The Revolutionary Taste of K.K.K.

The acronym K.K.K. immediately made me think of Andres Bonifacio and all the other events that transpired in Philippine history. This is also what the restaurant K.K.K. (Kainan sa Kalye Kanluran) is all about: the rich taste of Philippine food that will leave your taste buds revolting.

The ambiance of the restaurant would right away tell you that it offers Filipino cuisine. The walls were covered with dried anahaw leaves and bamboo just like a nipa hut or widely known as 'bahay kubo'. Checking out the menu, they offered the usual 'lutong bahay' favorites like sinigang, ensalada, kare-kare, lengua etc.

Our friendly server Shiara served some 'kropek' or shrimp crackers while waiting for our order.

Our first meal is Bistek Flakes (P 230)

I was amazed on how tall the flakes were arranged on the plate. I assumed the flakes would look dry but it looked like it was dipped in sauce. "Bistek" is the Filipino version of the American beef steak. While the latter is being served dry and usually cooked in the griller, our version is filled with the 'special' sauce which gives it the distinct sweet-tasty-sour taste.  While the normal beef steak would be topped with rings of onions, our plate of bistek flakes had chopped onions and tomatoes underneath. I tried eating it without rice and I didn't like it at first because the flavor of the sauce was too strong and a bit sour. However, upon eating it with rice, I eventually liked it. =)

Our second dish is Pancit Tinapa (P 140)

'Tinapa' is famous in the Philippines as smoked milkfish and usually served during breakfast together with sinangag (garlic rice). This caught my attention because it was described as 'creamy' which is quite odd. Nothing special with its presentation but it was neatly placed on the plate.pon seeing it, it looked like pancit with carbonara sauce =P. It was indeed creamy but it only had few Tinapa flakes (I wish it had more). It would also be better if they added some herbs to add flavor and a bit of spicyness would give it a twist.

Each meal is good for 2 and the price is very reasonable. They had very accommodating and friendly servers as well. The place was clean and not crowded. Highly recommended to bring balikbayans =)

Dessert-ed Island: Baker's Dozen at Rockwell Powerplant

As a sweet treat from Rockwell last Valentines Day, they had the Baker's Dozen for all weekends of February. I'm sure all dessert-lovers know this event. It is a gathering of all bakers and dessert concessionaires. For me, it's a little island of desserts (Heaven!) I first saw Costa Brava, which is my ultimate favorite and decided to give in to my craving.

 

Costa Brava is so far the best caramel cake I've every tried (probably at par with Estrel's). It was created by Judah Liu. I've tried their 7x9 caramel cake for my parents' anniversary for P500. Unfortunately, they don't deliver. You can only pick up your orders at their residence at Bel-Air village Makati and you have to order in advance. The slice I bought was P70 and it was enough to satisfy my craving.

These are the other concessionares:

Kitchen’s Best Home Patisserie by Roselyn M. Tiangco 

I heard their best seller is the Purple Yam Cake which was featured at Inquirer's '20 Desserts of 2011' =)

Baked by Carmen

I was able to try their dark chocolate cookies last Christmas (Yum!)

Iya's Jumbo Pastillas

I wanted to try this one since my friend saw this at Market Market. However, I just had sore throat and pastillas causes my throat to itch. (bummer!)

Casa San Luis

The Sweet Life by Ange

Crukitchen

home made ice cream

Taho

Aside from cakes and pastries, they also have their own taho and home-made ice cream =)

 I wasn't able to take a pic of all the concessionaires but I think I got most of them.  Also, you can check out their Facebook accounts wherein you can view their other products and you also view their contact details in case you would like to order.

Being in the baker’s fair would make you drool over the different flavors of cakes and cookies and you would have a hard time resisting those tempting cupcakes! So for those on a diet, I would suggest not passing through Rockwell’s Concourse level (only if the fair is on-going). I would definitely try more products next time.  For those who love sweets, this event should not be missed =)

Jollibee Chicken Mushroom Pasta

Many of us have grown with the traditional, Filipino sweet-style spaghetti, covered with thick sauce, filled with hotdog and topped with grated cheese. This has become every pinoy kid's favorite dish (and even kids at heart =P).Where else could we find this classic favorite, no other than in Jollibee. A few days ago, I was able to try their new product 'chicken mushroom' and I must say that Jollibee veered away from the original Filipino taste to a more Italian feel. The new pasta was a bit spicy because if you look more closely the sauce was covered with pepper. (sorry I wasn't able to zoom in). I really loved it! I would describe it as the more 'mature' spaghetti because of its gourmet-like taste. I'm not sure if kids would still love this, but I'm sure grown-ups will. For P54, this is very affordable for merienda. =)

New Crocs 2012 'Everyday' Collection

Crocs is known for being a comfortable footwear than for being fashionable. Mainly because their launching product is the traditional clogs which are mostly worn by children and the not so young ones. This year Crocs has changed their image from being the conventional go-to comfort shoes to the more casual and fashionable everyday wear.

Now you wouldn't be ashamed of wearing Crocs in public. Their new collection has brighter colors with modern styles but still with the same comfort. The price range would be P1,000-P5,000 depending on the style. To check the prices, visit their site - http://www.crocs.com.ph/

Source: http://www.spot.ph/shopping/50567/everyday-footwear-from-crocs-2012-collection-now-available

A Different Katy Perry

Katy Perry 'Interview' cover

Looking at the picture alone, you wouldn't recognize who this A-list celebrity is. You would probably think that she looks like Amy Winehouse (because of the cat-eyes and black teased-up hair) or probably some ad from Guess (black and white effect with sexy model). Who would have thought it would be no other than Katy Perry? Katy Perry is known for her fun, vibrant, and outrageous fashion sense. She usually performs or walks the red carpet with her themed dresses and to top it off, her brightly colored hair. This photo is very stunning because not only did she look extremely gorgeous, but a more serious and glamorous side of her personality is shown. This would probably make Russel regret letting her go. 

 

Sources: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/27/katy-perry-interview-cover_n_1304698.html

Photo credits:

http://mystylebell.com/2011/09/08/would-you-wear-pink-hair/katy-perry-pink/

http://style.mtv.com/2011/06/13/katy-perry-last-friday-night-tgif/

http://www.fhm.com/girls/katy-perry-has-blue-hai r-20100607&docid=sriF40qGQyw_8M&imgurl=

 

Cafeteria Verde

Some of us are probably sick of eating at our usual go-to fast food restaurants for a satisfying and budget-friendly meal. Since I was looking for a new place to eat without the long lines and  without the guilt of all the calories, my friend and I tried this place in the middle of Robinsons Galleria’s sports loop. It was a nice and cozy place where you can hang out and probably read since the place was quiet and easeful. I ate there around 2pm for late lunch that’s why it wasn’t too crowded.  

Good thing I always bring the coupon that I bought from Smart Concepts. I got this coupon from a sales agent at Big Chill (Solaris One Branch, Makati City) for P400.00. [I know it is quite expensive but  I’m a constant consumer of their products and I thought that it would be worth it, so I bought it =P]   

We ordered one Paad Thai, Panini and Super Fresh drinks all for P149 (using the coupons) and I saved P114.00. Here’s the breakdown:

Paad Thai – P 99

Superfresh shake – P45 (Medium)

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Total: P 144

Free with coupon:

Superfresh shake – P35 (Small)

Panini – P 79

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Total: P 114

Coupon 1: Buy any drink and receive any drink of lesser value FREE!

Coupon 2: Buy any food item and receive any food item of lesser value FREE!

Note: You can use use coupon1 and coupon 2 at the same time but not 2 coupons of the same kind. =)

As for the food, it was not too great but I liked it.
1. As for the Paad Thai, it didn’t taste like the authentic one but it was good enough. It was tasty and it was satisfying for a light-eater like me.


2. I liked the Panini. Inside the Panini were mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. You can really taste the freshness of the tomatoes and basil.


3. The best part of the meal was the drinks. The mango was so fresh and the coconut milk gave it a different twist. I enjoyed it with sago =)

All in all, I enjoyed my simple meal. Diet-conscious people will like the place and it’s a good spot for vegetarians as well. The food is budget friendly and it will still satisfy your craving taste buds. You can also order for take out if you’re planning to go to the movies (a better alternative to chips).

Pinkberry

As a special treat for Valentines day, Ayalamalls not only gave out single roses to couples but also treats for singles as well: Valentine Discount Booklets. This booklet will give you discounts to selected establishments. I was able to use one when we headed to Pinkberry for dessert.

Good thing you can try out their flavors for free. The staff were very accommodating to let us try the different flavors before ordering. Honestly, to me, it all tasted the same so I just ordered one of each - Original and Watermelon. I also think Pinkberry had the most options for toppings. I would usually go for the simple almonds so it would not really affect the taste but since they offered 4 free toppings, I got to try other good stuff as well (YEY!).

this is my final combo: 

original + watermelon yogurt 

toppings:

almonds

cheese cake

mango burst

healthbars

Almonds are common since all frozen yogurt shops offer that topping. It gives a certain crisp to contrast the smooth texture of the yogurt. The cheesecake gives the certain creaminess (like a cake) to the plain taste of yogurt. The other 2 toppings are quite unusual but I would definitely recommend for you to try. The mango burst are like tapioca (sago) but inside it is a rich mango puree. It literally bursts in your mouth. It's fun to eat since it is exciting and flavorful. My most favorite topping would be the health bars. It tastes like chopped butterfinger. (yum!) So if you're looking for more variety and something to cool you down this summer, go now to Pinkberry's only branch at Greenbelt 5 Makati.