#danielaeats: green living

One thing I know I will never be able to give up is eating good food. Even dieting is too hard to do because how is it possible to decline delicious food when you know you're stomach's not fully satisfied? When food is there, I'm always there (and so is my iPhone, ready for that food post). Eating just gives a different kind of happiness that doesn't only last the meal. Which is why I might pull back a few bucks when spending on clothes and other necessities, but with food, i'm all in. 

In the last couple of days I've been exposed to different vegan and vegetarian restaurants because of my work. I've heard of these places a lot, but since most of them are located up north (aka anything past the skyway), I don't usually make an effort to try out these places. Aside from that, the term veg or green was never appealing to me. I regularly eat my veggies, but I don't go out of my way to get some. Aside from that, I can never imagine myself having consecutive meals without my meat. But visiting these places totally changed my perspective on vegan or vegetarian restaurants, debunked all my initial thoughts about it being bland, boring and not filling, and has opened a new door for me to explore. 

Pipino (Maginhawa, QC)

Edgy Veggy (Kapitolyo)

 Susi (Bonifacio Global City)

They don't look boring at all and they definitely don't taste bland. These dishes (and others that missed the photo op) were, to my surprise, very, very delicious. They were more flavourful than I expected and were so fun to photograph! Being a visual/photo person, I immediately judge the dish by its looks. When they were served and I saw all the colors, I immediately whipped out my phone and snapped away. I got to taste majority of the dishes, and they were all. so. good! They may come with a lot of veggies, but having them prepared the way these restaurants do makes you want to have them all the time. 

The Earth Kitchen (Bonifacio Global City) 

The Earth Kitchen is not exactly veg or vegan (as you can see, we had super good kebab!), but it will be on the show mainly because it's one of the few organic restaurants we have in the metro. They make all their ingredients from scratch so nothing's processed, and they have a farm up in Tarlac with almost 200 communities working together. Like all others, this restaurant is one to try out when you're in Bonifacio Global City because the food is delicious, it's HEALTHY, and the restaurant setup is so beautiful it's like dining in a garden with aircon. You may not be able to go the veg/vegetarian route early, but eating in places like The Earth Kitchen is a step towards keeping a healthy diet without compromising flavor.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: #MeatHeads at the red light

Last month I missed out on Bruce Ricketts' La Chinesca pop up at Mecha Uma and I felt bad about it. The feedback was really good (the food, the prices and the turnout as a whole), and even though I'm not a total Mexican food lover, a part of me really wanted to try it out because I was almost sure that it would've changed my thoughts on Mexican food. So when I heard that #MeatHeads was happening at The Red Light, I made sure not to miss it. 

The cook out was a collaboration of Chefs Bruce Ricketts, David Ong, Erwan Heussaff, JP Anglo, Allen Buhay, Mikko Reyes, and BJ Mantuano. The guys got together and did a pop up at The Red Light for charity, and all proceeds of the event are to go to Payatas Mother of Divine Providence Parish. Now, how could you NOT want to go? 

At Php 250 (each) you can get these sandwiches

PHUC NYU

Chicken Thighs, Bagoong, Pig Skin Pickles, Potato Bread

I'm not a fan of bagoong but I enjoyed this sandwich. It was a bit more filling than the others because the bread was big, and I wish it had a tad bit more sauce in it. I also wish the chicken piece was cut up so that I could have a piece of it in every bite. Flavour-wise though, it was delicious.

EL TORRO

Carnitas, Wakamole, Salsa Verde, Ciabatta

Anton and I were a bit clueless about Carnitas, so we were unaware of the fact that it has Wansoy (Cilantro) in it. I didn't mind, since I enjoy some Wansoy in my food, but Anton has this aversion to Wansoy (which according to studies, some people really have because of genetics) so I caught him picking out most of it from the sandwich. I took a bite off the El Torro without the Wansoy and I didn't enjoy it so much, but once I started eating into it and getting the bits of the remaining Wansoy and the rest of the ingredients, it tasted much better. 

GRILLED FACE

Beef Cheek Pares, Spicy Pickles, #meathead cheese whiz, Mustasa Pesto, Sourdough

Our Grilled Face sandwich had a bit too much fat in it but I enjoyed the little meat that I got. The bread was just right, toasted crust and soft inside, and I liked the flavor of the generous amount of sauce it had. 

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: meat depot

For our Father's Day dinner last week, my sisters and I bought frozen steak from Meat Depot in BF Homes along Aguirre Avenue. We got rib eye, about nine half inch slices of it for less than Php 700. It was more affordable than expected and the quality of the meat we got for dinner was pretty good, so I was curious to know the experience I would get if I dined in.

I tried out the place last Saturday and ordered Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed for about Php 311 + Php 100 cooking fee, sauce and a side. 

When you enter, the first thing they make you do is pick your meat from the freezer. Once you've chosen your cut, you decide the cook you want, the sauce (for this I chose mushroom), and the side (either potatoes, fries or rice).

We got there around 7:00pm so the place was full, and we had to wait around 30 minutes to be seated. While waiting, we already picked out our meat + cook, sauce and side. We got our dishes at around 8:15pm. It was a pretty long wait (so was getting the bill), but we were all quite contented with the turnout.

The mushroom sauce I had was good, but the spicy pepper one my friend got was much better. I chose medium rare for the cook on my rib eye and they got it pretty good. I just wish I chose a piece with more fat for more flavour instead of prioritizing the size of the cut (gah, what hunger can do). We all got free barbecue for their anniversary treat and extra mash and rice because our waiter was extra nice. All their waiters are! Anton got his pork chop which was much bigger (if i'm not mistaken his piece was Php 210 + Php 100 for the cook, side and sauce), and he really liked it. It already had a barbecue marinade so I didn't mind having it with the mushroom sauce though he still wanted the spicy pepper.

On my way out I was thinking of what I would decide to choose for my next visit since I felt I could've gotten a better piece. Little did I know that I'd be having my next one just the day after.

I went back to the Depot with my family the very next day for Sunday lunch. I arrived a bit late so when I got there, my mom had already ordered the Chilled Rib Eye Grassfed again for me, but this time, a piece with better marbling, mash, and the spicy pepper sauce.



I enjoyed this meal so much more the second time around because the piece had a good amount of fat in it and I enjoyed it with the spicy pepper sauce. My parents, on the other hand, got Angus, which was a bit more expensive and bigger in size, but was so much better. Soft and flavourful without needing much sauce to enjoy it.

The service this time around was faster since we went pretty early and were one of their first lunch customers for the day. I enjoyed my food more during the second visit, and I would recommend you try it out if you're in the area. It's a good place to buy your meat and dine in, just try to get there at a good time so you don't wait so long. They no longer take reservations so you have to go early.

283 Aguirre Avenue, BF Homes Paranaque
(02) 501 0845
Restaurant in front of Tides
You may start shopping for meat as early as 8AM

Until next time #danielaeats!

bits of baler: the circle, ditumabo motherfalls, balete tree

Last May I went back to Baler with the Seabiscuit team. We stayed at The Circle Hostel, which just recently opened their latest branch in Sabang, Baler.

Just like in Zambales and La Union, the Circle Baler keeps its rustic charm with hand painted walls, no aircons, bamboo made sleeping quarters and breezy, spacious, common areas. This branch is the most spacious one, and can accommodate more people than the other two.

Their common areas are bigger and even has a mini skateboard ramp at the center. They still have the bunk bed setup as in other Circles, but this time it's divided into three rooms on the second floor, and a fourth room in the first floor. Unlike other branches, you now have the option to get a private room here. They have a Cuddle room with a queen sized bed, and a Buddy room with a bunk bed. The surfer breakfast (peanut butter sandwiches and bananas) comes free with all overnight reservations.



Luckily when we went, it still felt very new and we had the place to ourselves. Everything was clean and fixed, and the place was very peaceful. We were also able to have the second floor common area to ourselves at night, so we enjoyed the the cool breeze, the freedom to play music, play games and not worry about the noise we were making. As for the neighbors, well, they didn't seem to care as well about how loud they were being with all the karaoke they were doing.

After our morning surf, we decided to visit Ditumabo Motherfalls.



Thanks to Mocky's Urvan we didn't have trouble finding our way to the drop off for the falls. The drivers knew their way around the place, we just had to tell them the destination.

To get to the falls, we had a 20 minute car ride from the Circle to the drop off place and did an hour mini hike to the falls. There were some fees we had to pay (around P50-P100 per head for the entrance, then P600 for the tour guide). They don't allow you to bring food or any drinks up there because you "might dirty the place," but really it's because they have some stalls along the way they want you to buy from.

The hike was a bit longer than expected, but the trip to the falls was a beautiful one. The trail was kept cool by the surrounding trees and we walked to the sound of running water and birds chirping. It was tiring but quite relaxing, actually.

Not the best photo of the motherfalls, but I assure you it's ten times more majestic than what you see here. It's about 140 feet high, and the water is extremely cold, my feet and fingers were cramping up almost the whole time I was in the water. Some parts of the area are deep but majority of it's waist high, so you can walk your way in. To enjoy it, I suggest you jump in instead of easing your way through the cold. That'll take some time.

Another must visit (and our last stop) when visiting Baler: the Balete tree. It'll only take 15 minutes of your time to see this 600 year old Balete tree so I suggest you pass by it on your way out of Baler. Don't be afraid to enter, it's actually really beautiful inside once you see the roots of it come together and intertwine. 

We visited Costa Pacifica and had our last lunch there before heading back to Manila. The place is owned by the Discovery group, so what you can expect is what you get in any Discovery owned establishment: a high-end luxurious experience. Everything was so nice and modern, the poolside looked like a relaxing place to chill, and the food was also really good. If not for the dirty bathroom and the waiter that didn't know much about the dishes, the short visit would've been a double thumbs up.

And here ends the short but sweet, mid week trip with the team. It was a good break from all the work we were doing, and I'm pretty happy we ended up choosing Baler for this. It truly is such a beautiful place, and returning there for the second time reminded me of how much I should visit it more. There have been a lot of changes from my last visit 3-4 years ago, but its long beach, clean waters, beautiful scenery and wonderful people remain the same.

#danielaeats: japanese in shanghai

I know, not another Jap experience. But this I have to share because it's one of my most favourite Jap experiences to date! Surprisingly, it was in Shangai, China. On the night of our last shoot day, our Chinese friend Ted wanted to treat us out to a good dinner. My friends and I were craving Jap so he took us to the best Jap place he knew in Shanghai. It turned out to be closed by the time we got there, so instead he took us to another one, outside of the mall in a more hidden, unexpected place. 

Truth is, I don't know the name of the place, and of several other places I went to in Shanghai because everything was in Chinese and barely anyone spoke English (really, I don't know how we would've survived without Ted). It was a bit hard going around without having prepared translated words in Chinese characters on our phones so that we could simply show it to people and they would lead us the right away.

This second place, according to Ted, was "not as good" as the first one we were suppose to eat in, but still was good Jap. It looked like a sports bar turned Japanese resto because of all the Japanese signs and lantern designs. People there were mostly having drinks and watching The Beatles being projected on a white screen.

Grilled Brie cheese. SINFUL. We had two orders of this because it was freakin amazing! The star of our meal.

Ted did the honour of ordering. He requested for some of his favourite dishes in that restaurant, and soon enough it became our favourites too. We had extra orders of fresh Salmon Sashimi, Gyoza, some soup, different meats on sticks, vegetables, and a few other Japanese dishes that we've never tried before. We were even served some cocktails which we all shared just to get a taste. Interesting flavours, some fruity with a bit of alcohol. But I still got my Yamazaki.

And we were happily stuffed. Extra stuffed because the meal was a heavy one with all that cheese and mashed potato. It was all too good that we made sure to have a bite of everything we were served. The fish was fresh and came in big slices, the meat was perfectly cooked and seasoned just right so as not to overpower any of the other dishes, and the serving sizes were good for sharing. The winner of that meal though was the grilled Brie cheese on a stick. It was so sinful yet so delicious, with the natural goodness of Brie cheese, slightly warmed on the grill leaving hints of flavour from it. YUMMY. To think this wasn't the best Jap restaurant made me extra curious about the restaurant we were really suppose to eat in!

I have yet to try real authentic Japanese food from Japan, but I have to say this is one of the best Jap experiences I've had (except of course for that Matsusaka beef from Mecha Uma, that one's incomparable). This August I'll be heading there actually, and i'm finally going to get a taste of legit Jap food from Japanese heaven!

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: mecha uma

Scallops on kropek -- which Chef Bruce made using the rest of the scallop parts

Tanigue fish on Monggo. The ultimate favorite!

Eel liver on rice

Three out of the ten absolutely amazing dishes we had at Mecha Uma.

I took a shot of almost all the dishes we had but the lighting (and maybe my phone camera) just didn't do justice to the beauty of it all. So here are the "best" ones I'm willing to share.

Anton and I were able to enjoy the ten course meal thanks to Nicky, who had ten seats at the bar care of Chef Bruce Ricketts since Nicky directed his video for Madrid Fusion Manila.

Everyone that joined us that night went to Mecha Uma expecting to be mind blown after all the hype it's been getting. Indeed, it did not disappoint. Every single dish we tried there was out of this world amazing that we wished we had a second round each. It's really crazy how such small dishes could be so technical and hold all that flavour and texture. Unfortunately, they were all really small that I was still hungry after the ten dishes. The dishes were all too good that my plates were wiped clean by the time the waiter got it. It's a shame though that I wasn't able to take note of everything the dishes were made of and take better photos, but luckily Sarie, who also joined us that night, was able to properly capture the plates and note down the magic that went on behind the bar. Check out her post on Mecha Uma here.

If you're expecting it to be like Sensei Sushi because it's also Japanese cuisine, it's not. It far beyond what Sensei is (which I also enjoyed, by the way), and it's not the type of meal Chef Bruce could just have someone else prepare. All ten course meals at the bar are done by him, and can only be served when he's around.

In case you plan on trying this out, Mecha Uma does their ten course meal only from Friday to Monday, twice in one night (6PM and 8PM). The menu is unpredictable, and if you decide to return a week or two after your first try, you might be served something else depending on the availability of ingredients (the more reason we should return!). You may also opt to walk in and order a la carte, but i'm not so sure about the menu they have for that.

Try it out! It's located on the ground floor of the RCBC Savings Bank Corporate Tower, 25th corner 26th, BGC.

Until next time #danielaeats!

#danielaeats: sushi to go in taiwan

One thing I was shocked about during my visit to Taiwan was the number of Japanese restaurants around. You could find one at every corner, sometimes serving good quality, pricey Japanese food, or low end decent ones. Being the Jap lover that I am, this thrilled me, and I couldn't resist the more affordable sushi and sashimi that I had maybe three or four meals while I was there. One of the Jap stores we visited was at the train station. It was a sushi to go kind of place with no chairs, just a big cooler with packed sushi and a counter to pay.

I had a difficult time trying to decide which one to get because I just wanted the basic salmon and tuna sushi. But after going through the whole cooler, I saw that we actually had the option to choose exactly what we wanted.

Packed little sushi! So cute. It was just 10 Taiwanese dollars for each, that's about Php 15.



Since this is on the more affordable side of Jap food, you can't expect excellent quality. It was decent though, and is still much better than the cheap Japanese we have here in the Philippines, so I was satisfied. Most of their cheap Japanese food are actually okay (well, those that I ate in), so I'd say it's safe to munch on them while taking a break from your shopping spree. How I wish we had a sushi to go place here!

Until next time #danielaeats!