modernizing the Filipino food.... tasty delicious concoctions.... and moderate pricing.... boy it was wrong on all count by our standards....

The ambiance was nice enough... the staff, friendly and accommodating... but the food was not up to par at all... most everything was on the BLAND side --I mean how can Pinakbet Rice not be tasty when you already have sooo many things thrown in there? and this is one of their most famous specialty dish? Mandarin Chicken, was basically friend chicken with some lemon sauce.... and worse, the chicken was cold and dry... only the sauce was HOT!
(Right Photo: Possibly the BEST part of the dining experience for me.)

I really do not mind paying for food but if one has to pay an average of 350.00+ Pesos for each plate on the menu (roughly US$7.50) - the restaurant should really make sure that the food is at least good... even not excellent.... maybe it was an off day for the chef -- who knows? it just made for a very unsatisfying dining experience... and from noticed with the other diners - no one seemed to have a smile on their faces leaving the place... surely, they, like us, did not have a Heavenly Experience!!!
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Angel's Kitchen, San Juan
57 Connecticut St., North East Greenhills
San Juan, Metro Manila
(02) 744-1018
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Biscotti ala David

Biscotti with my morning coffee - YUM!!!

This morning I woke up to a special treat - freshly baked BISCOTTI.... David was inspired once again to bake something different and so he tried his hands at these Italian treat cookies....

He basically tried to retraced the way of making it, learned from Chef Fausto, from his stint in Turino, Northern Italy... made his own twists by changing it a bit... instead of a regular biscotti - he made it a chocolate flavoured one ... and even added raisins instead of chopped nuts.... I have not had them in a while so it was a very nice treat to start the day, indeed!!!


And as an added bonus - I even get to learn more about Biscottis, as David also fed me some facts:
-Biscotti is the plural form of Biscotto in Italian - which literally means "twiced baked".
-They were prepared this way during the war eras to preserve them longer for journeys.

Shake Shake Shake

One of the BEST THIRST QUENCHER ever, in my opinion: ORANGINA!!!!

First discovered it back in my High School Days in San Francisco -- and have loved it ever since!!! One look at the glass bottle and I was captured. It was almost a daily treat for me throughout HS.... it was the best way to satisfy my thirst.... love the actual pulp in the drink, and the not-too-sweet taste of it... it was simply heaven... a bit of a get away from my school sched.... After HS, my LOVE for ORANGINA never waned... though my budget did.... so I would grab a bottle now and again... not an everyday occurrence anymore - SADLY! And when I moved to Taiwan, it altogether disappeared and became just a memory... or occasional trip to the US and/or EUROPE... that is until last month when ORANGINA was introduced in TAIWAN!!!! So my LOVE for it was rekindled and at basically US$! a bottle... alas, though it retained the sexy shape - the bottle here i plastic not glass... actually in TAIWAN, it is available in 2 sizes of plastic bottles - original shape and a taller skinnier version, see photo below... plus a canned one...

The Drink is not just tasty - it is actually fun -- the BOLD COLORS of the drink and label.... the FUN ads - both PRINT and COMMERCIALS... the of course, the routine of having to shake it to revive the great Pulpy Taste!!!! So next time you are in the supermarket - be sure to keep an eye out for this stylish bottled drink... you will LOVE it - for sure!!!!



-and this SEXY, SMOKING HOT French advert... MUST SEE!!!

Hot Pandesal Anyone????

So this last trip I got to reacquaint myself once again with the HOT PANDESAL -- Filipinos most FAVE breakfast bread - that is just as good at any time of the day!!! It really is a Spanish bread called Pan De Sal (literal translation: Salt Bread).

Growing up, breakfast is never complete without the HOT Pandesal on the table... they can be eaten with slices of cheese, CHEEZ WHIZ (a type of cheese spread), or go even more Native and serve them with Vienna Sausages and some fried fish ( as seen in the photo). As for me, it is just as good by itself and with a strong cup of coffee in the morning or dipped in Hot Chocolate in the afternoon. It's soft, powdery texture is attained by its' core ingredients: flour, eggs, lard, yeast, sugar, and salt.

Pandesal has been around since for many. many years... and from the taste of things - it will be around for much more....

CUTEST CHINESE FOOD PACKAGING

During last month's visit to my Mom in Manila, we happen upon this signage for a Chinese Fast Food/Take Out Chain.... and right away, we could not help but laugh and be drawn to it - has got to be the cutest packaging around for a Fast Food/Take Out Chain Shop - in the Philippines, or even the world....

SINGKIT, I believe, is a slang word for SLANTY EYES... in The Philippines, am told that it is not a derogatory term but more of an endearing one... and just take one look and tell me, would you be offended???
This is the complete singage for the Chain Shops - next trip I would love to actually see one of the shops....