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CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

It’s 11:00 pm and here I’m still trying my best to finish editing a video and this.

From where I am, it’s a long weekend and so far it has been a rainy one. The reason why I decided to bake some cookies.

I have been doing this for quite some time already and would have to admit that there are days where I can’t seem to get it right and some days when I think I might have gotten it but then again, would end up failing just because… I’m really not a baker and maybe this isn’t really for me. I kid. But today, the gods of baking must’ve been on my side.

So here it goes.

Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature (but I melted mine)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs (room temperature)
2 cups semisweet and/or milk chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chip)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt; set aside. In a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, combine the butter with both sugars; beat on medium speed until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low; add the vanilla and eggs. Beat until well mixed, about 1 minute. Add flour mixture; mix until just combined. Stir in chocolate chips.
Drop heaping tablespoon-sized of dough about 2 inches apart on baking sheets lined with parchment paper.
Bake until cookies are golden around the edges, but still soft in the center, 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven, and let it cool on the baking sheet for about 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack, and let it cool completely. Store cookies in an airtight container at room temperature up to 1 week.

Well, at least that was the directions. But I might have tweaked it a bit. Instead of using an electric mixer, for some reason, I still find it better to be mixing all the ingredients using a whisk. Also, I added the eggs and the flour gradually. And instead of making the dough tablespoon-sized, I made it into teaspoon-sized. I also chilled the dough for about an hour before baking them. And lastly, mine didn’t bake for about 8 to 10 minutes, rather, it was in the oven for about 15 to 20 minutes. And the result? I might have perfected it this time!

June 10, 2017June 12, 2017 by everythingnomnom Categories: RECIPESTags: baking, cookie recipe, cookies, everythingnomnom, food, Food Blog, food vlog, NomNom, recipe, RECIPES, sweets 1 Comment

SEOUL TRAIN KOREAN BBQ

The anatomy of eating Korean bbq wrap is so simple. Greens (lettuce or whatever leafy vegetable that you want), rice, beef or pork, kimchi, and garlic. But for some reason no matter how simple it may be, we, Filipinos (particularly us) would always come back for more.

Korean cuisine has always been our go-to meal whenever we are tired or if we cannot fully decide on where to eat. And just recently, we tried, yet again, another restaurant. Seoul Train: Korean Bbq. Located along Sgt. Esguerra (note: keep your eyes wide open since it’s just a small place and it cannot be recognized easily), this mere restaurant which will turn a year old this June, is a place you should visit if you love and enjoy Korean food.

BMJ54332 copy.jpg — Seoul Train: Korean Bbq

Just like any other Korean restaurants, they serve the usual, Samgyeopsal, Woo Samgyeop, and other seasoned beef and pork. Their menu also includes high-grade Wagyu beef. Note that their beef comes from Japan and US. Which explains why it tasted better.

BMJ54251 — Kagoshima Rib Eye at Php 3,300 per 220g

BMJ54250 — Saga Striploin at Php 3,600 per 220g

BMJ54252 — OMI Chateaubrland (Tenderloin) at Php 6,280 per 220g

BMJ54254

But let also not forget their noodles and other types of food as well.

See, it’s all the same. But the experience is different. (Note that if you plan to bring your child with you, please have them cook your beef for safety precautions) The place itself is small. With around 6 to 7 tables, that can sit around 5 to 6, the place fills up pretty fast. But if you do end up waiting for a couple of minutes, their waiting area will probably keep you busy/entertained. 😉

Insert a coin and get an egg with a toy/keychain in it

Going back, we ended up ordering the usual, Samgyeopsal and Woo Samgyeop. We also decided to try their Spicy Cold Noodles.

BMJ54306 — Spicy Cold Noodles (cold soup not included in the photo)

Everything was good! Their pork and beef were tender. Side dishes were minimal but we kind of understand why. Because not everybody will dwell on eating it. And lastly their spicy cold noodles. It was our first time to try it, and it was really spicy! We actually had to ask how it’s supposed to be eaten, and basically, you just eat the noodles and have a spoon or 2 of the cold soup. The saltiness of the soup compliment well with the sweetness of the noodles. 🙂

So if you have time this week or maybe next, we highly suggest that you visit Seoul Train Korean BBQ.

Click here to view our full experience

SEOUL TRAIN KOREAN BBQ
28 Sgt. Esguerra Ave, Diliman, Quezon City, Metro Manila
0917 772 2203

May 28, 2017June 12, 2017 by everythingnomnom Categories: Korean Cuisine, Resto ReviewsTags: Food Blog, Food Photography, FOODIE, Korean, KOREAN BBQ, Korean Cuisine, Korean Food, SEOUL TRAIN, SEOUL TRAIN KOREAN BBQ Leave a comment

La Maison Patisserie

We’re no bakers. But one of us tries – well tried, to bake. From getting recipes on the internet to trying it and finding a new one just because the first recipe we tried doing was a total flop. And to trying out recipes that we got from the culinary school where one of us used to worked in. Basically, baking has been one of our (well my) frustrations.

We happen to stumble upon this video on Facebook which literally made our (my) jaws drop. Mouth wide open, as we watched how the ingredients were beautifully mixed together. How everything is done in perfection. How these chef’s really take time in making these bite sized desserts for their customers consumption.

Oh how we (again I) envy them…

Enjoy!

April 27, 2016April 28, 2016 by everythingnomnom Categories: DessertsTags: bakers, chefs, chocolate, desserts, La Maison Patisserie, macarons, pastries, strawberries Leave a comment

World Street Food Congress 2016

With over 72,000 attendees in 5 days, the World Street Food Congress held nowhere else but in our country, has made rounds all over the web. With 8 countries that participated and having a total of 25 booths, WSFC 2016 was truly a success.

Held in Bonifacio Global Street, last April 20-24 as expected, the place was was packed with thousands of people who are really into food. So what was it like? Here’s a short video of our experience.

We Filipino’s have been more creative and adventurous when it comes to food. And this event was truly an eye opener to everyone; from food bloggers, food enthusiasts, chef’s, culinary students and to those who were just simply curious. Till the next World Street Food Congress!

April 26, 2016April 26, 2016 by everythingnomnom Categories: Resto ReviewsTags: ayala malls, ayalamalls, food, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, USA, videography, Vietnam, world street food congress 2016, wsfc2016 Leave a comment

All About Desserts

We rarely have desserts after eating just because we barely have any space in our tummies left after a good meal. But not this weekend.

From where we come from, it is basically a long weekend. Meaning, 3 days of binge eating of some sort and resting the whole day after. So last Friday, after eating at Ginza Bairin, we finally decided to try the very infamous CREPE CAKE from Paper Moon Cafe. Luckily, they opened a stall in TriNoma, same level as the cinemas. So how was it? For Php 225 per slice, it was a bit pricey. But upon taking our first bite, we, well I kind of figured out why.

Looks plain. Yes! By the way, we got the original flavor, since it is their best seller. Other available flavors are Mango, Strawberry and Chocolate Mille Crepe. Moving on, the cake looks boring. Nothing special. But that first bite proved us wrong. Our eyes went big. It was soft, something that we didn’t expect especially that this is made of 20 layers of paper thin handmade crepes with a light pastry creme in between each layer.

One slice is actually good for two if it’s okay for you to share this beautiful piece of cake. One more thing that we liked about it was, it wasn’t that sweet!

Then came last Saturday. After a healthy lunch at Shabu-Shabu in BGC, we went to this Korean cafe, Cafe Seol Hwa. Known for their Korean shaved ice desserts, we then gave it a try. We wanted something “healthy” to compensate with what we had for lunch, meaning something topped with fruits, but one of them stood out and just made us give in to that temptation of getting something chocolatey filled.

Lo and behold! An order of a large bowl can probably feed up to 4 or maybe 5 people. At first we were scared that this huge bowl is filled with pure sweetness, but we were wrong. Again, it wasn’t that sweet at all! Which we loved! We also loved how it didn’t melt easily!

Look how nice their shaved ice dessert is. No wonder we had to wait roughly 15 minutes for this. Choco Brownie Bing Su by the way, has chocolate shaved ice, brownie slices, coco crunch, sliced almonds and is topped with a scoop of chocolate ice cream.

We’re starting to love the fact that a lot of desserts are becoming available. That we are not just stuck with the usual choices. Though maybe some are a bit too costly, just like these two, but we would like to believe that it is so because these are made intricately and good ingredients are used for these.

To those who are not much into desserts, we highly suggest that you try Paper Moon Cafe’s Crepe Cakes and Cafe Seol Hwa’s shaved ice. Then maybe you might start to fall in love with desserts just like how these two cafes captured our taste buds!

Paper Moon Cafe
4th Level, TriNoma Mall

Cafe Seol Hwa
2/F Forum BGC South Global
7th Ave. cor. Federacion Drive
Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Philippines

August 30, 2015August 31, 2015 by everythingnomnom Categories: Desserts, Resto ReviewsTags: BGC, Cafe Seol Hwa, cake, chocolate, crepe, crepe cake, desserts, Food Blog, Food Photography, Paper Moon Cafe, shaved ice, TriNoma Leave a comment

Chung Mi Rae

When you’re craving for Korean food and you’re around the busy streets of Quezon City, there’s already a handful of restaurants offering you delicacies of such. But only a few would know that just along Scout Tuason corner Timog Avenue stands Chung Mi Rae.

We don’t know really know the history of this place but we’ve been passing by it for quite a while now and didn’t even know that this is an authentic Korean establishment until we’ve read it in 2015 Eat Out Now book.

Anyway, one night just after hiiting (yes, spelled with a double “i” just because we do HIIT!) we’ve finally decided to dine out in that small place – minimalist with just enough tables to fill the space and just enough staff to serve you (who disappears most often than not in their secret hideaway..haha kidding!). To satisfy our empty tummies with just the right amount of food, we ordered Doengjang Chige and Samgyupsal.

Doengjang Chige is a good choice if you’re a sucker for spicy soup dishes. It is a fermented bean soup topped with cucumber, tofu, onion leeks, onions and vegetables served with steamed rice. Serving is just enough for two and enough to warm up our tummies for a bigger dish. What’s good about it is you could inform the waiter to have the spiciness mellowed down to the level you want. A definite must try when dining in.

Banchans (side dish) serving in this restaurant is bigger compared to other Korean restaurants we’ve been to. 8 banchans, to be exact, was served on our table to kick off these grilled thin strips of bacon; of which included: Jelly with soy chili and sesame, spicy potatoes, seaweeds, kimchi, anchovies, fish cake, squid, and radish – all having this hint of spiciness in them. Aside from having to munch on these while waiting for your order, you can also use it to add flavor to your Samgyupsal. Not enough? You can actually ask for a refill — for free. Something that we love about these Korean restaurants. 😀

As for our main dish, we ordered Samgyupsal. With a big bowl of fresh lettuce on the side, you can have the meat and the banchans wrapped with it dipped in sesame oil with salt and pepper or the Ssamjang sauce to taste.

What’s nice about these Korean restaurants is that you get to enjoy their food no matter how simple it may be. A spoonful of rice, a piece of meat, garlic and kimchi, wrapped in romaine lettuce can definitely tickle your taste buds. Plus you get to enjoy the whole wrapping thing.

All in all Chung Mi Rae was able to satisfy our craving, but it may not be one of our first go to place when we would want to have another Korean fix. Not because food wasn’t good, but maybe we were expecting something else. Something different maybe.

Chung Mi Rae is open until 10 pm and is located at Unit 6, 24k Mansion, Timog Sacred Heart, Quezon City
372 7200

July 25, 2015August 31, 2015 by everythingnomnom Categories: Korean Cuisine, Resto ReviewsTags: Chung Mi Rae, Everything NomNom, Food Blog, Food Photography, Korean, Korean Food, NomNom, Timog Leave a comment

Coco Ichibanya

We Filipinos are so much of a food lover that our taste buds embrace whatever exquisite entrée enters our shores. Just a few months ago another famous restaurant opened in the newly built Estancia mall in Pasig city, Japan’s pride “Curry House Coco Ichibanya”.

Coco Ichibanya had its first restaurant opened in the outskirts of Nagoya Japan January of 1978. Ever since then it has mushroomed branches to various places, a majority of which found in Asian countries with a total reaching out to 1,404 restaurants as of May 2015. It was January of 2013 when it was certified as the largest curry restaurant chain in the world by Guinness World Records. It has become popular for the variety of curry dishes it offered.

Locavore Philippines

Locavore’s been a talk of the town lately and to silence the noise that deafens our curiosity we decided to have our first stop in one of Kapitolyo’s fine restaurants.

Finding the place was not that hard for us since we know where Brixton Street is. Little did we know that the studio where we had dance sessions then was the exact place where the restaurant was situated.

We managed to arrive at the area at around 6 in the evening and even at that time, parking was almost full and people are already starting to fill up the place. Our advice is that if you want to have the best seats in the house, you have to be there before 6pm or have a table reserved for you, or if you would rather wait to be seated, then that’s fine too. Having arrived at the place we noticed that there are actually areas you can choose from:

1. At the rightmost area is the air-conditioned part where we think most of the reservations are provided for which is also where the open kitchen is located with a modern-industrial feel interior design.

2. Another is at their al fresco dining area, one at the middle and the other at the leftmost area where it is a little elevated. That area actually covers long tables which we’re not sure what the area’s purpose is for, but could be for huge groups ready to exhaust their voices out. We were lucky we found a spot just beside the glass wall which, voila, beamed us with the meaning of LOCAVORE – “people eating locally grown food”, thus saying our OOOHHS, and AAAAHHS and proceeded with ordering our chosen viands.

We started off with the ordinary Pampagana at Ensalada dish, Singkamas, Manga at Bagoong. The singkamas and mangga on sticks were placed separately in two glass bottles – along with it came three stainless cups of sawsawan; Bagoong Alamang, Patis, and Asukal Chili Smoked Rock Salt Pickled Organic Cucumber and Onion.

Mangga with bagoong alamang and chili salt

For our ulam we decided to try out one of their favourite dish, the Sizzling Sinigang, and the usual Dinuguang Lechon.

Sizzling Sinigang is cooked with tender beef short ribs, sautéed French beans, cherry tomatoes, garlic confit and onions, topped with their special sampalok (tamarind) gravy.

In other restaurants, Sinigang is almost often our usual order, so trying out this deconstructed Sizzling Sinigang is critical for us. The sampalok gravy, which though unexpected is an awesome idea to substitute the soup with, retained the sourness of the dish which is great since we’re talking about Sinigang here. The beef was very tender that it was really a breeze biting through it. The French beans were crisp enough adding flavour to the viand as well as the cherry tomatoes but left the garlic confit and onions untouched since we’re not really a fan of it. We noticed too that we didn’t have the Calamansi and chili sidings that were usually served alongside it which they may have forgotten. One thing that retained in our palates though is the taste of heavy butter – could be because they did cook it in heavy butter?

Dinuguang Lechon is cooked with Lechon Belly, bokchoy, garlic confit, cherry tomatoes and dinuguan sauce. The Lechon belly was cooked nicely since it was easy to chew at. We just felt that it could have been much better if there was enough Lechon skin on the plate. 😉 Bokchoy in the dish is new for us since we’re not used to seeing dinuguan with vegetables, but it surprisingly did complement the dish. We wouldn’t include this in our favourites but would still recommend it for people who would want to try it out. This might not be okay for those with hypertension. 😀

Oh, don’t forget to order the viands with rice which they also offer in choices: Steamed organic white or brown rice, and Roasted garlic white or brown rice. Better be specific on telling the servers if it’s steamed or roasted garlic so as to avoid confusion.

To cap off our heavy meals we decided to order Bicho Bicho as our Panghimagas. This was served fried, but still soft with filling inside (banana as mentioned by the waiter but was kind of doubtful about it) coated with desiccated coconut, banana slices on the side with coco jam and tablea sauce as its dip. The menu says it comes with whipped cream but didn’t have any on our serving which they probably forgot again. Taste wise, the sweetness of the coco jam and tablea complemented the bicho-bicho. It wasn’t that sweet nor too bitter. It was nice that they added banana to it to rid off the taste of the previous food that we had.

Bicho-Bicho with Coco Jam, Tablea dip and Banana slices

Overall Locavore proved well its mystery on why people are going out their way just to try out their Filipino dishes with a twist. Not only have they offered delicious, authentic dishes but would give them a thumbs up as well for the fast serving time and great service of the staff. It’s nice to know that people are still craving for what our local ingredients are able to provide to satisfy our daily craving tummies. Will definitely go back to try out the other dishes.

To know more about Locavore, you can visit their website at Locavore Philippines.

*** Locavore is open from Mondays to Sundays: 11:30 AM to 2:30 PM for lunch and 5:00 PM to 2:00 AM for dinner. It is located in #10 Brixton Street, Kapitolyo, Pasig City. For reservations or inquiries, you may contact 632.6350 or 0917.6218909.

June 29, 2015August 31, 2015 by everythingnomnom Categories: Filipino Cuisine, Resto ReviewsTags: Brixton, Ensalada, Everything NomNom, Filipino, Filipino Cuisine, Filipino Food, Food Blog, Food Photography, Kapitloyo, Lechon, Locavore, LocavorePH, NomNom, Pasig, Sinigang, Sizzling Sinigang Leave a comment