RED MANGO

I just rode on the YOGHURT train after hating the dessert for so long. Yup! Ask Yub or my friends and they would tell you that I REALLY abhor/detest yoghurt. I actually considered it a waste of money... Why? Because A COLD DESSERT that is similar to an Ice Cream cannot be sour or tart!!! 

One beautiful day in Eastwood, Mati suddenly yanked me from Andrei's grasp and led me to the cool corner of RED MANGO. He ordered his favorite... the yoghurt with rainbow crispies.... I repeatedly asked him what was it that he loved about yoghurt when it tasted so sour and sacriligious to what a dessert should be. He let me try a spoonful.... Then I got another... and another...

Suddenly I'm a convert!!!

For some reason... I SUDDENLY LOVED RED MANGO!!! Their yoghurt was not too sour and not too sweet.... It was... as a sleazy Goldilocks would say it... JUUUST RIGHT!!! After that RED MANGO experience, I wanted to have yoghurt EVERY SINGLE DAY!!! I never change the topping though (since there will be an additional P20 pa he he he he).

I now am a yoghurt addict... he he he he! All thanks to Mati AND Red Mango :)

RED MANGO !!!!

Mati went ahead and ordered his RED MANGO cup and requested for Rainbow Sprinkle toppings.

Prices are: Small 85.00, Medium 120.00, Large 155.00, Family 225.00.

I'm not sure but I think you get a free topping per order. Then if you want extra toppings, you just pay P20.00!

By the way, this is Mati's "You can't get some" face!

But I pulled the ol' "I carried you for 9 months!!!" dialogue and he gave me 2 teaspoonsfuls... Ha ha ha ha!

It always works....

Auughhh... I should remember to always have bangs! My forehead has a lighting of I

its own.... (that's not a compliment for me by the way...)

TEAM YAP in RED MANGO!

And since Mati kindly let me have 2 teaspoons of his RED MANGO yoghurt, I became a convert and bought my own....

Even though I told him I was going to order another one Mati still refused to give some more of his RED MANGO yoghurt... Ha ha ha! I guess he takes after his very generous mommy!

Kidding!

The different toppings at RED MANGO which you could put onto your yoghurt cup!

Treat Yourself!

Thanks Mati for the advice at RED MANGO!!!

Tadaah! My very first cup of yoghurt... at RED MANGO!!!!

As they say, the rest is RED MANGO history....

I am in love!

And right now since I love RED MANGO I'll order my own cup and should Mati ask for a taste I'll answer:

"I carried you for 9 months... Get your own!"

Revenge is so sweet... pun intended.

OH. I. AM. KIDDING.

Red Mango

Eastwood Mall

Eastwood Mall Veranda, E. Rodriguez Jr. Ave.

Bagumbayan, Quezon City

CRYSTAL JADE

Crystal Jade recently opened in Greenhills and has been receiving grrreaaat reviews from foodies-foodies everywhere. Me thinks the reason why it gets so jampacked EVERY SINGLE DAY is because it is the ONLY branch of the famed restaurant in Hong kong which serves the famous soupy dumplings or Xiao Long Bao...

(Jaz - Come 2013, it has already opened another branch in Fort Bonifacio :) )

So on one no-work day (for me he he he) I was with with my ORIGINAL foodie group (My family!) and tried what all the fuss was about.

Of course the place was flooded but we were able to get good seats thru the help of their lovely and efficient staff (Yup they were very accommodating).

Oh well... GREAT taste is the eyes of the tongue holder ha ha ha ha! Some of us liked it... some did not... But over all it was a great unique experience!

Would I go back there again?? Yup!!! With my new generation foodies of course!!! (Yubhub... and Mati.... soon to come Andrei... when he does not cry so much... tee hee!)

Now let's get on to the important matter of CRYSTAL JADE...

CRYSTAL JADE finally opens in Manila!

I was not able to get a picture of the long lines in CRYSTAL JADE but we were able to get seats in 10 minutes or so.

Here's my Dad and Ate Jit... They should always sit together because they eat in lightning speed. It's more like "now you see it now you don't" or "eat or be eaten" for them. My other brother, Kuya Jon joins their ranks!

Me and my ever lovely Mommy!! Me and my mom (plus the eldest Kuya Jay) savor our food and chew each morsel carefully that we would always be left at the table during family meals. 

Well AT LEAST, we do not get our tongues burned from slurping a hot bowl of soup just because we cannot wait for it to cool it off unlike that OTHER group :)

And just in case you are wondering, YES! My secret is foiled... I am wearing again my favorite yellow blouse which you may remember from Modern Shanghai (See HERE!!) and Cafe Antigua (See HERE!!!). Yellow is my favorite color you see...

Now back to ahem... CRYSTAL JADE...

CRYSTAL JADE in Virra Mall, Greenhills is not as big as you would expect it to be but they maximized the space and strategically placed the tables so more diners could eat in the restaurant.

First up is CRYSTAL JADE's Noodle with Dried Shrimp and Peanut in Spicy Sauce (P288.00). This noodle dish was strongly raved about by Anton Diaz of My Awesome Planet that I just had to try it.

This is my first time to set eyes on a soup that is just brimming with oil and spice! I can't wait to slurp my way into this CRYSTAL JADE noodles!

Faster woman!!!

My noodle cup! I remember later that I got impatient in CRYSTAL JADE and put the whole bowl in front of me!  

And just because we cannot have enough carbs, we ordered CRYSTAL JADE's Fried Rice with Diced Chicken, Sausage, Shrimp and Egg in Yang Chow Style (P248.00). We loved this as each spoonful was so flavorful that you could finish a whole order with the utmost of ease. Deeelicious! My sister said  she was instantly brought to the busy streets of Hong Kong with the taste. She can't get enough of it!

Of course, if you're going to eat at CRYSTAL JADE, you CANNOT not order their famous Xiao Long Bao (P158.00 for 5 pieces). It would just be sacrilegious and scandalous to even forget this when you're at this restaurant. 

As they say, the original is always the best! How do you find CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao?

We also had a plate of CRYSTAL JADE's Crispy Chicken Fillet in Lemon Sauce (P288.00). I tell you, I am really not a fan of the "sweet and sour" dishes or meats with lemon sauce. But this one I liked. The chicken was extra crispy with meat tender while the sauce was not at all cloying. The tartness of the lemon was mild and did not overpower the already flavorful chicken. I could see myself ordering this with the salty Yang Chow rice. The two dishes go well together!

Time to eat at CRYSTAL JADE! I immediately "dived" into my noodles with gusto...

But when I had already gulped what I was chewing, I remembered I may need to have ANOTHER profile pic.

Selfie!!!!

I'm not sure if this is the proper way to do it though... Next time I'll try a duck face maybe at Peking Garden (pun in-tended!).

Let's eat at CRYSTAL JADE!

He he he! My dad did not want to turn around and my mom does not really like posing!

BURP! Done with the noodles! I ate this myself because my family was not really a fan of peanuts in their Chinese noodles. 

Yehey! More for the bunso (baby) in the family!

==========

Sometime last December 16, 2011 I was out early from work and I thought of asking my Hub to eat at CRYSTAL JADE because he has not tried this restaurant yet.

As much as I wanted to get the spicy peanut noodles again, I tried something new which I saw in other food blogs as well.... 

I ordered CRYSTAL JADE's Noodle with Spicy Chicken (P288.00)!  It was steamed chicken with noodles and a full ladle of their tangy garlic chili oil.

I was more than excited to eat this at CRYSTAL JADE since I love everything spicy! 

And my Chinese stalker is ready to... eat!!

I don't know about you but black chopsticks somehow make my meals in Chinese restaurants more special. Adds a certain tint of class don't you think?

Before I go on... You might not be able to recognize....

THIN Jazmin!

Check me out mixing my noodles in CRYSTAL JADE! I still had cheekbones and one chin!

To think this was a year after our first meal in CRYSTAL JADE!!! Hey Jazmin of December 2011! What diet did you do back then?? I am sure I did not shy away from carbs. 

See that smile? Because I knew back then that I ordered something my husband would not even taste. (He does not like anything spicy... Yey!). So this whole plate? ALL MINE!

Now I could rule the world!!! Bwa ha ha ha ha ha!

You would feel the same way after you put a big juicy chicken chunk in your mouth....

... and chew it all down with a good slurp of that spicy, oily, and chewy noodles!!!

Oops! But if you're with a hot Chinese boy (like my Yub)... mind your manners! Just slurp quietly... like your whispering something then end with a pa-cute giggle... ("sluuuuurp... hi hi hi!")

We ordered once more CRYSTAL JADE's fried rice.... Yub loved it even if there were veggies...He just picked them out and put it on my plate.

And of course CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao!

It was my husband's first time to try it and I was tempted not to warn him about the hot soup! I want his tongue to BUUUURNNNN (since he always eat so fast)!!!

But the "nice Jazmin" spoke up and told him to be careful of the hot soup inside the CRYSTAL JADE dumplings....

I warned him just in time...

Curses....!!!!

I was only able to get 1 piece of CRYSTAL JADE's Xiao Long Bao because I wanted my hub to enjoy almost all of it.

... and because I want to have a lot of room for this!

CRYSTAL JADE's Crispy Pork Chop!!! Sorry I was not able to get the price but we were surprised with the big serving of this dish! This could be good for 4 people already!!

The CRYSTAL JADE pork chop was a delightful addition to our meal since it was crunchy, oily, juicy, and over all deee-licious!

Our table with great CRYSTAL JADE food!

My husband loved our meal at CRYSTAL JADE! He liked it more that I treated him for this one!

Grrr!

LET'S EAT! :)

Crystal Jade La Mian Xiao Long Bao

Unit 117-121

V-Mall, Greenhills Shopping Center

Greenhills, San Juan City, Metro Manila 

BURGOO

Though we are hard core loyalists to Asian Food, there would always come a time... a night... where in we would crave something that would tickle our Uncle Sam fancy...

Remembering that special scene in Twister when Helen Hunt and the others piled onto their platters those large steaks then added eggs hot off the frying pan. The same goes for the movie "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance". Oh also in "The Matrix"....

Remembering how Uma Thurman took dainty bites of her cheeseburger in "Pulp Fiction". The same goes for Robert Downey Jr. in "Iron Man".

Remembering how Sarah Jessica Parker savored the salad served to her by Maggie Smith in "The First Wives Club"...

Remembering how Miranda Hobbes took crunchy and gooey bites of her pizza from an episode of "Sex and the City".... 

Wait a minute that's Italian food... But it was set up in New York City so anywhoo.... 

For one particular Friday night, we met up with one of our favorite foodie friends Mareng Gail and Pareng Jun with my godchild Sasha. We decided to hold our gabfest in BURGOO not only because it was the only cuisine with that theme in Powerplant Mall at the time but Mareng Gail had a promotional discount from her card as well.

We were not really expecting anything mind blowing but we had such a great time gabbin and grubbin' in BURGOO. And though I did not get the large steaks in "Twister" or "The Man Who...", I was able to live out my other "reel" cravings for the night! :)

By the way what DO they call a Quarter Pounder Cheese in France??

Anything goes at BURGOO!!!

Weh?

Kidding! :) (I hate that expression!)

Mareng Gail, Pareng Jun, and my "inaanak" Sasha in BURGOO!

Me and the Chinese stalker at BURGOO!

Ain't my godchild so pretty like Ninang?

The BURGOO meynuh!

Mareng Gail and I met at Admakers in the year 1997 -- she was the Account Executive while I was the Copywriter. We became fast friends because of many similarities: We are both giggly little school girls who laugh at the silliest things, we love the Spice Girls (up to now! HELL YEAH!), and we're both from St. Paul Pasig (but we did not know each other then).

Most recently I posted a picture of my family in Facebook where Mareng Gail and I had fun in the comment box. I had quite a laugh remembering up to now we are still so alike in many ways!!!

Ha ha ha! I love you Mareng Gail!

But of course, the most unforgettable clincher for our friendship will be this personality trait which we are both guilty AND very proud of!

We are both "kuripot" aka stingy aka VERY practical!!!

We would rather buy our items in discounted prices and would never find joy in luxury bags unless it's free. That's just the way we are!

And you would know how long we have been good friends by our comfort in computing our share even BEFORE dinner started!

Actually she initiated it since it was HER card! Tsk... tsk!!! Har de har har!

... carry the five....

First on the table was one of my BURGOO favorites... the BURGOO Shrimp Popcorn Caesar (small P325.00)!

Each battered and fried shrimp were generously coated with parmesan cheese!

I am such a sucker for Caesar's Salad because what is not there to like? There's the healthy factor...  the creamy factor... the salt factor... and the muchos cheese factor!

Factor in all those qualities and BURGOO's Caesar salad has all of them!

Yub ordered the BURGOO Cheeseburger (P325.00) and requested to have cheese fries along with it.

Take note of how he asked EVERYTHING to be on the side... again... as usual :)

He then proceeded to cut the BURGOO cheeseburger in half and gave me the other piece. 

Awwwww...

With that, I piled all of his "on the side" veggies and had for meself a yummy burger!

The BURGOO burger patty though is not as flavorful and thick as what the competitor offers but it was still an enjoyable sandwich nonetheless!!! I also added extra mayonnaise and mustard! YUM!

I think Mareng Gail and Pareng Jun ordered the same BURGOO burger as well. But their version was not as deconstructed as ours! Ha ha ha ha!

Yummy cheese coated fries from BURGOO! Similar to what potato corner has but more mild to the taste!

We also ordered a BURGOO Pepperoni Pizza (regular P375.00). This was just ordinary.... It was served very hot though so we still enjoyed biting into its cheesy goodness!!!

LET'S EAT at BURGOO!

Ain't this a nice picture of us? Even baby Sasha was smiling for the camera!

When she was a baby, Sasha was like Andrei and was such a finicky eater! But in BURGOO she ate a lot! She loved the meat patty of the BURGOO cheeseburger!

My plate! My empty plate!

Since we were in BURGOO with little Sasha and she was getting a bit fussy, I thought she would have a blast if we asked the waiters to sing her a faux birthday song complete with a candle for her to blow on...

However...

... plan kinda backfired and she became irritated as ever. Ha ha ha ha!

Oh well... I did not think much about this until later... 

After eating in BURGOO, my husband played with Sasha and it is apparent how she was having a great time with him...

However when I asked to carry MY godchild, Sasha gave me THIS face.

I guess I was not forgiven for that faux birthday song after all...

This went on for a LOOONG time. Ha ha ha ha ha!

Finished! Mareng Jun and Mareng Gail saved half a burger for her mommy. :)

As my former boss in Admakers would say, "Great Minds Think Alike" and though it may be so pompous of me to say so, I would have to agree here with my Mareng Gail.

Because although we have the wildest of ideas in order to save or have crazy tastes in tv shows or singers, it gave us a wild, wacky and GREAT REAL friendship which would almost run now for 15 years!

Also in the end, because of our "practicality", not only did we save a significant amount of money from Mareng Gail's computation, but we had an ultimo fun dinner night out which answered my REEL cravings as well!

Looking forward to our next cheap but crazy dinner again!

LET'S EAT!!!

Burgoo

Power Plant Mall

3/F Power Plant Mall, Amorsolo St

Poblacion, Makati

(02) 898-1815 to 17