Archive for category Philippines
Feasting on King Chef Cantonese Fine Dining.
Posted by roanne in Food, Philippines on July 11, 2011
I hope my memory serves me right; it’s the only thing that I can really trust whenever I blog something quite late.
Been referred by my lovely co-bloggers, I attended King Chef’s Grand Opening a couple of weeks ago.
King Chef Fine Dining Restaurant is owned by husband and wife tandem Michael and Marites Ang, along with Cantonese Soup Kitchen and King Chef Dimsum Kitchen which are also found in the vicinity.
For someone who does not frequent the place, I must say it’s a hidden sanctuary in Banawe.
I am not particularly accustomed to Cantonese fine dining, being exposed more to the Western side of fine cuisine. I remember the time though when I was a little girl; we regularly ate at this Chinese restaurant called China Pearl sitting within the slew of restaurants in Tomas Morato. Of course, I just know the usual Chinese dishes like sotanghon, chop suey , siomao (dimsum), siopao (pork pao) and pancit among others.
Going back, most of the dishes served were quite new to me. Sophie, who was my seatmate then, introduced me into the world of “Chinese Imperial Feast”. Such gastronomical celebration is common during Chinese weddings and other (perhaps, traditional) festivities.
The ten-course meal was just overwhelming for someone who doesn’t eat a lot (lies 
), but then again I didn’t succumb and got to taste everything!
I arrived earlier than the usual, registered, and had my snapshot taken on the makeshift photobooth whilst wearing a crown headpiece (lol). Then, I paced upstairs, and there loomed before me a huge dining area upon reaching the next floor.
I looked for the bloggers’ table, grabbed the nearest seat, and chattered with my seatmates who are food bloggers. It was my first meal of the night. The rain was pouring down intermittently during the day; hence it was a good thing that a cupful of brewed tea was primarily served, along with a platter of Fried Prawn Dumplings (King Chef’s bestseller) and Malaysian Cakes. Due to my churning stomach, I wasn’t able to take pictures of these and gobbled like a monstrous glutton instead.
After minutes of waiting, the feast finally started. Much to my insatiable appetite’s delight, we indulged in Double Boiled Native Chicken Soup which didn’t fail my vapid taste buds. The meat was soft and delectable, reminding me that of Hainanese chicken.
Next was the Cold Cuts Combination. Funny to see a Japanese maki surrounded by Chinese delicacies.
Century egg has never piqued my interest. I completely forgot the details, but it was a childhood nightmare for me. Since then, I never dared trying it. Sophie, however, made me try the shredded jellyfish (salad). It turned out to be really good! It reminds me of Atchara.
The Suahe Tea Leaves was one of the interesting dishes served. The presentation as well as the aroma of green tea leaves caught my attention.
Of course, a Chinese (or any Asian) meal wouldn’t be complete without the rice. Here’s King Chef’s version of Yang Chao Fried Rice.
Loved it to bits! The rice wasn’t oily unlike its run-of-the-mill fast food versions. I was initially planning to scrimp on the rice, but I just couldn’t. It was that damn good!
The King Fish Mango Sauce was really, really yummy! It complimented well with the Yang Chow. The secret ingredient lies within the mango sauce itself.
Along came these huge slices of Imperial Spareribs. I loved the tenderness of the meat, which was really juicy on the inside. The sauce was good as well, although I liked the mango sauce more in terms of uniqueness of taste.
The dishes kept on coming. One of which was the Crab with Sotanghon Hotpot. I’m not a huge fan of sotanghon, but I was just in-love with the flavours. The sotanghon was nicely done as well. I chose not to dig into the crab much though, lest things would end up with a messy affair between me and my plate!
I found these Chicken Fortune Bags too cute that I didn’t wanna break them apart! I got some broccoli to boot, which almost jumped out of my plate (my bad haha[!]).
Saved the best for last with a huge bowl of Herbal Lemongrass with Mixed Fruits. Supping the lemongrass proved to be quite refreshing. The fruit titbits were light enough, so I was able to consume everything in my much smaller bowl.
All in all, it was a scrumptious experience. I ended up with my stomach so full, yet so satisfied! I therefore conclude that binging on Chinese cuisine has never this satisfying! It paved a way for me to re-embrace Asian cuisine in a new light.
So, how about a part two? Or perhaps, share the experience with someone else? 
King Chef Fine Dining is located at 987-989 Banawe Street, Quezon City. For reservations, you may contact them via landline at 441-4177.
Thank you to King Chef Fine Dining and Abigail Ang for sharing this one-of-a-kind Cantonese cuisine experience with me.
Baluarte ni Singson in Vigan, Ilocos Sur
Posted by roanne in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Vigan, Zoo on April 25, 2011
Baluarte is a wildlife sanctuary owned by Chavit Singson (present governor of Ilocos Sur), and also a part of his enormous abode in Vigan.
We indulged having a few stops there, granted that it’s just a 5 to 10-minute walk from the Caoayan ancestral house where we stayed, not to mention it’s most wanted by my younger siblings.
This 80-hectare vast terrain is laden with wildlife-from the commonplace zoo animals such as ostriches to the endangered species like musang (Asian palm civet)-where you can actually interact with some of them vis-a-vis.
Located along the western seaboard of Northern Luzon 408 kilometers north of Manila, bounded in the South by South China Sea, Baluarte has its breathtaking view of Vigan City.
The best about Baluarte is that it’s open to public. Admission and rides are free of charge. But of course, we’re very kind enough to tip the coachmen every time my brothers ride on the tiburin (a small horse-drawn carriage) or the bird caretakers when we had our picture taken with the great blue-and-yellow macaw sitting prettily nearby the porch.
Other places that we failed to explore (due to time constraints since we usually went there during late afternoons) include the Butterfly Garden. There’s also a live animal show that’s held 4 times a day. My advice is: go there during early mornings so that you can explore more of the place.
You can click here for more information about Baluarte.
Baluarte in Pictures:
Baluarte at mid-afternoon
Kids riding the tiburin
Animals by the grassland
Vigan’s Heritage Village.
Posted by roanne in Ilocos Sur, Philippines, Vigan on March 27, 2011
Your trip to Vigan won’t be complete sans visiting the Heritage Village, which is sitting along the cobblestoned walkways of Calle Crisologo. Most of the structures were built during the Spanish era, if I’m not mistaken, which are probably more than a century-year-old today. I saw small sights of renovation and paint jobs here and there, while other buildings were refurbished and turned either into furniture or curio shops. Some are even transformed into restaurant chains (like Max’s and Mang Inasal). Despite the touch of modernity, wears and tears were still visible on walls and posts, which validate the antiquity of the place. Calesas were passing by here and there, and you could go for a ride for a certain fee. I didn’t try though, ‘coz I took pity on the horse.
Another view on the street
Approaching Calesa
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