Spanish night at Calderon Cocina Tapas Y Bebidas

This is a long overdue post about our post Valentine's dinner at Calderon. Still on a paella high from Beso, Jake and I decided to give this quaint Spanish restaurant a try since it's located near his house right along the alley where Tori Box and La Creperie are located. I really love Little Baguio.

Calderon's a cozy little place perfect for intimate dates. I also appreciated how the owners were very hands-on, right from the table reservations to checking if guests loved the food.

For starters, Jake and I ordered the Bandeja de Jamon, Chorizo y Quezo with a carafe of sangria. It was a plateful of ham, chorizo, and cheese which went perfectly with the sangria. I suppose we were too hungry and felt that the serving was bitin. Between the two of us, the meat and cheese bandeja was gone in a couple of minutes.

We also tried their highly recommended Paella Negra which you have to order at least half an hour before arriving (I called ahead). I'm very fond of adobong pusit, and this version of paella was heaven for me. Of course, Beso will still be our benchmark for the best paella but I wouldn't mind going back to Calderon just for this dish. The rice was perfectly cooked and had generous servings of seafood.

A word of warning, though: don't try this on a first date! The black ink seeps through the teeth but provides plenty of comedy for photos.

Or in Jake's case, black lips are in.

We were still hungry after the bandeja and paella so we went ahead and ordered the chorito fritos for my chorizo monster. Jake loves chorizo and we both liked this sweet and salty dish. It's perfect with sangria or you can just eat it as an appetizer or a side dish to the paella.

Can't wait for another Spanish food date!

Calderon
F. Calderon Street
Little Baguio, San Juan
+623-2382264

Yakiniku experience at Urameshi-ya!

Jake and I are avid fans of the authentic Japanese restaurants in Little Tokyo. Kikufuji is a particular favorite for the crunchy tuna rolls and Seryna has the best beef teppanyaki around. Thing is, we always eat there at lunch time and have always missed the opening hours of Urameshi-ya.

We finally got to eat there last February for a pre-Valentine's dinner. I've always wanted to try the "real" yakiniku experience where you can grill your food with proper charcoal and none of that smokeless grill crap. I liked the dark and dingy ambiance where you get to take off your shoes and sit in your private nook surrounded by sake bottles, appliances, and Japanese manga.

Since we're not meat connoisseurs, we chose to get the Tarafuku set (Php 2100) which has five kinds of meat with rice, soup, and salad.

It was quite overwhelming when they served all the meat at once. I was still in the process of enjoying my cabbage vinaigrette salad. The waitress was kind enough to demonstrate how to properly grill the meat and how to tell if it's already cooked.

Jake and I took turns at grilling. The meat was fresh and well-marinated. We particularly liked the bacon-ish buta bara meat. I grilled it to crispy perfection.

I panicked when we tried to grill the harumon or intestines. Due to the fatty content, the flame went up and when you're sitting in an enclosed space it can get scary (well, for me). Being the perpetually clueless cook that I am, I called the waitress and she proceeded to put some ice on the grill and offered to grill the rest of the harumon outside. 

On the table: these are the tansio and karubi meat. Tansio is beef tongue marinated in onion, soy sauce, lemon juice, and salt. It was moist and juicy. On the other hand, karubi is short ribs usually served without the bones.

The meat on the white place is the dreaded harumon or offal. We hated it. Techincally, harumon comprises of the parts of the intestines that would be usually thrown out. We did not like the taste nor the texture.

The Rosu on the left side had excellent thinly sliced rib-eye cuts. Our favorite was the buta bara or pork belly. The perks of grilling over charcoal is that you get an amazing smoky flavor which brings out all the meaty goodness.

Overall, we enjoyed our yakiniku experience. It was fun and made us realize that we need to learn how to cook properly. I personally did not feel that full after the meal, as I usually get when I have to prepare or dissect my own food (when shelling crabs or shrimps). The Php 2100 set price was reasonable for quality meat but I'd rather splurge that much on Kikufuji or Seryna.

Urameshi-ya Yakiniku Restaurant
Little Tokyo
Pasong Tamo (beside Makati Cinema Square)
+6328132210 (call for reservations)

Maginhawa Strip Series: Kiss the Cook

Because my mom is perpetually dateless during Valentine's season, I took her out on a dinner date for a change at Kiss the Cook. We have been wanting to check it out since we pass by the place practically everyday on the way to Ateneo, and I was lucky enough to get a table for two without reservations on Valentine's night!

The place was packed! I think it's a hub for artists and creative people 'cause apart from the requisite couples, there were musicians and celebrities dining and conversing with the owner. We were seated beside a gaggle of old women who seem to be music professors from U.P. who kept chatting with us all throughout the meal. Lovely girls!

Mom and I ordered the spinach and feta cheese dumplings for appetizers. I also wanted to try the kesong puti fondue but I was sane enough to realize we can't finish both dishes.

 

This was very good, it was fried perfectly and the portions were big. However, before this came we noticed a couple of diners coming up to the receptionist to complain about how they have been waiting for an hour for their orders. Some even walked out in frustration. I guess we were pretty lucky that night and only had to wait 15 minutes for our appetizers and maybe 30 minutes for the entrees. By anyone's standards that is actually a LONG time to wait for a meal. But seeing other diners walk out and complain about waiting for over an hour, I can't really complain.

I ordered the pistachio crusted chicken with mashed potatoes. I would order this again, it's the first time I tried pistachios on chicken and it was a great combination.

Mom had the Afghan grilled chicken which was more on the curry and spice flavor. The meat was tender and I think someone who likes curry would love this.

And let's not forget the honey passion fruit juice! On our last trip to Tagaytay, mom bought a kilo of passion fruit from a road side vendor and since then I've developed a liking for the lemony squeezed juice and crispy seeds.

Frustrated diners aside, we enjoyed dinner at Kiss the Cook with the hushed ambiance and a musician named Bobby something playing jazz guitar on the background. I just wish they have anticipated the crowd especially on Valentine's because I am SURE they ruined a lot of dates with the slow service and sudden unavailability of ingredients. One couple stormed out after being told their orders were no longer available after waiting for half an hour.

I guess it's safe to say I won't be asking Jake to date me here!

Cafe Ysabel for Valentine's 2012

When all you want to do is take a trip back in time to see how the elegant people of Old Manila used to dine, then just head on to Cafe Ysabel for that classic old world experience. Jake and I spent our 6th Valentine's together acting like we're a lady and a sir here. From the Spanish architecture to the intricate decor, the place is perfect for couples looking for a romantic place to eat.

Considering it has been around for more than two decades, it seems that they've kept their reputation with impeccable service and extensive menu.

Long live the tradition, indeed.

No wonder this place is tagged as an architectural landmark. It's set inside an ancestral home dating from 1927 with authentic furniture and details. What I love about the place is the glass windows wrapping around one side so you can dine with a view of the garden.

 

I especially love their complimentary home-made bread which came freshly baked while we were ordering. It's perfect for dipping in olive oil and vinaigrette, and we dipped it while it was still warm and soft.

Not wanting to over-order this time, as we usually do on dates, we only ordered five dishes on the menu. The servings were too big for one person that we ended up too full to finish everything anyway.

Jake had the cream of mixed mushrooms soup while I ordered the gratin of fresh asparagus. It's creamy with huge bits of asparagus but it was the gruyere topping that made it perfect for me. I can order this soup over and over again!

For our main course, Jake had the honey glazed chicken smoked ranch-style and barbecued. I think he had no idea it would be so big given that it's a half chicken. I was too full with my own dish to help him finish it.

I ordered the Lapu-Lapu al graten, apparently cooked the Spanish way with red wine, cheese, and tomatoes. I like how they also added croutons on top of the mix so there was a nice texture with the soft steamed fish and al dente pasta. It was too much for one person or maybe I was already feeling full from the soup.

We also ordered the lasagna al forno made with three types of cheese baked in tomato and meat sauce. I'm a lasagna lover and almost wish I ordered this for myself so I didn't have to share with Jake, or that I tried this first because by then I was too full to eat more than a few forkfuls.

I'm looking forward to where we will be spending Valentine's next year. Maybe somewhere out of town or a picnic? We can order all our favorite dishes from different restaurants again!

On a side note, we went to Cold Rock at Greenbelt 3 for ice cream after and I must say, it was disappointing. I know they've closed down their other branches but where are all their ice cream flavors? They also no longer display all the toppings like they used to. I miss going to Cold Rock and feeling like a kid.

Always and forever

Because at the end of the day, I can only hope that after decades together, the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with would do this for me every Valentine's day:

Love this old fella <3

Grown-up Vday dinner date for the mature couple that we are (not)

We're Thai food lovers, especially Jake. Every now and then we take a break from Japanese, pizza, and burgers to binge on Thai food at Jatujak--which, despite the commercialized vibe, still has the yummiest, affordable, accessible Thai food, and also, if we're in the Rockwell area, Soms.

So I was very proud of Jake when he manned up to plan our VDay dinner date and chose Thai at Silk at Serendra. It's the perfect place for a romantic, intimate dinner with its hushed ambiance, elegant interiors, and delicious food. The overhead over-sized lamps were very pretty and gave off an elegant vibe. There were huge rose bouquets at selected tables with votive candles that gave the place that romantic, warm feeling.

When we're eating Thai, we tend to overdo it and end up ordering way too many dishes for the two of us. We never learn from these fiascos and our Vday date was no exception. I have no idea how Jake managed to do it but we over-ordered for the nth time. No regrets, though, because everything was yummy and perfect.

It's not a Thai date without Tom Yum soup! Thai at Silk's Tom Yum Kung soup is one of the best we've ever tasted. We ordered the mild version (read: still spicy BKK style) and it had generous servings of prawns, lemon grass, ginger, and whatnot--I'm not about to pretend to know all the ingredients. All I know is it's the best I ever tasted with the perfect blend of sour, sweet, and spicy.

We had a mini-argument over what to get for appetizers. Jake wanted our usual spring rolls but I was leaning towards the chicken satay. But because it was Valentine's (LOL), we both agreed to compromise and ordered the Khong Waang Silk, which is the appetizer selection so we can try everything on the appetizer menu. We loved everything, especially mixing and matching the sauces. The platter included Gai Sateh (chicken satay), Paw Pla Thawt (deep fried spring rolls), Moo Ping Bai Cha Plu (grilled pork wrapped in betel leaves), and some yummy tasting soft dumplings--I forgot what it's called.

We were pretty much full just from the appetizers so we were floored when the waiter brought our bagoong rice, or more authentically called Khao Khluk Kapi, Phad Thai, and pork ribs--See Khrong Moo Yaang all in one go. 

I was looking forward to our Phad Thai with it's amazing egg netting. Isn't it the prettiest? I felt bad about having to mix it 'cause it was so nice to look at. The pork ribs were roasted to perfection and you can never go wrong with bagoong rice. We didn't get to finish all of our yummy food and, as with lunch, we had them wrapped again. Perfect for midnight snacks! I was too full by the end of our meal that my tummy was bulging prominently from my skirt--totally a wrong move to wear a skin-tight top tucked under an equally tight skirt when you're on a pig out date. We had a good laugh over that one, I was trying not to breathe the entire time afterward.

I feel so blessed to be spending another Valentine's with the Jakester. We both had a great time talking and laughing over dinner. Thank you for this date, Joaquin. I love you to bits and pieces!

wearing Topshop tube top, Forever 21 skirt, Promod multi-layered necklaces

Desserts at where-else but Sonja's with our usual suspects: Vanilla Sunshine and PB&J. This stuff never gets old, I feel like a kid every time I step inside my cupcake world.

P.S. Here's us last year for Valentine's 2010: we festooned my balcony with votive candles and fairy lights, plus ordered all our favorite food with some home-cooked meals. I still remember the warm, fuzzy feeling from that night. Flickering candle lights, slow-dancing songs, laughing over mishaps and fiascos with my home-made iced tea and Vday surprise, all the things we love to eat...always and forever, as I always say. :-)

Once upon a time--when my boyfriend was still sweet and mushy, he gave me this:

I suppose I should be thankful for this first (and LAST--well not counting my 18th birthday video) video Jake made for me when he was still the "sweet, mushy" boyfriend back in college. I think he made this for our second monthsary (can you imagine the effort just for two months?) and I remember him surprising me with it. I even showed this to all our friends while we were in the editing bay at school and everyone oohed and aahed because it was so unlike Jake, the gangsta thug, to be that mushy. Well, they were right. We're now on our 53rd month and I've dropped one too many hints for flowers or a letter for any occasion and so far--nada.

I'm not complaining, we're past the sweet and mushy stage but sometimes, I do wish we can revert back to our cheesy couple stage even just for a while. Or not. Or yes. Or.. Okay that's it, I'll take a shopping spree anytime (say yes!)  Hahaha. I love you, Joaquin! Fist bump and a kiss!

Romulo Cafe for the perfect V-Day lunch date

We celebrated Valentine's day in advance this year like we usually do to get away from the lovesick-couple-at-every-table scene. We usually prepare home-made dinners at home and just decorate our places but this year, we opted to dine out instead. Well, my mom also refused to help us cook our, errr, home-made meals.

Jake originally planned a dinner date at Thai at Silk but since we were meeting early that day, I booked us a table at Romulo Cafe for lunch to make it a whole-day affair. The place was just awesome. Everything's so pretty, from the minimalistic fixtures to the colorful patterned walls, coupled with delicious food and great service--it was one of our best lunch dates yet.

Romulo Cafe is tucked in a not-so-busy corner street between Scouts Tuason and Dr. Lazcano in Quezon City. I even printed out a map for Jake, who was driving, so we wouldn't get lost in the many Scouts along the area. It's pretty easy to find once you're along Timog or Tomas Morato. It's a converted house so the area is mostly residential. Parking is fairly easy since they have free valet and the guard's kind enough to locate a parking space for you along the street.

The facade of the place gives off a zen-ish vibe with white and black walls. I love their waiting/smoking area with plush leather couches done in black and giant throw pillows with white accents. The area's airy and light so we didn't mind waiting for a minute or two before they ushered us inside. 

 

We dined in the area with a wall-to-wall photo exhibit chronicling Carlos P. Romulo's life, seeing as this is after all a heritage restaurant established by his heirs. The other side of the wall had a mural of leaves done in the same style as the patterned walls of the restaurant. I especially loved the patterned black and white tiles. So pretty.

We had a hard time choosing between the tinapa rolls and cheese and vigan longganisa dumplings for appetizers. Curiosity won and we ordered the longganisa dumplings. Jake's a sucker for chorizo so this was the second-best thing for him. The dumplings had us craving for more--oozing cheese with salty vigan longganisa fried in thin shang-hai wrappers. I wish I could ask my mom to re-create this dish for meriendas. Jake's already fantasizing about his chorizo version.

After I was done admiring the pattern of their menu, we ordered their house specialties for our main courses: Tito Greg's Kare-Kare, Chicken with Tamarind Sauce, plus bagoong rice for the bagoong lover (Jake). We expected servings good enough for the two of us but we didn't expect servings big enough for three or four people. Everything was perfect, the chicken was juicy with its tamarind sauce, and the kare-kare was thick and creamy with the right balance between veggies and meat. I also had their famous "cool as a cucumber" mojito mocktail. It was so good and refreshing that I wished they served it bottomless. Haha.

We were so full halfway through our meal that we requested to have our kare-kare and chicken wrapped. Those two guys eating outside ordered the "Flying Tilapia". It's fried tilapia but they cook it in a way that the fish is shaped like it's leaping out of the water. I was staring at it most of the time, haha!

After eating and while Jake was smoking outside, the waiters were kind enough to give me a tour of their second floor and function rooms area. The stairs leading to this part had a floor-to-ceiling mural of Carlos P. Romulo's "I am a Filipino". I didn't read the whole thing so I just took a picture with it.

wearing Forever 21 sheer top, American Eagle denim shorts, Mango braided leather belt, Promod layered necklaces, VNC sandals, bag from H&M

 

All the function rooms on the second floor are awesome and pretty. You can book per room for 5-10 persons with consumable rates. The rooms are named "Kaligayahan", "Kasiyahan", and I forgot the other one. I prefer to call them the blue, brown, and yellow rooms. Haha. The dining area on the first floor's done in mint green with retro checkered floors. I love how they balanced these two classic designs. I just love everything about this place!

For desserts, I finally introduced Jake to Wicked Kitchen's Gluttony. Since the Mother Igancia branch is 5 minutes away from Romulo, I called them 20 minutes before we went there so they can already bake our dessert. Wicked Kitchen bakes desserts on the spot so you have to wait 20-30 minutes upon ordering. I think Jake also fell in love with Gluttony--a soft-baked giant chocolate chip cookie topped with whipped cream and mantecado ice cream. It was the perfect dessert to end our lunch date.

For dinner, we ate at Thai at Silk. I'll attempt to write another review on that. 

Overall, I feel so lucky to spend another Valentine's day with Jake for the fifth year in a row. We're not a showy couple but this is how we celebrate this overrated holiday. Happy Valentine's Day, everyone!