Yedang: underrated and awesome

I have become lazy. So lazy that I cannot even get up from my bed and type on my laptop anymore. Smartphones and tablets further perpetuated this cycle of sloth (wake up, check fone, feel sleepy, sleep, repeat step 1).

Anyhoo, why am I blogging again? 2 reasons completely unrrelated.

1) A friend asked me via facebook why I wasn't blogging anymore. And my thought bubble was like: "Really? Someone reads my blog?" So now I am sure I have 3 readership ha! (Hello husband, sister, and friend. Hee hee) Sure it is fun to write. But knowing that someone reads my nonsensical thoughts gives me "kilig" to no end. Lols.

2) I realized I can blog using my iPhone. That means no need to get up from the bed anymore just to blog. Yey! What did I tell you? Lazy. Lazy. Lazy.

With that I officially end my blogging break. Fireworks. None? K. Fine. :-)

So last Friday was a special day because it was Kyle's 1st birthday (my friend Mae's baby boy). We spent the afternoon with the kids at Virlanie foundation. I baked about ten thousand chocolate cupcakes see below (of course I exaggerate  haha it was around 50pcs). 

I gained raving fans again for my heavenly cupcakes (I like to toot my own horn - obviously). But seriously, though my chocolate cupcakes have some kind of a cult following already. By cult I mean a group of random kids somewhere across the metro raving that my cupcakes are the best they've tasted. Haha!

Okay, so where was I? It was a super fun and tiring day. So the hubby and I decided to go on a date. I suggested Yedang because it's been a long time since we last ate there. For me it is one of the most underrated but good resto around town. And cheap too. Also, I think another reason why their meat tastes good after cooking is that they use good old uling. For some reason mas masarap ang bbq na cooked through charcoal kesa electric grills. Agree? Tapos you can bet that is authentic because its owner is Korean.

But again the food. The food and service are both excellent. Each table has its own exhaust (para di ka amoy bbq after heehee). Let me show you pictures.

Free appetizers. (Dito palang solve na ehehe)

This was my favorite among the 8 or 9 free appetizers which was served. This, and the kimchi of course. ;-)

Someone will assist you in cooking the meat. 

Once cooked you wrap the meat in a lettuce (it was fresh and crisp) put some chilli sauce and spiced olive oil some onions and garlic then, viola! One of the most enjoyable food I've ever eaten. (I mean you know you're eating meat but then again it is wrapped in lettuce so that kind of takes away the guilt right? Right?)

And this OMG. Their beef soup. Is. To. Die. For.

Yey, and there's a free pineapple for dessert.

Our meal was around P900 only. Sulit. Plus I loved their pandan water. 

Yedang Korean BBQ Restaurant

88 Meralco Ave., Pasig City

telephone: 636-1461

PS: Sorry for the poor quality of pictures. Or maybe not. I'm not sure whether they are okay or awful.  I want to put a #nofilter on every photo just to explain haha. I am still a bit rusty trying out this blogging thing from my phone. Cheers. Till my next post! :-)

Food, food, food (Part 1)

In 7 days time, I will going through 2 - 3 months of very (super to the maximum level) strict food diet plan. The diet plan didn't come cheap and this is already my husband's Anniversary, Christmas, Birthday and 2012 Valentines gift to me. 

The goal is for me to loose 60 lbs. Can you imagine that? 60lbs? That's already another person. If I were to send my fats to school she would be in grade 3 or a very skinny grade 5. Haha. Shame. Shame.

So before torture starts I did what any sane person would do. 

Pig out. 

Haha.

Call it maybe coincidence or just pure luck. The universe knows of my plight in a weeks time that's why the past 2 weeks were just filled with occasions filled with just so much food. I am doing this now to remind myself during the times when will I feel most deprived (because of my diet)... that I used to have it good (food-wise). I didn't only have it good, in fact I had abundance (too much actually, case in point my bloated self).

See for yourself.

Mary Grace Menu





The centerpiece says:
"The only safe way to destroy an enemy
is to make him your friend."




Interiors: dainty




My date: through a glass wall





My order: Beef tapa (Price: ~220)
So-so. Honestly Mary Grace, there's a tapsi house
at our kanto that sells tapsilog for P40 and theirs taste better.
I just think this one is overpriced based on the quality.





Hubby's: Fussili in aglio olio with chorizo (Price: ~230)
Again, nothing mind blowing.
I can cook this.

 


Hot white chocolate (Price: P95)
This is the only one that I liked very much.




Grilled ensaymada (Price:~P70)
Owkay kang din. 'Di naman sila nagkakalayo ng Red Ribbon.




My date
Place: Italianni's




Here's me looking weird.
I was sick during this time.
I had severe chest pains and was on SL for two days.




Four cheese pizza.
I like my pizza simple. No frills.




Hubby's fave. Meatball spaghetti.




Double porkchops something




Another shot

 Note: I forgot all the prizes for Italianni's. But I just know it's expensive (for me). If you ask me next time I will just dine in Volare or Bellini's when I'm craving for Italian food. Same authentic flavor at half the prize.



Our favorite drinks.
Mine: Mint choco java chip frapp (which he hates)
His: Green tea frapp (which na uumay ako)




See the name, it says "Anna"
Anna is my Starbucks name. 
They never get it right whenever I tell them it's for Love.
One branch called me "Dove" and another "Jove"


More to follow. There's Serenitea, Lutong Macau, an unknown Korean resto, Sweet Pea, Charlie's Grind and Grill, buffets, Dampa Seaside etc. etc.


My I have been pigging out! WTF.

30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE - DAY 20

A hobby of yours

In life I've made a couple of bad decisions. I hit the wrong turn when I shouldn't have. I said a few words (this happens all the effin' time) before thinking. Jumped too soon without testing the waters. Bought some really stupid stuff. Decided too early or sometimes too late. Miscalculated steps and caused me hours or sometimes days of agony. I've trusted too much and sometimes too little. Okay so the point is, I'm human. Mistakes are part of my nature.

One area in life I am perfect though, is cooking. I'm not saying every dish is perfect all the time but all of them come out pretty good. I even amuse myself by this phenomenon.

Bad things could happen: oops I've put too much soy sauce, forgot to put the bay leaf, left the beef too long in the pressure cooker, I didn't measure the sugar, I burned the pasta (true story I tell yah)... what the hey, it doesn't matter because the dishes still come out a-maziiing!

I don't know what's with me and food we just gel. So most of the time when I feel stressed and wrong about life I just go to the kitchen, cook something, and my existence gets validated all over again. Haha.

Fine, fine I know I sound really mayabang (boastful) but you know, say whatever you want, cooking is one thing I am sure I am good at. I get my inspiration from whatever it is that's available in our kitchen. I cook whatever and whenever. I have a notebook of handwritten recipes which I will give to my sister as a gift on her wedding day. (Is that corny or what? Whatever. I think it's the most precious thing I have.)

Must be the genes. Could be the training from my mom. I've been cooking since grade 5. I have shared a few of my cooking adventures in this blog here and here. And I've posted quite a few pictures of my dishes in facebook. Last Sunday, I did a kitchen experiment which I called Spaghetti el Diablo. Haharhar. (Must be said with the "evil" laugh included.) So good you will pee in your pants! Kidding. :P

It was sweet from the fresh tomatoes, herby from the basil, spicy from Indian red pepper flakes and savory from the yummy meatballs. See the picture below and some other pics I grabbed from facebook.

Spaghetti el diablo topped with cheddar cheese

Sweet and sour pork liempo

Crispy cream dory fish fingers
with herbed garlic mayo dip

Herbed roasted lemon-garlic chicken thighs with
rustic potatoes, carrots, red onions and green beans

Lechon Kawali with green mango & red egg side salad

Fusilli in lemon cream sauce with cherry tomatoes,
baby arugulla, broccoli and sweet ham

Homestyle buttered chicken chili wings

Chicken Piccata with parmesan crust
lemon and garlic honey mayo

Autralian Beef T-bone steak and
Spaghetti with chunky tomatoes and sausages

Nacho Grandre with beef, cheese and onion topping

Anyone else out there like me? Please never stop cooking to your heart's (and stomach's) content.


Read the rest of my entries for the 30 day blog challenge here. =)

30 DAY BLOG CHALLENGE - DAY 16

 A favorite food

Wow, this is indeed a challenge. It is getting harder as each day passes.

How can I talk about a favorite food, when food itself is a favorite? I'm sure that previous sentence did not make sense to you so ignore that. Okay, just something I have been addicted to lately.

Beef Pepper Rice by Pepper Lunch

Photo credits here

Yowza! It's the perfect rice. Yummy beef. Just enough combination of sweet and salty. The honey brown sauce is love! It's a food that always leave me satisfied. So great, that when it opened in Megamall, me and JP ate there for three consecutive times!

We're going to Megamall again today to claim my free fone (more on that later) so there... :)



To know more about the 30 day blog challenge click here.

Easiest (and cheapest) Spaghetti Aglio Olio Recipe

Hey did I mention that Conching is on vacation leave for 8 days? (Conching is our ever trusty and reliable kasambahay.)

Naka VL ang aking yaya until July 04. On Thursday, I have to present my Six Sigma Project to my sponsor. Plus it's month end (so that means reports, reports and more reports). Plus it's Orchid last week. (Orchid is a real person.) She's my team's knowledge coach.) She got promoted (sigh!). And it's the last 6 days of my one month unlimited Bikram yoga sessions (I only lost 4 lbs. - malamang Belo na talaga ang kasagutan sa aking pangarap!).

Need I say it?

I am going to have a hell hectic week! Just thinking about it gives me headache already.

I told my husband this morning. I am not cooking breakfast for you. Too many pots and pans involved. Instead I will cook an awesome brunch nalang para tipid. K? K? He said 'okay' back.

So may I present to you the easiest (and cheapest) Spaghetti Aglio Olio Recipe (eeeevvvarrr!).

The ingredients will depend on whatever stuff you have in your pantry or ref.

Basic ingredients should be pasta, olive oil, garlic and a can of tuna. Kahit yan lang mga buhay na ang recipe. In my case these are the ingredients I was able to rummage from our pantry:

spaghetti, tuna, mushroom, capers, olive oil, garlic, onion, tomato

*note: capers, tomato, mushroom and onion are all optional

1) Boil the pasta according to the packet instructions. Remove when al dente. Do not overcook as it will continue cooking in the pan later. Drain.

2)  Sautee garlic, onion and tomato in olive oil. It should look like this. (Tip: Do not burn the garlic or else the whole dish will taste bitter. Echosz. True yan!)

3) Add the capers, tuna and mushroom. Add salt and pepper. (Tip: Drain the oil of the canned tuna. Excess oil from the tuna will make the pasta soggy.)

4) Put back the pasta into the saucepan. I added a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese before removing it from the heat.

Finished product. Best served with garlic bread on the side or chicken piccata as another entree. Shushal!

Ayan! I might have to say goodbye to facebook, twitter and the blogging world until Conching returns. Sniff. Because you gotta to what you gotta do, right? Domesticated/working mom ang drama ko this week. Sniff. I'll live. 

I hope one of you tries the recipe out. I asked my husband: How much will you pay for this dish? (We play this game a lot whenever I cook. Haha!). He said P800 daw. Winner! (Either masarap yung pasta talaga or he wants to make me happy lang. Either which, happy parin ako haha.) :)

Happy Sunday. Now back to household chores.

The 30 day blog challenge will resume until such time na may time na ko. Hehe.

XOXO.

30 Day Blog Challenge - Day 8

Cravings

This word reminds me so much of food and the first trimester of my pregnancy last year.

Right now, if I really dig deep into my soul what I’m really craving for is a very long vacation with my boys.

Either here.


Disneyland Hotel, Hong Kong

 Or here.


Tokyo DisneySea Hotel MiraCosta


Long vacation meaning not less than 2 weeks the very least. I want to lounge and not care about the world. I want to sit still and not think of any next agenda, or to-do list, or responsibilities.

Vacation aside,  I am also craving to regain my youth. Not just my old physique and beauty (walang kokontra blog ko to! Jejejeje.) but I also want to get my old endurance back. When I can walk nonstop for 8 hours in Divisoria, when I was able to party till wee hours and still function like a human being the next day, or do 10,000 activities during the day and still sleep soundly that night without any body aches and pains. Sometimes I do feel like I am the oldest twenty something (fine, late twenty something) I know. But, it’s not yet too late I know.  I shall recover from this slump you’ll see. (Walang sinabi si Vina Morales at Carlos Agassi sakin by the time my Bikram yoga sessions are over. Haha!)

Of course I cannot write about cravings without discussing food. I have lots of food cravings.

If calories do not cause bloating of the hips. I shall eat this everyday:

Uncle Cheffy’s Baby Back ribs fall-off-the-bones BBQ

I can eat one pail (isang baldeng) McDo Shaker fries.

I have been craving for the best Hainanese Chicken ever since I came back from Singapore. I have eaten lots of this already here, but nothing compares to the one I had in SG. (Thanks Marvs and Resie!)

Nakakasira ng buhay ang sarap ng cake na to:

Conti’s Mango Bravo

And I pretty much love everything from this restaurant. 

Lastly, I forgot my name when I devoured tasted this buco pandan from Nathaniel’s.

My food cravings change from day to day. I also like Shakey’s pizza Bianca, Andok’s lechon manok, my mom’s inihaw na liempo, dampa seaside shrimp tempura, red velvet cupcakes from Sonja’s and Selecta Reese’s ice cream.

Grabe na this is torture. Nagdi-diet pa naman ako.

Tama na nga. I shall go back na nga in eating my carrot and celery sticks. Char! 

To know more about the 30 blog challenge, click here.