The Dog Days are O-o-ver

... that's the song that's stuck in my head right now (by Florence + The Machine).  Yep my stressful days are week is over!   

We catered 7 different events in 3 days.  Wow.  Just reading out what I typed is making me tired all over again. By some miracle we survived!  Earlier today though, my tank was running dangerously low.  I was practically operating on fumes.  The kids' happy squeals and warm praises of our clients were the only things that were helping me talk and function like a semi-normal human being. 

I've got a thousand things I want to say, but unfortunately my befuddled brain is just not up to the task.  Forgive me.  I'll come up with a witty post tomorrow I promise.

Good night world! :-)   

Italian Night at Friuli Trattoria

Ok maybe it wasn't completely Italian.  Filipino Italian fusion was more like it, but hey, bottomline is it was pretty darn memorable.

Yuri decided to take me out last night to make up for our supposed Valentine's date.  He was finally feeling well enough to drive.  Granted, we had to narrow down our choices to someplace near (since he's not a 100% yet) and as always *I know I sound like a broken record*, somewhere affordable.  Harhar.  In my defense, it hasn't been two weeks since I paid that nasty hospital bill (ulk), AND I just bought a laptop the other day.

Quick story: At the hospital, I had such a migraine after settling our charges.  I looked so pale after paying.  My aunt (also his doctor) told me I looked worse than Yuri and she had to ask me if I needed to be wheeled out of the hospital. LOL.  Not that I have any regrets about Yuri's hospitalization or anything like that, oh no no no please don't misunderstand.  It was, after all, money well spent.  He was in the best of hands.  I'd do anything to make Yuri well.  I just get a really bad migraine right after shelling out huge amounts of money.  I'm chalking it up to a reflexive physiological reaction.  I've no control over it.   I dunno, I guess I'm just weird that way.  Both my mom and Yuri get such a kick out of it.  Meanies. 

Anywayyy all I'm trying to say is that, at least for the time being, it's absolutely essential that we go to value-for-money restaurants for my health and well-being.

Maginhawa St. at Teacher's Village is just the place for that.  It's a veritable haven for foodies on a budget.  It's really near UP Diliman (my beloved alma mater).  That immediately clues you in on the price points of most of the establishments there.  They've got Mexican, Italian, Persian, American, Filipino, and fusion cuisine options lined up along the stretch of this residential-turned-commercial street.

We were in the mood for Italian so we decided to try Friuli Trattoria.  It's been there for as long as I can remember. I just never stopped to have a look.

Friuli Trattoria

It's a tidy two-floor operation with orange-hued walls and checkered tablecloths.  Despite the lack of decor, it still had a cozy feel to it.  Dining here might be "roughing it" for some people, what with the monoblock chairs, low ceiling, and poorly printed menus, but I liked the whole experience.  I really did.  I think of it as a kitchy Italian cafeteria. 

Now it's time to talk about the food.  Lemme tell you THIS made our night.

Toasted Ravioli Php 125.00

Toasted Ravioli!  It really tasted more like a Mexican dish than an Italian one but that didn't matter because it was DELICIOUS.  I like a dish that has a nice contrast of textures and flavors; both crisp and chewy, tangy and sweet.  It's six pieces of deep fried ravioli filled with chili beef, cheese, veggies, and then generously sprinkled with Parmesan cheese.  It's served with a side of rich tomato sauce.  These raviolis taste great even without the sauce!

Carbonara Php 120.00

The Carbonara was the low point of the evening.  The spaghetti was al dente, the cream sauce was fine (done Pinoy style since real Italian Carbonara has no cream in it), but the honey-cured bacon bits killed it.  It was getting progressively sweeter with each bite.  I heard that their Spaghetti Meatsauce Pasta is pretty good so maybe you guys should just stick to that.

Tre Formaggi Php 169.00

The Tre Formaggi a.k.a. Three Cheese Pizza is also a must try.  It has mozzarella, cheddar, and blue cheese in it along with a healthy spattering of dried Italian herbs.  Given the size and the ingredients used, it's quite incredible for the price.  The blue cheese really stands out with each bite.
 

Mentos candies for dessert.

 Look at those prices!  Boggles the mind.  I don't know of any Italian restaurant or fastfood that can offer the same taste level and quality of food as Fruili Trattoria at this price range.  Plus, their service was really efficient and the food came out in less than 15 minutes.

We were really planning on sampling some of their desserts too, but by the end of the meal, we were just too full to continue on.  We're saving those desserts for next time.

Yep you read right.  We're definitely going back, especially for those Toasted Raviolis.  Mmmmm.  :-)

Cheap Thrills: Snowflakes in a Cup

I've been thinking about THIS for two days now.

Taiwanese Snowflake Ice Dessert

Taiwan's Snowflake Ice or Xue Hua Bing is slowly making its presence felt in the Metro and I am a lovin' it!  I got to sample this refreshing dessert at the Ultimate Taste Test 4 last year. Caveman & Yeti (another popular but more expensive shaved ice dessert place) was there with samples of this popular Taiwan dessert.  Goodness, what a revelation!  Since then, I swore I'd never go back to eating snow cones.  Nu-uh not after tasting Taiwan's version of it.  I have been enlightened now (so to speak).  Yogurt seemed to lose its charm too after my cup of snowflake ice.

I was in SM Novaliches with Yuri and a couple of friends when we ate this.  We were there to watch and support our friend's first mall show (Yay!).  When her show was over, we realized we'd be waiting for quite a bit since her fans were still all in a tizzy, crowding her for pictures, autographs, and whatnot.  Good thing we caught sight of the Snowflakes Creamery stall on the far right side of the back stage area.

Scratch that.  Okkkkay okay I'm fessing up.  Truth is, I had been eyeing it since the show started.  Teehee.

I'm so proud!

 Hey, I took pictures so I wasn't THAT distracted.  I was as supportive as ever. Honest!  (***Shameless plugging: Catch Patricia Fernandez on TV5's BF/GF Luv Crazy every Sunday at 3PM)

Half of the menu.

Their prices are awesome!  Inexpensive and yummy.  Can't beat that.

You start off by choosing a base flavor.  Yuri as always went for his default flavor--strawberry.

Choco chips for us!

Next, you pick out your toppings.  They've got a decent selection of fruit toppings (banana, mango, strawberry) and dry toppings (sprinkles, marshmallows, cookies, nuts, chocolate chips, and candy-covered chocolates) to choose from. 

A touch of icing.

The last step is to pick out which syrup you'd like drizzled on your cup of fluffy ice.  It ties everything together.

Voila!

Three easy steps.  The strawberry ice was my favorite flavor with the chocolate one coming in as a close second.  The strawberry flavor was perfectly subtle and refreshing.  Not too sweet with mellow flavors of milk and strawberry

The shaved ice is an experience in itself.  The dessert is made up of frozen milk blocks painstakingly sliced into fine layers.  The result is this oh-so-fluffy, silky, melt-in-your-mouth slivers of ice that just dances on your tongue with each spoonful.  Yummmm!

Super fine ice crystals

It's light, healthier (than ice cream), and a lot of fun to eat.

Snowflakes Creamery now has a branch in SM North and at the V Mall in Greenhills which makes it more accessible for me.  The weather's starting to heat up so I'm sure this'll really come in handy.  Summer is gonna be a killer this year.  :-(

On a side note, this is the first post I've churned out with my new purty pink laptop!  We're still feeling each other out but I'm positive that this is gonna be the start of something wonderful. :-)   

Tawa Tawa Tea for Dengue

I'm happy to report that my hubby has now been discharged from the hospital and is now home!  Yay! :-)  He still isn't 100% dengue-free, but he's well on his way to a full recovery.  We were given the green light to go home by his hematologist, my wonderful and uber talented aunt, since his platelet count has been steadily increasing since the other night.

His dengue fever had me feeling helpless because all we could really do was to have him confined so that the hospital staff could monitor his condition.  He was on an IV drip and they were doing blood tests every 4-6 hours.  Aside from that, Yuri was just supposed to weather it out and hope for the best.  Things were starting to look bleak when my aunt told us that she had reserved two bags of blood from the Blood Bank in the event that a blood transfusion was needed.

When the word spread that Yuri had been diagnosed with dengue, we got texts from friends telling us about this tawa tawa herb.  I was getting desperate since Yuri's platelet count was going down rapidly.  His lowest count was 38 (machine count), but my aunt did a manual count and said it was 90.  Thank God for my aunt!  Still, that was pretty low so I decided to investigate more on this tawa tawa tea.  Somehow, I ended up talking to Rose Uy, a very sweet and generous lady who gave me a lot of helpful advice about tawa tawa.  She helped me look for tawa tawa too, but luckily I managed to find some on my own.  I promised her that I would pay it forward.  I thought sharing it here would be the best way to do it.  

Tawa- Tawa (Euphorbia hirta) Tea

Tawa Tawa (Euphorbia hirta)

     Ingredients:

• 5-6 whole tawa tawa plants (including roots)
• water (about 20 cups)

     Procedure:

1. Rinse the tawa tawa at least 3 times to make sure all dirt and soil is completely washed off.
2. Boil water in a pot.
3. Once boiling, place tawa tawa inside the pot, and continue to boil (rolling boil) for 20 minutes.
4. Once done, turn off the heat, remove tawa tawa, and strain into a thermos.  

I was told that it was best to have the patient drink it lukewarm.  Also, you may vary the amount of water you use to boil the tawa tawa in.  The less water you use the more potent and bitter it will be.  I tasted the batch I made and it was actually pretty tasty.  The taste is really similar to tea just a tad grassier.  I read that others mix in honey into the tea to make it more drinkable.  I had Yuri drink it pure.  We were told to make sure he drank 5 cups of tawa tawa immediately given his low platelet count.  You're only supposed to drink 1-1.5 glasses every hour for 2 to 3 days.

All I know is that 24 hours after he started drinking tawa tawa tea, his platelet count slowly started increasing and the same went for the his PT blood test (evaluates ability to clot) which is EQUALLY important when you have dengue.

Even if there are hundreds of testimonials regarding tawa tawa tea and it's ability to cure dengue, I would still suggest going to your doctor first and maybe taking tawa tawa tea together with the prescribed medicine.  Tawa tawa tea alone is not enough to cure dengue when it's in the critical stages!  Yuri's dengue was detected early so we were really lucky.

Tawa tawa was surprisingly easy to find.  One of our staff members found some growing outside the walls of our house.  Apparently she has been using tawa tawa leaves for healing minor cuts and bruises since she was a kid.  Who would've thought that this inexpensive weed-like plant would have all these healing properties.

During this scary episode, we've been bombarded with all sorts of advice from our relatives, friends, and doctors on how to fight dengue.  I'd like to share the most helpful ones here just in case you or someone you know gets diagnosed with dengue.

• Drinks lots and lots of liquid.  Hydration is key during this time.  Gatorade is a good supplement, but stick to the light-colored ones.  Hydrite (oral rehydration salts) is better for your body though even if it tastes icky since it's esentially like Gatorade but without the sugar.
• Abstain from eating red meat since this can distort the platelet count.
• Blood samples for your blood tests (CBC) should be taken from your anticubital area (the opposite side of your elbow) and not from your fingertips since that gives a more accurate reading of your platelet count.
• Look out for any signs of bleeding (gums, nose, internal bleeding which usually manifests through any sort of unusual stomach pain) and rashes.  Things can get pretty severe once bleeding starts.
• Lastly, drink tawa tawa tea, together with all your prescribed medication from your doctor, for 2-3 days to boost the healing process.

Mosquitoes carrying the dengue virus bite during the day.  There are currently four strains of the dengue virus.  This means that can get dengue up to four times!  Yikes.

Also, contrary to popular belief, dengue is now a year round threat.  It's important to be constantly protected.  The easiest way would be to use mosquito repellent lotions.  Planting insect-repelling plants/trees in your garden like Neem wouldn't hurt too.  We're He's planning on buying some and planting them around the house as soon as Yuri's well enough to do it.  Harhar.  I'm pretty useless when it comes to gardening.

My aunt gave us this all-natural insect repellent called B Gone.  It has Andiroba and Neem extracts to ward off bugs causing dengue and malaria.  We're a bit paranoid now after this.

Well, that's the end of my dengue crash course!  I'll be going back to writing about food after this (promise!).  I just had to spread the word about dengue since it is fatal and it did scare the crap out of me!  I've learned so much about it since then.

Remember, prevention is key! :-)



P.S. If anyone needs tawa tawa just let me know.  Apparently we have lots in our village I'd be glad to help.  :-)

A Less Than Ideal Valentine's Day

Choco Chip Oatmeal Cookies I made last year. :-)

I really don't remember how I passed a lot of my previous Valentine's days.  There are less than a handful of memorable events that I associate with this day.  First off, it commemorates the birthday of my Lolo Aring (dad's side) who passed away when I was 11.  Then, there was that Vday in college that I spent with my girlfriends getting drunk at Cantina and devouring huge amounts of... well anything chocolate.  There was also last year's Vday, which was the first Vday Yuri and I got to spend together (we dated long-distance for about a year).

And then there's THIS Vday.  Our supposed first Vday as a married couple. :-/

Yuri's been sick for the past six days and he's been confined at the hospital for four days now (and counting) because of dengue.  I had to leave him there with his brother (thanks Ku you're awesome!) since I still need to take care of this one big catering gig.  We've been catering for the cast and crew of the Christian Bautista concert at Resorts World since last night.  The actual show will be today.  I'll be making an appearance there tonight and then I'll be running off to the hospital to see my dear hubby.  We've been really looking forward to this gig but now all I can think of is his recovery.  I'm hoping and praying that we don't have to do a blood transfusion. :(  If his blood results start looking up today, then as far as I'm concerned, this'll be my best Valentine's day EVER!

I'm really thankful to everyone who's been really supportive and concerned for Yuri throughout this whole ordeal.  You guys have really cheered him up.  I hope you all are having a way better Vday than we are; and I do mean that in the sincerest most genuine way (honest!).

Happy hearts day to you all! :-)

The FAT Chicken!

Authentic Taiwanese Chicken Chop

Yuri and I decided to go on another midnight food escapade.  This is fast becoming a regular thing for us.  I know it's not the healthiest hobby (?) in the world, but it sure is fun!  Keeps the love alive. Haha.

I blame our midnight food binges on our irregular work hours, since we're used to being up until the wee hours of the morning   The upside to all this is that I get to discover and share with you guys all the interesting food joints that are open during off-peak hours.  The downside is indigestion and tighter clothes.  Oh well, I could live with that.    

It was already a little past midnight when we decided that we HAD to go out to eat.  You see, our midnight snack supply at home was running a little low... and we were really just looking for any excuse to go out.

We immediately thought of this Taiwanese fried chicken place that our friend told us about.  He was raving about this 24/7 Fat Chicken food cart in Eastwood that sells these huge fried chicken chops for less than a hundred pesos.  In other words, cheap potentially yummy fried chicken.  Who could possibly say no to that??

So off we went!  

We got there and Fat Chicken was the only stall that was still open.  The cart was attractive enough.  They didn't have pictures of their products though, so I kind of didn't know what to expect.  I did ,however, do a double-take when I saw their prices.  It read  "Fat Chicken Php 60.00" and "Php 65.00 Fat Chicken with unlimited rice"!?!?!  Huh???  A very dubious offer.  I was prepared to be underwhelmed.  It just goes against all fundamental rules and principles of food costing.  There had to be a catch somewhere.

Seasoning action!

Lo and behold the "Fat Chicken".  It's HUGE!  I'm telling you it really is BIG and the breading isn't even that thick.  I couldn't believe it when I saw it, especially since I knew that we only paid Php 60.00 for it.  It's a big flat chicken chop, fried Taiwanese-style.  The meat was surprisingly tender.  It wasn't dry and over-pounded at all as I thought it would be given the size of the chicken chop.  I like it that they fry it on the spot on a per order basis so you get it as hot, crispy, and juicy as it will ever be.

After frying, you're asked to choose between their Original (super-secret-Taiwanese seasoning mix) seasoning or the Chili seasoning.  Since it was our first time there, we went for the Original blend.  Our chicken chop was then liberally peppered with our choice of seasoning, and then cut up into strips.  Mmmmm yum.  The seasoning really makes the dish and it gives it its own unique flavor.  Without it, it tastes just like any other fried chicken.  

Fat Chicken Php 60.00

It's served in a styro box with a side of sweet and sour sauce.  This dish is definitely good enough for 2 people especially if you're eating it with rice.  It's steal for the price!  Imagine, an additional Php 5.00 allows you to eat as much rice as want.  Unreal.  I still can't wrap my mind around it.

If this is what their "Fat Chicken" looks like, I wonder how big their "Jumbo Chicken" is.  It must be ginormous.  Like an alien GMO chicken.  Hmmmm definitely worth investigating.  There, I just found myself another excuse to go back and check it out.  :-)



Address:  Eastwood City Cybermall Food for Fun Area, QC
                 Robinsons Galleria 4th Floor (beside Time Zone), Pasig

Valentine's Day Date Options

Valentine's Day has always been a tad over-hyped for me.   It's been getting worse over the years.

Case in point, last year, we planned on having a quiet dinner date at Bonifacio High Street/Serendra.  We decided to just wing it and be spontaneous.  Nope.  Didn't happen. 

We paid dearly for our so-called spontaneity.

The entire area was packed!  It was just really noisy and the atmosphere was rife with something close to panic.  Restaurants were either booked up or had a waiting list.  Their hosts and servers were all irritable and frazzled.  Couples were scrambling to get into any restaurant.  Almost every restaurant that night came out with their own overpriced version of their "Romantic Dinner for Two" menu sets.  The cheapest one we saw was about Php 1,000.00++ per head.

We ended up at New Orleans Bourbon Street Steaks & Oysters.  By the time we got seated, we were grumpy, hungry, and completely stressed out!  The food was good and they even gave me a free box of heart-shaped chocolates, but it was just so far off from our imagined "quiet dinner date".  It's quite funny when I think about it now. 

The way I see it, there are three easy steps to beat the crazy commercial Valentine's hoopla:

1. Scout.  Start looking and asking around as early as now.  You might be able to get good deals if you plan ahead.
2. Be creative.  Hey if you've got skills in the kitchen, now would be the best time to show them off.  If concerts are your thing, there's loads of them happening on that day too.
3. Book ASAP.  Whatever it is, be it a concert, a date at a resto or something else, save yourself the stress and the hassle of last-minute plans.  You can do that on any other day of the month.

Since we're talking about this, I've got a Valentines date suggestion that's easy on the wallet,  romantic, and promises to give you a unique experience.

The Chocolate Buffet is a fund-raising event that my home organization (UP SHARP- University of the Philippines' Society for Hotel & Restaurant Progress) does yearly.  I used to help out with this back in college.  They've got a different theme each year and this one has got me intrigued.  For only Php 350.00 you get one main dish which is the Penne in Tomato Cream Sauce (served plated), and unlimited access to the dessert buffet.

Chocolate Buffet:

• Heavenly Chocolate Cake
• Chocolate Caramel Mousse
• Spiced White and Dark Chocolate Truffles
• Chili-Cinnamon Chocolate Mousse
• Chocolate Chunk Cookies
• Moist Peanut Brownies
• Flourless Chocolate Biscuits
• Chocolate Fondue

Everyone I know who's been to this buffet (including me) goes home giddy and high, what with the dizzying amount of chocolate treats available.  You get to help out hard-working college students AND you get a bang for your buck.  Now that's an awesome date. 

I had my heart set on making this our Valentine's date, but unfortunately, duty calls.  Yeah, one of the downsides of catering.  Not that I'm complaining of course.

Anyway, since I'm resigned to the fact that we can't go, I thought I'd share this with you guys to add to your list of possible Valentine's day date plans.  Just an idea.  Lemme know how it goes. :-)

Papa John's in Manila

Papa John's Menu Appetizers

Papa John's Menu Pizzas

One of my favorite American pizza chains is finally here!

Papa John's has been operational for about three months now. As far as I know they only have 2 branches here to date. As is the fashion in Philippines, the Papa John's here is a far cry from what it is in the U.S. They've completely pimped it out and made it into a "proper" restaurant unlike the ones I used to go to (or called) in the outskirts of Baltimore.  Those joints were mostly for deliveries and/or pickups and had no seating whatsoever. Don't get me wrong, ingredients and taste are exactly as how I remember it, but the facade couldn't be more different.

My flatmates and I used to call for delivery on days when we were too lazy too cook, or celebrating something, or stressed out, or watching a game, etc etc. We used to order the extra large Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Pizza, and one or two orders of spicy buffalo wings.  All three of us would wipe all that out in less than 15 minutes tops.  My personal favorite is the Spinach Alfredo Pizza which, sadly, isn't available here.  That pizza was such a revelation for me. I became a fan of white sauce bases on pizzas ever since.

My former flatmates and I have been planning to go together to the Papa John's at Robinson's Galleria as a reunion of sorts but our schedules just haven't jived recently. Out of respect for them, I abstained from ordering the Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Pizza on this trip since I've decided to save it for when we guys finally meet up. *HINT HINT*

So it became yet again another date out for me and Yuri. It was working date though since we were sort of negotiating with a client over the phone while we were there. Still, once the pizza and cheese sticks were placed on the table, we had to put down the phone and give the dishes their due homage.  Our plates were served warm which added a nice touch and was a good omen of things to come.

 Small Grilled Chicken Deluxe Pizza Php 320.00

I ordered the closest pizza I could find to the Spinach Alfredo Pizza and that was the the Grilled Chicken Deluxe Pizza which had a carbonara sauce base.  It's toppings consisted of grilled chicken, ham, bacon, and bits of portabello mushroom.  They served it with a side of their uber buttery garlic sauce and a big piece of Jalapeno pepper.

We also went ahead and ordered their Cheese Sticks, which surprisingly, in all appearance and taste, was simply a 9-inch cheese pizza.  100% mozzarella gooeyness covered and served again with their special garlic sauce.  Yum!

Cheese Stick Php 90.00

The dough is exactly the same as the ones I used to have two years ago; perfectly chewy and moist.  John Schmatter (Papa John's founder) would be proud.  You can easily pick up the wheat incorporated into their dough which has always made it stand out for me.

My prospects for this weekend's Superbowl are looking up.  We have some sort of game plan in the works.  Yuri and I plan to buy our Papa John's pizza to-go on Sunday night  (barring any episodes of laziness) since the Superbowl will be aired here on Monday at 7:30 AM on the ASN Network.  I'm definitely bummed that the Baltimore Ravens didn't make it, but I've got a huge grudge against the Steelers so I'll be cheering on the Green Bay Packers just as fiercely.  Papa John's Pizza + Beer + Popcorn is the closest combination I can find to recreating my early days with Yuri.  Should be fun! Unless the Steelers end up winning. AGAIN. Argh.

Our Verdict:

This gets 4.5 stars (out of 5) for yumminess, cleanliness of the place, and sentimentality.  The only reason why I didn't give it a perfect score is that the price is a bit high for the size of their pizzas.   Overall, I am extremely satisfied with the whole experience. :-)



Address: Robinson's Galleria Veranda, EDSA cor. Ortigas Ave, Pasig City

On Pretty Pictures & My Laptop's Early Death

So my 3-year old Toshiba laptop suddenly keeled over and died the other day.  Oddly enough I'm not as depressed as I should be.  I guess I'm just extremely relieved that I manged to back up all of my files two days ago.  Thank God for that!  If I hadn't.... no no no I don't want to think about it. *shudders*  Luckily my jack-of-all-trades hubby is an IT guy as well.  He's still in the middle of reviving my laptop as we speak.  I didn't understand half of what he said about the whole mess (since IT talk almost always puts me to sleep).  All I know is that bringing it back to life is an extremely complicated process  Thanks to Yuri I have hope still.

Because of this tragic event, I was looking through my work files in my external hard drive earlier today to make sure that I DID manage to save everything there.  I didn't want to rejoice prematurely so paranoid me had to check again.  While going through and sorting everything, I came across some of my favorite pictures-- snapshots of dishes I'd done for our catering business.  I thought I'd share them here with you guys just in case, God forbid, something weird happens to my external hard drive anytime soon.  You never know.  I have terrible luck sometimes. *sigh* 

Chicken Adobo with Green Tomato-Basil Salsa

Apple Wonton Crisps with a Caramel Coulis

Vanilla Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries

Smoked  Salmon Blini with Herbed Cream Cheese

 

White Chocolate Mousse Tarts

Creme Brulee in action!

Carrot Cake Squares

As you can see, appetizers and desserts are my favorite things to make.  Plus they look really pretty in pictures. :-) 

Alright that's enough distraction for me today.  Time to get back to work.

Date Night: Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana

Jalapeno Menu Page 1

Jalapeno Menu Page 2

We went on our regular mid-week date last week to our go-to Tex-Mex place, Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana.  Yuri and I love our Mexican food!  It's one of the biggest things I took away from my 1 1/2 years in the U.S.  That and my absurd love for Chinese buffets, pizzas, buffalo wings, and all things fried.  BUT that's another story altogether.

I used to live in Maryland near the Baltimore area and my first introduction to Tex-Mex fare was Qdoba.  Yes it might not be much to some people but Yuri took me out to lunch there on our first date after I became his girlfiriend. :-)  Sentimentality makes up for everything.

I enjoyed the food at Qdoba immensely.  I remember being shocked at the size of the burritos.  At the time, it felt like I was looking at the supersized version of the burritos I was used to seeing in the Philippines.  However, by the time I left the States I was (and still am) able to wolf down those half-pound burritos without breaking a sweat.

So there, the extent of my Tex-Mex experience was confined to Qdoba, Chipotle, and Chevy's.  A bit sad isn't it?  But hey I lived in the East Coast.  We had no Roach Coaches roaming around.  It was too cold.  Yes, that's my excuse. lol.

Back here in Manila, it's been really tough finding an authentic, affordable, and accessible Tex-Mex resto.  UNTIL we happened to stumble on Jalapeno that is.

It's located at The Foodstreet at the Ortigas Home Depot.  This place just recently boomed as an after-office hangout for yuppies.  Here you'll find a scattering of bars and resto grills known for their relatively affordable food and drink (mostly alcoholic) selections.  It's just a fun place to unwind with friends.

Jalapeno Cantina Mexicana

Jalapeno is smooshed right in the middle.  We go there for our Mexican fix at least once a month. 

2nd floor seating.

We popped in for an early dinner which is why we had the whole place to ourselves.  People don't start pouring in til about 8PM at the Home Depot area.  The mood lighting, tasteful touches of Mexican decor, and faux adobe walls tie the whole theme together.

Grilled Chicken Mexicana Php 190.00

I always end up ordering the Grilled Chicken Mexicana or the Baja Fish Fillet (Php 205.00).

For all their main courses, you get to choose between  a generous helping of Mexi-rice or 2 pieces of tortilla.  I always go for the Mexi-rice.  I'm in looooove with their rice.  It just seems to fill me up better and makes for a more interesting dish. It's simply long-grain rice cooked in chicken broth and tomato sauce.  Also, all the main courses come with a side of salsa, corn relish (corn, chopped onions, chopped, tomatoes,cilantro), and yummy refried beans.  All the elements crucial for a decent Mexican fix.

Pepper Steak Burrito Php 190.00

Yuri always goes for the Pepper Steak Burrito or the Mexican Chicken Burrito (Php 140.00) depending on his mood.    It's basically chopped steak/grilled chicken combined with Mexi-rice, refried beans, onions, cheese and then served with  a side of salsa and sour cream.

Corona with a wedge of lime would be the drink of choice for a meal like this.  It'll cap off the meal beautifully.

We also adore their Mexican Nachos (Php 175.00).  They don't scrimp on it as most restaurants do.  It's a huge pile of nachos with loads of ground chili beef, salsa, onions, sour cream, cheese sauce, and cilantro. Mmmmmm.  We usually order this when there's at least 3 of us eating.

Our verdict:

I don't know how much of a date it was because once our plates arrived all conversation between us ceased.   But we did walk out of there hand-in-hand with our bellies full and smiles on our faces.  That counts for something.  I think Jalapeno deserves 4 stars (out of 5).  It's accessible, affordable, and tasty.  Three things I'm crazy about. 



Address: The Foodstreet (right beside Buffalo Wings & Things), Ortigas Home Depot, Dona Julia Vargas Ave., Pasig City

Got any other authentic Mexican restaurants you'd like to recommend?  I'd love to hear them!

(***Just a note:  If you liked what you saw then you're going to love Ristras in San Juan too.  They're known for their awesome burritos and their cafeteria style service ala-Chipotle & Qdoba.  Their burritos rock! Their prices start at Php300.00 and up.)