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The Amazing Aloha is back!

Guess what’s saying “Aloha!” again at Jollibee!

Two tasty and moist patties, a juicy pineapple ring, smoky bacon bits, soft cheese, and fresh lettuce, all nestling between two soft buns.

DELICIOUS!  Good mixture of flavors and textures.  And one order is very satisfying.

Try it now before it says “Goodbye!” once more.

An order costs Php 99.

leanmeanrecoverymachine:

6 Fruits You Should Try

  • Dragon Fruit
This fruit is an excellent supplement for the liver as well as contains vital minerals that assist in weight-loss and balancing body weight without compromising health. For people suffering from diabetes, a dry or fresh dragon fruit guarantees blood glucose control. 
  • Star Fruit
This fruit is an excellent source of ascorbic acid, which is important to the fitness of your body, as it assists in maintaining bones, teeth, mucus membranes, skin and improves the immune system. It also contains beta-carotene, which can be converted into vitamin A in your body for good vision and appetite.
  • Kiwano
This fruit is very rich in vitamin c and fibre. These help the red bloods cells, skin, muscles, nerves and heart. Vitamin E works in the body by helping to neutralize the damage from free radicals which can cause cancer and cardiovascular disease.
  • Mangosteen
This fruit has a very high concentration of xanthones that is one of the most powerful anti-oxidents in the world. The fruit also boosts the body’s immune systems and helps increase energy levels.
  • Sugar Apple

This fruit helps regulate the menstrual cycle, and contains a large amount of rosemary oil which can help fight off depression. This fruit also contains cineole which aids the body’s nervous system, helps in blood circulation, and improves concentration. This fruit as well aids in reducing the severity of asthma. 

  • Goji Berry
Goji berries are called the world’s most nutritional powerful anti-aging food. Goji berries are the highest rated antioxidant and have more vitamin C than oranges, more beta-carotene than carrots, more protein than whole wheat and more iron than steak.

A small bite of Chuck’s Deli

The Reuben [Slabwich] (Php 355 for 1/2 slab): Angus corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, with a mustard & spicy garlic sauce, all nestling between fresh ciabatta.  It’s delicious!  The meat was tender and well seasoned, and the sauerkraut and sauce combination added just the right tang and kick.  And the cheese provided the necessary subtle saltiness.  YUMMY!

The Chorizo Burger (Php 245): spicy chorizo patty, lettuce, tomato, mayo mustard, and Chuck’s Deli special sauce.  Also delicious!  The patty was packed with flavor and meat!  And the mixture of sauces complemented the strong flavor of the chorizo.  There was a good marriage of flavors; no one ingredient was overpowering the others.

The Onion Rings were yummy!  The onions were sweet and fried well with a light batter and Japanese bread crumbs.  

The Potato Chips were also a delight to eat; the chips were thin, well-seasoned, and not oily.  

The Raspberry Iced Tea Slush (Php 75) was cough syrup in a glass.  Flavor was too artificial.  Good thing it’s served super cold and refreshing, kaya puwede nang tiisin.

By the way, we liked the look of the place; it’s pretty cool!  Modern furnishings with a big splash of red.  Very inviting!

Based on our first experience here, we would definitely go back to Chuck’s Deli.

Dimsum Break

Place: Classy enough.  Nice modern furnishings and color combinations.  We loved the steamer lights!  Some tables were a little wobbly though.  And the floor near the restroom was dirty.

Food: Generally O-K, puwede na.  We ordered Garlic Pork Spareribs, Spring Rolls, Fried Wanton, Fried Shrimp Balls, Shaomai, Steamed Hakao, Yang Chow Fried Rice, and The Original Steamed Fried Rice.

The Garlic Pork Spareribs (Php 65) were good.  The meat was tender and well seasoned.  The garlic flavor wasn’t too strong, making the dish a delight to eat.

The Spring Rolls (Php 65) were O-K.  The filling was meaty, and tasty enough.  The thing is, we’ve tasted much better spring rolls than Dimsum Break’s.  Maybe some minced vegetables with the filling would’ve made these rolls more remarkable to the palate.

The Fried Wanton (Php 65) was also O-K.  The filling was like a slightly more pungent version of a siomai’s; it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.  Now the wrapper: it’s cute too look at, but a little too much to eat; it was a tad too thick and too floury to the palate. 

The Fried Shrimp Balls (Php 65) were, hmmm, interesting.  They were crunchy (because of the bread-pieces coating, kinda like croutons), well seasoned, and yummy.  But we barely sensed any shrimp flavor.  The balls tasted more like pork.  Weird right?  Oh well…

The Shaomai (Php 65) was not good.  The filling didn’t taste fresh, lasang luma.

The Steamed Hakao (Php 65) was DELICIOUS.  The filling was firm and flavorful.  The wrapper though tended to break easily, but we didn’t care that much, because the dish was just yummy!

The Yang Chow Fried Rice (Php 68) was not good!  The shrimp flavor was too strong, and the dish lacked the distinct meat flavor (from chorizo) that good yang chow rice has.  Disappointing because the rice itself was of good quality.

Lastly, the Steamed Fried Rice (Php 68): rice smothered with a brown (soy-sauce-based?) sauce, topped with shrimp and meat pieces.  YUMMY!  The flavors were punctuated, and each spoonful was satisfying.

Must-eats: Steamed Hakao, Steamed Fried Rice

Price: Considering serving size and taste, food here is cheap!

Service: Good.  The cashier and waiters were friendly, cheerful, and attentive.

Best of the Philippines Collection: Coffee Mangosteen

Yet another addition to Magnolia’s famous line of ice cream flavors.  Presenting Coffee Mangosteen.

Creamy coffee ice cream with bits of Davao mangosteen.  Interesting right?  But is it good?

It was OK, primarily because of the delicious coffee flavor of the ice cream.  There’s a good marriage between the slightly bitter, deep coffee taste and the sweetness of the whole dessert.  What we could barely sense was the mangosteen.  We didn’t know what its contribution was, taste wise.  Come to think of it, mangosteen has a subtle flavor…

Try it and judge for yourself.

Best of the Philippines Collection: Strawberry Shortcake

It’s one of Magnolia’s newest frozen treat for its famous ice cream line.

Strawberry and cream ice cream, dappled with chunks of Benguet strawberries.

It’s delicious!  The sweetness is just right, the strawberry flavor doesn’t taste like cough syrup, and the tartness of the fresh fruit adds vibrancy to the dessert.  It’s a must eat!

Suggestion: eat it with sliced bananas.  Yummy!

Try it and judge for yourself.

Iced Asian Dolce Latte

The Iced Asian Dolce Latte: shots of espresso, milk, espresso whipped cream, and espresso dusting!  COFFEE FLAVOR OVERLOAD!

How was it?  DELICIOUS!  There’s something about the combination of bitterness and coldness that made the drink really irresistible.  The deep, robust coffee flavor was a delight, and it was well complemented by the drink’s sweetness!  And the velvety texture was perfection!

We think it’s Starbucks’s best cold drink to date.

Try it before it’s gone!

A Tall order costs Php 125.

Tiyo’s

Place: Cool, serene, rustic, very homey.  Maaliwalas.  We love the high ceiling and the comfortable chairs!

Food: Delicious Filipino food!  We ordered the Halaan at Tahong, Kangkong with Lechon Macau, Fried Pla-Pla with Mango Salsa, and Dinuguang Bagnet.

The Halaan at Tahong (Php 280): fresh clams and mussels, all swimming in a hearty, tinola-tasting soup.  This one is really good.  The soup had a good balance of flavors; it was sweet, salty, and a little spicy because of the ginger.  The ginger flavor however didn’t overpower all the other ingredients of the soup.  Yummy!

Kangkong with Lechon Macau (Php 260): fresh kangkong smothered with an oyster-garlic sauce, topped with pork belly pieces.  It’s O-K.  The vegetable was fresh and crisp.  The pork though didn’t taste like lechon macau (it wasn’t pungent enough.)  And the sauce was just a little too sweet, but bearable with rice (Php 115, good for 4).  A little more saltiness would’ve made the dish better.

Fried Pla-Pla with Mango Salsa (Php 380): fresh pla-pla, fried to perfection, served with a soy-vinegar dip and mango salsa.  A very interesting dish, all because of the salsa: juicy mangoes, tomatoes, and onions, drizzled with a spicy, curry dressing.  It was tangy and had some kick, and it went really well with the fish.  We even forgot about the dip because of it.

Lastly, the Dinuguang Bagnet (Php 375): Crispy pork belly pieces on top of thick dinuguan with isaw. Now this one’s a winner!  The pork was well seasoned and fried flawlessly.  The dinuguan was really tasty, and it wasn’t too acidic.  Great marriage of flavors!  Warning: may require A LOT of rice!

Must-eats: Halaan at Tahong, Dinuguang Bagnet

Price: Considering taste, quality, and serving size, the food here is just a tad pricey.

Service: Needs improvement.  Sure they were courteous and knowledgeable, but sometimes, they were not there when needed.

A word on Slice

So we were in BGC one time and decided to finally visit Slice and try two of the famous items of their sweet fare: the Double Chocolate Yema Cake and the Red Velvet Cupcake.

The Double Chocolate Yema Cupcake (Php 240): moist chocolate cake with a yema (Philippine candy) layer, topped with ganache and even more yema.  Well, the cake itself was delicious, the ganache was heavenly, and the yema eqaully sinful.  But together, twas all too much.  Too sweet, too decadent.  Nakakaumay.

Red Velvet Cupcakes (Php 80): moist cupcakes with cream cheese frosting.  The cake was OK; twas delicious but it didn’t really blow our minds.  The frosting was yummy; it had the right balance of salty and sweet.

Oh yes, we found those two treats overpriced.  And the other food items, we thought, were overpriced too.  But we might come back to try them

About the place: it was cute, cool.  Some tables were wobbly though.

P.S. We love the free lemon water!

KFC Chicken Chop

It’s KFC’s newest dish.

The Chicken Chop: deep-fried chicken fillet, stuffed with cheese and ham, covered with a creamy white sauce.

That’s on paper.

Now the actual: the fillet didn’t taste like chicken.  It was salty, similar to those “chicken” nuggets found in the supermarket.  There was barely any cheese and ham.  And the sauce?  Well, does it look white?  To be fair though, it had good consistency.  It was sweeter than the regular KFC gravy.  The carrots and the herbs were a nice touch.

An order costs Php 69.

Try it and judge for yourself.

Jollibee’s Ultimate Burger Steak

It’s Jollibee’s biggest burger steak yet!

A Champ patty (1/3 pound beef) on a bed of crispy french fries, smothered with mushroom gravy, served with rice and a sunny side up egg.  It’s steak and eggs, fast food version!

It’s DELICIOUS!  The patty was moist, packed, and bursting with beef flavor.  The french fries were perfectly fried and well seasoned.  The gravy was tasty and not too salty.  The rice and egg were cooked well.  Every component was yummy!

Best eaten immediately after serving.

Try it and judge for yourself.

New Magnum

Selecta’s much-hyped, overpriced ice cream bar has two new flavors.  Presenting, the Magnum Chocolate & Strawberry and the Magnum Chocolate Brownie.

Magnum Chocolate & Strawberry: vanilla ice cream with strawberry ripple and a Belgian-chocolate coating.  This one is delicious.  The ice cream is smooth and velvety, its flavors, well balanced.  The strawberry tastes authentic, not cough-syrupy.  And we usually complain about the Belgian chocolate shell being saccharine but for this variant, its flavor works well with the strawberry.  Maybe the fruity tartness tempers the sweetness.

Magnum Chocolate Brownie: brownie ice cream covered with Belgian chocolate and chopped cashew.  The ice cream is good.  Its flavors are mellow, subtle.  Too bad these tastes are being overpowered by the milk chocolate coating (this time the Belgian chocolate flavor doesn’t work well with the ice cream).  And since Magnum is already being marketed as something luxurious, why use cashew?  Walnuts please!

Try these new Magnum flavors and judge for yourself.  

Warning: they’re still overpriced.

Sérye

Place: A bit small, but clean, well lighted, cool, and organized.  Chairs are comfortable, dining tables are spacious.

Food: Generally, delicious.  We ordered the Hototai, Fresh Lumpiang Ubod, Boneless Crispy Pata, Ensaladang Manggang Hilaw at Kamatis, Java rice, and some Tsokolate “Eh.”

The Hototai (Php 145) was a winner.  The broth was hearty and tasty; it had a good combination of egg and vegetable flavors.  And the dumplings were equally flavorful.  The soup was satisfying for its taste was punctuated.

The Fresh Lumpiang Ubod (Php 165) was good.  The ubod filling was well sautéed yet not soggy.  The lumpia wrapper was fresh, well made, and had the right blandness to highlight the filling.  The dipping sauce needed more flavor though.

The Boneless Crispy Pata (Php 130 per 100 grams) was perfectly fried; the meat was juicy and the skin was crispy.  The meat was well seasoned.  The atchara that came with it was perfection!  This dish though was a tad pricey.

The Ensaladang Manggang Hilaw at Kamatis (Php 55) had crisp green mangoes, juicy tomatoes, onions, and cilantro.  It was the right side dish for the crispy pata.  Its taste was refreshing and vibrant.

The Java rice (Php 50) was pleasing both to the eyes and the palate.  Yummy!

Lastly, the Tsokolate “Eh” (Php 95).  We had this as dessert.  Rich, dark, bitter chocolate in a cup.  It was really good!  It also had the right consistency; it was velvety, smooth.  Delicious!

Must-eats: Hototai, Ensaladang Mangga at Kamatis, Java rice, atchara, Tsokolate “Eh”

Price: Considering taste, serving size, and originality, food is a tad expensive.  There’s “service charge” too.

Service: Good. Waiters were attentive and knowledgeable.  Food came promptly.

Sérye Café Filipino is at Eastwood City, Libis, Quezon City.

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