Anyway, here’s what I think of the resto:

First of all, the location is convenient because you can park right outside their restaurant. Secondly, their Monggo na Mayaman is to die for! The place is also awesome because the interiors stayed true to the Filipiana theme and I’m impressed with the implementation.

After that, the good stuff ends because their food serving is very small but expensive and paying an additional 10% service charge isn’t really thrilling.

This is how expensive their dishes are, and I am so hoping that they reassess their rates:

• Their monggo soup costs 240++ for 1 small bowl just enough for 2 people
• Their rib eye bistek costs 340++ for 1 small slice of beef

Aside from Monggo na Mayaman, we also ordered Bistek Filipino but it didn’t taste special and was kind of hard. Lastly, we had to ask for a receipt before they issued us an OR. I mean, every restaurant I know gives a receipt automatically right? Here’s how it happened:

1. Bill came
2. We paid
3. We received our change but the official receipt or even the bill-looking receipt was not there
4. We asked for the receipt but they gave us the bill-looking thing again
5. We were about to leave with that piece of paper but they stopped us
6. The girl at the counter told us that they’ll issue an OR instead

Weird huh?!

For information about 1521, read this article.

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1521 Restaurant
547 Shaw Blvd., Brgy. Wack- Wack
Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
Telephone: (+632) 794-0433; (+632) 794-0433
Mobile: (+63917) 8606687 ; (+63917) 8606687
Email: fifteentwentyonerestaurant@yahoo.com

Went back to Antonio’s for the second time and the place looked more beautiful in broad daylight. The food was better than I remembered and the service was above average.

My order: Seafood Sampler @ PHP 1,600

From left to right:

Prawn Thermidor – I think this dish was the best among the three because it gave me the right amount of flavour without becoming too salty, and creaminess without overpowering the natural flavor of the prawn. This dish actually made me regret that I ordered the Seafood Sampler instead of the Mixed Seafood Thermidor

Crispy Cod Fish Glazed with Kombu Sauce on Peppered Egg Noodles – The glazed fish came off a bit too sweet for me and it kinda reminded me of turon (banna fritters). On the other hand, I loved the noodles so much, I think it tasted better than chinese misua being served in popular chinese restaurants.

Pan Seared Scallops on Celleriac Mashed, Truffle Cream Sauce – This tasted delicious but it didn’t offer something new and unique the way the thermidor has; it tasted like a normal scallop ;p

Herb Roasted Rack of Lamb with Cardamon Beurre Blac @ PHP 1,650

Schwein Haxen (Roast Pork Knuckle), Sauerkraut, Chateau Potato, Cabbage @ PHP 1,000

(not sure with this one yet, I’ll have to check)

Organic Free-Range Roast Chicken Leg with Bourbon Tomato and Boiled Potato @ PHP 1,200

My friends were raving for this… its aroma  reminded me of my all-time favorite Fazolis’ chicken.

Mixed Seafood Thermidor (scallops, prawn, mussles, and cod fish) @1,450

*drools* I wish I ordered this instead =(

My order: Sorbet (guava, green mango, lamolime, green apple, watermelon, calamansi) - This tasted like an ice shaved off from an ice candy. After tasting this one, I immediately swapped with Nats because I couldn’t bear eating one more spoon of it.

I swapped Sorbet with Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream, Chocolate Sauce or Caramel Sauce

This one tasted a liitle better because of the bread and ice cream but I did not like the very generic taste of its chocolate. This is so far the best among the dessert offerings of Antonio’s.

Overall, Antonio’s is so worth another visit. Their main course dishes are awesome but don’t expect much on their dessert because you’ll be dissapointed.

This is Kitchen BQ’s version of Gising Gising served in LJC restaurants and I’m really hoping I did justice on this one because LJC’s Gising Gising is just superb and really delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1 bundle river spinach (kangkong) stalks (leaves and stems removed, and chopped to small pieces)
• 10 pcs Thai basil leaves
• 30 grams ground pork
• 20 grams Fiesta coconut (gata) mix (it is always better to use natural coconut juice but I did’nt have that yesterday)
• 2 pcs chili pepper (siling labuyo), broken into 2 each
• Salt and pepper
• 1 clove garlic
• 1/2 medium sized onion
• 1 cup water

Procedure:

1. Heat pan then saute garlic and onion using as little cooking oil as possible.
2. Add ground pork and saute some more.
3. Once the ground pork is already cooked, remove excess cooking oil and then add the kangkong.
4. In a bowl, add the coconut mix, salt, and pepper. Mix well before adding to the pan.
5. Add the chili pepper and basil. Bring to boil.

Enjoy! I personally enjoyed this dish, hope you enjoy it as much as I did =)

Are you always frustrated in trying to prolong the life of parsley just so you can use it on different recipes before it finally dies on your fridge? I always am! In fact, I even tried to put it on a container with water just so I could prolong its life… but to no avail. tsk

Anyway, I’m sharing a solution that I’ve watched from the heaven sent Martha when she guested Eleonora Scarpetta to cook Chicken Cacciatori. Here’s How:

1. Get the freshest parsley you can find in the market.
2. Wash carefully and dry with paper towel.
3. Place on top of paper towels and wait for a while to let it air dry. Remember that the parsley needs to be very dry before putting it in the oven.
   
4. Pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius for 10 minutes.
5. Spread a baking sheet on top of the oven tray and place the parsley on top.
6. Place the tray inside the oven and bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until the parsley is crispy.
7. Once done, get the tray and place the parsley on a strainer.
8. Crush the parsley with your hands.
   

Honestly, the entire process is not easy but like Martha said, having parsley within your reach is just like having gold in your kitchen and I totally agree!

A yummy surprise greeted me in the office this afternoon =) I was requested by my boss to go to Oceana (our Christmas party venue) and attend food-tasting offered Oceana for the the Christmas party committee of our organization.

As of now, I’m only sharing the pictures of the food we’ve ordered and will give the verdict after our Christmas party because I know there are still room for improvements; after all, the reason for the food-tasting is to get our feedback on how they can improve the taste of the dishes.

Special thanks goes to Carlo for his Nikon D40 camera; and Barbie + Rhenz for the beautiful photos.

  Roasted Pumpkin Soup with Cinnamon, Cream, and Bacon

Pepper Crusted Seared Tuna Nocoise

Pan Roasted Mahi-Mahi Fillets with Pesto Cream Sauce

Penne Pasta with Pancetta Cream, Wild Mushrooms, and Fresh Peas

Beef Pot Roast with Mushroom Bordelaise

 Fresh Mango Tarlets and Creme Brulee

Fresh Mango Tarlets

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Oceana is located at San Miguel by the Bay, SM Mall of Asia Complex. You can contact them at +632 7032515 or visit their site at www.cca-manila.com.

Broccoli is one of those veggies that I have come to like through the years. Not only does it taste good, it is also very nutricious:

• No cholesterol
• High in calcium
• Very high in dietary fiber
• High in iron
• Very high in vitamin A
• Very high in vitamin B6
• Very high in vitamin C

Although it is one of those veggies that can be eaten raw, I prefer it either steamed or stir fried =D  This dish is similar to those often served in chinese restos so you may want to try it.

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• Shrimp
• 1 stalk broccoli
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/4 cup water

Procedure:

1. In a skillet, heat oil.
2. Add garlic and stir fry for 2 mins or until garlic is brown.
3. Add mixture of soy sauce, water, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well.
4. Add shrimps and broccoli and bring to boil.
5. Reduce heat and cook for a few minutes more, until the vegetable is cooked and until the shrimp turns pink.