The Modern Mom

My officemates and I have been planning to try Bonchon Chicken for quite sometime now and we were finally able to eat there for lunch! We anticipated a huge lunch crowd so we went there around 1:00PM to make sure we had seats. It was still a full house. Luckily, we were able to snag a table while we were ordering. Their set-up is like a fast food restaurant, similar to what they have in Chowking. You order and pay at the counter and will be given a number. Their kitchen is separated from the ordering counter. That's Brix, me and Peng with his "smiling" eyes! :) That's Borj, Brix and Tammy. :) We ordered the family chicken set which costs around Php 700+. It was fabulous, to say the least. The skin was crispy and flavorful and the meat was juicy and tender. Kimchi Coleslaw. A nice alternative to the usual coleslaw because this one has a bit of a kick from the kimchi flavor. Peng with his Tofu Salad. Had a forkful of this but it wasn't that good.

I met up with Nina last Friday after three whole months of not seeing each other! We went to Greenhills because she wanted to look for some clothes. We weren't able to find anything but we did eat at the newly opened Papa John's in Annapolis. It's just beside National Bookstore. Nina said that this is her favorite Pizza place in the States so we tried it out. Papa John. When you hear 'Papa John', you imagine a big Italian guy with a mustache, not this good looking guy! Haha. The Story of Papa John's. Pizza Buddies! Spaghetti Bolognese with Meatballs. It was just okay. Needed more spices. Frosted glass of refillable Coke Light. It was so refreshing to drink this after a hot day. My only comment is that, they keep on refilling our drinks even though I've already advised them to stop! We were about to burst after our meal. Haha. They also kept on changing our glasses when refilling. I feel that they should conserve water and just use a pitcher to refill the dri

We went to temple last week and stayed for lunch. I have eaten in some Vegetarian restaurants before, but they were never as good as the food that we ate at the temple. Most, if not all, of the dishes were patterned from original meat dishes so meat-eaters, like me, can't help but be amazed on how they were able to make the food this good without animal fat or flavoring. We started with this platter of assorted appetizers. Yes, even the Hotdogs were Vegetarian! I think they used Soy. My favorites were the Macaroni Salad and the Hotdogs. Normally, we'd call this soup "Ma Ki Soup" because it has pork and eggs. This soup also contains a pork-like thing that tasted somewhat like pork and Soy. I'm not a fan of Soy Beans but it was pretty good. I got at least 2 servings, I think. Haha. Tofu with Mushrooms inside. One of my favorites! I love mushrooms! Mixed Vegetables aka Chopsuey. I like the red, Hotdog-looking thing. It tasted like Squid Balls. Sushi with Sticky Rice.

I had a sudden craving for Burritos last week. Army Navy came in highly recommended by one of my friends so I invited my mom to go there for lunch. According to my friend, Army Navy has the same owner as Yellow Cab. Concept-wise, it was executed very well. You get a feeling of being in barracks as soon as you go inside. They mainly serve different kinds of burgers and burritos but they also have chips, fries and iced tea. Classic Burger with Cheese. My mom ordered this. I took a bite and it was pretty good. Of course, Bubba Gump's Cheeseburger is still better but this is a great contender. You have to pay an extra Php 25 for the cheese but the other veggies come with it. Nachos with Guacamole. Prices are separate. This was a disappointment. I was hoping for a more authentic Guacamole but this lacked in taste. I had to put salt in just to make it better. Brewed Iced Tea. They have a name for this but I totally forgot what it's called. I liked this very much! Steak Burrito. When

Spent an afternoon in Eastwood Mall two weeks ago and had dinner with my family in the newly opened Choi Garden. It's located at the third floor, outside the mall proper. Choi had come a long way from the first restaurant they've opened in Robinson's Galleria named Mr. Choi. I remember how my mom and brother will go there just to take out some BBQ Pork Asado. They were able to duplicate the exact taste of the pork from Cafe de Coral in Hongkong, which has always been a family favorite. Choi Garden in Eastwood Mall is an upscale version of Mr. Choi. Price is still affordable for the servings. Coldcuts Platter. I really like the appearance of this dish. The glossy finish of the sauce makes one's mouth water! The taste was also great. Everything was freshly made. Mapo Tofu. I did not like this dish at all, although my family thought it was good. I felt that the taste lacked that subtle kick that every dish needs. Polonchay with Garlic. I am currently addicted to this veget

Last year, I made a 3-layered cake for my godson *, Nathan, for his first birthday. They held the party at Woodside Homes and the theme was Mickey and Friends. The party was fun! They had cotton candy and popcorn machines as well as a candy buffet where the kids were given small containers that they can fill with candies! Anyway, sharing with you guys a picture of the cake! The second layer is the only one that is edible. I made it a Chocolate Banana Walnut Cake because I wanted it to be a bit heavy so it can carry the weight of the top layer and accessories. I used Marshmallow Icing and tried to make dark colors but it still came out pastel. I think it's because the icing was glossy white. Grr. It became Disney Babies colors!! It still looked cute though. The trimming ideas came from my mom and my friend, Hazel, Nathan's mommy. Fortunately, the feedbacks were positive! :) Hopefully, I get more orders for these soon. *I made 'godson' italicized because officially, he&#

I've been on a baking hiatus since last December when the baking frenzy affected my health. Since then, I've only been baking for my family and some special orders from my friends. Anyway, last week, I decided to make some Strawberry Chiffon Cake and Chocolate Pudding. To my delight, they still turned out pretty well! I was a little afraid that I might have lost my baking 'thing'. Hehe. Strawberry Chiffon Cake Modesty aside, the Chiffon Cake came out really really well. It had a texture of a Japanese Cheesecake and is so soft and moist that it literally melts in your mouth. :) I also made some Strawberry Jam because I still had some frozen Strawberries left when SNR had their big sale. These two things paired together are so yummy! I believe the Chiffon Cake in its purest form just goes great with some great jam. Try it! Chocolate Pudding It's been almost a year since I've made these but thankfully, my brother, Justin, said that they still taste as good as befor