THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST (2014)

Every year, there is that on event which the Chinese Adonis and I are very excited about that we prepare for it as early as the start of the year: The ULTIMATE TASTE TEST!

I'm sorry.... were you thinking about our Wedding Annivesary? I know I should be too if I could only remember when it is. Tee Hee!

Seriously though, the ULTIMATE TASTE TEST in ROCKWELL TENT has become a tradition for us every year even before I started this silly little foodie blog.  Like it says so in their "battle cry", this is the ULTIMATE event where you become a food critic for a day and try out over 50+ home based food vendors plus participating restaurants from Powerplant Mall all day from 11:00am to 9:00pm!

All this for only P600.00??? You bet!

And THAT is why I would choose this AWESOME foodie celebration over our wedding anniversary anytime!

Oh. I'm. Kidding!

Or am I? Ha ha ha ha!

THE ULTIMATE TASTE TEST!!! 

CRISP ON 28TH

It may not look like it (since I could come off as a gremlin) but I love helping out in anyway that I can. And at the risk of sounding like a boisterous cutie pie (there you go), I make sure that when I "be of assistance", I would do more than what is expected of me and say a lot of "If you wants". If it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn, I apologize. But I'm really going for asking other people to do the same with their neighbors... He he he he! Wouldn't that be a lovely world to live in if we just do what we can for each other and not ask for anything in return?

Unless of course, the person asking a favor is Benedict Cumberbatch, with that all bets are off because I may be asking for a kiss or two in return! Har de har har!

Oooh... Yeah... the game is ON....

Anywho, I really had our Saturday planned out for quite some time as we have the ULTIMATE TASTE TEST (blog coming soon) in the morning and a night out with the Chinese Adonis' friends later on. But then, Kathi of Mucking Around Manila wanted to invite mareng Gail and her husband for brunch at CRISP that I got so hyper! I was so happy that my good friend was invited to her first official blog event and that she'll get to experience the fun I've always had with my KTG blogger friends! With that, the Chinese Adonis and I fixed our itinerary for the day (aka "not having siesta anymore") in support of Team Campo.

And wow! Once we saw all that CRISP ON 28TH food, I have forgotten why we were really there. I know we were supposed to support and help out Mareng Gail with her new blog called GLOG but one bite out of that fresh salad made me forget all about our friendship!

I think I was so tempted to get it all for myself even before she could take a picture of it! Ha ha ha ha! Kidding!

Seriously though, the Chinese Adonis and I were so happy that our intention to be supportive led to a very enjoyable gastronomic lunch! We now have a new venue to recommend to our friends and family!  So I guess, no good deed goes unrewarded! 

And what a delicious prize that was!

CRISP ON 28TH!

AN UNFORGETTABLE ANTIPOLO BARBECUE

Even if my boys Mati and Andrei are quite big already, I still have separation anxiety from them. Let's just say  I cannot bear having the little lords sleepover at another place! Once, Mati had a week long vacation at my brother's house and I thought to myself "never again!" It's not that I didn't trust the people he's with. In fact, Mati was very well taken cared for by my brother's family and they seriously fattened him up! Ha ha ha ha!

Oh well! Maybe that's just me being me. I remember that up to Grade School I would have trouble staying at my aunt's place that one time, I asked my Mom to pick me up in the middle of the night because I got so homesick. I guess all my attachment at being together stems from my strong belief that "Home is Where the Heart Is". I'm at my happiest when I'm with my family: my parents, my brothers and sister who bully me, and now the Chinese Adonis, and the little lords. So with that, it's no wonder why it's quite unbearable for me if somebody from my new family is away since it's like a part of my heart is incomplete. Seriously.

Before our trip to the US, my brother Kuya Jay planned a sleepover in his house in Antipolo with the little lords and my Ate Jojit.  I really did not want to let them but the boys and sister were persistent. So fine. I packed their bags and gave a checklist on what they should use and where they'll find it.

I haven't even finished with their other bags (I packed about 3 including a bag filled with snacks) when they rushed to our vehicle going to Antipolo. You might even say that they didn't want to risk saying good bye to me since I might change my mind. So I went out and said my farewell to them while they gave me these forced smiles. Ha ha ha ha!

Let us go already!!!

Well if the little lords think that they have already escaped from their "ultra lovable" Mommy (tee hee), they thought wrong! Kuya Jay and his wife Karen invited us for a barbecue underneath the stars. Normally the Chinese Adonis and I would turn down invites on Saturdays since it's our date night and all. But the words BARBECUE and LITTLE LORDS sprang to mind so we cancelled any other plans.

We were invading Antipolo and the boys TONIGHT.

Yub and his shaken, not stirred, martini... :P

And it's all thanks to our ANTIPOLO BARBECUE!!!!

KONBINI STORE (TOKYO MARKET)

I was looking through my old photos and saw that on Christmas day after buying last minute gifts and ingredients for our noche buena, we were able to squeeze in a visit at KONBINI STORE TOKYO MARKET in Connecticut Greenhills. I know I should be ignoring this since it was an old entry and all but I remember that the reason why we ate there was because I had a craving so bad for some Japanese noodles. To think that this was about 3 years ago and popular Ramen hubs such as Ramen Nagi, Ippudo, Ikkoryu Fukuoka, Tampopo, Wrong Ramen, Mitsuyado Sei Men, etc, etc,  have not yet reached our shores. I would have loved to go to the popular Ukokkei Ramen Ron and Yushoken but they were just too far from our "mad rush" before Christmas.  So in the end, we would all have to settle for what they were brewing in KONBINI STORE.

You know what? From that first sip of KONBINI RAMEN I was already very happy with its uncomplicated flavors. Remember it was during a time when lining up for an hour just to get a hot bowl of Ramen was not yet in existence. Sometimes, in our crazy hankering to get a taste of what's popular or sought after by other foodies, we tend to forget that there are other "little-stores-that-could".

And believe me, that store in Connecticut Greenhills could whip up a delicious piping hot bowl of Ramen!!! 

KONBINI STORE TOKYO MARKET!

Wow! This was also during a time when THAT dress still fit!

RUSTIC MORNINGS BY ISABELO (AGAIN)

I normally do not make plans during Sundays with friends because we always spend our weekend lunch with family. But then Jojie, our NFFAF friend (that's New Found Fogi and Fretty for you), was celebrating his birthday and invited to treat the whole group for brunch. Everyone was available only on a Sunday so that meant I had to send my regrets to my loving family and promised we will just join them next Sunday.

My Mom (with celebratory howls and party music in the background) : Oh that's too bad... But if you're not available next Sunday it's okay too.....

What the...???

Just kidding! He he he he!

So after mass we headed straight to RUSTIC MORNINGS BY ISABELO which seemed like a thousand miles from where we lived. Good thing I remember that the food is something worth travelling far for from my last brunch there with my high school friend so I was not fretting too much.

And again it was another great time with my BP Group made extra special by the delicious food and of course the celebration for birthday boy Jojie! As usual we did not have enough time taking pictures and sharing stories that we were already thinking of another day to meet up.

Check out another crazy meet up with my friends our families this time at RUSTIC MORNINGS BY ISABELO!

Oh and HAPPY BIRTHDAY dear JOJIE!

!!!

KRAZY GARLIK

On one particular Fridate, the Chinese Adonis did his usual routine of picking me up from work and doing that habitual question which he has asked more than "Will you marry me..."

Because for us, it's always "Where do you want to eat?"

Usually every Friday the regular contenders were Causeway Seafood and Restaurant, Yabu, and now since I'm very addicted to noodles, we would always go for Ramen Nagi.  But for that Friday, I was stumped. I don't know. Blame it on old age or me discovering that I just gained another 6lbs because I suddenly lost all the will to decide where to go for dinner.

Now looking closely at the Chinese Adonis, he suddenly got all excited. You would THINK that he'll get worried seeing his wife not having the appetite to eat. But NOOOOH. He was so ecstatic that finally we're not going to have another dinner at Ramen Nagi that immediately he blurted out what he has been craving for in a loooong time.

KRAZY GARLIK.

Now don't get me wrong, I am a bit curious of KRAZY GARLIK but we haven't eaten there yet because, well, they don't have Ramen (tee hee)! So this time my sudden lack of interest in choosing where to eat was my husband's gain. And I'm glad Yub got his way tonight because KRAZY GARLIK was mighty good.

PLUS, it cured me from my mood swings that Friday because garlic does that to "special beings" right? Tee hee!

KRAZY GARLIK!

KRAZY GARLIK is located at the second floor of the new wing of Promenade in Greenhills. 

TONG YANG SHABU SHABU AND BARBECUE RESTAURANT

One Friday night, the Chinese Adonis and I met up with NFFAFF (New Found Fogi And Fretty Friends) Gem and Jojie to celebrate the latter's birthday. They were also treating our BP Group (won't tell what it means... ha ha ha ha!) on another weekend so I thought that as thanks, the Yub and I would have an earlier birthday treat to this generous couple.

The choice of Gem that night was TONG YANG SHABU SHABU AND BARBECUE RESTAURANT in Promenade, Greenhills and since I haven't tried their buffet yet, I happily agreed! The Chinese Adonis and I absolutely love Shabu Shabu and for the option to eat THAT all-we-can is enough to make us feel birthday celebrants as well!

Yup! Food does that to us! It's ALWAYS our ticket to cloud 9!

Besides the other thing of course. That is, if we have any!

Bwa ha ha ha!

TONG YANG SHABU SHABU AND BARBECUE RESTAURANT!

It's in the new wing of Promenade in Greenhills!

LEAVING LAS VEGAS!!!!!

And FINALLY.

After about 4 months of non-stop posting about our US trip last May, it has finally come to this.... 

Our last blog entry about our US vacation to celebrate Andrei's 7th birthday!!!!

I know you may already be sick and tired of this but sorry to say, the Chinese Adonis and I ARE NOT. He he he he! Besides, we did ERICJAZ FOODIES to serve as our online diary/photo album and since we enjoyed our family vacation in the US so much, we want to remember every single minute of it!

So with this, I bring to you our last day in Las Vegas.... hopefully, for now. Tee hee!

Anywho, the day of our flight, I woke up extra early for THIS.

OW EM.... to the highest maximum gulay! It's the day of our flight and I haven't even started with packing all our boxes and bags!! Even if the Chinese Adonis was willing to help, I have my own proven technique in doing it (taught by the great Ate Shiela) that saves space and cushions even the most fragile of objects. 

But since I was too hungry (AND lazy) to function, I went to the kitchen to have some breakfast first!

Garlic rice with lots of ham!

Crispy Bacon!

SERENDIPITY 3 (LAS VEGAS)

While we were planning our US trip, we were supposed to go to New York because our little lord's favorite movie then was HOME ALONE 2 (Lost in New York). I was pretty much excited to go there as well because I had a lot of restaurants mapped out for us which I was not able to try in my first visit in the big apple. One of them of course, was the famous little coffee shop named SERENDIPITY.

Unfortunately, our trip to New York did not push through but I was still craving for a taste of that creamy milk shake that was made more famous by Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack's movie. The foodie gods I guess were on my side that trip because lo and behold, there was a SERENDIPITY branch located in Caesar's Palace right at Las Vegas strip!

YOHOOO!

Now was that luck, fate, or destiny?

No, it was SERENDIPITY.

Lame? Oh well! THAT'S what you get from me this week! :P 

AND we're finally here... 

SERENDIPITY 3!

We may have to do with SERENDIPITY in Las Vegas for NOW. :)

Yes! FINALLY! We were supposed to have coffee here before going to Los Angeles but unfortunately it closed at 10:00pm! So here we are again with a vengeance.

HOT N' JUICY CRAWFISH (LAS VEGAS)

Before our trip to the US, I downplayed our excitement by joking that THE YAPPY BUNCH will be having a very long trip to Subic, a popular tourist spot in the Philippines. When finally my ex-Facebook friends ("ex" because they have blocked me since then) figured out that we were really in Las Vegas, quite a number suggested that we try out HOT N' JUICY CRAWFISH.  The restaurant was actually a very popular seafood joint that served its entrees piping hot in plastic bags that you enjoy on the table (no plates!) and using your bare hands. Yes, it is very similar to California favorite BOILING CRAB or KICKIN KASIAN but of course, HOT N' JUICY CRAWFISH had its own unique flavors that qualified for a family pig-out session.

We definitely had an over the top and delicious lunch with the family at HOT N' JUICY CRAWFISH. Unfortunately though, I lost a lost of FB friends after I posted about it in Facebook since they still thought that it was in Subic.

Ha ha ha ha! Kidding!

I'm not going to say SUCKER though.

:P

HOT N' JUICY CRAWFISH!

OLIVE GARDEN

After watching our XMEN MOVIE , I told Kuya Nap and Ate Shiela that it will be our turn to treat them for an early dinner. It was only about 7:30pm but we were feeling a bit hungry even though we just ate some PANDA EXPRESS before the show. We also finished a bucket of pop corn (save for Kuya Nap :P) so I don't really know where this craving was coming from. 

Then I realized what it is.

It was the power of OLIVE GARDEN!

When it's time to eat at OLIVE GARDEN, it IS time to eat at OLIVE GARDEN. Your stomach will yearn for it and succumb to its power.

Why?

Maybe because in OLIVE GARDEN, whenever you're here, you're HUNGRY... este... family! :)

He he he he!

OLIVE GARDEN!!

OUR MEMORIAL XMEN MOVIE DAY AND MORE!

I was not really planning on including this in our silly little foodie blog but the Chinese Adonis said it was still something we did during our trip so it was best to record it in our "online diary".  Besides, there could be other people out there who love watching movies so much that they are also curious as to how theaters are in the western side.

And that would be only YOU and ME.

Naks! I guess if you DO read this entry, it means we are somehow kindred spirits. UUUUY! Just kindred spirits. Don't get your hopes up or anything. (#hottieproblems) 

BWA HA HA HA!

And that's what you call menopause.... Or second childhood... Or mental instability. 

Tee hee!

Anywho....

Fast forward photo

One of the movies we were all raring to watch since the franchise started was X-MEN DAYS OF FUTURE PAST.  By some stroke of whatever luck (good or bad) it started showing days before our departure right when we just got back from California.  It may seem silly to forego a sight seeing trip in and about Las Vegas (again) but the Chinese Adonis and I thought the kids might have fun watching a movie in the US.

Yes, we are a family who loves to watch movies. The whole experience of going to the theater and cuddling around while eating buttered popcorn is so fun for us.

So you could just imagine how thrilled we were at the thought of watching our much awaited movie with the kids in a different setting!

Good thing my cousins also loved the X-MEN series and agreed to watch with us. See? It was meant to be!

EVERYTHING AT STEAK

I think I have made it very clear how much I love steak. At the same time I always mention a word or two on how "practical" (read: stingy) I could get. 

Put those two together and you got what happened to us one Friday night.

After the Chinese Adonis fetched me from work, we agreed that it would nice to have some grilled meat into our system. But since we were saving right now, we thought to just try out the cheap steak restaurants out there and chose one which was really on our way home.

With that, we landed at EVERYTHING AT STEAK to satisfy our thrifty meat craving.

Did we love it? You'll see later on.

Because first I'm not sure if I have made it clear that I still love Benedict Cumberbatch up to now.

BWA HA HA HA HA! Just did.

Yep I'm the queen of quick attention span. Ha ha ha ha!

EVERYTHING AT STEAK Family Steakhouse!

MCDONALD'S PLAY AREA (US TRIP)

The Chinese Adonis and I decided that whenever we're in another country, we would always check out the MCDONALD'S there.  You may think that we sold our souls to the "commercialized gods" but really if you think about it when you visit  a country's local MCDONALD'S you would discover different foods infused with their culture!

I remember in MCDONALD'S Thailand, there was chicken curry in the menu. In MCDONALD'S Hong Kong there was spicy chicken wings. In MCDONALD'S Rome I remember having this garden salad with a dressing I cannot pronounce. Of course, I need not go far from our Motherland as MCDONALD'S Philippines have spaghetti and fried chicken.

This foodie fact was actually a realization by Samuel L. Jackson (or was it John Travolta?) in the movie Pulp Fiction. There is actually a scene where they discuss how the Big Mac has different "personas" abroad.

Anywho, when we got back to Las Vegas I asked my cousin when we could drop by MCDONALD'S to check out what they are serving this time. Their menu is regularly changing and I remember the last time I was here, they had these MCSHAKE IT Salads that was similar to what they have in PEPPER LUNCH. My little lords, who are regular patrons of MCDONALD'S (not to mention kiddie crew members) were more than happy at our dining decision this morning because dear Mati remembered how big their play area was.

So off we went to have an early deal at MCDONALD'S Henderson in Las Vegas. I wonder what they have in their menu that is unique to this specific place of the golden arches.

MCDONALD'S!

MARIE CALLENDER'S

If there's one thing I should ALWAYS get a bite of when I'm in the US (and I mean ALWAYS okay? Let us not ease up on the importance of it) that would be a heaping forkful of MARIE CALLENDER'S famous pies.

If you haven't had a taste of this heavenly dessert that must've been baked by singing angels (named Marie?) then you are missing a chunk of something so sweet and true that could make your life oh so loverly.

Believe me when I say, that there are some pies and there are other pies, but when you are faced with a plate of MARIE CALLENDER'S, you would definitely know that it is THE ONLY pie that matters.  My preference would be similar to THE WOMAN of Sherlock Holmes but I will not dwell on that any further. I shall not let my reignited love affair with Benedict Cumberbatch get in the way of declaring my love for this pie (which I'm always seem to have a habit of doing).

Yeniway, while my cousin was busy preparing our WELCOME SHABU SHABU dinner in Las Vegas, I made myself useful not by helping out in the slicing and dicing. No way! Ha ha ha! Instead, I dragged my husband to MARIE CALLENDER'S nearest branch to get a box of their awesome pies.

Don't worry. A plateful of MARIE CALLENDER'S pies is more than enough contribution to any dinner. He he he he! That counts washing the dishes too!!!!

MARIE CALLENDER'S!

If you THINK that I'm already hiding a pie under that shirt, I might bonk you if I could reach you. That's just flab.... pure Jazzie flab. 

MARIE CALLENDER'S!!!

A SHABU SHABU WELCOME DINNER!

After our California vacation, we headed back to Las Vegas in a hurry not because we will be going to another casino or that we were missing my cousins.

We were so excited for a SHABU SHABU dinner!

Yep! Sorry. Ha ha ha ha! We love food too much that we have forgotten any form of human affection. Instead, we just focused on what's waiting for us at the end of the sin city's "rainbow" and that is, piping hot bowls of SHABU SHABU.

Yum! I'm sure you'd know by now that SHABU SHABU is indeed our favorite!  To THINK that we just came from Days Inn Hotel for a heavy breakfast and Arby's for our late lunch. Yes it may seem gluttony that we are rushing somewhere just for a taste of our delicious food but we don't care -- we are willing to shed what's left of human decency just to get a sip of that heavily flavored broth, crunchy vegetables, tender seafood, and chewy noodles.

I'm sure you'd agree with me once you see the spread that my cousin prepared for us. You might even purposely forget that you have a wife/husband just so you'd get the first bowl.

I'm sure that's what my husband did. And even son.

I lead such a sorry life......

Kidding! He he he he he! 

Familiar landmarks that remind us we were near LAS VEGAS!

When we got to Las Vegas, my cousin Kuya Nap was so busy preparing the ingredients for his special SHABU SHABU dinner. 

My cousin is not really a chef but like us, he LOVED to eat. It's always a great day when he cooks because he is such a whiz in the kitchen! 

ARBY'S

While we were in the US for summer, my husband was on the verge of tears as he craved to eat an all meat sandwich with layers upon layers of beef. He always saw those thick "man-wiches" on television but was getting frustrated that he can't find what he was looking for after 2 weeks.

Finally while we were en route to Las Vegas, we saw that there was an ARBY'S restaurant during our stopover. I had this before and recommended it to my husband if he would like to try it. He was actually unfamiliar with ARBY'S but I told him that they served the type of sandwiches that he'll love. So even if he really wanted to eat at Panda Express to have his favorite orange chicken, he agreed for a quick bite at ARBY'S.

When it was over and done, let's just say my ears got painful hearing him rave over and over again how delicious his beef sandwich was.  It was ALMOST one of those times when I wanted to say "I told you so" but I'll just play the model wife  this once and keep quiet. He he he he he!

Besides, it was not really a "heroic" deed for me since I also wanted to have a big beefy bite at ARBY'S! 

ARBY'S!!!