Wrong Ramen, it's so right!

Wrong Ramen
by: Brian Ong

Wrong Ramen is one of the must try ramen places in Manila. Not only does it offer mouth watering ramen concoctions you would crave for, it also offers a sleek ambiance you would wish it was the interiors of your own pad.

Going back to the mouth watering ramen concoctions, Wrong Ramen's Tonkotsu Ramen is something that would blow your mind with its rich, deep and milky pork bone broth, served with sliced pork chashu that melts in your mouth. For me, this seals the deal!

If you love something spicy, the classic Tantanmen Ramen is for you. It is made of a bold sesame broth with ground pork and shredded chashu. What's there not to love about this spicy heaven in a bowl?

If you are looking for an appetizer, try Wrong Ramen's Chicken Akuma, Japanese fried chicken in asian buffalo sauce. It is sprinkled with sesame and gives a kick in every bite. 

Something different but breaks the taste of your food is their Sweet Potato Iced Tea. Yes you read it right. It has a hint of taste of that of a sweet potato but it is also sweet and refreshing. A must try! :)

For Wrong Ramen's menu, check out the photo below.

Wrong Ramen
Burgos Circle, 1634 Fort Bonifacio
+63 2 823 8249

Classic Cuisine at Summit Circle Cebu Hotel

I recently stayed at the newly refurbished Summit Circle Cebu Hotel (previously Cebu Midtown Hotel) along Fuente Osmena Cicle in Cebu City. The hotel's cafe/restaurant is now managed by C2 Classic Cuisine Philippines of the Cravings. It's the first out-of-Manila venture of the group, and they placed C2 Classic Cuisine which served really nicely done Filipino food in Cebu. Let's see how the Cebuanos will like the restaurant.



After checking in we were treated to a nice dinner, with a menu specially made for us. But before that we were served these appetizers or treats. There was the... Boneless Chicken Stew Supreme Vol Au Vent,



Bruschetta of Spicy Sausage with Mozzarella,



Brazilian Beef and Cheese Quesadilla,



They also served this Skewer of grape, olive, cubed cheese with a pomelo-liquer sauce, Seafood Brochette, and some desserts.



For the menu prepared for us, first up was the Molo Soup C2 Style, which was my actual favorite in Classic Cuisine. The soup's just yummy, and the molo just tender and melts in your mouth.


Another star of the night was the C2 Crispy Kare-Kare, think Crispy Pata and Kare-Kare sauce and Bagoong. The combination of all 3 is just the bomb! :)



They served the Lumpiang Hubad next, which should be vegetables wrapped in lumpia or spring rolls wrapper, but this time around, all the vegetables were exposed and served on a plate, while the wrapper was deep fried.



The Seared Tilapia in Coconut Emulsion sauce is another bestseller in C2 Classic Cuisine Manila. If you're looking for something seafood or fish to try, this is a must. The Seafood Inasal is another seafood dish which is good if you want a variety of seafood in a dish.



For dessert we were served the leche flan, which was so creamy and it melts really well in your mouth. It's just the way I want my flan. Another dessert was their famous Bibingka Souffle, which crumbles just right, and if paired with the sauce, it tastes like heaven.



C2 Classic Cuisine Philippines's newest out of town branch is located at the Summit Circle Cebu Hotel lobby at the 4th floor of the building, Cebu City.

Malagos Farmhouse's Blue Pepato Cheese

Olive Puentespina of the Malagos Farmhouse in Davao City has been producing cheeses using cow and goat milk for the past six or so years. Her products - Blue Pepato, Aged Pepato, Fromage frais, Chevre, and other gourmet cheeses and products that are "natural, farm fresh from their gardens, and prepared by caring hands."



I was able to try Malagos Farmhouse's Blue Pepato cheese thanks to Director Art Boncato, Eden, and our friends from our Tourism Office in Davao. It's mildly aged cow's milk cheese with whole green pepper corn. Available in approximately 130g tumblers.



I tried scraping off some of the cheese and placed it on top of my spaghetti/pasta. It was really good :) I think Filipinos aren't that acquainted with different kinds of cheeses. I, for one, just had Blue Pepato the first time. I never knew there was such a thing before.

Also, I don't know if these kinds of cheeses are for everyone given that they're aged and fermented, and do not really smell that good. But frankly, I do not care because it tastes good to me. We should have more cheese appreciation opportunities.

Malagos Farm is a sprawling, eight-hectare property in the Baguio District of Davao City. At an elevation of 375 meters above sea level, it is the ideal location for growing the most breathtaking Vandas, Dendrobiums, Mokaras, Oncidium Grower Ramsey, and Phalaenopsis, as well as exotic landscape plants. It produces approximately 20,000 dozen sprays of Oncidium Grower Ramsey and 60,000 dozen inflorescences of Dendrobiums. Adjacent to the farm is the family’s famous Malagos Garden Resort, which serves as a hotel, park, function area, and public stage where the family can share its love and knowledge of indigenous Philippine flora, and, occasionally, even the country’s rich avian life.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf opens at One Archer's Place near DLSU Manila

The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf comes to One Archer’s Place on Fidel Reyes St. near De La Salle University (DLSU), along Taft Avenue in Manila. The new The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf shop opened its doors to its first customers yesterday, January 30, "serving everyone with their full selection of internationally-acclaimed signature blends and gourmet treats and dishes."

In line with its debut, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf® branch in One Archer’s Place will be holding a special promotion that will coincide with DLSU’s 100th year celebration. During the promo period that will run from its opening day till February 05, 2012, customers can come to the store from 12:30 to 1:30 in the afternoon and purchase any of their favorite drinks for only Php 100.

“Manila is a good market for us,” shares Walden Chu, President of The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf®. “A place that’s right in the center of a burgeoning coffee culture in the country, this new branch will not only compliment the busy lifestyle of people in the area, it will also make it easier for more to enjoy the specialty drinks that our brand is known for.”

The One Archer’s Place store will be located near prominent establishments around DLSU and will cater mostly to students and young professionals working and living in the vicinity. In addition, it will serve as a haven for both cult-like followers of the brands as well as coffee and tea aficionados of all sorts.

The White Hat Creamy Cioccolato

Want a new experience for enjoying HOT CHOCOLATE? Instead of having it made for you, you can have fun blending your own hot chocolate with The White Hat’s new DRINK called THE WHITE HAT CIOCCOLATO.

You will be given THE WHITE HAT SPOON encased in a block of premium chocolate. Then, they will warm a cup of milk for you so you can slowly melt the chocolate into the milk and smell the rich aroma before savoring the oh-so-delicious and REAL HOT CHOCOLATE. SPOON, STIR, SIP -- It’s truly an experience worth waiting in line for.

The White Hat can be found at these Metro Manila Outlets:

Glorietta 3
Robinson’s Place Ermita
Robinson’s Galleria
Rustan’s Makati
Shangri-La Mall
SM Fairview – Annex 2
SM North Edsa – Annex Bldg.
Fully Booked, Bonifacio High Street

Saint's Alp Teahouse

It was my first time to try Saint's Alp Teahouse. I brought my family to Saint's Alp Katipunan, located right above the Fullybooked branch along Katipunan Avenue, in front of Ateneo. I have been really curious about this place, as I have tried other milk tea and tea stores which have taken Manila by storm, and sprouted like mushrooms everywhere you look. Lucky for tea lovers like myself, we have a lot of options to choose from.



Saint's Alp Teahouse has a nicely decorated interior, which provides comfy seats and great ambiance. It isn't just a tea shop, because it also offers a variety of food and beverage items for customers to choose from (which is also good, come to think of it).




And since I had Php 1000 gift certificate to use that night, I browsed through a very long menu, and decided to order these for the family to try:



We ordered the 2 Taiwanese Breaded Chops (Chicken and Pork) with Marinated Minced Pork add ons (Php 195 + Php 60 = Php 255): Quite honestly, I like the chicken better than the pork. The chicken chops were okay, but with the minced pork combined, it was good and filling. We also got a Large Chicken Breast (Php 110) to add on to the chops.



An all time Filipino breakfast favorite, the Beef Tapa w/ Garlic Rice & Egg (Php 195), I think, was the better choice. The tapa was soft, tasty, and flavorful.



For cheese lovers, you might want to try their Cheesy Tempura Balls (Php 90), which is a good appetizer. Watch out for the oozing hot cheese, if you don't want to scald your tongue. It's fried cheese in light tempura batter.



A must try off their menu is the Matcha (half-and-half) Peanut Butter Toast with Tea (Php 90). Matcha flavor and peanut butter with honey green tea equals perfect combination. The toast is a perfect snack, combined with a perfect hot tea, which is flavorful.




The drinks reminded me why the place is called a teahouse. Surely, I can say that the beverage is good. As for drinks, we got the Almond Milk Tea (Php 115) and Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies (Php 130). The almond milk tea is a refreshing taste, something different from what I have tasted so far. I think it's good for almond lovers, or those who want the tea taste hidden. The Blueberry Double Chocolate Sorbies is one of the best iced blended drinks you should try in Saint's Alp. Who would have imagined blueberry and chocolate (double) actually works. It's a little sweet for my taste though, other than that it's a perfect cooler!



Last, but definitely not the least. This is the star of the night. The best drink I have tasted in Saint's Alp Teahouse. It's actually not a tea-based drink, but it's great for coffee lovers, like myself. Sumiyaki Coffee with Coffeeagar (Php 150). Really good strong coffee with coffee jelly on ice. Yummy! :)



Saint's Alp Teahouse
2/F Regis Center, 327 Katipunan Avenue, Quezon City
G/F Forbeswood Parklane, Rizal Drive, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig
Tel#: 990-2194 (Katipunan), 478-7135 (Fort Branch)
http://www.saintsalp.com.hk/

Corniche at Diamond Hotel

My officemates and I celebrated the season with a lunch at Diamond Hotel's newest restaurant, Corniche, located at the hotel's lobby level days before Christmas. My verdict: The food selection is quite impressive, with my favorite part, the desserts, being really divine and really sinfully good.

Cream of Mushroom
Appetizer: Salad plating
Japanese Selection: Sushi, etc.
Main Course: Seafoods, Steak and Chinese
Corniche is proud of its beautifully appointed facilities, elegant interiors, cuisines of the world and impeccable service. It offers an exceptional breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet spread and an extensive all-day a la carte menu. Corniche's lunch buffet menu showcases a combination of "Asian, Western, Japanese, salad, and dessert stations, all meticulously prepared by culinary experts."

Desserts Part 1: Cake and Dessert Shooters
Desserts Part 2: Creme Brulee and Chocolate Truffles
Truffles and Green Tea White Chocolate Ice Cream
Candies
Corniche is open from 6:00 am to 11:00 pm, daily.

Merry Christmas! Remember, "Food tastes best when shared." - Brian Ong

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies

I love chocolates with mint. That is my ultimate dessert heaven. That is why when I saw a photo-recipe online of the mint chocolate chip cookies, I immediately reposted and shared it to my friends. One of my friends, Arvin, took it to heart, and recreated the dessert heaven.



In his blog, Vin Chocolatier, he wrote, "This chocolate chip mint cookie recipe is inspired by the raw cold and chill breeze of December, balanced with a hearty dose of dark and rich chocolate." He adds that the chocolate chip mint cookies, "can be quite intimidating because the mint really jolts you with a sudden freshness with each bite, but it eventually calms down with the soothing sweetness of chocolate."

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe from Arvin Peralta 

1/2 cup / 100 g butter, softened
3/4 cup / 150 g brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cup / 150 g all-purpose flour
1/4 cup / 35 g cocoa powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
200 g chocolate chips (dark works best, but you can use milk chocolate too) 

Mint Glaze 

1/2 cup + 1 tbsp / 75 g confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp / 8 g cocoa powder
2 tbsp / 40 mL hot water
1/4 tsp mint extract

• Preheat your oven to 180°C.

• Cream the butter and sugar until smooth. You can do this manually (sure, labor of love), but better use a hand mixer or a freestanding mixer for ease. Add the egg and vanilla, and mix well until soft and fluffy.

• On another bowl, sift together the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder. Add gradually to your cream mixture until well incorporated. Mix in your chocolate chips.

• Using an ice cream scoop or a 15mL tablespoon, drop measures of cookie dough on a lined baking sheet. The cookies do not expand when they bake, so you can leave little spaces in between to pack in as many as you can.

• Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes. Let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack.

• Mix all the glaze ingredients in a small saucepan and and heat until combined. Drizzle the glaze over the cookies as they cool on the rack. The glaze will solidify gradually as it cools.

Whistlestop 24/7 Redux

Whistlestop, a 24/7 restaurant which started back in 1977, is back after closing last 2005! "We're the only 24 hour restaurant, which offers a wide range of cuisines, and serves nothing but your good old comfort food," Lex Ledesma, the new owner said.


Anton in his blog says, "The memory of Whistlestop is like the memory of Ninoy Aquino -- only those who are 25 years old and above can remember them." That's why I don't really have distinct memories of this restaurant from back when Tina Serna was still the owner. I guess the only thing I can remember is that I have eaten at Whistlestop, maybe back when I was in grade school or high school.



For starters, I would really recommend that you try their Boneless Buffalo Wings (Php. 220). This treat instantly became my favorite because of its kick and taste. The blue cheese dip complemented the dish. But, if you're not into the spicy and saucy chicken, you might want to dig in their Spanakopitas (Php. 180), fried wrap with 3 kinds of cheese. Heaven.



For the main course, I would turn you to their bestseller and the owner's pride, Hainanese Chicken Rice (Php. 195). The chicken meat was tender and juicy. It's really something to be thrilled with.



Another dish that I enjoyed (I enjoyed everything I ate!) is their Arroz Caldo (Php.110). My dad says they used to eat this in the wee hours back in the days. Now that Christmas is fast approaching and the cold nights setting in, I would definitely order this once again.

Make room for dessert! You might want to indulge yourself with their home-made Banoffee Pie (Php. 150) or the Mango Pannacotta (Php. 95), both really yummy and not that sweet (yey!).

What's striking besides their simple yet stellar food offerings is their interior. They've painted the restaurant to depict a train station feel, which, in my opinion, is chic and cozy.

Whistlestop 24/7
28 Jupiter St., Makati City (Between Fiamma and Starbucks)
Telephone number: 8961989.
P.S. They also deliver :)

Review and Photo by Bong
Photo taken using Sony Ericsson W760i