Welcome 2011

Happy New Year!


As 2010 comes to an end and a new year unflods, let us cherish the blessings we received and thank God for all that have been and all that we would be.


May this year bring us all more blessings, prosperity and good health.


Happy Eating.


From:
Executive Lunch

I've just signed up at Alexandre's mailing list and got myself a free cup of coffee

I'm a sucker for freebies so I decided to sign up to Alexandre's mailing list at http://alexandre.ph/about-alexandre/our-email-club/  After a few clicks I got my email that I can claim a Cup of Alexandre Signature Coffee worth P100!

So hurry sign up now, this offer would expire this week! Go! Now! Stop reading this post!

I Found My Long Lost Brother

I am aware that having a specific topic for a blog would have its limitations.  But then again you only post something that you are very comfortable with and that is why I chose food as my topic.  Yes, food would always be a good part of my life and I would continue to talk about it.

But those who know me very well would agree that food is only one thing that I can talk about all day, I can talk about a whole lot of stuff that is part of my personality - like being a dad, about religion, music, movies, books, technology, television shows, basketball, wrestling, soccer, business, economics, finance, current affairs and anything under the sun (yes, I am a Renaissance man.)   Here in Executive Lunch, I already have two off topic posts, so it made me think what if I have another blog to cater to these topics.

So I guess it is but fitting to create an outlet for all these musings.  I present to you Executive Lunch's blog brother Los Luchador!  www.azicran.blogspot.com.

Thanks!

Ron of Executive Lunch

Versus the KFC Double Down

"Nice one KFC, Nice one."  As what the commercial says.  Well the KFC double down is not a new item on the menu (at least it is new in the Philippines, though.)  This particular "sandwich" has actually been launched  in the USA since April of this year.  It was first thought as an April Fools joke when it was announced that KFC would come out with what seems to be an unusual sandwich.

For those who are not familiar with this, here is the low down of what a double down is:
it's a sandwich of Cheese, Bacon and Mayo dressing (if that is not enough to raise your cholesterol level, wait it gets more interesting) these are actually sandwiched in between two original recipe fried chicken fillets.  Oh dear, I think KFC should start having people sign waivers before they eat it.  Well, since I am a food blogger I am very much up to any food challenges that come before me so I gave it a try.

I had my fix of the Double Down in KFC's Valero branch and when I first saw the meal I figured that I was cheated since it is smaller from how I see it on the television commercial. It's either that or the commercial models are really small people.  Or probably they used bigger breasts for the commercial.  (Don't they always?) That's chicken breasts I mean.

When I took my first bite my initial reaction is that it is a bit salty.  It's a good thing I ordered mashed potatoes  (bought it as a meal with fixin and drink) to balance it off and also to put some carbs into the meal.

Well, since the sandwich seems to be a bit salty, I always get this tingling sensation in my tongue.  And what do I do when this happens?  Eat ice cream of course!  And I was glad that I ordered a Holiday Krusher as well.  The Choco Peppermint Krusher is a good way to have a "balanced" meal (that's how I figured a balance meal is walang basagan ng trip.)  Next time I'll try the Black Forest Krusher as well.

Because of the size, I felt bitin after eating it.  Suggestion, get bigger chickens next time.

So here's a tip, when you get the double down order bread or macaroni salad or mashed potatoes or even rice if you like (ulam na to!)  You would need it to balance the saltiness of the double down and also to make you feel busog after the meal.  I will definitely try the double down again - if it is available that is.  I think I was one of those lucky to have ordered it.  The server had to check first if it is available when I ordered.  Word on the street is that others are not so lucky as it is always out of stock in some stores and it is on a limited release.

Here's my fantasy recipe for the Double Down.  Put in 3 strips of bacon, onion rings, mashed potatoes, cheese, cover it in Mayo, in between 2 Fried Chicken Fillet.  Add some gravy.  Wrap it in more bacon.  Dip it in a batter and fry it.  Smother with chocolate syrup and candy sprinkles.  And yeah, call it the Double Dead!

I wonder when the Fried Coke would reach the Philippines?  Anyways, I think Executive Lunch won that round with the Double Down.

Tried Recently in Singapore: Red House at the Quayside

On my recent trip to Singapore, we went to Red House at the Quayside for our corporate dinner and what a way to spend the last night in Singapore by trying one of their signature dishes which is the Chili Crab.

Red House has been in the business for the past 24 years and they are known to offer fresh seafood dishes. We went to their second location which is at the Quayside which is just a few steps away from our hotel.

The meal started with the drunken prawns.  So even for the appetizer there is already alcohol, hehe.  No wonder I was about 5% proof that day and the reason why I wasn't able to notice the wrong bill at Hooters http://execlunch.blogspot.com/2010/11/hooters-singapore-now-thats-what-im.html

My favorite is this dish which has a curry like taste and a bit spicy.  I believe this what they called the spicy seafood combination.  It was served with a mantao-like bread that you can use to scoop the wonderful sauce off your plate.

Spicy Seafood Combination, the best!

And the food just kept on coming, we were served sauteed fresh scallops with savory egg whites and broccoli followed by crispy duck scezhuan.  Funny thing is the waiter has to violently shred the duck when served and a "piece" flew to my side of the table.  Here is the scezhuan duck, at the background is the scallops with broccoli.

Excuse me if some people might find the next picture offensive.  Say hello to my little friend...

Donald? Is that you?

And finally, here is the signature dish of Red House the Chili Crab.  I am not a crab eater myself having had seafood allergy as a child and secondly we had some difficulty eating it.  We tried every trick to try and eat the crab. It was only after the meal where we noticed that the crab utensil is at the side.  (Way to go Idaho.)  One thing though, the sauce is good and SPICY!  The trick is to put the sauce in the rice.

You would need a fire extinguisher for this!

A grand Singapore dinner such as this is not complete without drowning the old liver with Tiger Beer.

And here is the perfect fire extinguisher.

And of course for the perfect ending, here's a staple Chinese dessert with a twist. - Chilled Fresh Mango Pomelo with Sago. Tangy!

It was a good dining experience all in all.  And after eating you can enjoy the river scenery and walk off the excess calories.  I actually walked from Red House to Clarke Quay and back to Riverview Hotel...in leather shoes.

I'll try to see if some restaurants here in the Philippines could emulate the authentic Singapore taste.  If not, it would be one good reason to go back to Singapore soon.

Hooters Singapore - Now that's what I'm talking about!

Guys guys, settle down.  I know what comes to mind if the word Hooters is mentioned but this post is more about the great customer service that I've experienced with Hooters Singapore lately.  So it's more like marrying a Playboy Playmate because of her great personality ;-)


This story started when my friend and I decided to have a few beers at Hooters Singapore at Clarke Quay.  They have a 2+1 Happy Hour Promo starting 10pm so we've decided to order two Hoegaarden Beers and we got a third one free.  (It's a Belgian Beer, sweet tasting.  I recommend this one.)  


We were able to consume one and a half bottles each and so when I started to pay (through my credit card which turned out to be a good thing, will explain later on) I didn't quite notice very well how much I was paying.  (I blame it on the multiple rounds of Tiger Draft Beer that I have drank before going to Hooters.)  The server giving me extra service by folding the bill made me forget about giving the bill a second look. (Frankly, I could have preferred a different extra service... like a back massage perhaps? Ano pa ba...) 


I was already here in the Philippines when I looked at the bill again and saw that we were not charged with two beers but instead tequila and chicken wings!  Sad part is I overpaid as the beers would only amount to SGD27.10 and not the SGD35.20 that I signed.  I quickly wrote an email to Hooters to see if they can rectify the problem.  See my email below:  

From: Ronaldo N
Sent: Monday, November 15, 2010 2:07 AM
To: mktg@hooters.com.sg
Subject: bill error

Dear Sir,

I was a recent visitor of Singapore and your restaurant at Clarke Quay.  It appears that there seems to be some error in the bill that I have paid on November 12, 2010.  We ordered two Hoegaarden Beers and availed of your 2+1 promo.  I have paid invoice no. 550226 using my credit card with an amount of SGD 35.20.  However, now that I am checking my transaction the bill couldn't have reached that amount since a Hoegaarden only cost SGD 11.5 per bottle.  When I looked back at the invoice that was presented me (I noticed that the server quickly folded it when it was given to me) the items in the said invoice is tequila and chicken wings. Can you do something about this?  By the way I've already returned to the Philippines yesterday.

Thank you and Best Regards,

Ronald N

A few hours later this email greeted me with a welcome surprise:

From: Joey Leong 
Date: Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 2:21 PM
Subject: RE: bill error
To: Ronaldo N
Cc: cs_chua, sam, operations, Hooters - Admin 

Dear Ronald,

Greetings from Hooters Singapore!

Yes!  We have since found out that we presented the wrong bill to you.  You were with another guest and had consumed a set of Hoegaarden Happy Hour deal (Buy 2 and get the 3rd free).  The amount should work out to be: $11.50 x 2 bottles = $23.00++. 

Folding the receipt was meant to be an extra service so that you can keep it in the wallet easily.  Our staff are trained to remind our customers to double check the items in the receipt as well, before we close the transaction.  We must apologise for this shortfall and we will definitely brief our girls again to be more careful. 

We will be writing to the bank to reverse the charges to S$27.10, or a refund of S$8.10. You should be seeing this in your next credit card bill statement.  Please find attached actual receipt for your reference.

We sincerely apologise for any inconveniences caused.  Should you require any further assistance, feel free to contact us again.  We look forward to see you in Hooters Singapore soon.

Warmest Regards,

(Ms) Joey Leong
Marketing & Business Development
Manager
Hooters Singapore

And just like that the SGD 8.10 was returned to me today.  Imagine if I've paid in cash?  The only thing I could probably do was be like Homer Simpson and say "d'oh!"


I have promised Joey to tell you guys about this great customer service experience.  And I can attest to you that there are more things to hoot for in Hooters other than the Hooter Girls ;-)  They serve good food and have good customer service too.  Do visit them at Clarke Quay when you are in Singapore or visit their website at http://www.hooters.com.sg/.  And try the Hoegaarden Beer too.

In Singapore - In Search of the Authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice

I arrived yesterday here at Singapore for a business meeting.  While here blogger me would be searching (again) for the Hainanese Chicken Rice.  I have first tasted this wonderful dish during my first visit 7 years ago.  At first, I figured what's the big fuss about this dish? It's steamed/boiled chicken with rice cooked in it's own broth. But when I tasted it I have become an instant fan.  There are restaurants that offer this dish in Manila but then again nothing compares to the traditional (and patient) way of cooking this dish.

During my flight coming here, Singapore Airlines got chicken in it's menu.  I was hoping it was chicken rice but it comes with pasta so I ordered the fried fish instead.  After arriving and checking late in the hotel, it was already too late and tiring to survey the area plus the fact that I already ate dinner during the flight so I settled to have a beer and some beef pie for midnight snack instead.

On my second day, I had lunch at the Fusionopolis in One-North.  I immediately asked my colleague if there is Chicken Rice being served at the food court and true to being unofficially being Singapore's national dish, there it was being sold with not just the steamed variety but with fried chicken too.  I am more traditional so I ordered the steamed set which cost SGD 4.50.

The set includes soup and petchay with garlic.  Of course for the dipping it would have to be chili sauce.  This version of the chicken rice didn't disappoint me but how I  wished that they have used a fattier chicken.  The rice has a different taste from the one I ate few years back but the local told me that it is because we are in fastfood so the meals are prepared in large batches.  The non set cost only SGD 3.00 but the chicken portion is smaller so the additonal cost was quite worth it.  Dinner with the group came later and if it included Chicken Rice I wouldn't mind eating it again.

Mission: Search for Hainanese Chicken Rice - COMPLETED!

 
Up next on Executive Lunch: Red House Seafood Restaurant at the Quayside.  Abangan!  This would be one yummy post.

Tried Recently - ABE Restaurant and Yes there was a Dingdong & Marian Sighting too.

Last Friday I had dinner with some foreign guests and we have decided to treat them to some local cuisine.  And of course we could never go wrong with one of the LJC chain of restaurants to showcase Filipino food.  I initially thought of Fely J which I have sampled a few months ago when one of my college friend came home to the Philippine for a visit. And since it is just a few steps away from the office.  Fely J had some memorable dishes such as their Sinigang sa Bayabas which has a very thick and yummy broth.  But since we opted for a change in scenery we have decided to go to the Fort this time.  And the restaurant that we tried was - Abe Restaurant.

If Fely J was dedicated to Larry J Cruz's mom, this time around Abe is dedicated to his dad.  It's menu are mostly Capampangan dishes.  And of course we have to order one of the most famous of Pampanga's cusine - the Sisig.  I was explaining to my foreign guests that this dish of diced pork and liver is best eaten with beer.  I don't think they liked the idea so much and only gave it a taste.  My mistake is that I ate the siling labuyo in the sisig which made me drink half of my beer in record time.  Of course I didn't made it so obvious, sinabayan ko na lang ng subo ng Bamboo Rice.  Now this rice which is cooked inside a bamboo was very tasty.  I also seem to notice that they have a ritual that the server would rhythmically beat on the bamboo before serving it while the other waiters would answer the beat with a clap.  And when it is served the rice is so sticky that you can get a portion using tongs.

Note: When I typed the last word I accidentally typed in "thong" which gave me a funny visualization of rice being served using a thong :) and I think you are having one now too, hehe.

We also ordered the Crispy Tadyang which to me, even if it has been an original dish of Bistro Remedios, the one that we sampled that day is not really that exceptional.  And I guess the guests also find it the same way too.  The other dish is that we tried is the Binukadkad na Pla Pla.  This fish is fried and butterflied which I don't think the foreigners found appealing (I believe they found the presentation cruel) this too was not a hit to them.  Surprisingly, the one that they said was very tasty (and they compared to oxtail soup) is the Pochero.  I find this Pochero more like a Bulalo soup though as it is not cooked with tomato sauce.

But the real hit came with the desserts as I have asked one of my guests to try the Mango Jubilee and boy did his face light up with this one.  I tried the Mango Crepe and this was one of the better crepes I have tasted too.  Their Maja Blanca was also very good as there is pinipig sprinkled all over it.  A gastronomic delight being a dessert fan myself.   Good thing that they also have decaffeinated coffee which blended well with my dessert.

The next time I bring foreign guests here I would let them try the Chicharong Bulaklak because just like the Jeepney no matter how much foreigners are advised that they dangerous you have to try it at least once in your lifetime.  Peace!

P.S.  And yeah, before I forget Dingdong Dantes and Marian Rivera were also present in the restaurant and they were about a foot away from our table for quite some time as they waited for a table to be available.  No reservations for them on a Friday night, huh?  Good thing we didn't commit that same mistake and also one of us was early to arrive in the place and ordered in advance so the food was already there exactly when we are settled at our table.  I think kaya hindi nakakain ng madami ang foreigners.  Baka na starstruck :)

And again sorry for the lack of pictures, I was in GM mode again during this visit.  But do see their website at http://ljcrestaurants.com.ph/abe/

Handling a Customer Complaint

Some restaurants do a good job of handling customer complaint.  Case in point, last Saturday we were back in Italianni's to use the 250 pesos mobile coupon we got for registering in their mailing list Please see (Must Try: Bistro Group Promos!) On this visit, we ordered their Lasagna and a Quatrro Formaggio Pizza.  At first the server told us that she would check if the Lasagna is available, it's a good thing that there still is as we were a bit fickle in the our choice that night.  The Lasagna was served first, and admittedly it was one good Lasagna.  With about a quarter of the Lasagna left the waitress (a different one) asked me if she can move the Lasagna.  I figured she was probably making way for the Pizza so I agreed.  She took the plate and so I thought she would just transfer it to a smaller plate.  The Pizza came and when I asked about the Lasagna, that is where we realized that there was an error in communication.  The waitress thought we were done with the Lasagna.  The waitress who moved it quickly apologized.  I just smiled but said that there was still about one fourth of that Lasagna which we intended to eat (to my mind I was already formulating my blog entry.)  I think they saw through my reaction that I am not happy about what happened so the manager on duty (Mr Adrianne) quickly remedied the situation by offering to replace the Lasagna with a new one.  I said that we may not finish it anyway so he volunteered to just have it to go.  Good Job Mr Adrianne and the rest of Italianni's Glorietta.  I left feeling good and treated well.

Yummy Lasagna!

Some restaurants do a bad job of handling customer complaint.  Case in point, when we celebrated my wife's birthday last June.  We planned to have a quick lunch in the Greenbelt area since I just stepped out of the office for a while to meet her and the little girl.  And that plan was ruined by a restaurant that I used to love so much before but sad to say I now truly despise.  Itago na lang natin ang restaurant na ito sa pangalang Chili's (-:  To think I even eat at this restaurant when I go abroad.  Anyway, the start of horror lunch came when the waitress took the plates from the other table.  Unfortunately, a plate fell... on me... and I am wearing a white polo shirt!  The waitress apologized and I just said "never mind it was an accident."  It was my wife's birthday and I was on a celebratory mood.  Apparently the waitress (the same one) most probably thought that if I didn't mind it the first time I wouldn't mind it again.  So the next time she took the plates again, still from the same table, plates (yes not just one) fell again... on me... right smack on my white shirt.  And my reaction was "Now that would really make a stain on my shirt now wouldn't it?"  No yelling, no drama.  What did the poor waitress do?  Apologized and got some wet tissues.  WET TISSUES!  For crying out loud, all she can think of was to get wet tissues to take off the stain.

Sad part of it is that the Manager on duty (whose name I have already erased from my memory) didn't even come to us when it happened and we had to ask for her from the server.  By the way, this same manager approached us before the incident to check if somebody already took our order.  And what did this manager offered to us?  At first, she asked if they can bring my shirt to the laundry so that they can have it cleaned.  I refused, what do they think I would wear while waiting for it to be cleaned?  And I told them I needed to go back to the office.  The next thing they offered was to buy me a new shirt, I agreed as that seems to be the best they could offer at that point (actually kahit Chili's polo shirt tatangapin ko na sana eh. Madaling madali na talaga akong bumalik sa office.)  But even that part they didn't understand as we waited for an hour before they can buy the shirt from Landmark.  And what kind of shirt did they buy?  Over-sized (see for yourself), smells like a stock room and the folds from being kept on stock very long was very evident.  And I had to pay that freaking food bill in full.  Wrong move Chili's Greenbelt.  I will make sure that our paths would never ever cross again.

I turn my back on you Chili's

Must Try: Bistro Group Promos!

Here are some good promos from Bistro Group restaurants that I stumbled upon:

Fish Unlimited at Fish&Co. - Greenbelt

My wife emailed this promo to me.  Being a Fish and Co. fan (I am actually a Bistro Frequent Foodie cardholder) I would definitely try this one out.  However, I don't think they would allow me to use the BFF Card together with the promo.  Anyway, the 20% discount may probably be used on the drinks, though.  Please click on the picture for details.

Get 250 pesos off from Italianni's 

Speaking of discounts, I got a 250 pesos discount from Italianni's just by joining their mailing list.  The discount comes in the form of a mobile coupon which would be sent to you once you have successfully completed registration.  You need to purchase at least 750 pesos to avail and again this promo can not be used with my BFF.

I know what I would order again the next time I visit them though. Here are pictures of the food we ordered:

This is my favorite, the Sicilian Salad

This little number is called the Fettuccine Frutti de Mare (it means fruit of the sea)

Italianni's is such a kid-friendly place they allow kids to make their own pizza.  This one is a bit overcooked though.

Even this little fellow was trying to get a piece of pizza

BPI Real Thrills

And finally, I can get P1,000 pesos off on my next dine-in for an accumulated purchase of P 5,000 pesos at Italianni's, Fish and Co., TGIFriday's or Pig Out by using my BPI Credit Card.  I'm almost halfway through this promo and by using my BPI card to avail of the promos above, I may be on my way to getting that 1,000 pesos soon.

http://www.mybpimag.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=739&Itemid=1018

Happy Eating!

Buffalo Wings with Ranch Dressing

I have been meaning to try out this dish when I came across the recipe in the lifestyle section of the Philippine Daily Inquirer while having my usual lunch break.  I love buffalo wings, especially the ones served at Friday's or Don Henrico's.  In these places the wings are somehow bigger since there is more meat which is actually carved out from the breast part of the chicken.  If you would choose to buy wings cut up from the grocery though it's a different thing all together but then again who would buy 3 whole chickens just to get the wings?

The Buffalo wings in itself is quite simple to make.  Just have them deep fried with breading.  It's actually the sauce that makes the difference for Buffalo Wings. Normally the sauce is made by mixing together Hot Sauce (depends on how hot you want it), 1 tbsp of Worcestershire Sauce and 2 tbsp of melted butter.  However, for the one that I made I came across McCormick's own version of the Buffalo Wings sauce in the grocery so instead of buying the ingredients separately I relied on their ready mix instead.  McCormick's Buffalo wings comes together with their fried chicken coating (which is step 1 while the sauce is step 2.)  They have it in Original, BBQ and Hot.  I tried the BBQ flavored one.  To evenly coat the sauce to the chicken wings, you must place the sauce in a plastic container (Tupperware or used ice cream tubs) place the cooked chicken inside and give it a good shake (dance to it if you like.)  Voila! You now have Buffalo Wings.

This is the part where I had to be creative.  Normally Buffalo Wings is served with Bleu Cheese dipping sauce.  But since Bleu cheese is hard to come by I have decided to make my own Ranch Dressing instead.  To make the ranch dressing prepare:

One cup of Mayonaisse
2 tsp Fresh Lemon juice or Calamansi Juice
1 Tbsp Cream
Tarragon
Sage
a dash of Powdered Garlic
Salt and White Pepper to taste

Just combine all of the ingredients and whip them with a fork until fully blended.  Serve it beside the Buffalo Wings and garnish with celery sticks on the side if you wish.

Happy Eating!

Tried recently: Buckaroo's at Pearl Drive, Pasig

I have always been familiar dining at Pearl Drive in Ortigas, Pasig ever since my Unisys days.  I remember the time when The Old Spaghetti House was not yet expanding as fast as it is now (before they were even called TOSH) the first TOSH branch were my wife and I ate at was at Pearl Drive. That TOSH branch is now gone and the one that replaced it a Chicken Ati-Atihan Branch also folded up recently.  So now that most of our Saturday afternoons are spent at my daughter's playgroup at Pearl Drive, my wife and I have tried a majority of the restaurants in that area.  Pancake House (staple family restaurant), Rufo's (great tapas!), McDonald's (again?), Jollibee (where else isn't this bee present anyway?), Buddy's (yummy pancit, will blog about that another day), Mang Inasal (you already know this story and this branch was the last time we ever attempted to eat there, never came back ever since), Chicken Ati-Atihan (where Mang Inasal sucked this one it excelled, too bad it closed), Starbuck's (same comment as Jollibee's), and even Mozu Cafe at Linden Suites.  A Yellow Cab Pizza already opened there just a few weeks ago and that seems to be a good decision since there is a school nearby where the lunch money of the students is definitely not just average.

But now, there is a new place where my wife and I have been enjoying our lunch as we wait for the little girl to release excess energy.  The place is a Texas inspired restaurant named Buckaroo's Grilled Pizza and Burger.  Buckaroo's menu is mainly composed of grilled food (even the dessert is grilled, no kidding.)  So far, we have tried the burger and the grilled meat varieties.  Here are some photos of those we have ordered.

Above are the porkchops with Barbecue rice.  I particularly like their side veggies as it has turnip (singkamas.)

This one is their T-bone steak also with BBQ rice.

This is their porterhouse steak and Sun rice (because it's yellow.  I think the name was intended as a pun. Sun rice, Sun rise?)  notice the turnips are already gone?  Can't resist eating the turnips.

We have also tried their pork ribs, savory chicken and a dessert called crispy mallows ala mode (imagine a
Rebisco mallow dipped in batter and deep fried.  Served on top of ice cream and drizzled with chocolate syrup.  Well at least I hope the ice cream is fat free, hehe.)

And since this is Texas inspired the servings are BIG.  Specially the pork ribs to share which comes with marbled potatoes which is quite good.

What could be better for Buckaroo's is if they can be flexible with the sidings.  When we eat at Fish and Co to order their Grilled Porkchop Basilico, I always make it a point to have the veggies replaced with the Seafood Rice so that my wife and I can share the order.  In the case of Buckaroo's there are times that the sidings (in my opinion) don't really go well with the meat like the BBQ Pork Belly with French Fries.  It would have been better off with rice, mashed potatoes or marble potatoes.

Staff service is also very good and very courteous.  Food comes out just in the right time which gives us an assurance that the meat is grilled well.

Overall, I give this restaurant a rating of "Are we coming back to eat there again? Oh hell yeah!"

Visit their website at http://buckaroosonline.com or their facebook account http://www.facebook.com/pages/Buckaroos/285580186140 (this one is updated.)

Mang Inasal will be majority owned by Jollibee

The financial muscle and influence of Jollibee never ceases to amaze me.  As of this posting, I just went through a news article stating that Jollibee Foods Corporation  will buy 70% of chicken barbecue fast food chain Mang Inasal for 3 billion pesos.  Injap Investments of Mr Edgar Sia II will still retain 30%.  The offer was hard to resist according to news reports that is why the Sia's took it despite their intentions of going public this year.

My two cents worth: if you methodologically opened a Mang Inasal beside a Jollibee at every instance then you have taken JFC's attention.  If you've made Jollibee try to make a chicken barbecue variant in their menu then you are seen as a threat.  I think that in this instance JFC blinked, the logical solution for JFC is to acquire you.  Well played, Mang Inasal.

Anyway, what does this mean for Jollibee and Mang Inasal then?  My hunch is that the Jollibee chicken barbecue would be gone soon (and good riddance too!)  Mang Inasal would probably have a mascot (haha!)  We could probably see more Mang Inasal advertisements and product offerings.  A kiddie meal perhaps, where the toy is a bow and you can use the bamboo skewers as an arrow.  Or, they can get Bamboo as an endorser so that he can sing the song "Hinahanap Hanap Kita" again while holding bamboo skewers.  (This is the song used in the Mark Bautista commercial, this was originally sang by Rivermaya when Bamboo was still the lead vocalist.)  

But seriously, judging from the model they have used when they acquired other units like Greenwich, Chowking, Delifrance (which they sold again) and Red Ribbon they never really changed these companies and let them grow on their own.  Most probably that would be the same for the acquisition of Mang Inasal.  If Mang Inasal would improve their services I would probably change my stance on Mang Inasal then http://execlunch.blogspot.com/2010/09/repost-of-old-fb-rant.html.  

I tip my hat off to Mr Tony Tan Caktiong for another marvelous business decision.  Jollibee's influence and financial prowess never really ceases to amaze me.

Off Topic: This My Friend is a Man Bag

I am a bag man.  No, not the crime bag man, but friends who know me since way back knows that I always carry a bag at one point or another.  I carried either a belt bag, a clutch bag, a laptop bag, a portfolio bag or a backpack.  For the past few months I have been carrying a soft bag to protect my cellphones.  But I have been putting too much other stuff on this soft bag that made me realize that I need to bring a bigger bag again.   Good thing my wife gave me as a gift, this leather postman's bag from Wade shoes.  And I say this is one perfect man bag for me (*self high five*).  Cool enough to bring and yet professional looking.   (Thanks again honey, love you a million!)

 As you can see it's made of fine leather with magnetic snaps to fasten.  Quite roomy with lots of compartments to put in everything you need to bring along.  It has a strap to carry it like a shoulder bag or wrap around like a body bag.  It's leather so it's water proof, good for the monsoon season.  Case in point, today after having a drink at Cable Car it was raining hard.  No worries, I just placed the bag over my head and it protected me and all the things inside the bag from the rain (don't want to get my unfinished "The Time Traveler's Wife" "The Bro Code" wet now, wouldn't I?)  It's also lightweight so it doesn't strain my shoulder at all.  I remember carrying a Targus laptop bag before where the bag is heavier than the laptop itself!  I had daily back and neck problems because of that.

We bought the smaller version so that it would not be mistaken as a laptop bag.  But today I over estimated the capacity of the bag as a big bowl of Japanese Ramen wasn't able to fit inside it (don't worry it's uncooked.)  So here's a cool tip care of Mrs Executive Lunch, bring a fold-able bag put it inside the postman's bag.  You'll never know when you would be faced with another big bowl of Ramen situation in the future.

Twist and Shout!

Scene: A woman is alone in her house on a stormy night when suddenly she sees an outline of a man against the light from a flash of lightning.  She grabs a broom thinking that it is a burglar or worse a vampire.  As the man comes nearer she grips the handle of the broom much tighter.  Suddenly the man raises a red and yellow bag and says "McDonald's delivery."  The woman realizing this just pretended she was sweeping the floor.

This is the new commercial from McDonald's as they return one of my family's most beloved junk snack food the McDonald's Twister Fries.

Yes, it's that season again when McDonald's would offer their twisted (and I mean it in an endearing kind of way) and flavored french fries.  Which makes me wonder why they don't serve this as a regular item on their menu.  Agree?

My Tsukiji Experience

One of the most wonderful places to eat in Makati is the Milky Way Building at the corner of Paseo De Roxas and Pasay Road.  It houses the restaurants El Cirkulo, Milky Way Café, Azuthai and Tsukiji.  While I have eaten at Milky Way and El Cirkulo ages ago, this week I had the honor of eating at this very good authentic Japanese restaurant.

Tsukiji is located at the 3^rd floor of Milky Way and once I’ve stepped inside I immediately smelled the aroma of Japanese spices.  It’s like going back to Japan all over again.

First of was an appetizer of Aka Baku or Pickled Red Radish and Kimuchi a kind of Kimchi while sipping red wine.  The Aka Baku is a bit sweet and not at all overwhelmed by the vinegar.  The Kimuchi though is spicy but still slides down well to the throat.

A few minutes more and my favorite part came, which is the Sashimi.  There were seven kinds of sashimi in one big platter, which of course includes my favorite Tuna and Salmon sashimi in different varieties.  Here there are also squid, scallops and shrimp sashimi. Good fresh sashimi would almost as if it melts in your mouth.  Again this brought back memories of my Japan trip 3 years ago, as the Sashimi is so fresh and well made that you think that you only need to go to Japan to experience it.  I remember that when I was in Japan, the chef pleaded with us to finish the sashimi in the next hour or else they would lose their license.

Next off came the main course (and another bottle of red wine.)  Our gracious host treated us to Yakiniku (grilled meat.)  The trick is you have to grill the meat yourself according to your liking. But the best part is that the beef is a well-marbled Ohmi Wagyu Beef, which is already marinated, in their special sauce.  The slices are just about paper-thin but even if you grill it too long it doesn’t seem to burn up.  I knew that quite well because one of my companions forgot to turn his beef over.  Mukhang nakalimutan eh gusto ko na sanang kunin J

To compliment the beef we ordered Kani Salad.  (Yup no rice for that evening, parang diet ulit, yes!) Their Kani Salad is by far one of the best I’ve ever tasted.  Composed of shredded cabbage with crabmeat drenched in Japanese mayonnaise one order is too much that I wasn’t able to finish it all. Even the Japanese that I was with was quick to note that they used real crabmeat!  (So meron palang fake na crabmeat?)

At the end of this meal, we ordered Milky Way ice cream for dessert.  My two companions ordered avocado but I got intrigued and ordered their Atis (sugar apple) ice cream instead.  Wow! It does have Atis bits on it. 

For a nightcap, we were served some hot green tea.  But then again this means that this pleasant dining would have to come to an end.  So we called it a night as we give our final Kampai!  But after that I have to go back to the office and resume my quarter-end closing.  Did I just say that we finished two bottles of wine? Oh dear, hello headache galore.

Excuse me for the lack of pictures, as I was in General Manager mode when this splendid dining experience happened.  Can't be just snapping pictures of the food in front of my boss now wouldn't I? When I go back there it would have to be Blogger me instead.  To know more of what I am talking about, do check out www.tsukiji-restaurant.com.  They have an electronic version of the menu that looks exactly like the menu in the restaurant.

3 Weekends*

Okay, the title seems to sound melodramatic but this entry is about how my family and I ate at three different Chinese Restaurants each weekend all because of my craving for one particular dimsum - Siopao! (steamed buns or bao, for the benefit of my foreign friends.)

I love Siopao.  Ever since I was young I grew up eating Siopao at Ma Mon Luk Restaurant in Quiapo or at Ramon Lee in Sta Cruz.  My father would also bring home Siopao after his shift at work.  And yes, it also is because of my Filipino-Chinese heritage (my Grandfather is pure Chinese.)  I like the Bola Bola variety better as against the Asado (the one with the red dot at the center.)  And somehow, it seems to be best paired with Mami (noodle soup.)

Weekend One: Super Bowl of China, Glorietta 4 Ayala Center Makati

Super Bowl is one of my favorite Chinese Restaurants.  I celebrated my birthday with my entire family there once.  It is also the restaurant that broke my "no rice" diet that lasted for 8 months.  That is why we decided to go there when my Siopao craving started.  So when we were already settled at our table with complimentary crackers already served.  I simply ordered without even looking at the menu "Siopao, Bola Bola" I said, confident that they must have that on their list. Right? Right? Nope. "Sorry po Sir, Asado lang meron kami." *gasp*  Super Bowl how could you have failed me!  After all these years!  Okay, enough of the drama.  "Sige iba na lang, Diced Chicken with Salted Fish Fried Rice, Egg Drop Soup at Lechon Macau."  As I said, this is my favorite place so I know the food is really quite good but I didn't forget to write about it on the Guest Feedback Form either.  Let's see if they would heed to my request.

Weekend Two:  Kowloon House, SM Makati Food Court

You may wonder, why we didn't try the one at Park Square I?  It's simply because the place is too small for dine-in guests and besides this is still the same Kowloon House as that one.  This time no doubt about it, one Jumbo pao (ground pork, sliced meat, sausages, salted egg all rolled in one delicious steamed bun) for me,  pork pao for my wife, Beef/Wanton Mami and Sharks-fin Siomai.  I never get tired of eating Kowloon House's Siopao. Their Jumbo Pao is simply one of the best tasting, fully filled Siopao available in town.  And to top it all, this one big piece of Siopao only costs 55 pesos!  And remember what I said a while ago about the Siopao that my father brings home after work? Yes, this is that one.

But then again this is an SM Foodcourt where it's noisy, tables are not cleaned immediately and you get to be approached by all types of individuals who wants to sell you something (from Yema to a House and Lot) without any respect for your privacy.  It's tough eating there, it's a jungle.  And like any lion protecting it's pride, you have to roar at the next person who will try to approach you while you are eating in peace.  Because of this the Siopao experience seems to only get half a point credit for me.  Right Siopao, wrong place.

Weekend Three:  North Park, Glorietta 5 Ayala Center Makati

In this particular instance, we didn't go there for the Siopao but to claim the two free lemonade that we got by using a BPI Credit Card on our previous visit.  The lemonade is really good and made fresh.  This time ambiance is perfect, same as Super Bowl's.  I ordered the Nanking Beef Noodles and Siomai while my wife ordered the Boneless Fried Chicken Chops.  These already filled me up since I already had bibingka and tsokolate batirol for snacks so I just had my Siopao for take out instead.   What I ordered is their Taipao.  Like the Jumbo Pao of Kowloon House this is one big bun with everything on it but instead of the sausage they have shit-ake mushroom on it (haha, remember Austin Powers?)  I really meant to take a picture of the Taipao before I ate it so that I can post it here but then again that's what Siopao can do to me :-)


*note: I originally wanted to use the title "Siopao-man" for this week's entry but I don't want the topic to be confused with the Larry Alcala character, a superhero who loves well, Siopao of course :-)

Quick Fix: Smoothies and Shakes

Whenever, I need a quick fix of energy I always go for a smoothie or a shake.  Among the combinations that I go for are: apple and carrot, mango and carrot or mango and melon.  Sometimes, single fruit smoothies like banana, avocado or strawberry also works.  What I always ask is to add milk to the smoothie so that it tastes better and I also get my daily dose of calcium.

Here are my favorite juice bars in order of rating:

1. Fruitas - Their shakes and smoothies are very affordable.  Best of all, no extra charge if you want them to add milk.  I usually go for the 16 ounce cup since there is about just a few pesos difference from the next smaller size.  I love their carrot combinations or sometimes plain carrot shake for me.  Downside, the carrot apple usually have a lot of sap left at the bottom since the carrot is not liquefied.
2. Big Chill - Banana smoothie = Love.  This was actually the first item that got me hooked on shakes and smoothies.  They also offer avocado or strawberry if they are in season or available.  I sometimes also try their smoothies with yogurt, whey protein or lemon grass.  Downside, they charge extra even for the powdered milk which they already portioned in sachets.  I wonder if they would allow me to bring my own milk? (Now that doesn't sound right.  I mean milk that I bought from the grocery and I will bring to their store. Yeah, you get my point.)
3. Juice Ave - you may not have heard of this joint but to me their shakes are quite good and with very unique names for their concoction like 180kph, Roxas Blvd, 5th Ave NY, Traffic, etc. Price is also very affordable.  Downside, not too many stores around,  I have visited their Glorietta and RP Galleria branches so far.
4. Dizon Farms - They now also sell fruit shakes in the fruit section of Rustan's Makati.  Downside, what  happens to the fruits that are not sold?  C'mon give it a wild guess.
5. Fruit Magic - Their Buko Pandan and bottled soya milk named Soy Magic (duh) are the only products I go for.  Downside, I find their shakes a little bit bland since they don't add syrup.  Also, no milk.  There is no room for creativity here so sometimes I would rather whip up my own smoothie at home.

Not really there yet - Zing Juice!  I tried their juice once and sad to say I was not made a fan of their product.  No zing! Nuff said.

Honorary mention:
Fuzion Smoothie Cafe, the smoothie is a bit pricey but then again they are really good.  Like Fruit Magic they also do not add syrup but the fruits are naturally sweet anyway.
Jonas Fruit Shake in Boracay - Great place and a great view to enjoy your fruit shake.  Downside, you can only have it in Boracay.  *SIGH*

Curry Squash Soup

Soup is a major, major comfort food :) Also, for those on a diet, servings of soup gives you that fill without the excess fat or calories.  One of my favorite soup is Curry Squash Soup.

This one is easy to prepare, all you need are:

4 cups of squash, peeled
1 white onion
2 Tbsp of garlic
1 tsp curry powder
4 tsp of cream
6 cups of broth (chicken or beef) you may also try Knorr cubes dissolved in 6 cups of water
salt and pepper

Sauté the onion then the garlic  (notice that this is always the right sauté sequence as garlic cooks faster than the onion.)  After the onions become transparent (naging honest na sya, *joke*), add the squash, broth, curry and salt (according to your taste but this requires about 1/2 tsp, lessen if using bullion or cubes.)  Bring this to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes until the squash is tender.  Remove form heat.  You may puree the squash using a food processor/osterizer or mash the squash with a fork (although the consistency might not be as good.)   If using a fork, stir the soup well to blend the squash with the soup.

To prepare, ladle soup in a serving bowl and add one tsp of cream.  Add salt and pepper to taste.

On Buffets

Buffets have always been a wonderful dining experience for me.  Aside from the wide choices of food to sample this setup takes out the chores and horrors of ordering ala carte (choosing from the menu, can't figure out which one among the choices would you like to eat, waiting for the food to arrive, being disappointed that you chose this meal from the other, wrong dish served, badly cooked food, etc.)   Plus, buffets also include the dessert which is heaven for a dessert enthusiast like me. 

Among the memorable buffets I have tried are the following:

1. Market Cafe at the Hyatt Hotel (the grill section is magnificent)
2. Circles Cafe of Makati Shangri-La (I proposed to my wife after having dinner there)
3. Jeepney Cafe at the Hotel Intercon (two words: Samurai Crepe)
4. Dad's/Kamayan/Saisaki (I recently ate here, the plush toys that come with the drinks is a hit to my daughter.)
5. Riviera Cafe of Heritage Hotel (the best Tom Yum Goong outside of Thailand I have tasted by far)
6. Tong Yang Shabu Shabu (grill all you can right at your table.)
7. Alba Restaurante in Bel Air (Paella!)
8. Cabalen (choices are not as wide as Dad's but not bad either.)
9. Hard Rock Cafe (Lunch only)  The moment I remember this place I always get a bad case of LSS of the Hard Rock Cafe Jingle, "At The Hard Rock Cafe, teng teng teng teng, Come to the Hard Rock Cafe..."  Some of you are probably having the same LSS now.

Among these buffets Dad's, Tong Yang and Cabalen have a strict "No Leftover Policy" which somehow compensates for the much cheaper price tag compared to the buffets in hotels.  I now share with you some tips (real and otherwise) that can help circumvent the "No Leftover Policy."

1.   Hide the food in your table napkin.  Just make sure you don't forget and use it afterwards.

2.   Drown the food in condiments (soy sauce is the best hiding place) hoping that it would dissolve over time

3.   Order Coke/Pepsi and hide your leftover in the glass.  Again, don't forget you placed it there.  You or your companion might drink it.

4.   If there is another customer's table nearby, place your leftover to their table while they are not looking.

5.   If dining on a Shabu Shabu or grill, try to burn the evidence errr leftover.

6.   Hide the leftovers in a doggie bag or if none inside your bag (worst case scenario: hide it in another person's bag.  Hey, it works for Mr Bean!)

7.   Hide the leftover in your mouth and spit it out in the comfort room.  Not advisable when hiding a whole leg of chicken.

So there you go and until the next buffet.   You may wonder why I did not include Spiral Cafe of Hotel Sofitel here.  Well, the simple reason is that I haven't tried it yet.  One of these days some good friend might invite me there, who knows?  Probably on my birthday, which is coming on the 21st (ehem.)  *Hint*

Peace!

Who wants some Panna Cotta with Red Wine Syrup?

Here is a simple dessert that I have been meaning to try for quite some time now. I have some left over gelatin and red wine and have mulled over what to do with them.

Here is the recipe:

Panna Cotta

Combine 1 pack Alsa Clear Gelatin (ehem, Unilever) with half cup of water in a sauce pan. Bring to a boil over medium heat until the gelatin is completely dissolved.  Lower heat and add one can of evaporated milk. (Tip: you may replace the water and evaporated milk with 1 and 3/4 cup of full cream milk but do not bring to a boil this time.)  Stir constantly until fully blended. Add a half cup of cream. Place the mixture in dessert cups and let cool in room temperature to set. Once cooled transfer to the chiller.

Red wine syrup

Combine one half cup red wine with one half cup of sugar in a sauce pan. Let this simmer until sugar dissolves.

Place the panna cotta on a plate by loosening the edges and giving the cup a tap. Drizzle with red wine syrup and enjoy.

Tip:  Red wine syrup also goes well with fruits or ice cream.

Tried Recently - Masas Lunch Offer

I work near Greenbelt so there are plenty of choices to take lunch. It may vary from the fastfood type with the usual value meals to fine dining restaurants where either the servings are too much for one person or the price may not be for the average lunch budget. An exception to this is Masas. I love their menu, I always bring my foreign guests there whenever they would like to sample fine Filipino cuisine. Among my favorites are the Crispy Tadyang ng Baka and the Tuna Belly. Their Iced Tea (Tamarind flavored if I am not mistaken) is simply superb!

I had lunch at Masas the other day for their lunch offer. A couple of restaurants are now offering lunch menus to boost sales in this side of Ayala Center. I tried the Chicken Inasal this time since I was already able to try the Kare Kare and their Adobo about a few weeks ago. It comes with Sinigang soup, Laing and Rice. All for under 150 pesos. This is a good deal for me, as the portions are not so bad especially when dining alone and the food quality is the same as the ala carte menu.

(You hear that restaurant D? wag tipirin pag promo meal. Pag sinabing Arroz ala Cubana isama mo yung egg and fried banana otherwise tawagin mo na lang na Giniling, okay?)

The ambiance is also exceptional, well lighted and clean. I also experience good service from the servers. The ambient music varies though, sometimes they play OPM at times they play R&B. This is also where I heard the acoustic version of "Love In This Club" it's cool in a weird kinda way :)

The downside is that they took out the dessert of Buko Pandan which was included in the earlier variant of this promo. Not making a fuzz out of it but it was somehow a good ending for such a fine meal, I hope they bring it back. Next time I'll post some pictures, I will probably come back again there this week.

A Repost of an old FB rant.

Originally posted on my Facebook Notes last February 27, 2010:

Inasar ako ng Mang Inasal!!!

"My current rant is Mang Inasal, you know that Inasal place that is mushrooming across Metro Manila. They seem to be promising when they started with unlimited rice a good menu but one aspect that got affected with their rapid growth is customer service. Case in point, I ate at the Ayala MRT branch last month and situated myself at an available table which is unfortunately near the employee's quarter. I was eating alone and a table can be occupied by 4 people. When I was already starting my meal 2 service crew who are already on their break sat at the other side. With their backs turned from me started talking to each other with no utter RESPECT for a paying customer who is trying to eat in peace. The last straw came today when my wife and I tried to ate at their branch in the building where our daughter is having her session. First of all no pork BBQ inasal one of their main menu, second the softdrink that comes with the meal is only a regular coke (my wife likes Coke Zero with her meal) but strike 3 came when they don't have the bangus meal which they promote with for their Lenten menu. And the sad part about it is that the order taker doesn't seem to know what she has on stock and doesn't even say sorry for not having the opportunity to SERVE us. If this continues with Mang Inasal, even if they expand to 500 stores nationwide they would not last long due to bad service. They are not in the caliber of the other fastfood establishments that are more professional and where customer service training is their prime consideration."

Looking back I guess the seeds of this restaurant critique blog of mine was already evident then.  Here is my policy:

If you don't serve me well I will turn my back from you and never to go back again, I will however tell you about your weak points so that you can correct your service.  

If your service/food quality affected me physically I will speak out and tell my friends of my horrible experience.  For me this is unforgivable, you would hear from me later on about a restaurant that almost rendered my daughter orphan and also the one about the falling plates on my white shirt (not once but twice!)

If I like your food/service I will give you praises and tell my friends about it.  I've always love to share good food experience with my friends.  A Japanese colleague of mine told me a few weeks ago that I have good taste in food so trust me I know what I'm doing.

Adobong Batangas

Inspired by a fine lunch one day at Conti's I figured out the recipe for Adobong Batangas.  No soy sauce and the  yellowish color comes from achuete.  Clearly the taste comes from garlic, salt, pepper and vinegar.  Just like the same ingredients when making Inasal.

So today, I cooked Adobong Batangas and my wife loved it.  Fellow blogger (naks! eh para bang second post ko pa lang to) MyMomFriday http://www.mymomfriday.com/ asked me for the recipe so here it is:

1/2 kilo pork (cubes or adobo cut; liempo part works well as it is tender; kasim or pigue is also good)
garlic powder
1 tbsp crushed garlic
1 pork cube (Knorr ehem, ayan nagplug ako Unilever ha?)
half cup of vinegar
2 tsp salt
pepper (ground or peppercorns)
2 pcs bay leaf
1 tsp sage (I use McCormick ground Sage)
annatto/achuete (seeds or the ground preparation from the supermarket)
cooking oil


In a skillet/wok/saucepan combine the pork, pork cube dissolved in 2 cups water, 3 dashes of garlic powder, vinegar, sage, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil on high heat,  cook covered until meat is tender.  Add another cup of water if it dries up.   Soak the annatto seeds in cooking oil for about 15 minutes or while you are waiting for the meat to cook.  It would also help if you heat the oil first before soaking the annatto seeds into them so that that yellow color of the annatto will seep faster.   Heat the now yellowish cooking oil in another skillet/wok/saucepan and saute the crushed garlic.  Add the pork without the sauce until it is a bit brown.  Add the sauce and bay leaf.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.   This is now ready serve.

Tip: cook lots of rice, thank me later...

An intro to my Blog

It started with a comment on Facebook about a bad lunch promo I tried at a place that I will not name anymore. (I still have my eyes on you D------ your sandwich promo and 99 peso espagueti offers still suck!  I tried them today.)  Ooops, I think I gave it away by how I spelled spaghetti clearly Spanish.  So my dear wife suggested to me "Why not blog about your lunch escapades?"  So here it goes.

(And by the way, restaurant D if your customer needs to sign your charge slip it helps that you give your customer a pen to sign it with.)

Well anyway, working in Makati for so long now, I have always had the opportunity to eat out every so often.  From the jolli-jeeps to the finest restaurants, I have tried them all. (OK maybe not all but I think you got my point.)

So that is the main focus of this blog. At times you will get random rants and raves on gadgets, movies and books as well.  Comments are always welcome.