Danne: Kaya

There are a few places where we always go back to eat, and the restaurant I'm about to feature is one of them: Kaya. Perhaps you have passed by any of its branches around the metro and have always wondered what's there to eat or if its food tastes good. I can tell you it's one of those you'd love to revisit.

Kaya's menu includes well-known Korean dishes. I am not really familiar with Korean cuisine, below are several staples we order every time we go back.

One of which is Pajeon (PhP 180), which is an onion leek pancake with squid. I especially love the outer corners of this!

The Dak Bulgogi (PhP 190), which is grilled spicy chicken fillet, is another must-try. This + sticky rice is actually already a meal for me!

They serve the Dak Bulgogi on a sizzling plate. The waiter cuts the chicken fillet into strips upon serving.

This, I believe is the Kalbi Jim (PhP 240). It's Korean beef stew.

I got to eat at Kaya's branch in Powerplant Mall. I believe they have several other stores.

Kaya's food is actually affordable and delicious. Yay for good food you'd love to eat again and again!

Danne

Kaya Rockwell Center Branch
Address: Shop No. 009 Level P-1 Powerplant Mall, Amapola cor. Estrella Sts., Makati City
Telephone no.: 898 0934

Therese in Taiwan: 8 Way Dumplings 八方雲集

If you know me, you'd know how much I love to eat dumplings! Back in 2000, my family and I went to China for the first time. One day, we (myself, my sister, and my mom) were able to eat this HUGE plate of dumplings for lunch. It only cost us 7 RMB (~PhP 49 - conversion rate that time). By the time we were all full, there were still some left over! My love for dumplings started right then and there.

I would always look for dumplings in the Philippines but it wasn't the same - either there wasn't enough filling, or the dumpling would be too dry. Maybe I just didn't know where the "just right" dumplings were to be found.

When I got here in Taiwan, my relatives knew how much I loved dumplings so guess what they did? They cooked this huge batch of dumplings for us to share! Yuuuum!

Dumplings for me!

Recently, I discovered this store across our school that sells dumplings. There are different types to choose from - kuchai, curry, vegetarian, etc. You can have them fried or steamed. The dumplings are sold by piece, with the fried ones typically costing 4 NT/piece (~PhP 6/piece) and the steamed at 5 NT/piece (~PhP 7.5/piece). They also sell soy milk for 15 NT (~PhP 22.5), if I'm not mistaken.

The white ones are kuchai, and the green ones are vegetarian

I like them because they're generous with the filling, and they're freshly cooked. They're juicy and they're definitely not dry. Cheap and delicious!

The name of the place

The store is located across National ChengChi University (國立政治大學), by Xinguang Rd. Entrance (新光路口).

For other branches, you can visit their website.

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.

Mango-Ong

Mango-Ong
by Nicole

Craving for that sour green mango with the uber perfect sweet and spicy bagoong? No worries, you can now find them at the mall! Let's say hello to Mango-Ong!

Mango-Ong at SM Taytay

Mango-Ong is the newest food stall I came across at a mall. They sell green mangoes and singkamas (turnip) topped with that delectable bagoong! Mangoes or singkamas with bagoong are two of the most popular Filipino street food. We eat them as appetizer, dessert, or snack.

Mango-Ong's green mango with sweet and spicy bagoong

One order of green mango with bagoong is only 20 pesos. For the bagoong, you can choose if you want it sweet, sweet and spicy, extra hot, salty, or salty & spicy. They have a chart for the bagoong variety but I was not able to take a photo of it though. Anyway, here's the pricelist. :D

So next time you're hungry for green mango or singkamas with bagoong, you don't need to look for it on the streets. :D

And now to announce the winner of The Bellevue Hotel Manila Cafe d'Acie buffet giveaway: Ms. Dominique Calilung.

Congratulations to the winner and thank you for all the people who joined!