margauxlicious

YABU

2012-02-05T11:33:00.000+08:00

TONKATSU is the fried chicken of pork. It is pork that is sliced, breaded and then deep fried. Just as there are "Filipinized" versions of Spanish creations, the Japanese have what we might call "Japped" versions of European dishes as well. Tempura, for example, while being one of the most popular Japanese dishes today, was reportedly introduced to the Japs by the Portugese; tonkatsu,

Menu for Inquirer Lifestyle| Restaurant Review: BRASSERIE CICOU

2012-02-04T22:54:00.000+08:00

French food you can put in the middle of the table and share “Eeeh, sardine?” the Digger’s daughter (Deedee) shrieked, as if to say “ang cheap ha!” “Why are they offering sardines in a French restaurant?” she asked, in condescending ignorance. “Fresh ’yan hindi canned!” I explained as I ordered the dish, remembering the glories of fresh sardines. “Hoy, hindi lang foie gras ang masarap

Restaurant Notes: Brasserie Cicou

2012-01-28T21:10:00.001+08:00

Restaurant Notes. BRASSERIE CICOU. Finally! One of my principals holds office in the Greenhills area. It was through his network that I discovered such finds as Ristras, Sandy's Pizza, and for a more upscale setting, Choi Garden or LuGang. However, for business meetings or for a fancy lunch with friends, pulling out recommendations would always be quite the challenge. Enter

Restaurant Notes: MANGETSU

2012-01-27T18:59:00.000+08:00

Agedashi tofu. Restaurant Notes. Where to Eat this Weekend: Mangetsu Friday, January 24, 2012 I was really ecstatic when Menu continued to be a weekly indulgence as it was adopted by Thursdays Lifestyle of The Philippine Daily Inquirer. But then, apparently, it doesn't come out every week "due to space limitations" :( So it puts me in a QUANDARY (impeachment trial week 1 word of the

Eating: ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines!’

2012-01-19T17:44:00.000+08:00

Eating: ‘It’s More Fun in the Philippines!’

Menu for Inquirer Lifestyle: FOOD FORECAST 2012

2012-01-05T17:44:00.001+08:00

The signature Foie Gras buger at L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon (Resorts World Sentosa). Sharing today's MENU for Inquirer Lifestyle Hello 2012! Let me peer into my crystal ball and see what delights you have in store for us this leap year ... As the world welcomes the Year of the Dragon on January 23, I predict lots of fiery Szechuan cooking to increase fire chi and balance out the

The Rabbit Rocked

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000+08:00

Singing at the Manila Hotel's Tap Room (photos by Shaira Luna) 2011 was a great year for me. Very diverse endeavors but all very fulfilling. Some highlights (and, sadly, a couple of goodbyes) and sincere thank you's: Column in Inquirer Lifestyle I was quite down by the announcement that Sunday Inquirer Magazine went from being a weekly magazine to a monthly magazine so I was elated (that

MENU for Lifestyle: Highlights of 2011

2011-12-29T01:50:00.000+08:00

Casa Roces patio Happy with my new column in Inquirer Lifestyle. Many thanks to Letty Jimenez Magsanoc and Thelma Sioson San Juan for the opportunity! Joining the Inquirer Lifestyle team was definitely a top highlight of 2011 for me. For resto highlights of 2011 please see Menu for Inquirer Lifestyle story here. Salad at Chef Tatung's I mentioned Chef Tatung's as one of the

MENU for Thursdays: Give them love and (French) lechon

2011-12-15T16:13:00.001+08:00

Give them Love and (French) Lechon It’s that time of year again when one faces a happy problem—what to give the people you love. Go ahead, feed them with love and lechon. Pamper them with praises and paella. More fab finds for foodies of all ages: For lechon lovers If Thanksgiving is turkey, a Filipino Christmas is lechon. The latest craze to hit our lechon-eating world is Dedet de la

Tripping on Bacalao

2011-11-29T13:51:00.000+08:00

Bacalao is not a universally adored dish. The first impression on it is usually that is too salty. I had a funny conversation about Bacalao with Bistro Filipino owner/chef Rolando Laudico. He catered for a dinner hosted by Ambassador Manolo Lopez where former President Joseph Estrada was a guest. President Erap, the ever-gracious guest, brought bacalao, one of the dishes he is known to make

Jumpstart your Christmas list!

2011-11-28T19:06:00.001+08:00

FOOD Magazine's Presents Perfect Bazaar at Rockwell Last weekend, Food Magazine held a bazaar. It was aptly entitled Presents Perfect as the product selections were truly worth giving away as presents for Christmas! There were the old favorites like my family's own Nana Meng Tsokolate, Joyce's dulong and queso de bola spread (sooo addictive!) and Polly's famous chocolate cake. Nana Meng

MIELE GUIDE 2011/2012: Top chefs party at Resorts World Sentosa

2011-11-14T15:19:00.002+08:00

The 2011 Miele Guide is out! Ate Publishing, publisher of the Miele Guide, once again organized a very fancy, very memorable Miele Guide Gala where, aside from the presentation to the participants of a copy of the guide itself, this year they got four chefs to present modern island cooking. First on the menu was this appetizer of Reshmi Chicken Boti, Roasted Tomato Pave, Chilled Melon Shooter

SALCEDO MARKET 7 Years later

2011-11-01T08:54:00.003+08:00

Salcedo Market was the first real outlet for Nana Meng Tsokolate, my little project with my mom. It was 2004. I had just returned from a long vacay in the US and had decided that we were going to continue with our little Christmas project and develop it into a possible business venture. Like a lot of businesses whose birth was at the Makati Sports Club bazaar of Myrna Alimurung, the Polo Club

Literally Pigging Out

2011-10-15T01:17:00.000+08:00

I got a message from Tetta Tirona inviting me to a "horizontal lechon tasting". I had heard about an event like this from professional eater Cyrene dela Rosa, was curious enough, and immediately said yes. On the appointed day, I arrived at the venue before her, at a home in a Makati village. I peeked through the glass part of the door, hesitating to enter. I recognized no one. I dreaded the

Artisan Hot Chocolate for Pedring

2011-09-27T18:59:00.000+08:00

Pedring. Man you ruined what would have been a perfect business trip by a friend. You should've arrived last Thursday instead! A meeting with a Tourism Secretary and a dinner that included sous vide beef adobo on the menu canceled, what's a girl to do? Drink a cup of really good hot chocolate. Fortunately, I have a happy little collection. Tonight's cup is from the West Coast from

NANA MENG'S KITCHEN COMES ALIVE

2011-09-19T18:48:00.000+08:00

Since Nana Meng passed away in 2009, our ancestral home in Bulacan has not been the same. At first we tried to still come together every Sunday and then it became less frequent until our large family just started seeing each other during wakes (sadly!). First Tito Freddie Vargas passed away January of this year then another uncle Louie Vargas passed away a few months ago. He made the best

TraveLife Italy with Margarita Fores

2011-09-12T09:04:00.000+08:00

You know you're in for a loooong meal when you have this line up of knives ... TraveLife Magazine in cooperation with the Asian Food Channel put together TraveLife Italy, a nine course experience of Margarita Fores' Italian cooking hosted by TraveLife's Christine Cunanan. Held at White Space, the event had something like 250 guests. It was crazy. Politicians, socialites, foodies gathered for

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive September 11, 2011: Roadtrip! (Tagaytay Restos Summary)

2011-09-11T14:54:00.000+08:00

Roadtrip!What happens when you fail to plan ahead for a long weekend? You are met with fully booked flights for almost all Southeast Asian countries (for first class, business class, economy class and even no class seats) and slapped on the face with fully booked hotels, be it high end or boutique, in local destinations. But you can’t be bitter about missing Bangkok or Boracay when nearby

Tagaytay Series 2011: Pamana Restaurant

2011-09-09T09:53:00.000+08:00

Happy Ongpauco has outdone herself once again. What a beautiful tribute to her family! This is one women who is making waves in the present by rekindling her past for future generations to likewise appreciate. What an amazing woman! This sinigang was a winner. I personally loved it. We also had a bangus sisig - but it's not sisig without the crunch so I left that to my dieting friends.

Tagaytay Series 2011: T House, Hotel Dominique

2011-09-06T19:03:00.002+08:00

We stayed at this gorgeous boutique hotel named T House in Tagaytay. We were drawn in by the review of Lori Baltazar of Dessert Comes First for Yahoo here. Truth be told, we stayed at Hotel Dominique the first night of our long weekend because latecomer that I am, cramming reservations, everything was booked! Hotel Dominique was described by our friend Alfajor as a glorified motel but we

Tagaytay Series 2011: Marcia Adams

2011-09-02T22:37:00.000+08:00

Marcia Adams: A FIRST Impression. A beautiful Tuscan-inspired restaurant that serves Mediterranean cuisine. The creator and lady of the kitchen is Marcia Adams, Filipina, married to Neil Adams. I'm not sure what Neil's nationality is but he seemed to have a "rathah" thick British accent. We came at a bad time though. The long weekend when half of Metro Manila was in Tagaytay. The kitchen was

The Tagaytay Series 2011: Antonio's, Bag of Beans

2011-09-02T02:20:00.000+08:00

TAGAYTAY Went on a road trip with my girls Erika and Mylah. There is not much to do in Tagaytay for 30-boring-somethings. There are no art museums. There's a zip line, a golf course at the Highlands, boatrides to the volcano. But boring beauties don't want to do that. We settled for eating til we felt like oompa loompas. Bag of Beans. 3650 Aguinaldo Highway, Mendez Crossing West, Tagaytay

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive August 14, 2011: Tong Lu Wan

2011-08-14T17:10:00.000+08:00

TONG LU WAN There are really only two things to do in Hong Kong: shop and eat. Hong Kong has become quite the showcase for the best cuisines. But most of all, some of the world's best Chinese cooking. The four main styles of Chinese cooking are Beijing, Cantonese, Sichuan, and Shanghai. Of these, Cantonese is the most popular in Hong Kong - that thousand-year old gastronomic culture (

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive August 7, 2011: Chef Willie Domingo

2011-08-08T16:32:00.000+08:00

Chef Willie Domingo of Bulacan Steward of Authentic Filipino Food Cooking schools and classes are everywhere nowadays. Yesterday’s kusinero is today’s celebrity chef Yesterday’s vocation is today’s career. Cooking was something mothers simply excelled in, something ladies were expected to do. Cooking was part of Home Economics, a mandatory subject in high school. Today, it’s a diploma

margauxlicious dinner: Lutong Bahay for Amy Besa & Romy Dorotan

2011-07-28T14:10:00.001+08:00

margauxlicious Lutong Bahay Dinner for Amy Besa & Romy Dorotan Dinuguan Festival: dinuguan (Bulacan style) and tinumis Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan were in town once again. For some of us lucky enough, that meant a reunion. This group actually was formed on Tita Amy's last trip around four months ago, when she just so happened to be looking for "lutong bahay" or a home-cooked meal and we just so

Sunday Inquirer Magazine July 25, 2011: Welcome Chef Willin Low

2011-07-26T17:27:00.004+08:00

margauxlicious, Enderun & the country's best chefs and food writers welcome Chef Willin Low A Toast to Filipino Cuisine! (photo credit: Enderun) What does it take to impress a chef that has been lauded by no less than the New York Times as one of three chefs in Singapore who are reinventing the city's traditional food culture? Aun Koh, publisher of the Miele Guide, shouted out this

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive July 17, 2011: Julie Gamboa; Cerveseria

2011-07-19T18:25:00.000+08:00

FOREVER IN THE MILKY WAY Julie Gamboa with son Chef J Gamboa at Milky Way Greenhills (photo credit: Nana Nadal) Last July 3 was a sad, sad day not only for the family of Julie Araullo Gamboa, founder/ owner of Milky Way Cafe, but for those of us whose lives the Gamboas have touched, whether directly by way of their exuberant personalities or indirectly by way of their vibrant cooking.

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive July 10, 2011: Chef Tatung

2011-07-18T09:42:00.000+08:00

There are restaurants that take your breath away by the sheer value of the setting. Heavy curtains, fine china, expensive art and fancy utensils that in truth are valued more for their prettiness than for the purpose they serve. Restaurateurs pour investments that reach the tens if not hundreds of millions just to create a sense of escape for guests. Sometimes they are blockbusters;

Spotlight: Chef Pauline Gorriceta Banusing

2011-07-05T00:31:00.000+08:00

Fresh oysters and scallops from Iloilo at the Intercon's Ilonggo Festival Last month, the Intercontinental's Jeepney Cafe had as guest chef Pauline Gorriceta Banusing for an Ilonggo Festival. It takes a person with a lot of will power to deny himself the goodness of Ilonggo cooking so I found myself accepting the invitation of Chef Pauline and making my way to the Intercon before you could say

Old Manila to become the new Old Manila under Chef Samuel Linder

2011-06-28T17:32:00.000+08:00

I had the pleasure of being invited to a fancy dinner at the Peninsula a couple of weeks ago by Mariano Garchitorena to welcome the new chef of Old Manila, Chef Samuel Linder. It was a very intricate and elegant dinner, the very definition of fine dining come to life. The amuse bouche presented a tiny sliver of pounded tuna and small square of foie gras peppered with seeds. This was

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive June 26, 2011: Delivery Services

2011-06-28T16:36:00.000+08:00

Remember the Yellow Pages that “let your fingers do the walking”? The blurb referred to the act of flipping through the pages of the thick yellow directory (as opposed to the white directory that listed residential numbers), using just one hand, with the pointer and middle fingers reimagined as legs walking towards the desired number. This was before the advent of the Internet and the

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive June 19, 2011: Gastro Bulletin

2011-06-24T14:14:00.000+08:00

Too Many Things Going On in the Gastro Universe! Bulalo at Pepato Pop Up The Miele Guide It’s that time of year again when you can vote for your favorite restaurants for the Miele Guide. This restaurant guide profiles Asia’s best restaurants as determined by professional restaurant critics, a jury of respected foodies, and public voting. The Miele Guide also annually ranks the Top 20

Antonio's Breakfast

2011-06-16T17:44:00.000+08:00

I know it's been a while and most of you already know this but Breakfast at Antonio's, the old white "house" with a flag on the wall outside as a marker, has moved to the home of Antonio's Fine Dining. They fixed up the space at the back and now they have this: You can eat in this area inside or at the patio near this pathway: But more than the ambiance, it's the food that's worth the trip.

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive June 12, 2011: Mabuhay Palace

2011-06-14T14:53:00.000+08:00

The Manila Hotel has important memories for the generations that grew up with Presidents Ferdinand Marcos, Cory Aquino and Fidel Ramos. But former President Ramos, in efforts to privatize the hotel, bid it out and in a controversial sale (a Malaysian firm also presented a bid), the Manila Hotel was purchased by a company owned by Manila Bulletin publisher Don Emilio Yap. Since then, the

Sunday Inquirer Magazine Archive May 29, 2011: Cafe 1771

2011-06-03T22:26:00.000+08:00

El Pueblo has a place in the heart of the ’90s babies as many a party was held in Tequila Joe’s (where McDonald’s is now located), and first dates or breakups took place at Chateau 1771. Chateau’s Raclette now brings back memories of either romance or rejection, either heightening the good times or uplifting one from the bad times, all to the tune of Alanis Morissette’s “Ironic.” El Pueblo

Vote for your favorite restaurants for the MIELE GUIDE

2011-05-31T18:05:00.000+08:00

Hey guys it's time to vote!!!Go to this site to vote: www.mieleguide.com Vote for your fave restaurants across Asia. But also - let's make Asia more aware of the Philippines as a restaurant destination! (I'd previously written about the Miele Guide here). Comprehensive feature on the Miele Guide here too.) Vote na! Now na!

Simply Thai, Greenbelt 5

2011-05-28T18:47:00.000+08:00

We had always been fans of Terrace at the 5th, a "home kitchen" at Greenbelt led by Cecile Ysmael (I think she goes by Cecile Chang now). But although Terrace did well, it didn't quite hit the following that Mamou as a home kitchen did. For a while there was word that Terrace was going to close and I even went there with Dr. Badiday to pay our respects before it became just a memory. But

Want to Franchise out your business? Learn from the FRANCHISE GURU

2011-05-28T11:45:00.000+08:00

I have a confession to make: having something like 3 jobs/clients (political/corp PR, food writing, Nana Meng's) is a blessing but it is not easy. SO oftentimes I have emails left unopened or texts that I take 700 weeks to reply to. To those who have been affected by this, SORRY!!! I'm just another girl trying to make it in this world. What keeps me going - aside from the need to survive, haha

Holiday Land, San Fernando, Pampanga

2011-05-26T10:52:00.000+08:00