MANILA, Philippines – Maria Venus Raj loves eating — in a “major major” way. The beauty with a 22-inch waistline admits that she doesn’t watch her weight and eats almost everything — from the usual fish and vegetables to the more exotic frogs and snakes — citing her humble beginnings as a farm girl in [...]
(Chicago) – When I was still living in Manila, I can’t recall a single birthday celebration, Christmas, baptisms, housewarming or any party that did not have spaghetti on the table. Like in most Filipino households, spaghetti is always a part every family event. It is even instittutionalized by widely popular fast food chains like Jollibee [...]
(Chicago) – Frankly speaking, I have never heard of Caliterra before. I just went to this place in order to use a restaurant.com gift certificate. I brought with me 2 of my friends for lunch and we’re surprised to find out that they have $10 lunch special that includes drink. We got 4 lunch plates. [...]
(San Diego) - I was excited for my first dinner in San Diego, but it almost got ruined by the glasses of free wine and snacks that I gorged the whole afternoon in the hotel lobby. In short, it was 8pm already and I wasn’t feeling hungry. But I would not dare waste the night [...]
(Chicago) – Lamb is my all-time favorite meat. But it’s not easy to find a restaurant that serves a decent lamb. If not prepared properly, it could smell and taste extremely gamey. I like my lamb a little gamey. Yes, you heard me right. This makes the meat distinct from the others. Some sensitive palates [...]
(Singapore) – It was a rainy Friday lunch break and one of our colleagues suggested a place for our usual Friday lunch outs 2 blocks away from our office – Food For Thought. The place has a nice, relaxing and comforting atmosphere and for some reasons, it will make you feel light and easy when [...]
(Chicago) - I am confronted with a dilemma. I am inviting friends for a small BBQ party and I don’t want to serve rice, for a change. I know one or two Filipino guest will hate me but I don’t want this party to appear like an ordinary dinner of “ulam” (viand) with rice. Besides, [...]
In director María Ripoll’s bilingual drama, widower Martin Naranjo (Hector Elizondo) is a Los Angeles restaurateur with a booming business and three headstrong daughters (Jacqueline Obradors, Tamara Mello and Elizabeth Peña), who are all on the verge of leaving the house to pursue their individual destinies. He knows he must let go, but things get [...]
(Singapore) – After getting off work, my cousin and I met up at Bugis Junction to have dinner at Nando’s, a recently opened franchise serving Portuguese-style flame grilled chicken or often called “Peri-peri” chicken. We tried it first in Kuala Lumpur and the memory of the delectable flavor of herbs and spices never left us. [...]
(Chicago) – Something’s really odd with this place. They open too early at 5am and closes too soon at 3pm. It is a Polish diner with typical diner fares like burgers and sandwiches – and yet, it has Filipino breakfast such as tocino (cured meat) and longanisa (sweet sausage), although limited. It feels weird for [...]
(Los Angeles) – Just recently, I went to San Diego for a weekend getaway. Since Los Angeles is not too far away, my friends and I decided to drive and spend Sunday night there. I was super thrilled and my head was spinning in excitement while thinking on where to eat. Well, Los Angeles just [...]
(Manila) – For my Mom’s birthday, we had dinner at Fely J’s situated at the 2nd floor of one Manila’s posh malls – Greenbelt 5. Fely J’s is serving Filipino cuisine which I am craving for after 4 long months of not being able to visit home. The ambiance is good, fit for family get [...]
(Chicago) - Lugaw is my all-time favorite Filipino comfort food. It is a simple and easy way to retreat back home. I make this numerous times especially when the weather is depressing cold during winter. I usually cook lugaw in big pot— something that could feed about 10 people. Oh no, that’s not all for me [...]
(Singapore) – In preparation for my friend’s baby shower, I decided to tag along her husband Chef Vergel for ingredient-hunting as he is tasked to prepare our dinner – as always! We went to a popular wet market place in Singapore called Geylang Serai Market and Food Center in its new location which renovated in [...]
(Chicago) – I usually do my research first before trying a new restaurant. I love information, whether facts or opinions, be it good or bad views; they provide me some logical guidance that influence my personal likes and decisions. So I was loitering around Evanston one weekend and my head knowledge, as a result of [...]
(Chicago) – It’s a sunny Saturday morning and I brought my car to Honda service center for a quick oil change. Actually, it would not be quick this time since there were other maintenance items that needed to be done. Feeling restless – I would wait for more than 1 hour and pay more than [...]
France’s position as the world’s top wine producer went unchallenged until 1976, when the Montelena Winery put California wines on the map — a story delightfully told in this full-bodied tale about the heady early days of Napa Valley’s success. Bill Pullman, Chris Pine and Freddy Rodriguez star as the dreamers — and drinkers — [...]
(Atlanta) – When my trip to Atlanta was confirmed, the first place that I would like to visit is Holeman & Finch. Food Network featured this place in one of its episodes of “The Best Thing I Ever Ate” for its burger. I am curious how superior their burgers are over the numerous gourmet burger [...]
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