Central (Again!)

Two days in a row! Haha.

Today we ordered Bad Vibes and Pretty Boy! I asked the waitress (incidentally the same one last night) what cocktail is the sweetest since, as I have confessed, I'm a real wuss when it comes to drinking and she easily pointed out Bad Vibes. It's a cocktail of Dark Rum, Vodka and Juice. Unlike Badtrip which is green, this one is red-orange. As what the waitress said, this one has a softer kick and the juice they used for this particular cocktail is probably four seasons. You easily get accustomed to the color coding of cocktails the more you visit.

Pretty Boy is sizzling sisig in plain tongue. For those of you who don't know what sizzling sisig is (are there?), it's a combination of chopped pork and liver seasoned with soy sauce, salt and pepper which is served in a hot plate. Add some spice with hot sauce and it's a perfect combo for any alcoholic beverage you desire!

Every establishment have their own version of sisig like this one place where aside from the usual seasoning they add mayonnaise and chicharon (I'll also try to feature this sisig place). Sisig can also be made with chicken, tuna, squid or mixed seafoods. Some have

Since we came in early today it's Happy Hour so the Bad Vibes is discounted from 180 pesos to 100 pesos only and local beers @ 25 pesos each. A nice deal specially for students on a budget or people like us who wants to have a great time with the least money needed! Another great night provided by Central!

Central BBQ Boy Grill

If you're from the south, then you definitely know this place (unless you just came out of your hole). If not, then it's about time I introduce you to your future hangout. This is where the party starts to heat up and sizzle!

Central is themed to be a cozy get together place for friends. This branch is conveniently located at the heart of BF Resort and is frequented with students and yuppies. The warm lights, the inviting ambiance of a beach front bar and the right choice of music is a sure fire formula to keep you partying all night. It may either serve as a meet up place before heading out to your planned destination (e.g. The Fort) or a place to wrap up the night. As you can see on the menu, everything is fairly priced and there's tons of variety to please every palate.

Hmm, what's this green liquid thingy? This is the famous Badtrip and it packs quite a punch. It's a cocktail of Vodka, White Rum, Gin and Juice served in a 1.5L Pitcher (yes there's graduation right at the side).

It doesn't taste too strong nor too light of liquor so watch out how much you're drinking na! I can't discern what juice they used but it surely blends well with the alcohol. There is also harmony with the proportion of the booze. After a few shots, Badtrip will make you Goodtrip!

For the not-so-heavy-drinkers that is only after the pulutan (appetizers) like me, let's see what Central has in store for us.

April was craving for nachos all week long so we ordered one. Priced at 85 pesos (around $2 USD) this one's a winner. Served with beef bits, tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, sour cream and cheese, this dish will satisfy 2-3 persons. A generous serving for a measly price.

We also ordered some barbecue; Chic Man (chicken inasal, 1/4 cut), Vhong (isaw) and Balunbalu-Man (gizzard).

The grilled chicken was cooked just right and was probably marinated for at least overnight since the flavor was infused well inside the chicken. I can compare this chicken inasal with well established fast foods banking on the same genre. The isaw and gizzard tasted as what is expected from them. So yummy! I think I'll make a post featuring street foods so watch out for future updates!

As I told you we're really bad drinkers. Since the Badtrip pitcher is only half empty and we ran out of pulutan na, we also ordered Kila Mare (calamares) or squid cooked in a tempura fashion. It comes with a sour cream dip which is quite good but I prefer to have vinegar as its sauce. Another generous serving plus the squid is cooked just right which didn't make it rubbery.

The waiters are very friendly and accommodating, the service is fast and the crowd is great! Parking is also a breeze. The place is usually packed and when we left around 2 A.M. there's still a lot inside. Oh, by the way, from 5 p.m till 8 p.m. it's Happy Hour! Local beers and cocktails are discounter! What more can you ask for? Now that you're friends with Central, hope we see you there!

Add Central to your Friendster!

From Alabang, turn left at Casimiro. You'll see Central after Elizabeth Seton School on the left side. You'll know you're there when you see a lot of cars parked. ^_^

The New Barbecue Chicken Pizza @ Yellow Cab

It's been a while since I enjoyed a slice of pizza (in this matter, a whole pizza). Good that most Yellow Cab Pizza branches are now open 24 hours. We went in to Yellow Cab Las Pinas (adjacent to starbs) and saw that they have this new pizza in the menu which we ordered along with the Spaghetti with Meatballs, a classic. After some minutes of waiting the pizza was served to us, piping hot in all its glory.

The Barbecue Chicken Pizza is made up of marinated chicken strips, the usual cheese, onions and instead of the marinara sauce (tomato sauce), they had this barbecue sauce as the base of the pizza. The taste blends well with everything. The sauce for me tasted like Hunt's Barbecue Sauce which is yummy. It's a very good offering and is a perfect alternative to the classic New York's Finest (my personal benchmark for local pizza up until this writing). Add a little swig of hot sauce and a dash of spiced-infused extra virgin olive oil and every bite you take is pizza heaven.

Too bad the shots weren't good enough. The physiologic need of eating a sumptuous meal really does come first than taking photos for a blog, haha.

Our next dish needs no introduction. Everyone knows the Yellow Cab Spaghetti and Meatballs. Al dente spaghetti with excellent marinara sauce topped with two giant meatballs and Parmesan cheese. We frequently order this dish but this time they put in a LOT of sauce! Too bad they ran out of Parmesan cheese when I asked for some more. This pasta dish is huge and is good enough for 2 - 3 persons. The best part is the meatballs and is made even tastier with the addition of herbs (probably oregano and parley).

You can see the bits of herbs that lends great flavor to the already delicious meatballs!

And since we tried a new pizza, might as well try a new drink! We had the new Coke Zero and unlike its brother, Coke Light, this drink does not taste bland or unsweet. It tastes like regular iced coke with the ice melted a bit (?). And if it really does not contain any calories or sugar then by all means it's a perfect drink! But who believes that? Haha. It's however still a delicious drink altogether.

A very good meal. We were surprised we ate everything! We usually bring home some leftovers when we eat here, unfortunately not this time (hehe). Like what they always say, "You can't go wrong with pizza!"

Want Great Pizza? Call a cab! Check out ClickTheCity for their numbers.

Rumah Makan @ Westgate Alabang

After working, April (who does part-time tutoring at Ayala Alabang) was really starving after a long day of math calculations, Philippine history and Ibong Adarna. She told me there is this Indonesian themed restaurant located nearby at Westgate. Adventurous denizens that we are, we head on in search for that unique Indonesian taste we have never tried.

Parking was a breeze since it's nearing closing time. After a short walk we found ourselves facing the facade our "target" for the night. The waiter greeted us warmly and beckoned us into their place but evening air was delightfully welcoming so we opted for the umbrellaed tables outside.

Their tag line says "The House of Sate and Soto" (Sate probably pronounced like the Japanese Satay stands for barbecue Soto for soup) therefore we ordered one of each. We got the Chicken Sate drizzled with peanut sauce and was served with a tiny bit of pickled onions and pepper (like achara). We also had the Chicken Noodle Soto (good for two) served with rice on the side. Got myself a beer to warm it up a bit for it was really starting to get cold (I easily get cold and easily get hot ^_^) and April had their "special" iced milk tea.

The Chicken Sate doesn't deserve the applause we were hoping for a resto in this caliber. In fact we were unhappy with the midget serving for a steep price. You can buy a whole Andok's or Baliwag Lechon Manok (which is oh so good!) for the same amount of money. The same goes for the taste factor. It's good but it doesn't tell me to "come back and eat me again."

The Chicken Noodle Soup however offered a unique flavor, unlike anything I tasted before. It has tender chicken bits (which I believe was lightly fried), glass noodles (sotanghon), garlic, cilantro, potato balls and swig of coconut milk. The best way to describe its tastes is that it's a cross between our local La Paz Batchoy and the Thai Tom Yum Goong without the sourness. Some might get offended with the garlic chunks (lightly fried) and the generous amount of fresh cilantro (like April) but it was perfectly fine with me. The potato ball offered a surprise treat while sipping the hot soup. This dish, unlike the Chicken Sate, merits an applause for the taste, unique flavor, serving (good for two!) and price.

The Milk Tea April had was again mediocre. It's better off preparing one yourself with a Lipton Teabag and milk. One thing I do love about the place is the service. Right from our arrival and during our meal the waiters were right there anticipating our every want and need. All in all we didn't get the "Indo fix" we were hoping for. If you know a place or a resto that serves real good Indonesian cuisine, let us know and if time (and budget) permits, we will feature it here.

Jellyfish Yum at North Park Noodle House

Here's another one of my favorite dishes. Every time (and I mean every time) we dine at North Park Noodle House we get to order the Jellyfish Salad with Century Egg. I bet not all of you out there is crazy (or brave) enough to try this dish but I can surely vouch for this one. I remember the first time we ordered this dish. It was not included in the menu yet and the waiter serving other guests placed this one pretty little plate on their table. I wondered what was the gelatinous substance in the middle with what looked like some century egg on the side. I asked the waiter what it was and behold --- the same dish was on our table!

We also ordered Braised Beef with Broccoli which is also highly recommended. Tender bits of beef with savory soy-based thick sauce with quickly cooked fresh broccoli. We also had the Stir Fried Noodles with Mushrooms which is equally delicious. For dessert we always have the Mango Tapioca which is freshly pureed ripe mangoes with lots of little sago --- simplicity at its best!

Also on our must try list which we didn't order due to the fact that our stomachs can only hold too much is Lemon Chicken (fried chicken fillet with lemon butter sauce) and Salted Fish Fried Rice (i really love the smoky flavor with this one).

We live here at the south so we frequent the North Park Noodle House branch located @ Alabang Town Center near the Cinemas. ^_^

Perfect Movie Treat with Holy Kettle Corn and Quickly

Wanna watch the latest hollywood flick? On for some heart pounding, cars-flying, exploding what-nots? Going out on a movie date? Then here's a nice little something to keep your mouth busy!

Holy Kettle Corn has been a around for a quite a long time before it became a fad. The uniqueness of the preparation on a large iron kettle is an experience to see ( watch out its hot!). The sweet and salty taste with every pop-in-the-mouth is so good, you won't put the bag down until it's all empty! Unlike other popcorns, Holy Kettle Corn stays crunchy even if left for a while due to its caramel coating. A perfect combo would be any Quickly drink, in this case we didn't go for the usual Taro flavor but instead got a Lychee-Watermelon, a healthier alternative than soda! Enjoy!

If shopping and eating is your thing ... (Ruins @ BF Homes)

Then Ruins is the place for you!

Tire yourself looking for the little trinket to complete your ultimate party get up. Spot the perfect gift for friends and loved ones. There's tons of clothes store, tech stuff shops, imported goodies stalls and more!

Now that you're hungry...

Try this Curry Laksa Noodle Soup!

Noodles in light curry broth with shrimps, tofu and squid balls garnished with chili and bean sprouts. It's not spicy as you may think as its Malaysian/Singaporean. The curry flavor is not that strong and is just right to complement the soft noodles. The bean sprouts offer a bit of texture and freshness with every bite.

Let me introduce you to one of the Bida's of this blog --- April! Seen here enjoying the curry laksa noodle soup. Yum!

Next dish is Mee Goreng (Malaysian style fried noodle). A really simple dish like our local pancit canton. There's the noodles (very pancit like), shrimps, squid, fish, bean sprouts and onion leeks. The flavor has a smoky taste to it which I loved. Again this dish is pretty good and a good alternative to our local pancits. The bean sprouts once again offered freshness and sweetness with every bite!






When I ordered I first asked how big the serving size of the dishes are. They said it was fairly small so we ordered three dishes since we were really hungry. But look at the size of the servings! We ended up ordering a third dish which is the seafood fried rice (lower right on the pic above). They really didn't skimp on toppings I tell you. There's shrimps (again), squid, fish, eggs, carrots and peas. Again there's this smoky flavor and aroma that lends tons of flavor to the dish. We ended up tasting a bit of everything and brought home most of the leftover.

There's a lot of food stalls to choose from. But being the adventurous type, we opted for the Malaysian/Singaporean taste bud route. There was also this Barbeque stall selling all time favorites (pork bbq, isaw, balun-balunan, atay, dugo, etc), a sizzling plate kinda theme with grilled or pan friend meat like sirloin, t-bone and porterhouse, and one of my faves --- Shawarma! Didn't get to eat shawarma this time around, probably on our next visit there.

Here's a creative shot of me (ahem!) just outside the building. Ciao!

Ruins is located along President's Ave., BF Homes, Paranaque. You wont miss it!

Welcome to My Food World! ^_^

Ok. Let's start this with a bang! Let me tell you what I am "not" first before I tell you what I am! I'm not a journalist, a writer, a photographer, a food expert and I'm definitely not a rich guy who has nothing to do but eat out (doh!). But what I am however, like a lot of you out there, is a food lover!

Here's my rules for this blog!

1. Nothing totally expensive. (except maybe for those special occasions)
2. Nothing really common. Unless an outstanding find.
3. May be something new or something old. Let's try everything!
4. Something really tasty, delicious, mouthwatering, exotic, heavenly, etc!
5. I can rant or praise and it's my opinion. Try or have a go with the food and/or the place and I dare you to prove me wrong!

My primary objective is to share with all of you my food finds which I think all of you will love. I'll try to post as much as I can, every time I can! I'll infiltrate the alleys of Binondo, the streets of Manila, the malls of Makati --- I'll travel on road trips and getaways if i must to give you the best "foodom" has to offer!

If you have any suggestion for a place or restaurant that serves outstanding, affordable dishes that you think deserves to be featured here, please do inform us. You're help would greatly be appreciated.